Archive of Our Own

The stupid school register was down again and Enid had eagerly taken the opportunity to run the paper version down to schools front office. Any excuse to get out of history was a good excuse in her books.

She was not very eager however to enter the courtyard and pass a clearly hyperventilating and panicked Tyler Galpin sitting outside the medical room.

He had only been enrolled for a few weeks and so far there wasn’t a single day he wasn’t the subject of some new rumour, convoluted prank or fight.

She could just walk straight past him but the guilt would literally eat her alive! She may have her grievances with him but she wasn’t heartless.

“Tyler…?”

He jumped harshly, sitting up quickly as straight as a rod, banging his head sharply on the wall behind him. It didn’t seem to bother him and he made no move to nurse the headache one would expect from such an action, instead keeping a firm but shaky grip on the benches edge. He had a distant jittery look in his eyes as they darted across the courtyard before eventually landing on her.

“ Enid ” he spoke curtly, almost professional. The air between the two was…tense to say the least. Even since Tyler’s rehabilitation program at nevermore had began she still couldn’t shake the uncomfortable shiver down her spine when she passed him in the hall. The blonde would be lying if she didn’t say she gripped her bag a little tighter each time. She wasn’t scared of him, but she was definitely cautious. It’s kind of hard to be scared of someone with a large shock collar planted around their neck at all times in Enid’s opinion.

She was routing for him! Really! But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be cheering from a distance.

To be honest it kind of felt like she was the only one routing for him, even with their thorny past she did genuinely want to see him get better. After slowly being drip fed information from Wednesday over the months the blonde couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. It seemed most of nevermore didn’t share the same sentiment though.

The details Wednesday gave weren’t very specific but the werewolf felt bile rise in her throat at the thought of nevermore’s late botany teacher’s actions. She couldn’t help her thoughts racing back to the previous night.

***

“Omg Wednesday you should’ve seen it! Tyler had a total freak out in math earlier!” She burst through the dorm door with a start. Slamming it behind her with a small twirl. Her roommate was sat at her desk as she often was, tapping away on her typewriter.

“Really.” Wednesday had replied in that consistent monotone voice she always carried, but knowing her as long and as well as she did Enid could hear the annoyance ebbing out. She was sure if she spun her rommie’s chair around she would have a tiny scowl plastered over her face.

Wednesday was… not over Tyler’s betrayal last year. It wasn’t a fact she tried to hide. Enid had been trying to ebb her out of the emotional slump for months to a surprising amount of success. She was still pissed obvi! But it had gotten to a point where he could be discussed without thrown knives.

It was also clear to Enid that Wednesday also wasn’t over Tyler . But she suspected that ship had a few repairs to do before it sailed again.

“Omg! Ok so I was just sitting in math- and omg the seating plan got changed by the way! I’m next to Bruno now isn’t that great?!”

“I do not have time for your boy toy, continue with the story or stop talking”

“Jeez pushy! Anyway so I wasn’t paying attention but then I saw Jason- have you met Jason? Anyway- I saw Jason go to talk to Tyler which is weird because like no one talks to Tyler! Seriously he’s more of a social pariah than you were last year!” She plopped herself down on Wednesdays bed unceremoniously, pulling a pillow under her as she lay on her stomach.

“Your losing me”

“Sorry- so he walked up and I couldn’t hear what he was saying but he put a hand on Tyler’s shoulder while he wasn’t paying attention and he like freaked out! Stood up from his seat and nearly punched the guy! Honestly I think I saw sparks coming from that fancy doohickey around his neck. I mean he stopped himself first and I’m pretty sure he apologised but the whole room went so quiet… I think he left after that”

“Not much of a ‘freak out’ Enid. It is likely he was just started by the touch. Shoulder is very close to the neck after all”

“Mm yeah I guess… but it wasn’t like a full on grab it was just a tap. Seems kinda out of proportion to me”

“It is highly presumable that- gates has driven him away from such a thing. She was very touchy with him from what I’ve gathered.”

Enid wasn’t an idiot, she picked up exactly what Wednesday was trying to say. Her stomach tied in knots at the thought.

“Really?” She asked meekly, practically forcing the words out of her mouth. Wednesdays expression didn’t change and for the first time in the conversation she looked up from her typewriter and stopped writing, offering only a small nod.

***

Enid was ripped out of her thoughts by the sound of quickened anxious tapping on metal. Tyler was still staring at her, wide eyed and …scared?

“Tyler! Hi, I-i saw you while I was walking by and I uh- you looked all scared - I guess? I don’t know I just wanted to see if you were okay?” She mentally kicked herself for the awful decision talking to Tyler Galpin was. She guiltily hoped no one saw them talking, she had only just started being popular dammit!

“Oh” his voice was surprisingly soft and he stopped his tapping if only for a moment. “I- Im fine. I just fucking hate needles”

Oh! So that’s why he was outside the medical room, he was getting the recent vaccine! She shivered at the thought of when she had hers done a few days ago. She had put on a brave face in-front of the pack but the moment they were out of sight she bit her fist so hard it created several indented marks.

“ Yeah , I totally get that! But don’t worry the nice lady who does them is soooo sweet! You know if you’re good maybe she’ll even give you a lollipop” it was meant to be a joke but the awkward smile he offered didn’t seem to meet his eyes.

She didn’t know quite what to do, he was clearly distressed and currently had the gereral appearance of a kicked puppy. The werewolf knew how to comfort people she loved, often priding herself on her emotional reliability, but recently she had learned not everyone needed the same thing. If it were Yoko in-front of her trembling like a wet cat she would lean herself onto her and rub soothing motions into her arm while offering quiet reassurances but she certainly wouldn’t dream of doing something similar to Wednesday or Bianca.

She also didn’t know Tyler that well, they had been friends briefly- but running through a run down abandoned house wasn’t really the right place to play twenty questions.

The smell of metallic copper tinged the air and she cringed inwardly, since wolfing out her sense of smell had defo heightened. Her eyes trailed down to where he had began scratching aggressively at one of his arms, tearing through the fabric of his blazer and shirt with elongated misshapen claws that had slipped out seemingly on their own.

It made her think of her own werewolf tendencies, a small reminder that he was an outcast just like her.

That’s it! Time to wolf up and face the music!

——

Fuck today was a disaster.

Needles, why did it have to be needles.

Tyler wasn’t sure why Enid of all people was talking to him. She had been stood in-front of him for barely even a minute and it had felt like a decade. The air was dense and awkward and through his hazy thoughts all he could hear was her rhythmic and slightly accelerated heart beat.

Stupid outcast heightened senses.

Something hateful and angry bubbled under his skin and he had to mentally kick himself for the shreds of mas- laurel’s beliefs that he hadn’t been able to shake yet.

Enid had been surprisingly polite to him since he had been rather forcefully enrolled at nevermore. Offering small smiles when their eyes crossed and chiding students who tripped him in the hall with stern glares and low growls. Still, the slight shake of her hands and worry in her brow was unmistakable.

He hated that people were scared of him.

There was a time he might have revelled in the fact, a bitter, cold, angry time he spent in willow hill. Nothing but his thoughts, silent whispering in the back of his mind and a wide range of prescriptions and medicines.

The first two weeks in the dreaded place were a blur, so drugged out of his mind he could barely stand straight. Curled on the icy iron floor in a desperate haze. Haunted by her .

Her heeled boots and curled hair and cat eye glasses. Her sickly gaze that made his knees weak and eyes glossy. Her slim hands that would linger just a little too long. Her habit to keen and purr at him while holding a needle so large he felt inclined to go against her ‘ no struggling against mama ’ rule.

Not that he ever would.

Not that he ever could .

At the time he just thought he was going crazy, some kind of sick karma for what he had done. Of course he realises now it was just a side effect of the numerous drugs he was hooked on. They cut back after they realised the shock collar was a much safer and more effective way of keeping him subdued.

“Tyler can I touch you?” The words were calm, practiced. As if they had been said a million times before. He couldn’t bring himself to speak, fear had crept up his spine so far it had frozen his throat. He nodded instead.

The brunette wasn’t sure why. It was just so easy to be complicit. To follow along. He had stopped fighting a long time ago.

Well, excluding Laurels murder. His first and only act of disobedience against her.

A small hand reached over his as Enid slid next to him on the bench, it was warm and smooth and her tight grip didn’t feel as daunting as it maybe should have.

Shit could he smell blood? He looked down mortified to find a purple edge to his fingers, long and sharp, digging into his other arm unconsciously.

Fuck he just got this uniform. He really didn’t wanna ask for a seventh one.

She pried his hand off his arm gently setting it to the side before rummaging around her pink frilly bag. If he wasn’t freaking the fuck out he might have laughed at the sight of a rather ugly looking blue plush keychained onto the zipper. Some kind of rabbit maybe?

She caught his wandering eye. “You like my labubu? I just got it isn’t he so cute! I wanted the purple one but I’m so glad I got this little guy instead. Totes matches my hair!”

“Something like that”

“Hmm. Wednesday didn’t like it either, some people just don’t have taste I guess!”

The Hyde surprised himself with a warm chuckle. The conversation was almost normal. Friendly. Though maybe he was blowing Enid’s behaviour out of proportion after all that time alone.

“Ok this might sting a little” she seemed to find what it was she was searching for. A rather grubby bottle of antiseptic cream and a small roll of bandages, secured together with a pink ribbon. She was right, spiky hot pain flared through his forearm and even though he had treated much worse with much less and shrugged it off the brunette couldn’t contain a hiss of pain. Bringing his free hand over his mouth and choosing to not look as she gently rubbed it in and wrapped the bandage tightly around his arm. “Allllmost done”

He could see now that the bandage was adorned with small pink hearts.

“Very on brand choice of bandage”

She giggled, “I keep a blank roll in my bag for Wednesday too buttt I figured you could use some colour”

Enid’s smile was so bright her happiness was infectious.

“Tyler galpin?” A slightly more dull and tired voice rung out behind them. Starting the pair so bad Enid dropped her bag and Tyler turned so fast he got whiplash.

“Y-yeah that’s me”

She gave him a questioning but gentle look. It reminded him of Dr Kinbott. He felt sick all over again.

“Alright sweetie, come in when you’re ready. I ain’t got much to do after this so it’s alright if you need a moment”

“Thank you… just one please”

She nodded politely and left the room with a soft turn, closing the door behind her with a gentle click.

“I’m sorry if this is out of… line but, you seem a little more scared for this than I would expect”The werewolf kneeled to the floor to collect her fallen supplies. He had to hold down a biting retort with a surprising amount of strength.

“Needles make me think of the cave” he blurted out suddenly instead. He’s not sure this is what his new therapist had in mind when he said to be more open. The outcasts face flushed and the overwhelming desire to flee was cut off suddenly.

“Oh.” Not the response he was hoping for . “Listen Tyler? I don’t know if this helps but you’re like so strong. I mean you’ve been through so much. I- I know everyone here gives you a hard time but like I just want you to know that I’m routing for you ok?” She took a shuddering breath “I really do believe that you have the power to get your shit together… you’ll be ok. Ok?”

Everything felt heavy and far away as she spoke, the traitorous part of his mind screamed at him that this was some desperate attempt at deception… but the kind look in Enid’s eye made him feel fuzzy and for the first time in years… optimistic.

He stared at her dumbly for a moment too long, speechless. If he ever expected to hear those words (and he didn’t) it definitely wasn’t from Enid.

The blonde closed the distance between them with a hug, latching around him so tightly he could barely move. Before he even had the time to piece together what just happened she hoped away, slinging her bag over her shoulder and called out to him as she walked away. “Let me know if you need help in math! I know you tend to drift off alot!”

Right, It’s just one stupid needle. He’d be fine.