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It's almost the end of Outcast Anatomy class, some students are doodling in their notebooks while others are trying their hardest to stay awake. Wednesday is seated next to Enid who is one of those students trying to stay awake. Enid stares at the clock as if looking at it will make it go faster but in reality it feels like it’s going in reverse. Wednesday knows most of this material already .Understanding outcast anatomy helps her write better so her knowledge on the subject is higher than average. During this time Wednesday likes to observe the students around her. While she may not like parts of the world around her, she at least acknowledges it. Enid bobs her head, seeming to go down any second but before she can doze into sleep she is startled by a buzz from her phone. Wednesday looks over, out of all the students in class to observe, her girlfriend is her favorite.
As Enid reads the text on her phone her heart rate increases and her body language becomes closed off. Her eyes are fixed on her phone as if the world around her disappears.
Enid finally snaps her head up and raises her hand.
“Excuse me, can I go to the nurse.” Enid utters without her normal cheerful tone
“Of course, you just have to sign…”
Enid is up out of her seat the second she gets the approval and races out of the door before she can sign the permission slip. Wednesday and other classmates are startled by this sudden disruption.
As the bell to the Outcast Anatomy ends, the final class of the day, Wednesday rushes out of the door and makes her way in the nurses direction. This is pretty easy for her because whenever other classmates see her coming they move out of the way making a clear path, mostly out of fear. The sign to the nurses office becomes clearer as Wednesday approaches. With one swift motion she opens the door and is greeted by the school nurse.
“Is Enid alright?” Wednesday asks swiftly after the nurses greeting
“Enid Sinclair?”
“She should have arrived here fifteen minutes ago.”
“Enid never came in, are you sure she was coming to the nurses office?”
Wednesday doesn’t respond to the nurse and walks out of the office directing her speed to her dorm room to look for Enid.
Face down on her pillow lies Enid with her hands over her head, it's a miracle she can breathe in this position. Items of clothes are scattered across her side of the room along with her Nevermore coat and shoes. Thing rests on her nightstand worried about Enid's current mood.
The door to their dorm room opens and Wednesday immediately shuts it behind her feeling the tensity in the room.
“Enid?”
Small muffled whines are heard from Enid's pillow
“I assume this is about the text you got earlier.”
Enid finally rolls over and sits up cross legged with her hands in her face. Wednesday approaches closer to Enid’s bed. Enid finally speaks with the whine still reminiscing in her voice.
“My parents are in town and they invited me to have dinner with them.”
“I thought they only come up during parents day, why such a change?”
“Apparently they’re visiting a friend and have some free time, lucky me…”
Wednesday takes in this information knowing she also hates family dinners but also knows that her dinners are different from Enid’s as her parents are far from acceptable.
“ I spent like fifteen minutes trying to decide what to wear that would get the least amount of comments from my mom, but I know it won't matter. Whatever she has to say to me she will and I get to watch my dad sit there and do nothing.” Enid mutters as if she has been thinking about this for a while. Without missing a beat she continues.
“But this time I don’t have my brothers with me, most of the time they don’t say much but sometimes they come to my defense, which is nice.” Enid trails off finishing her thought and sits there worried and stressed about her future dinner.
Usually Wednesday doesn’t involve herself into drama, even when it's Enid’s drama. This was different than that, this was actually hurting Enid. Though not physical pain, it still evokes the same feeling within Wednesday when Enid is gashed and bleeding.
“I’ll come with you.”
“But you hate dinners, especially with people you don’t know.”
“I’d rather come and fix the problem than hear you complain about it afterwards.”
“You’d really do this for me?!”
“Stop asking or I’ll change my mind”
Enid jumps up from her bed giving Wednesday an over exaggerated kiss on the cheek.
“Don't push it.” Wednesday replies as she returns to her side of the room now needing to prepare for the dinner ahead of them.
As they walk the streets of Jericho approaching the local restaurant Wednesday can sense the pressure of the incoming conversation. Enid has stayed silent for most of the trip, Wednesday assumes because of her nerves. As they continue walking Enid pulls out her phone camera, flipping it to face her. She turns her head to the right and examines her scars with her free hand. A sense of sadness dawns over Enid's face for a moment.
Wednesday loves Enid's scars but she knows Enid is indifferent about them.
“Thing spent an hour helping with your makeup, You look fine Enid.”
Enid stays in her dejection still looking at herself before dropping the phone
“Right..”
Caring about what her parents think goes back and forth with Enid. Sometimes she feels incredible and doesn’t care what her parents think of her. Other times it's the only thing occupying her brain. Even with her abilities to wolf out now, her parents still aren't satisfied.
From their walk they finally approach the restaurant and both Enid and Wednesday enter.
There are about nine other people in this smaller restaurant filling about one third of the open seating available. Considering it's a weekday it's quieter, with the occasional plate clatter and laughter from another table. Enid looks frantically before spotting her parents sitting in one of the corner booths with two benches facing opposite each other. Enid's mother Esther beckons her over to the table giving her a hug. Wednesday has never seen Enid so stiff in a hug but with her mother, it was like looking at a different person. Enid's father Murray gives her a smile and nod while Enid encourages Wednesday to be seated at the table.
“I didn’t know you were bringing anyone.” Esther says looking at Wednesday
“This is Wednesday. I needed to be with another student to leave campus on a weekday, it's like a buddy system. ” Enid replies looking for a glint of approval in their eyes
“Oh this is the Wednesday you’ve talked about, well I’m glad you could come along.” Esther exclaims
“Likewise” Wednesday claims knowing not to start anything at this moment and being here strictly for Enid.
“I already went ahead and ordered our food, I got your steak rare, just how you like it.”
“Oh.. thanks mom” Enid utters knowing she actually has always preferred medium.
“ I didn’t know you were coming Wednesday so I didn’t order you anything, I can call the waiter over.”
“ I don’t eat anywhere that underpays their staff”
Esther pauses for a moment trying to evaluate what type of person Wednesday is.
“Well that makes it easier on my husband's wallet then.”
Murray looks over at his wife with a hint of amusement but also annoyance thinking of his bank account. A hush falls over them for a moment but is broken by Esther.
“So, Enid, how are your classes going?”
“They’re alright, I’ve been really enjoying Outcast History, we are in the werewolf unit right now.”
“Your oldest brother loved that class. What about math? You used to be all over that subject.”
“ In grade school yeah but I haven’t been interested in it for a while now.”
Esther lets out a small disappointed sigh
“Well, at least your youngest brother is into math at the moment… And what about you Wednesday?”
“I learned most of Nevermore’s curriculum when I was nine years old, there isn’t much teaching to be done.”
“Your parents must be very proud of you then.”
“Overly.”
Esther feels almost as if she is jealous of Wednesday's mother, even though she has never officially met her. Even with this emotion she continues to question Enid.
“How many times have you wolfed out since starting school? It didn’t happen much over the summer but I'm hoping the change of scenery helped.”
Enid doesn’t answer for a moment, she knows that the more invasive questions have started.
“I think like, three times so far.” Enid says regretting her choice of being honest with her mother.
“ But there have been at least six full moons since you came to Nevermore this year. I thought wolf camp would have helped, maybe we need to find other methods for you.”
“Really it's ok mom, I'm sure I’ll get to the normal moon cycle eventually.”
“I guess we’ll see.” Esther remarks, giving Enid a doubtful glance.
Enid looks over at her father hoping to get something out of him but he just gives a small remorseful look. With her rising nerves, Enid begins to pick at her jacket sleeve below the table. Wednesday notices this and begins to divert the conversation away from Enid.
“From what I understand you only usually visit during parents day, why the sudden change?” Wednesday asks
Murray finally chimes in after his prolonged silence.
“I’ve got a friend who lives up here, we were invited to see him for his birthday.” He says in a mundane voice.
“We don’t visit often as Nevermore is just so far from California but, you know, special occasions.” Esther chimes in
“We didn’t do anything for my birthday.” Enid says over Esther excited tone
“Your brother had a big tournament game we had to go to, you know that.” Esther claims with a tone that progressively got more agitated.
“ The game didn’t start till six, but we still didn’t do anything that whole morning.” Enid mutters roughly.
The waiter had cut their conversation off and delivered their food. Wednesday has stayed quiet not because she doesn’t have things to say, but because for once in her life, she is keeping the peace. This mindset has slowly started to change, the more outrageous things Enid’s mothers says, the more agitated Wednesday gets. With the waiter disrupting their conversation it gave Esther a chance to change the subject.
“ So how are you and that boy Ajax doing?”
“Oh, Ajax and I haven’t been together for months.”
“Oh well, he was a sweet boy but he wasn’t even close to being a werewolf. I hear there are lots of werewolf boys at Nevermore.” Esther says passive aggressively
Enid is taken aback for a moment giving glances over to Wednesday. Wednesday glimpses at Enid telling her with her eyes that she is there to assist her if needed.
“I'm not super interested in that right now mom.” Enid mumbles knowing this will be an issue with her mother.
“That really is a shame, especially when you had a boy already, even though he isn’t a werewolf.”
The tension in the room grew. Esther has a way of silencing a table with her words, her next words however, change that mood.
“You know it’s gonna be hard for you to find a werewolf boy who wants you.”
“Especially with those hideous and mannish scars.”
Enid's eyes broaden. She knew her mother would bring her scars up but still it cut her deep. Enid’s breathing increases and her insecurities take over. She is so in her head that she forgets Wednesday is even sitting next to her. Even for as many times as she rehearsed it in her head, she still doesn’t know how to respond to her mother. Instead of picking at her sleeve she is now leaving faint scratches on her hand. Wednesday puts her hand on Enid’s arm, hoping to stop her. Wednesday grips the table in front of her and speaks up.
“Your daughter's scars are a pinnacle part of her identity, they remind me of her selflessness in protecting those around her. Rather than your dense choice of words to describe them, I would note that they are astonishing and sublime.”
Esther sits in shock, there has been very few times when someone has responded to her in such a way, especially a child.
Enid stands up from the table grabbing Wednesday to bring her along.
“Thank you for dinner but we’ll be leaving now.” Enid says with her voice catching on her nerves.
She knows that if she let Wednesday sit there for any longer, her mother would be torn to shreds just by her words. Wednesday on the other hand might actually be torn to shred if her mother gets angry enough.
Esther lets out a shocked and disgusted sigh while standing up to follow Enid to the door.
“What does your opinion on my daughter matter, you are nothing even close to a werewolf!” Esther claims while following behind a speed walking Enid and Wednesday.
Wednesday snaps her head around still in Enid’s grasp.
“I’d go as far to say that my opinion far outweighs yours, especially since yours consists of mind numbing insults and snide comments.”
Enid pulls Wednesday a little harder hoping to get her out of the door.
“Wednesday come on” Enid says while pulling both of them through the door.
As the door closes a frizzled and angry werewolf mother disappears behind a sign that hangs on the door reading “Open”.
After traveling back to Nevermore Wednesday and Enid situate themselves into their dorm. Thing is in his house with a small sign that says “Do not enter” this usually means he's “asleep”. Wednesday is taking off her jacket and hanging it in her wardrobe as Enid wipes the makeup off of her face.
“I’m sorry you had to come to that” Enid mumbles from her side of the room.
Wednesday closes the closet door and turns to Enid.
“I willingly came with you, there is nothing to be apologizing for.”
“I know, but you hate dinners and that had to be one of the worst ones.”
“I got to drill a narcissistic werewolf, I’d say it wasn't a waste.”
Enid snickers at the comment about her mom. She throws the wipes away and faces Wednesday.
“Did you really mean what you said about my scars?”
Wednesday knows Enid puts on a face to others when they talk about her scars. She tells others that she thinks they are awesome and shows how tough she is. She believes that to a certain extent, but deep down her insecurities about them are suffocating.
Wednesday walks over to Enid's side of the room.
“Enid, I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”
Wednesday isn’t one to be the first to engage in romantic tendencies. It is far out of her “uncomfort” zone but today she knew Enid needed to be reassured. Wednesday approached Enid taking to Enid’s left side. She reached up her head just centimeters from her scars and gently kissed her wounds. Wednesday backed up, now able to make eye contact with Enid whose face became flushed before turning and making her way back to her side of the room.