Chapter Text
After months of repeating the same schedule day to day, Enid grew to trust this routine. She grew to rely on it when she felt nothing else in her life was solid.
She even grew to desire it after long days of press and prying eyes deciding which parts of her they deemed acceptable. She knew she had a place to come back to. A home.
So slicing through the ice, sweating through practice, and carrying her team through games, Enid knew her place. And it was here. Playing hockey for her hometown, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Despite the hateful words her mother shot at her and the flocks of paparazzi, she loved what she did. Somehow, that sharp rush of adrenaline and the harsh shoves from her opponents kept her grounded. Here in her place. In her home.
Though lately, things have gotten a bit unpredictable. And although Enid was generally a very flexible person, when she got the news the team was getting a new coach specifically for skating technique, she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit annoyed.
For months, she ran on the same schedule, and now, randomly, everything was changing for no reason. She thought the team's skating technique seemed perfectly fine to her. So why all of a sudden did they need a new technical coach?
But regardless of how irritated she was, she continued to lace up her skates just the same she had done every day before. Tight and reliable, but not uncomfortable. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed her freshly taped stick and made her way to the rink.
There was not one word that would have prepared Enid for who was standing out on the ice when she entered the rink. Wednesday Addams. Professional figure skater Wednesday Addams. And also, professional asshole. At least in Enid’s opinion.
Wednesday Addams was one of the most accomplished figure skaters of her time. Four Olympic gold medals, European Championship gold medalist for three years, and an endless supply of other gold medals from various competitions. And yet, Enid despised her.
This was because Wednesday not only had a reputation for being extremely deadpan, but also for being extremely rude. Her fans received little to no acknowledgment, and her interviewers received nothing but blank stares and sarcasm.
Most seemed to be charmed by this dark and witty persona, but not Enid. No matter how draining or overwhelming her press and fans became, Enid made it a point to always appreciate and acknowledge them. Being respectful to those who only look up to her is very important to her.
They give her a reason to keep pushing when it feels like no one is in her corner. A reason to win when no one else is there to support her. A sense of family she doesn't have elsewhere.
So when Enid’s bright eyes met those of the woman she had internally declared war with, rage filled every inch of her.
Though instead of being met with the blank look she was expecting, a barely perceptible smirk spread across the gloomy girl’s lips as her eyes slowly scanned Enid.
The blonde froze for a moment in surprise before tightening her grip on her stick and turning to make her way to the team. She felt the piercing gaze follow her as she made her way across the ice, only breaking when their real coach began speaking.
"Okay, everyone’s here now then?” the older man asked with a clap.
With the nod of some heads and the scratch of his beard, he continued. “Alright, good. I want all of you here while I introduce your new tech coach. This here prodigy is Wednesday Addams. You might know her from her Olympic performances or whatever bullshit you’ve seen on your phone. Either way, she’s fuckin’ nuts. So whatever shitty technique you’ve been using, you better throw that shit out the window, okay? Because she’s going to rock your shit.”
The rest of the women on the team nodded their heads in agreement, but Enid stood stock still, eyes narrowing at the other woman. So cold and emotionless, like she couldn’t care less whether or not she was there. Enid would be damned if she was going to stand there and let that arrogant littl—
“Yo, Enid, you good, dude?”
The sudden question shocked the fuming woman out of her thoughts as she turned to face its source. Yoko. Enid’s closest friend on the team and even just her best friend in general. She’s a shorter woman with long black hair and unnervingly light skin. A party girl at night, but a menace on the ice during the day.
She’s been there for Enid a lot throughout the past year and is one of the only reasons she stays sane. She has an eyebrow raised at Enid in question.
“Uh, yeah, sorry. Just not her biggest fan,” she finally replied, eyes shifting back to the girl in question, only to find the woman’s eyes already on her.
“Alright, idiots, get your shit together. I’ll be back in an hour when she’s done with you. Good luck!” Coach Smith shouted.
Yoko looked between Enid and her with a smirk, giving her friend a pat on the back before skating away.
“Come on, Sunshine. If you want a staring contest, try Divina. She’s been training ever since she lost to Jax last week,” she shouted over her shoulder as she skated with the team where Wednesday was directing them.
Enid inhaled the crisp air deeply, savoring the burn in her lungs. This was not going to be easy.
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Warmups went as usual, pretty calm and quiet. Nothing but the sound of blades scraping the ice. But just as Enid was starting to believe she might have been overreacting, Wednesday opened her mouth.
“That’s enough. You all may begin skating so I can see just how lacking your technique is. Though if what your coach has already shared with me is correct, there is much work to be done,” the short woman spoke sharply, expressionless.
Enid felt her face begin to heat up in anger, fists clenching at her sides. Who does this chick think she is? Just because she’s won a few medals doesn’t mean she can treat everyone else like shit.
“Is there a problem, Ms. Sinclair?” Wednesday asked, approaching the seething girl smugly.
Enid’s jaw clenched as she met her gaze, keeping in the storm of obscenities that currently wanted to escape from her mouth. They stared sharply at one another for a moment, letting the tension speak for itself. One thing was clear: neither wanted to back down.
Though as Enid started to hear the questioning mumbles coming from her teammates, she let out a defeated breath.
“Nope. All good, coach,” she spat before turning away sharply.
For the next half an hour, Enid continued to ignore the other woman, letting herself get absorbed in her skating and the new exercises, ignoring their origins. Ignoring the barely concealed insults to her teammates. And for a while, it was working. She kept her head down, held her tongue. But when they began to apply these exercises to real plays, things started to fall apart.
“Sloppy, Sinclair,” was the first comment that came. The first of many.
“Sinclair, pick it up.”
“Sinclair, eyes off your feet.”
“Just do what I instructed, Sinclair. It truly is not so complex.”
“Sinclair, keep up.”
“Feet together, Sinclair.”
By the sixth, Enid was barely able to keep herself from burying her fist into Wednesday’s face. These words were starting to feel all too familiar. Thoughts of her mother began to fill her head. It was then that the seventh came.
“Sinclair, your footwork is inefficient. You’re burning excess energy.”
She couldn't take it anymore.
“Inefficient, huh?” she replied, tone bitter. She met the shorter woman’s eyes with a murderous glare, swiftly skating closer.
“Is anything ever good enough for you? Or do you just get off on being a bitch all the time?” Enid spat, chest rising and falling rapidly.
The room fell silent. Skates froze in place, mouths stayed shut, and heads turned. All eyes were on one person. Wednesday Addams. Who remained calm and collected as ever, only tilting her head up slightly to speak to the taller girl.
“Interesting. I was beginning to think you were nothing more than a bubbly pushover. Good to know you are also incapable of receiving criticism. I will be sure to continue doing so.”
Enid opened her mouth, prepared to bark back all the insults that had been brewing in her head this whole time. Though as she opened her mouth, she felt a pit grow in her stomach. It was a strange feeling, one that she hadn't felt in a long time. A feeling of familiarity. Though not a pleasant one. Memories of shouting matches with her mother swallowed her. Broken plates, screams of desperation, the slamming of doors, and the final words her mother had ever said to her.
“You are not my daughter. You are not a part of this family. You are nothing, Enid.”
The words rang through her ears, causing a lump to form in her throat. The pit in her stomach filled her whole body with darkness. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. She couldn't move. Tears made their way down her cheeks as she grasped at her chest, trying to get in a breath. Yoko was at her side in a second, holding the taller girl up. She couldn’t tell if her cheeks were burning from lack of oxygen or embarrassment.
“Enid?! Enid, are you okay?! Breathe, Enid!” Yoko said frantically, helping her down to sit on the ice.
The freezing cold ice against her palms helped ground her somewhat, but her breathing refused to slow down. And just as her vision was starting to get blurry, Wednesday’s dark eyes met hers. And when they did, Enid saw something she never thought was possible. Wednesday Addams looked concerned. At least as concerned as the stoic Wednesday Addams could be. But Enid saw it. The slight crease in her brow. The downward curve in her dark lips.
Before she knew it, she was being taken off the ice by her teammates. They helped sit her on a bench while Yoko unlaced her skates, rapidly asking her concerned questions. Only then did Enid feel the breath return to her lungs. She took long, greedy breaths as she felt her heart start to slow again. Yoko shooed the others before she continued her barrage of questions.
“Enid, are you okay, babes? What happened? Was it a panic attack again? I’m so sorry. Can I do anything? Fuck, why was Wednesday being such a bitch to you?” she spouted, eyebrows furrowing.
A voice cleared its throat behind Yoko, and none other than Wednesday stepped out from behind the girl.
“I would… prefer a more… respectable term. But due to your current… state, you are excused for the rest of today’s practice.”
Of course. Even after all that, she couldn’t even bother to apologize. Her mind clouded by exhaustion and emotion, Enid let out a tired chuckle.
“Why, thank you, Your Majesty.”
Wednesday delicately put a hand to her mouth and cleared her throat.
“I do expect you to be functioning at your usual capacity by tomorrow.”
Enid narrowed her eyes at Wednesday and smiled wryly.
“Why, of course, coach,” she mocked, furious blue eyes boring holes into the other woman.