Work Text:
Nevermore had changed a lot since Xavier Thorpe was last there.
It was surprising that the school had reopened at all, given everything that had happened. As soon as it was possible, Xavier convinced his father to transfer him back, and his father, though grumbling, had eventually agreed.
After his meeting with the new principal, Morticia Addams, Xavier couldn't help but feel she was acting strange—though, when it came to the Addamses, what really qualified as "strange"? She had given him a mysterious smile, and when he tried to ask about her daughter, Mrs. Addams simply replied, "You will see for yourself soon enough, my dear."
Still, Xavier took it as a good sign. He figured that now that Galpin wasn’t lurking around, the path to Wednesday Addams’s heart was finally clear—and he didn't doubt for a second that he would win her over.
Over the past year, he hadn't forgotten her for a single moment. He had even spent time drafting a "Plan to Win Over Wednesday Addams," and the first item on the agenda was a dramatic entrance. After all, it wasn't every day you got a chance to make a fresh impression.
The dining hall doors swung open with a bang. Xavier strode in, radiating the confidence of a man who owned the room, but no one paid him much mind. It was unsettling; he had been the most popular guy in school, after all.
*Well,* he thought, *looks like I have to rebuild my reputation from scratch.*
That was when Bianca Barclay slid into the seat next to him.
"Welcome back," she said. "Not exactly the reception you expected?"
"They’ve just forgotten me, that’s all. Give it a month, and all the girls will be throwing themselves at my feet again."
Bianca smirked. "So, you’ve been missing the girls? I should’ve known."
"Specifically, just one," Xavier said with a dreamy smile.
"If you’re talking about Addams, don’t even bother."
"And why is that?" he asked, looking smug.
Just then, a woman in her thirties—Miss Charter—approached. She had been hired to fill the vacancy left by Laurel Gates, and this time, they had vetted her thoroughly.
"Mr. Thorpe, is it?" Miss Charter inquired. "Unfortunately, your old room is occupied. Come with me, and I’ll take you to your new quarters."
They arrived at Room 214, and Miss Charter unlocked the door with a key she would later hand over to Xavier.
As the door swung open, he saw a spacious room with two beds. On one of them sat two people: Wednesday Addams and Tyler Galpin. She was perched on his lap, and they were locked in a passionate kiss.
"What the..." Xavier blurted out, causing the pair to break
apart. "What are you doing here, Galpin?"
"Uh... living here?"
"What?" Xavier shot a significant look at Miss Charter.
"Mr. Galpin has successfully completed rehabilitation in the Hyde community and has proven his right to continue his studies at our academy," she explained flatly.
"That’s it. I’m moving out."
Wednesday turned to look at him. "Unfortunately, Xavier, this is the only room available. But please, do continue. I would love to watch you suffer.
Wednesday wasn't wrong; it was pure torture. The two of them seemed to have absolutely no shame.
They would hold their dates right in front of him! It made Xavier’s blood boil. It felt like they were mocking him. He could have moved out—something that damn Galpin never missed a chance to remind him of—but he couldn't bring himself to stop watching.
One day, Xavier decided he had finally had enough. He would offer Wednesday something that overgrown monster couldn't. He sat down and began to paint.
By Friday evening, the portrait was finished. Xavier knew that Wednesday and "him" were currently in the room.
The long-haired artist arranged candles around the canvas in the shape of a heart. He took great pleasure in imagining the look on that Hyde boy’s face when Wednesday threw herself into his arms.
Tyler and Wednesday were sitting in the room doing homework... well, Wednesday was doing homework, and Tyler was watching her with lovestruck eyes.
Suddenly, "Crazy in Love" began blaring from outside. They got up from the bed to see what was happening.
What they witnessed could only be described as a spectacle of desperation. Xavier was trying to sing while dancing circles around his "masterpiece." As he spun around for another lap, he accidentally knocked over a candle, which fell straight onto the canvas. It went up in flames instantly.
Xavier started scrambling, grabbing at everything he could find to put the fire out, but predictably, he failed.
Through the entire theater of the absurd, "Crazy in Love" kept playing.
Tyler turned to Wednesday and said, "Well, at least he’s good for something. That was hilarious."