Chapter Text
A wasteland.
That was the only thing running in the complex mind of one Wednesday Addams. From the moment she opened the thick mahogany door of their shared dorm room until now, where she was rooted at her spot among her suitcases. It has been half an hour since Lurch dropped these off.
Her reaction was drastically far from the murderous sentiments she once had the first time she laid eyes on her would-be residence.
The usual revolting sensation caused by the flash of multi-colored sunlight from the color-coated half of the centerpiece window was now replaced with the feeling of unsettling confusion and ...loss? at the sight of clear, plain as day glass.
She had not felt this particular emotion since the death of her beloved scorpion. To experience this again with the mere absence of color is...disturbing.
Her eyes flitted from the dull display to her bubbly roommate's side of the room.
That feeling... now grew tenfold.
She felt rumblings in her backpack as Thing excitedly jumped out and scampered along the old floorboards as if to meet someone halfway. The soft taps came to a slow stop, however, as he reached the now barren corner.
Gone were the k-pop posters, the mountain of stuffed toys where he loved to sleep in, and the rainbow duvet littered with used clothes and teen magazines he used to keep himself in the loop with the youth. All that was left, was a plain bed and side table waiting for a new occupant.
“What… Where’s Enid?”
Wednesday could almost hear the disappointment in the shaky gestures of the appendage.
Without answering, the goth abruptly turned around and left. Thankfully, the luggages blocked the door allowing Thing to squeak through and scurry behind the girl. He was usually able to keep up just fine but Wednesday was storming down the hall like a madwoman. She definitely looked like one when he finally caught up and saw her pounding on another door.
“Tanaka, a word.”
She banged on the door again for emphasis, growing impatient by the millisecond.
“Alright, alright geez! We just started the semester there’s no way someone is already getting murdere— oh. Well, I wouldn't put it past you, Addams.” The vampire smirked as her dark shades caught the sight of a familiar face.
“To what do I owe the—”
“Cut the idiotic pleasantries. Is Enid here?”
“Uh No?” The vamp answered as quickly as she was cut off, brow raising at the hasty inquiry. If she didn’t know any better, Miss I-don't-have-feelings almost looked worried.
“Why? Isn’t she in your room?”
“I would not have wasted my time paying you a visit if that were the case.” Wednesday’s glare sharpened at the stupidity of the inquiry.
Yoko casually raised her hands in defense. She had gotten used to brushing off the deadly looks ever since the pilgrim problem last semester. Addams may be scary, but she’s pretty picky with who she murders.
“Calm down. Maybe she’s just late. Her brothers are always a handful to get in the car.”
“Doubtful. Her side of the room is barren, devoid of any sign of life. Cleared off much like a solved crime scene.”
“Wait, what?”
Now that was something to worry about.
The vampire lowered her head, peeking at her visitor through her visor.
"What do you mean her things are gone?”
Wednesday rolled her eyes. It was as if she was speaking with a parrot. She’s had smarter conversations with her mother's decapitated head displays.
“Did she mention anything to you via your cellular exchanges?”
“You’re really not of this century, are you. It's called a text, Addams. And, No. Last time we talked, she'd just posted something about unplugging on her blog. I sent her messages, but I just thought she was just trying to keep her word. Figured we'd just talk when we come back. Look I’ll call her, alright?”
Yoko fished her phone in her pocket and hit call on Enid’s number, stealing glances at the seemingly stoic girl whose eyes were burning a hole in the tiny device on the vampire’s ear.
“Her heart’s hammering like crazy.” Yoko thought.
Strangely, the usual sound of the line connecting never came. Instead, a recorded message about the number being unserviced played.
“Shit. That’s weird.” Her forehead scrunched uncharacteristically and redialed, receiving the same message.
“What is it?” Dark eyes darted to dark shades.
“It’s saying the number is inactive. Uh, basically, it happens when someone throws their number away so they can’t be contacted.”
The pounding of blood almost deafened them both.
“This is pointless. Weems might be able to tell me of her whereabouts.” Wednesday murmured before swiftly turning away again.
Yoko stumbled after the goth, almost stepping on Thing. She quickly said sorry and scooped the little fella up, and ran to the direction where death personified went. The gravity of the situation was slowly dawning on her the more she thought of the call but tried to remain positive. There was no way Sinclair would pull a disappearing act on them, especially on her freaky roommate presently parting the sea of students with her woman on a mission vibe.
Right?
It’s almost comical how their friends were the only ones not frightened with the raging goth as she passed by them. In fact, they even went along one after the other.
“On your way to stab another pilgrim, Addams?”
Bianca smirked, expecting a cold retort when she saw the two rapidly towards her, but to her surprise, the goth didn't even spare a glance. She wasn’t even sure the girl heard anything aside from the commanding taps of her own boots.
“Hey, what’s going on?” The siren jogged up to the trailing vampire. Both of them now trying to keep up.
“Enid’s gone AWOL. Wednesday’s losing it.”
This was also Bianca's reply to Xavier.
“Hey, Addams. Glad to know you're back.”
And Xavier's reply to Eugene.
“Wednesday! Hive-mergency! There's balling in hive number six!”.
Whatever that meant.
Ajax, however, was an exception.
“Hey! What's up, guys?” The gorgon flashed his charming grin but was quickly wiped off as Wednesday pivoted and dangerously stalked towards him.
He skittered backward so fast his shoe got caught on the side of a pillar and almost fell down if it wasn't for the surprisingly strong hand that grasped his collar and pinned him to the nearest wall.
“Holy shit!” He could feel the snakes in his beanie quiver in fear despite being nicely hidden from view.
“Where’s Enid?” Came the sharp inquiry, laced with the threat of castration should a lie be made.
“I— Uh!” Bewildered brown eyes traveled from menacing ones to the many pairs of expectant ones behind the girl.
“What are you waiting for? Answer her!” Was basically what everyone was saying through their own version of frantic gestures.
"Uhm. I-I'm not sure? I haven't seen her today yet."
“Are you two not a couple? How could you not know where your other half is?” Oh how she distastes that term. Curiously, much more than usual at this moment.
“Uh we-we were just keeping it casual, but then she just stopped talking to me over the break. I was hoping I'd run into her today to see what's up.”
Dark eyes searched the gorgon's face for a trace of deception but found none. Unfortunately.
While there was an odd feeling of relief somewhere in that reply, Wednesday chose to fixate on the key information that Enid had halted all forms of communication with the people closest to her around the same period. If she had been exchanging electronic messages with Enid, would she also been met with silence? Curse her aversion to technology and refusal to even tinker at the cellular device Xavier had given her. She had not bothered with the thing after reading the stalker's messages.
Wednesday loosening her hold and resumed her march to the Head Office, not sparing the boy another glance.
“Why? Did something happen to Enid?” Ajax whispered, concerned but also cautious, unsure if the goth would have complaints about him following their cavalry.
“I don't know. Yoko just said all her stuff is gone and no one has heard from her.” Xavier shrugged.
“What? But that's- I mean it's Enid. Girl can’t go a long time without talking to anyone.”
“I know. It's why Wednesday's been so bent out of shape and terrorizing the halls.”
The gorgon looked ahead, catching the goth's face when they turned to an empty hallway. For a split second, the cold facade dropped, revealing worry, uneasiness, and fear.
"Oh, dude..."
---------------
Larissa palmed the posh, velvet armrests of her chair. A sigh escaped her lips, curled in a content smile.
It has been entirely too long.
Spending months in a hospital recuperating from nightshade poisoning at the hands of one Laurel Gates was not how she had pictured the school break going.
To have been found by one of the faculty and administered an emergency after-death antidote was a stroke of luck she would forever be grateful for.
Honestly, she could still taste the faint kiss of death from time to time. But now, she was simply overjoyed to be here. Warm from the blaze of the mantel faced with piles of complaints from the citizens of Jericho demanding the closure of Nevermore.
Sweet normalcy.
BANG!
Red lips twitched in annoyance as papers flew from the strong gust of wind from the doorway, where a familiar group of students marched in led by one Miss Wednesday Addams.
Of fucking course.
Air swiftly passed through her nose, calming herself and steadying her smile as she stood from her comfy chair. This is precisely why she opted-in to that supplementary anger management therapy at the hospital.
“Miss Addams and the Nightshades plus Mr. Eugene Ottinger, Nevermore’s heroes. Glad to see you’re all accounted for this semester.” She smiled at the young students, opening her arms to invite them in.
Wednesday turned around, eyes widening slightly at the sight of the group behind her, apparently noticing them for the first time.
“How can I help you all?” The woman spoke, catching the young Addams’ attention.
“Principal Weems. I haven't a clue as to why the others are here. Consider sending them away for a later time, as you’re busy at the moment.”
“Shut up, Addams. We’re just as worried about Enid as you are.” Bianca scoffed.
“Highly doubtful.”
The siren only rolled her eyes.
“Back to the matter at hand. It appears that my roommate, Enid Sinclair’s properties have disappeared from our shared accommodation. I request clarity on the change of arrangements.” Wednesday had her hands behind her, shoulders squared, and chin up, perfectly in business as if ready to defend an act of violence as she had many times the previous semester.
But Weems knew better.
Even with the show of confidence, Addams seemed a bit stilted.
The woman had been with the peculiar student enough to notice the telltale signs that the girl was more concerned about the topic than she would want to let on. The slim change in the tempo of words, the careful construction of the speech, and the barely noticeable shake in the dark pupils were a dead giveaway.
Enid and Nevermore really did a number on her.
As joyous as she was with that development, however, she was afraid this might be as far as that would go with the news she was about to announce.
“I’m afraid, Ms. Sinclair will no longer be your roommate this semester.”
“That much I can deduce.” Wednesday cut the woman off impatiently.
Why was everyone being difficult this morning with the repeated statement of the obvious?
"As I've said—"
She was about to demand where the girl's new chambers were when she was cut off with the look of pity from the tall woman. People have only ever looked that way if they were about to say something offensive...or something incredibly disappointing.
“Over the school break, Enid Sinclair has requested to be transferred to another school. She is no longer with Nevermore, Wednesday.”
The goth would never admit this to anyone, but at that moment, she might as well have been guillotined.
Questions flew left and right from the Nightshades. Even Thing was signing hard from his spot atop Yoko’s head. There were too many for Weems to even bother addressing and just kept her eyes trained on the unmoving girl.
Wednesday has never been the best at accepting change. No Addams in their right mind would so they go out of their way to do something about it which usually translates to problems for the woman.
When the girl remained silent, Larissa cleared her throat and decided to appease the crowd.
“I know you are all taken by this new development. It’s always a shame to have someone leave our family. Rest assured, I was informed by her family that she was saddened by this development as well and wishes everyone to not be worried. She also wishes to say that is grateful for all of you who had made her stay at Nevermore, one she would never forget. Especially you, Wed—”
“Thank you for your time, Principal Weems,” Wednesday blurted before abruptly walking out. She snatched Thing along the way and bumped on several shoulders.
Silence filled the room.
Everyone reeling for themselves but especially for the young Addams. They knew how much the werewolf had wormed her way deep into Wednesday's black heart. That reciprocated hug after the battle was proof enough.
“Should we…?” Ajax gestured to the direction the girl retreated to.
“I doubt she’d want anyone's company right now. ” Xavier sighed. He’d learned his lesson on dealing with Wednesday. The walls are thick right now. There’s no way you can break through that. Well, unless you’re Enid.
They bid their goodbye to the headmaster and slowly filed out the room. Bianca reached for the door when she caught Weems retrieving a fallen piece of paper on the floor. Her enhanced sight picked up the unmistakable photo of the cheerful blonde with pink and blue tips. Stamped beside it were the words:
Transferred to Overlore Academy.