Chapter Text
Enid doesn’t know how long she’s stood there, fresh soil sinking around her black shoes, fingers numb from the cold and hair soaking. Raindrops cling to her lashes, flinging away only when she blinks. Everybody was long gone now, the only thing she can remember is the hand of Morticia Addams heavy on her shoulder before she too had turned and left with the rest of her family — or, well, what’s left of it.
“Hey,” she whispers, working her jaw just barely.
The name Wednesday Addams stares back.
“It’s been- it’s been three days since, well, since everything I guess,” Enid continues softly, lips blue from icy rain and voice hoarse. “Um, Eugene misses you. I check up on him all the time in the bee shed. I think even Bianca misses whatever rivalry you guys had going on. Xavier has been…uh, more whiney I guess?” She rolls on her toes, nails digging into her palms. “I…I miss you.”
She wipes at her face, smearing tears and makeup and rain and finds she can’t care about it anymore.
“I just.” She cuts herself off and takes a deep breath, rolling her tongue over her teeth. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. If I had—”
(Wednesday? Where’s Wednesday? WEDNESDAY?! WEDNES—)
Enid huffs out a breath, white in the air. “I’m going to do better this time. I won’t- you won’t have to worry about any of this next time. I’m going to make sure of it. I won’t- I won’t let you get killed.”
(Hands shaking, shaking so hard she can barely grab at the uniform. Wednesday! Wednesday, someone help! Tears. There were tears in her eyes as she shook her friend and screamed and screamed and screamed—)
(But nobody had answered her calls.)
“I’m going to make them pay first.” A broken smile spreads across her face. “So you won’t have to pay the price of their revenge.”
Enid sighs shakily and crouches down, hesitantly reaching out and touching the gravestone. Chills race up her arm and she squeezes her eyes closed. Her chest aches and she shudders but she doesn’t cry again.
“Goodbye, Willa.”
She could imagine the frown and eye roll Wednesday would give her if she could hear her say that ridiculous nickname and Enid allows herself a small smile at the thought.
“Are you ready?”
Enid blinks and straightens up, turning from the grave of her best friend and faces Goody Addams.
“Don’t be sad,” Goody says. “It’s not really goodbye after all.”
Enid doesn’t have the heart to tell her it technically was.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Enid rasps, stepping away from the grave.
“It’s going to hurt you significantly,” Goody warns.
Enid rolls her eyes. Nails bite harsher into her palms. “You already told me that. Trust me, it can’t hurt worse than this.”
Goody hums, silvery eyes tracing over her before she nods. “Very well, Enid Sinclair. Prepare yourself.”
Enid opens her mouth only to snap it shut as Goody passes through her, disappearing into a blue vapor. Ice slides along her skin and into her chest until she’s gasping roughly, hands jerking up and nail sharpening, clawing at her jacket.
It was so cold it burned.
She screams through her clenched teeth, eyes wild as her chest heaves. She falls to her knees, vagauely aware her claws have ripped her jacket and shirt and into her skin, blood dripping down her nails and onto the soil.
The cold pierces through her lungs, frostbite spreading up her organs as it slows them down, blood chilling from her usual high body temperature. Enid gasps shakily, throat hurting and tears in her eyes as she looks up from her crouched position towards the grave in front of her.
The name Wednesday Addams blurs her vision.
Right as the first scream rips through her throat, Enid disappears.
__
Enid drags her eyes open. She finds the ceiling of her dorm greeting her. She takes in a deep breath, feels the way air fills her lungs and her fingers twitch. Her breath hitches, caught in her throat.
She glances over, the black sheets of the bed beside her, unused and untouched. She lets out a slow breath, chest pinching before her eyes sting.
She blinks away the pain and tells herself this time nothing will happen to Wednesday.
__
Enid is already standing when the door is pushed open. She takes a deep breath and lets the scent of faint vanilla, pinewood, and the strange smell of something like standing in a library with old books too long wash over her. She blinks her eyes open when she realizes she’s closed them and finds herself staring at a ghost.
Wednesday Addams stares right back. Dark, dark eyes glaring and dark hair pulled back into twin braids, bangs swept across her forehead. Enid drinks in the sight of her best friend, at the freckles dotted along pale skin and the small curl of her lips that quirk down into a frown as Wednesday takes in the room — already split in half from when Enid couldn’t sleep and decided to get the room set up as much as she could without Wednesday there.
“—id. Enid.”
Enid blinks and lets her usual smile cross her face as she turns towards Weems, who looks uncomfortable.
“Sorry,” Enid cheers, grin on her lips. “Must’ve zoned out there.” She turns towards Wednesday, lets her chest hurt at the sight despite the relief that Wednesday was there now, alive and breathing, and tries to remember the script from her last life. “Howdy, roomie. Nice to meet you.”
She gives a small wave, knowing Wednesday wouldn’t let her hug her despite the ache that spreads along in her throat, numbing her fingers.
Wednesday gives her a sharp calculating look, dark eyes drowning before she glances away and back around at the room.
“You must excuse our Wednesday,” Morticia says and Enid’s eyes snap over towards her quickly, remembering the way the woman had seemed down, hunched over, and deadened at Wednesday’s funeral in a way she only sees in the mirror. “She is allergic to all things colorful.”
Enid smiles.
I promise I will let nothing happen to your daughter. Not this time. I won’t fail.
“That’s okay,” Enid chuckles, waving it off. She can’t help the way her eyes are drawn back towards Wednesday.
Weems clears her throat and Enid blinks, turning from dark eyes. “This is Enid Sinclair.” She looks down at the blonde. “Enid, please take Wednesday to the office to get her schedule and uniform while I talk to her parents about what’s expected from her here.”
Enid grins and nods. Wednesday gives a sharp, murderous glare towards her parents and sweeps out quickly. Gomez chuckles at his daughter as Enid steps around them politely, giving them a smile as she catches up to Wednesday.
They walk in silence for a while, Enid careful not to walk too closely, remembering the way Wednesday is prickilish about contact.
“Aren’t you supposed to be boring me with nauseating speeches about Nevermore’s deluded history and trying to sell me to the ‘appeal’ of this abomination of a school my parents are subjecting me to?” Wednesday suddenly asks, the word ‘appeal’ spitting out like poison.
Enid blinks and glances towards her. “I guess so,” she hums, clasping her hands behind her back as she walks. “But I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t hear a word that would come out of my mouth.”
“And you would stand correct,” Wednesday drawls, eyes dark and deep.
Enid swallows and can’t find it in herself to look away as they both pause on the sidewalk. Her fingers twitch and the urge to sweep the girl into her arms, to cry and sob and plead for forgiveness, for not being fast enough, strong enough to reach her in time, for not knowing Wednesday had been kidnapped burns, twisting like the blade of a knife deep in her stomach like they did to Wednesday—
“Wednesday, I—”
“Enid, there you are!” Ajax crows and Enid lets out a low growl at being interrupted, turning towards him as he ambles over. “You're not gonna believe the dirt I heard about your new roommate. She eats human flesh. Chowed down on that kid she murdered. You better watch your back.”
Enid snorts and sidesteps to show that Wednesday is staring blankly at him.
“On the contrary, I actually fillet the bodies of my victims, then feed them to my menagerie of pets,” Wednesday deadpans.
Ajax pales, the snakes under his hat hissing louder.
Enid grins, all teeth and slightly wild as she stares at Wednesday. “Isn’t she cool?” she asks.
Ajax swallows hard and looks between the two. “Sure…”
Enid reaches out and taps Wednesday’s sleeve covered arm lightly and secretly grinning when she’s not instantly stabbed with a knife by the shorter girl. “As good as it was to see you Ajax, Wednesday and I have to go get her uniform and schedule.”
“Oh,” he nods, eyes casting between the two of them — Enid smiling sunnily and Wednesday glaring up at him darkly. “Right. I’ll, uh…” He jerks his thumb over his shoulder, smiling awkwardly. “I’ll see you later, Enid.”
“Uh-huh,” Enid hums noncommittally. “Bye.” She looks over at Wednesday. “You ready?”
“No, this place makes me want to gouge my eyes out and toss them into a lake,” Wednesday sneers.
“That’s the spirit!” Enid cheers and taps Wednesday’s arm again, carefully and lightly, jerking her head to the side. “Let’s go get your uniform and schedule.”
Enid starts forward and pauses, turning to look over her shoulder when Wednesday isn’t beside her. The shorter girl stares real hard at her arm before looking back up, eyes guarded as she walks with her.
Enid sighs, fingers curling into her palms.
She’s alive, she thinks to fiercely to herself.
And she’ll stay that way if Enid has anything to say about it.
Watch out, Tyler and Thornhill. I coming for you.
A savage grin takes over Enid face at the thought.