Chapter Text
Enid was crying. Again. She had done this every night for a week, and it was cutting into Wednesday’s writing time. She didn’t want to say it out loud, but she had controlled the impulse for six days. Six days of losing progress on her novel and letting Enid sulk. She had hit her limit. The typewriter hit the end of a line, the ring echoing across her silent side of the room and disappearing in the colorful noise of Enid’s. That was it. She knew what she had to do. Wednesday pushed the chair back, the wooden legs screaming across the old floor. Wednesday walked across the room. Her loud boots clunked noisily, halting as she paused for a moment at the black tape line. The moment passed and she crossed the line, stopping beside Enid’s bed. Wednesday hesitated again before sitting softly on the bed. It was time to say it: Enid was annoying her.
“Enid?” Wednesday asked softly, far softer than she had intended to. The wolf looked up, her eyes and nose burning red. She seemed surprised to see Wednesday so close. Wednesday sighed and braces herself. “Let’s make him jealous.”
Enid looked confused. Wednesday couldn’t blame her. That wasn’t what she’d intended to say. “What?”
“Ajax. Let’s make him jealous.” Enid sat up, fully facing Wednesday as she pulled her knees to her chest. “You’re constant crying, as necessary as I’m sure you feel it is, is disrupting my delicate schedule. Let’s make him jealous and see if he realizes his mistake.”
“His mistake?” Enid had stopped crying. Instead she looked like a slack-jawed baboon seeing a tool work for the first time. Wednesday almost laughed.
“Dumping you, clearly. We make him jealous, he smartens up, I get back on my writing schedule. And you get to be happy again, of course.”
“Of course.” She rolled her eyes. “How would I make him jealous?”
Wednesday shrugged. “Simple. Date someone else.”
“Date someone else? You mean use them?” Enid laughed humorlessly. “Wednesday, that’s cruel, even for you.”
“Oh please, that doesn’t even touch the boundaries of what is cruel for me. And I’m not saying use some unsuspecting bystander-“
“Tell someone! Tell them I’m using them?” Enid covered her face. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. I don’t know what’s worse, using someone and not telling them, or having to find someone and ask if I can use them.”
With a spectacular eye roll and a sharp poke at Enid’s shoulder Wednesday said, “Would you cut your dramatics? It’s just a suggestion. And you wouldn’t have to find someone, I already have.” Enid uncovered her face in horror, and Wednesday continued before she could get interrupted again, “it would be me, clearly.” She watched Enid to see if she would protest. When she remained quiet, Wednesday added, “I have no qualms about being used by you.”
Enid’s cheeks turned red. “You want to be my girlfriend?”
“Your fake girlfriend, yes.” Wednesday stood up and started to pace. “Boys can be absolutely foolish. They don’t know what’s good for them, and half the time they can be shown what‘a best by taking it away. It’s simple reverse psychology.” Wednesday stopped and faced Enid again, a smile dancing at one corner of her mouth. “It has been quite some time since I engaged in any subterfuge. I would welcome the opportunity to hone my lying and play acting. I’ve been trying to convince the headmaster to host a play where I get to be Frankenstein. Or his monster. Either would work really. What is your opinion on the matter?”
Enid looked shell shocked. “I think you’d make a great Dr. Frankenstein.”
“Yes, I know. I meant about my plan.”
Enid’s face didn’t change. “Uh, I’ll need to think about it.” She sighed. Wednesday nodded curtly, then turned to cross back to her side of the room. She had a few more ideas she could cram into the last minutes of her designated writing time. Just as she poised her hands over the keys, she heard Enid clear her throat. “Uh Wednesday?” Wednesday responded with a small hum, acknowledging she was listening. “Thank you.”
Wednesday nodded her head in the affirmative and began typing again. It was time to save the day, and she could not ruin this scene.
Enid drifted confusedly from one class to another. She accidentally bumped into Eugene and almost sent him flying. He started to fall backwards and caught himself, but dropped the jar of bees he had been holding. Enid caught the jar by its handle, passing it to Eugene.
“Darn it! I just calmed them down. We’ll have to start the whole process again. I really should watch where I’m going.” He pushed his glasses up his nose. “Sorry Enid, my prescription is out of date. I can’t see much at all.”
“It wasn’t your fault Eugene. Will the bees be okay?”
“Nothing a little smoke and slow jazz can’t cure. Are you okay?” He finally looked away from his bees and looked at Enid.
“I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Do you know what will help with that?” He pushed the jar into her hands and started digging in his backpack. He found what he was looking for and held it up triumphantly. “It’s my new honeycomb. Chew on it ten minutes before bed and you’ll sleep like a puppy.” He pushed the baggy of honeycomb into her hand. “Just chew on about one teaspoon worth. It will fix everything!” He pulled the jar back, threw his backpack on, and started hurrying away, his net waving slightly behind him.
Enid laughed to herself. She put the baggy in her jacket pocket. She was sleeping poorly, so she might as well try it. Maybe honey could cure heartache. As she headed to her next class Enid pondered Wednesday’s suggestion. Make Ajax jealous. Would he be jealous if she dated someone else? Did he even care? And Enid? Date Wednesday? For fake?
She walked into the greenhouse, ready for her first class with Thornhill’s replacement. At the table across from her Bianca was rubbing Ajax’s hand, commandeering his attention while Xavier looked on in disgust. Enid’s claws came out, piercing through her class notebook. She turned around, walking back out without speaking to anyone.
Wednesday came around the corner and Enid grabbed her with her free hand, dragging her into an alcove behind a suit of armor. “Yes.” She gasped out. “Yes to your plan. Let’s do it.”
“Yes?” Wednesday asked, and Enid nodded. A voice called Enid’s name down the hall. “Trust me?” Enid nodded again. Footsteps approached them. Wednesday caught Enid by the back of the neck and pulled her down. “Don’t claw me,” she whispered, right before pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss.
“Oh, sorry, the professor just sent me to see if you’re okay, and I’m gonna-“ a male voice cut off and footsteps disappeared as quickly as they’d came.
Wednesday let go of Enid and peeked after to make sure no one was in the hall. Wednesday looked completely out together. She eyed Enid. “Are you okay to go to class?”
Stunned, Enid nodded. Her claws had retracted, leaving three holes in her notebook. Wednesday led the way to class. She and Enid sat down at an empty table. She looked at Enid while everyone else looked at them. Enid had black lipstick on her mouth. When she was sure that Ajax was watching, Wednesday wiped the smudge away, maintaining eye contact with Enid for just a moment before turning her attention to the teacher. If her heart beat in double time, she chalked it up to simply being the thrill of the lie.