Chapter Text
X
New Jersey, Three Months Ago
“The court might have found you ‘not guilty’ on criminal charges, Ms. Addams. That doesn’t mean you are free from consequence at our university related to the matter.”
Angry brown eyes flickered to the side at the university provost. She didn’t tilt her head or give a singular hint at moving a telling muscle as she exercised only a glare for her acknowledgment of the man.
“Wednesday’s reputation has already been dramatically impacted by these unfortunate circumstances. I believe it is time we move on from the events of last fall. You’ve already prevented her from walking -”
“Mrs. Addams, the student code of conduct is incredibly clear on the matter of what excludes a student from graduation -”
“I believe that the same code of conduct was ignored, repeatedly, when Wednesday attempted to rectify the delicate situation in ‘the proper way.’ That was what led to the criminal charges in the first place! The way you pick and choose what to enforce -!”
“Enough, mother. This isn’t about the student code of conduct or my reputation. Only that of this institution – which is why they allowed me to complete my program of study and issued me a diploma – just silently, without any attention drawn to it. To expel me would’ve brought additional eyes or think pieces to the case. Worse, it would have impacted their degree completion statistics and possibly, their funding. As if there isn’t a multi-million-dollar endowment being held up by the greed of the current leadership -”
The second-in-command of the school stood up, giving a shrug. “We’ve tried, Ms. Addams, to work with you over these last four years. You have gone out of your way to make that as difficult as possible, no matter how many mental health resources we’ve offered you -”
Her teeth threatened to gnash and something inside of her wanted to lash out, but no one would know by how steadily she held her jaw. “I do not believe this ‘compassionate conversation’ has an outcome that involves me completing the course of study that I was already accepted for. Get to the point.”
“The point, Ms. Addams, is that you are correct. We are rescinding your offer to complete your graduate program with us. You are no longer welcome in our fall cohort for studies in criminal psychology. The registrar will be – Ms. Addams?”
She calmly pushed her chair back and rose to her feet. Her shoulders were square, her head was held high as she walked out of the room. She was sure her mother remained inside – attempting to argue with the provost to no avail.
Her father had been waiting outside – only one family representative had been welcome, and she’d deemed the man far too emotionally volatile to be the attempted pursuer of peace.
“What’s happened, tormenta, did you…? Wednesday?”
She said nothing as she slipped into the backseat of the family vehicle, staring out the window, not acknowledging either of her parents as they tried to include her in conversation the entire drive home.
Not caring what was going to happen anymore, Wednesday kept her stiff stance and impassive persona for the outcome in front of them, not letting her guard down until she was alone in her childhood bedroom, where she’d drawn her knees up to her chest, wallowing in a disappointment that she’d never let anyone know became her.
X
Vermont - Present
In a room glowing with the fading sun on the west side of the graduate housing complex, Enid sat on top of a rainbow quilt. Short blonde locks (that still had a faint hue of light pink and blue from her previous Choices™) were resting against her cheeks. She leaned over to pick up a small card from a deck, smiling at herself as she read: I choose to be patient and trust the process.
Letting out a sigh of contentment, Enid reached for a purple glitter gel pen, starting to scrawl beneath the prompt: What does this affirmation mean to me?
She tapped the cap of the pen against her lip as she smiled wider into it, starting to record her thoughts until her eyes wandered to the cozy little space that she’d made for herself in utter thankfulness.
Enid didn’t have much – after everything happened two years prior, she’d essentially packed as much as she could into a hand-me-down red duffle bag and started over. With enough odd jobs, she had finally built herself a small collection of personal items that truly represented the person she’d grown into. Some might expect a slightly softer, girly aesthetic – something with bows and ruffles duplicated a million times over through a camera lens of social media. As much as she believed in pink, Enid also had an edge to her that nobody about to meet the twenty-three-year-old would ever guess.
The corkboard board strips along the wall held a few instant-print photos of settings she’d taken on her train ride through the country to the east coast, posters that weren’t bands or movies commonly fit for her stereotype, a gentle strip of Christmas lights, and a few beaded necklaces that reminded her of how she’d gotten there. On top of her dresser, a few stuffed animals offered her threaded smiles and more comfort than any person had in years.
Shaking her head after offering the inanimate creatures a grin in return, Enid returned to her writing.
…so I’ve really had no choice BUT to be patient, BUT to trust the process! The full scholarship was completely unexpected. I spent a few weeks desperately working through gigs to pull together enough money to figure out how I was going to move, but then Dean Weems called to chat and helped me with a relocation scholarship, too! Patience and trust in the process has gotten me here! I’m so grateful that -
A ping on her phone captured her attention away from her gratitude journal. Addressing the notification, Enid frowned at the invitation in her student email account that had been added as a calendar item. With red letters prioritizing it in her inbox, she opened it without hesitation.
!URGENT!
In-Person Meeting with Dean Weems
10 August, 09:30
Location: Poe Hall, Administrative Suite 01
Notes: Regarding housing - LW
Feeling a pit settle into her stomach, Enid frowned – dreading the morning suddenly.
She tried to take three deep breaths – be mindful of her physical state…tune into the way her heart felt…racing…palms itched – sweaty…dread prickled at the back of her neck –
“Damnit,” Enid cussed, all the positivity she tried to self-talk and convince her spirit of and the gratitude she had written about in her journal was failing her. She tried shaking out her wrists and tapping her fingers in patterns of three, but nothing was reducing the sudden burst of anxiety.
Glancing at the time, Enid made a quick decision to distract herself. Grabbing a tote bag and her student ID, she hurried to the athletic complex, scanning herself in with the badge that doubled as a fob and letting out a breath in relief that there was a private room available.
Turning on her music, Enid slipped off her bubblegum pink Crocs and pulled on a pair of baby pink ballet slippers, warming up at a barre with a stretch before spinning, spinning, spinning across the floor until she was dizzy and…
…calm.
Letting out a breath of satisfaction that she’d been able to work through the moment, even if it meant derailing her night routine, Enid checked her bag, pleased she’d had the foresight to properly pack a gym tote when she’d moved in. At the bottom was a blue, purple and pink bikini. A night dip in the hot tub would be the perfect way to relax until her morning meeting.
The campus was so quiet – she’d been warned, there were only about two more weeks of that before the ninety percent of underclassmen who’d been home for the summer would arrive and chaos would begin. Arriving at the aquatic center, she wasn’t terribly surprised to find the pool empty, but a few people she kept seeing bustling around the area over the last two days were making the most of the night in the hot tub as well. Enid bit back her nervousness. She used to be such a social butterfly and truly needed to tap back into that in order to make the most of her graduate school experience, and have it end so much better (socially) than her bachelor’s program.
“Yo,” A boy with a swim cap on greeted her, and another with long, slicked back, dark hair lifted a hand.
“A lady enters the bathing house,” He spoke in an overly charming way with just the slightest accent, giving a playful flip of his arm like he was bowing. “Welcome.”
“Um, hi!” Enid started, sure there was a delighted flush on her cheeks just at being acknowledged by the boys. She hated the way a bikini brought their eyes to her immediately – but had also hated the way that she’d been harassed by girls in dance during undergrad when she’d dressed more modestly. There was really no winning, when it came to how much of her body she wanted to put on display.
The boy with the dark hair continued, “You’re on-campus, right? I’ve seen you going in and out of your building from across the quad – sorry I haven’t had a chance to get acquainted yet.”
Enid stepped in, sitting a respectable four feet away from them against the jets, trying not to moan at how good the pressure felt against her back. “Yeah!” She could unfortunately feel herself already talking too loudly and too fast. She was trying not to come across obnoxious as she introduced herself, “I’m Enid Sinclair. I haven’t meant to be anti-social or anything, I just had…quite a journey, you could say, getting to this point and I’m just trying to…find some peace and get settled before next week.”
“I’m Ajax, this is Bruno. No offense taken – everybody’s got their own reasons to keep to themselves. It’s kind of refreshing these days. Everyone’s oversharing and monetizing it. It’s cool to see someone keep to themselves.
Enid rested her elbows on the edge of the hot tub. “Is this your first year?”
“Second,” Ajax said with a shrug. “Started out in clinical psych but realized that I don’t really care about other people’s problems enough to listen to them forever. Switched to clinical psychopharmacology and am working on a dual degree – finishing up my masters and started doctorate. My thesis is on the impact of more…traditional medicine on the effectiveness of classical psychology.”
“Don’t let him fool you, he’s basically just inventing a program that justifies his unbelievable tolerance for weed.”
“Hey man, I gotta see the science behind it! If it helps other people along the way – hell yeah. Hey, you looking to invest? I got a guy right now who’s lookin’ for a few more interested parties.”
Enid blinked rapidly. “Um, I actually just found a part-time job here and it doesn’t start until Tuesday, so I’m afraid that I do not have the cash to do any investing.” Really, she didn’t understand a singular word whenever someone started talking finance online or in person, only that she’d desperately needed the generous scholarship she’d been given.
“Shame, you should get in now while there’s still a market on this. And if you invest enough, you don’t gotta work. Eventually – everywhere is gonna be so oversaturated, it’s going to be -”
“I don’t think she cares,” Bruno interrupted the apparent stoner with a smirk. “What are you going to be studying, Enid?”
She perked up a little bit. “I am in the new program for clinical psychology with a focus on art therapy!”
“Hey, same,” Bruno smirked. “My focus is pretty linear on the music therapy side, but I’m open to all of it.”
“Don’t let him fool you,” Ajax used his words against him. “He flunked out of -”
Bruno gave him a shove and Ajax chuckled.
Enid giggled, feeling surprisingly at-ease around them as they were easily open with her. “Dance is really my thing, but I’m ready to learn everything that I can!”
Just as she was about to ask additional questions to get to know them, an announcement was made about the facilities closing. Enid wanted to be disappointed but realized they all lived near one another and would see each other frequently.
“So – is your husband here, too?” Ajax wondered.
“What?!” Enid flushed as they stepped out of the hot tub, and she wrapped a towel around herself.
“Oh, sorry…wife, maybe? I shouldn’t have assumed…”
She actually gasped a little as Ajax tried to soften his own statement, and she nearly shouted, “I’m not married!”
“Huh,” Bruno started. “Oh – uh, how old are your kids?”
“I don’t have kids, either!” Enid groaned.
“I think what we’re asking then is, why the hell are you in the family and married housing building?” He wondered with a smirk as he rubbed a towel around his neck.
Enid tried to drop her shoulders that had shot up damn near to her earlobes in sudden stress. “Oh…yeah, um – I applied late and got accepted here in June. There wasn’t anything left for the traditional graduate student housing, but they had one unit left in the family building so – I’ve actually got a two-bedroom place to myself. It could be worse!”
Ajax wrinkled his nose a little. “I’d probably lose my mind if I had to be stuck with all those damn little kids running around that complex. Why didn’t you just go up to the apartments in town? They’ve got way nicer amenities, anyway. It’s cheaper than living on campus, too.”
Her embarrassment didn’t recede as Enid confessed, “I’m…on scholarship – living on campus came along with the offer, so I really didn’t want to have to pay rent somewhere if I didn’t have to.”
“Damn, nice. I’m literally just too lazy to make the drive,” Ajax joked. “I missed so many classes my last year of undergrad when I lived off campus. Seemed safer to be within walking distance. We’re literally five minutes from most of the psych classes here – aside from the ones in the science wing.”
“And yes, bro is sometimes too stoned to make it all the way across this tiny campus to those.”
Ajax just laughed it off and explained, “With that new program, you’ll probably have to go to the fine arts building, too – but that’s not so bad of a haul, either.”
Feeling a little better about her entire interaction with the two, and realizing she’d met her goal of allowing her body to relieve the tension of the unexpected invitation she’d received, Enid finished drying off and tugged her workout shorts and a t-shirt on to walk back with the boys in. Their building was first, but the two gentlemen walked her all the way to her door before bidding her goodnight.
Enid couldn’t help her smile in the shower, then as she went through a humble routine of putting on lotions, creams and oils…it almost seemed like she’d made a few friends.
X
Unfortunately, as Enid stood outside of Dean Weems’ office the following morning, two minutes before her invitation was set, it felt like all her relaxation and stress-relieving techniques were in vain.
She didn’t have time to try to tap into any of them as the woman opened her door with a little knowing, sympathetic smile on her features. The incredibly tall blonde had been more than kind to Enid. She’d called her in June, to extend the offer of scholarship and explain the tricky housing situation to her. Dean Weems had even met her personally with her keycard after she’d arrived by train earlier that week and completed her tour of the family housing complex, given they were the only program without an official hall director. She’d gone out of her way to understand Enid’s situation and had proven herself to be trustworthy, which was why Enid had such a bad feeling about the meeting.
“Come in, Ms. Sinclair, please,” Dean Weems said. She was dressed in a pressed, tan suit skirt with a silky short-sleeve blouse that popped at the shoulder. Enid supposed she usually had a matching jacket, but the blazing August temperatures in the old building with a sad excuse for a window air conditioner likely made it not worth putting on. “Can I fix you a tea this morning?” Her British accent was soothing most of the time, and her stereotypical offer would’ve been approved by any of Enid’s counselors or psychologists over the last few years as a calming solution. However, in her state of panic at needing to know if she was being kicked out of her housing unit, Enid had to reject the tea. “Are you settling in alright?”
“Um, yes! I met a few of the guys yesterday. They’re both psych students. Um…and I went to that Jericho farmer’s market – like you suggested? You were right! I already landed a part-time teaching job. It’s just dance for littles, like…I’ll be teaching preschool students how to plié and stretch – but it pays thirty dollars a class, and I’ve signed up for four classes per week, and they said once they know the community interest, I can add a few Saturday classes later in the fall. So…yeah, it’s going pretty good! But, um…what’s the news?”
“I suppose you’d probably just like me to get to the point, of course,” Dean Weems said with a sigh. “It’s about your housing.”
“If I have to leave, I-I get it, it’s supposed to be for married couples, and…and I’m sure, I’m sure I can find more work to pay rent,” She tried to explain herself away before the bad news could even be relayed.
“No, no we’re not kicking you out, but – unfortunately, we’re adding a roommate.”
Enid blinked.
That was it?
“Oh! Well, okay! I mean, it’s got two bedrooms, so…by all means! I can share a bathroom and a living room – I don’t see myself cooking too often, so outside of a morning ice coffee, I hardly even need the kitchen!”
Dean Weems brought her hands together under her chin with a smile. “You’re demonstrating remarkable cooperation and flexibility. While that’s appreciated, I think you should know – there are some complicated and extenuating circumstances about your new roommate.”
Enid sucked in a breath and held it.
“I have to be careful what I disclose, but…you should be aware that your new roommate has had a challenging year, not unlike yourself. She was faced with a difficult situation, and unfortunately – did not handle it well. She was admitted here as a last-minute favor, due to a family connection. As luck would have it, I am that connection and as much as I know Ms. Addams is going to be difficult to work with, I also know she’s exceedingly bright and capable of excellent work. She is going to be a valued student at this institution, just as you will be, Ms. Sinclair. But she doesn’t come without challenges.”
Enid fiddled with her fingertips. “What…um…what can I expect?”
The tall woman let out a sigh and shrugged. “The unexpected. My suggestion would be to give Ms. Addams space and lots of time to warm up before you go out of your way to be a friend. She’ll no-doubt disappoint you if you come on in what most would perceive to be a friendly way.”
That was the strangest advice Enid had surely ever received. “Space…and time,” She repeated. “Okay…when is she coming?”
“Tomorrow,” The woman said with a stiff smile, “So that she’s here for orientation on Thursday. I imagine most of her family will come. I can hardly wait for the reunion.”
“Reunion?” Enid blinked fast.
“Her mother was my roommate when she attended here with me in the ‘90s.”
“Oh! Well, it’s good to see an old friend,” Enid tried.
“We weren’t friends. Anyhow, Ms. Sinclair – the university is feeling quite guilty about all of this – with the housing and such. For your multiple inconveniences, you’re being offered a small weekly stipend of two hundred fifty dollars. It isn’t much but…”
“Well, with my job – that’ll be over a thousand dollars per month! That’s more than I’ve ever had coming in!” Enid tried not to get too excited at that (though somewhere in her mind she remembered being told that polite women didn’t discuss their money). “Thank you, Dean Weems!”
“Believe me when I tell you, my dear, it’s the least we could do. I want you to know that I am an open ear. And though I have never, ever done this…I feel that it may be in your best interest to have my personal contact information so that you may reach me at any hour of the day should something happen.”
Her excitement from the idea of additional money quickly diminished when Dean Weems slid her business card over with an additional phone number written in ink on the top of it. Enid realized, “Is…this Addams girl really that bad?”
Dean Weems merely offered her a weak smile. “I do not wish to lead you in perceiving her any which way more than I already have. I merely want you to be yourself, but…perhaps do that as far away from your new roommate as possible, for your own good.”
X
Enid hadn’t been given a time for when her new roommate was to get in. When Bruno and Ajax invited her to join them in the regular graduate residence hall, she wasn’t going to refuse. She needed company and to make friends, especially if Ms. Addams turned out to be as grisly as Dean Weems had led her to believe.
She tried not to be jealous of the rest of the grad students who were already there or moving back that day. As she was on a tour of the building with Ajax and Bruno, who assured her she could use the place anytime she wanted – even though she didn’t live there – Enid was envious of all the accommodations just down the hall from them. The first floor had a large workout room, a clubhouse full of books, board games, billiards, table tennis, air hockey (her personal favorite), and a massive TV with multiple game stations hooked up to it. The room had an easy feel to it – like anyone was truly welcome to come and play or hang out on comfortable couches and oversized lounges. There was a coffee bar set up in the back and what seemed like free snacks in baskets. While she recognized she could use it any time, there would always be a part of Enid that felt unwelcome simply because she wasn’t really a resident.
“This is…so nice. Ugh, I’m so jealous.”
“Yeah, I mean…your place is set up for like – parents and little kids, or a couple. I bet it’s lonely over there, huh?” Bruno asked, leaning a little close.
“Um, not for long!” Enid tried to express that she was looking forward to the upcoming change in plans. “I’m getting a roommate.”
“Yo, you’re getting married?” Ajax blinked at her long, and she had to wonder if he was stoned or not.
“No! No, they just, um…added someone else to the grad program and my unit has two bedrooms, so…it’ll be more like – suitemates, really. But yeah, this is so nice. Thanks for having me over.”
“I mean, you can come over anytime. Your badge works. Just make yourself at home. You wanna play air hockey?”
“You’re speaking my language!” Enid hoped she wasn’t coming across too eager – really, she was, but not in a good way, and not because of anything they’d offered. Enid obliterated Ajax, then Bruno – and finally, for her third round, took them both out on a one versus two match. She was trying to be sweet instead of letting her competitive spirit out when two other girls started to walk by, pausing in the doorway to give a greeting.
“Yo,” Ajax nodded with a smirk. “It’s the vampire.”
A dark-haired girl pushed sunglasses up over her eyes and rolled them as she smirked. “Yoko has a very impressive ability to pull multiple all-nighters in a row. You should have seen her during finals last spring,” Bruno said as she and the short, brown-haired girl with nearly blazing hazel eyes properly entered the hangout space.
“Is it impressive, or proof that I need a sleep study?” She wondered, shrugging as she glanced at Enid. “I’m Yoko, you are…?”
“Enid!” She hid her excitement and tucked her hands behind her back, rocking up on her toes. “Nice to meet you!”
“Divina,” The brunette said with a smirk, looking her up and down. “Let me guess, you’re here for the new art program?”
Blinking and trying not to let her smile drop, Enid just bobbed her head, wondering what about her appearance gave that away. She could be a bit of a pattern clasher, but she’d thought she did alright with the pink ruffle skirt and baby blue tank top she’d put on that casual Wednesday.
“Don’t be such a hater, you know I switched my program of study to try the new arts program, too.”
“You were failing entry-level pharma classes and said, ‘I’ll bet there’s a ton of chicks coming for art therapy,’ so – yeah, hard for me to take you too seriously on that, Bruno,” Yoko said with her arms crossed. “Anyway, Enid? If you need a break from the testosterone, just text me. Dee and I need to pick up our orders from the union and head out for some essentials, but we’ll be back this evening.” She took out her phone, holding it out for Enid to tap into.
Enid tried not to bounce over to them, touching the tops of their phones together to swap contact information. “Thanks for the invite!”
“Yo, Enid’s stuck in the family housing ‘cause they ran out of space here. I told her not to be a stranger,” Ajax said with a very kind smile on his lips. Enid only hoped it was sincere.
After lunch with the guys, and meeting more of their male friends in the cafeteria, Enid had a pep in her step and a slightly renewed sense of confidence until she saw Dean Weems standing outside of her unit door. She was speaking to a long-haired woman with a sharpness that would’ve intimidated her a year ago. Her all black, velvet dress looked like it could’ve given her heat stroke on the summer afternoon.
“I fear this may not end well,” The woman whispered. “She’s even more volatile than usual. She won’t admit it, but she’s been defeated all summer, and has been taking it out on everyone. I really think a single unit would be more appropriate.”
“This is as single as we have available. She has her own room under lock and key, with one suitemate. That is going to have to suffice. We’ve already got underclassmen triple bunked and carved out student study spaces as quadruple units! We have nothing else to offer.”
“Gomez and I are going to continue searching for a house up here. The market is dreadful – as is the public transit…she’d have to bike to school if we ended up finding anything. The whole situation is a lovely dream that I never wished on my daughter.”
Dean Weems had a slightly pinched expression. “Given all of her…restrictions, I feel that this is likely the best we can do with what we have. We’ll satisfy the judge’s conditions, and we can reevaluate next school year. If she has her license restored – then we won’t need to worry about it.”
Enid sighed, exceptionally nervous about that last line, and stepped closer, capturing Dean Weems’ attention. The woman offered her a gentle expression. “Ah, here’s the ray of sunshine herself, Ms. Enid Sinclair. Ms. Sinclair, this is Mrs. Addams, your roommate’s mother.”
She’d have found it odd that a graduate student still had her parents involved, but maybe in normal, functional families that was to be expected.
(It wouldn’t take her long to learn that normal was the very last word to describe the Addams family.)
“Call me Morticia, dear, no need to be so formal,” The woman spoke with a surprisingly sultry voice, taking Enid’s hand when she held it out. “Ray of sunshine, hm? Perhaps you’re just what my little storm cloud needs. She’s already kicked me out, so I won’t be long…but…take my number.” Morticia pulled out a small envelope that had the digits scrawled in the neatest penmanship that Enid had ever seen. “Should you have any…challenges, with my daughter that you think I can be of assistance in sorting out, don’t hesitate to give me a ring.” She winked and patted her shoulder, then sighed at Dean Weems. “I’ll make this my cue. Don’t forget – I’m at the bed and breakfast through the weekend. If anything should go wrong so early…”
“We’ll be in touch,” Dean Weems insisted.
“Thank you again -”
“Don’t thank me, yet. Let’s give your girl a few weeks to prove everyone wrong.”
Enid entered the suite, furrowing a brow at the sight of…nothing. Her bedroom door was open as she’d left it and based on the living room – nothing else had been added to the space which was still merely the furniture that had come with it, and the pink throw blanket with little silver stars that Enid had placed on the back of the couch.
Dean Weems let out a sigh. She looked a bit weary. “I’ll make the introduction and then make myself scarce.”
Almost wishing she wouldn’t, based on what she’d just (not) been told, Enid tucked her hands together behind her back, shifting from side to side a bit as Dean Weems knocked on the spare bedroom door. “Ms. Addams? Your roommate is here. Come say hello, and I’ll be out of your hair.”
The door opened a crack. In the space, a surly brown eyed girl with black hair twisted into long, perfect braids leered at her. She was wearing a long sleeve, black dress like her mother – and Enid felt hot just looking at her. There was no makeup, no accessories on her – just a sharp glare and a fierce expression that Enid immediately read as angry. She stared ahead at Enid as Dean Weems said, “This is Wednesday Addams.”
With the dumbest, most ridiculous phrase she could have ever imagined uttering as she processed that her roommate’s name was a day of the week, Enid gave an overly cheery, “Howdy, roomie!” She immediately wanted to stuff her foot in her mouth, back up, and run back to the boys who’d been so welcoming over the last few days to escape her female roommate.
Wednesday stepped back with her door opened only another two inches, staring at Enid, then flickering her angry gaze up at Dean Weems. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Wednesday Addams, meet Enid Sinclair. She’s in our psychology program for graduate studies, such as yourself -”
“It’s your only program for graduate studies.”
“- Enid was very generous to accept having a last-minute roommate when that was not what was agreed upon when she arrived -”
“I’m confident you are offering her the same stipend that was offered to me for the inconvenience.”
“- and I hope you will prove yourself to be the bright, talented young lady that your mother has spoken so highly of over the years.”
“She asked you to consider opening a youth program to study me when I was seven.”
Dean Weems sharply put an end to their back and forth. “Please. Enid, Wednesday - the two of you are adults who’ve already graduated with your first degrees. I’d like to think you’re capable of ironing out some arrangements to constitute a roommate agreement – you’ll find that in your housing portal, under files. If you could have that completed and uploaded by the end of orientation this week, that’d be helpful. If you should need anything, do not hesitate to reach out to me.” She eyed Enid specifically. “I don’t want to hover. But if you need me…”
“We won’t,” Wednesday replied and closed her bedroom door.
Enid blinked a few times, then cringed and looked up at Dean Weems with a gaze that was probably a cry for help. “Well, it’s…as I said – should you need anything, call. I noticed you seem to have made a few acquaintances?” Enid gave a mute nod, still staring up at her with more than a bit of hopelessness. “That’s good news. There are a lot of graduates moving in over the next twenty-four hours. The portal has quite a few meetups and opportunities ahead of you to meet everyone. And – Ms. Addams did refuse a tour of the campus, so…perhaps if you can get her out of her room over the course of the afternoon, you could show her around?”
“If…she’ll let me, sure. Um, about that agreement, though? I mean, what…what are we agreeing to, exactly?”
Dean Weems waved a dismissive hand. “Quiet times, cleaning expectations – nothing unusual. Again, Enid – Ms. Sinclair -”
“Enid is fine. Preferrable, actually,” She muttered, not needing to be reminded of her family with any level of frequency.
The tall woman put a hand on her shoulder blades, forcing Enid to let out a slight bit of tension between them with an even exhale. “Let me know if anything is…overly unexpected,” She clarified. “I hope you’re able to get settled in. Have a good day, my dear.”
Swallowing hard after the front door closed, Enid stared at Wednesday’s for well over a minute. When there was no sign that it would crack with the absence of the school’s leader, she shrugged to herself, deciding she needed to figure out dinner. The invitation with her new classmates that she’d met earlier did seem enticing – but she knew what it felt like to not be included, and as she glanced back at Wednesday’s closed door…
With a few brave steps and shaking out her hands of nervous energy, Enid gave a little tap, not waiting for a response or rejection. “Hey! So, totally not trying to bug you, but I’m going to the dining hall with some of the other people in our program if -”
The door opened again, and Enid stared at Wednesday through the small crack she’d made to glare through for a second time. “I didn’t sign up for the roommate experience.”
“Yeah, well, me neither – but it looks like we’ve got one another now. Anyway – Dean Weems said you didn’t want a tour and hadn’t been here before, so if you want me to show you really quick…where the important psych buildings, dining hall, rec center-”
“I have a bachelor’s degree. I can read a map.”
Enid put a hand on her hip, tilting her head with more attitude than she probably should’ve given. “I’m trying to be nice.”
“Spare me.”
Blinking as the brown-eyed girl didn’t, Enid wondered, “Do you want me to be mean?”
“I’m confident our definitions of the word don’t match,” Wednesday replied sharply. “I don’t require a guide dog to navigate this pitifully small campus.”
Finding her own glare at her new roommate, Enid perched a brow. “Guide dog!? Are you friggin’ serious? Look, Wednesday, we’ve got to live together – we might as well make the best of it.”
“The best way to live with me is to pretend like I don’t exist,” Wednesday assured her, closing the door in her face. Enid blinked a few times before reaching into her back pocket for her phone, blinking away unexpected tears from the unexpected harsh, requesting that dinner with her new friends after all.
Bruno gave her message a like, while Ajax sent a smiley face.
She found herself returning the smile at her screen. With one last glare at Wednesday’s door for good measure, she followed her own path back to where people wouldn’t pretend that she didn’t exist.
X
Enid didn’t bother coming back to the family housing building until well after all the others on campus were closed. She’d met practically everyone who had already moved in, collected phone numbers, added friends and followers on social media, learned who would be in some of her classes…got the lowdown on best professors and what her internships could be like – though with her program being new, it was hard to say for sure. Regardless of what new expectations might not meet the old, as she let herself into the suite at nearly midnight, Enid was ready to rest and reset, fill out her journal for all that she’d had to be grateful for that day, when –
“Eek!”
She squealed and put a hand over her heart, as in front of the kitchenette counter, with only a slight glow from her roommate’s cracked door, stood the girl herself, having changed into a pair of baggy black sweatpants and an oversized black sweatshirt, holding a dark-hued mug. There was no startle on Wednesday’s features, but her eyes read how irritated she was at being caught. Enid immediately went into apology mode, not wanting to earn her ire any more than she seemed to from just existing. “I’m so sorry, I…just – wasn’t expecting to run into…well, I should be, now, I guess – um…”
Wednesday said nothing, merely dumped the remainder of the water from what looked like an ancient tea kettle down the drain before holding. She went to her room in silence, closing the door behind her.
Enid frowned sighed, standing outside her door for just a second and finally deciding on an overly enthusiastic, “Sweet dreams!”
Cringing at herself, feeling like all the positive feelings she’d filled herself with that evening had disappeared from the one brief negative interaction, Enid shook her head. She refused to allow Wednesday to ruin the last few minutes of her Wednesday night.
Since they hadn’t made any schedule yet, and not wanting to dare to piss the girl off any more than she already had, Enid decided to hurry into the bathroom for her nightly routine while her roommate drank her tea.
There were two sinks in the family bathroom. Enid had already decorated one with a caddy that held her minimal skincare and a fancy-smelling hand soap. She’d forgotten about the affirmation she’d written on the mirror and figured Wednesday probably thought she was an utter idiot at the phrase in dry-erase marker: True beauty is spirit deep.
On the other sink, a tiny wooden, varnished dish held what seemed to be an unscented bar of soap.
That was it.
They were such different people; Enid didn’t know how she was going to make a real connection with Wednesday –
“Stop worrying,” She told herself out loud in a whisper, hurrying through washing her face and brushing her teeth.
Changing into a pink pajama set, Enid suddenly remembered the small envelope that Mrs. Addams had given her that day. Reaching into the pocket of her jean shorts, she unfolded it, hoping there was a note inside that might explain her daughter’s miserable behavior. Dean Weems had said Wednesday would need space and time, but maybe her roommate’s mother had better insight -
Enid’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head as a check, made out to her, had an astonishing amount neatly written on it. “What the hell?” She whispered, brow furrowed and furious curiosity taking over her sense of surprise when she read what it was for.
Pay to the order of: Enid Sinclair
five thousand and 0/100 Dollars
For: unexpected circumstances
X
New Jersey, Earlier that Morning
Wednesday closed a travel cage door and turned her back to her mother, her arms crossed, and brows narrowed. “He comes or I stay.”
Morticia had her jaw set square, irritation present in her eyebrows, despite the fact that they barely moved from the amount of beauty regimens she had pumped into the skin above them. “Wednesday, Larissa is already going above and beyond to make sure you can not only continue with your studies, but have a place to live. Please do not test the limits of her grace and patience.”
“The last time I left Thing with you, I came back to find him missing a paw.”
“I told you, Kitty -”
“Thing is a part of the family. You allowed another member of the family to nearly massacre him.”
Opening the cage door again, Wednesday placed her palm out, and the hairless rat instinctively skittered up her shoulder, balancing exceptionally well, given his circumstances. Morticia let out a heavy sigh, dropping her own in surrender. “I’m writing this girl a check for future damages.”
Wednesday narrowed her eyes. “Can you have an ounce of faith in me, mother? Damages? You say that you believe me, but every time it comes up -”
Morticia’s gaze grew glassy and she approached her daughter, who took a step back. Morticia’s overlined lips fought a frown as she whispered, “I want the best for you. It’s all I ever have. You’re being given an exceptional opportunity to start over. Don’t waste it.”
“Being rejected from the top twenty programs in the country and forced to a university that sponsored a former eugenics farm masquerading as a mental health facility is a punishment.”
Closing her eyes, Morticia muttered, “Can you just think of this as…‘unexpected circumstances,’ then, darling? Despite the founder of the school’s…checkered past, you know that Jericho now has a very good reputation. Willow Hill is consistently rated top of the -”
“There will certainly be unexpected circumstances in Jericho,” Wednesday muttered as she looked down at Thing. His cloudy, sightless gaze was the only one who could ever hold hers for long without growing intimidated.
Wednesday planned to exploit that to her fullest potential.