Chapter 7Summary:There is a such thing as dinner and a show. But have you ever heard of dinner and a sexuality crisis?
Notes:Thank you so much for all the positive comments. It really means a lot to me that you are enjoying this story. 🖤
If you haven't read my other Wednesday works, I'm letting you know now that I often write Wednesday as a nihilist with a chip on her shoulder about religion. I have interpreted all variations of her this way since I was a child, and I will continue to do so. It's not meant to be offensive to anybody, but I'm holding strong on that opinion of her character, especially this version of her.
—Sincerely, Sierra
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter TextThe cafeteria is busy, as it usually is at dinner time, but even more so this evening. At least, it seems that way to Enid, who almost has to fight her way through a crowd of other furs circulating their usual table. They throw glances her way as she squeezes by, whispering to one another. They've asked her why she suddenly vacated their table upon Wednesday's arrival to Nevermore, why she continues to choose Wednesday's company over theirs when she's known them for far longer, and sometimes she feels like an awful person about it, but Wednesday has taught her to look the other way.
Wednesday is typically very selective about where she sits, and she often chooses the same seat at the same table for every meal she bothers to attend with the rest of the school—not that she does so very often, anyway. Enid isn't surprised to find her wedged in the corner, as far away as reasonably possible but close enough for her to survey her surroundings at all times, with her spell book propped open in front of her and a fresh plum in her hand.
"You are the only person I know who willingly eats plums," Enid comments as she slides into the seat across from Wednesday. "They're gross."
Lifting her head at the sound of Enid's voice, Wednesday tentatively bites into her plum like it might bite back. Her eyes move around, trying to make sense of things around her. Enid wouldn't be surprised if she's taking time to process the noise and the blinding fluorescent lights overhead. Wednesday always gets a peculiar look on her face when the environment is just too overwhelming, and Enid can see it beginning to form when Wednesday's eyes squint and she screws up her face like the plum is rotten.
"Too much?" Enid asks her, keeping her voice at a minimum.
"What's too much?" Wednesday asks as she sets her plum on her tray and wipes the stickiness off her hands. She's coming back to herself now, the trance suddenly broken as she sits upright like a cat's tail when it's overly excited. "I'm fine."
"You were totally spacing out again," Enid comments. She takes her phone from the pocket of her sweatpants. "I gotta film some content. I'm running behind."
Wednesday holds her breath while Enid is filming the contents of her tray and speaking into her phone like someone is listening behind the screen. She lists off what she plans on eating and what she plans on dropping into Wednesday's plate—because Enid hates plums and Wednesday loves them—and comments on the quality of the food in comparison to that of a public school's.
"Yoko isn't coming down for dinner," Enid says, setting aside her phone and cutting into her steak while it's still mildly warm. Wednesday doesn't say anything, and so she looks up and snaps her fingers in her direction. "Wednesday?"
"You were talking to me?" Wednesday asks. "I thought you were speaking to your invisible audience."
"I'm talking to you, silly," Enid giggles. "She just texted me. Divina is halfway better, but Yoko is feeling queasy from watching her puke her guts out, so she's not in the mood to eat right now. She has a weak gag reflex. She has to drink some blood for energy, but that's all she can keep down right now."
"What a child," Wednesday mutters. She blinks once at Enid, hesitating like she wants to say something. "Are you going to talk my ear off, or are we going to sit in silence while I read my book?"
Enid shrugs a nonchalant shoulder. "It's up to you, I guess."
"You're going to ramble no matter what I say," Wednesday replies, waving a hand at her before lifting her book and lowering her head, like she's intending not to listen. "Proceed."
Thinking back to what Willa said earlier, Enid contemplates vacating the table and blaming a sudden bout of diarrhea. Her brain feels foggy and her intestines are twisted up into knots. Wednesday looks completely unsuspecting, with her nose in her book and her plum in her hand, and Enid doesn't want to disturb her with her ramblings on sexuality and the fact that she isn't straight. It's unlikely to bother Wednesday—Enid's lack of heterosexuality, anyway—but Enid doesn't want to drive a wedge between them by talking about something that Wednesday finds trivial.
And yet, Enid can't stop the words tumbling out of her mouth.
"I don't know why society hates gay people," she blurts out.
Wednesday's head immediately lifts. She's chewing a mouthful of plum, the juice of which is trickling down the side of her mouth. She sets aside her open book and wipes her face with a paper napkin, swallowing.
"What brought that to your mind in the middle of dinner?" she asks. "Are you having some sort of moral epiphany?"
"I…" Enid inhales sharply, "I saw something on TikTok earlier, and I keep thinking about it." Lying and adlibbing aren't her strong suits, and she admires the way both come naturally to Wednesday. She sucks in another breath, trying to think of something that won't sound completely idiotic or would contradict herself. "I…saw a video about homophobic people and how most of them are just projecting because the religious guilt forces them to be unhappy with themselves."
Wednesday blinks at her. Her body does a little ripple, again, like a nosy cat. "I find religion to be useless, baseless, and incredibly oppressive to society. I'm of the opinion that society would have progressed much further by now without such a thing to interfere, and that the general population might be a few IQ points more intelligent without the systemic, predatory puppeteering of conservatives manipulating children and dumbing them down into something they can eventually mold into equally conservative adults under the guise of religious freedom and, in this country, patriotism. Organized religion stunts the growth of society and has left us all behind to be eaten by the rich and the colonizers, even the ones who don't subscribe to the idea. But of course, no one wants to hear that."
The irony of Wednesday picking up her spell book and flipping through pages that might relate to some sort of underworld is laughable, but Enid can only let out a strangled sound as she sucks all the oxygen into her lungs and holds it. Willa's "script" has been officially lost, and Enid doesn't know what to do next.
But then, Wednesday looks up from between two pages, staring at Enid.
"Homophobic people are one of many weak links in society," she tells Enid. "They are insecure, afraid of change, and more than any of that, they fear things that do not fit in their warped book of beliefs. Even someone as miserable as myself, someone who survives only out of spite and detests the idea that everyone must find a life partner in order to live a fulfilling life, recognizes that there is no logical reason to dislike queers for the simple fact that they are queer."
Enid sits stiffly, her entire body seizing like she's being electrocuted, but only from the inside. Relief leaves her chest in the form of a heaving sigh, and when Wednesday tilts her head at her, she perks up a little and tries to play it off as an exaggerated yawn.
"I'm glad that you don't have a logical reason to dislike me, then," she says suddenly, knees bouncing under the table.
The spine of Wednesday's book cracks as she shuts it and puts it away. She looks seriously at Enid, chewing the last bite of her browning plum, and neatly wipes her hands on a napkin.
"You are queer."
It's not an insult or a question; it's a statement—a statement that Wednesday seems to be quite certain of, too.
That constipated feeling bubbles up in Enid again. It's the same feeling she got when she found her brother's Playboy magazine under his bed and might've liked what she saw on the cover page alone, the same feeling that had her stomach aching the first time she saw another girl changing in the gym locker room in California, the same feeling that left her nauseous when her For You Page decided that sapphic content was made for her to consume.
"Yeah," she admits, dumbly nodding, even if she wants to rant to Wednesday about her use of the word "queer". "Yeah, you can say that."
"Not that I too much care about my perception of others and their sexual habits and orientation, but I have excellent—how do you say—gaydar," Wednesday says.
If Enid had been chewing anything, it would be flying out of her mouth at that comment. Wednesday Addams, Nevermore's most tortured author, utilizing the word "gaydar" in a correct and complete sentence was never something she could've ever imagined even in a drunken fantasy. She doesn't know whether to burst into laughter or into tears, but the laughter wins, even if her eyes are misted up.
"How—" Enid inhales at the end of another giggle, holding her belly, "How do you even know that word?"
Wednesday scowls. "I have a very proficient vocabulary, even in slang terms."
"Okay, but how…" Enid stops for a breath and to wipe wetness from her eyes. She relaxes her muscles, although still hanging onto the residuals of a cackle. "How do you know you have excellent gaydar?"
"Am I wrong about you?" she cockily asks, raising a frustrated eyebrow.
Enid quiets down, pursing her lips. "No. You aren't. You're right." She hesitates, wondering if she should proceed. It's silly of her to think so negatively of the conversation when she's already gotten so far. "How did you know?"
"The rainbow heart you tore from a coloring book and proudly hung on your side of our room quickly gave you away. As did the pin on your backpack. The 'love wins' charm hanging glaringly obviously from your dorm key was also a screaming indicator of who you are," Wednesday coolly says. "You also looked away and blushed furiously when you accidentally saw a girl changing out of her Poe Cup outfit. Your entire body froze up and you practically started speaking Latin like you were possessed. If you didn't see something you liked, you would've either disregarded it or excused yourself without a second thought. But all you did was blush like a child and avert your eyes after getting a glimpse of a nipple. You couldn't speak properly for the rest of the day." Her face angrily contorts. "It was pathetic to watch."
"…You saw that?" Enid quietly asks, mortified.
"I was watching in the bushes," Wednesday admits as she picks up her book and slams it open so hard, her glass of water jumps. "It was terrible, really. You were acting as if you'd never seen a breast before."
Up until that very moment, when she saw the bare skin of a girl innocently changing out of a swimsuit, Enid, in fact, hadn't seen another girl's breast in full except for on TV and printed in an objectifying magazine that she rightfully had no business flicking through at the age of twelve.
Reminiscing on her days of seeking images of nude girls to test herself for gayness brings forth another grainy yet vivid image of herself playing dolls when she wasn't yet old enough to cross the street alone.
"I used to make my Barbies…do things," she tells Wednesday, because Wednesday appreciates honesty, and while she's already humiliated, she might as well go all in. "You know. They were scissors sisters but not actually sisters because that's weird."
Wednesday stares at her, wide-eyed. Her eyes are owlish and a deep chocolate brown that feels like home.
"Enid, are you confessing to me that you manipulated your dolls into having sexual intercourse as if they were real people?" she asks.
"Well…yeah, I guess," Enid says with a shrug. "I thought all girls made their Barbies kiss and have sex."
"I took my dolls to the executioner's block," Wednesday replies. "However, I think that what you were doing was a direct reflection of yourself. Projection, if you will. Although it's mildly concerning that a small child would even think to do such a thing."
"My grandma and grandpa let me watch HBO and Showtime after dark when I stayed at their house in the summer," she tries to reason. "They had a strict bedtime at nine and told me I could stay up late if I was quiet and didn't bother them. I saw a lot of stuff I don't think any seven-year-old should see."
Wednesday tilts her head. "And where were your parents while you were watching pornography?"
"At home, far away. I was a 'summer at grandma's house' kid, every year until I came to Nevermore," Enid replies, chewing her bottom lip. "But it builds character. You didn't stay with your grandparents for school breaks?"
"My grandmother lives in our family home, but she comes and she goes as she pleases," Wednesday says. Her face softens. "My parents kept me home if I wasn't in school. We briefly had a nanny who attempted to sabotage my Uncle Fester's fortune. She couldn't handle Addams children. She wore pastels and got angry when I broke out into hives at the sight of her."
"Being with my grandparents wasn't all that bad. I know they love me. It's just…" Enid audibly swallows, fidgeting with her spoon. "They're traditional werewolves. As in, they have a shit ton of kids and grandkids, and they're kinda religious, so that doesn't really help me, either. They're super into keeping the Sinclair name alive by any means necessary."
"You say they are traditional, which usually follows traditional marriage laws," Wednesday observes. "If you were to marry, you wouldn't be a Sinclair, anyway."
"If I marry a man, yeah." Enid's chest tightens at the very idea of taking a man's surname. "You know what I mean. They want a lot of Sinclair blood to continue the pack."
"I'm unorthodox when it comes to such things," Wednesday declares, nonchalantly flipping a page. "My mother took my father's last name out of respect for the Addams fortune and legacy. I, on the other hand, would never surrender my maiden name, regardless of marital status, and I also don't care about furthering the tainted Addams bloodline." Her big eyes suddenly meet Enid's. "You are aware that you don't have to marry a man, right?"
"Of course I know that, silly," Enid says, gesturing vaguely to nothing in particular. "And I've always been super not-homophobic, but it feels different when it's me, you know? Because I've heard so many negative things about gay people. And I'm from California. San Fransisco, too. That's, like, the gay capital of the world."
Wednesday slides a bookmark between the pages and sets aside her book. She picks up her fork and pokes at the buttered pasta she had scooped onto her plate like slop but has yet to eat. Enid recognizes the entree as something frequent and constant to Wednesday. It's one of the only things she's willing to eat without any fuss about her very particular palette.
"Enid, there is a term for what you are feeling," she says, taking a bite of pasta. "Internalized homophobia. You may not be homophobic, but you are rejecting yourself because of negative stereotypes you've heard. You have already admitted to me that you are queer. I think it's time that you let go of the idea that you will eventually marry a man and carry on the Sinclair name with another werewolf. You're meant to be a lesbian, and you're going to have to get over it."
The familiar feeling of a stomachache creeps up on Enid. Suddenly her steak isn't all that appetizing anymore, and she pushes away her tray, telling Wednesday that dinner is over.
"I'm full," she declares.
"You're nervous," Wednesday surmises with softness in her voice. "Are you uncomfortable with the idea of me knowing who you are?"
"Of course not," she quickly says. "You're my best friend—don't tell Yoko and Thing—and I trust you. You also just ranted about how horrible religion and homophobes are, so I'm pretty sure I'm safe, even if I'm sorta half a believer in something, I guess."
That's an entirely different can of worms that Enid doesn't want to open right now, and especially not with someone as anti-theism as Wednesday. She thinks that there is something out there, somewhere far, far away from earth, and maybe it is controlling her fate, or maybe fate doesn't exist and she really does have free will. It's all too complicated and something she's been pondering for years. It could be a god, but maybe god is a woman and not a man. Or maybe Wednesday is right and it's all a load of shit carefully calculated to control society.
"Consider yourself safe," Wednesday says, chewing her pasta that has surely gone cold by now. She swallows and takes another stab at the noodles. "I won't tell anyone about this discussion."
Enid's body relaxes. "Thanks. You're a good…friend."
Wednesday doesn't say anything else; she simply eats the rest of her food—well, everything but the steamed green beans pushed off to one side, as Enid expected—and stares at the neglected carton of milk growing bacteria on her tray. Nevermore's kitchen staff have been trying egregiously to convince her that dairy milk is fantastic for her bones and overall growth, but she's not buying into the propaganda curated by Got Milk? advertisements, and Enid finds it hilarious and often makes jokes about her height.
"You're never gonna grow if you don't drink your milk," she comments.
Making a point, Wednesday tips the closed carton over. "I'm not falling for it, Enid. I don't need the milk of another animal to sustain my growth. I'm perfectly average without it."
"Which is why I can fit you in my pocket," Enid giggles. Wednesday scowls. "You're so cute."
The realization of her words takes awhile to sink in, but once it does, Enid blushes furiously. Wednesday watches her every move as Enid stands up and quickly gathers up her trash and leftover food.
"Leaving so soon?" Wednesday asks, stabbing a noodle.
"I have to talk to—I mean, I have homework to do," she rambles, sliding out of the seat. "I'll see you upstairs, okay?"
She rushes away from the table and throws her trash away, leaving the tray in the dirty pile to be picked up. Wednesday's stare burns a hole into the back of her head as she's practically running out of the cafeteria, and she can feel it smoking up until she makes it to the main staircase. She takes her phone from her pocket, propping herself up against a wall and opening TikTok.
Willa hasn't seen her most recent message yet, and Enid doesn't want to seem desperate for advice or a friend, but her heart is beating out of her chest and she feels sick to her stomach.
Ok so I talked to her the way u told me to
And she's fine with me being not straight and said she won't tell anyone
And she also went on a rant about how she hates religion and stuff which I don't totally agree with but hey it's better than her giving me a sermon yk?
She didn't tell me anything about herself or give me hints
Like yes girl give me nothing I love that for me😍
Annnd then I totally screwed up and told her she's cute and I ran away
Sorry for the spam I'm just freaking out pls don't block me
Seen
Notes:Y'all make me laugh so much with your comments. I'll try to get another chapter out tomorrow, if I can think of something good.
Chapter 8Summary:Enid seeks more love advice from Willa.
Notes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextWilla types for awhile; a long, agonizing while. She stops and resumes a few times, and Enid halfway expects her to tell her off for spamming her with such a stupid crisis.
Maybe the entire situation itself is completely stupid. Willa isn't the first online friend—or stranger who happens to be okay with entertaining her shenanigans—she's ever had, and this isn't Enid's first experience latching onto a faceless rando on the internet, it's the first time that she's asked an online friend for relationship advice, and sometimes it's scary to think that Willa could, in theory, be anyone with any kind of intentions against her.
Wednesday would kill her if she found out that Enid has been talking to a blank TikTok account and asking the person behind it for relationship advice, but that's not very important right now. What is important, is the fact that Willa has been taking her sweet time to respond and she might be telling Enid to shut up and never speak to her again.
Hello again, Enid.
Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe the feeling that overwhelms Enid when the message finally appears. She doesn't want a formal greeting or any pleasantries; she needs proper advice and for someone who isn't Yoko to assure her that everything she's experiencing is completely normal and appropriate. She briefly wonders if Willa had written an entirely different message and elected to delete it and start over with something kind.
Willa starts typing again, and so Enid waits, sat literally at the edge of her seat at her desk. She wasn't lying to Wednesday when she told her that she had homework to do—it's just not going to get done anytime soon, not unless she can undo what's been done.
Firstly, did she seem to react negatively when you referred to her as "cute?"
I didn't even see bc I ran away like a stupid kid and I was blushing ugh I'm so dumb
And besides she doesn't wanna be called cute
She's like intentionally kooky and scary
It gives serial killer sometimes
Seen
Was she surprised to find out that you are attracted to other girls?
No not really
She even told me that I'm a lesbian and I have to get over it
Which was kinda crazy bc like what?
Sensitivity is not her strong point but holy shit she even used the term "internalized homophobia"
I appreciate that her vocab is expanding but damn she didn't have to say all that when I was trying to tell her how I feel about her scary ass 🙄
Seen
So you felt offended by her accusing you of having internalized homophobia?
Offended isn't quite the word Enid would use, but she most definitely was uncomfortable by the implication that she's been internalizing all the awful things that homophobic people have been spouting for decades. She wants to believe that Wednesday didn't mean it that way, that she was only trying to help in her own Addams way.
I wouldn't say I was offended
More like I just didn't wanna think that I was being a homophobe towards myself
I told her that I'm not a homophobe to others but that it's different when it's me u know what I mean?
And she told me that I don't have to marry a man and I will have to get over it
Which like I never wanted to marry one of those things anyway 🤢 but I'm a werewolf and werewolves breed a lot for the bloodline
Idk maybe she doesn't get it bc she doesn't care about these things
Seen
Take a breath, Enid.
And Enid does just that. She inhales sharply and counts to five as she exhales. She's learned a lot of breathing and self-regulation techniques through social media after following several mental health advocates and others who are self-proclaimed "professionals" in the mental health field. She knows that a lot, if not most, of it is all a total fluke, but breathing helps bring her back down to earth.
Ok I'm better now
Thank u
Seen
Do you think that she might reciprocate your feelings towards her?
Idk really. She's like very private about stuff especially feelings bc she thinks that feelings are a waste of energy
It took her forever just to tell me little things abt her family and stuff like that
She also hid her stupid bf from me and then pretended like that never even happened once all the bullshit happened with him
Seen
Do you mind telling me what happened between them and why the idea seems to upset you so much?
I'm only asking because there seems to be unresolved tension that you have yet to work through.
Enid knows that divulging Wednesday's dirty laundry, even to a stranger she met on the internet and will never meet in person, wouldn't be terrible, considering the fact that Wednesday wouldn't ever have to know about it, but the situation is complicated and Willa couldn't possibly understand, even if she believed that Wednesday's kind-of-boyfriend was a literal comic book monster out for blood.
Sorry but I can't tell u everything that happened bc it's too complicated and private
But her bf was not a good person and that's why I get mad when I even think abt the stupid mf
Also maybe I was just a little jealous
Because if u saw him beside her u would understand why I questioned her taste in boys
Like he wasn't *ugly* or smth but also wtffff
Seen
So you were experiencing envy at the mere sight of her with him.
Yea bc like they didn't go together u know what I mean?
You ever just see someone next to their partner and it doesn't look right?
That's how it was when I saw them together for the first time
It was so unnatural omg
She brought him to a school dance and I hatedddd that for me
Seen
If I'm being honest, it sounds like you were just jealous of their relationship, and that's okay. It's over now, and you should focus on her rather than whatever happened in the past.
She might feel that she made a terrible mistake.
Maybe
Like I said I can't talk about the details but she deserves so much better than that monster
I mean that boy
Seen
You seem to care for her, and she seems to be okay with your sexual orientation. I think that you should admit to your feelings.
I would if she would just tell me if she also likes girls
Bc right now all I have to guess her sexuality on is the fact that she was kinda in a situationship with a boy last year
And she hasn't dated since
Seen
If your initiation of the discussion on sexuality didn't lead to anything, perhaps it's best to be completely upfront with her about it.
She might not understand that you are attempting to draw information out of her. Sometimes it's just simpler to say what you mean and what you feel. You wouldn't be stressing about it so much if you were just honest with her.
And totally wreck my friendship with her? No thank u
Oh fuck I just realized something
Seen
What?
Apparently she saw me watch another girl change her clothes??? And she was watching me from the bushes?
And she told me that I was blushing and being all weird about seeing the girls boobies
What the fuck was she doing watching me from in the bushes??? 🫣
I mean she's a strange person but idk that seems so weird
Seen
While Willa is typing, Enid thinks back to what Wednesday said about watching her from afar. It should be creepy and inappropriate, and in a way, it is, but Enid is more focused on the angry, petulant look on Wednesday's face when she mentioned the random girl Enid had been ogling with her jaw on the floor.
She was likely just observing you, which could be a sign that she is fond of you.
She seemed kinda mad when she mentioned the girl I was accidentally staring at
Do u think she was grossed out by me looking at the girl?
Omg what if she thinks I'm a pervert
Omggggggg she thinks I'm a gross perv now 😩 I didn't mean it!
I just like boobies 🙇♀️
Seen
Relax, Enid. I don't think she was upset with you for succumbing to natural teenage hormones.
I think she might have been envious that you were looking at another girl.
U think so?
Seen
It's very plausible. Perhaps she felt jealous when she found you admiring another girl's body and not providing her with attention.
I didn't know she was there!
Ugh now she's gonna think that I'm some weirdo who stares at boobs
She's a weirdo too bc she was watching me but I'm wayyyyy worse for staring at a girl changing clothes
I'm no better than a fuckin man 🤢
Seen
You are exaggerating the situation. I wouldn't assume such negative things.
And then I was dumb and told her that I made my Barbies ✂️ when I was a kid
Like first of all what kid does that and second why tf would I tell her that!
I'm so stupid
Now what do I do?
Seen
First, you need to calm down.
What was her reaction to you confessing that you made your dolls have sex?
Her eyes were big but their always like that so idk if that meant anything
And then she told me that I was just projecting and it was concerning that a kid would know that type of stuff
Seen
*They're
She might be right to be concerned, but if she wasn't outwardly disgusted by it, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
You say that she is strange. Why would you ever worry about scaring her off with your own oddities? I would assume that all your quirks would be quite attractive to her.
But what do I do? I feel like I screwed up
Seen
I'm standing firmly by the opinion that you need to be honest. It's clear that suppressing your feelings and giving her subliminal messages are not working in your favor.
Noooooooo
Why is being queer so fucking hard????
Straight ppl just say what they mean and get together
Why did I have to be born liking boobies
Seen
I think that most are born enjoying breasts for awhile.
And you are overcomplicating this for yourself. It's not your own queerness that you're having complications with; it's the fact that you cannot simply be honest with your roommate about the way she makes you feel.
There is nothing simple about Wednesday
I'm gonna be in deep shit with her if I tell her that I wanna be scissor sisters w her
Seen
As one could expect after a comment like that, Willa doesn't immediately respond. Enid gnaws at the skin of her thumb, holding the appendage between her teeth as Willa starts to type, likely after coming back to her senses.
Have you gifted her the snood yet?
No her bday is on Friday
I'll give it then
Why
Seen
You could tell her when you gift it to her. Perhaps write her a note confessing your love and adoration for her, and place it inside the gift box. She is liable to enjoy something of the sort.
Wednesday doesn't "enjoy" anything except torture
And I'm not good at writing
What would I even say?
Seen
You'll have to get creative. Only you know her the way she needs to be known in this context.
U really think that'll work on her?
I mean she does like literature and stuff
Maybe ur onto something here
But like I wouldn't want it to be super cringy like we're in middle school
I'd never recover from that 😔
I don't do poetry unless it's like cat in the hat
Seen
Would you like some assistance?
Yeah ofc!
Seen
Firstly, it's important to understand that brevity can go a long way.
You don't want to ramble, as you seem to do quite often, and repeat the same sentiment over and over. Keeping the message concise and limiting your word count to just a couple hundred would be best for a simple note.
A couple HUNDRED??????
She's lucky to get a couple DOZEN outta me tf?
Ffs I love her but that's a lot
Seen
You say that she has a love for literature. This is a simple way to get her attention and surprise her.
I already got arthritis from making that snood I'm not gonna get carpal tunnel by writing a whole ass love letter that she's gonna throw in the trash
Seen
Then you don't love her as much as you claim you do.
What!
I do love her! U can't say I don't just bc I suck at writing and can't write her a stupid love letter
That's not fair
Seen
She wants to tell Willa off for shoving her into a heart-shaped, one-size-fits-all box, but Willa is also the only friend who might be somewhat interested in assisting her through this crisis. Yoko would've been an easier option, if it weren't for the fact that she's caught up in her own relationship and has a great knack for judging Enid's taste in love interests. For now, Willa is all she has, and she wants to be grateful to have the company and an ear to listen, but this is also so needlessly frustrating to deal with.
Fine. I apologize for making such a broad assumption.
But you still need to provide her something a little more personal if you want to catch her attention.
I can't write a love note
But I can get a hallmark card
It's almost Halloween I could get her a spooky card and write her a cute note
She would like that I think
Seen
Now you are thinking outside of the box. That's much better.
You don't have to be sappy or overbearing about it. Keep it short and simple. If she really loves you, she will appreciate it regardless of typos and lack of prose.
Haha are u gonna tell me that it's the thought that counts?
Seen
Well, maybe not. Sometimes it's not the thought, but the effort that goes into something.
I could think about doing something for years and see no results if I don't do anything about it. Thoughts without action are a waste of time and energy. You have to want this badly enough to do something about it.
This is not a fairytale or a film. This is reality. If you want something to come to fruition, you'll have to work for it.
I guess ur right abt that
And she is a piece of work so ig me having to work my ass off for it is totally just like her
Seen
Patience, Enid.
You can be honest with her, but you can simultaneously win her over by being honest in the only way she understands.
She seems to be wherever you are; in the background of your videos, next to you, in town with you. If she's such a miserable person and rejects all forms of affection, she's clearly made a special exception for you. Don't waste it.
Ur right
Thank u Willa
U are a really good friend
I wish I could know more about u but it's ok if u don't wanna tell me
Seen
Unfortunately, I am a private person. I'm only on this app to absorb certain content and connect with the world now that news outlets are cherry-picking their content and no one knows what's really happening anymore.
I stumbled upon your page by chance and admired your honesty in living your truth as an outcast.
Wednesday is lucky to have you.
That's totally ok
Ur a good friend too and I appreciate that u help me even tho we don't even know each other
Seen
I'll always do my best to assist.
I have to go now, but update me whenever you'd like. I must admit that I'm completely invested in this.
Ok I will I promise
I'm gonna go find a cute spooky card tomorrow
See ya later
Seen
Goodbye, Enid.
Willa stops typing and promptly goes offline, leaving Enid staring at the abandoned chat. Enid quickly comes back to herself, finding herself spacing out for far too long, as if there is more she wants to say. She goes to her inbox and scrolls through a few comments on her recent nighttime vlog, liking all but one hateful one posted by someone hiding behind an empty profile. Willa is likely to handle them if she ever notices.
The unmistakable sound of the door squealing open startles Enid. She exits the app and tosses her phone aside, looking up to find Wednesday entering the room with a very satisfied Thing scuttling behind her. Thing climbs up onto Enid's bed and flicks her knee in greeting as Wednesday removes her black pullover and hangs it over the back of her desk chair.
"Here," Wednesday says in lieu of a proper hello, placing something wrapped in tin foil on Enid's desk. "You didn't finish your dinner. I brought you bread so you won't be tossing and turning in hunger while I'm trying to sleep. I would have to knock you unconscious."
Enid eyes the foil ball. "You didn't have to."
"I know," Wednesday says, sharply inhaling. Her shoulders visibly tense. "I want to apologize to you."
Enid's eyebrows raise. "What for? You didn't do anything wrong. Well, I hope not."
Wednesday purses her lips for a moment, like she's trying to think of the right words. And then she sighs heavily.
"To start, I would like to formally apologize for watching you from the bushes. It wasn't my intent to be perverted," she begins slowly, eyes shifting everywhere but at Enid.
"It's okay, I guess," Enid says with a shrug. Thing climbs up onto her shoulder and affectionately brushes her hair back from her face. "I didn't know about it until you said something. It's totally fine. If anything, I'm more of a pervert for even looking at that girl's boobies."
Wednesday quickly moves past the topic, shaking her head like she's shaking away a horrible thought out of her ears.
"I also think I might've been too forceful in telling you to simply get over the fact that you are attracted to other girls," she says in earnest, and she winces. Enid understands that an apology might as well be a punch to the gut for Wednesday. "So, I suppose that this is my way of saying sorry for being so harsh about it. There. Are you satisfied?"
Enid makes a strangled noise. "I mean, I didn't ask for you to apologize, and I also don't think you've got anything to apologize for, but I accept it, because that's what…" She audibly swallows. "That's what friends do."
Wednesday nods noncommittally. "Right. Friends. We are friends."
"Best friends," Enid emphasizes, even if it feels like a knife ripping through her chest. "Forever, right?"
"Right," Wednesday confirms. She's rubbing her thumb against her index finger like an autistic grasshopper, which doesn't go unnoticed by Enid, although Enid says nothing about it. "For eternity, Sinclair."
Notes:I love y'all and your commentary. You say what I'm thinking as I'm writing.
I'm trying to speed things along because I have to finish all of my WIPs before season 2 is released, which is way closer than we might think. I'm choosing to have them all completed by then because I know season 2 is going to be entirely different than the first and, if I decide I still want to write for the fandom by then, I want a blank slate to build off of.
Chapter 9Summary:Yoko offers encouragement.
Chapter TextUndoubtedly, Enid is in for quite a busy day. She's behind on editing content, behind on responding to comments about the new pajama set she wore in last night's video, behind on finding an appropriate Halloween card that could double as a birthday card for Wednesday.
During lunch, she's sitting in the quad, across from Yoko and Divina, who is in much better spirits and isn't violently vomiting up her guts but is still choosing to err on the side of caution and nibble on a handful of saltines. The menu called for either bolognese or beef stew, both of which admittedly aren't Enid's most favorite dish, so she lets her bowl of stew go cold on her tray as she works her fingers to the bone while editing a brief morning vlog that she had to tiptoe around Wednesday to record.
"I'm going into town after last period," she announces to Yoko and Divina after she's posted a one-minute video of her attempting to quietly do her morning skincare routine without disturbing a slumbering Wednesday. "Wanna come with me?"
Divina licks some salt off a cracker, propped comfortably against Yoko's strong shoulder. "What're you going to town for? It's not Friday yet."
"I have to…get something from the drugstore," she says, shrugging. "For my period."
"It's not your period time yet," Yoko comments with a raised eyebrow. Her mouth is stained red with the blood she's been sipping on. She's wearing her sunglasses, but Enid can just feel her eyes narrowing. "What are you really up to?"
"Nothing!" Enid exclaims. Yoko stares incredulously, the rims of her glasses shimmering in the sunlight beaming down over them. Enid huffs sourly, stabbing a carrot out of her stew. "Fine. It's for Wednesday's period. I'm gonna get her a hot water bottle. There. Now you know."
"Isn't that cute?" Yoko teases, tugging her glasses down the bridge of her nose and screwing up her face. "And it's total bullshit. If it's true, she needs to get that checked out, because no way she's been on her period this long and she's still in agony. So either she needs to book an appointment with the gyno and get her cervix looked at, or you need to tell me what you're really up to."
Enid sucks in a sharp breath. "I'm telling you the truth."
"And I'm straight," Yoko says, putting her glasses back on. "So what are you planning on getting for Nevermore's tortured author?"
As frustrating as it is for Enid, she doesn't want to lie to Yoko. Yoko is an excellent judge of character and can easily pinpoint even the smallest of lies, and Enid really, truly does not want to deal with the repercussions of Yoko finding out that she's been scheming with a stranger on the internet to win Wednesday's morose heart.
"I just need to get a Halloween card," she says honestly. "For her birthday tomorrow. I also need a gift box for the snood."
"You're not gonna throw her a surprise party complete with a homemade cake you burned to a crisp in home-EC again, are you?" Divina quirks an eyebrow at her. "It was super awkward last year."
"I'm not gonna make that mistake again," Enid assures. "Just a cute little card with a ghost on it and a white gift box wrapped in a black bow. That's all I need to get. So are you gonna come with me or not?"
Yoko and Divina share a look, and then Divina speaks.
"I have debate club after last period. I missed it yesterday because I was shitting my brains out, and also because we had a free day," she says, and then she smirks at Yoko. "But you can go with her, babe. Have some girl talk time."
Yoko wrinkles up her nose. "I don't wanna talk about how much Enid wants to scissor with the wannabe serial killer. I would much rather pull out my own fangs and shove them up my ass than do that, actually."
"I'm right here!" Enid throws her hands in the air, and a carrot goes flying across the quad. Fortunately it lands in the fountain and not in some kid's hair. "And stop saying things like that so loudly. No one can know; especially not Wednesday. She will kill me for even thinking about her that way."
"Seriously, Enid, why don't you just tell her how you really feel?" Divina asks, her tone becoming a bit more firm. "That's how I got Yoko. One day I just decided that I wanted her badly enough, and so I did something about it."
"Okay, I don't think Wednesday would react well to me walking up to her and offering up my neck for lunch," Enid grumbles.
"Why not?" Divina shrugs, completely uncommitted to remaining serious. "That's probably, like, foreplay to her. And it got me Yoko, so you can't say that I don't know what I'm talking about. She's likely to take you up on the offer. If you close your eyes and just count to ten, you don't even feel the throbbing pain when she starts drinking."
Enid flicks a piece of something green off her spoon. "She's not a vampire, idiot."
"Are you positive about that? Because she's abnormally pale and breaks out into hives in the sunlight," Divina comments. "It's a total love story. You approach her with confidence, show her your neck, and tell her to suck it. Worst thing she could say is no."
"Yeah, that's not happening at all," Enid grizzles, holding up a hand to stop Divina from lamenting further about how brilliant she is at charming other girls with just her blood. She looks at Yoko. "So. Girl trip into town today?"
Yoko considers the offer for longer than Enid would consider to be genuine, and then she nods and takes a sip of blood.
"Sure," she agrees, "but only if we continue this conversation on the way there. This isn't over."
Enid wants to call it quits, to tell Yoko and Divina and Willa that she will never pursue Wednesday Addams and she's done all of this for absolutely nothing. She's tired of talking and ranting and lamenting about her struggles as a young, queer outcast who's just barely coming to terms with the fact that she can put a stop to her werewolf bloodline all by herself, that her parents are going to be devastated when they find out that their hopes of one day having a son-in-law are only faraway fantasies. She's tired of talking about it all.
Sometimes it's just easier to give up, and that's all she wants to do, but she briefly thinks of Wednesday leaving Nevermore without her someday, and her whole body rolls with a shiver, which is still arguably better than the paralyzing shock she tends to feel whenever she reminds herself that she's fallen madly in love with another girl.
"Fine," she huffs at Yoko. "We can talk more about it later."
"I'm holding you to that," Yoko says. "Meet me at the gate at four. You and I are gonna have a long chat."
"Yay," Enid mumbles, shoving a baby carrot into her mouth.
—
Yoko is always a woman of her word. She's waiting by the gates of Nevermore shortly after four, propped up against the metal as she scrolls absentmindedly on her phone.
As usual for Enid, she is running late, having tripped over Thing and skinned her knee on the floor as she was attempting to make sure Wednesday hadn't been tampering with the snood or otherwise snooping around her side of the dorm.
"What happened to you?" Yoko asks in lieu of formal greeting, vaguely gesturing to the astronomy-themed bandaid plastered sideways on her knee.
"I tripped and hurt myself on that stupid plank that's been coming up off the floor," she huffs, rubbing her sore wound. "I had to use Wednesday's tweezers to pull the splinter out. Don't tell her."
"As if I'd willingly have a conversation with her," Yoko flippantly says, pocketing her cellphone. She quickly segues into another topic. "I'm totally up to date on all your videos. I spam-liked them all and left a couple comments. But you're a butthole and never reply to me."
Enid exits the gate, linking arms with Yoko. "I can't reply to everybody. If I did, I'd never get anything else done."
"So famous," Yoko teases. "Don't forget the little people when you get famous and leave us all behind."
"I'd never forget you," Enid says, pulling Yoko impossibly closer. "Besides Wednesday, you're my best friend."
"Speaking of Wednesday," Yoko replies, hesitantly glancing over at Enid. "You've really gotta do something. You look at her like she's the best thing on earth, and quite frankly, it's absolutely disgusting to watch you drool over her and not do anything about it."
"She's never gonna like me back," Enid mumbles as she kicks a rock. "It's all so stupid, Yoko. I'm doing all this for nothing."
Lovingly tugging Enid into her side, Yoko says, "I really think that you should just tell her outright. I know us lesbians have a bad reputation of just totally crashing out over a girl, but most of that can be avoided if we just…say what we feel. We tend to overcomplicate things. A lot of it is attributed to societal pressure, terrible stereotyping, et cetera, so on and so forth."
Enid raises an eyebrow but keeps walking in line with Yoko. "That's what Willa told me yesterday."
"Willa?" Yoko asks, pausing. "Oh yeah. That person you keep talking to after I told you not to."
"Hey, she's nice to me," Enid defends. "She gave me this idea to write a card for Wednesday's birthday and tell her how I feel about her that way. At least then, I can actually get the words out without sounding stupid and stuttering. And Wednesday loves literature."
"What, you think she's gonna read your love note and have an orgasm over it?" Yoko laughs, earning herself a hard glare from Enid. "Oh, don't fucking looking at me like that. I'm kidding."
Enid sulks for the better part of the walk to town, ruminating over her own stupidity and all the mistakes she's felt she's already made and cannot rectify. Maybe the entire thing is just a fluke and she's walking two miles into a sleepy little town on a weekday afternoon for absolutely nothing, but if not for herself, she wants to be able to tell Willa that she genuinely tried to get Wednesday's attention and their late-night conversations weren't completely for naught.
When they get to Jericho, they're still joined by the arm. The temperature has noticeably dropped a few degrees already, and it's not even five yet. Enid was so busy tending to her scrape and trying to escape the dorm before Wednesday could get there, she neglected to grab her jacket on the way out. She would use Yoko for body heat, but Yoko doesn't generate much of that on account of the fact that she's partially dead.
"Gift box, bow, card," Enid recites to herself as she pulls Yoko into the small mom-and-pop drugstore known for decently fair prices compared to the nearest CVS, which is an abysmally long walk south of here. "Gift box, bow, card. Gift box, bow, card."
"You're so whipped," Yoko comments, obediently following Enid to the greeting card section. "This is so lesbian of you; buying Wednesday's affection with gifts."
"Hush," Enid mutters, browsing the limited selection of Halloween cards. "I'm not buying her love. I made her that snood with my own two hands. You can't just buy that; that came from the bottom of my gay heart. I have arthritis."
"Even worse," Yoko says. "Seriously, just pick any card. They're all the same."
Enid picks up a Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown card, notes that the inside is left blank for creativity to go wild, and puts it back, and totally not just because she doesn't want to do all the writing herself. She isn't so certain that Wednesday even knows what Charlie Brown is, anyway.
"They're not all the same," she huffs at Yoko. "How come there aren't any Halloween birthday cards? Who really buys a card just for Halloween?"
"Goths and occultists," Yoko replies, now holding a box of Lemonheads, because she can't ever go into town without bringing back Divina something. "Any card, Enid. It's all the same."
No matter how much Yoko squawks about how long Enid has been browsing and debating, Enid takes her sweet time. There are really only about six different cards that Wednesday might like, but choosing between them is just so difficult when Enid can't imagine Wednesday being grateful for anything.
Finally, Enid plucks a vintage-inspired Halloween card from its slot, along with its matching burnt orange envelope. The cover is decorated with vintage pumpkins and witch hats, with "HAVE A GHOULISH ALL HALLOWS' EVE" printed in a spooky comic font at the bottom. It's not gothic enough for Enid's liking, but it's much better than the childish ghosts and candy corns on the others. The inside message reads, "May your day be filled with fright and terror," which is at least something Enid can work off of.
"About time," Yoko dramatically yawns, lifting herself off the wall where she was dozing. "Bow and box. Hurry, before I reach my expiration date."
Enid quickly grabs a plain white gift box and a spool of black tulle she can use to tie a bow. She carries everything to the register and gets in line behind a million other people, bumping shoulders with Yoko, who's now holding an Almond Joy bar in addition to the Lemonheads.
"And you're calling me whipped," Enid tuts at her, nodding to the candy.
"Hey, this is different," Yoko defends. "Divina and I are actually dating. We do things for each other because girlfriends do that."
"Ow, you hurt my feelings," she says, insecurely rolling her eyes and glaring at the 90's flooring. "You're the one bitching at me to tell her how I feel. Well, you and Willa."
"I don't know about this Willa person, but I'm trying to be encouraging for the sole reason that you need a reliable partner to share secrets and stuff with and get the hell out from under my feet sometimes," Yoko replies, shrugging. "I love you, and sometimes I see you as a little sister because I'm actually a lot older than you in vampire years, but nothing is better than having a romantic partner to spend your time with. Do I think that person for you should be soul-sucking Addams? No. But if you love her, I'm gonna push you to go for it."
The line moves forward a few inches. Enid smiles at Yoko, hugging the card to her chest like it's going to be ripped away from her.
"You're the best, Yoko."
Yoko winks at her from behind her glasses. "Oh, I know."
—
Enid gets back to her dorm shortly before dinner is supposed to start. She scopes out the area, finding the room to be empty, and sighs as she deposits the paper bag from the drugstore onto her bed.
She rightfully assumes that Wednesday has left to dinner without her or, more accurately and probable, went on an adventure in the woods with no plans to return any time soon. Enid isn't complaining about it, because it gives her more time to think without the idea that Wednesday is breathing down her neck.
After getting settled in and dumping the contents of her bag onto the bed, Enid plops herself in her desk chair and grabs her favorite pen, the card laid flat and open in front of her. She cracks her neck, clicks the pen, and takes a deep breath.
Just as she puts the pen to the card to write a very intricate "W," the toilet flushes and the faucet turns on. Enid jumps out of her skin, spinning around in her chair and scrambling to swipe the gift box and tulle off the bed, sending everything tumbling to the floor, and then the bathroom door swings open and a very curious Wednesday emerges, drying her hands on her pants.
"What're you doing here?" Enid shrieks, pressing a hand over her thumping heart.
"I live here," Wednesday blandly comments, and she doesn't sound sad about it. "What are you doing here?"
Very calculated, Enid slips the card under her laptop. "I also live here."
"You seem frightened," Wednesday notes. "You're up to something."
Enid huffs indignantly at her and absently rubs her bandaid. "I'm not. I just have something to do. I won't be down for dinner. I'm not hungry."
Wednesday's wide, wandering eyes catch onto the black tulle that has unfurled on the floor. She stares at it for a moment and then looks up at Enid, expression noticeably softer and warmer, even for an Addams, now than it was before.
"For the snood?" she asks.
For a split second, Enid thinks she misheard her. And then she watches as Wednesday's eyes widen impossibly larger and she steps back like her own words burned her.
And then Enid comes back to earth and shuts her gaping mouth, shaking her head like it will extinguish what she knows as anger bubbling up inside of her.
"How do you know about that?" Enid quietly asks, a sinking feeling exploding in her stomach. "How did you know what your present is?"
Without another word, Wednesday quickly grabs her pullover from over her desk chair and slings her backpack over one shoulder. She practically runs out of the room, away from Enid and all her problems, just as Enid would expect from her. The door doesn't slam, but the click of the latch is incredibly loud.
Enid thinks—no, she knows—that she should follow behind her and chase her down until she talks, but she doesn't.