this love is good, this love is bad [wenclair]

chapter 7: staring at the sunset

"You sure?"
"Yeah, yeah, I don't mind", she reassured from outside.
Since she really didn't care, I stepped on her bed with my shoes still on and tried to get out the window without staining or creasing my white shirt too much. Enid saw that I was struggling, so she took my hand and easily pulled me up.
"Werewolf strength", she justified.
"Thanks", I mumbled.
The roof was inclined enough and the gutter strong enough for us to stand on it and lie on the roof. And she didn't lie; the view was amazing.
Enid gave me a pair of light blue sunglasses. "I don't think you're used to that much light..."
As soon as I put them on, she took out her phone and immortalized it.
"Seriously?", I sighed. "I should've seen that one coming."
"Yes", she smiled brightly.
Her grin was contagious and I felt one form itself on my face. Of course, she tried to take another picture, but I was faster covering the camera.
"Come on, Wens, I need proof!"
"Could you... not? ...Please?"
"Sorry, I won't, Wednesday", she immediately replied and she also put her phone away.
We lay there in silence for a while, secluded from the others. The only thing reminding us that it wasn't just her and i on this planet was the distant buzz of her family. But it was so far away... It could easily be ignored. Right there and then, it was only us.
When the sun finally started to set, I was glad she gave me the glasses. She had also brought a pair for herself. Some white Ray-Bans that complimented her outfit really well. It was only then that I really noticed how she was dressed and how she had styled her hair. I didn't really pay attention with all the people around but, at that very moment, it was just the two of us. She was wearing jeans shorts and a bordeaux long sleeve shirt with white arm stripes. For once, she had her hair up. In a messy bun. You could tell she had recently re-dyed her hair because the tips were vividly blue and pink.
"You good, Wednesday? You know I can see you staring, right?"
"Sorry", I mumbled.
It must have been to turn the situation around or something, because I said something stupid. "So Ajax, huh?"
"Ajax what?"
I couldn't tell if she was playing dumb, which was unusual. Even though her voice sounded a bit defensive, she seemed genuinely confused about my 'question'.
"How is it going? Were you planning on bringing him here?"
"Dammit mom", she mumbled, but I could still hear it. "Kind of... I mean, since you would likely not be able to come, I asked him, but-"
"I get it", I said, not wanting to hear anything about Ajax.
"And you, since we're talking about boys, what about Xavier?"
"Ugh-"
She burst out laughing. "Really? He's like everybody's crush", she chuckled.
"It seems like he doesn't understand a simple 'no'. I've told him multiple times I'm not interested but he just won't stop hitting on me."
"I'll talk to him, at school", she said, cracking her knuckles jokingly.
We both sighed contentedly. Life was good.

~~~

All the people left were regrouped in the middle of the Sinclairs' garden. All waiting for the neighbors to light up the fireworks at midnight. Enid and I had stayed on the roof until it was pitch black, then Dante had called us because it was a quarter to midnight. Enid asked if we could stay because the view was so much better from there, but Dante said that their mother had insisted on it being a 'family moment'. So there we were, with her three brothers and all the tipsy (to say the least) grownups, including her mother who probably wouldn't even remember the night.
"We've been taking advantage of the neighbors' firework show for years", Enid explained.
I nodded.
And, perfect timing, some fireworks started to go off at the right neighbor's.
"Ha suckers! They're two minutes early", Jared mocked.
Maybe not that perfect.
Everyone was awkwardly silent looking at the neighbor's firework show. Until the two minutes were over and they started -even more awkwardly- wishing each other a happy 4th of July, as the sky progressively filled with all different colors. Dante approached us.
"Happy Independence Day, sis!"
"You too", Enid replied, hugging him.
"And to you too, Wednesday", he added when she let go of him.
I nodded and wished him the same.
"Wait, does she even celebrate?"
That was Jared, and given his tone, he had taken advantage of the adults being drunk to drink himself.
"Just because I'm tan doesn't mean I'm not American, smartass", I replied with my monotone voice.
I saw how he clenched his jaw and then went away.
"I wanted to stay till midnight, but now I gotta get going", Dante said to Enid.
"What? No!", she whined. "At least stay for the rest of the fireworks..."
"Right now there won't be much traffic on the road, sorry."
He said goodbye to everyone, while Enid and I stayed a bit out of the group. I turned my head towards her, hoping to lock eyes, but she just stared at something in front of her. Something far away. When he was done, Dante came back to us and kissed Enid on the forehead.
"Don't forget I'm just a phone call away-"
"Yeah yeah, Neil said the same thing", she replied dryly.
"God, Enid, don't. Not now." He sighed and then turned to me. "We didn't really get to talk, but it was a pleasure meeting you", he said, bowing a bit when I didn't take the hand he had stuck out.
"Likewise", I said, bowing back.
"You better start standing up for yourself, Enid, or the family's gonna eat you alive", he said turning back to his sister.
She mumbled an 'I know' and hugged him again, her back facing me.
"I'm counting on you, Wednesday", he whispered to me.
I nodded, knowing Enid's habit of letting people treat her like a doormat.
"Can you come with me to lock the door afterwards?", we heard Dante ask Jared.
Enid didn't move and I could almost hear her break from within. Maybe she was just tired and that had been the straw that broke the camel's back, but I was pretty sure I saw tears form in her eyes. She quickly put herself back together, though.
"If we stay much longer, we'll have to clean up; I propose we go back to my room, we can still watch the fireworks from there", she said in her usual bubbly tone.
"Fine by me", I declared.
"I'm just- I'm gonna-", she started pointing to the people.
"Yeah."
She went away for a minute to say goodbye to her family members and kissed her parents goodnight.

~~~

"No way. I'm not putting that on", I said as I gave the grayish peach pink jumper a dirty look.
"Does it really have to be all black? You know I don't wear that much black."
Mother had sent me a text, saying Lurch would be there the next day with my bags, so I had to borrow some stuff for the night and Enid was really struggling to find clothes to lend me.
"Oh wait! I know!"
She disappeared in the closet for about a minute.
"Got it!"
It was a black sweater that said 'rep' all over it.
"Thank you", I said, as she handed me the jumper and some sweatpants.
"You can change here, I'm gonna go change in the guest room", she said, pointing to the door with her thumb.
She got out and I started to unbutton my shirt, but not even thirty seconds later, she came back.
"Never mind, aunt Cassie's passed out there. Ow sorry!", she said covering her eyes on the last part.
"Don't act like that, it's not like you haven't seen more when we had to change for the Poe cup."
She shrugged her shoulders and uncovered her eyes. "Fair enough, I'll take that corner", she announced, gesturing to the little space between her desk and the wall.
I struggled with putting on the sweater, because it had holes you could zip up -but weren't- in the elbows and I kept putting my arm in the wrong hole or tangling up my hair in the zipper.

"Do you have a charger I can borrow?", I asked when I had completely swapped my white shirt and pleated skirt for those improvised pyjamas.
"Yeah of course! Wait, can I-"
"Yes, you can, I'm done. You can turn around", I finished.
"Can you just show me your phone?"
I held my phone right under her nose, she looked at it for a second, then, started looking in her nightstand's drawer. "It's the same as mine. It's plugged in, there, next to my desk", she said as she gestured to the area without even looking. "I'll just look for the spare one, mine's almost dead as well."
I inspected all her stuff while she searched for the charger. Sometimes, I get some sort of a mini vision when I touch a specific object. Recently, I had lots of those. Visions that didn't last half a minute, just some images, sometimes sound, but nothing more. I had had one on the way there, in the taxi. I had briefly seen how the taxi man had proposed to his now husband. This could come in handy, especially when we'll be back at Nevermore.

"You good, Wednesday? You seem... pensive."
Besides funko pops, she also had a collection of Harry Potter wands, which made me think of Pugsley.
"Nothing", I answered, as I usually did when asked that kind of question.
"Ow, come on!"
Not getting a response from me, she came closer and looked at what I was looking at. "I had a pretty hardcore potterhead phase", she smiled.
"Yeah, I figured", I said, admiring the dozen wands.
I ran my finger over the name tags. She had the golden trio's wands, along with some side characters' and some less important characters'. She had the whole Malfoy family. "Who's your favorite character?", I asked.
She put a finger on her cheek.
"If I say it, will you tell me what you're thinking of?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, whatever, okay."
A winning grin appeared on her face.
"It's Narcissa and, of course, Luna."

Of course.

"And you?"
"Mcgonagall", I immediately responded.
She nodded in agreement.
"So...?", she asked again. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, you really don't have to."
"Pugsley is a huge fan, it just made me think of him, he's got some problems at school."
"Oh! But is it okay or...?"
"It's pretty bad, Mother is trying to get him to go to Nevermore", I explained. "But they signed up too late."
"Damn, I'm so sorry", she sighed. "Anyway-"
She's immediately covered her mouth. "Sorry! Did that come off as rude? I didn't mean to, I-"
"It's okay, Enid", I reassured her, rolling my eyes playfully.
"Wanna watch a movie then?"