Girl In Black | Winclair

3

Wednesday was supposed to be gone, but there she was writing on her typewriter as though she never left.

"I thought you were leaving?" She turned around to face me.

"Plans changed, Rowan's dead." Wednesday's monotone voice echoed in my ears. What the? Rowan's dead?

"What do you mean, Rowan's dead?" My uneven tone or perhaps my question caused Wednesday to roll her eyes.

"Exactly that. Rowan's dead, killed by a creature in the woods." She turned back to her typewriter as if the conversation was no longer important, as if Rowan's dead body left scattered about in the woods was not important.

"What creature?" My questions are countless, looking for answers, so far I'm clueless.

"I didn't get a good look. But I'll figure it out." She didn't turn to face me, continuing to type.

"What do you mean you'll figure it out?" She didn't answer, just got up and went to bed, as though I wasn't worth her breath. Please Wednesday just say anything, say anything to me.

In the morning it was announced that Rowan was expelled. Everyone watched as he walked through the halls with his bags in hand towards a car out front. Everybody mocked Wednesday calling her an attention whore. My nails extended in range ready to claw out their faces, but I stayed calm. Wednesday looked out of it, she fears she is going insane, we'll maybe not fears, she seems excited to lose her mind, good thing she's already seeing a therapist.

While Wednesday was in therapy, I was once again decorating the Black Cat's canoe. I feel that all my time is connected to the Poe Cup, I really hope we win.

"Come on ladies, let's work on those teeth, more SCOWL, this kitty is taking NO prisoners. If Bianca wins again I will LITERALLY claw my own eyes out." I begin ranting and Yoko, just rolls her eyes and shakes her head, sometimes I can get too passionate.

"I'd pay money to see that." Wednesday! Jumping I turn around with the biggest grin on my face.

"Howdy roomie! I'm so glad you decided to stay." I edge closer, testing the boundaries, shaking with happiness.

"I thought you wanted your single room back." There's a hint of mirth in her tone, causing my smile to nearly split my face.

"Full disclosure I don't like living solo, and Thing gives a killer neck massage. It's a win-win. So why the change of heart?" I look at her, my eyes practically sparkling with hope that she'll say that she likes living with me too, or that she gets that I want her here. It's not about thing, it's her I want around.

"I refuse to play a pond in someone else's corrupt game." Her arms cross looking somewhat bitter and I have to fight the disappointment off my face.

"You mean Rowan?" Why is she so convinced he's dead when he was walking around five minutes ago?

"I witnessed his murder, Enid." She sounds so done.

"It's just...we all saw him this morning very much like not dead." I try to ease the conversation.

"I know; which leads me to believe I've been losing my mind. It's not nearly as fun as I had anticipated. Your Nevermore's gossip queen, what's Rowan's story?" The one time she wants to hear my gossip it's because of some non-dead boy, oh well.

"Other than being a weird loner, no offense." Because you're hot which makes all the difference.

"None taken."

"Xaviar's roommate, you know if you had a cellphone you could just text him and ask him." I trail off looking back towards the canoe.

"Yoko, flare those whiskers, the Poe Cup droops for no one!" I'm determined to win!

"What is the Poe Cup anyways?" Wednesday!

"My entire reason for living, right now, part canoe race, part blood chase, no rules. Each dorm has to use an Egar Allen Poe poem for inspiration. You could grab a brush. Oh, Miss. Thornhill is ordering pizza, wanna take a stab at being social!" I really want Wednesday to stay, I know she won't, but I still hope she will.

"I do like stabbing, the social part not so much. Besides, it will cut into my writing time." Her eyes flick around, and somewhere in my mind I think maybe if the others weren't here she'd stay and hang out with me.

"No worries. Just as long as your lakeside cheering for us to victory on race day... Or you can just glare uncomfortably; whatever works for you." I just want her to feel comfortable, I want her around, and I'd find any accommodation to make her at ease. I smile watching her as she walks off. I never get bored of looking at her.

"You're so obvious." Yoko calls over her shoulder as she grabs a slice of pizza.

"What are you talking about?" I say while feeling all my blood rush to my face.

"You practically skipped to her, and you couldn't stop buzzing with excitement when she talked to you. I nearly thought you'd jump her." Yoko laughs and hands me a slice of pizza.

"Shut up!" I whine, which only causes Yoko to laugh more.

We finish painting the canoe, and grab our stuff heading toward Miss. Thonhill's class. We get there before most of the class, including Wednesday, and continue to talk. I glance away when I see Wednesday walk in, she sits with Xaviar, right in front of me, but so far away. I doubt she even noticed me.

"Enid are you even listening, or does a certain girl in black have your attention?" Yoko snaps her hand in front of my eyes.

"Sorry, sorry. You were saying?" I look down sheepishly and Yoko just shakes her head.

"Tell you later, class is starting." Yoko sighs, and I feel like a bad friend.

It's just when I see Wednesday with him it only gets worse, it hurts, and I can't say because I don't have the words. Wednesday can give her attention to others. I know that, it's fine, and I know that she doesn't even like Xaviar, I can tell, but Xaviar likes her. And part of me fears that maybe she'll start liking him back

I don't see Wednesday again until club time. She approached me first!

"I have to get back to the woods, but Weems has been watching me." Nevermind excitement you can die down, she doesn't want to hang out.

"And you want me to cover, so you can go to the scene of a crime that didn't happen?" I question.

"I have bee club this afternoon. I need you as a decoy." Why a decoy instead of an accomplice?

"Sorry. I'm busy and bees totally creep me out. Why don't you ask Thing. Oh wait you can't, he's mad at you." I good naturedly taunt.

"Why's he mad, he's the one who screwed up with Rowan?" Why can't she ever see when she's in the wrong?

"All I know is we spent an hour giving each other mani pedis and he really opened up. He feels like you don't respect him as a person." I try to get her to see Thing's side.

"Well technically he's only a hand." She shrugs.

"Wednesday! He's your family and he would do anything for you. Go apologize and I'll reconsider helping you." She stomps away, and I have a pleased smile, because the look on her face let me know she'd be apologizing. Wait no the bees!

"...Cleopatra was said to bathe in honey, it gave her skin a natural glow." Wednesday is so going to have to pay me back somehow. I swear he better not spout bee facts for the next hour, or however long it takes Wednesday to check out the woods.

Eugene did continue with bee facts, and would get uncomfortably close at times. I can tell he likes me, and I just wanna escape. Is this how Wednesday feels around me? I hope not.

The hour could not have passed slower, as soon as clubs were done I sprinted back to the main building. Wednesday still wasn't back, but I knew she'd probably be fine. It was just her visions messing with her right? There couldn't be some creature out in the forest killing people, we would have been informed, right? If she doesn't show up by curfew I'll go look for her. In the meantime, I'll grab dinner.