mere mystery, wavier

14. heart palpatations

two days after wednesday and enid stalked the two normies, on a saturday, enid spotted xavier waiting for ajax in the dining hall and walked up to him to talk.

"heyyy xavier, i was wondering if i could talk to you really quickly," enid said with a bright smile. 

xavier frowned in confusion and said, "uh-- sure."

"look, i'm sorry about what i said the other day," she muttered. "i shouldn't have gotten so mad at you. it was offensive, and i really am sorry to bother you now, but i need your help... and i think this is something you're going to want to help with."

xavier nodded. "yeah-- uh-- thanks for apologizing. look, if it has to do with school or art class or anything, i don't think i'm gonna have time--"

"it has to do with wednesday," enid interrupted abruptly. 

xavier raised an eyebrow. "with wednesday? isn't she still pissed at me for whatever i did?"

enid looked away and nodded. "technically, yes, but this is bigger than that. actually, i think it might have something to do with it. i'm not really sure yet."

"okay..." xavier said slowly. "what is it?"

enid took in a deep breath before talking faster than she ever had in her life. "wednesday's planning on leaving nevermore as soon as she gets yoko's murderer taken care of, and she's not coming back. she said she wants to forget about everything here, and she's my best friend, and i know that's not true. this school and the people here have changed her life, and i don't know what you did, but i think her leaving has something to do with it."

xavier's heart started beating out of his chest. he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "wait, wait, wait, wait. slow down. wednesday's leaving? for good?!"

enid nodded. "and i need your help to stop her, or at least try. we have to figure out what you did to make her so angry at you."

"she still hasn't talked to you about it?" xavier asked, surprised.

enid shook her head. "she's been really distant about everything except for yoko's murder case."

it suddenly hit xavier like a rock. the last time he'd talked to wednesday before she broke up with him. yoko's murder case... yoko's murder case... yoko's murder case...

did all of this hurt and confusion have to do with that night in the nightshades library?

"xavier? why are you sitting with enid? come sit with us," bianca said as she approached the table. 

he shook his head. "uh, maybe later, bianca. i'm a little busy right now." 

she rolled her eyes and smiled. "come on, xavier. it's not like you have anywhere better to be."

"no, i actually have to go talk to someone right now. sorry, bianca. i'll catch up with you later," he muttered as he turned back to enid. "do you know where wednesday is right now?"

enid shrugged. "she should be heading downstairs from class to eat. she might've stopped by our dorm first, though." 

xavier nodded and quickly said, "i'll be right back," before getting up and going to search for wednesday.

he first went to her last class and didn't find her anywhere in the halls. so, he went to the second place enid mentioned. her dorm room.

he took a deep breath in as he got ready to knock on the door. if... if this went right, maybe he could fix their relationship. maybe she'd finally stop ignoring him. 

but before he could actually knock on the door, wednesday opened it, on her way out. she frowned when she saw his face and said, "move. i have some place to be."

well, at least she stopped ignoring him completely.

"no, wednesday, wait. i have to talk to you first, okay. please?" he said as he gently touched her arm, trying to get her to stay.

"you have three minutes. say what you must," wednesday replied with a blank face.

he took a deep breath and asked, "are you-- is the reason you broke up with me because of the other nightshades questioning me about yoko's murderer? i promise i didn't say anything. they just wanted to know who did it."

"no. that is not why i broke up with you," wednesday replied blankly. "although, because it seems to be burdening you more than it once did me, i might as well tell you. you are a liar, and i was still there when you told them who it was. you betrayed my trust, and for that, i will never speak to you again. good riddance, xavier."

xavier's jaw dropped as he watched her walk away. it all made sense.

wednesday was leaving nevermore, and it was all his fault. 

he had to do something. he had to do something to make it up to her.

wednesday felt her heart beating out of her chest as she whirled away from him and made her way down the stairs. she hadn't been expecting him.

she had just told xavier good riddance... and for some unfathomable reason, all she wanted to do was go apologize, and for that, she hated herself, even if it was just for a split second.

"wednesday! there you are! xavier went looking for you!" enid exclaimed as wednesday made her way to the lunch table.

wednesday blinked harshly. "you are speaking to him again?"

"i mean-- kind of. not really. i just-- i just really don't want you to leave, wednesday. you're my best friend, and-- and i thought he was the only one who could stop you. i'm so sorry," enid replied.

wednesday stared as she sat down next to her and said, "you do not need to apologize, enid. i understand why you talked to him. i told him that i could not talk to him anymore, but thank you for trying to get me to stay."

a single tear rolled down enid's cheek. "i really don't want to lose you."

wednesday blinked. "you have not lost anything yet. i am right here, enid."

enid looked down at the table as more tears began to roll down her face. "but-- but that's not true. all you care about is yoko's murder case... and i feel like i'm losing my best friend."

"enid," wednesday snapped, grabbing her best friend by the shoulders, "you have not lost me. i am right here, and i am not going anywhere."

"you-- you mean you're not leaving?" enid sniffled.

"not for right now," wednesday replied, "and that is what matters."