mere mystery, wavier

15. rejected recruitment

"xavier, come sit with us," bianca called to him as he walked in after talking to wednesday.

xavier shook his head, still trying to wrap his mind around what wednesday had just told him. "sorry, bianca. i really can't--"

bianca rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm with a strong amount of force to get him over to the table. as soon as he was sat down, bianca asked, "has wednesday told you anything new about tyler's dad or laurel's lover?"

xavier frowned. now that he knew why wednesday had broken up with him, he couldn't say anything more. "i can't tell you anything else about them. if you wanna know so much about them, go ahead and ask wednesday yourself. it's up to her if she wants to share what she knows or not."

bianca frowned and stared at him before asking, "why are you so mad at me? i'm trying to help put yoko's murderers behind bars. you should be, too. you're on the wrong side of this, xavier. wednesday's only making things more difficult."

xavier shook his head. "no, i'm doing the right thing. look, if you keep pestering me about yoko's murder and just trying to use me for information from wednesday, we can't be friends anymore."

bianca raised her eyebrows in surprise. "are you serious, xavier? after everything that's happened, you still don't trust me. i thought we were past this. i'm not using you. i'm asking for your help. you and wednesday aren't the only ones who want to put those men behind bars."

"it's not that i don't trust you. i just can't keep doing your dirty work for you. i'm tired of being a little sneaky pawn. if you want answers, you have to be willing to go and look for them on your own," xavier replied.

bianca nodded. "you're right, and that's why i've been talking to lucas... and i'm going to go meet with someone tonight too."

"who?" xavier asked, suddenly curious. 

bianca shook her head. "it doesn't matter right now. it might not get us anywhere, but lucas is on everything in town."

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late that afternoon, wednesday was working on her next novel when a knock came from the door. she ignored it, assuming it was xavier. the person knocked again. wednesday frowned. "you can go away, xavier. i have already told you we are not friends anymore."

"i'm not xavier," the voice said from the other side of the door. it was bianca.

wednesday got up from her desk and went to open the door. "why are you here right now? shouldn't you be working on some sort of device to figure out why markus peterson killed yoko?"

"funny you mention that," bianca replied. "i was wondering if you and i could talk together over dinner tonight. it's important."

wednesday stared back blankly in return. "why would you want that? i am of no use to you. i have not figured out anything that you have not."

"yeah, like i'm going to believe that," bianca scoffed.

"if you were trying to gain my approval or aid, i promise you i am not here to give it. i have no reason to, and i prefer working alone and at a distance. scoffing at me will not help you in any way," wednesday replied.

bianca nodded. "you're right. i'm sorry. i just want to talk to you about something over dinner. are you coming or not?"

wednesday gave a slight nod. "i will be downstairs in twenty minutes. don't keep me waiting. i am only patient when it is necessary to my plans, and right now it is not."

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"i know this isn't ideal," bianca said, staring at wednesday as they sat down across from each other in the dining hall, "but i want you to consider joining the nightshades."

wednesday was about to respond, but before she could, bianca said, "and i know that xavier invited you last year or whatever, but it wasn't formal. i'm formally inviting you as the leader, and i want you to hear me out before you say yes or no. think about it."

wednesday stared back at the girl. "you are right about xavier. he was only doing it to try to save me, yet i easily saved myself. your secret society are amateur kidnappers at best. because i am in no rush to head back to my dorm, i will hear you out."

bianca nodded. "thank you. look, you have skills that people in the nightshades are in need of right now, wednesday. i hate to say that we're desperate, but we have no leads except for lucas and that's not that much more helpful than what we've learned from you. you said that you haven't found out anything that we haven't, and if that's true, then you should join us. working together with minds that work in different ways is always beneficial in the long run."

"if i were any regular nevermore student, i would say that your proposal is well thought out and intriguing, but i am not, and your proposal is weak without any background research of your very own secret society. i do know one thing that you do not, and since you are the leader of your society, this should suggest that you watch your back. i went sneaking around a few days ago and found out that there is a spy in the nightshades. with that information alone, i have a reason to not join the nightshades without even expanding on my own personal preferences of detective work," wednesday replied.

bianca's brows furrowed as her lips turned into a deep frown. "hold on, how did you find out there was a spy? why didn't you even think to mention this before? someone obviously had to do something with yoko's death!"

"i had no reason to tell. i do not now, but i know that it is not you. so i will tell you, i do not know much but i do know that she is a girl. there is a new student coming to nevermore on tuesday. he is working for markus peterson and sheriff galpin. watch for the girl who defends or befriends him. that is most likely your spy. your society is much too large to join, but i am willing to share information with you alone. does that satisfy your deathly quench?" wednesday asked.

bianca nodded. "it's a deal, but we can't meet up like this in public anymore. it's too risky knowing there is a spy in nevermore. there are probably more outside. we need some sort of secret messaging system."

"yes," wednesday said blankly, "i agree. it needs to be something that will go rather unnoticed to the naked eye. what are your thoughts on tapping your fingers on the table during class?"

bianca nodded once more. "works for me. where are we going to meet?"

"in xavier's dormitory," wednesday replied.

biana's eyebrows skyrocketed. "you're kidding. we'll get in so much trouble if we get caught! i refuse to get in trouble just to secretly meet with you in your boyfriend's dorm!"

wednesday blinked. "he is not my boyfriend, bianca. we have been separated for weeks now. do not worry about getting caught. i will make sure we will not."

bianca stared back at her for solid minute before agreeing to do so. "finally, we're making some progress."

"yes," wednesday replied. "this will make for quite the story to tell once all is said and done."