𝕊𝕥𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ℂ𝕦𝕡𝕚𝕕 ➶

𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕥𝕪-𝕊𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟: ℂ𝕦𝕔𝕜𝕠𝕠

Despite her initial apprehensions, Fran took to Nevermore Academy like a siren to water, probably due to the level of enthusiasm with which she approached everything. Try-outs for the fencing team? She was the first one there. Pop quiz in Supernatural Studies? Bring it on!

The only area she was cautious in was that of making new friends. Valentina was pretty pleased with this at first, but later thought better of being Francoise's only friend. She didn't want them to become co-dependent. That seemed like a recipe for disaster.

So, one day at lunch, she peeled away from Fran's side and made a right towards the library rather than a left towards their lunch table.

"I'm going to spend lunch working on my project for Psychology of Macabre. I'm thinking of doing a poem or a mural, but I suck at art so I need to put extra time and effort into it," she explained. It was a good excuse, likely due to the fact she'd spent two days thinking of it, despite it being right in front of her face.

"I'll come with you! Maybe I can help," she offered, but Val just shook her head.

"If you're there, I'll end up procrastinating and talking to you the whole time instead." Fran pouted but didn't argue. "Listen... Do me a favor. Don't just sit alone. Find somewhere else for us to sit. There are lots of cliques here at Nevermore. It can't be too hard for us to find one to fit in with."

A long, low groan, but then, "Fine. Just don't say I never did anything for you!"

Valentina never knew what to expect from someone like Francoise. Sure, the furs were the most welcoming bunch, followed closely by the fangs, but she'd forever be "not one of us" unless she accepted the bite. The scales were a snooty, exclusive bunch, and the stoners seemed to not care about anything.

But there were enough mini cliques of witches, warlocks, and psychics that she had to find someplace that would accept two new people.

And, it turned out, she did. She found them both seats at the popular kids' table, with Morticia and Gomez.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Val couldn't help but hiss when she received the news the next day. "You want me to sit with my exes every day?!"

"You said yourself that the three of you parted on good terms! Plus, Larissa and Tish are exes, and they still sit together every day."

"Yeah, and Larissa still holds a flame for Morticia. It's just sad. I don't want to set myself up for becoming campus gossip like that."

"You dated school celebrities Morticia Frump and Gomez Addams. You're always going to be in the limelight now, Val. Better for you to just accept it."

Still, she refused. "I'm not sitting with them."

"Well, I already promised Tish and Larissa that I'd be joining them... So it looks like you'll be sitting alone."

A stab of hurt, one that she'd been ill-prepared for. Val honestly thought that, given the choice between her and Tish, Fran would choose her. It seemed so silly in hindsight. The prettiest, most popular girl in school... Or Valentina. The choice was obvious.

"Val, don't cry," Francoise murmured, balancing her lunch tray in one hand so that she could rub soothing circles between Val's shoulderblades with the other. The other girl pulled away as if burned by her touch.

"I'm not crying!" She snapped, only to be betrayed by her trembling tone. She took a deep breath to steady herself before saying, "I'm going to spend today finishing up my project. I'll sit with you tomorrow, okay?"

With that, she turned on her heels and marched away to the library.

~~~

Valentina's only consolation was that, while she was seated at the same table as Morticia and Gomez again, she wasn't sandwiched between the two anymore. Instead, she sat on Gomez's right. Fran was positioned directly across from her, residing in the chair that Vincent once occupied. Which begged the question...

"Where is Vincent?"

"Oh, you haven't heard?" Gomez asked with an expression so smug that she wanted to slap it off his face. "He's been institutionalized at the Willowhill Psychiatric Hospital, at least until his visions stabilize."

"Poor boy," Morticia sighed. "A mind is a terrible thing to lose, don't you think?"

Val was inclined to agree. Or, at least, she would have been inclined if it wasn't Tish who'd she be agreeing with. She was petty like that.

"What are your plans for this weekend?" Fran asked with all the excitement of a riled-up puppy. Likely looking for an invitation of some sort, since spending the weekends alone with Valentina was no longer cool.

"This weekend is the Harvest Festival!" Gomez answered, easily matching her energy. "We missed last year's, due to Tish being in the infirmary, so we're extra excited for this year's."

Feelings of guilt and intrigue swirled around inside Val like a miasma. She hated any and all reminders of her mistakes surrounding Gomez and Morticia, but a festival sounded fun.

"What's the festival like?" Fran asked so she didn't have to.

"Oh, you'll love it! There are carnival rides and games, among other things... And it doesn't open until after sundown, so the whole place is lit up like the fourth of July!" Tish sighed, dreamy rather than dreary this time.

"Well, I hope you guys have fun," Valentina said, staring down at her plate and stabbing her meatloaf with a fork like she was trying to kill it. "I'm going to sit this one out."

"Not an option, I'm afraid. Attendance is mandatory for all Nevermore students, and we will rat you out if you try to hide away in your room."

"Yeah, Val!" Fran teased. "Don't be such a Debbie Downer. It'll be great!"

Val couldn't quite conceal a grimace. "Yeah... Great..."