High school is the time period when kids transition to teenagers. The time and place where they develop the most emotionally, physically, and above all— mentally. Where simple recreational activities turn to hobbies. Where recurring things become habits.
It's a time of exploration, discovery, and learning. Where the hearts and minds of teens are at their most raw and vulnerable form. You meet friends, build connections, and if fortunate, find romance in the hell that is school.
But, again, it's marked by a "transition." What if you have no platform to shift from? No childhood to shape you? No connections to build upon, and no base for you to grow on? How will "transitioning" work if you have none of those?
That is Adam's dilemma right now. Sitting alone in the courtyard, beside the infamous dead tree that never seems to wither away. Around him are his fellow schoolmates, talking with one another, laughing at their own little jokes that only they seem to understand.
He found connecting with other people… hard, embarrassing even. The thought of walking up to a group, greeting them, asking to be friends— there's a certain humiliation in it that he can't quite grasp. It should be normal, right? When you pair it with logic, it seems to be the right action, the proper action.
But it's demeaning. Not out of pride, just— 'I don't know.' Adam let out an exasperated sigh. He wished that at some point in the past, someone wrote a proper manual on how to 'connect.'
His only friend is Larissa. Even that is questionable. In his heart, he knows that a "friend" is not how he looks at her. More like… a guardian, a mother, if you would. He feels almost like a chick, imprinting the first person they see as their mother hen. It's not as simple as that, however. Larissa was who taught him to live, that alone constitutes how great of an effect she has on his life.
Watching his fellow students have their own individual cliques is almost enviable, tantalizing. Jealousy stems from seeing what others have that you do not, desiring the same for yourself.
Adam, for the first time, is experiencing the sin of envy. 'See mine own eyes shut and cover myself with a cloak.' He thought humorously, recognizing the new emotion he's feeling.
Werewolves, gorgons, sirens, and vampires are the four major groups in Nevermore. There are more - like psychics, faceless men, vanishers, and shapeshifters like Larissa herself. Humans band together with those that relate to them most. An instinct so primal it survived ages.
There are also others whose group consists of different types. People who found a common ground other than their nature. Like this faceless girl and with-face boy talking to each other, or this vampire and siren eating together.
'The heart is at its most beautiful when it transcends differences.' Adam thought.
Perhaps, one day, he'll find his own group. People who would not run at the mere sight of his appearance, people who would not look at him with fear. Wait and Hope, the human wisdom.
Speaking of fear, 'It's two now.'Two. Two people who approached him without fear. There's the brooding Wednesday Addams, the girl whose eyes held more souls than Inferno itself, and most probably promises more punishment when you sin. The girl whom Adam has not seen since yesterday, despite being in the same fencing class.
The other, her juxtaposition, her irony, her opposite - Enid Sinclair, the werewolf. While the former is the abyss that swallows light, this one is the rainbow promised after a storm. The universe, perhaps God, seems to have developed humor, making the two roommates despite their polarity.
Enid Sinclair - golden hair with colorful highlights, the girl who skips instead of walks. Like the sun given form. The same girl, who, in a weird twist of fate, is skipping to him right now like a golden comet.
"Howdy, Adam!" Enid exclaimed, giving him a small wave. Adam paused for a moment, maybe the universe or God heard his internal comments, sent this girl as revenge.
"Howdy as well, Enid." He replied slowly. Enid chuckled, practically bouncing. "You gotta have more energy than that! Come on, try again."
"…" Adam blinked once before clearing his throat, "HowDY! Enid." He said. Enid laughed, covering her mouth in one hand as she smacked Adam's shoulder with the other.
'Why did she slap me? Is it a form of greeting?' Adam asked himself as he watched the girl laugh. Enid wiped the tears forming at the edge of her eyes. "You're a TOTAL comedian!" She exclaimed.
'It seems exclaiming is her natural way of speaking.' Adam pondered. "Why did you come here, Enid?" He asked, addressing her purpose.
Enid paused as if remembering something. "Oh yeah! Totally forgot, came to ask if you wanted to eat with us. Y'know, you don't seem like the "don't come near me, I'll eat you!" type like Wednesday."
She pointed to a table occupied by a group of two girls, a siren and a vampire; and a boy, a siren as well. "Kent's been wanting to meet you. Said you look cool and mysterious, but he said you look too intimidating. I told him you're just quiet but he doesn't believe me. He's kind of… slow, but he's cool! And Divina and Yoko, those two are my besties! Oh, and Divina is Kent's sister… and… Yoko is…"
'Maybe this is the punishment.' Adam thought to himself as he watched the girl ramble on and on and on. He wanted to tell her to stop, that he'll come, but chances are, they'd be at their Botany class by the time she finished.
Midway through her gossip, Enid felt a pinch to her side, suddenly letting out a yelp that woke Adam up from his autopilot mode. Peeking behind the werewolf was a girl wearing a pitch-black pair of glasses, Yoko, if he remembered correctly.
"We told you to invite him, not gossip with him for an hour!" Yoko said angrily to Enid who looked at the ground, downcast. "I got distracted…" Enid replied in a low, defeated murmur.
Yoko cleared her throat before turning to Adam. An awkward tension permeated the air. "So… uh, wanna come sit with us?" Yoko said. Enid looked at him expectantly, almost like a dog begging for attention, except he hadn't seen a dog before.
"Sure." Adam replied as he stood up. With force unbecoming of her small stature, Enid grabbed his sleeves and pulled him to their table. Maybe this is the werewolf strength he learned in Outcast Biology 1.
Adam stumbled slightly as Enid dragged him to the table. The chatter among the two sirens quieted for a second. "This is Adam," Enid announced with a flourish, as if she had discovered a rare treasure. "Adam, this is Kent, Divina, and Yoko… but you already met Yoko."
Kent gave a nervous wave. "Hey, man. Uh… nice to meet you." Adam replied as he sat down with a wave of his own. "Nice to meet you, too, Kent." He replied.
The siren girl popped her up, a polite smile adorning her face. "Divina." Adam turned to her, nodding. "Nice to meet you, Divina."
Enid giggled at the exchange, sitting beside Adam as she's technically the closest to him. Whatever close means in this case. "See! I told you he's cool!"
Kent leaned forward, seeing the book in Adam's hand. "So, uh… what do you like to do? Any… hobbies?"
Adam thought for a moment. "Mostly, I like to read. And recently, I've been forming a sense of delight in listening to music."
Divina chuckled softly. "So you're some kind of music bookworm?" Her blunt statement earned her a nudge from Yoko.
"Ohh, so that's why you stayed during that… explosion." Enid said, remembering that incident at the memorial. "I thought you stayed for Wednesday." She added teasingly.
The other 3 leaned closer, surprised by the unexpected gossip. "Seriously?! Wednesday Addams?!" Divina's face turned awkward, the bitter loss of the Poe Cup flashing in her mind. "You got a fetish for being tortured or something?"
"Yeah, man! Unless you want to get murdered, stay away from that girl!" Kent said, rubbing his nose weirdly as he did. Enid and Yoko stayed quiet as the twins expressed their dislike of the macabre girl.
"She's not that bad, y'know…" Enid said softly, unsure of her own words. "Wednesday just does her own thing."
"You two are just bitter she beat your asses at the Poe Cup." Yoko chuckled, her words tinged with mockery. The twins, as if on cue, clicked their tongues at the same time.
The vampire turned to Adam. "But they're kind of right, you got a weird taste for girls, dude. I don't judge though." She said, her eyes glancing at the siren girl for a second too long.
"Are you assuming my interest is… romantic?" He tilted his head, finally understanding what they meant. Enid looked at him awkwardly. "I mean… is it not?"
Adam shook his head. "My interest is simply out of curiosity." He answered, his tone flat and assured. "But you said you like that she's smart!" Enid replied defensively, sensing the other three's accusatory gaze at her.
"She is. But how does that imply infatuation? I just… appreciate her intellect." He paused, remembering his short encounters with the girl. "The abyss in her is a veil, too dark, too deep that even she gets lost sometimes."
His mismatched eyes met Enid's. "But there is grace in that, don't you think? For her to build something like that, she must be hiding something precious."
"My interest lies not in uncovering that — that is for her to keep, but in learning how she navigates the darkness that's in her."
He pointed to his heart. "Most men are ruled by this." Then to his head. "But to Addams, this is what controls her."
"She's fascinating. I think about her so often I feel my books get jealous." Adam chuckled. "I want to learn more about her, that's all there is to it."
The table was… silent. That's all there is to it, he says. As if! They would've believed it had he stopped at the "appreciate" part, but no! Like some Renaissance poet, he had to say all those things. It didn't sound any bit like normal curiosity, if anything, it sounded romantic.
Enid was the first to speak, breaking the long silence that followed after Adam's… speech? Confession? "Are you sure? Like, really, really sure? 100%-sure?"
Adam nodded, as confident as ever. "I'm sure, Enid." He responded, his tone calm.
The others nodded, agreeing more out of politeness. Soon, the topic changed, and the conversation flowed. Slowly, the group began warming up to the newly added Adam. They talked about some slightly personal stuff, common Outcast experience, and school life.
Adam answered their questions with honesty, except for personal ones— particularly those for which there literally is no answer. Like his childhood, or his parents and family. Sometimes, lying is the most optimal decision one can make.
For the first time, Adam felt as if he belonged. The fear he radiated in their eyes was gone, replaced by a sense of familiarity as they got to know him more.
'Maybe it was not punishment that this girl was sent for.' He thought, chuckling to himself.
—-
Botany is one of those classes that Wednesday could tolerate. Mostly because she grew up around them, the carnivorous ones. Nonetheless, sitting and listening to someone teach something she already knew was boring. She could feel her soul slipping away as Ms. Thornhill talked, if she had one that is.
She didn't attend the Fencing class, deeming it unworthy of her time, especially since she's so close to solving one case in her list of many— the monster's identity. It wasn't much of a shock finding out the monster's human, but it still didn't make it any less surprising.
That tour to the morgue proved to be useful. It provided some worth… insights. For example, the monster's collecting trophies in the form of body parts. If she had known that, maybe she would've concluded that human part faster. Beasts don't collect trophies; they eat them.
Right now, she's got two suspects: Xavier Thorpe, who always seems to appear at the right time, and Adam Cain, who admitted the very morning after Rowan's death. It could very well be a coincidence, but that's a chance she won't take since he's also connected with the Principal, who's hiding the incident on purpose.
Truthfully, she's leaning more on the former. Something in her gut is telling her it's not her masked classmate who, as of now, is seated beside her giggling roommate.
"While most plants reward their pollinators with sweet nectar, many carnivorous varieties turn to sexual trickery or deception…"
All of a sudden, a groan rang out beside Wednesday. She turned to the sound— Xavier Thorpe. "I tweaked my back fencing…" he said, noticing her gaze. She'd usually respond with a snarky comment, that's almost her trademark, but something else caught her attention. The bloody claw marks on his neck.
Speak of the devil, and he shall answer. Another piece of evidence. Claw marks in fencing class? Maybe he fought a fully-turned werewolf? His excuse is almost insulting.
Ms. Thornhill continued. "The orchid produces a pheromone that mimics a female insect, luring the males in. Now, once the plant is pollinated, what do the male insects get in exchange?"
"Nada. Just like all the guys at the Rave'N." Replied sarcastically by Bianca, earning a couple of laughs from her classmates.
"Okay, okay. I know you're all excited about Saturday, which is why I haven't assigned any homework." Said Ms. Thornhill. The class cheered, some even throwing their hands up.
"But I still do need volunteers for the decorating committee." She added, earning a couple of hands raised.
The Rave'N is an annual ball that happens at Nevermore. One might argue that it's the one event every student at Nevermore can't wait for! For one night, they can take their date for dances, drink, and socialize with their friends— it's their equivalent to prom night.
Students are allowed to bring one date, either Normie or Outcast, or they can simply go alone to be with their friends. It's a preference thing. The Rave'N is tomorrow night, Saturday. Letting students have all the fun they want without worrying about going to school early.
Everyone is excited, everyone except for one goth girl annoyed by the loud cheering. Wednesday's eyes narrowed, scanning the room with quiet disdain. Her classmates were practically glowing with anticipation, shrieking and murmuring about dates, dresses, and decorations.
Just as Wednesday's about to leave, Xavier turned to her. "You're not gonna volunteer? Aren't you pumped about disco balls and spiked punch? There's even a DJ. MC Blood Suckaz." The first thing she thought of is why is this guy talking to her?
But she reined it in. "I'd rather stick needles in my eyes." She replied, earning a chuckle from Xavier, "I'll probably do that anyway." She added.
"Or you could invite someone and have a little fun." Xavier said with a grunt, leaning for his bag, exposing the wound for Wednesday to examine closer.
'Fun? This is fun.'
—-
Nevermore's location is… obscure. The place itself is surrounded by forests, except for one road leading in and out of Jericho, the closest town to it. At the edge of Nevermore are its walls, each one with a gargoyle perched on it, a gothic design meant to keep any that dares trespass the sacred place terrified.
But before you could reach those walls there are tiny forest-like areas, like this one where Wednesday is standing at. 'A secret shed. A common thing for serial killers to have.' She's been waiting here for 10 minutes, just standing still, like some predator hiding in the dark.
She followed Xavier all the way here, hoping to find answers how he got claw marks from fencing. Finding out he has a hidden shed at the edge of the school, now that's a boon she didn't expect to find.
As if the universe itself was listening, Xavier came out, suspiciously on high alert. "He's hiding something." Said Wednesday, Thing perched on her shoulder, "Let's do this." Without hesitation, she went closer, alert from her surroundings. The door opened the moment she pulled. No traps, nothing.
Inside were canvases, each with a different painting. But the recurring subject is, as she thought, the monster. Wednesday turned the lights on, there were more paintings than she thought. "I suppose every artist needs a muse." She muttered.
On the table in front of here were small sketches of the monster. One particular design caught her eyes, the monster inside a spiral. "Xavier, you became that much more interesting." She muttered, turning the lights off. These are evidence enough. Not incriminating, but it pushed her closer to finding something that is.
Wednesday went out the shed, stuffing the pictures in her pocket. She wanted to go back to her room, to show it to pin it to her board. But before she could get back, a voice called out from behind. "Wednesday?"
Wednesday froze, not expecting the owner to get back so soon. Not everyday she gets caught infiltrating. "Xavier. Hello."
"What are you doing?" Xavier asked. "Nothing. I just saw you come out this way." Wednesday replied, too fast for her own liking.
She turned to the shed. "What's this place?" Xavier looked uncomfortable, more confuse on why Wednesday's here. "It's kind of my private art studio. I cleared it out, fixed it up, so Weems let me use it."
"How very entrepreneurial. I would love to see inside." Wednesday replied, feigning interest, "Why don't you give me a tour?"
Xavier shook his head, remembering the paintings inside. "Not right now. It's a total mess."
"I shadowed a crime scene photographer last summer, I'm not easily fazed." Wednesday replied, insisting.
"Maybe another time. Why were you looking for me?" Xavier asked.
Wednesday hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I wanted to go over Ms. Thornhill's homework assignment." She answered awkwardly.
Xavier tilted his head, confused. "She didn't give us homework. Remember?" He leaned closer, "Is this about a certain dance that makes you want to poke needles into your eyes, perhaps?" He asked.
"I'm all ears." Xavier added smiling like a fool. Wednesday stared for a while, 'This is it. A way to get proof.'
"Are you really going to make me ask?" Wednesday replied. Xavier, with a shit-eating grin, "Oh, absolutely."
Wednesday begins to doubt if this is worth her pride. With a sigh, "Would you… Would— would you possibly consider going to the Rave'N dance with a certain… wou-"
'This is harder than I thought.'
With a gulp, "Would you go to the dance with me?" Finally, she managed to let it out.
"Yes, Wednesday, I would love to go to the dance with you." Answered Xavier teasingly, "I thought you'd never ask."
Wednesday grimaced internally, she felt as if her stomach is rearranging itself from the humiliation she's feeling. "Neither did I." She replied, leaving Xavier basking in his "victory."
—-