All For Not

Page 6

 "What the hell did you do to my room?" My eyes poured over the book in my hands to see the disturbed sister of mine and the blonde she-wolf who'd yet to become as disturbed as either of her roommates, "dividing our room equally. It looks like a rainbow vomited on your side." I hummed in agreement watching as Wednesday kicked the window vinyl over to the other side of the room, onto the other side of the thick black tape lining the middle of the dark wood flooring, "I..." Immediately she was quieted, "silence would be appreciated. This is my writing time." I looked between them blankly, "your writing time?"

"I devote an hour a day to my novel. Perhaps if you did the same, your vlog might be coherent. I've read serial killer diaries with better punctuation." I realized they were badgering and instead of participating I stayed quiet, "I write in my voice. It's my truth. It's what my followers love." With a sigh I awaited the next and final results, waiting to speak when they had calmed, "your followers are clearly imbeciles. They respond to your stories with insipid little pictures."

"Uh, you mean, emojis? It's how people express their feelings. I realize that's a foreign concept to you." Dropping the book onto the side table and my feet onto the floor I stood, "when I look at you, the following emojis come to mind. Rope, shovel, hole. By the way, there are two D's in Addams. If you're going to gossip about me, at least spell my name correctly." Standing I sighed as Enid stepped back and started playing music from her side of the room, peppy music, loud and annoying, "turn that off. This is your final warning." Wednesday stood, walking up to her in a heartbeat but Enid brought her hands up in a striking manner, claws unleashed, "Don't mess with me. This kitty's got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them." Huffing I walked to them, "enough, if you are going to complain about dorm room issues so heavily every time, then maybe you need to put a curtain down the middle of the dorm room."

"Good evening, girls." The door opens without a single knock and I'm prone to lashing out behavioral issues and manners to the newcomer, "oh, sorry about the mud." Looking down I raised my brow, no mud on the floor as she separated her feet, one on each side of the thick black tape, "I wanted to make sure that Wednesday was settling in alright." My frown seemed constant at the moment, i also didn't like this woman at first glance, "ah. Is this a bad time? I'm Ms. Thornhill, your dorm mom. Apologies, I wasn't here to greet you when you arrived." The redheaded woman walked across the room with rain boots on, reddish orange in color, shocking on the darker colored side of the room but matching herself and Enid's side, "I trust Enid has given you girls the old Nevermore welcome."

"She's been smothering me with hospitality. I hope to return the favor. In her sleep." A sigh and a side eye from me and the blonde drew another sentence from Ms. Thornhill, "well, here's a little welcome gift from my conservatory. I try to match the right flower to each of my girls. When I read your personal statement in your application, I immediately thought of this one." I watched as she handed over the flower pot, "the black dahlia."

"Oh, you know it?" She didn't seem surprised in the slightest, "of course. It's named after my favorite unsolved murder. Thank you." I cinched my eyebrows, "okey-dokey. Before I leave, I want to go over a few house rules. Lights off at 10:00, no loud music, and no boys, ever."

"What about personal instruments?" She looked stunned this time, "uhm, they're accepted in moderation, I'm sorry, Morella Feathertail is it, I could have sworn you were put in Yoko's room." I grunted softly as Wednesday spoke up, clearing the communication issue, "my sister is to stay with me." She nodded in awkward agreement, "what's the story about going into the local town?" The woman quickly gives out more information, almost excitedly, "passes to Jericho are a privilege, not a right. It's a brisk twenty-five-minute walk, or there's a shuttle on the weekends. The locals are a tad bit wary about Nevermore, so please don't go making any waves, or perpetuating any outcast stereotypes. That means keep your claws to yourself, and no smothering people in their sleep. Are we clear?" There was no movement or words of agreement, "Great talk." The woman turned from us but stuck her finger up, turning around to look straight at me, "at your first class with me Morella, I'll give you my special pick, I hope you'll like the specific plant I picked out for you, I grew everything myself."

Ms. Thornhill finally leaving had me releasing the tension in my shoulders, the woman bothered me in a few ways, especially the fake happy look and the true disdain buried under glossy eyes. "I doubt it'd be anything worth gloating about growing," Enid looked to me annoyed, "for a normal human, she can grow practically anything," I matched her look, gazing right into her eyes, "so can the right environment, water or earth, even air. For someone I'm guessing who is in charge of any studies including plants and nature she needs to be required to grow a simple plant, it's not an amazing feat Enid." Turning on my heel I finish the discussion and begin my walk back to the armchair. "I can already tell that living with you two is going to be a nightmare," picking up my book I replied with a simple word before sitting down, "good, revel in it."