Wednesday's Week

Sticks, Stones, and Woes

Of course Sheriff Galpin would feel the need to come and do a round at the hospital while I was on the case. I turned on my heels, "Sheriff, I'm permitted to leave the school grounds. It isn't a prison."

"As far as I am concerned," he strutted up, "it is. And you are supposed to be locked up in it. Trust me, your principal and I have had many conversations."

I needed to stall for Thing. "Well then I hope you were talking about more important things. Like the unidentified person attacking the school. Unless it's perhaps another of your children you are ignoring."

It stung. I could see that. He stopped, his haughty demeanor melting. "I wasn't ignoring Tyler."

"I spoke to him," I disclosed. "He's worried about you. Can you believe that?"

He pinched his mouth, "It's time to take you back to school, Addams."

I stepped forward, "Even after I saved everyone's ass, you continue to ignore me. I am not a child and you will pay dearly for treating me as such. I am going to solve this once again and you might as well not be on my opposing side." Thing slid out from behind the booth.

"I'll be leaving on my own," I informed him as Thing climbed into my backpack with the file. I stormed past the sheriff and he didn't stop me. I wouldn't be needing a police escort again.

It was well into the afternoon and I was finally noticing my growling stomach. Biking back would be a workout and an awful one if I didn't eat anything.

The weathervane had croissant sandwiches that I had grown fond of last semester. I turned my heels toward the coffee shop and headed over. The door chimed as I opened it. A few random people moved about or sat in their booths. I found it odd to see someone else behind the counter. It was an entirely different teenager.

I marched up to the counter, "I'll have a quad to go and a croissant ham and cheese."

He looked up and paused to run his hand through his obnoxiously blonde hair. The server didn't say anything for a moment, as if trying to pin down how he knew me. "You are Wednesday, then?" He asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "Depends on who is asking."

"I'm not asking anymore. Tyler's lengthy description of you is accurate." He answered more coldly. I knew who he was. Tyler had told me of all his friends and past friends. Daniel. He didn't make my coffee. "I've got something of Tyler's. Something he was hiding from you. He kept it in the back."

I wasn't a fool, but Daniel didn't know that. I followed him as if I believed his half baked excuse. We passed the actual rooms and turned to the alley door. "He kept it right out here," Daniel lied again. It was difficult to pretend I was even believing him.

He opened the door and I let him push me through. There were two other guys. They were sitting on boxes, playing cards. "Your shift isn't up for another hour, Daniel." The other kid said without looking up.

"I thought I'd take a break with you guys and Wednesday," he stated. They dropped their card game and climbed down from their box thrones.

A greasy rat looking one pointed at me, "The Wednesday?"

I stepped forward, asserting dominance, "How many Wednesdays do you know?"

He scoffed, "Tyler used to make fun of freaks like you. Then he ghosted us. Turns out it was because you. Turned. Him. Into. A. Freak." He punctured each word with a step closer and spit on the last one. Disgusting.

"I have no control over Tyler's DNA, so no, I didn't change him." I watched him reach for me. "And no one spits at me." I lifted my leg and planted a heavy kick to his ribs. He fell to the ground and the others charged me.

Apparently Tyler was friends with football players. They were considerably harder to take down then Lucas' friends. Of course my general injuries played a factor into it.

I was picked up. I slammed my feet back into them. They let me go and I fell onto the concrete. I jumped up to take them on. They didn't get to me.

Tyler jumped down from the roof, full Hyde. His monster self pinned them both down and he roared into their faces. Monster spit cling to their hair. His claws dug into them. Tyler was going to kill them.

"Stop," I commanded. Tyler looked at me, his huge eyes meeting mine. After a second he climbed off of them. They ran. Tyler crumpled to the floor and began to transform. As before, his clothes were shredded. He laid on the ground as I stepped back into the coffee shop and stole Daniel's clothes. I passed them over to Tyler who pulled off the rags covering him. I turned around. "Why did you come?" I asked as I faced the wall.

He was silent for a moment, "I could feel you in danger."

"Well know everything is screwed. It's not a secret you are here or that I have you," I sighed in frustration.

Tyler stepped in front of me, fully clothed, "I could kill them before they told my father."

I inspected him, "So you are back to your killing ways?"

"I just saw a solution and thought I'd suggest it," he mumbled.

The pills in my pocket rattled as I pulled them out and dropped a few in my hand. I passed them over to him and he took them without hesitation. "Well it's not a solution."

"We could leave," he answered. "Run away?"

I shook my head. "I can't do that, Tyler. I've got mixed feelings about harboring you anyways."

Tyler stepped forward, "Wednesday, I don't regret what we had. Hell yes, I messed up. Im not even sure which parts actually upset you. But Im here and I'll do anything to stay by your side."

"Is that Tyler or the Hyde speaking?" I asked. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. His soft lips and sickeningly sincere smile.

He reached for me, "Can't it be both?"

"What do you want me to do, Tyler?" I finally asked.

Tyler tilted his head, "Kiss me."