All For Not - Wednesday

Page 15

"Ladies, come on! Let's work on those teeth. More scowl. This kitty is taking no prisoners." Walking up to the canoe painting session I looked around before taking Enid and Yoko into view, "What is this?" I ask, walking up to her I questioned her almost immediately, her response was a frightened shriek of sorts before she turned to me and clarified the situation, "We're preparing for the Poe cup, geeze..."

My head tilts and I raise a brow, looking at the canoe in appreciation of the darker coloring and the very low amount of yellow. I sighed calmly, "it needs more of an upturned smile to make it creepy." Enid made an uncomfortable facial expression before looking back at the front of the canoe and sort of shrugged and nodded at the same time, "if Bianca Barclay wins again this year, I will literally scratch my own eyes out!"

She seemed stressed with this boat nonsense,it wasn't hard to gather that information. "I would pay money to see that," Wednesday says as she strides over and receives a warm welcome, "howdy, roomie! I'm so glad you decided to stay."

"I thought you wanted your single room back," Wednesday's brow raises, which is what I had also thought, the wolf seemed adamant about the situation previously, "Or has your opinion changed?" I raised a single brow at the blond and she smiled sheepishly, "Full disclosure, I don't like living solo and Thing gives a killer neck massage. It's a win-win. So... why the change of heart?"

"I refuse to play the role of a pawn in someone else's corrupt game," I sighed, eyeing my sister at her words before looking around, there were four different canoes with people all over the lawn crafting and painting.

"You mean Rowan?"Enid asks softly as I looked between them for a moment.

"I witnessed his murder, Enid," Wednesday admits, not looking directly at the blonde wolf while I frown at the whole situation, "it's just, we all saw him this morning. Very much, like, not dead." My eye's shot to her, surprised "it's not exactly a normal occurrence for someone dead to still walk...ya'know?"

Looking at my sister next I watched her closely, she had looked off to the side, her fists clenched slightly as she wavered in frustration, "I know. Which leads me to believe I've been losing my mind." I sighed, shaking my head at her as she continued on, "it's not nearly as fun as I had anticipated."

"You're Nevermore's gossip queen. What's Rowan's story?" I waited, catching something moving out of the corner of my eye, "other than being a weird loner... Uh... No offense." Looking over, I turned my head to see the gorgon from before leaning against a tree off to the side of the school's lawn, "none taken."

Ajax wasn't alone though, "Xavier Thorpe's his roommate. If you had a cell phone, you could just text him and ask him." I interrupted looking back at the girls, "he's over by that tree with your gorgon Enid," I looked at my sister next as Enid flushed at my comment, I however continued adding onto my words, "if you want to interrogate, of course." I shot my head to the side only to see the two tall teens whip around as if they were just caught watching us, which of course they had been.

"If you had asked me though, sister, you'd know that this morning, Rowan wasn't exactly himself. He was missing a peculiar madness..." I looked at her and she turned at the same time, catching my eye, her own showing a sudden shock and suspicion.

"Yoko. Come on! Flare those whiskers. The Poe Cup droops for no one." Enid speaking and yelling all at once pulled my attention away from Wednesday's sudden emotion etched face, "What is the Poe Cup anyway?"

Enid was very ambitious, in many ways it seemed, "It's only my entire reason for living right now. Part canoe race, part foot chase, no rules. Each dorm has to pick an Edgar Allan Poe short story for inspiration." My attention was caught but I wasn't a fan of water all too much unless it had piranhas living in it, (R.I.P. Bomb, forever my beloved enforcer of death), "you guys could grab a brush, Ms. Thornhill's just ordered pizza. Want to take a stab at being social?"

Grimacing, I edge away slightly giving my answer with silence while Wednesday however contemplated it, "I do like stabbing. The social part, not so much. Besides, it'll cut into my writing time..." I blankly stood there blinking, almost passing out of existence in boredom. "No worries. Just as long as you're lakeside cheering us to victory on race day. Or you can just glare uncomfortably. Whatever works for you..." Enid turns to me suddenly, targeting me as Wednesday nods and leaves quickly.

"Morella? Do you maybe wanna paint with us?" She looked utterly hopeful, I had to give in for a price, "If you'll leave me in peace the next time I'm reading... I'll help you paint your canoe," she smiled very happily when suddenly a random student walked past me, knocking into Enid's shoulder before looking back at us and sneering, "get out of the way why don't you."

I've always hated the expression people give you when they act like you're in the wrong, but when Enid turned around facing me with an uncomfortable feeling scrawled across her face while she stood quietly had me narrowing my eyes. Speaking to the girl who wouldn't leave almost instantly, I bared my teeth in a snarl, "apologize and walk away before I paint this canoe with your blood."

I heard her swallow as everyone in the vicinity stopped and watched, "what did you just say to me?" I tilted my head, answering her, "apologize to my wolf, before I slit your throat, and use your blood as paint." She backed up a step, her eyes not leaving my frame as she muttered out an apology before running off at the intent of death suffocating her lungs, "next time Enid," I narrowed in on her, "try growling at them, I'd prefer my roommate to have a stronger back bone, even if you aren't willing to rip a heart out..."

"Why should I have to, when I have you to do it for me?" Her wavering voice made it clear she made it as a joke but was also still very much shocked about what had just occurred on her defense, "I'm not always around Enid, even though I will do it for you, doesn't mean I always can," I turned to the canoe moving a step forward and grabbing a brush, "if you're having issues though, tell me, I have no warrants keeping me from handling them in your stead."