𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 // 𝘹𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘦

𝘟𝘐𝘝

I sighed as the bag currently over my head was finally taken off only now my hands were tied behind my back. This was turning into quite the night.

I look around the library, finding that Wednesday was sitting beside me, her hands tied as well. I turn my head back in front of us, my eyes filled with a bright light coming off of a projector placed a few feet away from Wednesday and I.

"Who dares breach our inner sanctum?" An ominous voice calls out to us both. There was a group of people, dressed in silk purple gowns along with the same dark purple mask we found under Rowan's bed.

"You can take the mask off, Bianca," Wednesday says, her voice lingering with disappointment. The group of mysterious people all take off their hoods, turning off the projector and taking their masks off.

I realize they were all just students, including Yoko. Bianca stares at Wednesday, a look of annoyance prominent on her face.

"Wait, I preferred you with it on." I couldn't help but laugh at Wednesday's remark. I soon stop realizing no one else found it as amusing as I did. "Okay then, wrong crowd" I mumble.

"How did you get down here?" Bianca questions.

"Rowan showed me," Wednesday says. Both our eyes fall on Xavier. What the hell was he doing here? "Left pocket."

Xavier moves over to Wednesday, reaching into her left pocket and pulling out the drawing.

"I tracked the watermark to the Poe statue," Wednesday says. "Then I solved the riddle."

"Wait, there's a riddle? I thought we just snapped twice." Kent blurts out, earning a groan from most of the group.

"Damn, we got an Einstein over here" I laugh, watching as his face turns to one of annoyance, just as Bianca's was earlier.

"The Nightshades are an elite social club. Emphasis on elite." Bianca gloats as if it was something to even gloat about.

"We have roof parties, campouts, the occasional midnight skinny dip," Yoko adds, sharing a look with Bianca.

"And Yoko's an amateur mixologist. She makes a killer virgin mojito. It can get pretty wild." Ajax says.

"If it's a virgin mojito I doubt it's 'wild'" I respond, my thoughts doing anything but staying in. "Plus, Yoko this was more important than me?" Yoko sighs, turning her attention back to Wednesday as she begins to speak again.

"Wow. Do you guys even have a bedtime?" Wednesday's voice lingered with sarcasm. "Last I heard, the Nightshades had been disbanded."

"Yeah, the group kind of lost its charter 30 years ago after some normie kid died," Xavier says. Yoko soon chimes in once more.

"But we have a lot of wealthy alumni, so Weems looks the other way as long as nobody makes any waves."

"Someone like Rowan?" Wednesday asks.

"We booted that loser last semester," Bianca answers before sighing. "Question is, what are we gonna do with them? Only members are allowed in this library."

"I say we invite them to pledge," Xavier suggests, earning questions and even disappointment from a few people, or Bianca in particular. "They are a legacy."

"After the crap, they pulled in the Poe Cup, there's no way in hell. We talk about not making waves? They're a tsunami."

"Why, Just because we beat you at your own game?" I ask, smirking in her direction.

"Let me save you the trouble. We're not interested in joining." Wednesday says, causing everyone to react in shock.

"You're seriously turning us down?" Yoko asks.