Dirty Boy | Tyler Galpin |

XXII. Pianoforte

Monday February 14th

"It is my honor to celebrate our town's history and Jericho's noble forefather, Joseph Crackstone." The Mayor's voice boomed throughout the bleachers filled with Normies and Nevermore students.
"Kill me now" Raven whispered lowly to Wednesday as she kept her fingers on the piano's keys.

She was absolutely livid. Not only did she have to attend this stupid Jericho tradition, but she also had to play with a high school band in front of a town she loathed.

"Now, he believed that with a happy heart and an open ear, there was nothing our town couldn't achieve." The mayor continued joyfully "So together as one, our community and our friends at Nevermore Academy" both Raven and Wednesday scoffed 'Suck up' they thought "we've built a monument to celebrate his memory. Now, may the spirit of Joseph Crackstone be memorialized for eternity"

They revealed the obnoxiously large statue that laid under the white sheet. Wednesday looked at Raven with a smirk "Don't worry... this is about to be anything but tedious" Raven looked back at her from her piano. "What did you do?" Wednesday just smirked "Watch"

The two Addams began to play "Don't stop" by Fleetwood Mac along with Jericho's school band. Raven's mind wondered elsewhere, it's been so long since she played in front of a big crowd. She looked at the people sitting on the bleachers and noticed him...Tyler Galpin. She knew that now that the Poe cup was over and that this Outreach day was coming to an end, there would be no more reason for her to interact with the Normie. And she was dreading it.

She wasn't used to the warmth that he brought in a room, nor did she ever particularly care for it. She loathed the idea of being with him yet it seemed like she couldn't get away from him and for some reason...she didn't mind.

A loud scream interrupted her thoughts. She looked around and the whole crowd was in panic... Crackstone's statue was on fire. She stopped playing to look at Wednesday while chaos governed the crowd. "You did this didn't you?" She asked as the rest of the band ran to hide. "Thing" she responded blankly.

She repositioned her bow on her Cello and looked at Raven "Shall we?" Raven looked at her smiling, she positioned her fingers on the keys. "We shall" And with that they began to play a classic in their family's repertoire...they liked to call it The Addams Family Theme Song

And as the chaos unleashed throughout crowd they played with grins on their faces, not caring of the consequences that might come after.

Raven sat on Wednesday's bed as her cousin was currently in the Principal's office. "Do you think she'll expel her?" Enid asked as she searched through her closet for something to wear. "I hope not" Raven whispered back.

"Are you exited for your date?" She asked, changing the topic.
Enid squealed "I can't wait!" She pulled out a hot pink cardigan. "Okay Raven be honest... is this too pink?" She asked as she threw her the cardigan. Raven held it up in front of her and gave it a good look.

"For me, definitely... for you I suppose it's good" she threw the cardigan back to Enid and she slipped it over her head. "Okay now nails!" She excitedly reached for the box that laid under her bed. She opened it and Raven was almost blinded by the amount of colored nail polishes that small box held.

"Raven come, you need to do this!" Enid said as she picked four colors out of the box (Yellow, Blue, Pink, Orange) "do I have to?" She asked from Wednesday's bed. Enid said nothing and patted the empty spot on her bed. Raven sighted but nevertheless still made her way over to the bed.

"You need to use all these colors, alternate them" Enid instructed excitedly. Raven said nothing and opened up the first color. Enid handed Raven her hand and pulled her claws out startling her. "What? Did you think you had to do only half of my nails?" Enid asked sarcastically "I didn't think I had to do any of your nails" She responded with more sarcasm as she began painting the first nail.

"So...how was your first Outreach day in over 6 years?" Enid suddenly asked.
Raven maintained avid concentration on her nails. "It was everything I remembered it to be..." she said moving on to the next color "awful and terribly boring"

"Oh come on, you spent the whole afternoon with two very hot guys! It definitely had to be fun!" Enid insisted, Raven cringed. "It was definitely embarrassing" She mumbled as she once again changed color.

"Embarrassing?" Enid asked perplexed "Why's that?"
Ravens cheeks became flustered and the embarrassing conversation of that morning crashed onto her like a tsunami.

"Well, umm..." she took a deep breath as she finished the pink nail. "Xavier told Tyler that I umm... never had a boyfriend before...therefore never had sex" Enid looked at her with wide eyes "He just said that?! Like out of the blue?!" Raven nodded. "Wow...if it makes you feel any better, I am also a virgin" Raven looked up at her for a moment "I know" she said and finished Enid's hand, "What do you mean?" Enid asked as she handed her the other hand. "Enid in this school you don't need to be the queen of gossip to know who slept with who" she said matter of fact.

"I thought you said you hated his guts, so why do you care if he knows" Enid asked. "It's not that I care...I just don't like my private information to be shared so openly with a normie stranger" she said as she painted Enid's last nail. "Fair enough" she looked at her nails in delight.

"Something is wrong with this town" Wednesday said bursting through the door. "So?" Raven asked somewhat impatiently. "I'm safe" Wednesday made her way towards her typewriter and began writing. "You're going to be late" Wednesday said to which Enid Immediately caught on.
"I'll be on my way! Wish me luck!" She slipped on her jacket with Raven's help due to the still wet nails. "If he breaks your heart I'll electrocute his" Raven said encouragingly as she put back Enid's nail polish in the box "and I'll nail gun it" Wednesday concluded.