All For Not - Wednesday

Page 17

I don't know how or why, but classes were delayed an hour after an accident in the quad. In the dark of the matter it meant Thing had returned from his unknown mission. Walking into the classroom with Xavier he took my bag from my hand and went to take his seat as I watched his back, slightly confused. My eyes shot off to the side of the new classroom to see Wednesday, berating the air; a.k.a Thing.

"I'm going to give you all the materials again..." Passing the red booted teacher with only a side glance I watched Wednesday, "how do you lose him in a bathroom with no windows?" Frowning I became wary of her future words, "a lefty wouldn't have failed me. Don't sulk." I became almost livid, knowing exactly how Thing would feel from her volatile words, "I'm going to have to find new evidence myself, since you lost our only lead." I stepped forward as three of the sirens walked around my backside to watch my sister speak, "I see you finally made a friend. Even if it is a plant."

She turned, "I go for quality over quantity." Only now did she notice me, she said nothing else and walked away.

Swallowing I walked to her previous placement in the room, looking past the carnivore plant I gazed down at Thing, a saddened stance and an air of self loathing oozed from himself, "Thing?" He lowered himself closer to the table and I inhaled heavily before sniffling and opening my palm to him. He walked towards me, jumping onto my hand almost sluggishly before I peeled my jacket away from my stomach and I held my hand and him between the fabrics, hiding him from sight. "Do not listen to her, she's become different, Thing..." Turning I walked towards Xavier to see Wednesday standing to his side, peering around the room.

"Saved you a spot," he chuckles with his words as soon as I walk up to his table, rounding it as he eyes my jacket I ignore Wednesday, "thank you, do you have my bag?" He nodded, picking it up from the ground next to his, using my free hand I grabbed it, and laid it against the desk before pulling on the zipper with only slight difficulty, Xavier grabbing my hand making me freeze as he unzips it for me, "are you okay?" I nodded quietly as Wednesday turns around and walks away as I stay knowingly oblivious of her attention. I opened the bag up wide enough and pulled my hand from under my uniformed jacket, "holy shit," Thing hops from my skin and crawls into the bag, "what is that?" I looked over as Thing got comfortable in my bag, pushing things out of the way and tossing a pencil out of the opening for me to grab, "who not what," I looked him up and down clarifying, "this is Thing, my parents left him with us..."

Turning around I eyed Wednesday at another table, looking away as I confirmed her eyes stuck to my frame. Pushing my bag to the side carefully, I sighed while Xavier looked at the bag and me before looking back down at his drawing and continuing to use the charcoal in his hand. His other hand lifts as he blends it slightly and before my eyes his hand trembles in the air, the spider crawling up from the page, "I doubt Morella is impressed by your tricks, Mr. Thorpe."

He looked at me smiling as everyone turned to us, "admit it, you're a little impressed." I said nothing, letting the small stenciled creature crawl over the back of my hand as it rested against the table, "I do like spiders..."

Miss Thornhill ignores us and speaks up, a smile on her uncannily disturbed face, "Wednesday, Morella, we're thrilled to have you join us on our journey into the world of carnivorous plants." Nodding to the woman as Xavier's spider crawls back to his book, Miss Thornhill continues on, "now... who can tell us the name of this beauty?" Bianca had raised her hand and had been gestured by the woman to answer, but before she could, Wednesday took over, "Dendrophylax lindenii."

"Otherwise known as the ghost orchid." Biana clarified a similar answer with an annoyed expression plastered onto her skin, "first discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1854." I frowned, "very good, Wednesday. You may have competition for first chair, Bianca." The class began to laugh as Biana forced a small two second smile before dropping it as the teacher spoke again, "Wednesday, perhaps you can identify the ghost orchid's greatest qualities."

"Resilience and adaptability. It's able to thrive in even the most hostile environments." I frowned further, a disgusting taste covering my tongue, "But its mere presence can change the ecosystem, causing the established plants to reject it." They shot back and forth with venom as I watched and listened quietly, "usually because the native species is allowed to thrive unchecked. Nothing a Weedwacker couldn't fix."

"You can most certainly try." Xavier silenced them both quickly out of annoyance while looking over at me, "are we still talking about flowers?" Students laughing seems to never cease. "Thank you, ladies, for those illuminating insights. Clearly the plants aren't the only carnivores in class today. Miss Feathertail, would you like to join in and share some knowledge along with your sister?" Holding my head high I gave some, "instead of bees or butterflies, they only attract moths, the only creature it can't affect with its hallucinogenic properties." The Auburn haired woman stared at me with a smile that unnerved me, Xavier peering at me with a softer smile, in no way matching the older woman's.