The Woe We Deserve

Chapter 2

Had Xavier known that Wednesday would actually show up to Bianca's welcome back party in the crypt, he would have stopped after one cup of her mystery punch. It was strong enough to knock out a werewolf. Xavier wasn't new to underage drinking. Just a year prior, when he was dating Nevermore's queen bee, he was an honored guest at almost every party. He used to be popular and well-liked.

Things had changed a lot since then. Now he was sitting alone in a shadowy corner, trying to go unnoticed and drinking just to drink—because it made it harder to think straight. So when Enid and Wednesday arrived—fashionably late of course—he knew he was doomed.

Enid wore a bright pink dress that immediately caught the eye, allowing Wednesday to more easily blend into the shadows. As soon as they arrived, Enid made a beeline for Ajax and Wednesday slipped away quietly, trying to find a dark corner where she could avoid socializing. That's where she ran into Xavier, who was also trying to lay low.

"I wasn't expecting to find you here," he said. Wednesday seemed a little startled; clearly she'd missed him in her initial sweep of the room.

"I see you've already taken the best hiding spot. I will find another."

"Wait!" he said. "Maybe we could—and I know you'll think this is crazy—but maybe we could share."

Wednesday crossed her arms and pretended to consider his offer. "That kind of defeats the purpose of a corner of solitude."

"I promise I'll be really quiet," he teased, motioning to an empty spot on the ground next to him.

"I don't believe you." But she sat down anyway.

Xavier offered her his cup, and she examined it suspiciously.

"I promise it's not poisoned."

Wednesday rolled her eyes. She took a small sip and scrunched her nose in disgust.

"I didn't say it was good," Xavier chuckled. "But it gets the job done."

Wednesday eyed Xavier, who was slouched against the wall. His disheveled hair partly covering his face. Even looking like a drunken mess, Wednesday thought he was breathtaking. Not in a conventional sense, not like some of the teen hunks she'd seen hanging on the walls of some of her female classmates. Xavier's angles were more striking, his face more brooding. There was a dark elegance to his long hair and green eyes.

When she realized what path her thoughts were taking, she shook her head and took another sip from his cup. She did her best to keep most feelings at bay. She didn't have the time or the patience to waste on teenage romance. Not after Tyler. And especially not after the way she'd treated Xavier. Even if Wednesday ever decided to give herself a chance to like him, she knew she didn't deserve his affection. And she knew she couldn't give him what he needed. Wednesday knew she wasn't girlfriend material. She didn't like doing things she didn't excel at. So she stuck to what she knew: solving mysteries and torturing her enemies.

"So tell me, Wednesday... to what do we owe the pleasure of your attendance?" Wednesday took another sip from her cup and shrugged.

"Enid is a lot more manipulative than I thought. I'm kind of proud, actually."

"Or maybe you're going soft," he countered. Wednesday shot him a look that actually made him flinch.

"If you call me soft again, I'll stab you with something very sharp. And poisonous."

"Noted." Though his voice was serious, he couldn't help but smile. Most guys weren't charmed by threats of violence, but Xavier found it refreshing.

"How many of these have you had?" she asked as she took another disgusting sip

"Three or four," he shrugged. "I don't know what's in it, but I'm pretty sure it's burning a hole through my stomach as we speak."

"You do know drinking alcohol impairs your decision making and motor skills, right?"

"Yes, Wednesday. I also attended that assembly."

"I'm just worried about you, Xavier." She looked at him earnestly. And while wholly unnecessary, Xavier was touched by her concern. "I don't think you have much sense to spare."

Xavier scoffed and flipped her off, but she just responded with a cocky smile. He loved her smile, even if it was at his expense. The thing about liking Wednesday was, getting shut out time and time again only made the brief moments of validation feel even sweeter. Like any good tortured artist, Xavier was a bit of a masochist.

"I don't see you sticking to Nevermore's no-drinking policy," he pointed out.

"I love breaking rules," she said. "And there is only one substance known to man that can impair me; you can only find it in the depths of the Amazon."

"You really are something else," he sighed, but instead of being annoyed by her constant self-aggrandizing comments, he was tickled. There wasn't a dull moment around this girl.

Wednesday's phone dinged, and she pulled it out of her pocket. She stared at her screen for just a split second before jumping up and returning the solo cup to Xavier.

"I have to go," she said.

Xavier tried to prop himself up, but he was tired and dizzy, and by the time he was on his feet, Wednesday was out the door. Not long after, his phone buzzed. It was a text from Wednesday:

Don't follow me. You're drunk. You'll blow my cover.

Xavier knew better than that to text back. He could sense something was wrong, and he knew getting the truth out of her would be like pulling a tooth... from a vampire. He cursed himself for getting drunk. If he wasn't, she might have let him tag along. And while Xavier didn't have the same penchant for suicide missions that she did, he had this irrational desire to protect her even though he knew she could do a lot better at protecting herself.

"I think I need more punch."

He talked and mingled and tried to pretend nothing was going on, but all the while, he pondered ways to get Wednesday to clue him in. He considered incorporating Bianca's punch into the plan, but quickly scratched that plan. No witch's concoction would ever be enough to break down her walls; they were thicker than the Earth's mantle.

Xavier soon found himself too anxious to enjoy the party, and he didn't want to bring his friends down, so without a word to any of them, he slipped back into the shadows and headed toward the exit. Someone called out his name as he opened the door, but he didn't stop, and they didn't follow.

He walked through the dark forest guided only by a sliver of moonlight, to the one place he knew nobody would bother him: his shed. There, he would spend the next hours sketching Wednesday Addams. She wasn't doing anything exciting like she sometimes was in his other painting. Xavier liked to think that if Wednesday ever found his drawings again, she'd be less pissed off if he at least made her look like a badass. But on this particular night, she was just sitting there against the dusty crypt wall, holding a red solo cup with a hint of a smile on her lips.

When drawing her wasn't enough, he picked up his phone, even though he knew he shouldn't.

X: are you alive?

W: yes.

X: how do I know this isn't a kidnapper covering his tracks?

W: Why do you assume my kidnapper is a man?

X: glad you made it back. any chance you'll fill me in?

X: I'd like to help.

W: Maybe.

W: Goodnight, Xavier.