The Woe We Deserve

Chapter 5

Wednesday liked being alone in the greenhouse. She liked plants; they were better company than many of her peers. At that particular moment, she was trying to avoid quite a few of them.

First there was Enid, who had been non-stop interrogating her about her comings and goings and demanding to know why she was being so calm and considerate, and why she had been caught smiling in her sleep several nights in a row.

Next, was Eugene, who was not pleased with her recent attendance to bee-keeping club. He insisted the hive was both of their responsibility, and it was unfair to have him take care of the little ones all on his own.

And then there was Xavier.

Where even to start?

After the whole braiding incident, she had been avoiding him like vampires avoid garlic. He'd texted her a few times over the weekend, claiming to need help with their assignment on carnivorous plants—but Wednesday knew it was a trap.

But once Monday rolled around, she knew she was out of time and out of options.

Two whole days of isolation weren't enough time to crack the problem of Xavier Thorpe. She couldn't murder him because she liked him—but she also wanted to murder him for making her like him.

She was at a standstill with herself.

The first bell rang, indicating the end of their lunch break. Students started trickling in over the next couple of minutes, one by one, filling up all the seats around her, except for the one immediately to her left.

The second bell rang, his chair remained empty.

Their teacher droned on and on about things that she already knew, which was good because she was not paying attention. How could she focus on a lecture when that seat was so empty?

Halfway through the class, Wednesday couldn't stand it anymore. She needed answers, and she needed them immediately.

"Can I be excused?"

The teacher paused mid-sentence and looked her up and down.

"What's wrong?"

"Upset stomach. Probably food poisoning. I don't want to risk infecting my peers... you know... if I vomit all over the place."

"Go."

———-

Xavier was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, when he heard a knock on his door. He wasn't expecting any visitors—he was supposed to be in class.

So why had he skipped the period after lunch? He wasn't even sure. All he knew was that Wednesday had decided to stop speaking to him, and was clearly avoiding him, and he didn't have the heart to face it.

He kept wracking his brain for an explanation, but he couldn't find one. He thought they'd left things on a good note, but then all weekend long she avoided him. It wasn't that unusual for her to do. It just felt different this time, after she'd been kind and gentle; he'd allowed himself to hope things might be turning in his favor.

He thought about what he would say to her when he saw her in class—if she even showed up. Maybe he could pretend nothing ever happened; she'd probably do the same. Or maybe he should continue being vulnerable with her; he could show her there was nothing to fear.

By the time lunch was ticking to an end, he still had no idea what to do. So he panicked. And while his friends all walked toward the greenhouse, he slipped away back to his room, claiming he wasn't feeling well.

But when he heard that knock—he knew he could no longer avoid his problem.

"Hello, Wednesday," he said as he opened the door to let her in. "You sure like dropping by unannounced."