Midnight Rainbow (Enid x Wednesday thru Enid's POV)

the 7 pillars of friendship (E1)

I'm obsessed with her whole vibe. Black dress with white and gray flowers. Two long black braids framing her delicate face. Macabre and mysterious and darkly beautiful, like some kind of cursed fairy that ate the forbidden fruit and got banished because of it, but didn't care. Didn't care one damn bit.

I have to say, I have totally hit the jackpot with this whole roommate thing.

Wednesday's parents follow her inside.

Her mother lets out a soft gasp. (Speaking of darkly beautiful.)

Her father takes in my colorful bedspread and accessories. The abstract rainbow spiderweb that forms our window. "It's so...vivid."

I don't want to brag, but I spent upwards of 70 hours making that thing with peel and stick film. Every time I see it, I feel the biggest burst of happiness well up inside me.

Which is not unlike how I feel when I see Wednesday (My roommate!!).

I bounce over, hands to my sides, barely unable to contain the unmitigated glee that threatens to shoot out of my fingers and toes and every pore and the ends of my hair.

"Howdy, roomie!"

She looks less than enthused, but she's probably just shy. No worries, I can be outgoing enough for the both of us!!

"Wednesday, this is Enid Sinclair," says Principal Weems.

Still no response. Maybe it's more than just shyness.

"Are you feeling okay? You look a little...pale."

Maybe she has a terminal illness or a tapeworm or something.

"Wednesday always looks half dead," explains her father, a squat man in a black pinstripe suit.

Right. Not a tapeworm.

"Oh," I say, and my excitement, which was tamped down for a bit, comes raging back. "Welcome to Ophelia Hall."

I spread my arms wide, ready to give her the first of many best friend hugs. She flinches and steps away.

"Not a hugger. Got it." This is 100% okay because even though I am the biggest hugger ever, I would never hug someone without consent. Respecting each other's boundaries is the first pillar of friendship - we're already doing so well!!

"Please excuse Wednesday," says her mother. Even though, like, it's totally cool to have boundaries. Nothing to excuse. "She's allergic to color."

I knew there was some kind of medical thing going on!

"Oh, wow." Be cool, Enid. Don't make her feel bad about it. "What happens to you?"

(Genuine questions + active listening is the second pillar of friendship.)

"I break out into hives, and then the flesh peels off my bones," Wednesday says flatly.

I don't know how to respond to that so I settle on a pretend wince.

Weems bails me out. "Luckily, we've special ordered you a uniform." She chuckles. "Enid, please take Wednesday to the registrar's office to pick it up along with a copy of her schedule. And give her a tour along the way."

I just love how Weems says "schedule". Also, I love tours. Especially giving them. I hope Wednesday knows how lucky she is. I'm so excited, I can't help but do a miniature happy dance as Wednesday says goodbye to her parents. Well, thinks about saying goodbye to them. Then she breezes past them out of the room, and I skip along behind her.

It's interesting that she left without saying goodbye, but a lot of people have complicated relationships with their families. I should know. Gosh, this is the best. We already have SO MUCH in common and we only just met.

We're going to be at pillar number 7 (Best friend sleepovers!!!) in no time.