All For Not

Page 39

The timing at this school was intriguing. If I didn't know Enid, or even Davina and Yoko, I would assume one or all three girls were a small coven of witches. This occurrence was so unlikely I hadn't even thought it would ever occur, but here I was one box lighter walking towards the hive just past the tree line.

I looked over from the corner of my eye to see him quietly glancing at me, "if you're going to apologize, don't. I'm not a fan of them being so constant," he nodded, not able to help himself, "sorry, shit I mean, fuck I'm sorry," I snorted at his words and he side eyed me, a grin coming to his face as he laughed, "so, what's your motive?" He looked at me questioningly before realization hit him, "oh, uhm. I wanted to ask you something... I know I kinda fucked up already with everything, and I guess I'm technically not off to a great start but," he sighed before spilling out his words, "wanna go to the Rave'N with me?" I watched from the side as he paused and groaned before righting himself, "I mean would you like to go to the dance with me?"

"Didn't you have a date?" He licked his lips explaining, "I mean yeah but...she didn't want to go with me after all," I made a noise, "I see... Are you okay?" He furrowed his brows a little confused and surprised, "uh, yeah. To be honest I wanted to go with you but when I asked your sister where you were, so I could ask you, she said you weren't going to the dance. So when someone else asked me I just decided to go with her, but then she changed her mind and I figured I'd take my shot and see what you would say anyway," I nodded taking all the information in, ignoring the sister part for the moment as I was still helping her move her monster stuff.

"I see," he swallowed, looking at me for a second before looking away and opening his mouth to speak again, "I know it was kind of a stupid thing to ask, I just wanted to-" I interrupted him, stopping the excess words that only flourished from awkward embarrassment and nervousness, "all you had to do was ask." He paused looking at me, "does that mean you will? Kind of need a yes...shit, sorry I didn't mean it like-"

"If you stop rambling, can I say yes?" I stopped walking just as we made it to the hives, he paused in front of me, looking back as a few bee's made their presence known, "sorry about that," I nodded, "it's fine, and it's a yes, I'd like to go with you." He smiled sheepishly even though I was a bit emotionless as I spoke while he began reaching his hand up to scratch at his neck. Of course to do so he had to let go of the box he was holding for me, causing it's decent towards the ground. Surprisingly his reflexes were fast and he held the side up with his knee.

"Sister." I looked at the space behind him, Wednesday appearing with her usual expression plastered on her face, "hello." He made a noise kind of like a humming sound that came from his chest, "Wednesday." She walked over taking the box from my hands and then turned back to the hive house, walking away from us. "Uhm, here," I took the box from him and he wiped his hands down his jacket, "i'll see you later then?" I nodded and he smiled brightly, pulling a soft small one to my own face, "of course..." I watched him leave, his shoulders no longer tense with nerves and anxiety, I gave a small hum to myself before going inside with the last box.

It was an easy task setting everything up for her, the only difficulty being the glare on the back of my head. I huffed my annoyance out, setting up the last of her pictures onto the board, the sticky tacking holding it snugly against the plexi glass material, "Enid wouldn't let me keep this in our dorm." I looked over as Eugene crossed the small shed, "no worries. Mi colmena es su colmena. I assume this is the creature that's been rampaging in the woods."

"You've heard about it before?" He shrugged at Wednesday's question, "rumors. Mr. Fitts banned me from bug-hunting until further notice. Claimed a bear was on the loose, which I knew was a lie, didn't match their hibernation schedules." My eyes narrowed at the blatant lie from the teachers, they clearly knew something was going on just not exactly what, otherwise it would have already been handled, "speaking of monsters with sharp claws, could you give this to your roomie? Put in a good word for me?" He handed over a jaw of honey with a bright smile, "I hear she's still sans date for the Rave'N." I frowned at the way she said his name in return, "Eugene."

"I know the chances of her asking me are next to zero, but I don't care. I'll keep putting myself out there until Enid finally... sees me." Eugene was always a sweet person, nice and confident even though he was a younger classmate who skipped a grade. "And if she never does?" He shrugged again, "she will. I'm playing the long game, my moms say people will appreciate me when I'm older. They're probably just trying to make me feel better, but..." She stopped his words suddenly as she looked at the jar of honey, "listen, people like me and you, we're different. We're original thinkers, intrepid outliers in this vast cesspool of adolescence. We don't need these inane rites of passage to validate who we are."

"So you're not going to the Rave'N either?" His question caught her off guard, "no of course not. I mean I was but with Xavier." I turned back to the board with an itch at the base of my neck, formed in agitated annoyance, "I see, so you are going then?" She had to clarify and reply, "no, and it's not like I like Xavier. I just had ulterior motives and he unfortunately caught me..." I frowned as my brows knitted together, she had given extra information for some reason, "what about you Morella?" I paused again, "Enid is forcing me I'm afraid, right after my sister here threw me to the she wolf..." He nodded sadly and Wednesday grabbed a picture from the wall before showing it to him to distract him, "sketches are the closest thing I have to a lead to try and stop this thing." Eugene sat kind of perplexed looking at the sketch as I moved over to look as well, "that circle... I think I know where that is." Both of our heads turned to him quickly, "show me."

After those two words she was quick to grab her bag and leave the hive, in turn leaving Eugene and I to look at each other before I sighed and we followed. The journey was quiet and fast, not actually too far out into the woods, half way between the school and the town of normies.

"It's definitely a match." The sketch was perfect compared to the cave structure. "What were you doing out here?" His answer would have been obvious if she paid more attention to his extra activities outside of class and the hive.

"Collecting specimens, this place is ground zero for hоrny gypsy moths." A smile pulled at the corners of my lips at the adorably activity, it reminded me of catching my first black widow, an ironic moment that was precious, especially since she had just attacked someone's husband, I wonder if he ever made it... "You think it's in there?" I watched my sister pull out a flashlight, turning to me, "would you like to go first sister?" I nodded a curt smile taking over the small one, "gladly sister, the darkness is quite bright at this time of day..."

"No it's not," we both eyed him, "of course it is, when you can see in the dark it's always bright," his head nodded so slowly it was clear he was lost, "there's only one way to find out if it's the lair of the monster, and that's to go in." I shrugged looking at the younger bee hive member, he seemed a little worried at first before he buffed up seemingly, of course he noticed my look though, "I'm not a huge fan of enclosed spaces. I'm claustrophobic."

"If you hear me screaming bloody murder, there's a good chance I'm just enjoying myself." I nodded at her comment and walked up to the entrance, cheekily whistling at the opening. The silence gave me the clear and I crouched, moving into the crevice slowly. My eyes adjusted nicely and I was left alone for a moment to look around at the walls as I moved in further, deeper into the cave. "It's clear," they followed me in after my words reached them, the cave being large enough that we all stood at our full height when they finally reached me. "This is definitely its lair." There were bones littering the floor and claw marks ripped into the stone walling, "are those human?" I gave a hum as Wednesday answered, "no, I think it's got a taste for venison. Check this out."

I watched her move across the space and crouch, pulling out a piece of cloth to rip a claw from the wall, "Yahtzee."

"What is that?" She spoke up, confident, "concrete proof. "

"I'll go back with Eugene, I'd prefer not to go into town..."

"Good choice, I see the way you look at the sheriff... I would like to remind you that he's off limits." I stayed stoic as I spoke up replying to her, "for now, lest he dip his toes too far into our family name," she glared at me before leaving us by ourselves, ready to finish the day at the sheriffs.

"Do you have something against the sheriff?" I huffed, "he's rude, volatile in the way he looks at us. His son however, bothers me more, there's something off with the way he looks at Wednesday... and the way he smells."

"Really? He seems nice enough to me," I huffed again through my nose, "there's two types of nice people everywhere you go Eugene, the genuine and the ones who only want something."

"Well what do you think he wants then?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out..."