Burn slow

Chapter 18| Deadly prophecy

POV Wednesday

- You're going with us, young lady, - the lightning in my mother's eyes stroke me. I gawked at her, fighting with the desire to slam the door just before her nose.
- How did you find me? - a few moments passed before my low pitch carved the silence.
Father popped out of Mother's shoulder and lifted his hand, showing me Thing in a cell:
- How could you? - I hissed, addressing to Thing. - Traitor, - I spat my words out, frowning so hard that my brows almost met, nostrils flared.

Thing desperately sought to break through the iron barriers so he could explain himself but, of course, his pathetic endeavour failed. What is more, I had no desire to speak to him, so I just switched my eyes to my mother again. I declared with a calm tone of a dictator:
- So now you are willing to take me with you, yell at me during all our way home, sentence me to a deathly boring job, hoping that this will help to discipline me? Go ahead, we will see if it works.
- This time you will memorise the punishment forever, - the storm in Mother's eyes broke up even harder, but it could not extinguish the rebellious fire in me.
- So what will you do? - I gave Mother a smirk. She breathed out hard and lifted up her chin. At this moment smiling Xavier entered the room, wiping his hands with a towel and saying something to me. His bright smile vanished immediately when he saw a scene playing out in the hall. Morticia hurled a glance at Xavier across the room and announced with elocution:
- Wednesday, your father and I are taking you out from Nevermore, - that was a low blow. - Forever.

Parents' decision like a viper bit me in my dark heart and the venom began to spread all around my body, making it perspire and shake. My lungs started burning because I couldn't take a breath.

- No! - Xavier threw the towel on the floor with fury, heading to me. He pushed me behind his back, standing in front of my parents; I could only lurk at them behind his shoulder. - You can't just take Wednesday out. Nevermore is her home, the place where she belongs to! It's her world!
Then Xavier took a deep breath and uttered:
- And she is my world.
The eyes of my parents got widened; Mother and Father exchanged quick glances full of fear and pity.
- Wednesday's home is where her family is, - Mother managed to pull herself together and fend off in whisper.
- Give me a reason why I am being extracted from the school, - I stood my ground in spite of the earthquake of drama that struck us all.
- Maybe because my 16-year-old daughter is standing in front of me in the shirt of the boy, having not slept at home? - Mother's freezing glance poured me and Xavier again; I did stand in front of my parents in Xavier's shirt. I felt naked; my cheeks got scarlet like my blood heated up to 100 degrees.
However, my sharp mind successfully generated a rapid response.
I was about to say: "look who's talking", taking into account the young love story of my parents. But Xavier beat me to it:
- Yes, Wednesday stayed for a sleepover in my place. But it was just because we were burning a midnight oil, working on... a school project that we are supposed to finish till the end of the break. It is the project on biology and we spent much time in the garden, picking up samples of the plants, and taking into consideration the fact I do not prefer to wear female clothes, I could provide Wednesday only with something from my male's fashion wardrobe.
Xavier's lame joke made my father giggle what was immediately nipped by Mother, so laugh got quickly turned into an imitated seizure of a cough.
- May I see the project? - Mother's nice smile was soaked with poison.
- It's not finished yet, - Xavier gulped and directed his eyes to me.
- That's what I thought, - Mother nodded multiple times. She peered at Xavier, trying to find in anything that could harm me. Mother failed but ordered:
- We are leaving.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Father opened the door: the rain was pouring down, casting dozens of water mirrors on the ground here and there. The strong wind made those mirrors distorting:
- We didn't do anything that could be considered bad or wrong. - Xavier's voice was louder than usual. - Wednesday is the most prudent person I know and she CAN be trusted. And if you don't trust her, she is not a problem. - Xavier's sharp statement penetrated my armour of insensitivity. I couldn't help but turn around to look at him. Mother's eyebrows got up and her mouth got slightly opened; her loud sigh followed Xavier's words:
- You know nothing, young gentleman. But what I know for sure, that it's your last meeting, - Mother dotted me and Xavier with her eyes.