Philophobic : Tyler Galpin

15: Outreach Day

Thursday, October 25th

[victoria's pov]

Tyler hadn't called me at all through the night. I didn't let it bother me, but when I woke up in the middle of the night, I noticed that Wednesday had disappeared. I didn't get to question her about it until the morning.

"Turns out that Rowan got kicked out of a club called the Nightshades a while ago," Wednesday whispered as we got off the bus. We'd just arrived downtown from Nevermore. "That's why he and Xavier have been so tense lately."

"Speaking of Rowan," I said, looking around. "I don't see him anywhere."

Wednesday looked around too, noticing the same thing. "That's strange..."

"Perhaps he's upset about yesterday's competition results?" I asked. "He did look pretty upset when we won."

"Yeah, he was giving us a glare," Enid recalled quietly.

I looked around us and noticed Xavier standing by a brick wall. It was a wall he once painted a mural on before some normie kids destroyed it–everyone knew about it but the names were always kept hushed.

"Hey, Xavier," I said, approaching him with Enid and Wednesday close behind me. Xavier jumped as if he hadn't expected my presence and gathered himself quickly with embarrassment. He'd grown out his hair over the summer and let it down unlike usual.

"Wh- What's up?" he asked cooly.

"You wouldn't happen to know where your roommate is, would you?" I asked curiously.

"Rowan, yeah... I mean, no, I don't know," Xavier said, having a hard time recalling when he last saw his roommate. But there seemed to be something holding him back.

"Look, you don't have to lie just because I'm Weem's daughter," I said with a huff. "I'm not a goody-two-shoes. I'm just asking to put some pieces together..."

"We're going to find out where he is one way or another," Wednesday said, stepping beside me. "But we'd be grateful if you'd save us the time."

Xavier sighed, looking between the three of us. "He stormed off after our argument–right after the competition so I didn't see him come back into the dorm at all."

"Argument?" I asked. "About what?"

"I told him if we won the Poe Cup then I'd convince Bianca into letting him join the-" Xavier paused. "A club of ours again."

"We know about the Nightshades," Enid said, rolling her eyes.

"Dammit,' Xavier exhaled, crossing his arms. "Yeah, but that's what happened. I haven't seen him since the Poe Cup."

Wednesday and Enid looked at each other then Wednesday and I shared a look of curiosity. Perhaps Wednesday was right–Rowan was more capable than what I expected. I didn't know what to expect.

Was I going to be safe at home? Where was he? What's going on with him?

"Anyway," Xavier said, uncrossing his arms in an attempt for a breath. "Where'd you guys get assigned?"

He was asking all of us, but his eyes were glued on Wednesday. They have been for the entirety of our conversation.

"I haven't checked yet," I said, clutching the envelope in my hands. "I've been too nervous. I haven't participated in Outreach day in a while."

"I got Pilgrim world," Enid said happily.

"I got an antique shop," Wednesday answered.

"Weathervane," Xavier sighed.