Beneath the surface || Wenclair

Chapter 6: an experiment

Enid sat on the floor, legs tucked beneath her, her heart pounding as the group around her settled into the circle. The knot of tension in her stomach tightened with each passing second. Spin the bottle? With Wednesday? It felt like some cruel twist of fate. She glanced nervously at her roommate, wondering if Wednesday would refuse to play, or worse, walk out before the game even began.

But Wednesday remained perfectly composed. Her posture was impeccable, legs crossed elegantly, her expression unreadable as always.

"I didn't think you'd want to play," Enid muttered under her breath, hoping her voice was low enough that only Wednesday would hear. Her eyes flicked to the bottle in the center of the circle, a knot forming in her throat as the game's implications started to sink in.

Wednesday glanced at her, a subtle smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Normally, I wouldn't. But this is an experiment."

"An experiment?" Enid blinked, incredulous. Wednesday couldn't possibly mean that.

"Yes," Wednesday replied coolly, her eyes sweeping over the other party-goers with detached interest. "To fully understand the dynamics of teenage social interactions, one must occasionally engage in their customs. Even the absurd ones."

Enid opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, Kent's voice broke through the buzz of conversation, loud and obnoxious as usual. "Hey, Addams, you know this is a kissing game, right? Not one of your stabbing games."

A smattering of awkward laughter rippled through the group. Davina, sitting beside Kent, promptly elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut up, Kent," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Seriously."

Wednesday's gaze slowly drifted to Kent, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Rest assured, Kent," she said, her voice as sharp as the edge of a blade, "if it were a stabbing game, you wouldn't be sitting here with that smug grin."

The group went silent for a split second before Xavier let out a low whistle, clearly impressed by Wednesday's cutting comeback. Davina shot Kent a look of pure exasperation before nodding subtly at Wednesday. "Good for you, Addams. Stepping out of your comfort zone."

Wednesday raised an eyebrow in acknowledgment, her gaze lingering on Enid for a moment longer before the bottle was spun again, its glassy surface catching the dim lighting as it whirled. Enid's stomach twisted into knots, and she could barely focus on the chatter around her. All she could think about was that bottle, spinning closer to its inevitable stop.

It won't land on us, she tried to convince herself. It can't.

But, of course, it did. The bottle slowed, dragging time with it, before coming to a stop — its neck pointing directly at Wednesday.

A low murmur spread through the circle, a mix of anticipation and surprise. Enid's mouth went dry, her pulse quickening as her eyes darted to Wednesday. Her roommate was still completely unbothered, her gaze fixed calmly on the bottle, as though she had been expecting it all along.

Across the circle, Xavier and Yoko exchanged a quick, knowing glance—one that Enid missed entirely in her rising panic. The two of them had been scheming behind the scenes, nudging fate ever so slightly to push Wednesday and Enid together. Their subtle machinations had been in motion for years, neither of them daring to say anything directly but both hoping for exactly this kind of moment.

"Looks like things just got interesting," Kent said with a stupid grin, unable to resist throwing in his usual obnoxious commentary. He leaned back on his hands, clearly expecting some kind of show.

Davina shot him a glare before turning to Wednesday. "Okay, Addams. Since the bottle landed on you, it's your turn to spin. Whoever it lands on gets paired with you."