When You're An Addams

You Get In Sticky Situations

Chad found April in the conservatory the morning of the sleepover, looking a bit less...well, less like her usual self.

"Good morning, Chad. You are certainly awake a bit earlier than usual." He startled slightly, only to turn and smile at Morticia.

"Good morning! Yeah, woke up early. Guess I'm just excited for tonight. Oh, good morning to you as well, Cleopatra." Morticia smiled softly as she hand-fed her beloved African Stranger. "I was actually hoping to talk to April for a bit before heading out for my first class."

"Go right ahead, dear. We'll be here if you need us. Just be sure to wear gloves if you are planning on handling any plants, and give the Butterwort some space. They've had a lovely growth spurt recently and are especially sticky. Gomez lost one of his smoking jackets to them this morning. It does make them look rather more dashing than usual, though I feel the burgundy is not their shade." She mused before focusing on her task once more.

Chad nodded, striding off to where he'd seen April go around a corner. Soon finding her after carefully passing by the giant, sticky butter-plant-thing wearing Gomez's jacket.

He had to agree with Mortica. Not the best shade for it.

"Hey, April. Can we talk for a sec?" When she looked up from her careful pruning, he nearly frowned at how tired she looked.

"Of course. I'm always here to talk whenever you need me. Is something wrong?" She fretted, gentle concern in her voice.

"You know, we're all here for you, too, right?" He blurted, not really good at being subtle. "Bren's worried sick to the point I'm a bit nauseous thinking about it. Fin's been constantly trying to check in on you, but you just brush it off. The kids are starting to notice, as well. I'm well aware I'm nowhere near the smartest one in this house. In fact, high likelihood I'm the village idiot of the bunch. Even I know something is bothering you. So, I'm here. I won't say anything if you don't want me to, but I gotta admit I'm worried about you."

She stared at him for a long moment in suprise before she sighed, looking down at the plant in front of her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone. Its nothing, really. I just...I just don't have anyone I'm close enough with at school to invite for a bonfire and sleepover." She admitted softly. "You, Bren and Fin seem to be settling in so easily socially. While I'm over here struggling with maintaining cordial aquaintances and trying to make sure I'm taken seriously and my opinions are respected."

"Who in their right mind wouldn't respect your opinions? You're basically a genius." She started pruning again, her southern accent coming through thick and sweet for once in her warm, though currently forlorn, voice. Like...like honey being poured on waffles in the morning.

"The more excited I get in class discussions, the heavier my accent comes through. I got it under control for the most part, but...but after the first few classes I heard one of the other girls I thought I was start'n to become friends with laughing in the hall about the backwoods hick who thinks she read Homer when it was probably a hunting magazine. Something about hearing banjos when I went into depth on a topic. I got so focused on making sure to sound more like everyone else while still trying to contribute to discussions that I just-I stopped trying to really make friends." She admitted, still not looking at him. "Its exhausting to constantly try and make sure I sound right so I'm not just labeled a backwoods hillbilly or ditzy southern belle. I don't want to have to police it even more by hanging out with people after classes, as well. I was just so embarrassed to admit I didn't have anyone to invite for tonight."

Chad stared, actually starting to feel almost angry. "Wait, she called you a backwoods hick? The fuck is wrong with her?!" He scoffed. "She's nothing but a Blockflötengesicht! So what if you've got an accent? Its actually rather nice! Bet it sounds better than hers, anyways. If it was a British accent or something she'd think it was charming!" He took a moment to breathe, making himself calm down since he knew she didn't like when people raised their voices when upset. "Look, I cant say people won't come to their own bigoted conclusions about you as a person. I can tell you that the people who are worth listening to and being around will hear you for your thoughts, not for how you say them, okay? Its amazing to see you just light up when talking about potential undercurrents of lesser-considered symbolism in Shakespeare. Or the poignancy of the vilification of Grendel's mother in Beowolf when she sought revenge just like men did and were celebrated as heros for. How they didn't even bother naming her when she was just as formidable a foe as her son! I'm awful at reading into literature. Never could figure out why it was important to know why the curtains or whatever are blue instead of green or anything like that. But you make it make sense! It's amazing listening to you tell stories because you make the people in them feel real. You make Shakespeare make sense when it might as well be written in mandarin to me. Who gives a fuck if you have an accent while you're being brilliant?!"

April stared at him, green eyes wide before they started to water. Chad panicked, not sure what to do as a tear escaped. "Shit, I'm sorry, April! I didn't mean to make you cry! Please don't cry!! I-Im a mess when girls cry! I'm sorry, I don't know what I said, but I have a bad habit of just blurting out stuff like an idi-" He grunted slightly as she launched herself at him, arms coming around him in a hug that would put a boa constrictor to shame.

"You really are a sweetheart, you know that?" She insisted, voice muffled a bit from her position. "Far wiser than you give yourself credit for. I-Im so thankful I have you as a friend. You know that, right?" He only relaxed a little bit as he returned the hug.

"I had hoped you felt that way, but its nice to hear." He teased, then grinned as he got an idea. "Hey, I've got a friend I think you'd get along great with! What if I invited her, too, and you two could get to know each other at the bonfire? Worst case scenario, you're stuck with each other for one night and never see each other again. Like a blind date but for making a friend! Well, I mean, unless you also like girls then I guess it could be a blind date-" He broke off his rambling at her giving a weepy little laugh.

"A friend is perfect, Chad. Yes. You can invite her as my guest since I don't have one." She lightly tightened her hug for a moment before letting him loose. "Thank you, Chad. You really are a sweetheart." Stepping back, she took off her gardening gloves before wiping her eyes. "I'm going to go freshen up. I'll see you after classes!"

He watched as she left, smiling softly as he watched her go with a bit more pep in her step. "Wasn't expecting that. Glad she's happier, though." He mused before turning to go hurry and grab his backpack so he could get to classes a bit early.

In the end, despite his early start, he still ended up a bit late to class...in a different shirt than the one he had first picked out that morning.

Turns out a dusty kind of pink that Morticia called 'mauve' suited the butter-whatever much better than burgundy.

Leaning over slightly, he nudged his friend, receiving a scolding little glare in return.

"Hey, my place. Tonight. Sleepover. Ill pick you up from the dorms." He whispered, only for her to look shocked and disgusted.

"The fuck, Chad?! No way in hell I'm sleeping with you!" She hissed back, his brow furrowing in confusion before his own face took a turn at scrunching up a bit.

"Ew, no. One: Not a chance since there's minors in the house. That'd be irresponsible. Two: Its you! Thats like incest or something!"

"Thank goodness. About gave me a fucking heart attack!...wait, then what the hell is the sleepover for?" She asked, interest seeping into her tone.

"Bonfire to burn a trebuchet and then a sleepover. I want you to meet my housemate, April. You'd stay in her room. I think you two would get along." He explained softly.

"Mr. Nock- Naucht? Nau-"

"Nachtnebel." He automatically corrected, used to it by now. "You really can just call me Chad, sir! I don't mind. Chadwick if that's to informal."

"Seems you're particularly chatty today. I assume it's regarding the question I just asked?"

"Um, didn't quite hear you to be honest, Dr. Hsieh." Chad admitted sheepishly. "Mind repeating it?"

"The first choral arrangements for performance were performed in what manner?"

"Oh! Yeah, that'd be a Dithyramb. Originated with the Greeks and generally used a call and response structure." He answered readily, relaxing that he knew it. Studying with April had been paying off. "Specifically for the festival of Dionysus. Eventually we got the first actor, Thes-something...gimme a sec, I got this..." Thinking back, he snapped his fingers. "Thespis! Because that's where we get the word thespian from! So yeah, anyways they still kept the chorus once individual actors became a thing. Also where we get the reference of a Greek Chorus from, which is cool. Plays were performed in a trio of days. Forget the order but it was tragedies, comedies, and...I forget the name but its named for the little half-goat dudes."

"Saytrs." Purnima supplied calmly.

"Yeah, that's the ones! Saytr plays!" He agreed happily, high-fiving her before looking to a thunder-faced Dr. Hsieh.

"Correct. Please save the rest of your chit-chat for outside of my lecture hall."

"Will do, sir. Sorry about that." After class ended, he turned to Purnima with an excited grin. "So, you in for the bonfire and sleepover?"