All For Not - Wednesday

Page 102

An hour later when the sun's at its highest point we gather again, everyone.

"Alright everyone! Let the game begin, the DaVinci students have created a Zephyr that releases a cloud of colorful powder if broken or placed upon the podium at the top of the watch tower.

"Good luck, freaks!" Krueger yells, sending his cadets off into the forest, our team following in suit as I stay behind in camp, not interested in being around the two wolves.

"There she is, Miss feathertail," I sigh deeply at the voice, turning to look at Dort, "I see you decided not to join the team, no worries," he holds his hands up, giving that faux friendly smile as he continues to speak, "but, since I now have the time to speak with you, I'd like to discuss just a few small things really quick."

"I noticed you hadn't actually signed up for the camping trip and just tagged along. Which of course you're not in trouble for, in fact, I'd like you to light the bonfire tonight. What'do you say camper, shall we raise the festive attitude, boost outcast morale?"

Blankly I stand there and speak, dead eyed as I look up at him, "No." His smile falters and I turn on my heel, moving away, "Now wait just a minute Miss Feathertail..." He rushes to follow, walking beside me as he clasps his hands behind his back and walks with me, beside me.

"We got off to a pretty rocky start, and I deeply apologize for that. I recognize that my words previously have come off in a very negative way... But that's not me, see I'm the kind of person who strives to make the world better for all outcasts, and I want you to join me on that journey, for me, for the school, your friends here, your parents, Wednesday...that siren boyfriend of yours," his voice pitches slightly as he continues, "but especially for yourself. Don't you want to be a part of a community, to fit in and become a whole with society?"

His droning makes my eyes droop, nose twitching in annoyance, "Actually," I start, "I'd prefer to be left alone more often than not. I'd like for you to respect my boundaries as I am expected to respect yours and everyone else's..."

He pauses, "Well...Everyone can do with some solitary confinement here and there but wouldn't you rather make some actual friends and branch out? Maybe even wow your peers with a little razzle dazzle of fire? It's really all about hyping up the student body and you'd make a good ambassador of sorts being a-,"

"A bird?" I ask, voice stern and making him chuckle awkwardly, "I'd like to apologize better over that, maybe even over tea, and we can discuss you speaking to the masses."

"No," I say, finality clean and sharp in my voice as I keep walking away, his feet slowing to a stop as he frowns and watches me move farther away from him, oblivious to the expression on his face.

"My darling little sun, come over here for a moment," I hear from off to my side, my fathers voice calling out for me. As I walk I side-eye where he sits, a tall circus-like gothic tent just behind where he resides in his chair, Morticia sitting just across from him in a large black rattan chair identical to his own.

Gruffly scoffing I turn on my heel and make my way over to him, ignoring the woman near him altogether as she gazes at me. "Please, join us fly trap," My father coo's motioning to his free side, a stool awaiting a bottom or more likely my father's feet if I do not sit upon it.

"I'd prefer not to," I say blandly.

"That's quite enough young lady, I am still your mother," Morticia snaps, placing her hands in her lap as she sits up straighter, more dignified.

"Really?" I ask, part of me wanting to comment that she could have fooled me in that department. "I have more things to adjourn to than just this, so you'll have to excuse me..."

Turning I step away from them and begin to walk, no direction in mind, just pure escape from annoyances. As I walk though I hear rushed footsteps behind me.

"You will stop this nonsense this instance," she starts, stomping up behind me before grabbing my bicep and pulling me back, forcing me to look at her, "I am your mother whether you like it or not, do you understand me." She glowers at me, huffing as she finishes.

"Do tell then, mother, are you going to continue to blame everything happening on me?" I say the word with a sneer, her maternal role disintegrated to me, "or are you going to hit me again?"

She swallows, hand dropping from my arm, "That was an accident, I would never hit one of my children." She says and my head tilts, "So I'm not your child..."

"Quite peculiar to say I'm your own when you have no want for such a thing, perhaps you should keep your distance from me from now on and I'll do the same for your sake, I wouldn't want to cause you an insufferable amount of disgust every time you look upon my face."

She's stunned, quiet and forlorn looking, "....I shouldn't have raised my hand to you. And I am sorry I did that, but...I am, I am your mother no matter what you've heard," she says slowly, voice soft and sad as she reaches up to touch my cheek, "I love you, no matter what or who you are."

My eyes search hers, the concern was more than real, "I may have been restless over the situation in the past, but you were so young at the time, you weren't able to control what was happening to yourself...even teething you would set your crib on fire, and yet I know I treated you different from the others, that's because you are not all the same person."

"But I never once regretted having come to love you as my own, no matter how long it had taken me to realize that you are just as much a part of me as your brother's and sister." I wait, listening to her, "You may not have come from me, my sweet poison flower, but you are just as much my daughter as Wednesday is..."

"I love you so much more than you know, and it eats me that I even so much as raised my hand to you, let alone that I did strike you. I know you may be inclined to not forgive me but I would be ever grateful if you consider it..."

"..." Eyeing her I think about it for a moment before giving a curt nod, "I'll ponder it..." I reply soft and quiet.

She nods, not saying anything further but looks back, clasping her hands together at her front as she looks over at her husband before letting her eyes shift back to my face. "I would like you to come to dinner back at the cottage after we return from camp."

Looking off to the side I declined, swift and mannered, "No, thank you but I'd like to decline... I have things to adjourn to once back at Nevermore...mother."

Her eyes show slight relief at the parental address before she nods, eyes on the dirt below us, "I see. Then come for dinner soon...and bring your, siren, with you. Your father and I would like to properly introduce ourselves."

My eyes burn slightly at the proposal before I sigh and nod, catching the reflecting glow of my irises in her own, "Refrain from calling him that...we are mates, mother. His name is Kent."

Her eyes narrow with a twitch, clear shock and a need to speak, filling them, but I don't allow it, my voice quick to finish without an allowance to but in, "now...if you'll excuse me, I have something to deal with...mother."

She opens her mouth to speak further but I turn on my heel and leave, walking away swiftly without another word or even so much as a glance back.

She calls my father's name as she herself turns away as well, a pout on her face as I disappear out of the campgrounds through the shadowy edge of the woods.