Author's Note: Welcome to the last chapter before the epilogue! It's the longest one yet, so I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 13
Tyler's bond with Laurel was gone. It had dissolved like foam on a cappuccino the moment Wednesday told him she loved him. At least that was how Tyler had described it, letting his true colors as a barista show. It was almost cheap in Wednesday's opinion—that the answer all along had been something as cliché as "the power of love."
Tyler, however, thought it was fitting. The Hyde was a creature driven by emotion, so it made sense that love—the most powerful feeling in existence—would be the key to taming him. Wednesday couldn't argue that point, not after experiencing firsthand what a merciless slavedriver love could be.
"Will you stop looking at me like that?" she asked.
Tyler's eyes widened in surprise, and Wednesday couldn't help thinking that no one should be allowed to look that innocent. "Like what?"
"Please, it's evident that you want nothing more than to mock my appearance."
"That's not true," he said earnestly. "You look amazing. Color suits you."
Wednesday fingered her plum-colored jacket in disgust. "Don't get used to it."
Enid had all but forced her into these nauseating garments. That had been her condition—that she be allowed to dress Wednesday until they resumed classes at Nevermore. Wednesday had sworn to herself, right then and there, that she would never again negotiate with Enid—no matter how dire the circumstances. She would sooner make a deal with the devil himself.
The clothes made her flesh crawl as if coated with ants, but at least her skin hadn't begun to peel off her bones yet. Enid had mercifully chosen darker hues—an oversized sweater and puffed jacket, both in plum, paired with a plaid skirt of purple and blue. That didn't make the experience any less miserable, though.
Tyler shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me what you wear. You look amazing in anything."
"Flattery is for the weak," she said tonelessly. "You're sadly mistaken if you think it will have any effect on me."
"It isn't flattery. It's the truth."
Wednesday looked away, not knowing how to react to the adoration in his eyes. She hated that she believed him.
The path they were on was growing increasingly rugged. She started to climb over a large boulder, but the cursed skirt made it cumbersome. She wondered irritably what brainless cretin had created such a scanty garment. A good skirt was meant to reach to your knees—that was simply common sense.
"Here." Tyler quickly pulled himself up and extended his hand to her.
She considered refusing his help, but thought better of it. Cursed skirt. She started to raise her injured hand before retracting it and using the other instead. Tyler hauled her up easily, but the flash of pain in his eyes didn't escape her notice. Why did that bother her so much? She usually thrived on people's agony.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, glancing at her bandaged palm. "All I ever seem to do is hurt you."
"I've already told you that I'm fine, Tyler."
"But if it leaves a scar—"
"A scar would be welcome," she cut in firmly. "I've actually pondered giving myself one for years now. They're highly beneficial for intimidation tactics."
Tyler shook his head, but said nothing. They continued walking in silence, keeping their gazes focused downward to keep from tripping. Wednesday wanted nothing more than to banish the hurt from his eyes, but she hadn't a clue as to how to do it. Enid's assessment had been correct—she really did suck at comforting people.
She was relieved when they arrived at their destination. "We're here," she said, ducking under a low tree branch.
Tyler followed her and let out a long, low whistle. "Woah."
They stood on the summit of a mountain, giving them a view that was straight out of a storybook. The castle stood proudly to the west, its turrets scraping the sky overhead. And nestled in the valley below, the sleepy village with its neat rows of tile-roofed cottages stretched out before them.
"This has always been one of my favorite places," she said, "excluding graveyards and morgues, of course. I used to come here when I was younger and fantasize about throwing my foes off the cliff's edge." She kicked a small pebble and watched it disappear into the trees below. "Sometimes I thought I could almost hear their screams as they plummeted to their deaths."
She tucked her skirt under her, seating herself so that her feet dangled over the edge. The sense of imminent danger was exhilarating. She turned back to Tyler, lips twitching slightly. "You can likely deduce who my imaginary victims were, more often than not."
He sat beside her. "Yet you stopped me from killing them today."
"I didn't do it for them."
"I know," he said quietly. "I still can't believe it's all over. It doesn't feel real—that I never have to worry about losing control again. I...I can never thank you enough, Wednesday."
Her dry retort died on her lips when she saw the tears glistening in his eyes. "You're welcome," she said, feeling slightly awkward.
"Do you think that we need to worry?" he asked after a moment. "You know—about them telling people?"
"The people of this town learned centuries ago to leave my family alone," she replied. "You are our guest, which means you are under our protection. If anything, the townspeople will blame them for not steering clear of us. I only regret that I was unable to witness their arrival in town. It would have been pleasant to revel in their utter humiliation."
Tyler threw his head back and laughed. Surprisingly, she found that she enjoyed the sound. It wasn't grating to her ears, like most people's laughter.
He sobered again, looking out at the picturesque scenery. "Thanks for showing me this. I'm really going to miss this place."
"You'll see it again next year," she said automatically, then froze. Had she said too much? She was unfamiliar with the rules of this tribal adolescent tradition. Was it odd to assume that they would still be together a year from now?
But Tyler only smiled. "I'll be looking forward to it. Maybe next time we can come here and watch the sunrise together."
Her heart rate quickened, but she forced herself to speak matter-of-factly. "If it's a sunset, I'll consider it. A descent into darkness is more my style."
He chuckled softly. "A sunset it is, then. So...what happens when we get back?"
She eyed him curiously. Why would he ask a question he already knew the answer to? Was this a part of one of those strange rules she had yet to learn?
"I will start my second term at Nevermore," she said eventually, "and you will go back to whatever underfunded, soddy excuse for a school you came from."
He barked a laugh. "That description's not far off, actually. It's really going to suck only seeing you when you can get a visitor pass, though."
"They can't hold me there and they know it," she said derisively. "I'll come and go from Jericho whenever I wish."
"So, you're saying you'll break the rules just so you can see me?" he teased good-naturedly.
"I hardly need an excuse to break the rules," she said in a dry voice. "I've always preferred to think of them as opportunities for creativity, anyway."
"And that's just one of the many reasons why I love you," he grinned.
She stared at him, taken aback by his sudden admission. Tyler's grin faded, and he looked self-conscious. He lowered his gaze, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "So, uh, can I take it that we're...you know, exclusive?"
Exclusive...?
"I am unfamiliar with the meaning of that word in this context," she said. "You'll need to elaborate." Mentally, she made a note to have Enid compile a dictionary containing all the new jargon she would need to memorize.
"O-Oh, right," he stammered, blushing. "Sorry. It just means that we're going out. You know—that we aren't going to see other people."
"Are you implying that you would prefer to continue seeing other people?"
"No!" he burst out, shaking his head frantically. "I...I just wanted to know where we stood, I guess."
"Then we are exclusive. I have no interest in a polyamorous relationship." Dealing with one was already exhausting enough.
"Ok...can I call you my girlfriend then?"
"You'll continue to address me by my given name," she said sharply. It was a knee-jerk response—the product of enduring years of her parents' vomit-inducing names for each other. She tried to gage Tyler's reaction, wondering if she had been too harsh, but he was smiling broadly.
"For someone so brilliant, there's a lot you don't know about this, isn't there?"
She bristled, but knew he was right. She had spent her most of her life more interested in inventing torture techniques than love and romance. Her mother had likely tried to teach her at some point, but she had never paid attention.
"I just meant that I would think of you as my girlfriend," Tyler said. "I would never call you anything you didn't want me to."
"Oh." She felt incredibly foolish—not a sensation she was overly fond of. "I suppose that's fine, then."
From the smile that lit up Tyler's face, you would have thought she had agreed to give him a priceless torture relic. He reached for her hand tentatively, twining his fingers through hers.
"So, you're really ok with me touching you?"
"I don't break out in hives, if that's what you're asking. I theorized at first that it was
because of our connection as Jekyll and Hyde, but..." She trailed off, realizing the trap she had
laid for herself.
"But what?" Tyler prompted.
"I believe you can ascertain the rest."
"Wednesday." He squeezed her hand. "Will you please say it?"
"I already did," she replied stiffly.
"I know, but that was to the Hyde. I want to hear it for myself."
Wednesday stifled a sigh. That puppy-dog look of his was criminal. "Fine. I love you, Tyler Galpin. Does that suffice?"
His face softened. He cupped her cheek with his hand, thumb stroking lightly over her skin. She shivered at his touch, but from pleasure, not revulsion.
He held her eyes and she found that she couldn't look away. "I love you too, Wednesday Addams."
He started to lean towards her, but she pulled back. Every part of her screamed in protest, but there was a loose end that wouldn't leave her alone. Obsessiveness had always been one of her strongest qualities, after all.
"There's something I still haven't figured out," she said, trying and failing to ignore the hurt and confusion in Tyler's eyes.
"I doubt I have a chance if you couldn't figure it out," he said with a frown.
"That would usually be the case, but this particular question is outside my area of expertise."
He sighed, sitting back on his hands. "Ok, shoot."
"What I don't understand is why our discovery hasn't been found out by more people. Surely you are not the first person with the Hyde to enter into a mutually amorous relationship. Your mother was married. Assuming that love was the basis of her and your father's relationship, why did she still lose herself to the Hyde?"
A shadow passed over Tyler's face. "I've wondered that too, and I think I might have the answer."
Wednesday waited impatiently for him to continue. Her fingers itched for her journal, but she had neglected to bring it with her. She would have to commit his words to memory and record them when they returned to the castle.
"Today," he began, "when everything happened...were you afraid of me?"
She stared at him, not seeing what this had to do with her question.
"Just trust me, Wednesday. Were you afraid?"
"No," she said at last. She had feared rejection, but she had never thought to fear him.
He nodded. "My parents did love each other, but a part of my dad was always scared of the Hyde. He loved my mom, but he was afraid of her too. He never fully accepted her for what she was.
"I think that's the true secret to controlling the Hyde. It's not just love—it's acceptance. That's what you gave me, Wednesday."
He bent forward to kiss her soundly, and this time, she let him. Just like before, the gesture banished all coherent thought, turning her brain to mush. When they finally parted, leaving her shaky and breathless, she blurted out the first thing she could think of.
"You didn't ask for permission. You're improving."
He gave her a roguish grin. "So are you."
His tone and expression left no question as to what exactly she was improving at. Her face heated, and Tyler burst into laughter.
"Who knew that Wednesday Addams could actually blush?" he said.
She glared daggers at him, but he only laughed harder. It was at that moment that she
realized it. The boy before her—with his charming smile and innocent eyes—was far more dangerous than the Hyde had ever been.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
The next day Wednesday emerged from the castle, hauling her trunk behind her. The sun had just appeared above the mountains, and a layer of frost still covered the ground.
"Woah," Enid squealed. "I thought maroon would complement your complexion, and I was totes right. You look amazing, Wednesday."
"I look ridiculous."
"Don't be silly." Enid looked at Tyler. "Right? Doesn't she look fantastic?"
"Uh...yeah," he said cautiously.
"If there's anything you want to see her in, feel free to tell me," Enid said with a wink.
Tyler smiled nervously. "Thanks, Enid, but I think I'm good."
"Ok," she shrugged, "just let me know if you change your mind."
Enid turned and flounced away. That was the only word to describe her movements. Honestly, the girl acted as if she lived off of marshmallows and jellybeans.
Wednesday eyed Tyler. "If you give her any more ideas, I'll slit your throat."
"I wasn't planning on it," he said, raising his hands placatingly. "But hey, at least she doesn't hate me anymore."
That was certain. Somewhere along the way Enid had become Tyler's greatest supporter. When Wednesday returned to the castle yesterday, the other girl had interrogated her for nearly an hour about her and Tyler's so-called date.
"Are you two lovebirds ready?"
Wednesday spun and found her mother watching them with a satisfied, knowing smile. It galled terribly, but she had been correct—about all of it. Wednesday would have rather stabbed herself with a rusty knife than admit that to her, though. She had taken care to swear Enid and Tyler to secrecy, yet it was evident that she had still found out somehow.
"I think so, Mrs. Addams," Tyler replied politely.
"Well, I suppose we'll be on our way then."
"Oh, wait!" Enid cried. "I wanted to get one more selfie in front of the castle before we go."
Wednesday regarded her with a flat expression. "You've already taken plenty, Enid."
"I know, but the lighting is good today. It will only be a second, I promise!" She hurried away, already whipping out her cellular device with its disgustingly colorful case.
Once Enid had taken approximately 469 more photographs and Lurch finished loading up their luggage, they piled into the hearse. The family vehicle was almost uncomfortably claustrophobic with two added passengers.
Wednesday settled into her seat by the window, trying not to focus on how Tyler's thigh was pressed against hers. She had just begun mentally reciting Machiavelli to distract herself when her mother spoke.
"Darling, I have two important pieces of news that I believe will be of interest to you and Tyler."
She paused, apparently waiting for Wednesday to inquire as to what it was. If that was
the case, she would be waiting until she was a rotting corpse.
It was Tyler who finally ended the cold war. "What is it, Mrs. Addams?"
She graced him with a revolting smile. "The first is that you will be transferring to Nevermore."
Tyler jolted as if hit by an electric shock. "What?"
"Your father has already agreed, and all of the details have been arranged," her mother said smoothly. "You will begin attending once the new term starts."
"And Nevermore's ok with this?" he asked.
"No need to worry about that, dear. I pulled some strings, so it's all been taken care of."
Wednesday eyed her mother suspiciously. She knew her family was well-connected, but she doubted that even her parents could convince the powers-that-be at Nevermore to accept a Hyde with a history of murder into their school with open arms. A sinking feeling began to form in her stomach.
"You said you had two pieces of news," she said. "What's the second?"
Her mother nodded, eyes twinkling in an alarming manner. "Yes, well, after much consideration, I've decided to accept a position as Nevermore's new headmaster."
Wednesday scarcely refrained from smashing her head through the hearse window. Her mother—headmaster of Nevermore. She couldn't have conjured a worse scenario if she had tried.
One thing was certain, though. With both Tyler and her mother at Nevermore, it seemed that this term would be even more eventful than the last.
Author's Note 2: And that's a wrap (almost)! All that's left is the epilogue and then this story will be finished. I'm going to miss it, but it's been an awesome ride. Also, a special thanks to whoever said Enid should make a condition to dress Wednesday in color. I loved the idea, so I'm glad I was able to work it into the story somehow. Thank you all for sticking with me this far, and I plan to have the epilogue up as soon as possible. As always, thanks so much for reading and please leave a review to let me know what you think!
