Ch.13 - Woe is Woodwork, Part 2
Wednesday's POV
I cannot believe that Enid is dragging me all of over campus for what sounds like another Nevermore event. She explains to me what the Poe Cup is, and I am no more excited than I was before. Just one more thing my mom was better at than me at.
"Why does this school have so many events?"
"It's to keep the students active and focused. Imagine if all we had was what the town had to offer, we would all be getting into a lot of trouble to have fun."
"Well I have better things to, like plucking out my eyes. I will be in the library."
Nevermore has a probably has the biggest selection of books of any school in North America. It has been around for hundreds of years, but only recently came out of the dark.
I look around the library trying to match the mark from Rowan's mom drawing, but it will take a long time. I walk around a corner, and run into something hard, and fall to the ground.
"Oh, shit, I am so sorry. Wednesday." A hand is reached out to me, and even though I do not usually like human contact, I grab it. And it is very warm. I feel a warm sensation, and it almost feel good. I look at the face attached to the tall body, and it is Ajax, the gorgon. "I am sorry Wednesday, I did not see you there. It is probably because you are so short."
"The apology was enough. You did not have to add insult to injury."
"Your right. I am sorry. So, are you looking for a Poe poem? Most dorms do the same one every year, but someone took ours."
"I know Poe's entire catalogue back and forth. I do not need to research it. I am looking for something." I show him the page, but not the drawing. It's a watermark from a book I'm looking for."
"I do know what this is." I try to not to react, so he won't get suspicious. "But I won't tell you where it is from."
I grit my teeth. "Why not?"
"Number one it is a secret, and number two you look like a girl that likes mysteries, and if I were to tell you, it would make it too easy for you." After Ajax found out that Wednesday is trying to escape Nevermore, he needs any reason to keep her here. "But I will give you a hint. Edgar Allen Poe is the schools biggest secret holder. See you later Wednesday."
He is right, I would get bored, if the mystery was too easy.
Ch.14 – Altered State
Ajax's POV
Today is the race, and everybody is finally calming down. We also gather at the dock, to set our boats in the water. My team, and I dressed as jokers, complete with caps. I heard that Yoko from the Ophelia dorm got garlic poisoning. So, I can guess that Enid will come out of her tent stressed out. Enid comes out of tent, and she seems normal, except she is talking to the air.
Then, she pulls aside the door, and to my shock Wednesday emerges from the tent with cat ears and a skin tight body suit. My snakes start grinding and hissing, and I can feel my pupils expanding, and my teeth sharpening. I don't know what is happening, so I run back inside the tent. And hide behind a sheet, so no one can see me. I hear the other boys shuffling around.
"Dude, did you see Wednesday Addams, in the tight suit?
"Yeah I know right, she's scary, but I would not mind getting in that tight body."
My snakes throw my hat off, and scales start covering my hands. I pull off my phone and call my mom on Space-time.
"Hey Ajax, how are… oh my god," She says shocked my current state.
"Mom, what is happening?"
"It is your gorgon maturity, it is coming through a little bit. You have to breathe, and calm down, or else you will transform too early. Okay, I want you to sit down, and put your head on top of your knees, and breather in, hold it, and then breathe out. And repeat."
I listen to her and my gorgon features fade away.
"Thanks mom. I do not know what happened."
"Because you have been so close to your mate, your powers are growing, and strong emotions will agitate them. Anger or Lust." She looks at me with a smirk on her face.
"Bye Mom, the event about to begin." I hang up my phone, and try to collect myself.
From outside the tent, I hear Weems announce, "Everyone get to your starting positions the sophomore race is about to begin." Showtime. Ajax then walks out of tent, to look for his team, never noticing a detached hand, at the bottom of a tent.
Ch.15 – Woe is a Race
Wednesday's POV
Enid pushes me into the tent, to put on the costume, and I can only imagine what it is. A cat costume, complete with cat ears. I guess I know what I would do for revenge.
Enid walks out the tent, before telling me it looks great, and that I need to leave the tent. I walk outside, and the first person, I see is Ajax. He looks me up and down, and I see his pupils expand, and joker cap start wiggling a lot. He runs inside his team's tent. I knew there was something up with him. I tell Thing to follow him, and get whatever information he can. Enid and I walk towards the snack stand. Thing better find something out, or no more manicures for a month.
"Everyone get to your starting positions the sophomore race is about to begin."
My confidence caused me to lose to Bianca before, but I will beat her this time.
All the teams line up. I see Ajax in his boat, and he looks normal, whatever happened to him must off reversed. Thing jumps into the boat, and goes inside my bag. He looks back at me, and gives me a thumb up. We will debrief, back in the dorm room.
"Get Ready, Get set, and Go."
Off to the races, let's beat Bianca.
Ch.16 – Woe is a Race, Part 2
Ajax's POV
All the teams, line up ready for the race. I look to my left, and see team Black Cat, I look for Wednesday, and find her looking at me. I wave, and she turns her head. I hope she did not see me gorgon out.
"Get Ready, Get set, and Go." Says, Weems.
We have to get across the lake, get to the cemetery, and get our corresponding flag. We one teams, boat being pushed sideways, until it crashes and breaks. The Bianca and Enid's team are in front of us.
We arrive at the dock, and Xavier and I start to run. We reach the crypt, and Wednesday is passed out on the ground. Xavier grabs the flag and tells me to come on. My joker cap falls off. Then, I feel my skin and pupils starting to change again as I see Wednesday in such a vulnerable state. I lift her and put her back to the wall of the crypt, she starts to come out of her sleep, and looks me right in the eyes. But, she doesn't turn to stone. She doesn't even react. I control my breathing, and return back to normal.
I run back to the boat, and we push it back in the water. As we make it farther in the water, the boat starts filling with water. It looks like someone scratched it. My teams swims back to the dock, and turns out Enid team, won. I look at them, and see Wednesday, once again staring at me.