Chapter Text
He quickly scans the note and his face dawns a small smile, as if he is in disbelief of what is actually going on and can’t quite believe it yet.
Then the screen turns to black.
“No!” Enid exclaims dramatically, flopping herself backwards from where she had been on the edge of her seat. “I want to know what the note said!”
The screen turns on but the darkness shows the night time, the only light coming from the lit up trees by the entrance of the Rave’N dance. Groups of kids in white are laughing and talking as they make their way inside.
“Okay! Have fun with it!” Thornhill says as she welcomes everyone into the dance. “You look gorgeous, so gorgeous.” She tells Bianca who is wearing a silver sparkly dress and is on Xavier’s arm. Her smile is wide and inauthentic. “Welcome to this year’s Rave’N! Ugh beautiful, what a nice top.” She greets the next batch of Outcast students. “Have a dance for me!”
“Why is she so overboard with it?” Divina asks in disgust.
“And why are none of us realizing?” Yoko groans at their cluelessness on screen.
We follow Xavier and Bianca as they walk through the curtains just beyond the door and an ice frozen wonderland is exposed. A DJ in his booth by the dance floor and a giant ice sculpture of a yeti towering over everyone and everything. Principal Weems is right as you walk in, another welcoming voice, he white hair perfectly matching her dress and the decorations.
“Woah.” Tyler gasps, his eyes wide with wonder as they take in everything he sees. “This is so different from the twenty year old streamers they half heartedly string up at the dances for Jericho High.”
“That’s just depressing.” Enid groans.
“That’s every non-outcast normie public school,” Wednesday says uninterested in the conversation. She is trying to calculate how long it would take one of those ice spikes to melt if she stabbed someone with it. No evidence left behind, almost the perfect murder weapon.
The DJ is mixing at his booth which loudly proclaims his name, ‘DJ Blood Suckaz.’
“Oh good! He’s so much better than the one we had last year, remember?” Xavier turns to the ones who were there.
“His name is so much stupider though. Blood Suckaz is so dumb compared to The Wendigo. That’s a cool name.” Ajax nods his head.
We then see Thornhill walk up to where Weems is chaperoning the dance. “Well, here’s to a night they’ll never forget.”
“That's more than just vaguely threatening.” Enid says creeped out.
“Careful what you wish for.” Weems says with an oversized smile.
“I seem to agree with you, Miss Sinclair.” Weems nods to her pink haired student.
“You were a Nevermore student once.” Thornhill responds. “Don’t you remember being full of hope and excitement about the Rave’N?”
“All I remember is disappointment.” Weems says morosely. “The boy I asked turned me down for another girl.”
The kids in the room catch on quickly, looking awkwardly between their principal and Wednesday's mother and father, though Wednesday just rolls her eyes.
Thornhill makes an ‘oh,’ face and looks away awkwardly.
“I hate that I agree with her.” Kent whispers to his twin, getting a nod in return.
Weems is quiet for a moment but can’t seem to keep it in any longer, “Morticia Frump, in fact.”
The room is silent as the suspicions are confirmed.
Thornhill looks shocked, “Wednesday’s mother?”
Weems looks bitter for just a moment before she snaps herself out of it, “oh! Make sure nobody spikes the punch. We can’t afford a single misstep tonight.”
Thornhill nods before looking around, obviously trying to digest the information that was just dumped on her.
“Great. How is she gonna use that in the future,” Yoko throws up her hands in annoyance.
Then the screen moves to show Wednesday dressed in her usual all black, but this time in a leather jacket. She is rummaging through her desk drawers as Thing watches on.
She pulls out a taser before stuffing it into her bag when there’s a knock at her door.
“I’m coming, Eugene!” She calls out, expecting her bee obsessed friend. She quickly walks over to the door, talking to who she assumes is Eugene on the other side. “Hey did you happen to grab any extra batteries for the flash-'' She cuts herself off when she opens the door to another smiling face. One much taller and sans glasses. “Tyler.”
Enid smiles, seeing her shocked look.
Eugene slams his hand over his mouth to hide his own giggles.
Ajax just smirks at the couple, he is going to love teasing them once they get back.
They both stare at each other confused for a moment. Tyler in a white suit with a light blue undershirt, a corsage box in hand along with the note.
“I got your invite…” he starts, “guessing you had Thing drop it in the tip jar?”
Thing gives Tyler a thumbs up, earning himself a smirk from the teenager.
Wednesday is obviously surprised but grits her teeth and saves it, “Good guess.”
Wednesday grinds her teeth in annoyance, not liking how obvious she is being on screen.
“After our last conversation, I wasn’t sure I’d even get to speak to you again, but…” Thing quickly removes himself from his place on the desk, nervous about her reaction. “Well, your note was so genuine and… sweet.” He finishes, shocked but also slightly mocking. “Totally took me by surprise.”
“Genuine and sweet?” She turns towards Thing who immediately scampers all the way to the back of the room and Gomez.
“You are on your own.” Gomez informs Thing. “You committed the crime, pay for it like a man.”
“Me too.” Wednesday says, still thrown off by the events happening.
“Well, now that I’m here, I’m glad I came,” he says with a bright smile, his eyes sparkling even in the dim light. “You need a few minutes?” He asks her gently.
She doesn’t answer, just shuts the door in his face.
Tyler just shakes his head adoringly. Of course she would slam the door in his face, hell she could’ve hit him with it and he’d thank her.
“Genuine and sweet?” She spits through gritted teeth, “how could you do this to me?”
She pushes open her closet door to look at her dress options. She stops on her usual skull dress before Thing gives the usual two snaps, getting her attention. He points downwards at her bed and when she takes a closer look the dress from the antique shop window is there for her to wear.
Enid squeals, “thank god. You cannot wear that other dress to the Rave’N!!”
“How’d you pay for it?” She asks with a disbelieving half smile. Thing holds up all five of his fingers. “Five finger discount, of course.” She holds up the dress. She looks back at him with a closed mouth smile, obviously in approval and Thing takes this as a forgiveness because she slowly scoots closer, excited to see her actually in the dress. “Thing. Don’t look.” He quickly turns around. Swinging his fingers as he sits on the metal footboard.
The room laughs but all of them want to see her in the dress as well.
Especially Tyler who can’t seem to take his eyes off of the screen.
It jumps to show a black and white picture in a display cabinet that Tyler is staring at, the same one Wednesday pointed out to Enid on her tour of the school. The picture is of the fencing team, the one with her mother in it. Tyler sees movement in the glass of the cabinet and turns around, his eyes already shining with awe at what he sees.
Enid clasps her hands together, excited to see what Wednesday looks like.
Wednesday is at the top of the staircase and slowly descending, her usual braids pinned up to give a more formal look and she fidgets with her dress slightly, obviously not used to the full volume glamorous outfit.
“OMG!” Enid squeals.
“Woah.” Ajax whispers, not expecting that.
Bianca raises an eyebrow, impressed despite herself.
Xavier watches the screen wide eyed and the Addams parents grin seeing their little girl looking so grown up.
Tyler however stops breathing, his breath catching at the sight of Wednesday walking towards him in that dress.
“Wow.” Tyler says as she walks towards him, her heels clicking on the tile floor. “You look…” he trails off.
“Gorgeous.” Enid says with a sigh.
“Fantastic.” Divina jumps in.
“Hot as hell,” Yoko smirks.
“Breathtaking.” Tyler whispers quietly so only Wednesday can hear him.
“Unrecognizable? Ridiculous? A classic example of female objectification for the male gaze?” Wednesday offers multiple ways for him to finish his sentence in her usual deadpan.
They can’t help but chuckle at her humor, even if they do think she is being serious and not actually trying to be funny. They can’t help but find her answer to be hilarious.
Tyler looks surprised and slightly overwhelmed by her options and instead finishes with something completely different, “amazing. I mean it, Wednesday, you look beautiful.”
Enid smiles widely at the moment. “This is my OTP,” she whispers to Ajax, getting an amused look in return.
She doesn’t say anything to his declaration and both of their eyes fall to the corsage box in his hands. He goes to open it when Eugene walks up to them.
“Eugene?” Wednesday asks as she sees him.
Tyler winces, “sorry dude.” He turns around to look at the younger boy
“It’s alright, it was a last minute thing.” Eugene shrugs at both of them, already forgiving them both.
“Wednesday what’s going on?” The younger asks, confused.
Wednesday looks awkwardly at Tyler beside her before looking back at the boy.
“Uh… what happened to staking out the cave?” Eugene jumps right in.
“Dammit.” Tyler groans. “I bet I have to tell Thornhill that now.” He swallows thickly.
Wednesday pats his thigh for a moment to sooth him. “It’s not your fault.”
“Sorry Ty.” Eugene cringes, not likely that he might be responsible for making Tyler do something he didn’t want to do.
“It’s not your fault either,” Tyler directs towards the boy, already reading how he felt and not liking him taking the blame that belongs to his forced master.
Wednesday looks even more nervous and Tyler looks confused. Nobody says anything and Eugene looks slightly hurt.
“Sure. I get it. Guess I’ll check out the woods myself.” Eugene says disappointedly.
“Don’t go alone.” Wednesday orders strictly. “It’s too dangerous. Stand down.”
Eugene smiles, he knew Wednesday cared about him!
Eugene nods.
“We’ll go together tomorrow night, understood?” She asks a little softer. He doesn’t say anything, just nods in reply.
She turns and walks away, leaving Tyler to follow her and he places the corsage box he is holding on the top of the bench as he passes.
“Awwww,” Enid whines, “at least give it to her!”
“Staking out a cave?” Tyler pushes for a little bit of information as they walk towards the dance.
“Shit.” Tyler cringes, not liking his behavior and how obvious he is when pushing for information.
“Not your fault.” It comes from more than just Wednesday, most of the people in the room join in with the saying that is sure to be spoken more than once more during the course of this viewing.
“A hummer never shies away from danger.” Eugene says to himself as Wednesday and Tyler walk away and he turns around determined to continue on with the previous plans, even if he is by himself. He pushes his glasses up his nose and strides off confidently.
“Eugene!” Tyler groans. “You know better!”
Eugene cringes. “I haven’t actually done this yet.”
“Doesn’t matter. I have no control if I get a direct order. Listen. To. Wednesday.” Tyler says sternly, getting quick and rapid nods from the younger boy.