Chapter Text
It started on their first day back at the dorms.
Normally, at least considering last year, Enid would be the first in their room. Wednesday expected her roommate's side to be colourful - decorated with tacky souvenirs from her trip to the Balkan county side - paper oragami hanging from the rafters, faery lights strung up around her bookcase, and the like.
Instead, her bed is in disarray - the dull green covers rumpled and not at all neatly tucked in as she came to expect of Sinclair - with nary a colourful object in sight.
Wednesday regarded Enid's side of the room with a mild curiousity as she expertly unpacked her own steamer trunks with a single minded determination.
She expected, by now at least, to have been smothered with affection by Enid. Her hate for physical affection, especially in the form of hugs, is known by all, but she would make an exception for her roommate. In fact, she had been looking forward to seeing her... friend... again after the summer and had been thinking about their reunion on the train ride over.
Instead she was greeted by cobwebs and dust (a strange phenomenon where Sinclair was involved) and felt a dreadful premonition press against the back of her eye, much like the feeling she gets before having a vision.
Except the vision never comes, nor after waiting for her, does Enid. Wednesday is alone in the room wondering who scraped off the multi-coloured plastic on Enid's side of the window.
When Enid failed to show up at their room that night, Wednesday - as always - took it upon herself to figure out where the girl was. Logic dictated that she begin her investigations by interrogating someone who had known Enid the longest.
"Where is Enid?" She demanded the moment she entered Yoko's room without knocking. The vampire, who was hanging upside down from a bunk bed typing on her phone, glared at her.
"First off, rude; don't come back unless you knock. Second, hello to you too - I'm doing good thanks for asking. And third if I knew where she was, she'd probably be hanging out here with me. Go ask Weems."
Without further delay, Wednesday spun around emotionlessly and stormed in the direction of the principal's office. Behind her she heard Yoko call:
"Come back soon! And bring snacks!"
In hindsight, she should have questioned Larissa Weems first, Wednesday admonished herself.
She tried her best to stay calm as their dear Principal took her time with answering the question Where is Enid Sinclair. Wednesday watched silently as Weems used a poker to move the wood in the hearth, wishing the whole time that she would hurry.
"It would seem, Miss Addams, that you believe Miss Sinclair is avoiding you." She said and deftly sat down on her sofa, crossing her legs.
"That is not what I said." Wednesday retaliated and almost imperceptibly clenched her jaw. If she had her knife with her, she would be tempted to brandish it. As it were, she settled for clasping her hands together in front of her skirt.
Perhaps the way she phrased her inquiries led the principal to believe that she thought Enid was avoiding her. Perhaps Enid was and if she was, Wednesday wanted to know why. Most of all she did not understand this emotion that drove her to seek answers. It was most uncomfortable.
"What you said was more demanding and forward, but what I heard was that you are worried about her." Weems gestured at the sofa next to her, a gentle invitation.
Wednesday disliked the notion that she was worried over her missing roommate; and she loathed how Weems knew something she didn't. It made for a dangerous combination that could lead to only one outcome: Wednesday would have to comply until she got what she wanted.
Reluctantly, she sat down and crossed her hands in her lap - and waited. Wednesday had to applaud Weems' apptitute with the procrastination technique; it succeeded in getting her on the edge of her seat.
"It is the first day back from the summer holidays, have you considered that Miss Sinclair is simply taking some time to readjust?" Weems suggested, half of her face lit with the glow from the fire.
"A ridiculous assumption. Enid is a social creature, unprone to solitude. Perhaps you should put a rest to your cover-up attempts, before I cover you up and put you to rest."
Principal Weems smiled softly and sat forward. "Oh how I've been looking forward to our tête-à-tête's. Very well. I know Miss Sinclair's exact whereabouts." She frowned, almost as if to herself, and looked so dejected. Wednesday wondered why.
Wednesday felt her stern expression shift imperceptibly to something more satisfied, but no less confused. What an intriguing development. She suspected Barclay would be the one in kahoots with the principal. But Enid? Highly improbable. How did the werewolf manage to convince to principal to keep her secrets?
"May I remind you that I am the one who had the foresight last year to prepare a remedy for nightshade poisoning." Wednesday tilted her head, inviting the principal to rebuke her statement, or make a counter attack. Either way, Wednesday suspects she already won this interaction. In the spirit of reciprocity Weems ought to be more forthcoming with the information.
Weems' gentle smile vanished. Wednesday felt a cold satsifaction, but kept her expression carefully neutral.
"With this, I cannot help you, Miss Addams - as much as I am aware of your pension for collecting debts; the one I owe you must wait. As should you in regards to Miss Sinclair." With the help of an intricately detailed cane, Weems stood up and hobbled to her desk.
"If, in the moments after Laurel injected you with poison, I had chosen to wait before administering the cure, we would have held a wake for you." Wednesday got up from her chair and marched forward with a razor's sharpness in her eyes. "So tell me where -"
"You will wait," Weems declared with a finality borne of years dealing with stubborn students, as she whipped around and imposed her authority on the young teenager, "or risk severing ties."
Wednesday regarded the imposing figure of her principal and mulled over the probability of getting more information.
Principal Weems already revealed more than she suspected the woman had intended to. Sever ties? Was she implying that her and Enid's relationship as roommates was strained?
She was tempted to aggravate Weems to such an extent that she would unwittingly disclose more details, but in the end, she left wordlessly.
For now, she will organise her thoughts and go to bed, even if the room felt unnatural without her supernatural... friend.