my broken smile - Wenclair Fanfiction

Chapter 19: Consequences

(wednesday pov) I wake up on the floor in the middle of the night, cold and saddened. Enid's alarm clock says 2:15. It's not my day anymore. I drape a blanket over her, and return to my own bed.
She wakes me the next morning with an excessive amount of physical contact. I sigh, accepting the hug, and move to dress. She attempts to hold me to the bed, but I escape easily, rolling out from under her, and ducking out the door with clothes I swiped before she even saw me leave. I grin, and run to the bathroom, sealing myself in a stall and moving quickly into the new clothes.
I run back out, fully dressed in a button-down shirt, sweater vest, and simple pants. I almost slam into Enid outside the door. I stop dead, our noses almost touching. Enid doesn't even flinch. I've taught her well. I fail to force down my grin. She grabs my hand, and pulls me back to our room. I let her drag me, but I don't let her do anything more. Clean break.
"Wednesday, why won't you look at me?"
I keep my gaze averted.
"Wednesday!"
"I'm sorry."
"For what? What have you convinced yourself you did wrong this time?" She is closer now. I keep my eyes on the floor. "Is it this? Us?"
"There shouldn't be an 'us.'"
"Why not, Wednesday?"
"Because I ruin people, Enid!" I look up at her. She is staring at me, eyes wide. I step back. She grabs my shoulder. "This is what I mean, Enid!" My voice cracks. "I ruin people. I push and push and I take and take and it ruins people and it will ruin you, Enid. But you still have a chance."
(enid pov) "Don't leave."
I can't tell if the words are a whisper or a scream, a sob or a chuckle. They are a plea. Wednesday stares at me. I stare back at her, my hand still on her shoulder. "I won't leave, Enid. I'm just trying to pull back before you get destroyed. I should never have asked to kiss you. I should never have taken the day to enjoy loving you, because I knew this had to happen."
"Wednesday, please."
"I'm so sorry. I... I love you... but I-"
"No." What isn't she understanding? "No 'but.' No 'I'm no good for you.' I am aware of who I fell in love with. So let me love her. Let me love you. Do you want me to be happy?"
Wednesday nods. "But I don't-" I grab her cheeks with my free hand, closing her mouth and kissing her cheek. "I want to be happy with you, not better off without you."
Wednesday looks at me, her cheek still smushed by my fingers. I blush, and remove my hands from her. "Sorry," I murmur, closing my hands in front of me and waiting for her response. She opens her mouth, and shuts it again. I close my eyes and brace myself, and then Wednesday's arms are wrapped around my waist. Wednesday's face is buried in my shoulder. "You have weakened me. Fine."
"Alright then," I chuckle, wrapping my arms around her in response.
She rolls her eyes. "I assume we tell people?"
"Do you want to?" I ask. She pauses. "I truly do not care. Do you want to? Truly?"
I pause, too. Thinking it over. The glances. My mother. "Not yet..."
Wednesday nods. "Then we don't."
So we don't. I get dressed, too, and we head to class together. "We decided we are better just friends, but she did move back in," we smile at everyone who asks. Then Wednesday takes me into a bathroom stall and kisses me until I'm dizzy.
It is peaceful, for a while. We spend the following weeks dodging questions, but happy nevertheless. Wednesday confesses that she caught my attacker over a week ago, but couldn't bring herself to leave Nevermore.
Wednesday keeps her word, and we keep our relationship private. The feeling of impermanence starts to fade, with time, as it becomes apparent that she doesn't plan to leave. So I feel no need to worry, for a while.
(wednesday pov) I'm worried. I can only keep the rumors at bay for so much longer. My reputation is strong, but eventually people's ideas about the truth of my friendship with Enid will start to come through. It's been two weeks since she convinced me to stay in all the ways possible, and I have no plans to go back on my words. And, although I would also be happy to keep our relationship private forever, people are whispering more and more. Glares will only keep them down for so much longer.
I really need a plan.
So I start to make one. Enid decided we should tell Eugene, so I employ his help. He reluctantly agrees. And the bees do their job well. Released during lunch, the perfect distraction. This will work.
It doesn't work.
(enid pov) The bees come partway through lunch. Everywhere. I watch them as they swarm the groups. The vampires get it the worst. I search the crowd for Eugene, but find him nowhere. I notice Wednesday isn't next to me, either.
I panic slightly. Where is she?
"Wednesday?" I call out. No response. I panic more.
(wednesday pov) Eugene and I hurry after the bees. Enid is screaming.
Enid is screaming.
Something in me shifts.
I run into the crowd of bees, ignoring the stings. I knock several people down on my way to my screaming girlfriend.
"WEDNESDAY?"
I can hear her voice more clearly now, and a lump rises in my throat as I realize she was screaming for me. I wave an arm, but she can't see me. "Screw it," I murmur as I tackle her, just in time, too, because her nails are starting to extend as we hit the ground.
"Enid," I whisper in her ear, and the nails go back down. She stares up at me. "I'm ok," I tell her, not sure what else to say. She stares up at me.
I realize slowly that the bees are not around us anymore, and that I am currently pinning Enid Sinclair to the ground in front of the entire school.
Fuck.
I stand up slowly, brushing myself off and scanning the faces. Most people are shocked. A couple people are smug. I see money exchanging hands. I knew people were betting on whether we were dating, but, well, I hadn't expected them to be that obvious. I glare daggers at everyone as Enid stands up.
For some reason my mind goes back to the previous year. Tricking Enid and Tyler into investigating with me. The panic when I realized Enid was in danger.
Enid leaving.
Enid coming back.
I realize that nothing like that has happened recently. In the past couple weeks, anyway, there has been no mystery, nothing but Enid. Interesting that I haven't even contemplated that until now. I look over at the werewolf. Oh.
I've gone soft.
Not the worst thing, I suppose. Still, I will have to at least fabricate a mystery for my novel.
Enid eventually starts to notice the whispers surrounding us. I look over at her, and then back at the crowd, a rage starting to boil up in me.
Enid places a hand on my shoulder, squeezing comfortingly.
The rage shifts targets, directed now towards my own stomach. I need to be strong for her. I don't care about all of this.
"Wednesday and I are dating," Enid says, loudly. I whip my head around to look at her.