You Must Be Thursday

twenty-six

I was supposed to be meeting with Wednesday and my father in the Nightshades library. Wednesday had left earlier to go check on something. She didn't say what. I was just excited to spend more time with my father. Quickly snapping twice, the Poe statue moved back exposing the staircase. I smiled moving forward. Hopping down the steps, I heard my ring hit against the metal railing as I went down.

"Father?" I called moving farther into the library.

"You're dad is here?" Xavier asked moving across the library.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him a little surprised. I didn't think he would be down here this late.

"Well, I am a member of the Nightshades." He reminded as he placed a journal back into the shelf. "What are you doing down here? Why would your father be down here?" He slowly walked towards me, his head tilted down.

"I'm sleepwalking." I lied trying to keep myself from laughing. He licked his lips as he nodded.

"I feel like I would have noticed if you sleepwalk." He hinted at the night I stayed in his room. He reached forward gently pulling me towards him. "Is your father here?" He asked once more. I shrugged.

"What are you doing here?" Wednesday asked as she came down the stairs.

"Since I'm an actual Nightshade I don't have to explain myself to you? What is your excuse for creeping around in the middle of the night?" He asked looking behind me. She had amazing timing I would give her that.

"Research." Wednesday lied. Xavier just sighed looking down at me.

"On the monster?" He asked. "I'll save you some time. There's nothing in here matching that thing." His hands rested on my waist as he spoke over me.

"Isn't that convenient?" Wednesday breathed.

"Wednesday," I warned turning slightly. I didn't want a big argument right now. I wanted to get the journal so I can prove that he was innocent. Although the more and more we learned the worse it looked for him.

"I have tried to be your friend. " He sighed. "I have been kind to you and all I've gotten in return was suspicious and lies." Xavier snapped at her.

"I'll be honest then." She went after him once more. "Every time the monster's attacked you've been right there. Starting with Rowan at the Harvest Festival, Then on Outreach day, You arrived just minutes after the monster disappeared, and yet you didn't see it. Then your drawing obsession. You have drawn the monster several times, yet you've never seen it or so you claim. You even drew where it lived-"

"Wednesday!" I cut her off. "Enough." I didn't want her to lay into ut in front of me like she has done plenty of times before. Everything points to him being the monster. Everything.

"Let me ask you this then?" He asked. I looked up realizing that he was looking at me. "If I am the monster, then why haven't I killed Branwen yet?" He looked back over to Wednesday.

"You tried, but she almost killed you, so instead you get her to fall in love with you and the threat is gone." Wednesday reasoned as she stared at the two of us.

"Unlike you Wednesday I don't hurt the people I care about." He leaned towards me. "I will see you later." He whispered to me before heading for the stairs. I watched as he skipped a few disappearing from my sight. We heard the secret door close and then a thud from behind us.

"How long have you been lurking?" Wednesday asked walking past me. I turned to see my father standing near one of the pillars he must have been hidden up in the rafters of something.

"Long enough to feel awkward." He winced. "Whose that boy?" He pointed towards the stairs. Neither of us said anything. He just sighed dropping his hand. I watched as Thing climbed up onto a desk behind him.