Woe to the Days of Fire & Death

Berenice

As Zander got closer towards the center of town, he slipped in with the crowd of students gathering on the bleachers, trying to avoid his mother at all costs. He found Enid and sat with her, she was in her performance outfit, ready for when it was her time to shine. Wednesday sat with the Jericho High School Marching Band, her black cello in place. She looked absolutely miserable. Or as miserable as a deadpanned face could look.

As Mayor Walker and his mother made their speeches and addressed the crowd, Zander couldn't get the smell of gasoline out of his head. He thought it was odd, but figured it could've been from all the cars from all the families who drove to see the statue reveal.

Zander watched with the rest of the students as the  band started to play an uplifting Fleetwood Mac song, Wednesday definitely hating her life right now. The small dragonborn had to give a chuckle, Wednesday looked like she could kill anyone there for forcing her to play a song. The firebreather thought his mother did her dirty by signing her up without her consent, but admittingly, Wednesday was good.

His attention was only taken away from the dark storm cloud as he smelled the fire and saw the flame creeping up on the side, heading towards the statue fountain. He watched as his mother and the Mayor pressed the button and the fountain began to flow. In that moment, he understood Wednesday's objective and laughed.

Enid gave him a confused look as the boy started to laugh uncontrollably. Within that moment, a loud boom and explosion came as the flame hit the gasoline guzzling out of the fountain and creeped up the bronze statue of Joseph Crackstone.

Scared, the students and townies began to scatter. Even the dragonborns mother screamed and took cover behind the bleachers. Wednesday switched her Fleetwood Mac song to Winter: I. Allegro Non Molto by Vivaldi. Zander snapped a quick video of Wednesday dramatically playing her cello next to the burning statue of Joseph Crackstone. He sat laughing on the bleachers and giving Wednesday a thumbs up, agreeing with her protest against Crackstone. The fledgling was the only one on the bleachers at this point, everyone had gone home or back to the school shuttle bus.

Zander could see his mother peering from behind the bleachers, angry at Wednesday for ruining Outreach Day with her usual shenanigans. The firecracker stopped smiling when his mother gave him an equally angry look, making him turn away from her and did everything in his power not to set his mother off. He listened to Wednesday's cello until her song was finished. When she was done, he got off the bleachers and grabbed Wednesday's cello case. He set it down, helping her put it away before the two of them were whisked away by Mace and Principal Weems into the Nevermore van.

The ride was eerily quiet as Mace and Larissa stewed in their brooding. Once they arrived back at Nevermore, the two were sat outside of Larissa's office as she received numerous furious phone calls from the Mayor, angry parents, and the police department. Wednesday went first, getting yelled at by the Principal was something Wednesday could always handle and stand her ground.

After Wednesday was released, Zander was called in. He sighed, not only would he be yelled at for Wednesday's shenanigans, but he was also going to be yelled at for what happened at the morgue. The young dragon was never exempt from Wednesday's usage of her friends or from trouble that wasn't his fault.

He entered the large office, closing the door behind him. Turning to face his mother's red face of anger and disappointment, he took a seat and prepared for the onslaught of what his mother had to say.

"NOT ONE DAY ZANDER FLETCHER WEEMS! Not one day could you just do what you were suppose to do! Do you understand how much of a mess you and Wednesday have caused, not to mention the bad light you have shed Nevermore in!" His mother yelled. "Your deal is OFF the table!"