Paper airplanes
It was dark. Everything was silent. And Enid didn’t know how she got herself tangled into this situation.
“Is something wrong?” asked Wednesday, her breath brushing against Enid’s lips.
The two girls were sitting closely on the blonde’s bed, talking. But something more intimate was hanging in the atmosphere.
“No. I just…” Enid felt her cheeks flush and a sudden burst of courage. “I disagree.” she said.
Wednesday raised her eyebrows playfully and her lips formed the slightest smirk. “You dare disagree with an Addams?”
Enid smiled. “You heard me.”
Something shone in the shorter girl’s eyes. Something provocative. “Well, that’s a shame.” she commented and leaned back. “I, in contrast to you, love the dark. Everyday objects and utilities transform into their shadow self. You can’t tell if it’s a hanger beetling from the wardrobe or a nightmarish creature lurking, waiting to attack.” Wednesday paused and stared into Enid’s eyes. “Everything becomes mysterious. And I want to explore.”
The blonde let out a cautious smile. “Wends…”
Wednesday leaned forward and her gaze dropped to Enid’s lips. “Of course, you can’t rely on your vision.” she whispered and Enid’s heart started hammering. She locked eyes with the ravenette deciding to play along.
“And in what can you rely on?” she wanted to know leaning forward, too.
Wednesday noticed that and took courage. “You must heighten your other senses. Hearing…” the black haired girl kissed the blonde who bared her fangs. Wednesday sucked Enid’s bottom lip and the second let out a moan.
“Smell…” she buried her nose in the crook of Enid’s neck inhaling her aroma.
“Taste…” she gently bit the blonde’s neck and the second muttered her name.
“But mostly…” continued Wednesday and eyed Enid. “touch.”
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Enid woke up on a sudden. The mattress’ springs creaked and she must’ve had a bewildered expression on her face, because Wednesday’s voice sounded sleepily from her side of the room: “What kind of nightmare did you have?”
Enid blinked fast to adjust to the reality. It was morning and a Saturday. Her roommate laid on her black bed with her hands crossed over her chest. Her wounded lip from last night was healed werewolf-fast. Everything was normal.
“Uhh….” hesitated the blonde trying to figure out a good lie.
Too late. Wednesday uncrossed her hands and sat up. She studied her face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
What’s wrong?
A similar question haunted her in her dreams, thought Enid and said out loud: “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I just… had this Hyde dream again.” she lied.
Wednesday’s expression didn’t change. Her eyes were still searching Enid’s gaze.
And then…
“AAAAAAHH!”
A spine-chilling scream erupted in the air and Wednesday turned off her alarm clock.
Enid was on the verge of a heart attack. “You seriously need to change your alarm sound, Wednesday.”
“But why? It’s so richly listenable.” said the shorter girl.
“Yeah and terrifying.” added Enid.
“Exactly.”
Enid rolled her eyes. By now, she was used to the morbid taste of Wednesday as well as her putting an alarm clock on the weekends.
Wait.
The weekend. thought Enid and panicked. “It’s – aargh!” a pain shocked her body and she bent forward.
“What happened?” asked Wednesday.
The blonde looked up. Her eyes burned blue. “It’s the day of the full moon.”
Wednesday straightened her back and her features became determined. “What do you need? Did the lake’s properties wear off?”
“It’s not that.” Enid shook her head. “During the day of the full moon…” she started and Wednesday remembered.
“The werewolf’s metabolism strengthens itself to the point where it exterminates any trace of magic in its body.” she finished.
Enid nodded and a second later she panted in pain. Her fangs flashed in the morning light.
“Enid, relax.” soothed Wednesday. “The more anxious you get, the more you fight against the natural process of pre-transforming, that is the preparation of your body during the day to become a wolf at night. And the more you battle it, the more is it going to ache.”
“I know how pre-transforming works, Wednesday. I just…” a worried Enid trailed off. “It’s the first time I will wolf out in Nevermore since… that night.” she lowered her eyes to the wood boarded floor. Her mind went back to that eventful night. To that muddy ground when she, Wednesday and Thing headed back to their dorms after the defeat of Crackstone. When she had sling an arm on the ravenette’s shoulder in a weak attempt to walk without falling. Readjusting her blood covered coat. Wet from the blood of her and the Hyde…
“What if-” inhaled Enid and focused on the present. “Mpf!” she grimaced in pain. “What if I wolf out and can't control myself? What if I hurt someone, like I did to Tyler, but someone innocent?” she glanced up at Wednesday and her eyes were honest. “What if I hurt you?”
“You would never do that, Enid.” reassured her Wednesday.
“You don’t know that.” responded the blonde. “I mean, look what I did to the Hyde and… mfgh!” she pressed her eyes shut with pain.
“Let me rephrase that.” Wednesday said softly and stood up from her bed. “You won’t hurt anyone, unless you know he poses a great threat to someone else.” she walked towards the blonde. “You have a protective nature, Enid. It is rare, but, unlike most werewolves who incline to beastly violence during their wolf form, you continue having your humanity in you. Your kindness surpasses your bloodlust. You are capable of great violence, but you purposefully choose not to engage in such brutality.” she stood in front of her now showing vulnerable honesty “Because you are righteous and good-hearted just like the enchanted lake had sensed.”
Enid was in awe. She didn’t know what to say. She was expecting… actually, she didn’t know what she was expecting, but certainly not this.
She felt that warm and fuzzy feeling in her heart. Her anxiousness faded away. The pain had stopped.
Wednesday must have read that on her face, because she blinked and the faintest pink appeared on her cheeks. “Besides…” she started, her expression teasingly bland again. “that nauseating kindness of yours, is reflected on your wolf form as well.”
“What do you mean?” asked Enid.
“Soft, blond fur with humane, blue eyes? I could imagine a more terrifying creature.” deadpanned Wednesday.
“Hey, I can be… terrifying.” protested Enid.
“Sure, Enid.” said the ravenette with indifference and sat at her black desk.
Enid huffed. “You know, the last time I wolfed out, during the school break, I scared a bunny away.”
“That bunny must have been blind.” monotoned Wednesday.
“You take that back!” exclaimed Enid.
“And what if I don’t?” teased Wednesday flatly.
“I’m… I’m…” Enid searched for words. “Urgh!” she grunted angrily and snatched a paper from her desk. The shorter girl heard folding noises and, immediately, she was attacked by a paper airplane. Its tip curled up when it touched her shoulder and the little plane fell down with a “flap”.
“How… intimidating.” monotoned Wednesday. “I beg you to stop. I’m petrified.” she teased stoically, while turning around to her typewriter.
“I will not show mercy!” Enid declared playfully and folded another plane. “The next one…” she waved the paper aircraft “will be one of your drafts.” she empty-threated and hurled the plane at Wednesday hitting her back this time.
“Oh, no. You hit me.” deadpanned the ravenette. “And attempt to threaten me. Now, I must die a shameful death. Please, write to my parents that I hate them, very much.” she added without turning around. However, she resisted showing a smirk.
“Urgh, stop…” started Enid throwing another random paper airplane at Wednesday “being…” and another one “so…” and another “annoying.”
“Stop being so terrifying.” jested Wednesday and turned around. She had avoided all the paper airplanes with ease.
“Is that a dare? Because stopping is not an option!” exclaimed Enid brightly, while raising the final paper plane to shoot. However, Wednesday was faster and tried to snatch the aircraft from Enid’s hand.
And then…
Unsteady legs.
Squeaky floor.
And a soft sound enriched the atmosphere as Enid fell to her bed with her back and Wednesday landed on top of her. They held the paper plane in their hands. Cold hand touched warm. Wednesday’s black braids rested upon Enid’s chest.
The time froze.
The ink black eyes stared into ocean blue ones.
Everything was silent. And Enid didn’t know how she got herself tangled into this situation.
Enid’s brows drew together.
“Is something wrong?” asked Wednesday, her breath brushing against Enid’s lips.
The blonde blinked. “Uh, no.” she answered. “Funny, I just had a déjà vu.”
A crease appeared on the ravenette’s forehead.
Enid shook it away. “It’s nothing.”
Then, realization struck her and she pointed at the plane they were holding. “I see what you did there.” she smiled. “Distracting me so I… don’t get anxious about wolfing out. And don’t… be in pain.”
Wednesday’s heart jumped, but she maintained her stoic expression and tucked a black hair tuff behind her ear. “I am unaware of what you are talking about. You are the one who commenced the paper plane battle after all.” she monotoned.
“Oh, so you have no idea as to what I’m talking about?” asked Enid slowly. “Interesting… then why did your heart skip a beat?”
Wednesday widened her eyes. “Don’t use your werewolf hearing on me, Sinclair.” she warned.
“Why not?” smirked Enid. Her eyes met Wednesday’s and the question hang in the atmosphere, when…
CLICK!
The door of their shared room unlocked and Thing crawled inside.
A startled “Thing!” escaped from Wednesday’s and Enid’s lips at the same time.
The two girls broke out of their position in a second and the severed hand tapped its fingers on the floor apologizing and explaining.
“Oh, breakfast is ready.” said Enid flushed. “Great, uhm… I bet there will be extra deer, since…” she glanced at Wednesday. “it’s the day of the full moon.” She cleared her throat and went to leave. Then, she halted and turned around. She approached Wednesday and gently handed her the now crumbled paper plane. They exchanged looks and hesitantly, very hesitantly, Enid leaned forward and let their foreheads touch. “Thank you.” she said.
Wednesday’s eyes were surprised, but she didn’t break the gesture.
A second passed. A second of centuries and of fast beating hearts. Of innocent touch and not so innocent eyes…
A second and then, Enid softly squeezed Wednesday’s hand and let go.
It was the first time, Wednesday missed Enid’s touch.