Chapter 3
The next morning, Enid made a decision. She was going to follow Wednesday through her routine.
It wasn’t just about proving a point anymore. This had become an obsession, a nagging thought that refused to let go. There was something wrong—or at the very least, off—about her roommate, and Enid needed answers.
She kept her distance as she trailed Wednesday across campus, careful to blend into the background. It wasn’t hard—everyone else seemed to ignore the girl entirely. She moved through the crowds like a shadow, silent and unaffected. No one glanced at her. No one spoke to her. And yet, people instinctively parted when she approached, as if sensing her presence without truly seeing her.
Enid shivered.
She followed her all the way to the library, weaving between the towering shelves, heart pounding with every step. If she lost sight of her now, she might never get this close again.
Wednesday turned a corner, disappearing behind a bookshelf. Enid quickened her pace, rushing to follow—
And found nothing.
The aisle was empty.
Enid’s breath hitched. I knew it.
She spun around, scanning the room, but there was no sign of her anywhere.
Her stomach twisted.
Without thinking, she bolted from the library, barely registering the cold air as she sprinted back to their dorm.
She didn’t bother to catch her breath before throwing open the door.
There she was.
Lounging on her bed.
Reading.
Completely unbothered.
Enid’s heart nearly stopped. “How… how did you get back here so fast?”
“I walked.” Wednesday didn’t even look up from her book. Then, without missing a beat, she added, “Also, you should really learn how to stalk someone properly. I know you can’t keep your pretty eyes off me these days, but honestly, Sinclair, I expected better. Why don’t you go write today’s observations in that little journal of yours?”
Enid’s face went hot.
“I—I am not—” she sputtered.
A slow glance up. A knowing smirk.
“Oh?”
Enid groaned, rubbing a hand over her face. “You know that’s not what I was doing.”
“Sure,” Wednesday said, turning a page. “That’s why you’ve been trailing me like some lovesick investigator all day.”
Enid gritted her teeth. “You’re infuriating.”
Wednesday’s smirk widened. “I do try.”
Before Enid could fire back, a sharp knock at the door made her jump.
Principal Weems stepped inside, sharp eyes flicking between them.
“Miss Sinclair. Miss Addams.” Her voice was unreadable, carefully measured. “I just wanted to check in and see how the two of you are adjusting to rooming together.”
Enid stiffened. Her mouth opened, then shut. “You… you know about her?”
A frown. “Of course. She’s on file as your roommate. Why?”
Slowly, Enid turned to Wednesday, wide-eyed. “She can see you?”
Wednesday leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed, looking far too pleased with herself. “Yes, Enid. I’m real.”
Enid could only stare.
“Well… good to see you’re settling in.” The tall woman lingered for a moment before stepping out, closing the door behind her.
Silence.
Then, ever so slowly, Wednesday turned, dark eyes dancing with amusement.
“You thought I was a ghost, didn’t you?”
Blood rushed to Enid’s face. “Yes!” she blurted out. “You’re pale, you disappear all the time, no one else has ever seen you—what else was I supposed to think?”
A chuckle, low and quiet.
“Well,” Wednesday said, stretching her arms over her head, voice smooth as silk, “it’s certainly been amusing.”
Enid gawked at her. “You—you’ve been making me go insane on purpose?”
The smirk deepened. “Not my fault you jumped to conclusions.”
“Oh my god,” Enid groaned, collapsing onto her bed. “You are the worst roommate.”
“Go easy on the compliments, Sinclair,” Wednesday mused, flipping a page. “I might start thinking you have a crush on me.”
Enid choked. “YOU LITTLE—”
A wink. The typewriter clacked back to life.
With a dramatic groan, Enid yanked a pillow over her face.
That night, she lay awake long after Wednesday had stopped typing and turned off her lamp. The dorm was quiet, save for the rhythmic breathing coming from the other bed.
She should have been fuming. Was fuming.
But underneath the frustration, something else lingered.
Something warmer.
The teasing, the smug glances, the impossible vanishing acts—every moment had driven her mad. And yet…
She had liked it.
The chase. The mystery. The way those dark eyes would gleam whenever she entertained one of her ridiculous theories. Wednesday had been toying with her this whole time, feeding her just enough to keep her chasing.
And she—god help her—had loved it.
Enid turned onto her side, gaze settling on the sleeping form across the room. Moonlight cast soft shadows over sharp features, the usual smirk smoothed away in sleep.
She had been so busy trying to prove something, to find the truth, that she hadn’t realized what was really happening.
Hadn’t realized just how much she enjoyed trying to figure Wednesday out—even though she never would.
Hadn’t realized how much she liked this game of cat and mouse.
A slow, amused smile tugged at her lips.
Fine.
Wednesday wanted to play?
Enid would let her..
But next time?
Tomorrow, she'll play a different game.
One where she wasn’t just chasing Wednesday’s secrets—
She was chasing her.