ornery

As Reena was touching up her makeup and doing her hair for the Rave'N, Wednesday was getting ready to stake out the cave with Eugene

Wednesday looked over at Reena. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us?"

Reena chuckled. "For the third time, yes, I'm sure. If I get bored I'll just come back here and test my alcohol tolerance."

Thing hopped over to Reena's desk. "Thing, why should I put my dress on now? I have to finish my hair. Okay, fine." What Reena didn't expect to see in her closet was the dress she was in love with from Uriah's Heap. "Thing! Did you do this?"

"Do what?" Wednesday questioned before she caught sight of the dress. "Oh. How'd you pay for it? Five-finger discount, of course."

Reena grabbed the dress and darted into the bathroom to get dressed and finish her hair. When she stepped out, Wednesday was silent.

Reena did a little twirl. "Wednesday, Thing, thoughts?"

Thing gave an enthusiastic response while Wednesday was still quiet for a second. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you, Wednesday. Listen, are you sure you--" Reena tried to convince her, but there was a knock at the door.

"I'm coming, Eugene!" Wednesday went to open the door. "Hey, did you grab any extra batteries for the flash... Tyler."

Tyler looked at Reena. "I got your invite. Guessing you had Thing drop it in the tip jar?"

Reena fake smiled. "That's a good guess."

"After our last conversation, I wasn't sure I'd even get to speak to you again, but... Well, your note was so genuine and... sweet," Tyler continued. "Totally took me by surprise."

"Me too," Wednesday agreed, looking between them, confused.

Tyler smiled. "Well, now that I'm here, I'm glad I came. You need a few minutes?" 

Reena shook her head. "Nope. I'm all ready." She looked toward Wednesday. "If you happen to change your mind, save me a dance?"

"I doubt I'll change my mind," Wednesday lied.

Reena nodded. "Right." She held out an arm to Tyler. "Are you ready to see what Nevermore is all about?"

Tyler wrapped his arm around hers. "I've never been more ready."

After Reena and Tyler left, Wednesday turned angrily to Thing. "Why would you do that? Reena was fine going on her own. I get she didn't actually want to go alone. No, I didn't want to go with her. Oh, fine. Maybe I did. It's too late now because you messed it up. You're not wrong. I could still go and stop Reena from having to suffer with Tyler all night."

Wednesday went to her closet to search for a suitable dress when Thing directed her attention to the dress from Uriah's Heap. "You were able to get both? I'm impressed." She picked it up and admired it. "Thing, don't look."

* * *

Reena and Tyler hadn't entered the dance yet and were making conversation when Wednesday came down the stairs. 

Reena's jaw dropped. "You look..."

"Unrecognizable? Ridiculous? A classic example of female objectification for the male gaze?" Wednesday suggested.

Reena laughed. "Insanely beautiful. Seriously, Wednesday. You look incredible."

"You look amazing," Tyler agreed.

Wednesday looked caught when Eugene came over. "Eugene?"

"Wednesday, what's going on?" Eugene questioned. "What happened to staking out the cave?" She didn't answer. "Sure, I get it. Guess I'll check out the woods myself."

"Don't go alone," Wednesday ordered. "It's too dangerous. Stand down. We'll go together tomorrow night, understood?" Eugene nodded.

Wednesday set off to the dance after grabbing Reena's arm, leaving Tyler to trail after them. "Staking out a cave?"

"It's nothing important," Reena kept it a secret.

It was clear once they entered the dance that nobody expected Wednesday Addams or Reena Mohan to attend the Rave'N. It wasn't a strange assumption because both girls claimed they would never go.

Ms. Thornhill came up to them, smiling. "Wednesday Addams. Reena Mohan. What a lovely surprise."

"Ms. Thornhill," Wednesday greeted. "This is Tyler..."

"Galpin," Ms. Thornhill finished. 

"This is creepy," Reena mumbled. 

"Uh, yeah. Double-cap, no foam, two pumps of sugar-free vanilla," Tyler remembered.

Ms. Thornhill chuckled. "It's a small town. It's hard to keep secrets."

"We're gonna go get some drinks." Wednesday grabbed Reena's arm, once again, dragging her away.

Enid quickly got to the two. "OMG! I love the looks! Interesting choice of date though."

Wednesday looked at Enid's date. "I could say the same."

"Really, Enid?" Reena questioned. "Pilgrim Land Jr.?"

"It's not what it looks like," Enid assured.

"Good, because that pilgrim already has two strikes in my book," Wednesday approved.

"Lucas is trying to make his ex jealous. I'm trying to make Ajax jealous," Enid explained. "It's a win-win."

Lucas held his hands up in a joking surrender. "Wednesday, Reena, I come in peace."

"That's a shame. I brought my pocket mace. The medieval kind."

Lucas, expectantly, was a little scared as he and Enid walked away, leaving Wednesday and Reena alone at the drink table. "Why didn't Enid talk to Ajax instead of bringing that dickhead?"

Wednesday gave Reena a drink and then picked up two more. "I've never understood anything Enid's done."

When the two turned around, they found Xavier. "Can't believe you brought him."

"Why are you bringing this up? As if this dance weren't tedious enough."

"You don't know what he did to me."

Reena frowned. "What'd coffee kid do?"

When Tyler told them he and Xavier weren't on good terms, Reena had no idea it would be because Tyler and his friends beat Xavier up. That was why they were sitting outside the dance, arms crossed, waiting for Tyler.

He finally came out a few minutes later. "Was it the thin mountain air or the Yeti-tinis that got to you?"

"Xavier told us what you did last year," Wednesday was blunt about it. "How you and your friends assaulted him and destroyed his mural on Outreach Day."

"You could've just told us that instead of making it a big deal about us being friends with him," Reena added.

Tyler took a seat. "I guess that was inevitable. Look, I... I wish I could say that it was an accident, or that it wasn't half as bad as it sounds, but I'd be lying. And he could have made things a lot worse for me, but he didn't."

"Why'd you do it?" Wednesday asked.

"I mean, I could give you a million excuses, but... the truth is I'm still trying to figure that out. I got sent away to this boot camp and realized that's not the version of myself I want to be. A bitter townie that blames everyone else for the shitty hand he's been dealt. Look, I did a terrible thing, but I swear I'm not a terrible person."

"Did you think I was going to judge you over some lousy prank? I would have taken it further."

Reena shrugged. "I don't have the best track record either."

"Like putting piranhas in a swimming pool or beating up your English teacher?" Tyler joked. "I may have done a little digging on you after we met."

"I'd do it again," Wednesday claimed.

Reena nodded. "That asshole have me an F on an essay I had worked on all week, he deserved what was coming."

Tyler smiled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you guys."

* * *

Wednesday's dancing was the most unique and enchanting dance Reena had ever seen. She tried her best to match her energy, but it was impossible to keep up with such n incredible performance. At one point, Wednesday grabbed her hands, pulling her around. 

Reena laughed. "I've never danced like this before."

Wednesday's face had a small smile. "It's riveting, isn't it?"

"It definitely is," Reena assured. "Although, I think those  Yeti-tinis are going right through me."

"Didn't you chug four of them?"

"Yup. I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Don't kill Tyler while I'm gone."

"No promises."

* * *

When Reena got back from the bathroom, the room was in chaos. Red paint was spraying from the sprinklers, people were slipping, students were trying to get out, and it was overall a mess. In the center of the room, she spotted Wednesday had a vision, and suddenly sprint her way. 

Reena ran after her. "What's going on?!"

Wednesday didn't stop. "I had a vision. Eugene is in danger."

The words registered quickly in Reena's mind, and she grabbed Wednesday's arm, pulling her another way. "Come on. I know a shortcut."

The two girls sprinted through the woods, trying to find Eugene. 

"Eugene!" Wednesday yelled out.

"Eugene, where are you?!" Reena yelled after.

"Wednesday! Reena! Over here!" they heard Eugene's voice from not too far away. The two set off again, pausing when they heard a beastly growl.

"Eugene." Wednesday spotted him, bloody, a few feet away.

They kneeled next to him. "Holy shit." Reena checked his pulse. "He has a pulse, but it's barely there."

Ms. Thornhill came running over. "Oh my God! Is he alive?"

"Somewhat," Reena muttered.