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The first she hears of Wednesday Addams and an Enid Sinclair is from her new boss, Principal Weems. About Ms. Addams she’s told “it’s important not to take what Wednesday says too much to heart. She’s challenging, morbid and at times will make you reconsider your teaching career. But I do believe she’s one of the most fascinating students I’ve ever taught.” When it comes to Ms. Sinclair she’s told “Enid is kind, courteous and a joy to teach. Though I must warn you her tendency to corner you to discuss all things pop culture can be grating.”
They sound entirely like polar opposites and she wonders how they get along as roommates. In the end she supposes that’s probably the point, to have them challenge each other as they learn the art of compromise. Though as the new dorm mother for Ophelia Hall she imagines it’s these differences that will make them the most difficult pair to manage.
Luckily, she didn’t go into teaching for the lack of challenges.
When she’s doing her rounds of the dorms, getting to know all the students, she hears about them again.
“Here’s to hoping you don’t try and kill us all like our last dorm mother,” Yoko Tanaka says with a smirk after their introduction.
“I assure you that the only way I’ll attempt to kill you, Ms. Tanaka, is with my course work.”
The vampire stares at her for a moment, before laughing good naturedly.
“You’re alright Ms. Hawthorne. I think we’ll get along so I’m going to do you a favour.”
She arches an eyebrow at Ms. Tanaka, unsure how she feels about a student offering her favours. Her attitude to teaching is that one must gain the respect, not the friendship, of one’s students.
“Have you introduced yourself to Wednesday and Enid yet?”
She shakes her head. She has deliberately left them till the end of her rounds.
“Knock before you enter their dorm if you want to avoid being scarred for life.”
She frowns at the odd advice. Surely, she’s not suggesting…
No, Nevermore might be a very progressive school but she can’t imagine Principal Weems allowing them to room together if that was the case.
There’s a part of her that wants to ask more questions, but she doesn’t think it would be right to let Ms. Tanaka believe she’s interested in any student gossip. She isn’t. She’s just interested in student welfare.
“Well, it was lovely to meet you Ms. Tanaka. I apologise for interrupting your study time.”
With a nod she turns to leave the room.
“Just remember to knock!”
She hesitates briefly outside the next dorm. Should she knock? She hasn’t so far and everything has been fine with the other students. Then again, she hadn’t been warned about any of the others students.
She knocks. Then waits thirty seconds before opening the door.
The sight that greets her does nothing to ease the suspicions raised by Ms. Tanaka’s warning.
The room itself is jarring, on one side there are so many stuffed animals that she briefly wonders if one of the girls robbed a circus and on the other, everything is in some shade of black or grey. Polar opposites may have been an understatement.
Sitting against the head board of the bed on the dark side of the room is a very stern looking girl with long brunette braids and a glare that would be withering if not for the fact that in her lap is a mess of blonde hair with colourful highlights. The blonde girl is lounging easily against the brunette as she scrolls through something on her phone.
“Hello girls,” she greets in what she hopes is a warm tone. She doesn’t want them to know she’s frazzled. “I’m your new dorm mother, Ms Hawthorne. I’m just doing the rounds to introduce myself to everyone in Ophelia Hall.”
“Hi,” the blonde one sits up with a bright smile, “I’m Enid and this is Wednesday.”
Ah. Yes, Ms. Addams would the broody looking one.
“Nice to meet you Ms. Sinclair and Ms. Addams.”
“Nice to meet you too!” Ms. Sinclair practically bounces over to her while Ms. Addams remains on the bed. “I have so many ideas for fun things we can organise for Ophelia Hall.”
She shakes the girl’s outstretched hand with a small smile. No wonder Principal Weems said she was a joy to teach.
“Yes, well I’m sure we can discuss all that in due course Ms. Sinclair. Right now, I’m just here to say hello so you know who you can come to should you need any help. Or if you need to tell anyone about anything.”
Ms. Addams continues to just stare at her, her eyes never once blinking.
“I hope Nevermore properly vetted their newest employee this time.”
That would be the type of comment Principal Weems told her not to take too seriously.
“I intend to be a good dorm mother, Ms. Addams. But I will not tolerate cheek.”
“Sorry, Ms. Hawthorn,” Ms. Sinclair apologises quickly and entirely unnecessarily given she hasn’t said anything rude. “Wednesday has some trust issues, but we’re working on it. Aren’t we Wends?”
She’s expecting Ms. Addams to say something rude or to roll her eyes, but instead when Ms. Sinclair turns to look her way the other girl seems to fold. She simply sighs.
“I’m sure it’ll be dreadful working with you, Ms. Hawthorne.”
“In Wednesday talk that means she thinks it’ll be great!” Ms. Sinclair cuts in before she can even begin to get offended.
“Right. Well, I best be off to meet the other members of Ophelia Hall.”
“Say hi to everyone for me,” Ms. Sinclair waves excitedly before she bounces back over to Ms. Addams’s bed, flopping onto it with a giggle.
Ms. Addams is almost smiling as her lap once again holds Ms. Sinclair’s head.
It’s certainly not an image that will scar her as Ms. Tanaka suggested, but it’s still one that makes her pause.
She’s going to have to keep an eye on them.
The next time she hears about Ms. Addams and Ms. Sinclair is as she’s setting up her first botany lesson for their year level.
Ms. Bianca Barclay has arrived early with Ms. Tanaka.
“Don’t you usually sit with Enid?” Ms. Barclay asks when she notices Ms. Tanaka taking the spot next to her.
If she decides to busy herself with the plants closest to them it has absolutely nothing to do with wanting to overhear their conversation. The plants nearest to them simply need watering the most urgently. The last teacher really had let things get out of hand in here.
“You know I love my little wolf child, but even I’m so over how gross she and Addams are being.”
Her sprays slow as she lingers by the plants. This isn’t eavesdropping. This is gathering important information about two students who might be breaking a school rule.
“Tell me about it,” Ms. Barclay rolls her eyes, “they’re nauseating. Ok fine you can sit with me. Though I don’t love that it’ll make Addams happy now that there’s a spot next to Enid.”
“Think of it this way,” Ms. Tanaka’s grin is devious. “We have the perfect spot to watch as Xavier finally clues in that Addams is not into his tortured artist schtick.”
This earns an equally devious grin from Ms. Barclay.
“You know what, Yoko, that is a silver lining I can get behind.”
The girls begin to giggle as the rest of the class trickles in. She watches as they all find their seats, keeping an eye out for Ms. Addams and Ms. Sinclair.
If what Ms. Barclay and Ms. Tanaka are suggesting holds any truth…well she might need to change the roommate situation in Ophelia Hall. Things certainly are pointing towards the two sharing a more than friendly relationship and she read over the school rules several times after applying for a job. Rule 23 clearly stated that if two students are dating, they are forbidden from sharing a room. Obviously, no one has made Principal Weems aware of the situation. Typical teenagers.
Ms. Addams and Ms. Sinclair arrive just as the bell rings to signal the beginning of class. They’re walking so close together it’s a wonder they don’t knock each other off course. Ms. Sinclair is talking a hundred miles a minute while Ms. Addams just stares stoically ahead.
A long-haired boy grins and waves at her as they enter, pointing to the empty seat next to him. She assumes this is the Xavier Ms. Barclay had mentioned. She raises an eyebrow in surprise as Ms. Sinclair glares at him, growling lightly. It seems so foreign to her normal nature.
Then Ms. Addams walks right past the boy, not even sparing him a glance, before sitting at an empty table.
“Enid,” Ms. Addams’ calls, patting the spot next to her.
The boy looks deflated, Ms. Tanaka and Ms. Barclay laugh and Ms. Sinclair beams before rushing as quickly as she can over to the empty spot.
While she does her very best to keep her face neutral to this absolute mess of teenage hormones, when Ms. Sinclair scoots her chair as close to Ms. Addams as possible and leans in to kiss Ms. Addams on the cheek, her eyebrows shoot into her hairline.
She most definitely will be talking to Principal Weems about this development.
She celebrates her third day of her new job by walking with Principal Weems to Ms. Addams and Ms. Sinclair’s dorm. The principal had been difficult to convince at first. Apparently, the notion of Ms. Addams in a romantic relationship was hard to believe.
But once she had told her about the cheek kiss, she had her onside and they both agreed that the girls could no longer share a room. It would set a very bad precedent for the other students. They would be bombarded by every student and their partner begging to be roomed together, only for them to have to assign new rooms in a month or two when the relationship fizzled out.
“I think we should knock first.”
Principal Weems raises an eyebrow at her, but does so.
She’s less surprised this time by the odd pair who are almost in an identical position to when she was last in this room, except now Ms. Addams has her head in Ms. Sinclair’s lap and she appears to be reading aloud from a manuscript.
“Principal Weems!”
Ms Sinclair attempts to push Ms. Addams off her, but the other girl merely raises an eyebrow at the two teachers from her reclined position.
“Whatever it is you’re here to accuse me of this time, can you make it quick? I’ve just caught Enid up to the latest murder in my novel and I would love to continue making her squirm with the details.”
“Ms. Addams,” Principal Weems hisses out, looking far from impressed. “This room is not the appropriate place to make Ms. Sinclair squirm.”
“Um not that I don’t totally respect your authority, Principal Weems, but how is Wednesday reading me her novel against the rules? Or is it just the squirming part? Because I really would not mind if you had her stop reading the scary parts.”
She rolls her eyes, honestly teenagers really do enjoy playing dumb.
“Ms. Sinclair, I know you’re aware of the school rule that forbids students from sharing a room with their romantic partner,” Principal Weems stares the girls down in a manner that even Ms Addams appears a little intimidated by. “I know this because on your very first day at Nevermore you rambled on and on about how you were upset you didn’t have a roommate and therefore could not live out your favourite ‘fanfic trope’ that you called ‘and they were roommates’. I then informed you of the previously stated rule.”
Ms. Sinclair has now achieved a shade of red she has never before seen on a human face.
“Wait-no-you don’t think Wends and I are dating?”
“Ms. Sinclair,” she snaps, she’s had enough of this ridiculous denial. “I know we don’t know each other very well but let’s not keep up this charade anymore. I saw you kiss Ms. Addams on the cheek in my class yesterday.”
“I’m just really affectionate with my friends.”
“Enid,” Principal Weems tone is softer now. She does have to admit that Ms. Sinclair genuinely seems rather confused. Maybe she’s just a terrific actress?
“No one here is judging you for being in a relationship with another girl, so you do not need to hide it from us. This is not something we are doing because of who you’re dating, but it would be inappropriate for us to continue to let you share a room.”
Oh. She really hadn’t thought about that being the issue here. She makes a mental note to find some pamphlets on acceptance in the LGBTQ+ community to leave under the girls’ door in the coming days.
“Principal Weems,” Ms. Addams is calmer than anyone else in the room. “Enid is telling the truth. While I did not believe I was capable of forming such a close friendship when I first started here, that is what Enid and I have developed. But it is only a friendship.”
There is a note of something in Ms. Addams’ voice that she can’t place. She doesn’t, however, appear to be lying.
“Ms. Addams,” Principal Weems though sounds infuriated, “you’re still lying in her lap. Surely you can’t expect me to believe that you two are only friends?”
Sighing, Ms. Addams sits up. Ms. Sinclair’s eyes are darting frantically between Ms. Addams and Principal Weems. It’s a little concerning that the girl appears to be holding her breath.
“I solemnly swear on Things life.”
“Ditto!”
She feels so very confused as Principal Weems’ face softens at the mention of a ‘Thing’. Whatever the hell that is. None of this is making any sense.
“But Ms Tanaka informed me that I would be scarred if I entered this room without knocking. What else could that have meant then that I might catch you in a compromising position?”
Because this can’t all have simply been a miscommunication. She can’t have misread every single thing. How would that make her look as a teacher?
“You would indeed have been scarred if you entered without knocking, Ms. Hawthorne. I do not take kindly to unannounced intruders.”
She frowns, feeling rather confused by this entire thing until she spots the sliver of a knife peeking out from Ms. Addams’ sleeve. Oh.
“Ms. Addams,” Principal Weems’ voice is much more level headed than she currently feels. Then again, she’s not the one being threatened with a knife. “What have I told you about threatening my staff.”
“I don’t threaten. I promise.”
“Wends, seriously?” Ms. Sinclair nudges Ms. Addams with a frown. “So not the hill to die on.”
“I am not displeased that you were given a warning about knocking, Ms. Hawthorne. Though I would ask you to check your sources before you make assumptions about my personal life.”
She pauses to consider the two girls. Ms. Addams looks annoyed, but she also looks deadly serious. Ms. Sinclair still seems to be very embarrassed, but there isn’t even the smallest hint of guilt in her eyes.
Despite her best intentions to remain stoic in front of her students, she blushes. This really has been embarrassing. She’s grilled these poor girls about a relationship she made up in her own head. Worse still, she got her boss involved in the whole ordeal.
“I am very sorry, Ms. Sinclair and Ms. Addams for jumping to conclusions.”
She hopes she sounds sincere. There is a part of her that wants to put the blame on their classmates, but she’s not sure it would be a good idea to give Ms. Addams a reason to attempt murder.
“So, this means we can still be roommates, right?” Ms Sinclair asks, looking less embarrassed now and more helpful.
“I see no reason for that to change,” Principal Weems smiles. “Now I trust you to keep this little miscommunication to yourselves? Ms. Hawthorne does not need to have any of the students make things uncomfortable for her because of this one silly mistake.”
“Scouts honour,” Ms. Sinclair is smiling as she nods. Ms. Addams is not but she nods all the same.
She sighs in relief. This really has been far more drama than she was wanting to get into so early in the term. At least she still appears to have a job though.
“Well, now that’s settled we shall leave you to your studying.”
Principal Weems beckons for her to follow her out of the room and she does, very much feeling as though she’s doing so with her tail between her legs. A non-literal tail. She should be clearer given the nature of Nevermore.
“Again, I’m very sorry girls.”
Ms. Sinclair waves at her. Ms. Addams doesn’t.
Really, what had she been thinking believing they could be dating? She blames the new job jitters for a moment of insanity.
Bonus scene
The door to their room closes and Enid looks nervously over at Wednesday. That was the strangest conversation she’s had since she started at Nevermore. Which is saying a lot. Like a lot. Her roommate is an Addams.
The roommate that she definitely does not have a crush on. A crush her teacher and her principal just almost completely exposed. Thank god Wednesday is not always aware of social cues.
“That was like, so weird that they thought we were dating,” she fiddles with her hands, still trying to catch Wednesday’s eye. “I mean us? Sure, we like to cuddle now and I’m a big fan of that. And yeah, my day is better when you’re around. But dating? Wow. As if you would want to date me.”
Wednesday’s eyes snap to hers and woah that’s more emotion than she thinks she’s ever seen in those pretty brown eyes.
“Enid, why wouldn’t I want to date someone as magnificent as you? I should be so lucky.”
Oh. That’s. Oh.
She’s sure the jaw dropped look she’s currently sporting is super attractive. But how else is she supposed to look after that?
“You think I’m magnificent?”
Wednesday reaches for one of her hands and Enid’s pretty sure this is the moment she’s going to wake up from her dream. This has to be a dream.
“I’m affectionate with you and only you for a reason, Enid.”
The hand holding her own feels real and she’s not waking up. So maybe not a dream.
“I think you’re pretty wonderful too,” she looks down at their joined hands and rubs her thumb along Wednesdays. She’s doing her best to ignore the speed of her heart right now. Because that speed cannot be healthy.
“Would you-I hope I’m not misreading the situation here, Enid. But would you perhaps like to go on a date?”
She looks back up to meet Wednesday’s sincere gaze and practically melts.
“Most definitely.”
Wednesday smiles and those dimples? They’re going to be the death of her.
Grinning she leans forward to plant a kiss on Wednesday’s cheek, internally squealing at the way it causes a blush.
She’s going to head into Jericho tomorrow and buy Wednesday twelve black roses. If they’re going to date then she’s got to get her romantic on. While she’s there she’ll pick up a box of cookies for Ms. Hawthorne. She’s more than earned a nice welcome to Nevermore gift.