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He called off that day, knowing he would never be able to withstand the stares or the questions he’d inevitably get.
Tyler sunk into his bed, rolling on his side with his hand clenching his pillow. He wished he were anywhere but there. Desperate for a fresh start somewhere else.
The bruises were still fresh, still horrific as they were yesterday afternoon. The cut on his lip made consuming any food or drink difficult. In spite of things, he should count himself lucky he didn’t have a concussion.
He took a hold of his cell phone, bringing up Wednesday’s chat to start messaging but thought better of it, lowering the device back onto the nightstand. Should he text her, she might want to stop by seeing as he wasn’t there at the Weathervane. At some point, she would see his bruises but for now, Tyler didn’t want her seeing him like his. Or for her to know exactly what happened.
He could still see the disappointment outlined on his dad’s face. His father, who simply couldn’t understand why Tyler hadn’t fought back, had been silent on the car ride home. He...he’d wanted to! He wished he could have but it just happened so fast. They had him cornered and he could do nothing but attempt to shield his face from their shoes that were repeatedly kicked into his face and body.
They taunted him. Dared to fight back. Called him derogatory names.
And they left him there.
They left him there without another thought. He could have died in those woods. He’d been barely conscious as it was when he managed to open up his phone and call his dad. Various what ifs swarmed his mind, reminding him of how lucky he’d been.
But still .
It was difficult to fathom, to mull over the past twenty-four hours and having it reply in his mind over and over again. Those guys were his best friends growing up and now -
He’d caught a glimpse of their disgust, of the sadistic grins they wore, plainly enjoying what they were doing. In that moment, his childhood innocence washed away, along with all of the fond memories of the past.
How was he supposed to be at school on Monday? They would be there, lurking in the shadows, looking for another opportunity to strike.
Tyler shut his eyes, wanting nothing more than to forget this ever happened.
////
When Tyler’s eyes flickered open, he immediately noticed a black figure standing right beside his bed. “ Holy crap !” He jumped, eyes wide and his heart beating rapidly.
Wednesday stared at him unwaveringly. Thing was perched on her shoulder. “What happened to your face?” her voice was sharp, eyes roving up and down.
With his hand on his chest, he let out a deep, shaky breath. “You have to stop doing that.”
“Stop avoiding my question,” Wednesday ordered. “I don’t want to ask again. What happened to your face?”
“How’d you even get in here?” Tyler had to ask, his face showcasing his bewilderment. “I locked the door after Dad left.”
“I picked the lock,” she said simply.
He nodded slowly, the confusion fading. “Right...of course you did.”
She raised one eyebrow, giving him the impression that her patience was wearing thin.
“Look, it’s not really a big deal,” he shifted under her scrutinizing gaze. “I’m fine.”
“Your face looks like you’ve been used for target practice,” she said.
It basically was , he thought.
Her face had darkened and he could see the anger clouding over her. “I want to know who dares to lay a hand on you?”
Tyler had learned to recognize the signs of incoming danger. An angry Wednesday was not something to mess with. “Sweetheart,” he said, his voice gentle, “I’m fine .”
“And yet you’ve taken a day off when you normally work Saturdays without exception,” she pointed out, her eyes flashing dangerously. “Don’t insult my intelligence any longer, Galpin. I want names.”
“Promise you won’t be getting any revenge on my behalf?” He leveled her with a look even though he knew it was futile. Wednesday wouldn’t let it go. Not until she felt he was properly avenged.
“I make no promises.”
“Wednesday,” he said sternly. “I’m serious. There’s no reason to make a big deal about this.”
“You’re hurt ,” she hissed out in that fierce protectiveness that only seemed to come out for him. It warmed Tyler’s heart to have someone like that be there for him.
She could have done it with a little less bloodshed but he wouldn’t be picky.
“I know,” he grabbed her hands--wincing a bit at the pain coming from his ribs-- caressing the top of them with his thumbs. “And I appreciate the concern, but I’m going to be okay. I promise.” Wednesday was still not satisfied. Although, he could see some of her anger had dimmed slightly . Lowering himself back down on the pillow, he patted the spot next to him. “Stay with me?” he asked, smiling.
Wednesday considered it. “Very well. Thing-” The hand perked up, awaiting a command. “You may go rest as well.” It leaped onto his dresser where he had a couple of blankets folded neatly but not yet put away.
Tyler began to feel at ease once she was on the bed and underneath the blanket. He rested his head on her shoulder, breathing in the unique scent that was only of her. Much to his delight, her fingers found their way into his hair, lightly scratching his scalp.
“You will tell me who was foolish enough to touch you,” she said, her voice low but gave no room for negotiating. “I believe you were the one who insisted we aren’t to keep secrets from each other.”
And so he found himself admitting. “It was Carter, Jonah and Lucas.” He could feel her grip on his hair tighten. “They...cornered me. They forged a note from you telling me to meet you in the woods and they were there instead.”
“Why?” Wednesday was far too calm for his liking.
“I don’t know,” he said cautiously so as not to fuel anything further. “I guess because I stopped talking to them.” She said nothing for several minutes, which he knew by experience was not a good sign. “Hey,” he whispered, “you okay?”
“I’ll take care of it,” she told him resolutely.
He looked a bit alarmed. “That’s not what I asked.”
“Get some rest, Tyler. Thing and I will be here for you.”
He wouldn’t get any other answers out of her. Tyler sighed a little, resigned to whatever was going to happen. “You’re exhausting, Wednesday Addams.”
“But?” She prompted.
“But I love you anyway,” he kissed her jawline.
////
Tyler had felt their eyes boring into his back all morning.
They received no punishment for what they did. His dad had confronted them with their parents involved, expecting to have some backup but only for the other parents to proclaim their kids’ innocence. In the end, Tyler hadn’t wanted to deal with it or turn it into something it didn’t need to be.
Everywhere he went, people started. They whispered to one another as if he wasn’t there or couldn’t hear him. His face, amid the black and blue bruises, burned red. The rumor mill had come to life and he dreaded to find out what would come out of it this time.
At lunch, he sat alone. Those guys had been his only friends. Without them, he had nobody.
He poked at his lifeless sandwich he’d packed that morning, wishing he could just disappear. At least, he supposed, he had his shift to look forward to. Wednesday was dropping by to work on some homework and have her daily quad.
His lips quirked into a small smile, remembering the other day when she stopped by his house, or rather, when she broke into it. He could still feel her fingers in his hair, so gentle and had him asleep not too long after their conversation died down.
Tyler was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he did not hear the soft gasps around him or hear the footsteps until he felt body heat radiating from behind him. Whirling around, he was stunned to find Wednesday standing there in her Nevermore uniform, looking thoroughly unimpressed as her eyes briefly scanned the room.
“Hello Tyler.”
“Wednesday?” He broke out into a grin. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have class?”
“I’m here for lunch,” she told him matter-of-factly. “You said you had no one to sit with you. I’m here to rectify that.”
Tyler was overwhelmed with love for her. His beautiful Grim Reaper Barbie. He’d said that once he’d woken up from his nap, lamenting what he’d have to face at school. “Wednesday,” he whispered, “thank you.”
The corners of her mouth lifted up. “The others should be here shortly.”
“What?” He frowned. “Others?”
“You know I don’t want to make it a habit of repeating myself,” she said. “Yes, others.”
Tyler watched in amazement as Enid bounced in, holding onto Ajax’s hand. Beside her, Eugene was rattling off about the latest behavior from his bees.
He’d gotten to know them better since dating Wednesday, but they weren’t, by definition, friends . It was acquaintances at best. Even so, they were all nice enough and didn’t treat him differently for being a normie.
“Hi!” Enid chirped as all three of them sat down across from him and Wednesday.
Ajax gawked at him. “Man, your face looks messed up.”
Enid elbowed him harshly in the ribs, looking mortified.
“What? It does!”
“It’s okay,” Tyler reassured the girl, smiling appreciatively for her attempt to spare his feelings, “I know it does.”
“Didn’t you say you had a plan?” Eugene asked Wednesday, licking a lollipop.
“A plan?” Tyler looked at his girlfriend with mild amusement. “Do I dare ask what that is?”
“You’ll see in a few minutes,” she said dismissively.
Enid gasped, looking back at the entrance. “He did come!”
Ajax hummed.
“Who-”
“Xavier is here!” Enid started to wave her hand wildly to get his attention. “Over here!”
Xavier ? He was definitely confused now. While there was no outright hostility between them anymore, he never acknowledged Tyler’s presence if he could help it.
Speaking of the guy, he stopped when he reached the table, his eyes lingering on Tyler. “I’m not doing this for you,” he said flatly, the faintest hint of a scowl there.
“I-”
“Wednesday asked me. I’m doing it for her.”
Silence hung over the table.
“Don’t you mean demanded?” Ajax said to lighten up the mood. “It was more like ‘Come with me to Jericho tomorrow.’ and you were all like ‘What?” and she said, ‘Don’t make me say it again.’”
Tyler laughed, putting his arm around Wednesday’s shoulders. It was something she tolerated and allowed in public. “That sounds like Wednesday,” he said with fondness.
“I also promised you a chance at committing homicide,” Wednesday said casually.
“What?” Enid squeaked, looking horrified.
“She’s joking,” Tyler told her.
Although, he couldn’t be one-hundred percent sure on that.
Right? He gave Wednesday a look.
She simply stared back at him.
This girl would be the death of him. Or someone else. Most likely someone else.
“Of course I’m joking.” Enid visibly relaxed. “You don’t plan a murder out loud.”
Enid groaned, burying her face in her hands. Ajax rubbed her back comfortingly.
“Well,” Tyler began, “regardless of why you’re here, thank you.” He received a smile from everyone but Xavier, for obvious reasons, and Wednesday. However, she did take his hand and put her hand on top of his, grasping it.
Her silent gestures spoke the loudest to him.
“I’ve never been in a normie school before,” Enid looked around in awe. “This is so cool!”
“It’ll wear off,” Tyler said dryly. “Believe me.”
“Hey, Tyler!” Eugene was beaming. “Wanna come see my bee hive sometime?”
“Uh,” Tyler wasn’t sure how he felt about that. However, he mustered up a smile anyway. “Sure...”
Enid mouthed to him, I’m so sorry .
Eugene continued, oblivious to their exchange, “And maybe you can come to our game night this Friday? Ajax has Mario!”
“He was too good to come to the others,” Xavier cut in snidely. Wednesday narrowed her eyes at him. “Why bother now?”
“Others?” Tyler repeated his earlier words. “What are you talking about?”
“The other game nights,” Enid clarified. “Ajax texted you but you never texted him back.”
“I....never got any texts.”
“What?” Enid’s eyes were wide. She looked at Ajax. “Give me your phone.”
He did and she scrolled through it, presumably looking at the messages.
“Your number is 5583, right?”
“5586,” he corrected.
“Ajax!” Enid cried. “You texted the wrong number!”
“Oh!” It dawned on Ajax. “That makes more sense.”
Enid looked close to tearing her hair out. “I gave you the number from my phone. How did you mess it up?”
“You were talking while I was playing,” he shrugged.
“Wait, you want me to come to your game nights?” Tyler was feeling flattered.
Ajax shrugged again. “Yeah, man. You’re cool.”
“Yeah, you’re one of us now!” Eugene chimed in.
“I...am?” He never thought they saw him as anything more than Wednesday’s boyfriend.
“Of course,” Enid told him. “Maybe not at first because we didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable, you know, with you being a normie and all. Or feel obligated to hangout with us since you guys are dating.”
“Wouldn’t want that,” Xavier muttered but everyone ignored him.
“Oh, trust me. I think I’m desensitized to anything weird now,” Tyler sent her a friendly smile.
Ajax nudged Enid. “Think it would be insensitive to ask about his face?”
Enid shot him a look.
“What? I asked.”
“Wednesday didn’t tell you?” Tyler said. He figured she would.
“Nah.”
“She said she had people to destroy and said she’d make them regret their pathetic existence,” Eugene supplied.
“You did, huh?” Tyler said to her. “Normally I’d say you shouldn’t scar people for life but they deserve it.”
“Who’s they?” Enid asked.
“Just some guys I used to be friends with.”
“The same guys he screwed up my mural with,” Xavier said coldly.
Enid let out a soft oh .
“Listen,” Tyler told him firmly, “I said I was sorry. You don’t have to accept it-”
“I sure as hell don’t!”
“But you don’t have to be like this,” Tyler crossed his arms. “I haven’t done anything to you since.”
“Yeah, you’re a regular golden boy,” Xavier scoffed.
Enid was distinctly uncomfortable. Ajax tried to interject, trying to get him to calm down while Eugene focused his attention on a passing cheerleader.
“I’m not opposed to making you regret your existence, Xavier,” Wednesday finally spoke, her gaze cold and calculating.
“Wednesday, he-”
“ Drop it !” She hissed.
Xavier scowled but otherwise stayed quiet.
“So, wait,” Eugene’s eyes flickered back to Tyler, “why’d your friends beat you up?”
Tyler sighed. “I don’t know. I guess they were mad I quit hanging out with them.”
Eugene could be heard muttering incomprehensibly to himself.
“ Well, well, well .”
Tyler grew tense as his former friends suddenly appeared and lowered himself in his chair.
“How’s the face?” Carter asked mockingly.
“Just leave us alone,” Tyler said quietly.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Jonah started to approach Tyler but then backed off when he saw Wednesday sitting there. “What’s the freak doing here?”
“Don’t call her that!” Tyler’s protectiveness of her won over his desire to avoid dealing with them. “She’s not a freak.”
“Looks a whole table of freaks to me,” Lucas stared him down and no for the first time, Tyler wondered how they had ever been best friends.
“Who are you calling a freak?” Enid’s chair scraped against the floor as she pushed it back, extending her claws for them to see. Ajax rose in solidarity with her.
“Guys, no!” Tyler tried to discourage them. He didn’t want any of them in trouble, especially not on his behalf. “They’re not worth it.”
“On the contrary,” Wednesday came around the table, standing in front of them with no signs of being intimidated by how tall they were in comparison to her. “I’m perfectly content with facing consequences so long as we come to an understanding.”
Xavier was on his feet now, his glare aggressive and ready to strike like a viper.
“Let me make myself clear,” Wednesday’s voice was deceptively soft, “you will leave Tyler alone. Should you not heed my warning, you will find yourselves buried eight feet under.”
“I think you mean six feet, Wen,” Tyler called to her.
“I don’t.”
“What she said!” Eugene bobbed his head up and down.
“Or you’ll have to go through us,” Enid told them fiercely.
“You don’t want to mess with us,” Ajax’s tone was cool.
Tyler had never felt so supported in all his life. And to think, it was by the very people he’d disliked at one point in time.
Lucas broke eye contact with Wednesday to glare at him. “ Fine! ” He spat. “Have it your way. Just know, Galpin, you won’t always have your little girlfriend to save you.”
For emphasis, he pushed Wednesday by her shoulders. Tyler felt a flare of anger course through him. She barely moved but that was beside the point. No one touched Wednesday.
“Did you just push her?”
“How dare you!”
Enid had to be held back by Ajax from attacking them. But no one accounted for Xavier to punch Lucas so hard that he landed on the nearest table and caused it to flip on the side. Tyler’s jaw dropped. By now, the whole cafeteria was watching them but the outcasts didn’t seem to notice.
“Don’t ever touch her again,” Xavier snarled.
Lucas stared up at him with actual fear . Hastily, he got up--Tyler was satisfied to see him limping-- and rushed off with Jonah and Carter following.
Wednesday, unimpressed with it all, said, “Your chivalry is unnecessary but acceptable this time.”
Xavier met Tyler's eyes and the two of them shared a nod.
They might not be friends, but they held a moment of truce when it came to Wednesday.