CHAPTER SIX. see me in hindsight
Kennedy was smiling like crazy and Presley couldn't figure out why. She hardly ever smiled anymore. They sat in the lounge area of the school. Kennedy was reading Gone Girl. "I haven't seen that smile in a while." Presley spoke.
"Ha, that rhymed." Kennedy laughed. She looked up and caught her friend's odd stare she was giving her. She closed her book and sat up straight in the seat. "Xavier and I decided to be friends again."
"What? Really?"
She nodded. "Yeah, we talked after fencing. I'm tired of being angry at him, Pres. It's time we fix our friendship.
"That's great, Kenny. I'm proud of you." Presley smiled. "And hey, who knows? Maybe if the time's right, you two will her back together."
Kennedy faltered. "What?"
She shrugged. "You and Xavier were good together. Yeah, shit happened but what you two had was special. Right person, wrong time."
Kennedy rolled her eyes. "I let you read too many of my books."
"I'm serious, Kennedy. You never know."
She didn't say anything back. She went back to reading her book.
Kennedy liked spending time by herself. She loved her friends but her free time was something she cherished. Having time to read her books and sit in peace. Have coffee at the Weathervane Cafe. Tyler knew her order by heart at that point. "One hot chocolate with cinnamon on top." He announced and sat her order down in front of her. He wore a frown. "Sorry I couldn't get you your usual. Our expression machine's gone haywire."
She smiled at him. "It's fine, Tyler."
Tyler grinned. "Anything for you, Ken." He responded
She pointed at the smoking espresso machine behind him. "Do you need help with that?" She offered.
He waved her off. "Oh no, I can handle it. As long as it doesn't blow up on me, we'll be good."
She laughed and we went back to work on the machine. Tyler was the only person from Jericho who didn't treat her like a Nevermore kid. They were friends. She read her book and sipped her hot chocolate. Wednesday entered the coffee shop. "Hey, Wednesday."
She stopped in front of her table. She looked disturbed at her wide smile. "Why are you smiling like that?"
She furrowed her brows. "Like what?"
"Like you just saved someone from getting their head cut off. It's making me nauseous."
"Well, hello to you too." Kennedy muttered. She motioned to the bandage on her forehead. "I heard Xavier saved you from getting squashed."
"He shouldn't have. I was preparing to see the darkness." Wednesday stated bluntly and walked away.
Kennedy blinked again. "Jesus." She mumbled and took another sip of her hot chocolate.
There was a screech. She flinched and turned around, seeing the expression machine still malfunctioning. Wednesday talked to Tyler, and she somehow ended up behind the counter. He saw her watching from across the coffee shop and he looked frightened. She just laughed.
Wednesday came back and sat across from her on the booth. Kennedy smirked. "You're not as evil as you want people to believe." She claimed.
Her face remained stoic and intimidating. "I prefer sinister."
"Of course you do."
"I need your help."
Kennedy almost laughed but instead, she grinned. "Aww, you do?"
"I need to get out of here. Tyler's going to drive me to the train station when he gets off of work. I need you to help me."
"You want me to help you sneak away and leave without permission? possibly getting us both of expelled?" She clarified.
Wednesday's eyes flickered downward, waiting to hear a no.
"Sure, why not."
She quickly looked up. "Really?" She asked, not expecting to hear it.
Kennedy shrugged. "Yeah, I'm always done for an adventure. You're the first exciting thing this school's had in years."
Wednesday looked like she didn't know to respond to that.
A group of boys wearing pilgrim costumes walked into the coffee shop. They surrounded their table. "What's a couple of Nevermore freaks doing out in the wild?" One of them taunted
"This is our booth." Said another one.
Kennedy looked around the booth. "I don't see your name on it," she spoke with sarcasm.
"Why are you dressed like religious fanatics?" Asked Wednesday.
"We're pilgrims."
"Potato, potahto."
"You look like what I dressed up as in the parade when I was twelve." Said Kennedy.
"We work at Pilgrim World." One of them stated and slapped a flyer on their table.
Wednesday looked at it. "It takes a special kind of stupid to devote an entire theme park to zealots responsible for mass genocide." She proclaimed.
Kennedy smirked at them. "Ooh, she got you there."
The one that gave them the flyer glared. "My dad owns Pilgrim World. Who are you calling stupid?"
"Oh, so he's an advocate for the zealots?" She questioned, waving her hand for dramatic effect.
Seeing the commotion, Tyler walked over and got in the middle. "Guys, back off." He said to the group of boys.
"Stay out of this, Galpin."
"Yeah, stay out of this," Wednesday agreed and stood up from her seat.
The one with the advocate dad glared at her. "So tell me, freak. . . you ever been with a normie?"
"I will beat the shit—"
"I can handle this, Kennedy," Wednesday interrupted her, not taking her eyes off him. "I've never found one that can handle me."
The two of them stared at each other and Kennedy could see him start to falter. "Boo." She let out and it made him jump.
One of the pilgrim's standing behind her grabbed her but Wednesday grabbed his arm and kicked him in the balls.
Kennedy gasped. "Shit!"
He went to hit her back but Wednesday moved out of the way and caused him to punch the other boy in the nose. She grabbed his wrists and snapped it, the bones cracking loudly.
When the third one tried to attack her, Kennedy glared at him and narrowed her eyes, using her powers to make him fly backward into one of the tables.
Tyler looked between them, slightly in fear. "So where'd you learn those kung fu moves?"
"My uncle taught me. He spent five years in a tibetan monastery." Wednesday answered.
"Was he a monk?"
"Prisoner."
Kennedy exhaled. "Wow, you must never get bored."
Tyler's dad walked into the coffee shop and saw the three pilgrim boys laying injured on the floor. "Dad!" He exclaimed.
"Tyler, what the hell is going on in here?" Sheriff Galpin asked his son.
"They were harassing a couple of customers and they out them in their place." He elaborated, referring to the girls by his side.
The sheriff looked between them. "These little things took down three boys?" He questioned.
Kennedy scoffed. "I'm not little."
"Did you help her?"
"Dad, I swear. I wasn't involved." Tyler denied.
"We don't need help, Sheriff Galpin. We can handle ourselves." She added again, nodding her head towards Wednesday.
Principle Weems came rushing inside the coffee shop. She looked down at the injured boys and then at Wednesday. "Apologies, sheriff. This one slipped away from me. Hello, Kennedy."
She faked a smile. "Hi, Principle Weems."
"Come on, Miss Addams, time to go. I'll give you a ride as well, Miss Eden." She offered.
Just as they began to walk out, the sheriff stopped them. "Wait a minute, hang on. You're an Addams? Don't tell me Gomez Addams is your father?" He said to Wednesday.
She didn't respond and instead gave a small nod.
"That man belongs behind bars for murder. Guessin' the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Kennedy's eyes widened. "Protect and serve? Isn't that the saying?"
"Okay," Weems quickly said and guided the girls out of the coffee shop.
"He's such an asshole. I'd knock him out if I could." She muttered so Weems couldn't hear.
"I don't need protection." Wednesday stated, not looking at her.
Kennedy looked down at her, considering she towered over her by a lot. "I know. Doesn't mean I'm going to let people fuck with you. Just don't hurt me, please. You're freakishly strong for someone so small."
This time, Wednesday did look up at her. She didn't say anything, but she didn't really need to.
Late night walks was Kennedy's routine on nights she couldn't sleep. Always after hours when everyone was already asleep and the halls were empty. She liked the quiet. She walked outside to the quad area wearing a thick jacket. She was lost in her own thoughts.
"Late night walk?"
She paused. "Why is it that wherever I go, you suddenly appear?" She said with a slight chuckle.
"Technically, I was here first." Xavier grinned and motioned to the raven he was painting on the wall. Late night walks were something he did a lot too, only his involved his art work.
"Oh, my bad." She said with a tiny smile.
Xavier shook his head. "No worries. Why can't you sleep?"
"I used my powers at the coffee shop today."
His eyes went wide. "What? Kennedy, that's dangerous—"
She scoffed. "Please, like they don't think of us as freaks already. These guys were fucking with me and Wednesday."
Xavier blinked. "Did they hurt you?" He asked in a quiet voice.
"Like they would have the chance," she replied with a half smirk. She sat on top of the table closest to him. She sat criss crossed. "No, she and I kicked their asses. It was so badass."
"Wish I was there to see it."
He turned his back to her and continued painting the black raven. She watched his motions attentively. Even with his back turned, she could feel the concentration on his face. "That's beautiful." She spoke.
Xavier looked over his shoulder and grinned. "You think so?"
She nodded. "It definitely shouts Nevermore Academy, Xavier Thorpe style." She laughed.
He chuckled. "Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."
Kennedy smiled warmly. They suddenly heard the beautiful sound of a cello. It played in the air. She looked around with furrowed brows. "Do you hear that?"
Xavier looked away from his art and looked to the sky. She followed his eye and saw that he was looking in the direction of Ophelia Hall. "Wednesday, maybe?" He guessed.
She nodded. "Most likely. Presley can't play an instrument to save her life."
He laughed. "Remember when I tried teaching you how to play the guitar?"
She cringed at the memory. "And I accidentally broke one of the strings?"
"Lucky for us it was plastic."
They shared another laugh. Kennedy still didn't feel tired.