Enid stares into the microwave watching the last bag of popcorn fluffing up. She had left this step for last so that the popcorn would still be warm when they started the movie, but standing there waiting for each bag to finish popping is one of the most anxiety-ridden moments of her life. Her thoughts keep getting away from her since she has nothing to do but wait.
Her anxieties about the date had subsided slightly once she had a plan but it had ramped back up again when she had started setting things up an hour ago. Thing had been a godsend, Holding her hand and helping her through it. She had no idea what she would have done without him.
A ding sounds from the microwave, and enid rushes to grab the greasy bag of popcorn and dump its contents into a waiting bowl. She runs back upstairs and puts the popcorn bowl next to the other candy bowls. She turns to check the time and sees that Wednesday should be back in five minutes.
Enid had asked Wednesday to give her an hour to set up, and she knew Wednesday would be back in the room precisely one hour after she left. That's just the kind of person Wednesday was. "Need anything else?" Thing asks
"Could you go downstairs and escort her up when she gets here?" Enid replies as she begins to wring her hands. Waiting for the popcorn had been bad enough, but now she has absolutely nothing to do. Her thoughts can run completely wild.
"It will be great." Thing says and then moves to grab one of her hands. "Great planning. She'll love it. Nothing will go wrong."
"Thank you, Thing."
"Welcome." Thing hops down onto the ground and scurries out the door, leaving Enid alone once again. She repeats Thing's words to herself to keep from spiraling as she waits for him to re-appear. Time seems to war. Stretching and shrinking in the perfect way to heighten her worry. Drawing out her misery but also looming over her, reminding her there is nothing else she can do. The date is in three minutes. If she's made a mistake or forgotten something, there is nothing she can do to fix it at this point. She begins running through a checklist of everything she needs to have done.
Buy the movie. Check.
Buy the snacks. Check
Put Wednesday's snacks into black and white containers. Check.
Set up a comfy place to watch the movie. Check
Enid's thoughts are interrupted as the door creaks open, and Wednesday enters the room. "Thank you for sending Thing to escort me up, mi amor; I sent him to have some time for himself, so we could be alone. I assume you don't need more time to set up, but I could head down to the common room if you do."
"Nop. It's all ready." Enid says, smiling and running over to Wednesday, a bit of her worry melting away. She opens her arms for a hug but lets Wednesday be the one to initiate it. She holds Wednesday tight, but as soon as she feels Wednesday's hold loosens, she lets go. "Will you tell me what you have planned now?" Wednesday asks once they have moved far enough apart to make eye contact.
"We're going to watch a movie. I found one I think both of us will like."
"What is it about?"
"You'll see," Enid says happily. "I set up a corner for us to watch the movie with a bunch of blankets, pillows, and snacks."
"So that's where the popcorn smell is coming from," Wednesday says.
"Ya. There's butter popcorn for me, but I got you a different flavor since it has yellow food coloring."
"Thank you. How thoughtful."
"I also grabbed black and white candies for you. I hope you like Black licorice."
"I much prefer it to the overly sweet alternative." Wednesday lets Enid take her arm and lead her to the corner of their room stuffed with pillows and blankets.
"I thought about getting a projector and setting up a sheet to watch the movie on so we could have a big screen, but I figured my computer would be fine."
"It will just mean we will have to sit very close to each other," Wednesday says with a smile. "Besides, a sheet movie would just remind me of my date with Tyler."
"What?" Enid asks, her fear and doubt rushing back as the smile that had stretched across her face since Wednesday entered the dorm room falls.
"Before I realized Tyler was the Hide, he took me on a date to Crackstones crypt, and we watched Legally Blond. He spun it as 'torture,' but now it appears he didn't put the time in to think about something I would like and then tried to spin it in a way I could tolerate."
"You went on a movie date with Tyler?" Enid asks.
"Regrettably, yes."
"No," Enid shouts, turning around and covering her face. "I worked so hard to find something we hadn't done before that we would both like. I'm really sorry, Wednesday. I don't want this to remind you of him. We can go do something else, or nothing at all, or...." Wednesday cuts Enid off by grabbing her hands.
"Enid. I would love to watch a movie with you. Tyler has already caused enough harm. I won't let him take this from us too. I'm thrilled that you took the time to find a movie I would like and candy I would eat, but I would also be happy to go office supply shopping with you. The activities we do for our dates are only a backdrop. What really matters is that we get to spend time together and make memories. You've clearly put a lot of thought and effort into this, which shows how much you care. Even if the date ends up being a disaster, which I doubt it will, that will be my takeaway. That and the fact that I love you."
"Thank you," Enid says, sniffing. Before she can even reach out, Wednesday pulls her into a hug. "I love you to Wednesday." Enid leans into Wednesday and places her head in the crook of her neck. Enid deflates briefly when Wednesday pulls away, worried she has gone too far until Wednesday gently brings their lips together. Enid throws her arms around Wednesday's neck, as her armrest at Enid's waist. The kiss is broken when an uncontrollable smile spreads across Enid's face.
"Let's go watch your movie," Wednesday says, mirroring Enid's expression.
Enid happily pulls Wednesday the rest of the way to the pile of pillows, and they settle down together. Wednesday sits down first and wraps her arm around Enid's shoulder, and she sits down and leans against her. Enid leans forward to turn on the movie and then immediately returns to Wednesday's side.
Somber music pours out of the computer's speakers. Enid grabs a handful of skittles as the opening credits play, and Wednesday inspects the candy laid out around them. The screen cuts to a little girl, and they both turn to listen to her monologue. The beginning is strange, to say the least, and they look at each other, slightly confused.
"Thing recommended it. Blame him"
"I'm sure he had his reasons. Let's keep watching." Enid scooches closer to Wednesday as the movie plays on. After a second, the scene switches to an exterior shot of the house, and the little girl from earlier opens the door and walks out to a group of boys. After a second, she leads them inside and into a room full of caskets. She dramatically flings one open, and the boys flinch away, only for it to be empty.
The girl leads the group deeper into the house, telling them: "Sometimes when we get them, they're not completely dead. Like when you cut a chicken's head off, and they run around crazy. I bet she's roaming around the house somewhere." She opens another door to reveal a frail old woman sitting in a rocking chair. "There she is." The rocking chair creaks to life with a loud scratch, and the boys run."I think Thing made a good call," Wednesday says with a smirk.