The sun began to dip from its acme as noon passed by. Inside the green house students began to gather, and chat. While Wednesday and Y/n stood at the back of the class conversing with Thing who was concealed by a potted plant.
"How could you lose him in a bathroom with no windows?" Wednesday whispered sharply.
Thing tapped the desk angrily, as Wednesday narrowed her gaze. "A left wouldn't have failed me."
Y/n looked down at the hand sympathetically as she continued, "Now we're going to have too find another clue. Because you lost our only lead."
Bianca and her posse looked over and noticed what appeared to be Wednesday speaking to a plant beside Y/n.
The siren quickly spoke up in vitriol, "I see you've finally made a friend." Bianca said, "Well other than nerd dweeb over there."
Y/n was about to step in as Wednesday snapped back faster.
"I go for quality over quantity."
She then turned and walked off leaving Y/n and a sulking Thing. The young Nevermore student looked down at the appendage apologetically as he spoke.
"Don't listen to her Thing. You're the best severed hand I've ever met."
Thing seemed to perk up slightly at the comment as Y/n offered a fist bump. Thing standing up a bit as he tapped Y/n's hand lightly.
"Keep that head high Thing. Er-I guess keep your fingers high?"
Y/n looked over as Thing shrugged.
"You know what I mean."
With that last comment Thing crawled away and Y/n went back to the class. The desks all sat three people to a table, with Ms. Thornhill at the front. Everyone else had already sat down, while Y/n and Wednesday stood looking for a seat.
"There's room next to me." Xavier said from the table adjacent to them.
The two quickly took the seats beside him, with Wednesday huddled in between Xavier and Y/n.
As everyone began to settle Xavier drew in his note book. The young Addams glanced over to see him sketching at the image of a black spider. Once he had finished, Xavier set down the pencil and hovered his hand over the image. Suddenly the spider convulsed and seemed to break off the page. Rearing its legs as it slowly crawled off of the notebook.
Wednesday watched inquisitively and Y/n finally looked over. Crining at the sight of the spider as he backed up a bit from Xaviers side of the desk.
"Did it have to be a spider?" he asked.
He shrugged, "Easiest bug to draw."
Ms. Thornhill suddenly spoke up from the front, "I doubt Wednesday or Y/n are impressed by your tricks, Mr. Thorpe."
"I mean admit it you're a little impressed."
Wednesday looked back coldly as the spider crawled closer to her and Y/n leaned back even further. Until suddenly she smashed her hand down on the insect and it disintegrated in a poof of black graphite. The whole class laughed, as Xavier closed his notebook and Ms. Thornhill continued.
"Well, I hope you're all thrilled to join me on this journey into the wonderful world of carnivorous plants."
She then took a step to the side as she directed everyones attention to the flower on her desk. It was pure white and held in a glass casing.
"Now who can tell us the name of this beauty?"
Bianca was the first to raise her hand, but Wednesday answered without prompt.
"Dendrophlax lindeii."
The siren looked over at her slightly taken aback as she lowered her hand, "Also known as the ghost orchid."
Wednesday didn't hesitate as she vied for the better answer. "First discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1854."
Ms. Thornhill looked on proudly as she responded, "Very good Wednesday. Looks you may have competition for first chair, Bianca."
Y/n leaned over and whispered to his darker counterpart, "You know if you answered that well in our debates you'd win a lot more."
Wednesday ignored the slight, as she turned back towards Ms. Thonrhill who posed another question.
"Wednesday, perhaps you can identify the ghost orchid's greatest qualities."
"Resilience and adaptability." she answered immediately. "It's able to thrive in even the most harmful environments."
Bianca suddenly spoke up again, refusing to let Wednesday gain any ground on her.
"But its mere presence can change the ecosystem, causing the established plants to reject it."
Wednesday wasted no time as she snapped back, "Usually because the native species is allowed to thrive unchecked. Nothing a Weedwacker couldn't fix."
The two students made eye contact as Bianca replied, "You can certainly try."
"Are we still talking about flowers?" Xavier suddenly cut in
The two didn't break their eye contact until Ms. Thornhill spoke up again.
"Thank you ladies, for those illuminating insights. Clearly the plants aren't the only carnivores in class today."
Far off past Nevermore at the end of Jericho the sheriff stood outside his house. He pulled down his trunk bed, as his dog hopped in.
"Good boy. Watch your butt. Watch your butt."
Tyler suddenly walked up from behind him as he spoke, "Hey, where you going with Elvis?"
The sheriff secured the trunk as he turned back to his son, "Just uh . . . following a lead on a case."
Tyler's voice became more downcast, "You still think there's a monster out there don't you?"
The sheriff didn't answer, as Tyler continued.
"I heard you talking with Santiago. You think its a Nevermore kid?"
He pushed past the question as he answered, "Ran into your shrink this morning. She was kind of tight-lipped about your progress."
Tyler scoffed slightly, "It's called doctor-patient confidentiality."
"Well how about a little father-son confidentiality? What are you two yakking about?"
He shrugged as he replied, "Video games, cancel culture, oat milk versus soy. It's a wild time."
The sheriffs voice grew more stern as he spoke, "I pay the bills, I got a right to ask."
He pushed past his son as he moved to the front of the pick up truck. About to open the driver side door when Tyler replied sharply.
"We talk about mom. Remember her?"
Elvis whined from the back of the trunk, as the sheriff replied.
"Better not be talking crap about your old man."
Tyler watched on hurt, as his detached father opened the door and continued.
"I'll be home late. You're on your own for dinner."
The door shut behind him as Tyler spoke in pain.
"Oh damn. I was hoping we could fire up the grill and then catch the big game."
The sheriff pulled out of the driveway without a reply.
"Man I love these warm, fuzzy memories we're making, Dad."
Still no answer came as the car drove down the road and disappeared around the corner. Leaving Tyler stewing his own thoughts.
Back at Nevermore Wednesday was out on the field beside the school. Where she approached Enid who still worked at painting her cat canoe.
"I have to get back to the woods." she explained, "But Weems has been watching me like a vulture circling a carcass."
Enid sighed, "And you want me to cover so that you can return to the scene of a crime that didn't happen?"
Wednesday pushed past the comment as she replied, "I have beekeeping club this afternoon."
The young werewolf set down her brush as she turned to face her, "Sorry two strikes. I'm busy and bess totally creep me out. Why can't you get Y/n to fill in?"
"He's in beekeeping too, plus I need him at the crime scene."
Enid nodded lightly, "Well why don't you ask Thing? Wait, you can't because he's mad at you."
Wednesday scoffed, "Why is he mad? He's the one who screwed up with Rowan."
She shook her head, "All I know is that we seen an hour giving each other manis, and he really opened up." Enid switched paintbrushes as she continued, "He feels you don't respect him as a person."
"Well technically he's only a hand." she countered.
Enid let out a deep breath as she replied to the comment, "Wednesday. He's your family. And he would do anything for you."
The young werewolf grabbed a fresh cup of paint as she finished her offer, "Go apologize and I'll reconsider helping you."
Within a few minutes Wednesday had made her way through the school and back to her dorm. Pushing past the door, as she scanned the room for Thing. Only to find him sitting on Enid's bed flipping through a magazine.
She approached slowly as Thing set down the book, "I'm sorry I snapped at you."
Satisfied she had given the proper apology she continued, "Now chop-chop before another lead goes cold."
Wednesday turned to leave, but the severed hand did not follow. He merely continued to flip through the magazine as the young Nevermore student turned back in exasperation.
"What is it you want? Hand cream? Nail buffer? New cuticle scissors?" she said, "Whatever it is consider it done."
Before she could continue Thing threw the magazine aside angrily. Standing up on all five's as he waited for a proper apology.
Wednesday sighed in annoyance as her gaze fell to the floor. Gradually she went and sat down on the bed beside the hand and continued.
"I know I'm stubborn, single minded and obsessive. But those are all traits of great writers."
Thing made a finger gun and mimed firing a round across the room.
"Yes and serial killers." she agreed, "What's your point?"
She looked back to the hand as Thing made another group of gestures.
"I do not have anything to get off my chest and I am not submitting to your emotional black mail."
The severed appendage tapped the bed sheets repeatedly in waiting.
"Fine." Wednesday finally submitted.
She then brought out the folded drawing Rowan had given her. Unfolding it to reveal the image of the burning school as she spoke.
"When Rowan showed me this it confirmed my greatest fear."
She set down the drawing beside Thing as she continued.
"That I'm going to be responsible for something terrible. Not good terrible, like Ivan. Bad terrible."
Wednesday let out a deep breath as she finished her explanation. "That's why I need to find out the truth."
Slowly Thing walked along the bed sheet and sat down beside her. Letting himself lie down and hold her hand in his.
"Breathe a word of this to anyone and I will end you."
In the next hour everyone had gathered in the bee keeping room. Wednesday stood in front of Enid who was fully clothed in her bee keeping suit.
"If Weems comes snooping around. Keep your distance, look grim, and don't say a word."
The young werewolf secured her hat as she replied, "Payback is going to be a bitch."
"I'd expect nothing less." Wednesday agreed.
She then turned back to Y/n who stood beside his decoy. A tall slender Gorgon student named Ajax.
"Got everything secured?" Y/n asked.
Ajax nodded quickly, and held up two thumbs.
Wednesday looked between the two strangely before speaking up. "How'd you convince him to stand in for you?"
Y/n smirked lightly, "My unbelievable charm."
Ajax shook his head as he spoke up, "He promised me I could use his Switch for a month."
Y/n sighed, "You couldn't have let me had this one man?"
Wednesday rolled her eyes as she moved over to Eugene. Readjusting her uniform as she spoke to him.
"Blab and I will squeeze you like a honeycomb." she threatened.
The young beekeeper shook his head lightly, "Snitches get stung. It's hive code. Besides, I should be thanking you. This is the most girls I've ever had in the shed."
"Shocking." Wednesday replied blankly.
Eugene continued regardless, "I've always had a thing for werewolf chicks."
"The chances of Enid becoming romantically interested in you are less than 1%"
His eye lit up in hope, "So you're saying there's a chance?"
Once again Wednesday rolled her eyes as she moved back to Y/n who was now talking with Enid.
"Alright, Enid you've got this. I've gotten Ajax here, so shoot your shot."
The young werewolf's eyes widened slightly as she replied, "You got him to stand in for you on purpose?"
He nodded and smiled warmly, "Don't worry I know you like him. Just stay cool and he'll warm up to you."
Enid smiled and wrapped Y/n in a hug. "Thank you so much!"
Eventually the two broke the hug and Y/n shared a nod with Wednesday before the two ducked outside. Leaving Ajax, Enid, and Eugene in the shed.
The duo quickly ducking into the foliage as they escaped into the woods. Gearing up for the crime scene.