Rumor on the street is that her apples are delicious

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𝕎𝔼𝔻ℕ𝔼𝕊𝔻𝔸𝕐 stood in the quad with the other students, glancing down at the book in his hand as Principal Weems' voice echoed through the air. "All students will report for their volunteer jobs at 10 a.m. sharp, followed by a community lunch at 1:00," she announced. The crowd stirred slightly, murmurs of excitement running through the students. Wednesday, however, slipped the book back into his backpack, turning his gaze toward Weems as she continued.

"As you know, this year's Outreach Day culminates in a very special event—the dedication of a new memorial statue in the town square, which will also include performances by Nevermore students." Excited whispers filled the quad, all except for Wednesday, who remained unmoved as the rest of the students exchanged glances.

"As representatives of our school, I trust you will all put your best face forward," Principal Weems added. Two faceless students exchanged blank glances before the staff began distributing envelopes, each one detailing their volunteer assignments.

As Wednesday looked over his envelope, he noticed Enid and Lilith approaching him. His gaze lingered on Lilith. She looked exhausted, shadows beneath her silver eyes, likely from sleepless nights. Lilith hadn't slept much—she'd been up late reading her tarot cards, trying to decipher the warnings the shadow creatures had been whispering to her. Despite her weariness, Lilith smiled at Wednesday as Enid excitedly grabbed his attention.

"Yes! We got Pilgrim World!" Enid squealed. "I do have natural people skills and a love of performing, so it's kinda the obvious choice." Lilith chuckled softly at her friend's enthusiasm before turning her attention to Wednesday, her teasing smile playing on her lips. "What did you get?"

Wednesday tore open his envelope and read its contents. "Uriah's Heap, whatever that is."

Enid grimaced, shaking her head. "It's this weird, creepy antique store. You'll love it, though. I'm crossing my claws Ajax and I will be outreaching together."

Lilith let out a small laugh, and with a teasing gleam in her eyes, she walked closer to Wednesday, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch lingered as she looked up at him, her voice playful yet full of meaning. "I'm disappointed you're not joining me for outreach," she said, her tone laced with flirtation. "You make everything... interesting." Her words hung in the air between them, light but charged with unspoken emotions.

Wednesday's dark eyes met hers, a flicker of something almost imperceptible crossing his expression before they both noticed Principal Weems approaching. Lilith moved to walk off with Enid, but Wednesday grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks. She turned back to him, and his gaze softened, though only slightly. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?" he asked, his voice lower, his concern hidden beneath his usual bluntness.

Lilith's eyes met his, her exhaustion more evident up close. But she offered him a small smile, as if trying to push away his concern. "I'm okay, Wednesday. Don't trouble yourself about me."

For a brief moment, the world seemed to still around them, the usual distance between them shrinking in that quiet exchange. Wednesday, for all his detached nature, felt something stir. Before he could say more, Lilith gently pulled away and smiled once more before walking off, leaving Wednesday standing there, her absence oddly felt more than before.

Wednesday's gaze lingered on Lilith as she walked away, his attention snapping back only when Principal Weems approached him with a smile. "Wednesday, don't worry about your cello. I'll have it brought to the town square this afternoon," she said warmly.

Wednesday blinked, momentarily confused. "My cello?" he repeated, unsure where this was going.

Weems' smile widened as she continued. "I caught your rooftop serenade the other night. Impressive. I volunteered you to accompany the Jericho High School marching band at the ceremony. I'm sure it won't be too challenging to play an uplifting Fleetwood Mac melody."

Wednesday stared at her, his dark eyes narrowing slightly before he deadpanned, "As long as you promise to hang me as a witch afterward."

˚₊𓆩༺🕷༻𓆪₊˚

A black school bus came to a halt at the curb in Jericho, and the Nevermore students slowly began to file out. Wednesday descended the steps, his dark eyes scanning the surroundings before they landed on Xavier, who stood still, staring intently at a brick wall with a white square painted on it. Curious, Wednesday approached him. "Why are you staring at a blank wall?" Wednesday asked, his voice as flat as ever. Xavier, still focused on the wall, replied, "It wasn't blank last Outreach Day."

Wednesday studied Xavier's mood, noticing the sour expression etched on his face. "Are you still stewing because I rejected your invitation?" he asked, tone mildly sarcastic.

Xavier shrugged but didn't look at him. "I don't know. I did go out on a limb for you." Wednesday scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh please. I'm just cannon fodder in whatever cold war you're waging against Bianca. I have more pressing issues on my mind." Xavier finally turned to face him, his eyes narrowing. "Yeah, like what?"

"Tracking down the monster that killed your former roommate," Wednesday said bluntly.

Xavier sighed, exasperated. "Oh my god. For the last time, Rowan was expelled. Everyone saw him leave." Wednesday's eyes darkened as he fixed Xavier with a sharp gaze. "And Lilith and I saw him get murdered."

Xavier's head jerked back, his expression filled with confusion and shock. "Hang on, Lilith was there too?"

Wednesday nodded. "Yes, she saw everything. We both did."

Xavier's brows furrowed, his gaze shifting between Wednesday and the wall. "Lilith? Why didn't she say anything before?" "She has her reasons," Wednesday said coldly. "Perhaps reasons that you wouldn't understand."

Xavier frowned deeper. "You trust her?"

"More than you'd think," Wednesday replied, his tone carrying an edge. "She's involved in more than you're aware of."

Xavier glanced at Wednesday, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "You care about her, don't you?" he asked, his tone playful yet curious.

Wednesday felt his heart lurch at the accusation, a strange feeling that he quickly pushed aside. He wasn't about to entertain Xavier's probing. With a sharp glare, he shifted the conversation, his voice flat. "Have you spoken to Rowan since?"

Xavier chuckled lightly before answering. "I texted him a few times, but I never heard back. I just figured he wanted to put Nevermore in his rear view mirror."

As the two continued their discussion, the topic of Rowan's fate hanging in the air, Lilith stood a short distance away, alone but far from idle. She reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a small deck of tarot cards. Her fingers deftly shuffled through them before she stopped on a specific one—a card adorned with swirling shadow beings. Her silver eyes clouded over, dark magic stirring in the air around her.

Lilith held the card in front of her, her expression unreadable, yet an eerie energy pulsated around her as if she were connected to something far more ancient and powerful. She whispered to the card, her voice soft but commanding, "Find it."

The shadows depicted on the card began to move, writhing and twisting as though alive. They slipped off the paper, snaking out in wisps of darkness that floated into the air. The shadow beings extended from her hand, darting toward the surrounding woods, flickering like wraiths as they sought out whatever Lilith had sent them after.

Her eyes glowed faintly as she focused on the shadows, her magic weaving into the unseen forces of the world. The air around her grew colder, the faint sound of whispers filling the space only she could hear. These shadow creatures, ancient remnants of darker magic, were bound to her command. They dispersed into the night, vanishing into the trees, seeking answers where mortal eyes could not reach.

Lilith blinked, her eyes returning to their normal state. She slipped the card back into her pocket, a faint smile tugging at her lips, as though she had just set a plan into motion—one only she could fully comprehend.

Lilith glanced up, her eyes falling upon a solemn Pilgrim statue standing rigidly in the town square. Something about its self-righteous stance bothered her, and with a subtle flick of her wrist, her magic stirred. The statue's head twisted unnaturally, turning to face the opposite direction, as if it were now averting its gaze.

Satisfied, Lilith allowed a soft smile to cross her lips as she caught sight of Wednesday nearby. Her silver eyes gleamed for a brief moment, and though her smile was small, it held a teasing warmth directed solely at him.

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By: SilverMist707

I hope you enjoyed this and have an amazing day today. <3