Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

V.

July, 2034. Los Angeles

“Hello, everyone. I’m Alexander Chen for Screenline. Today we’re joined by Enid Sinclair and Wednesday Addams to talk about one of this year’s most anticipated indie horror films, ‘Echoes’. Thank you both so much for being here.”

“Thank you for having us, Alex,” Enid says.

Wednesday and Enid sit side by side in armchairs beneath soft studio lights, with cameras trained on them from several angles and a simple backdrop displaying the film’s title. Across from them, Alexander crosses his legs, notes in hand.

“This is your first interview for this project, right?”

“Yeah!” Enid says excitedly. “My first interview ever actually.”

“No way!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Fantastic.”

“I’m excited!”

“So are we at Screenline. We have finally seen the first teaser trailer and stills from ‘Echoes’ and it looks amazing. As a fan of the thriller-horror genre, I can’t wait.”

“Oh, thank you! Yeah, we’re super excited too that we can finally show some stuff. We’ve worked so hard for months—Wednesday specially, has overlooked the whole process meticulously, post-production included.”

Alex turns his attention to the quiet woman. “Right, because, Wednesday, this is not your first film adaptation.”

“That is correct.”

“Could you give us a teaser of what we might expect to see in this movie?”

“Grief, regret, ritualistic horror,” Wednesday deadpans. “Anyone expecting a comforting viewing experience should seek entertainment elsewhere.”

“And mystery and friendship and love!” Enid adds. “It has so much heart, which is what I loved about the project.”

“I love that, thank you for the very balanced summary,” Alex chuckles, starting to get the dynamic of the two women in front of him. “So, for those who might not know, Wednesday, you’re the writer behind the critically acclaimed ‘Viper de la Muerte’ novels, and the first book got turned into a movie that you also oversaw.”

“Just the writing process.”

“So what’s special about ‘Echoes’? What makes you want to stick around for the whole thing and become an Executive Producer?”

Wednesday looks as expressionless as she always does, sitting ramrod straight in her seat. But when Enid glances at her she can see her index finger picking at the nail on her thumb over the armrest—a sign of great stress if she’s externalizing this much.

“I wrote it as a means of exorcising the dark thoughts that plagued my mind at a time in my life. Viper is important to me, but once I was satisfied that the script remained faithful to the novel, there was little they could get wrong.”

“Didn’t you trust young director Dante Salazar to do justice to ‘Echoes from the Pines’?”

“Dante had nothing to do with my choice. ‘Echoes’ was simply too important to leave unattended.”

“For sure, I can see that.”

Alex nods amicably, and Enid thinks it’s really a testament to his professionalism, because Wednesday is exuding the same enthusiasm to be here as someone who’s being held hostage.

“And Enid, this is your first feature film. Tell us, how has that been for you?”

“Wow, um, it’s been crazy. Amazing and terrifying and exhausting but so, so rewarding,” she says with a grin, her hands moving around expressively. “I spent so many years hoping I’d get a chance, like—when you’re an actor trying to get into the industry, there’s so many moments you just want to give up, you know?”

“Yeah, it’s a tough business.”

“Right! So when it actually happened, I was in shock, at first I didn’t even, like—Wednesday was the one that delivered the news and I couldn’t—my brain couldn’t process for a few long minutes.”

“Wow, you must’ve been freaking out,” Alex comments.

“For real, though! And like, every day was so fun, the cast and the crew are so kind, and were so nice to me. And getting to work with your best friend? Gosh, that’s like any girl’s dream.”

Alex’s eyes sparkle in interest. “Right! Because I have here somewhere in my notes that you two went to… Nevermore Academy together. Is that correct?”

Wednesday’s eye twitches. Her finger keeps picking at her nail.

“How is this relevant?” She snaps.

“What she means to say,” Enid says in a much friendlier tone. “Is that, we did. It was many years ago, but we’re still best friends.”

“Nevermore is, of course, one of the most well-known schools for Outcasts. Enid, you’ve also been very open about being a werewolf through your social media presence and your advocacy for Outcast rights.”

“I have, yeah. I love my identity. I’m colorful and I like pop music, I’m a lesbian and an actress, but I’m also a werewolf. I’m a bunch of things.”

“That’s amazing, I love that. My wife is a davinci and a big fan of yours, so she was ecstatic when she found out you were starring in a movie and—I haven’t told her yet that I’m interviewing you, to be honest. I think she’ll lose her mind.”

“OMG, what’s your wife’s name?”

“Clara.”

Enid looks directly at the camera, waving with a big grin. “Hi, Clara! Thank you for being a fan!”

“Oh boy, I think you might’ve just killed her. I think she’s dead.”

Alex and Enid laugh. Wednesday simply turns to Enid, her eyes softening at the sight.

“And—I guess if you’re comfortable, Wednesday—what type of Outcast are you?”

“I’m a seer,” is all she says.

“Does that influence your writing?”

“Constantly. I see the tragic futures of mundane people once a week. I use them to inspire me.”

“Damn. So you’re like—you have a refreshingly low tolerance for PR speak.”

Enid snorts. Wednesday squints her eyes at her.

“I have a low tolerance for many things.”

Enid feels the need to interject. “Wednesday’s brilliant. She’s so loyal, and so protective of me so—don’t get me wrong here—but, she is a weirdo. Like, she’s the strangest person you’ll ever meet.”

Wednesday tilts her head slightly. “You realize I take this as a compliment.”

“Good!” Enid chirps. “‘Cause I mean it like one.”

“They did warn me you’d be unfiltered,” Alex teases.

“I have neither the time nor the interest to decorate the truth.”

“Refreshing,” Alex says, looking at his notes again. “So you’ve been best friends for years, how’d that influence the casting?”

“Oh, that’s a funny story!” Enid says. “I had no idea that Wednesday was here in LA and I went to this random audition and one of the casting people wasn’t in the room—which, whatever, right? Who cares?—only to later find out that this one had scurried out of the room so I wouldn’t see her!”

“I didn’t scurry,” Wednesday hisses, the faintest blush creeping across cheekbones.

“You kinda did.” Enid winks at her.

Wednesday’s blush only gets worse.

“I was being professional,” Wednesday says to Alex. “And our personal relationship had no relevance in the casting process. Enid was simply leagues above her competition.”

“Aw,” Enid coos. She squeezes Wednesday’s arm for a moment. “Thanks, Wends.”

Alex is fully grinning at them, delighted by their interactions. “And for the filming process? How’s having your bestie as your boss?”

“That’s a super good question. Because Wednesday is very firm and very direct in the way she approaches things, it can come across as mean. But I have a decade of experience with her attitude. I never saw her as my boss, boss. Just my best friend that needed me to do my job.”

“Did you warn the rest of the cast of the infamous Wednesday attitude?”

Wednesday snaps her eyes to Alex like she wants to murder him. Enid chuckles.

“Actually I did! I also had to stop her from murdering a couple people on set a few times.”

“You managed that?”

Enid shrugs, smug. “She listens to me.”

“I would prefer it if you stopped talking about me as if I’m not present.”

“Sorry! Sorry, Wends,” Enid chuckles. “You’re a great boss. I mean, you did get on my nerves sometimes, but you do that outside of work anyway.”

Wednesday rolls her eyes.

“So in the teaser trailer, we see a glimpse of Sabine and Blair’s—Enid’s character—relationship. It looked quite intimate. Should we expect to see queer representation in this film?”

Enid bites her lip, unsure of what or how much she’s supposed to say. She glances at Wednesday who looks back at her. Their eye contact is electric on camera, but they don’t even realize it.

“As a person who disregards gender for romantic interests myself, it was less an intentional effort to represent queerness and more simply the consequence of writing from my personal experiences.”

Enid frowns for a moment, her eyes snapping to Wednesday’s face in a stunned expression. That… is news to her; the part about Wednesday’s romantic interests.

“So it’s safe to assume this story has moments or emotional beats that have been influenced by your own life.”

Wednesday stays quiet. This is the same question that Enid asked all those months ago; the one she refused to answer. She’s not sure what compels her to answer now; maybe the reckless desire to destroy her own life. Either way, her fate is already sealed. She saw it in a vision.

“Yes, that would be a correct assumption.”

“Makes sense you’d be so protective of it!” Alex reasons. “So what was the scene you were most excited to see brought to life? And I’ll throw a similar question to you, Enid, what scene was the most fun to film?”

Enid smiles gently to Wednesday, giving her the floor to talk first.

“Every gory scene was a delight to watch. Once upon a time, I was robbed of a proper pig’s blood bath at a school dance, so all I’ll say is, I was satisfied with our results.” Wednesday pauses for a beat, Alex seems shook and a little horrified. “But apart from that, we can’t talk about my most expected scene. I will say it was the last scene we filmed and probably the warmest one of the whole movie.”

“Wait, hold on—your favorite scene is a warm one?” Alex asks.

“It’s—“ Wednesday cuts herself off, looking at the camera like she suddenly remembered it’s there, recording.

Her finger starts picking her nail again, to the point where Enid sees she’s going to draw blood. Enid covers Wednesday’s hand with her own, intertwining their fingers. Wednesday turns to her and Enid fixes her with the most tender, adoring look, encouraging her to continue.

“It’s simply the key to understanding the characters. It’s a crucial beat. Narratively.”

“Love that. What about your most fun, Enid?”

“Oh, anything where I was running was so fun. I did my own stunts, you know? With my werewolf constitution it’s so easy to be thrown around and fall and all that. And I love running. Camila and I joke that I spend half the movie running and the other half yearning.”

Alex and Enid laugh. Once again, Wednesday watches Enid’s joy like she wants to capture every second and trap it in a bottle.

“Camila Reyes, your co-star who plays Sabine.”

“Yes, I love her. She’s been like—she’s a little guardian angel for me. She’s been in the business longer than me and she’s been like, a guide. And so, so good at playing Sabine. Ugh, you’ll love her.”

“You’re a dancer too, correct?”

Enid gasps. “Oh my god, look at you, mister journalist!”

Despite his professionalism, Alex blushes. No one’s immune to Enid Sinclair's charm.

“I—thank you, yes, I try.”

“I totally love dancing. But anything that I can burn my energy on, really. I have a lot.”

“That must be useful for set life.”

“Can you believe I was tired after some shoots? How do humans do it?!”

“Beats me!”

They laugh again. This time, Wednesday’s lips curl up slightly, not at the joke, but at the sight of Enid enjoying the interview. One of her dimples makes a brief appearance.

“So we heard how you found out that you got cast, but what drew you to Blair, Enid?”

Enid slumps back in her chair, her fingers still intertwined with Wednesday’s. She bites her lip.

“Oh gosh. There’s something about her insistence, trying to find her best friend, trying to make amends. It’s just so human, to only realize what you wanted when you’re about to lose it, you know?”

“Oh yeah, like you don’t realize how much something meant ‘til—“

“‘Till it’s gone! Right!” Enid sighs, locking eyes with Wednesday for the twentieth time since the cameras started rolling. “I don’t know. It just resonated with me. Blair seemed familiar.”

Alex tilts his head curiously and asks, gently: “how so?”

Enid takes a shaky breath, getting a little flustered in a way she doesn’t even understand. “I don’t know, she just did.”

“Fair. Totally fair,” Alex agrees goodnaturedly. “Okay I have two more questions to wrap this up, because you’ve been fantastic and I don’t want to take any more of your time. Wednesday, how does it feel to be about to share this story with the world?”

“Some things become easier to carry once they’re no longer yours alone.”

Alex’s eyes widen, constantly perplexed by Wednesday’s ability to mix borderline rude dryness with deep insight.

“That’s—beautiful. Beautiful way to put it.”

“I assure you, that was not my intention.”

Alex chuckles. He looks at his notes.

“And last question for you, Enid, if you could tell audiences one thing before they watch the film, what would it be?”

Enid looks at the camera, so used to talking to her followers. She finally lets go of Wednesday’s hand, gesturing with both of them.

“I think the most important part is to let yourself feel everything. The scary stuff, the sad stuff, the hopeful stuff, you know?” Enid flashes the camera her lovely smile. “Oh! And tell people you love them before a creepy cult gets involved!”

Alex laughs.

“Well, it’s been an absolute pleasure talking with both of you. You’re so different, the contrast between you two is honestly refreshing and quite charming!”

“Aw, shucks!” Enid says, blushing slightly and nudging Wednesday with her elbow.

“I think your years-long friendship is probably part of what makes this conversation, and this project, so interesting.” Alex astutely observes. “Thank you both for joining us. The film looks incredible, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know the people behind it. Best of luck with the release.”

“Thank you so much Alex and Screenline,” Enid says.

“You’ve been surprisingly competent,” Wednesday adds, earning a guffaw from Alex.

Enid flushes deeply, covering her face with her hands. “Wends, oh my god…” she breathes.

“It was a compliment,” Wednesday argues with a frown.

“And that’s all the time we have!” Alex says, still laughing and looking at the cameras. “Remember to mark your calendars for October seventeenth, the release of ‘Echoes’. So exciting. Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, and follow Screenline for more exclusive interviews and entertainment coverage. I’m Alexander Chen. See you next time.”

VI.

August, 2034. Los Angeles

In hindsight, that first interview with Screenline is what started the slow descent into madness that Wednesday suffers for the next few months. One she cannot escape, because she has quite literally signed up for it.

It starts with the YouTube comments on the interview video:

@cami4eva
this might be controversial but best friends don’t look at each other like that and dont hold hands like that

@mosscoveredbones
Came for the indie horror, stayed for these two.

@sapphicsrise
the chemistry is actually insane. like off the charts. why isn’t Wednesday playing Sabine???

       @katieeeeee
       @sapphicsrise Maybe she can’t act?

       @sapphicsrise
       @katieeeeee she can act in love just fine

@matthewharris22
Alex Chen deserves a raise for sitting between whatever this was

@alina
They’re in love your honor!

@lilsbean
omg Wends is so 🤏🏻

       @frogwithtaxes
       @lilsbean I know I wanna put her in my pocket

@oplaine
Alex, thank you so much for this interview! It’s so important to highlight indie films, specially queer ones AND queer creators! They are adorable!

@user738282
This is like seventeen minutes of Wednesday Addams answering every question like she’s being interrogated by the FBI and then immediately softening every time Enid talks.

@rizollaeta
the fact tht she calls her wends.

@mark_9tic
Min 15:34 dimple DIMPLE!!!

@mark_9tic
Min 06:51 wink Enid winked at her and I died

And then came the tweets on X:

@xXShadowWolfXx
just watched the Screenline interview and either Wednesday Addams is in love with Enid Sinclair or she has the most intense eye contact in human history

@daisychainz
“Tell people you love them before a creepy cult gets involved” ENID WHAT DO YOU KNOW

@blairsabine
the way Enid said Wednesday “listens to her” like girl STAND UP 🧎🏻‍♀️

@ohthatsnot
do they know it’s legal?

@wenclairnation
[image of Enid staring adoringly at Wednesday]
girl what is this?

      @itsjustluke
      [image of Wednesday staring adoringly at Enid]
      @wenclairnation don’t play this game, you’ll lose

@chasinghours
hell yeah yearnsday addams is my favorite

@atiantine
[zoomed gif of Enid holding Wednesday’s hand]
👀

@s0ph13
Wenclair has me in a chokehold. I’m gonna watch a horror movie WHICH I HATE just for them and Wends is not even in it!!!

      @catastrophiclesbian
      @s0ph13 Wenclair? Is that the official ship name??

      @bofff
      @catastrophiclesbian I like it!! 🖤🩷

      @tralerighe
      @s0ph13 dude me too, I’m such a scaredy cat but i love Enid

@tantofaz
Wait isn’t Enid dating a model or something?

      @jessiRX
      @tantofaz Whatever let me live my fantasy!!!

      @possiblynot
      @tantofaz Not to be parasocial but I think they broke up 🫪

@halbwach
You people need to stop with this parasocial bullshit. They said like 20 times they are FRIENDS. Not everything is gay.

      @one_more_chapter
      @halbwach they are literally gay you absolute smooth-brain

      @rubiatonta
      @halbwach Did you watch the video with your eyes closed and on silent?

      @sunshinegirl
      @halbwach Enid is gay and Wednesday seems to be bi or pan. Maybe they’re just friends but they’re still really adorable and I’m so happy they’re collabing on this movie!

      @rubiatonta
      @sunshinegirl oh no, they fucking

@vantablue
Has someone checked on Wednesday? I think she might’ve short-circuited when Enid held her hand.

      @RicksHux
      @vantablue she barely posts on her Insta @wfaddams

      @nosignall
      @RicksHux Does the other girl have socials? She’s my fave. I really liked her.

      @RicksHux
      @nosignall who Enid??? Boy are you in for a treat insta: @EnidSinclair

And the TikToks:

[video edit of Wednesday and Enid looking at each other and being cute]
@lizedits
Caption: POV You try to promote your movie and end up soft-launching your relationship

[video compilation of Wednesday looking at Enid]
@JenOrbit
Caption: 6 minutes and 21 seconds of Wednesday Addams being a simp for Enid Sinclair

[video of a horror fan commenting the interview]
@NightShiftHorror
Caption: let’s talk about my most expected movie of the year and the adorable couple behind it

[video commentary about the parallels of the film and reality]
@deadletters
Caption: Why I think ‘Echoes’ is actually about Wenclair

And the worst, which is the comments that start flooding Enid’s Instagram posts:

[OOTD carrousel]
Caption: OOTD good weather vibes!
Skirt: @HoneyTheory
Shirt: @Misfitwear
Makeup: @JuniperHart

@longway_
girl the outfit is cute but we’re all looking for Wednesday in the likes

@chikkkk
okay but who took the pictures 👀

@arigonzales
look at her shy smile in the second picture! I bet Wednesday was 📷

@retrovex
i know a certain author from New York is zooming in right now

@laur_wewe
she is so fucking cute, Addams can you fight

      @brindle5
      @laur_wewe Do you have a death wish?

[Old Nevermore picture with Ajax, Bianca and Kent]
Caption: love these goofballs 🐍🧜🏾‍♀️🧜🏻‍
@ajaxpetrop @queenbarclay @okaykent

@rosaine
where is Wednesday Addams??? 👀

@wortlos
not your fans going back through the archives

@spokjnie
i need a historian to explain the lore

@saludade.exe
who are they?

@dolcevitaa
Did she not take any pictures with Wednesday? 😢

@sarah_jane22
Stop stalking her jfc you people are sick

      @lunarscycle
      @sarah_jane22 You’re deep in her archives as well wtf

[Red carpet picture with Anya at an influencer event when they were dating]
Caption: Thank you for being my plus one pretty girl🎀💕@anyavetrova

@lallorona_
good lord Enid has good taste 🥵

      @JenOrbit
      @lallorona_ That’s the EX!!

@enidscloset
I get why Wednesday jumped on that as soon as they broke up

@snakeman05
Why is everyone saying they broke up? What’s your evidence??

@vanishinggurl
imagine being secretly in love with someone and opening instagram to this

      @gina1romeo
      @vanishinggurl Y’all are doing too much

@minitara
this picture would be my villain origin story if I was Wednesday

@angelaarais
Leave Anya alone!!! She has nothing to do with this you weirdos!!

      @addamswatch
      @angelaarais girl we thirsting after her too calm down

[Official promo stills carrousel]
Caption: Echoes. OCTOBER 17. 🩸🖤🌲

@daisychainz
Blair and Sabine 🤝 Wednesday and Enid
making me unwell

@pinkReina
I can’t wait for this movie omg that interview convinced me that love is real

      @3864none
      @pinkReina it’s a horror story…

      @pinkReina
      @3864none I wasn’t talking about sablair

@arigonzales
Call me parasocial but I believe the theories

      @ToastyEM
      @arigonzales what are you talking about?

      @arigonzales
      @ToastyEM Wends didn’t tell Enid how she felt in the past and now regrets it and she had to write a movie to ‘exorcise’ the pain of losing her

      @ToastyEM
      @arigonzales that is a REACH

      @ellawright
      @arigonzales You people are embarrassing

      @wolfbaymarvel
      @arigonzales I believe it too🖤🩷

[Reel taken on set, Camila and Enid singing a song, goofing around. Wednesday can be seen in the background making notes on the script. Enid approaches and records them both looking up at the camera, Wednesday with an unamused expression. Enid grabs her by the waist, squeezing and continuing to sing softly]
Caption: baby, why don’t you come over🎶 The things we do to stay awake huh @camireyes @wfaddams ? Appreciate the pick-me-up @chapellroan

@wortlos
this is the one that convinced me. hoooooly shit

@riddleuthis
THE HAND be serious

@sophilee
are we ignoring the fucking song choice???

@chrisydont
She SINGS to her. Everyone pack it up we’re done here.

@pistachiome
Not the waist grab 😭 girl no one is stealing her from you

      @ryanbp
      @pistachiome I might

      @pistachiome
      @ryanbp You want to fight an alpha werewolf?

@ashwilliams
The song choice is CRAZY WORK

@slazaro
Wednesday looking like she’s being held at gunpoint

@ruben99
That is not how friends hold each other

      @sarah_jane22
      @ruben99 Yes it is wtf have you never had a friend???

@recklessjane
Alex Chen somewhere: called it

@vibiaruba
she had an entire set full of people and immediately went to Wednesday

      @titaniumbrain
      @viviaruba I mean they are best friends

      @viviaruba
      @titaniumbrain Riiiiight suuuuuuure

@cygnecline
You know when you pick up a cat that doesn’t wanna be picked up?
[Enid Sinclair liked this]

      @toneleft
      @cygnecline ENID LIKED RHIS

      @curioushaley
      @cygnecline fuck she’s in the comments!!!🚨

      @gachaDom
      @curioushayley what did you expect this is her account

      @unpeuperdue
      @cygnecline Enid Sinclair agrees that Wednesday Addams is just a black cat 😭🖤🩷

[Interview still of Wednesday and Enid looking at the camera]
Caption: me and @wfaddams had the best time chatting with @Screenline! Link in bio 🖤🩷

@jodigraph
I love how different they are. Wednesday doesn’t have a filter but Enid kind of balances that

@valeri_moyo
Not Enid using the Wenclair heart emojis🖤🩷

@deficitayo
They’ve become my obsession and Wednesday never updates her insta 😭😭😭😭

@pottedfern
DID WE ALL SEE WEDNESDAY ADDAMS SMILE we all saw it right?

      @lowrykowry
      @pottedfern yeah and she has fucking dimples

@lorenaVR
I’m gonna need Wednesday Addams to step on me. I’ll say thank you.

@gaz_kl
They’re in love idc

@ropeshovel
This is going to be such a good movie omg 🔥🔥

@booksncrafts
I’ve read ‘Echoes from the Pines’. You are not ready.

@danalcaza
Buying all of this woman’s books brb

@lowrylowry
shut the fuck up she winked at her

@howlingstill
Enid I’m so proud of you!! Been following for years. I can’t wait to see this movie. I love that you’re working with your best friend and that we get to know her too 🖤🩷
[Enid Sinclair liked this]

      @ToastyEM
      See? She liked this post where it says they’re BEST FRIENDS you can all stop now

      @sirenMandy
      @ToastyEM They can be best friends and want that cookie

      @polishrum
      @ToastyEM Also she liked because it’s an OG fan dumbass

      @zarahdef
      @ToastyEM And those are the Wenclair hearts!

      @ToastyEM
      @zarahdef Delusional

Enid sighs, closes the app and drops the phone on her couch.

“Stop reading the comments,” Yoko says from the open kitchen.

“I can’t!”

“You’re gonna see something you don’t like and you’re gonna get upset.”

“So far they’ve been… you know, positive.”

“You mean super weird?”

“That too.”

“How many followers do you have now?”

“Like, almost four hundred thousand.”

“Jesus, you tripled your following in a couple weeks.”

“Yeah.” Enid bites her nail anxiously. “That’s a good thing.”

“No, yeah, for sure dude.” Yoko shakes her head, with a grimace. “It’s just at those numbers, people start getting weird.”

“It’s fine, like, I don’t care what they say about me and Wednesday.”

Yoko finishes preparing her blood and mint smoothie and sits next to Enid on the couch. She sips from the straw, eyeing her.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, why would I? We’re best friends. We’ve been best friends for ten years, Yokes! Of course we’re a little touchy—or, I’m a little touchy and she lets me. And, jeez, we look into each other’s eyes when we talk! What a concept! And sure, maybe sometimes when we don’t talk. It’s called being supportive!” Enid raises her hands and lets them drop against her legs. “I held her hand, big freaking woop! She was getting stressed at the questions and I wanted to calm her down.”

“Enid, relax, you don’t need to convince me.”

“It’s just—she’s not—we’re not—“

“What?” Yoko asks gently.

“Like, secretly in love with each other or whatever.”

Yoko doesn’t reply.

“What?” Enid asks. Still, silence. Yoko slurps her drink. “What, Yoko?”

“Nothing! Nothing.” Yoko tilts her head. “Is just… you’re both queer, you get along really well, you’re both young and hot, have you really never thought about it?”

Enid flushes profusely. “No! What the hell, she’s my best friend! And oh, oh, for the record? I had no idea she was queer until that interview. I thought she freaking asexual!”

“Didn’t she date Tyler at Nevermore?”

“They like, kissed once—but that’s not the point! I found out on fucking live TV—“

“Wasn’t live. Wasn’t TV.”

“—with the rest of the fans and followers so actually, you know what? I’m a little upset. Because I thought I knew my best friend and she never told me!”

“Did you ask?”

“Why—how would I even—how would that come up?!”

“You’re best friends. I hear you talk on the phone every few days, sometimes for hours, and her dating life never came up?”

Enid blushes, slumping back against the couch. “We don’t…” she says sheepishly. “We don’t talk about that.”

Yoko’s eyebrows go up to her hairline. “Ever?”

Enid shakes her head.

“And… why is that?”

“I dunno. We just don’t.”

“You didn’t tell her about Anya?”

“Um, not really. I think she just found out on Instagram.”

“And she never mentions dating anyone.”

“No, which is why I assumed she just wasn’t interested. Come on! It’s Wednesday! She’s totally anti-romance. It’s not that far-fetched to think.”

“And what’s your excuse?”

“For what?”

“Not talking to your best friend about your love life.”

“I don’t know, it’s just weird.”

Yoko blinks at her, her mouth falling open slowly. “Holy shit,” she breathes, like she just had a revelation.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she says quickly. “So you’ve, uh, definitely never thought about it then?”

Enid gets a little tingle in her stomach, a fluttering in her chest that she immediately tries to push down. “I mean, maybe when we were like, 15 and she had just arrived at Nevermore. But that was just a silly crush. And I wasn’t even aware, ‘cause I hadn’t figured out I was gay yet.”

“And that’s it?”

Enid doesn’t try to pry any more into her subconscious. “Yeah, of course.”

Yoko nods slowly. “Okay. So just ignore these people.”

“Yeah, like I said they don’t bother me. Like, they aren’t saying ugly things… just, wildly unreal.”

Yoko thinks for a moment how she wants to approach this. There’s no way she’s telling Enid her suspicions when the girl is clearly not ready to hear them, but she wants to nudge her in the right direction so she’ll figure it out on her own.

“My unsolicited advice?” She finally says. “Don’t change the way you act around her. It’ll probably die down eventually. And if it doesn’t, dude, it’s amazing PR for the movie.”

Enid manages a small smile.

“How’s Addams doing with all this? She barely updates her insta—and I’d bet it’s actually her publicist who does it—but I’m assuming something must’ve reached her?”

Enid sighs. “I wouldn’t know, she’s not returning my calls and she barely answers my texts.”

Yoko looks away to hide her eye roll. Classic Addams. So apparently Enid is not the only one struggling with this dose of reality.

“But, to be fair, she has been busy reviewing the posters and the final trailer, and from what I hear they are deep in the final stages of editing. Like, the real deal.”

“That’s exciting.”

“Yeah…” Enid says, not very excited. “We do have a whole week of interviews next week and except for a couple ones with me and Cami and a couple ones with me, Wends and Dante, it’s gonna be just us again.”

“That’s a choice.”

Enid rolls her eyes. “The studio says we’re ‘catnip for the fans’, that we’ll bring in audiences. And Cami is busy with another project so…”

“Addams must be over the moon.”

“Like I said, I have no idea.”

Wednesday is in fact, not over the moon. She is seething, to be precise.

For the past couple of weeks she’s been seething.

The first few days were fine, busy but nothing special. She texted Enid, promised to call her soon and told her all about the teaser poster and trailer that she was overseeing.

And then the bomb dropped. Three days after the interview with Screenline, Thing had been scrolling on his iPad (which he had for entertainment purposes) when he tapped Wednesday on the leg and showed her the YouTube comments.

It spiraled down from there. Wednesday had read that first comment from @cami4eva and there’d been no looking back. Her eyes keep getting wider and wider as she read—comment after comment showing how people who knew nothing about her or about her relationship with Enid were making conjectures, theorizing and straight up accusing her of being secretly in love with Enid.

And they were right.

Wednesday wanted to track down each and every one of them and make them swallow their electronic devices.

But it was too late, because the truth was out there, unconfirmed but wildly spread. These people had taken one look at Wednesday—a whole eighteen minutes of a video—and known with certainty what she’d kept secret for so long, what Enid had, apparently, failed to see.

At first it had felt humiliating, but then she’d read further thanks to Thing’s wide knowledge of social media apps. TikToks, and tweets and Instagrams, Wednesday had seen it all, had devoured every word.

Thing had told her she was obsessing but she knew Enid was reading it too and she needed to be aware of what the narrative was to be able to defend herself. Slowly the humiliation had turned into a glimmer of hope, for these people believed that she was not alone in her feelings and swore up and down on every app available, that Enid looked at her the same way, that when she touched her and held her, it meant something.

But then Wednesday’s spark of hope had been extinguished by the memory of what she already knew, what she had seen. At the end of this journey, Enid would not be hers, she’d be someone else’s, and Wednesday would go back to New York alone.

So finally, after a rollercoaster of emotions that she never wants to feel again, she’d remembered herself; after all, social media was still a soul-sucking void of meaningless affirmation. All these faceless accounts had managed to draw her in for a couple days, exploiting the one thing she was vulnerable about: validation about her feelings for Enid. But never again.

Wednesday had dissociated from it. She had asked Thing to never show her any comment or tweet again and poured herself into her work.

That didn’t mean that she was quite ready to see Enid, or hear her opinion about all of this. Because Wednesday was and still is sure that Enid is going to want to talk about it, at least enough to warn her that it’s happening and to deliver the always crushing and devastating declaration that they are and will always be just friends.

So for a couple weeks Wednesday ignored Enid’s calls and barely replied to her messages, updating her on the post-production process.

But now, third week after the whole debacle, Wednesday is looking at her schedule for the week with wide intense eyes and cursing everyone at Marrow Productions for deciding that she and Enid are “fandom catnip”—whatever those words mean.

”What’s on the schedule?”

“I have a long format interview tomorrow morning with Dante and Enid and a press junket in the afternoon with Enid.” Wednesday reads monotone. “I have short format interviews with Enid on Tuesday morning and a…” Wednesday raises an eyebrow “Lie Detector interview with Enid in the afternoon.”

”Uh, that’s not good.”

“Don’t insult me. If you believe I can’t control my breathing and heartbeat enough to fool a machine, you don’t know me at all.”

Thing shrugs.

“Wednesday morning,” Wednesday continues. “A ‘Who Knows Who Better?’ and ‘Friendship Test’ interview—what circle of hell is this?”

”Oh, those are super cute!”

Wednesday fixes him with a deadpan stare.

“Thursday morning we have another long format with Dante and Enid and in the afternoon—Kittens Interview? Am I supposed to be interviewed by felines?”

”No! They ask you questions while you play with kittens! I’m so jealous.”

“Maybe I should send you in my place.” Wednesday flips to the other page. “Friday there’s print media interviews in the morning and a networking mixer at night, which I will not be attending. And that’s all the torture of the week.”

”Doesn't seem too bad!”

“I can’t think of very many things I’d rather do less than answer inane questions while holding kittens.”

”You like cats.”

“Irrelevant.”

”Is this reluctance just because you’re afraid to see Enid?”

Wednesday hesitates, biting the inside of her cheek.

“No. But I am reticent to put Enid in an uncomfortable situation where she is forced to confront my inconvenient feelings. That is a conversation we needn’t have.”

”But maybe she’ll tell you she feels the—

“Thing!” Wednesday cuts off, affected. Thing can tell by the deep breathing and the wide eyes. “Enough. Your constant delusions are not helpful in any way. I must ask you to cease.”

Thing pauses, chastised. ”You’re right, I apologize.”

Wednesday nods once.

Monday

“Hi.” Enid says, coming into the green room where a makeup artist is putting powder on Dante and where Wednesday stands, holding her coffee.

“Hey Enid!” Dante calls. “How are you? Haven’t seen you in a minute.”

“Yeah, since the wrap party,” Enid answers approaching the man from behind to give him a one-armed hug without disturbing the MUA. She eyes Wednesday out of the corner of her eye, notes that she didn’t say hello.

“Right, that was fun! You missed a good party, Addams.”

“I don’t enjoy parties.”

“Never would’ve guessed,” Dante jokes. His MUA finishes with him and he stands. “I’m going to make a phone call and I’ll see you in a bit for the interview, yeah?”

“Yep!” Enid says.

The MUA approaches Enid with a brush, but after a quick scrutiny she nods impressed. “You look fab, hon. Did you do your makeup?”

“Always,” Enid grins. “Since I was like, fourteen.”

“Well, good job.” She starts packing her makeup kit. “So since this one won’t let me touch her face,” she points at Wednesday. “I’m gonna go eat a donut from the catering.”

Before Enid has a chance to prepare herself, Wednesday and her are alone in the green room that has been set up for the day. She approaches Wednesday, biting the corner of her lip nervously.

“Hey,” she says.

“Enid.”

“So, busy couple weeks, huh?”

“Remarkably.”

Enid nods.

“So, listen, I wanted to check with you… if, if you have seen—I know you don’t really use your insta and don’t have any other socials, but I don’t know if you’ve heard—“

“I have,” Wednesday says. No point in lying now, they’re probably about to be bombarded with more of the same for days.

“Oh, you have. Okay.” Enid steps a little closer. “So, I wanted to clear the air a bit.”

Wednesday holds her breath, braces for impact.

“I’m really sorry that you’ve been roped into this.”

Wednesday blinks, lets out the air she was holding. She stays quiet though, knowing Enid tends to talk to fill the silence, and she needs to know what she’s dealing with.

“You’re such a private person and I—gosh, it’s so silly, isn’t it? People assuming things about us when they don’t know us at all! We’ve always been like this. I think maybe it’s mostly my fault, I’m just—I’m always so happy to be around you and I’m so touchy and excitable, so I’m so sorry, if this bothered you or hurt you in any way—“

“Enid,” Wednesday says softly, watching the way Enid is starting to spiral in front of her to the point where her eyes are watering and her voice is getting choked up. “I’m not bothered by it and it’s not your fault. People online are simply ravenous for gossip, chronically bored and frighteningly imaginative.”

Enid takes a shaky breath in, just in time not to ruin her makeup.

“So, we’re okay?”

“Always.”

Enid grins, nods sheepishly. “Can I have a hug?”

Wednesday squints her eyes, not because she doesn’t want it, but because it won’t be ideal for her heart.

“Lil’ hug. Tiny.”

Wednesday rolls her eyes and steps forward to accept Enid’s crushing, definitely not little hug.

Tuesday

“Answer these questions to calibrate the machine, please.”

Wednesday stays quiet, gaze fixed on Enid and the cards she holds, while the man with the glasses observes the results in the machine.

She has a strap wrapped around her chest, over the black dress shirt and vest she’s wearing. She once again didn’t let anyone touch her hair or her makeup, but she thinks she did an adequate job to appear on camera. Enid definitely thought so, she did tell her she looked very pretty before.

“Is your name Wednesday Friday Addams?”

“Yes.”

“Are you in Los Angeles right now?”

“Yes.”

“Are you a werewolf?”

“No.”

“Good, we’re calibrated.” The man turns to Enid. “You may begin.”

Enid purses her lip and squints her eyes in what Wednesday thinks is an attempt at looking intimidating. She looks endearing in Wednesday’s eyes, in her flower patterned, orange babydoll dress.

“Wednesday, this is the first time we’ve worked together professionally. Do you think I’m a good actress?”

“Yes,” Wednesday says without hesitation.

“She’s telling the truth.”

Enid hums. “Would you say I was a delight during the filming process?”

“Sometimes.”

“True.”

Enid gasps. “I see how it is. Did you ever steal from the set?”

“Define steal.”

Enid rolls her eyes. “Take something that didn’t belong to you.”

“Perhaps.”

“True. She probably did.”

“I knew it! It was the onyx raven wasn’t it? The art department went crazy looking for it!”

“Next question.”

Enid huffs a laugh. “Okay. There have been theories online that the character of Sabine is based on you, is this true?”

There’s a pause. “No.”

“Inconclusive.”

Another hum. “Am I your best friend in the whole world?”

“Yes.”

“True.”

Enid does a little shimmy.

“You knew this,” Wednesday deadpans.

“It’s always nice to confirm,” Enid says smugly. “Do I ever annoy you?”

“Daily.”

“True.”

Enid gasps again. “Rude!” She shuffles her cards looking for a good one. “Do you tell me everything?”

Wednesday clenches her jaw. “No.”

“True.”

“What? What have you not told me?”

“Yes or no questions,” the man at the machine reminds her.

“Ugh, fine. Let’s see… oh, cute, okay, do you miss me when you’re in New York?”

These questions are turning out to be harder than Wednesday imagined. Not because she can’t lie, because she could and the machine would probably not detect it, but because she finds she doesn’t want to lie to Enid and make her feel bad.

“Yes.”

“That is true.”

“Aw, I miss you too, Wends. I’m gonna miss you so bad when you go back…”

Wednesday clears her throat and Enid seems to snap out of her melancholy.

“Um, in the movie, Blair goes back to find Sabine because she disappeared. Would you come find me if I disappeared?”

“I already did.”

“That—is true,” the man says, surprised.

“Okay, a little context, I wasn’t kidnapped or anything. I’m an Alpha werewolf and the first time I shifted after presenting I got stuck… and then I got a little lost in the Canadian wilderness.”

“And I found you.”

“Yes, Wednesday brought me back. It was… um, really heroic.”

“Not heroic. It was simply imperative.”

“True.”

Enid blinks. “Right, questions,” she says like she forgot. “Sabine and Blair seem to have some regrets, do you have any of your own?”

Just one Wednesday thinks, reminiscing about the time she had the chance to tell Enid how she felt and she didn’t.

“Yes.”

“True.”

“You do?” Enid asks in shock.

“You sound surprised.”

“Well, you’re always so sure of your actions.”

“I don’t regret the things I’ve done. I regret the things I didn’t.”

Wednesday

“Her favorite food?” The interviewer, Jenny, asks off camera.

“Roadkill pot pie.”

“Seriously?” Jenny can’t help but ask Wednesday.

“She is correct.”

“That’s another point for Enid.”

“I’m so winning this,” Enid whispers to her.

“You’ll have to beat my near perfect score.”

“I’m gonna get them all, so.”

“We’ll see.”

“What is her coffee order?” Jenny interrupts.

“Oh easy, a quad. No milk, no sugar.”

“Correct again.”

Jenny leaves a second of silence for the ‘ding’ to be added later. “First crush?”

“Ugh, a total asshole. Tyler. Not a good guy.”

“Technically correct.”

“Technically?” Enid asks bewildered.

Wednesday curses her tongue. How is she supposed to explain to Enid that technically she was crushing on her before Tyler but she didn’t realize until much later?

“No follow-up questions,” she says instead.

“Alright, Enid,” Jenny says, “what is Wednesday’s first pet’s name?”

Enid grins. “Nero.”

“She’s correct.”

“Looks like she knows you pretty well!” Jenny teases. Wednesday squints her eyes at her. “Right. Favorite animal?”

“The raven.”

Wednesday just nods.

“And last one, if you get this one you win, because Wednesday failed to know your favorite band.”

“I simply can’t be bothered to learn about her abysmal music preferences.”

“Shut up, I saw you mumbling the lyrics to Pink Venom during a break on set once.”

“I said it’s bad, not that it isn’t catchy. Like a disease.”

Jenny laughs. “Okay, here goes, Enid: Wednesday’s favorite color?”

Enid’s lets out a laugh. “Oh, that’s just mean. Hers was harder. Black. It’s black, duh.”

“It’s not.”

“What?!” Enid turns so fast she almost falls from her stool.

“It’s blue. I guess we tied.”

“It is not blue.”

Wednesday turns to look at her. “It is.”

“Okay, which blue?”

Wednesday locks eyes with her, quiet for a beat. “Light blue.”

Enid hums, unaware. “Okay, fine, I’ll believe it. We tied.”

Thursday

Wednesday kneels on the floor, her severe and slightly gothy dress and knee high socks not letting her sit in any other position. No one informed her that not only would they be letting kittens roam freely around them while shooting questions at her, they’d also be sitting on the floor. Ridiculous.

‘That’s Felix.”

“Aw, Felix!” Enid coos at the tuxedo kitten that waddles over to them.

“And this is Bella,” the handler says, pointing at a cream colored kitten from behind the camera.

“Aw, Bella!”

“And those two are siblings,” he says, pointing at two gray babies. “Luna and Louie.”

“Aw, Luna and Louie.”

The kittens seem to all flock to Wednesday for some reason, who just looks at them with a raised eyebrow. She brushes her index finger over Luna’s head when she tries to climb up her knees.

“Seriously, Wends? Don’t hog them,” Enid whines.

“It appears we’ve finally found a species immune to your charms.”

Enid blushes, glances at the cameras pointed at them on instinct. “Shut up. It’s probably cause I’m a werewolf,” she says with a pout.

The tuxedo one, Felix, starts waddling towards her.

“Or maybe they just needed a minute to warm up to you,” Wednesday says softly. “I can relate.”

Enid grins at her, cradling Felix to her chest. “Yeah, you didn’t like me at all the day we met.”

”I’d never met anyone like you. At the time, your exuberance and penchant for color was profoundly offensive to my sensibilities.”

”Not anymore, huh?” Enid asks, a little smug.

Wednesday rolls her eyes good-naturedly. “Exposure therapy has a remarkable way of altering one’s tolerance.”

Enid laughs, loud and unrestrained. One of the kittens looks up startled. “You can just say you warmed up to me, weirdo.”

Wednesday smirks, Louie swatting playfully at her wiggling fingers on his belly. “I warmed up to you.”

Enid smiles bashfully, lowering her eyes. “I mean, same here.”

Wednesday flashes her a gentle smile. They look at each other for a few seconds, hands absentmindedly petting the kittens.

“Shall we start with the questions?” Alicia, the woman next to the camera asks hesitantly, like she’s interrupting something.

“Fire away, Alicia!” Enid says.

Friday

Wednesday sits and falls back on the bed of her AirBnB. It’s barely five in the evening but this week has been more emotionally demanding than she’s used to enduring.

Tonight is the networking mixer, but Wednesday as per usual, is opting out. She’s sure Enid will be going—as she should, these things are important for people like her, who are trying to make it in such a hard industry. But she definitely has no interest in ever being involved in any project like this ever again. As soon as the movie is out and her contract as EP is over, she’s out of this town and away from all its fake, plastic people.

She’ll miss Enid dearly, of course. But distance lets Wednesday build walls, and after Enid goes back to Anya, she’s going to need them.

There’s a knock on her door. Wednesday sighs annoyed but goes to open it. Enid is standing on the other side, holding a pizza and a six-pack of beer.

“Delivery for one Miss Addams,” she says cutely.

“What are you doing here?”

Enid pouts. “Having a movie night with my best friend, what else? We had a big week, we earned it.”

“Shouldn’t you be at the mixer?”

“Oh, psh.” Enid, seeing as Wednesday is just staring in shock and not inviting her in, presses her body to Wednesday until the seer lets her through. “I’d rather spend time with you.”

Wednesday’s gaze softens as they walk to the living room.

“Enid, you saw me all week.”

“Yeah and in a couple months I won’t see you maybe for years,” she says with a pout. Her eyes actually get a little teary, which alarms Wednesday. “Ah, fuck. Don’t make me think about it. Gah.”

“I didn’t—okay. Sit.”

They find a movie to watch, and Enid cracks open a beer, offering one to Wednesday.

“I don’t usually drink.”

“I know, because you hate ‘diminishing your cognitive abilities around people’. But I’m not people. Come on, drink with me.”

Wednesday accepts the beer.

A couple drinks in, whole pizza devoured and a movie completely forgotten playing in the background, Enid puts her hand on Wednesday’s forearm and says:

“So, people are going feral online. I don’t know if you saw.”

“I didn’t. I have decided not to engage with social media ever again.”

“Probably a good idea. And I mean, just so you know, everything they say is so good.” Enid flashes her a small smile. “People love you, they ask you to never change constantly.”

“I wasn’t planning to anyway.”

“There’s like, a good amount of people that want you to choke them.”

Wednesday raises an eyebrow, interested.

“Like, sexually.”

The eyebrow drops. “How uninspired.”

“And the hype for the movie is like, huge. They say it could be a record-breaking opening weekend.”

“Good. We worked hard on it.”

“But apart from all that, I guess... hah.” Enid squeezes her forearm nervously. “The whole Wenclair thing’s still going strong. Stronger, I’d say.”

Wednesday feels like maybe she should get nervous at where the conversation is going, but the two and a half beers in her system are wrapping everything in a pleasant layer of indifference.

“That’s okay,” she says.

“Really? I mean, they’re saying really crazy stuff, like, this one girl is convinced your favorite color is light blue because it’s the color of my eyes. Can you believe that? The hoops they have to jump through to make their theories work.”

Wednesday shrugs, numb. “I don’t care, Enid.”

“Wow, okay. Okay, good. What a relief.”

“Does it bother you?”

“What? No! No, of course not.” Enid takes her forearm with her other hand now, holding her arm hostage. “There are so many worse things people could accuse me of than ‘me being secretly in love with my best friend’. That’s just—it’s silly. But it’s harmless.”

Thanks to the alcohol in her body, the pain is just a dull throb. “Yes. I agree.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to update you,” Enid shrugs. “Hey can I sleep here?”

“We’ll have to share a bed, this couch is terribly uncomfortable.”

“Love that. Sleepover! Can we cuddle?”

“If we must.”

VII.

September, 2034. Los Angeles.

The endless cycle of interviews, photoshoots, and promotional appearances gives way to an event that, like many before, Wednesday is contractually obligated to attend as both author and executive producer: the film’s first advance screening.

The screening itself might be tolerable but the red carpet before and the industry reception afterward is what’s looking to be Wednesday’s personal hell. Making small talk with executives, exchanging pleasantries with critics, posing for the cameras… she wishes she could skip it. Unfortunately, her attendance is non-negotiable.

She puts on a crisp white dress shirt, fastens it all the way to the collar and ties on a narrow black tie. She then slips on a pair of sharply tailored black high-waisted trousers and a short and fitted double-breasted blazer. To compliment the look, she wears her hair in one single braid. She looks sophisticated; powerful, but with undeniable femininity.

When she steps out of the car at the event, there’s a modest group of photographers at the entrance, waiting to take pictures at the red carpet. She sees Enid before the other woman sees her.

She’s wearing a short cobalt-blue dress made of layers of sheer tulle dusted with tiny crystals. The strapless bodice hugs her chest, while the skirt flutters around her. Her hair is meticulously mussed, tips dyed pink and blue, and her makeup is as whimsical as usual, but with an added bonus of glamour. The color of her dress makes her eyes seem even brighter.

Wednesday’s lips part in a silent sigh.

How could she ever not be in love with Enid? Of course people can see it. They should assume anyone who meets Enid falls in love with her. Wednesday can push this feeling into the depths of her being, lock it inside of a vault with her regrets and the corpse of that missed opportunity from seven years ago—she can do all that and still, nothing for the rest of her life could be as evident and inevitable as the fact that she is inescapably in love with Enid Sinclair and has been for a long time.

Having noticed her while Wednesday is having her internal revelation, Enid reaches her.

“Wow, oh my god, I mean—“ Enid clears her throat, her eyes roaming all over Wednesday’s body. “You look amazing. Wow. I already said that. Sorry, I just didn’t expect—“

Wednesday watches Enid take a deep shaky breath, her pupils dilated, probably from moving away from the flashes.

“You look beautiful, Enid.”

“Thank you. Thanks. Wow. Sorry. Um, should we take some pictures?”

“If we must.”

There are definitely less photographers than at the big red carpets, maybe even less than at the influencer events that Enid goes to from time to time. They don’t scream at them and it’s not an overwhelming affair, at least not for Enid. But Wednesday hates it from the very first second.

Her permanent deadpan even starts to turn into a frown as one of the flashes blinds her momentarily.

“You okay?” Enid asks, getting closer.

“Yes! Together please!” A photographer calls out.

Enid slips a hand around her, on her waist, but instead of looking at the cameras, she looks at Wednesday.

“As well as can be expected.”

“Is it the flashes?”

“Nothing a few hours of darkness won’t solve.”

“The trick is to find a point beyond the photographers to focus on. And blink between bursts.”

Wednesday looks up at her then and the flashes go crazy. She nods once in thanks.

About another half a minute of pictures later, they step away to let Dante have his moment. Awkwardly, they wait, sticking together while critics and industry people mingle around them. Suddenly, a voice catches Enid’s attention.

“Anya?”

The siren stops her conversation short and turns to Enid, a warm smile spreading on her pearly white teeth and her light green eyes softening at the sight of her. She’s wearing a fitted red cocktail dress that shows off her legs. Her hair is long and straight, her blunt cut bangs framing her unnerving light green eyes.

“Hi, сонце,” [sunshine] Anya says, her Slavic accent wrapping attractively around the words. “I was wondering when I’d see you.”

“What are you doing here? I mean, hi! What—?”

“I am friends with one of the Studio Executives. We play tennis together. When I heard about this advance screening I begged him to get me an invite.”

“Oh, wow, um, thank—thank you for coming.”

“Of course, Enid. I wanted to be here for you.” Anya puts a hand on her arm and lets her gaze travel down her body. “You look gorgeous.”

Enid blushes profusely. “Thank you, so do you.” Enid shuffles her feet nervously. “Oh, Anya, this is Wednesday Addams.”

Anya finally notices Wednesday, extending her hand out. “The writer! Yes, so nice to meet you.”

Wednesday looks at her hand without moving her face, and then back at her. She spins around wordlessly, expressionless, and walks off.

“Oh,” Anya says with a frown.

“Don’t even—don’t take it personal. She’s just not very friendly. At all.”

“She seemed very friendly with you on the promotional videos,” Anya teases.

Enid blushes. “Well, she’s my best friend, so…” Anya simply watches her with a little smirk, her eyebrow rising suggestively. “Oh, shut up. Should we take a picture together?”

“Yes! I would love to. For old times’ sake, huh?” Anya links arms with her to walk back to the red carpet.

“So, are you dating anyone?” Enid asks.

“Why? Are you interested?” Anya flirts. She just can’t help herself.

“Ugh, you’re impossible,” Enid says, rolling her eyes.

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding. I know your sights are set elsewhere.”

Enid squints at her. “I’m not dating and—we’re not talking about me!”

Anya sighs as they wait for their turn.

“I’m getting to know someone. She’s very special, but it’s still new.”

Enid gasps. “Who is she?”

“It’s a secret,” Anya winks. Enid pinches her side, where she’s ticklish. “Ah, stop. I’ll say she’s a musician and that’s it. I just don’t want to jinx it, Enid.”

“Aw, you really like her.”

Anya rolls her eyes, but Enid can see a blush dust her cheeks.

“Ladies! Some pictures please?” A photographer calls.

Enid and Anya slip into old habits with ease. They have posed enough times together to know exactly how to stand, how to angle themselves so both their best features are displayed. There are familiar movements; a hand at the small of Enid’s back, a laugh as she looks up at her friend. It feels like muscle memory.

At one point, Anya leans down to whisper in Enid’s ear: “she’s staring at you again.”

“Who?” Enid mumbles.

“Wednesday,” Anya says, still cheek to cheek. “You know, сонце, if she looked at me the way she looks at you, I’d have proposed years ago.”

Enid tries to hide her blush and pushes Anya away subtly. “Shut up, I hate you.”

Anya just smirks, amused, and poses for the camera.

Neither of them realize the chaos they’re going to be unleashing on the internet in twenty minutes.

From the sidelines, Wednesday indeed watches. It’s almost a self-imposed form of torture, a way to hammer the lesson into her skull that Enid is not and will never be hers. It’s borderline masochistic, but Wednesday can’t look away. At one point, Anya leans down, in what looks like a kiss to Enid’s cheek and a heat crawls up Wednesday’s neck, her bloodstream in her ears making every sound dull around her.

That’s what she saw in her vision. It’s already happening.

Wednesday spins around and walks briskly to a corner of the venue where she doesn’t have line of sight with them anymore.

The screening eventually starts, but Wednesday can’t force herself to sit and watch her deepest, darkest regret unfold on the screen. She tells Dante that she’s not feeling well, and flees the scene.

That night, she buys a plane ticket.

September, 2034. New York.

Wednesday walks into her apartment to find it exactly as she left it. The typewriter sits in the corner by the window, untouched for months, and the half written manuscript for her third Viper installment rests next to it with a paperweight on top.

Thing’s fingers tap on the dark hardwood as he walks to the couch, climbing up and looking around as speechless as Wednesday feels.

It’s strange to be here.

It was an impulsive decision, but one that Wednesday felt she needed to survive the coming storm. It’s going to be a long three weeks of critics first reactions, early reviews, studio parties, and even more interviews that Wednesday simply cannot withstand.

So she sent a very detailed and untrue email to the studio and the publicity team, claiming that some contractual obligations with her literary agent were calling her back to New York and that she would be missing until the premiere. She accepted doing written interviews through email, but she left the rest of the promotional weight for Enid, Dante and Camila.

That first day back in New York, Wednesday cleans the apartment and responds to her insane amount of emails, sending one specifically to Marge, telling her she’s going to be working on her new book again, and hopefully will have something for her soon.

On the second day, she catches Thing scrolling the apps.

[Image of Enid and Anya. From this angle it looks like Anya is kissing Enid’s cheek]

@rellorZ
fuck, they look hot. but what about Wednesday??

     @arigonzales
     @rellorZ I thought Enid and Anya broke up… I’m not okay💔

     @trirmr
     @rellorZ Maybe they’re still friends. Did you see the pictures she took with Wends? They look really cozy as well. I think Enid is just a cozy person.

     @lunarscycle
     @rellorZ im not ready to let wenclair go 😭😭

“Thing,” Wednesday says firmly.

Thing slaps himself over the screen, as if he could cover a whole iPad, and then hurries to lock it.

”Wasn’t looking at anything! Just… porn.”

Wednesday sighs, sitting on the armchair.

“I don’t care. I already expected that the internet leeches would latch onto the gossip with gusto.”

”People are sad.”

Wednesday frowns.

“Why?”

”They liked… doesn’t matter. How are you?”

“I’m always fine.”

”Right… you know, nothing is confirmed.”

“I’ve had my confirmation for a decade.”

Thing taps on his iPad again, a little dejectedly. He keeps scrolling, reading the comments of fans wondering where Wednesday is, crying over Wenclair, fighting over Sintrova—and he learns how fast the internet can make up ship names—and wildly speculating about what happened at the screening event and whether, after weeks of cute interviews, lingering glances, and undeniable chemistry, Enid and Wednesday are, in fact, nothing more than best friends.

October, 2034. Los Angeles

Enid’s phone vibrates on the kitchen counter and she rushes to pick it up, hoping it’s Wednesday.

It’s not.

“Hi, Anya.”

“Hey, сонце. I was just calling to see how you’re doing,” Anya asks gently, almost hesitant.

“I’m good. Everything’s good.”

“Yeah, that’s not what I hear.” Anya tuts softly.

“It’s just a little overwhelming. But you know how gossip works… no one will be talking about us next week.”

“I’m also calling to… apologize about that. I’m so sorry, Enid.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t consider how our pictures would look from the outside… I lean down to tell you something private and the whole world thinks we’re fucking! Чорт!” [Fuck!] She huffs, frustrated. “I have made things worse for both of us.”

Enid mulls it over, her fingernail scratching at a shallow groove worn into the kitchen bar.

“People are dumb.”

“It’s obviously not only on them, Enid. We dated for two years, of course if we make an appearance together again people would assume. I just wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s done now, it’s whatever.”

“How’s Wednesday taking it?”

Enid presses the fleshy part of her palm into her eye socket, where dark circles of stress and insomnia are visible.

“I don’t know. We haven’t talked. She’s in New York.”

“What? She just left?”

“She had some business stuff about her new book.”

“And you haven’t talked at all?”

Enid feels her throat closing with a flood of emotions. “I don’t—she’s just not answering my messages or my calls.”

“Oh, сонце…she’s probably believing the rumors. You need to tell her that we’re just friends.”

“Wednesday doesn’t care about that. We’re not—why does everyone think that we’re like, secretly in love with each other or something?” Enid says, raising her voice. “Because of a few stupid videos and clips taken out of context and ridiculously wild theories about the movie or whatever?! Come on! Give me a break!”

“Okay, but—”

“No, and, like, every one of our interactions gets scrutinized. Yes, I look at her, wow! I’m a great listener, okay?”

“I know you are.”

“And, I’m touchy! I’m super touchy when I like someone—not like, like like, just when I like them as a friend. Because that’s what she is to me!”

“Enid, breath,” Anya cuts her off abruptly.

Enid listens to her. She feels panicked in a way that’s hard to explain. It feels like when you build a house of cards and it starts to wobble and fall and you scramble to keep it upright. Whatever this feeling is, she needs Anya to believe her words.

“Enid, you’re talking to someone who dated you for two years. In all that time, I heard you talk about Wednesday more than anyone else.” Anya’s words stun her. Enid stays frozen, listening, chest heaving. “You missed her every day, you would make more time to have phone calls with her than to see me. Your face would light up when she texted you and I’d catch you staring at pictures of her longingly all the time.”

“What are you saying?”

“You never saw me the way you saw her. I could never have you the way she had you.”

Enid’s mind reels. “I never cheated on you,” she mumbles.

“I know, сонце. I’m not saying that. But a few months in I knew I wasn’t the love of your life and I was okay with that. That’s why it was easy—well, easier, to break up.”

“Anya…” Enid’s voice is barely a whisper.

“I’ve always known you were in love with someone else.”

There’s a long pause, so silent it almost sounds like the call has dropped.

“What the fuck?” Enid breathes, her head coming down to thud against the kitchen bar.

“Enid, you’re just now realizing?”

Enid is very quiet, but her mind is incredibly loud.

The revelation unfolds like a movie: every touch that felt electric to Enid, that she craved, every smirk that made her stomach flutter, every time she caught herself looking adoringly at her, every message that brightened her day, the missed calls these last few days that have left an ache unlike anything she’s ever felt. Every unexplainable feeling that she’s refused to examine for the past ten years, flashes in front of her like in a montage.

One moment she’s listening to Anya talk, and the next her entire life is rearranging itself in her head. It all crashes together at once, years of evidence solidifying into a conclusion so obvious she feels stupid for missing it. Wednesday might be her best friend, but Enid’s also in love with her. Terrifyingly so. And somehow, everyone in the world has figured it out before she did.

“Oh my god,” Enid practically wheezes, head still on the counter. She starts to hyperventilate. “What the fuck.”

“Hey, hey, breath, Боже мій,” [my god] Anya says. “You’re okay, Enid. It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not fine!” Enid yells, standing up straight with wild eyes. “This can’t be happening.”

“Enid, why are you freaking out? She’s like, totally into you. You could have a good thing here!”

“No, she’s not!” Enid starts pacing. “She’s not. She can’t be. Because there’s been so many times that—so many chances to say something. Or to do something. And she didn’t! So, she’s not in love with me, okay? But I… oh god, I am. I’m gonna throw up.”

“Enid, do I need to drive to your place?”

“No, no. I’m—“ Enid takes a deep breath. “I’m chill. Okay, I’m not chill, I’m freaking out, but you don’t need to come. I’ll be fine.”

Anya is quiet for a second. “You really had no clue…”

“No, Jesus! I would’ve never—god, Anya I’m so sorry. I promise when I was with you, I liked you!”

“I know, сонце. But you didn’t love me.”

Enid feels the room close in on her. “What am I gonna do?”

“I can’t tell you what to do, but you know what I’d do.”

“You’d tell her anyway.”

“But I’ve always been a little more reckless than you.”

Enid bites her lip, shakes her head. “No, I can’t do that. I’ll lose the best thing in my life. I can’t risk losing her friendship.”

“You really think this would ruin you two?”

“You don’t know Wednesday, she hates romance. Unwanted or unreciprocated interests are a nightmare for her. She’d stop talking to me, she’d disappear on me… she’d be gone from my life! I can’t lose her.”

“Okay, whatever you think is best.” Anya seems to hesitate before adding the next part. “But for what it’s worth, I think you’re not alone in your feelings.”

For days Enid goes back to obsessing over the theories and ‘shipping’ on social media. She watches every video, clip, interview and reel back, this time not with the eyes of a skeptic, but with the eyes of someone who knows at least one half of the speculation is true, and someone who hopes to find clues and revelations that the other half might have some reality to it as well.

What she finds is the evidence of her absolute devotion to Wednesday, plastered all over the internet, and at times, a look, or a tweet, or a clip that makes her believe for a second that she’s not alone in that devotion; a spark of hope that Wednesday might love her back.

But she can’t live in the fantasy that their fans have created for long, because the truth is that Wednesday has been MIA from her life for almost three weeks. No texts, no calls, nothing. And that’s simply not something that a person who’s in love with you does.

“Hey, dude. What’s with the… um, everything?” Yoko waves at the opened bags of Doritos, beef jerky, chocolate chip cookies, cans of soda, empty cups of coffee, box of tissues and pajama-clad Enid laying on the couch at four in the afternoon.

“Leave me alone, Yoko,” Enid mumbles.

“I will not, because as your friend I can tell that you’re spiraling, and as your roommate, this is—“ Yoko looks around again. “Come on, this is gross. Get yourself together.”

“Oh fuck off, as if you’ve never gone through a rough patch. You did the same thing when Divina broke up with you for a minute like two years ago.”

“Okay, sure, but as far as I know, no one’s broken up with you, so…”

Enid curls up into a ball.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Yoko asks worriedly, sitting on the coffee table.

“I… I have to tell you something.”

Yoko sits straighter. “Okay.”

It takes Enid a minute. “I’m in love with Wednesday.”

Yoko blinks at her and then her face falls as she understands her predicament.

“Jesus, you figured it out at the worst possible moment, dude.”

Enid sits up. “What? What do you mean ‘I figured it out’? You knew?!”

“Not all the time! Only since—like after the first interview.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Enid, are you kidding me? You’ve been ignoring the signs for years. I wasn’t going to hit you with a dose of reality until you were ready for it.”

Enid puts her head in her hands and groans. “I’m so fucking stupid.”

“It’s okay, dude.”

“No, it’s not. She’s all the way in New York not talking to me and I don’t know why.” She looks up at Yoko suddenly, horrified. “Oh my god, do you think she figured it out?”

“I don’t think it’s that.”

“It’s been almost three weeks. We’ve never gone so long without talking.”

“She’s probably just busy.” Yoko shrugs, trying to act casual. She suspects Wednesday might be keeping her distance for other reasons, but she has no proof. “And besides, you’ll see her at the premiere.”

“I don’t know what to do or how to talk to her when I see her.”

“Like you always have. Nothing's changed.”

“God, I wish that was true.”

October, 2034. New York

Three days from the premiere, Wednesday is on the phone with Claire Morrison, Head of Publicity for ‘Echoes’.

“Define obligation.”

“Don’t get cute with me, Addams. We’ve given you the weeks you needed and the film’s reception might already be suffering for it. People loved you and Enid! Couldn’t you two have your little lovers’ quarrel after the premiere?”

Wednesday’s jaw muscles jump from how hard the presses her teeth together.

“We’re not lovers, ergo, we can’t have a lovers’ quarrel.”

“Whatever, the rumor mill has been… not as favorable for us.”

“Tragic,” she deadpans.

“Uh, it sure fucking is! Since it’s your movie that you poured your blood, sweat and tears into.”

“I neither sweat nor cry.”

“Would you shut up and listen?!” Claire takes a deep breath; Wednesday can imagine her painting an LA smile on her face for the benefit of the other people in the office. “We need you to be at the premiere—no, fuck that. You have to. You have to. Legally!”

Wednesday turns her head slightly towards Thing.

“I left my butterfly knife there. And you need to pack all your stuff.”

She sighs harshly through her nose.

“I will walk the carpet for a maximum of thirty seconds and attend the screening. Anything beyond that is non-negotiable.”

“Oh-ho, no. You will participate in the cast photo too. And that, is non-negotiable.”

Wednesday grips her phone tighter. “Fine.”

After the phone call, she sits on her couch and stares at Enid’s unread messages and missed calls.

She opens their chat.

Enid

Enid: where r u???
Enid: the screening’s about to start!
Enid: I saved you a seat, be quick
Enid: Dante told me you didn’t feel well🥺 do you want me to stop by your place after the mixer?
Enid: I hope you feel better Wends 🩷🫂🩷🫂
Enid: hey you okay?
Enid: UM WTF you went back to New York??!! you could’ve told me!
Enid: when are you back?
Enid: Wednesday what the fuck talk to me
Enid: whats going on
Enid: did I do something wrong?
Enid: I’ve been trying to call you. You’re probably really busy. Please call me back when you can 🥺
Enid: i don’t understand
Enid: I was so worried something might’ve happened but I talked to someone at the studio and they told me you’ve been emailing them
Enid: I miss you
Enid: I’ll see you at the premiere right?

Wednesday feels horrible. Even though Enid might not be in love with her, she knows she cares for her a great deal and it’s clear that Wednesday has been putting Enid through the wringer these last couple weeks. Enid doesn’t deserve that.

So she types a single message.

Enid

Me: Yes, I will be there.

She locks her phone, opens her laptop, and buys a round-trip plane ticket to Los Angeles.

VIII.

October, 2034. Los Angeles

@louisa_1998
currently refreshing every social media platform like my life depends on it

@sontse777
one red carpet photo. that’s all i ask.

@fleurdelune__
if enid shows up with anya i’m deleting this app

      @ToastyEM
      @fleurdelune__ then delete. if their dating she probably will

@wolfieandcrow
remember when we used to be excited about the movie itself?

@junebug.jpg
manifestation circle for Wenclair red carpet photos

      @arigonzales
      @junebug.jpg 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

@bonesandcoffee
the fact that Wends hasn’t been in a single promo video in the last couple weeks worries me

      @ghayaf
      @bonesandcoffee she’s not gonna miss her own premiere be so for real

@vhsghostgirl
if we get a hand on the waist photo tonight i will never shut up again

@lunaslibrary
i kinda ship Sintrova

      @evelynnn__
      @lunaslibrary your gonna get smoked

@fernandaaa
does anyone know why W hasn’t been in the interviews lately???

@voidandviolets
i hope they ask them about their relationship in the red carpet interviews

     @wednesdayslawyer
     @voidandviolets WTF I hope they don’t. stop tryin to make them uncomfortable

Enid locks her phone with a groan. The fans had not dropped the topic and found another piece of gossip to obsess over, like she told Anya. They have, in fact, only gotten worse at the lack of Wednesday in the recent promotional content.

Before Enid realizes, the driver tells her they’ve arrived at the theatre. Enid thanks him and steps out of the car.

Wednesday sits in the car and considers whether the legal consequences of fleeing outweigh the pain of staying.

“Miss, you need to get out of the car, I gotta pull out,” the driver says.

Wednesday gathers every brick she can find in the depths of her mind and reinforces her walls before opening the door.

There’s a light drizzle, not enough to ruin anyone’s makeup at the moment but enough that Wednesday stays under it for a few seconds, letting the droplets cool her skin. A thunder rumbles nearby, a bigger storm is probably approaching.

But before Wednesday can enjoy it, Claire steps out, clearly annoyed with her antics and ready to babysit her.

“The last one, of course. You’d want to make an entrance,” Claire scoffs. “Go on, thirty seconds on the red carpet.”

Wednesday opens her mouth, but Claire doesn’t let her speak.

“They’ve been notified—no interviews. But as soon as you’re done, we’re doing the group pictures so don’t go anywhere!”

Wednesday nods and walks into the theatre and towards the red carpet. This time she chose a gown, as the event called for a more elevated look. The black silk flows like water over her body, fabric distressed at the hems in a way that looks purposeful. It has a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit. Beneath it, she wears black lace thigh-highs and a pair of high heels, tying the look together with a choker necklace and her hair held in a French braid.

The flashes blind her as usual but she remembers Enid’s advice, finds a point beyond the photographers and blinks between bursts. It’s brief anyway, and she steps aside despite the displeased voices of the photographers.

“Okay, let’s gather the whole group!” Claire calls. “Camila, where’s Enid?”

“She went to the bathroom, I think.”

“She couldn’t wait a damn minute?!”

“I’m here! I’m here,” Enid calls, her heels clacking against the marble floor as she walks briskly towards the group.

She wears a blush-pink gown with a corseted bodice and a sweetheart neckline. It has soft, off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves that look like spun cotton candy and a cascading train that falls behind her. Her hair remains touched by the usual pink and blue, but one side has been braided tightly against her head.

She looks… breathtaking. Wednesday feels her heart hammering in her chest at the sight.

Enid makes eye contact with her then. From across the entrance of the theatre, cast, crew and studio people talking and moving around them, photographers waiting, internet fans refreshing at home, hoping for a glimpse of them and ignorant to the seismic shift occurring between them—they lock eyes.

And for a moment, nothing else matters.

Every brick that Wednesday has stacked into her walls, demolished. Every feeling that Enid has spent years repressing, set free. Every minute they have been apart and every inch of distance they’ve put between themselves, vanishing with every one of Enid’s steps.

Enid barely knows where to look: Wednesday’s figure in that dress, the way she styled her hair in a French braid, the high slit that shows of her leg, the freckles that are completely uncovered by makeup, the lace thigh-highs that make Enid’s head spin, the dark lips… Meanwhile, Wednesday can only look into her eyes.

“Hi,” Enid says, breathless.

“Hello, Enid.”

“Ladies, please, we’re behind schedule! Come on!” Claire says, ushering them to the red carpet. “Okay Camila and Enid together over here and Dante—perfect. Wednesday, other side of Enid please. Alright you got it.” She runs out of the shot.

Wednesday feels Enid’s warmth pressed to her side and she dumbly keeps her arms to her sides, gaze straight ahead. Enid, for her part, has a lot less practice than Wednesday with the whole ‘knowing you’re in love with your best friend while being in very close proximity to her’ thing so she instinctually wraps her arm around her waist and then panics when Wednesday tenses.

She tries to pull it back, but Wednesday snaps her hand to the one on her waist and holds it there. Enid swallows thickly, nervously and when one of the photographers asks them all to get closer, Camila moves and nudges her which means she takes a wobbly step closer to Wednesday, who gets smushed to her side.

Wednesday looks up then, Enid having gained another inch over her in her higher heels, and when their eyes meet again, another burst of shutter clicks can be heard.

“Sorry,” Enid whispers.

Wednesday shakes her head. She can’t find it in herself to be displeased by the fact that Enid is pressed against her side, sharing her warmth, that she can smell her fruity perfume or that the long nails of her left hand are clawing her side.

Wednesday’s weakness will be splattered and shared all over the internet in less than fifteen minutes.

The group photos wrap up finally and the whole team is taken into the theatre proper to be seated alongside journalists, industry guests, influencers and YouTubers.

There are printed papers with their names on the chairs and Wednesday stops short when she sees hers is next to Enid’s.

It makes sense, they are best friends. It still makes her stomach flutter uncomfortably. Enid sits next to her hesitantly, like she’s shy. Wednesday notices something then, something quite peculiar.

“Where’s Anya?” She asks.

“Anya?” Enid asks. “I don’t think she was invited to this one.”

“You didn’t bring her as your plus one?”

Enid blinks at her, confused. Why would I—oh. Enid sighs. “No, I didn’t. She’s not—the rumors aren’t true. We didn’t get back together or anything. People just like to talk.”

Wednesday’s never been defibrillated but she suspects it must feel something like this. At Enid’s words, her black cold heart stops and then restarts, beating twice as fast. She knows her poker face is unparalleled, she prides herself on her ability to appear unaffected by everything around her.

But Enid’s known her for a decade. She knows her little tells.

“You thought it was true?” She asks, shocked.

“Your romantic life is none of my concern,” Wednesday says, trying to save face.

Enid huffs, thinking about what she and Yoko discussed a while back. What kind of best friends don’t talk about that?

“And why not? Huh? Why is it not your concern?”

Wednesday seems taken aback.

“I don’t—“

The lights of the theatre dim until the whole place is dark and everyone falls quiet, cutting off Wednesday’s sentence, which wasn’t going to be very eloquent anyway.

And then, after more than half a year in this hellhole, trapped in the most tortuous cycle of social engagements, working her ass off to make a good film based on a book that, in hindsight, should’ve never seen the light of day and enduring the painful longing that being in close contact with Enid had reignited in her… finally, Wednesday gets to see ‘Echoes’ in its entirety.

The first scenes unfolds, Blair finding out her childhood friend has disappeared and deciding to go back to the town she escaped when she was eighteen. She meets Deputy Marcus Price and they start the investigation, noticing that strange things are happening in town.

The vibe is eerie and tense, the framing and camera work always making you anticipate a jump-scare that is never really there when you expect it. Blair finds the cassettes and starts following the clues and the audience starts to notice that the way Sabine talked about her is not the way friends talk about each other.

The cult parts are terrifying for those with normal sensibilities and the gore starts to pick up as they approach the climax.

But there’s a moment of respite, a conversation that triggers a memory. Wednesday gets really tense in her seat, her fingers clawing at the armrests. Enid notices and with a frown and reaches down to hold Wednesday’s hand.

“You okay?” She whispers so very quietly.

Wednesday doesn’t reply. She can’t take her eyes off the screen. Enid follows her widened, intense gaze to the scene unfolding.

Blair and Sabine are in Blair’s room, where she’s packing. Sabine observes with sad eyes. She steps up to her friend, who returns the look with so much yearning. Enid and Camila really dialed it all the way up.

“I’ll miss you,” Blair says.

Sabine hugs her and says: “I’ll miss you too.”

The hug is tender and long. Intimate in a way only two people who long for each other can achieve. Blair leans back slightly and looks down at her friend, faces close, noses almost touching.

“Sabine…” Blair whispers.

Sabine stares back with the same intensity.

“Do you…?” Blair starts. Sabine’s eyes snap to her mouth, watching her lips form the words. “Did you ever…?”

“What?” Sabine’s voice is quiet, barely there.

Blair’s brow furrows in thought. She still holds Sabine close.

Wednesday remembers this moment of her life as though it were yesterday. The ghost of it still haunts her at night, the tomb refuses to close, the corpse of that possibility follows like a shadow.

“I just—I think maybe we could’ve…” Blair says on screen, gaze fixed on Sabine’s lips.

Wednesday remembers the way her heartbeat had quickened with the knowledge that something monumental was happening and that a choice had to be made.

She remembers wishing she had been a different person. She remembers wishing she had kissed Enid. She remembers wishing she had asked Enid to come with her.

But alas, she hadn’t and the opportunity slipped away.

It is at this point too, that a different realization takes place in the seat next to her. Like the moment where the radio station finally tunes in through the static, or like when you finally are able to see the image in a Magic Eye picture.

It clicks to Enid then, when exactly she heard these identical words, when she felt that feeling of vertigo as if she was about to jump from a great height. A memory that she’d buried deep with many years of denial.

“Blair, you need to finish your thoughts, because I can't piece them together,” Sabine says on the screen.

Wednesday can’t watch anymore.

She stands, snatches her hand back from where Enid was still holding it, and walks out of the auditorium.

Enid watches her go, eyes wide and mouth agape. She was not alone in that room at Nevermore when this moment in time took place. Wednesday was there too, in her arms, looking at her just as longingly as Sabine looks at Blair.

Wednesday wrote this. She wrote it in a book that as she has said many times in interviews, is very personal to her. This is her favorite scene. Sabine is based on her. She walked out as Sabine and Blair’s biggest regret played out on screen, just like she had walked after the rumor of Anya and Enid spread.

Enid’s mind reels.

And in the theatre’s lobby, Wednesday storms off.

She’s done with this. Done with the weakness that this project awakened in her. Done with the questions and looks, the touches and the intimacy that Enid injected in every one of their interactions. Done with LA. Done with this industry.

‘Echoes’ should have never been made. Hell, the book should have never been published in the first place.

Why did she do this?

Why has she taken the single greatest regret of her life and projected it on the silver screen for anyone to see? And why has she allowed, for the past seven years, one single moment to leave such a permanent mark?

Why is she still walking around with a ghost and a tomb and a corpse like she enjoys their company?

Why can’t she stop loving Enid Sinclair?

She pushes the theatre door open, stepping outside and into the pouring rain.

It seems the storm did arrive.

The water soaks her dress, making it cling to her skin. Her bangs stick to her forehead and her braid becomes slightly undone. She tilts her head up, wishing the downpour could cleanse her of this disease that has plagued her.

Love. What an insidious thing.

For some reason and despite her better judgement, her heart insists on feeling and feeling and feeling until she wants to extirpate the damn thing out like a surgeon.

It exhausts her. Wednesday Addams was never meant to feel this much.

“Wednesday!”

Wednesday turns to find Enid running up to her, water immediately plastering the delicate cotton-candy fabric to her skin and drenching her locks of platinum hair, making them drip droplets down her neck and shoulders.

“What are you doing? Are you insane?” Enid asks.

“Enid, go back inside,” Wednesday says, turning to leave.

Enid stops her with a hand on her arm.

“Stop! What are you doing? Why are you leaving?”

Wednesday observes her, rivulets of water falling down her temple, thick droplets sticking to her long eyelashes.

“I find myself unable to continue this.”

“What—the movie?”

“Everything.”

“So you’re leaving? Again?” Enid asks, angrily. “No explanation for me. Your best friend.”

That title again—it feels like a stab to the heart. Wednesday releases her arm from Enid’s clutch.

“I apologize. I thought I could endure it, Enid. It seems I can’t.” And she turns to leave, taking the first steps away from Enid.

“I know what that scene is!” Enid calls out in a panic. Wednesday stops. “I remembered why it felt so familiar, why Blair resonated with me.”

Thoughts scrambling to find the meaning behind Enid’s words, Wednesday stays put. She hears Enid’s heels clacking closer until she feels her warmth behind her.

“I was so stupid. It was right there on the text all along. The words we said to each other and the words we—“ Enid hesitates. “That maybe we didn’t say. That I didn’t say, at least.”

Wednesday turns around. Enid looks extremely nervous.

“I just realized. Just now, watching that scene next to you. I listened to the words from my own mouth echoing back to me and I remembered when I heard them before.”

“At Nevermore,” Wednesday admits, finally.

“Yeah. And—so, you left the theatre and I don’t know why. Why would it affect you so much? Why did you leave for New York after the first screening? Why does this story mean so much to you and why are Blair and Sabine like… in love.”

Wednesday watches a droplet of rain water cling to Enid’s bottom lip. She ponders what to say to Enid and arrives at the same conclusion as before: she’s exhausted.

So she just sighs and says: “After all this time, you genuinely don’t know?”

Enid’s breath catches in her throat. She takes a step closer, looking down at Wednesday with eyes filled with emotion.

“Maybe you can still tell me what you didn’t say then, at Nevermore,” she says quietly, almost drowned by the sound of the rain.

Wednesday tightens her fists, feeling the cold water run down her shoulders to die at her knuckles. She shakes her head.

“I… I don’t think I can do that, Enid.”

Enid doesn’t want to accept that. A surge of boldness possesses her, one that has more to do with momentary insanity and not having spent years suffering in silence, than with bravery. She raises a hand to hold Wednesday’s cheek and feels Wednesday tense.

Her thumb comes to rub against Wednesday's bottom lip, sliding and catching on the flesh. Wednesday stops breathing.

“That’s okay. It’s my turn anyway,” Enid says. And then she leans in and presses their lips together.

Wednesday stands frozen for several heartbeats before responding. Their first kiss is so gentle, so very tentative, as if neither of them is sure the other won’t bolt at any second. But then Enid kisses a little harder, steps into Wednesday’s body until their chests are pressed together, catching the rain drops like a cradle.

Wednesday’s hand finds the back of Enid’s neck and they separate for an instant. They look at each other, panting slightly and speechless, noses bumping and gazes focused on each other’s mouths.

The second kiss is a lot more desperate. Years of repression begin to fade away as the rain hits the pavement around them. Their mouths become bolder, hungrier. Wednesday parts her lips and Enid doesn’t hesitate to follow, her stomach flipping when she feels Wednesday’s tongue against her own.

How could they have waited so long to do this? Enid can’t believe the time they wasted. For seven years she could’ve had this, she could’ve felt this fire inside her, this overwhelming love and devotion. She wants to worship Wednesday. She wants to kiss her for the rest of her life.

Enid slips her other hand around her waist, pressing their bodies even closer together, and kisses Wednesday with so much passion and desperation, the seer lets out a whimper from the back of her throat.

Wednesday breaks the kiss and Enid tries to chase her lips.

“Enid,” Wednesday rasps, breathless, holding the side of her neck. “There’s photographers nearby.”

“What?” Enid asks, confused why that matters when the only thing she can think of right now is kissing Wednesday again.

“The movie’s about to end and they’ll be out here soon.”

Enid lands back on planet Earth, remembering where she is. She notices their state, their soaked dresses and makeup starting to run.

“Come on, let’s get out of the rain,” Enid says, pulling her along to somewhere they can dry off.

The Uber driver is pissed and he will probably give Enid a terrible rating because they are leaving puddles on the backseat of his car, but Enid can’t really find it in herself to care.

She holds Wednesday’s hand the whole way to her apartment, her heart drumming in her chest with all the things they still need to talk about. She is nervous in a way she has never been before. But Wednesday kissed her back. For now, she holds onto that fact like a lifeline.

Wednesday, at her side, is feeling much the same. She sits rigidly, acutely aware of Enid’s hand in hers. She tries not to get her hopes up, because for ten years she was convinced she didn’t get to have this. And by all accounts, she should be uneasy, because so much is still left unsaid. But she can’t stop fixating on the fact that Enid kissed her. Enid kissed her and is still holding her hand as though she has no intention of letting go.

Enid’s apartment is dark and quiet, Yoko being out for the weekend on a work trip that she lamented, because she had to miss the premiere.

Enid turns on just a couple lights and walks them to the laundry room. They start undressing quietly. It’s impossible for them to avoid glancing at each other; the curve of Wednesday’s waist and the plane of her stomach fascinates Enid, while Wednesday’s eyes can’t help but stray to Enid’s chest, where a constellation of freckles frame the soft curve of her bra-clad breasts.

It’s been a long time since they changed in front of each other, and back at Nevermore there wasn’t this tension in the air around them. They catch each other’s eyes after Enid closes the washing machine and a nervous chuckle bubbles out of Enid’s throat, making Wednesday’s mouth twitch in a smile.

Enid steps closer, puts a hand on Wednesday’s side. The seer parts her lips in a silent gasp. Enid leans in for a kiss but stops just short of connecting their lips, a question in her eyes. Wednesday nods.

They share a gentle kiss in their underwear, with the sounds of the washing machine as background and the lightbulb flickering above them. It’s not long, but it’s sweet and tender, soothing their nerves more than any word could.

“We must talk,” Wednesday says against her lips.

“Yeah,” Enid agrees. “Let's find some clothes.”

They sit on the couch, facing each other. However, Enid’s eyes are fixed on the couch cushion, unable to look at Wednesday now that there’s nothing else left to do but come clean.

“Enid, before I say another word I must ask: why did you kiss me?”

Enid’s heart skips a beat at the direct question.

“Well, hah, funny story,” she starts, eyes darting to Wednesday every once in a while. “I was really upset when you left without telling me. Really upset. To the point where people started reaching out to me.”

“I apologize for the discomfort I caused. I was… having a hard time as well.”

“Thank you, I—it’s okay. I didn’t get it at first, but I think maybe I do, now?” Enid shakes her head. “That’s not my point. The thing is during those weeks Anya called me to talk about the rumors online.”

Wednesday’s spine goes taught at the mention of the model. Enid notices.

“Which weren’t true! We never got back together, we just took some dumb pictures together and one of them was misconstrued because she wasn’t kissing me! Actually, she was talking to me about you!”

“You talked to the siren about me?”

“Yes! And apparently, I did that all the time too. Which—okay, uh, I’m gonna sound like a horrible girlfriend so bear with me.” Enid scrunches up her face in embarrassment. “Anya told me that during the two years we dated, all I could talk about was you. That I was more excited to have a phone call with you than to see her.”

Wednesday swallows. “You… were?”

Enid shrugs. She reaches tentatively and curls her fingers around Wednesday’s pinky.

“I’ve been… super blind, Wednesday. It’s actually so embarrassing.” Her cheeks start to flush. “Seven dumb years of missing you and agonizing about the distance, wanting to hug you and hold you, wondering when you’d finally drop me or when you’d get tired of me needing you.”

“Never,” Wednesday interrupts. “That’d never happen.”

Enid smiles. “That’s what you said, too. That day, before we left Nevermore.”

“It still rings true.”

“I wish I’d known then.”

“Known what?”

“That I love you. That I’m in love with you.”

Wednesday gets really still, really quiet, observing her intensely. She’s dreamed of this moment for so long that she wonders if she’s misunderstanding Enid. Years ago, she made peace with the idea that it would never happen so if for some reason it turns out not to be real, she’s not sure she’ll survive it. She needs reassurance.

“Are you certain?” She asks, her voice barely breaking the silence.

Enid nods.

But that’s not enough for Wednesday, who’s barely holding on to her composure.

”Without a shadow of a doubt?”

Enid smiles crookedly at the clear signs of Wednesday’s nervousness.

”I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Wends.”

That is enough; Wednesday can’t keep it any longer. She takes a sharp breath in and says:

“Me too. I’m in love with you. I’ve been for the past seven years—probably more.”

Enid’s stomach flutters with butterflies, her cheeks and neck tingling from the rush of blood.

“That—that long?”

“Yes.”

“You never said anything.”

“I missed my chance.”

“There were always new chances, Wednesday. I would’ve—I would’ve—“

“I never wanted to put you in an uncomfortable position, Enid. We are best friends.”

“Wednesday, no—“ she scoots closer to the seer, wraps her arm around her back, cradling her cheek with the other hand. Wednesday melts into the embrace. “I might’ve not been aware, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been in love with you since Nevermore too. I would’ve reciprocated, always.”

Wednesday rubs her cheek on her hand. “Is it too late now?” She asks.

“God, no. Of course it’s not. Are you kidding?” Enid rubs her bottom lip like she did under the rain. “I love you. I want to be with you. I want you to be mine.”

Wednesday rushes forward to kiss her, stealing the air from her lungs like she should’ve done at Nevermore. They kiss deeply and passionately, until it turns wet and messy. Wednesday pulls back, eyes dark and hungry.

“Yes.”

“What?”

“I’m yours.”

Enid nods.

“In every way imaginable. I want to be yours, always.”

Enid keeps on nodding, pushing forward to kiss Wednesday desperately and let her hands slip underneath her t-shirt and roam over curves and planes. They undress each other clumsily, eagerly, Enid giggling when her t-shirt gets caught in her ear.

Wednesday sighs into her neck as they lay naked and Enid mouths at her pulse point.

A ghost, a tomb and a corpse take their leave finally as Enid’s hands bring Wednesday to heights she had convinced herself were beyond her reach. But more than that, those hands bring her a sense of completion, of finally getting things right.

For the first time, that chapter closes with a satisfactory ending. For the first time, Wednesday doesn’t look back and wonder what might have been.

END CREDITS

“That was Claire.” Wednesday says, putting her phone down. “The first audience reactions are in.”

“And?”

“Apparently, the film’s reception has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“Really?”

“According to the latest tracking, ‘Echoes’ may be headed for a record-breaking second weekend.”

“Oh my god, Wends!” Enid throws her arms over her shoulders, flashing her a blinding smile. “Congrats.”

“This project is as much yours as it is mine.”

Enid shrugs. “Yeah, but I feel like I've already won.”

Enid kisses her slowly and deeply, still in awe of how much she can feel from a single kiss, and how much time she wasted denying herself this.

“So, I have news too,” Enid says, breaking the kiss.

Wednesday hums.

“I sent my audition tape for a role in a new tv show. They reached back and they—well, I got it. They saw ‘Echoes’ and they think I’m perfect for the role.”

Wednesday’s eyes go soft, the corner of her mouth ticking upward.

“Congratulations, Enid. You deserve it.”

Enid’s eyes sparkle, a blush kissing her cheeks. “Thanks, Wends. But… you don’t know the best part yet.”

“And what is that?”

Enid bites the tip of her tongue coyly. “It films in New York.”

Wednesday’s eyes widen, intense and searching, like she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“My apartment is big enough for two,” Wednesday says.

Enid gasps. “You want me to move in? We’ve only been dating for a week.”

“Enid. I’ve been waiting for you for seven years.”

Enid laughs softly, her heart so full it feels like it might burst. She rests her forehead against Wednesday’s.

“Yeah, okay. I’m in.”

[An Instagram photo on Enid’s account. Enid hugs Wednesday from behind, burying her face in her neck. Wednesday looks at the camera in a deadpan, but her fingers are intertwined with Enid’s on her stomach.]
Caption: Finally got it right @wfaddams 🖤 🩷#softlaunch #TheInternetWasRight #MyFavoritePerson

@camireyes
beautiful ladies 💕

@dantesalazar
I’m not gonna say called it but… #calledit

@yokotanaka
congrats bbs ABOUT FUCJING TIME

@arigonzales
not to be parasocial but you guys just saved my life 🙂

@mikeyh
WE WON

@ToastyEM
their probably just together as a PR stunt for the movie

     @anchovita
     @ToastyEM Dude can you STOP being a hater for one day? I see you hating everywhere istg

@satry97
I used to dream of days like this. Idk what to do with all this happiness

@rubenjl33
congrats omg you two will make beautiful babies😍

@lunarscycle
look at that hashtag! 🫪🫪 i can’t believe all the theories were right

      @friendofthemoon
      @lunarscycle I KNOW im gonna need that 3 part documentary about everything that went down

      @siriAmher
      @friendofthemoon dude I would pay BIG MONEY for that

Enid locks her phone with a chuckle.