𝓓𝓸 𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓮 ❣︎ 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓼

𝓢𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔𝓢 𝓞𝓝𝓔 ❣︎ 13

"That was a distaster! The mayor is furious! I've lost count of the angry phone calls, emails and people in the town, alumni and parents! They want answers and so do I!"

They were back at Nevermore. As of now, Ember was sitting in Weems' office, whilst she watched the angry principal pace and shout, ending up in her face.

"I would lead the inquisition, but I left my thumbscrews and rack at home," she decided to say, though in hindsight, it wasn't the most tactful of remarks.

Weems, meanwhile, had her index finger up, snarling. "Miss Addams... you're already on thin ice. Wafer thin ice!"

"I swear on my late spider's soul, my hands are clean," Ember said, and she wasn't technically lying. It was Thing who had lit the match, and soaked the fuse in gasoline.

This didn't cut it for Weems, though. "I may not have hard evidence, but I see you," She spat. "You're a trouble magnet."

"If trouble means standing up to lies, decades of discrimination, centuries of treating outcasts like second class citizens, or worse... then yes. I'm a trouble magnet," Ember said, getting up from her seat and walking towards Weems, staring hardly up at her. "If not, I prefer torture."

This confused the principle. "What are you talking about?"

"Jericho," Ember said quickly. "Why does this town even have an Outreach Day? Do you know its real history with outcasts? The actual tale of Joseph Crackstone?"

Weems looked down, guilt momentarily flashing across her face. "I do," she finally said. "To an extent."

"Then why play a part in covering it up?" Ember asked, angry now. "The whole reason for remembering history is so it can't be repeated."

Weems thought about this. "That's where you and I differ. Where you see doom, I see opportunity. Maybe this is a chance to rewrite the wrongs, to start a new chapter in the normie-outcast relations."

"I find it impossible to think that you believe that anything has changed since Crackstone. They still hate us," Ember told her principal. "Only now they try to sugarcoat it, whilst then, it was on the outside. If you're unwilling to fight for the truth-"

"You don't think I want the truth?" Weems was right up in her face, leering over her and snarling. "Of course I do! But the world isn't always black and white, there are shades of grey!"

"Maybe for you," Ember said. "But I like to add a shade of red. It's either they write our story or we do. You can't have it both ways."

Weems looked shocked and disgusted. "You're exhausting," she told Ember.

"I wondered when you would realise," the girl replied, making Weems' eyes swell.

Then the principal lowered her head, letting out a heavy sigh. "Goodnight, Miss Addams," she said firmly, looking back up.

Ember went to leave without word.

"But you should know," Weems stopped her in her tracks, making her turn round. The principal stood with a sick smirk on her face. "I don't tire easily."

Ember looked at her. "Neither do I."

And this time, she was leaving. No one was stopping her.

❣︎❣︎❣︎

"Too much?"

As Ember sat at her desk writing on the typewriter, Enid was busy choosing outfits. Ajax had said yes to her invitation of a date (as she had spent at least fifteen minutes telling Ember this when the girl had first appeared in their dorm) and now she needed something to wear to it. Right now, she had a bright pink beret on, matching lipstick and a pink jumper with a red tank jumper on top. She was holding up a blue, yellow and pink crop top, asking whether she should put it on.