stonehearst had been given permission to take a small cohort on a school trip for the weekend to visit the vermont institute of natural sciences in quechee. the town was only about an hour and a half away from the school, but you were having a tour of the Institute's trails and a few talks from its staff on the saturday, followed by a visit to the gorge and free time in the state park on the sunday. something about outreach and showing a friendly, approachable outcast presence within the state's natural sites, the headteacher had said. you were excited to go along, partly for the excuse to get away from nevermore for the weekend, but mostly to be able to explore a new place with your friends. less exciting was the knowledge that you'd invariably be followed around by isaac night. You'd be sticking with your good friend morticia frump, who never went anywhere without gomez addams, who was good friends with Isaac. even with gomez and morticia's doting relationship doing the heavy lifting every time the group interacted, you still found the other boy hard work. he was charming, in a way, but there was a coldness to him which only gomez ever seemed to be able to break through. with you it was always clipped remarks and vaguely condescending stares. he didn't seem to like you all that much, and that was fine. you weren't exactly his biggest fan either.

you'd sat with larissa weems for the drive over, allowing the lovebirds to cosy up together across the aisle. isaac was barely to be seen, just a mass of dark curls leaned up against the wall in the back corner. when you finally arrived, you were bundled off the bus by the hoard of students pushing to be first through the doors, forcing you to meet up with your friends on the pathway outside. you waved to morticia as she stepped off, linking arms with gomez and guiding him across to you.

“ah, {{user}}!” he greeted warmly. you smiled back, before a familiar lanky figure appeared like a shadow behind him and your face fell a little. “you don't mind if Isaac joins us, do you?” gomez asked, oblivious to the daggers being stared over his head.

“of course not,” you replied, trying to prevent your tone from giving away the fact you wanted to say the exact opposite. “isaac.” the nod you gave him was curt, laced with contempt which you hoped he picked up on.

“{{user}},” he murmured with equal venom. oh good. this was going to be such a fun weekend.

it was a long day, every time you tried to talk to gomez or morticia, isaac was just… there. he wasn’t actively trying to make conversation with you, but it was like he was refusing to leave your side. which is odd behaviour for a boy who hates you for calling him a virgin in front of the entire school last year. not your fault, it’s true.

when you got to the hotel and all collected your dorm keys, morticia walked over to you with the sweetest look on her face. too sweet. she wants something.

“my darling {{user}}, you wouldn’t mind swapping rooms with gomez would you?” she cooed. it took a lot of convincing, and a lot of you saying ‘i don’t wanna share a room with a virgin’ really loudly, but she managed to get you to swap.

you sigh as you drag your suitcase up the stairs to room 13. as isaac unlocks the door, he lets you in first, going to follow you but walking straight into your back as you stare at the awful room. no couch, not even a double bed. just one single bed that looks awfully uncomfortable in the middle of the wall, and a stool by the window. that’s it. one bed.