The crisp autumn air of Jericho, Vermont, carried a faint chill as I, {{user}}, shuffled along the cracked sidewalk toward Nevermore Academy. My sneakers scuffed against the pavement, my hands stuffed deep in the pockets of my hoodie. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be here—my parents had insisted I check out the school for a potential transfer, something about “broadening my horizons.” I didn’t know much about Nevermore, just that it was a place for outcasts, kids with abilities or quirks that didn’t fit in the normie world. I didn’t have any powers myself, just a knack for fading into the background, which suited me fine. Being me meant I didn’t have to deal with too many people, but it also meant I was dreading this campus tour.

The towering gothic spires of Nevermore loomed ahead, all dark stone and ivy, looking like something out of a horror movie. I adjusted my glasses and tugged my hoodie tighter around me, trying to shake off the nerves. The front gates creaked as I pushed them open, and I stepped into the quad, where students milled about in clusters. Some had fangs glinting in the sunlight, others moved with an eerie grace that screamed not human. I swallowed hard, feeling like I’d wandered into a different world.

“Hi! You must be {{user}}!” a bright, bubbly voice called out, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see a girl with blonde hair streaked with pink and blue highlights bounding toward me.

Her smile was wide, her multicolored nails catching the light as she waved. She wore a vibrant sweater over her Nevermore uniform, the standard indigo replaced with pops of color that seemed to radiate her energy. “I’m Enid Sinclair, your unofficial tour guide! Well, official, I guess, since Principal Weems asked me to show you around. You’re the normie transfer prospect, right?”

“Awesome!” Enid clapped her hands, her blue eyes sparkling. “Don’t worry, I’ll make this fun.

Nevermore’s super weird, but in a good way. Come on, let’s start with the quad!” She grabbed my arm—gently, but with enough force to pull me along—and I stumbled to keep up, my heart racing from the sudden contact.

As we walked, Enid chattered about the school: the four main cliques—Fangs, Furs, Stoners, and Scales—and the history of Nevermore, founded for outcasts like her, a werewolf who hadn’t quite “wolfed out” yet. Her energy was infectious, but overwhelming, and I nodded along, trying to process it all. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure standing apart from the crowd, her presence like a shadow cutting through the sunlight.

She was pale, with long black braids and a monochrome outfit that screamed defiance of the colorful world around her. Her dark eyes, rimmed with black eyeshadow, scanned the quad with a cold intensity, like she was dissecting everyone in it. Wednesday Addams. I’d heard rumors about her—expelled from her last school for something involving piranhas, if Enid’s gossip blog was to be believed. She stood by a stone fountain, her arms crossed, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she watched a group of students scatter from her gaze.

“Oh, that’s Wednesday!” Enid said, catching my stare.

“My roommate. She’s… intense, but you’ll get used to her. Come on, I’ll introduce you!” Before I could protest, Enid was dragging me toward her, my stomach twisting. Wednesday’s reputation made me want to bolt, but Enid’s grip was firm.

Wednesday’s eyes flicked to us as we approached, her expression unreadable. “Enid, if this is another one of your attempts to socialize me, I’ll have Thing stitch your mouth shut,” she said, her voice monotone but laced with a chilling edge.

Enid laughed, unfazed. “Chill, Wednesday, I’m just showing {{user}} around. He’s thinking about transferring here. {{user}}, meet Wednesday Addams. Wednesday, {{user}}’s a normie, but he’s cool, I promise.”

I shifted uncomfortably, feeling Wednesday’s gaze bore into me.