1, First Bell

Ari Sinclair had never been the kind of girl to sit still. If there was a tree to climb, she was already halfway up it. If there was a locked door, she was probably figuring out how to pick it. And if there was trouble, well... trouble usually found her before she could even go looking.

Being the younger sister of Enid Sinclair meant two things: first, Everyone expected Ari to be as sweet, friendly, and sunshine-bright as her older sister. And second, she was always underestimated by everyone.

The truth? Ari had a bit more bite than fluff. Sure, she could charm her way through a conversation and smile like she didn't have a care in the world, but she had claws, literally and metaphorically, and she wasn't afraid to use them when something (or someone) messed with the people she cared about.

It was the first day back at Nevermore, and the courtyard was buzzing with students. Upperclassmen clustered with their friends, new students dragged their luggage across cobblestone paths, and Ari leaned against the fountain in the center, her wolf-shaped silver necklace catching in the sunlight.

Enid was already off with Wednesday, talking about summer adventures (or, in Wednesday's case, likely listing all the ways she avoided human interaction). Her friends were already telling stories too she was not in mood to listen about. They knew and they didn't mind.

Ari didn't mind being left alone; she liked watching the new arrivals. Every year, it was the same parade of awkward faces and nervous glances.

this time, there was someone new who caught her attention.

A boy was wandering along the edge of the courtyard, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a slightly lost look in his eyes. His dark hair fell into his face, and every few steps he glanced around like he was trying to spot a familiar landmark, or maybe a familiar face, and finding neither.

He didn't look scared. Just... alone.

Something about that caught Ari's attention. Most new kids at Nevermore tried to latch onto a group right away, fake-smiling their way into conversation. This boy didn't even seem to be trying. He was in the middle of a sea of people and still looked like he was miles away.

When he passed close enough, their eyes met.It lasted only a second, but Ari caught it

She didn't know who he was yet.But she had the feeling she'd be finding out soon.

———-

By the time Ari made it back to her dorm, the sun had dipped lower, throwing long shadows through the tall windows. Her room already smelled faintly of lavender and paint which meant Gia had been unpacking.

Gia was perched cross-legged on her bed, a half-finished sketch of an intricate gear system spread out in front of her. As a da Vinci student, Gia had a knack for building things that either amazed everyone or nearly exploded. Sometimes both. Her dark curls were piled on top of her head in a messy bun, pencil tucked behind her ear.

"You took your time," Gia said without looking up. "Did you get lost again, or were you just distracting yourself with courtyard people-watching?"

Ari smirked and flopped onto her own bed. "Neither. Saw someone new."

That got Gia's attention. She glanced up, brown eyes sharp with curiosity. "Ooh, already scouting? Who is it?"

Before Ari could answer, the door opened and Liam strolled in like he owned the place. Tall, with messy red hair and an easy grin, Liam had a habit of dropping by uninvited. Oh, the vampires.

"I heard there's fresh meat," Liam announced, leaning against the wall. "Who are we talking about?"

Ari rolled onto her side. "Dark hair. Striped sweater. Looked like he accidentally wandered into the wrong school and didn't have the guts to ask for directions."

"Sounds pathetic," Liam said, grinning. "I like him already."

"He wasn't pathetic," Ari argued, sitting up. "Just... looked alone. You know? Like he didn't really care if anyone came over or not."

Gia tilted her head. "Alone alone? Or Wednesday Addams alone?"

Ari shrugged. "No idea. But I'm gonna find out."

Liam groaned. "Great. Ari's found her next project."

"It's not a project," Ari said with a grin, "it's... curiosity."

"Mm-hm," Gia said, smirking. "That's what you said about helping me build that steam-powered coffee machine. And we both remember how that ended."

Liam laughed. "Yeah. The fire alarm loved that one."

Ari just smiled to herself, already picturing that quiet boy's face. She didn't know his name yet, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be wondering for long.

————-

Ari didn't know what to do. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about that guy. She had no idea who he was or what kind of person he was but she could tell that he was not like other students at school. He seemed more.. lonely.

She hated seeing people lonely.

When Ari Sinclair saw people lonely, she felt bad. She tried her hard to not make them feel like that. The reason? She knew how it felt to be lonely. The feeling started getting too deep this summer. Her and her sister both used to be werewolves who still haven't wolfed out but last year that changed.

Now that she had wolfed out, their parents focused on Ari. Not that kind of focus when they are trying to give attention to their child. They became monsters. Well not her father. He was pretty chill about that. Kinda. But her mother?

She did everything she could to help her daughter to finally wolf out. She sent her to camps where they helped her while Enid was at camp with her pack. Ari wasn't jealous. She was happy for her sister but still she felt like an actual outcast in her own family who were outcasts themselves.

She kept asking herself how was that possible.

Enid changed a lot during summer. She wasn't the same girl she used be since the day she wolfed out. Ari understood that her sister finally felt belonged but did that mean she had to make Ari feel like different?

Ari sat in class with Agnes. A girl she always got along with . The invisible girl. When Ari was not Liam and Gia, she was with Agnes. When Agnes was not with her friends, she was with Ari. Two girls understood each other and got along pretty well. Ari felt invisible and Agnes was invisible.

"Would you hate me if I almost murdered your sister?" Agnes asked her like she was actually about to do that.

Ari was confused. "What?" She asked like she didn't hear her right the first time.

"You heard me. Don't make me say it again." Agnes said.

Ari blinked at her, leaning back in her chair. "Okay... that's not exactly the kind of thing you open with on a Monday morning."

"Why are you asking?"

Agnes shrugged, the shimmer of her disappearing hand flickering in and out on the desk. "Just asking."

"That's not a just asking question," Ari said, leaning in. "What did Enid do to you?"

Agnes sighed, flicking her pencil between her fingers. "She didn't do anything to me. She's just... too happy."

Ari tilted her head. "That's a crime now?"

"In my book, it's suspicious," Agnes muttered. "No one is that cheerful all the time unless they're hiding something. Either that or she's secretly drinking twelve cups of coffee a day."

Ari rolled her eyes but couldn't help smirking. "She's not hiding anything. She just... had a good summer."

Agnes gave her a long, knowing look. "You didn't."

The words hit a little harder than Ari expected, but she covered it with a laugh. "Thanks for pointing that out, Agnes. Super uplifting."

Agnes shrugged again, but her tone softened. "I'm just saying... maybe you should make sure you have a good school year to make up for it. Start with finding out who your mysterious courtyard boy is."

Ari froze for a split second. "How do you—"

"You've been staring at the door every time someone walks past," Agnes said, smirking. "You're not exactly subtle."

Ari groaned and slouched in her chair. "Fine. If I happen to run into him, I'll talk to him."

"You won't 'happen to,'" Agnes said. "You'll make it happen. That's who you are, Ari."

And the worst part? Agnes was right.

Ari was mid-eye-roll at something Agnes had said when the classroom door opened.

Eugene stepped in first, smiling at Ari like a lost puppy. Right behind him was him — the boy from the courtyard. Same dark hair, same slightly lost expression, though now it was mixed with mild curiosity as his gaze swept the room.

Agnes didn't even have to nudge her. "Bingo," she whispered.

Eugene spotted Ari and waved. "Hey, Ari! Oh — you haven't met him yet, right?" He turned to the boy. "This is Ari Sinclair. Ari, this is Pugsley Addams. Wednesday's brother."

Pugsley shifted his bag on his shoulder. "Uh, hi."

Ari grinned. "So you're the one wandering around the courtyard like you were about to ask for a map." She teased.

Pugsley's mouth twitched into the faintest smile. "I was not lost."

"You were totally lost," Eugene said helpfully, already sliding into a seat.

Pugsley shot him a look, then turned back to Ari. "I was... exploring."

"Exploring's more fun with a guide," Ari said casually, twirling her pencil between her fingers. "Lucky for you, I happen to be an expert at not getting lost."

Agnes snorted under her breath.

Pugsley studied her for a second, like he was trying to figure out if she was messing with him. Then that tiny smile returned. "Maybe I'll take you up on that."

Ari wasn't sure why her stomach did a weird little flip at that but she knew one thing. This school year was definitely going to be interesting.

Meanwhile Pugsley's grin widened. He couldn't believe it. He made his first true friend.

——————-

A/N

So here it is the first chapter

Hope you enjoyed

I don't really like how the first conversation went but that's okay because I am too lazy to rewrite it