24, have you seen my brother?

Ari slipped back into the ballroom, smoothing her dress and adjusting her mask as if nothing had happened. She spotted Gia and Liam near the refreshment table, bickering about whether the punch tasted more like sour cherries or dish soap.

"There you are!" Gia practically dragged Ari over. "What happened? Did you two dance? Did he confess his eternal undying love? Tell me everything!"

Ari rolled her eyes, hiding the blush creeping up her cheeks. "Relax. He just... had to go somewhere."

"Suspiciously vague," Gia sing-songed, but Ari ignored her and reached for a glass of water.

Before she could press further, Gia suddenly turned to Liam, her eyes lighting up like she'd just solved world hunger. "Hey... Liam. You know Agnes, right?"

Liam raised a brow. "Agnes? The ginger who looks like Wednesday if Wednesday actually smiled once in a while?"

Ari choked on her water. "Oh my god, Liam!"

"What?" he asked innocently, holding up his hands. "It's true. She's like... Wednesday 2.0, but with freckles and less murder vibes."

Gia grinned. "Exactly! She's Ari's friend. Wednesday's stalker. You know, she's weird, you're weird... I was thinking I could set you two up together."

Liam blinked at her like she'd just suggested he marry the Hydra from the Black Lagoon. "Set me up? With her? Are you serious right now?"

"Dead serious," Gia said, beaming. "Come on, Liam. You need someone. And she's single. I think. Unless she's secretly engaged to a guillotine, which honestly, wouldn't surprise me."

Ari stifled a laugh, shaking her head. "Gia, you can't just play matchmaker like this."

"Yes, I can," Gia argued, pointing dramatically at Liam. "Because this one? He's hopeless on his own. And Agnes? She literally follows Wednesday around like a lost puppy—no offense, Ari."

"None taken," Ari said, though she was grinning now.

Liam groaned, leaning against the table. "Do you guys even hear yourselves? Agnes doesn't like me. She barely even knows I exist."

"That's the beauty of it!" Gia clapped her hands. "She gets to discover you. The mystery. The charm. The fact that you secretly still blush every time Ari talks to you—"

"Gia!" Liam nearly dropped his drink, his ears turning red.

Ari's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing. "Oh my god."

"Oops," Gia said, clearly not sorry at all. "Too honest?"

Liam pointed a finger at her. "I swear, if you don't stop talking, I'm telling Agnes that you called her a stalker."

Gia gasped dramatically. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Liam smirked, finally feeling like he had some leverage.

Ari just sighed, rubbing her temples. "You two are exhausting. Remind me why I hang out with you again?"

"Because we're fun," Gia chirped.

"Because you love us," Liam added smugly.

Ari rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help laughing. "You're both ridiculous."

"Ridiculous," Gia corrected, looping her arm through Ari's. "And brilliant. Which is why my matchmaking plan is going to work. Just you wait."

Liam groaned again, but the small smile tugging at his lips betrayed that he wasn't entirely against the idea.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the speakers blasted alive with Lady Gaga's "The Dead Dance." A ripple of excitement went through the ballroom as students turned toward the center of the floor.

Enid, glittering under the chandeliers, had claimed the spotlight. She twirled, arms sharp and expressive, her wolf-side confidence radiating in every step. Her mask glittered, her hair bouncing as she threw herself into the choreography.

"Oh my god," Gia whispered, clutching Ari's arm. "She's... she's killing it."

Ari blinked. "That's... my sister." Her tone was half disbelief, half pride.

Liam leaned closer, jaw practically on the floor. "I didn't even know she could move like that."

The crowd clapped along, entranced, and just when it seemed like Enid couldn't get more dramatic, Agnes stormed onto the dance floor. Her mask was pushed slightly askew, her red hair wild as always, and she moved like she'd been waiting her entire life for this very moment.

"Oh, no," Ari muttered, already bracing herself.

"Oh, YES!" Gia squealed. "This is the collab I never knew I needed!"

Agnes leapt into place beside Enid, matching her steps with eerie precision.

Liam crossed his arms, though his smirk betrayed his amusement. "I'll give Agnes this girl knows how to steal a spotlight."

Ari groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "She's not even supposed to be here."

Gia ignored her, bouncing in place with excitement. "Okay, new plan. Forget Liam and Agnes dating. They need to start a dance duo. This is it. This is their calling."

"What does that even have to do with me?" Liam asked, though his voice carried a note of curiosity.

Ari shot him a sidelong glance, smiling faintly. "You two would make an amazing couple if you ask me..."

"You're only saying that because you don't want to see Liam's heart break when you two start dating," Gia added with a knowing smirk.

Ari rolled her eyes. "Gia."

"I need to shut up. Got it," Gia said quickly, holding up her hands in mock surrender.

The song ended, and the crowd erupted into applause. Enid and Agnes bowed theatrically, grinning, before collapsing into a dramatic back-to-back pose. Ari clapped enthusiastically, her chest swelling with pride as she rushed over to her sister.

"That... that was insane!" Ari exclaimed, hugging Enid tightly.

Enid laughed, a high, joyous sound that carried just enough wolfish wildness to make Ari grin. "You think that was good?"

"I think it was amazing."

——————

"My name is Bianca Barcley, and I am the student gala coordinator," Bianca announced into the mic, her voice ringing across the grand hall.

"Yeah, Bianca!" a student cheered from the back.

"Tonight was only possible thanks to the tireless efforts of two very special outcasts: our gala chairwoman, Morticia Addams, and our very own principal, Dort!"

The crowd erupted into applause, Ari clapping the loudest for Morticia, a proud grin on her face.

"Please join me on the stage," Bianca continued. Morticia and Dort stepped forward, their presence commanding the room.

"Before I introduce our guest of honor, Principal Dort," Bianca said, pausing dramatically as she removed her necklace and held it up for the crowd to see, "please tell us exactly how this gala came together."

Ari leaned toward her friends, whispering, "Did she... use her siren power?"

Gia shrugged. "I guess..."

Dort cleared his throat, a wicked smile spreading across his face. "It started when I... instructed Bianca Barcley to siren Morticia Addams into requesting a large donation from her mother."

Ari blinked. "What?"

"And when that didn't work," Dort continued, voice darkening, "I... held Bianca's mother hostage to coerce Hester Frump into donating her fortune."

Ari muttered under her breath, "That's Pugsley's grandmother, I think..."

Dort's grin widened. "Also, I promised my Morning Song stooge, Gideon, that I would split the money. But I am not big on sharing, so now he lies in my fireplace, reduced to a pile of ash. And I am keeping all the cash."

"Oh my god..." Ari's voice barely carried over the gasps of the audience.

Without warning, Dort's eyes snapped to Bianca. With a swift motion, he grabbed her by the throat and backed toward the edge of the stage. "I am walking out of here, or the siren is toast!"

Shouts erupted. Police officers raised their guns. "Back off! Stand back! I mean it!" Dort's hands crackled with fire, shooting sparks toward the ceiling.

"Dort!" a voice bellowed behind him. He spun around, and there—standing with deadly calm was Ajax. He slowly removed his hat, and in an instant, Dort's eyes widened as stone crept over him.

The crowd screamed as Dort froze mid-step, his hands still flaring with fire.

Ari's jaw dropped as the massive chandelier above loosened from the ceiling, swinging ominously in the chaos. With a thunderous crash, it plummeted down directly onto Dort. The hall shook, shards of crystal scattering across the floor. Silence fell, broken only by gasps and the occasional metallic clang.

Ari clutched Gia's arm, heart hammering. "That... that just happened."

Gia's eyes were wide but gleaming with mischief. "Never a dull moment at a Nevermore gala."

Ari, Liam, and Gia huddled near the punch table, laughing nervously as students scrambled around the remnants of the chandelier crash.

"I still can't believe Dort just... got crushed," Liam said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I mean... the chandelier? That's a full-on movie scene."

Gia snorted. "Oh, come on. Admit it—you loved it. That was peak Nevermore drama. Honestly, it was kind of artistic."

"I did not love it," Liam protested, though the corner of his mouth twitched. "But... okay, maybe it was a little satisfying."

Ari rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her water. "You both are ridiculous. You know what? I feel like I should just start keeping score of how many near-death experiences happen at these galas. My record is... what? Three?"

"Four, if you count the fireworks incident last year," Gia reminded her, grinning. "And you still didn't burn your eyebrows off."

Liam chuckled. "Honestly, I don't know how you survive this place without a full-time hazard suit."

"Trust me," Ari said, smirking, "I don't. I just... improvise and hope for the best."

Gia leaned closer, elbowing Ari playfully. "Which is why tonight's highlight isn't the chandelier, or Dort, or even the fire. It's Pugsley and you. I mean, hand-holding, candlelight, balcony vibes? Totally cinematic."

Ari groaned, hiding her face behind her hand. "Gia, please. Not in front of Liam."

"Why not?" Liam asked, grinning mischievously. "I think it's adorable."

Ari peeked at him through her fingers. "You really think so?"

"I really do," he said, shrugging, though a faint blush colored his cheeks.

Before Ari could respond, a sudden hush fell over the group. Wednesday Addams was approaching, her steps slow, deliberate, and completely devoid of panic. The faint clinking of her mask echoed against the marble floor.

Ari straightened, heart thumping a little faster. "Uh... hi, Wednesday," she said cautiously.

Wednesday stopped a few feet away, hands folded neatly in front of her. Her eyes locked on Ari with that trademark deadpan intensity.

"Have you seen my brother?"

—————-

A/N

Guess who still hasn't watched ep 8...

I guess I don't watch it bc I don't want to miss you guys once we are done with this...

Also thank you for 120k views!!! I love you all so much. Puppy love readers will forever be my favs bc you all are so funny. I'm not kidding. You made my dream come true. I love you for that.