After Botany class, Wednesday, Enid, and Oliver stepped out of the greenhouse and headed across the academy grounds.
“Why do we even have to learn this? Most of the things they teach in school are useless in society anyway,” Oliver complained.
Having already lived as an adult and held a job in his previous life, Oliver couldn’t help seeing school differently.
In his experience, most people rarely used the chemistry, mathematics, or botany they spent years studying once they entered the workforce.
Paying bills, earning a living, and dealing with everyday life required an entirely different set of skills.
Wednesday didn’t even glance at him.
“That’s because you’ve confused education with vocational training,” she said.
“Knowledge doesn’t become worthless simply because it isn’t profitable.”
Oliver shrugged.
“Easy for you to say.”
“It is,” Wednesday replied.
“The average person spends their life avoiding subjects they find difficult, then wonders why ignorance follows them into adulthood.”
Enid looked between them and sighed.
“…Can you two go five minutes without turning a normal conversation into a debate?”
As they walked across the grounds, Oliver looked up at the sky.
“Is the weather around Nevermore always like this? I mean, it’s afternoon, but the sky is already dark and filled with clouds,” Oliver asked.
“Well, the academy is surrounded by dense woods, so it’s common to experience this kind of weather,” Enid said as she walked in front of Oliver before turning around to face him, continuing to walk backward.
“Yeah, I also don’t like this atmosphere. I mean, for a girl like me, sunny weather suits me way better. It complements my hair… and my glow,” Enid said, placing both hands beneath her face with a bright smile.
Wednesday finally spoke.
“I fail to see the appeal. The absence of sunlight makes the world considerably more tolerable.”
Enid pouted.
“That’s because you’re Wednesday. Some of us actually like looking alive.”
“I’ve never considered that a desirable aesthetic,” Wednesday replied without missing a step.
As they approached the main academy building, Enid kept trying to make small talk with Wednesday.
“So… if we finish our homework early, maybe we could watch a horror movie tonight?”
“No.”
“What about painting our nails?”
“No.”
“A walk through the forest?”
“I’d rather be buried alive.”
Enid sighed dramatically.
“You make friendship so difficult.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Oliver ignored their conversation as they walked beneath the academy’s towering stone walls.
A faint scraping sound caught his attention.
…Huh?
He looked up.
One of the old gargoyle statues perched along the second-floor roofline had shifted.
Tiny pieces of gravel trickled down from beneath it.
Um…
The gargoyle suddenly tipped over.
Oliver’s eyes widened.
Ah…
fuck.
There wasn’t enough time to warn anyone.
The massive stone gargoyle plunged straight down.
CLANG!
A thunderous metallic crash echoed through the courtyard.
The gargoyle landed squarely on top of Oliver’s head.
For a split second, nobody moved.
Then, as if it had struck solid steel instead of a human skull, the gargoyle bounced backward and crashed onto the stone pavement behind him.
Dust billowed into the air.
Oliver remained exactly where he was.
He hadn’t even taken a step.
Enid’s voice caught in her throat as she stared at him, her mouth slowly falling open.
A stone gargoyle had just fallen directly onto his head.
“…Oliver?” she asked quietly, unable to tell whether he was conscious, injured…
or somehow completely fine.
Wednesday looked from the gargoyle lying behind him to Oliver, whose head remained suspiciously intact.
“This reinforces my hypothesis,” she said in her usual calm tone.
“The tallest person is statistically the first to be struck by falling objects.”
“I think I need medical attention…” Oliver muttered.
Oddly, he couldn’t feel any serious pain.
There wasn’t even any blood.
Still…
Maybe that impact rattled my brain…
The world tilted.
His knees gave out, and he collapsed onto the stone path.
For a heartbeat, there was complete silence.
Then—
“OLIVER!”
Enid screamed and rushed to his side, dropping to her knees.
“Oh my God! Oly! Stay with me!” Her voice trembled as she reached toward him, stopping herself from moving him.
“Someone help! Get the nurse! Get Principal Weems!”
Wednesday remained where she was.
Her eyes shifted from Oliver to the fallen gargoyle.
Then she slowly looked up at the empty spot along the roof where it had broken loose.
She glanced back at the place where she had been standing only seconds earlier.
Oliver had been walking beside her.
If he hadn’t…
The gargoyle would have landed on her instead.
Her expression remained unreadable, but her gaze lingered on the broken mount holding the gargoyle in place.
“…Curious.”
Behind her, Enid continued trying to wake Oliver, panic evident in every word.
“Oliver! Open your eyes! Please!”
In the infirmary, the nurse carefully examined Oliver’s head, gently parting his hair as she searched for any sign of injury.
She frowned.
“…Are you absolutely sure he was struck by a gargoyle?” the nurse asked, looking between Wednesday and Enid.
“His skull feels completely normal. There’s not even a concussion that I can detect. Even for an Outcast, this is… highly unusual.”
“It hit him right on the head!” Enid exclaimed.
“I saw the whole thing! I almost had a heart attack!”
The nurse gave Oliver one last examination before stepping back.
“Well, that’s certainly fortunate. I can’t find any major injuries, but I’d still like someone to keep an eye on him until he wakes up. If he shows any unusual symptoms, let me know immediately.”
“I can do that.”
Both the nurse and Enid turned toward Wednesday.
Enid blinked in surprise.
“You?”
“You heard me. I rarely feel sympathy, so don’t waste it,” Wednesday said in her usual flat tone.