The Rave'N continued.
Luke enjoyed the event with Wednesday, who was in a good mood to chat about various topics. The only annoying thing was having Pugsley's gaze fixed on him the entire night. The boy smoked his cigar in silence, just watching and murmuring to himself. He was even more surprised to see how his sister chatted with Luke all night.
'Let's just ignore him,' Luke thought, turning all his attention back to Wednesday. He looked at her elegant black dress.
"What?" Wednesday asked, noticing that Luke was staring at her. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, waiting for a reaction. She knew this dress wasn't the sort of thing people expected from her, and secretly, she hoped he would comment on it.
No one had forced her to buy this gothic dress. She could have come to the dance in her usual clothes, but she hadn't.
"Nice dress," Luke said, with a smile that was a mix of teasing and appreciation. He couldn't help it; it seemed odd that Wednesday, the master of disdain for social norms, had decided to buy a dress for a party.
"Really?" Wednesday replied, frowning, her voice colder than usual.
"Is that your way of mocking me?" she added, noticing the teasing tone in Luke's voice.
"No, no. I didn't mean it like that," Luke quickly said, raising his hands in a defensive gesture.
"I'm just surprised you bought a dress, considering you always look down on social events," he added to calm his girlfriend's anger.
"You're not exactly the most suited to say that," Wednesday replied, looking at Luke's white suit with a mocking smirk. At least she had chosen a gothic dress; she hadn't conformed to the attire everyone else was wearing at the dance.
"Let's just say I'm wearing this suit out of consideration for someone," Luke justified, shrugging. He didn't really care about dressing according to any particular event. At last year's Rave'N, with Xavier and Ajax, he had dressed as expected, and for Halloween, he had also made an effort to wear a costume.
"Consideration? Now you're seeking someone's approval?" Wednesday asked in a biting, disdainful tone. It was true that she had hoped Luke would compliment her dress, but that was different—he was her boyfriend, after all.
'Come on, give me a break...' Luke thought. He hadn't expected Wednesday to suddenly get so defensive. They'd been chatting peacefully up until now. Could it be because she thought he was mocking her dress instead of complimenting her?
'Let's go with that…' Luke thought. Maybe his previous comment had been misunderstood, and it was best to fix things right away.
"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean to make fun of your dress. It just seemed unusual. Besides, I had another thought I didn't share…" said Luke.
"And what would that thought be?" Wednesday asked, slightly lowering her guard, though her gaze was still scrutinizing.
"That the dress looks incredibly good on you," Luke said with difficulty and sincerity. "Also..."
"Also?" Wednesday asked, raising an eyebrow, impatient to hear the rest of the compliment.
Luke frowned, feeling unsure. Being completely open about his feelings wasn't really his thing, but at that moment, Wednesday already knew there was more. Her eyes, sharp as daggers, wouldn't let him escape.
"Ever since I walked into the dance, it's been really hard not to stare at you the whole time," Luke confessed with difficulty. "It was like I was mesmerized by you. The distance between the tables only made the idea of getting closer more tempting, but I didn't because you didn't want your parents to know about us," he added.
Wednesday's previously cold expression shifted slightly at Luke's compliment. She had never received such a direct, verbalized compliment from him. It felt oddly pleasant, like an achievement even harder than decapitating a Hyde.
"Now you can look at me all you want, and up close," Wednesday said, moving her chair closer to his. Then, she placed her hand on Luke's cheek, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
"Thanks..." Luke said, gazing intently at Wednesday's face. He noticed something that puzzled him.
'Is that a blush?' Luke wondered, seeing the faintest hint of color on Wednesday's cheeks. It was barely noticeable; her expression remained mostly blank, though not as cold as before.
Luke and Wednesday continued their conversation, much closer than before, not caring about anyone else around them. Pugsley watched them with wide eyes. He had witnessed the entire exchange between the couple. What had happened to his sister? Was she a double? Or perhaps a shapeshifter?
Neither of them paid any attention to Pugsley's perplexed and hostile stare. At a certain moment, the music in the hall softened, and the couples on the dance floor gradually came to a stop.
The lights focused on Larissa, who was at the center of the stage, microphone in hand, highlighted by a white light as the center of attention.
"Thank you all for attending tonight's Rave'N, an event that celebrates the unity of our community," Larissa began, her tone formal yet warm. "Tonight is special, not just for the music or dancing, but for the camaraderie we share at Nevermore Academy."
"Camaraderie, give me a break," Luke said, sighing and rolling his eyes as he absentmindedly played with a dark strand of Wednesday's hair.
Luke got along well with Larissa and considered her part of his small, close-knit circle of people he cared about. However, he disagreed with her on this. On the night of the lunar eclipse, none of these parents had come to defend Nevermore from the imminent attack.
Ninety-nine percent of the students went home, though many were forced by their parents. Some, like Xavier, Ajax, Enid, Yoko, and Divina, managed to escape from the buses.
"If there were a list of empty words, camaraderie would be in the top five," Wednesday said in her monotone, without taking her eyes off Larissa.
Larissa continued, thanking the organizers and everyone who helped make the night possible. Finally, her voice took on a more enthusiastic tone. "And now, the moment many of you have been waiting for... It's time to crown the king and queen of the Rave'N."
"This should be interesting," Luke said with a slight smile.
"Interesting? More like an insignificant exercise in collective ego," Wednesday replied, crossing her arms. "Is it really necessary to exalt two individuals with useless crowns and ridiculous titles?"
"The desire to be adored by strangers. Personally, I'd rather not have to deal with that," Luke said with a lazy expression.
Wednesday nodded slowly. "Crowd approval has always seemed pathetic to me. True satisfaction comes when one doesn't have to rely on such trivialities."
"Let's see which two idiots will have to smile and dance in front of the crowd," said Luke, already wanting to go to sleep.
Natasha looked at the two young people with a strange expression as she sipped her wine. She didn't understand why they were so critical of a simple ceremony to choose the king and queen of the dance.
"It's a phase..." she thought, shaking her head.
At that moment, the organizers began handing out envelopes and pens to the guests, indicating it was time to vote for the Rave'N king and queen. Luke and Wednesday looked at the envelopes with a lack of interest in writing anything.
They paid no attention to the dance floor and didn't know many people well enough to nominate anyone.
Both wrote something random, more to go along with it than out of any real interest. After a few minutes, the envelopes were collected and taken to the stage, where the organizers began counting the votes. Luke and Wednesday immersed themselves back into their conversation, ignoring the process.
When Larissa returned to the microphone, her voice echoed throughout the hall, capturing everyone's attention. "And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... this year's Rave'N king and queen are..." She paused dramatically as an assistant handed her a paper with the results.
"Luke Poe and Wednesday Addams."
The room erupted in applause, and the lights immediately focused on their table. Luke blinked, clearly surprised.
'What the hell...?' Luke thought, confused as everyone stared at him, making him the sudden center of attention.
Wednesday, for her part, maintained a stoic expression, unfazed by the applause she was receiving.
"Incredible. We've been condemned to be the monarchs of fools," Wednesday said in her usual dry tone.
"Is this even legal?" Luke asked, bewildered. Neither of them had set foot on the dance floor. They shouldn't be able to be elected king and queen when they hadn't even danced.
"I don't know the rules of these dances... I suppose we can't refuse, can we?" Wednesday said as she rose from her chair with calculated elegance.
'She's okay with this?' Luke thought, unsure of how to act. He didn't want to go to the center of the stage, but refusing would only make the scene more awkward. It was best to end this charade as quickly as possible. Surely, Wednesday thought the same.
Luke stood up, and together with Wednesday, walked toward the center of the stage. He noticed many of the boys from his dorm cheering him on as he passed by.
Xavier and Ajax pointed to themselves and shook their heads, trying to indicate they hadn't voted for him.
'I guess it can't be helped,' Luke thought. He was quite popular at Nevermore, and Wednesday had made a scene by kissing him in front of everyone. That alone made them the most striking couple of the night. Plus, Wednesday had her own reputation as an icy beauty.
As they reached the center of the stage, a teacher placed a gold crown on Luke's head. From the weight and appearance, Luke suspected it might be real gold. Another teacher placed a tiara on Wednesday's head.
Luke had a strange expression as he was crowned. Moments ago, he'd been criticizing and mocking the idiots who would be crowned, and now here he was, standing in front of everyone. Wednesday stared ahead, showing not a hint of emotion.
"Congratulations to our king and queen," said Larissa with a smile, handing the microphone to Luke to say a few words.
Luke took the microphone, though he clearly had no idea what to say. Several seconds of complete silence passed as he looked out over the crowd, his eyes scanning the expectant faces.
"Well... I didn't expect this. I didn't know a couple that doesn't dance could be crowned king and queen of the ball," he began casually.
"Which means... there must have been some really bad dancing out there," he added with an odd expression. The room fell silent, and some people started exchanging awkward glances. Larissa, standing nearby, winced at his comment.
Realizing too late how it sounded, Luke cleared his throat, trying to recover. "I mean... I didn't mean it like that, but, well, it seems like... you know..."
Before the situation got worse, Larissa approached with a nervous smile and gently took the microphone from him. "Thank you, Luke, for those... lovely words," she said quickly, passing the microphone to Wednesday, who took it but didn't say anything.
She just held the microphone for a few seconds, looking at the audience with an indifferent expression. She noticed her parents watching her with enthusiastic expressions, as if they, too, had once been king and queen, which only made her more annoyed internally.
Larissa took the microphone from Wednesday, internally frustrated but keeping a professional smile on her face.
"Well, that concludes our coronation. Now, for the final dance to be led by our king and queen!" she added as music began to play softly and the lights dimmed, focusing on the center of the dance floor, now empty and ready for Luke and Wednesday to start the final dance of the night.
"Let's go," Wednesday said in a low but firm voice.
"Are we really going to dance?" Luke asked.
"I'd call it more of a provocation than a dance," Wednesday replied, taking Luke's hand and walking toward the center of the floor.
"What do you mean by provocation?" Luke asked, confused, recalling Wednesday's dance scene from the series.
"Exaggerated and absurd movements. Showing them that their choice was a poor one, and that next time, they should use their brains when voting," Wednesday responded.
"Just follow my lead. You won't have to do much, which I know you prefer," she added, noticing that Luke was about to protest.
Suddenly, Wednesday began to move in a completely unique and uninhibited way. Her movements were exaggerated, strange, almost grotesque on purpose: her arms swung wildly, her body contorted in jerky motions, her feet twisted in unexpected steps.
Everything about her mocked the very concept of a formal dance. She wasn't following any rhythm; she moved to her own beat, as if creating her own rebellious choreography.
Meanwhile, Luke did exactly what he promised: barely moved. He took small steps, raising an arm every so often in a lazy motion. Each time Wednesday twirled, Luke followed her movement half-heartedly. He didn't try to be graceful, nor did he care to. But, to the surprise of many, the combination of Wednesday's vibrant energy and Luke's indifference was, in its own way, captivating.
The contrast between them was bewildering. Together, they looked like the opposite of what anyone would expect from a dance couple.
As Wednesday continued her strange dance, Luke found himself focusing more on her, momentarily forgetting that he didn't like dancing.
Watching her move, a small spark of interest began to light up within him. He started to synchronize his movements with hers just a little, though subtly. It wasn't hard to match her rhythm; martial arts required far more control and agility than any dance.
Wednesday noticed the change in Luke. Her lips barely curved into a satisfied smile, though her face remained impassive. She knew she'd managed to capture his interest, even if he wouldn't admit it.
When the song ended, both stopped, thinking their performance had been nothing more than a mocking challenge to the formality of the dance. But what they hadn't expected was the audience's reaction.
Suddenly, the entire hall erupted in applause. The cheers were deafening, and many of those present seemed genuinely impressed. The werewolves howled with enthusiasm, and the others weren't far behind.
Luke and Wednesday, who had tried to provoke, exchanged a brief look, both surprised, even Wednesday, who hadn't expected her exotic dance to be accepted.
The music started again, and this time everyone flooded onto the dance floor for one last dance with their partners. The floor was more crowded than ever, with many couples trying to replicate Wednesday and Luke's dance.
A pair of werewolves began to move wildly, letting their impulses guide each step with ferocity. Others copied some of Wednesday's erratic movements, and a vampire couple danced with lazy arrogance, trying to imitate Luke.
Luke watched the scene with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused. "Looks like we underestimated the power of strangeness among outcasts," he commented with an ironic smile.
Wednesday nodded, her expression still serious, though there was a slight glint of approval in her eyes.
Luke turned and was about to leave the hall. He had done his part as king and even pushed himself to dance for the first time. He'd only done it for Wednesday; otherwise, he would've disappeared with Shambles.
"Who said this is over?" Wednesday asked, grabbing Luke by the sleeve as he turned with a look of slight frustration.
"You want to keep dancing?" Luke asked, clearly unenthusiastic. It's not that he hadn't enjoyed the previous dance a little thanks to her, but he preferred not to repeat it if possible.
"That's not an option. Monarchs can't leave the dance floor before their subjects," Wednesday replied, taking Luke's hand. She dragged him toward the dance floor, which parted before them as if everyone recognized the arrival of the king and queen.
And so the Rave'N came to an end, very different from what Luke had expected, as he had met the Addams, his relationship with Wednesday became public, and he danced with her in front of everyone.