"I can answer my Olaf's big questions," Madame Lulu smiles, and Mum scoffs, "Your Olaf?"
Olaf sends the hook handed hench person out to get the trunk wine, and I turn round to see Violet's shadow. Slowly, I turn back round to the group and watch as everyone walks over to a crystal ball. I shove my way to the front, and Olaf says, "Well this is easy. Lend me your ear, Madame Lulu."
They both lean over the little table to each other, and mum grabs my hand. She is absolutely fuming, and I'd rather not be here. Olaf asks, "Did one of the Baudelaire parents survive the fire?"
Madame Lulu pauses, and I feel the room get quiet. She says, "You will have your answers in the morning."
"What do we do tonight?" Mum scoffs. Olaf smirks as the trunk wine is brought in, and says, "We toast! To getting all of our answers."
We all walk to the main part of the tent and all take our seats. I pour myself a glass of wine, and watch as everyone gets black out drunk. Olaf slurs, "I thought by now I'd have all the trunk wine I wanted. Mother told me I'd be a star. She wasn't my mother, just the woman who owned the boat house. We agreed that by the age of twenty eight, I'd be so rich and famous that I would swim in pools of money. I would live in a castle made of success on a bed full of money."
"Fascinating story, my Olaf," Madame Lulu smile. Mum, swaying ever so slightly, snaps, "My Olaf. He's mine."
"It's bedtime," Madame Lulu says. Mum pulls back a curtain, but shuts it as a weird shuffling noise is outside. Olaf walks out with Madame Lulu, and walks in with someone with two heads, and a little baby. Violet, Klaus and Sunny. Klaus looks at me, his eyes wide, and I ask, "What are noble people like you doing in a place like this?"
"They aren't noble people," Olaf laughs, "They're freaks. They want a job here. What's your names?"
"I'm Beverly, and this is my other head, Elliot," Violet says. Mum tilts her head, and uses me to stand up. She says, "I have a coat like that. Not as dirty though. Do you have trouble eating?"
Olaf hands them an ear of corn, and I look away as they struggle to eat. This is meaningless, cruel, and pointless."
I look up after a minute or two, and realise they are finished. Sunny growls from under the table, and mum screams. Violet explains, "This is Chabo, the wolf baby. Her mother was a hunter and fell in love with a wolf. That's their child."
"Is that even possible?" The hench person of no obvious gender asks. I shrug, and sigh as Chabo is handed an ear of corn. They eat it in seconds, and I gawp at her. Madame Lulu scoffs, "Little girl, take the freaks to the caravan."
"Little girl?" I scoff, "I'm five foot six. Come on, Beverly, Elliot and Chabo."
I walk out the tent with them, and as soon as we are far away enough, I snap, "Why are you here? You had the option to get away. You had the choice to leave."
"And go where?" Klaus asks, "I'm sorry."
Violet asks, "Why does nobody recognise us? We're hardly dressed up?"
I sigh, looking over at the tent. Everyone's voices are all loud, and carry over to us. I sigh, "They are all absolutely hammered. Black out drunk. Madame Lulu is flirting with Olaf too, so mum is more focused on making sure she doesn't murder anyone. I'll see you all in the morning. Please don't draw attention to yourselves... wait, how did you get here?"
"We stayed in the trunk of your car," Violet sighs. I scoff, "You didn't?"
"We did," Klaus sighs, "Why is everyone getting black out drunk?"
I sigh, "I don't honestly know. Emotions? Oh people are coming out. That's mum, gotta go!"
I sprint over to mum, and help her get Olaf to the other tent. We set up beds, and I almost immediately fall asleep.
***
"Why doesn't Madame Lulu have her own television show?" Mum snaps as she has the portrait painted. Olaf sighs, "I tried for years darling, and look at where that got me."
Fair enough. Both sides of the argument are fair, actually. I manage to slip out of the tent, and head over to Madame Lulu's tent. She greets me at the door, and asks, "How can Madame Lulu help Miss Xalia May?"
"I want to know some things," I back into the tent along with Madame Lulu, "Olaf will be here soon, and I want to know something before her gets here. Where are you from?"
"Far away," Madame Lulu shrugs. I smirk, "And which side of VFD are you on?"
Madame Lulu looks at me like I've grown another head. Like Beverly and Elliot. She pushes me out the tent, and says, "Madame Lulu wont answer questions questions from little girls with no money."
"Like I said last night," I refuse to move, "I'm not a little girl. I'm four foot SIX which is tall for my age. Secondly, no money? I have more money than you have hairs in that wig of yours. You smell like a librarian, and... Countie has dealt with librarians before."
"Countie?" Olaf's voice makes me jump. I smirk, "That's your new name. Madame Lulu here is about as fake as the shoes she wears."
"I'll see you at show time," Madame Lulu spits.
I storm out of the tent, sighing and sitting on the bumper of the car. I'm not helping in the show even if it means making people angry. I'm fourteen. I shouldn't have to help anyone do anything. Mum will agree with me.
"No," Mum sighs, hugging me, "If Xalia doesn't want to help, Xalia isn't going to help."
Olaf scoffs, "If she is apart of this family, yes she is."
"Good thing she isn't," Mum snaps, "My daughter. Mine."
"I treat her well," Olaf hisses, "She's like my daughter."
I went from two parents, to one, to two. And I like none of them.
JE LEEST
Xalia Squalor; because sometimes being in is not enough
FanfictieXalia Squalor is exactly who she wants to be. She's pretty, she's rich, and she is famous. But there is one small thing. She doesn't have a full tea set. Or at least, her mum doesn't and it's ruining her life. Meeting the Baudelaire orphans is both...
