Xalia Squalor; because sometimes being in is not enough

Offended yet?

I yawn, sighing as the show begins. Countie was annoyed I was refusing to do it, but eventually agreed to me just staying on the car bumper. I swing my legs, and scream as someone says something. The hench person of no immediate gender takes a step towards me, and asks, "Are you okay?"
"I dunno," I shrug, "Are you smoking?"
They look down at the cigarettes in their hand, and shake their head, dropping the box. I say, "I hate the circus. Part of me feels bad for the people in there. But not Kevin."
"Why not Kevin?"
"He's literally the most handsome person in that tent," I say, "How is it going in there?"
We both look to the tent, music blasting out of it. I rub my temples as the hench person of no immediate gender says, "It's going about as well as a house of freaks could go. Everyone in there is humiliated, and Boss is singing."
"Ew."
"Very much ew."

Olaf storms out of the tent, and clicks his fingers. I race into backstage, just as Madame Lulu says, "Roving pack of starving lions has made business, what do you say, difficult."
"I did not leave my city life for this," Countie gestures at the circus, and the hook handed hench person asks, "Didn't you leave for the orphans-"
"THEY AREN'T ORPHANS IF THEIR PARENTS AREN'T DEAD!"
Everyone is silent, and I whisper, "They aren't orphans? Like, confirmed?"
Madame Lulu barges passed me, and talks to Olaf. He snaps, "EVERYONE DIG A DITCH."
With that, he storms out the tent. I look at Violet and Klaus, both of whom look panicky. Slowly, I make my way out the tent, and pull the Baudelaires to the side. Violet glares at me, and I sigh, "I'm sorry, Violet. I should've stopped him from doing the show. But I want to help you. Come with me."
I lead them into Madame Lulu's tent, and say, "Olaf says he saw ghosts from the past. I've been thinking, and I had a small idea. The cool air could be carbon dioxide converting to gas in a dry ice machine."
"That would explain the temperature change and the smoke," Violet says, "Illusions could be a projector of some sorts. If the crystal ball is the lens"
Violet looks at Klaus, and whispers, "But this means she doesn't know about our parent-"
The crystal ball flicks on, and I watch as different people pop up on the crystal ball. People that the Baudelaires know. I step back, and ask, "Could these be the ghosts from the past?"
"It's all connected," Klaus gasps. There's a cabinet, and we walk over to it. I pull the doors open, and my jaw drops. Disguises and disguises. I pull Jacques's notebook that I took out my pocket, and hand it to Klaus. He begins reading as another, different crystal ball flickers on. The video doesn't make sense, but it seems to be about codes. People pop up, and I've met most of them. I say, "Mum has pictures of that man. The one who looks like Jacques. His name begins with L."
"Our parents," Violet whispers as the video changes. I say, "Right, I'm confused. So, this is an organisation everyone is apart of. They put out fires, all as volunteers. This is all connected, and you three have something to do with it."
"So do you," Klaus says, "Olaf and Esme have something to do with this. You have something to do with this. Esme has pictures of the man?"
"Of all of them," I say, "She was burning them, but I knew that I had to remember them. Something she said..."
I groan as the crystal ball smashes, and as Madame Lulu runs in. She pulls off her wig, and I gasp, "You're the librarian lady! You're Jacques's-"
"Baudelaires," Olivia smiles. I knew her name from the town. She says, "Is Xalia May..."
Klaus nods, and Olivia says, "Well, good then. I made a deal to leave jail with Esme. This carnival is a headquarters. Madame Lulu is an alias for the volunteer stationed here. Jacques stayed behind at the town. The previous Lulu hasn't come back and Jacques? He's not coming back either."
"Jacques was a good man," I sigh.
"And the Quagmires are safe!" Violet says. Olivia sighs, "I tried stalling Olaf, but he's getting suspicious. I'm so sorry children, but I have no idea if there is a survivor of the fire."
"I should go," I mutter, "Bye Olivia, Baudelaires."

I leave, and wander back to the tent mum is in. She is seething, and I try sneaking away from her, but she snaps, "Xalia May, come here."
"Mum?" I ask, batting my eyelashes and smiling. Mum asks, "Do you like Olaf?"
I nod, and mum continues, "He likes you, Xalia. He's just not very word smart. Or street smart. Or law smart. Or... smart smart. But he is a good man."
"Great man," I mutter, rolling my eyes. Mum looks at me, her eyes narrowing. She asks, "What's the matter with you? You seem far too clingy to the freaks."
"I'm fifteen, and stuck in a circus," I sigh, "Do you think I want to be here very much?"
"Well, I don't want to be here either," mum snaps, "But if everything goes well, then... it'll go well? I don't know, but Olaf loves you, and so do I."
"Amazing," I sigh, "Can I ask you about vfd?"
Mum's eyes grow wide, and she whispers, "What have you heard? Xalia May, VFD is full of bad people-"
"Just tell me what is it!" I beg. Mum sighs, "VFD was full of noble people, who fell apart. I don't want to talk about it. Who even told you about it?"
"I've heard different things, mum. I'm also a child with access to... books and stuff?" I hesitate. Technically speaking, Klaus Baudelaire has never said he isn't a book. And Violet Baudelaire has never stated she definitely isn't books and stuff. I'm grasping at straws. Mum nods, before sighing, "Nobody likes a girl who reads, Xalia May. I would know."
"You used to read?" I ask. Mum nods, "I used to be a volunteer."