Detention (ASOUE)

Chapter Twelve

Time had flown and the school day had already come to a close which, for another week, only meant one thing: detention. It hadn't been too bad so far, but I was really looking forward to getting my afternoons back. There was nothing better than coming home and putting your feet up, after all. 

I gathered my things up and headed to the usual classroom, only to find that Mr Olaf wasn't there yet, but Klaus was. He was hunched over a book, reading, but he glanced up when I pushed through the door. 

After a moment of silence he cleared his throat. "So... poetry club, huh?"

It took me half a beat to realise he was talking to me, despite us being in an empty room. Since we had never really spoken before, I wasn't quite sure how to take him. I decided to do my usual thing of being defensive.

"Shut up."

I heard the whisper of a snicker, more a forced breath than anything else. At least he found my reaction amusing instead of being offended. After thinking over the whole brunch situation in my mind, I'd come to the conclusion that I was grateful for what he did and I wanted to show that. I hadn't been sure of when would be a good time but, since he had already initiated conversation, I figured I might not get a better one than this. 

"Thanks, by the way," I said quietly, hoping it was at least loud enough for him to hear.

"It's fine," Klaus replied, shrugging slightly, "I'm sure you can make it up to me."

"What do you-"

"Miss Quagmire I would appreciate it if you took your seat," Mr Olaf cut me off. I hadn't even heard him come in. "Unless, of course, you would like me to double your detentions."

I quickly sat down and got out a book I had packed that morning, despite not really being in the mood for reading. I couldn't believe what Klaus had said. Our first proper conversation and he was already asking for a favour. I knew him helping me out wouldn't be a simple thing. Knowing him, a typical Baudelaire, I would be wrapped around his finger for the rest of the year, running errands and being at his every beck and call to pay off the debt of him lying on my behalf. Despite me being nervous to hear what Klaus had in store for me, I couldn't help but feel slightly smug that I had seen through his niceties. I couldn't wait to see Lily's reaction when I told her I was right. The urge almost made me pull out my phone and send her a satisfying I told you so, but I figured I wouldn't get away with it with Mr Olaf stationed right in front of me.

Instead, I made myself focus on my book and, when that didn't work, I tried to get some homework done. I worked on maths first, partly because it was better to get the worst out of the way, but mostly because it meant I could help Duncan with it later on. I wasn't the best at maths but I could usually get it if I remembered the right formulas and equations. Today was one of those days where my mind was blank, so in the end I just put it away and spent the rest of the hour staring into space: something that had become a bit of a hobby of mine.

*

Usually if you're having a hard time with something or you're stressed about a certain situation, people will tell you to sleep on it. It's rational advice, to be honest. It makes sense that taking a nap will clear your head and that you'll wake up with a new perspective and hopefully a new solution. In my case, however, sleep had just seemed to make me more stressed. I went to sleep not really caring that Klaus had told me to "make it up to him" but I woke up the next morning with the feeling of dread in my stomach.

Sure, he had done a nice thing for me and he'd been super nice about it when I thanked him. But that simple phrase had turned the whole interaction sour. Because now I was at a debt to him. Now I owed him something. And if my parent's warnings were anything to go by, you did not want to owe something to a Baudelaire. 

Simply put, I was in trouble and it was stressing me out. What crazy thing would Klaus have me do?

I tried not to think about it as I got ready for school. I got changed and was about to load my books into my bag when I remembered I had to mark something off in my journal. Since I was running late, as per usual, I didn't look as I reached over to grab a pen from my pencil pot. 

"Seriously?!" I exclaimed, looking at the pen in my hand. Of course, I had accidentally picked up the pen that Klaus had given me. "That stupid boy is everywhere."

I made a point of throwing it across the room.

By the time I made it to school, I was exhausted from all the racing my mind had done since I'd woken up. It made me wonder if it had stopped while I was asleep, or if I hadn't actually had any sleep at all! Even Lily's nattering wasn't enough to distract me. I realised I had to do something. There was no way I could live my life day to day, stuck in the anxiety that Klaus might come up to me one day and need me to do something weird. I needed to sort things out right away.

I began my search for Klaus, but I had no idea where to start looking. I tried my best to avoid Lily as well because, as lovely as she was, she would question my actions and then I would have to explain the situation again. Instead, I went it alone and tried my best to spot the boy who dressed head to toe in black. 

He wasn't in the library, or even under the stairs where Lily and I had ran into him last time, and I couldn't see him anywhere in the halls. By the time the bell rang and I went to my classes, I was starting to wonder if he had turned up to school at all. That was, until lunchtime came.