Stuck in a Quagmire

Chapter 1: Prufrock Prep

I was an introvert, especially in a social setting; for example, school. I was a loner,  the outcast if you will, and people did not spare me a second glance. And I liked it that way, since it meant I didn't have to deal with Carmelita's bullying and constant teasing---if I was to ever be targeted by her, I think I'd curl up and die on the spot. I had no friends, which wasn't ideal, but I could manage---besides, who needs friends that will eventually drop you and move on like you didn't grow up together...I'm still salty about that, I guess. 

Anyways, I was eating in the cafeteria like normal---and I ate with all my utensils because I was never late to class thank you very much---when I heard Carmelita start up a chant. It was one I heard a few times before, but never paid attention to because it wasn't my place to do so. 

"CAKESNIFFING ORPHANS IN THE ORPHAN SHACK!" It was repeated a few more times before a boy's voice cut through the loud chant, shutting it down before it could escalate any further. I recognized him as Duncan Quagmire, since I shared Mr. Ramora's class with him. Whenever it was a partner-day for research about whatever Mr. Ramora wanted us to research, we would gravitate towards each other since---in his eyes, at least---I was a good research/study partner. While I wasn't one for compliments, since I think most of them are just people trying to get something out of me, his seemed genuine. 

"Leave them alone, Carmelita. Besides, no one in their right mind would want to sit with you, anyway." Carmelita got red in the face, clearly embarrassed by being one-upped by someone of "lower-class" than her. She huffed before walking away, tapping her tap shoes the whole way. I looked up to watch the whole scene play out when I saw her, she was beautiful. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes that reminded me of the sweetest chocolate, and not the kind that Vice Principal Nero demanded be given to him if you were late to his recital. She reminded me of Duncan, and that made me realize that this was most definitely his triplet sister, Isadora Quagmire. She was behind Duncan, and standing next to who I assume were the new "cakesniffing orphans in the orphan shack." She spoke to them with infinite kindness in her voice, the air around her radiating with a gentleness that shook you to your core. 

"Come sit with us." She suggested to the new students, I refuse to call them orphans because that's just uncalled for and rude. I decided I would do something I never thought possible of doing ever in my life, let alone in my school life; I was going to talk to them. Since I'm alone at Prufrock, I usually just eat in the bathrooms after standing in line forever because everyone cuts in front of me---which is where I was when Duncan stood up to Carmelita. I got my food, steeled my resolve, and walked towards their table. Finally, I was close enough that Duncan noticed me and called me over. 

"Hey, Y/n! Do you wanna eat with us?" I smiled and nodded my head, and sat down at the only available seat---the one on Isadora's left. I set my tray down and began picking at the gross thing on it the school called "food," when Duncan introduced me to his sister. 

"Y/n, I told you I have a sister, right? Well, this is Isadora. I hope you two will get along, and I'm sure you will since Y/n is a great writer and Isadora can create a great couplet in no time at all." 

"No need to sell me to her, Duncan." Isadora was blushing, probably out of embarrassment, and it was the most beautiful sight I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I snapped out of my weird trance and decided to strike up conversation.

"Hey, you write poetry? That's so cool! I enjoy writing, but can never get the few poems I write to sound good..."

"I could teach you, if you'd like?" When I nodded, Isadora looked happy that someone shared her love of writing and that she had someone to talk to about her passion---I could say the same for myself. Her smile was beautiful, and it paired with her blush was almost overwhelming to me. She was so cute and had no idea. Then I remembered that it wasn't just the Quagmires and I sitting at the lunch table. 

"Oh, sorry, I haven't met you yet..." I spoke to the three siblings, one of them being an infant and the other two seemed to be about my age. The eldest, I guessed, was a girl with brown hair and dark eyes, which analyzed everything they could see. She was very mechanically minded, I guessed. The middle child was a boy with glasses, and he shared the same hair and eye color as his older sister, he seemed rather book smart because of his aura of wisdom that surrounded him. Finally, the baby girl sitting on her eldest sibling's lap. She was adorable, as most babies were, and she shared the same eye color as her older siblings and when she smiled I could see her sharp teeth, most likely meaning she liked biting things. 

"It's alright, I'm Violet Baudelaire and these are my siblings, Klaus and Sunny," the eldest, Violet, spoke. When their names were mentioned, Klaus and Sunny did a little wave, "How do you do?" 

"I'm doing as well as I can in a place like this." I replied, slowly coming out of my social anxiety shell.  Duncan and Isadora both gave a similar response, and then I noticed where the Baudelaires' gazes were placed. Violet seemed to have her eyes locked onto Duncan, who seemed to be looking back with a smile on both their faces. Sunny was looking around the table at both the Quagmires and me, and then there was Klaus. He was looking at Isadora when he thought no one was looking, but I of course was. 

We all continued talking for a while, until the bell rang signaling the end of lunch and that we should head to our classes. Duncan and I started making our way to Mr. Remora's classroom, and Violet followed since she was placed in his class today after talking to Vice Principal Nero; which explains why I thought she looked familiar, because she was literally introduced to Mr. Remora's class earlier. Finally, once the final bell rang signaling the beginning of class, Mr. Remora got comfortable at the front of the room, and began talking whilst peeling, and then eating, a banana. At least the day was almost over, so thank the heavens for that. I couldn't wait to talk to Isadora again after class, since the Baudelaires invited all of us to the Orphan Shack to help deal with the many issues it housed. Could this class go by any faster?