𝚅𝙰𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 - 𝙳𝚄𝙽𝙲𝙰𝙽 𝚀.

𝚂𝙸𝚇

FOUR - run into a miscreant

Robyn, Duncan, and Isadora walked down the hallway, on their way to the pep rally. Of course, they didn't want to go, but they were already caught in the library by Vice Principal Nero. They had no choice. The three quietly turned the corner and almost ran into glum, scary man.

"Hello, hello, hello," the man greeted evilly. "What are helpless orphans like you doing in a place like this?"

Then it all clicked in Robyn's brain. It was Count Olaf, the deceiving and very unattractive man that traumatized the Baudelaires.

"Who are you?" Isadora asked im pure confusion. Duncan and Robyn looked over at her and gave her a look.

"Don't pretend this handsome face doesn't haunt your every waking and sleeping hour," the devious man described in detail. His hands were pressed together in a prayer position, and an evil grin was present on his face. "You will never be rid of me. You'll never be safe."

"So much to learn, orphans, and I am here to school you. The three of you, including the midget, better..." his voice trailed off. He looked at the three intellectual children in confusion.

"Wait, where's the midget? Why are you so tall?" Count Olaf asked Robyn.

"I'll take this as a compliment, thanks!" Robyn replied.

"You're not the Baudelaires. Who are you?"

"Who are you, you miscreant?" Duncan responded. Robyn stifled a laugh as she quickly looked at her friend. Count Olaf's brain clicked as his eyes widened.

"Miscreant? Oh, I know who you two are now," Count Olaf said, directing it to the Quagmires. Robyn heard one of them gulp quietly. "You sound just like your mother, Quigley."

"Duncan," Robyn sternly corrected. She rolled her eyes at the idiot as Duncan gave a tiny smile to her.

"'You miscreant, never again will you darken the doors of this airplane hangar.' Such a tiresome woman. Always reading Italian poetry and activating trap doors."

"How do you know our mother?" Isadora questioned.

"Oh, I know everything, orphans. I know the number of hairs on each of your heads, the number of sapphires and rubies in your secret vaults. The number of tombstones in your family plots." The three children looked at each other in concern. "Well, well, it seems this trip to Prufrock will bring me triple the fortune. And there's nobody who can stop me." Someone starting running behind Count Olaf, screaming something about a burrito. Count Olaf turned around, which gave just enough time for Duncan to grab Robyn's hand to follow Isadora out of the dangerous situation.

Finally, when they were as safe as they could be, the three started talking. Duncan and Robyn released hands.

"One eyebrow," Isadors pointed out.

"I bet he has a tattoo on his ankle," Duncan reasoned.

"We have to warn the Baudelaires that something awful is going to happen, and I don't mean a stupid pep rally."

~

The three children rushed to get seats near the Baudelaires at the pep rally. They were slightly late, but Vice Principal Nero didn't notice. Everyone was chanting Prufrock! This gave Robyn a god-awful headache.

"Baudelaires!" Klaus turned around.

"We think you are in terrible danger," Duncan said.

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked.

"What did you see?" Violet questioned.

"We think we saw Count Olaf!" Robyn exclaimed. She sat in between Isadora and Duncan.

"What?"

"Ugh, people are so loud at this stupid pep rally," Robyn whispered quietly to Duncan. "We think Count Olaf is here!"

"What?"

"Thank you! Thank you! Welcome to the mandatory pep rally. I don't which I like more, the word 'pep' or 'rally,'" Nero announced.

"I like 'pep.'"

"I like 'rally.'"

"Maybe we should ask our mascot. What do you say?" The whole school cheered except for the six children.

"What's the mascot?" Violet asked.

"A dead horse!" Duncan replied loudly.

"Wha? It sounded like you said-"

"A dead horse, but that's not important," Isadora answered, cutting off Klaus. The chanting started up again, along with Robyn's pounding headache.

"You have to listen. Robyn, my brother and I saw-"

"Shush!" Mrs. Bass exclaimed at the orphans. She patted Robyn's shoulder and smiled. "Nice to see you, Robyn." Robyn smiled back at her politely. Duncan looked at her in shock.

"Wow, so you're just a teacher's favorite?" Duncan joked.

"What can I say? I'm everyone's favorite. Even Carmelita's," Robyn spoke, almost rolling her eyes when she mentioned Carmelita.

"Well, you're my favorite," Duncan added, smiling at his friend. Robyn smiled back, fidgeting with her hair.

"Our gym teacher was irreplaceable, but I have found someone I know who can fill her shoes. And now, please welcome to the stage, a man with no résumé, no letters of recommendation, no credit history..." Duncan took out his commonplace notebook and started writing. Robyn leaned over his shoulder to see what he was writing. He tried to give it to the Baudelaires, but Mr. Remora stopped him.

"Coach Genghis!" A man in a turban and white boots ripped the paper circle as he jumped out of it inelegantly. The Baudelaires finally realized who it was.

"So much to learn, and I am here to school you." Most students clapped as Count Olaf smirked at the Baudelaires. It wasn't going to be a fun time.