𝚅𝙰𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙸𝚁𝙴 - 𝙳𝚄𝙽𝙲𝙰𝙽 𝚀.

𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽

SEVEN - get called out by marigold

"If I hear this damn slogan one more time about a dead horse, Count Olaf will be the horse," Robyn groaned, trying not to go insane. The fact that Count Olaf was so money hungry that he followed three kids to a boarding school for fortune baffled the brunette girl. Plus, her headache was getting worse, and Carmelita and Count Olaf screaming was not a remedy.

"Don't worry, we'll be out soon," Isadora comforted.

"Whats wrong? You seem sick," Duncan wondered. Robyn shrugged

"Just a headache for now. Hopefully not a migraine later," Robyn explained. Isadora gave Robyn a small hug.

"I hope you feel better. You can get some rest, it's not like this is really important." Robyn giggled with Isadora.

"Settle down. How often I hear those words come out of people's ears and into my mouth. Settle, a word which here means 'settling for less...'" Robyn sighed. Meanwhile, Marigold was impatiently waiting for Robyn. Was she sick?

"Hey, you, where's Robyn?" Marigold asked a random guy. He shrugged. Marigold threw a decaying grape at him.

"You're useless."

"Some years ago, a woman came to me. She needed my help," Count Olaf told. "'Coach Genghis,' she said to me, 'I'm a failure. I have no job. My love life is in the pits. I can't seem to lose these last 20 pounds.'"

"What does losing weight have to deal with this story?" Isadora grumbled.

"And what did I say to her? Do you think I told her to settle down?" Everyone looked around at each other. "Answer me, pippity-squeaks! Do you think I told her to settle down?"

"Probably not!" Carmelita chanted, the student body following.

"Probably not, indeed. I told her to stand up. I told her to actualize and incentivize. I told her to keep her eyes in the clouds and her feet on the stars," Count Olaf pronounced. "Do you know what happened?" It was silent for a minute.

"She died in a mysterious fire." Crows cawed as it felt like the sky got more grey, the sun shielded itself behind the clouds, and Robyn's snarky remarks had stopped.

"Settling down is what losers do." Vice Principal Nero looked very concerned about the story, which was most likely fake. Nero started playing the violin awfully.

"The whole school is falling for the trechery of an unhinged villain," Violet ranted.

"That always happens at pep rallies," Duncan remarked.

"This might be our only chance to stop him," Klaus expressed. "Sunny, stay here." The little child babbled something as her older siblings stood up and walked to the stage.

"Stop the music!" Violet shouted. Students gasped as the two turned to face the audience. "Everyone, listen, please!"

"How dare you interrupt a genius!" Nero exclaimed.

"And his guest violinist!" Count Olaf yelled. Nero looked at the liar in confusion.

"This man is not a genius. This man is an imposter."

"The term is improviser," Nero corrected. He was very wrong.

"This so-called gym teacher is the notorious villain Count Olaf." Robyn bit her nails in anticipation. Duncan noticed and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Duncan asked, looking up at the pretty girl.

"Just nervous for them. If he's not caught, he's going to find out a way to grab them. This is terrifying," Robyn responded. No matter how much she was afraid to spy, at least she wasn't on the lookout. She didn't have to worry about being chased. For that time, at least.

"Don't worry, I have faith in them," Duncan consoled.

"I do, too," Robyn answered. The two took a moment to glance at each other. As Violet talked, their hands slowly each for each other's. Duncan's hand reached over to Robyn's. Their fingers intertwined as they quietly sat and watched the pap rally. Isadora noticed and winked at Robyn.  She smiled back at Isadora. Everything was perfect, until it wasn't. Robyn noticed her friend Marigold marching up to Duncan and Robyn's row.

"Robyn!" Marigold exclaimed. The stage got silent. She whipped her head from Duncan to Marigold.

"What's wrong?" Robyn questioned.

"C'mon with me! I'm so lonely since Carm is up there," Marigold ranted, pointing up at their third friend. Robyn turned to Duncan and gave a sad look. She let go of his hand and stood up to walk away. As she did, Duncan felt a lingering feeling in his stomach as she left.

Marigold and Robyn got to their seats as soon as Count Olaf told the crowd to stand up. Everyone did.

"Let's try a little so,etching that I invented one lonely night at a truck stop, called jumping jacks," Count Olaf lied.

"Aren't jumping jack actually, like, real?" Marigold confirmed. Robyn nodded. The crowd did two jumping jacks before Count Olaf gave up and tried to take a break. The two sat down.

"Soooo, you were holding hands with that boy," Marigold mentioned.

"So?"

"So, what was it all about?" Marigold asked. She was a very nosy person, which used to bother Robyn.

"Well, we were just talking, and suddenly, it goes silent. We look at each other, look away, and our hands just somehow met in the middle," Robyn rambled. Marigold's eyes were widened.

"Oh my days! Well, what's your opinion on him?"

"Well, he's very kind, generous, handsome..."

"Oh my word, Robyn!" Marigold giggled. Robyn scrunched up her nose in confusion. "You obviously have a crush on Duncan!" Robyn looked at her friend like she was insane.

"Think about it. You guys held hands. You were rambling on about him, and-"

"The three of you will report to the athletics field at sundown and every night until further notice." Count Olaf had an evil gleam in his eye, which distracted her from Marigold's voice. He was an evil, horrendous person. In order to get through him, they were going to need a lot of help.