{Arms Unfolding}~ Q. Quagmire

Ch.7~

*some Desley fluff cuz. Desley=whole hearts.

Pearla—-

       Your wit is something unexpected, it took me by surprise how much you didn't know you knew.

                                              —Ira.

       I've gotten even sicker and it's only been a day. This was also the day that myself, the Quagmires, and Baudelaires were demanded to go to the nightly rehearsals. I knew I was sneaking out of them, but didn't know they were. Just another thing I was going to pretend I hadn't noticed. We all sat in one row, bored out of our minds, and me sick, shaking, and suffering like a dog.

       These stupid rehearsals are going to be the death of me. I sat with my glasses on and my hair braided up into pigtails, something easy for me to take care of. The order went me, Quigley, Klaus, Isadora, Duncan, Violet, then Sunny; who was nodding off in her chair and being woken up by her sister. I kept coughing, this being shushed by most students and teachers in the building. Each time one of my fits started Quig would pat me on the back furiously to get them to stop.

        It was also during one of these fits where I got a good look of our principal. It all seemed a bit odd to me, but maybe it was all the things I've been putting together from my books and files. It all looked like a puzzle to me, and I'm great at puzzles. My parents used to think that if they sat one in front of me it'd keep me occupied for hours so I wouldn't get in trouble. They were right.

        Anyways, I looked at Principal Nero and then his violin. Huh. Funny.

       "We have to sit here and listen to this every night?" Quigley asked in a voice that matched his facial expression, bored. I sighed, mostly because I couldn't breathe through my nose.

       "Yup." All three of our beloved Baudelaire children said together. I crossed my eyes at the annoying thought, all the way until we graduate, these are our nights.

         "This is all cruel and unusual." I commented to them. It was the triplets' turn to speak in unison, "Yup." We all sighed simultaneously. Maybe that sudden rush of oxygen got my brain moving again cause the pieces just fit together properly.

         "Huh, I just realized something." I spoke quietly to my friends as to not be shushed again.

        "What is it?" Isadora leaned forward to try and see me.

        "Principal Nero is a violinist. Nero is the last name of a Roman Emperor who was once hypnotized into thinking he could play the violin everytime he heard his own name. Odd." They all looked at one another strangely then to me again.

"Yeah, odd..." Klaus repeated.

         Maybe I was looking at this all wrong. Maybe all of these secrets were like puzzle pieces or an occurrence of foreshadowing in a book. It was a dumb skill but it was my skill, everyone had one. At least all of my friends had one...they all had a skill.

         After we were dismissed we all walked slowly to our sleeping hall. I will gladly lie down in my secret chamber of a room. I just...don't feel good and hadn't for a while. While we were walking there I was in between Isadora and Klaus. Quigley had a sleeping Sunny on his back, they looked so cute, it appeared like a natural occurrence for him to be this close with a child.

         "Iridesa, maybe you should call your parents, they could send you extra money for medicine or send some themselves?" Isadora suggested concerned. I sniffed hard before groaning. I thought about her words, it sounded like a great idea, but I don't want to bother my parents for awhile. I want them to see I can take care of myself.