Say You'll Volunteer (Friday Barnes x ASOUE)

☆ Chapter VIII

Italy

roughly four years before...

Ian was wandering the streets while his mum and Bernie unpacked some of the boxes at their new home. It had only been a couple of days since they arrived, but he already hated it here. Barely anybody spoke English, which was hard for Ian considering he didn't speak Italian. More importantly to him though, his life wasn't here; it was back in Australia. His school, his friends, Friday...

Ian had just gotten into a relationship, and then he found out that he had to move halfway across the world and leave everything behind. Of course Friday and Ian promised to write to each other, it wouldn't be the same. They couldn't even call each other because Friday got the cell phone Bernie sent her confiscated. He already missed her a lot, which was frustrating because Ian wasn't always very good with feelings.

How unfair could one's life possibly get? I mean, sure, he wasn't dying of some incurable disease or living in poverty... but that didn't make his feelings any less real and valid, did it? Ian was hosting a silent war zone inside his head, his emotions raging like a wildfire. All he could do was push it down and away from the surface.

"Uh, excuse me?"
Ian was snapped out of his thoughts when a young girl, roughly his age, came up to him.
"Yeah?" Ian replied, a little bit cautious. He was in a foreign country and a stranger approached him and struck up a conversation. Sure, she was a child, but still.

"You're Ian Wainscott?" the girl asked politely. Ian noticed she had a thick American accent. Maybe she had just moved here too? Interesting...
"Depends. Who's asking?" Ian was suspicious of the girl. Why in the world did she know his name?
"No need to play coy, Wainscott. I know it's you. I was only asking to be polite," Ian scoffed while the girl offered him a nervous smile.
"I'll just get to the point. Recently, I was sent by my organisation to recruit volunteers from less, uh, volunteer-active places around the world. I-"
"Nope."

Ian started to walk away from the girl, his eyes wide and his heart pounding more then he'd like to admit. He didn't want to face this crap without Friday and Mel. They made a good team, and he left all that behind in Australia. Not here, not in Italy.

"What'd you mean?" Ian kept walking.
"I am not having anything to do with an organisation."
"Oh, come on! Just hear me ou-"
"I don't think so," Ian cut the girl off and didn't stop walking. So the girl watched him walk away, deep in thought. Then, she suddenly yelled out something that piqued Ian's interest.

"Barnes was a lot less stubborn than you are."
Ian turned around and glared at the girl. She smiled, a nervous edge to her stance.
"That's what I thought. Let's go get some ice cream and I'll tell you more."

—

Ian and the girl sat down at a table outside of a little ice cream place, licking their treats in silence. They were making eye contact, both refusing to look away. Ian could do this all day, but so could she, and Ian was growing impatient. He broke eye contact first and stared at the pavement while speaking up.

"Alright. I'll maybe possibly think about volunteering for your little organisation-" the girl scoffed, "but, you need to tell me a few things. Please."
The girl smiled, "consider it done, Wainscott. Just let me know what." Ian nodded and looked her in the eye again.
"Tell me how the hell you know Friday, and what this organisation is. I don't wanna be joining some weird cult without knowing." The girl laughed dryly.
"Alright," she opened her mouth to begin the long explanation ahead, but Ian stopped her.

"Just one more thing."
"Yes?" The girl drew out the 'e'.
"Would you tell me your name first?" The girl nodded with a toothless grin on her face. She held out her hand and Ian lightly shook it.

"Beatrice Baudelaire the second."

•••

A/N: hope this adds a little bit of clarity, ik it's probably bit confusing atm but things'll come together soon, promise lol x