The Baudelaires (Unedited)

9: "Conspiring with Carmelita"

I realised I had my spyglass and started to figure out a combination blindly, trying to find that one setting that made light beam out of the lense.
The light finally clicked on and I started walking around, looking through the cracks in the floorboards, seeing classrooms upon classrooms, trying to find the one that Violet was in.
She had been forced to take one more class than the others, so did Klaus. Beatrice and Sunny were able to sleep due to their age.
I tapped on someone's shoes, having to stand on a chair, and they flinched.
"Klaus? Violet?" I whispered.
The familiar piece of ribbon fell on to the floor, Violet.
"Violet! Down here!" I whispered a little louder, finally getting her attention.
She nudged Klaus a tad as I heard the noise of the teacher leaving the room for a moment.
"Charlotte, what are you doing down there?" She asked me.
"Carmelita locked me down there as a punishment for missing recital." I explained, "I'm having to stay here until after midnight."
Klaus looked down, "how do we get you out?"
"It's the old door by the lockers, around the other side of the school. It's totally abandoned."
"You're all alone?" Klaus asked worried.
"Yes, Klaus." I shuddered.
"Do you have a light source?" Violet questioned.
"I found the combination on my spyglass, I've got something." I replied.
"We need to go. We'll get you in a minute, I need the toilet anyway." Violet laughed as their teacher walked back in.
I got off the chair and sat near the door, waiting.
I could hear footsteps as all the lighten up cracks in the floorboards faded, leaving me in near darkness, the only light emitting from my spyglass.
I heard Klaus and Violet banging on the door, "Charlotte!"
"Yeah?" I yelled back, trying to pull the door open.
"She put a padlock on the door.." Klaus sighed.
Violet went quiet.
"Charlotte, don't worry, she's tying her hair up, she'll think of something." Klaus reassured.
"I need her spyglass." Violet said.
I passed my spyglass under the door, Klaus grabbed my hand before he took it and gave it to Violet.
"I can smell burning." I said, suddenly alarmed.
"It's okay, I'm just using the hot setting to melt the lock...hopefully." Violet explained.
"O-okay." I stuttered, my hand tightening on Klaus's.
I heard the lock fall off with a thump I got up, letting go of Klaus.
The door opened straight away.
"Charlotte, you're really...dusty!" Violet laughed.
"I've aged as much as this basement!" I joked.
Klaus gave me my spyglass back as I shook of my uniform of dust.
I suddenly heard the clicking of tap shoes on the ground.
"Either we run now or.." I sighed.
"We run back to the shack." Violet said and started running in that direction.
I began to follow, Klaus was already ahead of me.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around.
"Oh, Cake Sniffer!" She provoked.
"What do you want! It's past midnight!" I said, as a matter of factly.
"Oh, but, I was supposed to let you out-"
"Vice Principal Nero let me out." I lied.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"I'll believe you if you give me something in return."
"Like what?"
"The piece of cake in the kitchen, they're letting everybody have some due to it being the stupid librarian's birthday."
"Olivia-"
"No, not her."
"Fine." I sighed and carried on running.
"Thank you, Cake Sniffer!" She yelled behind me, laughing.

I collapsed on to the hard mattress and sighed.
"What took you so long?" Violet asked.
"Carmelita stopped me." I said.
"What did she do?" Klaus questioned.
"I told her Vice Principal Nero let me out, she told me she would believe me if she was allowed my piece of cake."
"You're conspiring with Carmelita-" Violet accused.
"No way. I just didn't want to get locked in there again."
They both stared at me, "can you trust her?"
"No." I answered truthfully.
Klaus nodded, "I trust her."
Violet smiled, "I guess I do too."