Post by Emma “Emmz” Squalor on Dec 2, 2009 15:27:26 GMT -5
[That was fantastic, and so action-packed! I loved the part where Lemony went “Sir, yes, ma’am” to Kit. ;D]
“I don’t know how to thank you all for saving me,” Esmé said, as she and her friends strolled back down the hallway to the dining hall. She was especially appreciative of Lemony and Bertrand for their roles in preventing Olaf from physically attacking her. “Especially since it meant putting yourselves in danger as well.”
Bertrand had kept his arm tightly wound around Esmé’s waist from the moment they’d left Olaf and Jack standing by the two front doors. Bertrand had no intention of letting the pretty young woman out of his sight, which was evident in the way he tugged her closer as they reached the dining hall.
“Do you honestly think I was going to just sit around while that—that monster did God-knows-what to my girlfriend?” Bertrand demanded as the five friends swept through the pair of doors.
Esmé felt her cheeks flame at the final word. It was by her own estimated guess that she would have fainted had Bertrand not been holding onto her. She struggled to remember if there had been a time since her arrival at the V.F.D. Headquarters in which he’d referred to her as his girlfriend. But in the end, she surmised that there had not. It was this realization that caused the corners of her little rosebud mouth to turn up into a smile.
Beatrice was the first to notice Esmé’s transformed expression. “Wow, Esmé. I haven’t seen you smile like that since our days together at Prufrock Prep.”
“You must be more relieved than I thought to be rid of Olaf,” Lemony stated.
“It’s not that,” Esmé replied.
“Then what is it?” asked Kit, her left eyebrow raised above the frame of her triangular-shaped glasses.
Esmé’s blush deepened, and she chewed softly on her bottom lip before answering. “It’s Bertrand. According to him, I’m his girlfriend now.”
“What about Olaf?” Lemony asked, as the five compatriots all resituated themselves at their original table.
“You heard what Beatrice’s father said,” Kit reminded her brother. “Olaf’s conduct was inexcusable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up being kicked out of V.F.D. for good this time.”
“‘This time’?” Esmé inquired.
“Yes. From the stories that have been passed around the organization, Olaf has always been a troublemaker.”
“What else has he done?”
“Well,” Lemony said. “In the beginning, he just liked to pick fights. But as time progressed, his behavior grew more and more erratic.”
“He started threatening people,” Beatrice said. “He even broke a man’s arm once for not giving up their chair.”
“The only thing stopping him from being evicted,” Kit added, “was in his promise to never do it again.”
“Did you see the look on his face when Beatrice’s father told him he’d be hearing from the head of V.F.D.?” Lemony continued, and Esmé nodded. “That’s because they’re already aware of his behavior. This could be it for him. This could be his ticket out of V.F.D. for good.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions, Lemon,” Kit advised. “After all, Olaf’s grandparents were the founders of V.F.D. That’s the whole reason why he wasn’t asked to leave after that first incident.”
“What sort of incident?” Esmé asked.
“A fire in which a couple was killed. Many volunteers believed that Olaf was involved, but it was never proven otherwise.”
Upon hearing Kit’s words, Esmé lapsed into silence. When Esmé spoke again, her voice was soft and subdued. “I lost my parents in a fire as well.”
“I don’t know how to thank you all for saving me,” Esmé said, as she and her friends strolled back down the hallway to the dining hall. She was especially appreciative of Lemony and Bertrand for their roles in preventing Olaf from physically attacking her. “Especially since it meant putting yourselves in danger as well.”
Bertrand had kept his arm tightly wound around Esmé’s waist from the moment they’d left Olaf and Jack standing by the two front doors. Bertrand had no intention of letting the pretty young woman out of his sight, which was evident in the way he tugged her closer as they reached the dining hall.
“Do you honestly think I was going to just sit around while that—that monster did God-knows-what to my girlfriend?” Bertrand demanded as the five friends swept through the pair of doors.
Esmé felt her cheeks flame at the final word. It was by her own estimated guess that she would have fainted had Bertrand not been holding onto her. She struggled to remember if there had been a time since her arrival at the V.F.D. Headquarters in which he’d referred to her as his girlfriend. But in the end, she surmised that there had not. It was this realization that caused the corners of her little rosebud mouth to turn up into a smile.
Beatrice was the first to notice Esmé’s transformed expression. “Wow, Esmé. I haven’t seen you smile like that since our days together at Prufrock Prep.”
“You must be more relieved than I thought to be rid of Olaf,” Lemony stated.
“It’s not that,” Esmé replied.
“Then what is it?” asked Kit, her left eyebrow raised above the frame of her triangular-shaped glasses.
Esmé’s blush deepened, and she chewed softly on her bottom lip before answering. “It’s Bertrand. According to him, I’m his girlfriend now.”
“What about Olaf?” Lemony asked, as the five compatriots all resituated themselves at their original table.
“You heard what Beatrice’s father said,” Kit reminded her brother. “Olaf’s conduct was inexcusable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up being kicked out of V.F.D. for good this time.”
“‘This time’?” Esmé inquired.
“Yes. From the stories that have been passed around the organization, Olaf has always been a troublemaker.”
“What else has he done?”
“Well,” Lemony said. “In the beginning, he just liked to pick fights. But as time progressed, his behavior grew more and more erratic.”
“He started threatening people,” Beatrice said. “He even broke a man’s arm once for not giving up their chair.”
“The only thing stopping him from being evicted,” Kit added, “was in his promise to never do it again.”
“Did you see the look on his face when Beatrice’s father told him he’d be hearing from the head of V.F.D.?” Lemony continued, and Esmé nodded. “That’s because they’re already aware of his behavior. This could be it for him. This could be his ticket out of V.F.D. for good.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions, Lemon,” Kit advised. “After all, Olaf’s grandparents were the founders of V.F.D. That’s the whole reason why he wasn’t asked to leave after that first incident.”
“What sort of incident?” Esmé asked.
“A fire in which a couple was killed. Many volunteers believed that Olaf was involved, but it was never proven otherwise.”
Upon hearing Kit’s words, Esmé lapsed into silence. When Esmé spoke again, her voice was soft and subdued. “I lost my parents in a fire as well.”