After everyone left promising to got to the Pets' Café tomorrow Charlie fell into an uneasy sleep. He woke up from horrible dreams he couldn't remember afterwards.
In the morning he felt as though he'd had no sleep at all. He went to the Pets' Café making sure Claerwen was with him. She was his pet when he came here.
Charlie saw his friends at the back table with Benjamin. He hoped they hadn't told him about last night yet.
"How was the dance?" Benjamin asked.
"It was great!" 'Until the end' Charlie thought bitterly.
"Yea, Charlie and I had to sing actually. He was really good," Olivia added with a small smile.
"So were you," Charlie told her. Benjamin was staring at the two in disbelief.
"You sang?"
Fidelio answered him. "Yea they were both great. If only you went to Bloors' too.
"Yea but then something happened when we were walking out. Charlie, tell him." Lysander said.
Charlie didn't look thrilled to be talking about what happened. "Well, Manfred came out of nowhere and dragged me away to this room. Dr. Bloor and Ezekiel were there too. Behind them was some machine which is apparently their secret weapon. It didn't look bad but we know it is. It was kind of small which I didn't expect. But then Dr. Bloor ordered me to tell him who the illusionist was. I said I didn't know and tried to get away but Manfred was there. He punched me over and over, in my stomach and face. I kneed him somewhere that you don't wanna be kneed and punched him in the nose. I'm pretty sure I broke it." Charlie gave a small smile of satisfaction. "I ran out of the room and found everyone just standing there wondering where I went. We ran to my house and stayed there a while."
"He was covered in blood by the time we got there," Gabriel put in.
Benjamin stared at Charlie. "Your dead tomorrow right?"
"Yea probably." said Charlie. "But Manfred probably won't show his face if his nose is all wrapped up." He laughed.
"I'm gonna talk to the Mr. and Mrs. Onimous about getting a karaoke machine." Gabriel said.
"Don't think I'm gonna sing!" Olivia and Charlie laughed.
"Ok I think it's a good idea though."
"This kind of got off topic," Lysander interrupted them. "We should be talking about that secret weapon."
"Your right Sander," Emma agreed. "This could be dangerous for all of us. Especially you Charlie."
"Why me?" his face suddenly grew serious.
"The Bloors have always wanted you out of the way, ever since you came to the school," Tancred told him.
"Yea. You're the one who always screws up their plans," Gabriel added. Charlie and Olivia began to look more worried than everyone else at the table.
"Your right I guess," he said. "But what can we do? We don't even know what that dumb weapon does! The only way to figure that out would be for me to…" There was no need to say anything else. The others were staring at him in horror.
"Charlie, don't risk your life for me!" Olivia pleaded. "I'm not worth it!"
Charlie looked up. "Of course you're worth it! All of you are! I'm not letting you get hurt!" Pain filled his eyes. "I'd risk my life for you as many times as I have to."