Chapter 2

Once outside, Violet spoke to the new orphans. "Hello. My name is Violet Baudelaire and this is my brother Klaus and our sister Sunny."

The girls just stared at Violet as if she was the color of her name.

"What are your names?" Klaus asked.

The taller of the two spoke up. "I'm Ruby Backwater and this is my sister Wendy. We're 13 and 12."
"I'm 14 and Klaus is 12, just like Wendy. Sunny is still a baby." Violet continued this polite conversation as the orphans made their way back to the main building. Isadora and Duncan were waiting, writing in their notebooks.

"Klaus, Klaus!" Isadora called, rushing to share her latest couplet with her friend. "Look what I—" She stopped short when she saw Klaus chattering away with a strange girl.

"Duncan, Isadora, these are the orphans that are going to share a shack with us," Violet waved her hand, gesturing towards Ruby and Wendy.

"You have to share the shack?" Duncan questioned.

"Yes. This is Wendy, she is 12. And this is Ruby. She is 14."

"Hello." The Quagmires and Backwaters said as they shook each others hand.

"Goosha!" Sunny shrieked from the grass.

"Oh, Sunny, we haven't forgotten about you!"

Isadora eyed Wendy suspiciously. She was talking to Klaus about things that he probably didn't care about. Then she caught bits and pieces and realized that a conversation about books would interest him very much. Why am I being like this? He's just talking to her. He's not going to fall in love with her after 5 minutes… Isadora gasped. That's all it took for me. No way, I can't fall in love with someone I just barely met myself. Well, sure I like him and he's my friend but…

That night at Nero's concert, Isadora was sure to sit next to Klaus. Duncan sat down on her other side and Violet on Klaus's other side with Sunny on her lap. There weren't enough seats in that row, so Ruby and Wendy sat in the next row. Isadora smiled to herself as she made conversation with Klaus.

"So, Klaus, what do you think of Ruby and Wendy?" Isadora asked, acting as nonchalantly as possible.

"They're okay," he replied. "Wendy seems really cool."

Drat, he does like her, Isadora thought to herself.

"She's not as cool as you though." Klaus gave Isadora a playful wink as he closed his eyes, not opening them until 6 hours later.