I was released from jail, and boy, was that a relief! But I was on probation. And when I got back to Prufrock, it got even better.
Isadora had left. Literally. She had picked up, collected her inheritance, and walked out on us. But she left a note on my pillow (how she got in I don't know, but my guess would be the lock pick Violet made for her).
After reading it, I grimaced and just as I was about to hurl a bloody rage at the person who knocked on my door, my cell phone rang.
I pulled it out, flipped it open, and hit the green phone button. "Hello?" I spat through gritted teeth.
"Duncan?" asked the female voice on the other end. Jenny.
"Jenny? What's going on?" I asked.
"You were released!" No, I thought. I'm in prison but they let me keep my cell phone with me, as long as a lock-pick, my wallet, my keys and ID.
"Look, Duncan," she continued, "we need to talk."
I couldn't let myself hear her words. In a blind fury I flung the phone out the window. It glided over some rooftops, over some heads and past a few windows. Then it landed in the courtyard pond and sullenly sank. I had to admit, I had a pretty good throwing arm.
A couple sitting on the bench near the pond jumped up and sprinted away like it was an air raid.
My day got better and better. Principal Verne called me to his office, and demanded that I become a better person or I would be expelled. And he had the expulsion form right in front of him, all filled out and everything. Actually, it was in an envelope.
"One more strike, Quagmire," he snarled. "One more strike and you're out of the game. Now go to lunch."
I stomped out of the office and walked to the cafeteria. Pierce's brother Pollock was there. After taking a slice of pizza I propped down, and he grabbed my shoulder, taking that part of my shirt in a bunch.
"So," he hissed, "you thought you won by killing my brother, huh? Well, you got it all wrong, Quagmire. You made a huge mistake killing my brother. Now you'll pay!"
He was taller and broader than I. He dragged me out and threw me to the ground. I couldn't put up a good fight, not against this guy.
He pulled out a knife. I mean, the thing was like a dagger. Or an Army combat blade. Whatever it was, I didn't want to find out.
I jumped up and tore to the pond, hoping I could find my cell phone, dial 9-1-1, and survive this. He was quicker, and wrapped his long, muscular arm around my neck. I wheezed loudly gasping for air.
Taking a large stick on the ground I whirled madly around and clubbed him in the face as hard as I could. He fell backwards, blood pooling on his face. He hurled the knife at me.
I batted it away with the club and dropped to my knees. I was dog tired, and plunged into the pond.
I'm not very good at opening my eyes under water, but I could see in a blurry vision my cell phone, silver and all. I picked it up, and I saw something else lurking in the water.
It was a brooch. It was bright green and I picked that up as well. Coming to the surface drenched, I looked at it.
It was Violet Baudelaire's brooch. She must have lost it. And I figured it was time I paid her a visit.
First I showered in my dorm, dried off and put on clean clothes. Walking to her room, brooch in hand, I knocked. The door opened by itself.
She and a guy named Terrence Owen were sitting on her bed, talking. She glared up at me.
"Duncan! Can't you knock?" she exclaimed. I opened my mouth to speak, but she saw the green glitter in my hand. She ran up and snatched it out.
"Where did you get this?" she demanded.
"The pond," I said. "I saw it floating around, and I knew it was yours so I brought it."
"You know what I think?" Terrence said. "I think you stole it and threw it in the pond, and got it out and gave it to Violet because you still like her. I think you're a thief, Quagmire."
"I think you need to shut up, Owen," I snapped. I felt pretty crabby.
SMACK! Violet's hand came across sharp and caught me across the face. "You need to shut up, Duncan," she shouted. "And you need to leave—right now!"
She slammed the door in my face. I felt a rumble in my throat and stormed back to my room.
I had always liked her. I let Jenny get in the way. I even allowed Quigley, my own brother to have her. But she didn't love me in return.
Sorely disappointed, I wiped my phone clean and dialed Isadora's number. Nothing answered. Not even an answering machine.
She had rid her cell phone. Probably returned it to the dealership.
As I looked in the mirror, I saw no one other than Duncan Quagmire. I loved Violet Baudelaire. But she liked Terrence instead. I wanted her and nothing more than for Terrence and her to break up so I could have her.
But that wasn't possible. From the day fire tore my house apart and took my parents, I'd seen nothing but grief.
But when I returned to school and saw Summer Sanders checking me out, I decided to get on with my life. It was no use staying around like a car stuck in six-foot-deep mud. I had to move on.