Xalia Squalor; because sometimes being in is not enough

How the turns have tabled

I stare at Jacques as he sits in silence. It feels like I'm at the zoo, but the animals are an average looking man his librarian not girlfriend. Mum is talking to Olivia, so I pull a chair up to Jacques. He looks up at me, fed up, and I smirk, "How the turns have tabled. It isn't nice, is it?"
Jacques sighs, "No, not it isn't. How are you doing today, Xalia May?"
I think for a second, before snapping, "No, I'm not answering that. You're just trying to make me feel sorry for you."
"I feel bad for you," Jacques says, standing up and walking over to the cell door. He sits on the floor and asks, "Can I ask what you meant by how the turns have tabled?"
I think for a second, before sighing, "I have spent far too much long with Olaf. Mum is starting to sound dumber with every day that passes. I don't tell her though. And she wont listen to me. Look at her. I'm sat a meter and a half away from her, and unless I say her name, she wont listen. She seems far too interested in your girlfriend."
"Olivia isn't my girlfriend," Jacques snaps. I smile at him, before asking, "Why do you have a tattoo?"
"A Very fun decoration," Jacques shrugs. I nod, before asking, "And what is your girlfriends name?"
"Olivia," Jacques pauses, before looking at me and whispering, "I don't like teenage girls very much, considering none of them have ever had to work a day in their life. You're fifteen, and so is Violet Baudelaire. Do you want an orphan to be more helpful than you?"
I look at him, scoffing. He's caught me out there. I can't get him out directly, but he knows that an orphan being better than me would make me a disappointment in Mum's eyes. I turn to mum, and tilt my head. She nods, following me into the office. I sigh, "Mum, you want the sugar bowl, don't you?"
Mum nods, and says, "I do, Xalia May, of course I do. Olaf wants us to focus on the orphans first."
"What if?" I sigh, "I don't know if you'd ever do this..."
Mum raises her eyebrows and I blurt, "What if you made a compromise?"
I pause, expecting Olaf to burst in, but he doesn't. Mum smiles at me, and looks back at the prisoners. She walks out the room, and straight back to Olivia. I look into Jacques cell, and sigh, "I can't promise anything, but I imagine you should be out fairly soon. Jacques Snicket? I'm sorry you've had the misfortune of dealing with Olaf."
"So am I," Jacques smiles, "So am I."

I walk off, following Olaf up the stairs. He burst into the police station, and I sprint after him. I gasp, panting for air at the office and roll my eyes. He's decorated it with wanted posters, each with a different doodle. I listen as he groans, "I thought having prisoners would be fun, but it's like having a pet. Or orphans. Or bratty children. Or step children. Or not really step children but they're your girlfriend's kid so you have to pretend to like them. Or not really step children who haven't really made you want to rip of your wig. Or in laws. You can lock them up, but then you have to feed them."
Olaf slams a rock hard loaf of bread onto a tray, and gasps as mum appears at the door. She smiles at Olaf, and gasps, "Darling, forget Snicket and the Baudelaires. You've been working so hard. I feel like dancing. What are you in the mood for? The waltz? The watusi? The horizontal tango?"
I fake coughing, and Mum looks over at me. She smiles, embarrassed and Olaf hugs her. He smirks, saying, "I've been working on my line dancing. This hand goes here. This hand goes... where at the keys to the cells? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
He barges passed mum, and throws himself down the stairs. Mum gasps, staring at me, and she falls to her knees. I slowly look out the window and smile. Jacques and Olivia kiss, for quite a fair bit. Then, Olivia gets in the car and I turn away, looking back at mum. She wails, "XALIA! Xalia May, what do I do?"
I sit next to her, leaning her head on my shoulder and sighing, "Go help Olaf. He'll appreciate it."
Mum wipes her eyes, sniffling and nodding. She gets up, her mascara smudged and leaves. I'm alone, again. I should make friends. Tell you what would be unfortunate? If Jacques Snicket or Olivia got hurt without getting to say a proper good bye to the other. I feel bad for Jerome. He loved mum, and mum left him. His heart was probably broken. Olaf, well, I would say he was incapable of love if I hadn't seen the heart etched into bar. It had Olaf, plus three names. I'm not allowed to be seen by the village people, so I really am locked away. It's so boring, but I can get good sleep when I'm alone. Slowly, I make my way to one of the abandoned houses. There's a mattress that I can make work, and isn't too dirty, so I should be fine. I look out the window and the dark night stares back at me. Mum and Olaf leave the saloon, both laughing. I watch as Mum runs her hand up Olaf's chest and I groan. She's just going to have her heart broken again. The only reason I've got an outfit is because townspeople are always walking into the police station, so I have to be ready when I can be. That means leaving this house in full costume, and not taking any of it off until I'm back in this house. I turn to the mattress. Things will be better in the next place. That's what Olaf keeps telling mum every time she complains. Mum hates it here too. I am sick of this. At least nobody has died yet.