Series of Unfortunate Events One-shots, What-ifs, and Drabbles

Overwhelmed

Klaus was distracted. He had been for several days. Violet was ill and so was Sunny, so it fell to him to get Beatrice to daycare and set Violet and Sunny up with whatever they'd need during the day before he went to school.

Thus, when his English teacher asked them to leave their composition books to be graded over the weekend, he didn't leave his composition book, but his commonplace book. His composition book was filled with assignments he'd written for class, whereas his commonplace book was filled with stories and poetry he'd written to make sense of what he'd been through, as well as an account of the misfortunes that had befallen him and his siblings since his parents had died. Alas, he didn't notice his mistake until he was already at home, and there was no way to correct his mistake.

In school on Monday, his teacher held him after class. He felt the knot in his stomach tighten. He really hoped this would be quick. He really needed to get back to his sisters and to pick up Beatrice from daycare. "Klaus," his teacher said, "This is not your composition book."

"No," Klaus agreed. He handed her his composition book. "I'm sorry. My sisters are sick, so I've been incredibly distracted." He held his hand out for his commonplace book.

She didn't give it to him. "Klaus, is this fiction?" She tapped the cover of his commonplace book. "Some... fictional narrative you've been writing on your own? It's quite good."

Klaus blushed. Then he looked down, unsure of what to say. "I... It's my commonplace book. I've been writing in it for four years- since I was thirteen."

"But, Klaus," his teacher said, a hint of urgency in her voice, "it is fiction, right?"

"Some of it is. The short stories and poems. The rest is..." Klaus swallowed. "The rest is an account of what my sisters and I have been through." He tried to remind himself that he was cleared of all charges, cleared, cleared, and that his teacher couldn't throw him in jail again.

"Klaus..." His teacher stopped. Then she smiled at him. It reminded him of how Kit smiled at them after they accepted their mission at the Hotel Denouement and the way Justice Strauss had smiled at them after the farce that was their first trial. "I'm sorry," she said finally.

Klaus could feel tears spring to his eyes. But he couldn't cry. He wouldn't. Not here. But then, he couldn't cry at home, not with Violet and Sunny ill. He needed to be composed there, so he could help them.

It all came bursting out of him. "My sisters are sick. They both have the flu, and they've been throwing up, and I'm doing my best to keep our daughter Beatrice-" He paused at the look on his teacher's face. "It's a long story. She's not our biological daughter, but Violet and I, and to some extent Sunny, are her parents. I'm trying to keep Beatrice healthy and entertained and calm- it's so hard to deal with an upset child Beatrice's age- but I'm overwhelmed, and I-" The first tear fell. "I don't know what to do."

His teacher handed him back his commonplace book. Then she said, "Klaus, maybe you should talk to the guidance counselor."

"I have to pick up Beatrice. I've already stayed too long. She'll be wondering where I am." Klaus tried to push past his teacher, out into the hallway where he would be free from this conversation and all the feelings it was making him feel.

"Think about it, Klaus, will you?" She smiled at him. "It might help, and it can't hurt. You can even go during my class- heaven knows your grade is high enough- so you won't have to stay after school."

Klaus swallowed. Then he nodded and left.

And he did think about it.