"So what're we doing today?" Duncan asked, lazing across the sofa. We had the back door open to let the breeze in, thankful for it even that early in the morning. It was just pushing 10am but already the temperature was threatening yet another sweltering day and, despite me loving the summer and the sunny days that came along with it, I couldn't stop myself from wondering if it wasn't about time we had some rain. 

I shrugged at him from my seat opposite, legs tucked up in my usual armchair. "Have you asked the others?"

"I thought you and Klaus would have something planned again," he said, fanning himself rather unsuccessfully with a folded up kitchen towel. 

I thought about what he had said, and really he was right. I thought Klaus and I would've planned something  else as well but, after yesterday's disaster, I was starting to think he had changed his mind. We hadn't even spoken afterwards, not alone at least, as we had both parted ways with our respective siblings and neither of us had bothered to text the other. Although, I suppose one good thing had come from it. Quigley hadn't stopped talking about Violet for all of last night, which I guessed was an unconscious decision. Okay, so it wasn't as though he was confessing his love or anything, but he kept expressing how much fun he had and how good Violet was at mini golf, and that he was glad they got paired together because she carried him to victory. I had just listened patiently, nodding along as he went on and on, thinking about how oblivious he was about his feelings. They were written clearly across his face; in his eyes as they lit up at the subject of Violet, in his smile as he spoke so fondly of the day before. I wanted to yell at him to get a room but, alas, Violet wasn't there to share it with.

Putting my stubbornness aside, I messaged Klaus, despite feeling slightly irritated that I had to be the one to break our unofficial silence. He should know about the fruits of our labour, even if yesterday was completely exhausting. By the time we actually got to start playing golf, I was ready for a nap. The fact that we had managed to get second place was a small miracle, especially since Duncan was usually alright at things like that. He was competitive by nature but even yesterday, when it was announced that his pair came last, he didn't seem to really care. Then I remembered the clause in my statement. Duncan was competitive by nature... unless he was distracted. 

I looked over at my brother, now laying face up and staring at the blank ceiling. Usually I just assumed he was zoned out when he did things like that, asleep in every sense but name. But I had reason to believe that maybe he was daydreaming instead, thinking about something or someone in particular. I wondered if he would tell me if I asked. Quigley was easy for me to read- he had been for a long time- and I had always thought that Duncan was the same. But here he was, just laying there and leaving me stumped. 

Maybe I would bring it up to Klaus. 

Speaking of, my phone pinged with a new message: Violet wants to go to the beach. Feel like accidentally turning up at the same one and framing it as a coincidence? 

I grinned at my phone screen, quickly typing back my response. Obviously.

"Fancy the beach?" I said to Duncan, snapping him out of whatever had him in a trance. 

Duncan perked up immediately. "I'll grab my towel."

"And get Quigley as well!" I called to him as he ran off upstairs. Time to get back on track with the plan. 

*

An hour later, the three of us were descending on Briny Beach, a nice place to spend a sunny day despite its slightly offsetting name. In the winter it wasn't quite as pleasant, turning into a cold, bleak mass of grey sand, grey rocks and an even greyer expanse of sea. But in the height of summer, with a heatwave rolling through the city, it was a popular place to spend the day. And today, "popular" was an understatement. From the very margin of where pavement met sand, up to the tide's edge, the beach was covered with a mosaic of towels and blankets, and young children played in the gaps in between. 

It didn't take me long to spot our friends, who were already set up and relaxing, just laying back in the sun and taking everything in. I decided to feign surprise. "Oh look," I said, using my hand to block out the sun and let me see without squinting, "there's the Baudelaires."

"Where?" Quigley instantly exclaimed, and I had to force myself not to smirk. I pointed them out and then we headed over. I mentally debated whether we should try and scare them but Duncan took that choice from us when he decided to sprint over and all but throw himself on top of them. I laughed as they screamed in shock. 

"What're you guys doing here?" Violet asked as Quigley and I got closer. Her eyes were still wide, her face painted in an expression of disbelief that we had crashed their peaceful beach trip. Little did she know, it was for the greater good. 

"Just felt like coming to the beach," I explained with a shrug, hoping it came across as casual. "It's the right weather for it."

We set our towels up in the small spaces around the Baudelaires' and got settled. We had brought a picnic of sorts- snacks, drinks and just anything unhealthy we could find in the house really. It was the summer holidays, the perfect excuse to just eat junk and enjoy ourselves. Since I had been the one to pack it, I had purposely put extras in, knowing we would "bump into" the Baudelaires. I had even packed some chocolate covered rice cakes for Sunny, knowing she loved anything with a crunch to it, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. Maybe it was too hot for her and she was with her parents or a Nanny. I didn't have a chance to ask after her though, as the conversation was moving swiftly on around me. Already, in the short time we had been sat down, we had gone through the day before (including what the prizes were and where we were hiding them), the amount of people on the beach, and what we had all done before coming down. 

"Don't worry," Klaus said quietly to me as the others moved the conversation on again, "I gave Violet the prizes and told her to give half to Quigley, which means he'll have to come over to get it later, or she'll have to come to yours."

I smiled. At least he had his head screwed on today. "Good idea, that's another excuse for them to hang out. If he goes to your house, you should come over to ours so the two of them can be alone."

"I was already thinking the exact same thing."

"Oh?" I teased, "So you just invite yourself over now, do you?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "I practically live there anyway."

"Yeah, against my free will. Are you just obsessed with me or something?"

He scoffed a laugh in false disbelief. "Wow, that's rich coming from the girl that turns up at my house pretty much everyday."

"Yeah, to get away from you since you're always at my house!" I joked.

"Oh and who just turned up at the same beach as us today? You stalker."

"Um excuse me, who was the one that told me to turn up and make it look like it happened by chance?"

Klaus changed the subject. "Don't be annoying."

"You're more annoying that me," I told him.

"That's not physically possible."

"Well actu-"

"Are you two finished?" Duncan interrupted, causing Klaus and I to turn to him at the same time. Violet and Quigley were staring too, Violet with a slight smirk on her face that I couldn't think of a reason for. "If your conversation is that important then I'm sure we'd all like to hear it."

I rolled my eyes. What was with Duncan's sudden teacher impression? Had a couple weeks out of school given him withdrawals that severe that he had started speaking like a teacher now? He even had that stern expression down to a T. All he needed was a pair of outdated reading glasses balanced on the end of his nose to really complete the look. 

Klaus must've been imagining something similar to me, because we both burst out laughing at the same time, unable to stop as Duncan kept that look up. It seemed to get funnier and funnier, until the three of them lost hope and said something about getting ice cream, leaving us to simultaneously dispose of all our laughter and look after everyone's belongings. It was only when they came back that we fully got over it and we all switched subjects, choosing to enjoy our time chatting all together instead of just Klaus and I joking around. We would have plenty of time to do that another day.

A/N:

Sorry this chapter is late!! Life is getting slightly crazy again, mostly because I'm starting a new job next week so I'm trying to get everything sorted for that! I'm going to try my best to keep up with two updates a week though, so hopefully I'll see you on Saturday with a new chapter! 

I hope you're enjoying this story so far ❤