This story has quietly started. Don't be worried about my other stories. This is just a thing. Let it happen.

-Whimfu1

"And the award goes to…" A drum roll began to play out of the speakers. The spotlight panned across the row of beauty contestants. Lola Loud kept her gloved hands behind her back so the audience could not see her tightening fist of apprehension. The clang of a fictional high hat brought an end to the tension.

"Lindsey Sweetwater!"

Her dreams were over.

She promised herself that if she hadn't placed she would stop.

At the far end, where the ugly girls like herself went, Lola watched her ex-long-time rival receive her crown. So many years had gone by since Lindsey had actually considered her as a rival. Lola had talent and could elegantly articulate herself but the looks of the judges made it obvious, she was no longer pretty.

That's what really mattered here.

Loud, bombastic music played as small leaflets of confetti poured on stage in celebration for Miss Sweetwater. The runner up behind her clapped, the row of contestants clapped, and even Lola clapped but with a different degree of enthusiasm.

Lola's grin was subtle on her acne covered face.

Years of her life coming to a close.

At this point she wasn't sure if it was burden or not but she was both happy and a bit sad to see it go. Praise to the winner and cheers for the runners up. How could she already feel nostalgia so early into her retirement.

The curtains closed and she was the first to get off stage.

Being the first off, she had realized over the losses, had a ton of perks. Mainly if you got changed out of your gown quickly enough the other girls wouldn't try and talk to her. As such she ran to her bag and in one, swift motion removed her dress. Lola nearly leapt while putting on her pink sweatpants and shoved her head straight through her pink hoodie. Done in record time. The last time.

"Alright just need to meet Lincoln outside and I'm al-" In the distance, Lola could see the winner, Lindsey Sweetwater, sitting in a chair sniffing a bouquet she was given. Many contestants showering her in praise, even if to save face. A small pain filled the blonde girl's heart. Her legs wobbled and her eyes dilated. Knowing this would be the last time she had to do it though.

Hesitantly, the loser moved towards the winner.

"L-lindsey?" It was fortunate that during her slow walk towards the girl that the other contestants went to remove makeup. The red head looked up to her former rival. "H-hi."

"Uhh, hi?" Lindsey's face was in as much awe as someone could show with the pound of makeup on.

"Um, I-i just wanted to, err..." Her hand pulled her other arm in embarrassment. "Congratulations, I mean. You really deserved it." The once prideful girl held out her hand. Lindsey watched her hand for just a second.

"T-thank you, Lola." Lindsey's gloved hand shook Lola's sweaty palm. The handshake was short but still awkward. Upon release Lola booked it for the exit. Sweetwater was left confused by the girl's action.

"C'mon, Lincoln, where are you?" Lola looked at her phone again. Her blue eyes read the text she sent of her finishing five minutes ago. Lincoln was already supposed to be here already. A short, brown vista cruiser squeaked to a stop next to her. The window was already rolled down.

"Sorry, Lola, I parked on the wrong side." Lincoln Loud admitted with an awkward smile.

"*Sigh* It's okay, Lincoln." Lola opened the back seat and threw in her bag before jumping into the passenger seat. Her buckle clicked as she prepared herself. "Okay, let's go."

Her brother took his foot off the break and pressed gentle on the accelerator. Leaving the mostly empty parking lot they found themselves on a typical street. The venue had not been that big but for some reason thirty minutes away from home the next town over.

Lola flipped down the small mirror above her head. Being an old junker, the sun visor only had a small rectangle mirror no larger than a dollar bill. No light, just a mirror. Regardless she went about removing her makeup. Her hand dipped into her purse and pulled out a box of wipes designed to dab away blush.

Lincoln glanced over for just a moment but he could see them. The terrible scars caused by a defective facial product. He had grown used to them but the look in Lola's eyes always caused his heart to clench. She long ago stopped crying over it but the sadness was always evident, especially when she looked in a mirror. Being a makeup expert she hid it as best she could without exacerbating the condition. With her career in the pageantry over, perhaps she could stop applying so much. Maybe it would help this time. Not like when she stopped when she was a kid.

"Ouch!" Lola unintentionally popped a pimple with the alcohol soaked wipe.

"You okay?" Her caring brother asked.

"Huh, yeah. It's just… well you know."

"..."

Lincoln did know, he just didn't want his little sister to feel even more self conscious. Instead he decided to change the topic. Unfortunately, he choose a poor one.

"So how did the pageant go?" Lola's hand stopped moving as the words reached her ear. "You know I'd love if you let me go see your next one."

"T-there… there won't be a next one." Her blue eyes dipped away from the mirror to her lap.

"Oh… Is pageant season over?" Lincoln tried guessing.

"N-no…" She weighed her choices and decided to get it over with. "I'm quitting pageantry."

The car suddenly jostled nearly entering the next lane.

"Wait, what?!" Lincoln shouted out of shock. "But I thought you-"

"Hate it." She lied. "I-i just wanted to stop okay!"

"..."

"..."

"Does it have anything to do wi-"

"Of course it does, Lincoln! Don't be stupid." She loathed herself for yelling at her brother. Lincoln didn't deserve it. He asked because he cared. He just was too caring.

"You know, Lola," he started. "You're still plenty beautiful."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm being serious, Lola." Lincoln signaled to get on the highway. "You are an incredibly beautiful woman. The way you move, the way you talk-"

"Butterface."

"Huh?"

"But. Her. Face… I heard someone call me that." Lola pulled her knees to her chest. Hiding her mouth in her pink sweatpants.

"Don't listen to that crap." Lincoln boiled under the surface. "Who said that? I'll head over and kick their ass right now."

"Don't worry about it… Lana already did."

"When the heck did this happen?!" Lola was honestly surprised by his angry tone.

"A month ago… Two guys approached her when I was away at lunch…"

Lola began describing the scene not bothering with the location much. Lincoln was pretty sure it was his old stomping grounds of Royal Wood's high school. From her words he pictured the scene.

It had been a usual day in the school's cafeteria. Lola and Lana always ate their lunch together regardless of their differences. Twins to the bitter end. Even into their sophomore year, they were always seen together. In this case they split off into different lines to get their choice of food: a salad for Lola, pizza for Lana. Remarkably the pizza line was always quick being the popular choice while the salad bar was slow due to how picky the denizens of it could be. Lana had been the first to reach their usual spot, ready to dig in. Instead she found two boys she hardly knew approach her.

"Hey Lola, name's Jeff." One of the boys said.

"Huh?" Lana let the pizza drop out of her mouth. She continued to chew the tip she bit off as she spoke. "I'm Lana, not Lola." The boy looked surprised and turned to his friend.

"Dude, you gave me the wrong name!" He basically stage whispered to his buddy.

"No I didn't." The friend almost looked offended. "I said Lola was the pretty one."

"That butterface was pretty?" The boy seemed to have a look of disgust and disbelief on his face.

"The fuck you say?!" Lana had already jumped onto the table and grabbed them both by the collar. Even with her small stature she pulled them both by the collars to look into her eyes. "Mind running that pass me again, punk."

"N-no."

Lana did not know that Lola was on her way to the table by then and heard the whole thing. Their table was close to a pillar, allowing her to duck behind it with tray in hand. Her lunch was ruined by the mascara filled tears that landed in it. Her sister proceeded to give the two punks an ass whooping of a lifetime.

"And that's what happened…" Lola finished her story. Lincoln's hands tightened around the vista cruiser's steering wheel. "Lana doesn't know I heard. I grabbed her hand and we bailed before the teachers got there."

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing this?" The white haired Loud asked.

"Cause they were too cowardly to admit that they got beat up by a girl half their size… I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Lincoln tried to keep his anger at bay. "It's not your fault. I'd like nothing more to give them a piece of my mind."

"I-it's okay, Lincoln."

"It's not though!" He shouted out causing Lola to cover her ears. "Shit!" Lincoln suddenly diverted and pulled of to a open area. He was too angry to drive right now.

"Lola, listen!" He parked the car and turned off the engine. "You're beautiful, okay?!" Lola nodded, tears started leaving her tear ducts.

"No if, ands, or buts. You are my beautiful little sister! Nothing will change that! Do you understand me?!" She nodded as drops of liquid began marking her sweatpants. "C'mon Lola! Do you understand me?!"

She nodded.

"Lola!"

"No! Damn it, Lincoln! I don't get you!" Lola finally looked up at him. Black tears running down her scarred cheeks. "I'm not beautiful! These fucking scars are hideous! You're full of bullshit!"

"I am not!" He shouted back. "Dammit Lola, just accept you are beautiful!"

"No I'm not! Look at me Lincoln!" Her well manicured hand pointed to a bleeding pimple. "How is this beautiful?!" To his credit he did look but immediately made eye contact afterwards not even being phased in the least bit.

"It just is!" Lincoln grabbed her shoulders. "Why can't you see that?!"

"Because no one else can!"

"..."

"..."

"No one else can." Lola looked down towards Lincoln's seat belt, his hands still firmly on her shoulders. "Not the judges, not any of the boys at my school, no one… I'm undateable."

"No you aren't," Lincoln started. "I'd totally date you if you weren't my sister." He heard a small sniffle.

"*R-*sniff*-really?"

"Yeah, of course."

"..."

"..."

"But what if I was your sister?"

"Huh?" Lola reached for his hand and placed it on her rough cheek. She gave a small snuggle into it.

"I am your sister… would you still date me?"

"I don't really-"

"Lincoln, will you be my boyfriend?"

"What?!" His hand darted away from her embrace. "What the heck are you talking about?" Lola curled into herself again.

"Yeah, see… undateable."

"No you aren't." Lincoln rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. "What you're asking isn't possible…" Lola's soft crying sounds caused his words to slow.

"See, my own brother won't even date me."

"Lola, that's not fair and you know it." Lincoln was about to reach out again but stopped himself. "That's a different matter altogether."

"How so?" Her voice was muffled due to the fact her face was in her knees. "Your a boy, I'm a girl. You think I'm beautiful. I-i think your handsome… why can't we be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Y-you think I'm handsome?" Lincoln could barely see her hair bob with her nod. "L-lola, you're probably just in a bad place right now is all. As a brother I can help you out of it."

"Why can't you do it as my boyfriend?"

"Cause I'm your brother."

"I don't care. Give me a better reason."

"Cause… uhh…" Lincoln couldn't think of anything. He didn't have a girlfriend. If she didn't care she was his sister, she wouldn't care about an age gap. He wouldn't dare say he found her unattractive, partially because he didn't believe it and partially because it would hurt her too much. The Loud son gave up.

"Okay."

"Okay?" A muffled Lola asked.

"I'll be your boyfriend." Her head popped up in surprise looking at her brother as he shied away from her gaze. He still looked uncomfortable with the whole situation but he had just said yes.

"Wait, seriously?" The blonde girl asked. Her tears began to dry up.

"Yeah, why? W-was it all an act?" Lincoln looked at her with a bit of hurt? Was that what she was seeing?

"No!" Her hands waved in denial. "I-i want to date you."

"Oh, okay…"

Lincoln turned to face forward in his seat. Lola mimicked his motions from her own. Her hands were placed in her lap as she acted like a shy school girl alone with her crush. Well, I guess that's exactly what she was at the moment. Their eyes were wide, looking out of the windshield like a pair of awkward teens. Appropriate for one, not for the other. The 21 year old Lincoln, was now dating his 16 year old sister, Lola.

"So that's it then." Lincoln tapped his fingertips on the driver wheel.

"Yeah… guess so."

"..."

"..."

"You better treat me right."

"Oh course I will… I'm your brother…"

"And my boyfriend."

"Yeah… that too…"

The awkward silence continued as Lincoln restarted the car. It took two tries but eventually it started up. He watched his blind spot carefully before reentering the stream of traffic. The rest of the ride was in silence as the new couple made their way home.