Insert "Stop spitting out stupid au stories" comment here.

And before you ask, yes, this is a slight au where Haiku and Maggie, actual names Helen (Junior) and Magdalene, are sisters. For the most part, this just explores potential scenarios between these two, and certain other characters every once in a while.

Right now, though, we'll only see the part before the Sadie Hawkins dance. Not during it, since nothing really changes in any major way, and what happens afterwards will be left for the next chapter.

Also, if you're interested, you can suggest scenarios you'd like to see, since unlike a certain other (pretty good) fanfic, this one doesn't really have a big overaching story that would clash with one-shots, it's just a collection of one-shots centering around these sisters.

Anyway, I've blabbered on for long enough, so let's move on.


It was a normal evening at the city of Royal Woods. The Loud house was as loud as ever-after all, it had a reputation to maintain-and right in that house was Lucy Loud, the gothic downbeat 8-Year-Old of the household, talking to somebody on her phone.

"So, I wasn't planning on calling you today, but since my brother has nobody to take to the Sadie Hawkins dance, and... Well..." Lucy started, taking a deep breath before asking the question, "I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but could you please go on a date with my brother?"

Right on the other end was Lucy's poetry friend, Haiku, who laid on her bed and moved her legs up and down as she thought about the offer.

"I don't see why not," she eventually answered. "But first, I would like to learn some more about your-"

Suddenly, Haiku's bedroom door was knocked thrice, before a familiar voice called from outside, "Helen, is everything okay?"

Haiku could tell instantly that the voice belonged to her older sister, Maggie, which aggravated her to no end. "Mom called, she wants to know what you want for dinner: Food from Burpin' Burger, or from some other restaurant?"

Flinching at being called by her real name, Haiku promptly snapped, "Maggie, I'm kinda busy right now!"

Not that it made her sister falter or anything. "Mom's also busy at work, and she wants to buy something for all of us to eat during her drive back home. So Burpin' Burger or something else?"

"Anything's fine!" Haiku answered, before turning back to her phone. "Sorry, Lucy, my older sister interrupted me without warning."

"I know how that feels."

And so, with her question finally answered, Maggie walked back to her room then called her mom again. "Helen says she's okay with whatever you bring for dinner."

"Okay, what about you, Magdalene?" Maggie and Helen's mom asked from the other end.

"I'm okay with whatever you buy as well."

"Alright, guess I'm gonna buy at Burpin' Burgers then, since that's the closest restaurant available. Keep an eye on your sister, alright?"

"Got it."

Maggie hung up, and soon afterwards, Haiku opened the door to her room and said, "Maggie, I need you to take me somewhere-"

"I'm not taking you to the graveyard, Helen," the emo teen sternly stated, folding her arms. "You know that you freak out over anything related to zombies!"

"Actually, I just need you to take me to the school for the Sadie Hawkins dance," Haiku confessed, rubbing her arm.

Maggie raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated social events like that?"

"I do. With a burning passion." Haiku took a deep breath. "But Lucy says that her brother needs a date for that dance, and she asked me to be his date."

"Doesn't he have over 10 sisters or something? Why can't he just bring one of them as a chaperone?" the emo argued, earning an "are you serious?" look from the poet. "Or he could do what I did back when I was your age and bring his mother instead."

"Maggie, neither of those options would solve anything!" Haiku put her hands on her hips. "Look, the dance will start anytime soon, so could you please just tell me if you'll take me there or not?"

The emo hummed, and soon got an idea. "Alright, I'll take you there, but in return I'll watch you from the shadows to make sure nothing bad happens, got it?"

Haiku flinched, but knowing she had no time to argue anything, she just nodded and said "fine," sealing the deal. With that done, Maggie sent a message to her mother letting her know where the sisters were going, then took Haiku to the dance in the coolest way she could think of:

On a two-person bike!

Okay, so it wasn't that cool, but it's the thought that counts!

Once the pair were at the school, they immediately went in, and the sheer number of people inside the gym sent shivers up Haiku's spine.

"G-Geez, l-l-look at all these people!" Haiku said, clutching her chest and shivering as she took a look around. "I knew Lucy said mentioned the place would be full, but not to this extent!"

"Calm down, Helen, freaking out won't do anything good," Maggie crouched down and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Listen, you just gotta sit down and wait for Lincoln to arrive. Did... Lucy... tell you how he looked like?"

Haiku nodded. "Y-Yeah, orange shirt, blue pants, white hair-"

"Stop right there."

Maggie took a quick look around the stage, then went back to her nervous sister.

"Okay, I can't find any kids with white hair, so he should be easy to spot," then, she reached for her back and took out a book as she guided her sister to the nearest bench seats. "Now, don't pay attention to the crowd, just read this book and wait for him to come to you."

The poet sat down, then took a deep breath before putting up a stoic nature.

"Good, keep that look up, and don't worry about the people," the emo instructed as she slowly walked towards the shadows. "Remember, I'll be watching you and everybody from the shadows, so if something happens, I'll let you know."

Then, Maggie stopped, went back to Haiku, and handed her a silver whistle. "Also, keep this in hand."

"Why?" the poet asked.

Maggie shrugged. "Just to be sure."

"Alright then, thanks, sis," Haiku said as she waved goodbye.

Maggie returned the wave and entered the shadows in the dance as Haiku saved the whistle on her pockets, opened the book and started reading it. And so, the dance begun...