Author's note: The sequel to Nocturnal Feast. This one deals with Lori moving out, and everything that follows afterwards. It has four chapters to it and will be entirely completed eventually. Originally posted on my pastebin on 1/23/18.
The time finally arrived. The big moment that had Lori conflicted the most. As of today, she was moving out of her home, which is something no Loud kid has done before. She is going to be living out of state with Bobby and his family as they attended the college his uncle Carlos teaches at.
This plan had been arranged many months ago by Bobby during his girlfriend's brief visit with the Casagrandes. At that period, Mrs. Santiago decided to essentially merge her family together without her own kids knowing first. It remained a contentious issue up until Ronnie Anne got convinced to stay, making the adjustment official.
When Lincoln and Lori returned home from that visit, they were troubled by mixed feelings. Still, the boy didn't take it as hard as his sister. She felt happy about the future plan, but this was the first time she has been separated from her boyfriend since they dated.
Needless to say, it began taking its toll on her. She got much closer to Lincoln, who was the only other boy around her during those moments. Despite missing Bobby, sudden kinks that he wouldn't have been a part of started to develop in her. In a way, she has been toying with her little brother, just seeing if she could get him to do some kinky things. It became sorta like a game. She enjoyed having that power over him, holding the keys to his sexual awakening and dictating the pace at which it occurred.
Lori got quite a kick out of it, but she dropped it when she felt concerned about how these things might affect him. The thought of turning him into a pervert discouraged her heavily, alongside the fact that her feelings towards him were changing from playful teasing into something deeper the further things went.
For the past few weeks, her relationship with Lincoln simmered a bit. Obviously, it still remained kept secret for the best of reasons. But as far as the actual loving went, they toned it down. They would kiss and cuddle when the opportunity revealed itself, but it never progressed further than that. Lord knows the girl wanted it to, though.
Lori became overwhelmed by various feelings, but she needed to give this whole thing time. Sooner or later, something had to happen. A final decision must be made as far as her relationships were going, and it looked to be a difficult one. What she had with Bobby was decent, and the plans he arranged for college were pretty good. Yet, her recent bonding with Lincoln caused something in her to change. She was falling for that boy. And the taboo of that would end up a huge problem if her parents or other siblings found out. The bottom line; she just couldn't have both lovers.
Until she figured everything out, Lori was currently finishing packing her belongings. She was taking almost everything, all of her clothes, perfumes, makeup, plus school essentials like notebooks, pencils, her backpack etc, thus removing a lot of clutter and leaving some extra space for Leni, who'd be claiming the whole room.
Shortly after getting everything together, she placed her bags on her bed. Her boyfriend will arrive in about thirty minutes.
Until he showed up, she had other business to handle. Starting with her sister, who unfortunately already felt unhappy about this situation. Although, she couldn't truly blame her for that.
"Look at the bright side, Leni. You literally get this whole room to yourself!" Lori said joyously, hoping to somewhat cheer her up.
"I guess so..." Leni replied as she sat on the edge of her bed, nervously kicking her feet.
Lori heard her response, but couldn't think of what to say. She figured it might be best for Leni to ease up and speak what's on her mind.
A few moments of silence ticked by as the younger girl hesitated on speaking. She did her best to fully grasp the situation. She knew her big sister will be okay, but she definitely didn't want her to leave.
After thinking briefly, she found courage to speak again. "When will you be coming back?"
"I should be back for christmas break, spring break and the whole summer. I'll be seeing you again very soon." She assured.
"I'm totes gonna miss you, Lori." Leni admitted. She couldn't beat around the bush. Finally getting those words out made her stomach turn, however, there was no shame, just general sorrow. Life without her sister leading the way shall be something she'll have to adjust to.
"I'll miss you, too. But as I said, I'll be around here on my school breaks. I'm only going to be gone for a few months at a time." She replied, smiling at Leni, who seemed to continuously be pouting while she looked at her own feet.
"I think I'll need help, though. I've never been in charge of the others like you have." She uttered. It was true. She didn't possess the authoritarian nature like Lori did. In some cases, she might need to put her foot down and set things straight. In their house, trouble could brew any moment.
"You might, but don't worry, Lincoln will help you." Lori promised with utmost sincerity.
"You really think so?" Leni questioned, looking up and placing a hand on her own cheek. Not that she was one to doubt him. He's a good kid, she knows that well enough. Although, she didn't imagine anyone would assist her now that she's in charge. They always obeyed Lori, but mostly because they feared the possibility of facing her fury. Not to mention, her younger sister wasn't exactly the leading type.
"I know so." Lori said, looking her straight in the eye.
Leni seemed to take in everything she told her despite being mopey. If she received the help that was supposedly guaranteed, things probably wouldn't be so bad.
Lori casually stretched before speaking again, feeling the need to relax herself slightly before going to see her little bro. "Alright, I'm gonna go talk to Lincoln. I'll see you in a bit."
Leni nodded, letting out an unwanted sad sniffle.
Her sister noticed, but didn't acknowledge it. It sure reminded of her why she really needed to speak to that boy.
Keeping that on her mind, Lori left the room, leaving the girl to her thoughts while she went to pay Lincoln a visit.
She sauntered through the hall and soon made it to his door.
She opened it without knocking, violating common courtesy. It wasn't necessary to invade his privacy, but she needed to have this chat with him and get it done as soon as possible. This will be the last time they see each other for a few months.
Lincoln jumped a bit as she just barged in. Of course, he wasn't doing anything he shouldn't have been. He was only doodling on his bed.
Seeing her there, he recovered from the brief scare and set his drawings aside to attend to her.
"I need you to do me a big favor." Lori stated firmly as she took a seat on his bed.
"Lori, now's not a good time for-"
"It's NOT that kind of favor." She said, cutting him off. Yet, she couldn't blame him for assuming so seeing how things between them have been lately.
She continued. "I need you to do something that literally nobody else in this family will."
Lincoln's curiosity rose. He couldn't help but still think about things that occurred these past weeks. It certainly applied to her previous statement. Nonetheless, her tone seemed more serious than usual.
He waited patiently for her to spit it out.
"I need you to take care of Leni while I'm gone."
"Why?" Lincoln asked, being genuinely puzzled by Lori's request, but that might have been because he never deemed their sister as fragile as she had. That was only because she wanted to protect her as much as she could. The world is a harsh place, and without certain qualities, some people can't make it for themselves.
"Leni and I are like best friends, Lincoln. She's going to take this really hard, trust me on this. That's why she's gonna need you. You can be there for her since I can't." She responded.
Hearing all that definitely changed his perspective. He didn't even think about anyone else's feelings except his own and Lori's during this inevitable event. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but it definitely wasn't intentional by any means.
"Alright, I'll do it. I'll be there for Leni and make sure she's happy." He promised. From here on out, he planned to stay true to his word, completely intent on not letting either of the girls down.
"Thank you so much, Lincy." Lori cooed lovingly.
"No problem, that's what family's for anyways, right?" The boy said, giving a small smile.
Lori nodded, scooting closer to him.
"I'm gonna miss you so much." The girl uttered, her voice heavy with sadness. She had to keep it together, though. She needed to be strong here, especially for him.
Noticing the apparent distress in her tone, Lincoln wrapped his arms around her.
As he hugged her, he buried his face in her chest while she began running her fingers through his hair.
"You're such a good kid, Lincoln. This is going to be hard for the both of us, seeing how we've been a little naughty lately." Lori mentioned, blushing.
Briefly regaining her thoughts, she continued. "You can always text or call me if you wanna talk, remember that. Although, I'll probably be really busy with school, but I promise to get back to you whenever I can."
"I'll let you know how things go here." Lincoln said, feeling his skin break out with goosebumps from their close contact.
He freed his head from her cleavage and faced her.
Lori gazed at him longingly, then finally forced her lips onto his.
She locked them together tight, she wanted to savor every moment of this kiss. She had to make it worthwhile because there's no telling when they'll be able to do it again.
Moments later, the girl regrettably broke the kiss.
She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time, realizing that Bobby would be coming in just a few minutes.
"I've gotta get going now. Go downstairs with the others and I'll meet you all there soon." Lori ordered.
"Aright." Lincoln said as he immediately slid off his bed, planting his feet on the ground and then quickly moving out the door.
Afterwards, Lori returned to her room and grabbed her luggage.
Once in her arms, she moved back to the door, but stopped dead in her tracks.
She turned and looked around the entire area. She was going to miss her little place, but she would be able to crash here on her school breaks at least.
Breaking off that moment, Lori pulled herself together and hurried downstairs while carrying her belongings.
When she reached the bottom, she placed it nearby the door and faced her family.
They stood before her down in the living room. A cluster of emotions affected them, mainly joy and sadness. They were hard feelings to digest for sure. They didn't want her to go, but knew she'd be better off this way. Rita and Lynn Sr.'s little bird was finally leaving the nest. In the years to follow, they will have to adjust to it as hard as it may be. Even then, the future plans of their other children were currently unknown.
It's going to be a tedious way of doing things, but Lori wanted to hug each and everyone of them individually if she could, or two at a time. One big group cuddle session would be easier and less emotionally stressing, but she wanted these one on one moments with all of them. If Bobby arrives during this, he's gonna have to wait until she's done.
"Mom, Dad..." She said, awaiting them to make the first move.
They knew what they had to do.
Rita and Lynn Sr. walked to her in unison, embracing her.
"We're so proud of you!" They exclaimed.
Her father did his best to hide any sadness. He seemed to exaggerate his emotions even when she temporarily moved into the garage for a few days at one point, despite the fact that she lived only twenty feet from the house.
Once her parents concluded their goodbye hug, Lori turned her attention towards Leni and smiled.
Her sister walked up anxiously, pointing her hands down as usual as she approached.
Once they met face to face, Lori initiated the embrace.
"Remember, you're in charge of the other kids now, sis. And as I said, Lincoln will be there for you." She whispered into the girl's ear.
Lori's warm breath caused her skin to chill. She took in that last exchange for what it meant. Next week wasn't even here yet and she already felt worried.
After wrapping her hug up with Leni, she glanced at Lincoln.
The boy was a bit thrown off by the sudden eye contact, but it didn't take him long to figure out why she did it. When she leaves, he must keep an eye on the new woman in charge.
Luna's eyes lit up as she was next.
Surprisingly, she laid her axe down and approached Lori.
She gave her a big hug and spoke. "Have fun at college, sis, I bet it's gonna be rockin'!" Her enthusiasm was something else as usual.
Luna then let go of her and rejoined the others who were lined up.
Luan moved up and embraced her older sister.
"Bye, Lori, I'm gonna miss you." She uttered in a low voice. Strangely enough, she wasn't quite in the mood for puns.
She soon broke it off and backed away as well.
Now, it was Lynn's turn.
She dashed to Lori, giving her a quick hug.
Afterwards, Lynn ran back to her original spot and gloated. "Oh, yeah, fastest hug!" As always, she wanted to be on top, even though this wasn't the time for it. Granted, everyone had their own special way of saying farewell.
"Lincoln..." Lori spoke gently, gazing at him.
The boy ran up and threw himself into her arms.
He held onto her tightly. He wanted to kiss her again so badly, but had to use his utmost power to refrain from doing so because all eyes were on the two of them.
Lori cradled him firmly. No doubt, they spent the most time saying goodbye compared to the others.
Moments later, they ceased.
Lincoln scooted away, and encouraged Lucy to go on up.
However, she stood totally still and silent.
Lori felt a bit setback, so instead of hugging, she approached her, patting her head briefly on arrival.
Her spooky little sister blushed, but remained quiet. It was no doubt she'd miss her just as any of them, but she wasn't one to get overly affectionate with her siblings. Edwin, on the other hand, is a far different story.
The twins came up to her next, ambling over in unison and forcing themselves into Lori's arms.
She held them tight while they began to whimper. Both of them had a pretty strong connection to her. Lana often slept with her when she had nightmares. Lola often needed her and Leni's help regarding things like hair brushing, makeup or even just fashion in general. Granted, she had her own flavor and style, but some help from the big girls never did her harm.
Following wrapping up her hug with them, she glanced at Lisa.
"I don't quite see the significance of embracing one another, but I wish you the best of luck on your future educational endeavors." She said. Her emotional connections weren't as strong. Although, there were some rare moments when she would let all her feelings out.
"Thanks, Lisa." Lori responded. A different send off for sure, yet her words were sincere and honest enough to be accepted.
Now, for the final Loud, Lily.
Lori is sure gonna miss her a ton. Despite her frustrations regarding babysitting sometimes, the girl really possessed some good motherly instincts. And aside from finishing college, another goal for her is to eventually have children.
"Come here, Lily!' She squealed while her baby sister started waddling to her.
She picked her up, cradling her lovingly.
She held her delicately for a few seconds before handing her back over to Rita.
After doing so, Lori heard Bobby pull up by their house.
He honked for her after he made a full stop.
"Bobby's here!" She exclaimed, picking up her luggage and heading for the door.
"Goodbye!" The whole family shouted as she began leaving her home.
Some of them went ahead and watched her from the window. Others like Leni and Lincoln, went upstairs to their rooms to calm their nerves. Nobody would miss her as much as them, that's one thing that crossed their minds.
While Lori made it out the door, she did her best to keep her composure as she walked towards the van.
The girl didn't look back. Doing so might make her feel sadder than she already did. The last thing she wanted was to break down in tears right upon leaving. Then again, she had to remind herself of what her plan is here. Succeeding in college would help kick her life into gear. She had to make sacrifices, failing to would result in her winding up nowhere.
Presently, Bobby kept the engine running while he waited for her.
He sat relaxed upon witnessing his girlfriend arriving at the passenger's door.
"Hey, babe!" He greeted her happily. "You ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's get going." Lori said as she made it and tossed her bags in the back.
She buckled her seat belt and maneuvered herself a bit in an attempt to get comfortable. The long trip there might be exhausting, but at least she didn't have to drive.
Once Lori gave him a casual nod, he drove off towards their destination.
She spent the ride there mostly looking out the window, glaring at everything from pedestrians, trees, freeway traffic and the sky. The latter looked so beautiful at sunset. She couldn't stop staring at it once evening arrived.
It seemed so unusual. Normally, Lori had her face glued to her phone when she was a passenger. But now, she held no interest in looking at it. Of course, her main reason for using it was because of Bobby. There wasn't anyway of knowing how much time she spent texting him the past year. Depending on how busy she is, he might essentially switch roles with Lincoln as far as texting goes. Yet, as of right now, she didn't want to bother him. She would be sure to catch up with the boy soon, though.
The few hours flew on by as they finally made it.
"We're here! Lori, welcome back to the Casagrandes! The family's gonna be so excited to see you!" Bobby exclaimed while parking steadily by the curb.
The girl quickly gathered her belongings and got out of the van.
Holding all her stuff, she moved towards the front door, patiently waiting for her boyfriend, who was currently leaving and locking the van.
He then joined her and rang the door bell.
It only felt like a split second before it got answered. Right off the bat, the family saw the young couple standing before them and could barely contain their excitement.
"Welcome, Lori!" The Casagrandes happily cheered, hardly paying attention to the volume of their voices despite the late hours. Although, the loudness here was common in general. The city got pretty rowdy at night, and them living next to active train tracks only contributed to that factor.
Once they were both let inside, casual conversation took place for the next half hour as Lori had all eyes on her. The family were pretty fond of their newest member, probably overly because she felt a little uncomfortable by their hospitality. The more the merrier in their minds. Even then, they appeared to have good, honest intentions.
She endured the chatting, plus a standard meal of beans and rice. The grandmother always made sure she had food ready for guests. It was pretty welcomed seeing how they didn't stop to eat on the way there.
When time passed on by, they ceased talking as everybody decided to hit the hay.
Bobby and Lori would be the last to, but before doing so they stashed their plates in the sink after finishing eating.
Afterwards, he guided his girlfriend upstairs to their bedroom.
She glanced at the various family portraits on the way up. Heh, just like her true home. She could definitely relate to them on that note. That huge, loving, supporting family. The similarities were present, though it's unknown if it would feel the same overall.
Regardless, they made it to the room seconds later.
It was pretty compact, only big enough for two people and no more. A soft bed, tv, mini fridge, and a pc were a few of the items inside the place. Fortunately, they were organized to fit in there without limiting the walking area too much. The space even had a pleasant, lemony aroma to it. The family were prepared for this so they cleaned the whole house up in advance. They scrubbed the walls, floors, washed sheets, and vacuumed. They certainly didn't want to drive away their new member on the first night.
Bobby started taking off his clothes in favor of some pajamas while Lori placed her luggage in the closet.
Then she took a moment to search for her own nightwear.
Subsequently getting her pajamas, she quickly slipped off her regular clothes for them.
Once dressed and ready to sleep, Lori did a trust fall back onto the bed.
She crashed, laying down right next to Bobby.
Even though she didn't drive on the way here, she felt physically and emotionally exhausted. But feeling homesick so early wasn't necessarily odd. Who knows, maybe she'll actually get used to living here? Hopefully, she does for her own sake. At the moment, her mind seemed to wander around rapidly, most of her current thoughts were about Leni and Lincoln. She hoped they would be alright for the time being.
"Night, babe." Bobby uttered, passing out almost instantly after speaking.
"Good night." The girl whispered. Strangely enough, she would need to get use to just literally sleeping with him.
Lori closed her eyes and knocked out in bed in the company of her boyfriend. She had about two days left of freedom until college officially began. There's no telling how she planned to spend them, but she wished time would fly by so she could return home for christmas. Even if only to see Lincoln.