Friday

Lupa was her first name. The other was unknown to her. She knew the adults around knew more than her, but never spoke of it. Whoever her parents were, they had abandoned her, left her here in the Rennis Orphanage in God knows where. Tomorrow marked the 13th birthday, which was actually the day she was introduced to the staff, as an innocent infant.

Lupa smoothed out her blue jacket after sitting up from her bed in the shared room. She moved to the wide dome-shaped window. The kids below were throwing frisbees, running around, succumbing to fun. Friendship, that's what she was seeing down below. Something not familiar to her. Something she didn't understand as of yet.

The ajar door was shoved by her roommate. Lupa had been moved from her last room, after pushing little Timmy off of his bed, leading to a broken bone. Only one of a few little violent outbursts from the anti-social white-haired girl.

Her new assigned roommate was a girl this time, had been for three days. She loved jokes and pranks, made most of the kids her friends that way. She had braces, which made Lupa wonder if they hurt.

The girl tried to introduce herself, but Lupa coldly told her off and fell asleep in a broody way. The girl didn't mind it at all, and left it at that.

"You should be outside, having fun. Why aren't you?" The lovable girl looked outside with Lupa. "You don't know what you're missing."

"I know exactly what I'm missing. Leave me alone, giggles," Lupa said, not moving her head.

"Aw, come on... Uh, Lupa, isn't it? You can't be locked up here forever. It's sad... Whatever happened to you, I'm sorry, but that's no excuse to-"

Lupa gave her the death glare, silencing the now intimidated roomie. "Fine, I guess I'll go. But Charlotte wants to see you immediately."

"Hmmm, right. I bet it's just a pre-birthday wish..." Lupa turned away from the scene of the playful kids.

Lupa entered quietly in the room of the orphanage's director, Charlotte Clemmons. Eighteen years here, and being a wonderful caretaker for most of the kids, she withstood her patience with Lupa. She was an elderly blonde, somewhere from Europe, hinted at by a Belgian accent.

"Sweetie! How are you?" Her greeting was still the same warm one Lupa had grown to. Not that Lupa hated her for being the polar opposite, but she didn't find her loving charms and personality fancy or something to get attached to.

Lupa pulled back the soft chair out of the two there were in front of her. Clemmons stood behind her own desk. A pack of chocolate chip cookies were out on the table. She opened it up and offered one to her. "Would you like one, dear?"

"No..." Lupa wanted to get to the point, but she didn't feel like being straight up blunt at the second. "My new roommate said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, yes indeed." Clemmons opened her drawer, taking out a small stack of papers before getting up from her office chair, proceeding to lock the door. "You're turning thirteen tomorrow, but I'd like to show you something today..."

Lupa's curiosity was getting aroused. "Something? What thing?"

Clemmons rummaged through the pile of papers, seemingly looking for one specific one. "We usually don't know much about the drop offs. You, Lupa, were indeed one. But..." Clemmons' voice grew softer, and a somewhat worried one, "There was a note that came in the basket you came in." Clemmons stopped at one, letting out a calm, happy "Ooh."

"A note?" Lupa leaned forward, swiping it away with no compunction of ripping it. "Let's see here..."

For the daughter who will grow without us

I pledge this in your name

We are of blood Loud

Sin was the game

If it ever shall be that you return to us

I only hope we don't disappoint

I regret choosing to abandon you

For it hurts worse than a broken joint

"This is a poem... I'm-" She re-read it. There was the keyword: Loud. Lupa... Loud? Was this her full name? "Was this all there was?"

"Why, yes, my dear. There was that only. I'm sorry."

Lupa folded the paper mindlessly. "I can keep this, right?" She asked.

"Well, of course. That has always been yours after all. Anyways, that's all I wanted to share with you. Dismissed, my dear," Clemmons smiled widely. Lupa, being Lupa, smirked for a quick second, and returned to her usual frowning look.

Lupa Loud... Lupa freaking Loud...

The clue that brought her a step forward in search for her parents had just presented itself in what she thought would leave her in disgust. Loud. She belonged to the Loud family tree. Either mommy or daddy was a poet, and a damn beautiful one. There had to be more... But this was all there was.

Lupa returned to her room, still gripping the folded poem like it was for dear life. "Who are you guys? Why... Why didn't you want me?" Lupa tossed it on the bed like it had just lost its value. She folded back, sighing in depression.

If then, by some reason, she found her birth parents, what next? Maybe this was where she belonged. Still, she had to know. She had to fill the emptiness of her life and soul with something. And maybe this was the kickoff she wanted for so long.

There were a number of things she could do with the poem; all possibilities ending in its ripped up demise. She felt angry at the joke of it. The poem was senseless to her. Clearly, the writer-parent stated he or she didn't plan to give Lupa up, but here she was, regardless. Lupa took the poem, throwing it underneath the bed. She faced her bed sideways after getting on it completely.

"GUH!" Lupa punched at the pillows, seething almost in an unstable manner. She placed the pillows over her face, now unrestrained. She screamed at how much this was bothering her.

The funny girl roomie was an unexpected variable. "Oh, hey. Are- Are you okay?"

Lupa was slightly embarrassed to have been caught this way by a still-yet stranger. She tried to cover it up with calm lies. "Yeah, I'm fine. You checking up on me?"

"What? No, I forgot my whoopee cushion," she answered, dragging a yellow backpack from under her bed. Lupa was still gripping the pillow over her chest. "You didn't look okay-"

"My matters aren't your concern. Get out," Lupa boomed, speaking louder than their earlier abrupt chat. The roomie walked out with her prank gag, intimidated.

Lupa found peace at last, giving herself off to the weak feelings her body was experiencing. Lupa's eyelids gave out, closing peacefully.


Lupa returned to the land of the living at well past seven. The light of the rising moon made her feel a little scared, once she looked at the floor. Giggles was lightly snoring, and also mumbling in her sleep. Lupa found herself still in her outfit, a little hot under it.

It was too late for a shower, but she decided to take one regardless. She removed her jacket, moving through the halls slowly but nervously. There was a curfew here- God help her if she was caught after hours. She was sure everyone else was asleep.

An incorrect assumption. Clemmons appeared to intersect her from the end of the hall. Lupa slipped into a room, leaving the door ajar enough to listen for footsteps. She heard Clemmons talking to someone, probably on the phone.

"No, this Lupa Loud girl is... She's been roughhousing with a lot of the kids here. We've done all we can in terms of disciplinary action. We need a psychotherapist is what we need."

Lupa twitched at hearing her name, aggravated Clemmons was using her name like it had no meaning. Lupa continued eavesdropping, while Clemmons grew closer.

A psychotherapist?

Yes? Yes, okay. Yes, thank you so much."

Are you fucking kidding me?!

Lupa managed to hold in her surfacing anger, forcefully watching Clemmons walk out of view to the other end. By then, Lupa had a wonderfully insane idea.

The roommate was awoken by her racket, painfully trying to open her eyes. "What on earth- Lupa?" The lights on temporarily blinded her until she regained focus. "Lupa, what's all this? Where are you going? Is that my-"

Lupa was taking the yellow backpack she deemed shitty for her, stuffing only a handful of clothes in it. "What do you think? I'm leaving this shithole."

"Language..."

"Kiss my ass. By the way," Lupa laughed mildly, zipping the backpack closed. "What's your name, giggles?"

"It's Liby. Why?"

"Ha, well, Liby," Lupa put on the blue jacket back on, followed by the yellow backpack, "It's been nice barely knowing you. At least I'll have this to remember you by." Lupa shook the backpack, holding back the fiendish giggles to avoid capture by the staff.

Liby sat up after Lupa left, wondering if she was going to change her mind and return. That's what she also hoped would happen, so she looked past the doorway, staring into the dark abyss. "Lupa?"

The doors were unlocked from the inside, giving her ultimate freedom to the bigger world. "HAHA, FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!" Lupa turned back, giving both middle fingers off and waved them around. She then bolted out and ran with all her stamina away from the orphanage.

Therapy? What a joke. Damn you all to hell...

The one thing Lupa forgot, and probably the most important thing, was the poem. The poem Liby found while cleaning up the mess of her stuff Lupa made on the floor when emptying the backpack. While Liby read it, she felt happy for Lupa, but felt a little hurt at the fact she got nothing at all. She returned it underneath the bed, and shut the lights off for sleep.

Lupa had gone long aways from the orphanage, finding herself strolling into a town. Royal Woods was welcoming one of its own back home, but she didn't know that. She'd start her search for the Louds here. And this was only the first step. However long it would take her, she'd do it. She'd go to find them in the period equivalent to eternity. She'd find her parents, no matter what.


AN: So, Lupa is on a mission to find her parents. Down this road, there will be some good twists and turns. I do hope you enjoy this sad and yet-to-be-dark story.