The next day...

Lori paced back and forth in her and Leni's bedroom, still troubled at the revelation from yesterday. She managed to join the fencing dojo, and she had around a week to prepare before the initiation test. It's not like discovering her high school rival was in the dojo would be enough to make her tuck her tail between her legs and leave without even trying out the sport.

Still, the idea Carol was so good she was at the top of the class, thoroughly disturbed the young woman to no end. As if she didn't have enough trouble dealing with her in normal school, now she not only had to deal with her in the fencing dojo, but she was already at the very top of the class! How was she supposed to compete with that?!

"I need to try and stay focused," she thought as she stopped in the middle of her room. "I must first and foremost practice and train for the initiation test, I can worry about Carol later."

"Lori?"

The young woman flinched and turned around to see her sister, Leni, standing nearby with a confused look. "Why are you, like, pacing back and forth like that?" she asked. "Is something on your mind?"

"Well, uh, yeah, there is something on my mind," Lori hesitantly answered. "I-It's not something you need to worry about, though-"

"Lori, you already know how this goes," Leni shrugged. "Either you tell me what's going on so I can see if I can gather our other siblings to help you out, or I do something stupid and get everybody to ask you, then help you out. It's the least I can do as your big sister."

"I'm a year older than you."

"Yeah, but you have a bad habit of, like, acting a decade younger than me."

"Fair enough, I guess," Lori sighed and put a hand on Leni's shoulder. "Listen, it's something personal: If you or any of our siblings were to find out about it, and butt your noses into the deal, it might mess something up. So, please, trust me when I tell you that everything is fine."

The ditz narrowed her eyes, but the duo's attention was soon caught when they heard Lori's phone ring. So she checked it and saw it was a call from Bobby. "It's Bobby," the young woman said as she answered the call.

"Nothing out of the ordinary there, then," Leni rolled her eyes.

Lori walked to the corner to talk to Bobby in private, and so Leni leaned closer to try and hear her.

"Hi darling... Yeah... Got it, I'll be there soon."

With that said, Lori grabbed her backpack and hastily bid farewell to Leni before leaving the room, and an intrigued Leni behind. She went downstairs, and she was about to head to the garage when she stopped right at the kitchen, to see her mother eating with the rest of her siblings.

"Hi Lori," Rita greeted as she got up. "I'm assuming you want to talk about something in private?"

"Yes, private, please."

And so the pair went to the garage, leaving the remaining, curious Louds. Once they were there, Lori spoke:

"Bobby told me that he and Becky need to give me a lesson on the three main types of sabers used in fencing: The foil, and two others whose name I can't really say. But, I'm getting worried about whether or not I should tell my siblings about this or not; Leni got suspicious, and it was only when Bobby called me that I could get out, so... What do you think?"

"Lori, do you want your sisters and brother to find out you're practicing fencing now?" the woman asked, folding her arms.

After thinking about it for a moment and taking a deep breath, "I don't want them to know until I have at least passed the initiation test," she looked away and rubbed her shoulder. "If they found out before then, they'd probably just get in the way."

"In that case, your siblings don't have the right to force you to tell them anything until you feel comfortable about it," Rita answered, giving her daughter a smile and wink. "Unless you've passed the test, then let's try keep it a secret, okay?"

Lori smiled, got in the vanzilla, and promptly drove to the fencing dojo with a troubling thought in her mind:

"Something tells me at least one of them knows already."

Speaking of which, Rita glanced at the door, which was partially opened. And right on the other side was Lynn, who took a deep breath as she hoped her mother hadn't found out she was there.

"Lynn."

The athlete jumped and turned to see the woman standing right in front of her, with an angry expression on her face and her hands on her hips. "Did Lucy get her creepy teleportation powers from you or something!?" the jock exclaimed.

"Most likely. Anyway, we need to talk," the woman sternly stated. "Now."

Meanwhile, at the fencing dojo...

Lori parked outside the dojo, then went inside, only to be greeted by Bobby... In his regular clothes, and holding a fencing outfit. "Hi babe, here," the guy handed the suit to his girlfriend. "This is your fencing suit."

"Uh, thanks?" Lori eyed the outfit. "Do I really need to wear this? It looks a little... I don't know, I don't necessarily like it."

"Well, if we didn't wear the suit, injuries and potential death during practice would be far more common," Bobby bluntly answered. "But, if you wanna run the risk-"

Lori bolted to the changing room, put on the fencing suit, then quickly came back before saying, "There! Put the suit!" in a hasty tone. Bobby chuckled and went to change as well, leaving Lori behind to calm down and relax for a moment.

"Hey."

Sadly, Carol arrived to throw that into doubt.

"O-Oh, hi, Carol!" Lori nervously greeted right at Carol's stern glare. "I'm... I'm just here literally to, you know, practice some fencing and-"

"What's your preferred strategy?" Carol inquired.

Naturally, Lori was confused. "Excuse me?"

Carol put Lori down, then revealed three fencing sabers to her: A foil, an epee, and a sabre. "These are the three types of sabers used in fencing: Foil, Epee, and Saber. The foil is lightweight, and if used, only the tip can earn you a score, and only the torso may be struck, any other place is forbidden."

Lori nodded. "Next, is the Epee, which is similar to the foil, but heavier. Using it, you can only get points with the tip, but you can strike anywhere."

Lori, now legitimately interested in the explanation, nodded more confidently. "And finally, the Saber. It's less flexible, and you can get points by striking with either side of the blade. However, you may only hit the upper body."

Then Carol handed Lori a foil... Made of wood? "Since you haven't even completed your initiation test yet, you'll only be able to use a wooden foil, and once you become a beginner, you will begin with a foil. After that, however, it's up to you to figure out what type of saber you want."

With all that said, Carol walked away and, gripping her wooden foil, Lori got up and went to practice with Bobby and Becky. For some reason, the latter seemed rather... Cautious. "Ready for your lesson, Lori?" Bobby asked.

Lori silently nodded. "Excellent!" Becky exclaimed, clasping her hands as she seemingly returned to reality. "Now, before we begin, let's recap on the three types of sabers..."

The young woman heard the lecture, but it wasn't anything new to her. After all, Carol told her all she needed to know just a moment ago. Once the lecture was done, Lori and Bobby went to the training area. Becky remained behind to spectate the whole thing.

"Okay, Lori, let's see if you learned anything from the lecture," Becky folded her arms. "Now, act like you're using an actual foil, and strike Bobby when you see the chance!"

When she heard that, Lori remembered something:

"Strike with the tip, only the torso."

Lori blocked a couple strikes, then struck Bobby's torso with the tip.

"Well done, babe!" Bobby said.

"Okay, that was easy," Becky shrugged. "Now, an Epee, same deal: strike according to it's rules! Ready, set, go!"

The blonde remembered another thing:

"Strike with the tip, anywhere is fine."

She blocked and dodged a couple strikes, then hit Bobby's hip with the tip.

"Whoa, I didn't see that coming," the guy smiled. "Good work, Lori."

"Good, now, the next test will be the last for today," Becky stated. "A saber, same as the other tests, and... go!"

A final memory appeared:

"Strike with the tip or the side, only the upper body."

Lori clashed foils with Bobby, then swung it up, dodged an incoming attack, and swung her wooden foil on Bobby's shoulder. With that done, Becky and Bobby approached the young woman as she processed what she just did.

"Lori, you amaze me!" Bobby said. "Most beginners forget one or two things about the lecture, but you passed all three tests!"

"How did you do it?" Becky asked.

Once Lori returned to reality, she hastily answered, "Oh, uh, beginner's luck, I guess?"

At that statement, Becky muttered, "Huh, sounds familiar," before eyeing a particular corner, and a shadowy figure as well, then walking towards it with a stern look. This happened while Lori remembered how Carol's teachings actually helped her out.

"What Carol taught me helped me out... But I still don't understand," she thought. "Why did she help me? Why would she even help me?"

And then, Lori spotted Carol leaning against a wall nearby. She then made the "call me" gesture and walked away, leaving Lori to ponder what she was doing there. One thing was for sure, though:

She totally had to make a call after class.