Today's playlist consists of "Lonely Day" by System of a Down, and "Hesitate" by Stone Sour.

I'm going to go ahead and post this chapter and the next one together. They were gonna be parts of one big super chapter, but I realize most people (including myself) aren't a fan of reading 4,300 words on one page.

Enjoy!

Luna pulls into the driveway of 1216 Franklin Avenue.

She pulls out her phone, and she sees that there are a couple new responses from her siblings, except for Lori.

"Right… Just trying to help…" she recalls her sister telling her.

She gets out of the van and makes her way to the front door. As she unlocks it and lets Charles out, she feels her phone buzz.

Popstar: We'll talk when you get home from work.

"Well… At least I have time to dread it in peace," she thinks, taking a seat on the couch.

She checks the clock, and it's just turned 10:00.

"Pshhh… Better live it up while I can. I'll probably be grounded or something… I don't know… What's really the worst that could happen? Take away my instruments? Haven't played 'em since I started work anyway… TV? Same… I need a ride to work, so they won't take the van… I don't go anywhere anyway except to there and…"

Sam.

She lets out a heavy sigh, and closes her eyes as she rubs her forehead.

"She should be home by now…"

She works up the nerve to pull put her phone, and just stares at her girlfriend's contact page for a little bit before actually selecting the call option.

She eventually does, and she places the phone to her ear.

After several rings, she decides to hang up and just text her.

But then, she actually picks up.

"Hey…" Sam softly greets.

"Hey…" Luna simply says back.

And for a moment, there's a tense silence.

"So… That was… intense…" Luna musters out.

Sam doesn't say anything.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" Luna says, burying her head in her hand.

"I'm sorry too," Sam weakly tells her.

"Listen, I was stupid okay? I shouldn't have been such a bitch last night, and I should've just kept my mouth shut in class today. I went over the line," she continues.

"…Well, I can't blame you too much. I slapped you first…"

"Not just that dude. The stuff with Andrews…"

"I told you I didn't wanna talk about it. You just couldn't let it go could you?"

"No, you're right. I just worry that I'm screwing things up, and, I don't want to ruin this, you know? This is my first relationship…" Luna confides to her.

"I'm scared too, Luna. I don't know… Maybe we just need to take a day- to ourselves…"

"What are you saying?" Luna worriedly asks.

"I'm not breaking up with you! Don't be like that!... I just, I feel like maybe we've just been smothering each other. Maybe it will do us some good to just, you know… Do our own stuff for a little bit…"

Luna doesn't respond.

After a moment, Sam lets out a sigh.

"I'm gonna turn my phone off for the rest of the day. I'm gonna try and focus on my homework until Spencer comes home and throws me off…" she says.

Luna still doesn't answer.

"Luna… Please say something…"

She thinks it over for a moment, and wipes away a single tear that's fallen.

"Maybe you're right… Maybe we need a day…"

After a decent pause, Sam softly chuckles. "You know… You hit hard…"

"Yeah, well… I was trying to hurt you…" Luna jokes back, but she doesn't get much amusement from it.

"I promise I'll call you tomorrow. I love you," Sam tells her.

"I love you too," Luna responds.

"Bye…"

"Bye…"

And she's hung up.

Luna just stares at the phone for a moment, wondering if maybe she should've said something different, or maybe if she should even rewind and take a new approach.

But she decides that she's made enough bad decisions over the last 24 hours, and maybe time travel will only make things worse.

So she goes upstairs and decides to make some time for her other true love.

She plugs her phone into her charger, and picks up her acoustic Gibson.

"Hey you," she tells the six string. "Miss me?"

She makes sure she's in tune, and then she begins brushing up on the songs she was learning before things got so hectic.

And for a little while, she just loses herself in her music, feeling more in control and more relaxed than she has in days. It brings her a high she hasn't felt in a very long time, almost before she even knew what she capable of doing with a guitar.

It's a nice reminder that maybe there's something good to come from this. "Maybe you have to put the guitar down for a little while to really enjoy it again…"

But all good things must come to an end as they say, and that is true for this jam session as well.

It is interrupted by the buzzing of her phone, and she just sort of looks at it for a moment.

Maybe it's Dad, or Mom, or Lori, or Chris… or Sam.

She's hoping it's Sam.

She carefully places her guitar to the side, and goes to check on the phone.

It's Carol… and she's actually calling.

"Okay… This probably isn't good…" she thinks as she unplugs the phone and swipes the green answer key.

"Hey?" she greets.

"Luna, what's up?" Carol asks with more enthusiasm than she'd expect from her.

"Uhm, I just got home… I take it you heard?"

"Yeah. Crazy stuff… I kind of wish I could've seen it."

Luna rolls her eyes.

"Are you still working tonight?"

"Yeah, I'm coming in. No reason not to I guess…"

"Good. Listen- I'm coming over."

"What?" Luna thinks. "Did she just say what I think she said?"

"Listen! You're obviously stressed out, you've been blowing me off all week, and now you don't have any excuse not to hang out with me."

"Uhm… I'm suspended? And don't you have class?"

"Pshhh… Like I'll get in trouble… Are you worried your mommy and daddy will ground you if you don't stay home and read your scriptures?" she snarkily responds.

Luna just let's out a weak breath. "I've got nothin'…"

"So I'll be over in a couple minutes. At least pretend to be happy to see me, okay?"

"Hey, wait. Aren't you gonna ask where I live?"

"I already know, remember? Your brother was gonna pay me to take that picture for Lori or whatever weird thing he had planned…"

"Oh, right…" Luna simply says. "Hey… What else was he gonna pay you for?" she lethargically jokes.

"Har har. Just be ready to go," Carol finishes, and she hangs up.

She puts the phone back on its charger, and just stands there for a moment.

"Well… I guess I'm hanging out with Carol… What could possibly go wrong?"

It's 10:52, and Carol still hasn't arrived.

"Jeez… What are a couple minutes to a Vortex club princess like Carol?"

She tries to play her guitar as she waits, but she's too distracted to make any real progress. Between the drama with Sam, the impending confrontation with her parents, and all the various worst-case-scenarios that could play out if or when Carol arrives…

She's a little flustered.

She finally hears a car pulling up from outside the house. She looks out her window and sees a sleek BMW make its way in her driveway, and sure enough, Carol freakin' Pingrey is the driver.

She doesn't get out of the car, she just waits there as she pulls out her phone and begins toying with it.

"Well, I guess we're really doing this," Luna thinks, and she grabs her jacket before making her way out to meet her.

Carol looks up to see her companion, and dons her trademark devious smile.

She gets out of the car and walks over to the passenger side. In the back seat of the car, there's a strange black case.

"Luna Loud… Have you managed to keep out of any more trouble?" she quips.

She nervously smiles. "Uhm, yeah…"

Carol opens up the passenger side door, and Luna takes a step forward before realizing Carol's assuming shotgun.

"Uhm, what are you doing?" Luna asks her.

Carol just smiles.

"You can drive."

Luna just looks at her like some sort of numbskull, completely caught off guard.

Carol playfully scoffs. "You need to relax… Take your mind off things. Driving this beauty around always helps me," she says, alluringly caressing the interior.

Luna still doesn't move.

Carol lowers her brow. "I have full coverage."

Luna shrugs, and decides to give it a shot. After all, how could things get any worse?

She makes her way over to the driver's seat, and plants her derriere upon the fine upholstery. She eyes Vanzilla. "Sorry babe."

She looks to Carol, and forces a little grin. "So… Where to?"

Keeping her cool as always, Carol just sits back and keeps smiling.

"Mmmm… I'm hungry… How's Thai food sound?"

Luna cringes.

Carol does too. "Seafood bar?"

Still…

She face palms. "Wings?"

"I can do wings," Luna finally agrees, and they take off.