I apologize for the, again, slightly shorter chapter and the delay. My motivation is a bit down lately. I also have to plan a bit for some upcoming events in my story. So it can happen that chapters will take a bit more time.
To the guest: Yeah, Leni has a crush on Lincoln. But there can be many reasons why she has a boyfriend. For example, the Darkness suggested that Lori has Bobby to get away from her feelings for Lincoln. For Leni, it can be the same reason. What really is the reason for this and how it will continue will be revealed at some point.
Disclaimer: The Loud House belongs to Nickelodeon.
Chapter 43
Leni's secret Part 2
"Leni has a boyfriend?" shout Lori, Luna, and Luan in surprise.
"Yeah. That's what was told me," explains Isaac.
The four were in the living-room. Isaac had come to tell them what he had found out so far.
"But why didn't she literally tell us? Why didn't she literally tell me? Why does she make such a big secret out of it?"
"I don't know. If you want I can talk to her and see if I can find out more."
"I'm not sure if she will literally tell you something that she wouldn't tell us. But it is worth a try. You can tell her that you literally want to apologize to her."
"Apologize? Why?"
"Do you remember our picnic in the park? We had spoken literally with you but you hadn't spoken with Leni. She got literally the feeling that you had literally ignored her."
"I understand. Yeah, it is a good disguise. But I understand also that you want me to truly apologize to her."
"That would be nice of you," says Lori in a warm voice.
Isaac nods and after Lori tells him which one is her room, he goes upstairs.
He knocks at the door and Leni calls him in.
"Oh, Isaac? What are you doing here? Linky's room is on the other side of the floor. Or am I in the wrong room again? But it looks like mine," says Leni as she sees Isaac enter her room.
"I'm actually here because of you. I heard that I had hurt your feelings that one day," explains Isaac to her.
"You have? Well, that isn't really nice of you."
"It isn't. So, I want to apologize to you for ignoring you in the park as you had your family picnic."
Leni tries to remember it. She was thinking really hard and then a light bulb pops up above her head. "Oh, right. Yeah, I felt hurt that day. But it is nice of you to come to apologize. I forgive you."
"Thanks." That was easy. "What are you doing there?" asks Isaac her as he comes closer.
"I, uh..." Leni patched up the slightly ripped part of a jersey.
"You don't look like the person who plays football. And it's too big for your sister Lynn"
"Well, maybe I do, like, enjoy playing football. How would you know? You haven't talked to me," Leni says offended.
"Okay, you're right. But it also looks too big for you. Also, it has Taylor written on it. Is he your boyfriend?"
Leni tries quickly to cover his mouth, but her arms aren't long enough to reach him. "Don't say something like that out loud in this house."
"Why?"
Leni sighs. "When my sisters hear just the mentioning of a possible boyfriend, they immediately want to meddle in."
So that's the reason she didn't tell them. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me."
"Thank you. Believe me, it is better when they didn't know about Taylor."
"All right. How is he?"
"Oh, he is... he is, like, very nice and charming. He is totes the best boyfriend, like, ever."
"Well, good to hear that you're happy."
"Yeah... good," says Leni. But Isaac could already hear the sadness in her voice.
"You are happy, right?"
She looks up to him in surprise. "Of course. Just look how happy I am." She shows him a big smile.
"Okay. Good, I'll go now and see what Lincoln is doing."
"Wait!"
Isaac just had turned around as Leni shouted at him. So, he turns back again, "Yeah? Is there something you wanna tell me?"
"It's... I just wanted to say, it's nice that Linky has such a good friend who is so kind. He really can need someone like you with all this pressure thing."
"I think you mean depression."
"Yeah, that's what I said."
"Believe me. I'm not that kind. Some of your sisters already have seen that. But I really want help Lincoln," explains Isaac to her.
"To me, you're really kind. Just like Linky. I hope you can distract him from his bad thoughts and the memories of Ronnie Anne."
"I have heard that name before. Can you tell me the story with her and Lincoln?"
"They were best friends and Linky had a big crush on her. They would have been the totes cutest couple. At the start of summer vacation, he tried to ask her out but it doesn't end well. Well, that is what Luna had told us about what Lincoln had told her."
"Ouch. That must have hurt. But so far I can say, he looks pretty confident with the ladies. He will find someone new in no time."
"Yeah, you're definitely right. He is the totes best boy I know. I would be his gi—I mean, I would bet he already have someone new."
"Don't be worried about him. I keep an eye out for him. But I also am there for all of you guys. So if you need some help, ask Lincoln about my number. I help you out too."
"Thanks, Isaac. You are kind."
"Well, if you think so."
Isaac says goodbye and leaves her room. After closing the door there was an odd feeling in him. She doesn't want her sisters to know about her new relationship, but they already know thanks to Isaac. He had lied to her right in the face.
"This girl is really strange. Since when had I become so soft?"
He shakes his head and walks down the stairs again.
The three girls were still waiting in the living-room.
"And? Have you find something out?" asks Lori.
"Looks like—" there is this feeling again. Is this guilt? Does he feel guilty for telling them even he had promised her that he will keep her secret safe?
"Looks like what? Come on, man. Spill it out," says Luna impatiently.
"There is nothing you have to be worried about. It's nothing. But if you feel better I can snoop around a little bit more. But I don't think that I'll find anything."
"What does that have to mean? Does she have a boyfriend or not?"
"She hasn't told me anything about a boyfriend. I think you should stop focusing on the life of one of your sisters and focus more on your own."
"What? Don't tell me what I have to do and what not!" says Lori angrily.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down, sis. Let me handle the rest," says Luna to her blond sister. Then she faces Isaac. "Look, I understand that it isn't okay to snoop around into another one's life. But Leni can be a bit..."
"No, I understand. I have seen how she is. She has a naive side, I get it. But I think she is smart enough to know what she is doing. But if you really want to know, then I look if I can find out something. If there is something, at all."
"Thanks, we owe you."
Isaac looks to Luan after Luna said that, and she got a bit red.
Then he says goodbye to the three. But instead of going home, he is going right up to Lynn, which is training in the garage again.
"'Sup," he greets her, but she just ignores him.
She was already punching her punching back like crazy again. But now with Isaac near her, she was even more violently.
Isaac shrugs, "Still don't like me, eh? It's okay, can live with that. But right now I could need your help."
"As if I would help you," says Lynn through closed teeth.
"I just want to know if you know something about a guy named Taylor which is in the football team of the high-school."
She stops and looks at Isaac. "Why do you want to know anything about him?"
"So you know him. He may or may not have something to do with one of your sisters."
Lynn raises an eyebrow, "What has this meathead to do with my family? And which of my sisters?"
"I can't say too much, yet. But it sounds like he is exactly what I have thought about him."
"Yeah, he is a prime example for the typical high-school footballer. A womanizer with not much in his head. The complete opposite of Lincoln. Don't tell me he is hitting one of my sisters. Wait, it's Leni, right? When this neanderthal comes close to her I—"
"Whoa, chill, girl. I don't think one of your sisters is stupid enough do fall for someone like him."
"Than why are you asking?"
"Let this be my problem. I know you don't trust me and that's totally okay. But you all should focus on someone else instead of just a walking pile of muscles or me."
"And who would that be?" asks Lynn.
"Lincoln. I still try my best to help him. But the one that can help him the most is his family. Let everything else up to me."
Lynn remembers back to her brother's words. She doesn't have to trust Isaac, but Lincoln, who is trusting him.
"Okay. I let you handle that. But that doesn't mean that I start to trust you."
Isaac shrugs again, "Fine by me."
He let Lynn punch her punching back again and leaves.
"You know, this is really creepy when you thought about it," thinks Luna out loud.
"What do you mean?" asks Lori.
"We know that Isaac doesn't go to our school and yet he found out that Leni may have a secret boyfriend."
"Lincoln had said that he is leading a group. So maybe someone in his group is friends with someone from school or have siblings there," speculates Luan while tipping at her chin.
"With that, it doesn't sound that unbelievable for him to find out what is going on in the other schools. And maybe what is going on on the streets. Yeah, that sounds creepy but it also is a bigger help for Lincoln," thinks Lori about this all.
"A bigger help?" asking both brunette sisters in unison.
"When there are people that telling him what's up it would be easier for him to protect Linky from this guy which had attacked him."
"I see. Yeah, on this sight it makes sense," says Luna.
The door opens and Lincoln enters his home.
"Hey, girls. What's up?"
I want to apologize again. I'm not happy to let you all wait and give you chapters that maybe aren't as good as the rest. But as I said, my motivation is not that high as I wish it would be. And I don't mean my motivation to write. I mean my motivation in general. Like Lincoln here, I have to deal with depression and it has its ups and downs. And right now I'm in a down phase. Things will get better again and I don't let this story die because of this. I hope you all understand and if so, thanks for your patience with me.
Stay tuned and have a great day.
