A/N: Summer is about taking time to relax, have fun, and temporarily forget your troubles unless you're stuck working your career every week. Even then, it's a good time to start using those vacation hours. And since Ronnie and Sid have arrived, it's time for the real fun to begin.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
BANG!
The front door swung open with such force that it bounced off the stopper in the wall. It would've shut the quartet out if Sid hadn't stuck her hand out to catch it.
"That's one flimsy lock you guys have." The Chang girl commented, gently pushing the door away so they could enter.
"At least the handle didn't break this time." Lucy stated as she entered.
"UUUUUGH! My legs!" Lincoln whined, shuffling tiredly through the entryway with Ronnie Anne, whom was supporting him with his arm over her shoulders.
"Don't count yourself out Link. You got a strong set you're walking on." The tomboy spoke with a sly grin.
Lincoln chuckled. "Says the girl who just blew a locked, heavy door wide open. Where'd you learn to kick like that?"
The Santiago girl shrugged. "Been taking some classes."
The older Loud was about to ask for clarification when another ache shot through his quad and calf muscles. He eyed the vacant couch and all the comfy seats available, especially the sweet spot. "Think you can help me to the couch?"
"Hah." Ronnie gave a dry laugh as she put his arm down. "I know you pedaled for 12 minutes with 4 people on your back, but I know those things still work enough to get you six feet." She pointed at his legs.
Lincoln made a fake pout. "You're no fun."
Ronnie playfully roughed up his already messy head. "But you love me anyway."
"Yeaaah." He smiled. "I do."
The two parted with Lincoln flopping onto the couch once he was close enough, and Ronnie Anne went into the dining room to find a vase. Sid stood by the door, inspecting the lock to try and figure out how it jammed before Lincoln said, "Just find Lana. She'll handle it." No one was concerned with where Lucy went; the elusive girl would appear whenever she felt like it.
A short time later, Sid and Ronnie Anne were in their room finishing up unpacking some of their clothes. They didn't arrange out much aside from clothes to use for a week; both Luna and Luan made space in their closet so they could hang stuff. But they didn't know how long they'd use their room. The house didn't have a guest room, and the couch downstairs didn't have a temporary mattress stuffed in it.
"Hey." Ronnie called to Sid, who glanced from her position in the closet. "Did you bring an air mattress or something? Cause I doubt we'll have a room the whole time we're here."
"Don't fret girl." Sid waved her hand dismissively. "I got that covered." She turned and knelt down, then faced the Latina with a box in her hands. On the cover was a relatively large air mattress. "This queen-sized beauty comes with an air generator, so we can fill it up without needing one of those old hand pumps."
"When'd you get that?"
"A couple days before we left." Sid put the box down before kicking it back into the closet. "I got it from that Hi N' Buy down the street from the Mercado. However, it was pretty cheap, so..." Sid tapped her fingers together. "Please don't be mad if it pops on us."
Ronnie Anne briefly thought back to this one instance last year where the two had been browsing for a new board after Sid accidentally broke one of the Latina's in a skating accident. The idea was that Sid would own one, and Ronnie wanted to get one herself since her old, trusty board was showing wear from the constant abuse on the ramp. Being a little strapped for cash, the girls bought a couple from this flea market stand that were around $20 a peace.
Unfortunately, there was a hard lesson to learn about an object being sold far below market value...
Once they were at the skate park, the duo wasted no time in testing their new gear. Upon reaching a small ramp, Ronnie sat hers on the ground and jumped onto it, only to crash right through the center and split the board in two. The girl winced as pieces of wood pricked her exposed legs.
"What the heck?" She said in disbelief.
"You sure you've been cutting back on the food your Abuela keeps giving you?" Sid asked.
Ronnie deadpanned at the Chinese American. "Are you saying I'm fat?..."
Sid looked her friend from head to toe, making the Latina start to glare at her. "Aaah I'm just messing with you." She playfully slugged her in the shoulder. "But seems like you just got a poorly made board."
Ronalda folded her arms. "Yeah..." She kicked one of the broken halves. "20 bucks my butt..." She knelt down to pick the splinters out of her skin.
"Here, let me have a try." Sid offered, placing her board on the ground and doing the same beginning move Ronalda made. Sid's board didn't break, but what she failed to notice was that one of the wheels had a sizable crack in it. Just as she was about to roll up the incline, this damaged wheel degraded rapidly from the pressure, making Sid wobble a little as she thought it was just her poor sense of balance, until the cheap plastic ball was sheered off completely by rolling friction with the ground.
"Woah! Woah woah!" Sid yelped as the board dipped on one end, flailing her arms around as she tried to maintain balance as she started to skid towards the edge.
Unable to steer herself, the board veered off the side of the ramp and the poor girl had to catch herself on her hands and shins.
"Holy crap!" Ronalda ran over, knealing down to her friend. Gently grabbing one of her arms, "Are you ok?"
"Y-Yeah..." Sid hissed. Her hands stung as they were lacerated from the pavement. Her right leg felt worse though, eliciting a gasp from Ronalda. Looking down, the Chang girl saw this ugly gash about an inch or two long just below the knee. It was red and puffy around the edges, and blood was already beginning to leak from the center where several layers of skin had been ripped off. Absently, Sid poked her wound, only to regret it immediately. Her eyes built up a decent amount of tears as it felt like 1000 needles were poking her nerves. "That's gonna leave a huge mark!..."
"Come on." Ronalda helped her up, draping Sid's arm around her shoulders so she could support her. "We gotta get you back home to dress that up..."
Once Sid's wound was taken care of, and after getting a stern lecture from both their mothers for not wearing proper safety gear, Becca, Maria, Ronalda, and Sid (injury covered with gauze wrapped around her leg, limping but determined) marched back to the flea market stand to demand a refund; the broken products were carried with them in plastic bags as proof. In what might have been poetic justice, they found the owner of the flea market stand was being arrested on account they were wanted in a few other states for running a counterfeiting scheme at other open air markets. Though as cathartic as it might have been, the girls were still short $40 and Sid would be stuck with a scar for several years; today, it was still highly visible in the form of a jagged pink line that ran up from the middle of her shin to her lower knee. A month had passed before it completely scabbed over. Even with the dead skin now peeled away, Sid was hesitant about scratching it directly, fearing her nails might reopen the old injury.
More importantly, the girls learned an important life lesson: be careful about buying anything that looked too good for what it's priced at.
"Did you check the reviews for it?" Ronalda asked.
"Did a quick search on my phone before I got it. The bad ones were few and far, pretty old too looking at the years. But it should be safe." Sid stated, shifting her attention to the bed as she put her hands on her hips. "Soooooo you want bottom or top?"
Ronalda shrugged. "I don't think it matters."
"May want to check the bottom in case Luan left a 'present' for ya." An older feminine voice called from the doorway. Both occupants looked to see Lynn Jr. (wearing some casual clothing) drying her hair out with a towel. Her grin grew a little. "Sup girls."
"Heya Lynn!" Sid greeted.
"Hey." Ronalda greeted, walking up to the girl and giving her a bear hug.
"Ooof!" Lynn wheezed as air was forced out of her lungs. "Getting stronger huh?" She took the towel off before wrapping her hands around the Latina. "But you still got a ways to go!" She applied even more force than Ronalda had, even lifting her up a few feet.
"Okay! Okay! You win!" Ronalda laughed in spite of the pressure against her spine and ribs. She tapped Lynn's shoulder so she could let her down. "So, how you been hangin' lately?"
"Eh," Lynn applied the towel to her head once more. "Just got out the shower from my workout." Putting a hand to her side, "You?"
"Got in hours ago, but had to make an important visit."
"Cemetery?" Lynn asked with a neutral expression.
"Yeah." Ronalda replied, her smile dropping but it didn't turn into a frown.
Lynn glanced to the right upon noticing Sid had crouched a little, rubbing a certain spot on her leg. "How's the scar treating you Sid?"
"Trying not to dig into it." Sid rubbed her fingers on the pink flesh. Her tongue started to poke out as she brushed it harder. "I doubt this does anything."
Lynn huffed with a grin. "Just take a nail and do a few, long strokes. Gets rid of the itching, even if it feels weird a little after."
Sid did as instructed, though she did so gingerly as the skin felt tender to her touch. The nail grazed the surface once, prompting her to run it over again and again until the itch disappeared. "Ahhh, better." Sid rolled her pants leg down before standing up.
"Aside of taking over prankster and rock goddess' room, what else you guys doing today?"
"Probably heading out to the movies once Lincoln can move his legs." Sid shrugged.
"Pfff." Lynn giggled. "What'd you make him do that wore him out?"
Ronalda folded her arms as a small grin arose. "Being ankle weights while he peddled us home."
"Ah, he'll walk it off." Lynn draped the towel over her shoulder. "Anyway, I'm gonna chill til dinner gets here."
However, right as she turned to leave, Ronalda placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hold on. You got a sec?"
Lynn raised a brow as she faced her. "Yeah, why?"
"A word, please." The Latina stated in a firm tone that bordered on concern.
Lynn narrowed an eye, only starting to get the gist of what she wanted. She could just rebuff her and ignore it, though Lynn knew she'd bother her about it later; like she always did whenever she visited. Might as well get it over with now.
Santiago turned to Sid. "Hey Sid, can you give us a bit?"
"Huh?" Sid dropped her arms. "How come?"
"It's something personal between us..."
Sid wondered what her bestie was talking about. She knew her and Lynn had a good relationship; probably better than the one Ronnie had with her considering how often she talked about her. She had a suspicion they were almost like sisters...well, something like an older/younger sister dynamic like Sid had with Adelaide. Or, twins maybe? No, Lynn was two years older than them. Though they DID bear hug each other and their personalities seemed quite similar. But why did Ronnie sound so-
"Sid." Ronalda deadpanned.
Sid raised her hands in defeat. "Alright alright! I'm going!" As soon as she stepped out, Lynn kicked the door shut behind her. "Yeesh, didn't need to get cranky about it...though I wonder what they'll talk about?" She scratched her head. "Is Ronnie Anne secretly dating Lynn?" The Chang girl shook her head. "Nah, that's bogus. She talks about Lincoln way more; like, at least once a day." She shrugged. "Eh, I'll just ask him."
As she walked off, Lynn breathed an exasperated sigh. "Is she always like that?"
"She's gotten a little worse since her boobs started coming in." Ronalda folded her arms. "Anyway, how are you really feeling?"
"I already told you, sooo..." Lynn dragged out.
"Lynn," The younger tomboy pressed. "You know what I meant."
"Ugggghhhh..." Lynn fumed, crossing her arms. "Lincoln put you up to this, didn't he?"
Ronalda shook her head. "Hearing him talk about you was easy to paint a picture. You're still dealing with that fake version of yourself?"
Lynn dispelled a hot breath through her nose. "It's not 'fake' per se," Her gaze shifted earthward. "But she's a constant reminder of what I used to be like..." She breathed in. "Ok, are we done?" The older teen started turning towards the door. "Cause I'm not exactly-"
Lynn stopped when she felt Santiago firmly grab her wrist. "You can't just run from this Lynn. And you know as much as I do that you changed for the better since those days." Ronalda told her in a calm tone, releasing Lynn's hand once the former athlete no longer made a grab for the exit. "You already learned from your mistakes, no one really blames you more than they blamed themselves, so why is it hard for you to get past this? Heck, you practically died just to save your brother."
"That's different." Lynn leaned back against the door, making it rock against its frame for a second. "It's easy to get over something when the thing you hate most is right in front of you. But how do you deal with the fact you had been a shitty sibling for way longer? Especially when you think about it, the whole bad luck phase was just the bottle finally popping on a bad habit?"
Ronalda leaned to the left as her center of weight shifted to the other foot. "That sounds more like pent up guilt. And from the way you said it, I'm surprised you hadn't gone full blown emo like Lucy."
"I'm goth..." Came Lucy's muffled voice through the wall, making Ronalda rolled her eyes.
"Pff..." Lynn a strand of hair out of her vision. "Not like my family would let me. They had to tie me to the table and feed me dinner when I wasn't eating, and Lori nearly put me in a coma just cause I hadn't been sleeping much after Lincoln..." She paused. As much as Lynn wanted to say more, the words just died in her throat.
Memories of the shell she used to be never abated since that week, and she always remembered that one nightmare in particular where her brother never forgave her. Sometimes, her negative side would taunt her by implying Lincoln only forgave her out of pity and not because he loved her as a sibling. In return, Lynn would rant about how that wasn't true, given how Lincoln would've been beaten to a pulp by those two jerks. But even so, it probably didn't make up for the amount of mental abuse Lincoln experienced over the years; on top of feeling unloved after being forced to wear that suit until he was pushed to his limit.
"Lincoln and Clyde also mentioned that." Ronalda stated. She frowned upon noticing the older girl looking like she was going to cry. "Lynn...you need to stop thinking you don't deserve this, or that, or..." She shrugged. "A second chance at anything. Yes, you broke your relationship with your brother, but you fixed it, and he doesn't hold anything against you. Never has since he came back, and I doubt he will. I don't see why you feel the need to keep making yourself suffer like this. It isn't like anyone doesn't want you to go back to being you."
Lynn shook her head. No matter how many times Clyde or Lincoln said it, they just didn't get why she couldn't really allow herself to get back into her old routine. They didn't get that what she was doing wasn't just for her, but for everyone's happiness. Lincoln already asked her before she went to workout if she felt ok; she had been in a sour mood due to problems in the bathroom. And probably from another heated debate with her inner demon over something she'd rather keep to herself. Sure, the boys kept nudging her to take up sports again if it made her happy. And Lynn even felt like she might be able to give it a shot.
But what if she did?
And like previous times she sat and thought about it, all the negative attributes from her old hobby would come to focus. All that obsession? All that narcissism? All those times she went overboard on trivial things at the cost of making everyone annoyed by her presence? She wasn't that blind to notice her teammates were apprehensive or tired of her 'rituals'. Same went for her family; they only encouraged it because they were too afraid to tell her to stop.
"That's easy for you to say." Lynn rebuked with a scowl, pointing a finger at the skater's chest. "All you did was just bully him. You never treated him like he meant little else than some...some object that you could toss when you were done with it." Her finger moved to within an inch of Ronnie's face, making the younger girl edge back reflexively. "You didn't end up nearly breaking your whole family to pieces because you were too selfish and obsessed with winning to realize what was happening. You..." Her finger wavered. "You..." Lynn's voice started to break. "You didn't have to wake up that morning fearing that he might be d-dead!..."
Ronnie stared uncomfortably at Lynn, who was now shaking in rage, fear, or...she couldn't really tell.
"A-All that time I spent making his life a living hell...I could've nearly killed him after that fight we had..." Lynn's outstretched arm slumped to her side. "I can't..." She started speaking in a pleading tone. "I can't risk going back to being the win-obsessed freak I was...I can't make that mistake again..." The brunette wrapped her arms around herself as she slumped to the floor. "I can't turn into the monster that nearly ruined all our lives..."
Ronnie Anne blinked, closing her eyes as she sighed. "Geez...she's still a mess...no wonder those two had to fight to hammer it in." She mulled to herself. She remembered that night where she had her own concerns about Lincoln resenting her for her past actions. He didn't hesitate to tear down the walls she built up and try to brush it off; and Ronnie began to feel she had to be the one to take the sledgehammer to Lynn's fortress. "But, I guess it makes sense. Her brother and a close friend can't tell her she's a good sister without her thinking otherwise. She still hadn't opened up to them as much as they think..."
"Sigh...I hope she's not going through that phase again..." Lucy stated.
Both tomboys grew irate before directing their attention to the wall. "Shut up Lucy!" They said simultaneously.
Ronnie could visualize the gothic girl flinching from their combined yelling. When they didn't get a reply, she turned back to Lynn, who resumed staring at the floor. The skater strolled up and knelt to her position. "Lynn...are you happy with the way things are going now?"
"...My siblings find me more supportive than I used to be...though Lincoln still worries like he always does." Lynn raised her head slightly. "It's not like I need a babysitter. I'm 15 for Pete's sake."
Ronnie bit her cheek, feeling that she was dodging the question. "But. Are. You. Happy?" She pressed.
"..."
Both girls were silent as Ronalda awaited Lynn's answer. She soon sat cross-legged to avoid building up too much pressure in her knees, though her vision degraded a little when she switched positions.
"No..." Came a meek reply.
The Latina almost didn't catch that as she let her eyes refocus. "And why not?"
"I miss playing sports...I really do..." Lynn sniffed, moving a hand to rub her nose when it felt like mucus would come out. "If not for the crowd cheering me on and the adrenaline I get from winning, it's also because most of my friends were on the team. Ever since I stopped, I had barely talked to them; even giving some lame excuse as to why I up and quit. Paula, Polly, even Cici (who I hardly spoke to much anyway) stopped asking after last summer. But Margo..." She recalled their last conversation. "She still worries about me." Her frown increased. "But I can't tell her everything...she won't want to be my friend afterwards..."
"You don't know that though." Ronalda pointed out.
"I don't." Lynn agreed. "But I don't want to risk it. I may not be doing sports, but I've been the best sister since a long time ago because of it." She started counting on her fingers. "Lisa sometimes comes to me for help when she never did before, Luna considers me one of her 'Roadies' (whatever that means), Lana always wants to try new wrestling moves on me (even though I just go easy on her), and even Lola asked me for advice on math."
Ronalda raised a brow. "What about Leni, Luan, and Lucy?" She didn't ask about Lori, as it was self-explanatory.
Lynn scratched her head. "I would say Leni usually considers me in charge if she or Luna aren't around; no offense to Luan, but she plays around too much to be taken seriously." She shrugged. "Not that I have a beef with Luan, but it's been the same since before you-know-what. Same with Lucy, but I feel she's been looking after me more than usual."
"Uh huh." Ronalda nodded, putting her hands up in a thinking posture. "Now, out of everything you just said, do you really think your siblings wouldn't want you to go back to sports, or do they just want you to be happy?"
Lynn narrowed her eyes as she mulled over it. "I guess the latter? But I still don't think it'd be better if-"
"Did you hear them at any point say they liked you better because you weren't doing sports?" The Latina interrupted.
As thin as the walls still were, Lynn would've definitely heard some mention of it. Unless she wasn't home at the time. But for the time being, "Well, no. But I still have-ACK!" Lynn's vision whited out temporarily as a flash of pain detonated from the center of her forehead. She rubbed the irritated spot vigorously while glaring daggers at the Latina. "What did you flick me for?!"
"I can't believe you're that dense to not figure it out." Ronalda sighed. "No one is telling you that you can't do sports anymore. That's just some BS you made up because you're afraid of yourself. But we all know you won't go back to being the win-obsessed girl you were because you've learned that being the best at every sport isn't worth ruining the relationships you have. Besides, no one is saying you need to try every sport under the sun. Just start out slow and see what works."
Once her forehead stopped aching, and Lynn wasn't too pissed off, she started to see Ronalda's point. When they referred to her old habits, which included doing multiple sports during a season and turning every little thing into one (or pretending at least), the brunette would be against such acts as she believed that was the catalyst that eventually led to her superstition craze. She didn't consider taking it slow.
"Wait, didn't Clyde say that too last time we chatted?" Lynn searched her memories, with the full realization hitting her in the head and stomach not a moment later. "Dang, he did. How the hell did I forget that?! Usually I don't spaz out whenever we hang together. But then again, I know Clyde (and Link for that matter) aren't the type to just blurt it out in a way like Ronnie here is doing..." She attempted to figure out why she seemed to forget that crucial information, but kept drawing blanks. "Must've gotten nixed after those fights I had with...myself...and having to watch over the Foxes for more than a week." Her brows furrowed a bit. "Those kids can really be a handful..."
"Also." Lynn came off her inner monologue just as more pain shot through her forehead, in the same spot. The brunette growled as she covered the area. "What now?..."
"Remember what you told me that day I had my doubts about being a good girlfriend for Lincoln?"
Lynn narrowed her eyes. "...Yeah?" She put her hand down. "What about it?"
"Let me mirror it for you." Ronnie stated, prodding Lynn in the chest. "You must be a dunce if you keep thinking you still aren't a good sister. Do you really believe Lincoln, or any of your sisters for that matter, would bother taking care of you even if you didn't feel like you deserve it?" Lynn's face scrunched a little out of anger, but she dropped it knowing she couldn't argue back. "Yeah, you were (key word there) an annoying jock who took sports too seriously. But you're still the same girl who risked everything to make sure you fixed the stupid mistakes you made." Ronnie laid a hand on Lynn's shoulder. "I learned to stop hiding behind a tough face, so you should learn to not be afraid of getting back into your old passion."
Lynn sighed. "I guess so..."
"You guess?" The Latina repeated, lightly slapping Lynn's cheek. "Don't be a Lame-O, ponytail."
The Loud narrowed her eyes. "You have one too." She pushed Ronalda's hand away. "And don't call me Lame-O."
The skater girl smirked. "I will as long as you keep being dense, Lame-O." She patted Lynn's still irritated forehead.
Lynn gritted her teeth as her hands became fists. She practically shoved the hand away. "Quit it!"
Ronalda's smug grin only grew as she leaned in. "Whatcha gonna do about it, hermana?" She taunted.
The two tomboys stared at one another, one pissed while the other smug. The air became thick with tension as one felt a single spark would set off a powder keg. Then, in the span of 1 second, Lynn lunged at Ronnie Anne, who matched her in speed as she scooted back. The Latina started to laugh as Lynn grabbed her foot to bring her in closer, but she twisted her body to escape her grasp. However, with her back turned, Lynn grinned as she saw an opportunity. Just as Ronalda was about to get to her feet, Lynn jumped on the younger girl and forced her to the floor.
"Oof!" Ronnie grunted as she felt Lynn's weight slam into her.
"Never turn your back to your opponent." Lynn taunted.
Ronalda felt the former jock attempt to grab her arms to restrain her. "Not gonna happen Lynn-sanity!"
Lynn raised a brow when, in a feat of strength and flexibility, Ronnie pushed herself off the floor just a few inches in spite of Lynn's weight and arched her spine just enough to kick the teen off.
Lynn fell face first onto the carpet. "Not bad." She lifted her head and rolled to the side as Ronalda attempted to pounce on her.
The two girls looked at each other before meeting on the floor, hands locked as they tried to force each other down. Lynn smiled. "You've definitely gotten stronger since taking those kickboxing classes."
"Hah." Ronalda chuckled. "I'm only holding back because it's you."
"Oh really?" Lynn smirked before applying more of her strength. Ronnie buckled as her knee slid back on the carpet. "That'll cost ya. Who do you think wins our sparring matches when me and Link go at it?"
Ronalda gritted her teeth before gripping Lynn's hands tighter. Lynn was unprepared for what happened next, as Ronnie rolled to the side, their hands still connected, and both girls hit the floor with a loud thump. Taking advantage of her opponent's daze, Ronnie jumped onto Lynn's stomach. The brunette wheezed as a rush of air left her.
"You mean the same matches he has to goad you into doing?" Ronnie taunted.
"Hah! You underestimate me." Lynn lifted one of her knees with enough force to bop Ronnie in the rear.
"EEP!" The Latina went wide-eyed from the sudden contact as a blush began to form.
The blow didn't hurt as much as one would've thought, but the lapse in her attack was all Lynn needed. The former athlete released Ronnie's hands and grabbed her wrists. In one fell swoop, she lifted her off her stomach like a ragdoll and slammed the girl onto the floor.
"Ow!" Ronalda hissed, eyes scrunched in pain as her back ached. When she opened them, Lynn was about to pounce on her once more. With only a second to react, Ronnie lifted her legs up and over her head, crossing them behind Lynn's neck. Before Lynn could try to break out, the Latina grunted as she lifted the older girl up and over before slamming her onto her back.
Lynn grunted as she tried to break out of Ronnie's scissor hold, beginning to spread the girl's feet apart. However, Ronnie was quick as she adjusted her legs, moving closer to Lynn and reapplied pressure. Sitting up, she grabbed one of Lynn's arms with both hands and yanked back, keeping it outstretched so she couldn't use it.
"Say it!" Ronnie Anne taunted.
"I'm...not done yet!..." Lynn wheezed, her head wedged in between Ronnie Anne's thighs as she used her free hand to try and pry them apart.
Unfortunately, their fun didn't last as the door swung open.
"What is going-" Lori stopped upon seeing the position Lynn and Ronnie Anne were in. The two girls stared in surprise at the oldest sibling, who deadpanned. "Why am I not surprised..."
Luan poked her head past Lori's shoulder, developing a grin. "I got loads of jokes about this."
Lori gave a brief glare at the comedian. "Don't." Turning back to the two tomboys, "And can you two please stop whatever you're doing? It's distracting and Lily just went to sleep."
The two girls grumbled a "Fine..." before starting to separate themselves.
"EEEEE! LIKE, OH EM GEE!" Everyone flinched upon hearing the loud cheer. Luan and Lori turned to see Leni, who had just come up the stairs, rushing towards them with her arms outstretched. Luan knew what was going to happen, giving a high whistle that told Lori she was on her own whilst walking into her room.
"Leni, Leni! No!" Lori cried out as the younger blonde picked up speed. "Don't-!" The wind was knocked out of her as her younger sister tackled her to the floor.
"You didn't tell me you were back already!" Leni cheered, hugging Lori tighter, much to her former roommate's displeasure and pain.
"I-I missed you too..." Lori patted Leni's back. "And I think you bruised my ribs..."
Luan, Lynn, and Ronnie giggled. "Classic." The light brunette stated, turning to her closet to set up her arm load of laundry.
Lynn turned and gave Ronnie a genuine hug. "Glad you're here Ronnie Anne. And...thanks..."
Ronalda returned the hug. "Well, someone had to get forceful with you. But I missed you too."
Minutes Earlier
Sid came downstairs, not surprised to see Lincoln still lazing on the couch, but now watching TV. The only new addition to the ground floor was Lana with her toolbox at the door. She already uninstalled the entire handle, opened it up, and was inspecting the inside.
Sid approached the back of the couch and leaned over the side. "So," Lincoln looked up at her. "How's the legs?"
"Less sore than they were a while ago." Lincoln replied. "What's up?"
"This is gonna sound really weird, buuuuut..." Sid dragged on, making Lincoln raise a brow. He got a little uncomfortable when she leaned in towards his ear. "Do you think Lynn and Ronnie Anne are secretly dating each other?" She whispered.
Lincoln flinched before whipping his head in Sid's direction with a look that made it clear he thought she was crazy. "What made you come up with that idea?"
"Well," Sid tilted her head to the side. "They were being all buddy-buddy one moment, then Ron-Ron asked to talk with Lynn about something important, being all serious and stuff. Then she had me leave the room."
Lincoln deadpanned, finding that to be a total overreaction to what was really going on. But if Ronnie Anne wanted to speak to Lynn in private, "She must've cornered her so she could get the message through to Lynn." Giving a light nod, "Well, no, they aren't dating each other." Lincoln shifted on the couch to face Sid better. "See, Lynn and Ronnie Anne were pretty close to each other, even before she moved to the city. I'd say they're sort of like Lana and Lola, except both aren't into girly stuff and aren't as into disgusting things." The boy looked towards Lana. "No offense Lana."
The young mechanic waved her hand dismissively as she raised the door handle. "None taken. And what the heck is that?..."
"Ooooh, I get it." Sid stood up, but kept leaning on the back of the couch. "So it's like how sometimes me and her would talk about stuff that I can't tell my sister until she's older."
"...Yeaaah, something like that." Lincoln replied. "You're not upset about it, are you?"
"Pfff, no?" Sid folded her arms as she brushed off the question. "Why would I be? It's not like she's the only best friend I've had since I moved to the city and feels like a twin sister to me. Not to mention she wasn't creeped out by my love for animals."
Lincoln stared in surprise at the city slicker, opting to sit up from his lied back position. "That's...oddly specific..."
"Really? I-I mean," Sid started to fidget on the spot. "I mean we do have other friends! That I don't...always talk to? Hehe?..."
"Did Ronnie ever tell Sid about what happened a couple years ago?" Lincoln wondered to himself. "Guess not from how she's talking. But I didn't think Sid would feel lonely." The Loud decided to change the subject to something a little more positive. "It's fine if you only talk to Ronnie Anne about a lot of things Sid. Heck, I talk with Clyde most of the time even though I have other friends I don't hang with all the time. Maybe you just need to branch out a little?"
Sid frowned as she hung herself over the back of the sofa. "I guess...still," She perked up a little. "I wonder what they're talking about. I didn't get to finish hanging my stuff."
THUMP!
The Chang girl raised a brow. "What was that?"
THUMP!
"If I had to guess," Lincoln paused as another loud thump reverberated through the house. "Lynn and Ronnie Anne started fighting again."
Luan came up from the basement, her own finished laundry in hand, when another loud thump shook the walls. "Wow, those two sure know how to tangle." She giggled at her own little joke, making two turns before heading up the stairs.
"Hah! You underestimate me." Came Lynn's voice.
"EEP!" Ronalda squeaked.
THUMP!
"OW!"
Sid let out a nervous laugh. "On second thought, I'm actually glad me and Ronnie Anne aren't that close."
Lincoln, who had turned his attention back to the TV, leaned his head in Sid's direction. "Why's that?"
The Chang girl had a wry grin. "Let's just say I wouldn't last a second against her in wrestling."
Fond memories she had about the time they were looking to join a club. While the two still ran their Robot Demolition club, Sid knew Ronnie still took part in regular lucha libre. Heck, she even managed to knock Becky off the top spot. That scissor hold of hers was deadly...
Sid flinched when another loud thump echoed through the house. She looked at Lincoln, who didn't seem concerned in the slightest. Likewise, one glance over to Lana told her she was pretty much ignoring whatever was going on up there. "Um...shouldn't we stop them?"
"Don't worry about it." Lincoln smirked while placing his hands behind his head. "They do this every time Ronnie Anne visits. I think they just like challenging each other, so it's nothing serious."
Sid opened her mouth to question whether he was certain, but the pitter-patter of heeled shoes reached her ears. She looked towards the open door, as did Lincoln, and Lana looked outside. The young girl went big-eyed before pressing herself flat against the door frame as Leni ran through the door.
"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" The 18 year old spoke in a giddy manner as she hurried up the stairs. As soon as she turned to her left, "EEEEE! LIKE, OH EM GEE!" She disappeared around the corner.
"Leni, Leni! No! Don't-" They heard Lori's voice before she was abruptly cut off.
CRASH!
Several pictures hanging on the walls swayed before coming to a rest in crooked positions. Sid and Lincoln looked at each other before grins overtook their faces as they couldn't help the laughter that escaped them.
"This summer is gonna be awesome." Sid commented.
"Wouldn't doubt it." Lincoln agreed.
Lana, who had begun to work on the door again, stopped once more when her twin stumbled through the door. "Hey-" Lana started, only to pause when she got a good look at Lola. The younger of the pair was shaking, one of her eyes were twitching with the look of horror on her face, and her hair appeared to be stuck in a wind-lashed position as it jutted out behind her. In her hand was a plastic shopping bag that looked to have a few articles of clothing inside. "What happened to you?"
"Never...ever...tell Leni that Lori is home on her first day back when she's out the house..." Lola stated ominously.
"Riiiight..." Lana replied, rubbing her arm. "So uh...why's your hair like that?" She pointed to the golden locks that still somehow defied physics.
"She left the windows open..." Lola managed to say. She let out a groan as she shook her head, with her hair flailing around until falling back into its normal position. "I'm sorry," She put a hand to her head. "I need to go lie down..."
Without another word, everyone watched as the younger of the twins trudged up the stairs, her shopping bag bouncing upon each step as she hadn't the energy to carry it properly.
Sid glanced at Lincoln. "Should we be concerned about that?" She thumbed at Lola's direction.
"She just needs to sleep." Lincoln shook his head. "And I'll likely talk with Leni about her driving habits." He smiled a little. "If Lola doesn't get to her first once she settles down."
Lana gave a knowing laugh. "We'll hear about it during dinner."
A/N: Sometimes when we're feeling down, only those special relationships can get us to see the light when no one else can. Everything sure gets a little crazy in the house when the guests arrive, but they have further plans for the days ahead.