A/N: Hello everyone, I am back with chapter sixteen of this story. Here, Lori struggles to hide her growing addiction.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House

Life was good for Lori. While she still had all of the same stress from before, but her flask of rum helped her get through the days so much easier. It was a Sunday and Lori awoke lately than usual dealing with a hangover. Downstairs, her siblings were given a daunting task by their mother; waking her up.

"How should we do this?" asked Luna.

"Carefully. You know how Lori gets when she's woken up." noted Luan.

"Yeah. She's even worse than Lola." added Lana.

"What does that mean?!" asked Lola offended.

"Not to mention her how volatile she's been lately." said Lucy.

"Lisa, you're a nerd. She can figure something out." shrugged Lynn.

Lisa nearly choked on the juice she was drinking.

"No thank you." said Lisa sheepishly.

"Why not?" asked Lincoln worried.

"I'm...far too busy." answered Lisa hurriedly.

Lisa got up and quickly made her way back to her room.

"Once we're done with Lori, we need to figure out what that's all about." stated Luna.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Lincoln is always coming up with plans." said Lana.

"I am the man with the plan for a reason." boasted Lincoln.

"No offensive, but we don't need some crazy plan." replied Lola.

Lincoln like his pride leave a deflating balloon.

"That's gotta hurt Stinkoln." chuckled Lynn.

"Guys, we need to focus." noted Luan.

Leni stood up.

"I'll do it." stated Leni.

"Are you sure dude?" asked Luna.

"I'm like, totally sure." answered Leni.

"Best of luck then." said Luna.

As Leni headed upstairs, Lori stirred in her bed.

"I literally feel like a marching band is in my head." groaned Lori.

Lori looked over to her drawer.

"Luckily, I have just the cure." cooed Lori.

Lori pulled her flask out of the drawer.

"Oh flask, you're literally the love of my life." said Lori began drinking when her door started to open.

"Fuck." thought Lori horrified.

Lori quickly hid her flask under her covers.

"Hey Lori." said Leni.

Leni walked over to her older sister.

"Do you have something in your mouth?" asked Leni curious.

Lori quickly swallowed the rum that was sitting in her mouth.

"Of course not." answered Lori.

Leni got a sniff of the alcohol.

"No offense, but your breath is totes rank." gagged Leni.

"Must be morning breath." said Lori.

"That totally makes sense." replied Leni.

"Note to self, brush right away." thought Lori.

Leni just sat looking at Lori.

"Is there a reason you're here?" asked Lori annoyed.

"Oh yeah!" realized Leni.

Leni began to try and figure out what it was she had to remember.

"What was it?" asked Leni to herself.

Lori felt her annoyance rising.

"Was it to annoy me?" asked Lori deadpanned.

Leni tapped her chin with her finger.

"I don't think so." answered Leni earnestly.

Lori rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I remember!" declared Leni.

Leni didn't follow up.

"And do you want to tell me what is was." requested Lori, gritting her teeth.

"Mom wants you up." said Leni.

Lori let out a long sigh.

"I know I have to get up." grumbled Lori.

Leni stayed where she was.

"Why did I think a subtle hint would work?" asked Lori to herself.

Lori got up out of her bed.

"Leni, you need to leave so I can get dressed." noted Lori.

"I forgot.' replied Leni.

Leni suddenly noticed something partially covered by blanket.

"What's that" asked Leni.

Lori looked and realized her flask was visible.

"My phone." answered Lori.

"But, isn't that your phone?" asked Leni.

Leni pointed to Lori's cellphone in the charging station.

"Um..." began Lori.

Lori started trying to think of a lie.

"It's..." stammered Lori.

Lori could feel herself start too sweet.

"This is literally disgusting." thought Lori.

"Are you okay?" asked Leni concerned.

Lori suddenly remembered who she was talking to.

"Leni, tell me about that cute scarf you saw the other day." requested Lori.

"Oh My Gosh! It was so adorable!" cried Leni.

Leni continued to rant forgetting about the flask which Lori stealthy hide.

"Good thing Leni isn't the sharpest tool in the shed." thought Lori relieved.

The day continued onward and Lori managed to breeze by thanks to her flask. Bed sheets were in need of washing so Lori volunteered. Most were in good shape though Lynn's and Lana's had seen better days. Lisa hurriedly pushed her sheets outside of her room to avoid contacting Lori. Lori slipped into the basement to do laundry and spend quality time with her rum.

"Oh flask, I literally can't live without." cooed Lori.

Lori drank from her flask when she heard creaking.

"Is someone there?" asked Lori.

Lori didn't see anything.

"Lucy, is that you?" asked Lori.

Again, no answer came.

"I know you literally jump out of thin air, but if you try that with me, you'll be sorry!" declared Lori.

Yet again, there was no answer.

"Maybe it isn't her." muttered Lori.

Lori looked around.

"This house old and falling apart. Noises happen all the time." mused Lori.

Lori shrugged her shoulders.

"Guess not." said Lori.

Lori turned to find Lucy in front of her.

"Hello." said Lucy.

Lori jumped out of her shoes.

"I didn't mean to scare you." noted Lucy.

"How long have you been here?" asked Lori worried.

"I came down to see if you needed help and heard you talking to yourself." answered Lucy suspiciously.

"Well, sometimes people do that." stated Lori.

"What's behind your back?" asked Lucy.

Lori clenched her flask tightly behind her back.

"Nothing." answered Lori.

Lori couldn't see her eyes, but she knew Lucy didn't believe her.

"Then show me your hands." requested Lucy.

"I don't have to. I'm literally older than you." huffed Lori.

"It sounds like you're hiding something." mused Lucy.

"I am not!" declared Lori.

"Then why is your face turning red?" asked Lucy.

"It's fine." answered Lori defiantly.

Lori couldn't believe her little sister had the gall to interrogate her like this.

"Lucy, I literally need to finish laundry." stated Lori.

"I only came to help." shrugged Lucy innocently.

"Oh, cut the shit." spat Lori.

Lucy gasped in shock.

"Oh please, I'm sure you've heard people swear before." said Lori.

"I'd still like to know what you're hiding behind your back." said Lucy.

"Nothing!" cried Lori, fed up.

"The show me your hands." requested Lucy coldly.

Lori began to sweat.

"I have to call her bluff or she'll know something's up." thought Lori worried.

Lori had an idea.

"I hope this works." thought Lori.

Lori pushed the back of the flask against the washing machine then put the top against her back to keep it in place.

"You want to see my hands..." began Lori.

Lori showed off her empty hands.

"Like I said...nothing!" exclaimed Lori.

Lucy was still skeptical, but had nothing to gone on.

"I guess I'll leave now." said Lucy.

Lori smirked in victory.

"I guess so." agreed Lori smugly.

"Sigh." moaned Lucy.

Lucy left and Lori made sure she was gone before moving.

"That was close." sighed Lori.

The next few hours seemed to fly by. For Lori, this was in part thanks to her flask. With her friends busy, Lori found herself staying at her. She hadn't made up with Carol or Bobby either so that further limited her options. Lori decided to flop on the couch and watch reruns of Operation Dessert Storm to kill time. three episodes in, the contests had to make a rum cake for their challenge.

"You've got to be kidding me." groaned Lori.

Lori suddenly looked around.

"Leni is at work and Luan has a birthday..." began Lori.

Lori looked into the dining room.

"Lola and Lincoln have pageant practice. Lana is who doing who knows what but, she'll probably need a bath." continued Lori.

Lori jumped up and looked upstairs.

"Lisa in her room and Lynn had some sports practice." continued Lori.

Lori poked her head in the vent.

"Lily and Lisa are in their room and Lucy is in the attic." concluded Lori.

An excited Lori sat back down.

"There's nobody here so I can drink in peace." cooed Lori.

Lori pulled her flask out.

"Oh, I love you more than anyone else." sighed Lori.

"Um, dude." began Luna.

Lori was horrified to see Luna at the top of the stairs.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Luna concerned.

"No one!" squeaked Lori.

Lori hid her flask as Luna came down the stairs.

"Of course, I forgot her." thought Lori annoyed.

Luna walked over to the couch.

"Can I join you?" asked Luna.

"It's a free country." answered Lori.

Luna sat down on the left side of Lori while the flask was on her right side.

"Oh man, that rum cakes looks good." said Luna.

"Don't fall off the wagon." muttered Lori.

Luna winced and Lori was visibly guilty.

"It's cool." said Luna.

Lori felt a bit better.

"The only reason I'm hounding you is because I don't want you to make the same mistake I did." explained Luna.

"But, I'm not you." noted Lori.

"I'd do the same if it was anyone else." state Luna.

Luna looked over and thought she saw something on the couch.

"What do you have?" asked Luna curious.

Lori quickly looked for an answer and was saved by an unlikely intrusion.

"Luna, where did you put Mr. Coconuts?!" asked Luan from upstairs.

Luna turned toward the stairs and answered allowing Lori to quickly toss her flask under the couch. However, it hit a sleeping Charles who made off with the flask.

"See. Nothing." said Lori.

But Luna noticed something.

"She's not wearing the bracelet Leni bought her." thought Luna.

A/N: So, that's where we'll end for now. Lori is having trouble hiding her drinking and lost her new flask. You may wonder why I had Lori buy that flask to just lose it. The answer, will be revealed shortly. Next time, Lori realizes her flask is gone and gets desperate.