Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
When Love Speaks
By Lola Presents
Chapter 2
As Lincoln and Lola stood there with blank expressions, Lori's husband, Bobby, walked up to them. Their five-year-old daughter, Lorianne, was firmly seated on his hip. Seeing Lincoln, he offered him a fist bump.
"What's up, bro?" he said politely.
Such was a tradition the two had ever since they bonded while at the amusement park with Lori and Clyde.
No sooner than his hand went up, Lori smacked it away.
"Not now, Bobby," she gritted.
The Loud's eldest sibling could feel the unbridled anger bubbling within her. She was ready to kill her siblings at the moment, though years of practicing patience with her child dulled the impulse.
"What, in the name of hell, were you two doing!" she demanded.
Bobby looked from Lincoln to Lola, then at his wife.
"Uh, babe? What's going on?" he inquired.
The young adult could tell something was amiss, but being somewhat slow on the uptake, he couldn't figure out what.
"Bobby, we have to go," Lori declared. "You stay and have fun with Lorianne. I'll be back in a while." Then, grabbing Lola by the hand, nearly jerking the younger girl off her feet, the rant began. "Lola, you're coming with me! Lincoln, get yourself home. Now!"
"Um, alright, babe," sighed Bobby as he walked over to the ball pit and placed Lorianne in it. "It's okay, baby. Mommy will be back later. Go, have some fun. I'll get us something to eat." He then approached the counter, keeping one eye on his daughter.
Lincoln watched as his older sister tore Lola through the front door. Well, this was it. It was time to face the music. With a heavy sigh, he fetched his keys from his pocket, headed for his car, got in, and slammed the door harder than intended.
It was an older car, the kind you get when you first start driving, so as not to dent up a new one. As such, parts were loose and falling apart. The shock of the closure made the glove-box pop open.
Lincoln reached over to close it, but something caught his attention. An old photo, taken long ago, was nestled in between some recent bills. Curious, he snatched it from its resting place and peered at it. It was time-worn and considerably faded, but he recognized it immediately.
The photo depicted Lola and himself celebrating a win roughly two years ago. As he recalled, his mother took this particular photo as he and Lola played Alien Invasion together at this same restaurant. They both looked happy and carefree, unlike today.
"I should never have told Lola how I felt," he whispered before giving the photo a light kiss and placing it in his wallet.
Settling into the seat, he took a deep breath, held it in for a moment, and rested his head against the headrest. Finally, he let it out in a single massive puff, releasing his frustration at himself and his situation. The worst part was that he wasn't in trouble alone.
He'd gotten Lola in trouble too. He shook his head, fearful that he'd never be able to forgive himself. Finally, he started the engine and slowly left the parking lot.
Lola sat silently in Lori's passenger seat, not wanting to discuss things with her sister. Things stayed quiet for only a moment, and she welcomed the silence, but the brief reprise was soon over. Lori began speaking once her anger calmed.
"Are you alright, Lola? I mean, he didn't do anything, did he?" Lori mothered her little sister.
"No," she told Lori, rolling her eyes.
Oh my god, How could Lori ask such a question? Her nerves reignited, and she began to feel lightheaded.
"He didn't, you know, touch you, like, in bad places?" Lori continued the inquisition. "He didn't touch your butt, breasts, or special place?"
"Oh, for crying out loud!" spat Lola. "That's ridiculous! Lincoln would never do that! It was just a kiss! He's too much of a gentleman for that."
Lola had just about had enough of the prying. Whose business was it anyway, but hers and Lincoln's?
"Lola, 'gentlemen' don't fall in love with, or kiss, their sisters," informed Lori. "Especially not one four years his junior. Lincoln has a problem, and you need to stay away from him. He could hurt or get you pregnant if you aren't careful!"
Lori arrived at her old house considerably earlier than Lincoln. Neither she nor Lola spoke a word after Lori's monologue. Lori was afraid she might crash in her current state, and Lola was too concerned about how her parents might react to listen even if her sister had spoken. Once home, Lori entered the house boisterously, dragging Lola along with her.
"Mom! Dad!" she called out before seeing them both sitting quietly on the couch. Her mother was watching something on the television while her father was glancing through the newspaper. "Oh, you're here. Good. Lola has something she needs to tell you!" spat the eldest Loud girl.
Lola heard everything as she moved slowly into the house behind her sister. Peering out from behind her, she nervously approached her parents. Rita turned her attention to them, and Lynn folded the corner of his paper down.
"Yes?" prodded Lynn, Senior. "What is it?"
Neither of them had yet caught on that something wrong was afoot and simply awaited a response. The young girl started to speak but found no words. Her mouth opened and closed several times as tears began erupting from the fissures in her eyes. Fear had overtaken her, and as much as she loved Lincoln and wanted to own up to it, she just couldn't.
"I…" Lola stumbled.
"GO ON!" Lori demanded, elbowing Lola in the side harder than she meant to. "Tell them what Lincoln did to you!"
Rita shook her head in confusion.
"What?" she questioned Lola, noticing tear stains on her cheeks. "Lincoln did something to you?"
Lynn's eyes furrowed deeply, concerned about what might have transpired. Both were confused. Lincoln wasn't known for doing bad things, especially to his sisters. He'd always treated them with love and respect, aside from minor childhood arguments.
"I thought he was with you at the pageant?" Rita said rhetorically to Lola. "Where is he? What happened?"
Lori was about to answer for her sister when they heard Lincoln's car pulling into the drive, soon followed by silence and the slam of a door. Not a moment later, Lincoln entered the house, panting.
"You have some nerve!" screamed Lori with her fists balled up by her side. "How dare you assault Lola that way! You're lucky to be alive right now! I should've punched the daylights out of you!"
"Whoa, there, Lori!" called Lynn, standing up and coming between them. "We don't even know what happened yet. Let him talk."
Lynn had always been the softer of the Loud parents. Some may even call him weak. In truth, his skin was thicker than it appeared, giving him the appearance of being ineffectual. However, he tended to listen first and act later.
"Dad," addressed Lincoln nervously, beads of sweat adorning his brow. "I… Lola and I..."
Speaking his mind was going to be more difficult than he thought. His stomach moved into his throat, nearly strangling his words. No. It had to be said. For good or ill, he'd say it. Swallowing the frog in his throat, he addressed them.
"Mom? Dad? Lola and I are in love, and Lori caught us kissing," Lincoln admitted.
Then, having opened the floodgates, his tone changed. It hardened and became more forceful.
"I am not sorry or embarrassed about it either! Do what you want with me, but leave her out of it!" he demanded authoritatively, complete with a finger pointed toward the ground.
Lincoln received a slap across the face no sooner than the statement left his lips. Afterward, Rita recoiled in horror and withdrew her hand to cover her mouth. She never considered that something like this would happen in her home. Her stomach gurgled, forcing bile into her windpipe.
Two of her children fell in love, and she physically assaulted one of them in a careless, knee-jerk reaction. Her mind went dizzy, and her knees could no longer support her. Falling back onto the couch, she began crying earnestly.
Their father stared and shook his head in disbelief.
"You what now?" he stammered.
Lynn, Senior, the patriarch of the family, always had a strange way of handling surprise and disbelief, which usually ended up in a stammer.
"It's true, dad," answered Lola tentatively from his side. "We're in love."
Lola's tears were still cascading down her face, though she was no longer heaving. Lincoln's boldness bolstered her commitment to him, and she decided to stand up for herself.
"No, you aren't!" bellowed Rita from the couch. "You can't be! She's too young, and you're siblings! I won't allow it!"
She was beside herself in grief, not knowing what to do with herself. Instead, she kept covering her mouth with her hand and putting it back in her lap, her mouth opening and closing, saying nothing.
Lynn held his hands out in front of him.
"Let's all calm down a moment, shall we? Look, I'm sure you think you're in love, Lola, but you aren't. Not really. You're young and impressionable, and considering the amount of time you spend with Lincoln, your feelings are understandable. But it's not real. You're confused."
He then turned to Lincoln, who stood resolute before his father.
"As for you, you should've known better." their father said. "I must say I'm very disappointed in you. What you did was wrong, and you know it. Due to what happened, you understand that we'll have to get psychiatric help for you, right?"
As he spoke, Lola could feel the anger building within her. By the time he finished, she could no longer contain it. Preempting whatever reply Lincoln may have had ready, she embraced her anger.
"I! AM! NOT! CONFUSED!" Lola screamed. "Who are you to tell me what's real and not? Can you see inside my head? Do you know my heart? No! I don't think so!"
"THAT'S IT!" yelled Lynn finally.
He had his limits, after all. The thought of a rational discussion flew out the window when Lola began screaming at him with no regard for his authority.
"Lola! Lincoln! Give me your phones now!" he declared to their astonishment.
Their father had a plan and was about to handle things calmly. However, the announcement got delayed when things became heated.
Amidst the din, Lucy, Lana, Lisa, and Lily had made their way downstairs to investigate. With the house half-full, it had been quite a while since the last explosion. Desiring some excitement, they jumped on the opportunity.
"What's going on?" asked Lucy, as dull as ever, standing near the bottom of the stairs.
The goth was now fourteen but hadn't changed much. A pair of black denim jeans replaced her black skirt, and her hair was a bit longer and brushed to the side, the back pulled into a ponytail. Yet, she was just as dreary as ever.
"Oh, nothing much," announced Lori sarcastically. "Just Lincoln molesting Lola!"
"Spicy," she mumbled as Lincoln and Lola handed over their phones, Lucy's visible eye expanding in surprise.
The remaining siblings stared at the couple, separated by Lori, trying to process what had transpired.
"Lori, what's that thing you used to do with your sisters whenever you fought?" Lynn asked of his eldest and most sensible daughter.
The query took Lori off guard. Why would he be asking about that at a time like this? Still, she offered him the answer.
"You mean 'sister fight protocol'? she asked. "I don't see what that has to do…"
However, Lynn waved her into silence.
"The answer is simple. Lincoln and Lola only feel this way due to continued association. Therefore, we separate them. I want you to assign guards to Lincoln and Lola," he instructed her. Then, turning to Lincoln and Lola, "As for you two, you shall not be in the same room with each other until I say otherwise. You will not have any contact whatsoever. Do not speak to or look at each other. Got it?"
"Yes, sir," said Lola humbly, gazing at the floor. Her father's reprimand left her empty inside and hurt, and she felt as if she were breathing through cotton. She knew an anxiety attack would happen at any moment. What should have been the best day of her life had turned to tragedy.
"Fine!" spat Lincoln defiantly. "But only until I'm eighteen, which isn't far away! After that, you can't tell me what to do!" With that, the young man stormed upstairs and disappeared into his room after slamming his door.
Not long after Lincoln's retreat, he heard Lola's door slam. Was this it? Would they be relegated to isolation forever? The twin's birthday was in a week, and Lincoln wouldn't miss it for the world. Still, he didn't see any recourse presently. Sighing heavily, he opened a dresser drawer and pulled out his well-read comics.
It had been years since he'd read them, with high school and a job. In a way, it was a welcome escape for the young man. Taking a familiar position on his bed, he thumbed through the book, slowly ebbing the anger and frustration. One after another, he read them in silence until a knock sounded upon his door.
"Come in," he said drearily, putting his comic aside. "Especially if you're Lola."
Of course, Lincoln did not expect that it was. Still, it was like a slap in his parents' faces saying it, which made him feel better.
The door opened, and Lucy entered and padded across his floor just as silently as ever. She approached Lincoln's bed and sat down.
"Hey," she said. "How are you doing?"
"Fine, for someone whose life is over," he spat, resting his head against the wooden frame of his bed. "What do you want?"
"Lori has assigned me as your guard," she said. "But that's not why I'm here. I want to talk to you."
Lucy was always the curious one, but never did she ask questions. The goth preferred the mystery of the dark and discovering things for herself, which usually involved lurking in the ductwork. However, she was too old now to slither around the house and resigned herself to a formal discussion.
"I guess," sighed Lincoln. "What's on your mind?"
As if he didn't know. At least, he thought he knew. Lucy was going to spout poetic nonsense at him, chastising him in the way only Lucy could. But that was not to be.
"Why, Lola?" she simply asked.
Lincoln pulled himself to an upright position, surprised by the question.
"What do you mean 'why, Lola'?" he returned. "Why anybody? I don't know. It just happened. Why do you care? You aren't jealous, are you?"
He wasn't trying to be mean or accusatory, but he'd had a long, stressful day and wanted nothing more than to think about something else.
"Uh, no," replied his sister. "It's just that, you know, she's your sister. Doesn't that count for something?"
Lincoln looked at her sternly.
"Of course, it does. It means everything," argued Lincoln.
"I see," nodded the goth. "And that doesn't bother you?"
Lucy was beginning to push her luck. Lincoln had complied, but you know what they say about curiosity killing the cat. The black cat, in this instance.
Without warning, Lincoln pulled one of his legs under him and scooted uncomfortably close to his sister, who leaned back at the suddenness of it.
"Lucy, what was the name of that vampire you used to like?" he asked in a surprisingly calm tone.
"Edwin," Lucy offered. "His name was Edwin. But I'm not a kid anymore. I know he wasn't real. An actor who looked nothing like the character in real life played him."
"Okay, but when you were little, why did you like him?" Lincoln cross-examined.
Lucy mulled it over in her mind for a moment. She was asked this many times and never had a definite answer until now.
"I think it was more the idea of him. An ancient, knowledgeable, wise man, come to whisk me away," Lucy spoke thoughtfully.
Lincoln nodded understandingly.
"And you were willing to do this even though he was a vampire and not human?" he continued.
He was going somewhere with this, even though he wasn't sure exactly where.
Lucy started having a sinking feeling, one she hadn't felt since middle school. That feeling that you've done something wrong and all eyes were upon you, pricking you like needles, ready to pounce.
"Yes," she admitted. "And I still would. What does Edwin's biology have to do with anything."
Lincoln smiled.
"You're right. What does biology have to do with love?" he said, paraphrasing his sister. "You, of all people, should understand. Sometimes love tests the limits of our boundaries. For you, it's vampires, but for me, it's Lola. It always has been. She means everything to me, and I'd risk my life for her."
Lucy's eyes grew, and she inhaled deeply, blowing out her confusion. Lincoln's stark confession of love for his sister triggered something deep within her.
"I think I understand now, Lincoln, and you're right. I admit I am not unfamiliar with forbidden love. Nearly every novel I have ever read is on the subject." Lucy cocked her head and considered her brother. "You sincerely love her, don't you?"
"Completely," Lincoln nodded. "I believe I always have. I just didn't realize it until recently."
"Well, then," Lucy said, slapping her legs in a gesture of submission, "I'll help you."
Regardless of what Lincoln was hoping for, her answer still surprised him. "You will? Why?"
Lucy stood and faced her brother, "Because when love speaks, you listen."