Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
Who Love Chooses
By Lola Presents
Chapter 9
Lori woke early the following day. The heat emanating from Lorianne kept her up most of the night, and she eventually resigned to the fact that sleep wasn't coming. After a sizable yawn, she worked her way around her daughter and out of bed without waking her.
Lori then slipped into her only garments and wandered out of the bedroom. Making her way to the kitchen, she put on a fresh pot of coffee and sat down at the table to think.
Not long after, Nova and Lola wandered in. Lola took a cup of coffee for herself and made some hot chocolate for Nova. The scent of the java stirred Lana, who joined them at the table shortly after.
Not wanting to do anything special that morning, Lola prepared a plate of sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits and served them with orange juice. Nova wasn't pleased with the choice and poked at her food.
"Eat your food, Sunshine," Lola instructed. "You'll be late otherwise."
Lori wiped her face once more and finally remembered their suitcases. Maybe it was the tacky feeling she now got from her undergarments or something else. Either way, she needed to get their things.
"Lola, it's alright," she told her sister. "I'll drop her off."
"Are you sure?" asked Lola. "The bus comes right by here."
"Yeah," nodded Lori. "I have to stop by and get our bags anyway. Our clothes are getting grody."
Lola agreed. "Well, that's fine by me, then," she acknowledged. "However, I may be gone when you get back. I have some things to do in town today."
Lori nodded, indicating that she understood, then prepared to leave with Nova. Once they were gone, Lola and Lana got dressed and left. Lola needed to pay the bills, register for an upcoming pageant at Lincoln's insistence, and pick up some things for the P.T.A. meeting.
Lori strapped Nova in and ensured the child had her bag and lunch, then got behind the wheel and drove off. Passing through the neighborhood was an exciting experience for her.
Things had decidedly changed, but not as much as one would think. The foliage had grown in places and withered in others. A lot of houses got repainted or had work done. But otherwise, nothing of import had altered.
Flip's store was still where it used to be, as was the library, the high school, and the elementary school. Lori knew the route well, having driven her siblings to school often.
"Well, Nova," Lori said, pulling to a stop in front of the school. "This is your stop."
"Thanks, Lori," Nova said politely, stuffing the last of a biscuit into her mouth. "Will you still be there when I get home?"
"Yes, honey," Lori announced. "I don't plan on going anywhere soon."
Nova exited and waved goodbye, then turned and greeted Calliope, who was patiently waiting for her to arrive. The two then bounded off toward who knows where. Lori sighed, remembering watching her siblings do the same thing.
Forcing herself into the present, Lori pulled out into traffic once more, much to the relief of car riders behind her. The ride to her parent's house was just as memorable as the previous one.
She passed the McBride residence along the way and noted that their name was still on the mailbox. The last time she saw Clyde was at Lincoln's wedding. He'd grown a lot but hadn't changed much.
Sometimes she wondered what life would've been like had she taken Clyde up on his love offers. Such sessions usually ended with her laughing hysterically, only to chastise herself for being so mean. Clyde was a lovely man.
Luckily, neither Lori's mother nor her father had left for work when she arrived. She parked her car near the end of the driveway, walked up to the house, and knocked.
"Hey there, stranger," gasped Rita, answering the door. "We were wondering when you were going to come back. How was it at Lincoln's house? Did you have fun?"
"Well, to be honest, Mom," Lori began as she strolled in. "Things have been interesting. I'll call you and tell you everything later. Right now, I need to fetch our bags. It turns out we'll be staying there for a while."
"Oh. Well, okay," Rita said, slightly disappointed. "If you think that's best."
Lori smiled, headed upstairs to retrieve their suitcases, and then headed back downstairs just in time to catch her dad.
"What's this I hear about you staying with Lincoln?" Lynn inquired, taking a sip of his coffee and holding today's paper under his arm.
"I think it'll be good for Lorianne," Lori informed him. "She and Lincoln have a close bond, and he's already helped her so much."
Lynn nodded. "I understand. Always do what's best for your children."
"Thanks, guys," Lori said, kissing them on their cheeks. "I knew you'd understand."
When Lori arrived home, she entered to find Lorianne parked on the couch, eating a biscuit and watching cartoons. The young girl looked listless and hadn't even brushed her hair.
Lori couldn't blame her as she felt the same way. She looked at the mirror in the foyer and saw that her hair was a complete mess. Grabbing another biscuit, she sat down beside her daughter.
"What'cha watching?" Lori asked, trying to put some life into the room.
"Ace. Savvy," replied Lorianne, not moving her eyes from the screen.
"That figures," Lori said, chuckling slightly. "Lincoln liked that show too. At least, I think it was a show back then. It might have just been a comic, though."
"It. Wasn't," Lori's daughter responded. "The. Show. Is. New."
Lori studied her child as she slowly consumed the biscuit. Ree seemed distant, her mind absorbed by the show. Did she enjoy the show, or was it some attempt to feel closer to Lincoln?
"Baby, about last night..." Lori spoke softly.
"It's. Okay. Mom," Lorianne said flatly, still not turning from her program. "I. Get. It. I. Got. Rejected. I. Just. Wish. He. Could. Tell. Me. That. Instead. Of. Making. Excuses."
"Stay here, honey," Lori told Ree as she got up, a look of determination on her face.
Nova and Calliope barely made it to class, walking in just as the bell rang, which did not go over well with Mr. McBride. After marking them present, he sat and stared a hole through his daughter, occasionally glancing at Nova. After making them sweat for a predetermined time, Clyde stood and addressed the class.
"Did everyone remember something for show and tell today?" he asked them eagerly.
Most kids raised their hands, waving them about, hoping their teacher would call them first. Nova, however, did not. She had completely forgotten!
"Dang it," Nova mumbled, searching through her bag, desperately trying to find something usable.
"Nova," Clyde said, noticing her scramble. "How about you?"
Nova sat defeated. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I forgot."
Clyde hadn't meant to pick on her but to cement the importance of good note-taking. Being Lincoln's daughter, he knew she'd inherit some of his traits. Deciding to spare her and call Lincoln later, he smiled at her and said she could do her presentation the next day.
Lola and Lana drove by the power and water companies, paid the bills, and then headed off to the local Walmart, where they picked up some crepe paper, tape, markers, glitter, and other materials.
The idea was to make some festive banners for the P.T.A. meeting. Lola had never been to one and had no idea what they entailed. However, she wasn't going to arrive unprepared.
They then stopped by the theater to register Lola for the Miss Industrial Sector pageant. It was her first pageant, and she didn't recognize many people present. But there were a few.
Lindsay Sweetwater was present, of course. There was also a new face. Wait. Was that Meli Ramos? The shy little girl she'd befriended so long ago? Wow, what a transformation. Lola would have to give her a call later.
"Excuse me, miss?" said a male voice from nearby.
Lola turned, but the man wasn't looking at her. Rather at Lana. Cocking one brow, she looked at Lana.
"Um, yeah?" asked Lana. "Can I help you?"
"I was just wondering if you were entering," he said politely. "I think you have a real shot. My name's Emanuel, and I run the pageants. I think it would be interesting to have twins on stage. Don't you?"
"Wha-?" Lana gasped, looking around for someone pretty. "You don't mean me, do you?"
Back at elementary school, Nova and Calliope sat, eating their lunch.
"I liked your family tree idea for show-and-tell," Nova informed Calliope. "I wish I could do one."
"Why can't you?" Calliope asked, taking a bite of her ham and cheese sandwich. "They're easy."
"Not with my family," Nova sighed. "I mean, you have two grandpas, and that's cool. But I have a Dad AND two Moms at the same time. Maybe a third, if I'm reading Aunt Lori right. So, what would that make Ree? My cousin or my sister?"
Nova had confided everything to Calliope, who in turn assured confidentiality. Since their meeting, the two became fast friends and shared everything. And much like their parents, the children were always at the heart of whatever was happening at school.
"Well, if it isn't Nappy and Carrottop," growled a voice that had grown familiar. "What's for lunch? Swamp grass?"
"Her name is Calliope, Wallace!" scowled Nova. "Now, go away and eat more hay or something, you dumb donkey!"
"I'm hurt," joked Wallace, pretending to be offended. "But then, you'd know a lot about asses since you look like one."
"That's it!" yelled Nova, leaping from her seat.
"Oh, no," sighed Calliope.
Nova and Wallace wrestled on the ground until the assistant principal showed up to separate them. Tiny fists flew, and insults slung. But eventually, they were parted and brought to the office.
"Are you serious?" gasped Lola. "You're going to enter?"
"Sure, why not?" returned Lana. "I think it'd be fun. Besides, it's not like I haven't done it before. Remember?"
"Well, yeah, but," Lola muttered. "That was different. This time you can't pretend to be me. You have to be you."
"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch," Lana laughed. "I don't care about winning; I want to have fun with it. You know, with you."
Lola smiled. "Well, I suppose it would be fun doing something together again," she admitted. "Alright, let's do this!"
Both girls signed the register, filled out the required form, and then headed for a treat at the mall. Lana was going to need some new clothes, at the very least.
With purpose, Lori walked out back to Lincoln's shed. Sure enough, he was already hard at work. For a moment, Lori considered letting him get caught up. He was indeed behind with all the interruptions. However, she needed to do this now while she had the chance.
Things had been building within Lori for a few days, and they had reached a point where she needed to discuss them with Lincoln. However, doing so with Lola, Lana, and especially Nova around might have proven difficult. Uncomfortable, at the least.
Lincoln glanced up momentarily as Lori entered, noting her appearance. His sister looked weary, and that bothered him. He chose not to pry and turned back to his work. If she wanted to discuss things, she would.
"We need to talk," Lori announced as she came over to his desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
"About what?" inquired Lincoln, selecting the preferred tool from a menu bar.
"You, me," began Lori. Then after a short pause, "and Lorianne."
Lincoln laid down his stylus, leaned back in his wheelchair, and interlocked his fingers.
"Well, let's begin with us, " Lincoln insisted. "What do you need to know?"
"Lincoln, I'm not sure if you're aware of it," Lori told him, "but you said something interesting yesterday."
"I did," Lincoln said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yes," Lori said, smiling weakly at him. "You told me you wouldn't do anything with me behind Lola's back, even though you wanted to, not even if you wanted to."
"Uh…" Lincoln sputtered. "Dang it. Still, that doesn't change anything."
Lori held up her finger, indicating Lincoln should wait. She then pulled out her phone and pushed 'call' by Lola's name. Soon, Lola picked up.
"Hello?" Lola said as Lori placed the phone on the desk, turning on the speaker.
"Hi," Lori said. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"
Lincoln grew nervous, unaware of his sisters' discussion.
"Sure," Lola responded. "Lana and I are just eating ice cream at the food court. What's up?"
"Well, do you remember our discussion earlier?" asked Lori. "About you-know-what?"
"Yup!" chirped Lola. "Sure do."
"What would you say if I told you I want in?" inquired Lori brazenly.
"I'd say go for it," Lola chirped. "Welcome to the family."
"Thanks, Lols," Lori said sweetly. "I'll see you when you get home."
Lori silenced the call and returned her phone to her pocket.
"What just happened?" Lincoln stammered, unable to process things.
"Sisters talk, sweetie," Lori explained with a smile.
Lincoln began to relax until Lori strolled over to him and retook her place on his lap from the day before.
"Now," she said. "Where were we?"
"I believe we were about to do this," Lincoln reminded her, leaning in and kissing her passionately.
Things became heated quickly. After everything that happened, Lori was feeling very needy and nearly lost herself in the moment. Lori stood long enough to face Lincoln and crawl forward onto his lap, folding her legs, nestling them between his and the sides of his wheelchair.
Returning his kiss, she nearly smothered him with saliva as she placed his hands upon her breasts. Lori began moaning, which grew louder as the moments passed. He grabbed her wrists as she reached for the hem of Lincoln's shirt.
"Lori," Lincoln said, gasping for air. "We can't. Not now. Lorianne..."
Lori pulled herself away and groaned, straightening her outfit.
"You're right," she said. "Maybe later. Besides, I still need to discuss something else with you. Lorianne is still in love with you."
"We've already discussed this, Lori," Lincoln reminded her. "And I explained..."
"No, Lincoln," Lori interrupted him gently. "You didn't explain anything. As sweet as it was, what you told her the other day was nothing but excuses for why you shouldn't be with her. You never once told her how you feel."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Listen, Linc," Lori said a bit more insistently. "Lorianne understood what you said. But because you didn't address how you feel about her directly, she thinks you don't love her."
Lincoln began to grow uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat.
"You know, she cried herself to sleep last night, curled up against me?" Lori told him. "She thinks you've rejected her."
"Well, what am I supposed to tell her?" Lincoln said cautiously.
"The truth, Lincoln," clarified Lori. "You tell her the truth. We can deal with the fallout later, but you owe her that much. Lincoln, she idolizes you. Do you know that right this minute, she's watching some new Ace Savvy cartoon? Her favorite color is orange because it reminds her of you! You need to tell her that you love her but aren't in love with her so she can move on."
"I'm sorry, Lori," he exclaimed, turning and rolling away to a nearby window, "but I can't do that!"
"Why the hell not!" Lori demanded of him, slamming her fist on the table.
"Because!" Lincoln yelled, breaking into tears. "I can't lie to her!"
The End
Please stay tuned for part five, Where Love Leads.
