Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House, the brand, as well as all of its characters and settings belong to Chris Savino and Nickelodeon, all rights reserved.

Chapter 29: Excuses.

- He's late… do you think everything went through? I'm kind of worried –

- It's ok sis, he shouldn't take much more time, besides, wouldn't it be a good sigh if he's taking longer? I mean, it was a date after all, he must be having the time of his life! –

- yeah I guess you're right… but… -

- Oh hang on there Lols, I'm sure he doesn't need your help anymore with that, they both seem pretty happy, let him live that one for himself – Lana said with a reassuring tone, hoping to help her esteemed twin let go of her anxieties, she knew just how close Lola had grown to Lincoln on the past years, but she couldn't just pretend to be a surrogate mom to him forever.

- mmm… I know – Lola sighed before coming with a half-hearted admission to the tomboy, unable to muster a smile.

- Well, how about we change the subject – Lana replied quickly, hoping to take Lola's mind off her usual trance – How are things going with that boy? – She asked her sister in one of her increasingly rare twin bonding moments.

- Well… let's just say that I'm making progress, but I feel kind of bad for approaching him when he's already with someone else… - Lola softly replied while looking at the floor, her half-truth getting through the rowdy sister's defenses, not used to seeing a melancholic Lola Loud.

- That must suck sis, like, I already feel extremely pressured when I'm with Liam due to our age difference, couldn't imagine what would happen to me if he found someone else closer to his age… - Lana imitated Lola's mood, looking at the floor and avoiding to ponder even for one minute the implications of her crush going after another chick.

- Although, I've been thinking… Lols, you are a growing superstar and a consistent pageant champion, I'm not even ashamed to admit that you're way prettier than me, and we are supposed to look the same! – Lana confessed while looking at her twin dead in the eyes – So if this one doesn't see you that way, I'm pretty sure there's plenty of other fish in the sea that will – She tried one last time to alleviate the mood.

- Lana, you know I could say the same thing about you right? – Lola confronted her sister with a slightly offended look – Just because you're rough and don't have many "lady-like manners", doesn't mean that you're not attractive to guys, we're twins, that beauty is also present in you. – Lola said in a similar encouraging tone, but maintaining her melancholic demeanor - …yet, you don't want to give Liam up, do you? –

Lana conceded, lowering her head.

- Speaking of which… – Lola returned to a more upbeat tone, mustering a grin – did it work? –

- …shut up – Lana gave her sister an angry glare, reminding herself to take that "outfit" and throw it into her snake tank – I'm never using that crap again – she sentenced with her arms crossed

- But I mean, did you notice him staring at you? – Lola resisted the urge to giggle, trying her hardest to remain serious and supportive to her sister.

- Well, I can't say I didn't – Lana admitted while allowing a small smile to become apparent in her face, her blush rising in color and intensity.

- Hah, see? You may be close to Liam, but he probably won't see you as a girl until you show him some femininity – Lola confidently replied with a smirk – So don't forget to use that when inviting him to the school dance – Lola said while putting her index finger in Lana's chest to emphasize the point – Oh, and if anything happens to that dress… - Lola began cracking her knuckles while giving one of her classic "Lola creepy grins", making the tomboy seriously reconsider her initial thoughts about dropping the dress to her snake tank.

- … yeah i know. - the rowdy girl with a hat looked to the side, visible sweat coming coming out of her forehead as she tried her hardest to avoid being easily intimidated by her twin.

- Very well! - Lola mustered a non-creepy smile of satisfaction.

- Ok, see you Lols, please tell mom and dad to give my dinner to Charles and Cliff! - Lana said while rushing out of her sister's room, before going back to her own to pick up her stuff as she was once again spending a night at Liam's.

… but first, she was paying a visit to someone else.

- So are you sure that her crush is a stylist from the local suite? - Lana raised an eye at her sister's conclusion, she just knew that something didn't quite fit that assumption.

- Yes, according to what I've been able to listen about their conversations at night, she seems to talk to him a lot about an "acquaintance" that prepares the models for local pageantry debuts at Royal Woods. - Lucy replied with a dead serious face.

- I dunno… look sis, how is it that such a guy could be a friend of Lincoln? He never mentioned meeting people like that… - Lana remained deep in thought about Lucy's findings when compared to her own.

- Remember that Lincoln frequents the place a lot when assisting Lola for her performances, it's possible that he has gotten to know some of the members of the staff - Lucy concluded with a strong logical connexion, her demeanor remained unchanged.

- … Yeah i know but… - Lana remained thinking to herself, trying to connect the dots, Lucy's explanation, on the surface, made sense, but there was a mismatch between some of the information she had managed to get out of Lucy when compared to the things she got to know about Lola herself.

Why would she insist on having Lincoln accompany her all the time if she's looking to have some bonding time with that boy? Lana remembered one of the first pieces of advice that she had given her in regards to Liam.

"Always make sure to find some alone time with him, get him when his guard is low!"

She definitely wasn't following her own advice, but there was more.

"You may think that I enjoy the attention that I get on my performances, but really, there's only a select few people that are actually worth my time in that business, I hate the majority of the other competitors, and even the crew that run those shows, they are shallow, fake and really stupid, and I just don't like associating with that kind of people anymore"

A stylist? Then he must be an incredible guy, because she was certain that Lola Loud would not allow to entertain the idea of going out with the literal representation of what she hated…

Let alone to be as madly in love as she is…

- Lana, are you ok? - Lucy's somber, but concerned tone managed to bring Lana out of her trance.

- Oh yeah, sorry Luz, I was trying to make sense of some stuff - Lana decided to allow a shortened version of the truth - Oh by the way! I'm kind of in a hurry, see ya sis! - The blonde used the brief moment of clarity to remember that it was getting late for her planned visit to Liam, allowing herself to pick up the pace and leave Lucy's room.

- Sigh… This isn't working - the goth sister allowed herself to produce her iconic onomatopoeia, she felt like she needed to find a better excuse, but regardless, for the time being, she would need to stand by what she had just told her naive little sister.

Though, is it really being naive, or is the truth just too harsh to even imagine for normal people?