Chapter 20

Luna's Future

Two rooms told a very similar story of sleeplessness. For Luna, she rested on that floor, staring up towards a ceiling that practically laughed back. A demon nestled itself within that small closet, periodically checking in to make sure her target didn't suddenly vanish overnight. A terrible fate for a poor girl that struggled in vain to survive.

And for the room that once belonged to both Luan and Luna, the former shook-and-rolled about in her covers, but never found the strength to finally close those eyes. Each time the dark overtook her vision, she didn't see a peaceful valley of jokes and endless splendor, but rather a gravesite frequented by her younger sister Lucy, with all her family dressed in black, staring down at a coffin slowly being buried.

Luna's name was on the tombstone, and all Luan could do was cry.

Of course, reality painted a far different picture. She feared shedding a tear, knowing she wasn't alone. For now her rocker sister rested in her brother's room, but above on the top bunk, that very young boy now claimed his spot. It still confused her why Luna found comfort in Lincoln's room, but the man with the plan said it best: that's just how she was. Luan didn't know if she should feel insulted or not, but in the end she just wanted her older sibling to be safe.

If she wasn't, those horrible things plaguing her head were doomed to become true.

She grit her teeth, and covered her face with her pillow. "Stop it, Luan. This isn't the type of pillow talk you need!" She hoped that would've been a good pun. Fell faster than she did on her bed earlier. In frustration, she let out a large groan and sunk deeper into her blanket. "Oh, comedy's failing me." She turned again, eyes half-open staring at the carpeted floor below. "Lunes... why are you doing this?"

"You can't sleep either?"

Seems she wasn't just alone. Lincoln's own battle with stress ended in failure, as he laid against Luna's mattress, both finding his mind too difficult to defeat, as well as being bothered by Mick staring at him. Even if his eyes were covered by his hair, jeez was it a little creepy. Seriously, though, the boy sighed, one arm against his chest while the other rested by his side, both begging the rest of him to pass out. That wasn't happening any time soon.

Luan lifted herself up, climbing up to see her brother shaking his head. Strange to see him and not Luna. The past week has been really difficult for them all. "Linc? You okay?" She asked him. His eyes looked down at her. It was frightening to see him so... empty. It's not uncommon to see one of the siblings going through a phase. That's what becoming a teenager was all about sadly. Even still, that stare was far too disturbing for the comedian to take, and she couldn't help but find more comfort looking at the bedpost itself.

Even still, the young boy spoke. "What time is it?" He asked. Luan was too concerned about him, she barely remembered that time was even a concept. She looked down below to a small bureau for the two siblings to share. Just a little over midnight. Couldn't it be a little closer to morning? Being in the dark right now felt too surreal. Gulping, she told him straight, to which he turned to face the wall. "Do you think she's asleep? Luna, I mean."

Good question. Should they check? It crossed Luan's mind, but if Lincoln of all people wasn't immediately hopping down onto his feet, perhaps that wasn't wise. After all, what would she want to see? Luna sleeping uncomfortably, or wide awake feeling sorry for herself. Either one scared the young Loud, and she sighed, feeling disgusted at herself.

"Linc?" She asked. Her voice was rather soft. Far from how it should be. Lincoln hated hearing that. Even at her most annoying, knowing the comedic wit she gave made any day a joy. To hear her rather broken made him... well, exactly that.

He turned back to face her, still noticing her saddened face growing within the dark room. He sat up, scratching the back of his head. "You think we did the right thing?" He asked, taking the words right out of her mouth.

She looked at her own door. Was she hoping Luna would come crawling back in? No, not crawling; proudly galloping back. Like her old self. Luan sighed again. "She really finds comfort in your room, Linc? Why? Wait, how do you even know that?"

It was admittedly a confusing concept. He at first offered a shrug. "I really don't get it either. She just... I don't know, told me one day. Heck, since this began, she keeps sleeping on my bed! I was kinda annoyed at first, but...," he looked down, his own face contorting to sadness, "... She deserves to be happy. If my room somehow helps, then she deserves that too."

Never before had she heard her brother so noble, and he's the boy who taught them how to be convincing. She hopped down onto the carpet below, arms folded behind her back. She turned to Mr. Coconuts resting on a chair, as if to ask him permission. Lincoln felt a hole in his heart forming as he noticed him nodding. Ignore it. Just ignore the fear growing.

The comedian stared at herself in the mirror. "Well, I don't get it, and... honestly feel bad, but... okay." Her voice sounded creepy. Even she hopped at its horrid tone. She tried to recuperate. How can she help her sister if she was down-and-out? "So... is she really gonna take pills?" She asked earnestly.

Pills were such a weird concept to Lincoln. To him, if one was a young person with no problems, all a pill did was cure a sore throat or make those pesky headaches Lisa gave him vanish like a magic trick. His grandpa of course needed them, but he was up there in age. Luna was only a few years older than him. What would those things do for her? Do to her?

Was it wrong to think like that? Of course it was, and he knew that, but all this did was give him more worry. Not just for her health, but for her mental well-being. How did she feel about all this? He groaned and fell back on the bed.

"She's gonna hate it...," he spoke in defeat.

"But she needs them!" Luan accidentally shouted, covering her mouth as quickly as possible. "I know you don't really get them yet, but I know about these pills. Honestly know them a whole lot!"

He looked at her shocked. "Wait, seriously? How?"

She closed her eyes. "A lot of us comedians succumb to the evil wills of feeling bad and such. It sucks, but ask Benny." Another look in the mirror, briefly seeing her boyfriend looking back. If only he was here; he'd knew what to do. "They're strange, and frankly, I don't like them either, but they help, Linc. When nothing else works, this is the solution. I hope, at least."

Luan sounded completely serious. When she did, everyone knew how bad the situation was getting. At last Lincoln stepped down onto the floor below, nearly breaking both legs remembering how high up he was. "So, it'll make her happy or something?"

"Well, kind of. I mean, it's different for everyone. Some people get extremely happy, others are just more calm." She brought up a hand to her chin. "I don't know what she'll get but..."

All of it sounded good, but like any great solution, there was always that hint of doubt that loved to sour the mood. "But what if it doesn't work? What if it just makes things worse?"

"Linky, don't say that! Look, we don't really have a choice! She... needs this."

"But I know that face she was making at dinner. It's the same face Liam makes whenever he lies. He looked so guilty, and so did she!" He kicked the ground below him. "She's gonna think something bad again, and she'll just feel worse."

Luan scooped him up into a hug. "Lincoln, I know what you're saying, but she has to do this, and we have to be there to encourage her, okay? We need to, no matter what!"

In the end, he couldn't fight back. What else was left to try? Even the thought of bringing her to places she loved would probably make it worse. She'd somehow spin it that they're coddling her, and suddenly she'll lose more weight, and cry again, and...

He nearly cried too. The concert was so close. He needed to see it with her, no matter what. If they went, and she acted like she did now, he'll forever kick himself into an early grave. As a brother, he had to help her every step of the way. He can't give. No matter what.

Were the pills the right answer?

All Lincoln could do was pray. "I'll be there for her, Luan. I always will."

"That's the spirit!"

As the two siblings hugged it out, Lincoln's own room was filled with a lot of distaste. Luna sat against the bed, staring at her brother's small shelves, looking at the tiny robot looking off towards the distance. Her eyes were burning, but she dared not shut them. Legs huddled within two shaky arms, she repeatedly hit the back of her head against the mattress.

Why was the robot her designated target? Behind its head were the tickets she gave Lincoln. He really wanted to see that concert. Everyone who was anyone would love to see it. She wanted to see it. Sam, Mazzy, Sully, maybe even someone that's a dweeb like Clyde. It was the perfect show for literally any single soul.

Her evil demon chuckled. "Oh, I know where that's going! Any single soul, right? Let me guess... you lack one?"

Those bloody tickets. They started this, didn't they? The panic attacks, the lack of eating, freaking throwing up without remorse? All of it because she worked for them. What made them different than the other tickets she bought every single year? She earned them with her hard-fought cash. She had nothing to be ashamed of.

And yet, they dragged her down to the lowest levels of hell. No hope to ever come back.

Those damn tickets. Her brother deserved to be happy. Her family deserved to be happy. Sam deserved to be happy.

And her? She looked down at a small slip she was told to hold onto. The paper recommending the pills she'll be taking for over a whole year.

They deserved to be happy.

They deserved it.

They deserved everything.

She deserved nothing.