It was close to midnight.
Lynn, wearing her pajama which consisted of red shorts and a white and red t-shirt with the number five on it, was sitting on the roof, soaking in the cool night air and watching the stars. She still felt confused and upset but spending some time up here helped ease her up.
Unsurprisingly, most of their sisters that weren't Lucy, the lovey-dubby Luan and of course Leni (because being angry, or remembering something for more than an hour was too much for her apparently) were pretty pissed at her and Lincoln for stringing them into this wild goose chase.
Lynn honestly didn't give a damn. The thing would blow over in no time, and it wasn't like she had any reason to feel guilty about it. It was all their idiotic desition to chase after the letter, despite never even learning what it was about.
Lynn sometimes wondered why they were even doing this? Today`s events just reconfirmed to her how obnoxious her sisters could be. What did she really have to lose from the divorce?
Her little brother, the only sibling with whom she felt a genuine connection, would stay with her no matter the outcome. None of her sisters ever played much of a part in her life, when they did they mostly just clogged up space or got on her nerves.
But in the back of her mind, she always heard the answer to that question. For mom and dad. They would be unhappy being apart and their kids were the problem that was rapidly ruining what would otherwise be a loving marriage. She owed it to her parents.
And of course, for Lincoln. He had a bond with many of his sisters, not just her. While some of them aggravated him as much as her, most were dear to him.
Lynn sighed, imagining what it would be like if life had dealt her a different hand in terms of siblings. If it was just her and Lincoln.
The jock didn't deny that idea sounded great, no daily craziness and their parents would have it a lot easier.
She knew it was selfish, but she let herself enjoy her selfish fantasy for a bit. Just her and Lincoln, a normal, two-sibling family, like Ryan had.
Ryan? Thinking about him made Lynn feel embittered again. She had a flashback to just two hours ago.
Her sisters' angry complaints didn't faze her. She stood up for Lincoln and advised him to just brush them off and let them yammer until they had tired themselves out.
Lynn was currently in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Their mother was still giving their father the cold shoulder even after Luan told her he wasn't involved in her scheme. Neither she or Lincoln could know if that was due to not believing Luan`s word or due to harboring other, more pressing grievances with him. Lincoln certainly theorized so.
Their mom still made sure that they would uphold their curfew. Lynn played along, though she planned to meet with her brother after everyone was asleep. She spat into the sink and examined her teeth. Clear and pearly white.
Lynn`s brief smile faltered after suddenly seeing Luan`s reflection in the mirror which startled her.
"Hey, Lynn!" she greeted her.
Turning around, Lynn scowled at her, mentally retraining herself from maiming her. "Luan..." replied in a strained voice, trying to hide her disdain for her.
"What is it?"
Luan was in far too much of a bliss to pick up the obviously unfriendly vibes Lynn was sending her.
"I`m so glad to see you." she replied in a disturbingly happy tone.
Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Wait..." she asked suspiciously "...you`re not mad about yesterday-"
"Oh, that! No big whoop." Luan brushed her off. "A little head butting is no biggie amongst family. In hindsight, I do go too far with my April Fools pranks and should dial it back."
Lynn`s eyelids dropped exasperatedly. "Well, that`s one thing we can all agree on..." she replied dryly, with a strong "go screw yourself" undertone, which was entirely lost on the still giddy and lovestruck Luan.
"Yeah, oh! By the way, I met your new friend Ryan and he took me to Dairyland today, and it was awesome! He`s such a sweet guy, I can why you befriended him." Luan prattled on blissfully.
"Ryan? Sweet?" Lynn snorted. "You obviously didn't get to know him much?" she snidely remarked while folding her arms.
"Oh, but I did!" Luan beamed. "We had so much fun and talked about each other`s lives. I think him and me are kindred spirits! He`s my soul mate!"
Lynn couldn't believe the bullshit she was hearing. It made her want to punch Luan`s lights out just to shut her up, but she fought back the temptation and pushed past the comedian.
"Sounds mighty fascinating..." she said sarcastically while heading to her room "...but I gotta hit the hay."
"Wait, Lynn!" Luan caught up to her as Lynn opened the door. "I wanted to ask you something."
"What?" Lynn grumbled tensely.
"Well..." Luan shuffled sheepishly "...since you've known him longer, I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of a gift he would love for our one month anniversary."
Lynn`s eyes widened and she turned to look at her. "One Month Anniversary?!" she squinted her eyes in disbelief. "What the hell are you blabbering about!"
"About him and me dating, of course, silly!" Luan said jubilantly.
"Sure, we haven't properly kissed yet or used the B-word and G-word yet, but there's no rush, it's already apparent to both of us that we were destined to be together." she sighed dreamily.
Lynn was seeing red, her insides felt like they were on the verge of erupting, steam was practically coming out of her head and she balled her fists.
She counted from ten to one to calm herself, before glaring daggers at Luan.
"Have you lost your freaking marbles!?" Lynn growled. "You've only known him for a day and you two just went to an amusement park. You guys are NOT an item!"
Luan was caught off guard but then shook her head cheekily. "Oh, sweet innocent Lynn. Have you been left in the dark. Never heard about love on first sight?" she gushed.
"Ryan has it bad for me. He couldn't stop complimenting me all day, he won me a ton of prizes at the shooting booth, said he was awestruck by my beauty the moment he laid eyes on me and we`ve talked about things, secret things that showed me just how much in common we have!"
Lynn`s eyes twitched. "That`s the biggest buttload of crap I`ve ever heard." she shot back with an air of smug confidence. "Don't make me laugh."
Luan started catching on to Lynn`s hostility and scowled. "The only thing he was laughing at were my jokes! And by that, I mean he actually thinks I`m very funny."
"Pfft...I`m sure he thinks you're funny." Lynn snarked. "Just not in a flattering way."
Luan was taken aback. "What's that supposed to mean?" she narrowed her eyes.
"It means I can't believe the load of shit coming out of your yap right now." Lynn answered bluntly, making Luan gasp.
"Newsflash, chuckles. He`s not pinning for you." Lynn coldly continued. "He just wanted someone to show him around town, you were the one who came onto him like a desperate bimbo! And trust me, you're not his type." Lynn laughed. "Too happy-go-lucky and annoyingly cheerful."
"Just what's your deal?!" a flustered Luan retorted. "Who the hell pied in your sports cup today?"
"My deal?" Lynn narrowed her eyes. "My deal`s that you're delusional, and I don't like you creeping on my friend."
Luan turned silent but then was struck with a realization. "Oh...oh...I see what's going on here..." she put her hands on her hips and smirked. "You`re jealous!"
That word made Lynn livid. "I AM NOT!"
"Can you guys keep it down? I`m trying to sleep!" Lucy complained as she suddenly rose up from her coffin.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" her sisters snapped at her, scaring the goth into going back into it just as quickly.
Lynn faced Luan again. "Jealous?" she huffed. "That`s ridiculous. I don't give a rat`s ass about dating! Sports are my one and only love."
"Oh really?" an unconvinced Luan sneered. "Then why'd you get so prissy the second I mentioned my date?"
"Because I don't want my friend being bothered by my creepy stalker of a sister who wants to suck face with him ." Lynn shot back.
Luan laughed.
"Newsflash to you." she said smugly. "Kissing is what couples do when they like each other, Lynn. Ryan has been complimenting me and flirting with me all day, so it was only natural that I would reward him for his troubles."
Lynn was boiling with anger. "And I thought your moronic Prankmageddon was the pinnacle of your asinine jokes." she growled hatefully.
"Says the jealous third wheel." Luan retorted.
"Oh yeah, as said by the desperate, delusional cunt!" Lynn spat back.
"You know what? I feel sorry for you, Lynn. Consumed by the green-eyed monster and unable to be happy for your sister." Luan said pityingly while shaking her head, much to Lynn`s rage.
"Why do you have to be so immature? If you've been friends with Ryan for weeks but he asked me out the moment he met me then shouldn't that clue you in on whom he`s crushing on? Just save yourself the grief and just be a good sister and a good friend by accepting our love and learn to cherish your platonic relationship." Luan told her indignantly while crossing her arms and looking away.
"How about I show you my appreciation by fixing your overbite!" Lynn growled and raised her fist.
"This argument is pointless." Luan huffed and walked away. "I`ll gladly accept your apology once you see the error of your self-entitled ways."
Snarling, Lynn was ready to tear her apart when their mother came up the stairs urging the remaining sisters in the bathroom to go to sleep.
"Alright, girls! Everyone off to bed! You too, Lynn!"
Lynn fumed silently. "Yes...mom..."
She did not have a crush on Ryan. Lynn Loud Jr. having a crush? That was beyond absurd! The day that would happen was the day Lucy died her hair blond and started wearing pink or the day Luna ditched rock and roll for classical music, or the day Luan learned to keep her stupid yap shut for more than five minutes.
And yet the more she told herself that the more did the usually super-confident jock feel the icy chill of doubt gnawing at her. And it actually scared her.
"There you are..." Lincoln`s voice brought her back to the present.
Wearing his longsleeved orange pajama, Lincoln`s arm reached out and handed Lynn a cup of orange juice.
He pulled himself up, holding one of his own, and almost lost balance but luckily Lynn caught him and helped him seat himself.
"Watch your footing." Lynn joked.
Exhaling with relief, Lincoln glanced at her. "Was this really the best place to meet?"
Lynn smirked. "Yes it is, I love the fresh air and clear night sky. Besides..." she shrugged her shoulders "...knowing our sisters one is bound to be up to something at night and would spot us if we were inside."
"Good point." Lincoln realized. "So...how are you feeling?"
"My butt`s still sore, but otherwise I`m A-okay. And you?"
"My shirt got a little stretched, but otherwise just dandy."
"I see. So? A toast for a job well done?" Lynn smiled and raised her cup.
Lincoln smiled. "Cheers!" they bumped their cups and drank it.
Lincoln wiped his mouth. "Oh? And Lynn..."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for standing up for me." he smiled gratefully. "Couldn`t have kept that letter away without your help."
Lynn pulled her brother into a tight hug and gave him a nuggie. "Anything for my little bro."
Lincoln smirked while in a headlock. "Course, you kinda made the situation worse by leaping without looking and letting them see the letter."
"Meh, it was more exciting that way." Lynn shrugged and squeezed on his neck a bit, as a clear signal not to push it, before releasing him.
"Either way you were pretty brave." Lincoln continued while rubbing his neck.
"Attacking Lori?" Lynn gave a hearty laugh and pointed at herself. "Please. I faced down One Eye and lived, twice. Lori`s nothing on the terror-meter compared to that."
"I dunno..." Lincoln snickered. "She does turn into an animal when she's ticked."
"I`ll give her this much." Lynn shrugged. "One Eye`s a lot prettier and better groomed than her. Has more nicely trimmed nails too."
The siblings hollered with laughter, nearly splitting their sides.
"Lynn...that`s...me...mean." Lincoln scolded her between giggles.
"So is Lori." Lynn retorted deviously.
"I doubt her and the others would have been quite as angry if Taylor had dealt with them in a more gentle way." Lincoln argued half-seriously.
Lynn shook her head. "Linc, Linc. You know that when our sisters want something they're like a stampeding herd of water buffalo. It takes extreme measures to stop a force like that. Besides, I wouldn't have handled them any differently." she shrugged.
"I am the one who taught him to use one`s bodily odors as a weapon." Lynn boasted.
"I can believe that." Lincoln smirked knowingly.
"And unless I`m mistaken. You're the one who flattened Lisa with the door." Lynn poked him.
Lincoln blinked and swallowed regretfully. Lynn chuckled and pulled him into a more gentle, one-armed hug.
"And I appreciate that gesture, bro. A lot!" she reassured him.
Lincoln leaned back and sighed. "Glad someone's happy about it. I know Lisa isn't, or most of our sisters for that matter."
"Don`t worry about it, it will blow over in a day or two tops." Lynn dismissed his worries with strong confidence. "Speaking of that, what's our next move?"
Lincoln`s face eased up the question and he smiled. "Actually, tomorrow might be a free day for us...sort of."
"You have...good news? Get out of here!" Lynn joked incredulously.
"Surprisingly, I do." Lincoln replied with levity, some of the first he had experienced in nearly forty-eight hours.
"I heard that mom is planning to go visit Pop-Pop at Sunset Canyon tomorrow, might even spend the night there. And she's taking all of us there."
"Pop-Pop? That's great!" Lynn beamed. "We were usually on our best behavior whenever we visited that place." she concluded.
She didn't know if it was due to their sisters respecting the elderly or if their grandfather just brought out the best in them, but either way a streak of luck was long overdue.
"That will assure the safety of our house for a bit." Lincoln said with relief. "And you can greet Pop-Pop for me while you're there."
"You`re not coming?" Lynn was surprised.
Lincoln sighed. "`Fraid not. As you might have expected, dad`s staying home to watch over the house, I think mom partially made that decision just to get away from him for a bit. I might as well take the chance to talk with dad over things."
"About what?"
Lincoln gave her a serious look. "We can't keep putting out one small fire after another. If we wanna make a difference in the long run, we gotta make our parents take better control over this family, like dad did while he was divorced."
"Oh I see, we gotta get him to be stricter and more assertive like he was after the divorce." Lynn nodded. She didn't exactly like the idea of purposefully making their parents stricter and less lenient on the rules, but given their predicament, it was a necessary evil.
"Well, we`ve seen that dad can be a real hardass when he`s forced into it who could even keep our chaotic sisterhood in line. The only problem is, how exactly can we get him to be like that again? You can't make dad go from spineless to hardcore overnight and without reason?" Lynn pointed out.
"I know, Lynn. I`ll think of something. The good thing is that there's no need to rush that at least if we can prevent "the incident" from happening. I just hope that I can say something that will give dad the first push to gain more authority over our family." Lincoln explained with heavy uncertainty.
He grew silent, prompting Lynn to scoot closer and place her arm around him comfortingly.
"Hey. I believe you can, Linc. If anybody in this family knows how to talk people into things, it`s you, bro." she reassured him and gave him a soft punch to the shoulder.
Lincoln gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Lynn."
The siblings then started star gazing.
"Say, Linc?" Lynn asked intuitively. "If we spot a shooting star does that mean we can make a wish?"
Lincoln chuckled lightly. "I think so, but I seriously doubt they will be fulfilled."
His sister smiled cheekily. "Hey, any help helps."
Hmmmm...Luan might have some unrealistic, fairytale-inspired ideas about landing a guy. But what would you expect from a 13-year old girl with a less than satisfying social life?
This chapter was obviously shorter and serves the purpose of being a breather between the hijinks and set up the next mini-story.
Note that Albert won't appear in it, though he might make an appearance down the line...
