Lana shrank as a girl around Luan's age stepped out of the limo. She had long, wavy chestnut hair, wore a blue denim jacket over her white, pearl embellished shirt together with tight-fitting black jeans and high heels, along with some expensive-looking bracelets and necklace.
"Kathleen..." Lynn hissed and narrowed her eyes with unrepressed contempt.
"No, duh?" Ryan snorted and scratched his head.
"What was even the point of the cliffhanger? Anyone with half a brain cell should have figured that it was her." he joked before feeling Luan squeezing his hand. He glanced at her and saw the comedian shaking with fear and edging closer to him.
Lana gulped as Kathleen gazed at her, her expression hard to read thanks to her sunglasses, which reflected the sunlight.
"Miss, I'm sorry I ran at your car..." Lana said timidly as the young teen lifted her glasses up and gave her an inquisitive look.
"I promise I won't do it again-" Lana stopped as Kathleen kneeled down to her and sent her a tender smile.
"Awww, aren't you just the cutest thing in the world?" she responded warmly and patted Lana's shoulder. "Did I scare you? I'm so sorry. My chauffer can be so distractable." she shook her head before turning to her driver.
"James, I would advise you to go fetch her ball unless you wish to have your paycheck docked...again."
"Yes, Miss Tisdale." the man said timidly while tucking his head inside his collar before rushing off to find the soccer.
"It's so hard to find good help these days." Kathleen joked before facing Lana again and her warm smile returned.
"Where are your parents, little girl?"
"Eh...at home." Lana replied tentatively. "I came here with my big sisters."
"What's she up to?" Lynn eyed the rich girl suspiciously, trying to suppress her surprise.
"It looks like they're engaging in idle chitchat." Ryan shrugged though he too was on high alert. This was not the reaction either of them had anticipated from Kathleen, and it didn't boat well with them.
If Kathleen was acting nice she had an ulterior motive at best, and downright malicious intent at worst.
"Guys...eh..." Luan gulped "...can we fetch Lana and return to our picnic, now." she stammered hectically while sweating bullets.
She, however, was definitely not planning to be the one to do it. "Eh...Lynn? Could ya-"
"Eh, sure, Tin Teeth. I'll get her." Lynn responded on impulse and ran after Lana, much to Luan's relief.
"Ryan?" she looked at the boy pleadingly. "C..can we please...go?"
"That's the bully you were dreading to bump into?" Ryan asked simply, already knowing the answer.
Luan lost her voice and trembled anxiously, but managed to nod her head.
"Say no more." Ryan reassured her coolly. "You just hide and I'll make sure she passes by none the wiser." he told her and headed after Lynn.
Admits her fear, Luan felt her heart melting. He was looking out for her, he really was. However, with Kathleen at close proximity, Luan's survival instinct prevented her from growing flustered and she listened to Ryan and hightailed it out of there.
"You aren't mad at me?" Lana asked Kathleen timidly, who chuckled in response.
"Of course not, kids will be kids. I oughta know, I've done way crazier stunts when I was little." she dismissed it in good humor just as her chauffeur returned and handed her the ball.
"Thanks, James. Here you go, kid, I believe this is yours." she returned it to the tomboy.
Lana smiled, feeling more at ease. "Thanks."
"No problem, what's your name by the way?"
"Oh, it's Lana. Lana Lo-" Lynn's hand suddenly covered her mouth and the jock pulled her back.
"Lana, what did we tell you about talking to strangers?" Lynn scolded her.
"Why, hello. You must be her sister?" Kathleen smiled and offered her a handshake.
Lynn ignored the gesture and observed her warily. She hated Kathleen with every fiber of her body, and the feeling was mutual. At least, it would be in the near future. Kathleen still had no idea who she was and Lynn was keen to keep it that way for now.
"Is something wrong?" Kathleen tilted her head.
Lynn studied her. Why was she being so nice to them? Knowing Kathleen, Lynn had expected her to tear her and Lana a new one over their unfeminine wardrobe the moment she laid eyes on them, assuming she was in a generous mood.
"No, of course not." the jock finally spoke, forcing herself to be civil. "Sorry about Lana, she's a mischievous one-"
"Oh, it's nothing. Kids are rambunctious, we've all been there." Kathleen shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever." Lynn replied curtly while pulling Lana away. "Nice meeting ya, but we have places to be-"
"Can you just wait a second?" Kathleen asked politely before tapping her chin, observing Lynn. "Something about you seems familiar."
Lynn felt her blood run cold. "Sorry, but I've never seen you before."
"Yeah, but you remind me of someone I know. A classmate of mine?"
"Is it Luan?" Lana asked naively. "Cuz her and Lynn look a lot alike."
"Luan?" Kathleen asked in surprise while Lynn mentally facepalmed.
"What a coincidence? I know a Luan too." Kathleen said with intrigue. "What's your last name?"
"Oh, it's Lo-" Lynn tried to clamp Lana's mouth shut again but Ryan beat her to it.
"Hey there! You made a new friend, Lynn?" Ryan asked the jock while Lana struggled against his grasp.
Kathleen flinched in shock upon seeing him and he sent her a sleazy grin.
"What's shaking, tutz?"
"Um...hello?" Kathleen greeted him uneasily. "You are?"
"Ryan Taylor's the name, I'm buds with this charming lady over here." he gestured at the jock. "Lynn Larson."
"Mphph?" Lana looked at him in confusion.
"Eh...yeah, Lynn Larson." Lynn played along as they both dragged the squirming Lana away. "We would love to chat, but we're having a picnic."
"Oh, yeah. The Larsons are an unruly and impatient bunch. Can't keep them waiting!" Ryan joked as a bemused Kathleen watched them go.
"What's going on here, twerps! What's with the commotion!" Lori suddenly stormed up to them, followed by Bobby and Leni. Lucy caught up with them, now sporting braids and pigtails that left her reddish eyes exposed.
"Oh, crap..." Ryan and Lynn thought simultaneously.
"Hey there!" Leni saw Kathleen and waved at her. "I'm Leni!"
"Hey." Kathleen nodded before wincing at the sight of the latter's swollen eye.
"Eh, is your eye okay?" she asked with a queasy expression.
"Oh, it's just a little bee sting." Leni laughed.
Lori glanced at the unfamiliar face. "Who's your friend?" she asked the preteens curtly before noticing the chauffeur and the limousine, which roused her interest. "And is that sweet limo hers?"
"We don't know her." Lynn blurted. "We just bumped into her and we were just apologizing for bothering her."
"Yeah, how about we get back to that picnic of ours?" Ryan tried to change the subject.
"I presume you're the rest of the Larsons?" Kathleen asked the rest of the group, earning bewildered looks.
"The who now?" Lori made a face.
"Larsons?" Leni looked alarmed and cupped her face. "But I thought our last name was Loud? All these years I had it wrong?"
"Loud? You don't say so?" Kathleen replied with growing interest.
"Lynn, why are you introducing yourself to strangers under a fake name?" Lori glared at the jock irritably.
"Yeah, Lori. Why were we introducing ourselves for years under a fake name?" Leni asked her, prompting the eldest Loud sister to facepalm.
"Well, we're screwed now..." Ryan groaned as he and Lynn let go of Lana, who promptly gasped for air.
"Guys, I...can explain." Lynn raised her hands up only to be cut off by Kathleen's hardy laughter.
"I knew it, you are Luan's family." she concluded and smiled at Lynn. "I knew I saw a family resemblance there. And I see the apple didn't fall far from the tree."
"Sure...let's go with that." Ryan rolled his eyes, knowing their cover was blown.
"What are you talking about?" Lana asked.
"I mean, I can see that Luan isn't the only Loud to have a sense of humor." Kathleen specified. "Just like Luan. Always trying to mess with people for giggles."
Lori blinked before speaking up. "Okay...? Eh...I believe some introductions are in order?"
"Okay, sure!" Leni chimed in and pulled Ryan by the arm and made him shake hands with Lori. "Ryan, this is Lori Larson. I know you guys already know each other but you keep getting both her names wrong."
Seething, Lori jerked her arm back. "Not him, nitwit! Her!" she pointed at Kathleen.
"Why of course, how impolite of me." Kathleen chuckled. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name's Kathleen Juliette Tisdale."
"Kathleen Tisdale?" Bobby blinked. "Wait? Aren't you the daughter of the tycoon who-"
"Who owns Tisdale Towers? Sure am." she confirmed. "And aren't you that new hunky towel boy who works there?"
"Hey, back off, he's taken!" Lori snapped and grabbed Bobby by the arm possessively, making him cringe in pain.
"Lori..." Bobby whispered nervously "...please don't anger the daughter of my boss's boss."
"Oh, my apologies." Kathleen said humbly. "I'm a bit of a flirt, it's a bad habit."
Lori's anger quickly faded as she looked back at the limo. "Wait?" she blinked with realization. "Did you say your dad owns the hotel?"
"And are you rich?" Leni asked dumbly.
"Yes, and yes." Kathleen nodded. "I don't like to brag but I guess I am a bit of a privileged kid. Daddy bought that humble establishment when I was still in diapers and I just love to unwind there in my spare time."
Lynn was overcome with dread as she watched Lori grow an eager look.
"And you and Luan know each other?" Lori was quick to ask.
"Sure we do, me and Lu-Lu go way back."
"Lu-Lu?" Lana made a face and then sniggered.
"We're in the same class. Where is the old class clown anyway? I've been meaning to find her for a while."
"For what exactly?" Lynn asked suspiciously.
"Oh, she just ran past us and hid under our picnic table." Leni answered helpfully.
Lynn facepalmed while Ryan looked genuinely surprised.
"Damn, I knew she was devious but I didn't think she was that cold."
"Don't be such a worrywart. Kathleen won't go after you. I'm sure she's just passing through on her way to an expensive cruise or to catch the next flight to Paris." a fearful Luan thought while holding and petting Cliff for comfort under the sheet of the table.
Cliff trembled with terror in her grasp and desperately wanted to escape. Luan hardly noticed his squirming as she tried to compose herself.
"And my sisters won't let her get to me." she tried to reassure herself but quickly cracked. "Or they will, they all hate me. But Ryan! Ryan cares about me, he'll make sure she doesn't hurt me." she grew a small hopeful smile when Cliff suddenly slipped from her grasp and ran away.
Still shaking, Luan hugged her knees and whimpered. Why? Just why was this happening? Summer was supposed to be the one time of year where she could get away from the horror that was school and her peers.
"I don't hear anyone? Maybe the danger has passed?" she noticed and considered taking a brief, precautionary peak outside when someone grabbed her arm. Luan yelped as she was pulled out.
"NO! Let go of me!" she screamed and fought to free herself. Surprisingly, her attacker obliged and she plopped down on her butt.
"Stop acting like a fool and get up." Lori ordered her, looming over her.
Panting, Luan cumbersomely did so. "Is she gone?" she blurted fearfully.
"Is who gone?" Leni came to her side with an oblivious smile.
"Kathleen! Is she gone?!"
"Hello."
Luan felt a chill course through every fiber of her body as she tentatively looked to her right and came face to face with the person who had devoted her life to making her miserable.
"I was hoping to meet you." Kathleen greeted her and offered a handshake.
Luan flinched at the gesture and stumbled back when Ryan and Lynn caught her and helped her regain her balance. Everyone else watched her with confusion.
Kathleen seemed saddened by her reaction and sighed. "Guess I should have expected that."
"What's her deal?" Lana whispered to Lucy, who had found and was holding Cliff. "Why's she scared of this nice lady?"
Lucy didn't answer and continued observing Kathleen.
"Luan!" Leni approached the comedian excitedly. "You never told us you knew royalty?"
"Oh, I'm not royalty, just filthy rich." Kathleen quipped in a chill tone. "Though daddy does like to call me his little princess."
"Awww, that's totes adorable." Leni gushed.
"I don't know her!" Luan cried and shook her head frantically. "I swear that I've never met this person before!"
"Now, Luan, can you please just hear me out." Kathleen started calmly.
"How do you know my name?!" Luan pointed at her. "Are you some kind of stalker?! Leave me and my family alone! We'll call the cops!"
"Luan, you literally asked about her by name a second ago. Will you drop the charade? You're embarrassing us." Lori groaned and crossed her arms. "Now, we hear that you and her are acquainted-"
"I swear I've never met her in my life!" Luan was hyperventilating now.
"Oh, brother..." Lynn pinched the bridge of her nose.
Lori rolled her eyes and turned to Kathleen. "Does she act like such a freak at school too?" she asked snidely.
"Well, her acting chops always did leave something to be desired. That's why she usually gets stuck in small bit parts at school plays." Kathleen shrugged.
"Don't talk about drama club! You always pull strings to get the leading roles!" Luan snapped, only to immediately realized she that she had blown her cover.
"Way to crack under pressure, Funny Pants." Lynn rolled her eyes
"Oh, so you do know each other?" Lori snarked, enjoying Luan's 'busted' expression.
Luan gulped. "I...no...I..."
"I try not to abuse my influence, but it is true that Mrs. Bernardo treats me with too much favoritism, unfortunately." Kathleen admitted humbly.
Luan twitched and seethed. "No, it's not. You lie and bribe everyone-"
"Now, Lu-Lu. Let's not get overwhelmed with petty jealousy, I didn't come looking for you to rub my success as an actress in your face." Kathleen reassured her.
"Lu-Lu..." Lana snickered again.
"You're an actress too?" Leni squealed. "Were you in Hollywood too-"
Lori quickly covered Leni's mouth and cast Luan an amused look. "Why don't we cut the awkwardness, and talk like normal people. Luan? Why are you freaking out at the sight of your wealthy, charismatic and clearly talented friend? I would think you would hang out with her more often?"
"She's not my friend!" Luan protested. "You don't understand?! She's my nemesis! She came here to hurt me! And probably all of you too!"
Everyone, sans Lynn and Ryan, looked at her like she was crazy as she finally faced Kathleen.
"Okay, what the hell are you up to! Why did you stalk me all the way out here?" she demanded, her temper flaring up.
"Luan, I did not stalk you. I was merely taking a tour around this place-"
"You're not fooling me again!" the comedian lashed out. "I've grown wise to your dirty tricks!"
Luan froze with shock as Kathleen wrapped one arm around her in a friendly fashion and chuckled.
"I would expect so. And I don't blame you for being suspicious, your anger and mistrust are entirely understandable but I can assure you that I did not come here looking for trouble. Quite the opposite, I came here to make amends."
"What?" Luan blurted and pulled herself free. She stepped back and sent Kathleen a distrustful glare. "Are you saying you came here to apologize?"
"Precisely." Kathleen nodded before growing a somber expression. "I've come to realize how badly I've treated you and now I want to make up for it."
Luan's jaw dropped. Ryan and Lynn also went agape with disbelief.
"What are you talking about?" Lori asked the rich girl.
"You've bullied Luan?" Lana asked in surprise.
Kathleen sighed and hung her head with regret. "Unfortunately, I did."
Leni and Lana gasped and Lori's and Bobby's eyes widened. And even Lucy was visibly shocked by the revelation.
"Kay, I did not see this coming..." Ryan whispered to Lynn, who still watched Kathleen with suspicion.
"Yeah, being wealthy, popular and, according to all the boys at school at least, the most beautiful girl in the world has a lot of perks but it also has its drawbacks." Kathleen continued sullenly. "I grew spoiled, entitled, inconsiderate, cruel, and started treating people around like garbage."
"And it is true that I've treated Luan particularly badly. The poor thing has it hard enough as it is at school, with most students look down on her. And I must sadly admit that my inexcusable actions had a major role in shaping her less-than-stellar reputation."
Luan's shook faded and she rubbed her eyes to make sure this wasn't a dream.
"What did you do to her?" Lana asked.
Kathleen sighed, looking utterly ashamed of herself. "Lots of things, many of which are too terrible to conceive. First, I've exploited her naivety for my own amusement and presented myself as a false friend to her so that I could trick her into doing various embarrassing tasks under the pretense that she could join my circle of friends, then I proceeded to harass her and mock her at every turn, pull cruel pranks on, write fake love letters or party invitations to make a fool out of her, give her a zillion hurtful nicknames, posted embarrassing videos of her online, and I kept encouraging all the other students to do the same things. I've even petitioned for our yearbook to vote her 'worst dressed, number one freak and most likely to die as a spinster'. "
"I'm sure Luan would greatly appreciate it if I didn't go into further detail." Kathleen cast the comedian an apologetic look before sniffing. "I myself would rather not dwell on my past misdeeds."
Luan narrowed her eyes with suspicion. She couldn't believe her own eyes and ears, mainly because she was quite certain that what she was witnessing in front of her wasn't real.
She had learned through hard experience how manipulative her nemesis was.
Everyone else joined the award silence, unsure of how to respond to this. The rest of the sisters were trying to digest all of this, while Lynn and Ryan studied Kathleen, trying to figure out what she was up to.
They hadn't known her nearly as long as Luan had but they had seen enough of her actions at school to know what kind of person she was, especially the prank that had sent Luan fleeing out of school in tears and made her permanently take up homeschooling.
"Yeah, right. And pigs can fly!" Luan responded with bitter sarcasm. "You expect me to buy this crap?! That Kathleen Tisdale is capable of feeling remorse?!"
"Luan..." Kathleen said weekly "...I'm being entirely honest. I have seen the error of my ways and wish to make it up to you."
Luan tensed up, gritting her teeth and balling her fists as tears started forming in her eyes. "After everything you've done to me you expect to just accept your freaking apology?!"
"Of course not, I'm not that out of touch. A mere apology would never suffice." Kathleen replied understandably. "I really do intend to make it up to you."
"Which is why it's such a fortunate coincidence that I ran into you here. Now I can invite you and your family and friends for a luxurious stay at my family's five-star hotel, my treat naturally." she declared to the group causing a domino effect of jaw drops.
Luan was the first to recover and quickly grew enraged. "Bullshit!" she cried, looking insulted. "I'm not falling for this obvious trap!"
"Wow! Hold on a sec!" Lori eagerly ran up to Kathleen. "Did you just say that you want all of us to join you at your luxurious resort? Free of charge?"
"Exactly." Kathleen smiled. "And I want you Louds to experience all of its amenities. Its spa, its pool, its shopping mall, its restaurant, its golf course..."
"Golf course? Spa?" Lori squeaked and clutched her hands.
"Shopping mall?!" Leni did the same, looking absolutely elated.
"I get to be a guest there instead of an underpaid employee?" Bobby asked, looking gobsmacked.
"Yep." Kathleen nodded and turned to Lucy and Lana. "And I'm sure you youngsters will love the funhouse. I never wanted to leave it when I was your age. The bouncy castle, the slides, the ball pit-"
"REALLY!?" a sparkly-eyed Lana jumped with joy.
"And you brought a furry friend along?" Kathleen noticed Cliff. "I'll make sure to get him a reservation for the grooming salon asap."
Luan starred agape as Lori, Leni and Lana started squealing with excitement.
"You guys aren't seriously considering taking her offer?!" she blurted.
"Are you kidding me?" Lori laughed in disbelief and gestured at Kathleen. "Your friend here is literally trying to apologize to you for your past feuds in the most expensive and generous way possible and is kind enough to do the same for the rest of us."
"B-But?! But she's my enemy!"
"Was your enemy." Lori dismissed her. "She literally just told us how she wants to end the animosity between the two of you."
"Have you lost your mind? You can't trust her! " Luan cried incredulously and marched up to her. "I know Kathleen better than any of you! There's no way she would do something like this without some diabolical motive! She's trying to lure us into some kind of elaborate trap!"
"Pffft...overreacting much?" Lori scoffed.
"Were you even paying attention?" Luan grew angrier and gestured at Kathleen. "She just admitted how she relished bullying your sister at every turn and you guys just accepted an invitation from her sworn enemy without a second thought!?"
Lori rolled her eyes. "Yes, I was paying attention to that part, but were you paying attention to the part where she apologized for mistreating you and stated how she wants to make it up to you?"
"Yeah, Luan. It's not cool to hate someone." Leni said with a smile. "Kathleen obviously knows this and wants to bury the hatchet. I think you should grant her your forgiveness."
"You girls are too kind. But this is Luan's decision to make." Kathleen joined them. "She was the one who suffered because of me and I don't expect her to instantly forgive me-"
"You got that right!" Luan glowered at her. "It's because of you that I'm terrified to step into that damn school!"
"I know, and I can't stress how sorry I am about that." Kathleen sighed sadly. "Like I've said I don't expect you to forgive me right of the bat, but I was hoping you would accept this humble token of my remorse so we could start putting this pointless rivalry to rest."
Luan felt her blood boil. "Oh, you're just a riot, Kathleen, y'know that? Just how stupid do you take me for? How many times do you expect me to fall for your act?"
Kathleen kept her tone even. "Luan, for the last time, I'm not trying to pull your leg. I really am sorry-"
"Oh, shut up! I know you're lying through your shiny, bleached teeth!"
Luan marched up to her, making Kathleen step back. "We're not going to your freaking hotel! Nadda! No way Jose! In your dreams! I'd rather have all my teeth pulled out with a plier!"
Kathleen turned silent and hung her head. "I see..." she said dejectedly and sighed "...well, clearly the grief I've caused you left its mark. It was foolish of me to think that you would ever forgive me, I don't blame you. If I've met someone like me I would never want to speak to them either."
Luan laughed bitterly. "That's the smartest thing you've said in your entire life! Now do us all a favor and piss off!"
"Seriously, Luan! That was uncalled for!" Lori scolded her.
"Uncalled for?!" Luan shot back angrily. "Were you even listening when she admitted about all those things she did to me?!"
Lori narrowed her eyes. "And were you paying attention to the part where she desperately tried to apologize?"
"She's lying! I've seen her pretend to be all nice and sweet before! It's all just a rouse. That bitch doesn't have a shred of decency in her!"
Kathleen shrank back, looking hurt. "I guess you have a point..." she sighed "...but I was hoping to remedy that."
"The only person with no decency that I'm seeing here is you." Lori's glare towards Luan didn't falter. "All I'm seeing here is her trying to apologize and you blowing her off and cursing at her like a spoiled brat."
"No, no, it's okay." Kathleen told her. "If Luan doesn't want to accept my offer, I should respect her wishes and stop pestering her. I guess I better get going."
"See, Luan? She obviously regrets her actions and wants to make peace." Lori interjected. "Accepting her offer would only be the mature thing to do. It's just plain childish to hold a grudge over a petty feud when the other person is trying to end it."
Luan looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "Oh, really? But when I tried apologizing about unleashing my Prankmageddon, you guys scoffed at it and pretty much disowned me?"
Lori smirked. "See? You just walked into that one."
"What are you talking about?"
"Doy! You just exposed yourself as a huge hypocrite." Lori replied. "Believe me, I'm not condoning what Kathleen did to you, but clearly you aren't the bigger women here either."
"So she pulled lots of pranks on you? Well, newsflash! You've been pulling the same kind of crap on us for years but yet we're somehow unjustified for being mad at but you're perfectly in the right for being mad at Kathleen?"
Luan shrank and backed away as Lori was quickly gaining the upper hand.
Ryan saw what Lori was doing, Luan made a valid point but Lori dodged it by once again using good old fashioned guilt-tripping. "Sneaky bitch..."
Lori scoffed and folded her arms. "Y'know, maybe we would have forgiven you if we actually thought that you were mature or reasonable enough to commit to your promise, but clearly you aren't."
"Guys, don't be so hard on her." Kathleen spoke up. "I'm sure every prank she's pulled was meant in good fun and doesn't measure up to the cruelty of my actions. She might be weird but I know that Luan's a good person at heart."
"Don't you dare judge me as good or bad!" Luan raised her voice. "You and that black, shriveled up heart of yours don't know the first thing about being good!"
"See? Who's the one being reasonable again?" Lori told the comedian disapprovingly. Luan gulped.
Leni frowned. "Luan, I think you should at least give Kathleen a chance. I really think she wants to apologize to you and she looks totes hurt by your rejection."
"Yeah! Don't be such a hippo kit!" Lana scolded her, taking their side.
Luan swallowed a lump as she shrank under her sisters' glares.
Lori looked to her side and elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs.
"Oh, right." Bobby blurted, rubbing his chest. "Eh, how about giving her a chance, Luan? We don't want to pressure you or anything, but people can change...and stuff."
"Not pressuring her? Yeah right!" Ryan scoffed inwardly but he couldn't think of anything to say in Luan's favor, neither did Lynn. They both knew it would be nigh-impossible to convince the sisters otherwise without some concrete evidence against Kathleen.
And neither he or Lynn were supposed to know Kathleen yet.
"Well, what's it gonna be, Luan?" Lori pressed her. "You want to show us that you're capable of being fair and reasonable or not?"
Luan was sweating profusely as everyone eyed her, expecting an immediate answer. With no one backing her up, she could do nothing but crack under pressure.
"Alright, fine..." she grumbled, immediately regretting it. Lori, Leni and Lori all grew ecstatic smiles while Bobby just smiled and nodded to his girlfriend.
Kathleen likewise looked overjoyed and walked up to her. "Why, Luan? You have no idea how much this means to me, even though I don't deserve it." she told the comedian as she placed her hand on her shoulder, appearing to be on the verge of tears.
"You can say that again..." Luan thought bitterly while suppressing a shudder as Kathleen gave her a one-arm hug again.
"I promise you, you won't regret this." Kathleen reassured her before smiling at the rest of the group. "Alright, everbody. How about I give you all a little tour of the fine life!"
Most of them cheered and followed Kathleen as she led an uneasy Luan to the limousine.
"Oh, this is like uber-sweet! I can tell already you're going to be the bestest friends in the world!" Leni cooed at Luan.
"Bobby, please remind me to thank dad for being the greatest father in history for making me go on this picnic!" Lori told her boyfriend, making him silently roll his eyes.
Lana noticed Lucy, Lynn and Ryan staying back, and rushed back to grab Cliff from the goth.
"C'mon, boy, you're gonna get pampered!" she laughed before turning to Lynn.
"Hey, Lynn? Can you call Lincoln and tell him and Lola to meet us at the lobby? Thanks!"
Lynn didn't even hear or notice her running off as she and Ryan watched their group leaving, utterly dumbfounded.
"Please tell me that didn't just happen..." Lynn clutched her hair in disbelief.
"It did..." Ryan grumbled. "Talk about things taking a turn for the worse."
Lynn groaned. "What the hell do we do now?"
"Call the pipsqueak, regroup and keep an eye on them." Ryan replied grimly. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"I don't trust that Kathleen..." Lucy said hoarsely and looked at them. "Didn't anyone else notice the dark aura emanating from her body?"
"Her what?" Lynn sent her a confused look but then froze and promptly started giggling after seeing the goth's new hairstyle.
"Hey, Ryan?" she elbowed the boy. "Check out emo Pippi Longstocking!"
Lucy glared at her. "Excuse me for taking one for the team." she responded sardonically.
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Lynn, this isn't the time to try and roast a 7-year-old. The rich bitch is clearly up to something."
Lynn glared at him while Lucy walked up to him. "So you don't trust her too?"
"Not even if I had eyes in the back of my head. Never trust someone with lots of cash." he shook his head before smiling at her. "You've got good instincts, Spooky. Even if you have a weird way of expressing them."
Lynn rolled her eyes. "I guess we're all on the same page then, that cunt's bad news."
"You don't trust her either?" Lucy watched her oddly. "I thought you would be the first to take her side, given your disdain for Luan?"
Lynn scoffed at her. "Shows how savvy you are, shrimp. My feelings about Luan have nothing to do with this. I can smell a rat when I see one, even if she's cloaked in tons of fancy perfume."
Lisa awoke, only to find herself in near-total darkness. She tried adjusting her eyes to the dim light and made out a single source of light.
As she got up she started piecing together that the light was coming from her hall, and that she was in her bed. She must have fallen asleep after cleaning her destroyed lab.
Confused, she slowly remembered that she needed her glasses and felt her surroundings until she was suddenly holding her spectacles.
Still groggy, Lisa walked out of her room while adjusting her glasses. She felt oddly dizzy and disoriented, and as she tried looking ahead she realized how everything around her was a massive blur despite the fact that she was wearing her spectacles.
Confused and growing alarmed, she took them off and her vision was still blurry. She placed them back on and nothing changed. She repeated the process while slowly and cautiously walking down the hall.
How long had she been out? Why was the hall so...silent? She called for her siblings but the house remained eerily silent. Dead silent.
Lisa looked around and saw that the dozens of doors on both sides of the hall were closed. The hall itself was dimly-lit and seemed drained of color.
How late was it? Lisa saw spider webs on the walls and started coughing as she started inhaling dust.
Reaching the end of the long, dark corridor, she entered a larger room but she couldn't make out much as the room was still dark while the windows showed a gray, cloudy sky.
Claps of distant thunder broke the silence, and sporadic zaps of lightning came and went, giving the toddler brief glimpses of the interior. Lisa realized that she was in the kitchen.
The place was in ruins and engulfed in spiderwebs. The windows were broken, the table and the fridge were flipped and busted up, and they and many other pieces of furniture were covered in mold. The whole place looked like it had been abandoned for decades.
"What's going on? This isn't normal?" Lisa started to realize, her mind still very hazy.
She looked around when she noticed something lying in the corner. It was hard to make out what it was but Lisa tentatively edged closer as she made out the shape of a human arm and hand sprawled over the floor.
Her heart started pounding as her vision started getting clearer. She made out patches of orange, and...white? White hair? Lisa started sweating as her gaze shifted back towards the arm and realized that it was smeared in red.
Another zap of lighting and Lisa froze with shock at what she saw. He wasn't moving. She couldn't hear any breathing.
"No...no, no, no!" she stumbled back, tears pouring down her face after she made out his eyes staring blankly into space.
"Why did you do it..." she heard someone's voice.
Wheezing with anxiety, Lisa's gaze darted in all directions only to find pitch black emptiness all around her.
"You killed us..."
"Murderer..."
"You're deranged..."
The little genius trembled as multiple pairs of blank, pupiless eyes were staring into her soul. She backed away from the threatening hisses and gargled growls emitted by her undead parents and sisters.
"No...stay away!" she whimpered, her eyes were now red and puffy.
"You did this..." Lola rasped and pointed a crooked finger at her.
"I was ill and you poisoned me..." Lana growled.
"Killer...Murderer..." her family chanted with their hollow voices and likewise lifeless stares.
"You've doomed us all..." she heard her brother's voice and found him staring down at her, now also a zombie.
"I didn't mean to..." Lisa weeped feebly like the small child she was, as she trembled and collapsed to her knees.
Sobbing, she looked up in horror as her family incircled her, hissing, growling, descending down on her.
"I'm sorry!" she cried desperately before suddenly jumping up and gasping in shock, only to realize she was back in her bed.
Covered in cold sweat, Lisa panted as she looked around her room which was lit by the afternoon sun.
"A dream? It was just a dream..." she exhaled and tried to compose herself, trying to catch her breath.
"Greetings, master. It is my sincere hope that. You have slept well." came Fenton's robotic monotone.
Lisa found him standing next to her, carrying a mug of hot chocolate and cookies on a tray extending from his belly.
"Fenton..." she responded in a meek and hoarse tone, still shaken from her nightmare.
"I have fully recharged two hours ago. So I removed myself from the operating table." the fox answered the question he assumed was the reason behind her bewildered demeanor.
"Did...did I collapse from fatigue during the morning hours?" Lisa asked him.
"Affirmative, master."
"And there have been no undead mutants since last night, right?" she added, anxiously desiring a status update that still included a prevented zombie outbreak.
"You are correct as usual, master."
Lisa sighed with relief. "How...how long was I resting?"
"The imperative amount of time, as usual."
Lisa grew an irked look. "What time is it?"
"It's 4.30 p.m, Eastern Standard Time." Fenton answered.
So she had slept away most of the day?
What did it even matter, Lisa quickly concluded? Even after a day's worth of sleep, she still felt as miserable as before. Not even in her dreams could she escape the guilt over her recent fetid deed.
She couldn't deny it, and throwing a tantrum over it would accomplish nothing. Lisa didn't humor the empty notion of a higher power, making her now ripe for depression. It was, after all, nothing if not depressing that a supposed genius like herself had managed to make a slip-up as severe as allowing your imbecilic sister to get her hands on a can of dangerous, experimental chemicals and feed them to her other sister.
"Fenton? What's the current status on this household?" she asked out of morbid curiosity.
"Why is it so...quiet?" she noticed and immediately felt a chilling sense of deja vu.
"I have scanned and cataloged. Minimal activity within your residency. Only other organic beings currently present, besides you. Are Lynn Loud I and a visiting culinary interpreter."
This came as a surprise to Lisa. "You mean to tell me everyone but father is unaccounted for?"
"Positive. Subject Rita Loud is performing manual errands. And I have inferred from subject Lynn Loud II that. The rest of your kin departed on a venture to strengthen. Familiar kinships."
Lisa blinked. "They went on a field trip without me?" she was taken aback.
"Correct, master. Subject Lynn Loud II attempted to involve you. With said venture. But I insisted that you needed to recover. From your fatigue."
"And Lynn agreed to your terms?" Lisa was at a loss for words. Lynn came here and was willing to reason? And she actually left her to sleep instead of literally dragging her along.
"Positive. She was surprisingly cooperative. She appeared pleased with my request."
Lisa's face fell and she looked away. Now it all made sense. She was intentionally left behind.
She didn't know if Lincoln had told Lynn about last night's incident or if she would believe him but the fact that neither he or anyone else tried to wake her up proved that she was deliberately left behind.
"Eh...just for the mere sake of inquisitiveness? Did anyone protest about leaving me behind or seemed...displeased about it?"
"Negative. I examined all of your secret security footage. As is my obligation. Subject Lola Loud appeared pleased about your absence. Subject Lynn Loud II merely informed them about your absence. The rest did not mention you by your designation, master. And departed immediately after."
Lisa didn't answer and looked away. So no one even cared about her absence?
"Why should I care? I don't fancy indulging myself with such frivolous and mentally-putrefying tomfoolery anyway." she reasoned and slowly stood up. Her anger was quickly replaced by a sense of bitter resignation.
"And they're better of without me." she told herself, trying not to cry.
"Well, good to know. This will give me a rare opportunity to enjoy some peace and serenity." she finally spoke, trying to sound indifferent.
"Are there any new projects you desire to start once. Your laboratory has been repaired?" Fenton asked since, as her personal assistant, he needed to always stay up to date.
Lisa's face darkened and she seemed reluctant to answer.
"No..." she grunted dejectedly "...I...I think I'd prefer to take a break and finish up that six hundred page encyclopedia on aerospace engineering I neglected to revisit for a while."
"A brilliant choice, master. Too much work causes mental lassitude and anxiety."
"I believe I left behind in the bunker five months ago. Go retrieve it." she ordered him.
Fenton obliged and left, leaving Lisa behind. She was happy to finally be alone.
She sighed and looked down at the floor. From the lower floor she could make out faint talking, likely her father conversing with the critic. By all accounts, it was a miracle that her home was, for once, quiet enough for this to even be possible.
Lisa faintly recalled her father talking about an important business meeting with a culinary expert, and this was most likely it.
This only gave her more incentive to remain locked up in her room. She couldn't face her parents while carrying the guilt of having avoided retribution for the greatest screw-up a toddler has probably ever committed in history.
This was a burden she would have to carry.
So much for familial bonds when you're given the chance to hang out with the upper crust XD Don't you just hate when you bump into your arch-enemy and lash out at them but everyone around you has no idea about your rivarly and thinks you're the asshole? And when the family member who calls the shots is a brown-nosing weasel? Poor Luan.
This chapter wound up being on the short side, as I've been preoccupied. There'll be more in the next one...
