Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
The birds chirped their morning song as the sun rose above the horizon. The house of Loud was 'unnaturally' quiet as most of the inhabitants slumbered; the only ones becoming aroused from sleep being the parents as their alarms activated.
Rita yawned as she stretched her arms. Her face scrunched up as she twisted her back, feeling marginally better when she felt a few pops. She was awakened a little further when a pair of lips pecked her on the cheek.
"Morning sweetheart." Lynn Sr. greeted, giving a small yawn as he swung his feet over the side of the bed.
"Morning dear." Rita managed a smile in spite of her tired state. "These early shifts are gonna make me feel 70 in only days..."
"Ahh, you haven't aged a day hon." Lynn added, tossing off his nightcap as he made his way to the closet. "Besides, another week and we can kick back, relax by the lake, and..." He made a knowing grin towards her. "Get a little busaay, if you know what I'm sayin'." The patriarch wiggled his eyebrows.
Rita giggled. "Hopefully we can get there first without anymore mishaps." She arched her back, eliciting another pop. "I'm still surprised Vanzilla made it in one piece after everything that happened when you swerved to avoid hitting that deer." She rubbed her back, glaring down at the bed. "And this mattress is killing me..."
Lynn shivered. "Those raccoons were so mean..." He stood up and walked over to the closet.
Rita swung her legs out before standing up, giving a content sigh when her back muscles were pulled as she bent down at least 60 degrees. "Do you think it's time we get a new mattress?"
"Hmm?" Lynn poked his head out the closet. "What's wrong with the old one?"
Rita pressed down on a few spots on her side of the bed. "It doesn't feel as comfortable as it used to." She gave a wry smile. "Probably from going down on it too many times."
Lynn chuckled as he came out the closet with one of his usual sweater shirts. "Those were the days." He sat on the bed. He sank a little further as the mattress absorbed his weight. "Hmmm. Doesn't feel that bad." He patted a spot next to him. "Maybe the old girl can last a few-" The patriarch withdrew his hand as a spring shot out from under his palm, ripping the sheets and cover in the process.
Rita deadpanned. "Yep. We're getting a new one ASAP." She went into the bathroom and turned on the light.
"Oh, what's one spring gonna hurt?" Lynn asked, pulling the defunct mattress material out of the bed.
"Lynn, we're not having another 'Vanzilla-level' discussion." Rita called out from the bathroom. "And the bed almost put a hole through your hand."
Lynn sighed. With the tone she used, Rita essentially put her foot down and there wasn't anything he could do to convince her otherwise. Nearly getting forced to sleep on the couch after Vanzilla broke for the final time was something he wanted to avoid.
When he had time to think about it, he had been rather foolish to think the old van would last for much longer. Sure, the van was in mint condition when his grandfather had it; then his dad undoubtedly crashed it a few times and neglected to get it maintained.
Then of course, there were the numerous times he and his kids trashed the van. The Sweet Spot incident, Leni's old driving habits, various objects getting thrown and causing cracks or dents, and the engine maintenance...oh God that transmission...
"At least the only thing to worry about with the bed is romping on it too often." The patriarch joked to himself. Still, that mattress was probably older than Vanzilla. Although, Lynn was sure Queen bed mattresses were supposed to last a lifetime; and he and Rita didn't get too rough when in the mood.
Still, it was another piece of history to be thrown away. "Well girl, you gave us many, many good memories." The head chef sniffled as his eyes became slightly wet, rubbing the damaged bedding. "But like Vanzilla (God rest her soul), it's time we let you go off to the big man upstairs..." His eyes widened as a few more springs popped out of the bed in another spot. "And before this turns into a trip to the hospital."
Making a note to search for mattresses later (and a new box spring since that's what caused the punctures), Lynn Sr. got himself dressed whilst Rita took a shower, setting himself up for the most important task of the day:
Making breakfast for the family.
The family patriarch hummed to himself as he opened the pantry, getting out the pancake mix and some seasoning, then opened the fridge to grab the eggs, bacon, milk, butter, and cheese. His humming turned into a whistle as he got out a mixing bowl, a pot, and a couple frying pans. Setting the oven to 400 degrees F and having the fire at a comfortable 500 degrees F, the family man smeared the butter on the pans and went to fill the pot with some water. As Lynn began placing the bacon in one pan whilst starting to form the pancake batter, he could already hear movement from upstairs.
"And the line for the bathroom has begun." He eyed the clock. "Right on schedule."
No sooner did he say that, a series of thumps coming from the steps echoed in the house. Lynn Sr. watched as Lana and Lola raced past the entryway to the kitchen. A door was heard slamming a second later.
"Lana!" Lola banged repeatedly on the door. "You open this door RIGHT NOW!"
"Snooze, you lose sis." Came Lana's reply.
Giving a growl, Lola grabbed the knob and tried to pry the door open; a task more difficult than she realized since it was obviously locked.
"DAAAAAD! Lana won't open the door!" Lola called out, to the amusement of her father.
"Now Lola, you know she reached the bathroom first. Think you can wait for her to finish?" Lynn Sr. called, still busy making the pancake batter to perfection.
"But I really gotta gooooo!" The pageant winner whined. If he were to look past the entryway, Lynn Sr. would see his daughter doing the pee-pee dance.
"You can use the bucket if ya want." The young mechanic suggested with a short chuckle.
Lola glared at the door. There was no way a two-time pageant winner like herself would use that gross bucket of hers. Her bladder sloshed as she moved, making the former princess dresser cross her legs tighter. "Ooooooh, why did I drink all that water last night?..."
On the second floor, a line was beginning to form as Lori was fortunate enough to have awoken before the rest of her siblings and was in the process of doing her morning routine. Lucy was next in line, her face lacking any emotion in spite of the evident tiredness in her visible eye. Leni gave a yawn as she came out her room.
"Morning Lucy."
"Morning." She turned her head towards her second-oldest sister. "How was your rest?"
"Like, oh my God, it felt like I was sleeping on a cloud." The fashionista cheered. "I hadn't slept that great in months."
"You were cuddling me in your sleep..." Came Lori's reply through the door.
Lucy raised a brow at Leni, giving only the fainted hint of curiosity. Leni gave a sheepish smile whilst shrugging her shoulders.
Lori opened the door a moment later. "And for the record, I really wish you'd stop thinking I'm a teddy bear." She walked away from the restroom, allowing Lucy to step in a do her business.
"But I can't help it!" Leni pleaded. "I just missed you sooo, sooo much." A frown adorned her face. "We don't even hang out anymore..."
Lori bit her cheek, leaning against the wall next to the door. "Look, Leni. You always get this moody whenever I have to leave. It's not easy being away from home, but there are things in life I want to do." She put a hand on her shoulder. "And you should too."
Leni rubbed one of her arms. "I guess..."
The oldest sibling sighed internally. Bless Leni's big heart, but there were times Lori wished she started acting mature more frequently; she definitely has that sort of spunk in her after seeing how she handles her job. However, Lori supposed she can't fault Leni too much for her childish antics; 18 is still considered young, even if she's technically an adult now. And on the plus side, it was easy to find a way to get her spirits up.
"Look, I was planning on going out with Carol today. So, why don't you join us?"
Leni raised a brow. "Doing what?"
"Oh, you know." Lori waved her hand. "Shopping, gossiping, going to the salon-" She was cut off when Leni put her hand on her mouth.
"You had me at shopping!" Leni replied before giving a high-pitched squeal as she jumped up and down. "This is gonna be the most fun day ever!"
Lori shook her head whilst folding her arms, a soft smile on her lips. "Ok, maybe she doesn't have to change. Yet."
The door to Luna and Luan's room opened. "What's with all the yelling?..." Ronnie Anne grumbled, rubbing some dried skin from her eye.
Lori glanced at Ronnie Anne, her smile now turning into a grin. "Rocking that bed hair I see."
True to her words, Ronnie's hair was still down since last night; it looked a bit worse than usual now with tangles of hair curled up and sticking out in almost every direction.
The tomboy deadpanned. "Har har." She ran her fingers through her locks to smooth them out.
"Have you ever thought about cutting it a little short?" Lori lightly brushed a few locks sitting on her forehead. "I always kept mine at the shoulders for a reason."
"My hair is fine the way it is, thank you." Ronalda spoke with some disdain as she tucked some strands under each other on her forehead. If she had her scrunchie on hand, she'd tie it into a ponytail. Her stomach grumbled before she let out a burp. "Oof. Last night's dinner is starting to kick in."
Lori deadpanned. "At least say 'excuse me' when you do that."
The young teen smirked. "I will when you say it whenever you fart."
Leni tapped her chin. "But, Lori can't pass gas. It's always her shoes."
Ronalda rolled her eyes. "You know that's a lie, right?"
Leni raised a brow as she turned to Lori.
"Um..." Lori started, her eyes shifting around in what Ronnie knew was going to be some lame excuse. "Does Dad have breakfast ready yet? I'd better go check." She thumbed to the stairs before quickly excusing herself from the group (and argument).
Ronalda chortled. "Wuss." She muttered. Her stomach growled again, but this time she felt her intestines clench. The tomboy gripped her abdomen. "Ooooh, it went from zero to 60...whose in the bathroom?"
"Lucy's in there." Leni stated. "Then I'm next, and I gotta do my hair and take my morning shower, and-" The blonde stopped upon noticing Ronnie was no longer in front of her. "Where'd she go?" She looked down the hallway.
Lola was humming a tune as she pushed the door open, her hands still damp from using the sink. She stopped upon hearing what sounded like someone jumping down the stairs. Her unspoken question was answered as a certain Hispanic girl rounded the corner.
"Coming through!" Ronnie shouted. Lola barely had time to get out the way as the tomboy ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"Ugh!" The youngest of the twins glared daggers at the bathroom door. "Would it have killed you to say please?!"
Lori let out a soft chortle. "If Luan was here, she'd be making a joke about the runs."
"Can't outrun the runs is what I say." Lynn Sr. chuckled at his own joke, flipping a pancake up into the air. Letting it sit back into the pan, he removed some cooked strips of bacon off the other pan before adding more onto it; the sizzling and tantalizing smell began to filter from the kitchen, being pumped through the house via the vents.
Inside Lincoln's room, the family dog was lying on his back at the end of the bed, still dead asleep. He'd been there since last night as Ronnie Anne didn't completely shut Lincoln's door. The smell of turkey bacon managed to find its way through the vents and began to filter into Lincolns room. The boy himself was still resting, though the noise from the hallway had aroused him from deep slumber. The boy subconsciously turned in bed, with the movements of the mattress awakening the mutt. Charles stretched as his brain began to come out of deep sleep, a process that was accelerated when a delicious smell hit his nose. Giving a few sniffs, Charles' eyes shot open before he rolled onto his feet.
"BACON! BACON!" He barked in his own language before jumping off the bed.
Lincoln squinted his eyes at the noise, giving a displeased grumble as he pulled the bed cover over his head.
Charles walked to the door, pawing it open just enough for him to slip through before bolting down the hallway towards the stairs.
The door for Lynn and Lucy's room opened up, with the former athlete stepping out as she pulled her left arm into the air to get rid of the stiffness she felt. She heard Charles' barking when she stepped out, but thought nothing of it; that is, until her foot brushed against the dog as he ran past. Lynn's eyes shot open as she braced her hand against the doorway to avoid falling over, giving the fleeting mutt the stink eye.
The moment of anger passed as quickly as it came, as the 5th oldest Loud noticed no one was standing in front of the bathroom.
Lynn raised one of her arms and sniffed her pit, biting her cheek as a sour smell invaded her nose. "Good, I could use a shower." She muttered whilst walking up to the restroom.
Her heart sank when she got near enough to hear water running, accompanied by Leni humming to herself. "Great..." Eyeing the knob, Lynn gave it a slight turn. It didn't budge. "Oh come on Leni. At least have the courtesy to NOT lock the bathroom if you're jumping in the shower."
"Isn't that counterproductive?" Lynn hear someone ask as the door to her right opened.
Glancing back, she saw Sid stepping out of the bedroom. Like Ronnie Anne, her hair was a slight mess, but arguably better looking due to the wavy effect it had. Her bangs covered her eyes, so it was surprising she hadn't bumped into anything.
Lynn chortled a little.
"What?" Sid raised her head slightly to see the 15 year old more clearly.
"If you dyed your hair black, I'd have mistaken you for Lucy."
Sid moved some strands away from her eyes, blinking a few times as they adjusted to the light. "I wonder how she could see like that. I only let my hair stay like this so I'm not blinded by the sun hitting my face."
Lynn shrugged. "Her excuse was she wanted to 'picture herself in the dark'." She performed air quotes on that statement. Folding her arms, "And yet she still found a reason to try and paint our whole room black."
"Has she always been that dark?" Sid asked, then eyed the door. "When Ronnie Anne said there'd be a line for the bathroom in the morning, this doesn't seem that bad."
"1) Since birth, somehow. And 2) It got better since we got the bathroom downstairs added. But if everyone needs to shower," Lynn thumbed towards the door. "This is the only one we can use that has it." The older brunette glared at the wooden surface. "And Leni loves taking her sweet time in there..."
"How long are we talking?"
"Hours..." Lynn groaned.
Sid snapped her fingers and pointed at Lynn. "And suddenly, the downstairs bathroom is a better option." She started shuffling backwards. "You don't need to use it, do you?"
"Nah." Lynn waved dismissively. "I'm more concerned about my bed stink than using the crapper."
"Welp," Sid waved as she turned. "See ya down-Oof!"
As she kept her focus on Lynn, she didn't notice another inhabitant of the second floor coming up behind her. Lincoln hissed as he rubbed his forehead from the sudden impact, with Sid mimicking his motion but on the left side of her head.
Sid opened an eye to see who she bumped in to. "Oooo, sorry Link."
"If I wasn't awake enough, I sure am now..." Lincoln pulled his hand from his head. He had a few bags under his eyes that didn't go unnoticed by the other two girls.
"You sleep alright?" Lynn questioned.
"I was until Charles kept kicking my feet..." He folded his arms. "Next time, I'm locking my door..."
"Ah, you know he's just messing around." Lynn stated as she leaned on the bathroom door. "Besides, out of everyone in the house, he listens to you more."
"I'm seriously doubting that. Charles has a lot more energy now than he did a few years ago." Lincoln brushed a hand through his bed hair. "At least this time he didn't fart in my face."
Lynn stifled a laugh. Sid had already excused herself and headed down. "At least you never had to worry about bat poop landing on your face every night. That's why I sometimes wore my hockey mask." Noticing the two were alone, Lynn let her smile drop. "Now are you sure you didn't get any shuteye due to Charles," She slipped her hands into her pockets. "Or was it something else?"
Lincoln bit the corner of his mouth, knowing what she was implying. "No, thankfully. I haven't had one since last week."
"Good." Lynn placed a hand on her brother's head, ruffing up his already bad hair. "Cause I was starting to think you're the one that needs to see a shrink."
Lincoln huffed, making a smile as he grabbed Lynn's hand. "At least I'm not acting like I have a split personality."
"The only thing getting split here is gonna be his face if he makes that lame joke again..." The voice in Lynn's head muttered.
"Shut up excess baggage..." The former athlete said quietly. Lincoln raised a brow. "Not you Link, it's..." She shrugged. "You know who..."
"Actually," Lincoln began. "That reminded me of something. Do you have anything planned today?"
Lynn shrugged again. "Aside from lounging around all day unless I get a babysitting call, I got nothing."
"Well look no further Lynn," The young boy pointed a finger in the air. "Because you're gonna come with us to Dairy Land today!"
Lynn squinted an eye. "Whose 'us'?"
"Me, Ronnie Anne-" Lincoln was cut off when Lynn shoved a hand onto his mouth.
"Woah, hold up there Romeo." She removed her hand. "I didn't agree to be a 3rd wheel for your date." The brunette braced an arm on the wall. "And how do you expect us to get there?"
"For starters, it's not a date. Second, I wanted to ask you because you really need to start enjoying yourself. I mean, it's summer; we don't have to worry about school or anything til September." Lincoln leaned towards her. "Do you really wanna spend that time thinking about the past?"
Lynn stifled a groan as she seemed to pout. "No..."
"Plus, I figured it'd be a great time to just hang out and have fun." Lincoln scratched at an itch on his scalp. "Most we do outside of that is jog or...I dunno..."
Lynn blinked before she seemed to stare at the wall. It had been true that the most they ever did together these days often involved Lincoln building her confidence. Outside of that, the two hardly bonded over anything genuine. A couple times Lincoln would invite her into doing activities he typically did, like video games. Lynn did enjoy a few, but not enough to make it a hobby. Same for their occasional movie excursions.
Any other time was spent just going day to day, dealing with school and battling her inner state of mind. In short, living a dull life...
"Alright...I'll go." Lynn stared at his eyes. "But you didn't answer my second question."
"You can drive us." Lincoln stated.
Lynn had an uneasy look on her face. "You sure about that? I only have a permit, so I'm not supposed to be driving without an adult in the car."
"You drove with Leni in the car a few times." The white-haired teen pointed out. "It's like driving with just Lily in the backseat."
Lynn shrugged. "Maybe so, but I dunno if Dad will let us use the van."
A toothy smirk grew on Lincoln's face. "Not to fear." He folded his arms. "I already have a plan for that."
Lynn Sr. hummed to himself as he finished setting the last of the food on the table. The family (minus Luan and Luna) had already picked their seats and had begun stacking their plates with whatever food they wanted; considering this was the family chef's cooking, that meant everything besides the plates, silverware, and table.
All of the kids and two young adults remained dressed in their PJs, with only Lynn Sr. dressed in his usual day clothes and Rita in her dental scrubs.
As the breakfast buffet got underway, multiple conversations sprung up. Leni gossiped with Lori about what she had missed during her time away, the twins started arguing over who would get the last strip of bacon (only to direct their aggression at Charles who climbed on one of the empty seats and snatched it in his mouth), Lily started asking Sid what it was like living in the city, and (to Lisa's surprise) Lucy asked her how those prosthetics she was making worked. The young prodigy had a feeling she just wanted to know if a patient could feel pain if someone damaged the unit; regardless, she started on a mini-lecture of the subject.
Ronnie Anne was too busy savoring the taste of her meal to make small talk. Yes, Rosa was a good cook; but there were some foods that Lynn Sr. simply outmatched her in, and this omelet was one of them.
During this time, Lincoln elbowed Lynn (who was chewing on a pancake) before giving a nod towards their father. Lynn rolled her eyes; she didn't understand why she had to ask him.
"Hey dad."
Lynn Sr. glanced at her. "Yeah sport?"
"Can we borrow the van today?"
The Loud patriarch set his coffee down. Lincoln noticed the little inscription on the side of the cup that read, "From the World's Best Son". "They're still using those..." The middle child made a warm smile.
"What do you plan on using Veronica for?" The father asked in a curious but nervous tone.
"Welllll." Lynn dragged out, feigning some curiosity on her part. "I wanted to take Link and his friends here," She jerked a thunb to her brother, Sid, and Ronnie Anne (who raised a brow at being mentioned). "To Dairy Land, and-"
"Dairy Land?!" Lana and Lily repeated, huge smiles forming on their lips. Before Lynn Sr. could give a reply, two of his daughters were at his chair in an instant, jumping up and down with so much energy that one would think they'd shoot through the roof. "Can we go?! Can we go?! Can we go?! Can we go?!" They asked repeatedly, gripping his sleeves for support.
"Uhhh, I don't uh..." Lynn Sr. started.
"Pleeeeeeeeeeaaase?" The two begged, making their eyes huge and watery.
Lincoln chuckled to himself. "And the pieces are falling into place." He muttered, making Lynn launch a suspicious stare at him.
Rita huffed in amusement at the act her youngest daughters were putting on. "Honey." She started, pausing to sip the rest of her coffee. "I know you care about the van, a lot. But we both know Junior is a good driver. And she's gotta learn to drive with multiple people a car at some point." She leaned towards him. "Plus, it might help with her," The matriarch glanced at her formerly sporty daughter for a second before getting back to her hubby. "Moods, if she gets out more."
"Mmmm." Lynn Sr. nodded. "Can't argue with that." He felt another tug on his sleeve. Looking towards his two girls, both now had quivering lips. "Oooo, not the puppy look...ok ok! But you have to ask your sister."
Lynn went wide-eyed at what her dad just did. "Hey!" She started, only to get flanked by Lana and Lily a second later.
"Pweeeeeeeaase?" They asked.
Lynn groaned, knowing they wouldn't stop until she said what they wanted to hear. "Fine." She threw her hands in the air. "I don't care. Just stop with the face."
"Yaaaaaay!" The two cheered.
"Now wait just a minute here!" Lola yelled. "Don't think you're leaving here without me!"
Lana deadpanned at her twin. "Since when do you like Dairy Land?"
"I don't." Lola stated with disdain. "But since that woman over there," She pointed at Ronalda. "Almost ran me over just to get to the bathroom, she owes me an apology."
"What does that have to do with us?" Lynn asked.
"Guilty by association." The pageant winner explained, making all three tomboys roll their eyes.
"Alright alright, sorry for almost hitting you earlier." Ronnie replied, but it was hard to tell if she was being sincere.
Lincoln leaned towards her. "She'll come anyway."
"Why?"
"Lola says she hates Dairy Land." Lincoln smirked. "But she loves winning stuff at the fairgrounds; and a few rides."
Ronalda raised a brow. "When was this?"
"Last year." Lincoln started, picking up a large piece of hotcake before stuffing his mouth. "Wanted to go there with Clyde but Mom didn't want me to leave her and Lily alone at home." His voice was slightly muffled as he chewed. "I personally don't like that part of the park, but Lola..." He swallowed. "She has a way of out swindling those cheapskates."
Ronalda eyed Lola for a moment. "Interesting..."
Before Lincoln could say more, he felt something grab his shirt before tugging it to his right. He turned his head left, meeting the ire-filled gaze of Lynn. "Was that part of the plan?..." She whispered heatedly.
Lincoln nodded with a smile. "Indeed."
Lynn let him go, still holding her glare. "And why couldn't we just ask to borrow Leni's car? She doesn't work today."
Lincoln tilted his head in confusion. "Huh, thought she did. However," He smirked. "I knew the twins and Lily would eventually find out and beg us to go. And Leni's car can't hold seven people."
Lynn finally softened her gaze. "True...but why did I have to ask? It was your idea."
Lincoln shrugged. "I thought it'd be easier if Dad heard it from you than me. Because it eliminates the questions you asked me earlier."
Lynn raised a brow as she mulled over everything. It did make sense given than Dad was more likely to think Lincoln would expect one of the parents to take them; which was out of the question since they had jobs to do. Then transportation might be an issue if Dad would have him ask Lori or Leni; given the bits of talk that spilled from their conversation, they had their own plans. Adding onto the twins and Lily tagging along, it gave everyone something to do for the day.
"Huh." Lynn finally spoke. "So, one of your plans didn't suck this time."
"That's why I'm the Man With The Plan." Lincoln boasted as he tapped his head with a finger. He frowned upon doing a double take on Lynn's sentence. "Hey! My plans don't always fail!"
This elicited a chuckle from Lynn before she ate what remained of her breakfast.
"Now Junior, remember to obey all traffic laws."
"Yes."
"That includes stop signs."
"Yeah."
"Try not to speed."
"Okay."
"And most importantly, watch for other drivers." Lynn Sr. emphasized with two fingers pointing to the ceiling. "You never know what kind of jerk might try to cut you off."
Lynn rolled her eyes. "Dad, I got it. Aside from Lori, I'm probably the best driver in the house."
This made the father chortle a little. "Juuust making sure." He grabbed the keys off the nightstand and held them out. "Take good care of her..."
Lynn grabbed the keys and pulled back, feeling some resistance from her dad before they slipped out of his fingers. Giving a slight frown, "Nothing's gonna happen to the van Dad. I promise."
Lynn Sr. still kept a worried look on his face, though he temporarily forgot his worries when he heard a car horn blare outside. "Welp," He put on his chef hat. "Time to hit the ol' grime." As he exited the room, "Hope you kids have fun!"
"Yeah, I'm sure we will." Lynn replied, though she sounded a little irate.
Lynn Sr. stepped out the front door and closed it behind him. Going down the steps, he laid his eyes on Veronica, the family's main mode of transport. Initially, he had been against getting a new van, as Vanzilla had been in his family for generations. But even he had to admit that cars only last for so long. Sure, the van had been running smoothly in his greener years; but having as many children as he does quickly shortened the service life of the vehicle.
Do you know how hard it was to completely rebuild the whole thing? And even then, it never did run at 100%; or even 50 at times.
Placing a hand on Veronica, Lynn Sr. wished he had considered getting a new van years ago. It almost felt foreign to have powered windows, working A/C, working door locks (it was amazing that Vanzilla hadn't been stolen years ago) a good radio that didn't fail at the slightest button movement, no stuck stick, no engine failure after every second milk run, no damaged seats that still had pee stains on it (or springs popping out). It was no wonder that Rita was finally fed up with it after the engine practically exploded. It felt soooo good to have a fully working car again; and knowing his kids, the patriarch was afraid they'd destroy it too. The kids might not like the rules he put in place about the van, but it was to ensure its health and longevity. Heck, Lynn Sr. was deathly afraid of letting Leni drive; he thanked the Gods that she decided instead to get her own vehicle so she could be more independent.
Sounds rather shrewd, but anyone who knew of Leni's driving habits would agree.
"Well girl," He patted one of the side doors. "Junior's gonna need your assistance today. Take good care of them," His hand slid on the metal surface. "And be safe..."
Leaving the van, he spotted Kotaro parked by the curb. The Asian man knew that look on his face as he got in. "Kids taking the van again?"
"Yep..."
"Where?" Kotaro asked as he shifted the car into drive and pulled from the curb. "The mall?"
"Nope." Lynn Sr. folded his arms. "Junior's taking some of the little ones and our two guests to Dairy Land."
Kotaro whistled. "That far?" He glanced at Lynn. "You sure you ok with that?"
"Mmmmmmmm...not really." The Loud admitted. "But Junior does need to get out the house more. And I'm hoping Lincoln can help her see there's more to life than just going day to day being..." He paused, wondering how to word this. "Inactive, so to speak." He smiled a little. "But she did learn everything from her old man about the rules of the road, and she's pretty cautious when driving."
Kotaro raised a brow. "What about the time she got into a fight with another driver that cut her off."
Lynn Sr. narrowed his eyes. "Hey, that lady had it coming. I mean, it's not our fault she wasn't in the proper lane to make a turn."
As the two gentlemen continued to Lynn's Table, the former athlete stuck the keys in her pocket. Most of her family had already left the house for their other plans; Lori and Leni were picked up by Carol, Rita had been carpooled to work, and of course, Lynn Sr. had departed recently. Walking up the stairs, she went into her room to grab some day clothes to put on. Lucy was there, sitting on the bed reading a novel. Shutting the door, Lynn slipped her white tee shirt and shorts off, revealing the pink panties and black bra she wore underneath. Her hand brushed her chest, feeling the curve of her breast. Granted, she wasn't big by means (somewhere in the middle of a B-cup); but it was more than she could say Luna had for the time being.
Lynn wasn't above mocking her over that whenever the opportunity arose, to Luan's amusement. To be fair, it was Luna's fault that she wouldn't shut up about her small chest. Both brunettes almost took a guitar to the face for their trouble when the musician was pushed to the edge; but it felt worth it.
Opening the drawer to her nightstand, the 15 year old pulled out a pair of jeans before slipping them on. "You sure you don't wanna come Luce?"
"You know Dairy Land isn't really my thing." The goth responded as she turned the page.
"Well, yeah. But aren't you gonna be lonely at the house?" Lynn asked, then pursed her lips at that question. "Actually, that might be something you'd enjoy."
"Actually," Lucy glanced at her roommate. "I'm hanging out with Haiku later. But I think you should focus on trying to have fun."
"I will." Lynn affirmed as she opened her closet.
"I mean like actually having fun." Lucy stated in a stern tone. "That doesn't mean sitting and watching everyone else enjoy themselves. You should get on a few rides or play whatever games the twins want to do."
Lynn glanced back at the goth. "Who says I won't?"
In spite of the indifferent gaze coming from her exposed eye, Lynn felt as if Lucy was staring at her with a knowing look. "Don't be afraid to win a few games. It's all just in good fun; and you would be within your right to gloat."
Lynn pursed her lips. Everyone seemed to be telling her that message lately; it was starting to get annoying. Turning back towards her clothes, Lynn's hand glided along the sleeves as she scanned each shirt. Since she had thrown out her jerseys and other sports attire, her closet was more spacious with the racks now containing a respectable amount of everyday clothing. Her hand stopped on a red sleeve, to which she pulled the shirt out slightly. It was mostly plain, save for the icon on the stomach area that had a severed hand holding a grenade. A gift from Luna on Christmas, Lynn would admit that she didn't listen to Green Day all that much; but she did like what they put out.
Giving a shrug, she pulled the shirt off its hangar and slipped it on.
Remembering to check her shorts pockets, Lynn put the keys in her pants pocket before leaving the room. A door opening to her left grabbed her attention, "Lily go Dairy Land! Lily go Dairy Land!" A little girl shouted a second later.
Lynn turned to see the excited three year old running towards the stairs. Having long abandoned her usual diaper, Lily wore a navy shirt with Blarney's face at the center with light purple shorts. Her energy must've been rubbing off on her, as Lynn couldn't help the smile on her lips. "Woooah, slow down there Lilybug."
"Can we go now?" The toddler stopped at Lynn's feet.
"Yeah yeah, in a bit." The brunette picked her up. "Gotta wait for everyone else first."
Lily gave an exasperated sigh as she leaned out of Lynn's arms. "I wanna ride the bumper cars soooooo bad!" She shouted.
Lynn let out a chortle. "We might." She started walking downstairs. "Let's get your shoes first."
When the two reached the bottom, Lynn sat Lily down in the recliner and fetched the girl's tiny sneakers sitting near the front door. Bringing them over, Lynn held Lily's foot as she slipped the toddler's shoes on before tying the laces up.
"What are you gonna do at Dairy Land Lynn?" Lily asked.
"Dunno." The brunette shrugged before she started on the other foot. "Might end up getting stuck watching over you and the twins while Link takes his girlfriend and her best friend and does whatever."
"Like kissing?" The little girl asked sweetly with a smile.
Lynn paused whilst tying the right shoe. "Mmmmm." She shrugged. "Maybe between those two, but not all three."
"INCOMING!" The two heard Lana shout. As soon as they looked towards the stairs, the young mechanic was sliding down the banister on her rear. She didn't look all that different, wearing her signature red cap and overalls. The only change was she wore a burgundy shirt instead of a blue one. "Here I come Dairy Land!" The eight year old hit the rounded edge and jumped off, doing a small flip before landing.
On her stomach.
Lynn and Lily winced from the impact. "I meant to do that!" Lana shouted, raising a thumb into the air.
"Pffft. No you didn't." Lola remarked as she came down the stairs. As mentioned before, she no longer wore her pageant dresses 24/7. Instead she had on a pink tee shirt with a white skirt. "You couldn't pull a flip to save yourself."
"Could too!" Lana refuted as she got to her feet. "Just needed more air time."
Lola put a hand on her hip. "More like you have bad balance."
Lana's eyes narrowed as she glared at her twin's smug face. Raising a hand, she pushed on Lola's chest just enough to make her stumble back slightly. "Now whose got poor balance?"
In response, Lola shoved her in the chest with more force than Lana put in. "Still you."
Lana shoved her again, which Lola responded by putting a palm to the girl's face and pushing her back. The older twin decided to pull on Lola's long hair, making her yelp in pain. The pageant winner, head still tugged to the side, gave a growl before pulling Lana's cap over her eyes, then smacked her on the head. Lana gave a growl of her own and pulled on Lola's hair to the point the pageant winner started falling to the floor; but Lola was going alone. She grabbed the front of Lana's overalls and pulled her down with her.
Lynn deadpanned as she watched the two start wrestling at the foot of the steps, trying to overpower one another. "I can only imagine what they'll be like when they reach my age..." She mulled to herself, opting to focus on getting Lily set instead of dealing with the bickering kids.
Fists flew back and forth between the two and the tumbled around on the floor. The twins then became deadlocked in a power struggle as they tried to force the other to the floor again. They barely registered the vibration of feet hitting the steps until two hands were placed between them.
"Come on girls..." Lincoln groaned, pushing the two apart. The middle child wore a red shirt with an Ace at the center with an 'A' placed dead center on the mark; his pants remained the same though. The twins simply ignored him as they tried to continue their fight, arms reaching out towards each other as they growled like lions. "Can you at least try to not fight for one day?"
"You know," Lynn started, leaning her head in their direction. "I could just leave you two behind." That seemed to get the twins' attention, as they stopped reaching out towards each other and turned slowly towards Lynn. The former athlete made an evil grin. "That's if you prefer fighting each other over going to an amusement park."
The twins lost their shock as they started making pouty glares at their older sister. "Don't you dare." They spoke simultaneously.
Lynn's eyelids dropped a little. "Oh, I will." She let Lily's foot down before standing up. She fished the car keys out her pocket, twirling the collection ring around her finger. "I have the keys, so it's my ride." She gripped the keys in her fingers. "Now, you aren't gonna fight in the van, are you?"
The twins crossed their arms as they made some indiscernible grumbling.
Lynn frowned. "What was that?"
"No..." They both replied.
The brunette grinned. "Good."
Feeling they weren't going to go at each other anymore, Lincoln stood up to full height. As he did though, he gave a surprised yelp as a sudden weight was thrown onto his back, followed by a pair of arms thrown around his neck. Knowing the stairs were behind him, the teen stumbled forward as the girls started laughing. "How is this funny?!" He thought to himself before he heard a certain girl's laughter ringing in his ear. A quick glance down, and he also saw a pair of tan hands clutching his collar bone area. Lincoln smirked to himself. "Oh, so that's how she wants to play."
Lincoln stumbled forward towards the door as his would-be assailant swung around on his back, before hanging a right towards the recliner. Lynn had to move out the way as Lily tucked her feet in so she didn't get hit. Once he got near the couch, Lincoln bumped into the arm and let himself fall forward, making sure to turn to the side so he didn't take the full brunt of the fall. The person on his back let out an "oof!" before a series of giggles forced their way out, and Lincoln found himself laughing along with her.
"You gotta do better than that to get one over me, Ronnie." Lincoln stated as he did a half roll until his feet were on the floor.
"Well I wouldn't have had to jump on your back if you were hogging the stairs." The Hispanic girl chuckled, tapping Lincoln lightly on the back.
Lincoln stood before turning towards her. "I had to deal with-OOF!" The white-haired teen was cut off as another person jumped onto his back, but this time he ended up getting his face driven into the cushions.
Ronalda gave a hearty laugh. "What was that Sid?" She spoke between giggles.
"What? It looked like fun." Sid chuckled.
Not having her hoodie on, Ronnie Anne wore a pair of purple shorts with a plain white shirt that had a severed zombie head at the center. Sid on the other hand wore a blue shirt that had the members of Twelve is Midnight on the front with a pair of black jeans.
"Hah hah." Lincoln made a muffled, unamused laugh. Once Sid climbed off, Lincoln dug his hand in between the cushions. He leaned up as he pulled his hand out, producing a crumpled piece of green paper. "Jokes on you." He unraveled it to reveal it was a dollar bill. "I found $10."
Lana let out a gasp before making her way over to the couch. Before she got more than a few feet however, Lynn grabbed the back of her overalls. "Hold on there tiny." The brunette said, pulling back a little harder to make Lana stop moving. "As much as you wanna dive into the couch to find dirty money, we gotta hit the road before traffic piles up."
Ronalda raised a brow, swinging her legs over the arm of the couch. "It doesn't take that long to get there, does it?"
Lynn walked to the door. "No, but even on a Saturday, the highway gets jammed."
Sid shrugged. "Can't be as bad as what we get in the city."
"Trust me." Lynn opened the door. "Royal Woods has its fair share of bad drivers."
"Shotgun!" Lincoln immediately called out.
Ronalda slapped her forehead with her palm. "Dang it..."
As Lynn exited the house, it didn't take long for everyone else to follow behind her. Unlocking the van, Lynn jumped into the driver seat, immediately feeling discomfort on how the back was pitched. "Dad's gonna get a spine realignment at some point if he keeps the seat like this..."
The left side door opened, followed by Lola lifting Lily into the van. The toddler groaned as she stared at her booster seat. Like in Vanzilla, it sat in the middle of the first row. "Do I really have to sit in the car seat?..."
"Um, yeah?" Lola remarked, pulling herself into the car. "It's so you don't go flying off if Lynn slams on the breaks."
Lily tugged on the seatbelt. "Isn't that was this is for?"
"It is." Ronnie Anne replied as she opened the other side door. "But since it doesn't fit around you just right, you gotta stick with the seat." She moved into the second row. "Carlitos still uses one."
Sid sighed happily. "It was cute when Adelaide used mine." She joined Ronnie Anne in the second row. "She was an escape artist."
Ronnie paused as she was about to fasten her seatbelt. "That explains why it had ten belts."
"Don't sweat it Lily." Lincoln spoke as he sat in the front passenger seat, with Lana climbing in the adjacent door before shutting it. "Next year, you'll be big enough to not need it anymore."
Lily made a soft whine as she stared at the tiny seat. "Okay..." She sat on it, feeling a little snug thanks to the arm rests.
Unlike her previous car seat, Lily's newest one was backless and didn't have seatbelts of its own; instead, it relied on the belt already equipped with the van to secure the child. Lola leaned over and pulled the belt over her sister before securing it, then tugged it our a little to make sure it didn't make Lily too uncomfortable. Lynn started the van just as Lincoln closed his door, working to adjust the mirrors to her liking. As soon as the radio kicked on, some type of romantic-themed music started to play through the speakers.
"NGH!" Ronnie shivered. "What is that?"
"I dunno, but it's making my ears bleed!" Lynn replied, grabbing the knob for the radio station and giving it a swift turn. It ended on some heavy metal rock station.
"Dad must've had it on when he and Mom used the van last." Lincoln stated, beginning to bob his head to the rhythmic sounds of the electrical guitar blasting through the speakers. "THIS sounds way better."
"Mmmm..." Ronalda had her eyes narrowed a little as she judged the sounds for herself. "It's alright I guess. Who is it?"
"Ooh! Ooh!" Sid waved her hand in the air. "Do you guys have a K-Pop station around here?"
Lynn shrugged. "Dunno. Never listened that junk."
Both Sid and Ronnie Anne let out a gasp. The tomboy leaned over the first row seat. "Don't you dare say that again!" She pointed at the driver.
Lynn raised her hands in the air. "What? I can't not like Pop?"
Lola rolled her eyes. "I know what it is." She undid her seatbelt before leaning over the center console. "There's a few actually." The eight year old stated as she set the station, soon settling on 97.5.
The type of music that came out made Lola, Ronnie, and Sid go wide-eyed before they let out a high pitched squeal. "Oh my God, it's Twelve is Midnight!" Sid screamed, jumping up and down in her seat.
Lynn rubbed her ears. "Twelve is what?..."
"Only one of the best K-Pop bands around!" Ronnie ecstatically responded. "Dang it! I wish I wasn't sitting down right now!"
Lincoln frowned at the radio console. "Oh great...those guys..." It was no surprise that Ronalda was a fan of K-Pop, as Lincoln was surprised to learn during one of his visits. She even told him during that time what her favorite band was, and the Loud learned first hand how she had a tendency to gush over the lead singer. Like Lynn, he wasn't big on K-Pop; what did some people see in that music? Sure, it was rather upbeat, but so were other genres; look at the music Luna makes. Lincoln's preference was techno over anything else. Yes, that's mostly influenced by the songs he hears in the games; and he's proud to admit it.
Lana gave a loud groan. "Do I have to listen to this?..."
Lola whipped her head towards her twin with a hot glare. "YES!..."
"I kinda like it." Lily stated, her head tilting back and forth to the music.
"See? We're all in agreement." Lola replied, gesturing to herself and the three other girls. Raising a fist in the air, "K-Pop it is!"
Lana folded her arms. "Speak for yourself..."
Lynn could only roll her eyes. "Fine." She shifted the van into reverse, checking her mirrors as she backed onto the street. "But after this song I'm changing it to something I like."
The van started down the street, with Lynn mentally trying to drown out the (in her opinion) obnoxious music as she remembered the route to the fun park. Lincoln leaned against the window, listening to the lyrics being spilled out from that boy band and sort of wishing he could temporarily make himself deaf. Making a quick glance behind him, Lana was plugging her ears to drown out the noise, Lily continued to bob her head to the rhythm whilst Lola, Ronnie, and Sid imitated a dance Lincoln was almost certain they must've repeated numerous times; or at least as best they could since they were restrained to their seats.
He didn't get why they liked that boy band so much; not that he even bothered to ask. Looking towards the two girls in the second row, his curiosity started to peak over his disdain for the type. If a song like this made Ronalda of all people squeal in delight, his mind subconsciously wondered if he could turn that into something later on. "Maybe I can find out why in my own time. Alone. With the door locked. And maybe in Lisa's bunker so no one can hear it." He mulled in thought as his fingers rapped the armrest.
The van stopped at an intersection just before the main highway. "Hope this stupid song ends soon..." Lynn grumbled, lazily leaning her left arm on the window.
The light turned green as the last of the cross traffic left the street. Lynn pressed on the gas and the van lurched forward, reaching 30 in under two seconds. As she casually glanced out the side window, her eyes widened before she jumped into a proper seating position before quickly slamming on the brakes with a fist on the horn. The van screeched to a halt, with everyone being jolted forward.
"What in the world was-" Lola started.
"ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY?!" Lynn shouted out the window.
Peering over, everyone noticed a sedan from one of the cross traffic lanes only inches from the left side of the van; an attempted red light runner. Veronica got underway again, but not before Lynn stuck her hand out with her middle finger raised.
Only the music from the radio filled the silence before someone finally spoke up. "Soooo, I guess that's one of the poor drivers around here?" Sid asked rhetorically.
"If he actually hit us," Lynn's fingers gripped the wheel tighter as she turned onto an entrance ramp for the highway. "I'd take his license and shove it up his-"
"Lynn." Lincoln frowned at her. "Just try to ignore it. At least it didn't actually happen."
Lana made a light chuckle. "Didn't you nearly tear a lady's arm off that time Dad was teaching you?"
Sid and Ronalda went a little wide-eyed. "What made you do that?" The Hispanic girl asked.
Lynn tilted the blinker down with her pinkie. "Hey, she had it coming." She glanced at the side mirror before switching lanes. "If she wanted to turn left, she should've gotten in the left turn lane, not try to cut over from the straightaway and nearly brush the van. And, she tried to make it seem like I'm at fault for her dumb head."
Sid blew some hair away from her eyes. "You won't believe how many jaywalkers appear during the day. Like, seven times a week, I almost witness a murder."
"I think you mean vehicular manslaughter." Lola clarified.
Lily tilted her head. "What's a mans..." She squinted her eyes in confusion. "Laughter?"
"Okaaaay! Let's uh, change the tune real quick." Lincoln spoke quickly, turning the station knob halfway.
A familiar drumbeat bounced through the speakers, making Lynn briefly look at the radio. "That Imagine Dragons?"
First things first
I'ma say all the words inside my head
I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, oh-ooh
The way that things have been, oh-ooh
The four K-Pop lovers raised a brow when Lynn started singing the next verse in perfect sync.
Second thing second
Don't you tell me what you think that I could be
I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh-ooh
The master of my sea, oh-ooh
"You actually like this song?" Lola asked.
Ronnie grinned. "I thought you said you didn't like Pop."
Lynn rolled her eyes. "It's a Pop Rock group." She glanced at the grinning girls through the center mirror. "It's different."
"Mmmmmm," Sid shook her head. "Not exactly. General Pop doesn't have the electric guitars and stuff Rock usually does. And this sounds closer to Pop."
"Whatever." Lynn eyed the road signs. "Better get used to it though, cause we got another half hour or so before we get there."
