The Mysterious 'Ship
Chapter 6: Anything But?
By the next week, everyone noticed the change in Luan. Wasn't like you could miss it, especially after the complete wardrobe shift.
And while theories were tossed around both in and out of Luan's presence by most of her female siblings, Luna couldn't help but wonder.
As she stood there in the doorway, she looked at Luan as the other girl sat on her bed with her notebook in hand and chewed on the cap of her pen. Gone was Luan's signature yellow skirt, white blouse, squirting flowers and more. In their place were blue jeans, a puffy white sweater and a kerchief around her neck. Her ponytail was even a bit lower now and covered her nape when not thrown over her shoulder and allowed to rest on her chest.
But nobody, not even Luna, could figure out why this unexpected change occurred.
"Yo, Brah," Luna hazarded as she put her bag down near the door. She'd been out at a friend's place straight after school to study there. "What's up?"
After a few seconds of scribbling, Luan looked up at her. "Nothing, why?"
She also noted that Luan didn't look too well rested. What the heck was going on with her younger sister? "Eh, no reason," Luna offered. Then she decided to ask to lighten the mood, "Heard anything more about Lincoln's long-legged crush?"
Luan worked hard to keep her breathing even, her reactions measured, careful, and normal. When she looked away from her notebook and into Luna's eyes, she managed a shrug as she said, "Not… not really. I've been trying, but he's a pretty tough nut to crack."
Luna laughed as she dropped her things near the closet. "Yeah, I can believe it. Lemme know if you hear anything, though," she said. "I can't wait to meet her, I've been working on a song and everything just to see what he does!"
Oh, I'm sure I'd love it, Luna, Luan thought as Luna gave her one last look then walked out of the room.
When she was sure Luna was gone, Luan looked back at her notebook. She'd meant to spend time working on some jokes, a new routine, anything to get her mind off her troubles, but all that peppered the pages of her notebook now were theories, ideas, pleadings to whatever god might be looking down upon her.
It looked less like a book of jokes or a diary and more like the ravings of a lunatic, she noted with a small cringe.
"Oh, and Luan?" Luan jumped slightly as Luna poked her head back inside. "You really ought to hold back on reading Cuesta Tern if it's scaring you that bad, Sis. Really," there was real concern in Luna's voice now, "it's not healthy to lose sleep over a book."
Luan giggled nervously, then briefly yawned. "Th-that's not, I mean…" she struggled for a satisfying answer, but none came to mind.
But as Luna left, Luan wondered if it wasn't for the best that they all might merely chalk her strange behavior up to her recent reading material.
After all, the truth would definitely not set anything free, Luan was sure of it.
It might even get someone committed!
Shaking her head, she looked back at her notebook and tightly gripped its sides.
What else could it be? Who else could possibly fit the description?
She looked through all the theories she'd developed, written down. When she was sure no one was around she risked flipping that first page and revealed another page with things rather less inviting and far less savory written upon its surface.
Should she approach him and say something? No telling how that idea could play out. Or, what if he thought she was encouraging it by not saying something about it? What if he thought she actually knew already?
What if that was what he meant when he said, "'The affections we both might share',"?
And what about her, now she considered it? Luan was pretty sure she was well adjusted, not in the slightest bit like that, but what would happen if she did try and accept it?
What if she liked it?
Luan shook her head, and hard. She was going insane. This mystery was driving her crazy, and there didn't seem to be any end in sight. She was absolutely certain she didn't return the affections, no way! But what if that didn't matter? What would Lincoln do if he really did think she was trying to entice him?
Or, what would he do if she rebuffed him?
Would he be hurt? Confused? No question there, if he had the hots for his own sister!
Or would he get violent?
Luan tried to laugh it off, but the thought still stuck with her.
How would he react?
She'd considered her own reaction, what she'd really do in his shoes. But she was so far out of her depth and tired that she didn't know.
Her new clothes had been part of her plan to maybe urge him away, to ward him off gently. They didn't show nearly as much skin, and she made sure that her ponytail also covered more flesh than usual. Her father approved but, when she'd asked Lincoln what he thought he didn't seem too affected one way or another.
"That's it," she told herself as she put both socked feet on the floor. "I gotta get to the bottom of this mystery!"
Besides, I could still be wrong!
For a moment, she considered leaving her fedora behind and just going at this like a normal teenage girl. Then, a different thought struck her; maybe by wearing it she'd put distance between herself and her situation, like some sort of shield?
But would that be best?
She looked at the hat and considered that thought. Finally, she threw it on her head, looked at herself in the mirror. Cocked it.
Then smiled.
Oh yeah.
Luan, Soft Boiled Detective of Love wasn't gonna give up that easy!
With her pocket notebook and pen in hand, she slipped out of her bedroom and began looking for Lincoln. She didn't need to go far seeing as he was back in his room. Unfortunately, his door was open and so she tucked her things into her back pocket and walked downstairs.
Hopefully he'd shut his door at some point, she prayed.
It didn't happen as soon as she'd have liked, but he did finally do so. Only, it was after dinner and everyone was, of course, playing and running about the house.
But eventually things quieted down and Luan crept her way over to the closed door and put her ear to it. Everyone was either downstairs watching a show, performing experiments or, in Luna's case, sitting in their bedroom writing a song. All save for Lincoln, who'd gone to his bedroom to play a game, and Luan, who sat outside his bedroom waiting for any tasty morsels of info.
After listening in for a few minutes and hearing little of value, her brother got quieter, forced her to press just a bit harder to hear.
And hear she did.
"Yellow does look so good on you, it really does. I just can't help but smile, you're like the bright sun after a rainy day."
Luan recoiled like she'd been hit.
What did she just hear?
She clutched at her chest. She'd heard him right, right? He'd just said what she thought he said, right?
Oh, holy crap!
She wasn't insane, was she?
Luan didn't realize she'd bolted from the door until she had ducked down the stairs. It was for the best, as she heard his door open a moment later. Fearing he was coming towards her, Luan hurried down and acted like she was on her way to the kitchen or some such place.
But food was far, so far from her mind then.
Lincoln had the hots for her.
She couldn't deny it anymore.
But what could she do?
What would she do?
