Lynn Scores a Deal
In addition to how Lana had been stressed over Leni being her Secret Santa Sibling, and the strong probability that the fashionista would get her clothing for Christmas, Lynn, Jr. was another sibling who was a little unhappy with whom she had to be a Secret Santa Sibling to, as it was one sibling whom she was not necessarily close to; in fact, she often thought of this particular sibling as being nothing more than an annoying and obnoxious clown. She never said anything to anybody, but she also harbored just a little bit of jealousy and resentment over the fact that this older sibling was one whom her younger roommate had bonded with and grown close to… the young jock actually thought it was a little unfair – she was Lucy's roommate, it seemed to her she should be the big sister who the little goth feels bonded with and close to, not Luan. She could understand, though, that the two's shared interests in the creative arts was what caused them to gravitate toward each other in the first place… still, in some small way, she kind of felt like Luan was, 'Stealing,' Lucy away from her.
What the jock never realized was that she and her fellow ponytailed sister were actually not so different as it seemed: not only were both of them somewhat immature for their respective ages, but much like Luan, Lynn, Jr. was not at all immune to cracking puns and riffing one-liners of her own – even if they were almost always sports-related, it at least showed that even the jock possessed something of a quick wit herself – whether she was even aware of it or not.
Still, Lynn, Jr. was not entirely discouraged about the hand she had been dealt… after all, Luan seemed quite easy to please, and so getting a Christmas present for her would probably have been an incredibly easy score. A new joke book? A new whoopee cushion? Some kind of weird novelty item? How could she possibly strike out with any of those options?
One afternoon, Lynn, Jr. was leaving the house to head over to the Royal Woods Mall to see what she could procure for her Secret Santa Sibling's Christmas present. Out the front door she stepped, and as it happened, she heard the voices of not only said sibling, but that of their little handy sister as well; curious, the athletic sister stepped over to the edge of the porch, and found her funny sister who stood in the driveway while in a state of distress, as their little handy sister examined the comedienne's dilapidated unicycle.
"Is there nothing you can do fix it, Lans?" Luan asked, as she held the one-wheeler steady for her little sister to examine.
"Well, yeah, I can," said Lana, while down on her hands and knees. "But this thing's in such a state of disrepair, it's only a matter of time before you'll have to get a new one anyway… I can already tell just by looking under the seat here these bolts are stripped, and the nuts are rusted and corroded – that's why it's so wobbly… even if I replaced them now, there's no guarantee they'd hold steady in the long run… not to mention your support post here hasn't got much life left in her… one good shift of weight, and she'll bend out of shape."
"Well, I asked Santa for a new one this Christmas, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen," said Luan a little somberly.
Lana arose to her feet and offered, "I could try to fix her up for you as best I can, but if you ask me, I give this thing another month or two before she completely falls apart on you… or, under you, I guess..."
"I'll just have to start saving up my money for a new one," said Luan, as she gingerly tilted the unicycle toward her handy sister, who took hold of it for her. "Until I can learn how to drive, this is my only mode of transportation – not only does it get me to my gigs, but I sometimes balance on it as part of my acts."
Lana began to wheel the worn-out unicycle into the garage, where a toolbox awaited her.
"I'll see what I can do for ya, sis," she called back out to Luan.
Luan sadly trudged her way around the front of the house to the front steps, of which she ascended onto the porch, and made her way to the door which had been left wide open, whereupon she had noticed her athletic sister was out on the porch.
"Oh, hey, Lynn," the comedienne greeted the jock. "Going somewhere?"
After she had witnessed the little plight in the driveway, the jock was suddenly struck with a flash of inspiration.
"Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact, I am…" was all that Lynn, Jr. had to say.
"Well, see ya…" said Luan as she stepped into the house and shut the front door behind her.
In a flash, Lynn, Jr. sprinted her way over to the Good Sport sporting goods store, where she soon found herself attempting to negotiate a little deal with the young man who worked the register:
"Look, Jase; haven't I been one of your best customers?" Lynn, Jr. asked the young man behind the counter.
"You definitely have, I won't lie…" Jason nodded in agreement.
"And you know I'm honest and trustworthy, don't ya?" Lynn, Jr. asked.
"I can't argue with ya there…" Jason nodded again.
"So, look, I only got about sixty bucks right now…" the jock continued. "How about taking that as a down payment on a one-wheeler, and let me pay the rest of it after the holidays? You know I'm good for it!"
"Well, that's not our usual policy," said Jason, as he stroked the back of his neck.
"Aw, come on, bro! Help a sis out here!" Lynn, Jr. pleaded. "It's my sister's Christmas present; she really needs one, she actually uses it as part of her business, the one she's got now is falling apart on her, and she's tapped out to get one for herself."
Still unsure of what to do, Jason offered to bring the matter to a higher authority to see what sort of a deal could be worked out for Lynn, Jr.'s situation.
"Lemme get my supervisor and see what he says…" he said as he stepped into the back.
Within a matter of minutes, Jason had brought out from the back office a short, balding, roly-poly, middle-aged man in a pin-striped suit, as he and Lynn, Jr. went over the whole spiel with him again. Usually, this was a manager who was all business, and the only deals that he was willing to make were those that involved the buying, selling, or trading of rare sports memorabilia – not in-store merchandise. But, lucky for the young jock, he not only knew that she was a loyal customer, but that he was also in the Christmas spirit, and had agreed to the arrangement – on the condition that she finished paying off her balance on the merchandise by the end of January. With the deal set into place, the jock browsed the small selection of the one-wheeled cycles in the store, until one that was her sister's favorite color happened to catch her eye; after she had selected the bright yellow unicycle from the rack, Jason accepted her $60 as a down payment, and printed her a receipt of which noted that she had until January 31st to pay the remaining forty-dollar balance that she owed… a few more babysitting jobs over the course of the next month or so, and she should have it paid off in no time at all.
Along her way home, the curious jock felt a sudden impulse to see if she herself could handle a one-wheeler, and came to a pause on the sidewalk for a moment as she climbed atop of the seat. She may have possessed a lot of agility and coordination out on the playing fields, or in the courts, but she clearly lacked balance... her honest attempt to pedal her way home on a unicycle proved to be futile, as she was flung face-first to the sidewalk below after she moved a mere three feet. The amount of damage the jock received to her face in the form of a scratched nose and a cut lip were small potatoes compared to other injuries that she had sustained in the past... but she clearly could not afford the new unicycle to sustain any damage, and wisely chose to just roll it alongside her for the rest of the way home.
Lyrical Luna
The resident rock star of the Loud House felt as though that she had ended up with a rather interesting pick for her Secret Santa Sibling, as it was somebody with whom she was a lot closer to when they were younger, but eventually drifted far apart as they grew older, their positions and roles within the family shifted, and their interests and passions hardly went hand-in-hand.
As a girl, little Luna loved to hang out with her big sisters, Lori and especially Leni; she even went through a bit of a phase for a while where the younger brunette always wanted to be just like her pretty and stylish big sisters – at times, it could even be something of an obsession with her, as the younger sister did not want to seem like an ugly duckling compared to them. Whenever it was time for school pictures, little Luna would turn into a compulsive obsessive, as she wanted to make sure that everything about the way her hair was brushed, or the dresses she wore, were absolutely perfect, to prove to her parents that she could take just as pretty school pictures as the highly photogenic Lori and Leni always did, even though they had always reassured her that her pictures always did turn out just as pretty as theirs, and that school pictures were not a competition.
Even as little tykes, it seemed apparent that it was Leni who was the prettiest of the Loud sisters (although, Lola has since claimed such a title), which was something that Luna always admired about her. She loved it whenever Leni would share her fashion and style secrets with her, such as whenever she would help her little sister pick out new clothes – especially when she realized that purple seemed to be the brunette's best color, or how she would figure out what hair styles, such as short bobs or pixie cuts, best suited the shape of her face - it was a way for the two to bond with one another, and the older blonde was able to help the younger brunette feel very pretty; Leni absolutely adored being a big sister to Luna. She did not realize it at the time, but Luna had spent so much time trying to be like her big sister, that she had not been true to who she really was… as her love of music grew stronger, whatever interests she may have had in fashion diminished rapidly… not that it really bothered Leni, because she still shared common interests with Lori; similarly, upon stepping up into her role in the family as a big sister to Luan - with whom she developed an intimately close bond, she no longer spent so much time wanting to be just like her own big sister… which, again, never bothered Leni, as she continually formed a tight, close bond with Lori. For a long time, though, Luna still possessed something of an insecure streak, and still wanted to present herself as being a pretty girl in her own way (especially when it came to going out on dates with her girlfriend, Sam), but she eventually grew to feel comfortable in her own skin… her look, style, and appearance may have been unconventional compared to other girls, but both of her big sisters, and even her younger roommate, all agreed that Luna being her genuine, true self had made her even more beautiful in her own way than all of those years that she had tried to be as pretty as somebody who she wasn't.
Knowing that Leni was her Secret Santa Sibling, and reminiscing about a bygone era in which she was closer to her older blonde sister, Luna really wanted to find something extra special to present her with for Christmas… something that was far more meaningful than maybe a set of hairbrushes, or a gift certificate to any of the big clothing boutiques in town… something that really conveyed the message that they may not be as close as they once were, but that the feelings of love and adoration had never left her heart. Once she had cemented herself as the Loud House's resident musician, it became a tradition for Luna each and every year to write a new original song for the festive occasion… and she still planned to do that, but under a different circumstance: this year, hers would not be just another tune about Santa flying down chimneys, or snow blanketing the outside world, or brightly-colored lights contributing to a festive atmosphere… this year, hers would be a special dedication to her Secret Santa Sibling… and it was not going to be just a song for the ears – it was also going to be a visual trip down Memory Lane for the heart and soul, as well.
Luckily, other family members within the house were far too pre-occupied with whatever other activities they were engaged in, so Luna was able to slide down the banister into the living room, and browse through the digitized Loud family albums on the family P.C., from which she had copied whichever specific photos that she knew she wanted to use in her little project onto a flash drive, so that she could import them into her own personal laptop, and use them in a new music video she was going to title My Sister Leni.
Lola Spoils Her Sister
Out of all of the Loud children who participated in their parents' Secret Santa Siblings program, it was Lola who had the most confidence in her ability to be able to please the sibling whom she had to get a Christmas present for; upon picking the name during the drawing at the dinner table the other night, Lola was most satisfied to see that she had ended up with the selection of Lori as her Secret Santa Sibling.
In spite of the fact that the oldest of the Loud siblings, and her prim and prissy little sister did not often get to mingle and hang out with each other, the two of them did share quite a lot in common with one another: they both were rather bombastic and outgoing, while they both also possessed something of a spoiled streak; in the older sister's case, it was merely because she was the first-born of the brood, and felt that alone entitled her to having things done her way, whether her younger siblings liked it or not, while in the younger sister's case, it was because she was spoiled, which contributed a lot to the obvious princess complex that she maintained as the family's beauty queen (not to mention drama queen). Not only could both of these girls be spoiled in their demeanor, they also liked being spoiled, as well, which was something that the oldest sister enjoyed less and less of as she grew older, and more and more responsibilities and obligations consumed her life – especially now that she was on the verge of going away to college soon; she hardly had any time to enjoy any kind of pampering that any girl would love to indulge in. This, however, was a luxury that Lola was still able to enjoy a bit more of for herself –not just because she was younger and had more free time, but it also was partly because she had to maintain a perfect image while out in pageant circles- though she knew that Lori could use a little more of it.
One of the things about Lori was that she could be a very attractive and fine-looking young lady when she was able to put forth the effort into taking care of herself… which, unfortunately, she was not really able to do as of late – something that a rather observational, superficial, and judgmental little girl like Lola had begun to notice with her own eyes. Being consumed by the stresses and anxieties over the next chapter of her life being right around the corner, Lori's once bouncy and voluminous hair had become frizzy and somewhat brittle; her once bright and luminous eyes had lost their luster, and more often than not were rather puffy with bags underneath; the tips of her once well-manicured nails had become chipped from the excessive drumming of her fingers atop hard surfaces, or even from where they had been bitten in frustration. While Leni was always passionate about fashion, Lori was usually equally passionate about cosmetics, but even so, she hardly ever had the time to fix up her face as much as she used to when she was younger and had more free time on her hands – her skin, which always seemed to have something of a radiant glow, now seemed somewhat pale and sickly (not to the extent of Lucy, of course).
In short… Lori looked tired.
Being a girl of self-importance, as well as Lori's little sister, Lola could not just stand by and allow her beautiful big sister to fall apart like she had… she was in serious need of a major refresh. It was not hard at all to figure out exactly what she could do for her big sister for Christmas: even in the months prior, Lori could occasionally be heard whining to her long-distance boyfriend, Bobby, on the phone about how she never had any time to just relax and pamper herself anymore – something that she had also complained about in texts and calls to her best friend, Carol, as well… with such minor melt downs and tantrums still fresh in the little princess's memory, she knew exactly what she could do for Lori for Christmas.
Another hectic and chaotic morning had arrived, which meant the Louds had to get themselves ready for the new day of school and work ahead of them. Rita found herself in the unfortunate position of having to be a chauffeur for everybody that morning, and as the family was herded out the door and piled into Vanzilla, Lola had something of great importance she wanted to ask her mother:
"Mommy, can I ask a big favor of you?" Lola asked, while she tugged on her mother's pants.
"We don't have time, Lola," said Rita, as she tried to hurry her young princess daughter out the front door. "You're all going to be late for school, and I have to drop Daddy off at work…"
"I just wanted to ask if you'd let me run into the Royal Woods Spa for a minute when you pick me up from school today," said Lola.
Rita was in no mood for what she had assumed to be another one of Lola's unreasonable demands.
"Lola, we don't have the time or the money for you to spend a day pampering yourself at a spa…" she grumbled.
"It's not for me, Mommy," insisted Lola. "It's for my Secret Santa Sibling! I want to get my Secret Santa Sibling a gift certificate to use at the Royal Woods Spa whenever she wants to."
Rita seemed a might puzzled to hear such gift idea,
"Um, Lola… I'm not sure if you have the right idea, but I think it would be better if you got your Secret Santa Sibling something they would want for Christmas, not something that you would want…" she explained to her young daughter.
Lola scoffed, "Mommy! This is something my Secret Santa Sibling would want, and she desperately needs it! We girls have to take ourselves every now and then… you've forgotten what it's like to be a girl in need of some serious pampering!"
"Boy, you said a mouthful…" Rita mumbled under her breath.
"Please, Mommy?" Lola pleaded. "I'm even paying for it with my own money!"
Rita sighed, as she resumed to rush her daughter out the door, where the rest of the family awaited in Vanzilla.
"Alright, Lola… your Secret Santa Sibling isn't anyone who goes to your school, is it?" She asked.
"No, why?" Lola responded, as she made her way out onto the front porch, followed by her mother, who locked the front door behind her.
"Just didn't want to run the risk of your secret being spoiled," noted Rita.
Later that afternoon, Rita had swung by Royal Woods Elementary to pick up Lisa, Lola, Lana, Lucy, and Lincoln, as their school day ended earlier than their older siblings. With only about half an hour to spare before she had to pick up the older sisters from their respective schools, she drove over to the Royal Woods Spa, where she managed to find a parking space close to the main entrance, as Lola disembarked from Vanzilla.
"Make it quick, sweetie," Rita called out to Lola as she opened the door. "We still have to pick up your other siblings from their schools."
"Don't worry, Mommy," insisted Lola, as she closed the door behind her. "In and out!"
The moment that Lola stepped through the main entrance, all of the luxurious aromas from within the spa that tickled the little princess's nostrils enticed her into wanting to spend a day of extreme pampering for herself: a nice, lengthy massage; a relaxing dip in a hot tub; cleansing her pores in the sauna; being treated to a manicure, a pedicure, and a facial; perhaps, even a little aroma therapy… Alas, this was not the time to treat herself; she was here to treat her big sister for Christmas.
The little pink princess made her way over to the front desk, where she approached the bespectacled and nerdy-looking employee who not only worked the register, but who also had actually looked quite familiar to her.
"Helloooo! Remember me?" She asked.
The clerk looked down at the little blonde girl in the pink dress who had approached his register, and did, indeed, remember her, as he responded in a rather flamboyant manner, "Oh yes, I remember you… you're that little brat who tried to sabotage that adorable little baby's photo shoot in the mud baths!"
Lola was more than insulted by this guy's remark.
"Okay, I'm going to pretend you did not just call Lola Loud a brat!" She spat.
"If the shoe fits!" The rather immature clerk responded.
"Are you going to help me out here, or am I going to have to report your keister to the manager?" Lola threatened. "Because I don't have a lot of time here, buster!"
"Neither do I, sister," said the clerk who was ready to turn the little girl away. "Besides, you really shouldn't be in here without an adult accompanying you. Policy."
"My mom's waiting for me out in the car," explained Lola. "All I want is to purchase a gift certificate for my big sister."
"Sorry, honey; no can do!" The clerk said, while he folded his arms in front of his chest and lifted his head up into the air like a pompous snob.
Lola saw where this was going, but luckily, she was good for it; she reached into one of the little zippered pockets of her backpack, fished out a huge wad of cash from the stash of prize money that she had accumulated from her various different pageant victories, and began to wave it in the air to garner the difficult clerk's attention.
"Not even if I pay for it myself?" She offered.
Like the flip of a switch, the clerk's attitude immediately changed into one that was a lot more courteous and helpful.
"Yes! Can do!" He exclaimed before he asked, "And to whom is the lucky sister of yours I will be making this gift certificate out to?"
"Lori Loud," said Lola. "And I want to treat her to the whole works! Everything your fine establishment has to offer, because my big sister deserves the best!"
"You got it, sweetheart; be back in a moochie!" The clerk exclaimed, as he stepped into a back room behind the front desk.
"'Moochie'…?" Lola muttered under her breath with a quizzical look on her face.
In the back room, the clerk applied the appropriate information for a gift certificate into the company's computer system, which he then printed out and returned to the front desk where the little pink princess was still being waited on.
"Alrighty, sweetheart; this gift certificate entitles Miss Lori Loud to one day of luxurious pampering at the Royal Woods Spa…" he informed her. "That'll be $200."
"Ooh, that is a little pricy… but, my big sister is worth every penny of it!"
With that, Lola pulled two one hundred dollar bills from her wad of cash, and handed them to the clerk, who happily rung up the transaction for the little princess.
"Alrighty, I do believe Miss Lori Loud will enjoy being treated to a little extreme pampering!" The clerk exclaimed after he handed the certificate to Lola.
"Of course she will; this will be her best Christmas present ever!" Lola squealed.
"OH! Well, why didn't you say so?" The clerk asked. He grabbed a small, yet fancy-looking gift bag, into which he slipped the certificate that he had folded, and covered it with a little tissue paper. "I do hope you and your sister have a merriest Christmas ever!"
"Oh, you are too kind…" Lola said, albeit half-sarcastically, given this young man's poor attitude from earlier.
"Alrighty, sweetheart; hasta la see ya!" The clerk said with a wiggly-fingered wave, before he, once again, disappeared into the back room.
As she discretely stuffed the gift bag into her little backpack, Lola finally exited the spa, and returned to Vanzilla, where her mother and other elementary-aged siblings had awaited her return.
"'Hasta la see ya'…?" She muttered under her breath once more with yet another quizzical look on her little face.