A/N: To address the elephant in the room, yes, I know it's been some months since I updated anything? Why? Well, I'm a grown adult who had been taking up a salary job and didn't have much time to write, as well as the fact I didn't have much inspiration to write ANYTHING. But I've gotten to a good point where I can be a bit semi-active and try to push something out once a month. This chapter had been finished for some time, but I haven't gotten around to putting it out. Same deal with my other stories. But not to worry; I'm not flat out ignoring them. I'm adding bits and pieces to them at a time.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
Ronalda had her eyes squinted as she aimed a roll of newspaper at a nearby door, then swung her arm back and tossed it towards the house. It landed just a few feet short of the floor mat, making the Latina curse to herself. "Geez, how does Lincoln make this look easy?..."
Grabbing another roll, she pointed it at the next house before tossing it. Mid-swing however, it partially slipped out of her grasp, causing it to fly in a corkscrew-like pattern before slamming against the window near the door. The paper fell into the grass next as Ronnie could see the curtains move. Wincing in embarrassment, the Latina peddled away before she was spotted. Looking at the bike's basket, she still had 5 more houses to deliver to. "Ugh..." She slumped her shoulders. So far, the morning had been rather, modest if she could call it that; her first throws were a tad sloppy due to the fact she had to wake up so early to even carry this out. She got a little better, but her aim wasn't as good as Lincoln's or even Lynn's. And like her boyfriend, she nearly took out a couple windows with some bad throws.
"Why did Lame-O pick this side job anyway?..." Ronalda grabbed another, noticed that the next mailbox had a slot for newspapers, and simply stuck it inside. "I hope Sid had better luck. I don't doubt how she can skate, but carrying a bunch of papers? And seeing how she struggled with carrying Lucy?" She shook her head.
For the last two days, Ronnie and Sid had volunteered to take up Lincoln's odd job in lieu of the Loud being indisposed. The family just needed a few more days worth of work and they'd comfortably have enough money for their trip just short of two weeks now. Plus, the middle child of the family would be feeling pretty crappy (more so than he physically does currently) if he felt he wasn't helping out with the vacation payment; he still felt sore at how he had to spend most of his earnings on property repairs last year. After dropping off the last paper, Ronalda sped back to the company store to get her payment. Being located on the other side of town, it took her almost a half hour to arrive.
Minutes after parking outside the shop, Ronnie walked back out, counting the number of bills in her hand. For $6 an hour, it wasn't much, and she had only been working for almost 4 hours. "I gotta talk to Lincoln about him getting a different job..."
"Hah...huh...PHEW!" The tomboy heard someone wheeze as they neared. Turning, she found her bestie grabbing the wall for support as she took heavy breaths. The Latina's eyes became the size of dinner plates upon taking in Sid's condition; the Chang girl was messy. She was covered in grass stains, her shorts and shirt were slightly torn, and there was a cut on her leg near the scar from the skating accident. Her backpack was a little torn on one side; Ronalda swore the tears looked like bite marks. "What happened to you?!"
"Oooh," Sid coughed, standing up straight to try and act nonchalant. "Just delivering papers; and totally not having a near-tramatic experience." Ronalda gave her a blank stare that told her she wasn't buying it. Slumping her shoulders, "Oookay, so I may have taken a wrong turn and ended up in someone's backyard; their dog was mean." She rubbed the cut on her leg. "And...yeah, carrying papers on skates is WAY harder than using a bike..."
"I told you to grab one." Ronalda pocketed the money in her hand. "Lynn wouldn't have minded if you used her bike."
Sid smiled wryly. "Didn't hurt to try." She bent down and took the skates off her feet. "How much do you think we made?"
Ronalda huffed. "Only enough to get lunch..." She folded her arms. "Maybe later today I'll see if there's something else Lincoln can do before we go to that resort."
Sid raised a brow. "How much you'd get?"
"Just $24. $24 Sid. Lynn gets like, what? Almost $100 for babysitting? And who even reads the paper these days? There's the internet for a reason."
Sid slipped her regular shoes on. "Didn't he say something about wanting to make for what happened last time he did a paper route?"
Ronalda rolled her eyes. "If it's a pride thing," She raised the bills in her hand. "This ain't worth the price." She thumbed at the door. "Now go get your pay so we can head back; it's almost 9."
Sid smirked. "You just wanna get back in time to feed him, don't you?" She pulled a twig out of her hair.
The Latina looked away as her face turned a slight shade of pink. "Just wish I didn't need to wear the suit..."
A loud and long sniffle echoed in the closet-converted bedroom as Lincoln breathed in, an abnormally difficult task as his nose was completely stuffed; breathing through his mouth was a viable option, but this typically resulted in him going into a small coughing fit. His face looked a little more pale than usual, his hair was a mess, and he his upper back was being supported by triangle-shaped pillow as lying flat while sleeping became a problem. In the two days he made a rush back home during the rain, he went from feeling slightly under the weather, to feeling like total shit. A groan tried escaping his throat, causing the phlegm just above his windpipe to bubble. The teen grimaced at the taste before leaning over the side of his bed. He made a few hacks before spitting out the mucus, which fell onto the used tissues in his full waste bin.
"Why didn't I wait til the rain stopped?..." Lincoln muttered in a hoarse tone. As ill as he was, he barely had the energy to stand, much less rise to a proper sitting position; which suited him just fine as he was literally quarantined to his room. His body was constantly raked with chills and hot flashes, so even if he lifted the covers, he'd shiver in spite of his PJs feeling uncomfortable.
Lincoln reached out and grabbed the box of tissues on his nightstand, which had been moved a little closer to the bedside for easy reach. He drew in a breath with his mouth, which made him start to cough. However, he was smart to direct the coughs through his nose, forcing whatever was lodged in there to come out.
"Ugh..." He blew his nose again, eyes shut tightly as pain coursed through his nasal cavities. "Man this hurts..." He sniffled before throwing the tissues away.
He sank in his position with a grim look on his face, shutting his eyes as he decided to try and sleep a little more. However, the rattling of his doorknob had awoken him further. Right as his tired mind focused on the door, it swung open to reveal Ronnie Anne, dressed in a HAZMAT suit whilst carrying a hot bowl of soup.
"You know," Her voice came out a little muffled due to the suit's headpiece. "The only good part about wearing this thing is that I can't burn my hands." She shut the door. "But I still don't see what a face mask, face shield, and some gloves won't solve." She eyed Lincoln, who made a weak smile. "Dude, you look like hell..."
"Apparently, storms can bring the flu." The Loud chuckled, which earned him a mild coughing fit.
The tomboy rolled her eyes. "Not really, unless you tripped somewhere." Ronnie held the soup in one hand. "Think you're good enough to eat?"
"I have a stuffed nose and sore throat Ronnie Anne, not stomach pains." Lincoln pointed out as she walked over.
"Really, cause you looked like you almost threw up your dinner last night." She chided as she set a small food tray over his lap before setting the bowl and spoon down.
Lincoln picked up the utensil and stirred the soup a little. Chicken Noodle with some liquid medicine mixed in. He filled the spoon and put it in his mouth; his face turned red as steam erupted from his ears.
The Latina made an amused smile. "Should've blown on it first."
"Well, the quicker I eat it," Lincoln spoke with the spoon still in his mouth. He swallowed the portion after a few seconds. "The sooner I might get better. Getting sick sucks, but it'll suck even more if I don't get better before we all head to that resort."
"True..." Ronalda put a hand on her hip. "Taking meds and soup only gets you along so much...hmmm..." Tapping her foot, "Usually whenever I get sick, Abuela makes something for me, and I get better within a day or so..."
Lincoln raised a brow.
"Don't worry about it too much." She patted his head. "Stinky." The girl teased.
Lincoln chuckled. "You try being on bed rest for two days straight."
"Pfff, lightweight. Try a week." The tomboy teased back, then lightly bopped the white-haired teen's cheek with the protective face covering of her suit. It was the closest thing he could get to a kiss, which made Lincoln blush; though it was hard to tell whether it was because of the soup or herself. Turning to leave, "I'll check on ya in an hour."
Lincoln nodded. "Not like I'm going anywhere." He dipped the spoon in the soup again, this time blowing on it to cool it down.
When Ronnie closed the door behind her, she was immediately sprayed with cleaning chemicals by Lisa's intimidating robot. Initially startled, the tomboy glared at the robot. "Seriously?..."
"ALL CLEAN! ALL CLEAN!" Mr. Reinforced Titanium Alloy Arms announced before remaining at its post next to Lincoln's door.
Ronalda rolled her eyes again before popping the headpiece of the suit off, wrinkling her nose in disgust as the lingering smell of Lysol and Clorox disrupted her senses. Hanging the headpiece on a rack, Ronnie Anne took the rest of the suit off, showing she was still wearing her day clothes underneath. The space in front of Lincoln's room (but just short of Lisa and the twins' rooms) was turned into a small quarantine station, including setting up protective walls to seal the area off just in front of his door to prevent contamination spreading. Ronalda still felt it was going overboard, especially as she recalled what happened to Lincoln's room during a certain incident many wished not to bring up; and who could blame her? Locking up Lincoln's room like was tainted with a 'curse' was just another quarantine measure.
Lynn understood her reasoning and was quick to tell her this solution was much different. Sure, the sick were singled out; but it was for good reason.
"One time I got sick after school, and it was hard for everyone to get past my room just to use the upstairs bathroom. Heck, Lincoln could barely squeeze past the station when Lana's dumpster diving schtick finally caught up with her." Were Lynn's exact words. As much as she wanted to argue, Ronnie did admit it was a good way to limit the spread of illness in the house. And it would be a huge problem if the family had to postpone their plans because of everyone getting sick.
In spite of the parallels she drew from the bad luck incident, the family's reactions between the two moments were polar opposites. The girls would often take turns bringing Lincoln his meals when he felt good enough to eat, Lisa would be monitoring his vitals every few hours, Lynn would empty his trash can when it got full (which was often), and the parents (who still had to rake in money for the trip) would call in every few hours to check on their son; Ronnie spent the last two days feeding him breakfast when she got back from doing his side job. And now she was mentally kicking herself for not bringing it up to him minutes ago.
"Eh, we'll talk later." She shrugged, unzipping the makeshift door of the station and closing it up behind her. Ronnie Anne wrinkled her nose a little as her earlier spraying still lingered. "I better call Abuela..." She walked to the room she was currently staying in. "Cause if I have to get sprayed with disinfectant one more time, I'm gonna pass out..."
Whilst Ronnie went back into her room to get her phone, Sid walked out of the dining room with a cup of orange juice in hand. She took a small sip before sighing in content. Sporting band-aids on her scratches and having been through the shower, she looked almost like nothing crazy happened in the last two hours. Lily was sitting alone on the couch, too engrossed in the cartoons on the TV to notice anything around her. It was one of those days where the twins had their friends to keep them occupied, leaving the youngest Loud as Couch Commando. Deciding to join her, Sid shuffled on over to the couch; she stopped when she was at the couch arm when the doorbell rang. Glancing at the front door in confusion, Sid decided to answer; she figured it couldn't have been one of the Louds since they'd have a key.
Plus, the door was still unlocked.
Pulling it open, the Chang girl nearly spilled her cup upon recognizing the arrival.
"Hi, uh, Sid was it?" Stella greeted with a kind wave before rubbing the back of her head. "Sorry, I'm still rough with remembering new names."
"Yes! Hi!" Sid offered her hand for a handshake, which Stella accepted. "By the way, the door was open."
The Filipino raised a brow. "Really? Isn't that kind, unsafe?"
Sid shrugged. "Everyone's been kinda in and out today, so it's just left like that." She stepped back a few feet to let Stella into the house. "So, what brings you around here?"
"Well, most of the guys were either busy or in Lincoln's case, under the weather." She looked up the empty stairs. "How's he doing by the way?"
"Mmmmmm, you'd have to ask Ronnie Anne, cause she's feeding him right now."
"Well," Stella shuffled a little on the spot. "If you guys aren't too busy, I was thinking we could...you know, have a girls day out?"
Sid made a gasp. "Totally!" She gulped down the rest of her OJ. "Give me a sec." She dashed into the kitchen to drop the cup in the sink, then sped up stairs, leaving a trail of smoke behind her.
Stella blinked in surprise. "Wow, Sid is like the energetic girl to Ronnie's laid-back persona."
"Huh?" Lily suddenly asked, just now becoming aware of her surroundings. She smiled brightly upon noticing the raven-haired girl standing near the door. "Oh, hey Stella! When'd you get here?"
Ronnie found her phone sitting on the bed of the bunk, quickly grabbing it and opening up her contacts. "She shouldn't be too busy today..." She pressed the number that was her grandmother's cellphone, then waited for a moment as the dial tone buzzed.
There was some fumbling on the line before Ronnie got an answer. "Hello?"
"Hola Abuela." Ronnie greeted. "Cómo estás?"
Rosa could be heard giggling to herself. "Oh I'm fine, just out getting some things for lunch today. How about you? Is Lincoln keeping you occupied?"
Ronnie could practically see the grin on the elderly woman's face as she said that. Rolling her eyes, "Pfff. Bueno, lo era hasta que intentó correr a casa bajo la lluvia hace un par de días."
"Hm. Someone's been practicing their Spanish I see." Rosa chuckled. "¿En la lluvia? El pobrecito probablemente tiene un resfriado..."
"Eh..." Ronalda waved her free hand. "Por la forma en que ha estado sollozando y tosiendo, probablemente también sea gripe."
"¿Ha sido alimentado con algo para ayudar con su enfermedad?"
"Solo un poco de sopa y medicina, lo de siempre." Ronnie lied back on the bed. "Aunque el mayor problema aquí es que todos iremos a ese resort en unas dos semanas, y nadie sabe si Lincoln estará mejor para entonces."
"Ya veo, ya veo. Entonces, estás buscando algo para acelerar el proceso, ¿eh?" Shuffling was heard for a brief moment. "¡Bien, ha llamado a la persona adecuada para el trabajo!"
Ronalda deadpanned. "Espero que no implique frotarle pescado o lo que sea..."
Rosa couldn't help but laugh. "No no no, eso es para las erupciones. Pero consigue una pluma nieta; Solo tengo la solución para ti."
"Oookay." Ronalda looked around the room before walking over to Luan's desk. She saw a pen on the desktop, but nothing to write with. "Let's see..." She opened one of the top drawers. A small notepad with some unfinished jokes sat on top of a few prank items that seemed to be thrown in there. "Luan could use an organizer or, something..." She shut the drawer. "Entonces, ¿qué estabas diciendo abuela?"
As Rosa began relaying her instructions, Ronnie Anne didn't notice the rapid footsteps approaching the door. It burst open as she was writing, making the pen scrape along the paper as the tomboy jolted.
"Hey Ronnie Anne!" Sid spoke, then catching the notepad in her hand. "Whatcha doin'?"
Ronnie looked down at the paper, a frown spreading across her lips as she inadvertently drew a line over some of the words she wrote. Putting up a finger, "Gimme me a minute Sid." She told her bestie, then focused on her phone. "What was that last one Abuela?..." The tomboy squinted an eye as she wrote something down, then looked over the list. "You sure this will work? All this stuff seems pretty spicy..."
"Trust me dear. It worked like a charm when Maria thought she would be ill for weeks. As soon as I fed that dish to her, she was up and running by the end of the day."
The raven-haired girl looked over the list one more time. "If you say so." She tore the paper out of the notepad, folding it twice before stashing it in her pocket. "Thanks Abuela, love you." As soon as she ended the call, "So what is it?"
"Stella's asking if you wanna hang today since everyone else is busy."
"Welllll," Ronnie tilted her head slightly. "Maybe later? I'm gonna try something so Lame-O stops being bed ridden."
"That was Ms. Rosa right?" Sid tilted her head to the side as Ronnie nodded. "Do you have to rub fish on his arms or-"
"Thankfully, no." Ronnie pulled the list from her pocket. "Though it involves mixing a bunch of spicy stuff into a soup to help get rid of his cold."
Sid leaned over and looked at the list. "Wow, ten Serrano Peppers?! I hope he doesn't have to eat them whole..."
"Nope. Abuela's gonna text me a-" Ronalda stopped when she heard a ping from her phone. She glanced at it to see a text message from Rosa. Opening the app, she found a lone link in the text box. Based on the URL, it came from a word document. "She just texted me a recipe for a soup she makes that typically cures colds fast."
"Does it really work?"
Ronnie shrugged. "Dunno, but it worked for Mom a few times." She pocketed her phone. "My only concern is that the store doesn't have what I need. It'll probably be Link's dinner, since he effectively stopped eating lunch for now." She walked over to where her suitcase sat next to the wall.
"By later, how late are we talkin'?" Sid asked. "Cause I don't want you to miss out on all the fuuuuun.~" She sang out the last word.
The Hispanic girl shrugged. "If the store has everything, it shouldn't take me no more than an hour." Ronnie Anne pulled out her skateboard. It was her newest one that had the logo for Twelve is Midnight coated in glitter and embedded on the bottom in between the wheels. The top of the board was covered in a black, asphalt-like gritty surface to increase the friction between the owner and the board to prevent slipping off.
"Well, since you're going, hurry back girl." Sid ordered playfully, lightly jabbing her bestie in the shoulder.
Ronalda scoffed. "If anything, I might come back to you guys talking about robots again."
"HAH HAH, YES! MELON LORD WINS AGAIN!" A shout echoed across the backyard of a certain house with five energetic kids.
"No fair Pam! You always use that move first!" One kid shouted.
"Not my fault your just weaker Keith." Pam spoke with a smug grin.
"It is a low blow to be using your finisher so early." A Loud spoke. "Time it wrong, and you'll be the one on the mat Pam." Her voice was calm, but carried a chiding undertone.
"Pfff, when's the last time you did any wrestling Lynn?"
Lynn smirked. "Is that a challenge?"
"You wouldn't last five seconds Melon Lord." Stevie called out with a chuckle. "Back up that horse while you still can."
"MELON LORD NEVER BACKS DOWN FROM A CHALLENGE!" Pam declared, beating her chest as if she were an ape.
Lynn made a shrug as she eyed the luchador mask hanging off her fingers. "Don't say you weren't warned." She chuckled evilly before slipping the mask on. She pulled on the edges a bit to adjust her hair under the fabric. "This thing's a little tighter than I thought. Might need to get new masks soon." The Loud thought to herself as she climbed through the ropes.
Lynn didn't expect to do much this morning besides taking turns with her other sisters looking after her brother; then Mrs. Fox called saying she needed to head into work for a few hours and needed someone to watch her kids. As always, Lynn was the go-to person when it came to the Fox quintuplets. When the girls made extra cash doing sitter jobs, she often heard complaints from her older sisters about how rambunctious they could be; but if Lynn were being honest with herself, she felt her sisters were just holding back.
Well, except Leni; she's just too nice. But if those kids saw how Luan was on April Fools, they'd definitely listen to her.
The first time she met them, Lynn sized them up and figured out their game: give them an inch, and they'll eat you alive. To combat this, she made it very clear that she was the alpha and it would be best not to try her patience. No going Drill Sergeant like Lori used to, but she let her old, competitive self come out to play; perhaps the only time she'd willingly let her excessive ego run the show. And in doing so, Lynn learned that these kids were similar to Lana and Lily. If they got too excited, she'd tire them out with fun exercises; and if they did their chores, she'd reward them with piggyback rides or other kid friendly activities.
If they were really nice, she'd let them do whatever they pleased so long as nothing got broken.
Today, the Fox kids were full of energy since their breakfast consisted of cereal and doughnuts their dad left out. So, she felt a round of Lucha Libre was in order; good thing she came prepared with the masks. And Pam once again needed to learn some manners; the oldest of the group she may be, but while Lynn didn't show it, she didn't like how Pam frequently targeted her weaker siblings. It wasn't bullying, per se, but Lynn knew first-hand how quickly it could get out of control.
Watching the kids wrestle each other reminded the Loud of how she forced Lincoln into doing exercises or activities he wasn't comfortably physically capable of doing; they were all easy victories for her as he didn't put much effort or was outclassed...
"Maybe one day, I'll talk with her so she doesn't become how I used to be." Lynn noted as she struck a fighting pose. "So, Melon Lord, think you have what it takes to take on the myth, the legend, the champ, Lunatic Lynn?!" The teen boasted with vigor.
"You're going DOWN Lunatic!" Pam yelled before charging head first at her opponent.
Lynn smirked beneath her mask and simply stood still, not bothering with trying to mount a defense. Pam crashed into her, making Lynn falter slightly, but she otherwise stood firm. Pam pushed against Lynn's chest in an attempt to knock her down to the mat, but the Loud simply dug her heels into the floor, stopping whatever momentum Pam had generated.
"Is that all you got?" Lynn taunted.
"I'm just getting-woah!" Pam was cut off as Lynn wrapped her arms around the girl's midsection and effortlessly lifted her off the mat. She kept leaning back until gravity took over, causing both wrestlers to hit the floor hard with their backs.
"Oooooo..." The rest of the Fox kids winced as Pam groaned.
Noticing that Lynn was still wrapped around her torso, she quickly attempted to pry herself free.
"Nope." Lynn spoke as she brought Pam closer, bringing her arms higher until they were locked around the smaller girl's head. "You woke the wrong dog, didn't ya Melon face?"
"Melon, Lord!..." Pam quipped as she squirmed around, clawing at Lynn's arms. "Will prevail! Just!" She turned her body, feeling herself slipping out. "Let me!" She finally slipped out under Lynn's arms, shooting up in triumph. "HAH HAH!" She cackled, then turned to Lynn. "Now you'll-"
"Hey Melon Head," Lynn called out as she stood up. Pam's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the teen held out a familiar piece of fabric in her hand. "Lose this?"
Pam touched her face. Instead of feeling the leather and cloth hide of her mask, she felt the creamy skin and curly hair that it was supposed to cover.
She unintentionally unmasked herself.
Pam fell to her knees as this realization hit her. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" She shouted into the sky.
"And guess what happens to maskless losers?" Lynn spoke in a mocking and intimidating tone.
Color started to drain from Pam's face as her pupils shrank. "Um...can we talk this out?"
"Mouth flapping is for the weak!" Lynn boasted. "The strong express their feelings in their moves." Lynn crouched down. "HIYAAAAAH!" She shouted as she jumped towards Pam.
Pam let out a scream as she turned to run, only for Lynn to grab the back of her shirt before tossing her into the ropes that lined the ring. The ropes stretched outward as Pam's momentum was slowed, then (as one of Isaac Newton's laws of motion put it) the ropes flung her back into the ring with the same force Lynn had thrown her with. Pam's screams of terror were cut short as the wind was knocked out of her, courtesy of Lynn close lining her in the chest.
As Pam wheezed on the mat, Lynn jumped and perched herself on one of the ring posts. "And now for the finishing move: PSYCHO!" Lynn jumped into the air, spreading her limbs out as she dived towards her prey. "SMASH!"
Pam curled into a ball as she witnessed doom itself falling upon her. "I surrender! I surrender!" She shouted.
"It is TOO LATE for-" Lynn cut herself off unexpectedly as her head shook. Looking down, her eyes widened before tucking her legs in, making her upper half lean closer to the ground, and put her hands out. They planted themselves on either side of Pam's head as they absorbed the shock of hitting the mat; Lynn's arms bent at least half way as she stopped herself from hitting Pam entirely. Pam felt Lynn's mask lightly brush her face before the Loud front flipped away from the oldest of the quintuplets, landing on her feet a few inches away.
"Woah." The boys gawked in awe.
"And winner by forfeit is, LLLLLLLUNATIC LYNN!" Steve shouted loud enough to get his brother's attention. One of them took out his phone and played a bell chime.
Lynn had her hands pressed against her lower back as she bent forward, feeling minor relief as tension on her spine eased a little. Turning, she found Pam still on the floor, coming out of her defensive position once she heard the bell.
Pam groaned in annoyance and defeat as she pulled her legs under her. "Hey." Lynn spoke. Pam looked up to see the Loud holding her hand out. Pam gingerly grabbed it, with the teen pulling her to her feet. "Nice fight."
Pam looked at Lynn as if she was from another planet. "What are you talking about? I got trashed in there!" She folded her arms as her face pouted. "Should've known better than to take on Lunatic Lynn when I wasn't ready..."
"Ah," Lynn patted Pam on back, wincing a bit as the young girl had been jerked forward. "You'll get there some day." She eyed Keith. "Though ya ought to practice with people who are around your strength level. Constantly targeting those weaker than you never yields good results."
"Still..."Pam turned to her. "Why didn't you finish it? You could've easily pinned me to the floor."
"Actually, she looked like she was about to send you into the center of the earth." Steve chuckled.
"Yes Lynn. Why did you have to be a fucking buzzkill and ruin THE BEST body slam of all time?" A voice snarled deep within Lynn's psyche.
"Fuck off! I warned you what would happen if you got out of control, and you nearly crushed her!" Lynn mentally snarled back.
"Why should I care about such a weakling? She's just another stone to step on." The voice chided back.
"See? That RIGHT THERE is what I'm talking about. You don't give two shits about anything other than winning!"
"You act like that's a BAD thing. If I remember not so long ago, we were one in the same." There was a large amount of snark in the voice's tone.
"So you still don't care that our family nearly broke up FOREVER because of what that led to?..." Lynn's patience was beginning to run out.
"Lynn?..." The brunette felt a tug on her sleeve, bringing her back into the outside world. Looking down, she saw Pam wincing as she tried pulling her hand off the space between her shoulder and neck. "Y-You're starting to hurt..."
Lynn went wide-eyed before quickly releasing the girl. "S-Sorry!" She stammered out. She had been so caught up in her own head that she didn't realize she was subconsciously gripping Pam tighter and tighter.
"Are you ok?" The young girl raised a brow. "You looked like you were...weirding out."
"Yeaaaah..." Lynn drew out. "Just uh..." She took her mask off. "Just had something on my mind in the moment."
Pam squinted an eye, debating whether she should press further. However, she became distracted when she and everyone else heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
"Mom's home!" One of the boys shouted.
Lynn released a breath she was unaware she had been holding. "Saved by the parent for once." She muttered to herself.
The kids and Lynn spent a few minutes dismantling the makeshift arena, pulling the mats into the basement through the backyard door. Minutes later, the quintuplets were piling into the car as their mother was talking to Lynn. "Thank you SOOO much for coming on short notice!" Mrs. Fox told her as she handed Lynn a wad of bills held together by a paperclip.
"It was nothin'." Lynn brushed off the gratitude as she accepted the money, taking a few seconds to count it. She raised a brow upon her finding. "Uh, no offense, but what's the extra $50 for?"
"Well, given how it's summer and kids your age usually have plans these days," Mrs. Fox spoke, somewhat getting lost in her words as she recalled the days when she was a teenager. "That's my apology for disrupting any plans you had, and for coming by on short notice." Putting her hands on her hips, "Didn't expect to get called in today, but that's what happens when you have an unreliable coworker..." She put a smile on her face. "But at least we can always depend on the Louds to lend a hand."
Lynn made a kind smile. "Always happy to be of service." She made a mock salute.
Mrs. Fox turned and pulled the driver door of the car open. "See you next time Lynn!" She waved before climbing in. Lynn made a wave as the car backed out the driveway and sped down the street, tires screeching with smoke building up behind them.
"Wonder where they're headed so fast." She muttered to herself. "I mean, honestly, I didn't have any real plans today besides just hang around the house." Lynn pocketed the money and started walking towards home.
"Oh gag me. Always happy to be of service? Please, you wouldn't have came over if she wasn't paying you $70 to watch those brats."
"Shows what you know..." Lynn scolded to no one in particular. "Unlike my siblings, I have a way with those kids." She corrected her inner voice.
"Oh really? You know what you'd be doing right now at this time of year? Baseball. Soccer. Heck, Volleyball is pretty tempting right now. Beach is hot as hell, but maybe a little ritual for the Volleyball gods-"
Lynn's nostrils flared as a growl rose from the depths of her throat. Her hands formed into fists as she said, "There's no such thing as sports gods. So FUCK YOU, and FUCK ME for even thinking such bullshit existed!"
"Pfft. This again? They DO exist. How else do you explain the fact you won the next few games after-"
"God, I wish I could reach into my head and strangle the hell out of you..." The Loud spat venomously. "I told you before: I wised up and actually practiced instead of doing those pointless rituals..."
The voice inside her head made a haughty laugh. "Lying will get you nowhere sister. We both know you dropped sports cold turkey after your leg healed. You actually PERFECTED the rituals, and got everyone else on the team to do the same. And we won big time in that double header years ago."
"That's not what I-!"
"And if we kept it up, we'd have dominated ANY sport we played in." There was a brief pause. "Well, it would've been that way if Stinkoln-"
"Shut up..." Lynn had a hateful gaze directed at the ground.
"IF Stinkoln kept that suit on. Still can't believe he nearly tore the family apart just because-"
"SHUT UP..." Lynn ordered as her face started to become a shade of red.
"Just because he didn't want to be stuck in a suit all the time. It was HIS idea to be in that suit at that one game, right? Not our fault he didn't think shit through; like he always does. If we ever find that suit again, you ought to stuff him back in it, and super glue it shut until we THINK he's learned his lesson. It's the reason why you're being too much of a coward to go back to sports, right?"
"ARRRRGGGGH!" Lynn shouted into the sky, gripping the sides of her head hard enough that she could feel bits of hair being pulled off her scalp. Steam was practically pouring from her ears as she shut her eyes tightly, exposing gnashing teeth to the world. Listening to that demon side of her list all the terrible things she'd do to her brother was a personal hell she wished she'd wake up from.
The world around her suddenly became very painful as the nerves in her forehead sent rapid pain signals to her brain. Even though her eyes were closed, the Loud felt her vision briefly whiten out before it settled back to its natural color. Lynn stumbled backwards as she brought a hand towards the now sore spot on her head. "Ugh...dammit..." She opened an eye, seeing the black, chalky texture of a lamppost just a couple feet from her face.
When Lynn moved her eyebrows, her forehead became agitated and flared with pain. "Ahhh, fuck...that's gonna leave a mark..." She muttered to herself.
"You ok uh...Lynn was it?" A voice that Lynn didn't recognize asked.
Shifting her gaze to the right, there was a redhead girl with curly hair with a yellow band on her head. She wore a turquoise...or was it regular blue? Lynn couldn't tell the exact shade but she knew it was a blue short-sleeved blouse with jean shorts to match. It took a moment to realize the girl was Lincoln's former crush Cristina. She rarely saw the girl, but knew she was one of Lincoln's friends when the whole group hung out at the house.
"Yeah..." Lynn mumbled, rubbing her forehead before putting her hands at rest. A red mark was visible just above her eyes.
"Oooo...you may want to put that on ice."
"Thanks for the heads up..." The Loud answered, half annoyed. "Anyways, what's up?"
"Just passing through." Cristina shrugged. "Normally I don't ask anyone but...you want to hang out today?"
Lynn looked at the girl in surprise and some suspicion. She might've hung with Lincoln and some of his friends before, but she didn't really want to make it a frequent venture. Being the oldest person in a group by two years just makes things awkward for her; she hardly called herself sharing the group's interests, no matter how hard Lincoln tried getting her into watching more anime. Out of her brother's group, Lynn was closer to Ronnie, her brother, and Clyde due to his attempts at helping her; everyone else was somewhat of an enigma.
"Uh..." Lynn paused. "Maybe some time later?" She wanted to say no, but felt it would've been too harsh of an answer.
"Ok, that's fine." Cristina walked past Lynn. "See ya later!" She called out.
Lynn just made a light wave before continuing back to her house. She squinted her eyes as her forehead started to throb again. "Fuck, this hurts..."
Meanwhile...
Ronnie exited the super market, wiping a brow off her face as she carried a few shopping bags. "Ok..." She took a folded sheet of paper out of her pocket and unraveled it. "I got everything Abuela suggested; including some ripe seasoning some old lady in a scooter nearly took." She turned and made a glare at the elderly women, whom was watching her from the checkout line. The lady in question pointed two fingers at her eyes before pointing them at Ronnie Anne. Turning back to the list, "I hope I got the right peppers though. She said to 'get the peppers that are not too young, but not too old'." She pocketed the paper and looked inside one of the bags. Ten small green peppers were inside another plastic bag for easy transport and to avoid contamination. They measured roughly 2 inches to almost 6 inches in length. "I'm not botanist, but these look about the right size." Closing the bag, "And I swear, one of those peppers in there was growing a beard..." She stuck her tongue out in disgust as she closed the bag. "Annnd I also got a couple canned milks and veggies for the soup just in case." She opened up the second bag, looking at the 2 cans she bought. "I know Mr. Loud stocks up on food; but Lincoln did say food goes by pretty quick in that house."
The tomboy closed the bag, then took the plastic handles of each and tied them into a knot. Setting her backpack down, she put the food inside, making sure the soft items were on top so they didn't get damaged before zipping it up. Then, she reached into the top pocket of her backpack and took out her skateboard. It was no different than her previous board, except for the Twelve is Midnight logo that was on the bottom between the wheels. The girl made a wry smirk; to think at one point she was almost afraid to step on this again. Ronalda would admit she's not a pro; better than most, but not a pro. She was used to taking spills; it was just that during one particular time said spill resulted in being unable to walk for half a day. Either way, she was going to make sure she didn't do anything too risky, lest she damage the goods.
Setting the board on the ground, Ronnie planted a foot on it, balanced herself to keep the board in place, then pushed forward with the other. Moving at walking speed, Ronnie stuck her tongue out as she decided to kick it into gear. Her foot only touched the ground for a second as she pushed forward with greater force, moving up to nearly 10mph. Crouching slightly, she rode out of the parking lot and sped down the sidewalk. The house was about 15 minutes away, all the time she needed to enjoy the ride; especially since there was downward slope up ahead.
Doing an ollie as she jumped off the curb, she came back down on the road as started downhill, a hum emerging from her throat as she enjoyed the way the wind flowed through her hair whilst speeding up to 25 mph. She kept to the side to avoid any oncoming traffic, leaning her body left and right as needed to guide her path. A turn was coming up, and knowing how fast she was going, Ronnie knew she'd have to make it tight; just what she wanted. Sticking her hand out, she eyed the light post that sat on a street corner. When in range, she wrapped her hand around it and used her free hand to lift her board into the air. She spun on the lamppost for only a second before coming back down on the street she needed to go to. Traffic was starting to become heavier on this busy section, so she kickflipped back onto the curb, slowing down just enough to give herself better reaction time to avoid hitting someone.
The intersection Ronnie saw ahead had just gained a red light and was going to allow people to cross. However, it seemed one car almost tried to beat the light and sat right on the crosswalk. Grinning to herself, Ronnie sped up, weaving past a few random people before reaching the street. Upon nearing the car, she jumped off her board, vaulting over the car's roof as the skateboard slid under the bottom. The driver was undoubtedly upset, but the tomboy didn't care as she landed on her board right as it came out from under the car. Then, a burly-looking man came out with what looked like half of a large couch. Ronnie became wide-eyed as there was only a few seconds to avoid a hit. However, noting the space under the furniture, there was just enough to pass through it. Adjusting her feet, she leaned backwards; discomfort was evident on her face as her legs strained to support the awkward positioning. The man noticed her coming and told his partner to halt, only for Ronnie to slid under the couch with the fabric just inches from her nose.
"Ugh, that couch was dusty..." She spat, standing up straight to wipe her face.
Turning another corner, Ronnie entered the neighborhood as passed several houses. Putting her hands in her pockets, she lazily rode down the street until she could see the Louds' abode through another house's backyard. Instead of going around, Ronnie felt a shortcut was in order. Making a sharp left, she road down an open driveway as she passed the house and entered the backyard. A trampoline just happened to be set up nearby, with a slide close to her. Grinning to herself, Ronnie kicked off the ground to speed up, performing an ollie that allowed to land on the bottom of the slide. Her momentum kept her speed high as she sped up the incline, jumping off the top of the slide and landing in the center of the trampoline. The tomboy gained some much needed air as she performed a 720 gazelle flip, her board spinning in the air just inches from her feet. Reclaiming the board, Ronnie landed on the roof of the garage, skating off the downslope before landing in the grass.
"Woohoo!" She cheered to herself.
Startled barking was heard as Charles came out of his dog house. He looked around for the source of the noise before spotting Ronnie Anne stepping off her board. The small mutt ran to her, his tiny tail wagging excitedly.
"Hey Charles." Ronalda reached down and petted him as he attempted to climb her leg. "Easy boy. I know you probably want to play, but I got some important stuff to do. Maybe Lana will play with you when she gets back."
Charles whined, not enjoying the mud lover's version of "fun" from yesterday. Ronnie scratches his back, making the canine lie on his side. He then turns over as she rubs his belly for a few seconds before picking up her board and walk towards the back door; Charles snaps up and follows, bypassing the tomboy and going through the doggy door. Opening the door, Ronnie enters the kitchen and kicks the door shut, setting her bag on the ground.
Taking the first bag out, "Mmm...ok, no dents or bruises." Setting the peppers down, she takes the other two bags out. Opening one, "No dents..." She glances into the third bag. "Ok, now to put a note on this stuff so no one tries to eat it." Grabbing the bag, Ronnie puts them on the counter and walks towards the living room, keeping an eye out for some sticky notes.
The front door rattles, distracting her for a moment. Lynn steps through, and the younger tomboy couldn't help but notice the red shiner on her forehead. Cracking a smirk, "Hit a stop sign again?"
Lynn made a dry laugh. "Piss off." This made Ronnie laugh, to which Lynn rolled her eyes before disappearing into the dining room.
Ronalda scanned the coffee table and the computer desk, smiling when she found a tab of sticky notes and a pen next to them. As she started to write, her smile disappeared when very little ink made it onto the paper. "Of course...no ink..." Her phone chimed in her pocket. Pulling it out just enough to see the screen, Sid was calling her. "Hello?" Ronnie answered, grabbing the block of stickies before heading upstairs.
"Hey girl! You finished running your errand?" Sid asked.
"Pretty much, just finding something to write with."
"Alright. Hey, when you're done, me and Stella are at the mall. We also ran into Cristina!"
Ronnie raised a brow at the mention of the redhead. Initially, the relationship between herself and Cristina was awkward at best; the tomboy still remembered that time she practically stole Lincoln away from her before Cristina ever had a chance to talk to him, even going as far as to flip her off afterward. However, as their circle of friends grew, Ronnie felt the need to apologize for that brash moment in their history. Cristina wasn't one to hold a grudge, so she let it be; even coming to an understanding as to why Ronnie was acting so defensive back then.
As the tomboy reached the top step, she saw Lisa's robot still standing guard; unmoving, silent, save for the glowing eyes it had. Putting her task on hold, she decided to check on the ailing Loud. Opening the temporary plastic door, Mr. Reinforced Robot Arms or whatever Lisa called him stared at her.
"STATE YOUR PURPOSE!" It shouted, which made Ronnie annoyed.
"I'm checking on Lincoln, what does it look like I'm doing?" She brushed past it to open the door.
"HALT!" The robot blocked her path with an arm. "PROPER PROTECTION IS REQUIRED TO ENTER LIVING SPACE!"
"Oh come on," Ronnie grabbed the arm and tried to move it out the way. "It's only going to be a second."
"NEGATIVE!" The robot then turned its other hand into a cannon or hose before aiming it at Ronnie, surprising the tomboy. "PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED, OR YOU RISK CONTAMINATION!"
Ronnie stared at the hose for a moment, unsure whether it was just filled with more sanitizing spray or something more...lethal...you could never tell with Lisa. However, old habits kicked in as she didn't like being threatened by a tin can. Giving a growl, "Fine..." She turned and grabbed a hazmat suit. "But after this, I'm getting Sid to dismantle your stupid metal ass..." She muttered, slipping her feet in before pulling the upper body of the suit over herself.
She fitted the helmet on, foot tapping impatiently as the large robot finally removed its hand from the door. "Hmph..." She scoffed before opening the door. Poking her head in, she found that Lincoln had fallen asleep again; the food tray sat on his nightstand with the bowl empty. She was a little surprised that Lincoln hadn't stirred from the stupid robot's yelling. Due to the low number of people in the house, Ronnie Anne noticed how quiet it was in the boy's room; she couldn't help but frown as she heard the way he was breathing.
It was quite labored and uneven, like he was struggling to get air into his lungs.
Would also explain why his mouth was open slightly. Glancing at the empty bowl, "Guess the soup didn't help much..." She grabbed the tray. "I hope Abuela's recipe helps..." She heard Lincoln cough, switching over to him and caught his body convulsing a little. She was no stranger to seeing Lincoln (or anyone else in her family) ill, but she still hated how much he was suffering. Lincoln made a groan as he turned onto his side, his back facing her. Giving a sigh, she turned and walked out the door, softly closing it so she wouldn't wake him.
However, as she was about to leave the little temp room in front of Lincoln's door, Mr. Alloy Arms grabbed the tray as the head of the robot popped open like a hatch. It put the tray inside before what sounded like a washing machine was heard. During this time, it sprayed Ronnie Anne with sanitizing chemicals.
The tomboy growled. "How about saying please before snatching stuff from me?"
Downstairs, Lynn emerged from the dining room, holding an ice pack to her forehead. She was considering lying down until her bruise healed over, but was forced to put that on hold when the house phone started ringing. "Ugh, what now?..." She grumbled before yanking the receiver off the base. Her annoyance was lost when she recognized the number on the digital face.
Mom.
Pressing the green button, "Hey Mom." The brunette greeted.
"Hi sweetie, is everything ok there?"
Lynn shrugged, starting to pace around. "It's quiet for one. I know Leni's working, Lori's out for a bit, haven't seen lucy or Thing 1 and 2; probably out with their friends I guess." She sat on the couch. "Lily might be sleeping."
"Actually, Lucy took her to the park. I asked her too so Lily doesn't get bored and causes a mess like last time."
"By mess, you mean blow the roof off the house?" Lynn said dryly.
"My point exactly...anyway, how's Lincoln doing?"
"Well, Ronnie Anne fed him breakfast this morning; and she hadn't said whether he's gotten better or worse." Lynn crossed her legs as she took the ice pack off her head. "Haven't checked him myself yet, though it looks like Ronnie's making him dinner too since she bought some stuff from the store."
Rita raised a brow. "What kind of stuff?"
"If I had to guess, something her grandma suggested."
"Ah, I see. Well, if she think it'll help, then I'm all for it. I'd hate to postpone our trip because Lincoln is still under the weather...but if it comes to that, I don't think a few days would kill us." Mom explained. "Anyway, are you in to anything today?"
"Well, I had to babysit the Fox kids on short notice, so I just got back a minute ago."
"Uh huh. Do you have any...I don't know, plans to hang with your friends today?"
Lynn felt her stomach tighten at the mention of her friends. It wasn't that she didn't talk with Margo, Polly, Paula, and the others; she just hadn't hung with them in a few months. Part of the reason being that all of her friends were still into sports, and she felt like the odd woman out since she still refused to reenter that arena. Not only that, Margo had been asking if something else was bothering Lynn that was preventing her from getting into sports. The brunette knew very well what it was, but...
She just wasn't comfortable telling Margo, or anyone else, the truth.
Besides, how would her friends react if she told them the reason she quit sports was because she let her ego nearly destroy their family? Or get her brother killed no less? What would they think of her then?
"Lynn?"
Lynn shook her head. "S-Sorry Mom, uhhh..." She tried to think of an answer.
"I'm gonna assume it's been a while." Rita stated. "Look, honey. I don't want to pressure you, and honestly I thought I wouldn't have to say this to YOU of all people, but you really should get out the house more often."
The teen deadpanned. "Mom, I already do. Why do you think I go on jogs almost every morning?"
"Not just with exercising Lynn, I mean that you need to SOCIALIZE. And I don't just mean going to Clyde's house for therapy." Lynn squinted an eye in confusion. "It's not hard to see that holing yourself is hurting yourself more than anything, and as a girl growing up, it's important to have a group of friends you can trust and have talks with. You see that your older sisters do, and so does Lincoln and your younger sisters; even Lucy has her Morticians Club." There some shuffling on the line before Rita continued. "I'm not trying to force you sweetheart, but it may do some good for you if you were able to reconnect with your old friends. Lori used to be socially awkward in middle school before she met a few nice girls, and she practically became a different person; more independent and confident in herself...as well as a phone addiction..."
Lynn made a nod.
Rita glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. "Honey, you may not trust yourself that much since the 'Luck' incident; but you've become sooo much more mature than you would've been otherwise. I...no, all of us just don't want you to hold yourself back anymore. Plus, it's summer vacation; you should be out enjoying yourself." She leaned against the wall. "In three years, you'll be graduating high school and probably be off to college, and myself and your father would like for you to enjoy the most of it while you can. I'm sure you've heard Lori complain about how difficult living in a dorm is."
Lynn made a crestfallen gaze. "Yeah..."
Rita removed the phone from her ear and looked at the time. "I gotta go dear. Please consider my advice, ok? Love you. Oh, and Luan said she was coming over in a few."
Lynn nodded. "I will. Love you too." The teen responded before the line went dead. As she lowered the phone, "Luan's coming home for a bit huh?" She shrugged.
Lynn set the phone down next to her. Part of her did want to reconnect with her social circle, but she hadn't a clue on how to do it. Most interactions within the last couple years involved passing glances in the hall, working on school projects, or seeing the occasional movie and such. In fact, she hadn't hung out with any of her regular friends since spring break; that run in with Margo last week was the first time they spoke in person in...what? 13 days? And while Lynn wouldn't say it out loud...
She was afraid...
Sure, there was the fact her friends might spread the word of what her family did; everyone who knew about that bad moment in history shared that dread. But what scared Lynn more was the fact her friends would abandon her...leaving her as a social outcast; then it'd be middle school all over again.
"Cute. Middle school was a rough ride. But we showed all those chumps whose callin' the shots around there."
Lynn made an annoyed frown, but didn't respond.
"What? No sassy comeback? Or you admit that it was fun putting all those losers in their place?"
"...Fighting off bullies was one thing..." Lynn's face became sullen. "Becoming ONE of them wasn't something I wanted..."
"Who says we were? Stinkoln? If I remember correctly, the whole reason we were hard on him was to prepare him for the hell hole 6th grade was."
"Preparing him for what exactly? Aside from dealing with the Hoff, sixth grade was a breeze for him." A wry smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "If anything, I'd say the only thing you prepared him for was for getting tired of our shit. No surprise he was actually able to put me out of commission for a month."
A growl was heard inside her head. "He cheated with that cheap bite to the ankle..."
"What's wrong?" Lynn started to grin. "Mad he got the better of us? Besides, if it weren't for the fact I took a nut shot at him he would've beaten us fair and square."
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
"Should've taken the time to do it to him again on the way home; busted ankle or not!"
Lynn wasn't really paying attention as footsteps echoed in the living room. Turning her head slightly, she saw Ronnie Anne coming down with a pen and some sticky notes in hand. She wore her regular attire, just having her purple hoodie tied around her waist. The younger tomboy had a slightly agitated look on her face as she hit the ground floor, turning into the dining room immediately after.
Lynn pursed her lips together as her inner voice kept yapping. "Hey, are you listenin-"
"Shut up, I'm thinking." The brunette pushed her self reflection at bay. Before Santiago was out of range, she heard her mentioning that she was going to hang out with Sid later; and probably one of Lincoln's other friends given how the Chang girl shouted over the phone. "Hmm...I may not be ready to hang with my old crew just yet...but maybe hangin' with Lincoln's friends might help me 'build confidence' like Mom said." She frowned. "Ew...just made it sound like I'm using them for gain..."
She turned to the dining room. "Hey R.A.!"
"What?" Ronnie called back.
"You headin' out again?"
"Yeah?" Ronalda came out of the dining room. "Why?"
"Um..." Lynn's fingers tapped the sofa cushions. "Mmm...mind if I join you?"
Ronnie raised a brow, but before she could answer, the front door swung open. "Hey hey hey! Whose ready to laugh?" Spoke the voice of the family comedian.
