Hi guys! I'm back, after two weeks! Sorry for delay! Happy 2023!
This January, I'm slowed down, doing little work on DeviantArt. I need to reduce my workload and know what is most important for me to focus on.
Vallalkozo: Lincoln may not have written anything compromising, but he may have been afraid of being misunderstood. It's up to the sisters to find out!
wollyworld: Thanks for praise. There are even more Loud House fanfics out there.
Now let's see the Loud Detectives in action! Lola has a surprise in store for her too!
Enjoy!
Chapter 05:
Operation Notebook
The next day, the four sisters put "Operation Notebook" into action.
On school break, they interview Lincoln's 4 closest friends: Rusty, Liam, Stella and Clyde (they were 5, but Zach moved out after Lincoln's death).
"Lincoln was the brother I never had," Clyde relates, as Lola records his voice on her smartphone. "And he thought the same of me. He shared everything with me, including his most intimate secrets."
"Even the color of underwear?" Lola suggests slyly, making Clyde blush.
"Hmm… I think so," He smiles. "But he almost always wore white underpants."
"So you were Lincoln's Lincoln? The keeper of family secrets? Or, for that matter, his secrets?"
"At a certain point, yes. So we exchanged ideas about everything, including the franchises we wanted to produce."
"Franchises?"
"Yes. The superhero sagas, for example. There were several characters that we thought about creating. He also liked to create ideas for movies, series, games, reality shows... He was even inspired by Luna and composed some songs. His head was a factory of ideas that boiled non-stop."
"Maybe was the HD he had inside his head," Lola suggests.
"ADHD," Clyde corrects. "Yes, definitely. In fact, I think Lincoln would have to live 100 years if he wanted to see all of his projects..."
...
Clyde doesn't finish.
He takes off his glasses and wipes away his tears.
"Sorry."
Lola is also moved.
"No need to apologize."
She pulls two tissues papers from her box. One for her and one for Clyde.
"I… I can't talk anymore," He decides.
"Yes, I understand. Do you want a hug?" Lola offers.
"Of course."
Lola and Clyde hug for a minute.
"Well, I'll be going, Clyde. You'll be fine?"
"Yes I will. Send a kiss for Lori."
"I send to her. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome. See you."
"Same to you."
Lola and Lana sit at their captive table in the school cafeteria.
"Did you discover anything?" Lola asks.
"Yes," Lana reports. "I found that Liam's frog is as athletic as my Hops. He guarantees that his frog makes 10 jumps in less than 8 seconds, but he will have to prove. One day we'll visit his farm and then we'll have the biggest frog duel in the..."
"Lana!" Lola brings her sister back to reality. "Did you ask about Lincoln?!"
"Oh, it's true," Lana slaps her forehead. "The talk about exotic animals was so good that I forgot," She smirks.
"Well, this time passes. Let's wait for Lynn and Lucy to see what they..."
"Excuse me."
Lola is startled to see who has just sat down at table, bringing her own lunch.
"Lindsey? Lindsey Sweetwater?"
"Good day, Lola. Good day, Lana. I hope you're well."
"We are, thank you," Lana shakes Lindsey's hand, trying to be friendly.
Lola doesn't repeat the gesture.
"Hey, Lindsey, I think you got the table wrong," Lola already tries to dismiss her.
"No, I don't," Lindsey guarantees.
Lola looks around.
"So did we miss the table?"
"Not. I just wanted to sit at your table," Lindsey explains.
"Well, feel free," Lola says dryly, as she get up. "Come on, Lana. Let's eat at another table."
"But why?" Lana gets upset.
"Wait," Lindsey opens her lunch box. "I brought chocolate chip cookies."
"Hmm. Thanks," Lana licks her lips.
"Lana..." Lola tries to inhibit.
"You don't rule my stomach, Lola," Lana get rid of her twin.
"Get one too, Lola," Lindsey offers.
"I leave to you," Lola dismisses. "Quick, Lana."
"Okay."
"Hey!" Lindsey protests. "I meant I wanted to sit at your table, but WITH YOU!"
Lola and Lana grab their lunches and walk away from Lindsey.
"By the way… Nice dress, Lola," Lindsey tries to eulogize.
Lola doesn't answer.
The twins sit at another table and leave Lindsey to eat alone.
"Why did you do that, Lola? It cost nothing."
"Lana, do you trust Lindsey?"
Lana takes a quick look at Lindsey, who is eating quietly.
"I don't know. But since Lincoln died, she doesn't mess with you anymore."
"Of course not," Lola justifies. "That's because I stopped competing in Miss contests. Now she's been trying to get close to me so she can know all my professional secrets. And after everything she's done to me, do you really think I'm going to hand her now the pot of gold? Never."
"It's up to you."
Lola Loud and Lindsey Sweetwater, for a long time, were the biggest rivals of the beauty pageants. Lola and her friends got tired of facing Lindsey's traps and tricks, in a vain attempt to make the game as clean as possible. Not that Lola was an angel incarnate, but Lindsey never hesitated to harm anyone to get where she wanted to go.
So, after Lincoln's death, what Lola wanted least was the consolation of her archenemy. Any kind words, gestures or touches Lindsey might give would be seen by Lola as mere opportunism.
Lindsey figured that out, which is why she always opted for discretion.
The first sign was a bouquet of flowers that Lola received on her doorstep. The card said:
For a struggling girl. Your fight, dedication and courage have always amazed me. I'm sorry for the loss of your brother. Rest well and only come back when you can.
Love.
Lindsey.
Lola, full of disgust, denied the gift. But the flowers were too pretty to throw in trash, so she gave them to Lucy, the family florist (not without ripping the card first).
The second sign was when Lacey St. Clair humiliated Lola on the way out of school (Lana was at home with flu), stating that she had always considered Lola a boring and graceless model, and that since Lola had dropped out of pageants, she had lost that little charm she still had. Lola listened all in silence, without courage to fight back.
Lindsey, passing by, heard everything and confronted Lacey.
"Who are you to talk about Lola?"
"And who are you to defend her, Miss Lindsey?"
"I'm an expert in the art of beauty. And you have no morals to judge the beauty of anyone. Look at you: you should buy a mirror to see yourself every day. It would save you from talking so much nonsense."
"Aaahhh… I got it. You are Lola's archenemy, so only you can attack her. Well, find out: you are another mediocre model. If we combine you both, we don't have Tarzan's Cheetah."
"You better go, before I make you eat those words."
"Whatever. Have fun with your girlfriend. You two deserve each other," And Lacey went on her way.
As soon as she was out of sight, Lindsey turned her attention to Lola.
She was no longer there.
Lola ran home so that no one on the street would see her crying.
Lola recalls these two episodes as she and Lana eat their lunch. Is Lana right? Should Lola give Lindsey a chance? Or is better for her to follow her intuition?
She doesn't have the answer.
45 minutes after returning from school (enough time for all sisters to use the bathroom in the house), Lynn Jr., Lucy, Lola and Lana sit on the couch in the living room to do their report.
"Who starts?" Lynn asks, throwing a tennis ball to the ground over and over again with her hands.
"I'll do like a frog: I jump," Lana announces, good-naturedly. "Unless you're interested in putting together a scientific report about frogs."
Lynn and Lucy frown.
"I'm interested!" Lisa intervenes, climbing the staircase that leads to the second floor of the house.
The four girls shoot not exactly sympathetic glances at the little scientist.
"Okay, okay: I know when I'm not welcome," Lisa understands. "Technically, never."
She finishes climbing.
"Okay, I'll start," Lola anticipates. "Clyde told me he was Lincoln's guardian. They kept each other's most intimate secrets. And they exchanged a lot of ideas about what they wanted to do."
Lucy writes everything.
"Rusty, for his part, ensured that Lincoln was a living archive," Lynn continues. "He wasn't the type to record personal problems or other people's gossip in diaries or anything like that. He was almost a CIA agent: many secrets must have died with him. And just for record, Rusty asked me if I have free time this week. Poor boy…" She smiles.
Lucy concludes:
"Well, I saved the best for last: Stella informed me of a very interesting fact."
"What?" Lola and Lana ask at the same time.
"Lincoln once had several notebooks where he wrote down his ideas and organizational charts."
"Organ-WHAT?" Lola doesn't understand.
"It doesn't matter now," Lucy follows. "But one day he got tired and transcribed all his notebooks onto his laptop, with Stella's help. That was way before we found out about his illness. And he never bought another non-school notebook again."
"Then let's take a look at his laptop," Lana suggests.
"No way," Lucy shakes her head. "Think about: if his last wish before he died was to burn the orange notebook, then he couldn't have transferred its contents to his laptop."
"True," Lynn follows the reasoning. "Could be that notebook was already lost when he started scanning. And if he was still worried about destroying it, then he shouldn't have thrown it in the trash."
"Perhaps he hid it in some very secret place in the house," Lucy conjectures. "I would do it."
"Or you would have flushed the notebook, like you did with the novel of..."
"Lola!" Lana covers her sister's mouth. "Is not time to fight now!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Lucy ignore. "Anyway, we still have hope of finding the notebook."
All rejoice.
"No doubt," Lynn agrees. "Next step is to ask Dad, Mom and other sisters when was the last time they saw a notebook of..."
BING-BONG!
BING-BONG!
BING-BONG!
BING-BONG!
The investigation committee is interrupted by the sound of a bell.
Luan appears at the top of the stairs.
"Urgent meeting in Serjeant Lori's room! And whoever is absent is a Serjester! Get it?!"
The four girls shoot not exactly sympathetic looks at the comedian's double.
"SILENCE! Open session!" Lori Loud, the eldest sister of Loud Family, slams her shoe down on the table, with Leni standing beside her, keeping some distance.
They are watched by her sisters Luna, Luan, Lynn Jr., Lucy, Lola, Lana, Lisa and Baby Lily, all sitting in front of her.
"Lola, come here," Lori summons.
"What did I do?"
"It's okay, girl. The message is for you."
"To me?"
Lola gets up and walks to the "tribune".
Lori announces:
"Well, Lola, we know you don't like to beat around the bush, so let's get straight to the point."
"I think that's good."
"Leni and I…
...signed you in a new Miss Contest for the weekend!"
"YAAAAAHHHHH!" Luna, Luan, Lynn and Baby Lily scream with excitement!
Lucy, Lana and Lisa are silent.
Lola widens her eyes!
The room is silent again.
They all wait for Lola's answer.
After 10 seconds...
...Lola lets out the biggest scream in the world!
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
All sisters, their respective hairs standing on end, watch in shock as Lola throws herself to the floor and punches the ground several times.
"NO! NO! A THOUSAND TIMES NO! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?! I DON'T WANT ANYMORE! NEVERMORE!"
"Lola, you will always be the Miss of the Family," Leni tries to help, but no much.
"No! I'm not a Miss! And I'm not your slave!" Lola, quite irritated, turns to her twin. "Lana! Prepare a mud puddle for me to splash in!"
"With pleasure!" Lana jumps out of her chair.
"ORDER!" Lori repeatedly taps her shoe on the table. "No one leaves this room until further notice!"
Lola leaps onto the table, under the astonished gaze of her sisters, and grabs Lori by her blouse!
"How could you do this without consulting me?!"
"Lola: for your information, Leni started the story."
"WHAT?!" Leni is indignant.
"Sorry?" Lola lets go of Lori.
"Fight her," Lori points at Leni.
Suddenly, Lola frowns at Leni, the family stylist.
"So you were the one who came up with this idea of signing me up for a new Miss contest."
"Yes, was me. For your own good," Leni tries to justify.
Lola follows with her intimidating gaze.
Leni swallows hard.
Lola scratches her chin:
"Well, that only means one thing."
Lori smiles.
Lola pulls Lori's blouse again!
"YOU ARE THE BIG GUILTY, BECAUSE WHO HAS DECISION POWER IS YOU!"
Lori is shocked!
"Lost, Lori!" Leni smiles, crossing her arms. "We are much smarter than you think."
"UUUHHH!" All the sisters boo Lori!
She sighs and looks at the viewer:
"It's hard being everyone's Second Mother!"
Back on the ground, Lola just want to know one thing.
"Why?"
"Lola, you can't go on like this," Lori begins. "Who died was Lincoln, not you."
"What do you mean?"
"You've stopped living your life since Lincoln left," Leni goes on. "You dropped your vocation as a model and now..."
"You are in another dimension, aren't you?" Lola refutes.
"What? I got fat?!" Leni looks at her belly.
Lola turns to her other sisters:
"Luna: are you leaving me lifeless?"
"Hmm… I don't think so. I'm giving you violin lessons. And you've been progressing well."
"Correct. Lynn: are you leaving me lifeless?
"Well… I feel that our tennis and boxing training are having a positive effect on you."
"Correct. Lisa: are you leaving me lifeless?"
"Depends. If you call life being my lab assistant and getting blown up in the face all the time... Not to mention the probability that you'll suffer a genetic mutation."
"I don't care anymore!" Lola angrily clenches her fists. "If were up to me, I would turn into a crocodile right now!"
"You wouldn't change a thing," Lucy scoffs.
"What did you say?!"
"Shh!" Lana apart Lola. "Calm down, crocodile. Otherwise I'll have to tame you," She smiles.
"That's the point, Lola," Lori resumes. "You are denying what is best about you, which is your beauty and elegance."
"You've been doing so many different things that you don't even know which way to go with your life," Leni continues. "Everything you're doing is really good, but maybe you're wasting what you do best."
"I don't want to be Miss anymore," Lola resists.
"And why not?" Leni asks.
"And why yes?" Lola points at Leni. "Just so you can keep dressing me for pageants? For you to look at me at the top of the podium and say with pride: 'this is Leni Style'?!"
"Please, Lola," Leni protests. "Do you really think I made this just for myself? Seeing you happy and having fun while walking down the catwalk, full of faith and attitude... All of this makes me feel good. Better for everyone."
"These Miss Pageants are just a symbol of everything I was," Lola lists. "Cruel, selfish, aggressive, snobbish, greedy… My rivalry with Lindsey… My contempt for Lincoln…" She starts to cry. "I'm still all that, aren't I? You can say, Lucy!"
"No comments," Lucy replies, as coldly as possible.
Luan intervenes:
"Well… I know I'm going to sound cruel, but... We shouldn't discard the baby out with the dirty bath water."
"Noh-Noh!" Baby Lily agrees, nodding.
"This isn't a joke, just an observation. After Lincoln's death, I also believed for a while that comedy only served as a symbol of my cruel side: the evil things I did, the many times I hurt you all... In fact, anything can be used for evil, but doesn't mean we can't capitalize for good."
"True," Luna agrees, turning to Lola. "So sis, aren't you sure you don't want Beauty Pageants anymore. You're just scared of reliving the past."
"Maybe you just need to reinterpret the facts," Lisa advises. "Try to visualize only the positive factors behind what you do. And work on them."
"Try just once," Leni suggests. "And then you decide if you want to remain Miss or not."
"Hmmm..." Lola puts the hand on her chin.
"We can vote if you want," Lori suggests.
"No, I've already decided," Lola announces. "I will contest the Miss Crown."
"YAAAAAHHHHH!" All the sisters scream in elation, except Lucy, Lana and Lisa, who are silent.
Lucy approaches Lola and offers her right hand:
"Well, I hope you are doing the right thing."
"Me too. Thanks," Lola caresses and squeezes Lucy's fingers. "But I'm not going to spend the week obsessed with it. If I win, fine. If I don't win, fine too."
"This is the spirit, sis," Luna makes horns with her hands.
Lynn announces:
"If you lose the contest, I'll buy you a pair of Crocs."
Lana laughs.
Lola, sulking, doesn't answer.
Nobody else gives any sign of being amused.
"Okay, okay. But so you can see I'm not that bad..." Lynn unties the orange headband. "...You can parade wearing my lucky band on your wrist."
The headband contains the phrase "Lucky Lincky". Lynn Jr. always wears it to her sporting events, as she believes Lincoln brings her luck. It's the way she found to redeem herself for what she did to him in the past.
"I'll think about," Lola promises. "And now, if you excuse me... Come with me, Lana."
"As you wish, crocodile," The twin follow her to the door. "Do you still want me to make you a mud puddle?"
"I was just being ironic," Lola clarifies.
"Oh come on. We don't have to end this way..."
"Okay, session closed," Lori announces, hitting the table for last time. "Dismissed."
After all other sisters have cleared the room, Lori approaches Leni:
"I'm sorry I did this to you, Leni. Responsibility for the Contest is ours."
"Forget. Now be honest, Lori: I got fat?"
"?!"
To Be Continued...
Here we are! Was the right decision? Does Lola still have the energy for a new Miss Contest? Or should she try something else now? Were Leni's intentions really pure? And how will Lindsey react to the news?
Review, leave your praises, critics and suggestions. And share with your friends.
See you soon!