Luna walked into school the next day, feeling anxious.

Lunch should be fun today.

She opened her locker, hung up her coat, and fetched her geometry textbook.

She shut the door and noticed Sam standing next to her, looking highly uneasy.

Luna grew uneasy, too. "Uh... What's up?"

Sam looked at her and said, "So, uh... You have a crush on me, I take it?"

Luna nodded, staring at a fascinating spot on the floor.

"You sent me that letter?"

Luna nodded again, now blushing.

"I..." Sam started to say.

She sighed. "Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but..."

Oh ****.

"I'm not into girls."

Luna looked up at Sam, distraught.

"Oh," she said, her voice trembling.

I TOLD you not to TELL her, you moron!

Well, at least you know now...

"I'm really sorry, buddy."

Luna looked up at Sam, who looked away.

"It's fine, dude," Luna slowly replied, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I guess... At least I know. At least I know about you, and at least I know that I can stop trying to... trying to fulfill a hopeless fantasy."

She hugged Sam and started to sob. Sam hugged her back.

"Luna... I'm so sorry. You'll find someone else, I'm sure. Someone else like you. I still want to be friends with you, if you don't think it would be too awkward. Uh, by the way, the band meets again tomorrow at 1, so..."

Luna said between sniffles, "This... this is why I fell in love with you. You're so sweet..."

Sam didn't say a word, but Luna heard her softly begin to cry.

...

Luna walked into the cafeteria. She spotted Sam sitting at her normal table with Tall Kate and Mia. Out of habit, she started to walk over to them but stopped short.

No. Not now. Not so soon. I can't.

She looked around the cafeteria for a different table to sit at. She spotted Short Kate sitting by herself, drawing in a sketchpad.

Luna walked over to Short Kate and asked, "Uh, can I sit here, Kate?"

Short Kate glanced up and said absent-mindedly, "Yeah, sure," then returned to her sketch.

Luna sat down, unpacked her lunch, and began to eat.

She attempted to listen to what the people at Sam's table were saying.

"...ONE MISPLACED SEMICOLON THE ENTIRE ****ING TIME!"

"Well, the code works now, right?"

"Yeah, but I tried it out and... well, Jill forgot to file down some of the rough edges, so..."

"Oh. Ouch."

"That's a wicked scar."

"Yeah, Henry got really mad at her. I mean, it wasn't really her fault, but..."

Mia happened to glance over and see Luna looking at her. She turned to Sam and asked, "Uh, why isn't Luna sitting with us?"

Luna tuned them out and looked back over at Short Kate.

"What're you drawing?"

Short Kate turned the sketchpad around, displaying a half-finished drawing of a nun wielding a halberd.

"That's pretty good."

"Thanks."

They both proceeded to eat in silence.

...

Luna walked up to her room and shut the door.

She threw her backpack up against the wall and climbed into her bed and burrowed her head under the pillow.

Luan walked in a minute later. "Hey Luna! What's up?"

Luna slowly removed her head from her pillow and turned to face Luan, eyes red and watery. She sighed.

"So, I told Sam yesterday, about my feelings..."

"OOH!" Luan squealed. "What did he-" She stopped upon seeing Luna's sorrowful face. "Oh."

"Sam... she doesn't feel the same way. She was really nice about it, but... It still hurts."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Lunes." Luna stood up, and Luan gave Luna a tight hug.

"Wait. SHE?"

Luna nodded, not daring to meet Luan's gaze. "Yeah. I... I'm bi."

Luan paused for a moment, then smiled warmly. "Okay." She then gazed off into space, lost in thought.

"So, I think I know why you've got such a pleasant temperament all the time. It's 'cause you're GAY! Get it?"

Luna couldn't help but crack a smile at Luan's awful pun. "Well, technically-"

"Eh, screw technicalities! This is comedy! I guess, I was thinking, when you came out, I told myself, 'LESBIAN nice person to her!'"

Luna chuckled. She felt better already.

"Frankly, I thought Lincoln was the not-straight one. I mean, he practically LIVES in a closet!"

Luna and Luan doubled over in laughter.

"I can't believe you made up all of those jokes on the spot!"

"I didn't; I've just been waiting for the right opportunity to use them!"

The two girls finally calmed down and lay on the floor next to each other for a minute.

"So, when are you gonna come out to the rest of the family?"

"Not right now; I've gotta get over Sam first, I think. So don't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" said Mr. Loud, opening the door.

Luna and Luan bolted upright and stared at their father the way a cow stares at an oncoming train.

Luan cracked a small smile after a moment and replied, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Mr. Loud folded his arms. "Well, I'm finding out right now, smart aleck."

Luna piped up softly, "Uh, how long have you been listening to us?"

Mr. Loud's demeanor changed instantaneously. He smiled compassionately and knelt on the floor next to Luna, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "Long enough, Lunes."

"Oh. So, uh, so you know, then."

"Yeah. Listen, honey, I love you no matter who or what you are. You're still Luna, and you're still my daughter, and none of that will change, regardless of whether you date a boy or a girl. I'll threaten them with penalty of death if they hurt you all the same."

Luna and Luan chuckled.

Mr. Loud then leaned over and whispered into Luna's ear. "And when Lincoln's older, we can all ogle hot chicks together."

Luna leaned away from him, horrified. "DAD!"

"I was joking! I'm not going to cheat on your mother!"

Luan turned to Luna, flabbergasted, and asked, "What did he say?"

"You don't wanna know."

"I think I do."

Mr. Loud quickly changed the topic. "So, that guy you were talking about a couple of weeks ago, named Sam, was he a girl?"

"Uh, yeah. But... she didn't reciprocate. She's straight."

"Oh. I'm sor-"

Mr. Loud's attempt at consoling his daughter was cut off by his wife bursting through the open door. "What was that I heard about 'cheat on your mother'?"

Luan replied, "Uh... I think Dad was making a joke?"

The rest of the family crowded around the doorway, eager to hear what was happening.

Luna stood up and addressed the family. "So, Dad was making a joke to me about... uh, it's hard to explain."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Okay. Topic change. So, guys... I'm bisexual."

Lincoln, all the sisters older than him besides Luan, Mrs. Loud, and Lisa all looked momentarily shocked, but then smiled. Lucy merely smiled. Lola and Lana looked at each other, confused. Lily babbled something unintelligible.

Lana asked, "What does that mean?"

Luna responded, "It, uh, it means that I like both guys and girls."

Lola piped up, "Some of my best friends are girls, and I like some guys, too! Am I bye-six-mule, too?"

"No."

Lisa spoke up. "I propose that I perform an experiment to determine your true se-"

"No."

Leni walked over to Luna and gave her a big hug.

Someone yelled, "GROUP HUG!", and the entire family converged on Luna, who was beginning to cry again. This time, they were tears of gratitude.

"Thanks so much, guys..." she said, muffled.

I'm a sick person.

I have drawn that exact same nun. (That is a sentence which I will probably never say again.)

One more chapter, then this story's over!

See you soon!