This chapter is Rated T because of some concepts your parents probably don't want you knowing about.
If this disclaimer means nothing to you, then carry on reading!
Psychologists, child therapists, endless books and e-books of parenting guides could try all they want- but every kid was unique. Granted, since they all grew up in one family, one system, same parents- they'd have the same mentality. A similar drive- but nah. No parent would say managing kids was a walk in the park; to deal with all sorts of personalities ranging from painfully cutthroat like Lola, to annoyingly pitiful like Lucy. It's a miracle to know that mom and dad's patience stretched long enough to endure all eleven of them through the years.
Luna felt more of a short yet steady road compared to her siblings. She lived up to her name, by being the loudest of all the Louds- but when you drew back the curtains and peeked backstage, Luna wasn't actually that disastrous.
She walked up the porch, dragging along with her a bag she didn't come out the house with. A mixture of sodas, root beers, and snacks split to her band were stuffed inside this bag Chunk lent her. He suggested on singing ballad rock songs in the 90's. And now they did- and everyone swayed their hands on the air, drumming their heads softly to the soft plucking of her guitar, singing along their chorus. Strumming their way into turning an ordinary jazz-themed café into a high school prom in the early 2000's. The community felt peaceful, yet passionate as everyone sung along.
No fancy disco lights, no crazy break dancing- just mellow rock- and somehow it felt just as thrilling as a Mick Swagger concert. See, she could be a party-rock animal when time needed it. Her aesthetic gave the impression that she was the embodiment of "sex, drugs, rock and roll!", but when you saw her true colors, even her siblings had identities naturally stronger than hers.
"Blarney is a dinosaur from your imagination!"
Muffled from outside the door, Luna took a deep breath before turning the knob into the entrance of endless chaos. And what do you know?
Lincoln pranced around with his suit. "I am the almighty superhero-spy! David Steele at day, Ace Savvy by night!"
Then, Lynn tumbled out of the couch, wearing a familiar red and white suit. "Eh! Still no match for the Strong Suit!"
They both tumbled into the dining room as Lincoln's screams and yelps were heard. Luna rolled her eyes and snickered. Welcome to the Loud house.
Coming into the house felt like coming back to the rest of her ordinary life after spending solitude for quite some time- and as relieving as it was, did it feel equally suffocating to be back here. Balance was all she needed, mainly to have fun and rock around, but at the same time- tranquility to think about her life choices and inspirations for her songs. This family served as the former than the latter however; but she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Hey, Lunes, what's inside your bag?" Lana piped from the couch.
Lola too. "Yeah, you got snacks? Share your blessings!"
Luna paused. Then again, she had a whole giant bag out of it. Why not?
She threw the twins bags of chips for each, and they caught it eagerly. "Don't tell the rest, though. Say it came from Santa." Luna winked.
" Pshaw. Santa, as I've proven a hundred times before, does not exist." Lisa scoffed from the armrest. "But I would be willing to convince our family the contrary if you give your share of that to me as well."
She sighed, and threw Lisa a bag as well.
The stairs creaked with each step she took upstairs. Thing's been repaired so many times, and this sure ain't gonna be the last. When she reached the second floor, the room greeted her with a Luan fast asleep under the blankets. Notebooks scattered on the ground along with her bag.
Huh. It wasn't even dinner time yet.
Tiptoeing her way to the closet, she threw the bag in there and shut it. Careful not to make a single step, she took off her guitar case and leaned it on the drawer that stood beside their bed; hovering over to Luan, snoring lightly.
Her chest heaved slowly through the blanket. The way her socked feet popped out said she must've just fallen asleep without any intention of hitting the hay yet. Plopped on the mattress, looking as if the world could collapse any moment, yet it wouldn't matter.
A sweet smile couldn't help but grace her face. Something about her face looked serene under the bright lights; the fact that she managed to sleep through it must've showed how tired school made her- because to begin with, Luan's an incredibly light sleeper.
Luna chuckled at her weak pun. Hey, living with a roommate who does that for a living kinda gets that stuff into your head. But no lie, Luan's puns were actually funny- but her actual laugh- a little harsher than the giggle that came before her trademark, ' get it', was even funnier. And only a few people got the privilege to make her cackle that hard- and mind you, that lyric slip-up Luna sung to hear it was an embarrassing serendipity.
Luan's mouth gaped, as her chest heaved. Leni's being such a worrywart- but then again, when was she not? Could have been her influence, but Luan liked throwing caution to the wind. Give her B-'s, that didn't stop her from "B-ing cool", and D's? "D-ere's always a next time!", she'd say.
Being faces in the entertainment biz, both of them shared a bond because of that; the singer, and the joker whose lives revolved on stage. Whose homes would belong in one of those moveable trailers in Hollywood studios. Their lives weren't to be cooped up in a classroom, listening to whatever, studying things that barely mattered all for a piece of paper by the end of high school- but Luan took this to heart more than she did, being the definition of "cute, but psycho", as the saying went. Who's the same girl who started food fights every now and then? Who's the Loud that pranks teachers without a second thought? All Luna had ever done was cut a class or two- snuck out the room window with Sam, maybe- but that's as far as her bad record went. And she's supposed to be the wannabe-baddie of this family.
But now, it's like Luan woke up one day and played out a new year's resolution. No news of her younger sister getting reported for her hijinks, no remorseful mom repeatedly apologizing on the telephone only to tell them it was Luan's teacher, no irritated dad grounding her from everything comedy- nothing. And perhaps, that could be a bad thing. She scanned the features of Luan's face. Pimples broke out on her once flawless skin, she snored almost like Lynn, and from the way her body sunk flat on the bed, it's like the whole club's supply of beer ran out thanks to her.
Call her crazy, but if Luan's keen on acting like this more often, then Luna was all in for pushing her to continue. Sometimes, good things don't come without sacrifices- that being, her sleep sched, and her face. Heh.
Walking out the room, Luna shut the lights off and closed the door slowly. Making sure that anyone who crossed their way to this door should keep out. She told the table, that Luan fell asleep again, for the fourth time this week. The 'rents shared the same concern, but decided to go against acting upon it, deciding that they'd let this slide for a couple of days before deciding to do something about Luan's body clock.
The other siblings complained, going against it with Lynn going as far as to attempting to wake Luan up, but Luna stopped her and all of them from protesting. "Give her a break; Luan hasn't been getting enough z's lately."
"Then why do all of us have to follow the bedtime schedule while she doesn't?" Lola protested.
Yeah, it's unfair- even for her- but…
Luna shot her a deadpan look. "Dude, you may or may not be too young to get it, but this is sophomore year we're talking about."
Leni nodded- the only other sister who could understand. "Not to gatekeep you guys, but projects tend to go way out of hand that year. We've been through it too, you know."
Mom and dad vouched for it, saying they had their fair share of it too- much to the chagrin of Lincoln and the rest of the sisters. And like nights before, Luan stayed asleep until the Louds went to bed. Luna sneaked into their room, one step away from hitting dreamland- only to find her still knocked out, almost hanging off the bed, snoring louder than before.
Deciding that her position looked ridiculous, Luna reached out to the drawer and grabbed her phone, snapping a shot to show her tomorrow. With an amused grin, she turned off the lights. Climbed up her bed and the moment she closed her eyes, the world went dark.
A breeze brushed over her exposed legs. Swallowing through a dry tongue, something itched in her scratchy throat.
Bloody November evenings. Luna coughed. Living through a season like this without a wool blanket was the road to getting hypothermia in your sleep.
The dark ceiling met her gaze. Its naturally creamy hue turned into a shade of indigo as the moonlight peeked into the curtains ever-so-slightly. She sniffled lightly, only to clench the sheet from how blocked her nose felt; hovering the blanket over her body, the contact itself regulating the heat that kept the inside of her small cocoon warm. Low temp triggered her hot-head. To waking up from the blocked airways, to the way she wouldn't be able to sleep with her limbs tossed all over the bed . During nights when the temperature dropped an all-time-low, it'd be like this. Wrapped in her own sheets, enclosed and trapped. And it blows.
She swept the blankets over her and curled up in a ball as it closed in on her. The family was still cutting back their budget to get money for the materials to repair their malfunctioning heater for good. Her whole body felt like a mixer of cement poured itself on her: stiff, and cold. Rigid and freezing.
"Won't…give me…chance?", Luan?
Luna shifted ever so slightly to peek. Holding her breath, she held the edge of her bed and leaned to the side to get a glimpse of her roommate. Clenching the foam of her bed as it creaked ever so slightly, her heart stumbled in its beat. She breathed in slowly at an attempt to maintain a quiet composure.
"C'mon… I do the work… don't patronize me!"
Her voice came out sluggish, like she was forced awake or something.
She forced herself up as her heart skipped. Or worse…
Sliding her head down the bed, a searing light burned her eyes; Luna sharply hissed and threw a hand on her face. Blinking numerous times until Luan's silhouette became clearer.
Who sat on the bed, with the laptop propped on her lap, squirming. " Why… won't you gim'me a break…"
She put her face in her hands and let out an exasperated groan. The fussing, the sleep-fighting- all the cost of going through another night with a roommate. Luna hovered over the ladder and climbed down.
"Geez, Luan, you ever heard of brightness settings?" Luan jolted with a yelp, twisting her head to her.
"I-I didn't mean it- Uh, oh, Luna?" She spat out in a haze; voice muddled in sleep. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"I should be the one asking you that, dude. The cold bothered me too much." Luna said, before hushing her voice into a whisper. "Uh, were ya drunk or something?"
Luan's eyes widened as she blinked her fatigue away. Looking up at her with a skeptical, almost offended look. "Huh, what-" Then she gave a mischievous grin. "Did you bring contraband in?"
Luna shushed her. "Well no..." She looked over to the laptop. Luan was all too familiar with the additional care packages she sometimes brought home. Hiding it from her was like being ice under the sun. "Maybe I did?"
Alcohol, a rare privilege they were given during family celebrations to drink- exclusive only to the older girls from as young as Luna a privilege to get a taste of it, courtesy of mom and dad. Never too much, of course- because that'd just add one more reason as to why their parents are in the CPS's watchlist.
Maybe she had gotten wasted once, but that story was for another time.
"For one, you know I hate alcohol.", Luan whispered, rubbing her eyes. "But for your sake, I'm not telling. Why'd you even assume I drank it?"
She had a habit of making jokes in her sleep, which gave Luna all the more reason to wear headphones while sleeping. Recently, she stopped doing so- well, until today. But those weren't jokes… they were, something to do with work and break? What?
Must've been connected to what she's doing. "You were talking in your sleep over something."
Luan grinned. "Did I blurt out a good pun?"
"Nah, far from it. You were mumbling about wanting a break." Luna shook her head. "You good?"
"When have I never been?" Luan blinked tiredly.
She glanced at the laptop that sat on her lap. "Is that your homework?"
Luan sat crossed-leg on her bed, hunched over as she resumed her task. "That sounds lame. I'd call it ' work from home'."
"Since when did we get paid to do assignments?", She rolled her eyes and chuckled casually, sitting on the vacant edge of her bed. "Seriously, brah, d'ya never run out of 'em?"
"I wish." Luan mumbled in response, staying glued to the screen. Clicking echoed in the room as words flowed freely from her fingertips. Her dewy eyes glistened with the light bathing her face. "But it's just like you told me to prepare for in sophomore year, working overtime is a norm- isn't it?"
"Technically…" Luna glimpsed back and forth the laptop Luan typed on and her stubbornly stuck face. Doing overtime for work was normal, until the beginning of the second semester when it's like Luan forgot how to sleep in the night. When she'd glance through the rearview mirror and find her fighting to stay awake, or during those sunny afternoons when she should've been out with friends or birthday parties- but no, she dozed off to another realm anyhow. It's as if high school took out all the fun for her- when it's supposed to be doing the contrary.
Her eyes darted between the document Luan was writing, and her face. Very determined. Almost robotic-like. Like Lisa working on her weird crap studies; Lincoln with his cool, mini-jet models. It's alien-like to see her dead-serious over something before. In everything Luan did, she had either a smile on her face, or a impish quirk in her brow. An expression of some sort, not an empty look that stared into the screen.
Luan stopped typing, snapping her head to Luna. Feeling unnerved at the sudden stillness coming from her. "Slow down there, Lunes." A grin bloomed on her face. "If you wanna peck me on the cheek, warn me first."
She forcefully pulled herself back and cringed. The jokes were okay, but eh- her weirdness, made her reel. " Wha-no way , brah. I was just hoverin' over your work."
Luan scoffed and continued writing on her essay. "Sure." She teased.
"Whatever…" She mumbled, walking over to the vanity mirror, grabbing the rectangle shape of what felt like her phone and leaned on the desk. With a press of a button turned it on. She sharply turned her head around. "Dude, it's like two in the morning. Aren't you gonna get some shut-eye?"
She yawned. "Nope. Funny of you to assume I can. "
Her mouth opened but no words came out. She was asleep for the whole afternoon. What's there to say about? Luna gripped her phone in hand, walking over to Luan's bed. "Your body clock is real messed up, dude."
"Tell me something I don't know." Luan snorted, leaning her back on the cold headboard as Luna sat down across her. "It's not like I'd let myself go back to bed anyway. Our teacher told us to do a group report, and it's due tomorrow; I haven't even started yet."
"And look at that, I wasted a whole hour after falling asleep." Luan laughed dryly. "Great."
Luna's eyebrows shot up. "You shouldn't have caught up on your z's so soon." She laughed. "You would've finished that earlier."
"What can I say?" Luan shrugged. "My body's already accustomed to the time frame."
Through all the four years in high school, sophomore year was what you'd say, the busiest of them all. It's the transition between freshman year- which mostly covers the recap of middle school- and the official course of high school: junior and senior year. The batch of teachers set on that grade are harsher than the rest, probably to inflict self-discipline on the students.
As the juniors say, to be in sophomore studying in Royal Woods is in a way, a rite of passage. You prove worthy to be a student here if you surpass the hurdles they've set. It's a rare occasion to have group work when their school system focused more on growing yourself as a person, but Luna can't deny it- she herself, had a little background on group projects. It was normally attuned to reporting topics she'd be assigned for by their leaders. But that was it, she didn't own the stage or anything.
"What're you doing right now?" Luna asked, "Mind if I give you a hand to wrap things up quicker?"
Luan shifted her gaze to the her, as if trying to read the sincerity on her face. "…No, thanks." She mumbled. "Go ahead and borrow my blanket if you're cold. You should head back to sleep."
Regardless of what time Luan woke up, the pink tint in her eyes and her sluggishness screamed a need for shut-eye. Here she was, telling her to snooze. "Says you; I've seen people with insomnia looking fresher than you in the morning."
"Well, they have sleeping pills and I don't.", She blew a stray hair up. Her smirk dropped as she slumped, flicking the at her mouse. "Just leave me be. This essay won't finish itself."
Try as Luan might with her theatric skills, the smallest hint of hostility in her voice became easy to pick up on. Luna cocked her head. Normally, Luan didn't even need to say it; she'd leave without another word, but maybe this time, she kind of did wanna offer a hand. "You sure?"
"Yes! I don't need help!", Luna recoiled at her tone. "Why the heck do you even care?"
Luan's just grumpy over all the stuff she has to do. Don't take it personally, Lunes.
Still. It sparked a question in her. "Why shouldn't I?"
Luan roughly snapped her head to Luna. "Nothing… never mind that. Just leave me alone."
That was the last confirmation saying she really didn't need help. She continued to type away at her essay. They were roommates in a house where privacy didn't belong in the dictionary. But even then, they both had respectful boundaries set- more centered on her privacy than Luan's, since she's the one who constantly tries to prod at Luna's thin patience. Seems like the roles have been reversed now.
"Okay, okay. Chill, dude." Luna grimaced, yanking her phone as she sharply stood up and promptly climbed back up her bed. As she sat on her bed, she realized there was one more thing she needed from Luan.
Luna peeked down. "Can I at least borrow your blanket for tonight?"
"What a way to break the ice; can't give you a cold shoulder for that." Luan giggled, grabbing her laptop and going out of bed. "But seriously, here."
She reached out for the blanket, and shot Luan a grin. Not long after, shifting was heard as Luna went back down to bed.
The smile she exchanged with Luna fell as Luan sat back on the bed, with the laptop warming her lap. A few seconds later, light snoring slipped into her ears. Her back leaned against the pillow that stood to cushion her headboard, as a sigh escaped her mouth. Being in your room doesn't guarantee you safe from nosy siblings as such, not even if your roommate sleeps with heavy rock metal in her headphones nearly every night.
Luan got up, and tucked her laptop underneath the arm. Tiptoeing her way out of the room wasn't hard when your roommate tends to be a deep sleeper.
She walked out of the room, holding her breath in. The dining room is always the best option.
The morning rushed in fast, and in a span of only a few more hours, did the sun begin to rise. Birds chirped from the tree of their backyard as early as six in the morning. Sounds of roosters screaming and bells ringing echoed and echoed into their thin, plywood walls. Footsteps emerged from outside their door. Blankets shifted from the bunk below, and Luna forced her eyes open into slits; trying to get accustomed to the brightness of their room.
Call her a morning person, because evenings were quiet, almost too quiet, and while it was good for thinking- Luna didn't contemplate much on the deep side of life, unless a song itched to get out of her system. Mornings on the other hand, signified the opening of a new day of adventure and all that.
Getting up, she slid down the ladder of her bunk. She jolted as she reached the bottom, finding Luan on her bed with the laptop resting on it. "Geez, you startled the sleep outta me, brah."
"Glad I gave you a wake-up call, then.", Luan muttered. " Good morning."
"What the- didn't you get some shut-eye last night?"
Luan shook her head with a scoff. "How could I? With all your sleep-singing, how could anyone in this house sleep?"
"Got any proof that I was, brah?", Luna said, matter-of-factly. "I do not sing in my sleep- I haven't in months, you said so yourself."
"Let's say I take that back.", Luan grunted in irritation. That insult was unintentional; she didn't know why, but the urge to lash out on somebody was gnawing at her. What she claimed was far from the truth- because how in the world would she know if Luna sung while she was downstairs- it could've at least, made her groan. It takes no cost to ruin somebody's morning along with hers. "Whatever."
"What're you even doing?" Not waiting for a response, Luna peered her head near Luan's laptop. Vocal forms of African… "You've been awake this whole time without even telling me the reason behind it was because of a music report?"
"So?"
Luna gawked at her incredulously. "So? I could've helped you, dude! Your bunkmate is the embodiment of a music whiz!" She poked a finger to Luan's temple. "Don't work hard, dude; work smart."
That in itself started an argument, when a sleep-deprived Luan told her off again like the night before; saying she had served hardly any purpose aside from being her roommate . "If that were the case, I would've just gone straight to Lisa, then."
It grew and grew, with Luan putting her foot down so quickly to tell her that she wasn't there when she was needed the most. Luna had enough of it. The day was too young to have an argument with someone as stubborn and restless as Luan is. When she raised her voice, Luna no longer responded. Giving her a glare instead, she grabbed her clothes and robe, walking out the door without another word.
They may have shared the same school, the same room, and even the same closet. But when it came to personal things, like their friends and their studies, that was divided into a whole world apart. For two girls who are both into the entertainment biz, they were fighting on and off eighty-percent of the time. Almost more than the twins on average, just more subtle. Whether it was a prank, or her amp playing a wicked tune, someone always got in each other's nerves. The issue might've been the fact that they've been roomies since Luan's birth, and hearing the same voice, breathing the same air every night, while being the first to see each other in the morning got old- as they did too.
But that's just what comes with having a dozen of sibs. If she hadn't learned to adjust to it by now, then it didn't show.
Luna huffed as she went in line to the bathroom. Falling asleep too early, sleeping too late, talking stuff during her sleep, to starting arguments for unreasonable things- so, what? She's stressed out- as irritating as it got earlier, being a grouch was one thing- but given the choice to settle on the roommate she'd be on the look out for in case a bucket landed on her outfit, she'd take this grumpy Luan any other day.
Having a cloudy mind made everything fog out: the answering of all her homework, the writing of her essay, doing her group's PowerPoint, and the occasional distractions with her phone beeping every once in a while, when she was supposed to be researching. Having barely finished all the work somewhere around three in the morning, the Loud house was beginning to stir with life, as Luan sloppily walked downstairs grinning like the Joker when he danced during a manic-episode.
As much as Luna's words stung, it was true: Falling asleep at four in the afternoon would bring her into this situation. How could she help it at this point in time, when her body grew accustomed to the unhealthy schedule; wake up at six, do homework until three, and sleep until seven.
Groggy and struggling to keep her eyes open, Luan held the firm railings tightly as she took another step down, the mere act of walking down without falling off the stairs being an exercise in itself.
Sounds of mugs and plates came about the kitchen as the smell of brewing coffee pulled Luan into the kitchen along with them to join in the party, catching sight of Lynn sipping on her mug as she leaned on the kitchen countertop. Turning to the left side, sitting on the circle table were Lincoln, Lana drinking mugs of cold chocolate milk.
"What do you call a bird with a reversed body clock ?", Her voice came out a little too hoarse. All their eyes turned on her. "A night owl!"
The three younger siblings exchanged looks at each other. A ragged Luan with wrinkled clothes, pink eyes, and a generally lousy disposition wasn't what anybody anticipated at six-thirty in the morning.
Lucy sipped her drink. "Did you go to bed last night?"
"I'd say!" Lana whistled. "You have eyebags heavier than Lucy's head bust! "
"Sigh. His name's Edwin-"
"Oh, this? It's all part of my act. What better way to prepare for a day of pranking than making myself look more petrifying than the trick itself?" Luan blinked multiple times, feeling the folds of her eyes twinge with each blink. "Besides, it's nothing a little coffee can't help with."
She walked over to the kitchen counter as Lynn scooched over. "Hey, how convenient." Lynn said, glancing at the full coffee maker. "I made a little too much morning joe on accident, it's yours now."
Luan nodded nonchalantly, grabbing a mug and filling it with the coffee Lynn had made. The steam emanating from her cup enough to make her dry throat swallow.
Lincoln took a sip of his milk. "You look like you got salvaged out a kidnapping." He said. "Are you sure coffee is enough to get you through today?"
He's probably right. Knowing how tired she is based on his implication… there's no way she'd survive out there without the sufficient amount of caffeine.
Luan nodded, pulling the mug away from the coffee maker. "Yeah, I guess it is dangerous to go out there with only one mug." She yanked another mug from the hanging cabinet and fiddled with the coffee maker. "So, I'll take two to go."
They exchanged concerned looks but didn't say a word, rather sipping on their own drinks instead. Why were they worrying? She didn't care about it a single bit; why should they?
Leaning her back on the counter, she sipped on her first glass of coffee, enjoying the bitter aftermath it gave to her taste buds. We've all heard that line that school is an emblem of chaos, and that coffee is everyone's best friend. That is the virtue Luan lives by. When you're living on the edge of a knife, running on crazy schedules and enormous responsibilities, sleep is sometimes not an option, but coffee renewed her. She needed as much as three hours of adrenaline for the morning classes, and a bit more energy to spare for Music class at the end of the day.
Four hours of sleep wasn't what her body is attuned to. Normally it was five, if you don't count her accidental naps during the afternoon. Regardless, nobody can have a schedule as confusing as that and claim they survived the day without a drink of a good brew.
After drinking coffee and tossing her mug on the kitchen sink, Luan walked back up to her room. The clock on her nightstand said drinking coffee had already wasted ten minutes of her day. So, technically, she had only thirty minutes left to get ready and eat improvised breakfast. She inhaled through clenched teeth. What a good way to start a bad morning.
Rubbing her eyes, Luan walked to the closet to get her robe and clothes. She hung the robe over her shoulder, left the clothes on her bed, and walked out the door. Where Lisa and Leni, were lined up to the bathroom.
Riiiiing!
Leni and Lisa glanced at her with skeptical looks. She backed away and skipped to her room. "Oof, it's my roll call… uh, save my spot for me will you, Leni?"
Leni beamed as Luan walked into her room. "No problem, Luan!"
Looking over the messy bedroom, Luan recognized immediately where that sound came from. She looked down on the vibrating, yellow telephone on her vanity mirror. Huh. Nobody has called there in days.
Approaching her desk, Luan picked up the phone urgently. "Hello?"
"Your fun is our business", as the line goes, contradicted the present. Business and fun were the last thing on her mind. In the blur of maintaining her current grades while striving for higher ones, the days when she could take a break became rarer- and during the weekends when given the opportunity to, comedy and being busy in general no longer got into her list.
A woman's voice resounded in her ear, an interested client it seemed. "Sorry ma'am, Funny Business is currently under hiatus right now." Luan said.
But the middle-aged woman prodded with desperation in her tone, mentioning that she surfed everywhere on HeadBook for a clown service in Royal Woods to serve at her since birthday party. "This weekend?" Luan asked.
She was offering a lot more than just chocolate funnel cake, but every little piece of the food they've prepared on the table as well. "And if the service is more than excellent, I'll pay extra."
Luan licked her lips. More food to spare in case dinner isn't enough, not to mention, a bonus in her allowance? That sounded enticing.
Her lavender bag laid idle on the bed, sitting at the corner of her eye. She pouted and sighed. You know… maybe she could indulge in a little party; maybe she wanted to . "Next Saturday or Sunday?" Luan challenged, an excited grin on her face. "Next Sunday it is."
She brought the phone back in place and wiped a hand down her face. Funny Business… a name she hadn't associated with in a while.
Oh boy, Luan huffed. I'm gonna regret agreeing to this.
She peeked out the door and found only Lisa standing by the door. Luan carried all the things she needed for the shower. Funny Business can wait, but school can't.
Out of all the siblings, she was last to hop in the shower and leave the bathroom. With only a quarter to when class would start. When she came back into her room to change, her laptop and some notebooks were still scattered on her bed. She had to tug her and Luna's bed upside down just to find where some of notebooks went in a caffeine-driven adrenaline, before taking Mr. Coconuts out the bag he had hid in since yesterday noon.
Luan groaned irritably. How could she be so dumb to take all the time in the morning to drink coffee, while her own bag wasn't even ready?
And finally, when she approached Vanzilla revving on the driveway, looking like half of her still belonged in bed, Lola greeted her with a growl. "It's about time you got your butt out of the house!"
Lincoln peeked at the open door of the van, perched on the seat behind Lola's. "We had to restrain her so she wouldn't step on the gas pedal on her own."
Leni invited her in instantly and let Vanzilla rush through the traffic. The fifteen-minute ride to school didn't offer her room to fully comprehend anything she had done the night before. All it left her was time to compose herself physically for the report on the first period- which was next to impossible when you sat with the twins on both sides.
She found herself along with Luna and Leni stumbling on the hallways to their respective classes- while being the end of Luna's glare, before getting told off that their rush to school was thanks to her.
They managed to get in right when the bell rang. With a sigh, Luan plopped down her seat, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and regulated her unsteady breathing. First thing in the morning and she was already messed up. Luan blew a string of her hair up in frustration. Today's entrance to school isn't gonna stop her; as long as she's well equipped and practically trembling from the cold breeze of with anticipation. She took her time last night to study her notes intricately, taking each page like a word from the Heavens, like a gospel that'd define her salvation.
And it would hopefully, stay true to its purpose, and save her from one more failure tipping her off the edge.