"You know what they say, a little childhood trauma builds character." -Eddy, January 4, 1999
Chapter Synopsis: Lola tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered life
"It's time."
Lola had gotten the word from the "professionals" that the crime scene had been cleaned up and that she could live there once more. She had left Lana's home to head back to her own. Also, the time to bury Leif and Alexa is here. Does she have the emotional strength to get her life back on track after what had happened?
First, Lola put her family to rest. Anyone was welcome to attend the funeral. First up was Leif's.
"We are gathered here today to remember Leif Loud. Is there anyone who'd like to say a few words?"
Naturally, his entire family was there.
"He was the greatest brother I ever had."
"He'd listen to all my problems."
"He was an awesome person to be around."
"We wooden have our brother any other way."
"He may have been a wimp, but he was our wimp."
"He always hung out with me, even if it meant doing girlish stuff."
"Sigh, his happy go lucky attitude made me smile, rarely."
"Even though he had no idea what he was doing, he was still happy to help with my experiments."
"He helped me follow my dreams."
Lexx had more than a few words to say about his twin brother.
"Leif…he was…my friend, my brother and one of the best people to be around. He would always try to help you, no matter what would happen to him. He'd be there to listen to your troubles. We were always supportive of whatever he did, even if he was more into things that our sister would like."
Tears stream down his face, but he manages to say the last words without crying.
"I…I…I miss him already…"
Lola could have said a few words to Leif, but she chose not to. It would be more important for his family to praise all the good things he did in life, rather than her. She didn't want to ruin their moment…
Alexa's funeral, however, had less than 10 people attending it, including Lola. Even though she had a few friends, no one really knew her that well. Not even her aunts and uncles, as they only met once before.
Lola was the only one to speak at her funeral.
"Alexa was a bright kid who had her whole future ahead of her. She was a little bit cheeky when we tried to teach her how to spell, but she knew the words already. She was a fun loving individual that anyone would be happy to be around. We all miss her dearly."
Both of them were buried next to each other. As the procession concluded and the mourners dispersed, there was still someone there. They said a few words to Leif before leaving.
"You were one of the best workers I ever had. Rest in peace, Leif Loud."
The person leaves.
Lola heads back to her house. It seems as if almost everything was left intact. Except for the carpet, which was replaced, and a family picture that was broken during the crime.
Before she even enters the house, she checks her mailbox. Amidst all the bills and solicitor letters, there is one letter that she pulls out. She sees that it's from Winston. She opens the letter and reads it.
"Lola, I can't imagine what you're going through. I offer my deepest condolences. I hope that you can recover from your loss. If you need someone to talk to, I'd be glad to listen. Well, this letter is getting kind of long, so I'd better sign off. It was nice catching up with you."
Lola feels happy that someone cares about her. She gathers her courage and enters her house. First, she enters Leif's room and opens the closet door. Lola reaches for the box containing hers and Leif's guns. She takes hers out, holds it in front of her and…
BANG!
"Ok, so the gun works. I'll give you $150 dollars for it."
"Fine."
Sold it to a pawn shop. She doesn't want to see another gun after what had happened! Now that that's taken care of, she tries to readjust to her old life. She calls someone.
"Yeah?"
"Mr. Oman? It's Lola. Can I come back to work?"
"Are you sure you're ready to head back? I heard about what had happened on the news. If you still aren't ready to work, I have reserves to fill in for you while you deal with your loss."
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Ok. I'll see you back here at 9 AM tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"No, Mrs. Loud. Thank you."
The call ends.
It seems that Lola's life has gotten some sense of normalcy. I wonder how long that will last. After all, from this crime, 28 lives will be changed forever, and for them, nothing will be the same anymore.
Preview
"Lola Loud, you're the worst human being ever! Oh, I loathe you, I loathe you, I loathe you, I loathe you, I loathe you!"
