The last two periods were slower than usual. It was times like these where Leni was her head could face the board without absorbing any of the teacher's information. While she blankly stared at the board with her glazed eyes, her mind was all over the place.

She was so close to asking Jake and Billy for something (a phone number, a special spot at lunch, a hangout, anything). Maybe that day would come when she finally talks to them and gains something tangible to show off to Mrs. Lane, Mrs. Boxer, Dr. Henry, her parents, and Lori.

And speaking of Lori, there was still the overwhelming question of what her and Carol were doing during lunch. Leni regretted not doing a quick walk by their table to gain some passing insight. Why did she have to get so excited over a small matter?

And what about the "popular" girls? At best, she only had her foot in the door for them. She had yet to actually get to know them or for them to appreciate her. Sure they like clothes and that's a better starting point than none, but how would she proceed? How could someone as clumsy and weird as her stumble into an insulated community and make something of herself? Leni recognized that she had something to prove, especially after she let her little mouth flap around.

Eventually, classes ended for the day. Leni stuffed the homework worksheets in her bag and staggered out of the room. She proceeded follow her usual routine for Mondays (go outside by the flagpole and wait for Lori to cozy herself out). But today she noticed how quickly she bolted out there. She always got to the pole first and stood there for minutes on end.

Leni lazily watched others walk off in clumps of two or three, whether down the street or on the bus. Their pace was leisurely, a relaxing stroll where they talked about their day, the weather, or the latest news around the school. And there she was, gripping the hot metal pole with her mouth clamped.

She envisioned the very scenario that was holding up her big sister. Lori was most likely still in the building, decompressing with her friends by her locker. They must have been chuckling, standing around, barely giving her a thought. She didn't blame them for wanting to hang out, but the more she stood there sinking in boredom, the more she regretted her tentative approach to socializing herself. She could have invited Jake or Billy to this spot, chatting about Legos and math while waiting for Lori (who herself could have befriended both of them).

At last, Lori arrived. Off in the distance, she saw her sister wave at a couple other girls boarding a yellow school bus. Leni retracted her hand from the pole and brought it to the other. The two hands respectively met at her waist.

"Hey Leni," she said, coming up to her.

Without saying anything, Leni joined her sister and walked alongside her. She wondered if Lori would question her lack of a verbal greeting, hoping that she wouldn't. Luckily, they just kept walking.

"Hi Lori," a relaxed voice said.

The two Louds turned to see a girl with striking blonde hair. Lori recoiled at how saturated and bleached the mess was (her hair was practically like Lincoln's). But the girl didn't seem to mind her own hair, given that smile she gave. But not helping was the group of girls surrounding her. They weren't the "popular" girls that Leni recognized, but they utilized a similar fashion style of leather jackets and expensive dresses. Regardless, Leni didn't express anything and Lori forced a smile that mirrored the girl's.

"Hi Emily," Lori said, trying to emulate the relaxed tone the other girl seemed to master so well.

Before another word could be exchanged, the two entities were too far away. Apparently, the group was headed towards the bus while the Louds opted to walk home.

"You know her?" Leni asked plainly.

Lori shot a pair of furrowed eyebrows and a demeaning stare towards her. Instantly, Leni felt ashamed for irritating her sister.

"You're telling me you don't remember Emily," Lori said. Granted, she knew that Leni didn't always have a reliable memory, but sometimes she was baffled by the things she forgot (especially when compared to the multitude of minute fashion knowledge she had on standby), "We were friends when we were little. You knew her!"

As recollections of the girl surfaced, Leni felt worse, even with the distinct image of brown hair. She knew for a fact that something didn't add up.

"What's up with, like, her hair?"

Lori scoffed.

"She dyed it last year," she replied, half joking, half mocking. The mixed tone was enough to confuse Leni, "Clearly, she has no idea how to use it."

Leni turned around, trying to catch sight of Emily's hair, but the girl was gone by that point. Looking back at Lori, she wasn't smiling. It did concern her a little.

"Do you hate Emily too?"

"No," Lori said casually, "just because we aren't close anymore doesn't mean I hate her. I mean it's not like she's a diva or anything."

"Oh."

The two walked silently for the next half minute. Leni thought about the real question she wanted to ask, the one she had been dying to press. At first, her chest hurt too much to open her mouth. It was as if the butterflies had broke out of her tummy and worked up to tickle her heart. She was glad she wasn't much of a talker; otherwise, Lori would be demanding to know what was wrong. After several deep, easing breaths, she opened her mouth.

"So...how did it go?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Lori asked, confused.

Leni tensed up at her unclear wording. So much for Lori being able to pick up on a simple question. What else could have happened with her anyway? She took another inhale.

"How did you and Carol, like, do?" Leni asked again. This time, she forced up her hands, trying to make each one represent a member from the conversation she saw at lunch. This time, Lori's inquisitive brows lowered and she broke contact.

"Fine," she answered under an exhale. That magic four-letter word was enough to brush those butterflies away, "It was literally nothing special. She told me about her life and...she asked me about mine."

Just as she had hoped. Lori was capable of getting along with others, even if they were apparently a meanie. She smiled, causing Lori to get annoyed.

"See," Leni said through that sunny grin, "now you two are friends!"

"No," Lori shot back, folding her arms, "that is not how friendship works. I may have liked what she said, but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna start coming to her for everything."

That was a weird thing, Leni thought. For most of her life, friendship seemed to be easily in reach for someone as sociable as Lori. Go up, talk, have a good time, and become friends. Did Carol accidentally say something mean to her, something that gave Lori reason to doubt this transformation. That would have been tragic, a sunken opportunity. But then she remembered those girls, the ones she used as a prop to make herself feel better. What did she have to show for what little effort she put out there? Now that she thought about it, she shouldn't have been all that surprised.

"Silly Leni."

"Are you, like, gonna see her again?" Leni pondered.

"Yeah," she replied.

Just like that, that nagging voice was muted. A load was lightened off Leni's head as her big sister swooped in to save the day. She smiled once more as she looked at the shining road ahead (a little difficult, given how the sun was in their eyes). There was no more need for questions. No pressing to be done. As long Lori was trying, nothing else mattered.

Meanwhile, Lori was left sighing as an ice and fire storm each clashed in her mind. She occasionally cast a glance at her little sister and that dumb smile she carried. Leni appeared so innocent, unaware of the nuances junior high brought.

Sometimes she looked back and was marveled at how a person like her could have gotten as far as she did without getting eaten alive. But the answer always came back to pity. That four-letter word, that minimal ounce of meager respect mixed with heaping mound of bitter arrogance, she believed, was the one safety net that kept Leni from falling into the abyss. It was for the best, not being bullied or outwardly insulted. Everyone else had it for her little sister. And sometimes, even she resorted to it.

She hated herself when she did that. She should know better than to go by first impressions. And yet, it remained an occasional habit, a shortcut that relieved her of the burdensome task of remembering the true Leni; the one that was a skilled seamstress, a capable observer, a good pair of ears when she needs to blow off steam. How does she feel knowing about pity? Given that grin, that nauseating smile, she convinced herself that she took it well. Leni seemed like a glass half full person, so why is this even a debate, she wondered.

Carol. That's why, she figured. Lori knew she wasn't lying about her interaction; there were some moments where she knew this reformation was the real deal. Carol was the type of person that could sound sweet when she needed to be, the one that knew just right anecdotes to share and how to squint her eyes as she's performing. It could almost be like she, Lori Loud, was wrong when it came to the people game.

Well, she had just enough about that.

"I'm not a fool!"

"And that's all I have to say," Leni said as she headed back to her desk. She shot a quick look to Carol, who was calmly seated on the other side of the room. And then there was her own seat in front of Lori. Yet, she couldn't stop staring at her sister's friend.

"Thank you Leni," Mrs. Barnes said warmly, "well I must say that time moves fast. The sale begins next Thursday, the day after Halloween. While we have collected quite a bit of clothes," she said. Leni briefly averted attention, preferring to look at the mountain of bags in the corner, "we can still get even more from kids' costumes. So if you have any family or friends that won't be needing their costumes after Wednesday, tell them they can send them on over here. Any questions?"

Everyone sat silently. Looking at Carol, even she had nothing to say.

"Great meeting everyone. Good luck on your collections," Mrs. Barnes finished.

The students collected their bags and got up. Some of them bunched together into clumps to converse about their after-school plans. Leni, though, walked across the room holding her unzipped bag in front of her, leaving Lori confused. She caught Carol before she could exit.

"Here you go," Leni whispered as she discreetly pulled out a square wrapped package (with a paper attached to it) and handed it to Carol.

Before the girl could reply, Leni bolted out of the room, Lori being forced into the catchup role. Lori was baffled by her sister's especially clumsy, rapid movement. She gave a silent wave to Carol before power walking out the door to meet her younger sister.

"What was that?" Lori asked, finally getting up to Leni's uneven pace.

"Oh...um...Carol told me, like, something..." she said, her eyes staring at the exit towards the hall's end. While Lori was used to not having eye contact from her little sister, this was unusually deliberate. She immediately suspected that Leni was trying to lie to her.

"What did she say?"

Her eyes bore into her sister as she witnessed her face mangle several different ways. They were almost at the door when she finally opened her mouth.

"Um...I dunno."

Lori was mystified. After being caught so easily before, she supposed that Leni wouldn't even bother with fibbing. She was tempted to roll her eyes at how terribly, how forced, how flimsy this coverup was.

"What did you give her anyway?" Lori demanded.

"It's...uh...a secret. I'll, like, tell you soon," Leni hastily responded.

A surprise from Leni. Since when has she ever been able to provide one deliberately? No impulses, nothing that threw her off, no one there to spit it out of her. As they headed out into the cloudy sky, Lori asked herself if she was gonna ruin it. It wouldn't have been hard. Leni could have spat it out with a few additional questions and then felt bad about herself for not keeping a promise.

But that wasn't the sister she wanted to be, or at least not at that moment. Leni could use this to make herself feel good. And besides, it could be fun for herself.

So, with an eye roll, Lori silently continued the walk Joe with her sister.

Leni happily hummed a Rosy Cake song as she placed her crochet needles back in her had been an extra long Wednesday shift (finishing up for the start of tomorrow's sale, and other things), but she was still moving. Her body was full of life and her voice was just about ready to sing the entire Princess Pony soundtrack.

She held up her finished work. And it was just in time too. Bouncing out the room with her creation, she turned left and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Okay, you can come out now!" Leni said, barely containing her excitment.

From the other side of the door, she heard the sink running. For about two minutes, that was the only sound that made it out into the hall. She figured that would happen, given how Lori snagged her essential products from the bureau.

Eventually, the water ceased, however the door remained shut (and locked). Through the wood, her ears vaguely picked out incoherent mumbling. At first, she thought it was just Lori putting away her products and that her big presentation was just moments away. But soon, yet another minute passed with no emergence. Soft garbling continued to emanate from the room and Leni got concerned (and impatient).

Rushing back to the room, Leni scrounged in her big sister's nightstand and pulled out a thin metal hairpin. Out of habit, she bent half of it and clasped it between her fingers, using it as a handle. Heading back, she bored her eyes at a small, narrow hole in the middle of the door knob. Leni knelt down and jammed the straight half into the hole. After minimal jiggling, she heard a click. That satisfying sound pleased her and she promptly swung the door open.

Lori, who was standing in front of the mirror, was startled. Her neck swiveled and upon seeing Leni (and the "key"), her face wrinkled.

"What the heck?!" Lori exclaimed. To her, it didn't matter that she was already done with her makeup, "I was literally gonna be out in a minute! Why couldn't you have just waited?"

Was she, though? That was an awful long time the sink was off and none of her products were in her hand (or open for that matter). Leni, though, was still ashamed at her lack of proper timing. She suddenly thought she was never able of choosing the right time, always opting at precisely the wrong one. While she was stuck in a trance, Lori swung her hand in front of her and snatched the clip she had been holding.

"You broke it!" she added, holding up the bent half, "Why do you have to keep taking these? When will you learn to mind your own business?!"

Leni stumbled back, propping up her creation with her Ducky arms. As a fuming Lori encroached upon her, she caught note of the object. It was a sky blue knit sweater big enough to hide her sister's torso. The stitches were tight, leaving the holes invisible from afar.

"Here," Leni made out meekly, nudging the sweater forward. The connection was made silently, beneath the pressing issues and her frustration's smokescreen. Instinctively, she snatched it as well, the yarn bunches filling her claw. Its softness did little to alleviate anger's roaring wave. Leni, however, cowered in the face of her intense glare, and growl, as if she were a giant spider. By now, her Ducky arms were the only thing keeping her upright. Seeing that, she knew she couldn't yell at her anymore. What gain would have come out of smashing a glass plate? So instead, she cast her an eye roll and retreated to the bathroom, slamming the door.

How foolish. Boorish and inconsiderate. Leni stumbled back to the room, too ashamed by the reminder of her latest blunder. Sitting on her bed, she tried breathing through her stuffed lungs, her mouth being a narrow straw. Her heavy head was leaning towards the floor. Everything plummeted just like that, all in the span of a simple click.

It was only now she remembered what Lori had told her before about her hair clips. So much for timing. And that fantasy of her making a grand presentation was long gone. At this point, she wouldn't blame Lori if she chucked that disgusting garb in the trash. Was she really gonna get attitude with her big sister for having done that, she demanded. She had hoped not. She wanted to at least salvage something from herself.

The door clicked. Leni's spine shot up, as if it were that whistle were blowing. As she expected, Lori entered with all her makeup essentials in a disorganized clump and the sweater hanging over her left shoulder. Once at the bureau, she dumped all of the containers on the surface, leaving an isolated clatter.

"I'm sorry," Leni blurted out while her sister was still facing its mirror, "I really wanted to give you that sweater and, like, I got super worried wh-"

"It's fine, Leni," Lori replied lazily.

That's it? No further rant about hair clips or privacy? Leni exhaled timidly, thankful that her sister wasn't staring at her. Her eyes were too scared to face the mirror, lest she face its reflection. Instead, she looked at her legs and raised a finger.

"So, like, what do you think of the sweater?" she asked.

Lori finally broke away from the bureau and gently slid the sweater with her hand. Now having calmed down, she could sense its light weight, homely look, soft touch. She found it a shame that she resorted to anger when presented with something as comfy as this. She smirked a little.

"It's pretty good, but why did you make this for me?" Lori asked. It was a genuine question. Her birthday and Christmas were still far out. And she already had a Halloween costume in place. It was an unusual gift.

"Like, I wanted you to, like, wear it when Carol comes over," Leni answered. The cute image of Lori wearing something sky blue (her favorite color) made her giggle a little.

Lori, however, scoffed.

"You can't be serious," she snarked as she lifted her arm and readjusted her hand, letting the sweater hang like a banner, "we're just hanging out. It's nothing special."

But Leni felt otherwise. Over the past month and a half, she had observed Lori when it came to Carol. Every day at lunch, she tried to catch to see where her sister sat. There were (many) days where Lori opted to sit with her established clique, which settled in a different part of the cafeteria. And on those occasions where she caught her with Carol, she pressed her about it, determined to squeeze every juicy detail. But now, here they were, when they would finally have a hang out. Even Leni knew that hang outs were something that friends did, a major milestone when it came to interactions. So what better way to celebrate than with a homemade sweater, a memento of the day Lori made a new bestie.

"Please," Leni begged, "it would be really sweet! And, like, I think Carol would like it."

Lori noticed how Leni's eyes widened as she spoke. She couldn't help but be baffled. Leni was trying to give her a 'lost puppy' look. What was she getting at anyway?

"You really think so?" she asked point blank. Lori wanted to express that those eyes, cute as they were, weren't the reason she was inquiring.

"Yes! And you two will, like, look back on it and smile and stuff," she answered, smiling. And then she held up both her hands, "Please."

By this point, Lori couldn't put up with it anymore. She stretched out the sweater and slipped it on over the shirt she was already wearing. It was a little tight on the arms, but everything else fit snuggly. How Leni was able to determine her size without a tape measure or question was beyond her. And once she saw Leni grinning from ear to ear, it didn't matter anymore.

"Yay!" she exclaimed as she eagerly took out her phone. Leni flipped it up, perpendicular to the ground, and tapped her index finger on the circular button. A white light shone on its top for several seconds, went out briefly, and then blinked.

It was during all this that Lori realized what was going on. Sure it was annoying, but there was nothing to be gained by getting the photo blurry. Indeed, Leni stared at the screen and giggled.

Lori rolled her eyes. That laughter tickled her curiosity

"Give me that!" Lori said teasingly as she swiped the phone from her sister's loose grip. Holding up the screen, she saw herself dazzled. Most of her body came out decently, although her irises were grainy, oval blurs. It was far from her ideal appearance, but it wasn't like she looked ugly in that sweater. She guessed it was sorta cute.

"Could you, like, text that to Carol?" Leni asked.

"What?" Lori said, smiling a little, "It's your phone, so why don't you?"

"I don't know her number."

Lori's little smile faltered. What originally seemed like a strange request just amplified. Looking over the phone, Leni was still grinning. Did none of this faze her?

"Leni," Lori said. She wasn't entirely sure what approach to use (tough love or concern), so her voice was wobbly. Thankfully, her sister nudged her head, a form of acknowledgement, "This whole time you've been wanting me to be friends with Carol and you didn't even get her phone number?"

Her younger sister, though, simply shrugged, annoying Lori. It bugged her how out of sync Leni was much of the time. When it came to reactions, it was always either too much or too little. This binary approach, no matter what, ever seemed to hit the right mixture of emotion.

"Don't you wanna be friends with Carol?"

"Yes," Leni said, "Carol is nice to me and you and she likes clothes."

It was a chipper, authentic response. Lori would have known if she was trying to weasel out of it. And perhaps because of that, all that was needed was a simple lesson. It wouldn't be the first time she stood there and passed insight down to her naive sister.

"Oh Leni," she started, lightening her tone, "if you're gonna be friends with someone, you gotta get their number some time," and without an additional thought, Lori added, "that way you can stay connected. Does that make sense?"

Leni nodded.

"Good," Lori replied. Returning to the glowing screen, Lori tapped her thumb to the contacts menu, "Luckily I know her number, so I'll just put it in. And then when she gets here, you can give her your number."

"Okay," was all she heard.

But before tapping the 'Add Contact' button, Lori couldn't help but the list of existing contacts. She knew deep down it wasn't right for invading her sister's privacy, but the list was right in front of her in big black bold letters. How could she avert her gaze? Another inescapable feature was the sizable space of empty white occupying the vast bottom.

"Dad

Lori

Luan

Luna

Mom

Pop Pop"

It was saddening, even with her extensive experience with Leni's habits. Glancing up, she saw her sister staring at the carpet below. Seeing these names made Lori want to say something, anything. Give her a lecture, interrogate, console, whatever it was. But no answers were clear, aside from one.

Her thumb rapidly tapped the button and she quickly filled in all of Carol's contact information. It made her glad she had the number memorized, lending itself to a speedy process. After clicking save, she casually handed over the phone. Leni stared at it and grinned once again. To Lori, that was all she needed. A happy face.

"She's gonna love this!" Leni exclaimed as her fingers maneuvered their way across the phone's keyboard.

Meanwhile, Lori decided to gaze at the mirror again, perhaps to keep Leni from getting suspicious. She postured herself into multiple stances (hands on the hips, arms folded, leaning forward and back), seeing how she passed off the unique outfit. It wasn't gonna be that hard putting up with Carol for a few hours, but having this comfortable sweater certainly was nice (and good looking).

The door knocked. Both their heads perked to the open door leading to the hallway. The phone and mirror quickly became ignored as the two headed out. For once, Lori let Leni take the charge, opting for her to feel accomplished and social. It was least she could do after being met with that barren contacts list. At the bottom, Leni flung open the door revealing Carol.

Lori didn't know what she expected. Carol stood tall in the doorway, sporting a sky blue knitted sweater. And then she remembered that package Leni handed Carol back on Thursday. As it all came together, she wanted to do something to Leni (call her out, laugh, use her fingers to indicate what she wa wearing). In the moment, though, she just blushed.

"Hi Lori," she said, chuckling at the sight before her.

"Leni literally planned this."

"Figures."

Carol's eyes shifted to Leni, whom she waved at fondly. Thankfully, the other Loud detected the message and mirrored that expression. As she did this, Leni saw the girl pull out her phone and present it to her.

"You planned a little surprise for us," she said, the screen open to the picture Leni took of Lori. Leni recognized the picture and admitted that it was a good shot she made. But what stuck with her more was the warm atmosphere Carol gave off (helping matters was the hint of perfume), "well you got me. I was really happy with what you did."

"Um...thanks," Leni answered meekly. It wasn't that Carol scared her or that she wasn't proud of her work. She just didn't want to come across as annoying. She stood there are the two older girls followed each other up the staircase, intent on going to the bedroom.

Leni then remembered that tonight was Halloween. She knew she was getting too old to dress up, but she loved it. Every year, she always tried to get a colorful, lovely costume (whether it was at the store or from her sewing machine). This year, she opted to make herself a vibrant flamingo costume. It had been finished for weeks and was just sitting in the closet, waiting for her to pull it out.

Racing upstairs, she bolted into the room and spotted both girls sitting on Lori's bed as if it were a park bench. All she gave was a quick wave before ripping the neon pink garb off its coat rack. She didn't want to be too slow, lest she disrupt the atmosphere of friend making.

With a hearty shut to the door, she thought she could slow down to take a breath. But her brother filled her eye's corner.

"Hey Leni. Did you finish it?" Lincoln asked.

"Finish...what?" Leni pondered. She knew that tonight was Halloween, but there was too much going on for her to understand a moniker as vague as 'it'. It was a genuine question.

"Our costumes. Clyde is gonna be over here in an hour," Lincoln replied.

All of it came back. It hit her like a stack of bricks. She recalled how her little brother had reminded her on several occasions about Ace Savvy. The image of the drawing he gave her seared in her mind (it had been sitting in her drawer for well over a month). How did she let something in the realm of fashion slip her by? Her head lightened and her throat tightened. She couldn't even bear to look at his disappointed face.

"I...um...forgot," Leni said sadly. Using her arms, she gave herself a hug, bracing herself for what would come next.

"Really?!" Lincoln exclaimed, "But I wanted to be Ace Savvy! And now I don't have any costume!"

She couldn't speak. The pit in her stomach deepened, forming a black hole. The horror of having to see her little brother's anger was unthinkable. Leni mentally slapped herself for her cowardice. Here, her own silly actions had angered two of her siblings, none of whom deserved it. And here she was, too afraid to face the music. She didn't deserve to speak, feeling it would have only made everything worse. At this point, Leni considered herself pretty good at messing things up for others.

"You know there's the attic," she heard a voice. Knowing her family, she concluded it was Lynn, "There's all sorts of old costumes up there."

"But the rope is so high! I can't reach it!" Lincoln whined.

"I got ya."

Leni stared at the bathroom door while her ears picked up the sound of footsteps and a massive swinging. Less than two seconds after, wood hit the carpet.

"Knock yourself out," she heard Lynn say.

Her legs found a surge of energy and she paced into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She was kinda glad that Lori was away, otherwise she'd use one of her hairpins to break in.

She tried clearing her mind as she put on her costume. It was her first time wearing it, so her appendages had to drill through the scrunched, pressed fabric. This costume had taken about a month to complete and two whole trips to the mall. There was all sorts of weird materials used and excessive dollars spent, making her feel worse.

Once it was on, she checked herself out in the mirror. What a waste of time, she thought. The sewing was perfect, the seams were invisible, the feathers were secure, and the spandex was clean. She frowned as she remembered the drawing. That hunting she did for that light pink should have been for bold crimson. Mom's money shouldn't have gone to ticklish feathers, but a decent-looking mask. And the cape? With all the stuff already in her room, she could have cobbled something together.

"Linky deserves better than you!"

Slam. That must have been the attic ladder flipping back up. Through the door, she heard Lynn snickering.

"You look like a ragged carpet," she heard her say.

"Hey! Oscar is all I could find up there, so he'll have to do," Lincoln said, clearly annoyed.

"And why do you have two?" at this point, the girl was laughing.

"This one's for Clyde! We'll be the Oscar twins!"

All she could hear from there was Lynn's sinister laughter. Thinking about how it was affecting her Linky only made Leni feel worse. Because of her absent-mindedness, she had ruined her special little guy's favorite night. She gripped the sink's rim and let her head sink. She didn't deserve this nice costume she made just for herself. Her eyes squeezed shut and her mind screamed at her.

"What's wrong with you?! Do you think any friend is gonna want someone like that?!"

"I don't get it Lori."

Her eyes opened. Her head shot up. There was Carol's voice, through the bathroom wall. Lori had told her that it was wrong to eavesdrop, that in a House with limited privacy, what scraps one could get should be respected. But this conversation was right there, loud enough to break the thin layers separating the rooms. Rubbing her eyes, she staggered towards the corner and tried listening in.

"I mean, it feels like you don't even want to accept me," she heard Carol say remorsefully.

"What are you talking about? I've been hearing you, talking to you. Heck, I even put on this matching sweater just so Leni would be happy."

"But is that the only reason you're here with me?"

Silence. Leni tucked her lips, trying to constrict her breath. Any whip of air, either through her mouth or nose, risked invading her hearing. By this point, she was too terrified to not know.

"Well...she does like you. And thinks you're nice," Lori answered, sighing.

"Again, I hate how I acted as a kid. I was selfish, vain, conceited. You say that I'm okay and stuff, but I can't help but feel that you don't mean it."

"Leni would be fine if I chose not to forgive you. Besides, she shouldn't be worried about me."

"She's your sister! Of course she's gonna notice what you're up to."

Why was she so large of a topic? Leni thought these friends were supposed to be talking about each other. Besides, she didn't deserve their time.

"Whatever," Lori said disinterested.

A brief pause ensued.

"Lori...are you just...nevermind."

"No, what is it?"

Another pause. By this point, Leni was basically holding her breath, cutting off all air.

"Are you just...afraid of changing your mind?"

"What?"

"It's weird. It's like you're here with me, talking, giving me a chance because your sister talked you into it, wearing a sweater she made for us...but you still seem unhappy to be around me."

"Well what do you want, for me to smile and be excited at every little thing you say?" Lori said incredulously. Leni, meanwhile, felt her heart racing from that comment.

"No," Carol replied meekly, "it's just, well, you seem to just brush me aside, as if you're only saying stuff so I'll leave you alone and...you can go back to Leni and tell her everything's alright."

"Leni gets upset when people don't get along."

"And I'm glad that you care about your sister. But I dunno...you seem uncomfortable when you're near me. Are you sure you really forgive me for all the stuff I've done?"

"Uh...yes," Lori said, hesitantly.

A knock at the door. Leni nearly jumped out of her costume by the startling sound. Her tense, wavering eyes directed to the wooden door.

"Leni, are you in there?"

It was Mom. She must have picked up on how long she was in there. Leni felt bad, slamming her so-called "cry for attention".

"Y-Yeah Mom," she replied nervously.

"Well hurry up! We're about to go trick-or-treating!"

For a few seconds, her feet were glued to the tile. She wanted to keep listening, seeing what would become of the friendship. She wanted to know if she was a burden, an obligation that resulted in an unhappy union. But the persistent knocking propelled her from that spot, forcing her to stumble out the room and down the hall.

She briefly stopped in front of her bedroom door and leaned her ear against it. She couldn't hear anything, worrying her. Her hand got an impulse urge to fly it open, so she could see their faces and get to the bottom of this.

But would that really work?

How did she know that they weren't just gonna put on masks when she came in, smiling and telling her how nice her sweaters were. Only to give them more ammunition, reason to believe she's a bad thing rather than a source of encouragement for opening one's minds. And with that, she continued down the stairs, her mind burning with that question the whole time.

"I wonder if Linky likes Oscar."