Nothing like wandering about the House to waste your time. Friday afternoon, early December, and nothing to do (but that didn't stop Leni from posing that question). Everyone else was off on their missions. Linky was working on a project, Lori was on her laptop again working on that essay, and that didn't even get into the others. None of them were gonna suspect her, she figured.

It wasn't like there was homework to complete. Her new projects were doing just fine, no new episodes this week, and Helen was spending the weekend at her grandma's. Well, there was that slumber party Lori talked about, but none of those people would be here for a couple hours. All Leni could hope for was that evening would turn out okay.

Would it really, though?

Leni found herself walking downstairs, passing by those same frozen portraits. She was just as stilted as ever, she thought. Luna was still cool as ever, Luan cute, Lynn noble, Linky precious, and so on. None of them (not even Lisa or Lily) ever had to think about looking good in order to be it. And then there was her. She'd rather not think about it.

But it was impossible to avoid. Sometimes, when she wasn't completely blinded by smoke, Leni was able to contemplate the fire burning in her consciousness. Even now, it didn't make a lot of sense.

Junior High was when she woke up to the reality. While she had been bathing in ignorance, others had struggled, paid money, got really worked up, and wasted valuable time to achieve some foggy pipe dream: that she (the ungrateful slob) could function in this world. Their sweat, frustration, and youthful hair had been flushed down with nothing to show for it.

She changed that (or she thought she did). Leni showed Mrs. Lane that her work had produced something meaningful. She got a friend, became sort of aware of social norms, and she got off Mrs. Lane's case, never to bother her again. That meant she was good enough to be of use to everyone around her, whether it was a friendship problem or figuring things out on her own. Leni solved that problem. Right? So, she should have been happy now.

Leni sauntered past the living room. Luna and Luan were bunched together watching a movie (one Leni had never seen). Based on what she saw, there were two guys on screen talking about something they thought was important. Whatever it was, her mind pushed her away from whatever that piece of fiction was expressing.

The kitchen was surprisingly empty. Out of all the residents in this House, no one was hungry. Granted, she wasn't either, but there had to be at least someone. Leni didn't even know what she was thinking at this point.

Two and a half years of this. Leni liked to tell herself that there was a time right after she passed her examination where she was finally fulfilled, happy that she could finally do the same stuff as Lori and the others. Now, she wasn't even sure if such a time existed; this voice just persisted, growing increasingly more toxic with time. Was she just that selfish for not being satisfied? What else did the world owe her to finally have the luxury of being happy?

Leni continued to the tiny corridor outside the kitchen, where the only notable feature was a lonely door. In all her days, she only remembered a handful of times being behind it. It was Mom and Dad's room. Leni (and her siblings for that matter) knew little of what it looked like inside and expressed little interest in exploring. She had considered herself in that category too; in fact, she didn't even think about where Mom and Dad slept half the time.

Has it really gotten to this? Was Leni so miserable in her inactivity that this would pass as time well spent? Mom and Dad wouldn't mind, right? Leni did think it was pathetic that she wasn't sewing or writing fanfiction. But right now, she was just drained, as if she couldn't do anything. And besides, she had convinced herself that none of her siblings would bother her in there.

She turned the door until she heard a click and slowly entered. No one was in there, despite the fact that Vanzilla was in the driveway.

The room itself was different from her own. It was the same size and included a walk-in closet, but instead of two normal beds, there was one giant one slapped along the middle. The area also had a larger bureau than the one in her room, brown and carrying larger mirrors.

Leni didn't understand what it was about this place that kept the others out. Perhaps it was just the assumption that it was a boring, stuffy space with no toys and filled with hideous antiques. But her first impressions weren't half bad. Sure, the blankets were a bit old-fashioned for her liking, however she wasn't the one using it.

As she pushed aside further inquiries at why she was in here, Leni decided to do some exploring. Who knew what lied in here? Indeed, just some general scanning revealed some old photos of her parents (they looked so cute when they were together). Also strewn about were miscellaneous items: dirty clothes, paper wads, books, and all sorts of stuff. She supposed her parents were people too.

It was an interesting array of items. Those silly questions kept getting stuffed deeper and deeper within. Did it really matter why she was in here anyway? For once, it was a break from her routine, a chance to take a breath. Leni wanted there to be no harm with that, that there was at least something she could do that wasn't immediately labeled "wrong".

But one object did make her pause. Resting on the edge of the bureau was a large black bag. Leni had seen it before, usually in the kitchen or the dining room (and always by her Mom's side). What made it so special was a question even she didn't have a good answer for. Against all odds, though, she moved her body towards it. Now was as good a time as ever to find out.

Leni approached the bag and ran her hand along the outside. Her palm picked up the sticky bumps of the leather exterior. It was a luxury that Mom owned this thing to begin with. Her other hand became preoccupied by the gold zipper running along the top. It was closed (but not for long, she thought). She swiveled her head, insuring that no one was in sight. Once she was cleared, Leni cooly unzipped the bag and perked inside.

The interior was anything but organized. The articles were completely jammed in, more disorganized than those that made up the surrounding bedroom. Rouge, lipstick, eyeliner were all cluttered in there readily visible. It took her several seconds to connect the dots. This appeared to be Mom's makeup bag.

As she picked up some red lipstick, her eyes narrowed. This was a lot like the stuff Lori would put on. Her big sister was into makeup like nobody's business; she's throw it on, use various sticks and brushes to cultivate her face into something attractive (even if it was artificial).Why, though? Lori looked fine just the way she was.

All her life, Leni's conception of beauty focused entirely on the clothes. It didn't matter what color your cheeks was or whether your eyes "popped" so long as you put on the right top or shoes. There were only a handful of times when her Mom helped her put it on before big events, but she herself didn't have her own kit or knowledge on applying it.

Was that really the way to go? These days, she saw strange colors even at school. Lori wore it, as did Carol and a lot of girls in her classes. Whenever she heard a group talk about going to the Mall, Leni guessed (surprisingly correctly) that each of them had some complexion-altering product carefully applied across their face. And they weren't just wearing it; their exploits at the Mall also entailed discussion of the best brands of lipstick or rouge. It was like makeup was equal to clothes when it came to fashion.

That seemed to be the missing link, the thing that set her apart from all those other girls (the ones that have more than one friend). Leni had never asked for popularity or five hundred people to ask her how her days was. But at the same time, she wanted to be able to reach their level, to not be someone others are obligated to deal with.

Maybe this was the way. If she started wearing makeup, they would stop seeing her as a baby. The thought hadn't crossed her mind before, but now that it had, she felt horrible for not seeing it.

Leni wanted to tell herself makeup was the key to respect, to others not being bogged down, that this lipstick would magically turn yellow and shiny (or maybe it would transform into a Bobby pin). It was about time she taught it for herself.

She popped off the lipstick's lid, exposing the red glossy rod. After examining it real quick, Leni closed her eyes and started stroking it against her lids. It took a little bit to get used to the pressure and expansive surface area of the stick, but it wasn't anything too bad (or at least not as bad as whatever it was she felt).

This was gonna make her better, Leni told herself. Once everyone saw how grown up she looked, people would start liking her for real and they'll like spending time with her. They'll think she's smart and someone they can come to when they need help. And then, everything would be fine. Leni pushed herself to believe she was jiggling the red Bobby pin, trying to find just the right fit.

"You need to be good!"

As she stroked the red stuff onto her eyelids, Leni repeated this mantra until she felt nauseous. Leni was tired of feeling worthless. She was tired of being dumb, of always having to be corrected. For once, she was the one to find the mistake and fix it once and for all. All she needed was an immaculate face with bold colors in just the right spots. The experience was liberating.

The door clicked open, stunning her. Her hand froze. Her ears tried to parse the sound, register its source. But that was tough to do with her eyes closed. Besides, someone beat her to it.

"Leni?!" she heard her Mom say.

She jerked back, her eyes finally opening. Indeed, Mom was in her doorway, her face appearing as if she just saw a big, hairy spider.

"What are you doing?!"

That was a great question that lacked a satisfying answer. Leni stared at the lipstick and only saw an ordinary cosmetic. What was she talking about? Of course this thing couldn't possibly be a key to wholeness. It was just another product of her arbitrary investigation.

Leni glanced to the mirror beside her. The area surrounding her eyes were splattered with red. This was supposed to make her look good? It had to be because it was makeup. Unless, of course, Leni really was that broken (that not even lipstick could have saved her).

It was such a disappointment. In the moment, the promise was there, something she could literally hold in her hand. Leni sighed as her head lowered. She knew she should have given an answer, but her mind had no words planned out. Not that there was time to plan ones out anyway.

With the initial shock out of the way, Mom's face cooled down. Her eyes returned to their usual aura, one of caring and tranquility. Mom's arms retreated to their sides as she carefully made her way to her.

"Are you alright, honey?" she asked gently.

Was this "Mess Up Month" or something? Not only has she failed to improve on anything, but now Leni was slipping in something so fundamental. This must have been the third or fourth time she broke the "Dont make others ask" rule. It was sacred, the one contribution she made to the House; for all her failures and worthless emotions, Leni at least understood that she needed to keep it to herself.

Mom had a million important duties she had to attend to. She had work during the days, Lily to feed and change diapers and put to bed. Mom also had to watch over the others, making sure Lori was up to date on her college applications, that Luna was getting the attention she deserved, that Luan was responsible with her earnings from Funny Business, that Lynn understood all the weird stuff happening to her body, that Linky felt loved, that Lucy was happy, that Lana and Lola got along, and that Lisa was able to make friends. That was a lot for one person to take on, even when she had an equally awesome partner like Dad.

Mom didn't have time for this pointless enterprise. Leni had already eaten up enough of her parents' energy with all those years of glaring defects that needed to be "worked out". Even at sixteen, Leni didn't feel better about herself. But that was her problem now. And Mom didn't need the burden of knowing her compassionate efforts had been for naught. It shouldn't be this way for Mom.

"Leni," Rita said, her voice tightening, "is there something wrong?"

She realized that she was still staring at the lipstick. This shouldn't have been the question her Mom was posing. Lily would have received a bigger punishment for the same charge (she had seen it play out before). What made this instance so different? Was she really just bad at keep her issues to herself? Leni knew she couldn't speak. There was no way the truth could ever come out (or at least what pieces she knew about). But any attempt to lie would have dug this hole deeper. Her Mom didn't need to be digging at this hour.

But in this tension between two worlds, Leni was forced into inaction. All she could do is look at the lipstick, glaze over the tiny words transcribed on the handle. In that moment, that was her honest effort to do right.

"Does it have to do with the makeup in my bag?" Mom asked, now inches away. This was a test or something. Maybe this was Mom's way of getting relief, by egging her own daughter into messing up even more.

Leni broke eye contact with the instrument. Mom's face appeared gently inquisitive. Mom stared at her, gaining a particularly confidence glance. Leni wasn't sure why this subtle change happened.

"Did you want me to teach you how to put it on?" She asked.

Leni thought about that question. It was an odd one as far as she was concerned.

"Yes," Leni blurted out.

Where did that come from? First makeup was the answer, then it wasn't. So now it was again? Leni's mind went into overload trying to resolve that one, but by then, Mom had already removed the lipstick from her hand.

"First, we should get that stuff off your eyes. It doesn't go there," Mom said, smiling at the end.

Leni watched solemnly as her Mom scorched into her bag and pulled out a cloth along with a case. Mom opened it and brushed the white cloth along its powdery surface. And then it hit her like a collapsing wall of bricks. This was gonna be a while, an extended period of her own mother taking time out of the day to deal with her. Leni conjured up some hypothetical situations. Maybe Lynn had a big game that day that she needed driving to (and someone to cheer for). What if little Lisa needed to get up to the top cabinet to grab a snack? Everyone else's business was being put on hold...for what reason again? For makeup, something Leni never bothered with before.

Why couldn't she be normal, she asked herself.

Mom, though, was giving her "obligatory" smile as she dabbed the moist cloth across the top of Leni's face. Indeed, Leni had to shut up and accept her punishment.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Mom said tenderly, "once we're through, you will feel as beautiful as you truly are!"

Not much happened in the few hours leading to the girls' arrival. Leni opted to plop herself in the living room while her glazed eyes absorbed whatever was projected in front of her.

Her face still felt sticky even though that stuff has been off for a while. It was a little uncomfortable, but she wasn't gonna let that sour her mood.

Various people filed in and out of the room, going on and off the couch. Whenever they stopped by, they asked if Leni was watching anything in particular. Telling them no, they gleefully switched the station to whatever it was they wanted. One hour it was a basketball game, another it was a show about ghosts and spiders (causing her to dart behind the couch, shivering). Once that nightmare was over, it went back to cartoons. Thankfully, Lana wasn't teasing with the jubilant one-liners of Rosy Cake. It was one of those shows she liked.

There was that bunny in the orange shirt again pacing back and forth in his tiny bedroom. His face was wrecked by panic.

"Oh no! My big carrot project is due tomorrow! I leave my door open for five minutes and it goes missing! Where did it go?" Harrison lamented, his face collapsing into his shaky paws.

A thud interrupted the poor bunny's anxiety attack. His ears shot up and his head jerked back and forth. Another thud startled him again.

"When did this place get a wall?" a slow, dragging, high-pitched voice uttered.

And just like that, the boy's fear melted away. His brows fell and clumped together, his expression switching to annoyed relief. Harrison sighed as he opened his door, allowing a taller bunny to fall in. This second character was difficult to describe (physically at least). Shoes dangled from her ears as she struggled to get back on her feet (even with Harrison's help). Her outfit was clearly on backwards and inside out (how often did you see the tag right under your chin?). Furthermore, she only had one sock on (polka dot and was all bunched up at her ankle). Leni chuckled at the bunny's silly appearance.

"Um...hi Betty," he said, even though the bunny was clearing facing the opposite wall, "have you seen my carrot project by chance?"

"I have fun. Look!" she replied, swinging her arms, "I think of way to...um...I dunno, but I have funny doing it!"

One of Harrison's eyebrows lurched upwards.

"What were you doing, Betty?"

The taller bunny then gave an obnoxiously big smile. Leni had no idea anyone (person or bunny) could stretch their lips as far out as that. But the jarring image was there, playing out before her eyes.

"I make shirt of orange like that," Betty said, pointing to her brother's baseball cap, "I find orange and break it into little tiny, little tiny pieces. And then...um..." she then paused. As she stood there silently, drool slipped out of her lips, a trail sliding onto her outfit, "oh wait...um...I thought that was for sandwich. But it tasted so good. It was carrot!"

Harrison jumped in the air.

"You ate it?!"

Another bunny slipped in, carrying a Ziplock bag. This one was roughly the same size as Betty, the latter of whom just stood there, looking at nothing in particular. And that smile. It wouldn't let up for anything.

"I'm sorry," Barbara said regretfully, "by I time I got back to my room, it was too late," she then slowly handed the bag to her brother. Inside was a sad pile of orange dust and shards, "This was all that could be salvaged...I'm sorry."

The camera zoomed in on Harrison's watering eyes. All his hard work had been destroyed in an instant. Leni felt weird watching this all transpire.

"No!" Harrison cried, collapsing to the ground.

"Hi doggy," Betty said cheerfully, waving her arm and forth, her torso shifting with it.

By now, Harrison was pounding his fist against the carpet. In any other situation, he would have recoiled from the pain wracking his knuckles. But anger and devastation did funny things to people; it made restraints like that get pushed aside, left for a later, more tranquil time.

"I can't believe this!" Harrison exclaimed, "Betty, how can you be so stupid?!"

"Hey!" Barbara interjected. The oldest bunny marched to Harrison and hoisted him up, her paws gripping his armpits. The boy frightened up at Barbara's glare, "That is no way to talk to your big sister!"

The camera cut to the two of them side by side. In the middle of the background was Betty, who was still standing there. Did she fall asleep with her eyes open, Leni asked herself as she watched.

"But she messed up my project," Harrison cried, trying desperately to defend himself, "why aren't you yelling at her?"

"That's what you get for leaving your door open, twerp!" Barbara shot back, shaking her brother, "you know that Betty will go to anything big and fancy like your dumb paper-mache carrot."

Indeed, Betty had already moved on from the confrontation. As they spoke, she was staring at Harrison's window, scratching her soft paws against the glass like a dog.

"Why can't Betty be smart?" Harrison asked, frustrated, pointing at her sister at play, "or at least not like that!"

Both of them knew Betty wasn't strong enough to break the glass (or even open the window). Still, Harrison couldn't help himself. He was just so mad.

"Because twerp," Barbara said sharply, shaking him once more, "that's just who she is. Nothing will ever change that. No school, advice, friends, or anything. As her family, we just have to put up with whatever silly thought pops in her head. And if she thinks your dumb carrot is a sandwich, you just have to roll with it. So shut up and admit it's your fault!"

Barbara looked like she was about to pulverize Harrison (all because he was wronged). But alas, he sighed.

"You're right. I'm the stupid one," he said.

"And?"

Harrison glanced at his second oldest sister, who had resorted to licking the glass. That stain was gonna need some cleaning, he thought. But that didn't matter. And realizing his mistake, he sighed.

"It's my fault that my project got destroyed," Harrison added.

Just like that, Barbara's face lightened up. She gently lowered her brother on the ground, giving him room to shake out the tremors Barbara had given him. At last, everything was back to normal.

"Good boy," Barbara said contented. She even went the extra step of patting him on his covered head.

Leni turned to Lana, whose cheery eyes were glued to the screen. Such was the case when she saw the Rabbit Hole; it truly was her favorite show on television. So if it was so good, why didn't Leni feel the same way?

She didn't have the peace of mind she would have gotten from some of the shows she watched. Rabbit Hole had nothing like Rosy Cake or even Stuttersneeze. She wasn't better having sat through that. Not that it mattered, of course, given Lana's jubilation. The girl had every right to laugh at Betty; that bunny really was too pathetic to ignore.

The temptation to talk briefly surfaced. Maybe there was a chance to clear up some of the confusion Leni had with her younger sister. But just as quickly, the urge fell away. Couldn't she just let her sister enjoy life without being bogged down by her desperate inquiries? Lana was just a kid for crying out loud (even though she wasn't speaking). Leni concludes the best thing to do was smile, try to laugh along with Lana throughout the rest of the program. Maybe then would she learn that there were more important things than her stupid feelings.

Eventually, the door bell rang. It jolted her heart more than usual. Her back shot up, firmly set parallel to the couch's cushion. Leni couldn't move.

"Coming!" she heard Lori shout, her voice bouncing against the stairs' walls. And so it was established: Lori was gonna fetch the door for her friends. It was for the best anyhow.

Within several seconds flew downstairs and flung open the door. A cacophony of high-pitched greetings broke out in the foyer, the clashing sound waves bursting into the living room. Leni didn't mind. The only thing she had to do right then was to sit still and let Lori do the work. That's how it was supposed to be.

The clump of excited teenage girls shifted towards the living room, moving as a slow yet rigid block. For whatever reason, Lana turned off the TV by herself and walked away. All Leni could think was that the poor girl hadn't done anything wrong. She was just a kid watching a show that she liked. Leni would have loved for her to stay and keep doing her thing.

Leni was still sitting straight up, trying her best to remain attentive. After all, these were Lori's guests and she didn't want her antics to ruin their fun. Between the interjecting voices, she pieced together some chatter about boyfriends (Bobby's name came up at several points) and the latest Boyz Will Be Boyz album. It was noisy, fast, and hard to follow. Leni, though, did her best to follow.

"So girls," Lori said eagerly, "Leni will be joining us tonight!"

Upon hearing her name, Leni twisted herself, trying to dig her wrist into the couch's top. Indeed, there were five other girls beside her. Leni felt this funny feeling in her throat as she noticed all their eyes pointing at her. But it wasn't jus that they were staring. They were smiling too. Some of them were bigger than life, the type that she would see people use on commercials. So wide, so tight, and so shiny. Leni couldn't bring herself to reciprocate that grand expression.

"Hi everyone," Leni said softly.

"Hi Leni," all of them replied in unison. Even Lori was in on it. Was this something they always did when they met someone new?

In any case, the experience felt weird. Leni shouldn't have been having these heart flutters when people were just being nice to her (supposing they meant it).

"I'm Whitney," one of the girls said excitedly.

"I'm Erica!"

"Amelia," she said, waving her hand.

"Tyra."

"Stephanie."

They all appeared happy enough, considering they all surrounded Lori. And yet between all of them, there was a huge elephant in the room (and no peanuts or clowns or stuff). Leni wondered where Carol was. Maybe she was busy that night or something. In any case, it was off-putting. To think that there was the chance of having someone she already knew involved. Not to say that these girls didn't appear nice, though.

Without any need for further introduction nor an "intruding" figure, the girls piled around the front of the couch, squishing themselves into the tight space. For a House this big, Leni should have known better than to be surprised at the increasingly tight quarters. But with each new addition, she was pushed against the armrest, pinched by multiple girls chatting up a storm.

Unable to move from her spot, Leni spectated on much of the discussion. Despite her best efforts, much of the content was forgotten just as quickly as it was spoken. One minute it was on government class, the next it was about visiting older friends in college, then something about boyfriends. Her head became filled with foreign names, unknown places, unusual inside jokes, and sassy comments. Leni wished she had some knowledge about this stuff; that could have lended itself to a comment.

But alas, she didn't have that knowledge. Merely keeping up the conversation was already a task on its own, let alone participating. And it wasn't like she could have gotten a word in anyhow. The moment one girl finished talking, another immediately (without a break) interjected with her own thoughts. It quickly became disorienting.

"And then Bobby literally ran out of work just to deliver me flowers," Lori said

"Aww," all the girls cheered. That was probably one thing Leni could have said; even she knew who Bobby was.

Just then Lori's phone buzzed.

"OMG! A new text!"

The oldest Loud eagerly opened the lock screen and examined the message. Just as quickly as her eyes glazed across the blurb, her face transformed into uncontrollable excitement.

"His boss gave him the night off," Lori announced with bated breath, although her teeth clamped down on her lower lip, "and he's coming over here!"

It was like Bobby had become the most popular person in the House (heck, even all of Royal Woods). The five friends were hugging each other, shaking violently. Leni tried her best to open her mouth, as if that was enough to get her riled up as well. It kinda worked; the longer she screamed, the more naturally the art came.

Even though she didn't catch a time for when he would arrive, Leni was pretty happy that Another would be joining their ranks. He probably had some funny stories to share about his job (though she lost track of what that was currently was) and his adorable little sister Ronnie Anne (since she was one of Linky's "friends").

"My hair is literally a mess!" Lori exclaimed, her animated face twisted with panic. Her iron fists gripped clumps of the blonde coiffure.

"Totes!" Erica replied, equally panicked. The girl pushed her way up and swung behind the couch. Leni heard a zipper come undone, followed by some shuffling and mumbling. Eventually, Erica emerged carrying a hairblower and other related instruments, "anyone need one?"

Before Leni could have processed it all, the girls squabbled up. The sudden opening of space on the couch was comforting. And yet, the chatter resumed as each of the girls went to their bags and pulled out their things. Was this a planned activity, Leni asked herself. If it was, Lori certainly didn't announce it.

And Lori was a confusing figure in all this. Rather than joining her friends, her big sister went to the base of the steps. Leni watched as she stood on the first step.

"I'm gonna do mine in the bathroom!" she shouted over all the noise. Lori's head then shifted to the left, locking in on her, "Leni's got some great tips if you wanna look fab!"

Just like that, her sister was gone like the flash, leaving Leni to her own thoughts. She was good at hair?

Well...she supposed she had some idea. While makeup was still a novelty for her, hair care was surprisingly a high priority for her (second to clothes). Leni knew how to use all the tools they had in the House and she had a pretty good idea of what the good shampoo brands were. But tips? Stuff that she knew that these other girls didn't also know? That was a big statement.

Leni stood up and eyed the stairwell. She knew where her hair supplies were. If only she could get to them.

"Hi!" Erica said, jumping out in front of Leni. Once again, she gave that commercial woman smile, "you look like you could use a hairblower."

It was like the girl read Leni's mind.

"Yes. I was, like, going up-"

"You can use mine!" Erica eagerly said, holding up the instrument, "It's brand new! Plus, I have an extra, so it's no worries!"

An odd request. Erica certainly didn't need to go that far, especially for someone like her. But in spite of all she was dealing with, Leni could tell Erica at least meant well. Besides, she didn't want to diss one of Lori's friends. She attempted to smile as well.

"Thanks," Leni said simply, taking the hair blower, "I'm just, like, gonna go upstairs and get my curling iron. I have my own."

"Oh. Okay!"

Erica headed back to her friends, who by now had all their things out (including bottles of shampoo). Wasting no time, Leni rushed upstairs to her room. It was a short commute filled with a visual recollection of the tools' location.

Indeed, once she arrived in there, Leni rushed to the closet and found a box sitting on the floor against the wall. Cracking open the plastic lid was the easy part. Sure enough, all her brushes and electronic hair supplies were stashed inside. They were all clumped together. The only two objects she thought about was her curling iron and her pink hairbrush (that one was her favorite). The search was longer than she hoped, but eventually Leni fished out both objects in a sea of metal and cords.

Relieved at her discovery, Leni pressed both things against her chest and rushed out of the room, neglecting the lonely lid. The others were waiting for her. Lori was too, As was Bobby. The fate of the whole evening rested on her looking as good as could and insuring that everyone else had the time to do the same. She feared the grave consequences of failure.

Sure enough, she found them in the kitchen. All their supplies were scattered across the kitchen table. Underneath the given constant (chatter) was the sound of running water. One of the girls (Leni assumed her name was Stephanie) had her head under the faucet, allowing the water to soak her hair. By her side were two large purple bottles. It was then that it registered that this girl was both lucky and fancy. Whenever Leni went to the Mall, Lori (or Mom) barred her from purchasing that specific brand since it was "expensive". Either way, Stephanie was gonna look totes great once she was done.

It was only then that Leni realized she forgot her own shampoo. Those bottles were just sitting inside the shower, mixed in with all the other products everyone else used. It was the only brand she was comfortable with, the only one she knew would guarantee the hair she was used to.

"Hi Leni," Stephanie said, pulling her hair out from under the sink. It was incredibly shiny despite its moistness, "you can go next," she added. Her kind hand gestures to the sink.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Totes," Stephanie answered. All the other girls (never giving up on those giant grins) nodded like bobble heads, "you can even use my shampoo."

The girl swiped the bottle and basically shoved it right into Leni's arms, not even giving a chance to place down her other things. Leni blushed. The hair blower was already too much, but this was going over the top.

"What are you waiting for?" Stephanie said excitedly, "your hair will transform before you even know it!"

There was no turning back now. After all, when she herself had done so little to rectify this injustice, she was condemned to this persistent guilt and discomfort.

Leni silently placed down her tools and approached the sink. It was weird sticking her head under the narrow faucet. As she turned on the water and let the thick streams run down her scalp, she couldn't stop thinking about the metal faucet lying just inches above. Needless to say, it was uncomfortable.

Normally, Leni enjoyed long showers. Between basking in the hot water and making sure the shampoo dig deep into her hair, each morning was a long and peaceful experience. But this wasn't a shower (or at least it didn't feel like one). Leni realized that others were waiting for her and to keep them up was a horrible offense (so much for thank you). She only had enough time to dab a little of the product into her hair and wash the foam down. Within two minutes, she was done. Erica even handed her a towel to mat down the water.

Rather than watching the others, Stephanie promptly escorted her into the living room (Leni was lucky to snatch her supplies before hand). At first, it was only the two of them in there.

"Okay," Stephanie said, "what you need to do first is plug the hair blower in," she then plugged her own in, "if you don't do this, the blower won't turn on."

"Don't you dare get snippy," Leni told herself in the midst of internal annoyance. Did she really come across as that incompetent to others? Clearly, she concluded. And that was never the other person's fault. Leni knew she had to be better in order to stop receiving this punishment. Indeed, Leni followed the directions.

Leni presses the power button and a gust of hot air blasted against her face. It took several seconds for her hand to properly prop the device into her hair. The damp blonde strands blew gracefully. As Stephanie said, this blower felt brand new. The current was much more powerful than the ancient hunk of metal she was used to. Stephanie really was too generous for her own good.

Gradually, more girls entered the room. Most of the girls (in addition to their supplies) also brought their own surge protectors and extension cords. It was as if their electricity sources acted as a key to entry. Occasionally, Leni caught sight of the growing volume of wires. Such a reality became painfully apparent given how all of them were plugged into the same outlet. That poor thing was the only outlet in the room left (one was used to hook up the TV and the other to power the desktop). It got to the point where surge protectors were being plugged into other surge protectors.

Soon enough, the five friends were all in the room powering their hair blowers, leaving a giant gusting sound swirling about the room. Meanwhile, their curling irons were plugged in for the sake of heating up (it didn't come out immediately). Underneath all of it was more chatter, most of it directed among the five girls. While Leni occasionally made a comment or one word grunt (Totes was a favorite of her's), she mostly remained quiet. The others weren't addressing her and nothing she could have said could have enlivened this lovely discussion. Not that she minded all that much. Besides, this new hair blower produced the same warming comfort the shower did.

Yet as more and more minutes passed, Lori never emerged. At first, Leni presumed that her big sister opted for a full shower and makeover before the makeover (or something). Yet despite this, she soon remembered Bobby's text. Wasn't he supposed to arrive at some point? Maybe he was just running late. Maybe Ronnie Anne was having a little trouble getting to bed and Bobby needed to take care of her (how sweet of him, she thought).

Eventually, Leni concluded that her hair was sufficiently blown. Much of her hair felt crispy and dry, just as it was supposed to.

"Okay," Leni exclaimed, trying her best to grab their attention, "were done with the blow dry bar, time to curl!"

Remembering that her own curling iron lied cold on the carpet, Leni realized what she needed to do. Leni eagerly grabbed and raced over to the outlet. By now, it was an intricate hunk of metal and shiny cord-like material. There had to be at least ten plugs in that one outlet (not to mention all the other stuff normally running in the House). But her one simple plug seemed like practically nothing in the giant electric conglomerate. Besides, she needed to get her hair curled somehow. Unable to contain her anticipation any longer, Leni jammed the plug into the nearest opening she could find.

Several sparks sputtered out of the narrow slits separating the metal prong from the specific opening she had chosen. Everything turned to black. The chorus of hair blowers was abruptly cut off. And confused voices (loud and soft rang through the House).

"Leni Loud!"

She nervously turned towards the kitchen, where the sound appeared to be coming from. Dad's voice sent shivers down her spine. The entire space was too dark to make out anything, though. Leni's heart raced in the midst of this chaos.

Leni heard the bathroom door open and a rapid succession of footsteps. Pounding at the front door broke out as well.

"Lori! Are you okay in there?!"

Bobby? It sounded like him and if it was, the timing could not have been worse. Leni felt sick.

"I'm okay Boo Boo Bear," Lori exclaimed, out of breath and panicked. Despite that, Leni was able to piece that her big sister was the one racing downstairs. What she couldn't decipher was the person heading down the stairs afterwards (mixed in with something metal-y clinking along. Luckily, a narrow beam of light flashed against the walls, shifting downwards with each step. At one point, the light shone in her direction. Leni guarded her eyes from the blinding shine.

"Just as I thought," she heard, "a blown fuse."

Leni thought it must be Lana given that voice (or Lola). The steps continued, along with that clinking. And then it gradually came together. Lana was the only person it could have been.

"I think I can fix it," Lana said after some more walking, "I just need to head down to the basement."

"Okay. Lori, go down with her," Dad said.

She heard more footsteps followed by a door swinging open. Lori's friends slowly resumed their chat, mostly about how their hair was "totes ruined" and "literally unwatchable".

Leni was compelled to gravitate towards the kitchen. She didn't like hearing how the girls were suffering with this powerless darkness. None of this had to happen, especially not after they had all been so civil to her. Thy deserved nothing but the best (and if she thought this was the best, then she really must have been a lost cause).

A pudgy barrier intruded her walk, causing her to stumble. So that's where Dad was.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she said regretfully.

"What were you thinking?" Lynn Sr demanded. He didn't shout, but there was a punch to his whispers. Each syllable was lethally sharp, "you can't be plugging all that stuff on! That causes the power to go out!"

Her entire body was on fire. She wanted to break free from these confines just to cool down, to get all this weight off her shoulders. Leni couldn't bear the brunt of the responsibility, the knowledge that her actions had caused this dysfunction. It was the most disgusting feeling she could imagine (and the reality was far worse).

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she repeated desperately. The more she said it, the more her head pulsated. It was filled with an unintelligible mess of sound. Her Dad was screaming her name, her own voice kept reminding her it was her fault, Lori was giving unspoken tirade she anticipated, and the girls were posing a hypothetical chat session about how lame this sleepover had become because of her.

It became all the more nightmarish when the lights spontaneously popped on. Her Dad's was still marked by lines and tension, even though some of them were fading away with each passing second. Leni couldn't bear to meet his eyes, forcing her to look away. She scarcely saw all the cords on the ground unplugged. But just as quickly, the sight became blurred and darkened.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Dad asked softly, although some of the words still remained pointed.

"Yes," Leni answered shakily. Her hand clung to one of her eyes, rubbing it. Was it tears she was trying to clear out? No. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was beyond unacceptable.

"Leni," he then said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "it's gonna be okay. Look! The power's back on."

The biggest challenge now was to remain quiet. She already messed up once today with Mom, having wasted all that time. The fuse was a whole separate issue, one that would have been devastating if it were isolated. Now, though, to make a scene in front of Dad and within earshot if others was too much. It was a cry for help, for others to make more sacrifices towards a cause that was already lost.

Her throat was so constricted, she felt like she was gonna choke on her own air. Using her other hand, Leni covered her quivering lips (one nuance she was lucky enough to notice).

"What happened?" she heard Lori whisper (poorly) from the other room.

"I dropped the ball on that one," Stephanie admitted, her voice also low, "I plugged in all my stuff at once...and just set everyone else to follow me."

"Well That may have just ruined the whole plan. How am I gonna make it up to my sister now?"

"Can't you just tell her it wasn't her fault," Erica suggested, "she'll believe you."

Her Dad wrapped her arms around her. Leni was stunned by the sudden gesture. Just like that, she had messed up again. What kind of monster was she, Leni asked herself.

"Well...will she? I mean...did she know I was in the bathroom the whole time?" Lori asked.

"Maybe...um...oh...," Stephanie said, "maybe she didn't."