So this how it felt to be Linky. On one hand, Leni was used to being alone, particularly when she was working on projects at her desk. But she wasn't sewing right now. For days on end, she had to get used to not expecting a door to click open or to get an earful of Lori's observations. No more gossip about Bobby or makeup all over the place. It was only now that she realized that this room (where she had slept for as long as she could remember) was too big. At least Linky didn't have extra room to remind him of his loneliness.

This horrendous contrast sat in the back of her mind as she wavered her finger across her laptop's mousepad. She knew that sitting around wasn't gonna fix her problems. Leni knew it was time to stop wasting time on a matter she should have addressed long ago.

Where to start, she asked herself. Google, of course. Luckily, that was her default search engine. Now what? That was the tougher question.

Leni stared at the blank white bar. It was empty, save for that cute little line that kept flashing on and off. She pondered what she would type in that would give her the answers she needed. She already tried queries such as "best colleges" and "where should I go to college". Leni found all sorts of places like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. But a further look inward reveal something striking: none of them had fashion as a major.

What was she left to do? She knew there were fashion schools out there and she yearned to discover them. Leni brainstormed some on how to reach it. Well, there was the word "fashion school". Maybe the Internet would understand what she meant by that. It was more than worth the try (she had to do it).

Typing the query "best fashion schools" into the search bar, she was inundated by numerous links leading to blogs and ranking lists.

Leni happily discovered a number of schools with pretty-sounding names. All of them seemed amazing, that they would open up doors for her to flourish in the art of fashion design. She had little question that attending one of them wouldn't make her happy (but more importantly, everyone else not ashamed of her).

Once past the names written in bold letters, she peered at more general location. Some of these top schools were in New York City while a lot weren't in the country at all. To attend some of these schools, she would have to fly all the way to London or to Paris.

There was little question that either of those cities had their fair share shopping malls, department stores, and tailors. Leni thought those options were tempting on their own. Sure, she wasn't a fan of big cities for their noise, lack of fresh air, and abundance of people to remind her of how socially inept she was, but this www her education.

Then she realized where she lived herself. Was Leni willing to move so far away from her family just to go to school? She would have to miss birthdays, Halloween, all the cute little shops and activities in Royal Woods. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and summer were so far apart that Leni would essentially become more New Yorker or Parisian than Royal Woods-er. Leni shook her head, trying to get those horrible thoughts out.

"You're being selfish again. You're doing them all a favor by going away."

What about Helen, though? Leni realized that she hadn't even asked her own friend what her post-high school plans were. She wanted to be a fashion designer too. Right? No, that was too bold an assumption. It was just her way of papering over the fact that she didn't even know that.

Maybr she could send a text. Leni was tempted to give in, to pull out her phone and once again intrude the poor girl's privacy to ask such a penetrating question. Helen might get embarassed or wonder why her friend was being so direct. Leni told herself that she should have already known the answer and she was, in fact, a terrible friend. If she waited until school, at least she would have the courage to admit that to her face.

This might turn out for the better after all. Leni knew she had to make this move, but they were so alien from what she was used to. There had to be ones a little closer to home, far enough to give Helen and her family relief but close enough to make her comfortable. Leni shuddered at that selfish thought (no cared if she was comfortable), but at least it should be considered? Maybe?

Resigned, Leni shut off the monitor and headed downstairs. She knew it was time for the next trial. Noises from the each of the bedrooms echoed out. Luna was practicing the keyboard while Lucy was reciting her poetry. Luan and Lynn must have loved it.

Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, she saw her parents in their formal attire. By this point, Dad's cerulean suit was nothing new, but that didn't stop him from having a blast while adorning it. Meanwhile, Mom was content in her verdant gown. Leni knew that as a couple, their colors didn't match; if she had it her way, she would have swapped out that dress for something pink or convince Dad to retire the suit for something brown or orange. But they were happy. Who was she to judge their fashion decisions.

"There you are, honey," Mom said upon seeing her, "we're gonna be heading out shortly."

"Remember, babysitting is a big responsibility," Dad replied as he adjusted his black bow tie, "You're gonna have to make sure the kids behave and don't make a mess."

"Do you have any questions?"

It's stunning how those two operated as a unit. If this was anything to go by, then Mom and Dad must have had a super sense, where they could read each other's minds and finish each other's sentences. And what a message to deliver to her. It made such perfect sense to remind her of these basic things. Otherwise, there's no way she would have even known what a babysitter was.

"Nope," Leni answered.

"Well if you need anything, all you have to do is call us," Mom said with a smile, "we're gonna be at Louis Pierre, the same place we always go on date night."

"Okay!" Leni chirped.

With nothing better to do, Leni went to the couch and plopped herself down. Farting her eyes between the black TV screen and her phone, she contemplated what she could do to pass the time. At this point, she was unable to sew. After all, how was gonna be able to do that and watch over the others at the same time? There was the TV, but she couldn't think of anything to watch.

All she could think of was sit there and use her phone. It was a miracle that she lived in a time and place where she could have the Internet and access to Helen all on the same machine. Just as quickly as Leni asked herself what was new in Princess Pony, she was able to type up a Google search and get it. The new episode wouldn't be out until tomorrow. Darn.

Ultimately, Leni lost track of the time. She kept scanning various forums and Fanfiction sites, trying to catch the new tidbits about Rosy Cake and that weird theory that the villain Full of Holes was once a princess. Nothing she found was spectacular or all that original. Maybe a new revelation was on the way.

"Alright kids," Mom announced as she stood at the front door, "your father and I are heading out! Listen to your sister Leni!"

Leni shuddered upon hearing that. Once again, things were getting way more complicated than they should have. She knew this was an important duty, one that would give her at least something resembling pride. This was supposed to make her better, to make her feel like being happy again. And yet, hearing her name being used in this context felt wrong.

It was wrong because she was so used to having Lori around. Everything from her departure to her ascension was too rapid to register. It was a shame too. Leni knew she was better off if she could just accept responsibility for whatever incident occurred on this evening. But she doesn't even have it in her to do that.

Even though she was at the front door, Mom still found it best to walk straight up to the sitting Leni. Indeed, as Leni got yet another close up at that dress, the strong perfume seeped its way into her nostrils. Unexpectedly, Mom leaned in and pecked a kiss on her unresponsive cheek.

"I love you, sweetheart," Mom said gently.

"I love you too," Leni instinctively replied.

Was that something Mom did with Lori? It must have, given that her parents loved her big sister was loved by them. Right?

As Leni pondered that question, she caught sight of Mom returning to Dad. The two giggled at each other before heading out the door. Leni heard it click shut.

This was real.

Normally by now, she would have already been lined up in the foyer, awaiting instructions from her commander. The rules were clear as day. No slouching, no talking, no smiling, and no "in sawboard nation". But instead of hearing a piercing whistle hurt her ears, all Leni could make out was distant footsteps. It soon struck her that she was the only person on the main floor.

Scanning through her phone, her search for something entertaining proved fruitless. And the TV simply wasn't on her mind right then. Leni wasn't in the mood for the the big flashy images and bombastic sounds the TV produced. At least her phone had options for adjusting her perspective.

It was peaceful to say the least. Three minutes since the parents left and there was no mess to be seen. Then again, no one else could have come into this room to trash it. The noise was reasonable and she couldn't smell anything rotten. And best of all, there were no spiders anywhere. Nope. Nothing was wrong.

As Leni leaned back in her seat, she was able to settle down. Lori was right, after all. The thought of staying like this the entire evening flashed her mind. At this pace, it very well was a possibility. The couch became cushier by the second.

"You could even fall asleep right here."

That was tempting. Sure, she wasn't tired right now, but who knew when Mom and Dad would be back. It was an option to keep open, just in case they decided to stay at that restaurant (whatever it was called).

Occasionally, she checked her phone. Time was moving at a snail's pace; each time Leni checked, it was only a minute or two later than it was last time. It reminded her of those days when Lori presided. In those times, the nights also moved slowly, Mom and Dad seemingly crawling across town just to reach their destination. But that was due to not being allowed to have fun. Indeed, once she had her cell phone, Lori became intent on limiting her use of that essential device when Mom and Dad were away.

Leni knew she was no Lori. Almost everything about this night was alien to her (and apparently to her siblings). And yet, the passage of time was a stunning constant. While it was a breath of old familiarity, Leni couldn't tell whether it was something to be admired or something boring. Clearly, her tired body had made up its mind. Why couldn't her head?

Crash.

She jolted up. Her back became a pencil. Her legs became planks of wood. The Ducky arms were as prominent as ever. It was stunning that she didn't launch out of her seat. But just like the sudden crash, her mind was quick to throw all sorts of ideas at the wall. Maybe someone tripped or walked into a wall. Maybe Lynn was practicing one of sports or Lisa dropped a bunch of books.

It took her train of thought a minute to even register the idea of investigating herself. After all, she had spent so much time sitting back while others have assumed that role that the idea of being in that position never even clicked with her. But what a night for the cold, surprising reality to splash her in the face.

As Leni threw herself to her feet, she then remembered how long it's been since the crash. If something bad happened, then it was probably sitting there waiting for her to discover. Reminding herself of her mission, Leni raced up the stairs. She prayed that no one was hurt. They were too perfect to be in pain. Lori would have long since been on such a clatter.

She pounced to the second floor. And just like that, the culprit (intricate as it was) became obvious. The attic ladder was propped down. At its base was a big bulky box-shaped thing, a tangled faded orange cord, and pair of cymbals that look like they should be on Luna's drum set instead of on a ground. And sure enough, in the middle of the mess was Luna herself, with a dusty red guitar strapped around her. Her stance was wide while her hands slowly tried to grab hold of each object. And then there was Leni, was staring at her.

"Are you okay?" Leni finally asked. Maybe it would help if she got a little closer to the mess. And so, her feet propelled her forward.

"I'm alright, sis," Luna answered cooly, "I was just hauling this stuff done and I accidentally dropped it. Sorry for the mess."

That was it? All this energy, rapid-fire emotions just for something mundane. Luna didn't even have scratches on her. The girl just shirked off any disarray this experience could have produced. And now she was picking up the pieces, moving the rest of these objects to her room.

"Let me help you," Leni blurted out.

"Sure," Luna replied as those tranquil eyes beamed.

Examining the scene, Leni determined that the amp was the heaviest object. Her sister probably would appreciate not having to haul that by herself. But as her hands gripped around the dusty handle, she soon made the disappointing realization: the amp was heavy. As if she ever considered her sewing machine hard to carry, this amp was like a sack full of bricks. To think that Luna could have been stuck doing this.

Not that she complained, though. Leni knew she could never guilt her younger sister like that. All she wanted to do was be happy by playing her music.

"How's everything going?" Luna asked as she held two of the drum cymbals.

"Fine," Leni answered with a smile. Her eyes then fell on the amp, "Are you, like, gonna be playing?"

"I'll try to keep it down."

Leni nodded her head. It was all she could do as her arms seared from the weight; they might not have ripped off, but the longer she pushed, the more Leni wished they would. Still, she didn't grunt (or tried not to). Luna deserved an easier load.

As she turned into the bedroom, Leni saw Luan lying in her bed reading a book. Knowing her little sister, it must have had something to do with jokes. Maybe Luan would treat her to something funny. All she could do as she dragging the amp was to hope.

Judging by how the room was configured, Leni assumed the best place to rest the amp was against the window, away from the drum set propped in the opposite corner. With the target in mind, Leni took a deep breath as she dragged the heavy load across the carpet. She occasionally glanced at Luan as she got closer to her, curious to see if she will notice her. What started out as a smooth pull quickly devolved into exhausted tugs. If her hands were fabric, they would have been too wrinkled for an iron to fix. And her arms were practically burnt pieces of salmon by this point. But no matter, Leni knew that her sister needed this.

"You don't need to bring it all the way over there," she heard Luna say. Leni paused. Was that real? It must have been, given how it sounded exactly like her perfect sister. But on the other hand, there was no way of knowing for sure.

Given how selfishly things operated in that mushy gloop called her brain, she could have just imagined her sister's voice speaking to her. It tried to tell her that it was okay. Leni knew it. There was no way Luna would turn down the help. Maybe she was good for something after all if she could at least recognize her fault. Now it was a matter of overcoming her aching pain and finishing the deed. Taking another deep breath, Leni jerked the amp along, nudging it closer to the wall.

"Leni," she heard, "you can just leave it there. You can stop now."

And just like that, Leni halted. The amp was still three feet away from the wall, hardly enough for a job well done. By then, Luan had looked up from the book and stared at her. Maybe now she was ready for a joke. It was a strange one, that's for sure. Luan rarely started jokes without a smile. Was this a new experiment or something?

Her fickle attention shifted to Luna. It turned out she really was in the room after all. The cymbals has already been laid down along with a bunch of other things. There's no way that could have been everything.

"You need me to help you with anything else?" Leni asked. She scratched her hand, staring at her younger sister. The thought of Luna saying yes blotted our everything else. She needed this. It was the least she could do after Luna suffered the blow of falling down those decrepit attic steps with no babysitter to save her. When would her sister see that, that she had been wronged?

Clearly, though, the answer wasn't gonna emerge now. Luna didn't look the least bit frustrated. That easygoing grin hadn't been chipped and her swagger was an eternally radiating force. All of Leni's hopes of redemption evaporated.

"That's everything. But thanks for your help, sis," Luna said as she grabbed a guitar and played a chord. Even without the amp to power it, the strings resonated into an intense harmony.

And yet, Leni was restless. Both of her sisters were just staring at her. What did they want her to do? She couldn't bar them from doing the things they liked. After all, it wasn't like they were hurting anyone. But at the same time, she knew this wasn't the place for her to be. Leni didn't feel right being in the same room where Luna was making great art and Luan was trying too hard to concentrate. Leni, though, needed to be out. Just somewhere outside.

She then remembered the attic ladder. Perhaps that needed to be closed. Yeah, that had to be the reason she was bolting out the door. Luna and Luan must have been relieved, she thought.

Leni closed the door upon exiting. She turned to the left and saw that everything had been cleared up. Unfortunately, that also included the attic ladder. Luna sure had a lot of hands for someone carrying a lot of things. But now, there was no excuse for her leaving the room. Leni had barged out of there with no tact for no gain. She might as well have sewn up a pair of orange jorts given how little thought her mind actually used.

Without a direction to decide, Leni concluded the best thing to do was to stand still in the narrow, lonely hallway (no point in going back downstairs). Was this the hallway patrol that Lori liked doing? If it was, it sure got boring.

Leni couldn't find herself anything to do aside from pacing the hall. Maybe the movement would give her some pleasure (as it apparently did for Lori). She walked first towards Linky's door, staring at the lines etched into the wood. Every feature grew and became emphasized until stopping just before the knob. Leni had no intention on invading her brother's privacy. It wasn't in her place to do that.

Not wanting to be in idle discomfort, Leni turned around and proceeded to move to the opposite end. Her eyes glazed past the doors of her other sisters' rooms. And once she got to the bathroom door, she turned and paced again.

The monotony added up quicker than she would have liked. She thought that if she kept staring at the same surroundings, that at some point something would change. But alas, these surroundings had all the monotony of an unused roll of fabric. No one even emerged from those rooms, leaving Leni in a perpetual vacuum.

Well, it may have been boring, but at least Leni knew she could do it. Of course, going back downstairs was out of the picture. She knew she needed to be in the same place where her other siblings were (which was thankfully in close confines).

Eventually, Leni decided to stop. Her legs concluded that there was no point in wasting energy pacing back and forth. As she halted herself, Leni's ears popped from the silence. Was she stomping this whole time or was it that still in the hallway? Luckily, the silence didn't last long. She started hearing soft, yet deliberate sound emanating from behind her. Indeed, she was at the crossroads between the twins' room and the nursery.

Was it spying? Of course not, she told herself. This was her job, to make sure that everyone was okay. Still, Leni found herself stuck in a place where she didn't feel comfortable. From what she heard, Lola and Lana seemed to be going about their usual business. Lana was clearly making fun, cute sound effects (probably to go along with her playtime). And Lola, while not as Loud, was striking up a conversation with "Matilda" (perhaps she was on the phone?)

It wasn't like she could make out every nuance either. Some of the words and audible details were lost from the plaster walls and wooden door. Still, Leni knew it was out of her domain to infringe upon their respected privacy.

With "Loud" in the name, though, it was only a matter of time before things acted up. What started out as a soft harmony of childhood joy crescendoed into a spiraling chaos. Leni could hear all of Lola's sharp, bitter words now. That screeching voice penetrated any focus Lana's might have received earlier. Leni, with her Ducky arms up, contemplated what to do.

She never liked hearing her siblings get this upset (and Lola was notorious for maximizing that unpleasantness). Leni herself has never bore the responsiblity of resolving the twins' quarrels; it usually fell on the parents, Lori, or someone else). It was terrifying. They could have hit her or yelled at her if she tried too hard. Besides, Lola and Lana were pretty smart for seven year olds. Maybe they could fix it themselves.

Leni repeated they thought to herself. She trusted her little sister's to work it all out. It's not like they hated each other. They would come around and realize that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Any moment now, it would die down and things would go back to normal.

A bang. Sure, it made her jolt, but was she really gonna inspect the scene? Maybe it was just an accident. Any moment now, the shouting would die down. And then, another bang struck the other side of the wall.

Maybe things weren't getting better after all. While two twins were struggling to reconcile their differences, Old "responsible" Leni was just standing around.

The third bang did it for her. Leni turned around and faced that dreaded door. No, she said. She already wasted enough time. She had waited until it got worse to jump in. Leni would be lucky if they let her off easy in her pathetic efforts. But now was too late to turn back. She had to make Lori proud and her parents happy. Taking a deep breath, Leni cautiously opened the door.

It was more violent than she could have imagined. Lola and Lana were wrestling on the ground, grabbing at each other's hair and clothes. Despite the room's grand size, the two were bunched in a narrow crevice (a little space between the wall and a flipped over plastic table). Toys, dolls, and plastic kitchen ware were strewn across the floor. And there was the yelling. The two sisters barked at each other, trying to claw into their defenses.

Leni's entrance did little to change the situation. None of the siblings stopped or even hesitated. But it was too late to turn back. She needed to end this mean behavior.

"Girls. Stop fighting," Leni said, trying to be gentle. He voice, though, was swallowed up in the conflict. The two continued wrestling, as if Leni wasn't there. Of course, who could blame them when the babysitter was only at the doorway.

"Um...Lana, Lola," Leni said as she inched closer to her sisters. She extended an arm in the hope that one of them would notice. All she saw was more quarreling and all she heard was shouting, "please stop...it's not okay to, like, fight."

Conflict was practically their lifeline at this point. As Leni continued to move closer to the tossle, a disturbing thought crossed her mind. What if one of them hurt the other? With nails like her's, Lola could have drawn blood if she really wanted to. And Lana had knuckles harder than bronze, which certainly could have left a mark if she punched hard enough. What would Mom and Dad say? The blame would naturally fall on her. Leni wouldn't forgive herself for the pain and disappointment she would wrought.

"Please stop," Leni said, this time attempting to raise her voice. Her throat was constructed and she wished there was another way around this. Maybe if she took one more step closer, they would finally notice her.

Once she was within arms reach of the twins, she extended them out, hoping for something. Leni wasn't sure what, though. And clearly it didn't work (each of them slapped against her hands, forcing her to recoil). More needed to be done. Leni uttered "Please stop" as she dug herself wholesale into the battle zone. This time, she hoped that the efforts of her entire body would somehow separate the two, giving them the space to listen.

It was a nice thought, but these seven-year-olds were much stronger than she anticipated. Her arms struggled to pull back against the sisters trying to meet each other.

In that moment, they acted like wild dogs. They weren't listening to Leni. All they could see was each other. Mutual hatred and savagery motivated them to seek blood. Leni kept insisting that they stop, but all she got in response was more pushing. At some points, they gripped her arm just to exert more leverage on the barrier she was working so hard to maintain. Leni got confused. She had run out of options for dealing with them.

As the question of what to do next simmered, the aches she felt from holding them back intensified. Her dull, meaningless words produced a pushback on herself she wasn't used to. The mind within that hurting body was free. Steady ropes were sliced. Her brows sharpened. Every part of her became emboldened.

"Stop!" she screamed. With a gust, Leni jerked her arms outward, shoving both siblings at least two feet apart from each other.

The pain resurged in greater blasts than before. Her face seared with uncomfortable heat while her arms collapsed. Within seconds, almost every bold element that culminated in that swift motion was gone, leaving behind a rotting residue.

Leni remembered all those times people had mischaracterized her as the "nice one". Well, that was proof for both her sisters to see of the deception she had led them down. Her cheeks blushed as she filled her mind with alternatives, a million ways in which she could have handled that better.

Maybe a jovial whistle or waving her arms around in a circular motion could have gotten their attention. There was also the tap on the shoulder, grabbing one of the numerous toys now lying on the ground, or even something as simple as knocking the door.

But of all options, Leni chose the more animalistic one. How disgusting. She turned to each of her sisters. Both of them were staring at her with attentive eyes. What had she done to her wonderful sister?

There was no turning back now. Leni had to reap what she had sown and she wasn't about to back down (not when she could help it). Inhaling, she reconfigured herself to stand up right. Her arms slowly lifted up (she unconsciously defaulted to the Ducky position). At this point, her ears were in the most pain. They ached from the piercing silence twins had rightfully punished her with. Exhaling, she proceeded forward.

"So, like, could you two, like, tell me what's going on?" Leni asked clumsily. Her eyes darted between each of the twins and the mess lying behind them.

Lana and Lola turned to each other blankly. Leni grew concerned herself, that she had reduced her siblings to such a debilitated state that they could even show how they felt. It was what made her so "nice".

"Everything was going just fine until she rammed her dumb toy in the middle of my tea party," Lola said, pointing at her twin. There were inklings of frustration buried within her voice. As much as Leni hated seeing her siblings upset, it was good for them to let it all out. After all, that was the only way for perfect beings to get this pain out of them.

"Her tea party was in Rex's way. He was on the rampage and he needed somewhere to do it," Lana replied.

Leni watched as the two glared at each other. At least they were fighting. That was a step, she supposed. Now it was time to make them happy again.

"You, like..." Leni said. Her voice petered out as she became lost in thought. What was the best way to approach this situation? Not yelling, since they already had way too much of that. She wanted to be nice, but the how remained a mysterious blob with vague details. She locked her hands into each other as she spoke her indecisive mind, "should say that, like, you're sorry."

The twins sneered at each other.

"Well...I'm waiting," Lana said bitterly, crossing her arms.

"Waiting?!" Lola shot back, "It's all your fault! I'm waiting for you!"

"Well maybe if you didn't have your dumb tea party right in the middle of the room, I wouldn't have run into it!"

This wasn't how she planned it out at all. By now, Lana and Lola should have been hugging and apologizing. Leni didn't realize how much fighting words she infused into her own phrases.

"Please don't fight," Leni said, stumbling forward. Luckily, she wasn't met with aggressive jabs and pointed insults. The argument ceased. Once she regained her own posture, Leni leaned back, allowing her to see both twins with annoyance carved on their faces.

Leni knew she had to try something else, but that first suggestion took so long to conjur up (and look how it turned out). She was lucky to be given a second chance. But now she was wasting it, doing a better job at internalizing those frowns than figuring out how to turn them upside down. Where was Lori when she needed her?

Without anything to say, they all stared at each other. Leni wasn't sure what was gonna come out of it. Meanwhile, the twins were doing little to lighten the mood. Even in the midst of this confusion, Leni's mind was still trying to construct a coherent strategy.

But in the end, Lana sighed.

"Whatever," she said to Lola. The seven-year-old paced out of the room, leaving Leni and Lana alone. She peered into the hallway and noticed the older twin heading downstairs.

And now she was left with a choice. Who should Leni go to talk to now? None of the above wasn't a real option, nor was standing in the hallway. But it was Lola that made the decision for her. In a huff, she went to the pibkbplastic table and tilted it to its upright position. She proceeded to pick up each of the dolls and kitchenware that had been left on the floor (one at a time). As she did this, Leni shuffles her feet closer to the door, keeping her eyes on Lola.

"So, um," Leni said nervously as her eyes darted across the room. Lola, however, just kept picking up her mess, "I'm gonna be downstairs. If you need me, then you can, like, go downstairs and find me...okay?"

Lola didn't answer. Plastic clattered on the table and she went about reorganizing the cups, plates, and silverware. Leni was left to decide whether her little sister had heard her. Sure she wasn't looking right at her, but even if she wasn't paying attention, Leni decided it wouldn't have mattered. After all, Lola was a smart person and she would have known where Leni was if she needed anything. She trusted her.

Reassuring herself of that, Leni slowly exited the room, closing the door on the way out. Taking a deep breathing, Leni proceeded down the steps.

Lana was plopped down on the couch. As Leni got closer to her, her ear picked up sound (people talking). Even she was smart enough to know it was the TV. What a perfect opportunity to talk with her sister.

"Hi Lana," she said softly as she walked in and took a seat.

"Hey Leni," she replied. The bitterness in her voice was gone. That was a start, even if it wasn't from her input. The TV was doing its thing. Now it was Leni's turn to pick up the slack.

It was another episode of Rabbit Hole. That same boy bunny with the orange hat was standing beside two younger bunnies, each equipped with shades and police hats.

"So lemme get this straight," Harrison said, "Brook needs to use my room because she's acting up?"

"I don't think you understand," one of them replied. She pulled out a carrot and nibbled at it. As she chewed the tiny morsels, she snapped her head to her deputy, "Brianna, wanna show 'em the ropes?"

"Certainly," she said. With the smuggest of poker faces, she turned to Harrison, "you see, we sisters have a Protocol. It's implemented whenever two or more sisters attain at least Leel Three Aggression on the Systematic Sibling Interrelational Index. Under Article 234d, the sisters are required to be relocated to separate locations in the event of a conflict. Your bedroom has been designated as a tranquility station under Procedure 56xfg. And as the owner of the property designated as a tranquility station, you are required under Chapter XVCIX to comply with orders bestowed by sentinels, under which we have received the authorization to enforce these provisions as stated under Section 1900-d29."

Harrison's confused eyes blinked twice. After a moment to wrestle with the bureaucratic jargon, he shook his frazzled head.

"Why can't you just have them talk to each other?" he asked.

Brianna pinched her nose.

"Brenda, should you lay it on him?" she asked.

"It appears I must," she said, "perhaps I should put it in layman terms. Brook and Bonnie are too mad to speak to each other. They need time to cool off and we can't be meddling in their business. If one interferes, then it'll only make them angrier."

Harrison snapped an eyebrow.

"Meddling? Do you think I want them fighting? No!"

"Brother, you can't be getting in other people's business."

"Well guess what?! This stupid Protocol is getting in my business! It's not my fault Brook can't control herself!"

Harrison stomped to his bedroom with a determined look in his eye.

"Looks like we have a bogey," Brianna reported.

"We have to stop him."

Leni glanced at Lana, whose face lightened up with each animated moment. Maybe it washed presence?

"Stop pretending you did anything. She's happy at the show, not you!"

She puckered up her lips. Leni refused to celebrate an achievement she had no no hand in creating. But what she could do is try to contribute at least a little.

"So," Leni said, turning to her sister, "you really like this show."

"Yup," Lana chirped, "you'd love it. It's about this bunny and he has ten sisters. He's the only boy in the family."

Leni had a feeling that was the premise. From her exposure, she hadn't seen any boys outside of the one wearing orange. It was funny how much that bunny reminded her of Linky.

Harrison stormed in the room, only to find a fuming bunny with a pair of boxing gloves. To ease her frustration, she threw air punches. She went up, down, left, right, and every other direction.

"Brook!" Harrison exclaimed, "Go downstairs and make up with Bonnie!"

"No way," she snapped back in a raspy voice, "The Protocol requires that I stay in the tranquility zone for at least two hours."

Upper cut. Straight ahead. Jab. Even as Brook continued her meditative boxing, Harrison crossed his arms.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, "We've never had a 'Protocol' before," he remarked as he used his fingers to signify air quotes, "And I don't know why you're talking to me like I'm an outsider or something. But you gotta get out of my room right now!"

"Why don't you buzz out of my business, bro?"

Harrison's glare intensified.

"You're in my business! My whole day is being ruined and I want you to cut it out," he exclaimed, "I think it says a lot when I can deal with adversity better than you can, even though I'm younger than you. You're being hypocritical a-"

Brianna and Brenda tackled him. As his face was squished to the ground, his body was dragged out.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Brook," Brenda said as she readjusted her shades, "you may resume your normal activities.

Brianna lifted up a mug of steaming hot coffee and slurped down a sip. It must have tasted pretty good, as the slurping persisted for at least ten seconds. By the time she was done, she had to release an audible exhale.

"Just another day on the job," she said cooly.

While Lana was noticeably calm, Leni's heart remained heavy. Why wasn't she feeling better? She thought she was doing okay. She supposed that because of her actions, Lana and Lola stopped wrestling and causing problems. But that barking command are at her conscience.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she blurted out.

Lana perked up and turned to her.

"It's fine. I'm not mad anymore," Lana answered.

That was also good. As long as her sisters (and Linky) were happy, that was all that mattered. So why couldn't she? Was happy just jealous at them, hoping to sap away at their energy just so she could fulfill herself?

Leni wasn't interested in watching Harrison get spat on by those other bunnies, even though it was high enough to make Lana chuckle. To pass the time, she gazed up at the blank white ceiling. The noise from the TV continued traveling to her ears, but she stopped paying attention to what was being said. Maybe in a little bit, she could go back upstairs and check on the others. Lola seemed to be fine, given how she hadn't gone done for help. She knew her sister could do it.

Her hand unconsciously gravitated to her hair. Leni's fingers grasped some blonde strands and twirled them about. She knew it wasn't good for her coiffure, but without anything to pass the time, she was left with little choice. Besides, no one would really notice. It wasn't like people were gonna like her for her appearance anyway. She sighed.

"Are you okay, Leni?"

Her head snapped down. Her eyes widened. Leni's heart bounced to her throat. She turned to Lana, who was staring at her.

How much did she let on? Leni didn't look sad, right? She was just stretching her neck. That was all.

"Yeah," she answered.

"Are you sure?" she asked again.

"Yeah," she repeated. This time, Leni modded like a bobble head.

Lana continued looking at her. Those soft eyes could kill. Leni's heart sped up, hoping that Lana would turn back to the TV. That's where her happiness was. She needed to be happy, not be bogged down by meaningless problems. Thankfully, she got that wish several seconds later. A pie launched headfirst into Harrison's face. Lana giggled and with that, her attention was back on her cherished show.

It took Leni's nerves a long time to ease down. She couldn't believe she was weak enough to let Lana get stressed out like that. This was her problem. Every defect in her was squarely on her plate. No one should ever have to deal with that. Pretending to care was a draining experience and Leni wanted to lift that burden off all of their shoulders.

As the "responsible" one, she owed her family that at the very least.