A/N: Before we get into our story, we will be starting off with a brief detour. Yes, starting off with a detour… why? Well, you may or not have read a one-shot I wrote much earlier in the year titled Trust or Consequences – it was written as a direct follow-up to Albertson's Card Tricks, but mainly just to get his goat for his birthday (hey, I can't let him have all of the fun), it wasn't even intended to be an official instalment of the Sharuby Saga. Nevertheless, Albertson realized that it left a few plot details open-ended that needed to be addressed and closed, and even suggested doing just that, as well as further bridge the gap between the events of Card Tricks and Slumber Party… and since this very instalment aims to do just that, I proposed that such serve as this story's prologue.
The following prologue was written by Albertson, and while it's not necessarily connected to the rest of the story that follows, again, it ties up the post-Card Tricks loose ends that Trust or Consequences ended up addressing, so let us take a look into how Luan will cope with her closest sister betraying her trust, and how broken bonds among other friends can possibly be repaired.
To say Luan was distressed, upset, angry, scared, and heartbroken would be understatements. She lay on her bottom bunk that night, sleep failing her as she kept replaying events in her head. One moment, she and the drama club, including her loving, gentlemanly, somewhat shy boyfriend Benny were enjoying a game of cards in the basement. However, this game had a special caveat; whoever lost hands had to strip off until they lost enough hands to end up in their undies. It was Luan's idea for the club to play this game to (hopefully) coax Benny out of his shell and encourage him to be more amorous with her.
She even got Ruby in on the plan, for she had been struggling with intimacy regarding her girlfriend Shannon, who was just as shy, if not more so, than Benny was about this stuff. It was also a way to shame Amy and Rex enough to stop using the drama club supply closet as their own private sex space. It was going well at first. Benny certainly got more handsy with Luan, which pleased her greatly. Even Shannon boldly proclaimed that the next game they play would have all the clothes come off. However, all of that joy was shattered in an instant when Luan found the hidden camera in the basement.
Prior to the drama club coming over, Luan told of her plan to her most trusted confidant, sister, and room-mate Luna Loud. She even locked the door to prevent escape. But what Luan didn't know during the game was that Luna had been spying on the whole thing through Lisa's security system; even got footage of it on her phone. When this was found out, everyone, including Benny, was understandably scared and angry, and Luan couldn't blame them. They even accused her of setting the whole thing up. After a tense evening, it all came to a head when Luan forced Luna to sleep on the couch for the night, no doubt serving as a preview to what should happen if Luna ever ticked Sam off when they got married. Even though she saw Luna delete the footage, Luan did not feel relieved. Far from it, she thought her future in the drama club, as well as with Benny, was over. Luan just lay there, crying into her pillow, spoken words failing her. Not even Mr. Coconuts could console her.
When she couldn't sleep anymore, Luan got up, turned on her desk lamp, got a piece of paper, and began to write. She used to keep a diary as a child, and still did even in her teen years, but she stopped when Lola kept reading it, instead opting for scraps of paper she would tear up and throw in the trash when she was done. It was her way of venting. Only this time, she wasn't writing down her emotions. She was penning something far worse.
The weekend passed by without any improvement in Luna and Luan's relationship. The two didn't speak to each other or even make eye contact, and if they did, fisticuffs threatened to break out. Monday arrived, and Luan barely spoke to anyone or even cracked a pun, much to the concern of the family. Luna, too, was in a sour mood, having been forced to sleep on the couch all weekend, she was very drowsy. Lincoln was tempted to ask what's wrong, but he still remembered the cold reception he got when he last asked this, so he kept his mouth shut. The tension at the breakfast table was so thick it could be considered gelatinous. Everyone just ate and got into Vanzilla or on the school bus to go about their day.
The school day passed without incident. The only comfort Luan took was that she could not hear any gossip about strip poker or the drama club, so the footage hadn't leaked online before Luna deleted it. Her one saving grace, though Luan stopped short of forgiving her treacherous sister. Luan and Benny kept their distance, either out of embarrassment or fear. When the school day ended and drama club began, Benny went to the auditorium with the others, but he noticed Luan wasn't there. This disturbed him. He had hoped to talk to her about what happened in a setting both of them would be comfortable with, but no such luck, apparently.
"Hey, has anyone seen Luan?" Benny asked. Everyone just glared at him in response.
"If I ever see her again, it'll be too soon," Shannon seethed.
"I will punch her braces out, after I've had a piece of her sister!" Amy menaced.
"That is, like, not what I, like, signed up for!" Ruby rebuffed.
"I know you're angry, but I don't think she had anything to do with this," Benny tried to calm the tension in the room.
"Are you saying that because you genuinely believe that or do you just wanna get your thingy wet?!" Rex accused.
"That's not it at all!" Benny responded.
"Save it, dude! Far as we're concerned, she's dead to us!" Rex dismissed.
"Yeah!" everyone else chimed in. Benny was saddened by their words. The drama club had an oath; 'drama club for life'. It meant that they stuck together no matter what happened. It was an affirmation of family that they would always look out for each other. To hear the drama club brutally disown Luan broke Benny's heart. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bernardo came on stage, not in her usual overhyped entrances, but side-stepping weakly on stage, tears in her eyes.
"Thespians, it is my sad duty to report that Luan Loud will not be joining us today, or EVER! She up and quit! Personal reasons, she said! I can't disclose it, she said! There goes the greatest improviser this club has ever KNOOOOWWWWWNNNNNNNNN!" Mrs. Bernardo notified. She then approached Benny with a note in her hand. "She asked me to give you this," Mrs. Bernardo added. Benny took the note and began to read its contents:
Hi Ben-ben
If Mrs. Bernardo has given you this, then you must know that I quit the drama club. It's for the best. Everyone must hate me for what happened the other night, and I don't blame them. I don't think they'll listen when I say I had no clue what was happening, no matter how true it is. The one thing I regret above all else was letting you down. I was so thrilled when you came out of your comfort zone and had some fun with me, but I understand if you don't want to continue 'us' anymore. You're kind, you're sweet, you're thoughtful, you're everything I could possibly want, but after today, I feel like I don't deserve you, or the drama club. I wish you and the rest of the club all the best. You'll kill it in whatever comes next. Goodbye. I love you.
Luan
Benny finished reading and was distraught and furious, evident by the look on his face, something the drama club was not used to seeing.
"Dear Benjamin, do you know what this is about?" Mrs. Bernardo probed.
"Oh I know exactly what this is about! I need to step out for a few minutes! See you real soon!" Benny exploded and stormed off, also behaviour the drama club is not used to seeing.
Benny wandered the halls for five minutes until he eventually found the band room. Benny was not familiar with the music department because he never took it as an elective. The last time he tried to play an instrument, he nearly swallowed a reed. Never again, he swore, but here he was, just outside the band room, and through the window, he saw her. Luna Loud, whose spy game was the sole reason Luan left the drama club, and him. All reason left his brain, replaced by righteous rage directed at the girl that caused this mess.
"So, Moon Goats. We got another kiddie party gig tonight. Which song should we lead with?" Sam queried.
"How about 'Peanut Butter and Jelly'?" Mazzy suggested.
"Or 'I Like Applesauce'," Sully added.
"What about- Luna, are you awake?" Sam interjected. She saw a sleepy Luna and clicked her fingers a few times to wake her up. Luna woke up with a start and played a long note on her guitar out of reflex. "Are you OK? You've been droopy all day," Sam inquired out of concern. Luna hadn't gotten much sleep that night due to being forced on the couch by Luan, but she couldn't tell Sam or anyone else that she and Luan had a major blow-out over Luna spying on the drama club playing strip poker. She'd be kicked out of the band faster than she could blink.
"Errrrr…. Luan's been sleep-joking again. You know how it is," Luna lied.
"Anything we can use?" Mazzy asked.
"Nope," Luna deflected. Sully then noticed someone standing out in the corridor that he didn't expect.
"Hey, isn't that Benny?" Sully observed. Just then, Benny practically kicked the door down, dragged Luna out of the band room, shoved her into an open practice room and slammed the door shut.
"Hey! What's the big id-" but whatever Luna was about to say next was cut off by Benny shoving a piece of paper into her face.
"READ IT!" Benny demanded, in a tone Luna was not used to hearing. Surprised, and a little scared, Luna took the paper and read it in full. When she was finished, she now understood why Benny was so upset.
"Woah, I majorly screwed up," Luna lamented.
"Screwed up. SCREWED. UP! Everyone in the drama club hates her guts now because they all think she was in on your little spy game! I may not have a girlfriend anymore because YOU decided to play Peeping Tina! I don't know where Luan is, but she's probably a crying wreck because of all this! I may have lost the best thing to ever happen to me, and it is ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" Benny raged.
"OK, OK. I'll set things right with the drama club, see if they'll take her back," Luna calmed. Benny then took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.
"It will be a very long time before I set foot in that house again," Benny stated before leaving with Luna in tow. Once the two arrived at the auditorium, everyone turned to face Benny and Luna. To Benny's surprise, Mrs. Bernardo was missing.
"Where'd Mrs. B go?" Benny asked.
"Dunno, just up and left," Shannon answered.
"Hey, wait a minute, what's SHE doing here!" Amy demanded to know why Luna was in the room. Benny shoved Luna ahead.
"Talk!" Benny ordered. Luna was intimidated by the drama club's menacing glares, and Amy cracking her knuckles.
"Look, dudes, Luan had no idea I was watching and recording your game the other night. She doesn't deserve the silent treatment you guys are giving her right now. Hate me all you want, but not her. While she did ask me to lock you in, the spying was all me. I'm sorry," Luna admitted.
"And we should trust you why?!" Amy interrogated.
"Because Luan comes home with stories of you guys all the time. She thinks of you as a second family and would never dream of betraying your trust like this. If it makes you feel any better, after you all left, Luan seriously raged out at me. She even forced me to sleep on the couch all weekend," Luna revealed. Upon hearing this, the drama club's mood changed from anger to amusement at the thought of Luna being confined to the couch like a deadbeat husband. Even Benny was suppressing a few laughs. He never expected this to come out. He also made a mental note never to tick Luan off so much that she did this to him when they got married.
"The couch? Is Luan your wife?" Shannon joked. With that, the entire drama club started laughing hysterically.
"Go ahead, get it outta your systems," Luna groaned. The drama club continued to laugh at Luna for three minutes straight. While Luna knew she deserved this, she still wanted to get back to the music room. "Are you done now?" Luna asked.
"Errrrrr, no," Shannon curtly responded and the laughter continued. All Luna could do was stand there and listen to the drama club mocking her circumstances. When the laughter eventually died down, Shannon was the first to address Luna.
"In all seriousness, I was the most scared out of all of us. Ruby and I aren't out yet to our parents. They don't know we're dating. I was petrified of that footage ending up online and being outed like that. When Ruby and I reveal our relationship to our families, we want to do it by our terms," Shannon asserted.
"Hear hear. I don't want to be, like, exposed in that manner. I am not, like, a cam girl!" Ruby agreed.
"Yeah, I get it. Sam was the same way. She only came out because she caught the Michigan Flu and thought she was on her deathbed," Luna confided.
"I was scared too, Luna. I was afraid Luan would think of me as one of those creepy guys from SVU, the kind my mum prosecuted and sent away forever. What happened in that basement was the first time I ever got like that with her. I was raised to be a gentleman, to treat women as equals, and to never force myself on them," Benny disclosed.
"Luan did tell me half the reason she came up with the plan was because she felt you were too restrained," Luna divulged.
"That game was a confidence booster, for Benny and for me. I too had problems with intimate moments with Ruby, and Luan helped us both get out of our comfort zones. She is a sweetheart, even if her methods are questionable sometimes. She always has us at the forefront of her mind," Shannon vented.
"So you'll take her back?" Luna pleaded. The drama club then discussed it amongst themselves and came to a decision.
"Yeah, we're good. Luan can come back any time," Shannon resolved.
"Righteous. And with that, I think I'll go now," Luna responded.
"Not so fast," came a voice from behind Luna. She saw the drama club stunned to see who it was, and Luna had her guesses. She turned around to confirm her worst fear. Principal Jones, or Mother Jones, depending on who you ask, had just stepped into the auditorium, and she had in tow Mrs. Bernardo and Luan. "All of you, my office, now," Principal Jones urged, and everyone marched straight to her office.
To say Benny and the drama club were nervous was an understatement. Since she took charge after Principal Rivers was fired because of the club-cutting incident, Principal Jones made it crystal clear to the students, and the faculty for that matter, that she was not a woman to be crossed. One thing the drama club was counting on was her compassion. Principal Jones was an understanding, open-minded, and tolerant woman, most of the time. She never liked to meet out punishments except when absolutely necessary, and almost always had alternative solutions to problems than handing out detentions. Principal Jones spoke first.
"I'm sure you are wondering why I have summoned you all here. There have been concerns communicated to me about the behaviour of some of my students, namely you, Benny, Luna, and Luan. Shall we start with you, Benjamin. What is this I hear from the music club about you physically dragging Luna out of the band hall, shoving her into a practice room, and yelling at her? I must say, that's not like you at all," Principal Jones inquired.
"Look, Mother Jones, don't be so hard on him. He had good reason to-" Luna began, but Mother Jones held up a finger to silence Luna.
"While I respect your wish to defend your friend, I am asking him this question, not you. Well, Benjamin? Do you have anything you wish to say?" Principal Jones queried. Benny sighed heavily.
"All this started Friday night at the Loud House. Myself and the drama club were playing strip poker when Luna…. well…," Benny confessed.
"I had the bright idea to spy on them using Lisa's home security system," Luna finished Benny's story. This was one revelation Principal Jones was not prepared for. In her career as an educator, not once did she ever come across this scenario before. Nonetheless, she did what she was trained to do; listen without judgment and accepted what Benny said.
"I see, and that is why you were upset with Luna?" Principal Jones probed.
"Not initially, but I did feel violated when the crime came to light," Benny disclosed.
"As well you should, but what I want to know is what led to the incident in the music department," Principal Jones clarified.
"I was given this by Mrs. Bernardo when I came to drama club today," Benny then presented the note Luan had written for him that Mrs. Bernardo delivered. Principal Jones took the note and read it herself.
"And after you read this that is when you exploded at Luna?" Principal Jones asked.
"Yes, ma'am. Luan is everything to me. To picture her broken like this…. I just lost control," Benny responded.
"I understand that. Love does strange things to a teenager, makes them act in ways they wouldn't normally. I've seen it a lot in my time as a teacher. You are not the first, nor will you be the last. Given these exceptional circumstances, your previous clean record, and your honesty in this regard, I am going to let you off with a warning. But no more acts pf physical violence. Next time you feel this way, come to either myself or a trusted teacher like Mrs. Bernardo. Is that clear?" Principal Jones cautioned.
"Yes ma'am," Benny acknowledged.
"Now to you, Luna. You are still 17 years of age. Do you know what that makes you?" Principal Jones quizzed.
"A dumb kid?" Luna guessed.
"That, and extremely lucky. Do you know how serious these actions are? I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but peeking on people in their most vulnerable states carries with it not just detention, but prison time! Had you been a little bit older and a legal adult, I would've been compelled to call the police and let them decide how to handle this! However, since this took place outside of school premises and this was just a case of dumb teens being dumb teens, I have the discretion to strongly discourage future voyeurism. A charge of that nature can ruin your entire life, and I do not want to see this happen to you. Should you repeat this mistake when you reach adulthood and you are still in attendance at my school, I will summon authorities and let them deal with you. Is that clear?" Principal Jones reprimanded.
"Yes, ma'am," Luna replied.
"There is another matter I wish to address with you. Is it true that Luan made you sleep on the couch all weekend? Because I have been getting reports from all your teachers about you nodding off in all of your lessons. You nearly burned a hole in the floor of the chemistry lab!" Principal Jones interrogated. Luan then raised her hand to speak.
"Yeah, it's true. I was so mad at Luna, I didn't want to sleep in the same room as her, so I banished her to the couch like I was her wife," Luan divulged.
"I see. No doubt you felt betrayed by Luna's actions and, like Benny, you weren't thinking properly. I am aware of the fight frequency at your house, but I never expected something like this to happen. While I'm sure there were just reasons for why you did what you did, every student needs their rest in order to get through the school day. To deprive them of that is to potentially harm their future prospects. To ensure this doesn't happen again, I want you two to attend weekly sessions with the school counsellor every Wednesday for the next two months. He will send me reports on your progress and advise me appropriately. Am I clear?" Principal Jones instructed.
"Yes, ma'am," Luna and Luan acknowledged.
"Good. I also saw you, Luna, beg the drama club to take Luan back, and I am happy to see they are willing to do so. Does that mean you wish to rescind your decision to leave, Luan?" Principal Jones questioned.
"I do, ma'am," Luan answered.
"Very well. Kate, hand me the resignation papers," Principal Jones ordered. Mrs. Bernardo handed Luan's resignation to Principal Jones, who promptly put them through the paper shredder. "Luan, you may resume your drama club tutelage next week," Principal Jones resolved.
"Thank you, Principal Jones. I look forward to catching up with the drama club," Luan said gratefully.
"One last matter to address. Amy, Rex, is it true you've been using the auditorium supply closet as your personal love nest?" Principal Jones rounded on the overly amorous couple, who could only chuckle awkwardly. "I know this because you weren't particularly quiet about it, and the janitorial staff could hear what was going on in there, and in their professional capacity, came straight to me. They also saw you two enter the closet moments before the noise could be heard," Principal Jones observed. Amy and Rex's face went bright red out of embarrassment. Mrs. Bernardo looked appalled by this.
"SERIOUSLY?!" Mrs. Bernardo blurted out. Principal Jones held up her hand to keep Mrs. Bernardo from yelling any further.
"We're all young once, and you should enjoy it while it lasts, but in the right way, and doing *that* on school premises most certainly is not. You are free to pursue your romance and your sex lives as you see fit outside of these halls, but when your amorous activities are caught by school staff, there must be consequences. I will be writing to your families today, and you will both receive two weeks' detention," Principal Jones judged, rather regretfully. Amy and Rex merely nodded in acknowledgement. "Now, if there is nothing else, you are all dismissed," Principal Jones concluded the meeting and everyone left her office. However, even though everything was resolved to everyone's satisfaction (Amy and Rex were not happy about being given detention, but acknowledge that it was their own fault, should've seen this coming, and were ready to eat the crow), Benny still acted distant towards Luan, which she was quick to notice.
"Benny, are you OK?" Luan asked out of concern.
"I….. I've never been in a fight before, and today I dragged Luna around like… like…. like an abusive husband drags around his wife/victim. That's not me. That's never me. I don't deserve you, Luan," Benny said remorsefully.
"Benny, that's just crazy! Today was an exception to the rule. I know you're not like that. I get it. We all do stupid things when we're mad, and you were acting out of love for me. Besides, Luna's suffered far worse than that at our house," Luan assured.
"She's right, dude. We Louds give as good as we get. Don't worry about getting into scraps with us. We can take it," Luna added.
"B-b-b-but being physical with women is wrong. I-I-I-it should never have come to that. W-w-w-what if I-" Benny began, but Luan stopped him again.
"You're spiralling, Ben-ben. I know you're a good person. I wouldn't be with you if you weren't. That is, if you still want to," Luan assured.
"Oh, I want to. More than anything," Benny responded.
"You're the best, Benny, and I am also so happy the drama club will take me back," Luan expressed.
"Yeah, we owe you an apology, Luan," Shannon interjected. Luan turned to see the drama club with remorseful looks on their faces.
"No, you don't have to do that," Luan declined.
"Yes, we do," Ruby rebuffed, a more serious tone in her voice.
"We never should've thought you had anything to do with what happened. Like Benny, we were so mad, we weren't thinking straight," Amy added.
"It was foolish of us to believe you would do this to us. We're sorry, Luan," Rex finished off the group apology. Luan could cry tears of happiness. She then threw her arms open and the club embrace in a group hug.
"We promise, no matter what comes next, we face it together, as a group, as a family," Shannon vowed.
"Hear hear!" Ruby agreed. The club broke apart, and Shannon extended her fist.
"Drama club for life?" Shannon initiated their group pledge. Luan, Benny, Ruby, Amy, and Rex all touched their fists with Shannon's.
"Drama club for life!" they all said at once. With that vow, the drama club promised to face the future, whatever it may bring, as a tight-fit unit, ready and able to face life's many challenges together, in the bonds of love and friendship.
That evening, at the Loud House, everyone was getting ready for bed. The atmosphere was calmer now, and most of the tension had dissipated. If the family noticed, they didn't say anything. Luan and Luna acted much more cordial towards each other, and Luan even let Luna back into their shared bedroom, something the young rocker was very grateful for.
"You never know how comfortable your bed is until you've been forced to sleep on the couch," Luna commented.
"I only let you back in because we don't want you burning holes in floors with chemicals. That's Lisa's job," Luan joked.
"I'll take it," Luna accepted. She made to climb to her bunk, but Luan stopped her.
"A moment, please?" Luan requested. She motioned for Luna to sit next to her on her bunk, which she did so. "Luna, I trusted you with my life. You were the sister I could always count on, the one I could confide in, my muse, my everything. Why'd you do this?" Luan asked, the betrayal she felt evident in her voice. Luna sighed heavily, for she did not have an answer for her.
"I… don't know. If I had to guess, I'd say it was weakness. Like with you and Benny, things have been slow on the intimacy side between me and Sam, and I guess I got impatient," Luna surmised.
"So you saw fit to spy on me and my friends? And even though I can't prove it, I'm sure Lynn did too," Luan responded.
"I get it, dude. I betrayed your trust and there's no coming back from that," Luna lamented.
"Well, begging the drama club to take me back was a good start, but you have a long way to go. Don't worry. If Lincoln and Lynn could fix their relationship, I'm sure we can fix ours," Luan hoped. Luna thought back to what happened between Lincoln and Lynn, how it was subtle at first, but then blew wide open after the Order attacked.
"Dude, is this your way of saying you…. resent me?" Luna queried. Luan didn't answer, she just turned away. Luna took this as a sign that the conversation was over and headed back up to her bunk. Sleep could not find either sister. Luna was having trouble processing the fact that Luan could resent her. She didn't think her capable of such emotions, while the reason for Luan's lack of sleep was entirely different. She was talking to Benny over the phone quickly in the hall before turning in.
"Benny, I was curious about something. Mother Jones said spying carries with it prison time. Do you know how much?" Luan quizzed.
"According to my mum, first time is two years in prison, then five for every repeat offence. Why, are you thinking about pressing charges?" Benny replied.
"No, but I need an insurance policy to keep Luna from doing this again. Maybe some time in the can would scare her straight," Luan answered.
"My mum is piloting a scheme that aims to do just that," Benny replied.
"Really? Tell me all about it," Luan said, an evil smile forming on her face.
So there we have it. Luna clearly still has quite a bit of work to do in regaining the trust of her closest sister, meanwhile, if you haven't picked up on it, Luan's resentment is a reference to Albertson's Nightmare on Franklin Avenue, of which he is currently following up on with Malefic Origins (my apologies if I have, in any way, contributed to the slowing of those updates); be sure to give them a read. Also, if you have been following our Saga, you may have also picked up on the note that Luan and Benny are setting up the big prank against Luna and Lynn that later took place in Slumber Party – so there is one specific plot element that has been completely bridged.
Special thanks to my Sharuby Saga co-pilot, Albertson, not only for contributing this prologue, but also giving my OC, Principal/Mother Jones more to do; it's still quite gratifying to see that she ended up being a rare seed in that she is an OC who can actually serve a purpose – and decidedly an even better purpose than her canon counterpart.
Now, let us proceed with our story and see just what exactly happened to Shannon and Ruby between the events of Card Tricks and Slumber Party, and the effects that were had on their relationships.