Lola Loud- No Escape from the All-Judgmental Eyes

It's no lie that half of Lola Loud's life is spent on the stage floor. Performing in pageants alongside, as well as against, other girls for not only the love of the audience. But for the scores and approval of the pageant judges as well in order to get the crown at the end.

Lola (With a big smile): "And tonight I will win my biggest crown yet. I have my new secret weapon."

She takes out a long stick that is inside a black carrying case with a handle to put around her shoulder.

?: "Pff!"

Lola turns to see that her arch nemesis Lindsey Sweetwater is busy filing her nails.

Lindsey (With a scowl): "Please Lola, you have a...secret weapon...for every pageant."

But before Lola can respond, Cricket comes over and wraps her arm around her friend.

Cricket: "Don't worry about Sweetwater Lola, she's just jealous you thought up an out-of-the-box idea for your performance tonight."

Lindsey (Rolls her eyes): "Cricket, the theme for this pageant is to think outside the box." (Says with sash): "We must impress the judges with either our performances, the way we answer their questions, or how we dress. It doesn't matter which category it is, as long as it's unexpected and the judges are wowed."

Lola (With a smirk and raised brow): "It's that why you are wearing that old rage."

She is revering to Lindsay's gown: Due to being sent to the drycleaners so many times the colors of the dress are washed out to be only brown and gray. There's a little hole on the right side. And the bottom of the long skirt is ripped showing her feet.

Lindsay: "It's not that an old rag, Loud!" (With a smirk of her own): "It's my first pageant dress. I saved it after my mother forced me to stop wearing it and moved on with my other outfits."

Just then Chinah comes running backstage as excited as her friends and competitors have ever seen her. Let's not forget to mention she is dressed like a butterfly.

Chinah: "You guys won't believe what I just found out!"

Lola and Cricket walk over to her.

Lola: "What is it Chinah?"

Chinah: "The world-famous pageant judge: Lester Criptonic is a guest judge for our pageant tonight!"

Upon hearing that name most of the girls there cheer out of excitement, while some of them just give looks of either disgust or worry. The only one who is not reacting to this news is Lola.

Lola (Confused): "Whose Lester Criptonic?"

Lindsey: "Only the greatest and most sophisticated judge in the beauty pageant business of our time. He goes around the world to judge in every beauty pageant he can." (With a smirk): "And trust me, Lola, this guy spots REAL talent."

But before anyone else can voice their opinion, Lester Criptonic himself comes walking into the room. She didn't know what it was about him, but as soon as Lola saw Lester she started to feel... intimidated. And that is saying something. Besides being very tall, Lester is wearing a clean, lint-free suit, shiny brown shoes on his feet, his gray hair is combed down, and is wearing big black square classes to help him see. He starts to go around backstage giving each one of the contestants a disapproving scowl and a side eye. Until he stopped in front of Lola.

Lester: "Lola Loud...funny. Even after watching videos of your past performances, I still fail to see why you are so popular in Michigan's pageant community."

This took Lola completely by surprise. And let me tell you she doesn't know how to feel about this remark.

Lester: "Your outfits are far less to be desired. The way you do your makeup is no different from how a businesswoman does her makeup for a company dinner. And your acts in the performance department are predictable from beginning to end."

Lola: "But...Everybody loves my dance numbers! And I won so many pageants with my gowns and the work of my make-up artists alone."

Lester bends down to be at eye level with the girl. And is looking at her straight in the eyes.

Lester: "Lola, there is a big difference between meaningless success and creating great art."

Lola (Feeling her blood turn cold): "Meaningless success?"

He then gets up and starts to walk a bit.

Lester: "You remind me of a girl I judged in a pageant held in New York years ago. Even though the audience and my peers loved her, she wasn't all that special. And once I pointed that out to everyone, not only did she lose the crown. But she hasn't even been allowed to set foot on stage ever since."

Claudette (Shaking in her shoes): "You're the one who did that to my big sister."

Lester turns to her...

Lester: "That was your sister? I'm so sorry she brought such disappointment to your family." (With a smirk): "I'm sure you won't do the same."

This causes Claudette to run all the way home in tears. Lester then makes his leave.

Cricket (Wraps an arm around her friend again): "Don't listen to that jerk Lola. I know you will knock his socks off."

Lola (With a shaky smile): "Yeah..."

And so the Think Outside the Box Pageant has come and gone. As the audience adored Chinah's answer to the question: "If there's any animal you will help save, which animal would you choose?"

Chinah (Flaps her wings): "Butterflies! Because without them we wouldn't have nice flowers to smell. And beautiful colors soring the summer sky."

Confused...and a bit grossed out by Lindsey's dress as she's walking along the catwalk.

Lindsey (Whispers to herself): "They don't know what they're missing."

And we're AMAZED by Lola's ribbon dance. But it's not any ordinary ribbon dance. Inside the black case, she was carrying was a long sparkly pole, tied up at the tippy top of it were multiple different colored ribbons. So, as she was twirling the pole around, it looked like she was dancing with a huge sparkling rainbow. All we're amazed...except Lester Criptonic.

After a few minutes of huddle/final decision-making. The judges call all the contestants of the pageant to line up against the red curtain. And by surprise, the lights are dime down and a spotlight is placed over Lola.

Lola (Thinks inside her head with hope): "This must be it...Biggest crown yet, momma's coming for you."

But as soon as she saw Lester getting up from his seat at the judge's table, all of the Loud girl's hope disappeared.

Lester: "I must admit Lola. It was sure bold of you to do that outstanding ribbon dance."

Some feelings of hope started to come back to her, until...

Lester (With a scowl): "Bold of you to be the tenth child in a row to do it!"

This causes the audience to gasp in shock.

Lola: "What?!"

Lester: "I swear! Did you just watch the video that was posted online a year ago and hope that I wouldn't notice?!"

To add more to Lola's speechless shock, some of the people in the audience whisper to one another, agreeing with Lester's words. While some other people started to boo at Lola, throwing tomatoes at her.

Lola (Trying to hold back her tears): "I swear...I've never seen that video before."

After silencing the audience, with a smile, Lester directs the spotlight over Lindsey.

Lester: "It's a great honor to announce you, Lindsey Sweetwater, winner of the Think Outside the Box Pageant!"

Lola is in complete shock...it's not from losing to Lindsey that's for sure. No, that happened a few times. But it's more of the fact that ONE judge has gotten a whole oratorium's worth of people and the other judges to change their opinions about her performance. And her loyal fans going completely against her without a second thought.

Lola: "Oh well, at least I have my family to comfort me on the way home."

That is not the case, however, as each of Lola's siblings is sitting in silence around her in the family van, even her twin sister Lana has her back turned on her. While her mother is sitting in the passenger seat and her father is driving the van.

Lola: "Wow...all you must be disappointed that I lost to Sweetwater. But don't worry..."

She tries to look determined.

Lola: "I'll beat her next time."

Rita: "Lola...I'm afraid there won't be a...hmph...next time."

Lola (Taken aback): "Huh?"

Lynn Sr.: "Your mother's right..."

Lola: "Daddy?"

When Lynn Sr and Rita turn to look at their daughter, she is completely terrified to see them with the eyes and now also talking in the voice of Lester Criptonic.

Lola: "No..."

In fact, as Lola looks from the right, left, and back of her, all of her siblings have the eyes, the voice, and speaking of the cruel critic along with their parents.

Lola (Tears starting to flow from her eyes): "No..."

All except Lana, who finally turns over to reveal to her twin that...she looks like Lester the most?! With her hair being gray, shoes brown, and wearing glasses. But unlike Lisa's, these made Lana's look so much bigger compared to the rest of her family. And she is speaking the most cruel to Lola.

Lola: "NO!"

Half of the time she can make everyone chuckle and laugh to the ground. Other times she can make us groan in annoyance...Next in line on this ride of dreams is my joker of a sister, Luan.