45. Stage Plight

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.

As a refresher on Lola's backstory, it may help to read chapter 20.

"Sweetie, are you sure everything is alright?" Rita asked, glancing down at her 4 year old daughter who sat quietly in the stroller.

"I'm fine..." Lola replied in a bitter tone. A hard scowl was all that could be seen on her face since she returned to her mother from the playground. It was by pure coincidence that she happened to overhear the derogatory remarks directed at her, but she was thankful her mother had decided to get her out the house to try and cheer her up. "I should've listened to Mommy...instead, I ended up looking like a fool because I listened to that..." Lola balled her tiny fists. "That jerk!"

As her feelings changed from simmering annoyance to burning outrage, she fidgeted in her stroller a bit while her forehead began to turn a light shade of red. She had half a mind to jump out and run back to the park and ruin Lindsey's pretty little face; they were only a few blocks away after all. But could she really run that far? Lynn might be able to, seeing as she couldn't sit still for more than two seconds; not to mention she was doing soccer these days. And by the time she got there, she'd probably be tired and worn out and look like a hot mess; and she would outnumbered if Lindsey's friends were still there.

And the last thing Lola wanted was to give the redheaded girl another excuse to beat her down.

As soon as Rita opened the front door, Lola got out of her seat and ran up the stairs.

The mother of 10 let out a long sigh. "Well, that didn't work..." Her gaze went from the stairs to the wall next to the master bedroom as the matriarch spotted the current baby of the family there. With a crayon in hand, the little brunette was doodling on the wall. Rita bit her lower lip before marching over to the toddler. "Lisa," The small child fidgeted as she turned towards her stern-faced mother. "I told you not to write..." Rita paused as she looked at what her baby had made. Rather than expecting a simple doodle, there were numbers and equations that reminded her of the math classes she took in high school. "Trigonometry on the wall?...And is that..." The 41 year old woman squinted her eyes. "Calculus? What in the world?" She scratched her head in confusion.

"But it's fuuuuuun!" Lisa pouted, looking towards the wall. "And I wanna find out what X is."

In spite of her child's brainpower punching WELL above her age, Rita wasn't fond of having to scrub crayon off the wall for the third time this week. "We have blank papers, and you could've asked one of your siblings to find you some."

Lisa made a sad frown. "They didn't know where it was...or wouldn't help..."

Rita pursed her lips as she took in that bit of info. The papers she was referring to were stored in the attic along with a bunch of other things the family rarely used; and since the kids never go up there, it wouldn't be expected of them to find writing paper. As far as just refusing to help...well, that could also be for a number of reasons. Regardless, one look at the wall reminded her that every second wasted was another moment the crayon marks were allowed to seep into the wall, to the point of requiring the whole area to be repainted.

"Well, I'll help you find some paper. But first, I need to clean this up." The matriarch spoke calmly.

Upstairs, Lola stomped into her shared bedroom. Back in those days, the room was much less crowded as the twins had yet to fully embrace the hobbies they'd come to be recognized for. Lola and Lana slept in separate beds, but unlike the princess-styled bed Lola would have later, she slept in the average twin bed that her older-by-5-minutes sister used. Frustration radiated from her like heating unit as Lola kicked one of the plastic chairs parked at the tiny table in the middle of the room, soon jumping onto her bed and lying face down.

Lola unleashed a muffled scream into the bed sheets, pounding the mattress with her feet. The resulting noise happened to draw the attention of one certain sibling who happened to be passing by her door.

"So that's why you were so angry at the time?" Lincoln asked as a moment of realization struck him.

Lola nodded. "It would've been different if I was just upset at how I messed up my first big pageant..." Her brows arched down slightly. "But hearing Lindsey gloat about how she tricked me...I just wanted to get back at her any way I could..."

Lincoln squinted an eye. "Well, you didn't beat her up when you had the chance."

"As I said, I really wanted to; but Mom took us far away from the park by then." Lola explained.

A nine year old Lincoln poked his head in after hearing the muffled cry. "You ok Lola?"

The four year old shot her head up and gave her brother the hardest glare she could muster. "Not now Lincoln!" She promptly shoved her head back onto the mattress.

The white-haired child flinched at the girls attitude. He glanced around as he contemplated whether he should ignore her demand and try to help, or heed her advice and leave. The little blonde made a low growl from her position on her bed, making Lincoln inclined to take the second option.

"Now that I think about it, it would've been better if I had told you what happened then and there..." Lola glanced at the floor in guilt. "...And I shouldn't have yelled at you..."

Lincoln raised a hand. "It's fine. I mean, you were really upset and didn't want to be around anyone." He couldn't help but frown. "At least it's a way better reason than what Lori and Leni did..."

Lola made a curt nod before continuing with her memory.

Breathing in, Lola sat up on her bed. An annoyed frown still marked her face, but she didn't appear as angry as she previously was. Still, she couldn't let things stand the way they were. Lola didn't quite understand the true definition of revenge, but she felt such a burning desire for payback that it was all she could think about. Lindsey needed to know how Lola felt that day; the embarrassment and humiliation of messing up a routine in front of hundreds of people, not to mention losing her two front teeth when she accidentally hit herself.

Rita may have been a dental assistant, but that didn't mean it hurt to have her incisors pulled out earlier than they should've been.

"I'm gonna wipe that stupid smirk off her face...then THAT will show her..." Lola grumbled. The problem though, was how she intended to do that. It wasn't like she could just go and start a fight with her next time she saw her (which would most likely be at the next pageant practice); Mommy and Daddy wouldn't be very happy if Lola got into a fight, AND she would get kicked out of the running. "So if I can't just hit her..." Lola gripped her sheets. "I'll have to beat her in the next pageant." She groaned before lying down. "How am I supposed to do that?! She's been in pageants longer than I have!" Her eyes narrowed. "Then again...if I just remembered what Mommy said, I wouldn't have tripped..." The young girl's eyes shot open as a thought came to her; one that just might turn the tide in her favor. "But what if I made HER slip up?...Hmmm..." She rubbed her chin in thought.

Lincoln had an unsettled feeling as he remembered the time Lola wanted to join the siblings' Secrets Club. When he went to the place the Little Miss Cutie Pageant was holding practice, just about all of the contestants there fled at the very mention of her name; all except for one Lindsey Sweetwater. And he had a feeling he was about to find out why that ill-tempered girl hated Lola so much.

On the other hand, given what Lola explained about her first big pageant, his sister was justified in her actions. Sure, Lola had a habit of going overboard when she went on the attack; but Lincoln had to admit to himself that, had he known what Lindsey did to his sister back then, he would've stepped in and helped Lola out. It might've prevented Lola from becoming a tinier, arguably meaner version of his oldest sister; but all of this hindsight couldn't change what happened in the past.

"What did you do?" The boy asked, having vague memories of the next pageant Lola was referring to. "I don't remember hearing about anything bad happening..."

"Well, before I became the girl you know me as today, I was still new to the whole "blackmail" game; but I felt it was better to try and get into her head like she did with me. I didn't want to risk getting banned from the pageant because I beat her up." Lola shifted slightly in her seat. "That would come later from what I remember."

"...Is it the reason why the other contestants are scared of you?" Lincoln asked.

Lola made a slight hum in thought. "I...I guess? I mean, right now, I'm not even sure of the exact reason." Deciding to continue on, "Anyways, practice came and went like usual. I kept my distance from Lindsey since I didn't want to be around her, and she seemed to pretend I didn't exist anymore; probably because she didn't see me as a 'threat'." The six year old frowned. "But that would lead to her own undoing."

The big day had finally arrived: the second Little Miss Cutie Pageant Lola was due to take part in. She practiced time after time during rehearsal and at home to perfect her routine with her staff, which had now evolved with the inclusion of a nine-inch ribbon tied to one end. Whenever Lola had been at rehearsal for the pageant, she kept her distance from the rest of the competitors unless required to be near them under the supervision of the pageant director; she felt there was hardly anyone she could trust, and it made her nervous. Sometimes she wished that Lana was there with her; Rita or Lynn Sr. would be nearby with the other parents, but it didn't offer the level of comfort she would've gained from being around her siblings.

The anxiety she felt wasn't as bad early on in the week, as the pageant was just two weeks away. But as the day of the real deal drew closer, Lola felt the butterflies in her stomach burn with growing intensity.

For one, her whole family would be in attendance this time to offer support; last time, it was just her parents and Leni. It sort of stung that her other siblings weren't interested in beauty pageants like she was; though with Lynn and apparently Lana, Lola figured they wouldn't. Lynn could be such a brute sometimes, and her twin appeared to be taking cues from her; the baths after being in the mud were starting to pile up. Lori might've gone, but someone needed to watch the others while the parents were out. Still, with everyone planning to attend, Lola made certain to nail her routine to a point she was comfortable she could pull it off; another repeat of her last performance was what she didn't need.

But her main concern was the fact she was running out of time on her scheme to get back at her new enemy, Lindsey Sweetwater.

Lola may have stayed far away enough from the girls as to not be bothered, but she kept within earshot to see if she could learn a thing or two about her adversary; after all, she had seen Lincoln do it many times playing 'Ace Detective' or whatever it was, and it worked in his favor when trying to solve a crime. The last incident he solved involved who broke the cookie jar in the cabinet; many assumed it to be Lynn, but it turned out to be Luna of all people. She was hungry one night and accidentally dropped it when fishing for a snack.

She even went as far as to 'borrow' Lincoln's Ace Detective-themed voice recorder to better her chances.

Lincoln made a curt frown. "So that's why I couldn't find it for months..."

Lola sunk her head slightly. "I forgot where I had left it back then, but I found it stuffed in one of my teddy bears."

But despite all of her efforts, Lola felt she didn't gain an edge over her newly christened rival. Sure, she might've learned to not fall for the redhead's tricks; but she needed a way to get into her head like Lindsay did to her. After all, fair is fair in a war; at least that's what Lori said when Lola eavesdropped on her while she was doing homework.

And who knew that the young blonde would catch her lucky break on the day of the pageant?

Lola was wringing her staff in her hands, dressed in a pink ballerina outfit with a frilly skirt as she was due to perform soon. The introduction phase went without issue, along with the catwalk phase and the "How Would You Make The World A Better Place?" questioning. But as she had grown to know, those moments were just small piecemeals compared to what really mattered: the Talent portion. Whilst Lola felt confident in her updated routine, she couldn't shake the one little aspect that usually happens when in front of dozens of people: stage fright. Taking a peek through the side of the curtain, the young blonde eyed the crowd. It was a mostly full auditorium, likely due to the fact this competition comprised of contestants from neighboring towns.

The Loud spotted her family sitting in one of the middle rows. The parents, along with Lori, Leni, Luan, Luna, and Lincoln were waiting in anticipation; each sporting a supportive grin on their faces. Luan appeared to be saying something, which then caused Lori, Lincoln, and Lynn to roll their eyes. It was likely a pun, something the recently-braced girl fired out more and more frequently.

Closing the curtain, "Ok Lola. You got this. Just remember what you practiced and everything should go just fine!" She glanced over to where the other contestants were, namely the redheaded girl she loathed. Her brows furrowed, "And DON'T let Ms. Fake Nice Meany get to you..."

Lola peeked outside the curtain again. The girl before her, Martha Brown, was almost finished with her act. Talent sections were often regarded as being the most fun, and also most bizarre; there were a lot of ways you could surprise the audience with a skill set they weren't expecting. In this case, Martha was juggling no less than SIX bowling pins while on that one-wheeled bike Lola couldn't place the name for. The Loud closed the curtain before walking her way to the other side of the stage.

This didn't go unnoticed by the one girl whom she didn't want to hear.

"Break a leg Lola!" Lindsey cheered with a tone that sounded sweet, yet carried a mocking undertone.

Lola growled but didn't regard the girl as she stomped past. Right as she was almost out of hearing range, "Anyway, there's no way I'm NOT taking first place today." Lola squinted her eyes as her pace slowed.

"Well DUH! You've got this in the bag." Spoke another girl whom Lola didn't know as she glanced back.

"Sure, I got the skills." Lindsey agreed. "But the others around her are seriously packing in the talent department. I mean, Martha is out there with a juggling act! And she's killing it out there!" As if on cue, a chorus of cheers was heard from the crowd. The turquoise-dressed girl grinned as she chuckle escaped her. "But thankfully, I made some "arrangements" before the pageant started."

Lola raised a brow at this before walking a little closer, taking shelter behind a dress rack. Digging into the back of her dress, she pulled out what looked to be an Ace Savvy pen; in reality, it was a small voice recorder. She pressed the button on top, and a small red light on the side had activated. Once Lola was certain the recorder was working, she held it up to make sure it could hear the two girl's conversation without interference.

"Like what?" The other girl asked in a curious tone.

"Oh you know, just loosening up a few floorboards here and there." Lindsey boasted. "Not enough so that it will hit someone, but you can bet there will be a few...missteps." She chuckled darkly. "By the time I go out there, they should be noticeable to me to avoid them."

Again, as if on cue, a sudden crash was heard from the other side of the curtain; this was followed immediately with several objects dropping to the floor. A few of the girls opened up a spot in the curtain out of curiosity, allowing Lola to see that Martha had fallen off her one-wheeled bike thingy and the bowling pins she juggled scattered about around her. The girl slowly got up, eliciting a groan as she rubbed her back. Several people in the audience winced at her fall, but the judges were at least respectful by giving her a total score of 22. Martha made a quick bow before collecting her things and move off the stage. As she left, Lola squinted her eyes. In the area where Martha was riding on her bike thingy, the edges where some of the floorboards connected to each other dipped inward; not enough to be noticeable to the judges or anyone else in the seats, but they looked to have collapsed just enough to cause Martha to lose her balance.

The Loud gritted her teeth. Not only was Lindsey a total jerk, but also a CHEATER? Lola stopped recording seconds before a growl escaped her throat. Her first instinct was to forget the pageant and go sock Lindsey in her smug face; but before she could do that...

"Let's give another round of applause for Martha! What a stunning juggling act; though the finisher needs a little work." The contest manager stated before pulling a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. "Now then, let's welcome Lola Loud, who will get a chance to show us her ribbon dance!"

"I think I remember this one." Lincoln spoke. "Didn't you get a 30 for your dance?"

"I did." Lola nodded.

The near 5 year old appeared from behind the curtain; a nervous, yet cute smile was plastered on her face that appeared to be enhanced by her missing incisors. She gave a quick bow, taking note of where the floorboards had come loose when doing so, then launched into her routine as the manager started the music.

"I kept track of where the boards had caved in a little and did my best to avoid them." Lola explained as her past self jumped and twirled the staff in her hand, making the ribbon appear as if it was wrapping itself around her form. "The whole time though, I noticed Lindsey poking her fat head out of the curtain, just waiting for me to slip up." Lola made a huff, then grinned as an idea popped in her head. Making another jump, she landed directly on the edge of one of the loose board before using it as a spring to jump higher in the air, doing more twirls that made the frills of her dress spread out. "But too bad for her! She had no idea that I had caught on to her plan as I flew gracefully in the air; like a fairy."

Lincoln couldn't help the lighthearted smile appearing on his face. "Honestly, I thought you had started taking exercise tips from Lynn."

Lola giggled. "As if. I wasn't going to get a taste of boot camp coming from her." Lola continued her dance for another four minutes, using a level of grace and handling of her staff in creative ways that managed to win over a majority of the audience. She came to a finish as she landed on her feet and bowed at the crowd. Most of the audience, especially the Louds, cheered happily for her. The judges made their final deliberations and gave her a high score of 10 for each, coming out to 30. Lola gave a hearty wave amid the praise and skipped off the stage. "While I was avoiding her at first, she came to me; which was another bad move."

For the first time in weeks, Lola Loud was in a total state of euphoria. Her confidence in herself had been iffy for so long, that she nearly forgot how to make a proper smile. But the appraise she received not only from her family, but from complete strangers as well...it made her heart flutter as she soaked it all in like a sponge. Giving a sigh of content, she twirled the staff in her hand before resting it against the crook of her neck; the young blonde's hips swayed as if she owned the place whilst heading to the changing rooms to slip into her gown. Walking across the back stage, much of the other girls didn't pay attention to her; although a few of the usually timid ones gave her some praise for her performance.

As she neared the dressing rooms, a slow clapping sound grabbed her attention. Turning her head, the Loud found the smug redhead in all her glory.

"So, you managed not to slip up this time." Lindsey said in restrained acceptance. "Good job, but I'm sure it's just a fluke." She turned to leave.

"Oh really." Lola answered, getting the girl to stop in her tracks. "It just seemed like a real fluke that a few of the girls just happened to slip up out there." The blonde responded in a mocking tone.

Lindsey glances back, a somewhat nervous look emphasized by her change in posture. She gave a shrug seconds later. "Probably just too much wax."

Lola took the voice recorder out of her dress. "Or loose floorboards..." She pressed the 'Play' button, and Lindsey froze upon hearing her own voice. Now it was Lola's turn to have a smug grin as the redhead's gaze fell from mildly concerned to full blown shock as the short recorded clip ended. "You think you're really clever, don't you?" Lola put the voice recorder back. "You made me slip up on purpose just so you could win, and I didn't even do ANYTHING to you!" Lindsey opened her mouth yo speak, but Lola silenced her with an accusatory finger. "I heard what you said at the park that day FYI!" The Loud fumed, then composed herself. "But you obviously aren't as good as you think you are if you have to cheat."

Lindsey formed a glare. "What are you gonna do? Rat me out? Do you really think anyone would believe you?" She folded her arms. "I could easily just say YOU were the one who dug up the floor!"

Lola only smirked. "I have a recording; you don't." She pointed the staff on the floor and used it as a support. "And if you try, I have the real proof."

Lindsey scrunched her face into a hate-filled glare as she stepped towards her. "In five seconds you won't!"

Lola clenched her fist. She SOOOOO wanted to take her staff and cram it down Lindsey's throat; but a quick look down made her think otherwise. She was still wearing her ballerina dress, and her mother paid a lot of money to get her one for this pageant. Instead, when she was close enough, the Loud lifted her staff and jammed it into Lindsey's gut. The redhead had no time to react as the blunt end of the staff dug into her stomach, making her kneel to the floor as the wind was knocked out of her. The Loud then turned to run to the dressing room; Lindsey looked up at her fleeing prey with a growl before giving chase. Reaching the door, Lola threw it open and slammed the door shut; her body was jolted as Lindsey slammed against the door and started banging on it.

"OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" The redhead girl yelled.

"Make me." Lola responded in a mocking tone.

The door received a few kicks in response as Lindsey gave another yell that was muffled by the door. Lola giggled to herself as she slid down and sat at the base of the door, feeling a huge sense of accomplishment at getting back at her now arch-nemesis. Violence may not have always been the answer; but this moment still put a huge smile on her face.

"Lindsey was so mad that she flopped her performance." Lola giggled. "Even better, she stepped on one of the boards she messed with and it smacked her in the face!" The young Loud burst into laughter, gripping her sides as she fell backwards on the couch seat.

Lincoln raised a brow. "That's what happened? I was too busy playing my Gameboy to pay attention."

Lola nodded. "Dunno if that's what helped, but I came first place in that pageant."

"Hmm..." Lincoln nodded. "Well, guess that explains how she learned to get dirt on people. But..." As much as Lincoln didn't want to pivot the conversation towards something more negative, he still felt he needed to know why Lola decided to use her tricks on her siblings. "Ok, I get that you had to do what you did with your pageants...but how did me and the others get roped into this?"

Lola's smile disappeared as her face became crestfallen. "I figured that...well, if it worked at my pageants, it could work at home too..." She pressed her hand against her cheek. "I think I started off with Lana, since we usually were together the most. I didn't need to actually "find" out her secrets per se...I just threatened to tell Mom and Dad about some of the things she broke."

Lincoln deadpanned. "I'm guessing she didn't like you breaking a promise?" He paused. "If you guys made one."

Lola nodded with some guilt. "Yeah...and from there, I started moving towards everyone else."

The middle child huffed slightly. "Namely me?..."

"Well...n-not exactly. I mean..." Lola paused as she tried to figure out an explanation. "I-It's just that...you didn't really try to say no..."

Lincoln furrowed his brows slightly. "I'd say no, but you'd threaten to pummel me or use blackmail to MAKE me play with you..." He folded his arms. "Couldn't you just ask nicely and take no for an answer?"

Lola's heart sank. "I did, but...I mean, Lincoln. No offense but...you tend to fold too easily..."

"And? You think I should be more like Lynn?" Her brother replied with a more annoyed tone.

"No!" Lola said quickly.

"If I may before things get a little hasty?" Miranda cut in before turning to Lola. "Now Lola, is it true that you've went to Lincoln the most for help in the past?"

"...Yes."

"And what was the reason for it?"

"...I just wanted someone to play with and sometimes I felt he could help me out with some things for my pageants..."

The therapist nodded. "Considering that you two have older sisters who may have some interest in your passion, wouldn't they have been a better pick?"

"I mean, it's not like I tried asking them for help." Lola folded her arms. "Lori is usually too busy talking with her friends or her now ex-boyfriend to really care, and Leni would sometimes help but..."

Judging by the cringed look on her face, Lincoln could assume Leni wasn't of much assistance unless it was for a dress. Given what he knew of her now, he figured she likely wasn't on her medicine at the time.

"So, I decided to go to Lincoln since he usually helped them out before; so I figured he might know something." The young blonde explained. "I couldn't ask Lynn, Luan, or Luna; they wouldn't care for any of that."

Lincoln noted that she hadn't mention Lucy; but she didn't need to. The brooding girl was Lola's opposite on stuff like this. "But what about the constant tea parties?" Lincoln asked.

Lola fell silent for a moment to develop her answer. "...It's not like I ask for you every day."

"More like, once every few days." Lincoln pointed out, giving his younger sister a mean stare. "Just because I'm the only guy in the house doesn't mean I'm your personal butler!"

As Mrs. Lopez glanced between the two, she could already see a potential conflict about to spill over. Lola felt she was running out of room on how she could justify her behavior, and Lincoln didn't seem to notice how much pressure he was putting on the young girl in his semi-irate state. So, she decided now was a good time to give her own input.

"Lincoln," Miranda started, grabbing the 11 year old's attention. "Do you recall what you and Lynn discussed about this?"

Lincoln's gaze fell. "I do...I get that she wanted to make up for when we stopped hanging out, but I wish she went about it better."

"And from what I can assume now, your younger sister here has made you engage with tea parties because she feels that you two don't do enough activities like you did in the past; that, and it seems she values your opinion above everyone else."

Lincoln deadpanned. "I'm not the family's fashion expert."

"But, you do know a few things about the activity she's in, correct?"

"Well...yeah, but..." Lincoln went silent as he pondered over his words. "A few times I did help her out because I just wanted to, but over time, it wasn't really something I'd invest in..." His mouth pouted a little. "Except for the time the prize was two Day Passes at Dairy Land."

"That one was obvious." Lola muttered. "I didn't care about the prize so much as just winning."

"And while we're on that subject, Lincoln (if you can), were there any points you remember from when you and Lola had spent time together?" The good doctor asked.

Lincoln repeatedly bumped his foot against the base of the couch as he delved into his memories. When Lucy had been born, he was rather excited to be given the role as a big brother; he did introduce her to the supernatural after all, and Lincoln had hopes that maybe she'd enjoy reading comics. But while Lincoln's interest in ghosts was more of a side hobby, Lucy embraced it fully and soon went from being a cheerful girl to always acting creepy; something he would admit had put him off from hanging out with her at times. And while she didn't read comic books, she was often busy reading your average novel.

When the twins were born, he did his best to spend time with both of them. As they grew, Lana felt something like a younger brother to Lincoln in the same way Lynn was the older brother; but Lola was just a ball of sunshine for the first four years of her life. Even before she started pageants, Lincoln could admit Lola had a tendency to gravitate towards him; maybe it was because he stood out as the only boy in the family so far.

The twins had looked up to Lucy to an extent, at least before she started getting absorbed into her supernatural stuff. Lana gravitated towards Lynn and he assumed that Lola went towards Leni.

"When we were younger, like when she was one up until maybe four, I still remember we'd play together outside and at the park whenever our parents would take us." Lincoln stated. "I don't remember when we stopped, but I thought it was like..." He fiddled with his cowlick. "It happened around the same time she started getting into pageants. Aside from Ace Savvy, I really started getting more into other comic series and video games, I began hanging out with Clyde more, and..." Lincoln gave himself a moment to think.

Whether he wanted to believe it or not, Lola and Lynn were a bit more alike than they let on. Aside from having a temperamental attitude and inflated egos, they also shared a previous bond with their brother that he seemed to forget as time went on. Sure, there were bits and pieces from years past that still lingered in the boy's mind; they only ever made themselves known once making the orbit around his brain to reach the front so he could picture it clearly. As the family got bigger and the kids grew up, Lincoln had long accepted the fact his sisters changed over the years and there probably wasn't much he could do to change them. Well, at least not without trying; the whole deal with the picture for his parents' anniversary came to mind. Granted, Lincoln would admit he went a tad...no, way overboard with trying to make the picture as 'perfect' as possible; making Luna wear a wig, having Leni and Lisa switch glasses, and having everyone wear Christmas sweaters during a warm May was overbearing.

The boy's brows furrowed a bit. "It wouldn't have killed them to stand still for 30 seconds...Mom and Dad found the picture heartwarming, but anyone else would think we're crazy."

Glancing at his sister, Lincoln nibbled his lower lip. He didn't see the egotistic and spoiled girl Lola became after getting absorbed into the pageant game, just like how Lynn wasn't the same ego-driven meat-headed jock; all that sat before him was just a little girl who was scared and just wanted affection from her brother.

"This may be a running theme with your family; or at least for those younger than you. Now, Lola may not have the words, but you can at least see why she became the way she is, right?" Miranda asked.

Lincoln's nose flared a bit as he chewed the inner part of his lip. Turning to Lola, "Lola, were there any other girls that were like Lindsey?"

"A few." The young girl admitted. "They weren't as persistent as she was, but I ended up having to use my "acquired" skills to get them to back off. I guess word spread around to the other girls since no one really wanted to asso...associ..."

"Associate?" Lincoln asked.

Lola snapped her fingers. "Yeah, that word. They didn't want to be around me since they were afraid of what I would do to them if I got mad. Which is weird because I usually don't get mad when at practice."

Lincoln squinted slightly. "Might be because you fight with Lana a lot; even when at school."

"Probably..." Lola examined the nails on her fingers, bringing up her other hand and picked at her index nail. "I didn't mind it at first because I liked the idea of people being afraid of me, doing what I say and tending to my needs." She saw Lincoln's disapproving look and opted to change her tone. "Ok ok, I know it spilled over into the house..." The blonde furrowed her brows as frustration rose. "But it was just fun, ok?!" She threw her hands into the air. "I won soooo many pageants and prizes that I felt on top of the world. You felt the same way when you won that limo that one time."

Lincoln clasped his hands together at the mention of his stint with the limo. "I did...but I learned a few things from that experience." Raising a finger, "For one, Tetherby is a huge jerk. Second, you probably would've hung out with a rich guy too if you had the chance." Lola opened her mouth to form a retort, only to close it as she knew what he brother said was true. "And lastly..." Lincoln made a forlorn gaze. "Stuff like having a limo doesn't mean anything if you don't have anyone who actually cares about you to share it with..."

Lola's eyes opened up in confusion and curiosity.

"When I said Tetherby is a huge jerk, I meant it; he's a really huge jerk, and I'm not just talking about his size. Hanging out with him all day ended up wasting the time I had with the limo, and Kirby had threw me out the moment the timer buzzed because I acted like the snobby rich guys he used to drive around." The middle child sulked, letting himself sink into the couch. "Probably wasn't a good idea for him to do that in the middle of downtown, cause I was lost and got attacked by dogs. Three times." The boy held up three fingers to emphasize his point. "By the time I figured out where I was, I was covered in dirt, my suit was ruined, covered in mud; I guess you could say I looked like a homeless person if you only made a quick stare." Lincoln drew a breath before sighing. "But being the idiot I was, I showed up to his house and the ONLY thing he cared about was the fact I didn't have the limo."

Lola made a face of disgust.

"So, he kicked me off his porch and I had to figure out how to solve that mess..." Lincoln stared at the ceiling. "As much I don't wanna say, Lori was right; I wasn't some rich guy, just some kid who ate a bunch of mustard. And I was a total idiot for letting it go to my head..."

Lola stared at her brother, a spooked gaze greeting him when he took the chance to look at her. The parallels between what Lincoln went through and what she could go through if she didn't change her attitude...it'd be like her becoming the next Miss America, only to lose it because she had a blemish on her face or was too old to qualify. After which, she would get casted out and forgotten because she didn't have good connections with others. Or worse, have her entire career ruined through social media, since that was a big deal these days.

At least, that's the closest comparison she could make. The idea of becoming Miss America one day just seemed dated to her now, having renounced pageantry altogether after facing the harsh reality of what it was doing to her. And she already suffered huge low point in her life at the tender age of six, and that low point was sitting in front of her with trepidation.

"Lincoln...w-why didn't you tell us any of that?" The six year old asked as she slowly got over her astonishment.

"You grils were so busy enjoying the limo, and I didn't want to ruin it by talking about what happened." Lincoln explained. "And, honestly, even I didn't want to talk about it. But no one asked, so I assumed everyone just forgave me on the spot."

"Mmmm..." Lola tapped her foot against the fact of the couch. "We may have been still mad at you for ditching us after you promised to let us ride in the limo. And thinking of it now, none of us had bothered asking where you were that morning. Or if you came back home at all..." She squinted an eye. "And where were you anyway?"

"I had tracked down Kirby so I could apologize to him about the way I acted." Lincoln rubbed the back of his head. "It took a couple of hours of wondering around, but I found him near a bus station. We talked, I apologized, and he said he wouldn't hold it over me since I was only a kid."

That didn't put the younger Loud at ease. "After learning what I do now, we should've asked. At least I wish I did..." Lola stated, shifting her position so that she sat on one of her legs. "...And after hearing about what happened to you, I've come to realize the same thing..."

Lincoln raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"...T-That day you went to the hospital, I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. All I saw was just a monster who made you end up there, a-and I ruined your perfect smile..."

Lincoln chewed his lip slightly. His smile definitely wasn't perfect; no regular person has a chipped tooth sticking out their mouth half the time. His tongue flicking over the still empty sockets of where his teeth were pulled, feeling the boney protrusions of permanent teeth within his gum line. He was a little thankful only the last of his baby teeth were knocked loose; aside from getting his wisdom teeth pulled that is. And thinking on what Lola said, he was certain that she wasn't the only person to land a hit to his mouth; but she was the first to admit it.

"You can be annoying sometimes Lincoln, b-but I never wanted it to go that far." Lola blinked away fresh tears. "Then, when we found out you w-were so a-afraid of us that we can't even be in the same room...I-I thought about the times I used that against you to get w-what I wanted, a-and that made me think y-you'd hate me n-now..."

As Lola sniffled to clear her nose and wipe away the steady flow of tears coming from her eyes, Lincoln was left pondering his next move. In retrospect, Lola was a spoiled brat that his parents did little to quell her potentially bad behavior; so much so that she often dreamed of owning the world at large and that everyone would be subservient to her, at least whenever she talked about a nice 'dream' she had. He could blame her for letting the power go to her head and acting out her fantasies; but Lincoln knew that deep down, he was no better. Aside from the incident with the limo, that time he and his sisters thought their parents would throw one of them out led to him wondering out loud how great it would be if he was an only child. There was also the time he tried to get Lily to act more like him; which in retrospect might happen regardless since he noticed the toddler being distant towards their other siblings. And there was the time he tried getting his sisters to "Go Green"; and Lincoln would be the first to admit his ideas were rather extreme to accomplish a simple goal.

Then again, as he thought the time he saw Clyde's dads go through the utility bills, it was only a matter of time before Mom and Dad came after their kids for excessive electrical and water use. Not to mention the phone data bill, which Mom had gotten after Lori for a few times. And wasn't Luan wasting all the food by making pies, just to throw them at people? Though, Lisa handling all the finances that came with handling the monthly bills likely meant the parents would've never known...

Where was he going with this again? The Loud shook his head to clear the air as he remembered the time his sisters tried bribing him to either go to the beach or Dairy Land. The boy had purposely delayed his decision making, enjoying all the perks that came with it, until it became clear the girls were resorting to sabotage to win his favor; with him stuck in the crossfire. Even then, it didn't seem fair to blame him for the mess when they were the ones who bribed him in the first place...

A wet sniffing sound grabbed the boy's attention, spotting Lola rubbing her nose; her hand was covered in the translucent fluid, and Lincoln could only guess it'd been a few minutes. He eyed Dr. Lopez, wondering why she hadn't done anything. The doctor simply stared at him before nodding her head towards his sister.

Lincoln looked between her and his sister, soon coming to a nonverbal understanding. The Loud began moving to the other side of the couch; the main reason the good doctor helped with Lynn was due to it being clear that Lincoln would be too hesitant to cheer her up himself; and as a teenager, Miranda figured Lynn would need help conveying her thoughts. This was different. By now, Lincoln had grown used to being within his sister's presence and no longer held such blind fear towards them. And now, it was time to act as another role he had thought he wouldn't be towards anyone besides Lily:

Being an older brother.

He scooted over until he sat next the crying girl. Lola as busy trying to stifle her tears when she noticed the shift in weight on her seat. Glancing at her brother, her face read that of confusion before turning into shock as Lincoln, with some hesitancy on his part, wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a hug. Lola blinked as her mind processed what happened; her eyes became watery before more tears leaked out as she settled against her brother's chest. When she started to sob, Lincoln gently rubbed her back.

"It's...it's gonna be ok Lola..." Lincoln spoke, trying to not let his hesitancy show. "It's gonna be ok..."

A/N: Had this done in late June, but held off on posting it fora while.

One running theory I have about Out on a Limo with regards to the ending, is whether or not Lincoln had told the girls what happened to him that night before returning home. From dialogue exchange, no one had brought up the subject of where he was all night or what made him change his tune. It's entirely possible he explained what happened off screen during the ride with his sisters; which led to Tetherby getting sprayed by all of the kids at the end. However, due to that uncertainty, I just went with the assumption Lincoln kept that bit of information to himself until he revealed it to Lola.