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The Trillhouse SinThology	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 4586 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Wingman

"Will you stop looking so nervous? C'mon, dude," Lemy said, nudging him with his elbow. "Lina's a cool girl. You'll like her."
"It's just… I guess I don't really get what the point of all this is…?" Bobby muttered as he skulked along at the metalhead's side, head hung low and hands jammed into his hoodie pockets as usual. "I mean, she's already your girlfriend, isn't she?" Lemy chuckled and shrugged.
"Ah, Bobby… you just don't understand women the way I do," He boasted. "Just because you're together doesn't mean you can slack off. Not if you want it to be somethin' serious, anyway." Bobby pursed his lips in thought.
"I… guess that makes sense…" He said.
"Chicks eat up the whole 'good big brother' thing. All you gotta do is tell her the truth… how cool I am, how I look out for you, how you wanna be just like me when you're older…"
"…Well, I wouldn't say just like-" Bobby trailed off as the older boy shot him an annoyed look.
"Look, I just need ya to be my wingman for a bit. Besides, I've been meaning to introduce you anyway." Lemy said. "You've got a good head on your shoulders… I wanna know what you think of her." The compliment seemed to brighten Bobby's mood a bit.
"W-well, when you put it like that… I guess it's the least I could do, right?" Bobby said with a smirk. His brother grinned and clapped him on the shoulder, jostling the smaller boy slightly.
"Thanks, Beej. I owe ya one," He said as they entered Drew's sCrap. "Sup, Drew?" Lemy called out to a gruff, bearded man sitting in a folding chair outside a shack that Bobby could only assume was an office. The man didn't even look up from his newspaper as he let out a vague grunt in response. If this bothered Lemy at all, he certainly didn't show it; he simply kept on walking deeper into the scrapyard with Bobby in tow, approaching an old, decommissioned school bus sitting raised atop several dozen cinderblocks. "Yo, Lina!" Lemy said as he stepped into the dilapidated bus they called their hangout. Lina glanced up from her guitar, glaring at her boyfriend in mock annoyance.
"Took you long enough. Where've you…" Lina trailed off as she noticed the meek little boy following closely behind him. "…Who's this?"
"Lina, I'd like you to meet-" Lemy glanced over his shoulder to find that Bobby was partially hiding behind one of the seats. He sighed and dragged his brother out, pushing him towards Lina. "This is my little bro, Bobby!"
"U-um…" Bobby stammered. "…Hi…" Lina smirked and got to her feet.
"So, you're the one I've been hearing so much about." She extended her hand. "I'm Lina. Nice to meet ya." Bobby chewed his lip apprehensively, staring at her hand for a moment before extending his own. He gave her hand a quick shake and mumbled something she could only assume may have been 'you too' before shoving it back into his hoodie pocket.
"Heh, sorry… like I told you, he's shy. We're working on that though, ain't we?" Lemy chuckled as he tousled his little brother's hair, much to his chagrin.
"…Mhm." Bobby grunted.
"It's cool. It's kinda cute, honestly." Lina said with a laugh, making Bobby's cheeks flush slightly. Lina flopped back into her seat. "Anyway, chill. Make yourself comfortable."
"O-okay…" Bobby muttered.
"Wait, not-" Lina began as Bobby sat down on one of the worn-out seats only to jump up with a yelp as a loose spring jabbed him in the rear. "…That one. C'mon, here." She said, scooting over and patting the space beside her.
"Um..." Bobby glanced over at his brother as if to ask if this was okay. Lemy simply shrugged. "…Okay." The timid boy sat down beside Lina, noticeably keeping as much distance as he could, while Lemy took the seat across from theirs.
"So… Lemy talks about you a lot. I hear you two are really close."
"Oh, yeah. We're pretty much inseparable, ain't we Bobby?" Lemy said with a grin.
"Yeah…" Bobby smirked. "Um… I'm kind of a wimp, so Lemy looks out for me. He's… really great." Lemy motioned for him to keep going. "A-and, um… I wanna be just like him when I'm older…?"
"Aw, shucks, Bobby… you give me too much credit." Lemy said, his puffed-out chest and cocky smirk betraying his mock humility. "Besides, you're a pretty cool dude yourself. You'll get there eventually."
"Not a high bar to reach, really." Lina chimed in.
"Right, it's not…" Lemy trailed off as Lina's insult sank in; Lina was snickering into her palm, and Bobby seemed to be doing his best to suppress a laugh of his own. "…What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing." His girlfriend grinned and waved him off, while he simply huffed and crossed his arms. "He's right about one thing, though… you are a pretty cool dude."
"…I am?" Bobby asked, raising an eyebrow. Lina pointed at the Firefly t-shirt peeking out from his unzipped hoodie.
"You got good taste, man." She said. Bobby's face lit up slightly.
"You… you like Firefly?" He asked.
"Browncoat for life." Lina said with a smirk. "Here, check this out…" The rocker girl picked up her guitar and began to strum a tune, one that Bobby recognized almost immediately.
"That's the Ballad of Serenity!" Bobby gasped. He hopped onto his knees and leaned in closer in awe, his mood shifting completely; it was as though the mere mention of one of his favorite shows had turned him into a completely different person. "You're really good!"
"Well, of course she is. She's my girlfriend, after all." Lemy boasted, as though he were somehow responsible for her talent. Lina just rolled her eyes and continued playing.
"Y'know, Bobby… Lemy's a lot like Jayne Cobb, wouldn't you agree?" Lina said, nudging the boy with her elbow without missing a note. Bobby bit his lip to try and stifle a snort of laughter and gave a small nod.
"That's… that's Nathan Fillion's character, right? The cool one?" Lemy asked.
"Um…" Lina and Bobby exchanged a glance. "Y-yeah, sure. Why not." The two shared a laugh, much to Lemy's confusion… and annoyance. He may not have understood what they were talking about, but even he knew when he was the butt of a joke.
…Usually.
"It's cool that you like Firefly, though. Not most kids your age would." Lina said to Bobby.
"I-I love sci-fi. Books, movies, TV shows, all of it!" The young boy said excitedly. "My favorite's Star Trek: TNG, but I love Star Wars, and Firefly, and Stargate, and, and… um…" Bobby trailed off as his cheeks became tinged with red. "S-sorry…" He mumbled, sitting back down and averting his eyes. "I got a little… worked up." Lina giggled. She couldn't help but find his enthusiasm charming; it reminded her of how Lizy would get all excited over her monster movies. Bobby let out a yelp as she threw an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her side.
"Lemy, why didn't you tell me your lil' bro was so adorable?" Lina's compliment only made Bobby's blush deepen.
"W-well…" Lemy coughed. "Y'know… figured it went without saying, right? He's seven. O-of course he's gonna be cute." Lina raised an eyebrow; something about her boyfriend's demeanor had changed. He was looking away from her slightly, brow furrowed and lips pursed in irritation.
Quite frankly, he looked salty as fuck.
A mischievous grin crossed the girl's face. Now that she had a way to tease him, she wasn't about to let it go to waste. She set her guitar aside and nestled into Bobby's side, feeling him tense up against her.
"Sssssooooo, Bobby… tell me more about you. Any girlfriends?"
"G-g-girlfriends?!" Bobby stammered.
"Yeah. I bet a cute guy like you has the girls just throwin' themselves at your feet." Lina cooed as she affectionately pinched one of his cheeks.
"U-um, I, no… I-I don't!" Bobby sputtered, trying in vain to wriggle out of the older girl's grasp. "I-"
"So you're available, then. Rockin'." Lina said with a sultry smirk, taking a quick glance in Lemy's direction; he looked so salty that it took every ounce of restraint she had not to burst out laughing.
"Actually," Lemy cut in, trying his best to sound natural. "He's kind of got a thing going on with Gwen. Ain't that right, Beej?" He shot his little brother a wide, forced grin that made him look like some sort of psychopath. Bobby swallowed and nodded rapidly, mentally kicking himself for forgetting about his own 'girlfriend'.
"Y-yeah! It's just like Lemy said! I'm, uh… I-I misspoke!" He said with a nervous laugh.
"Aww… darn." Lina let out an exaggerated groan, and Bobby breathed a sigh of relief as she released him. "Althouuuuugh… I gotta ask." She shot the little boy a sly look out of the corner of her eye. "'Beej', huh? How'd you get that nickname?" Bobby's words died in his throat as she laid a hand on his thigh, and he looked to his older brother for support… only to find that Lemy was glaring them in a way he had never seen before. His eyes were wide and wild, his teeth clenched together so tightly in an unconvincing smile that he swore the boy's jaw was going to break.
"I-I-I just remembered there's something I gotta… I-I need to… um… NICETOMEETYOUBYE!" Bobby scrambled out of his seat and bolted towards the front of the bus. In his haste, he failed to heed the 'watch your step' warning, and Lina winced as she heard a yelp followed by a THUD. "…M'alright…!" She heard him groan With the younger boy gone, Lina finally dropped the act. A very red-faced Lemy crossed his arms, sulking as his girlfriend howled with laughter.
"You done?"
"Sorry…" Lina snickered, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye… only to immediately burst out laughing again as she laid eyes on him.
"What?!"
"Dude, you are so jealous!"
"Jealous? Who's jealous?" Lemy scoffed. "I'M not jealous. He's seven. He's a cute kid. Why would I be jealous?"
"You're so jealous." Lina repeated. "Look at you, all flustered and shit."
"I-I am not… I… okay, I don't… ugh! Whatever!" Lemmy huffed, getting to his feet. "I need a Flippee. You com-" Lemy was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping around his neck; Lina gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him turn an even deeper shade of red.
"If it makes you feel any better, you're pretty cute yourself." She assured him. A small smirk crossed his face.
"Well… I'd say 'handsome' or 'rugged', personally."
"Oh, yeah… so rugged." Lina teased. "If we're talkin' about a bathroom rug, anyway." She mussed up his hair before walking past him and out of the bus, to his annoyance.
"Fuck you."
"That a promise?" She said with a wink, only to burst out laughing as her boyfriend made the same misstep his brother had and faceplanted with a THUD. "Tell ya what," She choked out between laughs. "Invite that little brother of yours and you've got a deal. We'll have a little ménage à trois, y'know?"
"…I hate you," Lemy grumbled, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. Lina hooked her arm around his and gave him a quick peck on the lips.
"Love you too. Now c'mon, I'm buyin'."

Atta Boy

As silently as he could manage, Lemy opened the front door a crack and peeked inside. The coast was clear; he crept into the house, being sure to close the door slowly so as not to make a sound. Not that he had much to fear… most of his family was at work or school right now. Lemy, on the other hand? The eighteen-year-old, had dropped out a year ago. Lyra had chastised him for this, of course, but he figured he had no need for further education… besides, their mother never attended college and she turned out fine.
Well… more or less.
Lemy smirked as he patted his pocket, feeling the small parcel contained within. It hadn't been cheap, but Gordon had assured him this was good stuff. His friend had always come through for him thus far. He tiptoed his way through the living room and up the stairs. He made sure to avoid the one creaky step on his way up, and soon enough he was right outside his bedroom… home free.
"Lemy." The young man practically jumped out of his skin. Lemy swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly turned to see his older sister exiting the bathroom with a small smile on her face.
"H-hey, Lyra…" Lemy stammered. Lyra raised an eyebrow.
"Welcome home. Are… you alright?" She asked. "You look kind of out of it…"
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine!" Lemy said with a nervous laugh. "Just a bit tired, you know…? Long day."
"Oh yeah? What've you-" Lyra suddenly cut herself short. Her brow furrowed and she sniffed at the air. Lemy could feel the sweat collecting beneath his bandana; she knew. She knew and he was about to get the lecturing of a lifetime.
"U-um… Lyra, I-"
"Ugh…" Lyra coughed, covering her nose in disgust. "Good Lord, Lemy… how many times do I need to remind you to shower?!" Thank God… she didn't know. And why would she? There was no way his uptight sister would know what pot smells like.
"Right, um… sorry about that!" Lemy said. "I'll take one in a bit, I promise." His sister sighed.
"You'd better," She warned. "See you later, Lemy."
"Seeya later, sis." He said with a faked grin. Lyra responded with a smirk of her own before heading to her room and shutting the door behind her. Lemy finally released the breath he'd been holding in; that had been far too close for comfort.
Lemy stepped into his room, shutting and locking the door behind him. He took the baggie out of his pocket and looked at it. It certainly looked like good stuff; light green bud speckled with orange. He opened the baggie and took a whiff, immediately grinning as the herbal aroma filled his nostrils. Yep, it was good stuff. Lemy opened his sock drawer and hid the baggie discreetly inside. He removed his phone from his pocket before taking off his trench coat and sitting on the end of his bed, typing out a quick message to Bobby and Lupa.
[Got the stuff. Meet the regular spot?] Soon enough, he received a thumbs-up emoji from his younger brother, followed shortly thereafter by a [Fuck yea] from Lupa. Lemy chuckled and set his phone aside. It had come as no surprise that Lupa liked to partake in the ganj… hell, she was the one that got him smoking in the first place. But Bobby had been another matter. Unsurprisingly, he'd been against it at first, but Lemy had convinced him to give it a try. Since then, they'd become regular smoking buddies. He supposed that it only made sense: if anyone needed to mellow out, it was Bobby.
Lemy stood up and stretched. He had a few hours before he'd be meeting with the others… he figured he may as well take a shower.
However, once he had returned to his room, he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. His mother was standing before him with her arms crossed, looking downright livid.
"M-Mom?!" Lemy gasped, giving a nervous chuckle as he attempted to act casual. "Heyyy… uh, didn't know you were visiting to-"
"Lemy," Luna began in a cold, harsh tone as she held up the baggie. "Care to explain this?"
"That's… I… er…" Lemy sputtered. Now he'd been caught… and now, he was well and truly fucked. "I-it's not what it looks li-"
"Come on, Lemy. You think you can bullshit me? You think I don't know what this is?" His mother snapped. Lemy hung his head; he couldn't sweet-talk his way out of this one. Luna sighed and shook her head. "…I raised you better than this."
"I'm… I'm sorry…"
"You better be. No son of mine is gonna be smokin' this weak shit."
"I-I didn't-" Lemy froze. He looked up at his mother in disbelief. "…Sorry, what?"
"You heard me," Luna said. "You call this weed?! This is trash… normie shit." Lemy was at a loss for words.
"That's… it's… it's supposed to be good stuff…" Lemy muttered. His mother rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, if you're a little bitch." Luna scoffed. "It'll get you high, sure, but you guys are Louds… you're better than that. Here," She took another baggie out of her pocket and handed it to her son. "Here. This is the real good shit." Lemy held up the baggie to take a look. Quite frankly, it was unlike any bud he'd seen before… almost a deep purple in color, and it almost seemed to be glowing. Actually, he was pretty sure it was glowing. "That stuff will knock you on your ass," Luna explained. "It's called Facemelter OG. Hard as shit to get ahold of but, y'know… I've got the hookups."
"Um… w-well… thanks, mom." He managed to croak out. As if the situation wasn't weird enough, his mother smiled warmly and gave him a big hug.
"Only th' best f'r me son," She said, slipping back into her fake cockney accent as she broke the hug. "You have fun, okay?"
"…Yeah. Sure… I will." Lemy replied with an awkward grin. Luna smirked and patted her son's shoulder before leaving the room. Lemy remained frozen in place for a moment; it was all still sinking in. His mom had just given him pot… strong pot, apparently. Lemy swallowed; he'd never been scared to smoke weed before, but now? Now, he was a bit nervous… yet still excited. It was going to be an interesting day for sure. Meanwhile, out in the hallway Luna sighed wistfully. She sniffed and wiped a tear of pride from the corner of her eye.
"They grow up so fast…"

Troublemaker

"Oh man, oh no, no no no…"
"Bobby, chill," Lemy said as he patted his distraught little brother on the back. "It was just a window, and it ain't like you did it on purpose."
"Feh. As if they'll believe that," A pompous voice scoffed from the other side of Bobby. Lemy shot a glare past the boy to Lyle, who looked as though he'd rather be anywhere else. "The Loud name has a bit of a reputation here, as I'm sure you can imagine."
"Don't listen to him, Beej. He's just being an asshole, as usual." Lemy assured him. "And hey… at least it was a good kick, right?" Bobby simply groaned and buried his head in his hands. Their game of kickball had gone south when a misplaced kick from Bobby sent the ball crashing through a window. Now, the three were sitting just outside the principal's office, waiting their turn to be called in… well, Bobby's turn, at any rate. Lemy had come along to accept part of the blame for passing the ball to him in the first place, not that Bobby expected anything to come of that. Lyle, on the other hand, had been dragged along as… 'moral support'.
"Wh-what am I gonna dooo…" Bobby whimpered. "I-I can't get kicked out!"
"Dude, relax! You're not gonna get kicked out for this. Besides, this is the first time you've gotten in trouble, right? They're gonna let you off easy, trust me."
"He broke school property, Lemy." Lyle chimed in with a smug grin. "This is going on his permanent record."
"P-P-PERMANENT?!"
"Lyle, will you knock it off?! He's freaked out enough already." Lemy snapped, putting an arm around the boy's trembling shoulders. "Don't listen to him, Bobby. This isn't gonna go on your permanent record, and even if it did, it's not like anyone reads those-"
"…Except the colleges he won't be attending." Lyle said as he yawned into his palm. "But at least you'll have each other."
"Oh, like you're so innocent." Lemy grumbled.
"I beg your pardon?" Lyle gasped in mock-offense. "I pride myself on my good behavior."
"Oh, sure." Lemy sneered with a roll of his eyes. "Such an angel. I guess you don't know anything about who deflated all of the footballs in the equipment room last month, huh?" Lyle noticeably bristled at that before coughing into his fist and quickly regaining his composure.
"…I haven't the foggiest what you're talking about," Lyle huffed, crossing his arms. "And for the record, those jocks needed to be taken down a peg. On an unrelated note, that message you wrote in the bathroom stall was quite amusing… '4 a good time, call Lyla'. Your handwriting is as sloppy as ever, might I add."
"Y-yeah, well, how about that glitter-bomb in Hayden's locker?!" Lemy shot back. "Don't think I didn't notice how sparkly you were that day. More than usual, at least." Lyle's eye twitched slightly.
"First of all, that's just circumstantial evidence, and second of all, I don't wear glitter. I use a moisturizing cream-"
"…That has glitter in it."
"It brings out my eyes!" Lyle snapped. "Anyway, so long as we're hurling around baseless accusations, I do find it strange how you were mysteriously absent just before the fire alarm went off yesterday…"
"H-hey, I don't remember you complaining about missing assembly!" The metalhead sputtered. "At least I didn't slash Mr. Vick's tires!"
"I-I did no such thing…!"
"Oh come on, who else would have-"
"He was asking for it, okay?! And don't forget the time you-"
"Robert Loud?" The brothers fell silent and sat straight at attention as the principal stepped out from his office. "You can come on in."
"Y-y-yes s-sir…" Bobby stammered, shakily getting to his feet and handing the principal his write-up. Lemy and Lyle shot each other a nasty look before following Bobby into the office.
"Now then, Robert… I must say, I'm surprised to see you in my office." The principal said as he sat down at his desk. "I understand that you're usually a very well-behaved student."
"I-I'm sorry…" Bobby whimpered, hanging his head in shame. The principal frowned and read over the write-up.
"I see… a broken window, eh?" The rotund man muttered, receiving a small nod from Bobby.
"I-it was an accident, dude." Lemy chimed, earning him a cleared throat and irritated look from the principal. "E-er… I mean, sir. Y'see, I passed him the ball, and he kicked it, and-"
"Alright, alright… I don't need a play-by-play." The principal said, waving him off. "This was clearly nothing more than a careless mistake, and seeing as this is your first offense, I'll be letting you off with a written warning." He reached into his desk and pulled out a slip, filling it out and slapping a frowny-face sticker on it before handing it to Bobby. "Here you are, Robert. Just have a parent sign this and return it to the office tomorrow morning, do you understand?" Bobby stared at the slip in disbelief. He looked up at the principal, then back at the slip, then at the principal again.
"…Th-that's it?"
"That's it."
"But... but I broke a window…" Bobby mumbled; the man simply chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.
"An accident, nothing more than that." The principal assured him. "Now, should it happen again you will be punished, but… I dare say you've learned your lesson, yes?" Bobby breathed a sigh of relief before nodding with a smile.
"See, Beej? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Lemy said, clapping the younger boy on the shoulder. Lyle simply rolled his eyes.
"Yes, a slap on the wrist, how about that." He groaned. "So glad I was dragged along for this."
"Now then, you'd best get to class." The principal wrote up a note for the teacher and handed that to Bobby as well. "And no dawdling, understand?"
"Y-yes, sir… th-thank you." Bobby said, getting to his feet. "A-and, um… I-I'm sorry again…"
"No worries. These things happen, my boy… that's what insurance is for." The principal said with a gentle smile. "Get along, now."
"Y-yes sir…!" Bobby hurried to the door, but as his brothers started to get up the principal cleared his throat loudly.
"No, you two stay," The principal's tone grew low and stern, sending a chill down the two boys' spines.
"Stay...? But sir, I had nothing to do with…" Lyle trailed off, shrinking back under the man's harsh gaze and exchanging a worried glance with Lemy.
"I couldn't help but overhear you boys' little discussion outside," The principal said, leaning forward and tenting his fingers atop his desk; the brothers' blood ran cold. "It would seem that you two have been quite busy."
"Th-that's… I… um…" Lemy swallowed, giving a nervous laugh as sweat started to collect in his headband.
"W-we were just… messing around, y'know? I-I mean, c'mon… me slashing tires? Psh…" Lyle's laugh was no more convincing then the metalhead's, and the principal wasn't buying it for a second.
"Robert, you may go." The principal ordered. "Your cousins and I need to have a long talk." Bobby looked from the principal to his brothers' desperate, pleading faces, not that there was anything he could have done to save them. The boys had dug their own grave.
"U-um…" Bobby fidgeted awkwardly, averting his eyes to look at the floor. "I… I'll see you guys later, I guess…" With that, he turned and hurried out of the room.
The rest of the day was uneventful, save for the news that Lemy and Lyle had received a week's detention… meaning that the bike ride home was quiet and lonesome. Still, without Lemy weighing down the back he reached 1216 Franklin Ave in record time. Inside, Lizy, Bed and Lulu were playing 'Godzilla' in the living room; he greeted them before heading into the kitchen where his mother and Liena were preparing dinner.
"Hey mom, Liena…"
"There's my little guy~!" Ronnie picked up her son and gave him a peck on his cheek, to his chagrin; Liena simply smiled and waved, her forearms coated with a layer of flour. "How was school?"
"W-well, about that…" Bobby mumbled, dragging his foot against the floor sheepishly. With a sigh, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the principal's written warning. "H-here."
"What's this…?" Ronnie cocked an eyebrow and took the slip, unfolding it.
"…I'm sorry." Bobby said quietly as she read over the note with a furrowed brow. "I-It was an accident, and I-"
"…Tch." Ronnie clicked her tongue in irritation. Bobby swallowed. He knew that sound… to most, it was little more than a simple exclamation of annoyance. But to a latino, it carried far more weight.
Mamá was not happy.
"M-Mom-" Bobby froze as his mother slipped her foot out of her sandal. With a yelp of fear he turned and bolted out of the kitchen, dashing through the dining room and scrambling up the stairs as fast as his tiny legs would allow. Just as he was about to disappear around the corner la chancla struck the side of his head with the fury of a thousand suns, knocking him to the ground with a grunt of pain.
"Estúpido," Ronnie grumbled from the base of the stairs.

Beautiful

Leni hummed a cheerful tune as she walked upstairs towards the room shared by her son and his two half-brothers. Apparently Lemy kept their living quarters in terrible condition, despite his more responsible roommates' best attempts to maintain order. Leni figured that as long as the boys were out, she may as well help tidy up her nephew's mess... after all, she used to do the same for Linky. But as she reached the top of the stairs, she heard what sounded like sounded like muffled whimpering and sobbing from Lyra and Liby's room. Leni frowned; whoever that was, they were clearly sad about something… and that just wouldn't do. The fashionista couldn't simply walk by when one of her precious nieces was crying. Leni gently rapped on the door.
"…Go 'way…" Came a muffled voice from within, unmistakably that of Liby.
"Liby? It's aunt Leni… can I come in?" For some time there was no response, until Leni heard the soft creak of someone sitting up on their mattress.
"O-okay." The young teen muttered. Leni opened the door to find Liby sitting on her bed beside a tear-soaked pillow, her eyes red and bleary from crying. She sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "Hey, aunt Leni…"
"Oh, sweetie… what's wrong?" Leni asked with a frown as she sat beside her niece. "Did something happen…?" Liby averted her eyes for a moment, then shook her head.
"…No." She said. "No, nothing happened… nothing new, anyway." Leni tilted her head in confusion.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Liby sighed.
"…I'm ugly."
"Wha- no you're not!" Leni gasped. "What could make you think that?"
"It's true, though. Everyone at school thinks so…" Her niece sniffled again and hung her head. "I try to ignore it, but I hear it all. The insults, the laughter, all of it…"
"Oh, sweetie, no…" Leni said softly, pulling the girl into a side-hug. "Don't listen to those meanies. You're totes pretty."
"No, I'm not…!" Liby whimpered as she clung to her aunt. "I-it's not fair… all of the others are, but not me! Lyle's a boy and even he's prettier than me! J-just look at me!" She gestured towards herself for emphasis. It hurt, seeing Liby like this… usually the junior detective didn't let such things bother her, but Leni supposed that everyone had their limits.
"I am looking at you," Leni said, gently rubbing the girl's back to calm her down. "And all I see is a beautiful young lady."
"B-but I'm… I'm gangly, I have an overbite, I have to wear headgear-"
"Liby, listen to me." Leni said in a stern, yet gentle tone. "You are not ugly. You're, like, one of the most beautiful people I know... and I know a lot of beautiful people." She smiled sweetly, and her niece sniffed and rubbed her eyes.
"You're… y-you're just saying that…"
"No, I'm not." The woman assured her. "Here, let me show you something…" Leni took out her phone. Liby watched curiously as her aunt flicked through it for a bit, then smirked. "Here it is… take a look," Leni said, handing the phone to her niece. It took everything Liby had in her not to burst out laughing... it was a picture of aunt Lori, a very different Lori than the one she knew. She looked to be about her age, and was an absolute mess: she was thin and lanky, wore braces, had terrible acne and, perhaps worst of all, had a unibrow.
"O-oh my God… is that really aunt Lori?!" Liby sputtered, clasping a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. Leni smiled and nodded.
"Lori went through something like this, too." Leni explained. "But don't tell her I showed you this… she'd be, like, totes mad." She shot her niece a playful wink. Liby had to admit, it made her feel a lot better… after all, Lori was one of the most gorgeous women she knew, perhaps second only to Leni herself. If she had gone through something like this, maybe there was hope for her after all.
"S-so… so you really think I could be pretty like aunt Lori someday…?" She asked. Leni giggled and pulled her niece close.
"Of course you will," The fashionista said, giving the girl a kiss on the top of her head. "Like, you already are. You just don't know it yet." Liby sniffed and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before handing the phone back to her aunt.
"Thank you, aunt Leni."
"Do you feel better now?" Leni asked sweetly. Liby thought for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"…A bit. A lot, I mean." She said. "But… I still don't feel pretty now." Leni frowned, tapping her chin in thought. She looked over the girl from head to toe; she wasn't lying when she said Liby was pretty. She thought so, at least. But her lack of confidence definitely showed through her general lack of care for her appearance. Then, it hit her.
"Ooh!" Leni gasped as she hopped down from the bed. "I totes know what will make you feel better. A makeover!"
"A-a makeover…?" Liby stammered. Leni grinned and took the girl's hand, gently pulling her to her feet.
"A little change of appearance can go a long way," Leni explained. "Like, I promise you'll feel good about yourself when we're done."
"Oh, um… well, if you think soooOOOOO!" Liby yelped as her aunt practically dragged her out of the room, her son's messy bedroom all but forgotten.
There'd be time for that later, after all.

You Pervert

Loan sighed, half-heartedly watching the screen as she lazily browsed an anime streaming site. Normally, she would stick to more legitimate sources, but she'd already watched everything that interested her on Crunchyroll… and quite frankly she just wasn't in the mood to play any games at the moment. Granted, she wasn't really in the mood to watch anything either, but she was bored and needed something to occupy her time. As if on cue, she was snapped from her stupor by a knock at the door separating her room from the rest of the basement.
"Wh-who is it?" Loan called out. The door opened to reveal Liena, standing with a laundry basket in hand and a kind smile adorning her chubby face. "Oh… hello, Liena." She said, returning her younger sister's smile. Liena nodded in acknowledgement, silently walking over and setting the basket down on Loan's bed. "Thank you… um, y-you didn't need to go through the trouble, I would have gone to get them..."
(It's okay.) Liena signed. (I had to….Lemy's…..dirt.) Loan cocked her head in confusion, and Liena thought a moment before trying again. (Lemy clothes smell bad.)
"Oh… I see," Loan said with a laugh. "Well, thanks again." Liena grinned, giving another small nod before hurrying out and shutting the door behind her. Loan looked at the laundry basket, finding that the clothes within were already neatly folded and ready to be put in the closet. It was easy to forget just how much Liena did for the family… Loan hoped that she took some time for herself every now and then. In any case, at least she had something to do now. She looked back at the screen with a frown, quickly picking an anime at random… 'Boku no Pico'. The name sounded familiar, but beyond that she had no idea what it was actually about. Still, it was more for background noise than anything, so she simply shrugged and put it on before sliding off the bed. Once, Loan may have procrastinated with chores such as these, if she even bothered doing them at all. But as long as she was living under her father's roof she was determined not to be a nuisance. Besides, she wanted to get better, and sticking to old habits would do nothing to help that.
Loan got to work as the video started, an overly-cutesy theme song quickly filling her ears. 'So it's a shoujo series,' she figured, taking a quick glance up to confirm her suspicions-
...Oh. It was one of those animes.
Barely a few seconds into the opening theme, the entirety of the frame was taken up by a close-up of a young girl's butt as she rode her bike, wearing what could only be described as the tightest clothing ever conceived. Loan rolled her eyes. Fanservice was one thing, certainly something she'd come to expect from anime in general... but to get this risque this quickly was a clear sign that it wasn't for her. With a shake of her head, she got back to work; she'd change it to something better in a moment. Or… perhaps she could give it a chance, at least? After all, it wouldn't be the first time an anime's OP was misleading. She frowned, taking another glance at the screen only to be met with yet another close-up of the girl's butt. She let out a sigh and massaged her temples. She'd seen a lot over the years, but never an anime this shameless.
...Wait. What was that?
Almost as soon as she had noticed it, the scene changed to another. Loan blinked, unsure if she had really seen what she thought she had. Between the girl's legs, she could have sworn she saw a small bulge… but no, it couldn't be. She shook the thought aside; it must have simply been an animation error-
Oh, no.
After a few more quick cuts, an image filled the screen: the girl bound up bondage-style, her skirt hiked up to reveal her white panties…
...Sporting a clear outline of something a girl should most definitely not have.
"O-oh my God," Loan gasped, her face turning bright red. She was frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what she was looking at. The 'girl' in a wet t-shirt. Topless on 'her' bed, wearing naught but panties as she pulled off her stockings. Various shots of her completely nude, naughty bits conveniently hidden from view.
Embraced from behind by a very clearly older man, blushing demurely as the man reached around to stroke his...
"...AaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Loan shrieked, snatching up the controller and frantically trying to stop the video. She couldn't watch this. Hell, she couldn't even have this in her history. Was it even legal?! So flustered was she that she managed to do naught but pause it before dropping the controller to the ground. "Oh come on!" She hissed, stooping down to pick it up.
"Loan?! Did you just scr-" Loan froze, her blood running cold and the controller dropping from her hands once more. She slowly turned toward the doorway to find none other than Lyra standing there, staring at the screen with a look of horror and disgust plastered across her face.
"L-Ly… Lyra?!" Loan sputtered, frantically waving her arms as she attempted to explain herself. "I-I swear this isn't what it looks like…!" Whatever she may have said to defend herself, Lyra wasn't listening; her lips pressed tightly into a thin line, her hands balling into fists and shaking with anger.
Lyra had always had her suspicions about Loan. For a girl her age to spend all her time cooped up inside playing games and watching cartoons was unusual to say the least, not to mention the company she chose to keep. As far as Lyra could tell, the woman had no friends her own age, instead preferring the company of their younger brothers. Well, two of them at least: Bobby and, perhaps even more worrisome to the teen, Lemy. She claimed to simply get along better with kids, but then why did she never spend time with Lacy, or Lupa, or Leia? Clearly something was afoot, but despite Lyra's best attempts she'd never managed to catch her in the act… until now.
"You… you pervert," She hissed, making Loan wince.
"I-I'm not-"
"I always knew you were up to something," Lyra pressed on. "I can't believe I've been letting you bring Lemy and Bobby down here unsupervised." Loan's brow furrowed in confusion, only for her eyes to go wide as the accusation set in.
"W-wait… wait! I-I never… I'm not like that!" She pleaded.
"What in God's name is this, then?!" She spat, pointing at the screen. "And a cartoon, no less… looking to indoctrinate them into your sick fantasies, are you?!"
"I-I didn't know what it was!"
"Oh, I'm sure you didn't," Lyra sneered. "You just happened to put on this pedophilic smut, then?"
"I'm not a-"
"You listen here, Loan." The teen strode up to her sister, making the older woman shrink back in fear. "If you ever go near any of our brothers again, I'll make you regret it more than you could ever imagine. Do you understand me?!"
"I-I didn't…" Loan whimpered; she looked as though she could burst into tears at any moment. Scared of being exposed for what she really was, no doubt. With one final warning glare Lyra turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Lyra stopped, taking a few deep breaths to compose herself. She often had to remind herself that Loan was a very troubled girl, and had to give her at least some leeway compared to the others… but this was a different matter. Despite her warning, a big part of her wanted to report the issue to their father and Ronnie straightaway. Well… their father, at least. Lyra didn't want to think about what Ronnie might do to the girl.
She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. She needed to calm down and clear her mind before considering her options here. With a sigh, she made her way up the basement stairs and through the kitchen. Just as she reached the living room, the front door swung open.
"-tellin' ya, dude, they ain't so tough." It was none other than Lemy, Bobby following closely behind. "If either of 'em had the balls to take me on one-on-one, I'd totally wreck 'em." He boasted, puffing out his chest haughtily.
"Yeah… I'm sure you would, Lemy." His unconvinced younger brother said with a roll of his eyes. "Haven't you and Hayden already… oh, hi, Lyra."
"Huh? Oh, hey. 'Sup, Ly'?" Lemy nonchalantly greeted his sister. The girl crossed her arms, looking down at the two with pursed lips.
"What's all this about fighting?" Lyra asked disapprovingly; her little brother simply shrugged.
"Hypothermically."
"...Hypothetically, Lemy..." Bobby corrected him.
"Yeah, that one," The boy said as he stuck a pinky in his ear, wiggling it to clean it out much to Lyra's disgust.
"Lemy, for goodness' sake, go use a q-tip. We're not living in a zoo," She chastised him. Lemy huffed and popped his finger out of his ear, examining it for any stray wax.
"Yeah, yeah… c'mon, Beej," He grumbled, heading past his sister with Bobby in tow.
"See you later, Lyra…" Bobby said. The girl waved, only for something to cross her mind.
"Wait… wait you two, one moment," She said; Lemy let out an exaggerated groan, stopping mid-stride and shooting her a look of irritation.
"Alright, alright… what'd I do this time?" Lemy asked. "'Cause I swear I've got an explanation."
"...I don't know… what DID you do, Lemy?" Lyra fired back, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. The boys exchanged a nervous glance before an unconvincingly innocent smile crossed their places.
"N-nothing… um, what'd you need, sis?" Lemy asked in a faux-polite tone. Lyra sighed, shaking her head in resignation. She just couldn't be bothered with it for now.
"Right, well… you two spend a lot of time with Loan, yes?"
"Yeah, why?" Lemy replied.
"I-is something wrong?" Bobby asked nervously. Lyra was about to answer in the affirmative, but she caught herself.
"Has Loan ever… done anything strange?" She asked. Lemy thought about it for a moment before shrugging.
"Not really."
"I mean… she's kinda strange anyway, isn't she...?" Bobby pointed out. "I-in a good way, though."
"No, no, I mean has she ever done anything that made you feel... uncomfortable?" Lyra clarified. The boys each cocked an eyebrow, exchanging another glance before looking back to their sister.
"...Uncomfortable how…?" Lemy asked.
"I mean… said anything inappropriate, or put her hands somewhere she shouldn't-"
"W-wait, you mean like 'bad touch'?!" Bobby gasped, his eyes going wide. "N-no! Of course she hasn't…!"
"Yeah, what the heck Lyra? Loan's not like that," Lemy agreed. "I mean, she likes to snuggle, but not like that." Lyra frowned and kneeled down to their level.
"Look… I won't tell anyone," She promised. "You can be honest with me. If she's-"
"She's not," Lemy repeated, seemingly irritated by his sister's accusation.
"Yeah… she's nice," His brother chimed in. "I like being with her. S-she'd never do anything like that…"Lyra hesitated a moment, her brow furrowing slightly as she studied their faces. Finally, she got to her feet with a sigh.
"...Alright. That's all… you two can go," Lyra said. Her brothers exchanged one final look of confusion, shrugging before they turned and made their way upstairs. Lyra watched them go before turning and heading out the door herself to sit down on the patio and mull over the situation. Had she been wrong…? She'd seen what Loan was watching with her own eyes… but who would watch something like that without locking the door? Plus, the woman had been adamant that it was a misunderstanding, and Loan had certainly never been a very good liar. The more Lyra thought about it the more it didn't add up, and the worse she felt about how she'd treated her older sister. "Ugh… nice, Lyra. Nice," She scolded herself, burying her face in her palm. God, no wonder Loan had looked so upset… she'd accused the poor girl of something awful, not even letting her plead her case. Suspicions or not, she should have at least heard Loan out. But no… once again, Lyra had jumped to conclusions. She groaned and dragged her hand down her face. Her mom and Lemy were right; she really was too uptight for her own good. "...I should go apologize, at least..." She muttered as she got to her feet.
Downstairs, Loan sat downcast at the foot of her bed, staring down at her lap sadly. She wasn't sure what she should do, or say, or even think about the current situation. Not that she could blame Lyra… were their positions reversed even she might not have believed it.
Who would listen to a nutcase like you, anyway?
Loan sighed and shook the thoughts away. Whatever the case, all she could do was let Lyra cool down and try to explain herself again later. For the time being she still had laundry to put away, and she certainly needed some sort of task to keep her mind off things. May as well be something productive, right? The young woman got to her feet and got back to work. However, as she whittled down the stacks of cleaned clothing, she spotted something out of place: all the way at the bottom lay a faded, purple tank top, far smaller than any of the other shirts.
"Is this Lemy's…?" She muttered; with so many people living under one roof, it wasn't unusual for some of their clothes to get mixed together by accident. Indeed, the shirt did look to be one of Lemy's… the small size and baked-in stains were a dead giveaway. "Has this even been washed?" She said with a grimace, bringing the shirt to her face to take a sniff.
...And, as if on cue, the door swung open.
"Hey, Loan… listen, I…" Lyra trailed off as her gaze fell on Loan; the girl had her face buried in one of Lemy's recently-worn shirts, taking in a big whiff of the young boy's scent. Loan coughed in disgust as she lowered she shirt.
"Yeah, that's definitely not… um…" Loan's eyes met Lyra's and, for some time, neither moved or said a word. Then the tank top slipped from her hand and she raised her palms in submission, giving a small, nervous laugh. "U-um… I swear, th-this isn't what it l-looks like…" She stammered as Lyra grit her teeth, her face turning red-hot with fury.
"Y-YOU PERVERT!"

Splinter

"Will you stop being a baby and hold still?!"
"I-it's going to hurt…!"
"The hell is going on out here?" Lupa asked as she stepped out into the backyard. Seated on the back porch were Lyle and Bobby, with the younger boy's outstretched arm firmly in the grasp of his irritated-looking brother. "Aw, ain't that cute. Get a room, lovebirds."
"Ha. Hilarious." Lyle scoffed with a roll of his eyes. Bobby simply whimpered, weakly trying to pull his arm from the older boy's grip.
"Seriously though, what's with all the noise?" Lupa asked again, placing a cigarette between her lips and lighting it. "It's like a girl can't even rub one out in peace around here." Bobby turned bright red and looked away, but Lyle seemed nonplussed.
"Bobby has a splinter," Lyle explained; looking closer, Lupa noticed the pair of tweezers in his other hand. "I'm trying to get it out, if he would just cooperate for a few seconds..."
"Y-you don't need to get it out!" Bobby whined. "I-it'll come out on its own, so-"
"Would you rather risk infection, Bobby?" Lyle asked sternly. Bobby gulped and shook his head. "Didn't think so. Now hold still." He shifted slightly, pinning Bobby's arm beneath his for support. The little boy squeezed his eyes shut and tried to look away, but couldn't help but peek out from the corner of his eye as the tweezers got closer and closer…
"CAREFUL!" Both boys jumped at Lupa's sudden outburst. She snickered, earning her a nasty glare from Lyle. "What? Just trying to help." She said with a shrug.
"Your 'help' is neither wanted nor needed, Lupa." Lyle sneered.
"Fine, fine… I'll keep my mouth shut. Go on, then." Lupa sat down on the opposite side of Bobby and took a long drag from her cigarette.
"Alright… now hold still." Lyle grunted, getting back to the task at hand. Bobby nodded, trembling with fear as the tweezers neared the small black dot on his fingertip. Bobby let out a whine, jumping slightly as soon as the tweezers touched his finger. "Oh, will you cut it out? I haven't even done anything yet!"
"I can't help it, I- OW!" Bobby cried out in pain as Lyle started digging at the splinter. "Lyle, s-s-stop!"
"Hang on, I almost-" Despite Lyle's best efforts, the younger boy managed to wrench his arm free from his grip. "Bobby, get back here!"
"N-no! That really hurt, Lyle!"
"It only hurt because you wouldn't stop moving!"
"I kept moving because it HURT!"
"Look, I almost had it, will you just-"
"No!" Bobby cried, backing away from his brother and into Lupa. She looked down at the whimpering child with a raised eyebrow, then back at Lyle with a bemused smirk.
"Yeah, looks like you totally had this under control. Nice one, brother of the year." She said sarcastically.
"Fine! Let him get tetanus for all I care!" The effeminate boy huffed, tossing up his hands in defeat. Lupa rolled her eyes and patted Bobby's head.
"There, there… did the big bad man hurt you?" Lupa cooed in mock-sympathy, though Bobby didn't seem to pick up on her insincerity; he simply sniffled and nodded against her chest. "Here, let me see." She gently grasped the boy's wrist and examined his finger. "Ooh yeah, that's a deep one. Hey, what's that over there?"
"Huh…?" Bobby sniffed and looked up. "Over where…?"
"There." Lupa said, pointing to the other end of the yard. While Bobby was distracted, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her switchblade.
"I don't see anyth- OW!" The boy yelped and tugged his hand away as he felt a short, sharp pain in his finger. "What was that… for…?" Bobby trailed off, looking down at his fingertip in awe: the splinter was gone.
"You're welcome," Lupa said, flipping her switchblade closed with a flourish before pocketing it again. "You're gonna want to go wash that, though." Bobby blinked, then smiled.
"W-wow… thanks, Lupa!" He said, giving his sister a big hug.
"Alright, alright… that's enough of that." Lupa grumbled, pushing the boy off. "Go watch a Star War or something." Bobby was too relieved to get annoyed by her comment, and quickly scurried back inside… leaving Lupa alone with a very baffled Lyle. She shot the boy a sly smirk. "And that's how you get rid of a splinter."
"…I almost had it." Lyle huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Lupa simply shrugged and took a drag from her cigarette.
"How'd he get it, anyway?"
"The porch is in pretty bad shape," Lyle explained, patting the worn wooden floor beside him. "Next time aunt Lana comes by we're going to- OW!" He yelped in pain and jerked his hand away.
"Nice." Lupa snorted as the indignant boy examined his hand, finding a small black dot embedded in the palm. "And here I thought you were one of the smart ones."
"Oh, shut up." Lyle grunted. He began digging at the splinter with his tweezers, wincing in pain as he struggled to get it out; like Bobby's it was fairly deep.
"Need some help, there?" Lupa asked.
"I can take care of i-" Lyle froze as he heard a metallic SHING from beside him. He looked over to see Lupa once again brandishing her switchblade.
"Here, give me your hand." She said, but Lyle inched away as Lupa scooted closer. She cocked an eyebrow. "Seriously?" Lupa chuckled. "C'mon, even Bobby could handle it. Lemme just-"
"You stay away from me with that," Lyle snapped, jumping to his feet. "Liena will… I-I mean… I can take care of it myself, okay?!" And with that, Lyle rushed back inside. Lupa snickered and put away her switchblade.
"Now who's being a baby?"

Wardrobe Malfunction

Reina kept her gaze fixed towards the ground, doing her best to ignore the stares of her schoolmates as she hurried through the halls of Royal Woods Middle School. It wasn't so much that she was in a hurry to get to class… she had more than enough time, after all.
Rather, the issue was her choice of attire.
She tried in vain to pull down the hem of her shirt, as if it would make any difference. Swapping out her regular t-shirt for a cutoff top had seemed like a good idea… well, a good idea to her at least. It was a hot day after all, and puberty had brought with it a number of positive changes to her figure; she'd figured it would boost her sex appeal, raise her popularity amongst her peers. If you've got it, flaunt it, right? Well, it had worked a little too well. It wasn't even third period yet, and still it felt as though every kid in the school had already ogled her at least once. Some tried to be discreet about it, some took no shame in their behavior, and those that didn't eye her like a piece of meat instead did so with contempt. She'd heard the whispers, the snide comments… hell, Tina had even called her a skank. Tina, of all people! As if the school's resident thot had any room to judge others for their revealing clothing.
"Yo, Reina." The girl winced at the familiar voice, and a quick glance upwards confirmed her suspicions: Hayden was standing nearby, his loyal stooge Andy by his side as always. "Lookin' good," He said, eying Reina up and down with a look that made her skin crawl. She grit her teeth, letting out a scoff of disgust as she shoved her way past. She wasn't about to give the bastard the satisfaction of a response, even as she heard him and his cohort sharing a laugh at her expense. Still, try as she may, Reina couldn't help but feel anxious as she approached her classroom. She could practically feel her classmates' eyes on her, slowing down as they walked past to get a better look. She couldn't do this. Her first two classes had been a nightmare; she was pretty sure even Mr. Hamilton had been sneaking glances in her direction, a thought that made her stomach turn.
Reina stopped, instead turning away and heading back in the opposite direction. She moved quickly, ignoring the stares and comments of her peers as she made her way to her 'secret spot'; an old, seemingly forgotten janitor's closet out of the way from most of the action. It was a safe haven of sorts known only to her and Bobby… well, Lyle and Lemy too, though as far as she knew they'd never made use of it. The girl locked the door before leaning her back against it and sliding down to the floor with a sigh. She hugged her knees to her chest, ignoring the bell signaling the start of class. She knew she'd be in for a world of trouble for skipping class like this, but she didn't care; anything would be better than the prying eyes of her classmates. Reina sniffled and wiped at the corner of her eye. She was no stranger to failure, and she'd made a laughing stock of herself more times than she could count. But not like this… she'd never felt so humiliated, not to mention objectified. Reina wished now that she had heeded her siblings' warnings, or those that had advised against it at least.
So Reina waited. She'd wait there all day if she had to; she wasn't going back out there to make a spectacle of herself. A minute turned to ten, then twenty, then thirty. Even when the lunch bell rang she didn't budge, that is until a knock at the door jolted the girl from her self-pity.
"Reina…?" A soft, gentle voice spoke from the other side of the door. "Are you in there?"
"…Bobby? H-hang on…" Reina got to her feet, wiping her eyes and putting on her best poker face before opening the door for her twin brother. The boy stepped inside with a look of concern on his face. "Hey, bro… um, what's up?"
"What's up?! Reina, why weren't you at class? A-are you alright?" He asked. Reina gave a forced laugh, waving her hand dismissively.
"Ah, chill. I just needed some me time, that's all."
"…So you skipped class," Bobby said flatly.
"Hey, it's not like geography's that important," She said with a shrug. Bobby simply rolled his eyes; he knew his sister better than anyone, and he wasn't buying her act for a second. He stepped all the way into the closet with a sigh, closing and locking the door behind him.
"What happened, Reina?" He asked again. The girl frowned, her 'cool girl' act beginning to falter. He waited for a response, only to receive none… still, it didn't take a genius to guess what was going on here. "It's the shirt, isn't it?" Reina hesitated, averting her eyes biting her lip before finally giving a small, meek nod.
"…Everyone keeps staring." She muttered quietly. Yep, just as Bobby had figured; he'd noticed their classmates' prying eyes too, after all. "I… should have listened to you," She admitted. "I-I didn't think it'd be like this…" Bobby frowned. Part of him wanted to chastise his sister for ignoring his words of caution, but he couldn't bring himself to… not when she was this vulnerable. Instead, he smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder.
"Well, of course it would… you're, y-y'know…" Bobby paused, a sheepish look crossing his face. "…You're pretty." Reina turned a light shade of pink, looking away from the boy and coughing into her fist.
"W-well, yeah, obviously." Reina said with an unconvincing mask of confidence. "A-anyway… I don't know what to do. I can't go back out there like this…" Bobby rubbed his chin in thought. It was a dilemma, to be sure; Reina's jacket was barely any longer than her top was, and even if it were, he doubted she was actually able to close the tight-fitting garment.
Then, an idea hit him.
"Hang on…" Bobby mumbled. To his sister's confusion, he began to slip out of his hoodie.
…And then his shirt.
Reina's cheeks turned bright red, her breath catching in her throat. Was it finally happening? Was Bobby finally going to-
"Here," Bobby said, offering her his shirt. Reina blinked, staring down at her brother's offering. "I-it should be fine for today, at least… I mean, if you want to, anyway…"
"Um… n-no- I mean, yeah, that's perfect!" The girl gasped, reaching out for the garment, only to hesitate. "But… what about you?"
"I'll just zip up my hoodie."
"Right… duh." Reina laughed, gratefully taking the shirt from her brother. "Thanks… um, do you mind…?"
"O-oh, right, s-sorry…" Bobby turned away, blushing slightly as Reina changed behind him. She pulled off her top and haphazardly chucked it aside; quite frankly, she really didn't care about the damn thing.
"Okay. You can look," She said once she had finished, and her brother turned to face her. His dark blue shirt was a bit loose on her, but not by much… he was her twin, after all. "Do I look okay…?"
"…Yeah," Bobby said with a smirk. "You look good." His sister smiled brightly and Bobby slipped his hoodie back on, being sure to zip it up all the way. "Now, c'mon… we should get some lunch before-" He was cut off by Reina wrapping him in a big hug; he was taken off guard for a moment, before returning the embrace with a chuckle.
"Thank you," Reina said quietly before breaking the hug. "Are you sure you won't be too hot, though?" She asked with a frown. "I mean, it's not exactly sweater weather."
"Ah… I'll be fine," Bobby assured her. "It's not that bad…"
…Or so he thought.
By fifth period, the boy was absolutely sweltering. He wasn't sure what exactly had prompted him to wear his hoodie today of all days when he had better options available to him, but he supposed old habits die hard. Bobby huffed, wiping his damp forehead with his sleeve. He couldn't take it anymore; without thinking, the boy unzipped his hoodie and slid his arms from the sleeves, letting it drape across the seatback. He let out out a sigh of relief as the air hit his sweaty skin, pleasantly chilling him to the bone.
"Mr. Loud!" Bobby snapped back to his senses, his eyes shooting wide open and meeting the stern, disapproving glare of his math teacher, Mrs. Elwood. He blinked a few times, glancing around to find that every eye in the classroom was on him… some seemed to be taken aback, others amused, some were even openly snickering into their palms. The boy's brow furrowed in confusion and he fidgeted in place, suddenly feeling very nervous. Why were they all staring at him…?
"Bobbyyyyy…" Reina hissed, her voice cutting through the deafening silence like a knife. He turned to the seat beside him to find his sister staring at him with a mortified grimace on her face, which only deepened as she pointed down to his chest. The boy cocked an eyebrow before glancing down.
…Oh. Right.
"…U-u-um…" The bare-chested Bobby sputtered, turning a deep shade of red from head to toe. "I… s-s-sorry, er… I…" He let out an awkward, forced laugh, and Reina could only groan and bury her face in her palm. Guess we're both getting la chancla today, she thought. …Probably grounded, too. Still, as her flustered brother tried in vain to explain himself, Reina couldn't help but giggle under her breath. That was Bobby, alright… a pillar of support one moment, and an awkward, bumbling mess the next. He'd come a long way since they were little, but at the end of the day he would always be the same little dork he'd always been.
And she wouldn't have it any other way.
- 6
- 7
- 8
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