Chapter Text
There was an annoying humming coming from somewhere down the road. I would probably be able to muffle it if I closed my window but I ran the risk of skunk fusing into my room and causing my dad to lose it again. He didn't mind as long as he didn't "see it, hear it, or smell it."
So I dealt with the humming. It wasn't horrible, it was definitely an instrument. I could tell it was something with taste, punk. I had an idea who it was.
I had just moved. All the houses around were a lot bigger than ours but it's not like anyone cared about that crap. My dad had just taken my sister out to the beach. Our first day of our second week in the new house.
I took it upon myself to roll a small joint and curl up on my newly sheeted bed. The humming, I noticed, wasn't followed by anything else, just one instrument, I assumed it was probably the Loud's. The Family with the red door.
Everyone had seen the family before. Everyone on the street had kids, so every morning to make the bus everyone would watch as a cloud of blonde and brunette kids of all grades, mostly girls, and one very, very blonde boy made their way out the door, some to the bus stop and some of the older girls would drive or carpool with friends.
I made an effort to keep my head down and not talk, keeping my headphones on high enough to not be bothered and bother no one else. The Loud's weren't the only family at the stop in any means, everyone seemed to already have their respective groups, so I stayed in my own world that first week
Despite my efforts of invisibility, my wallflower mask caught the attention of a Luan Loud. One of the sisters in the Loud family. Luan was just as pretty as all the girls in the Loud family was, but it was clear she was a bit more off. And I tend to thrive with "off."
It was the third day of school and eighth day at the house when Luan sat next to me on the bus ride home. "Your makeup is so cool." She was right, it was orange eyeshadow with a solid black wing. She smiled, big braces was the first thing that I noticed. She was playing with her thumb and taping her foot. She was a little nervous.
"Thanks. I like your flower." She then showed me how it's her "squirting flower" which we laughed at. I definitely laughed harder. She had a strong widows peak and a different taste in style, but she was very funny and the first person to welcome and befriend me in Royal Woods.
That next day Luan sat with me on the bus ride to school. We didn't have much in common except for a love of Drew Barrymore and comedy and horror movies. I didn't have the heart to tell her I'm simply a movie fanatic.
Luan and I also quickly discovered her lunch was my study hall and her study hall was my lunch, so we began spending those together.
By the end of my first full week of school and tenth day in the new house and my third day being friends with Luan, Luan invited me to her house. Not just to hang out, no. Full sleep over.
In what world would I say no? I said yes without missing a beat. I was happy to have found a friend easily and even happier to have her want to hang out with me.
We spent both our free periods and the bus ride home discussing what we're doing and how we're doing it. Perfecting our plan.
Since we lived practically next to eachother we walked to my house right after the bus to ask my dad, to which he responded "Who the hell is Luan?" then, after drawing to his attention she is infront of him, he said "Sure, that's fine be safe." To which Luan and I shared a high five.
We ran up the stairs and into my room so I could toss some shorts and underwear and weed in my bag. Luan's jaw was practically on the floor. "How the hell can you even afford that?"
"My ways." We laughed and I followed through with not elaborating any further, though I could've easily explained how I work two jobs in my old town, but keeping it vague made it sound interesting. Plus, it's embarrassing to admit how hard I had to work for drug money.
I yelled out a half assed "bye, love you" while running out the door behind Luan. The walk wasnt even five minutes, A.K.A. an eternity. An eternity to talk. My favorite part of everything. Talking.
We went back and forth for those almost five minutes sharing short stories about our lives. By the time we got to the red door we had already gone through so many good topics, I was excited where we would get to next.
Luan stopped me at the door, pausing our conversation about all the rednecks in RWH. "I know you know my family is like, filled to the brim, however I need you to know how filled to the brim we are. Prepare yourself."
I had a rough outline of the amount of people in the house but couldn't remember the exact head count. I knew it was enough to need to need a warning before stepping in for the first time. I could hear girls arguing from outside. And I could swear that was smoke coming out the kitchen door
Sure enough upon walking in I saw two skinny blonde girls arguing over what at first I thought was a hair brush but turned out to be a panini press. And a pathetic man in an apron trying to kill a pan grease fire in the sink. He yelled out an A- worthy "Hiya kiddo! Welcome home! Who's your new fr-" before getting cut off by the grease fire.
"She's gonna stay the night dad!" Luan yelled still gripping my wrist and dragging me through the first floor of the house.
Past the blonde girls was a brunette girl that was two years below me in the 8th grade challenging their brother and his friend to a game I never heard of and am about 72% positive she made up to beat them.
I followed her past girls upon girls. Toys, makeup, house decor, sports equipment, I swear a chainsaw, flew past our heads in classic sibling violence. Door past door they all looked the same, before Luan made a sharp turn behind one of the white doors lining the up stairs hallway. She pulled the sleeve to my sweater and pulled me into the room. I took a quick look around, the sound of the house faded away once the door shut.
Silence.
Peace.
Quie-
"S'up dudes?"
Shit.