Family Bond

14

"Luna?" 

Luna rolled onto her shoulder and stared into darkness. She had returned home earlier that day, carefully concealed from Lincoln the entire time.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for what I said the other day."

"It's okay," Luna shrugged. "I deserve it."

"No-well, yes-oh, I don't know," Luan groaned. "Mom and Dad want to talk to us after Lori's graduation tomorrow, so I'll be grounded for two weeks, I'm guessing."

"They'll probably just let me go, huh?" Luna snorted sarcastically. "Plus, I have Mom and Dad and juvenile detention."

Luan leaned over her bunk to look at her. "Actually, I looked up your judge and he's pretty easy with his sentencing. He's all fees and community service." 

"Really?"  

"Yeah. Just sound like you're really sorry. Ask Lisa for help with it."

As Luan went back to her bunk, Luna had one more question.

"Does everyone else hate me?"

"No, they're just disappointed, I think. Mom and Dad'll probably talk to all of us to see how we feel. Good night!"

Luna turned over and smiled, comforted by their conversation.

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"All rise for Judge Thomas Meritt." 

Everyone in the courtroom stood up, looking at Luna. 

A police officer handed the judge the details of the case, who read it with no emotion. Finally, he spoke.

"Miss Loud...you beat your brother and had him hospitalized because he broke your guitar?"

Luna nodded shamefully, looking at the ground. 

The judge sighed. "You have a YouTube account, don't you, Miss Loud? Luna Loud?"

She nodded again, slightly confused.

"My daughter watches your videos. She talks about you all the time. I've heard a couple of your songs, and you have talent, there's no denying that. But when my daughter heard what you did, she was heartbroken.  She said you always seemed so fun and cool. Why exactly did you do this to your brother?"

"Sir, I had a temporary lapse in judgement and I reacted on a momentary feeling of anger. I love my brother dearly and would never hurt him, or my sisters, intentionally," Luna recited. 

The judge nodded, leaning back into his seat and shutting his eyes.

"Alright, Mrs. Loud. Here's what I'll do. You're extremely talented and I don't want this to damage your future too much, but I don't want you thinking that this is okay. So I'm giving you 336 hours of community service, two weeks of an anger management course, and a $500 fine. If you do all of these things and pass, in three years the charged will be removed from your record, okay?"

Luna's mouth dropped. She had already prepared herself to go to juvenile detention, despite Luan's words. 

"Y-yes, sir, thank you," she rambled. "Thank you so much, sir!"

The judge nodded dismissively. "But if you're in this courtroom ever again or you fail to comply, I'm doubling everything and adding six months juvenile detention."

"Don't worry, sir. I'll never do anything like this again!"

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Lori wiped her sweaty hands nervously on her gown, adjusting her cap for the millionth time.

"Relax, babe," Bobby comforted her. "You're next."

"I can't," Lori panted. "Oh, no, what if I trip, or if I drop the diploma, or-"

"Next up Lorraine Loud," her principal announced. 

She was frozen in place until Bobby gave her a gentle push, allowing her to stumble on stage.

She felt like a robot, taking her diploma and shaking her principal's hand. She heard her family screaming from the audience, and she vaguely remembered that she needed to turn, smile, and wave. As she did, she scanned to see how her family was seated.

On one side, there was her mother, Leni, Luan, Lincoln, Lynn Jr., and Lucy. On the other side was her father, Luna, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily. 

Lisa had on her glasses, and she seemed to be writing on a clipboard.

Lori walked offstage. After a few minutes, Carol Pingrey joined her, and, eventually, so did Bobby. 

"Guys, we graduated. We all graduated!" Carol cheered, holding her diploma.

"Yeah! What do we do next?" Bobby asked. 

"Oh, my baby girl has graduated!" Her mother smiled, walking over to them, grabbing Lori's cheeks, and peppering her face with kisses.

Lori laughed happily, hugging her back. "Thanks, Mom. Um, Carol's having a party, and she invited me. Is it okay if I go?"

"Sure, sweetie," Rita replied absentmindedly, trying to clean spit-up off of Lily. "Just be back home by six-thirty for your dinner, okay?" 

"Okay, thank you! Bye, guys!" She grinned, running off.

Rita groaned, rubbing her face with her hands. "The kids are growing up, Lynn."

Lynn Sr. gave her a hug. "Don't worry, honey. We still have Lily, Lisa, the twins, and Lucy."

At that moment, Lily pulled her diaper off and started to run away, Lisa caused a small explosion, the twins randomly started to attack each other, and Lucy allowed a bunch of bats to fly around.

"Yeah, we do," Rita sighed.

Lisa tugged on Lynn Sr.'s pant leg.

"Excuse me, father, but my small, pink, internal organ is giving me an unpleasant feeling. Might we go to solve this?" 

"You mean you're hungry?" Luan asked. 

"You say potato, I say solanum tuberosum." 

"Lisa, honey?" Rita said slowly, bending down. "What's happened? You're acting...like yourself again."

Lisa sighed, rubbing her glasses with her sweater.

"Indeed. When my elder male sibling became injured, I attempted to flee to the mindset of a child my age for comfort. For that, I apologize."

"But Lisa, you don't have to do science all the time. You could just do it for fun," Lynn Jr. suggested. "Chill out a bit, get a hobby."

"Science is my hobby!"

"Get a cool hobby, then," Lynn shrugged. 

Before a fight could break out, Lynn Sr. stepped in.

"Who wants Burpin' Burgers?"

The kids stared at him for a moment before they ran to Vanzilla, cheering.

"Only 17 more years, and then we're free," Lynn reminded Rita as they followed.

"Yeah... only 17 more years."