38AN: This is a FINISHED fic, and I will be posting chapters either weekly or more, depending on whether or not people like this. It involves teen pregnancy (a 15 year old Leni), so if that isn't your cup of tea, move along. My friend and I were talking about what if the Loud parents weren't REALLY Lily's parents and this fic resulted. All the chapters are written and finished, and there is no Loud-cest (unless you REALLY want to interpret Lori's actions toward Leni that way). Chapter 2 is longer and more detailed.
The Blooming Lily – Chapter 1
Leni felt a wave of nausea grip her as she rolled over in bed. She tried to push it down, but couldn't manage. This one was worse than the other times. She let out a coughing gag and felt some bile slide up her throat. She threw off the covers and ran for the bathroom, praying no one had got up yet, that there was no wait.
Her prayers were answered and the bathroom was blissfully line free. She ran to the toilet and vomited up last night's dinner, gagging as the nausea still washed over her, even though her stomach was empty. Tears ran down her cheeks from the coughing.
Leni was scared. Not because she thought she was sick. She knew it wasn't something contagious. If it were, Lori would have had it by now. She'd been sick nearly every morning for the last few weeks. It was making her look sick, not just feel sick. Her normally vibrant eyes had dark bags under them, her skin was paler than usual, but she still felt hunger and thirst. Perhaps a little more than she had before...this...had started, so she knew she wasn't sick.
No, she guessed what might be wrong, but she was too scared to tell anyone. Or to...to take a test. She was only fifteen. She couldn't be...not at fifteen. Tears streamed down her cheeks and the nausea finally stopped. Leni stood carefully and flicked on the lights above the medicine cabinet to get a better look at her face. Her eyes were puffy and red, her nose had a line of snot trailing from it, and her pale cheeks had a red tinge to them from the exertion of running and vomiting.
Leni splashed water over her face, hands shaking. She let out a deep, shaky breath and smiled at her reflection. You're Leni Loud! You have to be happy! All the time. That's what they all expect from you! She told herself, using a wash cloth to clean her face more thoroughly. She ran a brush through her silky, pale blonde hair and looked at her reflection again. Just like normal, if not a little paler, with dark bags around her eyes.
No one knew she was waking up sick every morning for weeks. No one guessed. They just assumed she wasn't sleeping well. Not even Lori guessed. She slept through Leni's morning puke-fest. Of course, Lori snored so loud she probably couldn't hear a bomb if it went off. Leni spun in front of the mirror, her silky nightgown spinning and glittering in the light. If she were right, this beautiful gown wouldn't fit her much longer. Nothing would. Nothing would ever be normal again.
Tears stung her eyes again. She was stupid. So stupid. One night. She had thought it was just something that couldn't happen to her. That a one night mistake wouldn't cause something like this. Still...she wasn't sure, not completely. Maybe it was just...an STD or something. Maybe the boy from the party (she hadn't got his name) had just been sick and he gave it to Leni. It was sad that she hoped for an STD instead of...that. Today. Today she would buckle down and buy a test. She had to know for sure. Not knowing was killing her. Making her so nervous she could barely function, as evidenced by how her hands shook as she tried to open the door to her room as she left the bathroom.
The door opened for her, a glaring Lori staring back at her, suspiciously.
"Leni, what are you doing? You've literally been getting up and literally puking your guts out every morning for, like, weeks!" Lori's glare was burning. Leni's big sister could be intimidating.
Leni ignored Lori's glare and anger and slipped past her and sat down on her bed. Lori walked over and sat down next to her.
"Leni...you can tell me literally anything, you know?" Lori put an arm around Leni's shoulder, her anger with her sister fading, "Something's wrong, I know it is. You wouldn't normally let me yell at you like that. That's not a Leni-thing. Your big sister is here for you"
Lori pulled Leni into a hug. Tears welled in Leni's eyes as she clung to Lori, sobs escaping her. Lori just gripped her tighter and ran her fingers through her younger sister's hair, nuzzling Leni's pale blonde locks.
"Lori...I...something bad happened. You know like, that party from last month? I did something bad. There was a boy...I don't know his name. He was so nice, and had the most beautiful accent...this gorgeous face and great hair...I think he was in college...and I was so...so stupid...and we...we, like, did it. That. In the morning, he wasn't there, but I didn't care. That's not why I'm upset. It was fun. I liked it. I don't care if it was just a one thing thing. That was all I really wanted anyway. To know what it was like. I liked it, Lori. I don't like what's happening now." Leni sobbed.
Lori stared at Leni, flabbergasted. Leni had had sex before Lori!? With a random guy? Lori momentarily felt a sting of jealousy, but suppressed it when she saw how much Leni was hurting now.
"Leni, what did he do to you? Did he hit you, like, during or after or something? If he did, I promise I'll literally pound him. I'll get our other sisters and Lincoln to pound him. Even better, I'll sic Lola on him. He won't know what hit him! He literally won't get away with hurting you. You're my little sister. My first sister. No one hurts you. Except me." Lori forced a smile at the last line.
"No, no...he didn't hurt me. I told you, I liked it. It was fun. I told you that. I was just, like, stupid. So stupid, Lori. Stupid like everyone expects Leni Loud to be. Stupid like that boy knew I was. Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Leni screamed and pressed her face into a pillow, screaming again.
Lori pulled Leni into a hug and let her cry, stroking her hair gently, not even caring if Leni's snot soaked her nightgown. "Tell me, Leni. Tell me, or I'll literally never talk to you again!" Lori growled.
Leni laughed softly, pulling away from Lori. She wiped her eyes and nose with a tissue on the bedside table, blew her nose, and stared at Lori, blinking back more tears.
"We didn't...he didn't...use protection, Lori. I started getting sick in the morning a little while after that. I know everyone thinks I'm stupid, but I know what that means. I know what it could mean. What it probably means. I've seen Mom go through it like eight times." Leni's lips trembled.
Lori's eyes bulged, almost popping out of their sockets. Was Leni really saying what Lori thought she was? Leni was going to be...a mother!? She might be pregnant? LENI!? Of all people, it had happened to sweet, innocent, kind little Leni? It wasn't right. Lori wanted to start crying too. Her little sister...a mother. That shouldn't be.
"Leni...maybe...maybe you're wrong. You can take the test. Go to a doctor. It could just be some really bad virus or something. Like, something that's literally not contagious. I mean, you don't know for sure." Lori said, trying to comfort the sobbing Leni, who was currently curled up in a little ball on her bed, her soft blonde head on Lori's knees.
"It...It's not, Lori, and you know it! What am I going to do? How can I take care of a baby when I can barely walk and chew gum at the same time?" Leni snapped, angrily sobbing.
"Stop it! You're not stupid, and you know it! You act stupid only because it makes everyone else feel better about themselves, and I know! I've known all along. You used to help me with my homework. Homework that was a year ahead of what you were doing. And you were literally always right, Leni!" Lori shook her sister, glaring at her.
"Lori...I can't...they can't know. No one can. Please. I know I won't be able to hide the...you know, baby...but I can still be the stupid, silly Leni they all love. Mom and Dad even think I'm stupid. They feel better because of it. I don't care if people think I'm dumb as long as they're happy. Having someone as stupid as me in the family makes everyone else feel better. You know that. Lisa makes people mad because she acts smarter than everyone else. I don't want that. Please, Lori, please don't tell!" Leni's lips trembled, as she spilled more of her secrets to Lori.
"I won't...on one condition. We go get a test today, and make you a doctor's appointment. After all, if you really are having a baby, that's literally my little niece! I don't want her being sick or anything just because you were too scared! And yes, I KNOW it will literally be a girl! Lincoln was just a one in a million chance! Mom's family doesn't birth boys!" Lori put her hands on her hips and stared down at Leni with a glare that could wilt flowers.
Leni smiled. Lori loved her. Lori would help her, no matter what. She threw her arms around her big sister and thanked her over and over again, nuzzling her fluffy nightgown with her cheeks.
"Thanks, Lori. I love you so much, even when you do drag me across the room because I wear your shirts sometimes." Leni laughed.
Lori laughed along with Leni. For a long time, the sisters just held each other.