Cold Weather, Play Warmer

EPILOGUE

-PRESENT DAY, CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON-

There we go...ua, that arm doesn't look right. Just...fix that...Hoboi...manga needs so much effort...done! There, that's the story, drawn and framed in oodles of pages. And it looks like you got the early scoop. I couldn't draw in the things that happened afterwards; this is going in art class and a comic contest, and I just hit the page limit.

But I can say that in the end-wait, hang on. Click!

(Your Footsteps by Tinfeathers plays)

There we go...It's a good song. I couldn't not play it.

In the end, the incident and everything that happened ended up being a stepping stone forward. Actually, it's a stepping canyon separated by a huge rushing waterfall surrounding a mountain range. Either way...In the months that passed, Lori and Bobby managed to squeeze an engagement ceremony for themselves; she's getting along great with the Casagrandes, and not only did she and Leni take on several business and fashion projects to boost their reputation, but last month she snagged a collegiate golf tournament win. Lynn's return to sports gave her a massive relief to her inner stress; thanks to that, she got herself a spot for next year's US Olympic Women's Speed Skating and Snowboarding teams. Lola won her first Regional pageant, the youngest in Royal Woods to do so! Lisa's been recognized by everyone white-collar, and she's helping out with turning fossil fuel waste into useable fuel products, with Lana as her chief mechanic. Luan has become a huge hit on social media, but she's still honing her craft; she's already toured the state, and she's been asked to give a speech at the next White House Correspondent's Dinner. Luna's becoming a national sensation thanks to the tour she took with Mick; she may stay the school route all the way through, but she's already cut a couple record deals, and as soon as January rolls around, she and her friends are out to rock!

The rest of us are still living life to the loudest. Lily's grown out of her terrible twos and entered what I'd like to call the turbulent threes, a time period of high energy with no peace until bedtime. Lucy has been in constant contact with the Transylvanian people that almost bit me; thank goodness they thought she's a more suitable vampire than me. Mom went down to part-time dental assistant to devote more time to her new series of novels, and me and Lucy are helping her all the way. Dad gathered enough money to open up a restaurant called the Loud Diner; it's been a big hit so far, and a week ago we managed to break even, meaning all the money will now go towards our family.

Ronnie Anne and I have been hitting it off fairly well; the pranks have increased, though, so...we still keep in contact, but in the summer, Ronnie took her chances on a huge skateboard competition, and won! Last time I heard from her, she's training for the X-Games; as of now, she's currently the youngest female competitor, and she actually stands a chance of winning a medal. Clyde has been upping his academic game, already catching the attention of Michigan Medical School. And his recent-*SNICKER*-I'm sorry...just...Hahaha! A tween in his awkward phase can diagnose a patient's terminal illness better than a seasoned veteran doctor! That's-

HAAAAHAHAHAHAH-Ahhh...that's pure gold...

And Bobby? Well, whatever time isn't given to Lori, his college, or his family, is given to the bodega. His grandfather upgraded him to Interim Manager, meaning the instant he steps into the store, whenever he steps into the store, he calls the shots. And the bodega has been lively ever since.

Ope-Song's over. Hang on.

(Loud House slow acoustic theme plays)

But I bet you're thinking, "That's great and all, but did anything good ever happen to you that didn't involve any kind of drama?" Not really. I only say that because I used this story as an inspiration for a 10-page comic I drew up for a contest earlier this summer. Guess what? I got first place! Not only did I get my first trophy ever, but now, I'm gonna draw up a short comic strip every couple weeks for the county newspaper. And yes, I'm a semester behind in middle school, which plenty of bullies like to pick on me about, aside from my white hair and freckles, but...ok, somebody's gonna take it the wrong way, but with Clyde and Ronnie Anne spending more time on their goals, my art has vastly improved over the summer, so much that any time I get picked on, my four-panel strips always put the big bullies in their place. I even put down the school thug! Think about it. Tiny skinny five inch pencil beats muscular 8th grader.