It was a Saturday morning in the Loud household, and for once, things were… almost calm. The smell of pancakes drifted from the kitchen, Rita humming as she flipped a stack while Lynn Sr. tried (and failed) to keep Lily from throwing Cheerios across the table.
Dante sat at the counter, sipping orange juice. He had started spending more time at the Loud House lately — partly because Lincoln insisted, partly because with eleven siblings around, there was always something happening.
He leaned against the counter, phone buzzing in his hand. When he glanced at the screen, his easygoing smile faltered for just a second. The name on the screen read: Marisol Vega.
"Who's Marisol?" Lincoln asked, peeking over his shoulder like the nosy younger brother he was becoming.
"Nobody," Dante said too quickly, sliding the phone back into his pocket.
But it was already too late. Eleven sets of eyes turned in unison, like synchronized spotlights.
"Oooooh," Luna sang from the couch, strumming a chord on her guitar for emphasis. "Someone's hiding a little love song."
"Ex-girlfriend!" Lola gasped dramatically, nearly spilling her juice. "I knew it! You have a tragic past!"
"It's not tragic," Dante said, shaking his head with a laugh. "We just… dated. A while ago."
Lynn Jr. leaned forward like she was interrogating a suspect. "What sport does she play? Is she tough? Could she beat me in an arm wrestle?"
"I don't think that's how dating works," Dante replied dryly.
Lisa adjusted her glasses, already jotting notes in her little black book. "What we have here is a case study. The emotional resonance of adolescent romance on male development…"
Lincoln groaned, grabbing his best friend's sleeve. "Ignore them. Trust me, when the sisters get a whiff of gossip, you're done for."
But the sisters weren't about to ignore it. By the time breakfast was over, the entire house buzzed with conspiracies. Who was Marisol Vega? Why did Dante look uncomfortable when her name popped up? Did he still like her?
Lori, pretending she didn't care, casually asked, "So… does she, like, still text you a lot?"
Luna elbowed her. "Smooth, sis."
Later that afternoon, Dante's phone buzzed again. He slipped outside to the porch, thinking he'd finally get a little privacy. Lincoln followed, of course, hovering nearby.
On the screen was Marisol — laughing, casual, and undeniably pretty. She had long, curly hair and wore her soccer jersey like she'd just come from practice.
"Hey, stranger," she said through FaceTime. "Forgot about me already?"
"Not a chance," Dante replied with a grin, leaning back on the porch rail.
Inside, several faces pressed against the window: Lola with her binoculars, Luna with her guitar pick, even Leni whispering loudly, "He looks so cute when he smiles!"
Lincoln groaned. "Why me?"
The conversation itself was harmless — Marisol talked about school, her team, the usual stuff. She teased him about moving away from their old neighborhood, asked if he was "still breaking hearts." Dante rolled his eyes and tried to laugh it off.
But the Loud sisters weren't listening to context. They were convinced: this was a love story in the making.
By dinner, the house was buzzing with plans. Lola wanted to throw Dante a "welcome-back-your-true-love" party. Luna was already halfway through writing a breakup ballad in case things went south. Even Lisa was sketching probability charts of Dante and Marisol's "reunion."
Finally, Dante stood up from the table, laughing in disbelief. "Guys, relax. Marisol and I are just friends. We dated, sure, but it's over. And that's okay."
Lincoln, halfway through his mashed potatoes, gave him a small grin. "See? Told you he's too chill for this house."
Lori, trying to sound casual, muttered under her breath, "Still… she's pretty."
Nobody caught it — except Lucy, who smirked knowingly.
The night ended with chaos, of course. Lola tried to stage a romantic candlelit "ambiance" in the living room, Luna accidentally blasted her unfinished love song on the stereo, and Lynn challenged Marisol to a virtual arm wrestle through FaceTime.
Dante buried his face in his hands, laughing. "What have I gotten myself in to ?