Lynn was lying right down on the sofa reading a sports magazine while occasionally glancing up at the news station that was playing on the living room television screen. It was a very boring Thursday afternoon. Lynn Loud Sr. was in the kitchen while Rita was in the living room typing on her computer screen, and Lincoln had begged for 1 single chance if only to fulfill his end of a deal he had made with Rita and Lynn Loud Sr..
Just as Lynn turned the page of her sports magazine, she looked right up to see if the program had come back from the commercial breaks and the headline she saw at the bottom of the screen made her do 1 double take.
"No way, it can't be…" she whispered to herself while sitting up straighter and turning the volume up on the television screen with the television remote, but it was…and she could simply believe this. Aretha Franklin, she was….Lynn gulped nervously in fear.
"Mom! Dad! girls! everybody! get in here! hurry up!"
"What is it, Lynn?" Rita asked her while Lynn Loud Sr. also came right in from the kitchen.
"Yeah, what's with all of the commotion?"
"Look! the television screen, it's…" Lynn began, but she couldn't finish her sentence. Clyde and Ronnie Anne looked right at the television screen and they both gasped in terrified shock by covering their mouths with their hands. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. hunched their shoulders depressingly.
"Oh my word." Rita said to herself just as a news reporter continued to cover what had just happened to the talented singer. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. sat right down on the sofa next to Lynn who looked at their parents, sisters and Lincoln's good friends worriedly right before speaking to them.
"How are we ever gonna tell Lincoln about this?" Ronnie Anne asked them.
"He's gonna be depressed, Mr. and Mrs. Loud." Clyde said to them. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. sighed heavily.
"Well, we'll just need to be considerate of how he really feels and be super careful with our own words."
"Lincoln's gonna be heartbroken, he adored Aretha Franklin's music." Ronnie Anne said to them while looking down worriedly about her best friend for life and 1 true love.
"He'll be more upset than when Gizmo, the class guinea pig passed away." Clyde said to them.
"We'll just be very gentle with how we break the news to him." Lynn Loud Sr. said to them just as Lincoln rushed right through the door.
"Mom! Dad! Clyde! Ronnie Anne! girls! you'll never guess what happened!" Lincoln exclaimed to them while rushing up to them.
"Lincoln, what's going on around here?"
"I helped clean Royal Woods Park up, where's the telephone number? we gotta call her right away! you guys promised!" Lincoln said to them while jumping up in mid-air and rushing right into the kitchen where the wireless telephone was. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. gasped in shock.
"Lincoln, wait!"
"It's still in the phone book, right? it hasn't changed ever since we last called her, has it? Oh boy, she'll be super excited to hear from me again what with her new concert tour coming up and everything, I can hardly wait!" Lincoln went right near the wireless telephone on the wall, nearly tipping it over in his hurry. he grabbed a nearby phone book and began sifting right through the pages.
"Lincoln,"
"Where's her number, Mom and Dad? we gotta call her right now, she might be busy later on!"
"Lincoln,"
"I can't find it anyplace! I…"
"Lincoln! slow down 1 minute." Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. walked right up to Lincoln and took the wireless telephone from him, placing it right back on the hook. Lincoln gasped in shock and stared at them.
"Hey! Mom, Dad, what are you doing?" he said to them. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. smiled at Lincoln depressingly.
"Now, Lincoln, we're very proud of you for cleaning up Royal Woods Park, and you really deserve a reward." Rita said to him.
"Yeah, I know, that's the reason I cleaned all of it up, you promised to call Aretha Franklin and see if I could tour with her if I cleaned the entire park up." Lincoln said to them. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. sighed depressingly and glanced right over at Lynn, Lori, Leni, Lisa, Lily, Lola, Lana, Luan, Luna, Clyde and Ronnie Anne who were watching super carefully from the kitchen doorway. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. wiped their hands over their faces. They didn't know if they could break the news to their son and they frowned a bit.
"Mom? Dad? are you guys alright? you don't look good." he said to them.
"We're fine, Lincoln, but…we're afraid you won't be able to tour with Aretha by the way." Lynn Loud Sr. said to him slowly. Lincoln gasped in horrified shock.
"What? hey, no fair! I kept my end of the entire deal, Mom and Dad, and you promised!" Lincoln exclaimed to them while pointing an accusing finger at his parents.
"We know, Lincoln, but-"
"I mean, come on, I haven't seen Aretha Franklin ever since that music video I watched on television back in 2012, you promised I could go!"
"And it was a good idea, Lincoln, but…"
"Then why are you going back on your words, Mom and Dad? that's dishonest and downright misleading! I thought you were much better people than that!" Lincoln pouted, folding his arms. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. groaned in agitation and looked over to Clyde and Ronnie Anne for help.
"Uh, Lincoln?"
"What is it, Ronnie Anne? can't you see I'm having a discussion with my mom and dad here?" he asked her just as Ronnie Anne sighed heavily and gestured right towards the living room.
"Lincoln, there's something you need to see."
"Huh, what?"
"Come with all of us, Lincoln." Clyde said to him. Lincoln raised his right eyebrow in curiosity and followed them right into the living room.
"What's up with you guys?" he asked them right before his head turned right towards the television screen.
"And our top story this afternoon, talented singer, Aretha Franklin, has just passed away, she had pancreatic cancer complications and was 76 years old, we'll keep you updated on the entire story just as details continue to develop, we'll also be looking over her entire life, her success, and her hardships." Lincoln stared right at the television screen, speechless.
"Lincoln?" Lynn Loud Sr. said to him. Then Lincoln turned over to face them with a look of fear in his eyes. he let out 1 nervous chuckle.
"Mom, Dad, this isn't, it can't be true, can it? it's a hoax, right? it's gotta be! just like 1 of those internet rumors or just a really bad joke." he let out 1 laugh, strained and weak. Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. bent right down next to Lincoln's level.
"We're terribly sorry, Lincoln., but she's passed away." Rita said to him. Lincoln's pupils dilated. he shook his head while backing away.
"No…no! but…she was supposed to…I mean! I'm her number 1 fan, Mom and Dad! and what about the concert tour?" Lincoln cried out to them with tear drops welling up in his eyes.
"We're terribly sorry, Lincoln." Lynn Loud Sr. said to him just as Lincoln clenched his fists in anger and frustration.
"1st Gizmo, then Grandpa Leonard, now this! why did everybody who meant everything to me in my entire life need to pass away?" he cried out to them. Clyde and Ronnie Anne were standing nearby and also moved closer to where Lincoln was.
"It's gonna be alright, Lincoln, she's in a much better place right now." Ronnie Anne said to him just as Clyde nodded his heads respectively.
"She never wanted you to be depressed, Lincoln." Lynn said to him.
"But she can't, I just can't believe she's really gone for good." Lincoln said to them just as the wireless telephone rang.
"Excuse me, you guys." RIta said to them while standing up to answer the wireless telephone.
"It's gonna be alright, Lincoln." Luna said to him.
"I just can't believe that she's gone for good, my idol, Aretha Franklin, she's deceased." Lincoln said to himself.
Just then, Rita got off the wireless telephone and got some super good news for them.
"Mom, who was that on the telephone you were speaking with?" Lincoln asked his and his 9 sisters' mother.
"That was 1 of the music agents, they asked if it was okay to come to the Aretha Franklin tribute concert and have a karaoke routine there."
"Hey, that means I can do a karaoke cover of her best hit song: Respect." Ronnie Anne said to them as the others agreed with her.
And so they all got on the charter bus and drove all the way to the Aretha Franklin tribute concert.
In the concert hall, Ronnie Anne went right onstage, grabbed the karaoke microphone and turned on the karaoke machine.
[Respect On Karaoke Machine]
Ronnie Anne: What you want
baby I got it
what you need
you know I got it
all I'm askin'
is for a little respect
when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: hey baby
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: Mister
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: I ain't gonna do you wrong
while you're gone
Ronnie Anne (continued): ain't gonna do you wrong
'cause I don't wanna
Ronnie Anne: All I'm askin' is
for a little respect
when you come home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: baby
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: yeah
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: I'm about to give you
all of my money
Ronnie Anne (continued): and all I'm askin' in return honey
Is to give me my propers
when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a, just a, just a, just a
Ronnie Anne: yeah baby
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a, just a, just a, just a
Ronnie Anne: when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: yeah
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
[Jazz Music In Background]
Ronnie Anne: ooh your kisses
sweeter than honey
and guess what?
so is my money
Ronnie Anne (continued): all I want you
to do for me
is give it to me
when you get home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: re, re, re, re
Ronnie Anne: yeah baby
Lola, Lana and Lynn: re, re, re, re
Ronnie Anne: whip it to me
Lola, Lana and Lynn: respect
just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: when you get home
now
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
find out
what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
take care
TCB
Ronnie Anne (continued): oh
Lola, Lana and Lynn: sock it to me
sock it to me
sock it to me
sock it to me
Ronnie Anne: a little respect
Lola, Lana and Lynn: sock it to me
sock it to me
sock it to me
sock it to me
Ronnie Anne: whoa babe
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: a little respect
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: I get tired
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: keep on tryin'
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: you're runnin' outta fools
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: and I ain't lyin'
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit
re, re, re, re
Ronnie Anne: when you come home
Lola, Lana and Lynn: re, re, re, re
Ronnie Anne: 'spect
or you might walk in
Lola, Lana and Lynn: respect
just a little bit
Ronnie Anne: and find out
I'm gone
Lola, Lana and Lynn: just a little bit