Author's Note: Hello readers, Gunhawk here. The Loud House is a very popular cartoon to date and because of it's great concept and fan base, I thought I'd take a shot at it. The possibilities of what Lincoln could do when having freedom from his family is almost endless. Hope you fellow readers enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Nickelodeon. No copyright infringement intended.
Lincoln Loud was laying on his bed when he turned to the final page of his comic book. He was excited about the new issue of Ace Savvy that was just released a day earlier. He couldn't thank his dad enough for surprising him with it. Because it was a school day, he hand't been home for long, nor has had time to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had time alone, especially a moment home alone. As Lincoln closed his comic and took his cellphone to text Clyde about it, he heard a knocking on his door. Lincoln was used to intrusive knocking from his siblings, so he reluctantly rose from his bed, slipped on his shoes and opened the door. He was received by Luan, which whom felt more enthusiastic than ever.
"Why...are you dressed like a mummy?" Asked Lincoln with a look of confusion.
Luan looked at him with a large smile. "Thought I'd try something different, some say I'm too wrapped up in myself. Haha, you get it?"
It was a Halloween evening in Royal Woods and Lincoln surprisingly didn't want anything to do with it. None of his friends had any plans for the holiday this year, and it was no secret he wanted a break from his siblings. The rest of his family would be trick or treating out of town, simply for the sake of scoring more candy. He rolled his eyes, hoping he didn't have to tag along.
"Anyways, mom wanted me to inform you that were getting ready to leave."
Lincoln gulped, which the fourteen year old took notice of.
"Don't worry silly, you can stay home. Just don't answer the door-"
This was music to his ears. The thought of finally having the house to himself was nearly a dream come true. His family would be out for at least three hours. Lincoln concealed his joyfulness as Luan continued with the list of demands.
"-you probably shouldn't be too loud haha, and don't forget to lock the door."
"Yeah got it, I'll go downstairs with you." Lincoln replied as he turned off his bedroom light and closed the door behind him.
Lincoln had spent all of his time home in his room, which is why upon reaching the living room, he was surprised when he saw everyone's costumes. Everyone present had a goody bag in their hands and large smile on their faces. Lincoln laughed at the thought of how he was the only one that grew out of the childish phase. After hearing his mother repeat what Luan had told him earlier, he complied to everything and told everyone to have a good time. Luna, Lucy, and Lana weren't too fond of knowing their brother wouldn't be out of town with them, but were satisfied to see him happy. Lola however, was skeptical as to why Lincoln wanted to stay home.
As nearly everyone stepped out of the house, Lola wearing a more fancy princess dress and tiara than usual, turned around to look at her brother. Lincoln stood next to the couch with a stress-free look.
"What are you up to Lincoln?" Asked Lola, both eyebrows arched downward. Lincoln looked around.
"Oh, nothing sis." He took a step forward. "Now go on, heard where you guys are headed, people hand out full-size chocolate bars."
Thanks to his skills of persuasion and the ten sisters being chocoholics, Lola's eyes widened at the thought of the candy she could get. She then brought herself back to earth and stepped on the front porch, soon to turn around again. "Okay Lincoln, but if you do anything-"
"I'm telling." The two said in unison before Lincoln quickly closed and locked the front door. He carefully peaked through the kitchen window to see his siblings and parents packing into Vanzilla. Shortly after everyone was inside, the low-beam lights came on and the sound of the stuttering engine began. Before he could even turn around to reach the fridge, the van had already exited the driveway. Lincoln finally had the home to himself.
The boy took a deep breath. "At last!" He shouted to himself as he hopped onto the couch and turned on the TV.
Lincoln spent his early leisure like any other kid would. An hour had passed as Lincoln proceeded to another episode of Dessert Storm. Curled up in warm sheets he got from the basement, he sat on the middle cushion with a soda in his left hand and a bowl of chips to his right. At the moment in time, the eleven year old was truly at peace.
The silence he heard during times he paused episodes felt unusual at first. Yelling, running and arguments was a small list of what was consistently heard around the house. He grabbed the TV remote to scroll through channels when an alarming sound was heard from across the room; Lincoln had impeccable hearing. He carefully put the soda on the floor and turned off the TV as he looked towards one of the windows, his heart rate beginning to increase. Midway to the window it became obvious what it was.
"Ohh...it's those kids." Lincoln said felling annoyed, also relieved.
Unlike Lincoln's home at that exact moment, the streets were filled with a vigorous feel, but was also dangerous. Older kids and adults were outside of their houses partying; beer bottles and cigarettes scattered on the ground and multiple vehicles double-parked. The residents and whoever visited the street treated it as a block party. It was understandable why Lincoln's family went out of town. What he had heard was the result of a drunk person throwing a beer bottle in the air. Looking at the glass outside the window, Lincoln sighed and closed it shut right before his phone rang.
"Mom going to give me an agenda on chores now?" He murmured before reading the caller ID. The boy was nonetheless pleased to see that is was no other than his buddy Clyde. The two spent a couple minutes chatting about the usual things, such as school and video games. It was after a long pause Lincoln mentioned the absence of his family.
"So..Lori isn't there either?" Clyde asked.
"Nope, got the entire place to myself." Lincoln responded, not sure if Clyde would be relieved or disappointed. Lincoln then gave him the green light to come over.
"Be right over buddy."
"Yeah, be safe." Lincoln voiced before ending the call. Lincoln was excited that Clyde could visit without any interruptions from his siblings. It would be the first time the two would hang out at the Loud residence with nobody else around. Not realizing it would've been a better time to ask Ronnie Anne to visit, Lincoln smiled at the living room ceiling as he began preparing for Clyde's arrival. As far as he was concerned, nothing could go wrong on this Halloween night.
Moments after the phone call, Lincoln's most trusted friend arrived at the house. Because he visited often, the high tranquility of the home surprised him more than the abnormally noisy streets.
"Never realized how large this couch really is." Clyde said as he took the right cushion. "Then again, multiple people were able to fit with no problem."
"Yeah, thanks for coming over buddy." Lincoln said as he handed Clyde a gaming controller.
The two spent the next half hour indulging in video game matches and other things. They laughed as if they hadn't hung out in months. Before they knew it, soda cans were scattered around the sofa and nearly all the snacks were finished.
"You win again Clyde!"
"Yeah...time for a break." The glasses-wearing boy responded as he headed towards the kitchen.
Lincoln turned off the game console when his friend spoke again.
"Linc, why don't we invite the rest of the gang?" Clyde asked with the widest smile he could make.
"You mean-"
"Liam, Rusty and Zach, yeah them."
Clyde could tell by Lincoln's facial expression that they weren't in agreement. It was the first time Lincoln had the house to himself, which is why he was cautious as to who he should invite over. Neither of his parents gave him the green light to invite anyone, he just didn't want to look irresponsible. Clyde however, saw an empty house as an opportunity for a night out with friends. Because he was seldom allowed to have friends over, he made the decision to push Lincoln's buttons.
"When is your house going to be empty again, huh?"
"Clyde, come on man."
"If all the guys come over, we could have a blast!" Clyde took a seat on the couch to look at Lincoln.
"But what if they mess up the house?" Lincoln asked with worry. "It'll be like the time I went to the supermarket with my sisters..."
"C'mon buddy, and besides, aren't you the best at cleaning up messes."
Lincoln gave Clyde a glare, his eyebrows arched downward.
"My bad...guys night out, just think about it." Clyde responded with puppy dog eyes Lincoln just couldn't ignore. He took a moment to think about the possibilities. The rest of the Louds wouldn't be back for at least a couple more hours. Lincoln then glanced at Clyde one last time.
Lincoln had always been easy to impress. He never needed a spectacular party to feel free. All he needed was good friends, good laughs, and good food. He simply enjoyed having a good time. In this case tho, he wasn't planning any festivities.
"...alright fine. I'll call them."
It was only a matter of minutes before Liam and Zach met up and arrived at the Loud residence. The streets have gotten louder as the it went later into the night. The only person Lincoln was expecting to arrive next was Rusty.
"Great for you guys to show up." Clyde said as he greeted the two at the door. "Lincoln's in the attic getting some beverages."
"Cool, seems like y'all did alot before you contacted us." Liam responded after taking notice of the chip bags and the soda cans.
"Yeah, it was really my idea for you guys to come."
"Wait, so Lincoln didn't plan on inviting us in the first place." Zach asked, raising his voice. He quickly changed his tone after hearing who responded.
"Don't jump to conclusions, Zach." Lincoln spoke as he entered the living room from upstairs. "Just promise me you won't damage anything."
"Sure thing." The newest guests said in unison as they took a seat to watch whatever was on TV. Lincoln placed a few sodas and waters in the freezer before hearing a knock on the front door. "Could one of you guys get that?"
Clyde carefully opened the door to look up at at tall red-headed boy with freckles.
"Hey Clyde, looks like all the guys are here."
"Rusty, come on in." Clyde said with a smile. It was then Rusty showed his friend something he had brought with him.
"Pretty cool huh?" Rusty asked raising his eyebrows as he lifted the item.
"Ohh, umm..." Clyde responded with a nervous gulp.
Lincoln turned around to see the freckled boy when he noticed what was in one of his hands. His eyes widened.
"Rusty...beer?!" Lincoln yelled. "Really?!"
Rusty took a step in as Clyde closed the door. "Yeah Lincoln, snuck it past my dad in a nick of time, you should've seen-"
"I don't think you understand." Lincoln slammed the freezer door closed, which startled the others. "I'm already more than likely not allowed to have anyone visit right now, and you bringing alcohol into the house will make things worse." Lincoln took a long look at Rusty. "Why on earth would you bring that?"
Rusty carefully sat the case next to to the door. "Maybe it isn't a good idea that we drink it, sorry."
Lincoln knew this was suppose to be a good, stress-free night. "Okay...just take a seat." He replied, subsequently turning around to open a kitchen cupboard.
Zach, Liam and Clyde spoke privately as Rusty approached his friend in the kitchen, hoping to resolve the issue he had caused. He believed that a complication had taken place before he arrived.
"Hey, I know what'll cheer you up." Rusty had his hands in his pockets.
"I'm fine, just join the rest." Lincoln reluctantly responded.
"Dude...how 'bout we throw a party?" Rusty instantly regretted presenting that suggestion.
"We can't throw a freaking party, Rusty." Lincoln ordered. "I can't even have you guys over, did you forget?" That outburst grabbed the attention of the others.
Everyone was in the kitchen by the time Lincoln began yelling. "This isn't what I was planning, I just wanted the night to myself!" Lincoln shouted. "And that crap you brought, my dad has cases of that in the basement, we don't need more. If you can't accept my rules, then just leave!"
At the time Lincoln didn't realize that not everyone is a "friend". Sometimes, boys will be boys and Rusty couldn't help the party mood he was in.
"Alright Linc." The tall freckled boy respond as he left the kitchen. As Lincoln remained where he was, the other four huddled up in a corner of the living room. Lincoln was unaware of what they were doing, especially of what Rusty was planning to do next.
"Rusty, no..." Zach whispered.
"Just watch." Rusty said before silently slipping past Lincoln and entering the basement. To his surprise, Lincoln wasn't joking about the beer. Lynn Sr. was no alcoholic, but there was nothing he adored more than an iced cold beverage after a long day of work. There were at least twelve six-packs stacked near the boiler.
"Wow, that's like.. 72 beers!" Rusty said to himself. Among his friends, he was the math wiz.
As Rusty headed back to the living room, Lincoln was heading to the bathroom upstairs. The two nearly missed each other. Zach, Liam and Clyde were in shock after seeing what Rusty had did. The three warned him, which he neglected to listen.
"We're having the party of our lives tonight." Rusty muttered to himself.
Lincoln was halfway down the stairs when he took notice of the front door wide open. The noises on the street were more abrupt than ever. It wasn't the time for an 11-year old to be outside alone. Lincoln felt a pain in his chest when seeing Clyde in the doorway. He feared that his words had driven his friends away.
"C-Clyde" He asked as he approached him at the door.
"Ohh Lincoln!" Clyde turned around as he jumped. "I'm so sorry buddy."
Lincoln looked to see three figures standing in the middle of the street, the one in the middle holding two cases of beer. The worry he had was quickly replaced with anger. He was far from pleased to realize who he thought was close to him had disrespected him without a care.
Zach and Liam were practically begging their friend not to do what he had planned out of respect for Lincoln. People were yelling, drinking, and running up and down the streets when Rusty decided to clear his throat.
"Guys, people!" The freckled boy yelled, grabbing little attention of the strangers, which all were at least 17 years of age.
"Dang it Rusty, don't!"
"FREE BEER!" Rusty realized the possible consequences of yelling those words a little too late. Nearly everyone in the vicinity stopped what they were doing as most began approaching the trio. The three gulped simultaneously as a skinny man with a cigarette walked up to them.
"Free beer..." The man had a raspy voice, similar to Luna's but much deeper. "..Where?" Rusty shook in his shoes as the man eyed him. It didn't take a physicist with a PhD to realize where the goods were at. The bony man made sure everyone was watching when he pointed towards the Loud residence, sending shivers down both Lincoln and Clyde's spines. "Everyone...our endless night has just begun!"
An uproar of cheers and shouts were heard as dozens bombarded Lincoln and Clyde while entering the now doomed abode. The Loud residence quickly grew louder than almost any block party. Random people went to all floors of the house, including the attic and basement. Lincoln would've regretted leaving the attic's drop down stairs open. Before thrown to the stairs at least twenty feet away from the entrance, Lincoln heard Clyde yell "Incoming!" as he leaped behind the couch. After that, lights were out.
Lincoln slowly opened his eyes to witness the unforeseen. Soda cans and beer bottles were scattered along the olive green rug. The family couch was on its side, its cushions missing. The television was nowhere in sight. The fridge door was wide open with multiple condiments spilled on the floor and food missing. Consistent crashing was heard on the second floor of the house. The smell of alcohol and drugs was abundant. Some men were wrestling and gambling over money at the kitchen table as Lincoln felt an unbearable aching pain in the back of his head. The only thing Lincoln could feel grateful for was that his family wouldn't be home for a good while. He tried to avoid thinking of how upset his sisters would be, but to no avail.
They're gonna end me, I am so in for it Lincoln thought, instantly grabbing his head afterwards. Clyde, Liam, Zach and Rusty were nowhere to be seen. What he was suppose to call home seemed so foreign to him now. It was almost as if he'd entered a nightclub, a place he shouldn't be. A good percentage of the adults were drunk as some couldn't even keep their balance while walking. He opened the freezer to grab an ice pack, only to see spilled beverages and missing food. Luckily, what he needed was on the counter.
"My phone!" He yelled, feeling little relief. "And an ice pack."
After Lincoln was done making a phone call to Clyde, he slipped his device into his pant pocket and avoided any eye contact with the strangers, only to hear a familiar voice call out to him. He was near the stairs when he cautiously turned to look where the voice came from. It was definitely someone he wasn't expecting.
"Hey Larry, over here!" A kid his age yelled again to him.
"Freaking Chandler..." Lincoln grunted to himself. The sanctimonious kid then approached him.
"Just had to say, epic party Larry. You should've been the first person I invited to my birthday event way back when."
Lincoln knew it would be a herculean task to make his home back to the way it was just a couple hours earlier. It was a dreadful thought, but he had to start now.
"Chandler...leave my house.." Lincoln grew red, something Chandler didn't catch onto.
"Listen Larry.." Chandler cleared his voice to speak over the deafening sounds heard throughout the house. The two could've swore they heard a guitar playing from the garage. "..If you invited this many people, which is way more than my birthday party, then you should definitely let me-"
"GET OUT!" Lincoln screamed over Chandler, grabbing the attention of the gamblers in the kitchen. Chandler took a step back as other people in the vicinity stopped what they were doing and created a circle around the two. Murmurs were heard as the word "fight" was being thrown around. Lincoln grew nervous, knowing that only meant one thing.
Voices of all pitches were heard chanting "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" as they made space for the two to brawl. At that moment, a million thoughts came to Lincoln's mind. He always knew Lynn's sparring lessons would come in handy one day, but nervousness is what took him over. Injuries is the last thing he wanted, but getting his home back together was a top priority. Besides Clyde hiding in the upstairs bathtub, it had seemed his so-called friends had ditched him. His sisters would rip him an new one if they discovered this monstrosity taking place, not to mention what Rita and Lynn Sr. may do.
Quickly discarding those thoughts, he was visibly shaking. He couldn't believe his relaxing evening had come to this. Lincoln slowly backed away as booing was heard around him. Luckily for practically everyone, Chandler also had the same idea in mind.
"L-L-Later Loud!" He yelled before bolting past the older kids and adults, making his way out the house. Lincoln starred at Chandler as he saw two older kids chasing him across the street, his yells heard outside. Speaking of outside, the streets were nearly empty. The crowd of now disappointed freeloaders began making comments about Chandler as they all split up, some leaving the house and others having the audacity to stay. After Lincoln was left standing alone, he carefully took a step outside to see what state his home was in.
"Oh my." Lincoln muttered with tears of helplessness filling his eyes. "The house..."
It was still standing, but looked much worse than before. Toilet tissue and bottles were all over the roof of the house. A drunk man also laid there. Each bedroom had its lights on, one window having broken glass. Multiple people helped themselves to sit on the front steps, while others laid on the front lawn; some asleep. Checking the time, Lincoln chose not to call his parents as he took a step to walk back inside. That was when he noticed the garage. A substantial crowd stood inside as loud guitar riffs and drums took over the block. Lincoln was about to break up the crowd out of anger when his phone began to vibrate. The two decided to stop using walkie-talkies not too long ago.
"Lincoln, it's me."
"Clyde, we need a plan. My sisters and parents will probably be back soon, so if we put our minds together, we can come up with something-"
"Lincoln-"
"Some people decided to leave, but fixing this is going to be much harder than that time Lori was babysitting my sisters and I. I'll never forgive Rusty for disrespecting me the way he did, and then leaving to top it off. The other two i'll also probably never speak to again either. All they did was use me as a way to get out of their houses, so selfish on their part. My house may be in shambles, but we can fix this."
Clyde struggled to hear what his friend was saying. No room was free from disturbance. Each bedroom was occupied with people drinking, dancing to music and other activities. The entire vicinity could still hear the events of the Loud House.
"B-Buddy, I can't hear you, but listen. I made my way out of the bathroom and to I believe...Lucy's room..anyways, I saw something."
"We can still...wait, what do you mean by that?" Lincoln responded as he feared what Clyde was going to say next. He was visibly shaking, his eyes widening as he made his way back into the time bomb of a house. He knew Vanzilla arriving would be his end.
"Y-Your...your-"
"Clyde, spit it out! Every second is precious!"
"I'm soo sorry Lincoln." Clyde whimpered. "Your mother is here."
Lincoln tripped over someone that was laying on the floor next to the couch when he heard this. He froze when he hit the ground, not being able to catch his fall. Falling didn't matter to him, because as far as he was concerned, he was already done for. It was it. Somehow, Rita arrived without him knowing and the punishment he thought he'd receive was unimaginable. Some of his sisters had a shorter fuse than others, but they would each explode if they knew their rooms were wrecked by numerous inconsiderable strangers because of his mistakes. Lincoln slowly rose up and looked towards the kitchen. Because Clyde was in Lynn and Lucy's room, Lincoln knew he must've saw her at the backyard. He wasn't sure why she'd be there, but he knew hiding from anyone would be a bad idea. Forgetting he was even on the phone, he walked in the now wrecked kitchen and towards the door to the deck. He was ready to face what was to come his way.
The backyard looked no better than the rest of the house: An irreversible mess. At least two dozen people were there; some playing sports and barbecuing while other sat in a circle around a fire. It was unbelievable and despicable how everyone made themselves at home. In just a short period of time, the entire home looked nearly as bad as the time the eleven siblings decided to stop doing their assigned chores. Lynn Sr's beer stash was nearly finished and so was Lincoln when he finally saw his mother. It was indeed the shock of his life.
"M-M-Mom?!" Lincoln starred thunderstruck at his mother, his eyes larger than ever.
"Oh hello dear, why don't you join us?" Rita responded, not taking note of Lincoln's facial expression.
"W-Wha...what the heck is going on?! Why are you with these people, and why aren't you angry?!" Lincoln asked, causing the people around the fire to exchange looks. Lincoln had so many questions. Rita got up from her position on the grass and walked towards her son.
"Honey." She spoke in an abnormal tone, a dead giveaway that she was either drunk or high. "Take a hit."
The poor boy was ready to faint when he saw what was between his mother's right index and middle fingers. He never seen his mother high before, or anyone in that matter. He had no idea where the rest of his family was, or how Rita even arrived at the house (there was no sign of Vanzilla), but he made the right decision.
"No thanks, mom." Lincoln replied before looking down and heading away from the group and his mother. As he was walking back to the deck, he stopped in midway to turn to look at his mother. To his surprise, she was happy. Lincoln wasn't sure how much longer this would last, but seeing her laughing with the group made him believe that somehow, everything would be alright in the end. He then began to make his way back into the house when a voice called out to him, a voice he just couldn't pinpoint. It was almost impossible to figure out the origin of the calling of his name, until reality hit.
Lincoln...Lincoln...LINCOLN!
"W-What happened." He jumped.
"Dang, you'd probably sleep through a tornado haha." Luan jokingly responded. "Mom wants to speak with you, were getting ready to depart."
He wiped his eyes after yawning. "Okay...clever costume by the way."
"Thanks, trying not to be too-"
"Wrapped up in yourself?" Lincoln interrupted with a grin.
"Wow...first time someone ever guessed a joke of mine."
Lincoln made his way into the living room when Rita approached him. He was more than joyous to see his mother acting herself again. She told him nearly all the rules that had to be followed when being home alone, which he complied. After that, the front door was opened and Lincoln said bye to everyone. The entire event was beyond him, but was something he'd never forget. It was then Lola turned to acknowledge him.
"Oh, Lincoln." Lola started. "Just one more thing to add to mommy's list of rules."
"What is it?" Lincoln responded.
"Don't invite ANYONE over, understand Lincoln?" Lola asked with a stern look.
Lincoln laughed to himself. "Don't you worry Lola, I won't be doing that ever."
Lola starred with a look of suspicion.
"I promise." He added. It was a promise he'd keep for the longest time.
Author's Note: And done. The main reason why I was inspired to write this was because it's very similar to an experience I had a few years ago. Every time I shared the experience with colleagues and family members, it always interested them. Hope you guys enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it. Feel free to comment, or share any similar experiences you may have.