So yeah, it's been about 2 - 3 months since 'Brave and the Loud'. And while Kaleidoscope is pretty popular (having hit like 200 reviews now), it is still supposed to be a placeholder, something for me to continue working on while I think of another full story. So let's start a new story, based on an episode with a topic that I'm a casual fan of.

Yeah, this story is going to be a 'Loudest Yard' AU. And to shake things up for me, I'm gonna go ahead and write it in first person perspective.

Feel free to comment on how Lincoln does not sound like himself if I do write it that way.

Without further ado, on with the new story.

Disclaimer: I don't own 'The Loud House.'

Sometimes, life can be weird, and you can find yourself in places that you never thought you would be.

I mean, take me for instance. Lincoln Loud, eleven years old, with barely any athletic talent or achievement in his life. If you told me a long time ago that I would be playing and enjoying football, and that my team would be depending on me to make a return touchdown happen during our final possession of the championship game of the state, I would say that you're nuts!

Me, Lincoln Loud, has to be the playmaker, the difference maker, the guy you gotta pin all your hopes on? What is wrong with you? I'm not good at sports! I can't throw, I can't catch, and old ladies on their scooters can literally drive circles around me!

Why on earth would you make me play football?

That's what the me of at least 4 - 5 months would have said.

And he would have been shocked at me now.

I raced down the field, my blockers struggling to keep up with me, my eyes dead set on the giant metal fork that was so far away. I couldn't look back, yet I knew that the teammates that were being left behind could only watch, counting on me to make the difference. That only made me hug our hopes tighter, making me draw out everything I had and put it into my legs.

I ran faster than I ever had in my life. My lungs ached, my legs were burning, every part of my body screamed at me to slow down. I didn't.

I wasn't quitting.

It still wasn't enough.

As I crossed the 50 yard line, balancing between the green and the white, I sensed something, and I wasn't sure how to describe it. It was like everything slowed down. The roar of the crowd, one half cheering for me to make it and the other half begging me to trip and fall. The sun somehow becoming more hotter against whatever skin I had uncovered. The turf sinking under my foot as I put my weight on it, ready to push off for the next step. The blocker to my side, Number 63, Ray, falling to his side as one of the Hazeltucky Hockers pushed him down…

Giving Hawk, one of the Hazeltucky Hockers that I actually can put a name on, a clear shot right at me. He barreled down at me like a human heat seeking missile, a grin that exposed his teeth on his face. He clearly wanted to smash me down, make the Hazeltucky Hockers the undisputed winners.

And I knew that I wasn't going to be fast enough.

Coach said that Football was a game of inches, where that smallest distance, a single second, could be the difference between winning and losing. I tried to run more faster, put more distance between me and Hawk. But even then, I knew that it was useless.

This was as far as I could go.

As Hawk got closer and closer, I braced myself for the impact, trying to make my body as relaxed as possible and closing one of my eyes. Throughout the season, I didn't get hit often, when the times I did…

There were reasons why my parents and sisters didn't want me back here on the field. Even then, I could see them on the bleachers to the side, their eyes wide as they realized what was going to happen and how they couldn't run out to the field to stop it. Like a car crash that was happening in front of them, they could only watch.

Mom had her hands on her mouth.

Dad was looking away, covering Lily's eyes.

Lori looked horrified.

Leni was crying.

Luna was silent, her mouth slightly open.

Luan was turning pale.

Lucy's worry was practically written all over her face.

Lola and Lana hugged each other, Lola looking away while Lana watched.

Lisa was muttering something under her breath, probably coming up with predictions and math to tell herself that I was going to be okay.

And Lynn…

Lynn was leaning over the railing, screaming.

"LINCOLN!"

Then something impacted against my side, digging into my ribs.

You know, before I went into this game, I heard on the news that some professional football player was starting a movement to not let non-high schoolers play tackle football. After this… I would totally agree with him. This really hurts, like why couldn't we play touch football or something like that?

Anyways, the force lifted me off my feet, and for a moment, I was weightless, flying through the air. I would have liked to stay like that a while. Unfortunately, reality set in fast, and so was the ground.

Just as I was about to hit it, I had two thoughts.

First, this was going to hurt.

Second, I was reminded of how this all started.