Lincoln returned home just after noon, sweaty and pleasantly weary. He could feel the first twinges of a sunburn on his cheeks, but he didn't mind.
He parked his bike next to the garage and went in through the back door. Lola and Lana were playing tea party. Lana was covered in mud and insisting that her frog wanted more tea. Lola exasperatedly pointed out that the frog hadn't even finished his first cup. "He still wants more!" Lana protested.
In the kitchen, dad was at the counter, making sandwiches and singing to himself. When Lincoln entered, he looked up and smiled. "Hey, son, you're just in time for lunch!"
Dad handed Lincoln a paper plate laden with a sandwich and crinkle cut chips. "Thanks, dad, I'm starved."
He sat at the table and dug in. Soon he was joined by Lucy, Lisa, and Luna, the latter scribbling in a notebook as she ate.
"What are you writing?" Lincoln asked.
"I'm adding to one of Lucy's poems so we can turn it into a song."
"What's to add?" Lucy asked in her characteristic monotone. "It has everything. Suffering, death, and angst."
"Yeah, but it's, like, five lines long. It has to be longer."
When Lincoln was done, he threw his plate into the trash and went upstairs. Lynn came out of her room carrying a basketball and bumped into him. "Hey, bro, wanna shoot some hoops?"
Lincoln started to protest, but the look in her eyes stopped him. Not many of his sisters were willing to indulge Lynn's athletic interests, so most of the time, he either had to step in, or she'd wind up playing by herself. Not that he minded. He enjoyed spending time with his sisters. When you had ten of them, you rarely got quality one-on-one time with them.
"Sure, just let me change."
"Awesome," she said, bounding happily away. "Thanks, Lincoln!"
"Don't mention it."
In his room, he stripped out of his jeans and pulled on a pair of silky blue basketball shorts. He replaced his polo shirt with a white T shirt. In the hallway, Leni was wandering aimlessly around, looking lost.
"Are you okay?" Lincoln asked.
"I can't find my sunglasses anywhere, and I need them when me and Lori go to the mall."
Lincoln giggled. "They're on your head."
Leni stopped, reached up, and touched her sunglasses. "Oh. Thanks, Lincy!"
"You're welcome."
Outside, Lynn was dribbling her ball on the driveway. When Lincoln arrived, she tossed it to him, and he caught it. "Nice catch!"
Lincoln smiled. It was a nice catch. Despite being the only boy in the house, Lincoln wasn't interested in sports, as one might expect him to be. Sometimes it made him feel bad about himself that Lynn was so good while he, the boy, wasn't. He was supposed to be good at sports, and losing to his sister, or simply looking weak when compared to her, wounded his pride.
"Alright," Lynn said, squatting and bouncing from one foot to the other, "one-on-one. Show me what you got."
Lincoln dribbled the ball, buying himself a few seconds to plan his strategy. Lynn stood between him and the hoop. If he ducked right, she would get him for sure. If he ducked left, he might have a chance, since Lynn was a righty. He'd have to dribble with his left hand to keep the ball as far away from her as possible.
Taking a deep breath, his made his move, switching from right to left and charging past his sister. She tried to come in, but Lincoln reflexively elbowed her, hitting her in the collarbone. She gasped and stumbled back. He shoots, he...misses. Damn.
"That wasn't fair!" Lynn yelled. "You elbowed me!"
"Sorry," Lincoln replied, feeling geniuenly bad, "I..."
Lynn went in low and grabbed his right leg, nearly upsetting him. He flailed back, but kept his balance. He caught her around the neck and leaned forward, but she shifted her weight, and they both fell to the pavement in a laughing heap.
"Not bad, bro," Lynn said, "you're getting better."
"Thanks. I have a pretty good teacher."
She punched him on the arm. "Don't get mushy on me, Loud."
Lynn got to her feet and helped him up. "Alright. Let's try this again, but no elbows this time."
By the time they were done, they were both sweating and out of breath. Lynn was the winner, 11-9. Not bad, Lincoln thought. There was one a time when she would beat him 11-0.
They parted by mutual consent, and Lincoln went inside. Upstairs, Luna and Luan's door was open. Luna was lying on her bed and strumming her guitar. Lucy on the edge of the bed next to her, frowning.
When Luna saw him, she sat up, "Hey, bro, can you help us out?"
"Sure," Lincoln said, coming in. Luan was sitting in her own bed, focused on her laptop. She was probably looking up new material for her act.
"How does this sound?"
Luna played a few riffs. Lincoln shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."
"Lucy says it's too 'happy'."
"It is."
"Well," Lincoln said, "what's the song about?"
"Vampires coming out of their graves and drinking human blood," Lucy said.
Lincoln blinked. Lucy, with her black hair and pale skin, could be a strange little girl sometimes.
"I guess if that's what it's about, it does sound too happy."
"Ha," Lucy said.
Luna sighed. "Alright. We'll start over."
"Hey, Linc," Luan said suddenly. "Wanna hear a dirty joke?"
Lincoln blinked again. He liked dirty jokes as much as the next kid, but not from his sister.
Before he could reply, Luan followed through with, "Pig fell in the mud!"
That was one of the oldest jokes in book, but Lincoln had to admit, she got him. "Nice one."
"Wanna hear a clean joke?"
"What?"
"Pig took a bath!"
Lincoln laughed even though it wasn't funny. Luna simply sighed and shook her head.
"Watch out, Comedy Central," Lincoln said.
Luan smiled prettily. "Thank you. I am good, aren't I?"
In his room, Lincoln sat on his bed and took his shoes off. Then he laid back and took a comic book out from under his pillow. He read by golden afternoon sunshine, and everything was right in the world.
