As Lincoln stepped inside the McBride home Clyde closed the door after him and followed Lincoln into the living room.
"Hey Ronnie Anne what's up? "Lincoln greeted causing her to glance away from the TV screen and gave him a somber expression which puzzled him a little.
Ronnie Anne decided to get straight to the point, "Lincoln, haven't you told me the reason you're not coming to school for a while, is there something you don't want me to know about?" she asked bluntly.
The last few days Lincoln had been unsure about when would be the right time to inform Ronnie Anne about everything leading up to his parents now being on trial. His intention was to head over to Ronnie's house and reveal everything to her after visiting Clyde.
Lincoln sat down on the sofa on Ronnie Anne's left side, "This is hard to say but my parents were arrested for child abuse two weeks ago," causing Ronnie Anne's mouth to almost drop on the carpet.
"What, no, they don't seem like abusive parents," Ronnie Anne blurted out.
Lincoln nodded sadly, then admitted, "Lynn wanted me to attend one of her baseball games since I never went to her previous ones. I really wanted a break from attending my sister's events but my family's expected to support each other. After Lynn's team lost she became upset and blamed me for their loss because they won their previous games. She also banned me from attending future games."
Ronnie Anne gave an unexpected chuckle over Lincoln mentioning Lynn's superstitious belief.
"For real, Lincoln I know your sisters can be a little nutty and overbearing but that's just crazy thinking her team didn't win because of you," she declared.
Unbeknownst to the friends, at the moment Harold McBride walked out the master bedroom having woken up from a nap and stopped in his tracks when he overheard Lincoln speaking.
"I really needed some free time so I pretended I was unlucky by playing along with Lynn when she started telling my other sisters not to invite me to their events. My parents figured I was lying when they overheard me and asked my sisters to help teach me a lesson. I couldn't go to the movies with them and Dad made me eat breakfast alone. They boarded up my room after coming home from the movies and made me sleep on the back porch. The next morning when Lynn had another baseball game I had to convince my family I wasn't bad luck so I waited for everyone to leave then went to the stadium and convinced someone to let me wear the team's mascot suit because it's considered a good luck charm. Lynn's team won which convinced them I wasn't unlucky but I didn't expect they would make me wear the costume on a beach trip that afternoon to prevent bad luck from happening."
Ronnie Anne frowned even deeper, she managed to control her emotions.
"While my family were enjoying themselves two beach officers took me to the security office and called my family over the intercom. My parents explained they were only teaching me a lesson for lying to my sisters and were going to let me take off the suit after a few minutes. The next day the police visited our home and questioned our parents then arrested them. My dad's boss bailed them out a few days later. Their trial started yesterday and that's why I won't be coming to school for a while, I was waiting for the right time to tell you," Lincoln ended.
"I understand Lincoln, well I hope they find your parents not guilty," Ronnie Anne replied.
'We have to go back tomorrow at eleven a.m." Lincoln continued then suddenly the children heard Harold's voice.
"Oh my God, Lincoln sorry but I couldn't help overhearing what you said," Harold blurted out.
"Everything I said is true Mr. McBride," Lincoln responded with a serious tone.
You poor kid, if I'd have known earlier Id have asked Richard to represent you,' Harold exclaimed.
Harold's brother Richard McBride was a defense attorney who represented clients who couldn't afford a lawyer for free.
"Well I have to get home for dinner, see you at school Clyde," Ronnie Anne exclaimed then grabbed her skateboard lying next to the couch.
"Bye Ronnie Anne," Lincoln replied.
Once she departed the two boys began playing video games to pass the time until Lincoln went home.
Ronnie Anne skateboarded on the sidewalk with a frown plastered on her face. Everything that Lincoln revealed went through her mind as she continued home.
"I shouldn't even be surprised that control freak Lori went along with it since she forced the double date on us, Bobby has to know about this," Ronnie Anne fumed.
Every once in a while Lincoln would regale his close friend with examples of his family's extreme behavior. On one occasion Lincoln told her about his father being convinced to trade Vanzilla for a new family van and Lynn Sr. becoming very possessive over the new vehicle named Veronica by not allowing anyone inside it unless they wore booties over their shoes and forbidding his mother Rita and Lori from driving it. Lincoln told her eventually they were able to convince his dad to buy back Vanzilla from the used car lot. Another time he told her about the grocery store incident that caused the family to get banned from shopping there for a while.
Minutes later at the Santiago residence, Bobby dressed in his pizza delivery uniform opened the front door when he saw a fuming Ronnie Anne walking up the porch steps.
What in the world the teenage boy wondered
Bobby stepped aside to allow his sister entrance into the house then asked her, "I hope you didn't get into a fight mija."
Ronnie Anne looked him straight in the eyes and blurted out, "Lincoln just told me his meathead sister Lynn invited him to one of her baseball games and became upset when they lost and accused him of making them lose because he didn't go to her previous games. That girlfriend of yours and his family then made him wear a mascot suit on the beach for pretending he was bad luck because he wanted a break from attending his sister's activities. He was rescued by two beach officers and his family were called into the office to explain themselves. The next day his parents were arrested for child abuse. Their trial started on Thursday and that's why Lincoln is not coming to school for a while."
Bobby, almost in tears uttered, 'Oh my God why didn't Lori tell me all about this?"
Ronnie Anne stood there, giving her brother an exasperated look
Bobby stood there in stunned silence for a moment before muttering in a flat tone, "I'm going to be late for work," then rushed out the front door.
Some time passed and Lincoln stopped his video game and told Clyde, "It's getting late, see you buddy."
When Lincoln arrived home, Albert walked out from the living room to greet him.
"Glad you're here Linc, could you wait in the living room, I'm calling a family meeting," Albert asked.
Lincoln obeyed and sat beside Luna on the couch while Albert headed upstairs. Rita and Lynn Sr. sat on dining chairs they carried into the living room.
At the moment Lori and Leni were in their bedroom choosing which outfits to wear the next day when Albert knocked on their bedroom door.
"Girls family meeting right now," he called through the closed door.
Lori knitted her brow wondering 'what now.'
When the two older girls were squeezed next to Luna and Lincoln Albert began.
"I just wanted to discuss some things first of which," he glanced over at Lynn Jr., giving her a serious look.
"Junior how could you drag some random kid home because you assumed he was bullying Lincoln, suppose his parents decided to press charges," he scolded the athletic girl.
"Because if someone outside this family messes around with us they must pay with a beatdown," Lynn Jr. replied arrogantly.
"So threatening a total stranger of bullying Lincoln without any proof was okay," Albert proclaimed.
"All right Pop-Pop we made a mistake of jumping to conclusions," Lori said.
The gathering was suddenly interrupted by the doorbell ringing and someone shouting, "Open up Louds this is the police."
A sudden rush of fear overtook the children and Rita and they looked at each other worriedly.
Lynn Sr. rushed towards the door and looked through the keyhole and saw two policemen, one wearing plainclothes standing there on the porch.
"Evening officers may I help you," he answered cheerfully upon opening the door.
The uniform wearing officer greeted Lynn Sr. "Good evening, my name's Officer Brady, and this is Detective Sanders we have authorization to make an additional search of the premises," then presented a warrant to Lynn Sr.
"What for?" the father could only manage to whisper.
"We want to make sure there's no incriminating evidence remaining that could send you to prison," Detective Sanders replied.
They immediately headed upstairs and the first bedroom they stepped in was Lisa's. Detective Sanders immediately noticed Lisa's filing cabinet and saw the words, "Bathroom Log," written on the front on the second drawer.
"Why is this child keeping tabs on the family's bathroom habits," he wondered.
He opened the second drawer and saw a burgundy color journal with the words, "Sister Fight Protocol Rules and Regulations," by Lisa M. Loud in collaboration with Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, and Lola Loud written on the cover.
Swiftly he placed the journal in a backpack he brought along, thinking that information in the book could contain evidence that could find the parents guilty or innocent.
"What the heck," Detective Sanders heard his partner yell and rushed over.
Sure enough he saw Officer Brady holding one of Lisa's slide of fecal matter belonging to Lana and turned up his nose.
"There is definitely something mentally wrong with these children, "Detective Sanders thought and Officer Brady quickly returned the slide back to its place and closed the drawer.
Next Detective Sanders went into Lynn's bedroom while Officer Brady went into Lincoln's. Officer Brady glanced around briefly and noticed the toy airplanes and Ace Savvy posters and the large robot standing on his dresser. They searched under his bed and inside the dresser drawers but found nothing incriminating. Officer Brady glanced at Lincoln's calendar hanging on the door with last month's page still showing with most of the days filled with every single event the Loud sisters participated in that Lincoln was expected to attend.
"Talk about today's kids being overbooked," he thought with dismay, then realized something.
"This could be used as evidence," he thought, before tearing out the page and putting it in his backpack.