A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals

by Alexpv22

This is an anthology series set around Lincoln and his new crew of friends. Each oneshot takes them on a new adventure. There will be laughter, thrills, heartfelt moments and even a little romance here and there. So, if you're anxious for more Gal Pals goodness; come and join the fun

36. Spring Breakup with the Gal Pals

Spring Breakup with the Gal Pals

(Story Summary: SPRING ARC FINALE! Spring is on its way and along with it, Spring Break; a time for fun, merriment and just hanging out with your closest friends. But for Lincoln, this year's Break is special; it's the one-year anniversary of when he first got close with his new friends, the Gal Pals. However, he receives some news that could very well bring a complete halt on his plans)

At Royal Woods Junior High, it was the last week of classes before Spring Break and many students were abuzz with joy. Some were already discussing potential plans to celebrate, while others were simply counting down the moments till they'd be able to head home and rest their weary brains. However, our story isn't about them; it concerns a certain white-haired young man.

Instead of joining with his peers in making up plans for the upcoming break, we find Lincoln sitting outside of Principal Ramirez's office door; looking tired, beaten and on the brink of tears. Not too far away, Meryl can be seen typing away at a computer; perhaps either working on some school related business...or checking on her Social Media page on the sly. Whatever she was doing; every now and again, there were moments where Meryl would cast a sad glance Lincoln's way.

"Y'all sure you're still doin' okay, sugar bun" she asked kindly, "y'all don't need to go to the nurse's office before goin' in?" Without saying a word, Lincoln simply shook his head "no" in reply; which only seemed to make Meryl feel even more concerned. Seeking to help lift his spirits, she decided to offer up one of the small caramel candies she kept at her desk; like Miss Rains did in her office.

But unfortunately, Lincoln shot down the offer; softly proclaiming "I don't deserve it." With this idea down the drain, Meryl had no choice but to continue with her paperwork; all while praying for some outside force to watch over the "lil' darlin'." In time, Lincoln caught sight of the "viewer" looking at him (so to speak) and he waved at them slightly.

"Hey, guys...no doubt you're all wondering what's goin' on, right" he asked, "well...as you can see, this week hasn't been one of the best of times for me." Just as he was about to explain his situation, the office door opened and Principal Ramirez gestured for Lincoln to come inside. With a heavy sigh, his head hanging low and his arms dangling loosely at his sides; he sadly slinked his way into the room.

Upon taking a seat inside, Lincoln looked ahead and saw that Ramirez wasn't the only one sitting with him. Joining their talk was Miss Rain, Vice Principal Baskerville, Officer Kazinsky and (much to his shock) his parents. In an instant, Lincoln's earlier sorrow swiftly gave way to fear and terror; something that he hadn't felt since the "family incident" that happened last year.

Soon; his heart started pounding violently in his chest, his breathing became frantic, his arms were quivering and he started to sweat so violently that his shirt became more like a moist towel. Naturally, Mr. and Mrs. Loud were the first to take action with the latter taking Lincoln by his shoulders and staring him square in the eye.

"Honey...Honey, please; you need to calm down" Rita said in a firm yet nurturing tone, "you're not in any trouble...yet, we just want to talk." Of course, a part of Lincoln's mind already knew this...but after everything he experienced in his first year of Middle School alone; he couldn't help but feel anxious. "W-W-What's Officer Kazinsky doing here" Lincoln asked, "where are the others?"

After taking a moment to allow the Loud Parents to give their son a replacement shirt, the aforementioned officer explained that the "Babes in Blue" (Higgins, Simmons and Campos) were currently dealing with some business in the cafeteria; business that seemed to involve Lincoln, somehow. "Since they'll be busy for a bit, I decided to sit in for 'em" Kazinsky stated, "don't worry, kid; I ain't as mean as I look." While this bit of news gave him some comfort, Lincoln confessed it wasn't the officer he was afraid of; it was his parents.

"Honey, we're not here to punish you and neither are your principals" Rita assured, "we just want to get an understanding about what happened to you." With that said, Mx. Baskerville chimed in and said that they always felt that Lincoln was a rather good student. "While the lad's anxieties have got the better of him from time to time, this past year; he always did what he could to remain on the up and up" they stated, "he obeys class rules, he respects school property, he is mindful of his peers...with a few exceptions here and there."

Not long after this was said, a familiar voice called out in the waiting area proclaiming "IT'S MORE THAN A FEW EXCEPTIONS, WHERE LOUD IS CONCERNED!" Straightaway, Lincoln recognized it as the voice of his new "personal school bully;" Biff Packard. But at the moment, no one else seemed to understand why the young man seemed so bitter.

This was one of several matters Principal Ramirez and those present hoped to learn about before the day was through. But much to their surprise; Lincoln simply fell to his knees, held up his hands together (as if asking to be cuffed) and proclaimed he was "guilty." "It's my fault this all happened, just like last year" he mumbled sadly, "I let my personal drama get in the way of my life and look what happened!"

While those like Miss Rain and the Loud Parents felt the mention of personal drama seemed like a breakthrough, they had little reason to celebrate. The physical and emotional state Lincoln was currently in seemed to radiate with (as the former would put it) bad vibes. "Dearie...Listen to us, no one here is going to punish you" Mx. Baskerville insisted softly, "we just want to talk; help lighten your load, if you will."

After this, Miss Rain suggested to Lincoln that he take some cleansing breaths before continuing; which he did. After almost twenty seconds of meditative breathing, the boy finally felt calm enough to talk again. "Good, we're all finally getting somewhere" Principal Ramirez sighed with relief, "now...all we want to know is what happened to you this week."

Not long after this, Rita interjected in saying how surprised she was by what she heard on the phone. "Earlier on, you couldn't stop talking about your Spring Break plans with your friends" she stated, "you were especially excited to share the gift you made for your Gal Pals clique." Upon hearing mention of a gift, the Principal and Vice Principal felt intrigued and asked what it was Lincoln made.

"All due respect, it's a surprise specifically for the ladies" the boy murmured, "well...most of them anyway." Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Lincoln cleared his throat and decided to tell them everything; starting from earlier that week on Sunday.

(Line Break)

As the scene shifts back several days, we find Lincoln in his bedroom; happily humming a jolly tune while wrapping up a rather large box in decorative wrapping paper. Once finished, he gently placed the decorative bow at the center and whistled with approval. "This looks too nice to even open up" he thought to himself, "but...when the moment arrives, it will be and I can't wait to see the crew's faces when they look at my gift!"

No sooner had he said this, a soft electronic sound rang out from Lincoln's laptop; which he recognized as the video chat phone ring. With a startled gasp, he made a desperate attempt to try and find a place to hide his package. But unfortunately, there was no such space available (in his room at least.) Thus, the only thing he could do was hide it underneath a pile of laundry.

Unfortunately for Lincoln; just as he was about to do this, the web chat screen suddenly turned on and the first thing some of the Gal Pals saw was Lincoln sticking his hands in a laundry pile. "Oooh! Boy, what you think you're doin'" Ellie called out with a playful smile, "you ain't tryin' to find some undies to wear under all that, is ya?" Without hesitation, the other Gals suddenly laughed out loud at this little joke; albeit in a friendly way.

Lincoln simply rolled his eyes at them and said that he was doing his best to keep something secret, something he claimed was a big surprise. "A surprise you say, I'm intrigued" Haiku murmured with a soft grin, "may we have a clue as to what it is?" With a coy smile upon his face, Lincoln decreed that he wouldn't reveal the surprise until the first day of break.

"AWW! Seriously, dude" groaned Paige, "that's still a week away...can't you give us just the teeniest, tiniest hint?" Despite feeling slightly guilty in having to keep a secret from his friends, Lincoln shook his head and told the ladies to be patient. "Well, whatever the surprise is; I know we'll love it" Dana proclaimed, "now, on to business; has anyone come up with any plans for what to do over break?"

Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, everyone started blurting out all sort of ideas for Spring Break fun. Of course; many of these were quite familiar to Lincoln like a party down at Aloha Beach, one of Jordan's iconic pool parties, a trip to Great Lakes to say hi to all their city friends and so on. However, at one point in the discussion; Lincoln suddenly noticed that something was missing (or rather, someone.)

He looked at the top right of the screen and saw an open space beside Becky's chat window. Straightaway, he knew/remembered that this particular spot would be filled by the self-appointed leader of the Gal Pals (and Lincoln's top tier legal guardian,) Carol Pingrey. "This is weird, you guys" he suddenly blurted out, "Carol's usually the first to join our group calls...but she's yet to give me a ring."

No sooner had he said this; Becky, Dana and Whitney suddenly grew rather uneasy. It didn't take long for everyone else to notice this change in the trio's behavior and they wasted no time in asking what was wrong. "Carol isn't sick again, is she" inquired Haiku, "I know of some herbal healing brews my Nanna taught me that might help her."

While still feeling a little tense, Becky shook her head and assured her Goth pal that no one was sick; much less Carol. "I'm sure she'll be with us shortly, everyone" Whitney assured, "her mom must need her help with something back at home." Becky and Dana both sided with their friend's story, all while keeping nervous grins on their faces.

Now, Lincoln was no fool and neither were any of the other Gals; despite being younger than them. So, while their story seemed believable on the surface; they could immediately sense that something was up. But just before any of them could speak up, Paige chimed in first; mentioning something about Carol "packing up."

"Wait a minute, 'packing up...' what are you talking about, Paige" Cici inquired, "you mean like packing up her backpack or...something else?" In an instant, the young preteen suddenly realized her error and clasped both her hands over her mouth. Meanwhile, Becky gave a slight groan of frustration and shouted angrily at her door; saying something about "wanting to be delicate" about Carol.

"What are you guys talking about" Lincoln asked worriedly, "what's going on...is Carol safe, did something happen?!" The three teens looked at one another (or more specifically, their screens) and then back at Lincoln with nervous looks, feeling unsure of what to say next. Then, at that moment; everyone suddenly heard an electronic phone ring sound going off.

It was here that they saw Carol's video chat ID appear, which pictured an image of her lifting Lincoln up off the ground in the biggest sisterly hug. Naturally, the ladies all thought this was cute while the boy in question simply blushed shyly at the image. After finally answering and adding her into the group call, the friend group all greeted Carol with joyful cries and/or jolly waves.

But instead of extending similar greetings unto them, the self-appointed leader of the crew looked at her screen and gave a weary "meh." At first, some of them believed that Carol truly was sick again while the rest thought she may have just had a rough night sleeping. Upon further inspection, Lincoln also noticed mascara trails on her cheeks; which meant that she might've also been crying.

"Carol, are you...upset about something" he asked warily, "did you drop your cellphone and break it, did someone get hurt...are you hurt, by chance?!" Within seconds, the rest of the Gal Pals started asking Carol if she was okay and while she did appreciate their concern; it was all getting rather overwhelming. So, after giving a bit of a shrill whistle; everyone immediately stopped talking and blushed in unified embarrassment.

"Whoops...Sorry about that" murmured Dana, "we got a little carried away again, didn't we?" After responding with a soft nod; Carol said that while she appreciated everyone's concern, she couldn't concentrate with so many voices talking at once. "Again, we're sorry about that; especially me" Lincoln chuckled shyly, "we just...we love each other so much, right; that means anytime one of us is in trouble...we can't help but worry."

Carol smiled softly at her friend/ward, kissed her fingertips and lightly pressed them on her laptop screen over Lincoln's image. Afterwards, she went on to explain the reason why she looked so out of sorts; which seemed to involve a bit of "big news." "I...don't think I'll be able to join you for Spring Break, everybody" she said sadly, "because I've just found out...I'll be leaving for college soon."

(Line Break)

As the scene flash forward to the present, the adults were seen staring silently at Lincoln; who appeared to be on the verge of tears upon remembering Carol's big news. After a brief period of silence, Mx. Baskerville cleared their throat and said they fully understood Lincoln's dilemma thus far. "Seeing someone leave for college education is not an easy moment for anyone" they stated, "be they a friend or a family member."

Upon hearing this, Rita Loud decided to offer up her two cents on the matter; confessing that she had seen this kind of behavior once before. "When Lincoln's older sister, Lori left for college back in September; we were all pretty sad to see her go" she murmured, "especially me and Lynn...but mostly Lynn." The Loud Patriarch gasped dramatically in shock, upon hearing his wife use his emotions as an example for their current situation; claiming there was no crime against a father seeing their eldest child "leave the nest" (as the saying goes.)

"That may be true, Sir" murmured Officer Kazinsky, "but I was in the station when I saw you hanging on to the bumper of your daughter's car...that is a crime." Lynn Sr. blushed profusely, after being reminded of what he did on the day Lori left and he begged the policeman to not send him to prison for it. But then, Officer Kazinsky smiled at him and said he fully understood the reason why it all happened.

"When my baby girl left for college two years back, I thought up the idea of cuffing her in her bedroom and swallowing the key" he said with a chuckle, "but my wife told me if I did do that, she'd force-feed me Ipecac and make me spew the key back out." Now, in the past; Lincoln wasn't all that familiar with the aforementioned substance before. But one day, Lily had swallowed a large carrot tip her dad forgot to throw away and almost choked.

Straightaway, Lisa offered to use some Ipecac to help "expel the obstruction;" as she put it. But the family quickly shot down the idea, describing it as both a gross and undignified method of helping her baby sister. Naturally, Lori was able to get the carrot piece out of Lily the old fashioned way; with the Heimlich.

But before Lincoln's mind could dwell any further on the memory, Principal Ramirez chimed in and reminded everyone that they were getting off-track. "Right, sorry about that" Kazinsky chuckled softly, "my point is, I know how distressing it feels to see someone you care about leaving you." While Lincoln very much appreciated the fact the officer understood his pain, both he and his mother quickly added that things were a bit more complicated than that.

"See...Miss Pingrey was the very first to come to Lincoln's aid, while he was out by his lonesome" Rita stated, "along with her main group of fellow teens as well." Principal Ramirez held up her hand slightly to stop Mrs. Loud's train of thought, after hearing this; reminding her that the school was already well aware of what went down between Lincoln and his new friend group. "Yes, of course; sorry" murmured Rita, "my point is both Miss Pingrey and everyone else in the group they created helped my son through some...really troubling times."

Once more, the principal reiterated her familiarity with the events in question; adding that she was particularly familiar with the emotional trauma Lincoln was struggling with. "Mr. Loud, I hope you won't think this invasive" Ramirez said cautiously, "but...do you remember the time you and your friends visited the Tranquil Springs Spa last Spring?" Much to everyone's delight, a smile slowly formed on Lincoln's face; even though it was a small one.

Sensing that they were making progress, Principal Ramirez revealed that Coach Keck was one of the women present down at the salon area during the day in question. "In addition to this, Bolhofner was also visiting the spa that day" she added, "both of whom heard of everything Lincoln shared with the people he was with." This bit of news came as a rather big shock for Lincoln, who didn't even realize (at the time) that people from Middle School were present at the spa that day.

"My point is...we know full well just how much people like Ms. Pingrey have helped you emotionally, young man" Principal Ramirez stated, "so, we can understand why her leaving affected you so much." Rather than feel comforted by his principal's words, Lincoln simply let out a heavy sigh of shame; calling himself a "complete emotional mess." Rita and Lynn gasped in horror at their son's words, insisting that he was "many things" but a mess certainly wasn't one of them.

"I concur with your parents, lad" Mx. Baskerville said with a kind smile, "in spite of everything that's happened, you have otherwise been a rather good student in our eyes." Feeling both intrigued and worried by the VP's words, Lynn asked what sort of things happened to his son during the school year. "Well...I imagine you and your wife must be already quite familiar with some of these events already" Principal Ramirez stated, "such examples include an incident involving our newest teacher, Mr. Matthews, the 'Identity Crisis' Lincoln faced earlier in March and his rather...'eventful' first day at school."

In spite of himself, Lincoln couldn't help but shudder with disgust at the mention of the incidents in question. Of course, it was the reminder of his (for lack of better words) bumpy first day of school that really made him cringe. Alarmed by her son's emotional state, Rita took him in her arms and gave a most loving hug; hoping it would help calm him down.

When Principal Ramirez finally caught sight of what was going on, she quickly apologized. "It's quite alright, Ma'am; you had no other choice" Lincoln said softly, "but could we...focus a bit more on what happened more recently, instead of reopening old wounds?" Everyone smiled softly at the boy and fully agreed to his request, expressing their own desires to not think about the aforementioned moments as well.

After that, Mx. Baskerville offered to continue with the next part of the story; claiming they had seen "a good portion" of what happened. "It all began just days ago" they explained, "according to some students; the moment he entered, Lincoln appeared so downtrodden that it looked as though he had a rain cloud looming over head."

(Line Break)

With his head hanging low and his arms dangling at his sides, Lincoln trudged his way down the halls of the school at a snail's pace. He didn't even notice anyone speed-walking passed him, nor did he notice the snickering and stares the other students were giving him. In his mind, all he could hear was the bombshell news Carol dropped yesterday evening.

Of course, the rest of the Gal Pals were just as shocked by it; especially Carol's main crew. "Leaving...already? B-But we thought you still had some time left" Becky's voice cried in Lincoln's head, "we thought your first day wouldn't be until the end of April or something!" After taking a moment to wipe away a stray tear, Lincoln's mind continued to play the rest of the bitter memory for the umpteenth time that morning.

According to Carol, the college over in Huntington Oaks was eager to welcome in its newest students. As such, her parents felt that now was as good of a time as any to for her to go. Of course, Carol thought differently; claiming that it felt too soon to leave.

But all too quickly, Mr. Pingrey reminded her just how long and hard he worked to try and get her enrolled in time for the new semester. Thus, now seemed like the perfect time to get ready to leave...and Mrs. Pingrey couldn't help but agree; much to Carol's dismay. "I tried and tried to figure out a way to work around my parents' logic" her voice murmured in Lincoln's mind, "but...they're both right, now is the best time as any for me to start college."

At this point, the tears Lincoln tried to hold back started to slip down his cheeks more presently. Every so often, students in the hall who saw Lincoln would see them drop to the floor; which made some of them feel concerned. Unfortunately, not everyone at school was quite so empathic about the boy's emotional state; as Lincoln would soon find out.

(Scene Change: Ms. Pham's Biology Class)

It was Dissection Day over at Ms. Pham's class, something no one who attended felt eager to get involved in; Lincoln especially. But due to his current emotional state, it didn't seem to matter that much to him. He didn't even care about the fact that Clyde was chosen to be his partner.

On the one hand, this was a "good" thing because it gave the two "best bros" a chance to spend time together at school. But on the other hand, Clyde wished they were doing something less gross for class; like sharing notes or experimenting with plants. However, a small voice in the McBride boy's mind told him not to worry; so long as he had a "tough dude" like Lincoln working beside him, Dissection Day wouldn't feel...too unnerving for him.

In time, Ms. Pham started handing out frogs to her students; many of whom either cringed at the sight of the creature (for one reason or another) or felt a strong queasy sensation swirling violently inside of them. But for Lincoln; when he took his tools in hand and stared down at the frog, he froze. His blade was a mere three inches away from cutting into the flesh...but Lincoln couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Poor little guy, look at him" a voice murmured sadly in his head, "he didn't ask for this...to be taken away from his home, his family...his friends just to be cut open like a grape fruit." The moment these thoughts entered his head, Lincoln's imagination suddenly started to project himself in the frog's place. Soon, "Frog Lincoln" started calling out for help as loudly as it could...but no one heard him.

Then, as he looked up to the skies and begged for someone to come save him; he suddenly saw the faces of his friends (who were also in frog form.) "Guys...please, you gotta help me (ribbit)" Frog Lincoln cried, "I'm gonna get cut open like a Thanksgiving turkey here...HELP!" At first, he expected them all to hurry over and save him...instead, Frog Lincoln's friends all just hung their heads low and frowned.

Frog Jordan: "Sorry Lincoln, wish we could help."

Frog Stella: "I can't, we're moving to another pond again (ribbit)"

Frog Tonya: "You're a tough toad, kid...you can figure a way outta this."

Frog Phoebe: "Sorry, dude; I've got my own problems."

At that moment, a spotlight suddenly turns on from out of nowhere; revealing Phoebe in some sort of aquarium. At first, this didn't seem all that bad...until Frog Lincoln spotted a French chef walking towards it. He tried harder and harder to tell Phoebe to hop out of there but she couldn't hear him.

He could only watch helplessly as the chef's hand plunged into the water and snatch Phoebe up in his tight grip. Then, just when things couldn't seem to get any worse; Frog Lincoln looked upwards and saw a sight that made him go white with fear. When the chef and their associates stepped into the light, he saw that they each looked like devilish versions of his schoolyard bullies; Biff in particular.

"Ho-ho! Come along, little frog" the chef cackled evilly, "we've got some hungry customers outside looking for some succulent Frogs Legs...and yours are just right!" Poor Lincoln could only watch, as the chefs carried his friend away. Then, he looked in the aquarium and noticed that one of the frogs was gone.

"Where's Carol, guys" Frog Lincoln called out desperately, "did she escape or did they..." Before he had the chance to finish, Frog Haiku let out a soft croak and revealed Carol had left the aquarium long ago. "It happened just after you were chosen to be dissected" she stated, "strangest thing...someone picked her out of the tank, kissed her and she turned into a human."

Before Lincoln had the chance to question the absurdity of her friend's explanation, a light turned on and he saw Carol standing over him. "Oh, man; am I happy to see you, Carol" he sighed with relief, "please...you gotta let me out, they're gonna kill me!" At first, Lincoln expected his friend/guardian to immediately come to his rescue; just as she had done before.

But instead, she simply looked down at both him and her former aquarium home...and laughed haughtily. "I'm sorry, everyone but I've got better things to do" Carol said in a snobbish tone, "since I've left the tank, I've moved on to bigger and better things." Naturally, Frog Lincoln felt confused and alarmed by this; unsure if the girl standing over him was really Carol.

"Please...you've gotta help us" he begged sadly, "we're your friends and we always stick together...right?" Almost immediately; Carol slipped on a pair of sunglasses, wished her "former friends" a bitter goodbye and made her way over to a long limousine. Upon boarding it, she urged the drive her to bring her back to Huntington Manor; proclaiming she was desperate to return home to a more "civilized" environment.

"No, please...Carol, don't leave me" Frog Lincoln begged, "I need your help, please...HELP!" The instant his frog self cried out for help, the real Lincoln suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder; causing him to snap out of his daydream. However, at the same time; this also led to him throwing the scalpel he was holding up in the air.

After he finally came to his senses, seconds later; Lincoln did his best to safely catch the tool in his hands. But he didn't want to risk getting himself cut by accident; thus, it looked as though he was juggling it in the air like a clown. Eventually, Ms. Pham caught sight of this display and gave a firm glare at Lincoln.

"Mr. Loud, that is not to be played with" she said sternly, "stop this nonsense and get back to work!" Despite his rather awkward situation, Lincoln didn't want to displease his teacher any further and quickly stopped trying to catch the scalpel. But then, as a result of this sudden decision; the cutting tool went falling down and struck at the tip of Lincoln's left foot.

Mere seconds later, he started hopping about the classroom on one foot; all while clutching at his sore one in both hands. Nearly half the class started laughing uproariously at Lincoln's pain, while the remainder did whatever they could to calm him down. When Ms. Pham finally managed to reestablish order in her class, she took Lincoln by his shoulders and stopped him in his tracks; all while asking to take a look at his foot.

When she got close enough, the biology teacher was pleased to see that the tip of the scalpel had only grazed Lincoln's big toe and aside from the hole in his shoe; nothing else was penetrated. "Everything seems to be okay here" she murmured, "but you need to be careful, Mr. Loud; we've discussed the proper method of using dissection tools many times before." With his head hanging low with shame and his cheeks glowing a soft red, Lincoln apologized to Ms. Pham and returned to his seat.

Not long after that, however; some of the jerks in his class started throwing out words of mockery at poor Lincoln. "Nice job, Loud" Pablo chuckled snidely, "but you're supposed to be cutting the frog open, not yourself!" The Eighth Grader's friends (Taylor and Anderson) joined in on the laughter, seizing the opportunity to "remind" Lincoln how much of a klutz he was.

Of course this didn't go on for very long; after giving a shrill whistle and demanding the class' attention, Ms. Pham warned that the next person to disrupt the class would receive extra homework for a month. "Now...I know you children don't want to work during Spring Break, right" she asked, earning a few nods from the students; "then, let us continue." With that said, Pham asked for everyone to continue with the Dissection lesson as planned; except for Lincoln.

"If you don't feel comfortable with this, just study Chapters eighteen through twenty-one in your textbook" she stated, "and be sure to take notes." Lincoln sighed softly and thanked his teacher for the suggestion, promising that he would keep silent until the bell rang from then on.

(Line Break)

"And that was just in Ms. Pham's class...on Monday morning" Lincoln called out in exasperation, "the rest of the day didn't pan out any better for me, let alone the rest of the week." Before he continued with the rest of his story, Lincoln asked if someone would be kind enough to give him something to drink. "Of course, dearie; of course" Mx. Baskerville replied, "Meryl, would you be a dear and bring us some refreshments...we might all be a while here."

Outside the office door; the office receptionist answered the request with a hearty "can do, y'all" and went to work. Almost ten seconds later, Meryl entered the conference room with a collection of water bottles in her arms; which she then proceeded to hand over to everyone. "Ever swift and vigilant as always" Principal Ramirez said, "thank you, Meryl; that will be all for now."

Everyone else extended their own thanks unto the receptionist, with Lincoln softly adding that her giving him some water was "the nicest thing to happen to him all week." Meryl smiled warmly at everyone, extended her appreciation for their kind words and was just about to return to her desk. But before she left, she gave Lincoln a soft pat on the shoulder and urged him to keep his chin up.

"Don't look so glum, sugar bun" she said kindly, "soon, y'all can put this nasty business behind ya and relax." While he truly appreciated the sentiment, Lincoln shook his head and proclaimed to Meryl that there was little chance of moving past everything that's happened. "About that, honey...we don't want to pressure you or anything" Rita murmured, "but what else happened to you this week?"

After taking a sip of his water to calm his nerves, Lincoln decided to continue on with the rest of his story. "As bad as Monday was, Tuesday didn't go any better for me" he grumbled, "first off, the snack machine in the hall wouldn't give me the bag of gummis I wanted; which meant it practically ate my dollar." Upon hearing this reveal, Principal Ramirez let out a sigh and shook her head; remembering all of the other times the machine failed to operate properly.

"Then, I had trouble getting my locker open" Lincoln grumbled, "I spent almost five minutes fiddling with my combination that by the time I did get it to open...the late bell rang." To prove his words were true, the disgruntled Loud boy reached into his backpack and brought out a pink notice. At first, Lynn Sr. and Rita thought their son had received a detention that day.

But then, they quickly remembered that he came home on the bus on time. "So, wait...hold on a minute" Lynn muttered confusedly, "if this isn't a detention slip, what is it?" With a heavy heart, Principal Ramirez revealed that the notice was for detention; just a different kind. "As I recall; his teacher, Mr. Guggenheimer, gave him Lunch Detention for being tardy" she stated, "which meant he was expected to each lunch in his classroom, instead of going to the cafeteria."

The Loud Parents each heaved out a sigh of relief, feeling happy that their son's punishment was only minor. But when they saw the look on Lincoln's face, their joyful expressions became grim once more. It was then revealed by Mx. Baskerville that the lunch room was serving burgers, which was something Lincoln was sorely looking forward to.

As such, he chose not to ask his father to pack a lunch for him and as a result; he spent the entire Lunch Detention on an empty stomach. "But...But what about Mr. Guttenheimer" Rita inquired, "didn't he have anything to offer you something to eat?" As if expecting that this would be brought up, Lincoln revealed that his teacher did offer him something to eat.

Unfortunately, all he had on hand was a peanut butter and pickle sandwich and a fun-sized bag of potato sticks. Reluctantly, Lincoln went with the latter option; despite the fact that it wouldn't be very filling for him. But at the very least, it was a bit more appetizing than the teacher's sandwich.

"After lunch, we went to Gym" he muttered bitterly, "and as much as my grumbling stomach irritated me, I was about to be met with something worse." When asked what could've been worse than going to his next class hungry, Lincoln answered with only two simple words; "Dodgeball Day." "On my best days, I'm actually pretty good on the court" he confessed, "especially when I'm working alongside my friends...and our trusty 'Scorpion Formation.'"

Before anyone had a chance to question him about it; Lincoln explained it was a sort of "battle formation" his friend, Stella came up with for Dodgeball games. "It's really helped my team out whenever we play" he said with a light chuckle, "and Stella throws dodgeballs harder than even Lynn can." Lynn Sr. and Rita gasped softly at this, feeling surprised that one of Lincoln's friends could actually hold their own against Junior; who seemed near undefeated in anything related to sports.

Meanwhile, the principal and vice principal nodded to each other in silence; all while writing down some notes on a notepad. At the same time, Officer Kazinsky felt curious to know more behind the events of the past week; for one reason or another. "What happened next, Mr. Loud" he asked, "what else happened to you that eventually led to your...current state?"

For a moment or two, Lincoln said nothing until he took a brief look at his reflection on the reflective surface of the table. His hair was mussed up, his cowlick had a few tears, his left eye was swollen and his undies were pulled up so high that they covered up his chest. He had a pair of bruises on his cheeks, he had a tear on he right side of his shirt and he appeared to be wearing only one shoe.

After taking a moment to properly examine her son's appearance, Rita gave the principals a fierce glare and shouted "WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!" "Yeah, who's the punk who did this to my boy" Lynn demanded, "how could you let this happen?!" With her arms held up defensively, Principal Ramirez proclaimed that she was just as shocked as the Louds were about Lincoln's state.

"Apparently, this happened mere moments ago in the cafeteria" she said while gesturing at Lincoln, "but...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Miss Rain nodded slightly in agreement and reminded everyone that there was still more to the story they needed to know. "Why don't we start up again from the dodgeball game on Tuesday" she suggested, "do you feel up to talking about that, dear?"

After taking a moment to consider his options, Lincoln realized that everything needed to come out into the open; no matter how painful. So, he took another swig of his water and started up his story where he last left off; Dodgeball Day at Gym.

(Line Break)

All around there was screaming, cries of terror and the sounds of rubber crashing into things echoing through out the gymnasium. The instant Coach Keck blew her whistle, the dodgeball game went underway and it was every student for themselves. On one end of the Gym, Team One launched wave after wave of powerful throws; all while laughing victoriously from any direct hits they made.

On the other side, some members of Team Two were desperately trying to collect the balls that missed them; hoping to make some sort of retaliation. Other students on the team, meanwhile chose to run in terror; not wishing to be hurt by their classmates. At the moment, Lincoln seemed to be a mix between the two groups.

Initially, he wanted to help out his teammates by either attempting to protect them or try and collect a few dodgeballs to use as "ammunition." But since he missed lunch, Lincoln was too hungry and tired to move quick enough to do either one of those options. As a result, he became yet another target for the opposing team to "wail on."

Normally, Lincoln would be able to face this sort of situation with his usual moxy. But due to his current physical and emotional state, playing Dodgeball felt like a death sentence. Naturally, his friends were there to do whatever they could to keep him out of the line of fire; either by shielding him or fighting back.

But even after Stella instructed everyone to perform their Scorpion Formation, it wasn't quite as effective as before. "Hey, buddy; are you feeling okay" Clyde asked with concern, "you look a little peaked." The other Guys echoed their friend's inquiry, all while doing their best not to get hit by dodgeballs.

In that moment, Lincoln wanted nothing more than to share all of his issues with his crew. But before he could say anything, Stella quickly butted in; urging the boys to get their heads in the game. "She's right, now's not the best time to talk or get distracted" Lincoln thought to himself, "just...try and stay alive until the bell rings."

With that, he gave his face a quick yet hard slap; hoping it would clear the bad vibes out of his head. But all it did was make his cheek sore, in the end. Then, Lincoln spotted something that almost made his hair stand on end.

It was Biff, clenching a dodgeball tightly in his arms and charging straight for him like a mad bull. Behind him was Vicky, Anderson, Taylor and Pablo; all of whom appeared just as vicious. However, Lincoln was surprised to see that Mordecai wasn't among Biff's posse.

"Maybe he managed to get himself excused from the game, somehow" he thought to himself, "in which case...he's one of the lucky ones." Just then, Biff gave a vicious yell of rage and threw his ball with all his might. With a fearful yelp, Lincoln quickly dodged the attack but couldn't afford to take a breath just yet.

Mere seconds later, the rest of the bully group unleashed a volley of dodgeballs straight for him; which looked like a cluster of cannonballs being fired, in Lincoln's eyes. All time seemed to slow down, as the rubber balls neared ever closer to Lincoln's face. Then, as either a miracle or a stroke of luck; he was suddenly pushed aside to safety.

Despite his rather unceremonious fall, Lincoln recovered almost seconds later and saw that it was his Godbrother and Godsisters who saved him. "You okay there, friendo" Ellie asked while helping Lincoln to his feet, "you all looked like a deer caught in the headlights, you was so scared." Before Lincoln could make any sort of response, Tonya gave a shout-out and told her friends to focus.

"She's right, y'all; we ain't gonna let these punks take us down without a fight, are we" Omar asked with a smile, "let's show them what we've got!" In spite of his initial physical and mental exhaustion, hearing his friend's words of encouragement gave Lincoln just the push he needed to get back in the game. Once his team properly armed themselves with dodgeballs, the tide swiftly turned in their favor...for a brief period.

Eventually, the only people left on the court were Lincoln and Biff; the latter of which looked pretty fierce in spite of his exhaustion. Lincoln was also feeling a little tired but he wasn't going down without a fight. "The sooner I take Biff out, the game will be over and I can finally rest" he whispered under his breath, "I can do this...right?"

As much as he tried to bring out any semblance of confidence he had; the discomfort Lincoln was feeling both in mind, body and spirit completely put out his fire. Meanwhile, Biff still appeared as intimidating as ever despite the sweat dripping off of him. Although Lincoln was...somewhat used to the jock's behavior towards him during the majority of the school year; this time, he seemed different.

His teeth were grinding, his arm muscles tightened and there seemed to be a great fire burning in his eyes; something Lincoln hadn't seen since...his "brief falling out" with his family last year. Of course, once this notion came to mind; Lincoln suddenly feared the worst and started to believe Biff wanted to genuinely hurt him.

But just as he was about to call for a timeout, Coach Keck blew her whistle and the game resumed. "Get ready, Loud...because it all ends here" Biff roared, "time to finally make you suffer!" With that decree, he suddenly rushed towards the dodgeball placed in the center of the gym floor.

At the same time, Lincoln also tried to make a run for the ball; pushing himself with all the energy he had left. But just when it seemed he was within arms reach of it, Lincoln suddenly slipped on a small puddle of sweat that was on the floor. As a result, he tumbled clumsily across the floor until he collided with the wall on the other side of the gym.

Thankfully, Coach Keck hung a foam mat up on that wall; which was meant to protect it whenever the class played games like Basketball or Kickball. In any case, this made Lincoln's aforementioned collision...a little less painful. But the crash knocked all the wind and energy he had left right out of him, thus leaving Lincoln a tired heap.

Not wishing to see their friend get hurt or get taken out of the game, the Guys and Gals each tried to call out to him; hoping to get his attention.

Dolores: "C'mon, chamaco; you have to keep moving!"

Clyde: "Get up, buddy...c'mon, you can do it!"

Rusty: "Dude, you gotta hurry before Biff makes his move!"

Jordan: "You've gotta get up, Lincoln; please!"

Cristina: "Hurry, Lincoln...HURRY!"

Ellie: "You're tougher than this, Linc; c'mon, show that pretty boy what for!"

Omar: "You gotta wake up, man; c'mon!"

Eventually; their words finally reached Lincoln's ears, giving him just enough strength within him to move. But unfortunately, he was so weak and tired that the best he can do was sit himself up on the heels of his feet; something Miss Rain and Paige's grandmother called the "Seiza Position." "C'mon, Loud...you've gotta move" Lincoln thought to himself, "just...slowly move your leg."

Ever so slowly, he moved his left leg forward; setting himself in a more kneeling position. But before Lincoln could move any further, he suddenly felt something hollow yet still quite strong hit him square in the face. The aforementioned blow sent Lincoln tumbling across the floor; where he, once again slammed into the padded part of the gym wall.

Lincoln's team cringed loudly with disgust, distressed by both his rather painful situation and the fact that their side lost the Dodgeball game. "Well, looks like we got ourselves a winner" Coach Keck stated, "everybody dust yourselves off and hit the..." Just as she was about to dismiss the class for the day, the repeated sounds of bouncing rubber suddenly interrupted the gym coach's train of thought.

At first, she thought it was someone messing around with the dodgeballs; as in playing with them like children's toys. Instead, she and the other students looked across the room looked ahead and saw an abysmal sight. There Lincoln was; lying on the floor, crying pitifully with fear and curled up into a protective fetal position.

At the same time, everyone also spotted Biff; who was viciously pelting Lincoln with any dodgeballs he could find. The whole time he did this, the jock laughed at Lincoln that was a mixture of both mockery and cruel joy. "That's right, Loud" he shrieked loudly, "this is what you get for messing with me...THIS IS WHAT YOU GET!"

The whole time this was going on, the rest of the bullies were loudly cheering Biff on from the sidelines; as if this was some sort of sick game. But all too quickly, Coach Keck brought an end to all this and demanded that Biff back off. "NOT A CHANCE, COACH" he roared, "I'm finally gonna make this punk pay for ruining my life and then some!"

With that said, Biff was seconds away from continuing his assault once again. But then, Omar appeared behind him and stopped the jock in the most non-violent way he knew; a hug. Thanks to his large stature, Omar wrapped his arms around Biff and did everything he could to momentarily restrain him.

Of course, this didn't stop the disgruntled jock from trying to shake himself free. But try as he might, he could barely kick his feet; let alone wiggle his way out. "Good work there, Simmons" praised Coach Keck, "take Packard to my office, while the rest of us attend to Loud."

Omar nodded silently and carried Biff over towards the coach's office; all while doing his best to ignore all of his captive's rants and ravings.

(Line Break)

As the scene flashes back to the present once more, Lincoln is seen shivering in his seat with fear; the memory of Dodgeball Day still running through his mind like some twisted Vietnam flashback. Meanwhile, his parents' had looks of utter shock frozen on their faces; complete with the "gaping mouth look." After finally coming back to her senses, though; Rita sent a glare over Principal Ramirez's way and demanded to know the name of the student who assaulted her son.

"That would be Mr. Packard in the main lobby, ma'am" Miss Rain replied, "do not worry, though; we shall get to his punishment soon." The Loud Parents muttered incoherently with shock at this news, while Lincoln remained in his seat; doing his absolute best to keep himself calm. "I just...I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS" Rita exclaimed loudly, "how can you people allow one of your students to get so viciously brutalized?!"

While he did admire his wife's spirit, something about her current attitude filled Lynn with a great sense of fear. However, in spite of that; he still made an attempt to try and calm her down. "Now...honey, doesn't that sound just...a little extreme" Lynn inquired cautiously, "this could very well be similar to how Junior used to play Dodgeball back in the day."

Upon hearing this, Principal Ramirez chimed in and said she thought the same thing; thinking that Biff was simply going a little overboard with Dodgeball (as some students did.) "As it turns out...Mr. Packard seemed very much out for blood, when it came to your son" she said bluntly, "something that happened once before on Lincoln's first day of school." The Loud Parents gasped softly, their minds suddenly remembering the stories Lincoln shared about his first day of Junior High.

But the difference here was back then, Lincoln had people to protect him and Biff's crew got busted in the end. This time, however; Lincoln was on his own and Biff's "schoolyard rivalry" with the young Loud boy seemed to have intensified since then. Once everyone had calmed down enough, Lincoln continued on with his story from where he left off; Wednesday.

"The rest of the week didn't pan out much better, after that Dodgeball incident" he grumbled, "on Wednesday, it rained the whole day; which meant we were all stuck in school for nine hours." To add insult to injury, Lincoln revealed that he and the other students had to stand out in the rain waiting for the bus. "Thankfully, Haiku appeared and offered me use of her parasol" he murmured, "but I was still soaking wet on the bus ride home."

The adults all murmured softly in understanding, after this and Principal Ramirez asked what happened yesterday at school. "Nothing much really" Lincoln confessed, "in fact, all my classes went well and no one bugged me all day; which led me to think things were starting to look up for me." The moment this brief yet positive bit of news was revealed; the Loud Parents each let out a sigh, thinking that the worst might've been behind their son by then.

"Don't get too relaxed, everyone" Mx. Baskerville said suddenly, "there's still the matter of what happened mere hours ago in the cafeteria." Upon hearing this, everyone's earlier dread soon returned full force and Rita asked what exactly happened during the time in question. "Okay...to start things off, things were starting to feel much like they were yesterday; quiet and normal" Lincoln explained, "then, when Lunch Period came...that's when things got unsavory."

(Scene Change: Cafeteria, Three Hours Ago)

For the most part, lunch seemed to feel relatively calm; especially over at Lincoln's table. However, he still felt the emotional and physical stress from the days before gripping at him like a hangman's noose. Alarmed by their friend's demeanor, both the Guys and the Gals did everything they could to help lift his spirits.

"Hey, Linc; I've got a baggie full of those new cookies we made two weeks ago" Clyde offered, "you want a couple?" Normally, Lincoln would've immediately jumped at his bestie's offer or anything his friend groups had on hand. But sadly, he was too much of a wreck to even think about eating his own lunch; let alone sample anything else.

"Okay...Listen, Linc; you know we all love you...right" Phoebe inquired with a light grin, "so, I speak for everyone of your friends here when I say...you're really bumming us out." At first, the Guys and Gals were half expecting Lincoln to make some kind of retort; whether it be a snide remark, a defensive outburst or even a simple "whatever..." but nothing happened. Instead, he just sat in silence; staring down at the table and slowly munching away at his sandwich.

"Seriously, Lincoln...this isn't normal" Jordan said suddenly, "we haven't seen you this upset since...the bad stuff went down." Now, everyone at the table knew full well what the young lady was referring to. But due to Lincoln's current state of mind, they chose to not mention it outright.

But then, much to everyone's surprise; hearing Jordan mention "the bad stuff" caused Lincoln to suddenly stop eating. For what felt like ages, he sat as still as stone; giving what some called the "Thousand-Yard Stare." Then, Lincoln let out a bitter chuckle and said that what was going on felt "so much worse" than what happened last year.

"You guys might not remember it" he grumbled, "but back during the trial, there were people saying that I should've been punished; not my parents or my sisters." Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Lincoln continued on with his tirade; proclaiming that those same people warned said things like "karma works both ways" or "you'll get yours, one day." "I mean...sure, I've made mistakes before; who hasn't" he murmured frantically, "but is it worth putting me through all this?!"

Soon, Lincoln's behavior became dangerously erratic; which in turn meant one thing...he was having a panic attack. Thinking quickly, Clyde removed whatever remained inside his paper lunch bag and handed it to Lincoln; reminding him to breath into it as much as he could. But before he had the chance to put the bag to his lips, Lincoln was suddenly grabbed from behind by his locker and felt himself being dragged along the floor.

He was then dragged out into the hallway outside the Cafeteria doors, where Lincoln suddenly felt someone else grabbing at him. This second assailant lifted him up onto his feet and slapped him thrice across the face so hard, Lincoln swore he felt his left cheek swelling up. "Get up and open your eyes, Loud...NOW" a female voice demanded, "do it or we will give you Rope Burns that will last you till you're on your death bed!"

With all the strength he could muster, Lincoln slowly brought himself to his feet; despite the fact his knees were shaking like crazy. Then, after he managed to open his eyes; Lincoln saw that he was surrounded by the group of bullies that plagued him all throughout the school year. In the past, the sight of their collective sneers and glares would've left Lincoln quaking in fear.

But after everything he endured this week alone, he didn't even flinch at their presence. "What do you chumps want with me this time" Lincoln grumbled, not caring for the fact he addressed them all rudely; "are you gonna blame me for the Gym showers losing the cold water...or what about your hair, Taylor; you want to blame me for that?!" But before any one of the bullies could act, Lincoln simply sneered at each of them and "relaxed" himself up against a nearby locker.

"Go ahead, then; do whatever you want with me" he said submissively, "I'm done caring about what you idiots think of me anyway." The 8th Grade girl's blood boiled with each remark Lincoln gave, the one regarding her hairdo being the most offensive (to her, at least.) But surprisingly, she and the rest of her posse kept their cool; much to Lincoln's initial surprise.

"No, Loud; we're not here to blame you for anything" Biff murmured, "nope...we're here to make you suffer!" With that simple word, the bully group put their "revenge plot" into action. First, Vicky grabbed Lincoln by his ankles and proceeded to shake him vigorously.

Of course, she wasn't doing this to get any money out of his pockets; it was just to make him uncomfortable. Next, she handed him over to Anderson; who proceeded to let out a rancid fart squarely in Lincoln's face. Naturally, the attack rendered him both momentarily blind and delirious; which gave Pablo the chance to strike next.

His attack method came three-fold; first, he grabbed hold of Lincoln's shirt and swung him towards the lockers. This led to Lincoln crashing hard against the metal door, leaving him even more dazed than he was a moment ago. Next, Pablo grabbed the rim of Lincoln's underwear and pulled them so high it reached his chest.

As the poor boy stumbled about slightly, one of his shoes became untied and he couldn't reach down to fix it. As a result, Lincoln tripped over his laces and faceplanted on the floor. The next thing he heard was Taylor saying "we're not finished yet, you lil' rugrat!" Before he could even move a muscle, the teen sat herself down upon Lincoln's back; using her size advantage to momentarily restrain him.

Next, she plugged up her right nostril and proceeded to shoot out a bit of snot from the left one; which then landed upon Lincoln's cheek. Afterwards, Biff grabbed him roughly by his cowlick and hoisted him up off the floor. "You like this, Loud" he grumbled viciously, "you had all this coming the minute you set foot in this school!"
As Biff and his crew prepared to continue their assault, Lincoln made one last attempt to understand why he hated him so much. "You and your whole family of weirdoes have been nothing but trouble for this town" Vicky sneered, "but you are the worst of them all!" Without pause, she and the rest of the bullies proceeded to list every "fault" Lincoln had.

These faults, in their minds, all felt like valid reasons for Lincoln to be punished. "You've ruined my rep in this school, you've got me in trouble on multiple occasions, you humiliated me just as many times" he grumbled, "and what's worse...a member of my crew up and left me because of you!" After this reveal, Lincoln looked around and saw that one face was missing from the bully group; Mordecai.

Though he wasn't fully certain when it might've happened; after getting to know Mordecai a bit more, the former bully must've finally decided to cut loose his old "friends" and stick with Lincoln's instead. Needless to say, it was one of Biff's many "justified reasons" for hating him. "You're a mistake, Loud...nothing more and nothing less" growled the jock, "you have no real skills, you're dumber than a bag of hammers and you can't even fight us back on your own; you always gotta have other people fight your battles."

Upon hearing mention of the last example, Pablo stepped forward and proclaimed that Lincoln's "friends" weren't really his friends. "Th-That's not true, the Gals and my sisters don't fight all my battles" Lincoln murmured, "and what do you jerks know about my friends?" Straightaway, Taylor looked squarely into the boy's eyes and proclaimed that the only reason the Gal Pals hung out with him was because they felt "sorry" for him.

"From what we've heard, one of 'em is about to head off for college soon" Vicky chuckled rudely, "why would someone like that...or anyone else for that matter be friends with a spineless, ugly twerp like you?!" Upon being reminded, once again about Carol's eventual departure for Huntington Oaks; Lincoln gave a sad whimper and was moments away from giving in to his despair. But then, just as the onslaught was about to continue; everyone suddenly heard a loud banging from behind them.

Pablo looked over his shoulder and saw the cafeteria doors bouncing slightly. This coupled with the noises indicated that someone was either hitting at or ramming at the locked doors. Upon taking a closer look, the bullies saw a sight that drained away all of their earlier ferocity.

Meanwhile, due to the position he was in; Lincoln had no clue what was going on but he hoped it was something good. Finally, after one final slam; the doors flew open and a team of officers rushed towards the bully group. While doing everything they could to practice necessary restraint (these were children, after all;) each officer quickly subdued each offender present.

As for Lincoln, he could see his friends rushing to his side; all while crying out in worry for his safety. "You're gonna be okay, man" Omar said in a hushed voice, "my mama and the others will handle things from here." As he finally let the fatigue flow through him, the last thing Lincoln saw before dozing off was the officers cuffing each of the bullies slightly and dragging them towards the Principal's office.

(Line Break)

After the story had finished, both Lincoln and all the adults in stared at one another in silence for almost a minute. They used this time to properly process everything that's been revealed (as well as give the poor boy some time to calm his nerves a little.) Finally, after he had guzzled down the last of his water; Lincoln faced everyone and spoke.

"So...there you have it, all of this started because I couldn't grow up and accept the fact that one of my friends was leaving me forever" he grumbled bitterly, "go ahead; throw me in detention, suspend me, have me grounded till I'm eighty-four...none of it matters anymore." Once more, the adults stared at Lincoln in silence; stunned to hear him speak so bitterly about his situation.

Then, after what felt like ages; Rita stood up from her seat, knelt down before her son...and held him tight. This came as quite a shock for Lincoln, to say the least. Of all things; he never expected one of his parents to be hugging him, after everything he just said.

"M-Mom...why are you hugging me" he murmured confusedly, "you're supposed to be angry at me for everything I did wrong!" Instead of responding to his words, Rita simply hugged Lincoln tighter...but not so much that he was suffocating. Mere seconds later, Lynn also approached him and enveloped Lincoln in a loving embrace as well.

While the gesture was initially heartwarming, Mx. Baskerville was quick to point out that it didn't make Lincoln feel any less confused. "I'm also rather confused by this, Mr. and Mrs. Loud" Principal Ramirez chimed in, "aren't you upset with everything that's happened?" While still keeping her hold on Lincoln; Rita looked over her shoulder and proclaimed that she was, indeed upset.

But surprisingly, it wasn't Lincoln or the things that happened up to this point she was angry with. "You all may not know this, Principal Ramirez" Rita murmured, "but...we're but a stone's throw away from perhaps, the worst period of my son's life." For a moment; neither the principal, vice principal or even Officer Kazinsky seemed to understand the meaning behind Mrs. Loud's words.

Then, at that moment; Meryl suddenly entered the room and wished to offer her two cents on the matter. "Don't y'all remember, Principal" she inquired, "it was one year ago 'round this time where Lil' Lincoln escaped his family's bickerin' and met all his new friends." With this reveal, everything finally became clear to Ramirez and her associates; while the three Louds present simply rolled their eyes and thought "isn't that what we just said?"

"Please, forgive our naivety on the matter; Mr. Loud" Mx. Baskerville said apologetically, "we've only just started our position here not so long ago and thus, have not been familiarized with certain 'events' in the school's history." Lincoln smiled warmly at his vice principal and assured him no harm was done, which seemed to please Baskerville quite a bit. Meanwhile, he was mildly disappointed with Ramirez; surprised that she almost forgot about such a big point in his life.

"It's not that I've forgotten, Mr. Loud; I promise you" she retorted softly, "I just...the district is still dealing with the repercussions of your sisters' behavior during the time in question and I've just been doing...everything I can to try and help us move past it." After taking the principal's words to heart, Lincoln suddenly realized she raised a very good point. Continuing from there; Ramirez said that throughout the story he had shared, there was one element that seem present at almost every point...Lincoln's lady friends.

"From what my partners have told me, these ladies have been like your own personal support group" Officer Kazinsky muttered, "is that correct, Mr. Loud?" Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Lincoln responded to this question with a quiet yet simple nod. Of course, he had a rather good hunch on the identity of the "partners" the officer spoke of (Mrs. Higgins, Simmons and Campos.)

"In any case, honey; we all fully understand your dilemma" Rita said while rocking Lincoln in her arms, "it's like I said earlier; when Lori left for Fairway, your father was just as upset as you are now." The instant this was brought up a second time, Lynn did everything in his power not to breakdown in tears; while also giving his wife a soft glare. "I think what your mother is trying to say, sport...is that it's never easy to see someone you care about leave you" he murmured softly, "be they friend or family."

Lincoln was momentarily speechless, after hearing his parents' words; surprised to hear how much they understood his situation. But even so, he still felt like he did something wrong and felt he "deserved" punishment. "I got into a fight earlier today and almost got hurt in the process" he cried out in exasperation, "doesn't that mean anything to you guys?!"

Upon being reminded of the incident, Principal Ramirez decreed that the school did have a strict "No Violence Among Students" policy; as well as an even stricter Anti-Bullying policy. But then, she looked over at Lincoln with a soft smile and asked him a simple question; "did you start the fight, Mr. Loud...yes or no?"

Understandably so, Lincoln felt confused by the woman's words and asked if she could repeat them for him. "I say again...were you the one who started the fight that occurred earlier" questioned Principal Ramirez, "yes or no?" While still feeling confused, Lincoln shook his head slightly and said that all he did was stand his ground and used his words.

"That's usin' your noodle, Son" Lynn Sr. chuckled softly while ruffling Lincoln's hair, "it's like your sister once said...never start a fight, only finish it if necessary." While he very much appreciated his father's words, Lincoln let out a scoff and proclaimed that it was Lynn's words that got him in his current situation to begin with. "See...on my last weekend of freedom before Summer Break ended, she told me something I should 'prepare myself for' in Middle School" he grumbled, "and that thing was...once you get started there, everything changes; including your friend groups."

With this simple statement, both Ramirez and Baskerville felt that it was no wonder Lincoln seemed so confused at times. While it was natural for some to look to their siblings for advice or opinions, it seemed as though the sort of "wisdom" he did gain from them did more harm than good at times. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Loud made a mental note to call for a Family Meeting with the girls later; once they got home.

They even agreed to call up Lori and have her take part in it...unless she was busy with college work. In the meantime, Lincoln needed some useful council and it was high time that they gave it to him. "Look, honey...while I question a little bit of what your sisters have told you; Lynn was right about one thing" Rita said firmly, "all things must and will change, as time goes by; whether they be good or bad changes."

In addition to this, Lynn Sr. said that the best thing one could do during such times was to try and adapt to the changes as best as they could. "However...considering everything you've been through and how much of an impact they've been on your life, I understand why any of your Gal Pals leaving would hurt you so much" he stated, "but that doesn't mean they'll forget you on purpose...you know that, don't you? After taking a moment to blow his nose, Lincoln gave a nod and said he knew his friends loved him too much to ever forget him.

"Exactly, Son; your Gal Pals will always be with you in spirit" Lynn said with a bright smile, "no matter where they are or how long they might be gone." Upon hearing these words, Rita couldn't help but laugh ironically; reminding her husband that she said the exact same thing to him when it came to Lori. "At the end of the day, Mr. Loud; most things do change, like your sister said" Kazinsky interjected, "but if it's strong enough, some friendships truly will last a lifetime."

Once more, Lincoln took a moment to dry the tears from his eyes; feeling genuinely touched by everyone's comforting words. But then; reality swiftly came flowing back and, while trying to hide his shameful blush from the adults, asked if he was still in trouble. "No, young man; you're not in trouble" Principal Ramirez assured, "everything that's happened today were purely minor incidents, at best."

Not long after this, the Loud Parents also assured Lincoln that even if he were in some sort of trouble; the things he endured that week alone were punishment enough, especially the rather questionable "Lunch Detention" he received. "I hope you don't mind my saying so, Principal Ramirez" Rita said suddenly, "but I plan on bring this issue up at the next PTA Meeting, as well as the behavior of some of the students here." Not long after this was said, a loud and angry roar erupted from outside the door.

There was yelling, crashing noises and everyone swore they heard Meryl doing everything she could to kindly calm the angry individual down. Sadly, whoever was causing the noise completely ignored her and the next thing everyone knew; the door handle started to jiggle violently. Finally, Principal Ramirez had had enough and was determined to find the cause of all the noise.

When she flung open the door, everyone saw Biff Packard standing outside; who looked like a disheveled mess. His jersey was scuffed, his clothes had splotches of gunk on them and his eyes blazed red with furious anger. Alas, before anyone had the chance to question the young man on his behavior; Biff suddenly jabbed his finger accusingly in Ramirez's direction.

"You...I can't believe you people" he shouted rudely, "after everything he's said, after everything that's happened...you're letting Loud off the hook again?!' While still keeping her cool, Ramirez gave Biff a firm glare and proclaimed that Lincoln had not broken any of the school's rules or policies at any point that week. "Agreed, Madam" Mx. Baskerville stated, "anything that did happen to Mr. Loud before today was purely out of negative circumstance."

Biff stood dumbfounded at the cross-dresser's claim, his mind thinking that they were being too soft on Lincoln. That was the final straw and he would not stand for it. "If I could just say one more thing" he murmured with a light (yet unsavory chuckle,) "I'd...just like to say that my friends and I never once got a fair shake from you, Ramirez...nor from this school."

Once more, the adults stared aghast at Biff; feeling both shocked and offended by his harsh tone. But unfortunately, his tirade had only just begun and he wanted to make sure they'd all hear him. "Seems like...the only ones who seem to be worth a spit in your eyes are punks like Loud here" Biff grumbled, "no matter what they do, what they say or whatever damage they cause...they always find a way to weasel out of justice!"

Straightaway, Miss Rain could sense a strong aura of negative energy radiating from Biff and she tried to make an attempt to calm him down. But as she reached over to give him a reassuring hand, Biff swiftly and rather painfully slapped it away. "Don't you pea-brains get it" he shouted offensively, "the Louds are a complete menace to society, every...last...one of them!"

Before long, Biff went on a vicious tirade on just how much Lincoln and/or his family had ruined people's lives; Lincoln especially. Of course, the whole time this went on; Rita and Lynn felt their anger becoming ever more intense with every slanderous claim the jock made. "The court should've had you and your bratty kids thrown in prison a long time ago, after all the things you've done" Biff growled, "or rather, you don't deserve to be on this planet!"

That did it, that final insult was just enough to push Lincoln over the edge. It was one thing for people to insult him; part of the boy grew used to it, over the years. But when it came to people insulting his family, that was going over the line and Ramirez seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Mr...Packard, need I remind you that I am the head of this school" she said with a tense glare in her eyes, "as such, you will behave yourself and show me the proper respect I deserve!" Biff scoffed venomously at the principal, spat at the floor and proclaimed that he had no respect for cowards who "deserved justice." "It's just like you said; last year this school suffered all kinds of controversy" he hissed loudly, "and it's all because of the Louds!"

Rather than let the boy's words offend them, Lincoln and his parents chose to take a more peaceful course of action. After each of them took in a deep breath, they looked the jock square in the face and said that his insults no longer mattered. "We may not be perfect and I might not always get along with my sisters" Lincoln began, "but...we've all paid for our mistakes, especially me and we're doing our best to become closer."

Lynn seconded his son's words and added that thanks to the classes they took, him and Rita have become better parents; calmer, more collected and more loving than before. But surprisingly (or rather unsurprisingly,) Biff felt it wasn't enough to compensate for everything. "Funny, Biff; on my first day here...you seemed to be singing my sister, Lynn's praises like any fan would" Lincoln said sarcastically, "why the change of heart?"

Lynn Sr. and Rita were left rather confused by this news, understandably and they asked their son to explain what he meant. "It's a long story, guys...trust me" Lincoln sighed, "but...after Lynn decided to bench herself from sports, Biff claims that I 'stole the school's champion from them.'" Upon hearing this, Principal Ramirez admitted that while "losing" Lynn as the school's star player was shocking; she and the rest of the school had moved past the issue.

Just as either Lincoln, his parents or any of the other adults in the room were about to make a reply; Meryl called for their attention as politely as she could. "Sorry to bother y'all durin' your meeting" she murmured, "but...there's a visitor here in the lobby, someone who claims to have some involvement in this here situation." This news surprised everyone in the room but nevertheless, Principal Ramirez requested to speak with this visitor later.

"Agreed, I refuse to let anyone else deny Loud's retribution any further" Biff exclaimed, "tell whoever's out there to take a hike!" With that said, he loomed over Lincoln and was prepared to give him a thrashing; despite the fact that the adults were all watching him still. Then, as the door flew open wide; a fierce female voice growled loudly before shouting "get away from my family, you little twerp!"

Not long after that, a hand reached over and grabbed Biff tightly by the back of his collar; where they then proceeded to fling him out the door and onto the floor of the lobby. While he very much appreciated the "rescue," it happened so suddenly that Lincoln didn't know if he should feel safe or not. Then; the mystery figure fell to their knees, pulled him forward by his shoulders and held him tight in their arms.

Naturally, this all seemed highly confusing not just to Lincoln but his parents and the principals as well. But then, they soon heard a voice that quickly put all their fears to rest. "Oh, Lincoln; I...I was so worried" it cried happily, "when I got the call from Jordan, I thought something terrible was happening."

Upon hearing mention of one his friends names and listening to the figure's voice more closely, Lincoln's heart swelled happily with joy. Sitting before him was none other than his eldest friend (in terms of age,) guardian and leader of the Gal Pals friend group; Carol Pingrey. With tears of joy in his eyes, Lincoln wasted no time in embracing the teenager/young adult; not caring that everyone was watching them.

"Carol...you're here, I...I-I can't believe it" the poor boy murmured happily, "what are you doing here, I thought you were in college by now?" After letting out a soft chuckle and kissing her ward's forehead tenderly, Carol explained that Jordan sent her a text telling her everything that's been going on. "When I heard about the fight in the cafeteria, I wanted to come and see if you were okay" she confessed, "so...I rushed over here as fast as I could."

In an instant, Lincoln's joy slightly gave way to a wave of guilt; something that Carol and all the adults were quick to notice. When asked what was wrong this time, the boy said that he felt guilty in the fact Carol had to leave college; all so she could save his skin. "My parents were right...as much as I hate it, all things must change; including friendships" Lincoln mumbled sadly, "I love you like a sister, Carol...always will but I can't force you to give up your life for my sake."

These words not only brought Carol to tears but his parent, Principal Ramirez, Mx. Baskerville and even Meryl as well. Meanwhile, Biff glared at the sniveling rabble over his shoulder with utter contempt in his eyes; all while trying to pick himself off the floor. Finally, Carol had calmed herself down enough to give Lincoln one more hug before going into "serious mode."

"Lincoln Albert Loud, I want to you to listen to me very carefully...okay" she asked firmly, earning a nod from her charge; "I may have my own life and things to do...but you are just as much part of it all as anything." After this, Carol confessed that even though it only happened a year ago; meeting Lincoln, sharing Spring Break together, spending much of summer vacay together and taking him under her care (namely becoming one of his four legal guardians) was the absolute best part of her life. "Us and our friends might not be related by blood" she said with a light sniffle, "but we're all family where it counts, in spirit."

Not long after this, Carol added that in spite everything that happened between them the previous year; she considered the rest of the Louds her family as well. Naturally, this warmed both Lynn and Rita's hearts a great deal; almost bringing them to tears. "But...what about Business School" Lincoln asked suddenly, "do you still plan on moving to Huntington Oaks and enrolling at the college?"

After taking a moment to laugh softly and swipe her earlier tears away, Carol revealed that she had everything taken care of. "First of all, pal; I am still going to college...but not until after break is over" she explained, "second, I had no intention of actually moving to Huntington." With these words, realization struck Lincoln like the dodgeball strike he suffered mere moments ago.

Truth be told; after seeing Lori leave for Fairway, Lincoln presumed that everyone moved out of town for college. Mix this in with Lynn's words about Middle School "changing people" and it was no wonder he became so confused. "The thing is, Linky; I was just as broken-hearted about leaving as you were" she admitted, "I didn't want to leave my home, my parents, all my friends or my loveable corgi, Alistair behind forever."

While all this was going on, the adults couldn't help but look upon the scene with great fondness. The way Lincoln and Carol spoke to each other truly showed just how close they were. Meanwhile, Biff continued to grimace and scowl at them all like a chump (as Lynn Jr. would say.)

"In the end, I found a way to have my cake and eat it too; as the saying goes" Carol announced, "I'll still be going to Business School...but I won't be moving into the campus; instead, I'll go in for six hours or so and come back home after my final class." After giving the idea some thought, Lincoln felt that such a schedule felt like a typical school day's length (for him, at least.) Regardless, it all sounded perfect to him; this meant they could still hang out together and remain friends.

"That's wonderful to hear, young lady" Principal Ramirez said warmly, "and it looks like Mr. Loud thinks so too." Before anyone else could say or do anything, Lincoln gave a joyful laugh and leapt into Carol's arms; holding her in the warmest hug he could give. The teen cooed softly with delight and returned the embrace; all while whispering "that's right...Big Sis is here."

Then, just when things felt like they were closing up nicely; Biff let out a vicious growl of outrage before, once again voicing his demands for "justice." "That little runt has been nothing but trouble since he got here and what happened today proves it" he ranted, "I am demanding that justice be served...now!" For a brief moment or two, no one said a word but Carol looked as though she was in a state of deep thought.

Then, she approached where Biff was on the floor and looked him square in the face; as if studying him. "I remember you...from Halloween, last year" Carol murmured, "or was it some other time." Lincoln stared at his friend/guardian in shock, wondering if she had truly forgotten about Biff and everything he did to him.

Then, Carol suddenly gasped in realization before admitting that she heard the boy's name once before. "Yes, from my future professor at the college" she stated with a small grin, "he seemed...eager to meet you, when I told him about the emergency text I got; would it be okay if he joined our meeting." At first, Principal Ramirez and Co. considered denying the young lady's request; to tell her that they wished to finish their work before heading home for break.

But when Mx. Baskerville saw Carol giving a bit of a wink, they could sense that there was more to the situation than meets the eye. "Let's just finish things up quick, everyone" Officer Kazinsky said with a yawn, "my wife is expecting me to pick up the kids from school soon." Seeing this as a "signal" of approval, Carol opened the door and asked for someone to come in.

"Now, then missy; just who is this professor of yours" Lynn Sr. asked, "why would he want to join this meeting in the first place?" Before Carol could offer up a reply, a shadow suddenly loomed over Biff's form. In that moment, Lincoln suddenly saw something in the jock's eyes that he hadn't seen before; genuine fear.

As he slowly turned to face the figure behind him, all of Biff's previous rage and whiny behavior disappeared in an instant. Before him stood a tall, burly fellow dressed in a snazzy business suit, wing-tip shoes, a full-faced blonde beard and had long blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. No one knew just who this man was, exactly (except for maybe Carol.)

But from the look of Biff's trembling form and the look of terror upon his face, it was clear that he was someone whom he truly seemed to fear.

(Line Break)

After taking a look at everyone in the room and Biff as well, the man gave such a scowl that it made even Lincoln quiver a little. Finally, after taking a moment to rub his temples slightly; the mystery man gave a sigh and took a seat in a nearby chair. When he finally spoke up, almost fifteen seconds later; the man had a voice that sounded both dignified yet...incredibly intimidating.

"Hieronymus James Packard...you best explain what is happening here" the man grumbled in a weary tone, "explain why I had to be pulled out of my class to come here and learn that you were making trouble...again?!" In response to this, Biff fell to his knees and started to cry pitifully like a toddler who lost their favorite toy. Then, for the umpteenth time that day; he claimed that Lincoln was the cause of it all.

While the boy in question did feel rather irritated about being made the scapegoat of someone's problems; when he saw the strange man looking down at him, the only thing he could feel then was mild fear. "So...you're the famous Lincoln Loud I've heard so much about" the man muttered, "the boy who 'ruined people's lives,' as my son claims?" Understandably so, Lincoln stared at the man a fearful yet confused look on his face.

Then, after he'd snapped out of his stupor; he proclaimed to the man that he'd never met his son before. "He's talking about me, you dunce" Biff grumbled, "now...Daddy, I don't know what you've heard but..." Before the disgraced jock could say another word, the mystery man (now revealed to be his father) gestured for his son to keep quiet.

Afterwards, he turned towards Lincoln and gave him a firm yet friendly handshake; expressing his sincerest apologies for what happened to him. "The name's Matthew Packard, I'm one of the professors at Huntington Oaks Business Academy" he said politely, "I am deeply sorry for any inconveniences my son, Hieronymus has caused." Before Lincoln had a chance to speak up, his father did so first; saying that there was no one named "Hieronymus" involved in this situation...just Biff.

"Huh...so, that is the moniker my son chooses to go by now" murmured Prof. Packard, "and here I hoped being around more simple surroundings would make him a more upright lad." Upon hearing this statement, Lincoln suddenly remembered what his friends told him on his first day; specifically about Biff being a transfer student from Huntington Oaks. As if sensing these thought from him, Prof. Packard explained how Biff not only used his social status to get his way very often; there were also times where he tried to fail on purpose.

"What the...Why would anyone fail their classes on purpose" Lincoln blurted out confusedly, "what would Biff gain from it?" Prof. Packard gave a light chuckle and said it was all part of some hair-brained scheme his son created during his Freshman Year at Middle School in Huntington. "To make a long story short, Hieronymus believed if he were to be expelled; I would have no choice but to have tutors home school him" Prof. Packard explained, "this would mean he could be in 'the lap of luxury' until his first year of High School...but I wouldn't have it."

To end his little tale, he confessed that he personally transferred Biff to Royal Woods Middle School; thinking that working alongside "the common folk" (as the boy chose to call them) would help make him a better man. "Sadly, I was wrong" Prof. Packard sighed shamefully, "from all the incident reports I've read, all my son has done here is blame his shortcomings on others...you among them, Mr. Loud." Once more, Lincoln found himself staring at the man in shock; mostly for the fact that he sounded like a complete opposite to Biff.

Speaking of whom, the jock made one last attempt to play the Blame Game and throw Lincoln under the bus; reminding his father of all the crimes the Louds have committed together last year. "I grow tired of you constantly using that same excuse, young man" Prof. Packard grumbled irritably, "what's done is done, you cannot use the Louds' mistakes to cover up your own anymore...nor can they excuse the trouble you've caused everyone." With that said, the time had finally come for punishments to be exacted.

"To start with, Lincoln; while you may not have broken any rules, something must be done about your repeating anxiety attacks" Principal Ramirez stated, "so, I propose that after break; you visit Miss Rain after school for an hour of counseling and meditation." She then went on to explain that this would be a way to help keep watch over Lincoln, to ensure incidents like what happened today would never happen again.

"This will only be for a short period, mind you" Miss Rain interjected, "but with any luck, you will be able to rid yourself of your anxieties will be properly managed...what do you say?" At first, Lincoln thought it was a good idea; thinking it would be no different than visiting Dr. Lopez. But before he could agree to it, he looked towards his parents; wondering what they would think.

"I think it's a good idea, to be honest" Lynn Sr. said with a smile, "you seem to feel a lot better after talking with someone." Seconds later, Rita nodded in agreement but asked if she could add a little something to the idea. "First thing...if you want advice from your sisters, make sure it's someone who actually understands your situation" she stated, "better yet, you could always come to me and your father."

Lynn praised his wife for her suggestion and promised that no matter how busy they might be; if Lincoln needed help, they would try to answer his call the best way they could. "Yes...Yes, of course" Lincoln chuckled giddily, "I can totally work with all that." Once that was settled, everyone either shook hands or embraced each other joyfully in gratitude...all except for Biff, who still believed Lincoln was getting off of being punished again.

"I can't believe you people" he grumbled in defeat, "if he gets all he gets is a slap on the wrist...what do I get out of all this?" As if the young man had said "the secret word," everyone soon faced him with fierce looks in their eyes. "I wouldn't concern yourself too much with what they have in mind, Son" Prof. Packard said grimly, "because it will be nothing compared to what I will do."

Upon seeing the look of pure disappointment on his face and hearing the ire in his tone, it was in that moment that Biff realized...he was truly doomed.

(Line Break)

The students outside of school watched in stunned silence, as the bullies were being roughly dragged over to the parking lot by their parents. At the same time, everyone swore they could hear them all screaming angrily at each other. "I heard Biff's gonna be sent to live with his aunt down in Ohio" Rusty whispered, "worse than that, his dad cut him off...money-wise."

After hearing this news, the Guy Squad couldn't help but pity their former bully. It was bad enough being sent to a rather dull part of the country but to live there without access to his father's wealth; for Biff, that seemed much worse. "Serves those jerks right for what they did to Lincoln" Cristina grumbled, "I can't believe the abuse they put him through...I hope he's okay."

The rest of the Gal Pals shared in their friend's anger, some of whom wished they were there to help protect Lincoln. "The important thing is Biff and those jerks were stopped before they could do any real damage" Clyde said matter-of-factly, "still...I wonder what could be keeping him in there?" No sooner had he said this, the doors to the school swung open and everyone spotted Lincoln stepping outside; looking right as rain.

The Gals also spotted Carol standing behind him, which was a rather pleasant surprise. "Hey, guys; sorry to keep you waiting" Lincoln chuckled shyly, "had to take care of some last-minute stuff...you understand." Everybody chuckled happily at their friend's words, proclaiming it didn't matter what he was doing; they were just happy he was okay.

"Good to see you too, Carol" Jordan said happily, "although...we thought you'd be up on campus right now." In spite of herself, Carol let out a hearty chuckle and said it was too long of a story to talk about at the moment. "Right now, I'm in need of some R&R" she sighed heavily, "and I think Linc is too."

In response to this, Phoebe suggested heading up to Tranquil Springs for some well-earned pampering. "Sounds like a plan, Feebs" Carol cried joyfully, "but first...could you give me a sec." The ladies nodded slightly and all huddled together; where they proceeded to discuss potential spa treatment ideas.

Meanwhile, Carol used this opportunity to have a private chat with Lincoln; as well as give him another much needed hug. "Are you gonna be okay now, Linky" the teen asked hopefully, "you feel better after letting all those bad vibes out?" With his trademark toothy grin flashing across his face, Lincoln nodded happily and returned his guardian/friend's hug with gusto.

"Still, though...I'm sorry I've been such a crybaby today" he said softly in her ear, "I just...I don't like the idea of losing any of my friends." Much to the boy's surprise, not only did Carol coo adorably at this statement but the rest of the Gal Pals did as well. Afterwards, they all surrounded him in the warmest of group hugs; which Lincoln so happily welcomed.

"Listen closely, dude" Cici said firmly, "no matter what happens in the future...our friendship is something I don't plan on letting go of anytime soon." Almost immediately, the other ladies sounded out in agreement with the Guys adding their own voices into the mix as well. Then, just as things were starting to feel wholesome; everyone heard Mr. Loud calling out to Lincoln nearby.

"Sorry for interrupting your moment, Son" he shouted apologetically, "but I brought that box you've been keeping in your room all week with us...figured you would need it today." Lincoln let out a joyful squeal at this news and then, like a flash, he raced over to Vanzilla and collected the item from the backseat. Almost immediately, the Gals all recognized it as the "mystery box" Lincoln had with him during their Group Chat on Sunday.

Now that they were together (save for Becky, Dana and Whitney;) now felt as good a time as any to see what was inside. "C'mon, dude; show us what's inside" Stella begged playfully, "is it a prank gift or is it something nice?" While still trying to be "mysterious," Lincoln smiled coyly and answered with the simple phrase "it depends on what you consider 'nice.'"

Just as he was about to open up the box, Lincoln spotted the Babes in Blue leaving the school and making their way towards him. At the same time, he also saw Omar and the girls following close behind them. Before Lincoln had the chance to say so much as a "hello" to any of them, Officer Simmons suddenly swept him off the ground and held him in the biggest bear hug ever.

"Oh, Lincoln baby; I'm so happy you're alright" she cried sweetly, "Omar and the girls told us everything and...oh, we're so sorry we couldn't get to you in time to stop that whole mess!" Higgins and Campos echoed their partner's words of regret and joined in on the hug. But after a while, Lincoln playfully begged the ladies to give him some air; which they did.

After dusting himself off, he said he still appreciated them for coming to his rescue in the end. "You okay now, sug" Officer Higgins asked, "anything broken, you feelin' okay after your meeting and...just what's in that box you got there?" The Gals all smiled at the officer and said they were just about to find out what was inside, when they arrived.

Now that the gang was all here, for the most part; Lincoln felt now was as good a time as any to show them his surprise. "As you can guess, everybody; this week has been...less than ideal for me" he murmured, "but the ironic thing is that this all happened around the same time some huge events happened to me, last year." At first, nobody seemed to understand what the Loud Boy was referring to.

When he saw their confused expressions, Lincoln tried to be just a little clearer with his words. "You remember those days, Carol; don't ya" he asked hopefully, "you found me wandering through downtown, brought me into your car and offered to take me to Gus'." After letting these words sink in, the Gals finally understood what Lincoln was talking about.

This time last year was when they all first got together and bonded with him (except for Dana, who came later.) However...they also realized that what happened to Lincoln this week seemed near identical to the stress, pain and emotional trials he faced around the same time last year, In the end, though; they chose to focus on the more positive side of that memory.

"Okay, enough beating around the bush; I'll get to the point" Lincoln chuckled, "in honor of the occasion and our friendship, I...I made something for all of you." With that said, he took a knee and slowly opened the box; which caused the ladies to quiver frantically with excitement. Then, Lincoln reached inside and pulled something out from it; a photo album.

The cover was a beautiful shade of purple, it had a white spine and on the center, everyone could see a picture of Carol hoisting Lincoln up from the ground; the latter looking slightly surprised by the gesture. Beneath the image was the title written in gold lettering, which read "Carol Pingrey: My Sister from Another Mister." "Man...that line sounds like somethin' from the 90's" Tonya chuckled, "but that looks like a cute pic of you two."

As everyone else chuckled softly in agreement, Lincoln casually approached Carol and handed her the album. The teen stared down at the book in her hands in silence, mouth hanging agape; unsure of what was going on or why the boy gave this to her. "Well...go on, open it up and look inside" Lincoln urged softly, "I hope you'll like the picture choices I went with."

Not needing to be told twice, Carol slowly opened up the album and gasped loudly. Inside were pages upon pages full of pictures featuring the two of them, some of them recent and others from around the time they first got together. Every picture in the book featured a different memory or good time the two of them shared together, from their summer activities to the photo op moment she took on the day she was first appointed as Lincoln's guardian.

When she got to the end of the book, Carol saw something written on the last blank page. It was a message written in Lincoln's handwriting which read "Carol, thanks for being such a great friend, an even greater confidante and the best big sister a guy like me could ask for! With love, Linky." After reading the message from front to back three times over, Carol's heart was beating like a drum.

"And there's a heart at the end of the message" Lincoln said with a smile, "I thought it would be a nice way to really stick a pin in..." Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Lincoln was suddenly swept off his feet and gripped tightly in another one of Carol's hugs; making them look near identical to the album's cover photo. Then, she wasted no time in showing the boy's cheeks with a flurry of kisses and nuzzles.

"Oh, LINKY! THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER" she cried joyfully, "I LOVE YOU SO, SO, SOOO MUCH!" As she continued her affectionate assault, Lincoln made every attempt to remind her that people were staring at them...but Carol didn't care. Meanwhile, the rest of the Gals looked in the box and saw similar photo albums inside; each one bearing a different color scheme, photo and cover message.

Each of them wasted no time flipping through their books to see the memories inside; which, just like with Carol, brought tears to their eyes. "I have...some extras in the box too" Lincoln mumbled while Carol nuzzled his cheek, "three of 'em are for Becky, Dana and Whitney; whenever we see them next." Finally, he told the Babes in Blue and their kin about three other books inside; which they quickly collected.

Upon looking through the pages, all three officers soon started wailing with tears of joy; just like Carol was. "Niño...this is such a beautiful gesture" cried Officer Campos, "thank you, thank you so much." When Carol finally placed him back on the ground, Lincoln's cheeks were suddenly hit from both sides by Ellie and Dolores; who delivered quick yet powerful kisses.

Meanwhile, Tonya put him into a playful headlock; allowing her and Omar the chance to ruffle his hair. "Linc...this is too much" she chuckled, "what's the occasion?" After he was released, Lincoln explained that it was one year ago that week when he and the Gal Pals first met.

During that week; they shared many laughs, lots of love and of course, bucket loads of tears (especially Lincoln.) "My point is...you guys helped me through so much, back then and you continue to have my back even now" the boy sniffled happily, "I couldn't have asked for better friends than you; so, I...I wanted to give you something to say thanks." After the last of the books was handed out and looked over, the ladies all looked at Lincoln with tears in their eyes.

Finally, after they did their best to get a grip on their emotions; one of them finally spoke up. "OMG, Linc; this is...this is just too much" Phoebe said tearfully, "but...we didn't get you anything." Regrettably, the other Gals echoed similar apologies; thinking that they had no idea they were supposed to "bring" anything that day.

But Lincoln only shook his head at them in disagreement and assured each of them that they gave him something best gift he could ask for...a family of friends. "Now...before anyone says anything, Carol said the same thing back in the conference room" he stated, "we all might not be related by blood but we are family where it counts...in here." As everyone watched Lincoln place both hands over his heard, his parents almost broke down with emotion (mostly Lynn Sr. though.)

Meanwhile, even though she had already cried enough tears that day; she still found her friend/ward's words touching. Meanwhile, the others appeared to be on the verge of bursting; even Haiku. But Lincoln still continued on with his sentiment, expressing how the events of the past year showed him a whole new idea about "family."

"Since we first got together; you all have stood by my side, supported me, fought for me...even when it looked like Lynn would take you guys out" he murmured, "but most of all, you did anything to keep me safe and stable...like a true family would." That did it, that last line was just enough to push the Gals over the edge with emotion. After letting out a hearty cheer, the Gals all swarmed Lincoln in the biggest of group hugs; all while crying tears of unbridled joy.

"Lincoln, that was...that was so sweet" Stella mumbled, "and you know what, we love you too; right ladies!" Not needing to be told twice, the Gals all sounded off in full agreement with their friend; all while smothering Lincoln in their arms. Afterwards, each of them placed their new photo albums in their respective backpacks; making note to hand the remaining three to Becky, Dana and Whitney later at the spa.

"Okay, y'all; that's enough tears for now" Officer Higgins chuckled, "you best skedaddle on off to Tranquil Springs, we'll see ya later on." Before returning to Vanzilla, Rita reminded Carol to bring Lincoln home by at least 6 PM for dinner. "Don't worry, Mrs. L" Cici called out, "your son is in good hands with us!"

With that, the ladies made an immediate beeline for Carol's van; while Lincoln exchanged one last goodbye to the adults. Afterwards, he picked up his box and loaded himself up inside; eager to go off for some pampering. As Lincoln began buckling his seatbelt, Kat looked in the box and saw one other photo album inside; which had the title "A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals" on the cover.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Lincoln...where'd you get all these books from" she inquired curiously, "putting all these together must've cost you a fortune." The other Gals couldn't help but agree, hoping that their friend didn't spend all his money in one place. But Lincoln quickly put their fears to rest in saying it was no trouble.

"These were all a collection of extra photo albums we had lying around in the attic at my house" he explained, "they weren't being used; so, I thought they'd be perfect for my own plans." He then said that the only money he used was for small things, such as the titles on each cover. "Everything else was mine, Clyde and my dad's handiwork" he chuckled, "I got the idea from the Christmas gift I gave you guys last year."

Upon being reminded of the holiday memory, the Gals' collective hearts almost burst with joy. But before the rest of them could so much as give Lincoln a high five, Carol quickly spoke up. "Save the hugs for later, everybody" she said firmly, "let's get to the spa before all the appointments are filled up." This was met with a hearty cheer of joy and everyone quickly buckled up, feeling more than ready to leave.

"First, we'll pop by the High School and pick up the others" Carol explained, "then...IT'S SPA TIME!" With these words, she revved up the engine and the van sped out of the Middle School parking lot like a blur. During the drive, some of the Gals were looking at the photos in their respective albums; praising Lincoln for his photo choices.

"Out of curiosity, dude...who's that last album in the box for" questioned Paige, "it's got each of our faces on the cover." Upon looking down at the book in question, Lincoln smiled and said that the last one was for him. "While each of your albums has pics of me sharing good times with one of you, this one is special" he sighed blissfully, "because it features all of us; our group, our pals in Great Lakes, the Babes in Blue and so on."

As he took the book in his hands, Lincoln opened it up and showed everyone all kinds of group shots featuring them. At the same time, the Gals could see some other familiar faces in the photos; like Bobby, Mx. Baskerville and of course, Ms. McNair's performance troupe at the faire. But then, they also noticed that the book was only halfway filled; which seemed a little confusing.

"Don't worry, guys" Lincoln assured, "I didn't run out of pictures...this just means we've got all kinds of new opportunities and adventures to have together!" These words caused the Gals to laugh out loud with pride, feeling happy that the week's past experiences didn't affect his hopeful optimism. Then, as the van slowly pulled up at the traffic light; Carol got an idea.

"This feels like a perfect photo op moment here" she said giddily, "what do you say, gang?!" As if expecting her to say this, Lincoln had brought out his phone and asked everyone to scooch together as best as they could. "Okay, everybody; on the count of three...say Gal Pals 4 Life" he instructed, "One...Two...THREE!"

Without a second thought or the slightest pause, all the ladies cried out "GAL PALS 4 LIFE!" as loudly as their lungs would allow. Then, the camera flashed slightly; thus immortalizing their moment on the phone's screen.

"Cool...now, I'll just e-mail this to my computer and I can add it to the album" he murmured, "that is...I'll do that after our spa day." The ladies giggle happily at their friend, crowded around him all cozy like and spent the rest of the ride savoring each other's company. Finally, the light turned green and Carol was able to continue on driving ahead.

As Lincoln finally started to feel himself relax for the first time in days, he took the time to deliver his final thoughts to the viewer. "You guys ever had a sense of déjà vu happen to you before...that's what this week felt like, to me" he murmured with a light groan, "all the humiliation, the stress and the abuse I endured felt almost as bad as what I went through last year." After taking a moment to shake off the ooglies that tried to overwhelm him, Lincoln said there was one bit of déjà vu that he actually liked and that was the love of his friends; the Gal Pals especially.

"If it weren't for these ladies, I would've lost my head days ago" he said grimly, "both figuratively and literally speaking." Before he continued, Lincoln took a glance down at his book and traced his fingers slightly along each of the Gals' faces on the cover. "Thankfully, the Gals here continued to have my back; just like they did before...and I love them for it."

Just as he was about to deliver his last word, Lincoln suddenly felt Jordan and Stella hugging him; all while saying "we love you too, buddy!" Naturally, he was quite surprised by this sudden behavior and asked how they knew what he was saying. "We're your friends, Lincoln; we know nearly everything about you now" Haiku murmured dryly with a smile, "including whenever you're chatting with your...friends out there."

As the wee Goth gestured towards the "screen," the other Gals proclaimed they were just as aware of the "viewer's" presence since Summer Break. "But don't worry, guys" Carol assured the "viewer," "we've got Lincoln's back and vice versa." With that settled, she turned on the radio and a rather soothing song started to play on an Oldies Rock station.

"Aw, dude! I love this song" Lincoln exclaimed, "crank it up, Carol!" Not needing to be told twice, the teen cranked up the radio's volume and as the van rolled towards downtown. As the van approached the sunset, the skies suddenly echoed with the loud cry of "GAL PALS" and the scene suddenly froze with the van being beautifully silhouetted in front of the sun.

(The end credits start to roll but instead of the usual music, the story ends with the song Start Over by Abandoned Pools playing. In the background, the "viewer" sees different images of Lincoln and the Gals during different points of the original story and the anthology)

What a mess our lives turned out to be
It was at its best when you and I were only 3
We can start with all the things that turn us out
And we can go right down the list and throw them out

(x2)

Can we start over?

(x2)

It's all over

Here you are and there's where you wanna be
But don't think you don't have company
Think of all the lonely people in the world
And if it's God who made us why we so damn cruel

(x2)

Can we start over?

(x2)

It's all over

We can never lie
And you can never steal the time
And we can only watch them die
And we can never find out why

(Instrumental)

We can start with all the things that turn us out
And we can go right down the list and throw them out

(x4)

Can we start over?

(x4)

It's all over

(First AN: And thus ends the Spring Arc of A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals, thus bringing an official end to the main parts of this anthology. But do not worry, everyone; there will be four more "Bonus" adventures after this. These were ideas for oneshots that I couldn't quite find a proper place for within each of the main story arcs. The first will be a 4th of July themed oneshot, another one of the four will be themed after April Fools, the third will possibly have a New Year's theme...but I can't quite think of a good Fall themed idea that I haven't done already.

Many reviewers have suggested a Thanksgiving type story...but after the Louds and the Casagrandes failed to hold such a feast together, how would things work out between Linc and the Gals? In any case, feel free to leave Fall theme ideas for a oneshot in your review or PM me your idea. Thank you very much in advance and have a great day)

(Second AN: For those wondering why Biff was so much more vicious towards Lincoln this time around than past installments, the answer comes two-fold. Firstly, after several failures to "get even" with Linc; it all just pushed him over the edge with anger and the way Principal Ramirez behaved during the conference certainly didn't help with that very much. Second, it's all part of his character; I initially based Biff off of all the negative feedback I received in reviews for my original Gal Pals story.

In one or two of these, people have said Lincoln "deserved" the abuse he endured from his family or worse; punishment from the court. He embodies all the people who call the rest of us "members of the Order of Saint Lincoln," people who they claim view him as a flawless character. But like any toxic people in fandoms, Biff and all the other bullies have been properly disciplined for their actions.

(Third AN: Speaking of whom; since Biff isn't a real name, it made sense for him to have a particularly "dorky-sounding" real name like Hieronymus. What do you guys think?)

(Fourth AN: You can find the Gal Pals in some of my other stories like Dungeons, Dragons & Dames and my upcoming Ace Savvy: Double Draw fanfic; which was lightly referenced in the original Gal Pals)

(Fifth AN: The Lunch Detention punishment Lincoln received from Mr. Guttenheimer is a reference to a real world idea from my own school days. As described during the earlier scene; if you were given this punishment, you were confined inside of a classroom for the entire lunch period. If you planned on buying lunch that day, you weren't allowed to get it in the cafeteria.

Instead; you were given a PB&J sandwich, a banana, a small bag of regular potato chips and a small carton of milk. Thankfully, I wasn't in there for very long and neither was Lincoln)

(Sixth AN: Some of you may think Lincoln was being a crybaby in this. But bear in mind that he's still feeling the heavy amounts of anxiety, mental stress and emotional trauma he endured from the original story. This kind of stuff doesn't quite go away so easily, regardless of how much therapy sessions you take part in)

(Seventh AN: The "end credits" song is known as Start Over by Abandoned Pools, which many people might recognize as the ending song from the finale of Clone High back in the day. I hold no ownership of it, the song belongs to both the band and Extasy International. After listening to it so many times over, I thought it would fit perfectly with either this or as an AMV for the original Gal Pals fanfic)

(Final AN: One last thing, I'd like to thank everyone who's been following this story and my other pieces all this time. RawToonagePress *whom the one album's cover image was inspired by,* Crafordbrian17, Timbuk1, Claircrystal, Bryan Pacheco and other users I can't quite recall at the moment. That's the thing about having Hydrocephalus, it can affect your memory; in small ways or big.

Regardless, thank you everyone for your support and I hope to see your reviews in my other pieces.)