A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals

by Alexpv22

After the events of Gal Pals, Lincoln and his new friends venture off on all sorts of new adventures. This anthology features adventures set during the four main seasons of the year; Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. 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

40. (BONUS ONESHOT) Snooze It or Lose It

Snooze It or Lose It with the Gal Pals

(Story Summary: It's New Year's Eve in Royal Woods and Jordan is setting up for a big New Year's Eve party at her house. At the same time, Lincoln is on a mission to do something he has yet to achieve in life; to stay up late to midnight and join his friends and family in ushering in the New Year. Will our young Gal Pal's plans be successful, will everyone be able to stay awake during the festivities or will they end up wearing a sleeping cap on their heads, instead of party hats at the stroke of Midnight?)

(A Note to the Reader: This oneshot takes place sometime after the events of The Gifting with the Gal Pals: Part Three)

The date was 28th, the afternoon sun was slowly setting at the skies were moments away from going dark. After Christmas had come and gone, people all over Royal Woods spent the following days relaxing as much as possible. That is to say...most of the citizens were relaxing but down at the Rosato Household, the whole place was simply abuzz with activity.

Inside, we find Jordan (often referred to as "Girl Jordan" by most of her schoolyard peers) and her parents in the midst of what looked to be housework. But after taking a closer look, the "viewer" sees that the family was performing a mix of cleanup work and decorating. While her parents were setting up the festive banners in the dining room, Jordan was in the placing small party hats and noisemakers on the living room coffee table.

"There we go...each one set out nice and neat" she murmured with approval, "I just hope I've got enough for everybody." After taking a moment to recount each hat, she notices that one is slightly out of place and scoots it back in line with the others. It was here that she soon caught notice of the viewer and gave them a friendly wave. "Hey there, you guys; I'm willing to bet you're all wondering what I'm doing with all this stuff here" she inquired with a coy grin, "well, as you all know; I tend to throw some pretty awesome parties at my house here...most of which involve our pool."

Upon mentioning this, Jordan takes out her phone and shows the "viewer" several pictures taken from her Spring Break party just last year. It had all the familiar features; the pool, the "Build Your Own Sub Sandwich" station, the temporary tattoo area and even a dance space. Upon looking at the fourth image, Jordan notices that it features Lincoln doing his big karaoke number; which left more than a few guests swooning (herself included.)

"Yup, those were some great times" Jordan sighed wistfully, "but as you can guess...you can't really throw a pool party in the dead of winter; right?" With this in mind, she reveals her plan to throw something entirely new for her friends; a New Year's Eve celebration. Of course...much like with her pool parties, Jordan had to earn the approval of her parents to get the okay to have this one.

"On the days I wasn't hanging with friends or doing schoolwork, I had to earn my way into getting this party" she said with mild disdain, "that meant I had to ace my last two tests at school, help my folks out with shoveling away any of the snow...and most grody of them all; clean up after my dog, Ajax for a whole month." After mentioning the last example, Jordan cast an over-the-shoulder glance at the aforementioned house dog; who gave her a sort of sly snicker.

As much as she loved her pet, she wasn't particularly fond of cleaning up his "leavings" on a regular basis; especially after her mother recently purchased a surplus bag of extra fiber dog food. To Jordan, this meant Ajax would be "answering Nature's Call" much more frequently; thus leaving her responsible for cleaning up after him for the entire month. "But believe me when I say, guys...it was all worth it" Jordan chuckled gleefully, "c'mon, let me show you around."

First thing she did was show off the decorating job she and her parents did on the living room. Aside from the hats and noisemakers Jordan had set out; there were balloons tied to strings taped up against the wall, a festive table cloth placed over the coffee table, a flag that read "HAPPY NEW YEAR" in bold lettering hanging off a nearby doorknob and other things. "This is just inside the house, though" Jordan chuckled, "wait till you see what we've got outside."

Without further delay, she set down the last noisemaker and made her way out to the backyard of her property; where the real "party scene" was set up. There was loads of food set up on several tables, the ever popular "Build A Sub" sandwich station, a small metal fireplace to help keep everyone warm, a face-painting station (instead of the tattoo station) and even though the pool was covered up for the winter; there was a reasonably-sized dancing space beside it.

"Looks just as great as the Spring Break pool party, doesn't it" Jordan asked the "viewer" with a proud sigh, "now, there's just one other thing I need...my guests." The instant this idea popped up in her head, she brought out her phone and pressed a button labeled "Gal Pal Pow-Wow" on the group chat menu. For almost fifteen seconds; the phone sounded off its electronic ring, which gave Jordan the impression that no one might answer.

Then, there was an odd warbling sound before a face suddenly appeared on the screen; specifically, Stella Zhao's. "Hey, Jordan; happy almost new year" the pre-teen greeted happily, "or as my granny usually says, Manigong Bagong Taon." Despite barely understanding the Filipino phrase, Jordan still did the kind thing and returned her friend's blessing.

After that, she swiftly went into detail on what she had planned for her party and expressed hope that her friends would come; the Gal Pals included. "Are you kidding, girl; your shindig has been the talk of the school before Christmas Vacay even started" Stella giggled, "of course...others had to try and one you up; namely Chandler and Biff." Rather than be offended at the idea of someone trying to top her ability to throw a celebration, Jordan simply rolled her eyes and murmured "good luck with that" in response.

Back in Royal Woods Elementary, she always remembered the so called "big parties" Chandler always threw for his "inner circle." Of course, said circle usually consisted of people he himself labeled "cool" enough to come; which meant that nearly half the kids in class weren't invited. The same thing could be said for Biff Packard and his own parties, ironically enough.

Being a rich kid from Huntington Manor, he would also throw big parties up at his father's home whenever he wanted to show off his status to the "underlings" of Royal Woods. But just like with Chandler, he also only allowed in a "specific" crowd into his home; whether they were upperclassmen students from the middle school or fellow blue bloods around Huntington. "I'm not worried about those two, Stell; trust me" Jordan assured, "according to what I heard from Dirk, no one other than Lance and Trent is going to Chandler's 'Flush In the New Year' party down at the sewage plant."

When Stella happened to ask if she felt more worried about Biff's possible New Year's plans, Jordan admitted she felt...a little concerned. Then, at that moment; a small text bubble appeared below Stella's face that read "log on to laptop – C." Straightaway, Jordan knew exactly who this was and hurried off to her room as quickly as she could.

When she arrived; she logged on to her web chat, clicked on a Gal Pal Powwow icon that strongly resembled the one on her phone and Carol's face soon appeared on screen. "Heya, Jordie" the teen exclaimed while using her friend's nickname, "my ears were burning a few moments ago, which meant that someone I knew was having a bit of a dilemma." Despite a small part of her thinking that her friend was being as overprotective as her mother, Jordan very much appreciated her concern and greeted the teen warmly.

She then went on to ask Carol if she or the others had yet to receive her invite for the New Year's Eve party she'd be holding, which was met with an enthusiastic "YES" from the former high schooler. "There's no way I'd miss out on one of your parties, girlfriend" Carol giggled with delight, "and you can certainly expect the rest of us to be there...right ladies?" No sooner had she said all of this; as if on cue, several chat windows (each one showing off a member of the Gal Pals crew) suddenly appeared on screen.

This was then followed by every one of the ladies sounding off joyfully at the prospect of Jordan's New Year's Eve bash. "Admittedly; Chandler did invite me to his party, two days ago" Kat admitted, "but...every time he has one, it's always at the Sewage Plant; not a venue I'd want to celebrate the new year in." Not only did both Jordan and Stella openly agree with her statement but the elder members of the crew all felt that Chandler lacked a bit of imagination, when it came to holding a party.

That's when Ellie, Tonya, Omar and Dolores joined the chat; each one proclaiming that they also got invites to Chandler's party...but politely declined. "Now, Kat...let me see if I heard you all clearly" Omar politely interjected, "your friend...throws parties...at the sewage plant?" After hearing him say the idea out loud, Kat suddenly realized just how disgusting Chandler's choice of "party venue" seemed; despite always attending them in her post-Gal Pals years.

Of course, Jordan chimed in and informed everybody the exact reason why some of her peers wanted to attend such a party; namely all the "cool rumors" that were spread throughout the school regarding the sewage treatment plant. These included things like surfing on waves made from 500 metric tons of water, a so-called "secret room" that supposedly hid mutants inside and strangely enough...the possibility of burning off one's nose-hairs from the sewage smell. As expected; with each example, the ladies and Omar simply grimaced with pure displeasure.

"After hearin' all of that, honey; you can bet none of us will be goin' to any of Chandler's hootenannies anytime soon" Ellie assured, "as for Biffy boy...who'd wanna hang around any of his hoity-toity crowd anyhow, right?" Straightaway, every Gal Pal that was online sounded off in agreement with their friend; half of them proclaiming that neither one of the boys' parties will be half as fun as Jordan's. "In other words, you have nothing to worry about" Dana assured warmly, "we all love your parties, no matter the theme and we can tell we'll be in for a fun New Year's Eve bash."

After hearing each of her friends speak and letting their words process, all of Jordan's fears seemed to wash away instantly and her usual bright smile slowly reappeared on her face once more. "You're right...I dunno why I was so worried; thanks a bunch for your vote of confidence" she said gratefully, "any word on whether the boys will be joining us?"

Almost immediately, Stella was the first to answer this inquiry but when she did so; it looked as though she had a look of...mild discomfort upon her face. When asked what was wrong; she explained how on the day after the day after Christmas, she gave Lincoln a call. "I sat there for almost twenty seconds waiting for him to answer" Stella groaned, "when he finally did...well, I was in for a bit of a surprise."

(One quick flash later and the viewer sees Stella looking at her laptop, waiting for Lincoln to answer. When he does and a chat window finally appears; his face is revealed to have a sort of crazed, bulgy-eyed look. As expected, Stella is terrified by this sudden scare and falls off her bed as a result)

"WHOA THERE, GIRLY...could y'all repeat that" Ellie requested, "did you all just say Lincoln had...a crazed look in his eyes?" With a frustrated growl, Stella insisted that what she saw was the truth and that she had the bruise on the back of her head from the fall to prove it. Not wanting to see her young friend get upset, Carol suggested that they simply add Lincoln into their call; get a look for themselves at his current demeanor.

"Sounds like a good plan, Carol" Stella sighed with a light grin, "but just remember one thing...I did give you all a warning." Once this was said, Carol pressed Lincoln's icon on her laptop's chat menu and waited for her friend/ward to pick up. When he finally did and his face appeared on screen, everyone got to see the exact image Stella described to them.

His hair was frizzy (including his cowlick,) his teeth were chattering like mad, his fingers were tapping away at the table at a startling rate and not only were his eyes bulging, they also appeared slightly bloodshot. The combination of all these things caused every Gal Pal online to almost shriek in terror or fall over themselves...but surprisingly, they resisted both. "What the...What the hey-hey happened to you, dude" Whitney exclaimed after rubbing her eyes, "you look like you've seen a ghost...or did one of Lana's reptile friends pop out of your drawers again."

Just as the other Gal Pals were about to ask him similar questions, Tonya looked closely at Lincoln's desk and spotted something interesting; a collection of soda bottles. This led to the likes of Carol or Cristina to ask Lincoln if he was competing against his sisters in a belching contest...again. "WHAT?! NO-NO-NO! I NEVER DO GROSS STUFF LIKE THAT ANYMORE; NEVER, NEVER, NEVER" said the Loud Boy in an almost high-pitched and frantic voice, "I'VE JUST BEEN TRYIN' SOME OF LYNN'S MAGNUM POWER ENERGY DRINKS; WHERE THEIR SLOGAN IS 'IT'S SUPER PEPPY POWER...QUIET, YOU!'"

For the next moment or so, all was quiet; save for the soft sounds of Lincoln chittering or humming under his breath. Not one of the Gals dared to speak up; believing that if they did, it might cause Lincoln to say something else incredibly odd. But then, after taking a moment to process his earlier words; Cici quickly understood what was going on.

"That stuff Linc is drinking there...it's that Magnum Power Energy Drink Lynn used to have after every game, back in the day" she stated, "but how did he managed to get his hands on some?" Straightaway, Lincoln answered the question in what seemed like a mile per minute; explaining that his sister had a small surplus of the drink stored away in her room. "Okay, I suppose that makes sense" murmured Jordan, "but...why are you drinking them at all?"

Instead of answering this question; poor Lincoln, his body filled with so many cans of the energy beverage, suddenly started bouncing off the walls like a cartoon character. For what felt like ages, the Gals all watched this happen from their respective places; wondering if one of them should call upon someone to help him. But then, Lincoln's bedroom door suddenly flew open from the outside and he was quickly subdued by the twins; Lana and Lola.

After a quick yet non-hazardous scuffle, they had bound their brother up with some rope and sat him back comfortably atop his bed. But while his body was restrained for the moment, Lincoln's face still had a crazed look upon it; which made the Gals feel even more worried.

"Uh...girls, is your bro alright" Phoebe inquired uneasily, "I mean, we know you didn't want to get rough with him but...what's got him so jittery?" In response to this, Lola explained reiterated the same thing that Lincoln mentioned earlier; that had been drinking one too many of Lynn Jr.'s energy drinks. "We got that part already" Stella said matter-of-factly, "but the question remains...why has he been drinking the stuff?

Without the slightest delay or hesitation, the twins eased the Gal Pals' concerns with only four simple words; "New Year's Eve Preparations." "See, we don't really understand what the fuss is about; maybe because us younger Louds are always in bed by 9 PM" Lola explained, "but ever since he was 7, our big brother has always tried to stay up on New Year's...and always falls asleep by ten."

(cue montage of moments from Lincoln's childhood; specifically, around New Year's Eve. Every year, he tries his best to stay up with his family and join the fun...but ends up falling asleep at the stroke of Ten. During each year, Lincoln performs several attempts to keep himself awake; including doing exercises in his room, reading his comics, convincing Luan to dump ice water on him, tapping his eyelids open even sneaking sips of his dad's evening coffee)

"That last one almost got Lincoln into deep trouble" Lana stated, "not so much with dad...but for the fact that it gave him one heck of a sugar rush." No sooner had her sister said all this, Lola tagged in and said that the burnout from that sugar rush left Lincoln feeling tired through the final week of Christmas Vacation. "Sadly, it seems like Big Brother hasn't learned his lesson from that experience" she sighed dejectedly, "the stuff older people do for this New Year's thing is both weird...and a little sad."

The Gals all let out soft gasps of realization, upon hearing these words. It all made sense, now; Lincoln was using his sister's drinks to help give himself an extra boost of energy...or at least, he was seeing how many he would actually need to drink for the goal he had in mind. Then, as if on cue; Lincoln's head started to shake violently and he was letting out a series of severe coughs.

As expected, this caused Carol to fly into "Overprotective Mode" and she would've rushed right down to the house to help him...but Lola insisted that everything was fine. "This happens every time the drinks start to wear off" she assured, "he'll be passing out in about 5...4...3...2 and..." Just as the former pageant princess finished counting, Lincoln let out a bit of a squeal and quickly fell back onto his pillow; snoring loudly.

Once they were certain he was asleep, the twins lightly tucked their brother into bed; thinking a good nap would help him recover from his massive sugar rush. "He'll be fine in a few hours" Lana whispered while patting Lincoln's head tenderly, "hopefully, he'll have learned his lesson by then." While she was thankful that her friend was going to be okay; after hearing the twins' earlier story, Jordan feared that he might end up being too tired to come to her party.

"Don't you worry your pretty lil' head, Missy" Lola assured, "we'll all make sure Linky will be there...even if we have to drive him to your house while he's asleep." As if on cue; the instant these words were said, Lincoln suddenly shot up from his bed and cried out "I HEARD THAT!"

(Line Break)

The next day, Jordan took a break from party planning to hang out down at Gus' Games n' Grub with the others. But much to her surprise; the instant she walked through the front doors, Jordan saw that the whole place was utterly swarming with people. There were teens chatting idly in their booths, couples sharing slices of pizza with one another and of course, scores of children running about the arcade area.

But in spite of this chaos, Jordan was able to enjoy herself and meet up with her friends; thanks in part to Gus himself. "Boy! I know this place can be packed, sometimes" chuckled Cici, "but we never expected things to get this nuts." Gus chuckled softly and proclaimed that this was all thanks to the holiday season.

With the snow going on outside, nobody wanted to be cooped up indoors at home all day. So, there was no better place for kids (and the kids at heart) to go to thank his pizzeria and arcade. "Plus, parents all over town have been using my new coupon system" Gus chuckled proudly, "came up with it just before Thanksgiving rolled around."

Their curiosities piqued, the Gals asked to have a look at a few of the supposed coupons that the proprietor had made. Upon being handed a small handful; they saw that the deals on these included "Arcade Token Discounts," "half price off of any specialty pizza" and of course, a "buy one get one free" deal on garlic knots (as in buy one basket, get a second one.) Of course, as with any kind of deal; there was bound to be a technicality of some kind.

In the case of the garlic knot coupon, a person was only allowed to use it if either basket was purchased by a full group and not just a single person. While this seemed like a rather steep condition; admittedly, the Gals and Guys agreed it was still rather fair. "Gotta say, Gus; you certainly have a better system than Flip does at his place" Lincoln stated, "seriously...even if there's a possible free Flippee involved, who's got the money to afford his prices for nachos?"

After everybody had a good laugh at this story, Gus confessed that no matter whose discounts or deals were best; Flip would have one slight edge over him. "See...Flippy boy's one of the few in this town who are still open on New Year's" he stated, "which makes...a little sense, since he also runs a gas station but I thought even he would have plans on the big night." No sooner had he said this, Gus asked the group if any of them had plans for the New Year.

Naturally, the first thing they mentioned was Jordan's big party at her house; which made the girl in question feel a little shy. "Other than that, I've been busy trying to think up a good resolution for myself" Carol sighed, "I mean...I guess I could consider changing my hairdo a little but that's not really New Year's Resolution worthy, is it?" Without missing a beat, the rest of the group and even Gus himself responded to this with a resounding "nope."

Next came Dana, who said that she might be considering going into dating sometime in the new year. At the same time, she mentioned that Chaz was mentally debating between two different ideas for his resolution; cut back on sweets...or start over with Leni. "Oh...yeah, that's right" Lincoln murmured sadly, "I forgot that not all of my sisters have rekindled their relationships yet."

Like a flash, his mind suddenly thought back to sometime after the celebration of his thirteenth birthday. During that time, Lincoln was both surprised yet pleased to see that Bobby had decided to give Lori another chance at their relationship. Unfortunately, Lincoln realized that it would probably take longer for the rest of his sisters to rebuild their relationships (if they were lucky.)

Though, at the very least; he was surprised to hear Dana say that Chaz was considering being on speaking terms with Leni again. If Fate was on any of their sides, there might be a chance that the two teens might end up back together again. When his mind snapped back to the present, Lincoln saw that the gang was still in the midst of discussing possible New Year's Resolutions.

Whitney decided to consider following Carol's footsteps in figuring out a way to give herself a new hairstyle...somehow. Stella thought about maybe giving baking another shot, despite however much she used to dislike it and Kat proclaimed that (much to everyone's surprise) she was seriously considering breaking things off with Chandler. "Seriously...but you guys were always so tight" Jordan stated, "what's changed now?"

Instead of giving a verbal response, Kat simply reached over and trapped Lincoln in an affectionate headlock; ruffling his hair. But despite however wholesome this gesture seemed, the Gals all still wondered why Kat wanted to break ties with one of her own friends. "Long story short...since we started Middle School, I've been noticing that Chandler's upped his game when it came to busting Lincoln's chops" she explained, "in the past, I either dismissed it as harmless teasing...or was once part of it myself."

With this simple reveal; Lincoln was suddenly reminded of how he and Kat weren't always on the friendliest of terms, back in the day. Aside from the Girl Guru fiasco he caused the school, she was also part of Chandler's "cool crowd" and often joined him whenever he felt like ribbing on the other kids in Royal Woods Elementary. But after actually spending some time with Lincoln, being part of his emotional support group and helping form the Gal Pals; Kat had been spending far less time with Chandler.

"But that was all back in Grade School" she said firmly, "this time around, he's been teasing Lincoln and the boys almost every chance he gets!" When asked what it was that he did, Kat brought up the Sewage Plant party; the same one she referenced during their group chat yesterday. Any time Chandler would have an "awesome party" planned, he would waste no time in bragging about it to everyone (and rub it in the faces of anyone who wasn't invited.)

"This coupled with the fact that he still refers to you as 'Lincoln Lame' has really been rubbing me the wrong way, dude" Kat growled while also giving Lincoln a sympathetic look, "but...he and I have been pals for ages and I just don't know if I have it in me to break our friendship up." No sooner had she said all of this, the preteen suddenly felt a strong knot tugging painfully within her stomach; which she thought was either a sign of stress or just hunger.

This signaled Gus to head on over to the kitchen and prep the group's meals; once he had been given them, of course. After he left, some of the Gals once again expressed their shock to Kat and her plan to possibly break up her friendship with Chandler. But then, Rusty proclaimed that such an idea might've been a good one; adding that Chandler was starting to act like a clone of Biff. "No way, dude" Lincoln interjected, "compared to all the glares, angry comments and even all the times Biff has violated my personal space; I'd happily pick Chandler's razzing over all that any day."

On that note, Clyde added that there was a bit of a rumor going around school lately; one that claimed Chandler had only been acting the way he did just to get on the "good side" of the 8th Graders. But whatever the case, Kat believed it was no excuse for one of her old friends to act so unkindly to her new ones.

"Hey, gang...all this talk about people being bullied by other people is really starting to cramp my buzz a little" Paige interjected, "could we, uh...change the subject a little?" After having a bit of a chuckle and giving one another an affirmative nod, the Gals and Guys decided to discuss some other New Year's Resolution ideas they had in mind. "Well...I was thinking about creating a new school club at school" Haiku stated, "over Break, I've been getting into this really good Dark Fantasy/Paranormal Romance novel I bought with my Christmas money."

Upon hearing mention of the word "romance," several of the Gals (mostly Carol and her crew) wasted no time in asking the wee Goth the usual questions; among them was the blunt yet simple "when did you start liking romance stories?" In response; Haiku crossed her arms and said that even though she was Goth, it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy other genres of stories. "I think I've already told you all this before" she murmured with a light eye roll, "back when I told you I was a fan of stuff like 'The Mystic Wood of Avilar' and 'The Troll Twins of Underbridge Academy.'"

This was true; not so long ago, the Gals all recalled reading books from both series' with her. But at the same time, they didn't really think a Goth like Haiku would be interested in romantic stories...unless it involved a supernatural couple. "It's funny you should mention that, ladies" the wee Goth said with a sly grin, "because the book I'm reading does have such a couple."

Soon after she said this, she unzipped her backpack and brought out a small hardcover book; one that featured what looked like a human man being tenderly embraced by another man with long black hair and thin yet full-faced beard. But upon taking a closer look at the cover, Lincoln could see that the black-haired fellow had a sort of clawed hand; which was holding onto the human's arm.

Upon putting all of these pieces together, it was clear that the book Haiku was reading contained a possible LGBT romance. When he brought this to the others' attention, some of the Gals looked at their friend with looks showing a mixture of concern...and confusion. "Okay...As your friend, Haiku; I've gotta ask you something" Stella stated, "aren't you a bit...young to read this kind of material?"

For a moment or so, the young Goth said nothing in response; choosing to take a moment of silence to consider her friend's words. When it became clear that everybody was simply worried about her "fragile young mind," she smiled at them and said there was nothing to worry about. "I've been reading high grade material since I was seven years old" Haiku chuckled with pride, "owe it all to my grandparents and the stories they'd share about creatures that roamed my Nanna's homeland."

When asked how such stories led to her being able to read "grown-up stuff;" Haiku responded in saying that after she heard them, she would try to find books on the subject. Some of these books and stories were around her grade and had the usual stuff in them (fewer pages, bright and cartoonish pictures, pop-up pages etc.) "All of those books barely answered my questions, as you might guess" Haiku murmured, "so...I decided to sneak my way into the Young Adult sections and it had everything I'd been looking for."

Despite however true her words seemed, the Gals still wanted to know how Haiku was able to understand such high-level texts. In response, the wee both reiterated that this was all possible thanks to her grandparents. "Whenever he saw me struggling with words while I was reading; he'd tell be to just sound out each part of the larger words and then, say it all together after" she stated, "soon, I was saying things at home my parents would never expect to hear from me."

There was a brief moment where both the Gals and the Guys came close to doubting their friend's words. But then, they realized that Haiku had shown just how smart she truly was for her age. Thus, they came to the conclusion that with her grandfather's lessons; reading more "advanced" levels of stories would be a snap for her.

"As for the exact type of romance that's in Dragon's Reign, trust me when I say that it's just as beautiful as a standard love story" Haiku murmured, "perhaps...if and when I've come up with it, you can join my club and we'll read it together." After taking a moment to think the idea over; the Gals, both young and old, thought the idea sounded fun and agreed to it. Then, as if on cue; Gus came by to the group's table and happily placed their meals down.

"A waitress will come by here soon with your drinks, kids" he stated, "in the meantime, enjoy your meal." Once Gus had gone back off on his way, everyone went about dividing their food amongst themselves and eating it. At the same time, the Gals returned to their earlier conversation regarding resolutions; deciding to get some input from the boys next.

"Ol' Rusty's plannin' on going back into the Dating Game" chuckled the Spokes boy while he slid his hand through his curly locks, "there's bound to be one out there who's up for some lovin' from me." While doing their best to not seem offensive, the younger Gal Pals huddled closely and whispered that Rusty should "cast a wider net;" if he wished to snag a date in the New Year. Continuing on the topic of courtship, Clyde announced that he planned on being bolder with Chloe; perhaps ask her out on a real date.

"That sounds so sweet, Clydey" Dana gushed adorably, "but...when you say 'real date;' are you talking about walks in the park, fancy dinners and stuff...or like what we're doing here now?" Without missing a beat (and after he took a moment to calm his brain down,) Clyde revealed that the former was more what he was going for. Of course, a part of him already knew that any kind of date would please Chloe; fancy or not.

"I'm hoping to find some actual alien life, somehow" Zach revealed, "after meeting Milly and the Ghouls last Halloween, it proves that we really aren't alone in the galaxy!" The Gals and Guys both suddenly found themselves at a crossroads, in that moment. On the one hand, meeting the young alien student of Miss Grimwood's did prove that the Gurdle Family's claims about alien life were true.

But on the other hand, there was the possibility that Milly might have been the only living alien life-form in the universe. So, who knows if there were any others in their galaxy or any other for that matter? But...even with all of this in mind, the Gals and Guys agreed to still show their support for Zach; no matter what.

"I didn't put much thought into one of them New Year's resolution things" Liam stated, "my Pa always believed if'n ya couldn't do somethin' this year, what's the point of stressin' about it in the next one?" There was a light murmur of agreement from the group, many of whom confessed to knowing people who actually did wuss out or give up on their resolutions barely a month into the new year. But even with this in mind, everybody vowed to put as much effort into theirs as humanly possible.

"What about you, Linky; put any thought into your resolution yet" Carol asked, "I mean...I know you're still concerned with making it till midnight that night but still." Soon, every member of the crew turned towards Lincoln's direction; appearing eager to hear his response. But unfortunately, what they saw instead was him slumping low in his seat and toying with a piece of pepperoni on his pizza slice.

"Uh-oh, I know this body language all too well" Carol said knowingly while clicking her tongue, "something heavy's on your mind, pal...wanna talk about it?" Straightaway, the other Gals and especially the Guys expressed their own desire to hear Lincoln share his pain...but to no avail. All they managed to get out of him was a simple "it's stupid...I shouldn't say anything."

This only made the girls concern for him grow even hire, especially the eldest among them; who wasted no time scooting over and hugging him lightly. "C'mon, pal...why don't ya tell us all about it" inquired Whitney, "whatever it is, I promise...none of us will laugh or think any less of you." The rest of the Gals wasted no time in echoing their friend's words, while also adding the "cross my heart" gesture for good measure.

As for the boys...well, Clyde was the first to step up and make the same vow of understanding the Gal Pals did. Meanwhile Rusty, Liam and Zach all thought talking about emotions didn't really mesh well with their collective male image. "BOYS! I'm surprised at you, your best friend is having a crisis and you won't even help him" Carol said firmly, "for shame!"

Not only did the rest of the Gals side with their leader on her thoughts but much to their amazement, even a few other patrons seemed to be on the same page. Among them was Scoots; who passed by their booth with a root beer in her hand, took a swig and muttered "that ain't cool" before driving out the door. "Okay fellers and...uh, girl fellers; it ain't that we don't wanna talk to ya, Linc" Liam admitted, "it's just...we ain't that good at gettin' all mushy and such."

While this wasn't a completely acceptable excuse, the Gals all realized that there was some truth to the farm boy's words and decided to ease up on him. Then, Haiku suggested that he and the others just sit quietly and let Lincoln share his thoughts; claiming that was more meaningful than any kind of "mushy emotional stuff." "Now, then...spill it, Linc" urged Becky, "what's got you so down in the mouth all the sudden?"

After taking a small sip of his drink, Lincoln let out a heavy sigh and proclaimed he just wanted to put the year as far behind him as possible. "Seriously...I've had some embarrassing moments, some awkward moments and even humiliating moments in my life" he groaned, "but nearly everything that's happened to me this year...it puts all of that to shame!" With these words, it didn't take long for everybody to realize the deeper meaning behind them and soon; the joy in the air quickly faded away.

As much as they themselves didn't want to admit it, the Gals all knew Lincoln spoke the truth; between the Sister Fight Protocol, all the nightmares, the daymares, him going to court against his own family and more recently, his frequent run-ins with Biff's crew...the poor boy had been put through the wringer. "I've tried to put it all behind me now, I really have" Lincoln murmured, "but I just...I keep getting reminded of everything that's happened, not to mention all the people saying I'm a screw-up." After letting out a series of gasps, the Gals proceeded to ask who out there had been calling him such names.

"Let's see...there's the usual suspects we've just talked about" Lincoln murmured monotonously, "then there's Bolhofner at the school, Chandler, Hank, Hawk, the Stankos from when my Dad and I were on Legends of the Hidden Temple together...just to name a few." Upon hearing mention of Hank and Hawk, Cristina's face suddenly radiated with a light glow of rage; as did the faces of Carol and her crew. Meanwhile, the others found themselves wondering just how a teacher like Bolhofner could act that way towards one of his own students.

"Granted, he feels that each of us Louds are 'a pain in his backside;' as he says" Lincoln murmured, "but for some reason...he thinks I bring nothing but trouble just because the bullies are out for my head!" In addition to this, he revealed a time where he had a bit of trouble taking notes in class due to Bolhofner either erasing the board to suddenly or him talking a tad too quickly. But when Lincoln tried bringing this to his attention, the man's only response was "just clean the wax outta your ears and listen better, Loud...I won't be repeating my lectures a second time!"

"So, anyway...my life's been an utter mess, this year" Lincoln grumbled, "I'll be happy to put it all behind me on the 31st...if I stay up long enough, that is." After this bombshell was dropped, the poor boy sought out to drown his sorrows with as much soda and pizza he could stomach but did his best to not look like a pig in front of his friends. Speaking of whom; after hearing all of this, no one knew what to say or think about it.

Despite the fact that they all shared a role in the aforementioned struggles Lincoln faced, they still felt terrible for everything he went through. On that note, the Gals took immediate action and did their best to try and lighten the mood again. "Don't you fret, lil' man" Whitney said while giving him a side hug, "this year has been the worst for us all...but this New Year's party is going to help us forget about all that."

Carol, Becky and Dana sounded off in agreement with their fellow teen; stressing that New Year's Eve was the best night to throw away the pain of the past. Sadly, Lincoln still held on to that one sliver of doubt; that small voice in his head that kept telling him things could and will get worse for him in the new year. "But...what if something goes wrong during the party" he inquired timidly, "I've heard a lot of stories about people getting wild on New Year's Eve."

After giving Lincoln's statement some thought, the Gals all murmured softly and/or nodded slightly in understanding; recalling the times they've seen such incidents be reported on the news. But then, Carol quickly put her friend/ward's fears to rest; assuring him that there won't be any such shenanigans at their party. "As it turns out, my parents wouldn't let me come unless it was agreed that they would accompany me" she said with a light groan, "I'm almost out of High School...and yet, they still think I need supervision!"

Not long after this, the other Gals echoed their "leader's" very words and revealed that they were in the same boat; that their parents wanted to join them as well. Now, it was clear that adult supervision at a party was a must for all the pre-teens among them; especially for New Year's. But the four eldest members all agreed that their presence alone would've been enough for that.

"My parents gave me the same condition, ladies" Lincoln murmured shyly, "but...my mom and dad won't be there all night; they'll just mingle a little, have something to eat and go back home to put my youngest sisters to bed." After giving all of this some thought, Jordan agreed that it was a solid and rather well-thought out plan on the Loud Parents' part. But deep down, she felt a little skeptical at the idea of them being at her party; not so much for hers or Lincoln's sake...but because of something else.

(Line Break)

Eventually, the big day had finally arrived (December 31st) and Jordan's family couldn't contain their excitement for much longer. Finally, after a full week of preparation, planning and visits to the grocery store...everything was ready. Now, all that was needed was for the guests to arrive but since it was the middle of the afternoon; the Rosatos had some time to relax until then.

During that time, they were setting up a plan on how the celebration would go down; with the adults mingling outside near the pool and the children having the living room and basement to themselves. Now, at first; Jordan was a little confused about the idea of her friends partying in such a spot. But when she got downstairs, she was met with a stunning sight.

The entire basement looked like some sort of game room; complete with a dart board on the wall, a karaoke machine, a small air hockey table and a foosball table. Naturally, this all looked quite impressive to Jordan; mostly because she seldom ever came down into the basement. "Wow! Mom...I-I had no idea all of this was here" she gasped in awe, "who set all of this up?"

With a coy grin on her face, Mrs. Rosato revealed that this whole room was once her husband's "special Man Cave;" long before their daughter was even a twinkle in his eye. "He always loved coming down here to chill out, after a long day at work" sighed Mrs. Rosato, "he and his coworkers were pretty competitive with the Foosball game there." Upon hearing the nostalgic significance of the aforementioned game, Jordan frowned slightly; fearing that any chances of her or her friends playing with it were slim.

But then, as if she could sense these thoughts from her daughter; Mrs. Rosato smiled and granted her access to it. "Just make sure your friends are careful with it" she insisted, "along with everything else in here." Without missing a beat, Jordan gave her word that nothing crazy would happen in her dad's man cave or any room of the house. After that, the two ladies shook hands; thus officially "sealing" their arrangement.

It was here that Mrs. Rosato couldn't help but express her amazement by Jordan's desire to throw this party. Then again, she recalled other times (mostly during the warmer and sunnier times of the year) where she would show equal determination for such engagements. "I know...I must sound pretty wound up about this" Jordan sighed, "but my friends have all been through a lot this year and...and I really wanna help them put it all behind them."

Mrs. Rosato nodded slightly in understanding, after taking a moment to let her daughter's words sink in. Although she and the rest of the Gals' parents only played a "background role" during the whole ordeal, Lincoln slowly became part of each of their lives. As such, she could still feel the grim chill of dread flowing through her anytime she thought back to the week in question. "You are absolutely right, honey" Mrs. Rosato affirmed, "it's time to finally put the past behind us and New Year's Eve is the perfect time to do it."

No sooner had this been said, she vowed to help in any way possible to make the big night go splendidly. "All that I ask is that you kids don't get...too wild" Mrs. Rosato requested, "your father and I will make sure the parents all do the same." Without a second thought or a pause, Jordan gave her mother a "Scout's Honor" salute and vowed to keep the fun at a...reasonable level.

At that moment, her phone suddenly went off and the caller ID revealed that it was Rusty on the other line. When Jordan answered it, the first thing she noticed was him holding a large air horn in his hand. Of course, it didn't take long for her to deduce what he intended to do with it...but Rusty stopped her, just as she was about to question him.

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is no" he said firmly, "I do not intend on using this horn to be obnoxious with anybody at the party." With these few yet simple words, Jordan's apprehensive demeanor swiftly faded away and was replaced with a more curious expression. It was here that she decided to ask Rusty what the true purpose of the air horn was.

"Lincoln gave it to me the other day" the Spokes boy replied, "he said I might need to use it, in case he or the rest of us end up dozing off during the party." For a moment, Jordan offered no response or criticism to this idea; instead, she chose to give it a bit of thought. After a while, she realized that it was a rather smart plan to use some form of loud noises to help keep people from falling asleep before midnight.

"I think it's a great idea too, young man" Mrs. Rosato chimed in, "just...promise us that you won't toot that thing too often or too loudly while you're here." While every fiber of his being wanted him to say something coy like "I make no promises;" the minute he saw the tense looks on the two ladies' faces, the thought quickly faded from his memory.

"Uh...Sure thing, Mrs. R" Rusty murmured uneasily, "I'll only use the horn when we're either dozing off or when the ball drops, I swear." At first, the ladies were prepared to take the Spokes' boy's word...until Jordan decided to do one last thing; check to see if he was crossing his fingers behind him.

However, much to her surprise and relief; she noticed that both of Rusty's arms were fixed firmly at his sides. This was just the thing to prove to her that her friend truly did want to behave himself. "On that note, Rust Man; we will see you at the party" Jordan chirped with glee, "tell the others I said 'hi,' okay?!" After that, the call ended and all was quiet in the room once more.

Then, at that moment; both ladies suddenly let out a heavy yawn and realized they had been working on preparations almost all day. It was here that they agreed to spend the rest of the afternoon taking a well-earned nap. "We're gonna need all our energy to watch the ball drop at Midnight, kiddo" murmured Mrs. Rosato, "not to mention enjoy this big shindig of yours."

With that said; both ladies shook their hands, congratulated one another on a job well done and made their way upstairs to their rooms for some sleep. But as Jordan rested her head atop her pillow, her mind soon felt that annoying whisper of doubt creep back again. Maybe Rusty would keep his promise, maybe nobody will make too much of a scene amongst either the children or the adult groups.

But then, she wondered if her party will seem fun enough; if no one would be allowed to get into "the right party mood." Of course, the minute this thought popped into her head; Jordan knocked it out with a quick slap to her face. "Get it together, girl...what are you saying" she scolded herself firmly, "even if your party doesn't turn out 'legendary...' what's important is that you and your friend all have fun tonight, right...right."

After that final boost of reassurance; Jordan pulled up her covers, closed her eyes and settled down for a nice nap.

(Line Break)

The time was now 8:30 in the PM and soon, the entire town of Royal Woods was in the midst of celebrating. Some were throwing what some teens called "mad rager parties," others chose to quietly relax at home with some board games or watch TV and others...weren't quite so lucky in either column with their celebrations. But let us not focus on them just yet; instead, let's turn our attention down at the Rosato household.

(Quick cut to Jordan's House)

Down at Jordan's home, the party was well underway and everybody seemed to be having a fun time. Upstairs; the adults could be found either mingling with one another, sharing stories of what they've done during the holidays or just cracking some jokes. In terms of the third tier, we find Lynn Loud Sr.; who is seen passing out a series of Party Props to each of the adult guests.

Of course...earlier on, everybody didn't really appear so eager to accept the man's offerings; which made Lynn feel a bit self-conscious. "Is there, uh...something wrong with my props, guys" Lynn murmured uneasily, "it must be the fake vomit, I knew it was a mistake to bring it with me!" At first, no one offered him a reply; instead, they simply glowered at him with mild yet rather stern glares.

This behavior seemed to make Lynn feel even more confused/concerned and he soon found himself thinking it was a mistake to come to the party. But before he could slip into his self-doubt, he suddenly felt the soft touch of his wife's hand against his shoulder; which was just enough to help give him some comfort. "Honey, just play it cool" Rita whispered firmly into his ear, "this is one of the few chances we'll get to re-earn everybody's trust...so, let's not make too much of a scene."

At first, Lynn Sr. didn't really offer up a response to his wife's request; his mind still feeling rattled by the cold stares the other party guests were giving him. It was here that Lynn decided to try and break the ice with one of his jokes, hoping it would help ease some of the tension. "Hey, pal; have ya heard this one before" he asked one of the parents, "why does Father Time work late on New Year's...because he's busy prepping Baby New Year's diaper!"

Upon delivering the punchline, Lynn broke out into a light fit of chuckles; all while slapping his knee with joy. But when he saw the unamused looks on everyone's faces, his laughter slowly died down to a few slow and wary chuckles. "Wow...I heard of tough crowds before but never like this" Lynn thought tensely, "was it really that bad?"

As if sensing his thoughts; Stella's parents, Ken and Judith (or Judy among her friends,) approached the Loud Parents and stared at them with firm-looking expressions. This gave Rita the impression that they were going to say or do something drastic and she closed her eyes tight, mentally prepping herself for such a moment.

Finally, after what felt like ages of silence; Judy took a sip from her drink and decided to speak up. "Good evening; Mr. Loud, Mrs. Loud" she murmured while lightly nodding to each of them, "since my daughter and your son have become such close friends, my husband and I thought tonight was the perfect chance to finally speak with you directly." After taking a moment to process these words, Rita slowly reopened her eyes and faced the Zhaus with small yet pleased smile.

However just as she reached out her hand to the couple; hoping to receive a friendly handshake from either of them...both Mr. and Mrs. Zhau suddenly backed away from her. Confused, by their refusal to accept his wife's friendly gesture, Lynn Sr. demanded an explanation; all while doing his best to keep his temper in check. "With all due respect, Mr. Loud; we don't wish to come across as rude" murmured Ken, "but...we feel it's far too soon for the four of us to be on any sort of 'friendly terms.'"

No sooner had this been said, he added that while the Louds (with the exception of Lincoln) have all fulfilled their community work and repaid everyone for all the damages they had caused; they still struggled to regain the trust of Royal Woods' citizens. Among those who still remained on the fence towards the matter were the parents of Lincoln's friend group, the Gal Pals; who appeared to be among the few party guests that were glaring at them. Needless to say, it didn't take long for either Rita or Lynn to understand this and they both hung their heads low in shame.

"What your daughters' all started last Spring is something that should've been stopped from the get-go, not by theirs or your son's hands...but by yours" Ken said with a fierce glare, "it's a miracle that the poor boy hasn't gone mad with anxiety after all that, not to mention the nightmares Stella told us he suffered from!" Upon hearing mention of this rather unsavory part of the memory, Judy briefly removed her glasses and went about rubbing her temples; hoping to ease the slight headache she was feeling. As if sensing this would happen, though; Rita decided to cautiously yet politely attempted to shift the conversation towards something else.

It was here that she decided to question the Zhaus on something their daughter did, when the aforementioned nightmares first started happening. "Uh...Y-Yeah, our son says he learned something from your family that managed to help him sleep better at night" Lynn chimed in, "mind sharing with me the secret?" At first, neither Ken nor Judy Zhau said anything; they just stared at the Loud Parents with the same firm stares of disapproval.

But then, ever so slowly; small yet pleasant smiles appeared on their faces and then, they suddenly broke out into a light fit of laughter. For a moment or two, neither Lynn nor Rita knew what to make of this but they hoped that this laughter was a sign of good things to come. Finally; Judy calmed herself down, took off her glasses and swiped away a few of the joyful tears that were dripping from her eyes.

"I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken, Mr. Loud" she chuckled lightly, "first of all, the so-called 'secret' isn't really mine to tell; it's my mother's." After saying this, she gestures towards the living room; where an old lady is seen playing a game of cards with several other guests (and winning, it seems.) "Second of all, it's not really a 'secret method' my mother used to help your sign sleep better" Judy stated, "all she did was share with him a special evening tea recipe...one that she herself often used to help sleep soundly."

For a brief moment or two, the Loud Parents stood stone silent; unsure of what to say or think about this reveal. Tea, that's all it was...a simple cup of tea before bedtime was able to help keep their son's night terrors at bay for a whole year? No...there had to be more to it here and Lynn was determined to learn the supposed "secret."

If this tea recipe was able to help calm Lincoln down; surely, it would do the same with him and Rita during any moment they felt overwhelmed by the chaos of their home. "I, uh...I know you said we've yet to earn back a lot of peoples' trust, Mr. Zhau" the Loud Patriarch murmured uneasily, "but...would you or your wife be kind enough to share this tea recipe with my wife and I?" For the third time that night, the two parent pairs stared at each other in cold silence; which gave Lynn the impression that he was overstepping some boundaries.

As for Rita, she stood a few steps back from the scene; all while clasping her hands together and silently praying for something good to happen. Finally, Judy Zhau took a moment to take out her phone and type out a small text message. Then, mere seconds later; Lynn suddenly felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and he took it out right away.

When he looked at the touch screen, the first thing he saw was a message that read "talk to my mother, Mr. Loud...not me." While this text was relatively short and it did give off a mildly indifferent tone, Lynn was no less surprised by the gesture and did his best to thank the Zhaus for their kindness. "But wait...we thought you said we've yet to earn back your trust" Rita interjected, "why would you answer my husband's request, if that were the case?"

Almost immediately, Judy removed her glasses for a second time to give her temples a soft rub; as if to relieve herself of a stress headache. When it finally ebbed out enough for her to speak, Judy explained that while her mind was still set on the matter of trusting the Louds; she and her husband were willing to let bygones be bygones...for their children's sake. "I'm right there with you, hon" Ken said while hugging his wife from behind, "it's like what Grammy always says, 'hindi mo maitatayo ang iyong mga tulay, kung nakulangan ka ng wastong gawaing kahoy na gawin ito.'"

Although Lynn didn't quite understand what Mr. Zhau was saying, something in his tone gave him a small spark of hope that things would improve for him and his family. "Oh, sorry...I'm guessing you must not be familiar with Filipino dialect" Judy giggled, "it's a saying my mother always says; 'you cannot rebuild your bridges, if you lack the proper woodwork to do so.'" Once more, the Louds were left feeling even more confused by the Zhaus words but they did their best to appear grateful.

As if sensing their confusion; Ken explained that according to his mother, if you want to re-establish trust with others...you must provide the means to do so. "While you've still got some ways to go for us to be remotely friends, Louds; in the name of our children's bond...I'm willing to give you the chance to earn ours" he stated, "let's use tonight's festivities as a good first step towards that...is it a deal?"

After taking a few seconds to let this all process, the best response Lynn Sr. could give was a silent yet rapid nod of agreement. Apparently, this seemed to please the Zhaus greatly and they decided to officially seal the deal with a hearty handshake. "Now, then...since we're on our way towards establishing trust between us, I've been meaning to ask you some questions" Judy said suddenly, "specifically regarding the food you serve at your restaurant, Mr. Loud."

On the one hand, Lynn felt thankful that he was now on friendly speaking terms with one of the Gal Pals' parents. On the other hand, however...something in Judy's tone regarding her "concerns" about his restaurant's menu filled him with a slight chill of dread.

(Line Break)

The time was now 10 o'clock in the PM and down in the basement level of Jordan's house, every kid who came was having the time of their lives. Lincoln and Clyde were playing a round of air hockey, Phoebe was showing off some pictures she took during Christmas Dinner with her family, Kat and Tonya were having a bit of a friendly arm wrestling match and Rusty...well, he went about his usual business; which involved asking out every girl that was present. Sadly, luck wasn't on his side that night and the girls either ignored him or threatened to dump punch on his head.

Of course, all of this was just the tip of the iceberg; in terms of the fun being had. Meanwhile, Jordan took a moment or two to monitor everything; in hopes that everybody would continue having fun. Much to the young lady's relief, it seemed as though that everything was going relatively smoothly.

"Okay...so far so good, everybody's enjoying themselves" Jordan thought anxiously, "let's just hope things will remain this way for the next..." Just then, not one but two loud noises suddenly rang out; shocking the poor girl out of her train of thought. Upon coming back to her senses, Jordan immediately recognized the first of the two sounds.

It was the obnoxious yet all too familiar toot of an air horn and with this in mind, Jordan already had a good idea of who it was that sounded it off. As for the second noise; it was sharp, shrill and seemed to be bouncing off of several areas of the room...like a bullet ricocheting off the walls. "Oh, crud...is someone using one of the coasters as a Frisbee" Jordan murmured worriedly, "I've gotta stop this before my folks come down and..."

Once again, the young lady's train of thought was disturbed by the sounds of the shrill ricochets. But much to her surprise, they sounded much smaller and lighter than a coaster bouncing off the walls. After taking in a deep breath to calm down her nerves, Jordan braved a glance upward and saw something whizzing about the air like crazy.

Admittedly; it was pretty small but due to its color and shape of the object, many people were still able to spot it including her. It was a small ping pong ball and it looked like one of the sort that was used for the foosball game. "Quick, somebody catch that ball" Jordan exclaimed, "hurry before it hits something valuable here!"

Straightaway, several kids leapt into action and each made a desperate attempt to catch the ball. But it was moving so fast that anytime someone tried to grab it; they ended up either missing, bumping into someone else or falling over themselves in the process. Again and again, they tried to catch the tiny plastic ball as it continued to bounce around them like mad but to no avail.

Then, at that moment; the door soon started to open and Jordan could see that someone was about to come in. This led her to fear that one of the adults, possibly one of her parents, had heard all the noise downstairs and came down to put a stop to it. When the door finally opened wide enough, everyone could see that it was in fact Jordan's mother; who was holding a tray of pizza bites in her hands.

Of course, the moment the woman stepped into the room; she suddenly heard the sounds of the plastic foosball bouncing around the room. While carefully holding the tray on her right hand, she stood silent and still for a few seconds until...SNAP! Much to the surprise of all the children; in the blink of an eye, Mrs. Rosato managed to catch the wayward ball with relative ease.

"WHOA! Nice catch there, Ma'am" Clyde exclaimed with amazement, "how'd you managed to time it just right like that?" With a coy grin on her face, Mrs. Rosato confessed that she owed her "skills" to two years of playing Jai Alai in college; the fastest ball game in the world. "True, when I was starting out; I admit that I...got beaned in the head quite a few times" she chuckled shyly while setting down the tray, "but after a lot of training; I, eventually became the campus champ!"

Naturally, this story left the kids feeling quite awestruck; especially Lincoln, who couldn't help but wonder if Lynn was familiar with the aforementioned sport. Unfortunately, just as the kids started thinking they were in the clear; Mrs. Rosato glared firmly at them and started gazing about every corner of the room. At the same time, many of the children found themselves sweating profusely out of nervousness while this was going on; Rusty among them.

But then, after about only fifteen seconds of silence; Mrs. Rosato finally heaved out a sigh and smiled slightly. "Well, it looks like everything's in order and no damage has been done" she said tenderly, "but...could one of you please explain why this foosball was bouncing around the room in the first place?" As if on cue, Rusty stepped forth without so much as the slightest sign of hesitation on his face and presented himself before Jordan's mother.

Then, he confessed that he only had...a small hand in the events that led to the ball bouncing around the room. "See, Ma'am; it's like this" he began, "my pal, Zach and I were playing Foosball when I noticed he started dozing off during the game and...well..."

(Line Break)

As the scene flashes back to a few moments earlier, Rusty and Zach are seen playing a rather exhilarating game of foosball. Everything seems alright and normal, at first but as the game went on, the latter boy soon started to feel drowsy. Of course, Rusty took immediate notice of this the minute Zach's reflexes started to slow down; that's when he broke out his "secret weapon."

With a flick of the wrist; he snatched up his air horn, eased it over towards the side of his bestie's head and gave it a quick yet shrill "TOOT!" Unfortunately, while this gesture did help snap Zach out of his tired daze; it also startled him severely. With a yelp; he grabbed hold of one of the bars that rotated the wooden "players" on the board and gave it a quick spin; which caused one of them to suddenly hit the tiny white ball high into the air.

Soon after, the little thing started bouncing off the walls of every surface of the room like a maniac in a padded cell. This led to everyone else either leaping away in alarm or inadvertently getting hit by the ball themselves. When he got a good look at what was going on, Rusty's face soon flashed a bright red and the only words he could say were "uh...oops."

(Back to the Present)

"And that's what happened, Ma'am" Rusty murmured apologetically to Mrs. Rosato, "I didn't mean to scare Zach into hitting the ball too hard...I'm sorry." For a moment, Jordan's mother offered no reply or rebuttal to the Spokes Boy's statement; she simply stared at him, the other children and the room around them. Then, after what felt like ages of silence; she smiled brightly and ruffled Rusty's hair playfully; assuring him that she understood his plea.

"You kept your word and only used that air horn of yours when it was necessary, not to be obnoxious" Mrs. Rosato said matter-of-factly, "in spite of the whole issue with the ball, no real harm has been done." With these words, both Rusty and every other kid in the room each let out heavy sighs of relief; happy to hear that no one was in trouble. But just as they were moments away from getting back to their own party business, the children heard Mrs. Rosato call for a brief moment of their attention.

"The main reason I came down here wasn't just to bring you something to snack on, kids" she stated, "Jordan, honey; Ajax seems to be making a lot of noise outside...could you check on him for me quick, see if he's alright?" Upon hearing that her fur baby seemed to be feeling upset, Jordan answered her mother's request without a second thought and headed right up the stairs. The minute she entered the living room, her ears perked up at the soft yet sharp sounds of a dog barking outside.

"Yup, that's definitely Ajax making all that noise" Jordan whispered softly, "and he sounds pretty angry...could there be an intruder outside?" With this thought in mind, she rushed over to the back door where her dog had been chained outside; hoping to see he was okay. But when she got to the door, she noticed that several parents were already crowding around it; her father among them.

"Ol' Ajax only barks that way when either the mailman's coming or unwanted people come wandering onto the property" he growled with a steel pan in his hand, "if there is in fact someone out there...give 'em heck!" While Jordan remained silent about the command; the Louds, McBrides, Ketchums and even Stella's Granny each nodded obediently before picking up whatever item they could use as a defensive weapon (in case they needed it.)

The whole time this was going on; Jordan couldn't help but feel a strange combination of fear, anxiousness, pride and excitement welling up inside of her. "I've never seen my dad act this tough before" she thought to herself, "I wonder what's got into...oh, now I see it." As she started to examine each of the adults, Jordan suddenly noticed a faint blush lingering on each of their cheeks.

Then, she cast a glance over at the kitchen, where she saw that the punch bowl had almost been completely drained of the eggnog it was filled with. Though Jordan was never particularly fond of the stuff herself, she knew that most adults and teens loved drinking it during the holiday season; especially on New Year's. "This explains a lot...every year, mom and I warned Dad to not go overboard with the nog" Jordan groaned, "but he never listens to us!"

Just then, Jordan suddenly felt her father's hand roughly nudge her on the shoulder; snapping her out of her train of thought. Of course, this wasn't a vicious gesture; it was just something he needed to do in order to get his daughter's attention. "Jordan...J-Jordan, honey; I gotta plan" Mr. Rosato slurred slightly, "you...y-you go open the door and then, all us parents will go out and chase away the intruder!"

On the one hand, Jordan was more than ready to drive away whoever or whatever was disturbing everybody's night. But on the other hand, seeing her dad slightly inebriated (along with just about every other parent) made her feel a little worried; fearing that somebody might act just a little too aggressively. Nevertheless, the intruder had to be dealt with; even if one of the adults would have to fight them.

Once everyone was properly armed; Jordan carefully approached the door, turned the knob as gently as she could and threw it open with one quick yank. Soon after that, the adults charged out into the night; all while letting out a series of fierce growls or battle cries. Much to their surprise, however; everything appeared...relatively calm outside.

Nothing was stolen, there were no signs of trespassers and the only animal the adults found was Ajax; who appeared to be acting quite jumpy. "What is it, boy; what's the matter" asked Mr. Rosato while he stroked the dog reassuringly, "did you see something out here?" In response, Ajax gave a most ferocious snarl and pointed his nose towards a small shack near the pool.

"The shed...but there's nothing in there but a bunch of pool toys and cleanup tools" Jordan whispered, "are you sure you think something's in there, boy?" Ajax grunted in reply and gave an affirmative nod, as if insisting to his owner that his nose was not lying. As if sensing this from him, the pup suddenly heard a small snapping noise; which meant that he had been released from his leash.

Following this, Ajax could hear everyone urging him to run out and find the stranger; wherever they were hiding. Without any further delay, the pup dashed off towards the shed like a rocket; all while bellowing out a few warning barks and growls. Meanwhile, Jordan and the adults were following close behind; holding their weapons high and looking ready for a fight.

Upon arriving at the equipment shed, Ajax was seen clawing violently at the door; looking eager to rush inside and scare out whatever (or whoever) was holed up inside. "Okay, boy...on the count of three, I'll open the door and you go chase the baddie out" Jordan whispered, "one...two...THREE!" As the door flew open wide, Ajax let out a great howl and leapt inside the shed; prompting a small pack of adults to follow.

Soon, the night skies echoed with the loud sounds of a scuffle; complete with shouting, screams of terror, punches being delivered and even Ajax's barking. Finally, after what felt like ages; the intruder was roughly thrown out of the shed and landed unceremoniously on the grass (face fist.) Alas, even though everybody managed to get them out; no one could see the intruder's face.

But in spite of that, it was clear that from their stature that this stranger must've been a teenager. The question is...were they from the Middle School or were they a High School student. "Well, whatever the case; one thing is certain" Mrs. Zhau stated, "although this troublemaker did make the wise choice to hide his face from our view...they made the mistake of sealing their hood over their face."

As if they had been listening the whole time; the stranger grunted in frustration, turned their concealed head towards the group and cried "CUT ME SOME SLACK, OLD DUDES AND YOUNG DUDES; IT WAS THE BEST DISGUISE I COULD THINK OF IN A HURRY!" The instant these words were said, the party crowd immediately sensed that the intruder sounded like a boy. At the same time, the kids sensed that said intruder's voice sounded rather familiar; as if they knew them somehow.

Without any further delay, Jordan instructed everyone (from the kids to the adults) to form a circle around the stranger; to ensure they wouldn't try to escape. "Okay, creep; you're gonna pay for crashing our party" Jordan growled viciously, "but first, let's see just who you are under that hood." Once these words were said, Omar made his way over to the hooded teen and roughly grabbed hold of their sweatshirt with his large fist.

Then, just as he opened up the hole of the hoodie and drew it back only a few inches; something shot out like a Jack in the Box. At first glance, it looked like some sort of green spike but as Lincoln took a closer look, he saw that it was actually part of a punk-rock style Mohawk. "There's only one kid that I know who styles his hair in a Mohawk" he deduced, "the same kid who uses way too much green hair dye than he should...Mordecai!"

This declaration gave Omar the signal he needed to pull back the intruder's hoodie completely, thus revealing the young 7th Grader's face for everyone to see. "Aw, man...I knew this kind of thing would happen" Mordecai thought shamefully, "I shoulda gone back home like I originally planned." With this thought in mind; the boy let out an outward sheepish chuckle, said a rather hasty goodbye to everyone and made a run for the gate to freedom.

But just as Mordecai was within arms reach of the gate, his path was suddenly blocked by a very cheesed off Ajax; who barred his teeth threateningly at the teenage boy, as if daring him to move closer. With a startled yelp, he tried to make a run back to the house; thinking he could run through to the other door. But before he could turn himself around even the slightest inch, Mordecai was suddenly tackled to the ground by a pair of kids.

"HEY! C'mon, you guys; I know my rights" he whined in annoyance, "I didn't even do anything wrong...this time." Almost immediately, Mordecai could practically hear his brain screaming at him in frustration for what he said. But he had little time to think about that, at the moment; as he soon found himself surrounded by several angry adults. "You didn't do anything wrong, huh...I'd like to think trespassing on our property in the dead of night qualifies as a crime" Mr. Rosato said with a soft growl, "now, you best explain what you're doing here...or else."

Not wanting to appear intimidated and risk losing his "tough guy" image, Mordecai gave a weak scoff and murmured back the oh-so clichéd phrase of "or else what?" As if expecting him to say this, Jordan gave a whistle and called for Ajax to "join in on the fun." When the Dalmatian pup arrived at his owner's side, the gazed down at the subdued Mordecai and gave him a light growl; appearing eager to take a bite out of him.

"Now, then...my fur baby, Ajax here once tore up my friends' clothes when they tried to sneak out of my home without my knowledge" Jordan said with a sly grin, "if he can do that...just imagine what he does with intruders." This statement not only sent a chill up Mordecai's spine but also the kids and adults' as well; especially Lincoln's guy crew, who still felt a smidge intimidated whenever they approached the hound in question (and vice versa.)

A stone-cold silence followed, after Jordan's threat was delivered; as if someone was expecting another intruder to suddenly pop up and rescue Mordecai. But after a while, nothing of that sort happened; which gave the adults the chance to question their "uninvited guest." "Why are you even here, Mordecai" prodded Clyde in an annoyed tone, "I thought you were off at Biff's big New Year's party down at his place at Huntington Manor."

The punk boy offered no reply, save for the simple retort of "none of your business" but the sour expression on his face seemed to give everyone the impression that he was hiding something from them. "We'll ask you again, young man...why are you trespassing" Rita inquired firmly, "cooperate and we'll see that your punishment is...bearable." Once again, Mordecai refused to back down; all while trying to wriggle his way out from under the two kids who pinned him.

That's when Ajax chose to get right up into the boy's face, huffing and puffing air angrily out through his nostrils. Finally, the heat of the dog's breath combined with the discomfort of being pinned down broke Mordecai's resolve and he finally surrendered. "Alright...I'll talk; I promise, I'll tell you guys everything" he cried with mild annoyance, "just...give me a little breathing room, please?"

(Line Break)

A few minutes later, everyone had gone back in the house with Mordecai in toe and were all sitting down together in the living room. At which time, the Rosatos granted Mordecai permission to have a seat on an open sofa but nothing else. Once everyone was appropriately situated, all eyes turned towards Mordecai; who appeared to be more focused on tending to his Mohawk than anything else.

"Dang it...maybe wearing my hoodie the way I did was a bad idea after all" he grumbled, "it'll take me hours to..." Before he had the change to finish his statement, Mordecai finally noticed all the stares everyone was giving him and said "what?" "'What'...What do you mean 'what;' you aren't a guest here, Mordo" growled Jordan, "you better explain why you've been creeping around here during our party!"

At first, Mordecai considered sticking to his guns and defying her; even going as far as to make a snide remark like "I don't take orders from little kids." But after taking note of the fact that he was vastly outnumbered, both in terms of the people present and their varied ages, he begrudgingly submitted.

"To start things off, I didn't even want to come here...not at first" grumbled Mordecai "in fact, I spent most of the night down at Biff's place for his party before I came here." This only seemed to make the crowd feel even more suspicious of him, if not annoyed; none more so than Jordan. However, when the crowd decided to ask Mordecai why he chose to intrude on their party; she suddenly noticed a light blush appear on the punk boy's cheeks.

This meant that he either felt too ashamed or embarrassed to reveal his reason for coming to her home. But unfortunately for Mordecai, it only made Jordan and her parents feel even more eager to learn the truth. "You best speak up, man" Tonya said warningly, "if not...we'll just call the Po-Po down here to straighten you up and my Mama won't be happy about her own New Year's plans bein' put on hold either."

That did it...with this simple threat, Mordecai's tough guy demeanor faded instantly; replacing with the scared face of a frightened teenager. He had barely been able to get off easy with the police, after what he and the rest of Biff's crew did on Halloween just months ago. If they learned about him trespassing, it was likely that he'd get sent off to Juvie for sure.

"OKAY, FINE...I'll talk, I swear" Mordecai cried, "but just to let you know, everything I'm about to say is the honest truth...and I mean it." On the one hand, everybody felt skeptical about the possibility of the punk-rock teen deciding to be honest with them; which was understandable. But on the other hand, they realized that time was of the essence and they had to settle this issue right away before the ball started to drop.

Thus, the children and the adults decided to give Mordecai the benefit of the doubt; stressing that he should speak the absolute truth...if he valued his social life. "Okay...so, like I said; I was at the party down at Biff's place earlier" he explained, "I thought 'a New Year's shindig at a rich guy's place, this is gonna be epic...' boy was I wrong."

(Hours Earlier)

Down at Biff's home in Huntington Manor, the whole place was filled with guests; which would give passersby the idea that he was having a grand celebration. Unfortunately for Biff, however; only a handful of kids from his grade chose to come to the party. This handful consisted of Vicky, Mordecai, Taylor, Pablo and Anderson; who (according to Biff) were the only people he considered to be "cool enough" to attend his "New Year's Eve bash."

Meanwhile, all the other guests that came to the party were either the parents of his "friend group" or friends/associates of his parents (whom Pablo described as "snooty old rich farts.") On top of that, the food that that Mr. and Mrs. Packard had set out wasn't exactly appetizing (least of all to the children.) It mostly consisted of the usual rich people dishes; canapés, oysters, finger sandwiches, caviar and gourmet dip.

Of course, the other teens' parents all brought some food along as well but it wasn't any better than the "rich stuff." Vicky's parents brought with them a homemade quiche, which their daughter described as something that smelled worse than wet gym socks soaked in pickle juice. Taylor's mother brought over a casserole made with olives, eggs, broccoli, cheese and sweet potatoes (basically every food she herself despised most.)

Pablo's family came with a carrot cake that his mother made, even though he hated carrots more than the school's "Mystery Spaghetti" and Anderson's family chose to just bring over some drinks. As for Mordecai, his group (which primarily consisted of his dad and uncle) didn't really have the time to make anything for the party. This didn't really trouble the boy that much though; originally he planned on "helping himself" to as much of the "good stuff" he could find...which wasn't exactly a lot.

But as "bad" as the food situation seemed for the teens, the party lacked any genuine kind of entertainment. There was no music (save for the classical stuff the adults listened to upstairs,) there was no dancing, they were too young to try any of the "adult drinks" upstairs and while Biff did have all the latest gaming consoles, playing them was no fun either (at least to Mordo.) At one point, he thought it would be fun to play the new Muscle Fish Mania fighting game Biff had (somehow) got for Christmas.

But not only did the boy hog the controller for too long; whenever someone was given a chance to play against him, Biff would always throw a fit. "I told you guys, never play better than me" Biff growled, "especially when you're doing it in my house on my system in my GAME ROOM!" Rather than argue with him or complain about his attitude, the "popular crew" obeyed their host's wishes and tried to play as poorly as they could...save one.

As the friend group restarted their game for the umpteenth time that night, Mordecai chose to sit out for this round; "volunteering" to act as their unofficial ref. But this was only half the truth; in reality, he was trying to distance himself from their shenanigans as much as possible. By 9:30, the game was still going on; this time with Pablo and Vicky going against each other.

As it turns out, though; things seemed even worse than they when Biff played against everyone. Not only did the two teens rage out one too many times whenever their character lost, Vicky appeared on the verge of ripping out the controller from its slot on the console and chucking it at the wall. But before she could move her hand back even the slightest inch, Biff tightly grabbed hold of the redhead's wrist and glared at her fiercely.

"If you so much as crack the controller, there will be HUGE consequences" he hissed threateningly, "and that goes for the rest of you." Rather than feel intimidated by the rich boy's words, Anderson gave a nonchalant gesture and told him to simply buy a replacement; if anything was damaged. In response to this, Biff proclaimed that (in his father's own words) he was lucky to have received the console for Christmas at all; after everything that's happened.

"After all the 'incidents' Daddy says I have caused, I've been on thin ice lately" he murmured with a slightly anxious tone, "in other words; I can kiss my social life, my money and all of my swag goodbye forever if anything else goes wrong!" For a moment, the other "popular kids" felt a smidgen of pity for Biff after hearing his story; especially Mordecai (much to his own surprise.) But then, Pablo made the foolish mistake of questioning him on why he chose to speak this way towards them.

This led to the likes of Taylor and Vicky to assume that Biff was accusing them of being even bigger troublemakers than he was. "That's exactly my point, I told you guys to chill out and not make waves here" the rich boy growled, "you can do that whenever Loud and his loser friends are around...but not in my house!" Feeling understandably offended by his tone, Pablo stood nose-to-nose with Biff and suddenly presented a rather bold yet foolhardy question; "who put you in charge, Packard?"

What followed was a rather immature debate on who should be "the leader" of their group. Of course, the whole time this was going on; Mordecai found himself feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute. It was clear that he had to get as far from the chaos as possible...at least until after midnight. "I gotta get outta here till these guys clear their heads" the boy thought, "but I'll need to think of a good excuse to leave."

For what felt like ages, Mordecai sat in his chair tapping his finger lightly against his forehead in thought; desperately trying to think up an idea. Sadly, in the end; the best thing he could do was ask a simple yet rather innocent question. "Uh...Excuse me, Biff" Mordecai muttered softly, "could I use your bathroom for a quick sec?" A near stone-cold silence followed, after the punk boy spoke; one that was only...slightly disturbed by the sounds of the adults partying upstairs.

Finally, Biff gave his friend a sort of indifferent expression (one that seemed to say "what are you...five") and pointed towards the steps. "Head up to the second floor, it's in the hallway on the left" he grumbled, "don't know why you've gotta ask my permission to use the toilet, especially since you've been coming here for almost five years!" Appearing pleased that his ruse worked; Mordecai thanked his "leader" for the info, made a beeline up out of the basement and up to the second floor of the house.

But instead of making his way towards the bathroom; he grabbed his sweater from Mr. and Mrs. Packard's bedroom (where everyone else's coats were kept,) made his way towards the nearest window and proceeded to open it as silently as he could. "Sorry Biffo...but this party is boring me to tears" he whispered while positioning himself upon the windowsill, "I gotta get outta here while the night is still young." With this thought in mind, Mordecai decided to make his escape from the mansion...only to realize one glaring and fundamental flaw in his plan; how did he intend to get down?

His first idea was the classic "create a rope out of bed sheets" plan...but he remembered that the Packard Family's sheets were made from fine silk. Not only would such material be able too fragile to support his body weight during a descent; even if he managed to get down, the family would later discover what happened and certainly chew him out for ruining their linens. "There's also the fact that I'm too high up for that kind of rope to get even remotely close to the bottom" Mordecai surmised, "which means there's only one thing to do...jump for it."

With this thought in mind, he gazed out the window and tried to find anything that looked soft enough to land on. Finally, Mordecai spotted a reasonably-sized bush just below him; which he hoped would be thick enough to cushion his fall. "Well...here goes nothing" he sighed, "on the bright side; if I get hurt, I'll get to sit out of Gym Class for a while, at least."

With that; Mordecai took in a lungful of air to steady his nerves, squat down ever so slowly and jumped out the window. He fell from the second floor of the mansion like a falling rock until at last, he landed safely atop the bush he spotted. But unfortunately for the punk boy, he soon discovered that he had landed atop of one of Mrs. Packard's rose bushes; one that seemed to posses several thorny vines.

When he felt one of these thorns pierce through his pants and poke at his butt, Mordecai leapt out of the bush with a painful yell and hopped about the yard while clutching at his rear end. But despite however loudly he was yelling, no one inside the mansion could hear him due to the sounds of merriment going on. When Mordecai had finally "calmed down enough," he tried his best to pull out some of the thorns from behind him.

But just as he was only midway through the process, his body suddenly felt the bitter chill of the winter air; which caused the punk boy to hug himself tightly in a desperate attempt to stay warm. "Dang it...I thought s-s-sweaters were sup-p-p-posed to keep you warm in the winter" he whispered through chattering teeth, "could be worse...I could be wearing that dorky winter coat Grammy got me last year for C-C-Christmas." Cold, annoyed and partially covered in thorns; Mordecai slinked his way off the Packard Family's property and through the gates leading out of town.

He was so bitter from his experiences up to this point that he didn't even notice the snide expression that the gatekeeper was giving, after passing by. Then, just as Mordecai felt that things couldn't get any worse; realization struck him like a snowball in the back of the head. "SHOOT! My house is miles away from here and I don't have any c-c-cash on hand to take the b-b-bus home" grumbled Mordecai, "maybe I can try calling Dad or Uncle Jack to come get me!"

With renewed hope in his heart, the punk boy reached into his back pocket and drew out his cellphone; eager to make a call for help. But then, just as quickly as it came; his hopes were suddenly dashed when he saw the immense crack upon the screen of his phone. In that moment; he realized that it was either the fall, the thorns that prodded him or a combination of the two events that caused this to happen.

Yet whatever the case, one thing was clear; Mordecai didn't have anything to aid him in his hour of need now. He had no money, no phone to call for help, no coat to keep him warm and to top things off, it was now only a short time to midnight. Even if by some miracle he managed to get back home on foot, Mordecai would likely miss the ball drop.

With these thoughts in mind, he soon began his slow and bitter trek back to his own house; hoping to at least make it back to take a hot shower before bedtime.

(Line Break)

It was now almost 10 o'clock, just a stone's throw away from midnight and Mordecai had barely managed to make his way through town on his own. But earlier on, he got the idea to try running his way back to his house; thinking that sweating would help keep him warm. But unfortunately for him, nearly every patch of sidewalk was coated in either snow or sleek patches of ice.

This meant that if he made even the slightest misstep, he could hurt himself worse than he did only a short time ago. So, with the greatest of care and concentration, Mordecai maneuvered his way across the sidewalk as best as he could. In time, he had finally reached an area that was clear enough to walk normally on and he heaved out a sigh of relief.

But Mordecai still had a way's to go before he would get even remotely close to his own neighborhood and thus, he continued on his miserable trek. By 10:15, the air had become even colder and Mordecai was already shaking like a leaf. "I gotta find someplace to crash until this wind dies down" he murmured while rubbing his nose, "but where could I...wait...I think I know where I am now!"

No sooner had he said this, Mordecai made a beeline down the westward side of his location; where he soon came upon a rather familiar sight...the Rosato Family home. He thanked his lucky stars that Jordan's family didn't live so far away from Huntington Manor and was about to knock on the door; appearing anxious to get inside. But just as his hand was mere inches away from the knocker...Mordecai's hand suddenly froze (and not in a literally way.)

"Hold on...Girl Jordan and I may be in the same school but there is no way she'd want to help me"he thought dejectedly, "especially after everything I've done to her pal, Loud." With this thought in mind, Mordecai tried to figure out another way to "save himself" but he was too cold and tired to think clearly. That's when he remembered that Jordan had a pool out back, which also meant that her parents had an equipment shed for storing pool stuff.

"I'll just crash in the shed for a bit till I warm up, leave the property as quietly as I can and make my way home" whispered Mordecai, "it's so simple!" With this "genius plan" in mind, the punk boy made his way towards the backyard of Jordan's home; which was where her pool was located. But just as he got to the gate, Mordecai realized that he couldn't risk anybody seeing him trespassing.

That's when he got the idea to "disguise himself" by throwing his hood over his head and pulling down the drawstring; which in turn would close up the opening of the hood and hide his face from view. Unfortunately for him, the punk boy decided to go about doing this before he got into the shed. As a result, he was stumbling around blindly and bumping into almost everything around him; which seemed to cause the Rosatos dog to start barking inside the house.

Finally, after almost eight minutes of struggling; Mordecai had reached the shed, opened the door, closed it behind him after getting inside and fell unceremoniously atop a pile of pool supplies. Despite however uncomfortable he felt (either from the chills running through him or the pile he was lying on;) Mordecai took comfort in knowing that he was safe...for now. "Man...I thought New Year's was supposed to be a fun night" he thought venomously while rubbing his arms for warmth, "instead, tonight's only been one disaster after another for me."

No sooner he had thought of all this, a strange thought suddenly clicked with Mordecai. Although the punk boy never personally put much thought into such a thing; perhaps, he thought, everything that was going on tonight was simply him receiving some long overdue karma. After all, Mordecai spent much of the year terrorizing much of the young people of Royal Woods.

Granted, Biff was doing the majority of it all but he always seemed to go along with it all. Then, for the third time that night; Mordecai felt realization strike at him with great force. He suddenly realized that while he didn't have major involvement with Biff's ploys against the "losers" of the town, he still chose to go along with them; which (according to his Uncle Jack) was a classic example of "Guilty by Association."

Everything that's happened up to this point was simply karma giving him some long deserved punishment. "Well, dude...you may be cold, sore and shivering like a kid in Detention" thought Mordecai, "but at least things can't get any worse than they are now...right?" The punk boy could hear every voice in his head screaming at him after saying such words, reminding him that no good ever came from thinking a situation "couldn't get any worse."

That's when he heard it; the sounds of an angry dog barking, claws scratching at the door and the disgruntled murmuring of several angry adults. In Mordo's mind, this all made him believe that he had been found out and that everyone was coming to apprehend him. Under normal circumstances, such a situation wouldn't really phase him...but in his current state, he was truly afraid.

(Line Break)

As the scene cut back to the present, Mordecai was now sitting tensely up against the sofa; taking note of everyone's silent stares. Speaking of whom, both every kid and adult present had the oddest expressions upon their faces; which could only be described as a mix of pity, disappointment and uncertainty. As much as everyone wanted to pity the young teen, it did not excuse Mordecai from trespassing (if not everything else he had done previously.)

"Well, folks; that's my story and I'm stickin' to it" Mordecai said bluntly, "and for those of you who think I'm lying...here's your proof!" Without hesitation, the punk boy proceeded to show off several pieces of evidence that indicated he was telling the truth; the broken cellphone, the snow that still covered his hoodie and to top it all off, the thorns that still clung onto his rear end. It was the last piece of evidence that finally caused the Rosatos and several other parents to soften up...but only a little.

Then, Mordecai watched as they along with their children suddenly huddled up and started whispering amongst themselves. This went on for almost a minute and a half, leaving the poor boy to wonder what everyone had planned for him. Finally, everybody broke apart and Jordan made her way towards Mordecai with a firm look on her face.

"You know, Mordo...nobody likes party crashers" she said with a slightly bitter tone, "especially when those crashers happen to be a school bully." The last word of her statement was spoken so coldly that Mordecai could practically feel the chill run through him. Of course...it could have been due to the fact that his hoodie was still dripping wet as well.

In any case, he had never felt so nervous in his life; even when he was being chewed out by the principal at school. But just as Mordecai started to assume the worse, he suddenly felt something...soft and warm wrap lightly around his shoulders. He turned to his left slightly and saw that somebody had placed a blanket behind him.

Then, mere seconds after this; Mrs. Zhau handed Mordecai a cup of hot cocoa (which he happily accepted.) But after only taking a small sip of the drink, the punk boy stared confusedly at everyone and asked "you're...you're helping me...why?" "Make no mistake, young man; we're all well-aware of the shenanigans you and your...'friends' have caused our children these past few months and we're not happy about it" grumbled Kat's father, Mr. Ketchum; "but...it's New Year's Eve; a time for a new, fresh start and what better way to do that than by giving someone like you a bit of charity."

On that note; the Rosatos revealed that, at their children's request/suggestion, everyone agreed to allow Mordecai to stay with them overnight. Furthermore, everyone promised him that they wouldn't breathe a word of the...unfortunate mishaps that happened to him to anybody; not even his folks. "We're willing to do all this for you...on the condition that you'll promise to behave yourself during your stay here" Mrs. Rosato said suddenly, "that means no unruly behavior, respecting this house...and respecting all the children here."

At first, kids like Lincoln and Jordan believed that Mordecai would openly turn down the offer; thinking that his teen pride wouldn't let him show weakness in front of others. But much to everyone's surprise, he not only agreed to the terms but he looked to be on the verge of joyful tears while doing so. With that matter settled, everybody took a look at the time and saw that it was now 10:15, which meant that there was still time to kill before the ball dropped.

"Let's get back to our festivities while the night is young, everybody" Mr. Rosato suggested, "the Missus and I will join you in a bit, once we've tended to our...guest here."

(Line Break)

A half an hour went by and Mordecai came stepping out of the Rosatos bathroom; feeling warm, fresh as a bee and above all, happy again. But before that, Mrs. Loud helped remove the remaining thorns that were still stuck on his behind. At first, the punk boy thought the idea was utterly humiliating; especially since it was the mother of his "schoolyard rival" who offered to do it.

But this issue faded away almost instantly, the minute he felt the sharp pinching sensation run through him. Thus, Mordo begrudgingly accepted the offer and lay himself flat atop the sofa; while Mrs. Loud brought out a pair of tweezers from her purse. Understandably, many people stared at her in confusion when she took the item in hand; Mordecai included.

"What...As a former dental assistant, I've learned to keep a pair of these handy in case of emergencies" she said matter-of-factly, "especially during this time of year when people eat one too many sweets." Everyone nodded slightly in understanding, thinking that Mrs. Loud raised a rather good point. But the children (Lincoln among them) questioned how a pair of dental tweezers will be able to pull out thorns.

"Come on, people; this is no different than pulling out a piece of food stuck between one's teeth" Rita chuckled, "now, young man...be very still, this might sting just a bit." With these words, the Loud Matriarch lightly squeezed the tweezers around one of the thorns and gave it a firm yank; causing Mordecai to yelp loudly. This process carried on for almost fifteen minutes before the very last thorn was removed and disposed of.

Once it was over; Mordecai got up on his feet, rubbed his rear end slightly and sighed heavily with relief while expressing his deepest thanks. "Think nothing of it, young man" Mrs. Loud said with a light smile, "now...remember your promise and enjoy the rest of the night." With that said, the adults said "goodbye for now" and returned upstairs to continue with their merriment; leaving the children in the living room with Mordo.

All was quiet for what felt like ages until at last, the punkish teen urged everyone to return to whatever activities they were doing before. "I'll just chill up here and watch TV till the ball drops" he murmured softly, "don't let me wreck the rest of your night." No one said or did anything, after Mordecai had spoken his piece; leading him to feel quite anxious (surprisingly.)

That's when Jordan decided to get right up into the punk boy's face and speak to him directly, which made him feel even more on edge. "At first, I thought finding you in our pool shed would wreck everything" she said firmly, "I've put a lot of time, work and thought into this party; hoping that nothing huge would go wrong!" These words, much to his own surprise, caused Mordecai to hang his head low; whether it be in shame or frustration.

But then, Lincoln took his place by Jordan and revealed that in spite of things...the party was going relatively well. "Yeah! We've had fun, the food was great and finding out that Mordo was hiding out here was an exciting development" Clyde exclaimed, "I haven't felt such adrenaline since my dads let me try Ghost Pepper chicken wings for the first time!" In spite of himself, Mordecai softly chuckled at his classmate's words, thinking that only someone like McBride could think trying hot wings was "exciting."

Then, Haiku suddenly appeared beside him; causing the punk boy to scoot back slightly in alarm. "The main point we're getting at here is...New Year's is meant to be a time where we put the past behind us and have a second chance at life, just like Kat's father said earlier." Upon hearing these words, Kat gave a nod and said that everybody was more than willing to make peace with him...as long as he would do the same, even for one night.

"I swear; no funny stuff, no tricks and no shenanigans" Mordecai vowed, "I'll be on my best behavior for the rest of the night." With that said, he shook hands with a few of the kids to seal the deal and asked what they wanted to do next. That's when Rusty remembered that they had yet to finish their Foosball game from earlier.

It was here that without so much as a second thought, Mordecai exclaimed the words "I PLAY WINNER" and rushed downstairs to the basement; causing the other children to follow after him.

(Line Break)

The time was now 11:58, only two minutes away until the big moment; the midnight hour. After all the singing, dancing, food and games; everybody was sitting together in the living room, waiting eagerly for the ball to drop over Times Square. This gave Jordan the chance to give the "viewer" her final thoughts on everything that transpired up to this point.

"Well, my first ever New Year's bash turned out to be a complete success" she sighed with relief, "despite a few...hiccups here and there, everybody had a real good time." After saying this, she takes a glance over at her friends sitting beside her; who all appear to be on pins and needles waiting for the ball to fall. Then, Jordan glanced over at Mordecai; who was softly nibbling on one of Mr. Loud's homemade brownies.

At first, she still questioned why everyone allowed him to stay for the party but she remembered what Mr. Ketchum had said earlier; tonight was about second chances...and even punks like Mordo deserved one. "I know that things probably won't change, once we're all back in school" Jordan whispered to the "viewer," "but...you know, a kid can dream." Soon, the clock now read 11:59 and everyone watched as the final seconds of the year slowly ticked away.

Fingers were tapping rhythmically, feet were tapping frantically and in spite of the tired looks on everyone's faces, their eyes remained fixed to the screen. Finally, the clock was down to the half minute point and the ball was mere inches away from reaching the bottom of the pole atop the Times Square building. Soon, everybody started counting down every second with baited breath; 25, 24, 23, 22.

At one point, Rusty's eyes felt irritated from holding them open for too long; which led to him rubbing at them feverishly. "Hurry, dude; it's almost time" Lincoln squealed excitedly, "I can't believe it, for the first time ever; I've actually made it to see the ball drop!" As the clock counted down the final dozen seconds, the rest of the Guys and Gals expressed their own joy of making it this far.

Finally, the magic moment had arrived; the final count down to the New Year. People all over, whether they were at home or with friends/other loved ones, were all counting down with great anticipation.

The Party Group: "TEN"

Principal Huggins: "Nine"

Mrs. Johnson: "EIGHT"

Sam, Simon and their parents: "SEVEN"

Fiona, her husband and their theater troupe: "Six"

The Casagrandes and Santiagos up in Great Lakes City: "CINCO!"

The Junior Morticians Club in monotone voices: "four"

Mr. Grouse and his family: "THREE"

The Loud Sisters: "TWOOO"

Flip: (takes a heavy swig of slightly out of date eggnog and belches loudly)

(All over Royal Woods and beyond, the atmosphere echoes loudly with the sounds of cheering and/or outcries of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!")

As the time ball flashed its magnificent colors over Times Square on television, people everywhere were cheering loudly with victory for making it to this point. Meanwhile, those like Lincoln and Clyde simply fell limp atop their seats and heaved out heavy sighs of relief. "We made it, guys...we did it" Lincoln murmured, "now...(yawn) we can finally relax."

Not needing to be told twice, all the children sat themselves comfortably at any available space in the room and proceeded to take a short nap...all except for Mordecai. Before deciding to take a rest himself, he silently looked over every one of the dozing 6th Graders and smiled warmly. "Thanks a bunch for sticking up for me, squir...I mean, dudes" he whispered softly, hoping nobody overheard him, "I owe ya one; I don't know how, I don't know when...I don't know what might happen that will bring me to do it...but I promise, I'll make sure to pay you back for tonight."

After this, Mordecai grabbed a pillow from off the couch and placed it on the floor; where he then proceeded to rest his head on it as comfortably as possible. Meanwhile, back at Biff's house; he and the rest of the "Bully Posse" had completely missed the ball drop due to their ongoing video game feud. Only this time, Pablo and Anderson were arguing over what game to play next while Taylor complained about missing the big count down.

The fighting grew so hectic that at one point, Pablo suddenly yanked out the controller from its slot. As a result, the chord flew over the boy's head like a whip and smacked up against a nearby desk lamp (and a rather fancy one at that.) The instant they heard the object wobbling, the bullies went as silent as the grave and their faces went white with fear.

Biff could only watch in horror as the lamp finally teetered off the side and fell to the floor with a resounding "CRASH!" Surprisingly, while their feuding and fighting did little to stop all the partying going on downstairs; the instant the lamp broke, all the music suddenly turned off. Soon after, the teens could hear the sounds of thunderous footsteps marching up the stairs.

Then, the door slowly opened wide; revealing a group of very disgruntled parents on the other side. Everything was silent for what felt like ages, after that; no one even dared to breathe. Finally, after the adults caught sight of the broken lamp, they all glared at the children and asked with deep-throated growls "who...did...THIS?!"

Rather than do the honorable thing and confess the truth; instead, the teens simply pointed accusingly at one another and cried "IT WAS HIS/HER FAULT, I SWEAR!"

(First AN: There we have it, folks; after two years of work, A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals is finished. Sorry if this one seems pretty long compared to the other oneshots in this but I figured since it's a finale, may as well give it the feeling of an hour-long TV special. Don't worry, though; this won't be the last you'll see of the Gal Pals or the other characters seen in this story.

I have at least four other stories in mind that include them, one of which is still ongoing; Dungeons, Dragons & Dames. So, if you want some more adventures with Lincoln and the Gals; stay tuned)

(Second AN: Not only was this meant to be Jordan's own kind of adventure, it was also meant to help jumpstart Mordecai's redemption; which would come full swing in the Class Act three-parter. This adventure, however takes place before that)

(Third AN: Speaking of Mordo, the "Uncle Jack" that he speaks of in this is his uncle; the lawyer known as Burns who helped Lincoln during the family trial. It's just him and his brother, Mordecai's father, who raises the boy at home; his mother...well, let's just say she went her separate ways from the family...but that's a different story)

(Fourth AN: According to the Loud House Wiki page, Stella's parents are in fact named Judy and Ken. I'm not fully certain if this is canon with the show or not but until that day comes, that's what I'll call them)

(Fifth AN: Dragon's Reign, the LGBT Dark Fantasy/LGBT Romance book Haiku received for Christmas, is actually based on a real audio book of the same name made by an author named Raythe Reign. I've listened to the first two chapters of it, so far and it's actually really good. Without going into spoilers, it main fantastical characters are a race of beings called Dragon Shifters.

After the first chapter, I thought "Haiku's character loves stories featuring mythical creatures; why not have her read something like this?" If you want to learn more about Dragon's Reign, you can listen to the podcast on YouTube)

(Sixth AN: When Lincoln screams the words "QUIET YOU" while referencing the slogan for the Magnum Power Energy Drink, I did it in the same way Billy from Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy said it while reciting the "Heifer Farms Brand fruit-at-the-bottom, all natural style Yogurt" slogan. I thought it would be the perfect comedic line for him to say while under the effects of a sugar high)

(Seventh AN: The main theme of this oneshot was that of redemption, not just for Mordecai but also for Lincoln's folks as well. At this point in the anthology, they and a few of their daughters had yet to fully earn forgiveness from some of Royal Woods' citizens. What better way to help make that happen than by having the Loud Parents attend a party.

As for Mordo...his redemption would come during the starting half of the Spring Arc, which I'm certain you all have read already. If not, read this first and then, go to Class Act with the Gal Pals; you might feel the dots connecting that way)

(Final AN: I just want to thank you all for sticking with this story/anthology of mine. I know my Gal Pals stories aren't beloved by everybody in the Loud House fandom but it's like what Harold Zoid said on Futurama. What really matters in life is that people care about you, whether it's a huge crowd or just a small handful of diehard fans.

To all of those fans who've enjoyed this and my other Loud House stories set in the Gal Pals universe, I say 'thank you' once more and I hope you'll enjoy all my other stories as well. I'll keep you posted on my next project...once I've rested my brain enough)