A Day at Dairyland

Sometime after leaving Huggins' office, Jordan took out her cellphone and immediately texted her parents at home. "I hope my Mom or Dad will be able to pick us up" she murmured, "if not, we'll just have to walk home." Lincoln gave her a soft smile and said he'd be okay with either choice.

"If I may change the subject, though" he said suddenly, "I just wanna say...thanks...for all your help." Taking her attention away from her phone for a moment, Jordan turned towards Lincoln and smiled brightly. "It's the least I can do, Linc" she stated, "friends never abandon friends."

Lincoln chuckled softly at her words, muttering how he feels he'll be getting spoiled during break. "Don't think of it as getting spoiled" Jordan stated, "it's repayment for all the good you did, as a brother and a friend." At that moment, the two preteens suddenly heard a soft buzzing ring out.

Jordan looked down at her hip to see her phone vibrating. Upon inspection, she saw a message from her mother; saying that she was on her way. "Says here she'll be here in fifteen minutes" Jordan muttered, "hope you don't mind waiting." With a soft wave of the hand, Lincoln assured her all was good.

But something in his tone of voice told Jordan otherwise. It wasn't just that, though; his posture, the look in his eyes and the way his hands kept rubbing together showed her something must've been wrong. "Lincoln, are you...feeling okay" Jordan asked with concern, "if something's wrong, you can tell me."

At first, Lincoln considered lying to her; make an attempt to assure her he was fine. But each time the thought crossed his mind, it made his stomach twist into tight knots. With a deep sigh, Lincoln decided to come clean and tell the ladies everything.

"I guess I'm just a little...worried" he murmured, "worried about what's going on at home, about my parents' safety or sanity, what might happen in the future..." In an instant, Lincoln started to dive into a tangent of anxiety; which brought him close to hyperventilating. Once this started to happen, Jordan quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

"Lincoln, you've got to snap out of it" she snapped softly, while giving his shoulders a light shake "you're going to have a panic attack!" It took a while but after a few good shakes, Lincoln's breathing steadied itself until he let out a long sigh. "Okay...are you all good now" questioned Jordan, "did you get all that fear out of your system?"

After letting out a couple of deep breaths, Lincoln's demeanor slowly reverted back to his usual pleasant self. Once he was back to normal again, Jordan gave him a big hug to help lift his spirits. "Look...I know things are crazy now, Lincoln" she sighed softly, "but sooner or later, things will get better for you and everyone else...I know it."

Though, a small part of him still had doubts; Lincoln felt comforted by his friend's words and thanked her for the pep talk. Minutes later, Jordan's mother pulled in at the school parking lot and waved to the kids. Without pause, Lincoln and Jordan hurried to the vehicle; anxious to get their Spring Break started.

(Line Break)

Upon their return to Jordan's house, the duo proceeded to make plans on what to do on their Dairyland adventure. "I was thinking about starting things off with the Milk Shaker" Lincoln suggested, "it feels like ages since I've been on that right!" Jordan nodded enthusiastically at the idea, barely holding back her excitement.

"Oh, what about the Bull Pen Bumper Cars" she stated, "I always love riding in those." Lincoln beamed with joy at the idea, before he began to act out a series of driving gestures. After that, Jordan pulled out a brochure from the park and showed off a few new attractions that were added.

There was one in particular that caught Lincoln's eye, a sort of long tower made in the shape of an old Amish butter churn. "Don't think I remember seeing this before" he muttered, "I wonder what it is?" Upon saying this, Jordan's father suddenly popped in; chuckling naughtily.

"You must be lookin' at the Butter Churn, my boy" he said slyly, "my brother was among the first patrons to ride it, when it was first opened." Intrigued, Lincoln asked what this new ride was like. "To make a long story short; it's a 200 feet tall thrill ride" he chuckled, "you're strapped into a harness and an elevator lifts you and all other riders up to the very top."

Now; normally, Jordan was often a tough cookie and could brave any challenge before her. But there was something about the Butter Churn's description her father gave that gave her a chill. "W-W-What happens after you reach the top" she asked, "do they...d-do they lower you back down slowly?"

Upon hearing this inquiry, her father let out a loud yet playful laugh. "Sorry, hon...but there's only one way down" he stated, "and that's through a 190 foot long, forty miles per hour drop!" There was a mixed reaction from both preteens about the ride, after hearing this revelation.

Lincoln was filled with a great sense of excitement and anxiousness...while Jordan could barely keep herself from shaking in her seat. When he saw the fear in his friend's eyes, Lincoln reached over and took her hand in both of his; lightly petting it. "Don't worry, it's probably not as bad as you think" he assured, "who knows, the ride might actually be fun."

Though a sliver of fear still lingered inside, something in Lincoln's voice and his eyes helped calm Jordan down. Eventually, her demeanor returned to its usual cheerful glow and she smiled at him. Suddenly, the both of them realized they were still holding hands and quickly broke away.

After that, Jordan could hear her parents sniggering softly; all while muttering how "cute" she looked when she blushed. "Ignore my folks, Lincoln" she grumbled softly, "they're just being goofy." The lad chuckled softly at her, gave her a "don't worry about it" shrug and the two went back to their Dairyland plans.

(Line Break)

The next day, they met up with Stella at the bus station; who also appeared rather excited for the fun that was ahead. Upon boarding the bus, the three of them spent some of the ride just chatting idly with each other. "Say...uh, Stella; I know this may seem like a weird question" Lincoln muttered, "but do you have any news to report about anything happening back at my house?"

While mildly taken aback by this inquiry, Stella understood the reason behind it. With him being away from home for so long, it's natural for him to be curious about how things were. "Well, before I got here; I had a run-in with Clyde" she stated, "from what he said; the tension's so thick at your house, you could cut it with a knife.

(A camera flash goes off, as we enter a flashback of the previous afternoon. Here we see Clyde, nervously making his way towards one of the living room windows of Lincoln's house. Upon peeking inside from below; he spots all ten of the Loud Sisters, sitting or standing in all parts of the room.

Each one, young and old, sported a vicious look of anger on their faces and had an equally intense fire in their eyes. Yet not a single word was spoken by anyone, not even the parents or pets; who all chose to hide out beneath the kitchen table in the next room.)

Once the flashback ended, Stella suddenly let out a soft shudder. "Clyde said it wasn't the looks the girls had that alarmed him...it was the overall silent atmosphere" she whispered, "it was like one of those tense scenarios in action or western movies; where if someone so much as sneezed, a shootout would ensue." Jordan grimaced softly at Stella's story, feeling more on edge now than how she did from her dad's description of the Butter Churn ride.

Meanwhile, Lincoln simply gave a dejected sigh; as if he expected things to still be bad at home. "When my sisters hold a grudge, it's hard for any of them to let go" he murmured, "believe me, I know from experience." There was a rather uncomfortable silence, after that statement; until Stella gave him a light yet friendly pat on the shoulder.

"Let's not think about family drama right now, guys" she stated, "we have a trip to Dairyland to plan for!" Upon being reminded of this, Lincoln couldn't help but smile. "You're right, we're about to have a fun day today" he murmured softly, "I can't let home troubles dampen my mood."

With that said, the girls let out a cheer; happy to see their friend in good spirits again. After that, the rest of the bus ride proceeded smoothly and pleasantly. In time, they reached their destination; the Dairyland Amoosment Park.

Upon exiting the bus, the girls fished about their pockets and pulled out the money they were given for their venture. But as they proceeded towards the ticket booth, Jordan turned towards Lincoln and asked if he had money to use. This question caused Lincoln to become a little nervous.

He'd spent so much time away from home, he had forgotten about collecting any funds he might need to sustain himself. But then, he was suddenly struck with an inspiration; which caused a bright smile to appear on his face. "Don't worry, ladies" he said confidently, "I just remembered an idea of mine for how to safely hide money from others."

Before they could question the meaning of his words, Jordan and Stella's eyes widened; as Lincoln began to fish his hand around inside of his sock. At first, Jordan was prepared to reprimand him for scratching his feet in public. But then, mere seconds later; Lincoln suddenly drew out a crumpled wad of money about roughly the size of a "Shooter" marble.

"Okay...two things, Lincoln" murmured Stella, "first of all...eww and second, why do you have money hidden in your sock?" Upon collecting his money and pocketing it, Lincoln chuckled sheepishly at the girls. "Sorry about that" he muttered, "at my house; when we find money, everyone gets as testy as miners during a Gold Rush."

The girls nodded slightly in understanding; with eleven kids under one roof, it must be difficult for any one of them to have any spending money to spare. "I've been collecting any spare bills I found lying around my house for almost three months" Lincoln explained, "I've kept them all in what I like to call my 'socket.'" Both ladies blinked confusedly at him, asking what the heck a "socket" was.

"Oh...it's actually a merger of two words, sock and pocket" he replied, "I thought up the name myself." The girls couldn't help but smile at him; despite the idea being both uncomfortable (in terms of walking) and...slightly gross, they admitted it was slightly clever. With their money in hand, the trio proceeded towards the booth and collected their tickets.

In a flash, Lincoln placed some money on the counter; insisting that he would pay for them. "No, Lincoln" Stella insisted, "this Spring Break is about you having a good time, we should pay." Despite the kindness behind their words, Lincoln still insisted on paying; calling it compensation for all the good they've done thus far.

Both ladies chuckled softly at this, muttering pleasantly how they could always count on Lincoln's kind nature. Having collected and paid for their tickets, the trio proceeded into the park. In an instant, they became lost in the park's joyous atmosphere.

The sounds of patrons screaming with joy on the coaster filled their ears. They sighed blissfully with delight, as the scent of the park's food filled their nostrils and the overall merriment around them made them feel euphoric. "I can already tell this is gonna be a great day" Lincoln stated happily while addressing the viewer, "the question is...what to do first?"

(Line Break)

What followed was a montage of Lincoln's Dairyland outing with the girls. The first place they visited were the Bull Pen Bumper Cars, where Stella showed some of her wild side. There, she not only managed to give a few bumps to the other riders.

But whenever someone attempted to ram her, she would pull off astounding fake out moves. On one such instance, when a rider was chasing after her at top speed; Stella performed a sort of drift move with her car. As a result, this caused her pursuer safely yet unexpectedly hit a wall.

Mere seconds later, said driver became an open target for the other bumper car drivers to gang up on. Neither Jordan nor Lincoln could believe what they had witnessed, to say the least. Upon rejoining her friends, Stella gave them a wink; lightly sniggering at the gaping mouth looks they gave her.

Then, all of a sudden; Jordan found herself surrounded by four other riders. They had formed a circle around her and were intent on giving her a good bumping. But much to Lincoln's surprise, Jordan didn't seem all that worried about her situation.

Then, the surrounding riders put the pedal to the metal and their cars swiftly zoomed towards her at full speed. Now, Lincoln knew Jordan was a tough gal and the cars were all well-padded to prevent any kind of mishaps or disasters. But the sight of all those riders closing in on Jordan made his heart pound vigorously, regardless.

Meanwhile, Jordan remained calm in her car; softly tapping her fingers against the wheel. "Come on, guys...just a little closer" she thought to herself, as her eyes darted about; "a few more seconds and...THERE WE GO!" In an instant, Jordan had spotted something that made her chuckle slyly; a gap in bottom right side of the opposing riders' formation.

This was just the kind of thing that she had been waiting for. With a broad smile on her face and a mischievous gleam in her eye, Jordan pressed her foot down on a secondary pedal; which caused her car to zoom in full reverse. Upon looking over her shoulder; she spotted her opening, positioned herself carefully and passed through the other riders.

Having been caught off-guard by this display of driving skills, the group failed to see they were all heading straight for one another. By the time they did, it was too late and sudden yet soft crash caused their bodies to jiggle in their seats like they were bobble heads. Once she was in the clear, Jordan wasted no time in pumping her fist in the air and whooping out loud cries of victory

Stella whooped loudly with excitement at her friend's show of skills, while Lincoln simply stared in awe; unsure if what he witnessed was real. Unfortunately, Lincoln's daydreaming was suddenly disrupted by a sudden bump on his rear; which caused his car to lurch forward slightly. He turned around slightly, growling under his breath and saw another rider laughing at him.

Taking said laughter as a challenge; Lincoln revved up his car and began to chase after the rider. Upon seeing this, seconds later; Jordan and Stella cheered wildly for their friend and decided to join him. There was much laughter, cheers and excitement in the air; during the remainder of the ride.

When it was all over, Lincoln and Stella exited from the attraction and couldn't stop themselves from laughing giddily. Coming up from the rear was Jordan, who was still recovering from the rush of the ride. "That was awesome, you guys" cheered Lincoln, "I've never seen driving skills like that before, not even from my sisters!"

Stella chuckled proudly at her friend and gave him a light bow of thanks for his praises. "You flatter me with your kind words, young Sir" she said graciously, " after all the time I've spent go-karting in my old hometown, you tend to pick up a few tricks." Upon hearing this, Jordan quickly snapped out of her earlier daze and hurried over to them; eager to hear more.

"Hold up, girlfriend" she said bluntly, "you did go-karting before...for how long?" Stella gave Jordan a sly smile, took out her phone and showed her a slideshow of herself; one containing photos of her holding a large go-kart racing trophy. "I've been riding since I was eight" she said proudly, "I was once the three-time go-kart champ, before moving Royal Woods."

Both Jordan and Lincoln couldn't help but stare in awe of their friend's achievements, to say the least. "Man, that's so cool" Lincoln sighed, "I haven't done any go-karting since...well, since..." In that moment, the boy's cheerful demeanor started to slightly dampen; as a twinge of sadness slowly washed over him.

Straightaway, Stella took notice of his attitude change and asked if he was alright. "Oh...yeah, I'm fine" Lincoln lied with a slight mumble, "I was just...thinking of some things is all." Sensing that he had something heavy on his mind, Jordan offered for them to have a quick lunch before deciding to explore anymore of the park.

With a unanimous cry of "aye," the trio made their way towards the nearest snack vendor. Afterwards, they took a seat at a picnic area and began to munch on some hot dogs and steak fries. "So, Lincoln...what's up" questioned Stella, "why the long face about the go-karting thing?"

In response, Lincoln began to tell them all about a time where he once tried go-karting. "I was like...nine or ten, when we went down to the track" he began, "it was the biggest rush I had at the time; the wind in my face, the pounding in my heart, the twists and turns of the track." Stella couldn't help but sigh wistfully at Lincoln's words, as it reminded her of all the times she once raced.

"So, do you still do it" questioned Stella, "I mean, do you still like to go go-karting anymore?" This question suddenly caused Lincoln to grow tight-lipped, which made the girls concerned. Then, Stella suddenly realized why he was acting so strange but a part of her brain couldn't help but yell in frustration.

"This is just a wild guess here" she began, "but...does this whole thing involve one of your sisters soiling your go-karting fun?" Lincoln's only reply to her words was a simple nod and a light tap on his nose, which symbolized she was right on the button. "To be more specific...it was Lynn who was responsible" he sighed dejectedly, "her and her stupid desire to always win!"

While telling his story, a montage of images flashes by; each one showing off Lynn in her most unsportsmanlike manner. Whether it was plowing dangerously past the other riders, ramming into them from the sides, blasting dust at them with her tires, causing their vehicles to skid dangerously or shouting vicious insults at them (insults that are unfit for this story's rating;) in the end, Lynn soiled the fun for everyone. "She broke over two-dozen rules on the track, in just one day" Lincoln grumbled, "which led to my entire family being banned...even me."

The last part of the story made him feel especially mad because he was the only one in the group to keep his cool, during the whole race. "You guys have no idea how much of a pain it is paying for your family's mistakes" he grumbled, "I made some too, sure...but theirs have been so much worse by comparison!" The girls murmured softly with remorse, sad to see their friend suffer such unusual stresses in life.

"Don't worry about all that now, Linc" encouraged Jordan while patting his hands lightly, "today is our day and nothing else outside of our fun matters, for now." Stella gave an enthusiastic "YEAH" in agreement and offered Lincoln one of her fries. Lincoln smiled warmly at his friend, thanked her for the fry and happily popped it into his mouth.

(Line Break)

After finishing their snack, they proceeded to walk around the different attractions; hoping to find something that caught their eye. When suddenly, a voice came shouting out from seemingly out of nowhere. "Step right up, folks; step right on up" it said with encouragement, "try your luck and win yourselves a prize!"

The trio began to scan through the crowd, trying to find the source of the shouting. On the northwestern side from where they stood, they spotted a vendor; shouting at passersby through a wooden megaphone. Behind him was a large dunking booth, filled with up to four feet of water.

To the right of the vendor was a sign; which read "three balls for one dollar." Beside the dunk tank was a wall that displayed a variety of stuffed animal prizes, ranging from natural to mythical animals. While taking a moment to observe the game; from the corner of his eye, Lincoln saw Jordan staring wishfully at the prize wall.

To be more specific, she was gazing at a polar bear doll that was just her size. Upon seeing this, an idea began to form in Lincoln's mind. "Jordan has been so nice to me lately" he thought to himself, "what with letting me bunk with her, hanging out with me and putting together all these plans...I think I should return the favor."

With this in mind, Lincoln puffed out his chest and made his way over towards the booth; much to the girls' surprise. "Excuse me, Sir" he cried, while hurrying towards the booth; "I'd like to try my luck." Upon saying this, he took a dollar from his wad of money and placed it on the counter.

The vendor smiled at the boy and handed him the three balls, wishing him good luck. As Lincoln readied himself to throw, he could hear the man in the seat starting to heckle him. "There's no way you're gonna dunk me, kid" the person chuckled, "those scrawny arms of yours couldn't throw a paper airplane!"

Normally, this sort of insult was nothing more than playful ribbing; something to help the players miss (all in good fun, of course.) But as Lincoln listened, something in the person's words sparked a bit of a bleak memory in the back of his mind. Soon, he began to see images of Lynn's ethereal form floating around him.

At the same time, these apparitions began to sling out hurtful comments to his psyche. Soon; they began to say things like "dream on," "hit the showers," "move aside, lightweight" and of course, "Stinkin'" (a nickname Lynn called him many times over.) Upon hearing these voices, Lincoln could barely concentrate on his first throw and soon sent it flying overhead of the tank.

There was a light cacophony of laughter from the onlookers behind him, even Jordan and Stella shared a soft chuckle. "Give it another try, kid" encouraged the vendor, "try to aim the ball a little lower, this time around." Lincoln gave a silent nod, took hold of the ball and positioned himself for the throw.

But once again, the person sitting above the tank began to heckle him. "Nice job with the last throw, boyo" the man sniggered, "you must've hit a bird or a kite somewhere." The crowd couldn't help but groan at the man's poor attempt at a joke. Even Lincoln found himself shaking his head in shame, while rolling his eyes.

"Man, the last time I heard jokes that lame was when Luan..." The moment he thought of another of his sisters, Lincoln's heart began to race. Soon, he began to look back at all the April Fools incidents that happened because of her.

Though; it wasn't the amount of pies, joy buzzer shocks, banana slip pratfalls or even the hidden camera pranks she pulled that bothered him. No; in due time, Luan's pranking on April 1st quickly became incredibly elaborate...and borderline insane. He still remembered one particular April Fools incident he endured quite vividly.

(Brief Flashback)

While hanging out at Clyde's the day before, Luan went into his room and...did something to Lincoln's bed. Just before the sun rose, on that April 1st, all seemed quiet. Then, Lincoln felt his bed rocking and shaking violently; like he was in the middle of a storm at sea.

As Lincoln tried to figure out what was happening, he could hear the sounds of moaning and wailing from out of nowhere. Then, as he tried to call out for his family, he saw it; three ghoulish ghosts looming menacingly over his bed. The sight of these spirits was so shocking, it caused Lincoln to rush out of his room and run screaming out of the house in terror.

When he stopped running, moments later; Lincoln found himself standing in the middle of downtown. The sun had, at last risen into the sky and people came walking out of their homes; ready to greet the day. However, they were also greeted by a sight they didn't count on; a nine-year old boy, standing outdoors...in his undies.

Upon realizing the situation, Lincoln cursed himself for choosing not to wear his pajamas to bed. But it was so warm out, during the night before that he needed some form of relief. As Lincoln prepared to explain himself, there was a sudden and bright flash of light from behind him.

With a startled yelp, Lincoln turned around to find a camera lens sticking out from a bush. Then, the crowd around him began to laugh uproariously at him. Finally, to add insult to injury, Luan quickly popped out of the bush with a camera in her hand.

"Happy April Fools, Lil' Bro" she said with a smile, "I'd like to stay and chat...but I've got some photos to print." As she strutted off towards home, Luan turned around and offered one final statement. "Way to greet the day au natural, Lincoln" she sniggered with a slightly malicious tone, "but I never knew you could be so...cheeky!"

Upon hearing the comment, little Lincoln turned behind him to see a shocking sight. In all his running, he failed to notice how much his underwear was riding up his butt. This caused the shape of his behind to really show itself for all to see.

Lincoln could do nothing but stand in place, utterly mortified by what had happened to him. By the time he went back home, it was revealed that Luan rigged his bed with an old mechanical bull ride mechanism. Said mechanism, with the aid of a remote Luan kept in her room, allowed her to shake and shimmy his bed like a soda can.

(Back to the Present)

The family would've stepped in to help him, normally. But they were currently enduring their own April Fools traps. When Lincoln's mind snapped out of the memory, he could hear both the man seated over the dunk tank and the crowd behind him shouting for him to throw the ball.

Alas; due to his moment of distraction, Lincoln missed the target...again. This only gave the man in the chair more reasons to heckle Lincoln. "C'mon, little man" he chuckled, "my mama could knock me outta here no problem...and she's 103 years old!"

Just as Lincoln prepared to throw his final ball, Jordan quickly called for a time out. Wishing to be fair, the vendor granted them a brief pause...but only for two minutes. After that, the girls hurried to Lincoln's side and tried their best to comfort him.

"What's going on here, Linc" questioned Stella, "I know your pitching is rusty...but even you could take this guy out." Jordan quickly scolded her friend for the comment, proclaiming it wasn't quite helping things. But much to their surprise, nothing they said seemed to push away the cloud of doubt looming over Lincoln's head.

"Sorry, girls...I really am" he murmured, "I just...every time I try to throw and hear that jerk mocking me, I just keep thinking of...well, you know who." Nothing else needed to be said, after that; for those few words alone helped the girls understand his problem. Afterwards, Jordan took a moment to think up an idea to help Lincoln out.

As she looked around at the crowd, the game vendor and the heckler over the booth; Jordan was suddenly struck by inspiration. Jordan quickly took Lincoln by the shoulders and gave him a firm stare, causing the lad to become a little nervous. "Okay, dude; listen to me very carefully" she began, "don't think about anything else, right now; not the crowd, the vendor, the guy in the dunking book, me, Stella...or even your sisters."

After that, she turned Lincoln around and directed his gaze towards the target; telling him to look at nothing else but that. "Don't focus on anything around you or up here" she murmured while lightly tapping his forehead, "focus only on the target ahead...there is nothing but the target." With that said, Jordan quickly went back over to Stella's side; all while whispering softly "there is nothing but the target."

Once that was done, Lincoln's time out was finished and the game continued on again. As Lincoln took his final tennis ball and faced the booth once more, he caught sight of the red and white target ahead of him. Then, he started hearing soft voices whispering in his ear; not of his sisters' voices...but of Jordan's.

"Focus on the target...there is nothing but the target" echoed the voice, "focus...focus...there is nothing but the target." With these words in mind, Lincoln soon found himself feeling much calmer than before. This allowed him to look at the target more clearly and find the perfect trajectory to throw his ball.

After taking in a few deep breaths for extra luck; he assumed the right position, reared his arm back, stomped his left foot down onto the pavement and sent the ball screaming forward. The world seemed to have gone into slow-motion, after the ball was sent flying. Everyone present, young and old, watched in silence; hoping that Lincoln would hit the target.

Meanwhile, Lincoln remained in place; his eyes clenched shut and his fingers crossed so tightly that they seemed ready to snap. Then, all of a sudden; Lincoln could hear the sound of something crashing hard against metal. This was followed by a startled shriek and a sudden splash of water.

When Lincoln opened his eyes to see what had happened, his jaw almost struck the floor. Ahead of him, the metal target had been knocked backwards and the once snarky dunk booth heckler was now wading around the tank. "I...I...I did it" muttered Lincoln, appearing utterly shocked by the sight before him; "I did it...I DID IT, I WOOOON!"

As both the crowd and the game vendor proceeded to congratulate Lincoln, he couldn't help but blush. In spite of it only a theme park game, this was one of the rare times he ever legitimately won at something on his own. Just then, his thoughts of joy were suddenly interrupted; when he found himself being squeezed from both sides.

"You did it, Lincoln; you won" cheered Stella, "we knew you had it in you!" Jordan shared in her friend's enthusiasm...perhaps, a little too much; as she soon lifted Lincoln off of his feet while squeezing him proudly. In an instant, Jordan suddenly realized what was happening and quickly yet gently returned Lincoln back to the ground.

"Heh-heh...sorry about that" she mumbled shyly, "uh...congrats on winning the game, Lincoln." Lincoln couldn't help but blush as well, both from his victory and the sudden hug from his friend. For the moment, all was quiet; save for the people shouting their congratulations to Lincoln.

Finally, the vendor lightly tapped the bottom of his cane against Lincoln's back; snapping him out of his daze. "Well done, young man; way to come out on the last try" he said warmly, "what prize would you like from the wall here?" For a moment or two, Lincoln stared up at the prize wall in silence while scratching his chin in thought.

Then, he remembered what he saw Jordan staring at earlier; the giant polar bear doll. With a bright smile on his face, he proudly gestured for the aforementioned plushie; earning a surprised gasp from the ladies. "Lincoln, I'm rather surprised" Jordan confessed, "I didn't think you were into these types of critters."

Then, much to the ladies' further surprise; Lincoln shook his head and handed the doll over to Jordan. "The prize was never meant for me" he admitted, "I wanted to win you something, to say...thanks for all you've done for me so far." To say Jordan was surprised by the gesture would be quite an understatement.

Not only did Lincoln win the prize for her, it was a polar bear doll as well; her favorite animal. "Lincoln, I...I don't know what to say" she gasped softly, "this is...this is just so thoughtful!" Upon hearing his friend's words, Lincoln shyly kicked his foot against the pavement; muttering that it was "nothing special."

Then, at that moment; he suddenly felt something that seemed to fill his body with 10,000 volts of electricity. In her excitement over Lincoln's kindness, Jordan delivered a quick yet affectionate kiss on his cheek. The poor boy was so shocked by the kiss; he seemed to freeze stone stiff.

The moment Stella saw him like this, she plucked out an ice cube from her drinking cup and stuck it down his shirt. The sudden chill of the cube caused Lincoln to instantly snap out of his daze...as well as dance about in shock. When he finally stopped, Lincoln couldn't help but glare at the two girls.

"Sorry, Linc...but I had to do it" giggled Stella, "if you stayed in one place for much longer, birds would start perching on you." This jest caused the two girls to laugh even harder and within moments, Lincoln found himself joining in their laughter. Moments later, the trio made their way towards their next destination; the Milk Shaker.

"Hello, old friend" Lincoln thought with a smile, "ready to make up for lost time?" As they made their way towards the ride, Jordan suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Uh...why don't you two go on instead, guys" she muttered, "I hear people tend to vomit a lot on this thing and I don't want anything to get on my new bear."

Lincoln smiled at his friend and gave her a thumbs up, telling her that he understood. With that, he and Stella made their way into the queue; all while telling their friend "watch out for oncoming vomit downpours!" From where she stood, Jordan watched her friends take their seats in the coaster car; all while making certain to find appropriate cover (just in case any of the other riders got nauseous.)

Within seconds, the coaster began to ascend its way up the first hill; causing the riders to bounce or giggle with excitement. Then, once arriving at the top; the coaster went flying and zigzagging every which way along the track. Even while on the ground, Jordan couldn't help but feel slightly anxious.

Sweat slid down from her forehead, her breathing was slightly shallow and her heart began to race. "I had completely forgotten what this ride was like" she thought to herself, "makes me wonder what the Butter Churn has in store for us." At that moment, her thoughts were suddenly disturbed by the loud sounds of guttural retching and vomiting.

This collection of noises didn't quite help with Jordan's nerves, much to her displeasure. Finally, she spotted her friends exiting the ride; both of whom were swaying slightly but still appeared quite happy. "Wow! That was absolutely wild" Lincoln cheered, "just like old times!"

As the trio left the Milk Shaker behind, they decided to take a trip through the House of Mirrors. There were many laughs and playful comments to be had, while inside. At one point; when Lincoln stood before one of the mirrors, he swore he looked near identical to his Pop-Pop.

After that, they decided to take a ride through "The Butcher Shop;" Dairyland's infamous haunted house. While it contained many familiar sights one would find in such a place; like ghouls, monsters and other things of the like. Much to the trio's shock, half of the haunted house was modeled after a butcher shop.

Jordan yelped at the sight of demonic butchers, as they brandished their meat cleavers at her. Stella couldn't help but whimper softly, as the soundtrack played distorted sounds of distressed animal sounds and even Lincoln felt close to wetting himself, when he saw the cows around him staring at his car with fiery-red eyes. As the car rode towards the exit, the ride decided to give them one final scare.

From high above their heads, the trio was greeted by none other than The Harvester; a mad farmer from a horror film of the same name he once saw. With a mad cackle, the dummy lightly waved his scythe over their heads; causing them to yelp with fear. After that, there was a bright flash from behind the Harvester dummy.

Before departing, the trio spotted a hidden camera beneath the dummy's shadow. They couldn't help but wonder what that was all about, as the car passed through the exit door. "Hope you enjoyed the ride, everyone" the technician said with a genuine smile, "be sure to pick up your souvenir photo at the kiosk up ahead."

The trio gasped softly at the revelation, for none of them ever considered the ride had a hidden photo camera anywhere. After leaving the kiosk, the trio proceeded to go on several other attractions. They had a pleasant spin on the "Dairy-Go-Round," Stella wowed an entire crowd while riding on a mechanical bull, they almost got their minds rocked on the Scrambler and took a trip through the Fun House.

While in said fun house, a sudden blast from one of the air jets beneath them caused Jordan and Stella's skirts to fly up. This caused Lincoln to yelp softly and cover his eyes, not wishing to see something he shouldn't. After that, they had a brief pit stop for some ice cream.

(Line Break)

While eating, Stella asked Lincoln if he was excited for the rest of his break. "I sure am" he replied, "although...I'm curious about whether or not I might enjoy some of other the things everyone else has planned for me." Jordan stopped licking her strawberry cone and asked for Lincoln to explain what he meant.

"Well...tomorrow or so, Carol and her friends will be taking me down to the spa" he explained, "I wonder if the place will welcome me or not." Soon after Lincoln said this, both Jordan and Stella suddenly burst out in laughter. "Why are you girls laughing" questioned Lincoln, both in confusion and mild offense; "I'm being serious here!"

Jordan was the first to calm down, a few seconds later and she gave her friend a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Sorry about that...you're just so funny, sometimes" she chuckled warmly, "why would you think a spa wouldn't welcome you?" Stella wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and presented the same question to her male bestie.

"Did you really think only women went to the spa, Linc" she asked; to which Lincoln responded with nothing more than a nod. "dude, spas is for everybody" Jordan said with a mild eye roll, "they aren't just places people go to look pretty, you know." She then took out her phone and began to do a quick web search, hoping to find what she needed.

When she did, Jordan showed Lincoln the main page for the Tranquil Springs Spa; one of Royal Woods' most famous relaxation establishments. "I think you'll like it, Lincoln" Jordan assured, "it's got all kinds of great stuff to try out." After pressing a button on the page, Lincoln got a look at all the spa's many beauty and relaxation treatments.

Among them was aromatherapy, Jacuzzis, massage treatments, hot stone treatments, mud baths. saunas. But there was one thing in particular that caught his eye the most. "This thing about 'wraps...' do they seriously wrap you up in seaweed" he asked, "sounds like something Lana would like."

Stella chuckled softly at his words and explained the nature of seaweed wraps to Lincoln. "They don't actually wrap you in seaweed, sorry to disappoint your sister" she stated, "it's actually more of an oil and mineral body mask, like the mud mask stuff people put on." Though not much of a science expert, Lincoln nodded slightly at his friend and urged her to continue.

"To make a long story short, they coat your body in the stuff and it helps nourish your skin; while you relax" she stated, "it also helps reduce any fatty parts in your body...no offense meant." Lincoln chuckled softly at her, assuring Jordan there was no harm done and muttered that he would consider such an idea. "To be honest, I'm more anxious for the massage and Jacuzzi parts" he admitted, "my body could use some soothing treatments."

The girls couldn't help but sigh dreamily at the idea, wishing they could come along. "Don't you two remember" questioned Lincoln, "Carol's crew invited everyone to join, if they wanted." Upon hearing this, Jordan and Stella each let out excited squeals; which came close to bursting Lincoln's eardrums.

"Man, I wonder if I'm gonna still have my hearing by the end of break" Lincoln said to the camera, "all the same, I'm just as excited as they are about the spa trip tomorrow." Eventually; the trio had finished their ice cream and decided to head off to the main attraction, the Butter Churn. But when she got a closer look at the tower, Jordan suddenly felt the color drain from her face.

"Uh...I don't know about this, guys" she mumbled nervously, "I think we should consider riding this another time...like say, one-hundred years from now?" Stella lightly scoffed at her friend and urged her to give it a shot. "Who knows, it may not be as bad as you think" she stated, "only one way to find out."

With that, she and Lincoln swiftly took their seats on the ride; waiting for their third "partner-in-crime" to join them. At first, Jordan couldn't help but hesitate, wondering if she'd get sick on the ride...or worse. After hearing her friends continued urges, combined with a few impatient shouts from people behind her; Jordan relented.

She took a moment to ask the technician to watch over her doll for her and took her seat beside Stella. Once everyone was on board, a second worker walked around each seat and began to secure everyone's harnesses. "Welcome to the Butter Churn, Ladies and Gentlemen" she said softly, "we urge you all to please remain seated, keep all limbs on firmly placed in front of you at all times and do not unbuckle your safety belts or harnesses."

Once everyone was secure, the girl went over to her partner and they began pressing a series of buttons on the command console. While this was going on, Jordan couldn't help but shiver softly; wondering what would happen next. Then, much to her surprise; everyone felt themselves being lifted slowly into the air.

Further and further up they were carried; until they were up so high, Lincoln could see the parking lot. After that, all was quiet and still for what felt like ages. Then, there came a soft clicking noise and...the shuttle suddenly fell downward at an incredible speed.

During the whole way down, Jordan and Lincoln were going mad with fear; while Stella cheered wildly with delight. Then, just when it was two or three quarters down; the shuttle suddenly flew back up almost to the top. For almost ten or fifteen minutes, it went up and down at incredible rates.

As the ride came to its end, the descent went much slower; until it came to a complete stop at the bottom. Once everyone had been properly unbuckled, the passengers came walking out of the exit queue. Once they were unbuckled; Jordan, Lincoln and Stella came staggering out of the ride.

Despite having their world literally be rocked around, they all still appeared to be in one piece. "Everybody good...no one wants to toss their cookies or nothin'" questioned Lincoln, as he shook the cobwebs from his head; "because I'm feelin'...r-r-right as rainbows." Stella's only response was a soft smile and a brief thumbs up.

Jordan, however seemed to be rather silent; which worried Lincoln greatly. "Uh oh...Jordan, are you okay" he asked, "if you can hear me...say something." After a couple of seconds, they could faintly hear Jordan muttering something under her breath. Concerned, Stella leaned in closer; asking her to speak a little louder.

"I gotta...I gotta...I-I gotta...I GOTTA DO THAT AGAIN" she exclaimed suddenly with delight, "that was the single wildest thing I've ever done before!" Upon recovering from their initial shock from Jordan's outburst, Lincoln and Stella chuckled warmly at her and agreed to having another go at the ride. Of course, Lincoln thought this was pretty surprising but he still welcomed their enthusiasm all the same.

(Line Break)

After riding on the Butter Churn two more times, the trio left the ride behind and checked their phones for the time. Upon doing so, their eyes almost popped from their heads; for each of their phones showed the hour of 4:50...just ten minutes away from five. "Wow, I had no idea it was getting so late" muttered Lincoln, "wanna grab some pizza for the ride home?"

While Stella openly agreed to the idea, Jordan couldn't help but whine a little; proclaiming that she wasn't quite ready to leave yet. "I vote yes on the pizza" she said with a smile, "but let's just stay for a couple of minutes longer." She then brought up the day's activities on the park's webpage, where they saw an announcement for a fireworks display going off at 5 o'clock.

"Let's stay and watch that, first; then, we'll go home" Jordan requested, "please...it'll be the perfect end to our perfect day here!" Lincoln thought about the idea for a moment and then, he realized she was right. After all the fun they had, a fireworks show was just the thing to close it out on.

"I just hope either of your moms will be okay about us sticking around" Lincoln stated, "I don't want to face their wrath, if they start to get worried about you." Touched by her friend's concerned, Stella chuckled softly and assured him everything would be okay. "Before riding on the Butter Churn the third time, I called up my mom" she explained, "no one was home, though; so, I just left a message telling her we might be a little late."

After letting all of this process, Lincoln felt mixed emotions about this revelation. On one hand, it was good that Stella thought ahead and informed her family they might be late. But on the other hand, he found himself wondering why neither Mr. or Mrs. Zhao weren't home.

"They must've been having dinner, when she called them" Lincoln thought, "all the same, at least Stella left them a message to keep them informed." With that in mind, the trio hurried off to the main square of the park; where the staff was finishing up in readying the fireworks launchers. With eager anticipation, both of Lincoln's gal pals (note the title card shout out) took out their phones and prepared to record the whole display on video.

At the same time, Lincoln took his seat on a nearby bench; which offered a clear view of the sky above him. "Yup, today has been an truly awesome day" Lincoln sighed while facing the camera, "we rode on plenty of great rides, had some delicious food and I actually managed to win a prize; which Jordan seems to really love." As he looked up at the sky, Lincoln's smile slightly faded into a soft frown but he did his best to hide it from his friends.

"Although...I still can't shake the feeling that something will go horribly wrong" he muttered softly, "something about Stella's folks not being home and all my nightmares and visions just gives me a...sense of dread." While Lincoln was lost in thought, the first of the fireworks was sent flying into the sky. Seconds later, this rocket suddenly exploded into a burst of beautiful green and white colors.

Everyone gasped loudly with delight and awe, including Lincoln; then, the next rocket went up flying. Upon detonation, it created an image of a flower in the sky. Several others that followed created more images of springtime images; like birds, bumblebees or beach balls (to symbolize Spring Break.)

This went on for a while but for Lincoln, the sheer beauty of the fireworks display felt like an eternal kaleidoscope of colors. Finally, the workers brought out a large rocket onto the launcher; which would serve as the grand finale. After the final four smaller rockets went off, the large one was sent zooming into the air; like a space shuttle launching into orbit.

After ten seconds of waiting, the rocket exploded into a massive burst of colors. These colors briefly illuminated the night sky so brightly, it almost resembled an Aurora Borealis. After that, the crowd erupted into a wild fit of cheers and whooping.

"That...was...awesome" shouted Lincoln, as he hurried towards the girls, "did you get all that...please, tell me that you did!" Both young ladies nodded and showed him the entire thing on their video phones. "I am totally posting this on my social media tomorrow" chuckled Jordan, "people are gonna go wild over it!"

After that; the trio headed towards the exit, while finishing up their pizzas. "Thanks again for taking me here, ladies" Lincoln said with the brightest of smiles, "this was the most fun I've had yet at Dairyland." Both ladies smiled at him warmly and told him it was their pleasure.

"We're just happy to see you smiling again, Linc" Jordan stated, "here's hoping the rest of Break keeps you smiling." With that said, she picked up her polar bear doll and headed out the gate; with Lincoln and Stella following close behind her.

(Scene Change: Downtown Royal Woods)

Meanwhile, outside of the kids' neighborhood; Mr. and Mrs. Zhao are seen in their car, supposedly looking for something. After a while, they had reached their destination; a small bistro in the center of downtown. There, they saw Principal Huggins sitting alongside of Jordan's parents.

While they were still respectable and greeted the Rosatos accordingly, the Zhaos looked at each other in confusion; wondering what they were doing there. It was here that they also noticed Principal Huggins sitting beside Jordan's mother, who was gesturing for the Zhaos to come sit with them. Once everyone was seated, they each took a moment to sample their espressos before getting down to the matter at hand.

"Good evening, everyone; so sorry for disturbing each of your respective evenings" he muttered, "I certainly hope your day has gone well?" After taking another sip from his cup, Mr. Rosato firmly insisted for Huggins to cut to the chase; adding that he and his wife needed to be at home in case their daughter called. "He's right, Principal Huggins; what's this all about" grumbled Stella's father, "you best have a good reason for calling us here during our suppertime."

After that was said, Huggins couldn't help but fiddle with his collar a bit; as if nervous about what to say next. After finally taking a moment to steady his nerves, he let out a sigh and put on his best "Principal Face." "I have gathered you all here to discuss a rather...sensitive matter" he sighed deeply, "one that may involve a classmate whom your daughters are friends with at my school."

Their curiosity suddenly piqued, both pairs of parents urged Huggins to continue; feeling fearfully curious about what he had to say next. "Well...I don't know if I should ask" he mumbled nervously, "but...what have either of your daughters told you about Mr. Loud's home situation so far?"

(First AN: Uh-oh...Just as things are looking up for Lincoln; behind the scenes, Fate is suddenly throwing a monkey wrench into the gears. What will Huggins, the Rosatos or the Zhaos say to each other; what will happen to Lincoln on his next Spring Break activity and will any of his sisters be present during any of it? Tune in next time for another exciting installment of Gal Pals)

(Second AN: The Butter Churn is loosely based off of a popular Dorney Park ride known as The Dominator. I hope I got the descriptions of the ride's functions correct. It's been ages since I last rode on it, you see)

(Third AN: I also hope I got the description of the body wrap treatment right. All these years, I truly thought people got wrapped in real seaweed)