Lincoln at the Spa
With Dairyland behind them, the trio decided to head off for home. But the question was...where would Lincoln go home to? On one hand, he considered going back to his own home; admittedly missing everybody there. He missed his parents, he missed his pets, he missed Lana's pets...heck, he even missed his sisters in general.
But something in his gut told him that things might still be on edge, back home. "Your folks okay with me bunking with you again" Lincoln asked, "I'd ask them myself but...you know." It was then that Stella offered him to stay at her place, this time.
"We've got loads of room to spare" she stated, "plus, my nana has been anxious to meet one of my school friends." Lincoln considered the idea, for a moment; then, he turned to Jordan for a second opinion. "Go with her, dude" she encouraged, "it'll give me and my folks time to prep for the pool party.
With that said, Lincoln made up his mind and took Stella up on her offer. "Awesome news, just go pick up your things and head for my house" she stated, while racing off for home. Some time later, Lincoln stepped out through the door of Jordan's house; carrying arm-loads worth of bags containing his stuff.
As he walked along the sidewalk, he said his final goodbyes (for now) to Jordan and headed down the westward side of the neighborhood. Eventually, Lincoln had reached his destination; a charming ground-level house that stretched five feet wide across the yard. "This must be the place" Lincoln muttered, "hope Stella will be home."
After taking in a deep breath, Lincoln approached the door and gently pressed the doorbell. Afterwards, he nervously waited for someone to answer. After a while, the door remained unopened and Lincoln wondered if Stella had made it home alright.
Then, at that moment; there came the sound of soft yet frantic shuffling inside. At first, Lincoln presumed it might've been Stella. But the shuffling noises inside made him think it was someone dragging their feet across the floor. The next thing he knew, the door swung open and Lincoln was greeted by a surprising sight.
Standing before him was an elderly woman, presumably in her late 60's. She had long, black hair with slight streaks of grey on the sides. She was dressed in an orange blouse with some floral designs sewn into it, a long red skirt and Lincoln saw a pair of thick-lens glasses on her nose.
These glasses appeared to have a chain hooked at the end of both handles. This chain was gold colored and was neatly wrapped around the woman's neck. But what really caught Lincoln's attention was the woman's expression.
With her nose scrunched up slightly, her lips pursed into a light scowl and her cheeks crinkling slightly from said scowl; Lincoln could tell she seemed flustered about something...possibly him. After a moment of silence, the woman suddenly began shouting at him in, as he felt, a bizarre dialect. "Sino ka, bakit ka narito" she demanded firmly, "Anuman ang iyong ibinebenta, hindi namin nais ang anuman!"
Lincoln was at a complete loss; since first meeting her, he'd never had the chance to visit Stella's home before tonight. Nor did he ever had the chance to meet her family. As such, he didn't expect her grandmother to appear so intimidating.
But most of all, it was the language she spoke that took him by surprise. Alternative languages weren't quite his strong suits, back at school. As the woman began to, presumably, question Lincoln's presence on her doorstep; Stella suddenly rushed outside.
Afterwards, she and the old woman engaged in a mildly heated talk. What surprised Lincoln the most about this was the fact that Stella was speaking in the same language the woman used. After a while, both ladies soon started to speak to one another in much softer tones; which gave Lincoln some comfort.
Then, much to his surprise, the old woman turned towards his direction...and smiled. Unsure of where this was going, Lincoln chuckled nervously and smiled back at her. Stella appeared to notice his uneasiness right away and decided to help clear the air.
"Sorry about all that, Lincoln" she said with a light chuckle, "my grandmother here was napping and when she heard the doorbell, she thought you were a solicitor...and she haaates it when salespeople disturb her nap-time." After this was said, the old woman approached Lincoln and lightly patted him on the head; as a sign of greeting. She then proceeded to greet him in the same odd language she used earlier with Stella.
When she noticed the odd look on Lincoln's face, the woman realized her error and cleared her throat. "So sorry, young man" she suddenly murmured in English, "I meant say 'hello, nice meeting you.'" Despite the somewhat broken structure of her words, Lincoln nodded in understanding and waved hello.
"If you don't mind my asking, guys; what was that language you spoke earlier" he asked cautiously, "it's not something I often hear." Stella giggled softly at his naivety and explained that that her nana was speaking Tagalog. "My nana was born and raised in the Philippines, you see" she stated, "she's tried learning to speak English for some time...but she can only say small phrases." Lincoln nodded in understanding and asked if she could translate for him, if needed.
With a bright smile, Stella happily accepted the job and welcomed him inside. "Make yourself at home, Linc" she stated, "sorry my folks aren't home, Nana said they had to step out for something." Lincoln nodded in understanding and thanked Stella for her hospitality.
Once inside, Lincoln neatly placed his bags on the living room floor and took in his surroundings. Though he's hung out with Stella before, this was his first time being in her house. The room was decorated with a combination of traditional Filipino cultural items.
There were collections of photos hanging on the wall, some of family and others just random paintings of nature. Over on the east side of the room; he saw a pair of small wall mirrors, some unique yet strange floral pieces, a plaque bearing the sun from the Philippine flag with the word "home" stationed below it and a pair of wedding photos. The first one was in black and white, which Lincoln presumed was the grandmother's and the second photo was in color but appeared slightly faded.
Over on the west wall, he saw a beautiful painting of people on a springtime meadow hanging from a nail and another one of a herd of cattle. On the coffee table, Lincoln spotted what looked like a medium-sized rooster carved from oak wood. But it was painted so beautifully, he almost assumed it was a real rooster.
He was so lost in awe from what he saw, Lincoln suddenly yet safely fell backwards onto a sofa behind him. Upon recovery, he could see that he was sitting on an "L" shaped sectional sofa. On the right side, he saw a long metal lamp; one that seemed to stretch itself over his head.
In front of him was an HD flat-screen television, a DVR and a DVD player. All of which were seated inside a sort of wooden shelving unit. "This is a lovely home you and your family have, Stella" Lincoln stated, "I love how well the old and new stuff melds together."
Stella thanked him for his kind words and said it was her mom's idea. "When they first decided to let Nana move in with us, we wanted to help her feel right at home" she explained, "so, we hung some of her home décor up with ours." Lincoln nodded slightly at her, highly pleased by how much Stella's folks wanted to make her grandmother feel comfortable.
But there was something about the story that nagged at him. "Please forgive me, if this seems like I'm overstepping any boundaries" he said softly, "but...why did you choose to let your Nana move in with you?" Upon asking this, the elderly woman began to murmur something in her native Tagalog to Stella.
Though he couldn't understand it, the tone in the woman's voice sounded mildly distressed. "Oh, my gosh; I'm so sorry" Lincoln cried in alarm, "I didn't mean to make your nana upset!" Both ladies faced Lincoln silently, which made Lincoln feel somewhat uneasy.
Finally, the old woman removed her glasses and lightly swiped her hand across her eyes; drying away some tears. "No...No, it alright" she muttered in her broken English, "I just get...sad, whenever I think of home." After that; with her nana's permission, Stella decided to tell Lincoln her story.
It happened when Stella was no older than seven, back in her old home town. There was a storm; one so strong that it wiped out a lot of homes, including her nana's. Thankfully, she had been away from the premises, playing Chess with some friends down at the Community Center.
"That afternoon, everything was going super well" Stella explained, "then...everyone heard the wind bashing against the walls." By this point, Lincoln was getting antsy with fear. "Thankfully, the center was structurally sound and was able to withstand a lot of the storm" Stella assured, "but all Nana could think about was her home."
Sensing both the anxiety welling up in both her nana and Lincoln, she decided to cut the story short. "In the end, there was a lot of damage left behind" she muttered sadly, "and while my Nana's house was still standing, it was beyond any repair we could afford." Her nana quickly interrupted and spoke yet another phrase in Filipino, which Stella translated as "my house was given to my brother, he have more money than me."
To say Lincoln was mortified by the tale would be putting it mildly. He was beyond shocked by it all; having almost lost his own home to a similar storm, ages ago. "After that, my parents took her in" Stella stated, "though they didn't have the funds to repair her house, they had the right amount to support her and me."
Lincoln couldn't help but cry a little, at the end of the story. He was genuinely touched by how devoted Stella and her family were to each other. Deep in his heart, he remembered just how much his own parents and sisters shared such devotion; when the moment came.
Now, he wished that they could be that way again; just like old times. After the story was ended, all was silent for what felt like ages. Upon sensing the aura of despair in the air, Lincoln tried to think of something else to discuss.
That was when he remembered all the paintings he saw earlier. "If you don't mind me saying so, I...love all the art stuff you have here" he complimented cautiously, "might I ask what auction you purchased them from?" This question seemed to help lighten the mood a bit, as the expression on Nana's face slightly lit up.
"I no buy paintings" she replied, "made them myself, every one of them." Lincoln couldn't help but gasp at the revelation. "You did all of these" he exclaimed in awe, "they're all beautiful!" Both ladies seemed pleased with Lincoln's words, as they each began to giggle softly.
"My Nana can't take all the credit, though" Stella interjected, "some of the animal paintings were done by my mom, when she was in college." Stella then went on to explain how her Nana inspired her mother to become a professional artist. "You know, Nana...Lincoln's kind of an artist himself" she said slyly, "but mostly with comics."
Mildly intrigued, Nana asked Lincoln to show some of his skills. "No...I couldn't" he murmured humbly, "I'm good...but I'm not half as good as your daughter-in-law." Despite the truth in his words, the ladies still encouraged him to show off his skills.
With a playful yet reluctant sigh, Lincoln asked for a pen and a piece of paper. Then, in a flash his hands began to do their work. The ladies were utterly amazed by how quickly he was drawing, to say the least.
After three minutes, Lincoln had finished his drawing and showed it off to the ladies. "It's nothing that special" he said with a blush, "it's just me with my dog, Charles." Nana took the paper from his hands and began to observe it intently, all while fiddling with her glasses.
After a while; she handed back the drawing to Lincoln, patted his shoulder and smiled. "Very good work" she muttered sweetly, "Stella right, you good artist...very good." Lincoln's blush intensified due to her words and he shyly mumbled his thanks.
After each of them got acquainted, Stella took out a blanket from the hall closet and brought it over to the sofa. "Hope you don't mind sleeping on the couch, Lincoln" she stated, "I'd offer up a room but Nana uses the only guest room we have." With a bright smile on his face, Lincoln happily assured his friend he was quite alright.
"Again, thanks for letting me stay over" he stated, "along with being so nice to me, when this all started." Stella gave him a sweet grin and, much to his surprise, enveloped him in a light yet friendly hug. "It's no trouble at all, Linc" she assured, "it's like my nana says, 'Ang isang mabuting kaluluwa ay laging tumutulong sa mga nangangailangan.'"
Once again, Lincoln felt dumbfounded by her use of the Tagalog language and asked what the phrase meant. "It means 'a good soul always helps those in need'" she explained, "and after hearing your story at school, when this began; I knew you were in need of a friend." Lincoln felt as though his cheeks were aching from smiling so much...but he didn't care.
After all that had happened, it was nice that he had some people looking out for him (besides Clyde.) It was now 8 o'clock, when Lincoln first setting up his spot on the sofa to sleep on. As he headed into the bathroom to change into his pajamas, the door suddenly opened and Stella's parents entered the house.
"Mom, Dad; you're back" cried Stella with joy, as she greeted them with a hug; "I got worried, when you didn't answer my earlier phone call." Stella's mother gave her a loving chuckle and apologized for not answering. "Your father and I had to step out for something important, earlier on" she explained, "we had no idea we'd be out this long."
Upon hearing this, Stella asked what they needed to leave home for. "That's not important now, sweetie" Stella's father said suddenly, "I'd like to hear about your day." With a small yet still excitable squeal, Stella began to regale her parents with her venture into Dairyland.
"We all had such fun there" she exclaimed, "Lincoln even won a prize for my friend, Jordan at the dunk booth." Stella's father made a soft noise, upon hearing this; as if impressed by Lincoln's actions. "Where is the young man" he asked, "I hope he got here okay."
Suddenly, everyone heard the soft sound of a toilet flushing; followed by the soft flow of water from the sink's faucet. Once it was turned off, Lincoln exited the bathroom; fully clothed in his nightwear and appearing happy. When he caught sight of Stella's parents, he suddenly yelped with alarm and stood at attention.
"Good evening, Sir and Ma'am" he exclaimed with mild nervousness in his tone, "we made sure to come here at 5PM, safe and sound; rest assured." Upon seeing him address them in this manner, Stella's parents suddenly burst out in laughter. After a while, her father was the first to calm down and he smiled at Lincoln.
"At ease, young man" he sighed happily, "we had no doubt that you'd both be alright." Then, all of a sudden; Nana began to speak to the two of them in a most joyful tone. Occasionally, Stella's parents would cast a glance Lincoln's way and smile.
"My mother says you were very kind to her" Stella's father stated, "she said you also have great skill in art, like my wife does." Lincoln shyly ruffled his hair and kicked his heel lightly against the carpet. "I told her my skills were not as good as hers" he mumbled, "but thanks for the compliment."
Minutes later, Lincoln had nestled himself snugly beneath his blanket and rested his head upon one of the throw pillows; anxious for a good night's rest. Before dozing off, he saw Stella enter the kitchen for a glass of water and wished her good night. "Night, Lincoln" she said with a yawn, "get plenty of rest...we'll need it for tomorrow."
Lincoln nodded his head slightly with joy, anxious for their trip to the spa on the morrow. But then, a sudden sense of dread hit him like a blow to the head. The last time he tried to sleep, he had nightmares about his sisters coming to get him...and he did not want to endure that again.
Nor did he want to make anyone around him feel worried about his restlessness. "Um...Stella, sorry if I seem like a bother" he mumbled, "but...you have anything that might help me sleep easier during the night?" Just as she was about to question Lincoln's request, Stella suddenly realized the reason behind it; his nightmares.
"Would you like some sleeping pills" she suggested, "maybe some warm milk will help, instead." As Stella began to run through her ideas, Nana suddenly stepped in and asked if she could be any help. Through the use of Tagalog, Stella told her about the nightmares Lincoln had been dealing with over the past day or so.
With a light nod of the head and a murmur of understanding, Nana quickly went into the kitchen and began searching around the spice rack. Afterwards, she took out some powdered tea and mixed it with the spices into a cup of warm water. Once finished, she approached Lincoln and offered it to him; muttering "drink...drink."
While still a little hesitant; after all the kindness she and her granddaughter showed him, Lincoln couldn't dare refuse her order. But as he held the cup up to his lips, the aroma from the beverage suddenly filled his nostrils and his eyes began to water. After muttering how much the beverage smelled so odd, Lincoln was ready to put the cup aside.
"Drink it, Lincoln...all of it" Stella ordered firmly, "trust me, it tastes better than it smells." With that statement; Lincoln, slowly but surely, placed the rim of the cup to his lips and took a sip. Once the liquid went into his mouth, Lincoln's eyes widened with surprise.
The mix of the spices and tea leaves gave the drink a sort of...bittersweet taste. But what really took Lincoln off guard was what happened next. Upon downing the last few drops from the cup, he let out a satisfied sigh and thanked Nana for the drink.
Then, he suddenly let out a loud yawn and his eyelids began to feel heavy. "Wha...What...What's going on" he slurred out softly, "why do I feel so (yawn) tired all of the sudden?" With a giggle, Stella explained that her nana gave him a special home remedy she made long ago.
"It's a combination of chamomile tea, lavender, Valerian root and a little cinnamon to give it a sweet taste" she listed out, "it will help you sleep easier during the night." Lincoln smiled at the two ladies and thanked them, proclaiming that the drink truly was making him feel more relaxed. After that, his head plopped backwards onto the pillow and he began to snore loudly.
(Line Break)
The next morning; Lincoln stepped out of Stella's house, feeling beyond happy and fresh as a bee. "Thanks again for that drink last night, Nana" he said over his shoulder, "I slept perfectly, not a single nightmare." The old woman chuckled at him and gave Lincoln a quick hug, before he left the house.
"You good boy, Lincoln" she said warmly, "come again soon, please?" Despite her broken English, Lincoln understood her perfectly and promised he would drop by more often. After that, him and Stella thanked her parents for breakfast and left the property.
"Have fun at the spa you two" called Stella's mother, "we'll see you later!" After shouting out their goodbyes, the two preteens hurried off down the lane to meet with the others. "I got a text from Jordan, during breakfast" Stella informed, "she said she and the others will be waiting for us at the bus stop."
Lincoln nodded in understanding and decided to challenge Stella to a race. "Last one to reach the bus stop is a rotten egg" he said joyfully while racing off, Stella smiled warmly at her friend and swiftly gave chase after him. As she began to slowly catch up to him, she shouted "the last one may be a rotten egg...but the first one has to eat it!"
With that said, they both laughed and continued to race down the rest of the walkway. In time, they could see the bus stop up ahead; their friends all chatting idly with each other around the bench. But Lincoln could also see that Stella was catching up and so, he tried to put on more speed.
But as he did this, he could feel his chest tightening slightly and his breathing coming out in heaves. He could feel his earlier breakfast calories burning violently, with every step. Then, without warning; Lincoln suddenly slipped on a discarded soda can and went flying into the air.
As he descended, Lincoln closed his eyes in alarm; fearing that he might crash onto the pavement. But then, he felt himself land safely into a pair of strong yet thick arms. "Whoa there, little dude" a gruff voice said with a laugh, "you almost took a spill there but don't worry, Chaz has ya."
Lincoln opened his eyes and was greeted by a very familiar face. It was a young, heavyset high school boy with dark orange hair, which was covered a blue cap turned backwards, a gold t-shirt with cream colored stripes, dark grey jeans and white shoes. In the past, Lincoln always heard Leni talk to him on the phone or respond to his text messages.
But he hadn't seen Chaz face to face since they crossed paths at the Ace Savvy Convention, not too long ago. "Wow, thanks for the save there" Lincoln muttered while stepping safely back onto the ground, "long time to see, Chaz; how've you been?" The high schooler chuckled warmly at him, muttered the phrase "fair to middling" and gave him a high five.
"Heard you and the girls here were off to the spa" he stated, "mind if me and my sister tag along?" Lincoln gave a joyful laugh and nodded with great enthusiasm. "I don't mind at all, the more the merrier" he said with a smile, "but...I didn't know you had a sister."
After that, a young lady stepped out from behind Chaz and approached Lincoln. Upon looking at her, he recognized the girl from Lori's house party a few months back. With that memory in mind, Lincoln felt that the girl looked no different than before.
She still sported the same adorable ponytail, wore the same long-sleeved, off-shoulder shirt with white and lavender stripes. Underneath said shirt was a black dress but Lincoln could only see the skirt part and the straps over her shoulders. Lastly, she still wore the same brown, high-heeled leather boots and long purple socks.
Yet, despite her unchanged appearance; something about the girl's demeanor felt different. Then, much to his surprise; the girl suddenly scooped him up in a tight body hug and begun to spin in place. "Carol, you didn't tell me we were waiting for this guy" she gushed warmly, "he's a total riot, which means our spa day will be all the better."
Caught off guard by this statement, Lincoln questioned if she truly knew who he was. "Of course I do, Silly Billy" the girl said sweetly, "you're Lincoln, Lori's lil' bro...the nut ball who did all those cool party tricks for us!" Lincoln couldn't help but blink in surprise, upon hearing her.
He never realized how much of an impression he left, during Lori's party. "Okay, Dana; I'm sure he's happy to see you too" Carol called out, "but if you keep spinning him like that, he'll be too dizzy to enjoy his spa day." With that statement, the girl (known as Dana) stopped spinning in place and released Lincoln from her hug."
Upon recovering from his dizzy spell, Lincoln presented himself before Dana and shyly offered his hand in greeting. "Um...it...It's really nice to see you again" he mumbled, "thank you for joining us." Dana couldn't help but chuckle softly at his behavior, not in a mocking way but in a sweet one.
"This kid is just too much" she gushed loudly, "fun, talented and cute to boot." Upon being called cute, Lincoln's face suddenly lit up as red as a beet. "Um...thank you, but I...I'm not that special" he murmured, "I'm a lot of things...but certainly not cute."
The High School girls, Jordan, Stella and even Chaz couldn't help but giggle at his modestly. Then, Dana started running her hand tenderly through his hair; much to Lincoln's surprise. The whole time she did this, Dana claimed that some girls she knew would kill to have hair as unique as his.
This statement caused several of the other ladies to call out in agreement, which seemed to make Lincoln blush harder. Then, he took a look around at the group and noticed that something was missing. "Where's Haiku, didn't she want to come with us" questioned Lincoln, "I mean...I know primping isn't really a Goth thing but still."
The girls understood Lincoln's concern and Jordan decided to speak on Haiku's behalf. "When I got home, I made a call to everybody to remind them of the spa day" she explained, "but Haiku decided to decline, said she needed to hold an emergency meeting with her...Junior Morticians Club at her place." Several of the girls couldn't help but shudder softly, questioning why someone would make a club based around morticians or funerals.
"Wait...I know about that club" Lincoln exclaimed, "my sister is in charge of it...I think; so, how could they hold an emergency meeting without her knowing about it?" This statement caused each of the girls to narrow their eyes firmly, which made Lincoln to think he had unintentionally said something wrong. But then, he suddenly realized that if the club wanted to have an emergency meeting; Lucy might have been the reason for it.
This realization caused Lincoln to facepalm himself lightly, all while mentally scolding himself for his naivety. "Come to think of it; Haiku sent me a text, earlier this morning" Jordan explained, "she wanted me to tell you she apologizes for not coming with us, Lincoln but she promises that she'll meet with you in the future at the Burnt Bean; most definitely." Lincoln thanked her for passing on Haiku's message to him and took a seat between Carol and Dana on the bench; waiting anxiously for the bus to arrive.
(Line Break)
One bus ride later, the gang had finally reached their destination; the Tranquil Springs Spa. Outside, it looked rather fancy with a sign painted in gold and written in perfect cursive. It looked a little different from the spa Lola often visited back in town, to say the least.
"Okay, dude...this is your first time coming into a fancy spa" he whispered, "just relax and let the stylists, therapists and so on do their work." With this in mind and after letting out a calming breath, Lincoln puffed out his chest slightly and followed the Gals inside. Upon entering, Lincoln looked around him and saw several things that made him gasp outwardly in awe.
There were people sitting under hair drying machines, women getting their nails done, young teens getting mud mask treatments and even guys walking around in swimsuits. Upon seeing the final example, Lincoln started to feel a lot less anxious about being here. "Guess Carol was right; even guys must like getting pampered, sometimes" he thought with a light outward chuckle, "maybe Clyde might like to come here, someday."
Just then, someone from the reception desk spotted Carol and her group; causing him to clap with excitement. After letting out a joyful squeal, he rushed over and warmly greeted her with a hug and a light kiss on both cheeks. He was a strapping young man, about thirty-five years old and appeared to be of Latin descent; at least, to Lincoln's eyes.
He had a slim let lightly muscular physique, long black hair that was neatly tied into a ponytail, a sort of chin strap goatee sort of facial hair style and was dressed in a purple short-sleeved shirt and black leather pants. "Hello again, Fernando" Carol greeted the man warmly, "it's been too long, I'm here for the group appointment my friends and I made the other day." The man called Fernando nodded in understanding and then, he greeted the group with the same friendliness he showed Carol (sans the cheek kisses while greeting the boys.)
That was when he looked down and spotted Lincoln, who looked rather nervous beneath his gaze. "Hmm...I've never seen your face around here, amigo" he stated, "you must be new, Si?" Lincoln gulped down the nervous lump in his throat and admitted this was his first ever spa visit...ever.
"Well, young man; prepare yourself" Fernando said suddenly with a smile, "when we're done with you, you'll feel like a new man...er, young man as it were." With that said, Fernando moved the velvet rope aside and ushered the group in. But before they left the main lobby, he gave them all one final reminder.
"You will find your complimentary towels and robes in the next room" he stated, "you will need them for things like the sauna, mud bath and the hot tub." Upon hearing the list of spa amenities, the ladies started squealing loudly with excitement while Chaz playfully muttered "girls" under his breath. Meanwhile, Lincoln couldn't help but sigh blissfully to himself; thinking that a good soak in the hot tub would be just the thing to help relieve him of his days of stress.
Thankfully, he remembered that his swim trunks were packed in his bag along with all his other things; when Jordan's mother went out to pick them up at his house just days ago. "So...uh, what do we do first" questioned Lincoln, "I'm not sure if there's a schedule here or if we just do whatever we want." Several of the girls nodded at him slightly, as if understanding his confusion.
"You're welcome to try whatever you like, Lincoln" Carol encouraged, "me and Whitney were gonna go hit the mud baths first, wanna join in?" Although Lincoln much appreciated the offer, he politely declined; assuring her he'd probably join in later on. With that decided, Carol and Whitney headed off for the mud bath area; leaving Lincoln behind with the others.
That was when Chaz suggested that he join him in the sauna for a spell. "A good steam really helps clear out the pores of all unwanted muck" he explained, "it's also good for helping cleanse the spirit." Lincoln murmured with intrigue at this and decided to take up on Chaz's offer.
The rest of the girls decided to go for some Mani-Pedis and headed off for the nail salon area. "See you in a bit, Lincoln" shouted Stella, "we'll all meet back here, when we're all done." Lincoln gave his friends a thumbs up and hurried off down the eastward side of the spa.
(Line Break)
Moments later, the world was lost in a fog of relaxing steam and moisture; as Lincoln eased back against the wall of the Steam Room. "Ah! Man...this is sooooo nice" he droned in a relaxed voice, "I never thought being in a steam room could feel this good!" Chaz nodded slightly, also deep into a sense of relaxation and eased himself into a comfortable seated position.
"So, fellow Ace in the Hole" he chuckled while using an Ace Savvy fan nickname, "if you don't mind my asking, Chaz wants to know what brings you here?" This sudden question almost shook Lincoln out of his relaxed state. But the warmth of the steam managed to keep him from panicking too much.
"It...It's a long story dude" Lincoln said softly, "one that's too complicated and...a bit too dramatic for me to get in to again." This only seemed the pique Chaz's interest in the story further. "You can tell me anything, lil' man...you know that" he urged kindly, "we Ace Savvy fans always stick together, after all."
Lincoln smiled slightly at him, remembering how Becky said the same thing way back when. But he still hesitated, regardless; wondering just how the high schooler would react to his story. That was when Chaz noticed Lincoln's uneasiness, along with that of the other occupants in the room.
"Don't worry about them, my man" he assured, "they're far too relaxed to listen in on our conversation." Lincoln felt some sliver of comfort in Chaz's words but still decided to exercise caution, regardless. So, as the water continued to hiss on the hot coals and the other spa patrons relaxed in their seats; Lincoln regaled Chaz with his story as quietly as possible.
(Line Break)
Ten to twelve minutes later, the sauna door flew open; releasing a large cloud of hot steam to the outside. Everyone exited the room feeling totally refreshed, including Chaz and Lincoln. However, the former seemed to have a mixed look of relaxation and shock plastered on his face.
"Well...that's basically, all that's been going on; up until now" Lincoln murmured, "so...what do you think, dude?" It took quite a while but when he managed to find his voice again, Chaz ran a hand through his moisture-soaked hair and sighed heavily. "It's not that I don't believe you, my dude" he muttered, "it's just...a lot to take in."
Lincoln nodded in understanding; remembering how days ago, each of his lady friends all had felt the same way. But what really shocked Chaz was the fact Leni, his own girlfriend, was a part of Lincoln's strife. "Does anyone else know about this" he asked, "like neighbors, other family members, your teachers or anyone else?"
In response, Lincoln mentioned how the story traveled through the grapevine just a bit; via either through the girls' folks or to each other. Then, his school principal learned about it and possibly, Clyde. "Aside from all of them, nobody else knows" Lincoln stated, "but something tells me that will change soon."
(Line Break)
Meanwhile, over at the mud bath room; Carol was bringing Dana up to speed on the events that brought them all here. By the end of the tale, the poor girl felt as though her heart would give out; she felt so shocked. "This is insane" she gasped, "I mean, I knew Lori had the tendency to be a control freak...but this is just plain wrong!"
Carol let out a heavy sigh and nodded sadly, proclaiming that every word she said was true. "Lincoln even has the evidence to back everything up" she stated, "half of which I can't even bring myself to tell you." While this was going on; unbeknownst to Carol, Dana wasn't the only one listening to her story.
Due to her shocked outburst, she had failed to keep her voice down; thus allowing the other patrons and workers beside the mud bath to inadvertently listen in on their conversation. Even though they didn't quite understand the whole story, truth be told; from what they were able to hear, they felt incredibly appalled.
"The worst story yet was when Lincoln said he was forced to sleep inside the doghouse...before even the dog booted him out" Carol groaned bitterly, "all over something as stupid as bad luck!" The last few words made Dana feel so flustered, you could swear her rising anger would cause the mud to boil.
(Line Break)
Elsewhere, at the nail salon area; the preteen girls were also chatting with each other. Of course, rather than discuss about Lincoln's past experiences at the house; they chose to just talk about how much fun they've all been having. "I swear to you, guys; even with his eyes shut, he managed to nail the target" Jordan exclaimed excitedly, "and he picked out the most adorable polar bear plushie for winning at the booth!"
This caused Stella, Paige and even Cristina to gush adorably at her; along with their stylists. "That's so sweet that he won the prize for you" sighed Cristina, "maybe...maybe I was wrong to judge him, before I switched out of Mrs. Johnson's class." After that, the rest of the conversation was spent in lamenting how much each of them equally misjudged Lincoln for any past events/transgressions that happened.
Though their break had only just started; in the time some of them spent with him, the ladies saw a new side to Lincoln. He was vulnerable, mildly insecure, unsure of himself, afraid of making even the smallest error and he carried a great weight upon his shoulders; being the on-again/off-again mediator for his family's drama. But at the same time; they also got to see his sensitive side, his loyalty, his kindness, his "adorkable" nerdy nature (as Kat would call it) and his genuine desire to see others happy.
With all this in mind, they wondered why Lincoln never showed this side to his family more often. "Lincoln's a great guy...a bit of an over-thinker and a klutz, on occasion, sure...but still" murmured Jordan, "if his sisters can't see that in him, something is seriously wrong!" The girls all let out a unanimous shout of agreement, almost disrupting the workers.
(Line Break)
Back with the boys; they left the steam room, feeling very refreshed and decided to take a trip to the massage parlor for a rub down. Upon his arrival, Lincoln would soon find a surprise there that he never would've expected. As he changed into his trunks and positioned himself on the table, he spotted a pair of beautifully slender legs appear beside him.
Then, he heard the person speak in a soft and sweet Spanish accent; one that Lincoln immediately recognized all too well. As he turned his head upwards slightly, his eyes almost popped from his skull in shock. For standing before him was Miss DiMartino, his former substitute teacher from so long ago.
Within seconds, he started to blush so brightly that it almost looked like he had sunburn. Meanwhile, Ms. DiMartino seemed to be staring down at Lincoln intently; as if studying him closely. When she realized who it was lying before her, she suddenly beamed with joy
"Lincoln Loud...Dios mio! I haven't seen you in ages, dear" she squealed gleefully, "how have you been, have you had anymore trouble with your tests lately?" Alas, Lincoln couldn't think of the right words to say to her due to his enamored state. As a result, all that came out his mouth was "buh...buh...buh;" Which made Chaz feel a bit confused. Ms. DiMartino on the other hand didn't seem to care, though; truth be told, she actually found it rather adorable.
"I hear this is your first time at the spa" she stated, "which makes this your first ever massage, correct?" Lincoln said nothing, due to his mind still feeling mesmerized by her beauty; reducing him to offer up a shy nod in response. Then, Ms. DiMartino leaned in close to Lincoln's ear and whispered "don't worry, I will be gentle" in a playfully sultry voice.
This comment suddenly caused the Loud Boy to snap out of his euphoric state, almost resulting in him tumbling off the table. But Chaz reached his arm out and caught him by the shoulder in just the nick of time. After sitting himself comfortably on the massage table once more, Lincoln thanked the heavens he was on his stomach; otherwise, Miss DiMartino would've seen something she shouldn't.
But then, she suddenly asked him to disrobe himself; much to the poor boy's shock. This caused Lincoln to go stiff with shock, mainly because there was something else he didn't feel comfortable with her seeing. "Uh...are you sure you can't massage me with the robe on" he asked nervously, "I mean...I wouldn't mind, if you could."
Despite the nervousness in his tone; Miss DiMartino, once again, saw it as nothing more than him being shy. "Do not worry, Lincoln" she assured, "you will have your shorts on and there is no one else other than the four of us to see anything."After this, Chaz started politely urging Lincoln to take off his robe; proclaiming that nobody would judge him on anything.
For a moment or so, Lincoln remained still as a statue; his eyes darting side to side nervously. Then, with a soft sigh; he took hold of the waistband and slowly untied it. The moment he set down his waistband and removed his robe, both Miss DiMartino and Chaz's masseuse gasped in alarm at what they saw.
Across his back and his belly, everyone could see a rather large splotch of what was supposedly sunburn; which seemed to cover almost every inch of Lincoln's torso. When asked how he got the sunburn, Chaz told Miss DiMartino and her assistant the story Lincoln shared in the sauna just moments ago. After mentioning the part where Lincoln stood in the beach sun for hours in the Squirrels mascot costume, the ladies were beyond mortified.
"I'm afraid you require more than just a traditional massage, sweetie" Miss DiMartino stated, "this calls for stronger measures." After Lincoln was asked to lie on his belly, once again; Miss DiMartino collected a small green bottle from a drawer and proceeded to smother some of its contents on her hands. Just as Lincoln prepared to question her actions, Miss DiMartino began to lightly rub his back.
At the first touch, the odd green substance stung his sunburn a bit; causing Lincoln to hiss softly in pain. But almost twenty seconds later, his skin slowly started to feel much cooler and the way her hands caressed his back felt incredibly soothing. "Oh, yeeeeeeeeeah" Lincoln droned with delight, "this is so nice, thank you sooo much."
Miss DiMartino smiled down at him and happily accepted his gratitude, before continuing on with the rubbing. "Let me know if I'm hurting you, sweetie" she insisted, "I want to help you relax as much as possible." Lincoln, feeling too content to make a verbal reply, simply smiled and gave her the peace sign as a response.
"Mind if I ask how you became a masseuse, " he asked with a yawn, "I always thought you just worked as a sub for the school district." Ms. DiMartino smiled down at Lincoln and gently pressed the palm of her hand up against his left shoulder blade; causing the boy to moan. "As a substitute teacher, I'm only called in whenever the school is short-handed" Miss DiMartino explained, "because of this, I took up some classes in my free-time to help broaden my skill set."
She soon started to list off all the things she learned at the community center, since her last substituting job. These included massage therapy, yoga, language studies, creative writing, art, theater and even learning to play jazz. Lincoln couldn't help but sigh softly, not just because of how amazing he thought Miss D was...but due to how much he wished he could be as equally skilled.
Then, much to his surprise; Lincoln found himself becoming even more relaxed. He cast a tired over-the-shoulder glance and caught sight of Ms. DiMartino rubbing his legs and feet. "Whatever they taught you, Miss D; you must've been a star student" he said without hesitation, "I haven't felt this good in a long time."
Miss DiMartino felt truly touched by his compliment; so much so, she decided to be playful and kissed him lightly on the cheek in gratitude. Before that, Lincoln's mind had been bordering on sleep mode; due to the massage. But with the added bonus of the kiss, it came close to shutting down completely.
By the end of the session, Lincoln not only felt totally relaxed. But thanks to the green substance Miss DiMartino used (which was revealed to be aloe vera,) Lincoln's sunburn had completely cleared up. He stepped out of the parlor with a deep sigh, feeling fresh as a bee and fully invigorated.
"That was so great" he gasped with delight, "I haven't felt this good since they 72 Hour ARRGH marathon that aired three months ago!" Chaz laughed heartily at his young friend, apparently pleased to see that he was enjoying himself. "There's more goodness to come, my friend" he stated, "the question is...are you ready for it?"
Lincoln gave the teenager a confident smile and replied with but three simple words, "let's do this."
(Line Break)
On their next stop, Chaz and Lincoln decided to join with the older gals in the mud bath. Upon their arrival, the aforementioned ladies greeted Lincoln with unbridled joy; apparently pleased that he had decided to join him. "Just look at you, pal; you're just glowing with positive vibes" gushed Carol, "I'm guessing you're enjoying yourself, so far?"
Lincoln gave the ladies an enthusiastic "rock on" hand sign and stepped into the bath. Unfortunately, he didn't expect his tub to be so deep and his head almost dipped below the surface; as a result. When they saw all the mud covering his face and hair, the girls couldn't help but giggle a little.
At first, Lincoln felt like he was being mocked; which always bothered him the most in life. But when he saw what he looked like in the mirror; he, too suddenly burst out in a fit of giggles. "Check me out, I look like I fell into a pig pen" laughed Lincoln, "better hope Liam doesn't see me, he might think one of his his pigs got loose."
In spite of themselves, Carol and the ladies couldn't help but laugh at Lincoln's little joke; some of whom felt that might have a secret funny man side to him. "Nope, I tried that thing once; did pretty well too" Lincoln confessed, "but...I ended up stealing my sister, Luan's clients and almost lost her respect in the process." When he revealed that he almost got in over his head while trying to entertain some emo kids, the ladies suddenly felt pity for him.
"I'm guessing your sister came in to save you, at that point" Becky inquired, "thank goodness for that, right?" Lincoln gave a light nod in reply before slowly sinking into the mud in shame. Afterwards, he confessed things only escalated that far because it was one of the few times he was actually as good as his sisters at something."
"I've tried many times to show my skill and prove my worth, over the years...but I mess up each time" Lincoln grumbled, "I actually came close to being mauled by our school's football team, when I scored in the wrong end zone." As expected, the ladies and Chaz questioned why Lincoln was involved with such a sport in the first place; to which Lincoln simply replied "it's a long story." "Well...if you want our opinions, Lincoln; don't worry about trying to be like your sisters so much" Stella stated, "you have your own kind of skills...ones that even they wouldn't be able to copy."
Lincoln took a moment to consider his friends words and soon, a small glimmer of hope shined deep within him. This seemed to help the Loud Boy feel just a bit more confident in himself and he thanked Stella for having faith in him.
(Line Break)
After a good twenty minute mud soak, the girls and Chaz headed off to the hot tubs to wash themselves off of all the remaining muck. "Why don't you come and join us, Linc" suggested Becky while she dried herself off, "a good bath always relaxes the body." At first, Lincoln considered the idea...until he realized one fundamental flaw in it; he was one of the only two boys with the group.
Upon bringing this up to the girls, Chaz appeared and patted his back lightly in reassurance. "Don't you worry, little man" he stated, "take a gander at that poster over by the directory." Lincoln did as he was told and read the poster carefully, which showed the words "this week is mixed bathing week" in bold red lettering.
With this revelation, Lincoln suddenly felt incredibly awkward. "Mixed...bathing, they actually do that here" he thought mentally, "me...in a hot tub...with all these girls around me? I don't know whether to feel afraid...or excited, right now." Moments later; all the gals, young and old, rested themselves comfortably inside of two large whirlpool baths.
Chaz, meanwhile chose to relax in his own solo tub. Only one person was missing from the picture, someone who was currently hiding out in the changing room in shyness. "C'mon, Lincoln; the water's great" cried Jordan with delight, "hurry before the whirlpool stops." As Lincoln poked his head out slightly from the doorway, all the ladies began urging him to come out.
After gulping down a nervous lump in his throat; Lincoln, dressed in his orange trunks, shuffled his way nervously towards the hot tub. Upon arriving, he carefully eased his toes into the water; so as not to burn himself. On the first three toe dips, he recoiled with alarm from the heated water.
But after dipping in his foot the fourth time, a warm yet soothing sensation coursed through him. Soon, Lincoln eased his entire body into the hot tub; sighed loudly with contentment. Soon after, Becky turned the whirlpool function back on and the water started to bubble.
This caused Lincoln to suddenly gasp at the feel of it, not out of fear or pain but in mild surprise. Soon, the jets all started to make Lincoln's mind feel drowsy and he slowly eased his head back against the wall; as if he were drifting off to sleep. While in this state, he was completely oblivious to the other ladies around him; who were all giggling softly at how adorable Lincoln looked.
In that moment, Carol instructed Becky and Dana to follow her lead; which caused the two ladies to giggle slyly. Meanwhile, Lincoln's mind was so far up on Cloud 9; he felt as though he could touch the stars. For the first time in like...ever, he felt truly relaxed.
He wasn't worrying about breaking up any quarreling, afraid that someone was meddling on his every move and even more so, he was with people who understood him as well as respected him. He knew that eventually, he would have to return home and be around his rowdy sisters again. But that was a long way away from his present situation.
For now, he was going to savor every moment of fun on break with his new friends. As Lincoln curled his arms around the "cloud" he was resting on, a sudden yet sweet giggle filled his ears. With a soft yawn; he opened his eyes to see Carol, Becky and Dana standing over him.
Naturally, he was quite surprised by their supposed "unexpected" presence. But what really caught him off-guard even more was what he saw next. As he slowly turned his head to the side, Lincoln saw that both his arms were wrapped tightly around Carol and Dana's waists.
With a great yelp of shock, he shot back slightly; causing the hot tub water to make small waves. Unfortunately, his sudden movements sent him stumbling into the open arms of Whitney; who proceeded to wrap them lightly around his shoulders. This turn of events caused Lincoln to shiver tremendously with worry, thinking they might hurt him for "invading their collective personal spaces."
But then; everyone, even Chaz, suddenly burst out in a fit of joyful laughter. Lincoln looked at them all with the most dumbfounded look imaginable and questioned why they were laughing at him. "It's all good, Lincoln" Carol said between gasps, "we're all laughing with you, not at you."
Dana nodded in agreement and added that he looked simply adorable, curling up to her and Carol the way he did. This brought Lincoln to blush shyly and turn away from them. "Sorry about that, girls...really" he murmured, "I hope I didn't offend either of you."
The moment these words were said, both Carol and Dana suddenly gushed at him adorably. "Linky, I swear; you are just about the sweetest lil' man we've ever met" Dana said with a squeal, "are you sure you're still single?" Upon hearing this inquiry, Lincoln suddenly turned a deep shade of red.
Jordan decided to playfully add more fuel to the fire, when she saw the look on his face. "Well...there have been rumors about him and Ronnie Anne Santiago being a thing" she stated coyly, "before she moved away, of course." This revelation caused the ladies, young and old, to squeal loudly with joy.
Meanwhile, Lincoln was starting to feel rather uneasy; despite the fact that the jets of the hot tub were still going. In his mind, he feared the girls would start flipping out about him and Ronnie Anne, just like his sisters always did. That was when Chaz intervened and "saved" him from a mental breakdown.
"Well, Chaz's is sorry to say that Miss Santiago may have to wait her turn" he chuckled, "because I saw him going gaga over his masseuse, just a few moments ago." Carol gasped with surprise at this piece of news and urged the boys to tell her more. "It was no big deal, girls...really" he mumbled, "Miss DiMartino was once my substitute and...well, have you seen her; she's like a goddess!"
Alas, this didn't seem to help make Lincoln's situation any better. If anything, it made the ladies think he was even more precious. "The Lil' Man even got himself a kiss from Miss D before his massage was over" Chaz added with a chuckle, "makes Chaz a little jealous, to be honest."
With this revelation; Lincoln, after letting out a deep sigh, confessed that everything he said was true. "I'm sorry...I just can't help myself" he muttered, "it...it always happens whenever I see someone pretty, cute, nice or a combination of the three." The girls all smiled sweetly at Lincoln, after hearing this confession and applauded him for his honesty.
"That's not it, though" he said suddenly, "what Chaz just said about what happened to me around Miss DiMartino...it's the same reason why I felt nervous in joining you guys here." The moment he said this, the ladies all stared at him confusedly; wondering exactly what made him so nervous. But then, they thought back to his earlier statement and smiled deviously.
"Are you saying what I think you're saying, little man" questioned Phoebe with a chuckle, "because it sounds like you're saying you think we're all pretty?" This brought all the ladies to look at him with equal suspicion. Finally, Lincoln relented and confessed that Phoebe spoke the truth.
"It's true, all you gals are amazing" he blurted out, "not only have you all been so nice to me...but you're all just so beautiful, inside and out." This statement truly touched the ladies, young and old. They never expected him to be so open about his feelings like this.
Then, much to Lincoln's surprise; Jordan swam over to his side and pecked her lips against his cheek. This gesture was so unexpected, it made Lincoln's already soaked hair almost stand on end. "What...what was that for" he gasped in surprise, "I mean...not that I'm complaining or anything."
Jordan simply giggled sweetly at him and said it was a sort of thank you gesture, for just being a sweet guy. Afterwards, Lincoln could see all the other ladies smiling at him; which made him a little worried. As he prepared to leave the tub, Cici and Phoebe quickly dragged him back by his shoulders and held him in place.
With him momentarily stationary, the girls decided to make their move. With the soft muttering of "come here, cutie;" each one of them smothered Lincoln with a combination of nuzzles, tight hugs and/or kisses. By the end of it all; Lincoln was in such a blissful daze, he almost sank beneath the tub water.
But Carol thought quickly and gently lifted him up under both arms. After that, she and Dana sat Lincoln between him and cuddled him like he was a child's doll. "Look at us, girls; aren't we just darling" Cristina giggled, "I think we should record this for posterity...if it's okay with our man of honor."
All eyes looked down at Lincoln, whose face bore a goofy squiggly line of a grin...and a few dozen splotches of lip gloss plastered on his face. When asked again if they could take a picture together, Lincoln's only response was the muttering of "buh...buh...buh" and a shaky thumbs up. "OMG, Lincoln; you're just so cute" gushed Dana, "hold up, I'm gonna go get my phone outta my backpack in the changing room."
The ladies all urged her to hurry along, before returning to coddling their young male friend. Moments later; upon her return, Dana and several of the girls held up their phones ahead of them. Their free arms, meanwhile were either wrapped around each other's or Lincoln's shoulders.
"Okay, ladies" Carol stated, "everybody look at the camera and on three, say 'GAL PALS!" The ladies all nodded in agreement and readied themselves for their selfies. Meanwhile, Lincoln was slightly squeezed in-between Carol and Dana...but was too far gone with delight to even care.
After Carol counted down from three, there was a loud outcry of "GAL PALS" and everyone's phones suddenly flashed; freezing the moment forever (or however long phone batteries lasted until they saved the pics at home.) Afterwards, several of the girls posted the image on their social media pages; thinking it was just a perfect moment to share.
(Line Break)
When Lincoln's mind (eventually) recovered from his earlier kiss barrage, he was no longer in the hot tub. Instead, he was seated inside of a salon chair; having his hair scrubbed, his nails touched up and a mud mask be applied to his face. He turned slightly to the side to find Whitney, Carol, Dana, Phoebe and Cici in similar chairs.
When she saw him wake up, Dana gave him a friendly "hello" hand wave. "Welcome back to the world, cutie" she greeted gleefully, "hope you're enjoying your Mani-Pedi." While still confused as to how he got there, Lincoln eased comfortably into his chair and smiled at her.
All around him, everybody was in the midst of receiving hair/nail/facial treatment. Whitney sat comfortably, while her stylist struggled to comb her thick locks. Carol was having her nails painted, Dana was soaking her feet inside of a foot bath machine and both Cici and Phoebe were having facial masks applied.
As Lincoln's treatment continued, several of the employees around him proceeded to chat idly with him; occasionally complimenting his looks. "Tell us your secret, sweetie" inquired a woman who was massaging Lincoln's scalp, "how did you get such a unique head of white hair?" Several of the other workers asked the same thing, eager to learn Lincoln's "secret."
"Oh, it's no secret" Lincoln said humbly, "this hair of mine is au naturel...as they say." Upon hearing this, a woman with an electric hairdryer gasped emphatically and shook her head in disbelief. "Hush up with your lies, sweetie; you sayin' these beautiful locks are natural?" she asked in disbelief, "I tell ya, some homegirls I know would give up their life savings for hair this unique!" For the next few minutes, Lincoln was chatting pleasantly with both the girls and the salon staff.
In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of the situation. In the past, he'd often had difficulty chatting casually with new people. But with every hair scrub, foot dip and blowout; almost all his anxieties seemed to disappear.
"This is so nice" he sighed softly, "it's no wonder why my older sisters like this so much...it's like all my troubles are being scrubbed away." At that moment, an effeminate hairstylist named Randy approached Lincoln and began to brush at his hair. "If you don't mind my asking, my little friend...what might your name be" he asked suddenly, "somethin' about you seems familiar."
Though mildly taken aback by this inquiry, Lincoln felt there was no harm in answering. "My name is Lincoln Loud, Sir" he said while lightly blowing at his newly manicured nails, "why do you ask?" Upon hearing this name, Randy suddenly asked if he was any relation to Lola Loud.
With this question; all the previous stress that had either been scrubbed, rubbed, washed or cleaned away from him almost came back in full force. With a light nod of his head, Randy looked Lincoln up and down and clicked his tongue softly. "Nope...I'm sorry, I just don't see it" he murmured, "there is no way, no how that you are a relation to...LOLA!"
Upon hearing the tone in his voice change, Lincoln asked how Randy knew his little sister. It was then that the stylist revealed that long ago, he was asked to help prep her up for the Lil' Miss Prairie Queen Pageant. "No offense to you, young man...but that little monster was just awful to me" Randy growled, "I bent over backwards and forwards to please that girl in any way possible...but nothing I did worked!"
Worried about how fast things were escalating, the other ladies asked Randy what happened. But Lincoln quickly intervened, sensing that the poor man's nerves were just about shot. "Long story short, ladies; my sister was a real devil diva, during that pageant" he groaned, "the host said she spent so much time in her dressing room, wanting to look 'perfect' that she was later disqualified."
While this bit of news was indeed troubling, Carol asked to learn more about what happened. "Randy here showed her all kinds of fancy dresses, did her hair up in all kinds of styles and even came close to getting hand cramps from filing her nails too much" Lincoln explained, "but no matter what, Lola was still unsatisfied with his work!" By the end of the story, both gentlemen revealed that not only was Lola disqualified for taking too long to prepare; she almost physically abused Randy in a fit of rage.
As proof their story was true, Randy drew back his right sleeve to reveal a bite mark on the back on his left wrist. "How do you think Lola ended up with a gap in her smile" questioned Lincoln, "she lost the tooth after she bit Randy in the arm with it." This story left everyone bitterly whispering to one another, while Lincoln gazed up at Randy in shame.
"Sir...I speak on behalf of my sister when I say...I'm sorry for what happened" he muttered, "just please, don't send me and my friends away; at least...not until after we're done." All was silent, after Lincoln's statement was made; the only sounds heard were those of the salon equipment. Finally; Randy smiled down at Lincoln, took his hand in his own and patted it lightly.
"It's as I said before, lil' man; you are nothing like your sister" he said warmly, "unlike what you just did, neither she nor even your mama apologized for what happened that day." Lincoln sighed dejectedly and muttered how much he expected that kind of behavior from Lola. "Thing is; at that time, my mother would have apologized" he admitted, "but Lola was stuck in her 'Terrible Twos' phase; despite, at the time, being four and...she didn't want to face her wrath again by scolding her."
Once the story was over, everyone suddenly shuddered; feeling pity for Lincoln's parents having to endure such circumstances. "Tell me something, Linc" chimed Dana, "do all your sisters act like your little one?" Lincoln suddenly found himself chuckling ironically at this, which almost made the young lady think he was being rude.
"So sorry about that, Dana" he said quickly, "it's just...my house is known for being the most chaotic place in town for one reason; my sisters' different/varied personalities." He then went on to explain how not one day was exactly the same, back home. "If Lola isn't acting like a diva; then, it's something else" he mumbled, "be it Lucy making her grave sites in the yard, Luan thinking up ideas for the next slew of pranks for April Fools (or as I call it, Prank-pocalypse,) Luna blowing out the town's power from overloading the house circuitry with her amps or...Lisa wanting to use one of us (mostly me) as a guinea pig for another invention of hers."
Randy and his associates gasped in alarm, proclaiming that such things all sounded too bizarre to be real. But Carol quickly put their skepticism to rest, revealing to everyone that she and her friends have seen the physical scars for themselves. Randy frowned slightly while giving Lincoln's hair one final brushing.
After that; his assistant gave him a quick blow dry and then, their work was done. "Come and have a look at the new you, lil man" urged Randy, "I think you might like it!" Without pause, Lincoln leapt out of his chair and approached one of the wall mirrors to see his reflection.
The moment he did, Lincoln's jaw almost hit the floor. His hair had been slicked back into a sort of pompadour style, his skin appeared youthful and clean, his feet felt both nourished and smooth and the nails on his fingers and toes were so clean and smoothed out; he could see his face reflecting on them. He couldn't believe his eyes; even though it was his reflection, it was like he saw a different person in front of him.
"Wow, this is...this is amazing" he gasped in awe, "you guys are all miracle workers, thanks a bunch for everything." Randy chuckled warmly at his kind words and thanked him with a friendly hug. Afterwards, he slipped him his business card; urging him to call, if he needed another touch up
Having been fully refreshed and reinvigorated, Lincoln was ready to face the world again. Once the salon treatment was over, the gang made their way to the front desk; as Carol and her crew prepared to pay the bill. That was when Lincoln offered some of his money to help even out the total.
"You're sweet to offer, Linc but we got this" Kat assured, "you're our guest and as such, you shouldn't have to help pay all the time." Lincoln thanked her for her kind words but further insisted on lending some of his money. "It's no trouble at all, really" he stated, "consider it repayment for all the kindness you guys have showed me thus far."
That was when Fernando quickly interjected, proclaiming that neither side had to pay. "This is on the house, we insist" he offered, "it's the least we can do for this young man...all that we ask is that he comes again soon." Upon saying this, Dana gasped loudly with joy and said she had a brilliant idea.
"Why not make this a tradition, Guys and Gals" she suggested, "once a month, unless something else comes up, we'll get together here and have a nice spa day...what do you think." Almost instantly; all the girls, young and old, cheered in unanimous agreement. Afterwards, Chaz seconded the idea; proclaiming that he enjoyed soaking in the hot tub.
Only Lincoln's voice appeared silent during this, due in part to the boy in question was mentally considering the idea. "Hmm...what the heck, beats being stuck at home while Lori baby-sits (or as I call it, goes 1984 on us)" he said with a chuckle, "sign me up too!" With everyone in agreement, the girls all proceeded to envelop Lincoln in a big group hug; while naming him their "spa buddy."
After that, everyone happily left the spa and headed off towards the bus stop. However, upon leaving; the air within the spa lobby quickly went from joyful to tense. At which time, someone approached the front desk and was about to pay for his stay. "Excuse me, Fernando" questioned the man, "did that boy say his name was...Loud?"
The spa owner answered his question without hesitation, before talking about how well Lincoln behaved so splendidly towards his female companions and the staff members. "Yes...very nice" muttered the patron, "it's just...he was in the steam room with me and a few others, earlier on and...after hearing it, his name reminded me of someone from my school." At that moment; another patron, a woman dressed in a yellow tracksuit with brunette hair, quickly appeared behind the man.
"That must've been Lynn Junior's little brother, Mr. Budden" the woman stated, "I saw him at the nail salon area earlier...what about him?" For the moment, the man (revealed to be Mr. Budden, one of the teachers from the Royal Woods Middle School) pinched his temples slightly and sighed. "Best sit for a spell, Coach" he muttered sullenly, "because I've got some interestin' stories to tell you."
(First AN: Despite this being the Spa Day chapter, I wanted to give Lincoln some time with Stella; to give him and the reader a sort of glimpse at her home life. Upon doing research on her, I discovered that she was of Filipino descent and had a grandmother. With this in mind, I wanted to have said grandmother speak mostly the Filipino...or Tagalog language; as well as some broken English.
My apologies if my depiction of her felt off to you, everyone. Because both she and Stella's parents weren't shown in the series...yet, I had to make up things as I went along.)
(Second AN: The idea of Miss DiMartino, the sexy substitute teacher Lincoln had in Study Muffin, being Lincoln's masseuse at the spa was inspired by something I read in another Loud House fic; Special Sibling Bond by Metalbrony823. When I read that, I immediately thought that her presence would be perfect for this fic. Not to mention that having her be another ally in Lincoln's corner would be a good thing, considering their close teacher/student relationship.)
(Third AN: Despite certain scenes in this chapter, do not be confused in thinking this is a harem fic. All the girls were doing was showing him some friendly/playful TLC, after all the positive traits he had been showing. If there is to be a ship in this story; it will either be LincolnxJordan or LincolnxRonnie Anne, who will be appearing very soon...but I shan't say when ;) )
(Final AN: The woman in the yellow tracksuit is Lynn's middle school coach, Coach Keck and the other steam room occupants...may or may not also be staff members or people Lincoln's sisters know. But rest assured; soon, all of them will have a part to play.)