It was a 'quiet' day in the Loud House, and Lincoln was taking advantage of the relative peace by laying on his bed, ignoring whatever homework he had due for Monday, and reading the latest issue of Ace Savvy in his undies. He was immersed, as always, in the crime fighting adventures of the card themed vigilante, kicking butt left right and centre to clean up the streets of Full House City.
However, as with most things in the Loud House, the peace couldn't be enjoyed for long. He was startled by the fact his door burst open, with none other than Luna being the culprit. "Seriously?!" He sighed. "Can't you girls ever knock?"
"Sorry, bro," she said, though he didn't know if she meant it, "but it's not like we haven't seen you in your duds before."
"That's not…" With another sigh, he put his comic down and sat up, swinging his legs down from the bed. "What do you want, Luna?"
She took the opportunity to sit down next to her brother. "How would you like to hang out with your big sis later?"
"Depends. What would we be doing?"
"Well, Bangers and Mosh is holding a karaoke night tonight, and-"
"Pass."
He prepared to stand up, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down to a seated position. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!" She took a quick breath, before speaking again. "Alright, Bro, just hear me out a second!" With a roll of his eyes, he gave a nod. "You know Sam?"
"She's the girl you like, right?" She nodded. "What about her?"
"Well, she's been telling me about how she wants to get to know my family, and I've been putting it off, because… well, you know what our sisters are like." He opened his mouth to make a point, but she knew what he was going to say, so she cut him off. "I know what it sounds like, and no, I'm not ashamed of the fam."
"So, what is it then?"
"Well… how do I put this… I know! Remember the time you invited Clyde for a sleepover, and when he wanted to hang out with the rest of us, you tried inviting your other friends?"
"Yeah," he acknowledged with a frown. "And they all got scared off."
"Right! Well, I'm worried if I bring Sam over, she's gonna get overwhelmed, so we decided to test the waters and just try one sibling at a time. She already knows Luan, Leni and Lori from school, but the rest of our sibs- not counting Lily, of course- they're a bit… well, they're wild cards. You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em."
"So… you're asking me to meet her first?"
"Exactly! I figured you'd be able to help settle her in, since you're the nicest of the bunch, and she's been dying to meet you."
His eyes widened in surprise. "She has?"
"Totally, bro! I remember when I showed her a pic of you and the others, she said you looked like the cutest little guy around!" He could only blush timidly at this, looking away. "So, what do you say, Linky? Think you can do this for me?"
"Well…"
"Pleeeeease?"
He turned and saw her staring at him, with her hands cupped together, and the ultimate sisterly weapon of persuasion: the sad puppy eyes. "Luna, that's not fair! You're older than me, you don't get to use the sad-" She simply blinked for added effect, causing him to groan and pinch his eyes shut. "… urgh, okay, fine! I'll go! Just stop with the eyes, already!"
She chuckled. "Thanks, bro."
"Yeah, yeah. So, when is it?"
"In a few hours. Lori will drop us off, and we'll get dinner there, my treat." She then gave a small sniff, and teasingly stuck her nose up. "You might wanna grab a shower before we go."
"Har, har." She laughed as she got up and waved to her brother upon walking out of his room. Once she was a fair distance from his door, he lifted an arm up and smelled his armpit. "… actually, a shower might not be so bad."
So, a few hours later, after having showered and gotten changed again, Lincoln found himself sat next to his rocker sister in Vanzilla, with Lori at the steering wheel. As the old, surprisingly still mobile vehicle continued its journey along the roads, Lincoln turned to Luna and noticed that she seemed slightly on edge. "You okay?" He asked.
She turned to her concerned brother and smiled. "Don't worry about it, bro," she assured him. "It's just a bit of the jitters."
"But, haven't you and Sam been going out for a while now?"
"Yeah, we have, but I still get nervous."
"That's natural," Lori called, catching their attention as she turned a corner. "In the early days of a relationship, you're still getting to know each other, and you don't want to ruin what you're building between each other. I was like that with Bobby."
"Yeah… that about sums it up." Luna blushed timidly. "Sam's more than just a girl to me… she's been my best friend for so long, I don't wanna lose that."
"And you won't," Lincoln told her, patting her on the knee. "I might not know Sam as well as you… but I know you better, and she'd be crazy to not see how great you are."
Luna's heart swelled at her brother's words. "Aww, Linky… come here." She pulled him into a side on hug, planting a kiss on his head. "You're the best dang bro anyone could have."
"Maybe one day, we can all triple date!" Lori suggested, her eyes lighting up while Luna and Lincoln just looked confused. "Me and Bobby, Luna and Sam, and Lincoln and Jordan!"
Lincoln blushed, staring, "Jordan is not my girlfriend!"
"I dunno, bro," Luna teased, "give it a bit of time, and you might just end up giving a little love to her."
"You do remember I came because you asked me to, right?"
She gave a small laugh before saying, "aww, don't be like that, bro. Come on, we're gonna have a good time, eat some great food, and Sam's gonna see just how amazing my little bro is." Looking forward, she could see that they were arriving at their destination. "Ooh, we're here!"
Lori pulled the van up in front of a British looking building, with a Union Jack hanging above the door, a red postbox out front and a blue and red sign that read Bangers & Mosh, with the and sign made to look like a guitar. "Okay, you two," Lori told her younger siblings. "I'll come get you in about an hour or so. In the mean time, have fun."
"Thanks, Lori," they both said as they got out, with Luna grabbing her bag before shutting the door. They waved Lori off as she drove away, before Luna put her arm around her brother's shoulder. "Come on, bro."
She led him into the building, which had the appearance of a music themed British restaurant, with a stage towards the back with a variety of instruments, as well as an assortment of music and British memorabilia and paraphernalia set up on the walls. There was a fireplace near one wall with two guitars hung above it. The tables were covered with peach coloured cloths, with four chairs to a table. Walking across the wooden floors, they approached the front desk which was manned by a slender man with long brown hair and a beard, wearing a Union Jack tank top under a black jacket, black ripped jeans with a white belt, and blue skater shoes. He saw the brunette and gave a smile.
"Hey, Luna!" He greeted, his accent clearly showing that he's not British. "I was wondering when you were gonna get here." His eyes drifted over to the white haired boy. "Who's the kid?"
"This is my lil bro," she explained, then turned to Lincoln. "Linc, this guy right here is Jonah. He's the event manager here, though from what I've heard from Chunk, he's a bit of a slacker."
"All lies! I'm telling you, that's just slander!" Luna rolled her eyes. "Anyway, nice to meet you, little dude."
"You too, Jonah," Lincoln told him.
"So," Luna spoke up, "is Sam here already?"
"Not yet, though your table is ready if you want it."
"Sure thing, dude." Jonah then beckoned for them to follow, leading the two Loud siblings to a table with the number 13 engraved in the centre. Luna and Lincoln sat down at the two chairs, while Jonah placed down three menus- two in front of the two already sat down, and one in front of the available chair next to Luna. "Thanks."
"No problem. I'll send someone to get your order once your date's arrived."
As Jonah walked away, Lincoln saw a small blush appear on Luna's face. "Still nervous?" He asked, to which she meekly nodded. "Relax. It seems like you really care about her, and I'm sure she feels the same way about you."
When she looked at her brother, she saw the same kind smile on his face he always had, and it made her give a small laugh. "I gotta say, bro… it's kind of weird that, despite all the times you've told us you don't have a girlfriend, you give a lot of good advice when it comes to love."
He smiled sheepishly and scratched behind his head. "I don't think it's that good advice."
She put on a smug smile. "I dunno, little dude… you sure you aren't hiding something from me and the sibs?"
His cheeks instantly flared up. "I'm not! Seriously, why do you girls always jump to that conclusion?"
Her younger brother's embarrassment made Luna let out a hearty laugh. "Chill, bro, it's just a bit of teasing." She was going to tease him some more, but she saw someone else first. Looking towards the entrance of the restaurant, she saw a blonde girl with a blue streak in her hair and piercings in her ear, wearing a white shirt with a band logo underneath a light blue jacket, reddish purple ripped jeans with a black studded belt and purple boots. "That's her." Lincoln looked in the direction his sister was looking, and saw the girl she was talking about, who looked her way and gave a huge smile. As the girl made her way over, Luna got up from her chair and held her arms out. "You made it!"
"Of course I did, Luna!" She greeted, rushing forward to be enveloped in the brunette's embrace as she hugged her back. "Like I was gonna miss karaoke night with my favourite girl." She could imagine Luna's cheeks growing redder, hearing a small yet goofy laugh in her ear, and as she pulled back from the hug, she realised that she was right. "So, you gonna introduce me to the most rockin' bro born in the USA?"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Lincoln rolled his eyes at his sister's slip up, standing from his chair. "Sam, this is my little bro, Lincoln."
"Hey there," Sam greeted, walking up to the younger boy. "Nice to finally meet you."
Now that they were face to face, Lincoln found himself blushing almost as much as his sister, noticing that Sam was actually really pretty. "N-Nice to meet you," he greeted with a shy smile, holding out a hand which she shook in kind.
"Well, aren't you a gentleman," she teased, kneeling down so they were at the same height. "Luna's told me a lot about you, even showed me a picture, but you're even cuter in person." His blush grew, and it grew even more when she pinched his cheek. "Especially with chubby cheeks like these."
"Please stop."
She gave a playful pout, but did let go. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna spend the whole night teasing. Luna always seems so proud when she talks about you, I wanted to meet you myself."
Lincoln turned to his sister. "She does?"
"Don't act so surprised, Link," Luna replied. "You're my little bro, and I love you." His lips curled upwards as his heart grew warm, but just as he was about to thank her, a low rumbling sound caused Luna to blush and laugh nervously. "Guess we should order some food."
"I'll second that!" Sam said, before the three of them sat down and began looking at the menus. "Think I'm gonna try something different this time."
"Nah, I'm gonna stick with the steak again. I can already feel like I'm gonna drool." She looked over at her brother, who was studying he options carefully. "What about you, little bro?"
"I'm not sure," he told her.
"Well, if I were you, I'd get the beef patty with onions and cheese," Sam recommended. "It's good if you're a first timer here, and we can get a basket of chips to share."
This only confused the boy more. "But, won't chips ruin our appetite?"
Luna chuckled, taking the menu away from the boy. "You've got a couple of things to learn about British cuisine."
After letting his sister order on his behalf, Lincoln began chatting with Sam to get to know her. The two of them quickly bonded over their shared love of Smooch, which led to Sam introducing Lincoln to a couple of other bands she thought he would like. He was also surprised to find that she was also a fan of video games, and though their tastes in games varied a little, they found themselves getting along with ease. Once the food arrived, it only became easier as the three of them began sharing stories, like how Sam had first found herself falling for Luna, and how Luna was like a third parent for Lincoln growing up. At the same time, though, Lincoln kept finding himself drawn to his burger.
"Honestly, this food is great!" He remarked as he took another bite into the succulent burger, a little bit of ketchup smearing his cheek. "This is, like, ten times better than Burpin' Burger!"
"I told you you'd like it," Sam told him. "Though, uh… you've got a little something on your cheek." Curious, he moved his finger to where the ketchup was, blushing out of embarrassment as he tried to clean it away. "Don't worry, dude, it happens. First time I came here with Luna, she ended up getting more sauce on her face than in her gut."
Luna simply raised an eyebrow. "You weren't exactly clean faced after your own meal," she threw back, to which Sam stuck out her tongue. "Still, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, bro."
"Yeah, I am. I'm glad you asked me to do this, Luna."
"Well, it's only gonna get better, bro. Still got the karaoke to come, and me and Sam are gonna rock this place like a hurricane."
"You know it, girl!" Sam then looked at the white haired boy. "What about you, Lincoln? You gonna rock the mic?" He shook his head. "Aww, come on, it's fun! Plus, I bet you have a great voice."
"I couldn't. I mean, I'm not as confident as Luna is. Whenever she's on stage, it's like there's nothing holding her back."
"Yeah, now, but not when I started, bro," Luna pointed out. "First performances always gave me the jitters. Heck, even now, I'll feel them a little, but once the music is coursing through my veins, everything around me just seems to melt away."
"Well, you have so much talent, and I don't."
"Linc, it's a karaoke night. No one's expecting to be the next Mick Swagger, they're just here for a bit of fun."
He pinched his eyes shut, letting out a tired sigh. "That's not… look, no promises, okay?" When he looked again, he saw that Sam was using the same trick Luna had used. "Oh, come on, not the sad puppy eyes! I really don't want to do this!" She simply dialled it up, tilting her head and using her hands like paws. "Seriously?! Please, don't make me do this! Luna, help me out he-" When he looked at his sister, she had joined Sam in applying the 'deadly' weapon of cuteness. "Oh, come on! I… urgh, fine, I'll do some stupid karaoke!" Victorious, the girls high fived and giggled. "So, what do I need to do?"
"Go see Jonah, and he'll sign you up," Luna told him.
"Fine." He stood up from his chair, taking the last few chips from the basket and eating them before wiping his fingers clean. "But you can't use that trick for a month," he then turned to Sam, "and you're lucky that my sister is absolutely crazy for you." As he walked away from the table, he felt a little bit smug upon knowing that he had undoubtedly made both of the high school girls flustered by his comments. Walking back to the reception, he saw Jonah, who gave a smile as he approached.
"What's up, little man?" He asked. "Everything good with your meal?"
"Yeah, the food's great," Lincoln replied. "My sister said I should come speak to you about… th-the karaoke night?"
"Let me guess, she talked you into it." Lincoln nodded. "Don't worry about it, dude, you'll be fine." He bent down and reappeared a moment later with a book, which he opened on the desk. "Any ideas what song you wanna do?"
"Um…"
"Lincoln?" He turned around and saw none other than Girl Jordan stood behind him, surprised at his presence. "Hey! What are you doing here?"
"Oh! Hey, Jordan!" He greeted. "I'm here with my sister and her girlfriend, she wanted me to get to know her."
"Oh, that's cool! I'm here with my sister, Jen. She likes karaoke, and she wanted me to have a go." She then began rubbing the back of her arm. "Honestly, I don't think I'm that good, but she kind of…"
"Let me guess, the sad puppy eyes?" She blinked, astonished that he had got it spot on. "Yeah, Luna did the same with me. Didn't help that her girlfriend did the same."
As the two kids laughed, Jonah looked between them and couldn't help but smirk. "Listen, kids," he told them, "I've gotta go take care of something real quick. There's a couple of forms here next to the song book, so once you've had a look through, just fill it out."
"Thank you," they both said, before he walked away.
After they both filled out their forms and talked for a little bit, they returned to their respective tables, where Lincoln found that Luna had ordered him a root beer float as a way of making up for 'manipulating' him into signing up for karaoke. While he was a bit upset that they had ganged up on them, he was willing to forgive them, especially once the taste of that delectable frozen treat hit his taste buds. They chatted for a bit longer until Jonah announced the first act for karaoke night, which happened to be Sam and Luna. The two of them belted out an old school rock hit which was received with an ovation from the regular patrons of Bangers and Mosh, as it was an establishment favourite. After that, they sat back down with Lincoln as Jonah brought on the next singer.
"That was awesome, you two!" Lincoln commended, giving them the goats.
"Aww, thanks, Link!" Sam replied.
"Yeah, my bro's probably my number one fan," Luna added, making him smile a bit meekly while Sam giggled.
"I can tell." She took a sip from her drink, then put the glass back down. "So, Lincoln. There's something I've been meaning to ask you."
Curious, he tilted his head. "What is it?"
"Well, you seem like a really great guy, and not just from what Luna's told me, but from what I've figured tonight." He smiled at her compliment. "So, with a guy as great as you, I've got to imagine that the girls at your school see it too. Is there someone special in your life?"
His cheeks heated up a little. "Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm not really that popular, but I don't mind."
She smirked. "So you're saying that there aren't any girls that you've had your eye on, who've taken a fancy to you?"
"I… I can't really think of any."
Luna scoffed. "Not even Jordan?"
Seeing the boy blush even more, Sam became interested. "Ooh, now we're getting somewhere! Come on, Link, you can share."
"Well… I wouldn't really say she's taken my fancy, as such. Don't get me wrong, she's a very nice girl, but she's just a friend."
Sam leaned forward, pressing her palms onto the table. "But do you think she's pretty?"
"W-W-Well… I-I wouldn't say she's NOT pretty, y'know? She…"
The two girls waited with expectant grins. "Yes, Lincoln?"
"W-well, she… I mean… I try not to think about her like that, you know? I mean, like I say, she's my friend. I don't want to think of her as just… a pretty face, you know?"
Sam and Luna looked at each other, neither expecting quite that response, before giving approving smiles to the boy. "That's real mature of you, Link," Luna told her brother. "Though, you know that totally means you find her pretty, right?"
"Sounds like this Jordan girl would be lucky to have you." She could see Lincoln blush more at saying this, making her smile even more. "You really are the sweetest little guy."
"Hey, Linc?" Luna asked. "Isn't that Jordan over there?"
Looking where Luna was looking, he saw his friend stood near the stage, seeming quite nervous. "Yeah, that's her," he replied, getting up from his chair. "Could you excuse me?" Without waiting for a response, he left the vicinity of their table and went over to the girl with the braided ponytail. "Hey."
She saw the boy and smiled. "Hey, Linc."
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Just… nervous."
He gave a comforting and smile who said, "don't be. You can do this."
Seeing him assure her like this made her nerves simmer down enough for her to feel ready. "Thanks, Lincoln."
Just then, they heard applause, followed by Jonah grabbing his mic and saying, "thank you to Rosa and Reggie there! Up next, giving us her rendition of "Love The Way You Lie", give it up for Jordan!"
He left the stage as the audience applauded, watching the girl take the stage and grab the mic nervously. After seeing Lincoln give her a thumbs up to reassure her, she nodded to Jonah, who started the song. She took a deep breath as the prompter counted her in, before she started to sing.
"On the first page of our story
The future seemed so bright
Then this thing turned out so evil
I don't know why I'm still surprised
Even angels have their wicked schemes
And you take that to new extremes
But you'll always be my hero
Even though you've lost your mind"
Lincoln smiled more and more as she sang, finding that in spite of her nervous stance, her voice sounded clear and beautiful. However, it was the chorus that kicked things up for him.
"Just gonna stand there and watch me burn!
But that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry!
But that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
Oh, I love the way you lie
Now there's gravel in our voices
Glass is shattered from the fight
In this tug of war, you'll always win
Even when I'm right
'Cause you feed me fables from your head
With violent words and empty threats
And it's sick that all these battles
Are what keeps me satisfied
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn!
But that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry!
But that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie
Oh, I love the way you lie
So maybe I'm a masochist
I try to run but I don't want to ever leave
'Til the walls are goin' up
In smoke with all our memories"
This was where Jordan ended her performance, stepping aside from behind the mic stand and bowing as the audience showed their appreciation, a number of the patrons standing up to applaud her. As Jonah got up to congratulate her and introduce the next act, she stepped off and approached her friend. "Was that okay? Honestly, my heart was racing too fast to tell," she told him.
"Jordan, that was incredible!" He commended, his eyes practically glistening after her song. "You were amazing up there!"
"Really?" He nodded vigorously, making her blush furiously. "Thank you."
"Alright, people, time for our next singer!" Jonah announced, getting their attention. "We've already heard his sister perform, so let's see if music runs in the family- singing High Hopes, we have Lincoln Loud!"
"No pressure," Lincoln said sarcastically, making Jordan giggle. "Still, don't know how I'm supposed to follow your performance."
"You're gonna be great, Lincoln," she assured her friend, making him smile.
"Thanks." He made his way up onto the stage and gave a nod to Jonah, who started the song. Just like Jordan had, he faced the prompter, took a deep breath and waited for it to count him in before starting to sing.
"Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
Fulfill the prophecy
Be something greater
Go make a legacy
Manifest destiny
Back in the days
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Mama said
Burn your biographies
Rewrite your history
Light up your wildest dreams
Museum victories, everyday
We wanted everything, wanted everything"
As the boy performed, Jordan couldn't help but admire how the boy seemed to be at ease on stage as he sang, thinking, 'he's so talented! How has he kept this hidden?!'
"Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Mama said
It's uphill for oddities
The stranger crusaders
Ain't ever wannabes
The weird and the novelties
Don't ever change
We wanted everything, wanted everything
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Stay up on that rise
Stay up on that rise and never come down
Mama said don't give up, it's a little complicated
All tied up, no more love and I'd hate to see you waiting
They say it's all been done but they haven't seen the best of me
So I got one more run and it's gonna be a sight to see"
As he got into the chorus again, Jordan began to clap along, which got more and more people to join her with every line he sand, until everyone was clapping along.
"Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Shooting for the stars when I couldn't make a killing
Didn't have a dime but I always had a vision
Always had high, high hopes
Had to have high, high hopes for a living
Didn't know how but I always had a feeling
I was gonna be that one in a million
Always had high, high hopes"
"Go, Lincoln!" Jordan cheered the second the music stopped, which led to everyone giving a standing ovation to the white haired boy, who blushed as he gave a bow. He didn't want to be on the stage too much longer, so he quickly stepped off it and approached his friend, who quickly caught him off guard by giving him a big hug. "That was amazing!"
He gave a small smile as he hugged her back. "I wasn't that good," he responded.
"Are you kidding?! Lincoln, you've got such a great voice!"
"She's right, Lil Bro," they heard Luna say, releasing the hug to turn and see Luna and Sam stood just next to them. "You've been holding out on me."
"Linc, that was rockin'!" Sam told the boy, throwing up the goats. "You should totally jam with us sometime!" She then smirked as she added, "same goes for your lucky lady here."
Lincoln looked at Jordan, both their faces blushing madly, before they both turned to her and said, "we're not together."
Sam and Luna both laughed at the synchronicity of their response, while both Jordan and Lincoln merely blushed more, but before any of them could say anything else, Luna heard her phone go off. Pulling it out, she frowned as she read the text she had received. "Hate to cut the celebrations short, but that was Lori. She says she's out front, so we better not keep her waiting."
"Already?" Sam complained. "I was hoping we could hang some more."
"Sorry, Sam."
She sighed, but gave a small smile. "I understand." She and Luna then turned to the boy. "We'll wait out front while you say goodbye." She then turned to Jordan and said, "it was nice meeting you, Jordan."
"You too, Sam," she replied.
After Luna and Sam had left, Lincoln turned to his friend. "Guess I have to go, then."
"Guess so," she replied. "Hey, Lincoln?"
"Yeah?"
"… thank you."
His brow furrowed slightly. "For what?"
She gave a little giggle. "Do you really not know? Lincoln… if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the courage to do that, to get on stage and sing like that. I don't think I could have gone through with it otherwise."
Lincoln stood there for a few seconds, taking in what she told him, before giving a small chuckle. "I was gonna tell you that." As he started laughing some more, she found it infectious and joined in with the laughter, neither caring about any of the patrons staring at them. After a good ten seconds of laughing, they stopped and looked at each other with smiles, before sharing another brief hug. "Guess I'll see you later."
"I'll see you later, Lincoln."
He released the hug and began to walk away, waving goodbye as he reached the entrance. Since Jonah wasn't at the reception, he walked out of the building, where he saw Luna and Sam giving each other a hug near Vanzilla, so he walked towards them. "All set," he said, getting their attention as they broke the hug. "It was nice meeting you, Sam."
The blond girl smiled, kneeling down to the boy's height. "Nice meeting you too, Linky," she replied as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a cool little dude." His smile matched hers, and she pulled him towards her so she could whisper in his ear, "let me give you some advice. That friend of yours? Don't let her go- she's a keeper."
Lincoln's mouth opened, his brain unable to come up with a response to that as she let go and stood back up, waving to Luna as she walked away. Lincoln stood there for a few seconds, trying to process her advice, before he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw that it was Luna. "Let's get in Vanzilla before Lori starts busting our butts," she jokingly suggested, to which he nodded. The two got into the van and buckled up as Lori turned on the engine.
"What took you so long, twerp?" He heard Lori ask, though he was still partly focused on what Sam had told him.
"Just… saying goodbye to someone," was all he said, before the three of them went on their way home.
