Halloween Hilarity with the Gal Pals – Part One
(Story Summary: It's Halloween down in Royal Woods and everyone's getting ready for some deliciously creepy fun, especially our favorite friend group. But when the Loud Family discovers that Lucy, their best theme planner for the season, has fallen ill; all hope falls upon Lincoln and his own brand of creativity to make the best Halloween get-together ever. However, Lincoln soon realizes that he doesn't quite have the knack for creating scary ambiance the way Lucy does.
To do the celebration proper justice, he decides to seek help from some pen pals; individuals whom Lincoln claims to have known through e-mail, video chat and/or letters long before he befriended the Gal Pals. Who are these friends of Lincoln's, what are they like, will they be able to help everyone in their time of need and most of all; how will the Gals take this news? Be prepared for some laughs, some singing and maybe a few chills; as Lincoln prepares Royal Woods for Halloween Night.)
(Disclaimer: Not only do I not own any of the Loud House characters, I do not own any of the guest characters who will appear in this story. All ownership for the former lies with Nickelodeon and Chris Savino, while the latter is owned by Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera; so...please, don't sue me.)
The atmosphere over Royal Woods had taken a dark turn, as the month of October slowly rolled in. The skies were cloudy, the air held a mildly bitter chill, the trees had lost most of their beautiful leaves and now appeared sickly barren and the there was and if one were to listen closely; they could hear the sounds of "the children of the night" echoing through the air. Was this all a sign of evil times to come, has the town been ravaged by some sort of curse?
Nope, not in the slightest; these were only signs that the fall season was officially here. More than that; all through the town, families everywhere had outfitted themselves and their homes in creepy décor/attire. All these signs pointed to one simple truth, Halloween was on its way and Royal Woods was excited for it.
But of all its citizens, one particular individual always looked forward to All Hallows Eve the most; Lucy Loud of the Loud Family. As a Goth; to her, Halloween was like her version of Christmas. Though she loved showing off her interest in the macabre every other day of the year, Halloween was the one night where she could really show her stuff and her family loved it (with the exception of Lynn Sr.)
Unfortunately for Royal Woods; this Halloween, their resident Mistress of the Night would suddenly find herself...indisposed. As the camera cuts over to the Loud House; the viewer discovers that the entire house is devoid of all creepy décor; unlike those next door to it. There were no Jack-O'-Lanterns on the porch, no cobwebs hanging off the windows, no skeletons dangling from the patio; there weren't even headstones on the yard (that is to say, plastic ones.)
Then, at that moment; the viewer hears a soft yet still quite powerful sneeze from inside the house. One quick-cut later and we find Lucy; lying in one of her coffins, huddled beneath a blanket and sniffling loudly. After taking a moment to blow her nose, a doctor is seen placing an electric thermometer into her mouth.
Originally; when she came to learn of her elder sister falling ill, Lisa had every intention to either check her temperature and/or cure Lucy herself. But then, she remembered her part of the court order from the trial last Spring. After being found guilty along with her family, she was now forbidden to practice any of her extreme scientific practices; unless directly called upon by a member of the townsfolk, the authorities or the local government.
This left the family with no other choice but to do something they haven't done in years...call a professional doctor. Normally, doctors seldom made house calls and expected their patients to come into their offices for checkups. But Lisa claimed that due to the long waiting periods within the waiting room; if Lucy was left exposed by other sick patients for too long, her condition may "worsen overtime."
So, in the end; the local pediatrician decided to come and check on Lucy at the Loud home directly. At first, he felt rather nervous about doing just that, considering what had transpired last year. But after hearing the tearful insistence of Mrs. Loud's wishes, he decided to swallow his fear and do his job.
This brings us to the story's present situation; after waiting for about a minute, the thermometer beeped and the doctor took a peek at the temperature reading. "Oh, this is not good" he muttered softly, "101 degrees...hmm" the doctor murmured softly, "not too high of a fever to be worried about but still." Outside of Lucy's door, the rest of the Loud Family stood in the hall; anxious yet nervous to learn about Lucy's condition.
"Humph...if I were doing the procedure, it would be over within seconds" Lisa grumbled with disdain, "but no, those fools at city hall seem to think that my methods are 'unethical.'" The rest of the family rolled their eyes in silence, mentally contradicting her statement. "This coming from a toddler who used to harvest the family's organs" Lincoln thought, "I'm just thankful that I don't need my appendix that much.."
Meanwhile, the rest of the family informed Lisa that while she was knowledgeable in medical sciences; it was better to have experienced professionals attend to the family's health. In time, the doctor completed his checkup and approached Mr. and Mrs. Loud. "You're daughter is going to be fine" he assured, "it's just a fever; after a few days rest and care, she will be right as rainbows."
While the rest of the family heaved a sigh of relief at this news, Lucy found herself grimacing and groaning with displeasure. Mind you, it wasn't because of the doctor's "right as rainbows" comment (even though she wasn't quite fond of them.) Rather, she was upset with having to be bedridden for several days.
"But...B-B-But...I can't be sick, I just can't" she exclaimed with a stuffy voice, "it's almost Halloween Night and I haven't started helping the family with preparations yet." To a degree, the doctor did feel as equally displeased with the news as his patient did. Over the past year or so, his children always loved coming over to the Loud House and being delightfully scared by all the décor.
But as a medical professional, he had to put his feelings aside and stick to his guns. At the same time, the family themselves could be seen shaking their heads in disappointment at Lucy. "I told you not to go to that poetry reading at the park the day before" Lincoln said disappointedly, "the weatherman called for rain that day...but you were so insistent towards Mom and Dad."
In an attempt to defend herself, Lucy proclaimed that while she proclaimed that she didn't expect the light rainfall to suddenly get stronger. "I mean...I...(ACHOO) I had my hooded cape and grey jacket on" she said firmly yet weakly, "doesn't that count for something?" While the family did applaud her for going to her reading somewhat prepared, they proclaimed that the gear she wore still wasn't enough to protect her.
"This is just fantastic" Lucy groaned sarcastically, "now, who's going to take charge of the Halloween preparations?!" As expected, Rita put on her "Mom Face" and told Lucy that holiday prepping wasn't important right now. "At the moment, all that matters is that you get some rest and recover" she said firmly yet sweetly, "we'll figure out what to do for Halloween later."
After that, Rita and the doctor began to have a private discussion regarding Lucy's recovery process; leaving the Lincoln and his remaining sisters outside in the hall to process everything. "Talk about bogus timing, guys" Luna sighed in defeat, "Lucy always makes Halloween the biggest holiday of the year for the neighborhood and now...she's been benched!" The others couldn't help but agree; without their resident Black Bird of Creepiness, this Halloween may become just another dull night in Fall.
However, one of them didn't feel all that displeased with this development. For as long as the girls and Lincoln could remember, their father seemed to hate Halloween (as well as anything horror related.) Every year around this time; he would hide, scream in terror or even cry out loudly at the sight of anything he found "terrifying."
Sometimes, this fear was understandable; especially whenever kids came around dressed as Freddy Kruger or The Harvester. Other times however, were (in the eyes of his wife and daughters) absolutely sad; such as anytime he spots a child dressed as a skeleton (with a paper plate mask no less.) But due to this sudden development, Lynn felt as though he was safe now.
"Looks like I'm in the clear this Halloween" he thought to himself, "maybe I'll be able to enjoy my Mick Swagger music in my room in peace." Then, just as he was about to slip into a 60's British Rock daydream; Lynn was suddenly brought back to his senses by his daughter's coughing. Without pause, everyone rushed back into the room and over to Lucy's bedside; who looked even paler than usual.
"Can we get you anything, Sis" Luna asked with concern, "some water, an extra blanket...do you want Fangs to stand next to ya for company?" The wee Goth shook her head weakly, looked up towards her siblings and proclaimed the situation is far direr than they knew. "Take a look over at my writing desk" she mumbled weakly, "there is a piece of paper that will explain everything."
With a confused look on both their faces, Rita and Lynn Sr. picked up the aforementioned paper and read it closely. It was an advertisement designed by Mayor Davis' team at City Hall, one that spoke about a contest of some kind. "According to this; whoever wins receives a $5,000, a trophy and a chance to throw a party for the town" Rita explained, "but the prize only goes to whoever puts on the best Halloween theme for their home."
Naturally, the other nine Loud Sisters beamed with excitement at the prospect of winning a cash prize. But then, when they saw the distressed look on Lucy's face; their joy faded away. "Normally, I would never use my skills for something like this" she murmured, "but I thought that if I win, I could split a little bit of the money between us...somehow."
The family felt touched by Lucy's words and thanked her for thinking about them. At the same time, though; they insisted that her health and well-being was far more important than any contest or holiday. "Someone else will just have to take your place, that's all" Lynn Sr. stated, "I'm sure your brother and sisters won't mind."
Before either he or Rita said another word, the other Loud Kids erupted into a light cacophony of agreement. "Seeing as how I cannot aid my sister in healing her, the least I can do is help in her All Hallows Eve endeavors" Lisa muttered, "I simply hope this won't cut into my Trick R' Treating schedule." Both Lucy and her parents felt proud that the rest of their family was so willing to help out and thanked them wholeheartedly for lending a hand.
"You just rest your little head, Lucy" Leni encouraged sweetly, "I'm sure we'll be able think of something spooky to do for Halloween without you."
(Line Break)
A moment later, everyone gathered inside of Lori's room for an "Emergency Sibling Meeting." Once assembled, everyone put their heads together in trying to think up the perfect Halloween theme for their home. But alas, all the "scary ideas" they thought up were either incredibly weak or (for cases like Lynn Jr. and Lana) too gross.
"Focus, people; this isn't just about the prize, you know" Lori said firmly, "we promised we'd do Lucy proud by putting on this Halloween and by gosh, we will do just that!" While everyone did side with Lori in her enthusiasm, they were still at a loss. "But how do you propose we do that, dear Sister" questioned Lisa, "Leni's 'Horrors of Tacky Clothing' is lackluster, Lynn's Zombocalypse idea (while creative) would leave far too many children emotionally scarred and everyone seems to think my 'Horrors of Ancient Plagues' concept is 'boring.'"
Just as the family was ready to make a comment, Lori swiftly slammed her shoe against the table; calling for order. "Hey, you know what" Luan chimed in, "Lincoln hasn't said anything yet and he's a pretty creative guy." Upon hearing this; the boy in question said that while he was flattered by his sister's kind words, he was just as lost as everyone else.
"I may be the 'man with the plan,' on occasion" he confessed dejectedly, "but when it comes to creative ideas; mine are mostly superhero, ghost hunting or slightly magic oriented." Before Lincoln could say anything else, Lynn suddenly interjected and told him that she not only pitched the idea to Lucy through a text message...but she agreed to it. "What the...even she wants me to do this" Lincoln exclaimed, "but I don't know squat about horror!"
Before anyone could make a comment, Lynn's phone suddenly chimed and she saw that it was Lucy calling her. Upon answering, everyone could see that she was still lying in bed; while their parents held up her phone in front of her. "Are we on yet" she asked hoarsely on the screen, "I need to make sure he can see me, since we can't get too close right now."
After hearing her parents' murmurs of affirmation, Lucy swiped some mucus away with her sleeve and reached up for her bangs. Before anyone could speak up, she moved them away slightly; revealing a sickly yet pleading look in her eyes. Now, no one had ever seen Lucy's eyes beneath her bangs before; inside or outside of the family.
Truthfully, the only reason her bangs covered her eyes was so the parents wouldn't live in fear of her staring mindlessly at them. Since then, she seldom ever showed her eyes to anyone; unless it was for a serious reason. Considering the current circumstances, now felt like one of those times.
"So sorry to disrupt the meeting, everybody" Lucy murmured, "but these walls are so thin, I could hear you from all the way over here." The girls and Lincoln chuckled sheepishly in realization at this and immediately apologized for disturbing her sleep. "It's okay, everybody...no harm done" Lucy said with a light smile, "more to the point; Lincoln, I really think you can prep everything for Halloween."
From here, she further insisted her faith in her brother's abilities by referencing how much he helped with her poetry and how his ideas would help lead his friends and family to success...most of the time. "Do it for me, Big Brother" Lucy pleaded hoarsely, "you can do this...I believe in you." Hearing his sister's statement left Lincoln feeling quite surprised, mostly because her words of "I believe in you" made her sound like a character from one of Lola's fairy tales.
"She must be feeling pretty delirious" Lincoln murmured to the viewer, "but...I can't deny her wishes during her hour of need." With this in mind, he turned towards Lucy's image on the phone screen and asked if she truly did think he could do her job. "It's true; while you have a fascination for ghost hunting, you aren't quite as well-versed in horror as I am" Lucy murmured bluntly, "but...you are one of the most creative people I know."
Before deciding to lie down for a nap, she decided to offer up one final piece of advice to Lincoln. "All you have to do is make something that best represents what Halloween is all about" she explained, "whether or not you know much about horror stuff, capturing the holiday's spirit is what truly matters." With that said; Lucy gave a prodigious yawn, placed her head gently atop her pillow and slowly drifted off into a deep sleep.
After that, Lynn Sr. and Rita quietly stepped out of the room and walked down to the living room; all while keeping the phone on. "It's like Lucy said, Lincoln; you've got a really creative imagination" Rita said with pride, "we know you can do this...and if you need help, just ask us." With that said, both the phone call and the Sibling Meeting came to an end; allowing everyone to return to their usual business/quarters.
As Lincoln made his way back to his own bedroom, the brave face he had on to help cheer up Lucy instantly shifted into a look of fear. Then, once he was inside his room; he locked the door and began to pace around frantically. "Dang it, dang it, dang it...what have I gotten myself into here" he murmured worriedly, "I don't want to let Lucy down...but I really don't know how to put up a Halloween themed anything!"
Upon realizing that he was moments away from a panic attack, Lincoln stood still for a moment and practiced some deep breathing exercises. After about half a minute, they seemed to have done the trick and Lincoln's mind was now much calmer. "Thank you and Gertie for your relaxation tips" he thought to himself with a sigh, "now, then...gotta figure out what to do for the big night."
For almost ten minutes, Lincoln paced about his small room; racking his brain to the point of burning out for ideas. But each one he came up with either seemed too tame or had already been done during previous Halloween nights. These included a "Bobbing for Poison Apples" tub (which would actually be regular sour tasting Granny Smith apples from Liam's farm,) dressing up the pets as scary creatures and even coating the treats basket in Lucy's fake blood.
But in the end, they all had the same feel about them; they just didn't quite reflect what Halloween was all about, as Lucy put it. "What does she mean by that, exactly" Lincoln murmured, "I always thought the spirit of Halloween was the candy, costumes, the parties...or some mixture of the three." Overtime, Lincoln worked his brain so hared that he almost passed out from over-thinking.
Just as he was about to doze off from the stress, his laptop suddenly started chiming; causing him to sit up in alarm. Feeling concerned, Lincoln opened it up and...he saw the chat icon flashing softly. Upon clicking on it and bringing up the list of names within the memory bank, Lincoln saw Carol's icon flashing softly.
At first, he didn't feel quite in the mood to speak with his friend/head legal guardian due to his current state. But then, he thought speaking with her might take his mind off of things for a short while and clicked on the icon. Within seconds, a small window appeared on the screen showing Carol in her room.
However, the moment the screen turned on; something seemed...different with her. Carol was dressed in a blood-red dress, a matching corset, had a pair of sleeves that looked like spider webs and while her hairstyle remained unchanged; it showed off a mix of red and black colors, instead of her natural blonde. While this new look was indeed, delightfully macabre; Carol most noticeable feature was the pointed fangs that stuck out beneath her lips.
She stared silently at Lincoln for a moment, gave a light yet wry smile and murmured a soft "hello." "Whoa...Carol, is that your costume" gushed Lincoln, "you look great!" The compliment caused the former high schooler to blush shyly, causing her earlier demeanor to soften immediately.
"Thanks a bunch, Linky" she cooed softly while blowing him a kiss, "and don't worry about the hair, this dye washes off...just pray it doesn't rain before the fun begins." Upon hearing mention of the word "fun," Lincoln's own demeanor suddenly turned sour and he plonked himself hard atop his bed with a weary groan. Naturally, this behavior filled Carol with great concern and she quickly asked if he was okay.
"Oh...I'm fine" Lincoln groaned sarcastically, "between my sister getting sick, us being without a proper planner and Halloween night on the approach; I'm just peachy!" All was silent after the comment was made, save for the sounds of sneezing going off outside his door. In time, Lincoln realized what he had said and began bowing his head frantically at his laptop; all while repeatedly saying "sorry" to Carol.
"Easy, pal; easy" she hushed soothingly, "you're gonna stress yourself, if you keep talking like that." With that said, the two shared a quick deep breathing moment together and Carol quickly saw Lincoln's expression softening with every exhale. In time, he had managed to calm himself down enough to speak again.
"Sorry about all that, Carol" Lincoln murmured regretfully, "I just...I've got some stuff on my mind right now." The teen nodded slightly in understanding, recalling the boy's earlier words about his sister being ill and his family being "left without a planner." "Remind me again, pal" Carol inquired, "every year, you guys rely on Lucy to style up your house for Halloween?"
When Lincoln nodded in response, she couldn't help but say that such responsibility for an eight year old girl. "Quite the contrary, Lucy lives for it" Lincoln said with great pride, "it's the one night a year where she can be herself; if ya know what I mean." Carol couldn't help but giggle a little; thinking that their fellow Gal Pal, Haiku probably felt the same way.
"It seems, though that the Loud House might not be showing it's Halloween colors this year" Lincoln sighed, "she's sick and has to remain on bed rest for who knows how long." From here, he asked Carol if she knew about the Halloween decoration contest the mayor was advertising.
"I think I do" she murmured, "to tell you the truth, having a party for the whole town would be an epic way to celebrate Halloween!" At first, Carol half-expected her young BFF to side with her in her excitement. But instead, she saw only a tired look on his face; one that made her think of...the "bad times."
"Sweetie, is there something wrong" she asked with concern, "are you worried for your sister...or is it something else?" Without hesitation; Lincoln revealed that due to Lucy falling ill, everyone voted him to be her replacement planner. "Pair this up with my sisters hoping we'll win the contest and you can see why I'm so...frazzled" Lincoln murmured, "for lack of better words."
With a soft smile on her face, Carol proclaimed that Lincoln's brand of creativity and imagination would be just what the family needs to help prep for the big night. "But that's the problem here, don't you see" cried the young Loud boy in distress, "I only have specific brands of creativity...none of which are horror related!" With this statement, Lincoln went on to say how much he feared letting his family down.
Things had been going relatively well between him and his sisters since Summer Break ended and he was afraid of losing that. "This is huge" murmured Carol, "we need to bring everyone up to speed on the issue." Just as Lincoln was about to ask her to reconsider, he watched as his friend/guardian started clicking her mouse rapidly.
The reason for this being was that upon opening her video chat call list, Carol clicked on two separate icons; one that read "EMERGENCY" in bold letters and another that showed the words "Gal Pal Group Call." Upon doing this, the web chat feed did its usual call tune (one similar to what Skype uses) for several seconds until several windows started showing up on screen. On each of these screens were a few of the Gal Pals; some in Royal Woods, others residing farther away.
The moment all their faces appeared, Lincoln could see that everyone was either midway through or fully dressed in their Halloween costumes. Some (specifically Becky and Dana) followed Carol's example and dressed themselves as female vampires while the others had different ideas. Jordon and Kat looked like a pair of werewolves but with different "fur" colors, Stella was dressed as a Zombie, Cici looked like a sort of fish creature (like the Gill-Man from the Black Lagoon) and Phoebe was dressed as either another form of vampire or some sort of demon with bulging red eyes.
These were but a few of the unique looks they showed off, some fully dressed and some not. In any case, Lincoln thought they all looked great. As everyone greeted one another in the usual fashion, Ronnie Anne looked over at Lincoln and saw the distressed look on his face.
"Jeez Louise, dude" she murmured with shock, "you look like you've just sat through a Harvester movie marathon." While he couldn't help but chuckle a little at his former classmate's joke, Lincoln confessed that his dilemma was far worse than monster movie nightmares. "What's wrong, Linky" Dana cooed softly with concern, "did Luan get you with some sort of Halloween themed prank?"
Lincoln shook his head frantically, in response and assured everyone such a thing hasn't happened...yet. "According to what I've heard, Luan's saving her jumpscare pranks for the big night" he explained, "at least, that's what Miss Simmons told me." He then went on to explain that said Halloween gags, pranks and scares were not allowed to go any bigger than "Bed-Wetter Levels."
"I'm afraid the lil' man's troubles are bigger than that, everybody" Carol stated, "seems his sister, Lucy is sick and can't fulfill her duties as theme planner for the house this year." Upon hearing this news; Haiku, who was dressed in her typical attire, sighed and proclaimed that it was Lucy's own fault this happened. "Though the rainfall did provide exquisite ambience for our reading, it wasn't suitable weather for being outdoors" she murmured, "for background imagery when you're inside, yes...but nothing else."
To top everything of, Lincoln announced that his family named him the planner for this year's festivities. But just as he told them and Carol, he wasn't as versed in all things horror the way Lucy was. "I would do anything to lend a hand, Lincoln, truly" Haiku stated, "but my colleagues at the Junior Morticians Club and I have already been tasked with decorating the school."
Lincoln nodded slowly in understanding, knowing that such a job would take several days to accomplish. With this in mind, he turned towards the other Gals; hoping that one or more of them would provide some sort of advice or assistance. "Love to help, lil dude...but I'm just as clueless about horror as you are" Phoebe confessed, "I mean...I LOVE Halloween but mostly for the horror marathons, parties and candy."
At that moment, Lincoln suddenly threw his hands into the air while repeatedly crying out "THANK YOU...THANK YOU!" "This is exactly what I told my family" he groaned in dismay, "and yet, they're all so sure I can do the job...but I really don't think I can." With that, he plopped down face first atop his pillow and groaned loudly in dismay.
After hearing and seeing everything for themselves, the Gal Pals had a full understanding of Lincoln's dilemma and wished they could do something to help him. "If I may make a suggestion here" Cristina chimed in suddenly, "Lincoln, do you have any other friends who are as...versed in horror themes as your sister in town." With a weary sigh, the poor lad proclaimed that the only people who have such skills are Lucy and her fellow Goths.
But due to current circumstances, Lincoln truly felt up a creek without a paddle. Then, all of a sudden; realization struck him like a dodge ball to the face. "I just got an idea" Lincoln cried out, "Jordan...do you remember when Principal Huggins suggested we try out the Pen Pal Program last Fall?"
For a moment or so, Jordan scratched at her head; looking deep into her mind for any sign of the memory Lincoln spoke of. When it finally came to her, she nodded and asked how it involved their current situation. "Okay...what I'm about to tell you ladies may seem surprising" Lincoln said hesitantly, "but we all became close, I had...that is to say...THEREWASANOTHERGROUPOFGALPALSIKNEWBEFOREYOUGUYS!"
As expected; Lincoln blurted out the last part so fast, no one could understand what he said. "Could you repeat that, Linc" inquired Whitney, "you sounded like you were mumbling." For a brief moment, Lincoln hesitated; fearing how his lady friends would react once he told them the news. But then, he realized there was no point in lying or hiding the truth from them.
"Okay...before I begin, promise me that you won't get mad" he said suddenly, "please?" After shaking off the feeling of déjà vu from his words, the Gal Pals nodded slowly and urged Lincoln to continue. "Okay...Mind you, this was before we all became such close friends" he explained, "but before all that business happened between me, my sisters, the Protocol and such happened; there was...someone else I confided in."
Quite understandably, the Gals still felt a little confused by his words and asked him to further elaborate on them. "See...I signed up for the Pen Pal Program because I needed someone to talk to" Lincoln stated, "anyone that my sisters wouldn't be able to find and harass them into confessing what I told them." The Gals murmured softly in understanding and urged him to continue.
"Okay...so, a lot of the places I wanted to seek out pen pals from were going fast pretty quickly" Lincoln said with an ironic chuckle, "the U.K. Canada, Mexico...even close places like Great Lakes City were being filled up." Upon hearing this, Ronnie Anne playfully scoffed; reminding her BFF that they already talk to one another and visit one another on occasion already. "I'm aware of that, Ronnie Anne" Lincoln groaned with slight exasperation, "I was just...I was running dry on choices, at the time!"
Sensing that the climax was approaching, everyone asked him what choice he ended up going with in the end. "It was a relatively secluded place, one that people rarely seemed to visit" Lincoln murmured, "heard some teen and his dogs paid a visit there, long ago...but haven't gone back again." Their collective curiosities growing ever higher, the Gals begged Lincoln to tell us what the school was."
"Okay, okay...easy" he said with a light chuckle, "sorry for stalling, I just...I'm worried you may either freak out or not believe what I will tell you." This statement caused the Gals to gasp in shock, as if he had offended them in some way. "Lincoln Albert Loud, how could you say all that" Carol said firmly while putting emphasis on his full name, "have you forgotten all that we've been through together this year?"
Not long after this, Jordan tagged in; proclaiming that nothing could surprise or freak them out, after everything they've faced that year alone. "In short, Linc; whatever you have to say, lay it on us" Kat said with a coy smile, "we can handle it." After this, all the Gals sat patiently; waiting for Lincoln to let the cat out of the bag.
Finally, after letting out a deep breath; he told them everything. To start things off, Lincoln confessed that the current group they had weren't the only "Gal Pals" he had. "WHAT? What did you say" Dana shouted, "you had other female friends before us...this feels like cheating, somehow!" Upon seeing her bestie in such a state, Whitney facepalmed herself and shook her head in embarrassment; mentally calling Dana a drama queen.
"Let me explain, please" Lincoln cried out defensively, "I had no idea that my pen pals would be girls...but after meeting them, we just...clicked." While still feeling a small twinge of jealousy within her, Carol gave her charge a raised eyebrow expression and asked to learn more about this "secondary Gal Pal" group. "Okay...to start things off; it's like I said, I didn't know my pen pals would be girls" Lincoln explained, "the only thing Principal Huggins told me was that the place was a finishing school."
The moment they heard the words "Finishing School," the Gals became even more uneasy. To them, those kind of places were only known for one thing; for turning teenaged girls into snooty, hoity-toity types. "Dude...no disrespect meant" Ronnie Anne began, "but why on Earth would you want to be pen pals with a bunch of snobs?"
Much to everyone's surprise, Lincoln said nothing; he only offered up a sly grin as if to say "I know something you don't." "That's not important right now" he insisted, "what is important is that both my pen pals and even their teacher might be just what I need to help make this Halloween scream!" In that moment, the Gals didn't know which felt more concerning; the fact that Lincoln thought a group of finishing school kids and their teacher could help him or the crazed look on his face."
"Oh...Okay, then" Carol murmured uneasily, "if you really think these people are that good, call them up." The other Gals, while still feeling a smidge uneasy, echoed the same reply; asking if he'd share this school's e-mail with any of them. "Oh...we may have a problem there" Lincoln said with a sheepish chuckle, "see, the school is...rather low-grade, in terms of technology."
Before anyone even asked; he revealed that on his first letter response from his pen pals, they provided a rather odd description of their school (at least, odd too Lincoln.) To provide proof that their words were legit, these pen pals also sent Lincoln a picture of their school; which he showed off to the Gals. When they took a look at the image, they instantly recoiled in alarm.
From the fence with chips in the cement, the creepy gargoyles, the dead trees in the yard, the old looking gat right up to how bleak the building itself looked; they saw the place as more of a prison than a "school." But perhaps, the most "interesting" thing they noticed was the sign beside the gate; which read "Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Ghouls." "Okay...Linc, is this some kind of joke your sister played on you" questioned Cici, "this place looks more like a haunted house than a school."
In response to this; Lincoln offered up a soft chuckle before saying that he thought the same thing, when he first saw the picture. "But I promise you, this place is real" he said matter-of-factly, "same thing with the students...who are a mix of weird yet cool." Haiku smiled softly at this description and proclaimed that she liked "weird and cool" people, which was why she became part of the crew in the first place.
"Okay, Linc; if you say these people can help you out, we'll trust you" Becky murmured uneasily, "however...if and when they come to help set everything up, we're coming by to make sure they're all on the up and up." To seal the deal; she sounded off the phrase "all in favor, say Gal Pals" and practically all of them did just that. "Okay...I can understand most of you doing that" Lincoln muttered, "but what about you, Ronnie Anne; how will you be able to come?"
As if on cue; Ronnie Anne's bedroom door burst open and in came her mother, aunt, cousin and grandmother. "We will help her out" Carlotta decreed, "us Gal Pals gotta stick together, right?" Both the other gals and her own family members sounded off in agreement, which caused Lincoln's heart to swell a little.
Just then, he heard a light tap up against his bedroom door; which caused everyone to fall silent. "Mind keeping your conversation down a little, honey" Rita's voice sounded off on the other side, "Lucy's just fallen back asleep and we don't want to wake her." Feeling curious, she poked her head in the room and saw that Lincoln was on his computer with his Gal Pals friends.
She also caught sight of a few of the Casagrandes as well, which made her smile even brighter. "So sorry for the disturbance, Mrs. Loud" Stella murmured apologetically, "Lincoln was just informing us of your situation...as well as sharing an idea of who could help him out with everything." One brief explanation later, the smile on Mrs. Loud's face grew even wider and she happily embraced her son.
"That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart" she stated, "I just hope your friends or their teacher won't mind lending a hand." Lincoln shook his head in reply and said that this time of year was always big for everyone at Grimwood's. "All I need to do is give them a call" he murmured, "I just hope it will reach them."
With that said, Lincoln drew out his cellphone and began to speedily type away the numbers with his thumbs. Then, after pressing "call" he eased himself back and waited for an answer.
(Line Break)
As we briefly leave the Loud House behind for now, the scene changes to the location of Grimwood's Finishing School. Located somewhere possibly within the American Midwest, this school was very much like what the Gal Pals presumed; a place where young ladies are shaped into "functioning members of society." But much like many things in this world, there was far more to this school than one would realize.
In a dingy yet semi-fancy room of the school; the Headmistress, Miss Agatha Grimwood, was working on some paperwork at her desk. "Oh, there's much to be done before Halloween" she murmured to herself, "but...I truly wish I could do something different for my girls this year." No sooner had she said this, her phone (which looked like an antique French phone) started ringing softly.
"Oh, my...who could be calling me at this time" questioned Ms. Grimwood, "perhaps it's about my Better Tombs and Mausoleums subscription." Not wishing to keep the caller waiting, she picked up the phone and answered with a soft hello. "Uh...Hello, Ms. Grimwood; it's me, Lincoln Loud" a voice said on the line, "one of your students and I have been pen pals for about a year or so?"
Upon hearing the boy's name, Ms. Grimwood suddenly gasped with delight and clapped her hands. "Ah, yes; I remember you" she exclaimed, "it's been a while since your last parcel was sent here...Tanis has been quite worried." Lincoln's voice gulped nervously, on the other end; indicating that he was quite alarmed by this reveal.
"Oh...Dang it, that's right" he murmured, "that was during all the craziness I was putting up with at home...you probably might've heard about it." After taking a moment to think, everything became clear to the Headmistress and she clicked her tongue lightly in dismay. "I do hope you're in better spirits these days, dear" she stated, "and I hope your family is also well."
For a moment or so, Lincoln and Ms. Grimwood chatted idly with one another; bringing each other up to speed on what's been happening. When Ms. Grimwood eventually heard about Lincoln's Gal Pals friends, she couldn't help but giggle. "Wait until I tell my girls the news" laughed Ms. Grimwood, "I hope they won't mind sharing you."
On his end of the line, Lincoln couldn't help but give an ironic chuckle; informing the headmistress that the Gals said the exact same thing a moment ago. "But...I'm getting off track here" he stated, "the reason I've called is because...are you guys still doing that Open House thing on Halloween?" Without missing a beat, Ms. Grimwood responded by mentioning her school's open house get together; which involves the girls' parents coming to visit them.
"Oh, yeah...I forgot about that" Lincoln grumbled softly, "Tanis spoke about that in one of her letters." Just as he was about to end his call, Ms. Grimwood urged Lincoln to remain on the line; eager to know his purpose for calling. "Well...it's a long story, really" he stated, "to put it one way; my sister, Lucy got sick and can't put on the Halloween décor like she always does...and the family selected me to be her replacement for this year."
Once Lincoln added how inept he was at setting up anything horror-themed, Miss Grimwood had a rather good idea on what was going on. "I see, you wish to ask me and my girls to help assist you in your hour of need" she stated, "normally...I would say no; especially given the timing of the situation." Just as hope seemed lost for Lincoln, Ms. Grimwood heard some of her students outside the office.
From the sound of their collective giggling, it seemed as though they were in a bit of play; which was granted to them in honor of Free Period. Upon hearing all this, Ms. Grimwood suddenly got an idea. "After giving it some thought, I think it would be a good idea to come and help you" she stated, "this will be the perfect way to see how well my girls will behave around other children their own age...so to speak."
On the other line, Lincoln was softly cheering with glee while also expressing heartfelt thanks to Ms. Grimwood for her kindness. "One moment, Mr. Loud" she said firmly, "I will need to speak with the girls' parents first; they might wish to come as well." After letting this bit of news sink in, Lincoln murmured in understanding; saying that things would be even more fun, if the girls' fathers were who they claimed in their letters to him.
"It's settled, then" said Ms. Grimwood, "once we have finished speaking; I will contact the girls fathers straightaway and see if I can gain their permission to come meet you." Lincoln's voice murmured in understanding on the other end, thanked the headmistress for her consideration and expressed his hope on seeing her soon. With that done, the line went dead and Ms. Grimwood began to dial up a new number on her phone.
After dialing and listening to the ringtone for a few moments, she heard someone answer on the other end. "Good afternoon, I'm so sorry for calling you this early" Ms. Grimwood murmured apologetically, "I'm calling in regards to the Open House on Halloween Night...with your permission, there may be a slight change in plans."
(First AN: It wouldn't be a Halloween story without a mystery theme to it, right? Who do you think Ms. Grimwood is talking to on the phone, who is Ms. Grimwood herself and will they be of any help to Lincoln? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Part Two of Halloween Hilarity with the Gal Pals)
(Second AN: The reason I have Lincoln feel inept at putting a Halloween theme together for his house stems from the fact that outside of his fascination with ghost hunting, he seldom has any knowledge on the macabre; unlike Lucy and Haiku. Any other time, he can be a creative thinker; he just has certain fields where he isn't very skilled at...like sports)
(Third AN: In case anyone is confused, Lincoln signed up for the pen pal program in the Fall season of 5th Grade, months prior to the events of the original Gal Pals story)
(Fourth AN: I'm not exactly sure as to where Grimwood's might be. Looking back at the original Ghoul School movie, I strongly believe it's set somewhere within the United States; possibly somewhere where there's a lot of rain)
(Fifth AN: Originally, I wasn't planning on including Ronnie Anne or any of her family in this oneshot. But...seeing as how Lincoln's in an emergency situation; it's just as Carlotta said, the Gals' have gotta stick together. In any case; this will provide some interesting character interactions, once the students of Grimwood come to Royal Woods)
(Last AN: I apologize for saving this note for last. But before this oneshot progresses further; I wish to sincerely thank fellow Fanfiction author, Thefoxmage, for allowing me to use some of her own story elements as parts for this oneshot. After reading one of his/her crossover stories, Lincoln Loud and the Ghoul School; I was inspired to make this. For those familiar with foxmage's work, expect to see some of his/her characters to make possible appearances sometime later.
To those who aren't familiar with LL&TGS, I highly recommend reading the story and its sequal anthology; Tales from Grimwood. On that note, here's hoping to see the next part of that story, dude)
