Take the Stage with the Gal Pals
(Story Summary: It's the annual Royal Woods Community Talent Competition and Lincoln has decided to sign up, wishing to share his current level of stage magic skills with others. Upon his arrival, he sees a lot of familiar faces; including someone he hadn't seen since the Sadie Hawkins Dance back in elementary school. Much to Lincoln's surprise, this someone asks him to be their partner for their stage performance.
Will their past memories cause them both to beef it on stage or will they be able to bring down the house?)
Down at the Royal Woods Community Center, people young and old stood in line beside the stage steps. Among them was Lincoln Loud, who appeared to be sweating so bad that the janitorial staff felt libel to put "wet floor" signs near him. Upon seeing her older brother in such a state, Lola reached up and snapped her fingers in front of his face.
Despite however soft it was, this sudden noise was just enough to break Lincoln out of his nervous trance. "Lincoln, chill out" Lola said in mild annoyance, "you're acting like you haven't performed in front of people before." She then listed out each of the times Lincoln ever sang, danced, performed magic or any other form of performing arts in front of other people in the past.
"Those times were different though, Lola" Lincoln murmured, "in each of those moments, I did that stuff in front of friends and/or family; this is the Community Talent Show...where half of Royal Woods will be watching us!" After taking her brother's words to heart; Lola realized that unlike her, Lincoln wasn't used to performing crowds of near hundreds. That was when she decided to do something unexpected.
"Listen to me carefully, Linky" Lola said in a slightly firm tone, "remember what you always tell me before my pageants...don't think about the people watching, just go out and give it your best shot." In that moment, Lincoln suddenly felt an odd sense of déjà vu flow through him and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. "There we go" Lola said with glee, "there's that smile...now, are you gonna go up on that stage and show everybody what you got?"
With a fierce look of determination in his eyes, Lincoln smiled broadly at his little sister and nodded in reply. Then, he looked up at the stage and spotted a young lady waving at him. This filled Lincoln with an even greater sense of determination.
But before he could think much on it, the stage hand arrived and called out his name. "Loud, Lincoln; you and your partner are up next" she stated, "so, be ready." Once this was announced, Lincoln placed his backpack on the floor and did a quick inventory check; not wishing to appear shorthanded on stage.
Once everything seemed to be in order, he shared a quick "thank you" hug with Lola and proceeded up onto the stage; where he took his place beside the young lady that waved at him before. As they stood there in silence, waiting for the curtain to go up; Lincoln looked back into his memory to figure out just how he found himself in this situation.
(Days Earlier)
Winter Break was slowly coming to a close, which was something nobody liked to hear; including our favorite friend group. While much of their break had been filled with snow day antics, holiday parties and even a little trip to the spa to shake off the Winter Chill from their bones; there appeared to be little next to nothing else fun left to do. One day, while on their computers, the Gals decided to discuss possible ideas on what to do during their last week of freedom before school starts.
Many of these ideas were simple at best; like a trip to Dairy Land, hot cocoa and poetry at the Burnt Bean, ice skating or even taking a trip down to Great Lakes to visit the Casagrandes again and/or see the sights. But all too quickly, everyone soon realized some flaws in each activity idea. Dairyland was closed until Spring, very few of them knew how to ice skate, the Burnt Bean was also closed until the middle of January (what with the owner going on a holiday trip to the Caribbean and in terms of weather, Great Lakes got hit with more snow than Royal Woods did.
As a result of this, all road ways to and from the city were closed down for the next few days. This meant that Carol wouldn't be able to make it up to the apartment building, despite being only two hours out of town. With each of their ideas shot down, everyone feared that their remaining days of Break truly would be a bust.
Just then, over on her video chat window; an idea began to form in Haiku's mind, causing her to smile broadly. "Hold up, ladies" Haiku called out softly, "I think I may have something that could be the perfect way to end our break with a bang." With that said, she hurried off to her room; saying she had something in her desk drawer that would explain everything.
When she made her return, moments later; everyone saw that she had a sheet of paper held tightly in her hands. "What'cha got there, Haiku" Phoebe inquired, "some new art piece you've been working on or something?" The wee Goth shook her head slightly and showed off the paper to everyone on the chat, which was revealed to be an old print out ad for an event.
"My mom found it down at the store, the other day" she murmured, "turns out, the annual community talent show is right around the corner and she thought I could take part in it." Almost immediately, the other Gal Pals couldn't help but agree with Mrs. Matthew's idea. No sooner had they said this, everyone swiftly came to the same conclusion; they'd end their Winter Break by entering the Talent Show.
"There's just one issue with the idea, ladies" Dana interjected softly, "only a small handful of us actually has talents or special skills to show off on stage." Once this was brought up; a wave of realization suddenly washed over the likes of Cristina, Stella, Whitney and especially Dana. But the instant these thoughts came into mind, Carol reminded everyone that while they couldn't all take part in the competition; watching the show would still be just as fun.
"Yeah, C; you raise a good point" Phoebe chuckled, "the question is...who else here wishes to take part in it?" As expected, Haiku was the first to speak up; saying that she and Lucy would be doing a Collab together. Next was Carol, who said she wanted to show off some fun golfing tricks she practiced at home over Winter Break.
"We'll join too" Jordan and Paige called out in unison, "we've got some dance skills that we think people will really love!" By the near end of their discussion, six out of their crew of eleven proclaimed they'd be taking part in the show. "You know, ladies; I just realized something" Kat interjected suddenly, "ya think Lincoln or his sisters know about this competition.
The moment they heard this suggestion, every Gal Pal broke out into a fit of hearty laughter; including Haiku. "Knowing the Louds; I can tell that at least, half of them will want to take part in it" Whitney chuckled, "especially a certain comedienne in the house." As they started thinking about whom among the Sisters would be signing up, the youngest among them suddenly brought up the males within the family; namely Lincoln and his dad, Lynn Sr.
"But what choice of talent would Mr. L choose to show off" Cici pondered, "Linc says he's really good with a cowbell and we all know for a fact how awesome of a cook he is." No sooner had their friend mentioned this, every Gal started patting their stomachs with blissful contentment; recalling all the delicious recipe samples Mr. Loud let them try. But while they unanimously agreed that his cooking would probably earn him an easy victory, they also feared that other competitors would call him "over-qualified" for this same thing.
That was when they came to the youngest male of the house, Lincoln. "Lori told me he's already signed himself up" Lori said with a smile, "said Linc's going to show off some new magic skills he's been working on." With this reveal, half of the Gals (namely those who wouldn't be competing) proclaimed that they might check out his performance; just to see how good their little man was.
That was when Stella made a surprising reveal, that she wasn't quite as fond about magic tricks or shows as Lincoln was. "It's almost always the same ol' tricks" she groaned, "either a coin behind the ear, the 'Mystery of the Linking Rings' or pulling a rabbit out of a hat." After a moment or two of hesitation, some of the other Gal Pals suddenly found themselves agreeing with her.
But then, Haiku quickly revealed that she and her nana's troupe of actors have been giving him some pointers on some new tricks during their season pass trip to the Ren Faire back in August. "She didn't teach my special little guy any of that creepy Black Magic stuff, have you" Dana asked in a mildly threatening tone, "because if anyone, especially me, gets turned into a toad in the audience; I'm going to..." Before the teen could finish her threat, Haiku quickly assured her that she had zero skill in such spells.
"However, I think he said something about Miss Grimwood also giving him some pointers on Illusions while she and her students were in town" she stated, "in any case, nothing any of us taught him will be of any danger to anyone." For a moment, everyone felt hesitant in believing their Gothic comrade. But when they realized that this was Lincoln whom they were talking about, a boy who'd never hurt others without probable cause, their concerns slowly faded.
"It doesn't matter what tricks Lincoln's learned or who's been teaching him what; this is Lincoln we're talking about here...our best buddy" Jordan stated firmly, "we've always supported and helped each other...do we really plan on stopping that now?" Without a second thought or a pause, the ladies realized that she was right. "I know some of us think magic shows are...kinda lame" Jordan murmured, "but if Clyde is able to put aside his feelings towards it just to make his bestie happy, we should to!"
Upon making this statement, the remaining ten Gal Pals suddenly felt a fire ignite inside their bellies and sounded out with a proud cheer. With that, they all agreed to stand by their best guy friend and each other for the show; no matter how "boring" some of their performances might be. But mere seconds after they said this, another web chat window appeared revealing the face of Lincoln himself; who proceeded to cry out "I HEARD THAT!"
After having a good laugh, the friend group got serious and vowed to stand by and watch the show; no matter what skill set he planned on using. "Aw, you guys...this means so much to me" Lincoln sighed while wiping a tear from his eye, "what did I ever do to deserve you all in my life?" In response to this, some of the Gals blew him a kiss and told him "just keep being you" in unison.
"Thanks a bunch, ladies; I owe ya" Lincoln said gratefully, "I'll see you at the show...I LOVE YOU!" While this statement was said in a rather friendly manner; some like Jordan, Cristina, Kat and even Stella couldn't help but blush a little. Meanwhile, Carol and her crew of teens/young adult ladies giggled softly and replied "we love you too" back to Lincoln while blowing him kisses.
"Ugh! Okay, enough with the sappy talk" Haiku groaned softly with a light grin, "I care about Lincoln too...but if you all keep acting mushy like this, I'm hiding in my coffin until Break's over." After everyone shared a good laugh at this statement; they, once again assured Lincoln that they would either be watching him perform or will be watching him from backstage until they themselves would come up to perform. "Again, girls; thanks so much for this" Lincoln said gratefully, "I promise to repay you somehow."
With that said, everyone wished each other goodbye and the video chat windows began to disappear; one by one. But not before Stella reminded Lincoln that she'd only be watching a magic show because he was the one performing it. "If it were anyone else, I'd spend every minute of the act looking at my phone" she said firmly, "so...I hope you appreciate what I'm doing for you."
In response to this, not only did Lincoln express his thanks for how much he valued Stella's sacrifice; he wished he was able to reach out and hug her to show his appreciation. "Okay, Mr. Happy; that's enough sappy talk outta you" the young lady giggled, "just...go and practice your little parlor tricks for the big night." With that final statement, both friends saluted one another one last time before the chat finally went dead.
Once he closed his laptop shut, Lincoln then pulled out a small box; which contained his old magician's hat, cape, suit, gloves and wand. "Hmm...I think I'll keep the wand" he thought mentally, "but if I plan on wowing the crowd at the show, I'm gonna need something with a bit more...pizzazz." With that thought in mind, Lincoln left his room and made a beeline for Leni's; wishing to ask how well she could design a cloak in his size.
(Line Break)
A day or so later, Lincoln and a handful of his family were driving down to the Community Center; each one of them feeling eager to sign up. "I can't believe you're gonna go back on stage again, Lola" Lincoln said with pride, "I thought you'd never perform again after being away from the pageant circuit for so long." Lola smiled softly at her elder brother, expressing her own mild disbelief in coming back to the stage.
After having a few..."episodes" over the summer due to her old emotional imbalances during her Sensitivity Training, the former pageant princess feared she'd never go back to her old life again. But with the aid of her summer classes, she realized that the only reason she wanted to be in pageants was to create her own identity and separate herself from her twin sister. Now, she still chose to take part in...one or maybe, two pageants in town per month.
But regardless of whether she won or lost in the end; now, Lola chose to perform in them for the fun of it and not for the attention, the "glory" or the superficial need to "feel beautiful." This same thing applied with talent shows as well; now, she wanted to have fun and give her family the same cheers and support they always showed her. "I may have been out of the game for a while" she stated, "but it's just like riding a pony; when you fall off, you just get right back up on the saddle and ride!"
After hearing his sister speak so confidently, not only did Lincoln feel the urge to hug her out of pride; so did his parents and the rest of his sisters. "That's the Lola I know and love" he said proudly, "I only hope that I'll be just as confident as you, when I'm on stage." No sooner had he said this, Lincoln's mind was suddenly bombarded with all sorts of fearful thoughts.
What if he choked on the stage and forgot what to say, what if he dropped his smoke bombs and filled the whole building with a fog, what if he tripped over himself and worst of all; if he intended on doing the famous "sawing a person in half trick," what if he accidentally dropped the saw and it hit someone. Needless to say, the nervous expression on his face did not go unnoticed by his sisters. "Don't sweat the small stuff, Bro" Luna said with a smile, "just remember the phrase I use; 'don't fret, just play your set.'"
After taking a moment to let the words sink in properly, Lincoln let out a deep sigh and smiled at his elder sister. "Thanks for that, Luna" he murmured gratefully, "break a leg up on stage today." No sooner had he said this, Leni gave her brother a firm glare and demanded to know why he wanted his sister to get injured.
"Ugh...dear Sister, must we go through this every time one of us performs on stage" Lisa groaned, "the phrase 'break a leg' is not meant to be taken literally." From here, Luan tagged in and explained that it was theatre tradition for people to say "break a leg" to those who were going up on stage. "I've read many interesting theories regarding this tradition" Lisa interjected, "one such example involved slipping across the stage due to the drool stains left behind by fans (or 'groundlings' in the Shakespearean terms) who were awestruck by the entertainer's performance.
While the family felt the factoid was rather...interesting in some way; at the same time, they also felt it seemed...a little gross (except for Lana and Lucy, the latter added that there was also bits of blood left behind from stage fights during those times on the surface as well.) "MOVING ON...we don't want you all to feel pressured by this" Rita said suddenly, "just go up on stage and do your best." The Loud Kids smiled warmly at their mother and all the six who'd be performing thanked her for her support.
"What about me, hon" Lynn Sr. called out, "Kotaro and I will be doing a cowbell demonstration to a Mick Swagger song." While the idea did seem appealing, the girls quickly reminded Lynn Sr. that Luna was already planning a Mick inspired performance. "Maybe try out another song instead, Dad" Lincoln suggested, "what about...Africa by Toto?"
Upon taking the suggestion to heart, Lynn scratched his chin and took his cowbell out from the glove compartment. Then, he turned on the radio (which just happened to be playing the aforementioned song.) With his instrument in hand, Lynn began to clang it in rhythm with the opening keyboard notes.
Next, he began to add a little singing to cowbell sounds as well; which soon prompted Rita to join in. Before long, the rest of the family found themselves singing along as well. By the halfway point, it was settled; Lynn and Kotaro would be playing together to Africa. "I gotta give K-Dog a call, see if he'll go along with it too" he said excitedly, "thanks for the suggestion, Son."
Lincoln smiled softly at his father's words and returned his thanks with a simple yet affectionate "you're welcome." Though he felt pleased to have been able to help his father, he was also thankful to have something to get his own mind off of performing. "Just...Just be cool, Linc" he murmured to himself, "it's just like all those other times you performed your friends or the Casagrande Family...no reason to be nervous."
After gulping down the nervous lump in his throat, Vanzilla came to a sudden stop; shaking Lincoln out of his train of thought. When he looked out the window, he saw that they had arrived in the Community Center Parking Lot. This caused his earlier anxieties to suddenly slither back through his body.
"We're here already" he asked confusedly, "I thought we wouldn't arrive for another fifteen minutes or so." Upon hearing him say this; Rita told Lincoln that normally, it would have taken that long to reach the center. "Lucky for us, your father found a shortcut five miles back" she stated, "which means we should have plenty of time to get ourselves signed up.
With that said, the doors slid or swung open and the Loud Family rushed out towards the main entrance...all but one. For what felt like ages, Lincoln appeared to be frozen in his seat; unsure if he should leave or lock himself in the van until the whole contest was over. However, the moment these thoughts came to mind; Lincoln thought of Luna's earlier words..."don't fret, just play your set."
"She's right, Linc" he firmly told himself, "you've been practicing since you first heard about the contest, there's no reason to be so nervous." With this in mind; he unbuckled himself, got out of the van and collected his gear from the back. Then, he regrouped with the rest of his family at the front entrance.
"Don't worry about making a mistake, sport" Lynn said while patting Lincoln's shoulder, "just go up on that stage and show them what you've got." Following her husband's lead, Rita echoed his earlier words while also reminding Lincoln to have fun. Afterwards, she gave him a quick hug and sent him inside towards the sign up desk.
"Thanks, everybody; I really appreciate the pep talk" Lincoln said over his shoulder, "break a leg you guys!" For a brief moment, Leni came dangerously close to repeating her earlier confusion towards the odd statement...until she saw her sisters shake their heads silently at her. "I still think the phrase sounds weird" she thought, "I mean...what if someone actually does break a leg on stage, would that be considered good luck?"
(Line Break)
After waiting in line for several minutes, Lincoln reached the sign up sheet and jotted down his name and talent. "Very good, Mr. Loud" said one of the judges politely, "we'll have the lineup posted on the bulletin board later on." Once that was settled, Lincoln then chose to spend the rest of the cool down time to walk about the center and take a look at some of the other contestants.
Almost immediately, he was able to spot many of his friends...as well as a few enemies/rivals as well. Standing by at the pool table was Biff Packard and his cronies, Vicky and the Mohawk Kid; whose name was actually revealed to be Mordecai on the sign up sheet. How did Lincoln come to learn this, you may be asking...it's because "Mordo" used a green pen to sign his name on the sign up sheet (which matched his green Mohawk.)
If Lincoln wasn't nervous about performing before, he certainly was now. While playing over at the pool table, Biff was carefully lining up to strike the "8 ball" into one of the west side pockets; namely the middle one. After several moments of focus, he drew back his cue stick slightly and gave the white ball a swift yet tender tap.
The ball went flying off to the side of the table and gently tapped up against the 8 Ball, sending it off towards the middle pocket. "YES! Another successful shot, Biffy" Vicky exclaimed, "want to find some sucker to be your opponent?" Though the idea of his leader humiliating someone did seem appealing, Mordecai quickly pointed out that any kids in the place were too focused on practicing for the talent competition.
"I don't know why these drones even bother signing up" Biff said smugly, "the prize goes to whoever the judges think is best and that is where people like me come in." While Mordecai and Vicky praised Biff on his confidence, Lincoln couldn't decide on whether he should feel disgusted or annoyed by it. "Don't worry about him, Linc" he told himself mentally, "just take some time to practice, doing a little magic always helps you relax."
After that; he placed a small box onto an empty table, opened it and brought out his magician's uniform. This time, however; his supplies came with a specially made hooded cloak (courtesy of Leni and Lola.) It was a deep midnight blue, it was covered in stars from the hem to the hood and it was quite soft to the touch.
"I think I should wear my usual magician's outfit under this" Lincoln muttered thoughtfully, "then, when my act begins; I'll make it vanish...somehow." It was here that he reminded himself of the small lessons in illusion magic Miss Grimwood taught him when she and her girls visited in October. Sure, he practiced these abilities along with his other tricks but the closest illusion he could do was what he called "Ninja Vanish."
That in itself was far less complicated than making a cloak vanish into thin air. "Why not start with something small, for now" he considered, "like...shuffling cards?" With this in mind, Lincoln reached into his travel case and brought out a small deck of cards from one of the small pockets.
Within moments, he began to shuffle and fold them in the trickiest ways he knew. For about five or six minutes; he practiced with his cards, completely oblivious to the few onlookers who were watching. When he finally did caught sight of them, Lincoln let out a startled yelp and lost focus; causing all his cards to scatter about like leaves.
As he tried to snatch them back, either from up in the air or on the ground; his ears suddenly echoed from the sounds of mocking laughter. But this wasn't coming from the group of onlookers; instead, it was the familiar voices of Biff and Co. "Card tricks, Loud...really" the pre-teen jock said snidely, "do you really consider something like that to be a talent?"
While in the past, Lincoln had been known to try and stand up to whatever bullies he faced; this time, he chose to do the smart thing and ignore the jocks insults. But this didn't stop the trio from trying to get under his skin. "Are you really going to do card tricks for your performance, Loud" Vicky said rudely, "or are you planning on doing that underwear trick of yours?"
After hearing this; Lincoln, once again, lost his concentration and sent his cards flying every which way. This time; not only did the bully trio laugh, a few other kids and adults joined in as well. Of course, they only laughed because they presumed Lincoln's antics were all part of his act.
As a result, no one raised their voices at the bullies for distracting him. This left the young Loud boy alone to, once again recollect his cards from off the floor. Then, while he was in the midst of that; a soft voice called out from behind and said "I think you might've missed one."
Mildly startled, Lincoln turned around suddenly and spotted a young lady behind him. She looked about his age (or possibly a year younger,) had a cute button nose, slightly poofy hair, a blue jacket over her green t-shirt and child-sized jeans. "I think you're missing one of your cards, bub" she said with a light giggle, "better look down."
With a confused look plastered upon his face, Lincoln looked down and spotted the last of his playing cards...which was trapped underneath her left shoe. "Uh...heh, thanks for uh...catching my card" he chuckled nervously, "sorry you had to see me mess up back there...twice." At first, Lincoln expected the mystery girl to laugh at his expense.
But instead, he only heard Biff razzing him; proclaiming that Lincoln would make a better clown than a magician. "Well, at least he's got a better chance of winning than you do" the girl shot back, "what do you even plan on doing for the show...throwing your daddy's money at the audience?" For Biff, it was bad enough that the girl was "besmirching his honor" in front of his crew.
But when she added his father and his wealth into the mix, that fired him up something fierce! At first, he considered using his cue stick to beat the girl and Lincoln soundly. But with so many witnesses around, the young jock knew he wouldn't get away with it.
With all this in mind, he called for his "friends" to walk over to the snack table with him; thinking a drink would help calm his nerves a little. "Just you wait, twerps" Vicky hissed over her shoulder, "when we get up on that stage; at least, one of us is gonna smoke you!" Just as Lincoln was about to make a retort, the unknown girl took him gently by the shoulder and told him to let them go.
"Let him go, Lincoln" she said softly, "if you really wanna beat him, do it on stage; seeing him lose would be so much more rewarding." After taking a moment to consider the suggestion, Lincoln suddenly found himself agreeing with the stranger and thanked her for setting him straight. But then, he suddenly realized that she had addressed him by name and gawked at her confusedly.
"How...How could she have known my name" he thought to himself, "I've never seen this girl before in my..." Before he could finish his train of thought, Lincoln suddenly heard the mystery girl chuckling softly. At first, he presumed she was laughing at his confusion or simply having a delayed chuckle at his expense for his card mishap earlier.
Either way; with as much restraint he could muster, Lincoln demanded to be let in on whatever "joke" she was laughing about. "I'm...I-I'm sorry, my friend" the girl laughed softly, "it's just...even after all this time, you're still a silly lil' goose egg." Just as Lincoln was about to call the girl out on her nickname for him, she asked him to take another "really hard" look at her; hoping he'd realize who she was.
But after almost a minute of silence, the young Loud boy still appeared rather clueless. "You really don't recognize me, Lincoln" the girl prodded, "well...maybe this will help refresh your memory." With that said, she walked over to her backpack and began fishing about for something.
The whole time she did, Lincoln wondered if the girl was going to look for some incriminating photos or maybe something to assault him with. But much to his surprise, she only withdrew two rather small items from her bag...a slip-on clown nose and a tiny yellow clown hat with polka dots. Afterwards, the girl then proceeded to put the hat atop her head and the nose upon her face.
When she turned around to face Lincoln again, she put on a sort of goofy, clownish smile while also adding a silly laugh to it. At the same time, she stood sideways while balancing on her left leg with her arms spread out. After taking a few seconds to analyze these traits, realization suddenly struck Lincoln like a dodgeball to the back of his head.
Within that same amount of time, Lincoln's mind began to envision some clothes on the mystery girl; specifically...some clown clothes. With all these elements combined, her true identity was now as clear as day to him. "What...no, i-it can't be" Lincoln muttered in disbelief, "Giggles...is that really you?"
Her identity now known to him, the young lady known as Giggles smiled softly and assumed a normal standing position; while also storing the hat and nose back in her bag. "Yup, it's lil' ol' me" she chuckled softly, "how have you been, Lincoln...it's been ages." For a moment or so, the young Loud boy didn't know how to respond; mostly because of a sudden sense of awkwardness that now overwhelmed him.
The last time he and Giggles saw one another, it was at the Royal Woods Elementary Sadie Hawkins Dance; an event where the girls would ask the boys to attend with them (instead of the other way around.) Looking back, it wasn't exactly one of Lincoln's best or proudest of moments. For one thing, he spent most of that afternoon trying to hide from Ronnie Anne; whom he assumed would want to ask him to the dance.
The other and perhaps, most embarrassing part of that moment came when four of his sisters (Luna, Luan, Lynn and Lucy) all forced him to attend the dance with friends of theirs. Originally; all Lincoln wanted to do, that day was go hit a special event down at Gus' Games n' Grub. But telling his sisters that Ronnie Anne supposedly didn't want to ask him the dance; Luna, Luan, Lynn and Lucy each decided to "do him a kindness" and try to set their friends up with him.
When they soon discovered that Lincoln was actually lying about his situation, they ganged up on him; claiming that Sadie Hawkins was "one of the biggest school events in a girl's life" and that a boy refusing to attend was an "offense to girls everywhere." In addition to this, they each felt Lincoln was "obligated" to meet with their friends there; showing very little concern for any difficulty he might have in the long run.
As a result, Lincoln had to juggle between four separate dance dates at the school; Haiku, Polly Pain, Tabby and of course, Giggles. Doing this was difficult enough...but add in the fact that he had to keep himself out of sight from Ronnie Anne at the same time made the night even more of a mess for him. Eventually, the girls all found out what he was doing and felt...mildly upset with him; which was understandable. But at the same time; they each discovered that they enjoyed the dance a bit more with in Rusty, Liam, Zach and Clyde.
In the end; while the ladies were upset with his secrecy, they didn't really hold it against him that much. This filled Lincoln with a great sense of relief, leading him to think that he may finally be in the clear of the whole mess. But as we so often know, Fate has a morbidly amusing way of surprising people.
Just as Lincoln was about to leave, he suddenly crossed paths with Ronnie Anne; where she revealed that the only reason she was searching for him in the beginning was so she could ask him if he wanted to go to Gus' along with her for the 2-for-1 deal. Much like Lincoln, she had no intention or desire to go to an otherwise girly dance either. In the end; things turned out...pretty okay for him that night, in spite of things.
But at the same time, that was the last time he would ever see those four girls for a long while. Before their encounter at Gus', last year; Lincoln had only seen Haiku on one...maybe two occasions (which tended to involve Lucy's poetry readings or their Morticians Club meetings.) He did see Polly Pain on his first day of Middle School and much to his surprise, things seemed cool between them.
But as for Giggles and Tabby, he'd only seen the latter girl hang out with Luna on a few rare occasions; which led Lincoln to believe that there were still a few bridges Luna needed to mend between them. In the end, Giggles was the only one of the four he hadn't seen since that faithful night in Grade School. Thus, Lincoln didn't quite know how to speak to her or even approach her.
All he could do was smile timidly, wave and offer up a soft "hello" in greeting; which seemed to be enough for the young lady. "Holy Cannoli, Lincoln; what's got you so nervous" Giggles asked with concern, "you look like you've seen a ghost...which I guess, would be like a dream come true for you. HA-HA!" Upon realizing that the joke was referencing his love for ghost hunting, Lincoln let out a soft yet nervous laugh.
Afterwards, he politely shook Giggles' hand and expressed how surprising it's been since they'd last seen one another. "Yeah, it's been ages; hasn't it" she asked, "how are things, you and the family doin' okay again?" Not wishing to bore her, Lincoln cut his story short by saying he'd been doing quite well the past year; aside from Biff hassling him every chance he gets.
"School's pretty fun, my friends and I are as tight as ever...and things are going very well within my family" he stated, "uh...just in case you were curious about the third thing." Giggles let out a soft giggle (no pun intended) and said she rather appreciated hearing such news from Lincoln. Ever since the "unfortunate events" that transpired last Spring, she and Luan had seldom spoken to each other that often.
"I mean...she's still my friend, make no mistake" she confessed, "but I don't quite view her as my comedic idol/inspiration like I used to." No sooner had she said this, the young comedienne revealed that she had chosen to give up clowning and to no longer use her old nickname; thinking it seemed too big of a connection to said clowning. "Ah, I see" Lincoln muttered softly, "but wait...if you don't go by the name 'Giggles' anymore; then, what should I call you?"
Just as the girl was about to answer, one of the stage hands suddenly called out for someone named "Cori Barnum." "That's me, Ma'am; I'm Cori" the girl formerly known as Giggles announced, "I'll be right with you." Wasting no time, she walked over to the stage and started discussing the nature of her act with the stage hand in private with her; leaving Lincoln alone to contemplate what he'd just heard.
"Giggles' real name...is Cori, I never knew that" he thought to himself, "hold up, did she say she's not doing clown stuff anymore?" This thought left Lincoln feeling both surprised yet somewhat pleased, at the same time. After everything Giggles (or rather, Cori) had told him; he was happy to hear that despite everything that's happened, she still wanted to remain friends with his elder sister.
But he also wondered what sort of talent Cori planned on showing off, if she gave up on her old passion. "Well, there's only one way to find out" he murmured, "I just hope she doesn't think I'm trying to snoop on her." After taking in a calming breath, Lincoln cautiously approached Cori/Giggles; who was just about done speaking with the stage hand.
"Hmm...I've seen a lot of comedy acts at this thing, over the years" the stage hand said with mild intrigue, "but what you're planning is...something I'm not entirely familiar with." This statement came as both a good thing and a bad thing for "Giggles," to say the least. But in spite of how nervous it made her feel, she said it was something she wished to experiment on since she left the clown game.
"Ah! So, my hunch was right" Lincoln said as he arrived at the scene, "I'm happy to hear that you're still into comedy, Gig...I mean, Cori." At first, the young lady stared at him firmly; thinking that the Loud boy might've been trying to spy on her. But before she could say anything about that, the stage hand looked between the two children and asked if they were working as a duo.
"Us, a duo...I dunno" Giggles murmured with uncertainty, "I'm gonna need a moment to talk this over with him." The stage hand nodded in understanding and gave the kids a five minute time window to sort things out before returning to her other duties. Once the stage hand was far enough away, Giggles gave Lincoln a rather intense stare; which caused him to sweat a little.
"What's your deal, Mister" she prodded firmly, "are you planning on learning what my act is so you can sabotage me later or something?" Lincoln was, quite understandably, taken aback by this suggestion and he assured Giggles that he would never stoop to such levels...unless it was a form of payback or he was trying to help someone close to him. "Look, before anything else happens; I just really need to get something off my chest" Lincoln said firmly, "I...apologize."
For a moment, Giggles didn't know what to think; one part of her believed that him apologizing only proved her earlier speculations were correct. But on the other hand, Lincoln swore to here that he'd never cheat unless certain circumstances would forced him into doing so; like defending a friend or getting payback on a rival (like Biff.) So, Giggles couldn't help but wonder what else he was apologizing to her for; if not for that?
"It's about what I did to you and three other girls at the Sadie Hawkins Dance, long ago at Royal Woods Elementary" Lincoln explained, "I...I'm sorry I flip-flopped between you all and that I wasn't being honest with you about it." Just as Lincoln was about to explain the matter further, Giggles raised her up to his face; immediately silencing him. "Ya don't need to tell me the story, palsy-walsy" she assured, "I've heard all about it on TV during the trial...including how Luan and her sisters roped you into having four dates in the first place."
Lincoln couldn't help but slap his forehead slightly, upon hearing this; realizing that people like Giggles had learned all that they needed about Lincoln's...less appealing moments in life from either the news or the trial testimonies. "Okay, you got me there" Lincoln chuckled softly, "but still, I feel like I should apologize for not being honest or open with you that night and...and if you still hate me for it, I understand." With that said, he turned around on his heels and made his way back to his magician kit.
As she watched him walk away, Giggles' heart ached a little; amazed by how much shame he still felt about the botched dance night. It was then that she suddenly got an idea and made an immediate bee-line for Lincoln's spot. "Wait...Linc, wait" she called out, "Look...first off, I don't hate you; especially not after how much fun I had with your friend, Zach that night."
Hearing Giggles say all this filled Lincoln with a small glimmer of joy. But at the same time, the guilt he felt still loomed over his head like a rain cloud; one that looked ready to bathe him with regret. Then, Giggles added that the dance was one of the reasons why she and Luan hadn't spoken that often over the summer.
"Sure, you lied and that's no good for anybody" she said firmly, "but the fact that your sisters would force you to juggle multiple dance dates in one night or let some silly protocol of theirs drive you to leave your own home was...inexcusable!" After this, Giggles was left panting heavily with anger; which caused Lincoln to cautiously back away a couple of steps from the former clown. When she saw the startled look on his face and realized how she was behaving, Giggles quickly calmed herself down and apologized.
"Anywhoozer, while she and the fam were busy working their service over the summer, it gave me the chance to...think about some things" she explained, "mainly about whether or not I should continue with doing comedy at all." Upon hearing this, Lincoln could sense that the tale was about to take a rather dark turn and prepared himself for anything unsavory. "I was about to give up on comedy completely, to tell you the truth" Giggles stated, "until my parents stopped me and suggested I tried something new."
With this simple statement, Lincoln's interests had been piqued and he asked what it was that Giggles' parents said. "Well, Dad told me that comedy came in all kinds of ways" she explained, "even though I wasn't much into clown comedy much anymore, he suggested other ones; like doing stand-up, slapstick humor or telling what he called 'Anti-Jokes.'" Upon hearing the third example, Lincoln felt a sudden sense of déjà vu wash over him.
When he confessed that he got Luan an "Anti-Joke Book" for Christmas, Giggles believed he must've had a "good eye for humor." "What about you" she asked, "what sort of skill do you plan on showing off on the stage?" With a shy blush upon his cheeks, Lincoln opened up his box and revealed his magician's ensemble inside."
"Oh, yeah; Luan always said you were into magic tricks" Giggles exclaimed, "I think it's all fine and dandy...but mostly when it's performed by jesters at the Ren Faire." When Lincoln asked why she preferred that kind over typical stage magic, she replied in saying that jesters always put a little humor into their mysticism.
"HEY! That just gave me an idea" Giggles said suddenly, "we should follow up on the stage hand's earlier assumption and work together as a duo!" From here; she explained that with Lincoln's magic skills working alongside her jokes, they could leave the audience rolling. But Lincoln felt rather unsure of the idea, thinking that his magic wouldn't be as awe-inspiring as Giggles hoped.
"C'mon...you'll never know until you try" she urged softly, "if you do this for me, we'll be officially square on the Sadie Hawkins 'incident...deal?'" At first, Lincoln felt that this was a form of emotional manipulation; something he'd been quite accustomed to around his sisters (on occasion.) But then, his sense of penitence got the better of him and he realized that helping her would be a good way to make things right between them.
"Okay, Gig...I mean, Cori; you got yourself a deal" Lincoln said with a grin, "just tell me what you want me to do and I'll get it done!" Pleased with this response, Giggles was inches away from giving Lincoln a thank you handshake. But the instant she got close to him, he suddenly recoiled in alarm.
"Hey, what gives" Giggles asked, "what has you so spo...oh, right; it's okay...there's no buzzer this time." To prove that she wasn't lying, she showed the front and back of both her hands and even showed that she had nothing hidden in her sleeves either. After realizing he was safe from any pranks, Lincoln and Giggles/Cori sealed their deal with a quick handshake.
"Best go tell the stage hand the change in plans quick" the former clown stated, "be right back." As she walked off towards the stage, Lincoln found himself alone again; which gave him a moment to think about things. "Okay, so...things might be on the mend between me and Giggles right now" he thought, "but will she feel upset if I decide to cheer for someone she might actually might still be cross with...like Haiku?"
Before such a thought could enter his mind, Lincoln quickly decided to direct his focus towards practicing his magic. "I gotta hone in my skills before we go on stage" he murmured, "I just...I hope mine and Giggles' combined talents will be able to wow the crowd."
(Line Break)
Time passed and eventually, the night of the big talent show arrived. The whole center was filled to near bursting with the town's citizens, some coming to perform and others choosing to watch. Among those in the former were musicians, poets, dancers, aspiring actors and one teen magician (Lincoln.)
As he took his place in line, he took a peek at the stage to see how the other performers were doing. There, he spotted Jordan and Paige; who were doing a sort of singing/dancing performance to a song called "California Loco." They moved with such speed, grace and skill that it left several in the audience awestruck.
The next to come and perform was Lori, who showed of a few impressive trick shots with her golf club. Next came Flip and his own kind of "special talent," which was the ability to belch-sing the song "Ooh, Girl" by Boyz Will Be Boyz. As expected, the judges not only had him disqualified; the judges also gave him the hook.
"What kind of hook are they going to give him; a coat hook, a scarf hook, one for his pants" Leni asked in a soft whisper, "I'll happily give him one of mine." Rather than explain it to her (albeit begrudgingly,) Rita gestured towards the stage; where everyone could see a golden hook reach towards Flip from stage left. The aforementioned item snagged him by the back of his shirt collar and after one good yank, Flip went flying off the stage.
This caused the crowd to cheer loudly, mostly out of relief that the belching was over. "Okay now, folks; time for our next performer" announced the emcee, "here comes Biff Packard and his...hair styling tricks." This announcement created a mixed reaction from both the audience and the other contestants.
Lincoln was especially aghast by this announcement, wondering how combing or styling one's hair could be dubbed a "talent." That was when Biff took to the stage with his metal hair comb. "Could I have a little music, please" he asked suddenly, "it helps me focus properly."
Seconds later, Mordecai/Mohawk Kid pulled out his phone and played a vibrant techno song from his playlist. Once the music kicked in, Biff immediately went to work. He flicked, sliced, slid, swiped and spun his comb every which way against his hair...and not once did it get stuck. As the song slowly came to its final notes, Biff threw the comb into the air; where it seemed to flip around in slow motion.
Once the song ended, Biff struck a pose and the comb fell neatly into his pocket. With his "performance" now over, a scattered applause could be heard from the crowd. But surprisingly; a handful of people in the room (albeit a small one) found the whole thing entertaining enough to erupt in thunderous applause.
This lot consisted of Vicky, Mordecai/Mohawk Kid, Biff's parents...and much to Lincoln's surprise, Carol and Whitney. "What the hey...how could they possibly think that was entertaining" Lincoln thought in disbelief, "I am going to have a long talk with her about this." The very instant this came into mind, he quickly saw some of the other Gal Pals looking squarely at the two blonde teens.
When he saw the stern expressions on their faces, Lincoln could tell that they were just as surprised/bothered about their cheering as he was. Meanwhile, Biff felt mildly disappointed at the light applause his performance received and proceeded off the stage. As he started passing the line-up of other competitors, he could hear some of them laughing softly at his expense.
"Hey, losers" he said with an annoyed tone, "if you've got something to say, stop cackling like hyenas and say it to my face!" At first, no one chose to speak up; either because they were still laughing, they were ignoring Biff or they (somehow) felt intimidated by his tone. Then, after a while; Giggles smiled at him and proclaimed that primping wasn't a real talent.
"If you came on stage tossing a football around or did a few basketball tricks, that would've been impressive" she stated, "but instead, you chose to fix your hair...woo-whoo, extra whoo." Infuriated by her critiques, Biff proclaimed that what he did was a talent; adding that it took skill to look as "handsome" as he does. "Skill...sure, I hear ya" Lincoln muttered, "but if you ask me, you should save that 'skill' where it matters; like in class."
This jab caused Giggles and almost everyone else in line to chuckle loudly, which did not please Biff in the slightest. "Well then, Loud; let's see how well you do on stage" he growled, "FYI, there aren't any trap doors on stage for you to 'disappear' through; when you do your little magic show." Just as Lincoln was about to get up into his rival's face, Giggles gently grabbed him from behind and pulled him back.
"Like I said earlier, Linc; don't let Biff the Blowhard get under your skin" she said encouragingly, "why not listen to some music to calm your nerves?" Upon hearing the suggestion, Lincoln turned towards the stage eagerly; thinking that Luna would be the next one to perform. But instead; it was the entire Junior Morticians Club (save for Bertrand, whom Haiku revealed had moved away during the summer after his father got a job as a cruise lifeguard.)
At first, when he saw them; Lincoln presumed they would be singing a grim and/or edgy Gothic melody (possibly something from a grunge/punk rock band.) But what he heard instead was something softer and dare he say, hauntingly pleasant. Upon inspection, he saw that the tall boy (Boris) was playing his trusty electric keyboard.
Meanwhile; Dante and Morpheus played a pair of mandolins, Persephone (the eldest of the girls) gently struck a tambourine on cue against either her free hand or hip, Lucy played a flute and Haiku played on a small set of bagpipes. Now, seeing the group of Goths playing such instruments was surprising in itself. But what happened next blew him and the audience away almost instantly.
After playing a couple of notes on her pipes, Haiku took the mic and began to sing in a soft yet hauntingly lovely voice.
My name is Frankie Kavanagh,
in Ireland I do dwell,
it's of a family curse I sing,
the truth to you I'll tell.
A banshee does appear to us,
a harbinger of death.
A warning that soon one of us
will draw their final breath
It was a dark and stormy night,
no moon to light the sky,
I wasn't more than four or five,
when first I heard her cry.
A wailing lamentation,
that filled me with the fright
and in the morning I was told,
"your granddad died last night".
(All)
Perhaps it's just the wind that's whistl'ing round the window pane,
Or maybe it was thunder, or the rhythm of the rain.
The old ones say "an omen, and death won't be denied".
The devil's out a'hunting,
when you hear the banshee's cry.
(everyone harmonizes hauntingly)
(music break)
(Lucy)
She comes to warn the family,
that death is creeping near.
Her eyes are red from crying,
as she sheds her bitter tears.
A woman of the fairy folk,
she sings in mournful tones,
and if you hear her caoin*,
it'll chill you to the bone.
(All)
Perhaps it's just the wind that's whistl'ing round the window pane,
Or maybe it was thunder, or the rhythm of the rain.
The old ones say "an omen, and death won't be denied".
The devil's out a'hunting,
when you hear the banshee's cry.
(the band harmonizes in ghostly voices once again)
(music break)
(Haiku)
You hear the banshee howling,
is to make your blood run cold
knowing that the devil's come,
to claim another soul.
The family are all gone now,
but I'm the last, you see,
And every night I wait in dread,
(Haiku and Lucy)
to hear her cry for me!
(All)
Perhaps it's just the wind that's whistl'ing round the window pane,
Or maybe it was thunder, or the rhythm of the rain.
The old ones say "an omen, and death won't be denied".
The devil's out a'hunting,
when you hear the banshee's cry.
(the band harmonizes in ghostly voices once again)
(the final notes play and the song ends)
As the Morticians Club finished their performance, the entire room echoed with the sounds of wild applause and cheers. All around them, the young Goths could see almost in the crowd shouting wild praises; even the other performers found themselves moved. "That...That was beautiful" Lincoln muttered taking a moment to catch his breath, "I mean...I heard Haiku sing once before but I never thought Lucy had such a voice on her as well."
Once everyone had had a good cry, a minute later; they swiftly erupted into thunderous applause. While it may not seem like it on the surface, the young Goths felt surprised yet slightly pleased by this response and bowed accordingly before walking off the stage. "Wow...they were great" Giggles said in an awestruck whisper, "I really hope we do just as well up there, when our time comes."
As the cheering continued, the Morticians Club exited stage right and headed off towards a collection of chairs that were seated at the wall; eager to get off their feet. But before they did, Lincoln softly called out to them and congratulated the group on their performance. "I was especially blown away by you two" he said while gesturing at Haiku and Lucy, "I mean...I heard you sing at the Faire last August, Haiku but I never thought Lucy could also sing so well."
Both of the young Goth Girls giggled softly at him and Lucy responded to her brother's compliments with a soft "you never asked me if I could sing before...so, I wanted to surprise you." Lincoln smiled broadly at the comment and said that the plan worked like a charm. "One thing I gotta say is that while song was extremely creepy...I still loved it" he stated, "how or where did you come up with it?"
Almost immediately, the other four members of the group gestured towards Haiku, proclaiming that she was the one who made the song choice. "Guilty as charged" she murmured with a light blush, "it was a song that I once heard my Nana's friend, Leslie Haggard once sang a year or so ago; long before our friend group was formed." Upon hearing this, Lincoln suddenly remembered Miss Haggard from the Faire and also recalled how beautifully she sounded while singing with the rest of her troupe.
"She and my Nanna once told me stories about the Hidden Folk that were said to inhabit places like Ireland and Scotland" Haiku explained, "one of them was about the Banshee, a spirit who warns the living about a possible death approaching." This reveal sent a bit of a chill down everyone's spines, who all mentally hoped to never encounter this "Banshee" creature at any point in their lives. "Anyway, now that we're all done; we'll be watching you from the sidelines" Lucy murmured with a smile, "break a leg out there, Lincoln."
Just before they went off, he thanked both girls for their support and gave each of them a quick hug. The next one who came to the stage was Lynn Sr. and Kotaro, who decided to take up Lincoln's suggestion and played their cowbells to Africa by Toto. As the opening synthesized keyboard notes played, they clanged their bells in unison to them.
Then, when the vocals kicked in; they each took turns singing the first few verses. When the moment of the chorus came up; the spotlight turned on and revealed a third member of the act, Chester "Chunk" Monk. "Whoa, I didn't know Luna's friend/roadie would be competing too" Lincoln thought in surprise, "I hope he doesn't hold it against her, if Luna beats him."
(Line Break)
Almost an hour and a half later and many acts came and went off the stage. Some showed off some rather impressive skills, like Lori and Carol's golfing talents (with the latter showing off a unique trick shot during her performance.) Other performers, like Lola, showed off more simple yet elegant abilities; like her ribbon dancing. Then, when Kat took to the stage; she showed everyone a D.I.Y. creation for hiking purposes.
When the emcee asked where she got the idea, Kat revealed it was none other than Rip Hardcore. "I mean...I may not go out into the woods that much, I hate the idea of all those leaves getting in my hair" she stated, "but with Rip's tips, I'll always be prepared." With that said, she offered up a gracious bow and the crowd started to cheer.
From the sidelines, Lincoln couldn't help but feel proud for his friend...all of his friends. But at the same time, he also felt anxious; wondering if his and Giggles' routine will do just as well. As if Fate had sensed these thoughts, the stage hand immediately called them to the stage steps.
"Okay, Lincoln; this is it" Giggles whispered, "are you ready to wow the crowd?" At first, Lincoln felt hesitant to answer due to the mild sense of fear flowing through him. But after taking a moment to mentally repeat Luna's manta of "don't fret, just play your set" in his head; he was ready.
"Time to officially put my magician skills to the test" he thought to himself, "I hope this will work." With this thought in mind, Lincoln and Giggles soon took to the stage just as the spotlight turned on. Almost instantly, the crowd welcomed them with a respectable yet still enthusiastic applause.
The most notable clappers Lincoln saw were both his family and of course, the Gal Pals (with Carol and Whitney putting on an extra oomph to their clapping.) Though he still appreciated it, Lincoln's mind couldn't help but think that they were being...a tad overkill. In time, the applause died down and the whole room went silent.
After greeting everyone with a bow, the duo introduced themselves as a combination comedy/magic act. "Magic...feh, I've seen enough parlor tricks to last me a lifetime" Mr. Grouse exclaimed from within the crowd, "what do ya plan on doin', Loud; pull a rabbit out of a hat or somethin'?" While this statement wasn't...completely said out of spite towards the boy, it was enough to make the likes of Biff and his cronies snicker mockingly.
But rather than let either one of these circumstances bother him, Lincoln simply ignored them. "Not a chance, Sir; I've got much better ideas in mind" he proclaimed, "like...pulling a hat out of a rabbit, instead." Upon making certain they heard him correctly, everyone in the audience responded to this idea with either disgusted whispers or mild cries of outrage.
Sensing that he got their attention, Lincoln decided to bring out his "volunteer" for the aforementioned trick. At first, everyone fearfully expected him to bring out a real rabbit. But instead; he walked over to his box, fished about for a moment and brought out a tiny stuffed bunny instead.
To the eyes of the Louds and Lincoln's friends (male and female;) they recognized this as Bun-Bun, the boy's favorite stuffed toy. At the same time, they wondered just how he planned on doing his little trick. "As I said...I'm gonna shake things up by pulling a hat out of this rabbit, instead of the other way around" Lincoln explained, "don't worry, the entire process is quick and painless."
Though the audience was well-aware that the boy's "volunteer" was only a toy, they still wondered where he intended to "pull out" the hat. As if sensing their anticipation/anxiety, Lincoln sat Bun-Bun on his left hand and with his right; he reached over and neatly...pulled a tiny clown hat out of the doll's right ear. Afterwards, Lincoln gave the hat a toss and it landed squarely atop Giggles' own head.
Meanwhile, many in the audience stared aghast at the young magician; feeling rather impressed by his trick. But there were some who had rather uncomfortable looks on their faces as well and Lincoln wasted no time in helping put their fears to rest. "What, did you all seriously think I was going to pull a hat out of a real rabbit" he asked in a shocked tone, "for shame, there are children in the audience!"
Soon after he said this, several people in the audience suddenly started laughing; which gave Lincoln the impression that the act was starting out well. This prompted Giggles to playfully tell Lincoln to "leave the comedy to the professionals" before taking her place in the spotlight next. "How about this for a laugh" she asked, "can anyone tell me what a bar of soap and one's dreams have in common...they're both rather easy to slip away from you, if you don't hold on to them."
This small joke caused the crowd to groan softly, seconds later. But it wasn't one of annoyance or disgust; it was the sort of sound someone makes when they hear something so bad, it's good. "Ooh! Are we telling Dad Jokes tonight, Giggles" Lincoln asked excitedly, "I've got one for ya...did you all hear the story about the man who invented the first ever knock-knock joke?"
For a moment or two, no one replied back; which meant that they might not have known the answer. This gave Giggles the chance to finish it off by proclaiming "he won the 'No Bell Prize!'" Upon saying the punchline; Lincoln reached into his hood, drew out a small golden bell and started ringing it loudly.
Upon taking all this in; once again, some members of the audience groaned a little at the boy's pun. But at the same time, the duo could also hear sounds of uproarious laughter from everyone else. Not wishing to waste this opportunity, Giggles went on to present her next joke. "You know; my uncle once told me that he always hated science class, when he was my age" she explained, "one day, I asked why he felt this way and he said...'I just don't trust atoms, they make up everything.'"
Surprisingly enough, this joke made even Lisa break out in laughter; which came as a bit of a shock to the rest of her family. "It...It's funny because it's so true" she cried breathlessly, "atoms, quite literally make up everything!" For her next joke, Giggles decided to tell yet another story about her uncle.
"He once told my dad how amazed he was at the amount of nudist beaches one could find out on the West Coast" she stated, "my dad asks 'would you ever go to one' and my uncle replied 'maybe...but I don't know how to get the wrinkles outta my birthday suit.'" While the topic of the joke seemed...mildly risqué for someone Giggles' age to tell; the crowd couldn't help but laugh, regardless. "OMG, these...these jokes are so lame" Lori laughed from backstage, "but those two...I don't know how but they just make them work!"
As the crowd continued laughing, Biff suddenly grew anxious; fearing that Lincoln and Giggles might actually have a chance at victory. Feeling desperate, he quickly tried to distract the crowd by calling out the duo's "lackluster" performance. "You're comedy is...passable, at best" he murmured, "but you two also promised us some magic and no, that earlier trick with the bunny doesn't count."
While no one appreciated the tone that Biff used, they still couldn't help but agree with him. At the same time, Lincoln did everything he could to calm his nerves enough so he could perform. "Okay, you all want to see some real magic" he asked, "then here we go."
After this, he walked over to his magic box and collected something from inside, a small bottle. Then, Lincoln suddenly downed its contents in less than eight seconds. At first, everyone thought he was simply taking a water break but Giggles politely urged for them to be patient.
Then, all of a sudden; everyone could hear what sounded like a loud, guttural rumbling from somewhere. At the same time, they saw Lincoln clutching at his gut tightly; as if he were having stomach problems. Almost immediately; this sight caused the likes of Rita, Lori and Carol to almost leave their seats and rush to his aid.
But before any one of them could move even the slightest inch, Lincoln opened his mouth and belched out a large plume of fire; surprising the audience. When the flame effect started to wear off; Lincoln took a small candle in his hand and blew the last sparks of flame on the tip, thus lighting it instantly. "What do you think, ladies and gentlemen" Lincoln inquired, "was that magical enough...or would you like more?"
In response to this, some members of the crowd roared with cheers while others chanted the word "MORE! MORE! MORE!" With a proud smile on his face; Lincoln took the empty bottle he drank from earlier, tossed it into the air and shouted the words "UNEXPECTO AMPHIBIOSIS!" Mere seconds later, bolts of green lightning shot out from his hands and struck the bottle; instantly transforming it into a frog.
It hopped about the stage for a few seconds, offering up the occasional croak before it leapt back into Lincoln's hands. After that, the young magician snapped his fingers and the frog reverted back to its bottle form. To say that the crowd was astounded by this would be a gross understatement...that is, most of the audience was.
Meanwhile, Biff and his crew remained unimpressed by the performance...but it was mostly out of jealousy. "That's as fake as a three dollar bill, Loud" Mordecai jeered, "we know you used mirrors, flash bombs...or something for that trick!" In response to this, Giggles simply dismissed the "complaints" as nothing more than the trio being immature.
"That actually reminds me of a funny story" she stated, "for years, my neighbor kept telling her husband that he always acted immature." Feeling curious, both Lincoln and the crowd asked how the husband responded to this. "It was rather simple, really" Giggles stated, "he just told her to get out of his pillow fort."
While this joke didn't quite pack that big of a punch, the crowd just couldn't help but laugh. This inspired Lincoln to make his own joke about someone close to him. "Okay, people; time to get serious for a minute" he said firmly, "you know...all this laughing reminds me of something my Pop-Pop once told me before he kicked the bucket."
The crowd gasped in shock at this sudden change of topic, while the Louds simply looked at one another in confusion; proclaiming that Pop-Pop was sitting directly behind them. Meanwhile; Giggles, who was still keeping up her stoic look, asked for Lincoln to continue.
"Do you really wanna know" he asked, earning a nod from everyone; "alrighty, he looked over to me and he said...'HEY, KIDDO; how far do ya think I can kick this bucket?" To really drive his joke home, Lincoln pulled his hood over his face and when he drew it back; he was wearing a nose and mustache that was near identical to grandfather's own. He then proceeded to lightly kick a bucket across the stage, where it gently rolled off to a nearby corner.
The crowd suddenly burst out into a mad fit of laughter, after the joke had finished; some of whom were practically rolling about on the floor while holding their sides. Among them laughing was none other than Albert Loud himself, who claimed that his grandson's impression of him was "spot on." "Let me tell one next" Giggles asked while facing the crowd, "have you guys ever hear the joke about paper...no? That's fine, it's tear-able."
Not only did this joke seem to make the audience laugh, it also caused Mordecai to crack a smile; which Biff swiftly scolded him for it. "That was a good one, Giggles" Lincoln stated, "I'd tell a little joke about lasagna that my dad once told me...but it's far too cheesy for this crowd and the punchline's pretty saucy too." Now, most people have been known to hate being zinged by someone during a comedic performance.
But not only was the joke rather tasteful (no pun intended,) even with the "flirty" use of the word "saucy" but Lynn Sr. actually rather liked it. "Here's one for all the animal lovers out there" Giggles announced, "what do you call an elephant that doesn't matter...an IRRELEPHANT!" The crowd groaned softly at the little joke but from the tone in their voices, it was like a sort of "so bad...it's good" sort of sound. "This next one goes out to my folks" Giggles exclaimed, "growing up, they'd always keep trying to have me eat Alphabet Soup but I never enjoyed it. When they finally asked me why, I told them it was because they kept putting words in my mouth!"
This joke not only made Giggles' parents laugh, the audience seemed to like it as well; especially the little kids. For the next joke; Lincoln asked if anyone would want to hear about the time his sister, Lynn Jr. hit a pop fly ball on the baseball field. But almost immediately, he told the audience "nevermind...it would probably go over your heads."
Now, was the time for Lynn Jr. to be the one laughing like mad; which was something she thought would never happen even once that night. "Okay, Linc; since you've done two jokes on your family...I'm doing one on you next" she said coyly, "what do you call a wizard from space with wings...a Flying Saucerer!" The mere instant she said this, Lincoln tapped his wand upon his head and he was suddenly enveloped by a plume of smoke.
When it cleared away a second later, he was sporting pair of alien antennae atop his head and a pair of long angel wings upon his back; which he used to do a quick flying lap over the heads of the audience. Naturally, this sight left the majority of the people speechless; while the bully trio simply glowered at him out of spite. When he finally landed, Lincoln asked Giggles if she heard about an interesting story regarding his sister, Lucy lately.
"Yeah, I think I did" Giggles said with a half-lie tone, "from what I heard, she snuck out of the house to go camping in the cemetery while Officer Simmons was babysitting you guys...right?" Just like with the joke about Pop-Pop, the Loud Siblings felt confused by their brother's words; Lucy especially. But when they realized that he might be leading up to a punchline for yet another joke, the girls quickly fell silent.
"When she found out Lucy got out, Officer Simmons immediately put out a call to her partners" Lincoln explained, "she took out her walkie-talkie and said to them 'ladies, keep an eye out for a small medium at large!'" At first, there were a small few that didn't quite get the joke...until Lucy explained her history of serving as the family's medium. With this revelation, the crowd fell into another fit of laughter.
The more they listened to all this noise, the more worried Biff and his associates became about their chances at achieving victory. It was here that they decided to make a few (rather belated) jabs at Lincoln's earlier magic tricks, hoping it would distract him. "Cheap smoke n' mirrors and laughs, nothing more" Vicky grumbled, "if you really wanna win, do something to utterly wow us!"
For the umpteenth time that night, Lincoln listened to their jeers and before this point; he chose to ignore them. But now, he felt it was time for the big finish. "For my last trick, I'd like a volunteer from the audience" Lincoln announced, "and I've just found three good candidates right over there."
After saying this; Lincoln snapped his fingers and the spotlight suddenly shined down upon Biff, Vicky and Mordecai. Surprised by this, the trio insisted that they "didn't feel comfortable" with going up on stage but the audience wasn't buying it. "Go on up and join the fun, Biffy" Lynn Jr. said while pushing the trio over, "this could give you a bit more applause than your botched care combing tricks."
Before the young jock had the chance to "defend the honor" of his hair styling methods, he and his friends were carried up to the stage. "Welcome to the stage, guys" Lincoln greeted respectfully, "are you ready for the grand finale?" Deep down, Biff and his cohorts wanted nothing more than to tell him off right then and there.
But because everyone's eyes were all on them, they had no choice but to agree. "Back before this event began, Mr. Packard; you told me that my tricks weren't all that impressive...remember" Lincoln asked firmly, "well...get ready to see a special trick I've been saving for just the right moment." As expected, this statement made the trio feel rather anxious (with Mordecai being the most nervous among them.)
"W-W-What are you gonna do to us, Loud" he asked, "are you gonna saw us in half, turn us into toads, stick us in a box and shove swords into it?!" After hearing his third example, Vicky slapped Mordecai in the back of the head; warning him to not give Loud any ideas. "No, I would never do stuff like that to you guys" Lincoln assured, "this is a quick yet harmless trick, I promise you."
After saying this, he turned towards the audience and asked them to remain perfectly silent. Then, he faced Giggles and asked if she could help him with the magic words. "I...I'm more of a comedy gal myself" she confessed, "but if it's part of the act, I guess I'll help."
With that, they both faced the trio and Lincoln asked Giggles to repeat two simple words with him; "Transfera Identica." For what felt like ages, they chanted these odd words while the trio remained standing in place. Then, after showing the words one final time; the whole stage was surrounded in a cloud of purple smoke.
When it later cleared away, everyone appeared to be in one piece; including Biff, Vicky and Mordecai. "That's it...a puff of red smoke, that's your big finale" the jock cried in outrage, "talk about not living up to the hype!" As Vicky and Mordecai began voicing their own complaints, they slowly started to realize that something felt...a little off.
"What the...what's goin' on here" murmured the punk rock bully, "why does my head suddenly feel heavier?" Soon after this, Vicky also noticed something felt odd with their situation. That's when each of them took a look at their bodies and everything finally clicked.
"What the what" she murmured confusedly, "what am I doing wearing Biff's jacket...and speaking in his...VOICE?!" Upon making the last statement, Vicky started running her hands around her body; only to realize that she was no longer in her own body anymore. At the same time, the other two soon reached the same conclusion; with Mordecai's mind being in Vicky's body and Biff's mind being inside of Mordecai's body.
With this revelation in mind, the Trio responded in the one way they thought was most appropriate...by screaming in terror! Meanwhile, the audience was utterly enchanted by this display and proceeded to cheer loudly for Lincoln. "What the...DON'T CHEER HIM, YOU IDIOTS" Biff shouted irritably in Mordecai's voice, "thanks to his witchcraft, we're stuck like this forever!"
Upon hearing this, Lincoln smiled at Biff and assured him that the effect of his trick wasn't actually permanent. "According to Miss Grimwood, the spell should only last for about three days" he stated, "by the end of the third day, you'll all be back in your bodies again." While this news gave the trio some relief, Vicky questioned why he couldn't just change them back like he did with his frog/bottle trick.
"That kind of trick was a simple one to reverse...mainly because the item in question was small" Lincoln replied, "but since you guys are humans, the reversal process requires a more complex spell; one Miss Grimwood didn't have the chance to teach me before she left town." With this all in mind, Biff and his colleagues felt a mild sense of dread and displeasure wash over them like rainfall. While the spell's effects weren't permanent, as Lincoln promised; each one of them agreed to hold themselves up in their respective houses until it wore off.
As for each of the bullies' families; while they also felt a little put off by what happened at first. They later realized that this would be a good "teaching exercise" for them, show them what it's like to walk a mile in someone else's shoes (both figuratively and literally.) With that settled, the bully trio walked off the stage and went back to their seats; while the rest of the audience cheered loudly for Giggles and Lincoln.
(Line Break)
When the time came to give out the awards, sometime later; the emcee revealed that each award was divided up into separate categories. The first award was given to Kat for "Most Creative Talent." The next award was given for Most Impressive Show of Skill, which both Carol and Lori tied for.
The next award was given for Best Musical Performance and while each group involved in said category gave it their all; in the end, it was the Junior Morticians Club and their rendition of The Banshee's Cry that received the ribbon. Surprisingly, the whole group agreed that Haiku should be the one to have it; since singing the song was her idea. "Wow, you guys...thanks" the wee Goth murmured with a soft smile, "and thanks for going along with my idea."
Lucy and the other club members smiled down at Haiku and told her that while they weren't used to such a style of music, they actually found it alluring. "If you dudes like that, I can give you some ideas of similar music styles to listen to" Luna interjected suddenly, "but...we'll do that after the ceremony is done." After that was said, everyone waited for the next winner to be announced.
However, before that; it was time for the emcee and the judges to award what they called "participant stickers" to some contestants. While not a typical award, those in charge felt that these stickers were their way of showing that everyone was a winner. Normally, most people would consider this a nice gesture.
Of course, these stickers were only given out to two other performers; Biff and Flip. "Whoa! That's a pretty cool sticker you got, Biff" Mordecai said in awe while in Vicky's body, "you think I could get one?" After hearing him say this, the young jock wanted nothing more than to pulverize his "friend" for his stupidity.
But Vicky begged him to not harm a hair on her body's head...not until the spell wore off. As the trio began to bicker amongst themselves, the emcee announced that the winner of the next award was...Giggles and Lincoln. "This award is not only for Best Duo Performance" she explained, "but it's also for Best Comedic Performance and you two really had us rolling!"
In response to this, the crowd laughed heartily both out of pride and from being reminded of the duo's earlier antics. Afterwards, the emcee placed the winning ribbons upon both children's chests. "This is awesome" Lincoln said with pride, "I'm gonna put this ribbon up beside my golf victory photo."
Upon hearing him say this, Giggles looked at him in confusion and asked when he ever started golfing. "No, no; you misunderstood me, Giggles" he cried, "this was mini golf, not the original game; me and a few of my friends won the final hole at Hole-in-Onederland during Spring Break, last year." Giggles stared at him silently, as if unsure of what to say.
Meanwhile, Lincoln offered up a soft giggle and proclaimed that the past year had been busy for him. "I'd be happy to tell you all about it" he offered, "but first...are we square now?" For a brief moment, Giggles wondered what he was talking about...until she remembered their first conversation from days ago.
With this in mind; she reached into her pocket, pulled out her clown nose and popped it over Lincoln's own. "Win or lose, Linc; I'd still forgive ya" Giggles assured, "all that mattered, in the end was that I got to try out my new act...and it was a success." With that settled; Giggles, once again proclaimed that there was no bad blood between them.
Then, at that moment; Lincoln was suddenly ambushed from behind by a gaggle of ladies (whom Giggles immediately recognized as his sisters.) "Congrats on the win, Bro" Lynn Jr. said with pride, "you and Giggles killed it up there!" After being hugged from all sides, Lincoln took a moment to breathe and introduced his stage partner by her true name; Cori.
"It's short for Coriander" the young comedienne revealed, "you know, like the cooking herb and spice?" Lincoln suddenly felt a chuckle escape his throat, upon hearing this. But he told everyone that it was mostly because he never heard of the name Coriander being used for a person, let alone a girl.
"It was my Dad's idea" Giggles said with a light eye roll, "he's the one I get my love of comedy from...and he thought Coriander would be a great name for an aspiring comic." After letting all this sink in, Luan told her that this was her first time hearing this information. "Well, Lu-Lu; I would've told ya a long time ago" Giggles replied, "but...you never asked."
After this was said; Mr. Coconuts popped up and instantly proclaimed "she's got ya there, toots" in Luan's direction. This caused both comediennes to giggles softly at each other, which Lincoln took as a good sign. But before he could think much on it; the Gal Pals arrived and, for the second time that night, Lincoln found himself being squeezed on all sides.
"Way to go, Lincoln; congrats on the win" Stella cried with delight, "you're the first magician ever to actually make my jaw drop." Not long after this, both Clyde and Zach shared their own praises as well; while also urging him not to use such tricks on them anytime soon. No sooner had they said this, Haiku and Lucy appeared and each offered up one simple statement to Lincoln; "how did you do all that and teach it to us now."
In response to this, he offered up the famous "a true magician never reveals their secrets" quote; which caused both Goth girls to sigh in defeat. "I say we celebrate each of our kids' victories down at Lynn's Table" Rita announced, "on the house!" Naturally, everyone responded to this with a hearty cheer.
But before they decided to follow up on the idea, Lincoln quickly called for everyone's attention. "First of all, I'm happy that you all liked mine and Giggles' performance" Lincoln said gratefully, "it means a lot that you chose to support us...to support me even, despite the fact that...some of you might not be that into magic." Both groups sounded off sweetly to Lincoln's words, proclaiming that they'd do anything to help and support a friend/member of the family.
"Now...as for the second matter, I'd like to ask Carol and Whitney one thing" he said sternly, "what gives...why were you two cheering for Biff, of all people?!" While expressing his thanks to them for still showing their support towards his and Giggles/Cori's act earlier, it still didn't excuse them from cheering his schoolyard rival. "We're just as shocked as you are, dude" Cici said matter-of-factly, "and we hope these two have a good explanation for what happened."
After a brief period of silence; both teens hung their heads in shame, got down on their knees and hugged Lincoln closely. "We are totes sorry for what we did, Linky" Carol murmured, "it was...it was a moment of weakness." Following this, she and Whitney reminded everyone how hard of a time they have when it came to managing their hair.
Thus, when they saw Biff combing his own thick locks so cleanly and effortlessly; they couldn't help but be amazed. "Again, we are super sorry we did that" Whitney insisted, "can you ever forgive us?" At first, they expected him to offer up an immediate response; either with a hug or a verbal statement.
But much to their surprise, he stood with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed in disappointment. Then, Giggles approached him from behind and whispered something into his ear. "Oh, that is a great idea" Lincoln murmured with approval, "quick, yet effective."
This statement caused both girls, the other Gal Pals and the Louds to look at Lincoln nervously; wondering what sort of idea he had in mind. Then, at that moment; he clasped his hands together and started rubbing them against each other for several seconds. When he finally stopped; Lincoln clenched his left hand into a fist and stuck the fingers of his right hand inside.
Then, with one quick tug; a pair of flowers suddenly appeared before the girls' eyes. With a smile on his face, Lincoln handed both flowers to Carol and Whitney; who both thought it was a very sweet gesture. "Oh! I forgot to tell you girls one of the golden rules of magic" Lincoln said suddenly, "and that is...nothing is what it seems."
No sooner had he said this; Lincoln snapped his fingers and then, the flowers in Carol and Whitney's hands suddenly sprayed them with a quick blast of water. Five seconds later, it stopped and both teens were left dripping wet. This caused the Louds, the Gal Pals, the boys and Giggles/Cori to all burst out with laughter.
For a moment or two, both girls appeared rather bothered by what just happened. Then; Lincoln walked over to them, pulled out a string of silk scarves from his sleeve and offered them to the girls. "So sorry I had to do that to ya, girls" he said while helping dry them off, "but I hope this makes us even."
For a moment, neither Carol nor Whitney responded; perhaps, feeling upset by Lincoln's payback trick. But when they realized that they brought it upon themselves for cheering a bully, they smiled at him and enveloped their ward in a loving hug. With that settled, everyone collected their things and proceeded out the door; eager to head off to Lynn's Table for a victory celebration.
"Would you like to join us, young lady" Rita offered to Giggles, "after all, this celebration is for you as well." While the idea did sound inviting, Giggles confessed that she didn't want to but in on any fun Lincoln and his friends might have. "But don't you see, little missy; you're also one of Linc's friends" Becky stated, "and that makes you our friend as well."
This declaration prompted the other Gals to cheer loudly in agreement, while Giggles simply blushed timidly. "Okay...we may be cool about our past 'issues'" she stated, "but I wouldn't say Lincoln and I are friends...at least, not yet." After taking all this information to heart, Lincoln got an idea and he hoped that Giggles/Cori would agree to it.
"You're right, we aren't really friends yet" he began, "but since we're kinda square over the...the Sadie Hawkins thing, maybe...maybe we can...start over?" For what felt like ages, no one had spoken a word; the chatter of the other families and contestants being the only other sounds heard. Then, Giggles marched over to Lincoln and smiled; not a clownish one but a genuine grin.
"Yes...Yes, I would like that very much" she said with a nod, "let's shake on it." The moment she said this, everyone suddenly became nervous; thinking that she was going to trick Lincoln with a joy buzzer. "Relax, everybody" Giggles urged softly, "it's like I told Lincoln, I'm not much into clowning anymore."
While still feeling mildly suspicious, everyone decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and urged Lincoln to shake her hand. However, the instant he tried to do so; he suddenly felt her arm go limp. When he tried to pull away, Lincoln seemingly pulled off her arm out as well.
Naturally, everyone freaked out at this...all except for Luan and Giggles. "HA! Boy, oh boy; you should see your faces" cried Giggles with amusement, "did I get y'all good or what?!" Once everyone had stopped screaming, they looked over and saw that Giggles/Cori was okay.
"I said I gave up on clowning" she said between snickers, "but I haven't given up on my pranks...like my trusty fake arm." After realizing that he'd been tricked, Lincoln felt that he should've seen it coming; as did his family and friends. But at the same time, they felt it was...slightly humorous and a more welcomed prank.
"Well, everybody; what are we waiting on" Giggles exclaimed, "this clown's ready to party!" With that, she headed straight for the exit but not before informing her parents on where she was heading off to. Meanwhile, the Gals looked over in her direction and smiled slightly; thinking that life for them will be getting a bit more interesting with Giggles in the crew.
(First AN: Sorry this took so long to make, everybody; since this oneshot contained a talent show, I wanted to give all those who entered enough time to shine. Furthermore, I had to do a lot of research on the type of "anti-jokes" Giggles and Lincoln would be doing. Again, sorry for the long wait; I hope you'll enjoy reading this)
(Second AN: The idea behind this oneshot was given to me by Crafordbrian17, Timbuk1 and/or one of my past reviewers from long ago. I hope what I did here lives up to your standards and if not, at least I can say I tried)
(Third AN: Within the Gal Pals Canon of the Loud House universe, Giggles real name is Coriander Barnum. I went with Barnum in honor of the famous showman and one of the two men behind the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Figured it would seem fitting, given that Giggles enjoyed clowning so much.
Before anyone asks; no, she is no relation to Lord Barnum from my other Loud House story entitled Ace Savvy and the Full House Gang: Checkmate. As they say in some movie disclaimers, them having the same last name is purely coincidental)
(Fourth AN: I got the idea for Biff's hair-styling "talent" from Johnny Bravo, a classic cartoon from the early days of Cartoon Network. While Biff may not be as muscular or as dumb as Johnny, he's just as full of himself as he is)
(Fifth AN: There are three separate song titles used within this oneshot. The first and most obvious one is Africa by Toto, the second is California Loco; which was featured in the Pixar short Inner Workings. The song in question was composed by Ludwig Goransson and sung be Este Haim or just Haim.
Meanwhile, the song The Banshee's Cry is an original song made by a group called the Irish Rovers. In any case, each of the song titles used/referenced here belongs to their respective owners and not me. So, please; do not sue me.)
(Sixth AN: The two spells Lincoln uses in during his and Giggles' performance come from two separate Cartoon Network shows. Unexpecto Amphibiosis comes from The Amazing World of Gumball, while Transfera Identica comes from the original Ben 10 series. I felt that they would work well with Lincoln's performance.
In any case, neither one belongs to me; they belong to their respective creators)
(Seventh AN: Much like with Giggles' true name, the character originally known as Mohawk Kid will also be known as Mordecai every now and again in future installments of this anthology. While thinking up a name for him, the name Mordecai just...clicked with me)
(Final AN: In regards to Lincoln's original friend group not liking magic; namely Rusty, Liam, Zach, Stella and Clyde. This was all a reference to the episode Antiqued Off, for those who might be curious)
