The Play's the Thing with the Gal Pals – Part Two

(Story Summary: After everyone is assigned their respective roles, all students involved with the school play become as busy as a swarm of bees preparing for it. Meanwhile, Lincoln is eager to get home and tell his family about the big news. But how will everyone react, what will they say and more importantly, will they give him the privacy and silence necessary for him to prepare for opening night?)

Two hours passed by since tryouts for the school play first began and soon, the last of the auditionees had stepped off the stage. Afterwards, they took a seat in the seating area and watched as Mx. Baskerville took to the stage. The first thing they and Meryl did was offer their thanks to everyone who chose to audition.

"Truth be told, dearies; we did not expect such a turnout" the vice principal said with glee, "methinks the Acting Bug hath nipped thee." Some students groaned softly at Mx. Baskerville's little joke, while others simply giggled under their breath. "Now that auditions are done, we can start deliberatin' on who will get which role" Meryl stated, "the cast list will be posted outside the main office, tomorrow afternoon."

With that said, everyone said their goodbyes and began leaving the auditorium in droves. While they walked, many of the kids found themselves mentally praying that they'd get a part in the play; including Lincoln. "To tell you the truth guys, I can't decide which makes me more nervous" he murmured, "wondering if I'll get the part I want, being up on the stage if I do...or wondering how my family might react to the news."

Clyde couldn't help but agree with his Best Bro, who feared that him possibly messing up might make things awkward between him and Chloe. That is to say, of course if they managed to land the parts as two of the main four lovers. "Join the club, boys" Phoebe murmured timidly, "I still can't get over that fainting spell I had on stage earlier."

Mere seconds after she said this, the teen photographer suddenly realize how loudly she spoke and blushed shamefully. At the same time, some of the students walking beside their group started snickering amongst themselves. Among them was Vicky, who stood among those who were mocking the Shakespeare play idea not too long ago.

"Have fun up on stage, dorks" Vicky exclaimed while passing them, "who knows...your performance might go viral." With that said, she and a collection of the other hecklers walked off towards the exit. Meanwhile, the Guys and Gals found themselves frozen in place.

If performing in the play didn't make them nervous earlier, they certainly felt it now. "O...M...G! Vicky's right, you guys...as weird as that sounds" Phoebe exclaimed, "some of our families and/or friends will be out in the audience, which means some of them might think about recording our performance!" The sooner this thought entered her mind, the poor girl suddenly fell into a spiral of worry; not just for her but everyone who might be performing.

"Oh, no, I dunno if I want Vicky or even my dads posting a video of me wearing tights on the internet" Clyde murmured fearfully, "people would eat me alive in the comments section...figuratively speaking." Not long after this, Rusty soon found himself pulling at his hair with worry. Much like Clyde, he also feared what people would say online about him being in the play.

To make things worse; if he got the role of Bottom, Rusty was particularly worried about what people might think about him wearing a donkey's head. Before long, nearly the entire crew found themselves caught in the grip of fear. They would've been stuck this way for ages, had they not heard the sound of a whistle blaring suddenly.

Upon snapping out of their daze (as well as recovering from the shock,) everyone looked behind them and spotted Lynn; who appeared to be holding a whistle in her hand. "Ow...jeez, Lynn; where'd you come from" Lincoln muttered while rubbing his ears, "and what's with the whistle, I thought you said you put yourself on the sidelines with anything sports related?"

After taking a moment to wipe the whistle clean, the Loud Family's former sports star reaffirmed her brother's statement and explained that her whistle was part of a new position she was given; Hall Monitor. "Principal Ramirez asked me to take up the position, after we came back from Winter Break" she stated, "thought I'd be the best person to keep the halls safe." While Lincoln found himself nodding in agreement to it, part of him felt intimidated by the idea of Lynn being hall monitor.

Ironically enough, this same fear was rattling about in the others' minds as well. But then, as if sensing their emotions; Lynn smiled softly and gave her brother's shoulder a tender pat. "I know what you're thinking, dude and the answer is no" she said firmly, "this won't end up like the dream you had before your first day."

Upon hearing this statement, the Gals and Guys suddenly snapped out of their daze and glanced over at Lincoln confusedly. "What's she talking about, Linc" questioned Phoebe, "what sort of nightmare did you have before school started?" Almost immediately, both crews feared that their friend may have been having a strange sense of déjà vu; that he might've had yet another night terror like the sort he had last spring.

When everybody asked him about his dream again, Lincoln hesitated a little. Granted, he didn't act this way because he feared that everyone would freak out about the dream. He was hesitating because in his head; he felt rather embarrassed about it.

"Best fess up and tell us, Bro" Lynn said firmly, "if not, I'll have to write you up for loitering in the hall." Straightaway, everyone could tell that she wasn't being...100% serious with this threat. In truth, they felt this was just Lynn's way of giving her brother enough of a push towards getting over his fear...and it seemed to work gangbusters.

"Okay...I'll tell you, just promise me none of you guys will laugh or get upset" Lincoln groaned in defeat, "especially you, Lynn." Without pause, the Guys and Gals collectively gave their friend the "cross my heart and hope to die" gesture. At the same time, Lynn swore she would not get angry or upset with him...unless he said something offensive.

"Okay...first of all; Lynn, you being on Hall Monitor duty is something that happened in the dream I mentioned a moment ago" Lincoln explained, "only...in it, you were acting rather aggressively towards me and my friends." When asked what it was that Lynn did in his dream, Lincoln nervously revealed that she stuffed him into a locker as "punishment" for breaking some sort of "rule;" sort of a Solitary Confinement thing.

"You did the same thing to Rusty and Zach too" he stated, "of course, Lynn...you threw them both in the same locker." This reveal not only made Lincoln's friends cringe but Lynn as well, who appeared to be sweating slightly. "Uh...anything else happen in the dream" she asked softly, "what happened after you were finally out of the locker?"

With a heavy sigh, Lincoln told everyone that the story could be a while. So, he asked if they could have a seat somewhere outside. "You got it, Bro" Lynn said with a smile, "Mom won't be here to pick us up for a while; so...we have some time to kill, I guess."

With that said, everyone made their way outside to the campus; where Lincoln and Lynn chose to take a seat over by a small bench. At the same time, the others gathered 'round them slightly and urged Lincoln to continue his earlier dream story. "Well...to get to the point, my first day went about so much more differently in my dream than it did in the real world" he said with a light yet ironic chuckle, "there was Lynn stuffing me and my guy friends into lockers, failing to get assigned to Ms. Salter's class for homeroom, being assigned to Bolhofner's class instead (which was being held in a rundown trailer MILES from the school,) getting in trouble in said class and to top it off, I was sent off to Canada!"

Upon hearing the stinger part of Lincoln's story; everyone couldn't decide if they should comfort him, tell him none of it was real or if they should laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded. In the end, Lynn did something that took everyone by surprise...she gave her brother a hug. At first, this gesture took Lincoln completely by surprise; considering how Lynn seldom behaved this affectionately towards others.

But after about ten seconds of thinking, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her; returning the gesture with equal tenderness. When the two siblings broke apart, Lynn confessed that she had some understanding of Lincoln's nightmare. "To start with; after everything that went down with the family, last year...I don't blame you for fearing the idea of me being on Hall Monitor duty" she explained, "if it's any consolation, I'll only be on duty for about a month; then, someone else will take my place."

After revealing all this, it not only helped put Lincoln's heart at ease but everyone else's as well. Next, the Gals went on to ask about the other elements of Linc's dream; particularly the moments involving Mr. Bolhofner. When he described to them the tight-fisted way he ran the "classroom" and the teacher's unkempt appearance, the entire group almost felt sick to their collective stomachs. "Okay, I know this was just a dream and I also know that Mr. B. can be a bit of tyrant when it comes to establishing order" Cici stated, "but there's no way he'd be allowed to come into school with dirty clothes on or run a class while his breath still reeked of sardines and onions."

As if on cue, the aforementioned teacher was just spotted stepping out of the school and heading for his car in the Teachers' Parking Lot. At the same time, everyone could see him munching down on a red onion and sardine sandwich; the very thing Lincoln said he ate in his dream. After taking a few bites, Bolhofner's belly suddenly started churning; which signaled a potential gas burst was about to occur.

Thankfully, when it finally did happen; he simply let out a loud belch. Granted, it was a rather rancid one but everyone agreed that it was so much better than the gas coming out...somewhere else. "Okay...so that's one part of your dream that was right" Byron said with a light chuckle, "but as for the trailer thing; a teacher did use it once for their class, years ago." No sooner had he said this, the teen pointed off towards the distance; where everyone could see what looked like an old shack near the school.

It looked quite small, mildly dilapidated, there were boards falling off from the sides and there appeared to be an old air conditioner rattling on the one side. Furthermore, the building appeared to be situated almost five or six miles away from the school building; just as Lincoln described in his dream. "That...thing is a classroom" Jordan murmured, "it looks more like an old equipment shed than anything."

Both Phoebe and Lynn chuckled softly at the young lady's words before the latter revealed that she wasn't too far off in her assumption. "That thing was once an old equipment shed" Lynn stated, "but the school got...a little crowded, when I first got into Middle School and they didn't have enough classrooms to spare." With this reveal, the younger members of the group found themselves staring at the shed with utter shock and confusion; wondering why the school would allow anyone to teach in there.

"Lucky for you guys, though; that's all been changed" Cici stated, "after Principal Ramirez got one too many reports of students arriving at the shed late and realizing how many legal issues she would have to face involving it, she scraped the outdoor classroom idea completely." As he let out a sigh of relief at this news, Lincoln couldn't help but ask what the shed was being used for now. "That's where Harvey the Groundskeeper hangs out during the day" Phoebe replied, "he's got all his gardening tools and a little desk in there that he uses during lunch period."

No sooner had she said this, the trailer door opened up and Lincoln spotted the aforementioned groundskeeper stepping out; carrying a collection of gardening tools along with him. While it did make sense for a member of the school cleaning staff to use the trailer, Lincoln still pitied Harvey. "I hope he fares better in there than I did in my dream" he stated, "would you believe me if I said Bolhofner kept the temp at 95 degrees in there?"

Cici, Phoebe and Lynn suddenly laughed uproariously at these words; proclaiming that they not only believed him, they lived the situation he just described. "Hold up...Hold up a minute here" Lynn exclaimed, "I think we're getting off-track here...I doubt this dream of yours is the reason why you guys are loitering." After a brief period of silence, the group murmured softly in agreement and admitted that something was off.

"Before any of us tells you anything, Lynn; you have to promise us you won't laugh" Lincoln said firmly, "do we have a deal." With a light smile on her face; the former jock confessed that long ago, the "old her" probably would poke fun at someone else's stress or think they were being "wieners." "Rest assured, that part of me is locked up in the deepest part of my brain" Lynn said while tapping her finger upon her forehead, "and I don't plan on letting her out unless I have to."

While this news did give them all some comfort, the Gals and Guys (Lincoln in particular) pondered on what type of moments the "Old Lynn" ever chose to appear. But after taking a moment to look into his sister's eyes, Lincoln could see that her words were truly sincere. With this in mind, he believed it was safe for everyone to open up.

"Okay...here it goes" Clyde began, "and just so we're clear...you just promised that you won't make fun of us?" The Louds' former sports star narrowed her eyes firmly, gave a strong nod and swore that if at any point she did feel the urge to laugh at them; she gave "The Big Man Upstairs" permission to strike her down. While this statement did help everyone believe she was telling the truth, both the Gals and Guys took a few steps back from Lynn; just to be safe.

With that settled, Lincoln took in a deep breath and began to tell his sister everything.

(Line Break)

Almost ten minutes passed by and by now, all the kids at the bench were sitting together in stone-cold silence. After taking a moment to process everything, Lynn Jr. looks upon everyone with a sort of stunned expression. After a while, she let out a deep sigh and murmured "wow." "I know what you're thinking, Lynn; that we're probably getting worked up over nothing" Phoebe murmured, "but we really wanna be part of this play and...and we're just worried we won't make the cut."

After snapping out of her daze, Lynn held up her hands defensively and proclaimed she fully understood where everyone was coming from. "Back in the day, when I first tried out for the school football league; I was worried I wouldn't make the cut" she explained, "I sweated so much, I almost used up half the jerseys they had out." There was a light mix of sounds of laughter and those of disgust from the group, after hearing this.

But at the same time, the Gals and Guys were pleased to see that Lynn understood where they were coming from. "If ya want my advice...don't worry so much, everybody" Lynn said firmly yet kindly, "same goes for you too, Linc." From here; she said that even though she wasn't that much into theater, she still found almost all the performances to be rather enjoyable.

"BEFORE YOU GUYS SAY ANYTHING...note that I'm not poking fun at any of your auditions" she assured, "I'm talking about the ones that were...mediocre, at best." As examples; she mentioned how Vicky's Helena sounded stiff, that Mordecai didn't seem like a convincing Puck and that while she still valued her as a friend/teammate, Lynn thought the stage wasn't really the place for Paula. "But as for you guys...wow, I was beyond impressed" Lynn confessed, "I especially found your audition to be pretty strong, Bro."

For a brief moment, Lincoln was left dumbfounded by his sister's words; feeling mildly unsure if he believed them or not. As if sensing these thoughts from him, Lynn patted him on the shoulder and proclaimed she meant every word she said. "On that note, I've just gotta ask you guys something" she stated, "what's there to be nervous about?"

Without hesitation, both groups went about expressing each and every fear they had about their situation. After taking a moment to mentally go over each of them, seconds later; Lynn stepped back slightly and took a deep breath. "Okay, guys...before I begin; I just need to ask you all to not take what I'm about to do the wrong way" she stated, "but...remember when I said earlier that I only let out the old me during certain times, this is one of those times."

With that said; Lynn closed her eyes, took in another deep breath and when she opened them again, Lincoln could see a familiar fire burning within them. But before he or anyone else could so much as question what was happening, both groups suddenly felt their faces being slapped sideways by Lynn's hand. "Okay, people, listen up; the time for acting like sissies stops here and now" the young teen says firmly, "am I going crazy here or are you guys telling me that you're letting something small like performing in a school play suck all the courage out of your souls?!"

In that moment, both groups truly wanted to say something...but they felt too shocked to do so. This of course, was all the response Lynn needed from them and she shook her head with shame; as a result. "Pitiful...last time I checked, some of you have faced off against much bigger challenges than this" she said sternly, "Elliot, after all the time you've spent helping Margo practice for sports; are you really gonna let stage fright get the better of you?"

Upon being told this, the young Middle Schooler thought back to the moments Lynn addressed. Despite every time she kicked him, tackled him, punched him in the face or even accidentally nailed him in the "jewels" by a soccer ball; Elliot never stopped wanting to help Margo practice. Once she saw that her point was made, Lynn turned her attention over towards the others; giving Lincoln and the Gal Pals a rather tense look.

"I'm especially disappointed in you all as well, gang" she sighed, "is this the same group who stood up to a thief at the Ren Faire during the summer, an angry mob during Halloween and half of my family last Spring?!" At first, Lincoln stood in silence; wondering why his sister was referencing each of these moments. But then, he suddenly realized the point Lynn was trying to make.

Much like with Elliot; during each of the tense moments Lynn brought up, Lincoln and the Gals remained strong till the very end. "From the looks on your faces, I can tell you're all starting to see where I'm going here...right" she asked, "in which case; after surviving moments like those, are you seriously going to let stage fright of all things get the better of you?" At that moment, the group was in a bit of an emotional crossroads.

On the one hand, they fully agreed with Lynn in her words and didn't want fear get the better of them. But on the other hand; that same fear still had a tight grip on them and thus, all they could offer up was an uncertain "no" in reply. "Aw, c'mon; lemme really hear ya" Lynn ordered, "are you gonna let stage fright hold y'all back?!" Once more, the gang offered up a "no" in reply; only this time, it sounded a little louder and more firm.

"One more time, everybody" Lynn said boldly, "are you gonna let stage fright hold...you...BACK?!" That did it; with that final push, the two groups suddenly felt a burning fire of passion ignite within them. Seconds later; they rose from the bench, pumped their fists into the air and shouted "NOOO!"

After that, everybody suddenly fell into a joyful stupor and started cheering madly. Then, at that moment; the shrill sounds of a horn blaring brought a swift end to the groups' jubilation. With a start, everyone turned around and spotted a familiar van parked nearby.

"Well...looks like our ride's here" Lynn said with a chuckle, "best get a move on, Linc." Not needing to be told twice; Lincoln picked up his bag, said goodbye to his friends and hurried over towards Vanzilla. Before entering, Lynn shook her head slightly and her facial expression suddenly looked softer.

"See ya tomorrow, everybody" she shouted towards the Gals and Guys, "and remember what I said, don't let fear take control of you." Both groups nodded slightly in affirmation, thanked Lynn for her words of encouragement and wished her well; just as the van started to leave. As the Louds made drove off for home, Rita turned her head around and asked how the kids' day went.

"Mind telling us what all that was about, kids" Rita inquired, "you're not instigating anything...are you, Lynn?" Before the aforementioned girl could speak up, Lincoln quickly offered to do so for her; which she happily agreed. "Everything's okay, Mom" he assured, "Lynn was just helping my friends and I snap out of some fears we were having."

The instant they heard this, both Lynn Sr. and Rita suddenly slipped into "Overprotective Mode" and started asking Lincoln all sorts of questions; such as "are you hurt," "did you get sick" and who knows what else. "Guys, guys...Lincoln's fine" Lynn interjected calmly, "just give him some room to breathe a little." Realizing their mistake, both parents backed off slightly; all while trying to hide their blushing faces.

"We're so sorry about that, kids...but can you blame us for freaking out" Lynn muttered shamefully, "when Lincoln didn't come home on the bus, your mother and I thought something happened to him." The two siblings chuckled softly at this and assured their parents that everything was okay. When Rita asked Lincoln his reason for staying after school, he insisted on waiting to explain till tomorrow.

"I know what you might be thinking, guys and the answer is no" he said firmly, "there's nothing shady going on, I just...it's a surprise, one that I know you and the rest of the girls at home will all love." For a brief moment, Rita's curiosities nagged at her; urging the woman to try and get more information out of her son. But after listening to his tone of voice and knowing that he, at least had Lynn to watch out for him; she decided to give Lincoln the benefit of the doubt.

"If your mother's okay with this; so am I, Son" Lynn Sr. stated, "but whatever this 'surprise' of yours is; you best tell us, after school tomorrow." Lincoln gave his father a scout's honor salute and promised to honor his wishes, when the time came. With that settled, the rest of the drive home went on peacefully.

(Line Break)

The following day; Lincoln was in Ms. Pham's class, taking notes on the teacher's lesson (as per usual.) Then, at that moment; the students suddenly covered up their ears as the intercom turned on. "Howdy, y'all; just wanted to bring up a quick announcement" Meryl's voice called out sweetly, "before lunch, pop by and check the hallway Bulletin Board; the cast for this year's play have been officially chosen."

With that said, she gave everyone involved with the play the traditional "break a leg" statement and concluded the announcements; which allowed Miss Pham to resume the remainder of her lesson. For most of the students in class, the news about the play seemed unimportant.

But for the likes of Lincoln; he felt anxious, scared, excited and terrified all at the same time. "I'm really hoping to get the part I want" Lincoln whispered to the viewer, "I've got my fingers, my toes...and even my eyes crossed for good measure." He then looked to the side and saw Clyde shivering nervously in his seat; appearing just as anxious as Lincoln.

His fingers tapped against they desk at a frantically rhythmic pace, his teeth ground tensely against each other and his glasses appeared heavily fogged up; possibly due to the fact his forehead was sweating immensely. Not to far away, Rusty looked just as anxious; his teeth gnashing so tightly that they might shatter. Elsewhere, a few of the Gals also looked nervous but did their best not to let others notice it.

Just as the kids were starting to slip further down the pit of anxiety, Ms. Pham lightly smacked a ruler upon her desk; mildly surprising them. "Good, children; nice to have your attention again" she said stoically, "now...shall we continue with the rest of our lesson?" Almost immediately; the class, Lincoln and his friends included, all responded with a soft "yes, Ma'am" and resumed taking their notes.

In time, Biology Class had ended and everyone headed off for Gym; thinking that a little exercise might help shake off their anxieties. Sadly, Fate had a bit of a naughty surprise in store for them; upon their arrival. To start with, it was Dodgeball Day and neither Lincoln nor his friends liked the sound of it.

Secondly, Vicky was chosen to be the leader of her team and she was known to be an aggressive player; far more so than even Lynn was. But in spite of these two circumstances; for some strange reason, Lincoln saw this as a "good thing." "Maybe a little terror and some dodgeball playing can get my mind off of the play" he thought to himself, "I just hope I'll be able to survive against Vicky's crew before class ends."

With that thought in mind, Lincoln quickly hurried over towards Stella and his guy friends; who were already taking positions for the Scorpion Formation. But when he arrived, he could see that each of his friends appeared just as nervous as he was. "What's got you guys so skittish" Lincoln asked in a hushed tone, "is it about the game or is it about the...you know what?"

Without missing a beat, each of the guys gave a sort of "so-so" gesture; which symbolized that their fears were a 50/50 mix. "I'm even nervous about it too; to be honest with you, guys" Stella confessed, "and I didn't even audition!" Before anyone had the chance to question her words, the room echoed with the sounds of Coach Keck's whistle blowing and the game was underway.

All around the gymnasium; students ran, shouted and screamed loudly with either excitement or terror. At the same time, other students (Vicky mostly) wasted no time in trying to pelt their opponents with dodgeballs. "Did you nerds happen to learn any choreography skills during auditions" she asked mockingly, "here, let's see what'cha got!"

With that, Vicky ordered her team to unleash a heavy volley of dodgeballs at their opponents and they did as they were told...with gusto. Meanwhile; Lincoln and Co. desperately tried to either avoid getting hit or to collect the balls they needed to retaliate. But their minds were still so overwhelmed by fear that they could barely focus.

As a result, they were viciously pelted by the other team's dodgeballs; even though the gang put up a bit of a fight.

(Line Break)

In time, class had finally ended and everyone was dismissed from the Gym for lunch. The last few to leave were Lincoln and his friends, who looked as though they had been through a war. "Ow...Ooh! Dang it, that has to be the longest hour of class I've ever endured" Rusty murmured while rubbing a few lumps on his forehead, "at least...I think it's been an hour; my mind's still pretty foggy, after getting beaned by those dodgeballs one too many times." The others could only groan in reply due to they pain they were currently in.

As Lincoln checked to see if his bucktooth was still intact with his mouth, he made a note to take a quick trip to the Nurse's Office before lunch. But as soon as he said that, Clyde reminded him that the cast list for the school play was on display and asked if he wanted to have a look at it first. "After getting beaned in the face by five dodgeballs, I don't think I can see much of anything" Lincoln groaned, "how about we get some ice for our swelling...then, we can check the audition results."

Without hesitation, the Gals and Guys sounded off in agreement with a series of soft yet pained moans. Then, they trudged their way down towards the Nurse's office; intent on getting some ice for their sore faces. When they left the aforementioned room, almost a half-hour later; the gang either sported some small band-aids on their sore spots or were holding ice packs against their faces.

As they trudged their way down the hall, Clyde switched his ice pack over with Zach; thinking he needed it more. After which, the gang happened to notice that they were passing by the Bulletin Board outside the office doors. For a brief moment, the Gals and Guys considered taking a peek to see who got what role.

But their minds were still groggy from the dodgeball barrage they all endured. "How about this...as soon as Lunch is over, we'll come right back over here and see who got in the play" Lincoln suggested, "we'll do it right before we go to our next classes, agreed?" Almost immediately, everyone responded with soft grunts of agreement while also offering a thumbs up or two.

While this didn't seem like an enthusiastic response; for now, it was sufficient enough. With that settled, everyone resumed their slow trek down towards the cafeteria. "I hope getting something to eat will help take my mind off things" Clyde murmured, "I don't know how much longer I can take the waiting!"

The others couldn't help but agree, especially Lincoln; despite however much their faces hurt...forcing themselves to wait longer to see the play casting list was just as painful.

(Scene Change: Cafeteria)

Fifteen minutes passed since Lunch Period started and at first, everything seemed to be going on like normal. However; over at one table, almost half the students who sat there appeared to be grossly on edge. At the same time, the remaining half stared at their friends confusedly; wondering if they were okay.

Then, when they saw how feverishly Lincoln was cutting into his slice of cake; the time had come to take action. "Oye! Lincoln, are you feeling alright" Dolores asked with concern, "if cut your knife down any further, you'll likely slice through the table." This statement was just enough to snap the Loud boy out of his daze.

After taking a moment to shake away the cobwebs from his mind, he looked down slightly and noticed that his plastic knife had already touched the surface of the table. "Whoops...thanks for the warning, D" Lincoln mumbled sheepishly, "I guess I'm just...feeling a bit anxious right now." Not long after he said this, the rest of the OG Guy Squad members started muttering softly under their breath; which signaled that they were feeling just as on edge as Lincoln was.

Before long, Clyde revealed the main reason behind their odd behavior; the casting calls for the school play. "Oh...that explains a lot" Omar chuckled, "well, if it's any consolation, y'all ain't the only ones feelin' this way." To prove his point, he gestured towards another table; where everyone could see Omar's sister, Tonya tapping her fingers nervously against the table. To Lincoln and the boys (sans Omar,) this came as both a surprising yet confusing sight.

"Hang on, I thought Tonya was working with the advertising committee" he stated, "what reason could she have for being nervous?" Without missing a beat, Omar explained that the advertising committee team was responsible for getting the word out about the play as best as they could. "Whoa...boy, that's a good point" Zach gasped in realization, "if the committee's efforts don't bring in enough audience members, the play could be a bust."

Not long after this; Dolores revealed that while girls like Tonya and Stella had work to do in the advertising committee, she and Cici would be helping out in the costume department. At first, this reveal didn't seem like it had any surprises behind it. But then, Dolores added that despite working behind the scenes; she was just as nervous as the performers were.

"I am good with matching things to give a look its own unique style" she stated, "but when it comes to actually making the costumes...I'm 'all thumbs,' as they say." While this news seemed to please Lincoln, he felt mildly saddened by the fact he wouldn't get to see his god-sister on stage with the rest of the cast. "Do not be so sure, my friend" Dolores said with a coy grin, "let's just say...I had a backup idea, in case working with costumes wasn't entirely for me."

Rather than ask for the meaning behind their friend's words, everyone decided to move on. To help put a pin on the matter at hand, Omar quickly reminded the Guy Squad that Phoebe was just as nervous as they were. "And...you didn't hear it from me but...even Haiku herself is nervous about the play" Omar whispered, "imagine that, our Goth Bird of Happiness is actually scared."

No sooner had he said this, the aforementioned Goth girl suddenly appeared behind him and murmured "I heard that;" almost resulting in Omar spilling his lunch. "I don't like word getting out about someone like me feeling anything but stoic and calm" Haiku murmured, "but...Omar's right, I'm also rather anxious to see if I'll get the part I want in the play." After taking all of these developments to heart, Lincoln and the boys suddenly felt rather embarrassed of themselves and blushed with shame.

But then; Dolores snapped her fingers, thus regaining their attention, and assured the boys that it was perfectly normal to feel nervous. "We saw you guys audition and in my opinion, you did rather well" she said reassuringly, "but even if you don't get the parts you want...there's always the understudy position." In that moment, Lincoln didn't know whether to thank his god-sister or groan in mild annoyance.

At the same time, Rusty decided to speak for him by proclaiming that Dolores wasn't helping "lessen the severity" of their situation. "Look, boys...all we're tryin' to tell you is that y'all shouldn't be fussin' so much" Ellie said firmly, "whatever happens, the important thing is you gave this thing a try." While this statement didn't make their anxiety fade away completely, Lincoln and the boys realized their friends all raised some very strong points.

Whether or not they got into the play; in the end, the one thing they could take away from their endeavor was that they took a shot at something new. "Still, I hope some of us did get the parts we wanted" Clyde murmured, "on that note, I'm gonna go check the cast sheet outside the main office after lunch is over; who's with me?" The rest of the OG Guy Squad murmured firmly in agreement and, for insurance, gave their friends free reign to drag them back; if they attempted to retreat before checking out the list.

"If you say so, chamaco" Dolores said with a knowing look, "but...I don't think that will be necessary, when the time comes." With that said, everyone went back to finishing up what remained of their lunches.

(Line Break)

Some time later, nearly half the school's students flocked over to the administration office; eager to catch a glimpse at the cast listing for the school play. Meanwhile, Lincoln and Co. stood at the back of the crowd; doing everything they could to either look ahead of them or move through the other students. "C'mon, guys; can't you let at least one of us squeeze through" Zach whined, "we can't see a thing back here!"

As the young man desperately tried to squeeze his way through several students' legs, he suddenly overheard them whispering amongst themselves. Despite however soft their voices were, Zach and the others could clearly hear these students saying things like "you don't belong on the stage" or "you'll choke before the curtain even goes up." At first, Zach felt quite bothered these comments and was ready to speak up against them.

But before he could do so, the young ginger-haired boy suddenly felt a hand rest upon his shoulder. Zach turned slightly to see Lincoln, giving him a firm yet comforting stare. "Don't listen to these guys, buddy" he said in a hushed yet comforting tone, "I just know we'll get to be in the play, one way or another."

Zach smiled warmly at his friend, feeling slightly more at ease and kept his fingers (as well as his toes) crossed; hoping for the best. Overtime, the crowd of students started to disperse; some of which left the scene while muttering bitterly under their breath. Among them was Vicky, who hoped to land the part as either Helena or Hermia.

"The nerve of that punk, Baskerville" Vicky grumbled, "how dare they not pick me to play one of the leading ladies!" As the red-haired teen stomped off down the hall in anger; the time came, at last for Lincoln's group to have a look. As the boys made their way towards the cast list sheet, they did a quick rundown of all the names listed.

Byron Walters – Theseus

Dolores Campos – Queen Hippolyta

Clyde McBride – Lysander

Chloe Martin – Hermia

Trent Connors – Demetrius

Hildegard/Hilde "Haiku" Matthews – Helena

Rusty Spokes – Nick Bottom the Weaver

Zach Gurdle – Tom Snout the Tinker

Theodore "Theo" Sanders - Snug the Joiner

Liam Honeycutt – Robin Starveling the Tailor

Omar Simmons - Peter Quince

Kaito Yamashiro - Francis Flute

Biff Packard – Egeus (Father of Hermia)

Elliot Johnson – King Oberon

Phoebe Shutter – Queen Titania

Jordan Rosato – Cobweb

Paige Carter – Moth

Cristina Jennings – Mustardseed

Kathleen "Kat" Ketchum – Peaseblossom

Lincoln Loud – Robin Goodfellow/Puck

Upon spotting each of their names on the list, Lincoln and Co. couldn't help but leap about joyfully. "I can't believe it, guys; we all have a part in the play" Clyde exclaimed with delight, "I can't wait to tell my dads!" Not long after this, the rest of the group expressed their own excitement about being in the play.

Meanwhile, Lincoln found himself staring at the paper in silence; smiling like a mad fool. "I...I can't believe it" he muttered to himself, "I got the part, I'm Puck...THIS IS AWESOME!" Mere seconds after he said this, Lincoln made a mental note to inform his family about the news the instant he got home.

But then, a sudden thought nagged at him; one that led to him looking at the cast list again. After looking over the names a second time, Lincoln stared at some of his fellow fairy castmates and frowned slightly. Now, it had been quite a while since he had last read A Midsummer Night's Dream on his own.

But from what he could remember; Lincoln realized that the other members of the fairy court didn't have as much stage presence as Oberon, Titania or his character did. However, when he brought this up to the Gals, not one of them seemed all that disappointed about it. "As much as I wanted to be in the play...being the center of attention makes me a little nervous" Cristina murmured, "so, I thought being a side character would be better."

While everyone knew she was telling the truth, Lincoln still had his doubts. Of course, this was mostly due to the fact that the other members of Titania's court had only a small number of lines to say. This idea was immediately challenged by Haiku, who suddenly popped up behind the boys.

"My Nanna once told me 'there are no small parts, only small actors'" she stated while adding a slight Scottish accent to her quote (in honor of her grandmother,) "what that means is your roles still hold an importance to the play, despite the minimal amount of dialogue you have." From here, Haiku went on to explain that the other members of Titania's court represented the flora and fauna of the plays world.

"More importantly, they are the ones whom Queen Titania calls upon when she's in love with Bottom" she stated, "in other words, she has her fairies wait on him hand and foot." This bit of information seemed to please Rusty quite a bit. But Jordan, Cristina and Kat on the other hand...they felt that such positions were beneath them.

"I know it sounds bad, ladies" Haiku murmured, "but is it any better than having to work alongside Biff; who's (apparently) been chosen to play Hermia's father, Egeus?" Upon hearing this bit of news; both the Gals and Guys present suddenly shivered with disgust, hoping that Chloe would be able to endure working alongside the boorish jock. "Looks like you got one of the leads as well, Haiku" Stella said with glee, "along with...Dolores playing the role of Hippolyta?!"

The moment this was announced, the entire group almost fell over themselves in surprise. "WOW! That's both awesome...yet a little nerve-racking, at the same time" Clyde murmured, "looks like D's going to be pretty busy, in the coming weeks." In the end, everyone present felt rather pleased with the roles they've been given and made a note to inform everyone they knew about the news.

"Becky's gonna freak, when she hears that Paige will be in the play with us" Lincoln giggled joyfully, "as for my family...I wonder how I should break the news to them?"

(Line Break)

Sometime later, Lincoln was dropped off at his house by the school bus. Upon exiting, he couldn't help but skip and dance with glee; eager to tell his family the news. But his joyful stupor was suddenly halted when he heard the sounds of an aged voice laughing at him.

"Those are some nice moves, Loud" said the voice from somewhere nearby, "what's got ya in such a happy mood?" After giving off a mild yelp of alarm, Lincoln turned around and spotted Mr. Grouse; who was in the middle of trimming some hedges in his yard. After taking a moment to steady himself, Lincoln smiled at his neighbor and said he had big news to share with his family.

"Well...from the look on your face, it sounds like you've got somethin' real nice to share" Grouse said kindly, "at least, I'm hopin' it's nice." Lincoln chuckled softly at the comment, wished his neighbor well and danced merrily towards the house. Upon entering, he was surprised to see that neither his parents nor his sisters were present in the living room.

Seconds later, he heard laughter coming from the dining room and saw that everyone was gathered at the table. Just as Lincoln was about to greet the family, his mother told him to hurry over. "Your sister's on a video call with us right now, sweetie" she announced, "do you want to say hello?"

Not only did he immediately agreed to his mother's request, Lincoln also felt this would be the perfect opportunity to break the news to everyone. So, he lightly tossed his backpack onto the sofa and joined everyone in the dining room. There, he saw Lori on a laptop screen; dressed in her Fairway uniform and sitting inside of her dorm room.

"Hey, everybody; my last class ended early and I came back to my room to chill for a bit" Lori greeted, "so, how are things back at the house?" Just as Lincoln was about to speak up first, his other nine sisters suddenly swarmed around the laptop; thus resulting in him being accidentally squished in-between them. He tried to call out to everyone and ask them to give him some breathing room (figuratively and literally speaking.)

But unfortunately, the sounds of both his sisters and parents' excited chattering drowned Lincoln's voice out almost completely. After a while, Lori noticed her little brother's predicament and gave a shrill whistle; which caused the whole family to go silent. "Okay...before we continue any further; could you all give Lincoln some space, please" Lori requested, "you're literally suffocating him."

Without missing a beat, the other Loud Sisters looked in-between them and spotted the boy in question; who was...rather uncomfortably squished between Lynn Sr. and Rita. "Oh, dear; sorry about that, honey" said the latter Loud Parent, "we didn't see you." Once everyone spread out a bit, allowing Lincoln a moment to breathe; he gave his family a smile and said there was no harm done.

But on the inside, his mind couldn't help but think "gee...now I know how Lucy feels at times." Once this minor hiccup was resolved, the family went back to greeting Lori...but in a much calmer fashion, this time around. "I really miss you, hon" Lynn Sr. whined, "running the restaurant just doesn't feel the same without my manager beside me."

Lori blushed slightly at the comment, proclaiming that she didn't do anything too special while working at Lynn's Table. The next to speak up was Leni, who proceeded to ask her what sort of outfit would look best on her for the Spring Formal coming up at school. "Leni, don't you remember; the Formal isn't until late April" Lori stated, "but...if I had to choose, I'd go with that adorable Coral Blue dress you got when we went shopping last weekend."

This response caused the young fashionista to "squee" with joy and she immediately made a note to bring out the dress, when the night of the Formal arrived. Next, Luna brought Lori up to base on her band's progress; as well as her and Sam's relationship. After that, Luan brought up a joke she had been working on; one that actually brought Lori to let out a genuine laugh.

One by one, every other member of the family was busily chatting with the eldest Loud Sibling; while Lincoln remained in the back. Every now and again, he tried to call out to Lori but his voice would ultimately be drowned out by everyone's combined voices. "At this rate, I'll never get the chance to break the news to everyone" Lincoln murmured to the "viewer," "time for me to take drastic measures."

With that said; he snuck his way out of the dining room, speed-walked his way up the stairs and headed for Lynn and Lucy's room. When he came back, seconds later; Lincoln tried another attempt to politely ask for everyone to let him speak. But just like before, his cries went unnoticed; thanks everyone's chatter.

After failing one final time to get the family's attention, Lincoln reached into his pocket and brought out an air horn. Then, after he took a moment to plug up his one ear; Lincoln placed his finger atop the button and pressed it. The sound it made was so shrill that it made their house cat, Cliff leap halfway up the room in alarm.

Even Lori felt startled by the noise, despite being in another room and on the laptop. At the same time, several other Fairway U students suddenly popped through her door; lightly shushing her. "Uh...heh-heh; sorry about that, everybody" Lori said in a hushed tone, "one of my siblings was, uh...practicing their air horn signals again."

Despite however nonsensical her excuse seemed, it was enough to satisfy the other students and they immediately retreated back to their respective rooms. Once everything was calm again, everyone (including Lori) suddenly glared daggers in Lincoln's direction; appearing understandably frustrated.

"Lincoln Albert Loud...you have some explaining to do" Rita said firmly, "explain why you had to make such a noise while we were all in the middle of a conversation?" With a nervous sweat forming on his forehead, Lincoln chuckled timidly and apologized for what he did in a truly sincere manner. "I really am sorry, you guys; I didn't want to do that" he stated, "I tried to get your attention the polite way, earlier...but you couldn't hear me."

While the boy's explanation didn't quite excuse his earlier actions; the family quickly realized (thanks to Lisa's logic) that he raised a valid point, regardless. "Well, Bro...you've got our attention" Luna said bluntly, "you've got somethin' to say?" In an instant, Lincoln's earlier timidity vanished and a near star-bright smile suddenly appeared.

Then, without a moment's pause; he told everyone he had "big news to share." "Would this 'big news' of yours have anything to do with what was going on between you, your sister and your friends yesterday" inquired Lynn Sr., "if so, we're all ears." After taking in a deep breath, both to calm his nerves and get some air into his lungs, Lincoln explained that Lynn was helping him and his friends get over some anxiety.

"OMG! Is everything okay" Lori asked with concern, "did a bully get their hands on you...or did you make a scene in class?" Upon hearing the eldest Loud Sister's examples, the rest of the family soon became just as concerned as she was. But right away, Lincoln put all their fears to rest and assured everyone that he was fine.

"Well...that's a relief" Lynn Sr. sighed heavily, "but then, what had you so nervous that you needed Junior's help?" By this point, Lincoln's excitement was swelling up so much inside of him; he looked ready to burst. Without any further delay, Lincoln cleared his throat and broke the news to everybody.

"Recently, my school announced auditions for their production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream" he explained, "naturally, my friends and I were really excited by this news...but also a little nervous." Before continuing, Lincoln took a quick look at the rest of the family and noticed the blank stares they were all giving him. At first, he thought they were becoming bored and wanted him to get to the point of his story.

But then, after casting a glance at his parents; Lincoln saw them giving him a gesture that seemed to say "go on." "Okay...So, we were all nervous; not just about auditioning but also on whether or not any of us would get cast in the play at all" he stated, "that's when Lynn stepped in and volunteered to help 'get our heads back in the game,' as they say in the sports world." Not only did Lynn Jr. vouch for Lincoln, telling everybody that what he said was true; she also gave a little chuckle at his attempt at a joke.

"Okay, I guess this explains why we heard you all yelling on campus" Rita murmured, "but...be straight with us, were you really trying out for a play?" At first, Lincoln felt offended by his mother's inquiry; which led him to believe she thought he was lying to her. But then, upon realizing the situation; he realized that her skepticism was understandable.

"Yes, Mom; I was auditioning for a play" Lincoln said in a playfully coy tone, "and...I GOT A ROLE!" Once more, he was met with stone-cold silence from his family; even from the pets. Then, after a while; Lola, Lisa, Luan and even Lily suddenly burst out laughing in disbelief.

After almost five minutes of this, the foursome looked over at their brother and saw a rather bothered look on his face. "Oh...you were serious, Brother" Lisa inquired, "this isn't some sort of...early April Fools jest of yours?" Before Lincoln could speak up, both Lynn Sr. and Rita glared firmly at the girls; demanding that they show respect.

"We're sorry, guys" Luan murmured, "but...you gotta admit, this sounds almost too outrageous to believe." Without a moment's pause, Rita and Lincoln proceeded to ask what seemed so ridiculous about their brother performing in a play. "For one thing, Mother; this is a work of Shakespeare" Lisa muttered, "and I do not recall seeing Lincoln take up an interest in such material before."

Almost immediately, the boy confessed that there was a sliver of truth in the young genius' words. In the past, the only reading material he would delve into involved superheroes our secret agent figures. "But after going to the Ren Faire with my friends most of the summer and attending Haiku's book clubs, I...got curious and read one or two plays" Lincoln murmured, "but it's the one I've been cast to play in that's become a favorite of mine."

After hearing all this, the family couldn't decide which seemed more surprising; the fact that their only son/brother would be performing in a Shakespeare play...or that willingly attended book club meetings. Then; Lucy got up from her seat, walked up to Lincoln and looked at him intently. Despite the fact that her bangs always kept them covered, everyone could sense that Lucy's eyes were seemingly peering deep into Lincoln's very soul.

Then, after what felt like ages; the young Goth took a few steps back and smiled softly. "He's telling the truth, everyone" Lucy murmured softly, "he truly is taking part in the Middle School play." The moment this was announced, the whole room's atmosphere shifted from skeptical to joyful.

Within seconds, half of Lincoln's sisters suddenly surrounded him; either to offer up congratulatory remarks or to hug him with joy. Meanwhile, Lori simply gave a soft yet joyous "golfers clap" to show her enthusiasm about the news. Normally, such a gesture harbored feelings of sarcasm or disdain.

But due to Fairway's strict rules on students maintaining a respectable silence, everyone knew it was the best applause Lori could offer; especially Lincoln. As for Lynn Sr. and Rita, they wasted no time in expressing their full joy on the matter. "Oh, sweetheart; we're so proud of you" the latter gushed happily, "tell us, what kind of character are you playing?"

Before Lincoln could reply, the rest of the family started asking him similar questions; such as what would his character be doing, what was the play about, was there any romance and (from Leni specifically) would he need help with his costume. "I'm afraid for answers for the first two of your questions, you guys will have to wait for opening night" Lincoln said simply, "but as for the other two, the Drama Club's already got my costume covered and the play has quite a few romantic elements in it."

Before anyone had the chance to speak up, he silenced them with a halting gesture and presented a request unto the family. "Every now and again, rehearsals will happen at the school" Lincoln explained, "but when I'm at home, I'm gonna need loads of concentration to really get into character...can I count on you guys to give me the space and silence I'll need, when the moments arise?"

At first, the boy half expected everyone (with the exception of Lori) to outright refuse his wish. But then, Luna suddenly approached him and ruffled his hair affectionately; which was all the assurance Lincoln needed from her. "I fully understand your needs for silence and solitude, Brother" Lucy murmured, "I often seek it myself, when I'm indulging in my poetry."

Not long after this, Lynn also swore to respect Lincoln's wishes and would give him all the space he would need to practice. Then, the twins (Lana and Lola) vowed to do the same; even adding to help care for Lily whenever she might get fussy. "Because a thespian's need for silence is of the utmost importance, I shall take my work elsewhere before your play's opening night" Lisa assured, "in short, I'll be spending much of that time in the emergency bunker."

Lastly, the Loud Parents also assured Lincoln that they would give him all the space he needed to practice. "Do any of your friends know about this yet, honey" Rita asked, "I mean...I know some of them are already in your grade, if not performing in the play with you but...you know." It didn't take long for Lincoln to understand whom his mother was referring to.

With a bright smile on his face, he said that Paige may have already informed Becky about the news; seeing as how she would be in the play as well. "As for Carol, Dana and Whitney...I haven't told them yet" Lincoln stated, "but I plan on doing just that, once I'm done here." With that settled; the family slipped into their joyful mood, once again and enveloped Lincoln in a loving group hug.

"I am so proud of you, Bro" Lori said happily, "this is literally big news and I will make sure to try and see you perform...somehow." Lincoln smiled warmly at his eldest sister and lightly embraced the laptop screen, as a way to thank her for her kind words. At that moment; a soft buzzing sound rang out but it wasn't the oven, the microwave or any of the alarms.

Then, mere seconds after it went off; the strange sound was instantly silenced. "Sorry about the scare you guys" Lori murmured sheepishly, "that was my phone alarm, it's telling me that my next class will be starting soon." With that said, everyone groaned/sighed/whined softly with dismay; hating the fact that they had to say goodbye to Lori again.

"It was nice chatting with you guys" she said with a sweet smile, "looking forward to seeing/hearing from you again and Lincoln...break a leg up on stage, when the big night comes." With that said, she blew her family a good-bye kiss and turned off the web call. Afterwards, the family extended further congratulations to Lincoln for getting a part in his school's play.

"I can't wait to tell Pop-Pop and Myrtle" Rita said with glee, "I'm going to call them up and break the news right now!" After this, Lynn Sr. proclaimed he'd be making a special dinner to celebrate Lincoln's big news. But while he appreciated the gesture, Lincoln urged his father to ease up on celebrating a little; at least until after opening night.

"We know, Linky...but we're just so proud of you" Leni said while hugging him tight, "I think I remember hearing about the play during Freshman Year...Midsummer is the one about the fairies, right?" Lincoln smiled bright at his sister and offered up an "on the nose" gesture, signaling that her guess was correct.

Meanwhile, Lucy felt a little shiver of displeasure run through her at the mention of fairies; fearing that the play would be "too cutesy for her liking." But Lola and Lily, this sounded like something that was "made for them." Before long, the whole house was a buzz with joy and activity; which signaled for Lincoln to sneak off to his room in secret.

"I expected my family's reaction to my news to be strong...but not like this" he whispered to the "viewer," "I hope they'll keep their word and give me the quiet time I'll need to prepare." With this thought in mind; he entered his room, placed his backpack on the bed, pulled out his script pages and prepped his voice for the first lines.

(First AN: And so it begins; everyone's been given their role/job and now, the only thing that remains is to practice as much as possible and spread the word. Will opening night go off well, will Lincoln and Co. be able to get in the zone in time and more importantly, will the Loud Family keep their word and give Linc the space he needs?
Tune in next time, to find out)

(Second AN: For those wondering, the near majority of last names for the characters featured in the play are created by me; examples include Trent, Chloe, Byron, Elliot, Kaito, Liam, Paige and Cristina. Meanwhile, Kat's last name of Ketchum is based on an idea by fellow Loud House fan and fanfic writer, RawToonagePress.)

(Third AN: The "bad dream" Lincoln tells everyone about is essentially the plotline of the special entitled Schooled; which I consider, and many others, to be one of the worst installments in the show's history *next to Kings of the Con.* If you enjoyed either special, more power to ya...but as for me, I'd prefer them both to be banned)

(Fourth AN: The attitude Lynn exhibited to get everybody out of their anxiety is not her reverting back to her old self, rest assured. As she explains, it's a technique Lynn learned to help properly harness her anger and determination; sort of like "putting on her game face." Just thought I'd clear that up, in case anyone got confused)

(Fifth AN: For those who might be wondering; no, the next part will not be a retread of Sounds of Silence. Since Lincoln will be practicing for the play, which they know is very important to him, the family will do anything and everything possible to keep their...craziness at a reasonable level)

(Sixth AN: While it MAY be true that Helena's father, Nadar has no physical appearance or lines within the play. It was one of the few characters that were left and I felt that Omar deserved a part. Just thought I'd clear that up, in case anyone got confused)

(Last AN: To some of you, Lincoln using an air horn might be seen as him doing something mean. But understand this; with so many people talking to Lori at one time, his voice was almost unheard. Thus, he needed to do something to get their attention.

One other way to look at it would be to compare Lincoln's actions to the whistle Lynn gave at the bench outside of school)