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

(Story Summary: As every member of the play's cast and crew prep for Opening Night, Lincoln and a few of his friends soon find themselves nearly overwhelmed by last minute jitters. At the same time, the Middle School's advertising committee is having some difficulty getting people's attention. But just when everybody feels like giving up, a lifeline is thrown their way...Carol Pingrey.

With the help of her social media influence, word about the play soon spreads about far and wide; catching many peoples' attention. But will all these efforts prove successful in the end and will the cast members be able to prepare themselves enough for opening night?)

As the Loud Family cheered with joy at the news Lincoln shared; all across town, the families and neighbors of others involved with the play felt equally happy. Soon, everyone would be counting down the minutes until opening night; where they would get to see the children up on stage and perform. But as Lincoln and Co. would later discover, simply telling everyone the news was the..."semi-easy part."

Once this was over and done, everyone spent the following preparing for the play as much as they were able. On one such occasion, the school's news network did their best to get the word out to the student body; either through small reminders or advertising. Speaking of which, the school had members of the play perform other forms of advertising as well.

This involved some of the play's advertising committee dressing up in costume and either passing out flyers to any passing students or to hand them out to others within their neighborhoods. In any case, some within the team felt rather self-conscious about what they were doing. Case in point; one of the members of the play's promoting staff, Miss Tonya Simmons, did not feel very pleased with her position.

"Y'all...I dunno why I even agreed to do this" groaned the young teen, "not only are my feet achin' in these shoes...but I've spent almost a half hour trying to get my stupid headdress thing over my stupid afro!" Upon making this complaint, Tonya reached up and made an attempt to comfortably adjust the hem of her headdress over her hair...for the eleventh time that morning. But like many times before, it barely went past the tip of her afro.

Not too far away; Mollie, one of Jordan's besties, voiced similar complaints about her outfit. "At least your clothes fit, for the most part" she grumbled, "meanwhile, mine feels like a snake that's squeezing all the air out of my lungs." To emphasize her point, Mollie lightly tugged at her corset; all while taking in light inhales of air.

Once the ladies were finished fiddling with their clothes, they went back to doing their jobs; handing out flyers to any students who passed them in the hall. At the same time, other students also did their best to spread word about the play. This involved either telling any neighbors or loved ones close to them, sharing news about it on the school news channel or talking about it on Social Media.

Meanwhile, all members of the play's cast spent many days rehearsing their lines anywhere they were at and in any way they could. Down at the farm; Liam recited his lines to his father, his Mee Maw, his sister and (as strange as it seemed) the livestock. He was joined by the rest of his fellow "Guy Squad" mates; Clyde, Rusty and Zach (due to the fact that their characters were often seen side-by-side.)

Unfortunately for them, after speaking only a few small phrases from their scripts; the boys noticed that not only were the humans looking at them oddly but the animals as well. "What's wrong, everybody" questioned Clyde, "did we mess up a line or something?" Thinking quickly, Liam's father rose from his seat and shook his head frantically; assuring the boys they did "fine."

"Yeah, youngins; y'all did good" Mee Maw said kindly, "but...will y'all be talkin' in that flowery talk durin' the whole play?" Mere seconds after this inquiry was presented, the animals all sounded off in agreement; signaling that they were left feeling just as confused by the boys' dialogue. At first, the Guy Squad took this as a bad sign until Liam explained it wasn't really their fault.

"See...poetry was never really somethin' my Mee Maw felt drawn to" he stated, "she was more into gardening than readin'." While this explanation did help the boys understand things better, they felt that such an attitude would be rather awkward on Opening Night. "Lookie here, boys; don't you worry none" Mr. Wilcox assured, "me and Maw will definitely be at your play and we'll be lookin' forward to seein' ya up on that stage!"

Almost immediately, Mee Maw seconded her son-in-law's words; even sealing the promise with a pinkie swear with Liam. "I've just got one more question" she asked, "how will one of y'all manage to get a donkey on stage with ya?" The boys' fell back in both shock and confusion at this question.

Then, after getting back on their feet seconds later; they asked Mee Maw for the meaning behind her words. "It says so right here on the page" she said insistently while jabbing her finger at one of the boys' scripts, "there's gonna be a donkey in one scene, ain't there?" In that moment, it took everything in Liam's power to not facepalm himself.

Meanwhile, Clyde did his best to explain where the "donkey" would be involved in the play. "There won't be any actual animals involved, Ma'am" he stated, "instead, someone will get their head turned into a donkey's head...and by someone, we mean Rusty here." Upon hearing this; the aforementioned boy fumed slightly with irritation, mentally complaining about that particular element in his role.

But he quickly reminded himself that it would all be worth it, if it meant acting alongside a cute girl like Dolores. "Well...in any case, y'all can count on us both bein' there to watch ya" Liam's dad assured, "even if we might not understand what's goin' on too much." The boys smiled warmly at the two adults and thanked them for their support with some humble bows.

"That's two more for the audience" Clyde whispered with joy, "and my dads plus Nana Gayle make three more as well!" As the boys took a moment to celebrate their small success; they couldn't help but wonder how their buddy, Lincoln was doing in prepping for his role.

(Line Break)

In another part of town, we find Lincoln hard at work reciting his lines in his bedroom. For his "viewing audience;" he set up his stuffed rabbit, Bun-Bun on the dresser so that it would be looking squarely at him. Just as he was about to speak, Lincoln's eye glanced forward and he noticed that the viewer was "looking at him oddly."

"I know, I know it's weird for me to recite my lines to my toy" Lincoln muttered, "but trust me when I say that I've already practiced in front of real people when my family volunteered to be my audience last week." Straightaway, he informed everyone that the issue at hand wasn't performing in front of his parents and sisters; it was the "heckling" he received from Lisa.

"Nothing she said was offensive, mean or snarky; in case you were wondering" Lincoln said immediately, "instead...she was acting like one of those strict acting coaches you see on TV."

(Flashback)

In the days following after Lincoln told the family of his role, Lisa immediately volunteered to help coach him into delivering his lines with perfect elocution and emotion. At the start, it seemed relatively easy enough; a correction in grammar here or a vocal exercise there. But then, she went...a scooch too far when she decided to use something to help "correct" Lincoln's mistakes; the infamous Squirt Bottle Method (the same one people would use on dogs.)

For almost a week and a half, Lisa implemented this correction method on Lincoln whenever he flubbed up on a line; even slightly so. On the first day or so, this didn't feel too annoying to Lincoln. But by the end of the week, it not only got on his nerves real quick but their parents both believed it was doing Lincoln more harm than good.

Of course, being the self-named sole genius in the family; Lisa was prepared to tell her mother that her method was the most "effective" way to help Lincoln achieve a perfect performance. "Yeah, spraying our bro in the face will really help him steal the show" Lucy muttered, "real clever idea there." While Lincoln did appreciate his younger sister for standing up for him; at the same time, her words prompted Lisa into making a mildly sarcastic remark.

As a result, the two sisters stood nose-to-nose against each other; growling angrily and looking ready for a brawl. But before either of them could raise a finger, a shrill whistle rang out through the room; almost deafening the kids. After taking a moment to clear their ears out, Lucy and Lisa turned slightly to see their mother looking down at them; her arms crossed and her face showing a "don't test me" sort of look.

"Girls...back away nice and slow" Rita said firmly, "there will be none of that fighting business like before, understood?" Despite feeling mildly irritated with each other, both sisters submitted to their mother's whim and backed away from each other's personal space. Afterwards, Rita walked over to Lincoln and helped him dry off his face a little.

"Don't listen to your sister, sweetie" she said kindly, "your performance doesn't have to be 'perfect;' we just want you to go up on that stage, do your best and most of all...have fun." Lincoln smiled warmly at his mother and thanked her with a big hug. At the same time, however; he shared a similar hug with Lisa and Lucy, as a way to say "thank you" for their...unique form of support.

"If you guys don't mind, would it be okay if I practiced alone in my room" requested Lincoln, "I think I'll be able to focus better in private." In response to this, the family not only agreed to his wishes; they also further confirmed their promise from long ago that they would keep any and all noise down for him.

(Flash forward to Present Day)

"Since then, my family's kept their word and the house has been as silent as a cemetery for several days" Lincoln informed the viewer, "this has really helped me get into character a lot more easily." With this thought in mind; he turned towards the mirror, seated Bun-Bun in a more appropriate position and took a deep breath. Then, all of a sudden; his cellphone started chiming loudly.

As a result, the poor boy almost choked himself in surprise. When he finally recovered seconds later, Lincoln grumbled softly and took a look at the Caller ID; wondering who would be calling him at this time. When he saw that it was Carol Pingrey calling him, his earlier irritation instantly faded away.

After pressing a button on the screen, the webcam on Lincoln's phone was activated and the aforementioned teen's face suddenly appeared. "Hi-Hi, Linky" Carol called out sweetly, "just thought I'd give you a buzz and see how things were going." Lincoln smiled sweetly at his eldest guardian and told her that all was well with him.

"I was just about to start practicing when you called" he stated, "how are things with the family?" At first; Lincoln was expected to hear his friend/guardian talk about her home life or whether or not her pet corgi, Alistair was behaving himself around her. But the very next thing Lincoln heard from Carol was "are you practicing for your school play, by chance?"

Naturally, this inquiry surprised Lincoln a little and he asked how she came to know about the play already. "Lori told me about it" Carol replied in a blunt yet sweet tone, "of course, this was after Becky told me that her younger sibling being in it too." With this reveal, Lincoln couldn't help but frown a little; confessing that he hoped to surprise his eldest Gal Pals about the play.

"Hey, now...it's okay, Linky" Carol murmured sympathetically, "regardless of how I found out, I can't even begin to express how proud I am of you; getting yet another opportunity to show off your performance skills!" Upon hearing this, Lincoln stared at the phone screen in stunned silence; amazed to hear his friend/guardian speak this way about the news. "Gosh...thanks for the enthusiasm, Carol; really" Lincoln muttered shyly, "so...does this mean you might be coming to see the show?"

In that moment, the blonde teen wanted nothing more than to say yes. But then, reality quickly butted in and Carol regrettably revealed that she had to take a college tour on opening night. "I know it doesn't seem like that big of an issue" she stated, "but...Daddy insists that I do this."

While he knew that such an engagement was too important to pass off, Lincoln couldn't help but feel...mildly disappointed with this news. But just as things were starting to become somber, Carol quickly threw Lincoln a grand lifeline. "How does this idea sound, Linky" she began, "I may not be able to watch your play in person...but my mother can try and live stream the play on her phone so that I can watch it while I'm on the campus."

Before Lincoln could speak his mind about the idea, Carol immediately brought up another option; to ask Lori to record the play on her phone and e-mail the video to her at a later date. "If I may be honest with you...I really like both ideas" Lincoln said fondly, "but would your mother really come to my school to see a play?"

It didn't take long for Carol to pick up on the subtext behind his statement. In response to this, she immediately assured Lincoln that it was no trouble. "My mother has grown to love you almost as much as I do, pal" Carol said with a smile, "as such, she'd be more than happy to help."

No sooner had she said this, the bedroom door suddenly opened and in came Mrs. Pingrey. This was of course, met with Carol groaning in annoyance and lecturing her mother on the matter of privacy. "I'm so sorry for barging in, dear" Mrs. Pingrey said sincerely, "but when I heard you talking about me...well; as they say, my ears were burning."

Soon after saying this; she took a glance down at Carol's phone, saw Lincoln's face and chuckled heartily. "Lincoln, good to see you again" Mrs. Pingrey said in greeting, "how are you, dear?" After greeting the woman shyly with a smile and wave, Lincoln explained how he was just telling Carol about the play he was practicing for.

It was here that he also brought up the ideas that she presented mere moments ago, one of which involved Mrs. Pingrey herself. "Firstly, Lincoln; I would like to say congratulations to you on getting involved in the theatre" she said with pride, "I remember a time in High School where I played as Juliet for our Shakespeare season." No sooner had this been mentioned; Lincoln brought up a time where he saw his sister, Luan played the aforementioned role in Romeo & Juliet once.

But before they could get too far into their conversation, Carol gave a quick whistle and proclaimed they were getting off track. "Oh, yes...I apologize for that, dears" said Mrs. Pingrey, "in regards to your ideas, I believe I can do this...'live streaming' thing you mentioned; so long as you can show me how to do it, Carol." This statement caused both children to suddenly burst with laugher, mentally telling themselves that they should've seen this coming.

In any case, they both thanked Mrs. Pingrey for her assistance (with Carol choosing to give her a hug from Lincoln.) "Oh...one other thing" the Loud Boy said suddenly, "if you don't mind my asking, Carol...could you do me just a teeny, tiny favor?" Without a second thought; Carol put on a "heroic" expression and proclaimed that as his guardian, it was her duty to help him in whatever crisis he was facing.

"Well, actually...it's not so much a 'crisis'" Lincoln said shyly, "thing is, the advertising staff involved with the play has been doing their darndest to try and get people's attention...but nothing seems to be working." From here, he asked Carol if she could use her gossip skills and social media status to help get the word out. "That's it? Oh, Linky; that'll be easy as pie" she said while giving her knuckles a light crack, "but before I do this, I need something from you first."

As if expecting this, Lincoln playfully rolled his eyes and blew a kiss at the phone; all while extending a warm yet mildly reluctant "I love you" unto Carol. "We love you too, dear" Mrs. Pingrey stated, "but I think my daughter had another idea in mind." After taking a moment to let this sink in, Lincoln asked what it was that Carol wanted from him.

"Easy...you're playing in A Midsummer Night's Dream, right" she asked, "in which case, what type of character are you playing; human or fairy?" With a light blush on his face, Lincoln revealed that he would be playing the part of Puck/Robin Goodfellow. As a result, both Carol and her mother simply squealed with joy; almost deafening Lincoln.

"That clenches it, Mummy" the teen said firmly, "if Linc is going to be a fairy character, you have to try and live stream the play so that Daddy and I can watch it...or at least, record the play for us." Mrs. Pingrey gave a soft chuckle at her daughter and happily agreed to her request. "Thank you so much for this, Ma'am" Lincoln said gratefully, "and thank you, Carol for agreeing to help us advertise for the play."

The teen gushed sweetly at his words, blew a kiss at her phone in gratitude and wished Lincoln well on his practice sessions. "We look forward to seeing you on stage, young man" said Mrs. Pingrey, "one way or another." With that, the trio said one final farewell to one another and the line disconnected.

Alone once again, Lincoln took a moment to mentally thank heaven for giving him such a good friend. But then, in the blink of an eye; this feeling was swiftly replaced by a sudden sense of dread. "What if I end up making a fool of myself on stage" he thought worriedly, "I could mess up my lines, trip over myself, fall over the stage props...or even bump into one or more of my co-stars!"

Just as he was about to slip into another panic attack, Lincoln gave himself a swift yet hard slap to the face; leaving a sore spot on his right cheek. While the pain did hurt quite a bit, it did the trick of pushing out anymore doubts or fears from his mind. "Okay, dude; time to get your head back in the game" Lincoln told himself determinedly, "let's start your intro scene lines from the top."

With that thought in mind; he took his script in hand, positioned himself in front of the mirror and prepped his vocal chords for the first lines. Meanwhile, back at the Pingrey household; Carol wasted no time in logging into her Social Media account and accessing her profile. "'Hey-a, guys; got any Friday Night plans later this month'" she murmured softly while texting, "'if not, come see A Midsummer Night's Dream down at Royal Woods Junior High.'"

Over the next minute or so; Carol typed and clicked away at her phone so frantically, it was a miracle her thumbs didn't break off. In time, she finished her message and posted it online; hoping that it wouldn't take long to get noticed. "There, that should do it" Carol said tiredly while shaking her hands, "I just hope enough people will respond to it."

(Line Break)

Once Carol's message was posted online, it didn't take long for people to notice it. The first of these was her grandfather, Michael; who was watching some television with the other seniors up at the Sunset Canyon Retirement Home. After taking a moment to read the message over, a soft yet sweet smile formed on his wrinkled face.

"Well, lookie what we've got here" he said with a chuckle, "it's sweet of my granddaughter to do something like this for a friend." In an instant, this statement instantly attracted the attention of the other seniors sitting beside him. Among them was Albert Loud (Lincoln's grandfather,) his lady friend, Myrtle and a group of other familiar faces.

"Well, Mike; don't keep us in suspense" questioned Gertie, "what's the big news Carol sent ya?" With a hearty chuckle, Michael revealed that there was going to be a play happening down at the Middle School. At first, some of the seniors (or more specifically, Scoots) felt that a school play wasn't all that special and believed it would be boring.

"Well, folks; try this on for size" Michael stated, "turns out; Al's Grandson, Lincoln's gonna be in this play...along with Ross' granddaughter, Cy's lil' Phoebe...and even Paige will be on the stage, Gertie." Upon hearing this list of familiar names, the seniors' tones changed instantaneously. "Well, that's a horse of a different color there" Cyrus chuckled gleefully, "but...why did your granddaughter send ya a message about that?"

Without pause; Michael held up his phone and showed off the message Carol had posted on Social Media. "Looks like Sadie had the right idea about us joining this online socializing trend Carol's so interested in" he muttered softly, "just...don't tell her I said that out loud, ya hear." Before any of Michael's friends could speak up, his phone suddenly chimed softly and everyone suddenly heard a voice say "I heard that" in a mildly annoyed tone.

After letting out a small yet startled yelp; Michael picked up his phone and saw his wife, Sadie glaring at him lightly on the screen. At the same time, he noticed that she appeared to be somewhere outdoors; specifically the shuffleboard court. "Did ya forget to turn up your ears, Mike" Sadie asked with a coy grin, "'cause I can hear you even from out here."

After that light jab at her husband's expense, she proceeded to ask what he was talking about. "You remember Al's grandson, Lincoln; don't ya, Sadie" Michael inquired, "well...according to this message from Carol, he's got a play goin' on and she's trying to help his school out by spreading the word." Upon hearing this news, Sadie gave a joyful shriek and hurried back inside; not caring that she seemingly "forfeited" the shuffleboard game.

When she arrived, Sadie quickly snatched Michael's phone away and began reading the message. "From what Mike said, it looks like Lincoln and a few more of our grandkids will be in this show together" Roscoe stated, "we're thinkin' of goin' to see it...provided if either Jamie or Amber will let us go." Mere seconds after this was said, the aforementioned caretakers walked over and asked what everyone was talking about.

"Well...if it's alright with you two" Myrtle inquired, "we'd like to ask if we can go and see a play that the Middle School's putting on?" Straightaway, she and the other seniors revealed that some of their grandchildren would be in the play together. "As you can well imagine, this is a big to-do" Albert stated, "so...may we have your permission to go see the show?"

At first, the seniors expected the Gibbons Siblings to immediately say "no;" much like how Sue would whenever they made requests. But much to their surprise, Jamie gave the group a smile and said "of course you can go; this is to support your grandchildren, after all." Everyone cheered happily at this news...until Amber Gibbons suddenly added three conditions to it.

"You can go watch the play...provided that you all behave yourselves during the days leading up to Opening Night, that there are enough tickets to spare and...that we act as your chaperones for that evening" she stated, "are we all in agreement?" Without a moment's hesitation; Albert, Myrtle and all their friends happily agreed to their caretakers' terms. "Mike, best put those fingers to work" Sadie urged happily, "tell Carol that the whole crew is coming!"

Just as Michael was about to follow his wife's order, Amber Gibbons volunteered to do so for him. Of course, rather than simply type out the message; she simply held the phone close to her and recited the message into it. Mere seconds later, a soft "whoosh" emanated from the phone; indicating that the message had been sent.

"Just when I thought I had these newfangled phones figured out" Michael chuckled while shaking his head, "in any case, I can't wait to see our young friend and all our kiddos on the stage." The other seniors murmured/nodded in agreement and wondered who else might be coming to see the play.

(Line Break)

As we leave the nursing home behind us for now; in another part of town, there stands a charming apartment complex. Within this building; we find Ms. Fiona McNair, Haiku's Grandmother, and her trope of performers from the Michigan Renaissance Faire. While making some tea in the kitchen, Fiona suddenly hears her phone beeping; signaling that a message was incoming.

She picked up the phone from the table, turned it on and saw the text message Carol had sent. After reading it from beginning to end, a broad smile slowly formed on Fiona's face and she burst out with jolly laughter. "Oh-ho-ho! I cannae believe it" she cried joyfully in her Scottish terminology, "I always hoped she'd be followin' in me footsteps, one day!"

As Fiona began dancing about the room merrily; her husband, Gareth came in from the living room and asked what was going on. "I just got some news regardin' lil' Hildy" Fiona explained, "seems that she and a few of her classmates are gonna be in a play together!" To prove her words were true, Fiona handed Gareth her phone and showed her the message on the screen.

Upon reading it three times over, Mr. Matthews jaw almost fell to the floor. Now, this news in itself was joyous enough for the two of them; considering that their granddaughter was going to be performing on stage. But upon reading the name of the play in question, a mad grin formed on Gareth's face.

"As I recall, honey; we once took part in such a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream back in our younger days" he said with a sigh, "it's what inspired me to help you become a worker at the faire." Fiona sighed wistfully with nostalgia at her husband's story, hugged him close and kissed him tenderly upon the cheek. During the time in question, the two of them had only been dating for a short while.

But by agreeing to work together for the local Ren Faire, it was the closest thing they had to being bound together (in a manner of speaking.) "Get to the hall, mo laennan; tell the others what is happening" Fiona urged excitedly, "not one of us is going to miss wee Hildy's theatrical debut!" Not needing to be told twice, Mr. Matthews rushed out into the hallway and began knocking on several apartment doors.

Within seconds, every one of the other members of his and Fiona's band/trope stepped out and questioned what was going on. "You'd best have a good reason for all that knockin', Gar" grumbled Fiona's brother, Angus; "I was in the middle of watchin' me stories!" Not long after this; the two ladies of the group, Kyla Abercrombie and Leslie Haggard, complained that Gareth's noise was disturbing their "Me Time" as well.

Straightaway, Gareth apologized to all of them and proclaimed that he had a good reason for being so noisy. "Fiona will explain everything" he said while bouncing with glee, "come into the apartment, quick!" While still feeling somewhat confused by their friend/co-star's behavior, Angus and the ladies answered his request and rushed into the room as quickly as they could.

When they all arrived, Fiona quickly showed them the social media message Carol posted and in an instant; the lads and lasses were suddenly overcome with great joy. "This is grand news, indeed" Angus chuckled with pride, "our wee Hildy's been bit by the Acting Bug, just like the lot of us." Not long after this, Kyla and Leslie happily professed their own pride; while also expressing their eagerness to see the play.

Of course, this was all Fiona needed to hear from them; in terms of knowing whether or not they wished to accompany her. "I'll reply to Miss Pingrey's message right away" Gareth stated, "hopefully, there will be enough seats available."

(Line Break)

As word continued to spread throughout Royal Woods about the play, Carol's message would soon travel far beyond the town's borders; specifically, the bustling community of Great Lakes City. It is here that our story now takes us to the familiar Casagrandes Apartments building, where Ronnie Anne and her family could be seen going about their usual affairs. Bobby was busy down in the Mercado with his grandfather and his cousin, Carl.

Carlota was in her room, trying to think up ideas for a new Spring season outfit, CJ was happily wrestling with his pillow while dressed in his Lucha Libre gear and Ronnie Anne was hanging with her bestie, Sid upstairs in the Changs' apartment. Of course, despite the fact that they loved being in each other's company; both ladies found themselves caught in the tight grip of boredom. For what felt like ages, the two of them lie sprawled out on the bed; desperately trying to come up with activity ideas...but nothing came to mind.

"I never thought it would happen, Ronnie Anne" Sid grumbled softly, "but...I feel like city life is feeling kind of dull lately." With a weary groan; the young Latina rolled over onto her back and stared blankly up at the ceiling. "I'd do or give anything to have some excitement right now" she grumbled softly, "I'd even go thrift store shopping with Carlota!"

To say that this statement left Sid dumbstruck would be a tremendous understatement. Considering how much Carlota would often try to get Ronnie Anne into dresses; she must've been feeling desperate, if she was actually hoping for such a moment to happen. After letting out a surprised gasp, Sid almost rolled herself off the bed in shock.

But then, Ronnie Anne quickly grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back before it could happen. "Sorry about that" she murmured shyly, "you just surprised me with that comment is all." After sharing a light yet ironic chuckle, Ronnie Anne returned to staring blankly up at the ceiling again; mentally lamenting the lack of excitement in life.

Upon seeing the sullen look on her bestie's face, Sid scooted over and patted her lightly on the shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry, Ronnie Anne" she murmured, "I'm sure something fun or exciting will come along...eventually." With a weary sigh, Ronnie Anne turned her head over towards Sid and smiled; mentally wishing she could be as hopeful as her.

Just as everything started to slip back into dull silence, a loud cacophony caused the girls to suddenly leap off the bed with a fright. "What the what, that sounded like it came from downstairs" Sid cried out in alarm, "do you think it came from your bedroom or your family's apartment?" After taking a moment to think, Ronnie Anne suddenly got worried; believing that something might've happened to her family.

"What if Abuelo tripped over something on the floor or maybe Abuela dropped something while she was cooking" she thought fearfully, "or (more likely) someone might've accidentally tripped over Lalo." Without further delay, Ronnie Anne leapt off Sid's bed and made a beeline for the stairs. Not wanting to be let out of the loop, regardless of what was going on; Sid gave chase after her.

Within seconds, they arrived back down at Apartment 2-A and rushed inside to find that...everything was okay. Hector was sitting comfortably in his easy chair, Rosa was happily prepping a meal in the kitchen (with no sign of utensils or food items having been dropped onto the floor) and while he did take up a great deal of space on the living room floor; Lalo appeared relatively unharmed. Eventually, the family spotted the girls standing in the doorway and greeted them warmly.

"Uh...Hey, everybody; sorry for barging in like this" Sid murmured with a shy chuckle, "but we heard a slam while we were upstairs and thought something happened here." No sooner had she said this, everyone in the room (including Lil' Carlitos and the pets) pointed over at Bobby; revealing that he slammed the door open. "Heh-heh...Sorry about that, fam" the teen chuckled bashfully, "I got a little excited and rushed back here as quickly as I could to show you all something!"

Upon hearing this, Hector gawked at his grandson slightly; surprised that he would choose to leave the Mercado so suddenly. "Again, Abuelo; I'm really sorry about that" Bobby said with a light bow, "but...Lori and Carol sent me this awesome text and I just had to show it to all of you right away." The instant he heard that the message was from Lori, Carl's "romantic side" took over and he snatched the phone from Bobby's hand.

"I wonder what my lovely gazelle and heavenly angel wish to tell us" he said in a suave tone, "no doubt they probably miss having their darling Carlito with them." After taking a moment to roll their eyes slightly at the boy's words, everyone urged Bobby to tell them the message he received. "According to the text, it seems as though Lincoln's going to be in a play at his school" Bobby explained, "in addition; Mrs. Pingrey, Carol's mother, will be in the audience...and she plans on live streaming the show while she's there!"

The overall response to this news was...split, to say the least. Some like Carlota leapt with joy, proclaiming that the costumes for the play would no doubt look fabulous. Meanwhile, Hector didn't know how to react to the news; mostly in regards to the matter involving "live streaming." "It means that Mrs. Pingrey, Carol's mom, will be broadcasting the play on the scene via her phone" Ronnie Anne explained, "and since Carlota and I are close with her daughter, we'll get the chance to see it!"

No sooner had she said all this, Ronnie Anne looked over to her family and noticed that they were giving her odd looks; even Sid was staring at her this way. "Goodness, Ronnie Anne; you seem eager to see this play" Ms. Santiago stated, "is there any particular reason why?" At first, Ronnie Anne felt like playing dumb and claim she had no idea what her mother was talking about.

But then, she could feel her sense of honesty gnawing away at her like one of the street cats outside the building. After a while, Ronnie Anne gave in and revealed that she did in fact have a reason to be excited about the play. "Before I came here, I never once saw Linc go up on stage and perform for people" she confessed, "unless he was acting as an assistant for one of his sisters; namely Lola, Luna or Luan."

After taking a moment to let these words sink in, the family murmured/nodded in understanding; proclaiming that she raised a few good points. After this, Ronnie Anne asked what sort of show Lincoln would be part of; believing it would be something silly like a dental hygiene awareness play. "Apparently, they're doing a Shakespeare play" Bobby replied, "something called...A Midsummer Night's Dream, I think?"

Upon hearing this reveal, Carlos cried out joyfully; saying that performing a Shakespeare production would be an excellent cultural experience for the children. "Hold on...I think my granny on Mom's side told me about this play" Sid interjected, "isn't that the one with all those faeries who make four kids fall in love?" Despite the vagueness in the young lady's description, Bobby gave her an "on the nose" gesture; indicating that she was correct.

At the same time, Ronnie Anne found herself feeling conflicted about what she had just heard. On the one hand, she found the idea of watching a Shakespeare play to be possibly boring; what with the odd dialogue, complex stories and even the "silly outfits" the actors wore. But on the other hand, when it was revealed that there would be faeries; she felt slightly intrigued.

The final nail in the coffin came when Bobby revealed that Lincoln would be performing in the play as one of the aforementioned creatures. "What the what...are you serious right now" Ronnie Anne exclaimed, "oh, crud...Linc in a fairy outfit...that's just too good to miss!" Not long after this, Carlota soon found herself agreeing with her cousin; thinking that a boy in a fairy outfit would be too cute to miss.

"Un momento, niñetas" Rosa called out suddenly, "are we fully certain that this idea of Señora Pingrey's idea will work...will the internet connection for the broadcast to reach us?" While there was some truth behind his grandmother's concerns, Bobby assured her that everything would be okay. "Sure, me and Lori weren't so lucky when we tried having a live stream movie date together" he stated, "but I have a feeling things will work out better in this case."

After that, Rosa got up from her seat and started pacing about the room in thought; which made everyone feel rather anxious. "So, Abuela; what do you think" Bobby asked, "are you and the family up for a theater night...even if we're just watching the play here?" For what felt like ages, everyone sat in silence; waiting for the Casagrande Family's matriarch to give her answer.

Finally, she approached Bobby slowly and asked if she could borrow his phone for a moment. Before anyone could ask Rosa what she wanted with it, she had already speed-dialed the Pingreys' home phone number. As she watched her grandmother wait for someone to answer her call, a playful grin slowly appeared on Ronnie Anne's face.

"Hope your ready, lame-o" she thought mischievously, "one way or another, I think I'm gonna have a good laugh with this play."

(Line Break)

Within a matter of hours, Carol's message had spread out far and wide; appearing on the phones of almost everyone she and her friends knew. This was good news not only for her but those who were selling tickets for the play up at Royal Woods Middle School as well. Mx. Baskerville was overwhelmed with joy by this turn out, when they saw the dozens of people standing in line.

Lincoln was particularly pleased, when he learned about what was going on. One day, while taking a break from rehearsing his lines; he decided to send Carol a text to tell her what's been going on. "'Awesome job, Carol'" Lincoln murmured while typing on his phone, "'your message really did the trick, I think Tonya said they've just about sold out on the tickets.'"

After a few seconds of waiting, Carol responded to her charge's message with a simple "I'm always happy to help" statement and a smiling/blushing emoji. Mere seconds after that, the teen's face appeared on the webcam and she smiled warmly at Lincoln. "Now that we're both on the line together, may I ask you something" Carol said cautiously, "are you okay with Ronnie Anne, her family and/or their friends up at Great Lakes watching your show?"

Before Lincoln had a chance to question his guardian on her words, she had already showed him a text message Bobby sent her; confirming that both he and almost everyone at the apartment building would be all be watching. In that moment, all time seemed to come at a standstill for Lincoln. On the one hand, he feared what Ronnie Anne, Bobby, their family or everyone else might think about seeing him in tights (let alone dressed as a faerie character.)

But on the other hand, Lincoln remembered just how much Ronnie Anne specifically had changed since moving to the city. Sure, there was the possibility that Ronnie Anne would bust his chops a little about wearing tights and/or makeup. But deep down, such behavior would never be done out of malice towards him (unlike with Biff Packard.)

Now, as for her family...Lincoln wondered what Carlota or her mother, Frida would think? The latter's photogenic side might get the better of her, thus leading to Frida seeking every opportunity to snap pictures of Lincoln in costume (if not everyone else.) Meanwhile, Carlota would simply squeal with delight; calling him everything from "adorable" to "cutesy."

But while each of these variables was important, there was still one glaring matter that needed to be addressed. "How will Ronnie Anne or her family be able to see the show at all" Lincoln asked, "considering the two hour distance between here and Great Lakes; by the time they arrive, the show might be halfway over." As if expecting this, Carol smiled at her charge and reminded him about her live streaming idea from not too long ago.

"With any luck; Ronnie Anne, her family and every one of our friends up at Great Lakes will get the chance to see your show" the teen said with glee, "how's that idea sound?" Straightaway, Lincoln answered her query by lightly holding his phone to his chest; giving a sort of "virtual hug" to Carol. "Thank you...Thank you so much for everything you've done and been doing to help with this event" he said gratefully, "some days, I feel like you Gals are just too good for me...especially you."

Carol cooed softly, gave her phone a light kiss and told Lincoln to "push such silly thoughts out of his silly head." "Now, then; best get back to work, Gentle Puck" she said in a dramatic tone, "I shall see you anon, when the curtain parts." After that, the line went dead and Lincoln was alone in his room once more.

After safely setting aside his phone, he took his script in hand and practiced his breathing. "Truth be told...I didn't expect to learn that so many people would want to see our play" he thought to himself, "in which case, we're gonna make sure it's worth every penny and every minute they've spent coming to see it." With this thought in mind; Lincoln put on his best "game face," picked up his script and faced the mirror.

Then, for a few brief seconds; he glanced over at the calendar and looked at a date that was circled three times over. "Five days, dude...five days until the big night" Lincoln whispered softly, "that means you've got five more days to memorize each one of your lines!" Mere seconds after he said this, his anxiety soon started to gnaw at his mind (metaphorically speaking.)

He wondered if he'd be able to know his lines and cues before the big night, he feared that he might slip up and hurt somebody...or worse, he wondered if he might have an unforeseen wardrobe malfunction and embarrass himself on stage. "Oh, jeez! I think I'm having another panic attack" Lincoln thought worriedly, "just relax, dude...relaaaax." Without delay, he began to perform some calm breathing exercises; hoping to both steady his anxieties and help clear his head of any negative thoughts/notions.

At first, Lincoln's breathing came out rapid and frantic; much like what happened with Clyde during their grade school years. But after about thirty seconds, it slow began to ease up; with each inhale and exhale coming sounding much softer. Finally; after taking in one final deep inhale, Lincoln let out a heavy sigh and a light smile formed on his face.

"There, that did the trick" he said aloud, "now, time to start practicing my lines." With this thought in mind; Lincoln cleared his throat, took his script in hand and faced the mirror once more.

(Line Break)

Days came and went and life carried on like normal for everybody. The only exceptions to the rule were Lincoln and his friends, who spent much of their free time rehearsing their roles for the play. Of course, they still had to attend to their homework and/or their household chores as well.

But overtime, they soon came up with clever or creative ways to balance off both duties at one time. In Rusty's case; whenever he would take a shower, he would read his lines while bathing. But to ensure his script wouldn't get wet, he wore an umbrella hat inside.

However, not everyone had the same luck with finding such balance. Case in point; with Liam, he often read and practiced his lines whenever he would be attending to his farm's animals. Unfortunately, there were moments where some of them would attempt to unknowingly eat the pages of Liam's script.

As a result, he chose to practice for as long as possible inside of either his bedroom or somewhere in the barn. Meanwhile, back in town in charming little house; Phoebe, another member of the Gal Pals, was working double time for the play. In addition with rehearsing her lines as Queen Titania, she also had a hand in creating advertisements for the play.

The latter job was actually relatively easy for her; take some pictures of the actors on set, have the shots be printed on posters and help pass them out to people. But whenever she tried rehearsing her lines, the poor girl had quite a bit of difficulty getting in the proper mood. "C'mon, Feebs; you did it once at the tryouts" Phoebe thought to herself, "try and bring that mojo back again!"

Once more, she faced the mirror in her room and took her script in hand; ready to begin. But as Phoebe started reciting her lines, her tone of voice sounded...completely normal; which did not mesh well with her character. "Come ON...where's that spark you had before" she said to herself scoldingly, "I know you're nervous...but so is everybody else in the play."

While this thought didn't sound very appropriate out loud; in a roundabout way, it helped give Phoebe an idea of what to do. To help ease her mind and body; she turned to the 4-7-8 breathing technique Lincoln learned from one of his younger sisters, Lola. After taking a moment to steady herself; she took four seconds worth of a deep breath, held it in for seven seconds and gently exhaled it for eight.

Four times over did Phoebe use this technique until, at last; both her mind and spirit became much calmer than before. At the same time, she soon felt a strong burning in her chest...and she liked it. "There we go, I think that did the trick" she thought to herself, "now...time to practice."

With this thought in mind, Phoebe faced herself towards her mirror and took hold of her script once more. After taking a look at her reflection, it briefly changed to that of Elliot; who was sporting some sort of blue face-paint, pointed ears and odd-looking clothes. Despite however strange this looked or felt, Phoebe kept her head in the game and stared at the mirror intently.

Finally, after a while; she soon heard the illusion speak one simple phrase..."Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania." In an instant, Phoebe suddenly realized what was happening. The image she was looking at was that of Byron but it was him dressed as Faerie King Oberon. In any case, it didn't make things feel any less weird for the young lady.

"Okay...maybe all this practicing is starting to go to my head" Phoebe thought warily, "should I...no, don't quit now; use this weirdness to your advantage!" The instant this thought came to mind, the spark within her suddenly started blazing with greater intensity than before. As a result, Phoebe felt her mojo from tryouts flow through her like water.

Soon, the expression on her face shifted into a more focused and driven look. "Hear me, dread Madame Fate" she said to her mirror with a regal tone of voice, "I shan't let trivial fears deter any longer...have at thee!"

(Line Break)

At long last, after what felt like ages of waiting (for some) and preparation (for others;) Opening Night had finally arrived. However, on the night before; everyone was surprised to learn that the school had completely sold out on tickets. As a result, the Middle School's auditorium didn't quite have enough room to fit all of the patrons.

But right away, Haiku offered up the perfect solution to the issue; the community center. "Before the Faire season would begin, my Nanna told me that people would use the center for auditions" the young Goth explained, "it's got a big enough stage and the right amount of seating to fit everybody." Upon saying this, Haiku took out her phone and showed everyone a picture of the aforementioned stage.

As she claimed, it was quite large; which would give the production team all the space needed for the background and props. When the cast took a look at the amount of seats in the audience area, they gasped in awe. In any case, they felt this was a great idea.

But none felt more proud of it than Mx. Baskerville themselves, who was simply a-quiver with joy. "There's no time to waste, then" the Vice Principal/Drama Teacher proclaimed, "Meryl, would you be so kind as to call the Community Center and see if they would grant us use of their stage?" Not needing to be told twice, Meryl got to her phone and made the call.

Everyone waited outside the office as patiently as they could, some of them felt so nervous that they wrung their hands into knots. Finally, almost five minutes later; Meryl came bursting out of the room and was hooting merrily. "Good news, y'all" she exclaimed, "they said we can use the stage!"

Everyone cheered loudly with joy at this news, even Haiku; which many felt it was...slightly odd for her. Then, after a while; Principal Ramirez and Vice Principal Baskerville silenced everyone with light claps of their hands. "We just want to take a moment and thank you, dearies for all your hard work" Mx. Baskerville stated, "we've got high hopes that this will be a wonderful show for us all!"

After that, Principal Ramirez also extended her own thanks to everyone involved with the play; proclaiming they did a great service for the school. "Y'all should also give some credit to Lincoln's friend, Carol as well" Tonya stated, "her using social media to help get word out worked a whole lot better than what my team and I were doin'." While the young lady's words did hold some truth to them, the principal and vice principal felt that credit should be given where it was due.

Thus, they also thanked/congratulated Tonya and her team on their efforts as well. "Handing out flyers might not be quite as effective in the advertising world today" Mx. Baskerville confessed, "but as the saying goes, 'any publicity is good publicity.'" After this was said, Principal Ramirez sent everyone back to their classes while also wishing them well on the big night.

"I have to say, amigos...I have mixed feelings about the show coming up" Dolores murmured, "I feel...how you say, nervousited!" As expected, everyone turned towards her and gave her odd looks of confusion. Eventually, Clyde spoke up first and asked for the meaning behind her..."unique" word.

"I heard it on a television show I was watching with my cousins, one time" Dolores explained, "it's a combination of nervous yet excited...which is exactly how I feel right now!" Upon hearing this explanation, everyone soon murmured softly in both understanding and agreement. There wasn't a single member of the group who didn't feel nervous about performing before almost everyone in town.

"You know what else...Carol's mom plans on live streaming the play, somehow" Rusty exclaimed, "that means people all over the world might be watching us!" As if expecting his friend to say this, Lincoln looked him in the eye and said he was overreacting. "Yes...most live streams work the way you described" he explained, "but in this case; with any luck, Mrs. Pingrey will be able to broadcast our play to only the people we know."

While this all helped put Rusty's mind slightly at ease, he still wondered what some people would react to certain things in the play (such as him sporting a donkey's head later on.) To add more fuel to the fire; since some of their friends lived out of town, he wondered if anyone else there would be watching.

(Scene Change: the Royal Woods Community Theater)

The next evening, scores of vehicles could be seen filling up the parking lot near the Community Center. There were so many people coming, some had to park alongside of the road. It was just as busy inside of the building as well. Residents came in, dressed in semi-formal attire and were handing coats off to Meryl.

Among them were nearly all the family members of the play's cast and crew; the Louds and McBrides among them. "OOH! I'm so, so, sooo excited" Leni said gleefully, "I can't wait to see Lincoln up on stage!" Thinking quickly, Lisa reigned in her elder sister before she could make too much of a scene.

"I share in your enthusiasm, Sister; truly" she whispered softly, "but we must be on our best behavior while the play is underway." Almost immediately, Rita chimed in and explained that the audience was tasked to react only when they were supposed to. Speaking too loudly to one another or making jeers towards the cast would be highly inappropriate.

"Don't you worry, Mum" Luna said in her cockney accent, "I'll be keepin' my dial at...4 most of the time." Not long after this, the other Loud Sisters vowed to be just as respectable while the play was going on; including Lori (who was handing off her coat to Meryl.) In her mind, she was thanking Heaven for helping Coach Niblick agree to let her attend the play with everyone.

At the same time, she also wondered what sort of role Lincoln would be playing. As more and more people began filling up the seats, everyone on the cast was taking peeks slightly from behind the curtain. "Y'all, it almost looks like the whole town's out there" Omar exclaimed, "it's incredible!"

Intrigued by this statement, Lincoln walked over to his friend and took a peek at the audience for himself. Surely enough, all the seats started to fill with people from all over. Of course, he spotted his parents and sisters somewhere in the middle section of seats.

He also spotted the McBrides, Liam's father and Mee Maw, the Gurdles, Rusty's dad and others filling up the other two sides of seats as well. While this was amazingly surprising, there were so many people there that Lincoln couldn't seem to find any of the Gals. But then, as he glanced over at the center section once more; Lincoln's heart swelled with relief.

Sitting near the back row were all the families of the Gal Pals, Mr. and Mrs. Pingrey among them. "For a second there, I was worried they wouldn't make it" Lincoln thought to himself, "guess that's my cue to get ready." No sooner had this thought popped into his head, he turned around and saw Dolores gesturing him to hurry.

"Time for you to get to makeup, chamaco" she said with mild impatience, "the others will attend to you, I've got to get ready for my scene." With that; she sat Lincoln down in the makeup chair, snatched her outfit out of one of the crew's hands and hurried off to the dressing room. All around; the students could be seen either getting dressed, doing last minute vocal warm ups or just getting makeup on.

Meanwhile, Mx. Baskerville was urging for several members of the cast to get ready for the opening scene. "The time has come, dearies" they said softly, "remember...we don't want you to feel any pressure, just go out on that stage and give it your all." Everyone sounded off in understanding, after that; some vowing to do their very best for the play.

Of course...some of them did not feel quite that concerned about going out so soon. After taking a moment to adjust his toga, Biff Packard smiled at his reflection smugly and made his way towards the stage. But then, he stopped himself for a brief moment to have one quick word with Clyde; who was in the middle of adjusting his costume with Chloe.

"Looks like we'll be out on stage first, McBride" he whispered smugly, "just...try not to get in my way too much out there, if you mess up a little." For a brief moment, Clyde almost felt the urge to scream at the upperclassman; to tell him the show wasn't all about him. But when he felt Chloe's hand rest upon his shoulder, it quickly faded from his mind.

"Don't worry about him, hon" she whispered kindly, "just keep calm and have fun out there...I know I will." With that, Chloe gave Clyde a quick hug and went off to the stage. After taking a moment to bask in euphoric bliss, the young McBride boy quickly snapped out of his trance and took his place on stage as well.

While everyone else was getting ready for the opening act, Lincoln remained behind the scenes; waiting patiently for his makeup to be applied. "Looks like the show's about to start" he said to the viewer, "I'm gonna be here for a while...so, why not go join the others and enjoy the first half of the show?" With that statement, the camera suddenly pans to the back of the theater seats; where the audience sits with great anticipation.

At that moment; the spotlight turns on and from behind the curtain, Mx. Baskerville steps out and takes a bow. "Good evening to you, everyone and welcome to our show" they said in greeting, "we thank you all for taking time from your day to come and see our production and we hope you will find it most enjoyable." After this, Mx. Baskerville announces the name of the play and the curtains slowly start to pull away.

As the spotlight adjusted itself down at the actors on stage, the time had come for the show to begin.

(First AN: And...that's where we'll end things off for now; looks like this will be a four-part tale, just like with the Winter Arc finale. Will the play be a success, how will the cast do in their roles and how will Lincoln's family react to seeing him as Puck? All this and more will be answered, next time; so...stay tuned)

(Second AN: I know what you're thinking, "how can you end this when the play's about to start?" Trust me, I intended for the play to happen in this installment; truly. But I ended up getting carried away with the behind the scenes moments.

Still, I'm sure seeing everyone prepare is just as entertaining; right? Rest assured, Part Four will definitely have the play going on. So, I thank you for your patience)

(Third AN: Since this is the premiere oneshot for this arc, I thought it would be cool to have some familiar faces show up in the audience; like the crew of seniors Lincoln met in Golden Oldies or Haiku's Nanna. If there's one thing I know from TV shows, it's that they almost always try to cram as many familiar faces as possible in a special. Sadly, some people won't be able to come see the play due to certain circumstances; such as Ronnie Anne living in another city.

Thank goodness live streaming is possible, eh? Here's hoping the phone connections will work for everybody)

(Fourth AN: Just in case anyone's wondering, the term "Ma Laennan" that Fiona uses is a real Scottish term of endearment that translates to "My Lover" or "My Sweetheart." But in this case, she's calling her husband "my sweet." In regards to the other term used here, namely "nervousited;" that term is something coined by Pinkie Pie from MLP: Friendship is Magic)

(Fifth AN: Lisa spraying Lincoln with water anytime he made mistakes while reciting lines is not a sign of her regressing back to her old cynical self. She's simply behaving like one of those overzealous acting coaches or pageant moms who want their charge to do "perfectly." Thankfully, Rita helped put a stop to that business right quick)

(Final AN: In case you're all wondering...no; even though folks like Mrs. Pingrey will try and live stream the play through her phone, this doesn't mean it will be seen nationwide or worldwide. Instead, it will only be seen by those who are within the friends' lists of the Gal Pals and/or Guy Squad. Just thought I'd point that out, in case people felt confused)