Spring Breakup with the Gal Pals

(Story Summary: SPRING ARC FINALE! Spring is on its way and along with it, Spring Break; a time for fun, merriment and just hanging out with your closest friends. But for Lincoln, this year's Break is special; it's the one-year anniversary of when he first got close with his new friends, the Gal Pals. However, he receives some news that could very well bring a complete halt on his plans)

At Royal Woods Junior High, it was the last week of classes before Spring Break and many students were abuzz with joy. Some were already discussing potential plans to celebrate, while others were simply counting down the moments till they'd be able to head home and rest their weary brains. However, our story isn't about them; it concerns a certain white-haired young man.

Instead of joining with his peers in making up plans for the upcoming break, we find Lincoln sitting outside of Principal Ramirez's office door; looking tired, beaten and on the brink of tears. Not too far away, Meryl can be seen typing away at a computer; perhaps either working on some school related business...or checking on her Social Media page on the sly. Whatever she was doing; every now and again, there were moments where Meryl would cast a sad glance Lincoln's way.

"Y'all sure you're still doin' okay, sugar bun" she asked kindly, "ya sure you don't need to go to the nurse's office before goin' in?" Without saying a word, Lincoln simply shook his head "no" in reply; which only seemed to make Meryl feel even more concerned. Seeking to help lift his spirits, she decided to offer up one of the small caramel candies she kept at her desk; like Miss Rains did in her office.

But unfortunately, Lincoln shot down the offer; softly proclaiming "I don't deserve it" in a tearful tone of voice. With this idea sent down the drain, Meryl had no choice but to continue on with her paperwork; all while praying for some outside force to watch over the "lil' darlin'." Meanwhile, Lincoln eventually caught sight of the "viewer" looking at him (so to speak) and he waved at them tiredly.

"Hey, guys...no doubt you're all wondering what's goin' on, right" he asked, "well...as you can see, this week hasn't been one of the best of times for me." Just as he was about to explain his situation, the office door opened and Principal Ramirez gestured for Lincoln to come inside. With a heavy sigh, his head hanging low and his arms dangling loosely at his sides; he sadly slinked his way into the room.

Upon taking a seat inside, Lincoln glanced ahead slightly and saw that Ramirez wasn't the only one sitting with him. Joining their talk was Miss Rain, Vice Principal Baskerville, Officer Kazinsky (dressed in a more dressy white shirt and pants with a pink t-shirt underneath) and (much to his shock) his parents. In an instant, Lincoln's earlier sorrow swiftly gave way to fear and terror; something that he hadn't felt since the "family incident" that happened last year.

Soon; his heart started pounding violently in his chest, his breathing became frantic, his arms were quivering and he started to sweat so rapidly that his shirt became more like a moist towel. Naturally, the minute they noticed all these symptoms; Mr. and Mrs. Loud were the first to take action with the latter holding Lincoln lightly by his shoulders and staring him square in the eye.

"Honey...Honey, please; you need to calm down" Rita said in a firm yet nurturing tone, "you're not in any trouble...yet, we just want to talk with you." Of course, a part of Lincoln's mind already knew his mother would say such a thing...but after everything he experienced in his first year of Middle School alone; he couldn't help but feel anxious during a "crisis." "But w-w-what's Officer Kazinsky doing here" Lincoln asked, "where are the others?"

After granting the Loud Parents a timeout to give their son a replacement shirt, the aforementioned officer explained that the "Babes in Blue" (Higgins, Simmons and Campos) were all attending to their usual security business; half of which involved maintaining crowd control after an "incident" that happened in the cafeteria mere moments ago. "Since they'll be busy for a bit, I decided to sit in for 'em" Kazinsky stated, "but don't worry, kid; I ain't as mean as I look." While this bit of news gave him some comfort, Lincoln confessed it wasn't the officer he was actually afraid of; it was his parents and the principals.

"Honey, none of us are here to punish you" Rita assured, "we just want to talk to you and get an understanding about what exactly happened here today...that's it." With that said, Mx. Baskerville chimed in and said that they always felt that Lincoln was a rather good student since they first started working as the Vice Principal of the school. "While the lad's anxieties have got the better of him from time to time, this past year; he always did what he could to remain on the up and up" they stated, "he obeys class rules, he respects school property, he is mindful of his peers...with a few exceptions here and there."

Not long after this was said, a familiar voice called out in the waiting area proclaiming "IT'S MORE THAN A FEW EXCEPTIONS, WHERE LOUD IS CONCERNED!" Straightaway, Lincoln recognized it as the voice of "personal school bully;" Biff Packard. But at the moment, no one else seemed to understand why the young man in question chose to act so bitterly towards Lincoln.

In the end, this was one of several matters Principal Ramirez and those present hoped to learn about before the day was through. But much to their surprise; Lincoln simply fell to his knees, held up his hands together (as if asking to be cuffed) and proclaimed he was "guilty" without even the slightest hesitation. "It's my fault this all happened anyway, just like last year with my family" he mumbled sadly, "I let my personal drama get in the way of my life and look where it got me!"

While those like Miss Rain and the Loud Parents felt the mention of personal drama seemed like a breakthrough, they had little reason to celebrate. The physical and emotional state Lincoln was currently in seemed to radiate with (as the former would put it) severely negative vibes. "Dearie...Listen to us, no one here is going to punish you" Mx. Baskerville insisted softly, "we just want to talk; help lighten your load, if you will...the only thing we all ask from you is to trust us."

After this, Miss Rain suggested to Lincoln that he take in some cleansing breaths before he decided to speak; which he did. After almost twenty seconds of meditative breathing, the boy finally felt calm enough to talk again. "Good, we're all finally getting somewhere" Principal Ramirez sighed with relief, "now...all we want to know is what happened to you this week."

Not long after this, Rita interjected in saying how surprised she was by what she heard on the phone. "Just days ago, you couldn't stop talking about your Spring Break plans with your Gal Pals clique" she stated, "you were especially excited to share the gift you've made for all of them." Upon hearing mention of a gift, the Principal and Vice Principal felt intrigued and asked what it was Lincoln made.

"All due respect, it's a surprise specifically for the ladies my mother mentioned" the boy murmured, "well...most of them anyway." Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Lincoln cleared his throat and decided to tell them everything; starting from earlier that week on Sunday.

(Line Break)

As the scene shifts back several days, we find Lincoln in his bedroom; happily humming a jolly tune while wrapping up a rather large box in decorative wrapping paper. Once finished, he gently placed the decorative bow at the center and whistled with approval. "This looks too nice to even open up" he thought to himself, "but...when the moment arrives, it will be and I can't wait to see the crew's faces when they look at my gift!"

No sooner had he said this, a soft electronic sound rang out from Lincoln's laptop; which he recognized as the video chat phone ring. With a startled gasp, he made a desperate attempt to try and find a place to hide his package. But unfortunately, there was no such space available (in his room at least.) Thus, the only thing he could do was hide it underneath a pile of laundry.

Unfortunately for Lincoln; just as he was about to do this, the web chat screen suddenly turned on and the first thing some of the Gal Pals saw was Lincoln sticking his hands in a laundry pile. "Oooh! Boy, just what do ya think you're doin'" Ellie called out with a playful smile, "you ain't tryin' to find some undies to wear under all that, is ya?" Without hesitation, the other Gals suddenly laughed out loud at this little joke; albeit in a friendly way.

Lincoln simply rolled his eyes at them and said that he was doing his best to keep something secret, something he claimed was a big surprise. "A surprise you say, I'm intrigued" Haiku murmured with a soft grin, "may we have a clue as to what it is?" With a coy smile upon his face, Lincoln decreed that he wouldn't reveal the surprise until the first day of break.

"AWW! Seriously, dude" groaned Paige, "that's still a week away...can't you give us just the teeniest, tiniest hint?" Despite feeling slightly guilty in having to keep a secret from his friends, Lincoln shook his head and told the ladies to be patient. "Well, whatever the surprise is; I know we'll love it" Dana proclaimed, "now, on to business; has anyone come up with any plans for what to do over break?"

Within seconds, everyone started blurting out all sort of ideas for their Spring Break fun. Of course; many of these were quite familiar to Lincoln already like a party down at Aloha Beach, one of Jordan's iconic pool parties, a trip to Great Lakes to say hi to all their city friends and so on. However, at one point during the discussion; Lincoln suddenly noticed that something was missing (or rather, someone.)

He looked at the top right of the screen and saw an open space beside Becky's chat window. Straightaway, he knew/remembered that this particular spot would be filled by the self-appointed leader of the Gal Pals (and Lincoln's top tier legal guardian,) Carol Pingrey. "This is weird, you guys" he suddenly blurted out, "Carol's usually the first to join in our group calls...but she's yet to give me a ring."

No sooner had he said this; Becky, Dana and Whitney suddenly grew rather uneasy...it was almost as if they were hiding something. It didn't take long for everyone else to notice this change in the trio's behavior and they wasted no time in asking what was wrong. "Carol isn't sick again, is she" inquired Haiku, "I know of some herbal healing brews my Nanna taught me that might help her."

While still feeling a little tense, Becky shook her head and assured her Goth pal that no one was sick; much less Carol. "I'm sure she'll be with us shortly, everyone" Whitney assured, "her mom must need her help with something back at home." Becky and Dana both sided with their friend's story, all while keeping nervous grins on their faces.

Now, Lincoln was no fool and neither were any of the other Gals; despite the vast majority being younger than the four former high schoolers. So, while their story seemed believable on the surface; they could immediately sense that something was up. But just before any of them could speak up, Paige chimed in first; suddenly mentioning something about Carol "packing up."

"Wait a minute, 'packing up...' what are you talking about, Paige" Cici inquired, "you mean like packing up some old clothes in her room or...something else?" In an instant, the young preteen suddenly realized her error and clasped both her hands over her mouth. Meanwhile, Becky gave a slight groan of frustration and shouted angrily at her door; saying something about "wanting to be delicate" about Carol.

"What are you guys talking about" Lincoln asked worriedly, "what's going on...is Carol safe, did something happen to her?!" The three teens looked at one another (or more specifically, their screens) and then back at Lincoln with nervous looks, feeling unsure of what to say next. Then, at that moment; everyone suddenly heard an electronic phone ring sound going off.

It was here that they saw Carol's video chat ID appear, which pictured an image of her lifting Lincoln up off the ground in the biggest sisterly hug. Naturally, the ladies all thought this was cute while the boy in question simply blushed shyly at the image. After finally answering and adding her into the group call, the friend group all greeted Carol with joyful cries and/or jolly waves.

But instead of extending similar greetings unto them, the self-appointed leader of the crew looked at her screen and gave a weary "meh." At first, some of them believed that Carol truly was sick again while the rest thought she may have just had a rough night sleeping. Upon further inspection, Lincoln also noticed the mascara trails on her cheeks; which meant that she might've also been crying.

"Carol, are you...upset about something" he asked warily, "did you drop your cellphone and break it, did someone get hurt...are you hurt, by chance?!" Within seconds, the rest of the Gal Pals started asking Carol if she was okay and while she did appreciate their concern; it was all getting rather overwhelming. So, after giving a bit of a shrill whistle; everyone immediately stopped talking and blushed in unified embarrassment.

"Whoops...Sorry about that" murmured Dana, "we all got a little carried away again, didn't we?" After responding with a soft nod; Carol said that while she appreciated everyone's concern, she couldn't concentrate with so many voices talking at once. "Again, we're sorry about getting worked up like that; especially me" Lincoln chuckled shyly, "we just...we love each other so much, right; that means anytime one of us is in trouble...we can't help but worry."

Carol smiled softly at her friend/ward, kissed her fingertips and lightly pressed them on her laptop screen over Lincoln's image. Afterwards, she went on to explain the reason why she looked so out of sorts; which seemed to involve a bit of "big news." "I...don't think I'll be able to join you for Spring Break, everybody" she said sadly, "because I've just found out...I'll be leaving for college soon."

(Line Break)

As the scene flashes forward to the present, the adults were seen staring silently at Lincoln; who appeared to be on the verge of tears upon remembering Carol's big news. After a brief period of silence, Mx. Baskerville cleared their throat and said they fully understood the nature Lincoln's dilemma thus far. "Seeing someone leave for college education is not an easy moment for anyone" they stated, "be they a friend or a family member."

Upon hearing this, Rita Loud decided to offer up her two cents on the matter; confessing that she had seen this kind of behavior once before. "When Lincoln's eldest sister, Lori left for college back in September; our family was pretty sad to see her go" she murmured, "especially me and Lynn...but mostly Lynn." The Loud Patriarch gasped dramatically in shock, upon hearing his wife use his emotions as an example for their current situation; claiming there was no crime against a father seeing their eldest child "leave the nest" (as the saying goes.)

"That may be true, Sir" murmured Officer Kazinsky, "but I was in the station when I saw you hanging on to the bumper of your daughter's car...that right there is a crime." Lynn Sr. blushed profusely, after being reminded of what he did on the day Lori left and he begged the policeman to not send him to prison for it. But then, Officer Kazinsky smiled at him and said he fully understood the reason why it all happened.

"When my baby girl left for college two years back; I thought up the idea of cuffing her to her bed, locking up her room and swallowing the keys" he said with a chuckle, "but my wife told me if I did do any of that, she'd force-feed me Ipecac and make me spew them back out." Now, in the past; Lincoln wasn't all that familiar with the aforementioned substance before. But one day, Lily had swallowed a rather large carrot tip her dad forgot to throw away and she almost choked.

Straightaway, Lisa offered to use some Ipecac to help "expel the obstruction;" as she put it. But the family quickly shot down the idea, describing it as both a gross and undignified method of helping her baby sister. Naturally, Lori was able to get the carrot piece out of Lily the old fashioned way; with the Heimlich.

But before Lincoln's mind could dwell any further on the memory, Principal Ramirez chimed in and reminded everyone that they were getting off-track. "Right, sorry about that" Kazinsky chuckled softly, "my point is, I know how distressing it feels to see someone you care about leaving you." While Lincoln very much appreciated the fact the officer understood his pain, both he and his mother quickly added that things were a bit more complicated than that.

"See...Miss Pingrey was the very first to come to Lincoln's aid, while he was out by his lonesome during the...'events' of last year" Rita stated, "along with her main group of fellow teens as well." Principal Ramirez held up her hand slightly to stop Mrs. Loud's train of thought, after hearing this; reminding her that the school board was already well aware of the history between Lincoln and his new friend group. "Yes, of course; sorry" murmured Rita, "my point is both Miss Pingrey and everyone else in the group they'd created really helped my son through some rather...troubling times."

Once more, the principal reiterated her familiarity with the events in question; adding that she was particularly familiar with the emotional trauma Lincoln had been struggling with. "Mr. Loud, I hope you won't think this invasive" Ramirez said cautiously, "but...do you remember the time you and your friends visited the Tranquil Springs Spa last Spring?" Much to everyone's delight, a warm smile slowly formed on Lincoln's face; even though it was a small one.

Sensing that she was making progress with him, Principal Ramirez revealed that Coach Keck was one of the women present down at the salon area during the day in question. "In addition to this, Bolhofner was also visiting the spa that day" she added, "both of whom happened to overhear some of the stories regarding your family, be it from your lips specifically or those of the friends who were with you." This bit of news came as a rather big shock for Lincoln, who didn't even realize (at the time) that people from Middle School were present at the spa that day.

"My point is...we know full well just how much people like Ms. Pingrey have helped you emotionally, young man" Principal Ramirez stated, "so, we can understand why news of her leaving has affected you so much." Rather than feel comforted by his principal's words, Lincoln simply let out a heavy sigh of shame; calling himself a "complete emotional mess." Rita and Lynn gasped in horror at their son's words, insisting that he was "many things" but a mess certainly wasn't one of them.

"We wholeheartedly agree with your parents, dearie" Mx. Baskerville said with a kind smile, "in spite of everything that's happened, you have otherwise been a rather upstanding student in our eyes." Feeling both intrigued and worried by the VP's words, Lynn asked what sort of things happened to his son during the school year. "Well...I imagine you and your wife must be already quite familiar with some of these events already" Principal Ramirez stated, "such examples include an incident involving our newest teacher, Mr. Matthews, the 'Identity Crisis' Lincoln faced earlier in March and his rather...'eventful' first day at school."

In spite of himself, Lincoln couldn't help but shudder with disgust at the mention of the incidents in question. Of course, it was the reminder of his (for lack of better words) bumpy first day of school that really made him cringe. Alarmed by her son's emotional state, Rita took him in her arms and gave a most loving hug; hoping it would help calm him down.

When Principal Ramirez finally caught sight of what was going on, she quickly apologized. "It's quite alright, Ma'am; you had no other choice" Lincoln said softly, "but could we...focus a bit more on what happened more recently, instead of reopening old wounds?" Everyone smiled softly at the boy and fully agreed to his request, expressing their own desires to not think about the aforementioned moments as well.

After that, Mx. Baskerville offered to continue with the next part of the story; claiming they had seen "a good portion" of what happened. "It all began just days ago" they explained, "according to some students; the moment he entered, Lincoln appeared so downtrodden that it looked as though he had a literal rain cloud looming over his head."

(Line Break)

With his head hanging low and his arms dangling at his sides, Lincoln trudged his way down the halls of the school at a snail's pace. He didn't even notice anyone speed-walking passed him, nor did he notice the snickering and stares the other students were giving him. In his mind, all he he could think about was the memory of how shocked he was after hearing Carol's bombshell news.

Of course, the rest of the Gal Pals were just as alarmed by it; especially Carol's main crew of teens. "You're leaving...already? B-But we thought you still had some time left" Becky's voice cried in Lincoln's head, "we thought your first day wouldn't be until the end of April or something!" After taking a moment to wipe away a stray tear from his cheek, Lincoln's mind continued to play the rest of the bitter memory for the umpteenth time that morning; no matter how it hurt him to think about it.

According to Carol, the college over in Huntington Oaks was eager to welcome in its newest students. As such, her parents felt that now was as good of a time as any to for her to go. Of course, Carol thought differently; claiming that it felt too soon for her to leave.

But all too quickly, Mr. Pingrey reminded her just how long and hard he worked to try and get her enrolled in time for the new semester. Thus, now seemed like the perfect time to get ready to leave...and Mrs. Pingrey couldn't help but agree; much to her daughter's dismay. "I tried and tried to figure out a way to work around my parents' logic" her voice murmured in Lincoln's mind, "but...they're both right, now is the best time for me to start college."

At this point, the tears Lincoln tried to hold back started to slip down his cheeks more presently. Every so often, students in the hall who saw Lincoln would see them drop to the floor; which made some of them feel concerned. Unfortunately, not everyone at school was quite so empathic about the boy's emotional state; as Lincoln would soon find out.

(Scene Change: Ms. Pham's Biology Class)

It was Dissection Day over at Ms. Pham's class, something no one who attended felt eager to get involved in; Lincoln especially. But due to his current emotional state, it didn't seem to matter that much to him. He didn't even care about the fact that Clyde was chosen to be his partner.

On the one hand, this was a "good" thing because it gave the two "best bros" a chance to spend time together at school. But on the other hand, Clyde wished they were doing something less gross for class; like sharing notes or experimenting with plants. However, a small voice in the McBride boy's mind told him not to worry; so long as he had a "tough dude" like Lincoln working beside him, Dissection Day wouldn't feel...too unnerving for him.

In time, Ms. Pham started handing out frogs to her students; many of whom either cringed at the sight of the creature (for one reason or another) or felt a strong queasy sensation swirling violently inside of them. But for Lincoln; when he took his tools in hand and stared down at the frog, he froze. His blade was a mere three inches away from cutting into the flesh...but Lincoln couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Poor little guy, look at him" a voice murmured sadly in his head, "he didn't ask for this...to be taken away from his home, his family...his friends just to be cut open like a grape fruit." The moment these thoughts entered his head, Lincoln's imagination suddenly started to project himself in the frog's place. Soon, "Frog Lincoln" started calling out for help as loudly as it could...but no one heard him.

Then, as he looked up to the skies and begged for someone to come save him; he suddenly saw the faces of his friends (who were also in frog form.) "Guys...please, you gotta help me (ribbit)" Frog Lincoln cried, "I'm gonna get cut open like a Thanksgiving turkey here...HELP!" At first, he expected them all to hurry over and save him...instead, Frog Lincoln's friends all just hung their heads low and frowned.

Frog Jordan: "Sorry Lincoln, wish we could help."

Frog Stella: "I can't, we're moving to another pond again (ribbit)"

Frog Tonya: "You're a tough toad, my friend...you can figure a way outta this."

Frog Phoebe: "Sorry, dude; I've got my own problems."

At that moment, a spotlight suddenly turns on from out of nowhere; revealing Phoebe in some sort of aquarium. At first, this didn't seem all that bad...until Frog Lincoln spotted a French chef walking towards it. He tried harder and harder to tell Phoebe to hop out of there but she couldn't hear him.

He could only watch helplessly as the chef's hand plunged into the water and snatch Phoebe up in his tight grip. Then, just when things couldn't seem to get any worse; Frog Lincoln looked upwards and saw a sight that made him go white with fear. When the chef and their associates stepped into the light, he saw that they each looked like devilish versions of his schoolyard bullies; Biff in particular.

"Ho-ho! Come along, little frog" the chef cackled evilly in a French accent, "we've got some hungry customers outside looking for some succulent Frogs Legs...and yours are just right!" Poor Lincoln could only watch, as the chefs carried his friend away. Then, he looked in the aquarium and noticed that one of the frogs was gone.

"Where's Carol, guys" Frog Lincoln called out desperately, "did she escape or did they..." Before he had the chance to finish, Frog Haiku let out a soft croak and revealed Carol had left the aquarium long ago. "It happened just after you were chosen to be dissected" she stated, "strangest thing...someone picked her out of the tank, kissed her and she turned into a human."

Before Lincoln had the chance to question the absurdity of her friend's explanation, a light turned on and he saw Carol standing over him. "Oh, man; am I happy to see you, Carol" he sighed with relief, "please...you gotta let me out, they're gonna kill me!" At first, Lincoln expected his friend/guardian to immediately come to his rescue; just as she had done before.

But instead, she simply looked down at both him and her former aquarium home...and laughed haughtily. "I'm sorry, everyone but I've got better things to do" Carol said in a snobbish tone, "since I've left the tank, I've moved on to bigger and better things." Naturally, Frog Lincoln felt confused and alarmed by this; unsure if the girl standing over him was really Carol.

"Please...you've gotta help us" he begged sadly, "we're your friends and we always stick together...right?" Almost immediately; Carol slipped on a pair of sunglasses, wished her "former friends" a bitter goodbye and made her way over to a long limousine. Upon boarding it, she urged the drive her to bring her back to Huntington Manor; proclaiming she was desperate to return home to a more "civilized" environment.

"No, please...Carol, don't leave me" Frog Lincoln begged, "I need your help, please...HELP!" The instant his frog self cried out for help, the real Lincoln suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder; causing him to snap out of his daydream. However, at the same time; this also led to him throwing the scalpel he was holding up in the air.

After he finally came to his senses, seconds later; Lincoln did his best to safely catch the tool in his hands. But he didn't want to risk getting himself cut by accident; thus, it looked as though he was juggling it in the air like a clown. Eventually, Ms. Pham caught sight of this display and gave a firm glare at Lincoln.

"Mr. Loud, that is not to be played with" she said sternly, "stop this nonsense and get back to work!" Despite his rather awkward situation, Lincoln didn't want to displease his teacher any further and quickly stopped trying to catch the scalpel. But then, as a result of this sudden decision; the cutting tool went falling down and struck at the tip of Lincoln's left foot.

Mere seconds later, he started hopping about the classroom on one foot; all while clutching at his sore one in both hands. Nearly half the class started laughing uproariously at Lincoln's pain, while the remainder did whatever they could to calm him down. When Ms. Pham finally managed to reestablish order in her class, she took Lincoln by his shoulders and stopped him in his tracks; all while asking to take a look at his foot.

When she got close enough, the biology teacher was pleased to see that the tip of the scalpel had only grazed Lincoln's big toe and aside from the hole in his shoe; nothing else was penetrated. "Everything seems to be okay here" she murmured, "but you need to be careful, Mr. Loud; we've discussed the proper method of using dissection tools many times before." With his head hanging low with shame and his cheeks glowing a soft red, Lincoln apologized to Ms. Pham and returned to his seat.

Not long after that, however; some of the jerks in his class started throwing out words of mockery at poor Lincoln. "Nice job, Loud" Pablo chuckled snidely, "but you're supposed to be cutting the frog open, not yourself!" The Eighth Grader's friends (Taylor and Anderson) joined in on the laughter, seizing the opportunity to "remind" Lincoln how much of a klutz he was.

Of course this didn't go on for very long; after giving a shrill whistle and demanding the class' attention, Ms. Pham warned that the next person to disrupt the class would receive extra homework for a month. "Now...I know you children don't want to work during Spring Break, right" she asked, earning a few nods from the students; "then, let us continue." With that said, Pham asked for everyone to continue with the Dissection lesson as planned; except for Lincoln.

"If you don't feel comfortable with this, just study Chapters Eighteen through Twenty-One in your textbook until the bell rings" she stated, "and be sure to take notes while doing so." Lincoln sighed softly and thanked his teacher for the suggestion, promising that he would keep silent from then on.

(Line Break)

"And that was just in Ms. Pham's class...on Monday morning" Lincoln called out in exasperation, "the rest of the day didn't pan out any better for me, let alone the rest of the week." Before he continued with the rest of his story, Lincoln asked if someone would be kind enough to give him something to drink. "Of course, dearie; of course" Mx. Baskerville replied, "Meryl, would you be a dear and bring us all some refreshments...we might be here for a while."

Outside the office door; the office receptionist answered the request with a hearty "can do, y'all" and went to work. Almost ten seconds later, Meryl entered the conference room with a collection of water bottles in her arms; which she then proceeded to hand over to everyone. "Ever swift and vigilant as always" Principal Ramirez said, "thank you, Meryl; that will be all for now."

Everyone else extended their own thanks unto the receptionist, with Lincoln softly adding that her giving him some water was "the nicest thing to happen to him all week." Meryl smiled warmly at everyone, extended her appreciation for their kind words and was just about to return to her desk. But before she left, she gave Lincoln a soft pat on the shoulder and urged him to keep his chin up.

"Don't look so glum, sugar bun" she said kindly, "soon, y'all can put this nasty business behind ya and relax." While he truly appreciated the sentiment, Lincoln shook his head and proclaimed to Meryl that there was little chance of moving past everything that's happened. "About that, honey...we don't want to pressure you or anything" Rita murmured, "but what else happened to you this week?"

After taking a sip of his water to calm his nerves, Lincoln decided to continue on with the rest of his story. "As bad as Monday was, Tuesday didn't go any better for me" he grumbled, "first off, the snack machine in the hall wouldn't give me the bag of gummis I wanted; which meant it practically ate my dollar!" Upon hearing this reveal, Principal Ramirez let out a weary sigh and shook her head in disapproval; remembering all of the other times the machines failed to operate properly for both students and faculty members.

"Then, I had trouble getting my locker open" Lincoln grumbled, "I spent almost five minutes fiddling with my combination that by the time I did get it to open...the late bell rang." To prove his words were true, the disgruntled Loud boy reached into his backpack and brought out a pink notice. At first, Lynn Sr. and Rita thought their son had received a detention that day.

But then, they quickly remembered that he came home from school on the bus and on time. "So, wait...hold on a minute" Lynn muttered confusedly, "if this isn't a detention slip; then, what is it?" With a heavy heart, Principal Ramirez revealed that the notice was for detention; just a different kind. "As I recall; his teacher, Mr. Guggenheimer, gave him Lunch Detention for being tardy" she stated, "which meant Lincoln was expected to spend his lunch period in the classroom, instead of going to the cafeteria with his friends."

The Loud Parents each heaved out a sigh of relief, feeling happy that their son's punishment was only a minor one. But when they saw the look on Lincoln's face, their joyful expressions became grim once more. It was then revealed by Mx. Baskerville that the lunch room was serving burgers on the day Lincoln got the notice, which was something he was sorely looking forward to.

As such, he chose not to ask his father to pack a lunch for him and as a result; he spent the entire Lunch Detention on an empty stomach. "But...But what about Mr. Guggenheimer" Rita inquired, "didn't he think about offering you something to eat as a substitute for the cafeteria food?" As if expecting that this would be brought up, Lincoln revealed that his teacher did offer him something to eat.

Unfortunately, all he had on hand was a peanut butter and pickle sandwich and a fun-sized bag of potato sticks. Reluctantly, Lincoln went with the latter option; despite the fact that the baggie's contents wouldn't be very filling for him. But at the very least, it seemed a bit more appetizing than the teacher's sandwich by comparison.

"After lunch, I went to the Gym for P.E." he muttered bitterly, "and as much as my grumbling stomach irritated me, I was about to be met with something much...much worse." When asked what could've been worse than going to his next class hungry, Lincoln answered with only two simple words; "Dodgeball Day." "On my best days, I'm actually pretty good on the court" he confessed, "especially when I'm working alongside my friends...and our trusty 'Scorpion Formation.'"

Before anyone had a chance to question him about it; Lincoln explained it was a sort of "battle formation" his friend, Stella Zhao came up with for Dodgeball games. "It's really helped my team out whenever we play" he said with a light chuckle, "and Stella throws dodgeballs harder than even Lynn can." Lynn Sr. and Rita gasped softly at this, feeling surprised that one of Lincoln's friends could actually hold their own against Junior; who seemed near undefeated in anything related to sports.

Meanwhile, the principal and vice principal nodded to each other in silence; all while writing down some notes on a notepad. At the same time, Officer Kazinsky felt curious to know more behind the events of the past week; for one reason or another. "What happened next, Mr. Loud" he asked, "what else happened to you that eventually led to your...current physical and emotional state?"

For a moment or two, Lincoln said nothing until he took a brief look at his reflection on the reflective surface of the table. His hair was mussed up, his cowlick had a few tears, his left eye was swollen and his undies were pulled up so high that they covered up his chest. He had a pair of bruises on his cheeks, he had a tear on he right side of his shirt and he appeared to be wearing only one shoe.

After taking a moment to give her son's appearance a closer examination, Rita gave the principals a fierce glare and shouted "WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!" "Yeah, who's the punk who did this to my boy" Lynn Sr. demanded, "how could you people let something like this happen to one of your students...let alone our son?!" With her arms held up defensively; Principal Ramirez proclaimed that she was just as shocked as the Louds were about Lincoln's state, when Meryl first informed her about it.

"Apparently, this happened mere moments ago just outside the school" she said while gesturing at Lincoln's appearance, "but...we'll all cross that bridge when we come to it, as they say." Miss Rain nodded slightly in agreement and reminded everyone that there was still more to the story they needed to know. "Why don't we start up again from the dodgeball game on Tuesday" she suggested, "that is...if you feel comfortable enough to talk about that, dear."

After taking a moment to consider all his options, Lincoln realized that everything needed to come out into the open; no matter how painful. So, he took another swig of his water and started up his story where he last left off; Dodgeball Day at Gym.

(Line Break)

All around the gymnasium; there was screaming, cries of terror and the sounds of rubber crashing into things echoing as loud as a war zone. The instant Coach Keck blew her whistle, moments earlier; the dodgeball game went underway and it was every student for themselves. On one end of the Gym, Team One launched wave after wave of powerful ball throws; all while laughing victoriously from any direct hits they made.

On the opposite side, some members of Team Two were desperately trying to collect as many of the balls that missed them; hoping to make some sort of retaliation or counterattack. Other students on the team, meanwhile chose to run in terror; not wishing to be hurt by their classmates (unintentionally or not.) As for Lincoln, it didn't matter if he was on the offensive or defensive side; all he cared about was survival.

At first, he truly wanted to help out his teammates by either attempting to protect them or try and collect as many dodgeballs he could find to use as "ammunition." But since he missed lunch, Lincoln was too hungry and tired to move quick enough to do either one of those options. As a result, he was running on empty and thus became yet another easy target for the opposing team to "wail on."

Normally, Lincoln would be able to face this sort of situation with his usual moxie and determination. But due to his current physical and emotional state, he felt like a Roman gladiator being thrown into a lion pit and was thus shaking like a leaf with fear. Naturally, his friends were there to do whatever they could to help keep him out of the line of fire; either by shielding him or fighting back.

But even after Stella instructed everyone to line up into their trusty Scorpion Formation; without Lincoln beside them, it wasn't quite as effective as it had been other times before. "Hey, buddy; are you feeling okay" Clyde asked with concern while dodging a few balls, "you look a little peaked." The other Guys echoed their friend's inquiry, all while doing their best not to get hit by any dodgeballs.

In that moment, Lincoln wanted nothing more than to share all of his issues with his crew in one huge emotional outburst. But before he could say or do anything, Stella quickly butted in; firmly urging the boys to get their heads back in the game. "She's right, now's not the best time to talk or get distracted" Lincoln thought to himself, "just...try and stay alive until the bell rings."

With that thought in mind, he gave his face a quick yet hard slap; hoping it would clear the bad vibes out of his head. But all it did was make his cheek sore, in the end; while also leaving a large palm print behind. Then, Lincoln spotted something that almost made his hair stand on end...or rather, someone.

It was Biff, clenching a dodgeball tightly in his arms and charging straight for him like a mad bull in a rodeo. Behind him trailed Vicky, Anderson, Taylor and Pablo; all of whom looked just as terrifying as Biff did. However, Lincoln was surprised to see that the bully group was lacking a prominent member; namely Mordecai.

"Maybe he managed to get himself excused from the game, somehow" he thought to himself, "in which case...he's one of the lucky ones." Just then; Biff bellowed out a fierce, rage-filled battle cry and threw his ball with all the strength he had. With a fearful yelp, Lincoln quickly fell to the floor and miraculously dodged the attack...but he wasn't quite out of the woods just yet.

Mere seconds later, the rest of the bully group unleashed a volley of dodgeballs straight for him; which looked like a cluster of blood-red cannonballs being fired, in Lincoln's eyes. All time seemed to slow down, seconds later; as the rubber balls neared ever closer towards Lincoln's quivering form. Then, as either by some miracle or a stroke of luck; he was suddenly pushed aside to safety at the very last minute.

Despite his rather unceremonious fall, Lincoln recovered almost instantly and saw that it was his God-Brother (Omar) and Godsisters (Ellie, Tonya and Dolores) who saved him. "You okay there, friendo" Ellie asked while helping Lincoln up off the ground, "you all looked like a deer caught in the headlights, you was so scared." Before Lincoln could make any sort of response, Tonya gave a shout-out and told her friends to focus.

"She's right, y'all; we ain't gonna let these punks take us down without a fight, are we" Omar asked with a smile, "let's show them what we've got!" In spite of his initial physical and mental exhaustion, hearing his friend's words of encouragement gave Lincoln just the push he needed to get back in the game. Once his team properly armed themselves with dodgeballs, the tide swiftly turned in their favor...for a brief period.

Eventually, the only people left on the court were Lincoln and Biff; the latter of which looked pretty fierce in spite of his exhaustion. Lincoln was also feeling a little tired, after running around for so long but he wasn't going down without a fight. "The sooner I take Biff out, the game will be over and I can finally rest" he whispered under his breath, "I can do this...right?"

As much as he tried to bring out any semblance of confidence he had; the discomfort Lincoln was feeling both in mind, body and spirit completely put out his fire. Meanwhile, Biff still appeared as intimidating as ever despite his breathless demeanor and the amount of sweat that was dripping off his brow. Now, Lincoln was...somewhat used to the jock's hostile behavior towards him during the majority of the school year.

This time, however felt very different; his teeth were grinding, his arm muscles tightened and there seemed to be a great fire of hatred burning in his eyes; something Lincoln hadn't seen since...his "brief falling out" with his family last year (specifically from the likes of Lynn or Lori.) Of course, once this notion came to mind; Lincoln suddenly feared the worst and started to believe Biff wanted to genuinely hurt him. But just as he was about to call for a timeout, Coach Keck blew her whistle and the game resumed.

"Get ready, Loud...because it all ends here" Biff roared, "time for me to finally make you suffer!" With that decree, he suddenly rushed towards the dodgeballs placed along the center of the gym floor. At the same time, Lincoln also tried to make a run for one of the balls; mentally pushing himself with all the energy he had left.

But just when it seemed he was within arms reach of the balls, Lincoln suddenly slipped on a small puddle of sweat that was on the floor. As a result, he tumbled clumsily across the floor until he collided with the wall on the other side of the gym. Thankfully, Coach Keck had hung a foam mat up on that wall; which was meant to protect it whenever the class played games involving balls a little too roughly against one another.

In any case, this made Lincoln's aforementioned collision...a little less painful than it looked. But the crash seemed to have knocked all the wind and energy he had left right out of him, thus leaving Lincoln a tired heap. Not wishing to see their friend get hurt or get taken out of the game, the Guys and Gals each tried to call out to him; hoping to get his attention.

Dolores: "C'mon, chamaco; you have to keep moving!"

Clyde: "Get up, buddy...c'mon, you can do it!"

Rusty: "Dude, you gotta hurry before Biff makes his move!"

Jordan: "You've gotta get up, Lincoln; please!"

Cristina: "Hurry, Lincoln...HURRY!"

Ellie: "You're tougher than this, Linc; c'mon, show that pretty boy what for!"

Omar: "You gotta wake up, man; c'mon!"

Tonya: "C'mon, man...get up, don't let pretty boy win!"

Eventually; their words finally reached Lincoln's ears, giving him just enough strength within him to move. But unfortunately, he was so weak and tired that the best he can do was sit himself up on the heels of his feet; something Miss Rain and Paige's grandmother called the "Seiza Position." "C'mon, Loud...you've gotta move" Lincoln thought to himself, "just...slowly move your leg."

Ever so slowly, he moved his left leg forward; setting himself in a more kneeling position. But before Lincoln could move any further, he suddenly felt something hollow yet still quite strong hit him square in the face. The aforementioned blow sent Lincoln tumbling across the floor; where he, once again slammed into the padded part of the gym wall.

Lincoln's team cringed loudly with disgust, distressed by both his rather painful situation and the fact that his team lost the Dodgeball game. "Well, looks like we've got ourselves a winner" Coach Keck stated, "everybody dust yourselves off and hit the..." Just as she was about to dismiss the class for the day, the repeated sounds of bouncing rubber suddenly interrupted the gym coach's train of thought.

At first, she thought it was someone messing around with the dodgeballs; as in playing with them like children's toys. Instead, she and the other students looked out across the gym floor and saw an abysmal sight. There Lincoln was; lying on the floor, crying pitifully with fear and curled up into a protective fetal position.

At the same time, everyone also spotted Biff and his posse looming over him; all while viciously pelting the poor boy with any dodgeballs they could get their hands on. The whole time they did this, Biff seemed to be laughing at Lincoln's suffering in a tone that sounded both smug yet extremely malicious (if not a bit crazy.) "That's right, Loud" he shrieked loudly, "this is what you get for messing with the king of this school...THIS IS WHAT YOU GET!"

The whole time this was going on, the rest of the class were either angrily or desperately demanding for the bullies to stop; the Guys and Gals being the loudest among them. Meanwhile, Coach Keck was tooting and tweeting her whistle as loudly as she could; all while demanding for Biff's group to back off of Lincoln. "NOT A CHANCE, COACH" Pablo roared in defiance, "we're finally gonna make this punk pay for ruining our lives here and then some!"

With that said, Biff was mere seconds away from resuming his assault on Lincoln once more; along with other bullies. But then, Omar appeared behind him and stopped the jock in the most non-violent way he knew; a hug. Thanks to his large stature and strong arms, Omar was able to fully envelop himself around Biff's form and he did everything he could to momentarily restrain the angry jock.

Of course, this didn't stop Biff from trying every way he could think of to shake himself free. But try as he might, he could barely kick his feet; let alone wiggle his way out. As for the other bullies; Ellie, Tonya and Dolores all assumed defensive fighting positions in front of them...daring any one of the punks to try and make a move on their fallen pal.

"Just give us an excuse to fight; you big, dumb tirones" Dolores challenged fiercely, "we dare you...all of you!" Following up with this, Ellie and Tonya both clenched their fists tightly; appearing just as eager to try and take on the bully group. But before even one punch could be thrown, Coach Keck gave her whistle one final blow and called for silence.

"Good show of teamwork, kids; especially you and Miss Campos, Big O" praised Coach Keck, "now...could someone kindly 'escort' Packard to my office while the rest of us attend to Loud here." Omar nodded silently in obedience and carried Biff over towards the coach's office; all while doing his best to ignore all of his captive's rants and ravings (as well as his kicking.) Once they had left the scene, Keck and several of the students rushed to Lincoln's side; where it looked like he was now lying in a puddle of his own sweat and tears.

(Line Break)

As the scene flashed back to the present once more, Lincoln is seen trembling in his seat with fear; the memory of Dodgeball Day's events still running through his mind like some twisted Vietnam P.T.S.D. induced flashback. Meanwhile, his parents' each had looks of utter shock frozen upon their faces; complete with the "gaping mouth expression." After finally coming back to her senses, though; Rita sent a glare over Principal Ramirez's way and demanded to know the name of the student who assaulted her son.

"That would be Mr. Packard in the main lobby, ma'am" Miss Rain replied, "do not worry, though; we shall get to his punishment soon." The Loud Parents muttered incoherently with shock at this news, while Lincoln remained in his seat; doing his absolute best to keep himself calm. "I just...I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS" Rita exclaimed loudly, "how can you people allow one of your students to get so viciously brutalized by another student, let alone a group of them?!"

Admittedly while he did admire his wife's spirit, something about her current attitude filled Lynn with a great sense of fear (even more so than the rare times he would forget an anniversary.) However, in spite of that; he still made an attempt to try and calm her down. "Now...honey, doesn't that sound just...a little extreme" Lynn inquired cautiously, "this could very well be similar to how Junior used to play Dodgeball back in the day."

Upon hearing this, Principal Ramirez chimed in and said she thought the same thing; thinking that Biff was simply going a little overboard with Dodgeball (as some students often do.) "As it turns out, though...Mr. Packard and his... 'friends' all seemed very much out for blood, when it came to your son" she said bluntly, "and it all involves something that happened once before on Lincoln's first day of school." The Loud Parents gasped softly, their minds suddenly remembering the stories Lincoln shared about his first day of Junior High.

But the difference here was back then, Lincoln had people to protect him and Biff's crew got busted in the end. This time, however; Lincoln was on his own and Biff's "schoolyard rivalry" with him seemed to have intensified since then. Once everyone had calmed down enough, Lincoln continued on with his story from where he left off; Wednesday.

"The rest of the week didn't pan out much better, after that Dodgeball incident" he grumbled, "on Wednesday, it rained the whole day; which meant we were all stuck in school for nine hours." To add insult to injury, Lincoln revealed that he and the other students had to stand out in the rain waiting for the bus. "Thankfully, Haiku appeared and offered me use of her parasol" he murmured, "but I was still soaking wet on the bus ride home."

The adults all murmured softly in understanding, after this and Principal Ramirez asked what happened yesterday at school. "Nothing much really, believe it or not" Lincoln confessed, "in fact, all my classes went well and no one bugged me all day; which led me to think things were finally starting to look up for me." The moment this brief yet positive bit of news was revealed; the Loud Parents each let out a sigh, thinking that the worst might've been behind their son by then.

"Don't get too relaxed, everyone" Mx. Baskerville said suddenly, "there's still the matter of what happened mere hours ago in the cafeteria." Upon hearing this, everyone's earlier dread soon returned full force and Rita asked what exactly happened during the time in question. "Okay...to start things off, things were starting to feel much like they were yesterday; quiet and normal" Lincoln explained, "then, when Lunch Period came; that's when things got...unsavory."

(Scene Change: Cafeteria, Three Hours Ago)

For the most part, lunch seemed to feel relatively calm; especially over at Lincoln's table. However, he still felt the emotional and physical stress from the days before gripping at him like a hangman's noose. Alarmed by their friend's demeanor, both the Guys and the Gals did everything they could to help lift his spirits.

"Hey, Linc; I've got a baggie full of those new mocha fudge cookies we made two weeks ago" Clyde offered, "you want a couple?" Normally, Lincoln would've immediately jumped at his bestie's offer or anything his friend groups had on hand during lunch. But sadly, he was too much of a physical and emotional wreck to even think about eating his own lunch; let alone sample anything else.

"Okay...Listen, Linc; you know we all love you...right" Phoebe inquired with a light grin, "so, I speak for everyone of your friends here when I say...you're gloomy attitude is really bumming us out right now." At first, the Guys and Gals were half expecting Lincoln to make some kind of retort; whether it be a snide remark, a defensive outburst or even a simple "whatever..." but nothing happened. Instead, he just sat in silence; staring down at the table and slowly munching away at his sandwich.

"Seriously, Lincoln...this isn't normal" Jordan said suddenly, "we haven't seen you this upset since all the..bad stuff went down last year." Now, everyone at the table knew full well what the young lady was referring to. But due to Lincoln's current state of mind, they all chose to not mention it outright.

But then, much to everyone's surprise; hearing Jordan mention "the bad stuff" caused Lincoln to suddenly stop eating. For what felt like ages, he sat as still as stone; giving what some called the "Thousand-Yard Stare." Then, Lincoln let out a bitter chuckle and said that what was going on felt "so much worse" than what happened last year.

"You guys might not remember it" he grumbled, "but back during the trial, there were people saying that I should've been punished; not my parents or my sisters." Before anyone had the chance to speak up, Lincoln continued on with his tirade; proclaiming that those same people warned said things like "karma works both ways" or "you'll get yours, one day." "I mean...sure, I've made mistakes a few times before; who hasn't" he murmured frantically, "but is it worth putting me through all of this?!"

Soon, Lincoln's behavior became dangerously erratic; which in turn meant one thing...he was having another panic attack. Thinking quickly, Clyde removed whatever remained inside of his paper lunch bag and handed it to Lincoln; reminding him to breath into it as much as he could. But before he had the chance to put the bag to his lips, Lincoln was suddenly grabbed from behind by his shirt collar and felt himself being dragged along the floor.

He was then brought out into the hallway outside, where he was then pulled through the doors of the nearest exit and out into the back parking lot; where Lincoln suddenly felt someone else grabbing at him. This second assailant lifted him up onto his feet and slapped him thrice across the face so hard, Lincoln swore he felt his left cheek swelling up. "Get up and open your eyes, Loud...NOW" a female voice demanded, "do it or we will give you Rope Burns that will last you till you're on your death bed!"

With all the strength he could muster, Lincoln slowly brought himself to his feet; despite the fact his knees were shaking like crazy. Then, after he managed to open his eyes; Lincoln saw that he was surrounded by the group of bullies that plagued him all throughout the school year. In the past, the sight of their collective sneers and glares would've left Lincoln quaking in fear.

But after everything he endured this week alone, he didn't even flinch at their presence. "What do you chumps want with me this time" Lincoln grumbled, not caring for the fact he addressed them all rudely; "are you gonna blame me for the Gym showers losing the hot water, beat me up for the pop quiz we had last Thursday...or what about your hair, Taylor; you want to blame me for that?!" But before any one of the bullies could act, Lincoln simply sneered at each of them and "relaxed" himself up against a nearby locker.

"Go ahead, then; do whatever you want with me" he said submissively, "I'm done caring about what idiots like you think of me anyway." The 8th Grade girl's blood boiled with each remark Lincoln gave, the one regarding her hairdo being the most offensive (to her, at least.) But surprisingly, she and the rest of the bully group had kept their cool; much to Lincoln's initial surprise.

"No, Loud; we're not here to blame you for anything" Biff murmured, "nope...we're here to make you suffer!" With that simple word, the bully group quickly put their "revenge plot" into action. First, Vicky grabbed Lincoln by his ankles and proceeded to hold him upside down while shaking him vigorously.

Of course, she wasn't doing this to get any money that might fall out of his pockets; it was just to make him hideously uncomfortable. Next, she handed him over to Anderson; who proceeded to let out a rancid fart squarely in Lincoln's face. Naturally, the stench from the attack rendered him both momentarily blind and delirious; which gave Pablo the chance to strike next.

His attack method came three-fold; first, he grabbed hold of Lincoln's shirt sleeve and flung him towards a rack of bikes. This led to Lincoln crashing hard against them, leaving him completely buried and even more dazed than he was a moment ago. Next, Pablo grabbed the rim of Lincoln's underwear and pulled them so high it almost went over his chest.

As the poor boy stumbled about slightly, one of his shoes became untied and he couldn't reach down to fix it. As a result, Lincoln tripped over his laces and face-planted into a mud puddle left behind by the rainstorm earlier that week. Dazed, hurting and momentarily blinded by the mud; the next thing Lincoln heard was Taylor saying "we're not finished with you yet, you lil' rugrat!" Before he could even move a muscle, the teen sat herself down upon Lincoln's back; using her size advantage to momentarily restrain him.

Next, she plugged up her right nostril and proceeded to shoot out a bit of a booger from the left one; which barely missed the side of Lincoln's eye by an inch. Afterwards, Biff grabbed him roughly by his cowlick and hoisted him up off the ground; dangling him in midair like a tattered ragdoll. "You like this, Loud" he grumbled viciously, "you better...you had it all coming the minute you set foot in this school!"

As Biff and his crew prepared to continue their assault, Lincoln made one last attempt to understand why he hated him so much. "You and that family of weirdoes you live with have been nothing but trouble for this town" Vicky sneered, "always disturbing the peace, causing damage, ruining other people's lives...but you are the worst of them all, twerp!" Without pause, she and the rest of the bullies proceeded to list out every "fault" Lincoln had; whether they were truthful or not.

These faults, in their minds, all felt like valid reasons for Lincoln to be punished by their hands (if not the local or school authorities.) "You've ruined my rep in this school, you've got all of us in trouble on multiple occasions, you humiliated me just as many times, you and your friends got one of our teachers fired" he grumbled, "but worst of all...we lost a member of the crew because of you!" After this reveal, Lincoln looked around and saw that his earlier hunch from Gym Class was right after all; Mordecai had cut himself off from Biff's "cool circle."

Though he wasn't fully certain when it might've happened; after spending some time with the former bully and getting to know him more, Lincoln was happy that Mordo had managed to save himself from any more of Biff's manipulative behavior. However, this was but one of the aforementioned bully's many "justified reasons" for hating Lincoln...and he had many others. "You're a mistake, Loud...nothing more and nothing less" growled the jock, "you have no real skills, you're dumber than a sack of dirty diapers and you can't even fight back against any of us on your own; you always gotta have other people fight your battles like your sisters or those tramps you're always hovering around with!"

Upon hearing mention of the last example, Pablo stepped forward and proclaimed that Lincoln's "friends" weren't really his friends; just people who saw him as a charity case. "Th-That's not true, the Gals and my sisters don't fight all of my battles for me" Lincoln murmured, "and what do you jerks know about my friends?" Straightaway, Taylor looked squarely into the boy's eyes and proclaimed that the only reason the Gal Pals hung out with him was because they felt "sorry" for him.

"From what we've heard through the grapevine, one of 'em is about to head off for college soon" Vicky chuckled rudely, "why would someone like that...or anyone else for that matter be friends with a spineless, ugly, untalented gremlin like you?!" Upon being reminded, once again about Carol's eventual departure for Huntington Oaks; Lincoln gave a sad whimper and was moments away from giving in to his despair. But then, just as the onslaught was about to continue; everyone suddenly heard a loud banging from behind them.

Pablo looked over his shoulder and saw the school's back entrance doors bouncing slightly. This coupled with the sounds of several voices shouting from the inside indicated that someone was either hitting the doors or ramming at them with all their might. Upon taking a closer look, the bullies suddenly felt all of their earlier ferocity fade away in an instant.

Meanwhile, due to the position he was in; Lincoln had no clue what was going on but he hoped it was something good. Finally, after one final slam; the doors flew open and a team of officers rushed towards the bully group like a herd of stampeding longhorns. This sight shocked Biff so greatly that he lost his grip on Lincoln, thus causing the poor boy to fall back onto the pavement in a heap.

Afterwards, the officers proceeded to quickly subdue every member of the bully group; all while doing everything they could to practice necessary restraint (these were children, after all.) As for Lincoln; he felt as though he had gone through a three round boxing match against Lynn...and lost. He could only lay sprawl upon the ground while the chaos went on around him, barely able to tell who was friend or foe.

Finally, he caught sight of the faint yet welcomed forms of his friends rushing to his side; who were all crying out in worry for his safety. "You're gonna be okay, man" Omar said in a hushed voice while cradling Lincoln slightly, "we'll take ya down to the nurse and get you cleaned up while my mama and the others handle things from here...you'll be okay." As he slowly but surely gave in to the fatigue that flowed through him; the last thing Lincoln saw before dozing off was the officers cuffing each of the bullies slightly, pulling them up from the pavement and dragging them back into the cafeteria.

(Line Break)

When the story had finally reached its end, both Lincoln and all the adults in the room stared at one another in silence for almost a minute. Of course, the latter used this time as an opportunity to properly process everything that's been revealed (as well as give Lincoln some time to calm his nerves a little.) Finally, after he had guzzled down the last of his water; Lincoln faced everyone and spoke.

"So...there you have it, all of this started because I couldn't grow up and accept the fact that one of my friends was leaving me forever" he grumbled bitterly, "go ahead everybody; throw me in detention, expel me, have me grounded till I'm eighty-four...none of it even matters anymore." Once again, the adults stared at Lincoln in silence; utterly stunned to hear him speak so bitterly about his situation.

Then, after what felt like ages; Rita stood up from her seat, knelt down before her son...and held him tightly in her arms. This otherwise loving gesture came as quite a shock for Lincoln, to say the least. Of all things; he never expected either one of his parents to be hugging him, after everything he had just said.

"M-Mom...why are you hugging me" he murmured confusedly, "you're supposed to be angry at me for everything I did wrong!" Instead of responding to his words, Rita simply hugged Lincoln tighter...but not so much that he was suffocating. Mere seconds later, Lynn also approached him and enveloped Lincoln in a loving embrace as well.

While the gesture was initially heartwarming, Mx. Baskerville was quick to point out that it didn't make Lincoln feel any less confused. "I'm also rather confused by this show of behavior, Mr. and Mrs. Loud" Principal Ramirez chimed in, "aren't you upset with your son for everything that's happened?" While still keeping her hold on Lincoln; Rita looked over her shoulder and proclaimed that she was, indeed upset.

But surprisingly, it wasn't Lincoln or the things that happened up to this point she was angry with. "You colleagues may not know this, Principal Ramirez" Rita murmured, "but...we're but a stone's throw away from perhaps, the worst period of my son's life; if not our family's." For a moment, neither the vice principal or even Officer Kazinsky seemed to understand the meaning behind Mrs. Loud's words.

Then, at that moment; Meryl suddenly entered the room and wished to offer her two cents on the matter. "Don't y'all remember, Principal" she inquired, "it was one year ago 'round this time where Lil' Lincoln escaped his family's bickerin' and met all his new friends." With this reveal, everything finally became clear to the vice principal and Officer Kazinsky; while the three Louds present simply rolled their eyes and thought "isn't that what we just said?"

"Please, forgive our naivety on the matter; Mr. Loud" Mx. Baskerville said apologetically, "we've only just started our position here not so long ago and thus, have not been familiarized enough with certain 'events' in the school's history." Lincoln smiled warmly at his vice principal and assured them there was no harm was done, which seemed to please Baskerville quite a bit. Meanwhile, he was mildly disappointed with Ramirez; surprised that she almost forgot about the moment in question, after claiming she had "learned enough" about it.

"It's not that I or the rest of us have forgotten, Mr. Loud; I promise you" she retorted softly, "I just...the district is still dealing with the repercussions of your sisters' behavior during the time in question and I've just been doing...everything I can to try and help us all move past it." After taking the principal's words to heart, Lincoln suddenly realized she raised a very good point and beckoned her to continue. It was here that Ramirez explained how throughout the story Lincoln had shared, there was one element that seemed present at almost every point...the Gal Pals.

"From what my friends down at the station have told me, these ladies have been like your own personal emotional support group" Officer Kazinsky muttered, "is that correct, Mr. Loud?" Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Lincoln responded to this question with a quiet yet simple nod. Of course, he had a rather good hunch on the identity of the "friends" the officer spoke of (Mrs. Higgins, Simmons and Campos.)

"In any case, honey; we all fully understand your dilemma" Rita said while rocking Lincoln in her arms, "it's like I said earlier; when Lori left for Fairway, your father was just as upset as you are now." The instant this was brought up a second time, Lynn Sr. did everything in his power not to breakdown in tears; while also giving his wife a soft glare. "I think what your mother is trying to say, sport...is that it's never easy to see someone you care about leave you" he murmured softly, "be they friend or family."

Lincoln was momentarily speechless, after hearing his parents' words; surprised to hear how much they understood his situation. But even so, he still felt like he did something wrong and felt he "deserved" punishment. "I got into a fight earlier today and almost got hurt in the process" he cried out in exasperation, "doesn't that mean anything to you guys?!"

Upon being reminded of the incident, Principal Ramirez decreed that the school did have a strict "No Violence Among Students" policy; as well as an even stricter Anti-Bullying policy. But then, she looked over at Lincoln with a soft smile and asked him a simple question; "did you start the fight, Mr. Loud...yes or no?"

Understandably so, Lincoln felt confused by the woman's words and asked if she could repeat them for him. "I say again...were you the one who started the fight that occurred earlier" questioned Principal Ramirez, "yes or no?" While still feeling confused, Lincoln shook his head slightly and said that all he did was stand his ground and used his words.

"That's usin' your noodle, Son" Lynn Sr. chuckled softly while ruffling Lincoln's hair, "it's like Lynn Jr. once said...never start a fight, only finish it if necessary." While he very much appreciated his father's words, Lincoln let out a scoff and proclaimed that it was Lynn's "words of wisdom" that got him in his current situation to begin with. "See...on my last weekend of freedom before Summer Break ended, she told me about something that I should 'prepare myself for' in Middle School" he grumbled, "and that thing was...once you get started there, everything changes; including your friend groups."

With this simple statement, both Principal Ramirez and Vice Principal Baskerville felt that it was no wonder Lincoln seemed so confused at times. While it was natural for some children to turn to their siblings for advice or opinions; it seemed like any sort of "wisdom" Lincoln received from his sisters did more harm than good for him, at times. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Loud made a mental note to call for a Family Meeting with the girls later at home; intent on telling them all how they personally felt about them getting involved in their brother's business.

They even agreed to call up Lori and have her take part in it; unless she was busy with college work or was in the middle of a class, of course. In the meantime, Lincoln needed some useful advice about his personal issues and it was high time that his parents were the ones to give it to him. "Look, honey...while I question a little bit of what your sisters have told you over the years; Lynn was right about one thing" Rita said firmly, "all things must and will change, as time goes by; regardless if they bring good moments or bad later on."

In addition to this, Lynn Sr. said that the best thing one could do during such times was to try and adapt to the changes as best as they could. "However...considering everything you've been through and how much of an impact they've all been on your life, I understand why the idea of any one of your 'Gal Pals' leaving would hurt you so much" he stated, "but that doesn't mean they'll forget you on purpose...you know that, don't you?" After taking a moment to consider his father's words (as well as blow his nose,) Lincoln gave a nod and said he knew his friends all loved him too much to ever forget him.

"Exactly, Son; your Gal Pals crew will always be with you in spirit" Lynn Sr. said with a bright smile, "no matter where they are or how long they might be gone." Upon hearing these words, Rita couldn't help but laugh ironically; reminding her husband that she had said the exact same thing to him when it came to Lori leaving. "At the end of the day, Mr. Loud; most things do change, just like your father and sister said" Kazinsky interjected, "but if they're strong enough, some friendships truly will last a lifetime."

Once more, Lincoln took a moment to dry the tears from his eyes; feeling genuinely touched by everyone's comforting words. But then; reality swiftly came flowing back and, while trying to hide his shameful blush from the adults, asked if he was still in trouble. "No, young man; you're not in trouble" Principal Ramirez assured, "everything that's happened today were purely minor slip up incidents, at best."

Not long after this, the Loud Parents also assured Lincoln that even if he were in some sort of trouble; the things he endured that week alone were punishment enough, especially the rather questionable "Lunch Detention" he received. "I hope you don't mind my saying so, Principal Ramirez" Rita said suddenly, "but I plan on bringing this issue up at the next PTA Meeting, as well as the behavior of some of the students here." Not long after this was said, a loud and angry roar suddenly erupted from outside the door.

Following this; there was a great deal of yelling, crashing noises and everyone swore they heard Meryl doing everything she could to kindly calm the angry individual down. Sadly, whoever was causing the noise completely ignored her and the next thing everyone knew; the door handle started to jiggle violently. Finally, Principal Ramirez had enough of the noise and was determined to find out the cause of it all.

When she flung open the door, everyone saw Biff Packard standing outside; who looked like a disheveled mess. His jersey was scuffed and covered with mud stains, his clothes had splotches of gunk on them and his eyes blazed red with furious anger. Alas, before anyone had the chance to question the young man on his behavior; Biff suddenly jabbed his finger accusingly in Ramirez's direction.

"You...I can't believe you people" he shouted rudely, "after everything he's said, after everything that's happened and EVERYTHING you've heard just now...you're all letting Loud off the hook again?!" While still keeping her cool, Ramirez gave Biff a firm glare and proclaimed that Lincoln had not broken any of the school's rules or policies at any point that week; in spite of everything that happened. "Agreed, Madam" Mx. Baskerville stated, "anything that did happen to Mr. Loud before today was purely out of negative circumstance, at best."

Biff stood dumbfounded at the "cross-dresser's" claim, his mind thinking that they were being too soft on Lincoln. That was the final straw and he would not stand for it. "If I could just say one more thing" he murmured with a light (yet unsavory chuckle,) "I'd...just like to say that my friends and I never once got a fair shake from you, Ramirez...nor from this school."

Once more, the adults stared aghast at Biff; feeling both shocked and offended by his harsh tone. But unfortunately, his tirade had only just begun and he wanted to make sure they would all hear what he had to say. "Seems like...the only ones who seem to be worth a spit in your eyes are punks like Loud here" Biff grumbled, "no matter what they do, what they say or whatever damage they cause...they always find a way to weasel out of justice!"

Straightaway, Miss Rain could sense a "strong aura of negative energy" radiating from Biff and she tried to make an attempt to calm him down. But as she reached over to give him a reassuring hand, Biff swiftly and rather painfully slapped it away. "Don't you pea-brains get it" he shouted offensively, "the Louds are a complete menace to society, every...last...one of them!"

Before long, Biff went on a vicious tirade on just how much Lincoln and/or his family had ruined people's lives; Lincoln especially. Of course, the whole time this went on; Rita and Lynn felt their anger intensifying with every slanderous claim the jock made. "The court should've had you and your bratty kids thrown in prison a long time ago, after all the things you've done" Biff growled, "or rather, you don't deserve to be on this planet!"

That did it; after barely being able to hold himself together for what felt like hours, that final insult was just enough to finally push Lincoln over the edge. It was one thing for people to insult him; part of the boy had grown used to it, over the years. But when it came to people insulting his family or the people he loved, that was going over the line and Ramirez seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Mr...Packard, need I remind you that I am the head of this school" she said with a tense glare in her eyes, "as such, I am the one who decides who receives punishments and unless you want to be one of them...you will behave yourself and show me the proper respect I deserve!" Biff scoffed venomously at the principal, spat at the floor and proclaimed that he could never respect people who refused to punish "criminals" like Lincoln. "It's just like you said; last year this school suffered all kinds of controversy" he hissed loudly, "and it's all because of the Louds!"

Rather than let the boy's words offend them, Lincoln and his parents chose to take a more peaceful course of action. After each of them took in a deep breath, they looked the jock square in the face and said that his insults no longer mattered. "We may not be perfect and I might not always get along with my sisters" Lincoln began, "but...we've all paid for our mistakes, over the years; especially me and we're doing our best to go on with our lives and become closer in spite of it all."

Lynn Sr. seconded his son's words and added that thanks to the classes they took, him and Rita have become better parents; calmer, more collected, more capable of handling any dire/chaotic situations at home and more loving than before. But surprisingly (or rather unsurprisingly,) Biff felt it still wasn't enough to compensate for everything that's happened. "Funny, Biff; on my first day here...you seemed to be singing my sister, Lynn's praises like all her other fans" Lincoln said sarcastically, "why the sudden change of heart?"

Lynn Sr. and Rita were left rather confused by this news, understandably and they asked their son to explain what he meant. "It's a long story, guys...trust me" Lincoln sighed, "but...after Lynn decided to bench herself from sports, Biff claims that I 'stole the school's champion from them.'" Upon hearing this, Principal Ramirez admitted that while "losing" Lynn as the school's star player was shocking; everyone was still able to accept her choices and move past the issue.

Just as either Lincoln, his parents or any of the other adults in the room were about to make a reply; Meryl called for everyone's attention as politely as she could. "Sorry to bother y'all durin' your meetin'" she murmured, "but...there's a visitor here in the lobby who wants to come in, someone who claims to have some involvement in this here situation." This news surprised everyone in the room but nevertheless, Principal Ramirez requested to speak with this visitor later.

"Agreed, I refuse to let anyone else deny Loud's retribution any further" Biff exclaimed, "tell whoever's out there to take a hike!" With that said, he loomed over Lincoln and was prepared to give him a most vengeful thrashing; despite the fact that the adults were all still watching him. Then, as the door flew open wide; a fierce female voice growled loudly before shouting "get away from my family, you rotten little TWERP!"

Not long after that, a hand reached over and grabbed Biff tightly by the back of his collar before another hand grabbed hold of him and proceeded to fling him out the door and onto the lobby floor. While he very much appreciated the "rescue," it happened so suddenly that Lincoln didn't know if he should feel safe or not. Then; the mystery figure fell to their knees, pulled him forward by his shoulders and held him tightly in their arms.

Naturally, this all seemed highly confusing not just to Lincoln but his parents and both the principals as well. But then, they soon heard a familiar voice that quickly put all their fears to rest. "Oh, Lincoln; I...I was so worried" it cried happily, "when I got the message from Jordan, I thought that creep was going to hurt you for sure."

After taking a moment to calm himself down, Lincoln opened his eyes slightly and saw a sight that made his heart swell with joy. Sitting before him was none other than his eldest friend (in terms of age,) guardian and leader of the Gal Pals friend group; Carol Pingrey. With tears of joy in his eyes, Lincoln wasted no time in embracing the teenager/young adult with equal strength; not caring that everyone else was watching them.

"Carol...you're here, I...I-I can't believe it" the poor boy murmured happily, "but...why, I thought you would be in college by now?" After letting out a soft chuckle and kissing her ward's cheek lovingly, Carol explained that Jordan sent her a text telling her everything that happened up to their present situation. "When I read the part of her text saying that someone was attacking you in the parking lot outside of the school, I immediately feared the worst" she confessed, "so...I practically begged for my professor's permission to leave early and when he accepted, I rushed over here as fast as I could."

In an instant, Lincoln's joy slightly gave way to a wave of guilt; something that Carol and all the adults were quick to notice. When asked what was wrong this time, the Loud Boy said that he felt guilty in the fact Carol had to leave college; all so she could save his skin...again. "My parents were right...as much as I hate it, all things must change; including friendships" Lincoln mumbled sadly, "and as your friend, Carol...I need to learn when it's alright to let you go."

To say the least, these words left everyone stone silent with shock; Carol especially (whose eyes appeared ready to burst with tears.) When she was finally able to speak again, she questioned Lincoln on the meaning behind his words. "Carol...Since the day we became friends, I...I-I've loved you like a sister and I always will" he murmured tearfully, "but I...I can't force you to give up your life for my sake."

These words were not only touching enough to bring Carol to tears but the Loud Parents, Principal Ramirez, Mx. Baskerville and even Meryl as well. Meanwhile, Biff glared at the sniveling rabble over his shoulder with a look of utter contempt on his face; all while trying to pick himself off the floor. Finally, Carol had calmed herself down enough to give Lincoln one more hug before going into "serious mode."

"Lincoln Albert Loud, I want to you to listen to me very carefully...okay" she asked firmly, earning a nod from her ward; "I may have my own things to do in life...but you and all our friends are just as much part of it as everything else." After this, Carol confessed that even though it only happened a year ago; meeting Lincoln, sharing Spring Break together, spending much of "summer vacay" together and taking him under her care (namely becoming one of his legal guardians) were some the absolute best parts of her life. "Us and our friends might not be related by blood" she said with a light sniffle, "but we're all family where it counts, in spirit...and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world."

Not long after this, Carol added that in spite everything that happened between them the previous year; she even considered the rest of the Louds her family as well. Naturally, this warmed Lynn Sr. and Rita's hearts a great deal; almost bringing them both to tears. "But...what about Business School" Lincoln asked suddenly, "do you still plan on moving to Huntington Oaks and enrolling at the college there?"

After taking a moment to laugh softly and swipe her earlier tears away, Carol revealed that she had everything taken care of. "First of all, pal; I am still going to college...but not until after break is over" she explained, "second, I had no intention of actually moving to Huntington." With these words, realization struck Lincoln like the dodgeball strike he suffered mere moments ago.

Truth be told; after seeing Lori leave for Fairway, Lincoln presumed that everyone moved out of town for college at some point. Mix this in with Lynn's words about Middle School "changing people" and it was no wonder he was so confused about everything. "The truth is, Linky; I was just as brokenhearted about leaving as you guys all were" she admitted while giving the boy's nose an Eskimo kiss, "I didn't want to leave you, my home, my parents, my neighbors, all our friends or my lovable fur baby, Alistair behind forever."

After letting these words sink in for a few seconds, a great sense of relief finally washed over Lincoln; who wasted no time in giving Carol the biggest hug possible (and vice versa.) While all this was going on, the adults couldn't help but look upon the scene with great fondness. The way Lincoln and Carol spoke to each other and how they both behaved truly showed just how close they've become.

Meanwhile, Biff continued to grimace and scowl at them all like a chump (as Lynn Jr. would say;) calling their behavior "sentimental nonsense." "In the end, I found a way to have my cake and eat it too; as the saying goes" Carol announced, "I'll still be going to Business School in Huntington Oaks, after Spring Break...but I won't be moving into the campus; instead, I'll go in for six hours or so and come right back home after my final class." After giving the idea some thought, Lincoln felt that such a schedule felt like a typical school day's length (for him, at least.)

Regardless, it all sounded perfect to him; this meant they could still hang out together and still remain friends. "That's wonderful to hear, young lady" Principal Ramirez said warmly, "and it looks like Mr. Loud thinks so too." Before anyone else could say or do anything, Lincoln gave a joyful laugh and leapt into Carol's arms; holding her in the warmest hug he could give.

The teen cooed softly with delight and returned the embrace; all while whispering "that's right...Big Sis is here; you're safe, now" into his ear soothingly. Then, just when things felt like they were closing up nicely; Biff let out a vicious growl of outrage before, once again voicing his demands for "justice." "That little runt has been nothing but trouble since he got here and what happened today proves it" he ranted, "I am demanding that justice be served...right here, right now!"

For a brief moment or two, no one said a word but Carol looked as though she was in a state of deep thought. Then, she approached where Biff was on the floor and looked him square in the face; as if studying him. "I remember you...from Halloween, last year" Carol murmured, "or was it one of the other times you've been messing with my friends?"

Lincoln stared at his friend/guardian in shock, for a moment; wondering if she had truly forgotten about Biff and everything he did to him. Then, Carol suddenly gasped in realization before admitting that she heard the boy's name once before. "Yes, from one of my future professors at the college" she stated with a small grin, "he seemed...very eager to come and meet you, when I told him about the emergency text I got; would it be okay if he joined our meeting, everyone?"

At first, Principal Ramirez and Co. considered denying the young lady's request; to tell her that they wished to finish the matter at hand before heading home for break. But when Mx. Baskerville saw Carol giving Lincoln a bit of a wink, they could sense that there was more to the situation than meets the eye and voted to grant her request. "Very well...but let's just finish things up quick, everyone" Officer Kazinsky said with a yawn, "my wife is expecting me to pick up the kids from school soon."

Seeing this as a "signal" of approval, Carol opened the door and asked for someone to come in. Truth be told, everyone was actually quite interested to meet with Carol's "mystery guest." "Now, then missy; just who is this professor of yours" Lynn Sr. asked, "and why would he want to join in on this meeting in the first place?"

Before Carol could offer up a reply, a shadow suddenly loomed over Biff's form. In that moment, Lincoln suddenly saw something in the jock's eyes that he hadn't seen before; genuine fear. As he slowly turned to face the figure behind him, all of Biff's previous rage and whiny behavior disappeared in an instant.

Before him stood a tall, burly fellow dressed in a snazzy business suit, polished brown wing-tip shoes, a full-faced blonde beard and had long blonde hair tied up in a well-groomed ponytail. No one knew just who this man was, exactly (except for maybe Carol.) But from the look of Biff's trembling form and the terrified expression on his face, it was clear that the fellow was someone whom the lad truly feared.

(Line Break)

For what felt like ages, the man simply stared out at the group before them; studying them intently. Then, he gave a light yet fierce growl under his breath; one that made even Lincoln quiver a little. Finally, after rubbing at his temples slightly; the mystery man let out a weary sigh and took a seat in a nearby chair.

While sitting, he took a glance over towards Biff and then Lincoln; causing both boys to quiver slightly. When he finally chose to speak up, almost thirty seconds later; the man had a sort of voice that sounded both dignified yet...incredibly intimidating. "Hieronymus James Packard...you best explain what is happening here" the man grumbled in a weary yet furious tone, "explain why I had to be pulled out of an important lecture at the college to come here and learn that you were making trouble...again!?"

In response to this, Biff fell to his knees and started to cry pitifully up at the man like a toddler who lost their favorite toy. Then, for the millionth time that day; he declared that Lincoln was the cause of all the "riffraff" that was going on. While the boy in question did feel rather irritated about being made the scapegoat of someone's problems; when he saw the strange man looking down at him, the only thing he could feel then was mild fear.

"So...you're the 'famous' Lincoln Loud I've heard so much about" the man muttered, "the boy who supposedly goes out of his way to 'ruin people's lives,' as my son and so many others so often claimed?" Understandably so, Lincoln stared at the man a fearful yet confused yet terrified look on his face; feeling unsure of how to answer such accusations. Then, after he'd snapped out of his stupor; he proclaimed to the man that he'd never met his son before.

"He's talking about me, you dunce" Biff grumbled, "now...Daddy, I don't know what you might've heard but..." Before the disgraced jock could say another word, the mystery man (now revealed to be his father) gestured for him to keep quiet. Afterwards, he turned back towards Lincoln and gave him a firm yet friendly handshake; expressing his sincerest apologies for what happened to him.

"I'm Prof. Gordon Packard, I work as one of the instructors over at the Huntington Oaks Academy for Aspiring Entrepreneurs" he said politely, "and I am deeply sorry for any and all inconveniences my son, Hieronymus has caused this past year." Before Lincoln had a chance to speak up, his father did so first; saying that there was no one named "Hieronymus" involved in this situation...just Biff. "Hmm...so, that is the moniker my son chooses to go by here" murmured Prof. Packard, "and here I hoped being around more simple surroundings would make him a more upright lad."

Upon hearing this statement, Lincoln suddenly remembered what his friends told him on his first day; specifically about Biff being a transfer student from Huntington Oaks. As if sensing these thoughts from him, Prof. Packard explained how Biff not only used his social status to get his way very often in his old school; there were also times where he tried to fail on purpose. "What the...Why would anyone want to fail their classes on purpose" Lincoln blurted out confusedly, "what would Biff gain from it?"

Prof. Packard gave a light chuckle and said it was all part of some hair-brained scheme his son created during his Freshman Year at Middle School in Huntington. "To make a long story short, Hieronymus believed if he were to be expelled; I would have no choice but to have tutors homeschool him at our estate in Huntington Manor" Prof. Packard explained, "this would mean he could live in 'the lap of luxury' until he reached the final tier of High School education...but I wouldn't stand for it." To end his little tale, the professor confessed that he personally transferred Biff to Royal Woods Middle School; thinking that working alongside "the common folk" (as the boy chose to call his peers) would help make him a better man.

"Sadly, I was wrong" Prof. Packard sighed shamefully, "from all the incident reports I've read from the school and the news regarding the frequent trouble my son and his 'friends' find themselves in, all Hieronymus seems to have done here is blame any and all of his shortcomings on others...you among them, Mr. Loud." Once more, Lincoln found himself staring at the man in shock; mostly for the fact that he sounded like a complete opposite to Biff. While the professor did speak in a similar posh tone; he was kinder in nature, more collected and respectable towards others.

Speaking of whom, Biff made one last attempt to play the Blame Game and throw Lincoln under the bus; reminding his father of all the "crimes" the Louds committed together last year. "Are you still clinging on to that tired old excuse, young man" Prof. Packard grumbled irritably, "what's done is done, the Louds' have all corrected their mistakes and have paid their debt to Royal Woods and Lincoln...it's over!" In addition to all of this, Prof. Packard firmly told Biff that his animosity towards Lincoln was "grossly inappropriate" and today's events were no exception.

"We couldn't agree with you more, Professor" Principal Ramirez said firmly, "and now that everything is officially out in the open, the time had finally come for proper punishments to be exacted." This statement suddenly caused not only Biff to tense up with worry but Lincoln as well, who already looked as though he would soon pass out from the stress. Thankfully, Carol was there to help keep him calm; should he suffer from another episode.

"To start with...Lincoln, while you may not have broken any rules; something must be done about your repeating anxiety issues and panic attacks" Principal Ramirez stated, "thus, we all propose that upon your return from Break; you should visit Miss Rain after school for an hour of counseling and meditation." From here, Mx. Baskerville politely interjected and explained that such visits would be a way for the school to help keep tabs on Lincoln's mental and emotional health; to ensure that incidents like what happened today would repeat themselves again in the future. "This will only be for a short period, mind you" Miss Rain interjected, "but with any luck, I might be able to either help you rid yourself of your anxieties or find a way to appropriately manage them...what do you say, Lincoln?"

At first, Lincoln thought it was a good idea; thinking it would be no different than visiting Dr. Lopez. But before he could agree to it, he looked towards his parents; wondering what they would think about the idea. "I think it sounds great, to be honest" Lynn Sr. said with a smile, "you seem to feel a lot better after talking with someone like Dr. Lopez or your friends, this could do you some serious good."

Seconds later, Rita nodded in agreement but asked if she could add a little something to the idea. "First thing, if you want some advice from your sisters...make sure it's from someone who actually understands the situation you're in and that their ideas are actually helpful to you" she stated, "better yet, you could always come to me and your father for help." Lynn praised his wife for her suggestion and promised that no matter how busy they might be or what the issue might be; if Lincoln needed help, they would try to answer his call the best way they could.

"Yes...Yes, of course" Lincoln chuckled giddily, "I can totally work with all of that!" As one last addition to the matter, Carol wished to offer up another idea to the pot. "I may not be moving away for college...but because I'll be in class for most of the day, my parents will be all by themselves" she stated, "not to mention my Alistair."

Lincoln soon found himself chuckling softly, mostly at the mention of Carol's pet corgi missing her. Coincidentally, it had been a long time since he himself had seen the pup and he hoped everything was okay. "To get to the point...Lincoln, I have a proposition for you" Carol offered, "while I'm away at college during the day; it would mean a lot to me if you could keep my family company whenever you're available, after school or on off days."

From here, Carol suggested that Lincoln could use some of his free time to help look after things while she was off in class; keep her parents company, take care of Alastair, help the Pingreys around the house (that sort of thing.) Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, Lincoln gave a star-bright smile and happily accepted the proposal. To really stick a pin in it, his parents also gave their approval to the idea as well; thinking they could find an opportunity to meet and get to know Carol's parents too (but on more peaceful terms.)

"That's all wonderful to hear" Carol cheered while clapping her hands, "Lincoln, Mr. and Mrs. Loud...you won't regret this; everybody's been really anxious to see Lincoln visit again!" Once that was settled, everyone either shook hands or (in Lincoln and Carol's case) embraced each other joyfully in gratitude...all except for Biff, who still believed Lincoln was getting off of being punished yet again. "I can't believe you people" he grumbled in defeat, "you're practically letting him off with a slap on the wrist...where's the justice here?!"

As if the young man had said "the secret word," everyone soon faced him with fierce looks in their eyes. "I wouldn't concern yourself too much with what they should be doing, Son; if I were you" Prof. Packard said grimly, "because it will be nothing compared to what I have in store, once this meeting's over." Upon seeing the look of pure disappointment on his father's face and hearing the ire in his tone, it was in that moment that Biff realized...he was truly doomed.

(Line Break)

Sometime later, outside of school; students from every grade watched in stunned silence as each member of the bully group was being roughly dragged towards the parking lot by their parents. At the same time, everyone swore they could hear them all screaming angrily at each other; as well as hearing the likes of Taylor and Vicky cry pathetically in protest while their parents continued scolding them. Meanwhile, Biff was also being roughly brought into a rather fancy car by an equally fancy woman; who was later revealed to be the boy's mother.

Once each member of the bully group was stored within each of their respective vehicles, their parents revved up the engines and slowly left the school parking lot in single file before disappearing into the distance. Afterwards, many students started hooting loudly and dancing about the sidewalk with joy; celebrating their newfound freedom from their schoolyard oppressors. "I heard that Biff's mom is planning on sending him to live with his aunt down in Ohio, one of the most boring states in the country" Rusty whispered to his crew, "worse than that, his parents have officially cut him off...money-wise."

After hearing this news, the Guy Squad couldn't help but pity their former bully. It was bad enough being sent to a rather dull part of the country but to live there without access to his family's wealth; for Biff, that sounded even worse. The rest of the bullies all appeared to be in the same boat, according to hearsay around the school. After being told about what went down at the school; the parents of Pablo, Anderson, Taylor and Vicky were quite livid (to put it mildly.)

In the end; as punishment for their recent and past actions, every other member of the bully group was thereby expelled from school. At the same time, all of their parents promised that their children would be punished further the moment they got back home. "Serves those jerks right for what they did to everyone in the school, Lincoln included" Cristina grumbled, "speaking of whom...I hope he's okay, guys."

The rest of the Gal Pals and the Guy Squad all shared their friend's anger, some of whom wished they had been there to help protect Lincoln when it all went down. "In the end, the important thing is that Biff and those jerks were stopped before they could do any further damage" Clyde said matter-of-factly, "still...I wonder what could be keeping Lincoln in there?" No sooner had he said this, the doors to the school swung open and everyone spotted the Loud boy stepping outside; looking right as rain.

The Gals also happened to notice Carol standing behind him; which seemed like a rather pleasant surprise, after everything that happened today. "Hey, guys; sorry to keep you all waiting" Lincoln chuckled shyly, "had to take care of some last-minute stuff in the Principal's office...you understand, right?" Everybody chuckled happily at their friend's words, proclaiming it didn't matter what he was doing; they were just so happy he was okay.

"It's good to see you as well, Carol" Jordan said happily, "although...when I sent you the message, I thought you'd be too busy at the college campus to come and help us." In spite of herself, Carol let out a hearty chuckle and said her being there was too long of a story to talk about at the moment. "Right now, I'm in need of some serious R&R" she sighed heavily, "and I think Lincoln is too."

In response to this, Phoebe suggested heading up to Tranquil Springs for some well-earned pampering. "Sounds like a plan, Feebs" Carol cried joyfully, "but first...could you give me and Linc a moment, please?" The ladies nodded slightly and all huddled together off to the side; where they proceeded to discuss potential spa treatment ideas.

Meanwhile, Carol used this opportunity to have a private chat with Lincoln; as well as give him another much needed bear hug. "Are you gonna be okay now, Linky" the teen asked hopefully, "you feel better after letting all those sad vibes out?" With his trademark toothy grin flashing across his face, Lincoln nodded happily and returned his friend/guardian's hug with gusto.

"Still, though...I'm sorry I've been such a crybaby today" he said softly in her ear, "I just...I don't like the idea of losing any of my best friends, especially you." With these words, Lincoln confessed that he had lost count of all the times the idea of him and Clyde almost getting separated drove him mad with worry. Furthermore he confessed how he was still getting used to life without having Ronnie Anne around that much.

Of course, after making such a confession; Lincoln's face shined with a heavy blush of embarrassment. However, much to the boy's surprise; not only did Carol coo adorably at this statement but the rest of the Gal Pals did as well (once they overheard his "best friends" comment.) In an instant, the Gals quickly surrounded him in the warmest of group hugs ever; which Lincoln so happily welcomed.

Not too far away, over at the front entrance; Principal Ramirez Vice Principal Baskerville smiled warmly at the rather heartwarming scene. Normally, school officials seldom showed any interest in the relationships of the students they watch over. But after hearing Lincoln's story and seeing just how close he truly was with his lady friends, they made a small exception for him.

"Now, dude...listen very closely" Cici said firmly while releasing him from the hug, "no matter what happens to all of us, in the future...our friendship is something I don't plan on ever letting go of anytime soon." Almost immediately, the other ladies sounded out in agreement with the Guys adding their own voices into the mix as well. Clyde in particular, put a special emphasis on how he never wanted their friendship to end; no matter what.

Then, just as things were starting to feel wholesome; everyone suddenly heard Lynn Loud Sr. calling out to Lincoln from nearby. "Sorry for interrupting your tender moment; Son, everybody" he shouted apologetically, "but I brought that box you've been keeping in your room all week with us...figured you would need it today." Lincoln let out a joyful squeal at this news and then, like a flash, he raced over to Vanzilla and collected the item in question from the backseat.

Almost immediately, the Gals all recognized it as the "mystery box" Lincoln had with him during their Group Chat on Sunday. Now that they were all together (save for Becky, Dana and Whitney;) this felt as good a time as any to see what was inside. "C'mon, dude; show us what's in the box" Stella begged playfully, "is it a prank gift or is it something nice?"

While still trying to be "mysterious," Lincoln smiled coyly and answered with the simple phrase "it depends on what you consider 'nice,' ladies." Just as he was about to open up the box, Lincoln spotted the Babes in Blue leaving the school and making their way towards him. At the same time, he saw that Omar and the girls were all following close behind them.

Before Lincoln had the chance to say so much as a "hello" to any of them, Officer Simmons suddenly swept him off the ground and held him in the biggest bear hug ever. "Oh! Lincoln, baby; I'm so happy you're alright" she cried sweetly while spinning in place, "Omar and the girls told us everything that happened and...dang it, we're all so sorry we couldn't get to you in time to stop that whole mess from the beginning!" Higgins and Campos echoed their partner's words of regret and joined in on the hug.

But after a while, Lincoln playfully begged the ladies to give him some air; which they did. After dusting himself off, he said he still appreciated them for coming to his rescue in the end; despite being held up by the riffraff. "You feelin' okay now, sug" Officer Higgins asked, "anything broken, any bruises, are you still flustered after your meeting and...just what's in that box you got there?"

The Gals all smiled at the officer and said they were just about to find out what was inside, when they arrived. Now that the gang was all here, for the most part; Lincoln felt now was as good a time as any to show them his surprise. "As you can guess, everybody; this week has been...less than ideal for me" he murmured, "but the ironic thing is that this all happened around the same time some huge events happened to me, last year."

At first, nobody seemed to understand where the Loud Boy was was going with his words. But in spite of that, they did the respectable thing and listened to his every word closely. When he saw the mildly confused expressions on the Gals' faces, Lincoln tried to be just a little clearer with his words.

"You remember what I'm talking about, Carol; don't ya" he asked hopefully, "you found me wandering through downtown, brought me into your car and offered to take me to Gus' for something to eat." After letting these words sink in, the Gals finally understood what Lincoln was talking about. This time last year was when they all first got together and bonded with him (except for Dana, who came later.)

However...they also realized that what happened to Lincoln this week seemed near identical to all the stress, pain and emotional trials he faced around the same time last year. In the end, though; they chose to focus on the more positive side of that memory. "Okay, enough beating around the bush; I'll get to the point" Lincoln chuckled, "in honor of the occasion and our friendship, I...I made something for all of you."

With that said, he took a knee and carefully unwrapped the box; which caused the ladies to quiver frantically with excitement. Then, Lincoln reached inside and pulled something out from it; a photo album. The cover was a beautiful shade of purple, it had a white spine and on the center, everyone could see a picture of Carol hoisting Lincoln up from the ground in a hug; the latter looking slightly surprised by the gesture.

Beneath the image was the title written in gold lettering, which read "Carol Pingrey: My Big Sister from Another Mister." "Man...that line sounds like somethin' from the 80's or 90's, it's so cheesy" Paige chuckled, "but that looks like a real cute pic of you two." As everyone else chuckled softly in agreement, Lincoln casually approached Carol and handed her the album. The teen stared down at the book in her hands in silence, mouth hanging agape; unsure of what was going on or why the boy gave this to her.

"Well...go on, open it up and look inside" Lincoln urged softly, "I hope you'll like the picture choices I went with." Not needing to be told twice, Carol slowly opened up the album and gasped loudly. Inside were pages upon pages full of pictures featuring the two of them, some of them recent and others from around the time they first got together.

Every picture inside the book featured a different memory or good time the two of them shared together, from their summer activities to the photo op moment she took on the day she was first appointed as Lincoln's guardian. When she got to the end of the book, Carol saw something written on the last blank page. It was a message written in Lincoln's handwriting which read "Carol, thanks for being such a great friend, an even greater confidant and the best big sister figure a guy like me could ask for! With love, Lincoln."

After reading the message from front to back three times over, Carol started letting out soft yet frantic breaths. "And there's a heart at the end of the message" Lincoln said with a smile, "I thought it would be a nice way to close out the..." Just as he was about to finish his sentence, Lincoln was suddenly swept off his feet and gripped tightly in another one of Carol's hugs; making them look near identical to the album's cover photo.

Then, she wasted no time in showering the boy's cheeks with a flurry of kisses and nuzzles. "Oh, LINKY! THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER" she cried joyfully, "I LOVE YOU SO, SO, SO, SO, SOOO MUCH!" As she continued her affectionate assault, Lincoln made every attempt to remind her that people were staring at them...but Carol didn't care.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Gals looked in the box and saw similar photo albums inside; each one bearing a different color scheme, cover photo and message. Without hesitation, they wasted no time flipping through the pages of their books to see the photographic memories within them; which, just like with Carol, brought tears to their eyes. "I have...some extras in the box too" Lincoln mumbled while Carol still nuzzled his cheek, "a couple of these are for Becky, Dana and Whitney; three others are for my godmothers' families and another one is for our pals up in Great Lakes City; whenever we see them next."

After hearing this reveal, the Babes in Blue and their kin reached into the box and collected their respective albums. Upon looking through the pages of their albums, all three officers soon started wailing with tears of joy in their eyes; just like Carol was. "Niño...this is such a beautiful gesture" cried Officer Campos, "thank you, thank you so much."

When Carol finally placed him back on the ground, Ellie and Dolores suddenly appeared beside Lincoln and delivered powerful kisses to his cheeks; almost leaving the boy delirious with bliss. Meanwhile, Tonya quickly caught him into a playful headlock; allowing her and Omar the chance to ruffle his hair. "Linc...this is just too much" she chuckled, "but what's the occasion?"

After he was released, Lincoln explained that it was one year ago that week when he and the main members of the Gal Pals first met/got together. During that week; they shared many laughs together, lots of love and of course, bucket loads of tears (especially Lincoln.) "My point is...you guys all helped me through so much, back then and you continue to have my back even now" the boy sniffled happily, "I couldn't have asked for better friends than you all; so, I...I wanted to give you something to say thanks."

After the last of the books were handed out and looked over, the ladies all stared at Lincoln with joyful tears in their eyes. Finally, after doing their very best to get a grip on their emotions; one of the Gal Pals finally spoke up. "OMG, Linc; this is...this is just too much" Phoebe said tearfully, "but...we didn't even get you anything."

Regrettably, the other Gals echoed similar apologies; thinking that they had no idea they were supposed to "bring" any sort of gifts. But Lincoln only shook his head at them in disagreement and assured each of the ladies that they gave him something best gift he could ask for...a family of loving and loyal friends. "Now...before anyone says anything, I should inform you on a point Carol made back in the conference room" he stated, "we all might not be related by blood but we are family where it counts the most...in here."

As everyone watched Lincoln place both hands over his heart, the gesture almost caused his parents to break down and cry (mostly Lynn Sr. though.) Meanwhile, even though she had already shed a good amount of tears that afternoon; Carol still found her friend/ward's words incredibly touching and smiled. The others also appeared to be on the verge of bursting with emotion, after letting Lincoln message sink in; even Haiku (which some considered a little shocking.)

However, Lincoln still continued on with speaking his mind; expressing how the events of the past year introduced him to a whole new idea about "family." "Since the day we all met/talked together down in Gus', last year; you gals have all stood by my side, supported me and fought for me...even when it looked like Lynn or Lori could've left you guys seriously hurt" he murmured, "but most of all, you did anything possible to help keep me safe and stable...like a true family would." That did it, that last line was just enough to push the Gals over the edge with joyful emotions.

After letting out a hearty cheer, the Gals all swarmed around Lincoln in yet another group hug; all while crying tears of unbridled joy. "Lincoln, that was...that was so sweet" Stella mumbled, "and you know what, we love you too; right ladies?!" Not needing to be asked or told twice, the Gals all sounded off in full agreement with their friend; all while smothering Lincoln with the warm words and loving affirmations.

Afterwards, each of them placed their new photo albums in their respective backpacks; making note to hand three of the remaining few to Becky, Dana and Whitney later at the spa. "Okay, y'all; that's enough tears and lovin' for now" Officer Higgins chuckled while drying off her cheeks, "you best skedaddle on off to Tranquil Springs, we'll see ya later on." Before returning to Vanzilla, Rita reminded Carol to bring Lincoln home by at least 6 PM for dinner.

"Don't you worry 'bout a thing, Mrs. L" Cici called out, "your son is in good hands, so long as he's with us!" With that, the ladies made an immediate beeline for Carol's van; while Lincoln exchanged one last goodbye to the adults. Afterwards, he picked up his box and loaded himself up inside; eager to indulge himself in some well-earned pampering.

As Lincoln started buckling himself into his seat, Kat looked in the box and saw two other photo albums inside; one of them bearing the title "A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals" on the cover. "I've been meaning to ask you, Lincoln...where'd you get all these books from" she inquired curiously, "putting all these together must've cost you a fortune." The other Gals couldn't help but agree, hoping that their friend didn't spend all his money in one place.

But Lincoln quickly assured them all that putting together his surprise didn't cost him a dime. "These were all a collection of extra photo albums we had lying around up in the attic at my house" he explained, "they weren't being used; so, I thought they'd be perfect for my own plans." He then said that the only money he used was for small things, such as the titles on each cover.

"Everything else was mine, Clyde and my dad's handiwork" he chuckled, "I got the idea from the Christmas gift I gave you all last year." Upon being reminded of the holiday memory, the Gals' collective hearts almost burst with joy for the hundredth time. But before the rest of them could so much as give Lincoln so much as a high five, Carol quickly spoke up.

"Save the love-fest for later, everybody" she said firmly, "let's get to the spa before all the appointments are filled up." This was met with a hearty cheer of joy and everyone quickly buckled up, feeling more than ready to leave. "First, we'll pop by the High School and pick up the others" Carol explained, "then, we'll make a quick trip to the post office to mail out the other album to Ronnie Anne's place and then...IT'S SPA TIME!"

With these words, she revved up the engine and the van sped out of the Middle School parking lot like a blur. During the drive, some of the Gals were looking at the photos within each of their respective albums; praising Lincoln for his photo choices. "Out of curiosity, dude...just who's that other album in the box for" questioned Paige, "the one with each of our faces on the cover?"

Upon looking down at the book in question, Lincoln smiled and said that the last one was for him. "While each of yours have pics of me sharing good times with each of you individually, this one is special" he sighed blissfully, "because it features all of us together; our group, our pals in Great Lakes, the Babes in Blue and so on." As he took the book in his hands, Lincoln opened it up and showed everyone all kinds of group shots featuring them.

At the same time, the Gals could see some other familiar faces in the photos; like Bobby, Mx. Baskerville, Ms. McNair's performance troupe at the faire and most surprisingly, Mordecai. But then, they also noticed that the book was only halfway filled; which seemed a little confusing. "Don't worry, guys" Lincoln assured, "I didn't run out of pictures...this just means there's more room for all the different kinds of new opportunities, experiences and adventures we'll have together!"

These words caused the Gals to laugh out loud with pride, feeling happy that the week's past experiences didn't wipe away his hopeful optimism. Then, as the van slowly pulled up at the traffic light; Carol suddenly got an idea. "This feels like a perfect photo op moment here, while we're on the subject" she said giddily, "what do you say, gang?!" As if expecting her to say this, Lincoln had brought out his phone and asked everyone to scooch together as best as they could.

"Okay, everybody; on the count of three...say Gal Pals 4 Life" he instructed, "One...Two...THREE!" Without a second thought or the slightest pause, all the ladies cried out "GAL PALS 4 LIFE" as loudly as their lungs would allow. Then, the camera flashed slightly; thus immortalizing their moment on the phone's screen.

"Cool...now, I'll just e-mail this to my computer and I can add it to the album" he murmured, "that is...I'll do that after we have our spa day." The ladies giggle happily at their friend, crowded around him all cozy like and spent the rest of the ride savoring each other's company. Finally, the light turned green and Carol was able to continue on driving ahead.

As Lincoln finally started to feel himself relax for the first time in days, he took the time to deliver his final thoughts to the viewer. "You guys ever had a sense of déjà vu happen to you before...that's what this week felt like, to me" he murmured with a light groan, "all the humiliation, the stress and the abuse I endured felt almost as bad as what I went through last year." After taking a moment to shake off the ooglies that tried to overwhelm him, Lincoln said there was one bit of déjà vu that he actually liked and that was the love of his friends; the Gal Pals especially.

"If it weren't for these ladies, I would've lost my head days ago" he said grimly, "both figuratively and literally speaking." Before he continued, Lincoln took a glance down at his book and traced his fingers slightly along each of the Gals' faces on the cover. "Thankfully, the Gals here continued to have my back; just like they did before...and I love them for it."

Just as he was about to deliver his last word, Lincoln suddenly felt Jordan and Stella's arms hugging him tightly; all while they said "we love you too, buddy" in the sweetest of voices. Naturally, he was quite surprised by this sudden behavior and asked how they knew what he was saying. "We're your friends, Lincoln; we know nearly everything about you now" Haiku murmured dryly with a smile, "including whenever you're chatting with your...other friends out there."

As the wee Goth gestured towards the "screen," the other Gals proclaimed they were just as aware of the "viewer's" presence since Summer Break. "But don't worry, guys" Carol assured the "viewer" with a playful tone, "we've always got Lincoln's back and vice versa; no matter what life plans to throw at us." With that settled, she turned on the radio and a rather soothing song started to play on an Oldies Rock station.

"Aw, dude! I love this song" Lincoln exclaimed, "crank it up, Carol!" Not needing to be told twice, the teen turned up the radio's volume as the van continued to roll on towards downtown. When it slowly approached the setting sun, the skies suddenly echoed with the loud cry of "GAL PALS" (which were shown in the sky in bold colorful lettering) and the scene suddenly froze with the van being beautifully silhouetted in front of the sunset.

(The end credits start to roll but instead of the usual theme music, the story ends with the song Start Over by Abandoned Pools playing over them. At the same time, the "viewer" sees the credits rolling over different images featuring Lincoln and the Gals during different points of the original story and the anthology)

What a mess our lives turned out to be
It was at its best when you and I were only 3
We can start with all the things that turn us out
And we can go right down the list and throw them out

(x2)

Can we start over?

(x2)

It's all over

Here you are and there's where you wanna be
But don't think you don't have company
Think of all the lonely people in the world
And if it's God who made us why we so damn cruel

(x2)

Can we start over?

(x2)

It's all over

We can never lie
And you can never steal the time
And we can only watch them die
And we can never find out why

(Instrumental)

We can start with all the things that turn us out
And we can go right down the list and throw them out

(x4)

Can we start over?

(x4)

It's all over

(First AN: And thus ends the Spring Arc of A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals, thus bringing an official end to the main parts of this anthology. But do not worry, everyone; there will be four more "Bonus" adventures after this. These were ideas for oneshots that I couldn't quite find a proper place for within each of the main story arcs. The first will be a 4th of July themed oneshot, another one of the four will be themed after April Fools, the third will possibly have a New Year's theme...but I can't quite think of a good Fall themed idea that I haven't done already.

Many reviewers have suggested a Thanksgiving type story...but after the Louds and the Casagrandes failed to hold such a feast together, how would things work out between Linc and the Gals? In any case, feel free to leave Fall theme ideas for a oneshot in your review or PM me your idea. Thank you very much in advance and have a great day)

(Second AN: For those wondering why Biff was so much more vicious towards Lincoln this time around than past installments, the answer comes two-fold. Firstly, after several failures to "get even" with Linc; it all just pushed him over the edge with anger and the way Principal Ramirez behaved during the conference certainly didn't help with that very much. Second, it's all part of his character; I initially based Biff off of all the negative feedback I received in reviews for my original Gal Pals story or a few troll comments on some Loud House Facebook groups.

In one or two of these, people have said Lincoln "deserved" the abuse he endured from his family or worse; punishment from the court. He and the rest of the bullies *except for Mordecai after the events of Class Act* embody all the hatred from members of the fandom who...seem to utterly despise the poor lil' guy for some reason, people who call Lincoln either a worthless character or say he deserved all the karma he got throughout the show's run. But like any toxic people in fandoms, Biff and all the other bullies have been properly disciplined for their actions.

I know Linc isn't perfect, everybody...but he's been through more indignities in the show than most of his sisters. The events of this oneshot prove that he, at least once or twice, deserves a break)

(Third AN: Speaking of whom; since Biff isn't a real name, it made sense for him to have a particularly "dorky-sounding" real name like Hieronymus. What do you guys think?)

(Fourth AN: You can find the Gal Pals in some of my other stories like Dungeons, Dragons & Dames and my upcoming Ace Savvy: Double Draw fanfic; which was lightly referenced in the original Gal Pals)

(Fifth AN: The Lunch Detention punishment Lincoln received from Mr. Guttenheimer is a reference to a real world idea from my own school days. As described during the earlier scene; if you were given this punishment, you were confined inside of a classroom for the entire lunch period. If you planned on buying lunch that day, you weren't allowed to get it in the cafeteria.

Instead; you were given a PB&J sandwich, a banana, a small bag of regular potato chips and a small carton of milk. Thankfully, I wasn't in there for very long and neither was Lincoln)

(Sixth AN: Some of you may think Lincoln was being a crybaby in this. But bear in mind that he's still feeling the heavy amounts of anxiety, mental stress and emotional trauma he endured from the original story. This kind of stuff doesn't quite go away so easily, regardless of how much therapy sessions you take part in)

(Seventh AN: The "end credits" song is known as Start Over by Abandoned Pools, which many people might recognize as the ending song from the finale of Clone High back in the day. I hold no ownership of it, the song belongs to both the band and Extasy International. After listening to it so many times over, I thought it would fit perfectly with either this or as an AMV for the original Gal Pals fanfic)

(Eighth AN: Technically speaking, the day I first published the original Gal Pals was on March 20th of 2019. In terms of the story's timeline, I tried to fit in the Gal Pals' anniversary around that point. I hope I did it correctly)

(Ninth AN: The thing Lynn tells Lincoln about friend groups changing when you enter Middle School, it's a reference to something she actually says within the original show; specifically in Friends in Dry Places. I figured it would be one of the key things to bring about Linc's mental breakdown, along with Carol "leaving" for college. Sometimes...Lynn says some of the stupidest stuff)

(Final AN: One last thing, I'd like to thank everyone who's been following this story and my other pieces all this time. RawToonagePress *whom the one album's cover image was inspired by,* Crafordbrian17, Timbuk1, Claircrystal, Bryan Pacheco and other users I can't quite recall at the moment. That's the thing about having Hydrocephalus, it can affect your memory; in small ways or big.

Regardless, thank you everyone for your support and I hope to see your reviews in my other pieces.)