Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.
What Love Creates
By Lola Presents
Chapter 6
Lincoln sat at his desk, taking the usual mid-morning break when he decided to send out the invitations. The plan was to meet at Aunt Ruth's house, set up a barbeque in the backyard, and play games. He felt like keeping it lowkey and familiar. Enthusiastically, he sent one to Clyde, Rusty, Liam, Zach, and Stella.
The foursome wasn't as close as they were, save for Lincoln and Clyde, but they managed to keep up with each other over the years. Still, he had to invite them, at least. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for them to respond.
Clyde was a resounding yes. The others declined, leaving Lincoln somewhat stumped, as they didn't explain why. But he'd get to the bottom of it later. Preparing the next batch, he sent out invitations to his family members. He doubted they'd come, though.
Most had left home already and had lives of their own. He understood if they were too busy. It wasn't like he was a kid anymore. As for those remaining at home, he was reasonably sure his parents would say no to prevent Lola from sneaking in.
Figuring it would take longer for his family to reply, he finished his chips and returned to work. The rest of the day went by, and he drove himself home. As usual, Ruth had a list of things she needed him to do, and he complied.
Finally, free of duties, he lay on his bed and checked his email. There was one entry. The sender was Lynn Loud, and the subject read "Party." Sighing that he didn't get more replies, he opened the mail and began to read.
"Dear Lincoln, your mother and I have been talking and feel we've been unfair. We would love to come to your birthday party. However, both your mother and I work that day. We aren't sure sending your younger sisters without us is advisable. We can't speak for your older siblings, though, and we hope they can all attend. Love, Dad, and Happy Birthday."
"Well, that fucking blows," exclaimed Lincoln, thinking his parents and little sisters weren't coming to his party.
He needed to blow off some steam but didn't know what to do. Just then, a message came across his screen.
Clyde: Hey man, do you want to hang out?
Lincoln clicked the text, and the app opened, ready for a response.
Lincoln: Yeah, sure. I'll be over in a few.
A few moments later, Lincoln pulled up to the McBride residence and honked his horn. Clyde soon emerged and hopped into the passenger seat.
"Hey, man," he said. "Long time no see, eh?"
Lincoln looked at his friend up and down. He'd grown a short, closely-cropped beard since Lola's party.
"Looking sharp, buddy. What do you say we hit a bar?" Lincoln suggested.
"No, thanks. I'm not much of a drinker," replied Clyde. "How about we go somewhere and talk? You know, catch up and stuff?"
"Sounds good," Lincoln replied as he drove off toward no particular destination. "So, how'd things go with Lana?"
"We had a lot of fun," informed Lincoln's friend. "I mean, I could tell some of the exhibits bored her, but overall it was great. I like her a lot."
"I can tell," replied Lincoln, not entirely surprised.
"What about you and Lola?" prodded Clyde.
"Honestly, it's hard to tell. We only get a few moments here and there via text, and it's hard to read emotions when written."
"I see," Clyde said. "Well, hang in there, okay? I have a feeling things are going to turn around quickly."
Lincoln eyed his friend as they pulled into Flip's parking lot.
"Okay, you can't do that, man. That's the second time you've eluded to something important coming up. You can't drop hints like that and not expect me to be curious," Lincoln said with irritation in his voice.
"You're right. That wasn't fair," Clyde admitted. "But since I can't elaborate, let's change the subject."
"Come on, let's get some new comics and read them together, like old times," Lincoln said as he exited the car.
Clyde followed, and the two purchased Flippees and a bunch of comics, then headed back out to the car.
"Wow, this sure does bring back memories," Clyde said, taking a long slurp.
"Doesn't it, though?" Lincoln laughed as he turned a page.
After thirty minutes or so of indulgence, Clyde made an announcement.
"Well, I should get back to the house. I'm supposed to pick up Lana soon. Do you mind?" the boy asked.
Lincoln nearly spit his Flippee out.
"A second date? Already?" he gasped.
Clyde shrugged.
"Yeah, since I chose the last one," he told Lincoln, "she's choosing this one. I have no clue where we're going to go or what we're doing."
"Sure, buddy. I'll have you home shortly," muttered Lincoln as he drove off.
Retracing their path, Lincoln pulled up to the curb and let his friend out.
"It was nice hanging out again. Maybe we can do this again sometime?" Lincoln admitted.
"Sure, man," chirped Clyde. "Send me a text whenever. I'll see you in a few days!"
Waving goodbye, Lincoln pulled away as Clyde entered his car and headed off in the opposite direction. A moment later, he pulled up to the Loud residence and parked behind their old van. Clyde was surprised it still ran, as ancient as it was. Then again, it got serviced by the most capable and prettiest mechanic he'd ever known.
Upon arriving, Lana came running up to the car after waiting on the porch. She wore her usual attire, complete with a red ball cap. She hopped into the passenger seat and buckled up.
"So, what have you chosen for us today, Lana?" inquired Clyde.
Lana grinned broadly and produced two slips of paper from a breast pocket on her overalls.
"We're going to the Royal Woods Memorial Zoo!" she announced happily. "Isn't that cool?"
"Uh, yeah," agreed Clyde, somewhat hesitantly looking at his watch. "But at six o'clock? That's kind of late, isn't it?"
"Oh, pooh," replied Lana. "It'll be fun!"
Resigned to visiting the animals at dusk, Clyde conceded and headed toward the zoo. After arriving, they approached the admissions booth and presented their tickets.
"Oh, hello, Lana," said William, the gatekeeper. "It's been a while since your last visit. Everything is alright, I assume?"
"Oh, yes!" exclaimed the regular visitor. "Things couldn't be better!" she added, dragging Clyde off by the hand.
William smiled and watched the two trod off, hand in hand.
"Well, it's about time," he thought.
"Oh, look! Lemurs!" called out Lana as she ran toward a glass enclosure. "Awe, just look how cute they are!"
Clyde peered in to witness one of the lemurs digging a hole, covering itself with dirt.
"Yeah, cute," he replied, almost sarcastically.
"Party pooper," declared Lana as she guided him away to the primate exhibit. "Speaking of pooping, be prepared to duck."
"Ew," thought the young man.
Suddenly, a soft bell rang throughout the zoo, indicating feeding time.
"Yes!" exclaimed Lana. "Just what I was waiting on! Come on, Clyde. You're going to love this!"
The young girl tugged on the boy's hand, pulling him in a different direction. Soon, they arrived at a hollow enclosure. At the bottom was a small island surrounded on three sides by flowing water, which had grown murky.
A man operating a mobile boom crane pulled up beside them.
"Watch out there, kids," announced the man. "It's feeding time."
The two watched with interest as the man lowered the grapple into the enclosure. When it was about five feet from the ground, it opened, releasing several shaven carcasses.
"Ew, gross! What are those?" Clyde asked sickly.
Lana peered closer.
"Mm, by the bone structure alone, I'd say lamb," the girl responded.
"Good eye," the crane operator said approvingly.
He would've said more. However, the water began splashing, and four hungry alligators surfaced. With a ferocity the young boy could only imagine, they attacked the bodies on sight, and the feeding beasts made Clyde's head spin.
"Oh, my God!" he cried out.
"I know, " replied Lana as if in a dream. "It's beautiful, isn't it?
"That's not exactly how I would describe it," Clyde told her. "But it was intense. That's for sure."
"Hey there, Lana!" came a voice from behind them.
Turning, Lana greeted an old friend.
"Oh, hey, Sheila," she said warmly, bumping fists with the lady.
"Girl, am I glad to see you!" the lady declared. Lana scratched her head. "Why? What's going on?"
"Well, Arty is out sick today, and I have to birth a zebra," Sheila explained. "I am going to need some help, though. Are you interested?"
Lana clapped her hands to her head in surprise.
"What? Me? Are you kidding?" she spewed. "Of course, I'll help! It's like a dream come true!"
"I have a bad feeling about this," stated Clyde emotionlessly.
A moment later, the duo found themselves in a building with several stalls. Most compartments contained a resting or feeding zebra, though some were vacant. A zebra with a big belly stood in the middle of the hay-strewn common area.
"Whoa," observed Lana. "I didn't know it was Esme! That's wonderful."
"Alright, dear," instructed Sheila. "I'm going to massage her belly and maneuver the baby into position. The baby is breech, so I need you to reach inside and guide the legs together.
"Aye, aye!" cheered the young girl.
Lana grabbed two arm-length rubber gloves from the wall, put them on, and approached the zebra's posterior.
"What are you doing?" stammered the girl's date.
"You'll see!" Lana chimed happily.
Slowly and gently, she reached into the opening and felt around.
"Okay, I've located one!" she called to Sheila. "Make that two."
Clyde felt his head begin to spin. The place smelt like feces, and it wasn't sitting well with the sight before him. Carefully, he sat upon a nearby bale of hay.
"Keep going. We need all four to come out once, " the woman said.
"Hang on!" called out Lana amid the braying of animals who'd gotten stirred by the activity.
"Alright, I think… yeah, I've got them all now," Lana announced with both arms inside the animal, the side of her face resting against the beast's hind end.
"Good, pull as hard as you can when I say so," Sheila instructed the girl. "Okay... now!"
Lana began pulling with all her might, yet, as strong as she was, the baby barely moved. Pulling again, she slid it another few inches, but no more.
"Alright, we need more strength. Young man, would you help us please?" pleaded Sheila.
"Uh... me?!" gasped Clyde, eyes going wild. "I don't..."
"Come on; we'll lose the baby if it doesn't get oxygen soon!" demanded the young woman.
Gulping, Clyde swallowed a non-existent mass and began sweating.
"Yeah, sure," he eventually said, running up behind Lana.
"Just grab on to Lana and pull!" Sheila instructed him.
The kids did as instructed, straining their muscles to their limits. Eventually, something slipped into proper position, and the baby zebra slipped out with a gush of amniotic fluid.
"WOO! HOO!" screamed Lana. "That was amazing! I'm never going to forget this. Thanks, Sheila!"
Clyde was in shock and covered in smelly goo.
"Yeah… never," repeated Clyde before rolling on his side and vomiting profusely.
"It's okay, just relax and take deep breaths," Lana told him as she came to a stand.
The young man did as she said but instantly regretted it. The smell of the fluid, mixed with the odor of dung, overwhelmed him.
Clyde retched once more and then passed out.
Lana grimaced.
"Not much of a stomach on that one, eh?" quipped Sheila.
Lana nodded.
"Yeah, but he's sweet," grinned Lana.
"Let's move him outside before he wakes," said the woman as she put Clyde over her shoulder and toted him to a bench nearby, where the air was fresher.
Soon, the fresh air revitalized Clyde, and he stirred.
"Oh, man," he said, rubbing his face. "That was so gross!"
"What do you mean, gross?" demanded Lana. "We just helped a new life come into the world. That's not gross. It's amazing!"
"Well, either way, we're covered in this stuff now," noted the young man. "There's no way we can go anywhere else."
Lana looked herself over.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," she admitted, sighing heavily. "I guess you can take me home."
Together, they made their way back to the car, and after trying to get as clean as possible, they got in. Lana remained eerily silent on the way back, lost in her thoughts.
Once they'd arrived back at the house, Clyde escorted Lana to the door.
"Listen, Clyde…" said Lana sadly, looking at his feet. "I went out of my comfort zone the other night and had a lot of fun. And while I know you tried doing the same tonight, you were miserable the whole time. I can see that. If we're going to be a couple, we need to be able to share each other's interests. And well, I don't think you can do that for me."
"Wait, no, Lana," pleaded the boy. "You aren't…."
Lana smiled sheepishly and nodded.
"I'm sorry. Maybe we can try another time," Lana sighed. "For now, I think it best if we stay friends."
With that said, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, as filthy as she was.
"Goodnight, Clyde," Lana whispered before running into the house.
Clyde stood there for a moment before silent tears began falling. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Clyde returned to his car and drove off, but not without looking back. At that moment, the pain he felt was more than anything he'd endured during one of Lori's rejections.
He admired Lana's zeal for life and her ability to enjoy almost anything. She was talented, intelligent, kind, and beautiful, everything he ever wanted. Then, pulling into his driveway, he realized how much he loved her. He turned off the car and sat in the dark for a few minutes.
He was not going to give up and knew what to do. However, Clyde was going to need help, so he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed one of the contacts.
"Hello?" came the voice on the other end.
"Hey there, Lucy?" inquired Clyde.
Lincoln sat at his laptop, sweating bullets, and a warm beer sat by his side. A long list of questions appeared on the screen, with little bubbles beside them. The title read High School General Equivalency Exam. There were only six decisions left to make. He must get them correct; a lot depended on it.
Over the next few minutes, he answered them each. Having completed the exam, the mouse hovered over the Submit button. Had he reviewed enough? Did he double-check everything? The answer, of course, is that he had, several times. Taking a deep breath, he clicked the button, and the results page came up.
At first, the page displayed a small arrow, moving in circles. The text under it noted that the system was calculating his score. After about thirty seconds, the dizzying icon disappeared, revealing the scoresheet.
"Fuck yes!" he whispered to himself, though he wasn't entirely sure if he'd yelled or whispered as intended.
He quickly picked up his phone and sent a text to Lucy.
Lincoln: Hey, Lucy! Tell Lola that I passed my G.E.D. exam with a ninety-seven! I'm so excited right now. Passing means I can now work full time and earn more money towards a house. Isn't that great?
Lucy: Congratulations, Lincoln. Hang on. I'm handing my phone to Lola.
A moment later, another text came through.
Lucy: Hey, Lincy! I heard the news! I'm so proud of you and knew you could do it.
Lincoln: Thanks, Lola-bear. It won't be long now, then we'll have a house, and you can come live with me!
Lucy: Lincoln... I don't think Mom and Dad will let me leave until I'm fourteen.
After a moment of nothing, Lincoln responded.
Lincoln: Why not?
Lucy: They said that if I stay with you before I reach the age of consent, they could get in trouble for it. Besides, they're legally responsible for me until I turn eighteen. I hate it too. I want to see you so badly. I love you so much it hurts.
Lincoln: I know. I love you too, baby. Hang in there, okay? We'll be together again soon.
Lucy: Do you promise?
Lincoln: Lola-bear, I'd move heaven and hell both for you.
Lucy: Awe, that's sweet, but listen, Lucy needs her phone back. She says she needs to call Clyde back about something.
Lincoln: Um, well, okay. Goodnight, baby.
Lucy: Goodnight, Lincy.
Clyde? Lucy? What in the world would Clyde be doing calling Lucy?
Unless his friend's date with Lana didn't go well, Lincoln saw no reason for Clyde to call Lucy. Lincoln yawned and smelled the beer on his breath.
"Whelp, I guess I'll figure that one out tomorrow," he muttered, turning off and closing his laptop before settling into bed and falling asleep.
