Loud House: Flash!
12th Flash: Lesson Learned
Lincoln growled from behind the tent, a squirt gun filled with something sitting on the grass beside an odd outfit, a few suspicious water balloons and a notepad covered in writing. He poked his head out, confirmed his targets' locations, then ducked back around just as two little girls walked past laughing while they devoured a shared bag of cotton candy.
As Lincoln set about donning his disguise, he grumbled to himself. "This'll teach him for thinking he won," biting his lip, Lincoln thrust his foot inside the larger shoe. "Thinks he can steal Ronnie-Anne from me? Hah! I'll-"
"There you are!" Lincoln squeaked and panicked for a moment as three of his sisters appeared over him.
"Wh-what are you guys-"
Luna crossed her arms as she looked at the assorted items surrounding Lincoln and asked with a hint of disappointment, "Better question, Linc; what are you planning?"
Lori tapped her foot and growled, "And why do I not like the look of this?"
Luan leaned over and spotted both Ronnie-Anne and Clyde at a booth, "Probably because Lincoln doesn't like the look of that?" but she wisely chose not to make a joke given how Lori looked at the moment.
Lincoln pulled back defensively, "I wasn't gonna do anything, I swear! I was just, uh…" he fished for some explanation, but none came. "Well, I mean… you see, er-"
While Lori sighed and shook her head, Luan pointed out, "You know, Lincoln, girls don't actually dig the super jealousy angle."
"Well," Luna added with an eye roll. "Not the girls that are worth anything, at least."
"I'm not jealous!"
"Oh really?" Lori looked down at her little brother. "Then explain to me why I heard you say something about Clyde stealing Ronnie-Anne?"
Lincoln's shoulders slumped and he hung is head.
Taking the opening, Luan and Lori sat down on either side of Lincoln while Luna sat in front of him, his assorted items set aside out of reach as they tried to tease the truth from their little brother.
"I said I'm not jealous."
"You're literally pining after a girl with another guy, Lincoln."
"If that's not jealousy, then I'm Mick Swagger's wife, Dude."
"Actually, I agree with Lincoln. He's probably just envious, or maybe covetous, possibly desirous… get it?"
The siblings groaned at Luan's joke, then Lori crossed her arms and asked, "Lincoln, name one desirable trait of Ronnie-Anne you've noticed."
"Huh?"
"Off the top of your head, right now. Name one."
"Er, what?" Lincoln was stymied. But Lori persisted and, after a moment, Lincoln tried, "H-how can I name just one?"
"Just do it."
"Well…" but after a moment's thought, Lincoln found himself coming up empty-handed.
Lori nodded. "See, Lincoln? It's not that you want Ronnie-Anne, but now that she's dating Clyde you just want what he has."
"That's not true!"
Luna and Luan shared a look, then Luna said, "Okay then, name one of Clyde's."
Lincoln shifted gears and said, "Clyde's a great guy-" all three nearly squealed before Lincoln realized what they must have thought. "I didn't mean it like that! You just asked and I said what came to mind!" then he grumbled, "And that was a dirty trick."
"Like the one you would have pulled if we hadn't shown up, Dude?"
They all grew quiet. But after seeing how down Lincoln was, a new thought occurred to Lori. "Hey, Lincoln?" when he finally looked at her, she smiled gently. "I believe you."
"You do?"
As her sisters mimicked Lincoln, Lori explained. "See, maybe it's not about Ronnie-Anne or that Clyde has a girlfriend and you don't." Lincoln didn't even twitch at the mention of being single, "I think it's just having to share your best friend that's bugging you so much."
He tried to argue, but she could see the light bulb flash to life in his eyes.
"See, maybe this would be a good time to totally get to know your other friends better? You know? Like that… uh, one kid, what's his name again? Hurl?"
"Gurdle."
"Yeah, him." Lori sighed as she pulled her brother close. "Or maybe that other guy you hang out with. Or," and here she and her sisters couldn't help but share a grin, "maybe you should find yourself a girlfriend and go out on double dates!"
"We know some-" both Luna and Luan began to say, but Lincoln cut them off in a hurry.
"No! Not again!"
Chuckling, Lori hugged him close as they started getting to their feet. "Well, whatever you choose to do, you so shouldn't risk ruining a friendship over something stupid like this, Lincoln."
"No joke," Luan added with all seriousness while Luna nodded furiously.
Standing there surrounded by his sisters, Lincoln swallowed as he realized just what he was about to do before they interrupted.
It has been kind of lonely, hasn't it? Guess I'm just so used to spending time with him I…
...I got spoiled, didn't I?
That realization stunned him. Never in a million years would he have thought himself spoiled, but there it was.
With one last look back at his friend and Ronnie-Anne, Lincoln heaved a sigh and turned to his sisters.
"Could I get a ride if Zach, Liam or Rusty's free?"
End of 12th Flash