A/N: Apologies for the long wait; had completed a move and still have a few things to sort out with the place. But,I'm glad that everyone approved of how the last chapter went; these slow burn dramas take a while to get right without rushing too much. Though I'm uncertain if this one will live up to the expectations of the previous chapter (I consider this one to be filler that leads into the next act), I'll try not to disappoint.
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING from the Loud House.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the general mood of the family was a mix of bitterness, anger, envy, loathing, and emptiness. Unlike the time when the parents had to drag their kids along when they wanted to spend the weekend alone at a hotel for a short vacation, the Louds had 3 separate rooms to accommodate the large family; and given the circumstances, it would be beneficial for everyone. As the girls split into two groups to go to their respective rooms, Lincoln was taken to his parents' room along with Lily. The two adults knew Lincoln was hardly a kid who would be ready and willing to start a fight; making plans was his ace, throwing hands was something that brought too much risk of injury, especially when it came to the girls in the family. Seeing as the lone son would rather use brains over brawn, it was jarring to watch Lincoln practically punch Lori in the face without warning.
Lynn Sr. made a sigh as Rita brought Lincoln and Lily in behind them; the middle child of the family looked hesitant to be there, seeing as he walked slower behind his wife. The scowl on the boy's face was a clue the patriarch figured what must've been going on his mind.
"First things first Lincoln: you aren't in trouble." Lynn started, watching his son become a little less tense as the door shut behind him. "I know you're probably thinkin' that the girls are laughing at the idea of us getting on your case. Now, we aren't happy with the fact you started a fight with Lori." Lincoln avoided looking at his parents as he folded his arms. "But at the same time, after what we talked about a month ago and what we heard in the car, there has to be a good reason behind your actions."
Lincoln looked at his dad in confusion.
"What your father means is," Rita spoke from the bed. Lily was laid down in front of her, diaper being pulled off as her mother grabbed a fresh one. "It's easy to see you had a difficult week, and the decision you made couldn't have been simple. But we just want to know," She glanced at him. "What made you decide on your choice? Well... to be specific, was it part of the reason you started hitting Lori? Usually you aren't the type to go picking fights."
Lynn chortled. "Yeah. That's Junior's department."
Lincoln seemed to relax further, letting his arms drop to his side before hooking his thumbs into his pocket, but his shoulders were still tensed up.
"You can sit if you need to honey." Rita added. "You don't need to stand around."
"Ok..." Lincoln answered. His feet shuffled on the floor as he walked over and sat on the bed next to his mother. "...I don't know how long it's been going on, but it just seems like..." He huffed in frustration. "It just seems like my sisters always have an easier time...I know we talked about this before when we got home after the convention, but when the producer called me yesterday..." Lincoln's hands balled up into fists. "I felt like my sisters were getting yet another free pass without even doing anything to earn it. So, I wasn't going to let myself be used as a steppingstone again for my sisters' success! How many times have I helped them, sometimes forcefully might I add, without getting any thanks in return?! And to make it worse, they still didn't really care about the movie! Just the idea of them even having their own movie that I no doubt wouldn't even have a serious part in made me..." Lincoln bit his lower lip to hide the gnashing of his teeth. "It made me want to punch a wall!..."
Both parents glanced at each other, but didn't say anything.
"And then Luna accuses me of not trying hard enough?! Outside of music, she barely tries to be good at anything else! That's why she always goes to Lisa to help her with her homework! And Lori is even worse! If I'm selfish, then she's beyond greedy!"
"Uh, sport?" Lynn started, cutting Lincoln off mid-rant. "It's ok that you need to vent; and it's clear we'll need to discuss the kind of language the girls use against you, and each other if I had to guess." He remembered Lincoln mentioned a few...questionable incidents during the scuffle in the limo. If Lori really did do those things, then he'd have to have a one-on-one with her about the privilege of driving the family van. "But, what's the main ingredient to why your so upset with your other sisters? I mean, with what you said earlier, there's a lot we'd have to talk to them about; but if there's one thing I've learned in our house, all problems seem to stem from one or two reasons."
"Sometimes four." Rita added, strapping the new diaper to Lily's bottom. The infant sat herself up with a giggle.
"Sometimes four." Lynn repeated.
Lincoln looked at his parents as his frustrated gaze softened a little. He had a lot to say, way more than what his parents may be willing to tolerate; but even he agreed it's better to get to the point than listing 100 reasons why each sister ticks him off.
That would take hours.
Glaring at the floor, "Whenever I help my sisters...it's because I want to help. I wanted to make them feel better if they're down, because they're my sisters and it's just the right thing to do; and I don't even ask for much in return." The white-haired boy rapped his fingers against his arm. "Sure, sometimes I ask for help in order to get something done, or at least find a way to distract my sisters because half the time if I feel they'll just make things worse (like I said earlier, there wouldn't be any issues if my sisters didn't throw a wrench into everything I do)..." His glare increased as he thought about his 9 other sisters. "But during the times I really need help or want to do something, my sisters are either too busy, don't care, or always want something in return for their help..."
Lincoln stared at the floor. "Even when they freely offer their help, it's only because they want to get something out of it. And sometimes, they guiit trip me into helping; just like the time I tried asking you guys if I could get some money to buy S.M.O.O.C.H tickets. Luna asked me how she could convince you to give her money for a stinky old T-shirt, then the rest guiit tripped me into helping them. And in the end, I was the one who didn't get anything because they took all of your cash! Sure, they threw me a backyard concert because they felt bad..." Lincoln muttered just loud enough for the parents to hear.
To be honest with himself, it was the sweetest thing his sisters had done for him after they unknowingly screwed him over; he still didn't know how they got the actual band to stop by their house.
But at the same time, "But it wouldn't have happened in the first place if some of them didn't ask for stuff that cost an arm and a leg! Luna definitely didn't need the shirt, and what did Lisa need isotopes for?!"
"Mmmm," Lynn scratched his chin. "It was strange that all the girls suddenly asked for all that stuff. Those isotopes were worth two work bonuses."
"And the last time we went to Scratchy Bottom Campgrounds, it was because my sisters wanted to go one place or another; and I couldn't decide which was better because their choices were equally good for me." Lincoln stated with annoyance.
"What were they?" Rita asked.
"Aloha Beach and Diary Land; it was an even split between them." Lincoln sighed through his nose. "But instead of letting me decide where we could go on my own, they tried bribing me with favors to get their vote! They even tried to diss...diss..." He looked up at the ceiling before the word hit him. "Dissuade me from either place when they found out each side was to win me over!" He glared at the wall. "And I'm pretty sure it was Lola who started that whole thing..."
Realizing he was starting to get off base again, the middle child made a groan. "Sorry...but my point is, why can't my sisters just help me because I'm their brother? Or because it's the nice thing to do?..." The middle child sucked his lips in as his eyes felt wet. "I always help them, sometimes without a second thought. But when it comes to me, I have to go through an obstacle course before they even consider it..." He pinched the bridge between his eyes, partially because a headache was coming on, with the other being to not let himself cry. "And because of that, they expect me to help with anything they want; even when I'm obviously not in the mood, or busy or...or if it leads to me being made a laughingstock..."
"...How long do you believe that's been happening?" Rita asked, concern evident in her tone whilst also giving the hint she was mulling over options.
To her disappointment, Lincoln only gave a shrug. "Maybe as long as I can remember...I...I just don't really know Mom..." He spoke in a now tired voice. A stray tear left one of his eyes, but he caught it with his thumb and wiped it off.
"In all honesty, it probably started very recently. I can recall some things back when I was little, but I don't think my sisters started acting like ungrateful assholes until maybe after I turned 10. I mean, sure, they got on my nerves sometimes before then, but it wasn't this bad." Present Lincoln clarified.
"Welp...we're gonna have to gather the girls and have a rough chat." Lynn announced, giving a tired groan.
The day was becoming mentally exhausting. He was initially hoping his children would behave themselves during their short visit, especially considering how the situation felt like a volcano with a VEI of 4 was just waiting to blow at times. But in the end, things literally boiled over like water in a pot. However, the only upside if one could call it that, was this moment at least gave him and Rita a better understanding on the issues that had plagued their son for what was proving to be a far longer affair than just the hubbub surrounding this movie.
Kids these days.
"Hey, Lincoln. Which sisters were you bunking with again?" The balding man asked.
"...The second group..." The boy answered.
"Ooooo...that was with Leni, Junior, the twins and Lisa. Two of which would've definitely given him problems." The Loud patriarch thought to himself. "Well, guess it wouldn't have mattered either way." He muttered before addressing Lincoln. "I'll grab your bag before we head back, cause I got that itching feeling that something worse will happen if you kids are all grouped together."
Lynn turned towards the door, only stopping to glance at his wife. "Honey, can you grab the other girls and meet us in Leni's room?"
Rita gave a curt nod as she stood up. "Can you watch Lily for us sweetie? We'll be back soon."
Lincoln only nodded absently. His mother frowned as her son seemed to act like an empty shell of his old self. The idea of keeping him too busy to even worry about the movie began to feel like a fruitless endeavor. Granted, it was a tall order when the parents first talked about it; but Lincoln now looked like he was completely crushed. Turning away, she went out the door and headed to the right.
Aside from Lori, the matriarch sincerely hoped her remaining daughters weren't too sour about the whole ordeal. Otherwise...well, she hated having to raise her voice. But she married a man whose last name was Loud after all.
"Can't believe the nerve of that twerp..." Lori growled as she inspected her nose with the bathroom mirror. It was still inflamed and covered in a red hue, but it didn't look to be turning a shade of purple.
"This is bogus man..." Luna cried out as she lied on the bed. "Feels like we came all the way here for nothin'..."
"So much for taking this up a notch to comedy films..." Luan groaned.
"In all fairness Lori, you shouldn't have goaded him into attacking you." Lucy pointed out, being stoic as ever.
Lori turned to glare at the family goth. "Whose side are you on anyway?! Don't you at least care that Lincoln literally ruined our movie careers?!" She gave a short pause upon realized what she asked. The oldest sibling deadpanned seconds later. "Actually, don't answer that." She redirected her attention towards the mirror. "You often claim your heart doesn't beat anyways."
Behind her bangs, Lucy had an eyebrow raised. "Care?" She made a deeper frown than usual. "On the contrary, I do care about some things; such as something more than my selfish and blind ambitions."
The oldest sibling turned to her 7th youngest sister, eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've spent a lot of time training yourself in learning how to golf; and it's no secret that you want to go to..." Lucy tapped her chin. "What was it? Fairway?" She folded her arms behind her back. "Are you really going to drop all of that, just to star in a movie you undoubtedly would have little interest in? I don't recall ever seeing you liking Ace Savvy at any point in your recent life."
Lori glared darky at Lucy, but she appeared to be conflicted. If she had the will to do so, Lucy would be smiling right now.
"Asking these sort of questions now that the whole 'movie career' charade had been pulled from their grips...I was hoping maybe, just maybe, I would be able to get through to them when their minds weren't so clouded with greed..." Present Lucy stated. "Resentment and loathing on the other hand..."
"Come on Luce!" Luna shouted, making the 8 year old turn to her. "Golf movies exist too ya know! That's probably what Lori was aimin' for!"
Lori bit her cheek. "...It was a possibility..." She tried to sound certain about her decision, but her tone failed to convey this.
"...Luna had to open her big mouth..." The 10 year old growled. "I wish I had slapped her back then...but I didn't have time to."
Before Lucy could refute that claim, there was a knock at the door. Being the closest, the goth shuffled over and pulled it open, being a little surprised to see her mother. "Hey Mom." Lucy greeted in her usual tone.
"Hey..." Rita greeted back with less enthusiasm before turning to her other daughters. "Girls, we need to have a talk."
No one made a voice of disproval as they all saw it coming. However, Lori had a particular question that she wanted answers to. "Ok Mom...but first," She came out the bathroom, rubbing some ointment on her nose. "Did you and Dad figure out how to punish Lincoln? This is literally the worst way he's stabbed us in the back..."
Evident by the frown on her face, the matriarch found the teen's words to be extremely distasteful. "No..." She stated as even as she could.
"What?!" Lori shouted. "But he-"
"HE'S been through enough Lori, and whether you like it or not, it was HIS decision to make." Rita cut her off. "And myself and your father have some important questions to ask you and the rest of your sisters. Now, let's go..."
"But Mom-!" Lori started, but was cut off yet again when Rita grabbed her by the ear.
"That means now, young lady..." The mother of 11 ordered, dragging her firstborn child behind her. The other girls glanced at each other; they knew it was never a good idea to anger their parents (given how much patience they had for their quirks), but they now knew something big was up. It wasn't with every potential grounding that Rita didn't hesitate to shut her kids down; much less drag one of them by the ear. Lucy could only remember seeing one of her parents perform such an act when she was two.
A dark chortle was heard. "Seeing Mom pull Lori by the ear like she was 5 years old was quite poetic. A 17 year old who acts like a spoiled six year old doesn't deserve the respect their physical appearance would garner." The 10 year old goth giggled. "I sort of wished I had the willpower to chuckle at her expense; but that could've gotten me in hot water as well. Regardless, it gave me hope that my parents would get through to them better than I ever could."
"Sooooo, what do you think the agenda is?" Luan asked, getting the courage to follow their mother out the door.
"I don't even wanna ask sis..." Luna muttered.
The trio followed their mother and oldest sibling towards the room where their other sisters were housed; because she was tall enough, Luan grabbed the secondary hinge for the upper lock and placed it in the doorframe, leaving their room slightly cracked open since she doubted anyone had time to grab the room card. Upon reaching the other room, Rita released her eldest daughter, who promptly rubbed her reddened ear. The matriarch knocked on the door, being greeted by her husband who motioned them inside. The first group of girls met the second, who had mirrored emotions about the last hour. Leni and Lana were more depressed than outraged, Lisa looked indifferent like Lucy, and Lynn and Lola looked to be on the verge of an outburst; the latter especially as she was huffing and puffing loudly from her seat on the bed.
Steam was discharged from Lola's nose with each exhale, and the other girls were apparently keeping their distance; just behind Lola, one of the pillows had a large hole torn from it, leaving stuffing to litter the bedspread.
Rita pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief and mild annoyance. "Hopefully the hotel doesn't charge us for that..." She muttered.
"Now girls, I'm sure you know why we're all here." Lynn Sr. began.
"You're darn right we do!" Lola shouted. "What am I supposed to do now that...that TRAITOR dashed away my chances for stardom?!" She seethed on the spot. One could see fire in her eyes as she growled like an angry wolf.
"Lola, go back in your box." Lynn Jr. ordered before the enraged half pint could do anything else. "But she's got a point dad. How could Lincoln just do this without even asking for our word on this?!"
"He probably doesn't care too much about us after the convention if I had to guess..." Luna muttered.
"But, like, didn't he invite us there?" Leni asked, scratching her head. "He'd have to like us if he asked."
"Yeah, he did." Lynn answered. "Probably because he and Clyde were too wimpy to stand out."
"Still, such a grand opportunity...RUINED!" Luan spoke in as dramatic a tone she could make.
"And this face was made for the big screen!" The pageant winner of the family shouted.
Both parents shook their heads. "Girls, girls." Lynn Sr. spoke, getting their attention. "Look, it's painfully obvious everyone is upset about what happened earlier, but a lot of things were said in the car that caught our attention. And after talking further with Lincoln, we just have to ask..." He folded his arms. "Was any of it true?"
"Um..." Leni started, being genuinely confused. "Which part were we talking about again?"
"If you mean Lincoln being a backstabbing failure of a schemer and a liar, then YES! IT'S TRUE!" Lola slammed her fist down on the bed, causing pillow stuffing to fly into the air around her.
"My point exactly..." Lori muttered, keeping a hand on her ear as it still felt sore. "For all we know, the twerp could've just fed you a sob story to get on your good side."
"Oh really?..." Rita replied in an unamused, authoritative tone as she crossed her arms. "So you didn't make Leni fail a driver's test?"
"And that you didn't refuse to take your siblings to school over something your boyfriend didn't want to do?" Lynn Sr. added.
"Or the fact that all of you, Lily included, guilt tripped your brother to convince us to give you money for things you 'needed'?" Rita piled on, putting air quotes on the last word.
The girls were beginning to feel uncomfortable at these accusations. Lisa still held a stoic look however. "To be fair, those isotopes were important for my research in advancing hypothetical simulations to better plan out worst case scenarios."
"Hey, we went through great lengths to make it up to bro for that!" Luna pointed out in defense of her siblings.
"That's besides the point Luna." Rita stated, seemingly indifferent to the act of good will. "While it was sweet of you girls to make it up to Lincoln after quite literally using him for your own ends, it doesn't change the fact you played on his feelings to get money from us." She folded her arms. "If you just asked and made a valid argument, we'd probably have given you some cash. And how much was that shirt you bought?"
Luna seemed to sink further into the bed. "...Twelve Hundred dollars..." She muttered.
Lola went wide-eyed. "All that for a smelly old T-shirt?! What's wrong with people?!"
The family musician glared at the six year old. "Hey! It was McSwagger's old T-shirt!"
"Eh, I can understand that." Lynn shrugged. "If I saw an old jersey of an athlete I liked, I'd stop at nothing to get it."
"Ok ok, getting a tad off base here." Lynn Sr. responded, silencing any further discussion. "Now, another point to ask: before our last trip to Scratchy Bottom Campgrounds, did you girls attempt to persuade Lincoln where you wanted to go while he was still deciding?"
None of their daughters gave a verbal answer, but the looks of uneasiness in their eyes gave conveyed their message.
Continuing on, "And another thing, did any of you at one point agree to help Lincoln with the groceries, but didn't actually help with the shopping when you got to the store?"
"And don't try to lie girls, you told me everything, remember?" Rita had a brow raised as she scanned her daughters.
All of them lowered their heads in embarrassment and guilt.
"So, on the belief that Lincoln 'lied' to us, it seems you're the fibber Lori..." The patriarch scolded her before addressing the others. "And after watching how you kids have acted recently, we can also assume you girls have been making fun of your brother's hobbies for so long that not even Lincoln remembers when all of you got along just fine."
Rita sat in the nearby chair, having grown a little weary from standing. Giving a sigh, "Kids, it's no secret that you all use each other for your own personal gain." She eyed Lola. "Some more than others; we know Lincoln does it as well, but me and your father hoped it wouldn't one day reach a point where it made you all grow to hate each other." She sat her hands in her lap as she folded one leg over the other. "And it's come to our attention that Lincoln has been on the receiving end of this treatment more often than he can count."
"We all call him the Man With The Plan, and for good reason. But now, we doubt Lincoln even likes that title anymore." Lynn Sr. looked directly at Lori. "You said Lincoln's plans didn't work most of the time, and he argued saying it was because you girls often muck things up as he said. Whether it's true or not, we don't know for certain; but given the money and the store examples, we're willing to bet that it is; and it seems Lincoln doesn't like the idea of always having to plan around what the rest of you might or might not do." The father of 11 sucked in a breath. "But the real problem here, is that Lincoln hasn't been the same ever since you all came back from that convention. And with what me and you mother have heard, do you really like...what was it?..." Lynn squinted his eyes as he jogged his memory. "Ace Batman? Or whatever it is?"
"Ace Savvy." Lucy corrected. "And, truthfully...none of the souls in this room held much interest in the series..." Her hidden eyes glanced suspiciously at her other sisters, as if daring them to refute that claim.
"Well...I thought it was cool when I read it a little more." Lana replied, making a nervous smile.
"But at the same time, you felt it was perfectly ok for you to mock your brother for liking something most kids his age do?" Rita asked with a bit of edge to her tone. Lana shrank as she felt like she was being specifically targeted, but this was directed st her sisters as well.
"Um..." Luan started.
"It's...n-not like that. .." Luna stammered.
"Pfff, come on Mom." Junior scoffed, crossing her arms. "It's just harmless teasing. It ain't like we were picking on him nonstop or anything."
"Buuuut...didn't we laugh his costume that time he clogged the toilet?" Leni asked innocently.
Half the group glared at Leni, who was unaware that she nearly undermined their excuse.
"If it pleases the crowd," Lisa cleared her throat. "I'd like to add neither of us held interest in going to the convention until Lincoln mentioned the prize of the cosplay contest. It's also no secret that the street word lame and pointless were used synonymously with other words when referring to our male sibling's favorite series before that point."
Lola, Lori, Luna, Luan, Lynn, and Lana sent deadpanned glares at the little prodigy.
Lisa rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You may be upset now, but further deception would deepen the metaphorical hole we're inhabiting." She stated, rubbing her chin. "I may need to reinstall lie detectors in the house to curb this grotesque habit once again..." She muttered to herself.
Lynn Sr. leaned down towards Rita. "It fits in there with what Lincoln was talking about." He whispered to her. The mother of 11 nodded as Lynn Sr. spoke out. "Girls...whether you believe it or not, words can have an impact on someone. The examples Leni and Lisa just said is just one of the reasons why Lincoln hasn't been himself lately. Aside from teasing him over something he likes, you won a contest from what sounds like was very little effort on your part whereas he tried very hard but was barely noticed."
"Well to me, it's obvious he's just not cut out for this kind of job." Lola brushed a hand through her hair as she spoke. "It takes a certain talent to be ready and willing for the cameras."
"And apparently he's such a sore loser that he had to resort to stealing." Lynn added.
The family goth flinched before gawking at Lynn; she couldn't believe the most win-obsessed Loud in the family had the audacity to call someone else a sore loser. Lucy's hands balled up into fists, trying not to show much emotion in order to restrain herself from marching over and slapping the athlete.
"Lynn..." She spoke lowly, but loud enough for the rest to hear her. "You don't have the right to call anyone a sore loser." She turned fully towards the jock. "Unless you want to be reminded of the time you went on a 'winning' spree after losing a board game of all things." The rest of the girls deadpanned before staring at the 5th oldest Loud sibling, that little moment in their history still fresh in their minds.
"She's gotcha there Loud." Luan added, mimicking the voice of their grouchy neighbor.
"And need I remind everyone of a certain moment that shall not be named? For it involved a mascot suit?..." Lucy's tone was acidic enough to make Lori and Lisa subconsciously scoot a few inches away.
Most of the Louds' winced and even shuddered at the mention of that little escapade from their past. Lynn growled in frustration, partly because she still felt that incident was her one moment of weakness; the other half was the fact she hated being reminded of a winning streak being broken.
"Oooookay..." Lynn Sr. tugged at his collar as beads of sweat fell from his forehead. "A-As I was saying, it doesn't seem like that you kids noticed Lincoln's change in behavior lately, or (and I hate to say it) just plain old don't care; and after what we've just heard, it feels like both. You likely aren't aware of it, but your brother feels like you're all rubbing your success in his face." He leaned on the arm of Rita's chair. "Like, take Lori's golfing for example."
Lori raised a brow.
"How would you feel if someone who hates golf and made no secret of it suddenly comes in and proves how much better they are than you?"
The oldest sibling mulled in thought. "I...guess I'd feel pretty sour about it..."
Leni gasped as realization came to her. "Oh! You mean like the time you broke your gulf club when Carol won?"
"Golf, Leni. Not gulf..." Luan corrected her.
"There's a difference?" The fashionista remarked. "No wonder I didn't see much water!"
Lisa shook her head.
"Or Lynn. How would you feel if someone who hated sports came in and took the win right from under your nose?" The patriarch asked.
Lynn huffed. "I'd be ticked off for days..." She glanced to the side before a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. Her brother had been pretty standoffish since the convention, and recalling how word got around that the sole son of the family had been targeted by random pranks for over a week... "Ooooh, I see where you're going with this..."
"And Lola," Rita began. "How would you feel if someone won first place when you tried your best? And it didn't seem like that other person didn't work as hard to win?"
"Well, I'd-" Lola stopped as she realized she didn't have an answer on hand. "Hmm..." She rubbed her chin. "I guess it'd depend on what they did to win." Her eyes narrowed in anger. "But if it was someone like Lindsey, she'd pay for it during the next pageant."
"And what exactly did you girls do at the convention?" Rita questioned further.
"Mmmm..." Luna tapped her foot against the carpet. "We introduced ourselves to the judges, and for the most part, a bunch of people were taking our pictures."
"I totally owned the strongman game." Lynn added.
"I solved a few puzzle games that were admittingly much too childish for my intellect." Lisa quipped.
"Along with the pictures, I shared them on social media." Lori admitted.
"I was with Lincoln at the Card Shark Dunk Tank, but he missed and accidentally broke the tank." Lana remarked. "We got separated afterwards."
"So you girls weren't aware that the judges were selecting you as the winners?" The matriarch asked.
The girls looked confused. "No? I mean, we didn't win until after Lincoln tried to cheat." Lori pointed out.
"So you weren't aware that the judges weren't going to select Lincoln and Clyde with the 10 of you until later on?" Lynn Sr. asked.
The girls blinked in silence. In truth, one of them was aware, but she didn't say anything because she felt it was better to hear it from the adults in the room. "Uh, where'd you hear that from?" Luan asked the couple.
"And this leads to our other point: you girls didn't ask Lincoln why he did what he did at the convention." Rita stated.
"But Clyde did say that. He said that we were gonna win it without him and Lincoln when the two confessed on stage." Luna argued.
"Yes, Lincoln told us that too; but it's clear that none of you bothered digging further." The father of 11 pointed out. "You all should know Lincoln isn't a troublemaking kid who goes around stealing stuff all willy-nilly; and now, both of us think he believes you girls would expect nothing but the worst from him at this point." Lynn pinched the tip of his nose, trying to distract himself from an upcoming headache. "Gang, I don't know if it's because the idea of being in a movie went to your heads," He eyed his daughters once more. "But did you ever stop to think how Lincoln must've felt upon realizing that 10 people who showed little interest in something he likes (and teased him repeatedly for liking such things) was getting an easy winning ticket?"
All of the girls sat in silence, but words need not be said. The looks on their faces were that of shame, guilt, and a solemn feeling for one such sister.
"After what happened the day you kids came back, we hoped you all wouldn't be tearing yourselves apart over this." Rita spoke. "You might think Lincoln had betrayed your trust, but he's been feeling like you girls simply used him and left him behind; much like how all of you leave your toys lying around. He might not tell you this himself since he doesn't want to be around anyone right now, but Lincoln feels like he can't measure up to you girls no matter what he does; winning this contest, since it was part of a series he's loved since he was five mind you, it's hurting him harder than you might comprehend."
"And I don't see what's the deal with you girls teasing him about his comics." Lynn Sr. frowned in disappointment. "I've liked reading comics since I was the twins age. In fact, I still read them when I have time."
Lucy raised a brow. "May I ask what kind?"
The balding man chuckled. "Oh, it's a series that stopped a while before Lori was born. But, it was about an aspiring chef that goes on a series of food adventures."
"And I hope none of you have been trying to discourage him from continuing the hobbies he likes to do." Rita said in stern tone. "I'm fairly certain he hasn't told any of you to give up on golf, music, comedy, fashion, pageants-"
"What about telling Lana to stop eating garbage?" Lola thumbed to her twin, who was currently looking inside the small waste bin in the room. The older twin froze at the mention of her name, then stared at her parents like a deer in headlights.
Rita frowned. "Lana..."
The little fixer smiled sheepishly. "Sometimes you find good stuff in there!"
"Anyway," Rita addressed her other daughters. "That's something else. Like your father said, and I firmly believe this as well, I doubt Lincoln would've made the choice he did about your roles in the movies if things were different. And if the producers were trying to bargain with him, then it wasn't an easy choice either."
"Sooo..." Lana began, shifting on her feet a little. "Are we grounded?"
Both parents looked at each other for a moment as the girls tensed up. "Honestly sweetheart...we can't decide on that." Lynn Sr. stated.
The girls dispelled a breath they didn't realize they were holding.
"At least not right now." Rita added, making them flinch on the spot. The matriarch glanced at the clock that sat on the nightstand next to one of the beds. "Look, it's been a long day, and we all have to get up early to make our flight. But we do hope you at least understand what your brother is going through. Getting into fights is one thing, but words matter too."
"And we expect all of you to at the very least make an apology to him for the way you've been ignoring his feelings." Lynn Sr. ordered. "And Lori..." His oldest daughter tensed up. "Your driving privileges are revoked for 3 months."
"B-Buh?!" The blonde sputtered as her arms dropped loosely to her sides. "Why?"
"Just because you have a license doesn't mean you get to use it to boss your siblings around." He put his hands on his hips. "If it messed with your schedule, you could've let us know. And, more importantly," He frowned disappointingly at Lori. "If the kids had a real chance at helping Leni gain her license, you ruining it just prolonged a nightmare that me and your mother want to end gosh darn it!" He stomped his foot on the floor in frustration. "Do you know how much we have to pay to the instructors just to have Leni retake her test?!"
Lori shrank under her father's glare, not daring to look him in the eye. "No..."
Lynn Sr. breathed in before settling down as he breathed out. Looking around the room, he spotted a bag that had Lincoln's clothes in it, then moved to pick it up. "Now, if anyone wants to know, Lincoln will be staying in our room tonight so all of us can avoid more fighting." He knelt down and looked through the bag for a moment before picking it up, heading straight for the door.
Rita breathed in before getting up from the chair. "Girls, make sure you set your alarms for 6. The plane might be leaving at 9, but the traffic around here is the pits." Their mother turned and exited the room behind their father.
As soon as the door closed, Lynn Jr. gave a loud sigh in exasperation. "This bites..."
"No kidding...how am I supposed to visit my boo-boo bear over the summer?!" Lori cried out.
"Serves you right for making me clean your room." Luna muttered.
"Well if you wanted to go to the music store so bad, you have a bike!" Lori retorted.
"Still, you made Leni fail during probably the one time she really had a chance!" Luan fired back, then made an inquisitive stare. "In fact, I'm not even sure if she retook the test afterwards."
"Hey, yeah!" Lana piped up. "Didn't you promise to teach her Lori?"
Lori pinched the bridge between her eyes. "...We had to stop after Leni drove the van into another pool...I don't think we picked up on it afterwards."
"So," Lucy spoke, getting the other's attention. "After everything Mom and Dad talked about, the only thing you're concerned with is the fact you can't drive anywhere?..." If one were to pay close attention, there was a bit of edge to her tone.
Lori rolled her eyes. Whether she brushed off Lucy's attitude or was being a hypocrite by simply not caring, the goth didn't know. Regardless, seeing this action made Lucy glare at her oldest sister. "Fiiiiiiine." She dragged out in an exasperated tone. "When we get back home, I might apologize to Lincoln, somehow." She shook her head. "Look, I literally have too much on my mind to be dealing with this..." Without saying another word, she walked to the door and stepped out into the hallway, leaving it to close behind her.
"Well, I'm not even sure I have a brother right now..." Lola grumbled, kicking a pillow off the bed.
"I assume the heightened levels of aggression may be interfering with your rationale." Lisa stated.
"So what?!" Lola shouted at the 4 year old. "If it was such a 'hard' decision, then he must be a FOOL for turning irt down! We're getting paid to be in this movie you know!"
"Plus, there was the time Stinkoln stole my bike just to impress some nerds with lame bikes." Lynn added. "So it ain't like it's not far-fetched that he'd do something stupid like what he did at that convention."
"Lynn..." Lucy started, but Leni spoke next.
"But he was sooo upset in the days afterward." The fashionista pointed out. "I can't remember the last time he smiled about anything." She rested her head in her palm. "And none of the things Mom and Dad said sound all made up."
Lynn rolled her eyes. "Bet he was smiling when he basically gave us the finger by cancelling our roles."
"Uhhhh," Lana tilted her head. "What does that mean?"
"It means-" Luna began.
"Uggggh..." Lucy made an irate groan, fists clenched to her sides as she appeared to be simmering in anger.
"Normally, I'm not one to let my emotions show; not just because I'm goth, but it's so that few can realize what my exact thoughts are. I'd like to think of myself as being a patient person..." Present Lucy stated as evenly as possible. "But if you were in my place, just try listening to this farce of a conversation. This is probably why we get into so many unnecessary hijinks every week: instead of focusing on the problem at hand, WHICH HAS A CLEAR SOLUTION, the first thing my sisters talk about is 'what about me?'...so much for Mom and Dad putting some sense into their thick skulls..."
Lynn raised a brow. "What's your deal?"
"And as much as I wanted to slap Lola, Lori, and even Lynn with a cactus, I'd have been grounded for starting a fight. So instead, I said,"
"Even after our parents explained everything, the only thing you all seem to care about is yourselves." The goth spat bitterly. "It's no surprise Lincoln feels like we used him; no one else in this room even noticed or cares about the path he's on right now!"
"So what if he's just angry?!" Lola retorted, jumping to her feet. "Give it two weeks and he'll be back to reading comics in his gross undies like always. But I'm never going to have a chance at being a young movie star!"
The irate goth focused her anger towards the pageant winner, marching over to her. "You didn't care to come to that convention until the idea of being in a movie floated into your stupid head!" Lucy uncharacteristically shouted back, poking Lola hard in the forehead.
"Well neither did you!" The the young blonde fired back, swatting the 8 year old's hand away.
"None of us were-" Lisa started.
"Shut up Lisa!" Both Lucy and Lola shouted at the young genius before focusing back on each other.
"Dudes, dudes!" Luna called out. "Just take a breather for a sec! Sure, things are pretty rotten right now, but-"
Lucy turned her head slightly towards the musician. "If this isn't settled now, you'll just forget about it." She spat. "In fact, Lincoln probably would've gotten the tickets he sought if you didn't beg him for a stupid old shirt!"
The family musician's face turned a shade of red. "You're one to talk brah! Cause why the heck did you need a human skeleton for, Ms. CreepyPants?! How much did that cost our parents?!"
Lucy looked at the floor in anger, and shame. "Too much..." She muttered, before looking up at Luna again. "At least I'm not too blind to know when something is wrong with my brother, and doesn't act like him doing something drastic is a normal occurrence! Why do you think Mom and Dad said we act like we only expect the worst from him?! This isn't the first time we've been walking blind to anything but our own selfishness, but the rest of you either refuse to see it or pretend something isn't wrong with Lincoln whenever he thinks up a plan. Mom and Dad made it very clear that it's obvious it's not something he's proud of!"
Stepping away from Lola, Lucy started marching towards the door. "I didn't take part in that movie for this exact reason, because I don't want to be someone whose too self-centered to care when my actions are hurting someone I love!" When she got to the door, Lucy turned towards her other sisters. "But go ahead: keep complaining about a pitiful role in a movie you no doubt would've had ZERO intentions of watching, because from what I've witnessed over the last month, none of us actually deserved it." She pulled the door open. "It makes me want to puke just knowing I'm related to you all..."
SLAM!
The girls flinched as the door banged against its frame.
"No kidding, I still sometimes I wonder why I have them as my sisters..." Present Lucy muttered. "It was sickening throughout the last month watching them pretend to care about 3 minutes of film time on a series they've openly mocked Lincoln for again and again...and even when the solution is laid out in front of them, the only thing they're concerned with is their own self-enjoyment. No wonder Lincoln practically hates us! Too many times we've shown to put ourselves before the needs of anything else, even when it's PAINFULLY obvious there are more important issues to deal with!" The 10 year old fumed. "At the very least," She huffed. "I could say that Leni and Lily might've recognized the issue and worked towards making amends. As much as their brainpower was put into question, they notice things better than my other sisters. But the rest? Apparently their own hobbies were much more important...and they say I'm heartless..." The goth scoffed as her past self walked back towards her room, trying to work off her anger.
Since Lori was already in the room, she'd have a few words to say to her about her skewed priorities. But with as hectic as the day was, the goth was mentally strained from it all and sought the comfort of her mattress. "Like my parents said, we might feel like Lincoln betrayed us in the end by opting out of that contract; but he feels like we've been using him again and again without even a shred of thanks in return; like an old toy as Mom said. And this was the last moment of effectively spitting in his face that caused something within my brother to snap..."
The eight year old glanced at the door that was the room her parents occupied. She could hear faint mutterings from her parents, as well as a few emotionless grunts from her brother. Part of her wonder if Lincoln had came out to at least eavesdrop on the scolding the girls got; it probably didn't matter right now as the adults were no doubt telling him what they told the girls. But it would've been nice if Lincoln knew that there were maybe three sisters that had seen the error of being blind to his inner turmoil. Giving a sigh, Lucy continued on to her room. Opening the door, she wasn't at all surprised to see Lori (once again) on that phone of hers, no doubt texting her "precious boo-boo bear".
"I question what Bobby even sees in her..." Present Lucy scoffed. "Maybe it's because she has a pretty face and she hides how she actually treats her siblings pretty well. I doubt he'd be interested if Bobby knew the truth, given how he once broke up with Lori because Lincoln insulted Ronnie Anne; a very asinine reason if I ever saw one. Anyways...when I collapsed on the bed that night, I doubted things would get better; with how most of my sisters could give a rat's behind about the talk our parents gave us; maybe actually grounding them would've inspired a change in tune."
A few seconds passed before Lucy made a humorless laugh. "Who am I trying to fool? They'd just be quick to assume it's Lincoln's fault they're like this and not take one hard look in the mirror to find the real answer. I'd like to think my parents were aware of this, which is why they didn't ground us. But at the same time...I can't be too certain that my parents even realize what we do until something breaks. They always had a a terrible track record of not being able to solve conflicts BEFORE they start...being more proactive would've definitely prevented some of the worst things that happened in this house..."
Present Lucy took a moment to clear her throat. "Case in point, I didn't like being grouped in with my sisters when they were talking to us; I was the ONLY girl who didn't take part in the movie after all." Crumpling of paper was heard as the goth's fingers clenched shut. "But I knew very well that I was just as guilty as the rest of them for not realizing what was going on until there was little I could do to change the outcome...I wasn't there for Lincoln when I should've been that week he was being pranked at school; yes, he wasn't willing to talk to anyone, but I should've forced my intervention so he'd have emotional support)...but, sometimes it's not the BEST idea, or...I-I don't know anymore..."
She sighed in frustration. "I should've tried harder to make my sisters listen to reason before we even went on that stupid trip, that's what Lincoln would've done despite the odds against him...but the one thing I still hate myself to this day for, is not predicting the 'ingenious' plan he'd come up with to make my sisters feel how he did at the convention." Present Lucy's voice started to break at the mention of this. "The end result...you've noticed how he is today...right?..."
The whole trip back to Royal Woods was a show of awkwardness, bitter feelings, and high tension. Neither of the kids spoke as they got prepared for the ride to the airport, boarding, even when getting assigned seats. Leni, Lucy, Lily, and even Lisa would make passing glances at their brother, who had a look that was a mix between an emotionless stare and a semi-permanent scowl. Clearly, the talk from last night was still on their minds; and, having acknowledged that, it was rather creepy to see Lincoln in a perpetual sour mood. Lola however, refused to even look at Lincoln; she could be heard muttering obscenities about him if you sat next to her during the flight back, as well as complaining about how she'd have to get herself re-registered for the pageants in Royal Woods. Turns out preemptively cancelling an important hobby before you are certain the changes you're looking for come to fruition will always bite you in the rear. Lori acted similarly to Lola, only sending irate looks to Lincoln if he was within her field of vision.
Unlike Lola though, Lori still had an alternative in case the movie deal fell through; just before the trip, a letter of interest came in the mail. It was an offer to Fairway University, a golf-themed college that was just outside Great Lakes City. It was the very same college she dreamed of going to since starting high school. However, due to the circumstances, the oldest sibling didn't apply at that time since she wanted to see if her movie career would take off; but since it was a bust, the offer to her dream school was much more enticing than ever.
Luna and Luan were...conflicted to say the least. On one hand, they still felt like they could've broken into the film industry with their respective talents; Luan especially as she delved into theater more thanks to meeting Benny. Lincoln's sudden derailment of that dream made their minds feel sour towards the middle child. However, with the prior day's talk still fresh in their minds, their hearts wept for him. At some point in their lives, both girls felt like someone else had taken on their hobby in spite of showing little interest, and then reaped the rewards afterwards in spite of the Louds trying their best; actually, Luan's case was slightly different. It was a sister getting a chance to perform at the Royal Woods Theater (something she dreamed of doing since she was little) before she could hope to.
This put them in the middle camp where they wanted to find a way to make amends, but at the same time, they were still miffed at having the red carpet ripped from right under them. Not only that, but with everyone on edge, being seen as picking sides might draw unwanted scrutiny from their sisters.
Wanting to keep the peace, the parents had Lincoln sit with them and Lily on the flight back, as well as seating him in the first row of the van on the ride from the airport to their house. Lucy sat at the passenger side of the front row, with Lily's carseat and her brother occupying the remaining seats. The goth glanced behind her; her sisters were either preoccupied with doing their own things (Lori on the phone, Leni falling into yet another dizzy spell, Luna was on her Walkman listening to whatever it was whilst staring out the window, etc.)
Luan wasn't in the mood to be making jokes for the first time in forever, opting to stare blankly at the passing scenery; Lynn was doing the same, though the goth noticed how she'd make a nasty glare at a certain white-haired boy whenever she looked at him. Lola on the other hand, was busy boring a hole into the back of Lincoln's head, hoping by some act of magic that the white follicles would spontaneously combust at her will. She kept fidgeting in her seat like she was on the verge of an outburst, only not acting on it because of the threat of a grounding if she instigated.
Might be why she sat in the back row with her twin and Luna.
Still, no one knew what would happen once the Louds returned to their one-bathroom abode.
"Pfff...it's not like anything important happened." Present Lincoln announced. "After getting back to the house, I grabbed my stuff and just went up to my room before the rest of my sisters got through the door; Mom and Dad may have stepped in this time, but those girls always tried to ambush me in my personal living space." He huffed. "Not like I get any privacy...don't think I didn't notice Lola wanting to skin me alive. In fact, I sort of wish she did; I'd have a good reason to teach her why it's not a good idea to mess with someone five years older than you." The teen made a short chortle. "Well, she paid her dues eventually; it's one of the reasons why she avoids me now."
Past Lincoln shut his bedroom door, dropping his bag on the floor before simply dropping dead on the bed. He made a sigh that was laced in tiredness and anger.
"Anyway, I started to decompress, wondering what my sisters would do. Mom and Dad told me what they told the girls as soon as they got back to me and Lily. I didn't say anything then, but I felt they got off easy..." Present Lincoln spat with annoyance. "Sure, they'll say something like 'Ooo, sorry we didn't care about your feelings Lincoln. We promise we won't do it again.' But next thing you know, they turn around and go right back to doing the SAME thing they 'apologized' for. So I wasn't willing to hold my breath and wait for a poor excuse. Sure, they apologized with a personal concert after screwing me over by taking all of Mom and Dad's money when I needed to get tickets; but then they practically used me for that convention. Just like the time they promised to help me shop for groceries; and what did they do? They goofed off instead." He made a deep groan as a means of clearing his throat. The uneven breaths made it clear something was stuck in there. "I gotta find some cough drops...ahem. Still wish I thought ahead and invited my friends that time. Should've taken 'No' for an answer and just forgot about my sisters. That way, if we won, they'd probably be all...all-"
The depressed teen made a few short coughs. "Ugh...anyways, my sisters would probably berate me for not taking them to the convention when they originally said no. They'd of course deny it, and I'd probably say something like, You never cared about the stuff I like anyway. In fact, you always mocked me for liking Ace Savvy. So why should I have invited you? And it would've been a better use of my time instead of trying to retrain my sisters on their characters and the series." Present Lincoln paused as a muffled cough was heard. "I should've noticed something was wrong when they didn't even remember what the Full Deck was; they basically told me, without saying it outright, that they only gave a rat's behind about that comic I made of them because they thought it'd put them on the front page of some newspaper or whatever; never mind the fact it took me two months to work everything out for just 10 whole pages."
Past Lincoln heard his phone vibrating against his desk, making him glance at it. Sitting up, he reached over and grabbed it. Clyde's number was on the screen.
"Getting a little caught up in my own imagination here...but whilst figuring out how to deal with my sisters, Clyde called. Ironically, I was thinking about calling him to see what he was up to the past week; and to find a distraction I guess. Normally, he'd call me like...every day if I'm going out of town, so it was a little weird that I hadn't heard from him for this long."
"Hey..." Lincoln answered in a bland tone.
"Hey Lincoln. Sooooooo, did you guys make it back yet?" Clyde asked, petting the youngest kitten in his house as she kept brushing against his leg.
"Yeah, just a few minutes ago." The Loud answered in a bored tone.
Clyde pursed his lips. He hoped Lincoln's demeanor might've improved somewhat while he was away; but there were no improvements he could notice. "...Anything happen?"
"Aside from wishing my parents just left me at the house, or the hotel room for that matter, I'd say a lot happened." Lincoln sat on the bed. "Apparently, someone had the 'bright' idea to talk with me about the possibility of having the Full Deck star in their own movie, since I was the one who created their characters..." The Loud made no attempt to hide his embittered feelings.
"Their OWN movie?!" Clyde shouted, making Lincoln pull the phone from his ear. "What was your answer?"
Lincoln deadpanned. "What do you think it was?..."
Silence hung over the line for a few seconds. "I'm gonna go wiiiiith...no..." Clyde answered in a dejected tone.
"They already had their egos in the sky just from being in front of the camera." Lincoln glanced at his door. "There was no way I was going to allow this to pass if I could do something about it."
"It would've been cool to see though..." Clyde spoke in a crushed tone as he watched his cats play with each other. "What was the deal, exactly?"
"The guy I spoke with was the producer from the publisher who was helping with the movie. He felt the Full Deck wasn't as good as we made them out to be, which I agreed with because some of their 'powers' were bland...such as Lori just driving the van." Clyde didn't say anything, but pondered. "So, he wanted to know if I had any ideas to help them stand out better, even telling me there was a possibility of giving them their own origins movie." Lincoln furrowed his brows. "After what I've went through, and the fact they really only cared about their dumb roles to see if they could use it as a way to get into movies they want...I told him how they really felt, and cancelled the Full Deck's involvement with the series..."
Clyde blinked in surprise. "Wow...but, don't you think that was a little harsh? What about the people who like the Full Deck?"
"Harsh?" Lincoln repeated, growing irritated. "That's nothing compared to the humiliation we went through in just one week after that convention Clyde. And if their fans knew how the girls behind the mask really acted, their popularity would sink faster than Vanzilla in a pool." The Loud fumed. "I told the producer the truth, as well as the fact my sisters didn't want to go to the convention in the first place. Then, he gets this idea about a villain that's the sins of their past coming back to haunt them as a possible movie idea."
"Well...I mean, it sounds interesting when you think about it."
"Except for the part where I'm the villain." Lincoln interjected. "I told him I wasn't interested in having my sisters kick my butt in front of millions of people, even though he said I'd be the one with the advantage after 'years of studying and waiting.' I didn't plan on going to that convention just to get the role of a villain who loses in the end..."
"Yeah but, you gotta admit Lincoln. It sounds pretty cool for an Ace Savvy movie." Clyde stated.
Lincoln made a huff. "Well I still wasn't interested. By then, the producer asked if they could..." He gave pause to recall exactly what was said. "Purchase the licensing rights to use their characters; or lease them I think."
Clyde's eyes became as big as his glasses. "Really? He liked them that much?"
"Yeah...and I almost said yes with what he was offering to pay."
"Which was?"
"I didn't get an exact number, but he said it would've been in the thousands."
Clyde let out a gasp, making Cleopawtra and Nepurrtiti stop fighting with each other and stare at him. "Duuuude! You wouldn't even have to ask your parents for an allowance! Before you know it, you might have enough cash to swim in it!" By now, he noticed both felines staring at him. "Oh, sorry. I was talking to Lincoln."
Nepurrtiti meowed before pawing her sister again, who shook her head and rapidly bopped her on the nose.
"Yeah, I could've..." Lincoln made a frown. "But...well, remember that time I tried getting a S.M.O.O.C.H. ticket, the one for the VIP concert, but was unable to?"
"Yeah?"
"The reason i couldn't get a ticket, was because my sisters guilt-tripped me into helping them and took all the money my parents had on hand." The Loud put a fist on his side. "And some of the stuff they 'needed' wasn't cheap either."
"What did they buy?"
Lincoln furrowed his brows, both in annoyance and to recall the items his sisters got. "A ratty old dirty t-shirt that belonged to McSwagger, expensive isotopes, a full human skeleton, a new go kart engine, and a new basketball hoop." He glared at the ceiling. "And that's just the expensive stuff..."
Clyde blinked in surprise. "Your parents carry around enough money for all of that? Aren't you guys kinda low on cash half the time?"
"Dad's restaurant was doing well lately, and Mom got a raise and a bonus at the time." Lincoln clarified. "I let them go first to get them out the way, because those tickets weren't all that expensive." A cold glare formed. "But I didn't realize the stuff they wanted was more than enough to drain my parents dry. So with that in mind, I could practically see my sisters using the same trick to make me take up that deal for their sake. But what about me? What about how I would feel? I'm just..." He sucked in a breath. "I'm just so tired of having to help them gain a leg up while they rarely do the same for me. So like I told that publisher agent, I'll tell you this Clyde: you couldn't pay me enough to lend someone their characters. And because they won't ever truly appreciate the series for what it is, they don't deserve to be a part of it anymore."
After a few seconds, Lincoln made a sigh. "In the end, it would've been better if we just asked the guys and Stella if they wanted to come..."
Clyde raised a brow, staring at the TV. "You think so? Would we have had time to brush them up on the series?"
"It would've been a better use of our time than teaching my sisters. The fact they even forgot what the Full Deck was means they never even cared about that comic we submitted a few months back."
Clyde sucked in his lower lip, his heart tearing a little at this revelation.
"But, on the other side of things..." Lincoln lied on his side. "What were up to last week? I didn't see you there at all."
"Well...I still wanted to go to the film set, if not about the movie, but at least to make sure you were ok." Clyde stated. "Though that went out the window because Cleopawtra had gotten sick, so we were taking care of her all week."
Lincoln made a nod in understanding. He felt relieved that Clyde didn't follow through with his blind ambition to continue being a part of something that would only further humiliate himself; the Loud felt bad for berating his best friend over his choices (he just didn't want Clyde to feel like he had been over the past month).
"Did your sisters find out what you did? It doesn't seem like something that'd be kept secret."
Lincoln made a humorless chortle. "As I expected, they didn't take it well; Lola especially, but I figured as much." The Loud looked irritated as he glossed over what happened in the limo. "They accused me of 'stabbing them in the back' and not talking about it with them; which as I said before, I knew where it would go if I did. Then they started accusing us of being lazy and not trying hard enough to earn our spot in the movie (not like they actually tried to do anything either), and I pointed out how they always get in the way of things I want to do..."
"Liiiiike?..."
"Always messing up my plans for starters! I wouldn't need to make up complicated ideas if just butt out of my business!" Lincoln spat out. Being as stressed as he was, Lincoln wasn't in the mood to go over every little detail. "Long story short, it eventually ended when me and Lori got into a fight."
"Hold on, she-"
"And I probably would've slapped Lola too since she needs to learn when to shut her big mouth..."
Clyde glanced at the receiver, wondering who was it that he was really talking to. "...Did she start it or you did?"
Lincoln made a boastful chuckle. "For once, I popped Lori in the nose first..."
Clyde flinched upon hearing that. Lincoln was never one to start fights with his sisters, usually avoiding conflict if he could help it; Clyde even thought it was a line Lincoln would never cross. Well, actually, to rephrase that, he believed Lincoln would never be the one to initiate the fight; he had to defend himself after all, especially if someone like Lynn was itching for a brawl. And truth be told, all of Lincoln's siblings seemed to get into fights frequently; it's one of the reasons why he's glad he's an only child.
But there was something unsettling with the way Lincoln seemed so nonchalant about starting a fight with his sister...it sounded similar to a villain who had been waiting for the right moment to strike at the hero. Ok, it was over the top to label Lincoln as a villain; he blamed that new movie idea for putting that in his head.
But...Clyde couldn't help but imagine that Lincoln might resort to that option more frequently if left unchecked. His dads always told him that violence is never the answer to anything...
"I'm still surprised my parents didn't ground anyone."
Clyde was pulled from his thoughts as he asked, "Nobody? You sure?"
"Well, they didn't ground me because even if I did start it, I was being egged on by my sisters. Plus, some things slipped out that my parent didn't know about yet." A coy smile worked its way onto Lincoln's face. "Which is why Lori isn't allowed to drive for 3 months."
"But how is she supposed to get around?"
Lincoln dropped his smile. "She has legs Clyde, she can just walk or bike like the rest of us. I'm surprised it took this long for Mom and Dad to do anything about it, especially after she essentially got away with making Leni fail her driver's test for so long. Besides, it's not like she has a job right now since she quit working at Gus' after prom."
"Riiiight, riiiight..." Clyde shifted his gaze around as beads of sweat started to form on his forehead. "Hey, uh...I...gotta do something! I'll see ya later!"
Lincoln raised a brow. "Ok-" The dial tone was buzzing in his ear before he could finish. Lincoln looked at his phone before shrugging and tossing it back onto his desk, opting to just lie on his bed for now.
"I didn't know why Clyde suddenly hung up; I could only assume something was wrong on his end, so I didn't bother texting him." Present Lincoln stated. "With nothing else to do that day, and drained from all the crap that happened the day before, I just waited until dinner popped around before leaving my room. And let me tell you, it was so quiet at the table I swore I heard a mouse moving around upstairs; given that Lana still brings in random animals to keep as 'pets', that's not surprising. Of course, most of my sisters refused to look at me; I didn't feel like being around them either, so the feeling was mutual...Lucy and Leni would still acknowledge me with concern in their eyes. Wish they were so concerned a lot sooner..." The grumpy teen scoffed.
At the dinner table, the clatter of utensils hitting plates filled the silence between the family. The parents were still wary of the kids being resentful towards each other, but everyone seemed more focused on one of their father's delicacies to bother picking fights with each other.
"As I ate, I kept thinking about the conversation I had with the producer and then with Clyde. As much as I dismissed it, the idea of having the Full Deck face the 'sins of their past' was entertaining. And if I were the villain who holds all the cards, how exactly would I take them down? And what would be the reason for it?" The teen hummed. "Actually, I could think of a few reasons why, but the end goal would definitely be revenge; you could take your pick for Insert X reason for revenge for any of the stress my sisters caused throughout my life recently. And most of them already treat me like I'm some sort of villain in the family who only exists to ruin things for them; no matter how many times I've helped them willingly or OTHERWISE. I remember staring at each of them for a few seconds; we'd been back home for only a few hours and none of them announced any sort of apology to me. Even when dinner ended, they didn't come into my room to try and make amends either; so I was right when I said I wouldn't wait for them. I wouldn't put it past them that they were secretly planning revenge for killing their movie careers either."
Soon enough, bed time had arrived. Still avoiding most of his sisters, Lincoln opted to take care of his bathroom business last. That didn't stop the youngest Loud from wanting to play with her big brother. And Lincoln, in spite of being reluctant to do much else, decided to entertain the baby for a while before she grew tired.
"Lily is quite lucky she's so young; it's really hard to blame her for anything other than just copying those that are around her." Present Lincoln blew his nose for a moment. "...I still miss the times we used to play together. She still tries to play with me but...I'm just never in the mood for it. Seeing the disappointment on her face feels like someone's putting a knife in my chest...back then, I might've been inclined to keep her close. But, aside from Lucy and I guess Leni, the others saw me as what the producer was spitballing about: a villain. Well, not in the direct sense; Lola and Lynn (as always) were the most hostile towards me. Yes, even Lori wasn't as much of a bitch as she usually was. The others were indifferent and kinda distant. And while it was only less than a day, I doubt they'd ever apologize for making me feel like I felt like I'm nothing but a stepping stool...sooo," The teen made a snot-filled chortle as his younger self stared at his darkened ceiling, showing no signs of fatigue. "If they didn't want to apologize, fine then. But I wasn't going to just sit around and let Mom and Dad's talk eventually hit a switch in their stupid heads; OR for them to take revenge as they see fit."
The 11 year old boy turned on his side, appearing to be deep in thought.
"They may have felt guilty after getting chewed out; but maybe they'd be more inclined to give a REAL, HEARTFELT apology if they felt exactly how I did when they were getting picked for that movie without so much of a challenge. A walk in one's shoes, if that's how that saying goes." Lincoln gripped his sheets as he stared at the wall, the gears turning in his head as a plan was beginning to form. His eyes closed moments later, tiredness setting in, but also his focus increasing to put the pieces together. "I slept on it, but I had already decided; I was going to delve into my sister's hobbies and try to beat them at their own game. Some of them I might be less inclined to do, like Lola's pageantry; no way in hell I was going to embarrass myself like that again. And maybe Leni's fashion sense...I'm just gonna admit it, I'm no genius at designing clothes out of nothing, so I won't even go through that frustration. But Lori's golfing, Luna's music, Luan's lame puns, even Lynn's sports...I could achieve something in them if I at least tried. But going forward, I had to be careful in not letting them notice. Like my some of my other ideas, I had to be methodical in my approach; and I was gonna spend the whole summer doing it if that's what it took."
The crumpling of tissue paper was heard before the disgruntled teen spoke. "It took me a while to figure out which sister to begin with to enact my plan, but I decided to go begin with Lori. Now, I know it sounded crazy, but she wasn't gonna be in the house for much longer; she was due to graduate high school at that time, so she'd be going off to college come August. Getting her out the way first was so the opportunity wouldn't slip; no telling when I'd be able to best her again. I was hoping to knock her off her high horse, as well as getting some payback for the times she made me feel like I was the lowest point in this family...I'll admit, it was a wild plan since I first pieced it together. But..I guess I'm not as great of a planner as I thought I was..."