The Everything That We Need


200 dollars.

Apart from mom and dad's weekly allowance of 5 dollars, summer jobs and small art commissions were a big help for Lincoln's growing piggy bank. Months of hard work, patience, and resiliency to the temptation of impulsively buying something- his bank finally sought to reach its targeted goal: 200 dollars and 50 cents.

There was this arcade that opened in the Royal Woods mall 2 months ago that was the "tourist spot of every teenage boy or gamer girl out there", as quotes by New York Times. It was only a drive away from their house, and it was torture not to be able to go there because, one: Mom and dad reminded him that his homework wasn't finished yet, and two, all this money earned in a span of 10 months getting thrown away over some arcade is indeed, such a shame.

Should this really how he spends all his hard work?

The look on Lynn's face after the game yesterday, full of fatigue and emptiness you can never expect for a renowned, teenage all-star athlete was his answer.

After transferring all the wad of dollar bills in his wallet safe and securely, Lincoln walked out of his room and looked around the chaos that is his family- reduced to only eight kids, but still chaos nonetheless. Lucy was walking out of her room with a book tied to her nose, still fully dedicating her attention on the thing. Running around the halls was a now two-year-old Lily, spitting real words and not babbles anymore. With a muddy eight-year-old Lana chasing her and Lola.

Now where would Lynn be on a Sunday morning?

God definitely heard his thoughts, because a second later, Lynn came out of her room, flushed and sweaty, with bandages on her knuckles.

And was that blood? His mood immediately shifted and something pestered him to know what's going on with her.

"G' morning, Lynn." She jumped at his presence.

"Oh, hey bro." Her smile was strained and Lynn was noticeable fidgety, wearing edginess like a draft of clothing.

Lincoln narrowed his eyes at the hands she hid behind her back. "Did I see blood on your hands?"

The fifteen- year old shook her head, her ponytail swishing on her back. "What blood? Bro, I think you're daydreaming again."

She took a few steps back, while he only kept moving forward. "What was it?" His eyes sparked genuine concern for her. Like it always did. "You're being so secretive, nowadays. Y'know that?"

"Me? Secretive? Or you're too nosy?" Lynn snorted with a joking tone. "I gotta go."

Lincoln could only shake his head as the girl headed towards the bathroom. "Oh, Lynn… what is going on with you that I can't understand?"

It's still early; quarter to nine. Might as well do other things while he waits for the chance to talk to her again.


"Heya buddy! I'm sorry if I ditched you like that two days ago." Clyde said through the phone. "Doctor Lopez always says I have an issue with running away from problems."

"Nah, it's cool Clyde." Lincoln said, tapping his fingers mind-numbingly on the living room couch. "I totally get it; I would've done the same. Besides, you took no part in getting her mad. I was the one who dragged you into her room, after all."

In the corner of his eye, a new appearance made its way down the stairs. "Talk to you later, Clyde."

Lincoln approached the now freshly cleaned Lynn. Her red and white varsity jacket tied to her waste as the black V-neck with a number one clung tightly to her figure. "Hey Lynn, so I was wondering…"

His words were cut off when his eyes managed to snatch a glance at her fists, wrapped with new bandages. "I don't have all day here. What is it?"

Never mind that. We don't wanna scare her off, again. "You wanna go to the arcade with me? Money's on the house."

Her eyes widened, though her reaction was generally indescribable. "Sorry Linc, but you know I ain't a video games person-"

"It's called a gamer, Lynn." Lincoln raised his hand to stop her from continuing what was already an inevitable response. "Come on, it's my treat. We'll play all the games you want."

She didn't say anything, tracing his face for any intent whatsoever. Maybe a favor was creeping in at the very corner. That stare was getting old. Lincoln nodded as if her stare was asking a big question. "Yes. We can also shoot those hoops while we're at it."

Her creepy stare had been exchanged for smiling eyes. "Yes!"

"What're you waiting for?" Lincoln cried out. "Let's go!"

They both rushed out in a dash out of the door. "Wait… who's driving us to the mall?"

Lincoln shook his head, gesturing her to follow him to the garage. "We ride our bikes."

She was stunned. "Woah. Never knew you'd be daring enough to do it, Linc."

The garage door opened and Lincoln went inside to grab both their bikes. Mom and dad bought them fresh new mountain bikes when their old ones had worn out and grown small, so they had given it to the twins.

Lincoln straddled himself in his black and orange bike with an orange helmet resting on his head, walking along the empty parking lot and handing Lynn her red and white one. She's right. Lincoln was never one to ride his bike to far places. "This time, I don't see why not?"

She chuckled and got on her own bike, clipping the helmet strap worn on her head. "The last one to the mall is a raw egg!"

And then they raced down the highway lanes with fierce speed; threatening to make it to the very end of the race and start of the new adventure. The cold wind blew on Lincoln's face as his legs pumped for the bike to go faster, until he was catching up with Lynn. A broad smile was worn on his face the whole ride through. This was exactly what he had in mind. Everything was running really smoothly so far.

SCREECH!

"You kids watch where you're going!" Oh shoot! His bike glided off to the side, near to the point of almost losing balance.

But it didn't and Lincoln continued to pedal, ragged pants coming out of his mouth. Phew, that's a close one.

Athletic games with Lynn had done its magic; and at this point he was already on her tail. Flip's food Fuel, the ceramics center, Royal Woods tutoring school- all were passed by long before the mall was starting to enter their field of view.

For a moment, Lynn had turned around and caught a glimpse of him. Her boisterous laughter was heard throughout the streets as she went quicker. Faster. Making sure that he won't get the chance to snatch the upper hand from her again.

Because that's exactly what he won't do.

Eventually, the two kids finally arrived in the mall's parking are. And that's when Lynn pulled over to halt with a harsh screeching of her tires. "Wooh! Another win for Lynn!"

Lincoln halted right beside her the moment she took off her helmet. "Yeah, that was crazy! Epic stunt you started there, Lynn."

"What can I say? Risky is my middle name." Lynn shrugged off coolly with an arrogant smile on her face. "How's you?"

The helmet was unclipped from his head, as he took it off and tucked it underneath his arm. "Nearly got a hit and run by a car, but other than that, I'm cool."

Her eyes widened. "What! You should've been more careful!"

What was rarer? Seeing her show concern for that near collide, or not pointing out how cool and risky it was to happen? "What happened to the Queen of Risks?"

She straightened her gaze on him and fixed her hands tight onto his shoulders. "You could've gotten into an accident! Or even to the E.R, or much worse!"

"Well, I didn't. Did I?" Lincoln exchanged her worry for a smug look. "How about you? You never actually told me why your knuckles are bandaged."

Lynn's eyes widened and her gaze slid down to her hands. "Oh yeah. Pfft. This is nothing. Just a little scratch I got from punching the wall. Again."

That was easy. Normally she'd have him on a chokehold for being nosy around her. "Why- never mind." Those questions can be saved for later. Nothing would ruin today.

Without any more words exchanged, they walked over to the doors of the mall.

Something was different about Lincoln today. "Hold on…"

Lynn whipped her head to Lincoln. "You brought money?"

He smiled reassuringly, patting his pocket. "Got my whole allowance here."

"Oh, great. 'Cuz I forgot mine." Lynn sighed in relief, causing Lincoln to laugh.

They finally reached the doors to the mall, and it opened for them. "So, where exactly are we going again?"

"The arcade," Lincoln said, pointing to the glowing neon words. "You can pick whatever game we should play."

Lynn smirked, and he can only swallow his jittery nerves.

Coming into the arcade, it was colorful and neon lights were sparkling on everywhere. It was a true gamer's paradise. A Heaven on Earth for ever teenage boy. "I'd like to have 100 tokens." Lincoln said to the counter, where a pimply and gangly ginger boy was standing.

"Coming right up." The ginger said.

Lynn widened her eyes. "Lincoln! That's like, a hundred-fifty dollars, worth!" She exclaimed, leaning on the glass counter and tiptoeing to align their faces. "How much money do you have in there?"

"Don't worry! I got everything covered up." Lincoln said as he slid a stash of fifty-dollar bills onto the counter. "I got 200 dollars tops."

Lynn was in disbelief, not in the good way. 'Then you'll only have 50 dollars left!"

"Yeah, 50 dollars for lunch." Lincoln smiled. "What's the use in money if we won't spend it?"

She surrendered with an admitting nod of approval. "Good point."

The tokens were given to them, and Lynn grabbed them before he could. By the hand, she took him as they ran to where the action was. "Let's get this show on the road!'

Her hand was tugged. "Lynn, wait! Before we choose your pick, I wanna play this one game with you."

"You said I'd get to pick whatever I want?" Lynn looked at him with impatience. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

Now it was his turn to drag her through the sea of people, and the wave of arcade games. "I know you'll love this one, for sure."

"Not when I don't even know what it is-" They both paused at one arcade stand as Lynn looked at it with awe. "What is that?"

Lincoln let go of her and patted on the beauty of this brand-new machine, bezels' neon green and I's whole color a shade of royal blue. Its width could fit two people standing side by side and the screen was bigger than the rest of the other machine. There were 2 buttons colored green and red, an analog, and arrows placed on both sides of the machine's flat surface, as if intended for two players. "This, my friend, is a collection of everything you want. It has all the renowned sports games like FIFA 30, Madden FIFA, NBA 2K30, all ahead of our time."

"Wait, there's video games…" Lynn's eyes shone with the glee of a little kid on Christmas. "Of SPORTS?"

Lincoln dropped 10 tokens in, trying to stifle a laugh at her ignorance. "See for yourself."

She fawned over it like a high school meeting Harry Styles for the first time. Giddy and squirming with the adrenaline rush. The screen turned black, before a small loading screen with three dots continuously appeared.

ATHLETE'S HAVEN

Sponsored by EA sports. Version 3.0

"Woah!" Lynn stared at it with astonishment. "This is so cool!"

Lincoln went beside her right side and navigated with the up, down, and sides arrows. "You in?"

"Heck yeah! Why can I say no!"

There were three settings on the loaded screen. Highlighted in green was play. "Press the green button to interact, red to exit? Okay!" And he wasted no time to press green.

"NBA, FIFA… Even MLB?" Lynn shrieked, skimming through the screen for any trace of misreading the words. "No way!"

"This way." Lincoln pressed his arrows until it had highlighted FIFA: Arcade Edition and tapped pushed green. "Wanna bet?" He challenged.

"Oh, this is gonna be easy." Lynn cracked her knuckles with a mischievous laugh. "You're going down!"

Lincoln snorted. "This is video game soccer, Lynn. Not the actual FIFA World Cup."

"What's the difference? I'm still gonna cream your butt anyways!" She said with a competitive glint in her eye.

The game loaded and the screen split into two. On each side was the same content, with logos etched in Lynn's mind yet so unfamiliar to Lincoln. "Okay, Linc, we pick our league."

Lynn was already ahead in pressing the arrows downwards to scroll through the selection of soccer leagues. "Ah yes, UEFA Champion League! Juventus here I go!"

Meanwhile, Lincoln was… "Uh… Oh Major League Soccer! This is one I know!" He clicked the green button to enter.

And then heard Lynn sneer. "Seriously? MLS? You've got no taste in sports, buddy."

"Why? Isn't MLS American? I'm just showing off my patriotism, Lynn. You're an athlete, and American; I'd figure you'd pick our own league by now."

Lynn simply giggled, maybe it was an inside joke only soccer fans could understand.

They toggled at the screen one more time to pick their desired team, which was out of Lincoln's world; so, the only option was to pick a random team that was completely unknown to him.

The split screen became one once again and Lynn threw her arms in the air. "Let's get this game started!"

There were things Lincoln was absolutely bad at: like physical activity or anything sports related. And then there was his finest skill: Gaming. His fingers would work on their own as the synapses in his brain fire with each and every command on what to do next without any hint of doubt. Every game would be a new universe, yet with the same instructions and same buttons to press. It's been that way since the day Lincoln was given his very first console. And the fine art of gaming is already a craft that's been perfected by him. A true veteran in his prime.

But sports? And gaming? There's no telling how this is gonna end up.

The field opened and the magnificent 1080 Pixel graphics were on point. Colors and hue were perfected, making it look like it was a real-life simulator and not animated players inspired by actual football professionals. Then a box appeared with a strange looking chart, labelled Arsenal with names of people Lincoln had no clue about. Oh, so this was their lineup?

"You're black and white, and I'm grey and red." A small friendly reminder of who's team is who's, thanks to Lincoln.

"Press analog to move. Red button to kick, green button to pass." Lynn read aloud. "So, these arrows are completely useless, right?"

Knowledge that's been building up over the years of having an arcade as his third home made every veteran, including Lincoln learn that some buttons may not be mentioned in the instructions, but they serve one united purpose. "Up button is to pause the game, down is to resume. Left arrow and right arrow are used to change point of views."

"Awesome!" Lynn started to prove Lincoln's theory right. "I can go first person!"

Lincoln nodded, looking at the now split-screen. "Yeah, but what sucks is that if one player in multiplayer shifts from one P.O.V to another, then the other one will also be forced to transition into the same. See?" On his side of the screen, it was also in the point of view of the winger.

"I'm not complaining; I bet it's better so we can actually feel like we're playing an actual game!" Lynn insisted.

It's not like any of these perspectives were familiar with him anyway; he's just as new to this as Lynn is. So, there's no pick for whatever angle they both chose. "You're right."

Press any button to start kick-off.

3… 2…1,

"Aw no way, you're the defense?" Lynn incredulously explained with a cackle. "This isn't gonna be too easy! It's gonna be a literal piece of cake!"

Lincoln shook his head. "Wouldn't be too sure about that Lynn…"

"What- huh?" Lincoln's team was already advancing to the goal on Lynn's turf, regardless of the defenders that assembled against him. "How are you doing that without looking!?"

"I dunno?" Mastery, skill, practice; There were loads of practical reasons, but they're better left unsaid. Except for one: "Focus! That's what!"

"Right! Geez, what is up with me lately?" Lynn put on her game face and passed her point of view from one person to another until the next person's perspective was near the goal keeper. "This point of view is waaaay too trippy!"

"Are you too chicken to handle it?" Not once did he look off the screen as his player only ran faster and faster.

Something triggered her. "Of course not!"

This went on for 3 rounds, with them having a tie 1-1 once fulltime started and Lincoln threatening to surpass Lynn's with his score of 2-3. Before the last match where Lynn eventually mastered the fundamentals of the game, and channeled her professional skills in the real sport to take him down, 6-1 in the end.

"Booyah! I won! I won! I won!" She glided across the tiled floors and waved the 10 tickets acquired in the air. "Whatchu got against me, Stinkin'?"

Lincoln leaned on the machine, checking his nails sarcastically. "I only went easy on ya."

"Not kidding though, you were epic!" Lynn spun on her heel until they were face to face. "You should be an actually football player, bro! Your moves were sick!"

Lincoln shrugged sheepishly. "I mean, no thanks. You are the family athlete, after all. Wouldn't wanna take that away from you."

She wrapped a strong arm around his neck and pulled his close to a side hug. "Aww, come on!"

"Ah- Lynn! Not the hair!" A knuckle grinded along his sensitive scalp, drilling a part as if Lynn intended to put a hole on his head.

"-You and me? Lincoln and Lynn- brother and sister; Olympic champions! One can only dream!"

"Then why were you so bothered that I won against you in Basketball for being taller?" Everything that was about to come out of Lynn's mouth was held restrained, as she looked over to some two preteens nearby eating burgers. Whoops… that wasn't meant to come out prematurely.

"Let's talk about this over lunch, aight?" Lynn wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "I'm starving!"

Uhh… at least she didn't knock him out over that little mood spoiler. Lincoln gripped his wallet tight. "Yeah, I'm good with that."


A big submarine sandwich with the right number of meatballs and sweet and spicy sauce, with a side of French fries and Sprite. Across the table was an already empty plate of Mac and Cheese bites, made with the creamiest cheese in stock. Along with a half empty paper cup of lemon juice.

"To be honest, I totally did not expect me to win against you." Lynn started, chewing on her sub. "You're a literal pro at gaming!"

"And so, I am." Lincoln grinned smugly. "Why does it matter? You're the MVP of the Royal Woods' basketball team! Why were you so offended that I won against you?"

Lynn stopped chewing on her food, as if a big weight was suddenly dropped on her shoulders and she was still recovering from its shock. Her guard is down, and he's got her pinned to the chair. If only there was a more private place to talk about this… "Oh yeah… that. Uh… It's not about you defeating me. If anything, I was super happy."

"Happy for what?"

"You. Becoming a man. Getting better at sports, a whole lot of changes in your maturity level, and heck, I can't even listen to your voice and imagine it's you." Lynn grinned.

A burning tingle went up his cheeks. "Oh… uh, thanks?" Lincoln chuckled softly. "But if it wasn't about me winning, or puberty, then what's gotten you so riled about?"

"It's my height. I'm too short." Lynn bluntly said. No emotion in her voice.

During her teenage years, Lynn gradually grew a few inches, and her body was slightly bigger. And she did gain a few pounds, and more muscles. But nothing satisfactory. Sometimes, people still mistaken her for a 12-year-old over a 15-year-old. Yet it was still a surprising revelation, nonetheless. "Why exactly? Your height isn't something you can change?"

It's too shallow to be an excuse to walk around like a moody mafia gangster. For sure.

She looked away as if to let what he said slip out of the other ear. The sub's sauce gushed out as her grip on it grew tighter. "But that's exactly it. I'm too short. And the fact I can't change it is killing me."

"But why does it matter that you're short?" It's not that he's stupid; but this dumb reason for being a walking grouch needed deconstruction. Something tells him there's more that meets the eye.

And there it was; the most anticipated reaction coming from Lynn. Her sub was long forgotten on its resting plate, as her hand compressed; the table quaking under her punch. "Because it does, okay!" Her face scrunched up akin to anger. "It matters because I wanna be the best at everything, is that what you wanted?"

She was already 2 years into puberty, Lincoln thought. Shouldn't she have learned how to cope with her anger by now? Utter confusion was etched on his face upon her response. "What? How is being tall gonna make you a champ?"

Lynn groaned, sliding a hand down her face and dragging it down with it. "Can't you connect the dots, Stinkin'? Basketball, for one, has a height requirement…"

"…I thought it didn't?"

"Technically speaking, it doesn't, but being tall gains you an advantage." The redness on her face was starting to subside. "And I don't have that."

"I mean, come on, your height doesn't matter all that much." He waved her off with a hand. "I heard famous Golden State Warriors player Steph Curry was the shortest on their team!"

Lynn shot him a deadpan look. "He's 6'3, Stinkin'."

His eyes widened before averting his glance to the table. "Oh… but that's besides the point! He's still pretty tall… but not as tall as everyone- but he's the best shooter in every game!"

"You did your homework, didn't you?" Lynn smirked, crossing her arms.

"Nope. I just heard you blabbing about it." He said. "But seriously, you can't have everything in life, Lynn. Everyone's has flaws, with strengths to make up for it. Take Luna for one, she can rock, but she can't dance for her life. Then there's Luan, with puns crossing her mind with every single move, but-"

"She can't make even a single funny joke?" Lynn chuckled, but stopped upon learning a glare from Lincoln. "Okay, my B. Her jokes are funny. Sort of."

Lincoln looked at her mischievously. "You know you like them. We all do; it's just wearing thin since we've heard it a bajillion times."

He cleared his throat to shift gears. "As I was saying, Luan can crack jokes, but everyone knows that she can't crack a thing open other than an egg. Lucy has the wildest words to write about, yet hardly anything comes out of her mouth. Leni… she's not the smartest of the bunch, but when it comes to fashion, she knows it all! And look at me; I may be one wise kid, but anything to do with romance is beyond me." Lincoln stared into Lynn's amused face. "It's all about what you have, not what you don't have."

"Yeah, yeah. I see what you're saying." Lynn wore a thin smile on her face. "But that's a no brainer. Every one of them could work on their flaws if they tried! Dancing can be a skill that Luna can try studying; Luan can gain some muscles if she was willing to go the gym. Lucy just needs a bit more confidence, and Leni? All she needs to is to study a little harder! And you?" Lynn snorted. "You live with eleven girls. I know You're being sarcastic."

"And? You're saying you can't grow taller? You're 15; there's still a chance."

Lynn sighed exasperatedly. "I tried everything! Drinking vitamins, slam dunking my shoes off, letting Lucy stretch my legs before sleeping and after waking up-"

"I did not need to know about that last one." The horrible imagery of seeing Lucy have to suffer through that made his visibly recoil.

She rolled her eyes. "It's not that bad. The internet said it would work." Lynn sighed. "Nothing really did… I guess I'm just not...one of the lucky ones."

Unlucky? UNLUCKY? "You never let a single obstacle weight you down before!" Lincoln slammed a fist to the table, the action itself caused Lynn to spring in her seat. "You can slither around like a snake without the tall ones noticing, but slam dunk, jump like Michael Jordan and win the MVP trophy! Your height is just another thing you can prove people wrong with! Why would that bother you if you're Lynn Loud Junior?"

"It's not easy being me." A snort came out of her mouth but nothing expressed a single hint of happiness in it. "Expectations to disappointment, and everything else in between are everywhere. At one point, I was growing taller over everyone else. Nobody would mess with me with a height that could squash them with one drop, but now all the tall kids can swipe me off the ground on one go."

It's as if the whole food court had all their eyes were paired on them. Lynn shrunk in her seat; The noise was seemingly blocked out by the ringing of her words in his ears. "You're the most popular jock at school! Everyone respects and upholds your title as that. You get lifted into pedestals and lifted by groups in games. It's not like it happens to you, does it?"

"Our family doesn't." So lacking of life, so unconfident. Lacking energy to take the reins, hiding shamefully underneath bangs. This girl wasn't Lynn. Her clothes are Lynn's, but not the person itself. "Even you. You like to call me shorty all the time with the rest to make me feel so much better."

Oh yeah... It was during her last basketball game in middle school last year; She had been pushed down by the tallest girl in their batch with an accidental kick with one leg. On a whim, Luan nicknamed her 'shorty' for that and the rest of them followed. "We… we didn't know it bothered you that much. You were laughing along with us."

"Yeah. I guess I'm just that good at acting." The thin smile creeping up on her face was betrayed by the quiet sniffle loud enough to be heard. Sarcasm… always her shield.

"What if I told you that I know a girl, who went through a similar problem as yours." Lincoln tapped his chin. "She was constantly called a dork for writing up her own stories and having a strong passion for books. But now in the present, everyone has the last laugh and now she's the number one campus journalist of the middle school-"

"You're talking about Stella, aren't you?". Never mind. She already knew. "Figures. I knew about that already."

Let's forget that, then… "My point is, why do you do sports?"

She recoiled as if Lincoln took her for somebody as dumb as Leni. "For the adrenaline. The competition. The fun. Duh."

"Then why are you letting the pressure get to you?" She always responds to a challenge; why not poke a little fun into her? "I sense a little fear in big, bad Lynn Loud~"

"Shut up." Her arms crossed as she huffed. "I ain't no baby."

"Oh, but you were before. How else were you when you were born?"

He gets this from Luan. "That's not the point, Stinkin."

"Hey, there's no pain in admitting defeat sometimes." Lincoln says.

"Yeah, and that's why people call you a homo." On her face was a slight, cheeky smile that teetered to the edge of bursting out a cackle. "No offense to Luna."

There were rumors about it, that totally didn't defragment his ego with every new comment. Pshaw, as if that'd hurt. "Why would I care over something that's not true?" The smirk on her face didn't falter. "I'd be more offended if it were something, I really am insecure of."

"Now you see my point." Lynn nodded softly with a knowing stare at him. Before something seemingly on the ground piqued her interest. 'I… I don't like it when people point out mistakes I have. I just don't."

That right there. It's a giveaway that there's definitely something more going on around Lynn's desolation than what's been said. Now that Lynn's curled up slightly with her arms resting on the table and her head drooped, it's sure enough this conversation would be forced to an end. And Lincoln would be stuck in a ditch of questions that still need answers, trapped in a gutter of curiosity and skepticism so to speak. Without a sign of life willing to pull him out.

But while her last words were intended to be a dead end, it only started a new beginning in his mind. "You know what? It's not a taller height you need."

"Uh, what are you on about now?" Lynn shot her head up and stared at him with knitted brows and a slightly wrinkled nose.

"You have everything-but, there's one thing that's preventing you from seeing it all though and it's what you lack."

Her lip was pulled up in a sneer as she rested herself on the hands that intertwined behind her head. "What? Humility?"

"No." Lincoln bit his lip. "It's acceptance, and a higher self-esteem."

Lynn stared at him with scrutiny, her mouth in a tight frown as her forehead creased. "How is this making any sense? I already come with the terms that I'm not tall. And you know I have an ego bigger than Luan's forehead, right?"

She did have a point with Luan's forehead. Lincoln bit his inner cheek and pulled in the air of his laughter back down his throat.

Back to the topic. "And that's why you're insecure." Lincoln says. "Your ego is hungry; it's always looking for other people to praise you and depend on what people say. You're always caring about your status quo. Even when it's not necessary. Knowing you're short is different from embracing it. And we all know very well that by the looks of it, you're definitely still trying to accept it. "

Her eyebrow quirked and she leaned closer on her chair. "What's your point?'

"I'm just saying, you need to trust yourself and give yourself more credit than you usually do to yourself, Lynn."

"I did, they called me a narcissist." She rolled her eyes with a puff.

"What did I say about trusting yourself? You know you aren't. Whatever they say won't matter as long as you're confident in who you are. When you think highly of yourself, nobody else can bring you down." The blank stare full of confliction on her face told him his words were giving its proper effect.

"Just don't… get over the top and climb up a pedestal to go above others. Keep it to yourself." That shut her up. And got her staring at him too with eyes that gleamed like a child's when they're taught a thing or two about astronauts or comic books. "You can't accept the fact your short if you won't give yourself a little boost, or be nice to yourself."

Her hand reached out and took a sip of soda. "I…I guess you're right."

And once she dropped her drink, Lynn gave him a smile. A real one this time.

"I know. I always am."

Aaaand there goes a real mood blaster. Her smile dropped to Lincoln's pleasure. "Really? What did you just say about not gloating?"

His laughs triggered a part of Lynn's cheeks to activate. "It's a joke. What're you? A Karen?"

"Better than what you are, Sharon."

Say who now? "What's a Sharon?"

Lynn gave a nonchalant shrug. "It rhymes with Karen. I dunno what it is either."

The thick atmosphere was replaced by bubbling laughter as they both continued to talk like never before. Before this little pep-talk conversation would slip by and be forgotten about, there was one more thing to drop before it'd all be over with. "Seriously though, don't let your height get the best of you. You're still the ultimate, sports superstar you are. Don't let anyone take it away from you."

"Enough with the clichés, Lincoln. I get it." She twisted her head away to the side with a half-smile on her face. "But still, thanks for that. I guess I needed it."

"Don't mention it." Lincoln said. "I'm just glad you aren't angry anymore."

"Snooping through my stuff wasn't cool, nor was tryna pry into my business." Lynn shook her head. "But I'll cut you some slack for it because you're only doing it for my sake."

"Wouldn't have done it if only you were more open about your issues~" Lincoln teased.

Lynn finished with the sub, wiping off the marinara sauce on her face with a burp. "Hey, this is pretty cool. Do you think we should do this every weekend? Y'know, hang out and chill?"

"I like the sound of that." Lincoln beamed. "But only if you're down with it."

They both stood up and walked out of the food court. "Exactly. That's why I asked you."

As they walked their ways out of the mall, the silence was loud between them. "Hey, it hit me. Why exactly did you invite me to this?"

"I figured we could use a little hang out, is all."

Like a domino effect, Lynn stopped on her steps and so did Lincoln. She stared at him with an eyebrow raised. "You spent your whole years' worth of allowance for this, Lincoln. Seriously. There's something more to it than just a friendly chat."

She never asked about it. For a moment there, maybe this could've been swept under the rug. Oh well.

Lincoln took the lead and continued their walk, not wanting to be at the very center of the mall. "You're right; I wanted to get to know you better." He said. "For the past…like what? Since we separated when you entered middle school, things just changed. I mean, I thought I knew you, but today proved I really didn't."

"But you didn't have to spend all your money for me, you know that." Lynn gestured in a friendly sneer, a light smile on her face.

"It's the only way I could get us to hang without me falling flat on my butt." They both giggled, going past the escalator of the mall. "Plus, I wanted to show you something from that."

She hummed. "What?"

"I wanted to show you your full potential, I guess…" The transition between the artificial cold air of the mall to the fresh air of the outside world blew over them both. "I knew you were sorta jealous when I won against you, and there's no denying that 'cuz you're terrible at hiding."

"Hey!"

Lincoln shot her a smirk. "It's true. So, this is why I wanted to show you that you're still better than me."

"Caressing my ego to make me feel good, huh?" Lynn wrapped her arm around his shoulder. "Nice."

"And also, because you weren't exactly happy after the basketball game yesterday. I figured, since I did add up to making you feel bad, why not fix it and make it up to you?"

Lynn pulled her arm away as she ran to their securely chained bikes. It wasn't hard to notice that she herself was having a bad time trying to ride up on her emotions. Nearly squirming with her jitteriness upon hearing his words. "Thanks, you dork." She mumbled, avoiding his face. "Now come on. Let's go home."

Riding their bikes together, Lynn and Lincoln went home with a smile on their faces.

A treaty has been made.

And at last, when Franklin Avenue 1216 had come to view, they both parked their bikes on the side of the separated garage. The voices and echoes of children of all ages frolicking in their house came as no surprise.

"You think nobody came looking for us by now?"

Lynn chuckled. "Nope, I already messaged them in our family group chat in case we'd miss dinner or something."

When they came in, what they saw was the unexpected:

The whole family was quiet for once, save for the television. Wait, wasn't today Sunday? It was all starting to make sense…

"Yo dudes! Wanna watch the Dream Boat with us?" Luna perked, breaking the silence as all gazes turned to them.

"Yeah! Family TV isn't the same without all of us!" Lana said, adjusting her position on the edge of the couch. "And oh man, your spot on the couch is so comfy." She said, looking towards Lynn.

"It's all yours. I still gotta change anyways. "Lynn said.

They both go into separate ways. Lincoln dragged himself up the stairs and shuts the door to his room. When the coast was clear, a sigh was knocked out of him and Lincoln slid his back down the door, feeling sorry for himself.

"I never knew Lynn had really bad insecurities. Man… I wish I knew her better. I would've helped out sooner." His voice was reduced into a stoic tone that still screamed a million emotions. "What a shame… at least I made her happy now."

Right across him was a calendar hung below his wall clock, right beside the bed. A familiar date was circled with a thick red marker and a prolonged moan of pain fled out his mouth.

"Valentine's day is tomorrow. Shoot. Bub-bun, what am I gonna do?"

Even at thirteen years old, Bun-Bun was still accounted as one of his closest, childhood best-friends.

But the call of maturity was fast approaching, and Lincoln wasn't disappointed to see that even through all the years with the same steadfast question, Bub-Bun didn't even blink.


This wasn't an ordinary Monday, because to be exact, it's February 14; also known as Valentine's day.

Mix any holiday with a Monday, and nothing's gonna end up well: A new lesson learned today.

Lincoln sat on his bed with his arms crossed, resting above his heaving chest ready to hit the hay. The middle school had held a party that would've been the best night of every kid's lives, save for the fact that when you're living in Royal Woods, or maybe in any other state, dating, or rather, having a date is a necessity.

There were a whole lot of fish in the sea; or in this case, Royal Woods Middle school. But out of 10 rejections Lincoln had received, there was 11.

And there were his friends, who got sidetracked with their babes. First, Clyde was speaking in Ghetto. Then, they're all hyper fixed on making their date swoon, as if this was this dance was a wingman of some sorts. Geez. Why's everyone growing too fast?

Knock Knock

Mom? Dad? Who could be knocking over this time?

"Hey Lincoln." It's not either of the two.

"Lynn?" His eyes trailed to her hands. And a little, orange gift box? "What's this?"

Her hands shoved it into his. "Open it."

Lincoln held it in his hand and gave Lynn some space to come in, before closing the door and flopping on the bed right by her side.

She was trying to make it less obvious, but it was seen right through her like a transparent sheet. Her fingers fiddled with one another, and her knee was bouncing vigorously. Breaths were coming out of her in a shallow and audible manner. "What're you waiting for? Open it."

Not knowing what to expect, Lincoln unwrapped the little purple ribbon and ripped the orange paper.

Once the box opened, it shone like a treasure with gold.

This... this is all a dream. It has to be.

His own shrill gasp impaled his ears. On the corner of his eyes, Lynn slumped with an audible sigh from her nostrils.

"You bought… tickets for the David Steele convention tomorrow!?"

"Two tickets." Lynn simply nodded with a soft smile.

A yelped resounded in the room as Lynn was knocked down on the bed, a pair of arms wrapping around her body.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" A brief exchange of warmth went between them before he hastily recoiled and pulled himself up. "But wait… what about your allowance?"

She lifted herself up with her arms and sat up. "I spend it all for this." Lynn said tonelessly.

"What? Why?" Lincoln moved forward, not believing whatever his ears have told him. "And why two tickets?"

'Well," Lynn started. "I figured I'd come along with you.'

Wait… what? Why?

The gift lost its taste, and it didn't feel as nice to receive it anymore. "Lynn, you didn't have to do this."

"I overheard what you said last night after our hang out, and I saw how down in the dumps you were after school." Lynn said. "I wanted to do something good for you, because you helped me realize that… I don't actually need gold or fame to be happy." Is it just him or was her face turning pink? "Just my bro who supports me in everything I do."

A sniffle echoed through the room; Lincoln rapidly wiped his face with his pajama sleeve. "Happy Valentine's day, Lynn."

Lynn stopped fiddling with the edge of her oversized jersey with a short pause. "Happy V-day too, bro."

"Remember what I said about us hanging out every weekend?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought about what you said with us drifting apart and well…" She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and scratched her nape. "During our hangouts, we can talk about what we're feeling. No secrets, no barriers."

Without warning, Lincoln did it again: Wrapping himself around her and catching her off guard. This time, Lynn caught her balance on time and had her butt remained glued to the bed. And there's his answer.

What came as a real surprise is when this time, she returned it with as much warmth as he's given.

And what's more? She let herself fall back, in a way, offering herself as both an oven and a bed for her younger brother.

This hug felt eternal; if it could go on forever then they'd let it. Warmness not only cooled their bodies from receding misery, but also fought against the cacophony of doubt in their hearts with a bright flame. Whatever lingering sorrow and indignation there vanished without a trace. The light that flickered within them pushed away whatever dark entity was out to manipulate them otherwise.

Lincoln squeezed his arms tighter around her, as rough fingers gently slipped through his hair. A pleased hum made its way out his throat and the side of his cheek nuzzled against Lynn's chest. Her heartbeat being the only sound that ever mattered.

But unfortunately, everything has an end. Lynn was the first to shift her legs and push him away from the tight embrace. "Aw, Lynn." He pouted.

"Sorry bro, but I can't stay here for the whole night." Lynn frowned at her brother's pouting lower lip, getting up to walk away from the guilt and out the door. "It's time for bed; we have a big day tomorrow."

Lincoln looked at the bed sheets with a pensive glare. She's right. Today may have been short, but there's always tomorrow. Tomorrow afternoon during the convention. "Wait, Lynn!"

Her hand was firmly resting on the doorknob, threatening to turn it. She shoots her head to his direction. "Yeah?"

"I love you."

Not long after was the strong sensation of knuckles grinding gently on his scalp, his point of view being blocked by Lynn's pajamas. "I love you too. Now quit being a sap of noodles cuz I might melt and become one too."

"You know you like it~"

"Well…" Lynn shrugged. "I'm giving it a chance, because love's in the air today."

Time slowed down when Lynn had crouched on her knees slightly as her arms wrapped around his body. Lincoln sat frozen like a statue when pursed lips had pressed on his cheek. It was only a second long but it the cold sensation of the certain spot lingered a little longer. "Goodnight, Lincoln. Thanks for being the best brother I can ever ask for."

Then Lynn shot him a smile warmer than any hot summer day, before putting the door to a soft close.

Did she just… peck him on the face?

His hand touched that part of his right cheek. Wow. Though the sky was as dark as what Lincoln's 10 hours at school was, it seemed that the stars had aligned with the moon turning blue right in time before the day reached its end.

"Best. Gifts. Ever." It was proclaimed to God out there. Lincoln pecked the two tickets in hand and reached back to the abandoned cardboard box that carried it.

"Oh? A card? I never noticed this." Lincoln mumbled, staring at a white card inside that had an enormous red heart on it.

To Lincoln, From Lynn

Hey bro… Thanks for making me realize that you're everything I need.


Lynn wanted to be a better person.

It took all her sheer will not to let the building pool of water stream down her cheeks earlier. It took everything in her not to storm off and head to bed even in the daylight of the warm afternoon.

But there was no purpose on doing so. Lincoln was right about her. Confidence was hard to find, and in return, only boasting would lift her up.

All night, she was plagued with what seems to be insomnia. Paranoid with every noise triggering her senses, and the privilege of sleeping seemed like a miracle. Getting only an hour of sleep is anything but progress on day 1 of trying to better herself.

But who could help it? Everything from Lincoln and her small argument, to the little token of appreciation was on repeat inside her mind's little cinema; all the while an invisible force had her eyes taped wide open to see it all again.

Which is why she was in the bathroom at 2 in the morning, washing away all the stress off her face.

But it didn't comb her frizzy hair off its wildness, nor did it whiten the red balls that were her eyes, or erase the black circles underneath. Or wash away the heaviness inside her chest or the weight on her back that whispered to her ear saying she's a wimp, and that Lincoln deserves a better sister.

Maybe another attempt at laying down would work. "It's worth a shot." Not like she had anything better to do anyway.

She walked out of the bedroom with fatigue never seen from her. Like a battery that had run its course, Lynn sluggishly glided her socket feet on the carpet on the way to her room.

Wait… why is Lincoln's door open?

And there's light at the small adjacent opening.

A new wave of intrigue washed over her, and the energy that once went buzzkill was revived. Lynn tiptoed her way to the room with the finesse of a ninja, legs working on instinct to avoid every creaky floorboard or hazard that lay within the dark.

Taking a little peek in…

Oh.

On the bed was Lincoln, fast asleep. A big smile on his peaceful face.

His hands entwined above his chest, with a very familiar card inside.

That was the card she made for him… with the help of Lucy of course. It's not like her to write poetry that deep. But still.

A soft smile crossed Lynn's face, as she reached for the light switch with her arm and left him in the tranquility of the dark, before shutting the door close as quietly as a mouse.

When Lynn made it back to her own room and tucked herself underneath the sheets, only his image came into mind. A wide smile crossed her face, and a fuzzy feeling buzzed in her heart.

And when she closed her eyes, the venom of sleep finally caught up with her.


FIN.


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Okay, writing this made me smile. I hope it did the same for you too.

Now as I've mentioned on my first author's note, there's the moral lesson I wanted to share to everyone of you: Acceptance; embracing what's been given to you by God. It's an issue I've had recently. Like Lynn, I'm a literal elf lol (5'2 isn't tall for a soon-to-be-fifteen-year-old, the last time I checked), and my mom was the one that snapped my noggin back into place. So with that, it's a little story I wanted to share to everyone.

Also, for any football (soccer) fan out there that loves the MLS, I'm so sorry if this little passage within the story offended you haha. I do not mean any of it and I'm only using it for their sake. I'll even admit that I like the league generally, though it's not exactly my cup of tea.

Criticism and whatever the like is welcomed. Oh yeah, and belated happy Valentine's day everyone. See you again next time!