"This WXLH -FM 95.5 Heat FM," the announcement on the radio said. A woman in the room turned down her radio's volume, she was holding the phone next too ear and waiting.
Inside a radio studio, a man named Max Hayes was looking over some papers, he had about a minute to going live for his second hour. Max was one of those guys who people would say had a face for radio, but he was one of those guys who would agree with them. He had a think black beard on his face, his hair was strong but neatly kept. Max Hayes was also one of the popular radio show hosts.
"This call might be interesting," an assistant said to him.
"Where is it from?" he asked.
"Royal Woods, Michigan; Listening on affiliate WXLH," she said.
"Royal Woods? Really? A small town?" he asked.
"I think, it would be good, to show some small-town America on this show, and honestly this call has got to be better than that last hour: the man bored of his wife after 35 years of marriage, total snooze fest," his producer chimed in.
"Fine, what's the name?" he asked.
The woman heard a producer talk to her on the phone mentioning she was going to be on the air in about 2 minutes, after Max would prepare for show. "Ok," she said. She pursed her lips, she felt hot and wondered if she was doing anything good or was going to embarrass herself on national radio?
"We're back with the Max Hayes show, we have so many callers, it's amazing, I'm glad many of you had your own thoughts on Gary from Seattle and his marriage of 35 years becoming boring. Anyway, I though we'd talk to someone from a small town, for once, listening on our Royal Woods station, 95.5 Heat FM, great station, who's our caller, Jill?' Max said.
"Yes, Max, it's a woman named Jordan," Jill replied.
"Jordan, hello, you're on the air," Max said.
"Umm... Hello, thankyou for taking me," Jordan said in a nervous pitch.
"Sure, I know many ladies don't like to reveal their age, but would you like to? You sound pretty young," Max said.
"Sure, I'm 22," Jordan answered.
"Nice, I remember when I was 22, fun times, I was doing weekend, late-night hosting on some radio station in Nebraska," he said, "So, what would you like to talk about?"
"Well, you see, there's this guy, his name is Lincoln, and I'm trying to find him," Jordan replied.
"He's missing?" Max asked, there was in intrigue in his voice.
"Not missing, like call the cops, but more I can't find him and want to see him. You see, he's very special to me, only, I didn't realize that until too late," Jordan said.
"You're fine, just tell us your story," Max replied.
Jordan sat back in her chair and let out a breath, her phone on her face, she was really going to tell the nation of listeners her story. All those ears listening, but she also hoped that two ears would somehow be listening as well. Max did say he had the number 1 after noon national radio show.
It started when I was in Kindergarten. You see, for most of my childhood until High School, there were two kids named Jordan in my class. My name was Girl Jordan, while the other was called Boy Jordan. Imagine that, being called Girl Jordan all the time? Anyway, during kindergarten, I had gotten a haircut and they had cut it a little too short.I came to class, very nervous, and some boys seized upon this and like started making fun of me. "Hey, look we have two boy Jordan's now!" and "Oh look, a boy in a skirt!"It was torment, but then this boy with white hair, walked over and told them to stop, they did. They made fun of his hair, but he seemed to laugh it off and checked to see if I was alright.I wondered if he was alright. "I'm used to it," he said, "Nothing new I've heard." It was sweet, he shared some cookies his dad made with me at snack time.
Jordan's heart was beating, she felt this wasn't interesting, and that they may have hung up on her or something.
"You're doing fine, Jordan, catch a breath," Max said.
So, over time, I kind of got to know him; he had a large family, that seemed to grow, by the time we were in 4th grade, he had 10 didn't become like best friends, but we like knew each other and would sometimes hang out. He had his friends, and I had mine. I met this girl named Mollie, we're still good friends, in first grade. In fifth grade, there was this girl named Ronnie Anne, she was like a rough type, she would bother Lincoln, but it's funny they became made me wonder sometimes. Then she moved away, but they kept in contact. I guess I'll get to more on her later. Anyway, this new girl, Stella, showed up; she was like nice, but preferred to hang around boys. My friend group was always a mixture of boys and girls, but she hung out with Lincoln and his friends, they were close.I thought he might have had a crush on her. She was cute. Middle School, that's a fun time, isn't it? So, in eighth grade, it happened.
"It happened?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I have to try and remember it correctly," Jordan replied.
Max was rubbing his chin, this call might be getting interesting, he was thinking. He was staring at his producer.
It was a warm early spring day, I was standing there at school, the breeze whipping my braided hair. Then Lincoln shows up, he was wearing this brown jacket, I remember it, it must have been a girls' jacket at some time, but I liked the little patches on it. He looked at me and told me that he liked me, a big thing in eighth grade. In retrospect, I regret what I did next, but I just didn't feel the same. I hurt him that day. "I'm sorry, Lincoln, that's sweet that you like me, but I think we'd be better just being friends." I stepped on his heart that day.
Jordan wiped tears from her face.
We didn't talk for a while; it was awkward seeing him. I wanted us to be friends, I felt I had ruined was this rainy day, and the wind destroyed my umbrella, but to my surprise, Lincoln had helped me out and held his over me and walked me told me the news that he was dating Ronnie Anne. I sighed, but smiled and said, "I'm happy for you, I'm sorry I rejected you."He smiled and said, "It's alright, yeah, I hope we're still friends."I nodded, but I felt empty. He was a like a warm glow in the cold rain. I wanted to hug him, but maybe that was jealousy. I don't know, but I felt Ronnie Anne was lucky.
"You said, she moved away, before then," Max chimed in.
Here's something interesting about Ronnie Anne, she has an older brother, who was dating Lincoln's eldest sister. They were dedicated to each other, that after they finished college, they got married. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were close anyway, he'd visit her, but they would always have that bond.
Max had big smile on his face, he looked at the clock it was thirteen minutes past the hour. Jill told him there was 2 more minutes left in this block.
In high school, freshman year, I dated this boy named Trent, he was nice. In the second half of 9th grade, our classes changed, and I ended up in classes with Lincoln a few times. Oh, that was the first year in my life, I wasn't called Girl Jordan at school, Boy Jordan moved away. Some habits still died hard, even I had sometimes written Girl Jordan on my papers. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne were still dating, I found out from was sweet, but I don't think she liked him talking to me.
"Jordan, I'm sorry, I'm going to have to stop you right there, for a moment, we have to pay for the show, but when we come back, we are going to have more with her. Also, Phone lines are closed, our circuit boards are frying," Max said.
The man let out a breath and made sure Jordan couldn't hear him.
"How's this story going over?" he asked Jill, his other producer, and assistant.
"I really did have to stop the phone lines, we have so many callers interested, this hasn't happened in a few months," the male producer replied.
"Are you alight there, Jordan, this is good break to get a drink," Jill asked.
"Yeah, I'm good, thanks," Jordan replied.
"Really? It's working?" Max asked.
"Heck yes, sir," his assistant said, "Look at these internet comments, talking about the show, someone told their friend to switch to the show."
"Holy crap, that's great!" Max exclaimed, "I have an idea."
He pressed a button, "Hey Jordan, what's Lincoln's last name?"
"Huh? It's Lincoln Loud," Jordan replied.
"Good, thanks," he said, then pressed the button again, "Stu, go find Lincoln Loud, like find a way to contact him and get him on this show."
"What?"
"What are you up to?" Producer 2 asked.
"Well, Gerald, think about the acclaim, we'll get if we can get a girl who made a mistake and trying to reconnect to her love and that love reunited on this show, that'll give us all pay raises!"
Jordan could only hear the radio ads and the occasional Jill interruptions. Mollie texted her some words of encouragement. That's why they were friends since elementary school. She wondered if Lincoln was listening to the show as well. What if he thought she was crazy?
"And that's why I like Shoes To You, the shoe subscription service, remember to use my code MAX153 to get 3 months free," Max said, finishing his ad read.
"Alright, Jordan, you come in as soon as Max reintroduces you," Jill replied.
After a couple moments of long windedness, Jordan was finally able to come back on the air.
No Max, it wasn't that I felt that Ronnie Anne seethed with Jealousy, I just think she was worried about Lincoln rejecting her. I barely know her, so I don't want to say anything like that would be rude. Lincoln showed me kindness, but that was his nature, he was kind, he was sometimes goofy, but kind. I remember when we in 5th grade and, hmmm.
"Yes?" Max prompted, maybe for a juicy tidbit.
I don't fully remember; I don't want to get the details wrong. Jordan wasn't going to let the details of her pool party where Lincoln had run out in his underwear be a detail for a national radio show audience. Trent and I had called it quits, he decided to be on the basketball team, and well didn't have time for each other anymore, and a cheerleader for him.
"Not to be rude, but were you one of those unpopular girls in school?" Max asked.
"Actually, I guess I was popular, I never was a cheerleader, though," she explained.
"Do you love Lincoln?" Max asked.
Jordan bit her lip; it was an expected question. She had just taken a drink of water, but throat felt dry after that question came up. She clinched her free hand's fist.
Do I love Lincoln Loud? Yes, I do, I figured it out much later. It was when he broke up with Ronnie Anne, he told me, that they were just going different ways, the long-distance thing was tough. I don't know what really happened, fully, just what he told me. We were 17 years old, seniors in high I had broken up with my boyfriend, Daniel, Lincoln walked me home, if he liked me more than just friends, he didn't swoop in a tell me then, and I wasn't going to the same, just after a breakup. But I realized, I did love him.
"Alright, Jordan, you know the format of this show, right, you have a couple more minutes, then I'm taking calls, letting the public chime in, alright?" Max asked.
"Mmm hmm," Jordan said.
She was kind of relived she could stop talking soon.
I was scared to tell him, and I regret that I didn't then we graduated and parted, and I lost contact with him. I didn't want to be one of those who were like in their 40's and like regretting not talking to someone they really loved before it's too late. Sorry, I think I've been watching too many of those sappy TV movies. I just want express that I love him and would love to talk to him. Maybe he's with someone, maybe I'm embarrassing myself around the nation, I don't care, I want something, either him in my arms or closure, but something.
"Thanks Jordan, in Royal Woods, your story, has touched me, I was wondering, you mentioned he had white hair?" Max asked.
"Yeah, that was his most distinct feature; I'm not sure if he still has it, but it didn't seem to bother him in the time I knew him," Jordan explained.
"Are you both from Royal Woods, or did you just move there or something?" Max asked.
"This is our hometown, I moved back after finishing college," Jordan replied.
"Cool, now stay listening to the show, because coming up, callers are going to tell me what they think, alright?" Max said.
"Uh sure."
Jordan felt like she just relived 18,000 pounds of pressure off her back. If she were any lighter, she thought she would float. Finally, it was out, the fact that she loved a boy she met in elementary school named Lincoln Loud. Anybody listening to the show at the 3pm Eastern hour would know that Jordan in Royal Woods was in love with Lincoln Loud.
Max wondered if Stu had found the Loud boy, he needed Lincoln to appear on the show.
"She said he had ten sisters, maybe one of them knows," he said.
"I called Chad Pilgrim at WXLH-FM, he's looking to see if any other Louds are in the directory and have anything to do with Lincoln," Stu replied.
"Good, keep looking," Max said, "Hey, Gerry, do we have any calls from Royal Woods, I think they should take priority."
"30 seconds, Max," Jill said.
Max composed himself and drank some coffee and got ready to come back on the smiled when Gerald gave a thumbs up.
Show time, baby, we're back it's :32 past the hour, here on the Max Hayes show; now we had a Jordan on the show looking for a love that she let free from her grasp years ago. Now our callers have their turn to tell us what they think, you can call too, our number is 1-800-555-MAXS. If you are in Royal Woods area, listening on 95.5 or on the other ways you can listen to this show, please call in.
"Max, we have a Dollie in Royal Woods," Jill said.
"Dollie, hello," he said.
"Hey Max, I've called before, but I'm glad I got on the line again," Dollie said.
Jordan rolled her eyes; she knew whose voice that was.
"So, what do you think, Dollie?" Max questioned.
"I think Jordan was smart to call in and let what seemed to be years of stupidity finally settle, I hope she is able to find Lincoln."
"Really?'
"Of course," 'Dollie's accent seemed to be getting more fake southern as each word she spoke.
"What if Lincoln is listening right now; what would say to him?"
"Well, Darling, Lincoln if you are listening, call the station ask for her number, call her, don't let her slip away from your fingers," 'Dollie said in a fake British accent.
"Thanks, Dollie from Royal Woods," Max said.
Jordan face-palmed. "If you are going to use a fake accent, at least be consistent," she thought.
There was a mixture of calls with thoughts on Jordan's situation. Some being supportive, others being mean, some were weird, a few guys and some girls asked if she wanted to date them: but none from Lincoln.
"You know what they say, you have to hurt to know what love is," a woman said.
"Thanks, Sid in Great Lakes City," Max said.
Alright, this has been an interesting hour, I'd like to thank Jordan, if she has an update, I'd love you to call in again. Lincoln, buddy, if you are out there, I hope you call the station, during our show and we can connect you to Jordan, you must be someone special.
Max removed his headphones and leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh. His staff were baffled, except Stu, who was still out on the quest for Lincoln.
"I wish we could have found Lincoln, that would have been masterpiece radio, this has been an hour that made me happy that I was in radio again," he said.
Jordan wondered if she had done the right thing. Royal Woods wasn't the biggest town, so everyone was going to know it was her. She used her real name, and mentioned Lincoln's name. She hoped that wasn't the plan an idiot would do. She just wanted to see him again, but she would go with hearing him again, just one more time, if it came to that.
