Still Monday…

Later, while Luna and Luan ate lunch Jeffrey Hart approached their table. The Royal Woods school district offered summer school students free lunches. Jeffrey wanted to ask Luna on Friday about her sisters but was hesitant about it seeing the irritated mood she was in that day.

"Hello Luna and Luan," he greeted. They smiled at the brunette boy.

"How are you, my mother told me when she came home from the intervention that you and your sisters were being punished," Jeffrey asked.

"Well we're hanging in there, my folks took away my musical instruments, we can't watch TV or call our friends and they make us do lots of chores on the weekend," Luna told him.

"Ouch, that's too bad," he uttered. A few seconds of silence passed between them

"Okay see you later," Jeffrey told them and departed.

At the elementary school the kindergarteners gleefully removed their belongings from their assigned shelves in the classroom once the dismissal bell rang. Lisa had placed her belongings with Lana's since she wasn't in that class. The twins and Lisa met Lucy in the hallway then headed outside where the school buses picked up students. Five minutes later the older sisters arrived.

Ten minutes later the school bus arrived a few steps from Mr. Grouse's residence. The sisters departed from the bus then reluctantly strolled towards his house. Luan rang the doorbell and they waited for a few moments before Mr. Grouse answered.

"Hello Louds," the elderly man said gruffly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Grouse," Luna replied, then forced a little smile. The sisters walked inside and placed their bags beside the couch.

"You can wash your hands in the downstairs bathroom then eat, it's next to the kitchen," he told them.

After the sisters washed their hands in birth order, they retrieved their snacks and sat around the formal dining table to eat.

"I'm going to watch TV, clean up any mess you make and then do your homework," Mr. Grouse instructed before walking upstairs to his bedroom. Lynn Sr. made smoked ham sandwiches which the sisters enjoyed with boxed apple juice. The twins received some math problems and Luna history homework, the others read novels they took from home. Suddenly, the landline phone on his bedside table rang.

"Hi Bernard it's me Lynn Sr. are all the girls there?" Lynn Sr. asked

"Yes Lynn they're all here and accounted for," the elderly male replied.

"That's fine," Lynn Sr. said, "Tell them I'll see them at home."

The next few days went smoothly. Leni got Wednesday off and the parents sent her to summer school that day. On Friday morning, after the other Louds departed, Lincoln fed Lana's pets, then made three pancakes with syrup and hot cocoa for his breakfast after washing his hands. Once his stomach was filled Lincoln rushed into his bedroom to retrieve a second remote control Lynn Sr. told him to keep hidden. Thirty minutes later Lincoln received a call from Clyde while enjoying cartoons on Nickelodeon.

"Hey Lincoln, Rusty called and suggested instead of going to Gus, us and Liam should go to the mall to buy Zach's presents," Clyde asked. Lincoln mulled over the idea for a few seconds.

"That makes sense then afterward we can buy lunch there," Lincoln told his friend.

"Be at my house in an hour, we're taking the bus," Clyde said.

"I'll be there," Lincoln promised then hung up.

That evening, the family ate dinner that Lynn Sr. bought at Aloha Comrade. During the meal Rita asked her son, "Lincoln how long is Zach's party?"

"It starts at 4 pm and ends at six thirty," Lincoln answered.

"And dad I have to leave at 3:15 because I have to set up my act and rehearse," Luan said.

"Wait a minute, that means I'll be waiting a long time before the party starts," Lincoln declared.

"Hmm I'll call Harold and ask him if you can ride with Clyde?" Lynn Sr. suggested.

While Lincoln departed from the room, Lola suddenly became resentful about him

"It's not fair, he gets invited to a party," she thought bitterly.

Upstairs Lincoln chose a light blue shirt and the pants he wore to his party before playing video games.

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Saturday morning…

Lincoln awoke before everybody else. While sitting comfortably on the couch having a bowl of Cheerios watching TV, the sisters were waking up from their slumber. He groaned irritably when he heard their footsteps because it meant turning off the TV since they weren't allowed to watch. Finally everyone was having breakfast then afterwards the parents assigned chores. Luan was excused from participating since she needed to pack her costumes and props for Zach's party and Leni had to work. Luna was on laundry duty with Lori again. Lucy was given Luan's previous chore of vacuuming while Lisa did the bills and Lola dusted the furniture. Lynn Jr. was on bathroom duty. Lana was busy feeding her pets then would make the beds.

Zach's parents secured a party venue located inside the Royal Woods mall to host his twelfth birthday. Lincoln was still responsible for collecting and taking out the garbage, afterwards he showered then read comics in his bathrobe until he dozed off waking up at three pm. Once Lincoln dressed he began slicking his white hair with a pomade making sure his turkey tail stayed down. At 3:40 pm Harold was blowing his van's horn outside. Lincoln stuffed thirty dollars in his right pants pocket, picked up Zach's present and hurried downstairs.

"Bye Lincoln, enjoy yourself," Rita chanted. Meanwhile Lola watched him through the front window as he rushed down the pathway and growled which Lynn Jr. noticed.

Lincoln and Clyde arrived at the venue at exactly 3:52 p.m. "Have a wonderful time boys," Harold chirped before the boys stepped out the minivan. Inside they noticed a large banner with the words "Welcome to Zach's Bash" hanging over the entrance of the entertainment area.

"Hey Lincoln and Clyde," they heard Rusty say and turned around. Rusty wore a blue suit his father loaned him from the family's clothing store. They walked into the room and greeted Liam, Kat, Hillary, Molly, Penelope, Lance, Darren, Artie, Miguel, boy Jordan and Gabriella (Gabby). The room was nicely decorated with many colored balloons and streamers.

Lincoln noticed someones absence. "Hey is girl Jordan still on vacation?" he inquired.

"Yes and she sent me some pics from her phone," Molly answered. Clyde, Lincoln and Rusty placed their presents on a table stacked with gifts. While Molly showed everyone girl Jordan's vacation photographs, Zach entered the room with his parents. He looked rather sharp wearing a red shirt with black pants.

"Hello everyone ready to get your party on?" he greeted his classmates.

"We sure do," Clyde almost shouted. Five minutes later, a female DJ approached the microphone.

"Everyone please give a warm welcome to Luan," she announced. The children cheered as Luan rushed onstage wearing a red tuxedo. Her act lasted thirty minutes which consisted of juggling tennis balls and doing a ventriquolist act with Mr. Coconuts and cracking puns.

Her performance over, Luan dashed offstage then Mr. Harper took the microphone.

"Hope you're all having a great time kids, now we're going to sing Happy Birthday to Zach," he announced.

Everyone gathered around a rectangular cake with blue and red icing then sang "Happy Birthday."

Zach's cake was served after the children ate hot dogs. After enjoying the vanilla and chocolate cake they danced to the modern pop music for thirty minutes until Mrs. Harper told the DJ to stop the music.

Zach took the microphone, "Hey everyone it's time to open my presents," he announced.

The opening of the presents lasted ten minutes after which Zach thanked his friends. The DJ resumed the music and the children danced until the party ended at six thirty. Everyone received small gift bags containing assortments of candies and chocolates to take home.

"Have a safe journey home kids," Mrs. Harper said as the partygoers were leaving.

"Thank you for the lovely party Mrs. Harper," Clyde told Zach's mother.

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Harper bye Zach," Lincoln said. Rita and Harold were waiting in the lobby with other parents.

During the journey home Lincoln asked Rita," Mom, would it be okay if I gave Lisa, the twins and Lucy some candy?"

Rita mulled over his decision. "Okay, but they can have only one piece," she replied.

Whenever Lincoln carried home goodie bags from a party he usually handed out a couple of treats to the younger girls. Leni, Lucy and the twins were hanging out in the living room. Luan and Lynn Jr. were occupied washing the dinner dishes and the pots used for cooking. Lucy was allowed to write her poetry and was sitting in the small armchair with a pencil and her notebook. Leni was relaxed on the couch reading fashion magazines. Lori was at the restaurant.

"Lucy you can have some candy," Lincoln told her then fished out a red sweetie in a silver wrapping and handed it to her.

Thanks Lincoln," Lucy said gratefully in her usual monotone voice before opening her treat.

The twins were sitting crossed-legged around the coffee table with coloring books and coloring pictures. They eagerly awaited while Lincoln approached them.

"Here you can each have one," Lincoln said.

"What do you say?" Rita reminded the girls once their brother handed Lana then Lola one piece of candy.

"Thanks Lincoln," they repeated in unison.

In Lisa's bedroom Lincoln placed a tiny chocolate bar beside the sleeping girl then continued to his room. He placed the red bag on his dresser, kicked off his shoes then called his friend Ronnie Anne and talked about the party. After a while he started yawning, told her goodbye and changed into his pajamas then fell asleep.

Later that evening while the children slept soundly, the parents decided to unwind drinking hot cocoa on the couch watching a 1980's movie. During a commercial break, Rita turned to her husband.

"Honey we should do something different tomorrow instead of giving the girls chores," Rita said.

Her husband sipped some warm cocoa before asking, "What do you have in mind?"

Rita responded, "Let's have another serious discussion with them after our exercises, and later we'll take them for a drive. Lincoln can take Charles for a walk after breakfast, then he can spend the day with Clyde."