Day 10 continued
Lincoln pushed Lily on the swing. The youngest Loud yelling "Higher!" She had already went over the top once.
He kept an eye on Lana playing kickball with some of her friends from school with one eye.
He kept watch over Lola hustling at chess on a nearby table with the other. He was pretty sure most of the guys let her win.
"HIGHER!" He gave a hard push and accomplished sending Lily over the top again.
She laughed and hopped off the swing running to the merry'go'round. "Spin me!" She grabbed Lana who was taking a break from kickball.
Lincoln's hair stood on end. He turned to see Jackson walking towards him with a purpose. With him was a guy in a black hoodie.
"There you are, punk!" Jackson stepped up to Lincoln and his friend moved to Lincoln's left. "Thought we'd settle this now!"
"Tell him to go sit down and we will." Lincoln pointed to the unknown person.
"No, Phil is here so you don't sucker punch me again." Jason nodded as if this is what had happened.
"Hey, Phil, I'm Lincoln!" The white haired boy said friendly and shook Phil's hand and got a friendly "hey" in return. This bothered Jackson.
"Anyway, Jackson, you pushed me. I don't push, I'm not a child." Lincoln grinned as Jackson growled. "Now that is cleared up, I think Phil was brought here in case you start to lose again." Lincoln didn't give the older boy time to reply. "No offense, Phil, if it comes to it, I won't hold back."
"Just not the face, man." Phil shrugged it off. "Mother gets family portraits on her birthday and that's tomorrow."
"Like wise, I might have some brains but I need to keep my good looks just in case." Phil smiled at lincoln's words.
"Hey!" Jackson stepped in between them. "We gonna fight or not?"
"Okay." Lincoln stepped back and Jackson started to move like he was a boxer. Lincoln put his hands up and stayed in place just swaying from side to side.
"Come on!" Jackson motioned for Lincoln to make a move.
"This is your idea, Jack, not mine. You first." Lincoln waited, and waited.
Jackson continued to tell him to "come on" a few more times.
"Phil, it was nice meeting you, but I've got better things to do." Lincoln started to walk away when something told him to duck. He felt legs collide with him and someone tumble over his back. Jackson had spun and landed on his own back looking up at Lincoln. "Trying to do to me what you accused me of? You hypocrite!" Lincoln yelled, this drew a few stares.
Jackson held up his hands to block any blows and closed his eyes. Lincoln just walked on, ignoring the other teen.
He heard Phil behind him talking to Jackson. "Uncool, man, uncool."
Lincoln sat across from Lola and Lily hopped on his lap. "You want to play, Lily?"
"Yeah!" She hurried to set up the pieces copying Lola's side.
"So who was that?" Lola asked.
"Jackson and Phil. Phil seems cool. Jackson, definetly not." Lincoln answered as Lola made her first move.
"There's something about that Jackson guy that worries me." She watched Jackson and Phil exchange words in the distance and then go their seperate ways. "Be careful, Big Brother." The concern in her eyes made him worry. Lola might not look it, but she is a good judge of character.
"I will."
When Lana joined them, covered in mud and dirt, Lily and Lola were discussing Lily's possible moves. "So who's winning?"
"Lola is a good teacher. Lily just needs a few pointers right now." He ignored the mud on his pants and shirt as Lana hugged him. He put an arm around her.
Once Lily lost, Lola explained a few more things. The toddler took notes. "I will get you next time, Lola."
"We'll see about that, Squirt." Lola fixed Lily's bow. "Come on, I believe we were promised icecream!"
"Coffee and chocolate!" Lily hopped up and pulled Lincoln from the seat.
"Rocky road!" Lana was already making plans and changing them. "No, death by chocolate!"
"I want a scoop of... you know what, I shall decide when I get there." Lola looked at Lincoln. "What are you getting?"
"Butter Pecan with a scoop of Fudge Ripple. Or maybe just Butter Pecan, I'm not too sure yet. We need to get Lisa from her friends house. Who wants a piggy back ride first?"
Lola looked at the mud on his shirt. "I'll walk, thanks."
"I'm good, bro!" Lana told him.
"Alright, Lily, hop on!" He said happily and she wasted no time climbing on. She took it a step further and got onto his shoulders. "Okay, that works too."
Back at the house the meeting came under way.
"So why are we here, Lori?" Luna asked taking a seat.
"I see and hear more than everyone thinks. I am not as proper..." Lori faltered and started over. "I am not as proper as you all think."
"We all love Lincoln!" Leni spoke up and clapped excitedly. "Like, totes!"
"Well, yeah, he's our brother, Leni." Luna replied.
Lynn and Lucy gave eachother looks, they were surprised to see Luan fidget and freeze a moment when she glanced their way.
"I hear the things you two talk about when you sit on the roof smoking grass, and the jokes about him 'joining' you two. How you dress when you know you're the only one going to be home with him. Or when you and Bunny are going to be the only two here with him." Lori listed off.
Luna's mouth hung open and Violet laughed nervously. "He's like, too young for me, and I'm with Luna."
Lori rolled her eyes. "Luan," The comedian's head shot up when she heard her name. "Lynn," Now Lori had the jock's full attention as well. "I hear what you two have been saying when you take your personal time. Baths slosh, but not loud enough to hide what else goes on in there. What's called out in the moment. Showers, ladies, showers!" Lynn and Luan were both hiding their faces in embarrassment. "The constant patter with some self control can hide what you're doing."
"Lucy, last week when I found your poem book, I didn't give it back right away. I may not show it, but I do like a lot of your poems. Just be glad that I was the one who found it. That poem, 'Darkness Loves The Moon'. It is quite obvious who you are talking about."
Lucy didn't seem to change in mood, but a blush did climb up her cheeks.
"Leni talks in her sleep." Leni nodded in agreement to Lori's words.
"I obsessed over Bobby because I did love him, but also because he was very much like someone we all hold dear." Her eyes darted to Leni briefly. "Like a mix of two really." She mumbled
Everyone stare at Lori as she took a breath.
"On a side note, I'm bi, and I hid that from everyone for the longest time, except Leni, because..."
"That's who bit you!" Violet yelled, happy to figure it out.
"Yeah, she gets a bit rough." Lori blushed and Leni apologized. "It's okay, Leni." She patted the fashion starlet's leg comfortingly. "Look." She took a breath. "I want him too, okay, and it's a little fucked up, but..."
"He's big!" Lucy said out of the blue and Lynn nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I've seen the bulge, felt it agaisnt me too when..." Lori stopped shocked by realization of her younger sisters' words.
Everyone looked in disbelief as Lucy and Lynn stacked their hands like they had the night before. Lynn adding two fingers on top of that.
Lucy said. "I couldn't touch the tips of my thumb and ring finger."
"He really worked my gag reflex!" Lynn got a dreamy look on her face.
"And what a tongue!" Luan blurted out with a sigh, getting surprised looks from the rest of the group.
Lynn and Lucy got the same dreamy look and each uttered a soft "Yeah!" Then they looked to Luan with a questioning gaze like everyone else.
"I sprayed him with seltzer last night when sleep walking. He slept with me because his bed is wet." Then she looked disappointed. "Started my period an hour ago. He wanted me to wear my clown nose that honks..."
"He had me wear my baseball tee and sneakers."
"Wait and second! You guys already had sex with Lincoln!?" Lori pointed betwen the three.
"We're still virgins, Lori. I, I know I want my first REAL time to be, special." Lynn motioned between her and Lucy. "She tastes like ambrosia, by the way. She gushed so much that she filled his mouth and I took a little taste." Lucy blushed and looked at Lynn in surprise. "And I know Lucy had this big idea of being alone for a romantic thing... a few ideas. Sorry, Lucy, I read some of them thinking it was your poetry book."
All eyes drifted to Luan. "I broke my hymen falling off my unicylce and onto those props last year. Mom took me to the doctor. Never been with a guy and I don't use toys when I merrily row my boat. Still a virgin."
Luna finally caught on to her roomamtes earlier statement. "Hold on, that was why it smelled like that this morning! You bitch, why didn't you tell me? I would have like to have got the details." Luna pouted.
"Because I didn't know you liked him like I like him." Luan informed Luna. "Also didn't know Lori liked to listen to people doing that."
"I don't listen on purpose!" The eldest sister nearly shouted.
"I can't believe we're talking about this." Violet said with wonder. "I mean, it's cool." She looked to Luna. "Would we tag team Linc?"
"Of course, Luv, no fun other wise." Violet and Luna kissed briefly.
"Did lincoln ask you guys or did you ask him?" Lori asked looking over to Luan, Lynn and Lucy.
"We surprised him." Lynn admitted.
"We wanted to thank him for everything, and being a good brother. He really surprised us." Lucy added.
"He said if last night was about him, he wanted to do what he enjoys most. making his sisters happy!" Lynn clapsed her hands together and smiled with pride and adoration. "Oh man did he ever!" Tears started to streak down her face as she recalled what he did and what he had said. Everyone felt themselves get warm and yet fill with pride at how amazing Lincoln is.
"Soooo... I think the meeting is over now." Lori had her hands pressed tightly between her clenched thighs.
"Actually, Like, who goes next?" Leni asked.
"You go ahead, Leni." Lori told her.
"No, I'll wait. Why don't you, Lori?" She scooted next to her big sister and hugged her. "Give him what you-know-who didn't deserve."
"I'll be rowing my own boat for a week, you know, starting today." Lori smirked at Luan who got the joke.
"You're going rafting?" Leni asked.
"She's on her period, Leni." Luan filled in.
"Oh. Sorry Lori, you too, Luan. I'll run and get more pads." Leni got up and started for the door. "Hey, I almost forgot, We should move Lincoln into Mom and Dad's room. He, like, totes deserves it!"
Everyone agreed.
"Great idea, Leni!" Lynn told her.
"Oh, it was Lori's, she just forgot to bring it up."
"Plus the bigger bed!" Luna mentioned.
Everyone agreed again.
"You guys could put the special stuff of Lynn's and Rita's in Linc's old room, so you guys can still visit them. Does that make sense?" Violet suggested as she looked around seeking approval on the idea.
"Actually, it does. We also need to speak with Mister Vine about Mom's will and Dad's will."
"I thought we already looked that over?" Lucy asked.
"No. Lincoln just remembered where some papers were. About the restraunt?" Lori looked around the room.
"You can count on us, Lori!" Lynn spoke up.
"I can bake more than cream pies." Luan informed.
"Dad taught us all a bit of cooking. We'll all help." Luna finished.
"Can I make smoothies?" Leni asked.
"It is our restraunt, Leni, we can make what we want." Lori held out her arms. "Group hug?"
On main street Lisa was guided by Lincoln as she went over some notes. He didn't want her straying into the road.
"Hey, my family!" Clyde called when he saw the group of siblings walk in to the icecream shop.
"Hey, Clyde!" The four answered.
"Love the outfit, Clyde!" Lola felt the fabric. "Egyptian cotton! Special event?"
"Yeah. We were out celebrating, Dad sold a place up North!" Her turned. "You really think it looks good on me?"
"Definetly! The vanilla cream suit and coffee tie work well with your dark skin and eyes!" She frowned a bit. "Still wearing the afro I see."
Lincoln chuckled. Ever since he started wearing an afro everyone told him to get a different style.
"Even my dads tell me it doesn't work for me. I don't see the problem." He looked at his reflection in the display case.
"It makes you look like a dirty cotton swab." Lola patted his cheek. "You're my brother from another mother, Clyde, and you're better than this. Get a haircut. For all of us!"
She moved behind Lana in line.
"Well, they managed to cut in front of you." Lincoln pointed out. "I agree with her, Bro, I just didn't know how to say it."
"Hey, it's cool. Sometimes brutal honesty is best." Clyde couldn't stop looking at his hair now that Lola called him a dirty cotton swab. The muscle definition he had developed was over shadowed by the big puff of hair.
"Bald is in, Clyde." Lola offered the advice. "Makes you look taller, more masculine."
"Bald?" Clyde's face scrunched up. "Really?" Lola nodded as she recieved her icecream, already too busy to answer verbally.
"Hey, nice seeing you guys, but I gotta get a haircut." Clyde rushed out.
"Hi, Lincoln!" The melodic voice drew his attention. "Hello, Lily!"
"Hey, Girl Jordan, I mean, Jordan." She giggled at his old habit coming back. "Butter Pecan, two scoops, in a cup, a drizzle of chocolate, please." He looked up. "What do you want Lily?"
"Coffee and Chocolate, in a cone!" She got excited and had to catch herself, by grabbing a couple handfuls of Lincoln's hair and causing him to wince. "Sorry, Linky."
He patted her leg. "Sokay!" She patted his head in return. "How much do I owe you, Jordan?"
Jordan was grinning. "Twenty three." He paid and she served them.
Lincoln and the girls were just about done when Jordan took a seat with them. "So, Bonnie over there." She motioned over to the counter. "Seems to like Clyde. She only drops stuff when he comes in. Though, we both agree, he should lose the afro." She fist bumped Lola. "Good call, princess."
"Hollis! Back to work!" The voice boomed through the room.
"Yes, Mr. Hollis!" Jordan called back. "Work with your father, it'll be fun." She made air quotes. "Hey, you guys tell the other Louds that I said hi!" She flicked Lincoln's cowlick, knocked the bill of Lana's hat down and pinched Lily's cheek as she left the table.
"You should date her." Lola suggested.
"I'll explain why I don't later." Lincoln told Lola. He took a few spoonfuls of his icecream. "So there's a pageant coming up."
"No." Lola said before he could ask. She looked down.
"Lola, you can't give up what you love just because you're hurt." Lana told her as she put an arm around the pageant star.
"Easy for you to say, you don't have to pretend to be happy in front of all those people." Lola pushed her icecream away.
"You don't need to pretend." Lincoln decided to sit this out and let the twins discuss it. "Lola, Mom and Dad are still watching over us. They wouldn't want you to give it up. They raised us to be strong!" Lana managed to get Lola to look at her. "I miss working on the car with Dad, or helping Mom in the garden, but I enjoy doing it with you guys! It reminds me of them! When I pick up that wrench, I can feel Dad there with me. And when I dig out the weeds in the garden, Mom's there with me." She placed a hand on Lola's heart. "When you're ready, they'll be right there with you!" Lola put her hand over Lana's. The two put their heads together and sat there for a little bit.
"Amazing, is it not?" Lisa whispered to Lincoln. She held her empty cup up to her big brother. "Another Scoop of frozen dairy..." She blinked then clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. "Brain freeze!"
Lincoln took the cup and headed for the counter. He could hear Lily. "I want a brain freeze too!" He glanced back to see her taking a big bite of the frozen treat. While still in line he heard the three year old say loudly. "Owie! I shouldn't have done that!" accompanied by the laughter of his other little sisters.