Lincoln wanted to make as little noise as humanly possible. His mother would no doubt want him to stay inside, to prevent any number of possible incidents that may occur otherwise. However, he needed to go. His reputation was at stake. Heck, maybe even his life. So, he needed to go, his mother's approval be damned. They can talk it over once the storm passes.

However, Lincoln was forced to change his plans almost as soon as he left his room. Chatter was coming from the living room, and it was a voice he was acquainted with. "... in a few days, next week at most." Lincoln didn't pay attention to the conversation, but managed to pick up on what Principal Huggins was saying near the end. The man sounded dejected, like he had just come from hulling cement across the country, and not a school.

Having no other way out of the house but the living room, Lincoln went in. He might as well hear if Huggins had something to say as there was no reason for him to be here then Lincoln.

Ruth was the first to notice him, probably. She didn't react to his entrance. Her attention was fully on the TV, but she glanced for a moment at him. Huggins was lost discerning the patterns on the coffee in his cup. His mother was the first to acknowledge his presence. "Lincoln, sweetie, your principle has come to talk about... the whole situation." Rita had a spark of optimism, but even the idea of what preceded it was enough to kill it twice over.

"Hello Lincoln..." Huggins cleared his throat. "Firstly, I want to apologize for being so quick to jump to conclusions. Considering who I was dealing with, I should have known even a situation like this isn't out of the question..." He tried to look at Lincoln, but his eyes would wonder from time to time.

"Apology accepted..." Lincoln blurted out. He wasn't angry at Huggins, not truly. It was like being mad at a vending machine. He could be downright livid, it took his money and gave him no food, but at the end of the day it had no agency in the situation, and deep down he knew it no matter what it did.

Huggins sighed. "You don't need to pretend, it's okay. A sorry isn't enough to make up for something like this, which is why it's not all I have to say." He took a deep breath. "There will be a school meeting later today to discuss the whole ordeal. I will make all the wrongs are written right. You will be allowed to return to school and that this doesn't have any permanent effects on your further education. I don't know what your sisters will get, but I will make sure it is enough that this doesn't happen ever again. Same goes for Mr. McCann. In the case of Lynn, I can't promise you much, but I will contact her principle. We've talked a few times from how she talks of Lynn, she is not the most exemplary of students."

"Okay..." Lincoln struggled not to smirk. He never found himself wishing harm upon those girls, but now the idea of them receiving even the most benign punishment seemed capable to carry him through a day worse than this.

"I think you, all of you, will be glad to hear that the police will be talking to Lucy and the rest tomorrow." Huggins said.

"How do you know that?" Rita asked.

"The police chief is a friend of mine. He was the one that informed me of what was actually going on." Huggins said. "But as I was saying, they will be bringing them in tomorrow. I mean, it was a conspiracy to slander... no, for fraud?" he scratched his head. "They are looking into it for ten or so reasons, but it's serious."

"That's good to hear." Lincoln nodded.

Huggins turned to Rita and started to rattle on about things Lincoln didn't care for at the moment. He mainly inquired into what could have spurred Lucy to accuse him. Rita danced around the issue, getting progressively more uncomfortable, in turn making Huggins more uncomfortable. That tension trickled down to Lincoln, who nearly forgot he was going somewhere. "Mom, I'm... I'll go for a walk."

"Are you okay Sweetie?" She snapped her attention from Huggins.

"Y-Yeah, I just need some air." Lincoln put himself together to look like in his best condition.

"Are you sure? If you're feeling unwell go lie down, I'll bring you tea, or-"

"No, I'm fine, I just want to clear my head..."

"Oh... Okay..." Rita said. "Just don't go too far away."

"I won't." Lincoln said. He restrained his walk till the front door but as soon as it was closed he started moving as close to running he could without actually running.

The McBride residence was an unremarkable modernist house. In that regard, it was like a dog. You could usually pick out your dog in a pack and you could distinguish between the various breeds, but on the day to day basis, it blends in with the sea of other dogs. Still, to Lincoln that barely distinguishable house had become a second home. So many nights and days spent beneath it's roof, so many tales told within its four walls, all soured in a single day. Clyde was his best friend and together they stuck out for one another more times than they could count together, yet it was remarkable just how quickly it spoiled.

In that moment, he wanted to turn away. He wanted to go home. Looking at the front door made him angry, but it more so made him sad. Clyde trusted him in the past, but with something like this it wasn't a guarantee he would trust him now. Clyde was of a timid nature, to put it kindly. God knows what he must be thinking of Lincoln now. What kinds of stories Clyde could have concocted in his head to explain what happened or what could have happened next Lincoln didn't want to even try and guess. What was it, five, six years they've known each other? Half of decade of friendship, burned down in an instance because of nothing he did.

Lincoln noticed Clyde peeking at him from the corner of a window. As soon as Lincoln returned the look, Clyde hid away. Lincoln sighed. If that was how he was behind a wall, then there was no doubt he ran behind another by now. Still, he had to try. What else could he do?

With the same attitude one goes to school after not studying for a test, he rang the bell. It took a moment before there was commotion and the door moved. Howard opened the door. Lincoln couldn't read his face, but he doubted he had anything nice to say. "Three... two... one...", Lincoln counted down in his head until he was told to get lost. Instead, he was hugged.

"Are you okay?" Howard asked.

Lincoln was lost for words. He didn't know if to hug him back or push him away. He wanted that hug, he needed it. However, a man ready to hug an accused rapist was something you ran away faster than your legs could carry you. "Y-Yeah..." Lincoln blurted out, lightly returning the hug.

Howard released him and stood up. "Come in, make yourself comfortable."

"I... aren't you..."

"The allegations? We've heard. Don't worry, just come in."

Lincoln went into the living room and sat down. He looked around, but his focus never left two feet from his eyes. He knew the house in depth, there was nothing for him to see.

"Howie, who was that?" Harold yelled out, only to notice Lincoln at the door. "Oh, Lincoln, it's you. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay..." Lincoln was starting to be a bit scared.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard what happened. I know your sister can be in a world of their own at times, but to think they would have done something like this... I don't think there are words to describe it."

"Ah..." Lincoln stuttered out.

"Honey, you are overwhelming him." Howard returned with a glass of juice and some cookies. He put them on the coffee table and stat down. "I'll start from the top. We know you are innocent, to clear that up. After Clyde came home like he did..." he sighed with clutched teeth. "I knew something was off from the start. So, I called a buddy of mine in the PD and wouldn't you know, an hour later he calls back confirming what I already knew."

"You knew?" Lincoln was confused.

"From the moment he said that word." Howard borderline bragged. "Back in my younger days, I was a bit of a lady magnet. As you might guess, none of their feelings were reciprocated. Most were respectfully about it, but eventually one wasn't. She point blank tried to blackmail me-"

"Howie, not now." Harold told him. "The point is that we knew better than to jump to conclusions on something so serious and of such nature. Something, I'm afraid most didn't do if what Clyde told us is true."

"What did he tell you?" Lincoln asked with worry.

The two exchanged a worried look before Harold rubbed his neck. "It might be best if you focused on other things at the moment..."

Lincoln sighed and rubbed his eyes. He forgot about school entirely. He would be allowed to go back but if the situation stayed as it did he would be lucky if he stayed for more than an hour.

"Lincoln, if you need a place to stay while this is sorted out or someone to talk to-"

"Especially a professional." Harold cut in.

"Yes. Don't be ashamed to ask. You are not a stranger in this house."

"It's okay." Lincoln said.

"Lincoln, you don't need to underplay the situation, no one will look down on you."

"No, really, it's fine." Lincoln said. "Do you know where Clyde is, I was hoping to talk to him?"

"Oh... he's probably in his room." Howard said. "He was distressed about what happened, but I think he now just feels ashamed he didn't believe you. You know how he can be. When he heard that from everyone, even about you... well I guess he thought it can't be wrong if everyone said it."

"Okay..." Lincoln got up. "I'll go talk to him."

"If you need anything, let us know."

Lincoln nodded and mumbled out: "Okay."

Knowing the way to Clyde's room practically by muscle memory, Lincoln had no problem finding it. The door was closed, something that was actually uncommon for Clyde to do. He took a moment to prepare himself before knocking. Instantly, he could hear Clyde falling behind the door and screaming.

"Clyde, can we talk?" Lincoln said, bringing himself closer to the door. "Can I come in?"

Clyde didn't answer. Lincoln knocked again, asking one more time. This time, Clyde opened. He couldn't look Lincoln in the face. He was trying to say something, but he was either unable or doing it too quietly.

Lincoln took a deep breath. "Clyde... I'm not mad..." Clyde looked up, but Lincoln saw he didn't believe him. "Okay, I am, but I won't hold it over you. I would have done the same thing in your shoes."

Clyde looked down again. "I'm sorry." He was barely audible or intelligible. Between the stuttering and whispering, Lincoln could have just as well imagined it.

"It's okay buddy, bring it here." Lincoln opened his arms.

Clyde hugged him, but his heart wasn't in it. After they broke apart and sat on the bed, they waited in silence.

Clyde broke it eventually, still looking straight down. "How much of it is true?"

"Clyde, I'm innocent, I didn't even think to-"

"No, I mean everything else. I'm guessing the stuff about... underwear is fake too, and I know you would never steal anything. What about the rest?"

"Oh, that... How much did you hear?" Lincoln asked.

"Just about your mom." Clyde said.

"I think they are lying. I don't know why yet, but I am sure they are lying." Lincoln said.

"It's not sure it's my place to say anything about it, considering who my parents are anyways. It's not like it matters." Clyde said. "Forget," I asked. What will you do now?"

"That's why I came here." Lincoln stood up. "I need your help to stop them."

"Your sisters?"

"Yes, my "sisters". They are after me and mom and it's only a matter of time before they strike again." Lincoln got up and began pacing around the room.

"Do you know what they are planning?"

"My best guess is that they will try to slander me and mom in another way now that their original plan failed. However, that isn't such a hard thing to guess. As for how exactly, I have no idea, which is why we will need to act first."

"Should I call the others?"

Lincoln thought for a moment. "Only if we need to." He stopped to look out of the window and close it. "I don't want to bring in more people than is needed." That was a lie. He didn't have anyone else to bring in. He was good friends with the rest of the gang, but nowhere near as good as he was with Clyde. The way they just ditched him was something he was something he hadn't entirely forgiven Clyde for. And if he couldn't trust them now, he might as well leave them out. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and his sisters will home in on any and all they perceive as even subpar. And while Clyde may not have been the strongest of his friend group, he was the most trustworthy.

"Okay, what is the plan?" Clyde asked.

"First order of business would be to prove they lied about everything from the start. For that, we would need a DNA test. And for that we will need samples. Luckily for us, we will have an opportunity to get them tomorrow."

"When? We have school, though I think we could convince my dads to let me skip a day, considering the occasion..."

"No." Lincoln said. They can't bring them in. Clyde's dads were nice people. They would not approve of his plan, any plan. They would advise him to find a lawyer or even call his mother. Under regular circumstances, he would agree. However, these were no such circumstances. There wasn't time for proper channels or best morals.

"What is the plan then?"

"The police will take them in for questioning. That is when the house will be entirely empty. I know where the key is, I can just go in and get out with all we need in ten minutes."

"How do you know it will be empty? They will be questioning just Lucy."

"Huggins said they will bring in everyone. Plus, the police know them a bit too well, there is nothing they do alone."

"So, you think they will bring them in on some conspiracy charges?" Clyde asked.

"Yes. And even if they don't, they angered the police enough times that I'm betting they are just looking for a reason to imprison them." Lincoln said. If they were to start going down all the rabbit holes they dug over the years, he would undoubtedly be implicated in a few. However, that was a bridge he would cross in due time.

"Where do I come in?" Clyde leaned back.

"You still have the spare walkie talkie?" Lincoln looked around the room.

Clyde nodded.

"Good, we can stay in touch then. I will need look out to make sure they don't return and catch me inside." Lincoln said. "Actually, I will need you to skip school. I will need a good excuse why you can't go then."

"How about that you need emotional support after what happened?"

Lincoln snapped his finger. "Great idea."

Clyde got up and fished out a box from under his bed. From it, he fished out a pair of radios and handed one to Lincoln. "I will talk to them later about it. Do you want to do something now?"

"Sorry, but I don't think I can. I told my mom I was going for a walk, and I need to get back before she starts to worry." Lincoln went to the door.

"Don't stress it. After we get your sisters, we'll have all the time in the world." Clyde said.

"I don't think that will be enough time to recover from this whole ordeal." Lincoln said.

"Well, no matter what, I'll be there for you, no matter what." Clyde said, opening his arms to Lincoln.

Lincoln embraced his friend. "I'll hold you on that one."

For better or worse, I am still not dead! A lot of the stuff has been going on for the past. That post I promised on DeviantArt has been up for some time, I don't know how many of you have seen it or care to. There have only been four reviews after that was uploaded and I don't have much to say to them I haven't said before.

JacobW: It is horrible.

Just a Guest: Thank you for giving me a chance, I hope I finish this before either of us kicks the bucket.

Guest: ^

Splashyatom431: I hope I don't disappoint.