Chapter 6 - Royal Woods, June 2022

Time seemed to move fast like an arrow. I just won't come! Nobody is gonna force me!, Lynn thought looking around the classroom. It was math and nobody was listening anyway. They were all just looking at their smartphones hidden in their laps and sometimes snickered. The snickering got to her. If she wouldn't come, they'd be snickering like that over her, she just knew it. Who is to say they weren't already laughing at her behind her back? This Monday she had asked Francisco out to the prom. It was the most embarrassing moment in her life as he just looked at her with indifferent eyes and said: "I am already going with María." Had he told anybody? Fuck. Every day prom was rushing up to her like a freight train in full motion. If she didn't ask quickly she'd be buried beneath it. Tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow is another day!

"I keep overhearing them asking each other every other day! Even the fatso nerds have got dates! Lucy! What should I do?", Lynn was sitting on Lucys bed, squeezing her trusty old baseball all the while Lucy was lying in her pillows holding some dusty tome in her hands. "If something doesn't happen I'll end up the only one without a date!"

Despite keeping her mask of indifference like she always did, Lucy was in actuality very excited. "You just have to do it.", she said. "Its really not that hard, just go up to somebody who you know doesn't have a date and just ask them!" Lucy tried really hard not to let an excited grin creep on her face.

"I can't do that! No! No!", Lynn immediately replied, squeezing her baseball even harder. "I don't know who doesn't have a date yet! Do you even understand how embarrassing it is to get rejected by some random loser?" I am already going with María. Lynn cringed.

"Oh, yes.", Lucy said. "But who ever said love is easy?" A longing sound in her voice.

"This isn't about love! Godda - ähm - frikking shit!", Lynn exclaimed.

"Oh, but everything is about love." Lucy was know biting her lower lip.

"Uhh- Lucy! This isn't one of your romance novels! This is about me being a loser when I'm the only girl without a partner!"

Fiddling around with her tome Lucy suggested: "You could just ask a sophomore or freshman, you know?"

"And be the absolute embarrassment? No thanks!"

"I assume many seniors are asking out girls from the grades below them?"

Lynn cringed again. Talking about this, cringing was actually the only thing she did. Lucy was right. And she even caught wind of a girl in her class asking out a freshman. "Guess you are right… but-but! I don't even know anybody from the other grades except Lincoln!"

"Isn't Lincoln buddies with some guys from 11th grade? Or, ohh!, even in your class?" Lynn could almost see Lucys brain swinging into full motion. "Why don't you ask Lincoln to play the matchmaker?", Lucy said leaning forward now showing a sly smile.

"Stop right there!", Lynn said grabbing Lucy's forehead and shoving her down into her pillows again. "I am not going with any of those assholes!"

"Hey! Let go of me!"

Lynn did and continued to squeeze her baseball. It was a miracle that it didn't come out of its seams.

"I know! Its that one guy that handed your ass to you in the karate club?", Lucy's teased.

"Shut up! You like pain or what?" Lynn raised her fist she was holding her baseball with like she was going to hit her younger sister.

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"Anyway, I won't go! Ha I just won't go! Who needs that shit anyway."

"Thats something a 'fatso loser' would say… Oh wait even they got dates…"

"Then tell me what to do! Lucy! Please!"

"Are you begging me?" Lucy was smiling the biggest smile.

"Yes?" Lynn whimpered making doggy-eyes.

Lucy took a deep breath. "Okay, first: You have to get over your emotional barricade. I suggest reading some of my books-"

"Hell no! I am not reading even one of your erotic novels!"

"How do you know they are erotic?" Lucy put on her serious face again.

"Ähm- heh you let them lying- huh. Because…"

"Hah, virgin. Even grand grandma Harriet was more promiscuous than you." Lucys grin reappeared. Lynn didn't even wan't to know how Lucy could possibly know that.

"You are also a virgin! What makes you the expert? Spook?"

Grabbing underneath her bed, searching for her stash of books Lucy replied: "My books-"

"Oh, come on!"

"Why so shy?"

"Can we get back on track please?"

"Just ask somebody out. Thats all it is to it."

The way Lucy made it out to be it was the most simple thing in the world. But for Lynn it was like asking to not win at a board game. I am already going with María. Cringe.

"No! I am just not going!"

"Quitter."


"Your feet Lincoln!", Yeager shouted.

Lincoln was sweating like a motherfucker. The boxing headgear wasn't very comfortable and his shins hurt like shit from all the kicks he had caught with them. Lincoln threw a left jab, left jab, right hook - blocked. Dan threw a left jab, Lincoln evaded, a right kick to his thigh, Lincoln blocked with his shin, again. Dan's left jab got under his guard and sent him a step back his head ringing. Lincoln put his guard up but the following shovel hook got him folding up.

"Okay! Thats enough for one day boys!", Coach Yeager shouted.

"Eveving ovavy?", Dan said, his mouthpiece still between his teeth, leaning down to Lincoln.

Lincoln nodded and hooked his arm in Dans extended arm, getting to his feet and petting Dan on is shoulder with the glove, before turning around and walking off the mat.

"Lincoln! That was good!" Pete came over to Lincoln walking besides him to the bench. Pete also still had his gloves and headgear on. "If your footwork gets a little better you can take Dan out with a few jabs. Isn't that right Dan?", Pete called over to Dan.

Dan had already taken is mouthpiece out. "Fuck you!"

"Haha, you too. But for real Lincoln you are learning really fast." They both sat down on the bench at the wall in the big but shabby gym. Lincoln started to get out of his boxing gear, Pete also did.

"What are you doing later anyway?", Pete asked.

"Me?", Lincoln panted. "I am going to take a nice cold shower."

"Ohhh, I see you are talking cold showers now, like a real man!"

Lincoln blushed. "Yeah. I do."

"Hey. Pete, Lincoln. See you guys tomorrow." Jonny, a broad 18 year old with short brown hair who was almost three heads taller than Lincoln, gave the two friends fist bumps. Before Jonny walked away Pete called after him: "Oh, do you already have a date for prom?"

Jonny continued waking towards the locker room. "I have."

Lincoln and Pete looked at each other with surprise. Jonny was the quiet type who never said much except the most necessary.

"Who is it?" Pete asked.

Jonny just waved it away and disappeared into the locker room.

"Some girl from his class? I have no idea." Pete continued taking off his gloves.

"I'd like to go to prom!" A lanky teenager who had his long dark hair in a man bun planted himself next to Lincoln on the bench. Arthur was a class above Lincoln, a sophomore and was in trouble all of the time, mainly because he couldn't shut his mouth. "I mean, if a girl asked me… You don't know any girls who don't have a date already, do you Pete?"

"No, I am dating all of them."

"Heh, good one." It wasn't. "Anyway this one guy in my class got asked. A fucking beaner! Can you believe that? Who'd even look at that mongrel when I am in the same room. Hello?"

"She probably thought you were a girl with that hair.", Lincoln said.

"Lincoln my man! And here I thought Dan had ripped your tongue out! Hey, no but do you know any senior girls who, you know, would appreciate my masculinity?"

Pete choked on his water bottle.

"No?", Lincoln replied.

Pete wiped of his chin. "Hey, but you sister, Lynn, she is in my class. Does she already have a date? I don't think so…"

"Would you do that for me, Lincoln? Ask your sister? I am tall, I wouldn't look out of place, come on!"

"Woho! Chill! I don't even know if she has a date!"

"And his sister is a tomboy. She'll crush your balls, or your skinny arms fo that matter." Pete added.

"Lincoln!" Coach Yeager, a short, sturdy bald man with arms and legs that looked like fat anacondas made out of pure muscle, walked up on the four teenagers sitting on the bench. The others were all in the locker room already. "You really need to work on your stance. A triangle! A triangle!" He stood in front of the boys with his hands on his hips. "Pete, you were really good at the exercise today. I expect nothing less. Arti, where do I even start?"

"I was -", Arthur interrupted the kickboxing vertan.

"Sometimes less is more. you understand, Arti?"

Arti nodded.

"But really Lincoln, you are good for just being with us a few months."

"Half a year!", Arthur interrupted again. Yeager shot him a face that made him shut up instantly.

"As I said, just concentrate on your footwork and you are going to be amazing."

"Yes, sir.", Lincoln said.

"Good. Now get out of here boys, its almost eight o'clock. Don't you have parents?"

"You are walking again Lincoln?", Pete asked.

"Its good exercise. And I just live a few streets away."

"Or you are just to poor for a bike.", Arti added. That was true.

"Hey, there is no shame in that!", Pete said while he got on his old bike.

Lincoln got his old smartphone and his earbuds out. He was going to hear some music while he jogged home.

"Take care Lincoln." Pete said. "Hail victory!"

"Hail victory!", Arthur joined in.

"Hail victory." Lincoln said.

Pete and Arthur got on their bikes and drove off. Lincoln put his old earbuds in and started jogging in the opposite direction. He heard 'Behind Blue Eyes' from The Who, not the shitty Limp Bizkit cover, Lincoln thought back how Luna wen't on tirades every time someone played their cover. It was summer and the evening breeze was warm.

No one knows what it's like

To be the bad man

To be the sad man

Behind blue eyes!


"How was it, son?"

"Great, dad.", Lincoln answered his father who was standing in the kitchen, going through the cupboards. Lincoln took his earbuds out, 'Father and Son' by Cat Stevens was playing.

"I left some for you in the oven."

"Thanks, dad." Lincoln said. "But I think I am going to take a shower first." Lincoln moved towards the stairs.

"Lincoln." Lincoln stopped and looked at is father. His father was standing at counter looking at his sweaty son. "I am proud of you son."

"I am proud of you dad." Lincoln said before heading for the stairs.

"You are?", Dad called after Lincoln.

"Yup, number one dad!", Lincoln replied already on the stairs.

Dad was looking pretty down since he had lost his job at the 'Aloha Comrade'. Just working in a diner and washing dishes and taking orders was demanding to little from Lynn Sr. and the money wasn't great. It helped that Luna and Lori had moved out but money was still tight. Depressingly tight.

Lincoln went right to his room to put away his phone when he suddenly heard shouting coming from Lynns and Lucys room. "Have you lost your mind, Leni?"

The door was closed but despite that Lincoln could understand almost every word spoken. This was way to interesting to pass up. Lincoln leaned against the wall next to the closed door and eavesdropped.

"You are going to be totes the star of the prom! We just need to get you the fitting dress!"

"Do you even hear yourself talk?"

"Leni that is a little-"

"But you could go to prom-"

At this moment Lincoln opened the door. He had no idea why he didn't knock. He did it every time else. Maybe he'd just been to caught up in thought. Lynn was siting on Lucys bed. Lucy was hiding in her pillows, Leni was standing in the middle of the room and Luan was laying on the carpet inspecting a baseball bat from Lynn.

"You are crazy! You-", Lynn shouted, shocked she looked over to Lincoln and fell silent.

Leni hadn't noticed Lincoln bursting in and continued talking. "Why, there is nothing weird about! You and Lincoln are sleeping together totes every other week."

The silence that followed was deafening. Lincoln heart stopped as he looked not his sisters eyes and saw absolute shock.

Leni finally noticed Lincoln standing in the door. "Hi, Linky!", the blonde said smiling.

All eye were on Lincoln.

"Guys!", Lincoln started slowly. "I can explain everything."