On a boring sunny afternoon, Lincoln lies on his bed, reading a superhero comic with a smile on his face. He knows this is one of the few moments he can enjoy some alone time. Living in a house with a bunch of sisters often means that he's occupied with various activities with them. However, today most of his family members are busy with their own things, which means that he can finally relax without any distractions.
He places down his book and looks at the clock on his table to check the time: "2:30 pm," he mutters. "Hmm, I swore I was supposed to do something at this time." Unable to recall what it might be, he shrugs and carries on reading.
As he's about to finish a chapter, he hears a sudden loud bang that startles Lincoln, causing him to shake. He glances upwards from his book and notices his overenergetic sister standing outside of his room with a big grin.
"Lynn, what was that for? You scared me half to death," Lincoln says, still recovering from the surprise.
"Sorry, Lincoln. Have you already decided to give up on the bet?" Lynn replies mischievously.
Lincoln looks at Lynn with confusion. "A bet? I don't remember making a bet with you, Lynn."
"Oh, but you did, Lincoln. You even signed the paper right here." She pulls out a piece of paper and hands it over to Lincoln. "You should read to remember what happens if you lose."
Lincoln takes the paper and begins to scan through it. To his surprise, his eyes light up when reading what happens if he wins. "If Lynn loses, she has to come to the next Ace Savvy convention with Lincoln," he reads it out loud.
"Ha! That's going to be great seeing you in an Ace Savvy costume, Lynn. Don't you think?" he says with a smug grin.
Lynn cringes at the thought but remembers what happens when Lincoln loses the challenge. "Don't get overly confident, Lincoln. You need to read what happens when you lose."
Lincoln furrows his eyebrows and looks back at the paper. While reading it again, his expression goes from overly confident to overly concerned. "If Lincoln loses the bet, then he must sing karaoke in front of the family." His eyes widen in terror, realizing what this truly means. "Oh no! Singing karaoke, especially in front of my family, is my worst nightmare."
Lynn smirks at Lincoln, enjoying his reaction. "That's right, bro. You better start practicing your singing skills, Stinkcoln, because you're going down!"
Lincoln drops the paper onto his bed and tries to regain his composure. "Alright, Lynn, just remember that I'm not going down without a fight," he says. "Or should I say, I won't be going down at all because I know I'm going to win."
Lynn nods and extends her arm out to Lincoln. "May the best man or woman win, Lincoln," she says with a slight hint of nervousness. "However, good luck on not embarrassing yourself on the big stage."
Lincoln extends his arm out and shakes Lynn's hand. "May the best man or woman win too, Lynn," he says with a smirk. "However, good luck at not embarrassing yourself at the convention."
The siblings shake hands, both determined to avoid their worst nightmares.
"So, Lynn, when does the bet start?" he says. "And what even is the bet about because it doesn't say it on the paper." He goes back to his bed, picks up the paper, and rereads it just to check if he's losing it or not.
Lynn looks at Lincoln with a sheepish grin. "Well, Lincoln, I haven't decided yet. But you better watch out because you will never know when I'm going to strike."
Lincoln raises his eyebrow, puzzled by Lynn's response. "So you're telling me you haven't decided yet? So, you surprised me with the bet but haven't planned out the bet itself?" he asks with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Lynn smirks at him mischievously. "That's right, Lincoln. I didn't think I would get this far. I thought you would chicken out. I like to make things unpredictable. It makes it more fun, don't you think? But don't worry, I will give you a warning before the bet officially begins, and you won't know what hit you." She smiles at him and turns around to leave.
As Lynn backflips out of the room, Lincoln can't help but feel a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He knows that Lynn is energetic and very unpredictable. He needs to be always on his guard. He takes a deep breath and sits on his bed, more determined than ever to not let his worst nightmare become a reality.