Soon, the entire Loud family was on the front lawn, debating on whether or not to keep Colin or not.
"I don't want him to stay!" Lola cried out. "He'll get his hobo germs on all the furniture!"
"Dude, thats sick!" Lana said. "Let's keep him!"
"No! Even if we wanted to, we already have 11 kids here already!" Said Lori. "There just isn't enough room in our house!"
"Of course there is!" Leni said. "There's always room in our house! We just have to get him a room, though," she said as the whole group groaned.
By this point, Colin had been sitting on the front steps,patiently waiting for them to settle the argument. After realizing that the argument wasnt going away any time soon,he had had enough.
"ALRIGHT! LISTEN UP!"
All the sisters and Lincoln turned their heads to listen to Colin.
"First off, do you people have any padres?!"
"Parents? Yeah, they're right behind you," said an unfamiliar voice.
As he quickly turned around, he noticed 2 people standing behind him. Both the mom and dad looked to be in their mid to late 40s, and they did not look at all impressed.
"Who are you and what are you doing on our front porch?" The mother said quizzically.
All at once, the family shouted out answers, but the dad silenced them.
"Well, my name is Colin Gomez. I-"
"Where's your house?"
"I, uh, don't really have one. I'm homeless."
"Just as we thought. I'm Rita. This is my husband, Lynn Sr. We were listening to your argument out here, and we have to say, we're impressed at you."
"What? Why?"
Lynn Sr replied, "Well, for one, you had me convinced that the neighbors had moved. And second, you didn't ask any of my children for money, like most hobos around here do."
"No sir, I would never do that. I don't beg for anyone's money"
"A respectable enough man. I like that. Now seeing as we have no real space in our house, we can't offer you a room or anything, but we can give you food, clothes, whatever you..."
"Wait! We have the basement for a reason, right?!" Said Lynn.
"Yeah, he can stay in the basement! I always thought he had a DARK personality! ha ha, get it?" Luan laughed as the rest of the family and Colin groaned.
"Well, I'm not opposed to the idea, are you, Rita?" asked Lynn Sr.
"Well, the basement does have a lot of room...and we can always get him enrolled at the school if he knows all his information… I don't see a problem with it."
"Well, then, it's settled! Providing, of course, that Colin here wants to stay."
"Oh, no, sir, I couldn't take up all you guys space..." Colin tried to say, but he was interrupted by a chorus of boos from the kids.
"NO! DON'T LEAVE! I mean, what other zombie would I run away from?!"
"Dude, if you stay with us, the party will be NONSTOP! WE'LL PARTY;LIKES IT'S 1999, BRO!"
"Weeell, he COULD stay. I mean, he WOULD be helping me get ready for my beauty pageants and all..."
"HA! you think he'd help YOU, sis? He'd obviously help me make mud pies in the yard!"
"I didn't finish my poem yet. He HAS been great inspiration, though..."
As the sisters said of all the uses of Colin, from a comedic assistant for Luan to a new "test subject" for Lisa, The frown on his face slowly grew into a smile. He never knew he could be this useful, not even to Mama!
Mama.
He couldn't stay. He had a family to go back to and help provide for. He couldn't let Mama and Chica starve! But at the same time, the portal was gone. He had no way of getting back to San Diego. He was, to say, "Trapped."
Pretty soon, he held up his hand and made his final decision.
"Now, I can't stay here forever..." he said as the families smiles began to turn upside down.
"Buuut, seeing that I can't go home anytime soon, I might as well stay a day or two..."
"HOORAY!" cheered the Loud Kids.
Colin turned to face the Loud parents. He said, "Sir, ma'am, If there is anything I can do to repay you, just let me know. I'll gladly do it."
"Colin, you're a guest. Guests don't do work in our house. Stay as long as you want, and for Pete sakes, call us Rita and Lynn! now, I think there's an air mattress somewhere in the basement for you…"
Colin went to go see his new room, but pretty soon he was stopped by Lincoln again.
"You're not from here, are you?"
"Lincoln, I already told you..."
"I know, I know! I mean not from HERE. As in, this world."
Colin was stunned. He managed to murmer out, "...How did you know?"
"Well, I was just waking up. I was reading my Ace Savvy comic when I heard something outside, like a thud. I looked out my window, and I could see this, "Portal," thing close up. I thought I was just dreaming, but seeing that you're here right now, I'll take it I didn't imagine that."
"Lincoln, what am I gonna do? I have a family to help provide for in my world. They need me! Without me, they'll lose our house! Our store! I need to get home, but how?"
"Well, that's just it - I have no idea. I think that your best bet would be Lisa. She knows science, and she might be able to give you some help."
"Lisa?" Colin asked, trying hard to remember all of the girls names.
"Lisa. The short one, green sweater, glasses..."
"Oh yeah!" He said, remembering the little kid who ran upstairs with the chemicals. "How old is she, Chico?"
"Four," Lincoln replied, "but she's already graduated from college and has a PhD."
"Wow, thank you, Lincoln. For everything that's happened so far. Without you calling me out and having me say I was homeless, I would've been halfway gone by now. So thanks."
"Don't thank me just yet, Colin. You don't know what it's like to live in a house this big, with this many sisters."
"Believe me, I'll learn eventually, Chico. I have to learn how to survive! I'm from the slums!" And with that, Colin Gomez went downstairs to the basement, filled up an old air mattress, found himself an old pillow, and went to bed. Little did he know that this was the start of the most interesting year to ever take place in Royal Woods, Michigan. And for the whole year, he would have one goal in his mind at all times:
"Mama, Chica, I'll find a way home to you. I promise," he whispered under his breath. He turned off the lights, went to sleep, and thus started his temporary new life in the Loud House.