At the Loud House; Lincoln was in the living room in the meeting with the Action News Team using a blackboard lent to them by Lisa to go over ideas on how to catch the culprit. So far little success was being had as most on the board were ideas by Liam on training a barn animal to pick up the scent from the area outside the house and far fetched alien ideas by Zach.
They then heard the door being banged on and Rita went to answer it; "Lori! Bobby! Ronnie Anne! What a surprise, do come in..." Rita greeted them but Lori pushed past and angrily ran to the living when she noticed Lincoln there and then threw the newspaper right at him.
"Why exactly am I only hearing about this now? And from a newspaper?" Lori demanded and Lincoln looked at the Great Lakes City newspaper and groaned when he saw that Lori had it at the section talking about what had happened complete with the photo. She had gotten the attention of the other sisters in the house which included Luna who had gotten home from visiting Sam.
"Lori; the photo was faked and someone must have spied on us in the living room! The Moon Goats were just having a sleepover and I was invited as the manager; Sam and me were just goofing off as I was acting out what she and Luna could be doing!" Lincoln said clearly tired of how many times he had to explain this as Lori had to be held back by Bobby.
"Invited to a high school sleepover? My friends would be so jealous Lincoln!" complimented Ronnie Anne putting up a fist bump motion and Lincoln smiled as he went and fist bumped her.
"Quit fooling around Lincoln; I can't believe that because you two were being idiots, you let yourselves get into this situation and I have to be here to ask if you have any solution! Uh; first you forget your big anniversary with Stella and now this?" Lori screamed looking like she wanted to slap Lincoln for being stupid and while Rusty was trying not to snicker as he took out his phone to take pictures, Luna came in looking annoyed.
"Lincoln has been through a lot these past few days and so has Sam; I would appreciate it Lori if you cool your jets because we are all working on it!" Luna chided Lori who snorted at it as she had gotten out of her boyfriend's grip and put her hands on the collar of Lincoln's shirt.
"Yeah Lori; things are hard enough for us all without you yelling at Lincoln! I can appreciate the thought if you just want to help out but just yelling isn't going to solve anything and I warn you that if you put your hands on Lincoln, I will not take it lying down!" Stella warned with a glare as Lori snorted.
Lori then dismissively said "why don't you not get involved as this doesn't concern you..."
"Lori Marie Loud! If anything you are the one who this situation doesn't concern and you let go of your brother right now! I better here some apologies and you better forget about what you are going to do, it has been a rough time and I am not in the mood for any nonsense! I won't be happy if I have to call the police on my oldest daughter if she puts a hand on my only son but I will if you force my hand!" Lynn Sr snapped with Rita as angry as her husband; cleary the past few days had taken a lot out of them and Lori had actually tested their patience too much.
Lori was stunned upon being given the full name and let go of Lincoln and softly apologised with the Loud siblings stunned at this display; "Give it time Lori..." Stella said facing her back away from Lori with her arms folded and Ronnie Anne was laughing at what happened.
"Sorry Lori but yeah I am on their side..." Bobby managed to say but Rusty on the photos on his phone showed Lincoln as he had his phone's photos in a grid which included the angry Lori photos and her being disciplined.
"Yeah Rusty, that's... Wait..." Lincoln said trying to hide his laughter but a previous photo in the grid caught his eye and before Rusty could tell what was happening Lincoln had clicked on it and saw it was the unedited photo of Lincoln and Sam with others before it. "Isn't this the photo that was editted to make us look like we were kissing?" Lincoln yelled shocked and Rusty panicked as everyone came to get a closer look.
"I believe that it is elder brother." Lisa said in affirmative as Rusty had glares coming from the Loud sisters and Stella.
"Rusty pal; I only have one idea as to how you could have gotten this photo and it doesn't look good for you..." Liam muttered as the Action News Team looked betrayed.
"Rusty..." Lincoln muttered not believing that he would do this; Rusty may have stolen his birthday David Steele comic but the intention was good to give Lincoln a good adventure for his birthday. But this...
"Spill it Rusty; did you take this photo and edit it to send to the people at your school?" Luna demanded angrily making Rusty gulp.
Rusty sighed and figured that it wasn't use trying to lie out of this; "Okay yeah... I snuck to Lincoln's house to find any dirt and I spotted you and Sam in the window... I didn't hear what you were doing but the pictures of you making those faces... I thought I could change it around and perhaps Stella would dump you and you would be a pariah..." Rusty admitted as Stella was open mouthed and Lincoln was simply stunned.
"Why Rusty... I thought that we were friends..." Lincoln asked and Rusty got angry.
"So did I! I agreed to that pact to just let Stella be one of our friends but you broke that pact and went back towards pursuing her anyway! All that time seeing you together and how you broke the pact to be the winner..." Rusty snapped back and yelled at the hard slap from Stella.
"How dare you! That's your reason for doing this? Petty jealousy and thinking of me as a prize to be won? Lincoln didn't win this made up contest in your mind! We fell in love with eachother and it was me whose feelings of friendship for him turned romantic! I saw you all as my friends and we both stuck with you when you were being framed by Girl Jordan and helped clear your name... You did this... Put us all through this... Lincoln, Clyde, Zach, Liam... I don't know if you want to forgive him over time but as for me, my friendship with him is over!" Stella yelled furiously as the friends group turned their heads from Rusty who looked concerned.
"Come on guys; I'm sorry and I know you are going through a bit because of this but can't we learn to put it all behind us? It will die down and no real harm done..." Rusty said only to be picked up by the collar of his shirt by a furious Luna.
"No... Real... Harm... Done? Do you have any clue as to what Sam has go through at school now? The accusations that she is facing and the comments? The state she was in when I went to visit her? She had a nightmare thanks to your little stunt..." Luna ranted as the Loud sibling and Stella were more than happy to just watch but the Loud parents forced Luna to let her go.
"Rusty; I am calling your father right now and telling him about this. We will be discussing about you admitting to what you have done." Rita told Rusty sternly who gulped.
Lynn went back to her room yelling that she is getting her bat and Luna asked Luan to come with her to be shown where she kept any April Fools pranks that she was saving and Luan was more than happy to use them up; making Rusty gulp in fear.
"Sorry again for overreacting..." Lori sighed apologetically to Lincoln and Stella who just stared down not having it in them to make a response. "Still; it's sorted out now." Lori said as Ronnie Anne looked to them.
"So Lori told me that Friday was the anniversary of you two first talking on the bus. How was it?" Ronnie Anne asked trying to lighten the mood.
"Oh; Lincoln gave me flowers on the bus and I felt so bad as I had no clue that it was the anniversary until Lincoln told me..." Stella explained and Lori was then open mouthed causing the kids to laugh and Bobby to pat her on the back.