Chapter 2: He's Gonna Hate Me
"Oh, No what?" Asks a monotone voice from across the room, "Please open the window if it's another meatball sub bomb." A young goth girl requests from her bed, Lynn sits up on her bed. The athlete keeps her eyes forward as she fearfully admits to her sister, "Lucy, I'm going to hell."
The goth girl herself sits up on her bed, "Relax, I have a scented candle for this reason." Before Lucy could even move her legs Lynn elaborated on her words, "No, I-I'm having bad thoughts. Thoughts that'll surely get me sent to hell." Lucy looks over at her older sister and sees she's on the verge of tears, "We'll be there together, Goodnight." The goth lays back down and wraps her black blanket around herself, ready to return to sleep.
The athlete stands over Lucy and swiftly yanks Lucy's blanket off of her, "I'm serious, Lucy. I need to tell someone I trust." Lucy rolls over and sees her older sister shaking over her, "What is troubling you, Lynn?" Lynn tosses the blanket to the side of the bed as she sits on her own bed, "I-I have feelings for someone I shouldn't." Th goth sits up in her bed, her emotionless face did not ease Lynn's worry. Lucy faces Lynn and sits across from her on her own bed, "Lynn, you're my sister and my best friend. I don't discriminate and will always love you. I'm just happy you figured it out yourself sooner rather than later."
The brunette cocks her head at her younger sister, "How did you know before I even knew?" Lucy remains motionless on her bed, "Since childhood it's been obvious, but what was your awakening moment?" Lynn starts to tap her head as she thinks, "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure I've always felt this way. Just now I was thinking about all the things he's-" The goth girl interrupts her sister, "He?"
Lynn has an annoyed look in her eyes, "Yeah, He. What did you think I was talking about?" The monotone sister shrugs her shoulders, "I honestly thought you were coming out of the closet." The athlete stands up and resists the urge to scream and wake everyone, "I'm not a lesbian, Lucy. Did you always think I was?" Lucy raises hands as she explains her reasoning, "Lynn Loud is not known for expressing her romantic interest in guys and when you do it's very short lived, not mention your love of sports, weightlifting and distain for anything feminine."
The athlete accusingly points her finger down on Lucy and maintains her low volume, "Those are offensive and outdated stereotypes, Luna would be ashamed of you." Lucy nods in agreement as she taps her chin with her finger, "I'm aware of our older sister's opinion, I guess I owe Lola twenty bucks now. Are you certain you're not at least bisexual?" Lynn's eyes drop with disappointment as she looks at Lucy, the goth gets her answer. "Okay, Okay, but then who's this boy you have feelings for that you shouldn't?"
With the conversation back on track, Lynn's fear returns two fold, "Promise me you won't freak out or tell anyone." Lucy tries to predict the forbidden crush, "Is it Clyde? I suppose that would make things weird with Lin-" Lynn grabs Lucy's shoulders and shakes her, "Will you let confess?" Lucy returns her attention to Lynn grabbing and at this point the younger sister sees the severity with Lynn's tearful eyes. "I like Lincoln."
Lynn releases Lucy and the goth girl just leans on her bed on her elbows, "Like how? Like how I like you or how he likes Clyde?" The athlete sniffs as tears fall down her cheeks, "I like him, I-I love Lincoln." The goth's lips start to tremble as she fears the direction of Lynn's confession, "Uh- Y-Yeah, I do too. He's our brother." Lynn sighs and wipes her tears as she has to practically spell it out for her sister, "Lucy, I love him the same way Mom and Dad like each other."
Lucy didn't react, she just return to her sleeping position and pulls the blanket over her body. Lynn stands over her and pleads, "Say something, for love of whatever you believe in. Please, Help Me." The goth girl keeps her eyes towards her wall away from Lynn, "What am I supposed to say to something like this, Lynn? It's eleven at night and you just drop this bombshell on me out of nowhere. Forgive me for being absolutely shocked."
Lynn feels hopeless and backs away to sit on her bed, "You won't see me in hell, I'll be somewhere deeper." The athlete cries into her knees but remains silent to the rest of the house except Lucy who looks back at the emotionally distraught Lynn. Lynn looks up from her sorrow as she feels Lucy sitting next to her, "Lynn, are you absolutely sure your feelings are real?" Lynn nods and returns her face behind her arms and knees as Lucy continues, "Sigh, are you aware of the consequences of your feelings for our brother?"
The athlete snarls at her younger sister, "I'm more than god damn aware, why do think I'm freaking out? If anyone finds out, I'll get sent away, all our sisters will never talk to me, Mom and Dad will disown me and Lincoln… Lincoln's gonna hate me. And what's the man upstairs gonna say when all this is over?" The emotional weight is heavy on Lynn so she returns behind her hands and knees, Lucy remains distant as she serves no emotional support. "Deuteronomy 27: 22. Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother." "I'm pretty sure it applies to your brother as well."
The athlete nods at the many verses she was referring to and she slowly looks at Lucy, "That's exactly… why do have that memorized?" The goth girl scoots off Lynn's bed, "Reasons." Lucy returns to her bed and gives one piece of advice, "Lynn, if this is plaguing you I can only recommend you tell Lincoln. Withholding anything this heavy alone is not healthy for your mind or your soul. It'll eat you from the inside." Lucy lays her head on her black pillows while Lynn remains seated on her bed with her back against the wall.
The Next Morning
Lynn wakes to her usual time, unfortunate for the athlete as she only slept a few hours. The brunette groans as she sits up and holds her head, she notices that Lucy is already gone and has no chance of returning to sleep for her. Lynn drags her feet to her bedroom door and on the other stood Lucy, "Breakfast is Ready." "Aauuuhh!" Lynn's heart skips a beat as the surprise scare from Lucy temporarily energizes her.
In the dinning room, the adult table everyone is eating scrabble eggs and bacon. Lynn Sr. notices his sporty and energetic Daughter is eating at a snails pace, "Hey, Junior. Had a rough night?" Lynn's tired mind perks up and she has to think of an excuse for her drowsiness, "What? Oh- Yeah, I had a… nightmare."
Lucy appears next to their father with a cup of hot coffee, "It's true, she even woke me up and told me about it. Here, I brought this for you." Lynn takes the coffee from her goth sister, "Thanks, Lucy." "Can you bring me another one too-" Asks Lynn Sr. to Lucy but she's disappeared to the kids table. Rita puts her hand on her tired daughter's shoulder, "Sorry to hear that sweetie, maybe you should skip the sports and take a nap after you finish your chocolate chip pancakes."
Lynn's older sisters ate their breakfast without much sympathy for the athlete, Lori types away on her phone as Leni just enjoys the meal as she would everyday, Luna bops her head slowly as she listens to lyrics in her head and Luan smirks at herself. The comedian always takes joy at Lynn's misfortunes, "I hope your dog days only get worse."
In the kitchen, Lincoln sat at the kid's table as he eats slowly with his mind elsewhere. " What should I wear when I go see Ronnie Anne? I'll wear the good polo and the new jeans, I only have one pair of shoes… maybe I should save up and buy a new-" Lincoln's thoughts end as he notices Lucy staring at him, at least he thinks she's staring at him with her eyes covered by her long black bangs. "Yes, I am staring at you." Lincoln drops his spoon out of fear, "How did you know what I was… never mind, why are you staring?" Lucy shrugs her arms, "Trying to see the appeal."
Lincoln gives Lucy a disappointed straight face until he hears someone walking towards the sink, he sees Lynn taking her empty plate to the sink. Lincoln gives his sister an innocent smile and a wave, Lynn's eyes widen a bit as her walk slows down. The athlete reacts with a rushed pace hiding her blush and a quick greeting, "Hey, Stinkoln." The kids seated at the small table didn't pay much mind to their older sister, except Lincoln and Lucy. Lincoln wonders why Lynn seemed so rushed, while Lucy understands why Lynn reacted so out of character.
Lynn leaves upstairs with that warmth back in her chest, "Seriously? I can't even look at him without feeling… weird." The athletes enters her room and shuts the door behind her, she leans on the door to her seemingly empty room. Lynn closes her eyes and sighs out, "Hey, Lynn." Lucy makes her older sister nearly jump out of her skin, "Aaauuhh! Where did you come from? the door was shut!" The goth girl ignores the question with her own, "Have you thought about telling Lincoln about how you feel?"
The athlete jumps face down onto her bed, "I haven't stopped thinking about it since last night, I don't think I could tell him." Lucy approaches her sister's bedside, "This burden won't stop bothering you if you don't discuss it with him." Lynn has her face in her pillows but still speaks, "This burden won't stop bothering me even if I do discuss it with him." The goth persists for her sister to confess, "Let me rephrase: I won't stop bothering you if you don't discuss it with him."
Lynn sits up with an angered expression, "And if Lincoln hates me and tells Mom and Dad that I like him, what are you gonna do when they send me to live in a mental hospital or with Aunt Ruth?! What are you gonna do then?" Lucy sits next to Lynn and wraps her arms around her, "I'll pack my thing too and go with you." Lynn reciprocates the hug from Lucy and does her best not to cry as the goth continues to speak, "Lynn, Lincoln has always been there for all of us. There is not a chance in hell that Lincoln would turn his back on you in your time of need and neither will I."
Lynn tightens her arms and eyes as she knows Lucy is right, "I'll tell him tonight, after dinner. I feel like I might throw up." Lucy still hugging Lynn begs, "Please, not while I'm here."
In his own room down the hall, Lincoln goes through his metal check list for his day with Ronnie Anne. "Mint gum, Check. Fatalities Sheet, Check. Quarters weighting down my jeans, Check. Earphone splitter adapter? I gotta ask Luna if I can borrow her's."
The white haired boy enters the hallway and passes Lola and Lana's room and Lynn and Lucy's room as the two discuss something Lincoln can't make out, he arrives to Luna and Luan's shared room and knocks on the door. Luan's voice is heard from inside, "Come in." Lincoln lets himself in and sees Luan sitting on her bean bag chair writing in her joke journal as she wears her prescription Groucho Marx glasses, "Hey, Linc. What brings you in?"
Lincoln smiles at his sister's ridiculous spectacles, "I was just looking for Luna's thing wear you can plug two sets of earphones in, have you seen it?" Luan points the top of her dresser with her pencil, "I thinks it's up there, we haven't been using it lately. Going to see Ronnie Anne are you?" The boy finds the adapter and blushes at his sister's mocking tone, "Yeah, she just home last night from seeing family out of town so we're going to the arcade. By the way, where's Luna? I rarely see in the house."
Luan takes her gag glasses off and closes her journal, "Luna's been playing her guitar in the garage a lot lately, she's probably practicing for a show or something. Anyway I hope you have fun, just not too much fun." Lincoln takes the adapter and information as he waves his chuckling sister off, "Okay, See ya Luan." The boy leaves into the hallway and Luan's grin vanishes, "Ronnie Anne, Huh? I gotta look up the phone number for ICE."
Lincoln marches sownstairs and calls out to Lori, "Lori, I'm going to the arcade now. Tell Mom and Dad when they get here." The boy exits through the front door and begins his walk to Gus' Games and Grub.
At the arcade restaurant a Hispanic girl in a purple hoodie stands outside the entrance, her eyes in the distance see an orange polo wearing boy with possible albinism. "Hey, Lincoln. Hustle it up and let's get gaming." Lincoln jogs and gets greeted with a hug and kiss from his girlfriend, "I've missed you, Lincoln." Lincoln gets picked up off his feet in Ronnie Anne's arms, "I've missed you too, it was a long three days without you."
Ronnie Anne releases Lincoln and takes his hand, "I know, I'm just glad to be here with you again." He kisses Ronnie Anne's cheek and leads her into the arcade, "Me too, Tell me about your whole weekend in Great Lakes. How was it?" Ronnie Anne takes lead and walks to the Dance Dance Revolution machines, "I'll tell you while I whoop your ass at every game." The couple jumps onto the colored squares with arrows, "You're on."
At home Luan continues to write in her joke journal as Luna returns to the room, Luan notices the depressed eyes on her sisters face. "You've been practicing in the garage for hours for like a month now, when's your next show?" The musician just places her guitar on it base and avoids eye contact, "I don't have a show anytime soon, just jamming in the garage for better acoustics." The comedian doesn't bother to question her sister as she climbs up to her top bunk bed, "Wake me when dinner's ready." Luan gives her musical sister a thumbs up as she writes in her journal. "Sure thing, Luna-tic."
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne both hold brightly colored guns as they shoot on screen aliens, "Watch out- Dangit." Ronnie Anne's half of the screen begins it count down as continues to blast extraterrestrials, "Hah, looks like I'm gonna have to save the world on my ow- Dangit." The boy gets cocky and takes his eyes off the screen to look at his girlfriend smugly, "Wanna keep saving the world, Ronnie Anne?" The girl takes her boyfriend's hand and walks away from the machine, "That was my last quarter anyway, wanna share some fries?"
The Loud boy checks the time on his phone and sees that dinner time is approaching, "I would, but my dad is making sweet potato casserole with Mac and Cheese bites." Ronnie Anne admires her boyfriend's father's cooking, "Sounds delicious but we should get going now, Maybe I should join you for dinner." Lincoln's cheeks becomes totally red at the suggestion, "Y-You're totally free to join, just know my dad asks for constructive criticism but gets super nervous and you know my sisters and how they could get."
Ronnie Anne chuckles and leads Lincoln out of the arcade, "I'd love to but maybe another day, my mom is making Bobby and I chicken enchiladas and I can't pass up one of her rare day off dinners." Lincoln nods understandably as he walks Ronnie Anne home while the sun gets low, "That sounds exotic, must be good." The girl grips Lincoln's hand and whispers, "Exotic things usually taste the best." She winks as Lincoln feels his cheeks turning red.
Back in the Loud House, Lynn declare her love for Lincoln. "Lincoln, I love you. I know this is must be shocking, but I do. All I ask is that you don't hate me and hopefully we figure out something that helps me get over my feelings. How was that?" Lucy gives Lynn two unenthusiastic thumbs up, "That was perfect, just remember that Lincoln might be uncomfortable at first but don't let that worry you." Lynn takes her sister's advice, "Just push through, I got it." Lynn starts to sike herself up as if she was about to compete in a sport by jumping quickly and telling herself she's got this.
Lucy puts her hand on her energetic sister, "Calm yourself, save your energy for after Dinner." Lynn stops jumping and adjusts her bangs, "You're right, how do I look?" Lucy stares and Lynn silently and long enough for the athlete to feel self conscious, "You like you usually do." Lynn grimaces at the information.
Downstairs Lynn Sr. wears his apron and asks his wife sitting in the kitchen, "Honey, Dinner's almost ready. Time to ring in the kids." Rita gets up and walks to the stairs to call the from bottom floor, "Kids, Dinner's ready." Rita didn't have to wait too long for the rooms to empty and for the kids to sit at their respective tables, one such Loud was missing and Rita noticed. "Girls, where's Lincoln?" All the younger sisters shrug as they look at his empty seat. Lori texts Lincoln as their mother is in the kitchen. "Dinner is literally ready, where are you?"
Lincoln and Ronnie Anne stand before her front door under the dimly lit porch light, "I had fun today." Says the girl in purple. Lincoln opens his mouth to speak but feels a vibration in his pants, the boy checks his phone and sees a message from Lori. "That's Lori, I gotta go." Lincoln kisses Ronnie Anne on her lips and begins his run home, "I'll text you after dinner, I love you." Ronnie Anne watches as Lincoln runs down the sidewalk under the lamp posts, "I love you too."
Lincoln runs home as he texts his oldest sister, "I'm on my way, I lost track of time. I just need 7 minutes to get up to my room." Lincoln receives another text immediately, "Don't worry, we've got your back." Lori sends the text and the other sister can see what is about to unfold, "Operation: Cover for brother?" Asks Leni in a whisper. Lori nods and Leni waits for their mother to enter the dining room, on cue Leni leans her chair back and falls to the ground. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Rita asks as she helps Leni to her feet, "I'm fine, Mom. I only hit my head really hard."
Lori took the opportunity to leave the table and run upstairs, she entered Lincoln's room to place pillows by the window. Lincoln just made it home and reaches the drive way, his eyes light up as he sees the small exercise trampoline in the front yard after the twins left to there. "Lucky me." Lincoln places the trampoline on the driveway and steps back for his running start as Lori looks out his window, "You remember the angle Lisa told you right?" Lincoln runs and jumps towards the trampoline, Lori calls out to her little brother. "Lincoln, You forgot your helmet!" In the air his eyes go wide from the realization and Lincoln braces for impact and Lori backs away from the wall.
Lincoln slides through the window without a hitch and lands perfectly on the pillow Lori placed, before Lincoln could thank his oldest sister she grabbed him by the wrist and took him in the hallway. "Thanks Lori." The oldest Loud sister ruffles his white hair, "Don't mention it." Lori continues to drag her brother into the dinning room, "Mom, he was in the bathroom. He texted me to bring him toilet paper." Lincoln laughs nervously as he plays along, "You know me and my… bad timing."
Rita excuses the tardiness as Lincoln walks to the kid's table, Lisa is quick to ask her older brother. "62 Degrees?" Lincoln nods with as their Dad serves their plates, "62 Degrees." Lynn Sr adds to the number, "I thinks it's a bit hotter outside but it might be 62 Degrees."
With every Loud accounted for the family enjoys a nice calm dinner, except for a sporty Loud. Lynn eats her casserole but doesn't seem to be present in the moment, "Worried about something, Sweetie?" The athlete is snapped out of her thoughts by her mother's voice, "Huh? Yeah, just worried about… the nightmare I had." Before the Loud parents could reassure their athletic daughter, their comedic daughter speaks up. "That's unfortunate, maybe Lucy is putting a hex on you. Have you ever thought of sleeping somewhere else, like the couch or the bathtub?"
Rita gives Luan a stern look, "Now, Luan. I doubt Lucy would do such a thing to Lynn. Maybe Lynn is just needs some reassurance that she'll have a pleasant night's sleep." Luan smirks at her young sporty sister, "You're right, Mom. Lynn you're gonna have a pleasant night and you're gonna totally wake up with both eye brows." Junior's brows furrow as Lynn Sr. asks his daughter with a tired voice, "Luan, please don't make your sister feel worse and finish the casserole. She's probably have these bad dreams from her lack of physical activity, don't listen to her LJ."
Luan looks at Lynn with a shrug as she continues to eat, the athlete's mind for a second stops thinking about her brother and worried about Luan. "Go to hell, Luan. I'll worry about her after I talk to Lincoln."
After Dinner the Louds return up stairs to their respective room, Lincoln goes to his room and snap his finger. "Shoot, Being late for dinner distracted me from hanging out with-" Lincoln hears a knock on his door and looks back to see Lynn entering his room, "Hey, Lincoln." Lincoln welcomes the sister he was just thinking about, "Hey, Lynn. Sorry I didn't get a chance to hangout with you before but we can do something before lights out if you want." Lynn's nerves start to warn her but she has to persist, "I actually would like to talk to you before bed, it's something kinda important."
Lincoln sits on his desk chair and gives Lynn his full attention, "What ever it is, I'm all ears." Lynn's heart rate starts to increase, "Uh-Okay, just… Lincoln, You- I Uh…" The athlete starts to sweat and her knees start to shake, her brother notices and stands up to her eye level. "Lynn are you okay? I think you need to sit down."
Lincoln puts his hand on Lynn's shoulder and this sets her off, without another word the athlete turns around and walks out of the linen closet. Lincoln is confused and follows his panicked sister, unfortunately he was just not quick enough to catch her door as she locks herself in. "Lynn, talk to me? Are you okay?" Lynn just sits on the ground with her back against the door with her knees shielding her crying face, "I can't do it, I can't do it, I can't do it."
Lincoln shakes the door knob as he tries to help Lynn, "Lynn, Please. Open up." At this point all the Loud sisters pour into the hallway in their sleep wear, all except Lucy but her absence goes unnoticed. Lori with toothpaste in her mouth and toothpaste in hand asks Lincoln about the situation, "What's goes on her Linc?" Lincoln looks up at Lori with glossy eyes, "It's Lynn, she wanted to tell me some but she got scared and locked herself in her room."
Lori looks around at all the sisters around, "Sibling Protocol: if you're not Lincoln or Lynn, go back into your rooms and butt out. This is between them and we keep it that way, Lincoln do what you need to do." All the sisters return to their rooms with Lori returning to the bathroom, Luan glares at Lynn through the walls. Luna wraps her arm around her younger sister as they walk in there, "Come, Luan. Let them ride this worry out." Luan can't show her jealousy and follows Luna.
Alone in the hallway, Lincoln puts his ear on the door and hears his sister crying. "Lynn, can you open the door please. Nobody else is around." The boy is met with more crying, "Lynn, I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here when you're ready to tell me what you wanted to say so I can help you." Lincoln takes a seat on the red hallway carpet as he leans his back against the door. The two Louds sit back to back without knowing the others is so close, Lynn continues to cry and completely goes without noticing Lucy in the vents looking down at her.
Time passes at a slow pace and Lynn's crying seems to lessen, Lincoln feels as if he's been sitting in the hallway for an hour but it's only been about fifteen minutes. Lincoln feels his eye lids get heavy until he hears her voice, "Lincoln, are you still there?" Lincoln turns slightly and speaks into the door, "Of course, are you ready to talk?" The athlete opens the door and accidentally drops Lincoln to on his back, swiftly the boy jumps to his feet and enters the shared room.
Lincoln enters the dark room as Lynn closes the door behind him, she locks the door and crosses her arms as moonlight is the only way to see in the room. The boy manages to see the red and puffiness in his sister's eyes, the two stand awkwardly as they wait for the other to speak. Lynn keeps her eyes away from Lincoln as she tries to break the tension, "Sooo… This is uncomfortable."
"Lynn, whatever it is you wanna tell me don't be afraid to say it. I wanna help you if it's bothering you this much." Lynn clenches her eyes and leans back on her door, "I know, but… I can't just- I wish I could just say it." Lynn slides down to the carpet again and does her best to not cry again, as if on cue Lincoln sits with her and wraps his arm around her. This gesture breaks Lynn once more, this kind act is exactly why she does not want to tell Lincoln and risk losing him. Lincoln feels helpless to his sister's dread while he unknowingly sits at the center of her emotions.
"L-Lincoln, I think… I think I love you." Lynn looks to her brother with tears down her cheeks, Lincoln smiles and reciprocates the love he thinks she means. "I love you too, Lynn." The athlete shakes her head with a crack in her voice, "No, not like that at all. I mean, I love you… more than a brother" She hopes Lincoln understands but he can be quite dense, "Like, as in you love me like a friend," Lynn shakes her head again as Lincoln's worry grew, "No. I mean, I love you more... than a sister should."
Lincoln was starting to reach the conclusion Lynn is intending to but tries to veer away from the idea, he smiles at his sister nervously, "… A Best Friend?" Lynn freezes for a moment, but then she can't help but chuckle. The mood lightens but only briefly as Lynn thinks the next series of words for Lincoln, "Lincoln.. I'm... in love with you"
The boy's eyes go wide as plates as he looks at the carpet motionless, "L-Lincoln?" Lynn's voice cracks as she looks at another sibling going silent after discovering her feelings, "Lincoln?"
"I...I don't know how to respond," says Lincoln as he slowly brings his eyes to his sister's. This shocked response horrifies Lynn, "I thought so, you hate me." Lynn accused her brother then the tears begin to flow. Lincoln simply pulls her back to him for a reassuring hug, "I don't hate you! I could never." Lynn pulls away from him to look at his face to see if he was right, Lincoln regaining some of his senses reiterates his claim. "I don't hate you, I honestly don't know what to think right now. One thing I'm for sure of is that I don't hate you."
Lincoln's words were comforting to Lynn slightly, she tightened her hug around him as he rubs his forehead and eyes with his free hand. The comfort is short lived as Lynn's eyes shoot open as a worrying thought comes to mind, "Please don't tell mom and dad or anyone else, please!" Lynn's shaking returns as Lincoln in his still surprised state tries to calm her by talking slow and rubbing her shoulder, "Don't worry, I won't say a thing to anyone. Just breathe and I promise your secret is safe with me."
Lynn buried her face into Lincoln's chest, "I'm sorry, Lincoln. I had to tell you, I couldn't keep this secret to myself any longer." Lincoln rubs the back of Lynn's head, "It's okay, Lynn. Just… breathe." Lincoln begins to feel fear of his own and wonders to himself, "What do we do about this?"