Hey everyone! Happy holidays!

I know it's been a long time since I updated anything. I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting, but my schedule has been getting so packed lately that I haven't had time to update my latest story 'Tot-squad to the rescue' and was also having writer's block at the same time. But I assure you that I haven't given up on it. It may take longer than expected, but I promise I will update it whenever I can.

Until then, please enjoy this little treat.

Now for this short story, I got the idea from a dream I had a couple months ago and thought it would make a great fanfic. So I took the idea and combined it with a few plot elements from episodes like 'Squeaky Boots' and 'To SquarePants or Not To SquarePants' from SpongeBob, 'The Dress' from the Amazing World of Gumball and many others.

It's been a while since I've done a short story like this, so I hope you'll enjoy it.

(The Loud House is not mine)


It was like any ordinary day in the Loud House. All 11 of the Loud kids were sleeping peacefully in their rooms as the sun slowly started to rise.

Suddenly……..

HOOOOOOOOOOOONK!!!!!

"Alright everyone! Time for school!" came a voice. (It was Lori Loud, the oldest daughter of the kids). "Everyone get up and get dressed! That means you too, Lincoln!"

Lincoln Loud (who was the only boy in the family aside from his father) sluggishly rolled out of bed and fell onto the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I know the drill," he said while getting his clothes on.

Outside in the hallway, Lori blew her whistle. "Atten-TION!"

Immediately, all the others came out of their rooms and stood in front of her, standing straight as if they were military troopers.

"Everyone ready?" Lori asked.

"Yes ma'am!" they said.

"Yes sir!" Lana responded. Lori gave her a glare. "Sorry, force of habit."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going already," Lynn said impatiently.

Everyone was all set and ready to go.

But then……..

"Hold it, everyone," Lori halted. "We can't leave yet. Someone isn't completely dressed."

And she gave a glare towards a certain white haired boy.

"What?" Lori pointed downwards. Lincoln looked down at his feet and quickly got the idea. Lincoln's feet were completely bare. "Oh. Yeah, about that? I can't find my sneakers anywhere."

"Did you check under your bed?" Lori asked.

"Yes, I checked under my bed. And the dresser, bookshelf, front door, I even looked down in the basement. I don't know where they disappeared to."

"Hehehe, funny you should mention that……" Lana chuckled nervously. Her face turned bright red as she looked down, slowly turning her foot.

A flashback shows Lana in the garage, working on Vanzilla.

"There, almost done. Just need something to hook the brakes together."

Lana looks into her toolbox to find something, only to find nothing useful.

"Dang it! All out of bungee cords. There's got to be something I can use."

Lana took a minute to think, then immediately got an idea.

She went into Lincoln's room, which was completely empty, and took his sneakers that were sitting on the floor next to the bed.

After some work, Lana closed the hood of the van and dusted off her hands.

"There we go. Those shoe laces should hold nicely. Now all I gotta do is get these shoes back to Lincoln before he notices.

Unfortunately, the shoes were sitting right next to the exhaust pipe, and by complete surprise, the van gave off a huge puff of smoke, which in turn burned the sneakers to the point where they immediately disintegrated.

"Oops."

Flashback ends with Lincoln looking very angry towards her.

"You destroyed them!? And you took them from my room!?"

"I didn't think you'd mind."

Lincoln slapped himself in the face. "Lana! Those were the only sneakers I had! Argh!! Why do you always have to borrow my things without asking?"

"Oh, come on, Lincoln," Lola argued. "Like you never 'borrow' our things behind our backs?"

"Hey, it was a one-time thing."

"At least twice," Lynn added, holding up 2 fingers.

Lincoln now had a scowl on his face.

"Look, if you need sneakers, you can borrow mine. I'm fine going in socks." Lana took off her shoes and handed them to her brother.

However, Lincoln declined because, not only were they too small, but they also gave off a foul smelling stench. "Thanks Lana. But yours are a few sizes too small for me. Also these smell like old fish bathed in rotten cheese."

Lana was rather fond of the smell. "I know. Don't you just love it?"

"Why don't you just put on your sandals then? And let's go," Luan suggested.

"Can't. The goat from Tall Timbers mountains ate them, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"What about your dress shoes?" Asked Lucy.

"The leather's too worn out. Plus Charles chewed them up and took them to his doghouse."

"Galoshes?" Lana asked.

"Lost them in the swamp."

"Snow boots?" Lola wondered.

"The soles came off. Leni said she'd fix them up."

"Still working on them, Linky," she confirmed. "I just need more fleece."

"And your saddle shoes?" Lisa asked.

Lincoln lowered his brows. "Don't even ask."

"I didn't even know Lincoln had saddle shoes," Lana whispered to her twin.

"Nor did I," Lola whispered back.

"Well you're literally not going to school barefoot," Lori declared. "We've only got 15 minutes left, so you're just gonna have to borrow someone else's for a while."

Lincoln groaned. "Okay, I guess if I have to."


So all throughout the morning, the girls tried to find something for Lincoln to wear.

He first went into Lynn and Lucy's room in which Lucy offered to have Lincoln try some of her shoes. Lincoln sticks his foot in one, and while it did fit, it didn't seem to meet his approval.

"Sorry Lucy," Lincoln replied, "but these are a bit too dark and gloomy for my liking."

"Sigh. I suppose it's not for everyone."

Lynn stepped in. "No worries, Stinkoln. I gotcha covered. You need sneakers, I always carry an extra pair of cleats or two."

Lynn held up a pair of her cleats by the laces, but they gave off a foul odor.

Lincoln plugged his nose in response. "Eech! Too smelly!"

Next, Luan offered to have Lincoln try hers, but the flowers on them just sprayed him in the face, which he found not amusing.

"Too goofy."

Finally, he went to the oldest sisters' room where Lori had him try her flats.

And they were……..

"Too wide." Lincoln then sighed in dismay. "It's no use, guys. But thanks for trying."

Luna peeked in through the doorway. "Hey dudes," she said. "How's the shoe search coming along?"

"Not so good," Lincoln sighed again.

"We've literally tried everything," Lori said with despair. "There's only 5 minutes left and we haven't found anything."

"Sorry Linky," Leni replied with remorse.

Seeing the dilemma, Luna suddenly came up with an idea. "Hold that thought. Come with me, Link. I think I have something that might work."

Luna takes Lincoln by the arm and pulls him into her room. Once there, Luna begins searching through her closet.

"Come on……they've got to be here somewhere. Aha! Here we go!"

Luna came out of the closet and pulled out a pair of purple boots. The boots looked almost identical to the ones she was already wearing with the only difference being in a slightly smaller size.

Lincoln was both hesitant and confused. "You want me to wear your old rockstar boots? I couldn't."

"Don't be silly. I insist. They're just your size and built to last."

"Luna, I know you're trying to help me, but I can't wear those. I'll look ridiculous. No offense intended."

"No offense taken."

"Either way, what if someone sees me with them? They'll probably give me suspicious looks or even laugh at me. Besides, not to sound like Leni, but that purple would clash with my polo."

"Lincoln, I'll have you know I wore these boots when I was your age and started getting into rock music. They're more than just boots. They're an experience. Some of the best rockstars in the world would kill to wear these."

"That's just it. I'm not a rockstar, Luna. You know that. I doubt I can even pull off the look, let alone half of it."

"Come on, bro. At least try them on to make sure they fit."

Lincoln rolled his eyes, but ultimately decided to give it a try. Lincoln took a seat on the floor as Luna set the boots down. He then takes the boots and pulls them on his legs. Once they were on, Luna checked the toes to make sure they fit.

"Toes are snug. Now just gotta tighten the laces to make them little-bro-sized."

Luna began to lace up the boots one foot at a time. After she was done, Lincoln stood up. To him, the new footwear felt a bit strange. They were a tad more roomier than his old sneakers and the boots were so long that the shafts went over his knees.

But Luna was still willing to be supportive. "There you go. You're all set."

"I don't know, Luna. I'm still having second thoughts about this."

"Aw, quit your worrying, Lincoln. You look fine. Just go on out there."

"Well, Lori did tell me not to go to school barefoot." Lincoln thought of that and then noticed the glimmering expression on Luna's face. It was then he realized he didn't have much of a choice. It was either he had to wear Luna's boots or not wear any shoes at all. He sighed begrudgingly. "Oh okay. I'll wear them for today."

"That's the spirit, bruh."


About an hour later or so, the Louds were all at school.

Lincoln, who was now in Royal Woods Middle School, was walking down the hallway when he noticed his best friend Clyde looking through his locker.

"Hey Clyde."

"Hey Lincoln." Clyde turned around and immediately noticed what Lincoln had on his feet. "Uh, why are you wearing Luna's boots? Where are your sneakers?"

"It's a long story and I'd rather not talk about it." Lincoln rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Okay……."

"Hey guys!"

Soon enough, Lincoln and Clyde's other friends, Liam, Zach, Rusty and Stella arrived. And even they began to notice Lincoln's boots.

"Whoa! Those are some mighty fine kicks there, Lincoln," said Liam.

"I'll say," Zach agreed.

Lincoln rolls his eyes again. "Come on guys, you don't have to spare my feelings."

"What are you talking about?" asked Stella.

"I know you're just saying those things to cheer me up. There's no need to hide it. I know these boots make me look ridiculous. Lana borrowed my sneakers and accidentally ruined them and now I've got no choice but to wear Luna's old boots."

"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it," Clyde recalled.

Lincoln immediately realized that and facepalmed. "Dang it!"

"And for the record, Lincoln. We don't think you look ridiculous," Stella explained.

"Yeah," Rusty said in agreement. "If anything, you look awesome. Frankly I wish I had a pair myself."

Just then, everyone was startled by a loud whistle tweeting.

"No loitering in the halls! Get to your classes immediately!"

"I thought you told her to tone it down during her hall monitor duties," Zach told Liam.

"I did. Last week she used a klaxon."

Soon enough, Lynn came marching in with a megaphone.

"Alright! Break it up, guys. Quit lazing around and get to class! NOW!"

The four boys (and Stella) did as they were told. However, one boy stayed behind. (I think you can guess who).

"Uh, that means you too, Lincoln."

"I'm not going," he replied.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. I'm a hall monitor, so I call the shots. Don't think being my little brother gives you a free pass."

"Lynn, it's not that I don't respect your authority. It's just…….ugh! Forget it."

Lynn now understood and sighed. "Look little bro, I'm gonna be frank with you. Losing your shoes is not the end of the world. And it doesn't hurt to change your looks once in a while. I mean I had to wear a cheerleader skirt one time and I actually liked it. Felt kinda breezy."

"Wait! You've worn a skirt before?" Lincoln was in disbelief. "That's something I never thought I'd imagine."

"Yeah, me neither honestly. Look, just go on about your business. If anyone does judge you, I'll give them a little face-to-fist talking."

"I don't think that's necessary Lynn, but thanks. I'll keep what you said in mind."

"Good. Now I'd suggest you get to class before I boot you there myself. (No pun intended)."

And just like that, Lincoln made a mad dash.

"That's more like it."


Soon enough, it was lunchtime. The gang all started eating together, but Lincoln was still bothered.

"Are you guys sure these boots don't make me look stupid? You can tell me if they do."

"Lincoln, they're just boots," Stella proclaimed. "Besides, we're your friends. Even if we might laugh at you a little bit, it's not to bully you."

"Stella's right, Lincoln," Clyde agreed. "You're making a big fuss over nothing. I mean you act as if you're trapped or something. Like you're not used to hand-me-downs anymore?"

"What other choice do I have? Until I get new sneakers I'm stuck wearing these."

"Lucky," grumbled Rusty.

"Plus it ain't the first time you've worn something outlandish," Liam said.

"Yeah," agreed Zach. "There was that time you wore a horse costume, and that time you dressed like an emo, that Shakespearean outfit, that fairy princess cape with the cheese on your head….."

Lincoln got annoyed. "Okay, okay! You made your point!"

"You didn't make a big deal then," Clyde pointed out. "So why should you worry now?"

"Well it doesn't matter anyway. Whether people notice or not, it's not like my day's going to get any better."

"Hi there." It was Girl Jordan. "Mind if I sit here?"

"Uh sure," Lincoln replied somewhat uneasily. "Go ahead."

So Girl Jordan took a seat right next to Lincoln and began eating her lunch.

"So what brings you to our table?" Lincoln asked.

"Oh, no reason," she responded. "Just thought you guys might like some extra company. Also I couldn't help but notice those boots you're wearing."

"What? These? They're just my sister's that she let me borrow."

"Well you sure are lucky. I wish I had a pair like them."

Lincoln started going red in the face.

Over the next few minutes, the gang continued eating their lunch and chatting.

After a while, they finished up and packed their lunchboxes.

"Well I gotta get to gym class," said Girl Jordan as she got up from the table. "Thanks for letting me eat with you guys. See you around, Lincoln."

Lincoln shrugged. "Okay, see ya."

So Girl Jordan got up and left. Right after she did, Lincoln looked up at his friends, all of whom were giving him a smirk kind of look.

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?" Liam replied.

"Did you not see what just happened?" Asked Stella, flabbergasted. "Someone came up to you and said they like your boots. She didn't even laugh at you."

"And you said things wouldn't get any better," Clyde said with a smug kind of smile.

"Pretty lucky if you ask me," muttered Rusty.

"Guys, I told you it doesn't matter. One person's compliment doesn't prove anything." He then stood up and began to leave. "Listen, I should probably get to class. I'll see you guys later."

"Okay," they said. "Bye Lincoln."


Lincoln began walking down the hallway, but when he checked his watch, he became shocked at what time it was.

"Oh man! I'm late!"

Lincoln made a mad dash down the hall, when all of a sudden, he bumped into somebody.

"Hey there, Lincoln." Lincoln saw that he had bumped into a girl. This girl appeared to be Asian with tan skin, black shoulder length hair and white pearl earrings. She was also wearing a green turtleneck sweater with a yellow star, a denim blue plaid skirt and short brown boots. Once she got up on her feet, she immediately helped Lincoln back up. "Just the guy I was looking for."

"Uh hi. Do I know you?"

"I'm Cici. Remember? We met during your middle school orientation."

That reminder immediately brought back some uncomfortable memories to Lincoln. "Oh…….right. That was when me and Clyde took your seats. Sorry about that."

"Eh, water under the bridge."

"So what are you doing here?"

"I was wondering if I could interest you in a shoeshine."

"Oh, gee. That's really nice of you, but I gotta get to class soon. Besides, I don't want to trouble you."

"I don't mind. It's the least I can do." Cici pulled out a small step stool and encouraged Lincoln to put his foot onto it, which he did.

She then took out a white cloth and started rubbing it against the toe.

As she was doing so, she started making conversation. "These are some pretty nice boots by the way."

"Thanks. They're actually my sister Luna's. She let me borrow them because I didn't have any sneakers."

"Well they sure look cool on you."

Lincoln was skeptical. "Oh you're just saying that."

"No, really, I mean it. I don't see a lot of guys wear boots too often."

"You don't?"

"Well, at least not much. I mean sure, they wear them in the snow or the rain when needed. But when it comes to wearing boots casually, finding a guy doing it is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"Sounds like something Liam would say," Lincoln muttered. "So you don't think I look stupid wearing these?"

"No way! In fact I think more guys should be like you."

"What? Like they should have white hair and wear orange polos?"

Cici chuckled as Lincoln switched to his other foot. "I mean they should just wear what they want and not be afraid of being judged because of it. Everyone thinks that boys and girls have to wear certain things, but it's not true. They just think that it is. The truth is what you wear doesn't make you either a boy or girl, nor does it change it. Some people may think you look stupid, but that's just their opinion. So don't let it affect you. I mean, look at me. I wear this just because I like it. Saying guys can't wear tall boots is like saying girls can't wear pants, or even play sports."

Lincoln rolled his eyes with a smile. "Lynn would pummel someone for saying that."

"There. All done." Cici had finally finished brushing and stood up.

By the time she was done, the boots looked almost brand new. The leather was so shiny that it was almost reflective and the soles and heels felt more sturdy.

Lincoln was rather impressed. "Thanks Cici. I better get to class now. But it was nice talking to you. And thanks for the shine."

"No problem. See you around, Lincoln."

After Cici left, Lincoln took a minute to look at her shoeshine work. He was rather impressed by how shiny the material was. So much so that he could almost see his reflection on the toe.

"Huh, not bad," he said. He then checked his watch. "Oh man! I'm gonna be late."

Lincoln started making a mad dash down the hallway when he ran into another girl. This one had light orange hair, blue rolled up jeans along with a yellow tank top and sandals.

"Oh, hi Paige."

"Hi. Lincoln, right? Nice boots."

"Thanks. Listen, I gotta get to class now."

"Wait!" She dashed right in front of him.

"What? What is it now?"

"Look!" Paige pointed towards a puddle on the floor in the middle of the hallway. "There's a puddle right there."

"Yeah? So?"

"You can't walk through that. You'll get your boots wet. Here, let me help."

"Uh……that's okay, Paige. I can just walk around it."

"Don't be silly. I insist." Paige takes out a towel and lays it over the puddle. "After you."

Even with a little uncertainty, Lincoln takes a step and walks over the towel. "Uhhhh……thank you?"

"What? Girls can't be chivalrous too?" Paige asked, giving him a stern look.

"Eerrrrrr……"

"Relax. I'm just kidding. It was the least I could do. Well you better head onto class. Don't want to be late."

"Oh, right."

"See you later, handsome." Paige planted him a kiss on the cheek, making him blush.

After she left, Lincoln began to smile a bit. "Huh, maybe I can get used to this."

All the rest of the day, Lincoln was getting a lot of attention. As he walked down the hallways, classmates were giving him thumbs up. In class, others were pulling out seats for him. And…..well, let's just say it only continued from there.


Finally, school was over and the kids all headed home. The high school Louds got off the earliest, so they were waiting for the others on the couch.

Soon enough, they came running through the door like crazy.

Well……….at least the girls did anyway. Lincoln came in more casually with a smile on his face.

"Yo, Lincoln." Luna was the first to get up from the couch and greet her brother.

"Hey Luna!"

"So how'd my kicks work out?"

"Luna! You're never gonna believe what happened! I've been getting compliments all day! My friends said they look awesome on me, so did the girls, Cici at school gave them a shine, and Paige even helped me over a puddle and gave me a kiss on the cheek."

Luna gave a chuckle. "Sounds like you had a great day."

"I sure did. I guess you were right. These boots are a great experience."

"What'd I tell you? See? Nothing to worry about."

The two of them hug each other.


Later, the kids and their parents were all eating dinner.

"So, how was everyone's day today?" Their mother Rita asked.

"Mine was great!" Lincoln said with excitement. "I got a lot of positive attention at school. They wouldn't stop talking about me wearing these boots."

"Well I'm not surprised," his father claimed. "They do look good on you."

"I gotta say, Linky. Those boots really go well with your shirt," Lola said. "Talk about high class."

"Yeah!" Lana agrees. "They make you look hardcore! I wish I could try them on. If I had longer legs, that is."

"Also, they totes go great with your polo," Leni compliments. "That was nice of you to let him wear them, Luna. Don't you think they look great?"

"Uh yeah. Real great." Luna gave a smile, but her eye was twitching and her teeth were clenched, though nobody seemed to notice.

She knew in her mind, something was bothering her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.


The next day started like any other. All the girls were rushing to get ready for school and headed downstairs.

Just as Luna was leaving her room, she heard Lincoln come out of his and approach her.

"Hiya Luna!"

"Morning bro." At first, Luna was happy to see her brother, until she looked down at his feet, that is. "I see you're still wearing the boots."

"Uh huh. They're pretty comfortable. Thought I'd give them another go round today."

Luna started frowning slightly, but tried her best not to show it. "Oh, that's…….cool. I guess."

"Yep. If everyone thought they were cool yesterday, imagine what they'll say if I wear them again today. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, no. That's cool. You have a good day."

"Thanks sis."

As Lincoln made his way downstairs, Luna started to clench her fists and growl.

"Keep it together, Lunes," she said to herself. "It's just for one more day. It's not like he's going to get praised or worshiped again. I'll bet they won't even make a big deal."

Little did she know, that would be far from true.


At the middle school, Lincoln and the gang were setting up for their weekly news show.

Lincoln spoke up. "Hey Clyde? I just wanted to say thanks for not laughing at me yesterday because……well you know."

"Hey, what are best friends for? You know I'd never laugh at you Lincoln. But if you think yesterday was interesting, wait until they see our newscast."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you'll see," winked Stella.

Lincoln was puzzled at first, but instantly shrugged it off. Both he and Clyde sat in their respective chairs as Liam was holding the camera.

He signaled, "And we're live in 3…..2……..1!"

"Hey there, Royal Wood Kangaroos! It's your Action News Team with the latest!"

"But before we get started," Clyde interrupted, "We have a special presentation! Lincoln, if you would?"

Clyde turned to his best friend, who at first raised a brow as he was a bit confused. Lincoln then turned to Liam, who was gesturing him to stand up.

So ultimately, he did and walked over to the side.

"You saw them yesterday and here they are again!" Clyde announced. "Here he is! Lincoln Loud and his new boots!"

Lincoln began to pose with more confidence.

Meanwhile, all the other students who were watching him gave a huge cheer and applause.

Lincoln started to feel a bit of pride inside, as his friends were giving him a thumbs up.

But things were only about to get better from there.

In gym class, the boots helped Lincoln sprint super fast on the track and field.

At recess, they gave him an extra spring in his jump.

Even in the hallway, Lincoln began walking around with pride, but little did he notice that some of his colleagues and classmates were taking pictures with their phones and posting them. All around social media, there were posts saying how Lincoln was 'rocking the boots' and pulling off a 'junior rockstar look' and things like that.

Moreover, the posts were not just going around the middle school, but everywhere else.


It was long before news spread to the high school, where everyone was talking about it.

Even Luna saw them, and that same bitter feeling came back to her.

"Hey Luna!"

"AAAAHHH!!!" Luna screamed in a startling state. She then turned around to see it was just her older sister. "Oh, it's you, Leni."

"Have you checked out this video? Linky's trending all over."

Leni showed Luna the posts on her phone and the latter started becoming more bitter about what she was seeing. "I can't believe this!"

"I know, right? He's been trending at number one. Everyone's calling him the young rock star."

That last word really made Luna cringe. Somehow she couldn't stand when she was hearing, let alone seeing it.

"Are you okay, Luna?" Leni asked with concern.

"Just fine," Luna answered through her clenched teeth. "Couldn't be better."


Once Luna got home, she lay in her bed, trying to pass it off, but somehow she couldn't get over what she had seen that day.

Just then, she heard the front door open and footsteps coming up the stairs.

She looked outside her room and saw, who else, but Lincoln himself with a huge grin on his face.

"Hiya Luna!" He said.

Luna was anything but happy at this point. "Hey. Looks like you had another great day?"

"You bet I did! Why didn't you tell me your boots were so amazing?!"

Luna just rolled her eyes. "Okay bro. You've had your fun. Don't you think it's time you took them off now?"

"Actually, I think I'm gonna keep wearing them for a little longer."

"What? You sure you don't want to take them off?"

"Are you kidding? These boots have changed my life. I even learned how to do this." Lincoln does a moonwalk. "And this." He then jumped and did a heel click in midair. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"What's the big deal? You can do those things with your old shoes on."

"I know. But somehow these make it feel cooler. Anyway, I'll see you later, Luna. And thanks again for the boots." Lincoln entered his room and shut the door.

Luna just stood in the hallway looking quite bitter. "No problem, bro," she said through clenched teeth.


Inside Lincoln's room, the boy was sitting in his chair, chatting with his distant friend, Ronnie Anne Santiago, on the laptop.

"So Luna actually lent you a pair of her old boots?" She asked.

"Yep," Lincoln replied. "I was a bit hesitant at first, but I think I've gotten attached to them."

"That's so cool! Hey! Did I ever tell you about the time me and Sid swapped outfits for a day? I'm not kidding. I had to wear her shirt, her shorts, shoes, socks, even her hairband. See for yourself."

Ronnie Anne pulled up a picture on her phone that showed her in Sid's outfit and Sid in Ronnie Anne's outfit. Even their hairstyles were swapped where Sid had a ponytail and Ronnie Anne didn't have her signature ponytail, but Sid did.

"Whoa! Cool!" Lincoln said. "You guys are like the spitting image of each other."

"Yeah, I know. We both get that a lot."

Meanwhile, outside his room, Luna was making her way towards Lincoln's door.

"Come on, dude. You can do this," she said to herself. "He knew this was going to be temporary."

She was about to knock on the door when she heard Lincoln talking with Ronnie Anne.

"So how's the boots working out for you?"

"They're great! I didn't think I'd get so much attention for them. Well, I did, but I didn't think it'd be this positive. People have been bending over backwards for me."

"Yeah, I know. I saw the news video on your school's media board."

"I also met this girl named Cici. She said she thinks it's cool seeing a guy in tall boots."

"Well it's not like it's any different from your sister Lana playing around in the mud."

"Touché."

After hearing that, Luna sighed and went back to her own room with a defeated look. But unbeknownst to her, another sister came out of her bedroom and started listening. It was Lana, and she couldn't help but hear the rest of the conversation.

"You sure are lucky Luna lent them to you."

"Yeah. But if I'm being honest, I'm starting to miss my old sneakers. Maybe they weren't the best, but they still got me around. I've worn them for as long as I can remember."

"Yeah. You even wore them the first time we met."

"Was that before or after you tied my laces together?"

"Very funny, Lame-O. But seriously, I get what you mean. When you wear something you like for such a long time, it can be pretty hard to part with it. Like me and my hoodie. I mean I've had this thing since I was like 7, and I've never given it up."

"Yeah, I get that." Lincoln sighs somewhat depressingly. "If only I had my old sneakers back."

"Eh, I'm sure things will work out. You could always save your allowance, or maybe your parents could buy you new ones."

"I guess so. I'll talk to them about it."

"Cool. Well I gotta go. Smell ya later."

"Okay, see ya." Lincoln shut off his laptop and sighed back in his chair.

Outside the room, Lana began feeling a bit guilty. "Wow. I didn't think he'd miss his old sneakers that much. What are we gonna do?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" Lisa said, who was standing in her doorway. "In case you've forgotten, I believe you are the reason his footwear disintegrated."

"I know, but we all have a history of borrowing Lincoln's stuff."

"Aside from me."

Lana folded her arms and gave Lisa a glare. "You destroyed his snow globe collection and erased his memory of it."

"I could've done without that reminder, thank you."

"Look, the point is we owe Lincoln. I'll admit, maybe we don't always have a lot of respect for each other's things. There was the time Lincoln borrowed Lynn's bike, the time with Lucy's doll. Heck, I even messed up Lincoln's video game to the point where I thought he'd disown me! If I've learned anything from that, it's that the least we can do is try to make up for what we wrecked."

"Lana, I understand your sentiment. But even if we did find something to compensate, none of us have the budget in a family of our size."

Lana thought about that and came up with an idea. "Maybe not individually. Unless……."

She immediately dashed back into her room and shut the door.

Inside her room, Lana was searching through her stuff. Luckily, she managed to find some cash in her pillow case, her sneakers, her overalls pocket and even Hops' terrarium.

It wasn't long before her twin Lola came in. "I know I'm gonna regret this, but what, might I ask, are you doing?"

"No time for details, Lols. I'm gonna need some cash from your secret cash stash!"

Lola became flabbergasted. "Wha—?! I-?! What gives you the idea that I have a secret stash of cash?!"

Without saying a word, Lana marched over to Lola's bed and pulled up the covers, revealing an unusually large pile of money underneath.

Lola gasped with shock and deceit. "How could you, Mr Sprinkles?!" She said to her teddy bear.

"Look, I promise I'll pay you back later," Lana said, gathering the cash. "This is important."

"Whatever you're planning to do with my money isn't exactly what I would call 'important'."

"Lola, please! It's for the greater good. I'm doing this for Lincoln and I need everyone to pitch in."

"Well I'm not the one who destroyed his sneakers in the first place. Give me one good reason why I should even contribute."

"Because if you don't then………" Lana tried to think of a good retaliation. Suddenly, she started gaining an evil smile on her face. "I'll tell him who threw his game system out the window while throwing a temper tantrum."

This made Lola gasp with shock and deceit. "Why you sneaky snake in the grass!"

"So are you in or what?"

Lola growled. "Fine! But you owe me big!"

"Noted. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go talk with Lori and Leni."

As Lana headed over to the oldest sister's room, Luna was in her room, lying on her bed, muttering to herself.

"Oh! That Lincoln! Who does he think he is? All I did was lend him my boots, and all of a sudden he gets all this attention for 'rocking the rockstar look'! Now he doesn't even want to take them off? Ugh! What gives him the right to steal my title? Rockstardom is my thing, not his!"

Suddenly, all the grumbling gave her an idea.

"So Lincoln wants to steal my thunder? Well guess what, little bro. Two can play at that game."

Luna immediately got off the bed and headed to her closet. In there, she found an old dusty shoebox. She blew the dust off, opened it and took out 2 purple low top converse-esque sneakers.

"Why haven't I worn these yet? Oh well. You're not the only one who can pull of a different style."


The next day was Saturday and all the Louds had their own plans.

As for Luna, she had band practice with her friends, The Moon Goats, which consisted of Sulley, Mazzy and her girlfriend Sam Sharp.

They were all at Tall Timbers park setting up when Luna came into the scene.

"Hey dudes."

Once the group saw Luna, they were a bit……surprised by her slight change of appearance.

"Uh……what are you wearing?" Asked Sam, referring to the sneakers.

"Oh, you mean these? Just thought I'd experiment with my looks a little. What do you think?"

The others were at a loss of words. The only replies that could come out were:

"Uhhhh……"

"Well…….."

"Errrr……"

Luna began to frown. "What's the matter? You don't like them?"

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold on!" Mazzy interrupted. It's not that we don't like them. It's just…….kinda shocking."

"Yeah, I'm just not sure if they're really……..you," Sam replied uneasily.

"Ah, so what?" Luna said rather rudely. "Can't a girl change her style if she wants to? It's a free country, isn't it?"

The others were a bit stunned at Luna's sudden outburst. "Okay…….."

Both Mazzy and Sulley started getting their instruments ready, but Sam decided to stay behind, as she was growing most concerned. "You're acting weird, Luna. Is everything okay?"

Luna sighed and took a seat down on the steps. "I don't know. It's nothing to worry about anyway."

Sam takes a seat right next to her. "Luna, is this anything to do with your little brother?"

Luna got defensive. "What!? No! Of course not! What gave you that idea?"

"You know he's all everyone keeps talking about, right?" Sam gave Luna a deadpan stare, which made her grumble. "Come on, Lunes. You can tell me."

"Fine. Yes, it's about Lincoln. I only lent him my boots so that he'd have shoes for school. But now he keeps wearing them all the time and he's getting all this publicity for his new look. It's driving me nuts!" Luna then sighs as her anger turns to despair. "It's just not fair. Rockstardom is supposed to be my thing. How come Lincoln's getting all the credit for it because of some stupid shoes?"

Sam began to put two and two together. She hated seeing her girlfriend this distraught, so she tried to comfort her. "It's okay, Luna. I understand. One time I lent my favorite jacket to Simon for a week and he got a lot of attention from it too. I was pretty jealous at the time, but then we talked things out and all turned out OK. I'm sure Lincoln didn't mean any harm."

"I know, but I'm not sure what to do."

"Why don't you just go talk to him? Tell him how you feel. And if he still enjoys wearing your boots, then that's fine, but at least he'll understand."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

Luna now stood up feeling confident and determined. "You're right! I'm gonna go talk with him right now!"

And she immediately ran home.

"Wait! What about…..?" But Luna was already too far away to hear. So Sam just shook her head smiling. "Ah, that's my girl."


Back at the Loud House, Lincoln was sitting on the couch playing video games (while still wearing the boots).

Then Luna came through the door.

"Hey Luna. How was band practice?"

"It was okay," Luna said in a quiet voice. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're out back in the yard."

"That's good. Say Lincoln? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure thing." Lincoln scooted over and Luna took a seat next to him. Lincoln immediately noticed the sulky expression on her face. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well yes. I mean……." Luna sighed with grief. "Okay I'm just gonna say it. Lincoln, I'm a little upset with you."

"You are? Why?"

"It's just that…..ever since you started wearing my boots, you've been getting a lot of attention. I can't even go on the internet without seeing pictures of you wearing them. Everyone keeps saying how you've been 'rocking the casual/rockstar look' and well……..it kinda made me mad. I didn't want to be upset with you, but every time I saw or heard about it, the angrier I got. It felt like you were stealing my thunder. But I knew how much you loved wearing those, so I didn't say anything. I'm sorry, bro."

Lincoln then started feeling guilty himself. "Oh. Well gee, I had no idea. I wish you had told me before. I mean I like wearing your boots, Luna, and it was nice of you to lend them to me, but to be honest, I kinda miss my sneakers."

"You mean you don't even care about the attention you were getting?"

"Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy it at first and it was kinda fun, but I've got my own personal style that I like. Just like you girls have yours. Also, these things are kinda hard to take off because of all the laces."

"Oh, so that's how come you kept sleeping with them on," Luna chuckles.

"Yeah," Lincoln chuckled a bit, but then got guiltily serious. "Listen Luna, I'm really sorry. I would never mean to steal anything from you. Your rockstar style is something nobody can ever take away. That's who you are, and I'm glad that it is."

Luna couldn't help but smile. "Thanks bro. That really means a lot. I guess I just let my jealousy get the better of me. Tell you what: you can keep rocking those boots until you get your old kicks back."

"Deal!" The two of them share a hug and smile. "Hey! Since you're here, wanna watch me play until dinner is ready?"

"Sure!"

Luna sits next to Lincoln as he resumes his game.

"Nice shoes, by the way," he complimented.

"Thanks."

But unbeknownst to them, Lana was standing in the doorway of the dining room listening to the whole thing. She then sneaked quietly through the kitchen and out the back door where the rest of the girls were.

"Okay, we should be in the clear," she said. "Knowing Lincoln, he's probably going to be on the game for a while."

"Good. That means we've got time to set up the surprise," Lynn said.

"Oh, he's totes going to love it!" Leni said excitedly.

"SHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

"Oh, right. Sorry," she said quietly.


That night after dinner, Lincoln was about to head to his bedroom when Lori opened the door to her room.

"Oh, Lincoln. There you are. Could you come in here, please. We're having a very important meeting."

"Uh, sure."

Lincoln made his way into the room where the girls were all gathered together. Seeing as how they left a spot for him, he decided to take it and sat down on the floor.

Lori banged on the pedestal with a high heel. "Okay everyone. The meeting has officially come to order. First order of business: Lincoln, we're going to need you to close your eyes and hold out your hands."

"Why?"

"Come on, just do it. We have a surprise for you."

Lincoln was confused, but did as told. Once he did, he felt something placed in his hands.

"Okay. You can open your eyes now," Lori instructed.

When Lincoln opened his eyes, he was surprised by what he saw. In his arms were a pair of white sneakers with three red stripes on each side, just like his old ones. Only these ones were more shiny and clean.

"You guys got me new sneakers?"

"Think of it as an early Christmas gift," Lori confirmed. "We knew how much you liked your old sneakers. So we all chipped in and got you a fresh new pair."

"And we got a good deal at that," Leni added.

Lisa raised her hand. "I also took the liberty of spraying them with my new patent pending protectant (thoroughly tested). Therefore, they should be able to last without wearing down or getting damaged or filthy."

"It was all my idea. And you don't have to worry about me borrowing them." Lana held out a pair of old ratty shoes. "I found some out back of the store while I was dumpster diving."

Lincoln had a mild disgusted look on his face after hearing that, but was still grateful for the gift he received. "Wow! Gee, thanks guys! I don't know what else to say."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Lynn encouraged. "Try them on."

Lincoln nodded. He then began taking off those long purple boots and set them down. Once they were off, he then took the new sneakers and began putting them on. Once they were on his feet, he gave a great big smile. "They fit perfect! I love them!"

"We had a feeling you would," Lori says.

Lincoln felt happy to have his own classic shoes back, but there was something else he knew he had to do. He spotted Luna's old boots on the floor, picked them up and took them to her. "Here Luna. You can have these back."

Luna thought about what Lincoln was saying, and told him…… "You know what, little bro? Why don't you keep them?"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Just think of them as a hand-me-down. I've got plenty of others anyway. Besides, I gotta admit, you sure looked great in them."

"You really think so, Luna?"

"I sure do, Link." Just then, Luna came up with a new idea. "In fact, how would you like to wear them one more time?"

"Okay? To where?"

"You'll see."


That night at Tall Timbers, everyone gathered around to watch the Moon Goats' performance.

The curtain drew open and Luna spoke into the microphone as everyone cheered.

"Yo! Hello everyone! I'm Luna Loud and we're the Moon Goats! Now we've got a real special show for you all tonight, but first I'd like to introduce a very special guest. Please welcome to the stage, my little brother: Lincoln Loud!"

The band members stepped to the side as Lincoln stepped out of the curtain and onto the stage, wearing Luna's old boots. The crowd cheers even louder.

"Nice to have you with us, little Loud," said sam.

"Thanks Sam," Lincoln replied, giving her a fist bump.

"Okay, bro," Luna whispered. "Just like we rehearsed."

Lincoln winked. "You got it, big sis."

And so the music began playing.

(Lincoln) All my sisters have their own likes

Such as reading books or riding bikes

Some prefer to wear just pink

While others can put up a stink

(Luna) My little brother's never alone

And he's got a style all his own

It says so in the the things he does

And how he cares for all of us

He's rocking from head to toe

And that's the bro I love to know

(All) Any style in each shape or size

Is unique to the human eyes

You have one that is true to you

Be it purple, orange or blue

No matter who we appear to be

I have a style that fits perfectly

And that's the style just for me

(Luna) Sneakers, sandals, or even boots

Can go with sweaters or tux suits

(Lincoln) Kids in shapes both big and small

They have a flair unique to call

Skirts with frills or overalls

They're all worth showing through the halls

(All) Any style in each shape or size

Is unique to the human eyes

You have one that is true to you

Be it purple, orange or blue

No matter who we appear to be

I have a style that fits perfectly

(Lincoln) And that's the style just for me

(Luna) And that's the style just for me

(Both) And that's the style just for me

The song ends and everyone cheers their loudest. On stage, Luna, Sam and Lincoln all take a bow.

"Wow! That was great!" Lincoln said. "Thanks for having me on board, Luna."

Luna just smiled and ruffled his hair. "Anytime, little bro. Anytime."


Hope you all enjoyed that little treat.

If I can be honest, I haven't done a one-shot story like this since the days of the Loud House Tales, so it's nice to go back to that style of storytelling.

Also, I'm sure you've noticed I included Lori in this. Yes I am aware that technically she's now in college, but I couldn't resist including her in this story as I felt it added to the plot.

Speaking of which, there's a big reason (or rather a couple) why I wanted to make this. First and foremost, I wanted to do a bonding story between Lincoln and Luna (as she's one of the most favorite Loud sisters)

Second, I wanted this story to be a bit of a commentary on gender norms. I know it may not seem as obvious these days, but there's still people who are afraid to express themselves out of fear of judgement. I mean, this show does feature tomboy females, girls who play sports and wear pants, suits and overalls, so why not have boys like Lincoln wear tall boots?

As you can tell, I even wrote a song for the ending to reflect that. Keep in mind, I'm not a professional lyricist, so I try my best.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this story.

I have some more ideas for one-shots coming up, so let me know if you'd like to see more.

So long everyone!