(The following is a nonprofit work of fanfiction and is outside of the original canon. All names, characters, businesses, places, events, and/or incidents of any kind depicted within this story are being used for entertainment purposes only.)

(The Loud House and all related characters were created by Chris Savino and all rights belong to Nickelodeon.)

I think now would be a good time to address a couple of things before we move on ahead. You are all no doubt wondering why I'm portraying Clyde's dads as being two straight men instead of an openly gay married couple like they were in the TV show. Well, the reason for that is because I very much honestly doubt that gay marriage, as well as homosexuality in general, was easily accepted back then in the 1980's like it is nowadays.

So, please don't get angry with me and think I did this out of hatred and spite, because I didn't. It was not my intention to display any kind of disrespect or offense towards anybody whatsoever, I'm just simply trying to play it safe and stay accurate to the period and overall culture of that time. But rest assured though, some of Howard's and Harold's characteristics and mannerisms will remain the same, so that is kind of a plus.

And as for the other part, where Lincoln has a giant crush on Sam, I just want to make it abundantly clear with you guys that this is NOT in any way, shape, or form, going to develop into a full-on romance story. My main objective remains almost the exact same since I first wrote this story in the beginning, that being 1980's childhood nostalgia.

The reason why I added that in here was because I thought it would be really funny..., if not maybe just a little bit cute. I mean, think about it for a moment. Just how often do you not see preteen kids in the world just like Lincoln have major crushes on teenagers like Sam at some point or another? Quite a lot, if you ask me. I mean, surely you all can relate in some way to his situation, right?

And now, with all of that finally out of the way, please enjoy this new chapter and let me know what you all think in your reviews.

Have a totally radical summer vacation.

- Chapter Six -

Ghostbusters

There was nothing in this entire world of ours that could have prepared me for the unexpected awkwardness that clung so strongly to me like a blood-draining leech.

For almost the complete duration of the two and a half hours we spent at Gus', whether it would be sitting down at a table eating a slice of pizza or two, or playing one of the many arcade games, I tried really hard to stay focused and enjoy myself as possible. But no matter what I tried to do, I would quickly lose and start over again, wasting one quarter after the other. And it was all because the very teenage girl that I happen to be so madly in love with was hovering closely next to me almost the entire time.

Of all the friends you could have made out there, Luna, I thought very flustered, just why in the world did you have to pick this one among them? I honestly could not help but feel like I was being jinxed the whole time. After a few short years of coming here to Gus' Games & Grub, I could easily beat these games with little to no problem at all. Donkey Kong? Mario Bros.? Pac-Man? Dragon's Lair? Space Harrier? Nothing to it.

But knowing that Sam was here in the same building as me and Clyde, I had serious trouble concentrating. I made second guesses, pointed the joysticks the wrong way, or pressed the attack button too soon or too early, causing me to get attacked by an enemy or fly off a pixelated freeway, and I would get an immediate game over. It was like my arms and my brain had suddenly developed minds of their own. It got so bad to the point where I just wanted to find the nearest wall and bash my head against it as hard as I can.

Ugh, now I know exactly how Clyde feels...

"You mind if I give it a shot?" Sam asked me, referring to the game Out Run. I turned to face my beloved punk rocking angel, my entire body feeling very clammy, and my heart was still pounding tirelessly in my chest. It was a straight up miracle that I didn't die from a heart attack a short while ago. Though I kind of wished I did, if it would only spare me from humiliating myself any further than I've already had.

"N-No, of course not," I stuttered slightly, struggling to maneuver over to the side. "Go on, b-be my guest."

After Sam climbed up into the driver's seat of the arcade machine, and placed a couple quarters of her own inside, she took a firm hold of the game's steering wheel. And then BOOM! She was off, already driving through with no problem, dodging other cars, and speeding down the road on the screen. I stood there beside her, taken aback by what I was seeing. I watched every move she made; her fingers curled tightly around the steering wheel. It was almost like she had been playing this game her entire life. And I've got to say, it was pretty radical to witness.

Wow, she is good. Like, really good. I thought in amazement, totally forgetting about my anxiety and nervousness. From there, I ended up cheering her on as she skillfully drove through the pixelated screen, swerving past every tightly curved road, missing other cars by a hair. As I continued to be stunned by her remarkable driving skills, my brain slowly drifted off to the world of my own imagination.

From here, I began to picture myself in the driver's seat of the red convertible, with Sam sitting closely next to me. As we raced on down through the imaginary highway right next to the beach, her blond hair fluttered very gracefully in the wind, Cutting Crew's (I Just) Died in Your Arms blaring almost loudly from the car's radio. The clear blue ocean glittered like stars off in the distance. I could already feel the warm summer sun beaming down on us from the sky above.

I cannot wait to do something like that in real life someday, I thought to myself, taking a mental note. But then, I was quickly brought back to reality when Sam let out a hardy "Yahoo!", both her arms shooting up into the air. And before I even realized it, she had already made it to the very end of Route A.

"Congratulations!" the voice sample in the game proclaimed.

"Whoa! Bodacious work there, Sam!" I nearly exclaimed in pure awe. "No, seriously, that was just awesome! Where did you learn to play like that?"

"Months of practice, dude!" she said quite proudly, flashing me that same cute smile of hers. Gosh darn that smile.

I twisted around behind me and noticed that Mom and Mrs. Sharp were still sitting at one of the booths near the front entrance, talking it up and keeping themselves well occupied in their seemingly never-ending conversation. Seriously, my mother had kind of a nasty habit when it came to talking somebody's ears off for hours on end. Well, at least there was somebody that she could talk to, and it was a whole lot better than having to sit there all by herself while we were out here having fun.

By the time our two-and-a-half hours were finally up, it was almost six thirty in the evening. Despite it being so, the sun was still high up, just slowly looming over to the side of the clear blue sky. Usually at this hour, it would have already been dark outside. That was always the thing about changing time zones. By this point, the six of us were a bit tired and well satisfied with our experience. Clyde and I were just about filled with so much pizza, I thought our stomachs were going to burst wide open. We all just stood outside talking for a bit, and then we started to say our goodbyes.

"It was great having fun with you guys!" Simon said to us before climbing inside his mother's car behind us.

"Same here, dude!" Clyde said back, waving.

"Be seeing you around sometime!" Sam spoke up cheerily, waving back at us.

"Y-Yeah! B-Be seeing ya too!" I managed to croak out, right after swallowing what was probably the fifteenth lump that appeared in my throat. And with that, I mounted my scrawny little butt into the side of Vanzilla after Clyde and shut the side door. After we buckled in our seatbelts, Mom revved up the car's engine, and then we were off on the road once again, the late afternoon sun ever so slowly looming down to the side in the distant horizon.

Clyde started to talk about the highest scores he managed to make, but in all honesty, I really didn't feel like talking at the moment. I just wanted to kick back in my seat and relax for a little bit. That was when my brain started to wander off back to Sam again, my imagination returning us to the seats of the red convertible that drove down the highway close to the sunny beachside. Without even realizing it, a big and goofy smile spread across my face.

Sam is so choice, I thought, sighing blissfully. I am totally going to write her a letter someday. Don't know when that will happen, maybe not this summer or sometime after that. But one of these days, I will tell her how I feel. But first, I've got summer vacation to think about, and I can't afford any more distractions.

"Lincoln?" Clyde's voice rang out, trying to grab my attention. "Hey, Lincoln! Hello, earth to Lincoln!" I slightly fidgeted from his finger jamming into my shoulder, my senses coming back to reality, and I looked over to face my best friend.

"What are you smiling about, dude?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, uh, n-nothing!" I quickly lied, rubbing the back of my neck. "Just, uh, t-thinking about our p-plans for summer!"

It wasn't exactly a complete lie, but still. Wanting a good distraction from this whole Sam thing, I asked Mom if she could turn on the radio and play us some music. Thankfully, she did, and twisted one of the dials counterclockwise until she found the correct station that we wanted. And just like that, the theme song from Ghostbusters started to play through the speakers. It was perfect. They could not have picked a better song.

"If there's somethin' strange in the neighborhood," Ray Parker Jr sang rhythmically. "Who ya gonna call?" As the song continued to play on the radio, I looked out the window, watching some of the familiar buildings zoom right past us. It was here that I noticed the Royal Woods Cinema heading close to us. Directly above the front entrance, the title of The Chipmunk Adventure was scrolled out for everybody within close proximity of the general area to see. That's a really good movie right there. Anybody who doesn't like Alvin and the Chipmunks are totally missing out.

We then came across our favorite video rental store, its sign glowing a bright neon red.

"You ever think they'll make a sequel to Ghostbusters one day?" Clyde wondered suddenly.

"A sequel?" I asked, turning to face him. Clyde nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "I mean, it would be cool if they did."

"Well, if they do, let's hope they don't make it in 3-D," I said. We both laughed a bit at my little comment. By the time we finished talking, Clyde's house was starting to come into view. Slowly but surely, Mom parked Vanzilla closely up against the curb. We unbuckled our seatbelts, and I climbed out first. Once Clyde made it out and darted through the yard, I went back into my respective seat.

"Bye, Lincoln!" he called out to me, waving his hand. "We'll see you next week!"

"You too, dude!" I called back, re-fastening my seatbelt.

And after that, Mom and I were off on the road once more, driving down through the neighborhood until we sooner or later came back to our own house, back to good old 1216 Franklin Avenue. Man, I am really beat. I thought to myself, stretching my arms out. Apparently, Listening to Ray Parker Jr. left me in a big Ghostbusters mood, and that was when I made up my mind of what I was going to do today—that is assuming none of my sisters were already hogging the TV.

When we walked into the living room, I was relieved to see that not one of the girls were there. As Mom headed over to the kitchen, I made a dash for it upstairs and headed to my room. Here, I made a grab for my towel and loofah. Yes, I was still going to watch Ghostbusters. But I wanted to freshen up first. After I ran a straight line for the bathroom at the other end of the hall, I quickly undressed myself and turned on the warm water. And thank goodness that it was still nice and hot too.

"My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R!" I sang in the shower, washing my hair with shampoo. "My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R!"

Seven minutes went by in a flash, and after I was done drying myself, I went back to my room and put on a fresh batch of clothing; an orange short-sleeved button up and a pair of knee-length denim shorts. I ran back down the stairs to the living room and then I made my way over to the old family Zenith's location. I pulled out the built-in wooden drawer that was just below the TV screen, and inside of it contained a certain row of VHS tapes that were perfectly lined up against one another, and a lot of them happened to be some of our beloved favorites.

Let's see what we got here... The Goonies, E.T., Footloose, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, The Karate Kid—Parts I and II, Top Gun, Transformers: The Movie... Huh. That's weird. I don't remember owning Poltergeist.

And that was when my brain instantly put two and two together...

Lucy... Guess I shouldn't really be that surprised—Ah-ha! There you are!

From the drawer, I fished out a physical VHS copy of Ghostbusters. A smile grew around my face.

This was possibly by far one of my favorite movies of all time, with Teen Wolf and The Return of the Jedi coming in a very close second. I always got a good kick out of Bill Murray's character, Peter Venkman. There was just something about the delivery of his dry and witty humor that always made me giggle every time. Many times, a few of my sisters and I would play pretend and reenact some of our favorite scenes as well as quote a lot of the best lines throughout the movie.

And other times, one of us would use a few small-sized white pillows around the house and then tape them around ourselves so that we could pretend like we were the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Wasting no time, I pulled out the tape from its respective case and gently pushed it inside our family VCR that rested flat on top of our TV set. After I turned on our old Zenith and pressed start, I saw that it was already at the end credits.

"Oops, forgot to rewind it," I uttered to myself, feeling silly.

Quickly, I pressed stop and hit rewind, and as I sat there on the carpeted floor, waiting for it to finish rewinding, an idea popped into my head. This would go great with a little snack. I headed over to the dining room and made a sharp left turn towards the kitchen doorway. I noticed Mom was standing beside the sink, guzzling down a brown glass of cold water. I walked straight to the fridge and opened the freezer up top. A mist of chilled air blew out at my face. Inside were four boxes of Swanson frozen dinners, a blue-colored ice cube tray, and a large plastic bag of Cedar Crest ice cream cups.

I smiled when I saw the ice cream. Perfect. I know I already had pizza and stuff, but this is just a tiny snack. It's not like I'm making a giant bowl-full of ice cream or something—which any young kid like me would normally do. I reached in and grabbed one cup and made my way back to the living room after closing the freezer.

Right when I made it back to the living room, I heard a familiar little bark from upstairs. I peered over and saw that it was only Charles, our family dog, running down the stairs, his collar jingling like a Christmas bell as he did so. Charles was a small, white-haired Pitbull Terrier with a black spot on his left eye and a black concentric circle located on his back. As to where his name had come from, we based it on Charles Schultz, the creator of Charlie Brown himself.

He trotted over to my location, the tip of his tongue just sticking out his mouth.

"Hey there, boy," I greeted happily, kneeling down to scratch him behind his floppy years. "You wanna watch some Ghostbusters with me?" He responded by standing up on his back legs and he made one graceful lick across my right cheek before making a small "Arf!"

"Hehe! Okay, buddy. Okay." I chuckled. And that was when I heard the video tape make a loud and sudden "CLICK".

A sign that the movie was ready to play now. I walked over and pressed the play button on the VCR, and then sat down over at the couch with Charles jumping up to sit right next to me. As I waited for the movie to begin, I carefully opened my ice cream cup, took the little wooden spoon from inside, and used it to scoop up some of the ice cream. Right when I stuck it inside my mouth, the ice cream dissolved almost instantly when it hit my tongue.

Mmmm... Cold and soft served. Exactly the way it should always be.

"My ice cream has a first name, it's C-E-D-A-R," I quietly sang the jingle to myself. "My ice cream has a second name, it's C-R-E-S-T!"

But right when I got myself good and comfortable, and just before the movie could open up with the iconic shot of the New York Public Library, the front door burst wide open, and in came all ten of my sisters. Dad was following closely behind them as he was holding Lily in one arm. I could tell that they went over to the mall today because of the store brand of paper and plastic bags almost every girl carried along with them. Dad must have taken them there as some sort of special treat.

"Give me that back, Lana!" Lola shouted angerly, chasing after her tomboy twin around the couch in a circle. It was like I was now watching a scene from one of the Looney Tunes shorts, where Wile E. Cayote was chasing the Road Runner.

"No way, Lola! I had it first!" Lana yelled back, holding a white paper bag in her hands.

"No, you didn't!" Lola almost screamed.

"Yes, I did!" All this craziness and excitement was starting to rile Charles up. So, he quickly jumped off from the couch, and then chased after the twins around with a giant smile on his face, his little tongue hanging loosely from one side of his muzzle.

"I wanna rock and roll all night! And party every day!" Luna sang out loud from the doorway, playing air guitar with her hands while KISS blared in her own set of headphones.

"Wow! I'm just a floss for words! Hahaha, get it?" Luan joked, holding a small plastic box of dental floss in her hands.

"Can you guys keep it down, please?! I'm literally trying to talk to Bobby here!" Lori ordered rather annoyedly, as she held her cellular phone in her left ear. The type of phone she had was a Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. Back in the 80's, these suckers were the closest thing to what we had in owning a modern-day cellphone. They were big, bulky, and also brick-shaped, bearing a strong resemblance to those World War II-era military field radios—along with the audio quality to match.

I sighed under my breath. So much for having it all to myself. I mentally said, my scrawny shoulders slumping. As the other girls were walking upstairs into their own respective bedrooms, and Dad handing Lily over to Lisa before heading over into the kitchen—no doubt going to prepare for tonight's dinner—Lynn marched right up to my location.

"Move aside, Stinkoln!" she ordered, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and flopping down on the couch right next to me. "Miss Lynn-sanity here is achin' to watch her some football today!"

"Lynn, come on!" I pleaded with her. "Can't you watch your game some other time? I just started watching Ghostbusters!"

She glanced at my direction with a slightly annoyed-looking appearance.

"Again?" she groaned before scoffing. "Lincoln, you've seen this movie almost a hundred times already."

"And it gets even better each and every time I do!" I countered her argument. "And besides, I've had a long day today at Gus', so I think I'm rightfully entitled to have some rest and relaxation! Oh, and for the record, I was here first before you were! So, would you please kindly give me the remote!" As I said this in the last part, I held my hand out to her for emphasis. She sneered at me in response.

"Oh yeah? And what's to stop me from not giving it to you right now?" she questioned, all the while flashing a smug-looking grin at me, tauntingly waving the remote in my face. I gave her a smug smile of my own to match hers. There was no way that I was going to let her have this one. It was now time to go in for the kill.

"Uh, two words; Mom and Dad" I said very clearly to her. She frowned almost instantly. I could see that as much as she wanted to argue about it, she knew that I was right. Whatever problem she was about to create, she would be in some hot water with our parents later on.

Lynn looked at me before glancing down at the remote in her own hands and then back up to face me. Clearly, she was contemplating her options. Either she surrender the remote, or get in trouble for causing a problem, that problem usually being in the form of a sibling slugfest if she did not get her own way, which I really hoped it would not come to. After what felt like forever, Lynn finally swallowed her pride and she begrudgingly relented before huffing like a grumpy bull.

"Ugh, fine, whatever," she grunted, tossing the remote down at my lap, and crossing her arms with an angry pout. I now held aloft the remote in my hand like I was holding He-Man's Power Sword. To the victor goes the spoils.

"Why, thank you, my sweet and dearest sister, who loves me very much," I mocked with a triumphant demeanor—with the additional feeling of relief washing over me. Thank goodness, no slugfest today.

"Eat my shorts," she muttered bitterly under her breath, her furrowed brows knitting closely together.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" I asked, having not quite heard what she said. In a quick flash of motion, she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into her face until we were now almost nose-to-nose.

"Eat...! My...! Shorts...!" she hissed venomously, causing my heartbeat to go up to eighty-eight miles per hour in seconds.

Right after that, she let go of me, and sat there on the couch with her arms crossed again, without uttering another word. I managed to calm down before aiming the remote at the old Zenith and turned up the volume a little bit. As we were less than five minutes into the movie, I took a quick peek to the side to look at Lynn, who still appeared to be not-too-happy. Seeing this, I made an audibly defeated sigh.

"Alright, fine. You can go ahead and watch your game on my Watchman," I gave in, ignoring what I believed was my better judgement. In a flash, Lynn smiled really happily, and she hopped off from the couch and made a break for it up the stairs like she was the Flash.

"But just remember to put it back when you're done!" I called out to her before she disappeared into the upstairs hallway. I sighed again before I rolled my eyes with a frown of my own. I swear, if she breaks it, she is totally going to me a new one later. But then, as if by magic, Lynn had suddenly appeared back on the couch, my Sony Watchman now in her hands with that same big smile on her face.

At least the both of us are now happy, I mentally admitted. And with that, the rest of the time after had thankfully gone on without another problem. But then, just when the scene where Venkman, Ray, and Egon drive up in front of the Sedgewick Hotel in their new Ecto-1 had shown up, all of my senses started to lose focus, and my whole world was slowly fading to black. I realized almost immediately that I was starting to fall asleep.

I did not know whether it was because of the amount of pizza I had eaten or how really comfortable the couch was. But regardless of those two possibilities, I tried what I believed was my best to fight it off and stay awake. But it had gone to the point where it was now too much for me to overcome. And so, after realizing the inevitable, I finally closed my eyes, leaned my head back against the couch, and allowed my brain to be transported into my own little dream world.