I do not own The Loud House. All rights belong to Nickelodeon.
Chapter 28
Flashback
"Kids, we know that it's the end of school and summer break is about to begin, but that doesn't mean you can go wild. Even on the last day, you're expected to behave. I want no more fooling around," Principal Ramirez stated.
"Yes, ma'am," everyone said.
As everyone left her office, Mrs. Johnson called, "Lincoln!"
Lincoln turned to her.
"May I have a word with you, please?" Mrs. Johnson requested.
Lincoln glanced at his friends before following their teacher. Mrs. Johnson pulled a chair next to her desk for Lincoln to sit in. For a while, the two sat there in silence. Mrs. Johnson kept her gaze on him while he awkwardly looked around nervously.
"Lincoln . . . how are things back home with your family? And be honest with me," Mrs. Johnson asked.
Lincoln started, "Oh, things are good. My family is—"
"Don't lie to me, Lincoln," Mrs. Johnson said firmly.
Lincoln's eyes widened when she said that, and they saw the serious look on her face.
"Lincoln, if there's anything, anything at all going on, I want to know," Mrs. Johnson said.
"Mrs. Johnson, I swear, my family is doing much better. Believe me, they're not doing anything harmful or neglectful to me in any way," Lincoln assured.
The red-haired teacher studied his face before leaning back in her chair, "Well, that's good to hear."
"Mrs. Johnson, do you not believe that my family is getting better?" Lincoln asked.
His teacher opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a small framed photograph. It was a picture of a redheaded girl with a blonde boy – both were around Lincoln's age. They were smiling, and both had an arm over each other's shoulder.
"Do you know who that is?" Mrs. Johnson asked.
Lincoln shook his head.
"That's Sean. He was . . . a very good friend of mine growing up. He and I were close. We did everything together. We played together, went to school together, trick r' treated together, explored the woods together . . . everything," Mrs. Johnson said.
Lincoln looked back at the photograph closely to see how happy they were. Mrs. Johnson and Sean really did look like best friends. Although Lincoln had a feeling that something had happened to him, hence the reason she said "was" a very good friend.
"That's nice. I noticed you said he was a good friend of yours. Did something happen to him?" Lincoln asked.
Mrs. Johnson grabbed her water bottle and took a long sip.
"Yes . . . something did happen – something bad. He came from a big family, just you. He had five older brothers . . . and a terrible man for a father. For the longest time, I never knew that he came from a bad home environment. Sean did a good job hiding the bruises on his back. I found out the truth of what was going on in his life too late," Mrs. Johnson explained.
Lincoln got goosebumps, and a chill ran through his spine as he waited for her to say what happened. Mrs. Johnson's eyes watered as she inhaled sharply.
"A fight at his home happened. Sean stood up for himself and made his brothers angry. They beat him with an inch of his life, breaking his arm, his ribs, broke his pelvis, and gave him a head and mouth concussion," Mrs. Johnson said.
"Oh my god," Lincoln sighed heavily while hugging his forehead.
"And it didn't end there."
Lincoln looked up at her.
"Sean developed syngenesophobia – fear of relatives. It was so bad for him that after he recovered from his injuries, he committed suicide by hanging himself," Mrs. Johnson stated.
Lincoln sighed in grievance while rubbing his eyes.
"That's terrible . . . and what happened to his family?" Lincoln asked.
"Some died of drug overdose, and the rest of them are in prison," Mrs. Johnson said before gently taking Lincoln's hands and holding them, "I cried so hard at his funeral. Since then, I haven't cried that hard again . . . until I heard the news that one of my students got hit by a car while he ran away from home because he was afraid of getting hurt by his family."
Lincoln's eyes widened.
"That's why I feel the need to ask if things are really okay for you and your family."
Lincoln gently squeezed his teacher's hands. He looked her in the eye before speaking.
"Mrs. Johnson, I promise you, my family will never do that to me, ever. They really have changed their ways. The old family that wasn't good to me is long gone. They truly feel deep guilt and remorse for their actions. Their eyes have been opened," Lincoln explained.
Mrs. Johnson studied her student's face.
Then she nodded, "Okay. I trust you, Lincoln. But if something happens, don't hesitate to call the police for help."
Lincoln nodded, "I will."
Mrs. Johnson looked down at Lincoln's hands and rubbed circles with her thumbs.
"You know, during the trial, a part of me hoped that your parents would lose. I actually considered adopting as one of my own," Mrs. Johnson said.
Lincoln raised an eyebrow with a slight smile, "Really? You would have adopted me?"
"I very much considered it. I wouldn't mind having you for a son . . . and us living together would have been real nice."
Lincoln rubbed circles with his thumbs, too. He hadn't noticed until now how lovely Mrs. Johnson's hands were – very smooth skin. Lincoln liked the idea and reality of him and Mrs. Johnson living together as mother and son. Even though Lincoln was happy and grateful that his family had improved and changed for the better, he felt terrible for the couple who would have adopted him and taken him to San Francisco.
"Yeah, that would have been nice. I would have liked that if my parents lost," Lincoln spoke.
Mrs. Johnson got up and hugged Lincoln close. He hugged her back. They talked some more, and Lincoln wanted to make sure that Lynn was going to be okay at summer school. Mrs. Johnson assured him that she'd be alright. She knew that Lynn was going through a rough time. They wished each other a happy summer.
Back home, Rita brought the news that Lynn was being prescribed antidepressants. Lincoln and the sisters weren't happy that Lynn's depression was now at a level where she needed to take those. Lynn was very skeptical as she looked at the pills.
Lynn sighed heavily, "I mean, I'm not questioning and denying science or whatever. I'm not that dumb, but . . . you know, do these things actually work? Do antidepressants actually do what they say they do? Lisa?"
"Yes, my athletic sibling unit, they do. They can be effective at reducing the symptoms of depression. This brand, in particular, is known to be quite successful. So please, Lynn, for everyone's sake, take the pills. It'll be one step closer to eliminating your depression," Lisa said.
Lynn sighed before taking the pills and drinking it down with water.
End of Flashback
Lynn had to get up early for summer school, but all her other siblings were able to sleep in. Lynn washed her face before looking at herself in the mirror, seeing her homeless self. Her look was filled with dread as she stared at her bad future self. Lynn shook her head to make herself not see that. Even when she was able to make her homeless self disappear from the mirror, she could still see the scar on the side of her temple.
"I wonder if there's a way to get rid of scars? I'll probably have to live with it," Lynn said to herself.
She took an antidepressant pill like she was supposed to. One in the morning and one in the evening.
She recited to herself again, "Lincoln is my remedy. Lincoln is my remedy. The bad futures are not going to happen. I have to believe in myself again, like Lincoln said."
As she walked into school, Lynn had a grumpy frown, but she was content knowing that she had class with Mrs. Salter. Mrs. Salter looked similar to a hippie with her yellow dress and flower bandana. She was known to be kind, gentle, and clean, smelling like fresh-cut flowers, unlike Mr. Bolhofner, who was mean, harsh, and reeked of sweat and BO. However, when Lynn entered her classroom, Mrs. Salter looked up and raised her eyebrow in confusion.
"Lynn? What are you doing here? Can I help you?" Mrs. Salter asked.
"I'm your student. This is my assigned classroom," Lynn answered while handing her a sheet.
Mrs. Salter looked at the sheet. Then she checked her computer and raised her eyebrows.
"Huh, looks like you are in my class. I thought you were in Mr. Bolhofner's class," Mrs. Salter said.
Lynn looked away innocently and shrugged. As soon as her teacher looked away, Lynn smiled and spoke under her breath, "Thank you, Lincoln and Lisa."
Summer school didn't have as many students as in regular seasons, so it was pretty quiet and empty. Even in Mrs. Salter's class, there were only four other students besides Lynn. She stayed focused on her schoolwork. At lunchtime, Mrs. Salter sat next to Lynn to check on her.
"May I sit?" Mrs. Salter asked.
Lynn shrugged, "It's a free country."
The teacher nodded and sat down, "I hear that you haven't been doing so well."
Lynn breathed a heavy sigh and nodded.
"I'm sorry you're having a rough time," Mrs. Salter said.
"Yeah, me too. I can't play sports for the school until I get my grades back up. I might be able to play for a team outside the school . . . but that's if they'll accept me," Lynn said.
"Well, here's hoping that you'll be back in sports. I'll root for you if you do."
"Thanks."
Lynn quietly ate her sandwich. Mrs. Salter moved some of her hair behind her ear, thinking what to say next.
"Lynn? Is there something that's really bothering you? Because you know that you can talk to me, right?" Mrs. Salter asked.
There was a moment of silence before Lynn spoke, "Have you ever . . . hurt someone that you love and care about, but you had no idea that you hurt or how bad you hurt them?"
Her teacher's eyes widened slightly at that. She looked away, rubbing her chin in deep thought.
"Yeah, one time," Mrs. Salter answered.
"Who?" Lynn asked.
"My younger brother, Arnold. I . . . wasn't always the nicest person. I thought I . . . knew more than others. I thought I was right all the time. My brother wanted to be a writer—a journalist. I didn't think he had what it took. I thought he wasn't good enough . . . and I told him that. I pushed him to be something else. An engineer," Mrs. Salter explained.
"Did he become that?" Lynn asked.
"For the longest time, I thought he did. After graduating high school and college, I didn't hear from him for many years. No calls. No letters. Nothing. Then, when I got engaged, I tried calling him, but he had changed his phone number. So, I went to my parents' house, and they were acting strange. It didn't take me long to figure out that they were lying about where Arnold lives. When I got them to tell me the truth and what was going on, they explained to me that Arnold didn't want to see me. I didn't believe them. So, I flew to where he lived to confront him."
Lynn had a bad feeling about the story's direction, but she was curious about how it would end.
"What happened?" Lynn asked.
"When I got to his front door, and he answered, I was angry and ranted on and on about his behavior but . . . (chokes up) then I saw little kids in his living room (sorrowful scoffs) calling him daddy . . . and I saw the wedding ring on his finger," Mrs. Salter answered.
Lynn's eyes widened, and her heart ached.
"He . . . got married and had kids . . . without me knowing. When I asked why he didn't tell me, that's when my heart really broke. He told me . . . that he didn't want me in his life because he didn't love me. That I was such a horrible person who made his life worse. Everything I did and all the things I said to him made him feel bad about himself. The truth of what I did to him and how much I hurt hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried apologizing to him, but it was already too late by then. Now . . . we don't speak," Mrs. Salter explained.
"I'm so sorry," Lynn said with a hoarse voice.
"That's when I decided to be a teacher. To help kids not only with education but also with how to be good people. That's something my school didn't teach me. I think school should at least cover some grounds on what it means to be a good person."
Lynn nodded, "I think that's true. I hurt my brother, Lincoln. Not just me but my sisters, too. He tried to run away from home because he was scared of us. It felt like our whole world shattered when we realized what we were doing to him. It makes me so angry that I did bad things to him . . . and it makes me so sad and worried that he might leave."
Mrs. Salter placed her hand on Lynn's shoulder. Lynn looked up at her with watery eyes as she gave her student a warm smile and hopeful eyes.
"You haven't lost him yet, so don't let yourself feel like he's gone," Mrs. Salter stated.
Lynn closed her eyes tight, and Mrs. Salter hugged her closely.
"It's okay, Lynn. It's okay," Mrs. Salter said comfortingly.
Lynn couldn't tell if getting used to letting it out was a good thing or not. Either way, it did get some weight off her chest.
Meanwhile
Lincoln and Rita were on their mother-and-son date. Lincoln wore his cargo pants and his orange and black tiger T-shirt. Rita dressed a little nicer, wearing a white collared shirt and red pants. They went to the mall to visit the comic book store and the bookstore. Both had a lot of questions and ideas about stories and characters—author stuff. Lincoln found some new comics to buy.
"I just don't want my story to be cliché, but it's hard to come up with original ideas," Rita said, walking while holding Lincoln's hand.
"Nowadays, almost every kind of story has been done before. So, yeah, it is hard to come up with completely original ideas. Even then, you will run into a trope no matter what you do. It just depends on whether or not you're using good or bad tropes," Lincoln said, walking next to her.
"Yeah?"
They entered the bookstore.
"One of my favorite tropes is the Wolf & Cub trope, and certain stories like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us portray that trope really well. An example of a bad trope is the Liar Reveal trope. It's been used in movies like A Bug's Life and Rango," Lincoln explained.
"Oh yeah, I remember those scenes. Yeah, that's not my favorite tropes. All the other characters or the whole town turns their back on the main character, then the main character wusses out with the whole 'what was me?' and blah blah blah. It really didn't work for A Bug's Life because why would his lying change about Hopper being afraid of birds? It doesn't!" Rita said.
"Exactly. So, Mom, like I said, it's hard to come up with something completely original, and it can be hard to make it good. Not all original ideas are good ones. What you can do to make your story different is how you tell the story or what you can do differently. Take these two books, for example," Lincoln said, handing Rita two books.
Rita examined the two books, "Outbreak and Sanctuary. The Dark Days Series by Christopher Cole?"
"Zombie stories have been told a dozen times over. However, most of them tell the story through the adult's point of view. Not many of them like these two books, which tell it through the kid's point of view. You could argue that The Last of Us sort of did it, too, but Ellie was born in the post-apocalyptic world. The main character in these two books, Sonny, grew up in it. He actually remembers what the world was like before it ended. Ellie never saw the world before it collapsed," Lincoln explained.
"Ahh, I see," Rita said, "Have you read these books?"
"Yes, Luna borrowed them from Sam and let me read them. Fair warning, they have violence, but they're really good books."
"Hmm, I'll check them out. I'm buying them. Also, you're right. There was a movie called Warm Bodies that took a zombie's point of view. So, that was interesting and different. Stories have been done before; what you do with that kind of story and how you tell it makes it different."
Lincoln nodded, "Exactly."
Rita bought those two books and another book that she was looking for. Then they got ice cream and sat on a bench near the indoor fountain.
"Oh, and by the way. That director from the art museum of the contest I won emailed me. They decided what movie they're making. They're making an animated movie that's sort of a mix between Ready Player One and The Pagemaster," Lincoln said.
Rita raised an eyebrow while eating a scoop of ice cream, "Really?"
"Yeah, the email explained that the movie, The Pagemaster, had a nice idea of going into a world of books with famous fictional characters interacting with each other, but it greatly lacked a good story, characters, and world-building. So, for this movie, they're really going all out into the world-building using past and present books. The director's name is Ernest, and he said the main character is a teenager named Colton. Ernest told me what kind of person Colton is and gave me a general idea of what they want him to look like. So, I'm drawing several different designs and seeing which one he likes the most," Lincoln explained.
Rita nodded, "That's good. Speaking of world-building, do you remember Tim Burton's The Batman?"
"Yeah," Lincoln answered while eating ice cream.
"That's a good example of visual storytelling and good world-building. Burton went the distance to give Gotham City its own identity. It's big, gothic, dark, smokey, and dripping with atmosphere. Nolan just shot it in Chicago. There are even scenes where they didn't cover up signs on stores that said Chicago. So, that's pretty lazy world-building," Rita stated.
Lincoln nodded, "I agree. Plus, to me, it feels like Nolan was leaning too much on realism while making the movie. That's fine, but when you're making a comic book movie, there's a lot that you can get away with. Take The David Steele Movie, for example. All the gadgets, weapons, fighting moves, and secret bases are beyond anything that would happen in reality. It takes Kingsman to the next level, but it's a spy movie based on a comic book series, so it's okay to go nuts with the crazy gadgets that James Bond wishes he had. And the Ace Savvy Movie. There are scenes that in any other movie people would say that would jump the shark, but they don't because it's a comic book movie. There are a lot of rules of reality that you don't have to follow, and that's what makes it awesome."
"Mmm," Rita said while eating her ice cream.
"And your book, for example, is science fiction. So, there's some stuff that you can get away with. You can have spaceships, but you don't have to describe how they work."
They talked more about stories and stuff. Lincoln spoke about his next comic book series. Lincoln was working on an antihero comic like The Punisher and Deadpool, but less R-rated with drugs, sex, swearing, and gore. Lincoln talked about how his comic would address the issue of whether killing is just or not with antiheroes vs. superheroes. Superheroes generally don't kill, while many antiheroes do. Lincoln talked about addressing the right and wrong about killing and not killing, as well as the consequences that both sides have.
The whole time Lincoln talked, Rita sat close to him. When she finished her ice cream, she had her arm around Lincoln's shoulder with her hand gently rubbing and scratching Lincoln's head. She had a warm smile and a heart full of pride. Lincoln rested his head on Rita's arm and shoulder, relishing the moment. He didn't want to ruin it, but he had questions.
"Hey, Mom, there's a movie called Fantastic Mr. Fox. I didn't see all of it, only the beginning, and there was a scene that I didn't understand. Right at the beginning, Mr. Fox asks his wife what did the doctor say, and she says nothing. Then, when they get caught in a cage trap, she reveals she's pregnant. Why did she lie?" Lincoln questioned.
Rita looked away with her eyes while thinking. Then she answered, "Pregnancy is a complicated thing, sweetie. Believe me, I know. I have eleven babies. There were probably a million things going through her head. Whether or not to have the baby, how to tell her husband, etc. Having a baby can be a wonderful thing, but it's also scary. Even in this day and age, with advanced medicine and medical methods, women can still die delivering a baby, and there's a chance the baby could die too."
"Were you scared of that happening when you were pregnant?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course, I was . . . and losing a baby, that's pretty much the worst thing that can happen in this world. If I lost any of you, I don't know if I would survive . . . that's why I'm so angry at myself that I almost lost you because it was our fault."
Lincoln held her arm, "Mom, Mom, Mom, please don't do that to yourself. We've been over this. The bad futures didn't happen, and they won't. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere."
Rita held Lincoln's hand and kissed it. Then she placed her legs over Lincoln's lap and curled closer to him. She gently rested her forehead on his.
"I know . . . it's just . . . it hurts more knowing that I almost lost you because of my stupidity. So, being a better mother is so critically important to me, and I'm really hoping Lynn will be a better father, too," Rita stated.
Lincoln gently stroked her legs over his lap and held her hand.
Rita continued, "Anyway, the decision to become a mother is not easy. So, for Mrs. Fox, I'm sure she was debating whether or not she wanted to be a mother and whether or not her husband would want to be a father if she told him she was pregnant."
Lincoln nodded, "That makes sense, and I'm sure she was wondering whether or not her husband would give his life of crime as a thief to be a father. We should watch that movie because I'm curious what decision he makes."
"You said it's called Fantastic Mr. Fox, right?"
"Yeah, it's a stop-motion animated movie. George Clooney does the voice of Mr. Fox."
"Oh, now I really want to watch it."
"Speaking of things to watch, I found something to watch with Dad. Since he's a cook and likes food, I thought we'd watch History's Food That Built America. Clyde showed me. It's a documentary about how some of the most iconic food brands, like Coca-Cola, Hershey's, McDonald's, Krispy Kreme, cereal brands, beer brands, and others, were made. It goes into how they all started," Lincoln explained.
Rita raised her eyebrows with half-closed eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I think your father will like that. That'll be a good way to start bonding."
"Also, speaking of mothers, and before I ask this, I understand if you don't want to talk about it, I wanted to ask something. Back at the art museum when you and Pop-Pop were arguing . . . what did you mean by you weren't perfect like your mom?" Lincoln asked.
Rita looked away while deeply inhaling and exhaling a heavy sigh. Lincoln felt regret asking that question.
"I'm sorry. We don't have to talk about it," Lincoln said, taking it back.
"No, no, sweetie. It's fine. It's okay to ask. I'm just trying to figure out how to describe it," Rita replied, scratching her head, "I grew up in the 80s and 90s. Those times were a little wild and . . . dumb. I was a bit of a rebel. I hit all the phases. Rock music, techno music, boomboxes, cassette tapes, dance raves, baggy pants, hair spray, parties, and other dumb stuff that my dad didn't like. My mother was the 'ideal' woman that my father thought I should be. 'I wish you were more like your mother, ' my dad would say. (scoffs) Christ, he said that all the time whenever I got in trouble . . . and I hated that. So, let's just say that your grandfather and I don't always see eye-to-eye on things," Rita explained.
"That bad?" Lincoln asked.
"Well . . . he didn't exactly give me and your father his blessings at our wedding."
Lincoln's eyes widened, "Really? He was against your wedding."
"He wasn't exactly against it, but he wasn't that supportive either. God, you should have seen how he looked at your father the first time he met him. He looked at him like he was a sleazy tool . . . and to be honest, based on what you've shown me with your visions, I'm wondering if he was right."
Lincoln sighed while adjusting himself on the bench, "Dad's a lot of things, some of them bad, but he is capable of change. Give it time; he will be better. In fact, not just better but a life-saving hero."
Rita stroked and rubbed Lincoln's head, gliding her fingers through his snow-white hair.
"I don't regret having you and your sisters with him. I just wish he was a better man. You know . . . more like you, Lincoln," Rita said.
"You know what you need to do, Mom? You need to do what Clyde told Lynn during their first therapy session, which is also what Zipporah's father told Moses in The Prince of Egypt," Lincoln said.
Rita squinted her eyes and brought her eyebrows together in confusion, "Which is what?"
"He said he should look at his life through Heaven's eyes, which means to look at yourself and your life through a worldly view. But I think you should see not just yourself but also others like Dad in a worldly view. Don't just see the bad in him. See all of him, including the good as well. I know that's hard to do with the visions I showed you and what he's done in the past, but try to see the man you fell in love with and married," Lincoln explained.
"I hear what you're saying, Lincoln. He will always be your father, and I believe you when you say he'll be better. I just wish he was better from the start . . . and I wish your sisters and I were better from the start, too. Then maybe none of these terrible things would have happened. Lincoln, when you're a parent, your job is to protect and care for your children. It hurts that something bad happens to them by accident or by total strangers, but it's a whole lot worse when it's your fault or your family's fault for hurting them," Rita replied.
Lincoln's face slowly turned sad when she said that. He held his mother's hand, which rested on her thigh, and she rested her legs over his lap.
Rita caught Lincoln's sad expression and said, "These feelings are temporary. I just need to quietly rage and let myself feel these feelings so they can go away. Then all my children will be my favorite and not just you."
"Sometimes you have to let it out so you can let it go," Lincoln agreed.
"In your visions, you saw you and Stella get married, right?"
"Yeah, and Stella's pretty excited and serious about our future together. She wants to be a general surgeon . . . and she's looking forward to us living together out west and raising a family together. I'm excited, too."
"When we get back to the car, can you show me the light orb of your wedding and your children?" Rita requested.
Lincoln nodded. When they returned to the van in the parking lot and made sure they were alone, Lincoln summoned a light orb and gave it to his mother. Rita's eyes glistened, and she had a joyful smile as she looked at Lincoln's wedding and saw his future self and Stella interacting with their three children. She had one hand slightly covering her mouth as she softly gasped.
"Oh, Lincoln, your children are beautiful. They're angels," Rita breathed.
Lincoln's eyes glistened, and he smiled, "Yeah, they are."
"And Stella's dress . . . it's gorgeous."
"Leni made it. In the future, she and Lori try to talk her into a mermaid-style wedding dress. Stella tries it but doesn't like how it presses her thighs tightly together. Lola, of course, tries to get her in a ball gown-style wedding dress. Stella prefers an A-line-style wedding dress. Something where she looks hot but can still dance. I really like how Leni designed the sleeves and the bust of the dress to have white roses."
"Hmm," Rita hummed while gliding her fingers through her son's hair and glanced back at the light orb, "You look so handsome in that suit . . . but I wanted to ask. You're going to wear a three-piece suit with a necktie and not a tuxedo with a bowtie?"
Lincoln shook his head, "No, they're nice, but . . . I don't know. Something about a really nice three-piece suit with a shiny vest really appeals to me more for a wedding. Also, tuxedos are nice, but I'm not a fan of bowties. They're fine for David Steele on his missions . . . and for fundraisers and all."
Rita softly chuckled, "Well, you still look amazing anyway. The necktie looks good with the flower."
Later
Rita and Lincoln picked Lynn up from school and drove her to the soccer practice. Lynn was nervous as she kept a tight grip on Lincoln's hand the whole way there. When they arrived, she felt a small relief seeing her friends Paula, Margo, and Maddie. They were in the field practicing, but when they saw Lynn, they came over and greeted her with a group hug. All three had warm smiles.
"Lynn, you came!" Paula said.
"You're really here," Margo said.
"Yeah, here I am. I just hope we can convince Coach to let me join the team," Lynn said.
"Don't sweat it, Lynn. Just show Coach Summers what you got. If she sees that you got skill, she'll let you in," Maddie said.
Coach Summers was a strong brunette with her hair tied in a bun with wavy bangs out. She wasn't the type to be easily impressed or the kind to smile often. Lincoln tapped Lynn's shoulder with a smile and a nod as they walked over to Coach Summers.
"Let's go, Tigers! Hustle, hustle, hustle! Knees up!" Coach Summers hollered.
"Coach Summers," Lincoln called.
Coach Summers turned and raised an eyebrow when she saw Lincoln.
"Lincoln Loud? What brings the Hero of Royal Woods to the neck of my woods?" Coach Summers asked.
"You have quite the team here, and I heard good things about you. So, I'm here to present someone who would be a valuable addition to your team," Lincoln said before pointing to his sister.
Coach Summers looked at Lynn. The athletic sibling stood up straight and puffed her chest to look confident. The coach scanned her head to toe while keeping a blank face.
"No," Coach Summers answered flatly.
Lynn gasped and grew nervous as her pupils shrank to tiny dots and her heart rate quickened.
Lincoln reached out, "Coach Summers, wait—!"
"I'm not looking for players who can't control their temper. Soccer is a team sport, meaning players have to work together as a team. There's no 'I' in the team. Your sister's a front-runner. She plays for herself. She's not a team player," Coach Summers stated, returning her attention to the Tigers.
Those words left a hole in Lynn's chest, making her feel heavy with dread.
"Yes, she is!" Margo declared.
Coach Summers turned around with a raised eyebrow to see Margo, Paula, and Maddie stay by Lynn.
"Lynn may have liked the victory spotlight in the past, but she's a team player. She's not a one-person team," Paula said.
"If you give her a chance, she'll show you. We vouch for her!" Maddie said.
Lynn felt touched by her friends standing by her, making the dread feel much less harmful.
Lynn inhaled sharply and stepped forward, "Coach, give me a chance to show you I got what it takes . . . that I'm a team player."
Rita approached Coach Summers, "Coach, I know that my daughter is known to be bit of a wild card, but she is a good player. She's going through a rough time, and playing sports again will help her be herself again. So, we're humbly asking for a chance."
"You got nothing to lose, Coach," Lincoln said.
Coach Summers rolled her eyes with a sigh, "Fine. Girls, show Lynn what we do."
"Got it!" Margo said before pulling Lynn's arm.
They ran out onto the field, and the girls explained to Lynn that they would pass the ball back and forth to each other before kicking to score a goal. Lynn was familiar with this because she'd done it before. She took several deep breaths to keep her cool. Then she ran and passed the ball to one of her teammates. Margo kicked the ball to Lynn, and it bounced high. Lynn stopped the ball with her chest, tapped it with her foot, and then headbutted it to Paula. She passed it to Maddie, and she scored a goal. They did this four more times, and Lynn scored a goal in the last one. The other Tigers clapped and cheered, but Coach Summers didn't look pleased.
"Well?" Rita asked, looking at the coach with her arms crossed.
"She's okay, but not great. I'm not looking for okay players. I want good ones. Plus, her kick's a little off," Coach Summers remarked.
Lynn and her friends frowned at that while Lincoln hummed in deep thought. Then Lincoln's eyes widened with a smile, and he snapped his fingers. Lincoln picked up some orange cones and a bag of soccer balls before entering the field. He handed Margo the bag of soccer balls and then walked over into the goalie's box.
"What's he doing?" Coach Summers asked.
Rita shrugged, "I don't know."
Lincoln put a cone on top of his head and pointed toward it.
"He wants you to knock over the cone on his head with a soccer ball," Paula said.
Lynn shook her head and called, "No way! I could hit you in the face, Lincoln!"
Lincoln held his hands up before placing them behind his back and closed his eyes with a smile. Lynn's eyes widened.
"Is he that sure you won't hit him?" Maddie questioned.
"He must be. He doesn't think Lynn's going to hit him at all. Look at him smiling," Margo pointed out.
Lynn thought, 'He must have seen it in his visions. He knows I won't hit him because he's seen the outcome. If he's seen it and isn't worried, then I got nothing to worry about.'
Lynn smiled confidently as all worry within vanished.
"Margo! Give me a ball," Lynn said.
Margo rolled Lynn a ball, and she kicked it. The ball flew in the air at high speed. All the while, Lincoln kept his eyes closed and his smile up. Rita was so nervous she cringed as she bit her lower lip and hugged her arms. Even Coach Summers' eyes were wide as she watched the ball fly toward Lincoln. To everyone's surprise except Lincoln and Lynn, the ball knocked the cone off the boy's head and went into the goal net.
The Tigers gasped, their jaws dropping and their pupils shrinking into tiny dots. Lincoln walked to a different area of the goalie box and put another cone on his head, still keeping his eyes closed. Margo rolled another ball, and Lynn kicked it, knocking the cone down and the ball into the net. Lincoln walked back and forth for the next four cones, making himself a moving target. That made no difference as Lynn knocked each cone off his head. Two of the kicks made the ball fly at a curve; one was a straight toe kick, and for the last one, Lynn did some tricks, kneeing the ball, butting it on her head, and then finally, she jumped up high and kicked the ball in the air. The ball soared in the air and hit the cone clean off Lincoln's head and into the goalie's net.
The Tigers, Rita, and the coach were even more amazed. The Tigers cheered Lynn and chanted her name. A few of the Tigers ran over to Coach Summers to urge and beg her to take Lynn on their team.
"She is SO soccer team material!" a Tiger member said.
"Come on, Coach. We gotta have her!" another Tiger member said.
"With someone like her on the team, we're sure to win the state championship!" a Tiger member stated.
Coach Summers glanced back at Lynn and waved her over. Lynn glanced at her friends before jogging over.
"Alright, Loud, you're in. But!" Coach Summers said firmly, getting her attention, "You're on our team. That means you will be a team player. You will listen. You will work and train hard. And you will keep yourself under control. I don't want you going nuts like what happened with that crazy old lady with the big mouth."
"I promise, Coach. I won't let you down . . . or the Tigers down. I'll be a team player," Lynn assured.
"Good. Margo! Paula! Maddie! Run Lynn through the drills. Show her how we practice. Let's go! Hustle!" Coach Summers hollered.
Lynn ran with her three friends and practiced soccer with them. As predicted, she fit right in. One of the assistant coaches gave Rita some papers to fill out and an inventory list of what she'll need regarding sports gear. It was getting dark by the time practice was over, and Lynn had worked up a good sweat. She and her friends group-hugged. She felt good about herself for the first time in a long while.
"How are you feeling, Lynn?" Lincoln asked as they walked back to the van.
"Good. It feels great being part of a team again. Thanks for supporting me. That cone idea was a stroke of genius! Oh, it's a good thing you have future vision powers. I knew, I just knew that you wouldn't close your eyes unless you saw the future and knew what was going to happen," Lynn said.
"Yeah, not gonna lie, I was biting my lip when you kicked the ball. I was terrified that it would hit Lincoln, but he saw it coming, so we had nothing to worry about," Rita smiled.
"Actually, I didn't use my future visions," Lincoln admitted.
Lynn and Rita stopped dead in their tracks with their eyes wide open. After a long pause, Lynn dashed before Lincoln and held him by his shoulders.
"You didn't use your powers?!" Lynn asked.
"Nope. Not a peek," Lincoln answered.
"How the frigging heck did you know I wasn't going to kick a ball square in your face and bust your teeth?!" Lynn questioned desperately while shaking Lincoln.
Lincoln smiled and held her hands, "Simple, I did what any brother would do for his sister."
Lynn and Rita waited for his answer as he left a pause for effect.
"I trusted you," Lincoln answered.
"That's it?! That's all you did?!" Lynn asked.
"Yeeeeuuupp. That's all I did, and if I can trust you not to hurt me, what does that tell ya?"
Lynn stood there with a dumbfounded look, realizing what just happened. Lincoln didn't use his powers . . . because he didn't need them. He trusts her completely. Lincoln had nothing to fear from her at all. If he trusts her this much, then surely she can trust herself. The more Lynn thought about it, the more it made her feel better. She felt weak to the knees, and Lincoln caught her in his arms.
"Wow . . . I actually need a minute to let what just happened waft over me," Lynn said.
Lincoln picked her up and continued walking to the van, "As we said earlier, Lynn, you need to believe in yourself. Which also means you need to trust yourself. I do, and now you know it. Don't overthink it, and don't worry."
After several long blinks, Lynn asked, "Will you ever cease to amaze me, Lincoln?"
Lincoln put her in the van and shrugged. With that, they drove home. Lynn held her brother's hand the whole way, feeling a sense of relief and happiness.
Author's Note: By the way, those two zombie books mentioned in this chapter are real and can be found on Amazon and Goodreads. If you like zombies, check them out and you won't be disappointed.
