Lincoln: "This really isn't necessary, I'm fine."
Lincoln is sitting on the medical table wearing a blue hospital gown as Maria gives him a checkup.
Maria: Gives him a small glare "It's your own fault for not going to the hospital for a checkup. Who knows what could have happened? Your growth could've had a negative effect on your body!"
Pop-Pop: Nods as he looks at his grandson "She's right, Lincoln. This was a very serious matter. From what I've picked up, your growth is usually fatal. Am I right, Mrs. Santiago?"
Maria: "Please, call me Maria. And you're sadly right. What Lincoln went through was extremely rare and fatal. It's a miracle he survived it."
That causes many to worry—especially those who care for him—as his friends and family feel a cold chill pass through them.
Lucy: Her hands shake slightly (Lincoln was so close to dying… screaming in agony… and yet we were all sleeping comfortably in bed.)
Safe to say, that thought passed through the rest of his sisters' minds. Their brains were forcing them to replay the scene—and they weren't the only ones.
Phantom: Narrows his eyes "Yes… and yet somehow his entire family just slept through his bloodcurdling screams."
Lynn: Glares angrily "Hey! No need to make us feel worse. We're upset that we didn't wake up, okay?"
Watcher: Cold tone "Though it's kind of funny in a way—you'd all wake up if he stubbed his toe, and yet his screams of unimaginable pain didn't even make you stir."
The Louds flinched at that, feeling guilt and regret.
Lincoln: "Okay, that's enough. I don't blame them for that. Heck, I never even thought about it. So can you lay off? They were asleep. It's not like they intentionally ignored it."
Everyone in the theater exchanged looks. Whether they trusted each other or not, they silently came to an agreement.
Carlos: "Hmm. I think I can speak for everyone here and say that we'll begrudgingly let this one slide."
Phantom crossed his arms and grumbled, though he said nothing—despite really wanting to.
Carlos: "But we've already watched five of these viewings—four of them had your sisters in them."
Dana: Picking up where Carlos left off "And none of them were good. It's making a lot of us wonder what your family is really like behind closed doors."
Rita: "I know these viewings haven't really shown our family in a kind light."
Phantom scoffed at the understatement. Watcher wanted to, too, but stayed neutral and stuck to the facts.
Rita: "But it's still only the first few that have been shown. Every family has their ups and downs. So please, let's just keep watching. I'm sure you'll see our better side soon."
Watcher's eye twitched ever so slightly—he knew what was coming. He kept his expression neutral, but Phantom caught the twitch and felt his dislike for the Louds grow.
There was some muttered discussion, but ultimately, the group agreed to give them a fair chance.
Luna: Whispers to her sisters "Things aren't looking too hot for us, dudes."
Leni: Tilts her head "Well, I think the AC is on. Are you too cold?"
They facepalmed.
Lisa: "No, Leni. It means our situation is bad. Almost everyone doesn't like us."
Leni: Looks surprised "They don't like us?!"
Lori: "No, they don't. But like Mom said, it's only the first few, so things should be looking up soon."
Lucy: "I doubt it."
Lana: "Why's that?"
Lucy: "Because I've begun to see how we treat him. And it's… not good."
Lynn: "You're overreacting, Lucy. We're great sisters."
Lana: "A-actually… I see Lucy's point."
Lucy smiled, glad to see Lana noticed, too. The rest looked at the little grease monkey in disbelief.
Lola: "You're kidding me, right?"
Lana started to shrink into herself, but Lucy did what Lincoln would do for her—she stepped up.
Lucy: "Think about it. The only reason you all agreed to sit through the viewings was to find dirt on him. Either something embarrassing or something that would get him in trouble."
Most of them were in denial. Sure, if it was something embarrassing, they'd have laughed… but Lisa pieced it together.
Lisa: As her sisters continued to talk, she slapped her forehead in realization (By all that is science… we're screwed.)
Everyone's attention shifted back to Lincoln as he spoke.
Lincoln: "Are we done?"
Maria: After writing a few more notes "For now. I'll be giving you regular checkups—and no, this is not up for debate."
Lincoln closed his mouth just as he was about to argue. He sighed and stood up. But when he turned to grab his clothes from the table, he heard gasps, cries of surprise, and wolf whistles.
Lincoln: Turns back around "What's wrong?"
He sees many flushed faces. Some people are covering their own eyes—or the eyes of the younger kids. Ronnie Anne and Haiku have red faces and their mouths hang open. Sid's blushing too, peeking through her fingers.
The Hex Girls look away with blushes of their own, avoiding eye contact. The Ghouls on the monsters' side are flustered. Phantasma is a deep blue, Sibella a dark purple as she covers Tanis's eyes.
Winnie saw—but her father quickly covered her eyes. Not before she saw Phantasma and Sibella's faces, which she found hilarious.
Elsa looked away as Tsuki let out a long whistle.
His family wasn't any better. Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, and Lynn covered the younger girls' eyes. Luan and Lynn were snickering.
Lincoln: "Seriously, what's the matter?"
Watcher: Trying hard not to laugh "Lincoln… you're wearing a hospital gown. The kind that doesn't cover your butt."
Lincoln blinked. It took a moment to sink in—then his face went red with embarrassment as he placed his hands over his backside.
Lincoln: "E-everyone saw?"
Becky: Wolf whistles "Yep. And I must say, that's the ass of Royal Woods."
Lori / Lincoln / Watcher: "BECKY!"
Everyone looked at Watcher.
Lincoln: Raises an eyebrow "Why are you shouting Becky?"
Watcher: Smiling "Because she was so close to saying something one of your heroic counterparts was told constantly."
Clyde: Perks up "What was it?"
Watcher: Salutes "They called his ass… America's Ass."
Several people did spit-takes.
Watcher: "Or the Ass of Vale, when it's realities with different named places."
Milly: "So Vale is a country?"
Watcher: "A kingdom, really."
Carlota: "But why the salute?"
Watcher: "In the American version, people actually saluted his ass. It was a running gag for some."
Luna: "Some? So there were people who actually saluted my brother's butt?"
Watcher: "Yep. Though mostly the women."
Becky: Thinking "America's Ass, huh? Sounds perfect."
Lincoln: Goes behind a curtain to get changed "No, it's not! So can we please change the subject?"
Watcher: "Hey, be grateful they didn't see the front. At least I don't have to clean up any nosebleeds yet."
Lincoln: "What do you mean yet?"
Everyone stared at Watcher as a sudden thought occurred to them.
Dracula: Glares at Watcher and steps forward "If these viewings will show our children in an inappropriate manner, I'll—"
Watcher: Cuts him off "Relax. It won't show anything. The angles keep everyone's modesty. I also have a filter in place to censor anything."
Dracula went silent. The parents were pleased to hear that.
Milly: "And yet… there's some type of catch, right?"
Watcher: Nervous laugh "Yeah, well… the only exception is the targeted subject being Lincoln."
Lincoln felt a chill run down his spine as his face burned red.
Lincoln: "It's not going to show me taking a bath or something… right?"
Watcher: Ignores him "Let's take our seats for the next viewing."
Lincoln: Blushes harder "RIGHT!?"
Watcher just floated away as many gave Lincoln sympathetic looks. But sadly, they all had one guilty thought:
(At least it's not me.)
As everyone took their seats, Lincoln grumbled in his own. His face was still red as the lights dimmed and the screen turned back on.
(No POV)
Lincoln was stunned silent. He'd heard of the Hex Girls before — they were a famous band currently on tour. His sisters Lori, Leni, Luna, and Lucy were fans, as well as many of their friends.
"Haha, wow," Luna (H) laughed. "You look so shocked I'm surprised you didn't recognize us. Usually, we can't go out without being in disguise — otherwise we get surrounded by fans."
Thorn and Dusk nodded.
"Yeah, we like the attention, sure," Dusk added, "but we also want to be able to go out without being swarmed. That's why we almost always leave early — to get some peace."
Sid winced. "Yeah… the fame might be great and all, but that sounds so annoying."
Dusk sighed. "It is. We love our fans, but we also need space to just relax."
"I can see what you mean. It must be hard being famous," Lincoln said, starting to understand their perspective.
"Like you wouldn't believe," Thorn agreed, then looked at him with a smile. "You know, it's nice being able to talk like this with someone else. It's… really nice."
She blushed slightly — it was the first time she could talk to someone like this, and she genuinely liked it.
Thorn groaned, embarrassed by how the moment was being perceived. People giggled or exchanged strange looks — except for one.
Lincoln tilted his head. "What's wrong with it? You girls are just happy to have someone outside your group to talk to casually. I don't see the problem."
Just like that, Thorn felt both grateful and disappointed — grateful for his kindness, disappointed at how dense he was. Everyone turned to him.
Carlotta raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Señor… do you really not notice!?"
Lincoln: "Notice what?"
Carlotta was about to tell him, but Watcher raised a hand to stop her.
"He has to figure it out himself. Trust me — I know it hurts, but it's for the best."
Carlotta slumped in her seat as everyone turned back to the screen.
Lincoln blinked. "Figure what out?"
They ignored him.
"Everyone needs someone to talk to. It helps you get a lot off your chest," Lincoln continued, thinking back to all the times Clyde had been there for him.
He smiled, thankful to have a best friend who always had his back.
Harold wiped a tear. "Oh, I'm so proud of our little boy, Howie."
Howard nodded. "I know. We raised such a kindhearted boy."
The McBrides shared a hug with Clyde in the middle, smiling up at his dads. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't proud to be the person Lincoln depended on.
Soon they arrived at the mall. After the Hex Girls disguised themselves, they entered. The girls immediately started pulling Lincoln from one store to another. He didn't mind — he was used to it.
For the Hex Girls, this was one of the few times they could shop freely, and with someone to hang out with — so they got a little too enthusiastic.
All the married men in the room gave sympathetic looks.
Wolfman winced. "Poor boy."
Dracula quietly remembered all the shopping trips with his wives and nodded in empathy.
The Hex Girls looked slightly embarrassed.
Luna(H): "Maybe we overdid it a bit."
Dusk: "Yeah… we were practically dragging him."
Lincoln smiled. "It's fine. You three were excited, and I'm used to it. No big deal."
Thorn: "But—"
Lincoln: "Nope. No buts. I said it's fine, and it is fine. Besides, I had a great time."
He smiled again, making the girls blush — they were just happy he had fun.
Haiku and Ronnie Anne glared at the band. Sibella and Phantasma were more discreet — only a single werewolf girl noticed and tried not to laugh.
Miss Grimwood sighed. "This brings back memories of Albert's own troublesome charm."
Mummy rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Funny to think back on, but seeing Albert's grandson be the same way gives me a headache."
Pop-Pop: "I couldn't have been that bad."
Frankenteen: "You got kidnapped by a siren and didn't even notice."
Pop-Pop whistled innocently as Gram-Gram patted his hand, stifling her laughter.
At the clothing store, it turned into a mini fashion show. The girls became passionate about having Lincoln try on outfits and snapped tons of pictures.
"Man, they're really into this," Lincoln thought as he stepped out in his fifth outfit — a black tuxedo, orange tie, and polished black shoes.
Carol: (light blush) "Wow… Link looks really good in a suit."
Becky: (purring) "You can say that again."
Dana turned to the Hex Girls. "Do you still have the pictures?"
Thorn, nervous: "Um… yeah."
Becky: "Send me everything."
Lori: "Becky!"
Lincoln shrugged. "I don't mind."
Becky grinned. "See? I got the green light!"
Lori: "His say doesn't count! He doesn't know what's happening!"
Lincoln: (crosses arms, muttering) "Rude…"
Even Watcher begrudgingly agreed with Lori on this one.
After many outfits and photos, Lincoln went to change into the one he picked. Meanwhile, the girls reviewed the pictures.
"Oh my gosh, look at him in this one!" Dusk said, showing a photo of Lincoln in white pants, an orange shirt, and matching shoes.
"Ooh, send me that," Luna(H) said, showing one of him in a blue suit with a black undershirt and thin rectangular glasses.
Sid: (blushing) "Wow… he pulls off the cute nerd look so well."
Frida: "Actually, that's the hot scholar look."
Carlos: "And how would you know that?"
Frida: "I help Carlotta with fashion… and I've got my own hot scholar."
They shared a quick kiss.
"He does look cute in glasses, but I got you all beat," Thorn smirked, showing a picture of Lincoln in black swim trunks with orange lining, shirtless under an open gray hoodie — his toned abs clearly visible.
The reaction was instant.
Ronnie Anne froze. Haiku moved her hair to reveal both eyes, mouth hanging open. Mazzy nearly fell out of her seat. Sam covered her face but peeked through her fingers. Sibella turned a deep shade of purple, Phantasma floated aimlessly, and Gila blushed so hard she fainted.
Carol and Dana desperately tried to focus on anything else — but then—
Becky: "I need that picture ASAP!"
Lori: "Becky, I swear—"
Becky: "No, I swear. I swear to those abs."
Sid: "Same here. You could grate cheese on those!"
They shared a look of mutual respect and admiration.
Leni: (completely oblivious) "Those look totes good on you, Linky!"
Lincoln: "Thanks, Leni."
Lynn tried not to feel jealous. Despite all her training, Lincoln somehow had that physique — even before working out.
Lana: "Whoa… I bet Link could help me wrestle alligators!"
People chuckled, assuming it was a little kid's imagination. No sane adult would let a six-year-old wrestle alligators… right?
Watcher overheard and silently wondered how they'd handle the actual alligator massacre. Shaking off the thought, he dumped water on Gila to wake her up.
Watcher: (snaps fingers) "Okay, we get it — he's hot. Moving on!"
Eyes quickly turned away as the picture vanished.
"WHEN WAS THIS?!" Dusk and Luna(H) demanded, blushing furiously.
"When you girls went to grab more clothes," Thorn admitted. "We grabbed these by accident… but he still tried them on — no embarrassment."
Luna(H): "Man, for someone so young, he's got a nice physique."
They all nodded. They thought back to when he fixed their van — the way his arms flexed, how casual he was even after realizing who they were… and, of course, that smile.
People in the room turned to Lincoln, waiting for a reaction.
Lincoln: (noticing the stares) "What?"
Luna shook her head. "Bro… really?"
The disappointment was palpable.
Just then, Thorn got a message from their manager, Gus Boggs, reminding them about rehearsal.
"Well girls, looks like we gotta wrap this up. We've got rehearsal soon," Thorn said.
"Aww, really? But I wanted to spend more time with Lincoln…" Dusk pouted.
"I do too, but we still have to practice," Thorn reminded her.
"I'm sure you girls will be great," Lincoln said, walking up in his new outfit.
"That's sweet of you to say, Lin—" Luna(H) began, but froze mid-sentence as she looked at him — her cheeks flushing again.
Luna(H): (groaning, covers face) "Oh no…"
"Ba-ba-ba…" she stammered.
Dusk: "Luna, you good?"
Thorn and Dusk turned — and when they saw Lincoln, they reacted exactly the same way.
Thorn: Begging "Please don't."
Dusk: Whining "No."
"Ba ba ba…" they stammered in unison.
Lincoln's new outfit consisted of a black leather jacket with a black fur collar and an orange V-neck shirt underneath. He wore dark blue jeans, black shoes, and had a silver chain attached to his pants.
"Huh… this outfit fits me pretty well. Must be some of Red's characteristics rubbing off on me," Lincoln thought. Even though this style was closer to Red's than his own, it felt strangely natural.
The Hex Girls were embarrassed, each burying their face in their hands, not wanting to relive the moment.
Luan: Noticing the similarity "I guess that explains the fashion sense."
Lola: "Still, he looks like a gang leader."
Lucy: "That's what I thought at first too."
Carlino: "I say he looks cool."
Carlos Jr.: "Yeah, I wish I had a jacket like that."
Carlotta: "Ohh! I can take you shopping for one!"
Carlotta had never had the chance to take her little brother shopping, so she was excited for their first trip together. Carlos Jr. smiled at her.
What he didn't realize was that Lincoln was attracting a lot of attention—especially from the female population.
Luna (H): Blushing slightly "W-wow, you look amazing…" She hadn't expected him to wear something like that, but it suited him perfectly.
Lincoln: "You think so?"
Luna (H): "Yes… and I just have to ask… are you a secret child model or something?"
Even those nearby seemed to lean in, probably wondering the same thing.
Lynn Sr.: Touching up his hair "Well, he had to get his good looks from someone in the family."
Rita: Leaning in to kiss his cheek "Oh, I couldn't agree more."
Watcher: Rolling his eyes "Yeah, Albert's genes really came in clutch."
The immature part of the audience laughed as Lynn Sr. practically deflated, while Rita shot Watcher a sharp glare.
Rita: "That wasn't very nice to say!"
Watcher: Eyes glowing "DoEs It LoOk LiKe I cArE?"
That shut her up fast. A chill went through the room as everyone remembered—he was a god, and he had a distinct distaste for the Louds.
Which raised the question—why did he hate them so much?
Lincoln: Laughing "Haha… a model? No, I'm not. But that's nice of you to say."
The Hex Girls' blush deepened upon hearing his laugh.
Phantasma: Blushing again "He's got such a nice laugh."
Winnie: Barely holding back her own laugh "Yeah… maybe try to make him laugh when you meet him. Like, if it shows in the viewing, I mean."
Phantasma: Half-listening, too focused on his laugh "Huh? Oh yeah, sure."
Lincoln: "Well, since you girls have to get going, let me pay for this quickly so I don't hold up any more of your time."
Dusk: "We could help. I mean, we did go overboard…"
Maria: "It does look like a lot."
Carlino: Not realizing how expensive clothes can be "I'm sure it's fine, Tiá."
Lincoln: "It's fine. I came here today planning to buy new clothes—you girls just made it easier."
Lincoln: Turning to the nearest employee "How much is all this?"
The employee came over, pulled a small scanner from her hip, and scanned the tags.
Employee: "All of this totals to $2,759.89—plus tax."
A visible flinch rippled through the crowd.
Ronnie Anne: "Still think it's fine, Carlino?"
Carlino said nothing and quietly decided to cherish and respect the clothes his parents gave him from now on.
The Hex Girls flinched too.
Thorn: "Look, Lincoln, we can help—"
Before she could finish, Lincoln pulled out a sleek black-and-gold debit card and swiped it. The terminal beeped, and the employee's eyes widened.
Employee: "Please let us help pack this up, sir!"
Other employees began assisting without being asked. Lincoln thanked them and turned back to the Hex Girls.
Lola: Grinding her teeth "That should be me—uh—I mean us paying like that."
Lori: "And they've never treated us like that before."
Most of the Loud Sisters—except Lucy, Lana, and Lisa—started voicing their disapproval, drawing annoyed looks from bystanders.
Watcher: "That's why Lincoln has it and you don't. He bought what he needed, and left. You Loud sisters? You'd have bought on a whim."
They were about to argue—until one look from Watcher silenced them.
Watcher: "As for how the employees treated him—he didn't ask, demand, or expect it. They did it willingly. Plus, he's far nicer and less destructive than the rest of your family. And before you deny it—how many places have you been banned from?"
The Loud Sisters went silent, recalling their long, long list of bans.
Lincoln: "Like I said—it's fine."
Luna (H): "But—"
Lincoln: "It's fine."
He pulled out his new phone—a gift from Green. It was sleek, solid black, and according to the note, was more advanced than anything on the market. It was self-upgrading.
A horrible grinding sound rang out. Everyone turned to see Lori—gritting her teeth in envy. That phone would always be the best… and she'd never own one.
Lori: "Why do you get a phone like that!?"
Lincoln: Holding it up "Because it was a gift. I didn't ask for it… but I love it."
Lisa: Intrigued "Fascinating… how does the self-upgrading work?"
Watcher: "It's not just software—it fully upgrades its own hardware too. And it can self-repair."
Milly looked closely. To her, it was still primitive Earth tech—but self-upgrading was worth studying.
Milly: "Earthling, I formally request to examine your communication device."
Lincoln: Turning to the little alien for the first time "Oh sure—but it'll have to wait until the viewing is over."
Milly nodded and turned back. Those who knew her were surprised.
Winnie: Whispering to Elsa "Did she just… ask nicely?"
Elsa: Whispering back "I think?"
They both gave her curious looks before turning back to the screen.
Lincoln: "Hmm, I have to get going—meeting my little sister at a café her friend recommended."
Thorn: "Then let us at least give you a lift."
Lincoln: "No, it's fine. I don't want to trouble you girls—"
Before he could finish, Dusk and Luna (H) each took one of his arms, blushing slightly as they led him out.
Thorn: "Sorry, but we insist—it's the least we can do for showing us a good time." She grabbed the bags.
As they exited the store, Lincoln was getting plenty of looks from both respect and envy—but he didn't notice any of it.
Lincoln: Thinking "Man, even with my heightened intelligence… I still can't understand girls."
Bobby: "Little Loud… normally I'd agree, but this one's kind of obvious."
Lincoln: "What is?"
Watcher gave Bobby a look, and he backed off.
Bobby: "Nothing. Nevermind."
Carlino: "You see all the looks he's getting?"
Clyde: Turning to Lincoln "How did you handle it? I'd have curled into a ball."
Lincoln: Shrugging "I just don't understand why they were looking at me like that."
Frida: "Seriously?"
Lincoln: "Yep."
Everyone groaned or facepalmed.
Tsuki: Looking at Watcher "Do we have to let him be?"
Watcher: "Yes. Believe me—I want to tell him too. But he needs to figure it out on his own."
The audience groaned again before turning back to the screen—leaving a very confused Lincoln behind, still wondering what they were talking about.
30 minutes later…
(POV: Lucy)
Lucy: "Huh? I guess it's my turn."
This was the second time someone else's point of view was shown besides Lincoln's—first Luna, now me. It made all of us Loud Sisters wonder when it would show our point of view… and what exactly it would reveal.
I sat with Haiku as we chatted about the new book "The Vampires of Melancholia," but I couldn't help thinking back to this morning.
(Flashback)
As my sisters and I fought over the last breakfast burrito, Mom entered the dining room with a worried expression.
The audience watching the screen stared in shock and disapproval.
Rosa: Shakes her head "Are these girls seriously fighting over a burrito?"
Hector: "They're acting like a pack of wild hyenas!"
Frankenteen: Turning to the Loud parents "They're fighting right in front of you both. Why aren't either of you stopping them?"
Lynn Sr: "Um… we want them to learn how to solve these situations themselves."
Miss Grimwood: Pinches the bridge of her nose "While it's important for children to learn problem-solving, they need guidance first. And when it gets to this level, you have to step in."
Pop-Pop: "She's right. And I'm very disappointed in the older ones for even fighting over something as stupid as a burrito."
The Loud Sisters all looked down in shame and embarrassment, realizing how ridiculous they looked fighting over a single breakfast item.
Maria: "But Rita, why did you look so worried?"
Rita: "Well… at the time I didn't know Lincoln had gone to the mall. When I went to wake him up, he wasn't in his room."
Maria nodded and turned back to the screen.
Lynn Sr: "Honey, what's the matter?"
Rita: "I went to go wake up Lincoln, but he wasn't in his room."
We stopped fighting and listened in.
Lynn Sr: "Oh, don't worry. He just went to the mall."
All of us: "THE MALL?!"
Rita: "Why did he go to the mall so early and by himself?"
Lynn Sr: "This morning, I saw he had a major growth spurt. His clothes didn't fit anymore."
Lisa: Looking smug "Called it."
She quickly flinched at the memory.
Lisa: "Really wish I was wrong this time… curse my great intellect."
Luan: "Don't worry, Lisa. I think we all would've preferred that."
The audience agreed with the Loud sisters for once, as many still shuddered or looked worried for Lincoln.
Rita: "How major are we talking?"
Lynn Sr: "He's taller than Jr now. Looks so different that, if it weren't for the white hair, I wouldn't have recognized him."
Lynn Jr: "WHAT?! He couldn't have gotten taller than me!"
Lynn: Grumbles "Sadly, past me… he has."
Lincoln: "It is nice to reach higher shelves more easily."
Leni: "Wait, if Linky went to the mall to buy new clothes, why didn't he take us with him? We totally could've helped him!"
All sisters: "YEAH!"
Rita: "Don't you girls have plans already?"
They all went quiet. It was true—they had made other plans.
Ronnie Anne: Crosses her arms "So when it comes to mall shopping, suddenly your schedules open up?"
Lori: "It's not like that! We just forgot… and Lincoln usually hates going to the mall, so it was a surprise he went there."
Lincoln: "I don't like the mall for four reasons:
I get outvoted every time, I'm stuck watching Lily while you all shop, I have to carry everyone's bags, By the end, I never get to visit the few places I actually like."
Everyone turned toward the Loud sisters.
Dana: "Every weekend?"
Lori: "It's the only place all of us girls agree on."
Bobby: "You girls—not Lincoln."
Lola: "Well… it's a majority vote."
Carol: "Which he clearly loses every time. And seriously? You leave him with the baby every time?"
Leni: "No, we take Lily when he carries our bags."
Dusk: "Do you help carry the bags?"
Lola: "Of course not. It's a gentleman's job to carry a woman's bags. It's called chivalry."
Luan: "Plus, it's not that many bags."
Watcher: "Oh really?"
The screen then showed an image of the Loud Sisters laughing and having fun—while Lincoln walked behind them, struggling to carry what looked like a mountain of shopping bags.
The audience glared at the Loud sisters. One individual looked furious as the image triggered bad memories.
Phantom: Scowls "Not that many?"
His voice was venomous. The Loud Sisters flinched.
Rita: "Girls! What is the meaning of this?!"
Lynn Sr: "You can't seriously make him do this every time you go to the mall!"
Lola: "B-but… who else would carry our bags?"
Pop-Pop: "If you buy it, you carry it. And is it really so hard to let your brother go to the few places he enjoys?"
Lynn: "He'd just go to the arcade or comic store. He could do that on his own time."
Creature: "What time? So far, all we've seen is him not getting any time to himself."
Lincoln: Muttering "You don't even know half of it."
Wolfman: Hearing him "What do you mean, lad?"
Watcher: "You'll see in a future viewing. Now let's get back to the screen."
Everyone turned back. The Loud sisters felt deeply uncomfortable under the weight of the negativity aimed at them.
Lisa: (Thinking) "This only further proves Lucy's point. And judging by what we've seen so far… I can only assume this is just the beginning of everyone's growing dislike."
Lynn Sr: "Oh, that reminds me—he said to text him the address and he'll meet you there, Lucy."
I nodded, pulled out my flip phone, and sent him the address Haiku gave me. When I looked up, my sisters were all staring at me. We came to an unspoken agreement: I'd keep an eye on Lincoln.
Lincoln: Sighs "Right back to spying, I see."
The Loud sisters all stayed quiet for once, trying not to draw more attention to themselves—which, honestly, they're not used to.
(Flashback ends)
I sighed, catching Haiku's attention.
Haiku: "Is everything alright, Lucy? Something seems to be on your mind."
Lucy: "Do you remember my brother, Lincoln?"
Haiku: "He's your only brother—the one who helps you with your poems, right? Is something wrong with him?"
Lucy: "He's been acting different… talking different… and now, according to my dad, he looks different. I'm a little worried about just how different."
Haiku: "Has he done anything big that would be cause for concern?"
Lucy: "Well… other than eating more and apparently writing songs—no."
Haiku: "Then it should be fine. People change a little as they grow up."
I thought about what she said. She was right—we do change. I felt silly worrying over it.
Lincoln: Surprised "I guess this was your turning point, Lucy?"
Lucy: "Not exactly. But Haiku helped."
Haiku: "Glad I could help."
Lucy: Smiles briefly, then frowns again "But it wasn't this that made me suspicious again."
Phantom: Raises an eyebrow "And what made you suspicious again?"
I simply pointed to the screen.
Lucy: "Thanks, Haiku." Gives a rare small smile.
But I noticed Haiku wasn't listening. She was staring wide-eyed toward the café entrance, blushing.
Haiku: "Ba-ba-ba…"
This time, Haiku groaned as the Hex Girls gave her a sympathetic look.
Lucy: "Haiku? Are you okay?"
Lincoln: From off-screen "Sorry I'm late, Lucy."
I turned—and what I saw made all the worry come rushing back. My eyes widened.
I turned into the direction of my brothers voice and what I saw made all the worries
return as I stared in shock at what should have been my nerdy but reliable older brother.
Lucy: "L-Lincoln?"
Phantom: "Okay. I see your point."
Lucy: "Yeah. My spirit almost left my body—and not in the good way."
Dracula: "Good way?"
Lynn: "Don't question it. She's always like this."
Lincoln: "Nerdy but reliable?"
Ronnie Anne: "Honestly? That description really did fit you back then."
Carol: "Sounds about right."
Everyone began lightly talking, agreeing the old Lincoln was best described as "nerdy but reliable."
Becky: "Or 'adorkable.'"
Dana: "That works too."
Lincoln: "Can we please change the subject?"
Becky: "You're right. There is something important to discuss."
Pop-Pop: Faces the family "This young lady's right. We have a lot to talk about."
Becky: Turns to the Hex Girls with her phone "So about those pictures—"
Lori: "BECKY!"
Pop-Pop: Muttering "Not what I meant, but…"
He watches Becky harass the Hex Girls for those photos. They promise to send them later to calm her down.
Pop-Pop: "I'll let her be for now."
He turns back to the family. They knew another serious conversation was coming.