User blog:MrTyeDye/Fanfiction: Shrinkin' Lincoln (Part 5)

Fanfiction.net link here.

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"So... what now?"

Lola and Lincoln had been cuddling on the bed for so long that they lost track of time. In the middle of the hug, Lincoln snuck a cursory glance at his watch, and found that it was 1:00. It was then that he realized that, while he was done helping out his younger sisters, Lisa's contraption wouldn't be ready to grow him back for 21 more hours.

"Gosh, I dunno, Lincoln," Lola said with a shrug. "Lisa said we can't let you back out into the hall until she can make you big again. What'll we do until then?"

"Hmm..."

Lincoln scratched his chin, trying to think of a way to keep himself entertained in the interim.

"Why don't you bring Lisa, Lana, Lucy and Lily in here? Maybe we can all do something together."

This brought a smile to Lola's face. "Ooh, sounds like fun! I'll go get them right away."

Lola left Lincoln on her bed and dashed out of the room, making sure to close the door behind her as she left. While he waited, Lincoln lied down and let himself sink into the soft, plush surface of Lola's bed. He knew he couldn't get too comfortable, since Lola would be back any minute, but the mattress was so supple and the sheets were so silky and smooth that it was hard to resist.

''Gosh, this is comfy. How come I don't have a bed like this?''

Before long, the door opened again to reveal all five of Lincoln's younger sisters, with Lily in Lucy's arms. As soon as all of them were inside, Lola shut the door.

"Got 'em all here!" announced Lola. "Now we just gotta think of something to do. Hmm..."

"Maybe we could hand Lincoln off to one of the older sisters?" suggested Lana.

Lisa shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't. I informed you, Lana and Lucy about Lincoln's condition out of necessity, and Lily happened to walk in on us. The more people we tell, the more we risk blowing our cover. I'd much prefer it if we just kept this between the six of us."

"Fair enough," said Lucy. "But what do we do, then?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The five girls started wandering aimlessly around the room, having been placed in a rather awkward position. Normally, there'd be plenty of ways for them to pass the time - watch cartoons, play outside, go to the mall - but their options were limited by the fact that Lincoln couldn't leave the room, at least not without being hidden. And they assumed that Lincoln wouldn't want to be left inside all alone for hours at a time.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Suddenly, Lola's face lit up as inspiration struck her. "Ooh! I know! We could form a secrets club!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa gave her a peculiar look. "That would seem entirely redundant, considering the fact that we're already part of a secrets club."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola shook her head. "No, I mean a secret secret secret club, for just the six of us. No icky teenagers allowed!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The pageant princess wrapped her arms around Lana, Lucy and Lisa and pulled them into a huddle. "It'll be for all the deepest, juiciest, most secret secrets we have. And none of it will ever leave this room. What do you say?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The other five siblings were a little hestitant at first, given Lola's past reputation as a notorious tattletale. On further consideration, however, they remembered how she took the blame for all of their secret misdeeds as an act of penance, and they thought it was safe to assume that she had learned her lesson. Besides, they had a few hours to burn, and this sounded like as good an idea as anything they could come up with.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I'm down," said Lincoln. "Lucy, Lana, Lisa, Lily, what do you say?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Let's do it."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Sounds good to me!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I, too, approve of Lola's suggestion."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Poo-poo."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Yay!" cheered Lola. "All right, everyone, circle up!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola picked Lincoln up off the bed and gingerly set him down right in the middle of the floor. Then, she and the other sisters formed a circle around him, each one of them sitting Indian-style (sans Lily, who just sat on her butt with her legs out front).

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Now, before we begin, I think we should have a system in place, so everyone gets a turn," said Lola. "Here's my suggestion."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">She reached into the circle, picked Lincoln up and sat him down in her lap.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Whoever's holding Lincoln has the floor. If none of us are holding Lincoln, then he has the floor. Sound good to everyone?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">All the other girls nodded. Lincoln had decided to stay silent, remembering what happened the last time he tried to butt into their discussion. It surprised him, then, when he looked up to see everyone in the circle looking at him expectantly.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"What do you think, Tiny Linc?" asked Lana. "Is that something you'd be comfortable with?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"O-oh! Um, sure. I don't mind being passed around."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln's eyes darted off to the side. "To be honest, I kind of like being held and picked up and carried."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola giggled and tickled Lincoln's cheek with her finger. "Oh, Lincoln. Don't you ever get tired of being cute?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lana rolled her eyes at her twin's comment, which Lola just ignored. She picked Lincoln up with two hands and set him down right in the center of the circle.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"You can go first," said Lola. "After that, we'll let you choose who goes next, and then we can just go clockwise around the circle."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln felt a twinge of anxiety at the prospect of having to choose one sister over the others, but that dissipated once he scanned his eyes around the circle and got a good look at their faces. All of them were wide-eyed and smiling (except Lucy), with nary a trace of malice or hostility in any of their expressions. Things had certainly changed since that morning.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Guess I'll get us started," said Lincoln. "Problem is, you girls know most of my embarrassing secrets already. Hmm..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">He paced around the circle, racking his brain for a story they hadn't heard before. He thought back to his early childhood, when most of his younger sisters either weren't born yet or were too young to retain anything. ''Let's see... what kind of stuff did I do as a little kid?''

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"A-ha!" he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "You girls'll get a kick out of this one."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">All five of his sisters leaned into the circle, eyes widening with intrigue.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I was five, I think," he said. "Mom and Dad took me to the movies to see an advance screening of The Lorax."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lana winced. "The one with Taylor Swift? Ewwww."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Yeah, that one," said Lincoln. "Anyway, about twenty minutes in, they could tell I wasn't into it, because I was getting kind of squirmy and restless, but they thought I'd be able to sit through it. Apparently, they thought wrong, because halfway through I blurted out, 'PUT ON CHARLIE BROWN!'"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">That got a reaction out of everyone in the circle - a giggle from Lily, a chuckle from Lisa, a belly laugh from Lola, a soft, lilting laugh from Lucy, and a full-on cackle from Lana.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"N-no way!" Lana cried in between fits of laughter. "Right there in the theater?!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Right there in the theater," said Lincoln. "Mom and Dad are never gonna let me forget that."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">It took Lana a full minute to regain her composure, even after everyone else had calmed down. "'Put on Charlie Brown'... oh, man, that's rich. Okay, Tiny Linc, who goes next?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln was a little hesitant to make a decision. Even though Lana's tone suggested that she would be fine with whoever he chose, he still didn't want to feel like he was playing favorites. As such, he opted for the fairest, most impartial decision-making process he knew. He started spinning himself around in a circle, pointing at each sister in rapid succession.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, catch a tiger by the toe, if he hollers let him go, my mother said to pick the very best one, and you... are... it!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">By the end of the verse, he was pointing at the child prodigy, Lisa.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Splendid," said Lisa, taking Lincoln out of the circle and placing him in her lap. "I already have something in mind."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Her remark was met with a chorus of, "Oooh," from the rest of the circle, followed by everyone leaning in close to her.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I... um..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa shrunk away from the circle and hugged Lincoln tight against her torso, intimidated by the prying eyes of her larger, older siblings (and Lily).

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Come on, Lisa, don't be shy," said Lincoln. "Remember what Lola said; nothing leaves this room."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses, which had been knocked askew during her timid squirming. "Okay, I'm ready," she said. "My secret is the fact that, at times, I... well..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln looked up and noticed a slight tinge of red spreading across Lisa's cheeks.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"...I still like to engage in the oral absorption of my pollex."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa's confession was met with several blank, empty stares, and she knew she had no choice but to clarify.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I still suck my thumb."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Ohhhhh," came the collective response from the rest of the group.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">As she continued, Lisa had her hands wrapped firmly around Lincoln, clutching him like a security blanket. "It just feels like a natural place to put it, I suppose. Sometimes I'll just do it instinctually without even realizing it."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Aw, Lisa, that's all right," said Lola, placing a hand on Lisa's shoulder. "It's normal for little kids to suck their thumbs."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa shook her head. "But I'm supposed to be better than that. It's not proper for a scientist to engage in such childishness."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Untrue!" said Lincoln, craning his neck up to meet Lisa's eyes. "Lots of geniuses have childish habits. Did you know that Thomas Hobbes was afraid of the dark? He had to sleep with a night light."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa looked down and gave Lincoln a flat, unimpressed look. "Thomas Hobbes was a philosopher, not a scientist."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"...oh. The point still stands, though."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lisa looked back up towards the circle, and her lips curled into a weak, faint smile. "I guess even the brightest of us have our odd little idiosyncrasies."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">With that, she lifted Lincoln out of her lap and passed it over to the girl on her left - Lola. The pageant princess lay Lincoln down in her lap and used her finger to caress his hair as she spoke.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"So, you all probably know this already, but I started my pageant career when I was very little. I was three and a half years old, and Mom entered me in the Little Miss Adorable pageant."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Oh, yeah!" said Lana. "I think you've got a third place ribbon from that pageant somewhere in the trophy case. I never really hear you talk about it, though."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola averted Lana's gaze. "Yeah, see, there's a reason for that."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"It's not because you came in third, is it?" asked Lincoln. "I know you're a perfectionist, but third place is pretty good for your first pageant."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola started to wriggle around in her seat. "It's not just that I came in third. It's why I came in third."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln noticed a blush overtaking Lola's face, this one more visible and pronounced than Lisa's. "See, right before the final judging, all the contestants have to appear before the judges and deliver their closing remarks. I was doing fine up until then, but when I had to face the judges one last time I just got so nervous, and I... I..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">By now, Lola's cheeks bore a fiery shade of pink that matched her dress.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"...I wet myself."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Everyone in the circle gasped, aside from Lily, who just sat there wondering what the big deal was.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Mom had to pull me off the stage and get me changed," she continued. "It took her forever to get me to stop crying. I ended up missing the results."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola looked up to face the rest of the circle, donning a weak smile. "Boy, what a way to start my pageant career, am I right?" she said, capping off her remark with a half-hearted chuckle. She was met with some light snickering, as the group's amusement was tempered by their secondhand embarrassment.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Oh, you don't have to feel sorry for me," she assured them, as her face began to reassume its neutral pigment. "I got over it in about a week. Anyway, that's it for me. Who's next?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">She got her answer once she looked to her left, and saw Lily with an eager grin reaching out towards Lincoln, fingers flexing.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Aw, I think Lily wants a turn. Here you go."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola handed Lincoln over to Lily, who grabbed him around the torso with both hands. The tiny boy hung flaccid in her grip, as her pudgy, underdeveloped hands weren't quite strong enough to hold him firm.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The infant waddled into the circle with Lincoln in tow and planted herself right in the center. Once she was certain that all the eyes in the room were on her, she began to speak... to the best of her ability.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Ahem. Gabba boo bah, wah wah hee hee. Booble platz, mama ga ga, gee, goo goo. Dada wawa yum yum, tinky winky, see saw. Dannit. Ooga jaja, mee mee, mah. Poo poo."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">As she toddled back to her place in the circle, she was met with a round of polite applause and light, connival laughter.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Heh, what a story, Lily," remarked Lincoln.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lily babbled out a malformed "thank you", reached to her left and lay Lincoln down in Lana's lap.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Thanks, Lily," said Lana. "All right, I got a juicy one for you guys, but first lemme make Tiny Linc a little more comfortable."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">She lay Lincoln down across one of her thighs, pulled up his shirt and used her pointer finger to give him a tummy rub, eliciting a contented purr.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Comfy?" she asked, as if she even had to. Lincoln grunted in the affirmative.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Good," she said. "Now, you all know that I love animals, right? Can't get enough of 'em. I've got dozens of pets and I love them all to bits. But..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">She used her free hand to fidget with some of the golden strands of hair sticking out from under her cap. "...but there's one animal that I just can't stand. Can't even go near 'em. They give me the willies."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The other siblings started racking their brains for what that animal could possibly be. Her half of the room was a menagerie of some of the creepiest, crawliest, scariest creatures on the planet. What was left?

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Lions?" asked Lincoln.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Tigers?" asked Lucy.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Ligers?" asked Lola.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Dannit?" asked Lily.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Komodo dragons?" asked Lisa.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"No, no, no, not an animal, and no," said Lana. "I don't think y'all are gonna guess this one, so I might as well come out and say it. It's..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Her voice was reduced to a wispy squeak. "...squirrels."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The rest of the group could do little but stare at her with their mouths agape. That was just about the last thing they would have guessed.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Come again?" said Lucy.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Squirrels," Lana repeated, dodging the gaze of her five sisters and brother. "I-I don't like squirrels."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Lana, that doesn't make any sense," said Lola. "You grapple with alligators and feed snakes and you're afraid of squirrels?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"They just freak me out, okay?!" cried Lana. "Something about those big buck teeth, and those beady little eyes, and those weird bushy tails...eugh. Can't even think about 'em."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lana shuddered, causing Lincoln to jostle about and sending him teetering off the edge of her lap. Fortunately, she was able to catch him right before he hit the floor and lay him back down.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Whoa! Sorry about that, Tiny Linc."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I-it's okay," said Lincoln, a bit rattled from the experience. "But what about the Royal Woods Squirrels? They have a squirrel mascot, and you're not afraid of him."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"That's different," Lana said with a shake of her head. "He's just a guy in a goofy suit. Real squirrels give me the creeps."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">An awkward silence ensued. Lana had said everything she needed to say, and her siblings were a bit too stymied to question her any further. They still found Lana's confession to be utterly bizarre, but they did get a pretty reasonable explanation for it; at least, it was more reasonable than anything they could have come up with.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"So... neat confession, Lana," said Lola, out of an obligation to get the cycle going again. "Okay, Lucy, you're next."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy nodded, lifted Lincoln out of Lana's lap and held him firm against her torso, facing outward.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I already know what I'm going to tell you," said Lucy. "But I fear that you might not be able to look at me the same way afterward."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Oh, please," said Lola. "I peed myself! What could possibly top that?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Well..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln noticed that Lucy's breathing was getting longer and heavier, as he could feel her diaphragm expanding against his back every time she inhaled.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"...do you remember a few months ago, when Lincoln clogged the toilet with his Princess Pony book?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Most of the other girls responded with quizzical looks. After all, this was supposed to be Lucy's confession. Why was she bringing up something that Lincoln did?

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln, meanwhile, had his eyes burst open with shock, knowing precisely where Lucy was going with this.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Lucy, you don't have to- MMF!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy clamped a finger over Lincoln's mouth, muffling him.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"It's okay, Lincoln. It's time they knew the truth."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">As Lucy looked back up to face the group, Lincoln could feel her tummy push harder and harder against him with each successive breath. "And the truth is that...that..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Well?" said Lana. "Come on, Lucy, out with it!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"IT WASN'T HIM!" she blurted out, shedding her stoic facade entirely. "He didn't clog the toilet! It was me! I did it! I like Princess Pony!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy's outburst prompted a myriad of responses from the rest of the circle: some gawks of disbelief, some judgmental glares, some errant snickers. All of them stung.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">And those were just the immediate reactions. It wasn't long before the entire room erupted into bedlam.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"You?!" cried Lola. "Lucy, that stuff's too syrupy even for me!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I-I know, I know," Lucy choked out, keeping her head bowed and tightening her hug around Lincoln as she tried to scoot away from the circle. "I just need a break from the darkness now and then."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"And you just let Lincoln take the fall for you and get grounded?!" demanded Lana, who was now sporting a stern glower.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I'm sorry! I-I didn't want to get teased!" cried Lucy. Her grip on Lincoln had elevated from "tight" to "constricting", and was closing in on "suffocating" territory.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"So you just had him endure all of the verbal castigation?!" snapped Lisa.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Ga-ga-ba-poo-poo!" babbled Lily, who looked just as incensed as the others.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I...I...I..." stuttered Lucy, quivering like gelatin in an earthquake.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to get Lucy's attention, Lincoln wriggled his arms free and started pounding his fists against her hand. "Lucy! LUCY!"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Hmm?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy looked down, saw Lincoln flailing about, and hastily withdrew her hands, releasing him from her grip.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Oh! Sorry, Lincoln."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"It's okay, Lucy," Lincoln said, as he took a moment to catch his breath and straighten out his disheleved shirt. Once he had composed himself, he hopped down from Lucy's lap and looked up to address the four sisters who were swarming her.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Girls, you have to understand; Lucy never asked me to cover for her. That was my choice."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln's remark quelled the flames in the sisters' hearts, as all of them began to unfurrow their brows and unclench their fists.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"But why?" asked Lola. "Didn't you care a whole lot about going to that convention?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"I did, but I cared more about Lucy," said Lincoln. "She's young. She's sensitive. She wouldn't have been able to take that level of teasing I got."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">As they held their gaze on Lincoln, Lola, Lana, Lisa and Lily let their heads and shoulders droop forward and clasped their hands in front of them.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Gosh, Tiny Linc, we're really sorry for making fun of you," said Lana.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Though we must say, it was awfully big of you to take the blame like that," said Lisa. "No pun intended."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lincoln shook his head. "Girls, honestly, it was nothing. Being teased is part of living in a rowdy house. After a while you just get used to it."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"But you didn't deserve it," said Lana. "Isn't there anything we can do to make it up to you?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Without a moment's hesitation, Lincoln raised his hand, holding up two fingers. "Two things, actually," he said. "The first is that you don't tell any of the other sisters about what you just heard."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">He gave Lola a pointed look. "You said that nothing is going to leave this room. I expect you to stand by that. Understand?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola nodded.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Good. As for the second favor..."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">He pointed his finger towards the far end of the room. At this point, Lucy was curled up against the wall with her head buried in her lap, trembling and sniffling.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"...go over there and give your sister a hug. All of you."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">The four guilt-ridden sisters gave him another nod, and shuffled over towards Lucy to console her.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"Hey... Lucy?" called Lola.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy lifted her head from out of her lap and looked up at her sisters, displaying a protruding bottom lip and cheeks that glistened with fresh moisture.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"We just wanted to say we forgive you," said Lana, reaching down and extending her hand towards the crestfallen goth. "Come here."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lucy took her by the hand and lifted herself back onto her feet, after which the four others swarmed her and smothered her with an enormous group hug. Lincoln, not wanting to be left out of such a moment of affection, walked up to the crowd, squeezed himself into the center and wrapped his arms around Lucy's ankle.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"You guys are the best," Lucy whispered. "Especially you, Lincoln."

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">After a long, warm embrace, the six of them released the hug, dispersed, and retook their seats at the center of the room.

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">"So," said Lola, "who's ready to go again?"

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">Lola was answered with a resounding, "I am!" from everyone else, and they proceeded to partake in a second round of secret sharing - which was followed by a third round, and then a fourth, and then a fifth. As it turned out, the children of the Loud house knew a lot less about each other than they thought, which meant that they could continue surprising each other for hours on end. Truth be told, they could have carried on the game for hours more...

<p style="max-height:999999px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,Verdana,Arial;font-size:11px;">...if they weren't cut off by the sound of their parents calling them for dinner.