The Live House

"In a family as big as mine, pizza is always a welcome surprise. But with 11 kids, there's always the problem of who gets the last slice."

 

Lincoln and his sisters glare at each other, and then the lone slice of pizza sitting in the greasy box on the dinner table. Just as they're all about to rush the table, a bell rings.

 

"Cut! great work everyone, that's a wrap for today."

 

'Lincoln' sighed, walking off set and finding his folding chair. It wasn't easy being one of the few young actors on 'The Loud House'

he grabbed a bottle of water from the craft services table and sat down. 'Lincoln' watched as 'Luna' stepped off stage and immediately pulled out her cellphone and began speaking to someone in London with a British accent.

 

It made sense, seeing as his co-star that played Luna Loud was actually British. She was actually quite famous in the UK and came to america to make it big in hollywood. So far, she had already landed a few leading roles in a few indie films, and supporting roles in major company pictures. She was also 27, unlike the character she played.

 

Their producer greeted 'Lori' as she walked off the set with a big hug and a rather awkwardly long kiss. He was easily twenty years her senior, but pretty much everyone —'Lincoln' included— knew how she got the part of 'Lori'

 

'Lincoln' sipped his water and took in the magic of Hollywood from his folding chair. He had been in a few commercials before when he was younger, but nothing like this.

 

This was his first real acting job.

 

Granted, it wasn't really hard playing an 11 year old boy, considering that's what he was. But the interactions with his 'sisters' could sometimes get frustrating. As an only child, he had no idea how siblings actually interacted with each other, much less 10 sisters in a house sharing one bathroom.

 

Still, the director had nothing but praise for him and his co-stars, and the ratings seemed to prove the cast was doing something right every week.

 

"Hey bud,"

 

'Lincoln' felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to see the director standing behind him. He was always nice to everyone, even when they screwed up their scene. Repeatedly.

 

"You're doing great out there."

 

'Lincoln' smiled. "Thanks. I was kinda nervous when we first started shooting... this is my first real job."

 

The director smiled. "I know, I met with the casting director. She wasn't sure you'd work without experience, but I took a gamble. Glad it worked out."

 

'Lincoln' looked down at his water as he took another sip.

 

"Is she still on your mind?"

 

'Lincoln' blushed, taking a deep swig of his water. "N-no! She's just a friend, that's all."

 

The director held up his hands

 

"Hey, my bad. I just thought, you know, the way you look at her and all..." The director gave him a soft punch in the arm. "I'm just messin with ya kiddo. You worked hard today, why don't you get some sleep?"

 

'Lincoln' nodded.

 

Sleep would do him good.  Especially after the scene he had just shot with... Her. She was the only actress around his age. Even the actress that played 'Luan' was actually 19. She was the only co-star who could possibly relate to this crazy new world he had been thrust into.

 

'Lincoln' chugged his water and headed back to wardrobe to change out of his 'Lincoln' clothes. Once back in his normal attire, he headed out of stage 28 and into the lot where his trailer waited. He put the key into the lock and opened the door.

 

His mother was gone, his trailer darkened.

 

'Probably at another party.' he thought

 

He flopped on the couch and turned on the television

As luck would have it, he watched himself and his ten 'sisters' act out another crazy scenario for the viewing public. He held the channel, watching his own performance.

 

Then she came in.

 

He could see the expression on his face change. He saw his cheeks flush, even through the makeup. 'Lincoln' changed the channel

She was the star of the 'Left at Home' series, she was the hottest young actress in his age group!

And who was he?

 

Former kid on a pull-ups training underwear commercial, kid number four in a cool-aid ad, and last but not least shouting child in police chase in the latest Die Firm movie.

 

'Lincoln' rubbed his eyes.

 

Why was this happening to him?

 

He hadn't gone to school for long, but before he got his big break, he and his friends had always considered girls to be gross. Now she was all he could think about! Even worse, she played his sister. He had spent many hours awake at night trying to sort out whether or not it was wrong to have confusing feelings for someone just pretending to be your sister.

 

He went to the fridge and grabbed a soda. After grabbing it, he stared blankly into the icebox. 'Lincoln' hated being alone. That was what drew him to the role of 'Lincoln Loud' in the first place. His mother was all he had, and sometimes he questioned whether or not she was doing what was best for him, or for herself.

 

He took a few sips of his soda and set it down on the counter. It was already past midnight

 

His mother probably wasn't coming home tonight. He left his trailer and started walking about the darkened lot.

 

In place of an actual family, 'Lincoln's co-stars were usually more than willing to lend an ear to his problems. Some more than others.

 

The first trailer he ran across was 'Lori's.

 

She was as honest as they come, but clearly not cut from the right cloth to be an actress. It was no secret why she got the role of 'Lori' to start with.

 

'Lincoln' stopped outside the trailer, only to notice it rocking slightly on its axels. He could hear moans coming from inside. 'Lincoln' cringed, pulling his jacket close around him, hands in the pockets and continued on.

 

'Lori' was a pretty but naive girl from the midwest, probably more apt to play Leni than 'Leni' was personality wise. She'd come to LA to be a star, and got swept away by the first balding big-shot in a limo. Fortunately for her, he was an actual big-shot, not a pretender.

 

'Lincoln' kept walking. Farther down the lot was 'Luna's trailer. As he walked out of the darkness he noticed her smoking a cigarette and texting.

 

"Bloody plonda think's I'm gonna do a voice over on some nature documentary for less than two hundred thousand quid e's got another thing—" 'Luna' noticed 'Lincoln' walk out of the shadows. "Well hey there little bro!"

 

 

She smiled, taking a drag of her smoke before stuffing her phone into her jeans pocket. "Nice night for a stroll, innit?"

 

"Yeah, its pretty nice," 'Lincoln' replied.

 

"Wait, why are you out and about this late at night? Don't you know it's well past trouble hour?" she asked.

 

'Lincoln' scratched his head. "Trouble hour?"

'Luna's Britishisms sometimes left the cast and crew wondering. "You know, past midnight, nothing good comes about. Where's your mum?"

 

'Lincoln' sighed "I'm not sure."

 

'Luna' shook her head. "That's no good, lad. Come on inside for a bit and we'll have some tea until she comes in, yeah?"

 

He shrugged. What else was there to do? He followed 'Luna' into her trailer, identical to his in layout, save for a few minor details.

'Luna' filled two mugs with water and set them in the microwave. "Apologies, love. This isn't the proper English way to brew tea, but it's all I've got at the moment."

 

'Lincoln' smiled. Her accent always made him smile for some reason. "I don't mind."

 

'Luna' turned back around as the microwave worked its magic on their mugs. She studied him from the kitchen.

 

He could feel her eyes on him for an uncomfortably long time. 'Lincoln' was about to say something when she beat him to the punch

 

"It's her again, isn't it?"

 

'Lincoln' sighed, resting his head in his hands

He was either a great actor for conveying his feelings so effortlessly, or a terrible one, he wasn't sure which

 

"I... I mean, sure she's fun to work with and all, but..."

 

"Say no more, love. I know smitten when I see it."

 

'Lincoln' blushed madly. "I'm not 'smitten'! It's just..." He sighed heavily. "My mom took me out of school a while ago, and since then, I haven't really had any... well... friends."

 

'Luna' gasped. "Are we not friends?"

 

'Lincoln' waved his hands. "We are! I just meant friends my own age!" he corrected quickly.

 

'Luna' smiled as the microwave beeped. "Relax, love, I know what you meant." She removed the mugs with an oven mitt and dunked two bags of tea in them before setting them on the table.

 

"What was it like to go to school?"

 

'Luna' raised an eyebrow as she sipped her piping hot tea. "Well, it was alright. I really didn't get famous until I went to university." 'Luna' sighed wistfully, setting her cup down. "I was just one of the girls then. Nothing special about me really. Sure I had some lads chasin' after me, but that's nothin."

 

"But, you still have friends from there, right?"

 

"Mates? Yeah, I reckon I still head down to London every now and again and show them a good time." She realized her walk down pleasant memory lane wasn't helping him feel better. "Look lad, school isn't the only place to make friends. You've made plenty right here in Hollywood!" 'Luna' put a hand on his shoulder "She's the first girl you've ever felt this way about, isn't she?"

 

Although he was embarrassed to admit it, he nodded, taking a sip of tea to dull his shame.

 

"It's a special thing, what you feel for her."

 

'Lincoln' looked up at her.

 

"In this town, it doesn't come along too often." He nodded, finishing the rest of his tea and standing up. "Cherish it."

 

"Thanks for the drink," 'Lincoln' said.

 

'Luna' stood up and hugged him.

 

"Don't let this town get to you."

 

She released him, but not without giving him a peck on the cheek. "I think it's time for me to turn in." 'Luna' took off her shirt in front of him as he blushed, looking away.

 

She rummaged around in her bedroom for an oversized sleeping shirt as she threw it on. There were probably hundreds, if not thousands of men who would have paid to see what he had just caught a glimpse of. She reappeared from her bedroom in a large shirt with the union jack across the front. "You're more than welcome to stay here until your Mum gets back, love."

 

'Lincoln' smiled, but shook his head

 

"Nah, I think I'm just gonna head back."

 

"G'night, 'Lincoln'." she joked

 

"Goodnight 'Luna'

 

He opened the door and stepped back out into the cool night air. 'Lincoln' hovered outside her trailer for a moment before he noticed the cigarette she'd been smoking was still lit on the steps. He picked it up, holding it between his fingertips. He remembered the old heroes of the silver screen: Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Audrey Hepburn.

 

They looked cool on their own, but the cigarette really set it off.

 

He wondered how cool he looked at this moment. He pulled out his phone and turned on selfie mode.

 

'Lincoln' looked at the picture he took. He was no James Dean. He was an 11 year old boy in an old leather jacket holding a cigarette. He chuckled to himself as A bolt of curiosity shot through him. He looked around.

 

No one was there to stop him.He put the smoke to his lips and inhaled. The smoke actually went down smoothly. The exhale, however, sent him into a coughing fit. He threw the smoke to the ground and stepped on it.

Once he'd gotten fresh air in his lungs, he tried to put the fire out in his throat. He needed some water.

 

Looking back at 'Luna's trailer, the lights were out. Plus, he wasn't too keen on telling her he'd tried one of her smokes. He continued down the lot to the next trailer in line.

 

"Leni'

 

She already had a successful career as a supermodel, but wanted to try to break into acting. With her name recognition already high, 'Lincoln' guessed the executives felt she was a safe hire. 'Leni' was very motherly to most if not all of the younger cast, which made sense as she was a mother herself.

 

Her six year old son traveled with her when her husband was on assignment shooting a movie. They were a classic hollywood power couple.

 

He could hear her talking inside her trailer, seeming to be arguing heatedly, yet softly with someone. 'Lincoln' hesitated to knock, but his parched throat from that darn cigarette demanded water. He stepped up and knocked softly on the door. 'Lincoln' recalled 'Leni' had her son with her in the trailer.

 

"No, I'm not having this argument again! Someone's at the door, I have to go. I have to go! I don't give a shit what time it is in Auckland! Goodbye!"

 

'Leni' opened the door with a less than amused expression on her face. Had it been anyone but 'Lincoln', they'd have been in for the berating of their life. Seeing him, her annoyed expression instantly melted away. "Well hey there 'Lincoln'!" she giggled before checking her watch. "What are you doing out this..."

 

Then it dawned on her.

 

"Mom's not home again, huh?"

 

'Lincoln' didn't say a word, just shook his head.

 

"Oh, you poor dear. Come on in."

 

'Leni' stepped aside and let him inside her trailer. Again, mostly identical to his. He noticed he back bedroom door was closed, the door itself decorated with her son's doodles of him and his mommy.

 

"Can I get some water?" 'Lincoln' asked

 

"Oh, where are my manners?" 'Leni' asked herself, heading to the fridge which was also covered in drawings. She gave him a bottle of water and sniffed the air.

 

'Lincoln' sat back, nervously avoiding eye contact

 

"Is that..." She looked down at him suspiciously "Have you been smoking?"

 

"No! I, I was just... Please don't tell my mom!" 'Lincoln' pled.

 

"This town is such a bad influence on children, I swear, where did you even get a—" 'Leni' narrowed her eyes. "I knew it, just because everyone smokes in London doesn't mean you can come over here and—"

 

"No, she didn't give it to me, she just left it outside and I... I dunno, I guess I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about."

 

'Leni' paused, her arms folded."The 'fuss' is about lung, esophageal and throat cancer."

 

"I know, you don't have to worry about me, I didn't like it or anything." 'Lincoln' admitted

 

'Leni' sat next to him, putting her arm around him. "I know, I don't mean to try to be your second mom."

 

"You'd be more like my first mom..." 'Lincoln' sighed.

 

"Oh, sweetie..." 'Leni' drew him into a hug. "If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to call me, okay?"

 

'Lincoln' closed his eyes

 

It had been a while since he actually felt safe or cared for in a hug. His Mom did it for the cameras and people on the set, but there didn't seem to be any warmth. His mother wasn't cruel to him, in fact, she tried to make time when she could, but promoting your child's talent in LA was more than a full time job.

 

He never asked her for this, but it was better than the life they had been living. 'Lincoln' hated being one of the only kids in school that ate lunch for free. He tucked his head into her shoulder. "Thanks..." he whispered

 

'Leni' broke the hug and stood up from the booth.'Lincoln' took another swig of his water as 'Leni' began cleaning up her kitchen. "You know you're more than welcome to sleep here tonight if you don't want to go back to your trailer alone."

 

"Actually... I wanted to ask you about something," He said.

 

'Leni' turned from the pan she was washing. "Of course, what's on your mind?"

 

'Lincoln' began to blush. "Well... its about, uhm..."

 

'Leni' gasped. "Oh, it's about /her/?" She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "Oh my gosh, how are you growing up this fast?" She squeaked, turning back to the sink.'Leni' wiped something out of her eye as she continued cleaning."So," she said, composing herself but still not facing him. "What did you want to know?"

 

'Lincoln' nervously drummed his fingers on the table. "Well," he paused. How could he explain this? He'd worked with her for months now, and they became fast friends. She had everything he wanted; a Mom and Dad, two sisters, a stable family. Hanging out with her was like having what he'd always wished for. As he could get to it, anyway.

 

Recently, though, his stomach threatened to tie itself in knots in every scene they were in. He felt his heart skip a beat whenever she smiled at him, and it was all he could do to keep from pouring sweat when she talked to him. The struggle came from the novelty of the experience. He'd never had this kind of trouble just being around her before. They'd had sleepovers, stayed up all night playing video games and eating junk food, and building blanket forts.

 

But now, something had changed, and 'Lincoln' didn't know what.

 

In fact, the last few times he'd tried to interact with her, he'd managed to embarrass himself and leave awkwardly.

How could he put all that into one question?

 

"You know me and her are friends, right?"

 

"Of course!"

 

'Lincoln' exhaled. "But..."

 

"But...?" 'Leni' lead on

 

It was no secret to the older actresses what was changing between 'Lincoln' and his similarly aged co-star.

 

"But, something's different now, but I don't know what," he admitted.

 

'Leni' stopped cleaning and wiped her eyes. "You're seeing her for what she is,"

 

'Lincoln' raised an eyebrow. "What she is?"

 

'Leni' dried her hands off on a towel and turned around to face him, her familiar motherly smile across her lips. "She's a girl. You're a boy. You like her."

 

The very idea took him by surprise. Him? And her? "Wha... no. I mean, I like her, but... like that?"

 

"We can all tell. It's normal for a boy your age to feel that way. Especially about a girl as pretty as she is!"

 

'Lincoln' felt the heat return to his cheeks.

 

'Leni' knelt down next to him, looking him straight in the eye. "You're normal. What you're feeling when you look at her is normal."

 

"But, what if I tell her and she hates me? What if it makes shooting super weird, what if she leaves the show because she doesn't want to work with me? What if she thinks it's weird I like her because she plays my sister? What if—"

 

'Leni' put a finger over his lips. "Listen. No one is making you spill your guts to her. But avoiding her is just going to make her think you /don't/ like her. Just treat her like you'd treat any other friend. Girls are people too, you know. No reason to be afraid of them."

 

'Lincoln' thought about what she said before drinking the rest of his water. "Thanks for the bed, but I think I'm gonna head back to my trailer."

 

'Leni' smiled, giving him another hug which he returned gratefully. "Remember what director Savino keeps saying. We're all family here. And families look out for each other."

 

'Lincoln' smiled weakly as 'Leni' withdrew from the hug, holding him at arms length. "Yeah, you're right."

 

'Leni' stood up to let 'Lincoln' out of the trailer.

 

He stepped down the stairs and onto the blacktop as he looked farther down the line of trailers.

 

"Lincoln?"

 

It wasn't his name.

 

But he answered to it all the same.

 

"Yeah, Leni?"

 

She kept that same warm smile, leaning against her trailer door.

 

"They moved her trailer. It's three down from where it used to be."

 

She knew him better than he thought.

 

He smiled, pulling his jacket around him, flipping the collar up against the cool breeze.

 

"Thanks."

'Leni' watched him disappear into the darkness before heading back inside. She still had a few calls to Auckland to make before bed.

 

'Lincoln' had a bit of a walk down the lot to think about what he was doing.

 

Showing up late like this actually wasn't terribly unusual for him. The rest of the cast knew about his Mom's habit of disappearing at night and not showing up until the next morning.

 

'Lincoln' was no stranger to sleepovers, planned or otherwise. Before he knew it, he was standing outside her and her parents trailer. She was the only actress who's family actually lived with her on the lot during filming.

 

That was to say she was the only one who had enough family to need two trailers. He wasn't sure if that said more about Hollywood or acting families. He saw the flickering of the TV on in her trailer.

 

Her mom and dad stayed in the one next to hers with her other two sisters, who played Lucy and Lily. Most of the time, however, his younger co-stars could be found in her trailer, too.

They all got along famously. That is, until he began having mini panic attacks every time he tried to talk to her.

 

He picked up a pebble from the ground and tossed it at the window.

 

'Lincoln' wasn't sure if she had just fallen asleep on the couch with it on or not. He decided to give another pebble a toss. He saw a shadow rise from the couch, and come to the window from behind the drawn blinds.

 

'Lincoln' could feel his heart racing toward his throat. The blinds rose and he froze in place.

 

She squinted out the window before her eyes lit up.

 

"Dude!" he heard her say from inside the trailer as she headed towards the door.

 

This was it.

 

The trailer door opened.

 

She stood on the metal folding steps, barefoot in only a short pair of soccer shorts and not a jersey, but in a slightly large band t-shirt.

 

Her smile nearly gave him a heart attack. Her hair was not in the characteristic ponytail of her character, but flowed freely down to her shoulders. She had once confided in him early on during filming that she had actually never been very good at sports. That was always 'Lucy's thing, as it turned out.

 

That was one of the reasons 'Lynn' and 'Lucy' had such great chemistry as sisters, since they actually were. 'Lincoln' smiled back at her, but said nothing.

Words seemed to become lodged in his throat, trying to escape and make the situation less awkward, yet they simply wouldn't leave his stubborn lips. He was too taken by her.

 

Legs finely tanned from outdoor shoots and trips to the beach with her family lead all the way up to a set of hips only slightly beginning to develop into curves. One hand on her waist, her hips cocked to one side led up to one thing 'Lincoln' had begun to notice more and more of. Even though the Hollywood Undead t-shirt she wore was a little baggy, he couldn't help but notice two small mounds emerging from her chest.

 

He felt like he had just opened the door to a furnace as he felt his face run red. He forced his eyes away from her chest and back up to hers, hoping he hadn't spent an awkwardly long time gawking at them. Their last sleepover was nearly a month ago, well before he started having these feelings.

 

Would it even be the same?

 

"Are you just gonna stand there all night or what?" She snapped him out of his thoughts

 

"Oh! Nah, I, uh..."

 

"Mom's not here again?" she completed

 

'Lincoln' just nodded.

 

"Well then get in here!" She waved him inside as he forced his legs to move forward. As soon as he stepped into her trailer, the smell of her perfume put him at ease.

 

When they'd first met, he was a little intimidated by her. She was a veteran of starring roles on the big screen. His biggest role up until that point was commercials. However, unlike most already famous actors and actresses, she was more than welcoming to everyone, veterans and first timers alike.

 

"Try to be quiet, my sisters are asleep."

 

'Lincoln' took off his jacket as 'Lynn' walked back towards the couch, moving her sister's toys off the love-seat.

 

"Sorry about the mess, I was watching them all day after taping."

 

Toys all over the floor where the least of his concerns.

 

"You know, this is gonna sound crazy, but I was just thinking about you."

 

Thankfully, she was facing away from him, and didn't see his eyes widen as he nearly choked on his own saliva.

 

"Really?" he managed to wheeze.

 

"Yeah!" she said, moving her sister's toys to the corner of the room "I was thinking you didn't want to hang out with me anymore. I mean, the last time we chilled was what, like a month ago?"

 

'Lincoln' grinned sheepishly, still fighting back his body and mind's attempt to make this weird. "Heh, yeah, probably."

 

His heart nearly stopped. His voice had cracked on the word 'probably' so loud that he thought he may well wake her sisters.

"Dude, did your voice just crack?" 'Lynn' was holding back giggles. 'Chill out! She's still the same girl you made friends with when we started filming! Nothing's changed between you and her!' he thought to himself.

 

'Lincoln' took a deep breath. "No," he said, overcompensating for earlier by making his voice WAY too deep

 

She burst into a fit of giggles behind her hand. "No, of course not." she laughed, imitating the deep voice he had just used.

 

'IDIOT!' he screamed at himself in his head.

 

"Anyway, yeah, I thought you were avoiding me or something."

 

"Me? Nah, just.. uh... stuff comes up, you know how it is..." he lied

 

She smiled at him, though he couldn't tell whether she believed him or not.

 

"Well, I was in the middle of midnight monster movie madness if you'd care to join me." She said as she waggled her eyebrows playfully.

 

A bolt of heat raced through his chest. 'Okay, that doesn't mean anything. We haven't hung out in a while, she just wants her old pal back, which is exactly what she'll get' he thought desperately.

 

"Sure,"

 

He sat on the love seat as she plopped down next to him. She hit play on the DVR and continued the black and white movie

 

"Can you believe how corny movies used to be back then?" she asked, setting her feet on the coffee table.

 

"Yeah," he agreed.

 

A few more minutes went by, with 'Lynn' giggling at the overacting in the b-movies, followed by 'Lincoln's nervous follow-on laughter. Truth be told, he couldn't even concentrate on the movie. His mind raced with all these errant thoughts he'd never dealt with before. As a mostly unsupervised 11 year old with an internet connection, he know all about what guys and girls do with each other once they're old enough.

 

But he never would have thought he would feel that way anytime soon, and especially not towards his way more famous co-star!

 

'Lynn' began to move, shifting in her seat as the cushions drew them both towards the middle. Before he knew it, both their shoulders were pressing against each other's.

 

'Lincoln' tried to ignore it, but he felt his arm getting hotter as the minutes ticked by. He shifted slightly, trying to get a bit of space. She shifted and then she sat up.

 

"Are you comfortable?"

 

'Lincoln' wasn't quite sure what to say

 

"Uhm, my shoulder was getting kinda warm."

 

"Mine too." she agreed.

 

"I know," she said, grabbing his arm closest to her and raising it up and behind her head.

 

'Lincoln's heart nearly stopped

 

'Lynn' turned herself towards him, resting her head on his chest, his arm now around her. How she couldn't hear his heartbeat with her ear to his chest was beyond him. He wrapped his arm a bit tighter, his hand resting on the waistband of her shorts.

 

'Lynn' curled in closer to him, grabbing the closed fist at her waist and intertwining her fingers with his.

 

"Comfy?" 'Lincoln' managed to whisper.

 

"Mmhmm," she replied, eyes focused on the TV.

 

If his shoulder was hot before, his entire body was alight now. 'Lincoln' put his feet on the coffee table as well, immediately followed by 'Lynn' clearing her throat.

 

"You okay?" he whispered nervously

 

"No shoes on the table."

 

"Oh, sorry." 'Lincoln' slipped out of them and set his feet beside 'Lynn's

 

She scooted closer to him, her fingers still interlaced with his.

 

A few minutes went by like this, and once he was used to it, 'Lincoln's heart rate began to slow back down, and he felt something besides nervousness fill his chest. What was this feeling? it was warmth, but not from embarrassment or anger.

 

Contentment.

 

That's what it was. For the first time ever, he didn't want anything. Everything, at that moment, was perfect.

 

He glanced down at 'Lynn'

 

'Leni' was right, she was pretty!

 

Not that he hadn't thought that before, but now, looking at her up close, it was more obvious than ever. 'Lincoln' pulled himself back to take stock in his life as he froze this moment in time. He was well paid, doing a job he loved, and now he was on a love seat in a trailer with one of the most successful movie stars of his age group LITERALLY in his arms.

 

How could anything get any better than this?

 

'Lynn' shifted, sitting up and releasing 'Lincoln's fingers.

 

'Damnit, why did I have to think about how awesome this was?!'

 

'Lynn' cracked her neck and rubbed it. "No offense, but I've had softer pillows," she teased

She yawned, standing from the couch.

 

"Getting tired?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

He had his hour of joy, now, he assumed, it was time for them to pull the bed out of the couch and for her to head to sleep with her sisters in their room. She walked down the hallway towards the hall closet

 

'Lincoln' sighed. 'You knew this wouldn't last forever. She's a movie star for God's sake. Who are you?"

 

Before he had time to admonish himself further, she reappeared with a pillow and blanket.

 

"Lay down long ways," she instructed.

 

'Lincoln' was a bit confused

 

"C'mon, we're missing movie time!" she rushed.

 

Still unsure of what was happening, he laid down along the couch.

 

"Now scooch" she said, putting the pillow behind his head and laying in front of him, their bodies spooning perfectly.

 

Every nervous reaction 'Lincoln' had managed to get under control now burst free from its pen. His heart went right back into his throat, racing at what felt like hundreds of beats per minute. 'Lynn' slid backwards towards him, causing him to press himself against the back of the couch to give her enough room.

 

It was then that 'Lincoln' decided to make a bold move, and unwarranted gamble for the first time in his young life.

A monumental step towards manhood that would prove to himself and the world that he could interact with women, especially beautiful movie star women.

 

It was a simple gesture, but it took every ounce of courage he had to pull it off. Thoughts of what could go wrong swirled around in his head.

 

He forced them silent.

 

This was it. This was his Rubicon, his Moon Landing.

 

He raised his arm, traced his hand along the waistband of her shorts and down in front of her stomach.

 

He waited nervously. It felt like hours went by before she met his hand, intertwining their fingers once again. Only this time, she brought his hand higher, resting at her sternum, just below the beginning of her bra. His hand was so close, he could feel the lace of it beneath her shirt with the side of his palm.

 

'HOLY —' he thought to himself before realizing something far more sinister had been set into motion.

 

Then he felt it.

 

The sleeping part of him began to stir

 

He glanced downward.

 

'Lynn's rear was pressed against his crotch, and in a few short moments, she'd have no doubts as to how 'Lincoln' felt about her

Physically, anyway.

 

'Please, God, if you exist, not now!' he prayed. He tried through sheer force of will to stop nature from taking its course

 

'C'mon man, not now! No!' he urged himself. His slowly hardening erection seemed to reply

 

'Yes'

 

'Alright, just talk it down, you can do this.'

 

'Puppies, grandma naked in a walk-in freezer, dead kittens

 

After an internal struggle, he finally managed to get himself back under control. After winning the battle, he scooted closer to her. A chub, he could deal with. A full on rager was another, horribly embarrassing story.

 

'Lynn' burst out laughing, startling him.

 

"What?" 'Lincoln' asked, unaware he'd missed the past five minutes of the movie battling his body's natural urges.

 

'Lynn' laughed so hard she accidentally snorted, causing him to laugh. "Hang on," 'Lynn' said, rewinding the movie on the DVR after composing herself.

 

"Look at the face this guy makes when they tell him his wife was the swamp creature all along!" They both shared a laugh.

 

He could feel her squeezing his hand with every breath. His confidence had soared to new heights. After all, if she didn't like him, Why would they be laying like this? Why would she have held his hand with interlaced fingers? Why would she have put his hand so close to her chest?

 

He had to watch himself.

 

Thinking too much about what his hands were dangerously close to would bring back an unwanted visitor

 

'Lincoln' grew even more bold.

 

He shifted behind her, drawing her closer with his outstretched arm, as if to claim her for his own. She giggled softly, and helped herself in closer, this time pulling his hand even farther north

There was no denying it now. His hand and hers were firmly and indisputably between her breasts

 

'Play it cool' he thought, taking advice from his hero James Dean

 

He had no idea if he'd actually said that, but he was the epitome of cool, so he figured he probably did. He grew even bolder.

 

'Lincoln' rested his chin between 'Lynn's neck and shoulder.

 

She giggled.

 

Good Lord he liked it when she did that.

 

He shifted

 

'Lincoln' caught a few stray stands of her hair in his mouth.

 

'Lynn' turned her head and smiled. "Sorry, I guess the ponytail is more useful than I thought."

 

She gathered her hair and pulled it across her other shoulder.

 

'Lincoln' smiled back down at her before she turned back to the TV. The time was now for his boldest move yet. He sank his lips to the side of her neck.

 

'Lincoln' knew she could feel them.

 

She didn't move.

 

He kissed her neck.

 

Gently, but enough for her to have no doubts. He shifted, raising himself up a bit to shift his trapped arm beneath the pillow

 

Before he settled back down, he asked her.

 

"Comfy?"

 

She cut her eyes towards him before turning over with a smile 'Lincoln' had never seen before. It was different.

 

But he liked it.

 

She was on her back below him, still holding his hand as'Lincoln' stared down at her.

 

He only had a moment to realize what he had.

 

A beautiful starlet, on a couch, having already let him kiss her neck.

 

'Lynn' squeezed his hand invitingly.

 

His leg was between hers beneath the blanket as he decided to take his most bold action tonight.

 

He had no experience, he had no idea how something like this was supposed to go.

 

But, consequences be damned, he was gonna go for it.

 

He brushed a few stray bangs from her forehead. She had the most amazing eyes.

 

How had he not noticed that before?

 

Maybe he'd never looked into them for this long.

 

Slowly, he leaned in.

 

This wasn't going to happen.

 

He was about to kiss a movie star!

 

Surely she'd stop him. She'd push him away, tell him no, she'd do... something!

 

Before he knew it, they were nose to nose, lips not even inches apart.

 

He went for it.

 

She met him halfway.

 

His heart was on fire as he brushed his fingers lightly across her cheek. Finally, their lips met.

 

He had no idea what he was doing, but he didn't let that stop him. He'd seen plenty of movies, he could wing it

 

He was an actor, after all.

 

'Lincoln' moved his lips against 'Lynn's.

 

He didn't know how long kisses were supposed to last, but he would have been just fine if this lasted forever. 'Lynn' released his hand and he felt hers brush across his cheek.

 

Then things got more real than 'Lincoln' could have ever imagined.

 

'Lynn raised up her leg beneath the blanket, curling it around the small of his back.He was not prepared for that

 

Truthfully, he wasn't prepared for making out, either. 'Lincoln' had no idea where this was going. He slid his free hand down her side, stopping between the waistband of her shorts and a bit of her exposed stomach where her shirt had ridden up.

 

He stopped his hands. 'Lincoln' was still attached to her lips, both of them fumbling their way through this makeout session. He brought his hand back up slowly. He really wasn't prepared for this, but it seemed to be happening regardless. His hand reached the bottom of her ribs when he felt it.

 

She stopped him.

 

He broke the kiss and pulled back.

 

"Everything okay?" 'Lincoln' asked breathlessly.

 

She hesitated

 

"I... I don't want this to turn into, uhm..."

 

This was a side of her he'd never seen.

 

She was beat red, breathing heavily just like he was.

 

"I, I really like you but... I don't think I'm ready for what we were about to... you know..."

 

'Lincoln' nearly breathed a sigh of relief himself.

 

"Sorry..." she said, as though she had something to apologize for.

 

"No, it's okay!" 'Lincoln' assured her. "Nothing's gonna happen unless we both want it to."

 

It was his turn to smile at her

 

"You don't have anything to be sorry about."

 

"No, I do, I got a carried away and I didn't mean to it's just... I don't know... something about you, I guess."

 

'Lincoln' leaned back in, giving her one more kiss on the lips.

 

"It's okay. Seriously." he insisted, looking back into her eyes. She returned his grin before leaning up to kiss him one more time.

 

"I think there's still some monster movie left." 'Lincoln' mentioned.

 

'Lynn' rolled back over as 'Lincoln' fell back into place behind her. She took his hand again, interlacing her fingers with his. He could see her eyelids beginning to get heavy.

 

In a few minutes, she was asleep. 'Lincoln' kissed her softly on the forehead before pulling her closer to him. He closed his eyes behind her.

 

There it was again, that feeling.

 

Contentment

As 'Lincoln' and 'Lynn' slept, further down the hall, the bedroom door was cracked, black bangs and a lone eye peered out from the darkness. A single tear escaped down her cheek. The door softly closed

 

LATER THAT MORNING...

 

A knock at the door startled 'Lynn' awaked. Her head jerked back, hitting 'Lincoln' in the mouth.

 

"Ahh!" 'Lincoln' sat up, putting a hand over his mouth and feeling a bit of warmth oozing from his slip.

 

"Ow, geez," 'Lynn' said, rubbing the back of her head. 'Lynn' noticed the bit of blood on 'Lincoln's bottom lip and hand. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

 

'Lynn' untangled herself from 'Lincoln' "Hang on, I'll get you a—"

 

The knocking on the trailer door resumed. "Girls, it's time to get up! We don't want the beach to get crowded." It was her father.

He wouldn't care that 'Lincoln' had spent the night. After all, it had happened before. In fact, her family may as well have been his second family in the time they'd grown closer together.

 

'Lynn' grabbed a paper towel from the kitchen and handed it to 'Lincoln'.

 

He pressed it against his sore lip as she unlocked the trailer door for her father.

 

She headed towards the back bedroom to wake up her sisters.'Lynn's Mom and Dad waited outside the trailer in beach gear. They were an unassuming couple, certainly out of place amongst the high fashion beauties and models roaming the streets of LA. 'Lynn' inherited her mother's brunette hair, while her sisters got her father's blonde locks.

 

"Hey there, kiddo! I didn't know you two planned a sleepover last night."

 

'Lincoln' smiled behind his paper towel

 

"It wasn't exactly planned."

 

'Lynn's parents looked at each other knowingly. "Mom's out and about?"

 

'Lincoln' nodded as 'Lynn' reappeared with 'Lily' on her hip, 'Lucy' following silently behind. 'Lily' babbled happily on her hip as 'Lynn' handed her over to her mother. "How's my little TV star?" her mother asked.

 

'Lincoln' stood up from the couch, paper towel still pressed to his lip.

 

"Oh my, what happened to your lip?"'Lynn's mother said, moving the makeshift bandage.

 

'Lincoln' glanced sideways at 'Lynn'. "Nothing, I just bit it on accident."

 

"Well, I'm gonna head back to my trailer and wait for Mom."

 

"No way!" All eyes turned to 'Lucy'

 

"I haven't seen you in forever! Can he come to the beach with us? Please?"

 

'Lucy' was nothing like her character. If anything, she was more like Lynn. Always in motion, always smiling. Plenty of outtakes were directly related to 'Lucy' being unable to stop smiling or laughing after a joke or a funny scene.

 

"Well, we wouldn't want your Mom to worry," 'Lynn's Dad said.

 

'That'd be a first' he thought.

 

"I could just leave a note." 'Lincoln' shrugged.

 

"Well, I think we have room for one more."

 

Lincoln smiled, dabbing his lip. The bleeding seemed to have stopped. "I'll go get my stuff" 'Lincoln' grabbed his jacket and headed back to his trailer. He found it empty, again. It was only seven thirty, like that made a difference. He may have an unconventional childhood here in LA, but he was pretty sure parents weren't supposed to disappear for undetermined amounts of time.

 

'Lincoln' climbed into his trailer and went to his bedroom. Posters of his favorite movies and bands hung on the walls, a few dirty clothes scattered on the floor. He dug through his drawers and found his bathing suit. He quickly changed into it and threw on a shirt.

 

'Lincoln' looked back into his hallway. It was quiet, the exact opposite of where he'd just come from. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and threw on his flip flops. Thankfully, today was Saturday, and there wasn't any filming scheduled for the next few days,giving his busted lip more than enough time to heal.

 

He quickly scribbled a note and left it on the counter. Hopefully his Mom would see it and not call the cops to report him missing. Again. Why even have a cellphone if you aren't going to use it?

 

'Lincoln' threw his towel over his shoulder and left his trailer, walking down the lot to where 'Lynn' and her family were already loading up their car. As he approached, 'Lucy' was the first to spot him. She ran to him and gave him a big hug, which he gladly returned as he lifted her up off the ground. He swung her around once as she giggled before setting her back down.

 

"Sorry I haven't been around much lately,"

 

He genuinely enjoyed playing with 'Lucy'. She was like the little sister he never had. Unlike her character, 'Lucy' loved bright colors, her one-piece bathing suit was bright blue, a matching hair clip kept her dyed hair out of her eyes.

 

"Are you ready to have some fun at the beach?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"I sure am!"

 

"Me too," 'Lincoln looked up at the trailer door.

 

'Lynn' was standing in it, her hair tied back into a sloppy ponytail, and an expensive looking bikini hugging her hips and chest. 'Lincoln' felt his jaw nearly hit the floor. He swallowed nervously, now acutely aware of how dry his mouth had become in the past three seconds.

 

"Me three," he chuckled nervously.

 

'Me three?! Are you kidding me?!' he admonished himself.

 

'Lynn' just laughed as she descended the steps. "You're such a dork, sometimes, 'Lincoln'" she smiled, grabbing a bag of beach supplies and handing it to her father to load in the car.

 

"It's a good thing you're cute." she whispered to him as he looked for something, anything to load into the car. The Audi SUV had more than enough room for all of them as 'Lucy' and 'Lily' sat in the middle row, while 'Lynn' and 'Lincoln' sat in the back row.

 

'Lincoln' watched as 'Lynn' stared idly out the extremely tinted windows. The look of calm across her freckle-dusted cheeks captured him, as though he was seeing her for the first time in natural light. 'Lynn' glanced over at him, catching 'Lincoln' mid stare. He quickly looked away, trying to hide his reddened cheeks. Even though she had put on a t-shirt over her bathing suit, the very thought of what lay beneath it gave him goosebumps.

 

"So uh, which beach are we going to? Huntington? Venice?"

 

He had always gone to one of the local beaches near the lot when his mother took him.

 

"Nah, we can't go to those anymore."

 

'Lincoln' raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?" Did she get banned or something? What do you even have to do to get banned from a public beach? Especially one as filled with as many weirdos as Venice beach?

 

The car pulled up to a stoplight. "I'll show you." she said, rolling down her window. Within moments, calls of her name, pointing people and camera flashes began growing outside the car window.'Lynn' rolled it back up.

 

Her Dad immediately chastised her for doing so in the first place. "You know there are wackos out there!"

 

"Sorry, but he wanted to know why we don't go to Venice or Huntington!" 'Lynn' said defensively.

 

"Alright, whose turn is it to pick music?" Her father asked from the front seat.

 

"Mine!" 'Lucy' answered.

 

He noticed 'Lynn' roll her eyes.

 

"Radio disney!" 'Lucy' sang happily.'Lynn' reached into her beach bag and produced a set of earbuds.

 

"We're gonna need these, trust me."

 

She plugged them into her phone and put one in her left ear, offering 'Lincoln' the other. He took it, looking down at her phone as she shuffled through her library. "What do you want to listen to?"

 

'Lincoln' shrugged.

 

"Whatever you want is fine. I listen to everything."

 

"Great, opera it is!" 'Lynn' glanced up at him as he smiled back at her. They shared a laugh as she kept sorting through her music.

 

"Oh, they just put this out, it's awesome!"

 

'Lynn' played 'Paranoia' by some band named A Day To Remember.

 

He'd never heard of them, but they weren't bad. The song was appropriately titled enough. As the song played, 'Lynn' went back to looking out of the window, phone resting on her lap. One hand was propped beneath her chin, resting on the side panel of the car He other hand laid by her side. The side closest to 'Lincoln'. His hand was just laying there, too, a few inches away, if that.

 

'Grab it' he thought.

 

He wanted to, but doubt held him back. But only for a moment.

 

'Don't be such a coward!' he told himself. 'You were making out on top of this girl not even twelve hours ago, and now you're afraid to hold her hand?' It made no sense.

 

'Lincoln' even admitted to himself that his self doubt was unfounded. Every time he glanced down at her hand, his heart rate spiked.

 

Last night was different. They were alone. What if she was tired? What if she regretted it? What if she—

 

He silenced the negative thoughts. 'Lincoln' was no coward. He had to prove that to no one but himself.

 

And he would. He plucked up his courage and moved his hand over hers, their palms touching. This was it.

 

The moment of truth.

 

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as her hand just sat there awkwardly with his on top of it. Was this it? He couldn't move it now, that'd be way too awkward! She had to react.

 

Finally, mercifully, he felt her hand move.

 

Acceptance or rejection, anything was better than the limbo he was in. Her fingers found the spaces between his own as she interlaced them once again. She turned from the window and smiled at him. He noticed something about her smile.

 

'Was that... is she... blushing?' he thought.

 

True enough, a slight tinge of crimson raced across the few freckles on her cheeks. 'Lincoln' was sure he was just as red, but he didn't care. She gave his hand a small squeeze before turning back to the window.

 

He faced out his window too. 'Lincoln' didn't know where this beach was they were going to, but he didn't care.

 

The journey was fantastic so far.

 

With her phone on shuffle, the listened to a multitude of genres as they escaped from LA. Every now and then, 'Lincoln' would glance down at their hands and smile. How could he be so lucky?

 

He went back to looking out the window, the Hollywood hills rising up around them. He thought about all the people who flocked to this city, some when they were even younger than he was. They wanted to make it big, just like he and his Mom did. They caught their break, unlike so many others.

 

"Lynn' and her family caught theirs too.

 

What were the odds that some kid from back east would get put in a position to have a shot with a movie star?

 

Yet, here he was.

 

He felt 'Lynn's thumb idly brushing back and forth against the back of his hand. He smiled, glancing sideways at her. She was still looking out the window.

 

'Lincoln' let it be. Away from the crew, away from memorizing lines, away from that terrible smelling lady that works in makeup, all there was were the two of them. He noticed her beginning to fall asleep, her head threatening to fall from her hand supporting it

 

'Lincoln' got an idea. He pulled the earbud from his ear. "Tired?" he asked

 

She turned to him, rubbing her eyes with a smile. "Heh, yeah, kind of"

 

He knew why. Both of them were only running on a few hours of sleep. Wordlessly, he put his plan into action.

 

He released her hand and motioned for her to slide over. She did, as he wrapped an arm around her

 

'Lynn' rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes as 'Lincoln's hand fell to her waist. She found his hand and put it back where it belonged. In hers.

 

Lincoln put his earbud back in with his free hand, his eyelids growing heavy. 'Lincoln' rested his head on 'Lynn's, and both were asleep in minutes.

 

The stopping of the car nudged 'Lincoln' awake as he opened his bleary eyes. The car was parked in a small parking lot along the Pacific Coast Highway. It was the only car in a small parking lot. Below them, down a set of wooden steps lay an almost abandoned stretch of pristine beach. 'Lynn' was still asleep, head gently rising and falling with each breath he took.

 

She never let go of his hand, even while she slept. He nudged her awake, giving her hand a gentle squeeze for good measure. Her eyes fluttered open as she squeaked out a yawn.

 

"I think we're here." he whispered.

 

'Lynn' sat up just as 'Lucy' unbuckled and turned around in her seat. "Ready to help me build sand castles, Lincoln?" she asked excitedly. Clearly someone got enough sleep last night.

 

'Lincoln' smiled.

 

He supposed, in a way, that 'Lucy' enjoyed the idea of having an older brother. Even one that was just pretend. She took it as far as to call him 'Lincoln' off set, knowing full well his real name.

 

"Yeah, I guess so," He turned to 'Lynn' who had just finished rolling her eyes as she stuffed her headphones back into her beach bag "What do you say, 'Lynn'?" he asked, giving her a slight nudge in the ribs.

 

She stared at him flatly.

 

'Lincoln' held his simple grin. The question was, who would break first?

 

'Lynn's expression cracked as she sighed and smiled. "Yeah, I guess..."

 

"Yay! I brought all my stuff!" she said happily. 'Lucy' opened the door as her Father removed 'Lily' from her carseat on the other side of the car. Once Lucy was out of the car, 'Lynn's stare returned.

 

"Sandcastles, huh?"

 

'Lincoln' chuckled, partly from embarrassment "Yep, sandcastles."

 

They got out of the car, each of them taking as much as they could carry down the steps to the beach

Her parents grabbed the cooler while 'Lincoln' 'Lynn' and 'Lucy' carried the umbrella, bags and blankets. The weather was perfect. Puffy white clouds gathered just at the horizon, adding bright contrast to the otherwise clear blue sky. 'Lincoln' followed 'Lynn' and her parents down the steps.

 

He had to admit, while not so good for people watching, a deserted beach did offer a different kind of experience. They found a good spot and 'Lynn's dad set down the cooler.

 

"Man, that thing is heavy!" he said

 

"Time to lighten it up!" He reached into the cooler and pulled out a beer. "Beer, 'Lincoln'?" 'Lynn's dad smiled.

 

"W-what?" he stammered.

 

'Lynn's mother immediately chastised her husband.

 

"What? I was just kidding!"

 

"Heh, good one," 'Lincoln' said.

 

They helped set up the blanket and umbrella. In no time at all, 'Lynn's mother and father watched 'Lily' while 'Lucy' dug through the beach bag. While 'Lucy' looked for her sandcastle supplies, 'Lincoln' removed his shirt. He wasn't particularly built, but wasn't rail-thin either. He had the barely noticeable abs of any boy his weight, with just a bit of pecs to show from the time he spent playing basketball with his friends before he became 'Lincoln Loud'. Unfortunately, he had quite the farmers tan from his long work hours on the set, away from the sun. Once he pulled off his shirt, he looked for a place to put it before he caught a glimpse of 'Lynn' doing the same.

 

She had both hands on the bottom of her shirt as she lifted up on it. Lincoln had seen plenty of movies where the reveal of the main love interest happened in slow motion. He always thought it was just a dumb movie trope until now. Except that what he was witnessing seemed to be happening at quarter speed. She began lifting her shirt, exposing her trim stomach to the California sun. The shirt continued to climb, exposing her bikini top. 'Lincoln' did not have words to describe how 'Lynn' with her arms over her head in a bikini made him feel. He was mesmerized as she pulled the shirt off completely, her hair falling in a wave out of her shirt and behind her shoulders.

 

She tossed her shirt on the blanket as 'Lincoln' took her in. Somehow, a girl in a bikini on the beach was much more attractive than one standing outside her trailer in a studio lot. 'Lynn' dug into her beach bag before coming up with a hair tie. She tied her hair back into a ponytail. This was the 'Lynn' 'Lincoln' knew on the set. He thought it odd that a quick change of hairstyle could have such a dramatic effect on a girl.

 

"Ready?" 'Lucy' asked, her hair held out of her eyes by hair clips matching her bathing suit. She was running towards 'Lincoln', both hands outstretched with a pail and shovel in each. He was still in his daze as 'Lucy' dashed toward him, excited to finally get to spend time with her pseudo big brother. The beach blanket tangled underneath 'Lucy's feet as she tripped just in front of him.

 

'Lynn' glanced over at him and cringed. The air left his lungs as he felt it. As 'Lucy' tripped, her closed fist had caught him right in the groin.

 

'Lincoln' gasped, having only a second or two to realize what happened before the pain crashed over him like a tidal wave.

 

He collapsed to his knees as 'Lynn' raced over to him. She shouted her sister's name angrily as 'Lincoln' fell to his side, both hands covering his crotch.

 

"What is wrong with you?!" 'Lynn' shouted as she knelt down next to him, along with her mother and father.

 

"Girls, give him some room!" 'Lynn's father insisted.

 

'Lincoln' felt sick. He prayed this would pass soon, but the pain seemed persistent. After what felt like hours, he opened his eyes. 'Lynn' knelt over him, concern clear across her face, the same with her parents.

 

'Lucy' was on the verge of tears, her chin quivering as he began to breathe again.

 

"You okay, son?" 'Lynn's father asked.

 

The pain was subsiding enough for him to sit up "I think so..."

 

He had only sat up for a moment when 'Lucy' flung her arms around his neck, bursting into a tearful apology "Ididn'tmeantohityouIjustthoughtthat—"

 

"Shh..." 'Lincoln' hushed, hugging her back. "It's okay, it wasn't your fault," he assured her.

 

He pulled her out of the hug and to arms length.

 

"Are you sure you're okay?" 'Lynn's father asked again.

 

'Lincoln' nodded

 

"Will you still build a sandcastle with me?" 'Lucy' asked hopefully after wiping the tears from her eyes.

 

He glanced up at 'Lynn'. She still seemed mad at her sister, but he already said he would, injury notwithstanding

 

"Sure"

 

'Lucy's smile instantly returned.

 

"Not before you put on sunscreen young lady," Lynn's father announced. "That goes for everyone"

 

'Lynn's mother had already applied 'Lily's extra strength sunscreen, but it was quickly spent. 'Lynn's dad dug through the bag, rooting around for the sunblock before coming up empty. 'Darn, I thought I packed more," he said, scratching his head.

 

"There's some in the car, dear." 'Lynn's mother said, putting a hat on 'Lily' before standing

 

"I'll get it," 'Lynn's father groaned, heading back toward the winding stairs

 

"You kids wait for him to get back before you get in the water." 'Lynn's mother said, taking 'Lily' down to the waters edge to let her splash around.

 

"I'm gonna go find us some good sand!" 'Lucy' said, taking her supplies and heading towards the wet sand of the shoreline.

 

"Hmm..." 'Lynn' bent over, digging into her beach bag before coming up with her prize. "Aha! I knew I had some." 'Lynn' said, holding a tube of sunblock. She turned back to call to her father, but he was already at the steps. 'Lincoln' had a sudden realization: It was just the two of them, and one tube of sunscreen.

 

He swallowed nervously as 'Lynn' opened the lid. She squirted some onto her hand and then held it out to him. 'Lincoln held out his hand as she dabbed a bit on his palm. "Although, I think a tan might do you some good," 'Lynn' teased.

 

He smiled, blushing a bit as he rubbed the sunblock in everywhere he could reach. Once he was done, he noticed 'Lynn' waiting on him. "Turn, around, I'll get your back" she said. He turned around to face the ocean while 'Lynn' put some sunscreen on her hands. "So, do you want my name in cursive or print on your back?"

 

He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Only if I get to do you too." Lincoln realized his poor phrasing only after it left his lips.

'Lynn' stared at him, raising an eyebrow. For a brief, terrifying second, he thought she was about to embarrass him. Mercifully, she burst out laughing.

 

"You wish!"

 

A chill ran down his spine as the cold sunscreen on her hands rubbed his shoulder blades. He inhaled sharply as she rubbed it in, rubbing his shoulders, then down his back. 'Lincoln' flexed his back muscles unconsciously as she rubbed it in.

 

She approached his lower back and finished off what was in her hands before putting a finger between his back and the waistband of his swimsuit. He froze. She pulled it back, held it open for a second, then snapped the waistband against his back as he gasped.

"Nice butt," she said as he turned around, just as red as the beach towel they stood on. 'Lynn' turned around with a smirk, holding the sunscreen over her shoulder. "Okay, now get me,"

 

'Lincoln's breath caught in his throat. She was as perfectly tanned as the day was long. He doubted she even needed sunscreen, but put some on his hand regardless. Without warning, he put his hands on her shoulders. 'Lincoln' felt her tense beneath his hands as he rubbed it in.

 

"Geez, that's cold!" 'Lynn' complained.

 

"I didn't get a warning either," 'Lincoln' replied. He noticed her grin as she glanced over her shoulder

 

"Hang on,"

 

'Lynn' unhooked the back of her top, keeping one hand on her chest

 

"Okay, keep going,"

 

'Lincoln' finished her shoulder blades before moving onto her lower back. She re-fastened her top and waited as his hands went lower. Then he got an idea.

 

Revenge.

 

He finished up her lower back before sliding a finger between her skin and the waistband of her bottoms. He pulled them towards him.

 

'Lincoln' glanced down before letting go. The waistband snapped against her lower back as she raised up on her toes, slightly arching her back. 'Lincoln' heard her gasp. She turned around, her mouth open in shock, now that it was her turn to blush.

 

In as smooth a manner as he could muster he said. "Nice butt."

 

'Lynn' stared at him, still seemingly in disbelief. He put on his best smirk and looked her right in the eyes. Fair was fair, after all. Her shock morphed into a sly smile.

 

She took a step towards him. "You'll pay for that." she whispered

 

"Are you guys coming or what?!" 'Lucy' shouted from the beach.

 

"Guess it'll have to wait," 'Lincoln' replied smugly.

 

'Lynn' held her grin and poked a finger into his chest. "I guess it will,"

 

'Lynn' drug her finger across his chest as she walked towards 'Lucy'.

 

'Lincoln' followed her.

 

'Lucy' already had buckets of sand ready for building when they got there. With their help, 'Lucy' had a sand castle to be proud of within minutes, decorated with seaweed and seashells.

 

"Now we get to do the fun part!" 'Lucy' said cheerfully.

 

"What's that?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"We get to smash it!" 'Lucy' exclaimed, raising a foot.

 

Her father calling her name stopped her. "Come put on sunscreen before you burn, missy!"

 

'Lucy' lowered her foot sadly.

 

"Don't smash it till I get back, okay?" she said, running back up the beach.

 

'Lynn' and 'Lincoln' followed her to 'Lynn's bag.

 

She pulled out a soccer ball. "I got a scene next week where I play soccer. Want to help me practice?" she asked.

 

"Sure." he replied as they walked towards a flatter spot down the beach.

 

"I need to look like I actually play soccer," she said, setting the ball down and resting her foot on it.

 

'Lincoln' had actually played a bit of youth league soccer back east.

 

"I think I can help." he said.

 

"What do you have to do in the scene?"

 

"Not look like I have epilepsy" she said rolling the ball onto the top of her foot and lifting it off the ground.

 

"Well, I'm not a doctor or anything..." He teased.

 

"I need to steal the ball and score a goal, and I need to say my lines while I bounce it on my knees and feet and stuff in the scene before that."

 

She kicked the ball to 'Lincoln'. He bounced it up onto his foot, then his knee "Why do you need to score? Can't they just edit it to make you look like you did?"

 

'Lynn' put her hands on her hips. "Some of us like to actually do what the script calls for" she replied with a teasing smile. 'Lincoln' chuckled to himself

 

"Okay then, I guess we should get started."

 

'Lincoln' taught her the basics of getting the ball across the field, keeping it with you until you want to pass, and the all important art of the steal. "Okay, so when you want to steal the ball, you want to guess where he's gonna try and go with ball and block it."

 

She tried to steal it, but he was too quick for her. 'Watch my hips, that'll tell you where I'm trying to go." He said. 'Lynn' studied his hips and finally stepped in front of the ball, stealing it from 'Lincoln'.

 

"There ya go!" he said as she kicked it a few feet away from him. "So was that it?"

 

'Lynn' wiped the sweat from her brow. "Actually I'm supposed to chase the guy down and steal the ball."

 

'Lincoln' rubbed his chin. "Oh... well then you better start running."

 

Before she could react, Lincoln stole the ball back from her and headed down the beach. He glanced over his shoulder.

 

'Lynn' was in hot pursuit.

 

He could've mistaken this for a scene from the show as her ponytail bounced along behind her, a look of unwavering determination on her face. Looks like there was more of her character in her than he realized.

 

She was gaining on him. Soon, she was next to him, fighting him for the ball as he began to slow down near the water's edge. "Hey," she panted, along side him.

 

"Remember how I told you I'd make you pay for earlier?"

 

'Lincoln' looked up at her curiously. A mischievous smile crossed her lips as she planted her leg in front of his. His ankle caught the back of her calf as he tripped forward. He turned as he was falling determined not to eat sand by himself. 'Lincoln' reached out an arm and hooked it around her waist.

 

She began to fall forward with him, giggling as she fell. 'Lincoln' splashed into the shallow water on his back, pulling 'Lynn' with him. The water softened his fall as he found himself in an unfamiliar position.

 

'Lynn' lay on top of him, is arm still around her waist. She had managed to catch herself with one hand on one side of his head, and an elbow on the other, almost nose to nose. 'Lincoln's heart began racing in his chest, as though it were trying to escape his chest.

 

'Lynn's smile had changed, but only just slightly. It wasn't the mischievous grin from earlier. Now, it was more knowing smile betrayed by her half-lidded eyes. The only thing keeping 'Lincoln' grounded in reality was the tide, ebbing and flowing around the two of them. "Payback," she whispered before closing the distance.

 

'Lincoln' closed his eyes as their lips touched. He wrapped his other arm across her shoulders to draw her in.

 

Soon they were chest to chest. He could taste the cherry lip gloss he'd seen her put on numerous times on set. But'Lincoln' noticed something different about this time. Her lips slowly began to part. He matched her as their tongues met for the first time.

 

It felt incredible. The fabric of her bikini top rubbed against his chest as she adjusted herself on top of him. Both were sloppy, both not one hundred percent sure how this was supposed to work, but neither cared.

 

On this beach, they weren't a movie and tv star.

 

They weren't their bank accounts.

 

They weren't their designer clothes.

 

They were just two kids trying to make it in LA.

 

So far, 'Lincoln' thought, they were doing just fine.

 

'Lincoln' wrapped his his arms around her, hugging her close. They were both winded from the run down the beach. Finally, 'Lynn' broke the kiss, desperately needing some air. He could feel her heavy breaths on his chest as she tried to catch it. 'Lincoln' slowly opened his eyes. 'Lynn' was flushed red.

 

The dusting of freckles across her cheeks stained crimson as her eyes fluttered open. He could feel her chest rising and falling in sync with his. Although now, he was willing to bet she was panting for an entirely different reason than their sprint down the beach. 'Lincoln' released one arm from around her waist and brought it up to her face. He brushed the stray bangs out of her face and behind her ear. She couldn't help but giggle. 'Lynn' leaned back into him as she put her forehead to his and their noses touched. They sat their for a moment, so close that they couldn't help but share the air between them. 'Lincoln' felt her hand trace up his free arm before she met his palm with her own.

 

He knew what she was after. 'Lincoln' spread his fingers and she found the spaces in between. 'Lynn' squeezed his hand and forcefully pushed his arm over his head and into the sand. 'Lincoln' grinned as she came in for round two. She was certainly strong when she wanted to be. Just before their lips touched again, 'Lincoln' spotted someone walking down the beach.

 

'Lucy'!

 

"Stop, your sister!" he said breathlessly.

 

'Lynn' whipped her head around, smacking 'Lincoln' in the face with her ponytail. She hadn't seen them yet, thankfully. 'Lynn' rolled off of him and stood up, brushing the sand off her arms and legs. 'Lincoln' sat up to join her when he noticed a problem.

 

A stiff problem.

 

'Lucy' had already seen them both and was heading their way. He looked down at his tent and back to 'Lynn', and the rapidly approaching 'Lucy'. There was no way he'd have time to talk this one down. 'Lincoln' glanced towards the ocean desperately. That's when he spotted the soccer ball.

 

'Oh thank god!' he thought, scrambling into the water.

 

"Soccer ball's floating away, I'll get it!" he said hurriedly. The chilly waters of the pacific helped bring him back to normal as he swam towards the ball. He recovered the ball and turned back to shore. 'Lynn' and 'Lucy' waited back on shore for him. He heaved the ball as best he could in chest deep water.

 

It landed just short of the shoreline.

 

'Lynn' plucked it from the water as he swam back to shore.

 

"Where'd you guys go? I've been waiting forever to smash our sandcastle!" 'Lucy' complained.

 

"He was helping me with a scene," 'Lynn' answered, holding the soccer ball under her arm.

 

"Well then since you're done, lets go!"

 

'Lucy' grabbed both their hands and nearly drug them back to the spot where her sandcastle sat, waiting to be crushed.

 

'Lincoln' and 'Lucy' did most of the smashing while 'Lynn' went to put away the soccer ball.

 

"Yes! That was awesome!" 'Lucy' shouted happily.

 

"Let's build a bigger one! Then smash it!"

 

'Lincoln' couldn't help but smile as he grabbed a shovel and pail and got to work. Before long, another, grander sandcastle stood before them.

 

"Ready? Go!" 'Lucy' said, taking a flying stomp to one of the outside towers. 'Lincoln' joined her in stomping the defenseless sand fort. As soon as they finished, 'Lynn' walked up from the blanket.

 

"You missed the smashing!" 'Lucy' said to 'Lynn'.

 

"Want us to build one so you can smash it?" she asked.

 

'Lynn' smiled at her. "Nah, I'll be okay." She turned back to 'Lincoln'. "So, you ever bodysurfed before?"

 

He didn't think so, but then again this was the first he'd ever heard of it. "No..."

 

'Lynn's sly grin returned.

 

"Want to?" she asked, pointing to where the waves were breaking further offshore

 

"I want to go too!" Lucy pled. She couldn't go. 'Lincoln' knew why: she couldn't swim.

 

"You know you can't go out that far" 'Lynn' said matter-of-factly.

 

"Yes-huh! I bet I could stand up!"

 

"And what if a wave came and knocked you down? What if you got sucked out by the undertow?" Lynn asked.

 

The defeat on 'Lucy's face was too much for her. "Look, when we get done, we'll bury you in sand and make you a mermaid!" 'Lynn' suggested, trying to cheer her up.

 

"Hey, yeah! That would be fun, right?" 'Lincoln' added. Neither of them seemed to elevate 'Lucy's mood as she turned back towards her parents and started walking.

 

'Lincoln' felt terrible, and by the looks of it, so did 'Lynn'. "Just give her time," she said, turning back to the ocean. "She'll forget about it once she's a mermaid," 'Lynn' insisted. "Last one to the breakers has to change my baby sister!"

 

Without warning, 'Lynn' took off towards the water. 'Lincoln' was left in the lurch as he struggled to catch her. The two of them dove beneath crashing waves, making their way to beyond the break. Once there, they bobbed in the water, the swells passing harmlessly beneath them.

 

"So, uh... how do you do this?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"Pfft," 'Lynn' huffed "You've been in California /how/ long?"

 

She moved towards the shore a bit. "Watch." She said, floating on her stomach and looking behind her. "You just wait like this, and when you see a good size wave coming, you swim!"

A big one lifted her up as he watched her go. The wave seemed to push her along as she stopped swimming, rocketing forward as the wave took her to shore.

 

'Huh, seems pretty easy.' he thought, swimming to about where she was and waiting. Another large swell came barreling along as he began swimming as fast as he could. He felt the wave suck him backwards, then propel him forward. 'Lincoln' forgot to straighten out his body, as the wave pushed him down into the water, tossing him against the sand as it roughly tossed him on shore by 'Lynn's feet.

 

"Wow, you're a natural," she said flatly.

 

'Lincoln' picked himself off the sand and removed the seaweed from his hair.

 

"You'll get it, it just takes practice," 'Lynn' said, heading back into the water.

 

'Lincoln' followed her, and together they played in the surf.

 

He was finally starting to get the hang of it when 'Lynn' spotted her father standing on shore. He waved them over as they started the swim back. Once back on shore, 'Lynn's father gave 'Lincoln' his towel. As he was drying off, he noticed that 'Lynn's father had put the towel around her shoulders and had begun walking her up to the blanket. 'Lincoln' followed behind them as he continued to dry off

Once at the beach blanket, 'Lincoln' gathered his shirt and put it back on.

 

'Lynn' put her back on and they started to collect up the beach toys before 'Lynn's father stopped him. "Mind, giving me a hand with the cooler?"

 

"Oh, sure." 'Lincoln' grabbed one end as they headed towards the steps and back to the car. He set the cooler down beside the car as 'Lynn's father admired the view.

 

"We sure are lucky, eh?" he asked.

 

"Yeah, it's a pretty nice beach." 'Lincoln' replied.

 

"No, not the beach! Our lives! Being part of  show business, attaining success most people can only dream of!"

 

'Lincoln' joined him on the railing. "Yeah, it is pretty lucky."

 

"You know what's even crazier?"

 

'Lincoln' raised an eyebrow. "What?"

 

"How one photo with the wrong person, or doing the wrong thing, or making the wrong person angry can take everything away," he snapped his fingers. "Just like that."

 

'Lincoln' narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, that's pretty wild..."

 

Lynn's father turned from the railing and smiled at him.

 

"Let's get this cooler loaded into the car, huh?"

 

'Weird...' Lincoln thought, helping him put the cooler in the back. The girls met them at the top of the stairs once they gathered the beach gear. 'Lincoln' was looking forward to catching a few z's on the ride home as he climbed into the back. As 'Lincoln' awaited 'Lynn' to join him, her father spoke up.

 

"Hey, why don't you ride in the back since your sister did on the way up?" he suggested to 'Lucy'. She smiled at him, seemingly in a bit of a better mood than when he left her.

 

"Okay," 'Lucy' climbed into the back to sit next to 'Lincoln'. He could see 'Lynn' shooting daggers at her father behind his back before climbing into the middle row. After 'Lily' had been buckled in, 'Lynn's parents started the car and headed back to LA. Every now and then he'd catch 'Lynn's Dad looking at him in the rear-view mirror, only to look away when he made eye contact. Lincoln paid it no mind and watched the scenery slowly change from rural to urban with a soundtrack of radio disney before realizing that the normally talkative 'Lucy' was behaving more like her character, even though they were off set. He glanced over to her. She was still just as down as she was when 'Lynn' told her not to follow them into the ocean.

 

"Hey, sorry we didn't get to make you a mermaid, but there's always next time!" 'Lincoln' said, trying to cheer her up. "No reason to let it ruin the rest of your day", 'Lincoln' told her.

 

'Lucy' sighed. She was way more like Lucy today for some reason. "It's not that..." she mumbled.

 

"What is it? You can tell me."

 

She looked him in the eye, a hint of fear shone behind them.

 

"I think I did something bad," she whispered.

 

His curiosity was piqued. "What?" he asked, leaning in to hear her.

 

"Do you like my sister more than me?"

 

'Lincoln' withdrew in shock. "Well... I mean, you're both my friends..."

 

"But you'd rather spend time with her than with me..." 'Lucy' sighed.

 

'Lincoln' was a bit confused "What's this all about?"

 

"I saw you guys last night on the couch, and I didn't mean to tell them, I just thought you wouldn't want to be friends with me because you liked my sister and..."

 

'Lincoln' stopped listening at 'told them'.

 

He looked back at the rear-view mirror in time to catch 'Lynn's Dad eyeing him again. 'Lincoln's heart began racing as the realization washed over him. Not only had 'Lucy' seen him on the couch with his sister, but now her father knew!

 

The awkwardness of the car ride reached critical mass. 'Lincoln' was pulled back into the real world by 'Lucy'

 

"...please don't hate me, Lincoln!"

 

He looked down at her. She had tears welling in her eyes. It seemed she was genuinely afraid 'Lincoln' would hate her.

 

He didn't hate her, however, once 'Lynn' got word of what she did, well... he couldn't speak for her.

 

"I don't hate you, Lucy," he assured her with a whisper. "So we're still friends?" she asked hopefully, looking up at him.

 

"Yeah," he answered, still in shock over her admittance.

 

"We're still friends."

 

She hugged him around the waist, squeezing him as hard as she could. He barely mustered a pat on the back in return. He was snapped out of his daze by 'Lynn's mother. "Your mother's home," she said to 'Lincoln' from the front. She didn't seem to be acting any differently towards him.

 

Perhaps 'Lucy' only spilled the beans to her father.

 

"We'll just drop you off at your trailer" 'Lynn's father said, holding his gaze through the mirror. This wasn't the same guy that had jokingly offered him a beer when they first got to the beach. 'Lynn's father had always been a pretty nice person, at least to him.

but something had changed,'Lincoln' could sense it.

 

"Yeah... that's fine" 'Lincoln' answered nervously. Before he knew it, they were pulling into the lot.

 

'Lynn' unbuckled and leaned over the back of the seat. "Come over later if you want to rehearse some lines for the next shoot." She grinned.

 

He loved her smile. It made just about everything better. "Sure," he said, hugging 'Lucy', then 'Lynn', and getting out of the car. They drove down to their trailer as he turned to face his own. He sighed, climbing the steps. 'What do I do now?' he thought.

 

'Lincoln' unlocked his trailer door and stepped inside. The curtain was drawn on the front sleeping area. His mother had arrived home and gone straight to sleep. "Figures" he mumbled to himself, heading back to his room.

 

He removed his shirt and looked at himself in the mirror. He had gotten a bit of a burn, even with the sunscreen. Going from white as a ghost to tan was not an easy process. Just for fun, he flexed in the mirror. Not much muscle to speak of, but enough for a boy his age.

 

'Lincoln' considered himself lucky. He had the outlines of abs he didn't have to work to maintain, and a high metabolism that burned off anything he ate almost within the hour. A cocky thought crossed his mind.

 

"No wonder 'Lynn' likes me," he said, striking different poses in the mirror. The confidence that came with that thought evaporated as he recalled the revelation during the car ride from the beach. Her Dad didn't say anything as blunt as 'stay away from my daughter'. But the intent was clear. His chest deflated, his shoulders fell.

 

'Lincoln' wanted to shower, but the weight in his heart laid him on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling for a minute before reaching for his phone. he put his music folder on shuffle and hoped for something uplifting to play.

The song began (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r11joVaQ6Y)

 

'Not bad' he thought. The shuffle gods seemed to recognize what he was going through. He was pretty fortunate. The more he thought about what happened as he and 'Lynn' left the beach, the more upset he got. A fire rose in his heart.

 

Who the hell was her Dad to tell her who she should be with?

 

He felt his fist clenching unconsciously. The anger built to a point before he let out a heavy breath. What was he going to do? Fight her Dad?

 

That might not go over to well. He decided to try and put the thought out of his mind. Besides, he knew 'Lynn'. If her Dad forbid her from doing something or seeing someone, she'd just want it more. He thought back to the night before. That feeling he got when they were so close.

 

Contentment.

 

He'd only felt it for the first time not even 24 hours ago, and he was already feeling the withdrawal. It was only then that fatigue began to set in. His eyelids grew heavier as the music faded out. 'Lincoln' awoke a few hours later. Orange rays of sunlight cut through his blinds as the sun gave off its last few rays of the evening. 'Lincoln' felt gross as he realized he still had sunscreen sticking to his body. After a quick shower and a change, he went into the living room.

 

His mother was still sleeping. 'No surprise there,' he thought, throwing on his favorite jacket and rolling up the next episode's script and putting it in the pocket. A bolt of fear struck his heart as he stepped out of his trailer. What if 'Lynn's dad was waiting for him?

 

He shook the thoughts from his mind. Even if he was, he still worked with 'Lynn', and reading lines was part of their job. He grabbed his phone and shot her a text. 'Hey, I'm coming over to read some lines"

 

He set off in the orange glow of the LA twilight towards 'Lynn's trailer. Once he arrived, he glanced nervously at 'Lynn's parents trailer. As if they were about to spring out at any moment, torches and pitchforks at the ready. He took a deep breath and climbed the steps to her trailer.

 

'Lincoln' knocked.

 

He waited by the door, expecting to hear 'Lynn's footsteps heading towards it from the other side.

 

Nothing.

 

He looked at the windows. All the blinds were closed on both hers and her parents trailers. He checked his phone. No reply. He called her. Maybe she'd just gone out to grab a bite with her family.

 

Straight to voicemail. Now he was worried. He left the trailer and headed back towards his trailer, the feeling of defeat returning.

 

'Lincoln' headed back to his trailer as the darkness began to set in. The lot was quiet, not unusual for a day off, but still a bit unnerving.

 

'Lincoln' couldn't help but worry as he walked back. He knew his fears were unfounded. She'd left with her parents plenty of times before, even after they agreed to meet for some work on their lines or maybe to practice a scene or two. This time felt different. This time he saw her as more than just his co-star. 'Lincoln' worried all the way back to his trailer. The cast was still in the middle of the season. There was no way her Dad could just yank her off set in the middle of production.

 

'Lincoln' didn't know much about Hollywood, but he knew what ratings were, and how being on top guaranteed the cast an tight contract. His show was the hottest thing in the 5 pm time slot. He arrived at his trailer to find his mother drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

 

"Did you have fun at the beach?" she asked genuinely.

 

'Lincoln' nodded.

 

Yeah, it was cool," he replied, heading back to his room. "Hey, before you turn in, I met a casting director last night" his Mom said.

He paused, looking over his shoulder.

 

"I gave him your headshots" she said in between sips of coffee. "He said he liked what he saw," his mother said happily.

 

Truthfully, this was when she was happiest, when she was trying to advance his career. Some days he didn't know if he had a mother or a manager. He thought 'Lynn' might be feeling the same way about now. Wherever she was.

 

"Great," he replied flatly. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate her hard work. It was that sometime after they'd moved to LA, he'd lost his mother. The Mom he had before wore clothes she bought from department stores in the mall, she packed him lunches for school, and she drove him to his friends houses for sleepovers. But now, he almost didn't recognize her.

 

He headed back to his room and closed the door. It wasn't his Mom's fault. This city had swallowed her, just like it had countless well-meaning parents before her. He wasn't upset at her, though he may have come off a bit colder than he intended. He took off his clothes and climbed into bed. 'Lincoln' plugged his phone into the charger and glanced at it. Still no reply. Before last night, he would have thought nothing of it. Phones die, or get left somewhere all the time. But this time was different.

 

'Lynn' meant something to him.

 

And he meant something to her.

 

Was this what it felt like to love someone? Being unable to think of anything but them when apart? Having all these dreadful thoughts racing around in your mind, playing out every worse case scenario over and over?

 

A knock at his door pulled him from his thoughts.

 

His mother slowly cracked the door.

 

"Are you okay, honey?"

 

His room was dark save for the glow of his charging phone.

 

"Yeah" he lied.

 

His mother stood in the doorway for a moment. "I'm sorry I've been pulling late nights like this,"

 

'Lincoln' didn't acknowledge her as she kept on.

 

"So what if tomorrow, we head into town and check out that new Star Trek movie?"

 

"Yeah, that sounds fun," he yawned.

 

She kissed him on the forehead before leaving him in darkness. Truthfully, it did sound fun. He'd been waiting to see the movie, but struggled to find time with work.

 

But 'Lincoln' simply couldn't muster any enthusiasm. Emotionally, he was running on empty. He had gone from the top of the world to worrying himself silly about one girl dominating his thoughts all in the course of one day. He glanced at his phone one more time.

 

Still no reply.

 

He ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was Sunday, and then back to work on Monday. He'd see 'Lynn' again on Monday, he was sure of it. The morning sun cast laser beams of sunlight through his blinds as 'Lincoln' rubbed the sleep from his eyes

His first instinct was to check his phone. 'Lincoln's heart raced as he prayed for the new text icon to appear

 

Nothing.

 

He let out a heavy sigh. 'Lincoln' at least had the awareness to realize he was stressing himself out over nothing. Sure, 'Lynn' was the first girl who had ever taken an interest in him. She was also his first real kiss!

 

But she wasn't dead, and her whole family didn't just disappear, regardless of what his paranoid thoughts might insist. He put on his clothes and left his room to find an unusual surprise. His Mom was making breakfast, something she hadn't done in quite a while.

 

"Morning," she nodded to him, scrambling eggs.

 

"Mornin' Mom" he said as he sat down at the table. The day started well enough. They ate breakfast, went to the pier, and got ice cream. But all the while, 'Lincoln' checked his phone at every phantom vibration. He was with his mother, but only physically.

 

Finally, as they sat in the theater, she brought it up. "What's the matter?" she asked plainly.

 

"Nothing—"

 

"You think a mother doesn't know when something's bothering her son?". Signs of the mother he remembered would occasionally rise to the surface every now and then.

 

"Okay, okay..." he relented. "I..." he began as the light's in the movie theater began to dim. "I like..."

 

His mother nodded. "It's her, isn't it?"

 

She hit the nail on the head "Yeah... I like her. A lot."

 

He was far too embarrassed to look at his mother. He could hardly believed he admitted such a thing to his Mom!

 

"I thought there was something different about you two lately,"

 

He looked at her, eyebrow raised. "You aren't mad?"

 

"Mad? Why would I be mad?" she asked, as though he'd just asked an obvious question. Just because 'Lynn's Dad didn't approve didn't mean every adult he encountered wouldn't.

 

"My son has a crush on a movie star. It's not that unusual," she said, taking a sip of diet coke.

 

"Well..." 'Lincoln' began "She likes me too".

 

"Aw, your first girlfriend!"

 

He instantly regretted telling his Mom as she hugged him tightly

 

Mercifully, the previews began, preempting and further fawning by his mother over his fledgling relationship. 'Lincoln' loved the rebooted Star Trek movies, but something kept him from truly immersing himself.

 

Her.

 

Even as epic space battles raged on screen, he could only pay partial attention. He covertly pulled the phone from his jeans.

 

Still no reply.

 

He took a sip of his soda and tried to enjoy the rest of the movie. He hoped one day he would be able to meet some of his favorite cast members if he became a movie star like 'Lynn'.

 

The drive back to the lot was quiet until...

 

"So, you and 'Lynn' huh?" his mother asked with a grin.

 

"Mom!" 'Lincoln' reprimanded, his cheeks flushed crimson.

 

"What? Am I not allowed to be happy for my son?"

 

"Just... please don't talk about it with anyone else, okay?"

 

"Don't worry Romeo, your secret is safe with me" she teased.

 

'Why did I tell her?' he agonized. He should have known this would be any mother's reaction. They finally arrived at the lot and headed back to their trailer. The light's in 'Leni's trailer were on, as were 'Luna's, 'Lori's and...

 

'She's home' he thought, the weight of his worry finally lifted off his young shoulders. Her and her parents lights were on. 'Lincoln' checked his phone one more time as they walked past their trailers.

 

Still nothing

 

'What time you goin to work tomorrow?' he texted her. He put his phone back in his pocket and before long they arrived at home

 

"You should probably get to bed, shooting starts early," his mother said.

 

'Lincoln' nodded in agreement.

 

As he climbed into bed, he plugged his phone into the charger. He had only just drifted off when he heard it vibrate. His eyes shot open as he rolled over to grab his phone.

 

'1 new text from 'Lynn'

 

'Finally' he thought, opening it.

 

'Can you meet me at my trailer?'

 

His heart leapt into his throat.

 

'b right there' he texted back.

 

He could still hear the television on in the living room. If his mother was still awake, there'd be no way she'd let him out this late. Not when he had work in the morning. He thought for a moment as he sat up in bed. The only other escape route that would allow him to leave undetected. 'Lincoln' silently got out of bed and found a shirt and pants. He put on his socks before climbing onto his bed to examine the window above it. Just before he opened the blinds, he heard a soft tap on the window.

 

Something like a pebble against the glass.

 

'Lincoln' opened the blinds and peered into the darkness of the lot. 'Lynn' stood outside in a hoodie and short shorts, smiling with a wave as he noticed her. 'Lincoln' paused.

 

He pulled his phone from his pocket. He didn't just imagine he got a text from her, did he?

 

'Lincoln' checked his messages. Sure enough, one text from 'Lynn'.

 

He looked to 'Lynn', then back to his phone.

 

'Lincoln' opened his window.

 

"Hey!" 'Lincoln' whispered happily, his mood elevating by just seeing her face. She walked closer to the trailer until she was directly beneath the window.

 

"Sorry about yesterday, we had to go meet with a casting director and it took pretty much the rest of the weekend."

 

"Really? For a movie?"

 

"Yeah, an action movie I think. So are you gonna invite me in or what?" she said, arms folded, tapping her foot impatiently.

 

Something wasn't adding up.

 

"Did you not want to meet at your trailer?" he asked cautiously.

 

'Lynn' raised an eyebrow. "No... besides, we always meet at my trailer," she said innocently.

 

That was a huge red flag.

 

"I kinda wanted to just talk to you, today's been really stressful," she admitted.

 

He decided to put a pin in the text message issue for the time being. "Okay, let me get my shoes."

 

He slipped them on and popped the screen out of his window and down to her. They smiled at each other for a second before 'Lynn' hugged him. He returned the embrace.

 

And just like that, he was happy again. They held each other in the crisp night air. "I missed you" she whispered in his ear. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before letting go. 'Lincoln' couldn't help but smile as she took his hand.

 

They began to walk away from the trailers, 'Lynn' seeming to know where she was headed as 'Lincoln' followed. "So, how was your saturday?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"The beach was great, but afterwards it was just us meeting some guy at a fancy restaurant like always," she said. "I'm supposed to go run lines for the director some time this week,"

 

That worried him.

 

Would she have to be written out of the show to make her movie? Would the show get canned without one of the most recognizable faces in the cast? Would—

 

His errant thoughts ground to a halt as she stopped in front of the door to set 28; the set of the Loud House.

 

'Lynn' grabbed the handle and pulled. It popped right open.

 

"They really need better locks," 'Lincoln' commented as 'Lynn' pulled him inside. The darkened set had all the major rooms of the Loud House; the living room, the kitchen, the hallway, and each bedroom.

 

"Come here often?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"Only when I want to get away from my parents and their dumb rules," she replied, leading him by the hand onto the set. She led him to 'Lynn' and 'Lucy's room.

 

'Lynn' let go of his hand and took off her hoodie, throwing it on the floor. The room was already had clothes from wardrobe scattered about to give it that 'lived in' feel. She figured no one would notice one more.

 

'Lincoln' watched her turn back around to face him. 'Lynn' had put some thought into this, it seemed.

 

She wore a t-shirt that was probably about one size too small. A thin band of her midriff showed above the waistband of her shorts. She could tell 'Lincoln' liked what he saw as she stepped towards him. Without saying a word, she grabbed his collar and pulled him into a kiss.

 

She began walking backwards, their lips held together towards the bed. 'Lincoln' wrapped his arms just beneath her butt and lifted her off the ground.

 

'Lynn' released a torrent of giggles as their lips separated. She rested her forearms on his shoulders before he tossed her on the bed He followed suit, climbing on top of her, his arms on either side of her head. "But Lincoln, what if Mom and Dad catch us?" she gasped.

 

'Lincoln' paused, putting his hand over his face but laughing all the same. "Please don't do that."

 

"Whatever you say, 'little bro,'" she replied, smiling at him.

 

Justice had to be served.

 

'Lincoln' stared down at her, a sly grin across his lips. "Okay. Just remember you asked for this," he said. He sat up, his thighs straddling her stomach. 'Lincoln' began tickling her unmercifully. 'Lynn' writhed beneath him as she laughed, trying unsuccessfully to fight him off.

 

"Stop!" she gasped in between fits of laughter.

 

"What's that Lynn? I can't hear you," he replied as she finally grabbed a hold of his hands and rolled him off of her. They laid beside each other, both out of breath. 'Lincoln' grabbed her hand as they tried to get comfortable on a bed made for one. "So do you think you'll get the part for that movie?" he asked, planting a kiss on the back of her hand.

 

"I dunno..." she said as  they both stared up at the high ceiling of the set building. "Honestly... I don't know if I even want it."

 

'Lincoln' turned to her. "Really? Why?"

 

She sighed heavily. "It's just... it's so much work to get a part, then you have to follow all these rules, you have to work late, travel to who knows where to shoot a scene they're just gonna cut from the movie anyway..." she complained. "That and, Hollywood does something to people," she completed.

 

He knew what she meant. She snuggled up close to him, resting her head on his chest as he brought his arm around her shoulders. His phone vibrated in his pocket. "Hey, did you get my texts on Saturday?" he asked.

 

"No, my Dad told me he dropped it. I'm getting a new one Monday."

 

'Lincoln' pulled the phone from his pocket while 'Lynn' fell asleep on his chest. One new message from 'Lynn'. He opened it.

 

'Where r u?'

 

'Lincoln' typed up a reply: 'With your daughter.'

 

Send.

 

'Lincoln' smiled. For once in his life, he had a modicum of control. He set his phone on the nightstand and laid his head down on the pillow. Within moments he was fast asleep with 'Lynn' beside him. It was already fairly early in the morning, and the two of them would only have gotten a few hours of sleep anyway. The first crew members would arrive soon, so they figured no one would mind if they were the first ones on the set.

 

A buzzing stirred 'Lynn' from her sleep. She raised her head off 'Lincoln's chest and squinted towards the white light coming from the nightstand where 'Lincoln' had set his phone. At first, she figured he had just set an alarm for some reason. She raised herself up a bit higher as her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

 

It was a text from his mother. 'Lynn' wasn't one to pry into other peoples phones, but as she was about to set her head back down, she noticed  the message chain above his Mom's text.

 

It was from her!

 

"What the..." she sat up, carefully leaning across 'Lincoln' so as not to wake him. 'Lynn' picked up his phone and entered the text chain from 'her'.

 

Two messages. Sent from her phone. One sent while they were laying here in bed! A chill ran down her spine. Was someone pretending to be her? Had her Dad simply lost her phone and lied to her about dropping it so she wouldn't worry?

'Lynn's mind raced with all the possibilities before seeing 'Lincoln's reply.

 

'With your daughter'

 

Suddenly, it clicked. 'Lynn' gritted her teeth, jaw clenching as she set 'Lincoln's phone down.

 

'Lincoln's eyes fluttered open as he focused on the blur leaning across him. He noticed a vein in 'Lynn's forehead beginning to bulge before she punched the mattress, narrowly missing his ribs.

 

"What's wrong?" he asked blearily, sitting up.

 

"I can't believe he did this!" 'Lynn' shouted, hastily getting up from the bed and throwing on her hoodie.

 

'Lincoln' looked at his phone, putting two and two together.

 

'Darn,' he thought to himself. 'There went my leverage.'

 

'Lynn' quickly put on her shoes and began striding angrily towards the door.

 

'Lincoln' checked his watch. The first crew members would be arriving shortly. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and checked the message from his Mom.

 

Looked like she'd gone in his room to check on him and found his window open. He hit dial and placed the phone up to his ear. He knew better than to keep her waiting, knowing how panicky she could get if he just disappeared without telling her where he was going.

 

"Hey, Mom, it's me. No, I'm on the set. Don't worry, I was with—no, I guess they didn't lock it on Friday. Mom, I'm fine, I'll see you after I'm done in makeup, okay? I dunno, doughnuts is fine I guess. Thanks. Okay, I'm sorry. Bye."

 

He hung up the phone and fell back on the bed, staring up at the non-existent  ceiling of 'Lynn' and 'Lucy's room. He sure wouldn't want to be 'Lynn's Dad once she got a hold of him.

 

'Whatever, serves him right,' he thought, putting his hands behind his head. Although, he was her father, and she was his daughter. Even in Hollywood, the parents still decided the fates of their children. To include trying to keep them from being with someone they didn't approve of. But wasn't that what made the best stories? Two young people not meant to be together overcoming the deck stacked against them and finding happiness in each other against all odds?

 

Sure, it worked in movies. Unfortunately, they were just that.

 

Movies.

 

'Lincoln' sat up and found his shoes. Might as well read over a few lines for today's scenes while he waited for everyone else to get here.

 

The rest of the cast and crew shuffled in and the set soon became a hive of activity. Once 'Lincoln' was done in makeup, he met his the girl who played his sister Luan in her trailer to run some lines. The first few scenes were mostly from 'Luna's first focused episode, so he wouldn't be needed for a while.

 

'Lincoln' left the set and knocked on the door. 'Luan' was already in her wardrobe, looking every bit recognizable as her character. Minus the braces. They were actually fake, but she sometimes had to be reminded to pop them in before each take. Apparently they were pretty uncomfortable.

 

"Oh yeah! We're running lines today, aren't we?" she asked, as though she genuinely forgot. 'Luan' wasn't exactly what folks might immediately identify as an actress. Like 'Lori', but the exact opposite. She was studying at M.I.T. before being discovered by the casting director while visiting family in California. She honestly considered acting a side gig while she continued her studies through online courses. She was actually more apt to play Lisa than Luan. The 'acting as a hobby' aspect is what drew her to 'Luan's character in the first place. Nothing too dramatic, and lines mostly consisting of puns were nothing she couldn't handle.

 

"I mean, if you're not too busy with school," 'Lincoln' replied.

 

"No, it's fine, I've got finals coming up and things have been getting crazy!" she laughed. The giggle she used when playing 'Luan' was actually her normal laugh, believe it or not.

 

He stepped inside. 'Luan's trailer was covered in textbooks, laptops, and notepads with every subject from Fluid Dynamics to Theoretical Physics.

 

"Sorry about the mess," she said, hurriedly clearing off a place for him to sit. He didn't mind. College was still lightyears away for him, and if it took this much work, he wasn't sure he wanted any part of it. 'Lincoln' was honestly amazed that she could know all this stuff and her lines.

 

They ran a few lines before 'Lincoln' began to lose focus. Partially due to fatigue, but also due to his preoccupation with the events of last night. What if 'Lynn' hadn't shown up? What if he'd gone to her trailer? What would have happened then? What if—

 

"...On your mind?"

 

'Lincoln' snapped his head up from his sheet of lines.

 

'Luan' was looking at him, one eyebrow raised.

 

"No, nothing..."

 

He sighed. He was a terrible liar. When he wasn't acting, anyway.

 

"Okay, so you know how... um... you know," he mentioned 'Lynn's name, "you've seen how we act around each other, right?"

 

'Luan' still seemed unclear. "How you act? Aren't you both actors?"

 

'Lincoln' rubbed his temples. Since all the older sisters seemed to just pick up on it, he figured she would too. "No, I mean, she and I... you know, kinda... like each other."

 

'Luan' gasped. "You do?"

 

She squealed before letting out a signature giggle. "Oh my gosh that is adorable! You two are soooo cute together."

 

'Lincoln' was genuinely stunned that this was the first she was hearing of this.

 

"I'm so happy for you two!"

 

"Well, some people aren't so stoked," 'Lincoln' lamented.

 

'Luan's mood flattened a bit.

 

"Really? Who would want to rain on such a cute parade?" she demanded, as though she were about to burst from her trailer and find whoever they were and make them pay. Part of 'Lincoln' wished she would.

 

"Well, her Dad for one."

 

The fire in her eyes faded a bit. "Oh. Well, she is still his daughter."

 

'Lincoln' was not looking for that answer.

 

"But how can he tell her who she can and can't like?"

 

'Luan' crossed her legs in her folding chair. "Look, he's her legal guardian. That means he makes the rules for her. The only way around that would be if her parents divorced, or he died, or if she legally emancipated herself. And trust, me, each option is less likely than the previous."

 

"Yeah," 'Lincoln' sighed. "But it's just not fair! I like her, she likes me! We're both happy! Why isn't that enough?" He demanded, as though 'Luan' would have the answer.

 

"Look, there's lots of things you really won't understand until you're older. Trust me when I tell you I know what you're feeling. She's the first girl that you've liked that has liked you back, right?"

 

'Lincoln' nodded.

 

"And you've liked plenty of girls before here, but they wouldn't even give you the time of day, right?"

 

Although it was embarrassing, he nodded.

 

"And now that you've found a girl that likes you, you feel like you finally understand what every love song was written about, don't you?"

 

"I mean... I guess so."

 

"So you'd do anything to hang on to what you have, because you don't want to go back to the way you were. You don't want to go back to being by yourself. Am I right?"

 

'Luan' hit the nail on the head. Ever since he'd gotten that first taste of true happiness, he was hooked. All he could think about was maintaining it. He was happiest when he was with 'Lynn', and so he tried to be with her as much as he could. Anyone trying to impede his happiness was a problem. His worst fears were no longer a pit of spiders or a clown made of snakes, it was losing 'Lynn', and going back to the loneliness he had grown so accustomed to here in Hollywood.

 

"Some things are just meant to work out, and when they do, you'll wonder why you ever doubted them in the first place." 'Luan' said reassuringly. "And some things aren't. Realizing what is meant to be and what isn't takes experience, it takes trial and error, and it takes the guts to put yourself out there in the first place and risk ending up back at square one. When you realize something isn't meant to be, there's only one thing you can do about it."

 

'Lincoln' looked up from his lines and into her eyes. "What?"

 

"Let them go."

 

That wasn't exactly the answer he was hoping for as they continued reading lines. After an hour or two, they left the trailer and headed to the set. His next scene was the one he'd just rehearsed with 'Luan'. The episode this scene was from revolved around Lincoln trying to get his house to 'go green'. How a kid was supposed to get a house with thirteen people in it to become as green as houses with only four was beyond him, but it was just for T.V. anyway.

 

'Lincoln' took his place on the set as 'Luan' readied a pie to smash into her own face.

 

"Roll sound, and... action!" the director yelled.

 

Lincoln strolled into the kitchen to find it a mess, Luan having trashed it to make pies for her latest routine. He gave his lines and she gave hers before taking her pie to the face.

 

"Cut! Great work, let's keep moving." Director Savino said, flipping to the next few pages. "Where are the twins? Can we get them out here?"

 

"One second, sir!" A voice shouted from the wardrobe rack off set.

 

'Lola' and 'Lana' were actually brought in from a talent agency specializing in identical twins. Their mother was usually on hand to help coach them and more importantly, defuse the most common argument the two of them would have.

 

Who's turn it was to play 'Lana.'

 

Both of the girls had grown up around show business since they were babies, so needless to say, they were not fans of playing in dirt, rooting around in garbage, or unclogging fake toilets.

 

"It's you turn to be Lana, I was Lana yesterday!"

 

"Nuh uh, I was Lana last, I wanna wear the sparkly dress!"

 

"Girls, please!" Their mother interrupted. She looked to the daughter on her right. "You know your sister was Lana yesterday, so it's your turn today."

 

"But I don't wanna!" she pouted.

 

'Lincoln' noticed his mother glance back at him and smile knowingly.

 

"You know, Lana has a really fun scene with her big brother today, don't you?"

 

Her eyes lit up. "I do?"

 

"That's right," her mother assured her. The little girl looked to 'Lincoln' excitedly as he walked over.

 

"Yup, and 'Lola' and 'Lana' both get plane rides to the set, but only if they hurry and get dressed like their Mom says," 'Lincoln' added.

 

"Yay, plane rides!" Both girls hurriedly went with their mother to change into their stage clothes. As he waited for his young co-stars to return, he started looking around. 'Luna' was in her folding chair texting, 'Luan' was by craft services, one hand holding open a textbook while the other fed her a doughnut, but he hadn't seen any sign of 'Lynn' or 'Lucy'.

 

'I know they've got scenes today...' he thought. The familiar weight of anxiety dropped in his stomach. 'Lynn' had essentially caught her Dad trying to interfere with her personal life, and she seemed pretty pissed about it. What did she do? How did her Dad react?

 

The same negative thoughts from the weekend came roaring back to life. Before he could stew any further on the subject, he felt tugs on either side of his 'Lincoln' jeans.

 

The twins were looking upwards at him, smiling hopefully. Their faces pushed his nervous thoughts away as he returned their smiles.

 

"Okay," 'Lincoln' put his hand over his mouth and used it as a pretend radio. "This is your captain speaking, flight 213 to the set of the Loud House is cleared for takeoff!" He wrapped an arm around each girl's belly stood up. The girls spread their arms like wings as 'Lincoln' zig zagged to the set, giggling all the way.

 

"Uh oh, looks like their's some turbulence ahead!" 'Lincoln' said, shaking the girls as they laughed. Finally, just as his arms were tiring out, he reached the set. "Okay girls, end of the line," he panted. One six year old wasn't too heavy. Two was a different story.

 

"Thanks Lincoln!" they said in unison as he bent down to give them hugs.

 

Their mother followed closely behind them, ready to help put them in position.

 

"Alright, girls, get to your places!" Their mother insisted as the crew got ready for a take.

 

'Lincoln' walked off set and found his chair. He thumbed through the script for his next scene.

 

'Hm... interior, hallway, outside Lincoln's bedroom, Lynn greets Lincoln good morning as he walks by with wet hair,' he read to himself.

 

He looked up in time to see a door to the lot open. He squinted through the sunlight, the nerves in his stomach relaxing as he recognized 'Lynn' and 'Lucy', followed by their parents. They arrived in their wardrobes, ready to shoot.

 

'Lynn' didn't look any worse for wear considering the amount of sleep the two of them had gotten last night. 'Lucy's bangs were already in show mode, so he couldn't tell how well rested she was. Her parents however, were a bit off. Usually they walked in holding hands or at least close to each other when they visited the set. This time, however, 'Lynn's mother held 'Lily', and her father came in behind her.

 

There was a distance between them, 'Lincoln' could tell. 'Lynn' spotted him and immediately flashed him a smile.

 

God, he loved it when she smiled.

 

'Lincoln' got up from his chair and greeted her with a hug. They held each other, enjoying the moment. 'Lincoln' opened his eyes as they continued the hug and noticed 'Lynn's father watching them from afar. They locked eyes briefly before he turned away to the craft services table.

 

As they broke the hug, 'Lincoln' sat back down in his chair. "So... did you talk to your dad?"

 

Her expression flattened. "More like yelled." 'Lucy' commented, waiting for her hug as she raised her arms out to 'Lincoln'. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground—his signature 'Lincoln' to 'Lucy' hug.

 

"Well if SOMEONE wasn't such a blabber-mouth—" 'Lynn' began before 'Lincoln' stopped her.

 

"Look, it's not her fault, they would've found out eventually anyway, right?"

 

'Lynn' folded her arms and huffed. "I mean... I guess." She cut her eyes at 'Lincoln'. "Sneaking around was part of the fun,"

 

'Lincoln' blushed as he flipped through his lines. "So, you guys want to rehearse for a bit until we shoot?" he asked, nervously changing the subject.

 

"I guess." 'Lucy' sighed. It looked like she was already in character.

 

They ran a few lines before the director called for them. 'Lincoln' and 'Lynn' took their places, 'Lynn' in a big sleeping shirt and socks, while 'Lincoln' changed into his pajamas.

 

"And, action!"

 

Lincoln dragged his pillow down the hall behind him as water dripped off his head. Lynn walked casually out of his room and yawned. Lincoln stopped beside her. He waited for her to deliver her lines.

 

And waited. And waited.

 

This wasn't like her at all. She was a movie star, a veteran! How could she be freezing up during a simple segue scene?

After what seemed like whole minutes of staring at each other, 'Lincoln' noticed 'Lynn's lips beginning to tighten, followed shortly afterwards by her chin beginning to quiver. By then he had realized what was about to happen.

 

He whispered her name.

 

"Are you okay?"

 

One blink and it was all over. A line of tears flushed from her eyes as she let out a sob. Before he could react, she bolted from the set. Hot on her heels was her mother, followed quickly by her father, leaving 'Lincoln' standing alone on set.

 

"Cut!" the director yelled, rubbing his temples. "Can someone go find out what's wrong while we set up for the next scene?"

 

'Lincoln' walked off set as they prepared for the rest of the days scenes and back to his chair. He had just got done settling his anxious thoughts and then this had to go and happen. He found 'Lucy' to try and shed some light on the situation.

 

"Any idea what's wrong with your sister?"

 

'Lucy' chewed her lip.

 

"Kinda..." she relented. "Mom and Dad have been fighting a lot, and we don't like it." 'Lucy' explained. "But she doesn't like it the most."

 

'Lucy' brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked up at 'Lincoln'.

 

"Can I ask you something now?" she asked.

 

"Sure," he replied.

 

"How come you like my sister more than you like me?"

 

The question hit him like a ton of bricks, stopping him cold.

 

 

"Uh... I... uhm..."

 

 

"Is it because she's older? It's cause she has boobs isn't it?" 'Lucy' accused, her hands on her hips, one eye peeking through her bangs.

 

 

"Look, I like you too, it's just..." He paused. How could he explain something he himself was hardly familiar with? "Your sister and I..." he sighed. "We like each other... a lot. It's something you'll understand when you're older—"

 

 

"It's always her! She always gets everything she wants and I never do! It's not fair!" 'Lucy' shouted. "I like you too, you know!"

 

 

"But, don't you think I'm a little too old for you?" he asked honestly.

 

 

"No!" 'Lucy' insisted. 'Lincoln' had temporarily forgotten he was dealing with a child, and a fairly stubborn one at that. "I love you too, I want to lay on the couch with you and I want you to kiss me too!"

 

 

'Lincoln' rubbed his eyes. He had not expected this kind of conversation on less than five hours of sleep. "Listen, I know you think you love me, and I love you too, but not in the same way as your sister. I'm sorry, but you're only eight! You shouldn't have to worry about any of this, you should be enjoying being a kid while you still can!"

 

 

She glared at him. "You're still a kid, too."

 

 

'Lucy' had him there. "Yeah, but I'm an older kid—"

 

 

"You're twelve!"

 

 

He was actually eleven, but he wasn't about to correct her. 'Lincoln' was getting a bit irritated. ‘Lynn’ had already run off crying for some reason, her Dad was still eyeballing him for calling him out last night, and now ‘Lucy’ wanted to play the jealousy card? It was all too much.  

 

 

"I like her, okay? I like your sister. I don't know why, I just do." He took a deep breath. "I like you too, but you aren't my girlfriend."

 

 

The reality of his words hit ‘Lucy’ like a boxing glove square to the nose. Her lip began to quiver as he realized the weight of his words. A line of tears welled in the one eye 'Lincoln' could see. His irritation began to temper, being slowly replaced by guilt. How exactly do you let an eight year old down easy? Especially one you have to work with almost every day?

 

 

In a flash, her shaky lip tensed, her sadness changing to the unbrideled anger of a young girl spurned. ‘Lucy’ gritted her teeth and cocked her fist back. She threw a punch right at his stomach. “I hate you!” she shouted before storming off. The punch didn’t hurt as much as seeing ‘Lucy’ so upset.

 

“What was that about?”

 

‘Lincoln’ turned around to see the director standing behind him.

 

“Oh, nothing Mr. S, just making my co-stars hate me one by one...” ‘Lincoln’ sighed.

 

 

The director smiled. “Everyone, take ten!” he shouted before focusing back on ‘Lincoln’. He stepped towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Why don’t we take a walk real quick and you can tell me what’s been going on, huh?”

 

 

Director Savino had always been well liked by the cast and crew. He treated everyone like family, which may have been what drew him to this project in the first place. He came from a big family, and could relate to the dynamics at play in The Loud House.

 

 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” ‘Lincoln’ said. His head swam with all kinds of confusing thoughts. Everything from ‘Lynn’ to ‘Lucy’ to her meddling father. He needed a way to vent, and it looked like the director was going to give him that chance. The walked towards the door to the lot as the director asked ‘Lincoln’ to explain what happened with ‘Lucy’.

 

 

“Well... I kinda... uhm, her sister and I are kind of seeing each other,” he began.

 

“Ha! I knew you two had a good vibe, and you tried to deny it!” Mr. Savino teased as they left the set.

 

‘Lincoln’ smiled with embarrassment as he continued. “Yeah, well, apparently her little sister liked me too.” Maybe the director was going to be the one adult besides his mother to be supportive of himself and ‘Lynn’.

 

“Uh huh,” the director nodded.

 

“And she didn’t really like me telling her the truth about me and her sister. I mean, I like her, but she’s only eight!” ‘Lincoln’ rubbed his neck. “Then she looked like she was gonna cry and then she hit me and ran off, but not before telling me she hated me...” he sighed.

 

“I see,” the director said.

 

“I mean, was I wrong?” ‘Lincoln’ asked.

 

“No, you did the right thing.” he admitted.

 

“Then why do I feel so bad?”

 

Director Savino stopped walking and knelt down to ‘Lincoln’s eye level. “Sometimes the right decision is the one that makes you feel the worst. Having said that, there’s something I need to talk to you about.” ‘Lincoln’ was all ears as he continued. “A certain concerned parent came to me today, and he was worried that another co-star was messing with his daughter’s ability to perform.”

 

‘Lincoln’ felt his fist clench, a fire rising inside his chest. ‘That son of a bitch!’ ‘Lincoln’ screamed internally.

 

He managed to control his initial reaction enough to compose a reply. “Okay,”

 

“You saw what happened today. Do you think he has a point?”

 

“No!” ‘Lincoln’ spat defensively. “He’s just a stupid old man who doesn’t want his daughter to be happy—”

 

“Whoa there, killer,” the director said, “He’s still her father, and what he says carries weight. Now listen, I was your age once, I know what it’s like. But you have to understand we’re all here to work, and if extracurricular activity is going to get in the way of that, then we need to take a look at it and decide if continuing it is the best course of action. Understand?”

 

‘Lincoln’ couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was every adult on set against the two of them being together? He wasn’t an acting robot, he had a life outside the set! Granted, before ‘Lynn’ came along, it wasn’t much, but it was his, damnit!

 

He pushed his initial anger aside as he told the director what he wanted to hear. “Yeah, I understand. Is she okay?”

 

“She’s still in her trailer with her mother. We’ll just shoot Lynn’s scenes tomorrow,” he said, standing up and opening the door to the studio. “Five minutes and we’ll be ready to resume shooting,” he said. ‘Lincoln’ nodded.

 

It seemed everyone wanted them apart but the two of them. That fact only fueled the flames in his heart. He didn’t care what anyone else thought, the director, her father, or anyone else. He loved ‘Lynn’, that much he was beginning to realize. He’d be damned if he let anything outside the two of them sink his first relationship before it even left port.

 

 

He walked quickly towards ‘Lynn’s trailer. As he approached, he could hear shouting. The closer he got, he realized it wasn’t ‘Lynn’, but her parents. They were arguing pretty loudly in their trailer. He stopped outside ‘Lynn’s, catching snippets of their shouting match.

 

“How could you do that to her? Do you not want our daughter to be normal?”

 

 

“I want her to be happy and successful! And you should too! Do you know what I’ve had to sacrifice to get us to where we are now?”

 

“Don’t talk to me about sacrifice you son-of-a-bitch!”

 

‘Lincoln’ cringed. This was not the idyllic family he had always imagined. Thinking back on it, maybe they just hid their fights well. If this was a regular thing, no wonder ‘Lynn’ and her sisters got their own trailer. ‘Lincoln’ walked up the steps and knocked.

 

“Go away!” came angrily from within.

 

“It’s me,” he replied. Hopefully that wouldn’t make it worse.

 

Before he knew it, the door flung open, a puffy eyed ‘Lynn’ threw her arms around his shoulders, tears still running down her cheeks. It looked like she hadn’t stopped crying since she ran off set.

 

‘Lincoln’ returned the hug, holding her tightly, trying to give her the same sense of comfort and security she gave him.

 

“Are you okay?” he whispered in her ear, a few strands of rebellious hair brushing against his lips.

 

She broke the hug and looked at him through her teary eyes. She barely managed the word ‘no’ before heading back into her trailer. He followed, closing the door, sealing her parents argument outside. ‘Lynn’ sat on the couch, crying into her hands as ‘Lincoln’ followed.

 

He sat next to her, waiting patiently. For a while, he just let her cry, even though he assumed she’d been doing that for the past fifteen minutes.

 

Finally, he gathered the courage to speak. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”

 

She sniffed up her tears and wiped her eyes. ‘Lynn’ took a moment to compose herself. She looked into his eyes.

 

“I think my parents are splitting up.”

 

'Lincoln' sat in silence beside her, trying to process what she'd just revealed. He was sailing in vastly uncharted waters now. He knew he had to say something, but what? He had never known anything but his Mom. His father, whoever and wherever he was, was never around, so he had nothing to miss. But 'Lynn', she had everything. She had a family from all the magazines.

 

Or so he thought. The closer he looked, the more cracks began to emerge. 'Lincoln' couldn't bare to see her like this. His every instinct screamed at him to do something, anything, to comfort her.

 

'Lynn' wiped her eyes.

 

"It's this city... they didn't used to fight like this," she said through her tears. "This is my fault."

 

He saw his chance, and took it. He took both her hands and looked her in the eye, her makeup, though light, beginning to smear down her face.

 

"No, it isn't."

 

'Lynn' returned his gaze, searching desperately for a sense of calm and security in his eyes. He was trying his best to provide it, but he was just a boy. An actor in a city more likely to chew you up and spit you out than show you to the promised land. He was a boy with a man's problem set before him.  

 

"Without you, they wouldn't even be here! I know things are tough right now, and I know your Dad not liking the idea of you and me together isn't making things better, but I need you to know something. No matter what happens between your parents, I won't leave you."

 

Even when they were full of tears, she had the most beautiful eyes. 'Lincoln' could have lost himself in them.

 

"Do you promise?" she whispered meekly.

 

"I promise."

 

She broke the gaze, looking down at the red number one on Lynn's jersey, a few damp tear stains dotting the fabric. "Why are you doing this?" she asked.

 

'Lincoln' was a bit taken aback by the question. "Doing what?" he asked.

 

"Everything! I mean, most other actors would have just moved on while the hormonal teenager cried all day in her trailer... why did you come find me?"

 

Now he knew she was just being silly. His mother had always told him that women loved to be reminded of things, hence why anniversaries, birthdays and the like were usually super important to them. He never quite understood what that meant until he found himself sitting beside a girl on the cusp of womanhood asking him to remind her of why he cared in the first place.

 

"Because I care about you and well... I..." his words caught in his throat. His face flushed red and suddenly if felt one hundred degrees hotter in her air conditioned trailer. Was he really about to say this? Did he mean it if he did? Or was he just trying to tell her what she wanted to hear? The only other time he'd said these words to someone else was his mother.

 

But not like this.

 

He had to trust his feelings. 'Lincoln' fully realized he might never get another chance at this.

 

"I... I think I—"

 

"We're up all night to get some, we're up all night for good fun, we're up all night to get lucky," His cell phone blared at the worst possible moment.  

 

He growled, releasing her hand and digging angrily into his pocket. After fishing out his still singing cell phone, he sighed. It was the director. No doubt he was needed on set. 'Lincoln' silenced his phone and set it on his lap before taking her hand once again. "Look, once I'm done shooting, I want to meet you on set after everything is closed up." 'Lincoln' broke eye contact. "There's... something I need to tell you in person."

 

"Actually... I have something you need to hear, too," she replied, suppressing a hiccup of laughter.

 

"Then it's settled." 'Lincoln' leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, her tears leaving a bitter taste on his lips. "I'll see you tonight."

 

'Lincoln' stood up to leave before pausing at the doorway. "Oh yeah, did you get a new phone?" he asked over his shoulder.

 

"I did," 'Lynn' replied as 'Lincoln' pulled his out of his pocket. She gave him the digits before he turned to leave.

 

"Please try to keep it away from your Dad," 'Lincoln' teased as he left.

 

He didn't make it five steps out of 'Lynn's trailer before he literally bumped into her Dad.

 

"Having fun ruining my daughter's career?" He asked snidely, his arms folded as he glared down at him.

 

A lump swelled in 'Lincoln's throat as he took a step back. This was not the same guy who jokingly offered him a beer at the beach, nor was it the same guy who didn't mind him sleeping over when his Mom was out networking until the morning hours. 'Lincoln' didn't know who this was, but he didn't want to find out.

 

"You apparently didn't get my hint at the beach, so let me spell it out for you. My family has sacrificed too much for some nobody who lucked into the lead role in a crappy sitcom to fuck up her future. She's destined for stardom, and everyone knows it."

 

The logical voice in 'Lincoln's head spoke up, offering a solution to this incredibly tense problem. 'Why don't you just explain how you both feel? He was young once, maybe he'd understand?'

 

'Lincoln' plucked up his courage. "Your daughter and I love each other. It sucks that you don't like it, but that's the way she feels, and it's the way I feel, too."  

 

He leaned in closely as 'Lincoln' backed up a step. "Listen closely. If I see you around my daughter anywhere other than work, you're finished in this town, you understand me?"

 

'Lincoln' stood, petrified by fear. This guy had just been shouting obscenities at his wife only moments ago, and now here he was in front of him, threatening his career! On top of that, he towered over him. One swing from 'Lynn's Dad and it would be all over; not just his career, but maybe even his life!

 

'Lincoln' stayed quiet while the logical voice in his head told him to say 'yes sir' before high-tailing it back to the set.

 

But then a rather unfamiliar voice spoke up, one he wasn't even aware he had. This voice wasn't rational. This voice seemed to have been born moments after he realized the truth about his feelings for 'Lynn'.

 

This voice was fury. This voice was every angry metalcore, gangster rap and hardcore song he'd ever heard all rolled into one.

 

This voice gave him one thing to say, and one thing only.

 

'Lincoln' had already given logic a chance. Now, he was left with only one option.

 

"Fuck you."

 

The words seemed to hit 'Lynn's father like a bucket of cold water to the face. It was almost as though he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. A certain feeling of pride came over him as he defended his feelings for 'Lynn' to her Dad's face. Not in the most eloquent way possible, but it got the message across.

 

'Lynn's father's face morphed from shock back to anger as it grew bright red. If was mad before, he was furious now. "What did you just say to me?" he muttered in that low, threatening tone parents often used on their children when they did something really REALLY bad.

 

'Lincoln' couldn't back down now. Even if this jerk ended his career tomorrow, his spotlight would fade knowing he left everything out in the open, nothing left unsaid.

 

"Fuck. You."

 

'Lincoln' was beside himself with pride. He had just delivered a verbal knockout, and yet the tense moment continued. For a moment, he began to panic. What came after this? Were they gonna fight? What kind of comeback is there for the F-bomb?

 

Just then, like an angel descended from heaven, the director opened the door to the studio. "Let's go, we're waiting to shoot!"

 

"'S'cuse me, I've got work to do."

 

'Hot damn, I am smooth today!' he thought, striding past 'Lynn's father and following the director onto the set. He shot his scenes with renewed vigor, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he delivered his lines. After a few hours of shooting, they broke for lunch. 'Lincoln' headed towards the craft services table as 'Lana' and 'Lola' approached him.

 

"Lincoln? What's wrong with Lucy? She doesn't wanna play with us," 'Lana' pouted as 'Lola' nodded in agreement.

 

"Is she mad at us?" 'Lola' asked.

 

'Lincoln' set his sandwich down and sighed after swallowing his food. "Lucy's not mad at you guys, she's mad at me."

 

They gasped in unison. "What'd you do? Did you break her favorite toy?" 'Lana' asked, as 'Lincoln' knelt down to their eye level.

 

"Did you drink all of her apple juice?" 'Lola' continued.

 

"Lincoln, you wouldn't!" 'Lana' asked, in a voice an octave higher than normal.

 

'If only...' he thought. He couldn't help but smile at the precocious twins accusations. "No, it wasn't anything like that. It's... complicated. Just give her some space and she'll come around, I promise."

 

Pouts still graced both their faces. "But who's gonna play with us while mommy eats lunch?" They both looked pleadingly at 'Lincoln'.

 

How could he resist?

 

"Well, it looks like I'll have to be a good big brother and play with you," he smiled, one hand resting on his chin.

 

Their eyes lit up. "Can we have a tea party? Will you have one with us?" they asked excitedly.

 

"I think you know the only place we can have a tea party is in 'Lola' and 'Lana's room."

 

"Airplane! Airplane!" they chanted in unison.

 

"I don't know," 'Lincoln' moaned. "I think the airplane is out of gas."

 

"Aw, but how do we fill it back up?" 'Lola' asked.

 

"It's going to take one kiss on each cheek." 'Lincoln' grinned.

 

Both girls rushed him and peppered him on each cheek.

 

"Okay, okay, the tank is full," 'Lincoln' laughed, wrapping his arms around their bellies once more and flying them the short distance toward the set.

 

"This is a princesses only tea party, so you need to be a princess to stay," 'Lola' said as 'Lana' looked for something to make 'Lincoln' a pretty enough princess to join them.

 

"Here, ya hafta wear this," 'Lana' said handing him a pink feather boa.

 

"Oh, and this!" 'Lola' added, finding a floppy pink hat for him as well. They sat down at their plastic table and began pouring their 'tea'.

 

'Lincoln' politely exchanged pleasantries with the twins while he sipped his imaginary tea.  

 

 Though for the time being he found himself focused on conversations about princesses and castles, his mind slowly drifted back to the meeting he'd set for tonight. He was kicking himself for not just saying it to her in the trailer. He wanted to blame the director, but he knew his phone was just a convenient scapegoat. Truth be told, 'Lincoln' was relieved he didn't have to open himself up like that for the time being, but 'Lynn' had to know. With everything he set into motion today, he might not get many chances to.

 

After lunch, the shooting resumed as planned. He had another scene with 'Lucy' that went over even colder—he felt—than the script called for. Thanks in large part to him, he was sure. Once they wrapped, 'Lincoln' noticed 'Luna', 'Lori' and 'Leni' hunched over a table reading something. 'Lincoln' wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. He peeked in around the girls and noticed they had laid out the arts and entertainment section of the LA times. On the front spread was a picture of 'Lynn' with the title 'Left At Home' star rumored to be in the running for popular movie franchise lead.'

 

Some of the air left his lungs as he read that statement.

 

'So I guess it is true,' he thought.

 

"Can you believe it? This is gonna be huge for her!" 'Leni' said to the group.

 

"It couldn't happen to a more deserving girl," 'Lori' added.

 

'Luna' turned to 'Lincoln' as he backed away from the group, looking more than a little crestfallen. She knew why.

 

"C'mon then, lad, let's have a walk out back," Luna said, putting an arm around his shoulder as they headed outside the lot through a rarely used side door. A few feet away from the building, they found a concrete barricade the perfect height for sitting on. 'Luna' sat down and expertly produced a cigarette before flipping a zippo with the British flag etched onto it.

 

"Now then, must be pretty difficult seein' her just about guaranteed to be leavin' the house eventually, eh?" She asked, lighting her cigarette and taking a slow drag. The adult actors weren't supposed to smoke outside while in costume, but it was a rule 'Luna' frequently ignored.  

 

"I mean... yeah it sucks, but what can I do? I mean, it's her career..." 'Lincoln' sighed. "She'll met some other movie star and forget about me..."

 

"What kinda attitude is that to have? By the way, I been meanin' to ask you," she paused to take a puff of her smoke. "Where'd you go last night after you left my place?"

 

'Lincoln' blushed, breaking eye contact.

 

"Oh, you little devil!" Luna smiled, ashing her cigarette. "Give me details, love! Did you kiss her? Are you two an item?"

 

The redness in his cheeks told her all she needed to know, but 'Luna' figured she might as well hear it straight from the horses mouth.

 

"I went to her trailer, we watched old monster movies on the couch, and..."

 

"And..." 'Luna' led, raising her eyebrows.

 

"We might have, kissed, a little—"

 

'Luna' squealed happily, leaping from her seat and pulling him into a hug, careful not to burn him with her cigarette. "I'm so proud of you, lad! Bloody hell, seems like just yesterday you were afraid to step out from behind your Mum, and now look at ya! Makin' moves on a movie star!"

 

'Luna' sighed to herself, releasing him from the hug and sitting back down. "Mad how time flies innit?"

 

"Well, yeah, but once her dad found out, he made it pretty clear he didn't want me seeing his daughter," he admitted. "He's been trying to keep us from seeing each other outside of work. Say's his daughter is 'destined to be a star and a nobody like me'd just hold her back'" he said in the adult mocking voice every child seemed to have down to a science.

 

"Pfft," 'Luna' huffed. "Sounds like a right cunt."

 

She wasn't wrong.

 

"But he's her Dad, and she's only thirteen. Her parents still make the rules, and if they don't want her to see me, then..."

 

'Luna' put her cigarette out on the ground. "Listen lad, I once knew a boy back in England who was from a very posh section of town, and his parents were appalled when he brought the poor girl from the wrong side of town over. They forbid him to see me, even though I tried my damnedest to make them accept me. The point is, some folks will never accept what the two of you have, and there's no point in dwelling on tryin' to change something like that. You take what you have and you hold on tight, and if the two of you fight for it, it'll work." 'Luna' stood from her seat. "All this nonsense about 'if it's meant to be it'll find a way' is for people who think good things will just fall into their lap. Anything worth having is worth fighting for. So you fight for it, lad. Don't let other people try and tell you how things are going to be."

 

She had given him a lot to think about as she headed back inside. The sun was already setting over LA as he took the long way around to his trailer. His mother waited for him, which was not terribly unusual during the work week.

 

"How was filming?" she asked as they entered the trailer. Obviously she hadn't heard of his little confrontation with 'Lynn's father.

 

"It was alright," 'Lincoln' replied in the same manner every child across america answers their parents when they ask how school was that day.

 

A few seconds of silence passed before his mother spoke up. "I heard your girlfriend walked off the set,"

 

'Lincoln' sighed, taking a seat at the table. "Yeah, she thinks her parents are getting a divorce, her little sister hates me because I won't go out with her instead of her sister—"

 

"Aw, she's got a crush on you!" His mother teased. "That's so cute."

 

"Thanks Mom," he replied sarcastically.

 

"Oh just give her some time, she's eight. She'll find a new boy band or disney channel kid to crush on in no time, I promise." His mother turned to him from the kitchen after looking through the pantry. "So, chinese, thai, italian or sushi takeout?"

 

They ate their dinner as 'Lincoln' recounted the scenes he shot that day. As the evening wore on, his mother decided to go to bed early. 'Lincoln' retired to his bedroom as well, but he wouldn't get a wink of sleep. His mind had a singular focus: how was he going to tell 'Lynn' how he felt?

 

A ball of nerves settled in his stomach as he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The hours ticked by before the vibration of his phone nearly gave him a heart attack.

 

'Lynn' sent a picture with her message, just to let him know it was her.

 

"Ready when u are" it said. The picture was of her in a t-shirt, hair brought over one shoulder, still we from the shower.

 

'Lincoln' took a deep breath and found his lucky jacket. It hadn't let him down so far. He put it on and zipped it up.

 

It was time to lay his cards on the table.

 

'I'm leaving now' he texted before opening his window and climbing out. The hours leading up to this moment had been some of the most nerve-wracking moments of his life. He thought about nothing other than what he was going to say to 'Lynn'.

 

There was an unusual chill in the night air as he hugged his jacked around him. 'Lincoln' took a deep breath before setting off towards the empty set. His heart raced as though he had just finished running a marathon, it was all he could do to hear anything other than his heartbeat in his ears.

 

Before long, he spotted 'Lynn' standing beneath the dim light above the stage door. Her hair was still wet from the shower, tied back into a messy ponytail as it draped across the hoodie she wore, wetting it just a bit. She smiled after she noticed him approach. 'Lincoln' took his hands out of his jacket pocket and met her with a hug. The scent of her shampoo was intoxicating as they held each other in the moment.

 

"Guess we should head inside before anyone sees us." 'Lynn' said, giving the door a solid yank. It popped open and they entered the darkened set. They turned on the flashlights on their phone as they fumbled around for the light switch.

 

"This place is pretty creepy in the dark," 'Lincoln' commented.

 

"Scared?" 'Lynn' teased.

 

"Pfft, no, let's just find the—" 'Lincoln' found his foot tangled in power cables as he tripped, falling into a group of folding chairs.

 

"Geez, wake up the whole lot, why don't ya?" 'Lynn' said, walking over to help him up. "Why don't we just go to one of the bedrooms? I'm pretty sure the lamps and stuff still have power."

 

They went into 'Lincoln's bedroom this time, both of them sitting beside each other on his bed. 'Lincoln' idly stared at the posters, action figures and models suspended from the ceiling. The silence was beginning to wear on him, he had to say something.

 

"You know, I actually built some of these models?" he said, pointing to the airplane hanging from the ceiling.

 

'What is the matter with you? Shut up about models, you know why you're here!' he admonished himself as soon as the words left his mouth.

 

"Oh, cool." 'Lynn' replied. "So, how was shooting?"

 

Boy, was that a long story. "Well, I think your sister hates me, so there's that."

 

'Lynn' raised an eyebrow. "Hates you? You're like her favorite person!"

 

'Lincoln' rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah, about that... turns out I really was her favorite person. She had a crush on me and was pretty upset that I liked you and not her." 'Lincoln' turned to her and smiled. "She said it was because you have boobs and she doesn't."

 

'Lynn' laughed. "Barely," she replied, resting her hand on top of his as she looked away from him. "She's always wanted whatever I have. I guess that's normal for little sisters." 'Lynn' interlaced her fingers with his. "Just give her time, I'm sure she'll get over it."

 

He sure hoped so. He genuinely liked 'Lucy', and certainly didn't want her to hate him every time he was together with her sister.

 

"Oh, I ran into your Dad outside your trailer."

 

'Lynn' immediately faced him, worry etched across her face.

 

"Yeah, if I had any doubts about how he feels about me and you, I don't anymore."

 

She gripped his hand tightly as she growled to herself. "I can't believe him! I'm not some dumb kid, I can decide who I want to be with for myself!"

 

"Yeah, he was pretty sure that all I would do was hold you back, how you're destined for greatness and I'm just a flash in the pan... you know, the usual."

 

'Lynn' stared at him in shock. Her Dad used to love 'Lincoln'! How could he do such a 180 in a few days? How could he say those things to one of her friends?

 

"Wow..." 'Lynn' said softly. "Fuck him."

 

'Lincoln' couldn't help but smile at that notion.

 

"I'd rather not." 'Lincoln' joked, earning a playful shove. He fell into the laying position, dragging 'Lynn' to lay beside him, still connected at the hands.

 

They lay in silence for a while, 'Lynn' softly stroking her thumb across the back of his hand.

 

"Remember earlier today?" she asked.

 

This was it.

 

"Yeah, at your trailer?" he replied, knowing full well what she meant.

 

"Yeah. You had something you wanted to tell me, right?"

 

'Lincoln' found his heart racing once again as he rolled over on the crowded bed, looking 'Lynn' in the eyes. "Yeah, I did." He lost himself in her eyes as she patiently awaited an answer. He had to tell her. He powered through his nerves and took her other hand. "I wanted to tell you that... I think I love you."

 

'Lincoln' felt a thousand times lighter now that he'd gotten that off his chest. But, his nerves weren't calmed yet. She still had to reply to his confession.

 

She let out a soft, cute gasp. Was it really that unexpected? She slowly began to smile. That was a promising sign.

 

Her eyes began to well up. That sign was a bit more confusing. She blinked, letting a tear streak down her face as she swore under her breath.

 

"Of course..." she whimpered. "You remember I needed to tell you something too, right?" she sniffed up a tear.

 

This was not good.

 

"I... I pretty much got the lead in that movie I mentioned, so... this is  probably going to be my last season."

 

'Lincoln' was sure he could pinpoint the exact moment where he felt his heart break. He had always believed the term 'heartache' didn't involve any actual aching, but he was wrong. A dagger through the heart was almost exactly how he would describe the impact of her words.

 

"O-oh..." It was all he managed to choke out. It seemed like every ounce of joy had been drained out of him by a single sentence. The paper he'd seen earlier this afternoon warned him this may be coming, but he put it out of his mind. How could the universe allow something so amazing into his life only to rip it away?

 

"We might not have a lot of time left together, but for what it's worth..." 'Lynn' began, still trying to dry her eyes with the blankets from the bed. "I think I love you, too."

 

He took comfort in that as they drew closer. He kissed 'Lynn' like this was the last time he'd ever see her. He tried to pour every emotion she made him feel into one kiss. There was pure electricity between them as their breath synced with others. It was the most passionate kiss either of them had ever experienced. He wished it could have lasted forever, but eventually, the came apart. They both opened their eyes, catching their breath with a small smile across both their lips.

 

"I'm sorry I can't stay with you..." 'Lynn' whispered.

 

The irony of him promising to never leave her earlier was not lost on him.

 

'Maybe I should have made her promise not to leave me...' he thought sadly.

 

"Don't be sorry, this is your career. I wouldn't want to come between you and your job—"

 

'Lynn' held a finger up to his lips. "Don't you get it? It's not the job I care about," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "I want to be happy. Acting was what I thought made me happy, but now..."

 

The answer to this problem seemed simple enough to him. "Well, what makes you happy now?"

 

She glanced up at him, looking him in the eyes as though he was the dumbest boy alive for not seeing the answer as it stared him in the face.

 

"You. You make me happy."

 

'Lincoln' was riding a rollercoaster of heady emotions. He had been lower than low only seconds ago, and now he was cruising with airliners again. He smiled, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

 

"Which is why this sucks so much..." 'Lynn' sighed, tangling her legs with his as they laid on the bed.

 

"So, do you not want to do the movie?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"I mean..." she paused. "Its the right career move, and it would put me on the fast track to the A list, but... I did the Left at Home movies because they were fun to make, and I wanted to do them, but now... now I feel like I'm not making movies because I want to, but because that's what people expect of me."

 

"Well, I mean you are a movie star," 'Lincoln' replied as Lynn rolled her now drying eyes.

 

"Duh," she said, shifting on the bed. "I just... I don't know what I want anymore. I hate what this city does to people, who it makes them into. My mom and dad used to never fight, and now they're getting a divorce."

 

"I'm sorry." It wasn't much, but it was all he could offer her besides himself.

 

They lay there for a few more hours, talking about everything from what life was like before Hollywood to which food truck roaming around LA has the best tacos.  

 

At around 1 am, they both decided they would head back to their trailers. 'Lynn' had a full day of shooting to make up for, and 'Lincoln' had a lot to think about. Before they left, 'Lynn' thought it would be a good idea to take a selfie with the others phone, so that no matter where their jobs took them, they'd always have a reminder of the other. 'Lincoln's selfie had them on the bed, 'Lynn' planting a kiss on his cheek. 'Lynn's had the opposite, with him giving the kiss.

 

Unfortunately, no amount of cute pictures changed the fact that a time limit had effectively been put on their relationship. There didn't seem to be anything he could do about it, except prepare for the inevitable last day, and try to make every day leading up to that as memorable for the both of them as possible.

 

He climbed back through his window and hung his jacket on a chair. 'Lincoln' kicked off his shoes and fell onto his bed. The first relationship he'd ever had in his life, now had an expiration date.

 

Alone, in the sanctuary of his room, he let his guard down. Tears gathered in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.

 

It just wasn't fair.

 

'Lincoln' was exhausted both physically and emotionally. He wondered how he would ever get to sleep after the talk he'd just had. The ceiling of his trailer stared back at him, as a million thoughts raced around in his mind. Eventually, he found himself being blearily roused by his mother moving about in the kitchen of the trailer. He glanced at the clock by his bed. It looked like he'd managed to fall into a dreamless slumber, if only for a few hours.

 

Beams of orange sunlight cut through the blinds in his room as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

 

He sat up in bed and took off his shirt. 'Lincoln' stared down at his bare feet poking out from his pajama pants. The previous night's conversation weighed on his shoulders like a heavy winter jacket. 'Lincoln' put both hands over his eyes. The powerless feeling he despised so much had only left him temporarily as he slept. Waking back into the reality of his situation was nothing short of torturous.

 

'Lincoln's hands fell to his lap as he looked up. He stared at his dresser as though it were going to dispense sage advice if he kept it up.

 

A knock at his door snapped him out of his daze.

 

"Let's go! You need to be in makeup in fifteen minutes!" His mother called from beyond his room.

 

'Lincoln' stood up, grabbing a shirt from a pile near his dresser and threw it on. He changed into shorts and put on his shoes and socks. His mother fed him a breakfast burrito on his way out the door.

 

'Lincoln' had a lot of scenes to shoot today, and he imagined the first few were most definitely going to be with 'Lynn'. He finished his breakfast on the walk to the lot. Real actors don't let their personal life interfere with their work, and neither would he. 'Lincoln' had to bury everything he'd been feeling the night before so he could become the carefree, comic-reading, lovable dork that America invited into their home every night of the week at 5 pm.

 

That was easier said than done. Instead, he was feeling like an insecure preteen that was in over his head, romantically, with one of the biggest rising movie stars of his age group.

 

'Lincoln' froze with his hand on the door to the set, feeling the cold metal against his palm. He readied himself to head inside when the door flung open, knocking him backwards as the person opening it fell forwards. Scripts flew in every direction before gracefully settling around them.  

 

"I'm really sorry sir, I didn't think anyone was near the door, and I had my hands full so I had to kick it open," the intern apologized profusely.

 

Try as he might, he'd never get used to people years older than him calling him 'sir'.

 

'Lincoln' got up, dusting himself off. "It's okay, I'm fine. You alright?" 'Lincoln' asked before picking up a script. "Is this for today?"

 

"Yes, feel free to take one, the writers pulled an all nighter with the rewrites," he said hurriedly, heading out into the lot.

 

'Re-writes?' 'Lincoln' thought, thumbing through the days scenes as he walked on set before noticing something odd. 'Lynn's scenes weren't in the script! He searched cover to cover, looking for any mention of her character, but found only one as the last scene of the day. He scanned through it.

 

"Hey, we're ready for you in makeup!" called a voice from his right.

 

"Okay, I'll be there in a second!" he yelled back, curling the script up in his hands. He hurried to find the director and pulled him aside. "Hey, what happened to all the scenes with Lynn?"

 

The director glanced around nervously. "Ah, you may want to sit down for this, bud..."

 

A bolt of cold fear shot through his heart. "What is it?" he asked, his legs cemented in place.

 

The director knelt down to his eye level. "Well, the producers and I had a meeting with her parents, and they agreed that since it looks like she was going to get the lead in those upcoming movies, that it might be better if she was... released from her contract."

 

'Lincoln' was dumbstruck. How could she have gotten out of a major studio contract? Those were normally ironclad! "But... how can she just leave? In the middle of the season?"

 

"Well, it took the writers all night, but they came up with a way to write her out of the script that makes sense for her character. It's the last scene we'll shoot today."

 

'Lincoln' had no time to process what he said. All he managed was a nod before walking back towards makeup. An unfamiliar numbness fell over him as he opened the script and began to thoroughly read through the setup.

 

'Lincoln has been avoiding saying goodbye to Lynn before she leaves for her summer-long soccer camp because he doesn't want to face the fact that he and his sister are... drifting apart,' he read. It was clear from the tone and setting that this episode was meant to be a tear-jerker. 'Lincoln' scanned down to the dialogue. It was as thought they were making his goodbye to his costar a televised event. After all, what better way to capture raw emotion?

 

'Lincoln' found his way to the makeup chair and contemplated the rollercoaster of emotion he'd been on. The universe was showering him with everything he could have ever wanted one minute, then ripping it away the next. And then, just for kicks, it decided he needed some salt in his wound, so he'd actually have to bid his first girlfriend goodbye in front the entire country.

 

Before he knew it, he was done in makeup. He headed to wardrobe and found the signature orange shirt, jeans and white and red adidas that transformed him into Lincoln Loud.

 

He hadn't seen 'Lynn' or her family all day, and imagined that he wouldn't until the time came to shoot their final scene. Normally, 'Lincoln' threw himself behind his role, but today was different. It was taking him three or four takes just to get a scene down with a few lines in it. Thankfully, the director didn't hassle him about it. He and the older cast members seemed to know what was going on.

 

As the day wore on, he found himself dreading the final scene. He had to keep it together, but display enough emotion to make the scene feel real. Conjuring feelings out of nowhere was an actors job, but reigning in ones that threaten to burn out of control was quite another. As they reset for the last scene, 'Lincoln' found his seat , the day's script laying curled up in his lap.

 

"Hey, love."

 

'Lincoln' picked his head up to see 'Luna' standing next to him.

 

"I reckon you've heard the news,"

 

"Yeah," 'Lincoln' mumbled.

 

"We all figured she'd be here till the end of the season as well," 'Luna' said as 'Lincoln' heard the distinct sound of the stage door opening. "Here she comes now, lad. Remember what I told ya yesterday."  She put her hand beneath his chin and raised it, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Anything worth having is worth fighting for."

 

He blushed, but had no reply as she walked away.

 

"I didn't know you had a thing for accents," 'Lynn' teased, leaning an arm against his armrest. If she was as upset about the recent turn of events as he was, she was much better at hiding it.

 

'Lincoln' forced a smile, her voice alone usually enough to lighten his spirits. "So, have you read today's script?" he asked, knowing full well the answer.

 

"Yeah... I did," she replied. 'Lincoln' stood up and hugged her, a gesture she eagerly returned. They held each other for a moment before letting go. An unusual awkwardness crept in between them as they both just stood there, waiting for the other to say something to break the tension.

 

"I'm... I'm sorry this is all happening so fast. I never in a million years thought that they'd get me out of my contract—"

 

"It's not your fault," 'Lincoln' interrupted. "Let's just shoot this scene, we can talk after."

 

'Lynn' seemed a but stunned, but nodded as the director called for them on set.

 

'Lincoln' took his place on his bed as he got into character. It wasn't much different from the way he was feeling now, so this Lincoln Loud fit him like a glove. His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he waited for the crew to get ready. An acute nausea wracked his stomach as his nerves began to fray. He'd never been nervous on camera before, yet he'd never been in a scene with this much tension behind it, either.

 

"Roll sound... and, action!"

 

Lincoln sighed, his Ace Savvy comic laid out in front of him, but he just couldn't get into it. He'd read the same panels at least three times already. He rested his cheeks on his palms as he looked into camera one.

 

"When you grow up with ten sisters, chaos is the norm, and anything less just... isn't right. You're probably wondering why I've been avoiding saying goodbye to Lynn, and well—"

 

A knock at the door interrupted his monologue.  

 

"Come in,"

 

The door burst open, an irate Lynn lowered her soccer cleat as she stepped into his small room and dropped her duffle bag. "What's your deal, Lincoln?"

 

"I don't have a deal," he replied coldly. "Don't you have a bus to catch?" Lincoln neglected to even look up from his comic.

 

Lynn knocked the comic book from his bed.

 

"Hey!"

 

"I'm about to leave for the whole summer, and you don't even care? You're not even gonna say goodbye?" Lynn yelled, shoving his shoulder angrily.

 

Lincoln faced her, hopping off his bed.

 

"Why should I? You're the one leaving us, not me!" he shouted back. He wanted to match his sister's volume for as long as his bravado would allow.

 

Lynn's expression softened slightly. "That's what this is about? You're mad at me for leaving?"

 

Lincoln dialed back his voice. "It's just that, if you go to soccer camp, I'll have to spend a whole summer without you. You'll make tons of new friends, and by the time you come back, I'll probably only see you at home after school if you aren't at practice."

 

Lynn's anger began to fade.

 

"Hey, that's not true! You know I'd still make time to hang with you, bro," Lynn replied.

 

"And what about next summer? Which sports camp will you be going to then? And when you get to high school? Lynn... I just..." Lincoln paused, his true feelings reinforcing his every word. "For as long as I can remember... it's been me and you. We've had so much fun together that I just can't imagine this house without you. Please, Lynn, I just don't want to say goodbye to one of my best friends." He looked away from her, wiping what was definitely not a tear from his eyes. His lines were more than just words for the first time in his life. The raw emotion fueling this scene ate at him as he fought himself to keep it together. He had to nail this, because wasn't sure if he could bear to shoot this scene again.

 

Lynn stepped towards him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Lincoln, you're my brother. I'm always gonna have time for you. I know we're into different things, and we might not get to hang out as often as we want, but... this is my dream. Only the best soccer players in the state get invited to this camp. How can you be mad at me for that?"

 

"I... I guess I just didn't want to admit this was happening..." he muttered, sniffing up a tear.

 

Lincoln looked up and met his sister's eyes. "Besides," Lynn smiled, a line of tears visible only if you were standing next to her shining in her eyes. "It's not goodbye, nerd. It's just... see you later."

 

Lincoln returned her smile as they hugged.

 

"Cut! Well done, you two!" the director yelled as the cast and crew gathered around the set.  "Now, some of you may not know this, but our beloved 'Lynn' is moving on to bigger and better things, and with that in mind, this is her last day working with us." A collective 'aw' echoed from the few members of the Loud House team that were unaware. "But, that being said, I just want to say that I have never worked with such a talented girl at such a young age, let's hear it for her!"

 

A roar of applause rose and then died down as they waited to her her speak.

 

"Uhm... I don't really know what to say, since I only learned about my leaving this morning," 'Lynn' said on shaky breaths. "But, I just want you guys to know that it's been an amazing experience working with all of you, and I hope I get to work with you again soon on future projects." She barely finished her speech before the tears began to flow. She had been with them for three seasons, and halfway through the forth, she'd disappear.

 

'Lincoln' stepped away from the crowd as 'Lynn' bid goodbye to all of her co-stars and crew members. He watched her from a distance, hugging and thanking everyone from folks she saw every day to crew members she had never even talked to. She even signed a few autographs and stood for a few selfies once she'd dried her eyes enough. Even at thirteen, it was clear she was meant for Hollywood. She could make even the most inconsequential intern feel like they'd known each other for years with simple small talk. Perhaps that's what drew him to her in the first place. 'Lynn' seemed to have this whole 'celebrity' thing figured out, while he was simply fumbling in the dark, trying to find his way.

 

Once the crowd had died down, 'Lynn' made her way towards 'Lincoln' as he sat on the lip of the stage. He looked up at her and forced another smile. She sat down next to him. The uncomfortable silence creeped in as they sat there, each unsure of what to say.

 

"You, uh, you really nailed that scene," 'Lincoln' managed.

 

"Thanks..." she replied softly, both of them still dressed as Lynn and Lincoln Loud.  

 

The silence returned, much to 'Lincoln's disdain. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he held his hand out to her.

 

She looked at him and smiled, putting her palm on top of his and interlacing their fingers. The contact reassured him that he'd have the strength to speak.

 

"So, is this the last night you'll be here?" he asked, dreading the answer.

 

"No, we've still got to pack our stuff in the trailer, so we probably won't leave for a day or two."

 

"Oh," he sighed. "Well, what are you doing tonight?"

 

"My Dad is taking me to a producer's house for some kind of lame party where I'm gonna sign my contract."

 

That answer made something painfully clear to him. Her Dad was right. He wasn't cut from the same cloth as she was. She was meant for movies, for fame and fortune. He was just a kid who lucked into a starring role.

 

"Maybe the script was right," he mumbled.

 

'Lynn' faced him. "What?"

 

"I mean, this movie is what you're meant to do. I don't want to hold you back. You'll probably meet some hot movie star while you're filming and forget all about me." 'Lincoln' looked into her eyes. "And maybe... maybe that's for the best."

 

'Lynn's mouth fell open. "Are you serious? You think I'd just throw myself at someone like that?" she asked, her irritation evident as she let go of his hand and stood up.

 

"No, I didn't mean it like that—"

 

"Then how did you mean it?" she snapped, both hand on her hips.

 

"I just didn't want you to have to... uh, I mean, you know—" 'Lincoln' backpedalled.

 

The conversation was interrupted by 'Lynn's mother calling for her. "Your father's ready to go, go get changed!"

 

'Lynn' answered her mother before turning back to him. "Maybe you should think about it and get back to me," 'Lynn' said, heading back to wardrobe and leaving him alone on the empty set.

 

He ran his fingers through his hair. He decided to give her time in wardrobe to change before he changed out of his clothes.

 

'Probably meet some movie star, what was I thinking?' he thought, more than willing to trade a finger for a twenty second rewind of his life. Once he was sure he was alone, he went to change. Once out of 'Lincoln Loud's clothes, he pulled out his phone and set it on the table. He might not have been able to talk to her tonight, but he lived in the information age. He could take his time and compose a text message sure to set everything straight.

 

As he was changing, his phone alerted him to a text. It was from his mother. She had been invited to have dinner with the producer and casting director of the movie she was trying to get him into, and wouldn't be home to make him anything. It was just as well. The fewer distractions from his text message composing, the better. He headed back to his trailer and dug into the fridge for some leftover Thai. As his food spun around in the microwave, he produced his phone. He stared blankly at the draft text he was preparing to send before his thumbs went to work.

 

'I don't know what I meant back on the set, I've just never had to do this before. I'm sorry I upset you, but I just want you to remember one thing. I meant every word of what I said to you last night. You mean the world to me. I promise.' As he was about to hit send, the microwave 'dinged'. He set his phone down and grabbed his piping hot spicy noodles. He flipped on the television and grabbed a soda from the fridge, hoping patiently for a reply from 'Lynn'.

 

Hours went by with no response. 'Lincoln' had agonizingly checked his phone for the new text alert constantly, but nothing had come up.

 

It was already 11:53 pm. Surely she would have said something to him by now? Anxious thoughts raced through his mind as his stomach tied itself in knots. The air itself in his trailer seemed to have weight as 'Lincoln's heart began to beat faster. He grabbed his jacket and stepped out of his trailer, drinking in the cool night air as he tried to calm himself down. The lot was deserted. He figured a walk might help clear his head as he set off down the line of trailers.

 

Perhaps he'd run into 'Leni' or 'Luna' on the way and one of them could put his fears to bed. After all, he was just being paranoid, right? Girls wouldn't intentionally mess with someones feelings on purpose, would they?

 

Unfortunately for him, no such comfort was found. All the trailer lights were out, except for one in the distance. 'Lincoln' squinted his eyes.

 

'No way, is that...' he thought, walking quickly towards 'Lynn's trailer. As he drew closer, his suspicions were confirmed. 'Lynn's trailer lights were on, and someone was hurriedly moving about inside it. Before he could approach the door, it opened as someone with a hoodie, hood up, sunglasses and a duffle bag emerged.

 

The figure saw him and they both froze. It only took 'Lincoln' a moment to recognize those freckles.

 

"Wha... what's going on? Why are you dressed like that?"

 

'Lynn' stared at him, unable to speak before he noticed a tear sliding down her cheek from beneath her sunglasses.

 

He stepped toward her. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

 

"No, I'm pretty fucking far from alright!" she shouted back, recoiling away from him, her hood falling down and her hair spilling out of it as she removed her sunglasses.  

 

'Lincoln' flinched at her harsh words, but pressed on regardless. "I don't understand, what happened?"

 

"Do you have any idea what that sleazy producer tried to get me to do with his scumbag son to get the leading role in those movies?" she roared, tears now streaming freely down her face. A dark realization fell over 'Lincoln' as he realized what she meant. He was utterly shocked. He would never have imagined in a hundred years that something like that would happen to movie stars, let alone child stars!

 

"If this is what it takes to make it in Hollywood, then I'm done with this town," Lynn whispered angrily. She looked at him, the pain and anger in her eyes fueling a growing rage inside his heart. The thought of someone trying to hurt her awoke feelings of anger he'd only felt during his confrontation with her father.

 

"This city is full of wolves. I'm not going to be another sheep."

 

'Lynn' turned away, but 'Lincoln' caught her arm.

 

"Wait! Please, don't leave—"

 

'Lynn' ripped her arm away. "My cab is waiting."

 

'Lincoln' panicked, following her her as she headed towards the busy streets beyond the lot. "B-But where are you gonna go?"

 

"As far as my asshole Dad's credit card will take me," she replied without even turning around. 'Lincoln' struggled to keep pace as 'Lynn' put her hood back up. Once they were off the lot, they were fair game for the paparazzi. An idling cab greeted them both as 'Lynn' opened the back door and threw her duffle bag across the seat. 'Lincoln' knew he had to say something to her. In every other situation, he had eventually strung together the right words to make 'Lynn' feel better. This time, the well had run dry at the worst possible moment.

 

'Lynn' turned to him. "I... I'm sorry."

 

'Lincoln' raised an eyebrow, her words breaking him out of his verbal drought.

 

"For what?"

 

"Everything, I just... I'm sorry this is how it ends." 'Lynn' leaned in, giving him one last kiss. 'Lincoln' was too stunned to even enjoy it as they separated. Before he realized what was happening, the cab door closed, and tail lights pulled away from the curb and shrank into the night.

 

'Lincoln' stood dumbfounded on the street corner until a familiar voice in his head spoke up.

 

'Go after her!'

 

'Lincoln' hurriedly hailed a cab, only to realize his wallet was back in his trailer. He sprinted like a boy on fire back to his trailer and grabbed his wallet, quickly racing back to the lot entrance. The cab he'd hailed was still waiting on him as he climbed into the back seat.

 

"Where to?" the cabbie asked.

 

'Lincoln' paused. He hadn't even thought about where she might be going, and the cab she got into was already gone!

 

'Lincoln' sighed. It appeared this really was where it ended.

 

"I guess you can't tell me where the cab that just left here is going, can you?"

 

It was unlikely, but he figured he'd give it a shot.

 

"Actually, yeah, I can."

 

'Lincoln' perked up, a spark of hope lighting in his heart. The cab driver got on his radio and called the taxi that she had taken.  He didn't make out where they said they were going, but it didn't matter. The driver headed down the same road as 'Lincoln' tried desperately to call 'Lynn'.

 

Every time only ended in voicemail. 'Lincoln' looked out at the lights of LA through the cab window. The glittering city outside had promised him his wildest dreams, as it had so many others. In a rare case, his promise was kept. The cab sped down the emptying streets and out of the city. LAX was some miles in the opposite direction, and the cab fare was racking up. 'Lincoln' had brought money, but not enough to compete with a credit card. He prayed 'Lynn' wasn't trying to take a cab across the whole state.

 

Before long, 'Lincoln' recognized the highway they were driving down. It was the Pacific Coast Highway, winding across the rocks and cliffs like an asphalt serpent. The breaks of the cab squeaked in protest as it came to a stop near an empty parking lot beside the highway. He looked out the window, but saw no sign of 'Lynn'.

 

"This is where he dropped her off?" he asked.

 

"That's what he said. You gonna need a ride back?" The cabbie asked.

 

"No, I'll be okay. He paid the fare and stepped out of the car. The taxi drove off into the night, leaving him alone along the darkened highway. Once the cab had left, 'Lincoln' realized where he was. It was the very same beach he and 'Lynn's family had been to only days before. The distant crashing of the waves below played the soundtrack to his sorrow. He leaned against the railing and pulled out his phone. He called 'Lynn' one more time. As it rang, he looked out over the shoreline before spotting a lone figure sitting on the beach. He hurriedly descended the steps before heading out onto the sand. The moonless night provided practically no illumination as he stumbled through the loose sand, careful not to roll his ankle.

 

The closer he got to the figure, the louder her sobbing became. 'Lincoln' said nothing as he walked up beside her. He sat down and stared off into the sea. He was overjoyed that he'd found her, but he also had some things he needed to say. He had no idea how to start the conversation, so he figured he might as well just dive right in.

 

He turned to face her. Even with puffy, red eyes she was beautiful to him.

 

"I'm glad you didn't leave."

 

'Lynn' wiped her nose on her sleeve. "My Dad froze his credit card. This is as far as twenty seven dollars gets you."

 

That wasn't exactly the answer he was hoping for, but he realized she might still be dealing with some raw emotions at the moment.

 

"I can't escape this city if I tried..." she wept, rubbing her eyes.

 

'Lincoln' wasted no time. He brought his arm around her and pulled her close. She nearly fell into him, planting her cheek to his chest firmly as he rested his cheek on her head. Holding her was all he knew to do, so for now, he was more than happy to let her cry. With his free hand, he found the spaces between her fingers and filled them with his own. He felt her wince and pull her hand away. He gingerly held her hand out for a better view. Her knuckles were red and inflamed.

 

"What happened to your hand?" he asked softly.

 

"Remember the boxing episode?" 'Lynn' said through her tears.

 

He nodded. Lynn struggled in the final round of a tournament because she didn't want to hurt her friend, who happened to be her opponent. In the end she was convinced by her coach, Lana, that their friendship was strong enough to withstand a little competition. Lynn went on to knock her friend out cold with a solid hook to the jaw in the fourth round.

 

'Lincoln' couldn't help but smile, knowing she'd more than likely shattered a glass jaw at that creepy party. He put his hand beneath hers, careful not to hold it too tightly as he rested his cheek against her. He looked up, watching airliners crisscross the night sky, mingling their flashing lights with the twinkling of the stars. He couldn't blame her for trying to get away from this place after everything she'd been through.

 

A thought occurred to him as he held his crying girlfriend. 'Luan' had mentioned that some things are just meant to be, and 'Luna' had called out such an idea as bunk. Luna insisted that fighting for what you want is the only way to get it, but now he was beginning to think the two ideas weren't mutually exclusive.

 

"You know, sometimes I think about all these crazy what-if scenarios when I can't sleep." He stroked her hair as he continued, loving the warmth they were sharing on the chilly beach. "I always wonder how my life would have turned out if I hadn't let my Mom drag me to my first open casting call." He leaned his lips closer to her ear. "Do you ever do that?" he whispered.

 

'Lynn' sniffed up her tears. "I guess... sometimes."

 

"A lot of people like our show, and sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I wasn't 'Lincoln Loud'." He softly squeezed and relaxed his fingers in her hand as he continued. "Sure, I wouldn't have the money, or the little bit of recognition I have, but you know what I realized?"

 

'Lynn' dried her eyes and looked up at him. "What?" she exhaled softly.

 

"That none of that mattered to me. The only thing that I truly care about coming out of this whole experience..." Their eyes met. 'Lincoln' was more than grateful to get this additional chance to talk to her, and he wasn't going to let it slip away. "...Was meeting you."

 

"I don't care about anything else. That's why I followed you, that's why I came here, and that's why I need you to realize that running away isn't the answer."

 

'Lynn' sat upright, wiping her eyes with her good hand. "What else am I supposed to do? There's no point in telling people what's wrong if no one will listen!"

 

'Lincoln' thought in silence. He could tell this was another moment where only the perfect argument would defuse the situation. He prayed his well was good for one more pump.

 

"What about your sisters?"

 

'Lynn' raised an eyebrow, seeming a bit taken aback by his seemingly non-sensical answer.

 

"What about them?"

 

"If you run away, whose going to warn them about things like what almost happened tonight? How long until some shady producer or director or whoever tries that on them?"

 

He could see the wheels turning in her head. Had she honestly not considered the impact just running away might have on her family? He kept his fingers crossed that this line of reasoning would show her the light. He had guessed that her running away was more of a knee-jerk reaction than an actual thought-out plan, but he couldn't say for certain.

 

'Lynn' groaned. "This sucks..."

 

He had to agree. What kind of thirteen year old girl wants to have to think about potentially saving her younger sisters from perverts just for a job?

 

He stayed with her on the beach for a little while longer before his butt began to fall asleep. He glanced down at 'Lynn' She'd reclaimed her position, resting against him while he held an arm around her. It had seemed she'd cried herself to sleep, her quiet sniffs and sobs ceasing long before 'Lincoln' actually took notice. The tranquil look across her face was almost cute enough to let her keep sleeping. He pulled his phone from his pocket, careful to shine it away from her face as he checked the time. It was almost two in the morning.

 

Just as he was about to put it back in his pocket and wake her, he noticed an icon in the top left corner. 'Lincoln' gasped softly. He forgot to send his apology message from earlier! Only then did he recall that the microwave going off had distracted him from hitting the 'send' button! 'Lincoln' smiled at the sleeping girl in his arms.

 

'Lincoln' sent the text and waited. Sure, the text had to go to space and back, but the least it could do was hurry up! Just as he'd hoped, 'Lynn's phone vibrated against her stomach as a light shone from inside the pocket of her hoodie. She stirred, before blearily reaching into it and retrieving her phone.

 

'Lincoln' watched out of the corner of his eye, a sly grin on his face as he anticipated her reaction. He watched her eyes dart back and forth before she sat up and turned his way, a confused look on her face.

 

"I, uh... forgot to hit send..." he admitted sheepishly.

 

'Lynn' stared at him for what felt like an uncomfortably long time before a small grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "It's a good thing you're cute." They locked eyes, and 'Lincoln' glanced down at her lips, then back into her eyes. They closed the distance, 'Lincoln' thanking his lucky stars for a chance to make up for what was almost his parting kiss. He brought her in close, taking his time to savor this moment with her, possibly one of the few he'd ever get again. That sadness was not lost on him, yet he wouldn't let it darken his mood. Their lips danced together, parting only to set their eager tongues free. They kissed for who knew how long, both only recognizing a single truth: that they wanted this moment to last.

 

It wasn't as heated as it had been the first time they kissed on the couch in her trailer. This was more measured, more a true display of affection than a lust-fueled attack on each other. Eventually, they separated, 'Lincoln' brushing a rebellious strand of hair that had come loose from her ponytail behind her ear.

 

He opened his eyes slowly, almost at the same time she had.

 

"I think we should head back," he whispered. 'Lincoln' could only hope she wouldn't resist. After all, she'd just knocked out one person who tried to force her into something she didn't want to do. He wasn't keen on being next.

 

"I can't go back to my trailer, and mom took my sisters to our aunts house in—"

 

"It's okay, you don't have to go back to your trailer," He insisted. "My Mom won't care if you stay in mine tonight."

 

'Lynn' silently consented as she rose from the beach, brushing the sand off her butt as 'Lincoln' did the same. 'Lynn' reached for her bag, but 'Lincoln' grabbed it for her, hefting it over his shoulder with a smile. He motioned wordlessly towards the steps leading to the highway. As they climbed the old wooden stairway, 'Lincoln' called a cab.

 

They reached the top, 'Lincoln' set the duffle bag down by his feet as he hopped up on the railing, but not before helping 'Lynn' to the railing next to him.

 

Down the road, the lights of Los Angeles glittered in the early morning darkness.

 

"Looks nice from up here, doesn't it?" 'Lincoln' asked.

 

"Yeah, it does," 'Lynn' replied. 'Lincoln' took her uninjured hand as they waited on the cab. He was going to miss this. The only other cast member even remotely his age, and she was heading out the door. The realization of this hung over him like his own personal raincloud. He had done well enough to keep those kinds of thoughts from spoiling the mood, but he couldn't hold them off forever. The closer they came to sunrise, the closer he came to losing her.

 

The two of them stared down at the lights of the city in silence, nothing but the distant song of the pacific tides to serenade them as they leaned against each other. Their view soon washed out in front of the headlights of their taxi rounding the bend behind them. 'Lincoln' loaded her duffel into the back seat and climbed in. 'Lynn' looked at him through tired, half lidded eyes and yawned.

 

"You can lay down if you want, it's kind of a drive back to the lot." 'Lincoln' said softly as the cab pulled out onto the highway. 'Lynn' instantly took him up on that offer and unbuckled her seatbelt, laying her head across his lap. He produced his phone and checked the time. It was past two. Gently fishing into his pocket, he found and unraveled his headphones, plugging them into his phone, and nudged 'Lynn'. She placed an earbud in her ear and he put the other one in his.

 

He decided to see what the shuffle gods had in store for him.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j00fyFXJyi4

 

'Lincoln' smiled to himself as he glanced down at 'Lynn'. He was glad she hadn't heard this song before he'd gotten a chance to talk to her.  She'd fallen asleep, a gentle grin across her lips. He laid his arm idly across her waist, careful not to wake her. He wasn't careful enough, as her hand reached up to find his, their hands finding their homes away from home.

 

'Lincoln' found himself fighting the nods as the cab pulled into the lot. Unfortunately, they're earlier departure had drawn a crowd. Camera wielding vultures stood waiting for them to exit. He shook her awake, explaining the situation.

 

'Lynn' groaned, the tinted windows of the taxi keeping the barrage of cameras at bay. They must have seen the two of them leaving and waited around for their return. Lot security was supposed to keep them away from the entrance, but they were nowhere to be found. It appeared they would have to run the gauntlet to the safety of the lot entrance.

 

'Lynn' put her hood up. 'Lincoln' wished he had come prepared.

 

"On three," she said, holding his hand tightly for no other reason but to drag him forward if wasn't moving fast enough. "One, two...three!"

 

'Lynn opened the door and sprang from the back of the cab as 'Lincoln' nearly forgot to grab her bag on his way out. They sprinted through the multitude of bulb flashes and calls for them to 'look over here' and 'are you two an item?'.  

 

After a gassing sprint, they left the paparazzi behind the gates, both doubled over and panting heavily.

 

"We'll be... in Teen People... by tomorrow morning..." 'Lynn' gasped. 'Lincoln' couldn't care less. He hefted her bag over his shoulder and silently motioned for them to continue to his trailer, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. They walked silently the rest of the way, still trying to catch their breath as they arrived at his trailer. They walked in, 'Lincoln' tossing her bag on the couch as she took a seat at the table. 'Lincoln' went to the freezer and found a bag of frozen peas, tossing them on the table.

 

She glanced down at them, confused. "I'm not really hungry."

 

'Lincoln' leveled his eyes before breaking into a grin. "No, goof. They're for your hand."

 

'Lynn' giggled at herself. "Oh, yeah,"

 

"You should probably see a doctor about that tomorrow," 'Lincoln' yawned, leaning against the counter, folding his arms.

 

"Tired?" 'Lynn' asked.

 

"Kinda. It's not every day I go chasing girls all over LA." 'Lincoln' smiled.

 

"Then let's get some rest," 'Lynn' said, standing up from the table, balancing the bag of peas on her knuckles.

 

"Okay, I'll take the couch, you can sleep in my room." 'Lincoln' said, turning to move her bag from his new bed.

 

"I don't think so," 'Lynn' replied matter-of-factly.

 

'Lincoln' raised an eyebrow.

 

She stood up and took his hand, her reassuring smile still across her lips as she led him to his room.  She stopped before his door and turned around.

 

'Lincoln's heart felt as though it were attempting to escape his chest. He was suddenly hyper-aware of his own respiration, and the sweat beginning to form on the palms 'Lynn' currently held.

 

"You're not sleeping on the couch," She said softly, in a voice he was wholly unfamiliar with. "And neither am I."

 

'Lincoln's heart nearly stopped, his eyes widening as he realized the implication.

 

She opened the door to his bedroom and led him inside. His nerves began to calm. 'Lincoln' was genuinely looking forward to a good nights snuggle. 'Lynn' took off her hoodie as she walked beside his bed. 'Lincoln' removed his jacket and set it on a chair beside his desk as she tossed her hoodie on his dresser and paused. She seemed to be deep in thought as she stared down at his bed.

 

"You alright?" he asked.

 

'Lynn' closed her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine now."

 

'Lincoln' noticed her hands grip the bottom hem of her t-shirt. As she lifted up on her shirt, time stopped. Birds froze in mid air, cars halted in the middle of the street, and the tides held their position. 'Lincoln's eyes shot wide open in the darkness of his room. 'Lynn's shirt continued to rise as his jaw nearly hit the floor. Her hair tumbled out of her shirt as it passed her head, leaving nothing but a bra and her bare back facing him.

 

'Lincoln' had to remind himself to continue to breathe as he watched 'Lynn's arm snake around her back, reaching for the bra clasp.

 

Before she removed her bra completely, he found his voice.

 

"Wait," he whispered.

 

'Lynn' glanced over her shoulder, worry clear in her eyes.

 

"Are... are you sure you want to do this?"

 

'Lynn's hand fell from her back as she turned to face him, her eyes still shining with apprehension.

 

"Don't you?" she asked nervously.

 

"I do, I do!" he replied quickly. "I just... didn't want you to feel like you have to. After what happened tonight, I—"

 

She silenced him with a simple gesture. Her bra loosened around her, before she rolled her shoulders forward, allowing it to fall to the floor.

 

'Lincoln' had to stifle a gasp. He could hardly believe this was happening. The last few hours had been so surreal, and now the girl he had wanted more than anything else in the world stood before him, arms folded across her bare chest.

 

"The only thing that happened tonight was that I realized what I wanted." She stepped towards him, arms still shyly hiding her small breasts. 'Lincoln' had to wonder if she was somehow embarrassed for him to see them. Such an idea was well beyond his realm of understanding. She was beautiful! How could she be embarrassed when, in his eyes, every part of her was perfection? Her hands fell away from her chest as 'Lincoln' caught a glimpse of heaven before he felt her tugging up on his shirt. He instinctively raised his arms as she removed his shirt, tossing it to the floor.

 

Now they stood mere inches apart. 'Lincoln' gazed into her eyes, unsure of what came next, but thanking heaven for what had happened so far. 'Lynn' wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. After a momentary delay, he found his arms around the small of her bare back, pulling her in as close as possible. The kiss back on the darkened beach was nothing compared to the fire lit in his heart by this embrace. It was everything he could have dreamed of and so much more as their tongues found each other, heavy breathing giving way to soft, subtle moans.

 

'Lincoln' leaned forward, guiding her to the bed. They collapsed on it, still tangled in each other as 'Lynn' released a torrent of giggles before reconnecting with his lips. Though he was not expecting it, he knew where this night was headed. As he lay on top of her, he released his arm from around her waist, tracing from her stiffened nipples and heading south, the hitches in her breath as he kept his touch light driving him wild with a fairly new feeling.

 

Lust.

 

As his busy hand headed south, he knew there would be no stopping the two of them. Tonight, there was nothing in the world except his bedroom. LA, asshole fathers, pervert producers and their sons, money, fame, all of that melted away as two young lovers finally had someplace to go where no one could tear them apart. Tonight would be the night where, instead of using cheap words to tell 'Lynn' how he felt about her, he could just show her, instead.

 

And it was an opportunity he wouldn't dare let pass him by.  

 

 

The next morning...

 

'Lincoln' and fallen into an exhaustive slumber, 'Lynn' clinging to him, both wearing nothing but the blankets covering them as they held each other. Both were so exhausted, that neither heard 'Lincoln's mother enter the trailer and knock on his bedroom door before it was too late.

 

She opened the door, ready to explain the breakfast situation when she noticed her son and his costar snuggled up together. Only a second later did she realize neither appeared to be wearing clothes. She stifled a scream, but not quite enough. 'Lynn' rubbed her eyes as she tried to focus on the intruder while still half asleep. She sat up in bed and squinted before realizing to her horror, that it was 'Lincoln's mother.

 

'Lynn' let out a shout before quickly grabbing the blanket and covering her bare chest, blushing profusely. The commotion woke 'Lincoln', who came to the same horrifying conclusion as his lover.

 

"Mom!" he shouted as she shut her eyes. His mother inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. "This is your ONE, do-over. I'm going to leave and pretend like I didn't just walk in on this. When I return, both of you better have clothes on."

 

'Lincoln' helped 'Lynn' find all the clothes they'd inadvertently scattered all over the room before getting dressed himself. His mother returned as promised, and didn't say another word about her first attempt. 'Lincoln's mother made them both breakfast before an urgent knock at the door drew their attention.

 

His mother answered it to find 'Lynn's rather disheveled looking mother with her sisters. 'Lincoln's mother put the rest of the kids inside the trailer and stepped outside to talk with 'Lynn's mom.

 

None of them were included in the conversation, but they didn't need to be. The media would tell them everything they wanted to know. The entertainment shows based in Hollywood couldn't get enough of the hot story of the actress who plays 'Lynn Loud' on the hit series 'Loud House' and how she attacked a producer's son at a casting party, and was thus dropped from the lead role, and possibly all of Hollywood forever. The Ryan-Seacrest type reporter then went on to say that her father had been arrested once the police had been called for possession of a controlled substance.

 

'Lynn' knew it was lies. Her father may have been a careless, borderline neglectful idiot, but he never used drugs. 'Lynn guessed that he was the least powerful person at that party when the cops showed up, so he was the one thrown under the bus. She was more than likely correct. The tabloid rags also had a field day with the pictures of the two of them kissing outside the studio, and also darting from the cab the night before. 'Hollywood's youngest power couple' they'd been dubbed.

 

'Lincoln' shut the tv off as they finished breakfast. He didn't want to hear anymore, and he was sure 'Lynn' and her sisters didn't either. 'Lucy' seemed to have cooled off since the last time they interacted, much to 'Lincoln's relief. To his surprise, she had already found a new crush: the actor who played 'Bobby'.

 

'It's gonna break her heart when she finds out he's gay...' 'Lincoln' thought, idly pushing the remains of his scrambled eggs around on his plate.

 

His mother stepped back into the trailer and called them outside.

 

"Girls," 'Lynn's mother began, "This is going to be our last day here, so please say your goodbyes." She was clearly fighting back tears, and 'Lincoln' couldn't blame her. After all their family had been through, the fact that she wasn't completely broken was a miracle in his mind.

 

"I'm sorry I was mean to you, Lincoln," Lucy said first, her chin quivering as she tried to hold back tears but failed miserably. He could never stay mad at her. He knelt down and gave her the biggest hug he could manage.

 

"It's okay, Lucy. You're the best little sister a brother could ask for," he said softly into her ear. He released her and stood up, taking a step towards 'Lynn's mother holding Lily, who seemed to sense the sadness in the air. "And so were you, silly Lily," 'Lincoln' said as the baby reached out to grasp his finger. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before turning to 'Lynn', who already had tears running down her cheeks.

 

"I guess this is really it, huh?" she managed, fighting to keep her composure. Seeing her crying threatened him with tears of his own as he hugged her, both of them gripping each other as though one of them was to get the electric chair tomorrow.

 

"I love you," 'Lincoln' whispered in her ear, his voice beginning to break.

 

She caught her shuddering breath long enough to reply. "I love you, too."

 

Though neither of them wanted to, they broke the hug.  "Just remember," 'Lynn' said.  "It's not goodbye. It's see you later."

 

'Lincoln' couldn't help but smile.

 

"We can still text, right?" he said, his own tears now falling freely.

 

"Yeah, we will." 'Lynn' replied.

 

"We've still got lots of people to visit before we go. Thanks for being such a good friend to us," 'Lynn's mother said, hugging 'Lincoln's mom around the neck one last time.

 

As they headed off down the lot, 'Lincoln' felt his knees weaken as he stumbled back to his trailers steps and sat down. His mother followed, sitting beside her son as he broke down completely. She hugged him close, knowing full well that was all she could do for him at the moment.

 

"I know, sweetie, I wish I could stop her from leaving..." she whispered as he continued to let every emotion he'd been forced to bottle up or ignore come spilling out. "I know it feels like it now, but I promise you this isn't the end of the world."

 

That night, 'Lynn' called him. He was elated to hear her voice, and they talked until his cellphone battery threatened to die. She and what remained of her family were traveling north, to stay with relatives. From there, she wasn't sure where they'd end up, but she promised to let him know. The show continued on without 'Lynn', and with a nearly identical 'Lucy' and 'Lily'. Although the ratings took a hit initially, the hiring of fresh blood into the writers pool brought them back up to par.

 

Eventually, the calls turned to texts, and then one day, a year and a half later, the texts went unanswered. 'Lincoln' had no way to get in touch with her, as all of her social media accounts had been deactivated upon her retreat from the spotlight. The Loud House ran for four more seasons before concluding, even earning a few industry accolades for best sitcom in prime time.

 

'Lincoln' always thought he would be the one to get left behind by 'Lynn's career, and yet, at the conclusion of The Loud House, he was Hollywood's new golden boy. At the age of 16, he had been named in Teen People and TigersBeat's 15 top hunks series, and had his pick of just about any leading role in any upcoming film. Studios were practically fighting over him. And yet, even with all the success, and access to some of the world's most beautiful women, none of it mattered to him. Every girl he dated, he found himself comparing to his first love, and all of them fell short in one way or another.

 

On days when he couldn't think, or needed to clear his head, there was one spot along the Pacific Coast Highway he'd always drive to. Just like it was back then, it was mostly deserted, offering him a bit of peace, away from the hustle of LA.

 

That's where he currently found himself; laying on the hood of his 16th birthday present, in the parking lot where he and 'Lynn' waited for a cab all those years ago. He drove a Lamborghini Aventador, a supercar he had dubbed the 'Batmobile'. Even with all the luxury, and the ability to buy just about anything, he still felt guilty. Why had he succeeded in Hollywood when so many others failed, or worse, fallen into the trap that 'Lynn' had almost fallen into?

 

One reason, as he would later learn, was because of his mother. She stayed out all night and networked her tail off to keep him from getting put into situations like the one 'Lynn' found herself in that night. He never really appreciated the sacrifices she had made for him until much later in his life. He repaid her with a house in Beverly Hills, figuring it was the least he could do.

 

'Lincoln' sat up on his car and walked over to the railing, peering out over the beach. It was deserted, as it usually was. For old times sake, he decided to take a walk down the rickety wooden steps to the shoreline. His memories raced back to him as he descended the steps. His button up shirt flapped in the sea breeze as he met the sand. He kicked off his shoes and met the sand, walking slowly towards the shore.

 

He stopped and stood at the waters edge, hands in his pockets, just thinking back to the one incredible night he was with the girl he loved. He stared off into the horizon, losing track of time.

 

A touch of his hand startled him out of his daze as the stranger's fingers intertwined with his. He turned quickly, expecting to see a crazed fan, but instead saw... her.

 

She just as beautiful as he remembered, though now more fully a woman than she was back then, her curves accentuated by the floral print sundress she wore. He lost his breath, unable to believe his eyes.

 

"You... but... how a, I..." he searched for the words before the actor he had spent years honing took over. "But, why didn't you call me, or text or anything?"

 

'Lynn' giggled in embarrassment. "You're gonna laugh, but I actually forgot my phone was in my pocket and I went swimming... I lost all my numbers, and you, uh... well, it's hard to get a celebrity's personal cell number."

 

All this time, 'Lincoln' had assumed she'd found another guy and moved on. She was right, he laughed. "That's... I'm so glad, you're here, but... how did you know I'd be here?"

 

"I... didn't. I come here to think sometimes." She smiled at him. God, how he had missed that. "Guess it was meant to be."

 

'Lincoln' couldn't believe his luck. The odds of both of them meeting each other on the same beach, years after they'd fallen out of touch? Looks like the universe didn't hate him after all.

 

"Besides..." 'Lynn' smiled, her sundress billowing in the breeze. "Don't you remember? I told you it wasn't goodbye."