Lincoln Loud sighed. It had just been one of those days.

After he had disposed of his… accident, he took a quick shower, put on some clean clothes, and ran out the front door, blushing furiously and trying his hardest not to cry the entire time. He walked down the cold, dark streets, hands jammed in his pockets, his sisters' laughter still ringing in his ears. He didn't know where he was going – all he knew was, he had to get out of that house. But he had been walking for nearly an hour now, and he realized he was getting close to the park. A breath of fresh air might help clear my mind, he thought.

As Lincoln headed towards the park, he did what he always did when he needed to share his innermost feelings – he turned to you, the reader. "If you have any siblings, then you know that there are days where you just don't get along," he told you. "And in a family as big as mine, those days come around more often than usual. I mean, sure, most of the time, my sisters are nice to me, and some days, they get on my nerves. But some days… it feels like they actually hate me. Like they enjoy seeing me suffer."

He sighed again. "This… has been one of those days."

Lincoln reached the entrance to the park, and strolled in. As he expected, the park was deserted. The only sounds he heard were the chirping of the crickets, the faint hum of the lamp-posts that lined the path, and the splish-splashing of the fountain in the distance. He breathed in the cool night air, already starting to feel a little better. As he walked down the path, he continued, "Now, don't get me wrong; I know my sisters love me. But on days like these… I just can't help but wonder…" He looked up. "What did they do, you ask? Well…"

Lincoln trailed off, blushing. Suddenly, he heard an all too familiar splat. Looking back down, he realized that he had just stepped in dog poop.

"AHHH! EWW! WHOA–!"

Hopping backwards in disgust, Lincoln stumbled and fell, banging his head on the lip of the fountain and accidentally reaching his hand into the water. Muttering angrily, rubbing the back of his head, and shaking the water off his hand, Lincoln hopped over to the grass, and wiped his shoe off.

"Let's just say it involved that," he said, "and my 'Three P's' weren't enough this time."

After he was sure his shoe was clean, he headed back to the fountain. This used to be a nice town, he thought. Looking down into the fountain's waters at his distorted reflection, he sighed a third time, and jammed his hands back into his pockets. Just then, he felt something in his right pocket that he hadn't felt before – something round and thin. Pulling it out, Lincoln saw it was a penny. He must have picked it up off the ground some days earlier and forgotten about it. Looking back down into the fountain, Lincoln got an idea. He knew that it was a stupid idea, but he figured that at this point, it was worth a shot.

Lincoln held his penny close to his chest, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"I just… I wish my sisters would love me."

He flicked the coin into the pool.

After standing there in silence for a few moments, he shook his head. That was just as stupid as he imagined it would be. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned back the way he had come, this time being careful to watch his step. Lincoln looked up at the sky. It was pretty late, now. If he took his time heading home, he should arrive after all his sisters had gone to bed, and thus, wouldn't have to face any of them.

Half an hour later (after getting turned around in the darkness), Lincoln found himself back home. The whole house was dark. Creeping up to the front door, he tried the handle. The door opened.

Lincoln shook his head. Some lessons just don't stick, he thought.

Slipping inside (and locking the door behind him), Lincoln quietly tiptoed up the stairs. Being careful not to step on any of the creaky spots, he headed down the hallway to his room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Lincoln released his held breath in relief. But as he prepared to get ready for bed, he saw something on his bed. It was one of Lily's diapers (clean, mercifully), and a note, which read:

You're gonna need one of these.

~~ L. Loud

Of course, that could be anyone. Crumpling the note, Lincoln tossed it and the diaper in the wastebasket, stripped down to his underwear, and flopped down onto the bed face-first.

Tomorrow's gonna be a lousy day, he thought. I just know it.

Lincoln awoke the next morning to the familiar tickling sensation of the family dog, Charles, licking his face.

"Hahahaha, okay, Charles, okay, I'm up! I'm up!" Lincoln laughed, pushing the terrier away and scratching him behind the ear. Both boy and dog hopped out of bed, and Lincoln threw on a clean orange shirt and pair of jeans, and slipped into his familiar white sneakers. As he prepared to step out the door, though, Lincoln felt his initial lightheartedness from Charles' wake-up call drain away. Now he had to face his sisters, and he shuddered at the thought of what they would say to him. There was only so much a guy could take – even one with thick skin, like him.

Now or never, he thought. Mustering up all of his courage and remaining pride, he stepped out into the hallway.

No-one was there to greet him. That was a small mercy, at least. Lincoln heard Lori call to him from downstairs.

"Lincoln!" she shouted. "Come on, your breakfast is getting cold!"

Yes, Lori had prepared breakfast, not Mr. Loud. That's right, Lincoln thought, Mom and Dad are out of town for the week, and Lori's in charge until they get back. (He knew this already, but you, the reader, did not.) As he headed down the stairs toward the kitchen, he had time to think about who it was who left that "present" on his bed last night. Could it have been Luan? Maybe, but she would never be that mean-spirited… unless it was April Fools', which it wasn't. Lola? Now THAT seemed much more likely – wait…

Lori cooked him breakfast?

Now that struck Lincoln as odd. Now that his father was out of the house, he was the one who normally cooked everyone breakfast. Suspicion immediately began to take over his mind. What were they planning?

As he came into the kitchen, he got his answer.

…

Nothing, really.

Each of his ten sisters was there, all of them except Lisa greeting him with a smile on their faces.

"Good morning, Lincoln!" they all said in unison (except for Lily, who babbled incoherently).

"Um… good morning?" Lincoln was caught off-guard. He had been expecting teasing and mockery, not… this.

"Well, come on, sit down! You've got to start eating now, or you'll never finish in time!" Lori escorted Lincoln to his seat, and Leni laid his meal down in front of him.

"Wow…!"

Lincoln stared in awe at the spread laid in front of him. Two eggs, perfectly cooked over-easy; three slices of bacon, skirting the line between chewy and crunchy; and a stack of three perfectly round, golden-brown pancakes, with slowly melting butter on top.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Leni said. "Like, dig in!"

Lincoln did so, with gusto. He still had his suspicions, but right now, they were being overridden by his hunger. He took one bite, and was lost in a sea of flavor.

"Oops! I almost forgot!" Luan grabbed a carton of orange juice from the fridge, and poured Lincoln a tall glass. "'Orange' you glad you're all 'juiced' up now? Hahahahaha! Get it?"

As usual, Luan's terrible puns elicited groans from her sisters, but Lincoln was too busy savoring the mouthful to join them, instead nodding, "Mm-hmm!"

As he gulped down his first bite, Luna laid a small stack of paper in front of him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"It's your math homework, bro," Luna said.

"My math homework?!"Lincoln bolted up out of his seat. He realized that due to the incident yesterday, he had forgotten to do his homework!

But Luan sat him back down. "Aw, don't worry about it, Linc! Luna and I 'divided' the problems between ourselves, 'multiplying' our efforts and 'subtracting' from the amount of time needed to finish – all an hour ago, I might 'add'!" She burst into laughter again, starting another round of groans. When she finished, she wiped a tear out of her eye. "Whoo, man, I'm on a roll today!"

"You… you did?" Now Lincoln was really confused. He looked over his homework. All the work was shown, and all the answers were correct.

"Aw, sure, bro! It's nothing we can't handle," Luna said. "Now go on, finish your breakfast!"

Lincoln couldn't complain. He happily resumed stuffing his face, but his paranoid thoughts still raced through his mind. They made me an awesome breakfast, AND they did my homework for me? They're acting like what happened last night never happened – not only that, but they're being super nice to me. What gives?

Lincoln briefly stopped eating and looked around. Each of his sisters were still smiling at him – except for Lisa, who continued to squint curiously at him from behind those big glasses of hers. When she realized that he saw her staring, she quickly averted her gaze.

"What's wrong, Lincoln?" Leni asked.

Lincoln stared at Lisa for a second longer, then turned back to his food. "…Nothing."

They're planning something. I just –

His thoughts were interrupted by a foul stench. Lincoln covered his nose.

"Oh… Never mind. Something is wrong…" he said.

"Poo-poo!"

Lily had soiled her diaper.

Lincoln sighed, getting out of his chair, and prepared to do his brotherly duty, but the twins, Lola and Lana, stopped him.

"No, no, no, Lincoln!" Lola said. "You just sit right back down and finish your breakfast – we'll take care of Lily."

"Wha – seriously?! You want to change Lily's diaper?!" Lincoln exclaimed.

"Yeah – I mean, what's the big deal? It's not like I don't like getting dirty," Lana said with a proud smirk.

"Well, I know you don't, Lana, but Lola? You… You're actually doing something selfless for once?"

Lola laughed. "What? Can't a mean girl be nice to her one and only big brother? Come on, Lincoln, don't think too hard about it." The twins walked over to Lily's high chair, but Lola cringed. "Um, Lana, you don't mind…?"

Lana obligingly lifted Lily out of her seat. "Come on, Lily," she said as the three of them headed upstairs, "let's go get your diaper changed."

As Lincoln sat back down to finish his meal, his thoughts tossed and turned in turmoil. Okay – they made me a delicious breakfast, they did my homework for me, AND they changed Lily's diaper for me?! What gives?! They are going WAY too far to hide their real plans.

He gulped down the last of the orange juice. Or… do they have any real plans at ALL?

"Did you enjoy your meal, Lincoln?" Lori asked as Leni took the dirty dishes to the sink.

Lincoln gave a loud, contented belch.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'. Well, then…" Lori snapped her fingers, and Lincoln found Luna and Luan at his sides.

"Wha –" was all he had time to say before they grabbed him and lifted him out of his chair.

"It's time for one final touch."

They DID have real plans, Lincoln screamed mentally. I just KNEW it!

Luna and Luan laid him face-down on the table. "Okay, Lynn, we're ready for you!" Lori called. Lincoln shuddered. If whatever they had planned for him involved Lynn, it couldn't be good. He heard heavy footsteps, and the cracking of knuckles.

Ohh… here it comes!

Lincoln shut his eyes… and felt Lynn deliver a series of chops to his back.

…

A series of soft chops, in fact. To his lower back.

Lincoln's muscles relaxed, and he opened his eyes. "Huh…?"

Was Lynn… giving him a massage?

He turned his head to look back, and it turns out, yes, that WAS what she was doing.

"Lynn?" Lincoln said. "What are –"

"Shh… relax," Lynn cooed. "Let me guess… most of the tension's in your lower back?"

"Wha…? Wha…?!" At his wit's end, Lincoln finally snapped. "Okay, STOP! STOP!" he yelled, shaking Luna and Luan's hands off him and jumping down onto the floor. His sisters huddled together, taken aback. Lola and Lana, with baby Lily in Lola's arms, rushed in to join them.

"Wh… What's the matter?" Lori asked.

"What is going on?! Why are you being so… so nice to me?" Lincoln said, perturbed.

"You… don't like it?" Leni asked, in a quavering voice.

"No, it's not that, it's…" Lincoln sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Have you all forgotten… what happened last night?"

All of the Loud sisters immediately sighed and laughed in relief, only confusing Lincoln more.

"Is that what this is about?" Lynn asked. "Hey, don't sweat it, Linc. It happens to everybody!"

Lincoln shook his head. "Seriously, I don't get it…!"

"I think I can explain," a voice behind Lincoln said. Lincoln, and everyone else, jumped three feet in the air with a shout.

Turning around, Lincoln saw that it was his goth sister, Lucy. Dang it, EVERY time…! he thought.

Lucy pulled out a piece of paper. "I wrote a poem that speaks for all of us. It's called, 'Shame'.

At first, we were filled with laughter/

Now we are full of shame.

We treated it so lightly/

As if it were a game.

But looking back, we realize/

We've only ourselves to blame.

We hope you will forgive us/

So things will be the same.

Shame."

Lucy lowered the poem and looked at Lincoln, awaiting his response. Lincoln just stood there, dumbstruck. Everything was coming together now.

"So… you're apologizing?" he said.

Lucy nodded. "Yes." All the other sisters surrounded her.

"We're sorry, Lincoln," they all said in unison.

Lincoln's heart skipped a beat, and a wave of conflicting emotions rolled over him – he felt relieved, that there was no ulterior motive; happy, that his sisters did all of this to make it up to him; bashful, to receive this much love and attention from them; but most of all, ashamed, for assuming the worst of them. He looked up, and saw them all staring at him hopefully.

Lincoln chuckled softly, wiping the tears from his eyes before they could roll down his cheeks. "Well… apology accepted. I mean, after a treat like this, how could I still be mad?"

"Awww…" His sisters sighed, tears in their eyes. They all gathered around Lincoln, and pulled him in for a group hug. Lincoln wrapped his arms around as many sisters as he could.

"I love you guys," he said, smiling.

The others smiled back at him. "We love you too, Lincoln."

Lincoln looked around the huddle… and realized that someone was missing. Arching his neck, he saw that Lisa was not a part of the group hug.

"Lisa, aren't you going to join in?" he asked.

"Yeah, Lisa, c'mon!"

"Come on, dude!"

"Come be a 'groupie'!"

"Yeah, what's your deal?"

"Do it."

"Come on!"

Despite her siblings' encouragements, Lisa backed away slowly. "Um, no thank you, shiblingsh," she said with that heavy lisp of hers. "I jusht remembered that, um, my classh ish, um… focushing on the color blue today, and blue ish my favorite color, sho I want to get there early in order to, umm… prepare a preshentation on that particular... area of the shpectrum… yeah…" She cracked a crooked grin, and looked away shiftily.

"I thought your favorite color was green?" Leni said.

"Gotta go!"

Suddenly, quick as a flash, Lisa darted out the front door. Lincoln scratched his head.

"What's her problem?" he asked.

"Huh. Don't know," Lana answered. "She's been that way all morning. It's weird…" She shook her head and sighed. "Oh, well. Classic Lisa, I guess."

"Yeah, 'classic' as in she literally killed the mood," Lori added. Everyone laughed. That was just like Lisa.

As the laughter died down, Lincoln sighed. "Ah… Speaking of class, though, what time is it?"

Lori looked at the clock. "Oh my gosh! We've got to get ready!"

Everyone broke and darted in different directions, scrambling to get ready for school, and the house truly became "Loud". The girls began to pack their school supplies, do some last-minute makeup application, and/or grab a quick breakfast (as they had spent so much time preparing Lincoln's breakfast that they had neglected their own), and Lincoln ran upstairs to brush his teeth. After everyone was more-or-less ready for school, they lined up at the front door. As Lincoln reached the bottom of the stairs, each of his sisters eagerly gave him his supplies – backpack, books, homework, and lunch – along with a quick peck on the cheek. They saw him off out the front door, waving and calling goodbye, and wishing him a good day at school the whole way.

Lincoln left the house with a smile on his face and a spring in his step, happier than he had been in a long time. In fact, he could hardly remember why he had been so upset in the first place. As he walked to school, he tried to recall the night prior – and realized something.

Could it be… he thought, …that my wish came true?