Loud Visions

Chapter 13

Stella, Ronnie Anne, and Clyde came to the Loud house to bring Lincoln his homework. Without hesitation, Stella leaped and hugged her boyfriend tightly as he hugged her back – Ronnie Anne and Clyde joined in instantly.

"You're alright?" Stella asked.

"For the most part. How about you guys?" Lincoln questioned.

"I think five or six of my nine lives are scared away after I saw you become the Crocodile Terminator," Ronnie Anne answered.

"The whole school is talking about you, Lincoln. First, you saved Leni from a runaway truck, and now you killed two alligators to save Lana. You must be a superhero," Clyde said.

Lincoln scoffed, "Yeah, right. I certainly got all the stress that superheroes go through."

"Yeah, I think you could use a vacation," Ronnie Anne said.

Lincoln's parents hadn't arrived home yet, and the four were in the dining room finishing homework. Stella held Lincoln's arm up to see the teeth marks from the little gator that bit him as he stabbed it with a screwdriver. She gently rubbed it with her thumb while giving a sad look. The others saw this as Lincoln held his girlfriend's hand and kissed it.

"Let's grab a burger after homework," Stella said.

"Sounds good to me. Maybe Lincoln can get us a free meal," Ronnie Anne said.

Lincoln frowned at that.

"Keyword – maybe."

It didn't take them long to finish their homework. Lincoln wore a grey hoodie to hide his white hair. They rode their bikes to the Burpin' Burger and got delicious grub. As they waited, Stella took this moment to ask what she wanted to ask, especially since it was quiet at the Burpin' Burger.

"So, I got a question for you two," Stella pointed to Clyde and Ronnie Anne sitting across from them.

They looked up at her.

"If the bad luck incident doesn't change and it happens, resulting in us calling the police and Lincoln has no family . . . how would you feel if one of you two adopted Lincoln?" Stella asked.

Everyone's eyes widened, and their jaws dropped.

"What?" Clyde and Ronnie Anne said simultaneously.

"One of them adopt me?" Lincoln asked.

"Yeah, I know you said a nice couple adopts you, but is it possible if either Clyde's dads or Ronnie Anne's family to adopt you?" Stella questioned.

"Why them?"

"Because you know them. You know their families. You trust them, and you feel safe around them. The couple that adopts may be nice, but they're still total strangers, and what if something happens and we're not around to help you? It could benefit you if Clyde or Ronnie Anne's family takes you in."

"I don't know. My mom is thinking of getting a job at Great Lake City and moving us into our relatives' apartment. It'd be a tight squeeze in there, and I doubt Lincoln wants to be in a big family again," Ronnie Anne stated and then turned to Lincoln, "It's not that we wouldn't want you to live with us. I'd love to have you in my family, but I think the last you want to share only one or two bathrooms with a bunch of relatives."

"You're not wrong there," Lincoln said, looking away.

"Hmm, my best friend as my stepbrother," Clyde hummed, "Not a bad idea."

Then the food arrived, and everyone chowed down. As they ate, Lincoln continued to think more about Stella's proposal. It wouldn't be a bad idea to be adopted by either Clyde's family or Ronnie Anne's. They're both his best friends, so living with them wouldn't be hard at all. Plus, Stella is right about them making him feel safe, which is more than what he could say about his own family.