Chainsmoking your Love

Dropping the Act?

Lincoln was having a rough time at dropping the act. Now you may be asking what act?

Well, the act of acting happy.

For the past few months, ever since Lincoln was allowed back in the house he needed to act happy, put on a fake smile, laugh a fake laugh and smile what really should've been a frown. Some times when you begin to play an act it becomes natural and once you try to stop acting it gets harder. You're sad about something but don't want to trouble others so you smile and say that you're fine.

Lincoln was feeling like that now.

Lincoln was indeed glad to be away from his family, but he was hesitant to drop the act not wanting Becky and her aunt and uncle to worry about him, Yet he also wanted to try and not hid things, to not hide his sadness. Lincoln was having an internal conflict that most could never solve. What did it take for people to be better? could he be better? was it ok to ask for help? did he even want help?

The last question Lincoln already knew the answer to. Of course, he wanted to be better. he wanted to be his old self again.

But could he really be that person again?

Lincoln shook his head he looked around that the guest room that they had for him. There was a mirror, a shelf, an old desk that once belonged to Becky's uncle, a laundry basket, and even a TV in the room.

Lincoln took a deep breath before walking up to the mirror. He had changed, his hair was a mess yet it looked better than his original style. Besides that, all that really changed about his attire was the Black hoodie he wore. he looked back to his reflection.

This reminded him of a joke. 

it went like this a leaf and an Emo fall from a tree, what falls first? The leaf because the Emo gets caught by the rope!

Lincoln chuckled at that, he thought it was kinda funny.

Suddenly there was a knocking on the door.

"Come in" Lincoln called

Lincoln looked to see that it was Becky's Aunt.

"Hello Lincoln, I'm Becky's Aunt Sophie, but please just call me Mrs. Hemings or even aunt Sophie if you like, I would prefer that much better though, calling me Misses makes me sound old," Sophie told the young boy with a smile

Lincoln nodded, "Thank you for letting me stay here... Aunt Sophie, I don't mean to intrude on anything if-"

"oh, nonsense! you're not intruding at all" Sophie told the young boy.

Lincoln nodded. The woman left and Lincoln began putting his clothes away and began setting up his other stuff. Lincoln searched one of his bags and found his comics along with Bun-Bun. Lincoln looked at the bunny and a frown made an appearance on his face. Bun-Bun had reminded him just what he use to be like. Kind, forgiving, strong... naive. Now, Lincoln was just a former shell of himself, he could be some of those things again, however, he could never be the Lincoln he once was. He could never be that boy again. Lincoln Loud was dead in a way, now? Lincoln still didn't know who he was.

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Rita Loud walked into what was her son's room, she looked at how bare and empty if had felt. She looked around and then saw something shine under the bedframe. The matriarch went to it and put her hand underneath it and grabbed something, it was square in shape and it it felt smooth, she pulled it from under the bed and looked to see what it was.

It was the family Photo.

Rita looked at it and saw that the glass was cracked, the cracks surrounded Lincoln as well as the family members. Rita looked at the smile of her only son and realized that her son smile was different, after the whole "unlucky" situation, she would look at her son and felt as if something was off, however, he acted normal, he acted just like he use to but Rita still felt as if something was off.

Finally, she realized what it was, and it was his smile. It was not the same, and it might not be the same.

Rita then thought about how much of a terrible mother she had become. Her own mother would be furious with her. Her father would chew her out more than he had ever in her life, even when he found out she was pregnant with Lori.

"Jesus what was I thinking..." she thought to herself

"You ok honey?" Came a voice

Rita turned to find her husband, Lynn Loud Sr. Rita sighed and looked to her husband, she couldn't help but think about the situation and she wanted to hear what her husband had to say.

"Lynn... are we bad parents?" Rita asked

Lynn looked to his wife and he too looked down in shame. He could tell his wife that they weren't bad parents and that they did a good job and raising their kids, but with the current situation, he knew what his wife was thinking about.

"As much as it might hurt... I think we are" Lynn told her

Rita looked down and sat on the bed. She looked at the picture again and looked to her son in the photo, "do we even know who he is?" Rita asked

Lynn, knowing who his wife was referring to, shook his head.

In all their years, not once had they asked Lincoln what he wanted to do, not once had they asked Lincoln what he felt like, not once had they asked Lincoln what he enjoyed. Both knew little about their own son. What was worse is that they knew who did, know who their son was. Their oldest four knew more about their son.

All the two parents knew about their son was that he liked to read comics and he was friends with Clyde Mcbride. They never knew he liked to dress up like Ace Savvy or help all of his sisters out with their hobbies, they never knew all the things he did for his sisters.

The two left the room and closed the door behind them. To them, the empty room that only held the broken family photo was a reminder of how they truly failed as parents.

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"Hija! Come here!" Cried Maria Santiago

Ronnie Anne ran out of her room and to the living room where her mother was. Ronnie Anne looked to her mother and her brother was next to her.

"what's up?" Ronnie Anne asked

Maria looked to her daughter with a smile, "Ronnie, Bobby wants to go and visit the Louds this week and since you guys don't have school this week due to half of the building almost being burned down, I agreed for you two to go down there for the week" Maria said

Ronnie Anne grinned, she was happy that she was going to see Lincoln again. It's been a few months and let's just say that she had worked up the courage to admit something.

She had feelings for the White-haired Lame-O.

She was figuring stuff out and decided that she wasn't going to talk to him until she got her junk figured out, which meant she didn't even answer his calls and of he left messages she just deleted them. Not because she hated hearing his voice but because she hated seeing that little notification on the top of her phone.

"Sweet! when are we leaving?" Ronnie Anne asked

"Tomorrow morning," Bobby told her with a smile

Ronnie Anne was excited, this was gonna be the best week ever. She was finally gonna admit her feelings, of course, she wouldn't do it as soon as she got there, no, she still had her rep to look after. She would feel him out and confess by Wednesday.

If only she knew another girl within Royal Woods was feeling the same about the chipped tooth white-haired boy.