By the way, Haiku, why did you call us here?" Polly asked.
"I have something important to talk to you about," the gothic woman replied.
"Why couldn't we meet at Spoon?"
"This is where the school gossip comes together. And what I want to talk to you about is Lincoln."
The girls had already imagined what the conversation would be like.
"You know, we've all had 'the moment' with Lincoln. But you also know his 'sisters' too. So we have to agree with them on how to split shifts with him without bothering him. But also so he can spend time with us."
Before she could finish, Tabby chimed in. "Icing on the cake?"
Haiku shot Tabby an annoyed look. "I wouldn't put it that way, but yes, essentially, that's it."
"Lincoln said he would find a way to split his time between all of us."
"Let's be honest, girls. If his sisters found out about this, everything he planned would fail."
"And speaking of that, should we tell Lincoln, you know, about 'that thing' his sisters told us about?"
"No, Polly. They should be the ones to tell him, not us."
"What's on your mind, Haiku?"
"Since the three of us are friends of the Lincoln sisters, I propose that we be responsible for ensuring they respect time and turns."
"Who will assign the shifts?"
"We'll let Lincoln handle that."
Meanwhile, in The Loud House, the girls gathered in Leni's room.
"Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. We have to give Linky a present."
"I already have my present here," Luna said, massaging her breasts.
"We're all giving him that, Luna. It has to be something more than that."
"Lynn's right. Aside from that, we have to give him something else so he doesn't think we only see him as an object of desire."
"It's still illegal for him to have a relationship with you, Lucy."
"Why? If he…"
"I mean, because of your age, Lucy."
"Luna, it's too late for that. They've already done it. What's done is done."
"Now we just have to focus on what to do with Lincoln's gifts."
"I have an idea. I know where we can find something Lincoln would like," Leni whispered to her younger sisters.
Lincoln arrived home, placed the gifts, wore his sports uniform, and went out to train. While running, he passed by the river, where he met that boy. The place was surrounded by patrol cars, including a morgue car.
One of the investigators, Agent Oscar Wilde, had just arrived and was talking to the coroner.
"What do we have today, Vince?"
Forensic investigator Vincent Pride looked toward the floor, where a white blanket covered the boy who had attacked Lincoln.
"Chad Carmichael."
"Nineteen years old."
"From Jersey City."
"Arrested several times for drug possession, armed robbery, attempted assault on a minor, and a long history of assault."
"He escaped from correctional facilities two years ago. His whereabouts were unknown until now."
"What happened?"
"What didn't happen to him?" Vincent revealed part of the body, showing its pathetic state.
"Craniofacial. Mandible, septum, and cheekbones."
"He lost half his teeth."
"Eight ribs were broken; one of them pierced a lung."
"He has bruises all over his body."
"Traces of dirt on the front of his body and under his fingernails indicate that he was crawling, explaining the broken legs."
"The sunken earth and blood indicate that they grabbed his head and beat him down, which also explains the dirt on his face."
"We also found fingerprints on his neck."
"So, they strangled him to death?"
"Not quite. This was the final blow."
The coroner removed the sheets, revealing a hole in his heart, from his chest to his back.
The officer looked away from the scene.
"Holy Fuck. Was it a shell?"
"It is unlikely. There are no traces of gunpowder or burns. No, the shape of the wound indicates that he was impaled."
"Poop then?"
"Misfit."
"Besides, judging by how the body looked, the wound seemed to have occurred in the same place where he fell. If he couldn't walk, they would have pinned him to the ground. But there are no holes under him, as one would expect in an impalement. The diameter of the wound is very wide."
"What does it mean?"
"In short, and based on the evidence, I would say that what happened is the following."
"They beat him. He tried to escape. They beat him so hard that his legs were broken, which led to his disability. He tried to crawl. They hit his face on the ground. Then they grabbed him by the neck, and the marks became visible. Finally, they pierced his chest with their bare hands."
The end of Vincent's explanation shocked the investigator.
"I saw terrible things in Vietnam. After that, I thought I saw the worst of humanity. That's why I took this job. I thought nothing could surprise me anymore, and so far I've been right."
"But this... surpasses everything I've seen."
"The irony in the matter is remarkable."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"This man was a piece of trash. It was sure to get worse over the years. I don't know if this is a crime or comfort."
"Like a tumor that was removed at the right time."
Forensic experts took the body away.
At that moment, the detective saw Lincoln.
"Hey kid, there's nothing to see here! Keep going!"
Lincoln continued running away from the crime scene.
"Fucking millennials," the detective said, lighting a cigarette.
Next day,
It was already February 14th. The school was decorated for the Valentine's Day dance that would be held in the gymnasium.
The high school students were preparing for the best night of their lives. Some couples may declare their love for each other; others "make the big move."
Everything seemed typical for Valentine's Day, except for the albino.
Lincoln was in his room, getting ready to go to the dance. Although he didn't have a steady partner because he forgot to invite someone,
Albert and Myrtle entered the room. When they saw their grandson, they were touched.