Race to Linka Loud

36: Sapling

It had been a week since Linka last spoke to or seen Luke and at first, she felt bad but she had to remember that this was necessary she had to move forward in her own way.

Linka POV
I've decided I'm going to keep a journal and write down all the feelings that I experience because now there are some things I can't tell Clare, or my family until I'm ready and I'm okay with that.

•••••

Linka got up and dressed for school she decided to wear an orange skirt and a white sweatshirt with a large carrot in the center she put on white converse she grabbed her book bag and looked at herself in the mirror.

"Day 8 of moving forward what will you learn today Linka?" She smiled at herself and left her room she announced her departure and made her way to school, on her way she stopped at the park and stared at the swings.

It had also been a week since Mikey disappeared after Venus left Mikey disappeared the next day the teachers didn't seem too worried and he wasn't around long enough for any of the students to miss him but she did. Linka sighed "Where did you go, Mikey?"

"Why did ya miss me"

Linka turned and saw Mikey clear as day and he looked different from when he left. He had gotten a shapeup on his undercut and his hair was now two-strand twisted and pulled in a ponytail but it seemed not all of them could be pulled back so he had two twists left out to frame his face. He wore black high waisted men's jeans and an orange button-down shirt that he had left a few buttons undone, his shoes were all black low top vans he also had a leather jacket slung over his shoulder and his book bag hanging at his side he had a grin on his face as he looked down at Linka who he had caught staring but she soon looked away.

"Where have you been you were gone for a whole week I thought Clare scared you off" She joked as they began walking Mikey scoffed out a laugh and elbowed her in the shoulder. "Never that haha I had some family stuff to take care of back in New York," he said shrugging his shoulders Linka looked at him in awe.

"So that means you got to see your brothers right?" Mikey heard the excitement in her voice and nodded his head laughing. "Yeah, and they're all doing great we got to hang out and catch up with a few friends I never knew I'd miss them so much after a few weeks" Mikey chuckled.

"Well, when you love someone it doesn't matter how far you go or where you are if you love someone and you miss them you just can't help it" Mikey looked down at Linka and smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah I guess you're right, So what have I missed since I've been gone?" he asked Linka took a moment to think about what happened during Mikey's absence but shrugged her shoulders as she looked up at him. "Not much really just book work, no homework so far, so you should be good I also made sure to get your work from your teachers so you don't fall behind" Linka gave him a thumbs up and he sighed in relief.

"Okay, thats a relief my dads would kill me if they found out they'd come to Michigan and tear me a new one" Mikey grabbed his ears and grimaced at the memory of one of his fathers pinching his ears when he dozed off during lessons and the other throwing kitchen appliances at him he shivered and Linka looked at him with amused confusion.

"Sorry just remembering some...initiatives they took when it came to schooling"

Linka giggled. "I understand where you're coming from one time my siblings and I thought it would be cool to be homeschooled....until it wasn't" Linka deadpanned Mikey laughed as they walked into the school and saw a poster for cheer tryouts were at the end of the week Mikey noticed that Linka had a smile growing on her face as she gazed at the poster.

"Linka? Are you okay?" He asked as he too looked at the poster Linka turned to Mikey and nodded. "Let's just say you're looking at a future Crown Sapling"

..........

"Are you sure ya wanna do this Links?" Lynn asked he was leaned up against the lockers with his arms crossed as he watched his sister take some books out of her locker she looked at him with determination in her eyes and nodded stiffly.

"I'm sure, This is what I wanna do I couldn't do it last year because I was a freshman. Now I'm a sophomore I can finally try out I just need to make sure I'm prepared so after school today until the end of the week no mercy big brother bring me the Lynnatic" Lynn saw the seriousness in her eyes and that famous Loud grin spread wide across his face as he wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulder and gave her a noogie the two laughed as she tried getting him off of her.

"First the new popularity and now you're becoming more athletic who are you and what have you done with my prima-donna pom-pom sister" Linka managed to wiggle her way out of Lynn's hold and pulled her into a headlock and noogie of her own that he wasn't able to get out of.

"Probably around the time I realized I'm the queen of out dutching 10 sink monsters I call my brothers and I wanted to write and draw my own comics" Linka let him go and laughed at the pout he had on his face and he crossed his arms he hadn't even bothered looking at her. "Meet me in the back yard after dinner and we'll start conditioning"

Linka let out an excited giggle and hugged her older brother almost knocking them both down, luckily Lynn couldn't be taken down that easily he hugged her back, and onlookers couldn't help but fawn over the sibling bond that was being put on display. "Hey, Lynn cool it on the hugs people are gonna actually believe we like our sister" Lane walked up to his sibling's Linka punched him in the arm and Lynn just slung his arm around Lane's shoulder causing the jokester of a boy to laugh.

"Wouldn't be a bad thing, I mean it gets those anti-Linkas amongst the groupies to pipe down"

"Yeah you're right, hug away little brother"

From afar Mikey, Clare and Javen were watching the scene. Clare had a smile on her face and Javen looked as though he wanted to cry. "The such a beautiful display of sibling love, makes me wanna go home and hug my sisters" he sniffled

"Makes me wish my moms adopted another child" Clare giggled

"What about you Mikey?" Javen asked looking in his direction only to see Mikey was nowhere to be found.

"Hey where'd he go"