157

It was already 6:30 pm. On Franklin Street, everyone was preparing for the banquet to be held to celebrate the New Year. In the neighborhood, the residents were dressed in their best clothes, their best perfumes, and their best menus.

At Myrtle and Albert's house.

On Lincoln's bed was an open box with a note in it: "Happy New Year from Venomous Industries." It was a party suit.

Lincoln was finishing putting on his new suit that he was going to wear that night when the sound of someone knocking on the door caught his attention. The boy gave permission to whoever was entering. It was Albert, who was already dressed for the party, opened the door and entered the boy's room.

"How elegant you are, son."

Lincoln was wearing a suit consisting of blue-gray pants and a jacket over a gray shirt held in place by leather straps that crossed the upper chest in the form of a tie with a scorpion pin decorating the top.

"Thank you, Grandpa. It was a gift from my work."

"This job gives you many benefits."

"A little, yes."

"Well, you seem like quite a businessman, son. Come, let's go down so grandma can see you."

Both men go to where Myrtle is waiting for them, ready. When she saw her grandson, she couldn't help but pinch his cheeks with tenderness.

"Aww, you look like a gentleman, son."

"Thank you, Grandma Myrtle."

"Good. If the three of us are ready, let's go to the party and wish this year in style."

Albert headed with his wife and grandson to the event hall, where the end-of-year party would be held.

The Loud family was already there. The girls invited some of their friends, including Polly, Giggles, Haiku, Tabby, Carol, and Fiona, among others, along with their families.

Lori constantly checked her cell phone. Well, Bobby was supposed to arrive at the party before the Casagrande family, who were already there. They explained that Bobby had a problem with his car and took it in for a last-minute repair.

All guests dressed in their most elegant clothes and wore masks. They are all very luxurious. The banquet was served at one of the two tables in the venue. While the band consisting of Luna, Sam, and Tabby livened up the atmosphere.

Everyone danced until the door opened, catching everyone's attention. Albert and Myrtle entered first, followed by their grandson. As they entered, all eyes fell on Lincoln. A song played in the background as he walked.

Everyone's reactions were different when the boy entered the room.

While Lincoln's parents showed so much pride that tears escaped their eyes, it was different for the rest. Especially for girls.

Leni dropped her glass when she saw her brother in that suit; Luna, who was tuning her guitar because she was watching Lincoln, pulled her string too much and broke it; Tabby, who was in charge of the drums, threw her drumsticks, causing a domino effect that sent all the drum pieces scattered all over the stage. Lynn and Polly, who were eating one of the party snacks, threw them to the floor. Lucy and Haiku couldn't hide their admiration for what they saw because their cheeks were extremely red, highlighted by the paleness of their skin. Luan and Giggles's mouths were wide open, as were their eyes, while the poke flowers they were wearing as decorations began to drain. Fiona and Carol licked their lips as they pressed their legs together, gasping for breath. Ronnie-Anne, who was pouring a glass herself, spilled it on Carl's head, while Carlotta, who was taking a selfie at the time, dropped her phone into a bowl. Finally, Linka had a mesmerizing expression, her eyes wide open and full of brilliance, while Liberty lay unconscious in her chair, with an expression of pleasure and blood dripping from her nose.

"It looks like someone is the center of attention," Myrtle said, nudging Lincoln in the elbow.

The elderly couple quietly advanced among the guests. Unlike Lincoln, who, despite not being able to see, could feel all eyes staring at him—some with lust, some with jealousy—on the part of overprotective fathers of their daughters, fortunately, Lincoln's relief came in the form of the sound of the door opening. The McBride family had gone through this with Clyde's three girlfriends. The McBrides already knew of their son's polygamous relationship, and although it was a shocking discovery at first, seeing how much love their son had for these three girls, they decided they could try to be more understanding. Fortunately, polygamy had been legal in the state for a year.

But there was one guest among the new arrivals who stood out more than any other. It was Andy. The orange-haired boy was wearing a white shirt with a tie, gray pants, and black shoes.

For those who did not know the boy, what most caught the attention of the invited guests was that his shirt sleeves were rolled up and fastened with a safety pin, indicating his "physical disability."

Clyde and Andy approached Lincoln, who was talking to his parents.

"Hey Lincoln!" Andy greeted his friend.

"I'm glad you could come, Andy. Oh yeah. They are my parents. Rita and Lynn Loud. Mum, Dad, he's my friend from school, Andy."

"Nice to meet you." Andy took off his right shoe and extended his foot to greet Mr. Loud. Who stared at him with a mixture of confusion and discomfort. "Yes, I know it's dirty. But my arms aren't that long."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Andy. Nice to meet you too." Both parents greeted the orange-haired boy.

The rest of the night was spent by the guests eating, dancing, and drinking champagne. Especially Leni, who seems to have developed a good appreciation for champagne, as she's already had five glasses, all brought by her current "boyfriend."

It was almost 00:00 AM, so everyone had their masks on.