102. Ch 102- A Sibling's Surprise

(A/N: hey, everyone. Sorry this is late, I got delayed by an unfortunately timed software update. I do have another quick point to make, but as much as I wish I didn't have to, this one is necessary. To whoever it is that tried to send a guest review that said 'please end this story already', do us both a favour and stop. I will continue to decline any reviews like this, as they are irrelevant to the story and a waste of both of our time.

To everyone else that is actually interested in this story, thank you all for reading, and enjoy!)

The bell to signal the end of school rang once more, much to the joy of the students throughout the elementary school, as this also signalled the end to the school week. Five days worth of lessons were now over, so none of them hesitated to gather their belongings and flood out of the main entrance, eager to relax and have fun elsewhere. Lincoln was among them, though was showing less energy in doing so, as he knew that once Vanzilla arrived to collect his younger sisters, Lynn would pop out of it so they could go on their weekly free running session. Hence, once he had his stuff, he simply walked outside and stood next to his sisters as they waited for Lori to arrive.

While waiting, he felt a tap on his shoulder, so he turned around to face the person responsible. "What's up, Jordan?"

"Just so you know, I have a dental appointment on Sunday before practice," she informed the boy. "I'll be there for practice, but you and Lynn will have to walk there by yourselves. Mom just let me know, so I figured I should tell you."

"That's cool, Lynn will probably just use it as an excuse for an extra workout." She giggled at the joke he gave. "Thanks for letting me know."

"No problem. I'll see you on Sunday, okay?"

"Okay." They gave each other a small wave as she walked away, leaving Lincoln to return to waiting for Lynn. Whilst doing so, he could feel a few pairs of eyes on him, and he turned to see his younger sisters all looking at him with knowing grins. Even Lucy had a grin on her face, which he knew to be a bad sign. "Not a word, you here?"

"Oh, it's too late for that, dear brother," Lucy dismissed, making him sigh.

"You should really ask her out," Lola advised. "If anything, it would only add to your performance. Imagine, the two of you as a couple, performing in front of everyone."

Lincoln's eyes immediately darted around, hoping that no one was listening in, which it seemed like no one was doing. "Lola, you don't understand. Me and Jordan aren't doing anything as a couple. The only part of the showcase we're doing together is the floor routine, but we're both part of a larger group."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, excuse me for not knowing, when I haven't seen you practice at all. Unlike some people."

His brow furrowed at that last little addition. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I believe my next eldest sororal relative is referring to the fact that each of the five eldest siblings in our immediate family have all exhibited your extracurricular physical activities at some point in time or another," Lisa explained, though she was once again irritated to see the blank look her brother gave her in response. "In simpler terms, our elder sisters have seen you practice gymnastics."

"Oh, right. Well, Lori and Leni haven't actually watched me practice yet. Lori just dropped us off on Sunday, and Leni left after she got her measurements." Seeing the expression Lola gave him, he cracked a smile and gave a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll all be able to watch me next Saturday, and I'm glad you'll be able to. It means a lot to me."

"Hey, of course we will!" Lana assured, her wide smile adding to it. "It's gonna be awesome!"

"It should be interesting," Lucy agreed. "With all the help you have given me and the others over the years, I'm glad I can finally return the favour."

His smile grew while he placed a hand on her shoulder. "None of you owe me anything, Luce. I'm always happy to support you."

"The notion is mutual, elder sibling," Lisa reaffirmed.

"Of course," Lola cut in, "we won't be able to if Lori doesn't get here already!"

Lincoln chuckled again, just as he caught sight of the blue van turning the corner up ahead. "Well, they're here now, Lola."

His younger sisters all turned and looked where he was looking, all being able to see Lori in the driver's seat as she drove towards them, slowing down to park. The girls waited for Lynn to pop out, the jock looking pumped.

"Ready to get running, Lincoln?" she challenged, to which he rolled his eyes.

"Lynn, do you have to turn all of our workout sessions into a competition?" he asked.

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" Lori called from the driver's side window, making her brother chuckle. She then looked over her shoulder and watched as the youngest girls got into the van, closing the doors and putting on their seatbelts. Once they were all strapped in, she looked back to her brother and his 'coach'. "Alright, we'll see you at home, and literally don't be late. Do you hear me, Lynn?"

Lynn snorted. "Relax, Lori. We'll be back before you know it."

She looked at the brunette doubtfully, then asked her brother, "try and keep an eye on the time, Lincoln."

"I will."

"Good. See you at home."

With a step back, Lincoln and Lynn watched as Lori began to drive the rest of their sisters home. It only took a few seconds for it to be out of sight, so Lincoln quickly looked to the brunette. "Alright, Lynn, let's get going."

"Uh uh," she responded, making him look at her with confusion. "First of all, you need to call me Coach Lynn."

His expression went deadpan in an instant. "Are you seriously still going with that?"

She crossed her arms. "Hey, whenever you're ready."

The two stared each other down, neither relenting for well over five seconds, until Lincoln gave a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine… can we please get going, Coach Lynn?"

Immediately upon hearing this, she broke out the biggest grin she could muster, a clear sense of pride from hearing this. "Finally! Was that seriously so hard?"

"Lynn…"

"Alright, alright, I won't push it." With that, she took off running. "Keep up with me, bro!"

Lincoln saw that she was heading the opposite direction to where they usually went, but he knew she wouldn't stop running until she realised this, so he took off after her. "Lynn! You're going the wrong way!" he yelled to her.

"No, I'm not!" she yelled back. "We're going somewhere else!"

"Where?"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

The boy groaned. 'Lynn and secrets… never a good combination…'

He eventually managed to 'catch up' to Lynn, though he knew that she had given him the chance to catch up, so that they wouldn't get separated. Once she did that, she made sure not to let her brother slip too far behind, but refused to answer him whenever he asked her where they were going. Lincoln didn't know how long they had been running, his best guess being about fifteen minutes, before they finally arrived at what appeared to be a fitness centre. The outside walls were a blue metal, with a white sign above the double doors of a person running and the words Gymagine. Lincoln looked at the building and wondered why they were there, but stopped when he saw Lynn entering, prompting him to follow her.

Lynn walked up to the reception desk, where a tan woman with short black hair, dressed in a grey tank top with the centre's logo and white track pants, was typing into a computer. "Hey, me and my bro have a session with Miss Bassinger," she informed the woman.

"One second," she replied, typing into the computer again. After a few seconds, she found a result. "Lynn Loud, is it?" She looked to the brunette, who nodded. "Okay, you're a little early, but you can head on through. The studio is down the hall, third door on the left, and you can get changed if you need to in the adjoining changing rooms. She'll be with you when she's ready."

"Thanks." She turned to her brother and told him, "come on, bro," before leading them the way that she had been directed.

"Lynn, what are we doing here?" he asked. "I don't see how we can do parkour in here."

"Yeah, change of plans. We're not doing parkour today."

He stopped for a second, but Lynn didn't, so he quickly began walking again. "If we're not doing parkour, then what are we doing?"

She grinned mischievously to her little brother. "Relax, Stinkoln, you'll see. Oh, hey, you had gym today, right? You're gonna want to get changed again." He opened his mouth to question her, but she cut him off by adding, "just trust me on this."

Though he wasn't feeling confident about whatever Lynn had in mind, he knew better than to argue with her, so he sighed. "Okay, just… give me a minute, will you?"

"No worries, bro." So, they walked down to the end of the corridor, where there were three doors— one at the end that had a sign which read Studio 1, and one on either side which respectively read Women's and Men's. Whilst Lincoln entered the door on the right, Lynn entered the studio and took it all in. The studio was understandably empty, with the white painted walls and hardwood floor giving off a calming effect. The only things on the far wall were large mirrors, and the only other things in the room were a stack of chairs in one corner, and a stack of mats next to the mirrors. Lynn gave a whistle as she walked over to the stack of chairs, placing her school bags on top of it. "Nice studio."

"Why, thank you," she heard a woman say, prompting her to look towards the door she entered from. Heading her way was a slender woman in her early thirties, her brown hair held in a ponytail with a green scrunchie that matched her green tank top, which reached down to her black yoga pants. "I had a little input in the design actually. So, you must be Lynn Junior."

"That's me."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Now, I was told there would be two of you today, correct?"

"Yeah, my bro's just getting changed. I haven't actually told him what's going on yet, so I'm looking forward to seeing how he reacts."

The woman chuckled. "Is that so? Well, I look forward to meeting him too."

At that moment, the door opened once more, this time by Lincoln as he entered the studio, now in his gym clothes. "Okay, Lynn, are you going to tell me what we're doing… here." His eyes fell on the woman, going wide with surprise. "You're… you're Kathleen!"

"That I am," she confirmed with a nod, walking over to the boy with Lynn in tow. "You must be Lincoln."

She extended her hand to the boy, bringing him out of his shock enough for him to shake it with his. "Y-Yeah. S-Sorry if I seem off, I'm just… not used to seeing you in person."

Kathleen couldn't help but laugh at his comment, making him blush out of embarrassment. "Yes, your sister told me that this was a surprise. I can see she wasn't lying."

Hearing mention of his sister, Lincoln directed his attention to the middle schooler. "Okay, guess I should explain," she confessed. "You remember Margo, my best friend?"

"Yeah?"

"Turns out that Kathleen is her second aunt!"

"Wait, really?"

"That's right," Kathleen confirmed. "I moved back to Royal Woods before the holidays, to set up a new studio, and I now live not too far from Margo and her parents. When I visited them this past weekend, she was telling me about you, Lynn. How you use my workout videos, and how you have a showcase coming up."

"Actually, it's not me that has the showcase," Lynn corrected. "It's my bro's gymnastics showcase a week on Saturday. Also, we do your workouts together."

Her smile perked up at hearing this. "Really, now? That sounds like so much fun! I haven't done gymnastics in so many years. Not since college, I think."

"You used to be a gymnast?"

"I did. It was a lot of fun, but I became a personal trainer after college, so it didn't fit my schedule then. Still, now that I know this, I know what sort of workout to do. Are you two ready to begin?" Both kids nodded. "Excellent! In that case, go and grab yourselves a mat each, and we shall begin."

This was the start to what would be an hour long workout for the three of them. Lincoln and Lynn placed their mats down in front of Kathleen's, side on to the mirror. After some quick stretching to limber them up, the fitness instructor led them through a series of poses that targeted the different areas of their bodies, some that they were familiar with from their regular yoga sessions, and some more advanced than anything they had done before. Though Lincoln and Lynn both struggled with some of the latter, they managed to keep up with Kathleen and everything that she guided them through, never showing more than some minor difficulty with keeping balance. It was just the three of them, alone in the room, working out to the sounds of the calming music that the woman had put on, and it was immensely peaceful. In his head, Lincoln could imagine that the rest of the world had faded away, only being brought back into the room whenever they changed poses.

At the end of the hour, Kathleen led them through a minute of meditation to cool off. "Now, open your eyes," she told them, to which they obliged, now seeing her looking at them with a smile on her face. "And that, you two, is where we will end our session."

"Has it already been an hour?" Lincoln asked, mostly out of wonder but also slightly in disappointment.

"Time really does fly when you're having fun." She then uncrossed her legs from the lotus position and got to her feet. "You both have good form, especially for two kids who have been using my videos for… two months, did you say?" Lynn nodded. "Well, I think you've both done wonderfully. I can also tell that you have a strong sibling bond between you."

"We do," Lynn replied giving a smile to her brother. "We do." He nodded back to her, before she realised something. "Oh, right! I still need to pay you. It's thirty bucks, right?" Once Kathleen nodded, Lynn got up and went over to her bag, rummaging around for her wallet. When she eventually found it, she pulled out three ten dollar bills, which she would then hand over to the instructor. "Here you go."

"Thank you. I hope you had fun today."

"We did," they both replied.

"I'm glad. Now, I need to take care of something, so once you two have your things, you can head on home. It was nice meeting you."

"You too." They each took their turn to shake her hand, before she began to walk away. However, just as she was about to reach the door, Lincoln called out, "hey, Kathleen?"

She turned back around and smiled. "Yes, Lincoln?"

"Do you… do you have any advice for me? For the showcase that's coming up?"

"Well, I guess that depends. Is there anything in particular that's worrying you?"

"I-I guess so, yeah. See, I'm doing a floor routine that was planned for someone more experienced than me, but they got injured, so I'm filling in for him. I'm starting to get it, but I feel like I'm out of my depth."

"I keep telling him not to worry about it, and that he and the others are getting there," Lynn added for context, "but he doesn't want to screw up his first showcase."

Lincoln nodded. "Did you ever have to do anything like that?"

The woman put a hand to her chin. "Ooh, that takes me back. Well, there was one performance where I had to do a friend's vault routine after she was ill. However, I found out last minute, so I barely had any time to practice it, and it didn't go too well." Lincoln frowned a little at hearing this, so she gave him a soft smile. "Though, from what it sounds like, you don't have to worry about that. If you don't think you can get it, then all you have to do is let your instructor know, and ask them if they can make it easier on you. If you think you can get the hang of it, just keep practicing. I'm sure you can do it."

This brought a smile back to his face. "Thank you."

"No problem. Have fun at your showcase."

"I will."

So, Kathleen left the studio, leaving Lynn to turn to her brother and tell him, "hey, I'm gonna wait by the exit. Meet me when you're ready to go." He nodded again, before heading off to the changing room. Lynn grabbed her bag from the stack of chairs and left the studio, walking down the corridor to the reception area. While she waited for her brother, she grabbed a cup from the water cooler and filled it up, giving a sigh of relief after drinking from it, feeling refreshed. By the time the cup was empty, she saw Lincoln heading her way, so she deposited it in the nearby trash can. "Ready?"

"Let's go," he told her. The two of them then left the fitness centre and began the trek back home. "I'll pay you back after dinner, okay?"

She gave him a bemused grin as she responded, "what are you talking about?"

"Lynn, you just spent thirty bucks on a private session for us. Do you know what you could have done with that kind of money?"

"Yeah, but I don't really have much I want at the moment. Consider it a gift."

His eyes were wide in shock. "You're serious?"

"Course I am. What, do you not believe me?"

"I'm just… I'm just really surprised. We've literally fought over nickels before."

"Yeah, but that's in the past. This was one of those 'once in a lifetime' kind of things, you know?"

"I know, but I don't mind paying you back, really."

"Yeah, well, I'm not having it. I told you it's a gift, so you aren't giving me a cent for this."

He gave a dry laugh, bringing a smile to his face. "Thanks, Lynn."

Her smile grew as she held her hands behind her head. "What's a big sis for, huh?"

So, they continued to walk home, the sun on their faces. As they continued on their way, Lincoln's smile didn't fade. The yoga session with Kathleen and the small talk after it had given him a boost to his confidence. As he looked ahead, both physically and mentally, he was looking forward to practice on Sunday. 'I can do this,' he told himself. 'Things are going to work out.'