53. Out of the Picture

Out of the Picture

[The school bell rings]

First impressions are very important, especially for Laney. Because today she begins her first day in Royal Woods elementary. Just in time for...

Laney: Picture day! [Laney looks up at the sign that says "SMILE! IT'S PICTURE DAY!] What better way to start school than to let everyone know who you are! I don't see how anyone could not be happy about this. [She then bumps into Coach Pachowski]

Coach Pacowski: Hey! Watch where your going!

Laney: Oh, sorry mister. I've just transferred from North Hazeltucky Elementary.

Coach Pachowski: Oh yeah, your one of the Loud kids aren't ya. [groans] Let's go get your picture taken. [grumbles as she takes Laney to take her picture taken.]

[Later at the gym, Pachowski was preparing to take Laney's picture]

Coach Pachowski: Okay, smile. [Coach stops and looks at Laney who's styling her hair] What are you doing?

Laney: Figuring out which hairstyle is perfect for this picture. What do you think of ponytails? [Laney changes her hair into ponytails. Coach facepalms] Oh, I'm sorry. Am I making this difficult? [Takes off the ponytails and puts back her original style] I promise I'll stay still while you take the picture. [Coach sighs and takes the picture]

[Cut to Laney walking down the hallway and looks at her picture]

Laney: Wow, Pachowski did a great picture of me. Didn't seem so happy to take it though. Oh well, the stress of picture day gets to all of us. [She stops when she sees Lincoln and Clyde dressed in powdered wigs and muumuus get kicked out of chess club] My point exactly...

Lincoln: No biggie. There's more than one group photo in the yearbook.

Laney: Why are you guys trying so hard to get in the yearbook anyway.

Clyde: So we won't be the forgotten men of Royal Woods Elementary.

Laney: What are you guys talking about?

Lincoln: There's this dude named Manny Malach who got one photo in the yearbook and nobody saw it. Now he lives behind Liam's barn. [Laney's eyes widened]

Laney: All because he has one photo... [Lincoln and Clyde nod]

That very thought filled Laney with fear. She doesn't want to be forgotten, especially after all she has acheived. Laney took one look at the photo that was going in the yearbook and crumpled it up knowing she can do better.

Laney: I can't let that happen to me.

Lincoln: Then follow our lead, Lanes. We got a plan that's guaranteed to put us all in that yearbook.

Laney: I'm with you all the way! [Wipe to Laney wearing a chess piece costume like Lincoln and Clyde] Me and my big mouth.

Lincoln: Come on, Laney. You want to be remembered do you?

Laney: Yes, but this isn't what I have in mind. [Tries to walk around in her costume] I can barely move my arms in this thing!

Lincoln: Don't worry, Laney. You don't have to wear it for long. Get ready to be remembered.

Coach Pacowski: [operating the camera] Okay, everyone, get ready.

[The three hop over to the frame given the way their costumes are fitted]

Clyde: Don't mind us. Just two Chess guys coming through. Why is no one else dressed for Chess?

Lincoln: Not everyone has our commitment.

Laney: I can't imagine why.

[They hop right into a chess board and knock it over.]

Lincoln, Clyde, and Laney: Oops.

[The Chess Club members beat them up and the camera shoots the fight cloud.]

Lincoln, Clyde, and Laney: [kicked out] Aah! [bouncing] Oof. [stop]

Lincoln: Well, shoot.

Laney: [sighs] Maybe it's for the best. [takes off the costume] I don't even like chess anyway.

Clyde: What else we got?

[Cut to the storage closet's door.]

Laney [behind the door]: I don't know, Lincoln. This outfit isn't me.

Lincoln: [behind the door] Okay, not my first choice, but we're desperate.

[They come out dressed as undertakers.]

Lincoln and Clyde: Morticians Club! [get into position] We're in!

Lucy: [off-camera] No you're not. [appears on-screen as Lincoln, Clyde, and Laney yelp at her sudden appearance.] You guys are not part of this club.

Laney: Don't look at me. It was their idea. [points to Lincoln and Clyde]

Haiku: [off-screen] Hold on, Lucy. [appears on-screen as Lincoln, Clyde, and Laney yelp at her sudden appearance.] We can always use some more bodies.

Laney: What do you mean by...[gulps] bodies?

Coach Pacowski: [working the camera] Okay, smile or whatever.

[Laney, Lincoln, and Clyde smile, but three members close their caskets on them and leave them out of the shot.]

Lincoln and Clyde: Oh, come on!

[The club members strike a gloomy pose and the photo is taken.]

[The three were walking out of school]

Laney: It's hopeless, guys. We'll never get remembered now.

Lincoln: She's right, group photos are over, and we're in exactly zero of them.

Clyde: We might as well go join Matty Malach behind Liam's barn.

Lincoln: I thought it was Manny Malach.

Lola: [off-screen] THANKS FOR NOTHING! [to Lincoln and Clyde] Coach Pacowski wouldn't switch out my photo. He says he's too "overworked". THEN HIRE MORE STAFF, DODO BRAIN! [storms off]

Lincoln: [inspired] Hire more staff! guys, that's our in!

[They go to the Yearbook Office.]

Clyde: Operation Get Coach To Hire Us So We Can Edit Ourselves Into Yearbook Photos is a go!

Laney: Edit? Isn't that cheating.

Lincoln: Not if you don't want to be forgotten. Now, remember. We gotta stay strong.

Clyde: Right. We're not taking "no" for an answer.

Coach Pacowski: [opens the door] You two! I need yearbook staff now. And I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!

Clyde: Oh yeah? We're not taking 'no' for an answer either!

Lincoln: Clyde, he just hired us for the yearbook.

Clyde: Ah.

[The coach pulls them into the office and closes the door while showing them the works.]

Coach Pacowski: Eh, the yearbook needs to go to the printer by the end of the week. You two work on captions. I have to go check if the school hamster's name is Skippy with a "y" or an "ie". [leaves]

[The boys highfive]

Clyde: Mission accomplished.

Lincoln: Wait. That was only Operation Get Coach To Hire Us So We Can Edit Ourselves Into The Yearbook Photos. Now we actually have to work ourselves into the photos.

Laney: How do we do that?

Lincoln: Computer magic, my dear sister. Clyde. Grab the yearbook file.

[Enter Lola with a basket of muffins]

Lola: [sweetly bribing] Oh, Coach Pacowski, I brought you some muffins! [notices the boys in the office] Linky? Laney? What are you two doing here?

Lincoln: Uh, Clyde, Laney, and I joined the yearbook staff.

Lola: [gasps] This is great. [tosses muffin basket aside] I don't even need that dodo brain anymore. [holds out a pink flash drive with a heart on it.] You guys can switch out my photo! It's right here, on this cute little flash drive.

Lincoln: [takes the flash drive] We'll take care of it.

Lola: Thanks, Linky! [drops something on her way out] Oops.

Lincoln: [picks up what Lola dropped] Coach Pacowski: A Man With Many Secrets. What's this?

Lola: That was in case the muffins didn't work. [takes it back] I'll just save this for the next time I wanna get out of Dodgeball. [leaves the office and the boys speech]

[Back home, Lincoln and Clyde are getting ready to insert themselves into the photos.]

Lincoln: Now look. All we gotta do is copy these handsome dudes, and this lovely lady, grab a photo from the yearbook file and paste them here. [does a step-by-step procedure on a photo while he explains.]

Clyde: Mission accomplished!

Laney: I don't think it is. I don't want to be remembered as part of the math club.

Lincoln: She's got a point. Besides, how many people really look at the Math Club photo?

Clyde: Only these eggheads, probably. Maybe their parents.

Lincoln: Maybe we should put ourselves in a few more pictures. Just to be safe.

Laney: [stops them] No way! Editing us into the yearbook is not how I want to be remembered. And I refuse to let you two continue.

Lincoln: Not even if we put you in the Art Club? [Drags Laney's picture into the art club photo]

Laney: Put me in! Put me in! [Lincoln and Clyde smirked at each other]

[Much time passes and it's now night as they finish up.]

Lincoln: There. That should ensure that we're remembered by animal lovers, jocks, band kids, theater geeks, techies, and the lunch ladies. [shows off aforementioned photos]

Clyde: Now it's mission accomplished.

Lincoln: [taking out the flash drive] Our immortality rests softly on this little flash drive.

Clyde: Clincoln McCloud forever!

[Enter Lola]

Lola: [cheerful] There they are! My heroes! [runs up and hugs them] Thank you so much for switch my photo. Can you imagine if that horrid shot made it in there? My pageant career would have been over! And with it, all my hopes...my dreams...and reason to live! [goes upstairs after such a dramatic performance.]

Laney: Man, that was dramatic.

Lincoln: Let's get to the school and upload these pictures!

[The school's yearbook office. The boys enter and find their other staff member there.]

Lincoln: Coach? Uh, what are you doing here so late?

Coach Pacowski: Last minute change. Yearbook has to be done tonight. Like I had nothing better to do.

Lincoln and Clyde: [shocked] Tonight?! But we have a-

Coach Pacowski: Tough toenails! I already hit send! Just waiting for it to upload. [shows the slow upload progress from 40% to 45%]

Lincoln: Guys, we have to get him away from that computer.

Coach Pacowski: [disgruntled] "if you're gonna stick me with the dang yearbook job, how about giving me some equipment from this century?" [smacks the computer with his hat]

Clyde: I think I got this. [walks up to the coach] Coach, you seem to be dealing with some anger issues. I have nine years of therapy under my belt. Do you want someone to talk to?

Coach Pacowski: [breaking down] Yes!

Clyde: Let's go somewhere quieter. [He and Laney push him into his office]

Lincoln: [dashes to the computer] Okay, gotta work fast. [cancels the initial upload] And now, time to upload. [holds up both flash drives] Oh. Plenty of time. [puts his into the USB slot] Open, select all, grab and re-upload our pics. [does so only to endure the slow upload speed] Uh! This thing is slow! Now I see why Coach wears a hat. [grabs a hat and smacks the computer with it]

Coach Pacowski: [in his office with Clyde and Laney] You think I wanted to be a gym teacher? My real passion was Irish step dance. But my father told me with my fallen arches, I was kidding myself. [sobs] Oh, sorry.

Laney: [Consoles Coach] It's okay, let it all out.

Clyde: [writing that down] Interesting. And how did that make you feel?

Lincoln: [impatient] Uh, come on, come on! We need more time!

Coach Pacowski: So I said, "It's my life, Dad. I'll do what I want!" But Mom was like "Listen to your father." But did I listen to him? Well, I'm here, aren't I? Trying to get a yearbook out at 10:00 PM. All these years, I could have been Irish step dancing! But here I am. My dancing career is over! And with it, my hopes, my dreams, and my reason to live!

[Lincoln overhears it and starts to feel a little guilty.]

Laney: Well, coach. I may not have a cure for your acrhes, but one thing I know, Is that it's never too late to follow your dreams. [Coach smiled at that]

Coach Pachowski: Wow, thanks for the pep talk kid. Anywho, I'd better check on that progress bar.

Clyde: [stops him] Wait, Coach! I think we're really close to a breakthrough!

[Lincoln starts working at breakneck speed to finish his task.]

Coach Pacowski: Quit tailgating me, McBride. I got a yearbook to get out. [steps out of the office and takes Lincoln's place] Now, where did I leave off?

Clyde: Did you do it?

Lincoln: Well, I did...

Coach Pacowski: IT'S STILL LOADING?! [sees it's only halfway finished] Huh. Normally, I'd be very angry about this. Oh. Thanks, McBride.

[Clyde smiles to the coach while Lincoln turns away with a despondent look on his face.]

THREE WEEKS LATER...

[Coach Pacowski is handing out the yearbooks.]

Clyde I can't wait to see all of our thousands of photos. Clincoln McCloud forever!

Laney: Yeah, and I guess I can settle for being in every club in school... Even though that's not how I want to be remembered.

Lincoln: [guiltily] Well, guys, I've had something that I've needed to tell you. It's been eating at me for three weeks. There just wasn't enough time to-

[Enter Lola]

Lola: [sweetly grateful] Linky, you're the best brother ever! Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you! [normally] You too, Clyde. And, you Laney. [opens the book] My pageant career is saved. And I owe it all to you! [shows them the replacement photo in her spot]

Clyde: Yep. [takes the book and looks through it] We're all immortalized in...wait. Where are all of our pictures?

Lincoln: Well, that's what I wanted to tell you.

[Flashback to last night]

Lincoln: [narrating] When you and Laney were distracting Coach P, I remembered how much Lola's pageant career means to her. And, well, I had to make a choice. [Flashback Lincoln switches out his drive for Lola's.] At the last minute, I stopped copying our files and made the switch for Lola instead.

Flashback Pacowski: Now, where'd I leave off?

[End flashback]

Lincoln: Sorry, pal.

Clyde: But we'll be forgotten.

Lola: [takes her book back] Guys, what you did means everything to me. I know I may act like a little crazy-pants sometimes, but...I'll never forget you for this. [hugs them and they hug back] Never ever. [walks away]

Laney: [smiles as she looks at the yearbook] Hm. Now that I've seen what we done, this little photo doesn't seem so bad after all.

Clyde: Well, that's one way to keep from being forgotten. Even if we'll be living with the chickens like Mindy Malach.

Lincoln: I thought it was Marshall.

Rusty: Hey, you guys made it into the yearbook.

Lincoln and Clyde: [surprised] Whaaaaat?

Zach: Coach blew it, though. Check it out [shows a mash-up photo, one half Lincoln and one half Clyde for the yearbook staff.] You're in the crease.

Clyde: Yearbook staff photo? I...can't believe it!

Lincoln: It's...it's...

Lincoln and Clyde: Clincoln McCloud forever! [start Irish step dancing]

Lincoln: We're famous!

Clyde: Sweet immortality!

Coach Pacowski: Make way, boys! [pushes Rusty, Zach, and Liam aside and joins Lincoln and Clyde in their dance.] See? It's never too late to follow your passion!

[An iris is about to close on them until Coach Pacowski sprains his leg.]

Coach Pacowski: [in pain] Ooh! My arches.

[The iris closes completely]