[The Loud kids gather in the living room for a family meeting while talking over each other]
Zip it, people! [the kids quiet down] Your father said order.
That I did. Now. [clears throat] As some of you may have heard…
SSiblings
[deadpan] We know. Tomorrow's your half-birthday.
Tomorrow is my half-birthday, but that's not what this meeting's about. But feel free to mark it on your calendars. [chuckles] Moving on. Lucy…
[as her siblings look at her] What?
…has been up for three days straight, and last night she scared the bejeezus out of me. So, there's gonna be a new rule around here.
Lincoln
[to the viewers] Probably gonna be no more sneaking up on people.
[slides next to him and jumpscares him] You think so?
Lincoln
You really should start wearing a bell.
And the new rule is… Everyone goes to bed before midnight, not one minute later.
Lincoln
NOOOO! This isn't fair! It's Lucy's fault! Why should we have to suffer?! [he and all his sisters start protesting]
Order! Order! Don't make me have to count! Here we go! One, two--
[holds up her fist, silencing the siblings] You did it, honey.
Sorry I had to be so harsh with them. In this house, it's all for one and one for all.
And Lucy's not the first kid to make a mistake.
Yeah, Mom's right. You've all been responsible for new rules around here.
[Lincoln gathers his sisters in Lisa and Lily's room]
Lincoln
Ok, so here's the plan. Tonight at midnight, you guys will take Dad out to Jean Juan's French Mex for a half-birthday celebration. I will stay here and watch the Rip Hardcore Midnight Marathon and get my Macho Man Badge.
Look, Lincoln, I'm only home from college for two days, and we all have a lot of stuff to do. So if you want us to help you, you're gonna have to help us with our stuff.
I'm entering Todd in a robotics competition, and it seems another contestant also has a robot named Todd.
Lincoln
Why can't he change his robot name?
[sighs] His Todd was named after his recently-deceased grandfather. Some guys have all the luck.
Lincoln
So you need me to come up with a new name for Robot Todd?
Lincoln
How about Beau?
Lincoln
Jamie?
Lamey. This is a list of names that I don't like. [shows a massive board filled with X'ed out names, then flips it over to show the other side is also full of X'ed out names]
TTodd
We've been here for hours.
[Daytime at Royal Woods Middle School…]
Lincoln
Ok, people. We're not leaving here until we've come up with some hot stories. Let's go, the news doesn't make itself.
Lincoln
Helping or hurting, Clyde, helping or hurting? I'm sorry. I'm a little on edge this morning.
RRusty
[leaning in close to Zach and Liam] He's got a butt pimple that's been revealing barking at him.
[Zach and Liam both wince in disgust]
Lincoln
I wanted to keep that between us, Rusty. I guess I should have been more clear when I said, "Let's keep that between us." Now, does anyone have a news story? [Stella raises up her hand] Stella.
SStella
Are butt pimples contagious?
ZZach
I have absolute proof that the school nurse might be an alien.
LLiam
I don't know what's wrong with that melon story I pitched. Thing's grown to darn near the size of a baby head.
What's the hook? Why are we watching?
LLiam
Because, it's grown to darn near the size of a baby head. You put a live feed on that and the audience will be happier than a kitten chasing a leaky cow.
Lincoln
So we got nothing.
LLiam
Is that nothing with the melon, or nothing without the melon?
RRusty
Thank God for "Real Talk with Rusty". Without my show, our ratings would be in the toilet.
Lincoln
[to the viewers] "Real Talk with Rusty" has been the top-rated middle school news show in the tri-state area for seven months running.
Lincoln
[coming out of the front door; stiffly] If you're a Royal Woods middle schooler, today is the biggest day of the year, the annual Kangaroo Hop, the Super Bowl of middle school dances.
LLiam
Cut! You're all stiff, like a baby calf in a blizzard.
Lincoln
Sorry, Liam.
LLiam
Haven't you ever talked to a camera before?
Lincoln
[to the viewers] Liam is really excited about getting to shoot his first solo Action News piece, a documentary about the Kangaroo Hop.
LLiam
You know what? I'm gonna scrap the opening for now and get some B-roll of the decorations committee.
Lincoln
Order! Order! Order!
Is he allowed to call family meetings now?
This better be important. [sighs as Lily suddenly starts bawling off-screen] Lily's on a sleep strike. We only slept 28 minutes last night. Oh, we should do the stroller trick.
Lincoln
I've called this family meeting to address the constant infringement on my personal space, A.K.A. my bedroom. Which isn't very big to begin with.
Your room's not that small.
Lincoln
Lana, I have to step outside to change my mind.
[chuckles] You know, I should tell more jokes in my family meetings. [Rita gives him a stern look] I'll get the stroller.
Lincoln, you're the only one without a roommate.
I beg to differ. I'm here quite often, and this morning, my cubby had an engine block in it.
That's a carburetor, dude.
Great. That's much more normal.
You guys didn't let us into your club.
Well, Leni and Luna didn't let us into their club.
Well, Clyde and Lincoln didn't let us into their club.
Hey, we had a very good reason for that. Lincoln, what was the reason?
Lincoln
I don't know. But I'm getting some of those chicken wings.
You cross that line, you're gonna get decked by one of those wings.
Lincoln
You wouldn't.
[throws a chicken wing at Lincoln as he crosses the line] No, but I would. Oh, and by the way… [eats one] They're delicious.
Lincoln
Well, then maybe you should try them with some… [grabs some tortilla chips and dips them in guacamole and sauce] Nachos. [throws them at Lana]
[Clyde laughs at her as she wipes the nachos off herself]
Oh, is that funny, Clyde? Because the potato skins… are hilarious! [throws some potato skins at him]
[Leni throws a meatball in Luna's left eye]
I don't know. Seemed fun.
[grabs another meatball and throws it at Leni's dress] It is fun.
Nothing's more fun than guacamole! [grabs a fistful of guacamole and throws it at Lynn]
[as Lynn throws some stuffing at her in retaliation] That was a mistake.
[as Lola and Lana pour themselves some cereal with plates of broccoli behind them] Uh-uh. You're not eating another thing until you finish this broccoli.
Well, it was warm when I served it to you last night.
But we don't wanna waste all this delicious cereal when there's so many hungry people in the world.
Well, Lisa and Mr. Nibbles can eat it. [takes the cereal bowls away as the twins groan]
Lincoln
Mr. Nibbles loves his cereal.
Mr. Nibbles won't be receiving any tasty rewards until he successfully completes this week's mouse maze.
[enters the kitchen] If he did complete it, it would be "a-maze-ing." [laughs; no response] "A-maze-ing?" Because the mouse goes through the maze?
That joke would've been funny if Mr. Coconuts was here. Has anyone seen him? He's been lost for three days.