Hey guys gallifrey's wayward son here, sorry for my absence simple matter of a collapsing galaxy and a TARDIS on the fritz, same old same old. But now I'm back and in my absence I saw the peanuts movie and I thought to type this up. Just a innocent one shot that could become a story Charlie should've gone after instead of a girl he barely knew. And of course I've agree them up to 14 so it can be a bit more real, though enough about that let get this story going.
"talking"
"shouting"
"thought"
Disclaimer: is the genius behind the peanuts I own nothing.
Story start
It was a bright and beautiful afternoon in Hennepin county, Minnesota not unexpected for the summer of course, but still a nice change of pace. Just the right kinda day for everyone's favorite blockhead Charlie Brown to be heading towards the pond. It was only a week since he had been out of school and he was determined as ever to make every second count. After all he was going to highschool next year,the name alone sent a shiver down his spine. "All of the pressures, exams and girls not to mention the standardized tests, good grief this'll be a long four years." These thoughts plagued his mind often nowadays his childhood paranoia never truly leaving him.
That's why he decided to practice his kite flying near the pond today, he'd only get to do this so many things before he had to let childish things go. Well that and snoopy was working on another story and he tended to get loud during his writing process. Out of all the things he had to let go he hoped for snoopy his family and friends to never be on that list. He gave a slight groan as he realized he was passing the kite eating tree, he would be sure to avoid it. That unfortunately would always be a constant in his life, at least other things have gotten better for the once bald kid.
Ever since his 'winner' year as he called it a couple of years ago life turned from ugh to significantly less ugh. He was a better student, athlete and person he now had more confidence than he ever thought possible for him, his friends called him humble but he honestly didn't know where that came from.
Though the changes weren't only on the inside, they were on the outside as well, at least according to his friends. He had grown to a nice height of 5'10,his skin tone was more fair from playing outside all the time along with gaining some muscle like a swimmer. He didn't feel the need to shave his head anymore as his face became more angular and he had grown a mess of brown locks that the girls like to feel for some reason. Finally he changed his outfit after his mom decided wearing the same thing over and over was a tad bit boring. He now donned black jeans a red shirt and red running shoes while also carrying his backpack with everything he needed inside.
He finally arrived at his destination, it was truly a beautiful sight both in winter when it was a frozen wonderland and now when it was a sparkling paradise. The teenager came out of his musings to grab his kite angry being a process he knew all too well.
"The string is set and the wind is perfect, let's get this baby in the air, hopefully" he began to run, being noticeably faster than when he was younger. Though unlike when he was younger the kite immediately began to sail through the air making a grin appear on Charlie brown's face. That grin was never meant to last as he collided with someone while he was distracted by the wonders of aerodynamics. He fell to the ground the last thing he saw was his kite fly into that evil tree before his vision was covered up by whoever he fell against.
"Hey watch where you're going you...chuck?" it took less than a second for the lucky/unlucky boy to recognize the voice of one of his long time friends even if had become more melodious over time. He smiled as his thoughts were confirmed by looking into the nearly orange eyes of peppermint patty. She looked back at him from her spot sitting on his chest her look of anger from the fall turning into one of recognition.
"Oh sorry about that patty, are you okay? " he apologized mostly in concern but also for his survival, lest he incur the wrath of his athletic friend. He rubbed his hand through his hair to make sure no bumps had formed and looked back at his friend noticing her look of recognition had transformed to a sly smile. The same one she always wore when he made a fool of himself around her.
"Why chuck if I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to hug me by surprise" her eyes never left his as she said this but her smile had grown larger. It was an oddly adorable sight to the brown eyed boy even more so than heather's smile but that thought left his head as quickly as they came as his mind processed what she had just said.
His confidence was higher than when he was a kid but girls would always be a challenge for him, so his reaction was expected.
"No it wasn't anything like that" he didn't know for sure but the nervous teen thought he saw disappointment and hurt when he said that. "I was flying my kite and I wasn't watching where I was going." He suppressed a groan as he looked past the redhead to see his beloved kite fly into the devourer of its brethren. "That damn tree, I swear I'll take an axe to you one day and-" his homicidal thoughts toward a tree abruptly ended when he noticed that the girl on top of him was still on top of him. On top of that (A/N: no pun intended) she was still staring and smiling though it was more gentle than sly now.
"Um Patty?" he asked nervously as he had little to no experience with this particular situation.
"Yeah chuck?" she responded in a dreamy voice that she only seemed to use around him. He might need to think about that later among other things about the freckled girl.
"Can I um, please get up now?" She seemed to remember where she was when he said this but instead of getting embarrassed she just laughed and got up. Finally being free he stood up and received a big shock as he laid eyes on the laughing girl before him. He has seen patty before of course she was one of his friends but he had never seen her so carefree, apparently he wasn't the only one who had changed.
The tomboy he had known since he was young had grown, he didn't know how he missed it maybe because he saw her everyday but the changes were evident now. She had grown taller being a couple inches shorter than himself, her hair was now down to her upper back while her face changed from being youthful round to more heart shaped. Her face was still more or less the same, cute near orange eyes, freckles that gave her an adorable smile and slightly filter lips with her nose still being a bit big but it suited her like the freckles.
Charlie Brown was brought out of his thoughts by a hand waving in his face he focused back on the girl in front of him. She might of said something but he probably missed it with his totally normal staring. So he responded in the best way he could, "um, what?" Patty just rolled her eyes but her cute little smile remained, "there I go again what is wrong with me I've never thought of patty this way and even if I did she wouldn't think the same."
"Wow chuck you were staring at me for awhile do you got a crush on me or something?" She asked jokingly but with a light pink dusting her cheeks.
Yes was almost what he said on instinct but he stopped himself "No I was just thinking I guess" he said nervously.
"Well that's no good it's summer vacation chuck we don't have to think for three months." She said this with such enthusiasm that the teen couldn't help but smile with her.
"Yeah you're right Patty I should just be enjoying myself more" he said with a chuckle.
"That's the spirit chuck old boy c'mon let's go enjoy ourselves summer doesn't last forever and we're wasting daylight, I was done working on my pitches anyway." She grabbed his hand and took off, nothing new there she had always been more forward and ambitious than others but for some reason the contact felt different. Before it just felt the same if Linus or his sister grabbed his hand now it felt warmer against her calloused but somehow soft hand. He shook his head and just focused on following his very fast friend after all summer doesn't last. Though he hoped Patty would.
Apparently Peppermint Patty was just what Charlie Brown needed to get rid of his depressing thoughts. They played every sport summer would allow Soccer, football, baseball and any other game they could think of. Of course the more athletic girl won but at least he did better than he would have when he was younger. They decided to do some swimming in the pond and Charlie Brown enjoyed it even more because his friend had worn her one piece red bathing suit that definitely showed his friend had grown. He got revenge from all the teasing the redhead did by surprising her and pulling her underwater which quickly led to playful water wrestling. After they dried off they went to the ice cream truck where Charlie Brown bought them both a firecracker. They had seen many of their other friends but they were content to just spend time together without them. Charlie Brown also noticed his eyes would wander over to the freckled girl to admire her like earlier and not just her looks. She had energy that was infectious and charisma that some people would kill to have. All in all he was beginning to see his tomboy friend in a new light, cliche as it sounds. Odd thing is he would see her eyes staring at him throughout the day especially when they were swimming. Being the blunt boy he is he tried to ask her about it but she would turn it around like he was stari , ignoring the fact that he was.
"Man what a day" Patty said in slight exhaustion and enjoyment as she sat down at they're favorite spot, the tree on the hill the sun almost at sunset. She was quickly followed by her brown haired crush who was more exhausted than she was. He sat down beside her and rested his head against the trunk of the tree.
"You can say that again, I'm exhausted, but I did have a lot of fun thanks Patty" he said with his signature smile. She smiled back at him and rested her head against the tree as well. They fell into silence after a full day of talking, soon enough the thoughts that plagued his mind earlier returned with a vengeance. He had a fun day no doubt about that but how many days like this did he have left. Soon enough he would have to let things go the games, the ice cream and the fun he would have to be more serious and boring. He might even have to make new friends since the ones he has now would move on, maybe he'd have to let go of Patty as well. That filled him with more dread than anything else. His paranoid thoughts came to an end when he felt a light punch on his shoulder. He turned to the obvious culprit considering lucy wasn't here.
"I didn't have have any pennies so a punch for your thoughts chuck." Patty joked trying to get a smile from her downtrodden friend and she smiled herself when she saw one start to appear. She truly was curious as to what her, only secret to himself crush was thinking. She was entirely ecstatic on the inside at least, when he ran into her and when she saw him flying a kite again it reminded her how determined he is, one of the many reasons she likes him. She was even more excited with the way her day had gone, she got to have fun with her crush with no one else around. She wasn't about to let this perfect day be ruined by chuck's ability to overthink everything.
Charlie brown thought for a moment before speaking, he honestly didn't want to trouble Patty by laying his problems on her. "Its nothing too serious Patty" he said trying to mollify her but the look on her face told him that wouldn't be enough. "Alright I'm just worried is all" Patty looked at him confusedly for a moment.
"Worried about what Chuck? This has literally been a perfect day… do you not like spending time with me?" Peppermint Patty was not known to show her insecurities often but as the teenage years run their course, the insecurities become harder to ignore. Usually she would've just said something like, 'worried that I'll find out who you're crushing on?' This time though she was worried intruding on his day had been a bad idea.
Charlie immediately put her worries to rest, "no that's not what I'm worried about I'm just worried about the future."
"What do you mean by that Chuck old boy?" She asked and her crush seemed to go into his thinking pose, which she secretly found to be adorable.
"Well like you said this has been a wonderful day but how many more are we gonna have." He said worry creeping into his voice and onto the gingers face, but she just allowed him to continue. "I mean we're about to go into high school and everything's going to be different and I'm scared that if I or anyone else change I won't be able to hang out with you, snoopy or anyone I used to hang out with cause I'll be to busy." He breathed deeply for a second and closed his eyes, he actually felt much better after he said it to someone else. He felt a calloused but delicate hand caress the side of his face and then his closest female friend leaned over and whispered a phrase he had only ever told her.
"Poor sweet baby" she said softly still caressing his face, she knew out of anything this would relax him and was proved right when he leaned his face towards her hand. She 'normally' wouldn't be so forward with her secret-not secret crush but he was obviously beyond worried and she would be here for him. After all he has been her best male friend for years.
After a moment she spoke again in a what she hoped was a soft voice, "that's silly chuck you don't have to change if you don't want to and you definitely don't have to give anything up." He opened his eyes and looked at her, she always liked it when she could stare into his hazel orbs but now wasn't the time for crush gazing, now was the time to crush his worries into the ground, then crush gazing.
"Growing up is scary I can't say it isn't people change and not always for the better that's why we grow up so we can all go through it together, but even if you decide that you don't want your old life you'll always have memories. So make some memories now so you can either reminisce with old friends, new friends or both your future is your choice. I'm sorry chuck I'm not very good at this sort of thing." Patty said when she noticed he was staring at her but her worries were dashed away when a that smile she loved so much graced his features.
"No Patty that was great it's exactly what I needed to hear I know that things will change and that's okay I'll still have the memories and I can choose how to deal with the change, thanks Patty." He said gratefully.
"Patricia" said the ginger teen barely above a whisper.
"What was that?" The blockhead asked as he leaned closer to her making her insides melt.
"That's my name Patricia Reichardt I've never told anyone because it sounds so girlie but if we're growing up I should start using it huh." She stated tentatively, waiting for her dream guy to start laughing.
"That's a pretty name, but if it's all right with you I'd like to keep calling you Patty for a bit longer." At her nod of acceptance he continued, "you know I'm still worried about the future but with friends like you and snoopy I'm less worried." As he stated this he leaned back casually on the tree watching as the sun departed and the lake shimmered. He was content with another one of Patties pep talks he was ready to face anything. She really one of his greatest friends.
Patties thoughts were on a different level than the guy sitting next to her, when he called her a friend she realized something it was her choice how he future would go on from here and she didn't just want to be his friend anymore no she wanted to change that. "Hey Charlie" she said with as much Courage as she could come up with. The boy opened his eyes and turned to her those hazel heart stoppers staring right into her nearly orange eyes. He gave her a curious look and she continued on before she lost her nerve, she was peppermint Patty bravest girl in the world. Though with him looking at her like that she turned into Patricia Reichardt bravest woman in the world. "Remember how I said you should make lots of memories to cherish when your older." At his nod she continued "well every memory you have of me is me being your friend but I want to be more than that so here's one heck of a memory for you chuck."
Before the former loser could say anything Patty grabbed his has and crashed her lips onto his. The hazel eyed teen suddenly connected the dots in less than a second, all of the blushing and the teasing from her over the years suddenly made sense. Patricia liked him she really liked him and after today and all the other days they spent together he could honestly say he liked her too and it took her kissing him to realize it. "I really am a blockhead sometimes" were his last thought before he kissed his new found crush and hopefully new girlfriend. All along he was scared of what was coming, but with Patties help he was less scared now with her kiss he was looking forward to the future. Though he was also pretty content with the present with the cute teen kissing him.
Well that's a wrap folks and that story took forever I have had such a writers block and school certainly doesn't help. But now I'm back there'll be an update on what I'm doing next soon but for now I hope you enjoy this, review and all that I'll see you guys on the moon denizen out.
