Learning from the Best, a peanuts fanfic

Learning from the Best

Krissy sighed as she sat on her bed. In all, she hated herself. She hated herself for having to deal with being the younger sister of Kayla Tamara Grandin, a high school teenager with a bright future ahead. She hated being too short to do anything that looked fun. She hated always getting hand-me-downs from Kayla; but most of all, she hated being the youngest Grandin in the family. "Everything's the worse!" the six-year-old complained as she muffled herself in her pillow.

Kayla, a fifteen-year-old with a body seen in a girls' magazine and hair as deep brown as coal, could hear her little sister have another 'tantrum' in her room. Being careful, the older girl opened her sister's bedroom door and walked in. "Krissy?" Kayla wondered as she sat next to her little sister.

"What do you want?" Krissy asked, her eyes were strewn with tears, her nose was a vivid red and she looked too upset to even talk.

"What's wrong?" Kayla replied as she allowed Krissy to sit next to her.

"I…Kay…I…Iwannabelikeyou!" the six-year-old spat out.

"Silly girl…don't you know you're perfect?"

"Huh?"

"Krissy…you don't need to be like anyone else but yourself."

"Then…how will everyone at school like me?" Krissy pondered, exposing her two front teeth. The rest of the teeth in her mouth were milk teeth, so it looked like Krissy was 'some sort of alien'.

"They just don't know you like I do, little sis." Kayla chuckled, pinching Krissy's hamster-like cheeks. "They don't know what your favorite teddy bear is named, or what books you like to read, or the games you beat me at, or the songs you sing on the swing set when you're really happy…or even how beautiful you look with those pretty green eyes and chocolate brown hair."

"But Kayla, you already know what you wanna do with your life…you wanna go to a law school to be a lawyer after getting a 4-years-bachlor's degree. I don't even know what those are, but it sounds very Kayla-y." Krissy sighed.

"Kayla-y? Did you just make me into a word?"

"No…being Kayla-y means it sounds like something you'll do with your life…I wanna know what to do that sounds Krissy-y…"

"You don't need to be exactly like me or plan to go to law school…you don't even need a bachelor's degree…Kris…let me tell you a secret: I used to think everything sucked when I was your age…when I found out I was gonna have you for a sister, everything no longer seemed like an endless black hole of despair…it seemed like my life turned around. And it did. I have you: a little sister that wants nothing more than to be like me."

"But Kayla, I really wanna be like you! You're perfect! You're even more than perfect! You're perfect over 100. I'm a nothing."

"Krissy…" Kayla sighed. "You have a heart that I admire."

"Huh?" Krissy wondered.

When you're down and troubled

And you need some love and care

And nothing, nothing is going right

Close your eyes and think of me

And soon I will be there

To brighten up even your darkest night

You just call out my name

And you know wherever I am

I'll come running, to see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there

You've got a friend

Krissy sighed as she listened to Kayla sing. She liked hearing that voice. It was calming and perfect and…

If the sky above you

Grows dark and full of clouds

And that old north wind begins to blow

Keep your head together

And call my name out loud

Soon you'll hear me knocking at your door

You just call out my name

And you know wherever I am

I'll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there, yes, I will

Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend

When people can be so cold?

They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you

And take your soul if you let them, oh, but don't you let them

You just call out my name

And you know wherever I am

I'll come running, running, yeah, yeah, to see you again

Winter, spring, summer or fall

All you have to do is call

And I'll be there, yes, I will

You've got a friend

Ain't it good to know you've got a friend?

Ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know, ain't it good to know

You've got a friend?

Oh yeah now, you've got a friend

Yeah baby, you've got a friend

Oh yeah, you've got a friend Krissy could only smile and hug Kayla. "I'm proud to be your little sister." The younger of the two sisters smiled.

A YEAR LATER

"Don't leave, Kayla…" Krissy insisted, clinging onto her sister's leg insistently.

"I have to go, Krissy…I'll be back, little sis…be the best you can be." Kayla replied before preparing to walk through the snow to her car.

"No! Kayla, I wanna give you something…" Krissy explained, handing her sister a mesh of lavender yarn. "I made you a scarf."

"Thank you, Krissy. I'll cherish it forever." The sixteen-year-old smiled.

Mrs. Grandin smiled as she rubbed her developing baby bump. "That's a nice scarf, Krissy." She smiled.

"I made it out of grandma's yarn." The seven-year-old beamed.

ANOTHER YEAR LATER

"Can Kristine Madison Grandin please come to the office? Kristine Madison Grandin to the office." The intercom explained as Krissy looked up from the carved in desk drawings she was making.

"We've only been in school for two weeks and she's already being called for a detention?" a boy wondered.

"Because she's a retarded idiot." Another boy whispered back.

"No she isn't!" a maroon haired girl exclaimed.

Krissy however obediently went to the office, only to find Kayla there. "What's wrong?" the eight-year-old asked.

"We have to go to the hospital." Kayla instructed.

"Okay…" Krissy sighed.

LATER

"We're here to see Constance Henry Grandin." Kayla explained to the secretary.

"Room 412, girls." The secretary replied.

"Thank you." Krissy smiled.

Kayla sighed as she and Krissy wandered to their mom's hospital room where they found a beautiful baby girl asleep in their mother's arms. "Hi girls." Mrs. Grandin smiled.

"Mom!" Krissy exclaimed happily.

"Hi mom." Kayla replied.

"Meet your new sister…" Constance sniffled happily. "It's been a while since I've done this, but it was worth it."

"What's her name?" Kayla questioned.

"Can I pick the name?" Krissy asked.

"Yes, Krissy, you can pick her name…Kayla picked your name when you were born." Mrs. Grandin smiled.

"Hmm…how about…Alexandra?" the eight-year-old suggested.

"Seriously?" Kayla playfully joked.

"Okay then…Alexandra can be the middle name…besides, I always liked the name Claudine."

"Claudine Alexandra Grandin…" Kayla tested out.

"I know…sounds stupid."

"It sounds not bad."

"I actually had a second option: Claudia."

"Claudia Alexandra Grandin…I like that name." Mrs. Grandin smiled.

"Yeah…" Kayla agreed.

"Then it's settled." Krissy explained. "Her name is Claudia Alexandra."

THREE YEARS LATER

"K-k…" Krissy stopped singing to hear Claudia tremble a little. Then it came out: "Krissy!"

"Oh Claudia…" Krissy sniffled happily as she continued singing.

Kayla and Mrs. Grandin watched from outside the room in awe and disbelief respectively.

"Her first word, mom." Kayla sniffled.

"I don't believe it…" Mrs. Grandin sighed. "Krissy got Claudia to talk…"

"You said yourself this would be impossible."

"I guess I was wrong…"

Kayla smiled and walked closer to her two sisters.

After finishing her song, Krissy looked up at Kayla in awe. "Hey, sis." The middle Grandin exclaimed.

"Krissy." Claudia called out.

"So…how've you two been?" Kayla wondered.

"I'm giving Claudia a chance at living a somewhere normal life." Krissy explained as Claudia smiled.

"Krissy…I taught you well on how to be a great sister." Kayla praised.

THREE MORE YEARS LATER

"You look perfect, Claudia." Kayla smiled as Claudia showed her the outfit she was gonna wear for her first day of first grade.

"I d-do?" Claudia beamed.

"Yes, Claude." Kayla repeated as Krissy let out a few heart felt sniffles. "Dude, are you crying?"

"No, Kay…I'm…I have something in my eyes." Krissy smiled before flinging herself in her oldest sister's arms. Claudia soon responded by squeezing Kayla's leg before being lifted into her arms.

"You know what those Musketeers said, Krissy?" Kayla questioned.

"All for one and one for all? Yeah." Krissy smiled.

"Well…ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL!" Kayla exclaimed as Claudia covered her ears in shock.

"Loud…too loud." Claudia muttered.

"Sorry…all for one and one for all." The eldest Grandin sister repeated quietly.

"Kayla…" Krissy sighed.

"What is it?" Kayla wondered.

"Thank you for being there for me."

"It's never a problem for my little sister…sorry…little sisters. I'm still getting used to having Claudia around as a sister."

"Kinda hard when you only see her on holidays, birthdays and summer break."

Claudia could only smile. "I w-wanna be like you, Krissy." She explained as her two sisters laughed.

"I used to say the same thing to Kayla ALL the time." Krissy smiled. "Just be you."

It's you I like,

It's not the things you wear,

It's not the way you do your hair

But it's you I like

The way you are right now,

The way down deep inside you

Not the things that hide you,

Not your toys

They're just beside you.

But it's you I like

Every part of you.

Your skin, your eyes, your feelings

Whether old or new.

I hope that you'll remember

Even when you're feeling blue

That it's you I like,

It's you yourself

It's you.

It's you I like.

"How sweet…" Mrs. Grandin smiled to herself. "Take good care of her, Krissy."

"What got into mom?" Kayla wondered.

"I'm in charge of Claudia from now on." Krissy explained.

"You'll do amazing."

"You think so?"

"I know so, Kristine Madison Grandin. You had been taught by the best."

THE END

'You've Got a Friend' written by Carole King

'It's You I Like' written by Fred Rogers