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Scanned, re-read, and redefined as of 6/21/14.

Dare for Distance

For every Monday of every week, Schroeder found himself running to play his toy piano right after he came home from school. Before every new day, he would spend his hour before curfew wiping off all the smudges left behind by Lucy. She was the girl who always showed up just minutes after school to dirty his piano by leaning on it and listen to him play. She showed up today just recently leaving before her curfew. Occasionally, she would just lean against the piano and listen, while most of the time, she would open her mouth to start small talk.

Usually Schroeder did not mind hearing what she had to say through the musical notes; sometimes he just wanted to spend a day without interruption. While cleaning his piano, he realized how mean his responses had been when she did start asking questions. His stomach felt as if it became bloated with water; water that was supposed to be flowing out his eyes. That is exactly how he felt-that he had not cried it out-and now, guilt was flowing inside of him because of her.

When the new week's Tuesday roamed around, he would find himself doing the same as if it were a Monday; the only difference was that Lucy had to watch Linus for an hour before coming over. By the time she came over, he was busy eating his lunch that his mother made for him. She always seemed to arrive with starvation. This time was not any different, as she took the rest of his lunch along with his chocolate milk. He always wanted her to ask before she took his lunch and ate it on his piano, but he gave up on that want by the second time.

After she left, he spent his hour before curfew cleaning up his piano of crumbs and more smudges. Tuesdays were the days she would hardly ask questions or even start small talk. It was nice being able to play without interruptions, but he realized that it just was not the same as Monday as he thought it would be. On Mondays, he thought, she talked; on Tuesdays, she would not. And he continued to clean his piano while trying to escape from the feeling of having a not so ordinary day. But he knew that he had to wait until next Monday to hear her ask him questions. That is when he realized that he was impatient-for her musical notes.

Once the middle of the week arose with the sun, Schroeder did not rush home to play his piano after school like on Mondays and Tuesday. Instead, he took his time. On his stroll home, he waved "Goodbye" to Charlie Brown, and ignored Lucy Van Pelt's wave. He ignored her on purpose, and had no regrets for it. He knew she would be taking care of Linus, again, and have no time to march down to his home. Sometimes, her parents would show up and she would end up coming over to lean against his clean piano. At that moment, he forgot his solemn mood; he began to rush home to make sure his piano was clean if Lucy's parents were to show up to watch Linus.

He grabbed some cleaning spray and sprayed some on a napkin before he rushed to his room. Kneeling on his knees, he began wipe off all the small dirt left behind from the overnight dust bunnies, carefully. He got so close to the piano, to make sure he did not miss one dust bunny. Schroeder found himself still cleaning after an hour before his curfew, which was seven o'clock, and realized that her parents never showed up earlier. That is when he threw the wrinkled, black napkin in the trashcan and realized that today was not how he planned it to be, and he promised himself he would not anticipate her presence.

During school the next morning, he found himself scowling at the young girl who sat backwards on her school chair, facing him. Her elbows were on top of his desk and she stared at him romantically with her head placed on top of her palms. She sighed once, letting it be obvious the Schroeder intrigued her so. He grabbed his schoolbook, opening it wide enough, and placed it open in front of her. She giggled as he hid her face from his sight. Her curly brown hair swayed a bit to the side as she grabbed the opened schoolbook. She moved it out of the way, a content grin slapping her face.

Her position angered Schroeder. He could not hold his patience any longer and stood up from his seat to walk over to Charlie Brown. Charlie looked up at him with a raised brow.

"Schroeder, how come you are not sitting in your seat? You can get in trouble." Charlie asked.

Schroeder did not respond, only forcefully scooting Charlie over by sitting down next to him. Charlie became uncomfortable and confused. "Schroeder, you know we both don't fit in this seat, and you will definitely get in trouble, now."

"Good grief!" Schroeder breathily complained, moving off Charlie's seat to sit back down at his seat. The brown, curly haired girl waited in the same position as he left her. The book still on the ground, and he still wanted to find another seat. Suddenly, he found himself staring at the girl. She reminded him of the girl he had not seen in almost a week; she also reminded him that that day was Thursday, and tomorrow was Friday, the day Lucy did not have to watch Linus. Then he realized that he did not have to be so angry. That missing Lucy was going to pay off the next morning. And just knowing that was definitely "good"grief.

"How about you sing me a song?" She said, as she sat down to lean against the piano.

He looked up at the back of her head, seeing her black hair in neat buns and her usual bangs slightly raising up and lowering down as she swayed her foot to his symphony. He began to smile in secret at her.

"I would love to hear you-"

"So would I." He interrupted her, stopping his Beethoven Prodigy fingers. The music stopped and Lucy's foot calmed. She turned around to face him, placing her elbows on top of his piano. She lay on her stomach, staring at him in awe. She tilted her to the side.

He narrowed his eyebrows, "Well?"

She tilted her head to the other side, "What do you mean?"

"It never fails." He began to move his fingers across the piano keys, again. The noise flooded her questions-the stupid questions that were the lyrics to his music.

He stopped once more. She narrowed her eyebrows, now, giving him a death glance. He could only stare blankly at her. "Today is Friday..." He stated.

"Well, yeah! You probably have been playing that piano for too long and forgot the year, too!" She barked at him, mad that he had ignored her questions.

"And tomorrow, we don't have school..."

She crossed her arms on top of the piano and laid her head on top of the piano. He knew that she was obviously becoming tired, and had to walk home the hour before her curfew.

"I second thought... I don't want to hear you." He watched her become upset.

"But you want to hear your piano over your wife?"

"I second thought, just stay there." He began to play once more. He knew what he was doing. He wanted her to stay for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So she could make up for the days when she did not come to lean against his piano.

"You want me to stay?" She pondered about his decision over the music. She smiled, "I bet you just want me to stay so you can apologize for Monday!"

"I want you to stay because this is the closest I have been able to get to a pretty face this whole week."

This story is inspired by, "Dare for Distance" by NeverShoutNever!