Lost Cause Diaries #7: Sally Loves Schroeder

CHAPTER 1: WHAT WASN'T THERE IS THERE NOW

Word had gotten around about Charlie Brown finally confronting Lucy after she had said some disparaging things about his deceased dog Snoopy and him. Lucy was now seen as the pathetic one; the one who never outgrew her crabby persona. In truth, she had gotten worse than how she was when she was little. Plus her weight gain and bad hygiene didn't help matters either. In truth, her downfall began when she landed Rerun in the hospital due to her attacking him over eating the last cookie. It would continue from there.

One particular day, Charlie Brown and Sally, who was now a freshmen at Sparkyville High School, were walking together. The day had started out fine. And now school had gotten out. Franklin had walked up to the two of them.

"Hey, you two," he greeted.

"Hey, what's up, Franklin?" Charlie Brown greeted back.

"How have you been since Snoopy's passing?" Franklin asked.

"It's been getting a little easier," said Charlie Brown. "It still feels weird without him here, though."

"We all miss him," added Sally, "but we just continue to lead our lives."

"You probably heard that after you laced into Lucy that day she's become the pathetic one," said Franklin.

"Yeah, I know," said Charlie Brown. "But unlike her, I won't relish in her being the failure like she did me. One thing Lucy taught me was how not to act towards others and not kick them when they're down. I hate her guts, but I'm not going to tease her, either. I said what I needed to say to her that day in the lunchroom. I'm done with her now. Anyone else who wants to go after her is free to do so, for all I care. As I told everyone else, she's just a waste of time to me."

"I gotcha, Charlie Brown," said Franklin with a smile.

"Excuse me, big brother," said Sally, "but I promised my History teacher that I help with moving some books. I'll see you back home."

"Okay, Sally," said Charlie Brown. "Franklin and I will go meet up with Linus." And the boys left. Sally was heading towards her History teacher's classroom when she heard music coming from the music room. She peeked in to see Schroeder at the piano. He wasn't playing Beethoven or any other classical music like he usually would. He was playing jazz. Everyone knew that he was a closeted jazz fan as he would rarely play it on occasion. It was the only other music besides classical that he liked. Sally heard him playing "Blue Skies", so before she went to the classroom, she walked in and joined Schroeder at the piano, and started singing along. In truth, Schroeder always liked Sally's singing. When Snoopy almost married Genevieve, he had Sally sing along with his playing. And she had gotten better as she got older, even soloing with the choir. Plus he didn't mind Sally joining him like Lucy, because she wouldn't bring up any romance or marriage talk (at the time she was pursuing Linus to no avail), so she was one of the few girls he allowed to hear him play, that wasn't Lucy, but in all fairness, he never invited Lucy.

"You sounded great, Sally," said a smiling Schroeder.

"Thank you," said Sally.

"I'm actually putting together a jazz combo for an upcoming school event," Schroeder replied. "How would you like to be our singer?"

"Me? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, of course. What better than to have a talented female singer to accompany a jazz outfit? Especially one as pretty as you?"

"Me? Pretty?" Sally had never been called pretty before. Sure there were guys that had a crush on her, and even thought she was pretty, but no one had said directly to her, besides family, that she was pretty.

"Thank you, Schroeder," she said. "No one, besides my family, has ever called me pretty."

"Really?" said Schroeder. "I figured guys would be right at your door trying to score dates with you."

"I never been too interested in those guys because they have only one thing in mind, if you catch my drift," said Sally.

"I get it."

"And after finally letting go of my crush on Linus, I never tried to go after another guy again."

"Well, would you like to rehearse some numbers that we are playing for the event?"

"Sure. When do you want me to come in next? I have to help out Mr. Forester with moving books right now, so I can't do it today."

"You can come in tomorrow if you like."

"Tomorrow is fine. I'll see you then, Schroeder." And Sally left to help her teacher out. Schroeder watched as she went down the hall. He noticed how pretty she looked to him. She was petite and curvaceous. And her blonde curls had grown out.

"Well, Beethoven, you may have been a bachelor for life, but even I have my limits!"

NEXT CHAPTER: ROMANCE BLOSSOMS