Episode 3: Homecoming Redemption

CHAPTER 1: RECAP & DÉJÀ VU!

AFTER THE LAST HOMECOMING GAME…

"No, Marcie!" Peppermint Patty said. "Chuck lost us the game! End of story!"

"But I got the proof he wasn't at fault, sir," Marcie protested. "This is the video of the game that was broadcasted that day. Everyone who was watching at home said the same thing I've been saying. Charles wasn't at fault. Lucille obviously pulled the ball away, as she always does. Will you at least watch the tape, sir?"

"All right, Marcie," said an exasperated Patty. "If it'll put this whole thing to rest, I'll watch it."

Marcie proceeded to put the tape in and pressed play. The footage began and it immediately goes to the part where they were behind one point and needed a field goal to win.

"The little red-haired girl is watching," Charlie Brown said in the video. "This is my last chance to really impress her!" The ball is tossed to Lucy and when Charlie Brown comes running up to kick it, she smirked and pulled it away at the last moment.

"AAUGH!"

And Charlie Brown lands on the line of scrimmage, with Peppermint Patty at the bottom. Marcie stops the video at that point.

"You see?" said Marcie pointing at the screen. "Charles did not mess up that kick like you said he did. Lucille pulled the ball away from him. She wasn't interested in winning the game as she was interested in humiliating Charles, which she did succeed at."

"Oh good grief!" moaned Patty, now realizing the repercussions of her own actions blaming Charlie Brown. "You were right, Marcie. Chuck wasn't at fault! Why didn't I see this to begin with?"

"You were busy in the line of scrimmage, sir. You couldn't pay attention to everything, and everyone understands that. But even when everyone came to you who did see what happened to Charles, you still didn't believe them."

"No wonder Chuck wouldn't want to be with a girl like me! Not only do I have freckles and a big nose, but I blame Chuck for something that wasn't his fault. And it's not the first time I've done that, either. I need to make it up to him, Marcie."

"One thing you could do is apologize to him, sir."

"I think I'll do just that." And Peppermint Patty left her house to go see Charlie Brown to apologize for how she treated him over the game. And maybe chastise Lucy for letting him take the blame for something that was her fault. "I just wonder where the footage came from." Woodstock watched from a distance and chuckled a bit to himself.

PRESENT DAY

Snoopy is seated on the ground as Woodstock brings in his camera equipment and sits it in Snoopy's lap. As soon as everything's in, Snoopy starts winding his ears like a helicopter and he takes off. Woodstock is covering the Homecoming Parade once again. This time the Homecoming court was different from last time. Sidney Walsh was the queen for that year and Pig Pen was her escort. Some of the other princesses were the same as before with some differences. And even the other escorts were different. While Schroeder was back as one of the escorts, other guys were with him, as Charlie Brown, Linus, and Franklin sat this one out. Instead, they all were on a different float dedicated to the rest of the football players.

"Linus," Charlie Brown began, "I hope Peppermint Patty remembers her promise to me to keep your sister from holding the ball."

"Don't worry, Charlie Brown," said Linus. "Peppermint Patty said she already had a placeholder in mind that wasn't Lucy."

"Well at least Pig Pen gets to escort the queen this year," said Charlie Brown. "There won't be any attention on me, except for the game, of course."

"And with you being with Frieda, it's just as well," Linus agreed.

Meanwhile on the escorts float, Schroeder was chatting with Pig Pen, who actually managed to clean himself pretty good.

"You're not nervous about escorting the queen, are you?" asked Schroeder.

"Nah," said Pig Pen. "I think I can make it through it without getting nervous."

"You remember Charlie Brown being a barrel of nerves last time," Schroeder remembered. "I just didn't want you to feel the same, Pig Pen."

"Don't worry, Schroeder," Pig Pen said with confidence. "I'm perfectly cool and calm."

At that moment, Snoopy went in for a landing and Woodstock brought his camera in to shoot the parade.

NEXT CHAPTER: GAME TIME!