A Peanuts Tale
Chapter 4: Stuck Between a Rock and a Lucy
Featuring: Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Violet Gray, and Patty
People knew of Lucy Van Pelt. If they hadn't heard her, which wasn't likely given the volume of her voice, they had heard of her. She somehow lived in both fame and infamy at the same time, an impressive feat given its normal impossibility. To say she was domineering would be an understatement for nearly every action done by her clique was run through her. She had the knowhow to tell people what they needed to hear yet not the compassion to tell them what they wanted to hear. She was the most pigheaded person in town, never letting anyone have the audacity to think that they're better than her.
It took no genius to figure out that when facing Lucy in any confrontation, you were most likely doomed.
"So Mr. Yellow Belly has decided to grow a spine after all these years, huh? Who would've thought that you, the most socially inept person I've ever met would have the nerve to come to our party tonight?"
Poor Charlie Brown was caught completely off-guard by Lucy's appearance. However, he had played this same type of torture game with her hundreds of times before. Staying silent in a conversation with her was not a smart move. Nervously he replied. "Listen Lucy, I'm not trying to upset you or anything. Linus just thought that a good idea to help me was to-"
"Help you? Stop right there. Which one of us siblings have been the one giving you professional psychiatric advice since you were a child? Now think about that and ask yourself which one of us is also then one still carrying around an old piece of cloth for security."
Linus instinctively reached behind his back and slung his bag to his front. He felt for the blanket inside his backpack and grasped it tightly. As Charlie Brown had been a victim of Lucy's taunts and insults Linus had the unfortunate circumstance of be a sibling with her in the same house. Time had only made her abuses worse as they developed through puberty physically and emotionally.
"Please Lucy, don't drag Linus into this. If it's about tonight-"
"Hold up, Lucy." Violet interjected Lucy's tirade. "We never even said we would invite the-"
"Excuse me, but I was talking with Charlie Brown here. Unless of course, I mistook one blockhead with another here which I'm sure I didn't."
Violet muted herself faster than the others had time to gauge her reaction. That was exactly what Lucy wanted. She didn't demand things. She expected them to happen.
"Now then, Charlie Brown I'm sure you're quite well aware but this is an "end of summer" event. It's celebrating the last hours of freedom we have until we're expected to sit down and shut up in school for the rest of the year. I don't have very strong opinions for or against school, mind you. If anything I think it's an effective way to sort out the ones who will make it in the world vs. the ones that won't. I do however, take great pain in knowing my days of lounging all day in my house are numbered. If there's one thing I hate more than dealing with people like you it's missing out on my "me time". So listen up, Charlie Brown, and listen well. I am going to enjoy this last party in summer without any worries. I am not going to have a single exasperating or infuriating experience tonight."
"Well good, isn't that great for you. Unfortunately, I'm not like you Lucy. I worry all the time! While you guys act without a care in the world I end up fretting over every little thing. So have a good time, Lucy. Cause, I sure won't if I go."
"Awww, it must be so hard feeling bad yourself all the time. Listen Charlie Brown, I didn't drop by to wallow in your self-pity. Still, you being here makes it hard to overlook the sudden cloud of depression. Heck, just knowing you're alive painting yourself in the blues makes me vomit. As a human being and mental doctor to you I can no longer ignore this."
Lucy's lips curled upwards before delivering an unexpected statement.
"You however, will be attending this party. You will be there, Charlie Brown, as my very own guest of honor. I expect you to get there promptly and with a happy look on your face. I want you to be having the time of your life Charlie Brown because simply knowing I live in the same world as a sad person like you dampens my mood."
Suddenly, Lucy's smile turns offensive.
"That being said, I' m a very moody person. The slightest little complaint can set me off and make me rage. I don't want to have to get mad tonight, Charlie Brown. So if I have to deal with one, troublesome problem from you…"
The mouth of the Van Pelt daughter hovered just inches away from Charlie Brown's ear.
"I will make your entire high school life miserable."
An outbreak of goosebumps abruptly developed of Charlie Brown's skin. For the first time all day he was at peace. He was at peace knowing that his entire life was to be doomed from the start. There was no way he could win this kind of bet. It was a losing game from the start much like all of the baseball games Charlie Brown had captained in the past.
Yet deep down somewhere inside of him, a piece of fighting spirit held strong. For no matter how hard things got for Charlie Brown, he would never fully accept defeat as long as he could keep trying. Yes, despite how browbeaten Charlie Brown could be, even he got tired of letting Lucy be the smug winner.
"You know what, Lucy? You're on. I might not be the most self-assured guy around. I don't ooze confidence like some people do but I'm not about to let that be the ruin of me!"
"So I will go to that party like you want! Even more, I'll be the happiest, most fun loving guy there! After that you'll see Lucy, you'll finally see that your patient has shown improvement."
Lucy was stupefied. She was expecting him to break down, fall to his knees, and beg for a way out. She quickly realized she should've known better. This was Charlie Brown she was thinking of. He was already at rock bottom in life. The blockhead always had a way of never admitting it though, never quitting once and for all in his life. He always had to take another crack at whatever idiotic thing he was concerned with doing. Frankly, that was one quality Lucy actually admired of Charlie Brown's, a secret she would never admit.
"Hmph, Is that so? Well I guess we'll just see about that, won't we? Come on, girls, we've got a party to prepare for," Lucy superciliously announced, "and apparently so do they."
Lucy turned herself around and walked back from where she came. Patty and Violet finally jolted from their silent positions and hurriedly moved to keep in pace with Lucy.
Linus stared at Charlie Brown before him. Letting go of the blanket, his hand came out of the backpack and hung down from his side. He was unsure of what to make of the outcome of this situation. "Where did Charlie Brown work up that nerve from?"
"Charlie Brown? Are you, uh, okay?"
"Okay? Okay, Linus? I've never felt better in all my life!"
"Really? Well I'm surprised considering-"
"Do you know what I just did, Linus? I told off Lucy! You're older sister! It's been years since I had the gut to do something like that! Normally I'd bend over and let her get her way but not this time! Today, I decided to stick it to her!"
"That phrase can be construed in an entirely different direction…"
"Who cares, Linus? I, good for nothing Charlie Brown, actually did something brave for once! I took on a challenge from Lucy!"
Slowly, the gravity of his actions finally weighed on Charlie Brown's mind.
"I took on a challenge from Lucy…"
"Now, now it's not all bad, my friend. Why, you've still got your ice cream!"
Reactively, Charlie Brown looked down at his hand. Violet's specially ordered dessert just for Charlie Brown had melted in the heat of his conversation with Lucy. A goopy soup of praline and bubble gum flavor leaked from the top of his now soggy cone, sprinkles sticking to the back of his hand.
Linus cleared his throat. "Huh, well that's unfortunate."
Charlie Brown lifted his head and shouted to the world.
"Aagh!"
Lucy strolled off from the ice cream parlor and made her way to a nearby park. She sat herself down at a nearby wooden table and closed her eyes. Patty and Violet, never certain when it came to dealing with Lucy, cautious sat down at two other sides of the table. They nervously shifted their eyes from one to another, egging each other on to say something. It felt like an eternity passed before Patty was bold enough to finally speak.
"So Lucy, you wanted to go over some stuff before tonight?"
"Not now, Patty."
Hush once again found its place into the space. The older girls were on edge as always around Lucy. Always it seemed like walking on pins and needles when dealing with her. Only this time, Violet was beginning to get seriously annoyed dealing with Lucy.
"This is a very special time for us, Lucy. I'm sure you're aware, but this party is our way of firmly establishing who will rule the school. I'm talking freshmen slaves, social connections, dibs on guys…"
Lucy began massaging her temples with her eyes still kept shut.
"This year is not going to be the same as the last. I mean, aside from us no longer being freshman, we now have a whole younger class to shape for our own use. Not to mention that if we really show up to this party and make it successful we'll forever seen as the hottest girls in town."
"…sophomore year. That's what this is. Our second year in high school."
Violet was perplexed at the unrelated comment from Lucy but Patty quickly took back rein of the conversation.
"Yes, sophomore year! How often do others waste this year on dumb classes when they could instead be focused on making a name for themselves? We could be at the top of our school without even being seniors yet. Just imagine the power we'll have!"
"Do you know what a sophomore year means?"
It was easy to see that Lucy's tangent was not going to be interrupted this time. Patty and Violet decided to remain quiet as to let her continue on.
"It means it's time to face the facts. The facts of life. We have three school years left before we graduate. That's less than five years of time where we can get around solely by our popularity. After that I'll be headed to college. I don't know where, but I guess it'll be somewhere with an established Greek sorority around. I'll most likely rush to get in. Predictably, I'll get in. Of course then, I'll have to start all over working my way up to be at the top of the house. By then though, it'll be time to graduate all over again."
A short pause occurred before Lucy's continued her dialog.
"I have a headache. I'm sick of all the climbing and fighting it takes to reach the top. We're undoubtedly at the peak of our class in terms of status so why bother any further? I say let's just put our feet up and enjoy our glory days now."
Lucy was known for sharing her mind over matters. She always found a way to put her opinion into a topic of discussion. Rarely di she let people see past her proud exterior. For Violet and Patty, they had grown up together with Lucy and knew of the more wistful person behind the skin. Still, that part of her did not often appear. For Patty, this sparked up a bit of concern for Lucy's well-being. For Violet however, this only served to further her irritation.
"What in the world are you talking about? 'Glory days?' Get real, Lucy! We're aren't some fifty-year-old housewives living off past memories. This is our time. We've got to be here to plan for tonight otherwise we'll be letting dozens of other replacements line up to take our place. Don't let some delusional fantasies take you out of what's important now."
"Delusional-"
"What Violet is trying to say, Lucy, is that this isn't exactly a good moment to be concerned with the problems of the future." A stern look was given from Patty to Violet before the arbitrating young woman continued on.
"From what Violet and I have heard, Frieda has been planning on making a move on your spot in the school. Her hosting this party has already gives her an advantage but I'm betting on her doing something huge to solidly define herself apart from us. We need to figure out a way of keeping her from making that move. If we don't well…"
Violet jumped into the talk "Your so called 'glory days' are going to end soon. It's one or the other."
Lucy didn't open her lips. Patty pleadingly looked at her for an answer but Violet had enough began rising from the table.
"You better have you're answer by tonight, Lucy. No matter how close we are in this "friendship", I won't be sinking with you." Violet turned around and left the girls behind.
Patty and Lucy remained seated, neither moving in their place or saying a word. The fair haired girl's gaze was focused on Lucy who herself was looking out into space. Finally, Patty let out a long sigh and began getting up.
"I would be lying if I said either of you two are easy to deal with. I'm not exactly too keen on sabotaging our last summer party but we have to see the full the picture here. Lucy, just try and be there for us tonight, okay? You may just think all of this is just memories for your future scrapbook, but the time to reminisce isn't now. We need the Lucy Van Pelt on our side to win this."
Patty walked off in the direction Violet had headed. She made sure Lucy was just in earshot before calling back.
"Oh and by the way, you may want to fix up your face. You're gonna have a hard time convincing anyone you're feeling good with that blotchy skin."
With that, Patty took off, a skip in her step and a smirk with her pep.
"Leave it to her, to build someone up before tearing them down."
Lucy smiled to herself. "At least I know why I hang out with them though. There's nothing like surrounding yourself with knives ready to stab you in the back at any time. It's the perfect way to keep sharp and be prepared at all times."
The blue clad girl brushed a hand through her hair before letting her smile drop.
"Of course, if they were as sharp as me they would've seen the whole gallery and not just the full picture."
Rising from her spot, Lucy sauntered back to her house, fully aware of the position she was in.