It's Your Future, Charlie Brown!
High School: Freshman
By Sean Mahoney
Chapter 7: Dirge of Schroeder
"Are you sure you want to go along with this, Charlie Brown?" Linus asked me. The two of us were in the bad section of town that I had seen Schroeder meet Joe Agate a while back.
"Of course I don't want to go along with this! Hunting down a well known drug dealer is not a good idea. But there's no way I'm letting you do this alone." We had argued about this for a while. Lucy herself even overheard and forbade us to get involved. It's suicide, but Linus is my best friend and Lucy is like a sister to me. A really crabby and verbally abusive sister perhaps, but still a sister.
Linus nodded, "You're a good friend Charlie Brown." We stopped at a corner and looked around it. Joe Agate was indeed in the same spot as he was last time, and thankfully he was alone. Even still I was incredibly nervous about the situation. I don't know what good I could possibly have been, I'm a total wuss in a fight and I don't exactly fare much better in terms of persuasion. Linus on the other hand is an expert debater; he is also hot blooded, and though he is certainly justified when it comes to the safety of his sister, it could also lead us to being killed. He held his blue blanket tightly. I'm not sure what possessed him to think that bringing a security blanket into a back alley was a prudent move, but who am I to judge?
"Excuse me, Mr. Agate!" Linus called to him sternly.
I whispered, "Remember, be calm and don't provoke him."
Joe sneered at us, "I know you dweebs, Charlie Brown and the crazy bitch's brother. What's your name again?"
Linus did all he could to maintain his composure, "Linus."
Joe rolled his eyes, "Well can you guys make it snappy then, I'm a pretty busy man." He then smiled, "Unless of course you are here to talk business."
I muttered, "Oh no...we don't want any of that."
"Then I don't see why I should be wasting my time talking to you guys. Time is money you know?"
Linus took a step towards him, which made Joe's eyes flash, definitely not a good move. "If you know that Lucy is my sister, then perhaps you know that she has been threatened and harassed by our once friend Schroeder, who has suspiciously been acting very unlike himself this past year."
Joe shrugged nonchalantly, "Why would any of that matter to me?"
I add, "Lucy's really upset over this; we all are, Schroeder used to be one of our best friends. Now he's been for lack of a better term: a violet douche."
"Oh well that sucks, them's the breaks though huh?" Joe smirked.
Linus had about now lost his patience, "Listen you jerk, we know all about you! You're nothing but a no good drug dealer! You've been selling to Schroeder which has been really messing him up!"
Joe stared at us in disbelief for a moment and then began laughing his ass off. "You guys are rich! Oh man!" He cooled down and smiled, "Well I guess at this point I can't deny that I've been dealing, my reputation does precede me and all." Both of us were glaring at him intensely which lead him to remark, "Oh please don't give me those looks like I'm some sort of scumbag. It's strictly business. Business just happens to be booming of course." He smirked once again, "Not like I'm dumb enough to use the stuff I sell anyway. That's the secret really. It's a real easy job, maybe even you could do it, Charlie Brown."
At this point I begin to feel more anger than fear at this asshole, "So you have been behind this? Why?"
Joe laughed again, slapping his knee, "You guys are something else, you know that? Acting like I've been manipulating Schroeder to hate all of your guts or something. You guys watch too many after school specials. It's simple: yes I'm a dealer, therefore I deal. As Laurence Olivier stated, it's all about 'Money, Dear Boy'". Never thought I'd meet a drug dealer that was so...informed. "I sell, he buys. It's none of my business what he does with it. As long as he has the money, I'm there for him."
"You're full of it!" I interrupt, "I saw you dealing with him. You were telling him how much better off he was without Lucy and the rest of us! I'm pretty sure I heard you say that you've been telling him to ditch us for a while."
Joe smugly grinned, "Nothing gets past that round head of yours, eh Brown? Okay, you got me. I have been playing him. He's such a sap. I can't take all the credit though; dude has some serious anger problems."
Linus glared at him, "Why would you do that? It doesn't make any sense."
I nodded in agreement, "I don't see how this benefits you at all."
"I told you guys before, 'Money, dear boy'. I'm just getting paid for all this. No need to take it so personally."
Linus lunged at Joe and grabbed his collar, "I'll show you personal, you slug!"
Joe was surprised for a moment and then smirked. He reached his hand into his pocket and pulled out a knife, "You really didn't think a dealer like me would be walking around unarmed eh? You can let me go now."
Linus was fuming, but thankfully complied with Joe. "You scumbag."
I looked over at Linus and whispered, "What now?"
Joe smiled at us, "It seems we're at something of an impasse, eh gentlemen? Now listen here, I'm not in the business of taking lives so why don't you run off?"
"But what about Schroeder?" I asked as firmly as I could muster.
"If you guys have any sense you should just forget about him."
Linus snapped back, "Not when he's making threats against my sister!"
"Your sister brought this on herself. She shouldn't have tried befriending that piano playing freak in the first. Everyone knows there isn't something right in the head with him! That's why it's so easy for me to constantly rip him off, as long as he's angry at someone else he'll listen to anyone who agrees with him!"
"Is that so, Joe Agate?" A fourth voice asked. Joe seemingly lost the color in his face and muttered a curse to himself. I turned my head to the other side of the alley where a ghastly looking Schroeder stood.
…...
Peppermint Patty sat quietly with Jose Peterson on his couch as he flipped through channels, trying to find something to watch. Peterson looked over at his girlfriend and noticed her sour disposition, "What's your problem babe? You look like you just ate a face full of prunes."
"I'm getting real ticked on how you keep treating my friends. Chuck's a nice guy, you didn't have to be so rude to him when we were at his house for my tutoring."
Peterson shook his head, "I told you the only reason you're ever seeing him is so you can pass your classes. You can't play baseball if you don't pass. Otherwise forget about him, you're my girl now and you don't need to hang around some loser like him and his friends."
Peppermint Patty sneered at him, "Oh so I have to choose between them and you now, is it?"
Peterson nodded, "Yeah, pretty much. Don't forget, if you're going to be my chick we have to keep appearances in mind. Wouldn't look good to see you fraternizing with the likes of Charlie Brown and Pig-Pen or that little fag with the blanket."
Patty looked at him in disbelief for a moment and then smiled slyly at him. "Well I guess it really is an easy decision, huh?"
Peterson grinned at her and agreed, "Damn right it is."
She then stood up and head towards the door, "Catch you at practice then, Jose. I hope you'll be able to maintain a professional relationship despite this little breakup of ours." It took him a second to process what was going on, but once he did he immediately rushed out of his seat and grabbed a hold of her on.
"Wait a minute, you can't just walk out on me. Nobody just walks out on Jose Peterson!"
Peppermint Patty effortlessly shook his hand off her arm and shrugged, "I'm sure plenty of girls will follow suit when they learn what a stuck up jerk you are."
Jose grabbed her arms and rushed to pin her to the wall, taking her by surprise, "Oh no you don't, I'm the star baseball player, and I always get what I want!" His eyes were wild and he smiled lecherously at her.
To his surprise she started chuckling, "Dude, you're a total shrimp. I know what you're trying to do, but it isn't going to work."
He growled, "Watch me!"
She sighed, "Of course I'm not about to let you take complete advantage of me, especially not against my will." She then delivered a swift kick to his groin which left him writing in pain on the floor. "I guess I was wrong about you. You're not just a stuck up jerk, you're also a total creep. If you come near me again with anything that doesn't deal with baseball, I'll shred you! Understood?"
Jose moaned in pain. Patty smiled, "I'll take that as a yes."
…...
"Shit!" Whatever was going on, Joe Agate was not expecting Schroeder to show up. "What are you doing here, it hasn't even been two weeks since the last time I sold to you?"
Schroeder, without emotion, replied, "I ran out."
I know I must sound like a broken record, talking about how disturbing and unlike himself he looks every time I see him, but Schroeder barely resembled himself at all at this point. His face was skeletal and his eyes were more or less completely red.
"So Joe, you think you can rip me off huh? Think you can play me? All that talk about getting away from those losers and here you are dealing with them!"
Joe shook his head, "Hey calm down, it's not like I knew they were going to be here."
Schroeder growled, "Shut up! You've been playing me this whole time. Just like that harpy, Lucy!"
I muttered to Linus, "For a second I thought he had come to his senses." That was a mistake. Schroeder instantly turned towards me and walked over.
He glared at me with his beat red eyes, "You say something baldy? What is it? You think I'm acting weird? Not normal? Well here's some news for you Brown, this is the real me! I'm on top right now! What can you say about yourself? You're a loser, a nothing."
I plead with him, "Schroeder, we're only fourteen years old. You aren't on top of the world, you have a serious problem, you need help!"
"Don't you tell me what I need!" He shouted. As he was concentrating on me, I saw Joe out of the corner of my eyes approaching him with his knife drawn!
"Schroeder!" I yell to warn him. Schroeder looks behind himself confused as Joe lunges to strike.
THWACK! A flash of blue and the sound like the cracking of a whip fill the air for a moment and Joe is disarmed, holding his hand in pain. Linus, triumphantly holding his blanket nods at me before turning his attention to Joe. Ignoring Schroeder, who ducked out of the way at the sound of Linus's blanket, I do the same. "What the hell did you think you were doing, you scumbag?" Linus interrogates.
Joe spat in response, "Saving our collective butts!" He pointed to Schroeder, "Thanks to you, now we're all going to die!"
Schroeder indeed was now carrying the knife that Joe Agate had, and was staring at the three of us.
…...
Peppermint Patty made her way down the street in a rush. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go or who to talk to but she needed to see someone, anyone, soon. The empowerment she felt from throwing off her now ex-boyfriend's advance had now worn off and she was deeply upset that he had tried something like that.
She needed to talk to somebody; her dad was still at work though and she felt what had happened didn't constitute an emergency. Marcie was out of town too with some of the guys on some robotics club tournament thing. It was probably best she didn't bring this up to her, Marcie definitely was ga-ga for Jose Peterson.
She shook her head as a minor realization came to her, "Looks like Roy was right all along, Peterson's a scumbag." She instantly dismissed any notion of talking to Roy even if he was around though; he was no better than Peterson.
There was only one guy she knew she could talk to: Chuck. She'd tell him everything and he'd stand there, awkwardly and silently: not sure how to react. When she would press him to speak he'd stammer and end up saying something stupid.
She smiled; that's exactly how it should be.
…...
It didn't take her too long to get to Chuck's house. Unfortunately, Sally came to the door to inform her that he was at Linus and Lucy's place. When she made her way over there Lucy's news wasn't any more helpful.
"Why would you look for him here? Him and my stupid brother usually hang out at his house."
"Well yeah, I figured that. Sally said that he was here at her sweet baboon's house or something.
Lucy shrugged, "They're probably at Franklin's or something."
Patty shook her head, "No, they're all at that robotics club thing. I doubt they went anywhere to eat or anything, it's not like they have any money."
Lucy rolled her eyes, "Look Patty, I don't know where my dorky brother or that blockhead could have possibly-". Her eyes went wide suddenly has she came to a realization, "Oh no. Those blockheads. Those stupid, moronic, blockheads!"
…...
Schroeder was chuckling to himself, as the three of us were paralyzed in apprehension. "Heh heh, this is interesting. Agate you slime ball, I thought you were this big tough drug dealer. Linus disarmed you like the chump you really are. Speaking of Linus... I think I should repay you for making me look like an ass back on Valentine's day." He lunged at Linus with the knife, causing all of us to recoil defensively. He stopped and laughed, "Oh we're going to have a lot of fun."
Linus clenched his blanket, he was trying to look stoic, but I'm sure he felt the same as I did: hopeless and panicked. "Come on man, I'll be doing you a favor. Chicks dig scars right? I'm sure that Frieda of yours will gush over it. Or maybe Ms. Othmar'll come knocking at your door late at night!"
Linus muttered at him, "How the hell could you have sunk this low?"
Schroeder narrowed his eyes, "Low? You call this low? I've been having the time of my life. I've been freaking winning at everything! I'm living the dream!"
"Schroeder, please, what are you even trying to accomplish by threatening us here?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is that you've all been pissing me off to no end lately and that this feels awesome!"
"But why? We're your friends. We've been your friends since we were barely out of diapers. You heard Joe Agate say that's he's been playing you like a fiddle yourself. And you hate the fiddle!"
For one moment Schroeder stood there quietly. Perhaps he was actually processing what I was saying? "I don't need any of you assholes!" He screamed, wildly slashing the air around him.
Linus whispered with a defeated tone, "It's no use, this is all about pride. Even if he realizes what he's doing is wrong, he'll never admit it."
Schroeder must have picked up on some of what Linus said, as he responded with great indignation, "Damn right I have pride! That's what makes me so great! You should try it yourself one time Charlie Brown, you waste of life!"
I sighed, "Taunt me all you want Schroeder, if that's what is going to get you to stop all of this, then fine." I smiled at him, as hard as it was to force, "I listen to Lucy on a daily basis, I can take it."
"Shut up Brown, I don't know what I'm going to do with you three yet."
Linus and I tensed up, it couldn't have been coming to this. Could it? I knew he was crazy, but he wouldn't actually try and...kill us? The look on his face had changed though from one of pure rage to one of confusion. Perhaps he was just as unsure as us. Unfortunately the one person who was decisive was Joe Agate.
"I'm out of here!" He grunted as he shoved Linus out of his way towards Schroeder. It happened in a second: Schroeder's eyes widened as he perceived an attack from Linus and struck with his weapon.
Linus screamed in pain and fell to the ground as Joe ran out of the alley. I rushed towards Linus and grabbed his blanket to apply to his wound. I knew he'd be pissed that his blanket would get bloody but his life was a bit more important to me than worrying about that. Schroeder merely stared at us, the offending knife still grasped firmly in his hand. I glared at him for a moment in anger: Linus was just dangerously injured thanks to Schroeder and his dealer. I know Joe in this instance was more directly responsible, but Schroeder allowed himself to fall this far. A moan from Linus made me realize that now wasn't the time for anger. As long as Schroeder wasn't going to attack again, I needed to concentrate on stabilizing Linus's wound until I could get him to the hospital.
Luckily, Linus's scream and Joe's hasty retreat attracted more attention than Joe Agate would have hoped for. Two cops apparently were in the area, on a tip they received, and quickly apprehended both Joe and Schroeder. Linus at that point had passed out and was being sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
I was questioned a bit by the officers, I told them what happened. All that is a blur to me. I did learn that Lucy was the one who tipped them off. She must have figured out where we had gone to and realized nothing good would have come of it. The officer assured me that Linus just suffered a flesh wound and offered to give me a ride home, since my parents were out of town. They never heard about the incident.
Before leaving I glanced over at Joe and Schroeder. Joe was struggling and insisted to the officer that he hadn't done anything. This however wasn't Joe's first offense it seems and the officer remarked that he was in big trouble this time. Serves him right.
Schroeder on the other hand was completely still. I hadn't seem him likes this forever. He stared at me and our eyes met. They looked different from earlier. When this miserable affair began tonight his eyes were mad and wild. Now they seemed glazed over; hazy...depressed. An officer took the two away in handcuffs, as Schroeder passed me he muttered, almost so quietly so I wouldn't hear it, "I'm...so sorry..." and that was it. Schroeder was taken away and I wouldn't see him again for a long time.
…...
First and foremost, Linus was fine. The police officer was right, it was only a flesh wound. They kept him in the hospital for the weekend to be safe and was released without incident. Of course, he received a major tongue lashing from his sister; admonishing him (as well as me) for playing hero. She was right of course, it was stupid for us to try and go against a known drug dealer, as well as a mentally unstable drug user. Sally was prepared to hold a vigil for Linus and sent him flowers by the hour. Frieda also chewed us out for worrying her half to death. She threatened to have Lucy kill me if Linus was to take a turn for the worse. Apparently, Lucy wasn't as angry at me as she was at her brother though.
The day after he was taken to the hospital Lucy and I were sitting with him as he was boasting, "I tell you sis, you should have seen me take that knife out of Joe Agate's hands with my trusty blanket. And you wanted me to get rid of it!"
Lucy rolled her eyes, "It sure did you a lot of good when Schroeder slashed you with it."
"I'm not dead, am I?"
Lucy laughed, "Oh and that's because of your blanket?"
Linus shrugged, "Well I don't claim to know who this big universe of ours works but...".
"Oh just put a sock it in. It's a good thing Peppermint Patty showed up at my house looking for your pal Eeyore or else I wouldn't have realized that you idiots were stupid enough to try and go after a known drug dealer.
Linus smiled, "Well it worked didn't it? Both Joe Agate and Schroeder aren't a danger to you anymore. I'd think my beloved sister would be grateful that I risked my life for her." I cleared my throat, "Oh yeah, and Charlie Brown was there too! You should have seen him stand up to the two of them. He was almost able to talk Schroeder down before Joe pushed me into him."
The two began to bicker again until a nurse kicked us out, stating that Linus needed to rest. I suspect she was just tired of hearing us talk. As the two of us walked out Lucy sighed, "I still can't believe you went with him. Linus is a headstrong zealot sometimes...but you, you have more sense than that."
I nodded, "Yeah well...you know he's my best friend. I argued against going and all but I couldn't just..." I sighed, "It was stupid. I admit it. I'm a blockhead."
She smirked, "Yeah you are, but we already knew that."
Feeling like a moron, as per usual, I quietly muttered, "I'm really sorry Lucy. I knew I screwed up."
She blinked at me, "Sorry? What the hell are you sorry for? You risked your life to make sure nothing happened to my little brother. Of course you didn't exactly succeed, but hey, I know not to expect too much of you. Seriously though, that was braver than I ever thought possible of you. You're a great friend Charlie Brown, and Linus is lucky to have a friend like you."
I blushed and stuttered, "Oh well...maybe...I don't know-", without warning Lucy interrupted me with a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek. She let go of me and I stared at her in disbelief, unsure if the universe had just imploded on itself.
She smiled, a tear was running down her face, "I'm lucky to have a friend like that too. I know you went there primarily to help Linus...but I know you've been standing up to Schroeder on my behalf just as much as he has been. I'm really glad to see you care about me."
I grinned at her, "Well we've been friends since we were toddlers."
She shrugged, "The same could be said about Schroeder."
I put my hand on her shoulder, "We've stayed friends since we were toddlers." The two of us stood there quietly for a moment as we reached the bus stop.
After a moment she broke it by saying, "You know all that stuff I say about you...I'm just messing with you right."
I nodded, "Yeah. I figured that out a few years back. Of course I know you love it so much that I didn't say anything."
She grinned, "Okay, I just wanted to make sure you didn't think I really hated you like Violet does or anything."
"Yeah, gotcha."
We stood there for another moment quietly until the bus pulled up when she muttered, "You're a good man Charlie Brown...and the best friend someone like me could ask for." I wasn't sure how to respond to that, but I can assure you it made me feel really good. To know that I actually did something that really mattered to someone. "Of course if anyone hears that I hugged you or gave you that purely platonic kiss...you're going to wish Schroeder and Joe Agate finished the job. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
…...
After that moment on our way out from the hospital, Lucy and I didn't mention what had happened again. It's not like either of us have any real feelings for each other but it's good to know that she considers me a true friend. Linus quickly got out of the hospital and tried to play off what happened that night as heroic, much to the annoyance of his sister and girlfriend. Sally of course ate up everything and became even more dedicated as his fan girl. Don't tell anybody but I went into her room once and found that she had taking to writing stories about him and his "heroics" and were posting them on the internet. If that's not sick and deranged then I don't know what is. If Linus ever finds out about them, I know nothing!
Joe Agate was sentenced to a few months of jail, apparently his dad know a good lawyer. On the plus side, the drug charges alone were enough to get him expelled from regular classes at school (when he gets out he'll have to go to night school or something). So at least he won't be able to do nearly as much damage.
I hung out with Peppermint Patty the night of being at the bus stop with Lucy. The night in the alleyway I was out so late answering both the police's and doctor's questions that I passed out the minute I got in. The next day I promised to visit Linus with his sister, but I assure Patty I'd see her when I got out. She was upset that she broke up with Jose Peterson. Or rather she was upset over why she broke up with him, apparently he was as big a scumbag as Roy predicted...not that Roy's ever going to know that . It kills me that the first guy she dates ends up to be a total jerk like Jose, but she's happy that she still has us. She apologized for putting him over us but I assured her that there was no reason to. As angry as I am at Jose for treating her like that, I do admit that I'm glad to be able to hang out with her normally again. Having him around did make things weird...I'm not really sure why.
Pig-Pen and Roy came back from the robotics meet with a solid third place. Apparently Marcie and Franklin were coming back a day later because of some business they had to take of concerning the robot's steering system. Pig-Pen also informed me that the steering system was perfectly fine and is suspect about the true nature of their business. I suppose that would be none of my business, but hey, if our hunches are correct: go Franklin! Aw heck, go Marcie too! The two of them certainly would be made for each other: they're the sanest among us by far.
Finally there's Schroeder. After spending the night in jail, he was given an examination and it was determined that he had an initially mild case of bipolar personality disorder that was dangerously compounded by the drugs that he ingested. As he took more his disorder got worse, he became more manic, would consume more harmful drugs, and become increasingly dangerous. He's receiving intensive treatment right now but nobody knows when he'll get out. None of us know what will happen after that as well. It's a shame that it has to have come to this. Schroeder is one of my oldest friends. In fact before all of this happened, barring Snoopy he was my oldest friend (since I would count Violet, Patty, and Shermy among those ranks anymore). It kills me that he fell so far and that he had to be taken away but he's not a danger to any of my friends anymore...and most importantly he's finally getting the help he needs.
To Be Concluded...
