Author's Note:
I apologize for the delay! I was a bit under the weather and had trouble connecting some parts this chapter. I made it extra long considering the extended wait. Enjoy!
A Peanuts Tale
Chapter 9: It's a Wonderful Life, Isn't It?
Starring: Shermy, Rerun, Pig-Pen, Violet Gray, Patty, Lucy, and Sally with Company
"This is the last place I wanted to be at."
Shermy had spent the majority of the evening tucked on a recliner next to wall. He had been conversing with several of guys he knew: 5, Pig-Pen, Rerun, and Benny. The boys found themselves listening to one Pig-Pen's recounting of an encounter with Violet. Although, all three of them were loudmouthed Shermy himself had kept relatively quiet, only adding the shortest remarks to seem somewhat invested in the conversations. Indeed, Shermy was playing an act to keep himself from being alone with people he'd rather not meet with.
"That's when I said to her, 'I dropped the ball alright'!"
"Bwahahaha!"
"Ha ha. What a riot."
Benny and Rerun burst into laughter at Pig-Pen's story. The comedic nature of the absurd tale he told was lost on Shermy though. True, he found it a bit funny, but there was a level of hijinks he tended to tolerate and Pigpen's antics were far beyond that marker.
"You still with us there, Shermy?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, don't mind me. I'm just mulling all that craziness you were a part of."
"Really?" 5 asked. "I never took you for the deep thinker type."
"I do a lot in my time."
"To be honest, Shermy," Pig-Pen started "I never really feel like anyone's gotten a hang on you."
"Come again?"
"I mean, to be fair, you're not exactly the most climbable branch in a tree."
"Uh, I'm sorry but I'm really not following you right now."
"What I'm trying to say is that for all the guys I've known in this town, you're one of the oldest ones I still hang with. Yet after all these years I've felt like I've barely gotten past your skin in a conversation. I can't get a read on you man!"
"What? Come on, I'm not like that."
"It's true!" Benny jumped in. "You're way too standoffish! Do you honestly expect anyone to hit it off with you if you keep dancing around anything personal? You never step up to the line."
"How can I do that when I have no idea where this imaginary line is?!" Shermy incredulously pondered this accusation. "It's not like I actively see this threshold of interpersonal conversation and continually back off from it."
"See, now you're just talking crazy." 5 said.
"Oh boy."
"Okay, maybe you don't see this line, but you do know it exists, right?"
"Right."
"Yeah, then show us you're not deliberately doing this." Rerun took the conversation into his hands. "Tell us something about yourself. Something you'd tell a friend like me, not a stranger."
"Define "friendship" in this context because I'm honestly not seeing that between us."
"What Benny is trying to say," Pig-pen interrupted, "is that you could learn to be a bit less "flat" when it comes to interacting with people."
"Like I can help what I am."
"Ok, what exactly do you want me to say to "expand" myself better."
"You know, I think this conversation took a weird turn," 5 noted.
Benny spoke up. "What I told you the first time, man. Tell us something deep about you."
"They want deep? Do they know what they're asking for?"
"Let me clue you guys in on something you probably don't know. You see my life is very simple in places where others tend to be very complex. I don't do deep because I honestly don't have anything worth dragging out of me. My passions are meek and bare to the world. I'm a manly sports enthusiast whose old fashioned hobbies are out of place in this new hipster world."
"So in other words, you're my grandpa trapped in a teenaged body."
"When you put it like that, yeah, I am."
"Yup. Back in the old days things were better. All we had to see in was black in white. We didn't bother with all this newfangled color like red, blue, and yellow."
A twinkle reflected in Shermy's eyes. It was as if he had dusted off an old photograph album from his youth and rediscovered its lost charm.
"Ha ha very funny. For real though, you guys don't know what's it's like. I'm part of the older crowd of people you know so imagine what it's been like for me seeing all this change happen. I still remember the day you were brought home from the hospital Rerun! Hell, I remember when your brother was still in diapers! Back then, the town was a lot quieter. The only way to fill up the empty air was with your imagination and the few pals you had around. You couldn't just go to the park and start up a hockey game out of the blue. No, it was every man for himself, and the women were mean, mean, mean."
"At least one thing hasn't changed."
With his body tense, the elder boy rubbed his palms together.
"Hmph, you have no idea. Yeah way back it was just me and Charlie Brown for a while, just us two guys. There was Patty for a while before Violet and you, Pigpen, showed up but back then it was really just us three kids messing around, taking turns in stupid competitions, and dwelling over life's greatest questions."
"…Whoa."
"That's some childhood there, Shermy."
"Yeah…"
"It was something, huh?"
"Ahem."
All eyes turned around to focus on the intruding throat clearing. When Shermy saw the perpetrator a look of pure dread fell upon his face.
"Hello, hello, Violet." Pig-pen said. "It's a pleasure seeing you here."
"Please, the pleasure is all yours." Violet gave a look around the group. Seemingly unimpressed, she turned her attention over to the one person she had been avoiding, Shermy.
"I'm not interested in talking with any of you right now except this one right here."
Blank faces went around the gaggle of guys. Everyone knew Violet did not talk one-on-one with a boy anymore unless she had made him her personal toy to mess with. Still, of all the boys Violet played around with, she rarely if ever came close to Shermy which in itself was odd considering how much he and Patty still hung out.
"Shermy? What the heck does he got to do with you?"
"Didn't I just say I you and your questions are not of interest to me?"
Not bothering to hear another response, the dark haired diva grabbed Shermy by the wrist.
"You. Me. Now."
With that, she grabbed him and pulled the helpless boy away through the crowd, leaving the other boys in confusion over what just occurred.
Through the masses and up the stairs Violet went. To any outsider looking in on the two one may think of the them as a couple about to have fun. Yet deep down, Shermy knew that there was no entertainment to be found in this scenario.
"Alright, I think I've let you pull me along long enough."
Shermy broke Violet's grasp and massaged his now free wrist. The two were in a bathroom belonging to the upstairs guest room. White tiles were patterned on the floor with beige tiled walls surrounding it. Bright yellow lighting fixtures illuminated the room from above the bathroom mirror. Shermy was distracted by contemporary décor of the room for almost two seconds before remembering about the problem on hand.
"Who in their right mind thinks you can just drag a person any place you want to?"
"Drag you along? I had no intention of doing that. I was simply trying to keep you on your toes, what with all of those big football games ahead of you."
"You can stop with the lies, Violet."
"Who's to say I am lying though? After all, who wouldn't want to see their childhood friend make it "big".
"If you really were so considerate of me you would've noticed I'm a bit worn out from football at the moment and would like anything but extra pressure at the moment."
"Ah, I'm so sorry, how rude of me. Should I get you something to help? Water? Ibuprofen? Steroids?"
"Violet-"
"Nah, you're probably already take all of those, don't you? I mean, there's no other way you could have made it so far on your team, is there?"
"Enough with the joking. Tell me what you want."
"Oh, I don't know. How about having a nice chat with the girl you swore a blood oath to?"
"Blood oath? Like I'd ever bleed for you!"
Shrugging her shoulders, the lavender clad girl moved over to the sink. Turning on the faucet, the cold water cascaded on the bony ridges of her hands.
"Well, maybe not literally but I do distinctly remember seeing you on your knees, begging for me to not destroy your life."
Shermy's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. A mortifying panic set over his being. Flashbacks to a period of his life he'd sooner forget then relive again raced in his head.
"No, no, I'm not getting guilt tripped into another one your childish ploys again."
"Are you sure?" Violet stretched her lips out into a knowing grin. "Because if I remember correctly, I sent you several texts over the last few hours specifically reminding you of your duty."
"That may be true but-"
"But what? Don't tell me your phone was dead, Shermy, or that you were too caught up in the tales of those idiot friends of yours. Your sorry excuses count for nothing."
The short haired male gritted his teeth. "So what? Are you just going to stand there and criticize me? Is that what this is, the 'Pick Apart Shermy Show'?"
"Please. Like I'd waste time on that. No, you're here because I want to make sure you keep up your end of the bargain."
"You really think I'd do that?"
"Oh I wouldn't know. Maybe Patty would have an answer to that. I think I'll ask her-"
Shermy closed the distance between himself and Violet. "If you so much as mention even the tiniest little detail about what happened, I swear to all that's holy…"
"You'll what? Hurt me? Even if I were to believe a whipped guy like you could do that it wouldn't even sway me one bit. You see unlike you Shermy, I'm not afraid of pain. I'm not afraid of getting hurt or hurting others for that matter. When it comes down to the wire, I'm more than willing of sticking my hands in the wet dirt and getting filthy to obtain my desires."
"You're right Violet. That is the difference between you and me. While one us learned to grow up and build something from the dirt they were given, the other is still making mud pies."
"You can critique all you want but that won't change a thing."
"I expect things from you, Shermy. Big things."
"It's official. This night's a big bust."
Lucy and Patty stood together on a wall. Neighboring them on their left and right was 3 and 4, 5's twin sisters. 3 and 4 were not officially in the clique but Lucy had managed to persuade them into acting as errand girls for them. Earlier, Lucy had told them to be her and Patty's personal drink refreshers for the evening and they had since been refilling each of their cups one by one.
"Here you are." The twins spoke in unison. Extending their hands, 3 and 4 offered the new refreshments to Patty and Lucy.
"Why thank you, ladies. It's always satisfying to be in such polite company. I really need to think of a way to pay you both back."
"It's no problem, Lucy." 4 bashfully said.
"Being of help to you is enough thanks for us." 3 chimed in.
Patty snorted. "So much for having shame in sucking up."
Lucy glared over at her blonde companion who absentmindedly drank from her cup. Feeling no desire to start a verbal fight, Lucy decided to let go of the comment and instead directed her attention back to the twins.
"You're free to go. Enjoy the party."
3 and 4's jaws opened in disbelief at Lucy's relaxed nature. However, those open mouths soon turned into bright smiles as the twins ran off in cheer at their clearance from servitude.
"Well, that was awfully kind of you."
Patty had finally finished her beverage. Her fair-haired profile was now fixated on her blue-clad friend. Lucy let out a short chortle out of awkwardness.
"Yeah, well even dumb minions need to be entertained now and then."
"Hehe, that's Lucy alright, ever the slave driver."
Whether it was from the drink or the enclosed spaces Lucy didn't know. Still, she could tell quite easily that Patty was not entirely her composed self this evening. Sloppy, was the word to best describe her in the moment. Not necessarily her dress or appearance to say, but rather her manner of speech in the presence of others.
"She's defenseless. A childish mistake to make in front of me."
"Aren't you a bit uppity to call me out for slave driving?"
"Excuse me?"
"From my flawless observation I would assume you happened to drag poor old Shermy out to this godforsaken party. Considering the state that he's been in for the last few weeks from football, the last thing I'd do is ask him a huge favor in setting up a party like you did."
"Seriously? You're going to compare me asking a friend to be a delivery guy to hazing two girls to lick your boots whenever you want? Not to mention Sally."
A light twitch occurred on Lucy's left eye.
"What are you implying?"
"Oh, don't try and play innocent with me, Luce'. I know all about your little 'project' with little miss sunshine. Trying to mold the perfect mini-me, aren't ya?"
Patty inched closer to Lucy, her head leaning lightly to the left.
"You can harp on me all you want about manipulation; we all know who wrote the book on it. Your problem Lucy is that you can't see the difference between being high handed and having and being a helping hand. Real friends help when asked without any hidden agendas in place. Shermy's a true pal. Fake friends push people into corners where they're forced to go along with whatever conceivable idea been put forth."
Patty jammed her pointer finger right at Lucy's forehead.
"You're one of the fake ones."
"What did she just say?"
An aghast Lucy stood silent after that comment. Patty had never been one to criticize Lucy, not since she was a toddler. Whatever had been eating away at the older girl had ticked her off. There's no other way she'd be this daring in calling out Lucy van Pelt of all people.
Volcanic rage bubbled up under Lucy's skin. A temper no one on the planet was willing to face now ventured to surface. It took Patty a quarter of a minute to realize the magnitude of her words and how grave of a mistake she had made. Fortunately, before Lucy could capitalize on punishing Patty for her slip up, a certain cheery girl happened to walk up.
"Hey girls! How's it going?"
"Sally! It's nice to see you."
Patty went in for a hug with Sally. Although a bit surprised by the sudden embrace, the younger girl returned it warmly. Sally was ignorant of the fact that the only reason Patty was holding onto Sally now was to deter the wrath of Lucy.
"Hello Sally. Fancy seeing you here. I had money on you chickening out."
"Me, chicken out? Do you know, Sally Brown? The last thing I am is a chicken, contrary to my brother's relation."
"Well, I'm glad you could make it." Patty said. "It'd be a shame if you missed out on all of this because you were grounded."
"Hey, the last thing I want to hear at this party is anything to do with my family. You understand, right Lucy?"
"The feelings more than mutual."
"I want to know what's going on with you two. What sort of stuff are you up to tonight?"
"Well, Patty here was just talking to me about her opinion on relationships between people. Why don't you tell Sally what you told me?"
"Uh oh."
Fear dropped on Patty's shoulders. It was obvious what Lucy wanted. The black haired brat was goading her into making insults in front of Sally. A pull for power had begun stirring between the girls. Whoever had the balls, figuratively, to say their peace in front of an audience would be the dominant one.
"You just had to drag the baby in, didn't you? If Violet or Frieda were here I swear I'd rip you a new one, Lucy. Sadly, that's not the case."
Patty bared a faux grim before speaking. "I was just saying how hard it is to find valuable friends the older we get. I happen to be two years older than you Sally so you might not understand when I say that age really does make a difference in conversations."
Patty picked a stray strand of her hair and tucked it behind her right ear. "I've already started to notice how some people don't remember the same movies I know or watched the same shows I did. There's a clear difference in generations, you know."
Sally jumped at the opportunity to share a piece of her mind. "I know exactly what you're talking about! I didn't want to bring him, but my big brother just doesn't get me at all! He's so out of touch with everything! Whether it's fashion, television, or the latest trends he's always behind on everything. I swear he was raised in another century or something. Not that, you're weird or anything Patty, I know you and him are the same age. It's just so…strange how at the end of the day the people that understand you best aren't your family, but your peers."
"Yeah. I had it a bit rough in the beginning. I was surrounded by boys for the longest time until Violet came. I had to plant my foot to show them how things went with me around. I wasn't about to let myself be a twig in the nest they grew up in. If anything, I was going to be-"
"Their mother hen." Lucy interrupted. "You've told us that a thousand times."
"Ha, well it's true. Someone had keep those boys in line and let's face it: it wasn't going to be a beagle."
"That's right. You know, I always forget that Snoopy has been around before me. It's weird thinking how your pet is older than you."
"Oh, Snoopy has been around for years. He wasn't always Charlie Brown's dog you know. For a while, he was just the neighborhood's beagle. He had a few owners from time to time but they always moved away."
"I can't blame. After all, what sane people would want to take care of a crazy, bacteria infested, canine like that. No offense, Sally."
"None taken. It's not like I'm the one handling him anyways. My blockheaded sibling has that to manage."
"Heh, if you asked me ten years ago I swear I would told you that dog would be dead by now. It honestly amazes me how Charlie Brown has that dog fed on time."
"It's not that surprising. I mean, Charlie Brown may be a failure on all fronts but if there's one thing he's shown dedication towards it's keeping his mangy mutt by his side."
"Ugh, enough about my dumb brother! Can we please talk about something else?"
Patty getting more and more uneasy the longer she stayed by Lucy. Any second now, she thought Lucy was going to have her by the throat. Like a fly near pitcher plant, Patty felt drawn in by the sweet lure of spitting insults in Lucy's face again, yet was wary of the lethal ensnarement if she was to stay and do so.
"Well it seems Patty's actually run out of drink. Why don't you two stay and chat while I refresh our drinks."
Before Patty could object Lucy grabbed her cup and sauntered off to the punch line. The blonde pair were now left alone to their devices.
"Uh…"
"Ah…"
Sally and Patty were a twosome that was not often isolated. Neither girl ever sought out the other for private talk. As a matter of fact, if one were to define their relationship, it would be better to cite them as associates rather than friends. The connecting tissue between the two happened to be Lucy who really was the glue of their clique. The absence of her provided an unusual environment for which Patty and Sally were now expected to fill up in the while.
"So that's how you want to play, eh Lucy?" Patty thought to herself. "Too bad, I'm not afraid of a trial like this. Don't think you've won this yet, Lucy. I'll show you who's the boss around here."
