It's Your Future, Charlie Brown!

High School: ...Sophomore

By Sean Mahoney

Epilogue: One Year Later

With all the craziness surrounding Schroeder done with, the rest of our 9th grade year went off almost without a hitch. Well as close as it could come to that in respect to me. Violet threw a memorial day party that everybody but myself was invited to. According to Pig-Pen I didn't miss much. Thibault beat me up in front of the whole class too at one point. I'd rather not talk too much about that day.

I ended up doing pretty well overall in ninth grade. More importantly though, Peppermint Patty managed to pass everything...and with only one D minus! I'm already more than halfway through tenth grade now, time really is flying. Despite Schroeder's absence, things have gone back to being business as usual. I'm still pretty much the lowest on the school's ladder and Lucy has gone back to being very pushy and bossy. I suppose it's better than knowing she's depressed.

Despite the crap he tried to pull last year, Jose Peterson has managed to keep a professional relationship with Peppermint Patty on the ball field. It's pretty amazing actually: our school's team is doing really good. They did really well this season, placing well in the regionals. There's talk that between Patty's pitching and Jose's hitting they could make it to the state level with a little more training. As for Marcie and Franklin: either our theories about them were baseless or they're doing a really good job at hiding any sort of relationship. After their delayed return from the robotics meet there was no hints that anything had happened between them and they acted completely normal whenever around each other. Once again though I suppose that isn't my business.

I'm really glad all the trouble with Schroeder is over with. It was really painful to see him run himself to the ground, all while hurting Lucy. Of course I still have to deal with other problems these days.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without her, Charlie Brown!" About a month ago, Linus was dumped by Frieda. Since then he's been heartbroken and certainly has no qualms about sharing that with the rest of the school. "She was everything to me Charlie Brown, where am I ever going to get another girl like her."

I sigh, "Once again Linus, I'm really sorry." This has been going on for a month by now and he hasn't let up at all. He used to do this as a kid, I remember he spent an entire ballgame crying about the futility of love and life.

Peppermint Patty, biting into a slice of pizza grumbled, "Sheesh Linus, you're still going on about this? Who are you, Chuck?"

"Oh hardy har har." I mutter.

Linus scoffed at her, "You have have dated a scumbag that tainted your image of romance Patty but don't you judge me! I loved her!"

Marcie, of all people, butted in after taking a sip of soda, "Excuse me Linus, I know this isn't any of my business. But over the past year I couldn't help but remember you scheming to break up with her. You said you couldn't stand the way she talked about her naturally curly hair."

Linus wailed, "Oh her hair! It was so beautiful and so natural!"

Patty laughed, "Sheesh Chuck, I know how down on yourself about Heather...or any other gal not noticing you. Maybe one day I can help you in that department, but I think we all need to hook this guy up first."

I nodded, "I wholeheartedly agree."

…...

That night, after coming back from the pizza place, I went online and got a message from Lucy, asking me to meet her at the bus stop near her house. As I approached her I saw that she looked very anxious.

"Hey Lucy, what's going on?"

She sighed, "Hey Charlie Brown. Today's the day he gets out. I've heard from his parents. They thought I might want to know."

"'He'? Who are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes and groaned, "Who do you think, blockhead? Schroeder?"

I stared at her, "Lucy are you crazy? Why would you want to see him? After everything he did to you."

She frowned at me, "I know he was a real bastard, but it wasn't completely him right?" She stared at the ground, in an almost timid moment for her, "I still have feelings for him Charlie Brown. I know it's insane but I always will." She took a deep breath, "Even still, that's why I want you here. I hope that being away for a year has gotten him better, but who knows?"

I chuckled, "You want me? A total wimp to be here in case he goes nuts? And I thought I was the blockhead!"

"Yeah, well anyone who's friends with you is bound to be one. But I trust you Charlie Brown and I really need you to wait with me."

"Well of course I will." I just hope she's right about him not being nuts. The question is, even though she might be ready to see him, am I? Last time I saw him he stabbed my best friend. He's been abusive to everybody I know. It might not have been entirely his fault, but I don't know if I'm ready to deal with him.

Lucy and I waited at the stop for about two hours. It went by fast though. We just talked. She told me how she ended up beating Thibault up last week, that was nice to hear for sure. We talked about how infuriating Linus has since his stinking breaking with Frieda. The whiner that I am though turned it into a conversation about me being unappealing to any other girl. Lucy joked that if Peppermint Patty isn't into girls like she suspects, I might have a shot with her.

Eventually the bus arrived and I tensed up. Lucy stood up from the bench we were sitting on expectantly and I stood behind her. I know I really wasn't threatening but I was not going to him do anything to her again without having to go through me...as effortless as that would be.

He stepped off the bus, with a bag of luggage in each hand. He certainly looked better physically. His face wasn't gaunt and had the same color as he usually did. His hair was also much neater than it had been when he was sent away. Most tellingly were his eyes though. Instead of being mad and bloodshot, they were...for a lack of a better term...sad.

He stared at us silently for a moment and then dropped his bags, sighing, "Lucy...Charlie Brown...you have no idea how sorry I am...I don't know what to say."

Lucy ran over and hugged him. He put his arms around her and holding back tears responded, "What I did to you was horrible. I'm a terrible, terrible, person Lucy. I don't deserve to be friends with a girl like you."

She stared at him for a moment and then sobbed happily, "Oh put a sock in it you blockhead!" She hugged him for another moment and then let him go.

He turned to me and said, "Charlie Brown...everything I said. About you being a wimp and all that...you were braver than I ever could be standing up to a lunatic like me. All the shit I put you and Linus through...I don't know what to even say."

I smiled at him and said, "You don't need to say anything." I extended my hand to him. He looked at it for a second and then smiled back at me. He reached out and shook my hand.

"Welcome back, Schroeder."

The End