Author's Note
Once again, I apologize for the delay. I'm thankful that I've reached a milestone though. 30,000 words! Happy New Year everyone and I hope you enjoy this extra long chapter!
A Peanuts Tale
Chapter 12: If It's Not One Thing It's Another
Featuring: The Peanuts Gang!
"Well I don't think this place can get any more exciting."
"What a gross understatement, sir."
Peppermint Patty and Marci had been listening in to the entire confrontation that had just occurred. Of course, it was the topic on everyone's mind but for those who had known the involved for years, the entire incident felt surreal. Never had the guests seen such a falling out of this magnitude occur.
"What a disaster that turned out to be and for what? They were making a big deal out of nothing, as always. Leave it to those drama queens to blow up something that didn't need attention."
"If I may, sir, I'd like to point out that as observers to this fiasco, we really don't have all the inside details as to why this happened. Various actions and conversations in the past could have contributed to the aforementioned confrontation. With such key pieces of the puzzle being missing, we can only make an estimation of what we really saw, rather than a confirmation of what it was. Ergo, it would require a more in-depth study to lead to the causation of this debacle."
"You know Marcie, I don't want to ruin your thoughtful moment, but you lost me at puzzles, which funnily I also don't have the patience for."
"What a remarkable coincidence."
"That's beside the point though. We don't need to know why this happened Marcie. All that matters is that it did and it's going to shake the school come Monday morning. Heh, I can only imagine what the halls are going to be like then: dozens of preppy wannabes all clinging to whatever side they can in the great clique war that has begun to brew."
Though Peppermint Patty had trailed off into her mischievous imagination, Marcie was still keenly aware of the unspoken elephant in the room. It seemed both of them were holding something back. There was no other reason for Patty to talk about other people, especially Lucy, unless she was deflecting any focus away from her.
"Sir, I wanted to ask you something?"
"What's that, Marcie?" Patty absentmindedly answered. "Oh, stop calling me sir too."
"Yes, sir, I mean. Look I've been avoiding talking to you about this summer as much you have been avoiding talking about it too. Clearly, we both had some internal developments that we think may better be left unspoken. With me being away from you and you being away from me, I don't think either of us really had someone to talk to about them. Still, I think now that we're here and back it would be a good time to start talking."
"About what?"
"About- well, what we need to!"
A simple sigh parted its way through the sandy haired tomboy's lips. A look of silent determination found its way on her face. For a split second, Marcie thought she had finally managed to get her best friend to open up to her. That is, until she spoke.
"Sometimes, Marcie, things are better left unsaid and undone."
The pure belief behind those words shut Marcie up. Those few words were left hanging in the air. The glasses wearing gal could not comprehend how her friend could speak such words with such conviction. Yet no matter how much she wanted to argue back with all her emotions, no intelligible phrase reached her reached her passed through her teeth. The young intellect made no comment.
"I'm sorry, Marcie. I wish, oh I wish could tell you everything. It would all be so much simpler then. If I could just shout from the rooftops what I've been keeping to myself I would feel so much better. The truth is that if I did that though, it would only cause problems for the people around me. So, what's the harm in keeping quiet? I might not be at a hundred percent but no one else gets dragged into my issues."
The space between the two became unpleasant, to say the least. Yet just before things got ugly, their old pal Franklin came around.
"Whoa. You guys saw that right? I did not expect Lucy and her crowd to go off like that tonight. I everyone's a little antsy tonight."
"Yeah, go figure." Peppermint Patty drawled.
"It does seem like people are a bit more defensive than usual, Franklin. Wouldn't you agree, sir?"
"Wow Marcie, you just read my mind."
"Well that would be a first tonight."
"Oh really? You seem to have been doing just fine peeping into my personal problems earlier."
"Ah, so someone actually admits there's a problem."
"There isn't one!"
"Which is it? Is it blinking in and out of existence one instant after the other?"
"What do you care anyways?"
"Who says I do?"
"You, if you'd listen to big, fat mouth."
"What did you say?"
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Franklin loudly voiced. The young fellow came between his two pals like a screen door, present and yet barely noticeable to the two.
"Well if we're talking about fat mouths, I should bring Charles over here to tell me how much he's been enjoying your company this evening."
"Come again?"
"Now ladies.."
"I'm just sure, Charles is ecstatic to whisper all about your overbearing attitude lately. Heck, maybe he'll tell me just why you've been acting weird lately."
"One: do not call me weird, Marcie. Boy or girl, I won't take that from anyone and would slap you upside your head if you did it again. Two: don't ever drag Chuck into my issues. I'll do it myself, I want, thank you very much."
"That's so like you. Always ready to go off on your own and do what's necessary for you and you alone."
"Are you calling me selfish."
"I'm not calling you self-less"
"Well you don't have to be a smart-ass about it."
"I'm not being anything you haven't been."
"Yeah? Well that's YOUR problem."
"Guys! That's enough!"
Franklin was doing his best to mediate the conflict but it wasn't enough. He was practically powerless between the two fired up friends and his efforts to break up their argument were rendered null and void.
The ticked off tomboy was the first to respond. "Screw this. If you're just going to keep being a pain in the butt I may as well go to a place that's more relaxing."
"Hmph. Sir, if you think you can find someone out there that's willing to shoulder your complaints, well I'll be shocked."
"Shows what you know Marcie. Most people who see crap outside just ignore it. It's a shame you can't help but to try and clean it up."
"It only makes you dirty in the end."
With that, Peppermint Patty spun around and stomped away into the house, not once looking back at those she left behind. Franklin and Marcie both stood in her wake, emotions running high in both.
"I have say that was pretty bad." Franklin blankly stated.
"Gee, I hadn't noticed." Marcie rebuffed.
"I mean, not to pile on you or anything, what made you even go after her like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb, Marcie. You're better than that!" Franklin closed the distance between him and four-eyed girl. Though she adamantly stayed put, Marcie's eyes gave every indication that she did not want to be here.
"I'm talking about the way you hounded after whatever Peppermint Patty has been dealing with. She's been very outspoken on how she's not willing talk about it, whatever "it" is. I figured you, of all the friends she has, would know more than anything not to ask that stubborn of a girl to do anything she doesn't want to do. She's got enough on her plate as is, anyways."
"So I'm supposed to accept that and let it be? Zip my lip and allow sir to keep everything bottled up?"
"Marcie, you're not seeing this the right way-"
"No, it's my turn to talk now. Everyone thinks it's so easy to just stand by and let a friend hurt oneself like it's nothing. I've seen it with sir, and I've seen with Charles too many times. What nobody seems to realize though is that while they're all in pain someone else is watching them endure. I feel utterly helpless when this happens. It hurts me to see them go through that torturous experience. No person should have to go through that alone, yet that is what happens each and every time."
Franklin stepped back, aghast.
"I-I had no idea you were going through all that. How can you deal with something that miserable?"
"It's easy really. I keep it all locked up inside, too."
"Geez, what the heck was that all about?"
Frieda had asked the exact question Linus and the others in the kitchen around him had been thinking of. The sudden outburst from the main had disrupted the flow of the party. Now theories of what took place ebbed into all corners of the house.
"If I had to bet," said Linus, "I would put my money on Lucy getting roused up for no reason."
"Whaaat? You really think LUCY's the kind to get angry over nothing?" Frieda jokingly inquired.
"Although it is questionable, I daresay I do."
Although partially reluctant at first, Linus was beginning to warm up with the naturally curly haired dame. She was by all accounts, more open than her social status initially let on. The two struck up a conversation over a myriad of topics from local neighborhood gossip to debates over the societal roles of humans and animals alike. It was in their banter that a great realization slowly dawned on the young man. Since he entered into the fray, he had not once considered touching his prized blanket nor felt any compulsion for it.
Linus was astounded. It wasn't impossible for him to go without holding the blanket for lengthy periods of time. Truth be told, he had done so on numerous occasions. Rather, it was the fact that in what he would consider one of most nerve wracking settings for a pious young person to be in, he somehow managed without immediately holding on to a shred of security, praying for dear life. In some weird and magical way, Linus felt safe on his own.
"Or I am safe because I'm not alone, now?"
Looking up at the face before him, Linus couldn't picture what about this girl could possibly be helping him. Was it her looks? No, as pretty as she wasn't the first person Linus found visually attractive and none of those prior had this soothing effect. Perhaps it was the discussion they were having, distracting his conscious mind from his subconscious cravings?
"No," Linus reasoned. "Engaging subject matter can only distance my mind so much before I reflexively itch for my blanket again."
So, what was is it? What could be the trigger to keeping Linus' insecurities at bay?
"Maybe it's not rational at all."
"Huh?" Linus was jerked away from his thoughts by Frieda.
"I said, Bible for brains, that you might be right about Lucy."
"How so?"
"Well just think about it. Through all these years we've seen Lucy yell, growl, and spit at one person and another time after time. It never mattered if it was a holiday or the stormiest day of the season. She's always goes back to her grouchy self when around people."
"So…"
"So maybe she's just meant to be that way, at least now. Maybe she just doesn't fit in this environment, this whole elitist mindset that girls like Violet and Patty and, well, even me have. Maybe that's not what she's meant for."
Linus had become increasingly curious of this idea of Frieda's. In many ways, he pondered if this out of nature experience Lucy could possibly be going through could explain his own issues.
"If she's not meant for that though, then what does she do… to be-"
"To be?"
"To be…right?"
The talkative hostess had begun catch on that there was more to this little talk of hers and Linus' than meets the eyes. Of course, she wasn't willing to be the one to address the fact. In her mind, it wasn't her place. Still, she knew in spite of everything, Linus was seeking answers, and it'd be kind to give him something worthwhile now.
"The way I see it, the only way someone like that can be their true self is if they leave the place that tries to change them… or find themselves someone they know that gets them for who they are."
"Someone who gets who I am." Linus replayed this notion in his head.
"Ohoho, if isn't the TWO people I couldn't wait to see."
"There's no way it could be-"
It was her, Sally Brown, in the flesh who loudly announced herself to the room.
"Uh, Sally, I didn't expect to see you here in the kitchen. I figured you'd be out there dancing the night away."
"Oh I was doing that, I was, but you know, I just couldn't wait to get this thing off of my chest, this thing I've wanted to say for a long time. Let me tell you, it's been a loooong time coming, that's for sure."
"Sally, not that it's my place to say," Linus anxiously spoke, "but how much have you drunk tonight?"
"Aw, you do care, don't you Linus? Or maybe it's only when I've gone through dozens of shots that you turn all white knight for me. I don't know. Who knows? Thanks though, Linus. You're really sweet. Isn't he just the cutest?"
"Listen Sally, I think you should come with me." Frieda said with care. "I can get 3 and 4 to drive you back home in time before your parents-"
"With parents, care glints, am I right?"
"Wait, what?"
"I'm SAYING that maybe I shouldn't go home, ever again. Yup, I'll just stay away and never, ever, return."
"Sally, you're not thinking straight. You need to drink some water. You're probably dehydrated-"
"I'm doing just fine on my own, thanks for asking. I mean my mom and dad don't seem to do much for me. They send me off to school in the mornings and lock me in my house at nights. It's like prison except I'm give a better wardrobe."
"Alright Sally, you really need to stop-"
"Don't!" The small blonde shouted. "I need to say this. I need to get this all out. The whole enchilada. The whole smorgasbord."
The rambling girl stumbled towards Frieda. Despite her obvious lack of control, it was clear that she was on a mission. With fervor in her being, she jabbed a finger into Frieda's chest.
"You are the most fake person I've ever seen. I've had dolls more realistic than you! Hehe…I figured that eventually you'd show your true colors. That behind all the flair and pompous attitude you'd reveal you were nothing more than a self-conscious skank looking for another socially awkward weirdo to stick to. Lo and behold it couldn't just be any awkward person either, No, you had to make it my sweetheart, my Linus!"
To say Sally's came as a shock would be the understatement of the year. Never did Linus and Frieda imagine Charlie Brown's little sister to be so vulgar and rude.
"She's been spending way too much time with Lucy." Linus thought.
"She's been spending too much time around people like me." Frieda supposed.
"Look at the two of you. Neither are willing to say a thing. Don't worry though. Your silence speaks all the words I need to hear. You hear that Frieda? You hear that Linus!? I understand you two perfectly!"
It was at the apex of these accusations now, when Charlie Brown walked into the room. Oblivious as to the sentences that were spoken before, entered the conversation completely unprepared.
"Sally? What are you doing here? Didn't mom and dad ground you this weekend?"
Sally shot daggers of ice from her eyes towards her sibling. The zigzag clad boy however was sidetracked from the glare by two new faces he hadn't seen all night.
"Linus, you're here and with Frieda of all people! Fancy meeting you two at a time like this."
"H-hey, Charlie Brown." Linus eventually got the words out. "Yeah, this is a crazy time for you to pop in."
"Oh, I didn't just pop in now if you were wondering. I was looking for some more crackers since the snack table was cleared of them. I've actually been hanging out with Franklin, Marcie, and Peppermint Patty here for the past couple of hours before I left. You know, I just overheard Lucy going off on some poor person a couple of minutes ago. Boy, did she tear into them."
Sally was beginning to get ticked off again. Linus did not want to deal with an outraged Sally Brown and an emotionally wrecked Charlie Brown when she was done with him. How could he be tasked to help them when he had his own problems to deal with? It was because of this that the tousle haired teen decided to get at least one of the siblings off of his back at the moment.
"That's great, Charlie Brown. You know, now that I remember, I think Rerun might've ate the last of the crackers a few minutes ago."
"He did?"
"Yeah, I saw grab the last box and stuff his face with them. If you wanted you could go to him and ask if there were any left."
"Rerun, huh?"
"Yup." Frieda added. "I think he was near the front door."
The girl with the red curled hair and the Van Pelt son had reached a silent agreement. In order to deal with the whole Sally problem, it was necessary to remove Charlie Brown from the picture asap.
Alas, Charlie Brown had not wised up to their scheme and did not take the bait.
"Between you and me Linus who knows how much trouble our siblings have caused us. First, it's food, then it's space. I mean, they take and they take for what? Sometimes I wish I was in your shoes, Sally. Just one day I'd like to show you how crazy you make my life sometimes. One day of whining, aggravating, and tattling is all I ask for. Who knows? You could actually learn to empathize with me. Of course, you could always not care. Who am I to know?"
"…You say you want to be in my shoes?"
"Hmm? What was that?"
"You said you want a day in my life, right? One day of being nothing but good ol' Sally Brown? Is that right?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"No buts come with this deal I'm afraid. You want to be in my shoes, you got to deal with my all problems, like how I'm stuck with greatest living failure as my big brother. Think it's so easy being me? Try going to school when every teacher has had to deal with the infamous Charlie Brown and decides to take extra caution when dealing his baby sister."
"I, uh, I didn't know-"
"Think that's bad? I'm just getting started. Imagine seeing your only sibling constantly picked on and laughed at for who they are and realize that the only way to succeed is to be the exact opposite of said brother. Can you even think of living everyday knowing that you're just a step away from being a Charlie Brown? You can't can you?"
"Um…"
"You know why?"
"I-"
"IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE CHARLIE BROWN!"
Another tipping point in a conversation and another quiet came over the house. Linus had facepalmed himself in frustration and Frieda avoided staring at the two Browns. Sally was sweating from head to toe, a hellish fire in her eyes. She swayed lightly yet kept her hate filled gaze focused on her brother.
The worst person in the whole house though was none other than Charlie Brown. All the color had drained from his face, leaving him a pale visage. All the warm, fuzzy confidence he had slowly built up over the night was ripped from his body. It was as if any hopes and dreams Charlie Brown had of making it through one party without incident were dashed before his eyes. Instead, whatever life he had to make it through the night was gone.
"Here lies Charlie Brown, survived and killed by his sister at a party."
At this instant, a rather peculiar event happened which if possible to believe, surpassed the level of shock and awe the previous events of the night had. The sound took only seconds for everyone in the house to register. It was a siren song everyone in the house had heard, at least once in their life. Yet for this particular occasion the song did not bring ease but rather escalated fear.
Weeeeeoo~
"IT'S THE POLICE!" Benny yelled.
For a split second, everyone stiffened in the room and nobody moved. It was then that a solitary cup fell from a table stand. At that cue, every teenager in the house split for the nearest exit. Whether it was a door or a window over, juveniles left and right looked for the fastest way out.
Unbeknownst to most of the partygoers, the sudden confusion and onslaught of noise caused an already worn out Sally to pass out. It was her luck that Charlie Brown was standing next to her and had been snapped out his despair quick enough to catch a hold of the unconscious girl.
"Linus! Help!"
"Linus too had snapped out of his spell and was already rushing towards the two. Grabbing on one side of her torso and Charlie Brown on the other, the two hefted the girl up.
"Frieda, get the kitchen door." Linus instructed.
"Right. I'm on it."
The three wasted no time getting out of the home. The hostess held the door open while the two young gentlemen escorted the lady out of the house. Once in the backyard, Sally began to awake which led Charlie Brown and Linus to lift her on her feet, using their shoulders as impromptu crutches for her. Out in the front yard the police could be heard wailing on megaphones in a trombone like blare.
"Ugh, and I thought my sister was a handful already, what did I do to deserve a night like this?"
"You and me both, pal." Linus stated with snicker. "To be honest, I think I've had my share of parties for one high school year."
"More like my entire high school years."
The two gave weak smiles to each other.
"Hey guys, not to ruin whatever brotherly love you've got going on but I'm pretty sure the cops are going to be around here any minute."
"Frieda's right. Not to be blunt, but we're screwed if we're caught here tonight, especially you and your sister, Charlie Brown.
"Good grief! Well I hope you have an escape plan, Linus, because right now I'm all out of ideas."
"I'm sorry to say but I too find myself without any solutions at the present."
"If I may," Frieda interjected. "My neighbors to the right are gone for the weekend and tend to keep a spare key for their car under their front mat, which I just so happen to have a copy of."
"You have a copy of your neighbor's key?" Charlie Brown asked in surprise.
"You expect us to steal your neighbor's car?!" Linus brazenly inquired.
"They've asked me to run errands for them before. In turn, I get to drive their car for experience. Plus, its' not steal. It's borrowing, as in bringing back the car early next morning before people start asking questions."
Rather than talk back, the pair just stared at her, stupefied and yet oddly starting go along with her plan.
"So, who's driving?"
"Well, I guess I will-"
"No, not you. You can get a kite to fly. I am not trusting you with our lives, the car, and by involvement, Frieda's."
"Okay, okay. Sheesh. You can drive, my most trusting friend."
"I trust you in the things I can, Charlie Brown. The impossible is not one of them."
"Here's the key you two. Sneak around the back of their fence and hop over."
"Hop over with Sally?!"
"I'm sure you're both strong enough. Anyways, get to the left side of the house use the key to car outside, put Sally in the back, and make your getaway!"
"What happens if the police see, I don't know, two teenage boys stuffing a barely conscious girl into the back of a car next to the scene of a party?"
"Well then you improvise."
"I'm liking this plan more and more, Linus."
Boys and girls of various ages were still running about the house and perimeter from all angles. Linus snatched the car key from Frieda's fingers. Pausing for a bit, he went back to go under Sally's arm. The blonde haired girl had been mumbling softly for some time now. With a nod at each other, the two boys heaved and began working their way to the neighbor's yard. After a little ways, across, Linus turned his head back around.
"Well bring her back without a scratch!"
"You'd better! Or you're going to regret it, Linus Van Pelt! I'll make sure of that!"
Linus smirked before focusing back on the task at hand. Frieda gave a smile to his back before looking to organize the chaos unfolding in her home.
In insane situations such as, it would amaze even the brightest of individuals to find that they can pinpoint the smallest of details that are present when thinking back. From the smallest of scratches, to the feintest of stains, it is possible for people to hold onto the most specific memories. It came as a great wave of anxiety to Charlie Brown then, to find that in that moment Linus had turned around he remembered in the frenzy one particular sight that was embedded in his mind.
A vision of straight, dark red hair had been implanted in his memories.
