CHAPTER 2: DUTIFUL BROTHER
The next day at school, Charlie Brown was on the playground watching Sally as she went through her time alone with no one playing with her. While back in Sparkyville, Charlie Brown had few he could play with, with most kids either avoiding him or ignoring him, Sally didn't even have that! Nobody wanted to play with her thinking she was too weird or strange. That was one of the few things working in Charlie Brown's favor. He never made up stories or got too many things wrong like she did. Sally was never the most academically-inclined kid in her family, and while Charlie Brown was far from an honor student himself, he never struggled with schoolwork, aside from the occasional book report or essay, like Sally did, and it alienate her from the rest of her classmates.
But it was then that he saw Sally's tormentors. Hawthorne then pushed Sally off the swings. Charlie Brown's anger began to rise.
"Hey, stupid!" sneered Hawthorne. "I thought I told you that you're not allowed on the playground!"
"The teacher said I could be here!" Sally protested through her tears.
"Well, I say, you CAN'T, and until I hear her say it directly, YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED! Now get away from here!"
"HEY, BLOCKHEAD!" Everyone turned to see Charlie Brown coming towards the bully. "You leave my sister alone!"
"Big brother?!" said a surprised Sally, wiping her eyes.
"Hey look!" said Tyler watching the action unfold. "Charlie's confronting that awful Hawthorne Brooks!"
"Ooh, I hope my baby is careful!" said a worried Abigail.
"What did you say, punk?!" growled Hawthorne.
"I said leave my sister alone!" Charlie Brown repeated, through gritted teeth. "I've heard about how you've been treating her, and it ends today!"
"Do you want the same as I've given her, kid?!" laughed Hawthorne. Hawthorne threw a punch, but Charlie Brown dodged it and countered with flipping him over and putting his foot on his chest.
"Now I don't want to hurt you, Hawthorne," warned Charlie Brown, "but if I hear or see that you were picking on Sally again, our parents will be involved! Not before I slug you first! AND THAT GOES FOR THE REST OF YOUR GROUP, TOO! One hair on my sisters head is touched by you, and you'll have to answer to me!"
"You heard him, Hawthorne," said the sympathetic member of his gang. "She hasn't done anything to you to make you hate her."
"Who's side are you on, Arnold?!" asked a bewildered Hawthorne.
"Not any kid who hits girls, you jerk wad!" sneered Arnold.
"Yeah, it's not worth getting in trouble for abusing girls," said one of his other gang members, finally seeing the light. At that moment the principal had just gotten out to the playground. He asked who had started the fight.
"Hawthorne was picking on my sister again, sir," said Charlie Brown. "I was just defending her. He tried to punch me, but I flipped him over. Aside from putting my foot on his chest, I never hit him."
"It's true, sir," added Arnold. "Hawthorne never learned his lesson from last time." The other kids vouched for Charlie Brown.
Charlie Brown was spared any detention due to him defending Sally, but Hawthorne was previously warned about bullying and was finally expelled from the school. His former gang also apologized to Sally for not stopping him before. They were also spared any detention or suspension due to their repentance. Even though she didn't have Hawthorne Brooks bullying her anymore, Sally was still in dire straits. No one would still hang out with her or eat lunch with her, who wasn't one of her brother's friends. While Hawthorne would no longer harass her, Sally was still all alone.
NEXT CHAPTER: A FATEFUL DECISION