CHAPTER 2: VISITING CHUCK

Kansas City, Missouri, 3:30 PM, Outside of the Brown Household

A taxi pulled up in front of the Brown household. Peppermint Patty and Marcie got out and grabbed their suitcases. Marcie paid the cab driver and he pulled off. They looked at the house for a moment.

"I think this is the place, sir," said Marcie.

"Well, let's see if Chuck is home," Peppermint Patty replied. And the girls walked up to the front door. Patty rang the doorbell. Sally answered it.

"Peppermint Patty! Marcie!" said Sally, surprised to see them there.

"Hey, Sally!" greeted Patty. "Came to visit for the week. Is your brother here? He knows we're coming."

"He's out with his friends," said Sally, "but you can come in and wait for him. He will be home shortly." And the girls went in. They took in the new house. They seemed to like where the Browns were living now.

"Holy Moly!" said Patty. "You got some nice digs here."

"Thanks," said Sally. "I'm still getting used to this place and not having any luck with-"

"HEY!" Patty interrupted looking out one of the windows facing the backyard. "There's my pal, Snoopy!"

"He looks like he's with another beagle, sir," observed Marcie. Snoopy was with Claudette hanging out.

"Hey, you're right, Marcie!" said Patty. "Let's go see ol' Snoop!" And the girls went outside to greet the beagle. Snoopy was shocked to see the girls there in Kansas City.

"Hey, Snoop, ol' buddy!" greeted Patty. "Didn't think you'd see us again, eh?" Snoopy just planted a kiss on Patty's cheek, as he would always do. She smiled.

"That's Snoop for ya!" she said, smiling. "He may be a dog, but he's always a charmer!" At that moment, Charlie Brown, Abigail, Tyler, Marcus, Josie, and Charlotte all walked in the backyard. He saw his old friends standing there.

"Chuck!" said Patty, seeing her friend and crush. "We finally made it here!" And Patty immediately hugged him. "Wow, it's good to see you, pal! Didn't think we'd make it out here, didja? So, you're going to introduce us to your friends here?"

"Well, this is Charlotte Braun," said Charlie Brown, starting the introductions. "The gang knew her from before. She used to live in Sparkyville before we met. This is Tyler. He's also good at sports. This is Marcus. This is Josie, our neighbor, and that's her dog, Claudette, that's with Snoopy. And last, but not least, this is Abigail." He looked at Abigail with love, which Patty and Marcie noticed. Especially since he was holding her hand. "Everyone, this is Peppermint Patty and Marcie from my old town."

"Nice to meet you two," said Tyler.

"Nice to meet you, Ty!" said Patty.

"Welcome to Kansas City," said Marcus to Marcie.

"Thank you, Marcus," said Marcie, smiling.

"How are you, Mark?" said Patty to Marcus. "Are you good at sports, too?"

" 'Mark'?" said a confused Marcus.

"She has nicknames for most folks, Marcus," said Charlie Brown. "You'll get used to it, soon."

"How do you do?" said Josie, shaking the girls' hands.

"Pretty good, Josette!" said Patty.

" 'Josette'?!" said Josie, not knowing what to make of Patty.

"I rest my case," sighed Charlie Brown.

"Hello, Patricia," said Abigail.

"Hello, Abbie," said Patty. "I see you took a liking to our Chuck there."

"He is a very sweet boy," Abigail replied.

"Yes he is," agreed Marcie. "I'm glad he has some good friends here, compared to back in Sparkyville."

"I know about Lucy, Violet, and Patty (Swanson) back in Sparkyville," said Charlotte. "Are they still the same mean girls they were then?"

"Definitely!" said Peppermint Patty. "Though I think at least Violet and Patty are finally seeing how bad they treated Chuck here."

"Really?" said an intrigued Charlie Brown.

"I think they feel guilty about their treatment of you, Charles," said Marcie. "Lucille is still a little stubborn, though."

"She always have been," agreed Charlie Brown.

"Well, we would never treat Charlie like they did, at all," said Tyler.

"We treat our friends with respect," added Marcus.

"I wonder why anyone would be cruel to a sweet boy like Charles here," said Abigail, who kissed Charlie Brown on the cheek, making him blush. Patty couldn't help but get jealous. Marcie took notice.

"Easy, sir," she whispered to her tomboy friend. "We're just visiting. Just be glad Charles finally has someone who loves him."

"I'll try, Marcie," Patty relented, "but it won't be easy." And all the kids went in to hang out and get to know Patty and Marcie.

NEXT CHAPTER: REALIZING WHAT YOU HAD