TALENT WARM UPS

Once the school day was over, Heather went over to Schroeder's place.

"Hi, Schroeder." Said Heather sweetly. "Ready to practice for the talent show?"

"Ready when you are, Heather." Said Schroeder.

"So, what song shall we play? Any ideas, Schroeder?" asked Heather.

"Well, we could try O Mio Babbino Caro." Schroeder suggested.

"Yeah! However, I've been thinking of singing different lyrics for the song." Heather said.

"Well, let's practice!" Schroeder said.

"I'll practice the dancing, you play the music." Heather said.

"Great! Let's get to it!" Schroeder cried.

But just as Schroeder and Heather were about to start, who should barge into Schroeder's house but Lucy. Lucy wanted Schroeder to be her talent show partner. Much to Lucy's anger, there, in Schroeder's house, was Heather.

"What are you doing here?!" demanded Lucy.

"I'm here to practice with Schroeder." Said Heather.

"Practice for what?" demanded Lucy again.

"We're practicing for the talent show next Friday." Said Schroeder.

"What?!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Lucy, can't you see I'm performing with Heather?" asked Schroeder.

"You should be performing with me!" huffed Lucy.

"This is a talent show act? Good grief!" sighed Heather.

"Why don't you perform with someone else, Lucy?" asked Schroeder.

"I've got it!" suggested Heather.

Heather walked home and went into her backyard.

"Snoopy! Oh, Snoopy!" Heather called.

"Huh?!" Snoopy exclaimed.

"Come with me, Snoopy." Smiled Heather. "I want you to do something for me and Schroeder."

"Hmm." Snoopy pondered.

Heather and Snoopy walked back to Schroeder's house. And to no surprise at all, Schroeder was back on his piano, and Lucy was leaning at the end of it.

"Oh, Schroeder! If I give you a kiss, will you let me perform with you?" asked Lucy.

"One way to find out." Said Schroeder simply.

So Lucy closed her eyes and puckered up. Heather noticed Lucy had her eyes closed, so she ordered Snoopy onto the piano. Snoopy, seeing Lucy's eyes were closed, puckered up too. And when Lucy least expected it, Snoopy kissed her lips. Lucy opened her eyes to see…..

"BLEGH! I've kissed a dog!" cried Lucy in disgust. "Ugh! My mouth is full of dog germs! I'm poisoned! I'm poisoned! I'm poisoned!"

Lucy got off Schroeder's piano and ran out of Schroeder's place to wash her mouth.

"Good one, Heather!" laughed Schroeder.

"Thanks, Schroeder." Smiled Heather and both Schroeder and Heather high-fived.

"Now where were we? Oh yes. Your dancing, and my music." Schroeder said.

"Just try and stop me." smiled Heather.

Heather held her hands up in the air, stood on her tippy toes, and Schroeder played his music.

Meanwhile, Charlie Brown brought Frieda to his place, and got ready to practice. Sally came in to see what was going on.

"What's going on here? Big Brother! Why are you performing with Frieda?" asked Sally.

"I wanted to perform with Heather, but she's performing with Schroeder." Said Charlie Brown.

"I'm performing with your brother, Sally." Said Frieda.

"So…. Are you gonna saw Frieda in half, Big Brother?" asked Sally.

"Good grief no! I don't wanna risk having my naturally curly hair cut!" cried Frieda.

"Saw Frieda in half?" Charlie Brown pondered. "Hmm… This may be risky, but it'll be worth a shot."

"I guess so, but be careful, Charlie Brown. Don't get in the way of my naturally curly hair." Warned Frieda.

"While you two practice, I'm going to practice with my sweet babboo." Said Sally.

"You mean to tell me you're going to the zoo?" Frieda asked.

"No, not "baboon"! "Babboo!"" laughed Sally.

"She always calls Linus her sweet babboo." Explained Charlie Brown.

After Heather had finished her dance, she took a bow, and looked at Schroeder.

"So, was I good or what?" asked Heather.

"You were wonderful, Heather." Said Schroeder. "We're sure to win this talent show."

"Well, that's enough practice for today. I have to go home now. See you tomorrow, Schroeder. We'll practice some more." Said Heather.

"Well! What do you think of that?" said Schroeder.

As Heather made it back to her street, she thought for a minute.

"I could pay another visit to Charlie Brown." Heather thought. So she went over and knocked on the door of the Brown place, and Charlie Brown went to answer it.

"Hi, Heather!" cried Charlie Brown.

"Hello, Charlie Brown. Just thought I'd drop by and see how you're going." Said Heather.

"I'm fine, Heather." Said Charlie Brown.

"Still upset that I can't be your partner in the talent show?" asked Heather sweetly.

"No. In fact, I got someone else to perform with." Said Charlie Brown.

"Who?" asked Heather.

"Come to the backyard, Heather." Suggested Charlie Brown.

Heather walked into the backyard, and saw who Charlie Brown's talent show partner was.

"Frieda?!" cried Heather.

"You did suggest another red-haired girl to team up with, didn't you, Heather?" asked Charlie Brown.

"I did." Said Heather.

"Charlie Brown and I are going to do a magic act together." Said Frieda.

"Ah, is this what you wanted to do at the other talent show, Charlie Brown? Is that why you wore your best suit?" asked Heather.

"It is. After seeing Sally flunked her act at that other talent show, I had to abandon my act and help her." Said Charlie Brown.

"You were funny there, Charlie Brown. And you were so compassionate too." Smiled Heather.

"Just as you left for camp that summer, Sally admitted that she's proud to be my little sister." Charlie Brown said.

"I knew Sally loved her big brother deep down." Heather thought to herself.

"Well, Frieda and I will have to continue with our magic act. Nice of you to pay another visit, Heather." Said Charlie Brown.

"Nice seeing you here, Heather." Said Frieda. "While you're here, why don't you watch a few tricks we've been thinking up?"

In the backyard, Heather got out a chair, and sat down to watch Charlie Brown and Frieda perform. Charlie Brown thought for a second.

"Heather, Snoopy's still at your place, isn't he?" asked Charlie Brown.

"He is." Replied Heather.

"I'll go get him." Said Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown went across the street. He rang the doorbell, and Heather's mother answered.

"Hi. Mind if I go into your backyard for a bit?" asked Charlie Brown.

Mrs. Wold answered yes.

"Thanks, Ma'am." Said Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown went to the backyard and much to his surprise, there was Snoopy with Fifi, and he was kissing Fifi's front paw.

"Good grief!" sighed Charlie Brown.

"Huh?!" Snoopy exclaimed.

"Snoopy! How are you doing at Heather's?" Asked Charlie Brown.

"Ah!" said Snoopy as he showed a smile, showing he enjoyed being at Heather's place. Living at this house was not just the girl of Charlie Brown's dreams, but the dog of Snoopy's dreams.

"I need you for the talent show, Snoopy. You wouldn't mind bringing Fifi over, would you? Because we're going to perform a magic act." Charlie Brown said.

"Ooooh!" Snoopy exclaimed.

Charlie Brown waited as Fifi went into her doghouse and out she came with some cardboard boxes.

"Why can't Heather have a normal dog?" sighed Charlie Brown.

Charlie Brown set up the disappearing box, Snoopy drew the curtains, and Heather watched.

"Now, the Great Browndini shall perform his transformation act!" Charlie Brown announced. "Any volunteers?"

"Me! But watch the curls!" Called Frieda.

"You watch as I turn this naturally curly haired girl into a dog!" Charlie Brown announced again.

"Ooh! This sounds exciting!" Heather said to herself.

"As Frieda goes into this box and shuts the door, she will become a dog by the time she opens it." Charlie Brown said mysteriously.

Frieda closed the door of the box.

"Abracadabra, Alakazog. This curly-haired girl will turn into a dog!" Charlie Brown uttered, and then….

The door opened, and out stepped Fifi.

"Ta-da!"

"Wow! Frieda's turned into my Fifi! That's amazing work!" cheered Heather. "You might win this talent show, Charlie Brown!"

"Thank you! Thank you!" cheered Charlie Brown.

"But….. where did Frieda go?" asked Heather.

Charlie: Fifi, you step back in.

Fifi walked back into the box, and shut the door.

"Curly hair you'll want to meet her, watch this dog turn back to Frieda!" Charlie Brown uttered.

The door opened, and out came Frieda.

"Ta-da!" Frieda cheered.

"That was amazing!" Cheered Heather, clapping her hands. "Er, Charlie Brown."

"Yes?" asked Charlie Brown.

"I…. er…. Have to go home now. My folks will be wondering where I've been." Said Heather.

"Alright. Nice to have you here." Said Charlie Brown.

"Come along, Snoopy and Fifi." Said Heather.

As Heather, Snoopy and Fifi made it back to her place, Heather continued her singing.