"What is that noise," Lucy watches the windows shake.
"That… my dear sister; is Charlie's new car. You ready Rerun?"
They walk outside, to the car, Linus and Rerun take the backseat.
"I hafta sit in front with Charlie?"
"I don't bite, Lucy."
"Fine. By the way…"
Charlie stares at her intently, locking eyes with her.
"…your car is uglier in the daylight," she turned away from him.
"I've been having a hard time believing the sincerity of your insults, lately. Are you feeling okay today, Lucy?"
"Why do you care?"
"I just do, does it bother you?"
"A little."
Lucy starts to notice the small glances Charlie keeps giving her while he drives. She tries not to enjoy riding in his car, Linus is watching her steal quick glimpses at him.
"Watch it, jerk," she cries out, when she puts her hand on his, on the center console.
"Okay…"
"See ya later guys. I love you Lucy," Rerun got out at his school."
"Love you too, Rerun."
"Take care, kid," Charlie replied.
"Aieght, lil bro."
"Why are you just taking my insults in stride, Charlie, what's wrong with you, like seriously?"
"Come up with better insults, or find another way to make yourself feel better? I don't know what to tell you, Lucy."
He threw the car in a right hand turn, she instinctively braced herself, holding his arm, quickly letting go when he straightened up.
"You did that on purpose!"
"Nope."
"You're such a loser, you know that? This… this car, you think it makes you better than me?"
She gasped when he stomped the throttle, the car spun it's tires, the rear end kicked out sideways, she grabbed the door and Charlie's hand, holding until the car straightened back up.
"You good Linus?"
"Never better, Charlie, you okay, Lucy?"
"I'd be fine if he stopped scaring me," she snapped, "could be some car-eating telephone poles around here."
"You're not scared," Linus laughed.
"I am too!"
"Doesn't seem like you're hearts in those insults, Lucy, c'mon, you can talk to me."
"I don't want to, I'd wish you'd stop looking at me and watch the road."
"Doesn't matter… we're here now," he pulls in the student lot.
"Th-thank you, for the ride," she jumps out and runs off.
"I think you might have had her on the ropes, man."
"You think so?"
Lucy starts to notice throughout the day that Charlie has been watching her at any given moment, the two classes they have together, it's like his eyes are drilling in to her head. He seems to just be brushing off any rude comment she makes, though she can't seem to think of anything crass enough to drop his head, there is no material for her to use. Unlike her, everything seems to be going right for him. He has a car, friends, he gets good grades… and friends; this is the first time she noticed that he has more friends than she does, even when she wasn't distancing herself because of her depression. The depression she can't shake; her usual antics don't work, they seem to make it worse.
"Lucy! How're you doing? I miss you."
"Frieda," she turns around.
"Lucy… how are you doing, I hope you're getting better."
"I'm… are you still with Schroeder?"
"Yes, and happy."
"Good," she smiles, "I'm happy you're still together."
"Patty told me you talked to Sally about leaving Linus alone, so they can date, that was a nice thing you did. We need to hang out again, don't you want to still be my friend?"
"I do want to, I just feel like I don't deserve you, Frieda."
"Trust me, you deserve it. You can't be alone, let us back in."
"Hey, you ready for lunch," Schroeder walked up.
"Guuah! Sorry, sorry, sorry," Lucy ran off.
"Awe fuck. Yeah, let's go."
"I really wish she wouldn't be afraid of me. I want you to be friends with her again," he holds her.
Lucy runs towards Charlie, he steps in her way.
"Yo, Lucy, who are you running from?"
"Schroeder," she holds him, "I was talking to Frieda and he came out of nowhere!"
"Whoa, stop panicking. He's not gonna hurt you, in fact he wants you to be friends with Frieda," Charlie explained. "I wouldn't let him hurt you anyway, you're going through enough."
She was starting to feel comfort in his embrace, until she realized who it was.
"I don't need your pity," she broke free of him, "how dare you grab me!"
"I don't. You grabbed me."
"Look-"
"Hey Charlie… the fuck are you doing to my friend," Violet questioned, still mad about the race, "she doesn't need your pathetic ass around her."
"What the fuck, Violet?!"
"C'mon Lucy… ignore this trash," she grabbed her hand, pulling her away.
Charlie watched in astonishment, then for a small moment she looked back at him
Lucy nervously sits at a lunch table with Violet, "why are you by yourself?"
"Today is the day that Patty and Frieda sit with their boyfriends," she points.
Lucy looks on the other side at Peppermint Patty, Patty and Linus, Frieda and Schroeder, and Charlie Brown. Charlie, the man has become an enigma.
"Plus Shermy has a different lunch. I sit with them sometimes, it would be nice to hang with you again."
"Yeah? It's just been hard, Violet."
"I know, how about after school we go shopping at the mall, that should cheer you up. You need friends in times like this, even dumbass over there knows that."
"I find it hard to face Frieda, knowing what I did, I don't feel like a good friend."
"Patty and Linus told me what you did for them, with Sally. You are a good friend, come to the mall with me, my treat."
"Okay, I'll go."
"Hey Lucy," Patty walked up with Linus, "I wish you would stop avoiding us."
"I'm sorry," she lowered her head.
"Patty! Don't say it like that," Violet spoke through gritted teeth.
"Oh my bad, sorry Lucy, I didn't mean it like that, I swear," she hugged her, "I love you girl."
"She's going to go to the mall with us."
"Cool," Frieda exclaimed, "Schroeder, you might wanna hang back."
Lucy looked up to see him with his hands up, backing up slowly.
"Can I hug you?"
"Sure Frieda, I'd like that."
"I missed you so much," she hugged her tight.
"I missed you too, girl," Lucy hugged back.
Lucy checked to see if Schroeder was still on the other side of the room, she caught Charlie smiling at her.
"Little Bro… can I talk to you in the hallway, please?"
"Yeah, Lucy… whassup?"
"Be right back," she got up.
"Why is Charlie smiling at me," she demanded.
"He's happy you're with your friends."
"I think he's laughing at me."
"No the fuck he's not," he snapped at her.
"Why else would he ask how I'm doing, and offer me a ride to school, protect me from Schroeder, and… and try to take care of my scratches?!"
"Because he doesn't hate you, duh!"
"But it's like we switched places; he's the popular one, and I'm the pathetic one, why would he not take advantage of that?"
"Because he isn't you, Lucy, he gives a shit about you despite everything else," he stated matter-of-factly.
"It doesn't make sense at all."
"Of course it doesn't, because you're depressed! Charlie… you asked me to help you, dude," he sighs, "this is the best I got, man."
"Out with it."
Linus took a deep breath and yelled; "because he's in love with you, stupid!"
