"I can't believe I was talked in to this," Lucy moaned.

"Be still before this thing pokes you in eye," Patty applied eyeliner, "and try not to cry today, promise me?"

"I'll try, Patty. I just have stuff on my mind, I can't talk about."

"Yes you can. Nobody is going to judge you for anything, Sweetheart, we love you. Everybody is fighting for you."

"It's just… I don't… there's an opportunity I feel like I screwed up."

"Honey… we all get second chances," she steps back, "Lucy, you are gorgeous. Look at you, a whole new woman."

Lucy looks at her reflection, "I don't feel new."

"We are going to get some good food, and start a new beginning, Charlie took Rerun to school, so we can get right on it," Patty lead her downstairs.

"Damn Lucy… look at you," Linus blurted, "you look like the most beautiful girl… that I can't legally date."

"Nice save, Blockhead," Patty kissed him.

They walked to her car, Lucy looked at the spot where Charlie's car is parked. Patty calls Violet.

"Don't worry… you'll see him later," Linus whispered.

"Yes Violet, she's wearing it, I'm taking her and Linus to breakfast and we'll be at school.. okay, see you later," she hung up.


"Okay… so Charlie will be here soon, how are we going to keep Lucy from seeing him, if this hair-brained scheme is gonna work," Peppermint Patty leered at Violet.

"I know she won't get anywhere near me, so I don't actually need to stay on Charlie, I can for more or less block off a hallway to detour her another route, if I look annoyed, she'll certainly stay away."

"Great idea, Schroeder," Marcie stated.

"Believe what you want, but I want them together if it makes Lucy happy again," Violet scowled, "I gave it some thought and this is just like what you guys went through with Charlie… because of me… I just want to thank all of you for caring about Lucy. I don't think Patty, Frieda, and I could've done anything major to help her. I made a promise to her, I wouldn't give him a hard time anymore."

"You'd better not," Peppermint Patty threatened.

"I can chat him up some, we have two classes together," Franklin added.

"So basically we just keep him distracted until lunch, it's the only time him and Lucy are in the same room. Question is; how do we hold him up for lunch," Frieda wondered.

"Oh… leave that to me, I'll stall him. Just trust me at least this one time, I promise I won't sabotage, it was my idea after all!"

"Please, guys," Frieda begged.

"Okay, I'll trust you this one time," Peppermint Patty agreed.

"Sure Violet, do ya thing," Franklin added

"If Frieda trust you, I can trust you," Schroeder agreed.

"It is your idea," Marcie agreed.


"Hiya Chuck, I just wanted to thank you for hanging out with Marcie and me, we tried not to get to handsy," she looked around for Lucy.

"Ummm yeah, sure Trish. I don't expect you two, to not do things because I'm around, it doesn't bother me that much."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, hell I was the one who helped you get with her."

"You're a great guy, Chuck, there's a chick out there for ya, she'll find you sooner than you think," she spotted Lucy."

"You might be right."

"Fuck yeah I am, we'll be double dating before ya know it," she patted him on the back, turning him away, "We best be getting to class."


"Charlie Brown, I got a proposal for ya, bruh," Franklin walked with him out of class.

"What's that, Frank?"

"You still play guitar, I've been thinking about a band."

"I could use some practice, not much of a singer, though."

"It's cool, I've got it in the planning stages. I can sing, I want a female co-singer though, gotta figure out if Frieda could be up for it."

"I think Lucy might sing too."

"Really? I'll think about it, man."


Lucy saw Charlie and Franklin appear in the hallway, she wanted to talk to him, but Frieda and Sally intercepted.

"Girl, you look good, got something special planned."

"You'd hafta ask Violet, she wanted me to wear it."

"I knew that would be perfect for you, we'll talk more at lunch, I don't want to be late," Frieda walked off.

"Ugh… same," Sally ran.

Lucy looked around, sighing when Charlie disappeared.

She was really wanting to show Charlie her outfit, but everybody seemed to want a piece, or Schroeder was blocking her way, and he seemed upset. She was going to talk to him next break regardless. She saw Charlie by himself and made her move, not seeing Schroeder walk out of class. Violet and Linus weren't too far behind her, they started waving, jumping, and pointing to get Schroeder's attention. He caught on and saw Charlie, quickly moving in. Lucy saw him and turned around, Violet pushed Linus in a random classroom, watching her sulk by.

"It's almost over, Linus."

"Good. I can't stand this."

"It's almost over."


Everybody sits with Lucy at lunch, Schroeder sits as close as he can.

"You seemed so happy yesterday, what's going on, Lucy," Patty asked.

"I just had my hopes up for something, but it didn't happen."

"There's still a whole day left, no need to lose hope," Marcie added.

"Oh," Violet blurted and ran out the cafeteria.

She ran to the hallway to see Charlie talking to Patty, walking up to them.

"You're right, you have been popular today, see you at lunch," she walked off.

"Just the guy I wanted to see," Violet smiled.

"Not in the mood for your bullshit," he started to walk away.

"Charlie, no, no, no, no! No bullshit I swear! Hear me out," she begged.

"Mmm… hell no."

"It's about Lucy!"

"What about Lucy, something happened," he turned around.

"She needs you," Violet swallowed, "needs you to… look… even I noticed you are not that loser kid anymore, I'm sorry I treated you the way I did, I didn't care that I and my friends were big reasons why you were the way you were. We don't hafta be friends if you don't want to, it was brought to my attention that what Lucy is going through is kinda like what you were and we understand what your friends went through, I see through Lucy what you did."

"Your point?"

"You're a whole new guy, the old Charlie wouldn't have raced me on the street! Stop playing around like you're that wishy-washy kid and go to Lucy… you're the key to fixing her, she's too scared to say anything, you understand? It's time for the real test of who you are now. This isn't Heather, this is a girl that knows and wants you! I promised… everybody to stop looking down on you. Show me you're a man worth respecting and not break that heart in there that has been longing for you. I'm not asking you to prove me wrong… prove her right. All that love in her heart needs to go somewhere," Violet teared up, "show her she's not wasting it on you, she's wasted enough of it!"

Charlie looked at her, gave her a hug, "okay."

Violet wiped her face and quickly walked in the lunchroom," Lucy, stand up, I have your gift."

Linus and Frieda helped her up and walked her to the aisle in clear view. Charlie walked in, catching her eyes like a runway in the fog, her face was full of sorrow, doubt, anxiety, but he saw beauty, her jean jacket made her eyes shimmer, the black capris matched her hair, a girl he knew for a long time, yet he'd never seen her before. She turned her head as he stood in front of her.

"Everything is going to be okay," he held her chin.

She looked at him with big sad eyes.

"Lucy, I'm madly in love with you, and I know you love me," he kissed her.

"Charlie… how could you ever love me," she whispered.

"Because you are worth loving."

"You've been on my mind, you're the reason I wake up everyday, I love you so much it hurts me."

"Let it all out, give me all of your love so it doesn't hurt," he kissed her again.

She held him tight, not wanting the kiss to end.

"You'll never be lonely again, Lu-lu, I am forever yours," he whispered.

"Don't let him go, Lucy," Violet said still crying.

"Nobody else deserves my sister, like you, Charlie."

"It's so crazy, it has to be fate," Schroeder smiled.

"He's the key to your happiness, Lucy," Frieda wiped tears from her face.

Lucy looked at her friends crying with her, she turned to Charlie; "I can't wait to see you after school… and everyday after that," she kissed him again.