CHAPTER 4: CLEARING THE AIR

Peppermint Patty was elated to hear from Charlie Brown after all those years apart. They caught up on what they were up to. Charlie Brown had told her about during high school he had turned his life around and started asserting himself more, so much his former bullies and antagonists, even Lucy, started treating him with respect. He gave up on baseball and found that he was much better at soccer. He was part of the national champions for high school soccer teams. As far as friends he kept in contact with, Linus, of course, Schroeder, who, like Sally, was also in California, but in the Los Angeles area, Lucy, Frieda, Franklin, Marcie, and Pig Pen. He never sought out Violet due to their acrimonious history, but knew she was living in Missouri, away from her old life, which was fine with him. He also told her that he would never step foot in Sparkyville ever again in life. And when he went to visit Linus, virtually the last friend of his still there, they would always meet just outside of town at a bar where Charlie would frequent when near there on his route. Since he was his own boss, whenever he had deliveries, he'd drive around Sparkyville just to avoid going through there.

Patty also told him about how she moved to Leeville after her father's job transferred him there. She also mentioned that she was a high school dropout due to increasingly bad grades, and that she was bartending at a bar. She didn't bring up what happened between them the last time they talked to each other and neither did he. Though Charlie Brown did say that he would be passing through Leeville on his next trip and that he would stop in to catch up with her. She was elated that he was willing to see her, after all that had happened between them. She was ready and willing to see if she had a second chance with him.

A few days had passed and Charlie Brown had gotten in contact with Patty, letting her know that he was on his way to Leeville and that he would be contacting her when he was in town. She had gotten dressed up in some of her nicest clothes for him. Nothing fancy, but still nice. When he let her know he was in town, they agreed to meet at a diner on the west side of town. Patty went there first to save them a seat. She was anxious to see him. She saw a big rig pull up. When the door opened, she saw him for the first time in years. Charlie Brown had changed immensely. He had put on some muscle, his once round face had become more manly, but still short hair. He was puffing on a cigar as he made his way over to the diner. Before he entered, he put out said cigar and placed it in his shirt pocket for later. Then he went inside. He told the maître d that he was meeting up with someone. Patty flagged him down eagerly and he saw her and walked to the booth she was seated at. As he sat down, he regarded her coldly. Patty, for her part, was hopeful.

"Wow, you look good," she said.

"Thanks," said Charlie Brown. "Have you ordered yet?"

"Besides drinks, not yet," Patty replied. "How was the trip?"

"Eh, same ol', same ol'. Anyway, how have you been?"

"All right. Been keeping busy with work and all."

"I can identify with that." And the waitress came over to get their orders. After they ate their food Patty took Charlie on a ride in her Monte Carlo to a nice quiet spot where they could talk about all that had happened with them.

"Chuck, I'm not going to beat around the bush," Patty began. "You see, I acted the way I did with you because, well, I too, was wishy-washy. Maybe not in the way you were, but I hid mine by playing mind games, making it sound like you had a crush on me, when all of this time it was I who had a crush on you."

"I kind of suspected that," said Charlie Brown. "I didn't really see it then, but later in life, I had an inkling that you did like me for more than friends."

"But then our falling out happened," Patty continued. "We never spoke after that. Until today, we haven't talked in a long time. And I know I am to blame for that, because of my tendency to talk before I think. I was wrong to treat you like I did, Chuck. I liked you and, yet, I treated you as bad as Lucy and the others. In fact, I've always felt guilty about what I did to you, and I wanted to apologize to you for the longest time. I am so sorry for how I mistreated you, from calling you dull, boring, and wishy-washy, to blaming you for losing the Homecoming game, to telling you your story about your grandfather and Violette's aunt was wasted on you, for forcing you to be my watchdog after Snoopy bailed on the job. I was as awful to you as Lucy, Violet, and the others were, but I was much worse because unlike them, I was supposed to be the exact polar opposite of them and be your friend, when I acted just like them. No wonder you cut me out of your life for so long. I was a horrible person." Patty started crying soon afterward. Charlie Brown looked at her for a while, taking all that she said in.

"Patty," he began, "that's all I wanted from you. It may have taken a while for you to see that, but I am glad you do. That's what sets you apart from Lucy, Violet, and some of those kids who teased me. You see that you messed up and hurt me. Those others were never able to grasp that. Even to this day, Lucy still acts the same as she did when she was little, only now she's an adult. I don't know if Linus ever told you this, but while Lucy is living in New York City, she's not doing so well. She finally became a legit psychologist and got her own practice. But folks in the Big Apple don't like going to a shrink who bullshits her way through a session and insults them and belittles them. Her license to practice psychiatric help was revoked as a result. And Violet is so self-absorbed that she moved to Missouri to distance herself from her past, thinking someone would seek her out and try to convince her to come back into their lives, when everyone had moved on and forgotten about her. Hell she wasn't even invited to the upcoming reunion."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So Patty, yes you were awful to me at times, but you were also good to me most of the time. And the good outweighs the bad in your case. My blowup that day was just frustration from you blaming your issues on me, when I wasn't at fault at all. But you seemed to be afraid to approach me after that. After I had calmed down, I was fine, but I must've upset you myself."

"I was hurt that I hurt you, Chuck. I was afraid to approach you after that. You see, I was in love with you, and yet, I never knew how to convey those feelings. Marcie did it much better than I could, but I always played mind games and acted on impulse. But now, I don't bottle my feelings like I did when I was younger. I let someone know how I feel nowadays. Chuck, can you ever forgive me?"

"Patty, there's nothing to forgive. Let's just say we both acted crazy and that we need to be more open and honest with each other. Deal?"

"Deal." And they both went to shake hands. But Charlie Brown pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped her arms around him and sighed lovingly.

"I missed you, Chuck."

"I missed you too, Peppermint Patty."

NEXT CHAPTER: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?