Disclaimer: The Peanuts characters belong to Charles Monroe Schulz, even in the wake of his passing.

He Never Made Promises Lightly

The knock at the front door was neither dainty nor subtle. As Charlie Brown moved to open it, he realized only one person owned a knock like that.

"Hiya, Chuck!" Patricia Reichardt hollered in her usual extroverted fashion.

"Hi, Patty," Charlie Brown greeted her back, intimidated by her presence as he usually was. "What brings you here?"

"Chuck, can't a football team's star quarterback come over to her ace kicker and tell him how swell she thinks he's turning out? That was some sick distance you got in today's practice."

Now, Charlie Brown was more accustomed to disparagements, maybe the occasional backhanded compliment, to the point where he didn't know how to react to positive statements from anyone other than his parents. "Well, I don't know, Patty—" he began, only for Peppermint Patty to cut him off.

"If I didn't know better, Chuck," she commented with a sly grin and mischievous twinkle of the eye, "I'd say you were trying your damnedest these past weeks to impress a certain girl…"

"We-e-ll—" he stammered another attempt at replying, but Patty was already a hundred miles ahead of him.

"Maybe a sporty, athletically built short-haired girl, huh? One with cute freckles. Is that who you had in mind, Chuck?"

"The thing is, Patty—" Charlie Brown attempted once more, and once more Patty interrupted. "Oh I get it, Chuck!" she blasted. "We've got our first game of the season this Saturday and you want to stay focused on your prep! No distractions, right? Eyes focused on the win! What a player! What dedication!"

At this point, Charlie Brown was frustrated at not being able to get in a single meaningful word. Unfortunately for him, Peppermint Patty caught on to his frustration and responded with some of her own. "Chuck, what the hell is your problem? I just came to pay you a friendly visit and you're acting like you don't want me around! Is that it, Chuck? You don't think I'm pretty enough for you?"

"No, it's not that! Not that at all!" Charlie Brown was about to insist, only…

"Then what?"

"Patty," he finally had an opportunity, "You're overreacting. You're overreacting and you won't be doing the team any good on Saturday if you take to the field in your current state." He then watched as a wave of realization washed over her. "You're right, Chuck, you're right. We shouldn't be arguing like this when there's a game on the line. I'm sorry I yelled at you like that. What say we shake on it and make up?" With that, she held out a hand, which he took for the promised handshake.

But then…

"You're holding my hand, Chuck!" Patty pointed out with however much seductive mystique she could muster. Charlie Brown immediately saw through to her intent and tried to relinquish his grasp, but Patty tightened her grip, effectively trapping him. Still smiling coquettishly she concluded her statement: "You sly dog!"

And so she used her superior grip and strength, together with Charlie Brown's shock and surprise, to pull him closer and plant a kiss fully on his mouth while using her free hand to secure the back of his head. From Patty's perspective, the kiss was steeped in her wishes and desires for Charlie Brown to acknowledge and accept her feelings towards him. She had her eyes closed as she savored every second of the action. Charlie Brown was the polar opposite; the suddenness and depth of Patty's kiss meant he was out of breath and gasping – begging – for air as her mouth covered his. Patty was unaware of his dilemma as she slowly pulled away from him, smiling most contentedly.

As if Charlie Brown's situation was not awkward enough, it had a witness.

There crouched Lucy, originally come to talk to Charlie Brown and inform him of her feelings towards him. Instead, she was now hidden behind the neighbor's hedgerow. Hidden and watching that blockhead's wishy-washiness on full display. She'd thought he'd grown a backbone with her, that he'd become more assertive, more daring. And there he was, letting Peppermint Patty walk all over him.

That fool! That spineless, useless milquetoast!

She felt her anger and frustration simmering over at the sight. The nerve of that damn Patty: how dare she. How dare she? Lucy watched as Peppermint Patty whispered something to Charlie Brown before turning to walk away. This was Lucy's chance! An opportunity to show herself and call out Patty's encroachment and Charlie Brown's spinelessness.

She was halfway to her feet when…

"Patty! Wait!" she heard the blockhead call.

"Yes, Chuck?" Patricia replied in a hopeful tone.

A heavy sigh from Charlie Brown, then: "Listen, I'm truly flattered that you feel about me the way you do."

"Oh I do, Chuck, I do!" the hoyden concurred with even more hope.

The boy braced himself with another heavy sigh. "But I'm sorry, I truly am," he followed up. "I can't return your feelings. There's someone else whom I truly care about."

"You're talking about Lucy, aren't you?" That statement surprised him in that it conveyed neither anger nor disappointment, but insight. Patricia's expression conveyed the selfsame insight, hinting at an awareness that going after the heart of Charlie Brown was now, more than ever, a fool's errand, a lost cause. But beyond the understanding lurked a profound hurt that she was trying her best to hide with a smile.

"I can kinda understand, Chuck," she responded. "I mean, I look at how close you two have become. How only you seem to reach her heart and soul and how she now accepts you for being you." Her breathing had started becoming hitched, but she pressed on. "But me being me, I thought you were forced into the…would you call it a relationship? Anyway," she had to pause to compose herself, "anyway…I…I thought I could make one last move…one last Hail Mary for you."

She paused again to choke back her emotions. "I thought to stampede my way through to you. Dominate the discussion. Not give you a chance to say anything, because…because I already knew what you were going to say, and I didn't want to hear it. I got your lips, Chuck, but Lucy's won your heart."

"Patty, I'm sorry," Charlie Brown repeated. What else could he say?

Peppermint Patty suddenly sprang to sudden ebullience and loudly announced: "Chuck, what the hell is wrong with us? A big game is coming up and here we are trying to sap each other's spirits! We should be thinking about how we'll be running the opposition ragged and annihilating them at every turn! I'm wasting my time here! I should be practicing my throwing arm! So long, Chuck!"

Lucy watched as Patty turned to run to wherever she was headed. Charlie Brown couldn't – but Lucy could – see the tears streaking across Patty's face. The faster she ran, the more strongly they streaked.

Lucy was left with new, uncharted admiration for Charlie Brown. He'd grown a backbone. For her, and her alone. She had to thank him for his commitment. Not now; she didn't want to upset his mindset for Saturday. Come Saturday, she'd know exactly how to show her love for him.

Yes, love.

And there you go, you wonderful, magnificent readers! Thanks as always for your reviews and comments. I'm happy to have you as invested in this story as you are, and will do my utmost not to betray your faith and expectations.