"I hope you all have enjoyed yourselves tonight, I know I have, but it's time to end this grand time, as the judges count down the winners."
"Of course Schroeder is going to win," Peppermint Patty concluded.
"I would have to agree," Marcie added.
"Who's going to be surprised if Schroeder wins," Violet asked.
"Nobody, because he's my boo and the best," Lucy swooned.
"I hope Frieda gets a spot, she was so good," Patty said.
"If not, we got her back," Lamar said.
"That's right," Roy said.
"In second place; Frieda."
They cheered and clapped for her.
"She deserved to place," Lucy said.
Frieda stepped out, and took a bow, taking her trophy.
"And finally… in first place… Schroeder."
They roared just as hard as they did for Frieda. He stepped out, took his bow, trophy, and looked at Frieda, she mouthed the words "not yet", while waving her arms.
"As first place winner, you've earned an encore, young man."
The crew wheeled out the piano again, as his friends, and Lucy continued to clap. The audience grew quiet as he once again approached the bench. Frieda gave him a moment, before pulling out her viola, waited for the right moment and struck a long chord as she stepped back on stage matching his music with hers. Schroeder glanced up without missing a beat, and continued on with a smile.
"What is she doing during my Schroeder's solo," Lucy growled.
"They sound great together," Charlie spoke.
"It's so romantic," Sally, Three, and Four said.
"Mm-hm," Linus nodded.
"That's dope," Lamar said.
"I like that, don't you, Shermy," Peggy said.
"Oh yeah, looks like there's more than music going on," Shermy said.
Frieda slowly moved around the stage as if a slow dance, at the angle the piano was positioned, she was able to be seen when she sat on the bench, two crew members rotated the large dolly that held the piano, aiming the two teens front and center.
"I can't believe they're doing a duet," Patty spoke.
"You think that was their plan," Heather asked.
"No, it was all her, she wanted to surprise him," Patty explained.
As the song came to an end; Frieda stopped on another long, but high note, leaving Schroeder to finish the song. Both stood up, she placed her viola and bow on the bench, they bowed to a standing ovation, Frieda reached for his hand as they stepped to the edge of the stage, and bowed together.
"Now," she spoke loud enough for him to hear.
When they came up from the bow; Frieda placed her hands on his shoulders, he grabbed her hips, and they kissed deeply, stirring up another round of applause.
"Oh shit! Uh… Lucy…," her eyes grew wide.
"Are they… are they- no… no! He can't," she froze, her whole ideology crashing down.
As the recital ended, and people started leaving, Schroeder and Frieda came out to meet their friends.
"You two are already dating, aren't you," Patty hugged Frieda.
"Yeah we are, that was the real surprise for everybody," she smiled.
"Frieda… baby, I am still astonished that you pulled that duet off."
"Why? That's why I was having you teach me how to play piano, so I could figure it out. I hope you liked it."
"If you say anything about how Beethoven blah, blah, blah," Peppermint Patty threatened.
"No, no, I loved it," he kissed Frieda.
"You'd better," Sally said.
"Guys, that was brilliant," Shermy said.
"Oh yeah, so romantic," Peggy added.
"I've never liked classical music so much, we came for Schroeder, and got a two for one," Melody smiled.
"Lucy, we gotta go," Violet shook her.
Lucy snapped out of it, looked around and saw Frieda and Schroeder kiss again.
"Lucy!"
She got up with tears in her face, walked as fast as she could to the group.
"Is that Lucy," Five asked, catching everybody's attention.
"Uh-oh… know why she's here," Tapioca warned.
"And she looks upset," Marcie deduced.
"Is this why nobody wanted me here, huh‽ Because of them two‽"
"Lucy wait, just stop," Violet ran up.
"Answer me! What is this, you two are dating, for how long?"
"Calm down Lucy," Linus ordered.
"Shut the fuck up! I'm the one who wanted Schroeder the longest, I was the one throwing myself at him, and he… he choses Frieda of all people, how long has this been going on‽"
"We don't know, Lucy, they just sprung this on us tonight," Charlie spoke calmly.
"I don't believe you," she growled.
"It's true. We didn't tell anybody, because we didn't want you to know… and do this, but here we are, huh? We were afraid of what you'd do," Frieda explained.
"And you should be, you stole my man."
"Shermy, did you tell them about tonight," Peppermint Patty asked.
"No, I didn't, I swear Trish!"
"You expect me to believe that; you kept this from your girlfriend, Violet," She snapped.
"He's telling the truth! He didn't tell me or Lucy- she found out about it and told me. I didn't want to be here at all, she made me come," Violet explained.
"Wait… your man, he's not, nor ever was yours, crazy bitch," Frieda snapped.
"This is getting good," Melody whispered to the twins.
"I'm going to nip this in the bud, right now," Schroeder finally spoke, "I never wanted you, or liked you like that. At one time I generally considered you a friend, despite your pestering, but you just got worse and never stopped. Frieda changed, Frieda is pleasant to be around, she doesn't bully people, or judge them by vapid, bullshit standards, like you two do- even Patty's trying to redeem herself. Look at you! I've said it ad nausium, get it through your thick skull; I can't stand you, or what you stand for, in fact I'm sick of you."
"I love him, we've been good together, just take the L, L, grow the fuck up, you cruel, selfish cunt," Frieda added.
"How can you say those things," she asked.
"The truth," they both spoke.
"Face it Lucy… you're a bane on our existence, and I just knew that amnesty you were trying to seek was false, this proves it," Linus snapped.
"I knew you were right," Sally agreed.
"Th-that's different, if you'd- can't believe I started missing you, Frieda… this really hurts," she turned and walked away, before she cried in front of them.
They all looked at Violet, who grew nervous.
"Mm'kay… I know we aren't friends, but I did try convince her not to come, I tried to keep her from running over here. I really, honestly am sorry. She was enjoying herself, but when she saw the kiss, she broke- I'm so embarrassed," Violet explained.
"You're going to go get her, right," Charlie asked.
"And deal with her crying? Even I knew she had no chance with Schroeder, it was a damn pipe dream, she has nothing to cry about, and snapped for nothing. Congrats, to the both of you, seriously, you were great," she turned around and left.
"Uh, bye Violet," Shermy spoke up, "not even a kiss?"
"It's probably just the situation, Shermy," she rubbed his back.
"You two might wanna watch your back, you know how Lucy can get," Melody warned.
"Oh we know it very well, and I'm not dealing with it anymore," Linus explained.
"Don't let her ruin your night, you two came out, both won, let's salvage the rest," Peggy said.
"You're right, Peggy-Jean, the nights still young, we're all coupled up, let's have a mega date," Peppermint Patty exclaimed.
"Not all of us, Trish," Marcie informed.
"Well, the rest of you can pretend!"
"I guess we could pretend again, right Charlie," Patty smiled.
"Wanna play pretend, Shermy," Peggy asked.
"Maybe…"
Lucy ran as far as she could, until she ran out of breath, the tears freely falling, while she walked the rest of the way home. Once there, she closed her bedroom door and cried, ignoring her parents checking in.