CHAPTER 2: X's AND ZEROS REVISITED
The team was in the locker room. Peppermint Patty was going over the strategy. It was Déjà Vu. What was happening was another Homecoming game. There wasn't any school junior football so they were part of a co-op pee-wee football league. The Homecoming theme was a formality. They wanted to do something that the high schoolers were doing and so they put on their own Homecoming game and dance. After going over the strategy for the game, Patty asked if there were any questions.
"I have a question," said Franklin.
"It's not about if we're the X's or Zeros again, is it, Franklin?" she asked.
"No, it's who's going to tee the ball for our kicker?"
"I'll do it," Lucy volunteered immediately. Charlie Brown looked nervous. He glanced at Peppermint Patty for an answer.
"That's nice of you, Lucille," Patty began, "but I already chose Schroeder to hold the ball for the kicker."
"What?!" Lucy was shocked that she was thwarted from humiliating Charlie Brown, who breathed a sigh of relief when he heard who was holding the ball. He knew Schroeder wouldn't do anything underhanded.
Patty finished up, "I'm going to need you in the line of scrimmage." Lucy folded her arms in disappointment. She relished in making Charlie Brown look like a fool, and she wouldn't be doing it this time. "And so I can keep an eye on you," Patty thought to herself in regards to Lucy.
"All right let's get out there and win!" Patty finally said, and everyone started running for the field to play. Charlie Brown says to Peppermint Patty on the way out there, "Thanks, Patty."
"No problem, Chuck," she said. "I've got your back."
They ran out onto the field, where Snoopy was cheering with the cheerleaders again. However he wasn't officiating the game this time. Instead it was his tennis mixed doubles partner Molly Volley who was serving as referee. She didn't do any of that showboating Snoopy did. Lucy took notice and said to herself, "Molly Volley's the referee this year?"
"All right, Patricia," Molly said. "Call it!" And Molly tossed a coin in the air.
"Heads," said Patty. It landed on "tails" again like before. "Good grief, tails AGAIN?!"
"All right," said Molly. "Patricia, your team will kick off; their team will receive." Both Patty and the other team's captain went to their respective sides. And Molly blew the whistle to begin the game.
"Are you ready, Charlie Brown?" asked Schroeder, already holding the ball.
"For once, Schroeder, I am ready and looking forward to this game," said an enthusiastic Charlie Brown.
And then Charlie took off for the ball and kicked it pretty far. Everyone was impressed by Charlie's distance. Frieda, who was on the cheerleading squad with Melanie and Snoopy, was watching from the sideline.
"Way to go, sweetie!" she said to herself. She turned to Snoopy, who was walking up. "Snoopy, we should keep watch on your owner; just to make sure that Lucy doesn't pull anything funny." Snoopy nodded in agreement.
As the other team grabbed the ball, they ran for their end zone, only to be tackled by Patty's team. Charlie Brown was already back at the sideline sitting at his team's bench with Linus. "That was a great kick, Charlie Brown," Linus said.
"Thanks, Linus," said Charlie Brown. "Without your crazy sister holding the ball, I can finally have a decent showing on the field."
"I wonder why she always wants to pull the ball away from you all the time anyway," said Linus. "And even during an important game she does that."
"I'm just glad my name has been cleared of losing the last Homecoming game. Now I can prove that I wasn't at fault for that."
Later in the game, it's the other team's turn to kick off. Molly blew the whistle. The other team's kicker runs for the ball and kicks it. Peppermint Patty caught the ball and started running for her team's end zone. They got tackled midway there.
The cheerleaders cheered, "Two, four six eight! Who do we appreciate? Patty! Patty! Peppermint Patty!"
Franklin hiked the ball to Pig Pen, who passed it to Patty, who ran it into their end zone for a touchdown. Linus said to Charlie Brown, "Time for the extra point, Charlie Brown." Talk about Déjà vu, Charlie Brown thought to himself as he ran towards the huddle.
"Okay, Chuck," Patty began, "send it between the beams and we'll hold 'em back for ya!" They break and Charlie Brown ran back while Schroeder waited for the ball. The ball was tossed to Schroeder and Charlie Brown ran up and kicked it, sending it through the goal posts for the extra point.
The cheerleaders began to cheer, "Charlie! Charlie! He's our man! If he can't do it, no one can!" After the cheer, Frieda waved to Charlie Brown on the field. Charlie Brown waved back with a smile toward his girlfriend as he got ready for the kickoff. Once Molly blew the whistle, Charlie Brown ran and kicked the ball toward the other team who received it. He was finally getting redeemed for the last Homecoming game where everyone thought he lost the game for the team. While everyone finally learned it was Lucy who was really at fault, he felt now folks will see that he wasn't a total loser and was a pretty decent football player.
Somewhere else far away from the game, at a modest home, Thibault was packing some clothes in a suitcase, like he was going on a trip. He walked into his closet and grabbed some more clothes and put it in his suitcase. He stopped for a little while and grabbed a brochure sitting on his bed. It read "Melendez Military School".
NEXT CHAPTER: "WE KNOW WHO OUR ZERO IS; AND IT ISN'T CHARLIE BROWN!"