CHAPTER 3: IT'S THE GREAT SETUP, CHARLIE BROWN!

ONE MONTH BEFORE THE PREVIOUS HOMECOMING GAME:

Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown were sitting under a tree. They were talking about the upcoming Homecoming game. Rumor had it was that a girl from Charlie Brown's school was in the running to be the Homecoming Queen. He didn't know who it was, though.

"Hey Chuck," Patty began, "you know we got the big Homecoming game coming up. And I need a kicker for our team. Would you be interested?"

"Me?" asked Charlie Brown. "I guess so."

"I know you're not that great at football, but I was told you were a great kicker."

"Who told you that?"

"Lucille was the one to suggest you."

"LUCY?! I wonder why she would suggest me, knowing that she's always pulls the ball away from me when we're off the field."

"I know she pulls that trick on you constantly, Chuck. But she promised that wouldn't happen during the game. She knows how important it is to us to win it."

"I don't know. I guess as long as she's not holding the ball, I guess it'll be okay."

"She is holding it, Chuck."

"Oh good grief!"

"Relax, Chuck. She wouldn't pull that knowing that it's a big game for us."

"I hope you're right, Patty. I just don't want to be made a fool of during the game."

"I understand, Chuck. Just keep that magic foot in shape for the game."

As that conversation was going on, elsewhere Lucy and Violet were having their own discussion about the game.

"You can congratulate me now," Lucy said with pride.

"Congratulate you for what?" wondered Violet.

"Congratulate me for coming up with the greatest scheme ever," said Lucy with an evil grin on her face. "I just convinced Peppermint Patty to add Charlie Brown to the football team for the Homecoming game. I told her he was one of the greatest football punters around. I told her while he wasn't that great at baseball, he was a great kicker for football."

"So?"

"You know how I always pull the ball away from him every year?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I'm going to do it on a grander scale at the game, multiple times when he comes up to kick the ball! And the best part is Peppermint Patty won't be paying attention because she'll be too busy in the line of scrimmage, so she is sure to blame him for messing up the kick, when in reality he missed it by no fault of his own. It will be the greatest humiliation towards Charlie Brown."

"What's so great about that, Lucy? Charlie Brown does a good job at humiliating himself without help. Why not just wait for him to mess up on his own?"

"You didn't hear the best part about this scheme, yet! Rumor has it that a certain little red-haired girl Charlie Brown likes so much has been nominated for Homecoming Queen. And I placed his name, along with Linus's name, in a ballot box to be the escorts for the Queen and her court."

"You didn't?!"

"I did! While I figured I was doing my brother a favor, in Charlie Brown's case, it will be the greatest humiliation. When everyone else blames him for losing the game, the little red-haired girl will probably not want anything to do with Charlie Brown at all. He will be crushed, and it will be so beautiful!"

"And I thought I was mean. Lucy, that's pretty bad, even for you. I may not think much of Charlie Brown, let alone like him, but I would never go out of my way to humiliate him in this fashion. I may put him down or point out how much of a simpleton he is to his face, but I would never try to purposely sabotage his chance of being a winner at something. Especially if the girl he likes is the Queen. I just pray he doesn't get chosen as part of the court."

"I guess that's the difference between me and you, Violet. You and Patty are content with putting him down; I just take it to the next level with complete and total destruction of any pride left in that blockhead."

"Well I won't try to stop you, Lucy, and I won't reveal your plans either. But know that you're on your own in this plan to hurt poor Charlie Brown."

"Oh well. More glory for me, I guess." Unbeknownst to Lucy or Violet, a mysterious figure was videotaping the entire conversation. The figure finished after both girls walked away.

PRESENT DAY

The game was going really well. Peppermint Patty's team was keeping up with the other team. Sometimes they get ahead, sometimes the other team would. But with Schroeder holding the ball for Charlie Brown instead of Lucy it made a huge difference. And Lucy so far never tried to hinder Charlie Brown's success at kicking the ball. In fact, she stayed in the line of scrimmage with the rest.

At one point, Patty's team was near their end zone. They got in a huddle and she said, "All right, team! I'm gonna go through the crowd and go for the T.D. and get us ahead." They break the huddle and get ready for the play.

"Hut One, Hut Two, Hut Three, HIKE!" Patty headed for the end zone only to be tackled by their defensive man.

Back in the huddle, a concerned Patty said, "Sorry guys. I couldn't make it. We're going to have to go for the field goal."

"Looks like they're going to have to goal for a field goal, Charlie Brown," Linus said. "You've been doing great today! Send that ball into the stratosphere!" And Charlie Brown got up to get ready for the field goal. He came to the huddle.

"Okay, Chuck," Peppermint Patty said, "it's all you! Send it in for the extra three!" They broke the huddle and Patty and the rest went back to the line of scrimmage.

"Hut One, Hut Two, Hut Three, HIKE!" Charlie Brown caught the ball and kicked it before the other team could tackle him. Last time he tried to kick it in at the last Homecoming game, he had gotten sacked by the other team before he could kick it. But this time he managed to score the extra three points they needed. They were still behind, but they were making a good showing for this game.

"Great job, Charlie Brown," said Schroeder after Charlie Brown scored the three points.

"Thanks, Schroeder," said Charlie Brown. "I'm finally getting redeemed for what happened at the last Homecoming game I played in." After that it was Halftime. The teams went back to their respective locker rooms to recuperate and go over more strategy.

Meanwhile, Thibault was walking by himself. He went to Joe's Café for a bite to eat. This would be the last time he went to Joe's for a while. He wanted to have a burger from there before he was to leave for Military School. While there he saw Roy sitting by himself.

"Hey Roy," he said to him.

"Oh hey, Thibault," Roy greeted.

"How come you're not at the Homecoming game?" Thibault asked.

"I didn't feel like going," said Roy. "I'm not that into football, anyway. I know my friends are playing in the game, but I rather stay back. When I was at the last game, Charlie Brown was made the fall guy for something that wasn't entirely his fault. And I didn't want to be around that scene."

"Can't say that I blame ya," Thibault agreed. "If you're wondering why I'm not there, I'm leaving tomorrow and I'm just getting ready for it."

"Leaving? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Melendez Military School. I need some structure in my life. My psychiatrist recommended it to my father and he asked me if I wanted to go. I said of course, if it will get me out of that awful remedial school I've been going to since the whole incident with my ex-girlfriend."

"Well I hope things work out for you."

"Me, too. I feel like I need this. Maybe I can even deal with my own anger issues." And Thibault went to the counter to order his food.

NEXT CHAPTER: AND THE PLOT THICKENS…