Word had spread all over school that Lucy beat up Frieda, several people were talking and putting Lucy on edge, still not being all the way well, she also had to watch her moves to avoid vertigo.

"You doing better today," Charlie appeared next to her.

"You might not want to be seen next to me, I know you hear the voices."

"I don't mind."

"The prodigal son, walking with the demon of the high school."

"Let them think what they want. I know you better than they do."

"I don't want anybody to think less of you."

"Lucy, worried about my wellbeing… tis such an honor," he gave her a side hug, when they walked in the cafeteria.

Lucy held back to put space between her and his friends in line. What they didn't know is some of them seen him hug her.

"Why would Charlie hug Lucy," Schroeder was mildly annoyed.

"You know how he is," Franklin said.

"That's not an excuse, she beat her up, that's a heavy thing to look away from."

"It really wasn't as bad as it could've been, I've seen her knock somebody out, once. I was just caught off guard."

"Don't make excuses, I've always wanted to tussle with Lucy, and see who's really bad," Peppermint Patty boasted.

"She was out of it, I don't think Lucy knew what she was doing. When I found her, she was sitting on the ground, hugging her knees, muttering the question; what did she do, what happened, and screaming your name, Frieda," Marcie explained.

"She did have that dead look on her face… and the way she collapsed like she did…," Frieda trailed off.

"No, it's no excuse, whatever she was going through doesn't matter, she still hurt you," Schroeder spat.

"That's what I'm saying," Linus sat down, "she's just a menace."

Lucy was walking to her table, when she felt herself about to fall, barely saving it.

"Oops, looks like you should pay attention," Molly sneered.

"Careful, we don't need you making a bigger mess if yourself. What did I do, where am I," Melody mocked.

Lucy managed to make it to her table with Violet and Amy.

"You don't look too good," Amy spoke.

"Vertigo," she held her head.

"What happened to you, I saw Charlie taking your scooter, why did you beat up Frieda‽"

"I don't know why I beat up Frieda, I really don't- I didn't know I did it until I was done. I never wanted to fight her, I wanted…," she trailed off, and held her head.

"The nurses office?"

"I didn't eat anything since before the recital, I was torn up over Schroeder… Linus chewing me out, and… you, Violet."

"Me‽ What did I do, but tell the truth‽"

"You hurt me, the way you were talking."

"I just tell it like it is, just like you, Lu."

"But it wasn't the right time. You should've been kinder… Pat would have."

"Yeah, I'm not Pat, sorry."

"I don't know how many times I've said Lucy is broken, Lucy wants to change, I have faith in her, she needs a friend," Charlie narrowed his eyes.

"You're just a people pleaser, Charlie Brown, that's what your problem is," Linus explained.

"And you can eat my ass. Rerun is a better brother than you."

"I agree with Charlie; I believe if she's treated with kindness, she will be a better person."

"Thank you Marcie."

"Marcie, you too," Schroeder exclaimed.

"She's been talking to me, because she has nobody else, other than Charlie. She's in pain, and not just because of you and Schroeder, she feels miserable over losing yours and Patty's friendship, she feels the very same about her relationship with you, Linus."

"What will it take for you people to actually listen to her, and let her try and make things right?"

"An act of God," Linus stated.

Lucy walked through the halls, and it shown her how many people liked Frieda over the years, Schroeder, and despised her, as she was bumped around, cursed at, made fun of. Somebody tripped her, she used all her strength not to cry and pull herself up before something worse happened.

"Are we going to see a repeat of yesterday, here's the answer; you fell is what happened," Lydia yelled at her.

Lucy pulled herself up, and moved as quick as she could to class, without causing vertigo. This went on the next class change, once they realized she wasn't that steady on her feet. Somebody shoved her into some lockers, her vision went a bit blurry.

"Char… Charlie…?"

"Boy, you've got screws loose… it's Charlotte, dummy! Just because you think Schroeder belongs to you, doesn't give you the right to beat up Frieda!"

"I know that, it was an accident."

"That's the dumbest excuse I ever heard," she laughed, "you'll get yours."

"You're in front of my locker, I'm trying not to be a misogynist, but I'll make an exception for you," Thibault said, as he shoved her out of the way.

"Stop it, damn it," Charlie ran up.

"You're defending Lucy‽"

"She's not feeling well, knocking her around is going to make it worse," he picked her up.

"Real simp energy, Charlie," Thibault closed his locker.

"Where's your next class, Lucy," Charlie walked away with her.

"The school has been putting your sister through the ringer, Sweetheart."

"I know, I'm worried about her, Marcie, what if she gets hurt too bad, and needs an ambulance? She's still kinda sick."

"I don't think Lucy is leaving school in one piece today. I didn't think that many people cared about me and Schroeder," Frieda said between classes.

"Maybe they just hate her more than they like you," Patty replied.

"There's that."

"Is it bad, that I feel bad for her? She really was a good friend, when Violet wasn't around."

"You're within your right to feel how you want to."

"We weren't that bad together, ya know. I won't lie, I miss the three of us, and I bet by now; Lucy does, too."

"I don't know about being Lucy's friend again, and having to deal with Vee again."

"Maybe if we all avoided Vee, she would change for the better."

"She has her talons stuck deep in Lucy, though."

"We need to get that bitch and teach her a lesson," Delores growled.

"I've been itching to," Molly agreed.

"Get who? Lucy " Charlotte walked up.

"Who else, chika?"

"Oh I'm game, but we need to make sure Charlie's out of the picture."

"What does he see in her, he needs to pick a side- friends or that cunt," Molly wondered.

"I don't think nobody's going to convict us, we should get that Violet, too," Delores stated.

"Time to put her in her place, ladies! She won't know what hit her," Charlotte laughed.

"Let's get her after lunch, so everybody can see how the mighty have fell," Delores explained, "see you girls later."

Lucy ran in to Frieda between classes, and wanted nothing but for her to ignore her, like she normally does.

"Lucy, I need to talk to you," she demanded.

"Yeah! Give her a talking to with your fist!"

"I'm not doing that, Lydia!"

"Go away, you're going to make it worse," she begged.

"Kick her in the balls!"

"Back off, Wallace," she grabbed Lucy and pulled her in the bathroom, "I want answers from your mouth."

"I never wanted to fight you… I just wanted to… ugh," she lost her balance.

"What's wrong with you," she stood akimbo.

"Vertigo… after Saturday, I was so hurt that I lost him to you… I stopped eating. I'm still recovering, somebody broke in my locker and stole my crash bars, so… it's kinda hard."

"Crash bars?"

"They're like full of stuff to help you when you're dehydrated, or whatever, vitamins, minerals, sugar, to help me recover."

"Okay, anyway; I was talking to Patty earlier, and she said that you might wanna start our friendship over?"

"I just wanted to apologize for everything. And I do miss you. I swear I didn't know what I did, Charlie told me I beat you up."

"You didn't know?"

"I don't even remember anything from yesterday except somehow getting to school, then to Charlie carrying me to the nurses and to his car is the last thing."

"Well… I don't know about us being friends. But I don't wanna be enemies. I just wanted the truth."

"I have never lied to you."

"Except when Vee was around," she walked out of the bathroom.