"Lucy, do you still have my keys?"
"Yeah I do, I forgot to give them to your parents."
"That's fine, just use my car so none of you have to walk."
"Are you sure?"
"I trust you, you've driven it before."
"Umm… thanks."
"Have a good day, Lu."
"I'll try, but I can't make any promises."
"Huh?"
"Well… Violet's parents found out she wasn't going to school, they're making her go."
"That does throw a wrench into things but she can't just avoid school," he huffed, "damn I wish I could be there."
"Me too. I'm going to miss you today."
"It's just a few hours at best."
"I miss you anyway! Hurry up and rest or stop thinking so much, so you can get better."
Charlie laughed, "go to school, goofy. I'll let you know when I'm home."
"Okay. See you later."
"Definitely," he hung up.
Lucy finished her ritual coffee, when Linus came downstairs to make his own with Rerun.
"Morning Lucy," Linus greeted.
"I just got off the phone with Charlie; he said we can use his car."
"That's cool," Rerun agreed, "and I don't need to sit next to them sucking face."
"Nope," she laughed.
After Linus made his coffee, the three walked outside, saw Sally already prepared to walk to school.
"Sal, we're taking the car," Lucy called out.
"What‽ If anybody should be driving it, it's me! How can you be so entitled to think you can just take his car to school? Huh?"
"You're not old enough, and you don't have a license."
"And‽ He's my brother. Why do you even still have the keys? See… I thought you changed, my mistake. Gimme the keys!"
"Charlie said I could use it, I'm telling the truth. I forgot about the keys and I wouldn't just drive his car without permission. You can trust me," Lucy sounded heart broken.
"Uh-huh…"
Her phone went off and she saw a message from Charlie; "I told Lu she could take the car, so don't give her crap." Sally looked at Lucy with wide eyes.
"Let's go Lucy, c'mon, we're wasting time."
"That was Charlie wasn't it," Linus smirked.
"It was… Eudora, she said it's… waffles today."
They all knew she was lying. They all got in the car, Lucy was quiet.
"We have the whole back seat to ourselves," Sally flirted.
"Uh-huh," Linus nonchalantly agreed, staring out the window.
"Quick makeout sesh, my babboo?"
"No, you hurt Lucy's feelings, you owe her an apology."
"So I made a mistake, it's no big deal. It was Charlie that texted me, not Eudora- I messed up, okay?"
"We know it was Charlie… you're a terrible liar, Sally," Rerun said.
"See… it's settled," she leaned into his face.
"You hurt her," he held his hand to her face, "say you're sorry. You know she wouldn't just take his car."
Sally huffed. You're right… Lucy, I'm sorry, I mean it, please don't be mad at me. I should trust you like my brother does… I screwed up."
"I forgive you. I just don't know why you would think I'd take his car without permission, I'd be pissed if it happened to me, and the last thing I want is to make Charlie mad at me."
"I should've known that, with how much you love him."
Lucy made a small noise.
"What was that noise," Rerun asked.
"N-nothing. I don't… I don't love him, I just like him a lot."
They pulled into the parking lot, Violet pulled in behind them and just sat in her car not wanting to get out.
"Violets here," Peppermint Patty walked up to them.
"Yeah, her parents found out she wasn't going to school," Lucy replied.
"But on Friday, what's the point?"
Lucy just shrugged. They saw Patty zoom in and park.
"What's her hurry," Sally windered.
They watched her walk up to Violet and knock on the window and heard her scream.
"You scared the hell out of me!"
"Sorry, I just wanted to be here for ya."
"Violets here, maybe you'll catch a break today," Frieda walked up with Schroeder.
"Mornin' Frieda," Lucy walked to where Violet was parked.
"You don't need to be nice to her, it's not like Charlie's here," Frieda called out.
She stopped and turned, "I don't need him to tell me right from wrong. I'm letting go of the past, she's scared like me. All of your friends are bullying us now- I thought you cut ties with us because we were the bully's, because you thought it was wrong? Sure some people are nice to me now, but they apparently still don't trust me, and Violet has nobody but me and Patty… like always. I know last night was a fluke for Charlie's sake- she hated him more than I did, and nobody cried over him more," she turned around.
"I said I was sorry," Sally sighed.
"C'mon… let's go Violet," Lucy walked up.
"I'm not ready."
"I know, hey, we are here for you, fresh start," Lucy reassured.
"We will be with you as much as we can," Patty added.
They finally got her out of her car and aimed towards the school, they were walking next to the rest and they could tell she was on edge. Students were staring and talking and pointing.
"Violet! What are you still doing alive, shouldn't you be smeared on the pavement," Melody shouted.
"Didn't you run out in traffic, can't even do that right " Janice asked.
"Got nothing to say? I heard how you ran out into traffic like an idiot. I don't know how-" Melody started.
"Stop it! Just shut the fuck up! You don't like her, cool, but none of that is something to joke about," Sally screamed.
"You're defending Violet‽"
"No, I'm defending the situation! I could've lost Charlie, he's why she's alive, Melody," Sally marched to the cafeteria.
"Is he… okay," Janice asked.
"As far as we know, he's fine- you'd need to ask Sal," Schroeder said.
"Why would he save her?"
"Why wouldn't he," Lucy snapped.
In the breakfast line Violet was shaken up, her tray had more food than she usually ate. Lucy and Patty lead her to where they normally sit, much to their surprise, the usuals sat with them still, and to their surprise; they didn't think Violet ate that much.
"Violet," Marcie spoke up, "that… incident must have really shaken you up. I've never seen you like this, you're always so confident and bold.
Violet looked up at her and swallowed.
"I don't mean to offend you."
"You're talking to me? I would say arrogant and conceited. I'm a horrible person, no better than my parents… I looked down on everybody and barely even cared about the things that mattered. I'm nobody's role model."
"Everybody can change, Vee. Sometimes we just need to be torn down and rebuilt back up," Patty said.
"Who knew she ate like that, how does she keep her figure," Heather stared in awe.
"She doesn't eat like that, I think she's stress eating," Frieda said.
"I've never seen her wear some generic tracksuit either," Emily said.
"That's a Gucci," Frieda corrected.
"The look on her face, she looks terrified to be here, I kinda feel sorry for her," Lamar said.
"She's finally getting a taste of her own medicine."
"That's true," Franklin nodded.
"She was miserable at the hospital, Lucy was right, she barely stopped crying to stuff her face. I couldn't imagine what… the three of them, actually, are going through. Nobody has ever treated me that bad, whether I deserved it or not," Peppermint Patty explained.
"Lucy isn't that far off from Violet, I don't get why she's doing this, what slim chance she had to be somewhat well liked is going to be ruined by dealing with Violet again."
"I think you're more worried about popularity, than they are, Ree-Ree," Lamar stated.