CHAPTER 10: ALL IS WELL AGAIN…

Sometime later at Joe's Café, Charlie Brown, Frieda, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franco, and Hans, along with Violet and Shermy, are eating lunch. The first week of school had finally ended. And all of the drama was done, for now.

"So what happened with Thibault after he was arrested?" asked Schroeder.

"From what Patty told me," Violet said, "he was given a restraining order not to come within a hundred feet of Patty and her house. If he did, he would be arrested again. Since he was a juvenile, he couldn't go to prison, but I heard he was doing some community service."

"And I can fill you in on the rest," added Peppermint Patty. "He was suspended from school, indefinitely. Turns out our school really frowns down on stalking."

"Well I heard he tried to get enrolled in our school," said Charlie Brown, "but because of the restraining order Patty's family has against him, he can't go there, either."

"Well speak of the devil," Lucy said as Patty and Ox walked in.

"Hey everybody," said Ox.

"Hi Ox! Hi Patty!" everyone said.

"Ox," Charlie Brown began, "this is Peppermint Patty and her boyfriend Franco."

"Guten Tag, Ox," said Franco.

"Hey kid," said Peppermint Patty. "So you're the Ox Chuck's been telling me about, eh?"

"Yeah," said Ox. "Who's Chuck?"

"That's me, Ox," Charlie Brown said. "And this is Marcie and her boyfriend Hans."

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Ox," Marcie said, politely.

"How are you, mien friend?" greeted Hans.

"Pretty good."

"Well I'm doing great!" Patty said with a smile on her face. "I got this wonderful guy here and he is my rock." She hugged Ox's arm. He blushed a little.

"Hey everybody. I'm not late, am I?" It was Pig Pen. Everyone groaned in horror as he got closer, except Ox, who had yet to meet the human dust cloud.

"Patty, I heard that Thibault gave you some trouble and I was wondering if you were all right," he said.

"Yeah, I'm good," Patty said, between coughs. "Thank you for your concern, Pig Pen."

"Who's the new kid?" Pig Pen wondered.

"Hi, my name is Ox," said the large boy with a heart of gold.

"Hi Ox. It's nice to meet you. They call me Pig Pen."

"Nice to meet you, Pig Pen. You got a lot of dust around you."

"Understatement of the century," Violet joked.

"I may have a lot of dust around me, Ox," Pig Pen stated, "but I have plenty of clean thoughts."

"C'mon, let's get some fresh air!" Lucy finally said. Everyone got up and went outside.

"I'll wait for you outside, Oxie," said Patty, as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then headed for the door.

"So where are you from, Ox?" asked Pig Pen.

"I'm originally from Boise, Idaho. I don't like potatoes, though. I think it's because I come from a state that grows them all the time." And Ox and Pig Pen got to know each other pretty well. In fact everyone became friends with Ox. Even Lucy warmed up to him after a rocky start. Plus Ox now had a girlfriend in Patty, who adored him. Things were great for the new kid.

All is well again

I think I'm gonna be all right

And I'm feeling better

Again

Loving you was sad

Affairs of timing that were bad

And the laughing ended

Again

There was a time

When I thought I was fooling myself

But now, I'll take a bow

'Cause I'm free and easy

THE END

"All Is Well" written by Robert Lamm

© Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Spirit Music Group