Ever since Linus and Janice had taken over her psychiatry booth, Lucy had been suffering from bad luck. She was sitting in her bed, moping about all the bad stuff that had happened to her.
"How can my stupid little brother take the one thing that was so important to me?" Lucy grunted. "Why and how?"
Lucy then thought back at the couple of times Charlie Brown had pulled the football away from her.
"That blockhead! That's my schtick!"
Then, Lucy remembered the time she locked Linus' stupid blanket in the closet, and when she wasn't looking, he found the key to the closet.
"Good grief! I can't seem to do anything right anymore!"
Linus walked up to Lucy to see her moping about how difficult life had been for her lately.
"Hmm….." Linus pondered.
Later, Linus walked over to the Browns' place with his security blanket. He rang the doorbell and saw….
"Oh, Hi, Linus!" Sally said.
"Oh no!" moaned Linus.
"Is my boyfriend here to take me to a movie?" Sally asked sweetly.
"I am not your boyfriend. I'm here to see Charlie Brown about something."
"He's up in his room, Linus." Sally said. "Big Brother! Linus is here!"
"Linus?" Charlie Brown quizzed.
"Remember, Linus. I'm free this week if you want to take me to a movie." Sally smirked.
"Oh, good grief!" Linus moaned.
So Linus made it up to Charlie Brown's room.
"Charlie Brown." Said Linus.
"Hi, Linus. Is there a problem with you?" Charlie Brown said.
"No, Charlie Brown. It's about Lucy." Linus explained.
"Lucy?"
"Lucy's in trouble, Charlie Brown!"
"Oh, good grief!"
Lucy later walked over to the psychiatry booth and much to her surprise, sitting there was…..
"Charlie Brown? You're in charge of my psychiatry booth now?" Lucy exclaimed.
"Well, for the time being at least." Charlie Brown smiled. "What seems to be the problem, Lucy?"
"I haven't had anything good happen to me lately.
"Go on…" Charlie Brown said.
"Ever since Heather built her own psychiatry booth, she'd been getting more money than I would." Lucy sighed.
"Oh, that Heather. She did make it for a lower price." Charlie Brown swooned.
"And now, my stupid brother and Janice took over this psychiatry booth and I hadn't had any good luck ever since." Lucy said sadly.
"Oh, Lucy. I have the cure for that." Charlie Brown said.
"And there's Schroeder. Ever since Lila moved in, she'd been getting his attention." Lucy added.
"You know Schroeder. He enjoys pretty faces." Charlie Brown said.
"Pretty faces?!" Lucy shouted. "I have a pretty face, yet he doesn't notice me!"
Lucy's yell was just enough to send Charlie Brown off his seat.
"Whoa. There's your other problem, Lucy." Charlie Brown said. "And that's the reason Schroeder doesn't like you. You're always crabby and bossy."
"Crabby? Bossy?" Lucy quizzed.
"Crabby and bossy people like you need to change their ways, Lucy." Charlie Brown decided.
"Wow." Sighed Lucy. "Am I really that crabby, people would simply call me Little Miss Crabbypants?"
"Yes. So, my suggestion is to change your crabby and bossy ways."
"What?!"
"Not too much, Lucy. Or else you won't stand out from everyone else."
"If you insist, Charlie Brown. Do I owe $300?" Lucy asked.
"Nope. This time, it's 3 cents." Charlie Brown said.
Lucy tossed 3 cents into the tin, and walked away.
"That should help her." Charlie Brown thought.
Lucy came home, and found Linus holding his blanket. She was about to pull the blanket off of him, but remembered what Charlie Brown told her.
"Okay. Mustn't complain about his blanket. He needs it for security." Lucy said.
Linus opened his eyes and saw Lucy. He saw the look on her face, and much to his surprise, she didn't swipe his blanket.
"Either Lucy has lost her mind or she's finally decided that I need my blanket." Linus thought.
"Er, Linus. Enjoying that blanket of yours?" Asked Lucy innocently.
"It's a great source of comfort and security, Lucy." Linus said.
"May…. I try it?" asked Lucy.
"Be my guest." Linus said as he handed his blanket to Lucy, and Lucy held onto it.
"It….. it….." Lucy stammered.
"Yes?" Linus asked.
"Needs a good wash. I'll put it in the wash." Lucy decided.
"Oh really? Well, it could use a little clean." Linus said admittingly.
While Lucy was putting Linus' blanket into the wash, Snoopy looked through the window. He had an idea up his paws. Since he knew Lucy would be going over to Schroeder's place, he snuck away without anyone noticing. Woodstock flew onto Snoopy's head. Woodstock chirped his bird scratch sound, and both beagle and bird snuck over to Schroeder's place. Once they got there, Snoopy was most surprised to see who was already there. Snoopy, knowing Lucy will become crabby, decided to remain hidden.
"He he he!" Snoopy snickered.
After putting the blanket in the wash, Lucy went over to Schroeder's house. As she opened the door, she was most surprised to see Lila there.
"What?!" exclaimed Lucy.
Lila turned around to see Lucy.
"What are you doing here?!" Lucy demanded.
"Listening to Beethoven as usual." Said Lila.
"If you like Beethoven, you have to stay here."
"Oh, I don't like Beethoven." Said Lila.
"Really?"
"I love him." Lila swooned.
"Rats!" Lucy grunted.
Schroeder saw that Lucy was on the piano too, so he pulled it away, sending both Lucy and Lila tumbling off.
"You blew it, Lucy." Lila said angrily.
Lila walked out in a bit of a huff, leaving Schroeder alone with Lucy.
"Schroeder, do you think we'll get married one day?" asked Lucy.
Schroeder couldn't help but laugh at Lucy's question. He was in severe hysterics.
"How come?" asked Lucy.
"I don't like you. You're always crabby. And you're too bossy." Schroeder said.
"Those are reasons you don't like me anymore?"
"I never liked you. I wouldn't marry you unless you were the last girl in the world!" Schroeder scoffed.
"Did you say if or unless?" asked Lucy.
"I admit I said… unless." Schroeder sighed.
"Oh boy!" Lucy cheered.
Lucy was so thrilled to hear this, she sent Schroeder flying and excitedly got out of Schroeder's place.
"Schroeder will marry me if I'm the last girl on Earth!" Lucy cheered.
Lucy looked at Snoopy, telling him how happy she felt.
"Did you hear that, Snoopy? Schroeder will marry me if I'm the last girl on Earth!"
Lucy, thrilled to hear this, kissed Snoopy. Snoopy was surprised that Lucy would kiss him.
"Schroeder will be my husband one day! After all, I…"
Lucy stopped and made her realisation.
"I….. kissed a dog! AAUGH! I kissed a dog! I'm poisoned!"
Lucy ran off in disgust.
"Get some toothpaste! Get some mouthwash! Get some medicine!"
Snoopy and Woodstock, seeing Lucy's misfortune, just laughed.
Lucy soon ran towards Charlie Brown, who was holding a football.
"Charlie Brown! I'm poisoned!" cried Lucy.
"Poisoned?" Charlie Brown quizzed.
"I kissed your stupid beagle!" Lucy explained.
"I know just how to cure you." Charlie Brown said.
"How?" asked Lucy.
"I'll let you kick this football. If you kick this football, you'll be cured." Charlie Brown decided.
"Hold on, Charlie Brown! We're not doing this again! You'll just pull it away like I do with you!" Lucy said angrily.
"Come on, Lucy! If you promise to allow me to kick the football next time, will you do this?" asked Charlie Brown.
"Alright, Charlie Brown. If you say so."
"Good. Anyway, let's get to it."
Lucy walked up as far away as possible, and Charlie Brown placed the football on the ground, holding it.
"I'm gonna kick it! I'm gonna kick it!" Lucy said to herself.
Lucy ran towards the football, and just as she was about to kick it, Charlie Brown pulled it away from her, causing her to fly in the air and land on her back.
"You seriously think I'd allow you to kick this football after all the times you do this to me?" Charlie Brown laughed.
"I can't stand it!" Lucy sighed.
Unbeknownst to either Charlie Brown or Lucy, there was Peppermint Patty, surprised at what Charlie Brown was doing.
"What on earth is Chuck doing to Lucille?" Peppermint Patty exclaimed.
As Charlie Brown was walking away with the football, satisfied with pulling it away from Lucy, he found Peppermint Patty.
"Hey, Chuck. I see you allowed Lucille to kick the football, right?" Peppermint Patty said.
"Right." Charlie Brown lied.
"Wrong! Whatever happened to tradition, Chuck?"
"Some traditions die hard, Patty." Charlie Brown said solemnly.
"Really?" said Peppermint Patty.
"Actually, Patty. Lucy wasn't the first one to do the same thing to me."
Charlie Brown then thought back to the time when Violet pulled the football away from him. And then explained it to Peppermint Patty.
"So it was Violet who would pull it away from you?" said Peppermint Patty.
"Yes. Actually….. yes!" Charlie Brown answered.
"Yes what?" asked Peppermint Patty.
"You'll see." Charlie Brown smirked.
Charlie Brown walked back to Lucy, who was still laying on the ground.
"Lucy. I have a better idea." Charlie Brown said.
"What's that, Charlie Brown?" asked Lucy.
"You'll see, Lucy. But first, we have to get you to the psychiatry booth."
Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty brought Lucy over to the Psychiatry Booth, where Linus and Janice were.
"Lucy? Charlie Brown?" Linus said.
"And what's Peppermint Patty doing here?" asked Janice.
"They're just helping me." said Lucy.
"What seems to be the problem, Big Sister?" asked Linus.
"Linus. I really need your help. I can't do anything right anymore." Lucy sighed.
"That sounds like a Charlie Brown problem." Said Linus.
"Yes, Little Brother." Sighed Lucy.
"Charlie Brown told me that you should tone down your crabbiness and bossiness." Linus suggested.
"There's that." Lucy said.
"And to quit pulling the football away from Charlie Brown all the time." Janice added.
"That's not gonna happen." Lucy scoffed.
"You have to. That must be why Charlie Brown's been doing it to you." Janice explained.
"So that means….." Lucy pondered.
"And also, Schroeder told me that Lila left his house because of you." Linus added.
"Good grief. Anyway, any more helpful advice?" Lucy said.
"Remember that Linus needs his blanket if he ever needs to be secure." Janice explained.
"Thanks for the helpful advice. $300?" Lucy asked.
"Nope. Because you really need it, it's 3 cents." Said Linus.
"Thank you." said Lucy as she put 3 cents into the tin, and walked off.
"Lovely sound, isn't it, Janice?" Linus said.
Lucy decided to pay another visit to Schroeder. Not to talk about love, but to talk about the advice Janice and Linus gave her.
"Schroeder. I know you don't like me because my attitude." Lucy explained.
"Yes?" Schroeder asked.
"Is there any way I can improve on this behaviour?" Lucy asked.
"Be less crabby and bossy." Schroeder suggested.
"But….."
"Just less. Don't give it up altogether."
"Phew. Thanks, Schroeder. I'll take that into account."
Lucy touched Schroeder's nose and then kissed it, causing him to flail about in disgust.
"By the way, Beethoven rocks!"
Lucy soon made her way out, making Schroeder feel better. Not because Lucy was out of his sight, but because she said something good about Beethoven.
Lucy then remembered that both Frieda and Heather took over her psychiatry booth while she was at camp during the summer.
"And Heather made her own psychiatry booth, taking patients from me. Me! I guess I'll have to turn into her psychiatry booth."
As Lucy arrived at Heather's psychiatry booth, she was most surprised to see that….
"Doctor is out? But why?" wondered Lucy.
As Lucy began to ponder, Heather had just arrived after taking her brother Henry home after his daily stroll.
"Heather. Just the red-haired girl I wanted to see." Said Lucy.
"Ah, Lucy. What seems to be the problem?" asked Heather.
"It's a me problem, Heather." Said Lucy. "Ever since Linus and Janice took over my booth, I hadn't had much luck. After the talent show, Janice pulled the football away from me, and I ended up in the lake."
"Well, Lucy. Don't you remember when you locked me in the girls' bathroom just so you could take mine and Schroeder's act in the talent show?" Heather asked.
"I just wanted to grab his attention." Lucy admitted.
"And you, Violet and Patty were visited by 3 ghosts before Christmas?" Heather added.
"Really? Oh yes. I remember." Lucy said.
"They visited you three due to your crabby behaviour." Heather said.
"Oh yeah. Plus, Charlie Brown keeps pulling the football away from me." Lucy added.
"That's because you always do the same to him." Heather said.
"But Heather, if I did allow him to kick the football, that would be disservice to him!" Lucy said.
"And how would it be disservice?" asked Heather.
Lucy thought and thought.
"I…. I don't know." Said Lucy. "I must have seen Violet pull the football away from him, so I thought I'd do the same to look cool."
"So it was Violet who started it!" Heather exclaimed.
"What else should I do, Heather?" asked Lucy.
"Well, do something nice for a change. A party. A vacation." Suggested Heather.
"Not sure about a party," said Lucy. "since my little brother threw one for Janice after her trip to France. Charlie Brown threw one for Pierre and Violette after they moved over to America. I'll think of something. Thank you, Heather."
"Anytime, Lucy. By the way, just one more thing." Heather said as she shook her tin, and Lucy tossed 3 cents in.
"Great. Throw a party or book a vacation…" Lucy said to herself.
When Lucy got home, there were Linus and Rerun with broad smiles on their faces.
"Lucy!" cried Linus.
"Hello, Lucy. We're glad to see you come home." Rerun said.
"Why so glad?" asked Lucy.
"I've been thinking about the trouble you've been in and I'm going to make it up to you." said Linus.
"What are you going to do?" asked Lucy.
"How about we share the psychiatry booth. You use it weekdays, I'll use it weekends." Suggested Linus.
"Weekdays?" Lucy asked.
"Deal, Lucy?" said Linus.
"Deal, Little Brother." Lucy smiled. "Because I got some useful advice from Heather."
Lucy then explained to her brothers what Charlie Brown had told her.
"That's a neat deal!" said Linus.
The next day, Violet, who had overheard what Charlie Brown had told Lucy, had the football in her hands. She was waiting for a sucker to come and kick the football.
"I can't want for Charlie Brown to come and kick this football." Smirked Violet.
But much to Violet's surprise, there was Lucy.
"Lucy?! What are you doing here?!" asked Violet.
"I heard from Charlie Brown that you were the first one to pull the football away from him." Said Lucy.
"Come on, Lucy! I was worried Charlie Brown would kick my hand." Violet explained.
"Violet. Your hand won't get hurt if you simply let go of the ball. I learned that the hard way. Especially when Charlie Brown kicked it." Lucy explained.
"Alright, Lucy. Here's the deal. You run to this football, and I'll remove my hand just before you kick it." Violet said.
"Alright, Violet."
Violet held the football in place, and waited for Lucy to run and kick it.
"Hold on just a minute! You're not gonna just pull the football away, are you?" asked Lucy.
"Come on, Lucy! Surely you can trust your bestest best friend!" Violet said innocently.
"I can't trust anyone on this kind of game. And don't call me Shirley." Lucy said crabbily.
"Alright. I guess I'll have to remain at Schroeder's piano until the day I die." Violet said.
"Alright, alright! I'll do this!" Lucy said, giving in.
Lucy ran towards the football.
"Violet's my best friend! She can allow me to….."
But just before Lucy could kick the football, Violet pulled it away, causing Lucy to fly into the air, landing on her back.
"Oh, Lucy. If you remember that I did this to Charlie Brown before you did, you should remember that I wouldn't just allow anyone to kick this ball." Violet smirked.
"I can't stand it!" Lucy sighed.
Unbeknownst to Violet, her best friend Patty was watching the whole thing.
"I've got to tell Charlie Brown about this." Said Patty Swanson as she walked over to Charlie Brown's place to tell him what Violet had just done. As she knocked on the door, Sally opened it.
"Hi, Sally. Is Charlie Brown home?" asked Patty Swanson.
"He's out back, feeding his dog." Sally explained.
"Alright." Patty Swanson said as she walked into the backyard, seeing Charlie Brown feed Snoopy.
"Charlie Brown!" called Patty Swanson.
This caused Charlie Brown to jump and spill the dish on Snoopy.
"Oh. Sorry, Charlie Brown. But it's important." Patty Swanson said.
"Oh. Patty. It's only you." sighed Charlie Brown.
"I just saw what Violet did." Patty Swanson explained.
"Did she pull the football away from someone?"
"Yes, Charlie Brown. She pulled it away from Lucy."
"Good grief!" sighed Charlie Brown.
Charlie Brown went up to where he and Lucy would do the football thing, and much to his surprise, there was Lucy.
"Lucy?" Charlie Brown quizzed.
Charlie Brown walked up to her.
"Lucy, are you alright?"
"Er, yeah. I'm fine, Charlie Brown. Wait! No I'm not!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Violet did this to you, didn't she?" said Charlie Brown sternly.
"Yes." Answered Lucy.
"Don't worry, Lucy. I know just how to deal with this."
"How?"
Charlie Brown whispered into Lucy's ear, because he had an idea.
Soon, Charlie Brown set up the psychiatry booth. He wrote "Free football kicking session" underneath.
"Free football kicking session. That's a clever trick you have, Charlie Brown." Lucy said.
"But here's the deal. Only pull the football away from anyone you don't want kicking it." Charlie Brown said.
"It's a deal, Charlie Brown!" Charlie Brown said.
Snoopy went over to the psychiatry booth. He read "Free football kicking session".
"Ooooh!"
Snoopy walked up to Lucy, who was holding the football upright.
"Hey, Beagle. Ready to kick this football?" asked
"Hmph!" Snoopy harrumphed.
Snoopy turned his back on Lucy, knowing she kept pulling the same stunt on Charlie Brown.
"Come on! I'll let you lick or kiss me." Lucy cooed.
"Yay!" Snoopy cheered.
Snoopy ran up as far away as possible. And once he'd gotten far enough, he ran towards the football. Knowing what Lucy was going to do, Snoopy just licked her and proceeded to kick the ball.
"UUGH! I've got dog germs!" Lucy screamed.
Lucy ran away to clean herself, only for Snoopy to laugh. Lucy returned, and she kicked Snoopy out of the booth.
"No kissing or licking!" Lucy yelled.
"Aw." Snoopy said sadly.
The next one to come to the psychiatry booth was Marcie.
"Kicking a football?" Marcie said.
"Oh, Marcie! Marcie C. Johnson!" cooed Lucy.
"Lucy?" Marcie said.
"Marcie. Will you kick this football?" asked Lucy.
"I won't kick this football, Lucy. One time I kicked the football, my shoe came off."
"Marcie. Make sure your shoes are tied properly, and then kick the ball." Said Lucy.
"Er, Lucy? Do you think the football will be traumatised by my kick?" Marcie asked.
"Come on, Marcie! Kick the ball!"
"If you insist, Lucy."
Marcie walked back, and ran towards the football. While she did manage a kick, she ended up kicking her right shoe off.
"Look what happened, Lucy! I kicked the ball and my shoe came off!" Marcie said.
"Good grief! Let's try this again!" Lucy sighed.
But Marcie had put her shoe back on, and tied it with the laces of the football.
"Look what happened now, Lucy! I accidentally tied my shoe with the ball's laces!" Marcie chuckled.
Marcie had no choice but to hop away.
Marcie soon found Peppermint Patty, who was most surprised to see Marcie's shoe with a football on it.
"Marcie?! Why do you have a football on your shoe?" asked Peppermint Patty.
"Lucy allowed me to kick the football, Sir. But I only ended up kicking my shoe off." Said Marcie.
"Good grief, Marcie! Anything else new?" asked Peppermint Patty.
"Well….."
Marcie untied her shoe, causing the ball to fall off. And then tied her shoe back up.
"There I go, Sir. The football is off. I think you should give this football back to Lucy, Sir."
"Not this time, Marcie!"
Then, Peppermint Patty remembered what Charlie Brown had told her about Violet.
"Alright then, Marcie." Peppermint Patty decided.
Peppermint Patty went over to Lucy with the football in her hands.
"I believe this is yours, Lucille." Said Peppermint Patty.
"Your foureyed friend Marcie accidentally tied her shoe with these laces, Patty." Lucy explained. "By the way, wanna try for yourself kicking the football?"
"You got it, Lucille!" Peppermint Patty said confidently.
Peppermint Patty walked as far away as possible, and then ran towards it.
"I'm gonna kick it! I'm gonna kick it to….."
Just as Peppermint Patty was as close as possible, Lucy pulled it away, sending Peppermint Patty flying and landing on her back.
"Just getting warmed up, Patty." Lucy said.
"Good grief!" sighed Peppermint Patty.
The next person to come up to Lucy was Pig-Pen.
"Pig-Pen!" Lucy called.
"Lucy. I was just thinking. I'd like to kick the football." Said Pig-Pen.
"Oh no you don't, Pig-Pen! You'll just obscure my vision!" Lucy said angrily.
"Come on, Lucy! A little dirt never hurt anyone!" smiled Pig-Pen.
"Alright, Pig-Pen."
Pig-Pen ran towards the football, only to obscure Lucy's vision. Then, he managed to kick the football.
"Wow!" Pig-Pen exclaimed.
Lucy looked at Pig-Pen with anger in her eyes.
Soon, Violet arrived at the psychiatry booth.
"Oh. Hey, Lucy." Said Violet.
"Violet! Come to kick the football?" asked Lucy.
"I sure am, Lucy. You know what to do." Said Violet.
"Yep. I'll just hold it down, and you come and kick it." Said Lucy.
"You got it, Lucy."
Violet walked back and…..
"Hold on! You're not just gonna pull it away from me, are you?" asked Violet knowingly.
"Oh, come on, Violet! What are friends for?" asked Lucy innocently.
"If you say so, Lucy."
Violet ran as fast as she could towards the football, only for Lucy to pull it away and for Violet to fly right in the air and land on her back.
"Oh!" groaned Violet.
"Sorry, Violet. This is what you get for doing it to Charlie Brown." Laughed Lucy.
"Oh! I can't stand it!" sighed Violet.
Soon, Charlie Brown arrived.
"Did you do it?" asked Charlie Brown.
"I sure did, Charlie Brown! Man that felt good! This is why, from now on, I'm not only going to kick the football, but I am also going to kick this habit!" said Lucy.
"So am I, Lucy." Charlie Brown said. "So am I. Glad to hear."