LUCY'S POV

"You what!?" Linus screamed, his face paled and his expression froze. He was angry and mad and hurt and pained and annoyed and bothered and saddened and shocked and I could go on and on with the expressions falling onto his face, his mood is changing faster than mine does on my period. Schroeder's eyebrows tightened repeating what he had originally implied. "I checked every room, I looked outside too. She's not here."

I could see those words punch into Linus' gut, I was scared too, but I was scared for my brother. Sally is like his oxygen, if she was gone I genuinely don't know what would happen to him. It's a pathetic and cute at the same time.

SCHROEDER'S POV

We searched, and searched, for hours on end. Lucy and I just returned after 5 hours. Linus is still out there, he refused to leave. The wind is picking up and it's in the negatives out there. I held Lucy tight as I carefully walk her to her bed. She sat down nearly frozen, her head laid on my shoulder, she was shaking. "Why won't he come back? He's gonna die out there!" She cried.

Her stressing over her brother only made it worse, she was already cold and numb. "I'll call him, but you need to rest." She looking down and nodded in defeat, she was too tired to fight. I kissed her forehead and left the room. I dialed Linus' number hastily, I admit, I was pretty worried for him too. I was worried for Sally and Linus, Sally was nowhere to be found and Linus is working his back off to find her.

"I still can't find her, where is she!?"

"You need to come home, We will find her tomorrow."

"No! I- I can't, she would never give up on me. What if she's hurt? We don't even know where she is!"

LUCY'S POV

I was laying on my bed listening to Linus screaming on the phone on the other side of the wall.

my phone buzzed vibrating my hand. Oh god.

I made my way to Schroeder intervening into their conversation.

"I think I might have an idea. Come home, I'll get her."

He wanted to fight back, I could tell, but instead he hung up. Schroeder gave me a look, instead of saying anything I walked to the door waiting for Linus to come back.

He arrived an hour later freezing, with bags under his eyes. He looked weak, heck he was weak. It makes me cringe seeing my brother helpless like that, he knows better than to act so weak, or even be weak in general, little brothers are always so sensitive.

His dread worsened and his desperation increased.

"Find her, please." He uttered, I nodded and walked out the door.

I picked up some skis on the porch, I had to hit it against the fence for some time since every single one was frozen over, Sally's skis weren't there.

I was off the Charlie Brown's house, I haven't said that name in a long time. Somehow the blockhead got this huge popularity spike, now he thinks he's too cool to even visit his dying mother, the guys become an asshole. I wish that was an exaggeration.

My skis glided against the snow, I was a clumsy skier, but luckily Charlie's cabin isn't very far. Honestly I couldn't care less about how Charlie is doing, he thinks he's outgrown us? Fine, whatever. But I've got a hunch Sally went over there, I told her to keep her distance from her brother, he's changed. She doesn't listen, he's so cold towards her, kind of like how I was with Linus, at least I took care of him!

I curved my skis inward and go to a halt, I took my skis out and awkwardly stood in front of Charlie's door. Just get it over with. I knock loudly, my anger was visible through the door. He opened the door with some dumb smirk on his face. "What do you want?" He asked, he knows damn well why I'm here.

"Where is she." My voice reigned loud and clear, I was persistent to find Sally and get out the second I find her. His wandering eye distracted himself, once he looked back at me he answered carelessly. "You just missed her, come on in."

I wasn't supposed to say yes, the plan was the find her and go, I asked him plenty times after where she could've possibly been. He doesn't know, he doesn't even care. If I went looking for her, who knows when I'd come back, it's torture staying out there. If I came home, that'd be even worse, if I can't find Sally Linus might actually break, and I can't risk him going out there again.

So yes, I went in. If I can't find her I'll worry about something else. For example, whatever is going on with Charlie Brown, the wishy washy failure has suddenly become some football jock.

I sat on the chair next to his couch while Charlie spun a football. I broke the silence after a minute or two. "So, you've changed I see."

"Only for the better."

"But, why?". He scoffed rolling his eyes and my presumably dumb question, but I knew what I was asking. "What do you mean why?"

"Someone like you knows better, you were the most considerate boy I know, and you threw it all away to be some athletic asshole? You have an answer, I know you do." The dropped his football, he sighed and sat down on the couch to my left. "I got tired of it, happy? After every piece of criticism, for once I didn't think about the other people, I finally worried about myself and myself only. And look where that got me? I'm so much happier now, by blocking out the people I'd once known."

"You blocked out your own family!"

"They were in my way! You had everything I didn't Lucy, you'd never understand."

"You're right, I won't understand. I won't understand why you ditched your dying mother and not mention your sister, through the years you were your sister's rock, and all of a sudden you just pushed her away."

"My sister is a lovelorn helpless bitch, the last I heard about her stupid life was in 8th grade when she'd hopeless pray Linus would actually give a shit about her, he couldn't care less."

"What kind of brother are you!? And maybe if you'd actually check in on her you'd learn Linus does care about her, I wouldn't be here looking for Sally if he hadn't begged me to find her. And what about your mom? Bedridden, pained, and you won't even think to see if she's ok?!"

"Wait what? Is my mom hurt?"

This boy, so worried about himself he didn't even notice his mother could die. "Yes she is! And maybe if you had just opened your eyes!" In a fit of rage my arms wave out as I crucify him, nearly knocking down a framed picture on a end table. I reach out a catch it before it fell. I placed it back onto the table, it was a picture of Heather, Heather Wold, the little red headed girl. That girl that Charlie had been crushing for as far as I could remember. It began to make sense.

"Did you do this for her?"

"What?" He questioned, talking to him was so much easier now he was actually focused. "Heather, you changed for her, Charlie don't do that-"

"Why not? Why can't I? At least Schroeder talked to you."

"She liked you for you. That's why she wanted to be your pen pal, not the new you. Maybe if you just talked to her." I was being harsh, but he's so far from reality he might actually need it. Sure I'd 'never understand' but I do understand one thing, Heather would not like the new Charlie. Yet he wasn't budging. "And she wrote me once and never wrote again, maybe because I was an invisible nobody, she sees me now. And that's more I can say than before."

I see where he's coming from, his craving for some girl, I admit she's a delightful girl, pretty too, but she couldn't be less interested. I've been texting her, she's so sweet, never mentioned him once though. Except...

"You want me to tell you what she thinks of you? Read this." I passed him my phone with a conversation from over two months ago.

"What do you think of Charlie Brown, do you remember him?"

"Oh yes! He was so sweet before."

"Before?"

"I guess I can't judge much bc I haven't rlly talked to him in a while but he's different now."

"How so?"

"He's hanging with the wrong crowd, I've seen him talk down others. Not the kinda guy I'd like to be 'round, yk?"

Charlie read the messages in awe, he should've seen this coming. Heather is a genuine, empathetic, and all in all sweet person, if he thought this would impress her he was anything but right. "She hates me." He softly blurted. His face went from disbelief, straight to anger, not anger towards her but more towards himself. After having a lot of angry lash outs I can tell the difference by now.

"She doesn't hate you, but maybe she'd like you more if you were a good person?"

"I didn't change just for her you know, at some point all those people judging you can really get into your head. I don't know if I'd want to relive that."

"Well maybe it'll be different now? After all your no longer a intolerable, stupid, failure bound, depressing, eyesoring, embarrassing, bald, oblivious, gullible, and-"

"Your point?" His patience was wearing down and his stance was becoming tense. Sometimes I can't help but criticize his past self, it's so easy. I shake my head making all my insults (more like constructive criticisms) disappear from my mind. "Sorry. You're doing better in school, and you're the captain of the football team! You! Wow out of all people too, this school is really lacking athletic abilities-"

"I'm good at football! As long as you're not holding the football." He rolled his eyes and I rolled mine back at him. "Fine, whatever, my point is you aren't as laughable anymore I guess. Popular or not? And maybe you can go back to the 'Brown Cabin' with me? Visit your mother, maybe even stay a night." He smiled and nodded. I stood up but before I could take a step I stopped myself, "What time is it?"

"8:00 am"

"Oh shit- I- we have to go, fast"

I opened the door and rushed out with Charlie Brown behind me. We ran together, "matching each other's paces" more like racing each other though.