AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story has taken its idea from the television show "Nowhere Boys", but it is not connected to that TV show, which is why it isn't in the crossover section. Charlie/Lucy/Schroeder is 13, Violet/Shermy/Patty is 14, Linus/Sally is 12. Set in 2015.
Another thing; There's a quote in here that I made up myself (In the story, Linus does), but apparently Sherlock Holmes said the same thing. Which kinda sucks – I thought I had finally made something original. Anyway, I'm just saying this so none of you reviewers (Ha! Reviewers! Like that'll happen!) will be like "ogm cherlack homes said dat first!1!one!". ;P
Also, remember, there's a difference between 'Patty' and 'Peppermint Patty'! ;D
WARNINGS: Has mentions of suicide, as well as mild swearing, and other such things.
SUGGESTION: You probably haven't read every single Peanuts comic, I strongly suggest you go on 'peanuts wikia com' and quickly read a little bit about every single human character. This will help when reading this because I might reference characters you don't know, and you should probably go check up on them.
(If I had to, I would say that this is something you have to do to understand (some) of) the story, but really, whatever. ;P)
(I contradict myself a lot in these Author's Notes. I'm hoping there are no flaws in the actual story.)
And finally: Please remember to follow, favourite and review! (Or, if you had to choose one of the three, please review! I need more criticism!)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Peanuts and most of the characters in this story. Charles M. Schulz created them. This disclaimer applies to the rest of the fanfiction.
Chapter One: Gone – Charlie and Snoopy I
POV: Third Person, then soon after Charlie Brown
"You're a blockhead!" Screams Lucy.
"And dumb!" Adds Linus.
"A wishy-washy idiot!" Laughs Sally.
"Unsophisticated." Mumbles Schroeder.
"Weak!" Yells Peppermint Patty.
Charlie Brown sees himself in a mirror. "They're right!" He cries.
"Charlie Brown?"
Charlie Brown tries to punch the mirror, but he just hurts his hand. He looks at it with a depressing expression.
"Just like I said!" Shouted Peppermint Patty.
"WEAK!"
"CHARLIE BROWN!" A voice sharply whispered in his ear.
Charlie shot up, and accidentally slapped Linus in the face. "Ow!"
Charlie looked at him, embarrassed. "Whoops…" Linus shook his head.
"Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know that can fall into a daydream just by sitting down for two minutes… now, let's hurry up! We might find ourselves a seat on the bus this time!" Linus stated, worried.
Charlie Brown moaned, as his friend Linus Van Pelt pushed him out of his own door into the brisk summer air. "Goodbye, Big Brother! Don't come back!" Sally yelled happily, as she slammed the door behind them. Charlie Brown groaned again, as he stepped over rocks, and jumped over a large dirt pile. "She's probably running up the stairs to move her stuff into my room as we speak…" He mumbled.
"Don't worry about it, Charlie Brown." Linus said, smiling, as they walked, fixing their backpacks. "Let's just hope that when we go to camp, we won't find any queen snakes. Or gully cats!" He said, suddenly becoming anxious again.
Charlie sighed, knowing how Linus always despised the first few days of camp. They were going to a new camp, so hopefully Linus would enjoy it quicker. He looked back at his house before they continued walking. The garden was full of weeds, and the mailbox looked half-broken from the times Snoopy had slept in there. Charlie's father and mother never had time to fix it, as they had other work to do – Charlie was the only one that occasionally fixed it. The rocks and pebbles were positioned in a way that one could possibly assume a tornado had went through the front yard, and left the actual house alone. At least the red paint looks decent. He thought to himself, as they walked along the cobblestone path that led to the footpath.
"Heya, Chuck!" Called a voice from behind. Charlie didn't need to turn around to see who it was - Peppermint Patty jogged to catch up with Charlie Brown and Linus. "Marcie managed to strangle her out of camp this year. Can ya' believe it, Chuck? She didn't want to come! Franklin's stayin' behind with her as well. Oh, heya Linus! How's Lucille doin'?"
"She was forced to go to camp this year as well. Not that she doesn't deserve it." Linus said, shrugging.
"I'm just afraid she's going to start slugging people… again." Remarked Charlie. "Remember how two years ago she bet someone up just for asking her where the toilets were?"
"That was nothing compared to the time when she heard someone think out loud; "That blond boy playing the piano is cute."! She stalked her all day, and then pushed her into the lake!" Patty giggled, Linus laughed and Chuck chuckled. They continued walking along the footpath. They normally didn't walk to this part of the neighborhood. Schroeder's house was at the corner (1770 James Street), listened out for Beethoven music.
"He's packing too." Said Linus, gesturing to Schroeder's house. "Oh." Charlie said sheepisly.
One street led to the Van Pelt residence and the baseball park, while the other led to a part of the neighborhood they normally didn't visit. They continued walking, until they found themselves at the bus station. The air was still lightly warm, the clouds blocking most of the sun's harsh rays.
"Oh, here it is! By the way, Chuck, is Snoopy coming this year?"
"Yeah, I think I saw him packing. But recently, the camp buses we've been on always has a sign that says 'No Dogs Allowed', so I have no idea how he will come... but, knowing Snoopy, he'll probably come somehow. He might turn up with a flock of birds, he might shovel a tunnel there I thought I saw him buying motorcycle parts on that new eBay thing!"
They all laughed as they clambered onto the bus. "We made it! And the bus is only about a quarter-full." Exclaimed Linus. They sat down in the five-seat back row. Charlie smiled – he hardly ever sat in the back row. "So, Linus, what do you know about this camp? Like, you're the one everyone turns to for info, right?" Asked Peppermint Patty, intrigued. Linus beamed with slight pride on the fact that his friends still turned to him for information about… nearly everything.
"Well… I have been scouring information, Patty… it's a camp for boys and girls, so we won't be separated… it's surrounded by large forest, and it doesn't have a lake. However, there is one large mountain which spurts a waterfall, which leads to a river. There are also no tennis courts – Snoopy told me that, in a sense – and apparently it has the worst lunches, but the best dinners and breakfasts."
"Any dinner is better the one we have had at other camps." Muttered Patty, as Charlie and Linus laughed. The bus was now half-full.
"Hmm… yes, that's all I know. Wait, I did know one more thing… it was important, but of course I forgot it…" Linus remained in thought, his brow furrowing. "Hey, blockhead!" Yelled a new voice.
"Lucille! How you doin'?" Greeted Peppermint Patty to Lucy.
"Hot! Disgustingly hot! Repulsively, revoltingly, unbelievably hot! The temperature literally rose ten degrees in ten seconds, and all the clouds disappeared!" Remarked Lucy, shuffling in next to Patty and Charlie.
"That's not possible." Said Linus, looking up immediately. "It takes at least five to forty-five minutes for a cumulus cloud to disappear in these weather conditions completely, and it was mildly cool before we walked into the bus."
Lucy sighed, not bothering to argue with her little brother's 'logic'.
"She's telling the truth for once, Linus." Pig-Pen moved in next to Linus, at the far corner of the five-seated back row.
Lucy also didn't bother to ask Pig-Pen what he meant by 'for once'.
"Normally my dirt keeps me cool, which it did for a little bit, but just before I walked onto the bus it became blistering hot. And yes, all the clouds disappeared from the sky. It was quite peculiar, but really…" Pig-Pen broke out into a grin. "Who cares?! We're about to go off to a new camp, guys! Woo! Do any of you know anything about this camp?"
Linus repeated the details he knew to Pig-Pen as the bus filled up more. "Again, there is one important detail I'm missing… of course, it just had the important one…" He muttered.
More people, more greetings. Shermy and Patty walked in together, and sat in front of the group of five. Sometimes, people would ask Patty 'Why aren't you dating Shermy?'.
"Firstly, we're, like, fourteen." Was Patty's usual excuse (or response, take your pick) when asked, even though it didn't happen often. "Secondly, we aren't eighteen. It's not like we're old enough to live in a house together, yeah?"
Shermy didn't really associate with the gang anymore, though, and Charlie didn't know why he left – no-one really asked either.
Violet walked in behind them, with Frieda in tow. She sat behind them, Frieda taking the aisle seat. Schroeder walked in and sat in front of Lucy. The girl that was originally crabby because of the sudden scorching weather was now all fine and kept peeking at Schroeder, who was listening to an iPod. "I don't like the feel of the headphones, but it's worth it! I can hear Beethoven all the time, and many different variations of the same song!" He had said when he received it a couple of months ago.
"What's the time?" Asked Patty. Lucy checked her iPhone, while Peppermint Patty and Charlie sighed. Even Schroeder and Shermy had iPods. They still had Blackberries.
"It's 11:18am, July 14th… and obviously, 2015." She smirked. Charlie looked around the bus. It seemed like your average school bus, yet they were going to a camp. From Charlie memory, it was called 'Camp Xef-something'. He could only remember that it started with an 'X'.
"This bus driver is probably going to be one of those people that do things at the exact time." Linus commented.
"How can you tell?" Asked Charlie, perplexed.
"He's staring at the digital clock intently." Pointed out Linus. Everyone that heard attempted to lean and look at the elderly driver. He was fidgeting, as if he couldn't wait to leave.
Lucy smirked, and opened the 'Clock' application. She tapped on the analog clock. "It's 11:19am… and sixteen seconds."
"You're really doing this?" Asked Violet, rolling her eyes.
Lucy smiled. "Don't worry, I'm just going to prove my brother wrong… again… twenty-four seconds."
Everyone except Linus (who was attempting to look outside the window, even though Pig-Pen's dust cloud was in the way) stared intently at Lucy's clock, just as the driver did with the digital clock. It was boring, but hey, it was something to do.
"Ten seconds." Lucy said, glancing upwards at the driver, who's foot was now at the pedal. The whole bus was pretty much full.
Everyone counted silently in their head. Three… two… one…
SCREEEEECH! The old bus driver slammed his foot on the pedal, as the bus's tires went round and round. The bus moved forward, the dial saying it was driving 25 miles per hour.
Linus smirked, but didn't bother to turn to Lucy. She angrily closed her phone and crossed her hands.
The gang laughed, and went back to talking to one another. Suddenly something went through Charlie's mind.
"Hey, Linus?"
"Yes, Charlie Brown?"
"How did Snoopy tell you there are no tennis courts?"
Linus smirked again. "When I went inside your house to call you, Snoopy was definitely packing stuff in a backpack – the 'stuff' being things you normally pack to go to camp. He was also removing tennis equipment from that bag."
Charlie frowned. "But how does Snoopy know what the camp's going to be like?"
Linus smiled, as if he were waiting for this moment. "When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the answer."
"Where'd you get that quote from? " I asked, impressed. Linus usually had good quotes, but this one seemed a lot more helpful – or maybe that was because I could at least understand this one.
He smirked. "I made it myself. Now, please, Charlie Brown, don't interrupt me, I'm still trying to remember that important detail…"
The bus chatted as Charlie stayed silent, letting Linus think. He also didn't want to interrupt someone else's conversation and 'Say the wrong thing', like he normally does.
Lucy and Patty were in an argument about boxing, saying which type of punch was better. Patty was talking to Frieda and Violet, while Shermy looked out the window. Pig-Pen attempted to make conversation with Schroeder, who was sitting by himself. (Though that was quite difficult, as Schroeder was listening to his headphones, which Pig-Pen didn't see, and they were on opposite sides of the bus.)
About four minutes into the drive, Linus snapped his fingers.
"I got it!" A few people turned to him. "Got what?" Asked Pig-Pen.
"The important detail I forgot. The last detail is..." the bus screeched to a stop. Some people looked out the window, to see if something had happened, or if they were just at a stop light.
"…the camp is only five minutes away."
The children on the bus started jostling, trying to run out of the bus as quick as they could. "OOF!" Charlie was flung back into the back row somehow, as he was just about to walk out. He heard Linus mutter, "…yes, I remember reading that is only five miles away from here…"…
Charlie Brown was last, as usual. He said 'Thank you.' to the bus driver, and walked out, immediately feeling the scorching heat on his skin.
"Gee, it's quite hot!" He remarked.
"Yes… interesting, hey?" Said the bus driver. Charlie turned around. There was a tag on the bus driver's shirt – Stan.
"It definitely wasn't this before, in the mornin'. Well, I'll be seein' you 'round, kid." Said Stan, as he closed the doors, and drove up.
Charlie ran to catch up to Peppermint Patty, Linus and Lucy. Lucy, as usual, was fussing about something.
"No clouds here either! Just blistering, hot, revolting, sickening, nauseating heat!"
"Does it matter that much?" Said Linus, rolling his eyes, not wanting to hear his sister's negative speech on heat.
"Yes! Yes it-" She stopped as soon as they walked into the building. "Ah, air conditioning! My savior!"
There were about three hundred people in the auditorium. The host started talking in the microphone, and started explaining the camp rules and things. They would wake up at 7:00am and go to bed by 10:00pm, the latest.
"Thank goodness Marcie isn't here. She stays up 'till 3 o'clock, doin' only one thing – studying!" Whispered Patty to Charlie. Charlie smiled.
They would be allowed to write to anyone once per day, which Charlie was grateful for. He promised to send a letter every day to his parents, if he could.
The host concluded, wishing everyone a happy time at Camp Xilef. [Like Xy-lophone.]
Walking out and checking the rosters, the gang found that they were all in the same group and barrack.
"Interesting coincidence." Mused Linus.
Violet shrugged. "At least this means I can tease Charlie Brown every day!" She giggled, turning to Patty, who just frowned at her. Charlie sighed, knowing what was to come.
The girls were in the room opposite to the boys. They unpacked their objects, and walked outside.
"Uh-oh." Muttered Peppermint Patty, as passed by another group. "What?" Whispered Charlie. He then realized where she was looking at.
Thibault and Joe Agate were teasing some random kid that was clearly a couple of years younger than them. The kid managed to run away, but then they turned to Peppermint Patty, Linus and Charlie Brown.
"Well, well, well, look who's here." The two boys walked over. There was a large dirt mound, which Thibault stepped on to make himself appear taller. Linus frowned at the dirt pile, as if he knew something about it.
"She-male, blanket boy, and… Charlie Brown. You can say the name as an insult." Thibault said, and he laughed with Joe.
"We didn't see you three on the bus! Did'ya miss it again?" Smirked Joe.
Patty nearly punched them, but Charlie stopped (or held, take your pick) her hand.
"They want that, Patty." Muttered Charlie. Patty tried to control her breathing. Linus starred at the dirt pile, a smile forming in his mouth.
"You going to fall in the pool again, Charlie Brown? Or would'ya like a little push?" Sniggered Joe, stepping closer to them.
"Yeah!" Laughed Thibault threateningly. "How about we- hey, blanket boy!" He stopped midsentence, and glared towards Linus. "What are you grinning about?" They all turned to Linus, who's smile was now a large grin.
"Nothing." Said Linus, his grin still growing. A faint revving noise could be heard. The noise grew louder as Joe stepped into Linus' face.
"Want me to slap that smile of your face, kid? 'Cause I-"
CRASH! "UGH!" Yelled Thibault, who crashed into Joe. "AHH!"
There were no adults to be seen, but many children turned around to watch the sudden commotion.
A gleaming (slightly dirty) red motorbike had come through the hole, with a yellow sidecar no less. Birds hopped out of the sidecar, all in uniform.
Charlie couldn't believe his eyes. The short driver hopped off the motorcycle, and took his helmet off.
Well, that was fun. Thought Snoopy, as he started pushing his motorbike into a bush. The members of 'Snoopy's Beagle Scouts' followed him.
Charlie brought a palm to his face. "Good grief!"
….…
Group #3 was canoeing in the stream that connected to a waterfall, which was their first and only activity for the day.
"So, how did you know that Snoopy was going to pop out of the dirt pile? Asked Charlie to Linus, who were sharing a canoe, attempting to swim peacefully.
"I remembered seeing that exact same dirt pile near your house, exact size anyway. Plus, I remembered what you said earlier; 'He might turn up with a flock of birds, he might shovel a tunnel there – heck, I thought I saw him buying motorcycle parts on eBay!' I knew, that somehow with your luck, it would be all three!"
Charlie scratched his head. "That's a pretty long guess, if you were certain that he might actually bring a motorbike."
Linus laughed shakily. "Erm, I thought I saw something metal in the bush… it might've been the motorcycle?" Charlie shrugged, and continued canoeing.
…….
Charlie had written the letter at around 8:00pm, writing that everything was fine and Snoopy was with him. He's currently in his 'Beagle Scout' attire, so he should be fine. He wrote.
The second day was uneventful. Joe Agate and Thibault were clearly plotting something. Pig-Pen reported that he heard them say "Charlie Brown" and "three days time".
Charlie sighed. "We're here for fourteen days. If they need three days to prepare for something, it'll probably be very humiliating."
"Don't worry, Charlie Brown. If I'm there, I may slug them for ya!" Said Lucy, grinning.
"Er… thanks." 'May'? He wondered.
As Linus had said, the breakfast and dinner were amazing, but for lunch all they received was a rotten apple and a stale sandwich.
At night, Charlie wrote to his parents at six. The food here is great… mostly.
On the third day, an announcement was made in the cafeteria as everyone was finishing breakfast. Tonight there would be a 'orienteering adventure' in the forest.
Shermy smiled and Violet looked excited. "Oo, orienteering! My dad was great at that!"
The host said there would be no prizes – Lucy and Violet groaned – and that they would have to do it in pairs, with people in their group.
The cafeteria suddenly became abrupt with noise, people quickly choosing who to be with and who not to be with. The children immediately silenced when they heard "However, you have to be with a person of a different gender!"
He then concluded wishing everyone a happy day.
Breakfast still went on for another five minutes, so people quickly started talking again.
"How about you with meeEEEee, Schroeder?" Lucy sung suddenly, fluttering her eyebrows.
"Huh? Uh…" Schroeder didn't mind Lucy, but she was clearly on one of her bad days today.
"No, sorry, I'm, uh, with, uh…" Lucy was about to say 'It's settled!', like she has every other time, but Schroeder would not let her win today. Schroeder turned to the girl that was sitting next to him on his right.
"Patty!" Shit! He thought immediately. Patty didn't even hear him, and she was clearly partners with Shermy…
"Huh?" Said another voice. Schroeder whipped around to his left. He was saved!
"Yes! I'm with Peppermint Patty over here!"
Patty's raised her eyebrows, surprised. She hardly associated with Schroeder. She quickly looked at the situation, and realised why she wanted to be with him.
"Oh, uh, yeah… that's right." She said, rubbing her head.
Lucy spluttered. "Wha-what?!"
As Lucy started yelling at Schroeder, Charlie became disappointed. The only girl he could ask was Patty, and since she was with Schroeder, there was pretty much no-one else. After Linus asked Frieda, (who agreed, as they were always friends) there was practically no-one except Violet and Lucy.
Pig-Pen bit his lip, and quickly chose the smarter option. (For him, anyway.)
"Violet?" He asked, uncertain.
"Sure." She responded curtly, looking distastefully at Charlie Brown.
The bell rang before anyone else could speak. Everyone quickly got up, and all the groups went to their activities.
……
It was Group #3's turn.
Charlie had quickly written and posted his letter before the 8:10 pm orientating 'adventure', stating that he was about to go on a 'bushwalk' in the letter.
They explained that a new group was meant to start every thirty minutes, and it was meant to start at 7pm, but an incident with a beagle and some birds attempting to steal food from the camp cafeteria caused them to start ten minutes late.
Each pair was meant to go every two minutes, and the mapping experience should took forty minutes.
"Just what I wanted, a forty minute walk into leaves with nothing but a flashlight and some food." Muttered Violet, annoyed, even though she had said earlier that she likes doing these types of things.
Shermy and Patty were first. They were given a map, compass, a list of fauna and flora, and a flashlight. Everyone were given some rations earlier, which were stuffed into their pockets. All of children had also stowed their phones/pods in their pockets, so they could check the time or listen to music. (Even though they weren't allowed, no-one checked their pockets.)
They walked into the damp, shady forest. The trees were giving enough light, and the leaves were a medium-sized shape. Some trees grew around in a wonky way, as if they had been forced to look like that way.
Shermy looked around, restless. "Just want to get out, huh?" Asked Patty, smiling. He nodded. "Yeah. This kind of 'nature walk' just seems kind of boring."
"I agree." They managed to make it to the end of the dirt path. Shermy brought out his iPod, but then put it away. "What's wrong?" Asked Patty.
"Low battery." He muttered.
Patty laughed. "I think we have to go this way, Sherm." Shermy nodded, and they continued through the forest.
Peppermint Patty and Schroeder were next, and were given the same objects. They walked into Xilef Forest. Schroeder had managed to bring his iPod along, but wasn't currently listening to any music.
"You owe me one." Said Patty to Schroeder. Schroeder nodded.
"I do. I'm sorry for making you be my partner. I don't even know much about you, really. Just that you're good at baseball."
Patty blushed lightly. "Yeah, I guess… I sorta was going to ask someone else, though."
Schroeder nodded as the dirt path became twigs and leaves. He quickly looked down at his map. He didn't need the flashlight, even though the trees were eluding most of the light.
"Charlie Brown, right?"
Patty blushed again, a darker shade of red this time. "How'd ya' know?"
Schroeder smirked. "Pretty obvious. Linus, Pig-Pen and I figured it out, anyway. The rest of them haven't, I don't think."
Patty nodded, biting her lip. "I think we have to go this way…" she said pointing to her map.
Pig-Pen and Violet were next. As they went into the bush, Violet felt like she was in a dirt lake, while Pig-Pen felt like he had found his true home.
"Eugh! Is that mud?" Shrieked Violet, as she hopped away from the dirt.
"It's just mud, Violet. Stop being so cliché and jump in it a little."
"I-…" Violet became quiet as she stared at the mud. Pig-Pen frowned, concerned.
"You alright?"
She nodded. "Yeah, just… I used to be obsessed with mud pies." Pig-Pen laughed. "You?!"
"Yeah, me." She blushed. "Back when I was less snobby, and I 'like-liked' Charlie Brown…"
"YOU WHAT?!" Pig-Pen yelled, making Violet fall into the mud.
Charlie Brown and Lucy were about to go. Charlie was exasperated and depressed, as usual. Lucy was cranky and crabby, as usual. He wished that he could go with anyone, anyone else besides Lucy, but Charlie Brown had no choice. He didn't even know how to use a map, and knowing Lucy, she would probably ditch him.
Why do I have so much bad luck? Charlie shook his head, until he looked up and saw someone else into the forest…
"Snoopy!" He whispered sharply. The dog turned, and walked up to the boy, his birds tailing behind.
What does this kid want now? I was just about to show the Beagle Scouts this forest!
"If you play along, you can have two trays of choc chips when you we get home!" Snoopy instantly shut up, (or thought up, take your pick) and told his birds to wait at the end of the dirt path in the forest.
"You've got a dog here, boy?" Said the gruff voice of the counselor. He passed the utensils to Lucy and Charlie.
"Yes, sir. The host said that our partner must be a person of any gender – nothing about dogs. If we have a group of three, surely a dog is allowed?"
He eyed him suspiciously. "We have no rules against dogs, but I thought the buses did…" He shrugged. "I'll let it pass. Go on through."
Linus waved to Charlie as Lucy, Snoopy and Charlie Brown walked along the dirt path. So we're going in here anyway. Fantastic.
"You brought Snoopy, I see." Remarked Lucy, annoyed. "Since you've got a partner, I don't need to baby you. I'm going to run ahead." Charlie shrugged. He had Snoopy, which was worth a lot of Lucy's to him. And at least Snoopy knew how to navigate a map.
"See you!" She ran along the dirt path, until she couldn't be seen. You could hear her yell of "STUPID BIRDS!". Charlie and Snoopy winced.
"Those were probably your scouts, huh?" Snoopy nodded, irritated.
Hopefully that stupid girl didn't disassemble them. They're so clueless, those birds.
At the end of the dirt path, there were no birds to be seen. The sky was starting to darken.
"Will they be able to find the way back to the camp by themselves?" Snoopy nodded.
They're birds. They'll just fly. He said, even though Charlie couldn't hear him.
Pushing in front of Charlie, Snoopy kept in the lead. He snatched the map out from Charlie's hands. Charlie didn't complain. He was glad that at least someone knew where they were going.
Snoopy kept pointing out which direction to go. After fifteen minutes, he stopped. "Something wrong, Snoopy?"
He nodded. He remembered he couldn't talk, so he pointed at the map, showing him the path it had on it.
"The path says to go at the very edge of the map… but this path ahead seems clear. That's the problem, right?" He said, uncertain.
Snoopy nodded, and shrugged.
They walked as the map said, and came to the edge of a mountain. The trees seemed to grow thicker here, and the leaves were larger, giving less light. There was a large blueberry bush to the at right before the start of the ledge. Charlie hesitated. "You sure this is the right way, Snoopy? On the map, we're meant to go in a circle after this part, but it would've been easier with that other clear path before…"
Snoopy nodded, uncertain himself. The ledge seemed wide enough to fit four people, so they could possibly walk across that. Neither of them could tell if it was a manmade or natural ledge. There was a large boulder that resembled the shape of a cartoon-like raindrop.
As they walked, the rocks and pebbles were arranged in certain ways that seemed manmade and natural at the same time. The sky was now mostly dark, though there was a half-moon which gave some light. Charlie Brown turned brought out his Blackberry. "8:41." He muttered. It was then when it happened.
Charlie turned on his torch just as Snoopy, who was in the lead, tripped over a rock. "ACK!" Snoopy managed to squeak. "SNOOPY!" Charlie yelled. However, as he attempted to grab Snoopy, he fell with him. They tumbled down the rocky mountain, and landed on a pile of dirt.
Charlie got up, groaning. Snoopy dug at the pile of dirt, and nearly fell in the large hole. "Snoopy!" Charlie managed to catch him this time.
Thanks, kid. He muttered.
"This dirt pile…" Charlie frowned, and then recognized its familiarity."It's the same as your motorcycle one, isn't it?"
Snoopy nodded. "Could we go in it to walk back to camp?" Snoopy shook his head, and shuddered, remembering the gravel that nearly suffocated him and the cobwebs from various spiders.
"What's down there, anyway? Looks like… a mineshaft? An abandoned mineshaft, Snoopy?"
Snoopy nodded again.
They looked up at the mountain. It was way too steep and rocky to climb up without proper gear. There were various jagged stones sharply pointing out of the mountain, and some moss were growing in some places.
"Well, you still have the map." Charlie said weakly. Snoopy looked at his paw, but there was nothing there. Charlie facepalmed.
"Good grief…"
They weren't sure whether to walk along the mountain, because the fall had messed with their sense of direction. They walked for another hour. Charlie Brown could only shout words like "Coo-ee!" In hope someone would hear him.
He checked his phone. He then observed his surroundings and realised they were back at the mountain. "Good grief… it's 9:38pm, and we've been walking in a circle this whole time, Snoopy! We might have to sleep here… have you ever slept in a forest before?"
Snoopy half-nodded. You could say…
"Alright, well, do you know how to make fire?" Snoopy picked up two sticks, and then walked deeper into the forest, until they couldn't see the precipitous mountain. He then dug some dirt to the stone layer, rubbed them together, blew on them, and fwah!
"Fire! How did you know there was coal there, Snoopy?"
Snoopy shrugged with slight pride. A have a natural instinct for these things.
They made a natural shelter with large leaves and boulders, the thick gargantuan leaves covering the boulder as well.
Charlie brought out his rations, and took out some bread. He held it above the fire. He would normally drop something like this, but he held it as if it was his life.
He gave half of it to Snoopy, who for once didn't gobble down his food.
"Who knows how long we'll be out here, Snoopy…" He attempted to do the math in his head.
"I think sixty minutes… no, ninety… wait…"
He re-did the math.
"I think we can make it back to the camp tomorrow, Snoopy. I remember the bus driver, Stan, went 25 miles per hour, I think, and it took five minutes to get here, so it would roughly take us seventy-five minutes to walk five miles… I think."
Snoopy nodded. At least this kid knows 'how to math'.
"I think we'll be alright, Snoopy. Let's get some sleep. At least we'll be alr-" Ptatatatat…
"Oh no…" It started to rain, lightly at first, and then heavily. "Good grief…"
Snoopy blew the fire out when Charlie went to sleep. Even though there were large leaves and boulders protecting them, he didn't want to burn in his sleep.
He then also fell asleep, listening to the sound of the rain.
…….
Whirrr…
Snoopy yawned as he woke up, and shook the Round-Headed Kid awake. "Wha-oh! We're in the forest, aren't we?"
Snoopy nodded, and walked outside, stretching. He opened his eyes, and yelped. He ran back 'inside' the small shelter.
The 'whiring' sound was stronger. Snoopy was clutching on to Charlie for dear life, who abruptly woke up. "Snoopy, what's wrong? What's that whiring sound?"
Snoopy whined, and attempted to push him back, but Charlie walked out. His eyes widened, and he only had one word.
"Run!" They both ran for their lives, as an enormous tornado formed. It seemed to be alive - chasing both of them deeper into the forest.
"It's chasing us! How?!" Yelled Charlie. Snoopy didn't look back…
…but the one time he did, Snoopy ran into a tree that had an inconvenient pointy bend that was definitely natural, but different to the other trees.
Charlie quickly ran back to pick up Snoopy, who was rubbing his nose, but it was too late. It would've gained on us anyway. Was Charlie Brown's last thought, before being swallowed up by the gargantuan tornado.
…...
Blackness. I groaned, and then attempted to sit up. I felt woozy. "Snoopy…" I muttered. "You 'kay?"
Snoopy whined, standing up. I observed him, looking for any bruises or scratches. "You don't seem to have any injuries, except something on your nose… do I?" Snoopy looked around him, and then shook his head.
"That was a weird tornado…" I muttered. I stood up, and attempted to brush of the mounds of mud and dirt. The twigs and dirt fell off easily, but some sludge was still stuck on the bottom of my yellow zig-zag shirt.
"Pig-Pen would be proud… gosh, Pig-Pen and the other guys! Do you think they'll send a search party?" Snoopy shrugged. I looked around, seeing where we were. Turning around, I noticed the colossal steep mountain. The rocks jagged out as they did before, giving no indication it was ascendable in any way.
"We're back to the mountain, I guess… I don't see that pointy tree that you hit your noise on before, however. I wonder how we survived with no cuts? Except the little bit on your nose, Snoopy, from that sharp tree…"
Snoopy barked excitedly. I whipped around, and could just make out Snoopy behind a thick tree that had ants crawling all over it. I jogged over, and cried out in surprise.
"A natural ramp that leads up the mountain! Excellent work, Snoopy!" Snoopy beamed (I think) with pride. We trudged up the ledge, trying hard not to trip over a sharp stone.
A large blueberry bush awaited us at the top. "This might be the blueberry bush that we saw yesterday!" I yelled breathlessly, the emotion of hope filling me.
We tramped through the bush with every ounce of strength we could, and we finally made it through to the other side.
"Look! It's the rain drop rock!" I cried, pointing to the boulder that you could say was shaped like an animated rain drop.
"WE MADE IT!" Snoopy danced, and we both felt rejoiced. "Alright, Snoopy. The clearing should be that way, and from there, we can make our way back to the camp!" I opened my phone. "Good grief! 10:06am! Let's sprint it, Snoopy, it will probably take half the time!" I felt elated, full of power and speed. I just made it out of a forest with just myself and Snoopy! I know when I get back to Camp Xilef, Lucy and Violet would probably start teasing me for falling down a cliff, but I don't care! I'm alive! Alive and happy!
Snoopy seemed to feel the same way as I thought, and we both ran straight, jumping over logs and medium-sized boulders. I tried to savour my good mood for as long as I could – knowing my luck, I'll probably lose it as soon as I arrive at camp. So I attempted to make the most of it.
"Look! The dirt path!" I exclaimed, grinning. I check my phone. 10:27am. "Let's slow down, Snoopy… another few minutes and we should be back at camp." Snoopy nodded, eager to find his Beagle Scouts (he was still in his Scout attire.).
However, as soon we burst out of the forest, our smiles quickly deflated. Something was obviously wrong.
Snoopy whined, as if to say, Where are all the children?
"I wish I knew, Snoopy… maybe they're all inside for some activity…" I checked the time. 10:30. I instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's alright, Snoopy. The campers are all in the cafeteria, eating breakfast." Snoopy sighed too.
We walked into the camp, noticing the some tents weren't set up yet. I frowned.
"That's weird. No counselors setting anything up?" Snoopy shrugged. He was just anxious to start eating.
We finally arrived at the door to the cafeteria. "Shouldn't they be wide open?" I asked, beginning to worry. Snoopy sniffed the air, and frowned. I don't hear any kids chattering, and I don't smell any food either… I looked through the window, and then gasped in shock.
"Snoopy! There's no-one in there!" I looked around frantically, immediately becoming as scared as a lone child, lost in the shops or the streets, looking for my parents in a strange unfamiliar place. Snoopy also looked around frantically, looking for any sign of life. He scurried over to a bush, and yelped when he found there was nothing in there.
"Is that the place where you put your motorbike? I asked." He nodded, stunned. His homemade motorcycle was gone! Where could that be? Heck, it's not like that's the only thing that's gone… the whole camp has became a ghost town! I thought, more petrified than I have ever been in my life.
Snoopy then yelped, and pointed over to the camp centre.
"Is that…" I narrowed my eyes. "A taxicab?"
Sure enough, as we walked over to it, a taxicab was laying in the middle of the camp grounds, as if it were waiting for us. It was positioned in the same place where we were dropped off. I hesitated, about to knock on the door…
"Hey! You kids!" Snoopy and I jumped in shock, and turned around to see an elderly man walking towards them. He seemed familiar, but also looked light-hearted.
"You're both a little early! Camp doesn't start for a week an' a day, ya'know!" He half-grinned at them.
"Uhm, could we pay for a taxi ride?" I asked meekly.
"A taxi ride?!" The driver laughed heartily. "Did you two walk all the way here? That would take around seventy-five minutes, ya'know!"
I attempted to shrug, unsure of what was going on. Was this some massive prank? Would the world really go this far to prank Charlie Brown?
"Well, I guess I was about to leave anyway, hey? You got money?"
My face suddenly became pale. "I, uh…"
Snoopy put up his paw, and took of his hat. He dug around his hat, like a pocket, and brought out a twenty-dollar note. I looked at him amazed.
"Snoopy, how did you… never mind, I won't ask. There's our money."
The driver started guffawing, and I chuckled a little too. I was still uncertain to what was going on, but going back to town seemed easier.
"So, where are you going, kid?"
"Erm, how about around James Street?"
"Only a few minutes away? Fine by me." The driver slammed his foot on the pedal, and attempted to make light conversation.
"So, what's your name?"
"Charlie Brown, sir."
"Charlie Brown…" He mused. "Brown… that name sounds familiar."
"He's a barber, sir."
"Ah! Yes, he's my barber. He's a good man, he is… are you his son?" I nodded. "He never mentioned that… must mean he's dedicated to his work, eh?"
I wasn't to sure to feel dejected on the fact that he hasn't been mentioned or glad on the fact that his father works hard. I was certain that he mentioned to me mentioning to others that he mentioned me… and one of my teachers once said 'You're that barber's son, aren't you? Yes, he talks about you a lot…'. At least, I thought my teacher said that… did he really? My head ached at the train of thought I just thought of.
As they turned into the town, the driver spoke again. "My name's Stan, anyway." I raised an eyebrow. Stan… that sounds familiar… wait, Stan?
"Um, I don't mean to be rude, Sir, but weren't you a bus driver?"
"Ha!" He yelled, making Snoopy (who was sleeping) jump. "I used to be a bus driver, but I ain't anymore. I guess I must've drove you in a bus before, eh? For school?"
I wasn't sure whether to nod or look confused. I chose nodding. "I think so…"
"Ah, here's your stop. This is where I used to pick up people for various camps, in my old bus." He smiled. "That's five bucks, kid."
I gave the note and was exchanged change. "Well, see you 'round, Charlie Brown!" Laughed Stan, as he closed the door and drove off.
I looked over at Snoopy. His Beagle Scout attire had seemed to disappear as soon as we got off the taxi. Who knew where it went. "Come on, Snoopy, let's go home…"
…….
And this is when our true troubles started. As I was making my way through the street, I started talking to Snoopy.
"I see a lot of adults here, but not anyone I know… do you see anyone?" Snoopy shook his head, but then gave a look to me that clearly said No-one ever comes around here, anyway.
I laughed. "I guess so, Snoopy… here's that brick wall we're always at… hey! Is that who I think it is?" I smiled in joy as I saw the familiar red and black striped shirt, along with the baby blue blanket.
I was about to yell "It's Linus!", but Snoopy managed to jump on me before I could.
He then made a 'shushing' motion to me.
"What's wrong, Snoopy?" I whispered curtly, annoyed.
He pointed towards the two figures approaching Linus. Violet and Patty, dressed in their usual attire. I understood why he didn't want me to walk over. Whenever I appear, and they're together, they normally start teasing me. However, they normally didn't want anything to do with Linus. If anything, they admired him. Most people admired Linus. He knew how to his blanket in various ways, and was pretty smart. What would they want with him?
Snoopy and I attempted to walk closer, trying to hear what they were saying. I half-hid behind a rock, along with Snoopy. I could now see Linus' face. He looked like he was on the brink of tears. What's up with that?
"You alright, Linus?" Patty asked carefully, with a solemn look. Violet also looked sympatric. Since when did she have sympathy?
As soon as Patty spoke, Linus burst into tears. Violet and Patty immediately started hugging him and patting his back.
"It's okay Linus, it's gonna be okay…" They both assured him Now even Snoopy was incredibly confused. Violet – and I guess Patty - wouldn't fake sympathy just for a… gargantuan prank, even if it was for Charlie Brown. And Linus' tears unmistakably looked authentic… why would he be crying, anyway?
"What should we do, Snoopy?" Snoopy thought for a moment. He then made a signal as if he had goggles. I frowned.
"World War 1 Flying Ace…?" I said, confused. Snoopy shook his head. He then went into an impersonation of a vulture, then a rhino, a piranha, and then other animals…
"You want me to impersonate someone else?" I asked, more baffled than before. Snoopy hesitated, and edged on. Why can't he just speak? I thought angrily. He was obviously trying to say something that he can't say with charades… but what?
"Oo!" I said, and then remembered to whisper. I don't think they heard me, due to Linus' continued crying.
"Do you want me to pretend like I'm just meeting them for the first time?" Snoopy nodded, smiling. "But why? Snoopy, come on. This is obviously just some prank that they've got going on. A big, enourmous prank… that the whole of Camp Xilef is in on?" I shook my head. "This is absurd, Snoopy…" Snoopy shrugged, and then pointed to them again. They didn't seem like the Violet, Linus or even the Patty that I knew…
"I… I guess maybe they've forgotten me, somehow?" I frowned. Snoopy nodded, shrugging again. "I- I guess I can try it… I'm surprised I've even arrived at this conclusion…" I stood up, and walked over to them.
Patty and Violet were still comforting Linus, whose crying was becoming more softer.
"Um, excuse me?" I said in my usual voice. So much for pretending not to be me… but it's too late now.
They all jumped a little, and turned to me. Linus' crying had become sniffles, and then he hid behind the two girls.
"Is he alright?" I asked, concerned.
Patty nodded, hesitating. "He's… quite shy, due to past experiences."
"Ah." I said bluntly.
"I don't believe I've seen you before…" Remarked Violet, clearly curious. "Are you new here?"
I faltered. "Uhm, you could say…"
Patty and Violet looked at each other, as if they were deciding whether to trust me or not. They turned to Linus, and gestured to me. I stood awkwardly.
Linus stepped forward, seeming scared, but less hesitant than the other two girls.
"H-hi… I'm L-Linus van Pelt…" He stuttered. This definitely isn't the Linus I know.
"These are my two friends, Violet Gray and Patty."
I attempted to smile. "Hello… my name is Charlie Br-" Snoopy bumped my leg with his head. I nearly told him off, but then remembered that they've somehow forgotten who I was.
"Um, just Charlie." I attempted to smile again, not sure if I was doing it properly.
"You trust him?" Muttered Patty to Linus. He nodded.
"Well, I think he looks cute!" Commented Violet sternly, then covered her mouth in embarrassment.
I was taken aback, but I hope I didn't show it. Yep, this definitely weren't the people I knew in my neighborhood.
"Well, uh…" Violet blushed madly, but attempted to leave the subject alone. "Who's this?" She asked, crouching down.
"That's Snoopy." I said, as he stood up on two legs, bowed down, and kissed Violet on the nose. Violet blushed again. "What a nice dog!"
That was the final piece of proof I needed to finally conclude and accept that this wasn't Violet.
"He's kind of peculiar…" I said, looking down at Snoopy. He was looking around, surprised that he had gotten a good response out of Violet. He seemed to have come to the same conclusion that I have – this wasn't Violet.
Linus stood forward again, clutching his blanket tightly – tighter than I've ever seen him..
"H-here." He said, handing me the blanket. I raised my eyebrow. Patty and Violet watched expectantly.
I frowned. Linus had given his blanket to me on some occasions, but only for a short while, to borrow it. One time, he did give it to me as he thought he wouldn't see me for years, but that's because he thought he was moving. "Uhm, isn't this yours? You need it, right? It's like your lifeline, in a sense, isn't it?" I said, and then winced. I was going out of 'I-don't-know-who-you-are mode'. Snoopy was still confused by the fact Violet let him kiss her that he didn't nudge me.
Linus breathed a sigh of relief, as well did Violet and Patty. I handed it back to him.
"Thank you, Charlie." I nearly asked him to repeat his sentence, but he knew what he said. It sounded so foreign to him, being called Charlie instead of 'Charlie Brown' – I was hardly ever called that. Maybe once or twice a year I was called just plain old 'Charlie'.
"I keep a couple of spares under my bed back home, because whenever I introduce myself to someone, they immediately take my blanket and rip it up, and tease me, which causes me a lot of grief." I nodded. That sounded more like the Linus I knew. I noticed he had also stopped stuttering "Patty and Violet then proceed to beat them up." That also sounded more like the Violet and Patty I knew.
"We can never be sure with new people." Patty put in. Violet nodded. "But you do seem like a nice guy."
I rubbed my head. Was this really happening? Did they not know who I was? I, in all honesty, was expecting everyone to come up from behind the rule, and then everyone would shout "Late April's Fool", and then they would all laugh and I would be left miserable… unlikely, but it sounds like my bad luck.
And somehow, nothing happened. Maybe that was my bad luck – they really had no idea who I was. None at all.
"Gee, thanks… where I come from…" I said, emphasising it a little bit. Maybe they've lost memory of me, somehow?
"I'm normally called 'wishy-washy' and 'fail face'." I said, rubbing my head. Snoopy nodded, out of his 'wow-Violet-let-me-kiss-her' funk.
They showed no signs of remembrance that they called me then, but looks of sympathy immediately appeared on their faces.
"That's horrible!"
"That's awful!"
"Your face looks great, Charlie! Why would they call you a fail face?" Violet said, surprised. I nearly asked for her to repeat herself as I nearly did with Linus.
"I… I dunno. I guess I…" I was about to say 'depressed', but I had a feeling that would trigger something. "I dunno, I guess."
Linus smiled meekly, like I normally do. "Well, at least I can say I've made a new friend today." He shook hands with Charlie Brown and Snoopy. ("What a smart dog!" Exclaimed Violet again.)
"Would you like to come with us, Charlie? It's very rare for us to make a new friend," I looked a little perplexed at that, but let it pass. ", and I think it would be good to introduce you to everyone as soon as possible." I shrugged. "Sure, I guess, as long as Snoopy can come."
"Sure! Let's go." Patty smiled.
…….
Patty and Linus took the lead, while Violet, Snoopy and I lagged back. "Thank you for coming, Charlie…" I winced at the unfamiliar word. "…normally it takes us a while to calm Linus down. You seem like a good person, and you definitely passed his test, so we were able to leave the wall early."
I smiled meekly. "Anytime, I guess… I guess I can't ask why he was…?" I said, gesturing to Linus. Violet shook her head. "Later, when we're alone." I gulped on instinct, but Violet didn't notice. I then realised that when Violet said 'when we're alone', she didn't mean she was going to slug me.
"Alright… so where are we going?"
"A friend's house. This is where we normally go on Mondays, anyway." She remarked, smiling. Wait. It was a Monday? If I had slept that night, then wouldn't it be a Friday? "Um, I don't mean to be rude, Violet, but what's the date?" I asked. Violet brought out her iPhone. "It's the sixth, Charlie." What?! How was that possible? "The sixth of July…?" I asked, unsure. "2015?" She laughed. "Of course, Charlie!" She giggled, and I blushed. Violet, laughing at my 'jokes'? That was unheard off.
But Snoopy noticed what Violet said as well. He nudged me, and then looked up. He had a look that said, Did we go back in time? I shrugged, slightly scared.
'"It's just straight up this sidewalk." Remarked Linus. I looked around. The neighborhood looked the exact same, yet felt quite different. I would have to discuss what was going on with Snoopy later. He was my best bet on figuring out what was going on, because he was the only other one that seemed like himself.
We were walking along a familiar pathway. When we came up to the corner of the street – in other words, Schroeder's house – I turned and expected to hear Beethoven music, but I didn't hear any music at all.
Violet quickly moved my face. I rubbed my face where she held it. She definitely had the same amount of strength as the Old Violet.
"That's Schroeder's house." She whispered curtly, and frowned towards the house. "Nobody likes him, but I'll tell you more later." I nodded, puzzled once again. Linus and Patty also looked angry when they passed Schroeder's house. "I hate how I have to live next door to him…" Muttered Patty as we walked. So Patty and Violet are suddenly nice, but they despise Schroeder? I would at least be happy to say they were acting in-character for once, but Linus was also giving the house a dirty look. What's up with that?
"Ah, here we are!" I turned around from Schroeder's house and my jaw dropped when I saw where we were. Snoopy's jaw dropped as well.
We were in the front yard of a two-story house. The lawn was mostly mowed, besides some weeds here and there, the mailbox clean and shining red. There were a couple of stones and pebbles placed around in a pattern, and a cobblestone path led up to the doormat. However, the paint on the house was peeling off. As I stared, the way this house looked made me think I was looking through a mirror. A mirror that showed me a house from a parallel universe.
Positioned, right in front of us, was our own house.
…….
Linus knocked on the door, smiling.
"We come here every second day of the week during the school holidays." Informed Violet. She seemed excited, as well as Patty. Were they excited because they liked visiting 'my'(?) house, or were they excited to say they made a new friend(?)? And who would answer? I became anxious. Would it be my own parents? Would they not know who I am either? Would it be Sally, or a weird, parallel version of me?!
The door opened, and out stood a cute, smiling girl. She wore a light blue dress – the same colour as Linus' blanket – and had blonde hair that fell down past her shoulders. I did a double-take, and realised it was my own sister, Sally Brown. Sally would never, ever have her hair that long. What the heck was going on?!
"Linus, my sweet babboo!" She shouted, laughing, and hugged him. Linus blushed, and hugged back.
I stared, jaw dropped, mouth wide open. Linus was openly letting my sister hug her. If I needed any more evidence that this isn't a prank, this is it. Violet nudged me, and giggled. "Aren't they so cute?!"
I couldn't say anything. I just watched them hug. Sure, I wouldn't mind if my sister hugged Linus – if Linus let her – but this was just absurd! They hugged for a full solid minute, like they've done this before!
After a long while, she finally let go. "Violet! Patty!" She exclaimed, smiling, and hugged them both in turn. Much less time than she hugged Linus. I thought.
After letting them go, she turned to me. "Hi! Are you new here?" I nodded, unsure and mystified again.
"This is our new friend, Charlie." Said Violet giggling. "Um, hi?" I said, still confused. Sally laughed.
"Hi there! I'm Sally Brown!" Said said, and hugged me. I hugged back, like I normally did, and then remembered this was not the Sally I knew – this was not my little sister. So I quickly let go.
I scratched my head. "Hi, um, as Violet said, I'm Charlie Br-" Snoopy bit my shoe/foot. Crap, I nearly slipped my last name. "-rrraun." I finished, remembering my old friend Charlotte Braun. I haven't heard from her since I was four (Maybe that's a good thing, she was pretty loud.), but I hoped that if she were here she wouldn't mind me using her last name. Then again, would I ever see anyone I knew again? Was I stuck in this strange place that was so familiar, yet so unfamiliar? It gave me vertigo just thinking about it.
"Charlie Braun? That sounds like my last name!" Sally laughed. "Come in, everyone! The gang is here, minus Eudora. She's sick, sadly."
Charlie walked inside the living room, and saw familiar yet foreign people. There was Rerun, who looked like himself, Marcie, who's hair looked messy and her glasses were taped together, and finally Freida, who I was probably the most shocked to see. Her 'naturally curly hair' was all straightened, and instead of wearing nice, clean clothes, she were wearing oversized jeans and purple shirt, that looked quite a bit dirty.
As soon as I walked in, they stood up and said instantaneously "Friend?" they looked over to Linus. Linus seemed to be the 'leader' of this gang, which I found weird. We didn't really have a 'leader' for our gang… or did we? Had I just not noticed?
Also, Rerun was here, but where was Lucy? And Franklin? I already knew they despised Schroeder, but why would they? And where was Pig-Pen, Peppermint Patty, and the rest? I had so many questions that went through my mind, and Snoopy seemed to have the same feeling. At least our questions could be answered by Violet later…
Linus nodded. They relaxed, and sat down. I felt uncomfortable. I had been in this room many times before, and the furniture looked the same, but still felt different.
"This is Charlie Braun." Sally introduced me to everyone, and I shook everyone's hand and they introduced me to them as I haven't met them. I also had to introduce them to Snoopy, who shook everyone's paw and looked confused as well. He looked around, unsure if he was home or not. "We're not home." I whispered in Snoopy's ear.
"So, uh, who wants to fill Charlie in? He just moved in to The Swdgt." Said Linus. "The 'swed-git'?" I asked, exceptionally confused once again.
"The Street We Don't Go To. There are hardly any children there, and the few that are, are bullies. We only go to the first part, which has a wall. You met us there." I nodded. I think I remembered Joe Agate and Thibault living down there.
"Anyway, we call this group the Peanuts gang." Said Sally. "Peanuts?" I asked.
"We called it that because it… well, I think we just heard the word 'peanut gallery' and thought 'Hey, that's a good name!'." Patty grinned.
"We try to stick together, because there are quite a lot of bullies." I nodded. I was wondering where the alternate me was.
"Um, so, do you have any siblings or pets?" I asked. Snoopy listened eagerly. They all hesitated. "None of us have pets." Said Marcie.
"And Linus and Rerun are brothers." Said Sally. Charlie was more puzzled than he had ever been his whole life. Why didn't they mention Lucy?
Sally cleared her throat in the awkward silence. "Anyway, we welcome you to our gang, Charlie Braun." Charlie felt a twang inside of him. Being called something close to 'Charlie Brown' really got to him.
"I'm… really honoured, and so is Snoopy…" Snoopy nodded, for once listening to his owner. "And we'll be glad to come back on… other days, but we really should be going. Monday… uh… we have stuff to do at home."
"Oh." They all said, disappointed. They seemed really glad to have made a new friend.
"I'll walk you out, Charlie!" Violet said, standing up. "I'll see all of you later…" I said, halfheartedly. "Byeee…", and they continued talking about various subjects.
I walked outside with Violet. "Are you really going to come back, Charlie? We'll be at the wall tomorrow, this time." I nodded. "Of course!" She smiled. "Thank you Charlie…"
"Umm…" I looked down at Snoopy. He was telling me to ask.
"Can you quickly tell me why Linus was crying?" Violet's face fell. "We normally don't talk about it… but I can tell you won't tease him." I nodded, unsure of what I was about to hear.
"First of all, Rerun isn't Linus' only sibling. He has a sister called Lucy." She hesitated. "She's… currently in a hospital."
"WHAT?!" I yelled, knocking Violet over. Snoopy yelped. I couldn't take it any longer. Why was Lucy in the hospital? What the heck is going on with everyone?! I suddenly got anxious for every friend I knew.
"Where's Franklin?! Roy?! Pi-" Violet cut me off, surprised and confused. "You know who they are?!"
I nodded, and tried to calm down. "I… I've met them. The kids in the next neighborhood. Has something happened to them?" She shook her head. Now she was the one that looked confused.
"They go shopping with their parents every Monday, around this time. We keep a schedule of everything. But how do you know them?!"
"I'll explain it soon, hopefully…" The next person that came to mind scared me. She, of all people, had to be alright - right?
"What about… you know who Peppermint Patty is, right?" Violet's eyes widened. "P-P-P-Peppermint Patty?" She whispered..
"Yes, just… please tell me what happened to her."
"Peppermint… Patricia is…" She faltered. She looked like she was on the brink of tears… why?
"Peppermint Patty committed suicide last year."