Lucy had the football gripped in her hands as she walked to the field. The time had come for the yearly tradition. This morning, Charlie would attempt to kick the football, Lucy being the ball's holder. Every year, he was determined that he would become a football star, and every year, Lucy would pull the ball before he could make contact. Everyone knew it before she did it, even Charlie Brown, but it was still a tradition.
Before school, the gang had gathered at the school's field. Charlie stood at the center field, practicing his kicks. She smirked. Why did he ever bother? If he had any brains he would've given up years ago. He had been dreaming his entire life to be a football star, and in Lucy's opinion, he needed a reality check. He was a senior, there was no way he could make it now.
"Are you ready, Charlie?" Lucy asked as she approached. Linus stood beside Charlie, giving her a pleading look. He had done this for the past seven years. She knew he wanted her to take pity on poor Charlie Brown, but she did have a tradition to uphold. With this thought, she dismissed her brother and held up the ball.
"As always," Charlie nodded stretching his arms.
"Maybe I should hold it," Linus suggested with a shrug as his last attempt.
"No," both Charlie and Lucy said at the same time.
"It's tradition for Lucy to hold it, Linus," Chalie gave his friend a nudge. He sounded rather optimistic with this statement.
Linus appeared to want a further argument, but he simply sighed. "Alright. Good luck, buddy." Lucy watched him wander to the bleachers where the others were waiting patiently.
"Ready Lucy?" Charlie asked, backing up.
"Yeah," she said as she got down on one knee. She held out the football. There was a laugh that echoed from the stands. Lucy looked up to see Violet and Patrica were just arriving, gabbing and giggling.
It wasn't unusual to hear laughter at this event, but when they glanced at her, Lucy couldn't help but feel a pit in her stomach. Were they talking about her? What would they be saying? Were they talking about the dress? Shroeder was over there. What if he heard them? What if he heard them and became repulsed by her? Sure enough, she was in the middle of the football field on display. The pit festered even more profoundly in her stomach. She wanted nothing more than to run away.
That was when the ball flew from under Lucy's hand. She had been leaning on it, causing her to tumble forward into the grass. She immediately felt her chin buzz with pain as she righted herself. Everyone in the stands was up on their feet. Charlie Brown gasped above her. Lucy finally spotted the ball as it soared through the air and in the square middle of the goalpost. Her bruising jaw dropped.
"He did it!" she heard Franklin cry. There was an eruption of cheers. Lucy stayed on the ground as the others surrounded Charlie Brown. They hoisted him up on their shoulders.
"Way to go Chuck!" Peppermint Patty called.
"Let's hear it for my big brother!" Sally exclaimed, followed by another wave of cheers. Lucy gained her bearings and lifted herself to her feet. Her jaw was pulsing with pain. She winced as she collected her bag, and marched right off the field, hoping no one would notice. While Charlie was being paraded off the field, there was one who glanced over his shoulder, spotting the runaway.
Charlie Brown was carried all the way to the school building. Everyone in the halls soon caught wind of his success and cheered along. He couldn't believe he had actually done it. He finally outsmarted Lucy. He kicked that ball so hard that it soared into the goal. He had dreamt of that moment so many times charlie had a hard time believing that this was real. He had pinched himself about three times already this morning and sure enough, it was real.
When the crowd dispersed, Charlie thought that would be the end of his moment. He was alright with his short fifteen minutes, but then the head football coach pulled him out of class. He stared at the coach blankly as he invited Charlie to football practice that afternoon. He was simply struck. So much that he couldn't even tell Linus for most of the day.
During the seventh-period math lecture, Linus whispered, "What are you doing after school?"
His lips quivered as he held his tongue. Linus stared at him, general concern rising in his dark eyes. He couldn't hold it in any longer. "I'm going to football practice!" Charlie suddenly blurted, bringing the entire class to a halt. Even the teacher had dropped her chalk to face the boy. He should've been embarrassed, but he simply sat there and smiled.
"You got on the team?" Pig-Pen raised his brows. Charlie nodded. An excruciating silence filled the air before a single clap broke into a round of applause. He smiled, feeling genuine pride for the first time all year.
Linus sat on the wall alone after school. The crisp autumn air brought the boy great comfort. As a child, he loved this season most because the Great Pumpkin would be on his way, but now, he simply enjoyed it. As he took a deep breath, Linus smiled gleefully. He couldn't believe three weeks had already passed since school started. He was already ahead in all his classes, he was done with baseball, and no one suspected a thing.
He heard her giggle before she pushed him off the wall. Linus laughed as he caught himself on the grass patch. "You kept me waiting long enough."
"Oh, my Sweet Babboo. Did you finally run out of patience?" Sally clambered over the wall.
"Very much," Linus began to shake his hands. "See, I'm shaking from the anticipation." He seized the opportunity to tickle her. She giggled and pulled away, but he only pulled her in closer by her pink sweater.
"Linus!" she swatted him between laughs. "Stop!" He let out a chuckle as he stopped tickling her. She caught her breath in his arms.
"I'm not your Sweet Babboo," Linus teased, tucking her golden curly hair behind her round ear.
"Of course you are," Sally reached for his cheek. His skin instantly heated under her gentle palm. He snatched it and kissed the top of her hand. She squirmed with excitement. He grinned and did it again, she squirmed again.
"It's too bad I couldn't find you this morning," Linus admitted.
"I thought we agreed on the music room," Sally shrugged.
"We agreed on the library," Linus shrugged back. "Why would we meet in the music room?"
"I don't know," Sally shrugged. "I thought you said something about it on the phone last night."
"No," Linus shook his head, his brown hair brushing his forehead. "Shroeder's in there every day."
"Oh, right," Sally recalled with a firm nod. "Is Lucy feeling better?"
"She should be back tomorrow," Linus wondered if she had bothered to get out of bed today. "I didn't even see her fall, but the bruise was awful. She couldn't eat anything the first two days, just water through a straw. She wouldn't even talk, she would just take the glass from my hand and shoo me out."
"Wow, I couldn't even imagine," Sally sympathized. "Not being able to talk for days."
"You could try it," Linus tapped her chin delicately before leaning back on the grass.
"Hey, that wasn't nice," she scolded him with a grin.
"But well deserved, my dear," Linus chucked. She loomed over him, studying his face with saddened blue eyes. His expression fell. "Don't say it."
"I wish we didn't have to hide," she said, perching on her elbows.
"Oh, Sally," Linus grumbled. They had this conversation a million times since they started this little secret. "You know why we can't."
"But wouldn't it be romantic?" Sally asked. "I mean, sure, Charlie would be mad, but he would get over it. We could be like Romeo and Juliet."
"I see you've read those books I lent you," Linus propped himself up. "But I just don't think we can tell Charlie right now. Not with the big game tonight or the fact that he might I don't know...murder, skin, or beat me."
Sally sighed and plopped down on the grass. "I hate it when you're right."
"I know," Linus leaned down, placing the gentlest of kisses on her brow. Before he could pull back, her lips met his. For the first time in any autumn season, Linus truly felt warm.
Schroeder sighed as he entered the school building. He was relieved to feel the heat of the buzzing air. Everyone was pumped for Charlie Brown's big game. It had been a week since his famous football kick and he was the talk of the entire school. If he played well enough, he could even earn a scholarship. Charlie was everywhere, and Lucy was nowhere.
Linus had mentioned something of Lucy falling. Schroeder hadn't seen the blunder himself but wondered if that was the true cause of her absence. He thought she had been acting rather strange lately. Lucy wasn't quite herself, he thought. He recalled the days when she would simply drive him up the wall with all of her remarks and questions of nonsense. Now it seemed like she was an entirely different person.
He spotted Linus. Perhaps he knew when Lucy would be coming back. He was about to approach him when he saw her. Her raven curls and her locker easily disguised her face from anyone's view, but he could easily recognize her anywhere. He weaved through the crowd and got to her. "Hey, Lucy." The girl froze for a moment before peeking out from her locker door. Her hazel eyes peered at him curiously. "Are you going to say anything?" Shroeder raised a brow.
"Hey," a muffled voice called from behind the locker door.
"Are you feeling better?" he shuffled his leather brown loafers. Her eyes squished as she nodded, indicating a smile. "Are you sure?" She did the same gesture again. Clicking his tongue, Schroeder pulled back her locker door. She reached for it, but he was too quick. He caught sight of the yellow bruise on her jaw. She tried to cover it up with her sweater sleeve, but he held her wrist, taking a closer look.
"It's almost healed," Lucy muttered as a book slipped from her locker. Neither one of them reached to retrieve it.
"Yeah, I can see that," Schroeder met her eyes. She was looking away from him, her cheeks turning a faint pink. He then realized he was still holding onto her wrist. "I'm sorry no one noticed you were hurt."
"I was fine," Lucy shrugged. It was so strange, why was she acting like this? It was so...not Lucy.
The warning bell rang, making his heart leap. He needed to act quickly. "Are you coming to practice?" Schroeder asked, a plan forming in his head. Her eyes rose, meeting his widely.
"Why wouldn't I?" she quired with a more Lucy tone.
"I'll see you later then," he bent and grabbed the fallen book from the floor. He handed it to her with a small grin before walking to class. He glanced a single time over his shoulder, she was watching him, but adverted her eyes as soon as he spotted her. That was more like her.
Charlie Brown was sitting on the wall after school. Linus was supposed to join him but said he wanted to do some homework before the big game. Charlie chuckled to himself. The big game. His big game. He still couldn't believe it. His big game. He would be out on that field, everyone cheering him on. He would be the star, the one everyone talked about. He had already been the word all week.
"Afternoon, Charles," Marcie strolled up the sidewalk.
"Hey, Marcie," Charlie waved, happy to see a familiar face.
"Good luck tonight." She was just going on her way when he stopped her.
"Marcie?" Charlie called, she turned, staring at him behind her round glasses. "Are you busy?"
"I've got a few minutes," Marcie said with a small grin. He patted the wall, and she hopped up next to him, her short brown hair bobbing at her shoulders. "So, Charles, are you nervous?"
Charlie bit his lip. He clutched the jersey in his lap. His last name was etched on the back, his new number below it. "I feel like I should be."
"If you're expecting me to reassure you, I'm afraid I cannot," Marcie pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "You don't know what's going to happen. You could easily slip on the wet grass and never make it to the ball."
"Gee," Charlie sighed. "Thanks, Marc."
"You're welcome, Charles."
There was a loud silence. "Are you coming to the game tonight?"
"Yes," Marcie turned her head. "Patty's going. In fact, I better get to her house soon." She came down from the wall, and Charlie followed.
"Do you do everything Patty wants you to?" he asked, thinking about the first day of school.
"I don't mind," Marcie shrugged carelessly. He studied her, wondering how she could be so kind to everyone all the time. He couldn't recall a time she had ever let anyone down. "Your nerves are perfectly normal, Charles. It's up to you if they're going to affect your playing or not. I believe you have better self-discipline than you think."
"Thanks, Marcie," Charlie said genuinely with a forming smile. She gave him a nod, mimicking his expression.
"Anytime, Charles."
"Schroeder?" Lucy came into the room slowly. He had just finished warming up, readying himself to play Fur Elise. It was one of his favorites to play year-round. He played slowly as he looked up at her. She was still standing at the door.
Focusing back on the keys, Schroeder watched from the corner of his eye to see her figure crawl up onto the piano. She lay on her stomach, leaning the better side of her jaw on her arms. He glanced up at her a few times, hoping she would be staring right back, but her eyes were fixed on some distant point. He wouldn't know what exactly, the wall was blank behind him. After a few minutes, he stopped playing. "What's the matter with you?"
She lifted her head at that. "Nothing." She took a careful sip from her water bottle.
"Then why aren't you talking?" Schroeder asked. He was planning on being calm throughout this entire interaction, but he also was expecting her not to be so difficult. He should have known better.
"I hurt my jaw, Schroder. Do you need to see the bruise again?" she asked sharply. It should have been music to his ears, but she still wasn't quite the same.
"No," he bit his lip. She stared at him, waiting for him to continue. "Why did you let Charlie Brown kick?"
Lucy was quiet a moment, then she shrugged, "He got ahead of me before I could pull it away."
"He never used to," Schroeder ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn't get out what he was trying to say. "You've always been one step ahead."
"Not anymore," Lucy sat up, pulling her bag over her shoulder.
Schroeder stood from the bench. "That's what I'm talking about."
She froze. "What?"
"You never used to take defeat," he told her. "What happened?"
"Nothing, Schroeder," Lucy stood from her seat. "Things change. We're not children anymore."
"I know, but—"
"I didn't come here to be grilled," Lucy made her way to the door, glancing over her shoulder only once, "I have to go."
"Lucy..." he tried to figure out something to say, but he was speechless. When the door shut firmly behind her, he sighed, rubbing his temples. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Sighing once more, Schroeder took his seat back on the piano bench.
Lucy was lying on the green carpet that sprawled across her bedroom floor. She was staring at the blank ceiling, trying to forget this afternoon as a whole. Why was Schroeder so pushy on his questions? Why did he get so frustrated when she insisted on her wellness? Why did he care at all? Life was much simpler when she leaned on his piano, listening to him play, and he did not say a single word. Sure it always frustrated her that he didn't pay attention to her, but there was no need for this attack.
She should've been flattered by his concern, but how could she understand? Schroeder had always been so slim and tall and had great friends. How could he understand the embarrassment she faced every single day? He wouldn't, because Schroeder never cared about a thing besides the piano. That's what made him so special, he was simply himself. She loved him for that.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. Adjusting her sweater, Lucy sat up and wiped the drying tears from her face. "Come in," she said as Linus poked his head through. "What do you want?"
"Aren't you coming to the game?" Linus asked. "Rerun and I are ready to leave."
"I'm not going," Lucy shook her head.
"What? Of course you are!" Linus came fully into the room. She wanted to scold him, but she simply didn't have the energy. Her little brother came and sat down next to her. "It's your triumph."
"It was my mistake," Lucy grumbled. "I wasn't quick enough."
"Mistake?" Linus raised a brow. "Lucy, you're the reason Charlie is playing tonight. You finally gave him a chance to do something great. You should be proud of yourself."
"Very proud," Lucy rubbed her jaw. "I'm still not going."
Linus was silent for a moment, then blurted, "Did something happen with Patrica and Violet?"
"What? Who told you that?" Lucy snapped unexpectedly. Someone had to tell him. He wouldn't figure that out on his own.
"N-no one," Linus stuttered, shocked by her change in mood. "Your outburst only proves my suspicion correct."
"It does not," Lucy insisted, hoping her lies were enough.
"Fine, we don't have to talk about it now." Linus was quiet for another moment. "Why don't you just come until halftime? Then if you hate it we can leave. I'll even buy you popcorn."
"You can't bribe me," Lucy folded her arms. She hated that Linus was getting too old for her to scold him. They were practically equals now. "Unless you throw in some butter."
"Deal," Linus stood, holding out a hand for his sister. She hesitated, but took it and stood with him. Rerun was at the door, bouncing on his heels. Together the three put on their jackets and went out into the crisp night air.