AN: Belle Encanto: Thank you so very much for your compliments. The love triangle will cause some drama, but it'll work out. Here's some more Linus and Sally for you in this chapter! Enjoy!
Schroeder glanced at the three roses in his back seat as he pulled up to Lucy's house. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Why did Sally have to give Lucy his science book? Didn't she think about the trail? He knew she did it to be nice, but now here he was buying roses for the girl. He didn't even plan on going to the game tonight, but now he was driving out of town with Lucy to see it and ask her to the dance Shroeder probably wasn't planning on going to anyway.
He glanced at the roses again, and the usual thought sparked in his mind. Was it really so bad? He could've just bought one rose, and she would've been just as happy. Even when he was asked if he wanted one, he shook his head, asking for three. Why did he get himself into this mess? For once in his life, he wasn't dreading spending time with Lucy. She didn't annoy him the way she once did before. Why was that? What had changed so drastically that he would actually be opening the car door for her to get in?
"Thanks," she said, stepping into the vehicle. He closed the door behind her, glancing back at her house. Linus stood behind the window, watching. Schroeder gave him a small nod, Linus returned it and went away.
When Schroeder got in the car, he asked Lucy, "Is Linus coming tonight?"
"Yeah," Lucy nodded. "He's snagging a ride with the Browns."
"I'm sure he's happy about that," Schroeder said without thinking, but before he could cover himself, Lucy laughed.
"Don't worry. Sally doesn't drive him up a wall like she used to. She hasn't said anything about him at all lately. Maybe she's moved on." With that, Lucy buckled herself in.
"Maybe," Schroeder shook his head before putting the car in gear. They were on their way. It would be about a half hour before they reached the field, but Schroeder wasn't worried, Lucy would fill the silence.
"What do think will happen tonight?" she asked after sipping some water. They were only two minutes on the road. He smiled just at that.
"The game? Or in general?" he asked.
"The game."
That was a rather easy question. "Charlie Brown will make a field goal, and become the hero of the week once again."
"You say it like it's certain."
"It is certain," he shrugged. "Girls have been fawning over him all week. With only one game under his belt, I'm scared to see what'll happen next week."
"Of course, people are fawning over him," Lucy stated, rather annoyed.
"Aren't you happy for him? I heard you hollering this morning at the pep fest."
"I'm happy for him," Lucy defended. "It's just...strange to think Charlie Brown would ever be the guy girls would fall to their knees for."
"I suppose," he shrugged again.
"Attractiveness and talent seem to go hand in hand, don't they?" she muttered, a certain weight lingering on her words.
"Not always. There's plenty of talented jerks."
"Yeah," Lucy agreed. "There's a lot of pretty girls who are jerks too." His mind instantly went to Violet and Patricia and those nasty looks they had given her this last week when she sat with him at lunch. He remembered glancing back and forth between them. Lucy used to wear a scowl like that, but now, she was much different.
"A lot, but not all," Schroeder finally said.
She sunk back into her seat and sighed, "You think so?"
"I know so," Schroeder perked up. "I mean, Sally is one of the nicest people I know."
"Schroeder," Lucy scolded teasingly.
"Oh come on," he laughed, enjoying her frustration. He still couldn't believe she had accused him of being with Sally. To him, she had always been completely off the market. As if he was really looking anyway. "You have to admit she is pretty."
"She's gorgeous," she admitted, playing with her necklace."I suppose I would be offended if you thought otherwise. She's blonde, blue-eyed, and everything a boy could ever want."
"Not for me," Schroeder shook his head. "One time, I heard her say she hated music. I think she was just gossiping after band class, but I still haven't forgiven her." He had forgotten about the memory until now. It was almost two years ago, and it stung him slightly.
Lucy laughed at that. "You seem to have a fine list of requirements in a woman." He grinned, knowing there wasn't a single point in his mind when it came to women."Care to share?"
"I don't have a list," he replied. "Honestly, love is the farthest thing away from my mind." Lucy didn't have a witty response to that. He cleared his throat, ignoring the silence. Lucy turned to the window, watching the sunset. Schroeder glanced back at the roses in his back seat. Love was supposed to be the farthest thing from his mind.
They got to the game in three orchestra songs from the radio. Schroeder found his way to a parking spot farther from the field than he wanted. Surprisingly, there were a lot of cars around. Schroeder hesitated, but opened the door and pushed out into the cold. He grabbed the blankets from his trunk and he and Lucy went into the field together without a word of conversation between them.
Linus and Sally were already parked on the bench. Schroeder didn't know how they beat them here, but he really didn't want to think about it. Beside them, Peppermint Patty and Marcie were bundled in their own blankets. Pig-Pen had put on a long sleeve under her overalls, unaffected by the chilly temperatures. Franklin looked as if he was wearing three coats himself. Patricia and Violet were not in sight. "How was the drive?" Sally asked.
"Good," Schroeder told her. "I don't know how you beat us here."
"Mom's a bit of a speeder," Sally shrugged as Lucy sat down next to her. Schroeder hesitated, but sat between her and Franklin, wedging himself between her and the many coats of Franklin's.
"Cold, Franklin?" Schroeder asked.
"Nope," he said, sipping hot chocolate. "With any luck, I won't feel the cold all night."
"You won't feel anything at all," Pig-Pen poked at the outside layer. The boys laughed as the whistles blew.
The game had gone just as they all anticipated. Thanks to Charlie's kicks, the team was up by thirteen. Even so, they cheered loudly for Charlie Brown as he kicked again. Lucy could barely breathe after shouting so much. At the end of the game, Lucy didn't follow Schroeder straight to the car. This time, she let Schroeder warm up the car as she gave her congratulations to Charlie.
She waited at the edge of the field with Linus, Marcie, Sally, and Patty for him to walk to them. Together, they cheered him on once more. Charlie took off his helmet and smiled, his blonde hair matted to his head. Before he could get to them, however, he was swarmed with players, girls, and other students. They were all congratulating him so vigorously. Some even wanted autographs.
"Woah," Patty crossed her arms. "That's a pack."
"Where did they even come from?" Sally asked.
"There's Violet and Patrica," Linus pointed out. Lucy spotted them just as he said it. "Wonder why they didn't sit with us."
"Guess they wanted to be part of the Charlie Brown fan club instead," Lucy muttered.
"I thought we were the fan club," Patty huffed.
"No anymore, I guess," Marcie sighed as Charlie continued to walk with the group around him. "I suppose it's time we went home." Everyone agreed and said their goodbyes as they made their way to the parking lot. Lucy searched for Schroeder's car. When she saw the hood, she bolted for it. She shivered at the thought of the warm car waiting for her, but she stopped in her tracks just at the door. Suddenly, the cold didn't bother her anymore.
Schroeder was standing outside the passenger door, holding three roses in his bare hands. They were wrapped with a blue ribbon with a silver lining. "Schroeder," Lucy placed a hand on her heart. She didn't have to act surprised.
"Lucy Van Pelt," Schroeder smiled as they stepped nearer to each other. "Will you go to the Halloween ball with me?"
"Those are for me?" Lucy asked, dumbly.
Schroeder looked around, then his eyes settled back on hers. "Who else?"
Lucy's lips turned up into a smile as she nodded. "I will go with you." She took the flowers from him as he opened the passenger door for her. Her cheeks felt hot against the warm air of the furnace. Her face was pink until Schroeder climbed into the driver's side. He turned up the music. Jazz. She grinned to herself. Romance was definitely not the farthest thing from his mind after all.
At lunch, Linus watched as Charlie laughed with the football boys. It had been a week since the game, and Charlie had disappeared into the mixture of jocks and popular girls. He had gone to the wall three times, and Charlie never showed up after practice like he used to. He wants even sure that Charlie knew Linus was waiting at the wall for him. Had the ignorance of his old life grown that strong?
Schroeder and Lucy were talking to themselves next to him. Was he the only one who noticed this strange behavior? As if on command, Peppermint Patty came and sat down in front of Linus. He eyed the girl as she scowled at him. Franklin was the first to address her. "What's up, Patty?"
"What's up?" she raised a brow, causing Franklin to sink back in his seat. "What's up with Chuck?" she looked to Linus for the answer.
"You think I know?" Linus asked.
"You are his best friend," Patty folded her arms.
"He hasn't been talking to me either," Linus admitted as he glanced again at the football table.
"So he is ignoring all of us," Franklin priced together.
"Shouldn't we be happy for him?" Lucy asked. "He's finally moving up in the world."
"I wouldn't say that," Sally chimed in. Linus almost jumped when she appeared out of nowhere. Was he so focused on Charlie that he couldn't even recognize his own girlfriend? "I took a call from the principal, his grades have been going down. He flunked his math test. He's great at math."
"Something's definitely going on," Schroeder shook his head.
"What can we do about it?" Lucy asked, glancing over her shoulder. "He's in a whole other world."
"You better fix this, Linus," Patty demanded.
"Me?" he asked, feeling weight being poured on his shoulders.
"Yes, you," Franklin leaned closer. "You think he would talk to any of us?"
"He'll listen to you," Sally added. Linus gazed into her desperate blue eyes and felt a pain of guilt in his stomach. She had a way of using those eyes as a weapon.
Linus sighed, "Alright. I'll talk to him."
Another week passed and Charlie was simply ecstatic. Ever since his third game last Friday, he had been chased by many girls he had never even talked to before. Was it always like this for football players? Were they always the hottest commodity? At lunch he was surrounded by them, denying what felt like hundreds of invitations to the dance. He declined nicely, hoping that among his fans he would see Heather, but he never spotted her.
He wished he could talk to Linus about the little red-haired girl, he always knew what to say when charlie was frustrated. After practice, Charlie would stop by the wall, but Linus was never there. In this cold, Charlie could never expect him to stay out and wait for him. He didn't even look that Wednesday afternoon, he just walked straight home. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Linus in the living room, conversing with Sally.
"Hey, Linus," Charlie hung up his coat. Sally stood up from her seat on the couch.
"Big brother," she greeted. "Linus came over looking for you." She then darted out of the room, disappearing into the kitchen. Charlie took his place in his chair. Linus stared at him.
"Hello," Linus finally said.
"I was looking for you," Charlie told him. "At the wall, but I figured it was too cold."
"That's why I'm here," Linus admitted. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."
"You know I've been busy with football and...everything else," Charlie shrugged, taking the cocoa Sally brought in. She looked again at Linus, then hurried away once more.
Linus shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Right...that's the thing."
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked, sensing a tone in Linus's voice.
"Are you holding up?" he asked.
"Of course I am," he replied simply. He sipped his cocoa and sighed. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Linus shrugged, "I mean I haven't seen you once in two weeks. The other night at the game we tried to talk to you but you were swarmed. I thought Monday...you would be back at our table, but you weren't and Sally said something about your grades and...Well to put it simply, you just haven't been yourself lately."
Charlie raised a brow. This was unlike Linus to make such broad assumptions. What does he mean by not himself? He was finally the football star he had always wanted to be."You expect me to be the pathetic loser I am usually?" he asked, hardly. "Sorry to disappoint."
"That's not what I meant," Linus defied, his voice slightly rising.
"I think I know what you meant," Charlie snapped. He didn't know exactly where this anger was coming from. Linus stared at him. "Are you saying I'm strange now that I'm getting all the attention?" Now that he thought about it, he couldn't even remember if Linus had congratulated him on his performance the other night. Was he even at the game at all? Charlie couldn't recall.
"What?" Linus stood. "Are you saying I'm jealous? Believe me, Charlie. I'm not." How could he be so calm during this? Linus of all people could realize when they were in the wrong.
"I've finally got the football career I've wanted, Linus, and you're not happy for me," Charlie assumed. Linus's jaw dropped. "Why can't you be like everyone else?"
"Because I'm your real friend," Linus said calmly. It sickened him with rage.
"Doesn't sound like it to me," Charlie muttered. He immediately regretted it, but he had the will to hold his ground.
"Well," Linus stepped closer to the edge of the room. "I suppose I'll see myself out then. Goodbye, Charlie Brown." Before Charlie could even open his mouth, Linus was gone and out the front door. It closed with a quiet thud, making the silence in the room obvious. Charlie huffed before sitting back down in his chair, his raging fog beginning to dissipate.
"Big brother," Sally poked her head into the room.
"Not now," Charlie groaned.
"But—"
"Not now! Didn't you hear me the first time?" he hissed without thinking. "Leave me alone." She left without a single moment of hesitation, leaving him to his only companion left. The paper.
Sally dashed to her room, trying her best not to make a sound. She picked up her pillow and threw it back against the bed. She flailed her arms around, pacing the room. She wanted this to work. She thought that he would've listened to Linus, and now they weren't even friends. Then he snapped at her. He never had done that before. Sure, they had gotten into spats before, but there was a different edge in his voice that made Sally feel as if she should punch a hole into her wall, then burst into tears.
She just put her face in her hands when there was a knock at the window. Her head darted up to see Linus peeking inside. She sighed, crossing to the window and pushing it up. Then, she went back to her dresser, where she flicked on her record player. She didn't even care what record she put on, as long as there was noise. Linus had climbed into her room without a sound. He had only done this once before, but that was to give her a goodnight kiss after a secret date. This time, he closed the window and leaned against the wall.
"You were right," Sally whispered, turning to Linus. "He would kill you if he found out about us." Tears began to prick at her eyes. He swept her into an embrace, where she cried into his shoulder. He swayed to the music, holding her to him.
"I don't care," he said suddenly. That made her head jerk away.
"What?" she asked, almost too loudly.
"I don't care if he knows," Linus shook his head. "From what I saw in there, he wouldn't even notice if I had told him myself."
"You mean you're not going to try and fix things?" Sally asked, confused.
"Of course, I will," Linus corrected. "In time. Charlie is going through a trial. Whether he chooses the right direction will be completely up to him. I have no more in the matter."
"You're too wise for me," Sally felt herself at ease again, slumping against his body. He chuckled softly, rubbing her back.
"I heard him snap at you," Linus said briskly. "I was barely out the door. I almost wanted to come back in and sock him. But violence is never the answer."
"I've never seen him like this before," Sally admitted. It was true. Her brother was like an alien to her now.
"Neither have I," he agreed. "But I suppose there is a first for everything."
"I suppose," she shrugged. "I'm just nervous. What's going to happen to the group? To us?"
He tipped her chin, making her look up at him. "I love you."
"I love you," she smiled. "We'll get through this, right?"
"Of course, we will," Linus nodded. "He just needs some time. Hopefully, he'll come back to his senses." Sally hoped he was right.