Chapter 2: Failure Face No More
Saint Paul, Minnesota, 6:00 PM
Charlie Brown, now 22 years old, was leaving his cartoon studio for the day. He had become a cartoonist that he had always wanted to be. He had grown his hair longer than before. It was blond, just like his sister Sally and his brother Wally. After graduating art school, Charlie Brown moved out to Saint Paul to start his lifelong job; Drawing comic strips. He based it on his childhood, and while he wanted his creation to be called "Nice Old Chuckie Blue", he was angered that the syndicate had named it "Chestnuts".
Just as he was heading into his car, Charlie Brown got a phone call. He knew it could be someone in his family.
"Hello?" said Charlie Brown.
"Hey, Charlie." said Joyce, Charlie Brown's mother.
"Oh. Hey, Mom. How's things at home?"
"Things are alright with me, Dad, Sally and Wally. Though things aren't going well with the Greens."
"What's happened with the Greens?" asked Charlie Brown.
"Do you remember Emerald Green?"
"Emerald Green? Haven't heard that name in years." Charlie Brown answered.
"She drowned herself!" exclaimed Joyce.
"Good freaking grief!" cried Charlie Brown. "When did she do this?!"
"Today." said Joyce. "She filled her bathtub and then….. you know the rest."
"Does Sally know?" asked Charlie Brown.
"Not yet." said Joyce. "We'll let her know soon."
"Thanks, Mom." said Charlie Brown.
"Anyway, Charlie. I'll let you go now. We'll call you when we know when the funeral is."
"Bye, Mom."
And Charlie Brown hung up on his phone and headed for home.
"I wonder why Emerald was the way she was?" pondered Charlie Brown.
When Charlie Brown got home, he steamed up his dinner, and pondered to himself.
"I wonder if I should tell my friends about Emerald?" Charlie Brown pondered.
He picked up his phone and started to dial a number he knew all too well.
Next Chapter: The cousin of Emerald's archenemy finds out