Author's note: Hello everyone and welcome to this story. Before we begin, I have a couple of disclaimers and notes that I need to go over first.
First, the source material that is being utilized for this story include the comic strips, the animated specials, the Peanuts movie, and other media as I find it useful. The exception will be the current ongoing "Snoopy Show" as it's an Apple TV Plus exclusive and I do not have that.
Second, I'll say up front that some characters may get more focus than others because I haven't been able to create as much of a storyline for these other characters. Peppermint Patty and Marcie are examples of characters that will be playing a somewhat more minor role in this story. But I've got big plans for Charlie Brown, Heather Wold, Sally, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and a certain very obscure character.
Third, the setting may feel a little bit more modern than normal by Peanuts standards (it's been decades since Peanuts' time to be fair), but don't worry, you won't see anyone pulling out a smartphone or using Facebook or YouTube. I'm even confident that I can avoid the use of computers.
Finally, pairings. Charlie Brown x Heather is confirmed as an eventual pairing (side note: I'll be basing her off of the portrayal of her from the Peanuts Movie). Now as for Schroeder, while I can say that I plan for him to have a bit of a role in Lucy's storyline, Schroeder and Lucy as a pairing is NOT happening. I despise that ship more than almost any other ship in this fandom. Sally and Linus is not happening either. However, there will be eventual pairings for Schroeder, Linus, and Sally, as well as a couple others as we get deeper into the story.
Oh, and I don't own Peanuts. Now, please enjoy the story!
The bright morning sun was now rising up over the horizon in Sparkyville. At the same time, alarm clocks all around the neighborhood began going off. All of our characters had their own unique ways of dealing with their alarms jolting them out of their sleep.
Marcie was quiet as she arose from her slumber, but she was very happy to be starting her first year of Junior High. She had been top of the class throughout elementary school and she was confident in her ability to do even better while navigating Junior High. But she wasn't the only advanced student in school, and even she hadn't achieved what Linus Van Pelt had.
Speaking of Linus, he had already awoken to his alarm and had shut it off, but he wanted to allow a few additional moments to cuddle with his trademark security blanket. While doing so, his older sister, Lucy, walked in the room, already dressed and ready to go. She couldn't tell if Linus was still asleep or not, but that didn't matter to her.
"Linus, wake up," Lucy said in a soft singsong voice, tiptoeing towards him and stretching her arm out towards his blanket. Finally, in one swift maneuver, she yanked Linus' blanket from him, shouting "Get out of bed!" before running off.
"My blanket! Give me back my blanket!" Linus cried out, beginning to give chase.
A couple of minutes later, Linus had retrieved his stolen blanket and was walking back towards his room to get ready, muttering something about crabby, annoying older sisters. As he was passing by the phone though, it began to ring.
"Hello?" he said after picking it up.
"Linus? It's me, Sally!" came a bubbly female voice from the other end. "I just wanted to wish my Sweet Babboo good luck at his first year of Junior High!"
Linus grit his teeth. "I am not your sweet babboo!"
From the other end, Sally ignored this and simply smiled dreamily. Linus had managed to skip not one but two grades, and that only made Sally admire him that much more. He was such a smart kid, and the cutest thing to boot.
Meanwhile, Peppermint Patty was beginning to wake up. Well, she was trying at least. Once again, she had gone to bed really late and the effect of not getting enough sleep was being felt. Marcie had told her that she needed to start going to bed at a normal hour despite her dad coming home so late, especially now that she was going to Junior High. But of course, even to this day, she couldn't quite get the hint.
Marcie was worried about this happening. A couple weeks before the gang had completed elementary school, the gang had their orientation day at the building where they would be spending their Junior High years. One of the things everyone learned was that students were required to maintain at least a C average in order to be able to participate in any extracurricular activities. Or to be able to try out for a sports team. This meant that if Peppermint Patty could not get her grades up, she would have no shot at being able to try out for the school baseball team in early spring. Marcie could only hope that this would be enough motivation for Peppermint Patty to make a serious effort to improve.
Schroeder's morning routine was pretty regular, if you count out the fact that his alarm always played some Beethoven music piece whenever it went off.
Schroeder was still just as much into Beethoven as he ever was, and he was still committed to living his life in a way that honored his musical idol. As always, he could also enjoy music from other great composers, so long as said music was in the same genre as Beethoven. Schroeder also had recently made a resolution to get invested into trying to write his own pieces. He knew he couldn't rely solely on practicing other composers' content if he wanted to get into Juilliard. However, he still had a ways to go on the original music part.
For now though, Schroeder's music life revolved primarily around Beethoven. He had even just completed an application that he would submit to whom was in charge of managing the school clubs. Schroeder wanted to create a club of his own: the Beethoven Appreciation Club. Though when he presented the idea to his friends, they didn't share the same excitement. They had actually appeared as though they thought that Schroeder's club idea wouldn't be approved. Despite that, Schroeder was intent on pushing forward with his idea.
Finally, there was Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown, after his alarm went off, contemplated getting up, but inevitably just shifted onto his side, away from the clock. His attempt to get back to sleep was unsuccessful though as Sally barged into his room, making sure that he couldn't escape the start of the new school year. Sally sure seemed excited, though maybe that was just because her big brother was finally going to Junior high, since she herself was never a first-day-of-school kind of kid. Or any school day for that matter.
Charlie Brown wasn't looking forward to the new year, even if he would no longer be attending that dreaded elementary school of his. How would being in Junior High be any different than being in elementary school? Most of those whom he knew in elementary school would also be going and there would also be new people who would come to see Charlie Brown for the loser and the failure that he was. Why would the world allow him a fresh start?
To make matters worse, there was a brief period of time where Charlie Brown's life seemed to finally be taking a turn for the better. It had all started when the love of his life told him that day before she went away to camp that he had all of the qualities that she admired. Since this girl had told him this, Charlie Brown had instantly felt much happier about his life and had a more positive outlook on it.
At least that had been the case for a little while. A certain couple of girls seemed to think that a confident and happy Charlie Brown was an uncomfortable thought for them, and starting with the next school year, they had gone into overdrive in their attempts to bully Charlie Brown and make him look like a fool. And now as of today, he was just barely above the confidence level he had been at when he was just nine years old. He couldn't even work up the courage anymore to talk to his dream girl beyond little things like "Hi" and "how are you".
Charlie Brown eventually rolled out of bed and proceeded to get ready for the day.
A short while later, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt were walking to the bus stop together. In a rare occasion, Lucy decided to dress in a color other than blue (today, she was wearing a vibrant red dress) while Linus was just wearing something one would expect him to.
The most notable piece of attire Linus had on him was his trusty security blanket, which he dragged along beside him. Over the last few years, its age had really begun to show, and deep down, Linus was worried about how much longer it was going to last. He hoped that he could get at least through Junior High with it still in one piece.
While Linus and Lucy were walking, Linus at one point overheard Lucy muttering to herself, but he decided to wait until they were at the bus stop before asking her about it. He had a feeling anyway that he knew what this was going to be about.
Sure enough, once the two of them had reached the bus stop, Lucy turned her attention to Linus at he got himself comfortable on the bench with his blanket.
"You know, Linus, now that we are in a new grade, and as a matter of fact, a new school, this is a great opportunity for you to finally give up that dumb blanket," she suggested, trying to sound casual.
Linus didn't look at her, but took his thumb out of his mouth to respond. "I will admit that we are much closer to that fateful day, but we aren't there just yet."
Lucy frowned at him. Here she went again on this.
"Don't you realize that you're in junior high now? Don't you know that NOBODY at your grade level carries around baby blankets anymore?! Everybody is going to ridicule you! When are you ever going to grow up?!"
Linus grinned slightly. "I think I'm going to get by just fine. I'm going to seventh grade even though other kids my age are only in fifth grade."
"That makes it even more important that you kick this stupid habit once and for all!" Lucy practically yelled. "In fact, I'm going to tell the school principal that you're planning on dragging that thing around with you everywhere. I hear that such possessions aren't even allowed on school grounds."
"Where did you hear that?" Linus asked derisively.
Before Lucy could answer, they heard the sound of the school bus coming. The two Van Pelts grabbed their belongings and proceeded to board the bus.
"One of these days, you and that blanket will be separated for good," Lucy warned him.
Linus merely rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, good grief."
Linus really longed for that day when Lucy herself would "grow up" a little and would perhaps decide to let go of this crabby, bossy, mean-spirited side of herself. As a matter of fact, Linus couldn't help but notice that Lucy lately had been acting particularly crabby. If she wasn't being worse towards him than she usually was, she was at least showing her unpleasant side towards him much too often.
What Linus did find interesting though was that on a couple of occasions, he would pass by Lucy's closed bedroom door and he would hear what actually sounded like Lucy crying.
As unpleasant as she could be, Linus was starting to grow rather concerned for her. She was still his older sister after all and he loved her regardless.
Linus took his seat in the second row of the bus on the opposite side seat to Charlie Brown. Lucy however, slowly made her way down the bus hallway as she kept her eyes peeled for her target. She found him in row eight, looking over his neatly written application for his new Beethoven Appreciation club.
Feeling satisfied with the application and confident of his club's chances, Schroeder closed the binder that the application was in and stowed the binder away in his backpack. After he finished, he looked up and noticed that Lucy was now standing near him and smiling at him. He knew what it was that she wanted, but he was not interested.
"No, thank you. I don't want you to sit with me," he told her plainly before she even asked.
Lucy put her hands on her hips. "Why not?" she asked indignantly.
"Because I know that all you're gonna do is ramble on about your laughable idea that someday we're going to be married," Schroeder said, already becoming agitated by just the thought of Lucy doing this.
"If I promise not to talk to you about marriage, may I sit with you?" she asked sweetly.
"No," he told her.
Lucy huffed. "Fine, be that way."
And so she instead settled for sitting in the empty seat behind him. But rather than focus on the world outside her window, she opted for fondly admiring what she could see of Schroeder's fluffy yellow hair.
Up in the second row, Charlie Brown was leaning against the window, looking out at nothing in particular. He remained like this for several minutes... until the bus finally arrived at a certain house that had become all too familiar to the boy. This was the house of Heather Wold, the little red-haired girl who Charlie Brown had fawned over ever since the first time he laid his eyes on her.
As the bus was coming to a stop, the front door to the house opened, and out came the sweet-natured redhead. Charlie Brown's face went red as he watched her approach the bus, her outfit today making her look as pretty as anyone could expect.
Charlie Brown thought back to the day after third grade had ended, and Heather was about to board the bus to go to summer camp. That had been the happiest day of Charlie Brown's life hands down. Once she had made it clear how she viewed him, he felt a sort of confidence that he had never before had, but always longed for.
That was, until they took it away.
Today was gonna be different though. He was going to invite Heather to come and sit with him. It was a new year and a new school.
But then he thought, but what if she doesn't want to sit with me? What if she just laughs and walks away to the back of the bus?
By this point, Heather was now on the bus and beginning to walk down the aisle.
Come on, do it, you blockhead. You won't know unless you ask her. Charlie Brown thought as he tried to open his mouth. She's looking at you now! Ask her!
"Hi, Charlie Brown," she said in that beautifully gentle voice of hers.
"Hi, Heather," Charlie Brown uttered out.
He tried, he really did...
...but nothing. He failed to invite Heather to sit with him. She passed by his row and was now making her way further towards the back of the bus.
Charlie Brown slumped in his seat and sighed, feeling defeated. Linus looked at him sympathetically, but he was shaking his head, missing the more confident Charlie Brown he had once briefly come to know.
Heather found a close friend of hers in row ten and sat down next to her. They exchanged greetings, and Heather's friend, a platinum-blonde haired girl named Mary, complimented Heather on her outfit. After that, they left themselves to their own musings.
For about a minute, Mary was gazing out the window. She was pulled out of her thoughts though when she heard her friend give off a sigh. Curious, she turned towards her.
"Is something wrong, Heather?" she asked, slightly concerned.
"No," she answered. "But I've been thinking a lot about something lately."
"What is it?" Mary inquired.
"Well, see," Heather said, deciding how much information she felt she should give. "Let's say hypothetically that I have this acquaintance of mine. This guy is somebody who a lot of the time seems discouraged and depressed. I want to be able to offer to help him if something's wrong, but we never really talk very much, and hence I don't know how I should go about it."
Mary nodded, but then gave Heather a knowing look. "You're talking about Charlie Brown, aren't you?"
Heather blinked, clearly surprised. "How did you know?"
"I've noticed too the way he is, and I've always felt that one has a right to be a little worried about him," Mary explained.
Heather was silent for a few seconds, but she then nodded. "So then, do you think that maybe I should do something?"
Mary had suspected that Heather had been wanting to get more involved with Charlie Brown for a while, but that she never really did because she was too polite to just insert herself where she may not be welcomed. And Mary respected her for that. However, her advice here was something a little different.
"I think you should do something," she suggested.
"Yeah?" Heather asked.
Mary nodded. "I admit I haven't seen you two interact much, but I get the vibe that Charlie Brown wouldn't mind at all being able to get closer to you. You're such a kind, sweet, and gentle person, and I think that if Charlie Brown is depressed or something, perhaps he'd appreciate someone like you who he could talk to." She then scooted a little closer to Heather and gave her a teasing grin. "And if I'm not mistaken, I think you want to get closer to him as well, if you know what I actually mean by that."
Heather's pretty face went red. "Uhhh..." she stuttered, earning a chuckle from her friend.
"I'm just teasing you," Mary said with a chuckle. "But anyway, that's my two cents on the issue."
"Thank you for the advice," Heather said gratefully.
After the conversation ended, Heather half-stood and, looking pensive, took a look over the seat in front of her, spotting the solidly round head of the boy she was concerned for. Perhaps Mary was right. Maybe it was time for her to make some moves on her own.
Author's note: Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far. The first part was more of an introductory one, but the rest of the chapter really begins to open up a couple of plot points that will be tackled in this story. Expect the next chapter soon.