CHANCES
Linus was on his couch, clicking the remote through the TV channels as he searched for a choice. Unfortunately, everything that he clicked on was not interesting, even if it wasn't the same show on different channels, or advertising.
The device was switched off and the remote was put to the side, where it lay not for long before being picked up.
"Well if you're not watching anything Linus, my turn"
Lucy took a seat and moved to hit the button, before pausing and turning to her un-eager brother.
"There's nothing decent on there, right?"
Linus shook his head, "Closest was that one particular show that's running its fifth season"
"You've said it" she bit her lip, "3 seasons Linus. All they needed".
"2.5 actually, consider the third season's ending. To think when we were younger we got so…emotionally invested in it".
"Then the only emotion I felt was cheated. 2 and a half seasons"
The two siblings chuckled a bit. Then, they went quiet as they pondered what to say next, about what had occurred between them much more recently.
"Linus, about what I said earlier"
"Lucy" Linus voice was soft as he tried to explain, "You're my sister. I don't dislike you"
Lucy nodded at him.
"…but I'm not the type of little brother to scheme and plot with you against friends. And I need you to realise that"
He paused and sat waiting for her response, whether it was about to be refusal or acknowledgment.
"My last plot was stupid anyway"
That was not the response he'd been waiting for. Linus stared at her as if something had gone wrong.
"Your last plot was stupid?" he repeated.
"That's what I said" Lucy sat up, "Haven't you been saying that yourself".
"I know, I know, but in what way?"
"Obviously, where that plot got me" she explained to Linus, "It did me no good, by the end my allies have fled, my actions are denounced and forbidden, and the new bully hunters have a "dislike" for me.
Linus was now wondering where to go with this. He concluded that these were small steps.
"Those are strategic reasons" he summarised, "There's all the moral reasons too. Charlie Brown almost gave up on success for good after your plot. I saw it because I was there afterwards"
Lucy felt out of depth, "My point is, I still hate how you, Linus, sided with the bully hunters, and defended Charlie Brown, to my detriment. And denounced me for bullying, and undid all my power…"
Linus wasn't sure if he should nod.
"…but I reached the line with the plot, so now I'm going to take a couple of steps back" she finished "Then you'll, they'll see that I won't reach that stage again. Okay"
"What you mean is, you'll back off". Linus now saw what she meant, she wanted to take a step away from her behaviour. "Okay Lucy"
"Hey. Turns out, I could trust your judgement" Lucy slowly put a hand on his knee, "oh…and…can trust you"
Linus could've felt happy, but the back of his mind held his conversation with Schroeder.
"Linus. Will you get some hot chocolate"
At his sister saying that, he nodded, and went to the kitchen.
In the evening, Schroeder took a seat next to Franklin and Sally as he was welcomed into the Brown Household. A few others were in attendance, and not limited to those from earlier. Janice stood nearby to Charlie Brown, while Rerun sat on the couch to the side.
"This has gotta be everyone now" Peppermint Patty acclaimed from next to Rerun, "I left my team's baseball practice for this"
"I'd thought of having a practice today for our team" Charlie Brown mentioned, "only we'd be down both Snoopy and Linus".
Peppermint Patty wasn't assured both their teams wouldn't be set back, but didn't reply.
"And that's the reason I brought you here today" Charlie Brown talked to the others.
"Because you need someone to fill in?" Marcie asked, sitting next to Franklin.
"Well yes I wouldn't mind" he sighed, with Snoopy away the team had been already depleted, "but it's about why we're down Linus"
"So it's Linus not doing the baseball team"
"It's more than that. My best friend is depressed, and…so Schroeder"
Charlie Brown directly addressed the pianist, "you found out about what's bothering him"
Everyone present paid attention to him, Janice stepping forward a bit.
"Your concerns weren't off mark Charlie Brown" Schroeder assured, "I'm positive it's with him and Lucy"
There was more nodding from the rest, along with a few bits of whispering. Linus was having these feelings because of hurt concerning Lucy. Rerun, for one, laid his head on his hand, earning a look from his friend.
"So, do we perhaps talk to the bully hunters" she inquired, "Let them deal with it"
"Katie" Rerun lamented, "that'll invite them to have it out with my big sister. Big brother could be pushed further away from her"
"So you're suggesting?"
Rerun was a bit unsure as he saw Franklin and Patty waiting to hear his input.
"Linus, he may be in a bad mood now, filled with emotions, but this is what he's feeling, and…"
He stammered, "…I can say that out of anyone, he could…get an olive branch to Lucy".
Then he stopped talking, and waited for the response. They were knowing full well that he had not sounded persuasive, and he could see it too.
"Rerun. That might not work"
It was a surprise to hear Charlie Brown say that first.
"Linus tried to talk her down before she even escalated her bullying. And she only turned her violence on him"
Few of them had asked about the details of the actions taken to stop Lucy and her plot. But it was clear that it weighed on a few minds. They wanted to avoid a situation like that.
For Charlie Brown, it perhaps meant security, "We tried talking, we tried action, let's try"
"More action" Marcie guessed.
He nodded, "How about more action. So this will be behind us before anything can go…you know. And if we…maybe took more action…"
Then, he was struggling to find a way to put his point across.
"…then" Janice finished, "Charlie Brown has one possibility he's got to show you all".
This put most of everyone else on edge.
Charlie Brown went to a drawer that was high up on the shelf. After he had to get a step-stool to reach, he opened it and got out a folder, with a single document sat in place.
Many saw it looked credible and official. Sally leaned over curiously at its contents, and before long, gave a small laugh.
"A mock-up restraining order. Very amusing", her finger was pointed at Charlie Brown.
"Just a general warning everyone" she addressed the others, "Big brother is attempting pranking now, so there's that to mind…".
But the serious look on her brother's face, and now the expression's of everyone else, put a stop to her claims.
It wasn't fake. Now they all were attentive.
"So…that is a real restraining order" Janice said. There were questions. How was this valid. What was the point of needing three eligible citizens to even sign it.
"I'd rather not share where I got it from" Charlie Brown requested, "but I can say that it's real. And if I filed it today, it'd immediately count as…enforced.
If their were any doubts, they weren't raised.
"Both the names of Linus and Lucy can be filed on there. And that be the end of it"
It was certainly something. Linus steering clear of the likely source of his depressed mood may be what the doctor recommended. And yet, how'd they go about it. There hadn't even been an end date stated.
"If we were to theoretically sign" Schroeder asked, "who will do it, or should I say, who can"
Charlie Brown reached for a pen, and pushed it across the table. He did so until it was within Rerun's reach, showing what he implied.
"It needs a signature from a family member"
Rerun was staring down, "And you've offered it to me"
"You're a family member" Sally summarised, "and probably the only one who we can get to sign this"
But Schroeder had already thrust a hand on Reruns wrist, noticing the boy as he was about to snap the pen in half.
"That's a bit childish"
"I am a child Schroeder" Rerun snapped, "and no way am I for dividing my siblings"
"What will you do then Rerun?"
"Nothing Patty" Rerun replied to her, "Nothing"
After he said that, there was a few mutters amongst them. Marcie and Franklin were considering what to say on doing nothing, while Janice was now showing a bigger frown than beforehand. Charlie Brown had fixed Rerun with an affirming gaze.
"Nothing. And you can sleep soundly while your brother remains depressed"
Rerun felt the tinge of self-disappointment now coming into himself.
"Big brother"
"No, he needs to hear this Sally"
Charlie Brown had a sudden raised voice, "This is not letting you be happy Rerun, and same for us. But you…we…shouldn't…shouldn't turn the other way because of that inconvenience.
"What are you saying"
"I'm saying that leaving Linus all conflicted, simply because then some of us can stay happy, as we've been going. I…"
He looked a bit filled with emotion, "I won't do that. He'd do the same for me, for a good few of us"
They looked between each other, a reflection on their young friend on their minds. The things that had been said had been received.
"Hear hear" Patty muttered.
Janice hadn't said much. But she silently put a hand on the youngster's shoulder, communicating that she felt the weighty choice he was making.
Rerun's hand was unsteady, as he got the pen from the desk. It was pressed to the document. And slowly, his signature was marked on.
"Rerun" Charlie Brown was seeing the inkling of sorrow on his face, "…this will set things right"
As he spoke, he reached over and slowly pulled the document to himself. Following that, he grabbed a pencil and hovered it over the order.
And there it stayed, his hand remaining still without putting down a signature.
Rerun and Sally now felt confused about what was happening. Schroeder had more of an idea.
"Charlie Brown, I could call you a hypocrite"
A small snicker was heard from Marcie.
"You could, Schroeder", Charlie Brown slowly moved his pencil from the order.
"…He's my best friend. I don't have it in me, not yet"
"So"
The group thought. It could be that keeping lookout was an idea, all things considered
"So Rerun, for now let's give Linus the space to work things out" Charlie Brown conceded. A few of them thought perhaps that Lucy could get a new chance if he did so.
"But guys, if that chance is thrown away, then we get the two signatures and finish this order off", the elder Brown sibling stated, "Okay"
Many of the others then began quietly voicing their agreement. It was soon the end of the meetup.
And, one person wandered out of the house, smiling, unrecognised after a new haircut. Thibault was satisfied with what he'd heard.
A/N: Bit of a long chapter. Also I know that's probably not how restraining orders really work but…errr…all in due time?.
So that's chapter 6 done.