Chapter Text
The late summer sun cast long shadows across the streets as Lucy Van Pelt walked toward Birchwood High, her backpack slung over one shoulder and her chin held high. A warm breeze rustled the leaves, whispering that autumn was on its way, but Lucy barely noticed. Today was the first day of sophomore year, and she had a plan—a plan that involved one particular boy with a deep love for Beethoven and a serious talent for baseball.
Schroeder.
Lucy had spent all summer thinking about him, planning ways to finally get him to notice her as something more than just an annoyance. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried before—countless times, in fact—but this year, she was taking a different approach. This year, she was going to be right there, in his world. If he spent all his time between the band room and the baseball field, then so would she. That was why, after much deliberation, she had decided to try out for the cheerleading squad.
“Are you sure about this?” Linus, her younger brother, asked as he walked beside her, clutching his ever-present blue security blanket. “You’ve never exactly been… coordinated.”
Lucy scowled at him. “I can be coordinated when I want to be! Besides, it’s not about flipping around or anything. It’s about school spirit, about confidence! And who has more confidence than me?”
Linus sighed, clearly unwilling to get into yet another argument with his sister so early in the morning. “Well, good luck, I guess.”
Up ahead, the usual chaos of the Peanuts gang unfolded. Charlie Brown was already fumbling with his locker combination, forehead creased in concentration. Peppermint Patty leaned lazily against the wall, chatting animatedly with Marcie about soccer tryouts. Sally trailed after Linus, batting her eyes at him as she gushed about how exciting sophomore year was going to be.
And then there was Schroeder.
He stood near the band room door, balancing his music composition book in one hand while tossing a baseball in the other. He was already deep in conversation with Franklin, the two of them discussing strategies for the upcoming season. His blonde hair fell slightly over his forehead as he focused on the ball in his palm, barely paying attention to the bustling hallway around him.
Lucy felt her heart race. This was it. This was the year.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and made her way over. “Good morning, Schroeder!” she said brightly, flashing her best smile.
Schroeder barely glanced up. “Morning,” he mumbled before turning back to Franklin. “Anyway, Coach wants me to work on my fastball. He thinks I’ve got the speed, but my control needs work.”
Lucy opened her mouth to respond—something witty, something charming—but before she could, Peppermint Patty clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, Luc! You ready for tryouts after school?”
Lucy hesitated. She wanted to stay and talk to Schroeder, but she also needed to prove that she was serious about cheerleading. Nodding, she turned to Peppermint Patty. “Yeah, I’m ready. I’ve been practicing.”
Peppermint Patty raised an eyebrow. “Practicing? Since when?”
Lucy huffed. “Since yesterday.”
Marcie adjusted her glasses. “Well, that explains why you fell off your porch last night.”
Lucy turned red. “That was a miscalculation!”
Schroeder, hearing the exchange, finally looked up with mild amusement. “You? A cheerleader?”
Lucy crossed her arms. “Yes, me. I can do it. You’ll see.”
Schroeder shrugged. “If you say so.” And just like that, he turned back to his conversation with Franklin.
Lucy clenched her fists but forced herself to stay calm. This was just the beginning. He might not take her seriously now, but he would.
The gym buzzed with energy as the cheerleading tryouts began. A group of students gathered on the bleachers, watching as the hopefuls took turns performing their routines. Lucy stood in the middle of the gym floor, stretching her arms and trying to look more confident than she felt.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen!” the cheer captain, a senior named Rachel, called out. “We’re going to start with some basic moves. Let’s see your jumps first.”
Lucy took a deep breath, bent her knees, and leaped into the air. For a brief moment, she felt weightless, soaring higher than she expected. But the landing—oh, the landing. She miscalculated her footing and stumbled sideways, knocking into one of the other girls.
“Whoa! Watch it!” the girl snapped, steadying herself.
Lucy winced. “Uh… my bad.”
Peppermint Patty smirked from the sidelines. “Nice one, Luc.”
Lucy glared at her but quickly refocused. This was just one mistake. She could recover.
The tryouts continued with a series of cheers and routines. Lucy did her best to keep up, but she wasn’t as graceful as some of the others. By the time they got to stunts, she was panting. When it was finally over, she collapsed onto the bleachers next to Marcie.
“Well,” Marcie said, handing her a water bottle. “That was… enthusiastic.”
Lucy groaned. “I blew it, didn’t I?”
Peppermint Patty plopped down beside her. “Eh, you weren’t the worst. That one kid did a cartwheel straight into the water fountain.”
Lucy sighed. “Great. My only competition is an actual disaster.”
At that moment, Rachel approached, clipboard in hand. “Lucy, right?”
Lucy jumped to her feet. “Yes!”
Rachel gave her a considering look. “You’ve got a lot of energy. Your technique needs serious work, but you’re confident, and that’s half the battle. We’ll put you on as an alternate for now. If you improve, you might get a spot on the main squad.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Rachel nodded. “Practice is tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
As Rachel walked away, Lucy turned to Peppermint Patty, grinning. “I did it! I made the team!”
Peppermint Patty chuckled. “As an alternate, but yeah, good job, Luc.”
Marcie adjusted her glasses. “I suppose this means we’ll be seeing you at all the baseball games now.”
Lucy smirked. “That was the plan all along.”