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Pinecrest High School has been known for excelling in their sports programs and academics since 1950.
No student lacks dedication to their extracurriculars, or so boasts Principal Charles M. Schulz.
Marcie hangs out with the band geeks while she perfects her organ-playing technique, planning for a future concert hosted by Miss Hagemeyer (nee Othmar), and she hangs out with the senior debate team, considering their offer for a position for next year.
Which is why everyone — well, everyone who didn't attend Pinecrest Elementary School with Marcie — becomes confused.
Confused on why she's dating Peppermint Patty.
They go together like a flaming-hot candle and an ice cube. Marcie listens to classical and acoustic indie through her radio streaming service, and Patty only has vinyl of heavy metal singers. Marcie loves spicy food. Loves it. Marcie would cook it for dinner every night if she could. Patty only likes bland or sugary foods, downing two whole cans of Sprite during lunch period. Patty took boxing lessons along with Lucy van Pelt and Marcie choose to visit the indoor ice rink alone. That's another passion of hers.
Geek.
A non-geek.
Marcie's a geek.
Patty has been known for fighting in the hallways and being a tomboy. She suspects that's the real problem to everyone else in their high school. They're the opposite sides of the status quo. Even if Marcie doesn't care.
Marcie wears big, round glasses and oversized polos and knows all of the correct answers on their exams.
Patty struggles with homework. She's naturally loud and enthusiastic, shedding her awkwardness as soon as they hit their freshmen year. She drops "Peppermint" for a little while, but the silly and fun-loving nickname gets revived as soon as Patty joins the cheerleading squad. Yes, cheerleading — the decision stunned Marcie for a week. Violet Gray and Frieda advocate for it, begging the cheer captain.
Since her junior year, Patty has improved her grades. She's fought less. Marcie knows her girlfriend has been sleeping well.
They spend the weekends at the ice cream shoppe, and the movie theater, and under their favorite willow tree by the pond. Marcie has seen Patty, with her kiss-swollen, chapped mouth lifting into a devious grin, carve their initials into the steel bench below. Patty's keys clump with rusted, lead-based paint. Marcie pretends to not see at all, squeezing on Patty's hand and standing up.
Patty's brown-golden hair grows out eventually. She wears it in a high ponytail, dancing and cheering along with the other girls on football night. Their silver-and-lavender uniforms glitter under the bright stadium lights. Marcie can't help but stare.
Charlie Brown ends up with severe food poisoning, poor fool — nobody volunteers to take over as the mascot. Not one person.
No one.
Marcie ends up with his frantic text, and then a half-coherent voicemail, at the last minute.
She sighs reluctantly.
It's so darn cold in November, and Marcie only wears skintight gym shorts and a tank top while waddling the field. Most of the inflated air inside the wildcat mascot-suit feels hot thankfully. But stale. Patty runs over, beaming and waving.
"They said you was sick, Chuck!" she yells, raising her lavender pom-poms and jabbing playfully. "C'mon! Put up your dukes!"
Instead of doing that, Marcie gets nearer and pops up the flap, releasing the warm, stale air. She can hear the school announcer commenting on her and Patty, laughing along with the bleachers of their classmates and teachers, and then gasping in astonished horror as Marcie swallows a bewildered Patty up into the mouth-flap, until they're face-to-face inside.
"What in the—!" Patty recognizes Marcie's round, ugly glasses. "Marcie—oh, you sly dog, you—!" she says, giggling and wrapping her arms around Marcie's neck. Hands drift to Patty's sides, clutching on possessively. A quick, chaste kiss.
"Nice to see you too, sir."
Patty rolls her eyes, smiling and tweaking the tip of Marcie's nose. "For the hundredth millionth time… stop calling me that." For good measure, and still sheltered within the deflating mascot, Patty tosses a pom-pom at her amused girlfriend. "I can't stand it!"
"… yess'sir."
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