CHAPTER 5: UP ALL NIGHT, ALONE WITH YOUR THOUGHTS

While everyone else was asleep, Franco was up. He couldn't sleep. He was thinking about Zac's obvious advances towards Peppermint Patty. It was more than jealousy and envy; it was pure anger. Anger unlike anything he had felt before. Ever since he met Patty when she and Marcie were staying with Hans on Foreign Exchange, it was only her that he wanted to be with, and for her part, she stayed faithful to him, even moving on from her crush on Charlie Brown. To be fair, Charlie only liked Patty as a friend, and had no romantic interest in her. But Zac was the total opposite. Even if Patty wasn't interested in Zac romantically, he definitely had feelings for her, Franco being her boyfriend and friends telling him to back off be damned. Zac obviously wanted to be with Patty, and even if everyone else didn't see it, Franco did, and it angered him.

He was having a root beer when he was joined by Charlie Brown, who had woke up to get something to drink. He was surprised to see that Franco was up, as well.

"Hey, Franco," he greeted.

"Charles," said Franco, seeing his friend. "How are you?"

"All right. Was a little thirsty. Any more of that root beer?"

"Yah, here you go, mein freund." And Franco passed the bottle over to Charlie Brown, who poured himself a glass.

"So why are you up, Franco?" asked Charlie Brown.

"Was thinking about that Zac, der Dummkopf!" growled Franco.

"Since I'm often called that, I know that's 'blockhead' in German."

"Yah, but Zac is trying to take Patricia from me."

"Frieda and I told him that you and Patty were dating. Jadan told me that she and Andrew also talked to him."

"But he doesn't listen, Charles! He likes her, and that's fine, but he should know that I'm her boyfriend; not him!"

"Now that you mention it, he has been pretty flirty with her. But you should know that Patty loves you and ONLY you. And not even Zac, no matter what he feels for her, can't take you two apart. Besides that, he's only going to see her for the summer. At the end of July, we go back home to Sparkyville, and he stays here in Australia. Trust me. Peppermint Patty is not the kind of girl who's boy crazy. When she loves someone, she loves just that person and no one else. And that person is you."

Franco took in what Charlie Brown had to say. He knew deep down he was right. Patty, for her part, had been faithful to him, and was oblivious to Zac's flirting with him. She just thought he was being real friendly and welcoming.

"Danke, Charles," Franco finally said.

"No problem, Franco," Charlie Brown responded. Both boys finished their root beer and got up. "Well we better get back to bed. All I ask is that you don't do anything rash, Franco. If it gets out of hand, we'll deal with it then and there."

"Okay, Charles." And both boys headed for bed. Franco would try to control his emotions, but couldn't promise that nothing would happen if Zac tried anything with Patty. It wasn't a matter of "if", but "when".

END OF EPISODE 4

Next time, the situation between Zac, Peppermint Patty, and Franco comes to a head, and it has dire consequences. Also Snoopy, Woodstock, Gracie, and Hops face danger, and a vicious saltwater crocodile!