Suddenly everyone starts showing up for practice and they manage to win a whole bunch of games. He tears up a little after the first one, because it’s all he’s ever wanted for SO LONG. After that he settles down and they actually do really well and almost make it to the playoffs.
“Good work, everyone,” he assures them after that last, final loss. They’re sweaty and dirty and glorious in a late summer twilight. “We almost had it!” They cheer, raggedly, throats raw with the last week and a half. The outfielder barks. “Okay, well, we’re done for the year, but don’t take off yet. Mrs. Van Pelt’s gonna take us all out for pizza!”
Lucy’s just got this ENORMOUS grin. She catches up to him as the rest of the team straggles to the cars and the arcade lights. “Good work, kid. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Wow,” says Charlie Brown, and reorders all his modest expectations.