Peanuts: The Teenage Years Season 1

Episode 23: Emerald's Diet

Emerald had returned to school after her fortnight of suspension. And had put on even more weight during her suspension, at about 330 pounds. As she entered her homeroom, she sat right on her chair, almost breaking it in the process.

"Good grief!" thought Charlie Brown.

"Emerald looks as though she's going to break the chair." thought Scarlet.

Violet, Patty Swanson and Frieda, remembering what Emerald had done to them on Valentine's Day, refused to focus on her. Though they looked concerned about Emerald's figure.

During lunch, Violet, Patty Swanson and Frieda sat at their table.

"Have you seen Emerald?" asked Patty Swanson.

"Really packed on more pounds." Frieda said.

"Shall we talk to her?" asked Patty Swanson.

"Count me out." said Frieda. "I don't wanna be anywhere near her, especially for ruining my date with Tommy and my clothes."

"I guess I'll talk to her." said Violet.

So Violet made her way to the table Emerald was sitting at. Tommy had given Emerald half a dozen jelly doughnuts. Violet sat with Emerald and eyed her jelly doughnuts.

"Is that all you've been eating for lunch this school year?" asked Violet.

"Yes." said Emerald. "They put away a sheila's appetite so easily."

"My friends and I have been thinking while you were suspended." Violet said. "Why not start eating well?"

"I eat very well, thank you very much!" Emerald said pompously as she picked up a jelly doughnut. "I eat better than you! I eat better than Patty! I eat better than Rita! I eat better than Scarlet. I especially eat better than Tommy! Just watch how well I eat these doughnuts!"

"I mean by eating healthy stuff." said Violet. "You know? Fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, milk? Doughnuts can't be good for you every meal let alone jelly doughnuts."

"Violet." said Emerald. "Do you know what jam doughnuts contain? There's jam, which is made of fruit, and fruit is good for you."

"Fruit isn't all jelly doughnuts contain." said Violet. "There's sugar, deep fry oil, sodium, butter.... that's not good for you."

"What Violet is trying to say is," interrupted Scarlet. "You can't be very healthy eating jam doughnuts everyday!"

"Scarlet, Violet, I am perfectly fine!" Emerald retorted. "Why don't you go and buy lunch for yourself?"

Frieda walked up to Tommy as Emerald spoke to Violet and Scarlet.

"Is Emerald annoying you again, Tommy?" Frieda asked.

"She pestered me to buy her these jam doughnuts." Tommy answered. "And thanks to her, I have no money left!"
"Don't worry, Tommy." Smiled Frieda. "I have a rich family myself, so I'll buy you some lunch. How does that sound?"
"Thank you, Frieda. You're such a lady." Said Tommy.

And there was Emerald, left on her own devouring jam doughnuts, not bite by bite, but doughnut by doughnut.

"Oh, jam doughnuts!" Emerald said happily. "So good! Mm, mm! So good! So very good!"

Scarlet continued to look at Emerald, and knew just what to do about her. She went to the principal's office to use a phone.

"Excuse me, Principal Robbins." She said. "May I please use the phone?"
"What for?" Asked Principal Robbins.

"I need to call a dietician." She said.

"No." said Principal Robbins. "You're in perfectly good health, Miss Harper."
"Rats! Then I'll go to Plan B." Scarlet said with a smirk.