There are two other versions of the story. In one, Charlie Brown knows Lucy will pull the ball away but keeps trying to kick it because he has internalized everything have said about him and believes repeated disappointment is all he deserves. In the other, he's waiting for Lucy to grow bored and ask, "Why do you keep trying?" so he can say, "Because I love you, and am here to help you get past this." Schultz's point is that from the outside, it's hard to tell these stories apart.