A/N:I'm not sure when I'll be getting back to Beyond A Different Horizon or even how long this stories going to be.But this will be entirely entered on Trixie's feelings from The Ski Trip...all the way up to...well if you read any of my other's stories then you'll know and there's even a few surprises I'm planning on adding!So brace yourselfs,this should be fun!

The Day Before The School-Sponsered Ski-Trip...

A thin sheet of frozen icy wind pelted Trixie's dark brown facial features,as she made her way gradually againist winter's impetuous gusts and small blizzards with her black windbreaker pulled tightly up to herhead shield herself,she fought her way almost forcefully up the steps of the stoop leading to her house and gave the nearly always unlocked door a good kick before falling forward inside and closed the door immediately with her back.She stood that way with her back pressed to it's wooden frame,trying mightily to get regain control of her gasping breath,

"M-Ma-Mama!"Trixie finally recovered enough to call out a bit hoarsely due to the biting,chilled currents that had forced thier way into her throat everytime she had opened her mouth on the way home to say something from the Mall and made it sting,"Uh...Mama,"she said again more mildly,as she bent down to clutch up the thin paper stringed bags she'd dropped the moment she came in and ventured without any rush into the Kitchen where she saw her Mother's back turned to her stirring a large pot of what appeared to be some type of soup,"Mom,what're you doin'?I thought you were gonna be workin' late at the Office tonight."

"Change of plans,"Her Mother,a tall,black woman in her late thirties dressed in a light green turtle neck sweater and bright red slacks,she told her cheerily,"My boss is coming over a little later from some 'homemade' dinner so we can discuss me possibley being pro-"she cut her herself off abruptly when she finally glanced over her shoulder and eyed her daugther meticulously from head-to-toe,"You look like a mess."

"Ugh!"Trixie only groaned at her irratabley in reply,as she lugged the two bulky bags of last minute winter cloths for herself in with her and onto the table,as she herself yanked out a chair with a loud scrap and plopped herself down it,"Well,I told Jakey I wanted to get it all done and over with before it really started to pick up.But no,he's gotta follow me around and spill his gut over how he thought he must of tried to go in for the kiss with him and Rose..."she rambled absently as she often did when either Jake or Spud got on her nerves,trying to recoup a bit of a coolerdemeanor she inquired her Mother curiously,"Has Daddy called around here lately?"

Trixie's query made Elaine Carter stand erect,"Oh,sweetheart,about that..."her voice started malaproposly,already signalling disaster,"Well,he called while you and you're friend were still out.I mean,I know you only hear from him once every month or two.However,you know he has to..."

"He has a job to do."Trixie instantly picked up on her mid-sentenced trail off,her worse fears at that moment confirmed more by the sound of her Mother's voice then the words it formed,"I'm skippin' dinner if that's okay,"she told her in a low voice,getting up with the heavy sacks and exiting quietly without meeting her Mother's eyes,"I'll be up in my room."

Although she could still sense her Mother was casting a worried look onto her,Trixie couldn't let her ultimate dissapointment in not even being around when her Father,who was in the Military,show because of the constant attitude she tried to show.But deep within her,she couldn't help but feel like he had all but deserted the last few years of her life.Joshua Carter had been a great Father to her when she was younger yet the yearning he felt for out-of-state action and an oath to his country wavered his priorites.

As she approached the first few steps of the flight of stairs leading up to her room,she thought she could hear the muffled sounds of the television in her Grandmother's bedroom justtwo doors ahead of herown room in the hall.But just as she passed her door,the sudden ringing of the three phones,two upstairs and one down in the living room,immersed the sounds of a car chase.Furrowing her brow slightly,Trixie cocked her head upwards in an attempt to hear whether her Father had had a change of heart or not,

"Hello?"her Grandmother's awnsered a bit raspily from a cold,a few seconds had passed before she said something in a whisper to the person and bellowed out raucidly,"Trixie,baby,you're friend Potatos on the line!"

Rolling her eyes skyward at her Grandmother's occasional tendancy to get her friend's name wrong,Trixie called back to thank her and setting her two laborious loads down onto the ground,she turned on her heel and raced back down the stairs while taking the steps two at a time,

"Hey,Spud,"She breathed in a panting voice,as she jerked the phone up and spoke with unwithheld exhaustion starting to fall over her in a giant wave,"I just got back from store with Ja..."her words trailed as she remembered something,with squared eyes she demanded condescendingly,"OK,why aren't you at the Public Library studying up on that report for World War I?You were suppose to be gone all day."

"Yeah,well..."Spud began nervously over the other end but taking a brief moment to sigh he continued on more boldly,"I've been here for like four hours,but Jake called me on my cellphone and since I knew yours was busted up...I...um..."she could hear him lisping,trying to find the right words to say,"Well,Jake wanted to take that Ski Trip tommorw to get his head straight about Rose and there's a few things I wanted to do there too.So,we kind of signed up for it and we wanted to know...?"

"Spud."Trixie retorted curtly,hand on hip,"You didn't do what I think you and Jake snuck down to School and did behind my back,did you?"

To Be Continued...

Yep and it only is going to get better from here.I'm going to go with a whole other side of the Ski Trip and from there on I will work with what happened after that...etc.You'll find out along the way!ttylz.

LP