Breakaway

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!

She couldn't even begin to tell how many times she had traveled the path to the Manor House over the years. It had to number well into the thousands by now. She was nearly an everyday visitor to the house, sometimes two or three times a day, whether she was meeting up with her best friend or her boyfriend of the past two years. Almost two years, she corrected herself with an inward smile of delight. They only had one week to go before they reached their anniversary. The thought of Jim brought her to a halt, as it usually did. His handsome face with his trademark lopsided grin floated in front of her, making her eyes sparkle with their cheerful blue brilliance, before she swallowed a small sigh of disappointment. He wouldn't be at the house this morning, having spent the following evening camping out somewhere in the preserve with her brothers and Dan. But she would see him later tonight, when he stopped by her house for dinner. Lost in her all-consuming thoughts, Trixie completely missed out on the beauty of the early summer day surrounding her. The pretty wildflowers dotting the edges of the path didn't register. Neither did the generous shade offered by the canopy of branches overhead. The loud call of a crow finally interrupted her train of thought and called her attention back to her task at hand. Reluctantly leaving her thoughts of Jim behind, she started forward.

She made it to the end of the path and soon found herself staring at the Manor House and its large stables. Believing that Honey would already be waiting for her, she headed straight towards the large building, eager to start their morning ride before it got too hot on the mid-June day. After entering the stables, Trixie was surprised to find that the horses were the only ones in attendance. Somehow she had managed to beat her best friend. Shrugging her shoulder, she walked up to her favorite horse and petted her velvety nose. "Here's the carrot I promised you yesterday," she murmured and held it out for Susie to munch on. Susie, always delighted to see one of her favorite people, made quick work of the carrot before nuzzling her head into Trixie's hand.

Honey paused in the doorway and clasped her hands. She let out a small laugh. "My goodness, you beat me!" she exclaimed, pleased. It was rare for Trixie to beat anyone anywhere, unless it had something to do with one of her pet projects. She was generally one of the last to arrive, with Honey or Di usually a close second. Their combined tendency towards tardiness drove the male Bob-Whites practically insane with impatience at times, although Honey had to admit that the young men were much more accepting of it now than they had been a few years earlier. They had to have become used to it by now. They hadn't had much of a choice.

"'Morning, Honey!" Trixie sent her a wide grin over her shoulder. "Moms went easy on me with my chores again. She let me out of the vacuuming this morning and sent me up here to meet you. She knows it's supposed to get hot again today and that this is the best time for us to go out for a ride."

Honey quickly made her way over to Lady, her favorite horse, and began the process of getting the gentle horse prepared for the ride. "I was inside looking over the pictures from our graduation last week. That's why I was a little late," she said to Trixie offhandedly. Her mother had taken a large number of pictures before, during and after the graduation ceremony. Honey had over four huge packets of pictures to go through. "You'll have to look through them with me later. There are some really nice pictures in there." Honey knew that Trixie would love the ones of her and Jim, as well as the group shots of all seven of the Bob-Whites. After she placed the saddle on Lady's back, she added, "I can't believe that we're finally finished with Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School. It's only been a week but I still wake up each morning, feeling as if I should be getting ready for yet another tedious day of high school."

"I know what you mean." The same affliction affected her. She could hardly believe that she didn't have to attend the hallowed halls of their high school anymore. The diploma sitting on her dresser had been her ticket out of there. She couldn't have been more excited, pleased or jubilant to see the end of her high school days. "I'm surprised that you haven't looked through the graduation pictures before," Trixie noted curiously as she copied Honey and made quick work of preparing Susie.

"You know me and my habit of forgetting to do certain chores. How many times have I forgotten to get the mail over the years? More often than not the mail from the previous day is still sitting in our mailbox before Miss Trask, Tom, Celia or Jim, if he's home, picks it up." Honey rolled her eyes at herself. "Miss Trask very nicely picked them up from the store yesterday. I was supposed to get them each day for the past week but, well, I kept forgetting to. I guess she finally figured out that if she didn't pick them up they were going to be stuck down there for the rest of the summer!"

Trixie giggled and expertly mounted her horse. She followed behind Honey as the two led their horses onto the beaten path that would take them into the preserve. The sun was just starting its trek towards its highest peak of the day with only a few white clouds floating in the sky. There was still a small breeze that blew through the trees, which made the air more refreshing than it would be in an hour or so. They traveled in silence until they came to a shady glade. Then Honey came to a stop and slowly dismounted, wanting to give Lady a break from riding and a chance to munch on the plentiful sweet green grass, as well as drink from the small stream that ran through the edge of the glade.

Honey sat down on the ground. "Just think," she murmured as she closed her eyes and stared up into the wide expanse of the blue sky above, feeling the warmth of the sun on her face, "we have the entire summer free from any schoolwork. No more papers. No more homework assignments. No more tests. And no more finals!"

"Until the fall," Trixie gently reminded her as she slid off of Susie. Neither had ever been enamored with schoolwork although Trixie had a strong suspicion that she would like college life much better than high school. At least she would be able to focus on what she wanted to do with her life, instead of learning mundane and potentially useless information, such as the periodic table of elements or tangent line approximation. She had absolutely every confidence that she would never have to apply any of that information in her real life.

"Don't remind me," Honey admonished her gently, cracking open one eye, and holding back a laugh. She patted the spot next to her and waited for Trixie to flop down. "You're going to have to humor me, Trixie Belden, whether you want to or not. Let me dwell in this place where there is no such thing as homework."

"As you wish," Trixie chuckled, more than familiar with the feeling. "You don't have to beg me to not talk about homework."

"No more school talk, either. That would be absolutely lovely. Let's just pretend that there isn't any type of higher education out there," Honey announced decidedly. She turned towards Trixie and added, "We'll move on to more important avenues instead. For instance, you can tell me how you are enjoying your summer job."

They looked at each other for a full minute before bursting into a round of boisterous laughter. When she was able to talk, Trixie said breathlessly, "I still think that I earned the prize for the most surprising summer job out of us all. No one, and I do mean no one, could ever have predicted where I would end up working this summer."

"You can say that again," Honey answered after her amused giggles tapered off. She swiped away a few tears of mirth from her lovely hazel eyes. "I can honestly say that I never, ever, expected you to be working where you are."

"Don't forget that you were also invited to work, should the need ever arise," Trixie reminded her. Then she picked up a twig and began snapping it into smaller pieces. Lifting her eyebrows at Honey, she asked, "Can you believe that Mr. Lytell asked me to work in his store? Me? I still can't get over it. It's got to be one of the most unusual things ever."

"He's finally seen how helpful you really are," Honey declared loyally before dissolving into another set of nearly painful chuckles. "Or it could be that he wants to thank you. After all, you helped him out of a painful predicament a few weeks ago. If you hadn't stopped in his store to buy your favorite strawberry pop a few weeks ago, he would probably still be lying in that pool of water that he slipped in. You took care of him, called the ambulance for him, and even cleaned up the spill from the leaky pipe. He had to have been impressed with you, especially since he offered you a summer job working in his store." Honey tried to hold the giggles in, she really did, but she could never have predicted that Trixie Belden, of all people, would end up working for the crotchety gentleman, and found herself laughing again.

Trixie flashed a grin at the irony of it all. Working in Mr. Lytell's little store had never occurred to her as a possible job or one that she had ever expected to actually like having. It was turning out to be an ideal arrangement for her since she could ride her bike to the store for her shift and visit with her family and friends who dropped in whenever they could. The best part of her job was that fact that Mr. Lytell was rarely there. He must have come to the same conclusion that she had. As long as they didn't have to see each other or partake in an actual conversation, he was content with her work. He also had the pain of his recovery from his recent knee surgery to keep him away, as well as two sessions a week of physical therapy, with Miss Trask as his willing chauffeur, to occupy his time. When he stopped by the store, he always made certain to do it when his other worker was there, and never when it was Trixie's shift. He had hired another student from Trixie's graduating class, a nice, quiet girl named Aubrey Hile, and had also included Honey as a possible employee as a substitute if either girl couldn't come in. Thinking about the possibility, she arched an eyebrow and inquired, "What about you, Honey? Do you think you'll ever stand behind the counter at Mr. Lytell's store? He made you that offer, too, you know."

"Maybe. It could happen!" Honey sang out gaily. She hadn't been able to work a shift there yet since she had taken a job at Dr. Ferris's office. She was working as an assistant to the receptionist at the front desk, answering phone calls, making appointments, and helping to file paperwork. "I'm having a lot of fun where I'm working," she replied, having been at the job for the past week since school had been out. "Dr. Ferris is great but you know that since he's been your doctor from the moment you were born. I'm really enjoying my experience there. It's interesting to see all of the people who come through his office on any given day."

"I know it can get pretty busy there, too." Then Trixie's lips twitched. She couldn't prevent the smile from splitting her mouth. "I suppose that having a certain member of my family completing an internship there makes it even more 'interesting'," she added slyly and waited expectantly for Honey's reaction.

Honey flushed a bright red as she always did when there was a mention of the handsome dark-haired Belden. Her feelings were well-known to his sister but Brian seemed to be oblivious to them. If any of the other Bob-Whites had picked up on them, they were kind enough not to remark on them. "Of course it's nice seeing a friend every day," she replied, stressing the word friend, and forced herself to meet Trixie's eyes.

Trixie wasn't fooled. "You know, you should probably just ask him out," she advised her quietly, picking up a stone and turning it over in her palm. "He's always been one of the slowest, most careful and cautious people that I know. You'll be eighty before he makes the first move."

Honey gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes heavenward. "I am not, I am absolutely not, going to take advice from his sister," she muttered under her breath.

Trixie laughed unrepentantly and tossed the stone over her shoulder. "I call it as I see it, Honey, you know that. He's just as crazy about you as you are about him." They were simple too overly cautious people who hadn't attempted to take the next step. Trixie couldn't figure out for the life of her why neither had tried to do that. Both seemed to be content to stay in the friendly limbo they were currently in. But they were going to see each other a lot this summer, at Dr. Ferris' office and at assorted Bob-White gatherings, so she felt that was a good start. They could be gently nudged into the next step. She wasn't above playing matchmaker. She had a feeling that Di would be more than willing to help, too.

"Just because it's worked out for you and Jim doesn't mean it would work out for us," Honey murmured quietly and a bit enviously. While she had been excited when her friend and her brother had started seeing each other two summers ago, she had also been concerned, wondering if the two would be able to withstand the pressure of being at vastly different points in their lives. There was a huge difference between high school and college, an emotional and a maturity difference, as well as the realistic physical distance, but, somehow, it hadn't seemed to affect Trixie and Jim the way she, and a few others, had thought it would. They seemed to be even more bonded than they had been before. "I already know why Brian hasn't attempted to ask me out. It's the same reason why I have never brought it up to him. What would happen if we failed in that type of relationship? Can you imagine?" Honey gave a small shudder. "It could be disastrous for all involved. It wouldn't hurt just us. It would touch all of the Bob-Whites. No, thank you. I'm not ready to risk it. At least, not yet," she amended quickly.

"Don't focus on the negatives, Honey. It could also be quite wonderful." Trixie firmly believed it. She was coming up on her second anniversary with Jim as her undeniable proof. "But you'll both be at the same college next fall. We're going to be at NYU. It's going to be an amazing year. I, for one, can't hardly wait for us to be at the same college. I've missed going to school with them."

"I'm going to overlook the fact that you brought up school again," Honey remarked pointedly. "Because you are right. It is going to be an absolutely perfect year. We're going to have five Bob-Whites at the same college. Can you imagine? We're only going to be missing out on Di and Dan."

"I wish Di had decided to go with us. I still find it hard to believe that I won't be at the same school with her for the first time ever." Trixie swallowed a disappointed sigh. She never dealt well with changes, even ones she had been prepared for. She almost couldn't comprehend a school year without Diana Lynch in it.

"Di's excited about going to Manhattan College," Honey spoke reassuringly and squeezed Trixie's hand. "She's ready to start her fine arts studies. She's very happy with her choice, you know, plus we'll be able to get together during the year. We'll make time for each other."

Trixie nodded her head. Since she couldn't force Di to come to her college, she focused on the next Bob-White. "And then there's Dan. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if he had decided to transfer to NYU from Syracuse? I mean, I know he got that amazing scholarship last year to go to Syracuse but, really, wouldn't he rather be with the rest of us, too?" She dropped the rest of the twigs to the ground and tried not to look as forlorn as she felt. In her perfect world everyone would be together as much as they possibly could, without pesky things like scholarships and first-choices getting in the way.

Honey dropped an arm around her best friend's shoulder. "I already said that we'll get together as much as we can. We may even be able to squeeze in a trip to hang out with Dan, possibly two or three. Who knows? Plus there will be Thanksgiving break, that wonderful time off from college in-between semesters that we have envied the boys for the longest time, and you can't forget Spring Break, as well as that long, endless summer again. If that's not enough, we can keep in contact by phone, text, and email. We're not going to lose contact, Trix. Not with anyone. We're much too close for that to ever happen."

"I know it's silly and juvenile of me to feel like this," Trixie admitted with a small sigh. "I guess I like it best when everyone's together. I don't like it when we're apart."

"Well, look on the bright side. You'll be with your brothers!" Honey exclaimed with a cheerful smile and a laugh she couldn't quite hide.

"I don't mind going to the same school with Brian. I doubt I'll have any classes with him. But, Mart? Three years of underclassmen learning that I need to share with Mart?" Trixie gave an exaggerated shiver. While she hadn't been pressured into going to NYU by either her brothers or her parents, she had overheard a fateful conversation one evening during the fall. Her parents had been discussing how much financial aid the college offered families with siblings that were enrolled there and how much the extra assistance would help them with three children in college. Well-aware of the sky-rocketing cost of the upper education system, Trixie had decided then and there that NYU was the place for her, too. She couldn't overlook the amount of financial assistance that had come her family's way. "I can't wait," she added dryly.

"You'll have me there with you so I can counteract anything that Mart dishes out to you," Honey declared encouragingly. Then a teasing gleam entered her eyes, preparing Trixie for what was coming next. "And, of course, there's also the remaining Bob-White we haven't talked about. Jim will be there, too."

Trixie tried not to let a silly smile work its way across her face but failed, as she always did when Jim's name was brought up. The thought of being at the same school with him was definitely exciting, especially when they wouldn't be under the watchful eyes of her parents. She could fail to notice the presence of her older brothers, if she tried hard enough. Mart would most likely be busy with his coursework, as well as maintaining his relationship with the lovely Diana Lynch. That left her oldest brother to worry about, who also, regrettably, happened to be her boyfriend's roommate. School would keep him busy, too. It would also be nice if he had a girlfriend to keep him even more occupied. She eyed Honey speculatively but didn't bring it up again, not wanting to embarrass her for a second time that morning.

Honey lifted her brows when Trixie didn't respond. She looked curiously at her friend, saw the far-away look on her face, and gave her a gentle nudge, aware of the mental path Trixie was currently on. "Hey, Trix, it's starting to get hot. We should probably get the horses back. Do you have to work today?" Honey had her weekends free. She followed the normal Monday-Friday schedule at the doctor's office.

"Not today. I'm scheduled off," Trixie answered after she pushed herself off the ground and dusted off her worn blue jeans. "I go in tomorrow morning. I get to do something even better tonight than working at Mr. Lytell's store."

Honey caught Lady's reins and patted her on the back before she swung gracefully back on the serene horse. "What do you have to do tonight, Trix?"

"I get to Bobby-watch," she answered with an exaggerated shudder. "Everyone else seemed to be too busy. My parents are actually going out to dinner. I can't remember the last time the two of them did something on their own, without one of us going along for the ride. Then Mart made plans to take Di out to the movies. Brian must have realized that it was coming down to him or me pretty quickly because he set up plans with Dan to hang out tonight at the cabin before I even caught an inkling of what was going on. I was left out in the cold. Therefore…"

"You get to stay home with Bobby," Honey finished for her and gave her a comforting look. "Do you want company?"

Trixie's sudden flush had nothing to do with the heat of the day. She tried to hide it by walking around Susie but she couldn't fool Honey. She sidestepped the invitation as politely as she could and explained haltingly, "Ah, well, you see, Jim's already coming over."

"Enough said," Honey replied understandingly, with the tact that she was legendary for, and without an ounce of disappointment to her voice. She waited until Trixie was back on Susie and then urged Lady back towards the path they had taken. "So, you and Jim get to watch over Bobby tonight."

Trixie shook her head quickly. "That's not all, Honey. We have to throw Larry Lynch into the mix, too. We have to consider ourselves lucky since Terry developed an early summer cold. His mother called this morning. He won't be able to come over tonight." Trixie tried not to think about the trouble the two boys could get into and was pathetically grateful she didn't have to be responsible for three preteens.

Honey decided that she would probably spend the evening sorting out the pictures from graduation and putting them into photo albums. "I'll wish you luck with your night, Trix."

Trixie shrugged her shoulder. "Really, it's not going to be that bad. Bobby and Larry will either hole up in his room or in the den. I can already see it now. They're going to end up watching movies all night or playing each other on one of their game systems. Other than having to check on them to make sure that they're both still breathing, it's not going to be that difficult of a night. I doubt it will be fun but I'm not dreading it."

And you'll get to spend time with Jim, Honey thought quietly but didn't voice it. She followed Trixie back down the path and bit back a small sigh. With Trixie and Jim, and now Mart and Di, pairing off, it made her seriously consider if it was going to be time for her and Brian to give it a try. Trixie had said it was wonderful. She believed Di would feel the same way. Maybe it was something to consider, Honey mused to herself.

When they rounded a bend in the path, Trixie stopped and pointed in the direction of the clubhouse. "Oh, isn't it neat? You can just make out the roof of our clubhouse from here. Do you remember the last time we were all in it? It had to have been ages ago."

Not ages ago. December. Honey smiled at the memory of the annual Christmas party they continued to hold at the clubhouse each year. "We should set up a party in it, for old time's sake," Honey said with a laugh. "Maybe next Saturday?"

About to agree, Trixie had to give a vehement shake of her head. "No, not next Saturday. That's, well, that's…" She came to a sputtering stop and then forced the words out on a rush, doing her best not to look her friend in the eye, "That's our anniversary, Honey." She wasn't sure what Jim had planned but she doubted if it had anything to do with a club get-together and five of their closest friends looking on.

Honey smothered a laugh at how Trixie looked, slightly embarrassed and exhilarated at the same time. "All right, then, we'll make it Sunday. We'll tell the others when we get back. Since I'm the only one without any plans for the evening, I'll be glad to begin planning the festivities." She turned Lady's head and called back, "Let's go, Trix!"

Trixie stayed back for a long moment, staring in the direction of the clubhouse, and remembering all of the wonderful times the seven of them had shared together in it. It was at moments like this when she felt like she was truly blessed with the best set of friends and the most wonderful family in the world. Hearing the sound of Lady's rapidly departing hooves cantering away, she turned away and began following her friend back to the stables.