Thanks for reading, everyone!

Honey brought her bag up to Trixie's room after dinner, while Brian and Mart were arguing over who would be washing the dishes.

"I thought your parents didn't approve of you sleeping over when Brian's at home," Trixie commented.

"Usually not, but it's a special occasion, since he's been away so long. They made me promise to stick close to your side the whole time I'm here." Honey giggled. "Which is a big change from when they used to tell me to stay in the house, no matter what you tried to talk me into."

"We did get into some scrapes, didn't we?" Trixie said. She wondered, not for the first time, if she could confide her current scrape to Honey. Jim was Honey's brother, after all, and Brian's best friend. What if what she had to say got back to him? Of course, he'd seen her kissing Dan, so what was there left to find out? Trixie put a hand to her head, which was suddenly pounding. "Things used to be so simple!"

"What's not simple?" Honey sat down next to Trixie on the edge of the bed. "Trixie, what has been going on this summer? You've hardly said a word to me all month."

Trixie realized what her turmoil and confusion must have looked like to her chum. She gave Honey an impulsive hug. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to seem that way. I just … I didn't know what to say. It's—Dan."

"Dan? What's he done?" Honey's words were instantly suspicious, and as soon as they were out she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, that sounded terrible! I mean, what about him?"

"He … likes me."

Honey's laughter startled Trixie. "Well, of course he does. He always has."

"You mean, you knew? And you didn't tell me?"

"You didn't know? Oh, Trixie. I had no idea. It seemed as plain as day to me. He's always right at your side, any time he can actually come along with us, and he looks at you … well, you know."

"Oh." Trixie could feel her cheeks turning red. How embarrassing, that she had missed something so obvious. Jim had said something similar before, she remembered, but she'd thought he was exaggerating.

"So did he say something to you? Dan, I mean."

"Yes. A couple of weeks ago, and since then, I've been all turned around."

"But, Trixie, what about—" Honey left the sentence unfinished, and Trixie frowned.

"Jim, you mean? Jim who went away to college and didn't write? That Jim? What about him, Honey?"

"Trixie, you can't think that meant anything! Jim really—I mean, um …" She blushed. "I suppose I shouldn't use a big word like love on his behalf, but he does care about you. I know he does!"

"He's got a funny way of showing it."

Honey got up from the bed, pacing the floor for a few moments. "Trixie, if I tell you something—you have to promise you won't let anyone know."

"Anyone as in Jim?"

"Or Brian. Or … anyone else."

More than anything, Trixie wanted to know what her friend had to say, but she knew herself well enough to know keeping secrets wasn't her strong suit. Everything she felt showed on her face, much to her chagrin. "Honey, you know I can't promise that."

"I know, but—he'll never tell you on his own, and then things will just keep being awful, with you two not speaking and Brian and I having to watch what we say, and it's not fair to any of us. I know he's my brother, and you know how much I love him, but this is a mistake, and he's too red-headed and stubborn to admit it."

"Honey." Trixie was mystified. "What could he possibly have done?" Part of her was relieved that she might at last understand the reason behind the strain between Jim and herself, but the other part wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Her friend sat back down on the bed, leaning toward Trixie. "Look, I wasn't supposed to know, either. I happened to overhear Jim on the phone with Brian one night. He got really mad when I asked him about it, but eventually he told me." She broke off.

"Told you what?" Trixie was afire with impatience.

"I can't. He has to tell you himself. It'll never be right between you if he doesn't. Trixie, you have to make him tell you. Get under his skin. You've always known how to reach him better than any of the rest of us. At least, until recently," Honey added when Trixie began to protest.

"He'll never tell me, not if he feels that way about it."

"Not if you don't ask him. No, tell him you know there's something you should know and you want him to tell you."

Trixie opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by her mother's voice calling her to the phone. She ran down the stairs, her heart pounding. Could it be Jim, ready to tell her this mysterious thing?

"Who is it?" she asked Moms.

"Dan."

Now Trixie's heart was pounding for a different reason. Dan would want to know what had happened between her and Jim. And he would want to talk about what had happened between the two of them. She didn't know what to say on either topic, but she couldn't refuse to talk to him.

Reluctantly, she took the phone. "Hi, Dan."