Into The Light
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
Chapter Nine
The day had started out bright and sunny but the thickening clouds were starting to slowly claim the sky, chasing away the light from the sun. There was considerably less blue and more of an ominous looking gray. The air was cool, much cooler than it had been all week. Trixie pulled her dark blue sweatshirt over her head and glanced up at the sky before picking up the wicker picnic basket sitting on the porch. "Do you think we should move the picnic inside?" she questioned Mart. "Nobody would mind. We're all happy to be together."
He carried the cooler down the porch and set it down on the ground with an exaggerated groan. Rubbing his back as if he had been carrying the entire weight of the world on his back instead of cans of soda and bottles of water inside, he answered, "The weather forecast isn't calling for rain until later this evening. We should be able to get the picnic in. If the forecast is wrong and it starts to rain this afternoon, we can always take cover in the boathouse or the clubhouse."
"I suppose." Giving the sky one last glance, she started across the lawn, Mart at her heels. She didn't want it to rain. It would be more fun to be outside. "Well, it's just about time. Let's get going. I'd rather be early..."
"For once," he finished for her. Together they started up the well-worn path to the lake. Mart dragged the cooler behind them. "I like the fact that they make coolers with wheels now," he said to Trixie. "Makes my job much easier than in years past."
She laughed with him as they made quick work of their walk. It didn't take them long to reach the lake. Trixie stopped at the end of the path, her expressive face showing her surprise. The picnic table stood off to the side, empty, with no one else in sight. "We're the first ones here," she noted aloud. It wasn't something she was used to do.
Mart picked up on it with the radar that brothers seemed to have for their sisters. "Cherish the feeling, Trixie," he ordered her with that mocking glint to his eyes that he seemed to reserved just for her and that she knew so well. "It doesn't happen to you that often."
Rolling her eyes, she took his teasing with a seasoned smirk. "I'm generally late or cutting it so close I may as well be late." She knew her weaknesses. Walking over to the picnic table she dropped the picnic basket on it gratefully. Their contribution to the picnic had been drinks, paper products, and plastic silverware, as well as a few dishes Moms simply had to make for them. "Do you think we should get things set up yet?"
"Nah. Let's wait until we see the whole army of food from the other members of our club. You mentioned that Honey volunteered to bring the main dishes and Di the dessert. Then we'll know if we have enough room or not." Mart searched through the cooler until he found what he wanted. He also tossed a can of strawberry pop to Trixie with a grimace on his face. "I've never been able to figure out what you see in that stuff," he complained as he popped open his root beer.
Trixie took out her cell phone and made a show of letting him see it. "See, Mart, I remembered it today," she informed Mart, just in case he didn't realize it. Then she sat it on the picnic table next to her with a flourish and climbed up on the table, her eyes searching once again towards the Manor House, almost as if she was willing their friends to arrive.
"Good for you, Trixie."Mart had to smother his grin. So far she hadn't received a call on it and had no idea about her new ring tone. Then he heard the sounds of the other members of their party coming from the direction of the Manor House. His chuckle had to be bitten back. If fate worked out well for him, Jim would be around the first time she heard it. He could only imagine the double mortification she would experience. He studied his unsuspecting sister and hoped for the best.
The muffled voices got louder. Both Beldens turned as one as three more Bob-Whites appeared around the corner, all dressed warmly against the surprisingly cool spring day. "You beat us!" Honey sang out gaily, unwilling to let the weather dampen her spirits, with a large brown paper bag in her hands. Snack bags peeped out of the top.
Mart gave Trixie a small push as the threesome came closer. "I'll admit it was tough keeping this one on task but I finally did manage to do it. Trixie was early for once, with my masterful assistance, of course."
Di came to a shy stop. Unsure on how to greet him, she went with a neutral but friendly course and waved to him. She brushed a loose strand of her out of her face and tried not to be too obvious in the admiring glance she gave Mart. He looked wonderful, as usual. His blonde hair was still cut short, in an effort to keep the curls that plagued his sister from growing on his own head. His eyes were still the same brilliant shade of blue that haunted her dreams. And he still had that same cute grin on his face. She had spent a long time on her outfit, wanting to go for something that was extra nice but didn't look like she'd spent too much time on it. She had finally decided on a pair of dark jeans with the new multi-colored sweater she had bought on a recent shopping trip. It buttoned up and had a trendy hood."I brought the dessert." She gave him her best smile, knowing that would get him to come to her side like nothing else would.
She was right. Mart was next to her in an instant and carefully took the container out of her hands, lest she should drop it in the ten steps she had left to the picnic table. "I'll take care of this, Di." He placed it in the center of the picnic table with a near reverence that had the others grinning or covering up their laughs.
Jim wheeled his cooler over to the table. It was filled with different types of lunch meat and cold salads, exactly what Honey had promised for the picnic. "Our contribution," he mentioned idly to the group.
Trixie jumped off of the picnic table, ready to start setting the picnic up. She headed straight for Jim and his cooler, assisting him in taking the food out. Together they placed the different containers on the table, working efficiently while the others talked around them.
"Feeling better?" he murmured so softly she was the only one to hear it, referencing her fall from the day before.
"No problems." She met his serious green eyes and nodded. She didn't want her fall to be brought up again and was grateful he already understood it. That was one of the things she liked the most about Jim. There were times when he understood her feelings better than she did and he always did his best to make sure she wasn't embarrassed or uncomfortable when in a larger group, a trait she sometimes brought on herself, and definitely one Mart did not mind creating at any given moment.
They could hear a cheerful whistle that had been missing for much too long. "Dan!" Di yelled as she saw the missing Bob-White turn the corner in the path, a bag of potato chips in his hand.
He waved to the group and quickened his pace. He couldn't believe how much he had missed everyone. In the few years he had lived in Sleepyside the group had become more to him than just friends. They had become his family. There were still times when he couldn't believe how truly lucky he had been to get out of the horrible situation he had found himself in at such a young age. The people staring back at him were his salvation, of that he had no doubt. There wasn't anything he would do for them. "Hey, guys!" he greeted them, a wide smile on his handsome face.
Trixie dropped the plates she had opened and raced towards him, the first to meet him. She gave him a fierce hug and said, her eyes glinting with happiness, "Don't stay away so long next time, Mangan."
A spurt of unreasonable jealousy spurted through Jim at the sight of Trixie in Dan's arms, no matter how brief or innocent the contact. He felt an immense relief when his friend let her go and moved on to the next girl in line to give her the same hug. It was stupid, it was irrational, but there it was. Jim did not like seeing Trixie with any man, no matter who it was, and definitely not in their arms. He mentally calculated the days to her graduation, that magical date that would set him free from his promise to his parents, and finally allow him to make her his, if she felt the same way.
After all the joyous welcomes and greetings had been exchanged, Mart placed himself as unobtrusively as he could next to Di and made the grand announcement, "Fellow Bob-Whites, I say it's time we start eating. Trix and I were debating on the way up whether we should set the picnic up inside or keep it outside before the rain comes. Since there is no precipitation as of yet, I say we need to get this picnic going while the weather still favors us." Plus there was the added fact that he was starving.
His pronouncement was met with a few groans at his large vocabulary. Di glanced up at the sky. It was certainly more threatening looking than it had been in the morning and the breeze was much cooler. It felt more like early April than early May. "I second that motion, Mart. Let's eat!"
Plates were filled, drinks were handed out, and the young men and women found seats at the old wooden picnic table. Jim managed to claim an end spot next to Trixie while Mart wasn't as lucky with Di. Di had sat down on the other side of Trix, much to his chagrin, so he was forced to sit across from her. At least he could look at her all through the meal, he decided with a realistic shrug. He would find pleasure in that. Honey and Dan rounded out the rest of the seats on Mart's side.
The conversation ebbed and flowed comfortably across the table. "When is Brian coming home?" Dan asked as he filled up his plate with a generous serving of homemade potato salad, one of his absolute favors.
"I'm heading back in on Tuesday to pick him up," Jim explained easily as he accidently brushed against Trixie in his reach for a napkin. He smiled his apology at her, although he wasn't feeling all that apologetic about it. "He has two more finals left."
"And we're starting our first job tomorrow morning," Mart put in with exaggerated cheer, causing Dan to groan loudly. "Weather permitting, of course."
Dan looked up at the sky in supplication, almost as if he could conjure up a storm. "You had to set up a job my second day back in town," he grumbled towards Mart. He leaned back and reached behind Honey to give him a playful shove.
"Hey, I've been a little bored," Mart insisted in his behalf, his hands held out in front of him. "Keep in mind I've been home a few days longer than you. I never realized how hard it would be going from the hectic pace of college to the much slower pace of Sleepyside."
"I feel the same way," Jim agreed as he looked at the girls around them. They would discover the adjustment from college to home was a little more unusual and difficult than anyone could prepare them for. He was looking forward to the start of his summer job, too.
"It's also been very quiet around here, more than I ever remember it being," Mart continued with feigned innocence. His blue eyes met his sister's. "I seem to remember a time when mysteries seemed to fall out of the sky on our little group, thanks to our female co-president and her co-conspirator. Alas, those time seem to be long ago and far away."
She rolled her eyes, refusing to rise to the bait. "What can I say?" Trixie replied smoothly and glanced at her friend. "Mysteries are much harder to come by now, aren't they, Honey?"
Honey had been quiet through most of the meal, her thoughts lost on the one missing member of their group, so she was brought back into the conversation with a jolt. It took her a minute to reply. "Of course, Trixie. I almost can't remember our last one. We've been piled down with homework for just about ever. With the worry over college applications, the search for a summer job, and finishing out our senior year, there simply hasn't been time for a mystery."
Dan snapped his fingers in pretend dismay and let his broad shoulders sag. "Here I was, hoping to get an update on the latest Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency activities, and it looks like I'm going to be disappointed. Nothing doing, ladies?" He enjoyed a good mystery and had always thrown himself into them, whenever he possibly could.
Trixie shook her head. "Not a single one on the horizon," she answered curtly, although she felt a shiver travel up her spine at her answer, making her chillier than the cool breeze that had blown through. She didn't know why, couldn't explain it, but decided not to dwell on it.
Always tuned in to her and her moods, Jim narrowed his eyes. He saw the troubled expression on her face before it swiftly disappeared. He wondered what had caused it and reached under the table to catch her colder hand in his. Nothing unusual in that, he reasoned to himself as he squeezed hers, hoping to offer her a reassurance against whatever thoughts had just plagued her. Her small smile of gratitude was his reward.
Her phone rang, causing everyone to stop talking or eating, and to stare at it in shocked amusement. Mart couldn't help it. He almost chocked but he couldn't stop it. He started laughing so hard he had to grab his sides. Trixie first turned a brilliant shade of bright red and then she glared at him. Not answering the phone, which continued serenading them to the growing amusement of all, she stood up, hands on her hips, and looked accusingly at him, her eyes shooting sparks of indignation his way. "Mart Belden!" she exclaimed.
Di had to wipe away the tears of mirth that were rolling down her cheeks. "Oh, Trixie," burst past her lips as she continued to giggle. Really, Mart could be so funny. "This is even better than Barbie Girl."
It was difficult but Dan did his best not to laugh. Poor Trixie looked too astonished. "You've been at it again, old man?" He mentioned casually to Mart although his eyes were dancing with merriment. Mart had tried that trick on him during the first month of their freshman year together but had never tried it again. Dan taught him very quickly that revenge really was 'sweet, saccharin sweet.' He studied Trixie, who looked caught somewhere between embarrassment, fury and shock, and thought maybe he would teach her the same trick.
"That's mean, Mart," Honey added through the tinkling of the sound of her musical laughter. She took a deep breath as more giggles poured out of her despite her resolve to stop laughing, for Trixie's sake. "But it's certainly funny."
Since Trixie wasn't making any move in an attempt to answer her phone, was only staring at Mart like she wanted to cause him severe bodily harm and soon, Jim controlled his laughter enough to reach for her phone and answer it, effectively cutting off the catchy chorus of I'm Too Sexy. He didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"
Nothing. Then an exceedingly low, mumbled, "Sorry. Wrong number," before the person on the other end hung up.
Jim shrugged his shoulder and closed the phone. When Trixie glanced back at him, ire still snapping in her blue eyes, he informed her quietly, "Wrong number."
It seemed like she'd been getting a lot of those lately. It was starting to bother her. Maybe that was the reason behind her earlier shiver. Not wanting to share that with the group, Trixie hid the distressing thought and sent one more glare towards her brother, who was grinning at her unrepentantly. "I'd appreciate it if you would keep your hands off my phone, Mart," she growled at him, her hands fisted at her side.
Mart leaned back as much as the picnic table would allow and put his hands behind his head. "My advice to you is to keep your phone with you, then, oh, dear sister of mine. Then I may be able to resist the urge to play with it."
She didn't answer, sent one last long glower in his direction, and pocketed her phone. Then she started cleaning up her spot, her moves slow and deliberate, as if it was the most important thing in the world. She didn't want to ruin the picnic with a flash of her temper, which she could feel brewing as surely as the rainstorm that would be coming sometime in the next few hours. Knowing it was about to get the better of her, she effectively took herself out of the equation by leaving the table and bringing her trash to the plastic bag tied to the railing.
"That was an inspired choice, by the way," Dan whispered in an aside to Mart. Just because he felt bad for Trixie didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the prank.
"Dan!" Di admonished as loudly as she dared. "Don't encourage him." But her violet eyes clouded over. She would love for Mart to do something like that to hers. Her hands slipped into her pocket and unobtrusively placed her phone on the table, only a few short inches from Mart's place. Maybe if she encouraged him... Honey caught the motion with a knowing glimmer to her hazel eyes but didn't say anything.
"I've had years of practice annoying my little sister," Mart replied to Dan, taking a little bow before he bit into a thick sandwich. It had been even sweeter to hear the phone go off and see her reaction in front of Jim. He knew that was part of the reason why her blush had been so furious, as well as why her temper had flared even more brilliantly. But she had managed to contain it, a vast improvement over a few of her displays of temper when she was younger. He glanced towards her in approval. She had matured a lot in the past few years. There would have been a time when she would have blasted him in front of everyone else, which would have made the rest of the picnic uncomfortable for everyone.
Jim cleared up his spot, all the while keeping one sharp eye on Trixie. She had finished throwing out her garbage, using the mundane chore to cool down, and then had walked along the dock to the edge of the water, where she was now staring out over it, her back to them. He couldn't tell how she was feeling but he was proud of her, too. It took a lot of control for her not to have blown up at her brother for his joke, no matter how amusing the five of them had found it to be. As nonchalantly as he could, hoping he wasn't being too obvious but then deciding he didn't particularly care, he stood up and began collecting his things.
Honey watched him go, with more amusement on her face. She pitched her voice lower so that only the ones remaining at the table could hear her. "If I was a betting girl I'd say he's going to throw out his things and then make a beeline for Trixie."
Dan cocked an eyebrow at her and answered just as quietly back. "That would leave the rest of us with a fool's bet, Miss Wheeler. I can't imagine any of us here thinking that he's going to do anything else but that." He looked at Mart and Di, who both nodded their agreement. "None of us are going to take you up on that one."
Di headed over to the cooler to get another drink. An idea came to her. Trixie would help her out if situations were reversed. She handed the new can of root beer to Mart, opened her bottle of water, and whispered, "Well, let's make it a little easier on them. How about we take a little walk while Jim smooths the ruffled feathers of our other co-president?"
Honey liked the idea and suggested after a moment of silent deliberation, "We could say we wanted to check on the clubhouse when they ask, then maybe it won't seem too obvious why we're leaving them alone."
Dan's lips twitched. They were both too smart to be fooled by something so silly but he was game to play along with it. Holding his soda can in his hands, he left his seat and joined the girls. "Sounds like a good plan," he agreed untruthfully.
Mart looked at the rest of the food piled up on his plate. He hadn't made it through the entire way yet, although the rest of his friends had finished. "Oh, man, now?" he bemoaned at the three expectant faces.
"Yes, now," Dan answered sarcastically. He grabbed Mart's arm and helped him out from under the table. Then he used his best police officer's voice, "You did the crime, now you can do the time, Mr. Belden."
"Very funny, Officer Mangan." Mart released a groan and one last look of longing at his plate before reluctantly heading out with them.
"We can clean up the rest and have dessert when we get back," Di said cajolingly to Mart in an attempt to appease him. She never liked seeing him upset, even if he was responsible. "If it helps any, I believe our cook made us a chocolate cake."
"Cake? I could eat cake." Mart gave in to the brief sojourn with more grace than before and feel into an easy step next to Di. "All right, Di, you have successfully placated me. Lead on, fair lady." He laid his hand lightly on her waist, savoring the feel of her under his hand, and walked next to her on the way to the clubhouse, with Honey and Dan in tow, leaving the other two members on the dock and alone.