Trixie couldn't make it to the sleepover that Di and Honey had planned for that Friday. Though, Honey wasn't so sure it wasn't more like "didn't want to". Her excuse was that she had to get up early Saturday morning to help in the garden. Mrs. Belden had several chores that required her assistance, including staking up the rapidly growing tomato plants.
Honey was a little suspicious of Trixie's reasons for bailing. After all, she was sure that she and Di would be stopping by to help sometime later tomorrow. Couldn't Trixie have done both? Admittedly, she'd be waking up earlier than the girls planned to and starting first thing in the morning.
Still, Honey couldn't help but think it was an avoidance tactic. Perhaps, something to do with the fact that she and Di would be spending the evening planning their hair and make-up for the party next weekend. Honey was turning 16 that week. This, of course, meant that her always fashionable parents were throwing her a Sweet 16 party.
Honey had at least gotten them to agree to several points. One, that the party would be held on the first Saturday after school finished. Two, that the party would not center on her alone, but also function as something of a "beginning of summer" celebration. And three, that it be held in Sleepyside with her classmates – this part had, initially, been the most difficult. Mrs. Wheeler was insistent that this was a rite of passage for her daughter. Apparently, such a rite could only occur at a lavish establishment in the city. Honey had to make a great effort to persuade her that the country club was lavish enough, and there was no danger that her birthday would be taken away if they didn't follow certain rules. Ultimately, Mrs. Wheeler had given in with good grace. If she was reluctant, and Honey figured she was, she hid it well.
Though Honey's dress had been procured weeks ago in the city, she and Di were excited to try on hair and makeup styles for the big party. Of course, Trixie didn't share their enthusiasm for the task. She was happy for her friend and excited to share her birthday, but she simply couldn't drum up much interest in the fashion of it all. Still, she did try to fake it, Honey had to admit. She had even sat still and pretended to be interested while Honey pointed out various hairstyles from a prom magazine that would suit Trixie's face, hair, and bone structure.
Honey carefully pointed out the pros and cons of each one, while Trixie nodded and tried not to fidget. Honey took mercy on her, stopping only halfway through. Trixie finally agreed to do her hair however Honey wanted, clarifying with a rueful grin, "as long as it doesn't pull too tight, and you or Di help me work it. I've never been able to understand any of those tricks you do."
Honey had relayed Trixie's message to Di. Di reacted enthusiastically, as though it was a gift more precious than gold. And now, she was currently scouring every magazine available for a plan. She was always dying to get ahold of Trixie's wild mane of curls but rarely was she given license. Having an open-ended deal like this was an opportunity that Di couldn't squander.
Honey sat at her desk, rubbing tubes of lipstick across the back of her hand. In her mind, she was trying to envision which one would be most flattering with her emerald-green dress. She separated the options into a pile of "nos" and "maybes," as her mind began to wander.
"Di?" she questioned. Laying across Honey's bed, flipping through pictures, Di replied with a half-attentive "Hmmm?"
"Did you mean it about Nick Roberts and Trixie?"
Surprised, Di sat up, interest pulled away from the magazine. "Mean what?" she asked.
"A long time ago, you said something about Nick liking Trixie. That you were talking to him and you think he wants to ask her out."
Di frowned. "I promised Trixie I was going to butt out of her love life, remember?" she said warily, not understanding why it was coming up now.
"No, Di, I don't mean to get involved." She paused, then pointed out, "I'd sort of be stealing her away from my brother, wouldn't I? I'm not trying to push her with someone else."
"Okay," Di agreed, realizing that made sense. "Then what about it?"
Honey shrugged, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I just wondered if it was true. Does Nick like Trixie?"
"I think so!" Di replied emphatically. "I didn't make it up, if that's what you mean. We usually have a lot of time to talk while we're working in art class. He mentions her a lot. It's always casual, but it just comes out sort of weird. You know, like, he asks about my weekend. If I say anything about Trixie, five other questions come up. But if I mention another person, he couldn't care less. I could be reading too much into it," she admitted. "But it's pretty noticeable."
Honey looked away. Shyly, she asked, "Do you get that feeling about me? I mean, not about me. But about me. Not that I like someone. We all know that part of it, but that didn't work out so well, so I think maybe it's time to think about other things. I mean, I've got my whole life ahead of me and it's about time that I can think about those things anyway, so maybe before I just shouldn't have been thinking the other things in the first place."
Di just stared, open-mouthed. "Honey Wheeler, whatever are you saying?" she demanded finally.
"Do you think anyone at school likes me?" she said plainly.
Di shook her head. "No, I mean, probably. I mean, oh, goodness, Honey, whatever it is that makes you speak the way you do must be catching. I'm not making any sense. Start over." She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts, "Sometimes I see guys flirting with you. I don't know if you notice it or not, to be honest. I figured you just weren't interested, so you ignored them. So, since you weren't interested, I never paid much attention. To see if it was serious-serious or just sort of boys being boys." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Now, what I'm asking is, what's all this about how something didn't work out and you have your whole life ahead of you?" she demanded, a bit suspiciously. "Is this just because Brian is in college now, or did something happen?"
Hot tears sprang to Honey's eyes, and she tried to blink them away. Maybe she wasn't as cool and rational and ready to move on as she wanted to pretend. Maybe she was still just a babyish 13-year-old, pining over the boy next door. It's not like he ever promised anything, Honey reminded herself for what was probably the 300th time. There's plenty of other fish in the sea, right?
Honey outlined her conversation with Brian. Di, at first, simply listened intently, but by the end, she was scowling. Honey then also recounted a similar conversation she had with Jim.
"I was asking Jim about Brian. How he just seemed different after starting school. It seems like Jim is basically the same as ever, but Brian is…not. Don't you think so?" Honey asked.
Diana agreed. "It's hard to pinpoint. He's not a totally different person. He didn't start a cult or become a radical hippie or join a biker gang. But he's not the same, either." She paused, then added, "I don't think it's bad," she admitted. "He's still my friend. He's just different, in small ways."
"Jim said he's just growing up." Di looked dubious, clearly thinking the statement was ridiculous. Then realization dawned across her.
"I guess we probably all are, aren't we?" Di said, suddenly gloomy. "I don't know if I ever thought of it. We're closer to being out of school and getting real jobs and having real lives. We start dating and after that, we get married and it's all going to be so different by the time we're done. We just don't notice it because we see each other every day. Brian goes away for weeks or months, so when we see him, all those little changes have added up." She rolled the idea around in her head for a while. Then, suddenly, she perked up, latching onto a new thought. "So why doesn't Jim seem different? He was always sort of grown-up anyway, so maybe he had less to do. I think when he was born, he started at 20 and just kept going. But so was Brian," she pondered.
"Well, that's what Jim and I were talking about. Why Brian seems different, and what changed him. And Jim said it was normal and Brian's just…oh, how'd he put it…" Honey struggled for a moment, trying to think of the words. "Brian's had a limited life, I guess. He's lived in the same house, with the same people, going to the same school, doing the same things. So now he has a chance to change things around. Jim says it's what everyone does in college. You know, testing out new things they never got to try. Or even knew about, or thought about."
Di thought this over for a moment. "That makes sense," she finally agreed. "I mean, you and I know that the Beldens are pretty routine," she pointed out. "I guess I can see how there's probably a lot of things for Brian to experience."
While Diana and Honey were both simple people at heart, their family wealth had, admittedly, given them a lot of privileges. They had traveled places that their friends had never been. They had tried unique and foreign foods, they had seen the variety and culture of large cities up close. Things that were just part of life for them were not always as mundane for their friends. Honey's life, before moving to Sleepyside at 13, had even included years of boarding school. The idea of going off to college and escaping her parents lacked the novelty that it probably had for Brian. She was more accustomed to having to wait in line to spend time with them, rather than having to find ways to get away from them.
"It turns out he's really good at Frisbee dodgeball," Honey added with a giggle. "So, you know, as far as self-reflection goes, that's a victory."
Di stared at her dumbly for a moment, thinking she misheard her. "Frisbee dodgeball? Is that a real game?" she demanded.
"More of a game than Bobwhite Bucketball," Honey pointed out, "And we still play that."
Di laughed. "Okay, point taken. It still sounds weird." She wrinkled her brow, thinking it over. "You still haven't really explained Jim, though. Jim doesn't seem any different to me. Why isn't he having the standard 'college experience'?" she asked, making air quotes at the last two words.
Honey bit her lip, hesitating. "I wouldn't say he isn't," she said slowly. "He does try some new things. It's just…" she moved to the bed now, to sit beside Di. "Don't say anything about this," she warned her.
Di just glowered. "If the reason he doesn't want a relationship with Trixie is that he's got a secret side piece, I'll kill him myself."
Honey's eyes widened, and for what was probably the 100th time, she wondered just how Di was so much more worldly than her. Di always seemed to know what boys were thinking. Sweet, naive Honey blushed at the very words, while Di seemed to just accept this as a fact of life. No wonder Di was the first one with a boyfriend. Next to her, Honey still felt like a little kid pretending to be grown-up.
"No," she exclaimed emphatically. "It's nothing like that! I don't think Jim sees anyone at school. I mean, obviously, he sees people because he has eyes. But he doesn't see anyone in a romantic-type way. He doesn't mention girls at all." She leaned over and continued quietly, "I think for Jim, he had too much life experience already. Jim didn't have a stable, boring, routine home life. He had the opposite. Even if Brian thinks he missed out on things, he also missed out on bad things, you know?"
A slender hand covered Di's mouth, which had dropped open in surprise. Sympathetically, she cried out, "Oh, Honey, you're right. I do tend to forget about Jim's past. I mean, I knew it, but he never really brings it up, and then you almost forget it ever happened."
"We all do," Honey assured her. "And I think that's what he wants. He would rather we forget it; he'd hate it if we treat him like he's different. So that's why I don't want you to make a big deal about it. But when I was talking to him, I definitely got the impression that he's not as interested as Brian in getting out in the world and doing a bunch of new things. He already had to do that, and it wasn't a pleasant thing."
She thought about Jim, hitchhiking across the state at 14. Sleeping in the woods, trying to find an uncle he had never even met. All to escape a man who had come into his life almost by accident - a man whose power over Jim was only there because of the unfortunate death of Jim's parents. No, Jim had his share of change already, and it really was no wonder he wasn't particularly eager to shake things up anymore.
Honey had reflected on his plight, on his earlier life, many times over the years. However, she had never really thought about how it would follow him into his future. It did, of course, though it was just starting to sink in for her now.
With tears in her eyes, Di just sniffled and nodded. "I get what you're saying, Honey. Brian's trying to enjoy all the new things he can do in college. Jim just got comfortable with his life. He'd rather stick by things he knows he likes." She brightened suddenly. "Maybe we should try to make college better for him."
"What do you mean?" Honey asked.
Di pulled her to her feet, leading her back to the desk chair. She pulled assorted makeup off Honey's dresser, wanting to proceed with their plans for the evening. "I don't know," she replied noncommittally. "I'm sure we can do something though. I never worried about college being hard for Jim because he's so smart. But it's not all about smarts. He still needs his friends from home. Maybe we could call more or write. I didn't make much of an effort this year," she admitted, arranging the various cosmetics and beginning to work.
"I'm sure he'd like that," Honey agreed. She suspected, for a long time, that Jim was more homesick than he ever let on. Of course, men didn't admit such things, and if men didn't, Jim definitely didn't. About the deepest feeling Jim liked to admit to was hunger.
"Now, as for you," Di continued. "I don't care if Brian thinks he needed to go off to college and see what else was out there. He's never going to meet any girl better than you," she insisted loyally.
"Thanks, Di."
"You want to show him what he's missing?"
Honey thought about this, for just a moment, then shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I think I should follow his lead. It's time to see what else is out there. Just because I liked him as a kid doesn't mean it was meant to be. I think he's right. It's a big world and there's more still to see. There's someone better out there. I just have to get out and meet them."
The next morning, the girls ate a quick breakfast before traipsing down the well-worn path to Crabapple Farm. They knew that Trixie would have her hands full in the garden and figured they might find a few others helping. If Mart or Brian were available, they would contribute. Brian would do so, out of duty to his family. Mart held a genuine interest in plants and participated in these chores gladly. However, sometimes the boys were tasked with other responsibilities around the farm.
Bobby, still a rambunctious 8-year-old, was now able to chip in with moderate success. If his attention span held out, he could be given chores and would complete them responsibly, more or less. However, he was still only 8, and prone to getting distracted, bored and restless. At least he was now (mostly) able to entertain himself without great tragedy. Whether or not he was actually helpful was a case-by-case basis.
That morning, it turned out that both Brian and Mart were in the garden with Trixie. Bobby was there as well, pulling a red wagon between the barn and the garden. In the barn, he would load the wagon with tomato cages, then deliver them to Trixie and Mrs. Belden. Last, he would load tomato globes that were no longer needed into the wagon, depositing them into the barn, and repeat the task.
Mart and Brian were hoeing the rows. Behind them, Jim and Dan helped to spread mulch which would keep down the weeds. They put it in walking paths through the garden, where nothing grew, and no one wanted to waste time weeding. The mulch had been chipped from smaller trees and brush that Dan and Mart had been cutting down in the preserve, as part of their work for Mr. Wheeler.
Honey and Di hadn't expected to find such a large group in the garden but weren't entirely surprised. Jim and Dan were both often found helping the Beldens. Dan, in particular, seemed to favor Mrs. Belden as something of a mother figure. Di supposed that his sense of loyalty to her kept him there, same as Brian's.
Jim, on the other hand, she had always figured did it just as an excuse to be around Trixie. After her conversation with Honey last night, she felt like she saw Jim with fresh eyes. Now, she couldn't help but wonder if participating in family routines like this simply made him feel at ease.
The Beldens, she noted, would make anyone a good second family. Even her, whose family was intact, loved being included in the homey life of Crabapple Farm. For the first time, she realized that an orphan might find the "stretchy" walls at Crabapple Farm particularly comforting. That comfortable feeling all the teens had in the Belden home was how Mrs. Belden managed to find herself on a Saturday morning with 8 helpers happy to make short work of her garden chores. Or at least, 7 and Bobby.
Di called out cheerfully, "You all can't be having a meeting without us," referring, of course, to the fact that all the members of the Bob-Whites were now present.
"On the contrary, my dear Miss Lynch. Two of our most esteemed members could surely not be isolated from our ranks to anyone's satisfaction," Mart returned.
"What should these esteemed members be doing?" Honey asked.
"If you come help me, Honey, and Di works with Moms, we'll get these tomatoes wrangled twice as fast," Trixie suggested. "I think we let them get too big this year."
Mrs. Belden agreed, noting, "I don't know where the time went. They were half this size last week, then they shot up. Now, Diana, just sort of gently lift up these parts and I'll put the cage over, if you don't mind," she said, demonstrating. Diana did as she was told, while Honey watched them for a moment. Understanding the process, she joined Trixie to help.
As the gang worked, they joked and kidded. "Are you seeing Crazy Jane tonight?" Mart asked Dan.
"You know she's not actually crazy, right?" Dan asked.
"That remains to be seen," Mart countered. "Although you do have considerable experience with dating members of the feminine persuasion, I am not entirely convinced that you are fit to determine the sanity of this particular female. You have, after all, only been on one date with the lady in question. Her skit the other day would portend otherwise."
"Two," Dan corrected. "Two dates. And no, I'm not seeing her tonight. If I did, that would be three."
Trixie exclaimed sarcastically, "Oh, heavens. A third date."
Dan nonchalantly continued to rake the mulch out across the path "You know the rule," he stated matter of fact. "Three dates is the mark when the girl has a reason to believe it's serious. I respect and appreciate women too much to lead them on- "at this Trixie snorted loudly. He shot her a glare, then continued. "One date is a meeting. Date two says, hey that was fun. Three dates imply I'm making a serious commitment, and I'm not a liar."
Bitterly, Di commented, "As crazy as all that sounds, so far I'd have to say you're the most honest about your commitment. Or lack of it."
Surprised, Mart's head shot up. "What does that mean?"
"Nothing," she snapped.
"It sure sounds like something," he demanded, annoyance edging into his voice. "Is there something I should know?"
Di sighed. "No. I think I'm just cross. Honey and I stayed up too late last night."
He eyed her warily but said nothing else. Besides, there wasn't much he could say, in front of his mother. After a moment, he resumed hoeing, deciding to drop the topic for now.
Tactfully, Honey steered the conversation in a new direction. "So, who's going to be your new date, since Jane's out? Are you bringing someone to my party?"
Dan waggled his eyebrows. "I see three possibilities right here. I suppose I could manage to give each of you an evening of my time."
Trixie snorted again, loudly. "I don't think any of us want sloppy 22nds, Daniel."
Mrs. Belden looked up sharply. "Trixie!" she admonished. "What if Bobby hears you? And Dan is a nice boy."
"Sorry, Moms," Trixie flushed. Dan stepped over several rows of plants to lean over, taunting her. "Yeah, Trixie. I'm a nice boy. Really, you hurt me. Do you think I'd get so many dates if I wasn't…. nice?" He wagged his eyebrows at her suggestively.
Trixie glanced uncomfortably at her mother. "Nice isn't what the girls call it," she muttered. Di was practically choking on her laughter, and even Honey had a smile that she was trying to suppress. Mart ignored the joviality, still looking sullen about Di's earlier, unexplained barb.
Jim and Brian were watching with a bemused expression. Having been out of high school for a year, they hadn't seen this side of Dan as often as the girls had. He tended to save his flirtier theatrics for a larger group, aiming for a female audience outside of the Bob-White girls he saw more like sisters than dates. Still, he couldn't pass up a chance to ruffle Trixie's feathers.
He straightened up, calling over his shoulder, "Well, you'll never know."
Trixie just rolled her eyes. "Thank heavens for small favors."
Honey's party was a large affair. Trixie hadn't really expected any differently. She knew that Mrs. Wheeler wouldn't let Honey's Sweet 16 pass without a considerable amount of fanfare. She had heard many of the plans from Honey, of course. And, most importantly, she knew Honey loved these kinds of events – and she loved Honey, so she was going with all the bells on.
Still, when she arrived in a pink dress that she had borrowed from Di, she couldn't help but feel out of her depth. The feeling had started about an hour earlier, as Di helped her get ready. Di had pinned and twisted and fluffed her hair into what seemed like a billion little crisscrosses, curls swooped and tucked all over her head. She then affixed each loose, loopy piece with a glittery bobby pin.
When it was all done, even Trixie had to admit it looked nice. But it didn't look like her. She just prayed that the half-ton of choking hairspray and whatever the weird foamy stuff was that Diana used would hold it all night. If it came down, Trixie didn't have a chance of fixing it on her own. She didn't even understand the physics behind the wild mass of hair she saw in the mirror.
Then, Di had pasted and smashed and blended and caked make-up, until Trixie couldn't feel her regular skin underneath anymore. At least she wouldn't have to worry about sun damage – that top layer was impenetrable, like asphalt. And she did have to admit that she didn't mind the smell of it. It was fresh, almost like baby powder.
She tried to tolerate Di's administrations but drew the line at eyeliner or mascara. The very notion freaked her out – nothing that sharp ever needed to be that close to anyone's eye. Ever. Plus, she didn't want to look like a raccoon when she, inevitably, smudged it. Still, even without the extra eye goop, she did look something close to presentable when she was done.
"You're a miracle worker, Di," she had praised her in surprise. "I think even Mart might say I look mostly normal."
"Oh, Trixie, stop it," Di countered. "You never don't look normal. There's nothing wrong with your look. This is just a little extra special, for an extra special occasion."
Trixie, touching the area where Di had highlighted around the sides of her nose, was too amazed to argue. Everything about her face looked slimmer. Once again, though, the physics of it all baffled her. Would she be able to keep it like this all night? She pictured it melting away, little by little. Peeling off like in a horror movie while Honey's guests screamed, and she bit back a giggle at the thought. Di wouldn't understand.
Before she knew it, Trixie was trapped, hesitating in the doorway of the country club. She arrived in a dress that wasn't hers, with a face that didn't look like hers, shoes she couldn't walk in, and hair that, if her own, was buried under at least 17 layers of product. Was she like the Bionic Woman, completely rebuilt by Di? Was this the closest she had ever come to being a science experiment?
She clung to Di's arm, a bit anxious and overwhelmed by the crowd. For someone who was a natural extrovert 99% of the time, she never did seem to master parties like these. Thankfully, Di didn't complain about Trixie hanging on, even though she already had Mart on her other side. It takes a good friend to let you be the third wheel, and never even complain, Trixie thought dimly. Maybe Mart's not so bad when it counts, either.
Brian came to her rescue, gamely taking her free arm in the crook of his elbow. He jauntily led her out of the foyer where she had frozen, leading her into the private rented dining hall. She picked up her pace to match him, feeling almost as though she had been jostled back into her senses. Just breathe and act normal, she told herself. It's your best friend's party. It's going to be fine.
Brian escorted her to the seating chart, finding their names. Mart and Diana followed closely behind. Not surprisingly, they were all at the same table. Trixie followed Brian's lead, feeling her own confidence grow as he pushed her forward wordlessly. Once they were finally seated, Trixie began to survey the room, taking in her surroundings.
Honey was seated in at a long table, front and center, with her family. Jim and Honey both seemed relaxed and personable, Trixie noted with a touch of envy. It didn't seem to matter how many of these functions she had attended since meeting the Wheelers, she would always feel like the oddball neighbor kid falling on her face in awkward high heels. She'd never have the same natural grace that Honey, Jim, or even Di possessed. While they worked a room, she couldn't even work an oyster fork.
She didn't fixate, however, and continued to scan the room. The extended family was seated at several round tables near Honey's, and she noticed that even in Honey's family, people were mingling about between tables. She sighed with relief, realizing that maybe this party wouldn't be as rigid or stuffy as she had imagined.
The second and third row of tables seemed to be reserved for higher society friends of the Wheelers, if Trixie's judgment could be trusted. She didn't know much about fashion or clothes, but she could tell that these seemed to be the "well-to-do" guests. Next came the rest of the Wheeler's guests, including a table that included Celia, Tom, Miss Trask, and Regan. Mr. and Mrs. Lynch and Mr. and Mrs. Belden were seated together nearby, with Miss Van der Poel and Mr. Lytell. Bobby and the twins were in the care of sitters at Di's house for the evening.
The Bob-White table was about the middle of the room. It served almost as an unofficial dividing point – from here to the back of the room, the tables were for Honey's friends and classmates. Through a set of open doors, another adjoining room housed a long bar along the entire length of the wall. The center of this second room was the dance floor, and the DJ was at the wall opposite the bar.
Trixie focused on the tables of her peers, trying to see who she recognized. She was far more comfortable looking for friendly faces, and scanned through, waving to a few. She wasn't quite ready to leave her seat and mingle yet, preferring to stay in the relative safety of the table. Dan arrived then, sliding into his spot at their table. He was accompanied by a vivacious senior that Trixie only sort of recognized, realizing after a moment that she was familiar because she was one of the school cheerleaders.
He greeted his friends, then introduced her as Charity. Di welcomed her warmly. Trixie tried to follow her lead, though she was too anxious to be very exuberant. Charity returned the welcome, but almost immediately pulled Dan away to talk to someone she knew at another table.
Trixie noticed that Di looked at her meaningfully, one eyebrow quirked, as they walked away. She glanced between Di and Charity, confused, when it occurred to her what the message meant. How had Dan got a date with a popular senior? Dan was no slouch, but this was reaching for the stars, even by his standards.
Puzzled, Trixie watched Dan and his date for a moment, but no immediate answer came to her. Just then, Honey's cousin Ben Ryker approached the table, interrupting any further thought on the matter.
"Hallo," he called cheerfully. "Long time no see, you good people of Sleepyside. Though I do recognize many faces from my brief stint in your hallowed halls. Maybe a bit less hallowed by the time I left," he conceded with a look of amusement on his face. He was, of course, referring to a short time when he had attended Sleepyside High with the others while living with Honey and Jim.
Trixie tried to plaster a smile on her face, though she felt almost certain hers wasn't as convincing as Di's warm greeting. Diana had always been able to welcome Ben's company, though Trixie wasn't quite as inclined to do the same. She found Ben crude and unpleasant, though she knew she maybe wasn't entirely fair. He was never her favorite person, but he had been especially obnoxious during his extended stay with the Wheelers.
However, it wasn't all his fault. She was quick to label him as a bother, easily annoyed. She resented his presence and how it interfered with Honey and Jim's free time. And, while he wasn't exactly on his best behavior, it later came out that his parents were a few months away from what would turn into a bitter divorce. Trixie always felt a bit guilty about how she had treated him. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if she had to live with angry, quarreling parents all the time. Her rude dismissal of him wasn't kind, and couldn't have been helpful, and she always did regret it.
So, like Di, she was determined to be sociable and tried to smile wider than she felt. It didn't work, as Ben just eyed her with concern, and she took the smile down a notch. "Trix, you need a breath of air? Believe it or not, even I can be a gentleman once in a while. I'll escort you outside," he offered. Oh good Lord, Trixie thought, I try to smile and he thinks I'm sick. This is going well.
But she just shook her head, a wry look on her face. "I managed to get to my seat without breaking my neck, the best thing for all of us is for me to just sit here quietly."
He gave Mart a sideways grin, then focused back on Trixie. "Quietly? Gosh, it really has been a long time. I didn't know I'd ever see the day you sat quietly."
"Good sir," Mart piped up, "Don't let her proclamations fool you. She may establish the pretense that she desires to remain stationery and mute, but the evidence remains. She has yet to do so. In my esteemed opinion, she may hold the motivation but lacks the capability."
She gave him a dirty look. "Somehow, I doubt there's a dictionary here to check, but I think you just said I can't be quiet. Awfully big words – both ways – for someone who just talked a circle to make a point."
Brian chuckled. "She may have you there, brother."
"Oh, both of you, please stop," Diana pleaded. "It's a lovely party, for our good friend Honey, and I don't want to listen to the two of you go at it all night. Can't we just enjoy it, altogether?"
Ben crooked his arm to Di, trying to look gallant. "If it pleases you, I'll gladly accompany you to the dance floor away from bickering siblings."
Di hesitated for a moment, then, glaring at Mart, agreed. "It pleases me! Let's go, Ben," Mart just shook his head. "We'd better call a truce, Trixie," he admitted. "Di's been prickly to me for at least a week now. I can't figure out what's going on in her head, but I can't afford to irritate her."
Trixie just shrugged. "Maybe she just finally realized you act like a ghoul."
He stared at her, his temper starting to flare. "Would you be serious? Or if you are, just say what you mean. Between you and Di, I don't know what hint I'm supposed to be taking. I know you women think us men are thick, but if you have something to say, just say it."
Trixie's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she raised her arms in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, easy, Mart. You're right. I'm making jokes while you're actually upset, and that's not fair. I'm sorry."
Somewhat mollified, Mart muttered, "Add that to the calendar."
Trying to make up for her previous bad behavior, Trixie continued helpfully, "Di hasn't said anything to me, that you've done anything wrong. Last I knew, she was still pretty…" she scowled, having a hard time getting out the next part. "Fond of you, I guess you could say?" she finally pushed out, though her mouth twisted as though the words tasted bad. She shook her head. "You know how she is. She can be sensitive. You have to go the other way. Have a thick skin, or you'll always be at each other," she pointed out. "Instead of taking her mood personally, go cheer her up. Go cut in and ask her to dance."
Mart reflected for a moment, then brightened. "That actually might make the most sense of anything you've ever said," he admitted. "Do you really think?" She just shrugged as if to say 'maybe'. "I was bound to be right sooner or later; this may just be my time. Go find out." He glanced at Brian, looking for confirmation. Brian only shook his head. "You don't want my take on this," he admitted ruefully. "It turns out that I may have book smarts, but I'm not certain I know anything at all about women. A year of college has basically confirmed that. Trixie, at least, is one, so I'd stick with her opinion."
Mart scratched his chin briefly, as though pondering this. Then, standing up, he simply said, "Well, wish me luck." Mart crossed the room to reclaim his date, as Trixie called after him, "May the odds be ever in your favor." Simultaneously, Brian was responding, "Live long and prosper."
They eyed each other warily. "Mine was better," Trixie declared emphatically. "Never," Brian retorted.
Authors Notes:
As always, these are not my characters. They belong to Random House and Julie Campbell, though I use them with love. Also, Trixie and Brian's ending lines are a reference to Hunger Games and Star Trek, respectively.