I don't own any of this, I just write for fun. This starts basically the summer the girls turn 16, is basically true to where the books left off (just fast-forwarding from the girls at 14). I tried, for the most part, to leave the characterizations the same, the general universe the same, etc, etc.
It's not just about the pairings, but eventually, it will have pairings, and it's for a more mature reader. I don't expect to go full "R" but it's not as tame as the original books.
I'm going to try to work in a bit of mystery here and there, but it's mostly going to be in fun. Rather than a "real mystery" – I can't write mystery.
Happy reading!
Trixie flopped down in the grass in the yard, impatient as always, and plucked at a tall weed. She began tearing it into small pieces, not really paying attention to the task. The sun was warm, more pleasant than was always typical of a late April day in Sleepyside.
Honey, as always more patient and calmer than her friend, spread her arms wide and turned her face to the sun. "Relax, Trix. Just a few days ago, you said if you saw another rainy day, you'd have to be committed. At least we won't have to send you away quite so soon," she teased gently.
"Oh, I know," Trixie deflated a bit, tossing aside the mangled weed. "You'd think I could appreciate it, and you're right Honey. I really shouldn't be complaining. Waiting five minutes for Di so the three of us can go for a ride together isn't exactly the worst fate in the world. I don't know how any of you put up with me." Still, as soon as the words left her mouth, she reached for a new piece of grass and promptly began tearing that one apart as well.
Honey couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, Trixie. It's not hard to put up with you at all. If you didn't keep us moving, we'd probably never keep the horses on schedule. I know Regan appreciates it, with Jim and Brian never home to ride anymore."
Trixie bent her head down, suddenly uncharacteristically quiet at the mention of the older members of the BWG. She pretended to be focused on the grass blade she was currently dismembering at a furious pace, but she had a feeling that Honey saw right through her. The mention of Jim had unnerved her, a feeling she had never really learned how to handle. Still, his name always managed to do that, somehow.
Brian and Jim were Trixie and Honey's older brothers, respectively. It wasn't much of a secret among the members of their semi-secret club, the Bob Whites of the Glen, that Trixie had always had a certain fondness for Jim. Trixie had believed that Jim returned the feeling, but lately she wasn't all that sure.
At one point, Jim had even given Trixie a silver bracelet with his name on it, a sure sign – at least she thought at the time – that he'd surely be asking her on a date as soon as she turned 16. They both knew that she wasn't allowed to date before then, though they had worked around it at times for group outings, school dances, and the like.
But she was only 15, and still off-limits when he and Brian went off to their first year of college. She had cried (privately, of course) when he left. Here she was, at home in Sleepyside and such a…well, a child. He'd surely meet more mature girls, college girls, girls who…. well, girls who Do Things. In fact, not girls, but women. Meanwhile, she wasn't even all that knowledgeable on the Things That Girls Did. How would she ever compete?
Trixie still didn't really have an answer to that. She had studied Jim closely when he came home for breaks and visits, listened carefully to his and Brian's stories. Nothing had really told her, conclusively, that she had been replaced. But nothing had really promised her that she hadn't been, either. Jim was friendly but gave no hint that he had any leftover romantic inclinations. Towards her, or a new girl from college. To be honest, 8 months after he left, she was as confused and unsure as ever.
She shook thoughts of Jim away and grabbed a new blade of tall grass to shred. Just then, she heard Di calling from the edge of the paddock. "I'm here, I'm here!"
Trixie stood up abruptly, tossing down the bits of grass and brushing off her lap. She turned to Di with a wide smile, though Honey was already assuring her that they hadn't been waiting long. Honey and Trixie entered the paddock, where the horses Susie and Lady were waiting and already saddled. Mounting their horses, they walked Susie and Lady over to Di, waiting on her palomino Sunny.
Traveling through the preserve with no goal in mind, Trixie quickly ended up in the lead. When the girls rode together, Trixie seemed to always end up in front. They chatted, idly, about schoolwork, about tests and teachers, and about the projects that were just starting that would finally mark the end of this year. None of the girls were particularly motivated by academics, and the idea of summer vacation finally being, at least somewhat, near was a welcome and exciting thought.
Then Di changed the topic to Trixie's upcoming birthday. "Forget summer vacation for right now. You must be just about dying Trixie. You'll be 16 in a week," she grinned.
Trixie blinked at first. She'd be the first to admit that she didn't always understand Di's logic, but she paused, trying to work it out. "I guess. I mean, it's not like I'm getting a car or anything for my birthday," she grinned, even though Di couldn't see it from behind her.
"Well, probably not," Di agreed. "But a car or not, 16! It's a big deal!"
Trixie just blinked again. "I…I guess? I mean, I don't know. What's bigger about 16 than 15? Well, other than the number. Obviously." She knew she'd be able to drive eventually- admittedly, that was pretty cool. But with two older, already-driving brothers, and a house of limited cars, it probably wasn't going to happen extremely fast. Or often. It wasn't a source of great excitement, and she hadn't thought that much about it, but she couldn't think of anything else Di might mean.
Di and Honey exchanged a sideways glance at each other before Di exclaimed. "Dates! Trixie, you can date. Right? Didn't you say that, that your parents would let you start dating at 16?" Now Di sounded unsure, wondering if she had recalled that bit of information wrong. She was almost positive, however. 16 was the age that Di and Honey would be permitted to date, and she was certain that Trixie was in the same situation.
"Oh!" Trixie exclaimed, leaning to one side to avoid a low branch. "Branch!" she called back, warning the other two. "Yeah. I guess," she agreed noncommittally. To be honest, she had thought less about dating than driving, which wasn't saying much. The only boy she wanted to ask her out didn't seem particularly concerned with the landmark date approaching.
"You guess?" Honey giggled. "Trixie Belden, what on earth does that even mean? Can you start dating next week or not?"
Trixie shrugged. "My parents said 16. So, I guess if I'm 16, I can date. But I can't date without a person to actually date, and we all know there is no date. So if I don't have a date, there is no date, regardless of the actual date."
Honey giggled again. "Oh no, Trixie, I wouldn't worry about that. Why in that sentence alone, you're up to at least 5 dates."
Trixie grinned, glancing back at Honey for just a second at the gentle teasing. "You know exactly what I mean, Miss Wheeler."
"Of course I do, and that's the problem. I know I said we wouldn't have to commit you yet, but now I'm just afraid they might have to send us both away," Honey kidded again.
Di glanced at Honey with a mischievous grin. "I don't know if I'd worry about the dates, however many there are. I think it will be Jim's problem if you have five dates. Maybe he'll be the one who gets committed." She thought the pun was rather clever of her, though she doubted Trixie got it.
"Just what does that mean?" Trixie demanded. All that Di could see was the back of Trixie, but she could tell that a patch of skin on her neck had started turning red.
"All I'm saying," Di said in a consoling voice, trying to back Trixie down from a temper, "is that I think there's plenty of boys at school who will be interested in taking you on your first date. I've heard an awful lot of your name in Nick Roberts mouth this year in art class. I'm just not sure that Jim's going to be very pleased about it, and maybe somebody tactful should give him a gentle nudge," she continued, directing the last part at Honey.
"Don't you dare! I'm not in anybody's mouth," Trixie nearly shouted. Di half-choked, half laughed, loudly, wondering if Trixie ever heard herself when she talked. Di glanced at Honey, who seemed both confused and embarrassed, though she doubted Honey could explain exactly what she was embarrassed by.
And at school, people seemed to think Di was the dumb one. As if, Di thought, baffled but amused as to how those two ever made it this far in life.
"Oh, hush up," Trixie continued, though the embarrassed look on her face clearly put her in Honey's camp. Both girls knew something was funny, but only Diana understood it. Still, Trixie wasn't about to be the butt of the joke. "Both of you, either of you, any of you, I mean it. Don't you say a word to Jim. If he doesn't know it's my birthday next week, after nearly three years, then he deserves whatever grief he ends up with. And I certainly don't need one of you convincing him to take me on a pity date," she practically hissed at the end.
"I don't know about any of that," Honey said uncertainly. "He was asking me about your birthday, just a couple of days ago."
"Oh, he was?" Diana practically crowed, a triumphant sound in her voice. "Oh my. Just look at that. Trixie's nearly old enough to date and Jim's counting the days. How interesting and entirely unexpected," she finished, in a sarcastic and flat tone that made it clear, she didn't find it the least bit unexpected.
"Oh, leave me alone," Trixie grumbled. "He's my friend. Why can't he ask about my birthday? It doesn't mean he's going to ask me out." She paused, then carefully, trying to sound nonchalant, added, "Does it?"
Honey frowned a little. "I…honestly, Trixie, I don't know for sure. I don't want to get in between a whole thing between you and my brother, you know? But, well, he was asking. I don't think I'd exactly bet against it if anyone was asking."
Di snorted. "It would be a fool's bet. I'm telling you, Trixie, I wouldn't be surprised if he comes rushing home to put a claim on you."
Trixie felt a little strange at Di's prediction. "No one needs to put a claim on me, anyhow," she retorted. "I'm not some undiscovered island." Still, she felt a thrill at the idea. Asking her on a date. A little tremor of excitement raced through her. Maybe…. just maybe.
Di just rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Trix. You know what I mean." Sometimes Trixie's independence was a little much. Feminism was all well and good, but would it kill her to put on some lipstick?
After finishing their ride, the girls returned the horses to the stable. They went through the standard routine of grooming each animal and cleaning the tack, as they were expected to do after every ride. The girls were just about to go their separate ways when Trixie's phone rang. She glanced down, checking the caller ID. As soon as she read the name, she looked up, meeting Di's eyes sheepishly. She quickly looked away, realizing her error, but Di had seen the moment of weakness. "It's Jim!" she proclaimed triumphantly. "It is, isn't it?" she demanded.
Trixie put the phone in her pocket, unwilling to talk with Jim in front of the audience. She crossed her arms stubbornly, a defiant look on her face. "So what if it is?" she challenged.
Honey's eyes widened, alarmed at what seemed to be a confrontation between her two dearest friends. "Oh, she didn't mean anything by it," she reassured her calmly, shooting a glance at Diana that clearly told her to chill. "Jim's allowed to call you, naturally. It's not like he's never called you before, friends call friends," she said soothingly.
Di made a noise of exasperation, though she tried to smother it for Honey's sake. Trixie shot an evil look, first at Diana, and then at Honey, before she let out a big sigh and her shoulders slumped forward. "So he's calling as a friend," she repeated, clarifying.
Honey paused, seeing something in Trixie's face that made her hesitate before responding. "Trixie," she asked gently, "do you want him to be calling as a friend?" Her question was said in such a gentle and inoffensive tone that even Trixie could not find the energy to bristle at it, despite her natural inclinations.
"I don't know!" she admitted, throwing her arms up in the air in exasperation. "I mean, you know…well, you know," she continued, letting all the words that she didn't say at that moment fill in the blanks. The girls did know about Trixie and Jim's relationship-that-wasn't. Honey and Di had similar issues, with Trixie's own brothers Brian and Mart. All three of the girls were considered too young to date, and yet, each had a boy who had played it a bit fast-and-loose with the boundary at times. It was confusing and complicated. Partly since their parents had forbidden acknowledging or clarifying it.
"The whole idea kind of spins me in circles," she admitted. "If he's not interested anymore, it's not like we were engaged or anything. If he is interested, it puts me in a weird spot. Whether I say yes or no, it would be kind of weird, wouldn't it?" She paused, then huffed and flopped down on a bale of hay. "I guess I just never really expected anything to change when I turned 16," she admitted. "I never even thought about it till you guys said it." That was the truth, Trixie knew. Though she had been aware, obviously, of her birthday coming up, it had never even crossed her mind that Jim had put as much thought into it as Di was implying he had. Much less other boys. Nick Roberts? She wondered if it was true, or just something Di was saying to get her stirred up.
"Forget weird," Di dismissed the concern with a literal wave of her hand. "Forget that. Just because we used to joke around and say it was me and Mart, and Honey and Brian, and you and Jim, doesn't make it true. It's your life, Trixie. If you could go out with Jim, would you want to?" she said, getting straight to the point.
"Yes," she admitted stiffly, after a long pause. She couldn't lie to Diana, but she still wasn't certain Jim was calling to express an interest in a date. Admitting that she wanted him to be bordered on an incredibly personal admission, something Trixie wasn't comfortable with.
Di squealed, sitting down next to Trixie and clapping her hands together. Trixie covered her ears. She hated that noise Di made when she got excited. "Oh, it's just exactly right," she cried. "Like we always said. Mart and I and Jim's going to ask you out soon, just you wait and see. Then Honey's birthday is in June, and Brian will be home for the summer and," she let out a big, dreamy sigh. "It's just all like it was always supposed to be."
Trixie just rolled her eyes. What happened to the great big speech of two minutes ago, that the girl's futures certainly didn't tie into any one boy? Trixie had preferred that one. "You sound awfully confident. I mean, what if Mart doesn't even ask you out? You've already matched the two of you up, and you're the furthest away – you can't date until July," she pointed out bluntly. Di blushed and looked away, and Trixie dropped it. She hadn't meant to embarrass Di; she just didn't like the direction of the conversation.
Honey had been quiet for this interchange but suddenly stepped in as the voice of reason. "Maybe, before we plan everyone's lives out for them, you should go call my brother and see what he wants," she pointed out. Di jumped up, tugging on Trixie's arm and practically shoving her out of the stable. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Go! Go home and call him, then call me and tell me everything. Everything!" she repeated for emphasis and waggled her eyebrows.
Honey grimaced slightly. "Call me and tell me anything good," she invited. "But maybe not everything. He's still my brother, you know."
Trixie laughed a little, still feeling Di pushing her gently through the doorway. "Okay, okay," she conceded. "I'm going. I'll talk to you later, with any necessary editing."
Trixie breezed in the farmhouse, moving at her usual quick speed. At the last second, she remembered to stick her hand out, catching the screen door before it slammed. Mart and Dan were in the kitchen, enough books on the table to make it clear they were studying in some fashion.
Mart glanced up from his seat, but immediately returned his eyes to whatever he had been writing when she entered the room. "Glad you could join us, squaw. Our elder clubmate and comrade has attempted to converse with you via the telephone, though I explained to him your status as those who were currently misplaced and not within the domicile of Crabapple Farm. I'd imagine he has moved on to convey his message in electronic means, though I'd also expect that he's awaiting a return of the previous communication."
In the middle of shrugging out of her sweatshirt, she just stopped and stared at Mart for a moment. She turned her gaze to Dan and shook her head, while he just shrugged his shoulders back at her. Mart was Mart. She finished pulling the sweatshirt over her head, then just demanded, "Who called?" She still wasn't, honestly, sure if she was supposed to be calling Brian or Jim back.
"Jim," Dan supplied, giving her a teasing wink. "Oooh Jim, he's so cute!" He nudged Mart, who was surprisingly quiet.
"Jim," Mart confirmed, seeming to completely miss the joke. "He called about twenty minutes ago looking for you."
Dan's mouth dropped open a little in surprise, shocked that Mart had passed up the obvious set up to tease Trixie. It was something Mart lived for, after all. Trixie even noticed, narrowing her eyes at Mart for a second.
In a way, Dan was glad she was so distracted by Mart's unusual reaction. Though he didn't mind making fun of Trixie occasionally, he usually did so with the support and help of her brothers. Mart had really left him hanging on a ledge, which meant Trixie just might tear him a new one. But Mart had aroused her curiosity, which won out over her temper and left him alive to see another day. Not that Dan would ever admit to being afraid of Trixie, naturally.
Admit, though, was really the keyword there, wasn't it?
Mart seemed to realize a little too late what he had done, and how the look in her eyes was a surefire sign of suspicion. He instinctively rubbed his throat, as though he could feel the noose tightening. Dan had a feeling that, right before his very eyes, some kind of trap had been set. If only he could figure out what was going on, maybe even beat Trixie to the punch. She was the detective, but Mart was his best friend.
Trixie, however, was already hurrying up the stairs, pulling her cell phone out to return Jim's call. She glanced one last time at Mart, resolving to figure out what he was up to later.
"Where's Di?" Trixie asked, in her usual blunt fashion.
"Good to see you too, Trixie," Honey laughed.
Trixie at least had the grace to look embarrassed. "Oh, Honey, I'm sorry. I mean, of course, I'm glad you're here. I just noticed Di wasn't."
Honey shook her head. "No, it's okay. I mean, even if you're glad to see me, then it still means, since you saw me, you already know where I am. But I don't know where Di is either. I saw her on the bus, which you obviously know since you were there …" Honey mused, watching the doorway thoughtfully.
Trixie leaned forward, talking in a low, excited voice suddenly. "Have you noticed it, Honey? Di's been late the last few times we met after school, and now she's late for first period. It's strange, don't you think?"
"Oh, Trixie," Honey argued. "There's nothing strange at all. She's not even late, technically. She's usually here before you, but that doesn't make her late. Maybe she got held up in homeroom or something."
Trixie frowned. "Maybe. It just seems a little weird. She usually walks in with you. I swear, she's been disappearing a lot lately."
"She's busy," Honey offered as an explanation. "School is almost over for the year; everything is starting to get busy. It doesn't mean she's sneaking around."
"Of course not!" Trixie exclaimed, looking embarrassed again. "I never said sneaking. Di isn't exactly the sneaky type. It's not like I'm accusing her of being up to something infer…inferior…no. Wait. Ulterior. Ulterior motive, I guess, I mean. Anyway, not that. I just think that if something were the matter with Di, she wouldn't necessarily tell us. Something's going on, and she's not telling us what it is."
"Well," Honey countered logically. "If she doesn't tell us, then maybe she doesn't want us to know. I get what you're saying Trixie, you're just worried that Di could need help and not tell us. But I don't think so, not anymore. She knows she can tell us anything, and I think she would if she had something to say. So, if she isn't saying anything, I think there's nothing to say. She's just having a normal day. It's not like Di is the most punctual person anyway."
"That's true," Trixie mused, though she looked unconvinced.
Honey changed the topic, trying to guide Trixie's one-track mind to a new course. "Let's talk about something more interesting," she suggested. "Do you know yet, what you're doing Thursday?" she asked, referring to Trixie's upcoming birthday.
Trixie shrugged. "I swear, you and Di are more excited about it than me. I don't know, really. Moms will probably let me pick dinner, but it's not going to be a big deal. You know that."
Honey was used to the Belden family by now, and familiar with the birthday routine. While everyone's birthday was acknowledged and special, they weren't the type to throw large parties. Of course, with the Belden clan being 6 people from the get-go, Honey supposed any event could be considered large. At least, to a formerly-only-child, they had all seemed so at first.
I don't think Brian can come home," she added after a moment, giving Honey a sideways glance. "I don't know," she admitted. "I never asked him, specifically, but I know the guys' last day of class is Friday, and then finals week after that, so I don't think he plans to." She sounded a little regretful, as though she wished she had different news for Honey.
Honey blushed but shrugged. She had always had a bit of a crush on Trixie's older brother Brian, but she certainly wasn't trying to use her friend's birthday as an excuse to see a boy. "Oh, no," Honey admitted. "I didn't think he would. I'm sure he's busy, with finals and all." She didn't tell Trixie, yet, that her belief Brian was too busy to come home wasn't just a vague premonition. She had talked to her own brother the night before, who had an interesting announcement.
"But guess who will be home?" she continued, with just a hint of teasing in her voice. Di slid into her seat behind them, just in time to hear Honey. She had barely made it through the door when the late bell rang. She was flushed, as though she had rushed to get there in time.
Honey and Trix both offered a short wave but couldn't say much. The teacher was beginning roll call. Di quickly scribbled a note, passing it forward while the teacher was busy marking attendance.
Who is coming home? Brian or Jim? When?
All of Di's inferences, based on only a few overheard words, were just a guess – but a good one. It really was a testimony to how close the group was, and how well they knew each other's routines. Honey couldn't help but smile at the thought, at her wonderful group of friends who could practically read each other's minds. For years in a lonely boarding school, she barely knew anything about any of her classmates, even the ones she had spent years living with.
Trixie leaned over just slightly, reading the note as well, and her head shot up. She gave Honey a questioning stare, realizing that Di was probably onto something. Honey raised her eyes suggestively at Trixie, nodding with a smothered grin.
After all Di's teasing yesterday, she couldn't help but laugh a little. Not that it was funny, but sometimes Trixie just seemed deliberately obtuse. She had always thought Jim and Trix would make a perfectly perfect match, and maybe they were finally about to.
And then she'd turn 16 in June, and Brian would ask her out. A glimmer of hope at the thought twinkled from somewhere inside her, though she tried to squash it down.
Deep down, she had begun to doubt it would ever happen - her and Brian. Brian was still a good friend, but he certainly had seemed to forget any romantic interest he had ever shown in her the second he left for school. Jim still managed to call Trixie regularly. He, of course, played it off - he was just checking in, it was just a friendly chat, so on. Brian was friendly, but he didn't go out of his way to see her. She had a feeling that, at school, if he ever mentioned her at all, it was as "his little sister's friend".
And she became more and more doubtful all the time, that he even brought her up. Jim, on the other hand…she suspected almost everyone at school had heard Trixie's name at least once. She even heard him bring her up now and then while she was visiting. While it wasn't exactly a proclamation of love, it was clear that he didn't consider Trixie to be "out of sight, out of mind."
Still, sometimes she still hoped for more from Brian. Had he really forgotten her? The boy who shared her first kiss, in a barn on a beach vacation. The boy who held her hand. Who was her date for many dances – dances he asked her to, after all.
Trixie interrupted her thoughts, hastily ripping her own paper from her notebook. She scribbled something furiously, then scratched it out. She wrote another word or two, then crossed those out as well. She paused for a moment, clearly trying to gather her thoughts. Honey and Di both pretended to focus on the teacher so as to not draw attention, while Trixie continued her frantic scrawl.
Several long minutes went by, and Honey realized that she hadn't heard anything said in class. She tried to actually concentrate, but Trixie finally shoved a paper across the table at her. Honey rolled her eyes, wondering how on earth Trixie ever managed to be discrete in her detective work.
Then again, maybe if she were discrete, they wouldn't have gotten caught so much.
Honey ignored the note for a moment, trying to make up for Trixie's lack of subtlety. But then Trixie just kicked her in the leg, impatiently, as though Honey hadn't noticed the paper. Honey rolled her eyes again but obeyed and read the note.
"He didn't say anything?!" was all it said. Though, based on all the scribbling, she had considered saying a lot more.
"Well, what did he say?" she wrote back, subtly nudging the paper over. She could feel Di's eyes boring into the back of her head, watching them. Honey pretended, again, to focus on the teacher. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw Trixie read her message and proceed to blush furiously. Oh, my, Honey thought to herself curiously. She hadn't been all that sure that Di was right before, but Trixie's expression suddenly convinced her. Whatever Jim said must have been…interesting.
The class suddenly began talking and breaking off into groups. Honey looked around the room in confusion. She had missed the assignment. Di stood up, bringing a chair around to join the girls. "We have to do the discussion questions from chapter 17 as a small group," she said in a low voice, glancing back and forth between them. "Now spill it," she threatened them both.
Trixie still looked uncomfortable, and Honey couldn't help but pry. "Oh my GOD, Trixie, out with it. What did he SAY?" she stage-whispered loudly. "Who?!" Di demanded. "When Jim called her yesterday," Honey reminded her. "She went home to call Jim, and it was obviously a big deal because look at her. She looks like Bobby after he snuck that whole pie out of the kitchen and ate it under the bushes."
"I do not!" Trixie retorted indignantly.
"Spill it," Di said, in the no-nonsense voice that she Honey had heard her use with her twin brother and sisters. "Start at the beginning, with the whole thing. Don't leave out the part where he confesses that he loves you madly. Did he actually say he can't live without you or was it just implied?"
Honey choked back a laugh, as Trixie sputtered a rebuttal. "He didn't say anything like that, you morons," she glared at Di. Di, good-naturedly, ignored the insult. "Then," she began calmly, "What. Did. He. Say?"
Honey couldn't stop laughing at this point. She wanted to protest when Trixie called her a moron as well, but she couldn't get out the words. At this point, all she could do was wipe a tear from her eye. Di would get to the bottom of it, she was confident.
And to think, Di didn't want to be in their detective agency. She was a master interrogator.
Trixie shrugged, stubbornly staring down at the table. She pretended to be engrossed in reading the discussion questions in her book. It was clear, however, that she was just ignoring the girls' gaze. "I don't know," she muttered. "It wasn't like that. He told me about some stuff at school. And we talked a little about school here. What I'm up to, who I'm hanging out with, just normal stuff. Friend stuff," she added pointedly. "Then he asked about my birthday. He wanted to know what I was doing. If I had plans on Thursday for my actual birthday, or for the weekend. Who was coming over." She shrugged again, trying to actively block the end of the conversation from her mind. There was nothing very remarkable til he had said goodbye. I miss you, he had told her, his voice surprisingly soft and low. I'll see you soon. Trixie looked up, reminded of that. "He did say he'd see me soon," she admitted, though she kept the rest to herself. Or how her whole body had felt weird and fluttery at the strange tone of his voice. She pushed the feeling aside again, continuing, "I didn't think much of it I guess. I thought he just meant, you know, some time. He didn't say he was coming home this week for my birthday. So he said it to you?" she questioned Honey, trying not to sound too excited.
Honey nodded. "He asked me basically the same stuff. If we would just be at the farm, like usual. Who would be there. If there were any other plans this weekend." She furrowed her brow a little. "He asked a lot about our other plans this weekend," she admitted. "At first, I thought he had something in mind, but now I don't know. He didn't tell me not to make plans, or not to let you make plans, or say anything about having a surprise." She looked up at Di, confused. "He just wanted to know what we'd be doing all weekend, then he said he would be home Friday for the weekend."
Di just stared, first at Honey, then at Trixie. She glanced around the room to make sure no one was watching. Then, she smacked her hand to her forehead in disbelief. "You two sometimes are absolutely the thickest," she declared, shaking her head. "Trixie turns 16 on Thursday. Jim calls in advance, making sure she won't be out on her first date Friday or Saturday. Imagine he makes a trip all the way home just to see her – to find out she's already made a date with someone else." She suddenly dropped her voice, taking on a clearly affected accent. While it sounded nothing like Jim, it clearly was meant to be her way of speaking for him. "'Gee, Trix, who's gonna be coming over for your birthday? Just your brothers, right? The girls? Not, you know, a new boyfriend or anything. Right? Definitely no new boyfriend hanging around? You're sure, right? Hey, what's Nick doing this weekend? You don't know? Perfect.'"
Trixie narrowed her eyes at Di. "Your Jim impression is horrible," she retorted. She turned to Honey, expecting her to agree, but Honey wasn't even listening.
Instead, Honey turned to Di with wide eyes. "You're right," she admitted slowly. "He even asked me. I never caught it. He said something about being home all weekend and he might want to catch up with some people. He never said Nick, but he asked what Tad's been up to. It was so weird at the time, I asked why he thought I'd know anything about Tad. It seemed like such a bizarre thing to ask. I even said I didn't know he and Tad were really friends." She put one hand up to the side of her face, clearly putting it all together. "Now I get it. It was a test." She shook her head. "I had no idea he was that sneaky!" she exclaimed. "That rat, using me to spy on you."
Trixie rolled her eyes. "That's what brothers do," she informed her blandly. "Get used to it, Honey." She sat up a little straighter, eyeing Di warily. "Do you really think that's it?" she demanded. Di always seemed to know more about boys than Trixie or Honey, though no one really knew where her expertise had come from. Honey knew she read Cosmo regularly, while both Miss Trask and her mother considered those kinds of magazines to be trash.
Maybe she needed to start sneaking them anyway, and then she'd know how to talk to Brian. Honey pushed aside the thought. She focused on Di, who was now crossing her heart in an exaggerated fashion. "I swear, Trix," Di told her solemnly. "I really, honestly, think that every sign points to the fact that Jim likes you. It's obvious. I don't know what's going to happen, but I would bet that something is." She nodded seriously. "Something. And I think it's gonna be so good," she ended, her voice rising into a squeal. "I'm so excited for you."
Trixie couldn't help but grin at Di's enthusiasm. "Well," she conceded with a smile. "Maybe. I mean, it could happen." Her eyes sparkled at the idea. "I guess we should do these questions before Mrs. Kerzaski collects them."
"Half-done," admitted Di, who had been working throughout. "Trix, look up the answer for question 4, and Honey, you start on 5. I'm finishing 3, and then we're done."
"Di, you are the absolute best," Honey giggled. "Trixie and I would get nothing done if we were left to our own devices."