CHAPTER TWELVE
"She's doing what?!!!" Timmy exclaimed.
Wanda had spent the last few minutes describing to Timmy what Trixie was planning. At first, the prospect of an arcade video game party sounded great, but when Wanda told him about the cheat ring, it changed Timmy's mood from anticipation to shock.
"It seems to me that she wants to get back at you for what you said to her back in school", Wanda replied, "and she knows how you like videogames".
"And she's not bad at them either", Timmy commented. He had found that out when he had once been changed into a girl – Timantha – and had met up with Trixie at the mall. Timantha had taken Trixie to the video game arcade and – to the shock of the boys who had been there – proceeded to have fun racking up impressive scores on various games. Trixie had made subsequent visits to the mall arcade and had noticed Timmy's name on the high score listings on quite a few of the games.
"And how would beating me at these games – by cheating – impress me?" Timmy asked.
"I think that Trixie would impress you so much that you would ignore Tootie and try to get back together. Then, she would publicly dump you", Wanda explained.
Timmy thought about that for a few minutes. Cosmo by this time had poofed out of the fishbowl holding up a mangled game.
"Ah ha, I told you I could do it. Its remarkable what a little bit on ingenuity and a sledgehammer can do to make things fit".
Wanda looked askance at the smashed-in game. Still, she was proud of Cosmo for his determination – if not his intelligence.
"If Trixie should issue me an invite for this video party, then I should turn it down", Timmy suggested, "but since others know how I play, that would make me look too afraid to compete".
"Well, how about cheating yourself with a similar ring?" Cosmo suggested, which surprised Wanda as she didn't think that Cosmo had been listening while mutilating his game.
"Then Trixie would try something else", Timmy replied, "Something needs to be done".
"I thought you were over Trixie and wouldn't care if she tried and failed", Wanda said.
"True, I'm over Trixie, but Tootie showed me how people can really be. I saw that in Trixie when I was Timantha", Timmy answered.
"That's so, but it didn't stop her booting you out of her birthday party afterwards", Wanda noted.
"Which is ironic since as Timantha, you were her best friend", Cosmo added.
Timmy thought about it a little more, and then he had an idea. He explained it to Wanda and Cosmo.
"That may well be worth a try, Sweetie", Wanda said, impressed with what Timmy had in mind.
"Well, its not something I'm itching to do, but it needs to be done, so lets do it", Timmy said, taking a deep breath.
"You got it, Sport", Wanda said, raising her wand.
The doorbell rang. Trixie had been working on her homework while her mother had stepped out to the local Kinkos in order to run off copies of the poster design that Trixie had made. As her father had not yet come home, Trixie was the only one in the house. Usually, the bulky bodyguard that tailed Trixie would answer the door, but he was home in bed with a cold, so Trixie had to go downstairs and answer the door herself.
Trixie hated having to do this menial chore. She hoped it was someone whom she could slam the door on. She however didn't expect who it was that did ring the bell. Her scowl turned into a broad smile.
"Timantha!" she exclaimed. Wanda had once again zapped Timmy into the girl that had impressed Trixie so much.
"Hi, Trixie", Timantha replied with a smile. Trixie picked her up and gave her a huge hug. Putting her down, Trixie gestured for Timantha to enter. Once she was inside, Trixie closed the door.
"Its good to see you again, Timantha", Trixie said, "but why didn't you come to my birthday party? I missed you terribly".
"It was a family emergency", Timantha lied, "and we had to head out of town that evening. I'm sorry I couldn't leave you a message".
"Well, you're back, and I'm glad for that", Trixie replied.
"I can see that you're glad. But why were you scowling earlier when you answered the door?" Timantha asked.
"Problems in school", Trixie answered, "but first, go and sit down and I'll get us some soda. We've got a lot to talk about". With that, Trixie went into the kitchen. Timantha sat down in one of the plush chairs in the living room.
"Here you go", Trixie said, handing Timantha a crystal glass filled with cola. Trixie sat down next to her with her own glass of soda in her hand.
"How long are you in town for?" Trixie asked, while sipping her drink.
"Oh, for a couple of days", Timantha replied.
"Do you want to come over for a video party saturday night? I'm inviting a lot of people tomorrow at school and it's going to be fun. And since I know that you're good at videogames, you'd be a smash hit", Trixie offered.
"That would be nice, but I'm not sure if I can make it", Timantha answered, "but I'll try. By the way, what made you come up with this idea for a party?"
"Someone at school hurt me, and part of this is to make him pay", Trixie replied with venom in her voice.
"Timmy Turner, you mean." Timantha said pointedly. Trixie looked shocked.
"How did you know?" Trixie replied, astonished.
"I had heard gossip about someone talking back to you in the lunch room at school earlier this week. I asked around and found out that it was a boy whom you'd been stringing along for some time", Timantha replied in a sad tone of voice.
"I'm trying to stay popular in school, Timantha. That means stringing less popular kids along", Trixie replied defensively.
"From what I found out, Trixie", Timantha responded, "Timmy Turner is not a bad person. You had hurt him repeatedly and you didn't seem to mind, but when he got a girlfriend and shot back at you, you thought it the worst thing that happened to you".
Trixie was taken aback at Timantha's frankness.
"That's not fair, Timantha, and you know it", she shot back.
"I remember that you said that you wanted a friend who liked you for who you were, without worrying about popularity", Timantha reminded her.
"I do. You are that person, Timantha", Trixie acknowledged, "but being popular carries a burden, which my mother has been pushing. Being on that pedestal has its perks, but it's lonely up there. If I had decided to be Timmy's girlfriend, everything my mother had been pushing me to do would come to naught".
Timantha thought about that. Trixie's mother did push Trixie to stay popular and that meant staying in an enclosed niche. That would explain why Trixie would act haughty around those others. Still…
"Those others are not so bad, Trixie", Timantha said sympathetically, "and I hope that one day, you won't need to stay on that pedestal that your mother has set you upon so that the 'less popular kids' can see you for what you truly are: a caring person. However, hurting their feelings really should not be part of it. I am telling you this as your best friend: Revenge for slighting someone that you slighted is not the answer either".
Trixie looked at Timantha with understanding in her eyes. She leaned over to hug her.
"Thank you, Timantha", Trixie said as she broke the hug, "What say you and I hit the mall and the beauty salon. I think that I could use having my troubles washed away".
Timantha smiled. "That would be a great idea, Trixie, and I'm sure that the latest issue of Skull-Squisher will be in at the comic book store by now".
"Good point. I'd better get my disguise. Mom doesn't like me getting such magazines, you know and her spies are everywhere".
Timantha nodded. While Trixie went upstairs to get her things, Timantha breathed a sigh of relief. She had done a great service for a person who did not deserve to be a snob. Still, Timantha wondered what Tootie would think of her if they bumped into each other…