Chapter Two
Bobby was bored. He had been so anxious for this particular summer to come and now... Things just weren't has he had imagined they would be.
Two years before he had achieved what had been his major life goal so far: to become a BWG. He had gotten his own jacket and chair at the meeting table. He had been so proud. But soon enough he had noticed that something was different. Ever since he was 5 years old he'd thought the BWG's were the coolest crowd to hang around with. They were always involved in real adventures and traveling everywhere! What else could someone want from life?
But things seemed to be too quiet... He hadn't seen any real action since Brian and Jim had gone to college. He'd thought that maybe things would get better once he became part of the club. But they hadn't... So Bobby had been looking forward to that particular summer, when all of the BWG's would be together again. Somehow in previous summers one of them always seemed to be missing.
At the age of fifteen, Bobby looked exactly like Trixie would have looked at that age if she had been born a boy. He had been blessed with the big blue eyes, full of light, blond curly hair and freckles that were the Belden kids trademark. With the exception of Brian, of course, since Mart had finally let his hair grow a bit more, thanks to Di's intervention. So, Bobby was the proof that apples don't fall far from the tree... Physically and otherwise. Helen and Peter Belden were becoming everyday more concerned with adventurous heart of their youngest offspring. Trixie's adolescence was still very fresh in their minds.
And now if they would be able to see him, they would be terrified. It all had started exactly nine years ago, during a certain summer when Trixie had been feeling very bored herself.
Bobby let out a big sigh and caressed Eden, the newest inhabitant of the Wheeler's stable and his usual ride. After tying her reins to a nearby branch, the boy walked slowly to the ancient tree, where years before Regan had built his beloved tree house. He still came here once in a while, when he wanted to be alone, or whenever he had nothing else to do... as was the case.
As he readied himself to climb the wooden steps nailed to the tree, he noticed something strange. On almost every step there were pieces of mud, as if someone with muddy shoes had climbed all the way to the top.
Bobby frowned. Who could have been there? He certainly hadn't and there were no other kids in the neighborhood... Di's brothers and sisters, two sets of identical twins and his usual companions were out of town, so he didn't know who the trespasser could be... Maybe it had been of the other Bob-Whites... But no, they would have mentioned it to him.
Bobby suddenly felt frightened. He remembered what had happened when two of the members of Dan's old gang had hidden in the woods. What if the person was still in the tree-house? There were two things he could do: leave and ask the other Bob-Whites to come back with him or try to find out himself what was happening up there. He soon decided that the other Bob-Whites seemed to be too worried about other things to mind him and, on the other hand, if he left now, he would never know if there was someone up there or not.
Taking a deep breath, Bobby held on to the steps and slowly started climbing. His heart was throbbing like a pack of wild horses but he knew he had to do this. This was what Trixie would have done, wasn't it? Gently, the boy lifted the trap door above his head and picked inside, feeling the hair on the back of his head stand. Only then did he let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. The small house was empty.
But as soon as Bobby entered he noticed that despite of it being empty right now, someone had definitely been there. Someone other than his friends. He knew this for a fact, since none of the Bob-Whites would leave piles of empty cans all over the place.
Jim walked down the slope towards Crabapple Farm. His heart skipped a beat when he saw a blonde woman walking out of the house and saying something to the tall figure of a man driving a lawnmower through the front lawn. Soon enough he felt relief wash over him, as he came closer and recognized Helen Belden. Trixie's mother waved and smiled, and then went back inside.
"Hey, man! What's up?" Brian said, leaning against the lawnmower. "You seemed relieved when you saw it was my mother standing there..." he added, as he winked his eye at his best friend.
Jim smiled. "Yeah... I guess Trixie looks too much like your mum... And I wasn't feeling quite ready to see her, just as I arrived. I guess it will feel pretty weird."
"You bet it will. I've been dreading the moment I see her myself..."
"Meaning you haven't seen her yet?"
Brian nodded. "Right... Mart told me he had seen her leave the house really early in the morning. He said he was going to try finding her and talk to her. They haven't been back... Uh-oh. Guess I spoke to soon!"
Jim turned on his heels to see Trixie and Mart walking towards them. Trixie had a dismayed look upon her girlish features, but he still couldn't help thinking she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
In nine years, Trixie had grown beautiful. The clumsy, tom-boyish Belden girl had become a lovely shapely young woman. And everything that had made Jim fall so desperately in love was still there: the light in her eyes, the flaming spirit and the sharp sixth sense that had led her into so much trouble... and into so much glory.
Oh, he loved her all right, and he would have done anything to be the one that was encircling her with his arm, comforting her in that difficult time. But Mart had beaten him to it. And maybe it was just for the better, since things were difficult enough for her right now. She needed time to sort everything out and he wasn't going to be the one presenting her with one more problem. No, he was going to let their discussion lay for a while. But he wasn't going to let it die away... Not again.
"Hi, Trix" he said tenderly.
"Hi, Jim... Guess you've heard, hum?" she asked, looking deep into his eyes.
He nodded.
"Honey told me about your talk... Are you mad at her?"
Trixie shook her head and smiled sadly.
"No, of course not... It's just that things aren't... Well, they aren't so perfectly perfect anymore."
A deep silence fell over the four young people. Trixie stared at the ground, drawing circles in the dirt with the tip of her sandal. Brian thought it would be a nice idea to leave Jim and Trixie alone for a little while. He preferred not to be involved, since he was so close to both girls, and Mart's tries obviously hadn't done much to lighten up Trixie's pitch dark mood.
"Hey, Mart, help me get this thing back to the garage, will you?" he said, trying to get his brother out of there.
"Since when do you need my assistance to perform such a simple task?" Mart asked, not getting the full picture.
"Now!" Brian exclaimed, not leaving room for discussion.
Mart finally seemed to understand his brother's intentions and followed him to the garage.
"Always very subtle, aren't they?" Trixie said, smiling.
Jim returned the smile but didn't answer. "C'me on, let's take a walk shall we?" he invited.
Trixie agreed with a nod and followed him into the orchard. The two of them walked for a little while in silence and then sat under a tree.
"No use beating around the bush, is there?" Jim said, facing her. "How are you feeling, Trix?"
The tenderness in Jim's voice warmed Trixie's heart, as it always had done through the years. She felt like resting her head on his shoulder and let it all out. But she couldn't. Something inside her stopped her. A little jealousy maybe... Jim's dream was coming true, slowly but steadily, while hers... She shook her head, making her blonde curls bounce. That kind of thinking wasn't fair.
"Down in the dumps, really..." she whispered, after a while. Despite her fears, once more she couldn't help but to be totally honest with him.
He lowered his eyes, feeling an overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms and tell her he was going to be there for her. But he knew it wasn't the time. Suddenly, an idea sprung to his mind. Maybe he would crash and burn but he had to try.
"Trix, I know you probably don't feel like it, but I guess it would be good for you. To get your mind of things and all... Would you like to go out with me tonight?"
She looked up at him, surprised at the sudden invitation. An invitation she had been waiting for a long, long time, although she wouldn't admit it. And now she didn't know what to say.
"Well, I... I don't know... I don't think I be good company..." she stuttered.
Jim smiled and his eyes shone as if they truly were emeralds. He couldn't back away now... He wouldn't back away! With his mind made up, he insisted.
"C'me on, please." he almost pleaded. "It would be nice for both of us... Besides," he added, averting her eyes for just one second "I guess I want to make up for not being here these last few years. Will you give me that chance?"
Trixie's mind darted back to her prom night, four years back. Everything had been so perfect! She remembered being so happy for Brian and Honey, who had started going steady that same night. And something had also started between Trixie and Jim... Something that had never gone any further. One kiss, as they parted, at the gate of Crabapple Farm. One simple sweet kiss... Never repeated, never again mentioned by either of them. Sometimes Trixie wondered if it had been only a prank of her overly active imagination. But the burning on her lips every time she thought about it was no dream and neither was the way she remembered the smell of his cologne. And deep inside her soul she knew she had been partially guilty that it had never been mentioned again. She had avoided him the following days and he took it as lack of interest. And reacted accordingly.
But now... Did she want a chance of recapturing the past or was their chance long gone? Looking into his eyes she knew the answer. She wanted that chance. She wanted it desperately.
"Ok... I guess it will be nice." Trixie said with a smile.
Jim's eyes lit up once more. The few moments between his question and her answer had been hell-like. Somehow he never expected her to say yes. But she had.
She wondered if it was the right thing to do before she picked up the phone. She would have to do it sometime... And why not now?
The phone rang a few times before it was picked up. She recognized her voice and gulped. But she had to do this.
"Hi, Honey." Trixie said.
"Trixie? Hi!" said Honey's surprised voice. "I... I wasn't expecting to hear from you this soon... I mean, I'm glad, but..."
Trixie giggled.
"Hey, Honey, I get it, don't worry. Anyway we have to get through this. And like I said I'm not angry..."
"But you had every right to be..."
"No, Honey, of course I didn't... I can't help feeling a bit hurt but... We have let bygones be bygones."
She heard Honey's sigh of relief.
"Oh, Trix... I was afraid you wouldn't be my best friend anymore!"
"Don't be silly, Honey! I will always be your best friend! Besides, that new-found talent of yours may prove to come in handy." Trixie said, trying not to sound too anxious.
Honey threw herself on Trixie's bed, giggling and almost out of breath. Trixie stood in the middle of her room, her hands on her hips and her face a bright tone of crimson red. The room looked like it had been hit by a tornado. Trixie's closet was open wide and more than half of its contents were scattered all over the room. The hand-made quilt on the bed was scarcely visible under a thick layer of jeans and T-Shirts.
"What's so funny?" she asked, pretending to be mad.
Honey struggle to sit up and to stop laughing, as tears streamed down her face.
"I'm sorry, Trix... It's not that it's funny, really... But the thought of you worrying with what you were going to wear..."
"Yeah, yeah... Laugh all you want! But fact is I need help! I don't know what to wear!", Trixie sat by her friend, a desperate look upon her face. "This is a special night, Honey... Well, it could be if only we would feel more comfortable around each other..."
"Of course it will be a special night. You guys only need time to get back to where you left off. To get to know each other all over again..." Honey looked into her friend's eyes. "But somehow I feel that there is something else, behind all this insecurity... Something that hasn't got to do with Jim... At least not directly..."
Trixie sighed. "I can't hide anything from you, can I? It's just that I can't help thinking whether he would invite me out or not if I wasn't... Well, if I..." Trixie didn't go on, not knowing how to put it.
"If you weren't depressed because of my decision..." Honey completed. Trixie was about to open her mouth to deny it, but Honey stopped her. "It's ok, Trix. I know how you must feel. You don't have to hide it from me."
"I won't, Honey. That would be betraying our friendship... We promised that we would always be completely honest with each other and that's the way it's gonna be. I am kind of depressed, but your decision is only a part of the problem. The biggest part of it is MY own decision."
Honey frowned. "What decision?"
"A decision I have to make..." said the blonde girl, sighing. "I don't want to talk about it right now, Honey. It's still too soon... I really need to think about it some more. But like I said, you shouldn't worry." Trixie held her friends hands in her own, reassuringly and smiled. "No matter what that decision turns out to be your decision was only the drop that made the cup spill."
"Please don't be so mysterious, Trixie!" Honey pleaded. "What's this all about?"
"I'll tell you when I decide... There's no use in talking endlessly about it. It's just that I don't want to settle for second best."
"Second best?", Honey waited for more explanation but it didn't come. And she didn't fully understand what her friend meant. But now there wasn't time to think about it. Trixie had gone back to the position in which Honey had found her when first entering the room: sitting in front of her closet staring at its contents... and moaning in desperation. Smiling, Honey understood it was time to get to work.
Jim stood by the Belden's kitchen window, staring at nowhere. His heart was beating so loud and so fast he could hardly hear Brian and Mart teasing him.
"My, my..." Mart started, winking at his older brother. "Have you sensed the peculiar atmosphere that surrounds us? Can't you just hear the pounding of our good friend's heart? I dare say he yearns to behold the not-so-fair maiden, Beatrix."
Brian laughed and joined Jim by the window. "Well, I would say he just has a bad case of good old cold feet! Am I right?" he said, tapping his friend's shoulder.
"Hum?" Jim mumbled, as if he had just awaken.
The two Belden boys burst into laughter. Jim hadn't heard a word.
Jim's mind had drifted back to a certain night, four years before. A night that could have been the happiest of his life, but instead had remained just another sweet-and-sour memory... like so many others.
After being in college for two years, Jim had come to the conclusion that Trixie was the only girl he would ever want. He had gone out with a couple of girls during that period, but it felt uncomfortable to always be comparing the girls to Trixie. It was a natural reaction for him, but he was also conscious that it was unfair for the girls. That and the jealousy he was beginning to feel about the growing closeness of Dan and Trixie's relationship had led him to finally admit the depth of his feelings. And he would never forget the pride he had felt when Trixie had invited him to be her escort on her prom night. He'd felt on top of the world. And relieved that she hadn't invited Dan!
That night... He had lost the best opportunity he had ever had to tell her how much he loved
her. But Trixie was like a bird that needed to try out its wings. And he didn't want to be the one to tie her down. The kiss had come as a surprise even for him. And it had haunted all of his nights ever since.
A tap on his shoulder brought him back from his reverie. Startled he turned around to stand, half stunned, in front of Trixie.
She was a sight, a vision. Honey had picked out a simple black dress for her, that ended just above her knees and enhanced the soft curves of her slender body. The funny thing about Trixie was that she had never really learned to feel comfortable in what she called "fancy clothes" and that awkwardness made her look even lovelier.
"You look... beautiful." Jim said, in a hoarse voice, looking straight into her eyes. Trixie blushed and avoided his gaze, which of late was becoming too intense for her to endure.
Mart and Brian had remained by the door, watching the whole scene and taking in every little detail. The conclusion they reached must have been the same, because, as if on cue they both left the room in silence.
"Shall we go, Jim?"
He smiled and nodded.
"Yes, we'd better." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he led her to the door. "And I hope you're not hungry, because it will take a while to get there..."
"Where are you taking me, Mr. Frayne?", Trixie asked, looking up at her handsome escort.
He winked at her. "To Paradise, Miss Shamus... To Paradise!"
A/N:Thank you Fidelis Et Espoire A Noel Dy and Mylee, I am very glad to be able to bring my story to this website. I am going to try and get at least two reviews per chapter as I have already written this story and am just bringing it to fanfiction. Review please!
Claudia