Part 7

“The mayor is trying to buy you off?” Brian asked from beside his brother and sister.

“He’s trying to buy our silence,” Matthew Wheeler said angrily. “He knows his daughter is responsible for these stunts.”

“I think it’s time the police are called in,” Peter said.

Trixie squeezed Mart’s arm.

“Dad, don’t,” Mart said.

“Why not?” Peter asked, turning to look at his three eldest children.

Trixie opened her mouth to respond, but the words she wanted to express would not come. She glanced at Jim. She wondered if he knew what she wanted to tell them.

“Because,” Jim began. “If you say anything to the police, they’ll get in trouble because the mayor can have them fired.”

“We can’t just sit and do nothing,” Peter said.

“We will talk about this later,” Helen said. “Today is Christmas.”

“All right,” Matthew said. “Why don’t you all come up to the Manor House for lunch tomorrow? We can discuss this then.”

“All right,” Peter said.

Matthew looked at Trixie. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

She saw Jim offer her a small smile, but she just couldn’t return it.

“Merry Christmas,” Jim said before following his father out of the house.

Peter closed the door and let out a sigh.

When her father turned away from the door, she saw the tired look on his face and knew she was responsible for placing it there. A glance out of the corner of her eye toward her mother and she saw the same look. She had put that expression on both of their faces. She had and she wished she hadn’t. She knew this was all her fault.

Trixie felt her body begin to shake and she realized she had been standing too long.

“I’ve got you,” Mart said as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Let me help you,” Brian said.

Trixie cringed and tried to get as close to Mart as she could. Her body shook even more.

“I just want to help you,” Brian said as he took a step closer.

Trixie felt the sudden urge to run and looked around wildly for some escape.

“Easy, Trixie,” Uncle Andrew said as she stepped in front of Brian. “It’s okay. You’re all right.”

Looking into her uncle’s calm face, she felt the tremors ease.

“You look tired,” Andrew said. “Do you want to rest a bit before dinner?”

Trixie nodded.

Andrew stepped forward and gently picked her up. She leaned in close, feeling the love radiating from her uncle. He carried her to her bedroom and carefully lowered her onto the mattress. He took the comforter, pulling it almost to her chin.

“Try to rest,” Andrew said. “Everything will be fine.” He kissed the top of her head and left the room.

Alone, Trixie tried to calm her pounding heart. She closed her eyes in an attempt to focus on her feelings. She couldn’t understand why she responded to Brian’s offer to help the way she did. She had never felt as scared as she did at that moment.

This nightmare is getting worse as each day passes, she thought. And all of it’s my fault. I only wanted to help people, but in the end, I’m just hurting them. Moms and Dad are angry because of me. Brian and Mart are angry because of me. Honey is grounded because of me. Jim got hurt because of me. Mr. Wheeler is angry because of me. It’s all because of me. All I do is hurt people. Maybe it would be better if I left Sleepyside and never came back. Maybe it would have been better if that car had killed me, then no one would be angry. Everyone would be relieved because the source of all their problems would be gone.

“I don’t understand why she reacted that way, Moms,” Brian said from the kitchen.

Trixie listened carefully.

“She actually seemed afraid of me,” Brian continued. “And she shouldn’t be. I’m her big brother. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.”

“Brian, I’m not going to argue about this with you, but you need to think about what you just said,” Helen responded. “You might not hurt her physically, but you have hurt her. It’s a matter of trust. And right now, that’s something she doesn’t have.”

There was silence and Trixie wondered what her brother was thinking.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Brian finally said. “I haven’t done anything to make her think she couldn’t trust me.”

“You didn’t believe your sister when she told you that what people were saying wasn’t true.  You trusted everyone who told you it was; everyone but her. Maybe that’s the problem.”

Silence settled in the kitchen again. Trixie couldn’t believe it. She felt even worse and wished the nightmare she was living would come to an end. This was turning out to be the worst Christmas ever.

The next morning Trixie was resting in bed, trying to get rid of a headache. She had tossed and turned all night from nightmares. Now she was suffering from the lack of uninterrupted sleep.

Her mother had come in to check on her before breakfast, but Trixie really didn’t feel like eating. The pounding was just too painful.

“Knock, knock.”

Trixie opened her eyes and looked toward the door to see her father leaning against the wood frame.

“Is your head feeling any better?” Peter asked softly as he approached the bed.

Trixie closed her eyes and opened them. She didn’t want to shake her head.

“Have you been able to sleep at all?”

Trixie lifted her hand and pointed toward her message board. Peter handed it to her and she quickly wrote: “Not really. Head pounding.”

“I guess we could let the Wheeler’s know we won’t be coming.”

“Don’t do that,” Trixie wrote. “Go ahead and go. I’ll be fine.”

“Sweetheart, I’d rather not leave you here alone.”

“I’ll sleep when you’re gone.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I’ll be okay.”

Peter held her gaze for a long minute. He finally sighed. “Okay. We’ll go, but we won’t be gone long. All right?”

Trixie gave her father a small smile.

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Trixie mouthed.

Peter gave her a smile and then left the room.

Trixie listened as her family gathered their things and departed for the Manor House. With the farm quiet, she closed her eyes and tried to get her body to relax so she could sleep.

As she tried to drift off, her mind wondered if there were any other solutions to deal with this situation so that her family wouldn’t suffer on her account. She honestly couldn’t think of any. She was worried that the mayor would try to pull something so that her father would lose his job.

She knew anything was possible since the mayor had sent money to her parents and the Wheelers. She knew the Wheeler’s had gotten the money because Mr. Wheeler had called the mayor to inform him of his daughter’s activities.

Realizing she wouldn’t rest until she got these thoughts out of her head, she began writing ideas onto her notepad. She wasn’t sure any of them were a true solution, but she had to do something.

When she finally took a break, Trixie saw most of the ideas dealt with leaving Sleepyside. She was surprised. She loved Sleepyside, but with all that had transpired in the last few months, she just didn’t think it was the place for her.

Trixie knew that should she step into Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School, her life would become a living hell. Two of her best friends had played a role in the events before the holidays and that was what hurt the most. They had so much fun together, but that all changed. She never knew the two of them could be so hateful.

She just couldn’t understand why her friends would do something so mean. She had never done anything to them. She had become Honey’s first friend when she moved here.  She was so scared, but we became friends. We did so much together and were having fun.

And then Di and I reconnected after she moved out of here. It took all of us Bob-Whites, but we renewed our friendship. Her family coming into wealth never changed how I saw her. She was my friend. And I never did anything to make her turn on me either. It just doesn’t make sense.

I wish I knew how it changed. And there is no way I can go back to school because everyone believes what the poster said. I don’t deserve to be treated this way. It doesn’t make sense why they would go to such lengths to hurt me.

Dropping the notebook and pen to the bed, she closed her eyes wondering what would happen to her next. Everything was spiraling out of control. Bad things continued to happen and she doubted anything good would come her way.

Exhaustion began to set in and for a few minutes, she struggled to stay awake. But it was a losing battle. Within minutes she was lost in her dreams.

Stepping through the doors of Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School, Trixie made her way toward her locker. She was apprehensive about returning because no one had corrected the rumors that were circulating about her.

“Welcome back,” several students said as she passed by. Trixie gave them a small, cautionary smile in case they were up to something.

As she continued along, the greetings continued. She watched for any signs of malice, but couldn’t see any. She wondered what had happened.

Trixie got to her locker and quickly put her books away. She took the items she needed for her first class before slamming her locker shut. She quickly arrived at her homeroom and settled into her usual seat.

When the morning announcements were over, Trixie followed the rest of her classmates out of the room. As she turned the corner to head to her English class, she ran into Amelia, Honey and Di.

“Why, Trixie, it’s so good to see you,” Amelia said sweetly. “We’ve really missed you. Haven’t we girls?”

“Absolutely,” Honey said.

“Definitely,” Di said.

“Well, we better go so we aren’t late to class,” Amelia said. “It was good to see you.”

As the three of them continued on, Trixie tried to swallow the sick feeling that was rising in the back of her throat. She hated that she had to come back.

When Trixie entered the cafeteria for lunch, she looked for someone she could sit with. It had been a long morning and the overt politeness from her classmates was getting to her. Spotting Dan Mangan, she made her way toward him. He looked up as she approached and a smile filled his face. She quickly sat down across from him.

“How has your first day back been?” Dan asked.

Trixie shrugged her shoulders.

“I bet you’re wishing you were someplace else.”

Trixie gave him a small smile as her answer.

Suddenly, Trixie felt something slimy and wet land on her head. It began to slowly slide down her face and back of her head. She saw it was spaghetti sauce.

There was an initial moment of silence and then the entire cafeteria erupted in laughter.

Trixie focused her gaze on Dan. He had his hand covering his mouth. His body was shaking and she knew he was laughing at her. Her gaze quickly scanned the cafeteria and saw everyone was laughing. She saw her brothers were bent forward with their hands on their knees. Just past her brother’s stood Jim, who looked shocked, but was also laughing.

“Why, Trixie,” Amelia snickered, making her turn to look at the other girl. “I never knew spaghetti sauce looked so good on you.”

Trixie turned a little further to see Honey and Di were also laughing. She was quite certain it had not been an accident.

“What’s going on?” a voice demanded and the cafeteria went silent. “Is someone going to tell me?”

Trixie stood up and turned to see Principal Stratton standing in the cafeteria entrance as the food continued to fall off of her.

“Trixie! Are you all right?”

Trixie stared at him, shocked that he had asked such a question.

“Never mind that,” Principal Stratton said. “Who did this?”

“We’ll see if she squeals about this,” Amelia whispered loud enough so Trixie could hear her.

Trixie knew for certain that if she said anything, her life would turn into an even worse nightmare.

There was no response from the cafeteria.

“Fine,” Principal Stratton said. “Since no one will tell me who did this, all of you can report back here at the end of the day for detention.”

Groans filled the cafeteria.

“Principal Stratton,” Amelia said moving toward him. “I can’t stay for detention. I have to meet my father after school.”

“I’m sorry, Amelia,” Principal Stratton said. “I didn’t see you there.”

“That’s all right,” Amelia said sweetly. “I understand. You have so much responsibility in running this school.”

“Of course,” he said. “And don’t worry about attending detention. I’m quite certain you had nothing to do with this.”

“Thank you, Principal Stratton,” Amelia said and left the cafeteria with a flick of her hair.

Trixie opened her eyes with a start and couldn’t believe it. Amelia was going to get away with it. No one was going to punish her because her father was the mayor. There was no way Trixie was going to win.

Looking down at her list, she hoped she could convince her parents of one option. Going back to Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School was out of the question. She just couldn’t.

Over the next couple of days, Trixie realized more of her strength was coming back, even though she was still not talking. She had begun moving around on her own more, grateful her leg was in a walking cast.

She was sitting on her bed, trying to read a book when there was a knock on the door. She looked up to see Mart standing there.

“Hey,” Mart said. “I was wondering if we could talk.”

Trixie looked at her brother. She wasn’t sure that it was a good idea. She had accepted Mart’s apology on Christmas, but since then, they really hadn’t spent any time together. She was uneasy because she didn’t know what to expect from him. She had seen a different side to both of her older brothers and wished she knew what had caused those changes.

“Can I?” Mart asked, getting her attention.

Trixie finally nodded and he moved over to the bed. He carefully sat down beside her and looked her in the eye.

“How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” Trixie wrote.

“Really?” Mart pressed.

She nodded. “The pain is going away.”

“That’s good,” Mart said. “And I really do feel bad about what has happened to us. I hope that this is the start of rebuilding our bond.”

“Me too.”

“And I know someone else who wants to make things right too,” Mart said.

Trixie’s worry began to rise at this news. She wasn’t sure, but she wrote the question. “Who?”

“Di,” Mart said. “She feels bad about how you’ve been treated and is unsure of how to approach you to try to repair your friendship. She knows you’re aren’t able to talk right now, but she wishes the two of you could have some time together to find that friendship again.”

She stared at her brother, trying to determine if she was telling the truth or lying.

“What does she want to do?” Trixie asked, a little hope filling her that she might have her childhood friend back.

“She was hoping you might come over so you two could talk,” Mart said. “She thinks with all that happened the two of you would want some privacy and we both know that won’t happen here.”

“Can I think about it?” Trixie wrote.

“Whatever you decide to do is fine with her,” Mart said. “She said there was no rush.”

Trixie nodded.

Mart reached over and took Trixie’s hand in his own.  “I’m glad we got the chance to talk, Trixie. I really want things to go back to the way they were.”

“Me too,” Trixie mouthed.

“Hi, Trixie,” Di said as she came down the stairs. She was wearing a purple sweater with white pants. Her long black hair was pulled back from her face with a purple barrette. “I’m so glad that you were able to come over. I really wanted to talk to you and I really didn’t think it would be right to do it at your own house.”

Trixie watched Di, wondering if there was an ulterior motive about the invitation. She had been hesitant at first because the incidents of the past few months were still fresh on her mind and she didn’t think she could trust anyone. She also recalled Honey’s attempt at an apology that she realized had been a joke in the end.

“Let me hang up your coat and then we’ll go up to my room where we can talk without being interrupted.”

Once her coat was in the downstairs closet by the front door, Trixie slowly followed Di back up the stairs moving slowly since she was still sore. She was making progress on healing physically, but she had to take her time so she wouldn’t delay her recovery.

When they reached Di’s bedroom, which was decked out in her signature purple, Trixie settled on one of the armchairs situated near the window. Di sat down across from her.

“You know, I’m really sorry all these things have happened to you,” Di began as she crossed her legs at the ankles. “It is a shame that some people will go to such lengths to hurt someone else. I know you have truly never done anything to hurt someone else and these things that have happened are truly mean. I’m surprised that someone would do this to you because you haven’t done anything to anyone. It’s just a shock and hopefully this will all end in due time.”

Trixie listened to the words, but a part of her head told her there was no real feeling in what was being said. These were just words.

Knock, knock.

“Miss Diana?”

Di got to her feet and moved over to the door. She opened it to reveal Harrison standing there. “Yes?”

“You have visitors downstairs,” Harrison said. “They said they were in the neighborhood and thought they would just drop by.”

“Go ahead and send them up,” Di said.

“Yes, Miss.”

Harrison left.

Di closed the door and turned to Trixie. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect anyone to stop by today. And I think it is Amelia. If she finds you here, she may cause trouble. Why don’t you hide in my bathroom and I will try to get rid of her as quickly as possible?”

Trixie realized this was the best bet because she did not want to encounter a face to face meeting with the person who was behind all her problems. Trixie quickly and quietly headed to the bathroom before closing the door behind her. She stayed by the door to make sure she knew when Amelia left.

Listening, Trixie heard the bedroom door open and Di’s greeting.

“Amelia, what a surprise. Hi, Lisa, Cora.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Amelia said.

“So, what’s going on?” Di asked.

“Well, the three of us are planning to head into White Plains to do some shopping and wondered if you would want to join us,” Amelia said. “The Valentine’s Dance is fast approaching and we need to start checking out the dresses so that we can find the perfect one to make the best entrance.”

“I wish I could, Amelia, but unfortunately I need to stay here. My folks are out for the day and they gave the nannies for the twins the day off, so I need to stick around here.”

“I can’t believe your parents gave them time off when they were going out,” Amelia said. “Don’t they understand that you also have a life and have things to do?”

“Well, they think it is a responsibility thing,” Di said.

“I think they need to reprioritize their list of important things and realize your happiness should be number one.”

“I agree with you,” Di said. “But my folks are from a different time and lifestyle and they don’t see those things the same way as you and me.”

“Hopefully they will get more comfortable with this lifestyle when they spend more time with the people at the country club,” Amelia said.

“I don’t think you need to worry,” Cora said. “Her parents just have to get used to being one of the wealthiest families in Sleepyside and learn the responsibility that goes along with that honor.”

“You’re right,” Di said.

“Oh, yeah,” Amelia said. “There was another reason why we stopped by.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, we have come to the conclusion that Jim is going to need a date to attend the Valentine’s dance since he is single and we were wondering what you could tell us that could help me make sure that he’s my date,” Amelia said.

“What do you want to know?”

“Mostly, what he saw in Trixie to make him want to date her,” Amelia said.

“Exactly,” Cora said. “I mean, look at Trixie. She is so not girlfriend material.”

“I have to agree,” Lisa said. “She does not take pride in her appearance. She doesn’t do anything to be feminine.”

“She is always ready and willing to jump into a game with the boys and get all sweaty and smelly,” Amelia said.

“And she’s not pretty,” Cora said. “She has all those freckles. She could use something to cover them up and then she wouldn’t look so horrendous.”

“You all are saying things that I tried to tell her when we were friends,” Di said. “In the past when there were dances, I tried to get Trixie to be more feminine, but she fought tooth and nail. Sure, she would use a little foundation and wear a dress, but in the end, she just looked frightful. I’m surprised Jim has stayed with her as long as he has.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Amelia said. “His father is a millionaire, and as the son of one, he needs to present himself to the public as a well-to-do man who has a beautiful woman on his arm, not some troll.”

“Unfortunately, Jim thinks she’s beautiful,” Di said. “And I doubt there is anything that could be done for him to think otherwise. That is how he has always seen her and I don’t think that will change. I think he likes her because she was the one who got him to a family that would treat him right. Sometimes I think he just likes her because he owes it to her for what she did for him, not because he thinks she’s pretty.”

“Hmm,” Amelia said. “That is definitely some food for thought.”

“I wish I could tell you more, but Jim is a mystery to all of us because he really doesn’t talk about what kind of girl he wants,” Di said. “When we were in Iowa, we made some friends and went to a basketball game and dance.”

“Basketball,” Lisa said.

“Boring,” Cora said.

“Well, anyway,” Di said. “There was a delay in starting the game because the other team hadn’t arrived yet, so Brian, Mart and Jim went out and started throwing the ball. Well, Trixie decided to participate as well. It seemed as if one of the guys out there became a little fascinated with her. After the game we all went to the dance. Trixie was surprised that she danced with so many different guys. There was also a girl, name Dot, who seemed to have her claws into Jim. Trixie tried not to notice, but Dot was the most glamorous woman there, after Honey and myself, of course.”

“Of course,” Amelia said.

“Trixie and Jim finally got to dance together again,” Di said. “They then went over to a table and I was sitting with Mart close by. Jim said something along the lines that there are girls who go out of their way to dress up to impress others, but the ones he likes don’t go out of their way to do that. He said they were genuine and comfortable to be around.”

“He has no clue what role he is supposed to play,” Amelia said. “And hearing all that just tells me that he really needs a wakeup call as to what he needs to do for his future.”

“I think you’re right,” Cora said.

“I’m glad you agree,” Amelia said.

“Trixie may have been my friend at one time, but in truth, she needs some serious help to realize her place in society,” Di said. “She isn’t part of our league and will never be. If she ever marries Jim, she will just ruin his life and make him miserable. They are wrong for each other and we just need to make sure she knows it.”

“I think she will,” Amelia said. “And soon.”

“Shouldn’t we get going?” Cora asked.

“You’re right,” Amelia said. “I’ll give you a call later, Di, and we can make plans for another night.”

“Sounds good to me,” Di said. “Let me walk you out.”

Trixie listed as the four of them left the bedroom. She leaned back from the door and glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.

She realized she had been right that Di was just acting. Di didn’t care about fixing their friendship. She was only interested in her place among the popular girls and that would always be her goal. She had to be part of the “in crowd.”

Knowing she didn’t want to be there when Di returned, Trixie slipped out of the bathroom through the other door and made her way toward the rear staircase. It was slow going, but nothing was going to stop her. She reached the first floor and saw one of the side exits that would lead her into the woods. The snow was deep, but she wasn’t going to use the road. It would just lead to more trouble.

Jim had dropped her off and had told her to have Di call him when she was ready to leave, but she couldn’t see him. She just couldn’t.

She headed toward the woods and saw a path that was somewhat cleared when she saw hoof prints, she knew this was one of the trails Di used when she was exercising her horse, Sunny. She struggled through the snow, unaware that that tears were still streaming down her cheeks. She walked with no destination in mind. She couldn’t think and just let her feet lead her.

In the distance, she heard the sound of someone chopping wood. She knew she was heading toward Mr. Maypenny’s place on the preserve. For a second she thought about turning around, but she knew he would let her stay for a little while until she composed herself.

As she cleared the tree line, she saw Dan outside the small house, swinging an axe at the log of wood. It split with one hit. When she was halfway to the house, she saw Dan look up with surprise on his face.

“Trixie! What are you doing here?”

She kept going toward him. When she was close enough, he could see the tears on her face. Without a word, he set the axe down and gathered her in his arms.

“It’s all right, Trixie. Everything is okay.”

Trixie began crying and just welcomed the comfort he was offering her.

“Let’s go inside. You are so cold.”

It was in that moment that Trixie knew she had left Di’s without her coat because it had been in the front closet.

Stepping inside, Trixie felt the warmth from the blazing fire. She looked up as Mr. Maypenny exited the kitchen.

“Dan, is all the wood…Trixie? What are you doing out this way?”

“I don’t know,” Dan said. “She just came walking into the clearing,” Dan said as he settled her on the hearth in front of the fireplace. “She also didn’t have a jacket on.”

Mr. Maypenny came over and sat down beside her. He lifted her chin and looked in to her tear-filled eyes. “Child, what has happened?”

Trixie cried harder and he gathered her in his arms.

“Dan, get a couple blankets so that we can warm her up,” Mr. Maypenney said holding her close. “Warm up some of the apple cider. That should help take the chill off.”

“On my way.”

“Everything will be fine,” Mr. Maypenny said, holding her to his chest.

Trixie just continued to cry as her body shook from the cold. The warm fire was helping, but it didn’t change what she had heard. It had been another attack on her and she knew that it hadn’t been a chance meeting that Amelia had just stopped by to see Di. This had been set up to make sure she heard them talking about her.

She felt the blankets get wrapped around her shoulders.

“Trixie, can you tell me what happened?” Mr. Maypenny asked gently.

Trixie cried even harder. There was no way she could tell him. It had been bad enough dealing with it the first time, but she didn’t want to share what she had heard.

“Here’s the cider,” Dan said returning to the room.

“Trixie, drink some of this,” Mr. Maypenny said. “It will help you warm up.”

She reluctantly leaned back from him and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She kept her gaze down as she accepted the mug from him. She wrapped her hands around the mug, welcoming the warmth.

As she took a sip, Dan said, “We should probably call the Belden’s and let them know she’s here.”

Trixie flew to her feet, the blanket dropping to the floor and the mug hitting the wood floorboards, shattering into hundreds of pieces. Her eyes were wild at the thought of her parents knowing where she was.

“Trixie, it’s all right,” Dan said, moving toward her.

“Trixie, they need to know you’re safe,” Mr. Maypenny said. “They’ll be worried if they don’t know where you are.”

Trixie shook her head, backing away from them. She didn’t want them to know.

“Okay,” Dan said, putting his hands up in the air. “We won’t call them.”

Trixie stared at Dan for a moment, wondering if he would lie to her. She held his gaze for a few minutes and finally let out a breath.

“Trixie, we know you’ve been through a lot lately, but we want to help any way we can,” Dan said. “You have to trust us.”

“Trixie, child, Dan is speaking the truth,” Mr. Maypenny said. “We want to help. We don’t want to see you get into any more trouble. But if we don’t let someone know where you are, that could happen.”

“If you don’t want us to call your parents, maybe we could call Jim?” Dan asked.

Trixie looked at them both. She didn’t see any malice in their faces. She really wasn’t sure who she could trust anymore because when she thought she found a friend, it seemed as if they turned on her for no apparent reason. Part of her knew they were right, but the hurt side had her on guard for the next mean thing to happen.

Dan stepped closer and took both her hands in his. “Trix, what has happened to you is not right. You’ve done nothing to deserve this. I feel bad about all this because you’re such a sweet and caring person. You’re always thinking about others.” He squeezed her hand. “Look at me. At first we had a rough patch, but you did what you had to in order to see the real me that had been buried beneath layers of issues. You pushed on and look at where our friendship is now. Sweetie, you need to trust that I won’t do anything to hurt you. I value our friendship too much to do that.”

“We can see the concern, but we are also thinking about your safety and well-being,” Mr. Maypenny said. “We don’t want your parents calling the cops because they don’t know where you are after everything that has happened.” He stepped forward and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “But we will take our cue from you because we want you to make the ultimate decision. This is about you.”

Trixie shifted her gaze from Dan to Mr. Maypenny. She didn’t want to trust anyone, but what they said made sense. If her parents got wind that she wasn’t where she was supposed to be, they would be frantic.

Trixie looked at Dan. She mouthed, “Okay. Call Jim.”

“Fine,” Dan said. “Take a seat and get the blanket back around you. I’ll warm up some more cider and then I’ll call Jim.”

Trixie sat down in front of the fireplace and allowed Mr. Maypenny to wrap the blanket around her shoulders again.

She felt at home in the cabin. There weren’t a lot of the luxuries like a television or video games, but it was perfect for the older gentleman and his young charge. Trixie knew this place did a lot to help turn Dan into the young man that he was.

“Jim is on his way,” Dan said, returning to the room with another mug.

“Thank you,” Trixie mouthed. She looked at the broken pieces on the floor. “I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault,” Dan said. “It happens.”

He quickly retrieved a broom and dustpan so he could clean up the pieces before they were tracked through the cabin. Then he sat down beside Trixie and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

It wasn’t long before they heard the sound of tires approaching the cabin. Mr. Maypenny went to the door and opened it; a moment later Jim came rushing inside. He looked around the front room frantically until his gaze fell on Trixie. She saw his face was white and wondered if she had worried him unnecessarily.

“I’m so glad you’re all right,” Jim said moving quickly toward her. He wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head.

Trixie clung to Jim, grateful he was there. She hadn’t realized it, but she needed him.

“Are you okay?” Jim asked after a few minutes when he leaned back and looked her in the eye.

“I am now,” Trixie mouthed.

Jim sat down on the hearth beside her and kept his arm around her shoulder.

“It didn’t take you long to get here,” Dan commented.

“I wasn’t that far away,” Jim said, anger filling his voice.

“Do we want to know why?” Dan asked.

“I take it something happened,” Mr. Maypenny said. “And that what you have to tell us is not something we’re going to like hearing.”

“I didn’t like it either,” Jim said.

Trixie looked at Jim’s face and knew he had been to the Lynch house. She squeezed his hand and he looked at her. She mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Jim said. “You had no way of knowing what was going to happen. You had no clue that whole get together was a set up.”

Trixie lowered her head. She knew she should have declined the invitation, but she’d had faith that her friend would be honest. She had been blind and was causing more people more grief.

“Tell us,” Dan said. “The only way we can help Trixie is if we know what the newest development is.”

“Well, Di had this idea for her and Trixie to get together for the two of them to talk about things,” Jim said. “Trixie wanted to go and I offered to drive her and pick her up when she was done.”

“I know I’m not going to like this,” Dan said.

Trixie sighed. She knew they needed to know what happened. She looked at Dan and made a motion of writing. He got the message and brought her one of his notebooks and a pen.

She wrote on the top page. “Jim, please read while I write.”

“Got it.”

“I agreed to meet with her because I thought she might have seen the light and realized what she was doing and that we could make our friendship work. When I got to the Lynch estate, Di invited me up to her room. We hadn’t been there long when Harrison came up to let Di know she had visitors. She said she figured it was Amelia and that Amelia would be angry if she knew I was there. She suggested that I wait in the bathroom until she left.”

“She knew Amelia was coming over,” Dan said.

Trixie let out a breath and continued writing. “I did as she asked and then heard the voices. It wasn’t just Amelia, but Cora and Lisa were also there.”

“That makes it even better,” Dan said. “The three of them are trouble.”

“Dan, I think this will go a lot faster if you quit interrupting,” Mr. Maypenny said.

“Sorry,” Dan said.

Trixie offered him a smile. She mouthed, “It’s okay.”

“So what did they say?” Mr. Maypenny asked.

“They pretty much talked about what Di could tell them about Jim so that Amelia could be his girlfriend,” Trixie wrote.

“Trix,” Jim said, taking her hand in his. “There has to be more to it than that. I can tell just by looking at you that what they said is not what has you so upset or why you would leave the house without your coat.”

“Jim is right,” Dan said. “I know more happened and the only way we can help you is if you tell us.”

“Why?” Trixie wrote. “Why should I? Nothing I say will change it. Everyone wants to know what’s happening, but it doesn’t matter if I tell anyone or not because it won’t change anything. No one wants me here. No one cares. The only people who want to talk to me only want to make fun of me because I’m not like them.”

“That’s not true,” Dan said.

“It is,” Trixie wrote. “I’ve never done anything to anyone to deserve this treatment, but it keeps coming and coming. There is no end in sight. Whenever there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel, I get buried again and there is no way out.”

She took a breath and realized this was not the life she wanted and only one thought seemed to sum it all up. “I just wish that car had killed me.” Trixie stopped writing and stared at the floor. She just didn’t care anymore.

“What?” Dan asked and moved forward to read what Trixie had written.

“Dan, Jim, go outside,” Mr. Maypenny said.

“But,” Jim said.

“Now.”

The two of them left the cabin, closing the door behind them. Trixie let the notebook and pen fall to the floor.

“Trixie, look at me, child.”

She slowly lifted her head and looked at the kind gentleman who was a like a grandfather to her. She watched as he moved over and sat down beside her. She kept her gaze on his face.

“Talk to me,” he said. “I know you’ve been through so much and I know you’re having trust issues because of all of it. But you can’t keep this inside. This will just make you ill. If you want, what you say to me will stay between the two of us. But I do have to tell you, should something you tell me be something that could put your life in harm’s way, I will have to tell your parents.”

Trixie thought about what he said and knew that he would keep her confidence. She didn’t think that anything that had happened would harm her, so she felt she could let him know. Dan and Jim were too angry because of all that had been done to her and she feared they would go after Di for setting her up.

She reached down and retrieved the notebook and pen, relating everything she had overhead while hiding in the bathroom and her departure when she was sure Di and the other girls were out of the bedroom.

When she finished, Mr. Maypenny wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.

“You shouldn’t believe a word they said about you,” he said. “They are ignorant girls who know nothing about true friendship. They seem to be the girls who get a thrill out of making other people’s lives miserable. Dan has kept me up to date as to what is happening and I’m quite certain that their family money won’t keep them out of trouble forever. Surprisingly enough, those people are the ones who end up living a truly miserable life. They can’t be happy with what they have because they are always trying to outdo the next person.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that they’ve done all these things and everyone at school believes it all,” Trixie wrote.

“I think that with time everyone will see the truth,” Mr. Maypenny said. “You are an honest and respectable member of this community, always doing something for someone else. If more of these lies begin to surface, people will start to question it because deep down they know it isn’t you. I know you want to run and hide, but you need to be strong and stand tall. Those who are true will stand by you no matter what. They know the truth.”

“But it’s so hard because some people believe all this,” Trixie wrote. “I just can’t handle the stares and the comments and everything else.”

“I know,” Mr. Maypenny said. “I wish I could make it all go away, but I’m quite certain that those responsible will get what they deserve.”

“I just don’t think it will happen any time soon.”

“You don’t have to think about when it will happen. You just have to watch when it does. You’re the bigger person with the biggest heart I’ve ever seen. I hate to see you like this, but I know in time that your beautiful smile will return to your face and that twinkle in your blue eyes will shine again.”

Trixie offered him a smile.

“And if you ever just want to talk without worrying about your parents getting wind of the conversation, you can come to me. My door is always open.”

Trixie leaned up and gave Mr. Maypenny a kiss on the cheek.

When she leaned back he smiled in return. He then reached for the notebook and tore out the pages she had used. He crumpled them up and tossed them into the flames behind them. Together they watched the paper catch fire and disappear.

Once the notebook pages were gone, Mr. Maypenney turned to Trixie. “I have one more question to ask.”

Trixie nodded, encouraging him to ask.

He took a breath. “Who actually did the inviting? Did Diana personally call and ask you to come over or did she have someone ask on her behalf?”

Trixie lowered her gaze to the floor. She couldn’t answer. She just couldn’t. She felt an uneasy feeling begin to rise in the pit of her stomach. She knew the meaning behind the question. She began to wonder if Mart had shown his softer side just to set her up.

Was his apology just a ruse to get me to let my guard down so that he could set me up for more torment? Trixie wondered. Did he know what was going to happen? Or was he also set up? I honestly don’t know what to think or believe. How am I supposed to know who I can trust when everyone keeps doing things to hurt me? How can I trust anyone?

“That’s all right,” Mr. Maypenny said. “I can see you’re tired. Why don’t you stretch out on the couch? I’ll call your parents and let them know you stopped by, were tired and are taking a nap. I’ll let them know you’ll be home after dinner, okay?”

Trixie nodded. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek again. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Trixie stood up and moved over to the couch. She sat down and then stretched out on the couch. Mr. Maypenny took the blankets that had been wrapped around her shoulders and covered her with them.

“Rest,” he said.

Trixie offered a small smile and closed her eyes. She was exhausted and anxious for everything to stop.

She heard Mr. Maypenny step outside and the quick questions coming from Jim and Dan as the door closed. Their voices got softer and she realized they were moving away so she couldn’t hear what they were saying.

Trixie tried to rest, but she couldn’t get rid of the feeling that she would never be safe in Sleepyside again. There didn’t seem to be anyone she could trust. Everyone seemed to be out to get her. As each day passed, it seemed as if there were more people wanting to hurt her. She knew that she couldn’t stay there. If she did, the torment would just continue. She knew she needed to go away. She didn’t want to, but for her own sanity and the chance to recover fully, this was the only solution.

Over the next few days, Trixie spent time alone. Jim and Dan made an effort to stop by to see her, but she feigned exhaustion. Part of her knew that they wouldn’t do anything to hurt her, but the other part didn’t want to take the chance. Too many people had let her down and she didn’t want to go through that any more.

Mart stopped in to see her several times. The day after she had visited Di he had stopped in and asked how things went. She had watched him carefully to see if he had any clue as to what had transpired, bBut he seemed oblivious to what Di had done. She knew that if he could be influenced by Di, then this wouldn’t be the last time he would set her up.

As silence settled on Crabapple Farm, Trixie knew the time had come for her to take matters into her own hands. During the day, she had drafted a note to her parents. She had to do something so that she could survive. She felt that staying would only drive her crazy and subject her to having a nervous breakdown.

Grabbing the duffle bag she had packed with clothes from the closet, she slowly slipped out of the room into the darkened hallway. She silently made her way to the kitchen and stopped by the table. She set the envelope on the table near the napkin holder. She positioned it so the writing was visible to the first person who entered the kitchen from the hallway.

Trixie glanced around the kitchen, taking in the room she had so much fun in over the years. For a moment, she recalled all the times when all the Bob-Whites would pitch in to clean up after a party or picnic. Those moments seemed to get pushed out, as she recalled Brian and Mart accusing her of what the sign said at school and then the two of them yelling at Jim and Dan.

She knew that the happy memories were gone. Dropping her keys on the table, Trixie headed for the door. She held the door so it wouldn’t slam. She closed it gently and slowly started down the driveway in the light snow. She made her way to Glen Road and began the slow walk into town so that she could grab a bus to leave New York.

Trixie had decided that she needed to get out. She wanted to go someplace where no one knew her and where she could get a fresh start. She had left her destination in the note for her parents, and hoped that when they read the reasoning behind her departure, they would understand. She loved her parents. She loved Bobby. She loved Jim and Dan. But even with that love, she just couldn’t continue on there. It felt as if someone was holding her underwater and she needed to breathe.

When Trixie arrived at the bus station, she found she had timed it right because the bus for White Plains was just loading. She purchased her ticket and then climbed on board. From there, she was on her way.

TO BE CONTINUED….