The Decision

Trixie Belden made her way to the backyard. She moved over to the picnic table and stretched out on her back. She was grateful it was Friday and was looking forward to two days of relaxation.

The week had been stressful since lunch on Monday when chaos had exploded within their tight little group. She hadn’t wanted to bring up the things she had overheard the previous weekend, but now it was out in the open.

She had been shocked when she had heard Di and Honey talking about her the way they were. She was also very hurt. She had considered them both good friends, but didn’t feel that way anymore. Although Honey had come to the farm and apologized after school on Monday, Trixie wasn’t ready to forgive and forget. Honey’s apology couldn’t undo the things that had been said. And Trixie was a bit upset that Di hadn’t even bothered to try to make amends. That told her a lot about her friendship with Di.

She was also feeling guilty that all of this had happened in front of her brothers, Brian and Mart, as well as Jim Frayne and Dan Mangan. Trixie wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling something had been said after she left the cafeteria. She wasn’t going to ask.

After dinner on Monday night, Brian and Mart had asked her if what she had said was true. She couldn’t believe they asked her that, but figured Honey and Di had tried to get them to believe it was all a misunderstanding.

Trixie had told them she was disappointed that they could possibly believe she would lie about something like that.

As the week progressed, Trixie tried to limit her time around Honey and Di. It was uncomfortable and she didn’t want to risk hearing any more comments. Trixie spent much of her lunch in the library doing homework.

But now that the weekend was here, she was looking forward to some fun. Jim had invited her for a morning ride on Saturday and a picnic in the preserve. She was anxious for the time to come.

Jim had been understanding, as had Dan, and neither of them had taken sides, trying to keep peace amongst the group. Both of them were shocked at what had transpired.

“Trixie? You might want to come in,” her father, Peter Belden said. “It’s getting late.”

“I’m coming,” Trixie said. She saw a star streak across the sky and made a wish, hoping with all her might that it would come true.

Following breakfast Trixie got to work on her chores, knowing they needed to be done before she left. When she was finished, she realized she had a little more time than she expected before she had to meet Jim, so she made her way to the Bob-White clubhouse.

Trixie entered and moved over to the table, surprised to see a bunch of photos strewn about. She set her key down and got a closer look at the photos, which were of all the Bob-Whites. Trixie was confused because some of the pictures had adorned the walls.

Looking where they had been, Trixie noticed that there were different items in the frames. The work looked like some of the paintings and drawings Di had done over the past year.

Why were they switched? Trixie wondered. This is the Bob-White clubhouse and we all use it. I don’t understand what is going on.

“What are you doing here?” a voice asked behind Trixie.

She spun around to see Di standing in the doorway.

“I just stopped by for a minute,” Trixie said. “And then I saw our group pictures were here on the table and they had been replaced with some other artwork.”

“We decided it was time for a change,” Di said, entering the clubhouse and setting several books on the table. “Are you planning on staying? Honey and I were going to study.”

“I’m not staying. I actually have other plans.”

Di sat down at the table with her back to Trixie. “Don’t let me keep you.”

Trixie headed for the door and stopped quickly when she saw Honey standing there looking uncomfortable.

“Hi,” Honey said.

“Hi,” Trixie said.

“Come on, Honey,” Di said. “We need to get going on this project. Trixie said she wasn’t staying.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Trixie said and exited the clubhouse.

She had reached the driveway to the Manor House when she realized she had forgotten her key. Trixie turned back and made her way along the path. She was almost to the door when she heard Honey and Di talking about her again.

“I can’t believe she questioned the change of pictures in here,” Di said.

“She was probably just surprised,” Honey said.

“It’s not as if she has any say in how this place looks,” Di said. “Sure it’s the Bob-White clubhouse, but it’s on your property and you can do with it whatever you want.”

“I’m surprised she was here to begin with,” Honey said. “She’s avoided all of us this week.”

“She has caused a lot of problems for us. I’ve had to do a lot to convince Mart that it was all a misunderstanding.”

“All four of them were very angry at lunch on Monday,” Honey admitted. “And it’s all because of her.”

“She only focuses on causing trouble and that’s all she’s gotten us Bob-Whites into.”

“She does attract trouble.”

“And the Bob-Whites don’t need to get into anymore trouble,” Di said. “We should just remove her from her presidency.”

“She is co-president with Jim, and I doubt he would go for that.”

“You’re right. I just still can’t understand what he sees in Trixie. She is definitely not in Jim’s league. He needs to really think about his place in society in the future.”

“I doubt we will be able to change his mind,” Honey said. “With that red-headed temper, he also has a stubborn streak. That’s something you really don’t want to mess with.”

“Jim will come to his senses soon enough. Then he’ll move in the right direction that will help him make his dreams come true instead of focusing on a distraction,” Di said. “I’m certain of it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Honey said. “Come on. Let’s get working on this project.”

Trixie turned and made her way back toward the driveway. She was flabbergasted at what she had heard. She couldn’t believe Honey and Di were trying to downplay what had been said to a misunderstanding. She had never expected that.

And they don’t even want me to be a member of the club that I helped formed, she thought. I cannot see that going over well with the others. But I’m not going to worry about it. I’ve seen how welcomed I am around here and it would probably be a whole lot easier if I resigned now, instead of waiting for them to throw me out. I’ve been hurt enough and I’m not going to let it happen again.

Trixie reached the driveway and began her trek to the stables. She took several deep breaths trying to calm herself. She knew if she wasn’t careful Jim would figure out what was wrong, and there would be fireworks. And they wouldn’t be pretty. She figured if they could enjoy this day then that would be enough for her.

Because once all this comes out, the Bob-Whites will be no more. This is definitely the end of something good.

Trixie neared the stables and forced a happy expression on her face. However it wasn’t hard when she saw Jim leading Jupiter out of the stable. A slight breeze was ruffling his hair as he made sure the saddle was secure.

He looked up as she got closer and smiled. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Trixie said, moving over to him. “Are you about ready to go?”

“I’m ready whenever you are,” Jim said. “Cook even packed us everything we need for our picnic.”

“I think this is a great idea.”

“So do I.”

“Then let’s go,” Jim said. “I want to enjoy this day.”

“It will probably be the last one,” Trixie said.

“You’re right, but spring will arrive again and we can continue on our rides.”

“Let’s get moving.”

A while later, Jim and Trixie had a blanket stretched out on the ground in an open area of the preserve. The horses were tethered nearby, munching on the grass.

They had a wonderful lunch of fried chicken and potato salad. Cook had also packed some chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Now they were resting on the blanket, staring up into the blue autumn sky.

“We’ve really been lucky this fall with this nice weather,” Jim said.

“It has been nice,” Trixie said. “But soon we’ll be dealing with chilly winds and tons of snow.”

“Spring always seems to follow winter.”

“It does.”

Silence settled on them and Trixie closed her eyes. It was so peaceful and relaxing. It was if she had found a safe haven.

“I heard Honey came to see you the other day,” Jim said, nonchalantly. “I know she was upset about what had happened at lunch.”

“She did stop by.”

“And?”

Trixie heard Jim shift on the blanket. She opened her eyes to see he had rolled onto his side with his head propped in his left hand.

“And that’s about it.”

“Did you talk?”

“Briefly, Jim.”

“Trixie, I just don’t like seeing you three fighting. We’re all best friends and when something happens amongst us, it affects us all.”

“It does affect us all in some way, but this is between Di and Honey and myself. There’s nothing that will change that.”

“I know. I just wish there was something I could do to help.”

“You’re doing just fine. And we are the only ones who can fix this, if it gets fixed at all.”

“You really don’t mean that, do you?” Jim asked.

“It depends on what happens in the future,” Trixie said. “I’m not going to predict how it will turn out because I don’t know.”

“It’s a shame this happened to us,” Jim said.

“I have to agree with you there.”

Jim reached over and began to play with her curls. “But we are okay, right?”

“We’re fine,” Trixie said, reaching up to squeeze his hand.

“Good. I was worried about that for a bit.”

“There’s no need to worry.”

Jim looked at his watch. “We should probably start back. I promised Regan I would make sure everything is all set in the stables since he was going with Tom.”

“I was surprised Regan agreed to go,” Trixie said as she sat up.

“So was I,” Jim admitted. “I never pictured him as a hunter and when I asked him, he said he was going for the experience. I don’t think this experience will change him. He loves animals too much to shoot them.”

“You’re right about that,” Trixie said. “Well, let’s get this blanket folded and get back so you can get your work done.”

“Yes, slave driver,” Jim teased.

They got up and folded the blanket together. Jim placed it in the basket. They mounted their horses and headed back to the Manor House.

After school on Monday, Jim met Trixie at her locker as she was grabbing her books for homework.

“Trixie, I’m calling a meeting of the Bob-Whites for tonight.”

Trixie looked at him quizzically. “Why?”

“I have an idea that we should work on.”

“What is it?” Trixie asked.

Jim grinned at her. “You’ll have to wait until tonight. But I think you’ll enjoy it.”

“What time are we meeting tonight?”

“How about seven?” Jim suggested. “That will give all of us time for dinner before and plenty of time afterward to get our homework done.”

“I’ll let Brian and Mart know,” Trixie said.

“I’ll take care of Honey, Di and Dan.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“All right,” Jim said. “I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.”

Jim turned and made his way down the hall. As he disappeared from sight, Trixie wondered what Jim had on his mind. She knew deep down that whatever his idea was, it was a good one and worthy of the Bob-Whites’ attention.

She closed her locker and headed for the bus.

The older three Belden children made their way to the old gatehouse following dinner, with a promise not to stay out too late since it was a school night.

The evening had grown cooler and they had all donned their red Bob-White jackets, since it took a while for the small heater to warm up the clubhouse. Reaching their destination, they saw a light was on already. When they stepped inside, the other four Bob-Whites looked up at them. Trixie couldn’t miss the looks of disgust on Honey and Di’s faces. She had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a good meeting.

Trixie settled at the table beside Jim as Brian slipped into the seat beside Honey and Mart settled next to Di.

Trixie took a breath and said, “I call this meeting to order.”

“What was so important that we had to meet tonight?” Honey asked.

“Yeah,” Di said.  “I have a lot of work to do.”

“Jim is the one who wanted to have this meeting,” Trixie said. “Not me.”

“What’s going on, Jim?” Dan asked.

“Well, it’s been a while since we had a fundraiser and I think I’ve found a cause that would be really worthwhile,” Jim said.

“What’s the idea?” Dan asked.

“Well, we all know that there are a lot of young children here in Sleepyside and I thought that maybe we could have a holiday party where there would be games, food, songs … everything associated with the season,” Jim explained. “We could ask for a small donation of either cash or a new unopened toy that could be donated to one of the children’s homes in the city.”

“That’s a great idea,” Dan said. “But we’d have to recruit a lot of people to help out, because it sounds like a lot of work.”

“I think it’s too much work,” Di murmured.

Trixie stared at Di and figured she wouldn’t agree to any project.

“What does everyone else think?” Jim asked.

“I think it’s a good cause,” Brian said. “We’d be giving the Sleepyside children a day of fun, and also making some other children have a better Christmas.”

“It does sound good to me,” Mart said.

Honey and Di remained quiet.

“Honey, what do you think?” Jim asked.

“Jim, how did you come up with this idea?” Honey asked in return. “It just seems a bit sudden.”

“It’s not sudden,” Jim said. “This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while and this is what I came up with.”

“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Di said. “We all have so much going on. Maybe it could be put on the back burner until another time.”

“I have to agree,” Honey said. “Mother has already planned things that she needs my help with and I doubt I would be able to put in much time. And this sounds like it would involve a lot of work.”

Silence settled on the clubhouse. Dan finally said, “We should put this to a vote.”

“I move that the Bob-Whites coordinate a holiday party for the young children of Sleepyside to help a children’s home in the city,” Jim said.

“I second the motion,” Brian said.

“All those in favor say ‘aye’,” Jim said.

“Aye,” Brian said.

“Aye,” Mart and Dan said simultaneously.

“Aye,” Jim said.

“Aye,” Trixie said quietly.

They all looked at Honey and Di, waiting for their vote. The two girls were looking at one another. It seemed to Trixie they were trying to get out of it and were attempting to come up with a believable excuse.

“I’m sorry, Jim, but I have to vote ‘nay’,” Honey said.

“So do I,” Di said.

“Can I ask why?” Jim asked.

“When someone has voted against a project before, you never asked their reason,” Di said.

“Maybe I’m getting the feeling there is a reason that you’re backing out of this that isn’t honest,” Jim said.

“Has Trixie been telling lies about us again?” Di asked, her eyes narrowing as she stared across the table at Trixie. “This was probably her idea and she asked you to bring it up, figuring we wouldn’t say no if it came from you. Well, I’m sorry, but I’m not stupid.”

“What has gotten into you?” Dan asked. “Why would Jim present the idea if it was Trixie’s?”

“Because of me,” Trixie said quietly.

“What do you mean?” Brian asked.

Trixie took a deep breath and looked each Bob-White in the eye, leaving Honey and Di for last. When her gaze reached them, she locked eyes, sending them the message that she knew what was going to happen.

“This has been a long couple weeks and I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused,” Trixie said.

“Trixie, you’re not at fault,” Jim said.

“I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I’m going to resign as co-president of the Bob-Whites.”

“Trixie, don’t,” Jim said.

“Actually, I’m resigning from the Bob-Whites, altogether.” Trixie removed her jacket and set it on the table as she stood up. “I don’t want to cause trouble for any of you anymore.”

Before any of them could react, Trixie had left the clubhouse, being swallowed up in the darkness. She made her way along the Manor House driveway before heading down to the farm. Trixie knew she would miss the club, but felt this was the best for all of them. She knew she wasn’t wanted and she wasn’t going to start a fight. It wasn’t worth it. It was easier to walk away and she had.

Trixie sat by herself on the school bus the following morning. Her brothers had headed into town earlier because they had research that needed to be completed.

Sitting alone seemed to match her mood.

I am alone, she thought. I may have my family and friends, but I still feel alone, especially after all that has transpired. I’ve seen other people get petty with their closer friends and that the relationship had been destroyed. And that’s exactly what has happened here.

It was possible things could have been reconciled between Honey and Di and myself last week. But with what I heard and the outcome of the meeting, I know I made the right decision.

I’m really not in their league. They both have lots of wealth, allowing them to do pretty much as they please. And they are so pretty. That’s all I hear everyday, from the outfit Honey is wearing to Di’s gorgeous black hair. They are pretty and I don’t belong with them. I don’t have the money to buy designer clothes or to go into the city to have my hair professionally done all the time.

What was I thinking? How could I even think I could be best friends with someone who is so different? We may have had similar interests, but those have really changed.

Trixie climbed off the bus when it pulled to a stop in front of the school. She followed the other students as they made their way inside. She was almost to her locker when she saw Jim standing there.

“Hey,” Trixie said as she approached him.

“Hey, yourself,” Jim said, standing up straight. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay.”

“Trixie, I was hoping we could talk,” Jim said, getting straight to the point. “About what happened last night.”

Trixie knew there would be no way around the conversation. But right then wasn’t the time. “Could we do it after school? The bell is about to ring and I don’t think we’ll have enough time.”

“How about I give you a ride home after school?” Jim suggested. “We can talk then.”

“All right. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye.” Jim turned and headed down the hall.

Trixie gathered the books she needed for her first two classes and then headed for homeroom. Making her way down the hall, she heard a couple of girls talking.

“I can’t believe she invited us,” one girl said.

“I was surprised too, Amelia,” a second girl said. “It’s an absolute honor to get an invitation from one of the prettiest girls in school.”

“I’m so looking forward to Friday night, Kristin,” Amelia said. “I wonder who else will be coming.”

“Probably only the prettiest and most popular girls,” Kristin said. “I doubt they would include someone who isn’t as sophisticated as us.”

“I guess that excludes Trixie Belden,” Amelia said.

“Every party should exclude Trixie. The only place she should be welcomed is a pig pen.”

“And that’s not the Manor House,” Amelia said. “Come on. We better get to homeroom.”

Trixie continued to the classroom, even more stunned than ever before. She was now certain of where she stood with Honey and Di, and felt more certain of her decision to leave the Bob-Whites. It was no longer the group it had been when it was first formed.

After school, Jim was waiting at her locker once again. She put the books she needed for her homework into her backpack before closing the door and following Jim out to the parking lot.

They were on their way home when Jim spoke. “I’m glad we got the chance to talk. I have to admit that I wasn’t prepared for your announcement last night.”

“I’m sorry for the way I handled it.”

“I wish you would’ve come talk to me. We could’ve come up with a different solution.”

“This wasn’t a spur of the moment decision,” Trixie said, looking out the passenger window. “I thought long and hard about what to do.”

“What made you decide to resign?” Jim asked. “Was it something we did?”

“It was nothing you did,” Trixie said quickly. “Honest.”

“Then what was it?”

Trixie stared out the window, trying to word her explanation properly so that Jim would understand, but at the same time, not get angry.

But Jim spoke. “Three words. Honey and Di.”

Trixie remained quiet. She wasn’t going to confirm or deny his assumption. She didn’t want to cause any problems between the rest of them.

“The reason I resigned, my ultimate decision, was based on several things. But most importantly, I resigned because this is no longer the club we once were. I know we all have different things going on and sometimes the club came last, but the reason we formed it is no longer there.”

“I agree we haven’t done more, but we have thrown ideas out there,” Jim said.

“Jim, the meeting last night was the first time since spring,” Trixie said. “I just think that it’s better to walk away from something that isn’t making me happy anymore.”

“Do you not care about us anymore?” Jim asked.

“I still care about all of you,” Trixie insisted. “But it’s better for all of us if I’m no longer involved in the club.”

“Are you trying to protect the girls?” Jim asked.

“The decision had nothing to do with them. It’s all mine.”

“It just seems wrong,” Jim said. “You are a part of the Bob-Whites. It doesn’t seem right that you are no longer a member.”

“This wasn’t an impulsive decision,” Trixie said looking at Jim. “It was well thought through, and in the long run will be for the best for all of us.”

Jim glanced at her before focusing back on the road. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure.”

“But I don’t have to like it. The Bob-Whites won’t be the Bob-Whites without you.”

“Thanks, Jim.”

“You’re welcome.” There was silence for a few minutes. “So, I was wondering if you had any plans for Friday night.”

“Not that I know of,” Trixie said. “What do you have in mind?”

“How about we go to the movies?” Jim suggested.

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll check the listing for the Cameo and then we can decide.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Trixie said as Jim pulled into the driveway of Crabapple Farm.

“Good. Then it’s a date.”

Jim stopped the car in front of the garage. Trixie said, “Thank you for giving me a ride home.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you later, Trix.”

“Bye, Jim.”

Trixie got out and headed inside as Jim left the farm.

On Friday, Trixie stood by the living room window waiting for Jim to arrive. They were going to see the new comedy that had been released at the 8 o’clock show. Jim had said he would pick her up at seven.

Glancing at the clock on the living room wall, Trixie saw it was just turning seven. She knew Jim would be there any moment and couldn’t wait to see the show.

After a few minutes, Trixie glanced at the clock. Jim still wasn’t there. The pattern continued for about 20 minutes. Trixie made her way to the telephone and quickly dialed the number for the Manor House, assuming Jim might have been delayed.

“Manor House. This is Diana Lynch.”

“Hi, Di. It’s Trixie. Is Jim around?”

“I’m sorry, but he’s not here,” Di said, raising her voice over the laughter and music in the background. “He left earlier for White Plains saying something about a date.”

“Di, come on,” a voice yelled in the background that Trixie didn’t recognize. “You have to try this.”

“Gotta go,” Di said and hung up the phone.

Trixie slowly lowered the phone back to its cradle, stunned. She couldn’t believe Jim had made a date with someone when he had made plans with her. She never thought Jim could be so mean.

She slowly made her way upstairs to her room, closing the door gently. She didn’t want to see or talk to anyone.

After a sleep filled with nightmares, Trixie climbed out of bed and got ready for the day. She couldn’t count how many times she had woken up terrified.

With the sun beginning its ascent, Trixie decided not to try and attempt to go to sleep for fear there would be more dreams. She headed to the first floor and began her chores.

Knowing the rest of the household was still asleep, she headed outside to take care of the chickens. She refilled the mash hoppers and water and made sure the coop was clean.

“Trixie,” a voice said a while later. Jim.

“Hi,” Trixie said without turning around as she continued to work.

“I am so sorry about last night,” Jim said. “Everything that could go wrong yesterday did. I was so looking forward to going to the movies with you.”

“It’s all right,” Trixie lied.

There was a pause and then Jim said, “You’re angry with me.”

“I’m not.”

“You are. That’s why you won’t look at me. But Trixie, it wasn’t my fault.”

“It’s all right.”

Jim put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. Trixie saw the surprise on his face and was certain she looked a fright.

“Did you sleep all right?” Jim asked, concern filling his voice.

Trixie stared at him, wondering if he really wanted her to answer that question.

“Trixie, let me explain what happened.” Jim took her hand and led her over to the picnic table where they both sat down. “When I got home from school yesterday, Miss Trask asked me to go to White Plains to pick up a few things that had been ordered. She couldn’t go because there was an important delivery being made to the Manor House.

“I agreed to go and she said I would have plenty of time to get back here so we could go to the movies. After I picked up the stuff that had been ordered, I started back. That’s when the station wagon died. I checked all the gauges. I had plenty of fuel. I was going to call for help and realized my phone wasn’t in my pocket.

“I had to walk about two miles to the gas station. I was able to call for a tow truck. I had called the Manor House to let them know what was happening and that I would be late if you called.

“When the tow truck finally arrived, we went back to the station wagon. It was hooked up and brought back to the garage. As the mechanic tried to figure out what was wrong, I attempted to call the Manor House and you, but the phone went dead.”

Jim reached over and took her hand in his.  “Trixie, I would never not show up for a date. That is wrong.”

Trixie looked at Jim and knew he was being honest, but part of her felt he wasn’t.

Jim looked at her closely. “You called the Manor House, didn’t you?”

Trixie nodded.

“And what was said?”

“That you had left for White Plains.”

“And?”

“That’s it. There was nothing else.”

“Trixie.”

She closed her eyes, unable to look him in the eye. She felt guilty for believing Di and wished she had had more faith in her relationship with Jim. She knew if she had trusted him, she wouldn’t feel as guilty as she did.

“I’m sorry, Jim. When I thought you weren’t coming…”

“You don’t need to apologize. When I made it to the gas station, I should’ve called you as well. Because I didn’t reach you, I made you think the wrong thing. I’m sorry, Trix. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s all right, Jim,” Trixie said, looking into his eyes. “You didn’t intend for the wagon to break down.”

“That’s true,” Jim said. “And I do feel bad that we didn’t get to go to the movies. We were both looking forward to that picture.”

“We’ll catch it another time,” Trixie said.

“Well, I have an idea on how I can make it up to you right now.”

“And what’s that?”

“Let’s go riding,” Jim said. “It’s a beautiful morning and I want to ride with my beautiful best friend.”

Trixie blushed. “That sounds like fun, but I need to check with Moms.”

“All right.”

A while later Trixie and Jim were in the stables, about to get ready for their ride. Trixie was surprised Regan wasn’t there and commented on that.

“Well, Regan enjoyed the hunting trip so much that he came home with something,” Jim said.

“And what’s that?”

“He came home with the flu,” Jim said. “It seems as if he got really wet and couldn’t get warm. He’s been fighting it for a couple days and finally agreed to rest when he knew I would be here to take care of the horses instead of being at school.”

“At least Regan has someone he can count on,” Trixie said.

“Yeah.”

“And I noticed that Sunny is here along with a horse I’ve never seen before.”

“There you are, Jim,” a voice said behind them.

They turned and saw Honey and Di standing in the doorway. Amelia and Kristin were there along with two other girls from school.

“Did you need me for something?” Jim asked.

“Regan said we could go riding this morning and said that you would help us saddle the horses and go along on the ride,” Honey said.

“Really?” Jim asked.

Honey nodded. “And we’d kind of like to go now, since everyone will be picked up at noon.”

“Regan really said I should go along?” Jim asked.

“He did,” Di said. “I was there.”

“Have any of you ridden before?” Jim asked, looking at the other girls.

“They have,” Honey said quickly. “Can we saddle the horses and go for the ride?”

Jim moved over to the open office door and reached in to grab the phone.

As he was dialing, Trixie caught the whispered conversation going on between Di, Amelia and Kristin.

“I wonder what she’s doing here?” Amelia asked.

“Probably trying to make herself look better to Jim,” Di said.

“At least she won’t be going riding with us,” Kristin said. “There aren’t enough horses.”

“That will give Jim plenty of time to get to know the rest of us,” Amelia said, a smile filling her face.

“Hey, Regan,” Jim said, pulling Trixie’s attention back to him. “I’m sorry for bothering you, but I have a question.” He paused. “Yeah, and they told me what you had said.” He paused again. “That’s what I was told, but I don’t think it’s possible.” Pause. “I really don’t think so, but it’s your ultimate decision. You know them better than anyone.” Jim looked at the horses. “I can take care of it. Get some rest, Regan, and I’ll talk to you later.”

Jim lowered the phone and replaced it in the office. He turned back to the girls and stared at the four girls behind Honey and Di.

“I would like to know how much riding you’ve all done,” Jim said.

“I said they’ve ridden before,” Honey said.

“And I want to hear it from them,” Jim said, never taking his eyes off the four girls.

“Well,” Amelia began, looking at the other girls.

“That’s what I thought.” Jim looked at Honey. “I’m sorry, Honey, but I can’t let them go riding if they’ve never been on a horse before.”

“Why not?” Honey asked. “The only way they’ll learn is if they get the chance to ride.”

“And they need lessons,” Jim said. “And that’s Regan’s department. Not mine. I’m sorry, Honey, but I can’t allow this to happen. There are too many chances that something could happen to them or the horses.”

“This isn’t fair,” Honey said. “Regan said we could.”

“And he said to me that if I didn’t think everyone was experienced that this shouldn’t happen,” Jim said.

“Trixie ruined this for all of us,” Amelia said.

“Trixie didn’t do anything,” Jim said. “You all came in here with this idea to go riding without even considering the horses. They need to be treated right and will know if they have a first-time rider on their backs.”

“You just wanted to ruin our weekend,” Honey said. She turned her attention to Trixie. “And what are you doing here? You walked away from the Bob-Whites and have caused nothing but problems for me.”

“I’m not going to fight with you, Honey,” Trixie said, trying to remain calm. “And Jim invited me up here.”

“You know, I can’t figure out what I ever saw in you when I moved here,” Honey said. “You are nothing but trouble and I wish we were never friends.”

Trixie stared at Honey, stunned at the announcement. She never expected to hear that.

Honey continued on, her voice getting higher with each word. “I can’t even count the number of times you’ve gotten me or one of the others in trouble just because you’ve found something mysterious. You only think about what you want and don’t consider anyone else’s feelings. You are a mean and selfish person.”

At that moment, Jupiter reared up on his hind legs in his stall.

“Look out!” Jim yelled.

Trixie and Honey were pushed forward and fell to the floor just as the wood splintered. Trixie turned her head just in time to see Jupiter knock Jim to the ground.

Knowing Jupiter would bolt, Trixie scrambled to her feet and reached for the harness.

“It’s all right, Jupiter,” Trixie said, calmly petting the black horse on the nose, while her heart pounded wildly in her chest.  “Calm down. It’s all right. I’ll need you to calm down for me. Everything is all right. You’re all right.”

“Ohh,” Jim groaned, but Trixie did not take her eyes off the horse.

When Jupiter seemed calmer, she led him out to the corral. She released her hold on the harness and the horse trotted to the far side. Trixie quickly closed the gate and turned back to the stable.

“Trixie!”

She saw Dan making his way toward her from the house.

“Dan! Come quick! I need your help!”

Trixie hurried into the stable and saw Jim was still sprawled out on the floor face down. There was blood flowing from the back of his head.

“Jim? Can you hear me?” Trixie asked as she kneeled beside him.

Jim groaned again but did not speak.

“What happened?” Dan asked as he crouched on the other side of Jim.

“He was protecting us,” Trixie answered. “We need to get Miss Trask and Regan.”

“The girls were heading toward the house when I came down,” Dan said. “I’ll call Regan.”

Trixie saw a towel hanging on a hook by the door and grabbed it. She gently pressed down on the bleeding wound. Jim groaned again.

“It’s all right,” Trixie said. “You’ll be all right.”

“Regan is on his way down,” Dan said, moving back to her. “What happened?”

“Jupiter got spooked and Jim kept us from getting hurt. He just got hurt instead.”

“Everything will be all right,” Dan said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “Jim will be fine.”

At that moment Regan and Margery Trask hurried into the stable.

“Oh my goodness,” Margery said.

“I’ve already called an ambulance,” Regan said. “What happened in here?”

Trixie felt her body begin to tremble as the adrenaline rush wore off. Dan reached over and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“You’re all right,” Dan said. “Everything will be all right.”

Trixie couldn’t respond. The trembling seemed to increase.

“Where’s all that blood coming from?” Margery asked, pointing at the ground by Trixie.

She looked down and saw a rapidly growing pool of blood by her leg. She saw her pant leg was soaked in blood. Trixie touched her leg and winced in pain. The blood was coming from her. Trixie’s eyes rolled into the back of her head as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Trixie sighed as she rolled her head to the side. Her body felt weighted down and she wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but it didn’t seem possible. She could just make out the voices talking softly nearby.

“The doctor is pretty certain she will make a full recovery,” a female voice said. “The wound wasn’t deep, but she did lose a lot of blood.”

“I just don’t understand what happened,” a male voice said.

“I don’t think we’ll get any real answers until Trixie wakes.”

“Hopefully that will be soon.”

Having to know who was talking and where she was, Trixie slowly forced her eyes open. She blinked several times and brought an unfamiliar room into focus.

She was facing the window and saw an IV line running down to her left hand. She was certain she was in the hospital. Trixie slowly turned her head to the right and her gaze fell upon her parents.

“Hey sweetheart,” Peter said, leaning close to the bed with a smile on his face.

“How are you feeling?” Helen asked, taking Trixie’s right hand in her own.

Trixie moistened her lips and said, “Tired. What happened? Why am I here?”

“What do you remember?” Peter asked.

Trixie thought back before speaking. “Jim and I were going riding and were in the stables. Honey and Di came in with some other girls.” She looked into her mother’s eyes. “I can’t remember anything else.”

“It’s all right,” Peter said. “The doctor said you might not remember everything due to the anesthesia.”

“Anesthesia?”

“You had a serious cut on your leg that the doctors had to repair with surgery,” Helen explained. “But you’re going to be all right.”

“How did I get hurt?”

“It seems as if you fell on a piece of metal and got cut,” Peter said. “We’re not sure of all the details.”

“And you shouldn’t worry either,” Helen said. “All that matters is you’re going to be all right.”

Trixie tried to process everything. She knew she had been hurt, but still couldn’t understand how. And part of her thought she was missing something very important. She knew she would have to wait to figure it out.

She looked back at her parents. “What day is it?”

“Sunday,” Peter answered. “You got hurt yesterday morning and the doctor performed surgery yesterday afternoon. You woke up for a little while last night, but went right back to sleep.”

Trixie could feel the exhaustion blanketing her once again, but had to get one more question out. “When can I go home?”

“Maybe tomorrow, sweetheart,” Peter said softly.

“Go ahead and sleep,” Helen said. “We’ll be here when you wake.”

Trixie allowed her eyes to close and was out.

She made her way down a long hallway. The only sound that could be heard were her footsteps. The hall was dark and she wondered where everyone was since she knew it was always jam-packed.

Voices in the distance made her head in that direction. She turned the corner and saw a group of girls gathered around Honey and Di who were smiling evilly.

“What’s going on?” Trixie asked.

The girls turned to face her and she was shocked to see anger on all their faces. She wondered what could get them all so upset.

“You are despicable,” one girl said as she brushed past Trixie.

“What?” Trixie asked, confused.

“Quit playing games, Trixie,” Amelia said. “We all know what you’ve been doing. Unfortunately you won’t be able to win that game.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Quit lying,” Di said. “Everyone has seen what you’re doing and it’s going to stop.”

“You are a trouble maker and will always be one,” Honey said. “It’s lucky that I found out now before something terrible happens. You might not value life, but I do and I won’t let you hurt the people I really care about.”

Before Trixie could move, she was surrounded by several people who started to hit her.

“It’s all right, Trixie,” a voice said, penetrating her subconscious. “You’re all right. It’s only a dream. You are safe and nothing is going to happen to you.”

Trixie let out a breath and felt her body relax. She slowly opened her eyes and a smile filled her face. She said, “hi.”

“Hi,” Jim said softly. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

Jim reached his left hand up to her face and caressed her cheek with this thumb. With his right hand, he took her right hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

“I’m glad you’re going to be all right.”

“I think I was lucky,” Trixie said. “But I can’t remember what happened.”

“The doctor said you might not remember because of the anesthesia, which usually affects a person’s short-term memory.”

Trixie looked Jim in the eye. “Do you know what happened?”

“I’ll tell you what I can,” Jim said as he shifted in his seat and winced.

Trixie noticed that Jim was sitting in a wheelchair and his face was frighteningly pale. She squeezed his hand. “You were hurt?”

Jim squeezed her hand in return. “I’m okay. I just have a bit of a concussion.”

“What happened?” Trixie asked. “The last thing I recall is being in the stable with you and then Honey and Di arriving with the other girls.”

“It seems as if Jupiter got spooked. You and Honey were standing in front of his stall. I saw him rear up on his hind legs and then come down toward you. I was able to push both of you out of the way, but got clipped by one of his hooves, knocking me out.”

“Oh, Jim,” Trixie said, tears filling her eyes. “You got hurt trying to protect us.”

“I feel bad because I was trying to keep you safe, but I knocked you into the axe and you still ended up getting hurt. I am so sorry, Trix.”

“There’s no need to apologize, Jim. You did protect me. If Jupiter had hit me, it probably would have been so much worse. A cut on my leg is nothing.”

“It’s something to me, because I never want to see you hurt. You mean so much to me.”

A smile filled Trixie’s face. “You mean a lot to me as well.”

Jim smiled. He stood up and leaned forward. He kissed her forehead and then her lips. He pulled back a little and softly said, “I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”

“You’ll never lose me,” Trixie said. “Ever.”

Jim’s smile grew bigger.

Before either of them could say anything else, the door to Trixie’s room opened and a nurse came in carrying a tray.

“Hello, Miss Belden.”

“Hi,” Trixie said.

The nurse set the tray on the table. “The doctor would like you to eat something since you’re awake.”

“All right,” Trixie said.

“And Mr. Frayne, you should be returning to your room. Your dinner will be arriving shortly.”

“I’ll head out in a couple minutes,” Jim said. “I promise.”

“All right,” the nurse said and left the room.

Alone, Jim looked at Trixie. “I guess I better go so you can have your dinner.”

“I wonder what they have for me,” Trixie said, staring at the covered tray.

“Well, it’ll probably be something light so that it doesn’t upset your stomach.”

“I just hope its tastes all right.”

“The only way to find out is to try it.”

“I know.” Trixie found the controls and slowly lifted herself into a more upright position. Jim helped place more pillows behind her back.

“I’m going to head back to my room before they send security after me,” Jim said.

“I’m glad you came by.”

“I’ll see you later.” Jim kissed her cheek.

“I’ll be here.”

Jim settled himself back in the wheelchair and left the room.

Trixie pulled the table close to herself and lifted the lid off the tray. She saw there was a bowl of broth, a cup of gelatin and some crackers. None of it looked appetizing, especially the green gelatin, which looked as if it hadn’t set properly.

She picked up the spoon and got some broth. As she put it in her mouth, she grimaced. The broth was cold. Knowing she wasn’t going to eat the broth, Trixie grabbed a couple crackers and nibbled on them, hoping her stomach wouldn’t rebel.

Trixie ate two crackers before she leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. Within minutes she was sound asleep.

The next afternoon Trixie was on her way home with her parents. She was vaguely aware of the drive home. She remembered getting into her father’s car, but that was it.

She felt a bump and opened her eyes in time to see her father pull the car into the driveway of Crabapple Farm. Trixie saw all three of her brothers, along with Jim and Dan, waiting on the porch for her.

Her brothers hurried to the car when it came to a stop. Brian opened the back door and offered her his hand. Trixie slid out and slowly stood up, balancing against the car so she wasn’t putting any weight on her injured leg.

“We’re glad you’re home,” Brian said, putting his arm around her shoulder to offer her support.

“We are,” Mart said as he reached into the car and retrieved the crutches. He offered them to Trixie.

“It’s good to be home,” Trixie admitted. She looked at Bobby and saw he was watching her cautiously. “I’m okay, Bobby.” She held out her left arm, inviting Bobby to come to her.

Bobby didn’t hesitate. He moved close to Trixie and hugged her tight from her left side.

“I missed you,” Bobby said.

“I missed you too.”

“Let’s head inside,” Peter said. “Trixie is supposed to spend as little time as possible on her feet.”

“Let’s get going,” Brian said.

Bobby released his hold on Trixie and they made their way toward the house. Trixie stopped by the porch and looked at Dan.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Trixie,” Dan said.

“Thanks, Dan.”

Dan reached over and squeezed her shoulder. “Just don’t put me through that again.”

“I’ll try not to.”

“Good.”

Trixie stepped on the porch and looked at Jim. “It’s good to see you, stranger.”

Jim smiled. “It’s good to see you, too.”

“Trixie? Are you coming?” Helen called out from inside.

“I’m coming.”

Trixie headed inside with Dan and Jim close behind. They went into the living room and Trixie settled on the couch.

Once the others were seated, Dan said, “We can’t stay long, Trixie. We just wanted to welcome you home.”

“I appreciate it,” Trixie said. “This means a lot.”

“We’re just glad you’re going to be all right,” Jim said.

“I’m glad you’re going to be all right as well, Jim,” Trixie said. “We were both lucky.”

“We sure were.”

Trixie covered her mouth as she tried to stifle a yawn. She was exhausted, but she didn’t want to go to sleep when her friends were there.

“We should let you rest,” Dan said. “We’ll swing by tomorrow after school.”

“I’d like that.”

Jim squeezed her hand before following Dan out of the house.

As the sounds of Crabapple Farm moved about her, Trixie closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, grateful to be home.

When Trixie finally returned to school, she was moving slowly with the crutches. Dr. Ferris had been insistent at her check-up that she use the crutches for a couple weeks to really give her leg a chance to heal. And she was.

Reaching her locker, Trixie started to put her books inside.

“Excuse me,” a voice said.

Trixie turned to see Honey standing there. “Hello, Honey.”

“I just wanted you to know that I blame you for all that happened in the stable. If you had stayed away from the Manor House, none of this would have happened.”

“This is not my fault.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Honey said. “And nothing you say will change it. You got Jim hurt and I never, ever want to see you near my house again.”

Honey turned and walked away, leaving Trixie stunned. She couldn’t believe Honey blamed her and at the same time banned her from the Manor House. She had no idea why she was being so stubborn. But Trixie was certain that the Bob-Whites as she knew it would never be the same again. Life was definitely changing in Sleepyside.

-The End-

Author’s Notes: Once again my esteemed appreciation goes to Amy and Kaye for the edit. More thanks goes to Amy for making my site look as good as it does. You definitely rock. 

This is my submission for the 7^th Jixaversary celebration. 

To CathyP: It is an honor and a privilege to be an author here at Jix and to be able to mark this anniversary with you for creating a wonderful place to enjoy this series. There is no better place on-line and I feel that I am truly blessed to be a part of it.

"Until Then Graphics" site is no longer active, so I removed the link to it. However, I left the logo to honor the original source.

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