rated *
Chemistry Lessons
by Holly
The leaden skies were heavy with the promise of rain. Honey Wheeler stared out her bedroom window thinking how aptly the gray skies reflected her mood of the past week.
Honey and her best friend Trixie Belden had both bid their older brothers farewell as they left for college last Sunday. They had both said good-bye, but in very different ways.
Jim Frayne, Honey’s older adopted brother, had long since made his affections for Trixie public. Brian Belden, on the other hand, remained silent and distant where Honey was concerned. It was maddening to watch Jim and Trixie holding hands and sharing good-bye kisses, while Brian simply smiled and shook her hand, wishing her good luck in the coming school year.
“Of course I’m happy for them,” Honey reflected wearily. “Happy, ecstatic, and not at all jealous. Well, maybe a little jealous,” she sighed tearfully.
“At least the others will be here to study soon,” she thought, turning resolutely from the window. “Maybe Chem II can take my mind off of my woes.”
* * *
Dan Mangan trudged past the stables, his head lowered against the autumn wind. He jerked his head up quickly as the sound of his uncle’s booming voice reached him.
“Where are those school books taking you, Danny?” Bill Regan grinned at his nephew, as Dan waved in response.
“Trixie, Honey and I are trying to make sense of Chemistry II,” Dan laughed.
Regan’s green eyes narrowed. “Trixie and Honey are both crazy as bed-bugs. I’ve seen the havoc they can wreak under normal conditions. It scares me to think what they might do in a chemistry lab. Maybe you should ask Mart for help.”
Dan shook his head, “Mart’s tied up tutoring Di exclusively. At least that what he says.”
“Wish me luck,” Dan called over his shoulder.
Regan raised one eyebrow and muttered, “Best of luck, indeed.”
* * *
Honey replaced the telephone receiver in the cradle and shrugged. “Well, that’s just peachy,” she thought.
Trixie had called to tell her that she wouldn’t be able to study tonight because she was waiting on a call from Jim.
“Just peachy,” Honey repeated to herself, jabbing a hair clip into her golden brown tresses to hold them off her neck. “I guess Dan and I will just figure it out for ourselves.”
She moved about the library, laying out her books and notes, fighting the urge to indulge in another pity party. So absorbed in her own thoughts that she started when she heard a tap at the door.
She spun around, hand over her heart, to find Dan Mangan smiling at her from the doorway. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“Dan, you startled me a little,” she gasped. “I was just trying to put some of my notes in order. I’m sorry but they’re all pretty garbled.”
Honey continued with a smile, “Trixie won’t be able to make it tonight, so we’re stuck unraveling the mysteries of the universe alone.”
Dan nodded his mouth beginning to go dry. He had always considered Honey Wheeler attractive, but lately she seemed more beautiful each time he saw her. “Oh man, this is going to be a long evening,” Dan groaned inwardly.
He then settled into a chair next to Honey, praying that he would be able to concentrate.
Two hours later Dan checked his watch, surprised at the time. Dan stretched and rubbed the back of his neck trying to work out the kinks. “Look, Honey,” he said, “Let’s just call it a night. We’ll never get this last problem figured out.”
Honey sighed rubbing her temples. “Dan, if we don’t do it now we never will. Let’s just go through it one more time.” She looked at him, her hazel eyes wide and pleading.
Dan nodded, thinking, “Now why did she have to go and look at me like that? How am I supposed to concentrate now?”
Leaning in close, he watched her map out the problem again. He could smell her floral shampoo and see the way the light glinted gold in her hair.
Shaking himself mentally, Dan heard Honey saying, “I know we’re just making this harder than it should be. Let’s just take it one step at a time.”
Dan repeated to himself mentally, “Making it harder than it should be…… One step at a time.” He glanced down at her again and without thinking, pulled the hair clip from her golden brown locks.
Honey felt her hair cascade down her back. Glancing up, she giggled, “Dan stop playing.”
“I’m not playing,” Dan whispered as he cupped her small face and kissed her gently.
“Brian Belden is going to kill me!” The thought slammed into Dan’s brain as he broke away and began stutter an apology. “Honey, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened…..”
Honey placed two fingers over his lips gently silencing him. “Dan, shut-up and kiss me again.”
Dan smiled and pulled her close, the Chemistry homework forgotten. Outside the promised rain began to patter softly against the windows of Manor House.
The End
Authors Notes: A huge Thank You to April for her positive comments and for taking the time to edit this. I am also grateful to all my Trixie Friends for their encouragement and support during my decision making process.