"Valentine's Turn-About Dance on Sat. Feb. 17! Sponsored by the National Honor Society--tickets for sale starting Jan. 19," fifteen-year-old Diana Lynch read out loud.

She turned to her two best friends, who were both frowning at the sign hanging near their lockers at Sleepyside Junior-Senior High. "That sounds like fun--what? Don't you want to go?"

"I'd like to go, I just don't want to have to ask someone," Honey answered.

Trixie's frown deepened into a scowl. "It's bad enough to wait around for some boy to ask you out. Now we have to risk rejection by asking them ourselves? No way."

"Turn-about is fair play," Diana sang out. "Come on, Trix. This is the perfect opportunity for you to find somebody besides Jim to moon over."

Honey glared at Diana, who immediately looked contrite. Trixie didn't seem to notice, however. "Let's go, the guys are waiting."

The three girls hurried out to the parking lot to meet Mart and Dan, who were sitting in the front seat of the Bob-White station wagon, warming up the engine and blaring the radio.

"Did you see the signs, hand-painted by yours truly?" Dan asked them.

"They look great," Honey answered. "But who decided it should be a turn-about dance?"

"Well, actually, it was my idea," Mart admitted. "The school Valentine's dance has pretty much always flopped, and I figured that if the chicks had to ask the guys, we'd get a better turn-out."

"None of you would want to be left sitting at home," Dan explained with a smirk.

"That's so devious," Diana laughed. "I guess I'll have to start looking through my yearbook to figure out which guy to invite."

"Uh, yeah," Mart muttered as he put the car in reverse, suddenly looking a lot less smug.

Honey and Trixie nudged each other, and Dan turned around to grin at them all. This was not going the way Mart had planned!

 

 

At Crabapple Farm that night, Bobby and Trixie set the table while Mart carried in the serving dishes. Mart waited for Bobby to go call their father to the table, then asked, "My dear Beatrix, pray tell, who will be the recipient of your beneficent invitation to our terpsichorean soiree?"

Trixie rolled her eyes. "You're assuming I'm going to fork out 50 bucks and make a fool of myself by asking someone to a dance on the most bogus holiday of the year. Forget it." Trixie lit the candles in the center of the table. Candles really cheered her up on a dark, cold evening.

"Oh, come on, Trix, it's not like you have to marry the guy! Just ask a friend and have some fun." Mart leaned forward and added more quietly, "So Jim turned out to be a frog. There are other fish in the sea."

Trixie giggled. "Oh, Mart, and I thought I mixed my metaphors. What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you need to get out more. What, are you chicken?" Mart goaded her.

"Yep!" Trixie answered cheerfully. "I'm also not especially interested in going. Anything that requires high heels, hose, make-up and a corsage ties with dusting at the bottom of my list. Actually, dusting is better! It's free!"

"But you love to dance," Mart wheedled.

"Sure, but what guy could I ask? I've known practically everyone in my class since I was five. All of those guys would run for cover if I invited them. And no way am I asking an upperclassman."

"I know! Ask Soon Yong! He's cool!" Bobby piped up from the doorway. Their parents followed him into the kitchen.

"Ah, I take it we're discussing suitable escorts for my princess? I'm not sure I'm ready to trust somebody that old with my little girl!" Peter Belden pulled out his chair and smiled at his wife. "And I suppose now you're all going to tell me how old-fashioned I am!"

Helen just smiled back, then said, "You know, Trixie, Soon Yong might enjoy it. Brian says he's a great dancer."

Trixie stared at her family. "You are all out of your minds! I barely know him! And why would he want to drive down here for a high school dance?"

"'Cause he likes you!" Bobby answered confidently. All eyes turned to him as Trixie shrieked, "What?!"

"He told me. He thinks you're pretty and intrig... intriguing. Whatever. I told him he needs glasses." Bobby said. "Can we say grace now? I'm hungry!"

Peter gave thanks for their family's food, health and happiness, but Trixie didn't hear a word. How many guys had told her she was pretty? Jim had, at Juliana's wedding, but Jim was seeing a beautiful college student now. Ned Schulz had called her pretty at the dance at Rivervale High, but he and Dot Murray got together last summer. Yikes! Okay. So what? It doesn't mean anything.

Mart started in again. "So Trix, if Honey gets up the courage to ask Brian, she's gonna want your support. Face it, you need to find a date, and Soon Yong's way more interesting than guys you've known your whole life. Wait 'til Honey and Di get in on this. You'll ask him just to shut us all up!"

"Speaking of Di, has she invited you?" Trixie inquired sweetly.

Mart reddened and dug into his dinner, his answer unintelligible.

That's an easier way to shut you up! Trixie thought.

"Oh Trixie, that's a perfectly perfect idea! Please ask him, please! Then I won't be nearly as nervous about asking Brian!" Honey squealed the next day as Trixie plopped down on the floor in Honey's room.

"Honey, not you too! He only visited for three days. You're asking one of your best friends. You guys have even been to dances together before!" Trixie got up and started to pace. Mart was right. They're all out to get me.

"Is Trixie Belden scared of a boy?" Honey teased.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean... Okay, yes. Geez, there's no way I'm going to call him up and say, 'Hi, remember me? I'm Brian's dorky kid sister. Wanna drive all the way to Westchester County to go to a dorky high school dance with me?'" Trixie smirked. "If he's smart, he'll pretend it's a wrong number!"

"He will if you ask him like that!" Honey laughed. "Come on, let's get it over with." Honey dialed and was saying "Hi, Soon Yong, it's Honey Wheeler!" before Trixie could grab the phone from her. Trixie settled for pantomiming the various ways she intended to murder her best friend.

"Is Brian there? Trixie's with me, and we had an idea for both you guys. Would you mind hanging around while I talk to Brian? Thanks!" Honey crossed her fingers and refused to look at Trixie.

"Hi, Brian! Did Mart tell you about his clever idea to raise money for the National Honor Society's service project? Yeah, well, he made us all promise we'd go. Trixie and I thought maybe you and Soon Yong could take the weekend off and join us?" Trixie was now on all fours, pounding her forehead on the carpeted floor.

"Oh, I'm so glad you'll go. I think Trixie should ask Soon Yong herself, but she's having a seizure or something over here. Any ideas?" Honey stifled a giggle as she read a note Trixie thrust at her: Tell him I just died and can't go after all.

Honey waited a few moments, then said, "Trixie, it's Soon Yong for you." Trixie gulped and took the receiver. "Uh, hi, it's Trixie. I, uh..."

"Hi, Trixie! Brian said he's driving home for Valentine's to go to a dance with Honey. I'd give anything to get off campus that weekend. Would you go to the dance with me?" Back in Binghamton, Soon Yong winked at Brian. He had two sisters. He'd been well trained.

"That'd be great! I mean, it's actually a turn-about dance, so I should be asking you." Trixie sat down on the bed. He's really nice. This isn't so bad.

"Okay, then, Trixie, would you please ask me to the turn-about dance?" Soon Yong gave Brian the thumbs-up sign. Brian shook his head in wonder. Does Soon Yong give lessons?

Trixie giggled. "Soon Yong, I'd be honored if you'd be my date to the Sleepyside Junior-Senior High Valentine's Dance!"

"I accept. Brian and I should make the dinner plans, though. We've gotta be able to impress our dates somehow!" Soon Yong covered the phone and mouthed, "Is that okay?" Brian nodded.

"Oh, no way," Trixie answered. "We're asking, so we'll take you guys out to dinner, too." Honey gave Trixie her own thumbs-up sign, and Trixie crossed her eyes in response. "Okay, then, we'll talk to you later to make plans. Bye!"

Trixie hung up the phone and slid down to the floor. "Oh. My. God."

"What? You did it! We did it! Now we just have to buy the tickets and go shopping and order boutonnieres and..."

Trixie stopped listening. Oh. My. God.

*     *      *

The night of the dance, Trixie glanced disinterestedly at her mirror and began to load her necessities into Moms' evening bag. She wore a simple black dress, low heels and a silver star pendant Hallie made for her at a silversmithing workshop.

Let's see. Cherry Chapstick. Those blotting papers Di gave me. Altoids tiny tin. Do I need money? We're going to put dinner on Mr. Lynch's account at the club, so I'll just pay Di back later. No, better bring some money just in case. Oh, drat, the tickets! Got 'em. Moms' perfume? No, what if he's allergic to it? A comb. Okay. She straightened up and looked in the mirror again. This is as good as it gets.

With that, Trixie went downstairs, her appearance forgotten. She was much more concerned about what Soon Yong thought of her brain than her looks.

Brian had told her all about his roommate in the weeks after he started college. The Lees had come to New York from Korea when Soon Yong was 14. He knew little English when they arrived. His mom was a chemistry professor at SUNY-Binghamton, and his dad was a music teacher. After only three years in the U.S., Soon Yong pulled off a near-perfect score on his verbal SAT. He played the violin well, and was the captain of his high school soccer team. Like Brian, he had turned down a partial scholarship from Columbia to take advantage of public university in-state tuition. He was smart; he was athletic; he was charming. He was really intimidating.

"Hi, Trixie, you look great. I brought you a wrist corsage. I was too afraid of those pins!" Soon Yong greeted her and handed her a box containing deep coral roses.

"Wow, thanks, what a beautiful color!" Trixie exclaimed as she went to get Soon Yong his boutonniere.

Brian watched her thoughtfully. He was proud of his sister for moving on, even if it had taken Mart and Honey's tormenting to get her started. He knew she thought Jim Frayne walked on water; hell, Brian thought so, too. It's a shame Trixie isn't as good at solving those kinds of mysteries, Brian thought.

"Have a nice time, kids. Brian, I don't know what time Honey's curfew is, but please be sure Trixie gets home by midnight." Their father turned to Moms. "Let's see, Mart already left to pick up Diana and drop Bobby off to spend the night at the Lynches'. Alone at last! Are you ready for some champagne, dear?"

Brian grabbed Honey's corsage from the fridge and the threesome headed out to Brian's Jeep.

"Did they do that when we were younger, and we just missed it?" Trixie asked.

"No, you just missed it," Brian chuckled.

After a few minutes socializing and posing for pictures at Manor House, the two couples went to the country club to meet up with Mart and Diana, Ruthie Kettner and her new boyfriend Juaquine, and Dan and his date, Sangita, a junior whose family had moved to Sleepyside from London the year before.

Diana had indulged in a little tormenting of her own over the Valentine's Dance. She suspected Mart had an ulterior motive for suggesting a turn-about dance. It had been nearly a year since he invited her to the Spring Dance, and after that, nothing. Diana decided to make Mart sweat it out a bit, and delayed asking him to the dance. She even convinced a couple of her prettiest non-Bob-White friends to invite him, just to see what he'd do. When Mart declined both invitations, Diana knew she had him right where she wanted him!

Much to Dan's surprise, he was inundated with invitations. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so at first he just told all the girls that he already had a date. The truth was, putting on a tie and eating dinner at the country club wasn't his idea of a fun evening! But when the beautiful Indian girl shyly invited him, he found he didn't want to say no.

The group of ten had a terrific evening. Everyone got along, and time flew. Every once in a while, though, a Bob-White would glance around, involuntarily looking for Jim. It wasn't the same without him.

Just before midnight, the original foursome dropped Honey off at Manor House. Brian walked her to her door, and Trixie and Soon Yong stayed in the back seat and talked.

Trixie glanced at her watch and giggled. "We'd better hurry up! I turn into a pumpkin at midnight!"

"That's a new twist on an old story!" Soon Yong laughed.

"Thanks for going with me tonight," Trixie said. "I really had fun."

"You sound like you didn't expect to!"

"Oh, it's not that! It's just, well, I don't go on a lot of dates. I'm not really Cinderella material here." Trixie shrugged, wondering if talking about this was a really bad idea or just a bad idea.

"You're right, you aren't," Soon Yong agreed. "Cinderella needed a fairy godmother's help to look good enough for the ball. You look pretty just as you are."

Trixie blushed all the way to her fingertips. She tried to joke. "Bobby said you needed glasses. He was right!"

"Well, I do wear contacts," Soon Yong answered, "but I'm not blind. Trixie, I know I'm three years older and I don't live nearby, but would you go out with me sometime soon? I think you're really great, and I'd like to see you again. And not just on holidays!"

"I'd... I'd really... sure. I'd like that, too." Okay, reconnect brain to mouth.

"Alright, time to get this show on the road. We're going to be late." Brian swung into the driver's seat and glanced into the back seat. He was relieved that Soon Yong wasn't holding Trixie's hand or sitting too close. The last thing I want to do is act like an over-protective big brother. For all I know, I got between her and Jim.

Trixie said goodnight to the guys downstairs. Soon Yong was going to take over Bobby's room for the night, but since he and Brian weren't used to turning in so early, they went into the family room to watch late-night t.v.

Hey, where's Mart? Doesn't he have the same curfew I do? That's not fair! Trixie fumed to herself.

*      *      *

Mart pulled his dad's Taurus into the Lynches' driveway at 11:30. He wasn't quite sure what to do next. Do we just sit and talk? Do I make a move here, or walk her to her front door and kiss her there? Shoot, I should've asked Dan. Brian wouldn't know.

He switched off the ignition, turned to Di, and said, "Well, thanks for finally inviting me. I had a great time."

Diana raised her eyebrows. "Finally? You mean, you noticed that I took my sweet time asking you?"

Mart nodded, and Diana continued, "Well, turn-about is fair play, you know."

"What do you mean?"

"Mart, last year it took you forever to invite me to the Spring Dance, and even after you did, nothing happened. You've never asked me out since, you've never told me how you feel about me... I don't know, maybe Brian has been a bad influence on you, but I'm tired of waiting. I get plenty of offers, so if you aren't interested in dating me, just tell me already."

"Di, I didn't mean..." Mart stammered. "Cripes, you know how nervous I was to invite you last year. It was pretty obvious to everybody." Diana gazed at him expectantly.

"Well," Mart continued, "I guess I've always thought of you as Cinderella, but I have a pretty hard time imagining myself as Prince Charming. Why would someone as beautiful and wonderful as you want to date a clown like me?"

"Oh, Mart, I understand what it's like to feel insecure, but that's ridiculous. You are my Prince Charming! Didn't you ever wonder why I don't go out on dates? Didn't you notice that I always sit by you and laugh at your jokes? I really like you, but I'm not going to wait around forever and hope that you'll get your act together. Life is passing us by. Don't you think it's time?"

Before he realized what he was doing, Mart leaned over and kissed Diana for all he was worth. When they finally came up for air, Mart asked, "Does that answer your question?" Diana didn't bother to respond with words.

 

 

An hour later, Mart drove carefully up the driveway at Crabapple Farm with the headlights off, hoping he wouldn't disturb his parents and alert them to how late he was.

He entered through the service porch and crept up the stairs. Just as he reached the door to his room, he was shocked by the lights blazing on and his family yelling, "Surprise!"

"Welcome home, son. I hope you had a nice time at the dance," his father said, trying to look stern but failing completely.

"Uh, yeah, I did. I'll tell you all about it as soon as my heart starts beating again," Mart answered.

"We'll talk about it in the morning. Good night, all of you," Helen said with a big grin on her face as she led her husband back to their room.

Brian just thumped Mart on the back and headed downstairs with an amused Soon Yong. Then Trixie grabbed Mart by the elbow and dragged him into her room.

"So, what happened?" she whispered, closing her door. "I don't mean details--yuck, I don't want to know that--just... why were you so late?"

"Well... Di got on my case for not making a move, so I made a move!" Mart told his sister. "Is that sufficient detail?"

"That's plenty. So does this mean you guys are, like, together?"

"Nothing gets past detective Trixie!" Mart grinned.

"YES!" Trixie cried.

"Trixie, settle down!" their father called out.

"Oops, sorry, Daddy," Trixie called back. She gave Mart a hug. "Congratulations, big brother. You two are perfect for each other! I'm really happy."

"Me too, Trix, me too." Mart hugged her back. "See you in the morning."

As Mart turned out his light, he chuckled at the image of himself as Prince Charming.

Hey, why don't any of those old stories give the guy a fairy godmother? he wondered. I guess I just lucked out.

Thank you, fairy godmother, wherever you are.

The End until Part 5...