The Mystery of Diana

by

"I can’t believe that we’ll be graduating high school in one week!" eighteen-year old Trixie Belden said as she boarded the school bus with her two best friends, Honey Wheeler and Diana Lynch. The three girls were seniors at Sleepyside High and were planning on going to college in the fall.

"I know, isn’t it exciting?" Honey exclaimed as she slid into a seat next to Trixie. "I can’t wait for college!"

"I can’t wait to be done math forever!" Trixie said. "How about you, Di?"

"What? Yeah..." Diana said, staring out the window.

Trixie glanced over at Honey, who had a concerned look on her face. Trixie shrugged.

"What do you think is wrong with Diana?" Trixie asked Honey after Diana had got off the bus.

"I have no idea. She’s been kind of quiet for about a month or so, but now it’s getting worse." Honey replied.

"You know, she hasn’t been seeing Mart for about a month now. Remember when he came home from college for the summer, they spent almost every day that week together? And then for some reason they stopped. I wonder why,." Trixie said.

Honey nodded. "I just thought that Di wanted to spend more time on her studies, you know, pull up her grades before the end of term. And now Mart’s got that job and is working most of the time."

"I bet it has something to do with Mart. This is a real mystery!" Trixie said excitedly.

Honey laughed. "You and your mysteries! I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation," she said as she stood up to get off the bus. "I’ll see you tomorrow."

"’Bye," Trixie replied, and got her things ready to get off at the next stop, Crabapple Farm. She was sure that there was more to the story than Diana’s studies. She just wasn’t sure what.

Trixie walked up the driveway, noticing Mart’s Ford parked by the garage. She went into the house and threw her bag down on the floor in the hall.

"See you around seven? Sounds perfect...’Bye!" Mart’s voice came from the living room and Trixie heard the click of the phone hanging up.

"Mart?" Trixie called, and walked into the living room. "You’re back early. Do you have the evening off?"

Mart stood up from the couch. "Yep, for once I do!"

"Are you going out with Di?" Trixie asked. "You two haven’t been together in so long!"

Mart’s face reddened, and he stared at the floor. "That’s because we’re not exactly together anymore."

"What?" Trixie cried. "When did this happen? Nobody told me!"

"Awhile ago..." Mart replied, still staring at the floor. At that moment Bobby burst through the front door, home from school. "Halloo!" Bobby cried out.

"Well, I’ve got to get ready, I’m going out tonight," Mart said as he quickly exited the room, leaving Trixie standing confusedly in the middle of the living room. "Hmph," she said as she sunk into an armchair.

That evening Trixie didn’t get another chance to speak to Mart alone because he spent most of his time either in the bathroom or in his bedroom. She only saw him at dinner with the rest of the family. She was studying in her room when she heard his car start, and she got up and watched him from her window as he backed down the drive and sped off.

Trixie tried to go back to studying, but she couldn’t concentrate on her schoolwork. She kept thinking of Mart and Diana and trying to figure out what was going on. An hour later she gave up and decided to call Honey.

"Need a break from studying?" Trixie asked her.

"Do I ever!" Honey replied. "What’s going on with you?"

Trixie told her about what Mart had said. "Why didn’t Di tell us?"

"I don’t know... I guess she didn’t want us to worry," Honey said.

"There’s something more going on," Trixie said. "She never even told us they broke up!"

"I don’t think so. I think she and Mart grew apart since he’s been at college. Maybe she didn’t want to upset us since Jim and Brian have also been away. She probably didn’t want us to think the same thing would happen with us, that’s all." Honey said tactfully. "We’ve all got a lot of stress to deal with, what with school ending and finals coming up."

"I guess you’re right." The girls talked for a while longer and then hung up.

The next day at school, Trixie tried to find time to bring up the subject of Mart to Diana. She didn’t find time until after school, on the bus home.

Trixie slid into the seat beside Diana. "Di, I heard about you and Mart," she said.

Diana’s violet eyes filled with tears and she turned her head towards the window, but said nothing. Honey shot Trixie a look, and the two girls tried to comfort their friend, but Diana wouldn’t stop crying.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Honey asked quietly. Diana paused for a moment, then nodded tearfully. "No one’s at the clubhouse, let’s go there to talk," Honey said.

Diana still hadn’t said anything as the girls got off the bus and made their way to the Bob Whites’ clubhouse on the edge of the Wheeler property. The girls entered the stuffy room, and Honey opened the windows to let in the early summer breeze. Then the three of them sat down at the table, and Trixie passed Diana a box of tissues.

"I- I don’t.... know wh-where to start," Diana sobbed.

"Wherever you want to start, dear," Honey comforted Diana.

Diana paused for a moment to blow her nose. She looked up at Honey and Trixie, then down at the table. "I’m... I’m pregnant."

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then Trixie blurted out, "Is it Mart’s?"

"Trixie!" Honey gasped.

"It’s okay, Honey." Diana said. "I actually feel a little better now that it’s out in the open... yes, Trixie, it’s Mart’s."

"Oh my gosh," Trixie said. The girls were silent again for a moment, letting the news sink in. "How did this happen?" she finally asked.

"You know how it happens," Honey said, shooting a warning glance at Trixie.

"No, I mean, with you and Mart?" Trixie asked Diana, ignoring Honey.

"Well... when Mart came back from school, we went out a lot... he kept talking about... doing it... he said that we could wait, but that he was ready if I was... I missed him so much while he was away, and I didn’t want to disappoint him, so one night in his car... you know... and after that I couldn’t look him in the eye so I started avoiding him... then we broke up. A few weeks later I missed my period... I got one of those drug-store tests and realized I was pregnant..." Diana trailed off sobbing. "What am I going to do?" she finally said, wiping tears from here eyes.

"You could get an abortion," Honey answered. Both Diana and Trixie looked at her in shock. They had not expected Honey to be the one to mention abortion.

"What?" Trixie exclaimed.

"No, no, I could never do that..." Diana said. The girls thought for a moment.

"Maybe you could go away to one of those houses," Trixie suggested.

"Maybe..." Diana said, thinking about it. "My parents are going to kill me!"

"Does Mart know?" Trixie asked.

Diana shook her head no. "I don’t want to bother him with it, he’s got college and his job to worry about... I can deal with it myself," she said.

"We will help you," Honey offered. Trixie nodded her head vigorously.

Diana managed a small smile. "Thank you so much," she said. "I already feel better, knowing that you two are with me."

"Um, Di, maybe you should tell Mart. I think he has a right to know." Trixie said, standing up for her brother. Honey nodded slowly in agreement.

Diana’s eyes clouded up again. "I... I can’t, he... you don’t understand..."

"You don’t want to ruin his life for him?" Honey prompted gently.

Diana nodded. "I... he’s so... I..."

Trixie looked her friend right in the eyes. "Diana, do you love him?"

Diana threw her head down on the table, bursting into tears again. "Yes!" she cried out. "Yes, I do, but I don’t think he loves me the same way! He... he’ll never..." she continued crying.

"Marry you?" a masculine voice said from the doorway. Trixie and Honey spun around in their chairs and Diana looked up.

"Mart!" Trixie said angrily and stood up. "What in heaven’s name are you doing here? Get out!" she cried and gave him a shove.

Mart ignored Trixie and looked at Diana. "I left my swim trunks here... I came to get them. The windows were open... I heard the whole conversation." Mart’s eyes never left Diana, as he walked over to her and knelt on the ground in front of her and took her hands into his.

"Diana..." he said, as his eyes welled up with tears. "I... I love you too, like you could never imagine... Will you marry me?"

Diana’s tear-stained face lit up in a smile. "Yes, Mart, I will marry you!"

Mart jumped up and took Diana into his arms. Trixie and Honey jumped up, crying happily, and hugged each other. Everyone was in tears, laughing and crying at the same time.

Outside, Jim, Brian and Dan were approaching the clubhouse. "What could be taking Mart so long?" Brian asked.

"Maybe he can’t find his trunks," Jim replied. He opened the door of the clubhouse, to find the girls and Mart inside all hugging and crying. "What in the name of..." he started to say.

The happy group in the clubhouse turned and saw the three guys in the doorway.

"Oh, Jim," Trixie began.

"No, let me tell it!" Mart interrupted. "Diana and I are getting married."

Jim, Brian and Dan’s jaws all dropped. "No way!" Dan said excitedly.

"Sit down," Diana invited, still wiping her eyes. "It’s a long story..."

* * *

"Wasn’t that the most beautiful wedding?" Trixie asked Jim towards the end of Diana and Mart’s wedding reception. The wedding had taken place a month later at Crabapple Farm, as was the tradition for the Belden family when a son was married. Trixie and Honey were bridesmaids, and Jim and Brian groomsmen. Both Diana and Mart’s parents did not entirely approve of the wedding, but realized that the two were serious about each other and that this was the best possible solution to their situation. The reception had taken place outside at Crabapple Farm also, and Diana and Mart had already left for their honeymoon, which was a wedding present from Diana’s parents. It was dusk and the guests were starting to leave.

"It was very beautiful," Jim agreed. "You know what?" he asked, taking Trixie’s hand in his.

"What?" Trixie said, smiling.

"Hopefully one day we’ll be married, and have a wedding ten times as beautiful as this," Jim said, sweeping Trixie into his arms and kissing her.

"One day," Trixie said after the kiss had ended. "But not right now."

The End

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