Note: I know that they have all gone to dances before, but the books always indicated that it was as a group. So in this story this is the first "real date". I don’t approve of teenagers under sixteen going on "car dates". So that is why all of them will double date. (I know that arrangements for Dan, his date and Mart and Diana haven’t been made yet but that will be solved in Tansy’s story). SO for this universe, all other so call dates have been as a group, so there!!!!!

The Bob-Whites were sitting in the library at the Manor House, Dan the only one missing. They all were waiting for Sirene. They had decided that there was no reason to try to guess what she wanted to talk to them about. They would find out soon enough.

Dan arrived, bringing Sirene in with him. He sat on a chair next to the couch, where everyone else was sitting.

Sirene walked over to the Fireplace and stood for a moment looking down at the fire. She took a deep breath and turned to face the Bob-Whites.

"Thank you for meeting with me. This is very hard for me, but since you all have been so nice to me, I feel I owed you all the truth. Mr. Stratton called me into his office to tell me that my transcripts have arrived. I’m afraid that I acted rather badly before coming here. I thought maybe I could start all over, but Mr. Stratton made it very clear that he was going to watch me like a hawk. Everyone knows that nothing is kept secret, so rumors about my past will probably get around. I thought I should tell you all the truth before you heard any rumors."

"Does this have anything to do with why you are here instead of with your mother?" Dan asked. Everyone else was quiet, listening intently.

Sirene gave a little bitter laugh. "Yes, it does. I was a very bad person. All of my teachers probably said a prayer of thanks when I left. I was very disruptive in their classroom. I never really ran with a crowd, but the few times I did it was with the worst kids in school. They did a lot of smoking and drinking. We all had too much money and not enough guidance. Anyway, most the time I did my own thing, causing trouble no matter who got hurt. I did some shoplifting too."

The room was silent as the Bob-Whites absorbed what she was telling them.

"Why did you do those things?" Trixie asked, breaking the silence.

Sirene looked surprised. "Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters. You aren’t doing any of those things now," Diana said.

Sirene shook her head in amazement, "You’re the first ones to ask me why. Even Poppy and Nana didn’t ask me why. They just said that if I wanted to stay with them, I was to follow the rules."

"So, are you going to answer us?" Trixie asked.

Sirene turned sideways, putting on hand on the mantle and looked into the fire for a few minutes before she started talking.

"My parents divorced when I was eight years old. Two years after that, my dad died. My mother’s family is very wealthy. They disapproved of my dad because he didn’t come from their social circle. That’s all they care about. They don’t care what you do, just that you’re discreet and don’t cause a scandal. My mother parties a lot and has a lot of very young boyfriends. This didn’t really affect me much, because I had a governess that was great. I had very little contact with Mother and her boyfriends. But three years ago that changed. I was twelve years old and suddenly, her boyfriends started noticing me. They scared me. I told Mother that I didn’t like the way they acted. But, she really didn’t care to hear anything negative about her boyfriends. I asked to come and live with Poppy and Nana, but she refused. Mother hates Poppy and Nana. She blames them for Dad leaving her. Not that they were to blame, Dad left because Mother was unfaithful to him."

Sirene stopped for a few minutes, needing to get her emotions under control. The Bob-Whites were listening in fascination. The story she was telling seemed unreal and like something out of a soap opera. But they could tell by the pain in her voice and face that it was all too real.

"The situation at home became unbearable. So I decided that I needed a plan to make Mother send me away. So I started doing bad things. At first, it was little things like being sassy and embarrassing her in front of all her snooty friends. But Mother has more experience in playing a part than I do. She actually got sympathy for having to put up with a troubled teenager. So, I started getting into real trouble. Smoking, drinking and stealing. Of course, everything I did was done in front of adults. I never tried to hide what I was doing. The idea was that if I became such a social nuisance, she would be happy for me to go live somewhere else. At first, she tried boarding school, but I got kicked out of them. Then about two months ago, her current boyfriend came into the library while I was there. He started flirting with me. I knew Mother was going to be down soon, so I flirted back. By the time Mother had come into the library, we were kissing. She was furious! The next day she had me packed and sent out to her parents in Palm Springs. I should have tried flirting with one of her boyfriends to begin with. It would have saved me a lot of grief."

"So, how did you get here from California?" Jim asked.

"That was easy. I just told my grandparents that I wanted to come to New York to live with Poppy and Nana. If they didn’t agree, I would just be as much trouble to them as I was to Mother. Since they didn’t want to deal with me, they talked Mother into letting me live here. So, here I am."

"Couldn’t you have told someone that those men scared you? Surely that would have been better then getting into trouble?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, I told everyone: my teachers, my priest and any other adult that would listen. But Mother managed to make it sound like I was just a rebellious teenager. After all, there was no actual abuse. I wasn’t being neglected. So, everyone was convinced that I was just trying to get attention," Sirene said bitterly. "I just want to make two things clear. I didn’t sleep around, and I didn’t use drugs. If you all don’t want me hanging around, I completely understand."

The Bob-Whites were silent, each thinking about what she had told them.

Then Dan chuckled. "Well, as bad as you were, I was definitely worse. The question is, do you really want a different future or do you want to go back to being "Bad" Sirene? I’m willing to give you a chance, but you can’t do things the old way. No more tormenting Lauren and no more flirting just to hurt someone."

Sirene smiled, her eyes shining a beautiful soft gray. "You drive a hard bargain. It’s so much fun tormenting Lauren and her entire group, including Brad, that that’s going to be hard to give up. Are you sure I have to totally give it up? Can’t I just ease off a little?"

"Absolutely not! No matter how tempting, you have to act with restraint!" declared Trixie.

"From what I hear, that is something you’re not too familiar with yourself," Sirene said.

Trixie blushed, because she knew that what Sirene had said was true. "Maybe you’re right, but I do try to improve and that’s the difference."

Sirene sighed. "I know. Honestly, I’ve been acting so badly for so long, I think I’ve forgotten how to be good. I’ve been watching you all and every single one of you seems to know what the proper way is to act. I guess I was hoping that by observing you all, I’d find my way back to the good person I used to be. But people like Lauren and Brad bring out the worst in me."

"Well, you’re not the first person to get lost and you won’t be the last. Recognizing that you’re on the wrong path is the first step. We’ll be there to help," Jim said.

"Of course we will. I liked you from the beginning, and nothing you have said has changed my mind," Diana declared.

"I think that the adults that were around you should share some of the blame. I’m not saying that their action excuses your own. But, nobody should have to live in fear," Mart stated.

"Someone should have realized that those men scared you and that should have been looked into," Brian added. "Did any of them touch you?"

"Besides the guy who kissed me, no, but sometimes, after I had gone to bed, someone would try open my bedroom door. I kept it locked. My cousin, Shayla, knew what was going on. She refused to come and visit," Sirene answered.

‘You said your parents were divorced. Who did you live with when your parents first got divorced?" Trixie asked.

"I lived with my dad until he died," Sirene answered. "He was a policeman. We lived in a small beach house a little south of Miami. He didn’t want me to grow up in a big city. He had left a will stating that he thought it best if I went to Poppy and Nana if anything were to happen to him. I was really lost and hurt when my dad died. For the longest time it was like I was in a fog or a dream. I’ve never been close to my mother. Dad, Poppy and Nana were the ones I was close to."

"It’s very hard losing a loved one so young. Dan and I can sympathize with you. Both of our parents have passed away," Jim said quietly.

Honey had been quiet all this time, for some odd reason she had the feeling that Sirene wasn’t being totally honest with them. She didn’t understand where this feeling was coming from, but something was bothering her. It was in the back of her mind that Sirene had not explained everything, but she couldn’t think what it was.

"I think that we need time to absorb what Sirene has told us," Honey quietly said, surprising the rest of the Bob-Whites, for Honey was usually the first one to give people a second chance. "This is a lot for us to take in. Gossip can be very unpleasant. At my old school, there was gossip about me and I had a hard time dealing with it."

Sirene started walking to the door. "Honey’s right. Each one of you will have to decide. I made the decision, knowing that I was going to be talked about, now I have to live with it. But you all shouldn’t have to be talked about just because you were nice to me. I’m not going to be angry or hurt if you decide that having me around is going to cause too many problems. I do understand, so let’s make this easy. If you decide that you don’t want me around, just ignore me when you get on the bus."

Sirene left, knowing that there was a very good chance that this would end the warmth that had surrounded her since she met the Bob-Whites and she would, once again, be out in the cold and alone.

The Bob-Whites were quiet for a few minutes after Sirene had left.

"Well, she certainly knows how to make an exit!" Dan said. "I know that I don’t have to think to hard on any of this. I like her and I’m going to stand by her. Of course, my reputation isn’t the greatest to begin with, so I’m not going to lose anything by hanging around her."

"Oh, pooh! I’ve had to deal with the kids at school making fun of me before. At least this time, it would be for something more exciting than the last time. I’m not about to let anyone decide whom I like and whom I don’t like. I think we all feel that way," Trixie said with spirit. "I haven’t been around her enough to decide if I like her or not, but I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Do my ears deceive me? This can’t be my sibling who is notorious for ferreting out every tiny little secret that any newcomer might be harboring! Her recent indisposition must have changed her psychological outlook on such things," Mart said.

"My illness had nothing to do with it. I’ve been wrong before, and I like to think that I’m capable of learning from my past mistakes,’ Trixie said. "But more importantly, I want to know why Honey’s holding back. You’re usually the first one to give people a chance. I also know that gossip doesn’t bother you that much."

"You’re right. I’m not that concerned about gossip. I believe that Sirene isn’t really that concerned about gossip either. I think she used it as an excuse to tell us about her past. I also, think there’s more to it. Sirene’s explanation created more questions than answers," Honey tried to explain her reluctance to accept Sirene. "Why would she even bother trying to be friends with us if she thought that once we learned the truth that we would dump her? After listening to her story, there was something that was bothering me. Then I realized that she didn’t explain her reluctance to look at Jim or Dan. Through her entire story, she looked at every one of us except for those two. I think there’s something else going on with her. It’s just a feeling."

"Those are good questions, now that I think about it. Here’s another one. Why would her dad choose his parents as guardians over his ex-wife?" Trixie added. "Honey, I think you’re right. There is more to the story than she is telling."

"Her dad may have had an idea of what type of men his ex-wife was dating, and he was afraid to have Sirene living with her mother," Diana speculated.

"Let’s say Honey is right and there is more to the story. My question is what are we going to do?" Jim asked.

Dan got up and stretched. "I think we should all go home and think about this. Personally, I think Sirene is making a mountain out of a molehill. School records are confidential. Nothing ever got around about me except what I told everyone, so I doubt if anyone is going to find out about her past. I’m glad she confided in us. I think she’ll relax more when she finds out that we’re not going to judge her. I know that Honey thinks there’s more, and she’s probably right. But it’s going to take time for Sirene to trust in us enough to tell us everything."

The Bob-Whites agreed to wait until the next morning to make any decisions. Goodnights were said, Dan walking with Trixie and Brian to head home, and Mart escorting Diana home.

Chapter Nine

The Bob-Whites met at the bus stop a little earlier than usual the next morning.

After everyone had said good morning to each other, Trixie started on the subject of Sirene.

"Last night I was thinking, once again, how lucky I am. I’ve never had to lock my door to keep safe. I think she was sincere in wanting to have a different type of life here."

"I agree with Trixie. I also think she needs us. Somehow I don’t think she’s ever had any real friends before," Jim said.

"Mart and I talked about it last night when he walked me home. We both agree that we like her, and her past doesn’t make any difference to us," Diana stated firmly, with Mart nodding his head in agreement.

"Well, everyone knows where I stand. I made it clear last night. The more I know her, the more I like her. But I don’t think becoming a Bob-White is in the cards for her, at least not at this time. I think she believes that she isn’t worthy of being one," Dan said.

"I’m always willing to give someone a chance. I may not have agreed with the way she handled Lauren, but I can’t argue her reasoning. Anyone who’s willing to take on Lauren and her group to keep them from harassing Honey, Trixie, and Diana can’t be all bad," Brian said. "But I’m concerned about her. I may be mistaken, but I got the impression that she didn’t tell her grandparents everything. The fact is that she was abused, maybe not physically, but mental abuse can be just as traumatic. Since I get the feeling that she isn’t one for getting counseling, I guess being her friend is the best we can do at this time. But I would feel a lot better if I knew for certain that her grandparents were aware of how traumatic those last three years were for her."

They all looked at Honey, well aware that she had reservations about Sirene.

Honey sighed. "I know that I’ve said that I feel she’s still hiding something and I can’t even give a reason why I feel this way. I think that she has problems with trusting people. I’m not going to object her joining us like she has been doing, but it’s with some reservations."

Dan and Diana looked relieved. Both had worried about having to split their time between the Bob-Whites and Sirene. Diana had always been aware that Trixie and Honey had a special connection that didn’t include her. She never understood it. After all, she had been Trixie’s best friend in grade school, so how could Trixie and Honey have formed such a strong bond in one short summer?. Now she understood. Sometimes you just meet someone you feel like you’ve known forever, because that’s what had happened when she met Sirene.

Dan was just pleased that he could include Sirene in the fun. He had a feeling that fun was one of the many things that has been missing in her life.

The bus arrived. Sirene was sitting up front, looking out the window. Dan, being the last one to get on the bus, stopped at her seat.

"You know, since you get on the bus before us, it would be nice if you went ahead and saved the back seats for us," Dan remarked, smiling at her.

Sirene turned her head, stood up and looked towards the back of the bus. The only people on the bus at this point were Sirene and the Bob-Whites, plus the driver.

"I can see where there might be a danger of you all losing your favorite seats," Sirene said sarcastically, as she moved down the aisle towards the Bob-Whites. Her smiling face belied the sarcastic remark.

The talk turned to karate. It had been decided that Mart would start that night, going with Diana and Dan. The rest of the Bob-Whites would start next Tuesday. They also discussed the haunted house that they were going to help with. The Historical Society was sponsoring a haunted house for Halloween this year. The money was going towards the saving of an old 1890’s farmhouse. The Haunted House was going to be at the Lisgard House, and the Bob-Whites had volunteered to help.

Dan updated Sirene about the history of Lisgard House. Honey noticed that Sirene had tensed up at the mention of a ghost and was not too surprised when Sirene refused Dan’s offer of her joining them in decorating the house. But she did offer to make some decorations for the Haunted House, if Dan was willing to come over and pick them up.

The Bob-Whites kept their ears open, but no one heard any gossip about Sirene. They also noticed that the teachers in the classes that Sirene shared with them didn’t act any differently towards Sirene.

"Oh, look! They have the Homecoming Dance posters up. I’m glad that the dance is the weekend after Halloween. I think the Haunted House would have lost money if Homecoming had been the same weekend," Honey said as Trixie, Diana, Mart, Dan and Sirene were leaving the school building.

"I see Homecoming is a formal dance. So I guess that would leave Dan out? I don’t think they allow jeans, T-shirts and boots at the dance," Sirene said, teasing Dan. She had decided to take the bus home today. because she had forgotten to bring sweats with her this morning. Sirene felt that it was way too cold to run without them.

"I’ll have you know that I own a very nice suit, thank you very much. So, just to prove that I know how to dress and behave at a formal affair, I guess I might have to ask you to go with me!" Dan said.

Sirene smiled and looked at Diana. "Did that sound like he was asking me or telling me?"

"I couldn’t tell." Diana giggled. "Dan, I think you need to rephrase that, because it was hard to tell if you were asking or telling."

"Just making a comment," Dan answered. "Don’t worry, when or if I ask Sirene, she’ll know for sure."

"Better not wait too long. I might not be available," Sirene said with a toss of her head.

"Well, Dan might like to take chances but I don’t. So my fair Diana, would you be so kind as to allow me to escort you to the dance?" Mart said, bowing low to her.

"It would be my pleasure to have you escort me!" Diana said with a small curtsey.

Jim and Brian arrived just as the school bus had started to close the doors and pull away. They went to the back of the bus, pleased to see that Trixie and Honey had saved them a seat.

"What took you so long?" Trixie asked as Jim sat next to her. "I thought for a moment there you and Brian were going to miss the bus!"

"Mr. Stratton stopped us in the hallway. He wanted to talk to us for a few minutes," Jim answered.

"Oh, no! I bet it was about me," moaned Sirene. "He probably told you all to stay away from me."

"Boy, are you a pessimist!" exclaimed Brian. "Believe it or not, there are people out there who want to help, not condemn."

"Brian’s right. He asked us if the Bob-Whites might be willing to help you adjust to living here. He didn’t say anything bad about you. He just said that we do things a little different up here than where you came from, and he thought that we could help you adjust," Jim explained.

"He had noticed that she walked around the school with Dan and Diana a lot, and I guess he thought it would be a good idea if all the Bob-Whites got involved," Brian added.

"Wow, I can’t believe he’s trying to help me. He was so stern when I was in his office yesterday," Sirene said, very surprised.

"He is a stern person, but he does care, and he tries to help the students," Honey said. "I don’t think we have to worry about gossip concerning your past. I doubt that he even said anything to the teachers. He’s probably the only one that read your file."

"You haven’t caused any real problems since you’ve been here. If you were going to be a problem student, it would have shown up the first week. So my guess is that he’s giving you a chance to prove that you’ve changed your ways," Trixie added.

"All of that makes sense. I guess that’s one less thing I have to worry about," Sirene said with a sigh, and then murmured,. "Now if nothing else comes out, I’m in the clear."

"What else is there?" Dan asked, hearing her.

"So, the rest of you Bob-Whites are going to join us for karate next Tuesday, right?" she asked, once again ignoring a question asked to her.

"That’s not going to work this time. I’ll just keep on asking," Dan said softly as the Bob-Whites answered Sirene’s question with an affirmative.

"I don’t know what you mean. I was just making a general statement. I’m a pessimist, remember? So I always think something else is going to happen," Sirene said defensively.

Dan just sat back, looking at her. He now knew that Honey was right. There was more to Sirene’s story.

"Trixie, I noticed that the Homecoming Dance tickets are on sale," Jim said, turning to look at her. "I was wondering if you would like to go with me?"

Trixie could feel the blush rising to her face. She hadn’t been expecting Jim to ask her, at least not right away. He usually asked her only after everyone else had already been asked, like last year at the Spring Dance.

"Yes, I would like to go to the dance with you," Trixie said with a smile.

"Great! I was thinking that if Brian gets the nerve to ask Honey, maybe we could double date. Since we usually go as a group, I figure your parents would be more comfortable if we doubled date. What do you think?" Jim asked quietly.

"Well, I’m pretty sure that Moms and Dad will be okay with that," Trixie answered. "After all, if they can’t trust you, who can they trust?"

Jim appreciated that he was considered trustworthy, but it bothered him that everyone seemed to think that he was incapable of having the same urges and ideas that other guys his age had. It wasn’t that he would ever do anything to hurt Trixie or make any moves that she wasn’t ready for, but he certainly wasn’t dead either!

Brian was pretty sure that no one else had had the opportunity to ask Honey to the dance yet. He was determined to ask her before anyone else did. He’d noticed that a lot of guys have been watching her lately.

"Honey, would you like to go to the dance with me?" Brian asked.

Honey smiled as she looked at Brian, her eyes sparkling. "I would like that very much. Thank you for asking."

"I hope you don’t mind, but Jim and I went ahead and made tentative plans for that night. He’s going to ask Trixie. We thought that we could double date. We wanted it to be a little different than the dance from last spring," Brian explained. "Remember, with all of us going together it seemed more like a Bob-White outing than a date. I already told Mart that he and Dan were going to have to make their own arrangements. I hope this is okay with you. I know that it might have seemed like I was taking it for granted that you would go with me, but that’s not true. These plans were based on you saying yes."

"I don’t mind. It sounds like a good plan. So, all that is left is to see if my brother got it together enough to ask Trixie. I hope he don’t put it off. I think Nick was thinking about asking her. He brought up the subject today, but we were in a hurry, so Trixie didn’t get a chance to really talk to him about it," Honey said in a low voice to Brian.

"That’s why I wanted to ask you right away. I was afraid that someone else might ask first," Brian admitted. "Just so we’re on the same page, this means you’re going to the Homecoming football game with me, right?"

"Oh, dear! I think Trixie and Diana assumed that we all would be going to the Homecoming football game as a group. They were telling Sirene that we could pick her up that night. We would just take two cars," Honey said.

"Well, that’s all right. Just as long as we’re in the same car together, I’ll be happy," Brian assured her.

Just than, the bus came to their stop. The Bob-Whites were surprised to see Sirene get off after Dan.

"I decided since I’m not running today that I could at least do a little extra walking. I figure I’m never going to get used to this cold if I keep hurrying out of it," Sirene explained.

"That might make sense, considering that it’s not that cold yet. December, January and February are really cold. Have you ever been in snow before?" Dan asked.

"Nope, never. Florida can get down to the high twenties and thirties but it never stays that cold for long. I’m hoping to have so much fun in it that I won’t notice the cold," Sirene said. She moved closer to Dan. "I guess that if I walk real close to someone, maybe it will keep me a bit warmer."

Dan looked down at her and smiled. "Walking fast will help also."

Sirene glanced at him quickly, smiling, "But walking fast isn’t as much fun."

"Oh, you two! I hope this isn’t a sample of what we’re going to have to put up with at Brian’s party," declared Diana. "Thank goodness I’m going the opposite way. I don’t think I could put up with you two."

Sirene and Dan just laughed, because even though the rest of the group might not be sure about their sparring, they both enjoyed each other’s quick mind. At this time, they were learning about each other and enjoying their time together.

Trixie and Honey were on the phone with each other as soon as they got home. Both were excited and thrilled to learn that they would be going to the dance with their favorite guys and together. They both agreed that they preferred these plans. It was a date, not a group activity.

Mrs. Wheeler had already approved of Honey going with Brian and wanted to take the girls to New York City the upcoming weekend to find dresses. Honey had convinced her mother that there were some very pretty dresses in Sleepyside.

A new boutique had just opened. It was a formal wear and wedding shop. It had some beautiful formal dresses also. Since this weekend was the only weekend free before the dance, it was agreed that they would go shopping on Saturday. Honey said she would call Diana and see if she wanted to come.

"So, tell me again why Trixie needs a prom dress. Don’t you think she’s still too young to go to a fancy dance and with a date to boot?" Mr. Belden said as he sat at the table for breakfast.

Last night, he had been informed that Mrs. Belden, Trixie, Mrs. Wheeler and Honey would be going into Sleepyside looking for dresses for Homecoming. He had also been informed that Trixie would be going with Jim. Mrs. Belden told him that he was going to have to watch Bobby while she was gone because Mart and Brian had several things that needed to be done. Mr. Belden wasn’t too upset to spend some time alone with his youngest son. He enjoyed spending quality time with his children.

He was more upset about his daughter being old enough to start going on dates, even chaperoned ones.

"Oh, Peter, I know that it’s hard to imagine Trixie dressed up so formally for anything short of a wedding, but she has to grow up sometime," Helen said. "You weren’t upset last spring when she went to the Spring Dance or when Jim sent her an orchid for Diana’s party."

"That was different. At the Spring Dance, they went as a group and Brian and Mart took Trixie to Diana’s party. This is different," he said frowning.

Helen sat down across from her husband and gently took his hand. "I know that it seems like she’s growing up too fast, but it’s something we have to face. She’s fourteen. In less than two years, she’ll be sixteen and will be starting to date without chaperones. She needs to have this growing experience so that she’ll be able to cope with dating. I know you trust Jim, and Brian is going to be there. I know it’s hard to let your baby girl grow up, but she will need both of us to support her. It’s hard being a teenage girl. Especially when you have friends that are so beautiful like Honey and Diana."

‘Trixie is just as beautiful as they are! She has a lot more spirit than they do!" Peter declared.

"Calm down. I wasn’t saying that Trixie doesn’t measure up to them. We may think that she’s beautiful, but the fact is at this age and during the next four years, what we think isn’t as important to her as what a guy might think. She may be a tomboy, but she’s still a female. It’s perfectly natural. You can bet Honey and Diana also feel like they don’t measure up in some areas. That’s what being a teenager is all about." Helen smiled. "Remember how I was at fifteen, when you first met me?. I was so sure that there was no way that someone as handsome as you would even notice me. If someone would have told me that I would marry you and spend the rest of my life with you back then, I would have told them that they were crazy."

Peter turned his hand over and tenderly entwined her long slender fingers with his.

"I remember the first time I saw you. You were with Andrew. You were so beautiful, but what really caught my attention was how still you were. Andrew was talking a mile a minute, waving his arms around and you were standing by the fence so still, listening and absorbing everything he said. I remember thinking that it must be wonderful to have someone so interested in what you’re saying. Then you turned your beautiful blue eyes on me and I knew right then and there that I found my perfect soul mate."

"Oh, Peter! You’re going to make me cry!" Helen said, her eyes misting up. "I remember that moment. When I saw you, it was like my future flashed before my eyes. I told myself that I was being silly because there was no way that Andrew’s handsome, older brother was going to fall for me. I often wondered if we would have gotten together sooner if my family hadn’t interfered."

"It doesn’t matter now. We were meant to be," Peter said, looking into the eyes of the beautiful woman in front of him. To him, she was more beautiful now than back then. After twenty years of marriage, she still made his heart race.

"I guess you’re right. I’m not used to thinking of Trixie as a young lady. I don’t want to make the same mistake our parents made," Peter said.

"We won’t. We understand that when true love hits, age makes no difference. But we may find ourselves telling them our story. Just so that they know we do know what they’re going through," Helen said softly.

"Well, let’s not jump the gun. I don’t think any of them are ready for our story, and I’m not too sure that any of them are in the same situation," Peter said.

Helen smiled knowingly at her husband. "Wishful thinking, my dear. I have a feeling that all three of our teenagers are following our footsteps."

"Well, I guess we’ll have to keep our eyes open and see what happens." Peter sighed. "Just do me a favor. When you pick out the dresses today, try to keep it so that I won’t go into heart failure."

"Of course, Dear, after all they are only fourteen," Helen said, as she got up to start preparing more food. She had heard her children stirring upstairs and knew that it wouldn’t be long before they came down.

"We’ll save the really sexy stuff for their senior year," Helen said with a laugh.

"Well, if I start thinking about it now, maybe I’ll be ready for it by then," Peter said with a chuckle.

After breakfast, Trixie and Mrs. Belden walked up to the Manor House. Miss Trask let them in with an apologetic smile.

"I’m sorry, but things are in an uproar this morning. Mr. Wheeler found out this morning that he has to go out to San Francisco. Honey is in the library waiting for you. It will be a few more minutes before you can leave."

Mrs. Belden and Trixie went into the library where they found Honey sitting by herself with a sad look on her face.

"I guess Miss Trask told you what’s going on. I don’t think Mother is going to come with us after all,." Honey said with resignation in her voice.

"Gosh, Honey, if you want to wait until they come back to do this, we can. It may be hard to do it on a Saturday, but we can go one evening," suggested Trixie.

"No, we made plans for today, plus Diana and Sirene are going to meet us there." Honey stood up, shoulders back and a determined look on her face. "If I changed my plans every time Mother and Dad had to leave on a moment’s notice, then I wouldn’t make any plans at all."

"Are you sure your mother said that she was going with your father?" Mrs. Belden asked. "I just talked to her last night and she was very excited. After all this is your first formal dance. None of you went to the Homecoming Dance last year."

"I haven’t actually talked to Mother yet. Daddy came out of the library during breakfast and told us that he had to fly out today to San Francisco for business. Mother and Miss Trask got up from the table and headed upstairs with Daddy. I came in here to wait. Miss Trask came in a few minutes ago and said that it would only be a few more minutes. But Mother always goes with Daddy on his trips!" Honey explained.

Just than the library doors opened and Mrs. Wheeler came in.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting. I understand that Miss Trask has told you about our hectic morning. But everything is under control now. So, if everyone is ready, let’s go shopping."

"But aren’t you going with Daddy to San Francisco?" Honey said in a surprised voice.

"I’ll join your father later. This is too important to miss," Madeline Wheeler said, aware that she had surprised her daughter. Madeline had been firm with her husband. She’d missed too much of Honey’s childhood, and she wasn’t going to miss her teen years. If that meant that Matt had to go ahead of her, then that was just too bad.

Honey followed her mother out of the library with her eyes sparkling. Jim was coming down the stairs as Mrs. Belden and Trixie came out of the library.

"Just remember that my favorite color is blue," he reminded Trixie as she went out the door.

"As if I would pick a dress just because his favorite color is blue," she mumbled to herself.

Honey, overhearing, smiled. "Just like I’m sure that my choice in picking my dress will have nothing to do with the fact that Brian reminded me yesterday that he loved the color green."

The ladies arrived at the small boutique that had just opened that month. Once inside they found that Diana, with her mother, along with Sirene and Mrs. Hartman, were already there.

"Wait until you see the dresses they have in here!" Diana exclaimed. "They have some really beautiful ones. Mrs. Little, the owner, has hired Ella to do any alterations. If we can’t find anything, she has a lot of catalogues that we can look at and she can order anything that we find."

"She told us that some of the dresses here are originals. I already found four of them that I want to try on," Sirene added.

"Did Dan ask you to the dance yet?" Honey asked.

"No. He may not. We tease each other a lot, but you have to remember that there are a lot of girls he’s known for a lot longer. He may ask one of them," Sirene said casually.

"So did someone else ask you to go with them?" Trixie asked as she looked through the racks. She was trying to stay away from blue, but it wasn’t easy because there seemed to be a lot of blues.

"No. I really don’t expect to be asked. I know the boys do a lot of staring at me, but they’re still not sure what I’m about, so chances are they’ll go ask someone that they feel more comfortable with. But I expect that by the Spring Dance, they’ll be more comfortable around me," Sirene explained.

"So why are you buying a dress if you’re not going?" Honey asked, puzzled.

"Who says I’m not going?" declared Sirene. "I have no problem going by myself. Just think, I can dance with as many guys as I want and I can leave when I want to."

"I know that a lot of the girls go together as a group, but I don’t know any one who would go alone," Diana said with admiration in her voice.

Sirene laughed. "If I didn’t do things because I didn’t have anyone to go with me, then I wouldn’t do anything. I’ve always gone to dances, movies, and out to eat by myself. It’s not that hard."

Honey thought that maybe it wasn’t that hard now, but at the beginning, it must have been. She remembered how hard it was for her and how lonely she was. Sirene surely had to be just as lonely as Honey had been. Sirene just hid it better. But it wouldn’t do to show any pity or sympathy, because Honey was sure that Sirene would hate that. Honey looked over at Trixie. Trixie gave her a little nod. Honey realized that Trixie was thinking the same things as she was.

Sirene had caught the little nod that Trixie gave to Honey and realized that Diana was right. Honey and Trixie did seem to have a private way of communicating. But what Diana didn’t realize was that there was a lot of that going on between the Bob-White members. Sirene saw the unspoken communication that went on as clearly as she could see the red dress she was holding.

"Hey, Nana, think I could get away with wearing red?" Sirene said teasingly, as she held up the red dress.

"Yes, dear, red will look very nice on you, but not until you’re a bit older. How about this one?" Mrs. Hartman held up a dress that had several browns, oranges and cinnamon running through it. The dress was made of a light material.

"I’ll add it to my collection here. I guess I should be trying on some of these," Sirene said as she headed for the dressing rooms.

Each girl managed to find at least a half of dozen dresses to try on. After a lot of debate and teasing, the girls finally decided on which dresses to buy. Sirene went with a dress of many colors, Diana, a lavender one, Trixie with a sapphire blue and Honey, a hunter green.

Mrs. Hartman, Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Wheeler and Mrs. Belden had as much fun as the girls did. The boutique also had shoes there, so shoes and other accessories were added to make the outfits complete.

Chapter Eleven

Wednesday Before Brian’s Birthday

Dan was with Sirene and Diana, with the rest of the Bob-Whites behind them, when they walked into school. Just as they entered, Brad stopped in front of them.

"So, Weirdo, been talking to the dead lately?" Brad taunted. He was looking directly at Sirene as he said this.

"Why? Have you been seeing ghosts and need some one to interpret for you? That must explain why, last Friday, you threw the football down the field with no one there to catch it. You need to be careful about that, Brad dear, for as far as I know, ghosts can’t catch footballs," Sirene answered in her calm southern voice.

"If he keeps throwing footballs at ghosts or any other imaginary people, we’re not going to win Homecoming or any of the rest of the games this year!" Dan remarked scornfully.

Sirene laughed. "I can see the headlines now: Star Quarterback insists that Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School really won Homecoming!, His ghost friends made touchdowns! I’m sure the college scouts will be standing in line to give him a scholarship."

"Yeah, go ahead and laugh, but once I show that article about you around, you won’t be laughing then!" Brad turned away, angry at Sirene. Every time he tried to make her pay for turning him down, she just laughed at him. He knew, however, what her secret was, and he was going to prove it. Once Dan found out, he would drop her like hotcakes. She wouldn’t be laughing at him then.

"What was that all about?" Honey asked, coming up to the trio. She and Trixie had overheard the conversation.

"He’s just mad, because I decided that I’d rather hang out with you all instead of his crowd. He feels like I insulted him," Sirene explained. "Instead of trying to get even with me, he needs to be thinking more about his football game. Poppy told me that Sleepyside has a fairly good team, but last Friday’s game was a disaster."

"Speaking of Homecoming, how would like to go with me?" Dan asked Sirene, as they walked toward her first class.

"I would love to, but I better warn you that I love to dance," Sirene answered with a smile.

Later during lunchtime, Honey had arrived a little later then usual and the other the Bob-Whites had already started eating. She noticed that Sirene had not joined them yet.

"Did you hear what Brad said to Sirene this morning?" Honey asked Brian and Jim.

"Not really. He was walking away by the time we arrived. Jim and I stopped and talked to Nick about the Haunted House. She didn’t look too upset," Brian answered.

Mart had been walking behind Diana, at the time, with Trixie and Honey, so he had overheard the conversation.

"He asked her if she’s been talking to any ghosts!" Honey told them.

"He called her a weirdo!" Diana added indignantly.

"But more importantly, did you catch the part about an article?" Trixie asked.

"I did. I’ve been thinking about it all morning. Where would he get an article about Sirene?" Honey asked. "If it was in the Sun, we would’ve seen it."

"He probably found it on the Internet. The real question is how did he come across it? Even if he knew where she came from, I can’t see him scanning through all those newspapers," Mart said.

"Mart’s right. Brad wouldn’t scan newspapers hoping to come up with something on her. He must’ve been looking for something specific and came across it by accident," Diana said.

"In that case, it had to have been about a subject he’s interested in. Does anybody know what his interests are, that is other than football and girls?" Jim asked.

"Well, I would imagine that it has to be something dealing with ghosts," Brian said.

"The phrase he used was talking to the dead. Sirene is the one that changed it to ghosts," Dan said.

"So we’re looking for something dealing with the dead. You don’t suppose that he’d be interested in the occult? A lot of people who practice the occult deal with the dead, " Mart suggested.

"But if he is into that kind of stuff, wouldn’t he keep quiet about it? The kids around here are pretty conservative. Look how they treated poor Tansy Gifford!" Trixie said.

"Who’s Tansy Gifford?" Jim asked.

"She would have been in your grade if she was still going to school. She lives with her aunt in that old house that sits on the bluffs at the end of Louis Road. They say that her aunt is a witch, and Tansy is her apprentice. Her aunt took her out of school right after she started sixth grade. Some kids had beaten her up, so her aunt is teaching her at home. I can’t even remember the last time I saw her," Trixie answered.

"Is that the house that last Halloween a bunch of kids threw rocks at?" Honey asked. "I remember reading about it."

"That’s the house. Every year at Halloween a bunch of kids go up there and harass them," Brian said. "But Miss Gifford never calls the cops or presses charges, so there’s not much the cops can do about it."

"Their property borders ours, but I never see them. I think Mother was a friend of Miss Gifford’s a long time ago," Diana said.

"Anyway, the point is that I can’t see Brad willing to admit that he’s interested in anything that deals with the occult. So how does he plan on explaining how he came up with this article he claims to have?" Trixie said.

"Maybe he is counting on people caring more about what the article says than on how he got it," Diana suggested.

"I think we need to find this article!" Honey said. "I get this feeling that this is the secret that Sirene has been keeping. Maybe she was involved in a cult of some kind and is afraid that we wouldn’t understand."

"You sure seem to have started getting a lot of feelings lately. Reminds me of when we first met. Remember, you were always getting feelings, premonitions and dreams?" Trixie said.

"Don’t remind me. I can’t explain it. I’ve always gotten strange feelings, usually right before Trixie and I get n into trouble," Honey said ruefully. "But this is different."

"Where is Sirene?" Trixie asked.

"She’s in the library working on her Math homework. She wrote down the wrong page numbers yesterday and turned in the wrong assignments. So she’s doing the right pages, so that she can get it turned in today," Dan answered.

"Why don’t we meet at my house this afternoon?. We can use the computer in the library. Maybe we can find that article," Honey suggested as the bell rang.

The rest of the Bob-Whites agreed as they gathered up their trays and books. Dan excused himself and reminded Diana that they both had agreed to go over to Sirene’s that night to help Mrs. Hartman and Sirene make some decorations for the haunted house.

Jim had the computer up and running when the Beldens walked in the library later that day. He had started the search as soon as he got home, while everyone else did their chores and exercised the horses, except for Jupiter, who had been ridden by Regan that morning.

"I did some searching. I couldn’t find a lot of sites about the occult in general, but I did find a lot on the paranormal. I got lucky on the tenth site. It seems our football star isn’t too bright. He actually signed his own name into the guest book. This site had to do with the paranormal more than the occult. So I ran a search on any article about the psychic in Florida," Jim told them.

"What did you find?" Trixie asked impatiently.

"I don’t know yet. I just started the search when you came in," Jim answered while scanning through the information that was on the computer.

"I can’t believe that we’re going to be so lucky as to get this on the first try. It seems too easy!" Honey remarked to Trixie.

"Don’t forget that Jim and I have spent a lot of time on the computer this semester. So we’ve have a lot of practice in finding information. It wasn’t all that easy for Jim. He’s been at it for about an hour and a half now," Brian reminded the girls.

"Okay. This must be what Brad is talking about. The article is three years old but it’s the only one dealing with a young girl in Palm Beach with psychic abilities. I’m going to print it out," Jim said.

As he printed out the article, he continued search through the information.

Honey pulled the paper out of the printer and read:

"This doesn’t prove anything," Trixie said. "This could refer to anyone. How does Brad think this is going to hurt Sirene? People would have to be nuts to believe in this stuff."

"Not really. A lot of people believe in psychics. There is some serious research being done on the subject. There are many theories. One theory is that it’s genetic; another is that people with psychic abilities use a part of their brain that most other people don’t. That’s just two theories!" Mart said.

"If that’s true, why did you pooh-pooh the idea that the Mexican lady I met in New York might have been able to tell the future?" Trixie asked.

"At that time, I hadn’t done any research on the subject. After our trip, I was more interested," Mart admitted.

"Well, I don’t think there’s enough in this article to cause any real trouble. The only reason he picked this article was because Sirene is from Palm Beach and is about the right age. But that could describes a lot of people," Jim said. "I would need a lot more proof than that."

"But there are a lot of coincidences," Honey said thoughtfully. "Her parents divorced when she was eight; the first time the young girl in the article showed psychic ability was at eight years old. I bet her mother thought that having a daughter who spoke to ghosts was an embarrassment. That could explain why she lived with her dad instead of her mother. If I remember correctly, she was twelve years old when she started having problems with her mother’s boyfriends. The girl in the article was twelve years old. Maybe her mother’s boyfriend found out about it and that could be why they were so interested in her. It would also explain why she was sure that once we found out, we wouldn’t want to be friends with her. If any of this article is true, she probably has lost friends over it. I’ve been having a strange feeling that there was something different about her. If she’s psychic, that might explain my feelings about her."

"Oh, come on! You can’t believe in that stuff. Just like the professor in the article said, there is no scientific proof of people having psychic abilities and did you noticed the journalist used the term parents all through the article?" Brian scoffed. "Remember, if Sirene was telling us the truth, her dad would have been dead by this time."

"That could have been a mistake on the journalist’s part. She may not have bothered to find out about her dad. Her main point was about the girl," Mart said. "Just because one scientist doesn’t believe in it doesn’t make those studies any less compelling. But like a lot of things, you need to keep an open mind on the subject. It’s like believing in the Loch Ness Monster, or in Big Foot. There are people who will swear they exist, and then you have people who won’t believe it unless they actually see it."

"Why don’t we just ask her if she’s the girl in this article?" Trixie suggested.

"Well, before we do anything, we need to talk to Diana and Dan. The question is, do we really want to know? Just think about it. If she denies it, then no big deal, but what if she says yes and what if she claims to be able to talk to ghosts?" Jim asked. "She’s already been hurt and rejected in the past. None of us wants to add to that."

"I think it would be better to know than to not know. After finding this article, the question would always be in the back of our minds," Trixie said.

"We need to show Diana and Dan this article and get their input. I understand what Jim is saying, but I agree with Trixie. We need to ask Sirene about this. I admit that I’m probably the most skeptical when it comes to the psychic, but I’ll try to keep an open mind," Brian said.

Jim chuckled as he got up from the computer. "I’m not too sure about this psychic stuff. But if you think about it, most of us don’t exactly fall into what is considered normal and we seem to accept each other easily enough. So maybe accepting Sirene might not be so difficult."

"Hey, speak for yourself! I happen to think that I’m very normal," Trixie said as she got up from where she was sitting.

"Oh, sure you are!" Mart said, as he too got ready to leave. "It’s so common to have a teenage girl solving crimes that every other person is doing it. Let’s face it. If there’s such thing as a psychic ability to find mysteries everywhere you go, then you have it."

Brian smiled, shaking his head as he walked towards the door. "I wouldn’t call being a walking dictionary exactly normal."

"I’ve never really thought about it before, but I think Jim’s right. None of us really falls into the normal category. Brian is abnormally mature for his age. Jim’s ability with animals falls into the strange. Diana has the ability to soothe people. So it looks like Dan and I are the only normal ones," Honey said, giggling as she walked with Jim and Trixie to the front door.

"This from the girl who for the last two weeks has been talking about having strange feelings? Let us not forget about the strange dreams you’ve had that have come true in one form or another. So that just leaves Dan." Trixie said, following Brian and Mart out.

Friday went by with no incidents. Trixie had told Honey and Diana that she was pretty sure that the guys had talked to Brad, but neither Brian nor Mart would tell her what had been said. Sirene did not go to school on Friday, so no one had seen her since Thursday evening. Diana tried to call her, but there was no answer.

Brian woke up to a beautiful but cold day. As he lay in his bed, he started thinking about how lucky he was. He had wonderful parents, siblings that loved him and terrific friends. He knew that Moms would be preparing his favorite breakfast, that his dad would have done at least one of his chores for him. Of course, his dad wouldn’t tell him about it until Brian went out to do the chore. Mr. Belden always tried to surprise his children, so they never knew which chore he would choose to do.

As Brian got up quietly, because Mart was still sleeping, he thought about the rest of the day. After the chores were done, then he would go riding with Honey, Jim and Trixie. Mart was going over to Diana’s and Dan had plans for that morning, so it would just be the four of them. Everyone would meet around three o’clock for his birthday party. There would be plenty of food and lots of fun.

As Brian walked downstairs to start his day, he briefly wondered if Sirene would still come with Dan.

The day seemed to fly by. After they had gone riding, Brian decided to spend some alone time with Bobby, because Bobby was going to spend the night over at Larry and Terry’s house. Mrs. Belden had baked some cup cakes so that Brian and Bobby could have their own party. Afterwards, Brian cleaned Bobby up and helped him pack his overnight bag. Brian glanced at the clock and realized that he needed to get ready or he would be late for his own party.

"Honey, are you coming?" Jim said a little impatiently. They were supposed to have left for Brian’s party five minutes ago.

Honey kept putting down her gift to Brian, then picking it up, like she couldn’t make up her mind whether or not to give him the gift.

"What’s the problem?" Jim asked her, seeing that she was agitated.

Honey sighed, once again picking up the present. "I don’t know if I can give him this after all."

"It’ll be fine," Jim assured her. She had shown it to him last night. He was a bit surprised, but he was confident that Brian would like it.

"Okay, no more being a chicken! Let’s go," Honey said with sudden determination.

As they walked down to the farmhouse, they came across Dan and Sirene, who was carrying a picnic basket.

"So were you able to complete your mission this morning while we kept him busy?" Jim asked Dan.

"Mission accomplished…with a little help from Sirene," Dan said.

"It was nothing. I enjoyed helping," Sirene said quietly.

"We missed you at school yesterday," Honey said.

"We had to go to court yesterday to finalize the custody issue. Poppy and Nana are now my legal guardians," Sirene said, answering Honey’s unasked question.

"I’m sure that you’re relieved," Jim said. "I remember how relieved I felt when my adoption was finalized."

"Relieved and happy. To tell you the truth, I’m still in shock. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. I keep thinking that something is going to go wrong," Sirene admitted. "Last time I was this happy was when my dad was alive."

"Jim and I can relate to those feelings," Dan said. "It takes a while to realize that this is your life now, which includes family and friends. There are times that I still look over my shoulder expecting someone from the past to come and mess things up for me."

"Well, I guess I’ll take Shayla’s advice," Sirene said.

"What advice might that be?" Dan asked.

"Enjoy today, because you never know what tomorrow will bring."

Honey gave a little giggle. "I don’t think your cousin made that up. Jim, wasn’t there a bumper sticker that said that?"

"I never said it she made it up. That’s just the advice she had given me," Sirene said, giggling.

As they entered the farmhouse, Dan was thinking how nice it was to hear Sirene giggle and actually seem to be happy.

"Hello. Everyone is in the living room," Mrs. Belden greeted them as they came in the back door which led to the kitchen.

"Here are some brownies and cookies that Nana made," Sirene said, handing over the basket to Mrs. Belden.

"She didn’t have to do that. But to tell you the truth, I’m glad she did. If I remember correctly, your grandmother has won the brownie baking contest every year for the last twenty years," Mrs. Belden said as she took the basket and started unpacking it. "Now, go and join the party. I have everything under control here."

Jim, Honey and Dan, with Sirene following them, went into the entranceway of the living room where they saw that the furniture had been moved against the wall and a game of twister was going on. Honey and Jim went in and laid their presents down on a table, where other presents rested.

"I’m glad I wore jeans. It would have been embarrassing to play twister in a dress," Sirene whispered to Dan, stopping in the entranceway. The rest of the Bob-Whites, all in jeans and casual shirts, called out a greeting to them.

Dan gave her a wicked grin. "Depends on your point of view. I think I would have found it very interesting."

"You are such a barbarian at times!" Sirene retorted.

"Haven’t you learned that they all have caveman tendency?" Diana laughed, overhearing Sirene’s remark as she came up to them. "I’m so happy for you. Honey just told us the good news. We’re going to have so much fun this winter."

"I’m sure that you all will. I’ll probably be falling all over the place. I’m not too sure that I want to try skating on ice. Dan has been trying to convince me that I’ll be okay."

Diana gave Sirene a little hug. "Don’t worry! We’ll teach you. Now, stop standing in the entranceway and come say happy birthday to Brian."

Sirene walked the rest of the way into the living room.

"Happy Birthday, Brian. I want to thank you for letting me come," Sirene said, coming up to Brian.

"I’m glad you could come. Maybe you can keep Dan in line for us," Brian said.

Sirene laughed. "I’ll try, but don’t expect miracles."

Everyone was having a wonderful time. They put on some music and started dancing. Sirene showed them some steps that were popular in Florida, but hadn’t arrived in Sleepyside yet. The Bob-Whites showed Sirene which dance steps were popular in Sleepyside.

"Gosh, would you look at her? She sure catches on fast. She’s a better dancer than Di," Trixie said to Honey as they took a break.

"She’s very graceful. I think that’s because of all the karate she’s taken. I’m sure glad we taught Dan how to dance. They look good together," Honey said.

Trixie gave a little laugh. "I think we both would agree that she would look good with anyone, just as long as it’s not Brian, Jim or Mart."

"Well, it could’ve complicated things if she had been interested in any of those three. I guess we got lucky," Honey admitted.

Just then Mrs. Belden came in and announced that the birthday dinner was ready. Everyone gathered at the dining room table. The extra leaf had been added to the table, so there was just enough room for twelve people. The blessings were said and everyone started to pass the food around.

Miss. Trask and Regan had arrived a few minutes earlier.

Mrs. Belden had made arrangements with Miss Trask for Jim and Honey to stay the night also. Regan had made arrangements with Mr. Maypenny for Dan to stay the night. This was going to be a surprise for the Bob-Whites. Mrs. Lynch had dropped off an overnight bag for Diana when Bobby was picked up and Miss Trask had brought overnight bags for Jim and Honey. Regan had some clothes that Dan had left in his apartment the last time he had stayed with his uncle, so he brought those over.

After dinner was done, Mr. and Mrs. Belden, Miss Trask and Regan told the Bob-Whites and Sirene not to worry about cleaning up. They all decided to go outdoors for a while. They decided to walk up to the bluffs to watch the sun set. The conversation was mild, no one saying much, just enjoying each other’s company. Jim pointed out a deer that he spotted, Dan noticing a skunk before anyone else. Before long it became a game: everyone trying to spot animals before anyone else did. They had to do it in whispers, so as not to frighten the animals away. Once they arrived at the bluffs, they all sat down on the ground and quietly watched the beautiful sunset.

As they got up and headed back to the farmhouse, Trixie said, "I just thought of something. This time next year, you and Jim will be at college. So there’s a good chance we won’t be able to spend your birthday with you."

"I’ve been thinking about that off and on all day. It’s hard to imagine a birthday without all of us together. I know that this is only the second time that we’ve done this, but it feels like it’s been forever,." Brian said.

"Since your birthday will fall on a Sunday next year, there shouldn’t be any reason for you not to be here," Mart pointed out.

Honey sighed. "We need to face reality. When Brian and Jim go away to college, things are going to change. It doesn’t mean that we can’t still get together and have fun, but things will change."

"You can keep your reality! As far as I’m concerned everything is perfect now and next September is a long way off. I refuse to get all gloomy about something that is going to happen next year," Diana said.

"Diana’s right. Now is not the time. We’re here to share a special day with a special person. So let’s get back so we can have some of that cake," Mart said, hurrying everyone along.

Everything was cleaned up by the time the Bob-Whites and Sirene entered the kitchen. Mrs. Belden recommended that everyone go back into the living room and open the presents. Mr. Belden, Regan and Miss Trask were in the living room talking.

"Well, I was wondering when you were going to come back. Regan wanted to stay to see you open your presents," Mr. Belden said as the group entered the living room.

Mart brought a chair to the center of the room for Brian to sit on, and Jim and Dan brought the gifts over to Brian.

Brian decided to start with family members gifts first. From his parents, he received a medical dictionary and an updated book on physiology, both books were ones he would need for college. Trixie and Mart gave him a year’s worth of The Medical Journal, which would be delivered every month. Bobby had drawn a picture of the Bob-Whites and himself ice skating on the lake. The drawing was amazingly good for a seven year old.

"Goodness, this is really good. I didn’t know that Bobby was so talented," Diana said, very impressed by the drawing.

Brian opened Regan and Miss Trask’s present next. It was a framed picture of all the Bob-Whites on horseback. Jim had given him some fishing gear that he had wanted. There was one gift left, but as he reached for it, Dan interrupted him.

"For your next gift, you’re going to have to go outside for it."

"All right, I’ll open this one last," Brian said after he had seen that it was from Honey.

Everyone walked outside, Brian looked around, but didn’t see anything unusual or new. Dan told him that he had to go to his jalopy. Brian walked over to his jalopy and looked at it. He noticed that there was a new antenna on it. He turned and looked at Dan with a puzzled expression on his face.

"That’s my gift to you,"‘Diana said, smiling.

Brian wasn’t too sure what to say. It was a nice antenna, but since he didn’t have a radio that worked in the car, it was a pretty useless gift.

"Thank you. It’s a nice antenna," Brian said, trying to be gracious.

"You’re welcome. But I think you better look inside before you say anything else," Diana said, trying not to laugh.

Brian opened the car door and looked inside. There was a new radio and two speakers hooked up in the back.

"Wow!" was about all he could say. He was speechless.

"Do you like it?" Diana said excitedly.

"This is awesome!" Brian said. "But how and when did you do this?"

"It was Dan and Sirene mostly," Diana explained. "Dan and I decided to get you the antenna and Dan made the speakers. We were going to see if we could get the radio fixed. But Sirene remembered that her grandfather had recently bought a car radio only to find out that the radio wasn’t compatible with his truck. Sirene asked if she could give it to you for a birthday present. She brought it over this afternoon. We were in luck. It was compatible for your car. Sirene and Dan put it in."

"Don’t let her fool you. She was very helpful in getting this set up," Sirene said, giving Diana more credit for the gift.

"Well, it’s a great gift. I don’t know what to say except for thank you," Brian said, still amazed. He knew that he wasn’t as close to Dan and Diana as he was to Jim and Honey, plus he barely knew Sirene. He was amazed and touched that they would do such a wonderful thing for him.

"Just remember this when you’re a famous doctor and we need some medical attention," Sirene said, trying to lighten the mood.

Everyone gave a little laugh. Jim had grabbed Brian’s keys when they had left the house. He tossed them to him.

"Fire her up and try out the radio."

Brian started the car up and found a good station. The loud music was coming out nice and clear through the speakers.

Brian shut off the car and suggested they go back in the house. As much as he loved everything he had received, he was eager to see what Honey had given him.

Honey was nervous. She wished he had opened her gift before going out to see Diana, Dan and Sirene’s gift

Brian slowly opened the last gift. In a box, wrapped in tissue, was a sweater. Brian carefully took out the sweater. It was chocolate brown with copper trimming around the V-neckline and copper trimming at the wristbands. The waistband had the same copper trimming. But in the waistband, there were symbols that had been carefully sewn in. The symbols were in black.

"I really, really, like this," Brian said, pulling it on over the shirt he was wearing. It fit perfectly.

"That is a lovely sweater. Where did you find it?" Diana asked.

‘I made it," Honey said quietly.

"Wow! That must have taken a lot of time!. I like the symbols on the bottom. They look familiar," Trixie said.

Just then Mrs. Belden brought out a huge cake with seventeen candles on it. Everyone sang Happy Birthday. Brian blew out the cake and cut the first piece, handing it to Honey.

Miss Trask and Regan, after eating some delicious cake, got ready to go.

"What time do you want us home?" Jim asked Miss Trask.

"Oh, I would say probably between eight and eight thirty," she said with a smile.

"That’s awful early. Can’t we stay a little later?" Honey asked.

"Well, Helen, what do you think?" Miss Trask asked, her eyes twinkling.

"I absolutely agree. They should be home by eight-eight thirty," Mrs. Belden said, smiling. After looking at all the long faces, she added. "That is… between eight and eight thirty tomorrow morning.’

"What? Does that mean what I think it means?" Trixie asked excitedly.

"Yes. It does. It’s been arranged for all of the Bob-Whites to spend the night."

There was a lot of noise after that announcement, everyone expressing his excitement over this wonderful surprise. Regan and Miss Trask said their good-byes and left.

Sirene had been sitting quietly in a corner, watching everyone. Only one person noticed when she quietly got up and left the room. She walked out to the front porch and sat on the swing. Dan followed her out.

"What’s wrong?"

Sirene looked up, her eyes silver. "I had to get out of there for a few minutes. I’ll go back in shortly. I know that you had planned on taking me home, but now that you are staying here overnight, I’ll call Poppy to come and pick me up. It doesn’t make any sense for you to walk me home and then have to come back."

"Is that why you left? Because everyone else is staying over and you’re not included?"

"Of course not. No one has said anything about what we talked about Thursday evening. But I’m aware of the fact that some of them aren’t really all that comfortable with me. Everyone has been great and I’ve had a terrific time. But, staying overnight is Bob-White time and I’m not a Bob-White."

"Do you want to be?" Dan asked.

"I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it. I’m still trying to adjust to just having friends," Sirene said honestly.

"Okay, so why did you leave the party?" Dan asked.

Sirene looked at him. "There were spirits there and even if they’re friendly, I have to take a break from them."

"Are you saying that the farmhouse is haunted?" Dan asked, flabbergasted.

"Of course not! Hauntings and spirits just checking in are two different things," Sirene assured him.

"What’s the difference?" Dan asked.

"All humans and animals have spirits within them. When the body dies, the spirit is no longer incased in the body. Now this is where it gets a little tricky. The spirit that accepts its own passing is free to go on to wherever spirits go. I don’t know where they go. I think they’re forbidden to tell me. Anyway, those spirits seem to be free to come and go as they please. Every one of those type of spirits seem to be happy. They just like to check in once and a while to see what’s going on. Sometimes they interfere with the living, but I get the impression that it has to be okayed by someone higher up. Now hauntings are spirits who refused to accept their passing. They either feel that they were wronged somehow, or they feel like they have to make amends for something. So they’re not free to leave, until either they are vindicated or have made amends. I don’t like those kind of spirits. They’re very depressing, because most of the time, there isn’t anything that can be done about their situation."

"Here I thought that a ghost was just a ghost. It sure seems to be more complicated than that," Dan admitted.

Sirene laughed. "You have no idea. But there are a few times, very few, I feel privileged to be different. I get to see such wonderful things. Like this evening. When Brian was opening his gifts, his grandparents, both pairs, were there. I can actually see the love that flows from them to him. A lot of people aren’t too sure what love is or even if it exists. But I know that it does. Love is an energy. Most of the time it’s a beautiful silver or golden color, and it flows from one person to another. The strength and the type of love determines the color and the depth of the color, but it’s still there. Oh, gosh! I didn’t mean to go into all that. Now you probably think I’m really strange."

"I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me," Dan said softly. "You’re different, but all of this is real for you and it’s who you are. I admit that it is very hard to believe in all this. But each time I hear you talk about it, the way you make it seem real, it makes it a little more believable to me. I once told you that only by showing your true self is the way a relationship can grow."

"I do feel comfortable with you and Diana, but I have to admit that I probably won’t say much about this kind of stuff with the others around. Trixie, Honey and Mart may be willing to keep a open mind, but I have to give them time. Jim is just plain hostile about the subject. It radiates off of him. I’m not sure why."

"What about Brian?" Dan asked.

"Now there is one complicated guy. Talk about your deep waters. I’m not sure anyone really knows him. His aura is so strong. I usually get a pretty good fix on what a person is like as soon as I see them, so not many people surprise me. But Brian is a totally different story. I’ve never seen anyone with two different color auras before. So I’m totally in the dark about him."

"Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me. I like Brian, but I could never get a firm handle on what’s he really about. I know that he’s dependable. He’s usually right about the proper thing to do. But I always get the feeling there is so much more than he shows," Dan admitted.

Sirene got off the porch swing. "Well, I’ll be watching him, because that’s how I learn what I’m seeing means. I’m going to go back and say goodbye to everyone. I’m ready to go home."

As Sirene headed back in the house, Dan followed her. "Okay, but I’m walking you home."

Sirene went around saying goodbye to everyone and thanking them for letting her come. Dan insisted on walking her home, so he told everyone that he’d be back later.

Soon everything quieted down a little. There was soft music playing in the background, and they were deciding which board game to play. Brian quietly asked Honey if she would step out on the patio with him. They both left the living room. He still had on the sweater she had made for him. He picked up her sweater and put it around her shoulders.

The night was crisp and cold, and the moon and stars were shining brightly. Honey sat on the low wall that surrounded the patio on three sides, facing the house. Brian leaned forward, resting his arms on the wall, looking out towards the garden and the woods. He was so close to Honey that his arm laid against her thigh.

After a few moments, Brian said with a sigh, "I’ve been doing some serious thinking lately. In the last three weeks, there have been a couple of things that have been brought to my attention. I had assumed that you knew that you could always come to me for anything, but now I’m not so sure. It was upsetting to realize that you girls had a problem at school and never mentioned it to any of us."

"But, Brian, I explained that. None of us thought it was that big of a deal. You can’t expect us to go running to you or Jim for every little thing that goes wrong in our lives," Honey said, interrupting him.

"I know that you are capable of handling most of the problems that you encounter. I think you’re very smart, and you have a lot of common sense. In this situation, however, you weren’t handling it. I don’t care who’s harassing you or how often. The fact is that you don’t have to take that kind of thing. I guess I need to be sure that you know I’m here for you."

"I know that. You’re always available for anyone who needs your help," Honey said quietly, lowering her eyelashes so he could not see into her eyes.

"Honey, look at me!" Brian demanded in a soft voice. As she raised her eyes to him, he continued, "This is a special offer just for you. I need to know that you trust me. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything, no matter how small, silly or embarrassing it might be. I want to know what goes on in your mind. So anytime you just want to talk, no matter what day it is or what time it is, I’ll be there for you."

Honey took a deep breath. "You realize that this works both ways. You have to stop treating me like a piece of porcelain china. You and Jim act like you have no doubts about anything. But you must, because everyone has doubts. But you never talk about them, at least not to me. If you want to have a closer friendship, then you need to open up."

"That was another thing that I’ve been thinking about. I’m going to tell you something, but this goes no further. I don’t believe Mart or Trixie is aware of what I’m going to tell you. My parents have known each other since my mom was fifteen. Dad is only three years older. He and Moms had careers planned. Dad was going to be an investment agent for Wall Street, and Moms was going to be a graphic designer. Dad had finished his bachelor’s degree in business management and had started his master’s. Moms was in her second year of college when she got pregnant with me. They both quit school and got married. Dad was able to get a low-level management job in an investment firm, but without his master’s, it was going to be almost impossible for him to move up. Then right after Mart was born, my grandparents became ill. So Dad and Moms moved to Sleepyside. The rest you know," Brian explained. "I was about ten years old when I realized that Dad and Moms had to give up their dreams, because they had to get married and become parents sooner than they had planned. It worked out okay for them, because they’re happy and contented. But it wouldn’t work for me."

"I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. Your parents aren’t the only ones who got married sooner than planned. But the fact is your parents love each other very much. Anyone can see that," Honey said.

"I know that they love each other and they love their kids. But I’ve known since I was six years old that I wanted to be a doctor. I’ve focused everything towards that. All my savings are for college; all my classes are towards that. I read everything I can in my spare time. I have all of it mapped out. I was determined that I wouldn’t get involved, even just in a casual way, with a girl. But, about a year and a half ago, a beautiful young lady, with honey colored hair, came running down a hill and everything changed." Brian sighed. "I don’t know what to do about you. I have a long way to go before I can become serious with anyone. But I don’t like the idea of you becoming serious with another guy. So, as you can see, I’m confused about what I should do at this point in our lives."

Honey was silent for a few minutes. "First of all, I’m too young to get serious with anyone. Second of all, you’re not the only one that has a long way to go. Trixie and I might get out of school sooner than you will, but it’ll take up a lot of our time and energy to get the agency going. Jim is in the same boat as we are. As for you and I, well, tell me, right now and here, what are your feelings towards me?"

Brian turned towards her. "From the day I met you, you have felt right to me. Every time you sit next to me or hold my hand, it just feels right. I guess this is all I can admit to at this time. I just needed to tell you all of this. So, tell me, what do you call someone that is more than a friend, but not yet a girlfriend?"

Honey thought for a minute. "Well, I guess we could go with ‘special friend’. Yes, being a ‘special friend’ would cover it."

"I like that. So, are you willing to be my ‘special friend’? I hope you can understand that this is the best I can do at this time."

Honey looked into Brian’s eyes. "Yes, I would like to be your ‘special friend’. I think I understand what you’ve been telling me. I realize that I’m young, but I do know what goes on around me. I’ve seen a lot of people breaking up because they move too fast and don’t build a friendship first. Your friendship is very important to me and I would hate to lose it."

Brian leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss, just a brush of his lips against hers. "You would never lose that.

I want you to know that you’re special to me. You’re a remarkable young woman. You’re beautiful inside as well as outside."

Honey’s lips were still tingling from that gentle touch. She was surprised at her reaction to his gentle kiss. She always thought that a kiss had to be passionate in order for it to make you tingle from head to toe.

Brian moved away from Honey. "I really do like this sweater and it has a special meaning to me, knowing that you made it. I love the symbols. Trixie’s right. They do look familiar."

Honey gave a little sigh. Obviously their intimate conversation was over. He had given her a lot to think about.

She slid off the wall and started walking back into the farmhouse.

They both returned to the living room, finding that Dan had returned and everyone was playing Trivial Pursuit.

"Brian, you and Honey are our team. Jim, Dan and Mart think they have us beaten, but I think with you two joining us, we’ll catch up!" Trixie declared. Trixie was eager to find out what Brian and Honey had talked about, but knew that she had to wait until they could talk privately.

As Brian and Honey walked over to the group, Brian was thinking, This is a perfect birthday. I’m surrounded by friends, and I’ve finally talked to Honey.

First of all I want to give my deepest thanks to Susansuth, who not only did my editing and gave me encouragement, but she also nursed me along. I would have never written this if it wasn’t for her guidance and support. She kept me on track and she probably should get half of the credit for the writings of this story because she gave me great ideas and wording when I was totally in the dark. I am deeply appreciative of the time she has spent on this.

Next is a special thanks to Zap. Without her my story would have no place to post.

A warm thanks to all of those readers out there that sent their encouragement and comments. I know that I’ve stepped a little out of the normal (that is, if there is such thing as normal in fanfic) but it was great to get feedback, good and bad, so that I can learn from them. So thanks again for taking the time to read this and make comments about it.

Everyone in this story, with the exception of the characters in The Trixie Belden series, is of my own weird imagination.

The article in this story is pure fiction. As far as I know, there is no such thing as an Institute for the study of the psychic. Everything in this story is my own view on psychic activities.

This story is meant for entertainment only.

I don’t know if Brian every really counted the days that he didn’t see or talk to Honey, but it worked for this story.