rated *
Who Cares? (Oh Gosh--I Do!)
by Hazel
Part One
Trixie stared at her Algebra II book.
“Suzy sat in front of Jill. Jill was between Jack and Ginger. Ginger wasn’t the last one. What was the order of the kids?” read Trixie. “Oh, woe. Jill? No, Jack, no-oh, woe!”
She wished someone would help her but Mart, Dan, Brian, and Jim were at camp. Trixie groaned at the thought of Jim. He wouldn’t have come to help her anyhow because of her--Debbie.
Debbie was Jim’s new girlfriend. Debbie had given Jim many fond glances, and Jim had always liked her. Every B.W.G. had thought Jim only saw her as a friend, even Trixie. Not until the day the B.W.G.s saw them holding hands had they officially been together.
Trixie remembered that day well. It was Friday, May 13, 2005. The day had already been going horribly for her. She had somehow managed to fail the science pop quiz and spill ink all over her history teacher Mrs. Bobbinson’s (or Mrs. B.B.) floor. She had been thinking quietly about what she would do about the theft of her Fall Out Boy cd when she saw Jim. She immediately smiled at the thought of him and all the B.W.G.s sleeping over, but then she saw it. The skinny, slimy, long fingernails with tickle-me-pink nail polish.
She looked up from her salad. There she was--Debbie. Trixie had to drink some water to get the food down. She started choking, but none of the B.W.G.s had noticed the choking.
“This is Debbie, you remember,” Jim had said. Trixie had remembered Debbie, but somehow she seemed different. “Well, we admitted we like each other and got together. ”
Trixie nearly laughed at thought that popped into her mind. If you like her so much, then how come you never told us you liked her?
Seeing her expression, Debbie said, “Why do you look like you’re about to laugh?”
Trixie had to think fast and what she came out with was “I just remembered the funny story Di told about her twin sisters this morning, remember, Di?” She prayed that Di would cover for her.
She did.
“Yeah, Holly put eggs-raw-in Molly’s slippers.” Di giggled.
“I think you’re both laughing!” Debbie was getting mad. “You’re just jealous that Jim likes me and not you!”
Trixie had dropped her fork and jaw. She was so surprised. But it made sense. All that hating when Jim was with other girls. But she wasn’t going to let that-that new girl know that.
“No! I said it was just a joke!” Trixie said hotly, trying to control her temper. “I mean, I was just thinking about the joke.”
Her voice came out so calm that Trixie didn’t recognize it at first. Everyone was looking at Trixie’s calmness and Debbie’s furious face. Jim broke the silence.
“Debbie and I have to go study for the history exam,” he told them, then turned to Debbie and said, “Come on, darling.”
Trixie just stood there, gaping at Jim’s words for Debbie.
When they had left everyone had started comforting Trixie, saying stuff like "He’ll see the light" or "There are other fish in the sea".
Mart and Brian just stood there.
Finally, Trixie excused herself, and walked to the empty English classroom. She stood next to the window looking at Jim and Debbie. Trixie walked to the back of the room and let out the loneliness that had crept into her. To her surprise, her eyes began to look for comfort also. They gave all the tears they could. Then she saw the clock. It was almost time to go to class. Using her shirt, she wiped all her tears. She ran to her class.
This brought more silent tears to her eyes. She looked down at her paper and somehow saw that the problem looked easier. She filled out all of the paper, making sure not to think about Jim and Debbie.
I need to take a nice long rest, thought Trixie, and with that she took out her blue and gold swimming two-piece suit, and put on her tank top and jeans, and headed out.
Running to the river, she noticed Honey was there. Trixie was about to greet her, pretending to be happy, when she saw Honey’s expression. Immediately, she forgot about Jim and Debbie.
Honey had a worried face.
”What happened, Honey?” Trixie asked, concerned.
“The Manor House was burned to the ground.”
Tears welled in Honey’s eyes. “No one was hurt, but the house isn’t there anymore! Just when everyone was taking a break. Ms. Track, Regan, and I were the only ones in there. I’m going to stay with you. Is that o-okay?” Honey asked.
“Honey, why, of course!” Trixie said and ran to Crabapple Farm with Honey.
“Mother!!” called Trixie. Mother was Moms. She was known as ‘mother’ when things turned ugly.
Out of the kitchen Moms ran out with her hands wet, probably from washing the dishes. Her apron was blue and pink, with red roses. Her hair was messed up at the top of her head. But Moms still looked as beautiful as Miss America. Trixie envied her mom, although her mother looked exactly like her. The only difference was Trixie was a bit unbury, but since she became a teenager her hips were shaping into a woman’s.
“What? Honey?” Moms looked very worried.
“Why are you crying, darling?” All of the Bob-Whites were considered Moms’ children.
Honey tried to say something, but all that came out was more sobbing and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably.
Moms got the tissue box and handed them to Honey.
Honey used up all of tissues and tried to smile ruefully. “I’m sorry I used up all of your tissue,” she said apologetically.
“It’s all right, darling. Can you tell us what happened? Or is it too hard for you?” Trixie’s mom said gently.
“Honey, you told me that your house burned down. But nothing else. What happened?” Trixie said, trying to get Honey to tell her something else.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw her own mother trying to stifle a gasp. She didn’t do very well. It escaped her mouth.
For a minute Honey looked like she would cry all over again, but she answered Trixie’s question.
“Well, I was in my room reading my Algebra II book, and then I start smelling smoke. At first I thought Regan was just barbequing, but then the smoke alarm went off. I was scared. Regan never uses the barbeque that hard.
“So I went downstairs, and Ms. Trask was trying to stay as calm as possible, but I could see she was nervous. She said a fire had started and it couldn’t be stopped. So I grabbed my box with the most good memories in it and ran off. Ms. Trask and Regan have the box. They’re going to phone my parents, but I need somewhere to stay. Ms. Trask and Regan are staying at a hotel but I need to feel at home and I was wondering if...”
“Of course!” Trixie hastily said. “Oh sorry, Moms. But she can, right?”
Moms sympathetically nodded her head in answer.
“Want to take a swim to calm you down?” Trixie said. Honey nodded her head. They ran up to get Honey a swimming suit. They picked out a nice green and blue swimming suit and set off to the lake.
Trixie and Honey arrived at the shimmering lake. For a moment, they both admired the scene. Honey had forgotten all her troubles. The lake was so beautiful. She forgot everything. How her house had burn down. How her brother wasn’t there when it happened. How much Brian not being there was.
It was a known fact that Honey and Brian had special feelings between them.
The lake took her heart away--it always had. Swimming was one of the few things she was accelerated in at school. Sure, she did good in all her subjects, but not great. Just okay.
She knew Trixie and Di wished they could be doing as well as she was, but she just didn’t feel the same way.
She and Trixie were to be detectives, but Honey needed to be good at something that her parents didn’t mind her doing as well. But she had no intention of not becoming a detective.
Honey immediately dove in. The water filled her. The coolness brushing up on her. The cold water surrounding her. It felt great. She was the best swimmer. And everyone knew it! Her head popped out of the water and she could see Trixie. Trixie was glowing. Why?
Trixie laughed at the puzzled face Honey gave her, then explained. “I was just thinking, why don’t you try out for the swimming team? You’re the best in the whole school,” Trixie boasted. “You’d probably be swim captain-you’re so good, I mean.”
Honey smiled. She was good at something, no, great at something! And Trixie was encouraging her! Honey knew she looked too gleeful, but she didn't care.
“You know, that’s not such a bad idea.” Honey said. “But you and Di have to try out!”
Trixie loved to swim, but not when she was made to! However, she knew because of what happened to Honey and her house that she should and would.
It would be fun. And, after Di heard about what happened, Trixie was sure that Di would agree.
“Sure!” Trixie enthusiastically said. She made a promise. From now on she was going to dedicate herself to making Honey happy.
Trixie dove in. When Trixie got in, she splashed Honey accidentally, then Honey, as revenge, splashed her back.
With that, both girls started that game and didn’t notice that someone was watching them--or anything else around them.
“Hey, Honey, Trixie. I just got back from Europe. Can I come in?” Di didn’t wait for an answer. She jumped in gracefully.
“I just remembered that I haven’t put sunscreen on.” Honey got out of the lake and walked back to where her towel was.
“Di...something terrible happened...” and Trixie told her about the mansion burning down. “So we need to try out for the swimming team.”
When Di still looked confused, Trixie added, "To make Honey happy, I mean.”
Di agreed with the plan.
“Hi!” Honey said, getting back in.
“You know what would be fun? Trying out for the swimming team! I mean we all swim around here, practically always, so we’d probably be some of the best-especially you, Honey!” feigned Di as though it had just come to her mind.
“Wow! Trixie and I were thinking the same thing! We’re like sisters! We can read each other minds!” Honey said, surprised.
It was no surprise Honey believed Di had come up with that idea instead of Trixie.
Di was known as a great actress. She could be so mad she wanted to break a lamp or bang on the walls or even go into a tantrum, but she would just pretend she was happy. It was very amazing. (And people wonder why Mart has a place in his heart reserved for her, wink-wink!)
“Race, you guys!” Di said, not acting anymore.
“Okay, but I get a head start!” exclaimed Trixie.
“And you are trying out for the swimming team? So, when you battle a person, you’re gonna say, 'Can I have a head start?' And you expect them to say, 'Sure, go ahead'?” teased Honey.
But both Honey and Di agreed to let Trixie get a head start, although Trixie knew Honey was going to ‘win’ her as a certain boy of six sometimes said.
“On your mark. Set...Giraffe!” giggled Honey.
“I’ll take that as go, Miss Wheeler!
And Trixie was off. After 5 seconds, Di and Honey were swimming fast to catch up with her. Because of the head start, Di finished last, but Honey first despite it.
“Miss Wheeler, I have no clue how you can swim that fast! I didn’t even finish first, yet I’m as tired as...well...tired!” Trixie told Honey.
“Yes, I agree with Miss Belden. How do you finish first and yet still be up for another race?” said Diana.
“Well, Miss Belden and Miss Lynch, the water was in favor of me as usual, just like pulchritude favors Di and wildness to Trixie,” concluded Honey.
Trixie feigned mock terror. “Miss Wheeler! Bite your tongue! Must you become a clone of Mart?” And she put the back of her hand against her temple.
Di laughed, and Honey grinned.
“Yes, I shouldn’t hang as much with Mart, seeing as--” Honey’s grin began to stretch--“Di would want to take my place.”
Di forced Honey’s head down.
“Miss Wheeler, may I remind you that you seem to do exactly the same in science, although Brian is teaching you. If you do not study, then what, ‘pray tell’,” quoted Di, “are you doing with Mr. Brian Belden?”
Honey flushed a deeper color than Di had and threw some water at her.
All Trixie did was laugh uncontrollably, which seemed to be the wrong thing to do.
Both Di and Honey looked at Trixie with mischievous grins. “Why, Miss Belden did you say goodbye to Mr. Frayne and not to your brothers?” they both said.
“Because you guys were hogging them up!” retorted Trixie, feeling her anger/sadness rise. Why did they have to bring him up? Trixie thought.
At the sight of Trixie’s unhappy face, both Di and Honey apologized.
Usually she would hate for anyone to try to comfort her, but they were her friends so, who cared? She let them comfort her and even let out some silent tears.
Trying to get Trixie from feeling sad, Di said, “Oh! That Debbie. She’s a horrible person, but she is just a waste to our precious minds!”
“Let’s not waste our time on her!” Honey added.
Trixie had to admit the way her friends were trying to cheer her up...and they all started to giggle when they saw each other’s faces.
Trixie finally said, “Honey is probably staying for the week, and since your parents are going somewhere, why don’t you stay the week, too? It would be more fun, you know!” Trixie begged. “Come on! Moms wouldn’t care.”
To Be Continued