Don’t get me wrong, I think my sister is the best detective in the whole wide world. I’ve heard there’s some other girl detective, but I know that Trixie’s better than her.
But even though Trixie can chase down crooks, and figure out clues, and can tell when someone’s lying (especially me), there just seems to be one thing she can’t figure out. It’s like she is wearing those things that Regan told me that horses wear sometimes . Blinders, I think they’re called.
And that’s about Jim. She just can’t seem to figure out that he likes her.
I mean, of course he likes her as a friend, she knows that. They are co-presidents of the Bob-Whites, after all. I mean that he likes her likes her. Likes her like a boy likes a girl.
I’m only eight years old, and I can tell that Jim likes Trixie. All the signs are there. For example, he likes to tug on her curls. And pulling on hair is a classic sign that a boy likes a girl. Like, at school, Terry likes this one girl and he’s always pulling her pigtail. Of course, sometimes he pulls her hair so hard that Laura cries, but he only does it because he likes her.
Besides, even if I didn’t notice Jim pulling Trixie’s hair, or all the attention he pays her, I have even better evidence. About a year ago, I overheard my Daddy talking to Jim. Daddy asked Jim to have a talk when Trixie stayed late at school working on one of her projects. I wanted to know what they were talking about, so I snuck down to the laundry room. See, if you climb up on the washer and put your ear up to the heating vent, you can hear everything that goes on in the office. I saw Mart do that one day, and even got a free comic book out of it when he paid me not to tell anyone he had done it.
Anyway, I was able to overhear the entire conversation.
“Jim, I definitely understand why you are… attracted to my daughter,” Daddy said. “After all, she does look just like her mother did at that age.”
They both laughed, although Jim’s laughter sounded a bit nervous.
Then Daddy started using his somber voice. “However, I do think that you’re both a little young to get serious.”
“But Mr. Belden,” Jim interrupted. “It’s not like I’ve… we’ve actually done anything. I respect Trixie far too much to try anything she’s not ready for.”
“I’m not talking about physical action, James. If I thought you had touched my daughter, I would not be sitting here talking to you. Or if I were, I’d be talking to you from the other side of a shotgun.” Daddy laughed a little, but he didn’t sound amused.
More nervous laughter from Jim.
“I’m
talking about the bracelet you gave her in
“Well, sir, I just wanted…” Jim cleared his throat. “I needed to tell Trixie that she’s my special girl, especially after everything we went through during the flood.”
I thought that was really sweet. Because Trixie is special. She’s the best sister in the whole world.
“I can understand that, Jim,” Daddy said. “But right now, her mother and I feel that Trixie is too young to jump into a serious relationship. She should have the chance to meet other boys as well. Do you understand me, Jim?”
“Yes, sir. I suppose you are right… for now,” Jim paused before quickly blurting out. “But don’t be surprised if six or seven years later, I’m in this room having a different discussion with you.”
Jim must have walked out of the room cause I heard the shutting of the door and then a really big sigh from Daddy.
After that, Jim and Trixie just acted like friends and Jim didn’t give her any more presents or anything. But Trixie never seemed to hang out with other guys other than those in the Bob-Whites.
And at Brian and Jim’s graduation picnic a year later, I figured out why.
We had a huge barbecue at Crabapple Farm. I mean huge. Moms and Trixie had spent the entire week cooking because we had invited everyone. Well, Moms said it felt like everyone. All of our relatives were there, of course, but also everyone that Brian and Jim had met during the past few years of adventures with Trixie. Like Linnie Moore; Sally, Billy, and Bob Wellington; Peter Kimball; Barbara and Bob Hubbell; and almost everyone from Sleepyside Junior/Senior High School. Everyone was hanging out in the backyard, having a great time talking and eating.
But after Daddy turned on some music and everyone began dancing on the floor that Daddy and Mart had built, I noticed something funny. I saw lots of boys, like Ned Schultz or Peter Kimball, start heading over to Trixie, maybe to ask her to dance or something, when for some reason, they’d peel away at the last second and either ask another girl or head over to the drink table.
I pointed this out to Larry and Terry and all three of us began to watch for clues. It was Larry who first noticed that Jim, when he wasn’t dancing with Trixie, was standing behind her chair. And whenever one of the other boys would get too close to Trixie, he’s casually place his hand on the back of her chair and glare meanly at them. Believe me, it was a mean glare. Even I was scared. Cause you know, Jim’s a big guy and I wouldn’t want Jim to get mad at me.
I think the other boys must have thought the same thing, because no one was taking the risk of asking Trixie to dance.
We watched this happen again and again throughout. When Trixie and Honey went into the house, we followed them, wondering if any other boy would be smart enough to follow her inside and away from Jim.
However, it appeared that Larry, Terry and I were the only boys smart or brave enough to think of that one.
“Hey Trix, how’s it going?” I asked when I met up with Trixie in the kitchen.
“It’s going okay, I just can’t believe that Jim and Brian are graduating. I’m going to miss them so much when they go off to college,” Trixie said, looking over at Honey with a sad look on her face.
“Me too,” Honey said quietly.
“But, hey, maybe if Jim wasn’t around anymore, the other guys could ask you to dance,” Larry blurted out. I poked him with my elbow.
“What?” Trixie asked with a perplexed look on her face. When no one answered, the look on her face went to one of anger. “I advise one of you brats to tell me what you meant by that and tell me now.”
You know how I mentioned how scary Jim can be? Well, Trixie can be even scarier.
“Well, we just saw that whenever another boy would start to come near you, Jim would give them a mean look. And they’d run away.”
“What?” Trixie said again. Then she sniffed and turned around. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous.” She walked outside and was immediately asked to dance, by Jim of course. They danced, and after Trixie sat down, the pattern we had noticed earlier in the party began again. A boy would think about going near Trixie, Jim would give them a hard stare, and the boy would think again.
But
this time, there was one difference.
See, Trixie might have been blind to Jim’s moves before, and she
might
not have believed us when we told her about it, but she started paying
a lot more attention.
And this time, she looked like she noticed. Again, other boys would watch her, start to walk over, and then suddenly pivot and walk away. She stared at the back of Ned Schultz as he retreated, and then ever so casually turned her head to look back at Jim. She missed seeing anything though, because Jim had already relaxed and was continuing his discussion with a very amused looking Dan.
Trixie scowled, tapped her fingers on her chair for a few seconds, and with a determined look, got up when the next slow song came on. She stood up and walked over to the drinks table and right up to Ned. Trixie quickly glanced back, just to make sure that that Jim was watching, and then asked Ned something. Ned happily nodded his head and followed Trixie in the direction of the dance floor, not that he really had a choice, since Trixie had grabbed his hand. They got out on the dance floor and Trixie, putting her arms around Ned’s neck, turned her back on Jim.
Terry, Larry, and I hurried to look back at Jim, curious to see his reaction. He was turning a bit red, and was giving Ned a very, very threatening look. We looked back toward Trixie where Ned was beginning to look a bit uncomfortable under the heat of Jim’s stare, but bravely continued dancing with Trixie until the song was just about to end.
And then Trixie sharply swiveled around and looked Jim dead in the face, pinning him with a glare.
Boy, did Jim know then that he had been caught. But he didn’t look away from Trixie, he even managed to hold his ground when Trixie came storming off the dance floor, leaving poor Ned in the dust. She stalked right up to Jim, grabbed his hand, and dragged him off in the direction of the orchard.
Luckily for them, Moms had picked that moment to bring out the homemade ice cream dessert and not too many people noticed Trixie and Jim leave the party, including Larry and Terry, who were starting to drool.
I had to smack Larry and Terry into action. “Come on. We can’t miss this!” I whispered as we crept away from the party and followed them into the woods.
Trixie finally stopped in an empty field behind the crabapple orchard and was pacing back and forth while Jim, looking very uncomfortable, stared at his toes. We couldn’t sneak in too close without being noticed, but luckily for us, Trixie has a problem with volume control, especially when she is upset.
“James Winthrop Frayne the Second! I can not BELIEVE you! Who the hell do you think you are? My father?”
I rolled my eyes. Boy, Trixie could sure be dense.
“What?” Jim said, looking sharply at Trixie. “Your father? No, I definitely don’t think that I’m your father.”
“Then how dare you prevent other guys from dancing with me.” Trixie stood her ground right in front of him, getting in Jim’s face as best she could considering their height difference.
“I wasn’t preventing them, Trixie,” Jim said, sounding a little angry himself now. “They could have asked you if they wanted to.”
“Sure, right. Like they’re going to do that with you’re staring at them like you’re going to kill them if they even touch me.”
Jim muttered something, but we couldn’t hear what he said. Trixie must not have heard him either.
“What did you say?” she asked.
“I said they better not touch you,” Jim said, clearly this time.
“What? Says who?” Trixie demanded.
“Says me,” Jim said firmly. “You’re mine.”
Then something happened that I can guarantee does not happen often. Trixie Belden, my sister, was speechless. Of course, it didn’t last long, but for a few precious seconds, all was quiet except for the distant sounds of the party and some owls hooting in the Preserve …and the sound of a stick snapping behind us.
Larry, Terry, and I almost jumped out of our skins. “That probably wasn’t the best way to say it, Jimbo,” someone whispered behind us.
“Dan!” I whispered back. “You scared us!”
“Shh!” He put his finger to his lips as he crouched behind us.
“I’m yours?” Trixie finally managed to stutter.
“You’re wearing my bracelet,” Jim stated, taking Trixie’s hand to finger the bracelet that rarely left her wrist. “Doesn’t it mean anything to you?” he asked her.
“Honestly, Jim, I’m not sure what it is supposed to mean,” she said, shaking her arm free. “I know what I wanted it to mean, but you haven’t done a darn thing since you gave it to me. You haven’t even tried to kiss me! I thought maybe you were waiting until I was older, but I’m fifteen now!” Trixie paused for a breath.
Jim just stared down at her.
“Come on, Jim!” Dan murmured. “This isn’t the time for words; it’s the time for action.”
Jim couldn’t have heard Dan, but he seemed to take his advice. I saw him take Trixie’s hands in his and pull her towards him right before the world went dark.
“Ewww!”
Terry and Larry whispered together. I
couldn’t see what was going on, because Dan had covered my eyes but they must have been kissing. YUCK!
By the time I knocked Dan’s hands away, Trixie and Jim weren’t kissing anymore, although Jim still had his arms around Trixie. Trixie looked slightly stunned and a bit starry-eyed.
Jim wrapped his finger around one of Trixie’s curls. “That was really nice,” he said, bending down to kiss her again. This time I was ready and turned away myself, I really don’t want to see my sister kissing. It’s icky.
“Come on, guys, let’s give them some privacy,” Dan said as he pushed the three of us back through the orchard.
Reluctantly, we headed back to the party. About twenty minutes later, right before my Daddy was about to mount a search party for Jim and Trixie, the two of them came back, holding hands and smiling.
Daddy got that “Boy-are-you-in-trouble” look in his eye, but before he could head over their direction, Moms grabbed his arm and whispered something in his ear. Moms is a good whisperer, so even though I was next to them, I could barely make out what Moms said, but it sounded like, “I was fifteen the first time we kissed too.” Which I really didn’t want to think about any more than I wanted to think about Jim and Trixie kissing.
I’m sure as heck
didn’t want to write about Jim and Trixie kissing, but
since that seemed to be what a lot of the Jixters wanted to hear, I did. I hope that everyone enjoyed all of the
see-cruds.
Authors’ notes: Again, I must thank
the lovely and brilliant Jenn for her quick edits. For some
reason that I really can't understand, I was reluctant to write this
story. ME! Reluctant to write a Jim and Trixie story.
Maybe I was channeling Bobby's ickiness for kissing stories. :)
Thanks also to Misty, AprilW, Dana, Pat
(Amygirl), Deanna (cestmoi1), claire, BethAnn, Susi, Julie G (macjest),
Mary, PatK, Wendy (scarlett), LoriD, McRuth, Cathy (and thanks as
always for Jix!), Aleta, Anna, Diana, Trish (PBahr) and Malficient for
their wonderful donations to the cause of spilling see-cruds.
And thanks to Mary and Misty, for
calculating the net worth of these see-cruds.
Thanks
also to
Random House. I want to particularly emphasize that these
characters do belong to Random House and no profit is being made by
using these characters. 100% of any money raised is being sent to
the American Red Cross with the rest of the money raised by the
absolute fabulous Jix members.
And here, with his last
opportunity to thank people, is Bobby.
My last time? *pouts* But,
I wanna stay at Jix forever.
Forget
it, you're already here longer than you were supposed to be thanks to
all these see-cruds. Hurry up.
*sigh* You're as impatient as
Trixie. If I'd knowed this was my lastest thank you, I would
haved come up with much gooder things to say.
Bobby,
this isn't an Emmy award speech (that's for tonnieb to write), so just
do your thanks.
*sniff* Okey-dokey. So, I
gots to thank Jim and Trixie for not killing me for tolding their
see-crud. And also thanks to Moms and Daddy for throwing the
party. The ice cream was really good... almost as good as when
Jenn makes me ice cream. Anyway, thanks to Dan for covering my
eyes. And thanks to Mart for showing me how to hear people
throught the vents.
And thank you to sange, and Sarah, and
scarlett, and Scarolinagirl, and ShelleighM, and sheri_b, and SJaye,
and slaurelin, and snowlion, and Spud, and Squeak, and Steph H, and
Stephanie P, and SusanB, and Susansuth, and Susi, and Suzanne, and
Sydni, and Tammy, and Tan, and TeresaOH, and The Water Witch, and
TinaS, and tonnieb, and treanna, and Trish, and Vikki, and wendy, and
Wingnut, and those are the last of the alpabet.
Can I just say that you all have some
funny names?
Thanks everybuddy for letting me play
at Jix, even if I had to told see-cruds to stay there.