Another See-crud

Thirty minutes later, Trixie was on her way up to Jim's college, wearing one of the new outfits.  Her father has almost flipped out when he saw the form-fitting jeans and the low V-neck shirt, but was quickly distracted by his wife's suggestion that they take a walk to “their place” leaving Bobby in Mart’s care.

    Trixie laughed as she realized that her father was going to be very disappointed at his trip to “their place.”  She quickly wondered which building it was, hoping it wasn’t the clubhouse, but then tried to think about something, anything else.

    That led her to think about the rest of the conversation with her mother.  She knew her mother was right, but she really felt uncomfortable talking to Jim about sex.  After all, Trixie wasn’t even sure how she felt about sex.

    Well, I guess I should determine how I feel about it before talking to Jim about it.  I know that I definitely am not ready right now, even though I have to admit I really, really enjoy kissing Jim.  And that night in his bedroom, I was almost prepared to go further than that.  But not sex.  There are plenty of other things we can do first.

    Even in the car by herself, Trixie blushed at the thought of those things.

    So I know I’m not ready now. And I know Moms and Dad would prefer if we waited until we’re married, but God, that’s years off.  I don’t think I can wait THAT long.  And gleeps, Jim is two years older than I am, so I can’t expect him to wait that long either.  I wonder if he’s just waiting until I’m legally allowed to have sex.  But I kinda think 17 is too young too, that’s only four months from now.  Maybe 18.  Yeah, that’s over a year from now.  And I’ll be almost graduating high school…and technically an adult as well.

    OK, 18 it is.  I hope that’s not too long for him to wait.  Hell, I hope that’s not too long for me to wait. 

    Noticing that the turn-off for the college was coming up, Trixie started to head over to the right lane.  Once she was safely in the exit lane, she allowed her thoughts to wander again.

    I’m glad that Moms is so cool.  Not only wanting me to be safe, but I loved shopping with her too.  I can’t believe the outfits we got.  And I do look almost sexy in them.  I, Trixie Belden, look sexy.  Who would have thought? I guess Jim would have.  I can’t believe he’s been waiting since I was thirteen to start dating me.  I can’t believe that my father told him that I couldn’t date until then…and that neither of them told me.  God, I hate it when men try and control me and my life! And then they didn’t even bother to tell me what THEY have decided for me.  I can’t STAND it!

    The closer Trixie got to the college, the angrier she got.  By the time she pulled into the parking lot, she was livid.  She ran to Jim and Brian’s dorm, managing to catch the door as one of the residents was leaving.  She blushed as she realized he was checking her out, having it confirmed when he yelled out, “Damn baby!  Too bad I’m leaving.”

    In the lobby, Trixie waited impatiently for the elevator, repeatedly hitting the up button.  When the elevator finally came, she hit the button for the third floor, cursing when she realized that’s where Jim lived last year, and then hit the button for the fifth floor.  After rooming together for two years, Jim and Brian had decided not be roommates in order to experience campus life on their own a bit.  Trixie silently gave thanks for that, she would prefer not to have to face her big brother this evening.

    Storming off the elevator, she knocked determinedly on Jim’s door.  A few seconds later, Jim opened up the door, his face first showing surprise at seeing Trixie, then astonishment at what she was wearing, and finally joy that she was there.

    That joy quickly faded when he realized that she was very, very angry. 

    “Um…hi, Trixie. What are you doing here?”

    “We need to talk.”

    Like every man out there, Jim’s heart sank at that phrase. He couldn’t think of any other sentence that could strike fear at a man’s heart as much as those four words.  Motioning her to sit on the bed, he sat next to her and braced himself.

    “OK, what about?”

    Trixie sat down, but immediately shot back up again and started pacing.  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that my father had talked to you.  I mean, how dare you both decide something like that without consulting me?  And then not even bother telling me about it afterwards?  I mean, do you realize how that made me feel?”  She turned to face him, obviously expecting an answer.

    Jim was panicking.  His mind was furiously racing, trying to figure out exactly what the hell Trixie was talking about.  So he did what any man would do.

    “Umm…I’m sorry.”

    That seemed to work a little, at least it caused her to continue talking so that he could try to figure out what this was all about.

    “God, Jim.”  Trixie paused while she tried to calm down and not cry.  “I thought you had decided you had made a mistake, that you weren’t attracted to me after all.  I figured you never meant to give me the bracelet.”

    The light bulb went off in Jim’s head.  He jumped off the bed and grabbed Trixie’s arms.

    “Wait, you’re talking about three years ago?  After Iowa?”

    Trixie pulled away.  “Yes, I mean three years ago.  Why?  Have you been having other conversations with my father about my future?”

    “What?  No! Are you actually upset at the fact that your dad told me that I had to wait until you were 16 before we started dating?”

    “Yes, James, I’m talking about that – that discussion that somehow I wasn’t invited to.  I can’t BELIEVE you didn’t tell me about that.”

    “What? Me? I mean … I guess … I figured your father talked to you about it.”

    “No, he didn’t.  I had no idea what happened.”

    “But you stopped wearing the bracelet.”

    Trixie stopped pacing and stared at Jim.  “But I only did that cause you didn’t take any more steps or even act like you were interested in me.”  Looking guilty, she added, “And cause Diana and Honey kept teasing me when I wore it.”

    Jim looked at Trixie in shock. “You mean your father never told you that he told me to wait?  That we were too young?”  He sank down on the bed.  “Oh God, Trixie, then you must have thought I was a first class jerk.”

    Trixie sat down next to him, “No, I just thought you weren’t attracted to me.  I thought you had decided that you had made a mistake.”

    Jim grabbed Trixie’s hand.  “Oh God no, Trixie.  I was definitely attracted to you.  I have ALWAYS been attracted to you.”

    “Really?”

    “Really,” Jim replied, softly and sincerely.

    Trixie bounded back up again, unable to sit still. “When?  When did you know you were attracted to me?”

    “Seriously, Trixie?”  Jim paused for a moment.  “The day we met.  It was after we fought that first time and I had stormed off.  I remember thinking ‘God, now I’ll never get to kiss her.’  And then I tried to figure out where the hell that thought came from…what’s so funny?”

    Trixie had started laughing about mid-way through Jim’s speech.  Catching her breath again, she smiled at Jim.

    “Because that was the first time I realized I was attracted to you too.  I had just thought to myself, ‘Oh, God, why did I just say that?  Now he’s angry and will never want to kiss me.’  And at the time I couldn’t believe that I had thought that.”

    Jim stood up and took Trixie in his arms.  “Great minds think alike, I guess.  And I really am sorry that your father didn’t tell you that we had to wait before we started dating, Trixie.  I never realized you didn’t know.  I was definitely still attracted to you and I DEFINITELY didn’t think I had made a mistake.  I made a lot of mistakes out in Iowa, but giving you that bracelet was not one of them.”

    Trixie smiled and got up on her tiptoes to kiss Jim.  Jim found this very agreeable, but after a few minutes, he managed to rationalize to himself that it must be completely uncomfortable for Trixie to stand on her tiptoes and started leading her to his bed.

    Trixie stopped him.

    “Wait, Jim, there’s more that we need to talk about.”

    Jim’s heart sank once more.  He sat down and looked up expectantly at Trixie.

    Trixie wasn’t sure where to start.  She tried to begin, but stopped.  She started talking again, stopped again, looked blankly around the room, and finally sighed.

    “Maybe this isn’t the best place to talk about this.  Can we go to the coffee shop or something?”

    Jim nodded and grabbed a jacket.  Looking at Trixie, he also grabbed a sweater and handed it to her.

    “What’s this for?  I have a jacket.”

    “I’d just prefer if you’d cover up a bit, Trixie. That shirt’s a bit revealing, don’t you think?”

    Trixie smiled coyly, ignored the sweater, and walked out the door.  Jim sighed and followed her, although he admired the view as he went.


    After ordering a hot cocoa for Trixie and a coffee for himself, Jim sat down at the booth Trixie had picked out.  He noticed that she had chosen a seat far away from any other diners.  Once again, he braced himself for a serious conversation.

    “So, Trixie, what did you want to talk about?”

    “Ummm…well, actually, what I wanted to talk about is…”  Suddenly, Trixie started giggling.

    “What’s so funny?” Jim asked Trixie, trying desperately not to sound exasperated.

    “The song that’s on, it’s just so…so…appropriate.”

    Jim listened to the song coming from the speakers.  He realized it was a rap song, turning red as he made out the lyrics to Salt-n-Pepa’s song “Let’s Talk about Sex.”

    “Well, I guess I know what you want to talk about, Trixie.  But why is this better than back in my room?”

    “Do you really think it’s a good idea to talk about sex in your bedroom, Jim?”

    “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to talk about this…about sex, at all, Trixie.”

    “I disagree, Jim.  I think we should talk about it.  I think we both need to establish what we are comfortable with now, rather than in the heat of the moment.”

    Jim closed his eyes as he visualized what he would be comfortable with.  He was already having a difficult time focusing on their conversation, what with the cleavage Trixie’s shirt revealed.  But to be talking about sex…

    “Trix, I think we are a long way off from having sex so maybe we can just have this conversation when it’s more relevant.”

    “How do you know that’s what I want, Jim?”

    Jim’s eyes flew open and he stared at Trixie.  “You can’t be serious, Trix, you don’t want to have sex now, Trixie, it’s too soon, your dad would kill us, we really shouldn’t, it’s not a good…”

    Trixie reached across the table and placed her fingers on Jim’s mouth to shut him up.

    “Jim, I’m not ready to have sex yet.  But you didn’t really KNOW that.  I mean, we haven’t talked about sex at all.”

    “I don’t think that’s a bad thing, Trixie.”

    “What? Are you afraid if we talk about it, we’re more likely to do it?”

    Jim let out a sigh.  “I just think the less we think about it, the better.”

    “Do you think about it?”  Trixie asked.

    Jim raised an eyebrow at her.  “Trixie, I’m a normal, heterosexual 18-year-old man.  Of COURSE, I think about it.”

    “With me?”

    “Yes, with you,” he stated firmly.  “Only with you.”

    Trixie smiled at Jim and took a sip of the cocoa, looking around at the other students.  Idly, she wondered how many of them were already having sex.  Remembering her conversation with her mother, she put that thought out of her head, she shouldn’t compare herself to others.

    “Well, when do you think it would be appropriate to have sex, Jim?”

    Jim put his head on the table, wanting to be anywhere but here having this conversation.  He was definitely going to be taking a cold shower tonight.  Not for the first time, he wished he had a less persistent girlfriend.  But since they both appreciated honesty…

    Raising his head up and looking Trixie in her eyes, he answered, “I think it would be appropriate when both you and I are comfortable with the decision.  My biggest concern is that I’d never, ever want to do something that either you or I would regret in the morning.”

    Trixie nodded her head thoughtfully. “I agree with that.  But I noticed you didn’t give much of a time frame on that though.”

    “Well, I don’t know if it’s something that we can really define by time.  I mean, I can assure you that it won’t be before you are 17, because I know I’d regret that one if your dad found out.  I’m really not too interested in jail.”

    “No, a jail record wouldn’t be good for starting your school, would it?”

    Jim looked shocked. “Hell, I'd never thought about that.”

    “OK, so we’ve established not before 17.  What else?”

    “Hey, I’ve said what I think, now it’s your turn, Beatrix.”

    Trixie took another drink of her cocoa.  She noticed that Jim was finally relaxing a bit, leaning back in the booth and taking a sip of his coffee.

    “Well, I definitely agree that we shouldn’t before I’m 17, I’d hate to see you go to jail.  Although I promise I’d visit.”

    Jim rolled his eyes.  “Thanks, Trix.”

    “And there’s a part of me that would love to say that I would wait until I’m married.” Trixie watched Jim closely as she said that and noted with amusement the look of panic in his eyes that he tried to conceal. “But honestly, I don’t think I can wait that long.  Could you?”

    “No, probably not.  I figured we’d wait until you’ve graduated college until even thinking about marriage.” 

    Trixie noted with satisfaction that Jim was already “figuring” on when they would get married.

    “I personally would prefer to wait until I was at least 18, then I’d be an adult.  But honestly, Jim, there are times when we’re kissing that I wonder if we’ll even make 17.”

    Once again, Jim closed his eyes.  Yup, can’t wait for that cold shower.

    “Trixie, I know we both agree that honesty is the best policy, but there are some times when I wish you’d be a little less honest.”

    “Well, one of us has to be honest in this conversation, Jim.”

    “I AM being honest, Trix.  I’ve admitted I’ve thought about having sex with you...hell, I’ve thought about it A LOT.  I’m definite that we are waiting until at least 17 and I would like our first time to be something special and not something we just jump into. But I don’t think we should sit here and get our appointment books out and make a date for it.  That’s seems a bit calculating, don’t you think?”

    Trixie looked at Jim. Damn, is he sexy when he’s angry.  So passionate.

    “I’ll agree, Jim, writing it on a calendar might be a bad idea.  After all, how hard would it be to explain the words hot, passionate sex to our parents?”

    Jim jerked back at that statement.

    “Trixie, now you’re just teasing.  I hate it when you tease.”

    “Do you?”  Trixie asked, as she brought her foot up and caressed his calf.

    “Dammit, Trixie!”  Jim got up and grabbed Trixie's hand, pulling her up and dragging her out of the coffee shop.  A short and brisk walk to Jim’s dorm was done completely in silence.  He only released her when they got back into his room.  Shutting the door, Jim turned around and glared at Trixie.

    “Ok, Trixie, let’s get something straight.  We have just agreed that regardless of the exact date, we have to wait at least four months, probably over a year before we even consider having sex, right?”

    Trixie nodded.

    “Then perhaps it’s not a good idea to tease me, OK?  It’s hard enough to control myself when you’re around, but then you wear clothes that look this damned good on you, and you say and do things like that.  It’s almost impossible.  I am TRYING to be good.”

    Trixie was in a battle with herself.  Part of her wanted to apologize to Jim and promise not to do anything like that again, but part of her wanted to attack this very sexy, angry Jim and give him an outlet for his frustration.  But with her mother’s advice fresh in her mind, she decided on the first idea…well, sort of.  There was no way she was going to make any silly promises.

    “I’m sorry, Jim.  I shouldn’t tease you but, honestly, I guess I enjoy seeing you lose control a bit.  You’re always so much in control.”

    Jim snorted his disbelief, “Not with you I’m not.  I’ve never been in control with you.”

    Trixie smiled to herself.  “Alright, well, I’ll TRY to behave myself.  But you’re so much fun to play with, Jim.”

    Jim’s thoughts went in the gutter with that comment.  Oh yeah, Trixie, I’d love for you to play with me.  Definitely needing that cold shower.

    Trixie looked at the clock and gasped, “Oh, God, I’ve got to get back home, tomorrow’s a school day.”

    “I’ll walk you out, Trixie.”

    “Wait a minute though.  I just wanted to thank you for, well, talking to me tonight.  I know it was a very, very uncomfortable conversation.”  You should have heard the earlier one I had with my mother, Trixie thought. “But this was important to me, to us.”

    “Trixie, if you think it is important, then it’s important to me.  You’re important to me.  And yes, it was a good conversation, I guess.  We know where both of us stand on this topic.” Jim looked at the floor and then back at Trixie. “So, you want to wait until you’re 18, huh?” 

    “Yeah, at least 18.  Is that OK?”

    “If that’s what you want, than yes.  We will wait until you are at least 18.  I’ve waited to date you, I’ll wait to make love to you.  And Trixie, I’m so sorry you didn’t know why I was waiting until you were 16 to ask you out.  I really did think your father had talked to you about it.”

    “That’s OK, I’m sure Moms yelled at him plenty for that.  Anyway, I’d better be going. If I don’t leave in the next ten minutes, I’m going to miss my curfew.”

    “Right, then you should go, Trixie.” Jim stepped to open the door, but was immediately distracted by Trixie’s lips on his.


    Thirty minutes later, Trixie was definitely going to be late getting home and Jim was definitely heading up to a cold shower.  After a quick goodbye where they wished each other “Happy three-month anniversary” at the same time, they finally parted.

    Trixie smiled as she drove home, even with the impending trouble she’d be in for being late.  But this had been a very, very revealing day.




Author’s notes: 
January 2005

These characters are not my own and no profit is being made from their usage.  Thanks as always to Random House for their “loan” of the characters.

The flashback scene is from my story,"I know a see-crud.”

Trivia Fact for the Day:
    Although Moms and the other mothers take their daughters to the doctor, in the State of New York, they actually don’t have to be there.  According to the Planned Parenthood site, “Currently, there are no laws in any state, including New York State, that require parental consent or notification if someone under the age of 18 wants to get birth control. In fact, New York State has confidentiality laws that prohibit providers from telling parents if a minor has received any family planning services, including birth control and abortion.”

     This story is not advocating the use of birth control, but I think that Moms would want to have her children protected as best as she can.  After all, she really is too young to be a grandmother. :)

    And talking about mothers, I have a confession.  I try not to Mary Sue (Definition: Mary Sue is any original or deeply altered character who represents a slice of his/her creator's own ego), but I have to admit that when Moms tries to tell a story and can’t stop laughing; that is totally based on my mother.  I love hearing her tell jokes, the giggling is funnier than the punchline ever is.

As always, thanks to my wonderful editor, Jenn, for her assistance.  Thanks also to Pat and David for their insights into parental behavior, from a daughter and a father perspective, respectively.