Bob-White Cave

   
     
    “You are all just so brave,” Linnie breathed. “Going to the rescue that poor man.”
    “Not all of us,” Honey said sweetly, gathering the plates they’d used for the cake Mrs. Moore had served as a dessert.
    Brian Belden threw his golden-haired friend a look. She didn’t sound like herself.
    “I’ve learned my niece and her friends sometimes act first and think later, “Andy Belden said with a shake of his head. “Still, I can’t help but be proud.”
    “Oh, it was nothing, was it, gang?” Trixie said.
    “We just did what anyone would do,” Jim added.
    “Almost anyone,” Honey added, grabbing the last of the plates and heading for the kitchen.
    Brian hesitated a moment before getting up and following his friend.

    Honey was filling the sink with hot water and adding detergent.
    “Everything okay?” he asked.
    “Sure, why wouldn’t it be?”
    It was not a characteristically Honey response, and Brian crossed the room grabbing a dish-towel, more certain than ever that something was up.
    “I’m fine thanks,” Honey said. “You can go back to the others.”
    “I want to help.”
    “Well, I don’t need your help,” Honey said. “Even I can manage a few dishes without assistance.”
    “Of course, you can. You can do anything you put your mind to. You’re a very capable young woman.” He was not sure where this was coming from, but obviously something was up when the sweetest, most thoughtful Bob-White was talking this way.
    “Am I?” Honey frowned as if she was considering the idea. “I have some uses, I suppose. I mean, maybe someone needs their jeans mended or shirt buttons replaced.”
    “You’re good a lot of other things apart from sewing,” Brian said slowly.
    “I do have nice handwriting and I’ve been told I’m tactful.”
    “Honey, I’m not sure if we, if I’ve done something to upset you, but…” Brian trailed off as the pieces came together in his mind, forming a suddenly clear picture. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to stay with the boat today.”
    “Someone had to stay,” Honey returned quite calmly.
    “Yes, they did. We wouldn’t have been able to rescue the man otherwise. But I get why you might be mad.”
    “I’m not mad, just resigned,” Honey said. “Sometimes I wonder whether there’s any point to me opening an agency with Trixie when we grow up. She obviously doesn’t need me for anything. Or trust me to take care of things.”
    “That’s not true, Honey. I’d be worried sick about the idea of Trixie becoming a detective if I didn’t know she’d have you to keep things on track.”
    “If, she ever listened to me or thought I might know something, or be able to do anything.”
    “Trixie pays more attention to you than she does to most people. And she’s always raving about how good you are at lots of things.”
    “Things she doesn’t like to do. I’m a better swimmer than any of you,” Honey said, finally getting to the heart of her issue.
    “That’s true. You are.”
    “So why did I end up with the boat? I was half way through removing my shoes and Trixie was in the water. I know you or Jim had to go in because you’re the strongest, but…” she trailed off. “Just ignore me. I know it isn’t really important.”
    “It is important, and you definitely have a point. Do you want me to talk to Trix?”
    “No. No! It’s a waste of time anyway. I’m being silly. I think I’ll turn in early. Just let me finish up here.”
    “I’ll dry,” Brian said resuming his work with the dish-towel.
    Honey shook her head. She could feel tears forming in her eyes and did not want him to see. “Please, Brian, I just need to be on my own for a while.”
    “Okay. If you’re sure.”
    “I am.”

    Brian went back to the living room where Linnie had set up a game of Monopoly.
    “Does Honey need a hand in the kitchen?” she asked.
    “No, she’s got everything under control,” Brian returned.
    “Everything okay?” Jim asked.
    “Sure.”
    “Come and sit by the fire, Brian. You were in that water today too, we wouldn’t want you to catch cold.” Andy Belden shifted over and waved his nephew into the spot closest to the merrily burning fire.
    “It sure was cold, but it was exciting too,” Trixie said.
    “You should never have gone in,” Brian said before he could stop himself. “It was brave, Sis, but it wasn’t necessary. There were better swimmers on hand. Sometimes the best thing to do is to leave things to someone else.”
    The others all looked at him in surprise.
    “Sorry, Brian. I guess I didn’t think,” Trixie looked puzzled and a little hurt.
    Jim reached for her hand and shot his best friend a look.
    “I didn’t mean to criticize you. I just…you don’t have to do everything yourself. We’re all here too. You can count on us.”
    “Oh gosh, I know that,” Trixie said, sounding relieved. “What’s taking Honey so long? Will I go and hurry her up?”
    “No,” Brian said. “She said she wanted an early night. Just leave her be.” He watched as the other teenagers exchanged looks. Who says, we don’t need you, Honey?
He thought. Your tact would come in handy round about now. “Let’s play. Trix, you throw first.”

    Honey carefully washed her face and rubbed some of the moisturizer her mother had given her, into her skin. ‘It’s never too early to start looking after your skin.’ Madeleine had told her daughter. Honey actually enjoyed the simple ritual, but then she liked structure and routine; they made her feel safe. It was funny though. There had been plenty of that at camp and she’d hated it.
 Moving to Sleepyside had given her a freedom she’d only dreamed of, but still…she just wasn’t as adventurous as Trixie and there was nothing she could do about that. And resenting the person who’d helped turn her life from miserable to wonderful was not just ridiculous it was downright mean.
    Honey ran a brush through her shoulder length hair and slipped in between the covers. Maybe the problem was, that she’d grown used to her new life: a home instead of just a house or an apartment, a family instead of just people she was accidentally related to, and friends who loved her. She finally belonged. And now, it seemed, she wanted more. She wanted to be important, to have her abilities recognized and appreciated. Did that make her a bad person?

    She was relieved it had been Brian who came after her. Brian Belden, quieter than his siblings: smart, serious, caring, gorgeous, a little voice in her head whispered. She knew she had a crush on her best friend’s oldest brother, and a part of her suspected that other people knew too. But Brian did treat her as if she were special. It was his arm that had wrapped around her during the storm earlier, his arms she’d danced in at Diana’s Valentine’s day party and his hand she’d held on the flight back from Iowa. And he often did simple, thoughtful things for her. But today, he’d acted just like the rest of the Bob-Whites: ‘Stay with the boat, Honey’.

    Most of the time; make that almost all of the time, she admired Trixie’s courage, but today it had made her aware that while her friend was undoubtedly brave, she rarely considered the consequences of her actions. But who was responsible for what happened on the river? Trixie might have jumped in without thinking, but she had thought too long. When she and Trixie were searching for Jim, they had both charged towards the lake when Sally Darnell was in trouble, but Trixie had left that rescue to her. It hadn’t been dramatic, but it had made Honey feel as if she could take care of things. What had changed?
Knowing that going around and around in circles was not going to help, Honey picked up her book from the night table and began to read.
    And hour or later the door opened. “Hey, you missed a good game,” Trixie said, as she began undressing for bed.
    “I just felt like getting into bed early and reading.”
    “What were you and Brian talking about in the kitchen? I hope you behaved yourselves,” Trixie waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Oh, wait, I forgot, it was Brian.”      
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Honey demanded. “Don’t you ever think before you speak or act?”
    “What?” Trixie stopped mid button. “I was just joking.” She knew Honey liked her oldest brother, just like Honey knew that Jim was special to Trixie.
    “Not everything is funny,” Honey said softly. “Not everything is about you.”
    Trixie’s blue eyes filled with tears. Honey was almost never angry or cross. And she never said mean things to any of them- even when they deserved it. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice cracking.
    Honey looked up, saw the tears, and felt guilt gnawing at her. “I’m sorry too. I guess I’m just tired and cranky.”
    “I know I’ve been a bit pushy about looking for the ghost fish,” Trixie said. She knew that sometimes Honey just wanted a nice peaceful vacation.
    “It’s fine.” Part of Honey wanted to be honest. The other part was unsure how her friend would react. Maybe, Trixie would tell her what she most feared hearing- that she wasn’t needed. As if she could read her mind, Trixie, dressed only in her underwear, ran across the room and threw her arms around her.
    “I was a grump the other day too. Complaining about everything. I don’t know what we’d do without you, Hon. You always do or say something to make everything seem better.”
    Honey smiled and returned the hug. Maybe she was never going to be the one who performed the rescues- even when she was the most qualified- but she did matter and she was loved and that was definitely something.   


Author's notes: For some reason it always bothered me in this story that Honey was left with the boat. Her swimming prowess is so clearly established, that it just seemed...nuts. Anyway, at some point I decided it bothered Honey too, and wrote this little piece.
Word count: 1760
Disclaimer: Trixie et al belong to Random House and not to me. No profit is being made from these scribblings.