Read Online The Mystery off Old Telegraph Road by Julie Campbell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Julie Campbell
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that you’d left the brush unwashed and the window open, and the jar of red paint had tipped over and spilled all over the table and the top poster. It took me half an hour to clean up the mess, and there’s still a red stain on the table.”
Trixie stared at Honey open-mouthed. She tried to remember her actions of the day before. Trixie didn’t think she’d left the supplies sitting out, but she couldn’t remember putting them away, either. She didn’t even remember opening the window in the clubhouse, let alone closing it. She finally had to admit to herself that she must have left everything sitting out when she decided to go for the bike ride.
“I’m sorry, Honey,” she said in a low voice, not daring to look her friend in the eye. “I must have left the mess that you had to clean up. I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just that I was so upset about our fight. That’s all I thought about yesterday, all day long. I kept wondering whether we’d ever be friends again, and about what I’d do if we weren’t. I guess that’s why I forgot to put things away.” Trixie felt tears welling in her eyes, and her voice choked as she said, “I’m sorry you had to clean up the mess, and I’m sorry I said such awful things to you yesterday, Honey.”
“Oh, Trixie,” Honey wailed, “I’m sorry, too! I said perfectly horrid things to you. And I was just as upset yesterday as you were. I should have realized that that’s why you left the supplies sitting out. Why, do you know what I did yesterday?”
“What?” Trixie asked, still feeling tearful.
“I was trying to pretend to watch the baseball game so that my family wouldn’t know about our fight. But really I wasn’t paying any attention at all. I was just staring at the baseball field, not really seeing it, when suddenly everyone started to cheer. I saw a runner crossing home plate, and I jumped up and yelled, ’Touchdown!’”
Trixie’s tears turned to giggles. “Oh, Honey,” she gasped, “you didn’t!”
Honey nodded solemnly, then she began to giggle, too. “And that’s not all, Trixie. When I jumped up, I forgot that I had a glass of pop in my hand, and I emptied the whole glassful of cold, sticky pop on Ben’s head! You should have seen the look on his face.”
In her mind’s eye, Trixie could see the look on Ben’s face: full of anger he couldn’t vent because Honey s parents were there, and also full of confusion and bewilderment at seeing his normally poised and tactful cousin acting so foolish.
“Oh, Honey,” Trixie said between her giggles, “we don’t dare fight anymore. It’s too dangerous!”
“I agree with you, Trixie,” Honey said more seriously. “Fighting with you makes me feel too horrible. Let’s never fight again.”
“I was all set to apologize this morning,” Trixie told Honey. “Then, when you weren’t on the bus—”
“Oh, Trixie, I know,” Honey said. “Jim has decided we should start riding with Ben. He thinks it might keep him out of trouble. I had to go along with it this morning because I didn’t want Jim to know we’d had a fight. Jim’s riding home with Ben, too, but I just refused. I had to talk to you and try to straighten things out.”
“Well, everything’s straightened out now,” Trixie said emphatically. “Let’s not do anything to un- straighten it, ever again.”
“It’s a deal,” Honey said. “I’ll finish doing the direction arrows, since you started them. Then both of us can work at the sign-up booth Wednesday while the boys take the posters out and put them up. Ill call Di—she wasn’t in school today—to find out if she can help.
“Then we can—oops! Here’s my stop, Trixie. I’ll call you after supper!” Honey gathered up her books and dashed for the door of the bus.
As the bus pulled away, Honey stood in her driveway and waved good-bye to Trixie.
I feel as wonderful this afternoon as I felt awful this morning, Trixie thought as she got off the bus
Trixie stared at Honey open-mouthed. She tried to remember her actions of the day before. Trixie didn’t think she’d left the supplies sitting out, but she couldn’t remember putting them away, either. She didn’t even remember opening the window in the clubhouse, let alone closing it. She finally had to admit to herself that she must have left everything sitting out when she decided to go for the bike ride.
“I’m sorry, Honey,” she said in a low voice, not daring to look her friend in the eye. “I must have left the mess that you had to clean up. I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just that I was so upset about our fight. That’s all I thought about yesterday, all day long. I kept wondering whether we’d ever be friends again, and about what I’d do if we weren’t. I guess that’s why I forgot to put things away.” Trixie felt tears welling in her eyes, and her voice choked as she said, “I’m sorry you had to clean up the mess, and I’m sorry I said such awful things to you yesterday, Honey.”
“Oh, Trixie,” Honey wailed, “I’m sorry, too! I said perfectly horrid things to you. And I was just as upset yesterday as you were. I should have realized that that’s why you left the supplies sitting out. Why, do you know what I did yesterday?”
“What?” Trixie asked, still feeling tearful.
“I was trying to pretend to watch the baseball game so that my family wouldn’t know about our fight. But really I wasn’t paying any attention at all. I was just staring at the baseball field, not really seeing it, when suddenly everyone started to cheer. I saw a runner crossing home plate, and I jumped up and yelled, ’Touchdown!’”
Trixie’s tears turned to giggles. “Oh, Honey,” she gasped, “you didn’t!”
Honey nodded solemnly, then she began to giggle, too. “And that’s not all, Trixie. When I jumped up, I forgot that I had a glass of pop in my hand, and I emptied the whole glassful of cold, sticky pop on Ben’s head! You should have seen the look on his face.”
In her mind’s eye, Trixie could see the look on Ben’s face: full of anger he couldn’t vent because Honey s parents were there, and also full of confusion and bewilderment at seeing his normally poised and tactful cousin acting so foolish.
“Oh, Honey,” Trixie said between her giggles, “we don’t dare fight anymore. It’s too dangerous!”
“I agree with you, Trixie,” Honey said more seriously. “Fighting with you makes me feel too horrible. Let’s never fight again.”
“I was all set to apologize this morning,” Trixie told Honey. “Then, when you weren’t on the bus—”
“Oh, Trixie, I know,” Honey said. “Jim has decided we should start riding with Ben. He thinks it might keep him out of trouble. I had to go along with it this morning because I didn’t want Jim to know we’d had a fight. Jim’s riding home with Ben, too, but I just refused. I had to talk to you and try to straighten things out.”
“Well, everything’s straightened out now,” Trixie said emphatically. “Let’s not do anything to un- straighten it, ever again.”
“It’s a deal,” Honey said. “I’ll finish doing the direction arrows, since you started them. Then both of us can work at the sign-up booth Wednesday while the boys take the posters out and put them up. Ill call Di—she wasn’t in school today—to find out if she can help.
“Then we can—oops! Here’s my stop, Trixie. I’ll call you after supper!” Honey gathered up her books and dashed for the door of the bus.
As the bus pulled away, Honey stood in her driveway and waved good-bye to Trixie.
I feel as wonderful this afternoon as I felt awful this morning, Trixie thought as she got off the bus
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