Honey looked over her shoulder from her vanity table.  She grinned.  “On a record hunt, Trix?”

Trixie plopped down on Honey’s bed and grinned back.  “Definitely!  A sleepover needs music.”

Honey ran her brush through her hair.  “What are those records any way?  I don’t think I’ve looked at them in years.”

Trixie started looking through the titles and pulling out different ones.  She hooted.  “Xanadu!”

Honey smiled and said, “Well, hey!  What’s wrong with Xanadu?”

Trixie grinned at her.  Xanadu went into the “play” list.  She held up a record with a very young Barbra Streisand on it.  Her eyebrows rose.

Honey sniffed.  “If you’d ever heard He Touched Me, you’d know why I like that record.”

Trixie grinned.  “Well, by all means, let’s listen!”  She ran over to the stereo and put the record on.  The music swelled loudly as Trixie cranked the volume.

He touched me.
He put his hand near mine and then he touched me.
I felt a sudden tingle when he touched me.
A sparkle, a glow.
He knew it.  It wasn’t accidental.  No, he knew it.
He smiled and seemed to tell me so all through it.
He knew it.  I know.

Jim walked in through the door and dumped his keys on the table.  He put his duffel bag down on the floor.  “Mom?  Dad?  Honey?  Yoo hoo!  Anyone home?”  He cocked his head.  He heard strains of music coming from upstairs.  Grabbing an apple out of the fruit bowl on the counter, he grabbed his bag again and started up the stairs.

He’s real.  And the world is alive and shining.
I feel such a wonderful drive toward Valentining...
He touched me.
I simply have to face the fact he touched me.
Control myself and try to act as if I remember my name.
But he touched me.  He touched me.
And suddenly, nothing is the same.
‘Cause he touched me. He touched me.
And suddenly, nothing, nothing, nothing is the same.

As the song came to an end, Trixie looked at Honey.  “You like that song?”

Honey threw her brush across the room at Trixie.  Trixie ran over to the record and started playing the song again.  She whirled about and picked up the brush and held it like a microphone.  Standing on the bed, performing, she held the words in front of her and wailed, “He touched me!!!” She clutched at her heart and rolled her eyes dramatically.

Honey, after an initial face at Trixie, struggled to watch Trixie’s performance.  She finally ended up laughing hysterically while Trixie went through the song.

Jim threw his duffel bag in his room.  He heard the music, this time louder.  He walked over to Honey’s room and stood in the doorway.  His eyebrows rose as he saw the tail end of Trixie’s performance.  He started to grin.

“Nothing, nothing, nothing is the same!” Trixie belted out.  The music finished and Trixie bowed.  Suddenly, she realized that there was more than one person clapping.  Turning beet red, she looked up quickly to the door.  “Jim!” she shouted.  She scrambled off the bed and ran over to hug him enthusiastically.

Jim was laughing harder than ever.  He hugged Trixie back and then set her back from him, looking at her, his eyes twinkling.  “So, when are you going on the road?”

Trixie turned up her nose.  “Don’t expect front row seats.”

Jim grinned.  “I’ve seen the performance first hand already.”  He held his arms out to Honey.  “Greetings, little sister.”

Honey hugged him.  “I didn’t know you were coming home today.  Are you here for a long weekend, I hope, I hope?”

Jim nodded.  “I finished my exams early, so I thought I’d come home early.  Catch a concert or two.”  He plopped down on the floor in the doorway.  “Oh, please, continue.  I didn’t mean to interrupt.”  He waved at Trixie who still clutched the brush in her hand.

Trixie dropped the brush as if it were hot.  She grinned and sat down on the floor next to him.  “No more concerts tonight.  I may get a sore voice from the exertion.”  She cocked her head and looked at him.  “So, tell us all the exciting college stories that we’ve missed.  Brian is as closed as a clam.  Mart swears up and down that he’ll tell us all his stories when he goes.”

“Oh he does, does he?” Jim said with a smile.

Honey grinned.  “Well, we all know Mart likes to talk.  I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say.”

“Whether it’ll be worth hearing is something else entirely,” Trixie retorted.  She smiled then at Jim.  “But I’ve heard very little from you.  Is your e-mail broken?”

Jim grinned at her and pulled a sandy curl.  “No.  It isn’t.  I keep checking it.  Do I find e-mail from a Miss Belden?  Nary a one.”

Trixie grew indignant.  “What do you mean?  I sent you that e-mail telling all about that dance we all went to.”

Jim snorted.  “The ‘Hi, Jim.  Went to this great dance with Honey, Di, Mart and Dan.  Will give you all the details soon.  Love, Trixie’ e-mail?”

Trixie giggled.  “Well, I’m not exactly known for my writing.”

Honey laughed with her.  “Besides, Mr. Frayne, I didn’t see any juicy e-mails about any dances you went to.  And don’t tell me that there weren’t any.”

Trixie nodded vigorously.  “I’ll bet there were girls just flocking all over you.”  She clutched her chest dramatically.  “Jim the Stud is here.  Be still mah beating heart!”

Jim raised his eyebrows with a grin.  “Jim the Stud?”

Trixie rolled her eyes.  “I’m just quoting them.”

Honey laughed.  “Jim, tell us a story or two.  Brian’s being dreadfully close-mouthed.  Trixie and I are dying to hear about what's new.”

Jim looked from one girl to the other thoughtfully.  What could he say that they would want to hear?  Brian had strictly forbidden him to say one word to Honey about anything girl related.  “I’ve got to talk to her myself.”  He looked at Honey and wondered if Brian had talked with her yet.  Something in him wouldn’t let him talk about his dating life or lack thereof with Trixie and Honey.

“It must be good,” Trixie said to Honey in a stage whisper.  “He’s debating over how much he can tell us and how much he can get away with not telling us.”

Jim laughed, protesting, “Hey!  It’s nothing like that.”  He grinned and shrugged.  “I’ve been racking my brains trying to come up with something remotely interesting to say!”  He ticked a list off on his fingers.  “Well, we could start with Morgan’s Intro to Economics class or how about the cafeteria food that gives a new meaning to the words intestinal disturbance?  Or maybe the fire drills at three a.m.?”

Trixie wrinkled her nose.  “That sounds very nasty.  All of it.”  Her face relaxed into a grin.  “Okay.  Now tell us the fun stuff.  I’ll bet there are a ton of pretty girls from all over the country in the sororities.  Tell all!”  She leaned forward, her chin in her hand, her eyes dancing.

Honey looked from Trixie to Jim, her eyes twinkling.  Okay.  That’s what?  Twice in the past five minutes that Trixie’s tried to get out of Jim about his dating life?  Very, very interesting.  She shook her head as she recalled a conversation earlier in the week.  ”No, Honey.  I’m not interested in anyone in particular.  I mean, well, Nick Roberts is cute and all, but I don’t know.  He’s just not what I’m looking for.”  She grinned to herself.  Everyone is too short, too skinny, too dark, too indoors-y.  Gee, Trix.  Not comparing them to anyone, are we?  With nearly visible effort, she turned her attention back to Jim who had started answering Trixie.

“I considered joining one of the fraternities.”  He shrugged.  “It’d have been a great way to meet people.  But, I just have such a heavy course load.  And I don’t concentrate really well when I’m around all sorts of people.  I need to have quiet for studying.”  He grinned.  “So, I’m still dull old Jim.  Nothing too exciting.”

Honey squeezed his arm loyally.  “As if you are ever boring.”  Jim smiled at her and patted her hand.

He looked from Trixie to Honey with a smile.  “So, what’s on the agenda for this evening?  You staying overnight, Trix?”

Trixie nodded with a grin.  “Mart and Di have a hot and heavy date tonight so Di has declined to lollygag around with us free, single, under-twenty-one women.”

Jim looked at Trixie, an eyebrow raised.  “A hot and heavy date?”

Trixie giggle.  “I know.  It’s a little hard to picture Mart as our resident lothario, but since Dan’s girlfriend happens to live in Idaho, he’s all we have in the dating department.”

“No hot and heavy dates for you two?” Jim looked from one to the other with a grin.

Trixie snorted.  Honey laughed.  “As lovely as Sleepyside High is, the dating scene isn’t quite happening,” Honey said with a grin.

“Try non-existent,” Trixie retorted.  

Jim laughed.  “Oh, come on, Trix.  Nick?  Ruthie?  None of them are dating anyone?”

“Nope.” Trixie sighed.  “We’re all at home.  Every Friday and Saturday night.  The dating scene consists entirely of Mart and Diana.”

Jim hooted.  He grinned at Trixie.  “There’s a mystery for you to solve.  The Mystery of the Disappearing Dating Life at Sleepyside High.”

Trixie shook her finger at Jim.  “Enough side tracking, Jim Frayne.  Now that you’ve queried Honey and I about our pathetic love life, we get to hear all about yours.  And don’t tell me that Harvard doesn’t have a dating life.”

Jim grinned.  “Okay, I won’t tell you.  Mr. Harvard has a very good dating life.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t share with me.”

Honey laughed.  Trixie giggled.

“’Tis sad, but true.” Jim shook his head and sighed.  He rubbed his hands against his legs.  “I’m interrupting this slumber party.” He stood up.  “I’m gonna go and crash.”  He smiled at both of them.  “It’s good to be home.”

Trixie smiled back.  “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Me too, big brother!” piped Honey.

A little later that evening…

Jim had finished reading the mystery novel he’d started in the train on the way home.  It was the first non-text book he’d read in the last three months and it had felt so good.  He sighed and dumped the book on the nightstand next to his bed.  All that talk with Trixie and Honey about a dating life.  What dating life?  He mulled over the women in his classes and those he knew around campus.  What is wrong with me? He wondered to himself.  Patricia is really sweet.  Meredith is gorgeous… He sighed.  He swung his feet over to the side of the bed.  I’m gonna do something about that after I go back.  I mean, good grief!  Mart Belden is dating more than I am!  He grinned as he thought about quiet little Diana, the prettiest girl at Sleepyside High.  Mart had been after her since he was six years old.  Mart’s no dummy.

He changed into a t-shirt and boxers and rummaged through his duffel bag for his toothbrush and shaving kit.  He walked into the hallway to head toward the bathroom where he collided with Trixie who had burst out of the bathroom in her normal boisterous fashion.  Trixie ended up on the floor, the wind knocked out of her, looking up at Jim.

Jim rubbed his chest, which stung from the collision.  He looked down at Trixie, a grin on his face.  Suddenly, it was as if something hit him.  Her hair was in its normal state of disarray, blonde curls falling on her forehead, her blue eyes twinkling.  Her t-shirt was faded and worn and pulling in all the right places.  When did she get all those curves? Jim’s eyes looked her over from head to toe, lingering on her bare legs, tanned and athletic looking. He shook his head as if to clear it.

Trixie grinned at him and held up her hand.  “Sorry about that, Jim!”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, basically from instinct.  Her hand felt warm and snug in his, and suddenly he was loath to let go of it.  What was the matter with him?

“Jim?” said Trixie with a grin.  “Anyone home in there?”  She laughed.  “You must be more tired than you thought!”

Jim looked at her dumbly and then noticed he was still holding her hand.  He smiled, somewhat shyly, and dropped her hand.  “I, uh, I guess so.  You knocked the wind out of me there for a second.”  That’s an understatement if I ever heard one, Frayne.

She patted his shoulder.  “I hope you recover soon.”  With that, she walked back toward Honey’s room.  He turned to watch her go, his eyes following the curve of her hips as they swayed back and forth.  When he realized what he was doing, he groaned and turned back toward the bathroom.

He got in the bathroom and turned the cold water on and started splashing his face.  Oh, my gosh.  He looked at himself in the mirror, still in shock.  This is Trixie we’re talking about here.  One of your best friends.  His mind wandered back to her laughing smile, her blonde curls and her long legs…”Stop it!” He groaned to himself.  Great.  Now you’ve got the hots for Trixie.  What are you going to do about that?

Disclaimer:  He Touched Me is a Barbra Streisand song, copyrighted by its writers.  I have no idea if Harvard has a teacher named Morgan.  Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.  Characters are copyrighted by Golden Publishing.  Author makes no money off of this fan fiction site.

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