Will You Be Mine?

Author’s Note:  Trixie Belden® is the registered trademark of Random House. This story is not for profit. 

This story occurs as the first in my past universe and would occur just after #22 Trixie Belden and the Mystery at Mead's Mountain.  The events in this story are also referred to in "Lessons in Chemistry."

This is a Circle Writing Project for Jixemitri and features elements from CWP #1. 

This story features lyrics from "More Than Words" by Extreme.

"So we'll meet at the gym at lunch tomorrow and help put up all the decorations for the dance," Trixie concluded and looked around at her fellow Bobwhites.  "Can everyone make it?"

"To help at lunch or to go to the dance?" Mart asked.

"Well, both I guess," Trixie frowned and tapped her pencil on the table.

Everyone murmured their consent and Trixie smiled with relief and looked over at Jim, co-president of the Bobwhites.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss?" Jim asked.

"Are we still going together as a group or are some of you taking partners?" Dan asked hesitantly and everyone looked at him in surprise.

"I thought we agreed to go together as a group," Trixie replied quickly and firmly.

"Yeah, I know we did," Dan replied with a shrug.  "I just thought if any of you guys wanted to go together as partners, it wouldn't bother me."

Six pairs of eyes stared down at the table in silence for a moment, then they all tried to talk at once.

"I think it's best..."

"I thought we agreed..."

"No one's asked me..."

"I didn't think you'd want to..."

"I never thought..."

"It's too late now..."

"Okay, okay," Dan cried and held up his hand for them to stop.  "I take it back.  Sorry for asking."

The Bobwhites smiled back sheepishly at him and began to pack up.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow,"  Dan waved as he and Mart left.

"What was that all about?" Mart asked Dan as soon as they were outside the clubhouse.  "Did you want to take someone to the dance?"

"I was just trying to do you a favour," Dan grinned.  "I know you really wanted to ask Di."

"What makes you think that?" Mart retorted quickly but laughed when he saw Dan's face.  "Yeah, okay you're right.  I guess this is the next best thing though, at least she isn't going with someone else."

"Who's idea was it go in a group anyway?" Dan asked.

"I think it was Trixie's," Mart grumbled good-naturedly.  "I think she was scared that Jim would go with someone else so she arranged it so we'd go together."

"You really think that was the reason?" Dan laughed.

"What do you think?" Mart remarked.  "I'll see you tomorrow."

Dan raised his hand in reply as they parted and he headed through the game preserve to Mr Maypenny's house.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out an unopened letter that he had shoved in his pocket on the way to the meeting.

He recognised the postmark on the letter and his heart had been racing since the moment he shoved it into his pocket.  He had delayed reading it until he could have some time along, tormenting himself with the possibility of what it could contain.  It had been a while since she last wrote.

"Do you think we should have take partners to the dance?" Trixie asked Honey as they locked up the clubhouse.  They were the last to leave.

"Who would we have taken?" Honey asked in reply.

"I don't know," Trixie mumbled.  "We could have gone with Jim and Brian."

"But we are going with Jim and Brian," Honey pointed out.  "And Mart, Di and Dan."

"I guess you're right," Trixie sighed.  "It's just that it's Valentine's Day and most of the girls in our class have dates."

"I know," Honey sympathised.  "I know Di's turned down heaps of guys because we're all going together."

"I guess the right guy hasn't asked her," Trixie smiled.  "I wonder why?"

"Maybe because we all decided to go together," Honey reminded her with a small smile.

Trixie frowned slightly.  Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea after all.

Dear Dan,

I know it's been a long time since I've written, but Dad's been on my back about school work and stuff.  You wouldn't believe what happened - one of my friends got caught having sex with her boyfriend in the park and ever since that Dad will barely let me out of the house.  As if I'd ever do something that stupid, geez!

How's everything with you?  I can't believe it's not even a year since I was in Sleepyside with you all.  It was a lot of fun and I miss you all.  Okay, so we both ended up bound and gagged in a room together, but it's a great way of getting to know someone and the rest of the summer was fun.

I was kind of hoping that you could all come and visit us this summer.  Dad mentioned it in passing a while ago and I've been thinking about it.  We could go camping and hiking and fishing.  My brothers, Knut and Cap, would come too and you'd really like them, they're a lot like Brian and Mart.  We'd have the best time, what do you think?  I'd really like to see you again.

What else have I got to tell you?  Not much really.  I think I told you we spent Christmas with Uncle Andrew at his farm in Iowa.  Have you been there?  It was nice, but Mom and Dad didn't stay for long as Dad had a business trip.  So Knut, Cap and I stayed for a couple of weeks and helped out.  I was kind of hoping we could have made it out to Sleepyside, but Dad had business in Des Moines so we went there instead.

I hope you're doing okay and that you'll write and tell me what you've all been up to.  I think about you guys a lot and I really hope I can see you again soon.  Let me know if you can make it here this summer and I'll get Dad to organise everything with Uncle Peter.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.  I hope you can write more often than I've managed to.

Signing off...

Hallie

Dan sighed and quickly scanned the letter again.  She said she missed everyone, well that included him and she wanted him to come and visit her this summer.

Dammit!  He knew he wouldn't be able to go.  He was committed to working as a counselor at a New York camp that summer, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get out of it not even for a trip to Idaho to visit Hallie.

Dan carefully folded up the letter and put it back in his pocket.  Hallie had been part of his life for a very short period of time, but she was hard to forget.  They had become good friends and understood each other in that unspoken sort of way.  For a while there, life had felt really good and he had felt as if he had someone special in his life, the way the other Bobwhites did with their unofficial partners.

"It's useless Dan," he muttered to himself.  "She's thousands of miles away and you can't even go and see her when she invites you to.  She's not ever going to be your girlfriend."

The last statement settled uneasily over him and he felt even less inclined to go to the Valentine's dance and watch his friends further their budding romances.

"I wish you were here Hallie," he murmured.

"Trixie!" Helen Belden cried impatiently.  "You're supposed to be getting Bobby ready for school."

"Where is he?" Trixie asked with a hint of frustration.  She hurried down the stairs, trying to pull a brush through her unruly curls.  "I'm sorry Moms, but my hair just won't behave itself this morning."

"Maybe it's time you got a haircut like mine," Mart quipped, running his hands over his crew cut.  "Then you'd save yourself at least fifteen minutes every morning trying to get the knots out of your hair."

Trixie muttered something under her breath.

"Trixie!" Her mother cried again.  "Will you go and get Bobby before he injures himself or Reddy!"

Trixie looked out the window to where her youngest brother was unsuccessfully trying to chase their dog, Reddy on a pogo stick.  He had no jacket on and his blonde curls looked as unruly as her own.

"Why did you and Brian have to go and give Bobby that pogo stick?" Trixie muttered to Mart as she hurried outside to fetch her brother.  "You were supposed to clean out the garage and donate our old things to charity."

"We thought it would be more fun to give it to Bobby," Mart called after her as he watched her grab a struggling Bobby while Reddy jumped excitedly around them.

"Can you come and help me?" Trixie pleaded and Mart ran out to restrain Reddy as Trixie tried to get Bobby inside.

"But Reddy and I are playing!" Bobby protested.

"You can play after school," Trixie told him.  "Now hurry up and help me get you ready for school or we'll both miss our bus this morning."

Bobby reluctantly followed Trixie up to his room.  The walls were painted bright yellow and were decorated with Bobby's paintings and drawings from school.

"Where's your jacket?" Trixie demanded impatiently.

"I don't know," Bobby said, jumping onto his bed.

"Bobby!  I just made that," Trixie cried.  "Don't mess it up again."

She picked up his stuffed Elmo toy and threw it on to his bed, then grabbed Bobby and struggled to get him into his jacket.

"Just let me brush your hair," Trixie told him.  "The bus will be here any minute."

"Don't wanna," Bobby protested as the school bus horn sounded outside.

"Trixie!" Helen cried up the stairs.  "Bobby's bus is outside."

Trixie threw down the brush, grabbed her brother's hand and rushed him down the stairs.  Helen kissed him quickly, handed Trixie his bag and watched with a smile as Trixie hurried her brother outside and down the driveway where the bus was waiting.

"I don't know how she does it," Helen commented to Brian, who was packing his books and lunch into his bag.

"She likes living on the edge," Brian remarked with a smile.

"I'm all too aware of that," Helen laughed as Trixie hurried back in.

"I'm so late," Trixie wailed.  "Moms, will you help me do something with my hair before the dance tonight?  It looks like a mop."

Helen shot Mart a warning glance before she replied.

"Of course I will," she assured her daughter before Mart could voice a retort of his own.  "Now hurry and get your jacket and books before the bus arrives."

Trixie nodded and raced up the stairs.  She grabbed her jacket and bag just as the bus arrived and she ran back down the stairs, grabbed her lunch and kissed her mother quickly goodbye before she tore out the door after her brothers.

"Hurry up squaw," Mart yelled to her.  "You don't want to make us all late for first period."

Trixie clambered onto the bus and ignored the glare of the bus driver as she hurried down to the back of the bus.  She sat back and tried to catch her breath.

She smiled as Honey and Jim came down the aisle a few moments later.

"You look exhausted," Honey commented as she sat next to her best friend.

"I had one of those mornings where nothing went right," Trixie replied dramatically.  "I hope everything goes well with the dance tonight.  We've put so much hard work into it."

"I'm sure it will be perfectly perfect," Honey assured her and they looked up as Dan came towards them.

"Morning Dan," they called.

"Hi," he replied tiredly and sat down behind Brian and Jim.

"I wonder what's up with him," Trixie murmured to Honey.

"What do you mean?"

"He looks as if something's wrong," Trixie replied thoughtfully.

"I think he just looks tired," Honey told her.

"No, there's more to it than that," Trixie answered glancing over at him.  "I wonder what happened."

"I'm sure he'll tell us if he needs help," Honey said quickly.  "Let's just concentrate on the dance and making sure everything goes right.'

"I guess you're right," Trixie murmured, but for the rest of the bus ride she kept glancing over at Dan.

He wasn't joining in Brian and Jim's conversation, he just stared out the window.

Why he looks almost sad, Trixie thought.  I wonder what could be wrong?

Mart put his books into his locker and grabbed his lunch.  He was due in the gymnasium to help put up the decorations for the dance and knew Trixie would give him hell if he were late.

"So did you ask her?" Mart heard another guy say to his buddy at the locker next to him.

"Nah, I wanted to but Jay said he had already asked her and she turned him down," the other guy replied.

"She turned down Jay?!" The first guy asked in surprise.  "Wow!  Did he say why?"

"Something about going in a group with her friends," the second guy replied and shrugged.  "She was probably just blowing him off.  I figured I'll just try and get a dance with her tonight."

"Good luck," his buddy replied.  "There's going to be a lot of guys queuing up to dance with Di Lynch."

Mart slammed his locker shut and walked away with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.  It sounded like most of the guys in the school had a thing for Di, how did he have a chance?  If she turned down a guy like Jay Waters, why would she ever be interested in him.

Mart arrived at the gym and was greeted by Trixie.

"There you are!" She cried.  "Can you go and help Dan put up the streamers and banners?  We're just waiting for Nick to arrive with the other posters."

Mart nodded and headed over to where Dan was struggling with a bunch of streamers.

"Need a hand?" Mart asked.

"I could do with at least four," Dan told him.  "Can you climb up on the ladder and secure the end of this?  I'll try and untangle them."

"Is it worth all this effort for a stupid dance?" Mart grumbled as he climbed up the ladder.

"I know what you mean," Dan muttered and began untangling the mass of streamers.

"Wow!  Nick, these posters are fantastic," Trixie told him and he flushed with pleasure.

"They should look good with all your decorations," Nick mumbled.  "You guys have done a great job getting this all together."

"Let's just hope it's a success and we raise enough money for the Red Cross," Trixie told him, pushing the curls out of her eyes.  "You're coming tonight, aren't you?"

Nick flushed again and looked down at the floor.

"I - I wasn't going to," he stammered.

"You have to," Trixie cried.  "It's going to be lots of fun and you really should see how good all your posters will look under the lights Jim and Brian are putting up."

"I guess I might try and make it," he mumbled.

"I hope you do," Trixie told him.

"Uh... I'll let you get back to it," Nick told her with a small smile.  "I'll see you later."

Trixie waved to him as he quickly backed away and Honey giggled.

"What?" Trixie demanded.

"I think he's got a crush on you," Honey smiled.

"You're crazy," Trixie stared at her.  "He was just helping out, like everyone else is."

"I think there's a bit more to it than that," Honey told her.  "Ever since you helped the art department out by raising funds for more supplies, he's been more than eager to do anything you ask."

"He's just grateful," Trixie told her with a slight frown.  "Don't be so silly.  Nick Roberts wouldn't be interested in me."

Honey hid a smile and took some of the posters from Trixie's hands.

"Whatever you say Trix," Honey murmured and left to start putting up the posters.

"Is everything okay Dan?" Trixie asked as she began hanging posters near him.

"Just fine," he replied shortly.

"I just thought something might be bothering you," Trixie remarked carefully.

"Not me," Dan muttered as he struggled with the streamers.

Trixie eyed him suspiciously, she wasn't convinced.

"Dan..." she began.

"Trix, my only problem is trying to untangle these stupid streamers for this stupid dance," he told her.  "I'll be happy when this whole thing is over.  Okay?"

Trixie blinked in surprise and nodded.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled and Dan's expression softened.

"Don't be," he replied quickly.  "It's just been a tough week, okay?  I'm fine."

Trixie nodded.

"Come on Dan," Mart called.  "I'm starving and if we don't get this finished soon, I won't have time to eat before our next class."

"Just hang on a sec," Dan replied.  "I've almost got it."

Mart surveyed the rest of the gym from his position on the ladder.  Brian and Jim were finalising the lighting and Honey and Di were hanging posters across the room.  He watched as a male school mate approached the girls and Di flicked her hair back from her face and smiled at him.  He bristled jealously.

"Mart!"  Dan's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Sorry," he mumbled and took the end of the streamer from Dan's outstretched hand.

"What's up with you?" Dan asked, seeing the scowl on his face.

"Don't ask," Mart replied and glanced quickly across at Di where she appeared to be flirting with the same guy.

Dan followed his gaze and smiled knowingly.

"Why don't you just do something about it?" Dan asked him.

"Like what?" Mart muttered.  "We're just friends, she wouldn't go out with someone like me.  I overheard two guys talking about her in the hall.  Do you know she turned down Jay Water's invitation to the dance?"

"Have you ever thought about why?" Dan returned and Mart blinked slowly.  "Maybe she's waiting for you to ask her out."

"You really think so?" Mart asked.

"I do," Dan replied.  "Now can we get this finished?"

Mart nodded and busied himself securing the streamers.  Could Dan be right?  Was that the reason Di turned down Jay?  He knew she liked him, but hadn't dared hope that it was more friendship.

"Mart!" Dan cried impatiently.

"Sorry," Mart smiled.

Dan shook his head.  He wished his problems were as easily solved.

"Trixie," Brian called up the stairs.  "Jim just pulled into the driveway, let's go."

"I'll be down in a sec," Trixie called back to him.

She stared at herself in the mirror and frowned at what she saw.  The powder blue dress looked foreign on her, but she had to admit she liked the way the soft material felt against her skin.

No amount of foundation had managed to cover the freckles on her nose so she had just covered her face lightly and applied a touch of lipstick.  She hardly recognised herself.

"Trixie!" Her mother called up the stairs.  "Is everything okay?"

"I'm coming Moms."

She slipped on her white high heels, grabbed her purse and hurried, wobbling just a little, down the stairs.

Trixie did not notice the picnic basket at the base of the stairs and stumbled over it, her hands flailing wildly as she fell forward.

"Whoa!" Jim cried as he managed to catch her just before she landed in a heap on the kitchen floor.

"Gleeps!  Jim, I'm sorry," Trixie mumbled, her face bright red, as he lifted her up to her feet.  She stared up at him as his green eyes smiled down at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a husky voice, his hands still securely placed on her shoulders.

"I - I'm fine," she stammered, blushing to the roots of her sandy hair.  "I guess we should get going."

Jim nodded and reluctantly released her.

"You look great," he murmured.

"You look like a princess," Peter Belden told her as he and Helen came into the kitchen.

"Oh, Dad..." Trixie groaned and gave him and Helen a quick kiss.

"Have a good time dear," Helen told her.

"I will," she assured them and smiled up at Jim.

She grabbed her coat and he escorted her out of the house, his arm hovering around, but not quite touching, her waist.

"They make a nice couple," Peter commented.

"One day," Helen murmured.

"Gleeps!  It looks wonderful," Trixie cried as the Bobwhites stepped into the gym.

The red and white streamers and decorations looked fantastic under the lights Jim and Brian had rigged up during lunch.  The music was already playing and a small group of people were already dancing while most others stood around talking.

Mart glanced over at Di, who was quickly scanning the crowd.

I wonder who she's looking for, he thought jealously.  She looked beautiful tonight in a lilac dress and her ebony hair piled up on her hair with a few tendrils falling around her face.

Di turned and smiled at him and he grew hot as he smiled nervously back at her.

"You look very handsome tonight," she murmured to him.

"So do you," Mart replied and then blushed.  "You look beautiful, I mean."

Di batted her eyelashes at him and he felt wonderful - for a split second.

"Hi beautiful," a deep voice said behind him.  "Would you like to dance?"

Mart whirled around to see Jay Waters smiling flirtatiously at Di.

"Oh, Jay," Di giggled, she glanced quickly at Mart but he was staring at Jay.  "I'd love to."

Jay took her hand and led her onto the dance floor.  Mart kicked the ground in disgust.

"You could have asked her first," Dan muttered to him.

"I didn't get a chance," Mart replied miserably and watched Di laughing as she danced with Jay.  "I might as well go home now."

Dan knew just how he felt.  He wasn't even sure why he was here, but knew he was have faced a barrage of questions if he had decided not to go.  He enjoyed being with his friends,  but he felt so left out when they all paired up and he had no one.  There were some girls at school who he knew liked him, but they just weren't is type.

They weren't Hallie, he admitted to himself.

Dan and Mart stood silently and sullenly as Brian and Honey and Jim and Trixie joined the others on the dance floor.  Their nervousness was obvious, but despite their apparent nonchalance, Dan could see there was no one else each of them would rather be dancing with.

"I'm going outside," Dan told Mart, who nodded absently not taking his eyes off Di and Jay.

"How many guys have you danced with tonight?" Trixie demanded of Di as the three girls gathered in front of the mirror to reapply lipstick and powder their noses.

"I'm not sure," Di giggled.  "I just keep getting asked!"

"Half your luck," Trixie grumbled goodnaturedly.

"I notice you've been pretty busy dancing with my brother all night," Honey pointed out with a grin.

"And you've been dancing with mine," Trixie returned with a blush.  "I haven't seen much of Dan tonight though.  Do you think he's okay?"

"He was pretty quiet on the way home today," Di told them.  "I think there's something going on, but he wasn't volunteering anything."

"Why don't you try talking to him?" Honey suggested.  "You two get along well, he might tell you."

"I'll try," Di promised and smiled at them in the mirror.  "Shall we go?"

They re-entered the gym and Honey and Trixie went to meet Brian and Jim at the refreshments table while Di headed over towards Mart and Dan.

"Having fun?" Di smiled at them both.

"Oh yeah," Mart muttered.

"A ball," Dan added.

"Would you like to dance?"

Both boys looked up, but Di's eyes were focussed on Dan.

"Me?" Dan asked in surprise.

"Well, I couldn't wait all night for you to ask me," Di smiled flirtatiously.

Dan glanced quickly at Mart, who was seething.

"Come on," Di urged, grabbing his hand.

Dan shot Mart a desperate look, but it was lost on his friend.  The tempo of the music slowed as they moved into the crowd and Dan groaned inwardly.

He took Di awkwardly in his arms and didn't allow his eyes to meet hers.

"Do want to tell me about it?"

"About what?" Dan asked in surprise.

"You've been miserable all day," Di remarked.  "I hate seeing you like this.  What happened?"

Dan sighed.  No one knew that he and Hallie had exchanged letters since she left and he wasn't sure he wanted them to know now.  But Di was a good friend, and a girl's perspective might help, he thought to himself.

"Can this stay just between you and me?" Dan asked Di reluctantly.

Di nodded, wide-eyed.

"Hallie Belden and I have been writing to each other since she left," Dan admitted.  "We get along really well, we sort of have this connection, you know?"

Di nodded and concealed a smile.  She recalled Dan's behaviour during Hallie's visits and his efforts with his appearance.

"I got a letter from her yesterday," Dan continued.  "She wants us all to come to Idaho this summer and go camping with her and her brothers."

"Dan, that's wonderful!" Di cried.

"I wish it was," Dan frowned.  "I promised I'd work as a counselor again this summer, and I won't be able to go."

"Oh, Dan I'm sorry," Di sympathised, looking with concern into his dark eyes.

"How's that going to sound to her?" Dan asked desperately.  "She's going to think I don't like her and that I don't want to go.  I don't want to wreck things between us."

"I'm sure she won't think that," Di assured him quickly.  "You just need to explain why you can't go.  She'll be disappointed but I'm sure she'll understand."

"Do you really think so?" Dan asked, looking at Di for reassurance and she nodded in response. 

"You really miss her, don't you?" Di murmured.

"Yeah," Dan admitted, his face colouring.  "I really didn't want to come tonight."

Di pulled him close to her for a hug and Dan embraced her.

"Thanks for listening Di."

"Anytime," she assured him and smiled.

Dan glanced over her shoulder to see Mart glare angrily at him and storm out of the gym.

"Nick, you came!" Trixie cried as he approached her nervously.

"I thought I'd see how all the decorations turned out," Nick admitted with a shy smile.

"Have you been dancing?" Trixie asked him.  Her eyes were aglow and her cheeks were pink from having spent most of the night dancing.

Does she know how beautiful she looks? Nick wondered.

"Uh, not yet," Nick confessed.  Their eyes met and he nervously looked away.  "What about you?"

"Almost every dance," Trixie replied.  "I was just taking a break to get my breath back."

Nick nodded and shuffled uncomfortably.  Would she say yes if I asked her to dance?

"You having fun?" Jim asked Honey.

"It's wonderful," Honey replied and looked over at Trixie talking to Nick.  "So Nick did turn up?  I wonder if it's because of Trixie."

"What?" Jim frowned, looking over at them.

"I think he likes her," Honey commented, watching her brother's face.  "He told us he wasn't going to come, but Trixie told him he should and so he did."

"Do you think she likes him?" Jim muttered, glaring at Nick.

"I don't know," Honey admitted and turned to look at Jim, but he was gone, already striding towards Trixie and Nick.

"Hi Nick," Jim said with forced pleasantness and Trixie looked up at him with a smile.

"Uh, hi Jim," Nick mumbled uncomfortably.

"Do you mind if I steal Trixie away for a dance?" Jim asked coolly, and Trixie almost gasped in surprise.

"I - uh, no," Nick stammered and watched Jim take Trixie's hand.

"I'm glad you came," Trixie called to him as Jim led her away.

Nick turned away, disgusted in himself.

You had your chance and you blew it, he told himself.  Now she's dancing with him and you don't stand a chance.

Saying I love you
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew
How easy it would be to show me how you feel
More than words is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
Cos I'd already know

"Did Nick come with a date?" Jim asked Trixie as they danced, his hand resting lightly on her waist.

"I don't think so," Trixie replied and she looked up at him happily.  "It's been a great dance, hasn't it?"

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Jim smiled, forgetting about Nick.  "You know there's no one here I'd rather dance with than you?"

"Really?" Trixie breathed, her eyes wide. 

"You know Trix," Jim began, pulling her closer towards him.  "It is Valentine's Day and there's something I've been wanting to tell you..."

Trixie's heart skipped a beat and she looked up into his eyes.

What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real
What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you

More than words

"Yes?"

"I..."

"You've danced with almost every guy here!" Mart cried angrily to Di, and everyone turned to look, Jim and Trixie included.

"Why is that any of your business?" Di cried.

Mart's face turned red and he twisted his hands desperately.

"How come you haven't danced with me?"

"You haven't asked me," Di replied.

"And if I did, would you?" Mart cried.

"Of course I would Mart," Di answered, confused.  "I've been waiting all night for you to ask me, but you just keep standing there."

"That's because you've been dancing with every other guy in the room," Mart retorted.  "I never got the chance."

"Well, if you had asked me to dance I wouldn't have bothered dancing with anyone else," Di cried, putting her hands on her hips.

"I..." Mart began and then stopped.  "What did you just say?"

"I only wanted to dance with you, but I thought you didn't want to dance with me," Di told him, exasperated.

"Of course, I want to dance with you," Mart cried.  "I - I like you Di.  And I don't want you dancing with anyone else, I just want you to dance with me."

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Di murmured, blinking quickly.

Mart hesitated and the entire gym full of people waited for his response.

"Will you be mine?" He almost whispered.

Di nodded quickly and Mart pulled her into his arms, his mouth quickly finding hers and kissing her.

The crowd whooped with joy.  Brian, Honey, Jim and Trixie looked on in surprise and Dan couldn't help but smile.  Mart never did things the easy way.

Mart and Di finally pulled apart and grinned stupidly at each other.  People came up and congratulated them, the music came back on and people began to dance again.  Mart and Di moved close together and began to dance.

Now I've tried to talk to you and make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands and touch me
Hold me close don't ever let me go
More than words is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
Cos I'd already know

"I thought you'd never ask," she whispered.

"I never thought you'd say yes," Mart murmured.

Trixie left Jim to get a drink, the spell between them had been broken.  Her brother now had a girlfriend and the thought didn't make her that happy.

She looked across at Jim who stood talking to Brian and Honey.  Would there ever be a time for us? She thought.

Nick stared over at her, having witnessed everything.  Trixie did not see him and she would never realise that he was thinking exactly the same thing.

What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying I love you

More than words.

The End