Pixley went to the twin's house after school. Pixley looked around their room, lost in her own world.
Benji looked at Pixley. "What's wrong?"
Pixley snapped back to reality. "Huh?"
"You look uncomfortable." Joel was laying on his bed throwing a baseball up and catching it.
"I feel weird being in your room."
Joel looked at her. "Why?"
Benji stopped whatever he was doing to look at Pixley. "Yeah, why?"
"I don't know. The three of us alone in your bedroom. Just feels weird."
Benji grinned and looked at Joel. "Should we make her feel more comfortable?"
Joel smiled. "Of course." He got off his bed and walked over to Pixley. Benji walked up on the other side.
"What are you doing?"
"Group hug!" Benji and Joel yelled. They hugged Pixley, being careful not to squeaz her.
"OK! OK! You can let go now." But Pixley now felt so comfortable she didn't want them to let go. But Benji let go to answer the door.
"Some girl named Heather is here." Sarah told him. "Do you want her to come up?"
"Yeah." Benji nodded eagerly.
Sarah walked down the stairs mummbling something about her brother's hormones.
"Uh, they're upstairs. Just go on up, don't bother to knock. I don't think you'll walk in on anything because Pixley, or whoever, is up there."
"Oh, Pix is here. Good. I was looking for her."
"Yeah. Upstairs and first door on the left." Sarah smiled and walked into the kitchen.
Heather smiled and walked up stairs as she was directed. The door was partially open. Heather heard Pixley laughing, something she hadn't heard for a while. She pushed open the door. "Hello?"
Benji looked up from spiking Pixley's hair. "Heather! Come sit. Help us torture Pix."
Joel just laughed and put more gel in Pixley's hair.
"Why are you...?"
"Spiking her hair? Because we were trying to make her feel more at home. So we're torturing her." Joel smiled.
"Actually, they can't poke, tickle or wrestle with me, so they resorted to this." Pixley sighed, pointing to her hair.
"We had nothing better to do and she won't let us look at her note book and I swear I saw the cutest picture of her in there with you." Benji grinned.
"You actually saw that page? Oh gosh." Pixley covered her blushing cheeks.
"Did you paint her nails too?" Heather asked.
"She painted Joel's. He can't do it with out messing it up." Benji grinned and went back to torturing Pixley.
"Heather, please make them stop." Pixley pleaded.
Heather dropped her stuff and knelt next to Benji on his bed. She smiled at him and blew in his ear.
Benji twitched and looked at Heather. "You're distracting."
"I try. Now come on. Let's go play some ball. I haven't in about a week. Ever since Pix started hanging with you two. And I only have a few more weeks."
Joel looked at Heather. "What's in a few weeks?"
"End of school. I go to Europe for the summer."
"Then let's go play." Benji grinned.
"Yay." Pixley said as she stood. She looked in the mirror. She turned to face Joel and Benji. "I hate you." She smiled, smacking Joel's arm.
"You didn't fight it." Joel went to his dresser to find some shorts to wear.
"Not that I could." Pixley grabbed her bag, leaving her note book on Joels bed. She left the room with Heather so they guys could change in private.
Benji saw Pixley's note book on the bed. He picked it up and put it on the dresser. The cover flapped open to a picture of Pixley, her mom and some guy Benji didn't recognize. His brow furrowed. "Joel, look at this." Joel came over and looked at the picture.
"She looks happy. Who's the guy?"
"It says 'Barbera (Mom), Pixley (me) and William (Dad)'. I thought Roy was her dad?"
Joel shrugged and turned the page. "'This is Roy, he's my new step-dad.' That explains something. 'After dad died, mom married Roy and nothing's been the same. I hear mom at night, crying in the kitchen--'"
"That's enough. We're invading her privacy. So c'mon, let's go." He closed the book and opened the door.
Joel took the book from Benji. "Hey Pix, you left this." He handed her the book.
"Thanks." She took her book and put it in her bag.
"OK, who's ready to get beat?" Heather smiled.
~
Joel landed on his butt. Heather giggled and helped him up. "Sorry."
"It's fine. I'll just go warm the bench with Pixley." He rubbed his side and sat next to Pixley. Pixley was writing in her note book, she didn't notice Joel. Joel smiled when he saw his picture and a heart on the page Pixley was writing on. "When did you take the pic?"
Pixley jumped and closed the book. "Last week, remember. In detention."
"Why do you have pictures of me in there?"
"I have pictures of everyone. Even Jessica. Yet of course I drew all over it."
"Can I see?" Joel really wanted to know what was so special in this book.
"I guess. But just this one picture." She opened her book to the first page and just looked at it for a minute. A tear rolled down her cheek. Joel put a hand on her shoulder.
"You look really happy there."
Pixley sniffled and turned a few pages. "Yeah. Those were the good times." She pointed to the picture of Jessica and snickered.
"Creative. I like the fangs and the stake through the heart."
"I'm disturbed."
"Can I see my pic?"
Pixley looked at Joel and frowned. "Why would you want to see it? It's a picture of you. You can see yourself in the mirror everyday."
Joel looked at her and smiled. "Why won't you let me see it? If it's just a picture."
"fine." She handed him the book. "Go ahead and look. Just don't read anything. If you do and tell anyone I'll stab out your eyes with sporks or I'll just die of embarrassment."
"Look, Pix, I have a confession. I read part of what was on page two. About Roy."
"Oh, so you know he's my step dad?" She looked at the floor.
Joel wrappped an arm around her. "Ya know, it's OK. I'm here for you."
Pixley smiled and fingered Joel's hand that he rested on her shouder. "Thanks." She looked into his brown eyes.
Joel smiled and leaned in to kiss Pixley. Pixley closed her eyes. They were about to kiss when they got hit with a basketball.
"Sorry." Benji laughed.
"C'mon Joel. Your butt can't hurt anymore." Heather laughed and picked up the ball. "You can kiss Pixley later."
"We weren't kissing, Heather." She looked at Joel. "Go kick her butt, OK?"
Joel grinned and walked out on the court.
~
"I can't believe you lost to Heather."
"And Benji." Joel pointed out. "Two against one isn't all that fair."
Benji laughed at Joel. "Dude, you can totally see 'Spalding' backwords on your forhead."
"No you can't." Pixley looked at Joel. "You're just all red."
Heather leaned her head on Benji's shoulder as they walked out of the gym.
Joel wrapped his arm around Pixley as she leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Pix, you stayin' over tonight?"
"If you want me to. It'd be nice to get away from home."
Joel hugged Pixley as they walked. "Where'll you go after Heather leaves?"
"I'll just go sit in my attic."
"Hmm... I think not." Benji said. "You'll be with us all summer."
Pixley laughed. "Sure you can put up with me that long?"
