The Mystery off Old Telegraph Road

about what the art teacher had said about Nick Roberts.
    She realized that Nick had his own artwork to do, and sign painting besides, so it was probably true that he didn’t have time to help with the bikeathon. But she couldn’t see why he hadn’t just explained that to her, instead of getting so angry.
    It occurred to her that Nick might have been worrying about something else when she called out to him, and he might have taken out his worry by speaking angrily to her. Or, she guessed, he might have felt guilty because he knew he’d get what he needed out of the bikeathon, but he didn’t have time to help.
    One thing I know for sure, Trixie concluded. It’s easier to find missing necklaces and lost trailers than it is to figure out why people act the way they do sometimes.
    When Trixie boarded the school bus that afternoon, she saw Honey sitting alone in one of the double seats at the back of the bus. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Trixie quickly walked the length of the bus and sat down in the vacant seat next to Honey.
    “Hi,” Trixie said. “I got Mr. Crider, the art teacher, to help out with the artwork we need. He says we can pick up the posters and pledge cards Wednesday, so we might as well ask the principal if we can have our sign-up booth right after school Wednesday.” Trixie faltered when she saw that Honey’s face was set in an unfriendly expression. “I—I guess I should ask if you’re still interested in helping with the bikeathon.”
    “I certainly am interested in the bikeathon,” Honey replied icily. “Someone has to make sure that nothing else goes wrong.”
    “Has something gone wrong, Honey?” Trixie asked. “Did your father withdraw his permission to use the clearing, or—”
    “You know perfectly well what I’m talking about, Trixie Belden,” Honey interrupted. “I went over to the clubhouse last night after we got home from the city. I wanted to see how far you’d gotten on the direction arrows.
    “What I found was 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