Blond-headed Joe Hardy rapped lightly on the screen door at the rear of the Shaw house. He glanced at his watch and winced. Callie's birthday party had started almost an hour ago and he had promised his brother he wouldn't be more than a few minutes late.
Realizing everyone was too preoccupied with the festivities to hear him, he tugged on the handle, relieved to find it unlocked, and went inside. His blue eyes glanced at the small present tucked in his hand and he smiled in anticipation. He had laid the present away two months ago and gotten the balance of funds needed to pick it up only today after mowing three more yards. Granted, it was an expensive gift for the girl his brother was dating but this particular present was also for his brother.
Joe knew Frank was planning on asking Callie to marry him and this gift would let Frank know that the match had his blessing. Joe passed through the kitchen and into the dining room. He could hear his brother's voice clearly as he neared the door leading into the living room.
"What did you expect?" Frank's voice drifted through the slightly open door. "Joe is always late."
"And always in trouble way over his head," added Chet Morton.
Joe stopped and listened. His smile faded away as he heard what his brother and alleged friends were saying. "He can't help it," Vanessa Bender put in, punching seventeen year old Chet on the arm. Her blue-gray eyes were a bit sad as she added, "He's just a bit, well, needy."
'Et tu?' wondered Joe with a wounded expression on his face as he heard his girlfriend speak.
"He is a bit immature," admitted Frank. "But he is my brother and I do love him."
"But?" prodded Callie, hearing something in his voice that Joe had also picked up on.
"But sometimes I wish I were an only child," Frank confessed, feeling guilty but also free because he was finally admitting how he really felt. "It would be nice to not have to haul him out of trouble all the time or make up excuses for him."
Joe looked at the gift in his hand then retraced his steps, tossing the small wrapped gift toward the trash can as he passed through the kitchen on his way out.
"You're home early," commented petite Laura Hardy as her seventeen-year-old son entered the house wearing a scowl.
"Yeah," Joe agreed without elaborating. "I'm going to bed," he added, hurrying upstairs before his mother could see his bloodshot eyes.
Joe went to his room and lay down on his bed. Fine! If he wants to be an only child then I won't stand in his way! he thought. Eventually, his breathing evened out and his eyes closed.
"Joe!" Frank's irritated voice broke through the fog cluttering his mind. "Joe," growled Frank, flipping on the light switch. "Why didn't you come to the party?" he demanded, anger causing his nostrils to flare as his brown eyes narrowed on his year younger brother's still form.
Joe opened his eyes and looked at Frank as an etymologist would a peculiar insect. "Well?" Frank demanded. "That was incredibly rude. I know you don't particularly care for Callie but to deliberately snub her like that? You have a lot of explaining to do."
"Are you finished?" asked Joe calmly.
"For now," Frank stated.
"Then close the door on your way out," Joe dismissed him.
Frank's eyes burned as Joe closed his. He stared at Joe silently for a full two minutes before turning on his heel and leaving the room, pulling the door closed with a bang!
The next morning Joe took his time going down to breakfast. He took his seat and gave his mother a big smile. "Thanks," he said as she set a plate of pancakes in front of him.
"So what do you two have planned for the day?" Laura asked.
Frank gave Joe a dirty look then turned to his mother. "I'm going over to Callie's," he informed her. "Then we're headed to the beach to meet the gang."
"Excellent," Laura said, smiling. "I think I'll go over to Linda Hoen's," she continued. "But I'll be home in time to fix you boys' dinner."
"Don't worry about us," Frank told his mother, shooting Joe a sly look out of the corner of his eye. "We'll be staying at the beach until late. We're having a clambake."
"Well, in that case, I may spend the night there," Laura said.
"Have fun, Mom," Joe said, ignoring Frank.
Frank waited for his mom to leave before getting ready to go. "Care to explain yourself now?" Frank demanded of Joe as he prepared to head out to Callie's.
Joe looked him in the eyes. "Stay away from me," he said, his tone giving nothing away. "From here on out, we are no longer brothers."
Realizing everyone was too preoccupied with the festivities to hear him, he tugged on the handle, relieved to find it unlocked, and went inside. His blue eyes glanced at the small present tucked in his hand and he smiled in anticipation. He had laid the present away two months ago and gotten the balance of funds needed to pick it up only today after mowing three more yards. Granted, it was an expensive gift for the girl his brother was dating but this particular present was also for his brother.
Joe knew Frank was planning on asking Callie to marry him and this gift would let Frank know that the match had his blessing. Joe passed through the kitchen and into the dining room. He could hear his brother's voice clearly as he neared the door leading into the living room.
"What did you expect?" Frank's voice drifted through the slightly open door. "Joe is always late."
"And always in trouble way over his head," added Chet Morton.
Joe stopped and listened. His smile faded away as he heard what his brother and alleged friends were saying. "He can't help it," Vanessa Bender put in, punching seventeen year old Chet on the arm. Her blue-gray eyes were a bit sad as she added, "He's just a bit, well, needy."
'Et tu?' wondered Joe with a wounded expression on his face as he heard his girlfriend speak.
"He is a bit immature," admitted Frank. "But he is my brother and I do love him."
"But?" prodded Callie, hearing something in his voice that Joe had also picked up on.
"But sometimes I wish I were an only child," Frank confessed, feeling guilty but also free because he was finally admitting how he really felt. "It would be nice to not have to haul him out of trouble all the time or make up excuses for him."
Joe looked at the gift in his hand then retraced his steps, tossing the small wrapped gift toward the trash can as he passed through the kitchen on his way out.
"You're home early," commented petite Laura Hardy as her seventeen-year-old son entered the house wearing a scowl.
"Yeah," Joe agreed without elaborating. "I'm going to bed," he added, hurrying upstairs before his mother could see his bloodshot eyes.
Joe went to his room and lay down on his bed. Fine! If he wants to be an only child then I won't stand in his way! he thought. Eventually, his breathing evened out and his eyes closed.
"Joe!" Frank's irritated voice broke through the fog cluttering his mind. "Joe," growled Frank, flipping on the light switch. "Why didn't you come to the party?" he demanded, anger causing his nostrils to flare as his brown eyes narrowed on his year younger brother's still form.
Joe opened his eyes and looked at Frank as an etymologist would a peculiar insect. "Well?" Frank demanded. "That was incredibly rude. I know you don't particularly care for Callie but to deliberately snub her like that? You have a lot of explaining to do."
"Are you finished?" asked Joe calmly.
"For now," Frank stated.
"Then close the door on your way out," Joe dismissed him.
Frank's eyes burned as Joe closed his. He stared at Joe silently for a full two minutes before turning on his heel and leaving the room, pulling the door closed with a bang!
The next morning Joe took his time going down to breakfast. He took his seat and gave his mother a big smile. "Thanks," he said as she set a plate of pancakes in front of him.
"So what do you two have planned for the day?" Laura asked.
Frank gave Joe a dirty look then turned to his mother. "I'm going over to Callie's," he informed her. "Then we're headed to the beach to meet the gang."
"Excellent," Laura said, smiling. "I think I'll go over to Linda Hoen's," she continued. "But I'll be home in time to fix you boys' dinner."
"Don't worry about us," Frank told his mother, shooting Joe a sly look out of the corner of his eye. "We'll be staying at the beach until late. We're having a clambake."
"Well, in that case, I may spend the night there," Laura said.
"Have fun, Mom," Joe said, ignoring Frank.
Frank waited for his mom to leave before getting ready to go. "Care to explain yourself now?" Frank demanded of Joe as he prepared to head out to Callie's.
Joe looked him in the eyes. "Stay away from me," he said, his tone giving nothing away. "From here on out, we are no longer brothers."