Shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?" asked seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy of his year older brother, Frank, as he came into Joe's room and sat down on the bed.
"I've got plenty of time," Frank replied, smiling. His brown eyes watched curiously as Joe opened drawer after drawer, seemingly growing more frustrated. "What are you looking for?"
"My black jeans," Joe answered, closing the last drawer. "I know I put them in one of these drawers," he added, biting his bottom lip and pulling open the top drawer again.
"When was the last time you wore them?" Frank asked, going over to his brother and pulling open a drawer to help search.
"I wore them to Biff's birthday party Tuesday," Joe answered, stopping his search. His piercing blue eyes glinted as he laughed at himself. "I guess they're in the hamper," he said, knowing his mom did the washing on Mondays.
"Here, wear these," Frank suggested, holding up a pair of navy jeans.
Joe took the proffered jeans and thanked his brother. He knew it often amazed people that he and Frank were brothers. After all, Frank looked like their father with his wavy brown hair and brown eyes but Joe favored their mother with his blond locks and blue eyes. Joe was six feet tall with an athletic build whereas Frank was six foot one and leaner. But the boys shared a bond stronger than that of just brothers, they were also best friends and partners. For two years now they had been following in their father's footsteps, solving mysteries both at home and abroad; becoming heroes to many and enemies to a few. Joe's eyes dimmed as he realized it was about to end.
"What's wrong?" Frank asked, noticing Joe's unexpected solemnity.
"I'm going to miss you," Joe said, looking up into Frank's soulful eyes. "Less than one month."
"Aw, Joe," Frank said, reaching an arm out and hugging Joe with it. "It's not the end of the world. I'm just going to be across town at Bayport University."
"I know," Joe responded. "But it won't be the same. We're even doing different things this summer."
"You'll have so much fun as a camp counselor, you won't even miss me," Frank told him, grinning.
Joe shot him a wry look. "Get real," he said, then smiled. "But you will really be getting a head start," he added brightly. "What with the science credit we earned for Space Camp and the credit we received as transfer students at the university in England last summer, going to the summer session will put you a year ahead."
"Not upset because I enrolled for the summer?" Frank asked, looking closely at Joe's face to gage his true feelings.
"Of course not," Joe said, his smile genuine. "I'm going to do the same thing next year after I graduate. And we still have a little over a week to hang out together," he added.
"And after you get back from camp, you can drop in at the dorm anytime you want and I will come home occasionally," Frank added.
"You're right," Joe agreed. "We'll still be spending a lot of time together."
"Speaking of time," Frank said, glancing at the alarm clock on Joe's nightstand. "I had better get ready for my date."
"Uh-huh," Joe agreed. "You have to drop me off at Barney's Burger Barn. I'm meeting Vanessa there."
"Need a ride home too?" Frank asked, walking toward the bathroom which connected Joe's room to his own.
"Nah," Joe answered. "She'll drop me off."
"You seem a bit nervous," Frank commented later as Joe climbed into the passenger seat of the van.
Joe shrugged. "Vanessa's been getting serious," he told Frank.
"I thought you were serious about her," Frank said, a slight frown of concern on his face.
"I am," Joe hurriedly replied. "But I think Vanessa wants more than I can give right now."
"Ahh," Frank said, knowingly. "You're expecting to have The Talk."
"Where are you and Callie going?" Joe asked, changing the subject.
Frank grinned but never pursued the topic. "We're going to see the new movie with Mandy Moore," he answered.
"The tear jerker," Joe said in disgust. He was glad Vanessa didn't seem to like those kind of movies.
Frank pulled to a stop beside a rusty green Toyota and let Joe out. "See ya later, baby brother," Frank called out as Joe closed the van's door. Joe watched Frank drive down the street and make a right, heading toward the house of his girlfriend, Callie Shaw, before turning and entering the restaurant. He stepped into the burger joint and stood still, looking around for his girlfriend.
In the back of the restaurant, with long, silky blond hair, sat a seventeen- year-old girl attired in a black tank top. Joe could see her long, smooth legs beneath the table, their white creaminess vanishing beneath the black denim shorts she wore.
Joe's face broke into one huge grin at the sight of this bluish-gray eyed beauty and he made his way toward her booth, his eyes never moving from the smile which lit up her face at his approach.
As Joe neared the both where Vanessa Bender, his girlfriend of almost six months, sat, he felt his foot hit something only a fraction of a second before he started to fall.
"I've got plenty of time," Frank replied, smiling. His brown eyes watched curiously as Joe opened drawer after drawer, seemingly growing more frustrated. "What are you looking for?"
"My black jeans," Joe answered, closing the last drawer. "I know I put them in one of these drawers," he added, biting his bottom lip and pulling open the top drawer again.
"When was the last time you wore them?" Frank asked, going over to his brother and pulling open a drawer to help search.
"I wore them to Biff's birthday party Tuesday," Joe answered, stopping his search. His piercing blue eyes glinted as he laughed at himself. "I guess they're in the hamper," he said, knowing his mom did the washing on Mondays.
"Here, wear these," Frank suggested, holding up a pair of navy jeans.
Joe took the proffered jeans and thanked his brother. He knew it often amazed people that he and Frank were brothers. After all, Frank looked like their father with his wavy brown hair and brown eyes but Joe favored their mother with his blond locks and blue eyes. Joe was six feet tall with an athletic build whereas Frank was six foot one and leaner. But the boys shared a bond stronger than that of just brothers, they were also best friends and partners. For two years now they had been following in their father's footsteps, solving mysteries both at home and abroad; becoming heroes to many and enemies to a few. Joe's eyes dimmed as he realized it was about to end.
"What's wrong?" Frank asked, noticing Joe's unexpected solemnity.
"I'm going to miss you," Joe said, looking up into Frank's soulful eyes. "Less than one month."
"Aw, Joe," Frank said, reaching an arm out and hugging Joe with it. "It's not the end of the world. I'm just going to be across town at Bayport University."
"I know," Joe responded. "But it won't be the same. We're even doing different things this summer."
"You'll have so much fun as a camp counselor, you won't even miss me," Frank told him, grinning.
Joe shot him a wry look. "Get real," he said, then smiled. "But you will really be getting a head start," he added brightly. "What with the science credit we earned for Space Camp and the credit we received as transfer students at the university in England last summer, going to the summer session will put you a year ahead."
"Not upset because I enrolled for the summer?" Frank asked, looking closely at Joe's face to gage his true feelings.
"Of course not," Joe said, his smile genuine. "I'm going to do the same thing next year after I graduate. And we still have a little over a week to hang out together," he added.
"And after you get back from camp, you can drop in at the dorm anytime you want and I will come home occasionally," Frank added.
"You're right," Joe agreed. "We'll still be spending a lot of time together."
"Speaking of time," Frank said, glancing at the alarm clock on Joe's nightstand. "I had better get ready for my date."
"Uh-huh," Joe agreed. "You have to drop me off at Barney's Burger Barn. I'm meeting Vanessa there."
"Need a ride home too?" Frank asked, walking toward the bathroom which connected Joe's room to his own.
"Nah," Joe answered. "She'll drop me off."
"You seem a bit nervous," Frank commented later as Joe climbed into the passenger seat of the van.
Joe shrugged. "Vanessa's been getting serious," he told Frank.
"I thought you were serious about her," Frank said, a slight frown of concern on his face.
"I am," Joe hurriedly replied. "But I think Vanessa wants more than I can give right now."
"Ahh," Frank said, knowingly. "You're expecting to have The Talk."
"Where are you and Callie going?" Joe asked, changing the subject.
Frank grinned but never pursued the topic. "We're going to see the new movie with Mandy Moore," he answered.
"The tear jerker," Joe said in disgust. He was glad Vanessa didn't seem to like those kind of movies.
Frank pulled to a stop beside a rusty green Toyota and let Joe out. "See ya later, baby brother," Frank called out as Joe closed the van's door. Joe watched Frank drive down the street and make a right, heading toward the house of his girlfriend, Callie Shaw, before turning and entering the restaurant. He stepped into the burger joint and stood still, looking around for his girlfriend.
In the back of the restaurant, with long, silky blond hair, sat a seventeen- year-old girl attired in a black tank top. Joe could see her long, smooth legs beneath the table, their white creaminess vanishing beneath the black denim shorts she wore.
Joe's face broke into one huge grin at the sight of this bluish-gray eyed beauty and he made his way toward her booth, his eyes never moving from the smile which lit up her face at his approach.
As Joe neared the both where Vanessa Bender, his girlfriend of almost six months, sat, he felt his foot hit something only a fraction of a second before he started to fall.