"Get a move on, Joe," demanded his, year older, brown-headed, brother Frank. "We're going to be late for school."
"And that's bad because?" Joe grumbled, standing up and stretching his six foot frame.
"Joe!" Frank exclaimed, his soulful brown eyes wide in exasperation as he looked at his inch shorter brother.
"I'm kidding!" Joe said defensively, holding his hands palms out, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."
Frank shook his head with a sigh. It was the same thing every school morning. He grabbed his backpack and went downstairs, stopping in the kitchen for another glass of orange juice.
Petite, blond-headed, blue-eyed, Laura Hardy smiled at her eldest son. "Ten minutes?" she asked.
"Of course," Frank replied, handing his mom his now empty glass and opening a cabinet. He took out a pack of blueberry pop tarts and laid them on the table. As late as Joe liked to sleep in, it was a good thing he liked cold pop tarts.
A few minutes later, Joe's footsteps could be heard bounding down the steps. He came into the kitchen, his hair still damp from the shower. "Ready," he said, grinning at Frank as he picked up the pack of pop tarts from the table.
"Have a good day at school," Mrs. Hardy said, smiling fondly at her two sons.
"Always," Frank said, kissing her left cheek before leaving. Joe shook his head and rolled his eyes at his brother's back before kissing his mom's right cheek and following Frank to the van.
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"Over here!" someone shouted as Frank and Joe got out of the van in the school's parking lot. Frank looked over and smiled at blond-headed, green-eyed, seventeen year old Callie Shaw. He and Callie had been dating steadily for almost two years now. Frank glanced at his brother when he saw who was with Callie.
Also seventeen with blond hair, brown-eyed Vanessa Bender had moved to Bayport only a few months ago but she and Joe were already an item. Joe grinned broadly as he and Frank approached the girls. "Hey, Babe," Joe said, giving Vanessa a quick kiss.
"Hey, yourself," she murmured, smiling into his blue eyes.
"Ready for our test?" Callie asked Joe as the four climbed the steps and entered the school. She and Joe had history for first period.
"What test?" demanded Joe, coming to a halt and looking hard at her.
"We have an exam on the Battle of Bunker Hill today," Callie reminded him. "Harmon told us at the end of class on Friday."
"Oh no!" moaned Joe. "I guess I wasn't paying attention. I didn't even crack my book."
"Ah, Joe!" Frank groaned.
"Well, it's too late to worry about it now," Vanessa said. "Just do your best."
"Yeah," Joe replied, frowning. "Too bad Harmon doesn't give out an answer sheet with the test."
The teens separated in the hall, each to go to his, or her, own homeroom. Joe's was down the hall on the right while the others made a left turn to go to their's. "Excuse me?" a soft feminine voice asked from behind Joe after the others had departed.
Joe spun around, smiling brightly when he saw the blond-headed girl in front of him. "Hi," he greeted here. "I don't recall having seen you around here before."
"This is my first day," she admitted. "My name is Jeanine Douglas." She held out her hand.
"Joe Hardy," Joe said, taking her hand and looking into her brown eyes. "Welcome to Bayport High."
"Thank you," she replied, looking up into his blue eyes. "I seem to be lost," she continued. "I have Sara Thompson for homeroom but the number for her room is missing from my schedule. Matter of fact," she continued a bit wistfully, "all the numbers are missing."
"Don't worry about it," Joe said, putting a hand on her arm comfortingly. "Ms. Thompson is my homeroom teacher too. Just come with me and I'll help you figure out the rest of your schedule after we take our seats."
"Would you?" Jeanine asked brightly. "Thank you so much!"
"My pleasure," Joe assured her. They reached Ms. Thompson's classroom and went inside. Jeanine took the seat beside Joe and pulled out her schedule and handed it to him.
"Looks like the printer was misaligned and snapped the room numbers off," Joe said, looking at her schedule. "This is weird," he added a moment later. "You've got the same schedule as me."
"You're kidding," she said, laughing. "All of them?" Joe nodded. "That's wild."
"And fortunate," added Joe. "Now you can just hang around with me all day."
"You don't mind?" she asked a bit timidly.
"Of course not," he assured her. "Although, by the day's end, you may be running for cover."
"From you? I doubt it," she responded. "You're very kind."
Ms. Thompson walked into the room and all talking ceased as she took roll. Soon, the bell rang announcing the end of homeroom and Joe and Jeanine made their way to Harmon's history class.
"Harmon is giving us a test on the Battle of Bunker Hill today," Joe informed Jeanine. "You probably won't have to take it since this is your first day."
"I don't mind," Jeanine said. "History is one of my best subjects and I already know all about the topic."
"Wish I did," Joe said ruefully. "I didn't study."
"Would you like for me to tell you about it?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow in question.
"Definitely," Joe asserted with enthusiasm. "Any grade would be better than a total zero."
Jeanine laughed and told him about the battle as they entered the class room and took their seats. Callie arrived a minute later and saw Joe listening to what the new girl in school was saying. She frowned, thinking Joe should have been trying to study.
The bell rang and the test began. Forty-five minutes later, the papers were turned in and Harmon was telling them their next assignment. The bell rang and Joe stood up and grinned down at Jeanine. "Thanks," he said, his blue eyes sparkling. "You must be psychic. Almost everything you mentioned was on the exam."
"You passed then?" she asked, smiling back at him.
"I'd say that was a definite possibility," he concurred. "Thanks."
"Glad to be of service," she replied with a faux curtsey. "Where to next?"
"English," Joe said, taking her arm and leading her out the door and down the hall while Callie watched the two of them, a frown still on her face.
"Joe!" a voice shouted as they neared Treadway's English class. Joe turned and saw blond, beefy, Biff Hooper, coming toward them.
"Hey, how was the fishing?" Joe asked, referring to the fishing trip his seventeen-year-old pal had taken with his dad over the weekend.
"Not bad," Biff answered his gaze straying from Joe to land on Jeanine.
"Jeanine Douglas, I would like you to meet my best friend and one of Bayport's best football players, Biff Hooper," Joe introduced the two.
"Pleased to meet you," Jeanine said, smiling at the handsome youth.
"So, how did Joe get so lucky?" Biff asked her.
"What do you mean?" Jeanine asked in confusion.
"How did he get lucky enough to escort you to class?" Biff clarified, obviously flirting with her.
"We have the same classes and Joe graciously offered to show me around today," she explained.
"Lucky dog," Biff growled at Joe. Joe grinned in response as the three of them entered the classroom. "Would you like to go to Mr. Pizza after school?" Biff asked Jeanine. "We usually gather there before going home and hitting the books."
"I can't," Jeanine refused. "I have to ride the bus home."
"I'll take you home afterward," Biff promised.
"In that case, I would love too," she agreed.
After English, Joe and Jeanine left Biff and went to their Spanish class. That over, they went to the cafeteria. "This way," Joe directed after they had gotten their trays. "I'll introduce you to the rest of my friends."
They went over to a long table occupied by several people and set their trays down. "Everyone!" Joe said loudly although he and Jeanine already had their attention. "I would like you all to meet Jeanine Douglas. Jeanine, this beautiful blond is my girlfriend, Vanessa Bender."
"Hi, Jeanine," Vanessa said, smiling welcomingly at her.
"And beside her is Callie Shaw, and my brother Frank." Jeanine smiled at them then turned her gaze to a plump blond headed boy with brown eyes who sat between a dark haired youth with brown eyes and a sandy haired boy with wire-framed glasses. "The guy here who can't seem to stop eating is Chet Morton, and to his left is Tony Prito and Phil Cohen on Chet's right," Joe finished the introductions.
"Welcome to Bayport," Frank said, smiling at the girl.
"Thank you," Jeanine replied, sitting down as Biff arrived at the table. He sat down beside her. "Everyone has been so nice," she added.
"Mmm," murmured Joe to Vanessa as he sat down. "Especially Biff." Jeanine, overhearing, blushed and glanced at Biff before giving her attention to her lunch.