Heres the ninteenth chapter, I hope you all like it! And btw I wanted to let y'all know that I will not be able to to publish chapters on Sundays, but I hope to be able to publish everyother day of the week:)

That evening Mandie and her friends looked at all the clocks in the downstairs part of the house and found nothing.
"I was sure it was a clock," Johnathan complained, slumping against the wall in the parlor.
"I'm sure it must be. There's no other explanation," Mandie figured, leaning against her crutch.
"We still have to check upstairs," Celia reasoned. "It could be in one of those clocks."
"Maybe, but there aren't that many clocks upstairs because hardly anyone uses those rooms," Mandie sighed.
"Mandie," Joe suddenly exclaimed. "What about the clock in your room?"
Mandie's eyes widened, "I completely forgot!"
The four of them quickly made their way upstairs and into Mandie's room. Joe carefuly picked up the large clock off the mantlepiece, and they all sat down on Mandie's bed.
Joe set the clock in Mandie's lap and Mandie began to feel it all over and shake it.
"I don't think there's anything in here," Mandie moaned, handing the clock to Joe.
Joe turned it over and felt all around it, "Wait, did y'all hear a click?" He suddenly asked.
"No," Mandie replied, looking questioningly into his deep brown eyes. "Did you?"
"I think so," Joe said, feeling all around the clock a second time. "There it was again when I pressed the back of the clock!" Joe said.
Mandie shrugged her shoulders as Joe frowned, "You still didn't hear anything?"
Mandie shook her head, and so did Johnathan and Celia. Joe sighed and went back to pressing on the spot that clicked.
Mandie brushed her hair out of her face and watched Joe's facial expressions as he tried to figure out why that part of the clock was clicking. Mandie smiled softly as she realized that this nearly nineteen year old young man was still the same teasing young boy of her old childhood days. Mandie missed those times very much, but yet, she was happy she lived in the here and now. Joe turned to her for a moment and their eyes locked. Mandie cleared her throat and looked away quickly.
'Oh no,' she thought to herself. 'He caught me staring at him!' Mandie's cheeks burned with consistent blushes and she looked down at her hands and fumbled with a part of her dress. Joe looked at her for a moment longer and then went back to working on the clock.
Mandie blew out a big breath, trying to calm her nerves. Suddenly Joe exclaimed, "Look! This part of the clock opened up!"
Mandie quickly looked over at the clock and smiled. There was a circle at the back of the clock and Joe had been pressing on it, until it finally gave up its battle to stay closed and opened up. Mandie reached her hand inside and pulled out an envelope. She smiled at Joe for a moment and then tore open the envelope. Joe grinned back, satisfied.
The paper inside the envelope read:

Clue Nine:

I am always with you.
I will never leave you.
You and I are meant to be.
You always knew it.
But you never admitted it.
Now you will.
At least, you better.
Go down the hall, two doors down.
I am there.
What am I?

Mandie's breath caught in her throat. 'Down the hall two doors down is... Joe's room,' Mandie's eyes widened.
Joe looked at Mandie and Mandie looked back at him. He knew. "It's me," Joe whispered.
Celia grinned and stood up, grabbing Johnathan's hand and pulling him up with her.
"I've gotta go really quick, Johnathan is coming with me," Celia exclaimed, quickly leaving the room and dragging the confused Johnathan with her.
Mandie scrunched her big blue eyes up for a moment and then pressed her lips together. She knew exactly what Celia was doing.
'She's trying to get me alone with Joe,' Mandie said to herself. 'Oh Celia, if I didn't have this crutch I'd...'
"Mandie?" Joe's soft voice interrupted Mandie's thoughts.
"Hmmmm," Mandie placed her hands under her chin and leaned against them, turning to look into Joe's face.
"Shall we go look in... in my room?" Joe asked, clearing his throat nervously.
"Alright," Mandie agreed softly. Joe grinned and helped her stand up, and they made their way out of Mandie's room and down the hall.
As they were walking, being slowly detained by Mandie's crutch, Mandie thought about what the clue had said.
'I will never leave you. I will always be with you. You and I were meant to be. You always knew it. But you never admitted it. Now you will. At least, you better.' Mandie pursed her lips, 'What does that all mean? Does it mean Joe and I?' Mandie couldn't finish pondering those things, for they had reached Joe's room.
Joe opened the door and Mandie walked in, followed by Joe.
Mandie looked around at the room. It was very neat and tidy. 'I always wanted a husband that wasn't messy,' Mandie said softly to herself, then she covered her hand with her mouth. 'Did I just say that out loud? Please tell me I didn't say that outloud,' Mandie scolded herself. She looked timidly over at Joe and saw he was looking closely at her.
"Did you say something, Mandie?" He asked.
Mandie cleared her throat, "No?"
Joe shrugged and walked over to where his bed sat. 'Nicely made,' Mandie thought. 'Stop it, Mandie.' Mandie pinched her arm
and pressed her lips together. 'Why are you doing this? Just because a clue is all about you and Joe doesn't mean a thing.'
"Well, where shall we start?" Mandie asked, trying to sound normal.
"I'm really not sure," Joe replied, looking down at his shoes.
Mandie sighed and said, "Let's just start looking everywhere."
Joe nodded his head and they began to look all around the room, under the bed and furniture, everywhere. 'Oh, now this is so awkward, with that clue,' Mandie complained to herself, frowning slightly. "I wonder why the clue didn't at least give a specific description about where the next clue could be in here?" Mandie complained, sitting down on a nearby chair.
"Me neither," Joe agreed, sitting down on the bed and brushing the hair out of his eyes.
Suddenly Mandie thought of something, "Joe, how did the clue know that this was your room right now? How did it know you were staying here?" Mandie asked, sitting up straight and turning towards Joe.
Joe looked at Mandie, "I... I don't know."
Mandie began to take in labored breaths, "What if... what if we are being deceived. What if someone else is planting some of these clues, and are trying to lead us into... into a trap?"
Joe stood up and walked over to where Mandie was sitting and kelt down in front of her. He placed his hands on her knees and replied, "If they are, and I'm saying if, then we'll just play along with their little game and stick together. But, I still think that suggestion is a little far-fetched."
"It could be," Mandie agreed, "but we have to look at all the options. It could be any of them, and I won't take this assumption off the list until it is proven wrong," Mandie stated, nodding her head with a determined air about herself.
'I am going to figure this out,' she said to herself, 'no matter what it takes. No matter what!'

I hope I am doing good with suspense and all that, I don't want to be a disappointment.;p LOL! Please let me know what you all think. I greatly appreciate y'alls honest - to - goodness opinions. What would I do without them? HAHA!