I'm making this chapter a lot longer than the other one, trust me! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites! :)

Chapter Fourteen
~Through Joe's Eyes~

I walked passed Frank and Callie. Iola squeezed my hand before looking at me and smiled her gorgeous smile at me. I smiled back, still kind of confused of what had just happened between Callie, me, Frank, Iola, Buddy and my ex best friend. It was confusing if I thought about it harder. Frank and Callie paid Buddy and Brandon to kidnap me that I would get out of the way so they could get Callie's inheritance from her dead aunt in California. Now that was just ... insane. My brother, Frank, the level-headed, smart, geeky/nerdy, normal guy ... hire high school guys to kidnap his younger jock brother just that he could protect Callie and her stupid money. Since when had Frank gotten weird?

I couldn't grasp what was going on with my older brother. I thought we were family, you know, brothers. It was like this whole plot/plan was written by a horror writer. But my life isn't a horror story written by a crazy writer, its real life. Could this be just a dream? Maybe I'm in a coma... maybe I got shot while trying to protect Frank on case. Maybe I should keep walking towards the house and not embarrass my girlfriend including myself.

"Joe? You okay?" Iola asked quietly. I nodded.

"Sorry, I was just thinking..."

"About how crazy all of this is?" My girlfriend guessed. I nodded again before leading her into my house. A woman just as old as Aunt Gert was talking to my parents and my aunt.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," Iola gave me a weak smile as she rubbed her knuckles. "You might want to put some ice on your knuckles."

"You never told me how bad it hurts to punch somebody," Iola glared at me playfully. "Thanks a lot," I laughed as I went up the stairs.

Yeah. It does hurt when you punch somebody. But it hurts worse when you get punched by a bad guy. I took a shower and quickly changed into some fresh clothes. What's even worse is that your brother betrayed you for stupid money. I bit my lip remembering clearly that day when we had that stupid fight...


**********
"Are you crazy, Frank?" I hissed to my older brother.

"I have to do this, Joe. Callie asked me to." He answered as he picked up some clothes and put them in a duffel bag.

"If she asked you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?" I asked, angrily. "Did you ask Dad for permission?" Frank looked up at me, sighing.

"Yes, I did." My eyes widened as I gasped.

"And he said yes?!" Frank heaved a sigh and nodded, turning away back to his clothes.

"You're going all the way to California for a..a.." I stopped talking, and I could tell he noticed the surprise in my voice."What are you doing anyway?"

"Little brother, you won't understand." I gaped at him, tears stung my eyes, slightly blurring my vision...

"So you think Callie is more important?" I demanded. "I thought you and I were gonna hang out for awhile. Like we used to."

"Joe, I'm sorry, but Callie really wanted me to go with her to California for a modeling agency - "

"A modeling agency?" I asked, fuming.

"Or maybe it was an acting agency! I'm not sure, I forgot what Callie said, she spoke so fast I couldn't hear everything! Callie said it was super important."

"Y'know, you've been acting like this a lot, Frank. You said you'd go out for pizza with Chet and the guys but you didn't! You broke your promise! Again!"

"Joe," I held a hand up. Frank looked guilty all of a sudden.

"What are you hiding?" I asked, softening my voice. Maybe there was a good reason of Callie making Frank go to California with her?

"I'm not hiding anything." Frank said masking his face again.

"You're lying, Frank." I stated, knowing my brother all too well.

"You're the one who can't lie, bro." Frank smiled teasingly. Usually that would bug me, but right now it didn't matter at the moment.

*****************
"Yeah, its all your fault, Joe."

"My fault?" I echoed, confused. Brandon sat up and stared hard at me.

"Yeah, my dad, remember when I told you in middle school that my dad was a police officer?" I nodded. "Well, your dad killed him in NYC." I gasped.

"No! I don't believe you! Dad wouldn't purposely kill him! He wouldn't murder anyone!"

Frank turned around around about to step out of Brandon's house when he finally sees me standing there on the sidewalk. I had heard everything.

"Frank?" I asked hoarsely. Frank's face paled. "You made me get kidnapped?" I couldn't believe this. My eyes watered. He seriously... he seriously got me kidnapped just for money!

"Joe, I am sorry, I don't mean to hurt you."

"You could have just said that you were eloping!" I insisted.

"But you wouldn't have let me," My brother shot back. Callie tugged on his hand. I stepped back like my older brother had just slapped me on the face.

"Probably because you're just seventeen!" I grounded my teeth.

"Look Joe, I'm in love! Okay? Its like you're never going to be in love since you just care about sports and dating cute girls!" Frank glared at me. I stared at him before looking away. I swallowed before looking back at him. Did he seriously think that about me?

"Fine, Frank, if that's the way you want it, then sure, go ahead," I said, raising my hands defensively. "If you don't care about being a brother and not just a jerk. I'm okay with you leaving to CA forever!"

Frank stepped forward, pointing a finger at me. "Stop it, Joe -" Callie stepped between us, staring at Frank with cold eyes.

"I think it's time that someone knows the real truth. Including your brother, Frank." A car pulled up in the drive: Iola and Chet. My girlfriend ran out of the car, running into my arms.

"You're okay, Joe! I am so glad you are okay." She said putting her arms around my neck. My anger deflated for a second. "I missed you so much."

"I know, I know," I whispered back. "I missed you too."

"Come on, Frank, we need to go. I have to be at California by eight o'clock tomorrow evening to get my money," Callie said tugging on Frank's hand towards the van. Chet looked at him quizzically.

"You better text your dad that Joe's found," He said. The older Hardy nodded and pulled out his phone

"Look, Iola," Iola looked up at me, waiting for me to speak. "Frank hired Brandon and Buddy to kidnap me so that he would get to elop with Cal." Iola deserved to know the truth so I told her.

Then Frank turned his cell off and slipped it back into his jean pocket. "Bye Joe," Iola pulled away from me, I didn't want her to leave. She glared at Frank.

"YOU KIDNAPPED JOE!?" She shouted. "I can't BELIEVE you!" I jumped from the sound of her voice. I had never heard her like that before only when she was extremely angry with me or jealous.

"Um, Joe, what did you tell her?" Frank asked warily taking a step backward as Iola menacingly stepped closer to him.

"Just a few words," I replied, amused.

"What DID you tell her?"

"Just that you set it up and that it was your idea for me getting kidnapped so you could elope."

"How DARE you, Frank? I am so angry right now that I could just curse!" Iola practically screamed at him. Chet's eyes widened and stepped beside Iola trying to reason with her to stop her yelling. Brandon walked out of the house, confused.

"What is going on?" He asked. Iola suddenly walked up to my older brother and hit him with her fist.

He fell to the ground.

"Oooh!" Chet and Brandon both said at the same time. Frank held his nose before looking at his fingers. He was bleeding. Iola gasped.

"I actually punched someone, Joe! Joe, really I punched someone!" She said giddy. "For the first time!" Callie sighed dramatically and helped my so called brother up.

"I'll drive. All I want is, to do this elopement right now." She said taking him to his van.

"You might want to see a doctor, Frank! It could be broken!" I called after him.


"Joe are you in here?" Frank knocked on my bedroom door. I was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall. He was a jerk.

"What do you want, Frank?" I asked.

"I'm really sorry about what happened,"

"You paid someone to kidnap me," I replied shortly. "For money, Frank,"

"I'm sorry, Joe, I.. don't really know what I should say. It was like I wasn't myself,"

"What are you saying?"

"That... Callie was controlling me?" What a liar. What a crazy idea. Frank was trying way too hard to make me forgive him.

"I don't really care right now,"

"Joe! Frank! I'd like you to meet someone!" Mom called for us downstairs. I sighed, getting up to my feet. I opened the bedroom door to see Frank still standing there like a dork.

"We better get down there," I said harshly, stepping around him.

"Right," Frank followed me down stairs into the living room. I saw the same older woman standing there. Callie stepped into the room.

"Hi, Mrs. Hardy, I-" She gasped when she saw the lady. "Aunt Sophie? You're dead!" Everyone gasped.

"Yes, I know, sweetheart, but I'm not dead." Callie gulped, taking a step back. I watched the exchange between them.

"Then... am I dead?"

"No," Sophie Shaw chuckled. "I'm your aunt, I never died."

"But I saw pictures of your gravestone!" Callie insisted. "This must be a trick!" Aunt Gertrude shook her head.

"Callie, this is your aunt,"

"Then... I don't get an inheritance?" I knew it. All she wanted was the money and not her aunt to be alive. I shook my head, quietly groaning.

"Well, it depends, after Fenton, Frank, Joe tell me the whole story, I'll then decide what I shall do about your money,"

"So..." Frank began. "I don't have to go to California then?" Sophie pursed her lips and nodded.

"If I do deem you worthy of the money, Callie, then you'll have to wait til I really die to get it." Oohhhhh... Slam! Iola stepped up next to me glaring at Callie.

"Ms. Sophie, she isn't worthy of having the money or even being Frank's girlfriend." Iola said hotly.

"Miss..?"

"She's Iola, my girlfriend," I introduced.

"Well, Iola, we'll see when I talk to the Hardys."

TO BE CONTINUED...