Chapter 7

"History.. then what?" Joe was going through the books in his locker when a pair of hands closed over his eyes and then he heard a sweet voice ask him, "Guess who?"

Joe smiled, knowing who it is, but then pretended to be excited and said, "Ursula? Oh my gosh, could that be you?"

Vanessa removed her hands from Joe's eyes and then punched Joe's left arm playfully, "Oh really, Blues Clues boy?" she teased softly at Joe, not wanting to embarrass him that Monday morning with many of their schoolmates out there by the lockers area.

Joe put his books in his backpack, closed his locker and then put his arms around Vanessa's waist and whispered to her, "Gee, I'm flattered," and couldn't help chuckling himself.

Vanessa rolled her eyes and said, "Well, if you really enjoy being addressed like that, why, I don't mind greeting you that way every morning, not minding the students around us."

"O c'mon Van, you know I'm just kidding," Joe complained, then paused and grinned. "Hey, I haven't even greeted my baby formally this morning." He leaned in and was about to kiss Vanessa in the lips when someone called out to them, "Get a room, guys."

Joe looked up and saw Frank and Callie walking towards them with Frank's arm around Callie's shoulders.

He turned back to a giggling Vanessa and whispered to her, "Don't mind them," and kissed her.

Frank shook his head and said to Callie, "Hon, don't you think it's too bad they're too shy to show public display of affections for each other?" making sure his voice was loud enough for his brother and Vanessa to hear.

What he said had reached its purpose because even before Callie can respond, Joe and Vanessa stopped kissing and turned to them. Vanessa spoke first and said, "C'mon Frank, you're just jealous. I know, that you don't have the courage to do something like this. In public." Then paused and added, "Just joking!"

Frank and Callie just chuckled at what Vanessa said but Joe added, "Tell me, big brother. Have you kissed Callie this morning?"

Frank smiled, "Yes, little brother. And so, what it is to you now?"

Joe seemed lost for words for something to comeback to Frank and gave up. "Nothing. Just asking." Then shrugged with a smile.

Callie shook her head lightly then said cheerfully, "Guys, if you're now ready to give up that issue, let's head to class, shall we? It's the first school day of the week and I don't want to be late because I'm not in the mood to start the week with a meeting with Mrs. Carmen," referring to the school disciplinarian of Bayport High.

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Joe said with a salute to Callie.

***

That afternoon, Joe and Frank dropped Vanessa at her house, since her car was in an autoshop. She headed to her room, dropped her book bag in her bed then went to the kitchen.

"Hi, mom!" she said to her mother, Andrea Bender, who was by the stove, cooking something.

"Hello, honey. How's school?" Andrea asked, after receiving a kiss in the cheek from her daughter.

"Same as always," Vanessa responded while looking through their cupboard for a light snack. She took out a pack of Chips Ahoy and got some milk from the refrigerator, put her snack in a tray and turned towards her room. "I'll be having an early start on my homework over snack, Mom."

After setting down the tray in her study table, Vanessa stopped and thought hard. She suddenly felt like she has forgotten something. "The letter," she said to herself. "The letter with my name on it on the folded side, which I found inside Joe's cap." She looked through her room for her jeans, all the while saying to herself, "If I'm not mistaken, I put it in the back pocket of my jeans the other day." She looked and looked for it, but she didn't find it. "Oh, I must have forgotten it at Callie's." I'll just tell her tomorrow because if I call her right now, I might not finish all these stacked homework for us today, she thought.