Joe?" Frank said from the doorway of the bathroom that connected his and Joe's bedrooms. "You okay?"
"Peachy," Joe replied sarcastically, looking away from the open suitcase on his bed to his brother. "What are you doing up so early?"
"School," answered Frank.
"But your ankle," objected Joe.
"It's not that bad," Frank said hobbling into Joe's room on his crutches. "Phil's stopping by to give me a ride to school and Callie is bringing me home this afternoon."
"That's good," Joe said dropping some socks into his suitcase.
"You should have packed last night," Frank said then bit his bottom lip. Joe was leaving and he shouldn't be lecturing him.
"Why?" Joe asked bitterly. "It's a boarding school complete with uniforms and limited space. Apart from underwear and a few personal care items I'm not allowed to take anything."
"You can take your auto magazines," suggested Frank knowing how much Joe liked them.
Joe shook his head. "Mom and Dad have been planning this for some time," he said in the same bitter tone. "Dad gave me an admission letter last night telling me what items were acceptable." Joe slammed the case shut when it was barely half full and clicked the locks. "Tell everyone bye for me, huh?" he begged, looking directly into his brother's eyes for a fleeting second before turning away.
"Hey, it's not forever," Frank said softly, trying to offer some comfort. It was breaking his heart to see his brother in so much pain. "You'll get to come home for Easter. That's only a few weeks away."
"Oh, joy!" Joe replied without feeling. "I broke up with Vanessa last night," he added.
"You....why?" demanded Frank, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Why? I'm going away for crying out loud!" Joe reminded him. "What kind of relationship could we have?" Joe shook his head. "It wouldn't be fair to her to wait for holidays for me," he explained. "I may be exiled but there's no reason for her to have to suffer as well."
"Joe, you aren't being exiled," Frank said, moving closer to him.
"Then what do you call it?" demanded Joe, stepping away from his brother.
"Joe, I..." Frank started but fell silent as his dad's voice came floating up the stairs.
"Phil's here!" Fenton shouted.
"Goodbye, brother," Joe said.
"Joe..." Frank started to move closer to Joe again but stopped as Joe shook his head at him.
"Don't," pleaded Joe. "This is hard enough. Just go."
Frank nodded. "I love you," he said. "I'll write," he promised. Joe nodded and watched as Frank left the room.
"Are you going to talk to me at all?" demanded Fenton as their plane prepared for landing later that afternoon.
Joe kept his face turned to the window. Why should he talk to him? First his dad tells him he has to go to boarding school because of something he had done and then he is informed that his dad and mom had been planning on sending him to boarding school for some time. If he never spoke to his father again it would only be by accident! Joe fumed silently. I'll get over this. I'm a survivor. He gave a snort. I hope!
Even though Joe knew he and his father would make up eventually, he also knew a rift had been created that would never completely heal. He turned to look at his father's profile.
Fenton sat staring straight ahead. He could understand why Joe was mad at him. Heck! If he were Joe he would probably be throwing a tantrum right now. He was proud of Joe's self-control. He loved Joe very much and sending him away was breaking his heart but he was doing this for Joe's own good. Joe had to learn some discipline or he could very well do something that would get himself and Frank killed.
Although he and Laura had tried, he knew they had failed. Joe was the youngest and as such was given more lenience than he should. And Frank loved his younger brother so much that not only was he constantly pulling Joe out of the fire but he also insisted on taking the blame when things went wrong.
Fenton had spent many nights tossing and turning as he dreamed of the possible outcome of various scenarios where Joe would have to be the rescuer instead of Frank. None turned out well but the events of yesterday had put his nightmares to shame.
No, Fenton resolved as he stared straight ahead, aware that his son was studying him and perhaps waiting for an opening to plead his case. This was for Joe's own protection. His and Frank's. Sending Joe to this boarding school was the only way to get Joe to learn to follow orders and face the consequences of his actions. No matter how much he wanted to take Joe back home, he knew he couldn't.
"Peachy," Joe replied sarcastically, looking away from the open suitcase on his bed to his brother. "What are you doing up so early?"
"School," answered Frank.
"But your ankle," objected Joe.
"It's not that bad," Frank said hobbling into Joe's room on his crutches. "Phil's stopping by to give me a ride to school and Callie is bringing me home this afternoon."
"That's good," Joe said dropping some socks into his suitcase.
"You should have packed last night," Frank said then bit his bottom lip. Joe was leaving and he shouldn't be lecturing him.
"Why?" Joe asked bitterly. "It's a boarding school complete with uniforms and limited space. Apart from underwear and a few personal care items I'm not allowed to take anything."
"You can take your auto magazines," suggested Frank knowing how much Joe liked them.
Joe shook his head. "Mom and Dad have been planning this for some time," he said in the same bitter tone. "Dad gave me an admission letter last night telling me what items were acceptable." Joe slammed the case shut when it was barely half full and clicked the locks. "Tell everyone bye for me, huh?" he begged, looking directly into his brother's eyes for a fleeting second before turning away.
"Hey, it's not forever," Frank said softly, trying to offer some comfort. It was breaking his heart to see his brother in so much pain. "You'll get to come home for Easter. That's only a few weeks away."
"Oh, joy!" Joe replied without feeling. "I broke up with Vanessa last night," he added.
"You....why?" demanded Frank, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Why? I'm going away for crying out loud!" Joe reminded him. "What kind of relationship could we have?" Joe shook his head. "It wouldn't be fair to her to wait for holidays for me," he explained. "I may be exiled but there's no reason for her to have to suffer as well."
"Joe, you aren't being exiled," Frank said, moving closer to him.
"Then what do you call it?" demanded Joe, stepping away from his brother.
"Joe, I..." Frank started but fell silent as his dad's voice came floating up the stairs.
"Phil's here!" Fenton shouted.
"Goodbye, brother," Joe said.
"Joe..." Frank started to move closer to Joe again but stopped as Joe shook his head at him.
"Don't," pleaded Joe. "This is hard enough. Just go."
Frank nodded. "I love you," he said. "I'll write," he promised. Joe nodded and watched as Frank left the room.
"Are you going to talk to me at all?" demanded Fenton as their plane prepared for landing later that afternoon.
Joe kept his face turned to the window. Why should he talk to him? First his dad tells him he has to go to boarding school because of something he had done and then he is informed that his dad and mom had been planning on sending him to boarding school for some time. If he never spoke to his father again it would only be by accident! Joe fumed silently. I'll get over this. I'm a survivor. He gave a snort. I hope!
Even though Joe knew he and his father would make up eventually, he also knew a rift had been created that would never completely heal. He turned to look at his father's profile.
Fenton sat staring straight ahead. He could understand why Joe was mad at him. Heck! If he were Joe he would probably be throwing a tantrum right now. He was proud of Joe's self-control. He loved Joe very much and sending him away was breaking his heart but he was doing this for Joe's own good. Joe had to learn some discipline or he could very well do something that would get himself and Frank killed.
Although he and Laura had tried, he knew they had failed. Joe was the youngest and as such was given more lenience than he should. And Frank loved his younger brother so much that not only was he constantly pulling Joe out of the fire but he also insisted on taking the blame when things went wrong.
Fenton had spent many nights tossing and turning as he dreamed of the possible outcome of various scenarios where Joe would have to be the rescuer instead of Frank. None turned out well but the events of yesterday had put his nightmares to shame.
No, Fenton resolved as he stared straight ahead, aware that his son was studying him and perhaps waiting for an opening to plead his case. This was for Joe's own protection. His and Frank's. Sending Joe to this boarding school was the only way to get Joe to learn to follow orders and face the consequences of his actions. No matter how much he wanted to take Joe back home, he knew he couldn't.