"You don't know what you're saying," Callie said softly. "We weren't doing anything."
"Yeah, and I thought you were different than most girls," Frank said. "But you're just like all the others. You just have to go googly eyes over Joe. Well, go ahead. As far as I'm concerned, neither of you even exist anymore."
Callie looked Frank in the eyes, her own green ones filled with unshed tears and shattered dreams. Then she never spoke, she just took off running for the parking lot.
"You really are a lame brain, you know that?" Joe yelled at Frank. "You just hurt the one person who cares about you almost as much as I do."
"Yeah, I saw how much you care!" Frank snarled. "You know, you don't even matter. I don't know why I ever bothered hanging out with you anyway," he added, turning around and starting back to the school building.
"You know, one day you're going to find out how wrong you really are, and there won't be any way for you to fix the damage you've just done," Joe said quitely before Frank had gotten out of earshot. "You and Dad, you have no idea what's going on. It doesn't really matter, I guess. At least I'm finding out what is so very important to you. It isn't me. It's the fact that you're afraid dad won't let you solve mysteries on your own. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Dad is proud of you. You're Mr. Perfect. You get good grades, you dress well, you always do the right thing. You never make a mistake and you never need anyone. Well, guess what? I need you. I need help. I need Mom and Dad, but no one wants to listen to me. If I don't bring my grades up, I might as well not exist," Joe said this last so low that no one heard him.
"You want help?" Frank asked, spinning around and looking at Joe. "I'll give you help. Ask me for anything. I'll do my best to help, but not unless you pass your history class. You want my trust, my understanding, my love? Earn it back. Prove you care about something other than who you're going to go out with or what you're going to wear to the next party. Pass history. Take something seriously."
"You don't know what you're asking," Joe told him, his breathing haggard.
"I know," Frank argued. "You just don't care."
Frank turned and walked back into the building followed by Chet. Biff hung around to talk to Joe. "What was that all about?" he demanded. "Don't you know how much you just hurt Frank?"
"Hurt Frank?" Joe exploded, angrier than he had ever been. "I've lost my brother and my best friend because I've been trying not to get him hurt!" Joe shouted.
"What are you talking about?" Biff demanded, confused.
"Never mind," Joe said and tried to brush past Biff but he reached out and grabbed Joe's arm and held tight.
"What do you mean?" he asked again, forcing Joe to look at him.
"I mean, Callie knows and she was just trying to give me some support because I was having trouble handling something which even my own family won't help me with," Joe told him, the tears starting again. "I can't do what Frank wants," he added. "If I do, I might as well be dead."