Joe pulled to a stop in the driveway of a one story brick house. Biff watched Joe as he sat there doing nothing for a few minutes and then slowly got out of the van and went to the door. Biff saw Joe's history teacher open the door and Joe went inside. He made his way across the street and crouched down in the bushes by the living room window.
What he saw made his stomach churn and his flesh crawl. Mr. Johnson was all over Joe. Poor Joe was doing his best to keep from throwing up but he couldn't keep the tears from streaming down his cheeks. Biff clenched his fists. He had to stop this. He got up and went to the front door and knocked.
"Blast it!" shouted Brad. "Stay here," he told Joe. "I'll get rid of whoever it is." He got up and went to answer the door.
"Hello," Biff said, forcing a smile onto his face. "I saw Joe's van outside. Can I speak to him?"
"He is being tutored for my class," Brad told him. "Perhaps you could see him tomorrow at school," he added, attempting to shut the door.
"Oh, but it's very important," Biff insisted, blocking the door from closing.
"Wait here," Brad ordered, suppressing an angry sigh, and went into the living room.
Joe was sitting where Brad had left him. "Fix your clothes," Brad said. "Next time, park your van elsewhere," he added. He smiled at Joe as he rose and fastened his clothes. "Thanks for coming," Brad whispered in Joe's ear as he started for the door. He kissed Joe's cheek. Joe gave a slight nod to acknowledge he had heard and went to the door and saw Biff.
"Hey Joe," Biff said. "I was passing by and realized we really needed to finish what we were talking about earlier. I'm sorry, but it really can't wait any longer," he added for the teacher's benefit.
Joe and Biff left the house and both boys got into the van. "I'm parked down the street," Biff told Joe. "But I'll come back for it later. We have to talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about," Joe said stonily, starting the van and pulling out of the drive.
"You aren't really going to let that creep rape you are you?" Biff demanded heatedly.
"It isn't rape," Joe said quietly.
"You don't want to do it," Biff argued. "That's rape."
"I have to," Joe said.
"Why?" Biff demanded loudly.
"You heard Frank," Joe said, tears sliding down his cheeks. "He won't have anything to do with me unless I pass," he stated. "And mom won't listen. She said this was between dad and me. Dad won't even listen. He thinks I'm trying to make excuses."
"You've got to make them listen," Biff said forcefully.
"Do you think I haven't tried?" Joe turned on him and screamed. "I've tried everything I know to do. I even sneaked into Dad's files but he caught me. I'm grounded forever to boot!"
"Why were you in his files?" Biff asked.
"I thought if I could find something against Johnson, anything, then I might be able to get him off my back long enough to convince Dad something was going on." Joe pulled over to the curb and cut the engine off. "Every time I try something, something happens and I get in deeper. I don't know what I'm doing anymore," he said more softly.
"We've got to convince Frank that you and Callie weren't doing anything wrong," Biff said.
"How?" Joe demanded. "You know, that really bugs me," he continued. "He knows Callie would never do that to him. And more importantly, he should know I would sooner die than hurt him like that, yet he jumped to the conclusion Callie and I were cheating on him. He didn't even wait for a logical explanation. He didn't even think there might have been one. All this time we have been so close, but he has no idea who I really am."
"He knows you're his brother," Biff said, a little confused.
"Yeah, he knows I'm his brother. He knows I like to solve mysteries. But he doesn't really know me. Sure we hang, hung out, together a lot, but I bet you he doesn't even know what subject at school I like best. He probably has no clue what I'm planning on doing after graduation."
"I even know that," Biff said. "You and Frank are going to start your own investigative agency."
"That's after he graduates college," Joe said. "I've got three years before that. He probably thinks I'll still be in high school when he gets back. Then again, if I can't sort out this mess with Johnson, I may be."
"I really hadn't thought of that," Biff said. "What are you going to do while Frank is in college. I mean, I know you don't want to go to college."
"I was thinking about becoming a cop," Joe said. "But a few months back, I started paying attention to all those commercials on television about those poor kids who don't have anything. I want to help."
"Really?" Biff asked.
"Yeah," Joe said. "I've all ready talked to some people. They want college grads and the like, but they think I have enough life experience to help, so they asked if I would be willing to start as soon as I graduate. I told them yes."
"Have you told your folks?" Biff asked.
"No," Joe said. "I just got accepted two days ago."
"Don't give up," Biff said encouragingly. "We'll get you out of this jam."
"Okay," Joe said, smiling at his friend. "We've got until day after tomorrow to come up with something. I have to go for more tutoring then and I doubt he'll even bother with the door or phone then."
Biff got out of the van and walked back to his own. Joe restarted the engine and headed home. He parked the van in the driveway and noticed the lights in the living room. He went around to the back where the kitchen stood in darkness and went inside. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone, so he silently crept inside and up the stairs without alerting anyone he was back.
Joe had already gotten ready for bed by the time anyone noticed he had returned. His mom poked her head in his door. "How was the study session?" she asked.
"No problem," he told her with a false smile. "I'm going to pass this class one way or another," he promised her.
"Sure you will," Frank scoffed from the doorway of the connecting bathroom after their mother had left. "Exactly how will you pass it?" he demanded.
"Oh, I thought I'd seduce the teacher," Joe said bitterly, but his tone was lost on Frank.
"Too bad you have a male teacher, or you probably would," Frank replied disdainfully and returned to his own room, closing the bathroom door.
Joe turned off his bedroom light and began crying. He wondered, as he cried himself to sleep, if he would ever get Frank on his side again.