Hi everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I've been busy with choir performances this week so I haven't gotten much time to work on this.

Hope you like this chapter!

Chapter 12: Preparations

The next morning, the young people got up bright and early to go to town. The girls needed to buy outfits for the ball and the boys had their own shopping to do. The Campbell

family stayed at the Shaw's mansion to rest from their trip. Uncle John took Joe, Mandie, Jonathan, Celia and Sallie to town in the rig. He dropped them off and the young people

spread out to look for their own things. Celia, Mandie, and Sallie began browsing the stores looking for something to wear at the ball. Joe and Jonathan walked the other way.

"What are you looking for, Joe?" Jonathan asked his friend.

"A present for Mandie. It's her birthday and I need to find something nice for her", Joe replied. The two of them strolled along until Joe stopped at a store.

"I think I'll find something here".

Jonathan's eyes widened as he followed Joe into the store.

Meanwhile the girls were inside a dress shop looking through the racks and racks of gowns. Celia selected a green silk dress and held it up.

"Does this look okay?"

"Of course it does. I'm sure Robert would love it", Mandie said.

"He hasn't even come yet!" Celia exclaimed.

"Well I'm a hundred percent sure that he'll be your partner".

"What do you think about this one?" Sallie asked, holding up a yellow gown with red flowers embroidered on it.

"That would look great on you, Sallie", Celia complimented her. Mandie nodded in agreement.

"What are you going to wear, Mandie?"

Mandie looked through a rack of gowns and picked a pale blue gown with ruffled trimmings.

"How about this one?"

"It's perfect", Sallie told her.

"Stunning", Celia agreed. "Joe would love it." After a few moments she added, "You are still going with Joe, right?"

"Of course".

"Great! I was worried somebody else asked you. You have so many admirers…", Celia said slyly.

Mandie turned pink and looked away.

The girls purchased the dresses and walked back out to find accessories.

"Why are we here again?" Jonathan whined. The two boys were inside the local pet shop. Joe said nothing as he picked through the cat collars.

"I know you wanted to find a gift for Mandie but did you really have to go to this shop?" Jonathan complained. "Mandie doesn't need a collar".

"It's for Snowball,'' Joe responded. "I might as well tell you. You know how much Mandie loves that cat. I was thinking of getting a collar for Snowball and putting a locket on it.

Then I'll put Mandie's picture in it".

"Oh". Joe resumed browsing the collars until he found a blue one with a ring for attaching things. "I think I'll get this one".

"Great! Now where are you going to get a picture of Mandie and a locket?"

Joe pulled out a locket from his pocket. "I bought this back in college".

"Yeah but do you have a picture in it?"

"Yeh. I made a copy of this photo before I got here but made it smaller. I just have to glue it in", Joe said, pulling out a framed picture of Mandie.

"Wait. You keep a picture of Mandie with you?" Jonathan asked in disbelief.

Joe shrugged and nodded. He walked to the cashier and paid for the collar.

"I just need to stop by one more store and then we'll be done," Joe said.

"You go ahead. I think I'll buy a new shirt at this store", Jonathan told him.

The boys quickly finished the rest of their shopping and headed back to the rig.

The girls were already back and Uncle John was loading all their gowns into the trunk.

"What did y'all get?" Mandie asked.

"Nothing really. We just looked around the stores", Joe lied.

Everyone clambered into the rig and Uncle John drove them back.

As they pulled into the driveway, Mandie saw that someone else had arrived too.

"Tommy! Robert!" Celia yelled from beside her.

The two boys looked up and waved back. Uncle John parked the rig and took the bags inside as Joe helped Mandie down.

Celia ran to embrace Robert. "It's so good to see you again".

"Woah. What happened?" Tommy asked, approaching Mandie and glancing at her foot.

Mandie grimaced. "It's a long story. Why don't you all come in and we'll tell you about it?"

Tommy gave her a thumbs up. He turned to Joe and Jonathan. "Nice meeting you again". The two boys nodded. Mandie could sense some hostility between them.

Everyone walked inside chatting. Out of the corner of her eye, Mandie could see Adrian looking on with jealousy.

"This is Tommy and Robert", she announced. "This is Henry, Hannah and Adrian".

"Nice to meet y'all", Robert said. Henry and Hannah smiled and greeted them back. Adrian tried to put on a fake smile.

"So are you going to tell us what happened?" Tommy asked Mandie.

"Yes. You never told me either", Adrian said, looking annoyed.

"Right. Let's sit down first".

"You look like you fell down a cliff!" Tommy laughed.

Mandie nodded. "We went to Deep Creek to visit Uncle Ned and Sallie."

"And then Mandie found a mystery", Joe said, rolling his eyes good-naturedly.

"It was a good one", Mandie insisted. "Anyway. We found a clue written by Talitha Pindar, my Cherokee grandmother".

"I found it", Jonathan corrected. Celia rolled her eyes.

"It said that the great warrior Tsali's most precious belongings were passed down from generation to generation and were hidden somewhere when Talitha received them",

Mandie continued, ignoring Jonathan's remark. "And then we went all over Deep Creek finding clue after clue when the heirloom was in this very house!"

"Wow. That's quite an adventure. But how did you hurt your leg?" Robert asked.

"We encountered a few not so nice people while searching for clues. They kidnapped me and threw me down the basement of an abandoned hut. Then I injured it", Mandie

explained.

"What was the heirloom?" Tommy queried.

"A picture of Tsali himself, his journal and a bunch of treasure", Mandie told him.

"I can show you, if you want", Celia volunteered. She stood up and Tommy and Robert followed her upstairs.

Once they were out of sight, Adrian approached Mandie.

"Miss Amanda, can we talk?"

"Sure", Mandie answered.

"Privately", Adrian said.

Mandie reluctantly followed him to the parlor.

"Have you changed your mind about the dance?" Adrian asked.

"I'm sorry Adrian but I'd much rather go with Joe. Besides, he asked me first", Mandie said.

"You would rather go with a country boy? He's not even rich!" Adrian exclaimed.

"Well I'd much rather go with someone I truly care about than someone who I barely know!" Mandie declared. Adrian turned purple and walked out of the room.

Outside the parlor, Joe and Jonathan were leaning against the wall, listening to the conversation between Adrian and Mandie.

After Adrian stormed out, Jonathan turned to Joe saying, "See, I told you Mandie can take care of herself. You don't have to worry about her".

"But what if she changes her mind?" Joe objected.

"Didn't you hear what she said? Mandie said she truly cared about you and barely knew Adrian!" Jonathan laughed. At that moment, Mandie came out. Joe quickly escaped

before Mandie could see that he was eavesdropping but Jonathan hadn't noticed.

Mandie, seeing Jonathan there, came to the realization that he was probably listening to her and Adrian.l

"Jonathan Lindall Guyer! Shame on you for eavesdropping!" Mandie scolded.

"I, uh, it's not what you think! Joe was doing it too!" Jonathan protested, pointing behind him.

"Nice try. Nobody's behind you", Mandie said.

"But I…"

"Listen Jonathan. Don't you go gossiping about this to anyone."

"I won't, honestly!" He put on an innocent smile and zipped his lips, pretending to lock it.

Mandie sighed, exasperated and walked away. Why was her life so complicated?

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