"Al?" Richie motioned him to approach then continued, "What are you doing? We are going to have dinner soon."

"I am making my customer happy and I can't deny her what she wants."

"Al, I can hear my mother say to Joanie she shouldn't be drinking malt so close to dinner."

"Sorry, Rich. I gotta make the customers happy." Al walked away to another table near the door and Richie watched Joanie finish her malt.

"What has gotten into her?" Potsie asked. Richie got up and walked over to Joanie.

"Hey Joanie, what's wrong?'

"Uh, nothin'. I'll see you at home, Rich." Joanie ran out and Richie turned towards the door worried.

A few days later at Arnold's-

Potsie, Ralph, and Richie were at the booth talking and looking at their school books while they chatted.

"Uh oh, look who just walked in. Isn't that Joanie's date from a few nights ago?" Potsie pointed to David and his girlfriend.

"We gotta get to the library to check on some books about the Civil War. They just weren't civil back then," Ralph said then laughed as he continued, "I still got it." Potsie and Richie groaned. A few moments later Potsie and Ralph left.

Richie walked over to David and his girlfriend.

"Excuse me, David, can I talk to you at the jukebox?" Richie asked.

"Hi, Richie. Sure." They both walked over to the jukebox.

"What's going on? I thought you were dating Joanie?"

"Well, we broke up recently."

"Oh," Richie said then he realized why Joanie was not herself.

"It's nice you are looking after her," David said.

"Thanks." David went back to his girlfriend and their friends.

At the Cunningham home before dinner-

Joanie was in her room reading a book, Howard was on his way home from work, and Richie was in the kitchen with Marion.

"Mom?"

"Yes Richard?" Marion stirred a pot of soup.

"David broke up with Joanie."

"How do you know that?" Marion looked at him confused. Howard came home.

"I'm home." Howard put his coat away.

"In here." Marion said then continued, "How do you know that?" Howard walked in and gave Marion a kiss.

"Well, uh… since Joanie seemed upset the last few days and I saw David with another girl."

"Who saw David with another girl?" Howard asked.

"I did and I thought he was dating Joanie," Richie said.

"Oh, the poor dear. She will just have to learn it is a part of life," Marion said.

"Yeah. Let me know when dinner is ready, someone stole my lunch at work and I am starving," Howard said.

"Oh poor Howard, he's starving to death while Joanie got dumped," Marion said sarcastically. Richie laughed as Marion looked at him.

After Howard changed to his casual clothes, he went to Joanie's room to talk to her and after he knocked he was let in.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi, Dad." Joanie sat on the bed.

"What kind of reading are you doing?" Howard sat next to her.

"Math."

"Need any help?"

"No, thanks. Dad?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever gone on a few dates then you get dumped and you don't feel all that upset at first but you really are?"

"Yes, I have had that feeling and it just means that it wasn't meant to be. Why?"

"David and I broke up and I thought I was okay, but maybe I was just numb, but now I feel really hurt."

"It's okay to be hurt- it's part of growing up and a fact of life."

"Thanks, Dad." Howard kissed her on the cheek.

"Anytime, sweetheart," Howard said then got up and left.

Several days later at Jefferson High—

The bell rang as Joanie got up from her desk when a classmate talked to her.

"Hi," Deena Collins said.

"Hi. How long have you been at this school?" Joanie asked.

"A month. I just transferred from Jackson High. That was a good presentation you did about the Revolutionary War."

"Thanks."

"What do you usually do after school?" Deena asked.

"I go to Arnold's or go see a few friends. What do you do?"

"Usually go home. Can't believe we have to do a report on the person we want to meet."

"Yeah. Who are you going to do?" Joanie asked.

"I don't know. Who are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet."

A few days later at the Cunningham home—

Joanie and Deena were studying together in her room.

"Did I tell you that my dad works for the FBI?"

"No. He does?"

"Yeah and that's why he's always gone and he does great work."

"I've decided I'm doing Eleanor Roosevelt for my paper," Joanie said proudly.

"I still need to think about my paper. I'm leading towards Mamie Eisenhower."

"Yeah? I'm almost done with my paper."

"Well, I gotta get home. See you in class," Deena said then left.

Four days later—

Joanie went to Arnold's and noticed a few other friends were there, too.

"What's going on?" Joanie asked then Deena walked in and stood at the table.