"You see, I was with Deena and she wanted to find her dad. So she looked at her birth certificate and went to the county records office to look up his name. We went to Granville and he did show up but he said he didn't know Deena's mom. I tried to tell her to wait 'til Saturday but she was too excited. I'm really sorry, Mom, Dad."

"I see. Well, we are very happy you are home, but I don't ever want you to do that again," he told her sternly then continued as he raised his voice, "You had us worried! Your mother gets a call from Jenny Piccolo of all people, saying you didn't go to her friend's for study group and you didn't go to cheerleading practice! Then your brother calls me and tells me what your mother was told. I couldn't wait for the boys to finish searching for you, so I decided to call the police and come home. Then the boys come home and we wait, and wait," Howard said in a sad tone as he sat next to her, and put her arm around her, "We were really worried about you."

"Thanks. I'm sorry for worrying you like that. So what is my punishment going to be?" She smiled as Marion smiled also.

"Oh, Howard."

"Well, you are grounded for two weeks. Now, go to your room."

"Okay, I have to get my stuff ready for school." Joanie went upstairs to put her books away and Richie went upstairs.

"I wonder what Deena told her mom" Howard sat next to Marion.

"I don't know, dear," Howard said.

Richie knocked and was let in then closed the door.

"Glad you're home. Got Mom and Dad really upset."

"I know."

"So, She didn't find him?"

"No, but there is more than one. She has other addresses for him but tomorrow, I'm going to see if she can let me copy the addresses. I know she is going to go very soon, if she isn't grounded."

"If she wants to see him bad enough, I don't think it will stop her."

"No, I bet she will try again."

"Just do me one favor, if she is in trouble and she calls you, call me so I can help out."

"Thanks, Rich." Joanie and Richie smiled at each other then he left the room.

The next morning—

Howard took Joanie to school and her friends were very happy to see her and Deena while they talked before the first bell.

"So where did you go?" Roberta Naylor asked.

"I tried to find my dad but he wasn't my dad."

"So Joanie, how long are you grounded for?" Jenny asked.

"Come on, she wouldn't be grounded," Deena said.

"Are you kidding, if I did that, my parents would ground me for a month," another girl said.

"Have you ever been grounded?" Roberta asked.

"No," Deena said.

"No?" the girls said at the same time.

"Joanie? I know your parents wouldn't let this go without a punishment, what was it?" Jenny asked.

"Two weeks. How about you Deena?"

"My mom didn't ground me."

"Seriously?" Joanie asked.

"Yeah," Deena said as she noticed her friends were shocked. Deena and Joanie walked to class.

"Do you still have the other addresses for Mr. Hildebrand?"

"Yeah. Did you want them?"

"Yeah, I want to make a copy of them. Can you give it to me after you get home from school?"

"I can do that. I can't believe your parents would ground you." Deena walked away to her class and Joanie went to another part of the building.

Joanie thought to herself, My parents probably love me more than your mom does.

Joanie went to the cheerleading practice then went home and did her homework and while Marion was out, Deena brought the information for Joanie to copy down then went home.

Saturday afternoon—

Joanie was in the living room watching TV, Marion was out with friends, Howard was working, and Richie was at Arnold's with Lori Beth. The phone rang, Joanie went to get it, and Margaret was on the line.

"Hello. She isn't here. I saw her yesterday and I do have some ideas as to where she may have went to but I'm not totally sure. She was supposed to go to Roberta's house for tutoring? Okay. Bye." She called Richie at Arnold's hoping he was there. He was, then he came home.

"You think she went?"

"I think so but there are 5 names on the list."

"I don't know Joanie but let me call Dad and see what he says." He talked to Howard then gave the phone to Joanie.

"Hi, okay Dad. Richie is already writing the note. Bye." She hung up then they left for the car.

"You got the list?"

"Yeah, I went to get it after I called you."

At the first Hildebrand home—

After they rang the doorbell, Ward answered it.

"Hi, are you Ward Hildebrand?" Richie asked nicely but nervously.

"Who's asking?" he asked angrily.

"She's been here," Joanie said.

"Has a girl named Deena visited you asking if you were her father?"

"Yes! You want to make something of it?" His anger scared Joanie a little.

"I'm sorry, she just needs a father figure in her life." Richie and Joanie left for the car.

After they went to the other 3 homes, they decided to stop.

"Joanie, Richard, glad you are home."

"Hi Mom. We called Dad," Joanie said.

"Thank you for leaving me the note." She kissed Joanie on the cheek.

"I'm going to call Dad." Richie picked up the phone and called him.

"Did you find her?"

"No, I think when Miss Collins called, Deena was either on her way home or at the last house."

Richie hung up the phone then left for Arnold's.

"How do you know?"

"Because the last house we went to, he said she left 10 minutes before we got there."

"I'm glad you called Richie but it worries me when you go out to help Deena find her father. You don't know how they might react and I don't want you to get hurt. I'm getting a bit of a headache so I'm going to take some aspirin and lie down, if anyone calls, just tell them I'm taking a nap."

"I know Mom, thanks. Okay."

Marion went upstairs to get some aspirin then laid on the bed.

Deena called Joanie a few minutes later and they talked.

"You did? You're going to tell me on Monday? Okay, see you then. Bye."

Monday 11:45am at school—

Joanie and Deena met near the hallways of their classroom when she told her the news.

"I found my dad and I'm going to meet him at the burger joint at 12:30."

"Hey that's great, are you going to give me the details? I want to know how things go."

"Sure. Good luck on your test." Deena disappeared around the corner and Joanie went to a payphone and made a call. "Hello?"

"Hello, Cunningham Hardware, how can I help you?"

"Hi, I need to speak to Howard, please. Thank you."