"Larry? You're back?!" Beaver stopped in his tracks and asked his friend, who he hadn't seen in 4 years. He was very excited and he had a big smile on his face.

"Yeah. My dad got transferred back and my sister finally got married."

"I'm glad to have you back Larry, where did you go?" Beaver asked as they both started walking to school.

"Cincinnati."

"Oh, how did you like it?" Beaver asked as they entered the school.

"I hated it," Larry started then continued." I'll see ya Beav."

"See ya, Larry."

After football practice was over that was quite short, Beaver went home to drop off his books and went to the malt shop. Beaver sat in the booth when Claire and her friend came and sat across from him in the empty booth seat.

"Hi Claire," he smiled at her.

"Hi Theodore," she said as she smiled then continued, "This is my cousin, Leslie. She's visiting from boarding school."

"Hi Leslie," Beaver said as she exchanged pleasantries with him.

"Beaver, do you think you can find someone to go out with Leslie to the party on Friday?" Claire asked him.

"Yeah Beaver, I really want to go. I can sound like an adult to get your mom's okay so you can go to the party."

"I'll see what I can do," Beaver said with a smile.

"Leslie can pretend to be my mom and ask your mom," Claire said.

"Okay and I'll see if I can get anyone to go with Leslie to the party. I was thinking of having them meet her here. 'Cause I remember doing something like this for my brother a few years back since his date had a sister and I never met her we both were scared to go to the movies with our siblings."

"Okay, that's an idea," Claire said.

"But I don't know if my parents will let me go to the party," Beaver said with apprehension.

"Well, think about it," Claire said as she pinched Beaver's cheek while she and Leslie left.

Beaver got a funny feeling about the party as Larry walked into the malt shop then sat across from Beaver.

"Hey Beav, what happened when I was gone?"

"Boy, I got so much to tell you Larry, I could forget to go home!!" Beaver said.

"Really Beav? Did Eddie get beat up or did Judy get yelled at by Miss Landers?"

"No, but Wally got socked by Eddie because he thought Wally was trying to move in on his girl." Beaver said as Larry laughed then Beaver continued. "It turned out that Wally was trying on a sweater Eddie's girl was making for him. Wally and Eddie made up, oh and Judy left after you did."

"Yeah, I saw her today and we talked. She didn't know I left and I didn't know she left," Larry said.

"So do you live in the same house?" Beaver asked.

"Yea and my dad is going to be home more often."

"No foolin'?" Beaver asked.

"Nope but my mom says, we'll see about that."

Both boys started for home as they kept talking.

"Did you make lots of friends in Cincinnati?" Beaver asked.

"Sorta but they kinda did the same things I did to you," Larry said as they walked towards Beaver's house.

"No foolin'?" Beaver asked as they stopped in front of his house.

"Well, I'll see ya Beav'."

"I'll see ya Larry, and welcome home," Beaver said as he walked to the door and Larry walked home.

The Next Day at Ward's work—

Ward had gotten off the phone with a very good friend of his who needed his advice and would meet him at a Chinese restaurant for lunch.

"Hi, Ward," Zach said as he saw Ward after walking in and sat at the booth across from him.

"Hi Zach," Ward said then continued, "Want to order anything?"

"Sure," Zach said as the waitress came over and they made their order.

"So, Claire is going to graduate in two years huh?" Ward said as he pat his friend on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I can't believe I did it without Lucy. I did ask for advice quite a bit."

"Well, Lucy is probably looking down from heaven and smiling that Claire is growing up to be one fine young lady," Ward said.

"Yeah but uh, I found out something from the mother of a friend of Claire's," Zach said worriedly.

"You did?"

Their food was served as they ate and talked.

"What's the problem?" Ward asked as he listened.

"Well, I am very happy with Darlene and she and Claire are really good to each other since before I met her it was just me and Claire. My niece has been visiting and recently I learned that Claire has a boyfriend who just started high school and she has a party coming up Friday."

"Wow, so he must be 14 or 15 and she's how old? 16?" Ward said then asked.

"Actually she just turned 17 and I want her to break up with him but I want her to make her own decisions. In fact her cousin is about 13 years old and I don't want her cousin to think its okay to go out with older or younger guys her age."

"Yeah, if I was the father of the boy, I wouldn't want him dating a 17 year old," Ward said then continued, "but I would feel the same way you do."

"Will she be mad at me if I tell her that she can't have the party? I overheard her telling her friends that she was going to have someone pretend to be me and get some of the kid's parents to okay the kid going to the party. And I already don't like the party."

"I'm sure she will but all you can do is suggest to her how she feels about the boyfriend. Why she is interested in him? Maybe take her out to dinner or something, just you and her and talk about things without letting her know what you are trying to find out," Ward suggested then continued. "Are you and Darlene going out of town?"

"Yes, we will."

"How did the friend hear about the party?" Ward asked with a sly smile.

"The friend was at the malt shop buying some things and overheard Claire and her friends talking."

"Tell her, you know about it but don't tell her how you found out." Ward smiled as he said then continued. "About a year ago, a friend of mine's son borrowed my car so he could take Wally and Beaver to the track meet since his car wasn't running right so I made some rules. Then a few days later a co-worker came up to me and said he saw my kids and my friend's son we both know pushing my car off the camelback cut off. I told Wally and Theodore I knew about it. The looks on their faces, was priceless. They looked like I had said a bad word or something." Ward laughed.

"I'm sure it was. I can do that, thanks Ward," Zach said then they finished their lunch, paid for it then went back to work.

Meanwhile at the Cleaver home—

June was on the phone.

"Hello? Yes. This is Mrs. Cleaver. If Beaver isn't doing anything Friday I'm sure he would love to go to the party for Leslie's birthday but I need to find out if he has a football game that night since he does practice this week," June said then after a few minutes hung up and Ward came home.

"Hi Dear," June said as Ward put his briefcase on the chair then walked over and kissed her after she hung up.

"Hi." Ward said then continued. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Oh, Beaver was invited to a party on Friday but I told them as long as he doesn't have a game, it's okay."

Ward looked at her as he sat on the chair then she sat on the edge of the table facing him.

"Ward? What's wrong?"

Ward thought to himself and hoped it was just a coincidence and that Beaver was not the boy dating Claire. Ward told her it was nothing other than he was really hungry even though June thought he was hiding something.

Friday at practice—

After practice had finished, the players went to the door that had the list of students who made the team as Beaver waited till they were done then he used his finger to find his name.