Disclaimer: I do not own the Hardy Boys or any of the book characters.
Thanks once again to Wendylouwho10 for reading over this for me!
Rating/Setting: Rating is T. Setting is kinda blue spine and AU. Joe and Iola are 16, Frank and Callie are 17.
Chapter Eight
Joe didn't go to school on Monday as he had a doctor's follow up visit. But Frank went. At lunch he watched Iola push food around on her plate but didn't really eat any of it. "You doin' okay?" he asked her.
The smile she gave him wasn't one of her usual cheerful ones but seemed contrived. "Yeah, doing just fine. And Joe really is okay?" she asked as her smile slipped slightly.
Frank paused a moment and then said, "Yeah, he's fine. It's just a follow-up."
"Good." She looked back at her food. "That's good," she said absentmindedly.
"Have you thought anymore about the dance?"
Startled green eyes flashed over at him. "The dance?" It was obvious that he had caught her off-guard.
"Yeah. You've been talking about the dance for a couple of weeks now. I didn't know if you had accepted any offer yet." He knew he was pushing it, but he needed the information.
She seemed to relax and the fake smile was back. "No. I think I might just go stag." She paused and then asked, "Are you taking Callie?"
This time, she had caught him by surprise. Up until this moment, it had seemed as if Iola had refused to accept what was unfolding in front of her. But now she was confronting it head on. "Yeah, I am. I like her a lot."
"Like who?" Callie asked as she sat beside Frank.
Frank lightly bumped her with his shoulder. "Why you, of course." He noticed the pretty blush on Callie's face and then realized what he had just done to Iola who had recently had a crush on him. He turned quickly to try to ease the awkwardness that was waiting only to find Iola smiling at him.
"You make a cute couple," she said as she popped a chip into her mouth.
Frank knew that his mouth had to have dropped open when Iola said, "Better close your mouth or you'll be catching flies." Her earlier mood seemed to have lightened as she ate another chip and said, "I think I'm done with this." She turned to the group, "I'm going to swing by the library and do a little research."
A variety of good-byes echoed from the group as Frank watched her walk away.
"Well she doesn't seem to be pining after you anymore," Callie said quietly to him.
He turned to her with a startled look. "What-" He stopped when she rolled her eyes at him and leaned closer.
"If I hadn't watched her staring at you for a few weeks, then Georgia certainly let me know that she had overheard Iola making comments that could only indicate an interest in you."
Frank grimaced. If the word was out that Iola had a crush on him, then it was going to make Joe look like he was second choice.
"What is it?" Callie asked with concern.
Frank glanced over the group of friends. "Not here. I'll meet you at your car after school." He then listened to a conversation that Tony was having about a security update for the pizza shop and thought about Iola's change of attitude. Maybe Callie would able to help him sort things out.
.**********.
"Get in," Callie called through a lowered window when Frank reached the car. She already had the heat turned up as well as turning on the seat warmers. "Brrr," she shivered still feeling the chill from outside as she rolled the window back up. Once it was up, and Frank was inside, she asked. "So what's up with Iola? Why this sudden change?"
Frank reached to direct one of the air vents away from his face. "Describe Iola's behavior to me since you've met her, not what anyone has told you."
"Well, I hadn't really met her until Joe introduced us a couple of weeks ago." She laughed. "I think staring daggers is an accurate description of the look she gave me and Joe at the pizza shop that night."
"I'd agree," Frank said with a laugh as he settled back into the quickly warming seat.
"It seemed like she liked you but you never acted like you liked her in that way. At school she looked at you often and I think the old-fashion phrase would be that she was mooning over you."
Frank laughed again. "I'd agree. Do you still think she's acting that way?"
Callie sat and thought for a few moments. "She was acting that way on Friday and that's the last time I saw her until today."
"And what did you think about today?"
"Today she seemed like she could care less about who you took to the dance and equally shocking is that she called us a cute couple." Callie crossed her arms over her chest. "Now enough questions from you. I want some answers to some questions of my own. Like, do you think this change in behavior is permanent?"
"Yes."
"Why? You think she finally understands that we've started dating?"
"I think she understands that but I don't think that's why her behavior has changed."
Callie reached over and punched Frank in the arm to which he gave a fake wince and rubbed his arm. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me!"
"This doesn't go further than this car," he said seriously. "I don't know how much my brother wants known and it's personal."
"About what?"
"Friday night, Joe told Iola he liked her. They talked for two hours and had a great time. He said he didn't want to rush anything because of Iola's crush but he felt something." Frank looked out across the school parking lot and saw Iola and Chet getting into the jalopy. "Then the robbery happened and now Joe thinks that any feelings Iola has are tainted by what he did for her." When Callie didn't say anything, he turned to look at her as the Mortons left the parking lot.
"So what Joe said to the robber wasn't just for show?"
Frank shook his head no. "It might not have been completely true, but it's what he wants."
"Does Iola know what happened with the robber and Joe? The things that were said?"
Frank looked away again. "Yeah, she wanted to know and she could find out a lot of that from police reports if she wanted to."
The silence stretched for a few moments then Callie started talking. "From what you told me about the robbery, Iola was freaked out." When he nodded, she continued, "I know that she's grateful, but she doesn't seem like a girl that would like someone only because of what they did for her." She tilted her head to the side. "What do you think?"
"I think Iola's realizing that love was right in front of her with her best friend." Frank was startled when Callie reached over and grabbed his hand. His eyes shifted quickly from their joined hands to her hazel eyes.
"Then I think we play cupid and not some deranged robber," she said with emotion.
"Cupid? What are you talking about?"
Callie kept hold of his hand. "I think we do what we can to help out Joe and Iola and let love do the rest."
"I still don't get it." Frank shook his head.
"That's okay," Callie said with a smile. "I'll work out the plan and you can help me."
Frank wasn't sure what Callie's plan would entail, but he did like the mischievous twinkle that was in her eye.
.**********.
The rest of the week at school was slightly awkward but the group of friends thought it was just because Joe was in a wheelchair and recovering from his injuries. Frank, Callie, Joe, and Iola knew the truth was that Joe and Iola were trying to figure out how they felt and what role the events of the robbery played in those feelings. Frank could tell that Chet knew something was going on, but it didn't seem like Iola had told her brother anything.
For Friday night, the group decided to go to Prito's together. They didn't want what had happened there to tarnish all the good memories.
"You're sure you're good with this?" Frank asked.
"Listen, Frank, I'm okay with it. I've told you fifty times already." Joe knew that Frank was just being thoughtful, but it was getting to be a little much.
"Okay, I won't ask again," Frank said in an appeasing tone.
"I certainly hope not, we'll be at Prito's in ten minutes." Joe couldn't help but smile. Even though things with Iola were a little weird because they hadn't talked much, he was feeling much better. His doctor's visit had gone well and his energy was coming back. Monday he could use crutches and get rid of the wheelchair.
Frank laughed and then got more serious. "You and Iola still haven't talked much."
"No," Joe said as he adjusted his seat a little. "I want to be sure she has the space to figure things out. If I'm calling her all the time then she won't have that chance." It had actually been rather difficult not to call her but he didn't want to appear needy or that he was rushing her.
"Well, what about the Valentine's dance next Friday? Have you thought about asking her?"
Joe looked at his brother's profile. "Are you up to something? Because I just told you that I was trying to give her some space-"
Frank took one hand off the wheel and made a 'stop' gesture. "I was just asking a question. It's not like I have an ulterior motive."
Joe snorted. "I guess you're right."
.*********.
That night Frank and Callie watched Joe and Iola interact. They had worked the seating so that Joe and Iola were next to each other. At the start of the meal, the two were reserved and conversation was sparse. As the night wore on, the two warmed up and several times they had their own private conversations that didn't include the rest of the group.
Callie leaned over to Frank as the evening drew to a close. "That isn't the response of a girl that likes a boy just because he saved her."
"Really?" Frank asked with a small smile. "And how would you know what kind of response she's having?" Frank gazed into Callie's eyes and his heart fluttered as she answered.
"Because I know what it feels like to like a boy just because of who he is."
Frank couldn't look away and felt himself leaning over to kiss her when his brother yelled across the table. "Watch the PDA, Frank!"
Sitting back guiltily, Frank gave his brother a glare that quickly changed to a nefarious smile as he thought of Callie's plan.
.**********.
It was Sunday afternoon and Callie stood on the porch of the Morton farmhouse. She was turned away from the door watching a flock of geese honk and waddle their way across the front yard. The smile was still on her face when she heard the greeting from the door.
"Who is-? Oh, hi Callie." Iola said as she looked past the girl on the porch only to see nothing behind her.
"Hi, Iola. I hope you don't mind me dropping by. Frank gave me the directions." Callie gave the younger girl her biggest smile. She needed her to be convinced of her sincerity or this would never work.
"Of course not. Come on in." Iola stepped to the side as she pushed open the screen door to let Callie in.
Callie looked around the tastefully decorated living room where the tv was playing and Mr. Morton was watching a game. He looked around and called a greeting to which she answered.
"We're going to go to the kitchen, dad," Iola said as she moved down a wide hall. She gave a glance back to Callie. "My mom is visiting a neighbor so we'll be by ourselves since Chet is in the barn working on the jalopy."
"Perfect," Callie said quietly to herself.
Once in the kitchen, Iola pulled out a barstool and sat at the counter. "Would you like something to drink?"
"No, not right now. I would like to talk though." Callie said carefully.
Iola waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "If it's about the rumors saying I have a crush on Frank, don't worry. That's over."
"Actually, it's not about Frank." Callie could tell she had surprised Iola. "I noticed last Monday that you didn't seem interested in him anymore."
"Yeah, well. I feel kinda silly about it now," Iola said as she pulled a dish of salted peanuts over to her and picked a few up. "It's obvious that he's not interested in me and that's he's very interested in you." Iola turned a penetrating gaze on Callie. "So what are you here to talk about?"
Callie blushed at the blunt assessment. She had been told, and had seen for herself, that Iola could be very blunt at times or spoke in ways that left no doubt as to her feelings. Drawing a quick breath and letting it out, she said, "Joe."
Iola looked back to the peanut dish and popped a few more in her mouth. "What about Joe?"
"I know what happened Friday night at Prito's."
Iola's hand stopped mid-air to her mouth for about three seconds and then it continued to drop the nuts into her mouth. "Did Joe- no, it must have been Frank. Frank told you." Iola turned back to Callie. "So why are you here? To rub it in that I don't have either of the Hardy brothers?" Iola's tone was spiteful but then she wasn't sure what Callie's intentions were.
Callie let the words just slide off her. Iola was hurting and she was just lashing out. "Actually, I'm here to help if I can. Frank tells me that you and Joe are perfect together and we want to help." Callie reached over and got a few nuts from the dish. "And before you think it, I'm not trying to get you with Joe to keep you away from Frank. I really would like for us to be friends because if you and Joe get together I have a feeling that the four of us will be spending a lot of time together." The peanuts were deliciously salty and crunched in her mouth as she watched Iola.
"They are a package deal. If you're around one of them, the other usually isn't far away." Iola sat a little straighter on the stool having made a decision. "Friday night before the robbery was great. We talked and I realized that I had only looked at Joe as a really good friend. I'm not sure why I decided that I had a crush on Frank except he was older and a lot of the girls in my class thought he was really cute. They think Joe's cute too, but Joe dunks me in the creek and just last summer had a mud fight with me." She smiled at the memory. "For the last couple of years, Frank has been the gentleman of the two." She looked into Callie's eyes as she said, "I can't imagine Joe being any other way. Well, maybe less mud and more hugs." She grinned.
Callie laughed. "I think you and I will be great friends."
Iola sighed, "If he can just believe me when I say that I like him for just being Joe. Not for anything else he's done and not because Frank found you. Think you can help with that?"
Grinning back, Callie said, "I think I can."
