hardy boys fan fiction

MY BROTHER'S GIFT

hardy boys nancy drew fan fiction

by

CQB

Chapter 2

hardy boys fan fiction

THE CHAPTERS

INTRO

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

“Feeling Bad”  

By the time Dad caught up to me, I was at the sink.  It had really hurt when I threw up, but I hoped that it meant my stomach ache would go away now.  

“Joseph, you know better than to run off like that,” Dad said, coming up behind me.  I knew he was mad ‘cause he used ‘Joseph’ instead of Joe, but he didn’t yell.  Dad hardly ever yells at us.  He just has a commanding kind’a voice and never needs to yell.  

“I’m sorry,” I said, and I meant it.  I hate to make my parents worry about me. “I had to go,” I said, nodding toward the stall.  

“I could have brought you, Joe,” Dad replied, putting his hand on my shoulder.   I knew he was already over being mad.  “I…worry when you take off like that.  Anything could happen.”  

I nodded and understood completely.  See, Dad’s a private detective.  He has been for a few years now.  Even before then, he was a cop.  So, Dad’s made a few enemies along the way and he says crooks think a kid is good leverage.  

I was kidnapped once when I was only four, but not by some bad guy Dad made mad.  I was kidnapped by some crazy guy that liked my mom.  I don’t remember that at all.  Then, I got kidnapped by a drug smuggler a couple years after that.  I ended up in the hospital when that guy was through with me.  So, I understand why my parents worry, but I really didn’t want them to know how sick I was feeling.  

As soon as we rejoined Mom and Frank, Dad gave Mom a secret look and I guessed it meant that everything was okay.  Mom didn’t fuss over me or yell.  She can get to yelling pretty good sometimes, though.  

“You okay?” Frank asked, coming up beside me.  If anyone could guess I was feeling a bit off, it would be Frank.  He knows me better than anyone.  

“I’m fine,” I lied, not looking at him.  “I just needed to pee!”  

* * *

On the drive to the hotel, I felt really bad.  I made my parents worry at the airport, Frank looked sad and it’s ‘cause I’ve been so mean and I missed saying bye to Jack when I was in the restroom being sick.  I guess it was a bad case of the ‘guilties’.  My Aunt Gertrude says I’m a poster child for guilt.  I think it’s ‘cause I even feel guilty about things I didn’t even have anything to do with. On top of all that, I feel kind’a hot and my stomach still hurts.  

When we finally got to the hotel, I hurried to the bathroom again.  Since Frank or my parents might listen, I turned on the water in the sink before throwing up again.  

I sat on the floor and leaned my hot face against the tile wall.  It felt cold and I wanted to just stay there.  

“Joe? Are you done, ‘cause I gotta go and Mom and Dad are using the other bathroom,” Frank called through the door.  

With a sigh, I gave up the spot on the floor.  I rinsed my face off with cold water and practiced a fake smile in the mirror.  When Frank knocked again, I was ready.

”All yours, Birthday Boy,” I grinned my fake grin as I sauntered past my brother.  Frank shook his head before closing the door.  

I checked out the room and it was bigger than most hotel rooms I’ve stayed in.  There was only one bed, which Frank and I would share.  There was a small refrigerator beside a big entertainment center.  I noticed that there was a VCR under the big television and I wondered if we’d get to watch anything.  

Across from the TV was a desk and chair.  There were also two night stands, a big dresser and a small table with two chairs in the room.  Across from the bathroom was the door into the other room where my parents would sleep.  

“Joe?  Why don’t you go ahead and unpack now,” Mom suggested, coming into the room.  For the first time, I noticed my suitcase sitting on the bed beside Frank’s.  They really aren’t suitcases, but kind’a like gym bags.  Frank’s is green and mine is blue; other than color, they’re exactly alike.  

“Sure,” I replied, giving Mom the best smile I could muster under the circumstances.  I got about the task as she watched me put my things in one of the drawers of the large dresser.  It was weird, ‘cause I was kind’a embarrassed as she watched me put away my underwear; but that was just silly.  She’s the one that washes them!  

“Do you want to change before we go to lunch?” Mom asked, and I wondered why.  I looked down to see what I was wearing.  I’m not very ‘clothes conscious’, I guess.  I thought maybe my shirt didn’t match or something.   

She must have guessed what I was thinking, ‘cause then she said, “I just thought you might want to get cleaned up a bit from traveling.  You look fine, Sweetie.”  

As soon as Mom left, Frank came out of the bathroom with no shirt on.  

“I hope you’re not going to lunch looking like that,” I teased.  It felt good to hear Frank laugh.  I smiled.  Frank put on a fresh shirt, and then he put away the rest of his clothes.  

I started going toward the door to our parent’s room when Frank grabbed my arm to stop me.  

“I know you didn’t want to come, Joe,” I heard my brother say.  “This isn’t something that really interests you.  I just…well, I’m glad you’re here anyway.  I don’t think I’d like it as much if I couldn’t share it with you.”  

Before I can even think of an answer, Dad called us and we hustled out the door.  

* * *

Lunch was going to be quite a problem.  I knew if I ate anything, I’d be puking my guts out again, but if I didn’t eat, my family would want to know why.  

We left the hotel and walked a short ways to an outdoor café.  At least the wind was blowing slightly and it kept the smell of the food cooking inside from being too strong.  

I decided to play my favorite game.  I call it, “Distraction.”  As everyone else poured over their menus and talked about all the wonderful food here, I looked around, pretending to admire all the sights.  

“Is that the Washington Monument ?” I asked suddenly, pointing across the street.  Behind a grove of trees, I could see just the tip of the famous landmark.  

“Joe,” my Dad smiled in my direction, “we’ll see all the sights soon enough.  Choose what you’d like for lunch.”  I picked mac’n’cheese.  

Forty minutes later, I was running out of things to be distracted about, but the plan had worked.  I hid most of the mac’n’cheese in my napkin, but by the time everyone else was done, what was still on my plate looked hard and cold.  

“You’ll probably be starving in an hour, young man,” Mom commented, trying to sound cross, but I could see the twinkle in her blue eyes and I knew she wasn’t really mad.  

“Alright, Frank,” Dad finally said after paying the bill.  “This is your day, son.  Where do you want to go first?”

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