Jason fully expected a fight trying to get Adam up in the morning, but Adam sprang out of bed on the first call. The behavior nearly scared Jason to death since he was used to a long drawn out fight to get his younger brother out of bed. What really stunned him the most was that Adam beat him to the breakfast table and had cereal already sitting out just the way Jason liked it--- corn pops and strawberries and a glass of milk.

"Wow! What did I do to deserve this?" Jason said as he sat down for breakfast. Adam walked in from the kitchen with a bowl of his Captain Crunchberries, a Pepsi and a half-gallon of chocolate milk and sat down across from Jason at the picnic style table.

"Just being nice, that is all," Adam said as he started into his cereal. Just then the phone rang. Jason got up to answer it, but Adam beat him to it.

"Kramer residence, head honcho speaking," Adam said with a smile. His brother made a face at his comment.

"Adam? Is that you?" a female's voice asked.

"Alyssa! How are you doing? I have missed you so much!" Adam exclaimed, the phone shaking in his hand. Jason went back over to the table, but was listening attentively.

"Things are going fine. I have had a hard time with the pain from the surgery, but things went well. They are going to start some therapy today to see if my muscles will react. Let's just keep our fingers crossed. So how are things back in sunny California?" Alyssa asked.

"Uh, things are fine. Just fine except that I am missing you so much," Adam said, trying to avoid the surgery subject. He really did not want her to know about the surgery so she would not worry. But Jason interrupted that plan. While Adam was not paying attention, Jason ran and got the portable phone.

"Hi Alyssa! How are you doing?" His older brother's voice boomed into his ears.

"Fine Jason! Thank you for asking. So how are things for you?" Alyssa asked him too.

"Didn't Adam tell you about his surgery!" Jason said with excitement.

"Surgery? Adam, did something happen?" Alyssa replied with concern.

"I had another seizure and the doctors said that I can have this surgery that might help ease the seizures," Adam explained. He shot a vicious glare over at his older brother. Jason just looked at him in bewilderment.

"When are you going to have this?" Alyssa asked.

"Two weeks basically."

"Oh no, I won't be there for it," Alyssa whined. "I am so happy to hear that Adam. We are both getting second chances. Do they really think that it will help?"

"Not for sure on that one Alyssa and there are risks. I could come out of this in worse shape than I went into it," Adam replied.

"But that is not going to happen. Adam is going to be his old self again! No more seizures," Jason said with a grin.

"Jason, there are always risks with surgeries you know. What do you think of this Adam?" Alyssa inquired.

"Uh... don't really know Alyssa. I honestly don't know what to think," Adam finally admitted. He did not want to lie to Alyssa, but he did not want her worrying about him either. Jason just looked at Adam with a weird look.

"Oh, they are here to take me to therapy. I want to hear more about this. I will try to call you as soon as I get the chance. Jason, make sure that Adam behaves," Alyssa quipped.

'I sure will, you take care!" Jason exclaimed back.

"I love you Adam," Alyssa finally said.

"I love you too babe. You take care too," Adam replied with a smile. He missed her so much. Alyssa said good-bye, leaving Adam to explain his reaction to his brother.

Jason was about to question his brother, but the clock stopped him from his lecture. Realizing that they were going to be late, the boys quickly gathered their books and hopped into the van. Not a word was said between the brothers on the way to school. Adam was fully expecting a lecture, but Jason refrained from preaching at him.

By the time the boys made it to school, the first bell had already rang. Since Adam had his books with him, he immediately went to his first class. He spent the first two periods answering his friends' questions about his health. Everyone seemed excited about the approaching surgery. That is everyone except Adam. He could hide his true fears from the outside world, but inside he was terrified. Adam was in such deep thought that he did not even pay attention to where he was walking between second and third period. All he felt was the collision with something soft, yet solid.

"HEY! Watch where you are going you stupid idiot!" a voice chimed out. Adam looked down and sighed at the person he knocked down. It was Eric Peterson.

"Eric, look I am..." Adam started to say, but Eric interrupted him.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Quaker Boy!" Eric sneered as he stood up to face the younger Kramer.

Ignoring Eric's comment, Adam explained, "I am sorry Eric. I was just not paying attention."

"You're not sorry. You will do anything to get at me. Where is your bodyguard?"

"I don't need a bodyguard to take you on and I have better things to do than to plot to get you Eric," Adam replied. Turning around, Adam attempted to walk off from Eric. He did not need any more trouble, especially since his parents were out of town.

"Little Quaker boy is going to get his big stupid brother to fight his battles," Eric chanted. His gang of friends laughed and added to the taunting. "He wouldn't let anything happen to his precious baby brother. I bet he even rocks his little baby brother to sleep every night. Stupid Idiot!"

Instead of his usual stance of engaging in the fight, Adam kept on walking to his next class. Everyone in the hallway was laughing at the taunts that Peterson's gang was yelling until Mr. Duhl told them to be quiet in the hallway. However, Adam could not just let his feelings of anger go. He had to get revenge on Eric and humiliate him in the same way that he had been doing to him. Thinking of a plan in his head, Adam's grimace changed into a full pledge grin. Walking into study hall, he took his usual seat behind Chuck. Chuck was already in his seat and starting his history homework that was due fourth period. Noticing Adam's mischievous grin, Chuck spoke up.

"What has you in a good mood?" he quipped. "I hope you have that homework for the battle axe done."

"I have it done," Adam said, getting his notebook out and turning it to his history homework. He handed it over to Chuck, who eyed him suspiciously.

"It is right, right? You are not planning on setting me up are you? You know my grades in there are not too great."

"Jason looked over it. It is fine," Adam answered in a whisper as the rest of the class quieted down in response to Mr. Brown's arrival. Chuck smiled at his friend and held the notebook like it was made of gold. Feverishly, he wrote down the answers within ten minutes.

"Thanks Tigger! I owe you one there!" Chuck whispered. But Mr. Brown gave him the quiet signal by putting his finger to his lips. Then he pointed down to where the detention slips were kept. Chuck nodded to let him know that he fully understood the consequences to his talking.

Soon he felt a poke in his back. He turned around to have a piece of paper shoved into his face. Opening the letter, Chuck read its contents.

I need you to help me with something. Just play along with me.

 

Before Chuck could protest, he heard Adam get up and slowly make his way to Mr. Brown. Chuck watched as his best friend held his head and spoke in a very low voice to Mr. Brown.

"Charles, could you please escort Adam to the office. Make sure that you wait for him to return," Mr. Brown said. Chuck looked at Adam and then proceeded to follow him out the door. Once out the door, Chuck asked Adam, "So what did you tell him?"

"I just told him that I needed to go to my car and get my medicine because I was starting to get a headache," Adam replied without much guilt.

"Adam, one of these days..." Chuck started in, but Adam cut him off.

"You are going to marvel at my schemes," Adam finished for him. "Now we need to get down to business. Can you still feel out those combination locks like you used to?"

"Yeah, why?" Chuck stammered. He did not know what Adam had planned, but he knew that it was not going to be for good reasons.

"You know where Eric's locker is right?"

"Next to Miss Mead's room. Why?"

"Just get it open and meet me there. Stop at the bathroom on the way even that way you are not hanging out in the hallway. I will be there in just two minutes," Adam said as he took off down the hallway. He was around the corner before Chuck could even protest. Being the devoted best friend, Chuck did as Adam asked him to do reluctantly. It seemed that every time his gut feeling told him not to take part in Adam's big schemes, he found himself not able to say no.

Chuck made it up to the locker of Adam's archrival and waited patiently in the boys' restroom that was across from it. Soon Adam appeared with something cupped in his hands.

"What is that?" Chuck quizzed his best friend.

"Nothing, just get the locker open!" Adam whispered urgently.

Chuck grabbed the combination lock and attempted to unlock it. He tried two times without success.

"Come on Chuck! Hurry up!" Adam pressured his friend.

"Brilliance can not be rushed."

"Brilliance? What brilliance?"

"If you are so BRILLIANT, then why don't you unlock it yourself!"

"Fine, you win. Just hurry up."

Chuck turned the lock as he held his tongue out in deep concentration. Adam just shook his head at Chuck, who had a knack for being able to open combination locks by just using his sense of touch. Just then Chuck pulled the lock down and opened the locker. Smiling like a Cheshire cat, he bowed as if he was awaiting praise from an audience.

Adam quickly put what was in his hands in the locker, closed it and then locked it back up.

"What did you do?" Chuck asked, not seeing what Adam had put in the locker.

"You will see soon enough. We will just have to come straight here right before history fourth period. Eric always comes to his locker before history," Adam said as he motioned his friend away from the locker.

"I think I have a right to know what I am going to get in trouble for before I have to go to the office."

"Trust me. Everything will be fine."

"I have heard that one before," Chuck quipped.

 

The boys returned to class and awaited the bell. When the bell rang, both boys made it a point to get to Miss Meade's class. Stationing themselves on the other side of the hallway, the two chums waited for Eric to make his way to his locker. Sure enough, Eric walked to his locker and started to turn the dial of the lock. Just as he was about to open the locker, Miss Meade appeared behind him.

"Mr. Peterson! I hope that you have that paper that you promised me on the Roman Empire. I will not tolerate another late day on it," she sternly speeched at him.

"Miss Meade, rest easy. I have it right here in my locker," Eric said opening the locker. Instead of going into her room, Miss Meade stood right beside him.

"Good, I want it in my hands right now. You hooligans think that you can get one over on us older teachers, but you have another thing coming. I will not tolerate slackers," Miss Meade started to rant and rave.

It was then the unexpected happened. To Adam's horror, Eric pulled his book with his paper on top out and shrieked out in fear. The paper, book and Adam's nice surprise all went flying into the air. Adam leaped into action to try to save his practical joke from destruction. But he was not fast enough. Paralyzed with fear, Miss Meade just stood there screaming as a tarantula bounced off of her face and into her open hands.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HELP! HELP! IT IS A SPIDER, GOOD LORD GET IT OFF OF ME!" Miss Meade shrieked as she nearly fainted. Adam quickly scooped up the spider into his hands and stood there. He watched as Miss Meade's fear quickly turned to anger. It looked like her eyes were going to shoot right out of her head and Adam could have sworn that he saw flames in her eyes.

"ADAM KRAMER! DID YOU DO THIS?" She yelled, still shaking.

"Yes, mam," Adam said in a low tone. "I didn't mean to scare YOU!"

"There is Mr. T. I have been looking all over for him! He must have escaped," Mr. Walton said as he came up and scooped up the furry brown spider. "I heard the commotion and figured that someone had found him."

"He didn't escape on his own," Miss Meade commented. It was then she spotted Chuck. "I bet you had something to do with this from the look on your face."

"Honestly, I didn't mean for you to find him," Adam pleaded. But it was way too late for apologies.

"TO THE OFFICE, NOW!" Miss Meade yelled in anger. "BOTH OF YOU! I AM GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU SPEND EVERY DAY IN DETENTION FOR THE REST OF YOUR SCHOOL CAREER! WAIT TIL I CALL YOUR PARENTS!"

Trying not to laugh, both boys slinked their way down the hallway to the office on second floor. It was like old times, Adam thought.

"Trust me," Chuck quipped in a mocking tone.

'Well, you should know by now how things go."

"Yeah, I get into trouble and have to end up cleaning out the horse stalls."

"It was worth though wasn't it. Don't lie. It was worth it to see Eric panicking like an idiot," Adam chided his friend as they opened the office door.

Chuck at first just smiled, but then replied, "No, it was even better to see Miss Meade's eyes pop out of her head actually." Then both boys awaited their fates as Miss Meade strolled directly into the main office and into the principal's private chamber.

 

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation. The Hardy Boys Fan Fiction authors of the Hardy Detective Agency have just borrowed them for an adventure or two. The authors promise to put the boys back when they are done with them. The authors do claim copyright to the original characters in this story. Please do not borrow original characters without express permission of the authors.