Not long after Mrs. Kramer left the house for the excavation trip, Jason and Adam made their way to school to pick up their schoolwork. Adam wanted to drive, but Jason would not hear of it. So he sat back into the passenger seat of his Trans Am and resigned himself to look at the scenery. It gave him a chance to think about the things that he wanted to do in the next three weeks. Jason was listening to the radio.

"You know, I used to think that this car was not so cool, but you have really turned it into a muscle car," Jason said, stretching his arms out behind the wheel. "I can get used to this!"

"Don't get too comfortable, she's still mine you know," Adam said with a look.

"Just think what you can do with it after the surgery," Jason said with a bigger grin. But Adam just faked a thankful smile and looked out the window. He had plans to make.

When they got to the school, classes were switching.

"What period is this?' Adam asked his brother as they walked up the stairs to the office.

"It is the lunch bell, why?"

"I am going to go and hook up with Chuck. I will meet you in the cafeteria!" Adam called out. He never gave Jason a chance to say that he was planning to take him out to lunch.

Adam finally made his way to the cafeteria just in time for the lunch hour rush. He scanned the line, looking for the chunky boy with red hair. He then spotted Chuck in the usual table with Kara and Craig. Walking over, Adam went right up to Chuck.

"Excuse us a minute, I need to talk to Chuck," Adam said, taking the hot dog out of Chuck's hand and pulling him outside the cafeteria doors. Chuck shouted out in dismay and reached back for his hot dog.

Once they were outside, Chuck said to his best friend, "Okay, what mess have you gotten yourself into now. I thought you was supposed to be resting."

"I haven't done anything yet," Adam reassured his friend. "But I need your help."

"Is this about what you were talking about at the hospital?"

"Yep, I need to do some things on my own. Because I want to do them," Adam pleaded.

"Have you talked to Jason?"

Adam sighed and looked down at the floor. "I did, but he just does not understand. In three weeks, I will do what he wants. Until then, I have things to do. You said you would help me and you can even film as we go."

Chuck perked up when he heard his film project being mentioned. "Seriously?"

"You bet!"

"So what are we going to be doing? I am not going out of any planes or off of any cliffs," Chuck said in a serious tone.

"I have not decided yet, but I am going to make a list and we are going to do everything on the list. But I assure you that we will not be parachuting from anything," Adam said with a smile. "But you can't tell Jason about this. You said that you wanted to spend more time together, well you got it."

"But don't you want to spend more time with Jason too. Doing things with him too?" Chuck asked. He knew that the brothers were very close.

"Jason is going to be glued to me enough, trust me on that one! I love my brother and I know he means well, but I need to live!" Adam said with enthusiasm. "So you are with me?"

Chuck grimaced at first. Then Adam spoke up again, "It is either I do this with you or by myself."

Chuck glared at Adam. "That is not fair! I can't let you go out doing God knows what alone!"

"Then it is settled. I just have to get Kara to take Jason out tonight and we will begin our great adventure!" Adam said, holding the door open for his best friend. "You won't regret this buddy!"

"I already AM regretting this!" Chuck mumbled. He hated keeping stuff from Jason, but he also understood Adam's side of things. Maybe he could get Adam and Jason to sit down and talk along the way he thought as they made their way back to the table. Jason was there sitting next to Kara, a stack of books in front of him.

"GEE WHIZ! Is that all for us?" Adam quipped when he saw the books.

"Mostly for me, lil' bro," Jason smirked. "Physics is really nailing me not to mention history! You just have history and English. They took pity on your soul."

Seeing a golden opportunity, Adam seized the moment. "You know, I bet Kara could help you with all of that in half the time. Why don't you come over tonight and help Jason with his school stuff?"

Kara was taken back by Adam's proposal, but she seemed to like the idea.

"Adam, I am sure that Kara..." Jason started to say. He wanted to spend the night just hanging out with Adam at the house. He planned on doing his schoolwork as soon as they got home.

"Why that sounds like a great idea!" Kara exclaimed in delight. She picked up on the feeling that Adam wanted some time to himself. It seemed funny that the two would be rivals one minute, but the best allies the next. Jason smiled at his girlfriend, but then looked back at Adam.

"So what are you going to do then?" he asked, eyeing his brother suspiciously.

"Chuck needs me to look at the station wagon. He said that it has been clunking around lately," Adam answered without any thought. Jason looked over at Chuck, who stuffed his mouth with French fries.

"You know that you can't drive alone right now?" Jason commented.

"Chuck can drop me off," Adam said without a doubt. Chuck just nodded and filled his mouth with more French fries.

"Well, then in that case, I will be over around five," Kara said, reaching over and pinching Jason's cheek affectionately. Adam missed Alyssa at that moment. He silently said a prayer for his beloved Alyssa, but it was interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Looky here! It is back!" the familiar voice of Eric Peterson boomed. Eric was the relief quarterback and Adam's long time nemesis. Everyone at the table scowled at Eric. Buddy Thompson was right behind him. It was not like Eric to cause trouble without his little clan of delinquents.

"We don't want any trouble Eric," Jason said as he stood up to face Eric. Adam was not in the condition to get into any fights or confrontations.

"Look at this, Jerky Boy needs his big brother to fight his battles," Eric taunted as some of the students started to gather around to see what was going on.

Instead of reacting, Adam just rolled his eyes. "Don't you have something better to do with your brain than to think up stupid names like that?"

"At least I have a brain that works, Jerky Boy," Eric sneered back. "I heard about this surgery stuff. It is a total waste of money! You see, Jerky Boy, you have to have a brain to have brain surgery. It would have been a whole lot easier if you would have just died that night. At least your parents would not be out a lot of money, Randall Hartley would still be alive and your precious brother here would not have to wipe your face after you eat."

Eric's comments were very spiteful and Adam wanted to punch his lights out more than anything, but he had things he had to do. He did not want Eric wasting one minute of his time or energy.

"Then you could be THE quarterback of the team instead of being a mere SUBSTITUTE for the real thing," Adam canted back. Eric reached out and pushed Adam back for that comment. Before Adam could react though, Jason was in action. Stepping up into Eric's face, the two boys looked eye to eye.

"Aw, isn't this sweet! Big brother is taking up for little brother," Eric cackled with an evil grin. "My problem is not with you Jason, it is with him." Eric then pointed to Adam, but Jason reached out and knocked his hand down. Then Jason moved closer to Eric and put his finger in the junior's face.

"You leave my brother alone or you will deal with me. If you so much as touch one hair on him, I will make sure that you spend a little time in the hospital and then the juvenile detention center," Jason said in a threatening tone. No one was going to talk like that to his brother or jeopardize his chances for the surgery.

Backing down off of Jason, Eric looked over at Adam. "I will deal with you later," He said as Eric and his gang walked off for their lockers.

"Jason, you don't need to fight my battles for me," Adam told Jason after they left. But Jason just ignored his statement. He did not feel like getting into it with his brother.

"I will just be at your house after school," Chuck said as the second lunch bell rang. That was the group's signal to get to their lockers.

After saying goodbye and gathering everything that they needed, Jason took Adam to the Steer Inn for lunch. All Adam heard about was future plans. Plans for his life after the surgery and all of the things that he was going to be able to do. He knew his brother meant well and just wanted the best for him. But every time Adam tried to talk to him about his fears and reservations about the surgery, Jason just reassured him that everything was going to be fine. That phrase helped Adam a lot when he was in the accident and in the hospital, but that is not what he needed to hear now.

The brothers returned home where Jason feverishly helped Adam complete his assignments. Adam worked through his frustrations even though Jason was being quite the "slave driver". Soon four o'clock rolled around the familiar sound of Chuck's station wagon filled the air. Without saying much, Adam grabbed his wetsuit and ran for the door.

"Hey! Why are you taking that with you? You are not thinking about going out in the ocean are you? You know you could have another seizure plus it is going to be dark soon," Jason said as he eyed Adam suspiciously.

"I am just taking it with me so Mrs. Cooper can mend a little hole, that is all. I will be back around ten or so," Adam called out as he made his way out the door.

"Make that ten, lil brother!" Jason called out in a firm tone. There was no way that Adam was going to take advantage of his parent's being absent.

But the statement fell on death ears. Adam was already out the door and into Chuck's passenger seat. He was on his way to his first big adventure; well at least to cancel off one of the six things that he had on his list. Chuck saw the wild look in his friend's eyes.

"You look like a wild rat let out of the cage," Chuck commented as he put the car in reverse.

"I feel free. For the first time in weeks, I feel like I am finally doing what I want to do," Adam said with a huge grin. "I am finally free!"

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.