Joe blushed and quickly pulled the robe together.  Reaching down and grabbing the belt, he retied it around his waist as Vanessa turned and fled back down the stairs.

"Vanessa, wait!" Joe shouted, rushing to catch up to her.  By the time Joe reached the base of the steps, Vanessa was already out the front door and hurrying to her car.  "It isn't what you're thinking!" he shouted, putting on an extra burst of speed and catching up to her as she opened the car door and climbed in.

She slammed the door shut, ignoring him as he stood just outside her door.  "Vanessa, please?" Joe begged, as she threw it into reverse and backed out of the drive.  Joe followed her down the drive, still begging her to stop, the rain soaking through the robe and chilling him.

Vanessa switched gears again and took off, tears streaming down her cheeks at what she perceived as Joe's betrayal.  Joe watched Vanessa drive away and gave a deep sigh.  If it wasn't one thing, it was another, he thought, shaking his head  sadly and turning to go back inside.

"Don't worry," Franc said as Joe entered the house.  "We'll explain it to her after she has cooled down.  She's got to know how much you care about her."

"You think?" Joe asked, his eyes hopeful.

"I know," she assured him.  "Come on in and get out of that wet thing," she urged him, a little snicker breaking through.  He looked at her, wondering what she was finding so humorous in the situation.  "You're wet again," she explained, bursting out laughing.  

Joe wanted to chase Vanessa down and explain to her now, but with nothing to wear and it pouring the rain, he was pretty much trapped.  Franc took Joe upstairs and gave him another robe to put on while he waited for his clothing to dry.  While he was waiting, he tried to call Vanessa but she refused to talk to him, hanging up the phone every time he called.  The last time he called, Vanessa's mom, Andrea Bender, answered.  She informed Joe that Vanessa was very upset and disappointed in him and was in no mood to talk to him today.  He could try at school but not to call again until they had patched things up.

Joe hung up the phone with a sigh and looked over at Franc.  "Don't worry," she told him.  "We'll talk to her tomorrow."

"I guess," Joe said, sighing in defeat.  "I suppose we had better study some," he said.  "Our big test is tomorrow morning."

They spent the next three hours studying for their final.  When they had gone over everything, Joe stood up and stretched.  He walked over to the window and noticed it had quit raining and the sun had come out.  "I guess it's time for me to head home," he said.

"I'll go check your clothes," Franc told him, getting up.  "They should be dry by now."  When she returned, she handed Joe his clothes and he retired to the bathroom to change.

"I'm sorry today has been such a bust," Joe apologized to Franc when he came out, fully dressed. 

"There isn't anything to apologize for," she told him.  "It's just been a bad day any way you look at it."

"Well, at least tomorrow has to be better," Joe said, mentally crossing his fingers.  "Look, I doubt Vanessa will be by to give you a ride to school in the morning.  Why don't I pick you up?  I'll even take you to get your car tomorrow afternoon."

"That would be wonderful," Franc thanked him.  "But do you really want to?  I mean, it might not be such a good thing for Vanessa to see us together, given what she thinks and all."

"If we aren't seen together then she will think we have something to hide," Joe reasoned.  "Besides, I don't ditch my friends," Joe added.  "I'll be here around seven.  That should give us enough time to get to school and find Vanessa."

"I'll be ready," Franc promised and walked Joe outside.  "See ya," she added as he climbed onto his motorcycle and started the motor.  Joe waved at her and  took off.

As he left, a brown sedan pulled out from the hedges at the foot of the street and followed him at a distance.  Joe had no idea he was being followed.

When he arrived home, he was greeted at the door by his mother.  "Hi honey," Mrs. Hardy said, pulling him inside.  "Did you have fun?"

"Not really," Joe replied, his face giving away his displeasure.

"Come on in and tell me what happened," she invited him, steering him toward the kitchen.  Mrs. Hardy made Joe a cup of cocoa and sat down at the table with him.  Before Joe could open his mouth, Frank walked into the room.

"How was the beach?" Joe asked.

"Wet," replied Frank, smiling.  "How was your day?" he asked, sitting down across from him.

Joe shook his head then launched into a detailed version of the day's mishaps, ending with Vanessa being mad at him.  "Oh, honey, I'm sorry," Mrs. Hardy commiserated with him.  "But I'm sure Vanessa will listen to reason tomorrow.  She just needs time to cool down."

"I hope so," Joe stated.  He looked at Frank who had remained silent, obviously still observing his decision to let Joe take care of his own problems.  "I need the van tomorrow," he told him.  "Since Vanessa is mad, Franc needs a ride to school in the morning and one to pick up her car tomorrow afternoon."

"Sure," Frank agreed.  "I'll hitch a ride with Callie.  Did you study for your final tomorrow?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Joe answered.  "For hours!  If I don't make an A on this exam, no one will!"

***

The next day Joe and Franc arrived at school with fifteen minutes to go before classes started.  Joe left Franc at her locker and went in search of Vanessa.  "Hon," Joe called out, seeing her by her locker.  She slammed the locker shut and headed in the opposite direction.

"Vanessa!" Joe called out louder, taking off after her.  As he caught up to her, she spun around, her eyes a stormy gray.

"Don't talk to me!  Don't follow me!  Don't come around me, you two-timing bastard!" she shouted at him causing the other students present to look at the twosome.

"Would you just let me explain?" Joe begged.  "Then if you don't want me around, I won't be."

"There is nothing to explain," Vanessa declared.  "I saw you without...without....ooh, and you told me...ooh, just go away!" she shouted, storming off.

Dejected, Joe made his way to class.  By the end of the day, not only was Vanessa not talking to him, neither was Callie, Chet, Phil, Biff, Tony or many of the other students.  They had all taken Vanessa's side.  But he couldn't be too upset because given the circumstances as she knew them, he would have been on her side too.

This was one of those times when he wished he could talk to Frank about what to do, but given Frank's view that Joe should not ask for help from him unless it was a life or death matter, he kept silent.  Frank, aware of the silent treatment Joe was getting from everyone decided it wasn't exasctly fair, so while Joe took Franc to pick up her car, he met with his friends at Mr. Pizza.

"We need to talk," Frank said to Vanessa when he arrived at the restaurant with Callie.

"If it's about Joe, then no, we don't," she told him stubbornly.

"You should let him explain," Frank persisted, not caring that everyone was listening.  "Joe hasn't done anything wrong."

"But I saw him!" Vanessa shouted.

"I know," Frank concurred.  "And it looked bad.  Joe told me all about it. But Joe loves you and he would never do anything to hurt you.  You should know that."

"Frank, he was naked with Francessca in the bedroom," Karen pointed out.

"Not exactly," Frank corrected her.  "He had a robe on, it just wasn't shut."

"I'm sorry," Vanessa said to Frank.  "I just can't talk to him right now."

"He's leaving for the summer the day after tomorrow," he reminded her.  "If you don't work this out soon, it may be too late."

"Right now, I think it already is too late," Vanessa said standing up.  Without another word, she left.

Frank sat back in his seat, disgusted.  "Frank, maybe you're wrong about Joe this time," Phil suggested tentatively.

"No, he isn't," Callie said, looking at Phil.  She explained about Frank's decision to stay out of Joe's problems.  "So, if Frank is trying to get Vanessa to listen to Joe, then Joe really is innocent," she concluded.

Frank smiled wanly at Callie.  "Thanks," he whispered so only she could hear.  She smiled back at him and squeezed his hand.  By the time they left Mr. Pizza, no one there believed Joe had done anything wrong.  Now, they had only to convince Vanessa.

The Hardy Boys belong to Simon and Schuster and the Stratemeyer Foundation, The authors 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 them without express permission of the authors.