“So you’re saying he was at fault,” demanded Callie Shaw smiling triumphantly at her boyfriend’s year younger brother.

“No,” Joe denied, shaking his head. All around him his friends were smirking because they felt Callie had successfully trapped him. “I’m saying that if he had wanted to have an affair nothing would have prevented him from doing it. But he didn’t. That woman just kept coming at him and when his wife left him for a week, she pushed harder and it just sort of happened.”

Joe and Callie had gone to see a movie the previous evening with their respective dates, Vanessa Bender and Frank Hardy. Frank was Joe’s year older brother who had been dating Callie steadily for almost two years while Joe had been dating Vanessa since she and her mother had moved to town almost two years ago.

When the teens had gathered for lunch, Callie had told the others about the movie but Joe had disagreed with something Callie said and now it looked like an argument was brewing.

“Ah, come on Joe,” Callie scoffed, shoving a lock of hair out of her face. “You can’t honestly believe that he had no control over what happened. He made out with her in his and his wife’s own bed, for crying out loud. He was as guilty as sin!”

“Talking about the movie last night?” asked brown headed, brown eyed Frank sitting down beside Callie and placing his lunch tray on the table. He had stayed to talk with his teacher after his last class, making him late for lunch.

“Yes,” Callie said, grinning at him. “Someone suggested he was innocent and didn’t deserve everything he got.”

“What kind of an ignoramus would think that?” Frank demanded, frowning. “All he had to do was say no.”

“He did,” Callie reminded him, seeing Joe’s eyes harden at the insult. “Remember? He rebuffed her several times.”

“Some rebuffs,” scoffed Frank airily. “He didn’t try nearly hard enough. No, he wanted to cheat on his wife and he did. And anyone who even thinks otherwise doesn’t have any morals.”

Frank realized he had said something wrong when everyone grew quiet and began to stare at him. Everyone but Joe. Joe stood up without a word, picked up his tray and left the table. “Joe said that, huh?” he asked, grimacing.

“Uh-huh,” replied sandy haired, bookish Phil Cohen. “You had better go and apologize,” he suggested, looking at Joe who had taken a seat at an empty table across the room.

“No,” Frank said, shaking his head. “I meant what I said. He did want to cheat and it was obvious but...”

“Obvious to you,” Callie said. “You pick up on things other people sometimes miss.”

Frank frowned. “I guess you’re right,” he agreed. “But I don’t think he would talk to me right now,” he continued looking over at Joe who sat scowling at his lunch. “I’ll apologize later.”

Joe sat down and picked up his fork. He stabbed a fry and lifted it to his mouth. “Hey, mind if we join you?” asked a voice from Joe’s right.

Joe looked up and shrugged. “Be my guest,” he said, waving his fork at the empty chairs surrounding him.

“Looks like you’re in a bad mood,” said one of the boys.

Joe frowned at the green eyed blond who had sat down in front of him. “I guess,” he mumbled.

“My name is Pete Barlow,” said the blond, “and this is Russell Nolen.” Pete made the introduction. “You’re Joe Hardy, right?”

“Yeah,” Joe admitted, putting his fork down and giving up the pretense of eating.

“I thought you usually hung out with the ‘in’ crowd,” Russell said, looking at him curiously.

“We had a falling out,” Joe replied.

“About?” Pete prodded, lifting an eyebrow.

Joe told him about the movie. “We saw that!” Pete declared. “Right, Russ?”

“Yeah. Man, I can’t believe his wife treated him like that. I mean, it wasn’t entirely his fault,” Russ said.

“Exactly,” agreed Joe. “Enough pressure is going to make anyone cave in eventually and she was hot. It wasn’t like he didn’t try to get rid of her.”

“You called that one,” Pete agreed, reaching down and picking up his backpack. He pulled out a bag of homemade brownies. “Want one?” he offered Joe as Russell reached into the bag and took one. “I mean, applesauce for dessert. P U!” he ended, wrinkling his nose.

Joe laughed and took one. “When you’re right, you’re right,” he agreed before biting into the brownie. “These are good,” Joe said, grinning. “Your mom make them?”

“Nah,” Pete denied. “My dad. My mom split about ten years ago.”

“That’s tough,” Joe commented.

“It was,” Pete admitted. “But dad and I get along pretty well. We’re doing okay now. Here, have another,” he offered seeing Joe had polished off the first one.

“Thanks,” Joe replied, taking a second one. “You think your dad would give me the recipe?” he asked. “I’d love to get my mom to bake these.”

Russ snorted but covered it quickly with a cough. “He won’t do it,” Russ replied. “I’ve tried to get it too, but Pete’s dad says it’s a family secret.”

“Lucky Pete,” Joe murmured, licking the last crumb from his finger.

“Hey, if you aren’t doing anything after school, why don’t you come over to my place?” Pete asked. “Dad’s always bugging me to make new friends,” he added, rolling his eyes.

Joe grinned and shot a sideways glance at the table where his brother and friends were laughing at something. “Sure,” Joe agreed. “I’d love to.”

“Joe, we’re going to meet the gang at Mr. Pizza’s,” Frank said, catching up to Joe after their last class.

“Have fun,” Joe replied, his voice chilly.

“Ah, come on Joe,” Frank begged. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had said that about the movie.”

“But you still meant what you said about the main character,” Joe said.

“Yes,” Frank agreed a bit hesitantly. “But that...”

“So you meant what you said about my having no morals,” Joe deduced.

“No,” Frank denied. “As Callie pointed out, you probably just didn’t realize...”

“I did realize,” Joe insisted. “You may be this super intelligent guy and think you are always right, but you aren’t. And for the record, I have never dissed anyone because of their opinions on a movie. Talk about lack of morals,” Joe snorted. “Look,” he continued before Frank could speak. “I’m going over to a friend’s house. I’ll call mom when I get there,” he added as he walked away.

“Joe! Don’t be like this,” Frank pleaded, hurrying to catch up with him.

“Like what? The immoral person you accused me of being?” Joe asked, stopping and staring Frank in the eyes.

“I said I was sorry. I should never have said that and I may have been wrong about the guy in the movie,” Frank admitted. “That was my take on him but you could be right. I could be wrong.”

“Are wrong,” Joe declared stubbornly.

“Am wrong,” Frank admitted. Anything to get Joe over being mad.

“Okay,” Joe relented, giving Frank an impish grin.

“So you’ll come to Mr. Pizza’s with us?” Frank asked but Joe shook his head.

“I already promised Pete I would go to his house,” Joe said, shaking his head.

“Pete?” Frank asked. “One of the kids you ended up having lunch with?”

“Yes,” acknowledged Joe with a giggle. “I’ve had history with him all year and I just now noticed how nice he is.”

“Well, have fun,” Frank said, giving Joe a small smile. “And don’t be late,” he added, worried by Joe’s mood swings. How could he have been so angry and giggling the next? Giggling?

“I won’t,” Joe promised, then left Frank and headed down the steps to where Russell and Pete were waiting on him.