“That was so sweet of your brother to let you sit with us,” Lily cooed as she pulled Frank to her table and had him sit down next to her. “Your little brother is so sweet.”  She paused and looked intently into Frank’s brown eyes.  “But what happened to his face?”

“Run off the road on Saturday,” Frank said, his eyes fixed on the table across the cafeteria from them.  Joe was sitting with his back to them, so he couldn’t see his face, and Frank was still perplexed by the outburst.  “And he didn’t let me do anything.”

Lily gave him a smile that left Frank feeling that she didn’t really believe him as she continued, “That’s too bad…about the accident, I mean.”  She picked up her croissant to take a bite.  “Good thing he didn’t get hurt.”

“Yeah,” Frank said vaguely as he forced himself to focus on the conversation around him.  He glanced around the table until his gaze caught Biff’s, but the muscular teen blushed slightly and looked away. He was actually surprised to see Biff sitting with the Gettys, as he assumed Ross would have warned his son away from them, just as he had about Joe when he thought the beer was Joe’s.

Apparently not, Frank thought, and then frowned, either that or else he’s just not listening to his dad….

Other than himself, Lily, Davis and Biff at the table, the other regulars were Evan Pratt, a tall burly senior with blinding red hair and an equally blinding personality; Seth Major, the shortest and most muscular member of the Getty gang, with jet black hair and hazel eyes; and Jorgen Fruz, the only one Frank would ever consider anywhere near nice.  Shorter than Davis, Jorgen was a blond-haired, Icelandic exchange student who somehow (still a mystery to Frank) got mixed up with Davis and his buddies!

Magdalene Morris, Davis’s girlfriend, was the only Getty gang regular missing; mono rumors explained her absence.

Turning his attention back to Biff, Frank wondered if he and Joe got things sorted out.  He had assumed that they did, but as he watched the sullen teen push his lunch around his tray, he wasn’t so sure.

Neither Joe nor Fenton had said much when they got back last night, and Frank didn’t press, figuring apologies were personal matters.

“Hey Biff…” Frank started, and then paused when he noticed the looks that the other people were giving him…except for Lily, of course, who just smiled at him.  “What?”

“Allan,” Davis corrected, smiling smugly at Frank, with an unreadable look on his face.  “He prefers to be called Allan.  ‘Biff’ is so…immature.”

Frank looked at Biff and raised an eyebrow questioningly, but the teen just shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

“O-kay,” Frank said slowly before starting again, “Hey Allan, did you and Joe get everything worked out?”

“Joe?” Davis said in mock surprise, glancing around the table as if looking for something, “I don’t see a ‘Joe’ here…why would Allan need to ‘work out’ anything with someone who isn’t here??”

Frank tensed and opened his mouth to respond, when he felt Lily’s hand on his arm and then heard her voice.  “Davis”, she said warningly, and then fixed him with a cold look.  “Be nice.”

To the older Hardy boy’s amusement, Davis immediately backed down.  He sat back in his chair with a big grin on his face.  “Just kidding, Frank…. Of course I know who your brother is.  Everyone knows.”  He turned to Biff.  “So Allan, do tell…did you and Joe ‘work’ things out?”

Biff’s jaw clenched as he fought not to just get up from the table and walk away.  But he couldn’t do that – this is what you wanted, remember, he kept telling himself, to be part of Davis Getty’s gang! He forced himself to calm down before responding.

Shrugging nonchalantly, he just said, “It’s no big deal; not even worth mentioning.”

Frank’s eyes narrowed, not liking this change in his friend; since when did Joe’s friendship become no ‘big deal’ and ‘not worth mentioning’?

Davis nodded, satisfied, and then looked at Lily.  “So sister, are you and Frank still going to the mall after school?”

”Oh, I completely forgot about that!” the girl gushed as she turned adoring eyes on her boyfriend.  “Frank, do you mind?  I mean, if you aren’t doing anything else.  I just thought it would be nice if we hung out a bit, at the mall or something….”

“Well…” Frank wasn’t really a mall person, but Lily started massaging the arm she was still holding as she smiled charmingly up into his dark brown eyes, and he felt himself melting.  “Sure, why not?”

“Terrific!” the girl gushed as she beamed at her brother.  “Yes, we are, Davis.  Do you need something?”

“No, just checking up,” he said casually, “Dad’ll probably call later.  I need something to tell him.”

“Where are your folks?”  The question was out of Biff’s mouth before he even realized he was going to ask anything.  It had been something he’d been wondering, since at the party he hadn’t seen or heard any mention of the senior Gettys.

“In Europe, as per usual,” Lily answered, casually, for them both. “Visiting our Uncle Antoine.  He’s a nice old guy…a bit creepy, but nice. ”

“He’s a collector,” Davis added, thinking fondly of the old man.  “He likes to collect rare and beautiful things.”

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table for a few moments before Frank said, “I need to drop Joe off at home first.”

“Davis could drive him,” Lily immediately offered, glancing at her brother, pointedly.  “That way we could leave right from school and then, afterwards, I can drop you back to pick up your car.”

“I don’t know about that…” Frank said slowly, wondering how to word this without offending Lily, but the last thing he wanted was for Davis to drive his brother anywhere.

“I can give him a ride,” Biff offered, thinking this would be the perfect opportunity for him to talk to Joe. 

But Davis shook his head.  “No need. I can do it.”

Frank shook his head and looked apologetically at Lily.  “Thanks, but it’s really my responsibility…kinda a ‘Dad’ rule.” 

The girl gave him a strange look but then started to laugh and gave him a quick hug.  “Oh Frank Hardy, you are too funny!” she gushed as she reached up and tweaked his nose. “Okay, I’ll follow you home then, and we can leave from your house.”  Satisfied that the plans had been taken care of, she turned back to her lunch.

* * *

“I’m going to drop you off at home and then hang out with Lily at the mall for a bit,” Frank said as he and Joe drove home.  So far his brother hadn’t said anything to him.

Joe was sitting in his seat, with his head leaned back and his eyes closed; he didn’t say or do anything when the older boy spoke.

“The silent treatment,” Frank commented, after a moment.  “How mature.”

Joe opened his eyes and looked across at his brother; he started to say something, but changed his mind.

“Lily is going to follow me, and then I’ll leave with her,” Frank continued. “It should be fun.”

“Thought you hated malls,” Joe finally said, and his brother shrugged.

“Hate is a petty strong word.”

“Depends on what you’re talking about,” the blond teen said cryptically, and then closed his eyes again.  “Drop me off at the park.”

“You sure?” Frank asked, glancing across at his brother.

Joe nodded.  “Yes.”  His head was splitting, and he wanted to get some fresh air.  He figured the walk home from the park might do the trick. The small park was only a couple of blocks from their house.

“You going to talk to Biff?” Frank wondered aloud as the park was also situated just across from the muscular teen’s house, but Joe shook his head.

“Not if I don’t have to.”

“Joe—” Frank started to tell his brother that he should talk to his best friend, but the blond teen cut him off.

“Frank, just drive please.  I’m not in the mood to listen right now.”

Slightly taken aback by his brother’s attitude, Frank clamped his mouth shut, and didn’t even say anything when he finally stopped at the park and his brother got out of the car.

Wordlessly, he pulled away, glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure Lily was still following him – she was.

* * *

Joe hadn’t meant to sound so surly but he couldn’t help it – he was just in a very bad mood!

Frowning, he kicked at a rock on the sidewalk and started to walk home.

* * *

Biff was surprised when he looked out his window and saw Joe walking on the other side of the road.  Hurriedly putting his sneakers on, he opened the door and rushed outside – he was not about to pass up this opportunity to talk to the other teen.

“Joe!” he shouted, and saw his friend slow down and look at him.  “I need to talk to you.”

“Not now, Biff,” Joe said as he continued walking, but his friend caught up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him.

“Wait—”

Joe pulled his arm free and hissed, “Let me go!”

“Sorry,” Biff said, and then continued, looking Joe in the eye, “I am so sorry!  I’ve been such a jackass and I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to talk to me again…but Joe, I am so, so sorry!”

“If you’re so sorry then why’d you sit with them at lunch today?” Joe’s tone was accusatory as he glared at the bigger teen.

“Because I’m stupid and confused, okay?”  Biff admitted miserably, and then sat down on the edge of the sidewalk.  “I just don’t understand any of this.  I don’t even like these guys but…but….”  His voice trailed off and his tone was so dejected that Joe rolled his eyes and then sat down beside him, but he still didn’t say anything.

“I thought they were cool,” Biff said after a few minutes, “and I wanted to be a part of them.  But now I realize they’re just a bunch of bullies and jerks.”

“Told you so,” Joe couldn’t help but mumble; much of his irritation at Biff was withering under the other teen’s remorse.

“Yeah, you did,” Biff admitted, and then sighed as he looked across at his house. “And now my dad’ll probably never trust me again…and you’re mad at me…but I guess I got what I wanted, didn’t I?”  He finished with his voice laced in savage irony, “I’m part of the Getty gang.”

Joe pursed his lips.  “Well, “he started slowly, “things could be worse, I guess.”

“Not really,” Biff said glumly, and when Joe looked at him questioningly, he elaborated, “They call me…” he swallowed hard, “Allan.”

“That’s cold,” Joe admitted, knowing how much his friend hated his name.

“Why does it matter to me so much, though?” the muscular teen asked. “What Davis Getty and his friends think?”

“I don’t know,” Joe admitted, “but maybe I’m not supposed to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well…” Joe started slowly, “I’m a teenager and so are you. That makes us the prime targets for peer pressure…and if we understood it, then it wouldn’t be a problem, would it?  ‘Cause then we wouldn’t fall victim to it.”

Biff stared at him for a long time and then snorted, “You’re not making any sense to me.”

“Good,” Joe gave a wry smile.  “’Cause I’m not making much sense to me, either.” 

The two boys continued to sit together quietly for a few more moments and then Joe said, off-handedly, “I’m not mad at you any more.  Disappointed and hurt, yes, but not mad.”

Biff gave a small smile and looked across the street at his house.  “I really messed up.”

“Yup,” Joe agreed quietly.

“I’m grounded until the turn of the century—”

“You got off easy, then?”

Biff snorted and gave a small laugh.  “Yeah, I got off with my life!”

Joe shrugged, knowing his friend was exaggerating.

“And I’m not supposed to hang out with Davis or his friends.”

The younger teen looked sharply at his friend, and Biff continued before he could point out the obvious, “I know…I know…. I was sitting with them at lunch time, but I really didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Joe reminded him, but Biff kept quiet.  He was embarrassed to admit to Joe what happened before school, or that he’d let Davis intimidate him into compliance.

“I’d better go before my parents think something’s happened to me,” Joe said after a few minutes of silence; he stood up and stretched as Biff stood beside him.

“I am sorry, Joe,” he apologized again, and this time his friend smiled and nodded his head.

“I know, Biff.  I’m not going to say everything’s all right yet, but it’s on its way.”

“Good,” Biff smiled.  “Call me later? You’re about the only person my Dad will probably let me talk to.”

“Phone privileges suspended too?” Joe guessed.

“For a week,” Biff admitted.  “I really screwed up.”

“Royally,” Joe said seriously, and then smiled and patted his friend on the back.  “But that’s okay.  And yeah, I’ll call you after supper.”

Biff smiled, and then waved good-bye and trotted home before his father realized he’d left the house.  He didn’t need any extra time added on to the next century!

* * *

“Oh Frank…isn’t this lovely!”  Less than an hour at the mall with Lily was long enough for the dark-haired teen to be reminded that Joe was right – he did hate the mall!!

Forcing a smile, he prepared to ooh and aah over her latest ‘find,’ but then did a double take when he actually liked what she was looking at.  It was a black, soft leather men’s jacket.

“Very nice,” he said appreciatively as he touched it, and then frowned when he saw the price-tag.  “And very pricey.”

Lily laughed as she pulled the jacket off the rack and then held it out.  “Let’s see how it looks!”

“Lily—” Frank started to protest, but then gave up and put the jacket on. It was awkward because of the chain that fettered it to the rack, but surprisingly comfortable, all things considered.

“Oh my...” The girl’s voice trailed off in appreciation, as Frank cut a very stunning figure in the jacket.  It intensified his brooding dark looks.  She looked at him thoughtfully and then nodded.  “A fitting coat for a hero.”

“You can’t be serious!” he scoffed as he took the jacket off and realized she was planning on buying it…for him!

“I’m always serious when it comes to you,” the girl asserted as she waved an employee over to remove the jacket from the chain.  As Frank started to protest, she cut him off.  “Frank.  You saved my life yesterday – buying you a jacket is the least I can do!”

“I didn’t do anything,” he said, still shaking his head.  He couldn’t let Lily buy this for him.  It was way too expensive.  “And Joe and Tony are the real life savers. If they hadn’t—”

“Shhh,” she said, silencing him with a manicured finger placed gently on his lips.  “Stop.  Haven’t you figured it out yet?  Once Lily gets something in her head, you might as well just go along with it, because it’s going to happen whether you like it or not.”  And then she smiled, “Besides which, this jacket was made for you!  So please Frank, don’t say no….It would really hurt my feelings,” she ended with a pout, and he felt his resolve weakening.

“But it’s so expensive…” he said, still not comfortable at all with this.

Lily gave him an incredulous look.  “Frank, I have three sports cars and an SUV, two boats, four houses; in case it’s escaped your notice…your girlfriend is loaded!”  She smiled at the shocked look on his face at hearing her speak so bluntly, and then she pulled him towards the counter.  “So trust me…this is not expensive!”

Ten minutes later they left the leather store…with Frank’s new jacket.

* * *

Davis and Evan had just come around the corner when they saw a lone figure walking along the sidewalk.

“Well, well,” sneered Davis, “if it isn’t little Joe Hardy…all by his lonesome….”

Evan grinned as he recognized the look on his friend’s face even as Davis gunned the gas….

* * *

Joe heard a car coming up behind him, but didn’t pay any attention until he heard it pick up speed.  Glancing back out of curiosity, his eyes widened in horror as he saw the white Corvette hop the curb, barreling towards him!

Diving into the bushes on the side of the road, the teen narrowly missed getting hit as he recognized the smiling faces of Davis and Evan as they passed by!

“COWARDS!” he yelled as he dragged himself out of the bushes, wincing painfully.

Davis yelled something obscene as they sped away….

* * *

“Sweetie, what happened to you?” Laura Hardy demanded moments later when Joe came into the house.  Although he had brushed most of the little branches and stuff from his clothes, his mother could tell something had happened.

“A little car trouble,” was all Joe said as he hurried upstairs – he really had to talk to Biff!

Laura frowned as she watched her son take off out of the kitchen, but then sighed.  Poor kid, she thought, this has not been his week!

* * *

Frank and Lily were just leaving the mall when Lily suddenly got a strange look on her face.

“Are you okay?” Frank asked, immediately concerned.

Giving him a weak smile, the girl rubbed her stomach gently.  “Ah yeah…just suddenly got a bit of twinge in my stomach.”

The dark-haired teen watched her carefully and saw her grimace.  “You don’t look too well…are you sure you’re okay?”

“Fine… oooh.”  She put her hand over her mouth, and then swallowed hard.  Frank took her hand to steady her, and after a moment, she recovered and admitted, “Well, maybe not… Frank, can you do me a favor?”

“Anything,” he offered immediately.

“C-can you give me a ride home?” she asked, her voice shaking a bit.  “I really think I should lie down.”

“Of course,” the boy offered immediately, as he helped her into the seat of the silver Mustang.  He fretted over her nervously.  “Can I get you anything?”

“You are so sweet,” Lily said, reaching out with a shaking hand to touch his cheek.  “But I’ll be fine.  Just a little upset tummy….”

“Come on then, I’ll run you home.”  Frank closed her door and then got into the driver’s seat.  As he drove, he frowned slightly, wondering how he was going to get home.  He knew one thing – he’d call his mom or dad before he’d accept a ride from Davis!

As if reading his mind, Lily said softly, wincing as she did, “You can borrow one of my cars…that yellow one you seemed to like so much….”  Her voice trailed off as she closed her eyes.

“I couldn’t—” Frank started to protest, but she cut him off as she grabbed his arm tightly.

“Don’t…argue…with a s-sick…girl,” she panted.

He nodded, and completed the drive in silence, casting worried glances at her as he did so.

A short time later, with Davis assuring him he’d take care of Lily, Frank pulled out of the heavy black gates at the wheel of the yellow BMW.

“You’ve outdone yourself.”  Davis shook his head as he watched Frank drive away.  “You got him something acceptable to wear…and to drive, all in one day….I’m impressed!”

Lily smiled smugly, very pleased with herself.  Piece by piece he’d shape into her best boyfriend yet.

* * *

As soon as Biff’s voice came on the line, Joe didn’t mince words. “Biff, I got a plan…but I need your help….”