LITTLE BOY LOST
by
Phoenix
Chapter 3
The Chapters
“Go upstairs and brush your teeth, sweetie,” Laura Hardy told Joe as she closed the lid on the child’s Spiderman lunchbox. Along with a tuna sandwich, and a box of apple juice, she’d also put in peeled baby carrots, some cheese cubes and a box of raisins. Everything the energetic six-year old needed to tide him over until he got home from school later in the afternoon…
Of course he would be starving as soon as he got in the door, but that was what the small veggie tray and cold glass of milk that she’d have waiting for him on the coffee table were for.
“Awww…Mommy,” the little boy dragged his feet as he carried his cereal bowl from the table to the counter. “Do I have to?”
“No, honey, of course you don’t,” his mother smiled sweetly but then added before Joe could relish in his victory, “I’m sure we’ll still love you just fine after all the cavities come and take your teeth.” She frowned and added thoughtfully. “It really is too bad that private investigating doesn’t come with a better dental plan.”
Joe’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as he tore out of the kitchen and pounded up the stairs. She opened her mouth to tell him ‘no running on the stairs’ but then chuckled softly and let the little boy be. It was a constant battle with him to brush his teeth and she just hoped that he didn’t become distracted somewhere between the top of the stairs and his toothbrush.
Glancing at the time, she saw he still had a few minutes before he needed to leave for school, and went to find her husband.
Normally she walked Frank and Joe the block and a half to the Hoopers’ house where they would meet up with Biff Hooper, one of the brothers’ best friends, and then let them continue on the next three blocks to the small elementary school by themselves. Bayport was still a fairly small town in many ways, which was one of the reasons why she and Fenton had decided to raise their family here.
But this morning Laura was hoping Fenton would go in her place because she really was still very tired.
Being up the better part of the night with a sick Frank had been no fun…for either of them.
ooooooOOOOOOoooooo
Joe eyed his toothbrush warily but made no move to pick it up. Instead he scrambled up on the sink counter, pressed his nose in against the mirror and opened his mouth as wide as he could. Scrunching up his face and distorting his mouth he tried to see any of those so-called ‘cavities’ his mother kept insisting were after his teeth.
He didn’t see anything. Well, nothing other than his tongue.
The child pulled back from the mirror and stuck out his tongue. He wiggled it from side to side and then tried to touch his nose with it. A kid in Frank’s class could touch his nose with his own tongue and Joe thought that was the coolest. Well…he hadn’t actually seen it himself but Frank had and told Joe about it, and that still made it cool.
Frank!
Joe had almost forgotten about his brother. Wait until he told Frank that Daddy had let him have TWO bowls of Lucky Charms!
Wiggling off the counter, the blond boy quietly pushed the door open between his brother’s room and the bathroom, and then stealthily crept inside.
“Hey, Frank,” he whispered loudly, “You awake?” He approached the lump of dark-haired boy and comforter, extended his pointer finger and then poked an exposed arm. “Frank?”
“Go away.”
Okay, that wasn’t exactly the response Joe had been going for. Obviously Frank was being a grumpy head this morning. However, he refused to be daunted by the lackluster greeting. Maybe Frank didn’t realize it was Joe…
He poked again. “Frank. You awake? It’s me, Joey…” he paused and added, “your brother.”
This time Frank swatted at him, catching him on the leg.
“Hey!” the younger boy yelped as he jumped back, “Stop hitting me!”
“Then stop poking me.” Slowly the older boy opened his eyes and untangled himself from the comforter before rubbing tiredly at his pale face.
“Okay,” Joe agreed easily enough as he plopped himself down on the bed next to his brother. “Daddy let me have two bowls of cereal this morning. Two big bowls!”
“Don’t talk about food,” Frank groaned, curling in slightly on himself. “Please.”
Joe gave him an appraising look. He had thought his brother would be a bit more excited for him but then decided Frank might still be sick. Who knew how long space sicknesses took to get better! “You done being sick?”
“I really hope so,” Frank sighed miserably and Joe felt his eyes prickle with tears. He hated it when his brother was sad. It made him sad. “It isn’t much fun being sick.”
Without any warning – even to himself – Joe burst into tears and flung his arms around his brother. “I don’t want you to still be sick! And I don’t want to go to school by myself!” he wailed, suddenly overwhelmed. “I want to stay home with you!”
He felt his brother wrap his arms around his shaking shoulders and give him a quick squeeze. “I’d rather go with you,” Frank admitted.
Joe pulled away, scrubbing the tears from his face. “You would?” He was dumbfounded. Why would Frank want to go to school with him when he could stay home with Frank? “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to be sick anymore either,” the older boy admitted and then pushed himself off the edge of the bed to stand up. Joe moved out of the way and then followed Frank into the bathroom. “And my class has library today and it’s my turn to be library helper.” He gave Joe a significant look, “Can I have some privacy?”
“Okay,” Joe said but didn’t move. He still wasn’t completely sure what ‘privacy’ meant when Frank used the word. After another moment, the seven year old just exhaled loudly, reached for a Dixie cup and turned on the faucet.
“Besides,” the older boy continued after he swallowed a few mouthfuls of water, “it’s no fun being home by myself. I’m going to be lonely…”
The little boy smiled. He knew it. His brother liked him.
“JOE?” their mother’s voice called out, “Did you brush your teeth?’
“Oops!” Joe grabbed the toothbrush and hastily scrubbed at his mouth with it, trying to ignore the look his brother was giving him. “What?” he finally asked as he worked up some spittle and spit into the sink.
Frank didn’t say anything, he just picked up the tube of toothpaste and quirked an eyebrow.
Joe scowled.
“Fine,” his older brother gave in way too easily. He was almost as militant about tooth care as their parents were. “But when your teeth turn black, Mom’s going to know.”
What was it with his family and teeth??
“Fine,” Joe huffed out and took the toothpaste from his brother. He made a big show of putting a huge gob on the end of his brush and then scrubbing his teeth, again, almost gagging on the taste. Apparently there really could be too much ‘whitening freshness’.
By the time he finished, Frank was making his way back to his bed and Joe frowned as he watched his brother. He really hated seeing Frank like this. It was just unnatural.
“Joe!” their mother’s voice again, “C’mon sweetie, Daddy is going to walk you to Biff’s house!”
“I’m coming!” the little boy called back but didn’t move. He didn’t like his brother being lonely. And then Joe got a wonderful idea…
…
Frank had just gotten comfortable in bed again when his brother hurried back into this room.
“I got something for ya,” the blond boy gushed, his cheeks red with excitement, “so you won’t be so lonely while I’m gone,” and then before he could even ask, Joe thrust something small and metal into Frank’s hand.
The dark haired boy looked down and his eyebrows rose in surprise. He let out a low whistle and then glanced at his brother, “Joey? Are you sure? This is your favorite car.”
Joe nodded, his blue eyes animated, his whole body almost vibrating with energy, “I’m sure. ‘Sides it’s not like I’m letting you keep it or something….It’s just till I get home.” His smile lit up his young face. But then the smile slipped, replaced by something much more serious and he pursed his lips. “But only if you promise to take real good care of it, okay?”
Frank ran his fingers reverently over the small die-cast dinky car. Solid black, the four-door 1967 Chevy Impala was his brother’s most treasured possession – Joe never let anyone else play with it.
He was touched, and swallowed back a sudden lump in his throat at the gesture. When he could finally speak, he was just as solemn as the six year old had been. “Just until you get home…” His dark eyes shone and then he grinned. “Thank you, Joey! This is sooo cool.”
Joe grinned back and then bolted out the door before his parents came looking for him. “Bye Frank!” he yelled over his shoulder, “See you after school!”
The older boy barely heard him as his stomach took another painful lurch and he hurtled himself back towards the bathroom, the small black car lost amid the comforter hastily shoved on the floor….
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Disclaimer
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 original characters without express permission of the authors.