MAKING IT OFFICIAL
by
RM
Chapter 13
THE CHAPTERS
Joe made his way downstairs with his head hung low. He had the world’s worst headache, but he was willing to suffer for a little while after all the fun they had had. They had partied for a while and knew it would be a party that everyone would remember.
He grinned as he recalled the look on Frank’s face as the cake was wheeled into the room. It had the desired effect he had wanted. Frank had not expected what followed. The drinks that followed the cake got everyone in the party mood.
Joe had a feeling Frank was still sleeping in an attempt to recover from the festivities. He knew Frank had been shocked at what had been planned, but he had enjoyed himself thoroughly.
Entering the kitchen, he found a note from his parents.
“Joe, Frank, we’ve gone to the reception hall to make sure everything is set for tomorrow. We’ll be back in time to head to the rehearsal dinner. Whoever reads this first, make sure you wake the other in time to go to the rehearsal.
“Mom”
Joe looked at his watch and saw it was only two o’clock. He figured he’d wake Frank in an hour. He knew if he was suffering, Frank was probably in the same condition, or even worse. Since he hadn’t seen Frank or heard a sound from his room, he figured his older was trying to recover by sleeping.
He quickly got something to eat and moved into the living room. He settled on the couch and started flipping through the channels to find some sports coverage. He knew there had been a couple baseball games the previous night and wanted to see the stats to see which teams would be making a run for the World Series.
When he finished eating, he shut the television off and returned his dishes to the kitchen, putting them in the dishwasher to be cleaned.
He quickly headed upstairs to get showered before he woke Frank.
Twenty minutes later he was getting dressed. He heard movement downstairs and figured Frank had gotten up on his own.
Joe ran a comb through his hair and left his bedroom. He made his way downstairs just in time to see his father exit the kitchen.
“Look who finally rolled out of bed,” Fenton said as Joe stepped off the stairs. “Should I assume the party was a success?”
Joe smiled. “The party was the best. I think people will be talking about it for years to come.”
“Should I be expecting a call from the police?” Fenton asked jokingly.
“Nah,” Joe said. “We had fund but didn’t get too out of hand. We had to give Frank a good sendoff as he begins married life.”
“Just as long as you didn’t get into trouble.”
“We didn’t.”
“That’s good.”
“So, is everything set at the reception hall?” Joe asked as he followed his father into the living room.
“It sure is,” Fenton said, sitting down in his recliner as Joe settled on the couch. “The tables are all ready with place settings. The florist will be there first thing in the morning with the flowers before going to the church. Everything is falling into place.”
“It sure is,” Laura said entering the room.
“Morning,” Joe said.
“I think you mean good afternoon,” Laura teased as she sat down in the recliner beside Fenton.
“Yeah, yeah,” Joe said. “I know.”
“So, how is Frank?” Laura asked. “Is he getting ready for the rehearsal dinner?”
Joe looked at his mother puzzled. He thought he had heard Frank in the kitchen. “Wasn’t he in the kitchen?”
“I was in there by myself,” Laura said.
“He’s probably still sleeping,” Joe said getting to his feet. “I’ll go wake him so he doesn’t miss tonight.”
“Good thinking,” Fenton said.
Joe left the living room and headed upstairs. He reached his brother’s room and knocked on the door. “Frank? You awake?”
There was no response.
Joe pushed the door open and stepped inside. He stopped in his tracks. Frank’s bed was empty, although the covers appeared to have been quickly straightened. Joe turned to the bathroom that connected both of their rooms and saw the door was closed. He moved toward the door and listened carefully for the sound of running water, but there wasn’t any.
“Frank, you in there?”
Again there was no response. Joe pulled the door open and saw it was empty. Turning around to the vacant room, he wondered where his brother had gone.
He left the room and returned downstairs. As he stepped into the living room, he said, “Frank’s not here.”
“What do you mean he’s not here?” Laura asked.
“His car is still in the driveway,” Fenton said.
“He’s not in his room,” Joe said. “His bed is made, although a bit sloppily. But he’s not there.”
“Do you think it’s possible he went out with Caren?” Laura asked. “And that he’s going to meet us at the rehearsal dinner? Caren did stop by as I was leaving.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Joe said moving to the phone. He quickly picked the phone up and dialed Frank’s cell. He let out a sigh when it went right to voice mail. He left a brief message. “Frank, call me when you get this.”
Joe ended the call and then dialed the number for Caren’s cell. It rang three times before going to voicemail. He left the same message for her.
Joe turned to his parents. “Neither of them are answering.”
“They are probably together knowing that come midnight, they won’t see the other until the ceremony,” Laura said.
“You’re probably right,” Fenton said.
Joe remained quiet. He hoped they were right.
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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.