hardy boys fan fiction

MALL MIRACLE

hardy boys nancy drew fan fiction

by

Rowan Hood

The Story

hardy boys fan fiction

THE CHAPTERS

INTRO

THE STORY

Callie Shaw laughed as she and Vanessa Bender walked towards one of the many entrances of Bayport Square Mall.  They had left their dates, Frank and Joe Hardy, at the home of Ben Johnston so that they could do some early Christmas shopping for the boys’ gifts.  Normally the two boys would have insisted on coming along, but together with Ben’s help, the girls managed to trick the two detectives into staying away.  Callie flipped her shoulder-length blond hair over her shoulder, and grinned at her friend.

“Well Van, that was easy enough, now let’s see if finding gifts for them is just as easy.”

“Let’s head over to Macy’s first.”  Vanessa tugged at her dark bangs, “I want to get some perfume that I saw the last time I was in there.”

“Really?  What is it?”

“I forgot what it’s called, but it’s by Brittany Spears.”

Callie rolled her eyes.

“Really, come on Van,” Callie raised her eyebrows, “Brittany Spears?”

Vanessa ducked her head.

“I know, I know, but it smells so good!  I’ll just have to show you.”

They soon arrived at the cosmetic department of Macy’s, Vanessa dragging Callie over to the counters.  Lifting a round purple bottle from of the glass counter top, Vanessa took a deep breath.

“Mmmm,” she held out the bottle to Callie, “Smell it.  It smells good enough to make your mouth water.”

Callie leaned over the bottle, and sniffed.

“You’re right,” she said, “It does make your mouth water.”

Vanessa set the bottle back down and picking up the set next to it, she held it up for Callie to see.

“Look, it has the perfume, the lotion, and a little purse size bottle.”  She pointed to each item in turn as she said this.  Callie nodded.

“I think Joe will appreciate your buying it.”

Vanessa blushed, and started for the register.

“I’m sure Frank would if you bought some.” Vanessa retorted.

This time it was Callie’s turn to blush.

“What are you getting Joe for Christmas?” Callie asked, changing the subject.  Vanessa handed a twenty dollar bill to the cashier.  Tucking the change into her purse, she thanked the cashier and took her purchase from the counter.

“I haven’t quite decided yet.  But I think I’m going to get him that skateboard from Spencers that he’s been talking about.  What are you getting Frank?”

Callie shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m not sure about his either.  I think I’ll get him that set from Comp City, you know the one his mom said he wanted.  But if I got it now he would notice the big box sitting in the back seat.”

“Hey,” Vanessa stopped walking and tugged Callie to a halt, “What was it that Ben was telling you when I was waiting in the car?”

“Oh,” Callie rolled her eyes, “He was telling me not to stay out too late tonight.  He’s afraid of what would happen if we where caught out alone after 11:00.”

“Is…is he sweet on you?” Vanessa asked in a low whisper.  Callie threw back her head and laughed a high lilting laugh.

“If he is, he’ll never let on!  Imagine Frank’s face if he ever heard even the slightest rumor of Ben liking me!  That would be the fight of the century!”  She stopped and wiped tears from her eyes, “Na, he’s not sweet on me, he’s just overly protective.  Frank told me it has something to do with the way he grew up.”

“You would think with as hot as he is he would have girls falling at his feet to date him.”

“They already do fall at his feet.  He’s just not easily attracted to girls, or at least, that’s what he told me.”

“He told you that?”  Vanessa sounded surprised.

“Yeah; but man is he hot.”

Vanessa grinned.

“You said it girl.  If I wasn’t already dating an awesome guy, I’d go after him myself.”

“Mmhhmmm.  Mark me down for that one girlfriend.”

Callie and Vanessa continued through the mall talking, laughing, and purchasing Christmas gifts.  Time flew by fast in the crowded mall, and before they knew it, the loudspeakers were announcing that the mall would be closing in two minutes.  Their arms sagging under their bags of gifts, the girls made their way out the nearest exit to the final strains of “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time”.

“Sheesh!” Callie said with a deep breath, “Did you notice how many people were in the mall tonight?”

Vanessa tried to shift the weight of the bags on her arms.

“Yeah I did.  It was hard to move around.”

“Move around?” Callie laughed, “It was hard to even breathe, let alone move around.  But, I’m glad we went.  Lord knows when we would have had the time to get everyone’s gifts without their knowing; with the Christmas rush and everything.”

“Yeah,” Vanessa hitched her purse higher onto her shoulder, “Did you get something for Ben?”

Callie glanced quizzically at her friend.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we couldn’t have done this with out Ben’s help, so we’re kind of indebted to him.”

Callie stepped over a yellow line in the parking lot.

“I see what you mean.  We need to get something extra special for him.  Any suggestions?”

“Well, Joe told me that Ben likes the Lyric band.  So I was thinking that maybe we could buy him their new CD.”

Callie shook her head.

“No good.  He already has it.”

“What?!”  Vanessa stopped walking, “It just came out two days ago!”

“I know.  But while we were at his apartment tonight, I was looking around, and I saw a CD rack simply stuffed with every CD that Lyric has ever come out with; including their newest release.”

“That’s totally unfair.  He must be their number one fan or something.”

Callie laughed.

“Or something!  But seriously, it would be quite a feat if he was their number one fan.  Especially with as many fans as they’ve got.  We’ll just have to figure out something else to get him.  Maybe tomorrow we can get him something from that music store he’s always raving about.”

Vanessa rubbed the side of her face on her shoulder and looked around.

“Have you noticed that almost all the cars are gone?”

“Yeah I did.  It never ceases to amaze me how the parking lot fills up around the holidays.”

“Oh yes,” Vanessa groaned, “And we’re always forced to park far from the mall.”

“Oh shoot!”  Callie tried to swing her purse around her shopping bags.  “My keys will probably be at the very bottom of my purse again.”

They reached Callie’s red sports car, and just as she predicted, Callie’s keys were at the bottom of her purse.  She inserted them into the lock of the trunk, and relieved herself and Vanessa of their shopping bags.  Closing the trunk with a slam, the two girls made their way to the car doors.

Callie had just unlocked the doors when she heard the sound of shoe scrapping the pavement behind her, she spun around.  Two men dressed in dark clothes and wearing stocking masks were coming towards her and Vanessa.  Callie screamed in fright.

Screaming, the two girls jumped into the car, and slammed and locked the doors.  Callie jammed the keys into the ignition and turned it.  Nothing happened.  The two men had reached the car, and were pounding on the windows.  Callie screamed and tried to start the car again; but still nothing happened.

“You’re not going anywhere girly.”

Callie began to cry, trying to ignore the men’s profane threats about what they were going to do to her and her friend.

“Callie!”  Vanessa shrieked, pointing to cracks that were starting to appear in her window.  “Callie, try again!  Try it again!”

Callie turned the keys again.  And again, nothing happened.

“God in heaven help us!!”  Vanessa gripped Callie’s arm, shrinking away from the window.  “Oh Lord Jesus help us!”

Callie tried turning the car on again; and this time it started.

“Thank you Jesus, oh thank you God!”  Callie shoved the car into gear, and pulled away, their attackers staring after the car in shock.

“Oh Callie,” Vanessa broke into tears, “Callie I’ve never been so scared in my life!”

“Me either,” Callie’s hands shook as she turned the car onto the bridge that went over the highway, “Oh how I wished I had listened to Ben.”

“What time is it?”

“11:30”

“Oh no!”  Vanessa began biting her nails, a habit that she was trying to give up.  “What will we tell Frank and Joe?”

* * * * 

“Where are they?”

Frank paced the length of the small room, then marched to the window and looked out.

“I’m sure they’ll be here any moment Frank.”  Joe sat on Ben’s bed, nervously pulling at the stitching of the coverlet.  “It’s not too late you know.”

Ben, who was standing at a desk that was littered with papers and pencil shavings, looked up at the clock that hung on the wall.

“It’s 11:40 Joe.  It’s too late for two girls to be out alone.”  Ben ran his fingers through his light brown hair, “I told Callie not to stay out this late.  I hope nothing has happened to them.”

“Nothing will happen to them,” Joe began pulling harder on the stitches, “They’ll be here any minute, you wait and see.”

Frank rapped his knuckles sharply against the window pane in anxiety.  The room was quiet for several minutes before the sound of a car reached the three boy’s ears.  Frank was the first one out the door, followed noisily by Ben and Joe.

“Callie!  Vanessa!”  Frank vaulted over the porch railing, causing some paint to peel off.  “Where in the world have you two been?”

Callie jumped out of the car and flung herself into Frank’s arms; sobbing into his shirt.  Vanessa was already crying on Joe’s shoulder.  The two brothers were ecstatic that the girls were back, but their joy was quickly dissipated when the girls told them what had happened.

Frank turned on Ben.

“Why did you keep us from going with them?  If we had gone this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Oh don’t blame Ben, Frank.”  Callie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.  “We told him to keep you here.  We were buying your Christmas gifts and we didn’t want you to see them.”

“Couldn’t you’ve gone shopping some other time?”  Frank asked.

“Well yes,” Callie replied hesitantly, “But you know how our schedule is.  If we hadn’t have gone today we might not have been able to go ever.”

“Frank is right though Callie,” Ben kicked the pavement, “I should’ve let them go with you.  I agreed to keep them here against my better judgment.”

“What I can’t understand,” Joe was still holding Vanessa, “Is why the car didn’t start right away.”

“I can’t understand that either,” Callie hugged herself tightly, “It’s never done that before.”

“Frank, Joe, why don’t you guys get the girls home.”  Ben glanced at his watch.  “It’s almost midnight, their parents will be worried.”

“I don’t think the car will start again,” Callie stated, “When I turned it off it kind of…sputtered.”

“Tell ya what,” Ben dug into his pants pocket and produced a set of keys, “Why don’t you guys take my car?  It’s just down the street, parked beside that old gray Suburban.”

“But,” Vanessa spoke up, “What about Callie’s car?”

“Leave it here with me,” Ben tossed his keys to Frank, “I’ll check it out in the morning and see what I can do.”

“Thanks Ben,” Callie hugged him, “You’re a real brick.”

“Okay, okay,” Ben’s cheeks were red, “Better get going before you all get in trouble.”

After his friends had left, Ben went back inside and made his way up to his second floor apartment.  He flopped onto his bed and kicked off his shoes.  Burying himself under the covers, Ben closed his eyes.  The last thing he heard was the clock striking 12:00. 

* * * * 

Frank smacked irritably at his alarm clock.  When the buzzing didn’t stop he realized it was his cell phone.  Groaning, Frank rolled onto his side and snatched up his phone.  He rubbed his eyes, and flipped open the silver razor.

“Hello?”
 

“Frank!  You’ll never guess what I’ve found out!”

“Ben?”  Frank glanced at the clock on his nightstand, “Do you know what time it is?”

“No.”

“It’s 6:55 a.m.” Frank groaned, “What in the world are you doing calling me this early in the morning on a Saturday?”

“Sorry Frank.  I got up early out of habit, so I decided I would take a look at Callie’s car like I said I would.  You’ll never guess what I found!”

“You’re right,” Frank snapped, “I’ll never guess, so tell me.”

“I know why Callie’s car wouldn’t start, and why those guys were so certain that they’d get the girls.”

“Don’t remind me of that part.” Frank flung back the covers and swung his legs down to the floor.  “Now, tell me what you saw.”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before!  They got home buy a sheer miracle!  I think I’ll start trusting in God more—“

Joe poked his head around the open door.

“What’s going on?” He rubbed his eyes sleepily.  Frank motioned him over with his phone, and turned on the loudspeaker.

“Frank?  Are you still there?”

“Yeah I am.”  Frank glanced at his brother.  “Joe’s here too.”

“Great, now I can tell you both.”

“Ben, man,” Frank pulled his hair, “Will you stop beating around the bush and just tell us already!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you.” Ben sighed to calm himself, “The reason why Callie’s car wouldn’t start, is because; there was NO engine in the car!!!!!”

~THE END~

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