"Looks like our Joe has hit his teenage years," Fenton laughed, looking up from the files he was looking over. Laura tried to chuckle with her husband over Joe’s behavior, but it was hard. She used to hear about everything and she still did with Frank. But Joe was always a little more secretive about his life and she feared he would become a stranger when we started high school. It looked like that worry was becoming reality. She started to get up when Frank motioned for her to sit down and enjoy her television show.

"I will see how he is. He will talk to me," Frank reassured her and headed up the stairs.

Seeing that Joe’s door was closed, he was about to knock on the door when he noticed that the hallway portable phone was missing and the "in use" light was on. Would he stoop so low as to spy on his brother? Deciding not to invade his brother’s privacy, he knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Joe voice could be heard.

"It’s Frank, can I talk to you a minute?"

"Uh… sure… can you wait until I am off the phone?"

"I will be in my room," Frank answered and walked on to his bedroom.

About fifteen minutes later, Joe came to Frank’s door. "You said you needed to talk to me?"

"Yeah," Frank said, working on his homework. "Let me finish up this one last question."

Joe walked over and nervously looked over his brother’s shoulder. "American Literature uh? Sounds exciting! Can’t wait till I get to take it!"

Frank laughed, remembering Joe’s displeasure with reading and writing. He was more of a music, sports and art person than he was with the language arts area. Frank finished his last sentence and closed his book. Then turning around he faced Joe, who looked rather disturbed.

"So tell me, how did things go today?" Frank asked. Joe looked at his brother with such a look that Frank knew something was up. But he was not going to push the issue.

"Fine, just fine," Joe said. There was a long pause between the brothers.

"So how was practice? Things with your teammates getting better?" Frank pried a little more.

"Yes, we came up with two more plays and had pizza. Steven even let me run a couple of plays," Joe replied, trying to act like everything was perfectly fine.

"Sounds good to me," Frank said dryly. He thought that maybe he should at least tell Joe where he had been in case word got back to him. "I ran into Heath Webb and Eric Devlin today."

Joe turned white before asking about their conversation.

"They are enjoying the junior varsity team. Heath said his arm should be fine in a few weeks," Frank mentioned, seeing if Joe would add to the conversation. But Joe did not take the bait. He remained silent about the situation. Frank could sense that Joe was not telling him everything. Then Joe finally broke.

"I know that Heath and Eric must have told you about what happened. It is not right what happened to them, but I don’t want to end up on the bench all my life. In order to become the quarterback, I am going to have to just take the good with the bad. Besides, Steven and his friends don’t mean any harm," Joe tried to explain.

"Almost breaking Heath’s arm, threatening Eric, breaking in girls, hitting you… come on Joe, you are not that gullible!" Frank quipped. But he was not prepared for Joe’s harsh reply.

"Look Frank, I just need for you to let things be. Just let me handle my own private life," Joe fired back. "I will take care of them when the time comes."

"After someone is really hurt!" Frank said just as quick.

"No, no one is going to get hurt," Joe said, almost out of frustration. "Just keep your nose clean and let me handle them. Everything is going well right now Frank. They really are trying to include Chet and me now. I have an inside track! Please don’t shoot my chance."

Frank let out a big sigh. Joe looked at him, almost with fury in his eyes.

"You have to let me handle my own problems," Joe said with a stern tone.

Frank nodded and decided to change the subject. It was evident he was not getting anywhere with Joe. "Do you need help with your math tonight?"

Joe’s frown turned to a somewhat grin. "I have it done, but I appreciate the offer bro! Finished it in study hall thanks to your help last night."

"Up for a game of Monopoly?" Frank asked. Joe really was not up to it. He just wanted to crawl in bed and forget the world existed until he could figure out what to do. But he knew that Frank was feeling him out. So he agreed to play a quick game. Then soon after Frank beat him by getting all four railroads and Boardwalk. Joe spent most of his time in jail or in debt, for which was very unusual for the boy who always won at the game. He did enjoy the time with Frank since it took his mind off of his problems at hand.

Later that night, though, his problems came back to haunt his every thought. Joe’s thoughts were clouded by what he was going to do.

I am not, and I do repeat that, NOT going to ask Frank for those answers. I am going to handle this on my own. If I don’t, I will be totally washed up in the first month of my freshman year! But I have to think of something because Steven and his boys are not going to accept my refusal. Then there is Iola. I have to keep Iola out of this too. Then his face started to smile thinking about how she still turned down Steven’s offer to take her to the dance after the game Friday. Then his thoughts meandered to another thought--- his mother. She had been raiding his closet for a nice pair of dress pants and shirt for her younger son to wear to his first official date. Not happy with her findings, Laura Hardy almost insisted that she pick Joe up after practice to go and buy a new outfit at the mall. Hating going shopping with his mother for clothes, Joe argued and begged to no avail. Then he brought up that it was not fair that Frank did not have to go, leaving Frank giving him "the look" of revenge from the hallway. It was then that Laura Hardy insisted that after the boys came home, they would set out for the mall in search of an outfit for the dance.

That is if I am alive to be able to go after Steven and his cretins get their hands on me. The rest of the night, Joe was able to sleep in between his restlessness. Waking up with red eyes and dragging around, Frank knew something was up and he was bound and determined to find out just what was going on.

The school day started off normal. The boys met their chums at the usual spot and resumed through their school schedules. It was strange, however, that Chet and Joe hardly ate any of their lunch. Frank waited for either boy to hint about what was going on, but neither boy said a word about football. Then last period came. Joe and Chet got dressed for their drills that the coach ran through during their gym time.

"So when will I get my papers?" Steven’s voice boomed behind Joe as he was lacing his cleats. Joe could almost feel the dread come over him. He knew what he had to do and he was willing to face the consequences. He was not going to ask his brother to cheat for anyone.

"I never asked," Joe said, as he stood up to face Steven. His usual brood of friends was anxiously hovering in like vultures, waiting for the signal to pounce.

"What do you mean you never asked?" Steven sneered, getting up into Joe’s face. Chet bristled up behind his best friend. No matter what, Joe was not going to take the fall without him.

"He told you last night Steven. We will be glad to help you guys out, but we are not going to cheat to do it," Chet sounded in with a low voice.

Steven looked at Chet, then back to Joe. "Is that true? You are NOT going to ask Frank for some measly answers to some tests to a subject that really doesn’t matter?"

"I am not going to ask my brother to do something like that. It could get him into a lot of trouble," Joe replied sternly.

Steven stepped back and looked at Joe.

Then the unexpected happened. Steven laughed and walked away from the two friends. "Fine, be that way. When we start to flunk and they pull us from the team, we will make sure to let the whole school know whom to blame," he said, walking towards the locker room door. The rest of the gang looked really funny at first, it was obvious they were expecting an altercation. Then they simply shrugged their shoulders and proceeded to follow Steven.

Chet sat down and took a deep breath. Joe finally swallowed and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That was too easy," Chet exclaimed, finishing tying up his cleats.

"I am sure that we are not out of the woods yet my friend," Joe said, changing his socks.

"Hey, maybe just MAYBE, they have realized that we are not going to be pushed around… that we are tougher than they thought we were," Chet stammered in between breaths. He was struggling with getting his other shoe on. Joe made a face at his fumbling friend, but refrained from making any comments.

"Yeah right. We are getting ready to be the meat that goes on the grill," Joe quipped. "They are not going to stop at that."

"But if they were going to fight us, they would have done it right there since there was no one around," Chet pointed out.

"I would not be so sure about that," Joe said with a sigh.

"We stood our ground with them. Maybe now they are going to take us seriously," Chet chimed back. "They always say that once you stand up to a bully, new doors open up!"

"Chet, I would say that this is the beginning of a very long season," Joe said, walking towards the locker room door. "And if you don’t hurry up, we are going to be late for our execution." Chet made a face and then joined the blond haired freshman.

Joe figured that once they hit the field, the trouble would start. But it didn’t. Everything went fine, perfect actually! Steven even shared some field time with Joe practicing some plays with Joe as the quarterback. Glancing over at Chet, he noticed that his chunkier chum had seemed to enjoying himself as a lineman. For once, the Bayport Wildcats were playing as a team. Coach Miller was even impressed and gave them each a handshake as they left the field after practice to head to the showers.

Expecting problems behind closed doors, Joe was watching carefully. But the boys continued their merry ways. No harassing or anything out of order. As a matter of fact, they were being sort of friendly to them. Joe looked down at his watch and realized that his mother and brother were probably waiting for him in the parking lot.

"Are you going to be fine?" Joe asked as Chet was packing his gear into his netted bag.

"Ol’ Chet is going to be fine! What would make you think otherwise?" Jonathan piped up and putting his hand on Chet’s shoulders.

Smiling at Joe, Chet looked up and nodded. "Go on ahead and go. I am getting ready to go myself. I have to put in some time at the weight room. Biff is going to spot for me."

Joe felt better knowing that Biff would be with Chet. "See you tomorrow then." Joe started to walk towards the locker room door when he heard Chet shout out, "And pick something out nice! This IS my sister you are taking out!"

Joe smiled and waved back at Chet.

Joe was still thinking over the day’s events when his mother pulled up the curve with Frank riding shotgun. Joe hated riding in the backseat and Frank knew that. Making a face at Frank as he put his gear in the backseat, Joe slumped into the backseat.

"Hi honey! How was your day?" his mother called out, pulling the car away from the curve.

"Fine Mom," Joe answered. His mother continued to ask the usual questions that mothers ask their children. How was school? Did anything special happen? What did you learn today? Joe answered with the same answers that most American boys did… fine and nothing… as in school was fine and nothing really happened. However, Frank made up for Joe’s short answers. He kept their mother well entertained all the way to the mall.

Then the torture really began. His mother picked out several outfits, but Joe simply did not approve of being dressed up.

"Let’s find something more…casual. More like me," he would say. Finally they agreed on a pair of dressy looking black jeans and a nice plaid cotton shirt…no tie. Frank on the other hand, opted for a dressier look by sporting a pair of blue dress pants and a plaid cotton shirt to match.

As they walked out of the mall, Laura Hardy smiled proudly. "You boys are going to look like real gentlemen this Friday."

"It is not like you have not seen us dressed up before Mom," Frank pointed out. Joe made a face at his brother'’ remark.

"I have seen you dress up off and on, Frank, but I hardly ever see Joe out of those faded blue jeans, T-shirt or a sweatshirt," Laura said with a grin. "Callie and Iola are really going to be with the two most handsomest boys in the school!"

Both Frank and Joe turned beet red with that comment. Joe looked around to make sure no one else heard her and was relieved to find no one within earshot.

All the way home was spent talking about that up coming dance. It was apparent from the conversation that the boys could not tell who was more excited about the dance… their mother or them. Finally the two story brick Hardy home came into view at the corner of Elm and High. The boys went into the house and started their homework while Laura got dinner ready. Fenton would be home soon and it was getting close to seven.

The only noise to pierce the routine was the sound of the phone ringing. Joe was about to get up to answer it when it stopped ringing. Thinking it was for his mother, he started back to his bedroom to finish the last of his math homework.

"JOE! IT IS FOR YOU!" his mother called out from the foot of the stairs. Joe quickly went and grabbed the portable phone and closed his bedroom door behind him.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"Joe, I need you to come over the school," a familiar voice said with urgency.

"Biff?"

"Yeah, it’s me. Can you get over here?" Biff said again without much patience.

"What is wrong?" Joe asked, noticing the tone in his voice. Then it struck him--- CHET!

"Joe, just meet me here in the parking lot," Biff said. Joe was about to press for more information, but all he heard was the dial tone of the phone.

Joe rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen. He grabbed the keys to his motorcycle and kissed his mother on the cheek as she prepared some rolls to be baked.

"Where do you think you are going!" his mother said, stopping her son in his tracks.

"Biff needs me to come over to the school," Joe said, not wanting to alarm his mother.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No, but I really need to get over there. I will be back as soon as I can."

"And what about your dinner?"

"Just save me a plate. I will heat it up myself," Joe said, walking over to the garage door and making a speedy exit. He did not want Frank to tag along and he knew he needed to get out of the house and quick. Joe hated keeping Frank out of his problem, but if he did involve Frank, then he could be hurt as well. Joe could not stomach something happening to Frank at his expense. It was then that his thoughts drifted to the problem at hand. He just knew something was wrong with Chet.

Joe tried to remain focused as he jumped on his motorcycle, without even taking the time to fasten his helmet. All he wanted to do was to get to the school and find out what could have happened that would cause Biff to call him. No matter what it was, he was sure Steven was behind it and IF he was right, there was going to be a price to pay.