‘Hey!’ exclaimed AJ. ‘There’s Franklin going to his car. He’s knocking off early. Maybe he’s got a hot date!’

‘With what?’ joked Ben. ‘His optometrist?’

‘For goodness sake, grow up and sit down!’ Caroline Jones reprimanded them.

Joe feigned disinterest as the boys continued to make comments about the student teacher going to his car, although he was intensely curious about why his brother was leaving the school early. Maybe there was a lead to follow up that couldn’t wait until after school. Still, it was odd for Frank not to get a message to him somehow.

Joe flinched as a pen lid hit the side of his face. He turned slightly to see AJ grinning inanely at him.

‘What’s your problem Hooper?’ he asked with a smirk. ‘Still thinking about Juliet?’

‘Shut up you idiot,’ retorted Joe, and went back to scribbling in his folder. A second pen lid hit his temple, but as it made contact, Joe was deafened by a loud eruption of sound. The windows shook. Several broke. For a moment Joe couldn’t comprehend what had happened. And then he heard the words that rocked him to his very core.

‘Franklin’s car just exploded!’