~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.The Hardy Boys were created by Edward Stratemyer and have changed hands many times since 1929. This chapter closely follows the previous one, I'm the Fool. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I watched her here for a long time as I stood by the cemetery gates, not really wanting to intrude but still wanting to make sure she was all right. Callie had been pretty rough on her even though it really wasn?t Vanessa?s fault. After all, nobody had told her about the tragedy that had occurred almost a year ago that had taken your life. Beautiful, dark-haired Iola, Joe?s girlfriend and ? and my sister. You were so young when you died, so young and so completely innocent of everything but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Innocent of everything but being involved with Joe Hardy. I guess that?s finally what it comes down to, doesn?t it? If you hadn?t been with him?. But you were and, even though you were killed, I guess you wouldn?t have had it any other way. And I guess I wouldn?t have either. I mean, the way your face lit up when he arrived to pick you up for a date, the way you seemed to glow after he kissed you good-night, the way he glowed. You two looked so good together, so young, so? innocent. I blamed him for a long time and I think he blamed himself longer. If you hadn?t ? but hindsight?s 20/20 and future predictions are vague at best. Callie always said it would end in heartache ? I think she meant yours but that?s not how it turned out. God, Sis, she loves him so much she was crying at the grave of the girl she thinks still holds his heart. I wonder if he?ll ever tell her that he carries your picture not as reminder of lost love, but as a reminder of the vengeance he swore against the people responsible for your death. A reminder that he fights everyday to prevent others from dealing with the same tragedy. I know him, Sis, I know that he keeps her picture where he needs it most. Did she ever see those pictures on his locker door, the ones he says he keeps there to help him make it through the school day? Or the one hidden deep within his locker to cheer him up when he?s especially blue? I bet he never showed them to her, but I know about them, I know about them and the pictures he has plastered on his gym locker to give him good luck before a big game. Oh Sis, why doesn?t he just tell her? I guess I know why. He could never tell her, never admit to himself that she means so much. But I know. That?s why he keeps one special picture in his jacket pocket, so close to his heart. I know all about it, kiddo, but I can?t ever tell. But please help him, Sis, he needs to tell her before he loses another to that car bomb, too. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A/N: I?m sorry this is out so long after the first part. Even though it was initially written at the same time as the previous chapter, this one went through a few transitions before it was ready to see the world. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Return to the Fanfiction Whirlpool Go to Bayport and meet the Hardy Boys Back to the map |
| Monologues By Kid Coltrane the Eternal Chapter 2 - Brotherly Love |