Chapter Text
Nancy tapped her pencil idly against the textbook, mouthing the words as she read them. At first Bess thought it was a song and it was all she was able to focus on. Now she was only sure that it was driving her crazy.
“For the love of all that is good and pure in this world, Nancy, stop tapping!” Nancy looked at her with a faint smile, her mind still mostly on the text in front of her.
“Stop what?”
“The tapping,” Bess said, wildly flapping her hand in Nancy’s direction. “I can’t focus and I have a test coming up.” She let her face fall onto the book. “I hate this. College is the worst. Why am I doing this to myself?”
“So you can save the people of the world.”
“But why does nursing have so many things that just have to be memorized,” Bess whined, even as she lifted her head to continue studying.
“I think I once got a fortune cookie that answered that, but I can’t remember now.”
“When are the Hardy boys getting here? Joe will save me from this boredom.” As she made the declaration, Bess pulled out her phone to text the boy in question. She propped her chin in her hand, sizing up Nancy who was, to the untrained eye, staring studiously at her book. “Alright, spill it.”
“Spill what,” Nancy murmured, not looking up. Bess knew her best friend was a much better liar than that, but with family she tended to be easier to read.
“It,” Bess stressed. Nancy sighed, shoving her hair behind her ears.
“Ned and I got into a fight over the Hardy boys staying here,” she said, and let out a huff. “Well, not a fight. More of a… disagreement… that ended loudly.” Bess snorted, both amused at her friend’s response and irritated that there was a “disagreement” to be vague about. To be fair, though, Bess knew that he did sort of have a reason to be jealous. Hell, it seemed like everyone knew the reason except for Nancy and Frank, the half of the Hardy boys that Ned had the problem with.
“Well, that is just silly,” Bess said instead, not wanting to start the “you’re-in-love-with-Frank-Hardy-no-I’m-not” argument. At least, not without George to back her up.
“That’s what I said! My dad and Fenton have been friends since they were kids, and so have Frank, Joe, and I. There is no reason for him to be jealous,” Nancy replied, tossing her pencil at the table after the lead broke under the angry pressure of her hand. This worried Bess more than anything because Nancy was usually the last person to lose her cool. “Sorry, I’m just tired of having this fight and every other fight we have been having lately. I just feel like I can’t do anything right and even though I know Ned isn’t trying to make me feel that way, I can’t shake it.” Bess sighed and reached out to take Nancy’s hand, giving it a squeeze. Nancy offered a smile in return, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Her phone buzzed and she unlocked it to see a photo of Joe, side-leaping on Frank next to the baggage claim. Frank, for his part, looked very annoyed at almost being knocked onto the carousel. The caption declared that they had “LANDED!!!!” Bess laughed and passed the phone off to Nancy, who joined in, this time in earnest.
Lookin’ good, bring me airport chocolate, Bess responded. “Does this mean we have officially done enough studying for the day?”
“They’re still about an hour away,” Nancy said with a grin. “Open your book back up.”
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He had denied it for so long, but he couldn’t deny it any longer, mostly because Joe wouldn’t let him; he was helplessly, head over heels, the moon is as big as a pizza pie in love with Nancy and had been for God knows how long. According to Joe, it was forever and then some, but he did have a flair for the dramatic. Frank had finally been forced to admit to himself that what he felt for Nancy wasn’t just a crush anymore when they had worked the train mystery together. Seeing her be so clever, so courageous, so stubborn, had sent him over the edge he had been balancing on for a long time. And last Christmas when the Drews had come to Bayport for the holiday, Nancy’s presence had made him happier than any of the presents he got and when she had given him a friendly kiss on the cheek under a mistletoe, he thought he was going to melt right there into the floor. Joe had been ecstatic with triumph when Frank was talking to him about it later that night, after the house had gone to bed and had woken up to a bunch of texts from Bess and George wanting to talk to him about it too. It had been an absolute mess. Especially because she was dating Ned and Ned was a great guy and a great friend and here Frank was, pining after his girlfriend. Knowing that didn’t stop the butterflies from erupting in his stomach when he saw the sign for River Heights.
“Are we going to be there soon? I’m starving.” Joe’s complaints broke through Frank’s thinking.
“We’re almost at the Drews’, where we will be having dinner,” Laura Hardy answered from the front seat. “And since we’re almost there, I would like you to be quiet for the rest of the drive.” Her smile took the bite out of the words.
“Carson’s not going to be the one cooking, is he? I still can’t look at meatloaf the same way after that,” Joe said with an exaggerated wince. Frank bit back a hysterical giggle, his nerves starting to get the better of him. He looked up and saw his mother giving him a small grin in the rearview mirror and he blushed, turning his head to stare determinedly out the window. When he was younger Frank had thought his mother was psychic because she seemed to know everything and even now at twenty one, even though he was firmly against the idea of anything supernatural, his mother’s intuition made him wonder. He liked to believe he wasn’t that transparently in love with Nancy.
As the Hardy’s pulled up, Frank could see Nancy and Bess sitting in the Drews’ living room, the late afternoon sun catching Nancy’s copper waves. She was laughing at something Bess was telling her. He had never seen her look so beautiful, which was admittedly something he thought every time he saw her.
“Oh hey, Bess is still here,” Joe said as he excitedly unbuckled his seat belt. “Wait, does this mean she is really expecting the airport chocolate?”
“I told you not to eat it,” his mother said.
“I’m sorry, okay? I just really like Toblerones.” Normally, Frank would have joined in his mother’s teasing of his younger brother, but Nancy had seen them and was on her way over and his mouth was suddenly too dry to make a sound.
“Hey Hardys,” Nancy called with a wide smile as she descended the porch steps. She opened her arms and Laura hugged her first, giving the younger woman a kiss on the cheek. He wondered if he could get away with giving her a kiss too.
“Hi sweetheart,” Laura Hardy replied. She turned to Bess next. “And Bess dear, it is so good to see you again!”
“You too, Mrs. H! How was your flight?”
The conversation fell away around Frank because Nancy had set her eyes on him and was on her way over. It seemed like she was moving in slow motion and he was suddenly aware of how hard his heart was thudding in his chest. His breathing seemed too loud in his ears and he was surprised that Nancy couldn’t seem to hear it. She stood before him, looking like she was trying hard to keep her grin contained.
“Hey Hardy,” she said, her blue eyes twinkling.
“Hey Drew,” he replied, his cheeks starting to hurt from how wide he was smiling. Her own smile broke free, and she threw her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, resting his cheek on her head.
“How are you,” she mumbled against his chest.
“Can’t complain,” he answered, his breath stirring her hair. “You?”
“Peachy,” she said with a small laugh. The hug ended, as it always did, much too soon, Nancy moving on to give his father a hug. Joe sidled up next to Frank, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Ready to explode yet,” Joe asked cheerfully, very much enjoying his brother’s lovesick longing.
“Oh yeah,” Frank replied grimly.