“My folks may be able to help get your car back.”

“I’d like to hope so,” I replied, for as much as I wanted to go and tell my parents about the theft of my car I did not want to tell them, pending any disaster that would occur from allowing the car to be stolen.

“Don’t worry too much about it. It’s just a car.”

“Yeah, I know, but it’s like your freedom gets cut away from you and you can’t do the things you want to.”

“I know the feeling,” Andy mused as we drove a little bit out of town to a field with grass and rocks.

Wendy sat in the back seat with a mischievous grin. Andy apparently noticed.

“Don’t you say a word to Mama or Papa.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Wendy replied.

“Like I said, siblings.”

We drove up to an enormous two-story house with a large garage attached to the side. The grass was well-manicured with bushes flanking a pathway up to a large front porch that included a swing.

“You got a maid?” I asked.

“That’s Wendy’s afterschool job.”

Wendy stuck her tongue our as Andy opened the driver’s side door and stepped out. She handed my backpack over the seat to me and then threw Andy’s over the seat and out the door.

Andy shook his head and picked up the backpack.

I got out of the car and looked around even further. The house looked relatively new. I could only think his family must be wealthy, but he didn’t want others to know as maybe they would think different of him. I admit, I couldn’t think anything different of him because I didn’t even really know him.

Wendy opened the front door, turned to face us and smiled.

“Don’t!” Andy demanded.

“Mama! This is Andy’s friend Greg, and his car was stolen by some guys and is now being held by some guy at a junkyard!”

“Wendy!” Andy shouted as Wendy took her cue to run up the stairs.

Andy’s mother took a long look at me, like she was looking into my soul. “Hello, Greg.”

“Hello.”

“You may call me Mrs. Joel or ma’am.”

“Yes ma’am,” I replied as I took a small gulp.

“So, a stolen car?” Mrs. Joel asked as she looked at Andy.

“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s their fault they weren't raised right.”

Mrs. Joel nodded.

“And they took it to a junkyard.”

“Used car dealer,” I added.

“Same thing,” Andy replied as Mrs. Joel nodded again.

I looked around the large living room which had art on the walls along with shelves of books.

“We’ll talk with your father once he gets in.”

“I’ll take Greg on a tour of the house.” Andy turned to me, “sound good?”

“Sure, I replied as we made our way to the stairs.

I climbed up with my brain soaking in everything: the light browns on tans on the walls with slight accents of colors from potted plants, picture frames, and a small chandelier above the top landing. The upstairs turned and overlooked the living room, revealing a few other rooms that were out of my view earlier: an elaborate kitchen, a dining room with a table that was longer than two of my cars, and what looked like a study, or at least that’s what I assumed at the time.

“In here,” Andy said as we reached a door and he opened it to a large, but sparse room. There was a bed in the corner with a red comforter and matching pillowcases, a bookcase and a desk. In the other corner there was a large door that may have led to a closet or a bathroom.

“Take a seat,” Andy said as he pulled an elaborate chair out from the even more elaborate desk. I went ahead and sat down as Andy stepped a few feet away.

“So, when your dad comes home we can solve the mystery of how we’re going to get my car back?”

“Yep,” Andy stated as walked to the large door. “Be right back.”

And with that, he closed the door.

I looked around the room again, now noticing the bed had changed to a white comforter and white pillowcases.

“That wasn’t like that before,” I whispered to myself.

I was perplexed by Andy’s words ‘a mystery you’ve been wondering about’. Nothing came to mind except my car and now the bed. I looked back to the door Andy went through to see it had changed again. “I must be dreaming. Someone hit me,” I said to myself.

“Hey, Andy. There’s another mystery I want to ask you about.”

“Shoot.”

“There was this girl earlier today in the lunchroom. She has the same last name as you, I thought maybe she was your sister.”

“Only have one sister, thank God,” came the reply from behind the door.

“She put Mick down a few pegs,” I said as I walked to to the bedroom door and tried to think back to how she looked. I couldn’t see her face in my mind’s eye. I could see everything about her except a clear image of her face. “Do you want to help me find her?” I asked as the door opened behind me.

I turned to see the girl from school.

“Anna?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t feel uneasy or had the urge to run out of that room and the house in shock.

Her face reappeared in my memory of Anna giving Mick an ego-bruising. Here she was, in front of me and in a room with a closed door.

“So, not Andy?” I asked as I stepped towards her.

“That’s a tale in of itself,” she said as she stepped forward and took my hands.

“I’d like to hear it.”

“Well, I--”

The door swung open, and Wendy took a step in. “Papa and Mama want to talk to you,” she said in a sing-song voice. “I think you’re in trouble.”

“You’re fixin’ to be the one in trouble, Wendy!”

“Anna Renee Joel!” A booming voice filled the house.

“Your dad?” I asked, trying to not sound like I was terrified.

“I think he’ll like you,” Anna replied with a smile