Chapter one: The Great Idea!

One bright sunny morning, Abby was sitting near the windowsill of the lounge, holding a clipboard in one hand, and a pencil in the other. She was waiting for her sister's immature kindergarten friends to go home. She wanted to invite HER 3 best friends. But she couldn't, at least until Anne and her friends would leave. "Mom, can't Anne, Josie, and Flanny go to Someone else's house? I want MY mature, almost in fifth-grade friends." "Abby, you know the rule. Three or more friends means you have to wait until your sister's playmates go home, or decide to play somewhere else. You can still invite two people over if you like." Abby's mom said in a calm voice. "But Moooom!" Abby whined persistently. "Abby." Mom said sternly. "Why don't you go over to Annabell's house?" "Okay, fine." Abby said as she hunched her back and dragged herself out of the lounge with her tablet, clipboard, and pencil. "Mom, Can I have a Video Meeting with them?" Abby asked suddenly. "Sure, I don't see why not!" Mom said as she picked up her phone and made her way to the kitchen. Before she knew it, Abby was up in her room, with her tablet clutched under her arm, clipboard and pencil now on her organized, minimalist desk. She gave her friends a ring, with one of the tablets that the girls had paid for themselves. It was a 4-pack, so each one of them got one. They used them to communicate with one another, and they all customized them, with their names and favorite colors. Annabell was the first to pick up. She was always online. Next was Mia, followed by Emma. "Hi everyone!" Abby said as she waved to her buddies. "I am super excited because" she paused and looked at her friends, who were waiting impatiently. "Guess what!" she asked in a sing-songy voice. "WHAT!" everyone asked. "We're DYING to know!" Emma said sarcastically, clasping a hand over her heart, and sliding to the floor, out of the screen. Emma was a born actress, or at least according to the friendship circle. Abby chuckled. "I have a wonderful idea, now that summer has started. We can have a group called the Summer Squad! We can have fun activities, and much more! Best of all, it's only for us. We all can meet up in the hideout and put up our ideas on this bulletin board." Abby said as she held up a bulletin board and some thumbtacks. The hideout was a place the girls had made, sibling free. They had decorated it and everything, and now they were going to use it as a Summer Squad meeting place! "Then, each week, we can vote on what we want to do. So, any plans today? We can have our first official meeting of the Summer Squad if everyone is available!" Abby said excitedly. "No plans for me," Annabell said. "But I do have an idea for the bulletin board." She said writing it down on a piece of paper and holding it up to the screen. "I am available too," Mia said. "I am avaaaailablllle toooooodayyyyy!" Emma sang with a pencil under her chin, as if it was a microphone. "Great! Let's check with our parents and then we can go!" Abby said as she stood up from her desk, held her tablet in front of her, and started down the stairs. She muted herself. "Mom! Can I go to our 'place?' " Abby asked as she pointed to the tablet. Anne was around, so she didn't want her sister to know about her secret spot. "Sure, but be back before lunch, and wear sunscreen," Her mom said as she took the sunscreen out of the closet near the door. Abby faced her tablet and unmuted herself. "It's a yes for me!" She said. Everyone else's parents had also agreed. The call ended. Abby laid down the tablet and slathered sunscreen on her arms. Then, she took a little more and dabbed it on her cheeks and nose. "Abby, you look like Rudolph the white-nosed reindeer." Anne giggled. "Anne!" Abby said playfully as she put a little sunscreen on Anne's tiny delicate nose. "Now you are Rudolph the white-nosed reindeer too!" Their mom laughed. "Sometimes you don't get along, and sometimes it looks as if you girls were best friends!" she exclaimed. Abby jumped onto her bike and started her way to the hideout, keeping her tablet in her basket. Then she turned back. She forgot her clipboard, pencil, and bulletin board! "Back so early?" Her mother asked. "Nope just forgot a few important things" Abby replied as she rushed up the stairs. She grabbed everything, and paused, making sure she had everything. Then she hurried down the stairs, and then went up again. "Oops, forgot my backpack to put everything inside!" Abby took her purple Galaxy backpack and stuffed the bulletin board in the big pocket. Then she put her clipboard and pencil into the medium compartment and safely tucked the bag of thumbtacks in the small pocket. Then, she grabbed her water bottle and put it inside the water bottle net. Then she rushed down the stairs again and started her way to the hideout, once again.