Chicken Pox Panic, the (4 page)

The next day Abby met Stacy in the lunch room. They sat at a long table next to the wall.

Abby leaned against the wall. “I have an idea, Stacy. Why don't you call your dad?”

“I've been thinking about it,” Stacy said. She dipped a spoon into her chocolate pudding.

The girls next to them traded sticks of gum.

“You could ask your dad to send some of your baby pictures,” Abby suggested.

“Great idea,” Stacy said.

“Maybe he knows something about your birth certificate,” Abby said, smiling. She hoped her idea would help.

“You're a good friend, Abby Hunter,” Stacy said.

Abby felt warm inside.

“I'm going to call a meeting of the Cul-de-sac Kids,” Stacy said.

“When? Why?”

“Tomorrow” said Stacy. “And don't ask so many questions.” She had a sneaky smile.

“What's up?” Abby asked. Something was. She could see it in her friend's face!

“Wait and see” Stacy said. She went to dump her trash.

On Friday, everyone showed up at Dunkum's house. His real name was Edward Mifflin. He was a third grade hotshot on the basketball court.

Dunkum had the biggest basement in the cul-de-sac. That's where the kids liked to meet—in their socks. All the sneakers were lined up beside the stairs.

Abby sat in a bean bag near the TV. She was president. But today, Stacy was in charge.

The kids sat on the floor.

Stacy told them what her puppy had done. “Abby didn't want me to get in trouble. So
she used up all her money to replace the roast and the ice cream. Now she needs a loan from us. For something very important.”

Carly wiggled. Her eyes danced. Abby could tell she was having a hard time keeping the birthday secret.

Dunkum stood up. “Let's hear it for Abby. I'll loan her three bucks. Who will match it?”

Jason Birchall swayed back and forth. He could never sit still. Even with his hyper medicine. “I don't have three, but how's two-fifty?” he asked.

“We'll take it,” said Dunkum. He smiled at Dee Dee Winters. “What about you? Got any cash to loan?”

“Just fifty cents.” She pulled out two quarters. “The tooth fairy came last night.” She showed the hole where her tooth had been.

Carly scooted over beside her.

Shawn raised his hand. “I save money. I give money to Abby.” He stood up and emptied his pockets.

Shawn handed the money to Dunkum.

Abby didn't want her brother's money. It was going for
his
cake! “Uh, that's plenty without Shawn's,” she said, quickly.

Eric Hagel whistled. “Hey, what about me? I have a dollar,” he said. “And Abby doesn't ever have to pay me back.”

“Thanks,” Dunkum said, reaching for it.

Abby wished they would stop. God had answered her prayer with more than enough money for Shawn's cake.

She waved her hands. “Yo, kids!”

“The president of the Cul-de-sac Kids wants to speak,” Stacy announced.

The kids got quiet. Even Carly and Dee Dee.

“Thanks for helping me out,” Abby said. “I'll pay each of you back as soon as I can. Now, I want to invite everyone to a birthday party for my brother next Saturday. Come over after lunch.”

Shawn's eyebrows shot up, then he grinned.

The kids cheered. “All right Shawn! Hurray for Abby!”

The meeting was over. The sneaker scramble began.

Dee Dee got Carly's by mistake. They were red, too, but bigger.

After the kids left, Stacy sat beside Abby. “I'm going to call my father tonight,” Stacy said.

Abby stretched her legs. “That's double dabble good!”

Stacy smiled. “I think it's time to ask him a few questions.”

The girls got up and found their sneakers.

Abby's were mismatched. One red, one blue.

“Be sure and tell me what he says,” Abby said. She put the money in her jeans pocket. “Thanks for helping. You're a good friend, Stacy Henry.”

Abby ran all the way home. She had a birthday party to plan. Things were definitely terrific.

Nothing could go wrong now!

NINE

The next morning, Abby dashed over to Stacy's. “Did you call your dad?”

Stacy stood in the doorway. She zipped up her jacket. “I chickened out.”

“Oh,” said Abby. She wished Stacy wasn't so nervous about it.

They rode their bikes to the store. It was time to buy the birthday stuff.

Abby couldn't make up her mind. Should she buy blue balloons? Or red ones?

“This is my Korean brother's first birthday in America,” said Abby.

“Get him American colors,” Stacy suggested.

So Abby bought red, white, and blue bailoons.

Later, they hid the party stuff under Abby's bed. Then Stacy went home.

After lunch, Stacy phoned. “Can I come over?” She sounded excited.

“Sure,” Abby said, pulling off her sneakers.

Ding dong! The doorbell rang.

Abby ran to the front door in her socks.

Stacy flew in the door, grabbing Abby's arm. “I'm NOT adopted!”

“How do you know?”

“I called my dad. He has my birth certificate. And he's going to send me a copy!”

They dashed upstairs to Abby's bedroom.

“And that's not all,” Stacy said. “He wants to come visit me sometime.”

Abby closed the door. This was super double dabble good!

Stacy sat on the rug. So did Abby.

“This is the best day of my life,” Stacy said. She pulled off her sneakers. “The mystery of my birth is solved.”

Abby laughed. “And
you
solved it!” She reached under the bed and pulled out a bag of balloons.

“If you need any help with the party, let me know,” Stacy said. “I'm not the best detective, but I'm a good fixer-upper.”

Abby ripped open the balloon bag. “Can you blow up balloons?”

“Sure,” said Stacy. And she blew up a blue one. It made her face bright red.

Abby clapped for her. “I can't wait for the party.”

Just then, Carly came into the room. She had pink bumps on her arms and face. She was moaning.

“Look who's got chicken pox,” Stacy said.

“Oh, no,” Abby gasped. “Stay away from Shawn.”

“That's right!” Stacy snapped. “If he gets them, there goes the party!”

Abby jumped up and led Carly off to her own room.

TEN

It was three days before Shawn's party.

Little Jimmy was sick in bed with chicken pox. Itchy spots were in his nose and in his hair. They were nearly everywhere!

Dee Dee Winters had them, too. And Jason Birchall missed school.

Abby was worried.
Who's next?

Two days before the party, Eric and Dunkum broke out with chicken pox. After supper Shawn did, too.

“Rats!” Abby said to her mother. “Now we can't have the party.”

“But you can still bake a cake,” her mother said. “Shawn would like that.”

The next day, Abby hurried to the kitchen. She got out mixing bowls, eggs, and flour. Baking powder, sugar, chocolate squares, and canned frosting.

She posted the pattern of South Korea on the refrigerator with a clown magnet. Next she tiptoed to the boys' room. They were sound asleep. Good!

Back in the kitchen, she followed her mother's recipe. When she measured the flour and the sugar, some of it flew onto the floor. When she mixed the batter, it spilled, too. What a mess!

At last, she slid the cake pans into the oven and waited.

When the timer rang, Abby used the hot pads. The oven was very hot—so were the cake pans. She placed them on the counter to cool.

Then Abby heard footsteps. She turned around. There was Jimmy, making flour footprints on the floor. Snow White was behind him, licking up spilled sugar.

Abby stared at her little brother. “What are you doing up?”

“Thirsty,” Jimmy moaned.

Abby poured a glass of water. “Here,” she said, holding the glass out to him. “Now go back to bed.”

“Not tired,” he said, scratching his spots.

“Don't scratch,” Abby said. “It'll make marks.”

He walked to the refrigerator tracking flour everywhere. Reaching for the map of South Korea, Jimmy slipped and fell.

“Ouch!” he cried.

Abby helped him back to bed. Shawn was still asleep.

Whew! Close call.

Gotta hurry
, thought Abby tiptoeing back to the kitchen.

She turned the first cake pan upside down. It was so hot it burned her fingers. The cake came out in a crumbly mess on the plate.

Oh, no! What's wrong?
she thought.

Then she remembered Stacy—the fixerupper. Abby called her best friend on the phone. She came right over.