Cherry and Atticus Save the Neighborhood

chapter 1

It was a normal hot summer's day and all was well in the neighborhood, especially for the kids. They were either just enjoying their time off from school or running through the sprinkler, or getting ice cream from the Jolly Olly Man. What a peaceful world they had the privilege of living in. However... Little did they know, that this would not last for long. Not just about growing up, but for the future of their neighborhood. Someone was now bouncing a basketball that was flat, it was Arnold and his best friend, Gerald.

"I'm telling you, Arnold," Gerald said to him as they walked down the block together and he bounced the ball for his best friend. "Your ball is flat!"

"It's not flat," Arnold shook his head. "It's just a little low on air."

However, the final bounce made the ball pop and land back in Arnold's hand like a deflated balloon.

"Like I said, your ball is flat." Gerald smirked to him just as they were about to cross the street.

The football-headed kid just smirked at him. A city bus passed the two fourth graders after they crossed the road and showed two familiar kids.

"Is this the right place?" Cherry looked around in curiosity.

"I think so." Atticus said.

Then a familiar Dalmatian puppy ran out of the bus.

"Finally, we are here!" Patch said.

Cherry reached into her bag and gave him some cheese crackers. "Sorry... I fell asleep..."

Patch smiled and ate them to tie him over until they would get some food.

"So, who are we looking for?" Cherry asked.

"Someone named Arnold." Atticus said.

Cherry looked to a map and walked with Patch and Atticus down the block. "There's a boarding house called Sunset Arms that says the owner has a grandson named Arnold, but... I can't read that last name..."

A couple of helicopters came over them and there were some townspeople gathered together.

"That can't be good..." Cherry put the map aside for now.

"You're right, this can't be good at all." Atticus said.

"Oh, boy, we're in for another adventure, aren't we?" Patch asked, knowing where this was heading to.

"Can't I ever take a vacation?" Cherry sounded bored already.

The two boys, Arnold and Gerald, went to the crowd. Cherry, Atticus, and Patch joined in, wondering what was going on.

'What is going on?' Patch thought.

"Coming through, very important people comin' through!" Cherry emerged from the crowd.

The others looked concerned as they gathered together.

"What the heck is going on?" Atticus asked.

They looked ahead and saw an announcer on TV that was reporting.

"Mr. Green, what's going on?" the football-headed boy asked the owner of the butcher shop.

"It's Sheck," Mr. Green told him. "He wants to buy the whole neighborhood to knock it down and build some fancy shopping mall."

"Who's Sheck?" Arnold asked.

The crowd looked to the TV as the woman announcer was talking about what was going on and what was planned for Hillwood's future with this intruder who wants to get rid of their neighborhood and the residents all listened attentively. 'The plan, approved by the mayor moments ago, would allow Future Tech Industries to redevelop a six-square-block area between 33rd and 39th Streets. Oh, I understand the president and CEO of Future Tech Industries, Mr. Scheck, is about to make a statement.'