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.'
'My guess is that this Sheck guy is an evil man.' Patch thought to himself.
Atticus noticed tension in his puppy, so he quickly soothed him before he would possibly lose control and attack someone. Sheck had a smug smile on his face and thanked the mayor for letting him speak.
"Nice suit." Gerald smirked.
"Shh!" a man shushed him so they could hear what Sheck wanted to tell the people with him about destroying their homes.
'I am behind Mr. Sheck's plan 100%.' Mayor Dixie commented with a smile.
'How can the mayor possibly agree with that evil plan?!' Patch thought to himself while growling.
"This is obviously evil..." Cherry folded her arms slightly at the man on TV.
'Although some of you in the affected area may have concerns about how this plan will impact your homes and businesses, let me assure you, change is good," Sheck told the people.'This plan represents the end of urban decay, the end of your broken-down shops and apartment buildings, the end of antiquated and dilapidated storefronts. It's time for a new world. Out with the old, in with the new.'
"What's wrong with old things?" Arnold spoke up. "Some old things are great!"
"Yeah, like Mrs. Vitello!" a fat boy spoke up, only to get hit in the back of his head with a flower bouquet by the woman behind him.
"Whippersnapper!" Mrs. Vitello glared at the fat boy.
"OWW!" the boy held his head in pain.
Cherry rolled her eyes, but had a weak laugh, that was kind of funny and rude.
"This is goin' on for a month," Mr. Green sounded devastated. "The city council recommended against it, but the mayor's lettin' him do it anyway. I never figured he'd pull it off."
"What does it mean?" Gerald asked.
"It means they want you to move away so Scheck's corporation can move in." Cherry explained since her parents were on city council and she knew some things like this.
"NO!" the crowd shouted in dismay.
'It's time to put the past behind us,' Sheck continued. 'I have seen the future, and it's Future Tech Industries.'
Patch simply growled at the man on the TV and really wanted to make him hurt for wanting to take down the neighborhood. Two girls were protesting about the neighborhood and then suddenly, there was music heard in the background. Everyone turned as a boy was dressed in royal clothes, singing along to a song he was making up along the way. This caught attention, but it was found to be an annoyance.
"No," Arnold glared to him. "No singing, Eugene."
"Thank you..." Cherry sounded relieved.
"But I thought the occasion called for it," Eugene insisted before starting to sing again. "We may be just a few~..."
"No, this is serious." Arnold told him.
A truck carrying a bulldozer was then driving down the street, worrying the crowd once more.
"We can't take this lyin' down," Mr. Green spoke up. "We should do something."
"But what can we do?" the fat boy asked.
Cherry shook Atticus. "Think of something, Detective Boy!"
"Well, if we did some bake sales and a party and also find some information about this neighborhood's history and find something important to make it a historic landmark, then the neighborhood would be saved." Atticus said, using his detective skills.
Cherry blinked. "And yet you're behind on other classes except English or Gym..."
"I agree with him!" Arnold liked Atticus's idea. "We have to let them know we won't go down without a fight!"
Everyone in there agreed with Arnold, well, all except for one girl who was on top of a roof. The girl was watching Arnold and was about to shoot him with something, but she stopped herself, eventually she did shoot someone, but it was just a plunger arrow, so it didn't cause anyone any harm. Patch wondered where that came from, but stayed focused.
"Mr. Green can write the petition." Arnold suggested.
"Say no more, I'm already workin' on it." Mr. Green smiled proudly, now feeling hopeful.
Everyone else began to feel hopeful as well having a feeling this just might work.
"Kinda weird to just get here only for this place to be destroyed..." Cherry shrugged after the crowd was disbanding.
"Who are you guys?" Arnold looked at the visitors. "I don't think I've seen you around..." he then bent down and gave Patch a friendly pet and scratch, loving animals very much.
And where Patch really was enjoying that.
"Well, that's because we are new here my name is Atticus Fudo, this is my best friend, Cherry and you've already met Patch." Atticus smiled.
"Where you guys staying?" Arnold asked.
"We heard of a boarding house called Sunset Arms," Cherry put her hands in her pockets. "Do you know it?"
"Yeah, my grandpa owns it, I can take you there." Arnold offered.
"Thanks." Atticus smiled.
Arnold smiled back and led the way. Patch happily followed, really looking forward to this.