Chapter 6: A discovery

Charlotte took the hand off and whipped around. Paige was standing there. "I thought you stayed at home." Charlotte said, frowning. "And why did you just-" "Um, I'm sorry, but can I borrow Charlotte for a minute?" Paige said quickly. "Thanks." Paige grabbed Charlotte by the arm and started pulling her away from Elizabeth, Flora, Aunt Olivia, Mama, and Mr. Elkon.

 "Paige, what on earth-" Charlotte started to say, but Paige interrupted her again. "Charlotte, WERE YOU JUST GOING TO ASK HIM IF HE KNEW WHY HE'S ON THE SECRET CODE???!!!" She screamed. Charlotte thought for a minute, then replied, "Well, yes, I think I was, but now that I think about it, I'm glad you put your hand on my mouth so I didn't say it. I just realized that would have been really stupid of me." 

 Paige nodded. Then Charlotte asked, "So what are you doing here?" "Oh." Said Paige. "I decided that I wanted to come over to the surfing classes place, The Splashing Surfers, and fill in a form to start taking classes."
Ding! Went a little light bulb in Charlotte's head. Paige had just given her a brilliant idea!

"Hmmm..." Charlotte said. "That's good idea. I'm going to ask Mama if I can take classes too." So they headed back towards The Splashing Surfers school, and saw Mama and the others standing on the beach. Oh man! Charlotte thought. Jack Elkon had left. 

"Mama, can I please take surfing classes too?" Charlotte asked as soon as they had reached them. "Sure." Mama answered. After Charlotte had filled out a form, Mama asked suspiciously,"Honey, what were going to ask Mr. Elkon?" 

"Ummm..." Charlotte said. She looked frantically at Paige for help, since Mama couldn't know that she was going to ask Mr. Elkon about the secret code. Unfortunately, Paige didn't know what to do either. So Charlotte glanced at the sea, hoping for inspiration. 

Luckily, she did get inspiration. Charlotte pretend to fall on a wave as it crashed against her ankles, and 
Mama forgot about wanting to know the answer. "Oh are you all right??!" She cried, and helped her out. "I'm fine." Charlotte said, and, when they weren't looking, winked at Paige.
         
The next day, Charlotte and Paige set off for their first surfing lessons. Charlotte's plan was to spy on Mr. Elkon during the classes. After an hour, the lesson was over and Charlotte hadn't spotted Mr. Elkon anywhere. Disappointed, she and Paige started to walk back to Aunt Olivia's house.

"Wait!" Charlotte exclaimed. She'd spotted Mr. Elkon, walking into The Splashing Surfers building. "What is it?" Paige asked, stopping. "Err..." Charlotte said. "I, uh, have to go to the bathroom. You go on ahead." "You sure?" Paige replied. "I can just wait for you." "No,no, that's okay, I'll meet you back at Aunt Olivia's house." Charlotte said. "Okay. See you soon!" Paige answered, and left. 

Charlotte made sure Paige was a good distance away before going in. She looked around just in time to see Mr. Elkon turning the corner. Quickly but quietly, Charlotte followed him. Mr. Elkon went into a coat closet. Now what on earth does he think he's doing?? After waiting for a minute, Charlotte tiptoed to the closet door and looked inside. Mr. Elkon had disappeared. Carefully, she throughly touched the floor. Suddenly, a very large loose board flipped open, and there was a slide on the other side. Aha! She thought. A trap door. Well let's see where this leads.

And she slipped down the slide. 



        

Charlotte's first mystery

Chapter 5: It's him!

The next morning Charlotte ate breakfast, and then she new exactly what she needed to do. She put on a lady bug print tank top, shorts, and flip-flops, and slung her Detective kit over her shoulders so she was ready to do her detective work. She marched up to Elizabeth, and said, "Miss Elizabeth, may I please see that message in secret code for a second? I promise to be very careful." "Well, okay, for a minute." Charlotte waited patiently for Elizabeth to get it. When she saw it, she gasped. It was a piece of paper and on it was a explanation point, a picture of a man with spikey hair, and a picture of a dog." "What?" Charlotte cried."This is picture code!" Elizabeth beamed, and asked "How did you know that?" "My detective kit came with a list of secret codes, and one of them explained picture code. Now all we have to do is see what these pictures represent, put them together, and then we'll know what it means." Charlotte told her proudly. She looked at the first picture. Hmmmm... she thought. What is something that needs an explanation point?

Later Charlotte finally decided she needed help figuring out what the exclamation point meant. She went to the couch in the living room, where Paige was reading. "Paige, can you please help me with something? " She asked. Paige looked up, put a marker in her book, and replied, "What do you need help with?" Charlotte explained everything to her, and then Paige frowned. "That sure is tricky, I agree. Well, you know how when you are happy, sad, angry, or excited the first word you say has an explanation point?" "What? I'm confused." Charlotte exclaimed. "You just did it!!!! Charlotte, you were confused, and the first word you said was "What?" Then you paused for a split second before you went on. If I were writing a book and I wrote what you just said, I would add a question mark after the word, "What".

"Oh! I get it now! Charlotte grinned." So now we have to think of words with exclamation points. I think I've some: Yippee! Whoa! Wow! Yay! Huh?! Ahhh!" Paige laughed. "Those are some good ones. How about: Help!" "That's it!!! " Charlotte cried. "Help! I am positive that "Help!" is the one." "Why? It could be any of those." Paige pointed out. "Paige, just help me think of the next one now." "The guy with spikey hair? Maybe that is the person who needs help." "Maybe..." Charlotte said slowly. "But if that were the case, wouldn't the picture of him be at the end of the code to say that it was from him?" Paige gasped. "You're right. And you just gave me an idea. Why don't you try to find out who the person is? That way, you'll get a little information. Just don't tell anyone why you want to know."

"That's exactly what I'll do. Thank you! You have been so much help!" Charlotte yelled. Then she rushed to tell Mama that actually she did want to go on a walk with her and Elizabeth and Flora and aunt Olivia ."Don't forget!" Paige called after her. "Don't tell people why you want to know!!" But Charlotte was already outside.

When Charlotte, aunt Olivia, Elizabeth, Mama, and Flora reached the beach, the grown-ups decided to sit in the sand for a little while before going back. Charlotte immediately said she was going to walk around, and that she promised to stay close to where they were sitting. Then, when they were not looking, she went up to the first family she saw and said, "Hello, sorry to bother you, but have you by any chance seen a man with spikey blond hair walk by, or just seen one?" A lady smiled and said, "Are you lost sweetie?" "Oh, no, I just... need to find this man because I want to compliment his shirt, and I lost track of where he went." Charlotte wasn't sure if this would work, but luckily the lady told her that she had seen a man with spikey blond hair, and that he was the boss of the surfing class a couple blocks down.

Charlotte remembered that Elizabeth and Flora  worked for a surfing class, and she asked if a Flora or a Elizabeth Pearl worked there. "Hmmm... let me think... yes, I believe a Flora and an Elizabeth work there. Does that help you?" the lady asked. "Oh, yes, very much. Thank you, and again, I am very sorry to bother you. Good-bye!" Charlotte jogged over to aunt Olivia, Mama, Elizabeth, and Flora and asked if she could see where Elizabeth and Flora worked. They said yes, and then they took Charlotte there. Charlotte asked to see the boss. Elizabeth and Flora were surprised, but they took her to see the boss anyway. When Charlotte saw him, she had to stop herself from gasping. The man looked almost exactly like the man in the picture code!

"Hello. I'm Charlotte. What's you're name?" Charlotte tried to avoid the surprised faces of her companions and squinted. Did she see a little bit of hesitation in the man's eyes? She wasn't sure, but something about him made her shiver a little bit. "I'm Jack Elkon. Um, nice to meet you. Oh, hi Elizabeth and Flora." said the boss. By now Charlotte was positive that this man was the man in the picture code. "Then, do you know why you are in this sec-" Suddenly, before she could say " secret code" a hand cupped over her mouth.

Charlotte's First Mystery

Chapter 4: False... or true?

The next morning everyone had breakfast, and then they decided to go to the beach. Charlotte wasn't too happy about this, because she wanted to do some sleuthing. But when they got there, Charlotte suddenly realized something very important. Elizabeth Pearl had received the very mysterious secret-code message in a capsule on the collar of a dog. And before they had come to Florida aunt Olivia had said something about dogs going missing in the town that she lived in. Mama and Daddy had thought that she was just imagining it, but Charlotte had still been suspicious. And that gave Charlotte an idea.

There were a few other families on the beach besides the Buttercups and aunt Olivia, and Charlotte needed to ask them something. Unfortunately, she never got the time. Oh well, she thought. I can ask the people in aunt Olivia's neighborhood. So when they got back in the afternoon, Charlotte asked if she could take a really, really quick walk around the neighborhood. Daddy said she could, as long Paige went with her. Oh, no, Charlotte thought. That will never do. Paige will spoil everything! "Oh, Daddy, Daddy please, please let me just go to that house down there and back, PLEASE!" Daddy looked confused, but he let her go. Charlotte quickly ran to the room they were sharing, and got her Detective Kit. The people who made it were clever, and it was like a back-pack so she could carry it easily. Then she rushed out the door.

                                                             
"Hello. My name is Charlotte. I am very sorry to bother you, but, um, I was just wondering… uhh… well, I was just wondering if… oh, yes! If you have seen or heard anything… suspicious? Uh, um, I am a detective, and I… am looking for clues for a mystery that I am solving." Charlotte finished in relief. She was at the house of a neighbor of aunt Olivia's, asking questions. The lady who had answered the her knock managed to give  Charlotte a tiny smile. "Oh, a young Detective are you? Well, a good one I'll bet." Charlotte beamed, and the lady continued. "And, oh, yes I am afraid I DO have some information for you. My dog Sweatie, is missing." Charlotte's eyes opened as wide as they could open. "Anyway, she may have just ran away. But the thing is, my friend said that her dog is missing also. But, maybe they ran off together. Or perhaps it is just a coincidence. But somehow I am still concerned." Charlotte nodded gratefully. "This has been an extreme help. Thank you very much. Oh, and please let me know if you see or hear anything, and also if Sweatie ever shows up. I'll be staying in that house down there for one week. Goodbye!" Charlotte waved as she went out the gate and to the next house.

Once the lady went inside her house, Charlotte swiftly pulled out the notebook and pencil of her Kit, and wrote:

1st House: Two missing dogs

Then she put the notebook and pencil back and headed to the green cottage next door. After three more houses she returned to aunt Olivia's house, Paige was helping Mama and aunt Olivia make apples and goat-cream-cheese for a snack. "What took you so long?" "I, uhh……" "And why did I see you at that house 7 minutes ago ringing the doorbell?" Charlotte froze. "I ummm-er……" She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell everyone the real reason. But then Paige started laughing. "Kidding! I didn't really see you ringing a strangers doorbell! I just wanted to see how surprised you would be if I said that!" Charlotte gave Paige a pretend giggle. Whooof! She thought. Saved! Then she went to the room the Buttercups were sharing to look at her note-book where no one could see her. When she opened it up, she gasped. Almost all the people she had talked to had one or to dogs that were missing!!!

She quickly shoved the book in her Detective Kit, and hid it in her suitcase. But then she decided she should have her Kit with her at all times, because you never know when a mystery or clue is going to appear!! She took it out again, slung it over her shoulders, and then went to the living room to eat apples and cream-cheese after a hard days work!

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter 3: Party fun, but the excitement has just begun.

The next morning was Charlotte's Birthday. Mama and Daddy gave her a Toy Detective Kit.(Little did Charlotte know that this fun present would come in handy a little later on.) Paige had made her a card and a bracelet. Aunt Olivia had already given her her gift the day she came. Breakfast was Porridge, Bacon, and orange juice, Charlotte's favorite. Soon, it was time for her birthday party. The party was Mermaid themed of course, because her party was at the pool. Charlotte put on her favorite sparkly turquoise bathing suit on, and put her doll in a little pink flower print bikini. Finally everyone was ready to go. Mama and Daddy had gotten tickets for Florida last night. They would leave the next day.

Charlotte had a great time at her party. She and her friends had swimming races, did underwater handstands, went down water slides, and went off the high-dive about a million times. For lunch they had pizza. Then everyone sang happy birthday, Charlotte made a secret wish, and they all ate the super yummy cupcakes on a paper mermaid plate. Charlotte took a sip of fruit punch and asked, "Can we go back into the pool now Mama?" "Yes, for a little bit longer. But why don't you open your presents first?" Mama replied. "Ooo, yes-yes!! Open them! Open them!!" The girls cried. Charlotte grinned happily and she did. She loved all her gifts, especially the silver heart shaped locket necklace that her best friend Lizzie gave her. Then they all dived back into the water again.

"Paige, where is my hot pink vest??!" Charlotte asked. It was after dinner, and everyone was packing for the trip. "Vest?" Paige laughed. " We are going to florida remember? I hardly think you will need it." "But it might get cold at night and I want it please. So do you know where it is?" Charlotte answered. "It's hanging on your purse rack." Paige zipped up her suitcase and set it on the floor. "Girls! Do you need some help? It's almost time for bed." Mama walked into the bedroom the sisters shared. "Bed!? What do you mean? it's only 7:30." Charlotte exclaimed. "I know, but we have to get up early tomorrow and you need to get some sleep." "Can we read for a little while first?" Paige wanted to know. "Yes you can read a chapter each. Goodnight!" "Night!" The girls replied.

"Wake up!!" Paige insisted. "It's time to go." Charlotte sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then she climbed down the ladder of her bunk bed, clutching her Bear under her arm. When she reached the floor, she stuffed Cuddles in the front pocket of her suitcase and put on the outfit that she had picked out last night. There were scones and eggs to-go downstairs. As they all started to walk out the door, Paige suddenly laughed and told Charlotte to look at her feet. She did, and as soon as she saw what she had done she burst out laughing too. She still had her slippers on. She took them off, put on flip-flops, and walked towards the car carrying her slippers and suitcase.

"Oh look, look! It's Florida!" Charlotte and Paige said at the same time. The Buttercup Family was in the airplane and very close to Florida. "Ahem, attention please. Please note that we will be landing shortly, so put those seat belts on, and please put away any electronics, or other devices you have brought on the plane." The man on the microphone said. Charlotte quickly put her book, Bumble Bar wrapper, and sticker book in her lime green backpack. Soon the plane landed, and they were all on their way to the house in aunt Olivia's car. "I can't wait for you to meet Elizabeth and Flora. Flora is just my age, and Elizabeth is only one year younger." Aunt Olivia was saying. Finally they reached the house, and the Buttercup family Oooed and Awwed. It was a little stone cottage with a pool and flower garden in the back yard. They all got out their suitcases and bags, and walked up to the bright red door.

Soon, a lady with brown hair, a long green skirt, and pretty white blouse opened the door. Her face was tearstained. "Flora! What is the matter?" Aunt Olivia asked the girl. "Elizabeth's missing!" Flora sobbed. "What!? What do you mean??!!" Everyone said at the same time. "Come inside and I'll explain." Flora responded. So they all walked into the living room and sat on the couch. "I was making dinner for me and Elizabeth last night, and when the dessert was in the oven, I went to my room and started writing  a letter to my niece, who just won an award in horse back riding class." Flora said. "Then I went back to the kitchen to see how the pie was doing, when I noticed the time. It was about 5:30 and I realized that Elizabeth should have been back by that time. But I thought that she would be back soon. But she wasn't. I must have fallen asleep, and when I woke up, Elizabeth was still missing." She finished. "Well….." Aunt Olivia began.

Just then there was a loud slamming sound, and a girl rushed into the room. "Elizabeth!!!" Aunt Olivia and Flora exclaimed. "What happened??!!" "Oh I'm so sorry!!!" Elizabeth cried. "I'll tell you everything!!!!" And then she told what had happened. "I was teaching surfing class just as I told you I would Flora, and I was just getting ready to go when a yellow lab dog came up to me, with a little blue capsule on its collar. I couldn't possibly help being curious about it, so I looked at it. And do you know what I saw??!! Written on the capsule was my whole name!!!" Mama gasped. "So of course I opened it up, and just guess what I saw?! A hand-written message in secret code!" "What?" Now it was Charlotte's turn to gasp."But you still haven't told us why you didn't come back last night." "Right. I'll tell you. Now I know I should have called you Flora, but I had forgotten everything else. All I could think about was finding out what the note meant. So I went to the library and looked up books on secret codes. Soon the library was closing up and I still hadn't found out what it meant. But then I fell asleep, and spent the whole night at the library. And then in the morning I hurried back as soon as I could. And nobody knew what I had done." "Whooa. That's a LOT of stuff." Charlotte breathed. "I totally agree." Flora answered.

Just then Charlotte realized something. "Elizabeth," She said slowly. "Did you ever find out what the message meant?" "No." Elizabeth replied. "Then there is a …………MYSTERY!" Charlotte cried.

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter 2: a trip to Florida, and a potential mystery

"What?!" everyone asked. "well.....," said aunt Olivia, "just very wierd things have been happening." "Like what?" Mama asked. "Oh, just things like .......... wellllll....well alright, dogs have been going missing in the town that I live in and I think that there might be a dognaper and....." "Oh Olivia, it sounds like you are just imagining it." Mama replied. Charlotte was uneasy. "But...." aunt Olivia began. "Olivia." Mama began. "Oh, alright, I guess I am really imagining it. Maybe I am just home sick." Then aunt Olivia's face lit up. "Hey", she said. "I've got an idea. How about you guys come visit me for a while? You could stay at the house me and two other girls I know are sharing. Oh, I am sorry, I forgot to tell you. Well I couldn't possibly afford a house in florida on my own, so I am sharing it with two other girls, named Elizabeth and Flora Pearl." "Oh can we Mama? Can we Daddy?" Paige asked. Charlotte was wondering the same thing. "Well...." Daddy began, but Charlotte inturupted him. "After my birthday, and my birthday party which is tomorrow of course." She said. "Well..." Daddy said again. "What do you think about this Belle?" He asked Mama. "I think that if you want to go, and if we can get a ticket some time tonight, after the girls go to bed, it would be nice." She smiled. "Well then, lets go!" "Yay! Yay, Yay yay!!!!!!" Charlotte screamed, and Paige echoed her. Mama, Daddy, and aunt Olivia laughed. "Alright now, calm down, calm down. How about you put on the Judy movie movie,...." The girls giggled. "I am sorry the Judy Moody Movie." Mama laughed.

When it was time for Charlotte and Paige to go to sleep at 9:00, Charlotte grabbed her stuffed Bear Cuddles, and climbed up the ladder to her top bunk. Mama and Daddy came in to say good night, and aunt Olivia came in too. Then Daddy turned off the lights and left the room. Soon she could hear the grown-ups laughing and talking down stairs. Charlotte lay in bed for a long time thinking. Finally, she kicked of her blanket, and climbed down the ladder. First, she checked her clock. It was 9:12. She crept over to Paige's bed. She was relived when she saw that Paige was awake too. "Paige", she said. "Paige I have been thinking. I don't think aunt Olivia was imagining those things that she told us about." "What? but..." Paige started the say. "Paige!" Charlotte said. "Are you kidding?! you really think that a grown up would imagine somthing like that?" Paige looked worried. "Hmmm...... I guess you have a point. But how could all those dogs be going missing?" "That," Charlotte said, "is why, I, think that there is a mystery. Somthing scary is going on at the town aunt Olivia is living in."

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter one: Aunt Olivia's arrival 

 Nine year old Charlotte Buttercup sat on her top bunk playing with her dolls.Today she was especially happy, because aunt Olivia was was coming.Her tenth birthday was tomorrow, on monday. Aunt Olivia was was going to be there for her birthday party. My was Charlotte excited! Aunt Olivia always brought such wonderful presents, and she was the most fun grown-up Charlotte knew. Charlotte's older sister Paige, who had just turned twelve four days ago, always agreed. Aunt Olivia was going to come to Paige's party too, but she had had a cold at the time, so she could not come until she was better. Paige said she did not mind this, that she was just glad that aunt Olivia could come now. After a while, Charlotte decided to write in her Journal. This is what she wrote:

 Dear Diary, Today aunt Olivia is coming! I... 

Just then, Mrs. Buttercup called up the stairs,'' girls! time to go! We gotta pick up aunt Olivia from the airport.'' '' Coming Mama!'', both girls called back. Charlotte quickly thrust her Journal in her backpack and ran down the stairs. ''So which airport are we going to again?'' Charlotte asked for the 2nd time. The Buttercup family was in the car, on there way. ''the one in boulder."Paige said.

Charlotte and Paige's parents were in the front seats, Mama driving, Daddy reading the newspaper that he got from a coffee shop. Daddy turned around in his seat to smile at his Daughters."Hmmmm..... I don't think these girls are excited....." "oh daddy we are!"Charlotte exclaimed, not getting her father's joke. And she said it the same time as mama laughed, and Paige shouted,"we're here!!!" Charlotte jumped in surprise. She hadn't noticed.

When they got inside, Charlotte looked around. She didn't see anybody but strangers. After a few minutes, Mama suddenly called out, "Olivia! over here!" Charlotte and paige spun around. There, walking towards them and laughing, was aunt Olivia! Once she was where the Buttercup family was standing, she huged and kissed everyone. There was lots of "oh!"s and "I'am so happy your here!"s.

When they got home, aunt Olivia got out two sparkly gift bags from her red duffel bag. She handed charlotte a yellow one, and paige a violet one. "oh, oh, oh!" Charlotte cried out in delight. In her bag was a Care girls doll, a box of twistables crayans, and a Nancy drew mystery book. Paige had a book too, and a mood necklace, and a pencil set with butterflies and shiny swirls on them. Aunt Olivia smiled."I am very glad you like them. But that is not all. The other present is for you to to share. Its a Judy Moody movie!" The two sisters howled with delight at that.

At supper Aunt Olivia put her pizza down after taking a bite. Charlotte was confused."don't you like it aunt Olivia? I thought you said pizza was your favorite food." "oh yes, yes my dear, I do love pizza. But........alright I have some good news for you! I moved to florida! but........ oh well I suposse I should just get it over with................I have some very bad news...................."