Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 Frankie, Ashley, and I all gathered around my dining-room table after school that day. "Welcome, everyone, to the first official planning meeting for how to build my robot," I said, making my voice sound big and serious. "Hank, why are you making an announcement?" Frankie asked. "It's only us." "I wanted to remind everyone why we're here." "We remember why we're here," Ashley said. "Actually, I was reminding myself. I forget things very easily. So, the meeting will now begin. What do we do next?" Frankie raised his hand.

"Yes, Frankie," I said, calling on him. "How about if you get started?" he suggested. "Ashley and I are here to help you." "Excellent idea." I waited for a minute, then said, "I just wish I knew how to do that." "I think you need to make a blueprint," Ashley said, "like that kid Jaden said." That was also a good idea, except none of us knew what a blueprint was. Just then, my dad came in from the kitchen, carrying a plate of celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese.

"I made a snack for you kids," he said, grabbing a couple of sticks for himself. "Thanks, Dad," I said. "By the way, do you happen to know what a blueprint is?" "Certainly," he answered. "It's a drawing you make before building something. It gives you a plan to follow." "Why didn't Jaden just say that we had to make a drawing?" I wondered. "What's with the blueprint thing?" "He always uses big words," Frankie said. "My brother's in his third-grade class and says nobody can understand him when he talks. Mostly he hangs out by himself and doesn't have any friends." "He must be so lonely," Ashley said. "Well, then maybe he should try using shorter words so people can understand him," I said. "Anyway, all this talk about Jaden isn't helping me make a blueprint." "If you're going to make one, you'll need paper, a ruler, colored pencils, and a protractor," my dad pointed out.

"I have no idea what a protractor is, Dad, except the word is fun to say." "It's like a ruler used to measure angles," he explained. "It's shaped like a half moon." "Oh, that thing on my desk! I've been using it as a back scratcher." Frankie cracked up. "Well, how about getting all that stuff from your room," he suggested. "Let me go get the supplies," my dad said. "If Hank goes to look for them, we might never see him again." He turned to me. "Remember yesterday when you went to change your shirt before dinner? You got lost reorganizing your desk drawer, and we had to come get you." "Hey, I can't help it if I like to keep my desk drawer neat," I said. "Neat!" my dad said. "There's nothing neat about your room. Some of the dirty socks lying around your room have been there since you were three." Frankie laughed loudly. I had to admit that was funny.

"My room looks like that, too," he said. "There's a pile of socks in the corner so high, my mom calls it Sock Mountain." "Picking up socks and throwing them in the hamper is so annoying," Ashley said. "My room looks like it snowed socks." "Guys," I said. "Listen to what we're saying. There's the robot idea. I'm going to build a sock-picker-upper robot. This is going to change the lives of kids all over the country." "I got to hand it to you, Hankster," Frankie said. "That is one great idea." "You could sell them, you know," Ashley chirped, pushing her glasses up on her nose. "Every kid is going to want one. Frankie and I will help you sell them. We'll start with our school, then the city. I can already see the billboard in Times Square!" "Whoa there, kids," my dad said. "Just build the first one. Then you can think about billboards." My dad went into my room to get the supplies. While he was gone, Ashley, Frankie,

and I talked nonstop about my robot, which had suddenly become our robot. They were as excited as I was. "It has to have big claws to pick up the socks," Frankie said. "And long arms so it can reach under the bed," Ashley added. "And a nose clip like the ones swimmers use so it doesn't pass out from the stinky socks," I concluded. It was really exciting to have so many ideas coming all at once. When my dad came back in with the pencils, ruler, protractor, and a big piece of white construction paper, we were ready to draw a blueprint.