The A to Z Club Chapter 4

Zach

I thought The A to Z Club was a stupid idea. I'm also way too old for that. A club plus Annie equals CRAZY!!!!!!

My mom was thrilled that we were doing this. I was only doing this so she doesn't feel bad.

Although being allowed to go in the clubhouse would be cool, I guess. We were never allowed to go in there. I told Annie that and she just shook her head at me.

The next day at hockey I told my friend Michael about the dumb club. "Aw, that stinks," he said, banging his hockey stick down on the ground a few times.

"Yeah, I know," I replied. "I mean, who would want to do a club with their sister?"

"Not me," said Michael. "But it's nice that you're doing this for your mom."

"Yeah, I guess," I said.

Michael's dad brought me home. When I got back, my mom was telling Annie lots of ideas for The A to Z Club. "MOM!!!" I yelled. "We make our own descisions for this, okay?"

My mom nodded and smiled weakly. "Okay." She looked sad because this hadn't really worked out yet.

I realized we really had to do the club if we wanted to decide stuff on our own. Annie agreed, for the first time ever.

"Okay," Annie said. We were in the clubhouse together after we'd finished all of our homework. "First of all, I'm only working with you because I have to, you little twerp."

For some reason I doubted that. I replied, "Yeah. I know! And I'm only working with you because I have to."

"Mom would just be happy if we thought of the dumbest things possible," Annie told me.

"Yeah. But we're not thinking of the dumbest things possible, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. Blackie's the mascot, and we meet in the tree house whenever we want, but we have to meet at least once a month."

"Okay, good with me," I said. Then we climbed down from the tree house.

That was our first meeting, and also the closest I've ever felt to Annie.