Sleepover Sleuths by Carolyn Keene

CHAPTER ONE
“Guess What?”
    â€œWow, Nancy,” George Fayne said as she raced down the school steps. “I don’t know how you do it.”
    â€œDo what?” eight-year-old Nancy Drew asked.
    â€œAs if you didn’t know!” Bess Marvin giggled. She tossed her blond hair as she held her books in both arms. “You guessed the lunch in the school cafeteria again!”
    â€œOh, that!” Nancy said with a smile.
    It was Friday afternoon and Nancy, Bess, and George were leaving River Heights Elementary School. Bess and George were Nancy’s two best friends. They were also cousins. The three girls were all in the same third grade class.They had been friends since kindergarten.
    â€œIt was easy to guess,” Nancy explained. “The halls smelled fishy today, so that meant we were having fish sticks. And Mrs. Nicholson the lunch lady makes potato salad every three weeks.”
    â€œWhat are we having on Monday?” George quizzed.
    â€œMacaroni and cheese,” Nancy replied. “I saw the boxes behind the counter today.”
    â€œYummy!” Bess said. “But I don’t want to think about Monday yet.”
    She glanced at her favorite blue watch. It told the time all over the world. Bess loved all sorts of gadgets. She also loved to build her own.
    â€œIt’s exactly one minute after three o’clock in the United States,” Bess reported. “Which means the weekend has just begun!”
    Nancy brushed some reddish-blond hair out of her eyes. “What are you guys doing this weekend?” she asked.
    â€œI’m building a butterfly mobile to hang over my bed,” Bess said, her blue eyes flashing.
    â€œThere’s a neat new game I want to checkout on the computer,” George said. “It’s called ‘Space Cadets from Planet Weirdo’!”
    â€œMy cousin, the computer geek!” Bess joked.
    â€œAnd proud of it!” George declared. “What are you doing this weekend, Nancy?”
    â€œMaybe I’ll give Chocolate Chip a bath,” Nancy said. “That naughty puppy rolled around in something stinky yesterday—”
    â€œNancy, Bess, George!” a voice interrupted her.
    Nancy and her friends spun around. Deirdre Shannon and her best friend Madison Foley were running across the schoolyard toward them.
    Deirdre was in Mrs. Ramirez’s class with Nancy, Bess, and George. She was nice, even though Nancy thought she was a bit spoiled. Her mom and dad gave her lots of things. She even had her own Web site, called Dishing with Deirdre. Deirdre wrote about everything on her Web site—from her dance recitals to her dentist appointments!
    â€œHi, Deirdre,” Nancy said. “What’s up?”
    Deirdre and Madison stopped when they reached the girls. Deirdre tilted her head alittle and asked, “Do any of you have a City Girls doll?”
    Nancy, Bess, and George traded smiles.
    The City Girls were the most awesome dolls ever! Each one came with cool clothes and accessories. And they were each named after a city in the United States.
    â€œI have Chicago Cheryl,” Nancy said. “The doll with the purple coat and matching hat. Purple is my favorite color.”
    Madison nodded at Nancy’s purple jacket and sneakers. “As if we didn’t know!” she said with a grin.
    â€œI have Oklahoma City Olivia,” George added. “She wears the neatest denim outfit and cowboy boots!”
    â€œHonolulu Haley is my City Girl,” Bess piped in. “She came with her own little flip-flops and surfboard.”

    Deirdre rolled her eyes. “I know, I know,” she said. “I know all the City Girls. I have five of them myself!”
    â€œThen why did you ask us,
Dee-Dee
?” George asked.
    Nancy jabbed George with her elbow. She knew Deirdre hated the nickname Dee-Dee.
    â€œIt’s
Deirdre
!” Deirdre said.
    â€œHow would you like it if we called