Return of the Bffs: More Awesome Adventures of Kat, Tiff, Amy, and Hanna

By Melissa Baila and Arden Baila

Ten-year-old girls Kat, Tiff, Amy, and Hanna met for the first time at summer camp when they were grouped together in the same cabin. At first, sparks fly as they struggle with their differences, but these unlikely friends not only survive camp, but they end up being best friends.

The four girls meet again to celebrate Tiffs birthday in style. But Kat, a sarcastic tomboy; Hanna, a bookworm and computer geek; and painfully shy Amy, clash with Tiffs snobby friends. Chaos at the birthday party threatens to break up their close relationships. As Tiff struggles with the test of true friendship, Amy finds herself forced to face her biggest fear, while Kat and Hanna stir up even more commotion and conflict with their attempts to keep the four together.

Will their differences drive these best friends apart? Or will their friendship survive the mishaps and misunderstandings that seem to flare up whenever the four are together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491741627

Melissa Baila

Arden Baila published her first book Summer of the BFFs when she was eleven years old. Now in high school, Arden serves as an editor of the yearbook and is active in leadership and community events. She lives outside Atlanta, Georgia, with her mother, Melissa, father, Crinu, and sister, Morgan.

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Copyright © 2014 Arden Baila and Melissa Baila .

Cover Photo by Arden Baila

Author Photo by Michael Romeo, Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse LLC

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-4161-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-4163-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-4162-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014913503

iUniverse rev. date: 08/12/2014

Contents

Chapter 1 Who Is Glenda?

Chapter 2 Watering Plastic Flowers

Chapter 3 Barbie Shoes

Chapter 4 She Won’t Eat Anything With A Face

Chapter 5 Perfection

Chapter 6 Chocolate Dreams

Chapter 7 Chillaxing

Chapter 8 Born In The Wrong Century

Chapter 9 Drama Queen

Chapter 10 Tybee Time

Chapter 11 Kite Strings

Chapter 12 Pish Posh

Chapter 13 Ding-Dong The Witch Is Here

Chapter 14 Let Them Eat Cake!

Chapter 15 Banana Smoothie

Chapter 16 Never Say Good-Bye

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the nine year old little girl who asked me years ago to help her write a book about four girls who meet at summer camp. Arden, you opened my eyes to possibilities and showed me the power of persistence and imagination! I am thrilled that you finally finished the sequel and I hope you continue to write and inspire other young authors.

Love, Mom

Acknowledgments

Big thanks to four of my Summer of the BFFs fans who previewed my draft for this book. They each gave me great feedback and ideas for the sequel. They also posed for the cover photo! Thanks so much Arden J., Natalie, Sarah, and Victoria. You rock! Special thanks also to my big sis, Morgan, for all her feedback and help in editing the manuscript.

Love, Arden

Chapter 1

WHO IS GLENDA?

KAT

Kat squirmed in the back seat of the car and resisted the urge to prop her dirty tennis shoes on the back of the soft leather front seat. This fancy-dancy car was nothing like her mom’s van which was a rolling mess of sweaty sporting gear and a daily assortment of crumpled cups and fast food bags.

Can’t you sit still? her friend Hanna asked as she pulled her iPod ear pods out and leaned towards Kat.

Kat turned to face Hanna. I am trying to, but these seats are so slippery. She slid over closer to Hanna and whispered in Hanna’s ear, Ask your dad if we’re almost there.

"Are we there yet?’’ Hanna asked in a loud voice.

No! Hanna’s mom and dad both said at the same time from the front seat.

Kat sighed and leaned her head back into the seat. She was riding with her friend Hanna to Savannah, Georgia, to hang out with their two other best friends, Amy and Tiff. The four girls had met at summer camp and made a promise to see each other over their winter break for Tiff’s birthday. Hanna’s parents were attending a software convention in Savannah so they offered to give Kat a ride. When Hanna pulled up to Kat’s house this morning, the two were so excited to see each other. Now Kat couldn’t wait to see Amy and Tiff and the long car ride was beginning to feel endless.

Suddenly, as if reading Kat’s mind, Hanna leaned forward and whined over the front seat, "Are we at least almost there? I have to go to the bathroom!"

According to Glenda we have another two hours,’’ Hanna’s mom answered. We need to get gas soon, so you can use the restroom when we stop."

Glenda? Who’s Glenda? asked Kat.

Our GPS. I named it Glenda. Looking at Kat’s puzzled expression, Hanna continued, GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite. She reached over the front seat and her mother passed her a small handheld device. We can enter our destination and Glenda tells us how far it is and how to get there.

That is so cool! My parents still use a stupid paper map, which we can never fold back up again so it ends up stuffed under the seat with all the other trash and stuff.

Kat watched as Hanna entered another address on the GPS. Hanna always had the latest new techie device. Her parents developed computer software so it made sense that Hanna would have the latest laptop and other cool stuff. Kat thought about her own mom, who stayed at home, and her dad, who taught math and was a coach at their local high school. Hanna’s world was full of computers and techie devices and Kat’s world was full of baseballs and bats.

Thinking of balls, she suddenly remembered the bet that she and Hanna had made while at camp. Kat had to take an etiquette class and Hanna had to join a soccer team. Did you remember to bring the DVD of you playing soccer with your team? Kat asked hopefully.

Yes, Hanna said with a disgusted tone. Now you can watch me tripping all over my feet in that stupid dirty field.

A dirty field? The soccer field should be grass not dirt.

Grass… dirt… same thing. Hanna scowled. Both are gross and soccer is so hard. I can’t remember the rules when I am out there running around getting all sweaty.

But I thought you said that playing a sport was a silly, mindless activity, Kat teased as she crossed her arms across her chest and watched Hanna squirm.

I said that playing paint ball was a mindless, silly activity. I’m still not sure how the bet ended up with me playing soccer.

Hanna, Kat explained slowly, a game of paint ball lasts only one hour and etiquette school is two hours every week for eight weeks. So you were supposed to join a sport that practiced about two hours every week for about eight weeks.

And somehow I end up on a dirty field kicking a stupid ball around while you get to sit on a comfy couch sipping tea.

Yeah, the tea and cookies were pretty good, agreed Kat. But going twice a week to learn how to sit up straight and use the right fork was b-o-r-i-n-g!

I would rather be bored than sweaty, declared Hanna.

Kat had no reply. She got sweaty every day playing basketball, soccer, softball or just running around outside with her brothers. Being sweaty was no big deal. Just slap on some extra deodorant. How hard could that be?

HANNA

Kat, we want to thank you for getting Hanna out of her comfort zone and outside to play soccer, Hanna’s dad said over his shoulder. We have been trying to get her play a sport for years!

Dad, I told you I played soccer just to win a stupid bet. Don’t expect me to sign up to play again.

Oh, but your father already signed you up for next season, her mom replied calmly.

Hanna gasped. You didn’t! I couldn’t kick the ball at all and the other girls were so rude. Every time I got the ball they would take it away from me!

Kat started to giggle. Hanna, for such a smart girl, you can be kind of dumb sometimes. The other team is supposed to take the ball from you. They weren’t being rude, they were trying to win.

Well, winning isn’t everything. Hanna slumped in the seat.

Right, like you don’t like winning all those science fairs and geeky Math Olympian events you enter all the time.

Those events are not geeky and it’s called Math Olympiad. Kat hadn’t changed a bit, Hanna thought to herself. Kat didn’t care about her grades; she just wanted to win at every sport. Wanting to change the subject, Hanna said, I wonder what we are going to do at Tiff’s house. I wish she would tell us what kind of birthday party she is going to have.

Oh, I am sure her plans involve fancy clothes, which I will refuse to wear.

Oh, come on Kat. You can dress up every once in a while.

I like my t-shirts and shorts. But maybe I will take my baseball cap off when we get to Tiff’s.

Will you brush your hair, too? Hanna teased.

Don’t push it.

Hanna watched in amusement as Kat tried to tuck tangled strands of hair into her cap.

Kat pointed to the GPS. Can you find Camp Cherokee on that thing?

Sure! Hanna picked up the GPS and thought about Camp Cherokee where the four girls had met. Anxious to get to Tiff’s house she added, Then we can see if there is a shortcut from here to Tiffs!

AMY

Amy and her mom broke out in laughter as they tried to finish their fifth round of the song BINGO. As soon as they finished laughing, Amy’s mom said, Okay, Amy, I need to concentrate on the road now. I think we’re almost there.

Amy turned to look out the window as she twirled a lock of red curly hair around her finger. They were already in Savannah and had turned onto a street paved in bricks and lined with huge oak trees. Amy looked closer at the trees and asked her mom, What is all the gray stuff hanging from the trees?

Spanish moss, her mom replied. The first settlers here used the moss to stuff their pillows and mattresses. Little bugs called chiggers liked to hide in the moss. That’s where the expression, ‘sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite’ comes from.

Lily, our camp counselor, would say that to us! exclaimed Amy. I wonder why Tiff never mentioned it. But then, I doubt Tiff ever slept on a pillow stuffed with moss.

Amy turned to her window and tried to get a glimpse of the houses they were passing but it was almost impossible. Every house was set back far from the road with huge gates and brick walls.

Amy’s mom pulled their pickup truck onto a brick driveway and announced, I think this is the right address.

They sat there in awe for a minute and stared at the big black gate with gold letters that spelled Grayson. Then, out of nowhere, a voice bellowed, Can I help you?

Amy’s mom looked to her left out her window and saw a speaker. She rolled down her window. Hello, my daughter is here to visit her friend, Hanna.

I am sorry ma’am, but there is no one at this residence with the name Hanna, the voice boomed.

Mom…