Nick Allen had been causing quite a stir at school. He had decided to start calling pens "frindles." His idea caught on, and soon many kids at his elementary school were also using his newly invented word. Mrs. Granger was not pleased with this. She was Nick's teacher, and she was a proper lady. She believed in doing things a certain way. She did not like what the children in her class were doing.

Mrs. Chatham, the school's principal, decided to pay a visit to Nick's parents. She explained the situation to them, as well as Nick's role in it. She thought using this new word despite Mrs. Granger's wishes was showing a "lack of respect for authority" (Chapter 9). She told Nick's parents that the children should stop using the word "frindle" because it was not a real word, and therefore was not acceptable to Mrs. Granger.