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Chapter 13 Summary
Eventually everything gets back to normal in Westfield again, just as Nick’s dad hoped. The frindle battle at Lincoln Elementary School ends, and it is clear which side wins. A lot of the kids and even some of the teachers keep using the word "frindle." At first they do it on purpose, but after a while it becomes a habit. Soon "frindle" is just an ordinary word to them. People still use it, but they stop thinking about it.
Across the country, kids in other towns and cities keep picking up the word "frindle." Over and over, the events from Nick’s school repeat themselves. Parents and teachers keep trying to stop kids from saying "frindle," and kids do not stop because saying the new word is fun. Bud Lawrence loves it when this happens because he ends up making money.
Bud’s business selling frindle merchandise is going great. He sells dozens of different frindle products, including T-shirts, erasers, notebooks, and paper. These items sell well not only in the United States but also in Europe and Japan. Bud even opens a factory in Westfield to manufacture frindle hats. This creates new jobs and makes people even more enthusiastic about using Nick’s word. Soon the town council votes to add the words “Home of the Original Frindle” under the “Welcome to Westfield” sign at the entrance to the town. Bud’s business prospers, and Nick’s trust fund grows bigger and bigger. Nick still knows nothing about the money.
Nobody knows for sure what Mrs. Granger thinks about all the attention the word "frindle" is getting. Either she has given up, or Mrs. Chatham has ordered her to drop the issue. She quietly takes down her poster about punishing kids for using "frindle," and she does not put kids in after-school detention anymore. However, she puts the word "pen" at the top of her spelling list every week. Every week, all the kids get the word wrong. Instead of spelling it p-e-n, they spell it f-r-i-n-d-l-e.
For several weeks, Nick is a local celebrity. He has appeared on The Late Show and Good Morning, America, and kids find this very exciting. For some time, they ask Nick all about it. A couple of them always want to know what it is like to ride in a limousine. Eventually, however, they drop the subject and turn their attention elsewhere. Nick feels like the only person still thinking about what happened.