Water Wars

Well into the school year, the stress can get to be nigh unbearable - especially when springtime has finally bloomed. As the sun shines brightly in the sky and the fluffy white clouds lazily roll on by, the young residents of the island flock to the park to have some fun. It's reasonably warm, as island weather tends to be, with temperatures hanging around the low 70s. The warmth of the sunshine is welcoming to all and fresh new buds are springing up. Soon they'll be blooming into some of the most gorgeous flowers around, providing splashes of colors and being gathered up into bouquets for the local sweethearts.

But today is less about sweethearts and more about the thrill of the fight.

Water fight, to be exact.

The sunlight was warm on his bare, tanned skin as the young man stealthily made his way through the foliage of the park. He was shirtless, his lean muscles moving quietly with less fabric moving around. His long, curly brown hair was kept out of his eyes with a camoflauge bandanna. The shorts he wore bared the same design and his feet were clad in black swim shoes. Mud was streaked over his face in the same fashion as depicted in a cheesy 80s action movie and he held his weapon of choice close.

The Super Soaker. The great water gun of the 90s rested comfortably in his grasp. It was an old piece of shit, handed down in his family, but it still worked. So what if the label and colors were faded so badly that it was hardly recognizable? All the better to surprise unsuspecting victims with...

A high pitched squeal alerted him to the presence of the first victim and he quietly turned his head to the side, listening intently. At first, there was nothing. Undeterred, Chuck crept quietly forward along the foliage until a tree came into his field of vision. Below the tree was a girl with long, curly hair that he was certain he'd seen around the island before. She seemed to be talking to someone perched in the tree. Suddenly, a familiar pink-haired girl swung down into view to talk to her friend and a grin broke out over his face.

It was Mimi, his brother's girlfriend. Or, more accurately...

It was a "two-for-one".

Laughing, he broke from his cover and ran to get the two of them in range, his Super Soaker at the ready. "Hey ladies!" Chuck shouted jovially and hosed the both of them, "Great day for a water fight!" When they'd both been properly doused, he chuckled and gave them a friendly salute. Fortunately for Mimi and Leilani, despite the short Wilder being the type to take the initiative, he was also amiable enough not to over-soak a pair of ladies.

Unfortunately for Chuck though, he was the kind of guy that usually looked before he leaped and he left himself wide open...

He heard the warning just as the water hit him.

"Ack, shit!" He laughed as the two surprised him with twin streams of water. Some water got into one of his eyes and he fired at them half-blindly, not caring whether he actually got them or not. He closed the afflicted eye so as not to lose a contact lens and took another shot at blasting the two.

Thoroughly soaked but still jovial, Chuck crowed out "Run awaaaaaaaaay!" as he was being pelted with water balloons. Halfway through the run he leapt through the air, then tucked into himself and rolled into the cover of the foliage. Was it necessary? Absolutely not. Did it hurt? Not with his deadened nerve endings. Was it cool?

Hell, yeah.

Rolling to a stop in the nearby shrubbery, Chuck uncurled into a seated position. He was soaked and covered in mud, leaves and tiny sticks but he was clearly having a great time. It was a good thing he was wearing a bandanna, because otherwise his curly hair would look more akin to a 'fro. Currently, it seemed as if his location had gone undetected by his now-distracted water rivals. From this vantage point he'd be able to take his time and make a new plan of attack.

A new, well thought out plan.

Yep. It was gonna be a good one too...

Chuck heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his neck. Making a plan would be a heck of a lot easier with his girlfriend here with him, but she currently was running late. He wasn't exactly known for his brains... more like his ability to flat-out bulldoze his way through obstacles and his ridiculous stamina. But those skills didn't amount to much in a friendly water war.

What to do...?

He sat back and thought about it for a few moments but no fresh ideas came to mind. He tapped his chin as he tried to strategize, but stopped abruptly when he realized someone was sitting next to him. He turned to look at the thoroughly waterlogged, blue-haired teenager next to him. "What's up, pal? You doin' okay?" Chuck asked, patting the lad on the back. A muddy hand print remained on the shirt. Oops.