Summer Attack

“Tiger Three, this is Falcon Two. I have a question.”

“What is it, Falcon?”

“Why do you yell, ‘Fire in the hole’ when you toss a water balloon? Wouldn’t it make more sense to yell ‘Water in the hole?’”

“Brian, shut up and get moving. I called for an airstrike five minutes ago and I’m tossing my last water balloon now. Fire in the hole.”

Andy tossed his last water balloon at Lyle. It splashed over him, plastering his blue shirt to him. Rob and Levi stepped out from their cover and hosed Andy down even as he tossed the water balloon. Andy only had a slosh left in his water gun, so he couldn’t shoot back.

Then Levi got hit by a water balloon in them back. Andy heard Brian’s war whoop. He bolted towards the sound. Brian had his red Radio Flyer wagon stuffed with water balloons. He had two Super Soakers stuffed in his belt and his brother’s massive water rifle that had half a gallon of water in it. Andy joined his friend and Brian tossed one of his Super Soakers to him. Andy raised it, then saw Rob tossing a water balloon. Andy dropped his water gun and pushed Brian down. The water balloon hit Andy’s back, soaking his red shirt, knocking him down to the pavement, and skinning his knee. Brian got up and hurled a water balloon back, but Rob dodged easily.

“You okay, Andy?”

“If I don’t make it back home, Brian—tell Emily—that I hate her.”

“Come on! They’re charging us. We’ve got to move.” Brian hurled another water balloon and they fled, hauling the wagon behind them. They got to the crossroads, and Andy started to turn left, heading home.

“No!” Brian hauled the wagon the other way. “Trust me.”

“Like I’m going to trust you after that mess with the water balloon catapult.” But Andy followed Brian as they sprinted up Lilac Hill with Lyle, Rob, and Levi after them.

“Come on! We’re nearly there!” They were panting as they crested the hill, but then the wagon was speeding up as gravity pulled it down. Brian vaulted onto the wagon and pulled Andy after him as their pursuers crested the hill and started shooting. Andy opened a water balloon and used it to reload his Super Soaker. It didn’t work well and he only got a few drops of water into the gun.

“We’re in trouble,” he said. Brian was rummaging around the wagon. Then he gave the grin Andy had last seen when he was testing the infamous water balloon catapult.

“No, we aren’t. I have the perfect defensive weapon.”

“Oh, really?”

Brian unfurled the umbrella and pointed it the way they had come.