{"id":1021,"date":"2019-02-10T13:45:05","date_gmt":"2019-02-10T18:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/read.whitefire-publishing.com\/?p=1021"},"modified":"2020-06-01T09:06:54","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T13:06:54","slug":"the-water-fight-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whitefire-publishing.com\/read\/the-water-fight-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"The Water Fight Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

The Water Fight ProfessionalT<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

by Angela Ruth Strong<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I, Joey Michaels, am the Water Fight Professional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically this means that customers pay me to soak other people. But my super-competitive best friend is sucking all the fun out of summer. All because I made a secret bet with him.
Winning the bet wouldn\u2019t be so hard if I didn\u2019t have the following three problems:
1) My dramatic mother who feels the need to schedule every moment of summer
2) A surfer-dude mailman who can\u2019t keep deliveries straight
3) The annoying neighbor girl who all my friends have a crush on<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I lose \u2026 ugh, I can\u2019t even tell you what I\u2019d have to do. I\u2019d rather lick a slug!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t

Chapter 1<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t

Crouching behind a scratchy\nbush, I balanced a squishy water balloon in each hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin\nClairmont\u2019s family<\/a> slowly walked down the brick path of the nature trail. Very\nslowly. Was his mom really reading all the little signs that described each\nplant? People only read those on field trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My right foot\ntingled like it was starting to fall asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family\nturned left to go over the footbridge. I awaited my victim on the wrong path.\nThis wasn\u2019t part of the business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clairmonts\nstrolled out of my line of vision\u2014even Austin\u2019s super-tall dad who hired me to\nsoak Austin in the first place. He\u2019d paid me to use two water balloons and my\nMega Drench 200, the water gun tucked in my belt behind my back. It was my only\nsale on that cloudy, early summer day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucky for me,\nunlike my own dad, Mr. Clairmont liked to spend money. He\u2019d come right up to my\nbooth in the park and arranged for my services. Of course, since Austin was a\nwhole year older than me and going into 8th<\/sup> grade at Cole Valley\nChristian School, I would have to be sneaky in my attack or he would certainly\nget me back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half crawling,\nhalf running, I started after the family. My sneakers kept my bridge crossing silent.\nI slowed down as I came to the bend and peeked around the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perfect. Austin\nhad gone down the hill next to the fish-viewing windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I crept backward\ntwo steps to the railroad tie stairs which led up to an overlook of the pond,\nwaterfall, and windows. I couldn\u2019t have planned it better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Clairmont\ncaught my eye through the tree branches and winked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My pulse picked\nup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I angled my\nbody so there was a clear shot through the tree branches. Lifting the red\nballoon in my right hand, I focused on my target and counted down in my head. Three\n\u2026 two \u2026 one \u2026 FIRE!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Splat<\/em>. Direct hit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Austin\nleaped off the bench he was standing on and examined his royal blue T-shirt,\nnow a navy color where the water had hit him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin\u2019s two\nbrothers laughed and looked around, but they didn\u2019t spot my second balloon\nbefore it arrived. Yikes. I hit Austin\u2019s little brother. That meant trouble,\nbut I had to finish the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I pulled the\nMega Drench out from under my belt and charged down the steps with a war cry.\nMy position had been perfect for launching water balloons, but if I stayed\nthere, the brothers would find me for sure, and I would have no escape. \u201cWah!\u201d\nI yelled, gun pointed in front of me as I turned the corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One run-by\nsoaking coming up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin saw me.\n\u201cIt\u2019s Joey,\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho\u2019s Joey?\u201d\nasked the little brother.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I aimed the\nnozzle slightly to the left of Austin\u2014the Mega Drench never shot straight\u2014and\npulled the trigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s the\nprofessional water fighter.\u201d  Austin\njumped behind his big brother, Grant, to avoid my attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I doused the fifteen-year-old.\nCrud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey,\u201d yelled\nGrant. \u201cYou\u2019re gonna regret this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was already\nstarting to, but that was the hazard of my chosen career. Mr. Clairmont\nhigh-fived me as I kept moving down the path, heart pounding in my ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was the only\none still laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I glanced over\nmy shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin had his\nmom\u2019s water bottle in hand and was in hot pursuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I faced forward\nand ran faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heavier\nfootsteps scuffed past Austin\u2019s. Grant was gaining on me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glancing back,\nI extended my gun and shot as I ran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Water dripped\nfrom Grant\u2019s chin, but that didn\u2019t stop him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How was I going\nto escape?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet him,\u201d shouted\nAustin. His voice faded behind me. I must have worn him out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sliding on\ngravel, I tried to leap toward a second bridge, but Grant grabbed my shirt. My collar\nheld me back like a dog on a leash. I twisted side to side, whipping him back\nand forth, and jerked him off balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant tumbled\nto the ground but wrapped an arm around my ankle on the way down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I lost my\nfooting and joined him on the hard wooden planks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin\nreappeared. I hadn\u2019t worn him out. He\u2019d just ducked down to the creek to fill\nup the water bottle with slimy green stuff. Sick. That was so much worse than\nthe drinking fountain water I used in my balloons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I kicked at\nGrant and clawed at the bridge. No use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin stepped\nforward with a huge grin on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shielded my\nhead with my arms as algae and duck poop greased my body. My water gun bumped\nagainst my shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, yeah. I was\nstill armed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rolling onto my\nback, I aimed the weapon to the side of my assailants and fired. Woohoo!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo way.\u201d\nAustin reached down for my right arm and Grant grabbed my left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried to pull\nthe brothers together so they would hit heads, but that must only work in kung\nfu movies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin hauled\nme toward the side of the bridge. He wouldn\u2019t\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet me go,\u201d I\nhollered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather\nlick a slug.\u201d Austin didn\u2019t even break stride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grant paused,\nbut didn\u2019t relax his grip on my arm. \u201cDidn\u2019t you lick a slug on our camping\ntrip last year?\u201d he asked Austin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReady?\u201d asked\nGrant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSet,\u201d answered\nAustin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo,\u201d they\nyelled together and tossed me over the railing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nflailed through the air, barely catching my breath before splashing into the\nicy, murky pond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A fish slipped\npast my neck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I emerged to\nthe sounds of laughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baby Clairmont\u2014I\ndidn\u2019t know his name\u2014had caught up with his brothers and they all smirked down\nat me from the bridge. Mr. Clairmont\u2019s tall frame doubled over in laughter in\nthe distance. He was the reason I was floating in the muck. Was it worth it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought of\nthe soggy dollar bills stuffed into my jeans pocket. Oh yeah. It was worth it.\nI would do it again every day that summer if I got the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n