Nine in the morning. The clouds had not yet broken in the sky. The air about was sweet with the smell of oncoming rain, half a month early. The grass was still a little wet with dew. There was a bit of a chill, which made the proceeding fifteen minutes even more of a rush, for many kids had to prepare for getting very wet, and no doubt cold.
"All right, men," spoke Ziggy-Zee, a skinny raccoon kit, standing before a phalanx of a score of other kids, all of them a kind of tree- or ground-dweller. "It's two days before we break," the boy continued, walking back and forth. "And for those two days, the entire school is going to be talking about whether or not it was us, or them."
He spoke them with an overacting viciousness, pointing at the castle in the cabbage patch. It was across the small ditch that made for a perfect moat, which separated the kinder-barn from the rest of the school. The castle itself was tall, with four towers, a ride at each one: a stright slide, a curly slide, a pole, and ladder that bowed outward a great deal.
"Some of us may fall in battle," the boy continued, "Some of us will get really, really soaked. But in the end, we will win. Cuz we are the Little Rascals. And what are they?"
"A buncha little girls!" A few kids shouted, thrusting their fists into the air.
"That's right!" He jumped up as he spoke, his tail fluffing in the bit of drag-wind. "In a bitty-bit the teachers are gonna blow the whistle," he instructed, "Ricky and Jack will head their groups to the slides, while Tommy hangs out at the pole to block their escape." He picked up one of the waterballoons that rested in the cooler beside him. "I'll head up the ladder when the time is right, sneaking into their base and making sure to smear Cheri's makeup. Are you with me?"
The boys shouted and wooted.
"Rascals! Ready your arms with balloons. For today... we eat lunch at the big-kid's tables!"
The coaches stood on the sidewalk that outlined the school proper, watching as the kids riled themselves up for the waterballoon war. When the kids were armed and ready, the coaches both held the whistles to their mouths, and the shrill call pierced the air.
Immediately the boys started running, nearly thirty boys from several different classes all in a gigantic clump ready to storm the castle, controlled by an equal number of girls.
It was the Waterballoon War, a tradition at Lonely Oak.
It had started when one year it reached triple-digit degrees for an entire week and a half, right before spring break. It was impossible for the kids to have recess and there were several cases of heastroke during P.E. even though everything took place indoors.
But the kids got stir-crazy real quick, and the school ended up allowing a massive waterballoon fight on the playground to help ease the kids' tension from being indoors all day. And this was the result. Although only the third graders were allowed to do it now, the waterballoon war still waged every year in March, the Wednesday before spring break.
Ziggy panted heavily as he ran across the field, stopping short of the moat that surrounded the castle. There was still a few miles of mainland between the moat and the intimidatingly pink-and-purple structure. And once you crossed the moat there was no turning back. It was no-boy's land.
Several girls were standing midway in the cabbage patch, all of them wearing flashy swimsuits decorated with flower petals or wavy-designs. Each girl held two waterballoons, ready to combat the first wave of his Rascals. Cheri was nowhere to be found; she was obviously hiding in the castle, probably shivering right down to the blue bows in her red hair.
Tommy's group of six kids charged, shouting battle cries. They threw the balloons, as did the defending line of girls. Splashes and pops were the report and echo of gunfire and artillary. Many balloons missed, but some hit. Those that got hit were forced out of the game; some displayed their defeat by falling over with a wail or a fatal groan.
Four girls and three boys were left standing. But the girls were unarmed, and so they retreated back to the castle.
Two boys half-carried, half-dragged the watercooler full of artillary shells, grenades and mortar, bringing the front line closer to the castle for the troops' resupply. Tommy's group gathered their armaments, and also filled a spare bucket, an ingenous idea that Ziggy-Zee had come up with himself.
Ricky and Jack, each controlling a group of ten boys, made their way to the slides. This was the frontal assault. The slides were not meant to be the main point of entry but if the boys could manage it they would. The cooler of their main munitions was brought to the curly slide, almost halfway between the two. The boys timed their assaults perfectly, making sure to rotate fire as needed, conserving ammo where they could.
Several girls were tossing balloons down at the boys from the slides, while still some were sliding down the pole. But, as per the plan of action, Tommy's group with their small resupply bucket, managed to overcome the pole very quickly, and just the three of them would be enough to prevent any girl from escaping that way.
that left the ladder, which was even less of an option. Sure, some girls might use it, but the ladder would be slow-going and any trying to climb down it would be hit before they made it halfway. Plus, most of the action was carefully maintained at the slides.
The boys held the castle under siege, expertly tossing their balloons up over the crenelations, and to Ziggy's delight he heard shrieks of terror and dismay as girls were falling victim to their attack. It was a perfect strike, he had to admit. All those war games he played with his brother were paying off.
But his forces were taking losses as well. Three boys from Ricky's and two boys from Jack's groups were having to walk away from the field. Tommy's group was down to two and, for a moment, Ziggy wondered if the girls might be cheating. They were, after all, a little obstructed by the walls of the castle. The game was sort of played by a code-of-honor, and he would not be surprised if the girls were getting hit and not playing by the rules.
They were running low on ammo though, and Tommy's team was just now exterminated. The bucket was brought over to the main force to keep it resupplied but it would not last more than a minute or so.
It was Ziggy's time to act. He ran, steathily and quickly across the cabbage patch, the grass crunching with great satisfaction beneath his bare feet. In the pockets of his swim trunks were two small waterballoons, custom-picked for a stealth-operation. He rounded the castle, the fierocity of battle still waging at the forefront of the slides. He approached the ladder, grasping the rungs with dextrous hands and feet. He climbed up the ladder, expertly negotiating the wide slope of the rungs, which caused a varying distance from one to the other.
When he reached the apex of the climb, all of the girls were at the slides; some of them wore clothes over their suits which were blatantly wet. Just as he stepped into the castle proper, the last of the girl's waterballoons was tossed over the side.
"Ziggy!" Hissed a voice, as soon as the raccoon entered her domain.
He smiled. "Hello Cheri. All out of balloons, huh?"
"So are you!" Said a girl as she peered over the side. "Your cooler's empty!"
"Yeah, and your troops are all soaked to the skin!" Another girl boasted. "You're the last one that's dry."
"You guys look pretty wet, too," he stated, "Except Cheri, cuz she's been hiding in the back."
"Have not," Cheri protested, the blue ribbons in her hair swaying as she shook her head. "I took out Tommy all by my self."
"So I guess we're tied, huh?" Ziggy said, "It's just you and me ain't it Cheri?"
The vixen glowered. "No way. My team wins. Girls win by default."
"Aw come on," Ziggy said, slipping his left hand into his trunk-pocket. "I know you're really nice. I think it's fair to call it a draw, don't you? If anything, you and I can be the winners; it'll be the most famous Waterballoon War in history. Whaddaya say?"
Ziggy held out his right hand for a shake.
Cheri looked at the racoon's proferred paw, and then to his face. She knew he was hiding something behind that mask, a nice smirk and a clear a trick. It was so obvious. She stepped away from the wall, "Okay," she said, extending her hand, "I guess you and I can—"
Even as she spoke, her voice quickened as she cut herself off and quickly made for the side of his thigh. She slapped that spot, and there came a splash from his leg. His face contorted as the cold water drenched his legs and a very embarrassing spot.
As the girls laughed, he took out the other waterballoon and spiked it right at Cheri's stomach; it popped, drenching her as well, but all of the girls laughed because with the way the balloon popped in his shorts, it made him look like he peed his trunks.
"No peeing in the pool!" One of the girls said as she pointed and laughed.
"Eww, that's nasty Ziggy! Get out of our castle!"
Very quickly he was surrounded by girls and they pushed and poked him toward the pole; he was forced to comply because he could not combat the sheer concentration of kooties without serious hazards to his health, and eventually he jumped onto the pole and slid down, laughter in his wake.
The coaches blew the wistle, signifying the end of the Waterballoon War. Ziggy shivered from the water that now soaked his lap.
Dear Treewatcher,
I'm really sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been super busy. Lady Hupp offered me the chance to skip the 6th level and I have been doing extra work. I have to pass the RSBT for that level in order to go on to the 7th. I haven't been getting much sleep lately because of it.
And then there's my friend. She's teaching me Jiu-Jitsu, by the way, but lately she's been...I dunno. We've been fighting. I don't like it but she gets on my nerves sometimes. Except now she's going the other direction. We haven't hung out all week and she's "giving me space" but...I dunno. I just wish there were more hours in the day. I can't wait till the RSBTs are over.
She invited me to the beach, though. I'm actually really excited. It'll be me, mom, her and her mom. We're staying for like, four days. I've never been to the beach before, have you? What are you doing for Spring Break?
Oh, the third-graders had the waterballoon fight today. The girls won. I'm not surprised, they always get to be in the castle, and we both know that waging war against a castle is very difficult. I remember that ours was really cold that morning, thankfully I didn't really take part back then. Actually...I kind of wish I did. My friend took part in hers—she's actually a year younger than us—and she claims she didn't get hit. I kinda believe her, she's really good at dodgeball.
I hope your Spring Break goes well, I know I'll be catching up on sleep and stuff. I'll try to respond faster next time, now that I think about it it's kind of rude, I'm not trying to be.
Sincerely,
Whisperfoot.
