Gia didn't know how she did it. Some of the kids from her school had decided to have a water war, and Shawn had begged Gia to come. So, after calling Cindy and making sure she could cover for her, she had agreed. The morning of the water war, Gia followed her usual routine of showing up to school early, changing out of the short plaid skirt and sweater that her mother forced her to wear, and putting on a pair of baggy jeans, a t-shirt, and an over-sized flannel shirt. She walked out of the bathroom and into the lunchroom, sitting next to Shawn like she did every morning.

"Say you could pick any superhero to be your dad. Who would you choose?" Cory asked, and Ellis, who was sitting with them, immediately spoke up.

"Batman, no question. Live in a cool cave, borrow the Batmobile."

Shawn nodded. "He lets Robin hang out with him and play with all his stuff. And Robin's not even his real kid. He's his ward!"

Ellis gasped. "How do you get to be a ward?"

"I think your parents have to die." Gia told him, before Cory cut her off.

"Batman? Is he faster than a speeding bullet? I don't think so. Is he more powerful than a locomotive?" He shook his finger. "Uh-uh. I'd want Superman."

Gia shook her head. "He sees through walls." Shawn nodded, seeing what she was saying.

"You'd never get away with anything." Shawn agreed.

Ellis continued. "Because I'd make somebody a very cool ward."

"Two words," Gia told him, "Dead. Parents."

"I'd like to have Superman for a dad." Cory said, shrugging.

Shawn looked towards the other side of the room, nudging Gia. "Hey, there's Minkus." The two reached under the table, pulling out their squirt guns and shooting Minkus in the head.

"Ow." He said simply, ignoring the two.

Cory turned to look at Shawn and Gia's squirt guns. (Gia had no experience buying water guns, so she just got the one Shawn had). "Whoa! The 2000-X Hydro-Saturator!"

"Careful. If Feeny sees this baby on school grounds, he'll shag it, and I'll have to sit out the water wars." Shawn said as the two put the squirt gun back under the table.

Ellis reached under the table and pulled out his squirt gun. "Lady and gentlemen, meet the Hydro-Sat 3000-Z. Blow your head clean off."

Cory looked at it with wide eyes. "The 3000? That's not even supposed to come out till Christmas."

Ellis shrugged. "I know a guy." He said, shooting Minkus in the head.

"You really shouldn't do that. Minkus said, putting his book down and standing up.

"What, are you gonna melt?" Shawn scoffed.

"No." Minkus lifted a huge case onto his table, opened it, and took out a giant squirt gun, turning to face Gia, Cory, Shawn, and Ellis. "I'm going to retaliate." Gia's eyes widened, and she walked over to Minkus, sitting on the table next to him.

"Hey, Minkus, why don't we just let bygones be bygones..." She said nervously, staring at his huge gun.

"Traitor." Shawn said, causing Gia to simply point to Minkus' gun.

"I'm trying not to die here, Shawnie." Gia said, crossing her arms.

Ellis held up his squirt gun, ready to shoot. Minkus held up his squirt gun threateningly and said in a serious voice, "Go ahead...make me wet." causing Gia to burst out laughing. The boys all turned to her, causing her to blush awkwardly.

"I just thought of... something funny in my head..." She said, still staring at Minkus' gun.

Ellis put down his squirt gun, and Minkus said in the same voice, "Wise choice."

"Ah, who needs one of those?" Cory shrugged, standing up and walking towards the water fountain holding an empty balloon. "For your information, a well-placed water balloon can give you just as much splash for your cash." He began to fill up the water balloon, and started talking to himself. "Like everyone's gonna have a humongous water gun." He turned around to see everyone pointing their squirt guns at him, causing him to smile nervously. "How are ya?" He asked, causing everyone to start shooting at him. "Aah! Aah! Stop! I'll get one! I promise! Oh, my G-- I'll get one! Stop! I promise!" Cory protested.

All of a sudden, Mr. Feeny walked into the room, causing everyone to stop shooting and put their squirt guns away. Mr. Feeny saw Cory, who was soaking wet, put down his tray, and walked over to the water fountain. "Mr. Matthews...the drinking fountain is not a toy." He said, taking a sip of water and flicking his mustache before walking off.

"Well that was close." Gia sighed, before suddenly gasping as she felt something cold and wet hit the back of her head and her back. She spun around to face Shawn standing there with a guilty smile.

"Hey, Gi..." He said nervously, before staring at her fuming expression. "I'm gonna go now..." He said awkwardly, before darting out of the room.

"Shawn Hunter, I'm gonna kill you!" Gia yelled, following him. Needless to say, Shawn did end up getting soaked... and the two did end up with a lunchtime detention.

~

Gia met up with Shawn, Ellis, and Minkus after school, and they all walked to the Matthews house. They walked into the backyard, to see Cory painting Mr. Feeny's fence.

"Water war time, Cory." Shawn said, and right on time Minkus ran in, wearing a yellow rainsuit.

"Waaaaaaaar!" He yelled. Gia smiled, as she and Shawn wrapped their arms around the smaller boy.

"War brings out the beast in Minkus." She explained.

Cory shrugged. "You kids and your water wars. I'd love to join you, but I'm having way too much fun here."

"You're bailing on the water war?" Shawn asked.

"To paint a fence?" Ellis asked.

Cory shrugged. "You say paint a fence, I say par-ty. And by the way, even if you wanted to, I wouldn't cut you in on this action."

Shawn frowned. "Why not? I thought we were friends."

Ellis nodded. "Yeah, how come you're cutting us out?" Gia rolled her eyes at their idiocy, and went to say something, but Minkus beat her to it.

"People, people, am I the only one who read the summer reading list?" He paused when nobody answered. "Tom Sawyer?" He paused again. "He's sucking you in to do the work for him."

"Thank you, Minkus!" Gia said, pointing to him. "He's right, it's a scam."

Cory shook his head. "Guys, who are you gonna listen to, me or princess and the banana?"

"Did you just call me princess?" Gia asked, taking a step toward Cory, who put his hands up in defense.

Shawn grabbed her before she could attack Cory. "Well, let's see. The princess," Shawn put his arm around Gia, "and the banana say play. You say work. We're gonna hang with the princess and the big yellow guy."

"Shawn if you say princess one more time I'll murder you."

Cory pulled money out of his pocket. "OK, look, I got seven bucks left after buying my Hydro-Sat, and it's yours if you help me paint the fence."

Minkus turned to Gia, Shawn, and Ellis. "I say we hold out for lunch," he pointed his squirt gun at Cory, "and that's Mr. Banana to you, bud."

Gia shrugged. "You three dumbos may have fallen for his plan, but I refuse to be that gullible." She said, crossing her arms and sitting in a lawn chair.

~

Pretty soon Cory walked into the backyard holding the ice cream bars that he had promised. Shawn, Ellis, and Minkus stopped working, and Gia got up from her chair, all of them walking towards Cory.

"What flavor did you bring us?" Shawn asked.

Cory handed them the ice cream bars. "Vanilla. They're vanilla with chocolate on the outside, just like they've been for 1,000 years!" He snapped, causing Gia to take a step back.

"Yikes, who spit in his cereal?" Gia muttered to Shawn.

Minkus shrugged. "I really prefer a Heath Bar Crunch."

"Bad move, Minkus. Bad move." Gia said, shaking her head and stepping back s little.

"Ya do?!" Cory exclaimed, taking the ice cream bar, dipping it in the dirt, and handing it back to Minkus. "Here you are, Minkus. Crunch on this."

Minkus turned to look at the rest of the group. "Is it just me, or is he copping an attitude?"

"I'm beginning to feel unwelcome here." Shawn said.

"Water war?" Ellis asked.

"Water war." Gia agreed. Shawn, Ellis, and Minkus started walking away, and Gia turned to Cory. "Sorry Cor, see you around." She said, before walking over to catch up with Shawn.

"Hey, come on, come on! I paid you! I brought you sandwiches! I brought you ice cream!"

"Yeah, so?" Shawn said, rolling his eyes.

"So I'm gonna sue you!" Cory exclaimed, causing Gia to scoff.

Shawn walked back over to Cory. "Fine. Have your lawyer call my mom." He said, before they all walked away.

As they were walking, Minkus sighed. "He assaulted my ice cream."

"No one cares." Ellis said, rolling his eyes. Gia elbowed him, before turning to Minkus.

"Hey, you can have mine... my mother probably wouldn't want me eating it anyway." She said, shrugging. Minkus took it, thanking her, and Shawn put an arm around her shoulders.

"What is it with your mom and dieting...? Your only in the sixth grade, Gia, who cares what your mom says?" Shawn said, rolling his eyes and handing her his ice cream bar. "You take a side and I take a side?" He asked.

"Depends, are you sick?" She asked, causing him to shrug.

"Not that I know of."

"That's good enough for me." She said, smiling at her best friend.

"So now that I gave you ice cream, you wouldn't be mad if I did... this... would 'ya? " He asked, causing her to look up at him in confusion.

"What are you-" She was cut off by Shawn spraying her in the face.

"Oh you are so dead, Hunter!" She exclaimed, chasing after him, just like she did that morning.

"Oh, you're on, Watts!"

Just two best friends who didn't know what their future had in store for them.