During lunch time at school, Shawn, Cory, Zoey and Ellis, a kid in their class, sat at a table in the cafeteria.
Zoey leaned back in her chair, eating her sandwich.
"Say you could pick any superhero to be your dad, who would you chose?" Cory questioned.
"Batman, no questions." Ellis tellies quickly. "Live in a cool cave and borrow the batmobile."
"I'm guessing that Eillis is going with Batman." Zoey muttered with a slight smirk.
"He lets Robin hang out with him and play with all his stuff." Shawn explained. "And Robin isn't his real kid. He's his ward."
"How do you get to be a ward?" Ellis asked.
"Batman?" Cory questioned as he raised his eyebrows, glancing between the boys. "Is he faster than a speeding bullet? I don't think so. Is he more powerful than a locomotive? Uh-huh, I want superman."
Shawn shook his head. "See through walls, you can't get away with anything."
"Because I'd make somebody a very cool ward." Ellis continued, answering his own question.
"I would love to have Superman for a Dad." Cory stated.
Zoey huffed. "Well, if my Dad didn't leave, I'd want him to be Superman as well."
Shawn, Cory and Ellis turned to the Zoey and gave her a look.
"See boys, this is why she's our best friend." Cory said.
"Hey, there's Minkus." Shawn called.
Stuart Minkus was basically a nerd. He had dirty blond, bowl cut hair, whilst he constantly wore a pair of glasses that sat on the bridge of his nose.
Zoey watched Shawn grab something out of his bag... it was a water gun. He pulled the trigger and shot water at the back of Minkus' head.
"Ow." Minkus muttered as he continued reading his book.
"Woah." Cory gaped at Shawn's water gun. "The 2000-C Hydro-Saturator."
"Careful." Shawn warned. "If Feeny sees this baby on school grounds, he'll shag it and I'll have to sit out the water wars."
"Lady and Gentlemen, meet the Hydro-Sat 3000-Z Blow your head clean off." Ellis said, showing his friends his water gun which was a lot bigger than Shawn's.
"The 3000? That's not even supposed to come out till Christmas." Cory said, looking at the water gun.
"I know a guy." Ellis simply said before shooting water at the back of Minkus' head.
"You really shouldn't do that." Minkus warned as he got up from his seat.
Shawn chuckled. "What, are you going to melt?"
"No." Minkus said, bringing out a massive instrument case. He turned to them and held an even bigger water gun. "I'm going to retaliate." Shawn, Cory and Zoey's eyes widened, looking at the water gun. Ellis aimed his water gun at Minkus. "Go ahead... make me wet." Shawn, Cory and Zoey turned to Ellis, who paused for a moment before lowering the water gun. "Wise choice."
"Ah, who needs one of those?" Cory wondered as he began to walk over to the water drinking fountain. "For your information, a well-placed water balloon can give you just as much splash for your cash. Like everyone's gonna have a humongous water gun."
Shawn and Zoey took out their water guns from underneath the table and aimed them at Cory.
Once Cory was finished filling his water balloon up, he turned around to see the entire cafeteria aiming their water guns at him.
"How are ya?" He asked nervously.
Zoey smiled innocently. "We're terrific, Cor."
Everyone including Shawn and Zoey began shooting and spraying Cory down with their water guns.
Cory winced as he was getting drenched by the water guns.
"Agh! I'll get one, I promise!" Cory shouted while everyone continued spraying him with water. "Stop!"
When Mr. Feeny entered the cafeteria, everyone immediately placed their water guns away. Zoey placed her water gun on her lap and began to act innocent while Cory leaned against the drinking fountain, drenched.
Mr. Feeny placed his tray of food onto a table and approached him.
"Mr. Matthews, drinking fountain is not a toy." Mr. Feeny told him. He took a quick drink and walked out of the cafeteria.
••••
While Zoey was at home, she was getting ready for the water war that about to start with her friends. She had changed into a pair of baggy jeans and simple pink top.
"Zoey, your friends are here." Lucy called out.
Zoey raced down the stairs and towards the front door. She saw Shawn, Minkus, who was wearing a yellow raincoat, and Ellis standing just outside the door.
"You ready for war, Francis?" Shawn questioned with a smirk.
Zoey smirked as she held up her water gun. "Locked and loaded."
Shawn, Minkus, Ellis and Zoey walked over to Cory's place.
After a couple of minutes, they finally arrived. Cory's backyard was smallish, they had a chair lounge just outside the kitchen, near the door and a tree house that reached the second story of the house.
The group walked around the back to see Cory painting his fence - which was white and had green stripes across it.
"Water war time, Cor." Shawn informed.
"War!" Minkus shouts as he ran towards Cory.
Shawn placed an arm around Minkus' shoulders. "War brings out the beast in Minkus."
"You kids and your water wars. I'd love to join you but I'm having way too much fun here." Cory said, gesturing to the fence.
"Really, Cory? You're bailing on the water war?" Zoey asked, stunned.
"To paint a fence?" Ellis questioned.
"You say paint a fence. I say party." Cory told the four of them. "And, by the way, even if you wanted to... I wouldn't cut you in on this action."
"Why not?" Shawn asked, slightly frowning. "I thought we were your friends."
"Yeah, how come you're cutting us out?" Ellis questioned.
"People, people." Minkus began. "Am I the only one who read the summer reading list?" No one responded. "Tom Sawyer? He's sucking you into do the work for him."
"Guys, who are you gonna listen to, me or the banana?" Cory asked, gesturing to Minkus' outfit.
They paused for a moment. Zoey glanced between Minkus and Cory.
"Well, let's see. The banana says play. You say work. We're gonna hang with the big yellow guy." Shawn said, and Zoey nodded in agreement.
"Okay, look, I got seven bucks left after buying my Hydro-Sat and it's yours if you help me paint the fence." Cory said, pulling out money from his front pocket of his shirt.
"I say we hold out for lunch." Minkus told Shawn, Zoey and Ellis. He then aimed his water gun at Cory. "And it's Mr. Banana to you, bud."
"Well, I say we should help him." Zoey said. Shawn and Ellis sighed in frustration.
"Fine. But only for an hour." Shawn told Cory.
"Cool, thank you guys, so much!" Cory exclaimed.
Shawn outstretched his hand out and Cory placed the seven dollars in his hand. The four of them placed their water guns down, picked up a paint brush and started painting the fence back to white.
Zoey sighed in annoyance, as much as she likes Cory and wants to help him, she could be having the water war right now.
"We could be having the water war right now." Shawn whined.
Zoey huffed. "Shawn, shut up. We're doing this to help our friend."
"You're right." Shawn said before approaching Cory. "Could we have some ice cream because it's hot out here."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll get it." Cory said, rushing inside his house.
The four of them waited for Cory. When he walked outside with ice creams in his hands, they all approached him.
"What flavour did you bring us?" Zoey asked.
"Vanilla." Cory said, handing an ice cream to Minkus. "They're Vanilla with chocolate on the outside like they've been for a thousand years!"
"I really prefer a Heath Bar Crunch." Minkus said.
"You do?" Cory questioned. He grabbed the ice cream, placed it into the dirt and handed it back. "Here you go, Minkus. Crunch on this."
"Is it just me or is he copping an attitude?" Minkue questioned, crossing his arms over his stomach.
"I'm beginning to feel unwelcome here." Shawn said.
"Water war?" Ellis asked, looking at Shawn, Minkus and Zoey.
"Water war." Zoey agreed.
The four of them dropped the paint brushes, grabbed the water guns and began to walk out of Cory's backyard.
"Hey, come on, come on! I paid you. I brought you sandwiches. I brought you ice cream." Cory complained.
Shawn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so?"
"So, I'm gonna sue the both of you!" Cory shouted.
"Fine. Have your lawyer call my mum." Shawn told him as he continued walking out of Cory's backyard.
Zoey frowned at her best friend. "Sorry, Cor."
The four of them had so much fun having the water war in the park. Some of the students from school had appeared and joined in, causing a massive battle on the ground.
Thirty minutes later, Zoey was mostly surprised when Cory came to the park with his new water gun. He also apologized to all of them and they forgave him before continuing the water war.
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PUBLISHED: October 28, 2017
EDITED: March 5, 2023