Hello, few people who actually read this. I just thought I should let you all know some things about this fanfic. First, I have updated, so this is not the orignal first chapter. Now, in this story, I am moving the time period to present day. (If you looked at the copyrights of the books, they all take place ten or so years ago.) So, just pretend that all the following things happen in this wonderful, technology filled year. :) Also, like to get the adults out of the way. Do not question me if all the parents disappear for a while. And, I don't think that there is enough Jake/Eddie focus, so there will be that, too.
And had anyone noticed that Jake, Eddie, Josh and Beth are in middle school now? (The last book) I'm adding the terribly tragic things that happen to kids when they are put through middle school.
Disclaimer- I do not own the Boy/Girl Battle Series.
Please enjoy!

It was official. They were staying.

Mrs. Malloy set the phone down and looked at her daughters. "Well, then. I guess I have to go attend to some house arrangements, don't I?" She walked out of the room and towards the study.

The three Malloy sisters glanced at one another. Caroline, the youngest, was silently weighing her feelings about this development. Staying in Buckman meant that they wouldn't go back to Ohio, and see their friends and their old hangouts and school and grocery store and...

But staying in Buckman also meant living next door to the Hatfords, with whom they'd had more fun than Caroline thought she and her sisters had had with anyone else. And now the war could continue.

"Well, that's great," Eddie, the oldest at age twelve, commented. She took off her baseball cap and ran her fingers through her light blond hair. "Stuck next door to the boys, now."

Beth, the middle child, didn't look up from her kindle as she said, "It's not so bad, Eddie. We have so much fun with them." As soon as Beth had received a kindle for her eleventh birthday, she had spent her allowance on buying books to add.

"Now we have all the time we need to prank the boys!" Caroline grinned and tossed her dark hair. She was going into fifth grade, even though she was only nine, because she was precocious.

"Still," started Eddie, but Beth cut her off.

"And you can be on a baseball team, here."

Eddie revised what she was going to say to a simple "I guess you're right." She stood up, stretched, and slipped upstairs to her room to do who knows what.

Caroline went to her own room, daydreaming about all the pranks that she and her sisters would pull over the next years.

Wally Hatford was sitting by the window, staring out past the river, towards the house where the Malloys lived. His older brothers, Jake and Josh, were trying to focus on a video game, while Peter was sorting out a pack of Skittles by color, then eating them.

They were waiting to find out if the Bensons were coming back, and if the Malloys were staying. No word had come yet all day, and the four boys were getting restless.

Finally, Jake gave up. He threw his controller down and said, "When are we going to find out? I can't stand this!"

"Maybe we should call them," suggested Josh, setting his controller down much gentler than Jake had.

Jake shook his head. "At this point, I'll resort to anything. Wally, go call them."

"Why me?!" Wally did not want to be the one to call the Malloys. What if Caroline answered?

"Cuz I said so, go do it."

Wally sighed and stood up. He walked into the kitchen with Jake and Josh following behind. He picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Malloys. After a couple of rings, someone answered.

"Hello?" It was Caroline. Great.

"Hi, Caroline," Wally said with an internal sigh.

"Oh, hi Wally!" Caroline's voice chirped. Was she happy he called? "What's up?"

"Uh, nothing."

"It's so boring over here!" Then, more muffled, "It's Wally, Eddie." In the background, Wally could make out Eddie's voice saying, "Tell him to ask Jake if he wants to practice over at the field tomorrow."

More loudly, Caroline spoke into the phone. "Eddie wants to know if Jake wants to practice at the field tomorrow."

"Uhm, hold on." Well, this was getting off topic. Turning to Jake, Wally said, "Eddie wants to know if you want to practice at the field tomorrow."

Jake looked confused. "I thought it was Caroline."

"It is."

"Oh. Well, I guess so, sure. But ask if they're staying!"

Wally turned back to the phone. "He says sure."

"He says sure, Eddie." Louder again. "So, any particular reason you called?"

"Uh, yeah. We wanted to know if you guys are staying in Buckman or not..."

"Oh, that." Caroline sounded like she would be waving her hands in dismissal of this statement. "Yeah, we're staying."

Wally gulped. "And, uh, do you know if the Bensons are coming back?" He waited in dread for the answer.

"Sorry, they're staying in Georgia!" She sure didn't sound sorry.

Wally's throat felt dry. "Oh."

"Well, I've got to go. See ya later!" The line clicked as Caroline hung up.

Wally stood there frozen in shock for a moment, then slowly put down the phone. He glanced at his brother's eager faces, and dreaded telling them.

"Well? What did she say?" Jake looked like he was ready to shake Wally.

"She said- she said that the Bensons aren't coming back, and that they're staying in Buckman."

The twins looked like they were going to be sick.

"Are you sure that's what she said?" whispered Josh.

Wally nodded miserably.

"Our lives are over. Officially over," croaked Jake.

Wally nodded again. He would be plagued by Caroline the Crazie for the rest of his life, apparently. He would never be free. Goodbye, life. Wally will miss you.

Well, there is the first chapter that I fixed. Hope you like it. REVIEW