Chapter one: Beach Party Blues
On Planet Earth...
Meanwhile, on the Planet Earth, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, a lively beach party was underway. Locals and tourists alike took part in a variety of activities, which included volleyball, swimming, surfing, sand castle building, and just plain goofing off. Yes, it seemed like everyone was having a good time...
Except for one person.
"Has anyone seen Maya?" asked Lilo Pelekai. "She's going to miss the sand castle contest. She promised she would help me and Stitch with our sand castle."
"I don't know, Lilo," replied her older sister Nani, who was setting up a couple of beach chairs. "Maybe she went into the shade to rest."
"Perhaps she got tired and went home early," suggested Jumba Jookiba, an alien scientist who was living with Lilo and Nani, along with Maya and Agent Wendy Pleakley.
"I saw her over by the shave-ice stand," said Nani's friend David Kawena, who was waxing his surfboard. "If you hurry, she might still be there."
"I'm worried about her," said Nani as Lilo hurried off to find Maya. "She's been so inattentive and depressed lately. I wonder what's wrong..."
Things get worse and worse every day...when will it all end...?
"Hey Miss Four-Legs, hurry up and order something! You're holding up the line!"
Jolted from her thoughts, the white Centauri female turned around to face the speaker. Oh, I should have guessed, she thought with disgust. It was that obnoxious little red-haired girl with glasses, what was her name again? Martha, Mirna, Meryl...Mertle! That was it! That mean girl from Lilo's hula class.
"My name is Maya, you little jerk," the Centauri growled.
"Excuse me miss, can I help you?" asked the shave-ice vendor.
"Huh? Oh, yes please." Blushing, Maya turned her attention to the vendor. "Sorry, my head is up in the clouds today. Oh well, I guess I'll have a peach shave-ice, please."
After receiving her order and paying the vendor, Maya left the shave-ice line and walked over to the volleyball field to watch the game taking place there. As she watched the ball shoot back and forth over the net, her thoughts turned once again to her homeworld, her people, her family...and the war they were in.
My people have lost so much in this awful war. We are forced to cut back on so many things we once took for granted. Families are being torn apart, wives become widows, children become orphans and go to bed hungry...Those horrible Irken slime-balls! I wish I could-
"Maya! Over here!"
Maya turned around to find Lilo and her dog, Stitch (who was actually one of Jumba's alien experiments), calling to her from over by the dock.
Oh, that's right! she remembered. I promised Lilo I'd help her with the sand castle contest! She got up and hurried over to her friends.
"Don't worry, guys, I haven't forgotten," she told them. "The sand castle contest isn't until three, so we can do something else while we're waiting."
"Why don't we go looking for seashells and funny rocks?" Lilo suggested.
"Alright," said Maya. "Stitch, lead the way."
"Eh!" Stitch saluted, and dropped down on all fours. Nose to the ground, he scurried along the seashore, Lilo and Maya at his heels, stopping every once in a while to stare at a random person, pick his nose with his tongue, or pick up a shell or other interesting object. The shells were inspected before they were put in Lilo's bucket, just to be sure...
"Ouch!" cried Stitch as he tried to shake off the hermit crab that was pinching his nose. Apparently that shell had already been spoken for!
"It's okay, Stitch, here's another shell that looks just like that one." Lilo held up the shell she had found and inspected it closely. "And nobody's home, so we can keep it."
"Hey, guys, look what I found!" Maya held up a starfish in one hand and a sand dollar in the other hand. Giggling, she placed the starfish on the upper right side of her head, wearing it like a barrette. "How do I look?"
"Blecccchh!" Clutching his stomach, Stitch stumbled around in circles, pretending to throw up. After a minute of this, he collapsed on his stomach and pretended he was dead.
"Very funny, Stitch," growled Maya, rolling her eyes.
Lilo patted her on the shoulder. "Don't listen to him. I think you look cute, like the Little Mermaid."
Maya chuckled. "Thanks, Lilo. I can always count on a compliment from you to help me forget my troubles. In fact, I can't even remember what was bothering me earlier."
"Well, that's what friends are for," said Lilo with a smile.
