Author's Note: Sorry if this seems a bit rushed. I was in a hurry to get this done by today. Enjoy the chapter.
Any and all comments are welcome.
Today was Mac's first day at Willy T. Ribbs High School. He reported directly to homeroom where he was happy to see his new friend, Penny, sitting there among many other students. The teacher, Ms. Hightower, presented herself to the other students as they talked.
"Excuse me, kids. Quiet down. Quiet, please." Hightower's words weren't heard. The kids still talked. "I SAID QUIET, YOU FUTURE GAS STATION ATTENDANTS!" That shut them up. "Thank you. Now, I'd like to introduce our new student, Mac. Come on up, Mac."
Mac did as the teacher said (out of fear of her booming voice) and turned to the whole class. He waved to everyone there.
"Hi, everyone." Mac greeted.
"So Mac, would you mind saying anything to your new classmates?" Hightower asked.
"Oh, sure. Well, I'm from New York, and I'm currently living with my aunt and uncle."
"Thank you, Mac." Hightower said. "Now, take your seat and let's get the day started."
At the end of the day, Mac was just about to leave the school when he was stopped by a group of other teens. He recognized one of them as Sticky.
"What's this?" Mac asked. "You're here to push me or something? 'Cause I gotta warn you, I fight back."
"Nah. It's nothing like that." Sticky said. "We just thought we would welcome you into the neighborhood this weekend. See, my buddies and I are challenging the girls this Saturday morning to a water fight. We could use the extra hands."
"The girls, huh?" Mac asked. "Does that include LaCienega?"
"She's a girl, isn't she?"
"Honestly, I don't know what she is." Mac snickered. "But if it means I get to shoot her with water, count me in."
"Great. See you then." Sticky said.
The following Saturday, the neighborhood kids engaged in a big water fight. The boys and girls exchanged shots at each other. At least, most of them did. Penny was stuck with her baby siblings and Puff at the front lawn. When the rest of the girls regrouped with her, Mac revealed himself waving a white flag.
"Oh, hey, Mac." Penny said.
"Hey, Penny." Mac said. "So you brought two babies and a dog to a water war? That's low."
"Ain't my idea, I tell you that." Penny said. "Suga Mama's at her Tae Bo class and my folks are furniture shopping. So now, I have to watch over these three."
"So what's with the white flag, Little Mac?" LaCienega asked. "Surrendering?"
"No way, cuz." Mac said aiming his water gun at her. "I just wanted to get you at close range." He shot a blast her followed by the rest of the girls before rushing off.
"Oh, it's on now." Penny said. She took a gun and ran with the girls after him.
Mac turned around a corner with the girls behind him. However, the moment they turned, they realized it was just a trap. A whole group of boys caught them by surprise and bombarded them with long, strong blasts of water at the girls. They kept shooting without letting up.
"Are you ladies tired of getting crushed?" Sticky asked. "You're never going to win."
Suddenly, the loud horn and sirens stopped the water gun fight. Everyone turned and saw a firetruck stopping right beside them. And there driving the firetruck were the Gross Sisters.
"Looks like y'all could use some help." Nubia said before giving her sisters the cue. Olei and Gina took the large fire hose and shot the most powerful blast of water that knocked the boys right to the ground, including Mac.
When Mac recovered, he found himself in a puddle of water and the rest of the boys ran off. Upset at what just happened, he stood back up and confronted Nubia.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Mac asked. "And where did you get the firetruck?"
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to, short stack." Nubia said. "Now, pay up, ladies."
Mac was about to protest, but he stopped himself when he saw Zoey, Dijonay, and LaCienega giving their money to Olei and Gina.
"Wait. You're just going to give them the money for something you didn't even ask for?"
"It's either that or be their punching bags." Zoey said.
"Let me just get my purse." Penny said. "It's in the stroller."
"What stroller?" Nubia asked.
Penny looked back and panicked when she saw a nearly-empty lawn with only a baby bottle laying on the grass.
"The twins! They're gone!" Penny cried out.
"Oh, you're in big trouble." Dijonay said.
"Where could they go?" Mac asked.
His question was answered by the distant sound of poodle barking.
"That sounds like Puff!" Penny said. "Everyone, follow me!"
The kids rushed over to the bridge over the river where they found the stroller they were looking for. Unfortunately, it was in the river along with CeCe, BeBe, and Puff. Puff barked and whined trying to stay afloat despite the rapids he was on. They got Sticky's help in making a rope ladder to hang over the edge of the bridge.
"Okay. Now, when I grab them, you pull me up." Sticky instructed.
"No." Penny said throwing the ladder over the bridge. "I'll grab them, and you pull me up. They're my brother and sister."
"Cool with me, Xena." Sticky said.
"Penny!" yelled out an adult man from right beside them. He was accompanied by his wife.
"Daddy!" Penny gasped.
"That's my name. Don't wear it out." Oscar said. "Now, what are you kids doing on the bridge?"
"OH! MY BABIES!" Trudy gasped.
"What the…" Oscar gasped. But when he turned back to Penny, he didn't see her. "Where's Penny?"
"Down the ladder trying to get the stroller." Mac said.
Penny hung upside down on the bottom rung of the ladder. She reached out her arms just as the stroller swam right at her. She managed to grab the handle of the stroller and grip it tightly. Everyone then pulled the ladder up with Penny trying to keep ahold of the stroller. And at the bottom of the stroller was Puff's leash.
With great fortune, the stroller managed to make it safely onto the bridge with the babies happy and laughing. Penny grabbed Puff's leash and proceeded to pull him up. Unfortunately, the leash broke and Puff dived right back into the rapid river below.
"I LOST PUFF!" Penny yelled out.
Puff made it back to the water surface right as the river was getting close to a sewer tunnel.
"That tunnel's going to lead Puff out of the city." Trudy said.
"What do we do?" Penny asked with intense worry. "If we don't…"
She stopped when someone quickly climbed up the bridge and jumped off. He dived straight into the river and swam right toward the white poodle.
"Mac!" Penny yelled out at the diver.
Mac continued to swim until he grabbed Puff with one of his arms. He used the other to reach out and grab the edge of the tunnel entrance. He held on to both tightly trying to fight the rapids.
"Let's not waste time!" Sticky said taking his ladder over to the end of the overpass. He threw it down right toward Mac. It was only for a split second, but Mac released the tunnel edge and instead, reached for the ladder. He grabbed it by the bottom rung and held on tightly.
"HE'S GOT HIM!" Penny yelled. "PULL HIM UP NOW!"
Everyone wasted no time grabbing the ladder and yanking it upward. Both Mac and Puff were carried back to the street and out of the river. They were both exhausted and soaking wet when they were saved.
"I don't believe it." Oscar said. "You saved Puff."
"Well… It was nothing." Mac said softly between breaths.
"Oh, my dear Puff!" Suga Mama yelled out embracing her pet in the Proud family living room. "That must have been so scary. But don't worry. Suga Mama's glad you're alive and well." She laughed when Puff kept licking her. She set him down for a minute only to turn her attention to Oscar. "You big dummy! I told you to look after Puff, and he nearly drowns!"
"Mama! Wait! It ain't my fault!" Oscar pleaded.
"Sure. Like it ain't your fault you got the IQ OF A GOLDFISH!"
"Suga Mama, wait! It really wasn't Daddy's fault." Penny said. "He and Momma had to go on an errand, so they left me in charge of Puff. He was my responsibility, and he nearly died on my watch. I'm really sorry."
"…Oh, well, I can't be mad at you. It was a mistake." Suga Mama said hugging her granddaughter.
"What? For real?" Oscar asked in disbelief.
"Oscar, let's just be glad that both the twins and Puff are home safely." Trudy said. "And you know what, we owe it to Mac."
The Proud Family turned their attention to Mac, who was laying on a chair with a towel over his body. The Boulevardez family surrounded him.
"Are you okay, sobrino?" Sunset asked.
"I'm fine, Aunt Sunset. Thanks for asking." Mac said.
"That was super dangerous, Mac." Felix said. "You really jumped into a river?"
"What was I supposed to do? Lose a dog?" Mac asked.
"No. Perdamos a Suga Mama. (Translation: No. Let's just lose Suga Mama.) HOOHAHAHAHA!"
"LaCienega," Sunset said, "Isn't there something you wanna say to your cousin?"
Mac smiled when LaCienega reluctantly walked up to him. "That was… cool… I guess."
"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Mac said. He then noticed Suga Mama approach him with Puff in her arms.
"Mac, you did an old woman very good. So whatever you need, you can ask me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Come on, boy. I don't wanna be in debt. So what can I do to thank you?"
Mac thought hard, but eventually shrugged. "Honestly, I can't really think of much. I mean, unless you can think of a way that can make a boxer like I've always wanted."
"A boxer, huh?" Suga Mama asked. "Aha! Why don't I introduce you to Doc Louis?"
"Doc Louis?" Mac asked in surprise.
"Doc Louis?" Felix shared his surprise.
"Doc Louis?" As did Oscar.
"Who's Doc Louis?" Penny asked.
"Doc Louis was a former heavyweight boxing champion." Mac said. "He had some iconic matches. But no one's seen him in years."
"Exactly." Oscar said. "So tell me, Mama, how do you expect to introduce him to Doc Louis?"
"I can just take Mac over to my gym. Doc's my fitness instructor."
Oscar, Felix, and Mac both widened their eyes at once. "WHAT?!"
"Mama, why didn't you tell me?" Oscar asked.
"Son, I could barely tolerate being seen with you around the house. Why would I ever bring you to where I worked out regularly? So what do you say, Mac? Wanna meet a boxing legend?"
Mac laughed with joy. "Of course! What am I going to say, no?"
"Great. I'll give you the details later. Right now, I just want to cuddle with my dear, sweet Puff." She headed up to her room while Oscar and Felix asked her questions about Doc. Most of their family followed. All that were left in the living room were Mac and Penny.
"Wow. So you're really going to be a boxer?" Penny asked.
"I know it won't be easy for a guy my size, and I'm not so sure if Doc Louis will even train me, but this is probably my best chance."
Penny smiled. "Well, good luck. And hey, thanks for saving Puff. That was really brave." She gave him a thankful kiss on his cheek catching him by surprise.
Penny left the living room with Mac left on the chair. He watched her leave with a smile growing on his face.