Max and 99 walked into the school hand in hand.

99 stopped them; "We can't act like we're...together Max!"

"Oh, you're right 99. We have to act like William and Olivia, not Max and 99." he said, "You okay?"

"I think so." she said unsurly, " How are you?"

"I'm feeling a tad bit.....Feminine." a simper spread across his mouth.

99 let her first laugh out in a few days, "Let's just get this assignment over with Max."

"Fine with me. Let's go!"

@*********************@

The first few days were going fairly well for Max and 99. 99 learned how to be a class clown fast. All she had to do was make nasty jokes about things that the teachers said. She didn't ace interrogation class for nothing! At home, if one of William's brothers would give her a "noogie", she'd playfully bite one of their arms and twist their wrists to the right. Not too hard, but enough to get an "uncle" out of THEM instead. Max was adjusting to being Olivia too. Or, at least TRYING to be Olivia. 99 had to give him a few answers in class now and then, but he worked most of them out all by himself. (it WAS only second grade!) Max especially had trouble with for some reason. Being a girl wasn't as bad as he expected. Everyone wondered why Olivia was so clumsy lately, though. By the third day of getting situated Max and 99 were ready to really get started on the case.

"Have you thought of a plan to get to the basement?" 99 slipped a note to Max.

"Yeah." he wrote back.

"What is it then?"

"Well, you didn't ask what it was." he slipped the note to her again.

"Max, just write the plan down."

"OK, OK. Here it is. We have to get ourselves in trouble so we could get a detention. If we get a detention we'll be able to stay after school."

"Sounds good Max, but I have a couple questions. How are we going to get in trouble and how will we slip out?"

"1. What have you always dreamed of doing, but were always too chicken to start?"

2. This baby is yours. Hey, I made the plan."

"Fine Max, I'll find a way to get passed the teacher holding detention. I don't know Max. I've never really wanted to get in trouble when I was little. What have you thought about doing?"

"A food fight 99!! We'll start a REAL genuine food fight! You only live once right?"

"OH! A food fight!! That's a terrific way to get in trouble Max! I must admit, I always wanted to see what one would be like. They look so fun."

"Well, looks like you're going to see one today. Wow, you actually wanted to get in trouble once. Amazing."

"I didn't say I wanted to be in one, I just said I wanted to see what one would be like!"

"Sure, OK."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm just writing that."

"Haha Max."

"I thought it was funny too. All right then, that's all set." he wrote back excitedly. "Operation food fight is underway!"

@******************@

The next two classes were as boring as can be. Multiplication in Math and George Washington in Social Studies. Mantallow was asking the class what they knew about George Washington, while the anticipation of lunch was getting to Max and 99.

"Anyone here know something about George Washington?" Mantallow asked the class.

"Ooh, ohh!" "William raised his hand

"Anyone?" he tried to ignore 99, but she was the only one with her hand raised.

"All right, William?" Mantallow half asked, half stated. He waited expectantly.

"He chopped down a cherry tree and said he'd never tell another lie again." she said smugly.

"That's..... Correct, William." Mantallow said surprised.

"Course, he was holding a hatchet at the time....." 99 grinned and the rest of the class giggled.

"That's enough Willaim. It's time to go to lunch now anyway. Get your things and line up."

"Here we go." 99 whispered to max as she got her lunch.

They went down to the cafeteria and sat down to eat. 99 was sitting at the boys table, and Max at the girls. After eating a bit, 99 thought it was time.

"Anyone want my cookies?" she asked the table.

"I want em!" Matt reached over.

"Well, here you go!" 99 threw them at the kid and he got crumbs all over the front of his shirt.

"Hey! Why'd you do that for?!" he threw a smashed cookie at her. She ducked though, and it hit a girl sitting at the table behind them.

"Ouch! That hurt!! Stupid boys!!" the girl exclaimed and tossed Jell-O at 99's table. It landed on a boy's sandwich he was just about to put in his mouth.

"Whoever did that is gonna pay!" he took apple slices (the one thing in his lunch he didn't eat) and chucked them on to nearby tables, obstructing their lunches. They responded by throwing them back, plus a few other edibles. Food was being propelled through the air.

Max screamed out the words that every kid wants to hear, "Food fight!!"

As on cue, the children got up from their seats and started throwing food. 99 was hit in the face with a smashed banana and Max had pudding dumped in his hair. Pizza was the wrong thing to serve that day. Slices were soaring through the air and sauces stained shirts. The lunch monitors tried to stop the atrocity before them, but were bombarded with food. Juice fights were going on in the background. Mrs. Upchus, the principal, was down the hall and noticed the fight in the cafeteria and rushed down to the lunchroom where she rang the bell as loud as she could. The children were hushed at once and seated down.

"Who is responsible for this?!" Mrs. Upchus tried to sustain her temper.

Everybody pointed to Max and 99. They looked depressed on the outside, but inside were grinning. Their plan was working!!

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