Chapter 20 - Everybody's hangin' out at the car wash

"So, you know what you have to do?" Keely asked Phil one last time as they lined up to get their buckets full of water. After Keely's comment on the morning news, Mr Hackett had banned hoses, and he also said that any girl wearing a bikini would be suspended for a week. So Keely was wearing an old shirt, and a pair of cut-off jeans, and even though Mr. Hackett didn't look thrilled with her ensemble, he couldn't do anything about it.

"Yes," Phil sighed. "I take Owen, you take Via and kablam, we get them together."

"Kablam?" Keely wrinkled her nose. "Who says 'kablam'? You know, apart from you."

"Owen says it," Phil defended himself.

Keely snorted.

"What?"

"Well, if Owen says it, everyone has to start saying it!" Keely cried sarcastically, causing everyone in front to turn to look at her. "What are you looking at?"

Phil rolled his eyes, and took another step forwards. After their three-am climb, they had been cooped up in the house all weekend, putting the final touches to Keely's 'master plan'.

"You sure you know what to do?" Keely asked, after only a few minutes of silence.

Phil sighed.

"I'm only asking! Chillax!" Keely threw her arms up defensively.

"Chillax?"

"It's better than 'kablam'!"

"No it isn't!"

Keely fell silent, and nudged Phil, who spun round, and became face to face with Owen.

"Hi Owen," Phil said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Keely just bit her lip, not trusting herself to be quiet. Even she knew that at times, she could talk a bit too much.

"Hey Philly-Cheese Steak," Owen grinned, oblivious to what was due to happen to him pretty soon.

"So, how're you Owen?" Phil asked. Small talk was the best way to go.

Owen grinned, and nodded, which Phil took to mean that he was okay. Unless he was using reverse psychology. But Phil doubted he even knew what reverse psychology meant.

"I have to get my water bucket ready. Do you think Via'll change into her bikini if I chuck this bucket of water over her?"

Keely shook her head, and her nose was wrinkled.

"No, I don't think she'll change into her bikini if you throw water over her," Phil observed. "In fact, I think she's more likely to throw a bucket back over you."

"Sweet!" Owen grinned, and began to walk away. Before he disappeared from view, he tossed his head over his shoulder. "By the way, I reckon 'kablam' is better than 'chillax'."

Phil punched the air, and Keely scowled.

"Yes! I told you!"

Keely rolled her eyes. "Well, Owen would say that, wouldn't he? He made the world up anyway!"

"You're just mad that you lost!" Phil taunted.

"Can we please just get on with the plan?" Keely sighed, and grabbed a bucket of soapy water and a brush. The car wash was about to begin.

---

"Phil!" Keely screamed, as another spray of soapy water jetted over the car that she and Phil were supposed to be washing. "Stop spraying me!"

A dark head popped up from the other side of the car, but it wasn't Phil's head. "Sorry Keely."

"Oh, it's you Via. I thought Phil…" Keely began her eyes scanning for Phil. Where was he?

"Yeah, um, Phil said he had to go talk to Owen about something," Via explained. "I said I'd help you."

Keely relaxed a little, but not much. "Well he'd better be back soon."

"Why?" Via questioned.

"Um…no reason," Keely stammered, trying to think of a plausible excuse. "I just need to tell him something, that's all."

Via laughed.

"What?" Keely asked, leaning over to scrub the window clean. "I just need to talk to him."

"Okay," Via said, rubbing the wheels with her cloth.

Keely just rolled her eyes, trying not to draw attention to the fact that she was awful at lying. But only Phil could tell when she was definitely not telling the truth. Thank goodness.

"So, is there anything you need to tell me about you and Phil?" Via asked, as casually as she could possibly be.

Keely hesitated. Should she tell her now? They had been so caught up yesterday, that they had 'forgotten' to tell Owen and Via that they were officially 'going out'. But should she tell Via now, or wait until Phil was here?

"I take that as a yes," Via said, trying but failing to hide the grin that was slowly forming on her face.

"Okay, so yes, we are actually going out, and yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and yes, that is what I have to talk to him about. Now, anything else, or do I have to read your mind again?"

Via just smiled, and carried on scrubbing the cars.

"Scraps!" Keely cried, dropping her sponge in the bucket, causing a soapy splash. "I forgot my books in the Broadcast room. Can you come and get them with me?"

"Can't you get them yourself?" Via asked, sounding confused.

"Via, please…" Keely began. "There's a lot of books. Plus, we get away from this for a few minutes at least."

"Okay," Via sighed, and got up, dumping her cloth in the bucket alongside Keely's.

---

"Owen!" Phil called, seeing him over on the other end of the field.

"Phil!" Owen yelled, his mouth broadening into a huge smile.

Phil tried to remember the last time Owen had called him by his first name. He couldn't.

"So, what's up, dude?" Owen asked, slapping Phil on the back. Hard.

Phil winced.

"Sorry man," Owen apologised.

"It's okay. Look, have you seen Keely? I lost track of her!" Phil asked.

Owen looked up at the sky, apparently thinking hard.

"Owen?" Phil asked, waving a hand in front of his friend's face.

"Sorry, Phil. Um…nope, I haven't seen them. You want me to help you look?"

Again with the 'Phil'.

"Um…do you want to help me look?" Phil asked, confused at Owen's actual will to help.

Owen nodded eagerly. "I'd love to help, P-Dawg!"

And the streak stops at two.

"Okay. They might have gone to the Broadcast lab," Phil said, thinking. "But we'll go in the back entrance. It's closer."

"And we can scare the ladies," Owen said, nodding.

Phil raised his eyebrows. "Yeah. Whatever you say Owen."

---

"Keely?" Via asked, her nose wrinkled.

Keely turned to look at her, her blonde hair flicking around.

"I've been thinking. About what you said on the phone last week," Via said, looking down at the floor.

Keely stopped. "Oh yeah?"

"Do you think I should give Owen a chance? I mean, he was actually real nice when he found out that you were in hospital," Via said, standing next to Keely, still looking at her feet.

"Well…" Keely began. She didn't want to tell Via how to run her life. She looked at her watch. "If you want to give him a chance, then do."

Via nodded, and they carried on walking.

They came to the Broadcast room's door, and Keely unlocked it, and stood back to let Via in first.

"Thanks Keely," Via said, stepping into the room.

"No, thank you," Keely said, and slammed the door shut.

---

"Diffo?" Owen said as they walked to the back entrance of the Broadcast room.

"Yeah?" Phil asked, checking his watch for the time.

Owen was silent for a minute.

"Spit it out!" Phil cried, as they turned the corner, only a few steps away from the Broadcast room.

"Do you think I ever have a chance with Via?" Owen asked, looking uncomfortable for probably the first time in his life.

"Sure you will!" Phil reassured him.

Owen smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Cool."

They reached the Broadcast lab, and Phil took out his key to unlock the door.

"You go first," Phil offered.

"Thanks Diffo!" Owen smiled, completely back to his old self.

"My pleasure," Phil replied, and then shut the door hastily behind him.

---

"What?" Via cried. "Keely!"

"Huh?" Owen shouted. "Phil?"

Via turned round. "Owen?"

"Via?" Owen asked.

Via nodded. "Well, yes."

"Well, it's definitely the O-Dawg!" Owen said, walking to the middle of the room. "We were looking for you!"

Via wrinkled her nose. "What?"

"Well, Phil wanted to know where you were, so I offered to help him, and so we walked over to here, and then he slammed the door, and you were here," Owen explained.

"Ditto," Via agreed.

Owen looked confused. "How was Diffo in two places at once?"

Via sighed, and went over to sit on the couch, that was usually reserved for Phil and Keely. She sat on something that crinkled, and so she got back up again, staring at the couch. A piece of paper was lying on the place she had just been sitting. She picked it up. "Press play?"

"Press play on what?" Owen asked.

"I have no idea," Via asked.

Owen looked around the room. "The video!" He practically sprinted over to the video player, and pressed play.

A picture of Phil and Keely was put onto the screen, and Via rolled her eyes. It stunk of a set up.

"Hey guys!" Keely chirped.

Phil just nodded.

"So, you're probably wondering why we've locked you in a room, with only each other as company," Keely said. "I mean, I know I would be."

Via snorted.

"Well, the reason is, that we totally think that you're both missing what is right in front of you. And we think you need to see it," Phil said. "So I agreed to take part in this one plan, and this one plan only."

"Via, why don't you want to go out with Owen? I mean, he's cute, funny…okay, maybe not as smart as some people I could mention," Keely said, looking pointedly at Phil. "So, why have you resisted for so long?"

Via looked at the floor, while Owen looked like he was blushing.

"And Owen, dude," Phil began. "You, and Via. You've been telling me that 'you're gonna ask her out today' and I can't remember you even trying. Why don't you go for it? I mean, you're not the smartest guy, and I can completely understand that you don't want to seem dumb compared to Via, but honestly, no matter what you do, you're never gonna be Einstein. So, jump in. If she says no, then it's no big deal, but there is a huge chance that she will say yes. So, look at her now, and ask her out."

Owen looked over at Via, who looked like she was about to cry.

"Good luck guys!" Keely and Phil said in unison, and then the screen went black.

There was only silence in the room for a few minutes, and then Via spoke.

"Owen, do you really feel dumb compared to me?"

Owen nodded.

"I'm sorry. It's just…you're not dumb. Just a bit slower than everyone else. And I actually find that funny. It makes you, you," Via sniffed.

Owen smiled. "And do you really like me?"

"I guess…" Via whispered.

They both looked at the floor for a few seconds, and then looked at each other.

"Um…do you want to go out sometime?" Owen asked.

Via thought for a minute, and then smiled. "Okay."

"Cool," Owen grinned, and then looked at her awkwardly.

"You wanna, hug or something?" Via asked, sensing his awkwardness.

Owen nodded, and then hugged Via.

---

Keely and Phil looked at each other. The truth was, the video had not been pre-prepared. They had been playing it by ear, using the Wizrd, and even though Via and Owen couldn't see them, the television was their keyhole into the room.

"Yes!" Phil grinned, as he heard Owen ask Via out, and Via say yes.

Keely cheered, and punched the air. "It worked, it worked, yeah, yeah!"

"Mission complete!"

I hope that made sense. I couldn't actually think of a better plan. I suck.

Anyway, review! Right now!