Slow update again. But the plot is coming in! Well, not in this chapter. This is just a filler.

Max (Nov. 6th)

I squirted the van that pulled up soaked with water from the hose. I laughed as Star threw her sponge at the window and watched as it slid down slowly.

Maya shoved Ratchet away from the bucket-so hard that he fell to the ground-so she could get the 'SpongeBob Sponge'. Seeing her act goofy made me smile. Since the day she called her dad to ask if she could come to my party, he got in a wreck and has been in the hospital ever since. Even though she hasn't said anything, I know that she thinks that he's in the hospital because of her. She hasn't been as happy as usual.

Right now the sixth grade was at a car wash to raise money our banquet and end of the year field trip to Islands of Adventure.

"Who gave you the hose?" I jumped, and turned, squirting whoever it was that snuck up behind me.

Fang jumped back, doubling over and (with some bad language) yelled at me. I turned off the water and stared at him in shock. He looked up at me, his black shirt now soaked. "Gimmie that." He wrenched the hose out of my hands.

"Hey-HEY!" I started to scream as he blasted me with water. He threw the hose down to the ground, looking smugly at me as I stood there, my whole upper body soaked. Fang grinned and stripped off his wet T-shirt, tossing it down next to the hose. I glared at his back as he grabbed a sponge and started washing.

Iggy stared at Fang shirtless for a second. "Are we stripping now?" he asked and proceeded to take his shirt off. Fang rolled his eyes and threw his sponge at Iggy's face.

"Hey man!" He threw his dishrag at Fang. Fang glared and tackled Iggy to the concrete. I watched them wrestle and shook my head. Maya pointed and laughed at them. Laughing under my breath, I went to work washing the van.

"Iggy! Fang! Stop fighting and get to work! And put your shirts back on!" I laughed as I heard Mrs. Randy get onto those two.

"Oh sure," Lissa muttered. "She yells at two hot guys for wrestling shirtless, but not at the preps for doing nothing but tanning?"

We both snuck a glance at a few of the girls lying on their towels and stretched out to bathe in the sun. I rolled my eyes. "Of course. What else would you expect from them?"

"But, um, Max can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." I scrubbed at some grease on the rims of the tire.

"Are you and Fang, you know, a thing?"

I stopped scrubbing in shock and stared at Lissa. "Me and Fang? What would make you think that?"

She shrugged and pushed some of her bright red hair out of her face. "Um, how about five minutes ago? You know when you two were flirting and squirting each other with water?"

"Yeah but that's…friend stuff." It was Lissa's turn to stare at me. "…What?"

"Nothing. But so…you don't mind if I you know, go for him?"

My stomach started to feel queasy. "You like Fang?" She bit her lip and nodded. We both went over to put our sponges back in the bucket to soak more soap as the van drove away, now squeaky clean.

"Yeah, I mean, he's super cute, and he's funny, and he has that sort of 'dark and mysterious' look to him don't you think?"

"Um, yeah I guess. I've never thought of him like that." Fang's been my best friend for years, that'd be weird.

"Would you mind?"

"No, go ahead." Despite myself, my smile was a bit strained as Lissa grinned at my approval. I watched her run off to start washing the next car. Shrugging off my confusions about Fang, I walked after her.

Well, the next car wasn't really a car. More like a monster truck. Me, Lissa, Fang, Holden, Iggy, and Maya stared up at it. Maya walked forward and climbed up its tire (which was as tall as she was) and up onto the bed of the truck.

She looked down on us. "Well? C'mon!" We laughed and climbed up after her.

Ella and I followed Maya into her house, laughing and soaking wet.

"Dude, that monster truck was insane!" I said.

"I know! I almost fell off." Maya laughed.

"I didn't even try to clean it," Ella added.

"And your dog kept getting muddy and then jumping on me!" Maya told us.

I raised up my hands in defense. "Hey, you knew the risks when you tried to pet her!"

We walked into her living room. "Mom sorry about the mess, we-." Maya cut off when she saw her mom.

Maya's mom was pretty, with long, honey blonde hair, tan skin, and hazel colored eyes. But tonight her eyes were puffy and bloodshot and she had a tissue in her hand. I saw her brother Jason was sitting slouched on the couch. He wasn't crying, but he looked like he wanted to.

Maya's grin fell, and her shoulders dropped. "Is dad okay?" She asked in a whisper. There was a silence. Maya choked back a sob. Ella bit her lip. My heart dropped. Maya's mom held her arms open. Her daughter ran into them and began to cry.