[At the Disneyland Hotel, about an hour after arriving in the morning]

        "SARAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Hannah ran screaming down the hallway. She skidded to a stop at the corner, turned to check on her attackers, and continued to run squealing down the hallway. An arm reached out of one of the rooms and grabbed her, pulling her in.
        "Shhhhh!!!!" Jenny clamped her hand over Hannah's mouth and nudged the door shut with her butt. "They're in the bathroom," Jenny gestured with her head. Hannah quietly slipped further into the room as Jenny peered through the peep-hole of the door. "Looks clear..." she muttered to herself. Just then, three dark figures snuck by. "Crap..." Her eyes bulged and she ran off to join the others.

        "Where are the girls?" Nick asked, nervously running a hand through his hair. He, Lance and Brian were hiding out in one of the rooms, desperately searching for weapons for defense...or if necessary, for attack. Brian searched through Kevin's luggage. "Why'd we have to get Kevin's room?" Nick grunted, searching through the bathroom for anything he could use.
        "We need to contact the girls somehow..." Brian sighed, finding Kevin's luggage useless.
        "How? We don't know which room they're in..." Lance hurled the hotel's shampoo across the bathroom. "Wait a second..."

        "Howie!" AJ whispered harshly. "We gotta take cover..."
        "Shh!" Kevin shushed them. He peered over the corner. "It's clear... but they might be in the rooms..."
        "How are we ever going to find anyone if they're hiding?" Howie muttered, pulling his weaponry close.

        "Chin! Tie faster!" Cathy yelped, fumbling with a water balloon.
        "Dammit! I can only tie so fast..." Chin slid another water balloon in the tub. "My fingers hurt," she whined.
        "Ammo ready to be fired!" Hannah handed Jenny a couple water balloons from the tub. Hannah and Jenny trotted out the bathroom, armed and ready.
        "All clear?" Jenny asked Sarah, who was posted at the door.
        "The Pimp Team," Sarah began as Jenny rolled her eyes, "is down the corner and Nick has been sticking his head out of his room, which is a couple doors down..." Sarah reported.
        "Knowing him...The PT has probably already targeted him, Lance and Brian..." Jenny handed two water balloons to Sarah.
        "Hey!" Julie joined them. "Don't talk about my Nickers that way..."
        "You know it's true, " Jenny laughed, peering out the peep-hole.
        "I say nothing..." Julie giggled and passed around the water balloons she had. "Kat and Chin are in the bathroom, filling the remaining balloons..."
        "You know..." Hannah shook her head. "The hotel is going to hate us after this..."
        "The guys have money... It'll be taken care of...they're rock stars," Jenny winked. "After all their work, we deserve a little play time."
        "So..." Sarah held up her water balloons. "What are we doing? We already outnumber them. There are six of us and they're broken into two groups of three. Should we take out one, then head for the other group?"
        "Okay..." Jenny signaled for Cathy and Chin to join and huddled up the girls. "Here's the game plan. So The Blondies are between us and The PT. Let's just let them attack each other for a little while...it'll use up their energy...and then when their guard is down--"
        "WE ATTACK!" Hannah jumped in.
        "Shh!" Chin swatted Hannah. "Don't give away our location!"
        "So Hannah and I will attack..." Jenny continued. "Chin, maybe you should help us attack...let Julie take your place helping Kat fill up more balloons...You two can then give 'em to Sarah to refill our ammo." Jenny looked around the circle. "Sound good?"
        "Yup!" Hannah bounced about.
        "I better not get wet..." Sarah threatened.
        "You should tell the Boys that," Julie winked. "Not us."

        The Pimp Team, as AJ had insisted his team be named, had descended upon Lance, Frick, and Frack, otherwise known as The Blondies. While Nick had stuck his head out for the billionth time to catch a glimpse of either of the opposing teams, Howie caught him with a squirt from his water gun from an angle the blond boy hadn't checked.
        "AHHHH!" Nick yelped as he looked down at his pants.
        "Have an accident, little Nicky?" AJ snickered.
        "WAR!" Brian came flying out of his room and threw something at Kevin's head.
        "You and what amm--" Kevin began but was silenced with a loud SPLAT. A sheet of toilet paper soaked in shampoo had landed on his head.
        "Holy shit..." AJ keeled over laughing. Two seconds later, Lance had assaulted him with shampooed toilet paper as well.
        "WAR!" Howie repeated Brian's declaration, as he peeled a soaking sheet off his shirt. The Pimp team and The Blondies attacked each other.

        "New mission, Sarah..." Jenny pulled her aside. "I need you to sneak into Kevin's room, steal his camera, and start rolling," she chuckled.
        "You want me to go out there?!" Sarah shrieked.
        "Yup." Jenny nodded simply and turned to Hannah and Chin. "Let's do this! Julie, you are in charge of water balloons and getting them to us. Cathy, get ready to join us if necessary. Ladies," Jenny tightened her bandana, "this is war."

        The guys were soaked in shampoo and water. The Pimp Team had begun to throw the shampoo sheets back to The Blondies, which worked as double the ammo, since the toilet paper was so completely drowned in shampoo.
        "Take that!" AJ shot water at Lance's shirt. Suddenly, he saw movement in the corner of us eye, but it was too late. His eyes focused on the purple object flying towards him. "FALL BACK!" AJ yelled as he was hit with a water balloon.
        "The girls are out!!" Brian ran for Jenny. She assailed him with two water balloons. He slathered a sheet of shampoo on her head.
        "UGH!" She shrieked. "What the hell is that?" She hit Brian.
        "What?! No using limbs!!" Brian repeated her rule.
        "No hitting your fiancée!!" Jenny yelled in return and smashed a water balloon on his chest, kissed him on the cheek, and bounced off.
        "Duck!" Chin yelled to Hannah. Hannah turned and quickly moved to her right, just missing a soaked piece of paper.
        "What the hell is that?" She laughed poking at it.
        "AHHHHHHHH!" Chin squealed as AJ caught her.
        "Thanks for the water balloon," he growled and pinned her on the ground. "What are your last words?" he pointed his water gun at her stomach.
        "I love you," she grinned innocently.
        "Awww..." AJ cooed and leaned down to kiss her.
        "Watch out!" Chin rolled them over as Nick nearly smothered AJ's head with shampoo.
        "Thanks, hon." AJ shot Nick with water; the blond one screamed and scurried off for more ammo.
        "No sweat," Chin winked and broke a water balloon over him. "That's for all the grumpy moods while you were having writers block."
        "Hannah!" Lance ducked another water balloon, while peeling off bits of pink off his shirt.
        "Yes?" she grinned innocently as she nailed Howie while running by.
        "Julie! Cathy!" Jenny ordered. Cathy came flying out and gracefully chucked water balloons at all of the Boys, while Julie handed over more ammo to the rest of the girls. Sarah had already managed to sneak into Kevin's room unnoticed. She rummaged around and finally found his camera.
        "Turn around and put your hands up," Kevin ordered, making Sarah jump.
        "You scared me!" She turned and smacked Kevin.
        "Ow!" he whimpered and nursed his arm. "No using limbs. I said, put your hands up," he repeated with a smirk, pointing his water gun at her.
        "You wouldn't..." Sarah backed away.
        "Oh, You know I would..." Kevin grinned evilly.
        "Well..." Sarah looked down and grinned. "I have your camera... You wouldn't want to get this wet would you?" Sarah waved his camera in her hand and pressed forward.
        "Dammit!" Kevin whined.
        "That's right. Turn around and pretend this never happened," Sarah directed, turning on the camera.
        "Yes, ma'am..." he turned and sulked off.

        "We win!" Jenny chirped happily. She grinned at the bodyguards who had emerged at different points around the hall, all of whom were clearly amused by the war they had witnessed as they had silently kept their posts around the floor.
        "How can you tell?" Nick grumbled. He was sitting against the wall, peeling off shampoo-soaked-toilet paper and water balloon bits. Julie settled in next to him and kissed him. He smiled. "Okay, girls win," he smiled. Julie giggled.
        "Well, yes, but not because Julie kissed you." Hannah waved a sheet of shampooed toiletpaper at him.
        "Then why?" AJ wiped his shirt off on Chin.
        "Gross!" Chin pinched his arm.
        "OW!!"
        "Because you guys needed a break and we provided a fun, distracting one," Cathy answered, helping Howie clean off his shirt of bits and pieces of ammo.
        "And because we won the war," Jenny added, smirking. Brian laughed and pulled her into his arms.
        "Okay, okay... The girls won," Brian kissed her cheek.
        "Sarah!" Cathy yelled.
        "Yes?" Sarah peeked outside Kevin's room.
        "War's over... You can come out now." Hannah chuckled.
        "Why is she so clean?" Lance whined, wiping the trail of shampoo that had began to run down his cheek.
        "Because..." Sarah shrugged and found a clean spot to sit down at.
        "She was taping it..." Chin yawned and snuggled into AJ.
        "This will be hilarious in a few years," Nick said, taking the camera from Sarah's hands.
        "Nick, don't get shampoo on that," Kevin threatened.
        "Hell, it'd be funny watching right now..." AJ took the camera from Nick and pointed it at Sarah.
        "Hey, Kevin," Howie smirked and gestured to Sarah. "She has no defense now..."
        "Howie..." Sarah glared and quickly switched her glance to Kevin. "Kevin...don't you dare...Don't you da--"

[Soon after, in one of the bathrooms]
        "That was fun...we should do more of that," Chin giggled, toweling off her wet hair. Sarah smirked and shook her head, trying to wring out her shirt.
        "Damn Kevin. I'm soaked," she whined, fighting with the cloth. Chin patted her on the back.
        "All's fair in love and war," she grinned. Sarah rolled her eyes, grinning, then returned her attention to her shirt.
        "Not love..." she muttered almost involuntarily, hoping Chin wouldn't hear. But she did. Chin smacked Sarah's arm. "OW! What was that for??"
        "You, hon, are Miss Stubborn Pants. That is my new nickname for you until you realize why and do something about it," she stated simply, playfully poking Sarah in the side before leaving to find the others.

        The Boys and Lance had booked a whole floor in the Disneyland hotel and had made sure everyone had a two-day "park hopper" pass. After cleaning up the damage the little War had caused, the group headed for the parks. After multiple rides on the Screamin rollercoaster and numerous other attractions in California Adventure, the first day wound down slowly, culminating at a wonderful, long dinner at the Rainforest Café in Downtown Disney. Following a session of romping through the large Disney stores, confusing the bodyguards, taking too many pictures, and mini events, like Brian making Jenny a teddy bear at the Teddy Bear Factory, and then giving her a piggy back all the way back to the hotel as she was half asleep, everyone collapsed in their rooms in the wee hours of the morning, sleeping in for the next day.
        Groggy but content, the crew of twelve young adults headed towards the Happiest Place on Earth around 11am the second day. Hours flew as the group split, churros were eaten, characters were pounced on (for hugs!), playful arguments ensued, Kodak moments were captured, and more crazy antics took place.
        The evening came too quickly, and somehow the group had missed Splash Mountain. Sarah wished all good luck and ran away before anyone could blink. Thinking she'd come back, the group waited in line for a while, until they were almost at the main entrance. When she had yet to show, Kevin went to find her, telling the others to go on the ride without him if he didn't return in time.

        Sarah sat by the water fountain by the castle wall, gazing at the mini statue of Sleeping Beauty, her Prince, and the three fairies.
        "Mind if I join you in Wonderland?" she heard Kevin's voice.
        "Fantasyland, genius." She smiled as he sat down. He carefully left a few feet between them.
        They sat silently for some time. She studied the constant flow of the water...he studied her.
        "Where are the others?" she murmured, looking at her watch and realizing that he was her only company.
        "Still at Splash Mountain. I decided I wouldn't go and told them I'd come and find you."
        "But you love that ride," she replied, not taking her gaze off the water.
        "And you hate it," he softy responded. "I didn't think it was fair to leave you alone." He could have sworn he saw the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly, as if trying to prevent a small smile. "And do you realize what time it is? They're gonna freeze their asses off, the idiots," he chuckled. He saw the corners unmistakably turn upward. A smile.
        "Yeah, idiots," she lightly laughed, finally turning her head to look at him.
        "You wanna head over and make fun of them when they come out all soaked and cold?" he asked. She smiled and nodded and he stood up. He held out his hand, and she accepted. They walked into the miniature tunnel by the fountain that directed them towards Frontierland.
   
        "Great, did Kevin get lost too?" Lance sighed.
        "Sarah didn't get lost. She knows this place like the back of her hand," Hannah pointed out.
        "Ah yes...'map girl,'" Brian grinned in memory. Jenny smacked him.  "OW!"
        "Yes, dear sAH-rAH," AJ snickered. Chin smacked him before Jenny could. "OW!!!"
        "Should we wait for them?" Nick asked, noting that they were almost at the front of the line.
        "Kevin said not to...and you know Sarah won't go on this ride...let's just go and then look for them after, kay?" Julie suggested. Cathy and Howie nodded.

        Sarah and Kevin had gotten sidetracked, proclaiming that "the idiots" could find them. They ended up in the Penny Arcade on Main Street. It was close to 8 PM; the brightly-colored room was basically deserted; hundreds of people lined the walkways outside in order to see a planned parade. Kevin became engrossed in a game, so Sarah went to inspect the machines she had yet to try. She soon found herself standing in front of a fortune-telling machine that seemed oddly familiar to her.
        She put in some money and out came a card. She skimmed the passage printed on it, her heart stopping when it mentioned "by the end of today, you will have 'killed two birds with one stone' by finally getting the two wishes you wanted most, all stemming from one incident years ago." She was utterly confused. Pretty freaking specific for a generic card, she thought to herself.
        ...Then she remembered the horoscope from that faithful day when she, Jenny, and Julie had met up with the Boys. But what two wishes had been fulfilled? She did not find herself thin and beautiful, nor any more intelligent. However, she had met the Boys and had made life-long new friends, and in a sense she finally felt a bit comfortable with her life. Maybe two of those were it...sure...though some weren't really wishes...and she couldn't rid her mind of that one wish she didn't want to think of, no matter how strongly it was looming about in her head....

        "Nick, you ASKED for it, man," AJ exclaimed, dipping his hand in the water before skillfully splashing the blond boy.
        "It wasn't me! It was Julie!!" Nick screamed. Jenny rolled her eyes.
        "Children, children," Brian chuckled.
        "Why are ten of us in this log? This must be against some regulation..." Chin muttered, crinkling her nose when AJ's wet hand brushed her arm. Lance felt some water hit the back of his neck; some of it hit Hannah, too. He turned around. Howie was averting his eyes innocently.
       "Oh, IT'S ON!!!!" Lance hollered, his hands lunging for some water.

        "Whatcha doin'?" Kevin's voice made Sarah jump. "You okay?" She turned around.
        "Yeah, yeah, fine...so, are we stuck in here?" she asked, looking at the crowds outside.
        "Not really, they portioned off the walkway, but I have no idea where the others are now or what we could do to find them. What's the card?"
        "Oh, nothing. Well, I guess we can stay here..." she muttered distractedly, shoving the card in her pocket, her eyes searching frantically for a game she could dive to before Kevin asked anything more about the card.
        "Seriously, are you okay?" He placed his hands on her shoulders in concern. She looked up at him. He cared so much...but the card was wrong. It had to be. She couldn't find love. She'd never know what love was. No one could ever love her. No. Never. She had already accepted that...Why did he have to care? "Sarah?" She heard his voice. So full of concern...She felt his hand on her cheek, his thumb running over it. As if his touch had brought her back to life, she snapped out of her trance and met his gaze. His other hand went to her other cheek, her face cupped in his hands. Her brain faintly registered the crowd's cheers outside as some announcement blared about the parade starting in a few minutes. Her eyes were focused on his, his face seemed to be coming closer...
        Sarah turned to leave. She didn't want to face this again.
        Kevin watched her for a split second, before his brain reminded him of what had happened the last time he had let her just walk away. Well, it wasn't going to happen again. He wasn't going to let their relationship jump a huge step backwards again. Ever.
        Before she was even five feet away from him, almost to the entrance of the arcade, he caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, preventing her from walking any further.
 
        "You guys, we're wet and we haven't hit the freaking drop yet!!" Jenny squealed as the dirty water hit her cheek.
        "This has to be some sort of hazard...eewwww...." Julie cringed, trying to wipe her arms off on Nick's shirt.
        "STOPPIT!!" Cathy exclaimed, ducking as some water headed for Howie's head. The guys didn't listen; they were having way too much fun to stop now.

        "Kevin--"
        "Sarah, don't do this. Don't run away again," he whispered into her ear.
        "I'm not running away," she protested, struggling against his grasp. "This is wrong. Nothing is supposed to happen. Just let me go. Don't make a scene." In truth, it didn't matter, because no one had even noticed them.
        "Sarah--"
        "Why can't you see that you deserve better? I'm not good enough for you," she continued to struggle with his arms to break free from his embrace as he slowly walked them backwards deeper into the arcade.
        "Why can't you see that you are the best thing there is for me?" he whispered again, holding her firmly. The last time this had happened, he had finally let go. He wasn't going to do that now. Sarah closed her eyes. This wasn't happening. "I love you, Sarah. Nothing is going to change that." She stopped struggling. "I-love-you." He emphasized each word, placing his chin on top of her head. "You ARE what I deserve...because there is nothing better than you."

        "AAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone screamed as the log finished its ascent and dropped almost straight down the mountain.

>>Chapter Twelve...part three