Orange buckets stood on the wet pavement.
The green hose lay coiled near Sadie’s feet.
Kendra stepped around a puddle.
Paige saw her approaching.
Then she saw Sadie pick up the hose.
“Sadie.”
Sadie looked at her.
“What?”
“Don’t.”
Sadie smiled.
“I’m washing a car.”
Kendra continued past the front bumper.
The hose nozzle pointed downward.
She did not see it.
Sadie squeezed the trigger.
A hard stream of cold water struck Kendra directly across the back.
She gasped.
Water soaked through the beige shirt instantly.
The lavender notebook flew from her hand.
Several papers dropped onto wet pavement.
Students nearby laughed automatically because surprise often produced laughter before thought.
Kendra turned.
The hose struck her side again.
“Stop!”
Sadie released the trigger.
She was smiling.
“It’s a car wash.”
Kendra stared at her soaked shirt.
Water ran down her jeans.
Her curls were wet along one side.
The notebook lay half-open in a puddle.
“You did that on purpose.”
Sadie shrugged.
“You walked through the wash lane.”
“I’m directing traffic.”
“Then wear something you can get wet.”
Paige looked uncomfortable.
“That was messed up.”
Sadie ignored her.
Kendra bent and picked up the notebook.
Several pages had already bled purple ink.
That small detail upset her more than the shirt.
The notebook contained donation totals and contact notes.
“Give me a towel.”
Sadie laughed.
“You’re surrounded by towels.”
Kendra looked at her.
“Why are you doing this?”
“There it is.”
“What?”
“The attitude.”
Kendra went still.
Months of comments condensed into two words.
Sadie’s smile widened as though she had finally reached a familiar scene.
Kendra wiped water from her face.
“I walked past you.”
“And?”
“And you sprayed me.”
“It’s water.”
“You waited until I had my back to you.”
Sadie stepped closer.
“Not everything is a conspiracy.”
Paige said her name again.
“Sadie, drop it.”
Sadie glanced toward the students around them.
Several phones had appeared.
The laughter had stopped.
That shift mattered.
Sadie seemed to notice people were no longer treating the spray as harmless.
She lifted the hose again.
Kendra’s eyes moved to the nozzle.
“Put it down.”
“Why?”
“You already ruined my notes.”
Sadie pointed the hose toward the ground near Kendra’s shoes.