Ambush

Grins.

The biggest I ever remember belonged to my mate Josh. It was March 1970, and he grinned ear to ear, watching Coral trying to tie tent peg knots on her house's lawn. Ruby coped fine, utilising her sailing experience. Coral wanted to pitch the 'girls' tent alongside Ruby.

Josh and I did the 'boys' tent. Knots, Josh and I were knot experts from Cub Scouts. It wasn't an unfair contest because sailor Ruby tied fast. Knots were not the golden girl's forte. Ruby helped her and checked her pegs. I assumed she didn't want the tent falling during the night, even as the brunette called the idea of camping out in Coral's garden 'nonsense.' She agreed to it because Coral had organised a sneaky plan.

My pal's house occupied a double block, allowing a screened garden. Beyond this, spread greenery and endless hiding places. The side lawn served as a perfect teen getaway this Saturday in March. We were under adult supervision, yet out of view. The two tents we pitched belonged to Josh's family. Ruby and Coral laughed as Josh seriously called them 'two-man tents.'

Coral playfully said, "Come on, at least a two-person tent or pink for girls and blue for boys."

The tents blazed orange.

Ruby pithy, "There were no men for the tents."

Josh scratched his head before Coral issued her complete pre-planned activities to knock boredom on its head.

I watched, intrigued, as she negotiated to get everything she wanted outside from her usual obliging mum. Coral pushed to cook dinner outdoors using Josh's camp stove.

Her mum, Sandy, insisted, "No. Dinner would be inside."

She successfully negotiated the outdoor furniture moved to the small lawn. Coral perked as she asked to bring the stereo equipment off extension leads. Her mum shook her head. Coral discussed using the esky and ice to provide cool drinks. Her mum waved approval. Sandy remained uninformed about the planned water pistol fight.

Josh brought an ace collection of squirt guns. I recalled them from the primary school summer holidays. With the tents pitched, my mate rummaged through his rucksack. He showed us four water pistols. A green, pink, yellow and orange shooter - moulded in hard plastic. He laid them out on the grass and began self-promoting the merits of each water gun when he got upstaged.

Ruby dropped her jeans and pulled off her red t-shirt. She revealed herself cute in a one-piece olive black swimsuit. The first time I had seen her in swimwear.

"Water mayhem ready," cheeped Coral.

Without her jeans, the brunette was dinky olive-sized.

"Yes, sweetie," taunted her feisty girlfriend, "can't wait to soak you."

"Boys, boys," marshalled Coral, over organising us, "get changed."

Josh and I clambered into the tent to change into our Speedos. Mine sat on skinny hips. Josh presented as athletic and mature. Coral was absent when we emerged from the tent where we squashed changing.

Ruby sarcastically, "Yes, boys, she is sleeping outdoors and changing indoors. What did you expect!"

The brunette bustled in our brief absence. We saw the water pistols and the buckets filled. The three of us tested the range of the shooters waiting for Coral's return.

The golden girl made her usual stunning entrance in a new aqua-blue one-piece. A sleek, fitted costume featured seamless transitions between skin and fabric. Coral drew everyone's attention to her toes.

"Well, what do you notice," she directed, pointing.

"Um, toes," an indifferent Josh.

The polished colour complimented her bathers. Coral bypassed me for a response. She sought Ruby's.

"Style girl. What do you think - a near-perfect blue match? Do you want the same? Come up to my room. I have a black to match your swimwear."

"Not me," Ruby's response curt.

"Let's play," she redirected, her tone putting the squeeze on us.

Josh heeded her demand, the active lad.

"Coral!" he yelled, aiming a pistol at her, "Let's start."

"Wait," insisted our golden girl.

Coral lifted a leg straight as she balanced on her other. She forced Ruby to drop her water pistol, hold her ankle and examine her exquisite toe work. Otherwise, she would have fallen over.

Coral honed in on her foot. Josh his itchy trigger finger. At the same time, I witnessed Ruby genuinely uncomfortable. I could not recall, before this, ever seeing her awkward. Coral's foot in her hands lumped as dead weight. The pixie's petite jaw clenched.

Josh saved Ruby from revealing her annoyance as he squirted Coral's hair. Coral teetered, and Ruby dropped her foot. The golden girl shook her hair and ignored Josh.

"Oh, sweetie, let me paint your toes!"

Coral fluttered her eyes at Ruby—another first, as I discerned a tangy exchange between the girls.

"Can't, honey; Momma would have my guts for garters."

The brunette gave a false, short laugh.

"Still, it would be okay if you got to wear the garters. God, your legs belong in suspenders and stockings."

She ran her hand along Coral's leg, adding sultry, "You're a good shaver."

I had no idea where Ruby sourced her hot ideas. They aroused me; I liked the image of Coral in suspenders! I had nowhere to take it beyond store catalogue images. Ruby quickly moved from toes and shaved legs as she picked up her green water pistol lying on the grass.

"Okay, let's get you wet, Coral and your mind on something other than your toes. My aim in life is saving you from a foot fetish."

I wondered what this girl had read, heard, or, God forbid, seen.

I arrived at Coral's house convinced Josh and I would dominate the water fight, straightforward, boys versus girls. As we started, I learned Coral decided to pair with Josh and leave me, Ruby. As the brunette coiled her ponytail into a bun, I understood she would be my team leader.

As two pairs, we separated by going in different directions around the garden. The shoot-out at Coral's commenced. However, a more accurate description was a sequence of ambushes. Ruby organised trap after trap and Coral and Josh walked straight into them.

My bestie may have planned the home camping. The brunette organised the wet surprise, so logical from the get-go. Her dark swimwear, selecting the green pistol and her hair bunned. She played a camouflage game to a tee. She squirted Josh and Coral across their backs and through their hair. Her deft positioning of me for crossfire support demonstrated applied angles. She played a stealth game, letting Josh lead Coral straight down the garden path to drizzle and spray.

Josh simmered, irritated. His idea of a water pistol fight involved a melee. He insisted we charge at each other like marines storming a beach. Coral nudged him, told him to relax, and guffawed each time Ruby outsmarted them.

On one occasion, the brunette did lose her concentration as she positioned me behind a bush. She stood behind me, instructing me to crouch and use the thickest part of the bush to provide a screen. The brunette, I assumed, would hide likewise on the other side of the garden path.

She startled me in the quiet by laughing.

I thought she would blow our cover.

I turned quickly.

"What's funny?"

She riled me rapidly.

"Your back," after stifling her giggle.

I imagined a spider crawling along my spine.

"What about my back?"

I fretted even as I couldn't feel anything.

"You have four moles. They form the points of a crucifix."

I glared at her hard, "So?"

"Oh, I thought, a sign, you will be a — missionary," fully flippant.

"Where did you hear that," I tensed defensively.

"You're such a boy; mothers talk, daughters listen."

She unsettled me. I decided to strike back.

"And you will be…."

"Shut -up," she shushed.

I bit my lip instead of finishing — a nun.

Her 'shut-up' wasn't personal.

No, the minx heard Josh and Coral coming straight into another ambush. Everyone got wet; Ruby remained the driest.

Sandy called us in as dinner was ready. She refrained from scolding us soaked; she made us shower and change inside. Of course, we brought our manners to a dining table and a delicious three-course meal. Still, we ate quickly, as we couldn't wait to be released and shine torches into the dark.

I used my torch on the unlit lawn and knelt to unzip the boy's tent flap.

Josh stopped me.

He grabbed my leg, "Coral and I are sharing a tent."

Dropping my torch, I exclaimed high-pitched, "What!"