A new problem arises

The four took off.

Max was trying to keep up. She wasn't much of a fitness person but it was amazing what you can do when running for your life! Well that is probably to much but it certainly felt like it!

They would stop in any shadows they could to catch their breaths. One would peek ahead for any possible exposure. Luckily the rest of the town seemed to be out for the night.

All breathed a sigh of relief when the finally reached Chloe's house. Just as Chloe reached for the gate, however, Max yanked her hand away.

"Stop!" Max said in a half shout, half whisper. "We can't go through the back yet. That's where we get skunked for the third time tonight!"

"Just how many times were we supposedly sprayed tonight?" Rachel asked with a chuckle, almost finding this situation humorous.

"Just the three." Max replied, "Then after our tomato bath, we get skunked again along with that Steph girl and her girlfriend Alex."

"That's it." Victoria groaned, "After tonight, I am staying away from you three. Max is nothing but a jinx!"

Chloe had just turned around to say something in response when the sound of trash cans being knocked over got the girl's attention. Chloe peeked over the fence to see, sure enough, a skunk was happily munching away at the garbage.

"Max is right!" Chloe whispered, "We really dodged a bullet there."

"How did one get your backyard, anyway?" Rachel asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"There's a hole in the fence." Max explained, which Chloe quickly confirmed. "After it sprayed us it ran through it. All we have to do is wait for it to leave. Which should be in a few seconds."

"Uh, Max?" Chloe asked, getting the smaller girl's attention. "That skunk isn't leaving."

"What?" Max asked in confusion, looking through a small hole in the fence that was at her eye level. Sure enough, the skunk was still there finishing up his meal. "Why is it not leaving? It left around this point of time the first time."

"Jinx." Victoria said in a sing-song voice as she pointed to Max.

"Oh, shut up!" Rachel snapped at the blonde. She then turned to Max and asked, "What is different about then that's not happening now?"

"Well..." Max began as she turned away from the hole to think, "Last time when it knocked over the cans, it saw..."

Max gasped in horror before letting out an annoyed groan. "We're the reason it ran off the first time. It saw us, and sprayed us in order to get away."

"Just great! Now what?" Victoria asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Maybe one of us can should go in the backyard?" Chloe suggested as she finally turned away from the fence. "That way, if it sprays one of us, the one who got sprayed would could scare it off while the others get clothes and the needed skunk bath supplies. We can help wash the one who scared off the skunk so they won't have to bathe in the front yard tomorrow."

"Are you freaking kidding?!" Victoria shouted, "Let's just go through the front door!"

"Hey, good idea, Vicki! Let me just grab my house key!" Chloe sarcastically said as she patted her left hip before patting her right. "Oh, that's right!"

"Stop it!" Rachel hissed, looking to Chloe. "Chloe, do any of these windows open?"

"None on the ground floor..."

"Oh, just great!" Victoria groaned, pointing to the second story window. "And just how do you propose we get up there?!"

"Well, I don't like it, but I only see two options." Chloe said, "Either we try to find a way up to a second floor window, or..." The blue haired girl gulped as she turned to the gate that lead to the back yard, "A skunk sacrifice."