While California appears to be headed back into a drought, there appears to be no shortage of water for the seniors who are playing Water Assassins at Oak Park High School.

The senior game of Water Assassins consists of several teams hunting down fellow students that have been assigned to them, and shooting them with a water gun. The teams get assigned targets from several different teams to keep the targeting more spread out. This year, seniors Harper Wayne and Yuval Cohen are the organizers of the game.

“So far playing has been really fun,” senior Maddy Quon said. “I get why seniors have always been so hyped about it.”

This year, 49 teams made up of 5 seniors each are participating. In order to play, seniors have to pay five dollars, twenty-five per team, for entry. Most of that money is later redistributed to the winners.

According to the rule sheet, “in the past, organizers of the game take a chunk of the money for taking the time to organize the game. [The leaders] will let [the players] know more details of that when it gets closer.”

The rules mainly consist of restrictions on where players are allowed to “kill” one another and where safe zones are permitted. Some of the safe zones for players include school campus, sports practices, the inside of public or private buildings, gyms, doctor’s appointments and more.

“You never know if the team that’s targeting you is outside your house when you go to your car,” Quon said. “My mom has been my lookout since the game has started and would let me know if it’s all clear to leave.”

Players have to think creatively and find ways to lure out their targets.

“[A player] dropped off a fake package and I think him and a friend were waiting outside for me to answer the door, but I sent my mom instead because I had a feeling it was them,” said senior Sumedha Attanti. “I didn’t really see it happen but I watched our doorbell camera afterwards and thought it was hilarious.”

Every kill is one point and every time a team member gets killed it counts as minus one for the team. The first round, which is currently in session, is around 3 weeks long. The teams with the most points get to advance at the end of each round.

“We’ve been waiting outside of people’s houses but mostly our strategy is to find people on Instagram and Snapchat,” Attanti said.

Currently, Christian Fernandez’s team, Wet Willies, is in first place with plus four. Behind them in second is Julia Winser’s team with plus three Esketwet and in third is Kaitlyn Nehira’s team Hulk Splash also with plus three.

“Honestly, we’ve just had some good luck,” senior and member of team Hulk Splash Olivia Shields said. “Some of our targets came to us without knowing they were on our hit list so it was easy to eliminate them.”

While students may be ‘killing’ each other left and right, according to Quon, Water Assassins creates a camaraderie among the class.

“It’s just really fun,” Quon said. “I mean come on, we play a game with water guns.”