Chapter Text
𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄 opened her locker trying to get her books before homeroom. When she closed the locker door, she saw Sasha's face appear behind the door. "Geez, Sash! What the heck!?" She jumped backwards, dropping the binder that she had just taken out. Before she could swoop down to pick it up, Sasha got it for her. "Are you gonna give it back...or—" Anne waited hoping to receive her binder back before the bell rang.
"Just figured I'd carry it for you." Sasha said, obviously struggling with her binder and pencil case already.
"Wow, and they say chivalry is dead." Anne laughed, in the hopes her girlfriend would realize that she could handle her own school books.
The blonde was about to retaliate when a group of students passed by, "If it isn't Frog Girl and Blondielocks. Thought you two would get held back because of your adventures in Oz."
"Very funny." Sasha said, stoically.
"Yeah, it's actually—" Anne was about to say Amphibia, but she caught the word on her tongue before it could slip out. "It's actually just a hoax. It was just special effects promotion for Fumigator 6..." She trailed off, about to continue but noticed their uninterested faces.
"Anyway," The bully cut off, "it won't be long until this school eats you alive."
"But have fun!" Another student said, waving away. They were practically gloating in being rude to the two. A few members of the group kept their rude glares on the couple.
Sasha looked disappointed, "You had a chance to tell them that you were literally a superhero. They would've left you alone if you let them believe you could still super punch them into oblivion."
"No, they would've made me the new class clown." She sighed, "And you know what Mr. X said. Frogvasion information is completely classified. It was all covered up by the F.B.I. months ago." Anne walked to her homeroom, holding her sides in nervousness.
"Yeah, yeah. I just thought maybe you'd stand up to bullies for a change." Anne looked at Sasha, pausing in confusion. However, the blond was intensely focused on holding up the binders. "Also, forgot to mention, I can't eat lunch with you today. There's cheer tryouts then and—"
"It's ok. I get it." She placed a hand on Sasha's shoulder. Her umber-colored eyes gazing with admiration in the icy blue of Sasha's eyes. "You'll ace this." Sash turned quickly yet Anne still caught a glimpse of the small smile that formed on her girlfriend's face.
"So, where's your first class?"
"I'll just take it." Anne said, snatching the binder back. She rushed up the stairs, "Catch ya later, Waybright!"
The chattering of the school bell woke Sasha from her gay trance and she rushed down the hallway to her own homeroom. As class went on her mind spun with thoughts. The encouragement from Anne. The tryouts...The promise she made for tonight. She fidgeted in her seat anxiously as the monotonous grammar lectures from her English teacher played like soft background music. Fighting off the urge to fall asleep, she sank into daydreams instead. Filling her time with fantasies of how things would work out later today. Complete and utter focus on her goals, that's how she was able to a achieve so much back before Amphibia. Certainly a little bit of reverting into old ways wouldn't be so bad, right? It was for a good cause.
Anne was struggling in her first class in science. It wasn't easy to homeschool herself while having to fight a literal war between two worlds. She had lost a lot more knowledge than she had thought. She attempted to work harder, take stronger notes. Applying herself to offer up answers and ask questions. Her science teacher was impressed with Anne's eagerness and spared a quick chat with her before she moved to her next class. "You've got a real passion for this stuff. Did you ever think of joining the eco science club?" Anne's teacher asked, holding out a pamphlet with her manicured hands. Frogs were painted into designs in her nails. She took that as a small sign from the universe. Maybe the cat up there was really looking out for her.
"I have tennis practice most days after school, but I- I'll think about it." Anne said, tucking it into her binder and racing off to her next class.
Lunch came quicker than expected. She dropped her books off at her locker, but kept the flyer nearby. Anne wanted to think about it a little bit more. It would be like making a difference for all creatures...well, at least the ones in the state of California. She smiled at the thought of helping reptiles, making change would make Sprig happy. Anne looked up quickly to see a flustered Sasha running while trying to put her shoes on. "I'm really late to meet them on the field. Meet you up after school, alright?"
"Yeah! Good luck!"
"Don't need it!" Sasha said, still running in the hallways. She was certainly lucky that no teachers had caught her. Tryouts. The make or break chance of her being on the cheer squad for the year. The only thing she really remembered being good at. Cheer was easy. Even if she hadn't done it for nearly a year, it would be like riding a bike, right?
"Oh my gosh, is that Blondilocks again?" The bully came up to Sasha.
"Is that all you can come up with?" She said, unamused. After a brief pause with silence from the bully, she crossed her arms. "I hope you're more talented at cheer then making nicknames."
They huffed angrily, unable to come up with a good enough response. "How about I make you a deal? If you make the cheer team, I'll stop bothering you and Frog Girl. And if I win-"
"No need to finish, I'm winning your deal." She said, her eyes glaring daggers at her new opponent.
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a promise."
"Stace!" The cheer coach called to the bully. Stacey...like, her old cheer class friend in elementary. She had just picked a fight with Stacey Campat. "Stacey, who's your friend?"
"We're not—" Stacey was about to say.
"Sasha, Waybright. Sasha Waybright." Sasha replied, abruptly. She wrapped her arm around her frenemy's shoulder. "Stace, here, told me all about your cheer team."
"Wait, I think I remember your name." Sasha worried for a second. There were lots of ways people could've known her name. "Waybright...oh— your mom and Stace's mom were both cheerleaders her a long time ago. Imagine that legacy continued! We have to see what you two can do."
Without completely embarrassing herself, Sasha made it through the tryouts. Turns out she needed to have a little bit more faith in her muscle memory. She quickly changed out of her tryout gear and rushed to her next class. She was so excited for tonight, she couldn't stop playing with the pen in her hand. Clicking it shut and open over and over again until the teacher snatched it away for being a distraction. She thoughts things would be different, maybe she could actually make a good impression with the teachers here. Old habits die hard supposedly.
Over in American history, Anne was finding out that she wished this class wasn't mandatory. As time agonizingly strained on, her mind stayed on the game tonight. Her third and fourth match tonight was just as important as her first. Her score in the matches as a whole would decide whether or not she was going to be in the tourney in a week. Finally, the last bell of the day rang and students instantly bolted out of their desks. "Kids, the bell doesn't excuse you!" The teacher shouted angrily and looked at Anne who was still gathering her things. She shrugged but rushed out the door like the rest of the class.
Opening her locker, she shoved the binders away and got out her duffel bag and racket. "There you are!" Sasha said, as if she had been looking for ages.
"Sash, what are...those?" Anne asked gesturing to the pom poms that Sasha had in her hands.
"Oh...I made the squad!" She said with a little extra flair from the pom poms.
Anne winked at her, shooting finger guns in her girlfriend's direction, "Knew you would." Instantly regretting it, she walked off to the change room near the gym. Sasha promised she'd meet Anne at the courts.
Racing to tie her hair back, she ran to the tennis coach. "Anne! You're gonna be facing Devon on the first court. Then Evan on the second court." Devon and Evan? The twins? Anne knew all about them. They were nicknamed the tennis twins for how serious they were about the sport. These matches sure weren't going to be a cakewalk. She took a deep breath of reassurance and calmly walked onto her side of the net.
The referee tossed her a tennis ball for first serve and then gave her a whistle to signify, she could go. This certainly wasn't the moment for her to be rusty. She threw the ball up and came down on it with her racket, a satisfying smack and whoosh blew by her ears as she quickly ran for Devon's hit. A pass back, then another pass back, the next one making her run for it. Whacking the ball back, she sent it to the right corner of the court, securing a point. 15-0, you got this.
From outside the court's cage, she was cheered on by a super enthusiastic Sasha. "Yes, Anne! Kick their ass!"
Anne glared at her, hoping she'd get the message to tone down the banter a bit. With a shy smile to Devon, she readied her next serve. Almost too short of the net, the serve was good but not up to par with her standards. Devon however wasn't anticipating it to go over giving her an easy point. As Sasha bounced up and down, Anne bested Devon in the next rally, and then the next.
"Game goes to Anne Boonchuy!" The referee yelled for the coach to jot down on the game board. Anne quickly gave Devon a good game handshake and she met up with Sasha would was now chatting with her parents.
"I wasn't expecting you two to drop by so early." She leaned in closer to them, "Especially since you were supposed to be making dinner."
"Well, we didn't have to prepare as much." Mr. Boonchuy said, "Om and I couldn't miss your game."
Her mom nodded, "We heard you beat Devon!" She looked at Sasha while saying it.
"Dev stood no chance on her. Neither will Evan with her moves! Your daughter's a total pro." Sasha said. Anne couldn't tell if it was out of pure admiration or a partner attempt of buttering up the parents, but she smiled. Smiled and felt her cheeks heat up unwillingly.
"I wouldn't say that." Anne said.
"Talented and humble." Sasha joked. As much as Anne was worried about her parents embarrassing her in conversation with her girlfriend, she had another game to focus on.
Evan got the starting serve, unlike his twin, he looked way more competitive. His serve was perfect, Anne was able to gracefully send it right his way. Probably, right where he wanted it to be. Then, he sent the ball with less power making her run up to receive it. Evan made quick moves and sent the ball flying into the corner pocket, making the referee eye if it was even in bounds. Only one rally and she was already loosing her energy. Just don't loose focus, Anne reassured herself. He got her mixed up on the court again. Lefts and rights and swings and misses. Anne heaved with exasperation. It was match point now, she had to earn back all of her points or else she could say goodbye to being in the tourney.
She looked over at Sasha who gave her a reassuring thumbs-up. Anne knew what Sasha would say right now, every opponent has a weak spot. An achilles' heel. Evan's achilles' heel...was his backhand. Get him to play backhand, and this game could be hers.
Final chance. She took her time when positioning herself on the court, she slowed the ball down in game, making him end up right where she needed to make him play backhand. The ball was sent flying outside the court. Rally after rally, another point for her. At the end of the game, the referee announced, "Anne Boonchuy wins the match!"
"Woo! That's my girlfriend, suckers!" Sasha gloated.
Anne walked over to the net to give Evan his good game handshake. Being the sore loser of the twins, he frowned but said, "You play a good game, B. See you at the tourney?"
"Sure hope so." Anne replied and walked back to her parents who quickly embraced her in a hug.
"Oh my, we are so proud." Her mom said whilst squeezing her to no end.
"Time for some victory dinner!" Her dad cheered and walked over to the car. The girls were mostly quiet in the backseat, more quiet than they'd ever been before.
To break the silence Sasha asked, "So, what's for dinner."
"Orange chicken." Mrs. Boonchuy answered causing Sasha to look over at Anne with surprise. When she saw that Anne was smiling about it, she put the pieces together that it had been a request for her. She then playfully punched her and fixed her bang to cover her small grin.
Dinner went by pretty well, her parents didn't ask any questions about their relationship whatsoever. Just a lot of questions about school, Sasha was excited to tell them about her mother's history with the cheer squad there. Anne hesitated when it was her time to talk about her day. "Well, I think I might join the eco science club." She said, fiddling with some rice on her fork.
"That sounds interesting." Her mom said.
"Will it interfere with tennis?"
"I still gotta ask that." She replied to her dad. He was always focused on her sport. Anne didn't want to glance at Sasha. She was probably the only person at the table that understood the decision. The blonde chewed her lip kind of confused why she wasn't told anything about it. The truth was with all of her running around for the cheer squad, she had missed Anne's news.
Mrs. Boonchuy sat up from the table holding her plate to take to the sink, "Well, keep us updated if you need a ride." Once they brought their dishes to the sink, Anne and Sasha were excused. They ran upstairs, bringing a couple snacks with them.
A little bit confused on what to do, they sat on her carpet floors. "Should we watch a show?"
"Riverdale?" Anne joked, scrolling by it.
"NO. Anything, but that please." Sasha said, burying her hands to look away.
"Uh...glee?"
"Eh, kinda basic but I did say anything but Riverdale."
Anne started the first episode, "I forgot how weird this show got."
"Same." Sasha said, "I'm glad you invited me over, by the way." She said as Anne turned away to set the empty bowl of popcorn away. Whenever she wasn't looking at the cheerleader was when Sasha had the confidence to say how she felt. For some reason, the words couldn't leave her tongue.
Anne grasped Sasha's hand and with a soft smile she replied, "Yeah, I am too."
The movie continued — as the tv illuminated the bedroom, Anne stifled a yawn.
"Are you getting tired?" Sasha asked, getting out of the bed to reach for the remote.
"Yea, a bit- but don't worry I'm still awake." After running across the court for the game, she often found herself more tired and exhausted at the end of the day. Yet, she tried to fight the sleep off, because she knew Sasha would call her mom to pick her up. Sinking back into the pillows, her eyelids felt heavy. Sasha noticed and laid a blanket ontop the tired Anne. She tried her best to move off the bed without disturbing Anne.
"Sash?"
The blond winced and then turned around, "I was just gonna call-"
"Can you stay with me?" Sasha's face flushed with heat, frozen in her tracks. In her mind, there was only one choice and she had the urge to stay with Anne. So she settled back into the bed, slowly making the covers her home as well. They faced each other, eyes inches apart. As their fingertips grazed one another's, hearts raced and breathing quickened. To tired to process emotions, Anne let her eyes close once more lulling her back into sleep. As the movie's background noise continued its chatter, Sasha turned around in the bed. She pushed herself away to create distance but continued to feel the slow pace of Anne's breathe on her neck. The rhythm was comforting. Even though she might have not been at her own house, she'd never felt safer. Sasha's eyes finally closed and she tried her best to sleep, despite the nervousness of sharing a bed. As dreams found her, she couldn't free her mind from the moment their hands brushed each other. She had a feeling they'd both be thinking about that for a while.