Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s been five years since Anne readjusted to her old life—five years since her adventures involved in Amphibia. And before she knew it, Anne’s life flashed between her eyes and she was an eighteen-year-old about to enter her senior year of high school.

School was dull as ever over the years, but since her time with the Plantars, Anne grew to appreciate her normal human life, especially her family. She finally received her driver’s license after numerous lessons with her dad. However, to both of their surprises, driving a car was fairly simple, well, when compared to riding a snail. Anne believes it was because she was driving a vehicle, not a family snail with a soul. Her dad, on the other hand, reasons that it had to do with the many life-and-death scenarios Anne went through and that driving anxiety didn’t phase her. To-may-to, to-mah-to, she thinks.

Anne kept in touch with Marcy and Sasha, but the attention dwindled after Marcy moved away. The three of them texted and called each other less and less once everyone slipped into their own lives. Although Anne and Sasha attended the same high school, the two girls eventually drifted into their own friend groups. Their classes and schedules never aligned for them to see each other consistently. Sometimes they'd see each other in the hallway and the most they ever could do was wave.

Of course with their time apart, that didn’t stop Marcy from texting a photo of a funky bug she found or Sasha from sending a meme into their group chat. Anne appreciated and loved the fact that they still think of each other no matter what. Time sure does fly, especially now when the only things on her mind are personal statements and college admissions.

However, that wasn’t the case right now. College admissions were the least of Anne’s concerns at the moment.

"Come on, come on," Anne repeatedly muttered, impatiently clutching her hands onto her steering wheel. She stared down the red light, hoping the traffic light would glow green any second. Once it did, Anne slammed on the pedal.

While pushing 60 miles per hour on the road, Anne is still in disbelief that she overslept her nap. She was late. Anne was always on time for her matches! As the captain of her tennis team, she was expected to set the best example for her teammates. Alas, deciding to take a nap and not set an alarm was her image's downfall.

Anne looked at the time with a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. With only about a few minutes left in her drive, she knew she needed to change lanes soon for her to turn onto campus. Anne glanced over at her side mirror, then to her rearview mirror. No car stood in her way in switching lanes. Her fingers brushed the signal lever, indicating she was switching to her left lane. Anne then turned her wheel, her car maneuvered in the same direction. 

BEEP!

A sharp and blaring horn screeched from behind her. Anne’s heart suddenly races. In panic, Anne quickly readjusts her wheel back to her original lane. A car accelerates to her side window, there is an unfriendly-looking man inside. His eyebrows scowled with intensity, clearly not happy that an accident could’ve happened.

Rolling down his window, he yells at the top of his lungs, "Are you stupid!? Watch where you’re going!"

"Sorry," Anne mouthed. She returns an apologetic smile to him as he speeds off, leaving her behind. Her face now filled with embarrassment, Anne took a deep breath, praying that there weren’t other cars around to witness her mistake in not checking her blind spot. This time with patience, Anne made sure it was safe to switch lanes and turned into her school parking lot, vowing to herself to be careful from now on.

"Kicking butt and taking names! We’re the school they call Saint James!" Sasha cried out alongside her cheerleaders. 

The cheerleaders’ final chant rang across the football field. Sasha held her arms out high in the air, holding the finishing pose as long as possible. Her heart pounded against her eardrums and adrenaline rushed throughout her body. Though, the sun was on her face and she felt so icky with the sweat dripping all over her smile. So much for makeup , Sasha thought.

Even after her time in Amphibia, Sasha continued cheerleading in high school. It’s a silly comparison but cheerleading was similar to wielding a sword, at least to her. The simplicity of the sport combined with the complexity of choreography and practice was a comfort to Sasha. The matter of principle allowed her to empty her mind.

However, the experience is a bit different compared to her time in middle school. It was a bit more competitive and sometimes too dramatic for Sasha’s tastes. The Sasha from five years ago would’ve loved all the drama, circulating gossip, and especially the power as cheer captain. The Sasha today? Not so much. She’s just happy to be a part of something.

"Alright, girls! We can call it a day!" The cheer captain announced. With that, all the girls in formation quickly dropped their act. They all sighed and groaned. Some of them even threw themselves onto the grassy football field, gasping for air in the summer heat. While Sasha was also out of breath herself, she instead headed towards the bleachers where their water bottles were. She could hear her cheer captain from afar, wrapping up her announcements for their practice.

"Are you ready for school to start?" A girl exclaimed behind Sasha. The blonde grimaced, as the girl’s energy was a little too excited for Sasha’s comfort nor enjoyed the question herself.

Sasha still couldn’t believe there was only a week left in summer before school started. Senior year of high school, huh? The thought of school exhausted her, especially after a busy junior year filled with SATs, cheerleading competitions, and work. Personally, Sasha thought summer vacation wasn’t long enough. Maybe this is what they called Senioritis?

"Not really…" Sasha answered honestly with a scoff, not meeting the girl’s gaze. She paused, unsure of the tone of her answer.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to come off so cold," Sasha explained herself. She always tried to be cautious of her words and attitude since her time in Amphibia. Sasha’s eyes wandered toward the water bottles on the metal bleachers.

"Want some water?" Sasha asked in hopes of coming off more friendlier. 

"Oh yes, thank you." 

She gave her a gentle nod before turning around to retrieve more water for her cheerleaders.

"Come on, girlfriends! Come get water!" Sasha cried out to the group of girls. They all quickly approached her direction. She found her towel and wiped the sticky sweat off her head. Her clothes were not spared either; they were drenched in sweat and stuck all over her. Such a gross feeling.

"Okay, let’s clean up everyone and head inside," The cheer captain said, grabbing her bags. Sasha couldn’t agree much more. The rest of the girls did the same and gathered their belongings. While exiting the football field, the cheerleaders eventually split into their friend groups or random pairs as numerous conversations emerged between them.

The tennis courts were on the way toward their high school. Sasha stopped in her tracks for a closer look at the green courts. Chain link fences were in the way of her view, but it was still possible to tell that games were going on over there. She noticed individuals in unfamiliar-colored uniforms that didn’t belong to their school. Without much thought, Sasha decided to head toward the courts even if it meant she had to be in her sweaty uniform much longer. Sasha wondered if Anne was there.

"Oooh! Sasha’s checking out the tennis boys," A cheerleader teased as she walked past Sasha. An echo of ohs and giggling followed with the comment. Sasha rolled her eyes, ignoring her fellow cheerleaders. Her attention returned to the tennis courts.

"You girls go on without me," Sasha said, waving goodbye to cheerleading friends. Cries of goodbyes responded to her as they continued their walk and conversations.

"Let us know if you see anyone cute!" Another girl laughed. Sasha opened her mouth to retaliate but then closed it. There was no winning this.

The closer Sasha got to the school’s tennis courts, the louder the rallying and shoes squeaking got. By the time she arrived at the entrance of the tennis courts, the air was cooler compared to her time during cheer practice. The sun was low enough to get in her face as the sky was a mixture of blue and orange.

It wasn’t the first time Sasha was here at the tennis courts, she was familiar with the location. The overall perimeter of the courts stood chain fences, inside the fences stood six tennis courts. Three were to Sasha’s right and another three were to her left. Metal bleachers stood in the middle in an open area between the separate tennis courts; where the non-players stayed.

The area wasn’t too busy or too empty. She scanned the crowd from left to right. Family members or friends were watching the matches play out. Coaches standing and teammates observing, analyzing the performances before them. Conversations were held, but the sounds of tennis balls bouncing drowned them out. Sometimes small claps or cheers occurred when a notable point was made.

The Boonchuys weren’t here, Sasha thought. Maybe this was a junior varsity competition. Perhaps Sasha was just making a fool of herself for being here. Before deciding to head back, Sasha quickly scanned again, this time, the individuals playing on the courts. A certain figure with a messy auburn ponytail on the farthest tennis court caught her attention.

As Sasha approached closer to the specific court, the more she recognized her friend. While it had been a couple of months since she last saw Anne, Sasha was still in disbelief at how Anne had grown into the muscular arms and calves she had developed through the sport in the past years. In her hand, she held her iconic pink tennis racket. The girl’s gaze was piercing, focused on the game before her.

"Love, forty!" Sasha heard Anne cry out. Sasha blinked. That wasn’t good. Anne had zero points and the other girl needed one more to win the game. Sasha wondered how the overall points and sets were looking.

If Sasha recalled correctly, the tennis competitions weren’t tournaments in the fall semester. Instead, it involved going against the same ranked player as yourself. Knowing Anne, she was probably the number one girl on the team, meaning she was going against the top girl from the other school.

Before and after their adventures in Amphibia, Sasha had witnessed quite a few of Anne's practices and games. Tennis was one of the few activities Anne had always had pride in. It’s been a while since Sasha has watched Anne play tennis herself, however, it didn’t take a child to notice that something was bothering the girl.

Sasha watched Anne serve the tennis ball, beginning the rally between the two girls. Naturally, her opponent hit the ball with a strong forehand, aiming it across the court away from Anne. Anne threw herself to return it. The ball barely made it over the net.

Anne’s movements didn’t stride with confidence as per usual. She was tense. Sasha has seen much of a stronger serve with speed and power from her friend before. It was as if she was chained against her will, even scared of the tennis ball that played before her. This isn’t good at all.

"Fifteen, forty!" Anne announced loudly. To her surprise, she somehow managed a point even with her weak serve. She bounced the tennis ball with her free hand, searching for the momentum for her to serve.

Anne was losing. Badly. Maria, her opponent, or at least Anne remembered that was her name, was good. She had strong forehands with overwhelming force and power. Her opponent would consistently hit the tennis ball across the court, making it practically impossible for Anne to return it. This has been happening at every single point, frustrating Anne.

If Anne wanted to win this game, not only did she need to win this set, but also another. She needed a miracle if she wanted to win.

Anne closed her eyes. She couldn't win this. This girl was too good. Maybe Anne wasn’t the brilliant and skilled tennis player she thought she ought to be. Maybe her parents wasted their time getting Anne to play this stupid sport.

Anne finally threw the ball up in the air. Something didn’t feel right with her toss, she didn’t swing her racket. Even after trying once more, her gut shrieked no.  Anne couldn't get the momentum she needed, letting the ball fall onto the ground in defeat.

"Are you stupid!?" Anne remembered the man’s voice from earlier, the man she almost crashed into. Maybe I am, Anne thought. Her thoughts scattered like wildfire.

"You’re late," Anne’s heart sank when she remembered her coach’s disappointment when she arrived at the competition. Never in her life had she felt so ashamed. Her mind spiraled. What if she forfeited the game? Her mentor was already upset with her. The game was practically over. 

Anne gripped her tennis racket tightly. She clenched her teeth and threw the bright yellow ball up with spite. Not caring about a single thing in the world, she put all her weight into the swing. She watched the ball fly across the court. Disappointed, but not to her surprise, the ball did not go over the net. If she didn’t make the next serve, Maria would have one more point in winning the entire set, winning the entire game.

A familiar pit formed in her stomach. Of course, she'd go out like this. Who was she kidding? She never had a chance.

"YOU GOT THIS, BOONCHUY!" A voice screamed at her.

Anne snapped back into reality. She reached for the spare tennis ball in her pocket and took a deep breath.

You got this, Boonchuy!

The words echoed relentlessly in Anne's mind. As she slowly exhaled, time stood still. Her heart pounded, drowning out all of the noise in the world. Anne has gone through so much in her life and she wasn't planning to give up now. She thought of everyone. Amphibia. The Plantars. Her friends. Her parents.

Word for word, she remembered what her dad told her when he first taught her tennis as a kid. A lesson she reminisces throughout her life.

"Remember, Anne, no matter what. Keep your eye on the ball."

And that she did, as the tennis ball escaped her fingers through her toss. Her gaze followed the ball. She raised her racket and served. This time not only with her weight, but with purpose. 

Her serve was so fast it was as if a lightning bolt struck across the court. Anne never lost sight of the ball as it landed in the service box. Her opponent couldn’t react fast enough even to hit the ball back. Maria’s eyes widened, processing what had just happened. She then nodded, applauding Anne's serve with her hand and racket.

Anne grinned.

Anne fucking Boonchuy was back.

Sasha was on the edge of her seat, both physically and figuratively as she watched the match play before her. The orange sky was now filled with purple clouds, welcoming an evening breeze. As scheduled, the tall lamps illuminated the tennis courts brightly. Anne’s match eventually ended up being the last one ongoing. Everyone crowded the court, witnessing the neck-to-neck game.

Anne managed to turn around the game by winning one set, leaving the two girls to play on their very last set. The match before them determined the winner. At least that’s what Sasha assumed were the rules if she remembered them correctly.

"Thirty, Thirty!" Maria announced. The girl leaned forward, bouncing the tennis ball repeatedly. Anne’s entire body was drenched in sweat, breathing quickly and loudly through her mouth. Her eyes glued on the ball before her. Sasha recognized that gaze. She could see the fiery determination in her friend’s eyes. The last time she saw her friend look this intense was years ago back in the frog world in their many life-and-death encounters.

"Well, Waybright. I have to hand it to you. I think you might be our good luck charm," Sasha’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest at the sound of the voice. Startled, she whipped her head to face the owner of the voice. It was the school’s tennis coach, well that, and also Sasha’s old chemistry teacher. She had forgotten he coached the tennis team as well.

"I’m sorry?" Sasha asked, raising an eyebrow. He barked out a laugh at her confusion.

"Once you showed up, Anne pulled through. This is the best I’ve seen her play in the last four years. I might need you to start coming to our competitions more often," The coach teased, stroking his beard. Sasha’s face grew red, she didn’t know what to make of his words. 

"I don’t underst-" Before she could finish her words, they were interrupted by the other school’s team roars of cheering. Sasha could only assume that the other girl scored a point.

"Let’s go, Maria!" The other school’s cheers filled the cool air, with howls and groans from Anne’s teammates.

"Just one more point!" Someone cried out from Maria’s team. In frustration, Anne tapped her racket on the ground, knowing that she couldn’t afford a mistake anymore.

Sasha cupped her hands, "Come on, Boonchuy!" Sasha yelled. Anne’s teammates mirrored the support for their beloved team captain with roars. Anne’s face lit up from the chorus of cheers. 

"You got this!"

"Go, Anne!"

Anne’s eyes met Sasha’s. The other girl’s gaze was soft this time, glowing brightly under the tennis court lights. The both of them nodded at each other.  Kick her ass , Sasha conveyed, at least she tried to express that with only her face. Anne leans forward with her tennis racket, holding her stance. She was ready for anything.

"Forty, thirty!" Maria cried out once the crowd settled. Her words were thin, she was out of breath from the previous rally. That still didn’t stop her from serving the ball with her consistent quickness throughout the day.

Running on adrenaline, Anne welcomed the ball’s bounce, hitting it with her weight behind the swing. Maria was ready and did the same, this time the ball flew across the court with a topspin. Anne stomped towards the ball, she quickly clasped her free hand onto the racket and swung a backhand. 

Sasha noticed Anne’s backhand flew with stellar speed and strength. Maria seemed to notice this too as she played defensively. She slid to the right side of the court and had no intention of swinging her racket but simply allowed the ball to bounce off her racket. Anne kicked up her feet, her shoes squeaking on the rough court. Again, she swung another backhand. This caught the other girl off guard. Maria was too busy recentering herself on the baseline and didn’t have enough time to maneuver back to the same side where the tennis ball bolted.

A great "Ooooooh" of disappointment groaned from the other school’s tennis team, but a terrific roaring applause from the girl’s school team. This was it. The next round determined the outcome.

"Deuce. Forty, forty!" Maria shouted. To Sasha’s surprise, the girl didn’t repeat the same serve she had been doing. Instead, she played out the serve safely, tapping it over the net. This was Anne’s chance. She bent her knees, steadying herself. The ball landed in the box and Anne swung a forehead, following through.

The other girl gasped and threw herself towards the bouncing ball. This forehand was the strongest she had seen yet. Like before, Maria didn’t swing her racket. The ball flew up slow and flat, high into the air. Anne sprinted closer to the net, not allowing the ball to bounce onto the ground. She positioned her racket behind her head. Her finger pointed at the tennis ball with her free hand, allowing Anne to steady herself. She jumped and slammed the overhead shot. The tennis ball accelerated onto the other court’s sidelines, impossible for her opponent to return.

Sasha blinked, everything happened too fast for her to comprehend. Everyone around her was flabbergasted, murmuring among themselves.

"Was that in?"

"I think it was out…?"

All eyes were on Maria. They waited for her to call the shot with anticipation. Smiling in defeat, the girl nodded her head. "That was in!" She shouted for everyone to hear.

Sasha’s school roared in excitement and so did her. Anne’s teammates speeded towards her one by one after she shook hands with Maria. "We won! We won the competition!" Tangled together in a many-armed hug, they congratulated the girl. Sasha couldn’t help but smile at Anne’s bewildered expression as the team lifted their champion in the air. Saint James High School won.

Sasha’s old teacher explained during the match that the overall score between the two schools was neck-to-neck and that Anne’s match determined the victor. She was happy for them. She was especially happy for Anne.

It was as if Anne could read the blonde’s mind, as she was thrown in the air, Anne met eye contact with Sasha. They both grinned ear-to-ear, laughing, and taking in the victorious moment.

"Alright! Settle down now! It’s late, let’s clean up and get the heck outta here," The bearded coach shouted with sternness in his voice. He scribbled on his clipboard and went to meet with the other school’s coach, shaking hands with each other.

The crowd finally put Anne down and she ran. To Sasha’s surprise, the girl rushed towards her. Anne threw herself in Sasha’s arms. Not expecting the impact, Sasha stumbled back but embraced the hug from her friend. She inhaled Anne’s scent. She smelled like her usual self with a hint of vanilla mixed with the humid sweat from the tennis match.

"Thank you," Anne whispered in Sasha’s ear.

Surprised once more, Sasha’s eyes widened. With a soft smile, she hugged Anne back with a squeeze.

"Anything for you, Boonchuy," Sasha said back, not caring if Anne heard her or not amongst the celebrating crowd around them.

Together the tennis team celebrated their victory at the Boonchuy's family restaurant. Despite Sasha’s protests, Anne insisted she join them. As they ate the delicious Thai food together, laughing, and cheering, Sasha had wondered why she stopped spending time with Anne.

Chapter Text

The first day of school was slow, especially at lunchtime. As always, the cafeteria room was loud, filled with chattering and plate clinking. However, the last thing Anne expected was for Sasha to approach her lunch table.

"Is this seat taken? Do you mind if I sit with y’all?" Sasha asked not only Anne but the rest of her friends, scratching behind her head awkwardly. Sasha was nervous. She had a habit of scratching her head when she was shy and Anne couldn’t help but give a feeble smile. 

The girl no longer had her hair up in a ponytail unlike in middle school. Instead, she kept her long blonde hair down as she did back then as commander of Wartwood. Except this time, it was clean and well-kept. Sasha’s gaze didn’t have her usual blazing and welcoming confidence, she looked at Anne and her friends with anxious anticipation. Anne could only assume that the girl didn’t have anyone else to sit with if she wanted to sit with Anne’s group of friends.

Anne turned over her shoulder, skimming her group of friends for their approval. Some of them shrugged and continued their food while others welcomed Sasha with a grin. A couple of Anne’s guy friends loudly whispered and kicked each other amongst themselves because of the popular cheerleader before them. It was as if they were kindergarteners who had never seen a girl before. Anne simply rolled her eyes, pretending to not notice them. That settles that.

"Sure thing, dude," She smiled while she tapped at the empty seat next to her. Sasha’s face lit up, and she took her seat while placing her lunchbox before her. Anne's gaze shifted and she abruptly studied Sasha.

Other than her hair, Anne noticed Sasha’s arms and how muscular they were. She fit almost perfectly into her school uniform and as such anyone could tell that she took her workouts seriously. Anne knew Sasha grew into her arms during their time in Amphibia as commander, but seeing the girl with ripped arms always managed to catch Anne off guard. 

"No one else to sit with?" Anne asked curiously, wanting to confirm her speculation.

"Yeah. I guess my friends and the other cheerleaders have a different lunchtime than me…" She shrugged, then paused and continued her trail of thought, "But I mean you guys seem cool from last week, so I thought, why not?"

Anne's guess was right. It’s been a while since the two girls ever sat together during lunch or even interacted since their time in high school, though it wasn’t like she minded Sasha’s company.

"Are you going to watch any more of our tennis competitions?" One of Anne’s teammates who sat next to Sasha asked excitedly.

"Yeeees? If Anne's cool with it, then I don't see why not?" Sasha answered, glancing over at Anne. Anne's body jolted at the mention of her name.

Sasha then squinted at the asking boy, "Your name is Anthony, right? We met at Anne's restaurant."

Anthony nodded his head acknowledgment, maybe a little too excitedly for Anne's comfort. She noticed the boy scooting a bit closer to Sasha while the cheerleader opened her lunchbox.

Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Guess someone is interested in my old friend. Anne had a talent for noticing this kind of thing from a mile away. 

Anne scoffed, "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? You should definitely come to the next game, Sasha," She said while snickering at Anthony after finishing her sentence.

Sasha was busy snarfing down her sandwich, accumulating bread crumbs all over her face. In seconds, she gulped down her food.

"I'll try. School just started so I'll be more busy. When’s the next one?"

"This Thursday. This time you gotta bring your poms poms and perform for us," Anne jested, especially since she remembered that last time Sasha showed up last time in her uniform. 

Sasha barked out a laugh while her face burned brightly at the idea.

"We’ll see Boonchuy. Maybe I’ll climb on top of your coaches too like I did for the little twerp’s cage match," Sasha teased back.

The two girls giggled together at their memory. Looking back, while yes, their entire rebellion and army were on the line, the thought of the moment seemed nostalgic enough to laugh about.

Anne pretended she didn’t notice Anthony shoot a confused look at the both of them.

"Hey, Sasha! My little sister wants to join the cheer team, when are tryouts happening?" One of Anne’s friends at the lunch table cried out. Both Anne and Sasha toward the direction of the girl who asked.

"Oh yeah, I heard Stacy wanted to host them next week…" Sasha eagerly answered. Anne bit into the grilled sticky rice snacks her mom packed her as she listened to their conversation.

"Sasha! What’s your best PR?" Another of Anne’s guy friends questions with much interest, flexing his muscles as a joke. There wasn’t much to see.

Sasha cracks up, and Anne shoots him a quizzical look at his attempt at a flex.

Anne watches as all the boys around her, some even strangers, try to compare their biceps with each other. With popular demand, the blonde finally rolled up her sleeves. 

It was strange to see how well Sasha got along with Anne’s friends.

Strange yet charming, Anne thinks, as her lunch table’s cheering echoed across the cafeteria for the reveal of Sasha Waybright’s jacked muscles.

Sasha was starting to think her last year in high school was going to be the unluckiest.

She barely had any of her friends in her classes and at lunch. Thankfully, she had Anne and her friend group to sit down with now, but even then, what terrible luck.

The first day of school was chill as expected with the usual awkward icebreakers and class introductions and syllabuses. Soon enough, Sasha sat before herself in English, waiting for the class to start.

Sasha sighed, propping her face with her hand on her claimed desk. She stared at the doorway, hoping one of the students walking in would be a familiar face. So far, nothing.

The loud school bell ringing was Sasha’s letdown of the day. She scanned the classroom, looking to see if she recognized anyone. There were a few people she could recall vaguely, but that was it.

Sasha’s attention turned towards the sound of her English teacher speaking at the front of the classroom. The man looked on the younger side, even passable as a high-schooler. Maybe he was new? Sasha wonders.

"Okay, class. I hope everyone’s been having a great first day of school today!" The teacher welcomed his students delightfully with a smile. Unamused, Sasha continued staring at the man with little interest but listened regardless.

Noticing that the rest of the classroom matched Sasha’s energy, the man cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I’m sure, you all want to get today over with, especially since today is the first day of school. But let’s get started on roll call," He resumed his friendly introduction and approached his classroom doorway to unprop the door.

"Wait!" A voice cried out, giving the English teacher a scare.

To Sasha’s surprise, Anne launched herself into the classroom as if she had shot out of a cannon. The girl's hands fell onto her knees as she panted loudly, catching her breath.

"S-Sorry, I'm late! My last class was across the building. This is Mr. Robinson’s class, right?" Anne said through gasps of air. While panting, she examined the classroom quickly. It didn’t take long for her to lock eyes with Sasha.

She greets Anne with a confused look and so does she. What are you doing here?

"No worries, miss…?" Mr. Robinson said, raising his eyebrow in hopes of his student introducing herself.

"Boonchuy. Anne Boonchuy."

"Well, Anne, help yourself to an open seat."

Mr. Robinson continued with his words, finally closing his classroom door. Anne’s face came to a quick flush as she finally realized the entire class had their attention on her. With her head down and trying not to meet eyes with anyone, Anne awkwardly shuffled her way towards Sasha’s direction, to the blonde’s surprise. Sasha watched her with interest.

Once Anne sat herself down in the seat behind her and class was back in its rhythm, Sasha couldn’t help but turn around to face her friend. She was a curious girl.

"Jack Anderson!"

"Here!"

"What class did you come from?" Sasha asked in a low, quiet voice, not wanting to interrupt her teacher’s attendance call.

"Anatomy and physiology."

Sasha nodded her head with contentment and an amused smile. She didn’t blame the girl for being late. The laboratory classes were on the other side of the high school. Not only that, she knew that elective wasn’t a pushover.

"I heard that class can be hell," Sasha said as she watched Anne unpack her things.

"No kidding. I already have a quiz on Wednesday," Anne groaned, unzipping her bag for her pencils.

"Okay, we know Anne Boonchuy is here," The two girls heard their teacher’s voice trailing off as he squinted and then scribbled at his clipboard. Anne glanced at her English teacher at the mention of her name.

"How are classes for you?" Anne asked, returning her attention to Sasha.

Sasha blinks and hums in thought for a moment to collect her answer.

"Pretty boring. I’m in art, that’s a thing," Sasha shrugged, there really wasn’t much to answer since she wanted a more chill senior year.

"You? Art?" Anne questions with a snort and Sasha’s mouth immediately drops in full offense.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

Anne raises her hands in defense with a laugh when she sees Sasha’s reaction.

"Sorry! I don’t know, you could barely draw a tree last time I checked."

Sasha wants to retaliate and defend her ego, but she is cut off.

"Sasha Waybright?" Her English teacher calls out. Sasha whips her head back to the front of the class.

"Here!"

"Okay!" Mr. Robinson cries out as he claps his hands together in delight. "Looks like that’s everyone! Let me pass out the class syllabus now." 

Sasha turns around and shoots Anne a dirty look.

"This conversation isn’t over, Boonchuy," Sasha says jokingly. Anne giggled out loud, and Sasha couldn’t help but lift her chin proudly with a grin when hearing her friend laugh.

"We’ll have two papers and one important partner project this semester. They’ll each be worth a lot of your grade."

She turns around to pay attention to her English teacher's lecture, still with a smile plastered all over her face. 

Maybe Sasha was lucky after all.

Anne sighed exasperatedly and threw herself into a slouch on her desk chair. The blinking text cursor on an empty document on her laptop mocked before her. She was stumped. Anne didn’t know what to write for her last college admissions essay. 

Outside your application, what makes you a strong candidate for admission to our campus? Tell us your story.

Tired, Anne put her face in her hands. The personal question burned into her head and she didn’t want to think about it anymore. She turned to face outside her window.

It’s dark outside in her neighborhood; only the moonlight and a few street lamps can be seen through Anne’s curtains. She couldn’t believe she still had the energy to work on her college applications even after studying her dreadful anatomy vocab. 

It’s getting pretty late, maybe it’s time for bed, she thought.

Before Anne could slam her laptop shut, her phone chimed. Who could be texting her at this time?

This reminded me of Domino

Anne reads the text curiously from her lock screen. Swiping her phone unlocked with a thumb, she opened the direct message and noticed the icon of the user had a familiar blonde image. The message was followed by a short video reel of a small black cat with white paws flopping itself on the ground and purring.

The cat in the video did look very much like Domino. She thinks of the perfect reply to Sasha when the cat video ends.

Domino is cuter though!

Invested now, Anne turns off the lights in the room and throws herself onto her bed. She deserved a break anyway, so she sent another text to her friend and continued the conversation.

What are you doing up so late?

Patiently, Anne stares at her glowing phone screen as she holds it in the air. She watches the typing bubbles and anticipates Sasha’s answer.

You won’t believe this. But I’m brainstorming what to paint for art class :p

Anne raises an eyebrow with a soft chuckle. Again, the idea of Sasha expressing any artistic skill was funny to her. Sasha was strong, cool, and charming. She never saw the cheerleader as the creative type like Marcy.

What about you?

Glancing back at her desk, Anne stares at her laptop. It glows brightly in her room, and if she listened closely she could hear its fans silently humming.

I’ve been working on my college admissions essays

I’m stuck on my last one

Anne continues her answer with another pair of messages. She knows the prompt word for word by now.

Outside your application, what makes you a strong candidate for admission to our campus? Tell us your story.

I don’t know what else to talk about, I already talked about tennis and everything

Her phone slips out between Anne’s hands while she waits for Sasha’s reply and it painfully lands on her face.

"Ow!"

Anne sits up on her bed and quickly retrieves her phone. Hopefully, she didn’t accidentally shoot a key smash text or anything stupid to Sasha. Flipping the phone to its screen, Anne sighs out of relief that nothing was sent. This time Anne lies on her side, the device close to her face. Safe from falling smartphones.

Anne, you’re like the most interesting person I know!

Plus, you like, saved Earth and everything, so why not write about that? lol

Anne smiles at her phone screen and types away.

Thanks, Sasha. But, I can’t really write about that, not with everyone believing the frog invasion was a hoax -.-

That’s fair, hey some people out there still believe you saved the world and everything

Maybe you could write about something that you did back in Wartwood? I don’t know just spitballing here ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anne looks up from her phone. There was the time she learned how to drive Bessie without Hop Pop’s permission, and one time she protected the small town when everyone was frozen solid. She hums, reminiscing on the experiences and life lessons she learned in the frog world.

Then her heart suddenly sinks as she remembers Sprig. She remembers the both of them exploring the Newtopian shopping mall, and later that night crying together about how much they missed their mothers. Oh, how much she missed her best friend.

Anne remembers the Plantar’s time at the Thai temple. It was so impressive how Polly picked up the foreign language so easily and how Hop Pop was so immersed in the khon dancing. And how could she forget Sprig causing so much mayhem all in the effort of trying to be a part of Anne’s family?

Wait a second. Plantars. Thai culture. Her family. That’s it!

Anne gets up in a rush from her bed, responding to Sasha’s text was the least of her concerns now. This was too important, she had to write out her ideas just in case she forgot them. Oh, why couldn’t her brain be inspired far earlier?

Jumping onto her desk, and typing away the perfect outline, Anne was ecstatic. Her heart danced in excitement. Sasha’s suggestion was perfect. While Anne couldn’t really discuss specifically her experiences with talking frogs, the least she could do was write about her time with the Thai community she grew up with. If anything, she could twist a story she experienced with the frogs and combine them with the individuals she loved within the Thai community. It was almost perfect!

After several minutes of outlining some examples and ideas, Anne was satisfied with her results. She finally had something to work with. Involuntary, she lets out a big yawn. Perhaps this was a good stopping point.

Anne shuts down her laptop and dives into her bed. The girl can already feel her eyes getting heavier, but relentlessly with her hands, she pats down her bed for her phone. Somewhere between her sheets and blankets, Anne feels her phone’s cold screen and pulls it closer to her.

When Anne unlocks her phone, she squints at the bright screen while it displays her last conversation with Sasha. The blonde’s status was set to offline, Anne could only imagine that the girl had gone to bed since it was so late, although it seemed like Sasha left a couple of messages for her.

Plus, don’t you still have a lot of time before they’re due?

I’m sure you’ll find something to write about, you’ll do great, Boonchuy

Anyways, good night, don’t stay up too late

Anne’s eyes soften with a hopeless smile at the string of texts. Sasha was being too sweet. Before she could even type back good night, Anne’s heavy eyes win her over and she drifts off into a deep slumber. Her phone in hand glows dimly in the dark room with Sasha's messages still open.

Chapter Text

“Are you going to homecoming?”

After a couple of weeks into the school semester, things have been settling down for Sasha, especially after cheerleader tryouts. She had fallen into her after school routine consisting of studying, cheer practice, and sometimes watching Anne and her friends compete in their matches whenever she was free. It was strange really, committing her time to a newfound group of friends.

Though, it’s not like she was ditching her own friends. Sometimes, Sasha invited the cheerleader girls to watch with her as well, especially since they were all over the tennis boys. And especially with homecoming being around the corner.

Currently, both Sasha and Anne are in their English period. Class hasn’t started necessarily. They made small talk in the meantime.

Sasha hums to herself, collecting her words. She already knows the answer though. 

“I don’t think I can.”

“Why not?” Anne’s eyebrows raise in interest.

“My little stepbrother has an orchestra concert that day. It’s his first one; I can’t miss it,” Sasha reasons. Their eye contact breaks when the cheerleader reaches for her textbook in her backpack.

“But, it’s senior year!” Anne is quick to interject. “You can’t miss out on your last homecoming!”

This time Sasha raises an eyebrow. Anne’s reaction is out of character.

“I know, I know…” Her last words trailed quietly. It’s not like she didn’t want to go to homecoming. She really did.

Anne goes quiet, and Sasha bites her tongue. She’s not the one to talk about her family, but it feels like the right thing to bring up. Sasha rubs the back of her neck as she allows herself to be vulnerable before her old friend. “Part of his grade was teaching a family member how to play his violin. I really appreciate that he wanted me to do it…” 

Her voice trails off, as she looks away from Anne for a moment. “You know, being step-siblings and stuff.”

When Sasha turns to face her friend, Anne’s eyes stare at her for a couple of heartbeats. Her face filled with uncertainty. Perhaps her heart emphasizes Sasha's situation. They’ve grown closer over the past semester, it only makes sense.

“Sasha…” Anne’s voice croaks. The expression on her face melts into a comforting one. “I understand. I’m sorry, it was just that…everyone was looking forward to seeing you. And it’s your last year and everything.” 

Sasha chuckles at the idea of the school’s tennis team at their homecoming and she is left with her imagination on how they behave.

“I can’t imagine you playing the violin though. You’re like slowly converting into Marcy. It’s like I don’t even know you anymore, dude.” Anne says, trying to lighten up the mood with a mixture of truth and teasing.

Sasha’s mouth opens, she doesn’t know whether she should defend herself or not while Anne stifles a teary giggle behind her hand. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just think you’re full of surprises.

“Whatever Boonchuy,” Sasha huffs. Lately, Anne has been teasing her a lot, though it’s not like she minds it.

“So how’s playing the violin, Waybright? Is it any different than the guitar?”

Sasha knows full well Anne was just mimicking her way of speech, but for some sort of reason, hearing the girl call Sasha by her surname makes her heart flutter.

Humming for a moment to collect her thoughts, Sasha thinks about how to phrase her experience playing the two string instruments.

Guitars and violins both have fingerboards that the strings run over for Sasha to press down on to change the pitch. Both have similar hand coordination and music theory, but the similarities end there. The violin requires more elegance and the long movements with the bow require Sasha to be graceful with. Guitars, or at least electric guitars, strumming felt more natural while the violin was more restrictive for her.

“It was kinda frustrating at first. It definitely took a bit to get used to the bow,” 

Anne listens in awe and Sasha can’t help but admit that she likes the attention from her. She decides to continue.

“You won’t believe this. But, I’m basically the world’s best violinist. I can Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in my sleep.” Sasha explains, her last word enunciated with such fever and smugness. A toothy grin and laughter come out of her when Anne rolls her eyes and mentions something about Sasha being a dork or whatever.

“Does Anthony know?” Anne changes the subject back. “That you’re not going?”

An eyebrow raises from Sasha. “What about him?”

Before Anne could explain herself, the ringing bell cut her off, marking that class was in session. Their teacher clears his throat loudly at the front of the classroom, forcing Sasha to turn her around. 

Sasha wants to continue the conversation about Anne’s friend, but the classroom quickly transitions into class. The thoughts of the conversation soon melt away at the sound of their teacher beginning the lecture.

“Good afternoon! I hope everyone is here today because like I said yesterday, we’ll be assigning partners for our upcoming project. Remember, it’s worth a lot of your grade,” their English teacher begins.

The projector displays brightly at the front of the room. A slideshow appears and it contains the project instructions. Sasha listens closely to Mr. Robinson’s explanation while examining the slide for the past several minutes.

“Any questions?”

“Mr. Robinson! Mr. Robinson!” A student raises their hand in excitement.

“Yes?”

“Can we choose our partners?”

The English teacher sighs. “Yes, you all may pick your partners,” he answered warily. 

Everyone in the classroom roars, ecstatic about the opportunity. Quickly, Sasha turns to face Anne. Their eyes lock. While the inevitable conversations in the classroom were loud, their silent stare in agreement said everything. 

“We still have a lot of time before this is due. Since homecoming is this weekend, maybe we can meet up next week then?” Sasha suggests.

Anne nods. The expression she wears reminds Sasha back when they were co-commanders of the frog resistance. Chiding and precise, yet friendly and welcoming. “We can meet at my house if you’d like.”

“Sounds good,” Sasha agrees. God, they were so in sync. 

“We can text about it later too.”

“You’re at least going to the homecoming game, right?” Anne asks before Sasha can turn back around.

Sasha blinks. “Of course, I am. Coach would kill me if I missed the big game.”

Anne’s eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and Sasha doesn’t know how to react.

“I’ll be there with the others! And Anthony! You’ve been to our games, the least we can do is cheer you on!”

“Alright, Boonchuy,” Sasha laughs. A bunch of tennis dorks cheering for a cheerleader. She’s entertained by the idea but also appreciates her friend’s support. Anne’s heart was too big for her own good. Sasha doesn’t understand how she does it.

At the same time, she’s confused. Why does Anne keep bringing up Anthony?

Sasha’s moment of thought is interrupted when their English teacher calls for everyone’s attention. Silence takes over the classroom as students slowly settle down, understanding that school unfortunately must continue.

“Alright everyone, open up your books to page 44.”

As captain of Saint James High School’s tennis team and as her parent’s daughter, being late is inexcusable, especially in support of their school’s homecoming game. And especially for a performance that mattered to Sasha. Anne made certain she left her house accordingly so she could grab the best seats. Teachers and familiar faces greet her when she arrives. Fortunately, Anne managed to snag front-row seats that were close to the cheerleaders and the drumline. A couple of her friends show up next as they slowly collect themselves into Anne’s saved seats.

Anne was excited, pumped, and ecstatic. Her hour-worth of face paint and makeup did not come to waste. Everyone seating themselves flourished and matched in their school colors this evening. Anthony is the last to slip in before the game starts. He manages to squeeze himself beside Anne and her friends as the crowd gets busier.

Their school’s announcers greet the evening, rallying and hyping up both crowds of the two schools. Both crowds roar even louder once their football teams emerge onto the field. Cheerleaders and the school’s respective mascot enter and follow in rushing behind the athletics. The audience cheers not only for their football team but for a familiar face and each cheer traces back to their school spirit.

Anne cheers at the top of her lungs as the cheerleaders dance, tumble, and spread themselves out to the field. It only takes a moment for her to recognize and find Sasha amongst the girls. Swept up in the audience’s excitement, Anne shouts Sasha’s name alongside her friends. She’s sure her voice will be gone by tomorrow.

Sasha was widely known for her looks and confidence, but tonight, it was beyond doubt she was. Her hair was collected in a high ponytail through a red ribbon that matched perfectly with her cheerleading uniform. Layering over each other, the face paint and her makeup decorate her face alongside her bright blue eyes. With her beauty and how well she harmonized with the rest of the cheerleaders, Anne fails to see how Sasha isn’t cheer captain.

The school mascot comes to cheer alongside the cheerleaders, and with the drumline along with the school’s band, riling up the crowd. After a while, Sasha finally catches a glimpse of Anne and the tennis team in the crowd. She calls the attention of her cheerleader friends that Anne has met sometime before this semester. They all lift their pom-poms in the air and wave in unison. Anthony is eager and is the first to wave back towards Sasha.

Sasha shoots a wink in full effect towards Anne and her friends. She assumes the gesture is a part of the girl’s choreography or at the very least towards Anthony. Anne continues to watch the blonde cheerleader in pure awe. Has Sasha always looked this good?

Sweat dresses Sasha while she smiles in full confidence towards the school crowd. Her gaze is forward, filled with pride for performing as well as school spirit. Anne doesn’t remember the last time she’d seen her old friend so whole and alive, she feels she’s thirteen again, witnessing and admiring Sasha as frog general for the very first time.

Time, of course, is brittle, and the magic from the evening eventually comes to an end. While it was a close match, unfortunately, Saint James High School lost their homecoming game by barely a point. Regardless, the stadium and its audience are still full of energy, and Anne doesn’t regret a single second of her time that night.

That same energy stayed strong throughout the weekend as Anne and her friends celebrated homecoming night the following day. Anne flourishes in a royal blue dress that runs long in the back. She borrows matching golden jewelry from her mother and her father nearly cries at the sight of his little girl.

Anne and her friends dance their Saturday night away, celebrating their very last homecoming night together. She catches her friend, Anthony, nervously searching left and right for someone amongst the inner circle of cheerleaders and her heart aches for the poor boy. She decides to dance with him.

For a beat, Anne thinks. If given different circumstances, she wonders how the lovely evening would play out if Sasha were here.

“Nick can take you to homecoming if you do change your mind,” 

“I’ll be fine, Mom,” Sasha replies in an indigent voice as they enter the doors of Saint James Middle School’s auditorium. She is with her mother, stepfather, and baby half-sister for the evening performance. 

Her family is welcomed by the sound of string instruments fine-tuning and practicing as they seat themselves. Sasha couldn’t help but feel out of place as she looked around the auditorium and stage before her. There was something familiar yet strange being in the school she once attended. An alien feeling of stage fright also meets her as she knows she’ll eventually have to play in front of the crowd she’s a part of.

“I can drive you any time, kiddo. Pronto!”

Sasha’s feet shuffled with uncertainty. She appreciates the thought, really, however, this was her stepbrother. They’ve grown closer over the years. This was far more important than some school dance.

Together as a family, they search for Sasha’s brother in the orchestra. Sasha’s eyes darted around the center stage for her brother.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay, honey?” Her mother reassures her once more. Sasha understands her reason for it.

Sasha finally finds the familiar face of her brother on stage. She smiles brightly and waves for his attention.

“I’m okay, mom.” 

For her last homecoming night, Sasha is happy where she is.

Chapter Text

“Did you clean your room?”

Early morning Saturdays were usually quiet. This time of hour Anne would usually be asleep, enjoying her days off from school. However, today she was preparing her English project. Her laptop was laid out on the table in the dining room alongside her hand-out rubric. Meanwhile, her mother was busy in the kitchen, washing their dishes left from breakfast.

“Yes Mom,” Anne answered, her voice kept even. She knew her mother wanted the house to be tidy and presentable, especially when guests were over.

Her mom hummed in response while sorting the plates into the dish rack. 

“It’s been a while since you hung out with Sasha. I was surprised to see her with your tennis team at the restaurant the other day. Did you two have a fight or something?”

“No, not exactly,” She croaked, her voice rocky this time, unsure of how to phrase her words.

“We didn't really have any classes together throughout high school…I mean, we still talked every once in a while…but we just kinda drifted off.”

Personally, Anne couldn’t blame her for asking, her mother only wanted to learn more about her daughter, especially who she was spending time with.

“And you have English with her?”

“Yeah, we also have lunch together too.”

Another hum comes out of the older lady, and Anne sees the gears turning in her head. Her mother now understands the events that led to their English project.

“Did she go to homecoming with you?”

“No, not exactly. She went to her little brother’s orchestra concert. 

“Stepbrother,” Anne added.

“Oh, how’s her family? Her mom remarried, is that right?” Anne’s mother asked curiously, wanting to know more about Sasha.

“I don’t know…Sasha doesn’t really talk about them a lot.”

Not like she ever did before, but Anne understood the reason behind it.

“But she seems happy with her family. I mean…she did miss homecoming for her stepbrother.”

Anne wants to continue the conversation and perhaps even gossip about her tennis friend having a crush on the cheerleader. Before she could, the doorbell rang.

“I'll get it!” She cries out, sprinting to the front of the house.

Her face turns into a greeting smile the second the door opens. 

“Hi, Sasha. You’re here early.”

“By five minutes, I think. I texted you that I was on the way.”

Anne remembers how she hasn’t glanced at her phone for a while, regardless, she gestures for Sasha to come in. As the girl takes off her shoes, she notices the blonde is wearing her school letterman jacket, the cool fall season has been settling in lately.

“Merow?" Domino cried out, emerging from between Anne’s ankles. 

“Hey there, Domino,” Sasha lowers herself to the cat's level, squatting down.

The old cat approaches Sasha with her tail high up in the air, curious at the arrival of an unfamiliar face in the house, and chuckles come out of Sasha. Tilting her head, Domino rubs her head against Sasha’s legs, letting out a soft purr.

“She likes you!” Anne’s mother cries out as she enters the living room. “She’s normally mean or nervous around strangers.”

“Well, I think it’s probably because Domino remembers her from way back when, that’s why,” Anne adds.

“What can I say? I’m irresistible like that,” Sasha sings proudly, stroking the black feline by her chin and Anne rolls her eyes. The cat meows in delight at the attention and scratching she is receiving.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, how have you been, Sasha?”

“I’ve been alright, just school and stuff.”

“Have you eaten? Are you hungry?” Anne’s mother asks abruptly.

Sasha opens her mouth to answer, but the older woman cuts her off before she can even say anything.

“Oh, let me make some pork toast and Thai tea!” Anne’s mother clapped her hands in delight and quickly went off into the kitchen. 

Sasha’s eyes widened, flabbergasted at both of the women’s kindness and swiftness. Practically in defeat, the blonde cheerleader reaches out to the kitchen with her arm.

“No… it’s okay…you really don’t have to…” She croaked, clearly feeling bad that Mrs. Boonchuy was going out of her way for Sasha.

Anne couldn’t help but laugh at Sasha’s stunned expression on her face. She jabbed her friend with her elbow, with a snark on her face.

“Don’t worry, dude. That’s her love language, plus you’ll love pork toasts. They’re to die for!” Anne explains, barely containing her excitement. The idea of her friend trying out a homemade snack from her Thai heritage was filling. She was proud of her culture and sharing it with anyone meant everything to her.

Moments later, the two girls finally settle down at the dining table. Sasha strips off her leathermen and rolls up the sleeves of her shirt. She pulls her things out for their project and opens her laptop. There’s a bunch of school supplies in her hands as she reviews the rubric silently laid out on the table.

Rarely does Anne host school projects at her house, so it felt odd to have a friend before her at their dining table, a focused Sasha at the very least. Even while doing schoolwork, Sasha manages to still look flawless. 

Her hair falls elegantly past her shoulders until she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, and for a split second, Anne is reminded of Sasha performing at the homecoming game. The cheerleader before her was just as amazing and gorgeous here at her house as she was on the football field.

The mole underneath her left eye even compliments the visible scar on the right side of her face. Anne remembers when they returned to Earth after the events of the frog invasion, she apologized innumerable times for the scar she left on Sasha. Despite everything, the girl always responded with the exact same answer that she deserved it anyway.

“You okay?”

Anne blinks. She reminds herself that it’s rude to stare.

“Or are you falling for me, Boonchuy?” Sasha teases as a toothy grin graces her lips.

“Oh, shut up,” Anne blushes and rolls her eyes because she knows there’s playfulness in her friend’s words. “You’ve been watching too many K-dramas.”

The room explodes in laughter and eventually dies down when the two of them mention the latest Korean dramas they’ve watched until they remember the main reason why they were here in the first place. Powerpoint and document files are created back to back, and Sasha is the first to speak.

“So for the visual part of the project, I was thinking maybe putting together a collage that represents the characters and theme of the book?”

Anne hums to herself. “We could do that. Maybe we could make hand-written letters. Like crumble and open them up to give the full vintage feel. Oh, we could even draw out the characters!”

“Yeah! I can use some of the art supplies from my class to help paint or write out some quotes from the book!” Sasha suggests, quickly typing their ideas into her laptop.

Working together, the day is spent on their class project.

After several hours of brainstorming, researching, and devouring tasty pork toasts, the two girls were settling into their project pretty well. To Sasha’s surprise, the both of them actually work exceptionally great together. 

In the beginning, the two girls managed to find supportive quotations and evidence for the project. Sasha did most of the page-flipping and searching, while Anne was the one who cited the quotes properly. Together, they divide and conquered the slides for their PowerPoint presentation.

To Anne’s surprise, Sasha managed to whip out decent sketches of the characters for the project’s visuals, and together they almost finished coloring the collage entirely. Now they only have to buy and assemble the necessary props for their collage some other time.

The idea of a study break finally settles into Sasha as she lets out an audible groan while stretching her back. After that, she slumps over the study table exhaling a loud sigh. With her head resting on her arms, Sasha decides to glance over at Anne.

The girl’s hair was collected in a messy ponytail and she still wore a studious expression on her face. Her attention was on her laptop as she typed up a PowerPoint slide.

Not only was Anne an unbelievable athlete, but her work ethic was strong even in her studies. She really goes above and beyond. For a beat, Sasha thought Anne was incredible , really.

Probably noticing that Sasha was staring, Anne looked up from her laptop, and the two locked eyes for a moment. Sasha is taken aback when she meets the gaze of amber brown eyes she’s grown too familiar with.

Suddenly, she feels a gentle tap on her nose.

“Boop,” Anne says, poking the cheerleader. The silly word barely comes out above a whisper.

Not knowing how to react, Sasha blinks, processing what just happened. Her reaction must have been priceless because Anne could barely hold back her giggles.

“You’re not falling for me, are you now, Waybright?” Anne mimicked Sasha’s condescending, teasing tone in between the breaths of her laughter.

Sasha’s eyes widen and she feels her cheeks burn. The warm sensation spreads to the nape of her neck. It was one thing for Sasha to poke fun at Anne, but another for her friend to reciprocate the teasing. And by god, she was starting to really enjoy hearing her last name out of Anne’s lips.

“I do not sound like that!” Sasha sits up straight, her voice squeaks.

Anne cries out even more in laughter and for some reason, Sasha’s heart swells hearing the girl laugh. Seeing their laptops laid before them, a trail of thought comes to her mind.

“Oh, yeah. How are your college applications going?”

Anne stifles her last teary laugh behind her hand, “Sorry,” she clears her throat for a second and her lips form into an excited smile. “I forgot to tell you! When we were texting the other night, you actually gave me a lot of inspiration. I ended up finishing that prompt a couple of days later.”

“Nice, that’s good to hear! What did you end up writing about?”

“My experience with the Plantars and Thai community. I feel like that sets me apart or like makes me stand out, you know?”

Sasha nods her head, she knew how much they meant to her.

“I never asked you and I’m surprised my mom hasn’t yet,” Anne ends her sentence with a scoff. “She likes to interrogate my friends and everything, but what are your plans for the future?”

“Oh… I never really thought about it,” Sasha blinks. Truthfully, Sasha hasn’t really thought much of college, nothing really spoke to her even after a couple of counselor sessions she’s had at school. Her parents reassured her to take her time, reminding her that it’s never a race, but that never stopped her from comparing herself to the kids who knew what they were doing.

Sasha’s stomach drops and she suddenly feels embarrassed, ashamed really. She looks away, hiding the insecurity in her eyes. She decides to take in the environment around her.

It’s been forever since Sasha’s been over at the Boonchuy’s, yet it remained the same as Sasha remembered it back in middle school. Maybe with more pictures displayed and the tennis medals Anne won throughout high school.

Again, Sasha thinks how truly incredible Anne is. She was already prepared for college, the next chapter of her life. Meanwhile, Sasha wasn’t. She looked pitiful in comparison

She was a disappointment, Sasha knew it and her mind spiraled.

There’s a light punch on her arm. 

“Don’t worry, dude. You’ll figure it out, you’re really really smart, trust me.”

Sasha snaps out of it, she wants to say something, but there’s a pause when she meets Anne’s familiar brown eyes. They were full of reassurance.

Words arrange and rearrange in Sasha’s head, and she takes a deep breath.

Her voice is quiet, but it doesn’t fail her. “Thanks.”

She breathes again. Her smile is confident this time and Anne returns one as well. Warmth spreads in Sasha’s chest, and she doesn’t know how to describe it.

“I still don’t know yet. I was thinking about community college, maybe getting some of my basics out of the way.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Anne starts, “Nothing wrong with taking your time.”

In an instant, the familiar fluttering sensation fills Sasha’s heart again as she stares in front of her. With Anne, she felt confident, safe, secure, and overflowing emotions that she couldn’t put into words.

Sasha is caught up in the moment until Mrs. Boonchuy enters the room. The sensation in her heart slowly disappears.

“How’s the project going, girls? It sounds like it’s going great.”

“Oh yeah, we got this project in the bag, Mrs. B!” Sasha cried out, hoping that the woman didn’t witness the vulnerable moment between the two girls. She winced internally at how loud her words were. 

Anne nods, and her focus shifts to her mother who is looking at their work. 

“We just need a few more things for the visual part of the project and work on our slides a little bit more.”

Mrs. Boonchuy simply hums. “That’s good to hear.” 

The older woman straightens and turns towards Sasha. 

“It’s getting late, you should join us for dinner, Sasha.”

Sasha checks her phone for the time. She didn’t realize how late it was. Time really flies when you’re busy, huh?

“Uhh…I wouldn’t want to impose.”

Mrs. Boonchuy chuckles. “Oh, you wouldn’t be imposing. I did invite you after all.”

“Err…” Sasha hesitates, not knowing what to say. She looks over at Anne for approval.

Anne shrugs, “I mean, why not?”

The room is quiet. Sasha asks, “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, dude. You gotta try out the Boonchuy home specialties, anyways.” 

“Well, if you all are fine with it. Let me text my mom.”

Together, Anne and Sasha both helped prepare and set up the dining table, and it didn’t take long for Mr. Boonchuy to arrive home just in time for dinner. The food felt more like a full-course buffet rather than a simple family dinner. She couldn’t tell whether this was their typical household dinner or if Mrs. Boonchuy had prepared the meal especially for her.

“This is amazing, what is this?” Sasha asks after gulping down her food. She reaches over for a second serving of the soup and notices Anne’s bright smile.

The evening proceeds with Sasha learning and eating delicious Thai cuisines before her with the Boonchuy’s.

Chapter Text

It was late October in the school year, a few weeks after Anne and Sasha presented their project. To their surprise, their presentation was well-received by their classmates and the two earned themselves perfect scores.

At last, Anne is finally submitting her college applications after months of preparation. Currently sitting at the dining table, she squints at her laptop. Despite her poor computer running on empty with fifty open tabs, she’s making sure everything is perfect. The girl double checks, no, triple checks the list of requirements on the school’s application website.

“Okay… I got my letter of recommendation from Mr. Robinson…” She mumbled to herself with her fingers up, counting the items off  the list. “Got coach’s letter… and the physics teacher from last year… yeah okay.”

Letter of recommendation, check. Financial Aid? Erm, she thinks she filled that correctly. Test scores, personal statement, transcripts, check. Resume and written responses, check. She’s got everything!

A deep breath enters her lungs. “Here goes,” Anne says to herself, dragging her mouse on the screen to click the large submit button. Finally, she releases a big sigh, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders.

“How’s it going?” Her father asks curiously, poking his head into the dining room.

Anne looks up from her laptop.“I finally turned in my college applications.”

A proud smile graces her father’s lips as he rushes towards his daughter. He scoops her into a hug then kisses her forehead, his voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m so proud of you, kiddo.”

Embarrassed, Anne groans. “Daaaaad.” A smile creeps on her face, she still embraces her father regardless.

“What’s going on here?” Anne’s mother questions, walking in to see what the whole commotion was.

“Our little girl is going to college!”

Her mother’s eyes widen and Anne swears her pupils dilate. She smiles brightly, dashing towards the two of them, wrapping her arms around them.

While the Boonchuy’s are a loving family, they were a busy one too, especially when it came to managing the family restaurant. Anne knows that rarely do they have moments like these. Sure, her parents were there to celebrate her tennis victories, but this moment was far different. Probably the last time the three of them were like this was when Anne finally reunited with her family the day she returned to Earth for the very first time.

The affection gets to Anne as her heart swells just thinking about her parents. She thinks of their sacrifices, patience, and love. From their playful sword fights at SpendCo to her father’s nerdy movie nights, Anne wouldn’t trade her parents for anything else.

She is the first to say something in between their special moment, “Hold your horses, it’s not like I got accepted yet!”

“Oh, honey, but you will.”

“We know you will. And whichever college my little girl goes to, we’ll be right there to support her.”

After a moment, the Boonchuy’s finally let go of each other. Anne’s father ruffles her hair while her mother claps her hands, breaking the silence.

“We should celebrate! Let’s go out to eat tonight.”

“Oh, oh! What about that new hotpot place that opened next to SpendCo? I think they still have their grand opening specials,” Anne’s father suggests. You can’t go wrong with hotpot.

Anne’s parents went upstairs to change for their late-night celebration while she stayed downstairs to gather her belongings.

Bing!

As she hears the notification go off, her phone glows brightly. She pulls it closer to her face and skims the words on the phone screen.

“MOOOOM!” 

Anne walks into the living room, yelling across the house. She very well knows that her mom is busy upstairs and that the woman would not hear her at all. And she knows very well she’ll have to run up the stairs anyway to repeat herself.

“MOOOOM!”

“What!?” Her mom’s voice is faint from upstairs.

Anne takes a step up the stairs, and she yells again. 

“There’s a Halloween party next weekend! Can I go?”

“I can’t hear you! Come up here!”

A groan comes out of Anne as she races up the staircase. She still calls out to her mom, maybe, hopefully, she’ll hear her better this time. 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Mom, I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

Today is finally Halloween. Right after school, Sasha’s younger siblings quickly finished their schoolwork and chores. Now, they were occupied in their rooms getting ready for the much anticipated night. Meanwhile, Sasha and her mother stood in the kitchen, preparing for the trick-or-treating festivities while waiting on the youngsters.

“Okay, but please don’t let Lily out of your sight. Oh, and have your phone ringer on too.”

Sasha’s mother tends to worry, maybe a little too much for her own good. It was an unhealthy tendency Sasha was too familiar with growing up. At times, it can be annoying and ridiculous, but she tolerates it for today.

“I know, Mom.”

“And make sure your brother doesn’t get too rowdy. Don’t forget to bring water,” She says, quickly packing water bottles into Sasha’s bag.

“I was about to do that,” Sasha rolls her eyes. “Honestly, mom, we’ll be fine.”

Her mother approaches her eldest daughter, tucking a lock of Sasha’s hair behind her ear. This catches the girl off guard. 

When Sasha looks up, her mother’s forest green eyes are there, staring at her. They seem tired, but not as exhausted as when she was with her father. Instead, her gaze is brighter, happier even, and Sasha knows it’s thanks to their new family.

“I can tag along, you know,” Her mom insists, there is a playful tone in her words.

Sasha wants to say something but the older woman cuts her off.

“Look at you.” She sighs, pushing back another lock of hair behind Sasha’s other ear. Her hand slides onto Sasha’s cheek, they are so warm.

“My little girl, all grown up, taking care of her family.”

Sasha blinks, returning a soft smile to her mother. She raises her hand to the warmth on her cheek.

“I don’t think this outfit shows that, Mom.” Sasha laughs, she looks down, gesturing to herself. 

After watching the animated film, Training Dragons, Sasha’s youngest sister was obsessed. It was all the little girl ever talked about that she even dressed up in a dragon-onesie. And as the little boss of the house, she got Sasha to match with her.

Resembling one of the girl’s favorite characters, Sasha’s hair was neatly collected into a side braid. The blonde was in a Viking-like suit of armor she bought alongside her sister. She wore a red sleeveless shirt that had faux metal arm guards. Long gauntlets on her forearms paired with her black gloves. On her back, Sasha wore a fur cape, coordinating with her fur-lined combat skirt.

Being in armor that was light and not designed for combat, better yet for war, felt strange to Sasha. The costume resembled her commander uniform she wore in Amphibia so much that it nearly gave her whiplash.

“Well, I think you look dashing,” Her mom kisses her lightly on the forehead, she continues. 

“What time is your friend’s Halloween party?”

“Stacy said it starts at eight-thirty.”

After answering her mother’s question, Sasha remembers to ask. “Is it okay if I use your car to go?”

She hums. “Just be careful when you go, there’s a lot of people going out tonight. And try to be home by midnight.”

Sasha nods. “I will.”

Unfortunately, Sasha’s Halloween was a little too busy as she would have preferred, but it was customary to go trick-or-treating with her siblings. The plan was to go out with them and return home in time for the party.

“SASHAAAAA!” A voice calls out for her. The blonde’s heart nearly leaps out of her chest as she quickly whips her head around to the source of the commotion.

Her younger brother enters the kitchen, wearing a long black leather hooded coat that is a bit too big for him. In his hands are two plastic swords in the shape of giant keys. If Sasha remembered correctly, the outfit is from his favorite game, Hearts of the Kingdom. She remembers Marcy talking about that specific video game series once upon a time.

“Can you teach me how to dual wield again?”

Immediately, Sasha barks out a laugh.

“I’m serious! You make it look so easy.”

“Here, let me show you.”

Gesturing to her brother for the fake sword, he tosses one of them to her and she catches it by the handle. Again, it was odd. In her hands, the plastic prop held to be extremely light, a laughable comparison to the actual swords Sasha used in the past. A wave of deja vu hits her once more as she spins the keyblade forward and positions herself into a fighting stance. Her swordsmanship still holds up well to this day.

Sasha couldn’t help but grin to herself as she remembers her training with Grime back in Amphibia. She recalls the very first time he taught her how to wield a blade. In her best efforts, she reenacts that vivid lesson with her brother.

-

An hour into trick-or-treating, the sun was setting as the clouds glow orange and purple, welcoming the sparkling moon and stars. Along with the many other trick-or-treaters out on the streets, Sasha and her siblings were celebrating Halloween to the fullest. Her sister swears they’ve collected far more candy than last year while her brother repeatedly spins his fake sword for the full effect of his costume.

“Sasha, Sasha!” Her sister, Lily, cried out, her mouth full of chocolate and M&Ms, “Can we go to that spooky house over there?”

“Sure, we can, but hold on,” Sasha pauses in her tracks, crouching down to the height of the little girl. She wipes off the chocolate and crumbs off the six-year-old. “You shouldn’t be eating candy while we’re walking.”

Her sister huffs, crossing her arms, but doesn’t retaliate. Sasha couldn’t help, but giggle at the sight of the little girl sulking in the adorable dragon-onesie.

“Come on!” Sasha’s brother says impatiently, far up ahead, though he’s standing and waiting for the both of them. His keyblades rest on his shoulders as he holds them up. “You guys are so slow.”

Eventually, the three siblings approach the house. Thick eerie fog surrounds the facility like a blanket and Sasha has to squint her eyes to see at all. The front yard was filled with gothic-like pillars, fences, and creepy graveyards. Alongside the walkway of the house stood a variety of Halloween animatronics of skeletons, werewolves, and vampires. At random moments, the robots would move their arms and mouths suddenly, flashing in illuminating lights.

Sasha looked over at her little sister, she was trembling, clearly looking like she was having second thoughts about the house.

“Hey, it’s okay. There’s nothing to be scared about, you can hold onto me if you want to.” 

Her sister doesn’t answer her at first. She wraps herself around Sasha’s arm, holding on tightly. A loud gulp comes from her throat. After a bit, she nods her head towards Sasha, ready to face her fears.

“Vincent! Wait for us!” The girl cries out to their brother as she runs to catch up, dragging Sasha in an awkward shuffling pace.

As they walked up to the house, the animatronics jumped and jolted aggressively, even scaring the nearby trick-or-treaters walking with the siblings. Lily flinches but pursues; she has her older sister after all. Cobwebs are everywhere at the doorstep, and Sasha makes sure to not walk into them. The commitment the household had for Halloween was honestly impressive.

One of the trick-or-treaters rings the bell and everyone gradually settles down, waiting for the door to open any second now. Sasha hears the door unlock and a friendly old man steps out to the doorway.

“Trick-or-treat!” 

“Well, aren’t you all the cutest bunch!”

In his hand, the man is holding a big bag of candy. While complimenting each costume, he tosses a generous amount of candy in the bags and buckets of the trick-or-treaters. Sasha doesn’t have one, instead, she smiles, watching her siblings happily collect their stash of treats.

“Don’t forget to say thank you,” Sasha reminds them, gesturing her head towards the man.

“Thank you!” Lily cries out excitedly, and the group of kids that were with them follow her example and do the same, thanking the house owner in unison. After that, they bid their farewells. On the way out, they meet another group of trick-or-treaters who are experiencing the spooky house for the first time.

A breeze hits Sasha’s hair as she realizes the setting sun is no longer with them as the cool night sky takes over. There are barely any clouds out, only the moon and the stars with it shine brightly overhead. The three of them head their way to the next house.

“See, that wasn’t too bad,” Vincent starts, glancing down at the younger girl as they walk.

Lily, now full of confidence, hums in response. “It’s because I had Sasha with me.”

“Huh!?” The brother gaped at the girl’s response in full offense. “What about me? I was with you too.”

“You weren’t holding my hand,” Lily says, sticking her tongue out to him. The boy frowns in return.

“Alright alright,” Sasha laughs, trying to settle the two down. 

Her laughter suddenly dies and Sasha blinks, pausing in her tracks. Realization dawns on her as she notices the familiar house they are heading towards.

It was Anne’s.

In contrast to their neighbor, the Boonchuy household seems to celebrate the spooky holiday through a minimalist approach. Halloween lights in orange and purple decorate the rooftop of the house. Jack-o-lanterns with an assortment of carved faces glow brightly on the front porch of the house. Sasha couldn’t help, but wonder if she would see Anne tonight, she let her imagination spiral in her head as different scenarios played out. 

At the same time, an alien of shyness meets Sasha as the three siblings walk up to the door of Anne’s house. Is she even home? Of course, she is, why wouldn’t she be? What would she think of her silly costume? Despite the cool evening, Sasha’s palms were sweaty and she didn’t know the reason why.

Her brother rings the doorbell and Sashas secretly holds her breath in silence when the door cracks open. A group of children including her siblings cry out together.

“Trick-or-treat!”

Sasha hears Anne’s friendly voice cry out and sees her friend on the other side of the doorway. The girl wasn’t dressed up in a costume, instead, she wore her everyday clothes. 

“Hey everyon-” 

Anne suddenly stops amidst her words, turning to her friend. The two lock eyes.

“Sasha?”

“Hey,” Sasha greets back, hoping Anne doesn't notice how her voice cracks.

At this point, the trick-or-treaters are lining up behind each other, wanting to collect their candy. Anne tosses candy in each of their bags, although her attention is still on her friend. Sasha pretends she doesn’t notice the girl taking a moment to give her a quick once over.

“What are you doing here?” Anne asks with a curious smile, still digesting her friend’s unexpected visit, better yet her whole costume.

Sasha gestures towards her siblings. With her head in her bag, Lily was counting how much candy she received from Anne. Meanwhile, her brother already retreated out to the front yard, waiting on his sisters.

“Trick-or-treating with family.”

“That’s cool, dude. You’re like the last person I was expecting to be trick-or-treating.” Anne raises an eyebrow, then points at Sasha, “And not in that.”

Letting out an awkward laugh, Sasha again gestures towards the little girl in front of them.

“This one here insisted.”

“Hey, Sasha! I think I see my friends from school. I’m going to the house across the street with them.” Vincent hollers, letting his sister know about his whereabouts. Sasha turns around to wave him off as he walks off.

“Oh…oh…wait. Just.”

“Huh?” Sasha responds, quickly returning her attention to Anne.

“W-wait, wait. Hold on,” Anne’s arms are up, reaching for Sasha’s hair. Puzzled, Sasha immediately takes a step back, she turns around again to see what’s the problem and looks back at Anne.

“Stop moving.”

“O-okay,” Sasha stiffens as Anne inches over towards her. “Is there something…?”

She tenses for a second when the small gap between them disappears, the both of them are a breath away from one another. Too close! Sasha’s heart aches and she can practically hear it thump loudly against her ears. In her mind, she wants to scream, but she bites her tongue. With Anne so close, Sasha prays she doesn’t stink of sweat after the hours of trick-or-treating. Or that she hears her heart pounding.

“Yeah, I got it,” Anne repeats, “I got it, it’s just a couple of cobwebs in your hair.”

Sasha remembers the fake webs were probably from the last house they were at. She’s fumbling with her words now, not knowing what to say. The best she manages is, “Oh, okay… Thanks.”

When she feels Anne’s fingers brush against her hair, picking the webs out, she finally relaxes. Her fingers run through her hair. The cobwebs are stubborn, but Anne is gentle.

“You know…” Anne starts.

She looks down at Sasha’s outfit while still picking the cobwebs out of her hair.

“This takes me back. You look like you’re back at the resistance. When you were commander.”

“Hey now, I wasn’t the only commander. Partnership, remember?”

Anne giggles. “Although you’re a lot more buff in this get-up last I remembered.”

Sasha laughs alongside her, her ears warming up at the compliment. “Why, thank you Boonchuy.”

There’s a silence between the two of them as Anne continues to clean up Sasha’s hair. And for a moment, Sasha’s heart settles and she embraces the familiar warmth in her chest. She watches Anne’s eyes concentrate on her hair. Anne notices, and the two meet eyes. Those all-too-familiar dark brown orbs, Sasha couldn’t get enough of them. The world around them seems to slow down as the illuminating porch light casts an enchanting glow on Anne’s skin. Nothing else comes across Sasha’s mind except that Anne was truly beautif-

“KITTY!”

The two girls are interrupted by the scream coming from Sasha’s younger sister. They stand up straight abruptly, both as if caught in the act of committing a crime. Quickly, Sasha lets out a loud cough, clearing her throat while Anne looks the other way.

Although Sasha can’t see Anne's face fully, she swears there’s pink tingling in her cheeks.

“O-okay! All better.”

“Thanks,” Sasha mutters, and she can’t help but admit she misses the close space between the two of them. She glances down at her feet and sees Domino the cat currently visible at the doorway. Lily, who was kneeling, is interested in the feline’s presence.

“Can I pet him?”

“Domino’s a girl,” Sasha corrects her.

“Can I pet her?” Lily asks once more, this time looking up at Anne for permission.

“Yeah! Only if she lets you.”

Pestering Domino’s name repeatedly, the little girl waves the cat over. Her attempts are futile. It wasn’t until Sasha crouched down, that attracted the animal closer.

“Meow!”

Domino is eager to greet Sasha, rubbing herself against her legs while purring. An opportunity opens for Lily as she runs her fingers through the feline’s luscious fur.

“Domino likes me now!”

After receiving a fair amount of attention and simulation, Domino retreats back inside the house. Lily reaches her hand out for the kitty, “No! Don’t go!”

Giggles come out of both Anne and Sasha and Anne is the first to say something, “If you’d like…” She pauses and raises her eyebrow at the girl, hoping for an introduction.

“Lily!”

Anne laughs once more, “Well, Lily,” she says with great emphasis. “If you’d like, you can visit some other day and spend some time with Domino.”

“Really?”

Lily turns towards her older sister for approval. “Can we?”

Sasha stands up. She’s a bit taken aback by the offer. “Well, I don’t see why not.”

Hope fills Lily’s eyes as she cheers in excitement. The expression she wears reminds Sasha of when she agreed to match Halloween costumes with her sister.

“Let’s go tomorrow!”

“Well, hold your horses,” The volume of Sasha’s voice is loud and stern. At some point, she had to put her foot down.

“She’s feisty, isn’t she?” Anne laughs.

“Don’t indulge her,” Sasha rolls her eyes. “Lily, remember I have a Halloween party tonight. I need Sunday to catch up with homework.”

A whine comes out of Lily, and Sasha continues sincerely, “Maybe we can come over whenever Anne and her family are okay with it.”

At Sasha’s words, Anne blinks. “Wait, you’re going to Stacy’s party?”

“Yeah, are you?”

“Well, I was going to but..." Anne pauses and her eyes narrow with uncertainty. “My ride actually bailed on me last minute.”

A fiery rage fuels within Sasha. Clenching her hands into fists, the idea of someone flaking Anne irks her. Without thinking, she volunteers, “I can pick you up if you’d like.”

Anne blinks, clearly taken aback. “Would that be okay?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t it be? You’re my friend.”

Calling Anne a friend felt foreign to Sasha despite their time together lately. Even though they weren’t close throughout high school, Sasha feels like this semester so far deserves the title of friendship.

Instantly, a pair of arms wrap around Sasha and she stumbles back at the weight against her. That doesn’t stop her from clinging onto Anne, reciprocating the hug.

“Oh, thank you!” She repeats, “Thank you! My mom is using my car right now and I thought my costume was going to be a waste!”

Lily’s pouting causes the two girls to let go of each other. The girl cries out, “So, when can I see Domino?”

Anne leans down on her knees to the girl’s height, “I’ll let you know, okay, Lily? You’ll get as much Domino time as you’d like.”

Ecstatic on the confirmation, Lily cheers and the two of them bid farewell to Anne and a sly Domino who peeked out at the very last minute. They eventually meet up with their brother and continue trick-or-treating for a bit more alongside the boy’s friends.

At some point, Sasha calls it a night and decides to wrap up things, not because of her party later, but also for Lily’s sake as well. The little girl grew tired, her feet were getting sore and eventually wanted to go home. Their brother decides to continue trick-or-treating alongside his school friends, and Sasha reckons he’ll be fine without her company.

As soon as the two sisters return home, Sasha is instantly on her feet and cleans her mother’s car that she’d be using later that night. She hopes to at least have the car presentable. After that, she takes a quick shower, fixes her hair, reapplies make-up, and puts on her Halloween costume once again.

The moment she steps outside, the frigid air causes her to instantly shiver. She decides to bring her letterman jacket with her.

Sasha’s ready and her night was only just beginning.

Chapter Text

The moment Anne opens the front door, Sasha’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Whoa. Now that’s a blast from the past.”

“Dude, I could literally say the same thing with your get-up.”

“Okay, my costume is from a movie. Those leaves and sticks in your hair are like a trademark for you, Boonchuy.” Sasha gestures towards herself and then to Anne with full effect in comparison.

Anne’s costume was pretty straightforward, she chose to go as a zombie for this Halloween. Thrifting vintage clothes and applying fake blood on her face and outfits wasn’t too difficult. To add some flare and oomph, Anne decided to add the twigs and leaves to her hair, mirroring her time back at Amphibia. Perhaps she was feeling nostalgic, or maybe in a way, she was honoring her amphibian friends.

“Do you think it’s a bit much?” Anne asked for some reassurance, glancing up at her hair. Sasha straightens up, most likely taken back at the question, but her face softens.

“I think you look great. Plus if anything, I’m the silly one here. I’m basically one of Marcy’s Creatures and Caverns characters.”

“Oh, Marcy would FREAK if she saw you in this. We should take a selfie and send it to her!” Anne cries out excitedly, whipping out her phone and extending her arm out to get the two girls in the frame. Sasha is quick to pose in the frame of the phone camera, laughing.

“She definitely would. I wonder what she’ll think when she sees us.”

Grinning, Sasha holds up a peace sign while Anne smiles at the thought of Marcy fangirling over their costumes, remembering how nerdy and passionate their childhood friend can get.

“Three…Two…One…Cheese!”

After the photo, the two girls climb into Sasha’s car. 

The ride to the party was slightly awkward as the radio filled the silence between the two. However, Anne didn’t mind as she took in the vehicle's interior. Strangely, the car smells nice and well-maintained (was it recently cleaned?)

For the first time in a while, she was able to relax in the passenger’s seat. Normally, Anne, herself, was the one driving her friends around. On the rare occasions when they did drive, she held onto her seatbelt for her dear life.

Sasha’s driving is smooth and steady as she turns into the upcoming neighborhood ahead of them. She keeps her eyes on the road while being attentive to the car’s speed.

While being in the passenger seat was already a foreign feeling for Anne, it was a nice change of pace not having to hold her breath while a friend drove. Anne looks out the window.

Now that she thought about it. Anne’s never been in the same car as Sasha.

“So this is your mom’s car?” Anne asks curiously. For the fun of it, she counts how many trick-or-treaters there are as they drive by them.

“Yeah. My mom and I share this car. My stepdad has a truck for work.” Sasha explains, making another turn in the neighborhood.

Anne opens her mouth to ask what her stepdad does for a living, but she is cut off by the spam of vibrations from both of the girls’ phones.

“Marcy,” The both of them said together in unison. 

“Jinx, you owe me a soda!” Anne points out in a singing and teasing voice. Sasha rolls her eyes in response. 

While replying to Marcy’s complimenting messages and questions in their shared group chat, Anne feels the car come to a slower speed. She looks up from her phone as they finally pull into the driveway. Immediately, Anne’s jaws drop.

“Holy crap! This place is huge!” Anne cries out loudly, leaning closer to the car's windshield to get a better look at the house. 

“Have you never been to Stacy’s place?” Sasha asks, shifting the stick into parking, switching the car engine off, and taking out her car keys.

“No, not really,” Anne replies honestly and she doesn’t know if Sasha could hear as she opens and hops out of the car. Realization hits Anne as she hears the loud music from the party. When was the last time she went to a high school party?

“You’ll be okay, I’ll be here if you need me,” Sasha reassures Anne as they both walk up to the house. She pauses for a moment, thinking. “Besides, weren’t Anthony and your other tennis nerds coming anyways?”

“We’re not nerds,” Anne jabs Sasha in the side with her elbow at the playful comment, earning herself a chuckle from the cheerleader.

Arriving at the front, they both could hear the blaring EDM music muffled behind the door. Anne assumes to ring the doorbell, but to her surprise, the door is unlocked as Sasha opens the door without any hesitation.

Once entering the house, the music rings loudly into Anne’s eardrums. Her jaw hangs open, gawking at how enormous the place is inside. Multi-colored lights lit up the dark house as foggy smoke filled the air. People in costumes held red solo cups that had brewing smokey dry ice, matching the Halloween ambiance.

To her left, there’s a room filled with countless kids in costumes and dancing to the DJ’s music. To her right, wait. Anne double-takes back to the room, THERE’S A DJ!?

“SASHAAAA!” A group of cheerleaders screams at the arrival of their fellow cheerleaders. Both Anne and Sasha whip their attention towards the group of girls, the cheerleaders hug and crowd over Sasha.

“OMG! Your costume is so fetch!”

“Did you make that yourself?”

“Where have you been, girlfriend? We have to take pictures together later!”

“Yeah, we definitely should.” Sasha scratches the back of her head nervously from all the sudden attention, she takes the time to answer their interrogating questions and catch up with her friends. Immediately, Anne feels like she’s the odd one out and wonders if the cheerleaders even know she’s standing next to them at the very moment.

“Well, it was nice seeing y’all!”

“Yeah, we’re gonna check out the football players now.”

“BYEEEE!” The group of cheerleaders said their farewells to Sasha. One of the girls even compliments Anne’s costume as they leave, catching the tennis player off-guard that she doesn’t say thank you back in time.

“What were their names again? I know the shorter one is Tina,” Anne asks Sasha, squinting at the girls from afar. Admittedly, Anne should know their names by now because of how often the cheerleaders have been hanging out with the tennis team recently.

Sasha laughs and then patiently explains to Anne each of the cheerleaders individually and their names, “So the one in the princess costume is…”

“Oh my gosh, hey guys!” They looked up to see a figure approaching them. Anne’s face lights up, she waves at the girl.

“Hey, Stacy!” Anne excitedly greets her. She didn’t need reminding from Sasha to know that Stacy was the school’s cheer captain. Not only that, she was one of the few cheerleaders that took the time to chat with Anne, which she liked about her.

“Your costume is so cool, by the way! I really like the twigs and leaves in your hair, how long did it take you to put it together?” Stacy asks while raising her red cup and gesturing towards Anne.

“O-oh, thank you,” Anne manages to say, she continues, “It only took me a couple of hours to do the hair, the fake blood wasn't too hard. You look cute in your cowgirl get-up too!”

“It’s not much, but thank you,” Stacy looks down at her costume. She pats her shirt down, trying to smooth out the wrinkles. Her focus switches to Sasha, “And, Sasha? I love how you did your braid. You look like you came out from a movie, what are you dressed as?”

“Haha, That one girl from Training Dragons, my little sister is obsessed with that movie.”

“Oh okay, I see you, girl. I’m so happy you guys came! There’s pizza and some Halloween punch. Help yourselves,” Stacy welcomes the girls and points towards the kitchen. Suddenly, her attention focuses on someone behind Anne and Sasha.

“Anthony?” Anne turns around, recognizing the familiar face. The boy was dressed in a panda onesie and looked so silly that she couldn’t take him seriously.

“Anne?”

“How’s it going, dude?” Anne asks while trying to stifle her laugh, but is also happy about the fact that someone else she knows is here.

“Doing great,” He answers as they fist bump. Anthony then notices the other girls with Anne. His face lights up in a slight blush and he clears his throat. “Hey, Stacy. Hey, Sasha.”

“Did you just get here, Anthony? I was just showing them where the pizza and drinks were,” Stacy explains.

Anthony eyes Sasha, curiously.

“Y-yeah, what a great party!” Anthony’s voice cracks as he nervously smiles, and the girls silently agree not to mention it.

Out of nowhere, glass shatters from another room, and a wave of “Ooooooh” echoes across the house. Anne grimaces, the breaking glass sounds really bad. Stacy turns to the noise and panic fills her face.

Stacy whips her head between the scene and back to her friends. “Oh, my parents would kill me if anything is broken. I g-gotta go."

As she dashes into the other room, she shouts, “Have fun!”

“Wait, I’ll help you out!” Anthony cries out and follows Stacy in a hurry, leaving the two girls alone.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of eating candy. I’m gonna go get myself some pizza,” Sasha says as she heads towards the kitchen.

“Ditto, I’m starving,” Anne follows Sasha, again, eyeing her surroundings to see if she could find anyone else she knew.

The more Anne walked around the house, the more she realized how hot and crowded it was inside. To get to the kitchen, Anne and Sasha both had to squeeze their way between people dancing or idling around.

Entering the kitchen, Anne is able to breathe a bit better. She’s greeted by a few individuals waiting in line and a couple making out in the corner. Gross, Anne didn’t need to see that. She turns her attention to the kitchen counters. There were mountains of pizza boxes, but most of them were empty.

“Sweet, the last slices!” Sasha cries out, digging her way to grab the remaining pizza. She hands one to Anne, “Here.”

“Thanks!” Anne grabs the slice from Sasha and bites into it without hesitation. While they ate, the two girls helped themselves to some of the fruit punch as well. Anne was a little disappointed at how sweet the punch was, but she enjoyed the brewing fog coming out of her cup.

From the living room, the electronic music transitions into a familiar K-pop song that Anne knew from the bottom of her heart. She hears audible feedback from a microphone.

“Alright, everyone! How about we go to an awesome K-pop dance party!?” The DJ cries out into the mic. Air horns blast from the stereo speakers as more people join the dance floor, cheering and singing their lungs out.

“Little bit of this, little bit of that!”

Anne’s eyes light up, recognizing the song. She turns towards Sasha. They exchange looks silently as if they can read each other’s minds.

“Sash, we have to dance!” Anne screams out, brushing the crumbs off her hands and wiping them from her napkin while Sasha does the same.

“Well, what are we waiting for, Boonchuy? Let’s fucking dance!”

Both of them run over to the other room, jumping and joining the dancing crowd. Lost in the music, Anne pulls out whatever dance moves she knows, shaking her hips to the beat of the song. 

Taking a quick glance at Sasha, she sees the girl throw her arms in the air and sway her entire body to the music. Anne laughs at the sight of Sasha dressed in blown-out armor dancing.

“Won't you set me free?” 

Anne and Sasha lock eyes for barely a second while the song amplifies. The chorus drops and the two girls sing and dance the night away.

-

Hours later into the party, Anne finally thinks it’s time for a breather.

Walking to the back of the house, Anne slides open the screen door. Cold air hits her face and she shivers instantly, though it beats staying in the clammy atmosphere.

“Whoa…” Anne admires the massive backyard, there’s a large in-ground pool that lights up the yard. She slides the door shut, still taking in the view.

Surrounding the pool deck are lawn chairs and picnic tables. Anne decides to sit on one of the benches at the tables.

She wonders why the backyard isn’t open for the party, but doesn’t question it too much as she’s glad to have some time for herself. In the corner of her eyes, a familiar blonde head catches her attention. She squints to get a better look and realizes, it’s Sasha!

Standing in the shadows behind the house, Sasha’s on the phone. This causes Anne to hesitate in grabbing her friend’s attention. Anne’s no mind reader, but she could tell Sasha was not her usual self, in fact, she had an uncomfortable look on her face. Her eyes are so cold and frustrated that it reminds Anne of Sasha’s old manipulative and controlling personality back in middle school.

“I told you! I don’t know yet, can you stop bothering me about it?” Sasha speaks out loudly in frustration on her phone. 

She pauses, allowing the speaker on the other line to talk. Anne has a feeling trying to go back into the house will only catch the cheerleader’s attention. The best thing to do was to sit in silence.

“Dad… I could care less about majoring in business. Can you stop bugging me about that!?” Sasha clenches her fists, frowning. Anne senses she wants this phone call to be over with.

“Can you stop trying to control my life?! You’re not even a part of mine! Go tell your other daughter what to do!” Sasha snaps, throwing her hands in the air. The outburst catches Anne off guard as a gasp escapes her. Instantly, she covers her mouth as Sasha whips her head around and stares in Anne’s direction.

Anne’s caught red-handed as Sasha lets out a sigh.

“I’ll call you back later, night, Dad,” Sasha grumbles to the phone in her ear, wrapping up the conversation.

“Hey! Do not hang up on me, young lady! We’re not done ta-” Sasha’s father yells loudly on the other line that even Anne can hear him, but she cuts him off by hanging up. The cheerleader's eyes loosen, perhaps embarrassed that her friend witnessed the entire thing.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Sasha sighs again as she approaches closer to Anne, she sits herself down next to Anne on the bench.

“No, no, I’m sorry for intruding. I didn’t mean to- I was just trying to take a break…” Anne sighs as well from trying to explain herself, she gestures her hand in a circular motion at the house. “From all of that.”

“No, I understand,” Sasha laughs softly while crossing her legs for some comfort

Anne hadn’t noticed before, but the girl had her letterman jacket with her as Sasha placed it on her lap.

There’s a moment of silence between the two of them. So quiet that the muffled music and vibration from the loud bass playing from the party can be heard.

“Hey, Sasha?” Anne starts, looking over at her friend. A gust of cold wind blows and she feels a shiver run through her spine, she does her best to bear it.

“What’s up?”

“I’m sorry about your parent’s divorce. I know we never really talked about it.”

“It’s fine…it happened a long time ago anyways.”

Anne opens her mouth, hesitating to continue the conversation, but she continues anyway.

“How often do you see your dad?” 

“Not often.”

“Do you miss him?”

“I don’t know,” Sasha scratches her head, something Anne always notices when the girl is shy or unsure of herself. She remembers the first day of school when the cheerleader awkwardly approached her at the lunch table. A smile forms as she recalls the distant memory.

“It’s just so hard. I think about everything he’s doing with his new family,” Sasha explains, she bites her lips for a moment before continuing. “His new wife, his new daughter he cares for. How he didn’t leave anything for me and my mom.”

Anne reaches over to grab Sasha’s hand, allowing the girl to continue ranting. Her thumb brushes against Sasha’s warm fingers.

“I get so mad that he tries to reconnect with me. I wish he’d just leave me alone forever and get out of my life.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“You’re right,” Sasha sighs once more. Anne can tell she regrets complaining about her dad, but she admires Sasha for opening up, it takes courage to be this vulnerable.

“Sasha…”

“I don’t actually hate him. It’s just hard to talk with someone you don’t really see often,” Sasha squeezes Anne’s hand a bit tighter. “Sorry, I don’t know where I’m going on with thi-”

“No! It’s okay! You’re fine, really. Do you feel better talking it out?” Anne asks, again she shivers when she feels another gust of wind hit her. Her teeth unwillingly chatter and she rubs her arms to warm herself up.

Sasha nods, grabbing her letterman and wrapping the jacket around Anne, “Here. I bought this with me just in case.”

Anne blinks. The cheerleader is too quick for Anne to even react.

Immediately, she inhales a familiar smell from the jacket. She is reminded of Sasha’s car, but that isn’t quite it. Anne remembers picking out the cobwebs out of Sasha’s hair earlier today. That’s right, the familiar smell belonged to Sasha. Anne inhales the smell silently for the last time before her nose goes blind, the smell is… comforting.  

“Thanks,” Anne manages to say. Sasha looks over at Anne, she opens her mouth a few times, but nothing comes out. Anne knows a lot is going on in her friend’s mind, so she stays patient.

“No problem,” Sasha finally breathes out, “And, Anne…?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” Sasha says at last, her voice quiet. She smiles at Anne. An unfamiliar warmth spreads across Anne’s chest and she can feel it across her cheeks as well. Was the heat from the jacket getting to her? She doesn’t know anymore.

“Yeah, of course. Anytime, Sasha,” Anne says softly, returning a small smile back. 

With the light coming from the pool, Sasha glows radiantly under the night sky and Anne is mesmerized. The two sat, staring at each other for a few minutes, barely registering how fast time was moving. Anne doesn’t mind.

“O-okay!” Sasha awkwardly interrupts the silence, letting out a shaky breath.

“I believe I owe you a soda. Want anything?” Sasha asks, trying her best to regain her composure, but fails to do so. Anne lets out a laugh at the sound of Sasha’s voice cracking.

“I’m fine with anything. Thanks.”

“Alright, sounds good. Wanna head inside now?” Sasha asks, nodding her head towards the house as she stands up. 

“Go in without me. I’ll be there in a bit,” Anne answers, she wanted to stay outside in the fresh air a little bit longer before going back to the rowdy house. Truthfully, she really wanted to sit and stay in Sasha’s jacket.

Sasha nods her head and walks towards the house. Anne watches her as she slides the door open, steps in, then closes the door behind her.

Anne looks up at the night sky. Dark clouds fill them and Anne feels like she’s floating on one of them. She’s fully aware that a big, dopey smile makes its way across her face as Sasha’s jacket keeps her warm.

Moments pass for a bit and Anne finally thinks it’s time for her to go back inside. She sits up from the bench and approaches the glass door. Taking off the lettermen, Anne takes the time to neatly fold it. She looks down, tracing her hand across the soft wool of the jacket. 

Anne smiles, thinking, the two of them have really grown close, haven’t they?

She glances up, about to open the door, but Anne stops herself upon spotting Sasha inside. 

Her smile drops.

Sasha’s hugging Anthony.

The two of them finally let go of each other and chatted about something. Anthony's face is as red as a tomato and he grins proudly as the two speak.

That’s right. She nearly forgot the boy had feelings for her.

Sasha is looking at him with a certain softness on her face. Clearly, the two of them are happy. Time seems to slow down as she watches the two talk and laugh together. Anne’s heart aches and she doesn’t know the reason why. 

She should be happy for them, but her heart says otherwise.

Finally, Anne decides to slide the door open. She stands in the doorway for a moment as thoughts fly in her head, so quickly, so unexpectedly. Anne couldn’t stop herself from thinking the one recurring thought:

Whoever dates Sasha Waybright is a lucky man.

Chapter Text

Sasha hasn’t spoken to Anne since the Halloween party. The weeks that passed felt like months. She feels like Anne’s avoiding her and Sasha can’t help but wonder what went wrong between the two of them. They even stopped texting each other every day, something that Sasha always looked forward to. And if they did chat at lunch, their conversations were typically dry.

Above all else, Sasha would do anything to resolve things with Anne as soon as possible.

Sasha forgot to pack lunch for today so she spent the beginning of lunchtime in line for food. Once receiving her tray with totally appetizing food, Sasha heads toward her usual seating area.

While approaching the table, Sasha notices Anne, who is practically shrinking in her seat. She looks like her head is splitting into two, steading her head with one arm, and rubbing the temples of her forehead.

Perhaps the guardian above was listening to Sasha’s thoughts to present an opportunity like this.

Sasha sits herself down across from Anne. Her friend rubs her face tiredly, causing Sasha to hesitate, but she pushes forward.

“I don’t think I've ever seen you this stressed out.”

Anne sighs and Sasha bites the inside of her cheek a little, unsure if she said the right thing. 

“Is it anatomy?”

No reaction comes out of Sasha’s dearest friend. 

Anne’s collecting herself enough to meet Sasha’s gaze.

A heavy weight lifts off Sasha’s shoulders when Anne’s eyes finally meet hers. Those amber-brown eyes that she’s grown so familiar with. They lack a certain spark that made Anne, well, Anne.

“The family restaurant has so many reservations and parties this weekend.” Anne pauses. “Now my mom’s saying that Ned, our delivery guy, is sick and he won’t be able to cater for this super big wedding.”

She sighs again and looks away from Sasha. “I think everyone’s getting sick because the weather is changing, so I’ve been working overtime for the past three nights.”

Looking back, Sasha has noticed Anne dozing off in their English class a bit more than usual. Sasha’s heart sinks as she connects the dots in her head. It all makes sense now. 

“I’m helping out all I can but we’re so understaffed this weekend.”

Sasha nods understandingly. In the corner of her eye, she notices a couple of football jocks arm-wrestling. They’re horse-playing and yelling, being typical boys. Sasha leans forward, closer to Anne.

“I could help,” She says impulsively.

“That’d be nice,” Anne snorts, not taking Sasha’s words seriously. She looks back at the rowdy boys. 

Seconds pass.

“Wait! What?” Anne shouts loudly, having to doubletake on what Sasha said.

Sasha’s looking at Anne unphased. She was dead serious.

“I’d like to help out,” Sasha repeats herself.

“Oh no! Sash, you’re too nice.” Anne trips over her words. “My parents- I don’t want to impose!”

“I could help cater for that wedding or whatever.”

Maybe she’s getting a bit ahead of herself here, but Anne’s parents have been very kind to Sasha, especially when she came over for their English project. The least she could do was help the Boonchuys.

On the plus side, it’ll be a chance to spend time with Anne again.

Anne looks defeated in the conversation. She takes a moment for the idea to settle in her mind.

“I’ll ask my parents,” Anne finally decides.

“Ask your parents about what?” Anthony interrupts. He and the rest of Anne’s friends approach the lunch table. Anthony slides into the open seat beside Sasha while the rest of them sit into their usual spots, curious about the ongoing conversation.

“Are you planning a party or something?”

The two girls are silent. Sasha’s not sure if it is her business to explain Anne’s problem. Her eyes shift to Anne on whether she wants the conversation about her family’s situation to be public.

Sasha gives Anne a look. They’re her friends.

She takes a deep breath in. “It’s my family restaurant. We’re short-staffed this weekend.”

“Oh cool. I’m down to help out,” Anthony says with a smile. Suddenly, the rest of Anne’s friends volunteer simultaneously.

“I don’t have anything going on this weekend, I don’t mind helping out!”

“Yeah! What do you need us to do?”

“I’ll have to ask my parents, but I think they’ll be happy that I’m out of the house.”

Anthony then sneers. “Anything for our team captain!”

Anne’s face morphs into surprise, confusion, denial, and gratitude, all in that order. She opens her mouth a few times, but nothing comes out. The level of support from her friends left her dumbfounded.

“I think you guys broke her,” Sasha bites back a giggle while the rest of the table bursts out laughing as they watch their team captain nearly cry.

“Wait, guys! I haven’t even asked my parents if they would be okay with this. We can’t pay this many people.”

Sasha looks over at the tennis jocks and has a feeling that she can answer for all of them.

“Your family doesn’t need to pay us. We’re your friends.”

She reaches over the table to grab Anne’s hand, mirroring the time that Anne held hers back at the Halloween party. Anne’s thoughts are like a thick cloud, but the warmth of Sasha’s hand seems to clear her mind.

Anne wipes a tear coming from her eye.

“Oh, alright. Let me text my mom.”

Anne’s been in class more than dozens of times, but today her body sits at her desk full of uncertainty. Maybe the late-night shifts are getting to her.

Seated in front of her is Sasha, her friend who volunteered her weekend for Anne. Not only for Anne but for her family as well.

Meanwhile, Mr. Robinson is lecturing about Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her sonnets. As much as Anne wants to listen, her mind dwells on one thing only. Over and over, the thought of Sasha runs in her head on a loop. She didn’t know it was possible to miss someone even when they were only a few feet away.

Sasha. Sasha Waybright. Sasha Elizabeth Waybright.

Anne couldn’t stop thinking about her. Not just because Sasha was willing to help her family, but also because she didn’t know how to feel about the girl in general. 

For the past couple of weeks, Anne has been working through her emotions about Sasha’s and Anthony’s relationship. She didn’t know how to feel about them or maybe it was because she didn’t know how she felt about Sasha?

Anne clenches her fists tightly.

It doesn’t matter anymore. More than anything else in the world, she wants her friend back. She misses their conversations. She misses teasing Sasha, seeing her cute reaction, and how her eyes soften in a certain way. 

Anne holds her breath for barely a moment. What she should be doing is paying attention to Mr. Robinson’s lecture, but she can’t.

Her phone buzzes lightly in her pocket, interrupting Anne’s spiraling thoughts. 

She reaches for her phone without hesitation.

Her mother texted her: Your friends can help this weekend. Tell Sasha thank you for me.

She writes back: Okay. 👍

Quickly glancing around the classroom to see if the coast was clear. Mr. Robinson’s back faced her, he was busy reading his writing off the whiteboard. Now’s her chance.

Grabbing her pencil, Anne reaches over her desk. She pokes Sasha’s back with the eraser.

“Sasha?" The name leaves her throat in a low whisper, making sure not to bring attention to herself.

Seconds pass as Sasha continues scribbling in her notebook, jotting down their teacher’s commentary. Anne’s unsure if the cheerleader is ignoring her.

Her brief insecure thoughts wash away as Sasha turns around to face her. Her blonde hair swoops quickly toward Anne’s direction as they fall over Sasha’s shoulders.

“What’s up?” The cheerleader whispers back. 

Anne’s heart leaps. “Hey.” She manages to only say. The sudden and wild sight of Sasha’s ocean-blue eyes captivates Anne to the point that she forgets why she drew her friend's attention in the first place.

“I just wanted to say thank you for everything,” Anne spits out. “About what you said back there at lunch and wanting to help out my family.”

Sasha makes a pfft sound, waving her hand off into the air.

“Don’t worry about it. Anything for you, Anna-Banana.”

Anne leans forward in her seat. “I’m serious! I really appreciate it.”

“And I’m serious too!” Sasha whisper-yells.

Anne wants to reach for Sasha’s hand, but unfortunately, the desk between them is in the way. She notices that Sasha runs her hands through her hair, looking away for barely a second. With her finger, she twirls a strand of her hair in thought. 

Something’s on her mind, and Anne knows it.

Warily, Sasha says, “Hey, Anne?”

Sasha looks desperately like she wants to say something.

“Are…we ok-”

A cough cuts Sasha off. Anne’s chest beats loudly, not in the way it would for Sasha, but in a scared kind of way.

The two girls both turn to the front of the classroom, facing the source of the sound.

Mr. Robinson clears his throat once more with his fist to his mouth. He looks at the two of them sternly. Some of their classmates turn their attention towards them.

The muscle in his jaw twitches a bit. “Girls. Please save the side conversations outside of class.”

“Sorry, teach!” Anne responds apologetically, pretending to switch her attention to the textbook in front of her.

After a moment into the lecture, she sneaks one last look at Sasha. The cheerleader scribbles again in her notebook as she follows along Mr. Robinson.

Anne tries to do the same, but she can’t stop thinking about the weekend.

Fortunately for Sasha, the week flies by, which doesn’t always happen, but she’s grateful for it.

It’s early Saturday morning. So early that Sasha’s parents are still sound asleep. So early that all street lights are still on as she drives her way to Thai Go.

Sasha parks at the back of the restaurant per the Boonchuy’s request. The parking lot is barely full.

The backdoor of the restaurant is left open as Sasha enters the kitchen. Various smells hit her nose but in a good sort of way. 

“Whoa…” Sasha silently admires the kitchen. She’s been to the Thai restaurant more than dozens of times, but never had the opportunity to check out the kitchen.

As she makes her way through the doorway, she hears a man yell out behind her.

“On your left!” Mr. B shouts with a box full of vegetables and Sasha quickly sidesteps out of his way.

“Oh, hey, Sasha!” He greets her as he drops the hefty box in the corner.

“Sasha!” A line of Anne’s friends follows Mr. Boonchuy. They’re all carrying boxes of ingredients and supplies as well.

“Head on inside, Sasha. You can get settled there.” Mr. B explains.

Sasha nods and heads inside to the dining space. She hears Mrs. B giving out orders sternly both in English and Thai.

“Remember, everyone! Silverware on the tables. Bowl, chopsticks, spoon, and napkins!”

“Sasha!” Sasha hears a familiar voice.

“Anne!”

“You made it! Oh, wait here.” Anne explains quickly as she rushes somewhere in the kitchen. Upon returning, she’s holding a green apron in her hands.

“Here, you’ll need this.”

Anne hands Sasha the apron and without haste, Sasha wraps the garment around her.

“You look…good,” Anne manages to say.

Sasha blushes at the comment and pats the apron down. “Feels like armor.”

“Yeah, dude. That’s the point,” Anne lets out a familiar giggle that Sasha has missed hearing so much.

“Don’t forget table ten over there!” Mrs. Boonchuy shouts as she points at the table far into the corner. Her voice is heavy and stern.

“On it!” Anthony cries out as he directs his attention quickly to the table.

“Okay! Okay! Everyone gather around here. Please and thank you!” The older experienced woman announces.

Damn. Mrs. Boonchuy leading as the boss she is. It was kind of badass.

“Okay, we’ll need to divide into teams.” Mrs. B is quick to give out orders as she assigns Anne and a couple of kids to stay at the restaurant for the day. “Most of you will have dish duty. Anne can show you around the kitchen before we open.”

“Yes ma’am!” The first team nods their heads in response. Mrs. B scans the room.

“Anthony and you guys…” She proceeds and gestures to the boy and Anne’s various friends around in the room. “You’ll handle to-go orders and delivery.”

Sasha opens her mouth, she wants to say something and point out that she hasn’t been assigned anything to do.

Mrs. B’s voice trails. “Then as for the third group…”

Sasha feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns to look at whose it is. It was Mr. Boonchuy.

“We’ll handle the wedding catering!” He cheers excitedly, pumping his arms into the air. Sasha and the man both exchange a little smile together.

Swiftly Mrs. B says, looking at the direction of the both of them, “Remember you'll need to be at the wedding by noon today. Then the big party we have tonight starts at four!”

The woman quickly turns to Anne, mentioning something about showing her friends the in’s and out’s of the restaurant.

“We’ll be using the food truck. As much as I don’t like driving that thing…” The corners of his mouth turn down for just a moment, and then he’s smiling again at Sasha. “Help me bring things to the truck?”

“Sure thing, Mr. B!”

Mr. Boonchuy heads into the kitchen. Sasha is about to follow the man, but the sound of Anne’s voice stops her in her steps.

“Here you can dump the dirty dishes…” Anne explains to her friends. She notices Sasha’s gaze.

Quickly, the two exchange a quick nod as Sasha gives her two thumbs up.

Anne mouths to her and Sasha can make out her words.

“Good luck.”

“Remember people! Every second counts!” Sasha hears Mrs. B shouts from afar as she heads on over to help Mr. B.

The day proceeds with the restaurant being fairly busy. Everyone has been accustomed to their assigned job and workstations. Anthony is the first to head off with deliveries meanwhile Sasha does her best to help around carrying out orders to tables. When eleven o’clock strikes, both Sasha and Mr. Boonchuy race to the parking lot.

-

An hour goes by in the drive. Mr. B and Sasha have sorts of conversations to pass the commute. She learns that Mr. B is actually a really cool dude (not that he wasn’t in the first place) as his hobbies consist of gaming and gardening.

According to Mr. B, the wedding that they’re catering to is an old-returning customer of the restaurant, and the big occasion is hosted at the customer’s house.

Sasha’s eyebrows lift at the idea of having a wedding at her own house. Not exactly something she’d like for herself, but she can see the appeal of it.

Mr. B makes a turn into a neighborhood and makes another turn. In a moment, he pulls into a house. The house’s garage is left open. A variety of pink and white balloons decorate the insides of the garage.

“Looks like we’re here! I’ll open the back doors. Can you help me bring in the trays of food? I can handle the drinks.”

“You got it!”

As Sasha climbs out of the truck, she’s immediately greeted by music blaring from what she assumes is the backyard. She hears shouts of saluting and toasting that follow with even more cheering afterwards.

Sasha makes her way towards the back of the food truck. In the corner of her eye, she notices a woman dressed in a suit approaching her.

“Hi! Are you guys the caterers from Thai Go?” The woman asks Sasha. She has a clipboard in between her arms.

“Yes, we are,” Sasha answers the lady as Mr. B follows behind Sasha.

“You must be Claire?”

“Yes! And you’re Mr. Boonchuy?” The woman asks with an eyebrow raised. She reaches out her hand towards the man. Mr. B shakes her hand and nods in response. 

“Great!” The woman notes, checking off her itinerary on the clipboard. Then she looks up and points her finger and makes a gesture around the house. “If you guys can, bring out the food around the house and enter through the fence doors. There you’ll see a long white table to place everything down.” 

“Roger that, Claire!” Mr. B responds enthusiastically.

“I’ll be inside quickly to go fetch your check!” Claire says as she rushes inside the house. A few seconds later, she pokes her head out of the garage door. “Oh, I’ll try to see if I can get some people to help out!”

Moments pass as the two spend the rest of the afternoon unloading the food and drinks from the truck. Thankfully, the process went by a lot faster with the help of a couple of groomsmen and friendly volunteers.

Finally, Sasha places the last batch of food onto the table and dusts off her hands. She takes the time to digest the scenery of the wedding. The dining tables afar are decorated with silver platters filled with dazzling amounts of the catered food that the Boonchuy’s provided. White tablecloths drape over the tables with guests slowly filling the empty seats.

"This is why we do it," Mr. B chimes in beside Sasha. She blinks at the man’s presence. His arms are crossed and a happy grin forms on his face.

“What do you mean?” Sasha looks over and asks curiously what he meant.

“Making people happy,” He simply answers. “I mean, look at everyone here at this wedding.”

Sasha faces back towards the wedding. Various guests of the special occasion are laughing, and enjoying themselves while they feast on Thai food. Happy faces scatter around the backyard as they celebrate their afternoon together.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, kiddo.” The man lightly punches Sasha’s shoulder. He then eyes Sasha, looking at her from head to toe. “Say…I still can't believe you grew up to be so much taller than me!”

“Yeah, I guess it's been a while since you've seen me,” Sasha barks out a laugh, and her voice trails. “Honestly…I never thought Anne and I would be friends again.”

“Life's like that and maybe it's for the better?” The man shrugs. “Anne seems happier.”

Sasha’s ears flush so hard as if she could feel steam rushing out of her ears. Quickly, she shoves her hands in her pockets, trying to not let Mr. B's comment pounder in her head.

“That's good to hear…” Sasha says under her breath as the two walk back to their truck and head back to the restaurant. 

This is the busiest Anne's seen the restaurant be. The big family that reserved the dinner party takes up almost the entirety of the place as they are feasting and celebrating their evening away. Customers are in-and-out with pick-up orders while Anne and her friends do the same with the kitchen. 

“Come on people, every second counts!” Anne’s mother hollers from behind the front desk, clapping her hands. Her character morphs into her customer-service voice as she faces the customers picking up their to-go orders. “Hi, what was your order?”

Anne’s used to the front desk is busy, but tonight stands a long line for many customers wanting to pick up or check out their bills. She makes sure she’s always doing something as she rushes to help out her mom.

“Okay, that’ll be thirty-five and twenty cents! Cash or card?” Anne asks with a purpose as she adjusts the red bandana on her head.

“Cash please,” The man responds, pulling out his wallet.

In the corner of her eye, Anne notices a group of customers near the entrance of the doorway that she never kept note of. The father of the family looks irritated as the woman at his side is also angry for not being seated. Oh no! How long have they been waiting there?

Anne impatiently taps her foot as the man in front of her digs into his wallet. While waiting for him, her eyes frantically bounce around the room, praying that someone is available to seat the waiting customers.

Finally, the man hands over his bills to Anne. Hastily, she opens up the cash register and does the mental math for the amount of change. She’s almost done and should be able to help that family now!

Anne hears a person bolting through the restaurant and she looks up to see. There was Sasha, bowing and apologizing to the waiting family. Thankfully, she is quick to seat them at an open table in time.

The sight calms Anne. She gives the man his change back as they thank each other for their time. Sasha approaches the front desk for extra napkins to stuff into her apron.

“You have such amazing timing,” Anne praises her friend while she handles the next customer in line.

“Of course, your hero has arrived!” Sasha winks in full effect, being cheeky and everything then wandering away before Anne could even react.

Anne sighs deeply and smiles as she opens up the cash register again. The night is almost over. Just a little bit more and everything will finally settle.

-

Finally, the restaurant comes to a close and everyone feasts together to celebrate after the long day. They all gather around the largest round table in the restaurant. The lazy susan is full of Thai appetizers and dishes both the Boonchuy’s whipped up together.

“Are you sure about this, Mrs. B? Don’t you want to go home soon?” Anthony mentions as everyone dives into their food.

“Don’t worry,” Anne’s mother gestures to everyone happily eating. “I appreciate all the help today. It's the least we can do.”

“Hey, don’t eat everything without me!” Sasha interrupts from behind as she comes from the restroom. The green apron around her is loose and she is quick to retie the cloth around her waist. She slides into the seat beside Anne.

“Here, have some of these,” Anne says, picking up pieces of meat and veggies with her chopstick from the center of the table. She places the bits of food onto Sasha’s bowl of rice.

“Alright, my favorite!” Sasha cheers, digging into the food before her.

“You kids eat up!” Anne’s father speaks up and mentions something about celebrating the night with a toast.

The rest of the evening is spent reminiscing about each and everyone’s working day. Anne indulges in Sasha and her father’s catering trip to the wedding and how it took place at a house. In fact, she’s curious about how the drive would have been as the two make such an interesting pair.

“You should have seen her,” Her father chimes in with a proud smile plastered all over his face. “Sasha could carry six food trays all by herself!”

“It really wasn’t like that…” Sasha humbles everyone at the table, embarrassed by being the center of attention.

Anne couldn't help but giggle at Sasha's reaction to the man’s narration, which included a combination of "Ooooooh” and "Whoaas" from the rest of the table.

Formalities eventually subside as everyone begins to settle down, clean their dishes in the kitchen, and help close the restaurant for the night.

As Anne walks out of the restaurant with her parents, she notices Sasha walking back to her car.

“Hold on. I’d like to say bye to Sash,” Anne tells off her parents as she rushes in the blonde's direction. “Wait up, Sash!”

“Oh, hey Anne,” Sasha stops in her tracks, turning around towards Anne.

There's a breeze tonight Anne feels a chill down her spine when stopping in her tracks. However, that doesn’t stop her from wanting to bid farewell to her friend.

“I want to say thank you again. My parents really appreciate it,” She glances back at the parents standing by their car. Her father is pointing up to the night sky, mentioning something about star constellations as her mother listens and holds onto him dearly. “With helping out and everything.”

“No problem…” Sasha nods with a small smile. Slowly, her face dwindles to the same desperate look she had back in their conversation in their English classroom. Again, it was as if she wanted to confess something. “Actually, Anne. Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

Sasha closes her eyes briefly. “Are we okay? The two of us?”

“What do you mean?” Anne asks curiously even though she has an idea of what Sasha is referring to.

“I don’t know. The past month, you’ve been avoiding me and I missed you so much. Did I do something to upset you?” Sasha’s voice is shaky now. “If I did, I’m really sorry!”

Anne blinks and takes a moment to gather her thoughts, trying to string them into something that makes sense. She decides against the idea of truthfully telling Sasha her puzzling feelings about her relationship with Anthony. For some sort of reason? That’s another can of worms to open up and think about.

“No. Not at all. You’ve done nothing wrong!” Anne spreads her hands helplessly. On the spot, she is quick to make an excuse. “I’ve just been busy with the restaurant and other stuff!”

It wasn’t the whole truth, but it wasn’t entirely a lie.

Anne clears her throat. “I am actually really glad you helped out this weekend. I like spending time with you.

In the midst of everything it was true, Anne’s delighted. Not just because of everyone’s help, but the idea of spending time with her friend makes her all giddy inside for some sort of reason.

Sasha still looks pained, but she manages a smile again. “I do too. I’m glad that we’re okay.”

“Of course we are. You’re my best friend.”

Sasha’s eyes widen at Anne’s words, but her attention pulls away when her phone vibrates in her pocket. Anne notices that hers is going off as well. Anne reaches for her phone to check who in the world would be texting her at this time. 

“No way…” Sasha is the first to read the text message on her phone. She glances at Anne to see if she’s read the message.

Sasha’s lip dances upward brightly, and Anne is curious about what could make her so thrilled. She finally opens her phone and reads the message displayed on her lock screen.

Instantly, she perks up to Sasha. The brief concerns of their conversations wash away as excitement hits them.

Chapter Text

Marcy doesn’t remember the last time she’d flown on a plane. When she moved to Massachusetts, her family drove their way there, so the idea of flying back to her childhood home filled her with joy. Sure, she’s flying with her parents to visit her extended family for winter break, but the idea of seeing her old friends excites her more.

What is this feeling, so sudden and new?

Marcy steps off the plane with her luggage, listening to her current favorite song on her earphones. She hums the catchy melody and motifs of the music while bouncing and skipping around the airport. Honestly, she could barely contain her excitement.

About a couple of weeks ago, she let Anne and Sasha know about her visit and they were as ecstatic as she was about the reunion.

Dear Galinda, you are just too good!

Marcy kicks her foot and twirls into a circle when the catchy chorus comes up in her song. Her shoes must be worn out as they lose the friction keeping her up. She slips and crashes down onto the floor. The suitcase she was rolling stumbles and falls down with her.

“Marcy!” Her parents cry out frantically, rushing to her way.

“I’m okay!”

-

The next few days, Marcy finally settles down at her uncle’s house and spends a good amount of time with her extended family. Spending time with her cousins can be a bit awkward for Marcy since they’re either far older or younger than her, but she makes do since some of them share the same interests as her. 

Finally, the next day comes, the moment she’s been waiting for! Anne and Sasha planned to hang out at their favorite childhood mall just for good ol’ times' sake. Anne agreed to pick up Marcy while the two would meet Sasha at the mall.

The doorbell rings and Marcy bolts to the front door.

“I’m heading out!” She announces to her family. Without haste, she opens the door to see an excited Anne.

“MARCY!” Anne cries out. Immediately, the two girls throw themselves into an enormous bear hug.

“I missed you so much! It’s been too long, Anna-Banana!” Marcy says excitedly, letting go of Anne. She takes a long look at her childhood friend. “When did you get so buff?!”

“Oh ,this? I guess tennis can do things to a girl. This is nothing though. You need to check out Sasha, she’s been working out and she’s super buff now.” Anne scoffs. Marcy raises an eyebrow as she doesn’t miss the pink blush on Anne’s cheeks at the mention of Sasha. “How are things back in Massachusetts?”

“Oh! I never showed you guys my new group of friends. We even have our own Creatures and Caverns group!” Marcy geeks out while the two girls walk to the car. In a hurry to show Anne, she scrolls on her phone to fetch pictures of them.

“That’s so cool, dude! How often do you guys meet up to play?” Anne asks, turning on the engine of her car.

“Yeah! We try to meet every other week since you know how long the sessions can last.” Marcy explains, showing Anne the photos on her phone. They all feature Marcy and her group of friends dressed up and roleplaying as their respective characters. A smile flickers on Anne’s face as Marcy swipes through her phone.

“How are things going over here?” She asks Anne.

Anne hums in thought, taking a few seconds to think of her answer. “Oh yeah! Sasha and I have lunch together. And English! We’ve actually been hanging out a lot lately.”

“Really? That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah! She’s also been hanging out with the tennis team too,” Anne explains while driving their way to the mall. Her eyes are on the road, of course. “And you won’t believe what!”

“What?”

“She’s in art class!” Anne laughs easily and Marcy joins in too.

“No, you’re joking! I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Marcy’s voice ends with a hitch while placing her hand on her chest for emphasis. “I believe anyone can be artistic.”

“Then a couple of weeks ago, she even helped out at my family’s restaurant when things were getting busy.”

Marcy couldn’t help but notice how the soft smile spread across Anne’s face like a slow sunrise.

“It sounds like you guys have quite the semester,” Marcy points out. Instantly, she remembers. “Wait! I saw your Halloween photos! Your costumes, or I guess, cosplay for Sasha, looked so cool! How did that party go?”

“It was super fun! I’d show you more pictures if I wasn’t driving, but no yeah! That’s when Sasha and Anthony got together…”

“Wait,” Marcy pauses. “WHAT? What do you mean got together? Are we talking about Anthony from middle school? The one who stink-bombed the boys' gym lockers for funsies ?”

On one hand, she’s excited and even giddy for Sasha and wants to know all the details of the relationship: the meet-cutes, the flirting, and all the gossip.

On the other hand, something wasn’t adding up here, Marcy could feel it in her bones.

“They’re pretty cute for the most part,” Anne says while pulling into the parking lot of the mall. Marcy notices how her friend’s voice strains a little bit but decides not to mention it.

The walk from the car to the mall takes about five minutes and the two finally arrive inside. There’s more than a decent amount of people today. Marcy guesses it’s because of the holidays. Through the speakers, classic Christmas music plays and echoes across the mall. 

Marcy and Anne take their time to find the merry-go-round somewhere inside where they plan on meeting Sasha. 

“Wow, not much has changed since I’ve moved away,” Marcy points out, admiring the interior and the shops. In a way, she feels kind of nostalgic because of the scenery. “Is the arcade still here? The ones back in Massachusetts are slowly closing down.”

“Oh yeah, it’s still here. At least the last time I’ve been here,” Anne answers as they approach the carousel. There are few kids and their parents on the amusement ride.

“Marcy?” The two look up to see a figure approach them. Marcy’s face lights up as she rushes towards Sasha.

“SASHA!”

“MARS!” Sasha cries out, holding her arms out wide for a hug. Marcy couldn’t help, but cry out in laughter at the sight of her old best friend. She’s about to hug Sasha until all of a sudden she trips over her feet and falls onto the ground.

"I'm okay!" Marcy yells, hoping no one around them notices her embarrassing clumsiness, while Anne and Sasha rush to check on her.

“ Are you okay?” Sasha asks, holding out her hand. Marcy accepts it as the blonde pulls her up with ease as if Marcy weighs nothing. Then they hug like they were supposed to in the first place.

“Oh, wow. Anne wasn’t kidding…” Marcy comments while her hands move around feeling Sasha’s arms. “They are very muscular.”

“ Whoa, there tiger. Take me out to dinner first,” Sasha winks, causing Anne and Marcy to laugh. “Anyway, sorry about the wait. I was waiting for my parents to come home to watch my little sister.”

“Don’t worry, dude. We just got here ourselves,” Anne says, while greeting Sasha in a hug. 

When the two finally let go of each other, Anne mentions and points out the different stores they could visit. While walking around the mall, Marcy notices the way Sasha looks at Anne when she’s not paying attention, glancing at the girl fondly to see if Anne’s having a good time.

She wonders if Sasha looks at her boyfriend like that.

-

Growing up, Marcy could care less about clothes and being fashionable, especially since she only needed to wear her school uniform. She only cared for nerdy and video game stores back then. So the stores like Ever 22, Old Maybe, and Uniq-oh, Marcy could care less about them as a kid. However, she grew to appreciate them now.

“These are pretty nice for seventy percent off,” Sasha compliments the flannel shirts as she flips through the clothes rack. 

“You can never go wrong with Uniq-oh’s shirts,” Marcy adds, standing next to the blonde. It was just the two of them at the moment while Anne went off to find a restroom.

With her hand, she reaches to feel one of the shirts. The shirt is simple, soft, and she could only imagine how comfortable they would be. Marcy picks out one of the shirts and takes a quick glance at the tag. A size large.

“Sasha, do you think you could help me find an extra small or small in blue for me?”

“Oh yeah, sure thing,” Sasha approaches another rack and searches through it.

“I only see larges and X-L’s over here, so maybe the smalls are over there,” Marcy says, rummaging through the clothes. 

Her eyes land on a perfectly Marcy-sized shirt. It wasn’t as big as the others, so she had a feeling it was the size she was looking for. Thankfully, Marcy’s instincts are correct as she checks the price tag and reads that it's small.

“I found an extra small one over here! Looks like it’s the last one,” Sasha approaches Marcy with the shirt on its plastic hanger. “Wanna try both of them out? I can grab you a medium if they don’t fit you or something.”

“Sure thing, thanks Sash!” Marcy exclaims, grabbing the shirt from Sasha.

Marcy feels her pocket vibrate and at the same time, she sees Sasha whip out her phone. The two figured that it was Anne texting their group chat, trying to find them.

“I’ll go fetch Anne if that’s okay with you, Mars?” Sasha asks while raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah go ahead!” Marcy insists. “I’ll probably still be in the changing rooms.” 

For a second, Marcy hesitates and feels a sense of loneliness deep down. It’s silly, but in a way, she feels left out by her friends. Sure, she’s happy that Anne and Sasha rekindled their friendship, but it seems like their bond was stronger than ever. Stronger than Marcy’s.

She felt unwanted like some sort of third wheel.

For no reason, Marcy spins around and sees Sasha still standing in the store.

Both girls make eye contact. The blonde grins, sending her a thumbs up. Marcy decides to wave back.

“She’s making sure I’m doing okay,” Marcy thinks to herself as she turns around, walking to the back of the store. To herself, she smiles fondly as she feels her insecurities wash away.

Like she guesses, Marcy is right about how comfy the shirts are. She stares at herself in the mirror on the wall. The blue flannel shirt really compliments her casual style.

“They both fit fine,” Marcy rambles to herself. She tries to casually pose with one arm against the wall, attempting to check herself out. Marcy does her best to mimic the cool and fashionable influencers she sees on social media. Eventually, she breaks out of the unnatural character, facepalming. “Oh, what am I doing?”

“I do like how this shirt fits on me though,” Marcy says, looking down at herself.

While deciding which shirt to get, her phone goes off again. Without hesitation, Marcy checks it. She assumes it’s either Anne or Sasha messaging her. Instead, her lock screen is welcome with a notification from one of her online friends.

Check this out, this webcomic artist is looking for flat color assistants!

Aside from Creatures and Caverns and video games, Marcy also enjoys drawing as one of her hobbies. In her spare time, she often draws her favorite characters or pairings from the many different fandoms she’s in. In fact, Marcy hopes one day she could perhaps start her own webcomic in the future. It’s one of her dreams.

This was a perfect chance to gain some professional experience! When else will she have another opportunity like this?

Her phone buzzes once more:

You should TOTALLY apply!

Marcy takes the time to click on the link in the text message. The link takes her to an Inztagrams post with the full details of the application process. She reminds herself that she should apply tonight when she gets back home.

For the heck of it, Marcy clicks on the home screen of the app to see what’s happening on her feed. The first thing that appears on her screen is a post from Anthony, Sasha’s boyfriend!

Wait, hold on. 

Suddenly, Marcy’s eyes widen as a gust of recognition hits her. There’s a girl in his photo and he has his arm wrapped around her. Marcy slides to the next picture and sees the couple holding hands. That’s not Sasha!

She gasps loudly, “Oh my frog! Oh my frog!”

Marcy couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The caption of Anthony’s posts reads:

love spending this cold season with you, stacy 💘

There’s a knock at the door and the sudden sound startles Marcy as she screams. She nearly drops her phone.

“Gah!”

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t know there was someone in here,” Marcy hears an old lady cry out from the other side.

She sighs out of relief from the jump scare and returns to her phone. 

Marcy stares at the post in disbelief. According to Anne, Anthony and Sasha are dating! Something here isn’t really making any sense, but at the same time, it does? When the three of them were catching up, she noticed that Sasha didn’t mention a new boyfriend at all.

Maybe Marcy’s suspicions are correct. Part of her afternoon with her friends was spent studying them. There’s something weird going on between them, especially with Anne’s disappointment about Sasha’s supposed boyfriend. 

Marcy checks the time. She should get going now as she assumes Anne and Sasha are probably looking for her. Marcy unlocks the changing room door and finds her way towards the cash register. 

Should she tell Anne about this? Was that the right move?

Whatever it is, it’s a conversation reserved for later. Maybe after Marcy applies for the webtoon gig tonight.

-

After roaming around stores (and definitely not eyeing her friends for any more suspicious activity), Marcy and her old friends agree on boba. 

They circle back to the carousel that belonged in the food court. While waiting for their drinks, they stand in front of the carousel.

This time Marcy notices that there are more families and people on the merry-go-round, cheering and laughing. A boy on a bright pink unicorn smiles brightly and waves at the three of them.

“Order forty-four, forty-five, forty-six!” A man announces over the counter of the boba store. 

“What flavors did you guys get?” Marcy asks curiously, eyeing the boba drinks as they collect them.

“I got roasted oolong milk tea!” Anne answers while sipping on her straw. “I didn’t really like it at first, but it started to grow on me because my parents drank it so much.”

“Jasmine Tea. Seventy percent sugar and regular ice.” Sasha says amidst chewing on boba. “What about you, Marcy?”

“I got taro with bubble tea! Wanna try mine?” Marcy gestures her cup to Sasha. The two exchange drinks.

Sasha sips enough to taste the flavor while Marcy does the same.

Immediately, Sasha’s eyes widen and hums in delight.

“Oh wow! This is good, I gotta get this next time,” The blonde compliments the drink while returning it back.

Marcy takes a sip of Sasha’s drink and has the same reaction. The drink itself has a very floral taste, but leaves a sweet aftertaste, like a piece of vanilla dissolving on her tongue. She likes how well the aftertaste pairs with the tapioca.

“I love how your drink is light and sweet, Sasha!” 

“Wait, I wanna try!” Anne exclaims as she quickly makes her way through their drinks.

Marcy knows she’s not attuned to human interactions and emotions. Oblivious at times, really. 

In fact, throughout her entire life, Marcy has always admired how easy it was for Anne to socialize and get along with people. She remembers back to their time in Amphibia and how Anne managed to befriend the many citizens of Newtopia. Oh, frog, don’t get her started on Wartwood. 

Over the years in high school, Marcy put her best efforts into trying to put herself out there just like how Anne would. Maybe she was influenced by her friend’s goodwill and heart. So, Marcy picked up a thing or two when it came to making friends and socializing. She had to, especially when moving to a new school. It used to be Sasha being the shot-caller back in middle school, not Marcy, but she’s not that girl anymore. Things have changed.

So, Marcy knows she’s not attuned to these sorts of things, but it doesn’t take a genius to notice the way Sasha looks at Anne. Sasha’s face flushes when Anne takes a sip out of her drink.

Her cool and relaxed personality is reduced to an uncharacteristic shyness over an indirect kiss. The blonde cheerleader casts a long glance at Anne, she stares at the girl with her whole heart.

Marcy smiles at the sweet moment before her. Sasha’s face has a tender look to it; that cold and stern gaze she normally has is no longer there. Instead, it’s filled with unsaid love and Marcy knows it.

There is definitely something going on here.

“Mom, mom! Can we go to the arcade now?” Marcy overhears the same little boy from the carousel crying out to her parents.

“Sure thing, Matthew, but let’s go get some food first, okay?”

The trio look at each other in unison, reading each other’s minds.

“I forgot all about the arcade! We should definitely go,” Anne suggests, unable to contain her excitement.

Together, they walk across the mall for the arcade and Marcy is ECSTATIC. The retro sounds of the 8-bit arcade machines hit her with a giant wave of nostalgia. It’s her childhood sanctuary.

Sasha sips her boba tea out of her straw and takes in the scenery. “Oh, wow. Everything still looks about the same since I’ve last been here.”

“Remember that one time we watched Marcy win a high score in Dig-Dig ?” Anne says, gulping down the last bit of her tapioca balls out of her drink.

“That was so intense! I remember we were watching for an hour. We should check if her high score is still there,” Sasha suggests.

Oh, how much Marcy recalls that memory so fondly! It was a couple of months after their return from Amphibia and before Marcy moved away. Marcy started a game of Dig-Dig that stretched out a lot longer than she anticipated and before she knew it, Anne and Sasha were cheering her on. The game session lasted hours, a memory she’d never forget.

The three of them make eye contact with each other, remembering the treasured memories together. They all giggle together as Marcy scrambles to find the specific game. Anne and Sasha follow behind her. 

She’s at a loss for words as she finally finds the Dig-Dig machine. The game’s theme plays loudly and Marcy hesitates for a moment. She’s reminiscing hard. When she approaches the machine, she messes around with the buttons and joystick for old times' sake. The machine’s screen switches to the scoreboard, displaying its top players.

At the very top of the screen, Marcy reads:

MARS: 500607

A smile spreads across her face. “No way, it’s still there!” 

“Was this place always so small? Or did we all grow old,” Anne laughs, but quickly she notices something in the corner of her eye. She points at the unfamiliar area. “Wait, guys, look!” 

“It looks like a new section of games?” Marcy squints over at the corner of the room. Immediately, she gasps. “Oh my gosh! They have Japanese and Korean arcade games! Guys, we have to go check them out!”

For the next hour or two, the three of them play various arcade games. Both retro and new ones. She even witnesses Anne and Sasha play Super Dance Fun Time Fusion. Both the old and the new versions featured K-pop songs. Marcy’s not super physically active, but she joins them for the heck of it (even though she prefers Drum Master far more).

In the new area of arcade games, there’s a photo booth. All three girls manage to fit, trying on all sorts of silly props.

“Wait guys, it’s taking a photo right now!” Marcy cries out pointing at the camera, realizing that the countdown on the screen is starting.

Together, the girls panic while laughing so hard, doing their best efforts in a last-minute pose. Marcy’s smiling so hard that her face feels like it could break, she felt like she was thirteen again.

They also eventually stumble across a variety of crane machines filled with all sorts of cute plushies. 

“Did you know that in Japan, claw machines are actually called UFO catchers because the shape of the claw looks like a UFO?” Marcy points out, that she wants to continue as they walk past the machines, but she lets out a gasp instead. 

One of the machines stands out to Marcy as she recognizes one of her favorite characters.

“Isn’t this from that one dragged-out cartoon series?” Sasha asks, raising an eyebrow. Her face is close to the glass screen, squinting down the soft toy. “ Kitty Noir, right?”

“Yes! And he looks so silly, I have to get him!” Marcy snorts while also looking down at the enormous-headed plushie.

“I think I have a few quarters left,” Anne says, pulling out coins from out of her pockets. She inserts them into the claw machine and a loud jingle goes off as music starts playing.

“Aren’t these technically rigged?” Sasha questions and immediately Anne follows the comment with a quick hush to let Marcy concentrate. Controlling the joystick, she does her best to align the claw up above the plushie. It looks like it’s at the best angle?

There’s not much time on the timer. Frantically, Marcy presses the button and the claw lowers vertically. The claw grabs the plushie!

“WHOA!” All three of them cry out in excitement.

“You actually got it!” Anne yells, staring down at the plushie. They all celebrate too soon as the claw loses its grip on the toy and they groan in unison, watching it drop back in the machine.

“Aw, worth a try,” Marcy shrugs with a little bit of disappointment.

“Oh, that’s so bullshit!” Sasha stares down at the toy’s new position. This time Sasha’s the one digging for coins in her pockets. Without haste, she sticks quarters into the machine and rolls up her sleeves. “Let me try.”

“Here, maybe I can help you position,” Marcy suggests, looking at the crane machine from the side. “Move a little to the left, Sash.”

Sasha’s attempt is worse than Marcy’s as the claw completely misses the toy itself. They all groan once more, staring at the smiling plushie in dismay. Marcy's phone rings and she knows without looking that it’s either one of her parents calling about her whereabouts.

“Oh, hold on guys. Let me take this call,” She says to her friends and waves them off. Then she picks up the phone. Marcy walks away from the crane machines, near the restrooms where it’s quieter. Her friends are still in her view.

“Hello?”

“Marcy, where are you?” Her mother asks over the phone. She can hear the worry in her voice.

“Oh, I’m at the arcade in the mall with Anne and Sasha,” Marcy replies. A couple moments of silence pass and she eventually hears her mother sigh. Deep down, Marcy knows why. In the five months of her disappearance, her parents thought they lost her forever. Since her return from Amphibia, they have been overprotective of Marcy.

“Okay, try to be home soon.”

“We’re about to wrap things up,” Marcy reassures her mom. She glances back at her friends and witnesses Sasha kicking and cursing the crane machine out of frustration. At the same time, Anne is trying her best to calm down the brute and stop her from making such a scene. 

Marcy bites down on her lip to hold back her laughter. She turns away from them.

“Text me when you’re on the way home,” Marcy’s mother reminds her. “Love you.”

“Love you too, mom. Bye.”

After patiently waiting for her mother to hang up, Marcy heads back to her friends. She came back to the sounds of Anne and Sasha high-fiving and hugging. They’re celebrating and laughing together as Sasha lifts the silly Kitty Noir plushie up in the air as if it were a trophy. There’s pride plastered all over her face.

“You got him!” Marcy claps her hands over her mouth in shock. “You actually got him!”

“It only took five more tries…” Sasha mutters under her breath. She nods her head towards Anne. “It was Boonchuy here who did all the work.”

“Oh, please. It was your quarters, Waybright.” Anne sneers back at the girl while Sasha mentions something about being broke.

Speechless, Marcy stares down at the soft toy in her hands as Sasha hands it over. She couldn’t believe them. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have such friends.

“Aw, thank you guys so much,” Marcy manages to say, hugging the two fiercely and tightly.

“Aww, don’t worry about it, Mar Mar. We had to get it for you,” Sasha says while hugging her back.

“Yeah, and I haven’t seen Sash riled up in so long. It’s kind of nostalgic,” Anne laughs, letting go of the hug.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Marcy joins in on the laughter and she’s laughing so hard that tears start to spring out of her eyes.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Anne is the first to notice Marcy crying while Sasha is alarmed as well.

“Nothing…” Marcy sniffles, wiping away her tears. A slow smile spreads across her face and she throws herself at them again. “I love you guys so much.”

No matter how much her friends have changed, she’ll continue to love them as much as they love her. No matter the distance, no matter the time, nothing could break the bond they share.

Even if that change means Sasha possibly has feelings for Anne, Marcy doesn’t mind. Sasha still made the effort to include Marcy and didn’t treat this get-together any differently. 

She smiles again, burying her head into their group hug.

Whatever these dorks are going through, Marcy supports both of them no matter what. One way or another, they’re still her friends after all.

-

It’s after midnight as Marcy closes her laptop and turns off the lights in her room. She just finished applying to the coloring assistant application. While applying, she even found out that the artist was also looking for a shading assistant, so Marcy applied for that position as well. Hopefully, that’ll increase her chances of landing something!

Marcy’s climbing into bed with her Kitty Noir plushie between her arms when she hears her phone blowing up. 

Who could be texting this late?

Glaring at her bright phone, she sees that it’s Anne messaging her:

MARCY!

I JUST SAW ANTHONY’S POST

I THOUGHT HE LIKED SASHA!!!

HOW COULD I BE SO DENSE?

Marcy couldn’t help but giggle a little at Anne’s reaction. This girl is completely oblivious to her feelings.

She texts Anne back:

Yeah, I just saw the post today too. I was going to bring it up to you later

Marcy stares at the bubbles forming in their text conversation. Eventually, Anne writes back.

Hey Marcy, could I tell you something?

Of course you can, Anna-banna!

It takes a few minutes for Anne to text back while Marcy patiently waits.

I think I have feelings for Sasha…

Mary looks up from her phone, and she laughs lightly. Then she returns her gaze back to the glowing screen. She really couldn’t help but feel giddy inside.

“ My frog. These bitches are gay. Good for them.”

Chapter Text

Panic has been rising inside Anne for the past couple of days ever since she’s come to terms with her feelings for Sasha. After Christmas, Anne and Marcy finally have the opportunity to call and talk things out. She’s pacing around the bedroom on her phone. The two have been on call for hours now.

“So, when did you realize you had feelings for her?” Marcy asks over the phone.

“I don’t know... I guess way back at the Halloween party? I think I was a little jealous that Anthony and Sasha were together.” Anne slowly puts the puzzle pieces together in her head. She remembers Halloween day and encountering Sasha at her doorstep in her silly yet impressive costume. And how her heart was fluttering softly while pulling the cobwebs out of Sasha’s hair. She also remembers Stacy’s party and when she held Sasha’s hand for a brief moment.

Anne hears Marcy hum over the phone line. 

“So now that they’re actually NOT together, that made you have a better understanding of your feelings?”

“Something like that…” Anne grumbles, throwing herself on her bed. She’s staring up at the ceiling as she reminisces about her school year with Sasha. Blood rushes to her face and Anne embraces the burning feeling in her chest, the same sensation that arises whenever she’s around the blonde.

“Why don’t you ask her out on a date? Maybe that'll help sort your feelings out?” Marcy suggests.

“Ask her out!?” Anne’s voice hitches so high that it cracks, but remembers to keep her voice low, making sure her family doesn’t hear. Both her head and heart are spiraling at the same time. “Is it really that simple? Does she even like me like that? Does she even like girls…? Do I even like girls!?”

“Anne, relax. I know it’s a lot to take in, but this sort of thing takes time. Maybe you do like girls. Or maybe you don’t and that’s okay. Sasha might be a one-time crush, who knows? There’s no need for definite labels right now.” Marcy assures her while Anne raises an eyebrow.

“Wow Mars, when did you become so emotional and romantically mature?”

A roaring laugh comes out of Marcy.

“I’ve been a wingman for my high-school friends. Straight or gay. I guess I’m probably an expert in this now.”

“Is it not a burden for you?” Anne asks, hoping she’s not crossing her friend’s boundaries. 

“I mean, I don’t mind it. Sometimes I wonder when it’ll be my turn,” Marcy admits then her voice switches to a joking tone, “Hey! This is about you, not me.”

“Well, I was just making sure! All of this is just so new…” Anne immediately replies, feeling all of her senses heightening. 

“Anne, you got this. You’ll find your way eventually. Your sexuality is yours to decide, you can even have your own version of it,” Marcy says, and Anne listens closely. There’s only confidence and reassurance in her friend’s words. “You don’t have to ask Sasha out if you’re not ready or if you don’t want to.”

There’s a brief moment of silence between the two of them.

“Thanks, Marcy. I don’t know where I would be without you,” Anne finally says. There’s another pause in between her words before she continues. “It’s not like I don’t want to ask her out. I just don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

Marcy makes an indignant sound from the other line. “Have you seen the way she looks at you?”

“Excuse me?”

Completely ignoring Anne, Marcy continues, “Anyways. Do you really think Sasha would undermine your feelings? And that she wouldn’t take you seriously? Is that really the Sasha we know?”

With her fist held to her chest, Anne embraces the sensation as she remembers Sasha swooping into her family restaurant, seating the last-minute customer that night. She also recalls working together with Sasha, trying to grab Marcy’s favorite plushie from the claw machine.

“You’re right…” Anne agrees, and she’s collecting her thoughts once more. Sasha’s not that type of person. She’s anything but that.

“There’s a festival at my temple. On New Year’s Eve. Maybe I could invite her to that?” Anne suggests.

“That’s the spirit! Do you think she has any plans on New Year’s Eve?”

“I could always ask.”

Anne’s phone vibrates in her hands, interrupting their conversation. She checks it, scrolling through what could be notifying her. It was an email. From UC Cerkley, more specifically, their admissions office.

Immediately, Anne sits up from her bed.

“Marcy, I got an email from UC Cerkley!”

“Really?!” Marcy gasps but then speculates. “Wait, it’s only December. It can be both a good or bad thing…”

“I’m gonna have to call you back. I want to open this letter with my parents,” Anne says abruptly, rushing out of her room and downstairs.

While Anne tries to hang up, she hears Marcy faintly cry out about keeping her updated. She sprints to the living room, stumbling over her feet. Meanwhile, her parents are snuggling on the couch and watching a movie together, they turn towards the sound of footsteps. Anne’s urgency causes them to show concern.

“Anne? What’s wrong honey?” Her father asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I got an email from UC Cerkley!” She cries out, out of breath. Both her parents stand up so fast from the couch. 

“Did you open it yet!?” Anne’s mother asks excitedly.

“No, not yet! I wanted to open it with you guys,” Anne explains, looking down at the unopened email on her phone. 

“It’s happening! It’s happening!” Anne’s father shouts. “Everyone remain calm! Remain calm!”

Anne’s mother is fanning her face, unable to maintain her composure. She then mutters a phrase in Thai that Anne’s never heard of. Anne could only assume it was a prayer.

“Here goes…” Anne says under her breath. Her parents are hovering over her shoulders, waiting in full anticipation with her.

This is it. Anne’s hands are trembling and her heart is racing. Finally, she clicks the email:

Dear Anne,

Congratulations on your admission to The University of California, Cerkely! Out of more than 125,000 applicants, you stood out for your remarkable academics, extracurriculars, and personality. The Admissions Committee has thoroughly examined your application and we are pleased to offer you admission to the major of Biology in the College of Natural Science for the upcoming fall semester.

Your official acceptance letter is on its way to you…

This wasn’t real. Anne must be dreaming. She stands there, stunned, and rereads the email over and over again. Her parents take a bit longer to read the email fully.

“We are pleased to offer you admission to the…TO THE MAJOR OF BIOLOGY!” Anne’s mother finally finished reading. 

“I made it…” Anne barely manages to say but repeats herself. “I MADE IT!

“My little girl’s going to college!” Anne’s father screams, pumping his arms up in the air. Quickly, he swoops Anne up and she can’t help but laugh. Her mother takes no time to join in the family hug.

“I knew you’d make me so proud,” She says lowly, hugging her daughter close to her chest. Anne squirms for a bit but embraces the hug regardless. Again, moments like these serve as a reminder of Anne’s return to Earth after months away in Amphibia. She also remembers her second homecoming to Earth, finally seeing her parents again, except they were decked out in armor, and laser guns, and helping save the world. Even then, it was still a heartfelt moment for Anne.

Anne’s father is the first to break the hug and silence. 

“This calls for a celebration! How about we go out for some hotpot?” He suggests, pointing his finger up in the air.

“Dad, we already went to hotpot last time!”

“What? Are you turning down hotpot? Who turns down hotpot? Do you want coldpot instead?”

“Daaaad!” Anne groans like she’s annoyed at the intended dad pun.

All the Boonchuy’s laugh and celebrate that night. Honestly, Anne wouldn’t have it any other way for the special occasion. During their hotpot outing, Anne texts Sasha, Marcy, and the rest of her friends about the email (mind she wanted Sasha to be the first to know). All her friends wasted no time to congratulate her.

By the end of the week, Anne receives another acceptance letter and she feels like she’s on the top of the world. She feels silly about worrying about her feelings for Sasha. Instead, those worries wash away into a newfound confidence. 

Anne’s lazing about on the couch with the TV on. She texts Sasha.

Hey Sasha? Are you doing anything for New Year’s Eve?

The temple is actually hosting a festival and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. 

Just the two of us.

Maybe she’s a little bit high on euphoria, but Anne’s happy she finally gained the courage to ask Sasha out. Marcy would be so proud.

Yet, a small lingering voice slowly stirs inside her head, making her doubt herself. In a way, she feels like an imposter in her own life. She thinks about college for barely a second. Was she even good enough? Anne has heard horror stories about some of her upperclassmen failing and dropping out.

Better yet, would Sasha even want to spend her New Year's Eve with her? Would Anne be taking her away from her family? Was she being selfish?

Anne’s phone vibrates in her hand, a text from Sasha:

That sounds cool! What time?

Then Anne hears her mother’s voice call her from the front door. “Anne! Help me bring in groceries!”

Anne rushes towards her mom. In the meantime, she’ll push her insecurities to the back of her mind.

“Are you going on a date or something?” Sasha’s younger brother, Vincent, asks while sticking his head inside Sasha’s room. Standing at the doorway, he looks at Sasha unamused with his arms crossed.

“No, I’m not,” Sasha answers, busy looking at her reflection in the mirror. Currently, she’s indecisive, unsure what to wear to the Thai festival. Even though Anne assures Sasha that traditional or formal attire wasn’t expected for the evening event, she still feels anxiety deep inside.

Maybe her classic letterman look is the way to go. It is cold outside.

No, that was too cliché! Sasha decides to wear a light navy sweater with a cute dog on it alongside a pastel-pink skirt and knee socks. She stares at herself in the mirror, spinning around and checking herself out.

“Then why are you so obsessed with how you look? You’ve been changing outfits for the past thirty minutes,” Vincent says, squinting a long side-eye stare at his sister.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” In response, Sasha rolls her eyes. Eventually, her brother gives up and leaves her alone in her room.

Aside from being unsure of what to wear, she also feels a giddy bubbling excitement for the Thai temple festival and she doesn’t know why. Maybe because she hadn't seen Anne in so long? Or maybe it was the fact she'd be spending time with Anne alone.

Sasha blinks, processing her feelings altogether.

What if her little brother was right? Was this a date?

All of sudden, she feels her heart beat so hard and fast. Sasha remembers this fond feeling in her chest. It only happens whenever she’s close to Anne.

Oh frog, Sasha thinks it’s happening again. She swore to herself she’d stop thinking of Anne in that way , but every time she closed her eyes, her heart beat so heavily. No matter what, Sasha can’t make it stop.

The doorbell rings, interrupting Sasha’s scandalous thoughts. Quickly, she checks her phone and sees that Anne had texted her about five minutes ago.

I’m here!

Sasha hurries to the doorway. Unfortunately, her mother beats her to it with the door wide open.

“Oh! Hi, Anne! How are you? I heard from Sasha that you got accepted to UC Cerkely! Congrats!” Sasha’s mother stumbles forward as Lily collides with the back of her legs.

“Anne! Anne! When can I go and see Domino again?” Lily is the second to greet the girl, wrapping her arms around her mother’s legs.

“Hi, Lily!” Anne hums for a bit, collecting her thoughts. “Maybe after New Year’s. If that’s okay with your mom.”

”Yay! Can we, mommy? Can we?” Lily cries out, looking up at her mom with pleading puppy eyes.

“Only if her parents are okay with it as well,” The older woman gives in, unable to resist her daughter’s pleading. She then notices her older daughter approaching the doorway, “Oh, here’s Sasha.”

“Hey, Sash.”

“Hi,” The two girls take a long look at each other. Anne’s wearing her iconic yellow jacket and jeans, nothing new, yet Sasha’s heart still flutters just looking at Anne. Anne’s silent, staring at Sasha a little too long for comfort.

Sasha looks down at her clothes. Was this too much?

“Y-you look nice. Good, really,” Anne manages to say, bringing comfort to Sasha.

“Thanks, so do you,” Sasha laughs lightly. She notices that Anne is holding a tupperware box, causing Anne to look down at her hands.

“O-oh, by the way, Mrs. Waybright…?” Anne falters, unsure how to address Sasha’s mother, not knowing what her new surname was. In response, the older woman simply laughs at Anne’s hesitation.

“Please, call me, Cassie,” Sasha’s mother confirms. Anne makes a face at first, not knowing how to feel about the causal formalities. She looks down at the box in her hands.

“Well, my parents made cookies for your family,” Anne explains, handing the plastic box to her.

“You shouldn’t have!” Cassie smiles softly, accepting the cookies. “Thank you, Anne. And tell your parents I said thank you as well.

“Cookies! Can I have some, mommy?” Lily asks.

“Sure thing, honey. Make sure to thank Anne for the cookies.”

“Thank you!”

“What flavor are they?” Vincent pokes his head out the doorway to see who his family is talking to. The boy makes eye contact with Anne and raises an eyebrow.

“Oh, hi,” Anne blinks, surprised by his sudden appearance. “They’re peppermint sugar cookies.”

Vincent hums in response. He eyes the tupperware of cookies and then at Anne suspiciously. 

“Vincent! Where are your manners?” Cassie frowns at him.

“What? I was just curious,” The middle schooler defends himself, making a face, then mutters. “Thanks for the cookies.”

“Well, it was nice to see you, Anne. You’re welcome here anytime,” Cassie says to the girl. She then reaches out for Sasha, pulling her into a hug. “Try to be back around one, okay? Don’t keep Anne out too late.”

“I won’t, Mom,” Sasha assures her mother, hugging her back. When they let go, she looks to see her mother’s emerald-green eyes and studies them. There’s a sentimental look in them. Be safe is what she’s saying. Her mother eyes her clothes and immediately gives a disapproving look. “Are you sure you’ll be warm enough for tonight?”

“I’ll be fine!” Sasha insists, escaping from her mother’s worrying tendencies. She walks out of the doorway with haste. “Bye, mom!”

Together, the two girls walk out through the front yard, waving goodbye to Sasha’s family.

“Stay warm! Keep her safe, Anne!” Sasha’s mother cries out.

“I will, Cassie! Happy New Year!”

“Bye-bye! Don’t forget! I want to see Domino!”

Both Anne and Sasha laugh together at Lily’s determination while hopping into Anne’s car.

“They’re nice,” Anne says, turning on the car. Sasha’s family is still at the doorway, watching the two girls back out.

“Yeah, they are,” Sasha replies, still waving at her family. She smiles softly as she watches Vincent excitedly snag the box of cookies from his mother. Meanwhile, Lily hurries inside to follow him. Sasha’s mother rolls her eyes in full effect at her children, sighs, and then closes the door.

-

By the time Anne and Sasha arrive at the temple, it is pitch black outside, with not too many stars in the sky. To make up for it, the entire festival glows brightly in the night with its captivating lanterns and string lights scattered across the many booths, tents, and stands. Upbeat music plays loudly as a variety of people crowd the front entrance of the festival. 

Walking past the food stalls, Sasha smells a variety of smoking street foods. The smell reminds her of Anne’s family restaurant. 

“Everything here smells so good,” Sasha says, closing her eyes, breathing in for a second.

“I know!” Anne agrees, “We can try some out after we say hi to my parents.”

“Does your family normally celebrate New Year’s like this?” Sasha asks while they continue to walk around the temple. A food sampler they walk past is advertising and yelling his heart out.

“Try our Thai satay skewers! Seven dollars for four sticks!”

“Not every year. It really depends on the turnout of the community. I think there’s a committee that organizes everything. But yeah, some people travel for the holidays, so this doesn’t always happen every year,” Anne explains. Sasha looks into her eyes deeply and listens carefully. There’s love, passion, pride, and so much light in Anne’s eyes as she explains the ins and outs of the Thai community. Sasha couldn’t get enough of them.

“Anne! Sasha!” Up ahead, Sasha sees Mrs. Boonchuy standing at the front of their food stand, waving at the two girls. She has a tray of food samples in her hands.

“Mom!”

“Hi, Mrs. B! Thank you for inviting me,” Sasha greets the older woman as they approach closer to the food stand.

“Oh, we’re glad you’re here. Anne was really excited that you were coming.”

“Moooom!” Anne groans, embarrassed, avoiding eye contact with Sasha for a moment. She then scans the booth, searching for something. “Where’s dad? And is my bag with you?”

“Your father is with Ned. They’re bringing more supplies from the food truck. And the bag is behind the stand somewhe-”

“Hey everyone!” Mr. B comes out from behind the food stall. He heads over to the three of them. Sasha assumes the man is in a happy mood as the first thing he does is swoop his wife into his arms, kissing her on the cheek.

“Bee! Careful, I’m holding the food samples,” Mrs. B warns while laughing breathlessly at the sudden affection. Sasha watches the Boonchuys in awe.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” he says, then faces Sasha, greeting her warmly. “Happy New Year, Sasha!”

“Happy New Year to you too, Mr. B! How’s your holiday going?”

Mr. B smiles a proud sort of smile. 

“Oh, it was great, amazing! This time of year is always my favorite. Anne got me these really nice and comfy slippers. Then there was the Christmas parade! Oh, don’t get me started on this year’s photos-”

“Honey,” Mrs. Boonchuy places a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “You’re overwhelming her.”

“Sorry, sorry! Just excited. Did your family enjoy the cookies Anne baked?”

Sasha blinks, she turns to look at Anne, who disappeared during their conversation. “I thought Anne said you guys made the cookies.”

“Oh no,” Mrs. Boonchuy clarifies, “Anne made the cookies all by herself. We only helped decorate a few of them.”

“I see…” Sasha manages to say. The three of them grow silent as Sasha quickly tries to come up with something to talk about with Anne’s parents.

“Have you eaten yet, Sasha?” Mrs. B is the first to break the silence while nudging the plate of food samples to her.

“I think Anne wanted to show me around to eat,” Sasha says, holding up her hand. 

Just as the conversation is getting started, Anne pops out from behind the food stand. Ned follows right behind her, carrying a box of food supplies. The food fanatic is wearing a red cap that says “Thai Go” with a fake shrimp dangling on top. After placing down the box, he waves his hand madly and gives a huge welcoming grin at Sasha and the Boonchuys.

“Sorry! I was trying to get my bag,” Anne approaches the three of them.

“What’s that for?” Sasha asks.

“You’ll see, it’s a surprise,” Anne answers with a hum as she puts the backpack on her shoulders. Sasha also notices the older Boonchuys eye each other as if they were in on the secret, causing Sasha to raise an eyebrow. Before she could even respond, her thoughts disappear when Anne grabs her hand. “Come on, dude. You have to try out this one Chinese stand’s turnip cakes! They’re to die for!”

“Have fun!” Mr. B cries out.

Mrs. B yells something in Thai as if she’s reminding her daughter about something.

“Don’t worry, I will!”

“What was that about?” Sasha curiously asks. 

“Oh, nothing. Just something about saying hi to the aunties.”

And off the two went.

-

Both Sasha and Anne continue through the dizzying array of stands. To Sasha’s dismay, Anne let go of her hand, but she can tell that Anne’s excited to show her favorite dishes.

Sasha stares in wonderment at the endless hive of food stalls. She couldn’t help but look in every direction in awe, especially watching a chef sizzle enormous flames over a wok. Closing her eyes for a quick second like before, Sasha takes a moment to breathe in the different scents all over.

While they’re walking, Anne looks over at Sasha.

“The food here isn’t just Thai. We don’t discriminate. You know, this is one of the few times where everyone comes together to prepare loads of street food,” Anne explains, holding her finger up as they walk past a noodle stand.

“Anne? Anne!” An older woman cries out from behind the stand. The two girls approach the stand together as the older woman waves them to come closer.

Sasha takes a guess that the lady is a bit older than Anne’s mother while Anne presses her hands together and gives a small bow to the lady. In a small panic, Sasha greets the woman the same way, mimicking her friend’s gesture. 

“Long time no see, Anne! How are you?”

“I’m good, Pa Poo! How was your holiday? Did you do anything fun?

“Oh, it was nice. Quiet, but I did enjoy watching the Thai Go float at the Christmas parade on TV. Who is this?” the older lady asks, noticing Sasha in the corner of her eye.

“I’m Sasha. One of Anne’s friends from school,” Sasha answers, unsure if she introduced herself properly or followed Thai customs of any sort.

“You have very muscular arms for someone so young,” The lady comments, giving Sasha a quick once over. ”Very commendable, do you play tennis with Anne?”

“Oh no. I do cheerleading,” Sasha laughs nervously realizing the correlation made no sense.

“Cheerleading! You should do martial arts instead. The temple does free Muay Thai lessons every week! Or lion dancing, my son is on the team here,” she explains proudly. 

“She always manages to bring her son into the conversation somehow. It’s really impressive,” Anne whisper-explains to Sasha while the lady shouts something in Thai to her workers, switching to work mode.

“She seems nice,” Sasha says back, watching everyone work at the food stand. “How long have you known her?”

“I think my mom and her go way back. Even before I was born, she’s been a close family friend of ours.”

The older lady continues to shout, calling out to a worker as he hands her a tray with two plates of noodles. “Here you go, enjoy!”

“Oh, thank you, Pa Poo! How much for these?” Anne manages to say while the older woman hands over the food.

“On the house!”

“N-no! I can pay, really!” Sasha exclaims, taken back at the kind gesture. Anne reacts the same too, opening her mouth to retaliate.

“No! Happy New Year!” The lady clicks her tongue as she insists, “Please, enjoy!”

“T-thank you, Pa Poo .” Anne manages to say, admitting defeat. There was no winning this. Sasha thanks the lady as well and the two girls accept the free dishes from her when saying their goodbyes. They then explore the rest of the vendors, ordering various street foods.

After a while, Anne and Sasha sit themselves at a seating area of foldable tables. Their table overflows with all sorts of dishes including egg rolls, curry fish balls, bingsu shaved ice, and satay skewers (the ones they walked past earlier). 

“Ah! Hot, hot!” Sasha cries out after biting into a piping-hot fish ball. Anne laughs at the sight of Sasha fanning her open mouth. After gulping down the food, she hums, “It’s so good!

“Yeah, dude. I told you. The best street food you could have in LA!” Anne says while grinning with approval. From there, the two continue to feast, laugh, and reminisce about their time together at the festival.

-

They’re about an hour and a half in and as soon as Anne and Sasha are done eating the delicious food, they continue to explore the rest of the festival. While walking, they hear the sounds of a beating drum and a crowd starts to form at the temple square.

“That must be the lion dance!” Anne says as the two approach the crowd of people.

“Line dancing?” Sasha’s eyebrow raises, curiously.

“No, silly,” Anne laughs and repeats herself, “Lion dancing. It's a performance that happens on New Year’s. There’s these people dancing in big lion costumes. It’s mostly a Chinese thing, but it’s performed in other Asian cultures too.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Sasha listens closely. 

“Yeah! It has to do with something about good luck and fortune.”

“Maybe we should get a closer look? Do you know if they’re starting soon?” Sasha asks, tiptoeing to get a better look.

“I’m not sure. Wait…” Anne squints, “Is that Anthony and Stacy? Is that them?” Anne gasps, pointing at a pair of two individuals trying to nudge their way into the crowd.

Sasha looks over and notices the familiar figures. Anthony and Stacy are holding hands, both looking over the crowd. She could recognize Stacy’s high ponytail from anywhere.

“I think that’s them.”

“Stacy! Anthony!” Anne and Sasha both cry out. Their friends turn around at the sound of their names. Anthony points at them and says something to Stacy. They then rush towards Anne and Sasha.

“Sasha!” Stacy squeals, running and tackling her friend into a hug. Sasha laughs and hugs her back. Meanwhile, Anne and Anthony are hugging and high-fiving each other, like they’re long-lost friends.

“What are you guys doing here?” Anthony asks while Stacy returns to hold her boyfriend’s arm. The boy fixes the collar of his shirt, embarrassed by his girlfriend’s gesture.

“I could say the same thing to you,” Sasha says, grinning and staring at the couple with a sense of pride. 

At the beginning of the school year, Sasha recalls Anthony telling her he had a crush on the cheer captain. He was hoping for Sasha’s support and advice, becoming his wingman in a way. She remembers their back-and-forth text messages, and load and behold, the guy finally had the balls to ask Stacy out at her Halloween party.

“I didn’t know you guys were coming! My parents are vendors here,” Anne explains, eyeing the couple holding hands. She then lets out an awkward laugh. “I invited Sasha to show her around.”

“Hm…” Stacy says, giving Sasha a look, which Sasha chooses to ignore. “Well, my cousin is actually on the lion dance team here. We wanted to cheer him on,” 

The sounds of cymbals and a gong join the drum. “Oh, it looks like it's about to start!”

The four of them squeeze their way through the crowd, trying to find a good spot to watch the performance. Sasha almost loses Anne in the crowd because there are so many people here at the temple’s square. Making sure they don’t lose each other, Sasha grabs Anne’s hand out of impulse. She tries to ignore the electric sensation she feels when holding her hand. 

The crowd erupts as the percussion gets louder as rim shots from the drum echo across the square. Sasha can only assume the performance started. Cymbals clang louder and louder, making Sasha so desperate to see what all the commotion was about. Finally, the four of them make their way to the front.

“Whoa!” Sasha lets go of Anne’s hand, astonished at the sight before her. Colorful lions shake, dance, and hop around, their actions synchronized to the beat of the drum. When the dancers lift the lions’ head up in the air, Sasha can see the people underneath the costume. She’s never seen anything like this.

“Pretty cool, right?” Anne asks, laughing at Sasha’s reaction.

“Pretty cool? This is amazing! Way better than line dancing,” Sasha exclaims, watching one of the lions blink and tilt their heads, giving so much life to the lion. “Which one’s your cousin, Stacy?”

“I don’t know. I think he’s the head of that lion. The red and yellow over there?” She says, pointing at one of the lions.

“Let’s go!” Anthony yells into the crowd as the people around them are doing the same, cheering and laughing.

Sasha hears the drummer shout and plays a different beat once again. On cue, all the lions, one by one, immerse themselves in the audience. The crowd is ecstatic at the change of pace of the performance, some people are even feeding the dancing lions money and red envelopes. Opening their mouths wide open, the lions excitedly and gratefully accept the money. After accepting a good amount of money, the lions bow to the audience.

Sasha and her friends holler and scream alongside the crowd, even feeding one of the lions themselves. At some point, Anne’s fingers brush against Sasha’s, and Sasha debates on whether to hold her hand or not. 

She pushes the thought to the back of her mind. Instead, Sasha smiles widely, taking the performance in front of her, watching the lions dance alongside the vigorous sounds of the drumbeat, cymbals, and gong. Regardless, tonight will be a night to remember!

After the performance, Anthony and Stacy split off to do their own thing for the New Year’s countdown.

“They seem cute…” Anne says, watching the couple hold hands while walking away. “I didn’t know they were together.”

“Really? It was kind of obvious with the way he looked at her all semester,” Sasha explains, letting out a snort. “They actually got together at the Halloween party.” 

“They did?” Anne asks, staring at Sasha. Anne had no idea her friend had feelings for the cheer captain for that long, better yet, she didn’t know Anthony asked Stacy out that night. It all makes sense now. Why did he go to such lengths for Sasha to invite the cheerleaders to their tennis games? And he wanted to dance with Stacy at homecoming, not Sasha! Anne connects the thoughts in her head and it brings her comfort that Anthony is with Stacy, and not with Sasha. 

“You okay?” Sasha asks, practically noticing the gears turning in Anne’s head.

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry just thinking.”

“You… Didn’t know?” Sasha asks curiously, all surprised. 

“N-no. Not at first,” Anne shakes her head, she starts walking and Sasha follows her lead. “I found out through their Inztagrams posts.”

“That’s weird that you didn’t know,” Sasha says, looking at Anne, confused.

Anne looks back at Sasha. Unsure how to respond, she lets out an awkward laugh. The conversation ends there as they continue through the festival streets. While walking, Anne sneaks a peek at Sasha.

She’s admiring the speckles in Sasha’s bright blue eyes. At the same time, Anne thinks to herself. “ No, I actually thought you were dating Anthony this whole time. And that made me realize how much I like you more than a friend!” 

“Sooo…where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” Anne hums.

“Aw, come on, Boonchuy. You said that last time. Is it the fireworks? I know that’s happening at midnight.”

“No, that’s not it. You’ll see,” Sasha’s face falls into a sulk while Anne doesn’t budge. Not because she doesn’t want to ruin the surprise, but because she also thinks it’s cute to see Sasha pouting impatiently.

Eventually, the both of them arrive under a big tree near the far end of the temple. Anne’s sure it’s the perfect view not only for fireworks but also of the festival. The lanterns and string lights from the festival glow bright in the dark. Close by there are several excited children, their voices echoing over the night breeze, playing with sparklers. Their laughter drowns the noise from the festival.

“We’re here!” Anne exclaims. She unzips her backpack, takes out blankets, and lays them on the grass. “These are basically front-row seats for the fireworks.”

“Is this the surprise?”

“Yeah. It’s not much, but I brought some snacks too,” Anne explains, crouching down towards her bag, and dumping snacks out of her bag. She pauses for a bit, looking up at Sasha, worried if she disappointed her. “Were you expecting something more?

“No, no!” Sasha holds her hands up defensively. Her face softens, she says, “It’s perfect.”

Sasha settles down next to Anne on the blanket. In the distance, they hear a couple of fireworks shoot up in the sky.

“What time is it?” Anne asks, handing Sasha some of the snacks.

“Eleven forty-eight,” Sasha answers, looking at her phone and tearing into the snacks. “Just in time for the fire-”

Sasha’s interrupted by a shiver that runs through her body.

“Are you cold?” Anne immediately turns toward Sasha. She did notice a cold chill settling in. Compared to a few hours ago, the night certainly got colder than before. Even Anne can feel the cool breeze through her jacket. 

“A little bit,” Sasha answers, unable to stop herself from shivering. “But, I’ll be fine.”

“I think I have an extra blanket in my bag somewhere,” Anne says, digging in her backpack. Her hand makes contact with a soft cotton blanket.

“N-no, it’s okay,” Sasha reassures, to which Anne responds rolling her eyes. She doesn’t want to hear it.

“Here,” Anne mutters before Sasha can say anything else. She drapes the spare blanket over the cheerleader. Anne is in the blanket too as it is large enough to cover both of their shoulders. Now they were both warm and cozy, only inches apart from each other.

“T-thanks,” Sasha manages to splutter out.

Anne hums, embracing the warmth from Sasha’s body trapped inside their blanket. “Is this okay with you?”

“Y-yeah.”

They’re quiet for a couple of minutes, and eventually, Anne decides to break the silence.

“Do you have any New Year’s resolutions for next year?”

Sasha laughs, “No, I think they’re silly. Why do you need a new year to start change? Just go to the gym. It’s that easy.”

“That is true, but people like fresh starts,” Anne counters. Her head turns to the sound of a firework popping in the distance.

“What about you? Do you have any resolutions?” Sasha asks, adjusting the blanket to make sure it's covering the two of them.

“Not really. I am excited though. College and stuff.”

“UC Cerkely, huh?” Sasha hesitates and then continues, looking at Anne. “Quite the drive.”

“Yeah…” Anne only says. The way Sasha is looking at Anne—it makes her feel so warm inside, so whole, all throughout her body. But, Anne couldn’t help but notice the strain of disappointment in Sasha’s voice. Sasha is quick to pick up Anne’s worries.

“You should go. I mean, don’t let me decide for you!” Sasha is rambling now. “If there’s another school you like, you should go there. Don’t let distance stop you from pursuing your dreams.”

“I know. It’s not only distance that I’m worried about…” Anne says, not sure how to explain her thoughts. Sure, Anne is overjoyed and ecstatic that she’s been accepted to such a prestigious school, but a part of her wonders if she’s even good enough. Is it worth being hours away from home? What even was her dream?!

For a moment, Anne wants to throw all the cards on the table, to be vulnerable in front of Sasha, but her head snaps up to the sound of pops and booms. Her gaze flickers quickly to the sky as dozens of fireworks fly up. 

“Happy New Year!” Everyone around them is shouting and celebrating.

New Year’s fireworks are nothing new to Anne, but the sight is breathtaking nonetheless. A large red flower crackles in the sky as colorful streams follow behind. Beyond the haze of light and smoke that surrounds the temple are the many folks of the community watching the fireworks together as a crowd, cheering and yelling. Anne wonders if her parents are among the crowd.

“Happy New Year, Sasha.”

“Happy New Year, Anne,” Sasha repeats, looking up and watching the fireworks for a moment. She then tentatively turns to face her, their eyes lock under the sparking sky. Sasha’s eyes narrow. “Was there something you wanted to say?”

“It’s not important right now. We can talk about it later.”

“Are you sure?” Sasha stares back as her face softens. She scoots closer to Anne in their blanket. Anne notices Sasha’s hand face down on the ground, barely touching hers. Their fingers are so close, just enough for Anne to hold them. 

Anne leans forward too, her weight slightly against Sasha’s side. She couldn’t tell the difference between the sounds of the fireworks and her pounding heart. The ache in Anne’s chest grows, but she willingly embraces the feeling. Compared to the fireworks, Anne would much rather stare at Sasha’s bright blue orbs.

All of her concerns about college disappear. College is in the future. Sasha is still here, it’s not the future just yet.

Their hands finally interlock. Anne’s fingers curl tighter between Sasha’s. Anne doesn’t want this night to end.

“Positive.”

-

Of course, all good things must come to an end. After the fireworks show, Anne and Sasha decide to call it a night. Before they head back to Anne’s car, they say their goodbyes to Anne’s parents.

It’s past midnight and there are still several fireworks shooting up in the dark sky. Anne tries to remember if there are more fireworks this New Year’s compared to the previous one. Anne’s car is parked in front of Sasha’s house. All the lights are still on downstairs and she notices how only one bedroom light is off upstairs. Anne could only assume that it belonged to Sasha.

Anne and Sasha sit together in Anne’s car. Heat blows out from the vents, keeping them warm and cozy.

“Thanks for everything, Boonchuy,” Sasha says, looking out the car window and eyeing her house. “For inviting and driving me.”

“No, thank you for coming,” Anne replies. They could’ve just said Happy New Year and their goodbyes, but instead, Anne asks a question. “Hey, why do you call me by my last name?”

Sasha’s eyes widen, clearly taken back by the question, her hand about to open the car door. She takes a moment to think while leaning back into the passenger seat. “I don’t know. I guess I really like your last name.”

Anne’s cheeks heat up at the answer. 

“Oh…”

Sasha lets out a nervous laugh.

“N-no. I’m saying that when we first met as kids,” Sasha pinches the bridge of her nose, clearly embarrassed. “That day, after I stood up for you and Marcy against those girls, you introduced yourself. Your last name was confusing at first. Do you remember I had a hard time pronouncing it?”

Anne nods, recalling their childhood memories together. Her heart softens, she remembers that day perfectly. Sasha was her kindergarten hero, defending Anne and Marcy from a couple of bullies at the park playground and how they’ve been friends ever since.

Sasha lightly scoffs at the memory she continues, “Well, eventually I could say your full name. And then, I guess I always thought your name was really pretty. At least, that was what my six-year-old self-thought.”

“Oh, so you’re saying you don’t think my name is pretty anymore?” Anne quickly interrupts with a teasing tone in her voice.

“No, it’s still pretty!” Sasha exclaims, and then she groans. “Why are you like this?”

“I’m just joking,” Anne giggles. Then they’re both sitting together silently as Anne reminisces her entire life. Her fond memories with Sasha and Marcy, their many sleepovers and movie nights. Then, there was their time at Amphibia. Now, they’re high school seniors, practically adults. “It’s been so long since kindergarten.”

“I know. And now we’re heading off to college and stuff.”

“You’ve decided where to go?” Anne asks Sasha, both curious and invested in what her best friend’s future plans are.

“I figured I might as well go to community college like I said last time. Maybe LACC? Get some basic credits out of the way. I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet.”

“It’s okay, I don’t know what I’m doing too,” Anne truthfully says.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m… a mess, Sasha,” Anne sighs heavily. Her voice is shaking, “What if I’m not good enough for college?”

“No, you’re not. You’re not a mess,” Sasha is quick to respond to Anne’s outburst of emotions. “It’s okay to feel like this.”

“Sure, I got good grades throughout high school, applied to college early, and got accepted,” Anne continues rambling, breathing out all of her buried insecurities. “That was just one thing! I don’t feel like I’m smart enough for a school like UC Cerkely!”

“That’s not true.”

“I’m a fraud. I’m not good enough.” Anne puts her head in her hands. Her mouth is getting so dry.

“Hey,” Sasha leans closer to Anne from the passenger seat. Her gaze is steady and she’s looking at her like they were the only two people in the world. “Look at me.”

“Sasha! I’m only pretending I know what I’m doing with my life. I don’t even know if I want to even major in biology!” Anne says, a little bit louder than she anticipated. Her head feels dizzy and tears start to form in her eyes. Oh no, she’s crying. She feels silly to be emotional, especially in front of Sasha. If she starts crying now, she won’t stop.

“Anne, shut up.” Sasha snaps angrily.

“What?” Anne responds, her voice all raspy. 

“Just shut up, you’re talking crazy. Listen to me,” Sasha says while taking Anne’s hand. “You’re too good to feel like this about yourself.”

Anne sniffles, trying to rub away the tears rolling down her cheeks. She looks away, she couldn’t bear to meet Sasha’s eyes. Their conversation unraveled to the true realities and pressure of college. Everything feels suffocating.

“For frog’s sake, you’re Anne fucking Boonchuy. You’re the best tennis captain the team could ask for. The smartest and most committed person I know in my life. Hell, you saved not only Earth but Amphibia too,” Sasha tells Anne, sincerely. “You have such a big heart, Anne.”

Frowning, Anne opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. She doesn’t want to agree with Sasha’s words. Sasha takes the opportunity to go on.

“I’ve seen you get knocked down so many times before, and every single time, you always get right back up. Remember when we were co-commanders during the war? Nothing stopped you then and nothing will stop you now.”

Anne leans closer to Sasha. Her heart rate is beating so fast at Sasha’s speech. Sasha notices the close distance between them. She sputters out, not knowing how to finish her words, “And… you’re like the funniest person I know!”

Sasha groans. “That sounded a lot better in my head.”

They laugh together at Sasha’s comment. Sasha’s face lights up at the sound of Anne’s laughter.

“See! You’re amazing, smart, and so beautiful. Anne, you’re like the most amazing person I’ve ever m-”

Without thinking, Anne closes her eyes and kisses Sasha, right before she could finish her speech. Her lips are so warm and firm against hers.

When Sasha finally pulls away, Anne is dazed. They’re apart for just a fraction, Sasha’s voice is husky and says, half serious, “That’s not what I was expecting…”

Anne’s breath hitches in her throat.

“You were saying all those things, so I thought…?” Anne whispers, feeling a pang in her heart. She leans back, not knowing what to say.“I’m sorry, did I overstep?”

“N-no!” Sasha leans back a little too, raising and shaking her hands defensively. “That’s not what I meant.”

Sasha is still staring at Anne, her face glowing red. Anne's heart is pumping so fast at the thought of Sasha returning her feelings. Anne notices the way her eyes look even more bluer in the dark. They were so warm and enchanting, she doesn’t want to ever look away from them.

“Anne…” Sasha lowly whispers, leaning back forward, closer to Anne. Her fingers find their way to Anne’s cheeks. They’re so close and Sasha’s breath is so warm. The world around them seems to slow down as Anne breathes out heavily. She is staring at Sasha, only Sasha, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.

“Yes?”

“Anne Boonchuy. You drive me so crazy.”

This time Sasha is the one to close the distance. Anne closes her eyes, finding herself melting into their kiss. The familiar warmth in her chest, Anne embraces her feelings fully. She couldn’t believe that she was actually kissing Sasha right now. She must be dreaming. No, this was better than any other dream of hers. The moonlight and several remaining fireworks from the sky cast a soft glow on them as they held their kiss for what felt like an eternity.

“Happy New Year!” Sasha’s front door swings open. Lily hops out of the house, cheering and celebrating in the front yard. “Happy New Year, everyone!”

Sasha jerks away from Anne as if she has some fatal disease. 

Oh frog, oh frog.  

“Sasha! Anne! Happy New Year!” Lily cries out to the car. The little girl is wearing a pair of gold plastic glasses in the shape of the words, “Happy New Year!” A tall man in pajamas is at the door with his arms crossed, leaning against the doorway. That must be Sasha’s stepfather.

Before Anne could say anything, Sasha bolts out of the car. “Hey, Lily! Where’s your jacket? It’s freezing out here.”

Did her family see them kissing? Oh, frog, Anne couldn’t bear the embarrassment!

Behind the man follows Sasha’s mother, who’s wearing matching pajamas with her husband. She gives a friendly wave at Anne in her car but then frowns at her children. “Lily, come back inside, sweetie, it’s cold. And Sasha! I warned you earlier! You should know better to dress like that in this weather.”

“I know, I know,” Sasha says while the two girls head inside. Sasha’s stepfather laughs. 

“Come on, Cass. It’s New Year’s, let loose on them.”

“New Year’s is for staying up and celebrating, Nick. Not being outside in the cold!” Sasha’s mother counters sternly. Anne could barely make out the rest of their conversation from the car. Eventually, Cassie’s frown loosens when she turns to Anne back in her car. She calls out, “Thank you, Anne! For taking care of Sasha. Get home safe!”

“Yes, thank you!” Nick cries out too.

Anne waves back. Rolling down the window, she cries out, “No problem! Happy New Year!”

“Bye-bye, Anne!” Lily screams out and rushes back inside.

The parents wave Anne off, and they head inside, too. Anne looks straight ahead at Sasha, who is the last person at the doorway. They stare at each other, unsure about the whole situation. 

Anne’s still not sure if Sasha’s family saw them kiss, especially her parents. Were they pretending they didn’t see?

Anne wants to flash a reassuring grin, but she hesitates when she notices that Sasha’s mouth opens, then closes. The girl only waves with a small smile, but her eyes say otherwise. There’s uncertainty and worry in them. The best Anne could do was to wave back.

When the front door finally closes, Anne waits for a couple of minutes, processing what just happened. She lets out a long sigh, dropping her head on the steering wheel. Anne’s still breathless from everything as she thinks back to her conversation with Sasha. Especially their kiss.

“Fuck.”

Chapter Text

Only a couple days have passed since Anne had last seen Sasha. Only a couple days since she practically made out with Sasha Waybright on New Year’s.

Anne lets out a long sigh while laying down on her bed. Her phone is up by her ear.

“Sooooooo, how was the date? I need the entire play by play,” Marcy asks, curiously. Ever since she’s told Marcy about her feelings for Sasha, it was now typical for the two childhood friends to keep in touch.

“Well, before everything, I decided to bake cookies…” Anne explains, going back even further before the special night. She tells her about meeting Sasha’s family, showing her the delicious festival cuisine, running into Anthony and Stacy, and watching the fireworks. Everything. Marcy gasps and squeals at different moments as Anne tells her about the date. Finally, when she describes her kiss with Sasha, Marcy loses it.

“WHAT!” Marcy cries out while Anne winces at the sudden scream, moving her phone away from her ear, but she couldn’t help but giggle too.

“She kissed you back!?”

There’s a loud thud from the other line.

“Marcy?”

“Sorry! Sorry. I got so excited and practically fell off my bed. I’m okay! Go on.”

“And yeah… we sort of made out until her family showed up,” Anne giggles lightly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

“Shut up!”

Her cheeks heat up at the memory. Anne remembers how soft and warm Sasha’s lips were. Oh, frog. Don’t get her started on her dazzling blue eyes. While telling Marcy about the kiss, Anne’s face slowly melts into a grin. She feels so much lighter, giddy, even. She’s practically a schoolgirl kicking her feet up in the air.

Marcy clearing her throat is what shakes Anne out of her daydream. “Hello? Earth to Anne.”

Anne sits up in her bed. She’s trying to balance her phone on her shoulder, but it keeps slipping. She eventually gives up and decides to hold it. “Sorry, Marcy. What did you say?”

“Have you two spoken since then?” Marcy repeats herself.

“That’s the thing…” There’s a slow tug in Anne’s heart as nervousness stirs in her stomach. Amidst getting to kiss Sasha, something was still missing after the whole thing. Her happiness slowly fades away. “Sasha hasn't texted or said anything since then.”

For a moment, she shut her eyes. Anne wanted to shrink and disappear from the face of the Earth. Did Anne ruin their friendship by kissing Sasha, even though she was more alive than ever at the time?

Once again, Marcy’s voice pulls Anne back into reality.

“It’s only been a couple of days,” Marcy reassures her. “For what it’s worth, I’m sure Sasha’s still processing what happened. Give it some time, Anna-Banana.”

“But…” Anne hesitates.

“But what?”

“I don’t know. Should I text her? Ask if we’re okay?” Anne asks anxiously, unsure how to word her frustrations. She just wanted to see Sasha again. Figure everything out. Then she sighs heavily, throwing herself on her bed like the loser she was. “Oh, I’m so pathetic.”

“Anne, you’re the least pathetic person I know,” Marcy immediately tells her. There’s a pause as if she’s carefully piecing her words together, then she continues. “You can text her, but you should give yourself a bre-.”

“Marcy!” Anne overhears someone shouting from the other phone line in the distance. “Why is the DVD player not working?”

“Did you plug it into the HDMI?” Marcy yells back at the voice.

“What’s an HDMI?”

“Ugh…Mom!” Marcy groans from afar. Her voice is low now. “Sorry, Anne. I gotta go, but like I was saying. You can text for a follow-up, but try to take things off your mind too. You know?”

“Right. Right…” Anne says, taking every single piece of advice to heart. “Seriously, Marcy. Thank you.”

“Of course! Text me if you need me or anything. Keep me updated.”

“Marcy!” Anne can hear Marcy’s mother in the distance again.

“Coming, Mom! Okay, gotta go for real now. Byeee!”

“Good night, Marcy.”

When her phone finally hangs up, Anne lies on her bed in complete silence for some time. Her mind is all over the place. Over and over, the same thoughts play on loop: I miss Sasha. Did I mess up? Do I text her?

She picks up her phone and swipes to unlock it, opening her conversation with Sasha. Anne really couldn’t bring herself to text first. Instead, she takes a deep breath and allows her eyes to wander around her room. They land on her laptop on her desk.

Marcy’s words echo in her head. 

Try to take things off your mind too. You know?

“Take things off my mind…” Anne repeats under her breath. “Take things off my mind.”

She has been putting off meeting a certain someone. Someone who wasn’t Sasha.

Quickly jumping out of her bed and stumbling on her feet, Anne sits at her desk. She pulls up her email on her laptop. Without much hesitation, she got to typing.

-

A couple more days pass, and there’s still no text from Sasha, but the fleeting pain in Anne’s heart eases for the time being. No, she hasn’t decided to reach out. Instead, there was something else Anne needed to focus on today. 

Today was the first day she left her house in the new year. Anne enters the Museum of Natural History, armed with her notebook and pen. She scheduled a meeting with Dr. Jan to talk about future college plans. 

According to the older lady, this get-together was quite frankly long overdue since they haven’t seen each other in so long. The two were technically friends despite their age differences. Anne doesn’t remember the last time she saw Dr. Jan. Probably about a year ago for some reunion.

Anne awkwardly walks to the ticketing booth of the museum. The young lady at the counter is on her phone, and when Anne approaches she immediately hides the device, and sits up straight.

“Hi! Welcome to the Museum of Natural History. Tickets are twenty dollars each.”

“Um…” Anne peers inside the museum, unsure how to explain to the front desk about her special occasion with one of the museum’s curators.

“Students have fifty percent discount,” The lady raises an eyebrow at Anne’s hesitation.

“Oh, sweetheart. She’s with me!” Dr. Jan crows into the conversation before Anne could respond. Thank frog, for her timing.

While walking towards Dr. Jan’s office, Anne couldn’t help but recall the Plantars’ time here in the museum. As silly as it sounds, she remembers her young self scheming and breaking into the building late at night. Unfortunately, the turn of events led to an attack by one of King Andrias’ evil frobots and a huge amount of property damage. 

Anne scratches her arm awkwardly while looking around the museum where the Plantars dropped the massive dinosaur skeleton long ago. Honestly, all of that could’ve been avoided had she only reached out to Dr. Jan.

“Don’t worry about that Mosasaurus display,” Dr. Jan says as if she had read her mind. 

“Are you sure?”

“Oh, honey, of course! It really was nothing. That old thing was just a replica,” The older lady waves the air, brushing off Anne’s concerns. “You’re fine, honey. If anything I should be thanking you for allowing me to meet those little o’ frogs. I sure miss them, you know?”

Anne laughs lightly. “I do too.”

Dr. Jan is now humming while the two of them approach her office. While unlocking her door, Dr. Jan’s keys jingle. They both enter and Dr. Jan politely closes the door behind them.

Anne is marveled at how nothing's changed in the office space. Heaps of papers are scattered across the room, including the floor. Alongside them are numerous stacks of books and folders. The room looked exactly the same since she’s last been here.

“Anyways. Anne Boonchuy. What can I do to help you?” Dr. Jan asks while sitting behind her desk.

Anne sits down at the chair in front of the messy desk. She scribbles in her notebook to make sure her pen is working. “Well, it’s pretty simple and honestly silly. I’d like some advice on narrowing my choice of school for university.”

“If it’s okay to ask, which schools have accepted you?”

“Well, I got a full ride at UC Cerkley an-”

“Oh my gosh, girl! Congratulations! That is no easy feat for sure. Okay. Okay, sorry, continue.”

“Thank you, Dr. Jan,” Anne breaks into a laugh. Whatever it was, the museum curator was terrific at making a person feel so safe and secure. 

Anne lists off the other schools she’s been admitted to. She starts off with ones that offer a full ride or some sort of scholarship. Dr. Jan nods her head while Anne talks her heart out and at times the older lady jots down notes herself.

“That’s a marvelous list of choices you have to choose from. I don’t blame you for being stuck,” Dr. Jan hums while thinking deep in thought. Her eyes narrow at her written notes. “Let me be the one to ask you some questions now because there’s a lot to think about when deciding your school.”

This time Anne is the one holding her pen, she’s ready to listen to every word.

“Well, to start, do you have an idea on what you want to do or be in the future?”

“No, not really.”

“That’s okay, a biology major will do you just fine about anywhere. You still have time to figure things out,” Dr. Jan smiles at Anne. “It’s craazzy that society expects you to know what to do with your life at such a young age.” She adds, rolling her eyes in full effect, waving her hands off in the air.

Anne grins back, hard. Just everything about Dr. Jan was amazing. She was so approachable, kind, and reassuring that Anne felt like she could tell her about anything and all her other worries. Whatever job Anne winds up doing she vows to be like Dr. Jan in the future.

Dr. Jan continues. “Affordability and money is a big consideration for most people. The least you’d want is to be in debt. Luckily for you…”

“I have my full ride and some scholarships,” Anne finishes her sentence.

“Right. Some people also look at schools based on their major or program. Quality of academics you can say. A good department usually means having notable faculty or courses that align with your interests. Sometimes even having other academic opportunities like research or labs. All that jazz.”

Anne scribbles in her notebook. These were tangents she didn’t even think about when she was pondering about her choice of college. Dr. Jan smiles at Anne fondly, with true and genuine affection while she’s waiting for her to finish before going on.

“Then there’s the location of the school to think about too. How far are you willing to be away from home? Do you want to live in a college town that is in the middle of nowhere? Sometimes folks think about the cultural area and the activities that the location of the school offers.”

“What made you decide which school you went to?” Anne asks curiously.

Suddenly, Dr. Jan bursts into a laugh so loud that it catches Anne off guard that she nearly jumps out of her chair. “Sorry hon. Having this conversation with you makes me feel so old, I’m going through memory lane,” she explained. “I ended up going to a school outside of my home state. I was really ambitious to have a fresh start in my life and my school’s program was spectacular.”

“Was it scary?” Anne wonders out loud. “Moving somewhere completely new?”

“Oh, absolutely. I remember being so terrified, especially leaving my family and friends behind. All my high school friends went to the same university and I remember being sooo jealous that they got to experience the undergrad life together.”

Anne blinks. She didn’t think about going to school with her friends. Then an even bigger thought hits her.

Sasha .

There’s a pang in Anne’s chest and suddenly it hurts to breathe. She can still hear Dr. Jan talking, but her voice is so far away.

She didn’t think about Sasha and what the future holds if they got together. They would immediately be long distance considering the schools Anne was deciding on. It wasn’t helping that UC Cerkeley was already a huge contender for her, which was six hours away from home. She could feel her buried insecurities crawling back to her.

Anne was already starting to get over her imposter syndrome, but now it seems that life was throwing so many curve balls at her it feels impossible to bounce back.

“Anne? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Anne’s voice trembles for a moment. “I was just thinking how… different life will be once I’m in college.”

It was a small white lie, but there was some truth in her words.

Dr. Jan looks at her sincerely. Her kind eyes remind Anne of her mom’s. “Anne, sweetie. You’re a smart girl, a force of nature, really. Believe me, I would know.”

“What do you mean?” Anne asks, curiously.

A reassuring smile plays at the older woman’s lips. “Out of everyone in the whole wide world, you would know that change is what allows us to grow. You taught me that, girl. Give things time and everything will be easier for you, I promise.”

Anne blinks, her face is still.

“Dr. Jan. If it’s okay to ask, but do you think long distance relationships can work out? Through college, I mean.” Anne asks, impulsively.

Dr. Jan’s eyebrows rise, clearly taken aback from the sudden question, but then her face softens. There’s a gleam in her eye and she’s trying to hide a knowing smirk. The older lady probably understands what’s really bothering Anne. She answers regardless.

“Through my academic journey, and trust me, girl, it was a long one, I’ve seen countless relationships come and go. I’ve seen some long distance relationships work. I’ve seen some of them break up. Hell, I knew a couple of high school sweethearts get through university and even grad school. But, the thing is…”

Anne blushes at the mention of high school sweethearts. Clearly, she was being too obvious. “The thing is?” She echoes.

“Anything is possible,” Dr. Jan sits up from her chair, leaning closer to Anne. “The only way to find out is by trying. Things will change and you will be aware of that. Only time will tell.”

And all of sudden, Anne lets go of the breath she’s been holding in this entire time.

-

An hour passes as both Anne and Dr. Jan continue to talk. Their conversations allowed for the two of them to catch up and talk about other things as well. Apparently, Terri has been helping out at the museum a lot recently, they are both currently working on an exhibit together. Fun stuff!

Anne’s energy is renewed and there’s a kindling hope in her heart. Just being able to talk to Dr. Jan brought her so much comfort, allowing her to take things off her mind.

Eventually, it’s time to go and Dr. Jan walks Anne to the front of the museum.

“Is it okay if I could hug you goodbye?” Anne asks, not knowing how to word her question in the least awkwardest way possible.

Dr. Jan lets out a loose laugh. “Of course, honey.”

Anne throws her arms around the lady, embracing her while Dr. Jan does the same. In the middle of their hug, Anne whispers to her with all her heart. “Thank you, Dr. Jan. For everything.”

“I’m always here if you need me,” Dr. Jan says while patting her back, hugging her closer.

The two say their farewells, but when Anne is just about to leave she hears Dr. Jan.

“Anne!”

“Yes?” Anne tilts her head in confusion. Did she forget something?

“Whoever it is. They’re lucky to have you.”

“Dr. Jan!” Anne cries out, struggling to find her voice. Dr. Jan could only laugh at her reaction. Quickly, she rushes out of the building. 

Walking to her car, Anne is practically dancing. She notices how the sky is a lighter shade of blue and how the sun is brighter than before. She can’t remember the last time she felt like this.

When she gets back to her car, Anne decides to look through her notebook full of Dr. Jan’s words of wisdom. Flipping and turning the pages of her written notes, Anne feels a productive thrill. Now, there was only one thing she needed to do. 

Anne pulls her phone out and searches through her contacts, and she gets to typing.

Hey, Sasha…

Chapter Text

Lately, for the past couple of days, Sasha has been sleeping in, reminiscing about what happened the night of New Year’s Eve.

Sasha kissed Anne Boonchuy. And she kissed her back. 

Frog. Sasha wonders if Anne is thinking of her in the same way.

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Sasha’s family noticed or saw them practically making out. Regardless, an unsettling feeling aches in her heart.

Every single time she thinks about her kiss with Anne, Sasha’s heart beats so fast. A great deal of excitement soars through her. But at the same time, she’s confused. Everything about that kiss felt so right, and yet she wasn’t fully sure about how she felt about herself.

Was Sasha Waybright ga-

“Sasha! Breakfast is ready, sweetie!” Sasha hears her mom shouting from downstairs. 

For a moment, Sasha pushes her identity crisis to the back of her mind. She had to. Even if she wanted to dwell and think about Anne, Sasha had an agenda today. She was going to visit and tour her local community college. Winter break was nearly over, and she had to make the most of it since the first day of the new school year was only a couple of days away.

Sasha makes sure to wear something warm. Even though technically winter break was ending, that doesn’t stop the weather from being so cold and breezy in January. She makes sure to throw on her varsity jacket for good measure.

“Coming, Mom!” Sasha stumbles downstairs, where her mother is cooking sunny-side up eggs (Sasha’s favorite) and Vincent is helping himself to scrambled eggs and toast. She figures that Lily is still sleeping and her stepfather is already on his way to work.

Sasha manages to force down a couple of bites. All on her mind right now was her kiss with Anne.

Her mother raises an eyebrow.

“Are you okay, honey? You barely eat nowadays,” her mom asks.

“Are you dieting for your New Year’s resolution?” Vincent raises an eyebrow.

Sasha snorts, rolling her eyes. Frog, she really didn’t believe in New Year’s resolutions

Her mother isn’t convinced and stares at Sasha. Their eyes meet for a moment, and Sasha’s stomach dips.

“I’m just a little nervous about college and the tour stuff,” Sasha says, trying to come up with a convincing excuse on the spot.

She feels bad for lying to her mom, but at the same time, she wasn’t entirely wrong; there was some truth to Sasha’s words. Technically, she was worried about college, just not as of now.

Anne and Sasha haven’t spoken to each other since their kiss on New Year’s Eve. Not even a single text. Sasha wasn’t sure if it was excitement or guilt stirring in her heart. 

“I can come with you if you’d like. Or maybe Vincent can tag along.” Sasha’s mother suggests, still flashing a concerned look at her eldest daughter.

“Hey, I didn’t agree to that!”

They both ignore him.

“No, it’s okay, Mom. You don’t have to.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well, remember to pack your backpack,” She pauses, thinking of all the ways she could help her daughter be ready. “Or something to take notes with. And don’t forget to ask questions if you have any. Oh! Let me pack you some snacks.”

“I will, Mom.” Her mother is showing her typical colors, worried as ever. But Sasha decides to let her be. In a way, it was her mother’s love language.

Her mother then stands up with her plate in her hands. She gives Sasha a sidelong look and a heavy sigh. She reminisces. “I can’t believe you’re almost done with high school. It’s all happening so fast. Graduation will be here before you know it.” She wraps her arms around Sasha’s neck. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Mooomm,” Sasha not only groans at her mom for being too sentimental, but also when she kisses her head a little too hard.

“It’s not like she’s leaving us or anything,” Vincent says while biting on his piece of toast. “She’s just going to community college. She’ll still be here.”

Sasha’s mother lets go of Sasha while laughing.  “I know. I know.” Then she’s on her way, putting her plate in the sink.

Sasha couldn’t help but gaze at her mother with a sympathetic look. She then notices the older woman rolling up her sleeves as she approaches the kitchen sink. There’s a clink of dishware when she picks up one plate to wash. 

Sasha is quick on her feet. “Here, we can wash them together,” She says while scurrying next to her mother.

“Thank you, sweetie,” Her mother says, picking up another plate. She hands it over to Sasha, and then she’s resonating again. “Only a matter of time before you’re out of the house, too.” Her voice sighs nostalgically.

“Vincent will still be around. Lily, too,” Sasha manages to say, barely looking her mom in the eye. She couldn't stomach her mother’s pride for her eldest daughter when really Sasha was truly a mess. 

Dark thoughts cloud Sasha. There was nothing to be proud of. All Sasha was doing was graduating from high school and going to community college, the bare minimum. And she still had no idea what she wanted to be. 

Another storming thought overwhelmed her. There was Anne. Before their time in Amphibia, Sasha had always been fixated on that girl, hoping that she could keep her friend in line and under her thumb. And even during their time in the frog resistance, it was Anne who taught her to do better. To be a better version of herself. But this time was different. Ever since they reconnected in their senior year, Anne had somehow transfixed Sasha in a way she never imagined.

“Are you really okay, honey?” Sasha’s mother calls her attention back, setting the frying pan she was scrubbing down. She studies Sasha closely. “You seem out of it lately.”

Sasha bites down her tongue. Her mother doesn’t know what happened on New Year’s. Sasha tries to keep a smile on her face. Her strongest poker face yet. She clears her throat.

“I’m okay, Mom. Don’t worry, just a lot on my plate,” Sasha grins while holding up the dish she was washing. It’s witty, but she’s slightly proud of her on-the-spot pun.

A giggle escapes from her mother. “God, I love a good pun.”

Sasha feels guilty for lying to her mother, but she doesn’t want to worry her. Maybe one day, she’ll open up to Mom about all her insecurities and even cry in her mother’s arms like the child she was. But not today. There were other important matters to tend to.

“By the way, are you sure you want to go on your own?” Her mother asks one last time. She hands her the soapy pan.

Sasha turns on the faucet and turns it towards her so it can rinse the pan. “I’ll be okay,” she reassures.

“Vincent can always come along, you know?” Her mom jokes.

“ Still didn’t agree to that!” Vincent hollers from afar, who is now in the restroom.

Sasha and her mom both laugh breathlessly together, their laughter echoes across the house. This was nice. So nice that she almost forgot about her worries about Anne, until her mom says, “Oh, here’s Anne’s tupperware, can you return it to her? Can you also tell her I said thank you and that her cookies were so delicious?”

Sasha’s throat tightens at the mention of Anne’s name. The pan she was rinsing nearly slips out of her soapy hands.

Her mother hands the tupperware to Sasha for her to wash, but she’s in a daze. For a split second, all Sasha could do was stare down at the plastic container in her hands.

Emotions well up inside Sasha. Sasha’s heart beats faster and faster. And she can’t seem to make it stop. Even when she’s not thinking of Anne, their kiss, or all the complicated feelings that come with that girl, Anne was present. Even within her own house.

“I’ll let her know.”

-

Sasha and the tour group follow their guide, who is impressively walking backwards and talking at the same time. They are returning to the first building they visited, marking the end of the tour.

If her memory served her correctly, they were back in the Student Union Center, probably one of her favorite buildings they had toured. When they get inside, the place isn’t as busy or noisy, but there are still students on their laptops studying.

“Does anyone have any questions before I wrap up the tour?” The sound of the tour guide clapping his hands catches Sasha’s attention as the young man asks the group.

A couple of individuals next to Sasha raise their hands. Her focus isn't on them, but rather the many amenities in the student building. On the far right side of the building, an older student is playing a piano. The soft playing of the classic instrument brings a calm, almost meditative reassurance to Sasha.

The building was like a vibrant and welcoming hub for its students. Sasha could practically picture herself here at this campus. A few imaginary scenarios play out in her head. She could see herself at that table studying. Or ordering a vanilla frappuccino at that cafe over there. This place was both the perfect blend of productivity and convenience that a school campus should have. It was perfect.

“Alright, folks, that concludes our campus tour! I’ll stick around for five more minutes if anyone still has last-minute questions or anything.”

Numerous parents, high school students, and adults flock around the tour guide, asking questions and overwhelming the poor guy as if he were a celebrity. But, Sasha doesn’t join the crowd. Instead, she decides to wander around the other parts of campus at her own pace.

So far, Sasha notices how quiet the campus is, probably because it’s the weekend. There are still people walking around, all bundled up in jackets and sweaters in the cold weather. 

Another building that caught Sasha’s interest was the science building. For a second, she gazes at the enormous glass structure, taking in its unique architecture and aesthetics for a school building.

Eventually, she wanders inside. Earlier, the tour guide escorted the group to only a couple of lecture halls, but Sasha wanted to explore the rest of the building. She decides to walk up the stairs to the second floor.

Colorful banners of club events and meetings adorn bulletin boards and walls. Between the posters were glass displays filled with old fossils and various crystals. Sasha chuckles at the sight of a note left in front of a classroom door: “Class is cancelled because I said so.”

Again, Sasha almost feels so sure of herself, picturing herself walking and studying through these hallways in the future.

From afar, Sasha overhears voices from an open classroom behind her. That’s weird, it’s the weekend, there shouldn’t be any classes in session. Unless it was a club meeting? Curiosity gets the best of her.

Sasha pokes her head into the classroom, lurking from the doorway. The room wasn’t a traditional classroom, but instead a science lab. Two girls in goggles stood in the middle. Both of them are staring and speaking to a camera mounted on a tripod. In front of them was a lab table with all sorts of tools and trinkets. What stands out the most to Sasha is a small and cute robot panda standing on their table. Wait. Girls in goggles. Then it hit her.

It was them! Oh, frog, their names were on the tip of Sasha’s tongue. Ava and Jan? Sasha frowns. No, Jan was the museum lady Anne told her about. These two ladies were the robot geniuses who helped Anne and Sasha prepare and fight for the frog invasion on Earth. Part of her feels bad for not remembering their names, but the other reminds her that it was years ago. Regardless, the two girls looked the same, maybe just a little bit older.

“Sorry that this video is different from our typical videos, but we couldn’t help but talk about the fascinating history of mechanical keyboards!”

“Yeah! Be sure to check the links in our description if you’re interested in some of the boards we showed you all!”

“Anyways, always remember, folks!”

“If it doesn’t compute! It’s time to reboot,” They both spoke at the same time, waving their hands in sync. Sasha figures that they rehearsed this outro countless times as the robot panda in front of them break dances. The two tech girls burst into laughter as the robot busts down a couple of impressive moves, and Sasha couldn’t help but giggle as well.

Perhaps she was laughing too loudly because the two girls whipped their heads towards Sasha’s direction.

“Oh, hi! Come on in. Don’t be shy,” The woman in buns gestures Sasha into the room.

“We weren’t expecting any visitors,” The woman with the high ponytail and pink highlights cried out, rushing to stop the camera from recording. “Are you interested in the robotics club?”

“No,” Sasha answers quietly, hesitant to walk into the room. “I’m not a student here. I was just touring around earlier.”

“Wait a minute…” The woman in the ponytail stares at Sasha, studying her intensely. A dawn of realization hits her as she points. “You’re Anne’s friend! Sammy, right? No, Sarah!”

A laugh of relief comes out of Sasha. They also didn’t remember her. Thank frog, it wasn’t one-sided. She shakes her head. 

“No, it’s Sasha. And your names were?” Sasha rubbed the back of her head, awkwardly asking for reintroductions.

“I’m Jess.”

“And I’m Ally!” The two women step towards Sasha to ease the awkwardness, and Sasha couldn’t help but take note of their height difference when Jess leans her head on Ally’s. It was kinda cute.

“What brings you here, Sasha?” Ally asks while dragging a chair for her.

Sasha blinks; she didn’t think she would be holding a worthwhile conversation with them. Alas, she sits herself down, leaning back on the chair. “I was just touring earlier. I’m most likely going to attend here next fall.”

“That’s wonderful! You’ll love it here!” Jess claps her hands in delight. “Ally and I are actually lecturers here too. We used to be students ourselves and filmed our robot videos here.”

“But we ended up loving this place so much, we decided to study and teach here ourselves,” Ally adds on. She places her hand close to Jess’ hand, and their fingers curl together and interlock. There’s passion and love plastered all over her face as she looks over at Jess. “It’s been a wonderful experience."

Jess caught her look and blushed. She smiled and slightly nodded, understanding what Ally meant.

Sasha’s eyes widen as she notices the two girls’ interaction, something the average person wouldn’t notice at all.

They... they are a couple!

Not like there was anything wrong with it, she fully supported them, and their cute interaction somehow managed to bring comfort to Sasha’s heart. She feels safe while looking at them. A sense of belonging, even.

“Enough about us!” Jess laughs off the subtle display of affection, letting go of Ally’s hand. “How are you, Sasha?”

That’s a shame, Sasha really thought they were cute being affectionate towards each other. She didn’t mind them being subtle lovebirds.

“I’m doing okay,” Sasha answers. It was technically a lie, but she couldn’t necessarily dump her feelings that she had about Anne, nor her anxieties about her future.

“I’m about to enter my last semester of high school. Exciting stuff, I guess.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re right! That makes both you and Anne high school seniors, right?” Ally realizes Sasha’s age, then she sighs. “Man, time really does fly by. Feels like yesterday when we were helping Anne fight off the FBI.”

“How’s Anne, by the way? Do you guys still talk?” Jess asks curiously.

Sasha flinches at the mention of Anne, not knowing how to answer the question. Ally and Jess exchange a worried look. They took Sasha’s silence for an answer.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell us anything you’re not comfortable with.”

It’s not that…” Sasha’s voice is trembling. Oh, fuck it. She bites her lip; she needs to let it out. Sasha was like ninety percent sure that the two girls would be okay with her Sasha out, but the lingering ten percent made her ask anyway. “Things have been hard lately, especially with Anne. Is it okay if I could vent to you guys?”

Again, Ally and Jess exchange another worried look, but this time they nod together in agreement. They scoot their chairs closer to Sasha for support.

“Of course.”

“I mean, it’s really no big deal in hindsight,” Sasha laughs lightly. She feels a bit silly that she was opening up and reconvening with people she barely spoke with. But, a gut feeling inside her is telling Sasha it’s for the best and that Ally and Jess would be supportive.

“We sort of…kissed.” It was the first time Sasha told anybody out loud, and she could feel the weight finally lift off her shoulders.

“WHAT!” Ally and Jess both cry out. Their mouths are left wide open, staring at Sasha in disbelief. They both lean closer to her as Sasha tells them both about everything: their date at the Thai temple, their kiss in the car, everything.

Ally is fanning herself, and Sasha can hear her whistle loudly. “Wow! What a way to start the new year. Ooh, girl!”

Jess rolls her eyes at her girlfriend and gives a supportive look at Sasha. “Thank you, Sasha, for opening up. It takes a lot of courage to do that, we’re really honored.”

Sasha nods, might as well continue, she already was in so deep. “We haven’t spoken since New Year’s,” then she steadies her voice, for once she could finally open up the floodgates of her inner turmoil. “And, I don’t know… I’ve always been attracted to guys my entire life. But Anne and everything. Oh, I don’t know anymore.”

Ally gently reached over and took Sasha’s hand as if she understood Sasha’s position. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay. There’s no need to rush things, it’s a lot to take in.”

Sasha’s voice hitches at the physical contact, but it eases her anxiety. In a way, she feels understood, but she doesn’t know how. Maybe it was because of their experience as teachers and knowing how to comfort their students.

Ally shares a knowing look with Jess while she’s talking. “Believe us, we would know. I also had a mental crisis when I had a crush on a girl, too.”

Jess joins in, “It also took us a bit to figure ourselves out, too. It wasn’t an instantaneous discovery that I was a lesbian or that Ally was bisexual.”

Sasha is silent; she doesn’t know what to say.

Bisexual. Lesbian.

They were terms Sasha was familiar with; she knew what they were, but she never imagined she would be associated with them at all. But, deep down inside her consciousness, as if the puzzles were slowly piecing together, there was something about being bisexual .

It felt fitting .

Ally breaks the silence. “You’re always welcome here to talk about these sorts of things.”

“Especially if you’re going to study here,” Jess grins.

For the first time in a while, Sasha feels happy with herself, comfortable in her own skin. There’s a safe fluttering sensation in her stomach. She was so sick in a dark spiral. Letting things out had finally cleared her mind.

Sasha catches both of their gazes. They’re both looking at her so fondly with genuine support that tears come to Sasha’s eyes. It’s a comforting thought that she’ll have Ally and Jess when she attends community college next year.

 “I’d like that.”

-

After the tears dried, the three of them continued to talk, laugh, and even reminisce about their time with the amphibians from Amphibia. What Sasha liked the most was Ally and Jess’ more in-depth explanation of the campus life that was far beyond helpful than her tour guide.

Sasha’s pulling into her driveway. Hopping out of her car, she’s grinning to herself, satisfied with not only having a productive day, but also a fun one too.

Her phone buzzes, and Sasha doesn’t believe her eyes when it’s a text from Anne.

Hey Sasha. Can we talk?

Sasha takes the time to write back immediately; her heart is beating so fast. She doesn’t want to miss her chance, especially when she knows what she wants now. Anne and Sasha exchange a couple more messages until it finally settles. 

Let’s meet after school. At the football bleachers.

Chapter Text

Most people would dread the first day of school, but not Anne. Today, she was finally going to see Sasha for the first time in forever.

It’s the morning, and Anne needs to trade out some of her things at her locker. Anne remembers that she’ll have to clean her locker by the end of the year. While storing her textbooks, Anne constantly shifts her gaze from her locker to the hallway in hopes of seeing Sasha.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of her.

Anne sighs heavily. When did she become such a hopeless romantic? She wonders whether Sasha thinks of Anne as much as Anne thought of her. 

Instead, to her surprise, someone else comes up to her. “Heyyyy, Annnnne!” Helena, from Anne’s tennis team, greets her. Anne and Helena weren’t really friends, teammates at most, especially since the girl was a grade below her. Anne raises an eyebrow, curious about what the girl had to say for her to approach her. “Sooo I’m just wondering if you’re…”

Anne doesn’t hear the rest of Helena’s sentence. In the corner of Anne’s eyes, she notices a familiar blonde-headed girl walking down the hallway. Her attention is away from Helena and instead on Sasha, and their eyes meet for barely a moment. Oh, how much Anne missed those cerulean blue eyes. Other than wearing their typical school uniform and varsity jacket, Sasha looked the same. Maybe Anne was just imagining it, but did Sasha get a haircut? Her long blonde hair was shorter than usual. Maybe it's because Anne hasn’t seen her in so long.

Regardless, she looked amazing and breathtaking as Anne remembered.

Sasha waves a hand, and she mouths a soft, Hey . Even though they haven’t talked or seen each other since New Year’s, Sasha still wrapped herself in friendliness. Anne’s eyes were completely on her the entire time as Sasha walked by.

Anne must have been checking out Sasha for so long because Helena turns around and back, puzzled. “Are you good?”

“Yeah!” Anne laughs an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

Helena rolls her eyes. “I said .” It was the way she phrased her I said . So condescending, acting as if Anne was taking up her precious time. “Are you staying for practice today?”

Immediately, Anne wants to say yes. As team captain, she tries to attend all of their tennis practices, but she remembers her promise with Sasha. How they were going to meet after school. At the football bleachers. “Yeah. I need to do something first before though-”

“Okay, great! See you then,” Helena cuts her off. The corner of her mouth turns up, satisfied with Anne’s answer. Then she sped off, joining her little clique at the other side of the hallway, before Anne could even say bye. She stares at the back of Helena, both baffled and confused at the same.

“Rude,” Anne says when the girl is as far away as possible. No wonder they’re not really friends. But as team captain, Anne knows she shouldn’t think like that; she needs to be a team player.

Anne decides not to dwell on the interaction any longer. Instead, Sasha pops into her head once again. Just seven more hours of school left until she can finally sort things out with her. Anne couldn’t wait any longer.

Frog, she really was a lovesick fool for Sasha Waybright.

-

During lunch, Anne’s the first one seated at her usual table. She peeks around the cafeteria, secretly hoping to see Sasha, like how she looks for her in every single room she’s in. To her disappointment, she doesn’t find the cheerleader anywhere.

For the first day of school, Anne’s mother packed one of her favorite lunches, chicken satay sandwiches, plus a vanilla cupcake. With the sandwich in her hands, Anne’s mouth is practically watering.

Before she could have a bite, Anthony comes flying across the cafeteria, he’s in a rush to sit next to Anne. “Dude. We need to talk.”

Anne stuffs part of her sandwich into her mouth. Frog, the peanut sauce was like heaven; she couldn’t imagine not having this when she moved to college. “What’s wrong?”

“Wait, that looks good. Can I have some?” Anthony’s distracted. Anne frowns, and he takes her silence as a no. “It’s Helena.”

“What about her?” She finally gulps down her bite. Anne thinks back to this morning. How persistent Helena was earlier. 

“I think she’s looking to challenge you.”

“Challenge me?” Anne scoffs in disbelief. In high school tennis, the entire team is organized by rank. Challenge matches help determine the team ladder, and it’s when one player challenges another, usually someone higher in rank. Currently, Anne is the number one player. Sometimes, either her coach organizes these matches or her fellow teammates would challenge her for her position. “The tournament season is about to start. We should be more worried about practicing, not ranks. Coach is never going to agree to that.”

“Please,” Anthony scoffs. “You know how she is. A bitch.”

“Language,” Anne frowns, looking over her shoulder, making sure no one was around to hear Anthony. The rest of the tennis team should be here soon. Sasha too.

“You know it too. She’s so full of herself, thinking she’s the best on the team. You better not lose to her, Boonchuy.”

“I still don’t think coach would follow through,” Anne says, wiping off the crumbs on her face. “But, I don’t plan on losing anyway.” She wouldn’t lose any challenge matches for the world, especially to someone like Helena. Even if her rank didn’t matter since she was a senior, being the top player on the team was still important to her. 

One by one, Anne’s friends slowly seat themselves at the lunch table. Everyone, but one person. Anne looks over the cafeteria one last time. A small pang of queasiness grips her stomach as she realizes there’s no Sasha in sight.

“Say, where’s Sasha?” Anthony asks while also looking around.

“I don’t know,” Anne answers truthfully, trying her best to hide the disappointment in her voice. Did something happen to her? Did her lunch schedule change? Was she sitting with another group? Or worse, was Sasha avoiding her for the rest of the day?

“Really? I thought you guys were tight like this,” Anthony crosses his fingers, clearly not comforting Anne at all.

“Hey guys! Sorry, I’m late. I was caught up in the line,”

As if right on cue, Sasha emerges from behind, and Anne nearly falls out of her seat at the sound of her voice.

Sasha greets the table, dressed in her trademark varsity jacket, with a lunch tray in her hands. Anthony and the rest of the table take no time to welcome her. The moment Sasha sits next to Anne, the tight knot in her stomach disappears and is now filled with dancing butterflies instead.

Sasha doesn’t seem to have any trouble having a conversation with everyone, and it’s quite admirable to see the cheerleader being so easy-going, and well, so Sasha. 

Honestly, Anne didn’t know she could miss someone so much. Even when they’re barely a foot away.

Oh, how badly Anne wanted to talk to Sasha and fix everything .

Sasha must’ve felt Anne’s gaze because her eyes flicked up to Anne’s so fast she couldn’t look away in time. “Hey.”

“Hey!” Anne’s heart leaps. And then and there, she has this sudden and crazy urge to talk things out right now . Anne would pull Sasha over somewhere else. Forget their meeting after school. She desperately wants to talk about her feelings. Her feelings for Sasha. 

“Is that your mom’s chicken?” Sasha asks, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

“Yeah,” She rips a piece of a sandwich before drizzling more peanut sauce on. “You want some?”

“If that’s okay with you. Just a little bit, I don’t want to eat all of your lunch.”

“That’s not fair! How come I don't get any?” Anthony cries out.

“What can I say? I'm irresistible like that,” Sasha grins, causing Anne to roll her eyes at her friends and tear another small piece of her sandwich.

Sasha breathes in the tiny piece of food in her fingers. “Man, I miss her delicious cooking so much. Don’t get me started on everything we ate at the temple.”

The thought of Sasha reminiscing about their date makes Anne smile. God, she was far from being over Sasha. Before Anne could add on to the conversation, one of her friends calls out.

“Hey, Waybright! I heard you helped Anthony get a girlfriend. Mind meddling with my love life? I want a boyfriend before prom.”

“I don’t know, Kevin. You might be a hopeless case,” Sasha snickers at the boy to their left. “Given all your situationships.”

“Not all men, but always a man. Must you remind me, Waybright,” Kevin holds his chest in a dramatic gesture that gets the entire table laughing. And just like that, lunch proceeds in familiar fashion as if nothing ever changed between Anne and Sasha.

Mr. Robinson starts English class with a lecture on the history of Shakespeare. He feels like it’s important to do so before the entire class reads the classic (and iconic, according to him) play, Twelfth Night , this semester.

Sasha does her best to listen and take notes, but unfortunately, she can’t stop thinking about Anne. Her thoughts circle back to their date at the temple, the smell of her vanilla perfume, the feeling of their first kiss. Then their conversation at lunch today, her addictive laughter alongside her friends, and her eyes softening while telling Sasha about her visit with Dr. Jan. Frog, she swears she could listen to Anne talk all day if she could. 

Shaking her head, Sasha glances out to the window to see track students run around the football field.

A few more hours to go.

Sasha only needed to bear through two more class periods, calculus and cheer. Then she’ll finally be able to meet Anne at the football bleachers. Talk to her, clear everything up, and maybe…

They’ll be girlfriends?

Sasha smiles to herself at the idea.

About twenty minutes into the lecture, a sticky note comes flying from behind Sasha. She unfolds the note, reading the neat handwriting before her. 

Meet me on the side facing the tennis courts.

An admirable doodle of Sprig in his little hat is next to the message. Sasha suppresses a hard smile so Mr. Robinson doesn’t notice her. She turns around to meet Anne’s gaze, who is looking dead ahead at the board, her attention on the lecture.

Sasha knows she doesn’t need to, but she does it anyway. With her pen in her hand, she scribbles a rough sketch of Grime to the best of her ability. Then, she writes back. 

Sounds good, see you there Boonchuy.

Mr. Robinson has his back to the class and gives Sasha the perfect opportunity. Quickly folding the sticky note in half, Sasha throws it back at Anne, and she watches her friend unfold the message. 

Sasha couldn’t help but notice the subtle smile Anne tries to hide while looking down reading the note. Finally, Anne looks up and their eyes lock for barely a moment. Anne then lets out an amused chuckle while not trying to interrupt class. 

“Dork.”

Immediately, Sasha sits up. Something about hearing Anne giggle makes her feel warm inside. She turns around, facing the board, and can barely contain her excitement for the end of the day.

Only a few more hours to go.

- 

Sasha’s last class period is cheer in the school’s gymnasium. And it was nearly over. 

A whistle blows, their cheerleader coach shouts. “Gather here! Good session today, girls. Tina, make sure to stretch next time. And don’t forget…”

Sasha is tapping her foot impatiently while their coach finishes up closing remarks. Stacy, next to her, is giving her a curious sideways stare. Anne is probably wrapping up her class in tennis, too. Sasha has her schedule memorized by heart. She wonders if Anne is just as excited as her.

“Let’s start this semester with a bang! Okay, let’s huddle up now. Stacy, start us off!”

Everyone on the cheer team gathers, their hands out together. The cheer captain exchanges one last look at Sasha and then grins. “Saint James on three. One! Two! Three!”

Sasha joins in the roar of her fellow cheerleaders as they shout together, “Let’s go, Saint James!”

And with that, Sasha sprints to the locker room. She doesn’t even bother to change. Instead, she quickly grabs her backpack from her locker. The last school bell rings as she sprints out of the locker room. School was officially over.

On the way, Sasha runs past Stacy and some of her cheer friends.

“Go, get ‘em, tiger!” Stacy shouts while the rest of her friends throw her a confused look. Sasha ignores the stray questions, asking her what she was in a rush for.

Even though it was embarrassing running across campus, Sasha doesn’t care. She’s weaving through the hallways, dodging other students. Dashing out the school doors, the cool wind hits her face as she hurries towards the football field.

Before she knows it, Sasha’s at the football field gates. The soles of her shoes carry her through the turf, and she slowly jogs up to the football bleachers where she agreed to meet Anne. In the corner of her eye, she sees the green tennis courts from afar. She notices a few individuals still playing and rallying on the courts. Maybe there’s an after-school practice today?

Sasha didn’t realize just how much she missed Anne until she sat herself on the cold bleachers. A million imaginary scenarios play out in her head while her heart pounds in her chest.

She could say she missed Anne so much, and that all she could think about was their kiss on New Year’s Eve. No, that was too corny. Sasha could make a joke about how she thinks Anne was the bigger dork out of the two of them. Gosh, she couldn’t believe she was getting so giddy over something so silly. For peep’s sake, she was the user of the strength calamity gem.

About five minutes pass, and Sasha is still sitting, waiting patiently. Every time someone enters the football field, she whips her head over to see if it’s Anne, but it never is.

Then ten minutes. From afar, Sasha can see the school buses driving away. She’s kicking the air lightly, still waiting for Anne to show up any moment now.

And almost fifteen minutes pass, and now Sasha is up on her feet and walking around, doing her best to distract herself.

Did Anne forget about their meeting?

Sasha grabs her phone from her bag to text Anne.

Hey, where are you?

No reply. Sasha holds her phone up to her chest, letting out a long, slow sigh. Any minute now, surely. There she sits, waiting and waiting.

It’s confirmed, Helena is a certified bitch. 

She couldn’t believe her coach actually agreed to Helena’s request for a challenge match against Anne. On the first day of school, too! To Anne’s dismay, her match with Helena dragged out to after-school practice.

All Anne wanted was to see Sasha, but Helena was making it difficult. The match was decided so abruptly, never giving Anne the chance to even send out a text message to her. Oh, frog. Poor Sasha was probably at the football bleachers thinking that Anne stood her up!

The score was six to seven. Anne was behind by one set, and Helena only needed one more to win it all.

Anne sighs. She pictures Sasha waiting for her longingly at the football bleachers. Probably heartbroken that Anne’s not there. How she would’ve given everything to be there with Sasha.

“Love all, game point!” Helena announces with an obnoxious smirk. She then serves the ball with great speed, which throws Anne completely off guard. Anne blinks as she swings her racket right through empty air and misses the shot.

“Nice serve,” Anne grumbles. Helena must have been practicing over winter break; she’s never served shots like these before. That shouldn’t matter, though. Anne needed to focus, but again she imagined Sasha sitting all alone. Waiting for Anne.

Anne switches to the left service box. She hears one of Helena’s friends talking loudly behind her on the tennis stands. “Guess, she’s pretty washed, huh?”

Another friend says back. “Yeah, she’s been spending sooooo much time with those cheerleaders.”

“Yeah, duh. Like, might as well be a cheerleader instead if you’re not going to focus on tennis.” The two girls laugh together.

Anne’s face burns in aggravation; she can feel her blood boiling. She wasn’t sure if they were intentionally talking loudly, but whatever it was, it was getting to her head.

“Fifteen, love!” Helena shouts the new scores. Again, she hits her serve with brute force, but this time Anne reminds herself to be ready for it. She manages to return the serve, but Helena is quick on her feet.

The ball comes flying back to the other end of the baseline. Anne rushes across the court; she doesn’t have time for a proper backhand. Instead, she attempts to slice the tennis ball with a one-handed backhand, but it falls a little flat…not even making it over the net.

“Damn it!” Anne cries out, tapping her racket against the ground out of frustration. Two more points, and Helena is winning it all.

The girls behind Anne let out another laugh that makes her feel small. She didn’t get to hear what they had to say, but maybe they were right. Anne closes her eyes. Maybe in a way, she deserves to lose her title of the number one girl on the team. Maybe she did deserve this, especially for leaving Sasha…

“Get your head in the game, Boonchuy!” A voice calls out, interrupting Anne’s spiraling thoughts.

Anne looks over to the tennis bleachers, surprised to see a figure in red in the bright afternoon sun. It takes her a minute to register who she was staring at.

Sasha. Here. In her cheerleading outfit, her hair was pulled into a ponytail.

She looks…stunning as ever.

But, pissed too. Her eyes are squinting against the bright sun, and her arms are crossed. She’s probably angry that Anne stood her up.

Even though Anne is in the middle of a challenge match, she doesn’t care anymore. She slowly approaches Sasha even though there's a chain fence between them.

“Sasha. I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Helena challenged me. N-no, you don’t need my excuses or explanation.” Anne lets out a long sigh; her thoughts are scrambling and all over the place. “You don’t need to forgive me at all or anything, but I really want you to know how sorry I am.”

While Anne is rambling, Sasha takes in her surroundings. Sometimes meeting Anne’s eye, then looking back to Helena across the court. It really doesn’t look like she’s listening to Anne, which breaks her heart a little bit.

Sasha raises her hand, and that immediately gets Anne to shut up. She throws Anne a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

Anne’s taken aback, she’s struggling to find the right words to say. She only manages out one word, “Yes?”

Sasha’s silent for a moment. So silent that Anne could hear her heart pumping so loudly in her ear. Whatever it was, adrenaline from the tennis game or because of Sasha, Anne doesn’t know anymore. All she can do is stare at Sasha. Sasha is looking back at Anne. So intensely, it reminds her of their kiss that night.

“You look out of it,” Sasha says, taking a step closer to Anne.

“Hey, we’re in the middle of a game here!” Helena cries out impatiently across the tennis court. The two of them ignore her. Anne approaches closer to Sasha as close as possible, leaning towards the fence. The only thing separating them was a chain fence. 

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you…” A soft laugh comes out of Anne when she realizes how smooth and flirty that sounded out loud, but it was honestly the truth. Frog, she was a hot mess.

A scoff comes out of Sasha while she rolls her eyes. And all of a sudden, Anne feels on top of the world for making Sasha laugh.

“Not now, Boonchuy,” Sasha gives Anne a small secret smile. That damn smile. The same one that gave her butterflies since Stacy’s Halloween party. Sasha then glares at the gossiping girls next to her, who look like scared puppies in front of the cheerleader’s menacing presence. “Win this game first, then we can talk.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Anne throws a small salute to Sasha as if she were tipping a fedora. Again, Sasha rolls her eyes and hears her calling Anne a dork or whatever under her breath. Had their interactions always been this flirty?

Anne turns her attention back to the court in front of her. Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. She gives a quick glance back and sees Sasha shaking and fixing her hair, letting it down. Sasha gives her one last look.

Kick her ass, Boonchuy.

Anne nods. Feeling anew, the corner of Anne’s mouth pulls into a cocky smirk. 

Her eyes fixated on Helena now. Anne wasn’t going down so easily. Not without a fight. Especially not when her girl was watching her.

“Ready when you are!”

-

“Duece. Game point,” Anne announces, she managed to tie the overall score at seven to seven by winning the previous set. Now, the next point settled it all.

Sweat beads on Anne’s face, she’s out of breath, but not out of her game. There was just something about Sasha watching her play that energized her. 

Anne bounces the ball in her left hand a couple of times, waiting for the perfect momentum for her to serve. Eventually, the ball is up in the air, and just like that, she was in it. Her eyes are laser-focused on the bright yellow tennis ball if her life depended on it. 

The two of them are rallying for a solid two minutes, playing safe and defensively in the hopes that he other makes a mistake. Anne’s heart is pounding. She needed to change the rhythm. And fast.

Helena must be thinking the same. After the ball flies off her racket, she sprints close to the net. The other girl probably plans to end the point with an aggressive volley.

Anne attempts to return a lob, a super high hit that should go over Helena, but it zooms straight towards her instead. Helena is in full control now and pushes her racket against the soaring ball, volleying it to the other side of the court from Anne.

On any other day, Anne wouldn’t be ready for the abrupt return. But right now, she was prepared for anything. Even though her muscles are almost giving out, Anne dashes towards the direction of the ball. Not missing a single beat with each step, her shoes squeaking loudly against the hardcourt.

Shit!

She wasn’t going to make it in time! Her eyes are glued to the ball, and it is too far for her to reach; she wouldn’t even have time to plant herself and swing. Without thinking, Anne throws her entire weight towards the ground. She extends her right arm, holding her tennis racket out. Then and there, Anne swings her racket while feeling her body drop as she nosedives for the ball. 

Oof!

Anne doesn’t process anything else as she’s tumbling forward at full force, her body rolling against the hard ground. The concrete scratches against Anne’s legs and face as she continues to roll over. Collective “Ooooohs” echo across the tennis court as everyone cringes over Anne’s painful crash.

Once Anne rolls upright, she quickly whips her head up, watching Helena fumble her return. Miraculously, Anne’s dive shot flew across the opposite side of the court, impossible for the girl to catch in time.

Or maybe Helena was too caught up thinking she had won. Never thinking Anne would do the unthinkable. It didn't matter. At the sidelines, Anne’s friends cry out excitedly. Anne had won!

“Anne! Are you okay?” Anne hears Sasha cry out from the tennis benches. Next to her are Anthony, Stacy, and some of Sasha’s cheerleading friends jumping, cheering, and high-fiving at Anne’s victory.

“I’m okay!” Anne cries out, shooting her with a thumbs-up. She ends up laughing hard, seeing Sasha’s look of disapproval and worry. Anne’s so happy and thrilled, and as much as she wanted to run up and kiss Sasha on the lips. Sportsmanship comes first as she sees Helena waiting for her at the net. She was the team captain for a reason.

“Good game…” Helena mumbles under her breath, holding out her hand. Her eyes on the ground.

“Good game,” Anne says back to her as they quickly shake hands. Maybe Anne could help out with Helena’s sportsmanship before she graduated. The girl really did have the potential. After all, Anne truly believed that everyone could change for the better, something she picked up at the young age of thirteen. “You were crazy out there, Helena. I really think you could be the team captain next year. I could talk to coach about it, you know?”

Helena’s eyes widened at the unexpected kindness. Her expression softens, and finally meets Anne’s eyes. “I’d like that.”

The two girls talk for a moment, even laughing amongst each other as if they were best friends. About the upcoming tennis season, classes, and even college.

“Oh, I think she wants to talk to you. Do you wanna…?” Helena says, tilting her head towards Sasha’s direction, like she understands the gravity of Anne’s situation. Sasha was leaning against the fence doorway entrance. “I’ll tell the coach about the score.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Anne watches Helena walk past Sasha, who is walking towards Anne. Her attention is only on Sasha now, her breath taken away as time stood still. 

Anne slowly approaches Sasha, meeting her in the middle. The two are silent for a bit as they stand together in the middle of the tennis court.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you wait for so long. Winter break and even today. The sheer amount of patience you have for me is insane…” Anne is trying to explain herself until Sasha cuts her off.

“You know, Boonchuy,” Sasha lets out a joking sigh. Her voice in a teasing tone, “You could have just told me you had a tennis game today.”

“It was last-minute! Helena and coach, the challenge match. That is completely out of my control!” Anne raises her hands up defensively. She knows Sasha is only messing with her, but she plays along anyway. Anne only made it far too easy for her, of course.

Sasha lets out a soft giggle. In between her laughs, she notices Sasha taking a step closer, which makes Anne’s pulse skip into double time. Their faces inches away from each other, and Anne couldn’t help but admire Sasha’s beautiful face shining in the setting sun. God, she couldn’t stop staring at Sasha’s beauty mark.

“I should be the one apologizing. I left you hanging after New Year’s. I had a whole identity crisis and stuff, but I shouldn’t have kept you waiting. That wasn’t right.”

“What? No. That’s okay, Sash. I had my own thing going on, too, but it made me realize. And especially after today.” Anne finds herself rambling again, but eventually everything spills out into the single truth. “I realize that I really liked getting to know you this school year. And I still really like you. I just…”

Anne doesn’t finish her sentence when Sasha cuts her off, closing the distance between them. Their lips meet, and all of a sudden, everything is a blur. Everyone around them is cheering, screaming, clapping, whistling, and all of the above. Anne doesn’t care for it, but she does especially hear Anthony shouting.

“It’s about damn time!”

That doesn’t stop Sasha from still kissing Anne, wrapping her arms around Anne’s neck. Anne is taking in everything, thinking she could never be more alive than right now. Her hands find themselves on Sasha’s hips while she’s still chasing Anne into a dancing kiss.

Eventually, Sasha pulls back, her arms still wrapped around Anne’s neck. The two of them are both breathing heavily, and a small smile dances onto Sasha’s lips.

“Frog, you drive me so crazy,  you know that? ” Sasha whispers and pecks a quick kiss on Anne’s lips. Anne couldn’t help but laugh, trading Sasha a sheepish grin. Sasha looks behind and sees all her fellow friends cheering and whooping for the two of them. More specifically, Stacy gave her a knowing, smug face. 

Sasha then jokingly pushes Anne away, acting as if she wasn’t just making out with Anne a second ago. Anne’s all for it. Sasha Waybright. Embarrassed. It was too cute for the world. Anne gives her friends and audience a small exaggerated shrug when they groan in disappointment.

“Settle down, settle down! Let’s wrap things up here, practice is over, everyone!” 

Anne hears her coach yelling from a couple of tennis courts away. She notices how he doesn’t comment about his team captain’s inappropriate PDA. Anne notes to herself to not to make this a common occurrence, her coach wouldn't like that.

Anne steps closer to Sasha, raising her eyebrows. “So are we…?”

Sasha rolls her eyes, not meeting Anne’s. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Boonchuy. You heard your coach. Let’s clean up first.” Then she adds, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Plus, I would like my girlfriend to go see the infirmary first.”

Oh, right.

Anne falls into a disappointed trance, looking down at her legs. Honestly, Anne forgot about the stinging pain in her knees and face from her tennis game. Her injuries didn’t hurt at all, as all her attention was on Sasha. Wait a second…

Girlfriend?

Soon enough, Anne’s head perks up, and she’s grinning ear-to-ear now.

“Whatever you say, Waybright,” Anne laughs, reaching out to grab Sasha’s hand as they walk towards their school.

Chapter Text

“Good morning, students. Don’t forget we have a pep rally this morning! Please gather at your first period in a fashionable manner so we can get everyone to the gym.”

As always, the hallways of school are crowded, busy with roaming and talking students everywhere. Sasha always has to squeeze in between people or maneuver around the busy hallways. A variety of students are carrying elaborate DNA models. She chuckles at the sight. Sasha remembers that project back in her freshman year.

Sasha arrives in front of her locker. The heaters in the school must have been set on maximum overdrive because it was so hot inside. She takes off her jacket and enters her combination. A small note falls to the ground the moment her locker door swings open.

Good luck at the pep rally today, I know you’ll do great! I’m excited for our date later ;)

-Your Boonchuy

Sasha starts to smile, especially at the little doodle of Domino next to Anne’s signature. Reading Anne’s little note leaves a warm sensation in her chest. This will be their first date as girlfriends. Or would it technically be their second if they counted New Year’s Eve? It doesn’t matter; instead, she thinks of what to wear later tonight. 

Sasha tucks the note into her bag, where she keeps the rest of her notes from Anne. Her girlfriend was such a dork. Anne often left her random little notes in her locker ever since they got together. Secretly, she finds herself re-reading them sometimes.

It’s only been two weeks since Anne and Sasha became official, and honestly, the world has truly become more colorful since then. The winter cold isn’t as harsh anymore, and the sun shines brighter in her days. Sure, one could argue this could be their honeymoon phase, but Sasha’s dated boys in the past; it’s never been anything like this before.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s because of everything they’ve been through.

Double-checking her locker, Sasha makes sure she has everything before she closes it. Her eyes catch the pictures hung up in her locker. Especially the more recent ones from this school year. There was a group photo with her cheerleaders from the Homecoming game. Sasha remembers Anne taking the photo for them. Next to it was the selfie that Anne and Sasha took in their Halloween costumes they sent to Marcy. 

Speaking of their childhood friend, there was a polaroid of them at the arcade when Marcy came down to visit during winter break.

“Also, seniors! Don’t forget to purchase your prom tickets. For this week only, tickets will be discounted, don’t miss this deal!”

Oh yeah. This reminds Sasha, pulling out her phone, and scrolling to find Marcy’s contact. Quickly, she gets to typing.

Suddenly, the bell rings and Sasha jumps, nearly dropping her phone.

“Shit,” Sasha slams her locker. She’ll have to message the group chat later, or else she’s going to be late for the pep rally. Sasha darts to the gym. Thank frog, she’s already in uniform.

Anne’s spot is packed with students. So packed, Anthony has to squeeze in between the underclassmen sitting in front of them. It doesn’t help when the jocks behind Anne were horsing around behind her.

“How come the soccer team gets a pep rally, and we don’t?” Anthony scoffs, finally sitting next to her on the same bleacher. Drums go off alongside blaring trumpets and other instruments as they bring life and excitement to the gym. In honor of the start of soccer season, Anne’s school starts the Friday morning with a grand pep rally. To help fire up “school spirit” or whatever. 

Whatever it takes to skip out on the first period.

“I don’t know. Probably because the school only cares about the football team,” Anne leans forward in her seat. She has to speak louder over the booming drumline, though she doesn’t really tune into the conversation. Instead, Anne’s eyes dart around the school gym, as everyone sits themselves down. Looking for a certain someone who she knows will be here.

“But this is soccer, not football! And we win so many more games than both the football and soccer teams combined!” Anthony goes on, complaining and throwing his hands in the air.

“Yeah, I know, right?” Anne nods, but she’s focused on searching for her girlfriend on the sidelines. A familiar blonde catches Anne’s attention as she notices Sasha talking to Stacy. Anne could barely see Sasha, but she noticed the two cheerleaders had poms-poms in their hands, and they were giggling over something. 

Finally, everyone is seated, and vice-principal Miguel comes out, running across the gym with a microphone in his hand.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of Saint James High School! Are we ready to rumble?!” He shouts in excitement, swerving and punching the air with his fists.

Everyone cheers along with the school band. The whole gym is shaking.

“That’s what I like to hear! Now, let’s get this pep rally started!” Vice-principal Miguel shouts into the microphone again, bouncing around the middle of the gym. “Now, they don’t need any introduction. Let’s give it up to our Saint James cheerleaders!”

This time, the gym is even louder. Maybe because this time, Anne and Anthony are also clapping and fired up! The drumline is loud, crazy, and music blares from the speakers while the cheerleaders follow in a rush. Dispersing themselves across the gym, the cheerleaders are already chanting and performing. Anne’s ecstatic as she’s WOO-ing her heart out and pumping her fists in the air.

It doesn’t take long for Anne to spot Sasha amongst the number of cheerleaders. All of a sudden, her eyes go huge at the sight of her girlfriend. Sasha’s wearing nothing different from her usual uniform. However, her hair is put up into two long braids with yarn ribbons in their school colors, light pink and blue. 

She looked so stunning.

“Whoa,” Anne breathes.

“Whoa is right,” Anthony says, who’s googly-eyed beside Anne, his gaze is on Stacy instead, who was next to Sasha. The two cheerleaders are both throwing their arms in the air, chanting.

“S-A-I-N-T! J-A-M-E-S! Who are we? Saint James!”

“Now, let’s make some noise for the boy’s soccer team!” Vice-principal Miguel cries out, but Anne doesn’t hear the rest of his words. Sasha’s completely distracted by Anne, and honestly, she forgot she’s in the middle of a pep rally. 

Sasha, alongside a couple of other cheerleaders, is base, supporting, and holding up a flyer in the air. Soon enough, the girls launch themselves into the air, flipping and landing cleanly. Sasha’s ecstatic, grinning ear-to-ear that the stunt finishes effortlessly.

Even though Sasha wasn't in the spotlight, there was something about seeing Sasha lead and perform as a cheerleader that was so mesmerizing.

Anne’s eyes follow Sasha around the gym. Sasha looks out into the crowd while performing. She’s searching for her. Anne gets up, waving up in the air, and soon enough, Sasha finds Anne.

It’s the way Sasha looks at her that made Anne’s legs go all soft and jelly. The cheerleader throws a wink at her. All of a sudden, Anne is lovestruck by their exchange. 

She throws back a grin to her girlfriend, all excited. Anne still couldn’t believe Sasha Waybright was hers. All hers.

“Man, they’re on fire,” Anthony says.

“Yeah. They’re…amazing!”

Anne’s cheeks feel warm as her words barely escape her, and her eyes are locked on Sasha the entire time.

And with that, Anne couldn’t wait any longer for their date tonight.

Later that day, Sasha and Anne are on the couch at Anne’s place. Per Marcy's recommendation, the movie they are watching together is K-pop Ghost Hunters,  which apparently is flying off the charts everywhere. Everybody Sasha knows has raved about it, so she has high hopes for the animated film. Especially since it looks promising from the bits and pieces Sasha’s seen on social media. As for Anne, she’s never seen it all.

“Domino! Come here and watch the movie with us!” Lily cries out, chasing the poor cat around the living room.

“Lily, no running! If Domino doesn’t want to watch the movie, then she doesn’t want to. You can’t force people to do the things you want,” Sasha pats the open space next to her. “Come here instead. We’re about to start the movie. Can you grab the bowl of popcorn on the table for us?”

Anne’s parents were out busy with the family restaurant. And as Anne promised, Lily has finally officially come to visit the Boonchuy’s house to spend time with Domino the cat. To her dismay, the cat is a bit more shy and skeptical of the energetic little girl, doing everything she can to avoid Lily.

Lily sulks, grabs the bowl, and drags herself next to Sasha. While arranging herself on the couch, a few moments later, Domino immediately settles herself into a loaf next to Lily, her tail slowly swishing in curiosity. No doubt Domino's is hoping for falling pieces of popcorn. 

“Now you’re not allowed to move,” Anne teases, “she’s comfortable enough to be around you now. Try not to scare her.”

“Or maybe she’s looking for a snack,” Sasha scoffs. She leans in closer to Anne on the couch, while they cuddle under a warm blanket. 

“Can cats eat popcorn?” Lily asks.

Humming in thought, Anne says, “They can, but too much can be bad for them. You can give her one, but that’s enough.”

Lily’s ecstatic as she carefully examines the bowl of popcorn, looking for the perfect piece of popcorn for Domino to feast on. With a single piece of popcorn in her open palm, Lily slowly offers the piece of food to Domino, which the cat gobbles up.

From the moment the first song in K-pop Ghost Hunters plays on the TV, Sasha’s hooked. The beats and rhythm of the music remind her so much of her favorite K-pop girl group. Something about watching the animated characters sing while fighting ghosts with cool glowing weapons was so captivating. Eventually, the first scene of the film transitions to the title card.

“Whoa. I can see why Marcy is going crazy about this,” Anne comments, completely mesmerized by the first action scene. She reaches over and grabs a handful of popcorn.

“And that was only the first song too…” Sasha says, doing the same in fetching popcorn from Lily’s bowl.

“My friends from school told me the girl with purple hair is half-”

Sasha shushes her. For any other movie, Sasha couldn't care less about spoilers. Not this time. She wanted to make the most of her date with Anne. Sasha looks over to Anne, who has her eyes glued to the screen.

Anne was too cute.

Trying to be subtle but smooth at the same time, Sasha puts her arm around Anne’s. Anne’s attention is still on the TV, but she leans in closer to Sasha’s embrace. Her face slightly hotter than it had been moments before, Anne was so warm and cozy, Sasha didn’t want the sensation to ever go away.

Anne and Sasha gasp in unison during the music video sequence where the main protagonist of the film is revealed to be half-ghost. From the moment the main antagonist and his boy band come on screen in their stylish and colorful clothes, Sasha’s eyes are glued to the TV. Although Sasha isn’t into fictional characters like Marcy, the characters in the movie seem to unravel certain feelings for her. Frog, the movie was so enticing that she didn't realize the majority of the movie was singing.

When Jin grabs Rami’s hand, stopping her for the bracelet they were fussing over, the three girls squeal at the screen.

“Okay, bye!”

“Yeah, uh, bye. Uh…”

Anne lets out a snort, watching the male lead awkwardly say bye to Rami.

“That’s you,” She says so casually, reaching over and stealing a handful of Lily’s popcorn.

“Excuse me?” Sasha’s offended. “I do not act like that! If anything, that’s you.”

“No, Anne’s right,” Lily adds. “Jin reminds me of Sasha.”

“Lily!” Sasha cries out, giving a joking, wounded look at both of them. To think they would gang up on her. “What makes you say that?”

Lily shushes Sasha.

Sasha crosses her arms. “No, really. I need an answer here.”

Anne and Lily both ignore her in unison.

“Guys!”

Finally, the final song finishes, and Sasha is speechless. Soon enough, the credits are rolling, and tears are rolling down Sasha’s cheeks, and even Anne is tearing up. Sasha looks down to see her little sister's reaction to peak cinema, but finds Lily fast asleep. Her head is tilting forward, and her mouth is wide open.

“Oh, she fell asleep,” Anne points out.

“Yeah, she won’t be too happy that she didn’t get to see the ending,” Sasha adds, getting up to adjust Lily into a more comfortable sleeping position. She makes sure to quietly drape a blanket over her little sister. “We should probably clean up.”

After making sure there weren’t crumbs anywhere, Anne and Sasha cleaned up the living room. Together in the kitchen, the two girls are washing dishes and cleaning everything up. While Sasha is wiping down the kitchen counter, Anne approaches Sasha. She leans in, and it catches Sasha off guard. Sasha’s heart was pounding so hard in her chest like a drum.

“I’ve been dying to do that all night,” Anne says in a low voice, then letting out an  easy laugh, “Not in front of your sister, of course.”

Sasha nods with a smirk and wraps her arms around Anne’s familiar shoulders. They start to kiss, and Sasha’s on cloud nine. Kissing Anne felt like electric currents, shocking and electrifying in a good way. Between their kisses, Sasha says, “I’ve been dying to do that too.”

When they eventually pull apart, Anne rests her forehead against Sasha’s shoulder, their arms wrapped around each other.

“So, when did the great and popular Sasha Waybright catch feelings for me?” Anne asks curiously.

Sasha mulls over the question. Honestly, she doesn’t really remember the specific moment, but Sasha doesn’t want to give Anne a lame answer. “I don’t know. If I really have to say, maybe on Halloween? There was something about seeing you in your costume.”

Anne laughs in an easy sort of laugh. “You’re telling me?” Her finger tracing Sasha’s lean shoulders.

“What about you?”

“Funny story…” Anne says, looking at Sasha sideways. Sasha raises her eyebrows curiously. “It’s about Anthony.”

Sasha groans. “Oh, frog. What did he make you do?”

“No, he didn’t do anything wrong. It was me,” Anne sighs. “It’s stupid. I was being silly and stupid now that I think about it.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid.”

“You’re too sweet for your own good, but are you going to let me tell my story or not?”

“Okay, you were acting stupid,” Sasha prompts.

“At Stacy’s Halloween party. We were having so much fun and everything. But I saw you hugging Anthony. For some reason, I was devastated and confused. And maybe even, jealous, too?” While Anne is explaining, Sasha wants to interrupt. She remembers hugging Anthony, too, but only because Anthony finally asked Stacy out that night. Sasha opens her mouth, but she closes it when Anne boops her nose.

“Let me finish!” Anne shoots a teasing glare. Sasha’s taken aback, startled expression causes Anne to giggle.

"But then, talking things out with Marcy, I realized I had feelings for you. Or maybe, when I finally realized Anthony and Stacy were a thing, that’s when everything clicked for me. I fell for the Sasha Waybright.”

“And, that’s why you asked me out on New Year’s Eve.”

“Well, Marcy suggested something like that,” Anne reminisces about their first date. Even though it was only a couple of months ago. “I was honestly having a gay midlife crisis.”

“Happens to the best of us,” Sasha smirks. This time, as smooth as ever, Sasha reaches for Anne. 

“Oh, shut up.”

“Why, don’t you make me?” Sasha whispers under her breath.

Anne grins, leaning forward. Sasha closes her eyes and almost entirely forgets to breathe. Though she had to admit, this kind of fighting, not their angsty middle-school kind of fighting, but their teasing kind of fighting, made them feel so real. So alive. So special.

Their lips barely graze each other, and Sasha’s heart is pounding. Once again, she embraces this familiar sensation in her chest.

Just then, Sasha’s phone rings.

Incoming phone call: Dad

Sasha’s entire body freezes, throwing her head back and then groaning not too loudly, not wanting to wake up Lily. The outburst causes Anne to read her phone screen, a worry and look of concern wash over her face. 

“What a way to ruin our perfect night,” Sasha sighs as the phone continues to buzz in her hand, “Give me a minute.”

“I’m here if you need anything,” Anne quickly grabs her hand to stop her before she heads into another room. She looks at Sasha so wholeheartedly, and Sasha nods, reassured.

“Thank you,” Sasha only manages to say. Soon enough, she goes into the other room. Right before accepting the call, Sasha closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“Hello?”

There’s a moment of silence on the other end. Sasha pulls her phone away from her ear to check that she didn’t accidentally hang up or anything.

“Sasha?” She finally hears her father’s voice. “What are you doing right now?”

“Nothing.”

“Right,” her father scowls, probably not believing her answer. Sasha could practically see the man rolling his eyes. “Sure.”

Sasha clenches her fists. Great, off to a good start already. Why was he like this?

“Did you need something?” Sasha asks, trying not to let her anger take over.

“That’s no way you should be talking to your father,” her father says, talking down to Sasha. “But, I did want to see if you wanted to grab lunch together soon.”

Sasha is silent, uncomfortable, and does not know how to answer the casual, upfront question. There wasn’t any other person in the world that she despised more, and he was asking her out for some lunch. 

“Why?” Sasha is pacing around the room. There was always some sort of catch.

“Well, you’re heading off to college soon. I wanted to see which school you’ll be applying to and see if I could help you out. You know, your step sister is going to—”

“I’m going to community college, Dad,” Sasha says firmly. She didn’t want to hear it.

“What? Why? Universities have better opportunities for your future!” His voice rose over the phone line.

Squeezing her eyes shut, it takes every fiber in Sasha not to yell back at him. She runs her fingers through her hair, looking around the unfamiliar room she is in. Sasha guesses it’s Mr. Boonchuy’s office, glancing at the desk and computer on it. She recalls back to her conversation at some point with Mr. Boonchuy on how he plays games in his spare time. 

Her eyes bounce around the rest of the room.  Different books on the bookshelf. The calendar hung on the wall. Domino’s bed looks unused and untouched. Finally, they land on a photo displayed on his desk, a group photo of the Boonchuy family, happily eating and celebrating over some hotpot.

“That’s not true, Dad. I want to save money and be close to home. Maybe, I’ll get some basics done and go somewhere else.”

“I don’t care! You should apply to universities, look at your step sister!” her father says, clearly losing his temper as usual. Sasha’s grown numb to it; it was something she grew up witnessing.

“What?” Sasha snaps back. Impulsively, she yells back, “Because you want another daughter to brag about? How about you brag about your new daughter and wife to someone else!?”

Sasha’s father is silent for a long moment. And all Sasha could hear was her elevated heart rate. Sasha wants to open her mouth to speak, maybe even apologize for her outburst, but she closes it instead. In the corner of her eyes, Sasha notices Anne’s head peeking out from the doorway, and the worried look on her face causes Sasha’s heart to swell. And not in a good way.

Finally, Sasha grumbles. “Look, I gotta go. Talk to you later, Dad.”

In her ear, Sasha can hear her dad cry out, “Sasha, wait!” but she cuts him off by pressing the red button on her phone screen. 

“Hey, Sash…everything okay?”

Sasha takes a deep breath. Again, she runs her fingers through her hair.

“I, uh. Yeah. I just hate the dad who brought me into this world. That’s it,” Sasha answers, every word dripping with sarcasm. Almost immediately, Sasha regrets her words, realizing she’s returning to her toxic roots, which she had worked so hard to grow out of. “Sorry, was I too loud? Did I wake up Lily?”

Anne shakes her head. She’s leaning against the doorway. “No, but I made hot cocoa, maybe that’ll cheer you up.”
“That would be nice,” Sasha forms a small smile on her lips.

Both of them are silent the whole way to the kitchen, and even when they’re sipping on their hot cocoa, the silence is deafening. Most Sasha could hear was the wind blowing against the trees outside.

“Do you want to talk about it? We don’t have to,” Anne finally breaks the ice.

Sasha puts down her cup. “I don’t want to burden you with everything.”

“Sash. I’m here if you need me,” Anne pleaded, reaching to hold Sasha’s hand. Sasha accepts it. “You don’t need to tell me anything, I’m just letting you know I’m always here for you. Until the very end.”

Sasha takes a long, deep breath. How many times has she taken deep breaths tonight? Her mouth is feeling dry while she’s collecting her thoughts. “It’s stupid, really.”

She doesn’t want to meet Anne’s eyes.

“I don’t think it’s stupid,” Anne echoes, placing her cup of hot chocolate down on the kitchen counter.

“He was nagging about going to a university instead of community college,” She finally speaks, her voice comes out raw as if she hasn’t used it in a while. “Mentioning my stepsister and whatever. I just hate that he's trying to be a part of my life.”

An uncomfortable look crosses Anne’s face, and Sasha regrets opening up, but it’s too late now. She was already in it deep.

“He hurt my mom! Then pretends he’s got his life all together because of his new wife and daughter. It’s all so…bullshit!” Sasha cries out, throwing her fists in the air. But then looks down at the kitchen tile. Still, not wanting to meet Anne’s eyes. “You probably don’t want to hear about all this.”

In response, Anne squeezes Sasha’s hand. “You know that’s not true.”

Sasha squeezes back.“You probably want me to give him a chance.”

“Sasha, look at me. I won’t force you to do anything. But I can’t tell you whether or not to do something. But I am reminding you that I am your significant other. And significant others are there for each other.”

Finally, Sasha straightens up and lets out a deep sigh. “You’re right. I want to give him a chance, but I’m not ready for that change yet. Something like that”

“It’ll take some time,” Anne says and pulls Sasha into her arms for a hug. She rests on Sasha’s shoulders for reassurance. “Sometimes, I think about how Marcy and I should have been there for your parents’ divorce.”

“It’s okay. It happened a long time ago anyway, remember? Besides, you’re the one who said that we ignored Marcy’s interests and that we weren’t there when she needed us the most. There was a lot of shit happening between the three of us in middle school. We’ve all made mistakes,” then Sasha lets out a scoff. “You would know.”

Anne lets out a laugh. “Yeah.”

“Anne?”

“Yeah, Sash?”

“You’re too toasty,” Sasha mumbles, attempting to wiggle out of Anne’s arms. 

“Nooooo!” Anne cries out, caging and trapping her girlfriend between her arms. Sasha rolls her eyes and lets her girlfriend continue to bury herself in her. “Plus, you need this.”

For about a minute, they embrace each other. And Anne feels so safe, comforting, and warm…

It was like time in the world had stopped. Nothing exists except for the two of them. Frog, Sasha could get used to this. Eventually, Sasha pats Anne’s back for her to let go. She was sweating bullets with how warm and cuddly they were getting.

“Maybe, I’ll text him later. My dad,” Sasha laughs, reaching with both of her hands for the mug of hot cocoa and taking a sip. “Talk about school and whatever with him.”

Anne laughs too, but the laughter dies awkwardly. Staring at the fridge, she’s in a trance.

Sasha is busy putting away her cup in the sink. Then, she gives her girlfriend a look. “You okay? Are you hungry?”

“N-no. You reminded me about college and stuff…” Anne’s head is down, not meeting Sasha’s eyes. “I was thinking about the future.”

“About the future?” Sasha echoes.

“Well, more about us. UC Cerkeley is really far away,” Anne reminds her, something Sasha already knew. Anne takes a sip of her hot cocoa. “Being long distance and everything.”

And then, Sasha’s looking at Anne, feeling sorry. They still had to face the harsh reality after high school. But this time, Sasha is the one to comfort Anne.

“Anne…” She takes a step closer to Anne. Sasha grabs Anne’s hand; she doesn’t pull away. “We’ll be okay. I know I’m not really good with words, but besides my family, you’re also important to me.”

Sasha squeezes Anne’s hand, looking her directly in the eye. Proudly and fiercely, she says,” After everything we’ve gone through, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. We fought giant killer robots before and literally fought in a war. And you’re telling me five hundred miles are going to stop us? And yeah, it’s gonna be hard. But Anne Boonchuy, I know we can make this work.”

And with those words, full of certainty and sincerity, Anne is speechless. She takes a step closer towards Sasha.

“You’re right…” Anne hesitates before speaking, around her slow smile, her brown-orbs staring back at Sasha. She recalls how she could spend hours lost in Anne's warm and soft eyes. Sasha wants to pull her closer for a hug, but before she can, Anne lunges forward, causing Sasha to stumble backwards. She manages to catch Anne in her arms. “Maybe we can agree to call once a week or even every night, depending on how busy we get.”

Hope flares inside of Sasha. She wraps her arms around Anne. “Yeah! We’ll take it slow. One day at a time.” Then shoots a knowing look at Anne. “Besides, didn’t you tell me what Dr. Jan said about us?”

“You know, Waybright? You surprisingly have a good sense of memory,” Anne says while pulling away, raising her eyebrows at Sasha.

“Huh?”

“It’s actually kind of romantic,” Anne chuckles as she reaches up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Sasha’s ear. 

Sasha’s hand slides down against Anne’s cheek, her thumb gently tracing her skin. She whispers, “How are you feeling?”

“That I’m so in love with you, Sasha Waybright.”

At first, Sasha blinks at the sudden words, but then slowly, she grins ear-to-ear; it was the first time Anne’s ever said those special words to her. Warmth is everywhere.

“I love you too, Anne Boonchuy,” Sasha pulls Anne closer to her.

They finally kiss, but it’s a different type of kiss compared to their previous ones. Sasha didn’t want to forget any of this. The way they were looking at each other at this very moment. How they were kissing, and how Sasha could still have cold shivers down her back, whenever they did.

From the bottom of her heart, Sasha will never forget this night, not for as long as she lives. 

Because that night, Anne Boonchuy and Sasha Waybright had promised each other their unconditional hearts.