Chapter Text
Anne picked at her nails, she’s doing well. She may still be waking up to inconvenient dreams about her dead best friend. She is fine, she's fine!
She’s still in tennis, she runs every morning usually an hour after waking up, she's been journaling her feelings. Yeah, she’s doing great. Her grades are actually great. She’s been getting really into the idea of being a herpetologist.
She hasn’t talked to Sasha properly in a year, but that’s for the best, they have different interests. Plus no one said they had to stay best friends. It’s been like two years.
Anne pulled her hair back into a ponytail and tied a bandana around it all. Frog, her hair is getting long huh? She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. This is fine. She's fine.
She walked out of the small restroom and got behind the counter to the kitchen. Her parents were walking around the decent sized and cozy cooking area, preparing breakfast items that were being ordered.
“Anne! Two plates for Mrs. and Mr. Sanders’s table!” her dad told her, nudging his head towards the two warm plates on the counter.
She smiled and grabbed the plates balancing them on her hands as walked out of the kitchen carefully.
“On it!” she chirped as she headed into the dining area with the customers that were waiting for their breakfast or for someone to take their order. Frog, Thai Go is really understaffed.
She places the two food filled plates down, the elderly couple adore her for a second before letting her get a move onto the next booth that needed their order taken.
After the rush she’s able to relax a little. She rests at the counter, talking with her mom off and on before a familiar face enters through the door.
“Gabby!” Anne said happily. The red headed girl approached Anne and had her phone in hand, Gabby had cut her hair pretty short recently but it was cute, the stick and pokes were healing nicely.
“Anne! Girl, I know you're getting off soon, sooo, do you totally wanna go to the mall today?” she said happily. Anne glanced at her mom, her mom shrugged. A complete motion of it’s up to her.
Anne smiled and stretched. She really should, she knew it wasn’t healthy to deny herself this, what’s the worst that could happen?
“Sure, you can wait for me if you want. I’ll buy you a boba.” Anne motioned to the empty booths. Gabby pumped her fist in celebration.
“Let's go! And yes please!” the other teen celebrated, Anne watched her go sit and went to fix the girl’s favorite drink.
“I’ll send you with your pay.” her mother said as they both went to the back. Anne nodded and leaned on her mother lightly. The teen was taller than her by a few inches, so it was only a little awkward. Her mother kissed her forehead.
“Be safe, Anne. Make sure to call us too when you are going home. Keep your bag zipped when you’re not using it, and!”
“I know, Momma. I’ll be safe, it’s just the mall.” Anne laughed as she brewed the tea.
After a while Anne grabbed her bag, making sure she had her phone and wallet as she left the restaurant. Gabby was talking about a drama that had been happening at school. Usually it was really obscure, all of the “hot goss” included Sasha and Margo, or a guy that Sasha dated, a girl that dated a guy in their class.
Gabby usually avoided topics that were a sore spot for Anne. It was really nice. It usually led to what the stoners were doing, today it was apparently a Volleyball girl in their class dated another girl on the team. Wouldn’t be a big deal to them if it wasn’t for how weirdly conservative their school is.
“I think it’s really sweet, which you know I’m totally fine with that stuff.” Gabby said and nudged her in the arm, Anne snorted a laugh.
“I know.” she looked at where they were going and sucked in her breath just a little. Nerves were starting to hit her, she hadn’t been to the mall since the Plantars were on Earth with her. It was a little strange to go back when associating the place with memories of her found frog family.
“Oh yeah! Janet is dating Mack finally.” Gabby was still talking about everything and anything as they entered the gigantic building. Anne held her bag closer to herself cautiously.
Anne laughed softly “Finally! They’ve only been flirting in front of us for what? Five months” she responded to the new fact as they entered their first store.
Anne looked at some of the shelves. Grabbed an item that interested her or if she knew that she could afford it at the moment. Gabby would show her something cute or silly every once in a while.
It was a lot nicer than expected so far.
Frog, her feet hurt. It’s only been a few hours. Anne laid her head on the table. Gabby was drinking a thing of tea that she had just bought.
They had hit a few stores, they hadn’t bought a whole lot. Mostly only considering things that got a chuckle out of them or were cute.
Anne got a frog sweater that would be nice to wear somewhere or to just sleep in.
Gabby had gotten matching phone cases for her and Anne.
Anne looked around, watching the people that explored the giant place. In the crowds she saw two unexpected yet hard to forget faces heading in their direction.
She sat up and looked at Gabby who had also noticed. The familiar, bald, flamboyant man stood in front of her, a blond slightly behind him.
“Mr. X?” Anne asked and glanced between the two.
Mr. X was wearing this yellow hoodie and black slacks, pretty unusual from what she saw him in almost every time a few years back. Jenny was in a band tee and blue jeans which looked much more fitting on them.
“Hey girl, it’s been so long. We have to talk. Do you have time?” He looked at her and then Gabby.
“Not current. I’m kind of busy..?” Anne motioned to her friend.
Mr. X sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
“Of course, of course. Here’s my card, walk to my building when you’re free then. Just you. Byee!” The expressive male didn’t take it wrong. He just handed her a business card and walked off.
Gabby looked at her and her expression read that she was looking for an explanation on what that was.
“FBI guy, I think. I met him because of Amphibia stuff.” she tried to explain without too much time spent on it all.
“It loves following you no matter what, huh?” Gabby chuckled awkwardly.
Anne rubbed the back of her neck and gave a laugh as well.
“Yeah.” Anne was pretty sure this wouldn't be Amphibia related this time, what else could be an issue there?
Sasha was at the mall too. It was a little boring. She didn’t need anything, not to mention nothing was catching her eyes. Maggie was having fun at least.
It was about two hours in and Sasha noticed that Anne and Gabby were also at the mall. That’s good. Anne should be having fun. Cool, whatever, she doesn't mind.
One of the girls in the group Sasha was hanging out with suggested they go to a bath and body store, which actually wasn’t a bad idea Sasha was running really low on perfume, like she had at least another week or two before it just straight up didn’t work anymore.
While there one of the girls just kept on whispering about a guy there and how it was gross cause he’s a guy. Sasha just rolled her eyes when she couldn’t help it. Sasha gets it they all grew up at a quiet Catholic private school. But literally grow up though.
Sasha picked up a perfume and smelt it to see if she would buy it when she heard behind her.
“Yeah, that’s a good one, girl.” The voice is very familiar. Sasha glances and sees purple lipstick and a bright yellow hoodie immediately.
“Mr. X? What are you doing here?” She looks at him. Oh he has been here the whole time. She trusted him honestly. Also it did smell good.
“Do you have free time?” He asked her while fixing the earpiece in he had in. She looked at her group.
“Not currently. I’ll be free later.” She paused, “What do you need me for?” she narrowed her eyes at him.
“It’s important, girl, trust me. Just like the Boonchuy girl, here’s my card. See you later. Byee.” he said and grabbed a card from his hoodie pocket.
“Um, alright. Thanks, old man.” She said, and with that she watched him scoff and leave the store with Jenny.
Sasha sighed and looked at the card and put it in her wallet.
“What was that about, Sasha?” Maggie asked.
“Oh some scam model recruitment agency, I’ll throw it away later.” She lied and went to check out the perfume.
Yellow is not his color.
Anne checked her phone and sighed. Okay. She should probably see what’s going on.
“Okay, Gabs, I’m gonna go. It’s getting late, and I am not finding an excuse to leave tomorrow. Bye!” She hugged Gabby tightly.
Gabby smiled and squeezed her back.
“Bye Anne, I need to get home anyway. See you Monday!”
The building she made it too was the kids place she went to with the Plantars. She met Terri here! She walked through the doors and across the luckily not sticky linoleum flooring. Then up the old stairs. They creaked under her weight as she opened the door to the lab.
As she opened it she noticed how much it has changed.
Mostly because of who has been taking care of it.
Terri sat at a desk, her hair tied back into a ponytail as she worked on something, looks like she hasn't kept up with redying it.
She has on a lab coat though.
She looked around more and saw X and Jenny. They hadn’t changed from the mall. That yellow hoodie will haunt her in her nightmares.
“Good, Anne, you're here. Now we have to wait for the other one.” Terri exclaimed as she finished typing something and started searching for something on her laptop.
Anne looked around. That's a lot of numbers and charts. What are they researching..?
Anne looked at the ground and saw a chart of sorts, a map maybe, that had red, blue, and green. Calamity colors. Probably a coincidence, maybe that's just the color Terri reached for. Anne did it all the time.
A short, brown haired guy maybe around Anne's age came in and gave Terri a paper. She thanked him quietly.
“This is my intern, Kev. Kev, this is Anne Boonchuy.” Terri said quickly. The intern waved then left.
“X! Isn't Jan supposed to be here?” Terri sighed and typed something and clicked on something.
“She said she'd be here. I know how to find teens in a mall, not a grown lady with a full time job, Ter.” Mr. X grabbed his phone and left to call someone.
Why was she here? Also why did Jan need to be here? Also teens.
After a short bit the door to the lab opened once more. This time the person who walked in was Sasha Waybright.
Okay. This is definitely Amphibia related.
Terri cheered and turned on a screen in front of them. Anne scooted over so Sasha could stand near her.
Mr. X came back into the room pinching his nose bridge.
“Okay, great, we're starting this without her!” He exclaimed and stood in front of the screen and pointed to something. Two circles, one blue the other red.
“We have a lot to discuss.” He said, probably too dramatically.