Hop Pop and Lock
"Ok, let's sum up everything we have agreed upon." Hop Pop said, looking at the children sitting around him. Sprig was sitting close to Anne, Polly on her lap; Sasha was at her left, holding a laid-down Marcy on her knees and applying a wet pack to her head. Jacob was alone, his hair dirty and smelling of combustion, due to previous events.
"First, from now on I agree to never volunteer anyone for a surveillance job, at least not without your consent."
"Agreed," everyone said at once. Sasha looked aside, her mind drifting to words she didn't dare to say aloud: Hop Pop could have volunteered himself or Polly to watch the Grubhog, instead of his focus-less grandson. Sprig really wanted to make his grandfather proud, but preventing him from going to the rides was quite harsh.
"Second, Anne, Sprig and Marcy agree to never again impersonate a Grubhog using a sock puppet on a hand to pretend you're not skipping your duties."
"We weren't skipping our duties!" Anne protested, "We had Marcy to cover for us."
"And that reminds me: Third, Marcy is no longer allowed to be alone with a Grubhog. Seriously, kiddo? What did I tell you about staring into the abyss?"
"I-I just wanted to make a sketch on my journal-"
"Fourth; Sasha cannot use a portrait of my great-grandma as a weapon."
"I didn't have my sword!" The blonde girl protested, "Plus, it was sharp and deadly."
"Just like the real one, but still no. Fifth, Jacob: you're no longer allowed to use five gunpowder canisters at once, no matter how big the enemy is."
"But what if-"
"Not even if you say "please."
"Curses" the boy grumbled. At least, the explosion was quite memorable.
"Look, Mr. Plantar." Marcy tried to speak again, from where she was laying, "I know we messed up, but none of us could have expected a flock of giant birds to rush in and steal the Grubhog. And we do have a duty to protect Wartwood from such events."
"Plus, we didn't destroy all of the fairy shops…"
"Even so Jacob, this is the third time you kids risked your life this week. I understand that you want to protect Wartwood but you're too reckless for my own taste."
"Now that I realize this," Polly interjected. "Where are Amelia and James? They weren't with us at the fair."
"James went to Mrs. Croaker for a commission. And Amelia…"
(…)
"-and then boom! His body self-destructs the moment he finds out he was already dead!"
"Bri! Bri!"
"Meep. Meep!"
Sitting alone in the stable, Amelia was narrating one of her favorite anime stories to Akitsu and Bessie, the large snail in her enclosure, the small nymph in her bucket, jumping out of the water. Even if not much time had passed since Akitsu had been accepted into the household, Bessie had been quite friendly with her from the beginning.
"I know, I know. Narrating is not as good as watching it, huh? Well, let's check how much you've grown since last time I checked you, Akitsu."
The girl walked to the bucket and, using a wood ruler she had "borrowed" from Hop Pop, she checked her companion's length.
"You grew by another three millimeters already?" The human said, positively impressed. "This is a cause for celebration. Here, my little cute baby, have another apple for your effort!"
"Meep?" Bessie looked at Amelia, while Akitsu went on munching her treat.
"Do you want one too, Bessie? I'm not sure, I guess I should ask Hop Pop first. I mean, I know it's just an apple…"
"Just an apple?" A voice called from the back, "Amelia Plantar, you can't give treats outside of meals, it ruins the natural appetite. Plus, snails cannot digest apples."
"Hop Pop," she grumbled. "I wasn't doing anything. Even if I decided to give Bessie one of Akitsu's apples, I would have asked you permission first."
"That's good. Anyway, you should get to bed now, kiddo. Tomorrow we have a big day ahead of us."
"Why? Is there something important happening tomorrow?" Amelia asked, her eyes filled with excitement, while behind her, Akitsu and Bessie exchanged a snarky look.
"This blows."
"For once, I agree with you, Sash."
"Come on, kids, you don't want those eggplants to rot all over you, right? Muscles, muscles."
"We are six." Sasha hissed, as she and the others went back and forth between the Plantars' heirloom stand at the market "Four of us have regular jobs and incomes, we all help out at the farm whenever we can, so why are we still forced to work on these conditions."
"It's how we pay for accommodations and meals, Sash." Anne whispered, as she passed to her left. "Besides, HP is not making us hand over our wages. Those are ours to use."
"Right…" The blonde girl grumbled, trying to alleviate her fatigue by thinking about something else. Maybe she could convince Marcy and Anne to go back to that spa again? They did have the money, and HP already said he had nothing against it, so…
"Sasha!" A familiar voice called for her, making the human stop as she saw the Sundews (Ivy, Felicia and Sylvia) walk towards her.
"Ivy, how are you?" She replied, honestly happy to see her adoptive younger sister "Do you need something?"
"Actually, we came because Grandma said she needed some eggplants for todays' soup."
"Then it's your lucky day. We just had a fresh harvest, want to see some?"
"Sure thing, sugar. By the way, where's my sweet potato? Hoppy?"
Hop Pop smiled, but before he could reply, someone else, who had not been invited to the conversation, decided to abruptly get into it.
"Sylvia dear!" Monroe jumped into the conversation, bumping Sasha away. "Why didn't you tell me earlier you were back. Come on, give me a kiss for ol' time sake."
"Monroe." Was the ice-cold reply from the frog, while Felicia stopped the unwanted suitor.
"Mister, you and I are not acquainted enough to consider ourselves close, but surely walking into another conversation, without being invited, is quite rude. Plus, you did push my adoptive daughter."
"Daughter?" Monroe gasped, before hearing fingers tapping on his shoulder, turning around only to meet Sasha's glare.
"That's me." The human girl replied, splashing Monroe with a rotten eggplant.
"Sasha, normally I'd never allow such actions. Normally."
"W-wait a minute, you adopted her? Sylvia, how can you simply stand and accept this? Your daughter adopting a monster?"
Hearing Monroe's words, some of the closer frogs jerked up, looking at him with annoyed looks. Sure, Sasha and the other "humans" were ugly by Amphibian standards, yet they had managed to gain the town's respect and friendship by standing up for them against the Toads, taking over the defense of the town, exposing the corruption of the Mayor (currently under watch). Plus, ugly or not, they were still the adoptive children of Hopediah Plantar, the Hero of Wartwood who paid out of his own pocket the taxes for the whole market. Disrespecting them meant disrespecting Hop Pop and his act of kindness, and that was wrong.
Like Monroe was going to learn right now.
"Sasha is not a monster!" Ivy jumped forward, her gaze grimacing in scowl. "She's the best cool older sister I could have ever wished for, and I won't allow you to disrespect her!"
"B-but she-"
"Monroe," Sylvia spoke up again, her eyes and voice now devoid of her usual friendliness. "Sasha is the daughter of my daughter now, so she's my granddaughter too, just like Ivy. Are you insulting my granddaughter?"
Monroe stopped, trying to come up with something else to say, before noticing the glares everyone was giving at him. Some were also chuckling in secret, and while he couldn't hear what they said, he could see their lips form the word "pathetic."
Anger overtook him. Once he was the coolest old guy of the town, and Hop Pop was the gullible fool who lived only to be his punching bag, to fail at everything he tried. Yet, from the very moment those "human" monsters had arrived and Hop Pop took them in his house, things had begun to change. First, the Plantars won their first Potluck, breaking the longest losing streak they ever had; then, Hop Pop pays the taxes for the whole market and suddenly everyone's talking how cool he is, and last, those creatures drive off the Toads and instead of being shunned or kicked out, the other townsfolk congratulate them.
By contrast, with every day that passed, Monroe felt like everyone was more openly looking down at him.
And now, one of those creatures had even managed to get his beloved Sylvia against him? That could not be possible!
Monroe looked at Hop Pop, before walking away. "I'll let you get away with it for now. However, you should take care of your beasts, old timer!"
"Geez, that guy makes me feel dirty." Sasha grimaced in disgust as Monroe walked away "On that point, Felicia, I know that today I'm not working, but-"
"That's ok, Sash. I guess you can take a shower today."
"Wait a minute…Shower?!" Anne yelled, looking at her old friend. "You had a working shower at your workplace, and you never told us?"
"Boonchuy, that-that's none of your business!"
"None of my business? Do you know how tiring it is to get leaves on my hair, and how difficult it is to remove them? You had a working shower all this time, and you wanted to keep it all for yourself?
"It's one of my jobs benefits! Plus, we did pay for that expensive shampoo for you at the hairdresser!"
"Girls, girls!"
Anne and Sasha continued to quarrel, prompting Marcy to jump in and try to play peacemaker, while Ivy and Sprig tried to help their respective adoptive sisters, leaving Amelia and the boys alone with Hop Pop, Felicia and Sylvia.
"I wonder why girls are so obsessed with baths and showers," Jacob grumbled with a chuckle. "I cleaned myself yesterday, and I'm still clean."
"Well, if you don't use your nose…"
"Amelia!"
"Actually, your cousin is right." James nodded, "You may have not noticed this before because I didn't want to be the first to say it, but…you stink Jacob. You stink in the literal sense of the word."
"Wh—I don't stink!"
"Oh, that was you, lad?" Sylvia smiled.
"Definitively" Felicia nodded. Jacob took a step back, his face blushing, deciding the best course of action was to finish the work fast in order to return to the farm and get a new fresh bath.
"Everyone! Everyone!" Suddenly, Toadie's voice called out, and the recently reintegrated assistant of the Mayor came in "Listen to me!"
James looked at him with a puzzled expression while Toadie walked up to a large board and started to set up a poster.
"The most honorable Mayor Toadstool-"
"Booo!" Everyone said at once, forcing Toadie to stop for a second. Apparently, reintegrated or not, no one had forgotten the money he attempted to steal yet.
"-invites you to catch…" he started to read "Dance Fever! With family fun! Shenanigans! Romance! Tonight from 6:00 p.m. till...Hmmmmm?" He mimicked, signaling he had no idea when the event would end. Probably, not even Toadstool had thought that far yet.
"Dance Fever?" Amelia smirked, "Since when Toadstool had been interested in social events where he can't get any free money? Ain't that right, James?"
"If I have to guess, Amelia, I would say that our esteemed mayor is seriously attempting to rebuild his reputation. Even if he's back to being the mayor, he won't survive the next election unless he manages to turn the situation around."
"Dance?" Jacob perked up, forgetting about the previous humiliation, "Hey, that does sound like fun."
"Been a long time since I've danced with someone." Sylvia said with a dreaming expression, "Might be nice to feel once again the embrace of a man."
"Mom!" Felicia replied, feeling embarrassed.
Unseen by them, Hop Pop was now facing a dilemma in his mind: should he participate or not? On one side, Sylvia had already expressed her desire to come, and dance; on the other… he had never been a good dancer, and he knew it.
"Sasha, what do you think? We should go too?"
"Ivy, now that I think about it… that's a very good idea! Sure, we'll need something better for the event, but it will be worth it! Do you want to pair with me, or you already have someone in mind to dance with?"
"Well, actually…I may have someone I wish I could go with." She replied, her eyes moving to Sprig. Since that failure when Felicia and Hop Pop tried to force them into marriage, she started to see Sprig under a different light. Sure, he was one of the best friends she ever had, but…what if she wanted him to be more than a friend?
"Oh-la-la!" Sasha's eyes gleamed, as she realized the implication. "Are you going to do it for real? Do you want to ask Sprig to invite you to go with him to the Dance Fever?"
"I'm…not sure about it?" She whispered, looking back to make sure no one was hearing them, "I mean, I would love to, but I'm not sure if he's interested. I mean, what if he's still wary of what happened at that time?"
"Then, I guess the best solution is to make him want to date you."
"What?"
"Ivy, please! I was the socialite queen of the school, I know all the tricks and expedients to make a guy desire you. If I help you, Sprig will be wishing to date you for real."
"B-but what about his grandfather, and mom? Wouldn't they-"
"Nah, I have reason to think this time, things will unfold differently."
"Sash!" Marcy jumped at her side, "What do you think if we can make some clothes for the dance? I have some good ideas already."
"Huh, that's good Mar-Mar, but…are you sure you want to participate? You have two left feet."
"She does?" Ivy looked with amazement.
"What? No!"
"It's metaphoric, Ivy, it doesn't mean she has literally two left feet!" Sasha corrected her, "What I'm saying is that Marcy can't dance." Considering how many times you have seen her trip, that should have been obvious.
"Actually…" Marcy began to speak, scratching the back of her head, "I did take some lessons back home. I admit I was pretty embarrassed on that day, but I wanted to learn from my mistakes. Plus, I wanted to ask you…how about you teach me the remaining parts?"
"What?"
"Actually, that's not a bad idea." Anne returned, feeling intrigued. "How about using the basement for some practice? I have some dance scores we could try…"
"Can I come to the farm later to see, after my chores? I'd like to watch how you humans dance."
"Good for me, Ivy. You're going to witness firsthand how awesome and extraordinary humans can be on the dance floor!"
Wait, they can dance? Anne and Sasha can teach Marcy how to dance? Hop Pop wondered, hearing their talking, maybe they can teach me as well?
"Hey, Jacob, how about we work on something together too? I mean, friend duos are quite popular."
"True, however, first I believe there is something I need…"
Shortly later, the eggplant business was done, and thus, the Plantars moved to return to the farm, the girls and the boys all chatting about their prospects for the evening. Yet, as he walked nearby the exit gate, Hop Pop heard a familiar voice calling back to him:
"You're not seriously thinking of going to this thing, are you?" Monroe glared at him, his back leaning on the gate's wall. "Wouldn't want to embarrass yourself like last year's barn dance fiasco. You may think yourself as a hero, but nothing can charge the fact you're a loser!"
Hop Pop didn't turn his head, instead hurrying to reach his family. "I have no need to exchange words with you. See you around, Monroe."
"See you around, old-timer."
Back at the farm, Hop Pop checked the hallway was deserted, before locking himself into his study and grabbing a book titled "So you think you can't Dance: a Beginner's Guide" from his library. If he wanted to impress Sylvia and show up to Monroe, he had no time to lose.
"Can't dance, huh? We'll see about that. Looks easy enough." He grabbed a mop, pretending it was his crush "Sorry, Sylvia. And a-one, and a-two and-"
Yet, a few seconds after he started practicing, Hop Pop leaned excessively on the broom, breaking it in two and falling in the library.
"Looks like it's hopeless." He sighed. Monroe was right: he couldn't dance, and if he went to the dance tonight, he would surely make a fool out of himself. Yet, the idea of abandoning Sylvia without even attempting made him shiver. He really wanted to dance with her, but how could he learn without-
It was then that he heard a rhythmic sound, and he felt the house's wall shake. "What in frog's name.. right! The girls know how to dance! Maybe, I can ask them for help?"
The old frog followed the sound's origin back to the basement, and curiously peeked inside. There, Anne was dancing to the sound of her music (with an empty bucket acting as a makeshift boom-box), Marcy at her side as she tried to replicate her movements, while Sasha sat down and looked at them, giving encouragement to her nerdy friend.
"Come on, Mar-Mar. You can do this!"
"Move as I do, Marbles!" Anne smiled at her, "Come on, move those hips!"
"I'm…trying…" Marcy lamented, trying to copy her friends' movements as much as she could. Yet, while Anne and Sasha were pro in dancing, she was still a newbie, and it showed.
"Mar-Mar, you need to put more effort into it. Join me!"
"J-join you?" Marcy's looked aside, sheepishly blushing as the sudden offer caught her off-guard, "I-I don't know if I can-"
"Oh, stop making excuses, you nerd!" Sasha chuckled, pushing her toward Anne "It's time for you to learn how to have fun. What do you have to lose?"
Seeing both of her friends trying to reassure and comfort her (even if she still felt unsure), Marcy shrugged, joining hands with Anne as she let her most social-able friend teach her. Even if she came very close to tripping again, every time Anne helped her maintain her balance, slowly but steadily the dark-haired nerd moved with more naturalness and easiness, Anne's hands twirling on hers and leading her.
Anne smiled, and as Marcy saw the smile on the face of her friend, a part of her heart wished that moment would never end, nothing else mattering to her at that moment. Anne was a great teacher at dancing, and as she helped her move without tripping, Marcy felt something burn into her chest. Sure, Anne was her friend, just like Sasha, and she always wanted her to be, but…
…why did she now feel like Anne could be more than merely a friend?
Sadly (or luckily, depending on your point of view) someone else came to interrupt that moment, as Anne noticed Hop Pop's head staring at them from the basement's door.
"Ah!" She yelled in surprise, making both Marcy and Sasha turn as well. However, the sudden turn was too all of a sudden, and Marcy ended up falling onto her and into the ground.
"Hop Pop! What the heck, dude?" Sasha called him out, embarrassed that someone was peeping at them.
"Sorry girls," Hop Pop apologized, walking inside, as Sasha helped Anne and Marcy back on their feet. "I heard the music from upstairs and I wanted to find out…what were you doing?"
"I was teaching Mar-Mar how to dance." Anne replied, after stopping the music. "We all want to participate to the dance this evening, and we need to refine our skills."
"And what you were doing, spying on us?" Sasha glared at him with suspicious. Even if they were on better terms now, there were times were she relapsed to her… olds habits.
"Girls, I need your help. Can you teach me how to dance as well?"
"What?" The three girl asked at the same time.
"The Dance Fever. I really want to go with Sylvia, to tell her how I feel, but every time I meet her I'm unable to express myself. Please, teach me your human ways to dance: maybe the emotions I cannot tell her, I can show her by dancing."
So, the old frog does have an heart after all, Sasha struggled to hide her chuckling.
"Huh. Never figured you for a hopeless romantic, HP."
"That's so romantic!" Marcy gleamed up, "Just like in that manga, the old gentlemen who loves his childhood friend but is unable to express his feeling! Oh the drama, the passion… we will help you, Hop Pop!"
"F-for real?"
"Agreed. Let's do this thing!"
"Okay, why not? Besides, I already promised to help Ivy as well, when she arrives."
"Huh, girls?" Hop Pop asked them, "I was thinking if we could keep this just between us? I know this may sound strange to you, but I'm feeling embarrassed of my poor skills, and I do not want anyone else to find out."
"Well, Mr. Plantar. The thing is…"
(…)
"…so everyone now is going crazy because of the dance happening tonight, and I'm all alone by myself once again! True, I don't know how to dance, and yet, I feel like it's not right for them to cast me aside! I don't want to go, because I'm not interested in the dance, but I don't want to stay here at the farm like a loser who everyone keeps afar. So I don't know what to do, apart from that I'm going crazy because I'm talking to a snail and a baby dragonfly?"
"Meep."
"Bri!"
"Sorry, sorry! Akitsu, baby dear, I never wanted to offend you! And Bessie, it's just that…we don't have much conversation usually, right."
"Meep. Meep!"
"I know, I know, you may not have much to say, but you're indisputably a good listener. Sometimes I wish Jacob would be able to be able to listen like you do!"
"Bri! Bri!"
"No, Akitsu, Jacob and I don't hate each other. It's just that… he always treats me so coldly, and he looks bothered whenever I want to be with him. Anyway, You girls have any idea? I mean, I don't mind staying at the farm after all, but I don't want to give Waybright such satisfaction."
"Bri! Bri! Bri-Bri-Bri!"
"What? What did you say?"
"Meep!"
Amelia stood in silence, as he brain assimilated the suggestion Akitsu and Bessie gave her. Sure, it would be difficult to play off, especially without being caught off by Jacob, her friends, or someone else and yet…it would be way worth it if she managed to pull it off.
"You know what, girls? I know what we're going to do today!"
(…)
"What do you think, James? Don't I look cool?"
James peeked from his phone, looking at the clothes Jacob was now wearing. The Viking-hatted boy was now hatless, dressed in a blue-leather-like dress with matching trousers and a big "J" drawn on the forefront and on the back. An almost identical dress, in red, was to his side, the one he was supposed to wear.
"You look like a 90's young teen popstar, Jacob. Seriously, where did you get such clothes?"
"Do you remember my adventurer job? There are a couple of frogs in town that still owned me money from some rare items I brought back to them, so earlier I went to them and told them that if they could make a couple of clothes for tonight, I'd call it even."
"And they did manage to work all of this in just a couple of hours?" The British kid asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"To tell you the truth, they already had the clothes; I simply asked them to change the colors and add some tiny bitty details…"
James chuckled, before looking back at the clothes. They didn't look so bad, and yet… why did they look familiar?
"Jacob, just out of curiosity…these clothes, are they inspired by some pop group or something?"
"Well, to tell the truth, maybe…the Milli Vanilli?"
"The Milli Vanilli?" James jerked up, "The biggest sham rip-off in the history of music?"
"Who cares if they didn't actually sing any of their songs?" Jacob hurried to prepare the defenses, "They were good! Plus, even if they didn't sang, they danced quite crazy!"
"So you're going to rip-off two artists mostly known by now for having been rip-offs?"
"Just for the clothes?"
"Please at least tell me you were going to use a better song-"
Suddenly, the door of their small militia headquarters opened, and a fat toad in expensive clothes hurried in.
"Guys, guys! I need…oh, hello, boys."
"Toadstool…" Jacob replied coldly, his eyes glaring at him. Even if Toadstool was back to being the mayor (due to the agreement they made with him), that wasn't enough to make them friends in the first place. Especially considering all the bad blood they had with him due to the mayor calling them "monsters".
"What are you doing in here?"
"I…I admit that this may sound strange to you as it is to me, but the truth is… I need your help."
"What?" Both teens narrowed at him, "You need our help? For what?"
"For the Dance Craze event of tonight. You see, even after I returned to my job as the mayor, I found out that many people in Wartwood are…quite antagonistic toward me, due to my past mishaps…"
"Mishaps?" Jacob glared, "You were stealing the tax money from the city's coffers!"
"I did that because I needed the money to buy back the love of Wartwood's people!" Toadstool protested, "And now that I can't do that anymore, I'm seriously risking losing my job definitively! The elections are approaching, and if things do not change, I'll be voted out of my office!"
That's exactly what you deserve for leading a mob against us on the first day, for calling us monsters even after we told you to stop, and for basically being a big jerk without caring for anyone but yourself, James mused with a smirk. Even good guys had their own limits, after all.
"I assume then the whole event is nothing more than a plan to try and get back your popularity, right?"
"Indeed, and this is why I need help. If this fails, and my popularity plummets again, my mayor chair is at risk."
"And tell me, why were you expecting us to help you?" Jacob pointed out, "Last that I checked, you and I weren't best buddies."
"I know that! Yet, if I'm forced to leave and someone else takes my place, who will take care of the people of Wartwood?"
The guys exchanged a glance: was Toadstool seriously worried about his people, or was he simply trying to come up with a sob story to convince them to help him?
Jacob decided to check his opponent's cards.
"Then, how about we make a deal? We help you with your party and make it big, and you agree to help us with Wartwood defense."
"W-wait! I already helped you with that! Frogs, I still feel anguish every time I remember how many coppers I spent on your uniforms!"
"Actually, most of that was the girls," Jacob mocked, as he still remembered toadstool's first-hand experience about human teens spending ability. "Still, if you think you can do it without help…"
"Fine! You help get back on my citizen's good graces, and I'll help you with your various projects!"
"That's better," James mused, walking up to the blue dress Jacob had prepared out for him. "So, to be clear, what do you need for us to do? We need to tell people you're changed, or-"
"Nothing like that." The fat toad replied, "I just need you to boost the event and make it memorable. I sponsored the Dance Craze: if people associate positive emotions and memories to it, they'll end up associating positive feeling towards me as well, and grow my support back."
"In short, you need us to put on a show for you. You know what? We might have the right idea for that already…"
"You do?"
"Yes…."
(Back at the Plantar's farm: )
"Whoo! Dance it up, Hop Pop!"
"Shake that booty!"
"Girls!" The old frog looked at the girls with a disappointed look. All three of them were now wearing sport wears with light shirts, dark athletic shorts and legging cuffs, Anne and Sasha keeping their hair with headbands and buns. "I told you to not tell anyone!"
"Yes, but they're your grandson and granddaughter." Sasha pointed out. "They're your family, so they don't count."
"Where is this written?"
"It's known by everyone, dude. Plus, Sprig is not here to assist: he's here to participate as well."
"Wait, what?" The young frog protested, "But I already know how to dance."
"True, but someone else than Hop Pop needs to learn today. And since she's basically your age, she needs a partner to learn best."
"She?"
"Sorry I'm late!" Ivy said in a hurry, arriving right on that moment, "Mom asked me to deal with some leftover dishes and-"
"Ivy?"
"Sprig?"
"I took the liberty to invite Sprig to today's session." Sasha intervened, as Anne silently looked, trying to figure out what was happening. "Since you want to learn how humans dance, it would be better if you have a partner to practice with, and Sprig is the perfect candidate."
"B-but…"
Ivy and Sprig looked at each other, blushing, while Polly kept crunching on her popcorn. Looks like her private drama was getting better and better.
"Ok, everyone in position!" Anne said, "Ma-Mar, are you ready?"
"Ready as ever, Anna-Banana!" Her friend replied, wearing a sporting wear similar to hers or Sasha's but with small color differences. Where she or the other had managed to retrieve such clothes it was a mystery.
"Girls, not that I'm doubting you, but… are you sure this is going to work?"
"Don't worry, HP: when we will be done with you, you and Sylvia will be locking lips by the end of the night"
"Ew!" Ivy grimaced, feeling disgusted, while Sprig groaned, holding each other closer for a couple of seconds before realizing it, and turning away in embarrassment.
"OK, it's time to start!" Sasha signaled at Anne, and the brown-haired girl moonwalked back to the makeshift boom-box.
"Lesson one: Footwork!" Anne announced, "This is the most important part when it comes to dancing. When you dance, you're not simply moving your feet, you're moving in tune with the music. In order to properly dance, you need to be able to maintain your balance as you move in time!" To underscore the meaning of her words, Anne's feet moved, showing them how they had to. "Marcy, you first. Let's see what you've got!"
Marcy nodded, moving to imitate her friend's movement, as Ivy and Hop Pop looked at her. The girl was still a bit nervous at first, even almost tripping twice, before finding her flow.
Then it was Hop Pop's turn. He tried to copy the moves as well, but he tripped and rolled into the ground, falling face-first into an anthill of red ants.
"Ah!" Hop Pop screamed, the ants biting all over his face "It burns! It burns!"
"Resist, Hop Pop!" Marcy, Polly, Sprig and Ivy came to his rescue, trying to get him out of the anthill and splashing him with water to reduce the stings. Silently, Anne and Sasha exchanged a glance: this was going to be even harder than they thought.
(…)
"Come on, kids." Anne encouraged them, "Let's see how you do with footwork!"
Ivy and Sprig nodded, holding hands, as they started to move. The movements were supposed to be slow in order to allow them to learn properly, yet, in less than a minute, the two young frogs fell on the ground, their legs knotted with each other. As Anne and Sasha went to help them, Polly strive to suppress her laugh.
(…)
"Lesson two: Rhythm," Sasha announced, taking over for the overly-tired Anne "This is another important part. When you dance, your body has to move alongside the music, but while your feet are limited by the need to maintain balance, that is not an issue with the other body parts. Marcy?"
The girl smiled, now feeling a little more safe and self-trusting then before moving while Sasha hit on a bucket with a hammer. She was good for the first minute, before an excessive movement of her arms ended up making her trip and fall on her back and into Sasha, knocking her to the ground.
Then, it was Hop Pop's turn. To avoid damages, they switched the exercise and made him hit another bucket with a hammer according to the rhythm. The old frog went well, but then the hammer fell out of his hands and onto his left foot, making him yelp.
Third came Ivy and Sprig, and this time there were no more buckets or hammers involved. Instead, Marcvy suggested the two of them to jump with the rhythm, to see if they could follow it. Unfortunately, Sprig ended up slipping and fell on top of Ivy, causing another interruption and making the two of them blush as both learned firsthand the meaning of "suggestive collision."
(…)
"Lesson three: Freestyle. As the name suggests, freestyle is expressing yourself in your own unique way. There is no freestyle identical to each other, as there aren't two people identical to each other." Anne and Sasha went first, ending with a collective pose. Marcy was next, and even if she ended up tripping again at the end, her unique style, and the prompt assistance of her two friends ended up making her attempt a triumph. When it was their turn, Sprig and Ivy did flips with their tongues and feet. And then Hop Pop…
"What….what is he doing?" Sasha murmured in shock, her eyes widened, as her brain tried to understand what the old frog was doing. To her side, Anne and Marcy had similar expressions, bonding from Anne's disgusted confusion to Marcy's concerned look as he hopped on the ground like a fish and making other movements neither human could understand.
"Error 404, Sash." Marcy spoke in irked tone. "No data found."
"Ta-da!" Hop Pop exclaimed once he was finished with…whatever thing he called freestyle. "Whoo! I gotta say, that's the first lesson I actually felt good-"
"Hop Pop!" Anne grabbed him all of a sudden, a dark expression on her face "If you want to win over Sylvia...Never do freestyle again!"
"Agreed!" Sasha and Marcy hurried to say. It was rare for Marcy to be that sharp, but even she had her limits to such… abominations.
(…)
"My cousin should pay more attention to where he places his things," Amelia chuckled, as she checked the weight of the gunpowder she was holding on her hand, a small part of the "experimental reserve" Jacob had prepared in the earlier day, "Ok girls, we have the powder, we have the color, and we have every ingredients we needed for our plan."
"Meep, meep!" Bessie murmured, while Akitsu squeaked on her side. Even if they couldn't talk the speech of frogs and humans, Amelia could feel the excitement on their eyes.
"Now, we just need to properly prepare them and-"
"Master?"
"Augh!" The young samurai girl almost jumped out of surprise, as she heard a voice calling out to her. Turning around, she found three familiar pollywog, alongside their grown-up magical sister looking at her.
"Oh, it's you." Amelia said, trying her best to regain her composure as her role as their master dictated. "Were you looking for me?"
"Kind off," Maddie confessed. "Heard from Marcy that you brought a pet home with you, and the girls got curious so…"
"Where is she? Can we see her?"
"Bri! Bri!"
Amelia smirked, moving to Bessie's side and unhooking Akitsu's bucket from her, "There she is! Girls, meet Akitsu, my newest companion, war-sister and future ally in the never-ending fight against the forces of evil! Akitsu, these are Rosemary, Ginger and Lavender, my disciples, as well as their bigger sister Maddie, local magical expert and teacher of my friend, Marcy!"
"Bri!"
"She's so cute!" The triplet pollywogs said, jumping up close to Akitsu, "What kind of pets is she?"
"Oh, she's a baby dragonfly."
"A dragonfly?" Maddie hurried to grab them a nervous look on her face, "Girls, stand back!"
"There is no need to worry, Maddie: my baby Akitsu wouldn't ever hurt your sisters. She's vegetarian, check it out!"
As she said those words, Amelia grabbed another apple and gave it to her pet, the dragonfly nymph jumping out of the water to grab it and began munching it with her mandibles, generating shock and surprise in the Flour relatives.
"She's cute even when she's eating."
"Wait, a vegetarian dragonfly?" Maddie murmured, "This is something I've never expected to see. Plus, her colors are quite … irregular…"
"That's because Akitsu is no way a common dragonfly. She may be just a baby now, but she's still a White Skies Dragonfly."
"A-a White Skies Dragonfly?" Maddie replied, both her eyes and her sisters' shining in realization.
"No way, she's a legendary creature as well? Master, that's soo cool!"
"There is no way that Master's companion can't be anything but a legendary creature!"
"Master is so powerful!"
Hearing her disciplines praising her, Amelia's ego had a momentary boost. "Indeed, and this is why next time I'm in charge of you, I'm going to show you some new moves. Moves I've personally learned…from one of the greatest martial arts master of the whole Amphibia."
"No way, master has a master as well?"
"And is one of the greatest?"
Maddie looked aside, realizing something was off. She doubted Amelia was truthful on the matter, and yet, she decided to keep her mouth shut. At least, out of respect of her sisters.
"Just to ask, Amelia," Maddie asked, hoping to change discourse. "What were you doing here? And why were you taking some of Jacob's explosive power?"
"This powder," Amelia smirked "Is the last ingredient I needed to carry on my plan for tonight. As everyone will be at the Dance Craze, I plan to make everyone marvel at me!"
"You do?" The triplets asked, "Can we participate too?"
"Well, if your big sister say yes…"
"Maddie?"
"Fine," she replied with a sigh, realizing that even she couldn't face six puppy eyes at once. "Just tell me… it is not something dangerous, right?"
Amelia's smile turned smug "No, but it will make tonight an evening that no one will be ever able to forget…"
"You're seriously scaring me, you know? And I was the scariest girl of Wartwood before you arrived."
(…)
And so, throughout the rest of the day, Anne and Sasha kept on teaching Marcy, Hop Pop, Sprig and Ivy how to dance, helping them with their footwork, their rhythm and (in everyone's cases but Hop Pop's) with their freestyle. Marcy was the one with the most issues with the footwork, as her feet kept betraying her and made her trip on the ground or into her friends, while Ivy and Sprig kept having issues with coordination. Yet, trough painstakingly effort and determination, little by little, all the students managed to learn and the problems disappeared.
Marcy, as the smartest and best student of the trio, was the first: the timid caterpillar had now grown into a beautiful butterfly, as the dark-haired girl managed to dance in synch with her two best friends, now more alert on where she moved her feet, genuinely happy of her progresses.
Sprig and Ivy were a close second, as they finally managed to move with each other without issues, their hands holding each other. As Sprig looked forward, to the smiling face of Ivy, he felt something warm grow inside of him. He realized, that he wanted to keep that smile close to him, forever and ever.
Hop Pop was the last one, and yet, both Anne and Sasha's teaching had managed to achieve something amazing in him: he may not have known how to dance when he first came and ask them for help, but now, he managed to do dance poses on his own, now dancing as good as Anne or just a little bit behind.
"Who-oh! Yeah, old frog!
"Miracles happen!"
"Guys, seriously, you made breakthrough progress for just one day. Marcy, you're quite good now!"
"Does that mean I can dance with you two at the Dance Craze?" The adorable nerd glimpsed, stars forming in her eyes.
"Of course you can, Marbles!" Sasha put a hand around her shoulder, looking at her with proud eyes. "From now on, we're going to be a terrific trio even on the dance floor!"
"Sprig, you and Ivy made some good progresses as well! I didn't dare to say it before, but…you look so perfect when you dance with each other."
"Well, I'll have to admit it was…fun."
"Fun, yes…" Anne smirked, as her shipping personality came back in full force.
"Best for last, Hop Pop!" Sasha looked at him, "Or maybe I should call you "Hip Pop?"
"That reference means nothing to me."
"But not for us!" The three girl gleamed at the same time, receiving a grumble from the old frog in response-
"Sasha!" Ivy interjected, realizing the issue "I don't want to be the spoil-fun, but…we have only twenty minutes left before the dance starts! We have to get ready!"
"Oh, we gotta go!"
At the Dance Craze, the event was by now in full swing. There was a large dance floor with some frogs already dancing with each other, a band playing music and a small buffet, where frogs not actually interested into the dance gathered to chat or just to eat and drink. And sitting to the left of the band, Mayor Toadstool looked at the event with a wary expression.
"Toadstool, you ok?" Jacob's voice came from his hiding place, "You look like you're going to be eaten by a mantis."
"I'm feeling worse!" The fat toad replied, glaring aside, "Do you have any idea how much this little event costed me? If I'm not getting any positive bump, it'll all be a waste!"
"Try to think positive, Toadstool," James jerked up. "Jacob and I promised to help you, didn't we? Don't worry, as soon as we take the dance floor, everyone will think it was the coolest event ever!"
"Wow, look at this place!" Ivy wondered, as he arrived alongside the Plantars. Everyone was now wearing a formal dress: Sprig was wearing an overcoat obliviously too big for his size, Polly wore a top hat, Hop Pop was into an old classic outfit with a purple flower on his left. "I have to admit, dances are not that bad."
"As long as you're not being forced to date someone, sure!" Sprig replied, realizing too late he had said the wrong thing at very worst moment, as Ivy looked aside.
"Here we are!" Anne announced, arriving with her friends. "Sorry, we couldn't find anything good enough to wear for the dance!"
As the frogs turned around, they saw the three human girls were now dressed in three stunning attire, different and yet similar to each other: Anne's was a dark marine blue dress with her hair tied with one ribbon; Marcy's was a light aquamarine dress with her hair tied into a bun, a robot pin to her side; while Sasha wore a dark pink-purple dress with white stripes, her hair no more coerced into a ponytail falling freely on her head-sides. If James could have seen them right now, he would have said they looked like they were going to a prom.
"Wow!" Ivy gasped, feeling into her simpler yet classic dress her mom gave her to wear. "Sasha, you're…stunning!"
"I am?" Sasha chuckled, genuinely happy of the compliment. "Thank you, I guess your mom can say now she has two beautiful daughters!"
"There you are, girls!" A voice called out for them, and they saw Felicia walking up to them, a glass on her hand. The teashop owner too was dressed in a classic formal dress, an apple-red outfit with a long gown and a yellow flower on her hair. "I was starting to get worried about you. But, Ivy you look amazing! It's a shame you haven't a partner for the dance already."
"Well, mom, the truth is…"
"Felicia, is Sylvia…"
"Oh, she's already here, Hop Pop," The red-haired frog smiled, noticing the embarrassment on the Plantar's householder, her eyes pointing to the buffet on the other side, where Sylvia was currently sipping on a glass alone. She was wearing an aquamarine dress too, her hair curled together.
"She's here!" Hop Pop gasped, as he realized it was the moment of truth. "I feel like I'm going to faint. Can frogs faint? I don't know anything anymore!"
"Hop Pop, calm down." Anne came to give him some emotional support, "Getting nervous is not going to help you."
"You learned so much with us today, you'd be basically the king of this dance floor!" Sasha nodded as well. "Don't let your own fear and insecurity to get the better of you!"
"Just walk right up to that lovely lady and ask her for a dance, Hop Pop!" Marcy gave him the thumps up. "I'm rooting for you!"
"B-but…"
"Mr. Plantar, I'm not usually the kind of frog to stick my nose in my mother's romantic life." Felicia chuckled, "Yet, if I can say my opinion, I think you're a much better partner for her than every other frog present. You may not believe it, but you have a golden heart and you care about her. Plus, I think she's secretly waiting for you…"
Waiting, was does that mean? Hop Pop's eyes widened. Could this mean that…?
"Ivy, how about give Mr. Plantar a bit of encouragement? Can you and Sprig join him on the dance floor?"
Ivy's eyes widened, as did Sprig's. Sure, they already practiced before but…to openly dance with each other in public, after the fiasco of the Fireflies Formal? She couldn't, she didn't dare, she-
"I'd be honored, Mrs. Sundew."
"What?" Ivy looked at Sprig, who simply smiled and gave her a thumbs up. True, she didn't dislike the idea of dancing with him again, in fact…she would have loved it.
"Hop Pop needs all the help we can give him, right? Plus, I'd love to dance with you."
Ivy blinked, as she and Sprig walked on the dance floor following Hop Pop, the old frog walking up to Sylvia.
"I got this, I got this," he repeated like a mantra, trying to suppress his own fears. "S-S-Sylvia? Would you-would you like to…"
"Sylvia Sundew!" Monroe cut him off, pushing Hop Pop aside "Would you do me the honor of this dance?"
"What?"
"Hey!"
"Not cool dude!"
"No way!" Hop Pop replied, looking at Monroe with a scornful look. "Sylvia, please. Dance with me!"
"Him? Ha! He can't dance."
"Correction: he couldn't dance!" Ivy replied, she and Sprig moving to her grandmother's side "Yet, he trained all day so he could ask you to dance tonight, grandma."
"He did?" Sylvia looked delightful at the thought, "Hoppy, you learned how to dance…just for me?"
"Yes, Sylvia dear." He smiled at her, before turning to face Monroe, "I can dance better than you now, and I'm going to take you down!"
"Is that so?" Monroe replied back, "Then let's settle this…with a dance duel!"
"Two knights dueling for their fair maiden," Sylvia said in a dreamy voice. "How fairy tale-like!"
"Come on, girls!" Anne looked at Marcy and Sasha "Hop Pop's going to need backup."
As Hop Pop and Monroe kept glaring at each other, the other frogs on the dance floor moved aside, forming a circle around the two adversaries, while the girls moved behind Hop Pop, a challenging look on their eyes.
"Toadstool, what's happening?" James noticed the circle of frogs forming on the dance floor.
"Is that Hop Pop?" Jacob mused, "What is he doing?"
"Oh! What's this? It appears two stallions have taken to the floor and are about to battle it out!"
"No way, this is so old-school England!" the British boy smirked "Should we intervene?"
"You took the words right of my mouth, James."
"No!" Toadstool opposed, "This is not the right moment. If you appear now, you're going to ruin the surprise!"
"But-"
"No buts!"
James looked at Jacob, wondering what his friend would do. It didn't' take long, before he saw the boy's teeth grit and his expression filling with determination.
"Screw that. James, change of plans, we're going early!"
"What?" Toadstool protested. "I said-"
"I heard that." The human replied with nonchalance, his expression clearly saying he didn't care about what Toadstool wanted or said.
On the dance floor, Hop Pop and Monroe were ready to face each other, when all of a sudden, they heard a sound of rolling drums, the lights lowered and two tall, imposing figures appeared on the side of the band's place.
"Let's rock this joint!"
"Jacob? James?" Sasha puzzled, looking at the boys dressed in 90's like clothes as they rushed on the dance floor, the music restarting. As the boys began their act, something snapped in Hop Pop, as he began to dance as well. Monroe noticed this and started to move, still thinking his skill dances would be superior to Hop Pop's and the girls.
However, he didn't take account the boys.
Monroe dancing skills were good, that was clear to everyone, even better than Hop Pop's and the girls. Yet, they were nothing in comparison to Jacob's: the boy moved as a leaf in the wind, jumping and dancing as the music itself was running through his body. His fluid movements, united with his sparky clothes and unlimited stamina, suddenly conquered the eyes and hearts of all those presents.
Monroe could not stand it. Being the best dancer in Wartwood, was one of the best prides he ever had, and now those….creatures, were going to take that away as well? He couldn't allow it.
"Stop hiding behind your beasts, Hopediah!" The azure-skinned frog replied with vigor, "This duel is between you and me: let's show what you've got!"
As the humans were forced to stop, the battle's favor turned and now Monroe regained the advantage. Hop Pop's skills were good, but Monroe was a veteran, and he knew how to dance.
"You're a better dancer, Hop Pop!" Anne said, "You got to show him who you are!."
"Well," The old frog chuckled "Then I guess I'll just have to express myself in my own, unique way."
As they heard those words, the eyes of everyone who had trained with him that day widened. They had realized what Hop Pop was planning to do.
"Wait," Marcy said, her voice full of nervousness. "He isn't thinking about doing THAT again, right?"
"Oh, no!" Anne gasped "Hop Pop! Hop Pop!"
"Dude, don't do it!" Sasha yelled, but his plea was unheard.
"Sylvia," Hop Pop said, "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how I feel about you. But I can show you. Hit it, boys!"
As the music started again , Hop Pop began his freakish, nightmarish freestyle dancing. He clawed like a crab, then he bounced up and down, then he clawed again, gagging as a downing bird.
"Unbelievable! I have never seen such moves before." Toadstool exclaimed, before cringing. "It's horrifying."
"I think whatever Hop Pop is doing is extremely cool!" Jacob smiled, obtaining a glare of shock from Anne.
Now Hop Pop was waving his tongue around, hooting and rooting up and down, before pulling out a jar of ants and pouring them on his pants. He screamed as they bit him, his feet moving so fast that he ended up causing the dance floor to literally catch fire. Felicia noticed this, and grabbed the juice bowl with both hands before dumping its whole content on him, putting out the fire.
"Ta-da!" Hop Pop exclaimed, as he ended his performance. Everyone looked at him with shock.
Well, everyone, but two.
"Is it safe to look yet?" Anne asked, her hands covering her face.
"No idea,"
"Couldn't tell you,"
"I-I didn't dare to remove my hands to check."
"Its-It's safe now, girls," Sasha answered, the only one brave enough to dare to look. "However, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget that!"
"Hop Pop!" Jacob said, he and James walking up to him, "What you just did was…the most amazing dance I could have ever seen!"
"What?" Everyone gasped, as they heard the words of the boy. Even the girls, hearing it, replied in shock.
"Indeed!" James nodded, shaking his hands with him as to pay respect. "That was a super-extra elaborate dance that even in our world very few people manage to comprehend, let alone replicate! It's a dance that only true masters can appreciate, other people might have mistaken it as freaky gibberish. And you learned it, in just one day?"
As the two boys spoke, word of mouth ran around, frogs who until a few seconds ago were agreeing on how much freakish that looked, now confused and trying to understand what was going on. Were their words true? Was that thing an elaborate dance? For real?
"Jacob?" Anne grabbed the boy by his back, whispering on his ear. "A real elaborate dance?"
"Just a little small white lie, Anne." The boy replied undertone, "Worth a shot, anyway."
"Oho, yikes. Well, I think it's clear who the winner is." Monroe smiled, assuming his victory, "Come along, Sylvia. No need to waste time with losers-"
"Excuse you?" Sylvia replied, slapping back Monroe's hands with a stern look. "What makes you think I would ever want to dance with you?"
"Well I mean, I won the dance duel!"
"And?" She glared back "I didn't say the duel would decide who I would actually dance with, you narrow-minded fool! Maybe you couldn't appreciate Hoppy's dance, but surely I did. In fact…"
To the surprise of everyone, Sylvia smiled, before starting to do freestyle as well, just as Hop Pop did. While his freestyle might have been nightmarish, Sylvia's was clearly worse.
"Wha-She's as freaky as he is!" Monroe looked away in disgust "The horror!"
"Horror?" Jacob mocked him, "I think it only needs a proper music to accompany it. And that reminds me… Band, the music we taught you!"
The frog band nodded, starting a new song. A song that the girls knew, from their world
"Hey Pachuco!" The boys began to sing as the music played behind them, their moved synchronized with each other. "Summer '43, the man's gunnin' for me. Blue and white mean war tonight…"
As Hop Pop and Sylvia continued their crazy dance, the boys started to dance again, before moving back to the girls. Marcy had barely the time to blink before Jacob kneeled in front of her, an enthusiastic look in his eyes.
"Milady, would you give me this dance?"
Embarrassed, but also amused by the boy's daring, the dark-haired girl chuckled. "It would be my pleasure, Jacob!"
The boy smiled, grabbing the girl's hand and moving to the middle of the dance floor, as Anne and Sasha looked at them.
"Wow, Jacob asked Mar-Mar to dance? I guess that's something I didn't expect from tonight."
"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, Boonchuy, but…I'm feeling jealous of Marbles."
"Then, would you like a partner for this dance as well?" Another voice called out, as James looked at her, the blonde girl looking at him with puzzlement, before sighing.
"Only because you're the only boy left!"
"Sure, sure." He replied with a chuckle, understanding Sasha's uneasiness.
"Attention everyone!" A voice called out, and Anne recognized Amelia, sitting on Bessie's back, a few meters from the dance area. "It's time to start …fanning the flames!" She yelled, as Maddie and her sister's activated a fuse, and a few seconds later, a ball of fire darted up into the sky to…
…explode in fireworks? Anne wondered in wonder.
"No way!" Jacob mused, as the sky began to light up with the yellow and violet fireworks Amelia had made, "She made fireworks? But where did she- my powder!"
"Looks like she found a far better and peaceful alternative for your powder Jacky!" Sasha chuckled, as she and James passed nearby, earning a scowl from the boy's face.
"Kids!" Toadstool walked in "Where did you find such a show? It's incredible!"
"Do-do you like it?" Jacob asked.
"Yes! Frogs are all complimenting me, even after that freakish dance of before!"
"Jacob!" Marcy smiled at him, "You were helping Toadstool?"
"Hey, I'm the life of the party, remember Mar-Mar? Plus, Toadstool said he would reward us if I could help him get back on popularity polls."
"According to my calculations, sir" Toadie walked in, "Your approval rating is now at 3%. It's basically doubled!"
Toadstool groaned: doubled or not, the path ahead was still a long and difficult one.
"I don't get it." Hop Pop asked, looking at Sylvia, "Why did you choose me over Monroe? Why?"
"I have a soft spot for the weird ones, remember?" His crush replied, "Plus, I've been years I've been waiting for you to ask me."
Years? Hop Pop asked, as his eyes met Felicia's. Now he completely understood what she meant before.
From the back, Monroe could only watch with envy and incomprehension as the party continued, his victory now feeling hollow as everyone kept going. He was the best dancer of Wartwood! He was the one supposed to win! He won! And yet-
-how could his victory turn into ashes this quickly?
I'll coming back for you, Hopediah Plantar! Monroe thought as he walked away, the humiliation of being snubbed stabbing his heart, I'll have my revenge!
"Ahem, may I have this dance, Sylvia Sundew?" Hop Pop smiled, now feeling happiness.
"Why, yes you may, Hopediah Plantar."
"May I have this dance, madame?" Polly asked to Anne, moving her hat in reverence.
"Thought you'd never ask." Anne smiled, grabbing the pollywog and joining the dance floor.
(…)
Later that evening, Anne laid on a bench, her feet hurting due to the excessive dancing.
"Phew…" the girl sighed, feeling the tiredness of her body "I sure danced a lot…"
"Anne!" She heard some voices calling at her. Raising her head, she saw Sasha and Marcy, walk toward her. "You were here."
"Sash, Mar-Mar" She smiled, as her friends sat to her sides, "So…how was dancing with Jacob and James."
"James…is a good dancer, I'll give him that." Sasha grumbled, trying to minimize the event. "True, his tastes in music are completely different from mine, but he's a decent partner for social events."
"And what about you, Marbles? Did Jacob take good care of you?"
"He did," The dark-haired girl replied, remembering how many times her friend stopped her from tripping on the dance track. "Sure, he can be a bit rough but…I had fun dancing with him."
"Are they-"
"Still on the dance floor, Boonchuy. Apparently, Jacob got into his head to challenge James to who can resist longer without pause, so they're still there."
"What about Sprig and Ivy? And Sylvia and Hop Pop?"
"Still dancing as well," Marcy smiled, showing her friend some sketches she did of the event. "I guess Sprivy is now official, as well as Sylvop."
"Sylvop? That's a terrible name!" Sasha chuckled, before looking away pouting. "Truth to be say, I'm a bit jealous that I couldn't dance with you tonight, Boonchuy. I mean, I didn't want to force you but…"
Anne lightened up. Her friends wanted a dance with her? "I-I would have loved for a chance to dance with you too, Sasha!"
"Really?" The blonde's eyes filled with sparkles "Then, how about doing a little private dance, here, far from everyone? It will be our little secret!"
"H-huh? Fine by me, I guess."
"That's so unfair," Marcy looked down, suddenly looking depressed. Noticing it, Sasha and Anne immediately focused on her.
"What? Marcy, did you wanted to dance with Anne as well? Then, after my turn-"
"T-that's not it!" She replied, looking up again, "I mean, I do want to dance with you Anne, but…I also want to dance with you, Sasha!"
"Uhm?" Sasha asked with a puzzled look, "You want to dance with me as well? I guess we can do it…"
"Yay!"
And so the girls, taking advantage of the privacy they were momentarily enjoying, did one last small dance among themselves, Sasha dancing with Anne, then Sasha was dancing with Marcy before Marcy danced with Anne. And the girls laughed, and smiled, as they helped each other and had fun together, momentarily free of all their worries, fears and issues, not thinking about the long road they still had ahead and the drama of their families who were looking for them, back home. As they looked up to the fireworks created by Amelia, they all wished for that moment to last forever.
I wish to always be with Anne and Sasha, and be friends with them forever and ever.
I wish to be the leader my friends need, to never lose Anne and Marcy and to be always there to protect them from anyone who want to harm them.
I wish for us to find a way back home, and for our bonds to stay as strong as today..
Somewhere, on the starred sky above them unseen by everyone, a shooting star was passing…