Johan had already left the Plantars' house early the next morning. When he returned to the tea shoppe, he got an earful from Felicia Sundew for not only failing to get the tea, but for arriving late. When he explained what happened to the Sundews, Sylvia's first response was "Oh, Olms, there are two of them now." To which Felicia responded with, "Mother, be nice." Ivy on the other hand was happy to have a potential female friend besides Maddie.

In the meantime, Johan had to work double shifts around the tea shoppe to make up for lost time. There was also the matter of his plans for the absinthe, which hadn't really gone anywhere. First, he would need to hire workers who knew their way around distilled spirits, then he would get to work on advertising the product. With the money he made, he would be able to improve the town and bring more income to Passione.

His thoughts were interrupted by a tapping sound on the window. He turned around to see Anne tapping on the window with her finger. He poked his head out said, "Hey, Anne."

"Hey." Anne rubbed her arm. "Listen. I never got the chance to thank you for rescuing me. And for giving me back my shoe." She pointed to the shoe on her right foot. It was coming apart and Johan could see her toes poking through.

"It's no problem," said Johan. "What are you doing out here?"

"We're going to the lake for a swim," said Sprig, who was standing next to Anne. "And we want you to come!"

"Seriously, you could use it," said Anne. "Have you seen how pale your skin is? When was the last time you stepped out into the sun? You look like a vampire!"

"I can't leave now. I'm working," said Johan as he returned to the tables to set them up. "I've already got an earful from both Felicia and Sylvia for being late and for not bringing them their tea yesterday. Besides, I don't have a bathing suit."

"It's okay," Sprig said as he held up a pair of swimming trunks. "You can borrow one of mine!"

"It's pretty small," Johan pointed out.

"Look, if you're worried about ditching work, just think of it as taking a break," said Anne. "Fifteen minutes, that's all."

Johan thought it over then sighed. "Fifteen minutes," he said as he wrote down a note. "Just in case someone wonders where I am."

"Yes!"

"This is great," said Anne as they walked down the forest. "Three pals beatin' the odds to have some fun. Here. Smile!" She took out a camera and snapped a selfie of the three of them. "Whoa. Hey, that turned out great."

"I don't know what's crazier, that you just stole my soul in a tiny box, or that we look so incredible," said Sprig. "I gotta say, this friend business is amazing!"

"Wait, don't you have any friends besides Maddie and Ivy?" asked Johan.

"Uh..." was all the little frog said as he remembered...

Sprig approached a couple of young frogs and held up a snake skeleton. "Guys, guys, guys, guys, guys! Check this out!" It bit down on his head. "Aaah! Help! It's eating me alive!"

"Aaah!" the kids screamed back.

Then Sprig chuckled. "Ha-ha! I'm just kidding, guys."

"Kids around here don't really get me," said Sprig sadly.

"I know how that feels," said Johan. "When you're a Stand user like me, you're always on edge. Stand users attract other Stand users whether good, evil or neutral. Some Stand users are often driven to paranoia and sacrifice their social lives to survive. Thank goodness for me I had a father to help me not go down that path."

"Well, hey, they are missin' out," said Anne. "Come on," she said, giving Sprig a friendly light punch to the shoulder.

"So, is punching part of friendship?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

"MUDA!" POW! Anne was knocked out cold by DARE. "Wow, she's out cold," exclaimed Sprig. "You two must be really good friends, JoJo!"

"Feelin' better, Anne?" asked Johan.

"I think I can still feel the punch," said Anne as she rubbed the back of her head.

"But on the plus side, we're at the lake at last!" said Sprig.

Clear blue waters, giant cattails, and lily pads the size of pontoons as far as the eye can see.

"Whoa. It's beautiful. Hold on, let me get changed first." She went behind a bush while Johan and Sprig went behind a tree.

"Hey, are those your reproductive organs?" SLAP! "Ow!"

"Non guardare, Rametto!"

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU SAID!"

"You ready, dudes?" Anne was dressed in a black one piece bathing suit and purple swimming trunks with green flip flops.

Sprig and Johan came out from behind the tree, both of them wearing brown swimming trunks. Though, because he was wearing one of Sprig's, Johan was looking very uncomfortable. "Mi sento ridicolo."

"I don't know what you said," said Anne. "But everyone is ready!"

They were about to go in the water, only to stop in front of a large sign that said "No Swimming!" with blood splatter on it.

"This was not here last week," said Sprig.

Anne looked the sign over. "I know exactly what's going on here. Some jerk just wants this beautiful lake all to themselves. Well, forget that."

"Ah, I don't know, Anne. Whoever wrote this wrote it in a hurry, like they were scared to be here."

"That's not paint," said Johan. "That's blood. Fresh blood."

Sprig held up his hands. "Okay, I'm out of here. Let's go, JoJo."

Anne ran up to them and blocked their path. "Wait, where are you two going? I thought you were trying to be my friend."

"I am," said Sprig.

"Well, this is what friends do. Remember? They help each other get the things they want."

Hearing this, Sprig raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Look, if a friend likes a pencil case, you get it for them. If your friend likes your new shoes, you give them to her. And if a friend wants you to steal a crazy music box from a thrift store, even if you don't really want to, you do it, okay? Because if you don't, they might not want to be your friend anymore."

"Anne, that's not being a friend," said Johan. "That's being a slave."

Anne made an incredulous look. "You take that back! Sasha and Marcy would never do that!"

"Oh, come on, Anne! Sasha is the kind of girl who would use you for a footstool if she could while Marcy would sit back and watch it happen!"

Anne gasped. "Well, they're better friends than you! You're in charge of a budding criminal organization, killing people who get in your way!"

Johan folded his arms and said in Italian, "Almeno essere al comando รจ meglio che essere un adulatore che tiene la bocca chiusa e fa quello che gli viene detto."

"SAY IT IN ENGLISH!" Anne screamed.

"I said, at least being in charge is better than being a sycophant who keeps their mouth shut and does what they are told."

"A what?"

"You know, a doormat. A flatterer. A bootlicker. An ass kisser," he said as he jabbed a finger in Anne's chest. "Need I go on? For once in your life, stand up for yourself and take responsibility, or are you just going to let everyone in your life walk all over you?"

Anne didn't say a word. She just stared with an emotionless gaze. Then she said, "You want me to stand up for myself? Okay." She kicked off the flip flops and before Johan knew it, she tackled him to the ground and pulled his arms back. "TAKE THAT BACK! YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"MUDA!"

POW!

Anne was sent flying by an invisible force. "CHEATER! You used your Stand!"

"ANNE, JOJO! STOP!" Sprig shouted as he stood between the two of them.

Anne could feel the effect of DARE amplifying the pain in her left cheek already. "Just go, JoJo! It's already been fifteen minutes anyway. The Sundews are probably wondering where you are." Johan remained silent. Then he went to grab his things and left. Anne turned to Sprig. "Well? What about you?" Sprig was silent, then he followed Johan into the forest. Anne shouted, "FINE! GO! WHO NEEDS FRIENDS LIKE YOU ANYWAY!" Her anger now spent, she fell to the ground and held her legs up to her chest. A few tears threatened to leak out...

"WOO-HOO!" Anne looked up to see Sprig running out of the forest and jumping into the water.

The smile returned on Anne's face. "Ah, yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about! Cannonball!"

The kids splashed in the water, rested in the shade of plants, whacked each other in the head with giant cattails and rode on a giant water strider like a horse. All in all, they had a good time.

Unaware that the splashing they were making attracted something big in the water.

Sprig posed for a photo and Anne took it. Sprig looked back at the shore. "Hey, JoJo's back and he's...dancing?" Johan was jumping up and down, waving his hands frantically.

Anne said, "Just ignore him."

"I think he's trying to say something. I think he's saying, snake?"

"Oh yeah," Anne shouted. "Well, you're a pale faced freak!" Johan ignored her and pointed behind her and Sprig. It was at that moment they saw the shadow creeping above them. They slowly turned around and saw a huge water snake staring down at them. "Oh. Snake."

The kids screamed and swam away while the snake gave chase. But Anne found herself being unable to keep up with Sprig. "Stupid non-webbed human hands."

The snake reared its head back and was ready to take a bite out of her when... "MUDA!" A rock flung at the snake, hitting it in the face. Anne turned around to see Johan swimming toward her. "JoJo!"

"Hurry!" he called out. The two humans caught up with Sprig and came to rest on a lily pad. "Now we know what happened to the guy who put up that sign," Johan panted.

"Sprig, I'm just slowing you and JoJo down, buddy," panted Anne. "Get out of here. This was my fault anyway. I should have listened to you."

"Friend punch!" Sprig punched her in the face.

"Ow! Hey!"

"Never! I'm not about to let my first real friend get eaten. We're in this together."

The snake burst out of the water and surrounded the kids with its coils. "Uh, any ideas?" Anne asked. Before Johan could summon DARE, Sprig suddenly jumped onto Anne's head. "Ah! What are you doing?"

"I have a plan," the little frog said. "JoJo, throw me!"

"WHAT?!"

"Trust me!"

Johan threw the little frog up into the air and the snake swallowed him whole. Johan's face turned pale and he screamed. "SPRIG, ARE YOU AN IDIOT?! DID YOU WANT ME TO FEED YOU TO IT?!"

Anne screamed too and she grabbed a stick. "VENGEANCE!" She whacked the snake's head with the stick, but the snake swung its head around and sent her flying into the water. Enough was enough, Johan summoned DARE, but before he could make a move, a light shone in the snake's belly. The snake's eyes widened, it coughed up smoke and fire until it coughed out Sprig.

To Anne and Johan's amazement, he landed on the water like he was on the ground. He got back up onto his feet, which were producing a gentle ripple effect with every step he took. "How are you doing that?" asked Anne.

"Wait," Johan said, noticing the faint glow around Sprig for the first time. "Is that...Ripple?!"

Sprig chuckled as he held up a small pepper from his pocket. "Pain peppers. So hot, they'll make you wish you were dead. But when enhanced with Ripple, it'll feel like you're already dead." The glow disappeared and Sprig fell into the water.

Anne laughed and held him up. "You little genius, you."

"And it looks like he couldn't take the heat," joked Sprig.

Suddenly, more hissing sounds were heard. "I think it called its buddies," said Johan fearfully.

"SWIM! SWIM FOR YOUR LIVES!" screamed Anne.

The kids returned to shore, panting and heaving. "Next time I see a sign painted in blood," said Anne. "I'll listen to it."

"Well, I'll go," said Johan. "The Sundews are probably wondering where I am now."

"Wait." He stopped and turned to face Anne. "I want to say I'm sorry about what I said."

"I'm sorry too. I was pretty harsh about what I said about you being an ass kisser and..."

"No, I deserve it. You were right. I didn't take responsibility and maybe I have let people like Sasha and Marcy walk all over me and...maybe I was treated like a slave instead of a friend. I want to take charge of my life for once."

Johan held out his hand. "Well, why don't you start by making a friend instead of being friends with someone who takes advantage of you?"

Anne looked down at his hand. Then she inhaled slowly, exhaled slowly and took it. "Yeah. I should."

Sprig was in awe. "Anne! Look!"

Johan and Anne looked down. The moment their hands met, a yellow aura glowed around them and the skin on the back of their hands were creating a ripple effect. When they let go, the glow disappeared. "What the heck was that," exclaimed Anne.

"You just used Ripple without even realizing it!"

She looked at her hand before she turned to Sprig. "So, that was Ripple? Oh, ho, ho," she laughed with excitement. "I can't wait to learn more of it!"

Johan snuck into the window of the tea shoppe. "Thanks for the break time," he silently called out. "Even though it almost got me killed, I had a fun time."

"AHEM." Johan winced and slowly turned around to see Felicia Sundew behind him, arms folded. "Care to explain why you took an unauthorized fifteen minute break," she asked as she held up his note. "Only to be gone for thirty minutes?!"

"Uh...well..."

"Wait!" Anne burst in.

"What the...?!" exclaimed Felicia. "Oh. You're Anne, right?"

"Anne, what are you doing?" asked Johan.

"Taking responsibility," she said before she faced Felicia. "Yeah, I'm Anne, nice place you got here, by the way," she said nervously. Then she said, "Listen, don't get angry at JoJo. He's a hard worker and he does his very best. And, about the 'break', that was actually my fault. I goaded him into ditching work because I wanted more human companionship. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like hanging out with Sprig, but..."

Felicia held up her hand. "I get it. If I hadn't seen another frog in a very long time, I would go stir crazy too. But," she said to Johan. "That doesn't excuse your playing hooky."

"No, ma'am."

"You'll be working double shifts, no breaks."

"That's harsh," said Anne.

As Anne returned to the cellar with Sprig, she stopped to look at him. "Hey, sorry I almost got us killed today."

"Are you kidding? That was the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me! My heart was beating faster than a dragonfly on a sugar rush. In fact, I'm feeling a little... sleepy." Sprig fell flat on his face and started snoring and croaking.

Anne smiled and looked at the photo of herself, Sasha, Marcy and Johan pinned to the wall. "Sasha, Marcy, I hope you guys are okay, because I am." She looked at her hands. She inhaled and exhaled, almost expecting to see the ripple effect again, but nothing happened. "Mmm."

"Meow."

She looked down to see Domino 2 poking her head out from the backpack. She smiled and petted her. "I haven't seen you all day. Were you out hunting?" The caterpillar hacked and coughed up a hairball. "So cute."

To Be Continued...