Hi everyone, welcome back. We're now at the tail end of the prologue arc. This is one chapter that I've been looking forward to writing, where things start to get particularly interesting for our girls before they get pulled into their journey.

With that being said, let's get started.

Undoing the Restart

Everything at Gravesfield High seemed to be normal as students went about their day like any other, gathering items from their lockers or just conversing with each other in the hallways, even as the principal made an announcement over the PA system.

"Attention students, this is a reminder that while the end of the semester and summer break are only two weeks away, be ready for final exams. They are still worth thirty percent of your overall grade. And another reminder, the pink powder in the soap dispensers is not candy dust! So please…"

The announcement gave way to static as now Sasha's voice came through the system.

"What's up GH?! Instead of that boring stuff, how about we get ready for the summer with an awesome K-pop dance party!"

Immediately, the lights turned off before party lights of pink and green flashed just as the song 'As If It's Your Last' played through the speakers, prompting all the students to dance to it.

Meanwhile, the quartet of girls Luz, Anne, Sasha, and Marcy were all inside a janitor's closet with several small dogs, all in various pens and carriers, as Sasha, who was at a make-shift intercom system that Marcy had whipped up, gave the girls a thumbs' up.

"Hey, are you sure we should be doing this?" Anne asked.

"Of course." Marcy assured.

"But why bring in dogs?" Luz asked with worry. "Aren't a few people here allergic? And what if they get hurt?"

"Pttf." Sasha waved off. "The dogs aren't gonna get hurt. It'll be fine. And if someone's allergic, then they just get out of the way."

"Yeah, nobody here is violently allergic to dogs." Marcy added. "Worst case, it'll just be a few sneezes."

Luz looked towards Anne with an unsure expression while the Thai girl just shrugged. "Hey, if Sash and Marce think it's okay, then it's cool."

"O-okay… I guess so." Luz seemed to accept, trying to force a smile, but she was still a bit unsure herself.

"Now then, unleash the puppers!" Marcy commanded.

The janitor's closet door opened just as the dogs' pens were as well, sending all the dogs barking and running through the hallways with the four girls right behind them, with Marcy holding a tiny puppy in her own hands. They immediately began dancing to the music as well, and while Luz was hesitant at first, she ended up dancing along with them too.

However, the music ended abruptly, along with the party lights as the normal ones came back on. The four looked to see none other than the school's principal, Murphy, a tall African American woman, looking at them with crossed arms and a stern expression, while one dog was biting and chewing on her pant leg.

"Waybright. Wu. Boonchuy. Noceda. My office. Now."

Anne, Luz, and Marcy were sitting outside the principal's office, and while the former two were incredibly anxious, Marcy seemed rather calm.

Sasha exited the office, her hands in her pockets and whistling casually as she approached the girls. "All yours, Marce." She gestured to the office, prompting Marcy to step inside as she waved back to her friends.

"Was it bad?" Anne asked worriedly Sasha as she sat down next to her.

"You weren't expelled or anything, were you?" Luz asked in the same manner.

"Don't be so dramatic." The blonde said calmly. "Mrs. Murphy just said that she wished 'my leadership skills went to something positive'."

"Really? That's it?" Luz was more than a little surprised. "But I thought…"

"Relax Luz, we're good." Sasha told her, albeit a bit more assertively.

Marcy then stepped out, shrugging with a smile before speaking. "She was impressed with how I hacked the PA system and told me not to do it again. You're up next, Anne."

"Toldya, nothing to worry about." Sasha smirked.

"Okay... I guess you're right." Luz breathed in relief.

"Heck yeah." Anne stood up with a confident expression. "See ya on the other side." She winked before stepping into the office and closing the door behind her. She sat in the chair casually across from the principal. "Sup, dude?" She greeted with a snap of her fingers, pointing in her direction.

"'Sup' is that I'm worried about you, Boonchuy." Mrs. Murphy said with concern.

"Oh?" Anne looked in surprise. "Like, me specifically or…?"

"Yep." Mrs. Murphy confirmed. "Sasha's gonna boss her way through life, and Marcy will probably solve world-hunger or something, but you…" She pulled out Anne's file, which was rather thick as it had a lot of content in it, particularly Anne's failed assignments. "Incomplete after incomplete, unfinished paper after unfinished paper… You're a smart girl, Anne. But you're just not applying yourself. In you, I see someone who is just floating through life, taking the easy path."

"But I like the easy path. It's easy." Anne said with a smile.

"It might be easy, but that doesn't make it right." Mrs. Murphy replied. "Now be straight with me. Sasha and Marcy pushed you into this prank, didn't they?"

"What? No…!" Anne tried to deny it, if only to spare her friends any possible punishment. But she quickly backed down when Mrs. Murphy narrowed her eyes at her. "Okay…yeah… maybe. But Luz didn't!" She quickly said. "None of it was her idea!"

"That, I believe." Mrs. Murphy responded. "So, tell me, how exactly did she feel about this?"

"Well… She seemed really unsure about it at first." Anne answered, looking away. "And when she found out about the dogs… she was almost completely against it."

"But Sasha probably pressured her into it, right?" Mrs. Murphy asked. Anne didn't respond, but simply looked away further, which all but confirmed it for the principal. "Look Anne, I want you to write an essay for me."

"Saywhat now?" Anne questioned.

"About what you want to do with your life, and what you're willing to do to make it happen." Mrs. Murphy said.

"Wha…? Sasha and Marcy didn't say anything about an essay!" Anne stated.

"That's because they don't need to write one." Mrs. Murphy said as she pulled out a piece of paper.

"Oh. Ouch." Anne looked down at that. "But it's almost summer and…"

"You don't have to turn this essay into me right away. You don't even have to turn it in before the year ends." Mrs. Murphy said as she handed the girl the paper which had the question 'Who Am I?' written on the top. "Anne, you get to choose what kind of person you want to be, don't forget that. But also, don't forget that you don't need to answer that right away either. Take your time, think it over, maybe even take a step or two back. You can hand this essay back to me in the fall when you come back to school if you want. That's all. Now send Luz, in."

"Okay…" Anne stood up from her spot. "You'll go easy on her, right? Like I said, this wasn't her idea."

Mrs. Murphy smiled at that, happy to see that Anne was at least concerned for her friend. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Oh, isn't your birthday your next week? Happy early Birthday, Anne."

Anne smiled back as she turned around to leave the office, putting the paper in her pocket as she met up with her friends.

"See? Didn't I tell ya you had nothing to worry about?" Sasha said with her usual smile.

"I guess so…" Anne answered in an unsure manner, something Luz noticed.

"Hey, are you okay, Anne?" The Latina girl asked.

"I'm fine…" She replied. "Anyway, you're up, Luz."

"Go get em, Luzura." Marcy encouraged, causing Luz to smile slightly as she stood up and entered the office herself, closing the door behind her.

The girl said nothing as she sat across from the principal, unsure of what exactly to say. Despite Sasha and Marcy saying there was nothing to worry about, Anne didn't seem to have that same confidence around her when she exited. This left her somewhat anxious over what could happen.

Seeing how Luz wasn't speaking, Mrs. Murphy decided to speak first. "Luz, I'm gonna get straight to the point. I know that prank was Sasha and Marcy's idea and you and Anne were more-or-less pressured into it."

"The dogs aren't gonna get hurt or anything, are they?" Luz asked.

Mrs. Murphy smiled with assurance. "Don't worry, they'll all be sent back to the shelter. They got a very strict no-kill policy, and they adopt out pretty quick, so I think those little guys are gonna be taken care of."

Luz sighed in relief at that. "I really had no idea they were gonna use dogs for that. I don't even know how they got that many."

"I suspect it was a collaboration. But enough about them, let's talk about you." Mrs. Murphy said. "I know that you had a hard time at your middle school, and you haven't made any friends there, right?" The fact that Luz didn't even offer a verbal response, but even shrunk a bit in her seat as she rubbed her arm, which gave the principal a solid answer. "And while I am glad to see that you've struck up a good dynamic with Anne and the others, you don't seem to be reaching out to other people." She pulled out Luz's own record, which wasn't all that thick compared to Anne's. "You haven't joined any sports teams this year, or even signed up for any clubs."

"That last part's not true." Luz said. "Marcy and I tried to set up our own fantasy book club, but it was just the two of us. Nobody joined in, and the club was canceled. As for me and sports? I don't see myself doing much with my weak nerd arms." She held out her own arms for emphasis.

"You don't see yourself doing much? Or you don't see yourself getting along with anyone else?" Murphy assumed, which only caused Luz to shrink even more. "Look, Luz, you have so much potential in you. But it's like you're too afraid to spread your own wings and go out into the world. You seem content in your own comfort zone."

"Well… it's comfortable." Luz said. "And… I've tried to talk with other people but… nobody…" She didn't even finish her own sentence right away, but she was quick to try and put on a smile. "I mean sure, the other girls aren't exactly perfect but… they're pretty cool too, especially Marcy. And I think we're doing okay… but I'll try to talk with them about not using live animals for something like that again. Which is kinda ironic, because I almost brought in a garter snake for my literature project, but they talked me out of it. Most people think snakes are all bad, but several myths show them representing protection, healing, or even immortality, like in Egypt or Greece."

"Yes, they do." Mrs. Murphy said. "I even used to have a pet snake when I was your age. Old Orobori was a real glutton, let me tell ya" She laughed a bit, which caused Luz to smile slightly. "Look, I'm not saying you should stop being friends with Marcy and everyone, just try and talk more with other people. And yes, I know that there are some people out there who aren't as appreciative to those who are different, trust me, I know that myself. But that doesn't mean your current circle will be your only friends. There are plenty of people out there who won't make you feel less than what you are. You just, have to let yourself meet them." This caused Luz to look away as she contemplated what the principal thought. "That's all, your dismissed. Go on home."

"Yes, ma'am." Luz got up off her seat and left the principal's office.

However, when she was gone, Mrs. Murphy's gave a deep sigh. While she was certain that Luz had listened to her, she was also somewhat doubtful that she'd be so willingly to step outside her comfort zone. And of course, there was still Anne, who seemed blind to her own potential, in a similar way that Luz was, and she could probably take a guess as to why that was. It was the group that they were in and the dynamic that they had formed with them. While she had a serious talk with Luz and Anne, as they probably needed it more than the others, Sasha's controlling issues was something that seriously needed to be addressed. She could see how the blonde was clearly the leader among the group, with Marcy more-or-less as the second-in-command; Sasha had all the ideas, Marcy had the brain to make it all work. With someone like Sasha at the helm, who would probably do what she could to keep the other girls in-line, it may be hard for Luz or Anne to step out a bit and realize just how much potential they truly had. But of course, it wasn't just Sasha for Luz's case… it was also the fact that she hadn't been able to connect with other people, to meet people who were just as creative and energetic as her.

However, with the school year ending next week and summer vacation just around the corner, perhaps this might be a good opportunity for all the girls to learn and grow, and the best way to probably do that… was to give them some time apart from each other. She already had a few ideas, but she would need to discuss this with their parents.

With that in mind, Mrs. Murphy pulled out the files that had the family contacts for all of the students and began to search for their phone numbers to make some calls.

Friday Night

Camilla had arrived at Gravesfield High School with concern. She had received a call from the principal a couple days ago and requested a meeting, and while Mrs. Murphy had assured her that Luz wasn't in any trouble, it honestly didn't make her feel any less nervous. It is a very rare occurrence for parents to be called to the school at night, when all the students and even some of the teachers were already home.

Fortunately, it would seem that she wasn't alone as when she walked through the hallways and to the principal's office, she saw a pair of familiar faces.

"Oh, Camilla! Over here!" Bee Boonchuy waved to her with a friendly smile alongside his wife.

"Oum. Bee." Camilla quickly joined them and was quick to shake their hands. "Good to see you two again."

"Same here, and it seems that we are not the only ones." Oum said as she gestured behind her, to the waiting area that was just outside the principal's office where four other people had already arrived.

Mrs. Wu was present alongside her own husband, a Taiwanese man with short, dark brown hair and only slightly darker skin than his wife, as well as a pair of glasses over his brown eyes. His current attire consisted of a dark gray, short-sleeved, polo shirt with black pants and brown shoes. Mr. Waybright was also present, along with his ex-wife, a Caucasian woman with green eyes and short sandy blonde hair. She had white pearl earrings and a pearl necklace, with a short-sleeved purple V-neck shirt over a black undershirt, and a black dress that stretched down to her ankles where she wore light purple heels.

"Camilla." Mrs. Wu happened to notice her first and greeted her with a handshake. "Nice to see you again. I'm not sure if you met, but this is my husband."

"Chai Wu." Mr. Wu introduced himself as he shook Camilla's hand. "Nice to meet you. Lin here has talked quite a bit about you. I'm sorry that I never had the chance to meet you in-person, but my focus has been on my job for quite a while."

"It's no problem, and I've heard quite a bit about your work." Camilla replied. "I'm a fan of electric cars or even those hydrogen fuel cells, but I don't trust A.I. for my car, no offense."

"None taken. But no robot apocalypses are involved, I promise." Chai joked, earning a laugh from Camilla before she then went over to the other adults present.

"And Mr. and Mrs. Waybright, correct? We haven't been formally introduced, have we?"

"No, we've seen each other a few times, but no real conversations were made." Joseph Waybright replied as he shook Camilla's hand as well.

"I imagine it's because you were quite busy." Emma Waybright said in a somewhat rude manner, only exchanging a second-long glare with her ex before addressing Camilla with a smile. "But I am glad to finally meet you, Mrs. Noceda. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Y-yes, me too." Camilla seemed somewhat hesitant with this exchange at first, notably because she seemed quick to pick up on the tension between the two adults. She did hear Luz mention how Sasha's parents were divorced, but she hadn't said anything about the specifics, mostly because she didn't want to pry into Sahsa's personal business, and Camilla respected that. Likewise, Camilla chose not to pry herself, Joseph and Emma's relationship was their own business, and she would leave it as is. No need to overstep her bounds.

"Thank you all for coming." Mrs. Murphy stepped out of her office to greet the parents. "I apologize for arranging this meeting just before the weekend, but there are some serious issues that I think we all need to talk about."

"Is it about the girls?" Oum asked, already having a good idea about the purpose of this meeting.

"It is related to that… but nobody is in trouble, I promise." Mrs. Murphy quickly raised her hand in assurance to ease any concerns. "But we do need to talk about them. So, here's how it's going to go, I'll be speaking with each parent or parents about their daughter one-at-a-time. Why don't we start with you, Mr. and Mrs. Waybright? If that's okay with you."

"I'm cool with it." Joseph nodded.

"Yes, that's fine with me too." Emma agreed.

"Good, then please follow me." Mrs. Murphy gestured to her office. "The rest of you, make yourselves comfortable and I'll be with the others shortly." She led the Waybright into her office and closed the door behind her, leaving the other five parents to talk and converse with each other.

"Principal Murphy, if I may…" Emma spoke up first as she and her ex-husband sat down across from the principal at her desk.

"You may." She allowed.

"You say the girls aren't in trouble, but I have a feeling that Sasha's been causing some issues, lately." Emma said.

"Are you sure it's just Sasha?" Joseph questioned with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure your boyfriends' kids are also causing trouble. I at least know that Sasha and that one Stacy-girl are usually at each other's throats."

"I don't deny that Sasha and Stacy are having trouble getting along, but at least Brad and I are giving them the space to work it out on their own and not hovering over them twenty-four-seven like you would." Emma argued.

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Mrs. Murphy was quick to break up any argument before it could start. "Alright, yes. I won't deny that Sasha has been causing trouble at this school, Stacy too." She spoke to Emma specifically. "Mrs. Waybright, be straight with me… how would you describe their relationship at home?"

"They have something called a 'Switzerland Agreement'." Emma answered. "They basically leave each other alone when they're together at the house, and so far, no heads have rolled."

"Keywords being 'so far'." Jospeh put in, earning a glare from Emma.

"So, they ignore each other, for the most part?" Mrs. Murphy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Essentially." Emma confirmed.

"But simply ignoring the tension doesn't mean it's not there." The principal began. "When they're at school, they're go at it like a pair of wolves. But it's not just her relationship with Stacy, it's also that with her friends, particularly on Sasha's end. If those four girls are like a wolf pack, then Sasha has set herself up as the alpha, often the pressuring the other girls into going along with her schemes that has gotten all of them into trouble, and she doesn't seem to be showing any signs of stopping."

"Has she hurt anybody?" Joseph asked with worry.

"Not physically, but I'm worried that may change." Mrs. Murphy said. "But I will admit that her leadership skills are impressive, it's little wonder she made captain of the cheer squad."

"That's my girl." Emma smiled proudly.

"But she's not applying that in a positive direction. I'm worried that if something isn't done, she may end up leading herself and all her friends into some serious trouble, the kind that she won't be able to get out of, where the punishment is more than just a scolding or a slap on the wrist."

"So…" Joseph shifted somewhat nervously in his chair as he rubbed his fingers together. "What are you… suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting a way where Sasha can learn to put her skills in a positive direction." She pulled out a flyer and handed it to the parents, with Emma being the one to take it first as she read the title.

"'Extreme Spartan Challenge for Girls'?" She read aloud, before handing the flyer to Joseph who opened it to see pictures of teenage partaking in various activities such as paintball games, obstacle courses, and rock-climbing.

"Isn't this a military school? You gotta be eighteen to enroll in those!" Joseph exclaimed in shock.

"It's not a military school." Mrs. Murphy told them. "It's a summer camp that operates in a similar manner. The kids are put into teams and play games, like paintball, run obstacle courses, or even chess to exercise their minds as well as their bodies. They have a strict schedule, and the instructors can act like drill sergeants, but they also take the time to get to know all of the girls enrolled there so they better understand what they do best and what needs improvement. If Sasha were to go to this camp for the summer, not only would it give her a chance to meet with other kids outside her current friend group, but it might also help to teach her some discipline, the value of hard work, and form genuine camaraderie. It's way for her to use her leadership talents, while also confronting her need to be in control all the time. A few students at this school were sent to that camp, and even if they hated the idea at first… when they came back, I would hear them say how they loved it. They had fun and learned some important lessons and opened up a bit more to others, and I can see Sasha doing the same thing."

"I… I don't know." Joseph said. "This sounds like it could be good for her but…"

"But you feel uncomfortable with sending her into an unfamiliar environment with nobody that she knows?" Emma assumed. But she didn't say any of that with criticism, but rather a shared concern she had with her ex.

"Yeah… a little bit." Joseph admitted.

"Maybe that might actually be best for her." Emma said, speaking sincerely. "Maybe giving her some space… some time away from any issues she has at home… It could help her to move forward."

Joseph seemed to understand what his ex-wife was talking about, but he still seemed somewhat unsure of the choice. Though, as he looked at the flyer again, some of the pictures did show the girls were smiling. Some of those games actually looked fun, paintball was certainly something that he felt Sasha would enjoy, she was always a fan of laser tag growing up. Not to mention that Sasha definitely had both the energy and the build to keep up with all those girls.

"Look, if you feel that this camp won't be a good fit for Sasha, you don't have to send her there." Mrs. Murphy told them. "You're her parents, and the choice is yours. But I would strongly suggest that you think it over, talk with each other, maybe even with your other partners or even Sasha herself. Even if you decide against the camp, Sasha's control issues and her lack-of-discipline, need to be addressed. So, please consider it."

Taking a moment to exchange some eye-contact, the Waybrights both stood up from their chairs. "Thank you for talking with us about this, Principal Murphy." Joseph shook her hand first.

"Yes, we'll give this matter some thought." Emma said as she shook her hand next before they left the office.

Up next were Oum and Bee, both sitting in the chairs now as they sat across from the principal at her desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Boonchuy, we need to talk about Anne." Mrs. Murphy began.

"What did she do now?" Oum asked with an unsurprised sigh.

"It's not what she did, but rather what she's not doing." The principal replied. "And that's applying herself. She's filled with so much potential, but even she doesn't see that. She's content to remain a follower when she's capable of so much more, even when it gets her into trouble. You know that whole incident a couple months ago when she and her friends had skipped rehearsal for that play they were in?"

"And how they had a 'dance party' on the school's rooftop?" Oum responded.

"Yes, we remember that." Bee confirmed as well.

"Well, that was actually Sasha's idea, Anne just took the blame for it." Mrs. Murphy revealed, much to the Boonchuy's surprise.

"What?!" Oum looked with widened eyes.

"Why would she do that?!" Bee questioned as well. "We grounded her for a month for that! Why take the punishment?"

"Maybe Sasha pressured her into it, or maybe she just wanted to keep her friends from getting into trouble." Mrs. Murphy assumed. "If it's the latter, then it shows that while she has a good heart, it's not in the right place." Once more she took out Anne's file that had all of her incomplete assignments. "All these incompletes, and it's not like she's incapable of doing it. She performed well when she was on the tennis team back in the fall, but she's just not applying herself elsewhere. She's always looking to take the easy way out."

Bee and Oum shared concerning glances before the father spoke first. "This has been going on with her for quite a while. Even in middle school, she'd go out of her way to avoid doing her homework. She even tried changing the grades on one of her report cards back in seventh grade."

"And this has been happening at home too." Oum added. "Whenever she's asked to do chores, she always does a terrible job. And I know that she's doing it on purpose just to avoid doing it again in the future."

Mrs. Murphy gently placed her own hand on her forehead. So, this problem wasn't just with school, but at home too. This was way more serious than she thought. Something had to be done, and soon.

"I gave Anne something of a summer-assignment, nothing that's going to be graded, but just an essay for her to write about what kind of person she wants to be and what she's willing to do to get to that point." Mrs. Murphy explained. "But if she's willing to do stuff like this at home… then maybe a simple essay might not be enough."

"Well, do you have any ideas on what we can do?" Bee asked.

"The first thing I'd recommend is having her get some space from her current friend group." Mrs. Murphy offered. "Luz, for the most part, has been a positive influence, so I'd say she's fine with her. But Marcy, and especially Sasha, Anne is always following their lead… even when it's something that she doesn't want to do. Maybe getting some distance from them might be a way she can deal with less pressure, or maybe even a family vacation where she can have fun, not worry about chores, work, or living up to anyone else's expectations and she could connect with you. But that's just my recommendation, it's ultimately up to you."

The Boonchuys took a moment to think and ponder what Mrs. Murphy had suggested. "Well, her birthday is coming up next week." Bee said. "Maybe we could surprise her with a trip to Galactic Studios or something. She's always been a fan of those movies."

"We may have to talk some things out with our part-timers about watching the restaurant, but I think we can make it work." Oum seemed on-board with it. "A couple weeks might seem like a long enough vacation."

The two parents smiled to one another as they came to the same conclusion. "I think that's what we're going to do." Bee said the principal.

"Sounds like a plan. I hope you all enjoy your trip, and that you work things out with Anne." Mrs. Murphy smiled.

It was now Camilla's turn to sit in the principal's office, which gave her something of a sense of déjà vu to when she sat in the office of the principal at her own high school, but she tried to push those memories away as this wasn't about her right now. This was about her daughter.

"Thank you for coming, Mrs. Noceda." Mrs. Murphy said.

"Your welcome… and I'm sorry again for that whole… road rage incident." Camilla winced at that.

Mrs. Murphy gave something of a mix between a sigh and a laugh. "That was almost a year ago, last summer. I try not to dwell on the past. But back to the matter at hand, about Luz…" She pulled out the girl's own file. "Her grades are pretty good, more consistent with how they were in her middle school, her literature and writing classes are all As. There are few hiccups in stuff like science or math, but nothing to really worry about right now."

Camilla already knew that much. Luz's report card in the previous semester was something to be proud of as she had more than a few As, with her lowest grade being a C+ in biology. But that was fine, she didn't expect Luz to become a doctor or even vet like her anything, as long as it was what she wanted to do.

"So… what's the problem if Luz's grades are good?" Camilla asked.

"The problem isn't her academic work, it's her social skills." Mrs. Murphy answered. "I know she a hard time making friends at her old school, and while I am glad to see that she's made friends here, she's not really reaching out to anyone else."

"Well, it's not like I'm expecting her to be the most popular girl in school or anything." Camilla said.

"Neither am I, but she's not even trying to reach out." Mrs. Murphy explained. "She hasn't joined any sports teams or clubs… she's content to remain in her comfort zone. And the people she's sharing that with… well…" Mrs. Murphy winced slightly before explaining on. "Anne's not living up to her own potential, Marcy's head is often in the clouds and tunes out everything else around her and Sasha… she in particular can be very difficult and controlling. She believes that her way is always the right way, and usually pressures those around her to go with them, Luz included. And as far as I can tell, there's only been one instance where Luz pushed back. All the other times, Luz goes along with it… even if it's something she doesn't like."

Camilla was surprised to hear that. She remembered Luz saying that Sasha was a bit pushy at times, but she didn't think it was anything like how Mrs. Murphy had described. Why didn't Luz tell her?

"I apologize if this is a sensitive subject to bring up, but Luz's father did pass away when she was young, right?" Mrs. Murphy asked.

"Y-yes." Camilla answered. "It was hard… for both of us."

"I'm truly sorry." Mrs. Murphy said sincerely. "But that might also be the reason for Luz's behavior."

"She's always done things differently, though." Camilla said. "Even before Manny passed away."

"And honestly, I would encourage her to think differently." Mrs. Murphy replied. "I've seen a lot of her work, I even read that story she published for our school's contest, and it was really good. But that's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Camilla asked.

"The problem, I think, is that Luz feels isolated." Mrs. Murphy began. "She didn't have any friends to help her through the process of grieving when her father passed and, as sad as it is, not everyone is as appreciative of other people who do things differently. Luz has made friends with Anne and the others, even striking up a rather cute little dynamic with Marcy, but she probably feels that they are her only friends, and that maybe if she doesn't follow along with them, she might lose them."

Camilla's eyes widened at that. Is that really how Luz felt? How did she not notice? She wouldn't deny that Luz had a really hard time after losing Manny, they both did. But did Luz really think that she couldn't make any friends at all? And that Anne, Sasha, and Marcy would be the only friends she could ever make?

"But, I think I know a way we can prove to her otherwise." Mrs. Murphy had pulled out a flyer, similar to the one that she had given Sasha's parents and handed it to Camilla who read the title of the advertisement aloud.

"'Azure Lake Camp'?"

"It's a creative arts camp that I used to work at as a consoler." The principal explained. "I still keep in touch with the people who work there. It's a camp where kids can come together to really express themselves through what they enjoy doing, music, drawing, writing, pretty much any form of art. I feel like that Luz would get along quite nicely with all the kids there." She noticed an uncertain look on Camilla's face though. "But, if you feel that this might not be a good idea, then you don't have to do it. It's just a suggestion, an idea for Luz to get out of her comfort zone and see that there are other kids like her, and she's not as alone as she thinks she is. Just something to think about."

Camilla looked through the flyer and saw a glimpse at some of the activities the kids were participating in, such as arts and crafts, and even playing musical instruments together. Honestly, all this seemed like stuff that Luz would enjoy doing. Camilla honestly never had anything like this growing up, maybe this might be a chance for Luz to connect with other people. While she was glad to see that Luz did make friends with Anne and the others, she also didn't want her to feel that they would be the only friends she could ever have, especially if one of said friends made her do stuff that she was uncomfortable with. Maybe this might be good for her.

"I'll think it over." Camilla said as she stood up from her seat to shake hands with the principal. "Thank you, Principal Murphy."

"You're welcome. Luz is a really great kid, and I hope things get better for her soon." Mrs. Murphy smiled, which caused Camilla to smile back before leaving the office.

The last pair of parents to speak with Mrs. Murphy were Chai and Lin Wu and, just like everyone else who came in before, sat in the pair of seats across from the principal's desk to speak about their daughter.

"Alright, Marcy's grades are excellent." The principal began. "Straight As last semester, and it seems like that's going to be her report card at the end of this year. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she's made an honor's student next year, or even got a full scholarship to Yale and/or Harvard, maybe even go to college early."

That caused both of the Wus to exchange smiles with each other. "Of course, but I fail to see how that's a problem." Chai said as he got serious.

"The problem isn't her grades or her schoolwork, it's how she sometimes gets into trouble, notably with the friends she's with." Mrs. Murphy explained. "A lot of the ideas come from Sasha, and Marcy has the brains to make it work. And while she's plenty book smart, it's like she doesn't even consider the consequences of her actions, like the trouble she and her friends could get in."

Lin winced at that. "Yes… Marcy does tend to tune everything else out while she works. Her focus is commendable, but… there are times where it can lead to her getting into trouble."

"Like the snake incident last winter?" Mrs. Murphy recalled.

"Yes, exactly that." Lin confirmed. "She was grounded for that, but I don't see much of a change in her behavior."

"And, another issue, is that I don't see her talking with anyone else outside her current friend group." Mrs. Murphy put in. "Has Marcy made any other friends before coming to high school?"

"No… as far as we can tell, she's ever only been with Anne and Sasha." Chai answered.

"Luz only became her friend at the start of this school year." Lin added. "But aside from her, nobody else."

"Then perhaps a chance to meet with other people and form connections of them would help her too." Mrs. Murphy had pulled out more than a few brochures and paper advertisements. "I've seen a few camps and programs in the city that I think someone like Marcy might be interested in, it could give her a chance to…"

"Principal Murphy, thank you." Chai briefly and politely interrupted, surprising the principal as he briefly looked over some of the programs. "These seem like good ideas, but if the problem lies in Marcy choosing not to make connections with other people, then maybe a change of scenery could help her."

"What do you mean by that?" Mrs. Murphy asked confusion. However, Lin, happened to realize what her husband was implying.

"Chai…? Your job…?"

"It hasn't gone all the way through yet, but it's really looking like it." Chai confirmed to his wife before turning back to the principal. "I might be getting an offer to move to a different position in my job, one higher with a little more pay, and it would involve moving over to New York."

That took the principal by surprise. "Really?"

"Yes. And if a change in scenery is what Marcy needs, then maybe we should do it." Chai said.

"Have you talked about this with Marcy at all?" Mrs. Murphy asked.

"No, not yet anyway." Chai answered.

"Then I highly recommend that you do so." The principal encouraged. "If you have to move because of your job, I get that. But for kids… it might be a bit difficult for them to accept, especially if they're hit with some news like that out of the blue."

"New York isn't that far away, only about a two-and-a-half our drive from here." Chai said.

"We could make the drive, but her friends might not be able to." Lin told her husband. "Why haven't you said anything sooner?"

"I wanted to be sure it was happening before getting any hopes up." Chai answered. "Like I said, it's not one hundred percent guaranteed, I'll hear from them by next week and there is still a small chance my offer could be rescinded…"

"You should still talk with Marcy about it, so that she's at least mentally prepared." Mrs. Murphy implied. "I don't want this to turn into an even bigger problem."

"I don't think it will be." Chai smiled. "We vacationed to New York a couple years ago and she loved the city. I think it'll all be fine." He stood up, with his wife doing so behind him, though she was a bit more concerned than he was currently. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Murphy." He shook her hand before stepping out of the office, Lin right behind him.

As they left however, and the principal was alone in her office once more as she sat back down in her chair to contemplate everything that happened, both with the meeting with the parents and her talks with the girls a couple days ago.

They all had issues that she felt needed to be addressed and she talked with Anne and Luz in particular, along with their parents about how they could address these concerns, and while she was hopeful that they could work things out, she was no fool either. Stuff like this was always messy, especially with kids around this age, and there was no guarantee that it would work out the way any of them would hope. But every once in a while, everyone needs a push in the right direction. Though she was concerned about the idea of Marcy moving away permanently, and while she had no right to question her parents' choice to move for their job, that was their business, she had seen how badly affected kids could be if they were suddenly slammed with big news like that, and it didn't always work out.

But there was nothing else she could do right now. She had done the best she could, spoke with her students and their parents, now it was all up to them to decide what to do going forward. All she could really do now, was hope that it all works out.

Done.

Yep, it looks like we got some separation plans for the girls, between Luz going to a summer camp, and Marcy's parents planning on moving away like in canon, as well as some other possibilities like Sasha going to a camp of her own or the possibility of Anne going on a family vacation with her birthday coming up.

It's noted that in canon, Anne's birthdate is never specified, just between May 21 and June 20. I decided to make her birthday in the summer because it also fits with the time Luz is being sent to camp herself and it makes the story flow easier.

And unlike canon, where Luz is being sent to Reality Check, a camp that doesn't fit her personally, she's actually being considered for a Creative Arts camp because that is a better fit for her. It's the reason I chose for Mrs. Murphy (from Amphibia) to be the principal of Gravesfield as opposed to Hal from the canon Owl House. We get a bit more screentime with Murphy, not much, but enough to know that she does care about her students and addresses the concerns in a stern, yet caring manner as opposed to just scolding or even sending 'problematic' children away hoping that'll fix the problem. And Mrs. Murphy isn't wrong either in that the girls could use some time apart from each other to not only meet new friends, but also grow on their own and not stay within the toxic dynamic that Sasha has set up.

I slo know that in the Amphibia canon, Marcy's family moved to Hopkinton, Massachusetts (the state that also has Salem, ain't that ironic? LOL). And honestly, given that the girls are currently living in Gravesfield, Conneticut; Hopkinton is actually a much shorter drive away. New York seemed like the option here because it's not only the largest business hub in the country, and the ideal place for Mr. Wu to work with his current job, it's a much larger distance between there and Gravesfield, which makes the odds of Marcy seeing the other girls again rather low, which will only further motivate her to do... you-know-what.

We also got to meet Sasha's mom and Marcy's dad (the names are never given in canon for their parents either, so I just gave them Joseph, Emma, Chai, and Lin) and learn a bit more of their personalities and dynamics with each other too.

This chapter may be short, but I feel it sets everything up nicely. Next chapter is the end of the prologue arc, and the girls finally embark on their journey and I'm sure you'll like what I have planned there.

Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.

See ya soon.