Chapter 7: Summer Stories

Anne At Work

The lunch rush at Thai Go was starting to die down. The last few customers were filling out the door, finally giving Anne some breathing room. She had only been working as a hostess, but as the restaurant got busier, her parents asked her to help serve the food and even take orders. This had proven a little difficult for Anne, who was not used to working in such an environment. Still, she did her best and actually managed to make a few tips. When the restaurant was empty, she finally complained to her mom.

"Well, I hope next summer we can hire an additional server, so it's not just me taking out all the food," she said to her mom.

"But, Anne, sweetie, if we hire another server, that means fewer tips for you," replied her mother.

"Eh, I'm willing to accept that trade-off," said Anne.

"Hiring another server cost more money, restaurant needs to do better before we get new server," said her mother. "Besides, good for you to be working and not watching videos all day."

"I don't watch videos all day. Sometimes, I argue about things on internet forums," said Anne.

"Ah, yes, you fight with people online over which season of Suspicion Island is best?" answered her mom sarcastically.

"Not just that," began Anne incredulously, "I also fight over who is a better pick for Constance, and I also get mad at people who dislike photos of Domino."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me," said her mother. "When you get home, you need to change Domino's litter. It's been 3 days."

"Yes, Mom," said Anne morosely. At that moment, the door opened, and a customer walked in, though it was one that Anne knew.

"Ms. Noceda!" exclaimed Anne. "How are you?"

"I'm hungry, Anne. I just got done pulling a double. I thought about going to Chimichurri Sandwiches, but this place is closer, and it's nice to see you," said Mrs. Noceda. She also waved to Anne's mother, who greeted her.

"Always good to see you, Camila," said Mrs. Boonchuy warmly.

"So, Anne, you're working here over the summer?" asked Camila. "Aren't you only twelve?"

"Child never too young to learn value of hard work," countered Mrs. Boonchuy. "Besides, she'll be thirteen in the fall."

"Eh, my parents are actually paying me this time," Anne joked. "Good way to save up money."

"Yes, and you should spend it on something other than video games or manga," said Mrs. Boonchuy, shooting Anne a look.

"In any case," began Anne, "Swasdi kai, and welcome to Thai Go! We have amazing Thai Iced Tea, as well as food that will knock your socks off! Let me show you to your table."

Anne led Ms. Noceda to a table where she sat down. Anne eventually took her order and served her food. Camila ate quickly, as she was both tired and hungry from work. As Anne brought her the check, Camila asked to talk with Anne some more.

"So, Anne, I never asked; how exactly did you and Luz meet?" asked Camila.

"Oh, that's actually a funny story. I accidentally ran her over with my bike," said Anne.

"You what?!" said Camila in surprise.

"No, it's all good. I didn't hit her that hard, and it led to us talking about when that exact same thing happened in an anime we both watched. And well, that led to us meeting at lunch," said Anne.

"Should your mother be more concerned about your bike riding habits?" asked Camila playfully.

"Please don't tell my mom," begged Anne. "As it is, I had to convince her to let me ride my bike to school. I'm trying to help her out so she doesn't have to drop me off every morning. She can sleep in or do work at the restaurant."

"Oh, that's very sweet of you, Anne," said Camila.

"I try! Look, between the two of us," began Anne, before looking around and making sure her mother was out of sight. "I love my mom. I know she and Dad sacrificed a lot to build a new life here, so I try my best to make things a bit easier for them. I figure one small thing I can do is take myself to school so they don't have to."

"I'm sure your parents appreciate that, Anne. You seem like a good kid," said Camila. With that, she paid her bill and left. Anne went to get the tip from the table and saw there was a small note written on the receipt.

Thank you for being a friend to my daughter, with a smiley face next to it. Anne smiled and felt a sense of pride as she read the note and looked at where Ms. Noceda had left.

Let's Go To The Movies

Luz and Anne approached the movie theater in high anticipation. As they stood in line to buy their tickets, Anne was telling Luz about the movie.

"It's called From Pointe to Poppin', and it's about a high-class mother who sends her daughter to ballet school, but the daughter doesn't want to learn ballet. She wants to learn hip-hop dancing," explained Anne.

"So what happens?" asked Luz. "Does the mom get mad at her daughter?"

"I don't know. We'll just have to see," said Anne, "but I've heard a lot of good things about this one."

"Sounds like it's one of those movies about being true to yourself," said Luz.

"Yeah, that's what makes it so awesome," said Anne. "I mean, it's hard to do that, but it's always a good message to hear."

"Hey, Anne, are you worried at all about high school?" asked Luz.

"What do you mean?" asked Anne.

"It's just that you've seen some of those high school movies where everyone is like, You have to be this or that in order to survive high school," said Luz.

"I mean, yeah, but in a lot of those movies, the protagonist does learn to be their own person, so it's not all bad," replied Anne.

"Yeah, but I wonder how close that is to real life?" asked Luz. "I mean, I guess I'm just worried. Seeing as we're social outcasts, what will it be like when we get to high school?"

"Ah, don't worry about that. We still have a year before that happens. And in any case, we have each other and Sasha and Marcy. We'll still be friends in high school," said Anne, putting a reassuring hand on Luz's shoulder.

The girls bought their tickets and headed into the theater. As the movie went on, it became clear just how much both girls were enjoying it. Especially the hip-hop dance competition, where the young girl had to do a routine after just being yelled at by her mother for deceiving her and not going to ballet practice. It looked as though the mom might be angry at her forever. But after the dance competition, the mother and daughter met in the old ballet studio to finally talk.

"Don't you get it, Mother?" said the girl. "I know you want me to be a ballerina, but my heart belongs to hip-hop. Are you disappointed?"

"No, I'm proud of you," said the mother. "All that hipping and hopping was… breathtaking."

"Oh, Mother!" cried the girl as she and the mom embraced.

The girl wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes, as both Anne and Luz were holding onto each other and crying themselves at the ending.

"That was so beautiful!" exclaimed Luz

"The mother came to her dance competition and told her daughter she was proud of her," cried Anne.

The girls exited the theater, still talking about the movie and all the great moments from it.

"That moment in the hip-hop routine when she did that flip and then landed into a spin on the ground was incredible," said Luz.

"How about that moment when she jumped off the stage and landed in a split?" said Anne.

"That was the best movie ever!" they both said in unison. They paused for a moment, looked at each other, and then laughed as they made their way outside the theater.

"We have to do this again," said Luz. "Oh, would you like to see the next Azura Movie when it comes out?"

"Well, Marcy made me watch the first one. I thought it was alright, though I bet I would have liked it more if I'd read the books," said Anne. "I'm sure she'll want to see the new movie when it comes out, so yeah, we can make plans for that."

"I mean, have you ever thought about reading the books?" asked Luz. "I have books 1 through 5 if you want to borrow them."

"Eh, I mean, we do enough reading for school as it is. Unless it's manga, I'm not really into books," said Anne.

"I think you should give it a try, Anne," began Luz. "I'll agree that I don't always look forward to the things we read in school, and some of it is old and dated without any real relevance in today's world. But Good Witch Azura isn't like that. It's full of action, adventure, romance, and, well… It's nice to see a book about a young girl who's dealing with not only magic but the pressures of growing up as well."

"Hmm, I never thought about it like that," said Anne thoughtfully. "You know, Marcy tried to get me into Good Witch Azura before we saw the first movie. But I told her the same thing I told you."

"I think you should give it another try. Next time we meet, I'll lend you book one," said Luz.

"Well, I can't promise I'll finish it, but I will give it a try," replied Anne.

"I guess that's all I can ask," said Luz.

Father Daughter Time

Sasha picked at the food on her plate, not enjoying it. Her father was on the phone and had been for much of their lunch, despite this supposedly being a chance for them to spend time together. At least her father had taken her to a nice restaurant. Sasha tried to savor the food but couldn't enjoy it. Finally, her father hung up his phone.

"Sorry, honey," he began. "So much going on in the financial world. I had a client telling me about the latest stock surge, and I had to make sure I was on top of it. Enjoying your salmon?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," replied Sasha, not really caring.

"I am so glad we got to spend this time together. I know work can be overwhelming sometimes, but remember I—"

"Do it all for the family," finished Sasha. "I know, Dad. You tell me that all the time."

"Right, well, how's the summer been so far?" he asked.

"Oh, it's been great. Thanks for letting me go to cheer camp. I really feel like I learned a lot there. Who knows? You may be looking at the new cheer captain," said Sasha.

"That's wonderful, dear. Have you been nice to the coaches and teachers?" he asked.

"Of course I have," she replied

"You remember what I told you about flattery, right?" asked her dad.

"Flattery can be one of the best manipulators, as it's one of the hardest things to resist, and people will always respond well to perceived niceness," replied Sasha, almost perfectly.

"Correct," said her dad. "It's amazing what you can get people to do when you act nice to them. It's how I've survived in the financial world."

"Oh, don't worry, Dad. I make sure to always compliment my gym teacher and the other members of the squad. A lot of them already get the sense that I'm a natural leader, so I think I can say that I will definitely get the captain's position," said Sasha.

"If you want to make cheer captain, you need to have a leg up over the competition. I can make a donation to the school for improvements to the gym. I'll make sure they know that it was me and that my daughter is currently going there," suggested her father.

"I mean, you already made one last year to get me on the squad," answered Sasha. "Shouldn't that be enough? Besides, that was more like insurance. It's not like I wasn't already talented. I just need a little extra push."

"I know we don't get to spend a lot of time together, so I just want to make sure I help you when I can," said her father. "Also, just to let you know, I'll be leaving again around the end of July. I have a conference I'm going to in New York."

"Oh, you're leaving again?" said Sasha, clearly disheartened.

"There's a good investment opportunity that I need to see more about. Could make a lot of money on this one," said her father.

"You know, Dad, seeing as I'm getting older, maybe you can start teaching me a little about the world of business," said Sasha. "I'd like to know a little bit more about what you do."

"It's really boring," said her father. "Plus, it's very complicated. I don't think you're smart enough to understand it all."

The words hit Sasha like ice water. She turned away from her dad, not wanting to show any hurt on her face but all the while feeling a sense of shame for what her father had said to her. Sasha did what she always did with these negative feelings and suppressed them. She turned back to her father and replied.

"I mean, yeah, of course. No way I could understand things like that."

"Besides, you still have time to think about what you want to do with your life, and I'll be there to help you every step of the way," said her dad.

"Yeah, I know you will, Dad," said Sasha, disinterested. However an idea came to her and she put on a smile before asking, "Hey, Dad, is it cool if I have a slumber party over the summer? Possibly right before school starts."

"Oh, of course, sweetheart!" said her dad enthusiastically. "When do you want it?"

"Sometime in late July or early August. I have to ask the others when they have a free night," said Sasha.

"Of course, dear. Hey, since I won't be around, I'll make sure and give you some money so it can be the best slumber party ever," said her father.

"Oh, does that mean an exorbitant amount of pizza, cream soda, and Skittles?" asked Sasha.

"Whatever you want, dear," replied her father.

"Yeah," smiled Sasha deviously. "Whatever I want…"

Writing a Fanfiction

Marcy and Luz met up at the library to discuss their idea for an Azura fanfic. They both had many ideas, but couldn't quite decide which one to use.

"I mean, this is the idea phase of the writing process, so there's no such thing as a bad idea," said Luz. "But which idea should we go with?"

"Well, Luz, seeing as the last story you wrote had to be a bit more structured for school, maybe we should explore what you wanted to do with your Luzura character."

"Okay, but this time, can we put all the extra stuff in it too, please?" asked Luz.

"You mean romance, magic, and heartbreak with shimmer tears?" asked Marcy slyly.

"Yes! All of it!" replied Luz.

"Oh, alright, this is a fan-fic after all. Well, let's get crackin'," said Marcy.

Over the next few hours, the girls worked together to try to craft the perfect story featuring the OC character Luzura and her adventures. Marcy and Luz worked well off each other, as Luz did the majority of the writing, and let Marcy look over it for feedback.

"'Luzura's tears fell on the frozen prince, bringing him back to life. The Prince slowly opened his eyes as he stared at Luzura," read Marcy. "'Luzura, you saved me!' exclaimed the Prince. 'How can I ever repay you?' As the Prince looked into Luzura's eyes, no words needed to be said. Luzura pulled the Prince into a passionate kiss. Time seemed to stop for them as the kiss went on deeper and…' Oh, that next part is very descriptive," said Marcy, giggling.

"Was it too much?" asked Luz, whose cheeks were flushed from hearing Marcy read her story.

"I mean, it's your fan-fic. If you want it to be that 'descriptive', you can, but you know people might be weirded out by how much you seem attracted to the Prince," said Marcy.

"What do you mean?" said Luz with some worry in her voice.

"Well, you read fanfics, don't you?" asked Marcy. Luz nodded in response.

"Have you ever heard of this one… hmm… trying to remember its name. Something to do with hearts… It was about some girl named Marina and she drew herself having…"

"Oh, yeah, I vaguely know what you're talking about," said Luz. "Uhhh, that was not an example of good writing. Also, I mean, she was REALLY descriptive in her… scenes."

"Yeah, that's my point. Her 'fan-fic', if you want to call it that, was basically just a way for her to live out a fetish, and well, if you've read even a bit of it, you know how well that went."

"I don't want people to think that's the only reason I'm writing this," said Luz.

"Again, it's your fic, so if that's what you want, go ahead, but consider this. It's fine if you want to put things you like in your story. I believe the term for that is Author Appeal. But if you put too much of that in, then I feel it could distract from the story. A lot of people write fan-fics with their self-insert OC character because they want to write about themselves having a romantic relationship with a fictional character."

Luz sighed before replying, "If I'm being honest with myself, that is part of the reason I'm writing this."

"And that's fine," said Marcy. "But if you want your story to be more than that, then you have to still have a compelling reason for people to want to read it. I think you can make a story about Luzura falling in love with the Prince that is still worth reading and is not just an excuse for you to write a scene where Luzura and the Prince make out. And Luz, the only reason I'm saying all this is because you've told me you want to be an author someday, right?"

"Yes, of course," replied Luz.

"Then I think you should look at writing fan fiction as a stepping stone to get there. Maybe today you're writing fan-fiction about Azura, but if you make it an interesting and compelling story, it could be practice for when it comes time for you to write your own original novel."

In her head, Luz tried to imagine herself writing an original story that could one day go on to be a best-selling series. Could it all really come from starting out as a fanfic writer? Luz decided to take Marcy's words to heart and began editing her story. The two continued to work on the story, and over time, it came together. Finally, it was time to post it online.

"Here we go," said Luz as she posted the story. Luz and Marcy stared at the screen in anticipation, waiting to see if there would be any reviews on it.

"And let's refresh the page just to make sure," she said.

"And refresh the page."

"And refresh the page."

"And refresh the page. Oh, look, a new review. Let's see what it says."

Luz opened the review. "Cool chapter, please continue," was all it said.

"Ugh, seriously, that's it?!" asked Marcy in frustration. "You seriously couldn't think of anything better to say than 'cool chapter'? How about why you liked the story? What could use improvement? Do you like the setup for this? Seriously, nothing else?! WHY DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TYPING A REVIEW IF THAT'S ALL YOU WERE GOING TO SAY?!"

"Whoa, calm down there, Marbles," said Luz. "Let's take it down a notch, although I do agree. I mean, why bother giving a review if it was only going to be that short?"

"Well, at least it's online now," said Marcy. "What do you think, Luz? Are you going to continue it?"

"Of course, but only if you'll agree to be my editor," said Luz. "I don't think the story would be half as good without your help."

"Really?" said Marcy. "In that case, yes, I'd love to help you out!"

"Great!" said Luz. "Hopefully, this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership."

Summer in Wartwood

The warm summer sun beat down on the citizens of Wartwood. Of particular note was a small family of frogs who were tending to the crops on their farm. Hopediah Planter was directing his grandson Sprig on how to remove the weeds that were infesting the farm, while his granddaughter Polly was doing her best to scare off pests.

"Don't you even think about coming back here, you stupid pests," said Polly, threatening them with her rolling pin.

"Well, if it works, I guess that's all that matters," said Hopediah. "Hurry up and finish with those weeds, Sprig. I need you to head into town and pick up our bread."

"Oh, well, that shouldn't be a problem," said Sprig, "especially since Maddie won't be there."

Once the chores on the farm were settled, Sprig went off into town to the bakery to pick up the order his grandfather had placed. He was surprised, however, when Maddie answered the door.

"Maddie?!" began Sprig nervously. "What are you doing here? I thought you were off on your apprenticeship?"

"I just got back," she said in a creepy tone. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Oh, of course. I mean, I missed you so much," lied Sprig.

"Well, since I'm back, I can tell you all about my apprenticeship," said Maddie.

"Actually, I just came by to pick up our bread order," said Sprig, trying to end the conversation quickly.

"Your buns are still in the oven, so we've got time," answered Maddie, giving Sprig a creepy smile. "We can talk."

"Oh, right, uh, talking with you," trailed off Sprig as he struggled to come up with something to talk with Maddie about. "So, can you do magic now?"

"Yes, I can," answered Maddie, "but I'm still a novice, so it will be some time before I'm ready to try some advanced curses or potions."

"And your teacher, what was she like? Are all the rumors about her true?" asked Sprig.

"She's a great teacher. She's a little eccentric, but I think that's what makes her better," answered Maddie. "As for any rumors, well, I'd certainly believe that she almost single-handedly defeated the king in combat. Whether that happened or not, she wouldn't say. I can say that the rumors about her transforming into some kind of terrifying creature are false, well, mostly. If she wanted to, she could curse herself into a different form.

"Wait, you can curse yourself?" asked Sprig, in confusion. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Curses aren't always bad," explained Maddie. "You can curse a disease so that it goes away, you can curse a mantis so that it won't ever eat frogs, and you could curse yourself and transform into a stronger creature. Plus, the best part of cursing yourself is that you can remove the curse anytime you want."

"Huh, I guess I never thought about it that way," pondered Sprig. "So, why does she live alone out in the wilds of Amphibia? Not many things can survive out there."

"Connecting with the Wilds is what allows her to utilize her magic to its fullest potential. Plus, that's where all the potion and curse ingredients grow. No better place to get them than straight from the source," said Maddie.

"Was it just you, or were there other apprentices?" asked Sprig.

"No, just me this time," answered Maddie. "I was lucky I got her all to myself. She said that she would be taking on three apprentices in the fall. I hear one of them is from a fancy-pants family in Newtopia. That should be a reminder of how good she is that a family from Newtopia wants to send one of their kids to learn from her."

"Hmm, so is my bread almost ready?" asked Sprig, trying to get out of talking with Maddie anymore.

Maddie checked the oven. "Yeah, looks like it's done." She took the bread out of the oven, wrapped it up, and handed it to Sprig.

"Cool, well, nice to see that you're back, but I've gotta get going," said Sprig, as he fled the store.

"You know, Sprig, now that I'm back, I'd love to hang out with you sometime," called Maddie as Sprig hopped out of town and back to his home.