When Marcy arrived at school on Monday, she sensed that something was off. She didn't see Anne, Luz, or Sasha before school, and when she saw Anne in a class later, she looked dispirited and downtrodden. She saw Luz in another class and noticed how she also looked sad. The biggest surprise came at lunch, though, when she went to sit down and saw Sasha and Anne sitting together but not Luz.
"Hey, where's Luz?" she asked.
Sasha turned to Marcy and pointed to a table where Luz was sitting alone.
"Why is she sitting alone instead of with us?" asked Marcy.
"Oh, that's right, Mar-Mar, you had to leave the dance early, so you weren't there," replied Sasha slyly. "Anne, do you want to tell her, or should I?"
"I don't really want to talk about it," said Anne morosely.
"Luz kissed Anne," said Sasha quickly.
"What?!" said Marcy in surprise.
"Yep, Luz asked her to dance, and then, while they were dancing, she decided to force herself onto Anne for the whole school to see. Oh, but don't worry, Ms. Bryant put a stop to it, but poor Anne was nearly traumatized by the whole thing," said Sasha.
"Traumatized is maybe a little strong. But in any case, I said I don't want to talk about it right now," said Anne.
"What about Luz, though?" asked Marcy. "Is she okay?"
"Who cares what she feels?" said Anne bitterly. This caught the attention of both Marcy and Sasha, who looked at Anne with concern.
"Well, why don't you go ask her yourself, Marcy?" said Sasha. "Anne and I will be having a gossip-free lunch."
Marcy decided to take Sasha up on her offer and went over to the table where Luz was sitting. Luz wasn't eating and was just looking at her food, and she didn't even notice as Marcy came over and placed herself at the table until Marcy said hi.
"Oh, hey, Marcy. Did you talk to Anne already?" asked Luz, not really caring.
"I heard Sasha's version of events, so I'd like to hear yours," said Marcy kindly.
Luz shrugged her shoulders and looked away. She hadn't talked about what had happened at the dance with anyone, not even her mother. While part of her didn't want to discuss it with anyone, another part of her saw that Marcy was trying to offer her an ear to listen and support, so perhaps she should talk to her about it.
"I have to start at the beginning," she said. "It started at the sleepover." Luz took a breath before continuing, "I know that we're all still young and going through puberty, but even so, I always found myself attracted to guys. I had one or two crushes at my old school, and I told you I think Chris Rivera is cute. But then something happened at the sleepover. Anne leaned up against me and asked if I would be her pillow and then… I can't even really explain it, but at that moment, I felt something—that feeling you get when you're near a guy you like. The butterflies in your stomach when you hold hands with a boy are just a feeling of happiness and contentment you get when a guy compliments you. I was feeling those feelings… for a girl… for Anne, and I swear that had never happened before. It was so confusing, but it felt so right! I let her sleep against me, and it just felt good! Ever since then, I have wanted to tell Anne how I feel. I thought the dance would be the perfect opportunity to show her how I felt. It was shortly after you left that I asked Anne to dance, and while we were dancing, I guess I got carried away and just kissed her. After that… I actually don't want to talk about what happened after that, but Anne was not happy with me, and that's the whole story. Sorry, I've been rambling for a while. Well, what do you think?"
"Wow, that is a lot to take in," said Marcy. "But if this is a lot for me to take in, then it must have been even more for you to deal with. I can't imagine what you've been feeling these past few weeks."
"I just, I just… I don't know what to do about all this," said Luz in frustration.
"I don't want to just tell you to get over it or that things will work out, because I don't know that," said Marcy. "But I think you should at the very least consider talking to Anne about this."
"Are you crazy?!" said Luz. "She doesn't want anything to do with me right now."
"But if the two of you don't talk about this at some point, then it will just fester between you and create bad feelings for you both," said Marcy.
"Even if she wanted to talk to me, I have no idea what to say," said Luz, exasperated. "Also, did you not react at all to the fact that I just told you I was bisexual?"
"Why should I react?" asked Marcy. "So you're bi; that doesn't change who you are or what interests we share. We both like the same video games, we both like anime, and we both like Azura."
"Azura," said Luz longingly. "You know, one of the things I love about reading those books is the fact that I can escape to a fantasy world. A fantasy world where magic is real, a fantasy world where women are powerful, a fantasy world where I don't have to worry about mistakes I make. I would give anything to just open a book and escape into the world of Azura, so I didn't have to worry about how I totally screwed up my chances with Anne."
Marcy's eyes lit up at this statement, and her eyes shifted a bit before she spoke to Luz, "I feel you, Luz. The world we live in is so bland, and sometimes I feel there's no place for people like you and me here. But if we lived in a fantasy world, think of what we could do…"
"Do you think we could learn magic? Or become knights? Or go on an epic adventure that would test our resolve?" asked Luz, finally smiling again.
"Luz…" began Marcy, "if you had the chance right now to leave this world and escape into another one, would you take it?"
"Are you kidding?!" said Luz. "Of course, yes, one hundred percent for sure!" Luz's eyes seemed to light up at this before becoming depressed again. "But of course, there's no way for that to happen."
"But what if there was?" asked Marcy
"Huh?" asked Luz.
Marcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked away from Luz before saying, "I mean, hypothetically, what if there was a way you could open… say, a box… And when you opened that box, you would be transported to a new world. Would you take that chance?"
"I mean, I just said yes," said Luz. "But come on, Marcy, be real. Something like that isn't going to happen."
Again, Marcy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well, we got a little off-topic, but listen, I have an idea! Anne's birthday is on Wednesday, so why don't I talk to her tomorrow and see if I can smooth things over with her? Then, on her birthday, the two of you can talk and hopefully come to an understanding. How does that sound?"
"I… I… just don't know what to say to her," said Luz. "What can I possibly say to her to make this right?"
"I don't know, but you have a day and a half to think about that," replied Marcy. "Good luck!"
Anne awoke from her bed on Wednesday morning. Normally, she would have been excited on this day because it was her birthday! But the past few days had been a bit stressful for her. Anne wanted to enjoy today but was still feeling down from the events of the dance last Saturday. She hadn't spoken to Luz at all since then. Part of her wanted to talk to Luz, but another part didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. What was even more confusing were the feelings she was having. Anne didn't want to admit it, but a part of her did enjoy the kiss that Luz gave her that night. She was just so surprised about it that she had acted the way she did. Anne couldn't reckon with the duality of the feelings she was having for Luz, partly never wanting to see her again, but also partly wanting to see if perhaps their friendship could become something more. Anne took so long contemplating that soon there was a knock at her door and her mother entered.
"Sukhsant wan keid!" said her mother, loudly entering her room with a big smile on her face, though she was quick to notice Anne's sullen demeanor.
"Anne, are you okay? I thought you'd be excited. It's your birthday! You're finally 13!" said her mother.
"Oh, yeah, I am excited," said Anne, trying to hide her sadness. "I was just in shock, you know! Still can't believe I'm officially a teenager now!"
"Well, get dressed, because I've made you breakfast. Come down when you're ready," she told Anne. Anne got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen.
"Your father had to leave early to take care of some things at the restaurant," said her mother. "After that, he'll be getting things ready for the party we're having tonight."
"Oh yeah, the party," said Anne. Honestly, Anne wasn't in the mood to party, but she knew how much it meant to her parents.
"Hey, mom! The party is not until 6 p.m., right?" asked Anne.
"Yes," said her mom.
"I guess, um… Would it be cool if I didn't come home from school right away? Maybe I can hang with Sasha and Marcy for a bit to celebrate my birthday with them before I come home." asked Anne.
"Yeah, that's fine. Oh, and Luz too, right?" asked her mother.
That simple statement caused Anne to feel sad again as she muttered, "Yeah, and Luz too, I guess."
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" asked her mother with concern in her voice. "Anne, I'm your mother. I've known you since before you were born. I've noticed that you've been acting strange these past few days. Is something bothering you?"
Anne wanted to tell her mother the truth. She wanted to tell her about what happened at the dance. She wanted to tell her about the strange feelings she was having about Luz. She wanted to ask for her mother's advice on this rather complicated matter, but she also knew her mother had grown up in a world that was not kind to "gay" people. Her mother was of an older generation that didn't understand the problems of today's youth. Her mother loved her, but would she still love her if she told her the whole truth of what had happened that night? Anne decided to try to appease her mom's concerns and tell a bit of the truth.
"I guess I was a bit bummed after the dance on Saturday. I didn't get asked to dance even once, and I guess it did a number on my self-esteem. It made me wonder if I'm unattractive," said Anne.
"Sweetie, come here," said her mom, pulling her daughter into a tight hug. "You are a bright, beautiful young girl. Don't let something like that get you down. Someday, you will either find someone who sees you for who you are and wants to be with you because of that, or you will be too much for anyone and you can be your best self without anyone else."
Anne couldn't help but smile at her mother's words and even get a little emotional.
"Thanks, Mom," she said as she hugged her mother tighter. The two eventually separated, and although she hadn't told her mother the truth, Anne did genuinely feel better having told her something. She was about to leave out the door when her mother stopped her.
"Oh, Anne, wait here. Take this with you," she said, handing her daughter a green-wrapped snack.
"Ah, no way, you made me some khao niew bing!" said Anne excitedly.
"Happy Birthday, Anne!" said her mother, hugging her one more time. "See you tonight for the party!"
"Bye, Mom!" called Anne as she raced out the door.
Mrs. Boonchuy looked at the door after Anne left. She still couldn't believe how much her child had grown over the years. Now she was thirteen, and eventually, she would be eighteen. At the very least, Anne was now in the difficult transition stage between child and adult. Even so, Mrs. Boonchuy couldn't help but feel emotional about this. She went back to her room to find the silver bracelet she had lent Anne for the dance. Her daughter was growing up, and her mother felt it was time for Anne to have a real piece of jewelry for herself. She decided she would give it to Anne tonight as a gift, as it was real silver after all, and she believed every woman should own at least one piece of real jewelry.
"I'll put this in a box and wrap it," she said aloud. "I'll give it to Anne tonight at the party. It will be wonderful to pass on a piece of jewelry from mother to daughter…"
Luz woke up from her slumber and stared at the ceiling. An alert from her phone caught her attention. As she read it, she found herself even more miserable. The notification reminded her that today was Anne's birthday. Luz looked across her room at the portrait she had worked on of Anne—the one she was originally going to give her as a present for her birthday. She hadn't worked on it since Saturday, although it was mostly finished. All it needed were a few touch-ups here and there. Luz walked over to her painting, and while there was a small desire in her to take the portrait and rip it up, another part of her simply couldn't bear to destroy something that she had worked on. She gazed into the portrait, feeling she had done a good job of capturing Anne's features, especially her eyes, her hair, and her smile. Luz had no idea what she would do with the portrait now, as it seemed inevitable that any chance of being either lovers or friends with Anne was over. Even so, she still wanted to finish it. Perhaps she would keep it as a memento. As she was thinking of this, her mother knocked on her door and opened it.
"Mija, are you up?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm up. I was just going to get dressed," said Luz dispiritedly.
"Uh, actually, take your time, Mija. I've got breakfast ready downstairs, so don't rush," said her mother.
Luz was a little puzzled by this. Usually, her mother tried to rush her out the door so that she wouldn't be late for school. Not only that but her mother wasn't dressed for work. Luz got dressed in her school uniform and went downstairs to find her mother waiting for her at the kitchen table. The two of them ate breakfast in relative silence. At some point, though, Luz looked at her phone and realized how late it was.
"Oh, Mom, it's after 7:30 am!" said Luz in alarm. "Shouldn't we get going?"
"No, don't worry about that. I already called your school and told them you would be late, likely missing first period," said her mother.
"What?! Why?" asked Luz.
"Because we need to talk," said her mother sternly.
Oh no, thought Luz. The school called her and told her about what happened. What am I gonna do?!
"Talk about what?" said Luz, trying not to sound suspicious.
"Luz," began her mother, "something has been bothering you. I noticed it on Saturday when I picked you up from the dance. Your mood was entirely different from normal. I didn't say anything that night because I wanted to see if you would bring it up, but ever since then, you've seemed depressed and out of sorts. You haven't talked about it yet, so I decided I would bring it up now. Did something happen at the dance? Did the kids make fun of you for your otter costume?'"
Oh, she doesn't know the truth, thought Luz, feeling relieved. But what should I say to her? I hate lying to Mom, but can I tell her what happened? I'd have to tell her I'm bisexual. Would that be too much for her to handle?
Luz's mind was racing as she tried to think of what to say. What can I tell her that isn't an outright lie? Finally, she settled on telling her mother the truth from a certain point of view.
"Okay," began Luz, "I'll tell you what happened. It actually wasn't the otter costume. In fact, Marcy and Anne both liked it." Luz paused as she recalled how Anne had said she looked cute in that costume.
"I was dancing with a boy, and I liked this boy. He's pretty cute, and I've had a crush on him," Luz continued. "Anyway, we were dancing, and then he… kissed me while we were dancing."
"What?! Mija, that's terrible! He forced himself on you! What happened after that?" said her mother with concern in her voice.
"One of the chaperones saw what happened," continued Luz. "They… they kicked him out for that. They asked if I was okay, and I told them I was, but I guess it affected me more than I thought."
"Oh, Mija, come here," said her mother as she approached Luz and wrapped her in a warm embrace. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry that happened to you." Luz accepted the hug but couldn't shake the feeling of guilt she had over lying to her mother. She had to ask more questions.
"Mom, listen for a second," began Luz. "I know it was wrong of that guy to do that, but well, I kind of liked it. And like I said, I did have a crush on him. Was it still wrong?"
"Of course it was wrong, Mija," said her mother. "If he liked you, he should have said something to you. He should have asked you out on a date. You can't just kiss someone you like while dancing. That's not right." Luz winced as she heard her mother say those words.
"It's just that I want to try to empathize with him a bit, Mommy," said Luz. "What if he was just really shy and didn't know how to say he liked me?"
"Mija, I know you have a big heart, but you shouldn't be defending a boy like that, even if you had a crush on him. Do I need to call the school and talk with them about this?" asked her mother.
"No!" said Luz, a little too hastily. She paused before adding, "Mama, I understand what the boy did was wrong, but I also want to know if you think I should forgive him for this. If he came and told me he was sorry, what should I do?"
"I would say that if he truly is sorry, it's fine if you want to forgive him, but you have to be sure that he's being sincere in his apology and not just saying it because a teacher or his parents made him," advised her mother.
"How would I know if his apology is sincere?" asked Luz. "What should I be looking for to know if it's real?"
"Listen to what he says. Look into his eyes when he apologizes and look at his actions. Remember, actions speak louder than words," said her mother. "Make sure he actually does anything to improve his behavior toward you."
Luz listened to her mother as she tried to think of how she could apply what she was saying to Anne. They talked a bit more about school and how Luz was doing. Luz told her mother she was fine, even if that wasn't true. Luz did feel slightly better talking to her mother. They finished their breakfast in better spirits, and Luz got ready to go to school. Eventually, Luz and her mother left the house, and Camilla dropped her daughter off at school. The first period was just about over, so Luz went to her next class. Though, as she was walking through the halls, she thought she heard voices. She peered around one hall and spotted Anne and Sasha talking.
"Forget the sick room; forget school. Let's get out of here and celebrate your birthday in style," said Sasha.
"Oooff, skip school? I don't know, Sash," said Anne, clearly unsure about this.
"Anne, this is your 13th birthday. You only get one of these. Besides, I can tell from your mood that you're still bummed about what happened at the dance. Skipping is not just about celebrating your birthday; it's also about cheering you up. I want to help you forget about Luz, and I want to help you be your normal self again."
"You're right. I am still bummed about that. And while a part of me doesn't want to talk to Luz, I also kind of wish she'd at least apologize to me about it," said Anne. "Honestly, what bothers me more is the fact that she won't talk to me about it. Though another part of me doesn't even really want to ever talk to her again."
"You deserve an apology for sure," said Sasha. "But in the meantime, let's get out of here and go party!"
"Alright, I gotta be home by 6 p.m., though. My parents are throwing me a big party, and they really want me to be there," said Anne.
"Right, right, you got it," said Sasha dismissively. "Now, let's get this thing started!"
With that, the two girls raced down the hall, out of sight, and out of the school to go celebrate, leaving Luz alone in the hall to think about what she had heard them say.
At lunch, Luz found Marcy sitting in her usual spot. She wasn't surprised to not see Anne or Sasha, but she was surprised to see Marcy on her phone, looking up something and muttering under her breath.
"No good rasan frasan. Uh, I get that it's here in LA. I want to know where exactly in LA it is," she grumbled to her phone.
"Hey, Marcy, what are you doing?" asked Luz as she sat down next to her.
"Oh, Luz, hey," greeted Marcy, quickly hiding her phone. "Looks like it's just you and me today."
"Oh, you heard that Anne and Sasha ditched," said Luz.
"Sasha sent me a text saying she wants to meet up later," said Marcy.
"Yeah, I didn't get a text," said Luz bitterly.
"Oh, about that, as it so happens, Sasha asked me for a location to meet up. And if I pick it, then I can tell you about it. Then you could meet us there and have a talk with Anne," suggested Marcy.
"Uh, I don't know about this," said Luz. "I mean, I tried thinking about what to say, but I still can't think of anything."
"Luz, I know things between you and Anne are awkward right now, but if you don't at least try to smooth things over with her, then things will only get worse. Oh, I have an idea. Why don't you text your mom and tell her you'll be hanging out with us tonight? This way, you can come to where we're going to meet up and then have a talk with Anne," said Marcy.
"I just feel so scared," said Luz. "I don't think I can do this."
"It's okay; you don't have to worry. I'll be there too. All you have to do is speak from the heart, and it will all work out," said Marcy. At that moment, she got an alert on her phone and went to look at it. Curious to see what she was doing, Luz snuck a look at her phone. She noticed a picture of what looked like a music box of some kind.
"Hey, Mar-Mar, what was that thing you were trying to find earlier?" asked Luz.
"Oh, this?" said Marcy, showing the picture to Luz. "I was trying to find a birthday gift for Anne, and I think I found a good one. What do you think?"
Luz looked at the picture on Marcy's phone. It was an ornate box that looked to be made of gold and jewels. It had an image of what looked to be a frog on it. Most prominent, though, were the jewels that were on the box. Luz could see four jewels: a pink, a blue, a green, and a purple jewel, all grouped together in the upper left corner of the box. If those gems were real, the box was likely worth hundreds of dollars!
"I think that gift might be a bit out of your price range, Marcy," said Luz, "especially if those gems are real. They do look shiny."
"Well, maybe I can get a discount on it, but never mind that," said Marcy. "Tell you what, Luz. I know what will sweeten the deal. How about you and I hang out after school until about 6 p.m.? We can go to the library and work on the next chapter of your fanfic. If I help you with that, will you come with me to meet Anne?"
"You know, writing always did help me get out of a funk," said Luz, "and I have been looking to work more on that story. Okay, you've got a deal!"
After school, the two girls went to the library, where they spent time working on Luz's fanfic. They made some good progress, though, at one point, Marcy got a text from her father and had to leave for a bit.
"I shouldn't be gone too long, Luz," said Marcy to Luz before leaving. "I'll call you with the meet-up location later."
A short while later, Luz did indeed receive a call from Marcy, though there was something off about the way Marcy was talking.
"Hey, Luz. Are you there?" asked Marcy.
"Yeah, I'm here," replied Luz.
"Okay, great! Listen, there's a park we used to hang out at. I'll text you the address, so meet us there," instructed Marcy.
"Marcy, are you okay?" asked Luz. "You sound a bit nervous. Is everything alright?"
Marcy took a deep breath before replying, "Everything is going to be just fine, Luz."
Time seemed to fly by, and before long, the 6 o'clock hour approached. Luz left the library and headed towards the rendezvous point. She arrived and began to wait for Marcy and the others to show up. It took a lot longer than Luz thought it would. At one point, she even got a text from her mother, asking her how much longer she would be out. Luz saw the text but decided to ignore it. She was trying to clear her head and focus on her inevitable confrontation with Anne.
I'll text Mama back after I talk to Anne, thought Luz.
Finally, she saw the other three girls round a corner. They noticed her immediately, and Sasha was the first to comment.
"What is she doing here?" she asked in an accusatory tone.
"I invited her here," said Marcy, sticking up for Luz. "Anne, Luz here wants to talk to you. Sasha, why don't we leave them alone for a bit?"
"Actually, I think this will be a very short conversation," said Sasha.
"What?" said Marcy in shock.
"Oh, Anne and I were talking while we hung out today. I think Anne knows exactly what she wants to say to Luz," said Sasha with a grin.
"Luz," began Anne, as she walked up to Luz. "If you came here to apologize, then save your breath. I've had a conversation with Sasha, and she gave me some good advice. I think… I think we shouldn't be friends anymore."
Luz felt as though she had just been stabbed in the heart with an icicle. She didn't think it was possible, but hearing Anne say that somehow hurt even worse than the night of the dance. Already, she was fighting back tears as she tried to think of something, anything, to say in response to that.
"Well, now that that's settled," said Sasha, "let's open up that box and see if there's anything good in it, Anne."
Luz saw that, out of the corner of her eye, Anne took out a box from her backpack. It was the same one that Marcy had shown her earlier. How in the world had she been able to get it for Anne? Luz hardly had any time to dwell on this, though, as Anne, in one swift motion, opened the lid on the box.
Luz saw a bright, rainbow-colored flash of lights emerge from the box. It danced and flashed like lightning around the girls. After a second, a bright flash of white engulfed her vision.
When Luz opened her eyes again, she discovered she was no longer in the park. Although she was still a bit woozy from the light that burst in her eyes, she slowly started to take in her surroundings. It looked like she was in a swap of some kind. There were strange plants and watery bogs as far as the eye could see. As Luz got up (having landed in the water), the first thing she noticed was how dirty she was. There was mud all over her school uniform, and she could feel water leaking into her shoes, getting her tights and feet wet and soggy. Luz looked around some more to confirm that she was indeed not seeing things. After her surroundings didn't change, she began to call out to her friends.
"Sasha!" she yelled, "are you out there?" no response.
"Marcy!" she yelled. "Marcy, do you hear me?" no response.
"Anne," she murmured, before increasing her volume. "Anne, I know you don't want to be friends anymore, but will you please at least let me know if you are alright?" No response.
"Anne, I'm sorry! I really am sorry for what I did at the dance!" said Luz, on the verge of tears. "If you hate me, then you can go ahead and hate me. But please, at least let me know that you are okay. If you let me know you're fine, I promise you can hate me all you want. I won't ever bother you again." The tears began to flow out of her eyes.
"But please let me know you're okay!" she yelled.
"Please let me know you're okay," she said, almost in a whisper.
In desperation, Luz pulled out her cell phone and tried to call her mother, only to be instantly told her phone had no service. Luz looked around and noticed quite a few giant bugs. If the bugs of this world were that big, she shuddered to think of the size of whatever ate those bugs. The situation was quickly looking hopeless. Luz didn't know what to do. Finally, she broke down and cried, not just because of losing Anne but because the realization was setting in that she herself was lost and likely very far from home…
END OF ARC 1
NEXT TIME…
Arc 2: Teen Girl in a Frog World