The sun shone brightly off the Hollywood Hills. From their position atop the tour bus, Luz, Anne, and the amphibians looked out across the city. The humans had taken the amphibians out to tour the district known as Hollywood. Hop Pop seemed especially fascinated with the sights.
"Why, it's almost as if your world actually respects actors," he said.
"Respects? Them? Ha!" replied Anne. "Around here, people worship actors as gods."
"Well, some actors at least," clarified Luz. "You have to make it to the top to get that kind of respect. Although nowadays, it's a bit easier to become famous because of social media and such."
"Yeah, but even so, celebrities are in a class all of their own," said Anne.
"I'll say," said Amara. "Even famous actors in Amphibia are usually only known in Newtopia, but in your world, you have actors that are known worldwide."
"We do," said Luz. "It's crazy to think how popular some actors can get."
The group looked over to see an actor getting photographed, standing next to a step-and-repeat promoting a new film.
"If only that were me," said Hop Pop wistfully. "I know my acting career didn't really pan out, but maybe I'd have a shot in this world."
"Possibly," said Anne. "But remember, Mr. X is after us, and he's seen what you look like."
"So we need to keep a low profile," said Luz.
"He's gone," said Sprig and Polly at the same time.
"He's what?!" exclaimed Anne. She looked down from the bus they were riding in to see Hop Pop turn a corner.
"Hollywood, here I come!" he yelled loudly.
Anne let out a growl and got ready to chase after him, but after a moment, she stopped and let out a sigh. "You know what? I do not have the energy for this."
"Anne, we need to go get him," said Luz, coming up to her.
Anne let out a huff and sat back down on the bus.
"You just said how Mr. X has seen him," said Luz. "We have to make sure he doesn't get abducted."
"Like I said, I don't have the energy right now," said Anne, continuing to pout.
"Come on, Anne," said Luz, moving closer to her girlfriend and making a puppy dog face. "I know you really care about him. We have to make sure he's okay."
Luz made her eyes wide and scrunched up her face, moving it closer to Anne's.
"Stop it, Luz," said Anne, turning away. "You know I can't resist that look."
"What do you mean, 'this look'?" asked Luz innocently.
Luz continued to scrunch up her face. Anne glanced briefly at her but then turned away again. Luz moved in front of Anne, continuing to give her the puppy dog look.
"Luz…" said Anne in a weary voice, looking up into Luz's pleading face. Anne tried to close her eyes but couldn't resist.
"Alright, fine, let's go check on Hop Pop and make sure he's okay," said Anne. Though before they could get off, the bus started moving, almost knocking them over. The group had to wait until the next stop before they could disembark.
Once they got off the bus, they walked in the direction that they thought Hop Pop had gone, though they didn't immediately see him.
"Well, at least he hasn't caused a scene," said Anne, not noticing anything out of place. Sprig, Polly, and Amara had gone over to look at the various souvenirs a nearby shop was selling.
"So, what's the point of these glasses?" asked Amara, putting on a pair. "Seems to me that they obscure your vision rather than help it."
"What's with all the small statues?" asked Sprig, jumping up to grab one and almost knocking the rest over. Luckily, Luz saw what was happening and came over to prevent it.
"Hollywood? More like Pollywood!" exclaimed Polly, turning around and showing off a hoody and hat, both with the name "Polly" emblazoned on it, and a large chain necklace.
"Hey, you gonna pay for all that?" asked the store clerk, coming over to Polly.
"Uh, sure, they've got the money," said Polly, pointing to Luz and Anne. The clerk looked over at them.
"How much?" asked Luz nervously.
"That'll be $150," said the clerk.
"One hundred and fifty?!" exclaimed Anne. "For three things?"
"The hoody is fifty, the chain is another fifty, and the hat is ten," explained the clerk.
"So, what about the other forty?" asked Luz, exasperated.
"Sales tax," answered the clerk.
Luz and Anne looked at each other before turning to Polly.
"She'll put it back," said Anne, glaring at the tadpole. Polly glared back at Anne, but after a few seconds, moved to put the items away. The clerk gave the girls a look before going back to the register. Afterward, Anne turned around and saw Hop Pop standing a few feet away across the street. He seemed to be in some sort of line, as there were quite a few older gentlemen behind him. She breathed out a sigh of relief.
"There's Hop Pop, and it looks like he didn't even cause any trouble."
The gang made their way over to where he was standing.
"Hop Pop," called Anne to the man. He turned around, and Anne noticed he was, in fact, human.
"Oh, sorry," said Luz, "you looked just like someone we know."
At that moment, the doors to a nearby building opened, and Hop Pop emerged with a woman.
"All right, this guy got the part," she announced. "Everyone else can go home."
The other men in the line let out a few groans before departing. Anne and Luz looked at each other before saying at the same time.
"What the?! Are you kidding?!"
"Way to go, H.P.," said Polly.
"Hey, congratulations, Hopediah," said the old man, offering his hand to Hop Pop. The frog shook it but quickly came to a realization.
"Humphrey, wait, I just realized, I took your spot," said Hop Pop. "Heck, I might've just stolen your opportunity."
"Ah, pish posh," replied Humphry. "It was one in a mill either way. I'm just happy it went to a nice guy. Plus, I've already waited forty-five years for a break. What's a few more?"
With that, Humphrey walked away, leaving Hop Pop feeling sad.
"Forty-five years," he said in a somber tone. "I know the feeling, Humphrey."
"Is that about how long you tried acting?" asked Amara.
"Give or take," replied Hop Pop. "I'd spent a good portion of my young life trying to be an actor. I stopped when I decided to look after Sprig and Polly, but I still tried to act in local productions in Wartwood. Plus, there was that time I acted with the acting troupe."
"Did you ever try acting in Newtopia?" asked Amara.
"Nah, never managed to make it that far," said Hop Pop, "but I did try acting in Ribbitvale once, didn't have much success there. I'd already given up acting by the time Sprig and Polly were born, but I was looking for other ways to help my daughter. I managed to find an opportunity to make money in the Night Market, I was out doing a job when…"
"When what?" asked Amara.
Sprig and Polly looked at Hop Pop, lowering their heads.
"He was out of town when our parents died," said Sprig plainly.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that," said Amara in a sympathetic voice.
"It wasn't acting, per se, but in the Night Market I had managed to make a new persona for myself called "The Wrecker." It was easy, all I had to do was show up, act tough, and win a few races, I made extra coppers and I got to keep certain trinkets as prizes. It was a way to provide for my family and it made me feel satisfied as well since it kind of was acting. But the job required me to travel, so I was gone from the farm for long periods of time," explained Hop Pop. "One time, when I was away, the herons attacked! By the time I got back, it was too late. After that, I decided to spend my life looking after Sprig and Polly and working the family farm to provide for them."
Sprig and Polly smiled at Hop-pop as he spoke.
"Wow, that's… I had no idea," said Amara in an understanding voice.
Hop-pop continued, "Throughout my acting career I'd never done any role I was really proud of, so I guess it didn't even matter. That's why… I know what Humphrey must be feeling right now."
Hop Pop looked out toward where Humphrey had walked away, still feeling a little sad about possibly stealing the man's thunder. Amara came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Anne had wanted to protest Hop Pop being in a commercial that might potentially be seen by the world but decided not to.
"I still don't think this is a good idea," she began, "but as long as it's something small that no one sees, maybe it will be harmless.
A few days later at Thai Go, Anne was using her phone to show Luz a K-pop video.
"Are you a fan of Black Pink?" asked Anne to Luz.
"I've heard of them, but not really that familiar with their music," replied Luz.
"Well, I found this awesome video on Toob that combined clips from 'Good Witch Azura' with 'As If It's Your Last' from Black Pink. I thought you might like it," said Anne, showing her phone to Luz.
Luz's eyes lit up. "Oh, let me see, let me see, let me see!"
Anne pressed play on the video, only for an ad to start immediately.
"Ugh, right, ads," said Anne.
"And we can't skip this one," said Luz. Both girls let out a groan as they waited for the ad to finish.
"Do your elbows crack when you bend?" came the familiar sound of Hop Pop's voice from the phone. He bent his elbow, causing a cracking sound to play in the ad.
Luz and Anne both let out a gasp as they saw this.
"Try Crackalacking elbow cream!" said the announcer. "But wait, there's more!"
"Say whaaaaatttt?!" said Hop Pop in the ad.
Luz and Anne both yelled at the same time.
"Hop Pop!"
Hop Pop, Sprig, and Polly all came over to the table where the girls were seated, looking at Anne's phone.
"Whoa, Hop Pop, you're in Anne's phone!" exclaimed Sprig.
"How did I get in there?" asked Hop Pop. "And why am I saying lines from that play I did yesterday?"
Luz quickly took out her phone and opened up Toob, and she was surprised to see that Hop Pop's commercial was in the top trending videos.
"It's already got over 100K views!" she exclaimed. "Looks like his commercial really blew up!"
"What do you mean it blew up?" asked Polly. "Did Hop Pop cause an explosion?"
"No," answered Anne, "it blew up online. It means people all over the world have seen it!"
"Say whaaaaaaat?!" said Hop Pop in his dramatic voice.
"Ha, ha! That's just like on Anne's phone," said Sprig.
"Does that mean I'm a celebrity now?" asked Hop Pop, his eyes watering.
"I mean, kinda. It means you're well known, but that's not a good thing," said Anne.
"Why not?" asked Hop Pop.
"Because this is not a low profile!" she said in frustration.
At that moment, Oum, Bee, and the Lyft Driver entered the restaurant. The Lyft Driver was moving a dolly filled with boxes.
"Put all that stuff in the back," said Oum. "We'll sort it where it goes later."
"Okay," said the Lyft Driver. Once he was gone, Oum and Bee turned to the group.
"Oh, I saw the commercial. Does that mean we live with someone famous?" she asked in a teasing voice.
"Should we be charging rent?" asked Bee in the same voice, though he quickly whispered the question to his wife in a more serious tone.
At that moment, Camila and Amara arrived at the restaurant as well, both having already seen the commercial.
"We just saw the commercial," said Amara, coming up to the group. "Looks like you were able to live your acting dream after all."
"Ms. Noceda," said Hop Pop, coming over to Camila, "I really need your help. Now that I'm a famous actor, I need to know the best way to shave off 20 years from my look."
"Aye, you're already thinking about that," said Camila, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, I am!" insisted Hop Pop. "As a doctor for animals, you've got to help me."
Camila thought for a second before handing him a bottle of ordinary lotion. "Here, use this for your pores."
Hop Pop snatched the bottle and quickly began rubbing it on himself, causing Camila to roll her eyes again.
"Uggh, guys, can we focus here?" said Anne, trying to get everyone's attention. "What if Mr. X sees one of these?"
"Who?" asked Sprig.
"Uh, the secret agent who wants to catch us," said Luz. "You know, the one who almost did at the theater."
"The commercial is pretty popular," said Camila.
"That agent is a busy federal employee," said Bee. "I'm sure he doesn't have time to watch videos online."
"Yeah, he has actual work," said Oum, "not like you younger kids who have the time to do that."
"What's all this about a commercial?" asked the Lyft Driver, entering back into the room.
"Oh, you haven't heard?" said Bee. "The old frog managed to land an audition and became famous overnight."
The Lyft Driver looked between Bee and Hop Pop. Luz came over and showed him the commercial on her phone. The Lyft Driver noticed how many views and likes it had.
"Oh, that's… Well, good for you then. You sure did get a lot of views in such a short amount of time, that sure is lucky" said the Lyft Driver to Hop Pop in a somewhat dispirited voice.
"I know, it's so unbelievable! I'm finally gonna get recognized!" said Hop Pop in a loud voice.
The Lyft Driver gave Hop-pop a look, before trying to focus more on his job.
"Hop Pop, we're trying to keep you from getting recognized so that the agent can't figure out who you are," said Anne.
"But, Anne, you know how much this means to me," said Hop Pop. "I'm finally gonna be a famous actor."
The Lyft Driver glared at Hop Pop, his face contorting into an uncomfortable frown. He wanted to say something but decided not to.
"This commercial is my big break!" continued Hop Pop loudly. "After all these years, I'm getting the recognition I deserve."
Again, the Lyft Driver looked at Hop Pop, he continued to frown.
"This commercial could be the start of something big for me. Who knows what could happen next? Maybe I'll get to act in one of those movies like we saw the other day," said Hop Pop in amazement.
"That's true; I guess he is famous now. Maybe you'll be in the next Tarantulad movie," said Bee in an encouraging voice.
"You know, Anne, maybe Hop Pop being a star is a good thing," said Luz. "I mean, celebrities get away with everything, so if he becomes famous enough, then Mr. X won't be able to touch him.
"Oh, does that mean we get to get away with stuff too 'cause we're related to him?" asked Polly, her eyes lighting up.
"Well, if we do, I promise to only use my newfound powers for good, like Tarantualad," said Sprig.
All this time, while the others were talking, the Lyft Driver had grown sullen and looked away from the group. He seemed as though he wanted to say something, but was restraining himself.
"I wonder if anyone will want to interview you?" asked Amara. "Humans go crazy over celebrity interviews."
"Hey, maybe HP will get to play a role in the next Azura movie," said Luz. "Then again, I liked the Azura movies more when they were animated. Recently, the studio started converting them into live-action ones, that aren't nearly as good."
As the group continued to praise Hop Pop, the Lyft Driver continued to grow more sullen and moody. He brought his hands up to his face and tried slowly exhaling into them.
"Maybe I'll get one of those star things on that sidewalk we saw. Maybe other humans will write about me and all the talent I have!" said Hop Pop excitedly. "And maybe—"
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" yelled the Lyft Driver in a loud voice, turning to Hop Pop. "No one cares about your stupid commercial!"
Everyone else in the room looked at him in shock, surprised by his sudden outburst of anger. He seemed surprised by it as well, as he looked into their faces, unsure of what to say.
"I–" he began, not able to say anything else, before quickly leaving the room, feeling a deep sense of shame. Everyone else looked to where he had gone, still surprised by his outburst, wondering what had caused it.
Many Years Ago
A young man was out walking in a small forest by his home. He often liked to come here when he needed a place to think, and right now, more than ever, he needed to think.
He had just left his home in a terrible mood after having received a letter. The letter was from the academy he had spent the last year learning to act. He knew there was a possibility that he wouldn't be accepted in the second year, but now the letter had confirmed it. The feeling of shame was bad, but what was even worse was how his parents reacted. His mother had berated him, telling him how he had wasted an opportunity like this and how he was supposed to do better than her because of all the advantages he had growing up. She had once again called him "useless," something she was prone to do whenever he made a mistake. His father hadn't been much better, telling him to just get over it and think positively and that things would work out. That was what he had said all the time, and it had always seemed so empty and annoying. He would usually just brush off his father, but this time had been harder, as his dad didn't want to hear at all about how he was feeling. All he said was "Be happy, think positive," and things would always work out, except this time, he didn't know how they were going to work out. He had been rejected from the academy after his first year. His mother was angry at him, and his father didn't seem to care. If that wasn't enough, he'd also been fired from his job. It was hard to believe that just a little over a year ago he was celebrating graduating high school and getting accepted into a prestigious acting academy, He would give anything to be able to go back in time and be in that position again.
As he stood there in the forest, he began to think about his past, too. He knew he wasn't the most academically gifted student. He had never been good at sports and had never been popular in school. The only thing he thought he was good at was acting. He had spent so much time in the theater, had taken so many classes, and thought for sure that this was what he was meant to do. Now the reality had hit him, and he wondered if he was ever even a good actor to begin with. If he wasn't a good actor, was he even good at anything? The only other thing that he enjoyed was writing, but he'd never had the confidence to share any of his poems, and he'd never tried writing anything more than that. He thought that if he could make it as an actor, then maybe he would also have success writing, but if he couldn't act, could he also not write?
As these thoughts continued to weigh him down, he realized he had arrived at the river, which ran through a section of the forest. At the current point, the river was below a steep cliff, and the water ran in a mostly calm flow but was still strong. He could hear the sound of the water below him. The cliff was large and dangerous, with rocks and fallen trees along it. If one were to fall down the cliff, one would certainly injure oneself, possibly even worse.
The young man stepped up to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the river below. He knew it flowed for a long time, though he had no idea where it ended. For a brief second, he wondered how painful it would be to fall down the cliff. Would it hurt a lot and still leave you alive? What if you fell from the cliff and injured yourself but landed in the river? Would you drown, or was there a way to fall from it that would result in a quick, painless death?
He stood there for a long time as he contemplated what to do...
The next day, Anne, Luz, Hop Pop, and Amara made their way back to Hollywood to try to get Hop Pop's commercial taken down.
"I still think this is overkill, Anne," complained Hop Pop as he sat next to Anne on the bus.
"Sorry, but we need to get that commercial pulled before this gets out of control," replied Anne.
"Uh, you mean like that?" asked Luz, pointing to a billboard behind Anne.
Anne turned and let out a shout as she saw what was behind her. "Holy crud!"
The billboard had a large image of Hop Pop saying his famous line with a tube of the cream he was advertising. As Anne and Luz looked around, they saw his face was everywhere. The group exited the bus, taking in the site.
"You have got to be kidding me," said Anne in an exasperated voice.
"Well, so much for this being something small. He's literally everywhere," said Amara.
"I can't believe all it took was getting trapped in another world to get my big break," said Hop Pop as he took it all in. "But am I deserving? Am I living a dream that should have gone to Humphrey? Am I—... on a T-shirt?!"
He ran over to a stand that did, in fact, have a T-shirt with his likeness on it. Amara, Luz, and Anne walked over and noticed more swag with the frog's image. Anne slapped her face.
"Are you kidding me? Mugs? Hats?" she said.
"He even has a catchphrase," said Luz, pointing to the phrase on the T-shirt.
"Wow, that would actually be neat if this weren't so—" began Anne before being interrupted by her phone ringing.
"Hello," said Anne into the phone as she answered it.
"Hi, this is Mitch Harbor, calling for Hopediah Plantar," said the voice on the other end.
"Wait, Mitch Harbor?" began Anne. "The Mitch Harbor, director of—"
"Fumigator 1, 2, and 4? Yep, that's me," he replied.
Luz rolled her eyes before adding, "The Mitch Harbor, who had an awkward scene in Fumigator 4 about a guy dating an underage girl while also carrying around a copy of the law, saying why it was okay in his wallet."
Mitch had heard Luz through the phone. "Hey, that scene tested well with our 18 to 24 demographic! Plus, I liked that scene too. Now, can I please speak to—"
At that moment, Hop Pop grabbed the phone out of Anne's hand and spoke into it.
"Hopediah Plantar!" he yelled. "It's me, Hopediah, not anyone else, only me!"
"HP, how are you? I love your work, baby!" said Mitch. "I want you to audition for a role in my latest film."
"Say whaaaaaat?!" said Hop Pop in his over-exaggerated voice. He had spoken so loudly that he attracted a crowd of people, all of whom had seen his commercial.
"Did you hear that?" asked a random person. "It sounded just like that guy from the commercial."
"Hey, look, it's really him," said another person, pointing to where Hop Pop was. The crowd moved closer to him.
"Meet you at 10 am at your office in the studio water tower? Just show up and I get the part?" said Hop Pop into the phone.
Anne grabbed her phone back from the frog and looked at the time on it.
"Hop Pop, don't even think about—" began Anne before realizing the old frog was already gone.
"I'm sorry, Anne, this is too big to pass up!" he called as he left.
"No! Hop Pop, get back here!" yelled Anne.
"Hang on, I'll get him," said Amara, who took off after the frog.
"Out of the way, please," came a voice from the crowd—a voice that both Anne and Luz recognized. They briefly turned around and saw Mr. X approaching the group, with Detective Ventura close behind him. Anne and Luz dove behind a nearby trash can as the two walked by.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Ventura to Mr. X.
"I know what I saw," said Mr. X. "That alien frog appeared in a commercial while I was watching Suspicion Island."
Ventura chuckled before saying, "You watch Suspicion Island."
"Suspicion Island is peak T.V. It has drama, betrayal, and intrigue. Plus it has eye candy for everyone regardless of your preference." said Mr. X in a huff, "It is literally perfect."
"I mean it's no Primthistle Manor," replied Ventura in a smug voice.
"Oh you mean the show that stretched out the love plot between Lord Frankerton and Lady Franklin for three seasons?" answered Mr. X sarcastically.
"Hey at least the dialogue on that show is flowery and poetic," said Ventura with a dreamy look in her eyes, "their accents make everything sound so enlightened."
"Focus detective," said Mr. X, "if my information is right the studio that filmed that commercial the frog was in is just around the corner."
"And you're sure this is the same frog you thought you saw in the movie theater?" asked Detective Ventura. "The one where you had me call in those reinforcements, only for it to turn out to be nothing."
"We're going to get the drop on them this time for sure," said Mr. X confidently. "I just saw that same frog, and he's not alone. Someone else was with him, probably another alien."
"I really hope this isn't another wild goose chase," said Ventura as she followed after Mr. X.
"Just keep up with me," called Mr. X. He pressed a button on his earpiece, speaking into it. "Jenny, he's headed for the studio lot. Meet me with reinforcements. We've got him for real this time."
Mr. X and Detective Ventura walked past Luz and Anne. The two girls looked at each other before sneaking behind to follow them.
The studio was not far from where they were, so Hop Pop was able to get there relatively quickly. Amara caught up to him and tried to get him to stop.
"Hop Pop, what are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm living my dream!" he said.
"Is your dream worth getting us all caught?" asked Amara.
"You don't understand," said Hop Pop. "This is my chance to be somebody, to redeem my acting career from failure! This is my chance to be remembered!"
"How are you doing to be remembered if the government takes us away?" said Amara. "I've read up on the FBI. They are a powerful entity, and if one of them is after us, we should be concerned."
"I am concerned," began Hop-pop, "concerned about making my audition on time."
"What about your family?" asked Amara, "what about Sprig and Polly? What are they going to do if something happens to you?"
"I—, well— they'll—," said Hop-pop as that question made him pause, though he quickly brushed the concern aside.
"Relax, it's like Mr. Boonchuy said. Mr. X is a busy person. He doesn't have time to watch commercials," said Hop Pop calmly. Right as he said that, he looked at a mirror that was being carried across the lot and saw none other than Mr. X and Detective Ventura pursuing them. Amara saw him, and the two ran forward, trying to put some distance between them. Meanwhile, Anne and Luz managed to sneak into the studio after them. Hop Pop and Amara climbed into a studio golf cart and took off. Mr. X and Detective Ventura grabbed another golf cart and pursued them. From the cart they were riding in, Anne and Luz looked up and saw what was going on.
"Oh, no! Hop Pop!" yelled Anne, surprising the driver.
"Ah! Who the heck are you?!" asked the driver.
"Sorry, we need your cart," said Luz, climbing over the seat.
"What do you mean you need my cart?" asked the driver. "Are you even supposed to be on set?"
"Yes, we are," said Anne, coming to the other side of the seat. "Sorry, but this is an emergency!"
Anne pushed out the driver while Luz took the wheel and began driving the cart away. Anne held on as Luz drove rather roughly.
"Do you know how to drive this thing?" asked Anne, and Luz executed another sharp turn, almost throwing Anne out of the cart.
"No," said Luz plainly, giving Anne a quick look before looking ahead and trying to keep up with Hop Pop and Mr. X.
The group of three carts chased after each other onto different sets around the studio.
They first passed through the Tarantualad set, right as a big climactic fight scene was being filmed. Hop Pop drove through the mock city, noticing how realistic it looked. Right at that moment, an explosion went off underneath him that rocked his cart, almost flipping it over. Hop Pop let out a scream as he tried to regain control. Another explosion went off near him, knocking Amara out of the cart.
"Amara!" called Hop Pop.
"Go after that one," commanded Mr. X to Detective Ventura. "I'll stay on him."
Detective Ventura nodded and leaped out of the cart, chasing Amara. The two ran away out of sight while Mr. X continued to chase after Hop Pop, with Luz and Anne right behind him. The three carts cleared the Tarantulad Studio and entered into another one.
"I am the Good Witch Azura!" said an actress as she raised her staff in front of a green screen. She moved it in a twirl and aimed it at another actor who was on wires.
"I will defeat you Dark Mage!" called Azura, "your treachery ends here!"
"Bah, you may have the Saphirre Staff, but your power still pails in comparison to mine," exclaimed the Dark Mage.
Luz stopped the golf cart as she saw the scene in front of her.
"Oh, wow, we wandered onto the Good Witch Azura set," said Anne. In surprise, she turned to Luz. "I bet you're glad to be here."
Luz looked at Anne before saying.
"Honestly, I prefer the animated movies."
"Hey the live-action remakes have more mature elements in them," said the director getting up from his chair and glaring at Luz, "animation is only for kids."
"Um excuse me, the animated films had a much better tone and better visuals," argued Luz, "they had subtlety mature themes if you read into them, and were more faithful adaptations."
"Luz!" yelled Anne pointing forward to the other two golf carts. Luz stepped on the gas and resumed the chase.
The carts continued driving onto the Suspicion Island set where Peruvia and Randy were fighting. Mr. X drove past the scene before stopping the cart, reversing it, and yelling at the actors.
"Come on! Get him, Peruvia! You know he's been hiding a secret from you since last season!" yelled Mr. X.
"Wait what?" asked the actress playing Peruvia, " and to think all this time I trusted you. What secret have you been hiding from me?"
"Oooh girl you have no idea what's going on with him," said Mr. X looking intently at the scene before realizing that Hop-pop was getting away. He drove the cart forward after him.
Meanwhile, Amara was still running from Detective Ventura. The two blazed through the set of Primthistle Manor, Ventura dove at Amara knocking her down but the two also crashed into a table set up for tea, flinging its contents everywhere.
"What do y'all think you're doing?" asked the actor playing Lord Frankerton. "This here's a closed set!"
Detective Ventura looked up in shock at the actor. "Wait, your accent's not real?"
Lady Franklin replied in a valley girl voice, "I mean we've like done interviews and stuff. If you're a real fan you would have watched those and known our accents aren't real. Also if you're a real fan you'd follow me on my social media and be constantly "liking" everything I put on there."
"Ha! I knew this show was overrated!" said Amara in triumph standing up and pointing at the actor, "the elites don't have nearly as much drama about love, the only things they care about are the dowry amount."
Ventura stood up and looked at Amara, "the subtext of their romance is about how they don't care what the dowry amount is."
"But they still end up negotiating a dowry in the end, so obviously it's still more important than love," countered Amara.
Ventura was about to respond, until she remembered she was supposed to be chasing Amara. Amara seemed to have realized this at the same time as she quickly turned and ran away. Detective Ventura recovered and ran after her.
"That's lunch!" said the director through a bull horn.
The two ran through the back lot of the studio. Ventura managed to keep up with the newt, even as Amara tried running faster to get away from her. Amara leaped over a trash dumpster, but Ventura leaped over it as well. Amara threw down some pallets to try to block Ventura, but the detective easily managed to get past it. At one point, Ventura got close to Amara, but the newt jumped to the side of one studio and grabbed onto it, trying to climb up the side of the building, but with only her hands to help her and no way to get a proper grip on the side, she quickly fell on the Detective. The two struggled for a bit until Ventura was able to grab her and take off her sunglasses to reveal her face.
"It's true," she said in surprise. "X was right about you. You're a newt!"
Amara looked back into the face of the Detective, her face filling with fear. Finally, she spoke.
"Please, please, let me go. I don't want to cause any trouble here. I'm just trying to get home."
Detective Ventura looked deep into the eyes of the newt, trying to decide what to do. As she did, a voice called over her walkie-talkie.
"Katie, I've almost got the frog!" said Mr. X. "He's up in the water tower. Did you get the girl he was with?"
Ventura again looked at Amara. The newt continued to make a pleading face, she grabbed her walkie-talkie and replied.
"I—" she hesitated.
"Ventura, come in," came Mr. X's voice through the walkie-talkie. "Were you able to apprehend her?"
"I—" she began again. She looked into the newt's face, a face that looked scared and helpless.
"Please," begged Amara.
Detective Ventura took one more pause before replying, "No, I didn't. She got away." As she said this, she released her grip on the newt and waved her hand, signaling her to leave. Amara quickly scampered away.
"What?!" came the shout from the other end. "Fine, never mind. Meet me at the water tower now!"
Detective Ventura made her way to the Water Tower, and as she arrived, she saw Mr. X and Jenners coming out of the Tower, looking defeated. Other FBI agents in full gear were there, but they all quickly got in their cars and got ready to leave.
"What happened?" she asked.
"That frog gave us the slip again!" yelled Mr. X. "Not only that, but the FBI is likely to be entangled in a lawsuit. Turns out the person we were chasing was an old man."
"Mr. X was wrong again, it seems," said one of the agents.
"I know that there is a frog alien here!" replied Mr. X to the agent. "I saw it at the movie theater. That human just happens to bear a small resemblance to him.
Jenners came up to Mr. X and gently patted his shoulder comfortingly. Mr. X accepted the gesture before glaring at Ventura.
"And you! You lost them again!" he yelled, getting closer to the detective.
"I'm sorry," said Ventura, putting up her hands defensively. "The girl was too fast for me."
"Was she a girl?" asked Mr. X. "I'm pretty sure she was one of the frog aliens."
"You must be mistaken plus she looked a little tall to be a frog," countered Detective Ventura.
Mr. X ignored her and walked over in a huff to the golf cart that Jenny was driving. Detective Ventura tried to join him.
"Excuse you! The cart only has room for two people," said Mr. X to the detective. "Jenny is driving, and you're walking since you failed to catch that girl."
Ventura thought about protesting but kept her mouth shut. Instead, she walked away from the studio.
Mr. X turned to Jenners as they drove away. "Jenny, I'm gonna need some ice cream, girl. A lot of ice cream."
Once they were out of sight from Ventura, Jenners whispered something to Mr. X.
"Yes, I agree, Jenny. It does feel a little sus. That Ventura failed to capture the suspects twice now." Mr. X turned around, giving the detective a quick glance as she exited the studio. "Perhaps we should keep a closer eye on her."
Once all the FBI agents were gone, Anne, Luz, Hop Pop, and Amara emerged from a nearby bush.
"Whew, looks like they're gone," said Anne, wiping her brow as she looked over at Amara.
"Oh, glad to see you're okay," said Anne. "Did you manage to give that detective the slip?"
Amara hesitated. She wasn't sure if she should tell Anne that Ventura had let her go, but after a few seconds she answered, "No, actually, she caught me, but she let me go."
"What?!" exclaimed Luz.
"Are you sure?" asked Anne.
"Yeah, I'm sure," said Amara. "Do you think that maybe she's—"
"Hang on a second!" commanded Anne. She came up to Amara and began patting her down.
"What are you doing?" asked Luz.
"I'm checking for any bugs or tracking devices," said Anne. "For all we know, that detective only let you go to trap you." Anne finished patting down Amara, but didn't find anything.
"Well, it doesn't look like she put anything on you," said Anne. "Still, we better take a different route home, just in case."
"What if Detective Ventura was trying to help us?" said Luz.
"She's with that agent," said Anne quickly. "We have to assume she's trying to capture the Plantars and Amara."
"But she had captured me and let me go," said Amara.
"I… well… Maybe it was part of some elaborate plan that we don't know about yet," said Anne.
"I think you're being a little paranoid, Anne," said Luz.
"We have to be careful," countered Anne. "We can't take a chance, and we already know Mr. X wants to capture the Plantars, so we have to assume that the detective is helping him."
"Then why would she let Amara go?" asked Luz.
Anne hesitated as she tried to think of a good answer to that question, and as she did, Amara spoke.
"It was in the heat of the moment. Who knows? Maybe the detective had a moment of understanding."
"In any case, we better get out of here while we have the chance," said Anne, ushering the group over to the cart. As they got on, she turned to Hop Pop.
"So, what happened? Why did you give up the audition?" asked Anne.
"I didn't give it up," replied Hop Pop. "I just gave it to someone who's waited just as long as I have."
Hop Pop looked up at the water tower, where Humphrey Westwood was shaking Mitch Harbor's hand. Humphrey looked down at Hop Pop and whispered, "Thank you."
"I'll fill you in on the details later," said Hop Pop. "For now, Anne's right. We should leave while we can."
Anne nodded and drove the cart out of the studio.
A few days later, after all the hype with Hop Pop had died down, Luz, Anne, Amara, and the Plantars were hanging out at Thai Go. Anne was showing Luz some more videos on her phone, while Camila was talking with Oum and Bee. Suddenly, the Lyft Driver walked in, having just come back from a delivery. All eyes in the room looked at him, and he looked back awkwardly. After a moment, he turned to Hop Pop.
"Hey, uh, listen, I'm sorry for snapping at you about your commercial the other day."
"Ah, that's alright. As it turns out, that commercial was too much of a liability," said Hop Pop. "The agent who was after us managed to track me using it. I think I'm done doing any more acting here. I can't risk getting us caught."
"Oh, well, that's good, I guess," replied the Lyft Driver.
"You seemed really angry about that commercial," said Oum, coming over to him.
"Yeah, what's the deal with that?" asked Bee, giving him a look.
The Lyft Driver looked around sheepishly, seeing all the eyes on him. He let out a long sigh before walking over to a table and sitting down. Anne and Luz came over to sit at the table with him. The others came close.
"That was pretty shocking, wasn't it?" admitted the Lyft Driver. "I suppose I do owe you an explanation. Well, it's related to some stuff about me and my past."
"Ooohh, mysterious backstory," said Luz, looking more interested.
The Lyft Driver momentarily smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could call it a backstory." He took another pause before continuing. "So, would you all believe me if I told you that when I was eighteen years old, I got accepted into a prestigious acting academy?"
The group all looked at him, intrigued by what he said.
"It's here in LA—well, Hollywood, to be more accurate. It's off La Brea and Sunset," explained the Lyft Driver. "There's one in New York as well, but I went to the one here, I'm not originally from LA, I moved here to go to school. I had to audition to get into the school, and they only accept around two hundred people a year. So, yeah, when I got accepted, it was a huge confidence boost for me. I had always wanted to be an actor."
"Really?" said Hop Pop. "Just like me!"
"Sasha and I were in a play together once," said Anne. "I played Peter, and she was Captain Hook."
"Wasn't that the play where Marcy got distracted and couldn't control you while you were flying?" asked Bee.
"Yeah, don't remind me," said Anne.
"Anyway," continued the Lyft Driver. "When I was younger, I was drawn to acting and the theater in general. I was never really good at sports, even though my dad tried to get me into them. I wasn't that gifted academically, either, nor did I get good grades in school, and I wasn't popular or much of a social person. But when I discovered acting, I found it was something I enjoyed, something I was good at. So I kept doing it throughout high school. I had a tough time making friends, but the small group of friends I did manage to make were all involved in theater too, so for a while, things were going great."
The Lyft Driver paused as he recalled those days. He continued.
"Then, in my senior year, I got the chance to audition for this acting academy. It was my dream come true and an opportunity I never thought I would get. So many famous actors had been to this academy, so they had quite an impressive list of alumni. I was psyched about that, so I auditioned and got accepted, and that was such a huge thing for me. I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'This is it! I'm going to study at this academy and someday become a famous actor, and when I do, people will finally see me as a winner. They'll respect and praise me, and I'll finally be somebody.'"
"Why did you feel you needed to be famous to be somebody?" asked Amara.
"Because I did," answered the Lyft Driver. "Like I said before, I wasn't exactly a popular kid or good at anything besides acting. So I figured if I became famous, it would mean people would have to respect me, and they'd have to recognize my talent. They'd have to say, 'Wow, look at that guy! Isn't he amazing?' He's not some loser who never achieved anything in his life, which is what I feel like today."
He took a pause before continuing.
"I suppose all I really wanted was to be good at something and have friends who liked that same something and who also liked me. I just wanted to feel like I belonged somewhere…"
He trailed off as he spoke, feeling many emotions inside him. Luz looked at him intently.
"But as you've probably guessed by now, things didn't exactly work out that way," said the Lyft Driver. "The way that acting academy worked was that it was a two-year program, and in order to continue to the second year, you had to be invited back. Well, I wasn't invited back, and my life hasn't been the same since. Shortly after that, I got fired from my job, and my life has honestly just been a mess."
He looked over at Hop Pop. "I've struggled with a lot of emotional issues, but I think the biggest one is jealousy. I thought maybe I was over it, but I guess not. Whenever I hear people are doing better than me, especially in something artistic, I get jealous. I have a hard time celebrating other people's success when it feels like I've never had one. I get reminded of the fact that I had a golden opportunity when I was younger, and I blew it. I think about how hard my life is right now, and I wonder if it could have been better if I'd just done something differently. If I hadn't screwed up so badly, then I wouldn't be where I am today, struggling to make ends meet working as a delivery driver."
Oum and Bee gave him a look as he said that.
"Uh, no offense," said the Lyft Driver.
"Nah, it's all good," said Bee, waving his hand. "You're our best delivery driver!"
The Lyft Driver took a beat before replying, "I'm your only delivery driver."
"Because you're the best!" said Bee, smiling at him. He nudged his wife. "Right, honey?"
"Oh, uh, right," said Oum in an unconvincing voice.
The Lyft Driver wasn't entirely convinced, but he did smile. He turned to look at Luz and Anne. "How old are you?"
"Thirteen," began Luz, though she quickly realized something. Anne seemed to have realized it too.
"Actually, I'm pretty sure I had a birthday while we were in Amphibia," said Luz.
"You did," confirmed Camila.
"I think Sasha and Marcy have both had their birthdays pass too," said Anne.
"I guess that means I'm fourteen now," said Luz.
"Fourteen," said the Lyft Driver in a longing voice. "What I wouldn't give to be fourteen again with the knowledge that I have now. To be able to fix the mistakes I made… I'd give anything to get another chance at life, to do something more, and to be someone different." He let out a long sigh as he finished speaking.
"You know, it's not healthy to beat yourself up about this," said Amara in a tender voice.
"I know, I know, I've been to therapy," said the Lyft Driver. "I know it's not good to obsess about the past, and yet I still do it."
"Hey, we all make mistakes," said Bee, trying to comfort the Lyft Driver, "but those mistakes don't define us."
"Yeah, but have you ever made a mistake that you feel screwed up your life so much you couldn't recover?" asked the Lyft Driver.
"You know, sometimes you can do everything right and still not win," said Oum, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't think that was the case for me though," said the Lyft Driver. "I know that it's my fault. I messed up, and now I'm paying the price for it."
"So, did you really just quit acting after that?" asked Luz.
"Not quite," answered the Lyft Driver. "I still tried, and did a few small parts in some student films where I signed up as an extra and was in a few plays, but I never did anything substantial. I never had a large role where I really got to do a lot and even took a few more acting classes to try to get better."
He paused before continuing, "Any of you ever watch Cosmic Frontiers?"
"Yes," said Oum, Bee, and Anne together.
"I've seen a few episodes," said Luz. "Isn't it based on an old book series?"
"Yeah, it is. Honestly, it's a really great series that explores a lot of topics about humanity," said the Lyft Driver, "but I got to take a Shakespeare class from an actor on that show."
"Which one?" asked Camila.
"Oh, the one who played Commander Chakwas—the one with the face tattoo," said the Lyft Driver, gesturing to the left side of his forehead.
"He is pretty handsome," said Camila. Luz gave her a look.
"The class focused on the Sonnets," continued the Lyft Driver, "which I honestly had never really thought much about before. I've read a good number of Shakespeare's plays but have never really read his sonnets. If nothing else, it did get me more interested in them. But this was also the point where I quit acting for good."
"Why?" asked Hop Pop.
"Well, a part of it is that acting is expensive. You have to spend money on headshots, demos, driving to auditions, etc," explained the Lyft Driver. "I had a day job working in catering and made good money from tips, especially when I worked as a bartender. But as time went on and money became tight, I had to choose which one to focus on more, and well, my other job made more money. It got to the point where I just didn't have time to do acting jobs because they took up so much time and paid so little. Also… I guess I just slowly started to realize that maybe the academy was right and that I didn't have what it took to be an actor. One note I got a lot was that I wasn't being 'in the moment' in a scene. My professors told me I needed to focus more and be present for what was happening. Not only that, but they told me I had to put more of myself into the characters I was playing. That was really hard for me to do because in real life, I…. don't really like myself all that much, and that's the whole reason acting was appealing to me. Because on stage, I got the chance to be someone else, someone who was different, someone who was funny, someone who…. wasn't boring…." He trailed off as he spoke. After a moment, Hop Pop came up to him.
"You know, carrying regret with you can be hard," he said to the Lyft Driver. "Trust me, I know all about that. I have a lot of regret regarding my acting career, but also about Victor and Anura."
"Who?" asked the Lyft Driver.
"Sprig and Polly's parents," explained Hop Pop, motioning to his grandchildren. "They were living in Wartwood when they were attacked by herons. I wasn't there, I was out working another job far away. By the time I got back, it was too late. They were gone."
The Lyft Driver looked intently at the old frog.
"I've carried so much regret from that day with me," said Hop Pop. "I just know if I had been there, I could have done something."
"Hop Pop," said Sprig.
"That wasn't your fault," said Polly in a tender voice.
"I know, I know," said Hop Pop. "But even so, I can't help but blame myself whenever I think about it. I know it doesn't make sense logically, but I also know how much regret can make you feel it does."
The Lyft Driver looked at Hop Pop.
"I had long ago given up on acting, but the job I was doing was similar. I got to be a different character, someone who was the opposite of me and I had fun doing it, but after that, I gave it up to raise Sprig and Polly," continued Hop Pop. "And while I knew I was doing the right thing, I still couldn't help but miss it at times. That feeling of being onstage, the energy between actors as they do a scene, the crowd cheering for you at the end of the night, it's so…"
"Thrilling," finished the Lyft Driver.
"Exactly," said Hop Pop, finally causing the Lyft Driver to smile. "You know, Mr. Westwood has been acting for a long time, and he told me it's been rough trying to stick with it for all these years, but he's finally got his big break, so maybe someday you will, too."
"Ha! Do I have to wait until I'm seventy?" asked the Lyft Driver in a sarcastic voice.
"Maybe, maybe not," answered Hop Pop. "But what I learned from this whole incident is that you don't need a big break to feel accomplished. I had a taste of the spotlight, and I loved that feeling. But I also realize that right now, that's not what's best if it puts my family in danger."
Hop Pop turned to look at Sprig, Polly, and Anne. "It's time for this old frog to stop pinning after what he doesn't have and start seriously protecting the things he does." The three smiled back at him.
"Bravo, Hop Pop. Bravo," said Anne.
"So, listen," said Hop Pop to the Lyft Driver. "From one failed actor to another, I do miss being in the spotlight. I miss the cheers of the audience as they applauded for me. I miss the energy that comes from being onstage, but I've come to learn that I don't need any of that to feel confident in myself. I think that's the important thing to remember. You got into acting because you wanted to be someone different, someone, who you say wasn't 'boring', but I bet you're not as boring as you think you are. I reckon you've led a more interesting life than you think. Whatever challenges you've faced in life, you're still here, so maybe your life hasn't turned out the way you hoped, but it's not too late. Heck, a few months ago, I thought nothing interesting was going to happen in my life, but then Anne showed up. She helped me have a second chance at life, and she made me realize it's never too late to try something new, and I'm a lot older than you."
The Lyft Driver smiled at Hop Pop. "Thanks for that speech. I appreciate it. Sorry again for getting jealous of you. I'll try not to lose it like that in the future."
"Ah, that's alright," said Hop Pop. "I truly understand how you felt."
As the Lyft Driver left the restaurant to go to his car, Camila followed after him.
"Hey, wait a sec," she called.
"What's up?" asked the Lyft Driver.
"So I just wanted to know if you had more details on how it was to work with the guy from Cosmic Frontiers," she asked.
"Oh, well, I mean, it was interesting," began the Lyft Driver. "The class was pretty big, and a small theater was offering it as a way to give Latino actors some Shakespeare training."
"So, what was he like?" asked Camila.
The Lyft Driver paused before answering, "He was a pretty stern taskmaster. I have to admit, I got nervous every time it was my turn to recite my sonnet. That's what we did for the first half of the class. He assigned us a sonnet, and we had to recite it like a monologue, and he'd go through it with us and give us feedback on how to improve it."
"Did you enjoy the class, then?" asked Camila.
"Yes and no," replied the Lyft Driver. "There were things I liked about the class. It did give me an appreciation for sonnets. In fact, I started writing some sonnets of my own, but what I said before about him being a stern taskmaster was also true. He would often reprimand me in front of the class when he felt I wasn't performing well. It brought back memories of previous failures and dredged up those emotions. It was shortly after that class that I basically stopped acting."
"I'm sorry to hear that," said Camila. "You know, I kind of had a crush on that actor when I was younger."
"Really?" said the Lyft Driver. "Did you watch that show growing up?"
"I—uh… yeah," admitted Camila sheepishly. "But don't tell Luz about that, okay?"
"Why not?" asked the Lyft Driver.
"When I was younger, I got teased and bullied for my sci-fi interests," said Camila, hanging her head. "Things were tough for me growing up, so when I had Luz, I hoped that she wouldn't turn out like me. I didn't want her to have to go through that. So once she was born, I stopped watching those shows or reading those books. I tried my best to act 'normal' around Luz."
"I understand," said the Lyft Driver, "but I also wonder if it would be better for you to just tell Luz about your interests. Maybe it could help you relate more to her. She's a fan of anime, and those fans usually have a lot of crossover with sci-fi as well. I like both anime and sci-fi."
"You do?" said Camila in surprise. "That's funny because I never got into anime. It was always too confusing for me."
"Well, maybe you just need to watch the right one," said the Lyft Driver. "There's a lot of sci-fi animes out there, and quite a few have themes similar to Cosmic Frontiers, so I'm sure there's one that you would like."
Camila thought about it before finally replying, "Yeah, maybe you could introduce me to one."
"Sure, I'd like that," said the Lyft Driver. "Hey, if you're a fan of Cosmic Frontiers, do you know the Astral Oath?"
Camila smiled before saying, "To those of you on this ship, whom I consider family…"
"... I know that these are trying times, and we find ourselves in a new and unknown situation," continued the Lyft Driver.
"We're far from home with seemingly no hope of getting back…" said Camila.
"... But we are not just a starship crew. We are a family," said the Lyft Driver.
"... A family who loves and protects each other, just as they are," said Camila. She thought about Luz as she said that.
"... That is why I, Captain Avery, make this oath to all of you, here and now, that we will find a way home together," said the Lyft Driver.
"... And until then, I promise as your captain to lead you to the best of my ability, through supernovas and solar winds!" said Camila and the Lyft Driver triumphantly.
As they finished, they both looked at each other for a second before letting out a laugh.
"It's been a while since I recited the oath like that," said Camila. "I'd almost forgotten how it went."
"Well, oftentimes, we remember important things that had an impact on us," said the Lyft Driver. After a moment, he continued, "Hey, Camila…"
At that moment, Luz came out to find her mother.
"There you are," said Luz.
"Hey, Luz, I was just asking some more questions about that class he took," answered Camila. Luz came up to her mother and looked into the eyes of the Lyft Driver, and as she did, she recalled that time in the park when he had talked to her. She remembered how his eyes were the same color as hers, only lacking shine in them.
"Hey, are you okay?" asked Luz to the Lyft Driver.
"I'm fine," he answered. "Well, maybe not completely fine, but I guess all things considered, I'm doing as fine as I can. If nothing else, I can be a good example of how not to live your life."
"Ah, come on, don't say that," said Luz.
"Well, it's true," replied the Lyft Driver. "You're still young, Luz, and you've got your whole life ahead of you. You have the chance to make it great. Me? I've long since accepted that my life didn't turn out the way I wanted, and it's mostly my fault."
He let out a heavy sigh before continuing, "My mom used to get on my case a lot about how I should do better than her because she grew up poor and I had advantages and opportunities she didn't. She said I should easily be able to do anything I wanted because of that. She also hoped that whatever career path I took, I'd be able to inspire other Latinos, as she often said how important that was. She got pretty angry with me when I got rejected from the academy and has been on my case in the past for not 'doing my best.' She's calmed down on that in recent years and doesn't bring it up anymore, but it's funny. When I was younger, I always brushed her off when she said it. Even though it's not a big thing for her anymore, I can't help but feel like a failure for not doing more with my life."
Luz and Camila both looked at the Lyft Driver before coming up to either side of him and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you're not the only one who's made mistakes," said Camila. "I've done some things I'm not proud of. I once got involved in a pyramid scheme selling energy drinks."
"Oh, man, really?" asked the Lyft Driver. "How long before you realized it was a scam?"
"Three years," said Camila sheepishly, letting out a small laugh after that.
The Lyft Driver also laughed before admitting, "I got roped into one of those check-cashing scams when I was looking for a job. They send you a check that's no good and tell you to cash it at your bank, then wire part of the money elsewhere. The next day, my account was in the negatives."
"Yikes," said Camila, "that must have stung."
"It sure did," said the Lyft Driver.
"We all mess up, and we all make mistakes," said Camila. "It's part of living. What matters is what you learn from them."
"I know," said the Lyft Driver. "I guess part of me wishes I didn't have to make the mistake to learn from it. It makes me feel stupid like I should have known better."
He looked at Luz and Camila. "Thanks for talking to me. I think I needed that. I should probably get going now."
"Hey, wait," said Camila. The Lyft Driver turned around, and Camila came up to him and hugged him.
"You look like you needed that," she said in a tender voice. The Lyft Driver was caught off guard but hugged her back.
"Thanks," he said. As they separated, he smiled at Camila. With that, he got into his car and drove away.