It was morning at the Boonchuy Home, and everyone was having breakfast.
Anne approached a table where Hop Pop, Polly and Maddie were sitting, and poured a glass of orange juice.
"Thank you, Anne." said Hop Pop.
"No prob, HP." said Anne.
Anne then looked over at the kitchen stove across the dining room,
and saw that Olivier helping her mother with what smelled like eggs.
"Like this?" spoke the boy.
"Yes, Oliver. that is very good." said Oum.
Anne looked at Olivier, remembering overhearing the conversation he had last night with her parents.
He seemed so vulnerable at the time, like he was almost close
to a having a mental breakdown over whatever bad dream he apparently had about her.
It was a stark contrast to the boy she was watching right now.
Olivier seemed much calmer today, a more pleasant expression on his face.
If he was still stressed out, then he was doing a remarkable job hiding it
(Then again, Olivier always was good at concealing his true feelings when they first met in Amphibia.)
"Anne."
Anne flinched as she was jolted from her thoughts. "ye-yeah, mom?"
"Could you come here, please?" said Oum.
Anne got up, and walked over to her mother and boyfriend. "what is it, mom?"
Oum breathed out. "There is something important that I need to tell you.." began Anne's mother.
"Do you remember how before you disappeared all those months ago,
you always complained about all the work that you had to do at the family restaurant?"
Anne knew where this was going...but played dumb, anyway. "yeeeah..."
"Well, I talked with your father...and we decided to give your boyfriend a job at our restaurant." said Oum.
"So, from now on you won't have to do any of your chores on your own. Oliver will help you."
Anne did her best to pretend to be surprised at this news.
Although, the only thing she didn't have to fake was how glad she was for this.
"That's great!" said Anne. "I actually can't wait to go to work, now."
Olivier smiled. "I'll try to do my best."
Anne smiled, and lightly punched Olivier's shoulder "You'll do Great, dude.
It'll be just like back in Amphibia when you helped me with the chores at the Plantar Farm."
Olivier smiled. "I do miss that."
"Then, it's official then. (*looks to Olivier*) Oliver...here." Oum opened Olivier's hand, and have him a key.
"what's this?"
"a spare key to the Thai Go restaurant. It's YOURS." said Oum, with a smile.
Olivier had a stunned look on his face as he stared at the key in his hand.
"oh...wow. this is a little overwhelming." spoke Olivier, sweating a little. "I...I'll try to be worthy of this."
Anne chuckled, amused at how awkward her boyfriend was acting.
He was only being given a key to lock and unlock a building,
yet he was acting like he was being made guardian of 'The Boonchuy Family Secrets.'
Anne then snickered as she imagined the image of Olivier clad in knight armor,
holding an oversized weapon in front of a gigantic vault labeled: [SECRETS OF THE BOONCHUYS]
"Hey." spoke Maddie, hopping off her chair and approaching the humans.
"If you are going to fix some food at a Restaurant...then take these, please."
Maddie showed the group a basket of bread wrapped in plastic.
"I baked these ahead of time. you know...Just in case."
Oum eyed the blue frogette. "I don't know..."
"Maddie really does make great bread." said Olivier.
Oum looked at Olivier...then shrugged. "well...Okay. if you say so."
The Thai Woman then took the bread basket "We'll give these out as free samples.
And if the customers REALLY like them, then I'll talk with my husband about hiring you, too."
Maddie smiled the cutest smile that she could muster. "thank you, ma'am."
As Maddie skipped away, Oum smiled. "what a polite little frog girl."
"she has her 'sunnier' moments, sometimes." said Olivier, grinning.
Oum finally picked up the pan with scrambled eggs. "Would anyone like some eggs?"
"Yes, please." said Polly.
"Why, yes. Thank you." said Hop Pop. as Mrs. Boonchuy serves eggs to the Frogs.
They try them, and instantly likes them. "Mmm...These are "Eggcellent", Mrs. Boonchuy." said Hop Pop.
"Delicious!" said Polly.
"They're not like the eggs we have at home, but I like 'em!" said Maddie.
"Oh, you're very welcome." said Oum, with a smile.
It was at this moment that Sprig entered the Kitchen...in a most unorthodox way.
"He-Heeey!" said Sprig, as he uses his sticky tongue to swings by a lamp
and drop down into the dining room. "Good morning, fam-fam!"
Sprig then looks at the eggs in the pan. "Oooh...Eggs!"
With his tongue, he eats them quickly in the pan."
Oum stared blankly as bits and pieces of egg splattered onto her face.
*I swear, I can almost HEAR her blood pressure rising.* whispered Anne to Olivier.
"Mmm...These could use a little something." spoke Sprig. "Got any hot sauce?"
Olivier scowled, taking personal offense to that remark (Afterall, he DID add his own spices to the Eggs.)
"sure." spoke Oum (TRYING to remain calm.) "I'll get-"
"Woo-hoo!" exclaimed Sprig (Interrupting the woman.) Sprig then jumped onto the fridge,
opens and climbs through the door like a tree frog. "Don't worry, Mrs. B. I got it."
Sprig begins to take out everything in the fridge.
Anne's mother looks as if she is about to explode, when Sprig finally finds the hot sauce.
The pink frog then starts to chug the hot sauce straight from the bottle like it were a soft drink .
"aaaah!" exclaimed Sprig, as he burps and expels actual flames from his mouth
that shoots towards the main plate of eggs (somehow setting them on fire.)
Olivier quickly puts out the small fire with a gust of blizzard magic shot from his finger.
Afterwards, Oum Boonchuy glares at Anne with a look of parental anger (which even Olivier is fearful of.)
Anne innocently blushes, and sweats a bit. Oum finally exhaled sharply, and leaves the kitchen.
Everyone then GLARES at Sprig.
"What?" said Sprig (completely oblivious to what just happened.)
"sprig..." spoke Anne. "can we chat?"
Before Sprig could answer, Anne had already grabbed the frog
and carried him over to the dinner table with the others.
"Dude, what are you doing?!" exclaimed Anne.
"What do you mean?" asked Sprig (STILL oblivious.)
"you nearly set the house on fire. "said Maddie, bluntly.
"Sprig Plantar, you're a guest in the Boonchuy's home." spoke Hop Pop, sternly. "For frog's sake, behave like one!"
"Ha! Silly Hop Pop. We aren't guests" spoke Sprig (who then makes an adorable face.) "we're family."
"No! We're not!" exclaimed Hop Pop (getting a little mad.)
"Just because Anne is a Plantar, doesn't automatically make you a Boonchuy!"
"Doesn't it though?" said Sprig. "I mean, the math checks out."
"you suck at math." said Polly, bluntly.
"Your grandfather is kinda right, Sprig." spoke Olivier, finally.
"The Boonchuys and Plantars aren't 'one family' simply because Anne is technically part of both.
It just means that Anne shares TWO different families: Her birth family, AND her adoptive one."
"Are you sure about that?" questioned Sprig.
Olivier scowled. "okay...Try and look at it this way: If me and Anne were to marry someday in the future,
then that would make her a Clawthorne, too. But that wouldn't make YOU one by default."
"heh-heh. "Anne Clawthorne" does sound pretty awesome." spoke Maddie.
Anne blushed at Olivier's explanation choice (but, smiled none-the-less.)
"oh...Anne, is that true?" asked Sprig.
"Don't worry about it, man. Being a guest around here is so much better." said Anne.
"Being family just means chores, responsibilities and getting yelled at when you mess up."
"Or, getting that "I'm not angry, JUST disappointed" look." said Olivier...who then shuddered.
"I still remember my grandma giving me those looks as a kid. It was like she was STARING into my very soul."
Anne also shuddered. "oh, yeah. *MY* grandma did that too. It was actually worse than being yelled at."
Both Anne and Olivier shuddered in perfect unison.
Sprig looked down. "Sorry, guys. I just always wanted a bigger family...and I guess I got a little carried away."
Both Anne and Olivier frowned, feeling sympathy for the pink frog boy.
They both knew the real reason Sprig was acting this way, and so couldn't stay mad at him.
"sprig..." spoke Anne. "You may not technically be part of my family,
but even good friends can be *LIKE* family given enough time, and developed trust."
Sprig looked at Olivier. "really!?"
Anne shrugged. "hey, just look at Oliver: He may not be a Boonchuy...(*grins*) yet.
But he managed to earn my parents trust, and now they kinda do treat him like he's part of the family."
Olivier blushed, feeling awkward. He then spoke softly. "back in my own world in the Boiling Isles.
there is this furry, skull-faced, self-proclaimed "king of all demons" who lives with me, and my mother.
He isn't even the same species as us, but we consider him to be like family."
Olivier then frowned. "I really miss that little guy (Hooty, too.) I hope they're doing okay."
There was a brief silence...then Sprig spoke again. "So, how do I become "like family", then?"
"You could start by NOT being a freeloader, acting like you own the place." said Hop Pop.
"Yeah, even *I* don't do that." said Olivier. "And they gave me my own room. Rent Free, even."
Sprig thought about this. "okay...from now on, I'll be more respectful to them."
"That is GOOD to hear, Sprig." said Hop Pop, relieved.
Just then, Anne's Mother walked up: "Anne, Oliver, come on. We have a lot of work to do in the restaurant."
"Okay, Mom." spoke Anne, who then looked at the Frogs. "See you guys when we get back."
As Anne and Olivier began to leave with Anne's Mother, Sprig suddenly hopped in front and stopped them.
"wait!, Can I come with you? I'd like to make up for how rude I was this morning."
"well...I guess that'd be fine." shrugged Anne.
Sprig rejoices, while Oum and Olivier both had unsure expressions on their faces.
"Hop Pop, Polly, try to research some portals and junk while we're gone." said Anne.
"you, too. Maddie." said Olivier. "I have some research in my room you can look over."
Maddie did a salute with an intense expression.
Sprig then hops onto and clings to Anne's back like a literal backpack.
Oum then sighed, rubbing her temples. "alright, the pink frog can come along. But YOU are responsible for him, Anne."
Anne sighed, hoping this wouldn't be a mistake. "got it, mom. I'll watch him, I promise."
As Anne, Sprig, and Olivier finally leave with Anne's mother, Polly looked to Maddie and Hop Pop.
"So, are we watching...(*holds up DVD cases*) Starzgate, or Quantum Hop?"
"QUANTUM HOP!, QUANTUM HOP!" chanted Hop Pop, excitedly.
"pass." said Maddie. "I am going to go do some ACTUAL research."
"eh, your loss." said Polly, as she and Hop Pop ran in the other room.
Once they were gone...Maddie drew out her own DVD case labeled: [Arachni-Man: Into the Arachni-Verse.]
"This is gonna be awesome." Maddie's spider Palisman then hopped onto her head.
"come on, Fangora. let's go watch this in Oliver's room. I have a good feeling you will like it."
Fang squeaked in delight.
[End of Part Twenty-Four]