The day after going to the Third Temple, Frank sat alone in his room, holding his hat. He barely spoke all day. Just waited for the talk he was expecting to have with Anne and Marcy. He wasn't looking forward to it.
Frank hated what was about to happen. He couldn't understand why it was happening, but Anne, the girl he loved, wanted it to happen. She discussed the plan with Marcy, who agreed to it. Neither of them talked to him about it, but he knew it was occurring. He realized it when Anne returned from the market with fresh food. She dropped off a freshly made suit for him on his bed. He found out because Polly accidentally let it slip.
There was a knock on the door before it opened. Polly looked down, looking at her best friend with worry.
"Hey," she said, hopping down the stairs. "Are you okay?"
"Anne and Marcy want to talk to me," Frank said, not wanting to drag out the conversation.
"Oh, uh, yeah," Polly said, rubbing the back of her head with he flipper. "They wanted to talk to you about the plan. Everyone else is with them."
Frank took a deep breath and placed his hat back on his head. "Everybody, huh?" he said, standing up from his bed and walking up the stairs.
He walked up into the living room and out the front door. It was twilight outside, and the front of the Plantars' home was getting ready to host a fancy dinner. Anne and Marcy eagerly set up the table, wearing the fancy dresses they were going to wear. The Thai girl got the utensils, while the Taiwanese girl set up the plates. Both of them smiled with a sense of accomplishment. Hop Pop was cooking dinner using Frobo as a pot, and Sprig was hanging on top of the lanterns.
Seeing Frank, the girls and the frogs stopped what they were doing. They all turned to him.
"I wouldn't do it," Frank told them, sternly.
This surprised the others. "You knew about the dinner," Hop Pop asked.
"You can thank your granddaughter for that," Frank said.
"Yeah, sorry about that," Polly said sheepishly.
"And you should already know my answer," Frank said, glaring at Marcy. Still pissed with her for dating Sasha. "I will not stand one minute with that—"
"Hey!" Marcy walked up to him and placed the remaining plates on the table. "She's still my girlfriend," she said in Sasha's defense.
"And you told me that I wouldn't regret trusting you again," Frank said, growling at her. "Well, I'm starting to regret it a lot right now."
"I didn't know about what she did," Marcy said, placing a hand on her chest. "She never told me."
"That's all the more reason not to trust her," Frank said. He shook his head and turned to walk away. "But whatever. Enjoy dinner."
He was stopped when Marcy grabbed his hand.
"Frank, please. We want you to come to dinner with us," Marcy pleaded, making him look at her like she was crazy.
"What?!" Frank yelled, yanking his hand away.
"With you, the original friend group will be back together!" Marcy said excitedly, much to Frank's bewilderment. "With Sasha back, we can finally fix our friendship and be together again! Wouldn't that be awesome?"
"That's crazy!" Frank looked at Anne, who held her left arm with a regretful expression. "Anne, tell her she's crazy!"
His girlfriend, however, looked away with a nervous and uncomfortable expression. "Actually…I think you should consider staying for dinner," she said to her boyfriend, not meeting his eyes until the end.
"What?!" Frank exclaimed with the Plantars. "Forget 'honeybuns'. I should be calling you 'Loco' as your nickname, because that's what you are!"
"Wait, just hear me out," Anne said, holding up both hands. Hoping that her boyfriend would listen to her, she explained herself. "Things are really looking up for us. We recharged three of the four stones. We still need one more. Sasha needs to come with us so that we can all go home. Plus, if Sasha really has turned over a new leaf, then that's all the better."
"That's great and all," Hop Pop said, opening Frobo's grill, "but did you have to invite Grime?"
"Sasha trusts Grime," Anne told him, hoping that he'd understand her logic. Sasha and the toad captain were practically glued together. Wherever Sasha goes, he goes. "That means he's okay with us."
"Grime isn't the problem," Frank said, gritting his teeth.
"I'm with Frank on this," countered Sprig, as he jumped down from a pole he was sitting on. "Why do we want to trust her again?"
"She did try to off us," Polly said.
"Yes," Frank said, nodding to both kids. "Thank you, you two."
Marcy and Anne looked at each other for a second, then back at Frank. "Okay, sure. She's had some…bad moments, but she's not a bad person," Anne said in a cautious voice so as not to trigger her boyfriend, which she failed to do.
"Right, right. Sasha's just a misunderstood person who does bad things. Wake up, Anne!" Frank said, throwing up his hands in frustration. "I don't know if you've noticed this, but she's done bad things to all of us! For example: ME!"
Anne looked away with a frown. Her plan wasn't going as she'd hoped.
"Well, at least she never tried to kill anyone back home," Marcy said in her girlfriend's defense, only for Sprig to jump onto a chair and point accusingly at Marcy.
"That YOU know of," he said.
"Come on," Marcy said with a pleading voice.
"This is completely insane!" Frank said, feeling cornered. Not because everyone was against him, as he had the Plantars on his side. But because his girlfriend wanted him to stay. "If you want to keep being friends with her, that's fine with me. But are you really going to ask me to sit down and be chummy with Sasha? The girl who ruined my life? How could you ask that of me?!"
"But she's changed," Marcy insisted vehemently.
"How do you know?!" Frank yelled, pointing at Marcy. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"But what if you're wrong?"
"If I was wrong, then why hasn't she tried to make things right?" Frank asked her. "I don't need her! I don't want her around!"
"But we do," said Anne in a tender voice. "Frank, please, listen… I know you don't trust Sasha, which is totally understandable, but I still want you to come to this dinner."
Frank looked at her in shock. "Anne…"
"This isn't just about trying to get the friend group back together. It's about trying to make things right between us," Anne said adamantly. "I hate what Sasha did to you. Believe me, I'm on your side. That's why I'm making her try to earn my trust back, and this will be one of the ways she can do it."
Not believing in what Anne had planned, Frank questioned, "How?"
"By making her apologize for framing you," Anne stated with determination.
Frank was completely taken by surprise. Sasha? Apologize?
"I'm sorry. I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position. I know your history with her is painful, and it's all so complicated with me and her. I'm still mad at her, but she's my friend, too. I care about both of you," Anne said, placing a hand on her boyfriend. Lovingly stroking his cheek. "I don't want to lose either of you."
"Anne..." Frank closed his eyes, letting the feeling of Anne's hand calm him down. "I…"
"But I'm not going to force you to come to dinner," Anne told him. "This is your choice. I know how uncomfortable this will be, but I would really appreciate it if you did come and give Sasha a chance. I love you, Frank, and it just wouldn't be the same without you."
"I love you, too." Frank turned away from Anne, looking down at the ground. "Alright, I'll do it," he said, relenting. "Just…don't expect me to forgive her. I just…I can't."
"Sure you can," Marcy said to encourage him. "You just have to give her another chance."
Anne facepalmed.
Frank growled, "The day I forgive that piece of shit is the day—"
"Frank!" Anne held him back. "You don't have to forgive Sasha, but please try to be on your best behavior tonight. This dinner party's an important step for us and has to go well."
"What makes you so sure she's changed?" asked Frank, looking at Anne with a critical look.
"Well, look at how much you've changed," Anne said, gesturing to her boyfriend. Seeing how much of a transformation he'd been through, she was filled with certainty. "You, me, and Marcy. All of us have changed so much in Amphibia. If we can, then I truly believe that Sasha's finally changing, too."
"I haven't changed!" said Sasha with a sour pout. In the room Felicia was letting her and Grime stay in, the blonde girl was extremely aggravated and sulked in a sofa chair. Her toad captain was putting on a suit and fixing his tie in front of a mirror.
"Well, your friends need to think you have," he told her. "If you don't stay chummy with them, our plans are shot. So please, be on your best behavior tonight."
"Pfft. I had them eating out of the palm of my hand at the Third Temple, and this is just a dinner party," said Sasha, her tone darkening. "And once we rule Amphibia and get Frank out of the way, I'll get this friendship back under control.
"Yeah? And what are you going to do about Ramirez?" Grime asked, looking at his apprentice in the mirror.
"Simple. Gain Anne and Marcy's trust so much that he'll be isolated," said Sasha, examining her nails. "Then, I'll just do like I did last time, and have them stop being friends with him."
Grime turned to look at her. "That's it," he asked, confusing Sasha.
"What else is there?" asked the girl.
"The obvious," said Grime, turning back to the mirror. "What about actually apologizing to him?"
Sasha stared at him in disbelief before asking through her teeth, "What?"
"Did I stutter?" Grime retorted. "You need to apologize to that boy sincerely."
"For what?! What happened to him wasn't my fault!" Sasha yelled, standing up and throwing up her hands.
"Said the girl who was having a meltdown instead because her guilt was eating away at her," Grime said.
"I'm having a meltdown," Sasha told him, crossing her arms. "It's just that when I'm not in control at all times, I'll go crazy! It's actually kind of exhausting."
"You were the one who stole those shoes," pointed out Grime.
"I'm not the one who told the cops to arrest him! And it's not really framing! It's just him being in the wrong place at the wrong time," Sasha said, crossing her arms and looking away. A look of guilt formed across her face. "It's called bad luck."
"You don't really believe that," Grime said, turning to the troubled girl. He could see the denial and shame mixed in her eyes. "Sasha, I'm a toad. We keep to our word…to an extent. It's why the armies are following us after we got the Hammer of Dawn. But most of all, it's obvious that you want to apologize to him. What's stopping you?"
Sasha stayed silent for a moment, the shame overtaking the denial. "When everything else fails, never let your pride fail you," she told him, reiterating the very poisonous lesson her mother taught her.
Grime stopped what he was doing and looked at her. "Come again," he asked, raising an eyebrow at Sasha.
"It's something mom always told me—one of the many so-called 'life lessons' she had for me. The reason she doesn't apologize to anyone is that, to her, it's a sign of weakness," she said in a bitter voice. How many times had her mother apologized to her? For missing an important milestone? For not being on time to pick her up from her stepmother? For causing the divorce between her and her dad? "And I'm not weak."
"Have you ever considered not listening to everything your mother told you?" Grime asked, wondering why she would if their relationship was so bad. He can't imagine what the woman would be like in person if Sasha tried to be like her.
"Why do you even care about Frank?" snapped Sasha, impatient and getting tired of the questions. "Do you like him?"
"I don't, but even I have to admit he's a cunning warrior and what you did was pretty fucked up," Grime said, turning back to the mirror and continued fixing his tie. "And I'm telling you this because I need you in top shape — both in body and mind. Meaning that the longer you allow these feelings of guilt and shame to exist, the more they will bring you down when the time comes for us to take the throne."
"Look, can we just go!?" Sasha exclaimed, waiting to leave and end this conversation. "You've been straightening that tie this whole time! It's fine."
"Mm-hm. Just watch that temper of yours," said Grime.
"Grime-sy, I got this. Everyone will find me vulnerable, unguarded, and totally sweet," said Sasha, twirling and making a curtsy pose.
"Could you at least remove the sword?" asked Grime.
Sighing exasperatedly, Sasha removed the sword scabbard and placed it on the sofa chair.
"And the hidden daggers?"
"But what if we need them?!" Sasha exclaimed. "Frank's gonna have the Hellcat with him!"
"You really want to give him an excuse to draw it," asked the toad.
Knowing he had a point, Sasha moaned and relented. She then removed one from her pauldron and one from her hair. Finally, she took off her boat her right boo, and turned it over. Making several more daggers fall out. Grime stared at her when the last weapon dropped down onto the pile.
"How did you even walk?"
Hop Pop and Sprig carried a couch inside the Plantar home, and Marcy brought a bowl of paper.
"Hey, any idea where Frank is?" asked Sprig.
"He's getting changed for tonight," Anne told him. "He said he got some new clothes from Felicia to try out. But I don't think he needed to do that, because to me he'll always look- Whaaaa..." She dragged out the word, with her eyes sparkling with amazement, as she sees something beautiful, or, in this case, handsome.
Stepping into the room, with some suave Latin music playing in the background, Frank showed off a new look of black pants, a red shirt with its sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a couple of buttons off at the top, and smooth, slicked-back hair. He had Hellcat's Claw strapped to his back.
"Hola..." He said, speaking Spanish like a Latino superstar.
As he moved closer to where the others were, Marcy whistled. "Damn...looking good, Franky!"
"Feeling good, Mars," said Frank, looking at himself with an impressed smile. Felicia really outdid herself.
"Wow, Frank, you look awesome in that!" Sprig compliments.
"What's this? Please," he said sheepishly.
Marcy looked to her left and smirked when she saw Anne still stunned, her jaw dropped to the ground. She gave her a hand and closed it for her. The Thai girl shook her head a bit, getting her senses back.
"Frank, you look amazing," she said in awe at her boyfriend.
"Thanks, Anne. I was hoping this would impress you." He gave his girlfriend a wink, leading her to blush and giggle to herself. "And I see that you dressed for the occasion."
"Oh," Anne smiled, looking at her fancy dress. It was similar to what she wore while serving at Stompy's. "This? Yeah, Felicia really came through."
"She did," Frank said, kissing her cheek. "You look stunning. Those flowers in your hair add a nice touch. Blue really suits you."
Anne blushed brightly at her boyfriend's compliment. "I guess it does," she said, adjusting the scrunchie that had the flowers.
The moment ended when a knock came from the door.
"Okay, here they are," said Anne, noticing the scowl forming on Frank's face. "Now, please, be cool. And the same goes for you all. Remember, this isn't the same Sasha who tried to kill you and take over Amphibia."
"Plantars don't hold grudges," Hop Pop said to Anne.
Sprig gave a thumbs up. "No problem."
"Have a little faith, Anne," said Polly.
Anne turned to Frank.
"And Frank," Anne puts her hand on his with a firm expression. "Try to be on your best behavior. I'm letting you have the scythe, but only if you stay good."
Frank's eyes widened when he heard that, then turned into an annoyed frown. He should've seen this coming. "I wouldn't do anything unless provoked," said the Hispanic boy, crossing his arms.
"That's… all I ask," said Anne, knowing it was the best answer her boyfriend could give. She was already asking a lot of Frank. The least she could do was let him defend himself.
Opening the door, Anne saw Sasha and Grime standing on the other side. The blonde girl leaned her elbow on the door, glaring at everyone in the house. The toad let out a growling chuckle as he grinned, showing his teeth. Seeing them immediately freaked out the Plantars, who stood ready to fight, or in Hop Pop's case, to run away.
"Don't kill me!"
"Back off, scum."
"Take Hop Pop! He's old!"
After all three frogs finished yelling, Anne cleared her throat at them.
"I mean, hey, how's it going?" Hop Pop corrected himself.
"SASHA!" Marcy ran towards her girlfriend.
"Babe!" Sasha squealed and hugged her. The two of them lovingly kissed on the lips.
"Oh, I'm so happy you came," said the smart Taiwannee girl, pulling away to smile at her girlfriend.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sasha said, kissing her head and making Marcy giggle.
"Great," Polly groaned, rolling her eyes. "There are two of them." Sprig nudged her to stop.
"Sasha, Grime, welcome to the Plantars' home," said Anne, greeting them with a warm smile as they entered the house with Marcy holding Sasha's hand. "We're very glad you can come to dinner."
She then glances over at her boyfriend, who is staring at the blonde girl with subtle hatred. His eyes look as if he's trying to suppress the urge to strangle her with his bare hands.
"Ahem!" Anne cleared her throat to get his attention. However, he didn't hear that, so she tried again, but louder. "Ahem!" Frank finally looked over to see Anne with her arms crossed and a frown. She tapped her arm with her finger, expecting him to give the same greeting.
He turned back to the two guests. "Sí, welcome to our lovely casa," said Frank, refusing to smile. He had been told to be hospitable, but that didn't mean he had to pretend he was happy to see Sasha and Grime in his home. "May I take any weapons that you might have on you?"
"No need. But you might want to step back," said Sasha, stepping aside as Grime pushed a cart into the house. A massive cake on it.
"My sincere thanks to you all for the kind invitation," said Grime, before turning to the two and adding, "Your home is... sufficient, for habitation."
Frank narrowed his eyes at him. "What's this?"
"I baked a Volcakeno. It needs a little more time to rise, but it's sure to end the night with a devastating explosion... of chocolaty goodness."
"Uh, thanks. I'll just put it over here," said Hop Pop, pushing the cart away to the other side of the room.
Sasha cleared her throat. "Well, girls, looks like…" she started, before putting on an overly happy and cute act. "We're all finally back together again!"
Anne and Marcy squealed together. All three of them hugged each other and jumped up and down. Acting like the middle schoolers they were.
Polly said loudly, "Human friendships are loud!"
"No," Frank said, looking at Anne being happy with two girls. His expression was a mixture of sadness and worry. "That's just them."
Now that they were all together, it was time to start dinner. However, some tension hung in the air. It began when Sasha suggested to Anne and Marcy, "How about we girls sit together?" She walked over to the right side of the table and attempted to seat herself in the middle.
However, Frank stopped her. "Sorry, but we already have assigned seats," he said, scowling.
Sasha looked him straight in the eye before clearing his throat.
Sensing trouble, Grime immediately tried to intervene by clearing his throat. "Be nice."
Sasha cleared her throat. "But this little jerk…" she said under her breath and cleared her throat again.
Frank, however, simply turned to her with a smug smile. "You don't sound so hot," he said, gesturing toward the chairs across the table. "Are you coming down with something, Sasha and Grime? Why don't you all take a seat at your assigned spots while I get you some cough drops?"
Frustrated, Sasha sat down in her assigned seat. "Forget it," she said bitterly. Once again, Frank outmaneuvered her and had Anne at his side. At least Marcy and Grime were sitting with her. Hop Pop, however, was asked to sit next to him.
Satisfied, Frank sat next to Anne, with Sprig and Polly with them.
"Welp, enjoy everyone," said Hop Pop, eager to start the meal. Everyone else began to eat with him.
"Dang, HP," Frank said, loving the taste of his food, "This beetle destroys."
"Mmm." Grime munched on his grilled turnip, too. "Yes! It tastes so fresh. You must tell me which frogs you extort for produce."
Silence fell on the dinner table. "Um, we are frogs," said Sprig.
Silence again.
"Oh, right. Yes, of course," Grime said, feeling awkward for being insensitive.
The only sound being made at this uncomfortably silent dinner party was the chirping of crickets.
"So, anyone wanna hear a joke?" Hop Pop asked.
"Oh, no," Anne said with dread. Of all the people who tell jokes, it should never be an old person from an older generation.
But before she could stop him, Hop Pop was already starting the joke. "How many toads does it take to screw in a mushroom light," he asked everyone.
Grime, looking suspicious, asked, "How many?"
"None! They prefer utter darkness and the smell of blood."
Silence. Everyone looked at Hop Pop and Grime in wide-eyed horror. Disbelief filled their minds at the joke Hop Pop told. Grime growled and raised his hand. Frank, believing he was going to attack the old frog, was about to jump out of his chair.
However, before he could, Grime slapped Hop Pop on the back, laughing out loud. "HAHAHAHAHA! Oh, it's so true. Good one, small frog," he said, wiping a tear away.
Seeing the crisis averted, everyone else started laughing nervously.
"Seriously, this food is good," said Sasha as she dug into her dinner.
"Gotta give it to Hop Pop," Polly said. "He knows his way around the kitchen."
Frank felt Anne nudging him in the arm. "It's working, babe. We're getting along," she said excitedly.
"Yeah, tell that to me when shit hits the fan," he said.
"Frank…" Anne said, looking at him with a slight frown. "You promised me you wouldn't fight with Sasha."
"I promised I wouldn't do anything unless provoked," Frank corrected her. "Let's make that very clear. As far as I'm concerned, I'm keeping up that end of the bargain."
"Man, Sash. I can't get over your armor. It totally suits you," said Marcy, looking over her girlfriend's awesome armor.
"I know, right? Way better than that dorky, medieval school play we were in," Sasha said, smirking. "Remember how I convinced you guys to skip rehearsal and hang out on the roof?"
"And we had the loudest dance party?" exclaimed Anne.
"Ha! Classic," Sasha said, remembering that party. "Why'd we stop doing stuff like that?"
Curious, Frank looked at Anne and Marcy, and saw them exchanging a look.
"Well, when we got caught, Anne took the blame and said it was her idea," Marcy replied.
"My parents grounded me for a month," said Anne glumly.
"Oh, yeah," Sasha said, ashamed. "Forgot about that."
"Yet another example of Sasha letting her friends take the fall for her," said Frank, giving Sasha a look she immediately returned. "And another example of when she should have said something."
"Hey, it's all in the past," said Anne, trying to ease the tension between her boyfriend and best friend. "We're different people now."
"Or are we?" asked Sprig.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Frank said, taking another bite.
Hop Pop chimed in and said, "Well, I'm certainly different from what I used to be in my younger years!"
"Do, do tell," Grime said, making everyone else groan in despair.
Minutes would pass by, and the only ones who were really talking were Hop Pop and Grimes.
Sasha rested her head on her left hand, clearly bored. She had been listening to Hop Pop's tale for what felt like hours. She wondered if there was anything to entertain herself to pass the time. Then, she looked to her right, and her lips curled into a smirk as she eyed her target.
Frank was sitting across the table from her, also listening to the old frog's conversation with the toad captain. He looked bored out of his mind, too.
Using this as a chance to get back at him for the humiliation on Toad Tower, the blonde girl quietly tears off a small piece of the napkin and rolls it into a tiny ball. She steadies her aim and then flicks the napkin ball at the Hispanic boy's ear.
Feeling his ear being hit, he turned with irritation on his face, but Sasha quickly looked away, whistling and twirling her thumbs. Glaring for a few seconds, he turned back to listen in on Hop Pop's tale.
But a few seconds later, he felt another pint hit his ear. Angered, the Latino boy turned to face Sasha again, growling. The girl whistled and twirled her thumbs. Turning away, Frank tried to focus on the conversation; he told himself to stay calm. Keep it together. Just ignore her. Sadly, this didn't last as he felt pain once more. Clenching his fists, the boy shook with rage and gritted his teeth as the blonde girl pelted him again.
"KNOCK IT OFF! YOU BI—" Frank stopped himself before he could finish the sentence. Sasha raised her hand over her smiling lips, feigning surprise, then turned her head, placing her hand behind her ear and exaggeratingly waiting for him to finish the insult.
Realizing what she wanted him to do, Frank looked around and saw everyone staring at him in shock. He then turned to Anne, who was sitting next to him. She shook her head at him, imploring her beloved not to start a conflict with Sasha. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled before turning away.
Sasha covered her mouth to hide a snicker. Just then, an elbow nudged her. She turned to see Marcy, arms crossed and giving her a sharp glare. Disappointment was evident on her face.
Hop Pop then tried to ease the tension by saying, "So... uh, who's up for a game of Drawsadoodle?"
Grime got up. "I... LOVE Drawsadoodle!" he excitedly said, as he unintentionally smashed the dining table so hard that it sent everyone flying.
Everyone went back into the house and sat down on the couches and chairs. A puff of steam escaped from under the cover that hid the volcano. Only Polly heard it, and all she did was say "Eh."
The game was simple: pull out a piece of paper from a bowl. Whatever was written on it, you had to draw. For the game, the Plantar provided a large drawing pad and placed it on an easel.
Grime was the first to go. Holding a marker, he plunged into the bowl and retrieved his subject. "Ha-ha!" he laughed and got to work. Everyone waited and watched as the toad drew what looked like rocks with legs and arms. Either that or they were the strangest, ugliest figures ever seen.
"Um…" Everyone said.
Sprig was the first to guess: "Bullfrog Ballet!"
"The Marshland Marathon!" said Polly.
"Rock people!" Anne yelled.
Marcy, on the other hand, took her time. "Okay…" she said, her brain trying to figure out what the drawing could be.
But while everyone was trying to guess the answer, Frank chuckled. "You know what this looks like," he asked.
Sasha, thinking that he was talking to her, said, "That pep rally where the band got trapped under the stage and…"
"A certain ant queen and her hive," Frank said instead, making the two of them look at each other in confusion.
Seeing what Frank was talking about, Marcy gasped and threw her hands up. "Oh, my gosh. Totally," she exclaimed.
Sasha, feeling left out by even her own girlfriend, asked, "Uh, ant queen?" This was the first time she'd heard about ants.
"Oh, you had to be there," Marcy said, looping an arm around her. "Inside joke."
"Oh, well, did you want to tell me or…"
Hop Pop interrupted her as he hopped onto the floor. "Sergeant Campbell Bilgewater and the Horsefly Rebellion of '48?"
"Yes! Wow! For a frog, you're actually pretty smart," Grime said, impressed by the country frog's intelligence.
"Oh, well…" Hop Pop cleared his throat. "…thanks. I guess it's my turn."
Grime handed Hop Pop the marker. As the frog approached the board, the toad returned to his seat right next to Sprig. His bulk sagged the chair's frame as Sprig looked at him. Grime flashed his toothiest smile, causing Sprig to chuckle nervously.
Flipping to the next page, Hop Pop pulled out a piece of paper and examined it. "Okay. Hmm," he said, quickly drawing what looked like a crying snake.
Everyone began guessing at the same time.
"A worm?" Marcy guessed.
"A weird smile?" Anne was next to call out.
"Uh, smiling worm?" Frank attempted to answer correctly.
Sasha seized her chance by guessing, "A weeping dirt snake?"
A minute of silence filled the room until it was interrupted by mock laughter.
"A weeping dirt snake? Wow, Sasha, who knew you couldn't tell the difference between a snake and a worm!" Sprig laughed, pointing his fingers at Sash and earning a glare from her. "That doesn't look anything like a weeping dirt snake. Bad guess, bad guess!" The young frog continued to laugh and slap Grime's stomach.
The blonde girl glared and grunted at the frog boy before turning away in annoyance.
"Wait, did someone say weeping dirt snake? 'Cause that's right," Hop Pop said. Sprig's eyes widened, his mouth agape in shock.
"YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! IN YOUR FACES, ASSBUTT!" Sasha exclaimed, pointing at Sprig and reveling in her victory, making him sink into the couch in fear.
Frank stepped in front of her, glaring and threatening.
"What?! Got something to say to the champ?!" Sasha gloated.
"Nothing that would break my promise to Anne," Frank growled.
"Whoa, guys! Take it easy," Anne interjected, walking between them with an upset expression. "Sasha, that wasn't very nice. It's just a game."
Sasha, angered by Anne taking her boyfriend's side, threw up her hands. "But… But… He… I…" she tried to explain herself, but one look at Marcy shaking her head made Sasha stand down. She sighed in defeat and said, "Whatever. My turn since I got it right."
Running up to the drawing board, Sasha pulled out her paper and smiled. It was a simple one. Flipping the paper over to the next one, she started drawing. When it was finished, she stepped to the side and presented it to the room.
Unlike last time, no one jumped to answer. Polly just coughed.
Getting annoyed, Sasha cleared her throat, drew an underline under the drawing, and then a circle around it.
Polly was the first to try to answer. "Ooh! Ooh! It's Toad Tower exploding," she asked the blonde girl before turning to her family. "When did we blow it up? Toppled the toad army? Come on! You guys were there."
Grime muttered in annoyance at being reminded of his biggest failure. Anne looked uneasy when Polly mentioned that day. "Uh, Polly," she said in an attempt to deter her from going further on about that day, "I'm not sure if that's—"
"Actually, it kind of does," Hop Pop said, however. "And the top bit's where Anne chose us. You know, over her toxic friendship with Sasha. Best decision she'd ever made."
Of course, this hurt Sasha's pride, causing her to growl in anger at the old frog.
"Oh, and there she is letting go of Anne's hand, and plummeting to her possible death!" Sprig added.
Seeing how angry Sasha was getting, Anne and Marcy exchanged glances. They knew they had to act fast before Sasha exploded. Turning to Frank, Anne nudged him, "Uh, Frank, don't you think it looks like something else?"
"No, I can see it being the tower," Frank said. All night, he kept quiet to avoid upsetting anyone, going along with Anne's wishes not to cause trouble. But since she asked, he was going to be honest. After all, like she said, it was just a game. "I should know, since I kicked ass there."
That finally did it for Sasha.
"IT'S A TREE!" Sasha screamed at Frank and the frogs. "You fucking morons! A TREE!"
Hop Pop wagged his condescending index finger at her. "Ah ah ah. You're not supposed to talk during Drawsidoodle, so you have to sit in the shame corner for ten minutes," he said, pointing to the shame corner, which had a small stool, a shame cone hat, and pictures of frogs looking at whoever would be sitting there with judgment.
"Shame, shame," Frank said with a smug smile. Sprig and Polly joined in the fun, and together they rubbed one index finger (flipper in Polly's case) against the other.
Sasha clenched her teeth and growled with pure rage. All night, she had to endure Frank and the Plantars' constant antics and remarks about her and Grime. She did her best not to lose control, but enough was enough. The pride she had worked so hard to build was falling apart under the weight of her humiliation, making her mother's voice louder and louder with each blow to her ego. If they wouldn't accept her, then fine! She was done with pretending to play peacefully.
Grabbing the art board, she threw it towards where the Hispanic boy and the frogs were sitting.
"WHOA!" They ducked down from an incoming projectile, which hit the wall and split in half from impact.
"Whoa, Sasha!" Anne yelled, appalled by Sasha's violent outburst. "What the hell's your problem?!"
"Me?!" Sasha yelled, appalled. "Your stupid boyfriend and weird frog family are ganging up on me!"
Anne stood in front of Frank and the Plantars to protect them. "They're doing their best," she said, glaring at Sasha, "which is pretty good considering you tried to kill the Plantars."
"One time! I tried to kill them one time!"
"One too many times, if you ask me!" Sprig snapped.
"Guys," Marcy tried to step in. "Please, let's not fight. This is supposed to be a night of reconciliation."
"That's right, it is," Anne said, looking back at Sasha and crossing her arms. "And there's still something you haven't done."
Sasha looked at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
"You apologized for what happened at the Tower, but what about Frank?"
"What about him? He was the one who tried to kill me," said Sasha. "If anything, he should be apologizing to me!"
"Sasha. You haven't even apologized to him for all the horrible things you did," Anne said to her best friend.
Sasha's eyes widened. She looked around the room at the others. The frogs had their arms crossed, looking expectantly. Marcy smiled at her, making a hand gesture to go ahead. Frank just glared at her. She was like a caged animal. And like one, she started getting angry enough to lash out.
"You're kidding me, right? That's what this is all about," asked Sasha. "You brought me here to grovel to him?!"
"Sasha, you have to admit, what you did to him was pretty bad," Marcy said, frowning at the way her girlfriend was seeing this opportunity to fix their friendship.
"You too?!" Sasha exclaimed, looking hurt. "Marcy, you're supposed to be my girlfriend."
"And Frank's my boyfriend too," said Anne, pointing at Sasha. "You have to apologize and show him that you're sorry."
"He should know that I'm sorry," Sasha argued, her pride refusing to let her do the right thing, much to Anne's shock.
"I'm giving this to you, Sasha!" Anne said, becoming frustrated with the blonde girl. "I'm giving you this chance to try and make this right!"
"Guys, guys, stop fighting!" Marcy begged everyone. "This is crazy! We're supposed to be friends for life. We don't split up."
Sprig turned to Marcy with an indignant look in his eyes. "Oh, you don't split up? This is coming from the girl who abandoned her friendship with Frank because her girlfriend didn't like him anymore," he said, crossing his arms.
"See?! See, right there!" Sasha yelled, pointing at Sprig. "That's my problem, Mar-Mar? How are we supposed to reconcile when I'm still being blamed for what happened to Frank, like I'm the one who ruined his life?!"
Silence settled over the room as Anne and the Plantars stared at the blonde girl in disbelief. After all this time, after all that she said at the Third Temple, nothing about her had changed a bit. Marcy looked at Sasha with a hurt expression, realizing this too, while Grime sighed and face-palmed. She was ruining everything. And there was one person that wasn't going to let her get away with being a bitch.
"The fucked did you just say?"
A cold chill ran down the back of everyone in that room. They all turned to the owner of the voice. Glaring at Sasha in a mixture of disbelief and fury, Frank walked towards her. Fists clenching as tightly as they could.
"Frank…"Anne tried to stop him.
"Stay out of this!" he snapped, keeping his focus on Sasha. "What do you mean that we blame you like you ruined my life? Are you serious trying to say that what happened wasn't your fault?!"
"Because it wasn't, Frank!" Sasha yelled, rubbing her eyes in frustration. "I'm not the one who called the cops or framed you for hitting them! It was that fat guy! You should be mad at him, not me!"
"You were the one who stole those shoes!" Frank retorted.
Another hit to Sasha's pride. She knew it was true. But not wanting to seem weak, she kept on fighting. "Okay, yeah, I did that, but that's all I did. Nothing more," she said, shrugging.
"That's right, except you threw them over the bridge!" Frank yelled. "You were the one who started everything!"
"You were in the wrong place at the wrong time!" she insisted, but was it to him or herself? That's the same thing she told herself that night to ease her guilt the first time. "What would you have had me do? Huh? What happened can't be undone. There's nothing that can be done."
"You could have stepped forward!" Frank said sharply. "Just like when you came forward when you threw that roof party! I thought you said you've changed!"
Sasha's pride and anger flared up before she could react properly. "Well, maybe I haven't changed?" she exclaimed. "Maybe I don't want to change! Did you think about that, or were you too busy riding your high horse?!"
"What's a horse?" Polly asked Sprig.
Frank stepped back, staring at Sasha in complete disbelief. He had tried to stay calm all night. Anne wanted him to be nice so she could invite her best friend to dinner and restore peace. His girlfriend believed Sasha had changed.
But Frank knew the truth. Sasha could never change, and that fact made Frank glare at her. There was a pause before he released all his pent-up frustration on her. He had wanted to say so much but had kept it bottled up for Anne's sake. Now, he was done playing the forgiving victim.
"You know what? You're a joke. It's honestly shocking why Anne wants to be friends with you or why Marcy is dating you, because she deserves so much better. You've constantly pushed Anne around her whole life—the girl who gave up her parents' approval just to be cool like you—and this is how you repay her? By vandalizing property, convincing her to skip school multiple times, and, to make things worse, making her take the fall when it was obviously your idea to skip out again? Just to go partying on the school rooftop. You pretend to be the most popular girl, but you weren't! You're a cruel, selfish, controlling girl, and you will never be anything more. I'll tell you, Anne was wrong about you. You will NEVER change. Not because you don't want to, but because you're incapable of changing. In the end, you're still the same bully you've always been! You can't even take responsibility for what you've done to me! Motherfucker, I wish I could leave you to die in this world, but it's one of GOD'S BEST JOKES that I need you to go home! That's the punchline, Sasha, except that it's on ALL OF US!"
Everyone fell silent. Anne, Marcy, and the Plantars stared at Frank in shock, their eyes wide and mouths open. Even Grime was surprised. Any hope for a peaceful reunion and reconciliation between friends was gone, along with the chance to regain trust with old friends.
Sasha looked at Frank with wide eyes, feeling deeply hurt and shocked by his words. As she gazed at him, she noticed Frank glaring back, his fist clenched, his body tense with anger, and breathing heavily. She looked down, regretfully reflecting on everything she had done in the past.
"Well, you got nothing to say to your amigo, friend?" Frank retorted.
She clenched her eyes shut as tears welled up; everything he told her was true. She was the control freak. All her actions were driven by selfish desires. She had caused so much pain for Frank. She thought she couldn't care less about letting him take the blame, but after the truth surfaced, she finally had to face what she had done.
Sasha closes her eyes, her lips and face trembling. Silence lingers between the two still-hostile former friends, broken only by the boy's heavy breathing. When the blonde girl opens her eyes, they reveal a dark gaze.
"I'm gonna fight you now," Sasha said to the Hispanic boy, which he didn't expect.
Not believing her threat, Frank just laughed. "Oh, are you?" he asked.
POW!
Gasps broke out across the house when Sasha punched him. Blood slid from the nose as Frank looked at her, surprised, but he became angry; he retaliated. "HIJO DE PUTA!"
Sasha's head suddenly jerked violently to the side the moment the first punch hit her face. But it didn't stop there, as he threw two more punches and then grabbed her hair, delivering more punches to her face before the Slavic girl fought back, both of them thrusting away from the punches they threw at each other.
"Bros!" Anne shouted.
Sasha got back on her feet. Glancing at Frank, she reached into her hair bun and pulled out a hidden knife. Holding her weapon, she assumed a fighting stance. Frank, drawing Hellcat's Claw from his back, moved toward her with deadly intent.
"I rotted in juvy for TEN MONTHS!" Frank yelled at the girl with all the pain and fury he felt. "Because you're a coward!"
"Don't you dare call me that!" Sasha angrily yelled, still trying to hold back the massive amount of guilt she felt.
"You could have come forth and turned yourself in! You could've done the right thing. But when the police came and took me away, what did you do? What did you do?!" shouted Frank with all the hatred he felt for Sasha. "NOTHING!"
Sasha's grip on her dagger tightened. Her pride was breaking down even more. "I didn't know you were under that bridge that night; that was not my fault!" the blonde girl exclaimed.
"Not your fault?!" He pointed his accusing finger at Sasha as he walked towards her. "Who let someone else take the fall for their crime!?"
He swung his scythe and slashed at her, but she parried it away from her face.
"Who turned my parents against me?!"
The boy grabbed a bowl of cabbage and threw it at the blonde girl. She dodged out of the way. The bowl shattered on the wall, breaking and sending the veggies everywhere.
"MY CABBAGES!" Hop Pop screamed in shock, his eyes bulging out, as he placed both of his hands on his head.
"Who took me away from my grandpa when he was DYING!?" he angrily charged at the girl. He swung wildly at her, but Sasha parried every single scythe attack in different directions.
With all his might, Frank threw Hellcat's Claw at Sasha. Time slowed down as Sasha leaned to the right, looking at her guilt-ridden reflection in its polished surface before it passed her. Stabbing into the wall.
"It was never my intention to make you suffer!"
Fed up with her lies, Frank growled like an angry wild leopard and was about to pounce on her. But, seeing their chance, Anne, Marcy, the Plantars, and Grime rushed in to try and stop the fight. Neither of them noticed the Volcakeno that Grime brought to the party starting to rise, growing bigger and puffing out more steam.
"Frank, stop!" Anne yelled as she and the Plantars tried to pull Frank away. But like a wild animal, he thrashed against them.
"Lieutenant, stand down!" Grime yelled. He and Marcy stood in front of Sasha, blocking her from getting to the Hispanic boy.
"Tell that to him!" shouted Sasha.
"You promised you'd be calm," said Anne, struggling to hold back her boyfriend.
"Why? Why should I be calm? Why did you want me to sit with and play nice with Sasha? Just so you, my girlfriend, can play nice with her," asked Frank, tears welling up in his eyes, as his rant came to a crescendo. "After everything she did, I have a right to be UPSET!"
Suddenly, the ground started shaking, throwing the group off their guard. It was then that they looked at the Volcakeno, which had grown so massive that the cover flew off it. Revealing the decorative light yellow frosting, blood-red swirls, dripping chocolate, white frosting pointing straight up, and toad skulls. There are horns and a massive skull on top, and the cake contains gray circular holes.
"Oh, hey," Sprig said, pointing to the cake. "The Volcakeno."
The roof was sent flying off the house and landed in the field when the cake exploded.
In an instant, lava started pouring out of the top and flowing down, sending everyone running around, screaming, and waving their hands around—everyone but Grime.
"Ooh, dessert," he said. "Yummy."
Frank grabbed Hellcat's Claw and pulled it out of the wall. He then ran to Anne. Grabbing his girlfriend, he jumped onto the couch. Everyone else did the same, getting onto any kind of furniture. And thankfully, they did, as lava flooded the floor, making all of the furniture float yet not burn up.
"Anne, are you okay?" Frank asked, looking at his girlfriend with a worried expression. Sasha was with them, standing on the other end of the couch.
"Yeah, I'm fine, love," Anne said, looking at the river of lava under them. "I like hot chocolate, but this is ridiculous."
"Was this your plan all along?" Hop Pop asked Grime while standing with his grandkids on the other couch. "Pretend to be nice to get into our home to blow it up?
Sprig gasped and pointed at the blonde girl and the toad. "It's revenge for Toad Tower!"
"'Cause we brought that sucker down!" Polly gloated.
"Uh, what?" Grime asked, confused. He was standing on the table with Marcy. "The Volcakeno is a toad favorite. Every feast ends in a delicious dessert battle. Do frogs not do that?"
"No!" yelled everyone, before the cake started rumbling again. The lava in it stopped coming out.
"Well, don't worry. It's delicious," said Grime. "Assuming you survive the hornets."
Marcy looked at him and asked, "The what now?"
As if on cue, about a dozen giant hornets came crawling out of the holes in the cake.
"They're the best part. Oh, but beware, their stingers cause…" Grime got hit in the back with a sting, which was shot at him by one of the hornets. Losing all feeling in his body, Grime fell over on his face. "...paralysis."
The hornet that got him reloaded a new stinger.
"Wha… What do we do?" Marcy asked, scared and unable to think of a plan.
"Don't worry, Mar-Mar," Sasha told her girlfriend, spinning her dagger. "I'll take care of these bastards."
One hornet came flying down to sting her, and Sasha swung at it. However, the moment her blade hit the abdomen, it bounced off its hard exoskeleton.
"That's a tough shell," she said.
The hornet was about to sting her when…
SLASH!
The Hellcat's Claw cleaved it in two.
"Bet you're glad I kept this on me!" Frank exclaimed, grinning when he saw how effective his scythe was.
"Frank, look!" Anne yelled, pointing to the Plantars. They were surrounded by two hornets, screaming as they ran back and forth, turning back whenever one stabbed into the couch.
"What the fuck, Ramirez? How are these cowardly frogs the same ones that helped you in destroying the Tower?" Sasha asked.
"Sasha!" Marcy scolded her girlfriend.
"Hey, they can handle themselves! They're just not used to surprise attacks from dessert!" Frank told her. Hearing buzzing behind him, he turned around and cut another hornet in half.
"Well, good to know they're still a bunch of useless country bumpkins!" Sasha snapped back.
Frank glared at her, but said, "You know, I would give you a comeback. But I really don't care about anything you have to say!"
"You always cared about what I thought," Sasha said, rolling her eyes. She deflected another attacking hornet. "Especially when it came to finding ways to make you tougher!"
"Oh, ho, ho! You mean like how you ended our friendship?" Frank asked, getting worked up again. "After you forced Anne and Marcy to do the same? After what you did to me?!"
"Guys," Anne said, keeping herself down so as not to get cut by Frank. "Is now really the best time?!
"I already told you I never intended to hurt you! I said it was an accident!" Sasha told him.
"An accident? An ACCIDENT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW!" Frank shouted at her. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for you! You said it yourself, you wanted me gone because you couldn't control me anymore, just wanting everything to be your way! I looked up to you! I thought you were my best friend, but in the end, you showed your true colors when you just left me! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"
Sasha wanted to say something, but she stopped when she looked at Frank's eyes. He tried glaring at her, but he seemed so sad and heartbroken, with tears streaming down his face.
"How could you just let it all happen to me?" he asked with a tearful voice. "I lost so much because of you, but you don't even care!"
At last, after so many years of trying to be just like her mother, trying to win her affection, and years of trying to hold onto a false sense of pride, Sasha finally broke her silence.
"I DO CARE!" Sasha cried, tears falling out of her eyes like waterfalls. Frank, having not seen her like this before, was greatly surprised. Even Anne was shocked by Sasha's outburst. "It WAS an accident, Frank, it really was!"
Frank quickly saved her from a hornet. Pushing her out of the way as he killed another hornet.
"Ok, you're right, it was all my fault, okay? That's what you wanted to hear, right? Is it my fault?" Sasha continued with all the sorrow-filled sincerity she could muster. "That I should've stepped up and told the truth? That every night, I dream of how I should've stopped that asshole from lying to the police? That every day I've hated myself, but my pride wouldn't let me do anything about it? That I'm sorry? Because I am!"
Seeing that this might just be the moment Frank and Sasha needed, Anne looked at Marcy. "Marcy! Let them have this! We'll need to handle this ourselves," she said with determination.
"You've got any ideas?" Marcy asked.
"I might. Do you still have your crossbow?"
"Only always," Marcy said, rolling up her sleeve and deploying her weapon. "Oh, brilliant, Anne! We can't pierce their shells…" She pulled out the stinger in Grime's back.
"Ow," he said.
"…but maybe their own stingers can!" Marcy exclaimed, shooting a hornet. The stinger stabbed through the exoskeleton of a nearby insect. Killing it and sending it into the lava near Anne.
"Hey, that actually worked," Anne said, reaching out and pulling the stinger out of the hornet. "Frank, Sasha, you two talk! We'll handle the hornets."
Frank wanted to protest, but he saw that his girlfriend had everything under control. As the battle seemed to fade around them, he turned back to Sasha, who was trying to wipe away her tears.
"If you're really sorry, then why would you do it?" Frank asked, still angry.
"I... I was being so stupid. I thought I could just take them…no one was supposed to get hurt, Frank. I say that, but it did. And it's still my fault..." She sighed in defeat and said, "It was all my fault."
Frank still gave her a disapproving glare. "Glad you can finally admit it," he said harshly. "Here's your fucking medal of honor."
It hurt, but it was warranted. Sasha just took it. Then, she said the words she should have said for over a year.
"Look, I'm sorry, Frank….I'm so, so sorry I hurt you so much. I'm sorry for what you lost, and I... I know I can never make it right. I mean, it's... It's all my fault. I'd hate me, too."
As he heard her long-awaited, fully sincere apology, Frank's fury started to fade. His glare lessened, and he gained a look that showed that he was beginning to sympathize with her.
"I mean, I do hate myself," Sasha admitted, looking down in shame. "I might have broken up our friendship with everyone, but I…I could never wish what I did to you…I'm so sorry."
"I—SHIT!" Frank pushed Sasha down before a hornet could sting her. He killed it quickly. "Okay, so, say that I do believe you. Why didn't you step up and talk to the police, or see me at the trial? Even telling my lawyer this would have been helpful."
"I wanted to, Frank, I really did. But…I…I was too scared," Sasha admitted.
"You should have!" Frank told her. "We might not have been friends anymore, but you should have told the truth!"
"Oh, like how you ratted us out three years ago!" Sasha said. After being called out all night, she seized the moment to call him out. "That day when we ditched school?"
"What?! Sasha, I never told on you," Frank said, confused by why she was blaming him.
"Bullshit," Sasha said, unconvinced. "You were the only one who knew; it had to be you."
"But it wasn't!" Frank told her. "I told you I wouldn't be a part of you ditching school, but I would never tattle on my friends."
"Then how come Maggie told me that she saw you going to the principal's office, after we left?"
"Maggie? What does she have to do with-" That's when he realized something. "...Wait, I remember now, after our argument, I saw Maggie walking past me, and she had this look on her face, like she knew something I didn't…"
The two pondered a moment before they said in unison, "Oh..."
Another hornet tried to kill them, but Sasha, seeing her chance to save Frank, pushed him out of the way. "Jesus! What the heck, guys?!" she yelled at Marcy and Anne.
Frank joined in. "We're trying to have an emotional moment here!"
"Sorry!" Marcy said, shooting down the last hornet.
With the hornets dead, the lava hardened and cooled, turning a chocolate brown. Cautiously, Sprig tapped on the chocolate.
"The choclava is solid now," he said, smiling as he stepped on it. The others joined him and got off their furniture.
"Whoo!" Marcy cheered, laughing as she ran over and hugged Anne, Frank, and Saha. "Now that's what I call making up, right?... Right?"
No one answered her right away, with Frank pulling himself away from Marcy's hug. "Anne, I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry for ruining dinner. I tried. I really, really tried to keep myself calm, but I just…being around…"
"No, it's okay," Anne said, placing a hand on his cheek and kissing him. "Honestly, I would have done the exact same thing." Frank smiled at her. He loved how forgiving she was.
I'm sorry I lost my temper, Anne," Sasha said sincerely. "I… I know you want me to change who I am, but I don't think I can. I like who I am."
Frank glared at her. After everything, she was still unable to change. However, Anne placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She, too, was upset that Sasha didn't want to change, but it was likely the best she'd get with the blonde.
"Maybe what I'm asking for isn't for you to change," she told her best friend. "Maybe it's for you to recognize that I've changed."
Sasha scoffed and said, "Well, that's no problem. I mean, look at you. What happened to the shy little Anne who needed me to stick up for her all the time?"
Anne chuckled and said, "She's still here, Sash. She just needs a little less protection."
Relieved to hear that, Sasha turned to Frank. He was glaring at her again, but it wasn't as intense as before.
"Frank," she began before he interrupted her.
"I still need to know something," he said. "Why did you do it? Why would you try to steal those shoes?"
Sasha looked at him sadly but knew he had a right to know. "It was my birthday," she began to explain. "All I wanted my mom to get me was a stupid pair of new shoes. My stepfamily got me presents. Even Dad sent a card. But my Mom? Heh, Mom was always such a prideful bitch, and I tried being like her. Just to win her approval. But even when I do… she still wouldn't do anything for me. Not unless there was something for her to gain."
Sasha fidgeted with her dagger.
I was angry and not thinking clearly. Mom said that if I wanted something in the world, I had to take it. No matter who got hurt," she said, looking up at Frank, who was still glaring at her with crossed arms. But she could see that he was beginning to understand.
Sasha didn't continue the story. She didn't need to.
"Frank, "Listen…I'm not good at apologies, even though I probably just gave the biggest apology of the century," Sasha said, placing a hand on her heart and sheathing her dagger in her hair. "But…I am sorry. I know it doesn't make up for what I did, and I don't expect you to forgive me for what I did to you. Landing you in prison and junk."
"You're right. You shouldn't," Frank said firmly, glaring at her. "What you did was petty, horrible, and unforgivable, and I never want you to forget that."
Sasha frowned at him before looking down in shame. Needing space from her, Frank turned and began to walk out of the house.
"Frank?" Anne called out to him, worried.
He was just out the door when Leif suddenly appeared in front of him. "So this is really it, huh?" the ghostly frog woman asked. "Things between you will never be healed?"
"You don't know what she did to me, how it affected my relationship with my parents, or how people now look at me. I couldn't even spend time with my grandpa before he died," Frank said coldly. "I was locked up for ten months because of her."
"Uh, who is he talking to?" Sasha asked worriedly, pointing at the boy.
"Oh, that's probably the ghost that's been following him and who talks to him every once in a while," Sprig said.
Sasha stared at him for a moment. "...Huh?"
"It's a little more complicated than that," Anne said.
"Well, what do you want me to do?!" Frank asked Leif, startling the others. "I barely trust Marcy anymore, I'm not going to start trusting Sasha!"
"Why not?" asked Leif. "Don't you think you should give her a second chance? After all, you gave Anne and Marcy a chance to be your friend again, so why not Sasha?"
Frank glared at her for a moment before sighing. He really wanted to argue against Leif. To tell her it was a waste of time, and that Anne and Marcy were two very different cases. But Leif's word, even the cryptic ones, had proved good. While he hated everything Sasha did to him, Frank knew it would cause even more problems in the future with not just her but also Anne and Marcy.
Sighing, he turned back and walked up to Sasha. She stood there, waiting for what he had to say.
"Alright, listen. I…I can't say when or if I can forgive you, Sasha," Frank told her in a firm voice. "I'll let you and Grime stick around with us and the Plantars for as long as you both want. At least until we get to the fourth temple to charge my stone, and when we return to Newtopia with the music box."
Sasha wanted to make a snarky comment about how he couldn't keep her away, but she opted just to let him talk.
"And…" Marcy walked over and placed her hands on both Frank and Sasha's shoulders. "I'm sure that when we get back to Newtopia, you'll be all ready to forgive her, right?"
Frank remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Do you regret what you did?"
Sasha looked between Frank and Marcy. She then looked to Grime, who was standing up, and Anne. Take a deep breath, she nodded to the Hispanic boy. "Yes," she said.
Frank leaned in close. "Then turn yourself in."
"What?" Sasha asked, surprised.
"What?!" Marcy exclaimed, her eyes filled with fear. "Frank, you…"
Anne stopped her with a hand on her shoulder before pulling her away.
"You heard me," said Frank, his tone becoming harsh and firm. "Once this is all over and we get back home, you're going to clear my name. Meaning you're gonna fess up to the police, my parents, and my grandma that you stole the shoes, framed me, and ruined my life, and that you lied about me to everyone! You got it?"
His harsh demands took Sasha aback. She narrowed her eyes but then softened a bit.
"Is that really the only way you'll forgive me?" she asked, but Frank's glare remained. Making it clear what his answer was.
So, she nodded, trying not to look bitter. "I will," she lied.
If she wasn't sure about what to do with Frank, she was now.