Living in a Frog World (Male OC x Anne Boonchuy)

Part 1: Chapter 8: Dating Season

It all began about a year ago. The night fell over the city of Los Angeles when Frank was walking down a lonely path that led towards the underpass of a bridge. He took this way every time he came home late from baseball practice for the Saint James Middle School team. His home was in the part of town where many of the middle-class and lower-middle-class families lived. His life at home was good, even though his parents could be a little too overbearing and strict with him. Especially his mom, who was a teacher at his school and expected nothing less than perfection from people. But Frank knows that they still love him and just wanted the best for him.

That thought will be put to the test. It was a long and tiring day, and Frank just wanted to get home. He walked under the bridge, and just when he stepped out of the underpass, it happened.

As the sound of police sirens started getting closer from far away, something fell from the top of the bridge and hit him on the head. Knocking him down to the ground and knocking his hat off his head. Groaning in pain from the impact, Frank got up and looked behind him to see whatever it was that hit him.

To his surprise, they were shoes. Really nice-looking sneakers that were tied together. Picking them up and putting his hat back on, Frank examined the sneakers before looking up at the bridge.

He noticed someone running off.

"Hey! Buddy! You forgot your sneakers!" He called out to the person, before a pair of lights shined brightly on him. Frank turned and to his shock saw a really expensive-looking white car coming right for him.

Frank quickly ran out of the way and onto the sidewalk, before the car could run him over. But instead of driving off, the car came to a shrieking halt right in front of him. The young man stared at the car with wide eyes, before the driver's side door swung open.

Stepping out was a fat-looking man in a business suit with a bald head and very unpleasant glare. "You! I caught you, you little bastard!" He yelled, red in the face as the door on the other side opened and a woman in a business suit came running out. "You thought you could steal from me!?"

"Wait, what?" Frank asked in shock and confusion, taken completely aback by the accusation.

"Don't think I don't know! You're the one that stole those shoes from my store!" The manager shouted at Frank, looking obviously drunk now.

"What?! I didn't steal these things! Someone else did!" Frank exclaimed, pointing to the bridge. "Someone was up there and-"

"Oh, yeah, sure! That's a likely story!"

"Sir, I think he's telling the truth," his nervous assistant said, trying to calm down her boss. "Our surveillance showed that it was another person."

"Shut up!" The manager yelled, startling the woman as he directed his anger at her. "If you had done something to stop this thief, we wouldn't be out here in the first place!" He then whirled back again to Frank and pointed a finger at him. "You've got the shoes, and that means you're guilty!"

"I'm telling you I didn't do it!" Frank yelled back.

"Sir, please-" She was suddenly slapped hard across the face by the manager, shocking Frank as she fell to the ground. The woman let out a cry when she collapsed with a large red mark on her face. She looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey! Hey!" Frank shouted, rushing towards the man. Before he could turn, Frank had placed himself between the woman and the drunk manager. However, his swift movement caused the man to stagger backward before snarling at him. Frank turned to the woman and asked, "Are you okay?"