The Road to Newtopia (The Calamity Girls Book 2)

New Wartwood

Marcy's POV

I woke up with a lot of energy today. It's my first day in Wartwood. When I saw where Anne, Rowena, and the Plantars lived. I immediately fell in love with it. "Look out, Amphibia, it's Marcy's first day in Wartwood!" I cheered, running inside the house. "First day in Wartwood, first day in Wartwood, first day in Wartwood!" "Five more minutes." Anne yawned. "Make that ten." Rowena added.

I flew across the town on Joe Sparrow in excitement. The girls gave me a short description of everyone and every place in town on the ride back from the first temple. "It's so cute!" I gasped to myself. It's got a folksy, country vibe, colorful characters, gosh, Anne and Rowena were right, it's the perfect little farm town! And now to introduce myself." I walked over to an elderly frog at a veggie stand. The frog's name was Mrs Croaker according to the girls. "Hi, my name's Marcy, what's your name?" I asked. "Great, just what we need, an outsider." She complained as she left and the owner of the stand closed down.

"Hi there, my name's Marcy, do you have any time right now to talk about Wartwood's unique architectural history?" I asked three tadpoles. "Are you a weirdo?" One of the tadpoles asked.

"Oh my gosh, are you a vagrant, is that an accordion, is that eye really gone?" I asked a blue frog named Wally. "Too many questions." Wally replied as he left. I sighed in disappointment and walked over to the statue in the middle of town.

Rowena's POV

Anne and I decided to check in on Marcy. "Hey, MarMar, how's your first day in Wartwood going?" Anne asked. "Great, did you know this entire town is built on top of a swamp, but never sinks?" Marcy explains. "That's because the designers knew exactly how heavy to make everything." "I always wondered how the land was so stable here, what else did you learn?" I asked. "I also learned that small communities like this, don't take kindly to strangers, which means I don't have a chance." Marcy replied. "Don't be ridiculous, of course they'll accept you." Anne said. "You sure about that?" Marcy groaned, pointing at a mob. "Guys, c'mon, she's with us!" I exclaimed. "Wait, is that Polly?" "I go where the mob goes, Rowena." Polly explains as she left with the mob. "They'll warm up to you, it just takes time." "Time, or maybe a strategy." Marcy said. "C'mon guys, people are just another puzzle to solve, Operation: Connect with Wartwood, engage!" As she stands up, she accidentally tipped over the statue. The town began to riot as Marcy mixed together a few chemicals to create an adhesive to fix the statue. "Whoa, when did you learn how to do that?" I asked. "I took a sculpting class in Newtopia." Marcy replied. "You've been taking classes?" Anne asked. "Oh my gosh, guys, I just got a spit of approval, I did win the Newtopians over by improving their city, I bet I could do the same thing here in Wartwood." Marcy explains. "I guess that could work." Anne said. "It wouldn't hurt to try." I added. "C'mon, girls, show me all the crazy things wrong with this town!" Marcy exclaimed. "Where do we even start?" Anne asked.

Anne and I helped Marcy all over town, from fixing the roads, to the lights, to fencing. The town was so excited with all the changes. However, Marcy was still getting some rude comments from the townspeople. "Nice, dude, the town looks great." I commented. "Thanks, Row, but I still haven't done enough, I need to go bigger." Marcy replied. "Did someone say bigger?" A familiar voice asked. It was Mayor Toadstool, coming in to Wartwood on a hot air balloon. "Never seen that balloon before." Anne said. "Marcy, meet Mayor Toadstool, he's like if the Monopoly man had a baby with a piece of fried chicken." I introduced. "That better be a compliment, Warbler." Mayor Toadstool said. "So, you're the local toad?" Marcy asked. "Right on the money, and speaking of money, are you the one who's been making these delightful little improvements to our town?" Mayor Toadstool asked. "Gotta hand it to you, I find your work mighty impressive, how'd you like to help me make some bigger improvements, huh? I have a mind to turn this podunk little town into a real, moneymaking, tourist attraction." "If I make this town super successful, then people will have to accept me!" Marcy gasped. "Yeah, sure, whatever, Toadie!" Mayor Toadstool called as Toadie gave some documents to Marcy. "Here are the plans, take a look, think it over, fetch the balloon, Toadie!" "Uh, it drifted away, sir." Toadie explains as we see the balloon flying high above Wartwood. "It what?!" Mayor Toadstool exclaimed. "That's the third time that's happened today, Toadie, you're promoted to balloon boy." Toadie grabbed him and gave him a piggyback ride. "I hope we can do business soon." "This is it, girls, the way to everyone's heart!" Marcy cheered. "I don't know, Marce, any plan of the mayor's is sure to go belly up." Anne warned. "He made us spend the night in a cage, stole tax money from the other frogs, used Anne's acne for a mayoral campaign, and many others which I'm not gonna mention because I don't wanna write about it." I added. "Ah, you're probably right." Marcy sighed.

The next morning, we heard some frogs in shock. The moment we got to town, it was a lot more classy. Dang it, Marcy. "What in tarnation is going on here?" Hop Pop asked. "Oh no, she didn't." Anne said as Marcy and Mayor Toadstool ran onstage. "Good morning, ladies and gentle frogs!" Marcy greeted. "And welcome to..." Mayor Toadstool added. "New Wartwood!" "She did." I replied to Anne. "Your city is new and improved, thanks to the work of myself, and Mayor Toadstool!" Marcy announced. "Feast your eyes on the new clock tower!" "Not loving that clock." Anne whispers. She was right. The clock looked like a toad, and as the clock is ticking, so are it's eyes. "And finally, may I present, the new and improved, town square statue!" Marcy continued, revealing a golden statue, which Mrs Croaker found hunky. "Ooh, is he single?" She asked. "Uh, it's a statue." Wally corrected. "That's not what I asked!" Mrs Croaker snapped. "And, for a limited time only, about 15 minutes, everything is free!" Mayor Toadstool announced. "Anne, we gotta talk to Marcy, before the town goes into a riot." I said as both of us walked over to our friend. "MarMar, are you sure this was a good idea?" "Isn't it great, we completely transformed this place, now, everyone will have to accept me!" Marcy exclaimed. "That's not how this works, people will accept you when they accept you." Anne explains. "Yeah, which is right now." Marcy said. "Look, you and Rowena found a way that worked for you, and I found a way that worked for me." At that moment, the ground started shaking and the town started to flood. "Holy frog abuse!" I exclaimed. "What the heck is going on?" Anne asked. "Oh, no, the weight, we built too much, the town is sinking into the swamp!" Marcy panicked. "I, for one, refuse to learn anything from this!" Mayor Toadstool shouted and fled. One thing was for sure, we had to hurry. "Well, they're definitely not gonna like me after this." Marcy sighed. "But, I can at least make sure that everyone lives, c'mon, guys." At this moment, she called her trusty companion. "JOE SPARROW!" We flew all over the town to start by saving the townspeople. After rescuing everyone, we had to remove the heaviest items from the swamp.

As the town came up from the water, Joe Sparrow landed on the ground so we could get off. "We did it, guys, total success!" Marcy cheered. The townsfolk weren't so thrilled. "Wait, guys, don't be mad, Marcy just wanted to help." Anne explains. "It's okay, Anne, I can face the music on my own." Marcy said. "I'm so sorry, everyone, I mean, you're all so important to my friends, and I know how much you love them, and I guess I just wanted you to like me too, but I took things way too far." "Marcy, was it?" Mrs Croaker asked. "I think I speak for everyone here when I say we're all pretty mad at you." "To be fair, I shoulder just a bit of blame here." Mayor Toadstool comments. "Zip it, Toadstool, we'll get to you!" She snapped. "As for you, you're a walking disaster who doesn't know when to quit, you nearly destroyed this town and killed us all in the process, in other words, you're just like Anne and Rowena when they got here." "Huh?" Marcy wondered. "Yeah, which means we'll probably get around to liking you eventually." Wally explains. "Whether we want to or not, am I right?" Duckweed added as the town began to laugh. "Guys, is that true?" Marcy asked. "Oh, yeah, Anne even set the whole town on fire once, no lie." I replied. "Just be patient and I'm sure you'll fit in eventually." Mrs Croaker said. "Thank you everyone, I will do my best." Marcy thanked. "In the meantime, let me at least clean this mess up." "Okay, but you better not do any more than that." Mrs Croaker said as Marcy quickly repaired everything. "I've gotta say, she's pretty amazing." Wally compliments. "Yup." I said. "She's one of a kind."