Due to the small town, Fortmount residents are very familiar with each other and almost always attend the same school. Since elementary, Wagner was in love with Brian Whittaker. Although they knew of each other, they rarely spoke until he gained a romantic interest in Daisy. During this time, Peterson was struggling with her own sexual identity and was experimenting with Whittaker, unknown to Wagner. Outwardly, Wagner had supported the two but silently mourned the idea. When Peterson called the courtship off, Wagner had reached out to support both parties and eventually gained Whittaker's romantic interest.

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Before graduation, Peterson had mysteriously disappeared and a state-wide search was undertaken to find her with no avail. This had weighed on Wagner for many years and often sought comfort with Lambert and Rebecca Spears, both who had participated in search parties. Five years after her disappearance, Wagner and Whittaker eloped and moved to California to be near Lambert and Spears. As time went on, Lambert had become an OBGYN, while Spears followed in her father's footsteps in politics for the Democratic party. Wagner, now Whittaker, had become an event planner with two sons. By this time it had been thirteen years since Peterson's disappearance when she visited Whittaker and was reunited with the Tripod. Although her whereabouts remained a mystery, Peterson was very open about her new life with Fox.

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The girls remained friends and kept in touch but none, except Peterson, had survived the events of Mutant 5.