Frog Meets Girl

Chapter 24--To Kill or Not to Kill, That is the Question

Hi peeps! This one is a little shorter. I missed a few of the normal writing days this week and I'm just trying to post what I have to keep myself on schedule. Anyway, I think I'll have it all wrapped up in a few more chapters. Read on!

            Will looked down at his hands. They were still green and webbed.

            “Oh, Will. I’m sorry.”

            Shrugging, he hopped from her hand, back onto the writing table. His lips were still tingling from brushing up against Gabby’s. “It doesn’t matter.”

He could feel disappointment gathering like broken glass at his feet, glinting, mocking his feeble hopes. The crushed hope that tormented him the most also surprised him the most. A plan he didn’t realize he’d formulated and clung to hinged on a transformation today.

It would take time to get Gabby to like him enough to risk leaving her plans behind to go with him, and he couldn’t possibly get Gabby to like him as more than a pet as long as he was green and slimy. Plus, he’d been told that his human smile was quite powerful and he’d wanted that in his arsenal as well.

What a stupid hope. There was only two weeks left and they’d just used up the most powerful transformation technique they had encountered so far. It broke one hundred year-old curses and woke the dead, but he was still a frog.

She was silent, reeling. Of course she was sad for Will, but it was also something else. When their lips had met, a flash of images whizzed through her head, almost too fast to see. They were of Will. Human Will. The surprising thing was that although he was beautiful, it was the sparkling realization that fizzed around the edges of the images that stunned her.

I love Will.

The thought tingled, but also calmed. It felt natural, warm, comfortable, and exhilarating. Of course she would love him. He was the one who first needed her, who helped her find her strength. Around Will, she felt unashamed, confident, and also like she was smarter, more graceful, kind, and powerful than around anyone else.

He wasn’t a debonair courtier who flattered, but he was good. He said what he thought. He was wise. He was adventurous. He was the one she wanted, but he was still a frog and she couldn’t seem to fix it.

“Will, I—“

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

“But—“

“No. It’s fine. Really.” He was still slumped next to the books.

“How about a snack?” said Isabella.

They both jumped. “I forgot you were here!” said Gabby, grabbing her chest.

“Ha ha ha! That was so good!” said Will, most of the sparkle returning to his eyes.

Isabella tucked her needlework away and stood to go. “I think I’ll see what I can find.” Skirts swishing behind her, she left the room while Gabby was still gasping for breath and Will was still hooting.

Alone again, the quiet gradually returned until Gabby was sitting with her arm draped casually on the table and Will was perched next to the open book. Both searched for words to restart the conversation.

“So—“ said Will.

“So—“ said Gabby.

            They laughed.

            “Um, you go first,” said Gabby.

            “Uh, yeah. I was just thinking that maybe we could do more research or something.”