Kissing Frogs

FIVE || A New World of Possible Princes

"Hear that," I said. "You've got me. I'll make sure our day is amazing."

He sent me a wary glance and seemed to hold his breath. I got it, he was incredibly tall, he'd stick out like a sore thumb and he hated the attention. But, we were on a mission to make new friends and find new Princes, and if I had to drag him by the hand I would.

The middle school was a giant brick building with multiple floors and a massive entrance. The drop-off area was backed up with cars all the way back to the street. Students wove through traffic with brand-new backpacks on their backs and excitement in their smiles. Groups gathered around the front door, friends hugging each other after the long break and recounting crazy summer stories. I was no fool, I knew the shininess would rust, but right then, in that moment, I was ready to explode from the car and join them.

But, while I unbuckled and prepared to book it, Hugo melted into the car seat with his hands clamped to the armrests.

Mrs. Guerra braked and looked back to see us off. I swung the van door open and jumped out.

"Thank you, Mrs. Guerra," I sang politely. She smiled, and then we both looked to Hugo.

"Off you go," she told him.

"You know," he said breathlessly. "I'm really not feeling all that great-hey!"

Maria had climbed between the seats and unbuckled his seatbelt. He gave her the dirtiest look he could muster.

"They can smell fear," she warned. His eyes grew.

"Come on, Hugo," I whined impatiently. "You're holding up traffic."

And, he was. A car behind Mrs. Guerra honked rather obnoxiously, and I clamped my hands over my ears.

Seeing he was only making a scene-something he usually went to great lengths to avoid-he reluctantly followed me. Mrs. Guerra managed to press a kiss to his cheek as he passed her, and red lipstick smudged against his skin.

"Have a great day!" She called out to us just as he yanked the door shut.

After she drove away, I rubbed the lipstick off his cheek and gripped his hand.

While I led us toward the front door, I squeezed his hand and reminded him, "Time for a second chance."

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After being in a classroom of twenty kids, give or take a couple kids, I was not prepared for the chaos that was a middle school hallway. They were everywhere. Old faces, new faces, people that looked vaguely familiar-they were there. I tried desperately to drink it all in, but with Hugo attached to my hand, it was hard. He looked shell-shocked. His eyes were darting everywhere, I wasn't sure if he was breathing, and I could feel the pulse in his hand beating at a concerning speed.

Thankfully, when we picked up our schedules and realized we had the same homeroom, he took a breath of relief.

"Thank god," he muttered. "I didn't want to find that all by myself."

Not that it would have been much trouble, anyway. Each grade had their own floor. The eighth graders were on the third, the sixth graders had the first. Everything we needed was pretty much all in one hallway. That helped with the stress, too. Now, I could focus on the new people I was surrounded by.

Unfortunately, nobody really got to talk much all day. Except for icebreakers and short introductions, the teachers had the floor, and they used it to discuss class expectations and explain the curriculum.

I had four of my seven classes with Hugo, and so between passing time we decided to meet by his locker before heading down to lunch. That way, we wouldn't be alone.