The Frog Prince

by Tracy Lauren

  “Huh?” I had nearly forgotten. “Oh, yeah. It was just Justin,” I explain, trying to wave away Kethian’s concern.

  “The pervert was Justin?”

  “What? No! There was a song on in Applebee’s.”

  “And it made you think of him?”

  “Yeah, can we please go now?” I say, tugging Kethian harder so he might actually keep up.

  We walk in silence and I ignore the nostalgic smell of greasy French fries in the air. I just want to get back to the ship and regroup. With that in mind, I lead Kethian back into the parking lot, taking a short cut across the asphalt toward our trail on the hillside. Though there aren’t many cars on this side of the lot there are a handful of people walking around trying to get to the shops on the other end of the tired, old, strip mall.

  Suddenly, I notice something that warms my heart. A particular color of blue that every child knows and it stops me in my tracks. “Oh, Kethian! Look! It’s a Toys R Us!” Then I’m hurrying again. A happy plan forms in my mind. I’ll take Keth on a tour through the toy store to help brighten my mood. I can show him the things I grew up with—Barbie dolls, Nerf guns, Monopoly.

  But when we get close, the windows look dusty and gray and I notice a half-mounted banner in the window. In big black letters it reads: GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.

  “Oh, what a bummer!” I complain, just as a woman in sunglasses is walking by.

  “Isn’t it?” she comments, slowing her steps. “I took all my kids here when they were growing up.”

  “Yeah. It’s a letdown this location closed.”

  “This location? Honey, every location. Babies R Us too.”

  “What?”

  “They went out of business a few years ago now. You never heard?”

  “How could Toys R Us go out of business?” I’m practically shouting.

  She shrugs. “The internet. Lordy, you must be living under a rock to not know Toys R Us went under,” she says, shaking her head at me.

  I turn to Kethian. He must see the desperation written on my face and the way my shoulders hang in defeat. He moves to my side and wraps an arm around me for support.

  “Thank you for the information,” he tells the woman as he pulls me away from the defunct toy store.

  Tears threaten to spill from my eyes.

  “Just so I’m clear,” he whispers, “we are talking about a business whose primary product was children’s toys?”

  “Uh huh,” I say, letting a sob shake me.

  “Did you want children’s toys?”

  “You don’t get it,” I groan.

  All the way back to the ship I drag my feet, feeling bogged down by a sadness that even I struggle to comprehend.

  Chapter 24

  Kethian

  Now that we have specific parameters for Earth credits I’m able to replicate them easily on the synth machine. It’s one small triumph. Even still, it does not seem to uplift Madison’s despairing spirits. As soon as we reboarded my ship the princess was quick to retire to her room and she’s kept herself secluded there ever since. Meanwhile, I lean back in my chair and absently watch the bills pile up, my mind lost in thought.

  I don’t like this place and I don’t like the idea of leaving Madison alone here. Try as I might, I just don’t see what she does when I look upon this world. Nor am I able to make sense of the disappointment she experienced today. Clearly she was distraught, but the question is why?

  Perhaps she’s realizing that Earth is not what she remembers it to be? From the very beginning, I had anticipated there might be dissonance between her memories and her actual planet. But I had not anticipated the things that would affect her—junk food and the familiarity of the large, chain-style markets that line the city streets is all that seems to occupy her mind. There is no village she wishes to seek out, no home that she left behind, nor are there any people she longs for.

  I ruminate on that, wondering if perhaps I am wrong. Today, when Madison came out of the apple bee…her eyes were red from crying. She told me that Justin had been on her mind.

  I scrub my hands over my face, trying to push down the pain I feel in my chest. Maybe her sadness had nothing to do with the toy store and more to do with the man of her dreams. After everything that happened between us last night she might not feel comfortable talking to me about matters of the heart. Perhaps I’ve muddied the waters and now Madison feels as if she can’t confide in me. I hate the thought.

  I want to be the man she opens up to. She told me once, that I was her only true friend. And if I cannot have her in all ways, I at least want to be that one person for her. The one and only, out of an entire galaxy of beings, that is special to Madison.

  I sigh heavily. There are many things I want from Madison, but in the end, all I truly need is for her to be happy…regardless of what that means for me.

  Pushing myself from my seat, I gather a stack of bills and stuff them into my pocket. I need to see the princess smile.

  It isn’t so long after that I’m holding a tall cup, dripping with condensation, and a paper bag dripping with grease. I press the chime on Madison’s door only on thin pretense; I don’t bother to wait for her to invite me in.

  “Lights,” I say as I enter the dimly lit room and they brighten at my command. Madison is lying in her bed, but she isn’t asleep and she props herself up upon my appearance. Her expression is blank until she sees what I have brought her. For a brief moment her eyes light up, but then her face crumples as she devolves into tears.

  “Madison! What’s wrong?” I ask, afraid I’ve inadvertently done something to upset her further.

  “Did you—” She chokes on a sob. “Did you bring me Wienerschnitzel?”

  “Was it not what you wanted?” I ask, silently hating myself. I longed to do something special for her, so that I might see joy on her face once more, but instead I’ve brought her to tears. I rush to her side.

  The princess pushes herself up from the bed and latches onto me as if she can barely hold her own weight. She hugs me as she sobs and my heart aches for her.

  “This is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me,” she says, her voice muffled against the thick material of my Earth attire. I want to embrace her, but I still have her precious junk food gripped in each hand.

  “Then why are you crying?”

  She pulls away to look up into my eyes, her face still crumpled. “Because I’m so happy!” she wails.

  I bite back a laugh. “Princess, I’m not sure this is what happiness looks like.”

  “I’m emotional,” she explains, wiping at her tears before reaching for the beer drink she told me about earlier in the day.

  She holds it reverently and closes her eyes to sip at it through a thin straw. For a brief moment, bliss washes over her face. Then she’s crying again. “It’s so good. It’s so fucking good. Kethian, you have to try this.”

  The way she holds it out to me, one would think she’s offering the precious gems workers pull from her father’s mines. I’m tentative when I lean toward the cup, but eager to share my princess’s joy. So, regardless of my reticence, I take a sip.

  I find the flavor of the drink is rich and there are bubbles that burn and tingle in my mouth, despite the cold temperature. It’s an interesting sensation, even if it is perhaps a little too sweet for my tastes. Madison watches me with a broad smile and encouraging eyes, waiting for my response.

  “It’s not completely unpleasant,” I tell her.

  “Not completely unpleasant.” She scoffs, her tone already sounding much lighter. “Listen, buddy, if you aren’t head over heels then I’m not wasting any of my root beer float on you,” she tells me, pulling the cup away. She moves then, to the foot of the bed, pulling her legs up under her and getting comfortable.

  “What else do you have in there?” she asks eagerly, her eyes twinkling as she looks at the paper bag. I frown, weighing its contents in my hand.

  “Now, this isn’t exactly what you mentioned earlier, but
the young man at the counter assured me it was just as good.” I pass her the bag.

  “Corn dogs?” she asks hopefully, before taking a peek inside.

  “They’re not the miniature ones,” I warn as she pulls one of the six, regular-sized, corn dogs out of its paper wrapper, not hesitating to bite into it.

  “Were they out of the minis?” she asks through a full mouth.

  I shrug. “I was told they’re only seasonal.”

  “Seasonal? Seasonal?” she parrots, her voice sounding aghast. Still, she takes a large bite of her normal-sized corn dog and her eyes nearly roll back in her head. “As if people don’t want mini corn dogs year-round. What is this world coming to?” She takes another ravenous bite and moans her pleasure.

  “Is it still good?” I ask, my grin confident.

  “It’s delicious. The miniature ones though, there’s just something special about those. Like how cereal always tastes better when it comes from those little individual serving size boxes.”

  “I wouldn’t know.”

  “You’ll have to trust me on this. Here, have a corn dog. You’ll love them.”

  I force a smile to my face as I take the strange food from her. The smell of grease is heavy in the air and the “meat” I can see tucked into the center of Madison’s corn dog is a strange pink color that I have never seen in a beast. Nor does it appear to be the same texture as any meat I’m familiar with.

  “What kind of beast does this come from?”

  “Best not to ask,” she tells me, and I try not to imagine what kind of disgusting Earth creature bore this flesh and instead take a bite large enough to be considered polite before setting the thing aside.

  “I will save the rest for you, Princess.”

  She shakes her head at me, disbelieving that I am not devouring the junk food as she does. Madison ends up going through four corn dogs and all of her root beer float before she sets her bag aside and throws herself back on the bed, seeming blissful for the first time since arriving on Earth.

  “That was so damn good,” she tells me.

  “I’m glad you liked it.” And truly, I am. While I do not understand this world or its terrible food, it’s my pleasure to bring Madison joy. With a satisfied smile, my princess peeks over at me. I can’t help but be amused. How she ever gained a reputation for being spoiled is beyond me.

  “That was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. It’s probably equivalent to getting a dozen roses… A bouquet of corn dogs,” she says wistfully, laughing to herself. But her laugh turns into a groan and she gingerly hugs her stomach. “Ugh, so full.”

  I let the silence stretch between us for a while as I continue to watch Madison splayed out on her bed, her hands resting on her full belly. I want to ask her about today. I want to ask her about her sadness and about Justin. Hell, I want to ask her to turn her back on this world and come home with me. But instead I talk strategy.

  “Our next step is procuring lodging for you, am I right?”

  Madison pushes herself up. “Yeah. I’ll need a place to stay.”

  “Is this town sufficient or would you like to find a place that holds more meaning to you?”

  Madison shrugs. It’s as if she doesn’t care where she ends up, as long as she is on Earth. Something about that bothers me. Is there no location that’s precious to her?

  “No, this town’s as good as any. I’ll synth an ID in the morning…” She looks contemplative, chewing on her bottom lip. “Maybe I’ll look up an out-of-state one on the computer for the specs. That way if it isn’t perfect it’s less likely someone will notice. After that we can just hit any one of the motels along the road.”

  Maybe I’m only seeing what I want to, but Madison doesn’t seem particularly excited about finding herself a new home tomorrow. Has something changed? Is Madison regretting her decision to come here? I have to know.

  “I remember being on that rooftop with you, back on Atana. It seemed then like there was nothing more important than getting back to Earth.”

  “Yeah?”

  She doesn’t seem to notice the dissonance between then and now…it makes me question if I’m seeing it at all. I move to sit beside her on the bed. “Why?” I implore, hoping to understand. “I look at this world and I don’t understand it. Is there something special you’re seeking; anyone you know that…that you long to be near?”

  “I just want to be where I belong, Kethian. I want to get my life started—on Earth with other humans.”

  I nod and jealously wonder if one of these “other humans” she speaks of is Justin. I have always been proud to be Atana, but now, when I look down at my hands and see the green color of them…part of me wishes I were as pale and milky as Madison. At least then I could fit in here, I could stay with her on this world. But I shake that thought from my mind. As much as she belongs on Earth, I belong on Atana.

  “You should get some rest. We will have a busy day tomorrow picking out your new home.” I make a move to rise from the bed, but Madison stops me, her fingers curling around my wrist.

  “What’s your rush?” she asks, smiling up at me.

  “It’s been a taxing day.” For the both of us, but I don’t mention that. “Is there anything else you want to talk about?” Second thoughts, perhaps?

  “I wasn’t really thinking about talking,” she admits. Rising to her feet, she lets her hand trail up my arm and over my shoulder. Warmth spreads through me.

  “Are you flirting with me, Princess?” I ask playfully. The selfish and greedy part of me wants to fall into bed with Madison, soaking up everything she’s willing to give until it’s time for me to move on from this world.

  “That depends. Are you getting turned on?”

  I groan as I lean in to nuzzle against her nose. I want this woman so badly. “Madison, if you so much as look in my direction it’s apt to turn me on.”

  And with that she closes the slim distance between us, taking my mouth in a kiss that I find I’m desperate for. Madison gifts me with a shower of affection that is so slow and languid, it almost feels like there’s no place she’d rather be than here with me. So I’m shocked when she pulls back abruptly.

  “What is it?” I ask, worried when I see her face suddenly grow pale.

  “I think…I think…”

  “Madison…what’s wrong?” I ask, my concern quickly ratcheting at the sight of her now pallid complexion. But she pushes me away with surprising force.

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” she mutters as she rushes to the toilet. I’m hurrying after her when I hear her gagging.

  “Madison—” I start, but the door slides shut. Even with the barrier between us I can hear her muffled sickness as she vomits into the toilet.

  “If you don’t open this door and let me help you, I’ll open it myself!” I warn.

  I hear another splash of vomit. “If you do I’ll never speak to you again!” she manages to choke out.

  I huff out an angry breath and throw my back against the wall dividing us, sliding down until I’m sitting on the floor. Knowing Madison is in there, sick and without aid, makes me feel nearly as ill as she does. “What’s happening?” I shout to her.

  “What the hell do you think?”

  “Is it some type of pathogen? I can get the med scanner.”

  “Dammit it, Kethian! It was too many corn dogs! Now for God’s sake, leave me alone!”

  “I’ll do nothing of the sort! If the Warrior King knew I abandoned his daughter in her time of need—”

  “I’ll warrior princess your ass off this planet so fast—” Her words fall away as she continues to vomit up her meal. “Just get out!” she shouts, her voice pleading.

  Dejected, I push myself to my feet, grabbing the Earth garbage food and the stinking bags that it came in.

  “I hate it here,” I growl quietly, forcing myself to leave Madison alone with both her sickness and her unwarranted embarrassment.

  Chapter 25

  Madison

/>   The next morning I cup my hands under the bathroom faucet, collecting water to bring to my dry mouth. Other than barfing up a bunch of root beer and corn dogs, my time on Earth hasn’t been all that bad—objectively speaking, of course. Yet I can’t seem to shake the “blahs.”

  I expected my return to Earth to be like the planets aligning. Everything would fall into place and make perfect sense. The world would welcome me back with open arms. A clear path would be laid out before me. Other humans would see me and sense the same kinship I feel with them.

  But instead it feels like I’m swimming against the current.

  I’ve got perverts honking at me, Toys R Us let me down hard, and I’ve come to realize the reboot of The Karate Kid did, in fact, suck.

  “I just need one fucking break,” I tell myself in the mirror. But it’s more like I’m pleading with the powers that be. “Please let something go right.”

  “Madison? Are you well?” Kethian calls from my room.

  “Yeah. I’m fine,” I grumble, coming out to face him. His expression is filled with obvious concern. It doesn’t make me feel any better. It’s just an embarrassing reminder that I nearly puked on him last night when what I was trying to do was seduce him. Getting tangled in the sheets would have been a much better end to my night than hugging the toilet bowl. But alas…

  “We should put off the search for a dwelling until tomorrow. You don’t look—”

  I narrow my eyes at him. “Frog boy, if you’re about to tell me I look like crap I suggest you bite your tongue instead.”

  His concern fades and he tilts his head in amusement. “Feeling better, I see.”

  I grumble in response. All I want to do is fall back on my bed and sulk, but now’s not the time to feel sorry for myself. All my hopes and dreams are finally coming true. I need to find a way to get back to my happy place so I can start enjoying my new life here on Earth.

  Chapter 26