Frog Kisser

chapter nine

The number of slacked jaws that followed me and my team of animals turned humans was so incredible, it made me laugh. You'd think they had seen a ghost or a dragon with three heads. All eyes passed over me to get to the real prize. When they noticed Romeo, their eyes went wide and dreamy. He was like Prince Charming strolling into the ball to steal some hearts and grant wishes.

"Beautiful," Romeo said in such a soft voice, it was like his dreamy thoughts slipped from his lips.

"Yeah, they really cleaned this place up nicely."

"I wasn't talking about the venue," Romeo said. I glanced at my date, getting hit by his golden eye stare. The attention sent a shiver down my back. I trembled against its heat, turned to mush by its intensity.

"What are you looking at? If you don't look forward, you're going to run into something."

This made Romeo smile and I felt like he just won a prize.

"I was talking about you."

"RACE YOU DOWN THE HALL!" Daisy yelled and blew right past us, making me laugh. Her 50s inspired gown ruffled up behind her as the chandeliers shook while she ran underneath them. The fabric was covered in embroidered sunflowers.

Nibbler pushed through us with her arms as crossed as her tone. "No one else is running! Be careful—!" She yelled a moment too late as Daisy ran into a suit of armor. The metal arm clattered to the ground, disturbing all dignity and gallantry. With a sigh, Nibbler hurried over and helped Daisy hide the evidence.

"Let's walk together," Nibbler suggested and offered her slender hand. She wore a crimson red dress covered in roses with netting covering her arms. "I don't want you getting ahead of me and getting swept away by someone else. You promised your first dance to me."

Daisy grinned and took Nibbler's hand. "But I don't know how to dance."

"Doesn't matter. As long as we're dancing together. It's my first dance too, you know." She nudged Daisy.

My mouth gaped.

There was something going on here that was difficult for me to process. I'd assumed they were just friends, but were they something more? Daisy giggled and nodded so enthusiastically, I was worried her head was going to pop off.

At the end of the hall, Daisy and Nibbler threw the doors open and its bellowing wail alerted every one of our arrival. The sounds of ballroom music had been muffled but in that small moment the rush of strings and the trill of piano keys rushed through me like a harsh wind. Suddenly, all that melted gooey goodness froze over and cracked. I was so overwhelmed by the magic and Romeo's charms that I forgot who would be in that ball room.

It would be everyone.

Everyone at Gretchen's party who watched me make a fool of myself.

It'd be David who thought I should stay home before I caused any more damage.

It'd be Jeremy who wouldn't buy a guy like Romeo bringing me to the dance for a second. This was all starting to feel like a horrible mistake, like I was better off flinging myself off the nearest cliff. Maybe that would hurt less.

Romeo squeezed my hand and brought me back to the hall and the muffled music. "Don't be nervous," Romeo told me with so much authority that I was almost quick to believe anything he said, even if he said the night sky was strawberry red and that fire lizards are ice instead of embers.

"You don't have to care about what anyone thinks in that room. You only have to focus on me, your date tonight and let me tell you, right now this is a dream come true and all I wanna do is dance with you."