Frog Tale (3 page)

He frowned. “Was that a
n amphibian joke?”

She shook her head and flopped on the bed, her long frame stretched out and she stared at him. “If it was a frog joke I would have said I rib-it you a lot.”

He groaned. “That wasn’t funny, Chloe.”

She smiled impishly. “No, but we’re friends, so it’s okay.”

Friends.

The single word struck a chord in his heart, which echoed down to his soul. He’d never had a female friend. Come to think of it he questioned the people he considered friends back home. “Yeah, we’re friends.” It was nice to say but even better to know to the depths of him the words were true.

Chloe had to admit Luc had slowly become her best friend. Even though his first couple weeks with her were rough and he had been nothing but cranky
they had developed quite the rapport in the weeks following enough. So, much so that he had agreed to teach her Italian. She wasn’t sure why, but thought speaking a second language would be cool. Especially one her twit sisters didn’t understand.

Luc cast what she had to come to think of as his froggy smile. “You actually are picking the language up faster than I thought
you would.”

She smiled. “I’ll be fluent in no time.”

A thoughtful expression worked across his face and he continued to smile. “You’re one of a kind Chloe.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

He can be so sweet.

She
shook her head and sighed. “That might be a good thing.”

A strange look c
rossed his face and his smile―well―it turned upside down and he looked unhappy. “Why do you sell yourself short? You’re the smartest girl I’ve ever met.”

“I’m not like my sisters.” Her voice was soft even to her own ears.

“
Thank the stars, heavens and anything else I can give thanks to!”

Unsure if his tone was a shout for joy or a prayer she decided just to smile. She blinked and he croaked a chuckle. “They’re not all they appear Chloe. I like you.”

She smiled uncontrollably. “I like you too.” She reached in his glass castle and ran her finger gently over the top of his head. “You mean a lot to me.”

The bedroom door flung open and Chloe withdrew her hand from her frog.

“
Are you talking to the ugly beast again?” Stella fumed as she stomped toward the walk in closet.

“
What difference would it make to you?” Chloe glanced at Luc who shook his head in disgust. “And what the hell are you doing in my closet.”

Her sister never bothered to turn around instead huffed and continued toward the closet. “Mom bought you new clothes, and I want to wear your new blue sweater.”

What the hell? The bitch!

“I haven’t worn that sweater yet.” She stepped away from her dresser and glared at her sister.

Stella spun on her heel and narrowed her blue gaze into a venomous look. “So? Go back to your frog and shut up.”

“Get out of my room.” Chloe was so tired of Stella’s attitude.

“
Make me Chloe! That would mean you would have to leave Mr. Green and homely alone.” Her sister folded her arms across her chest and with determined steps drew closer.

This was unbel
ievable, getting pushed around by her sisters was getting old―fast. “Stella I had a good day, don’t even start.”

Her sister cocked a dark blonde brow. “Don’t what Chloe? Remind you that you're a nutcase. You’re crazy. You spend your time talking to a frog
. He isn’t going to turn into a prince or talk back. He is nothing. Not even a blip on the radar, and lets be honest, no one will miss him.”

The words hurt. She wasn’t crazy and could honestly say she didn’t like her sister very much. “Stella, please―”

“
Please what?” A mocking laugh left her sister. “Face facts Chloe, you are so pathetic and have nothing going for you. The only reason you like that forsaken thing is because he’s a freak of nature, like you.”

She glared at Stella. “So is your disposition and no one holds it against you.”

Her sister laughed maliciously. “You’re such a bitch. You hate me because I’m beautiful and you’re ugly. You’re boring, a bookworm and a nerd, while I'm a cheerleader and super popular.”

“You forgot to add an easy slut who will have sex with anything to your list of qualities.” Her temper flared and the pain of her sister’s cruel words wrecked havoc on her soul. “Don’t you have a football player to go suck?”

Stella gasped. “Bitch!” Her features twisted into an angry and demonic expression. “I would be nice―very nice to me or froggy here will end up in my science class in pieces.”

How dare she threaten Luc?

Chloe glanced at him. Contempt sprawled across his little green face as he stared at Stella. Scowling back at her sister, her temper rose to the surface. “You touch my frog and so help me you will regret the day you were born.”

“Is that a threat?” her sister’s blue eyes narrowed in disgust.

Anger continued to rise within her soul. Enough was enough. “Yeah, question is bimbo, can you spell it?”

“
Don’t call me a bimbo.”

Chloe snickered and gained a sliver of confidence. “You’re right, dumb slutty blonde is better and more fitting.”

“I hate you!” Her sister slapped her face.

The skin of her cheek stung and she was sure her eyeball was going to pop out from the pressure on her cheekbone. Sick of her sister’s torment, she grabbed Stella’s long blond ponytail. “Don’t ever hit me again or so help me!”

Stella struggled as Chloe tightened her grip around her sister’s hair. “Stop pulling, that hurts!”

She tugged harder on the ponytail and raised her knee. Her sister was going down, preferably with a black eye.

“
Stella! Chloe!” her father hurried into the room. “Stop fighting.” His strong hands separated them and kept them apart. “Enough! Now what happened?”

“
Chloe attacked me.”

The lying bitch!

This had to stop. Stella and even Georgina couldn’t keep blaming her for everything they started and she wanted to finish. Heaven forbid one of the bitchy little divas broke a nail. She seethed in rage and glared at Stella.
“I’m just getting started. You were two seconds from ending up in a Petri dish yourself.” She stared at her father. “Stella barged in my room and―”

“She’s lying
, dad!”

“
No, Stella insulted Luc and threatened to turn him into a science project all because I wouldn’t let her wear my new blue sweater.” The thought of harm coming to Luc scared her. Her sister was cruel. She would do something to the amphibian just to punish Chloe, especially since Luc was slightly flawed and not perfect. Maybe, that’s why Chloe cherished him so much, she related to him and his imperfections.

“
What happened to your face?” Her father narrowed his gaze on her.

Her sister stood behind her father, running a finger across her throat as if slitting the skin
then pointed to the frog.

If Chloe told her father the truth, Luc would end up a French hors d’ Oeuvre. She blinked at her father then did the only thing she could. Staring at the floor, she struggled to find her voice. “I must have hit it against something when we were fighting.”

He sighed and turned to Stella. “Go to your room. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Stella plastered a smile on her face so insincere, Chloe wanted nothing more than to lunge at her sister and punch the smirk right off her pretty face. “Try not to get to mad at her
, Daddy. She was just protecting the mutant frog.”

Her heart tightened. Luc wasn’t a mutant, he was special.

Chloe pivoted on her heel and stared at her sister. Again, it took every ounce of control not to grab that blond ponytail again as her sister stomped out of the room and down the hall. At least Luc was safe for another day. If it wasn’t Georgina after him or threatening him, it was Stella.

Her father’s gaze bore into her and she didn’t need to look up to know he was studying her. “Did your sister slap you?”

She didn’t answer.

“Chloe, tell me the truth and don’t worry, I won’t let your sister hurt Luc.” Her dad sounded sincere but
she also knew he had little control over the blonde demonic terrors from hell posing as her siblings.

She finally glanced to her father. “Dad―”

“
Answer me.” His voice held a sternness which surprised her and the expression on his face revealed he wasn’t backing down on this, he expected an answer.

“
Yes.” She turned away and walked over to Luc, safe in his glass castle then stared into his big brown eyes, they held so much grief. As long as she focused on him though, her father couldn’t see her weakness or her defeat. Luc’s scar from his nasty cut had formed a thick line of tissue down to his puffy cheek. He meant something to her and may only be a frog, but he was also her friend.

Her father cleared his throat. “Stella is ungrateful. She takes a lot for granted.”

If her dad’s words were supposed to be a comfort, they fell short. She would never tell him how she felt about the
amphibian or he would share her sisters’ opinion of her being crazy, nor did her father need to know how she longed to be beautiful like her sisters. She would settle for her plain looks if being pretty meant being mean.

“Talk to me
, Chloe.”

“
Stella is pretty and popular at school. She and Georgina are both beautiful and have a ton of friends and...” Turning away from her frog, she smiled at her father. “I’ll be fine. I just wish sometimes I was more like them. I always feel like the odd one out. The ugly duckling if you will.”

Her father shoved his hands in his pockets and his expression revealed worry. “Chloe―”

She had to escape before he saw the threat of tears in her eyes. “I’ll be fine, Dad. I’m going to get a glass of milk.” She walked toward her door. “Thanks anyway.” She smiled over her shoulder at him, though she knew the gesture lacked sincerity. “You better check on Stella in case she broke a nail or lost an eyelash in our altercation.”

She didn’t wait for a reply, instead, stepped out of the room and wondered what it would take to be pretty like her sisters.

Maybe one day, I’ll know. A girl can dream.

Luciano hated how sad Chloe looked as she walked out of the room. She was quite protective over him. In truth he was
protective over her as well. Too bad he was the size of a tennis ball and not the strong, large hero that fairy tales made out. If she were a few years older and he not a frog, things would be different―very different.

“What happened?” Albert shut her bedroom door and stared at him.

“Stella being Stella,” he replied. “Albert, Stella and Georgina treat Chloe horrible. Hell, they treat everyone not like them, horrible. You should hear them with their friends. They’re mean.” He frowned, mean was an understatement. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but Stella and Georgina are not very nice people and are menaces to society.”

“I appreciate your honesty, you’re a good―”

“I know.” He liked Albert, but he didn’t want to be called a man, he was a frog and didn’t need the reminder he wasn’t human. He missed being human and missed his home and his mother even more.

“I haven’t had much of a chance to talk to you or thank you for the last couple weeks. You were right about Cammarata needing sugar. Your father seems like a good guy
and the sugar deal saved me financially. I don’t know how to ever thank you.”

Luciano nodded and his body warmed over the fact he’d done well for his country and for the Starlings. “You already have, the day you brought me home and gave me Chloe.”

“You mean when I gave
you
to Chloe.”

He thought a moment. “That’s what I said.”

Albert grinned. “Right, of course it is.” His smile faded. “You should call your father he’s worried about you. I can help you dial―”

“I don’t want to talk to him and he can’t see me in this state.” He missed his family something horrible but knew if he were to leave he would miss Chloe too. It was a tough spot. “I told you I was a
prince.”

“I know and apparently it’s true.” He glanced at the castle shaped tank. “Chloe thinks the world of you.”

“I admit I’m a pretty spoiled frog.” He was very spoiled only she had taught him how to be grateful. “She takes me everywhere she can―except school. Of course, she mentioned something about the fear of her science teacher not appreciating me in a friendly way.” He could well imagine. He had attended a private school when he was her age and having a science teacher who loved to dissect things. Luciano shivered, he wasn’t even going to think about that fate.

Albert’s expression turned thoughtful and he smiled. “I think you’re smart to avoid a science class.” He paused and looked to be debating his words. “Have you told her who you are?”

“Sort of, I only told her I was a prince. Only, she thought I was kidding, cracked a few prince charming jokes and pacified me with this new pad.” He winced at his own pun. “Castle, I meant castle.”

Albert chuckled and shook his head as he glanced up at the ceiling. “Chloe is my smart one. She’s going to make something of herself. The other two are smart but they’re more interested in other things.”

“I noticed―like themselves.” He couldn’t stop the words from falling off his tongue.

What could he say? That he’d overheard conversations of partying, clothes, who was doing what and who they were doing―literally speaking. Chloe hadn’t been far off on the
slut comment, and of course, more talk of partying. Yet, at one point, he was interested in those very things, like high end clothing, the wildest and best parties and as he got older, nightclubs. Only now when he pictured himself doing human things, he pictured himself doing them with Chloe. She made him laugh and made things fun.

She’s my best friend.

That thought, along with how much he missed his family, made him long to be human again. What difference would it make if he was a human? She was just a kid and he twenty-one.

“What are you thinking?”

He blinked at Albert. “I like Chloe, she has a good heart.” He didn’t know what else to say, he couldn’t even let his thoughts go past the point they were at now.

“She does have a good heart but is a little more sensitive than the other two. I worry about her. I’m afraid that she will fall for the first guy that comes along.”

Or the first frog.

Luciano shook his head
. He had to focus and stop feeling sorry over his predicament. “She’ll be fine. You better go check on the girls―make sure they aren’t having round two.”

If they are I hope Chloe kicks her sister’s ass.

Albert nodded, stood and walked over to the door. He turned and studied him carefully. He obviously was picking up on the chaos of emotions stirring through Luciano’s heart and soul. “Everything will be fine Luc. You’ll see.”

Tell that to my heart.

“Life has a funny way of working itself out even when we can’t see it.”

He sure hoped Albert was right or he was going to be miserable―not to mention a frog―for the rest of his life.

Chloe hurried up the stairs clutching the handles of the bag in her hand tightly. It was three months ago today that Luc had become part of her life and she had an anniversary present for him. She knew he would love the gift.
Still, she was slightly in awe how quickly the last three months had gone. Luc was sweet and she considered him a dear friend, despite the crankiness in the beginning. Not to mention the best teacher going, her Italian improved daily. Of course, she still couldn’t understand a word he said when he mumbled, but he was still lovable and he was always there to lend a listening ear―not that she could see his ears. He sat quietly and let her talk, paying attention and giving his froggy advice. She rushed through her bedroom door and stared at the glass where Luc resided.

He shot her a look of contempt an
d glanced to the large clock on the wall. Yep, he was going to lecture her for being late. She smiled broader and shut her door then locked the handle.

“Where have you been Chloe, I’ve been worried.” Sure enough his demand
in English followed with a mutter of Italian.

She laughed and drew closer to her friend. “I bought you something.”

“Shopping again?” Luc blinked in surprise. “That’s twice in three months, what has gotten into you? You don’t have the flu or a virus that’s going around, do you?”

“No to the flu or virus and yes, I went shopping, but this time I went by myself and found you the most perfect gift.”

He groaned and his lack of patience again prevailed. Though she found the notion sweet how he worried about her constantly, almost as much as she stressed over his safety and happiness. “Since it is not a Porsche―”

“Actually, Prince Charming it is.” She hauled the large remote control car out of the bag and waited.

Her frog eyed the box then glanced back at her. “You aren’t kidding.” His froggy mouth gaped slightly in surprise or awe, she wasn’t sure which.

She smiled faintly. “I know how badly you wanted one, and since you
’re too small to operate a real one and I didn’t have the money to buy one, not to mention a permit to drive the vehicle home, I thought this would work.”

“Why are you so good to me?”

Because I love you and you’re my best friend.

“I like you happy.” It was the truth, there was something so amazing about Luc, and she couldn’t even start to describe how he made her feel.

His little chin wiggled. “I like you happy too. So tell me the color.”

She laughed. “It’s red, of course.”

“Have I told you that you’re perfect?”

“Not recently, but I wanted you to have fun and I worry you get a little bored sometimes.” She set the bag and the car on the floor and quickly reached for her friend then lifted him out of his house.

“I like when you read to me at night but those teen romance novels really sucked. I’m so glad we’ve agreed on world history.” His dark blue eyes pierced her and a serious look crossed his amphibian face. “I always have fun with you.”

“You mean now that we’ve stopped arguing?”

He croaked a chuckle. “That is exactly what I mean. So show me what you have.”

She sat next to the bag and placed Luc on her thigh then took out the shiny red remote controlled Porsche. “Do you have any idea how this works?”
She reached for the instructions figuring they might be helpful.

“Tell me you bought batteries, chances are you need them both for the car and the remote. Also
move the instructions a little lower so I can take a look.”

She nodded and reached into the bag again. “The clerk at the store sold me batteries too. He must have thought it strange that a teenage girl was buying a remote control Porsche.”

Luc frowned and swallowed hard. “You didn’t tell him it was for a frog did you?”

That was the last thing she needed, for more people other than her family to think her weird. Well her father never thought her weird, but her sisters did and a couple of times
she had witnessed her mother lift her brows in serious question over Chloe’s love toward the frog. Okay, so she did treat him like royalty and maybe her behavior in catering to him was a little over the top. He was much more fun to hang out with than the wicked bitchy blondes down the hall. She almost regretted calling them family, but sadly, she couldn’t change the fact they were her sisters.

If there was only a way to put them up for adoption. Well, in a way that won’t let me get grounded or blamed. Accidental adoptions happen right?

“What are you thinking?” Luc’s baritone of a croak cut into her thoughts and she glanced at him.

“
I was wondering if mom and dad would miss Stella and Georgina if I put them up for adoption and if there was a way I could go about doing such a thing without leaving a paper trail.”

The expression on his amphibian face was unreadable and then he croaked. “They might, I think you’d have better luck selling them.”

“I wonder if I could get rid of them in a garage sale.” She muttered and read the directions for the Porsche. Her confidence rose slightly as the instructions looked easy enough and sat the paper aside. She opened the packages of batteries and, after placing the large ones in the car and the smaller ones in the remote she turned the power on.

Nothing.

She frowned and stared at the remote. “This isn’t working.”

Luc sighed from her thigh. “Look underneath the vehicle you might have to turn a switch on there as well.”

“You must think I’m pretty dumb.”

“
Actually, I think you’re pretty terrific. You’re very thoughtful and probably the least selfish person I know. A trait you no doubt get from your father. He’s a neat guy and I’m happy I made his acquaintance.” There was something off in his tone and she glanced down. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, everything is great.”

Chloe didn’t believe him. She had come to learn her frog’s tone of voice and his moods. Something troubled him. “Well, let’s see. Now the guy at the store promised me the doors opened on it. Mind you he did ask me why I would want them to open.”

“Do I dare ask what you told him?”

“I told him it was for a technology unit in science class and I needed to be able to have my teacher access the interior for parts of my report.”

“Good reason, however I’m not sure I appreciate you lying. Not a good practice to get into,
and besides, your sisters do enough of it for you and half the neighborhood.”

Her fingers pulled open the door. “Do me a favor and don’t
start scolding, I wasn’t going to tell him I planned on putting a frog inside and send him on the ride of his life.”

Luc’s amphibian face scrunched. “Chloe, you do have some idea how this works, right?”

Why does he sound nervous?

“Oh yeah, I have an idea,” she assured. Ideas she had lots of those, once she figured out the maneuvering stick on the remote, the drive should go smooth. At least she hoped. “Hop i
n―no pun intended.”

“Keep in mind
I am
a prince and have a country to return to and rule one day.” He jumped down and eyed the door to the red vehicle.

She giggled and for some reason liked when her vain frog referred to himself as royalty. “Right and I am
princess car commando.”

“I don’t find those words reassuring.” He croaked and hopped inside the car. He was a big frog and she became glad she had purchased the larger model; he fit inside the interior comfortably.

“Relax this is supposed to be fun.”

“I
feel like I am taking my life into my hands.” Oh yeah, he sounded nervous―maybe a bit excited, but definitely a little frightened.

Oh froggy of little faith.

A wicked laughed escaped her and she grinned. “Actually, your life is in my hands. Have a good time.” She shut the door and smiled. “Ready or not here we go.” She yanked the lever and the car zipped backward until it bounced into her desk chair.

Luc jolted inside from the impact. “Chloe!”

“Sorry wrong way.” She shifted the remote and the car inched forward at a slower pace. “I’ve got it now, though I probably should have considered something with a seat belt.” No sooner did the words leave her mouth when the front end of the car nudged the corner of the dresser. “Oops, I should've turned.”