Never Knew I Needed

Prologue

written: 12.27.21-02.11.22
edited: 02.06.24-02.18.24

Once upon a time...

The evenin' star is shinin' bright
So make a wish and hold on tight
There's magic in the air tonight
And anythin' can happen...

NEVER KNEW I NEEDED

-

"Just at that moment, the ugly little frog looked up with his sad, round eyes and pleaded, 'Oh, please, dear princess! Only a kiss from you can break this terrible spell that was inflicted on me by the wicked witch!' "

Two little boys listened as Eudora told the story.

"Here comes my favorite part," the blond whispered to his best friend.

"And the beautiful princess was so moved by his desperate plea, that she stooped down..."

Eudora leaned in closer, grinning mischievously.

"Picked up the slippery little creature...raised him to her lips..."

The little boy nodded excitedly, the other shrinking back as he braced himself for what was to come next.

"And KISSED that little frog."

"Awww!"

"Ew!"

"Then, the frog was transformed into a handsome prince. They were married and lived happily ever after. The end." She cut a ribbon off of a new play suit she was making and shut the book.

"Yay!" he cheered, falling over. "Read it again! Read it again!"

"Sorry, Charles. It's time for us to be headin' home. Say goodnight, Tyler."

Tyler stood, wearing his old second-hand green clothes that looked plain in comparison to Charles's fancy pink ones. "There is no way in this whole wide world I would ever, ever, ever, I mean never kiss me a frog!"

"Is that so?" Charles asked slyly, picking up his kitten, forcing a frog mask on him, and shoving him in Tyler's face. "Well, here's your princess charmin', Ty! Come on! Kiss her!"

He pulled away. "No!"

"Kiss her!"

"Stop it!" He forced himself not to start giggling.

"Kiss her! Kiss her! Kiss her!"

"I won't! I won't! I won't!"

Charles pulled back, still squeezing his cat. "I would! I would kiss a hundred frogs if I could be a prince and marry a princess!" he sighed in his thick drawl before kissing the cat until he jumped onto the ceiling, Charles and Tyler rolling on the floor, laughing.

Eudora looked at them both sternly. "You boys, stop tormentin' that poor little kitty." She grabbed him from the ceiling and put him on the ground, his legs still shaking. "Poor little thing."

A heavyset man with a bushy moustache walked in through the door. "Evenin', Eudora."

"Daddy! Daddy!" Charles ran to him and twirled around for him in his new pink clothes. "Look at my new suit! Isn't it lovely?"

He beamed with pride at his little boy. "Look at you! Why, I'd expect nothin' less from the finest seamstress in New Orleans."

He picked him up and he tried to crawl over to the book, pointing at the storybook prince's suit. "Ooh! I want that suit!"