The Frog and The Beast

The Frog Chapter 12

I didn't want to forgive Gray so easily. After all, what he did to me hurt more than anything any other bully had ever done—maybe even more than what Minerva had done. Gray had been my friend since before I could read. As a kid, I thought he was the only person, aside from my family, I could always rely on. So when he turned on me in middle school, it felt like a betrayal. A betrayal that seemed unforgivable. I thought I'd never forgive him for it—or at least, that I wouldn't forgive him so quickly. I always imagined I'd make him suffer a little first. Yes, I know that's petty and wrong, but he hurt me deeply. You'd probably feel the same.

But when I saw him that day, transformed into a hideous beast and concealed from the world, looking so lost and alone, I just didn't have the heart to hold a grudge. Especially after I learned the reasons behind his actions. When he told me that his uncle valued looks above all else and wouldn't tolerate anything less than perfection, I initially thought Gray was exaggerating. Sure, Nathaniel was a deuce bag, but he wouldn't really discard his own nephew just because of his appearance or social status, right?

Today, however, I learned that was exactly the case. No wonder Gray acted like such a jerk all the time; it was the only way he could protect himself from being abandoned and forgotten. Of course, that doesn't excuse his actions—nothing justifies treating someone cruelly or betraying those who genuinely care about you. But I knew I'd always have my parents and my sister; I never had to fear that they would leave me simply because I didn't meet their standards. Poor Gray had to live with that fear his entire life, and now his worst nightmare had come true.

"So..." he said after a long moment of silence, "how are your parents?"

"They've been going crazy ever since the transformation. They can't hear me in this form like you can, so they think I just disappeared."

"How come Wendy can hear you?"

"I gave her something that allowed her to. A gift from a good witch. Believe it or not, there are good witches out there."

"Yeah, I know."

"But she only gave me two of them. I had planned to give one to my father, but Wendy drank it by mistake, and I'm saving the other for someone much more important."

"More important than your parents?" he asked, puzzled. "Who could that be?"

"The one who can break my curse."

"Why were you cursed, anyway? You're normally a nice guy. What could you have done to anger a witch into hexing you?"

"Well, remember when you mentioned that Kagura was morally neutral at best?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, her sister Minerva is not. She's completely off her rocker! I took her to the dance, and when I rejected her advances, she turned me into a frog."

"Huh... Fatal Attraction must be her favorite movie," he said. "Then again, you always were a little too nice, and I did warn you that could get you into trouble."

"You're saying I deserved this?!"

"No. But why would you even go out with that crazy skank? Didn't any alarms go off in your head when you were around her?"

"They did, but I felt sorry for her. I didn't want to judge her based on her looks. I thought she needed a friend."

"Look, I know politically correct people say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but there is such a thing as obvious evil, you know."

"I just didn't want to be like you, okay? When she asked me to the dance, my gut told me to say no, that something was off, but I was worried it was just her appearance that bothered me. I didn't want to hurt a lonely girl just because she was different."

"But it turns out she was a freak all along because you ignored the obvious red flags."

"Oh, so basing everything on looks is always safe? Just how did you get cursed again, exactly?"

"Alright, so I'm shallow, but at least I wouldn't be stupid enough to go off with a stranger."

"And at least I wouldn't be heartless enough to make someone suicidal just because they looked different."

"Okay, I was never that mean!"

"How would you know? You never thought about how your actions affected people. For all you know, everyone you bullied probably considered taking a razor to themselves at least once."

"Did I ever make you think about that?" he asked, momentarily looking concerned.

"No," I confirmed. "As much as your words hurt, I didn't actually believe them. But other people might have."

"Do you know if anyone did? To that degree, I mean."

"I don't know. You did drive some kids to transfer to different schools, but I never heard of anyone taking their own life because of you."

I felt a pang of guilt for putting that idea in Gray's head. Even at his worst, I knew he never wanted to go that far.

"Anyway," I said, changing the subject. "Minerva said the only way I can change back is to befriend a princess, eat with her, sleep in the same bed, and get her to kiss me."

"By sleep with her, do you mean—"

"No! Not like that!" I scoffed. "Just sleep in the same bed as her."

"And it has to be a princess?"

"Apparently."

"So how are you going to pull that off?"

"I have no idea. What about you? How are you supposed to change back?"

"I have to fall in love and be loved by a girl who's like a rose, and I have to do it in two years."

"A girl who's like a rose? What the hell does that mean?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Kagura kind of explained it to me, but I just don't get it."

"Well, better a girl like a rose than a princess. At least you can find one of those around here. I think."

Soon Wendy and Ur came back into the drawing room with something to eat for us. My mouth was practically watering, Ur had made her famous caramade franks. I hadn't eaten one of those since I was a kid. Ha! I knew always liked Ur.

As I watched them set the table, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. The aroma of the caramade franks filled the air, reminding me of simpler times—when my biggest worry was whether I'd get a slice of cake at my birthday party or if I'd be able to convince my parents to let me stay up late to watch cartoons.

Wendy placed a plate in front of me, and I couldn't help but grin. I took a bite. The flavors exploded in my mouth, and for a moment, I was just a kid again, sitting at the kitchen table with my family, laughing and sharing stories.

I glanced over at Gray, noticing that he wasn't eating. It struck me as odd; surely he must be as hungry as I was, especially since caramelized franks were among his favorites. So why wasn't he eating?

"I'll eat later," he said, rising from his seat. "Thanks for coming by, Natsu, Wendy. After you finish, I'll have a limo take you both home."

"You want us to leave already?" I asked, surprised. "But we just got here."

He didn't reply. Instead, he simply walked away. Wendy made a move to follow him, but Ur gently advised against it. After Wendy and I finished our meal, she guided us back to the limo, which took us home as Gray had promised. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that leaving might not have been the right choice.