The Frog Prince

by Tracy Lauren

  “Then let’s go to Earth,” Kethian tells me, pulling the trucker hat down onto his head. I snort at his appearance. It’s funny how skinny jeans and trucker hats used to do it for me. But it all looks childish on Kethian. I want to tell him to take it off and put on his guardsman uniform, with the tunic that showcases his chiseled biceps. But he needs a disguise and he’ll need it soon because we just broke Earth’s atmosphere.

  Chapter 22

  Kethian

  I do not like the Earth clothes Madison made for me. Wearing them makes me feel as if I am not myself and I wonder if that is how she felt on Tevera—dressed up in fancy ball gowns and forced to play the part of a happy princess. I also can’t help but wonder if these are the type of clothes Justin Bieber wears and the thought makes my new found jealousy flare. I cast a glance in her direction and notice that her demeanor seems to match my dark mood.

  “Are you nervous?” I ask as she stares out at her world. It’s been a long time since she’s been here and though I don’t say it, I still wonder if she will be able to find a place here. Or perhaps that is just my own wishful thinking.

  “Nervous?” She shakes herself from her thoughts, forcing a smile to her face. “No way. I’m home! I’m just trying to decide what I want to do first.”

  “We’ll need Earth credits before we do anything.”

  “I know. I tried to make them on the synth, but the texture was all wrong. We need to figure out a way to get our hands on a few bills.” She frowns.

  “Do you have an idea?”

  “Yeah, but it involves stealing. I thought we might be able to grab someone’s tip off a table at a restaurant. We could always put it back after, of course. So it’s really more like borrowing than stealing.”

  I nod. It’s a sound enough plan.

  “I can’t wait to show you how awesome Earth can be, Kethian. First thing we’re going to do once we get some money is go to a grocery store and buy a big box of Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. You’re never going to want to leave,” Madison thrills.

  “Are these the delicacies of your world?”

  “Hah! Hell no. That’s straight up junk food. Oooh, and Twinkies. I’ve got to find you some Twinkies.”

  “And you think that will entice me to stay on this primitive world?” I ask, setting my ship down in a clearing surrounded by a thick copse of trees.

  “Junk food is a good 70 percent of the reason I came home, so yeah. I think so,” Madison tells me jokingly. If only she knew how badly I wish to remain by her side, she wouldn’t be saying such things.

  “I cannot remain on Earth. You know this, right?”

  The smile slips from her face. “I do.”

  “Hm,” I grunt, staring out at the trees.

  “How long will you stay?” she asks, her voice soft and filled with uncertainty.

  “Until I know you’re safe and settled. You must have a place to live and a job to support yourself. I will not leave without knowing you are taken care of.”

  Silence fills the space between us and Madison looks introspective. I wait patiently for her to share her thoughts with me.

  “You know, when we started this trip I thought I would be so happy to leave behind everything alien.”

  “Is that no longer the case?” Hope blossoms within my chest.

  She looks at me with solemn eyes. “You’re the only friend I’ve had in years, Kethian. I’m going to miss you.”

  I rise from my seat and go to her, offering my hand. “You fucking better miss me,” I tell her. A sincere smile touches her features as she leans her body against mine. I run my hand down her back, comforting her…and if I am honest, it is to comfort me as well. The simple touch has my cock springing to life, but I can’t bring myself to surrender to my desire. My heart is simply too fragile at the moment. So I pull away. “We should go—start exploring this place.”

  Madison’s eyes shine and she bites back an excited squeak as she reaches up to straighten my hat. “Oh Kethian, I can’t wait to show you how awesome Earth is.”

  I try my best to look happy for her, but inside I’m dying. “Lead the way, Princess.”

  Chapter 23

  Madison

  We trudge through the leaves blanketing the forest floor for a long while before we finally find a trail. I know we aren’t too far out into the wilderness because I can see a thick layer of hazy smog down the hill. I laugh to myself. I never thought I’d be so excited to see some nasty-ass Earth smog. They don’t have stuff like that on Tevera, their culture uses far more advanced means of creating energy and fuel.

  “We’re close to a town, Keth! Look!” I shout eagerly.

  Kethian’s got a grimace on his face. “What is that smell?”

  “I don’t know? Earth, trees… French fries maybe?” I sniff the air. There’s lots of fast food garbage littering the trail. I see a filthy McDonald’s cup and I want to pick it up and hug it close to my chest. “Come on!” I pick up my pace and practically run the rest of the way down the hill. The trees open on the parking lot of a strip mall. There’s a tractor supply store, PetSmart, Michael’s, a Ross, and a long line of fast food chains. I smell KFC on the air.

  “Civilization!” I cry.

  “If you say so,” Kethian grumbles beside me.

  I turn to him and I’m so excited I have to reach out and shake the man. “This is amazing!”

  “You are standing in garbage,” he says flatly.

  I look down only to see what looks like a popped balloon, but slowly I recognize the discarded object for what it is—a used condom. “Ew!” I jump away. “Okay, that was gross but I’m not going to let it put a damper on my mood.”

  “Why is this place so dirty, Madison? Is all of Earth like this?”

  “What? It’s not that bad.” I look around. “Teenagers probably come here to party. Doesn’t matter. What should we do first?”

  “Find a restaurant so we can get you some credits.”

  “Money,” I correct. But all the restaurants nearby look to be fast food. People don’t tip at places like that. “We’ve still got some walking to do,” I say, my tone conveying my enthusiastic determination.

  Kethian and I make our way to the sidewalk. It’s warm out, late spring maybe. And I imagine he’s hot with that hoodie pulled down low over his face and his hands buried deep in his pockets. But he also looks too cool for his own good. “People are going to think you’re a troublemaker dressed like that,” I say, laughing. Cars zoom by on the busy street next to us and Kethian peeks up at me from under his hood and trucker hat. His eyes twinkle with amusement.

  “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “No, I don’t suppose it would be. Hey look! There’s an Applebee’s!” I notice a tall sign near a freeway on ramp up ahead.

  “I have no idea what an apple bee is.”

  “Pay dirt, baby,” I tell him, quickening my pace. On the way, I point out a Wienerschnitzel and for a block I rave about root beer floats and mini corn dogs. All the while Kethian is a good sport. The guy has no concept of ice cream or soda, but I still catch glimpses of the entertained expression he wears.

  “With all this talk of food you’d think they were starving you on Tevera.”

  “You’ll understand soon enough,” I promise him, the poor bastard has never even had a corn dog. We stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change. I put my hands on my hips, happily surveying everything around us.

  “I can’t believe I’m home. You have no idea how…comforting all this stuff is.”

  Kethian frowns. Turning in a slow circle he assesses this little slice of Earth. “All I see are massive marketplaces and eateries that only seem to sell this junk food you keep talking about.”

  “Yeah, but it’s familiar,” I tell him excitedly.

  “Please don’t tell me familiarity is all you’ve been looking for.”

  The little guy pops up on the crosswalk signal and even that small bit of normalcy makes my heart swell. “It�
�s more than that, obviously. It’s having a place where I actually belong. I mean, can you even imagine what it would be like to suddenly be on a world that’s completely foreign to you?”

  Kethian scoffs and I realize what I’ve said. “Okay, well I guess it doesn’t take much imagining considering you’re on Earth and all. But imagine if I just dumped you here and told you this is where you would have to spend the rest of your life.”

  “If I had you with me it would not be so bad,” he says, causing my steps to falter. I’m not sure if I have an adequate response to that. I know our friendship has been building and this connection I’ve felt with Kethian is nothing I’ve ever experienced before, but all this flirting and playfulness, it’s fleeting. I try to tell myself that it’s likely a result of these unexpected circumstances we’ve been thrust into, but I can’t make myself believe that lie.

  I care about Kethian because he’s the first person in nine years to care about me. Sure, my mom and Vazrium bought me things, threw parties for me, and paid for the most expensive tutors—but I really believe that was all an effort to alleviate their guilt from stealing me away from Earth and the life I was supposed to lead. Kethian actually cares about what I want—what makes me happy. And that’s worth its weight in gold.

  “This is it,” I tell him, pointing up at the apple on the front of the building.

  “What’s the plan?”

  “Shoot…I don’t know. I was probably 10 the last time I was in an Applebee’s. I figure we just play it by ear and act like we belong?”

  “I will follow your lead, Princess.”

  I nod decisively and push open the big double doors. We’re met by a cold blast of air and Kethian follows me inside.

  “Hi there, welcome to Applebee’s!” a young woman at the front says in greeting. “How many?”

  How many what I wonder? “Um, could we see a menu before we order?”

  Her smile drops and she gives me a confused look. “No, I mean how many in your party?”

  “Oh! Two please,” I say nervously.

  “Right this way.”

  The woman leads us to a small booth and though Kethian keeps his head down, I notice she sends him some odd glances. Some of his green skin is showing. I grab a menu out of her hands and shove it in his face. “Take a look, babe, tell me what’s good.”

  Her eyes go wide at my rudeness and even though I’m embarrassed, at least she’s looking at me now and not Kethian.

  “Your server will be with you shortly,” she says, her tone icy.

  Kethian and I hold up our menus and lean over the table to talk quietly. “I should have made you some sunglasses,” I lament. “You’re too green!”

  “More importantly, I think I’m noticing a flaw in your plan,” he points out. “How do you plan to pay for this meal?”

  “We aren’t eating, we’ll just look at the menus and pretend we’re trying to decide. When someone leaves a tip, we’ll jump up and tell the waitress we changed our minds. Grab the tip and go,” I whisper to him. “Kethian! Your hands!” I realize suddenly that when he holds the menu, the entire restaurant has a view of his green digits. Quickly, he folds the menu shut and slinks down in his seat, shoving his hands deep in his pocket. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect, because just then our waitress approaches.

  “Hi y’all! My name’s Kathy and I’ll be your server this afternoon. Can I getcha started with some drinks and mozzarella sticks?” The woman looks to be a little older than my mom and though she wears more hairspray and eyeshadow than necessary, she has a kind demeanor.

  “Actually, we’re still trying to decide. Can we have a few more minutes?”

  “Not a problem, sweetie. Would you like some waters while you look over the menu?”

  “How much do they cost?” I ask carefully.

  The waitress’s brow furrows. “The water’s free, honey.”

  “Oh, then yes. We’ll take two.”

  When she leaves I notice Kethian staring at me. He looks…concerned.

  I lean closer to whisper-yell at him. “I was a kid the last time I came to a place like this,” I say in my defense.

  “You’re doing fine,” he lies. “We should start looking for creds. What do they look like?”

  “They’re paper, a kind of greenish color, with faces on them.”

  “That’s odd currency.”

  “Whatever, just keep your eyes peeled.” I look around and notice a nearby table that hasn’t been bussed yet. On it sits a couple of dollars and some pocket change. I suck in a breath. “Kethian, there!”

  But Kathy’s rounded hips block our view as she slips the money into her apron and begins to clear the table. “Dammit.” I’m feeling anxious in this place. I don’t know how I’m supposed to behave and because we don’t have any money for food I’m feeling more awkward every second we sit here. But Kethian taps my hand and nods to a table behind me. I crane my neck. There are a couple of guys who look like they work in construction finishing up their lunch. Just before they walk away from the table, one of them throws down a few bucks.

  My eyes go wide and my heart starts pounding wildly. Here’s our chance. Now we just need to steal this money without getting caught. Because if we get caught, it’s a crime. And the restaurant manager will probably call the police, and when the police get here they’ll ask for my ID, and when I don’t have one they’ll run some kind of a check on me and realize I went missing back in 2011. And don’t even get me started on what they’ll do to the green-skinned alien I’m with.

  “We shouldn’t do this,” I tell Kethian, suddenly feeling frantic. “Let’s get out of here.”

  Kethian sighs, looking far more relaxed than I feel—which seems wrong to me. I mean, this is my world—why am I the nervous one? “Does this place have a restroom?” he questions.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Go there. I will tell the waitress we have changed our minds and meet you outside.”

  “Don’t do anything stupid, Kethian. I don’t want to do this anymore—it’s too risky. We can find another way.”

  I’m too focused on Keth to notice our waitress has returned with the water. “Have y’all decided?” she asks cheerfully.

  “Where is your restroom?” Kethian asks, not looking up at her.

  “Back corner, just past the kitchen,” she explains, but she’s holding her little notepad in hand, waiting to take down our orders.

  “I’ll be just a sec,” I say apologetically, rising from my seat.

  I cringe when I hear her still talking to Kethian as I head for the restrooms. “Do you want to order for your girlfriend?” she asks. Shamefully I slink away, hoping Kethian can handle getting rid of her on his own.

  When I get into the restroom I notice I can hear the music the restaurant is playing on the loudspeakers more clearly than I could out in the busy dining area. Immediately my knees go weak. It’s a Justin Bieber song. I practically stumble to the sinks and when I look up at myself in the mirror, my emotions finally overtake me. Tears well in my eyes. The last time I was on this planet, listening to this song, I was a 12-year-old kid. The reflection I see in the mirror belongs to a woman however.

  My mom told me stories about other women she met when she was first taken. They had all been abducted like her, but from different worlds. Some of them had spent years in stasis chambers before they finally woke to the horrors of their abductions. And while my story obviously can’t be compared to all that they went through, I feel like I’ve been in a sort of stasis all these years. My body has aged, but the rest of me…I’ve been frozen. I haven’t lived in nearly a decade. And while this JB song doesn’t make me want to sing along and shake it like I used to when I was 12, it certainly brings back a flood of memories. I feel like I’ve lost so much time.

  Tears spill down my cheeks and a toilet flushes. Before I have the chance to duck into a stall, a woman emerges. She does a double take when she sees me crying. I hurriedly grab a handful of paper towels and wipe a
t my face.

  I almost think she’s going to ignore my weirdness, but as she rinses her hands she asks, “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah.” I force a smile. “This song just brings back a lot of memories.”

  She frowns, trying to hear what I do…the beauty in it, the nostalgia perhaps. “Isn’t this from that crappy Karate Kid remake they did like 10 years ago?”

  She might as well have slapped me. I wipe one last tear and toss my paper towels into the trash can. “It wasn’t crappy. It had Jackie Chan in it.”

  “Jackie Chan is cool and all, but there’s no replacing Mr. Miyagi,” she tells me just before slipping through the heavy bathroom door and back out into the restaurant.

  I wait a full minute before I leave, my emotions running roughshod in my head. Now I’m angry to boot. It was not a crappy movie.

  When I finally emerge from the restroom I scan for Kethian and I spot his hooded frame through the window. He’s already outside. Eager to join him, I hurry for the nearest door.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” an older man calls loudly. “Slow down, young lady, that’s an emergency exit.” I glance down at the handle and see the bright red lettering.

  “Oh, my mistake. Thank you,” I tell him, but now there’s a few rows of booths staring at me and I feel my cheeks grow hot. Embarrassed, I power walk to the front. I don’t see our waitress on the way out and no one else stops me. Even the woman greeting people at the door is preoccupied when I walk by and I must say, I’m relieved.

  I’m rounding the corner, hurrying in Kethian’s direction, when a loud horn nearly makes me jump out of my skin. I look up to see a man in a beat-up old truck leering at me as he drives past.

  “Ew gross.”

  “What is this?” Kethian asks, gesturing at the old creeper.

  “Just a pervert.”

  “A pervert? Why was he making noises at you?”

  “To be a creep, alright. It’s a thing.” I grab his arm and lead him back to the crosswalk.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, trying to slow my steps, but I’m in full steamroller mode. “Madison—have you been crying?”