Running Toward Love (Chapter 3)

Chapter 3

Leo grabbed his lunch tray and piled some food on it. Lost in thought, he wandered up to pay for his food. He heard a familiar voice behind him say, “What’s safe to eat around here? Everything at my old school tasted like salted cardboard.”

Leo turned his head and saw the boy from last night. “Ah. We meet again. Reese? Right? They have pizza almost every day, and it’s edible. I’ve got the spaghetti today. I’m hoping it’s as good as it was last year. Overall, the food isn’t great, but it’s ok.”

“Yeah, I’m Reese. Thanks for the directions last night and the culinary suggestions today. I promise I won’t only talk to you when I need help.” Reese grinned.

“That’s quite alright. You can talk to me anytime. Do you want to sit with my friend and me? He’s waiting for me over there.” Leo pointed to where Brandon was sitting.

“I would, but there’s this girl I’m supposed to meet with.”

“A girl? I suppose that is more important. Have fun.”

“No… uh… not like that.” Reese blushed. “I need to find out the details for cheer tryouts. I was on the cheer squad at my last school, and it was fun. I wanted to try and do that here, too.”

“A cheerleader. I would have guessed you for a lacrosse star.”

“I tried that, but I like cheerleading better. I also play baseball in the spring.”

Leo heard Brandon calling his name. “Sounds fun. I gotta go before my friend starts chewing on the table.” Leo laughed. “The cheerleaders usually sit over there.” He pointed across the cafeteria. “See you later, Reese.”

Reese smiled and walked where Leo pointed while Leo walked over and sat by Brandon.

“It’s about time you got here! That’s the last time I wait for you for food.” Brandon reached over and took one of the trays from Leo. “Now spill the tea. Who was that hottie you were talking to, and was he the guardian angel you hinted at this morning?”

“He is Reese. I met him last night on the beach. He’s not my angel. He’s just a new boy. Sounds like he’s trying out for the cheer squad. My angel’s name is Charlie, and he and his mom rented the cabin by the old lighthouse while exploring our glorious little town. That’s why he happened to be on the beach yesterday.”

“Wait? Exploring? Please tell me you didn’t fall for a tourist, Leo!”

“Yes, he is a tourist, but you didn’t see him. You didn’t talk to him. Bran, I haven’t thought about anyone else since the whole thing with Jazz. I planned to get through this year and maybe start over in college, but when I looked up into Charlie’s brown eyes, I fell.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Maybe he’s hot. Maybe he’s fun. But how long is he staying, Leo? You’re just going to get hurt again.”

“He’s staying until the end of the week, I think. Who knows what can happen between now and then. Maybe he’ll stay longer. Maybe we can do a long-distance thing. I felt a strong connection, Bran. I know he did, too.”

“We’re not done with this discussion. Spill the rest of the story. The fight with Matt and this angel saving you.” Brandon said, eating lunch and waiting for his best friend’s story.

Leo relayed to his friend all the events from the previous day between bites of his lunch. The run with his brother, the argument and fight with Matt, and finally, the rescue by Charlie. He even confided in him about the second dizzy spell at the mall. He finished by telling him about the second meeting with Charlie and the near-kiss.

“Wow. That was quite a day. I don’t think that much happened to me all summer! First off, how are you feeling today? Any dizziness or headaches. That sounds serious, bro. You gotta tell Kam or me every time it happens. Tell us even if you don’t want to tell your mom yet.” He reached over, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Ok. Ok. I promised Kam already. I promise to tell you, too. And I will tell my mom if it keeps happening. I’m not an idiot.” Leo rolled his eyes at Brandon.

Brandon smirked. “Now, on to the good stuff. When are you going to see your hot little tourist again?”

“Today after school. He wasn’t sure what his mom had planned. If he’s not busy, I’ll meet up with him and give him the grand tour. Maybe show him the Village and get some junk food for dinner.” Leo laughed. “Mystic Village fried dough should win him over.”

Brandon rolled his eyes. “With all the running you’ve been doing, I don’t know why you continue to put that crap in your body.”

Leo laughed. “It’s the best! It is my biggest weakness, diet-wise. I’ll just run an extra mile tomorrow. That reminds me. Aren’t you friends with Max? From the track team? Kam wants to try out, and I considered joining him.”

Brandon looked at his phone. “We have to get to class. I’ll talk to Max and find out about tryouts, then text you the details. If I don’t see you later, have fun and wish Kam good luck for me!”

The two boys put away their lunch trays and headed toward their next class.

————————————————————————————————————

The first day of senior year, finally behind him, Leo walked towards the gym to meet up with his brother and look for Max. According to multiple texts from Brandon, cross-country tryouts were held today. Now Leo was glad he skipped the morning run. Brandon said that Max would meet Leo and Kam at the track. Leo got to the gym and found Kam waiting for him. The two boys headed toward the track to look for Max. Leo spotted Max waving to him from the track infield. Max and a few other boys looked like they were doing pre-run stretching. The two brothers walked over and joined them.

“Hey, Leo! I was surprised when Bran told me you were interested in running this year. Aren’t you a senior? And is this your brother?”

“Yeah, I’m a senior. I just started running this past summer, mostly as a way of burning off anger issues.” Leo chuckled. “This is my brother Kameron. He’s a freshman, and he’s the one who suggested trying out for the team. I’m kinda along as support.”

Max stuck his hand out to both brothers. “Nice to meet both of you.” He glanced at Leo. “Running is an excellent choice for a mood enhancer, and it looks like you already have a runner’s body.” Max grinned. “Brandon mentioned track. You know we’re trying out for cross-country today, right? Indoor Track will start in November and Outdoor Track in late March.”

“Yep. We’ll try our hand at cross-country first. I prefer the long-distance stuff anyway. Little bro is the one who is looking forward to the shorter, faster events in track.”

“Ah-ha! So, Kameron is our speed demon, then?”

“Yep!” Kam laughed. “I outrun Leo all the time short distances. I’ll need to build up my endurance to run the longer races. I’ve only just started putting any effort into running.” As Kam was speaking, other boys started showing up at the track. Some were stretching, others jogging around the track to warm up before the tryouts began. Leo, Kam, and Max started running a warm-up lap. By the time they completed one lap, the coach had arrived, and everyone gathered around to listen to him speak.

Coach Stevens spoke loudly and paced back and forth in front of the boys. He was a middle-aged man but tall and incredibly fit. The coach could easily pass for forty instead of his fifty-two years. He spoke of past championships and future goals. He welcomed back current runners and thanked the new boys for attending tryouts. After his speech, Coach separated the boys into two groups. One group ran laps around the track, and the other ran around a small modified cross-country track. After each group finished, they swapped until both groups had run on both tracks.

Everything went well for Kam throughout the tryout, except for one thing. Kam decided to run a little too fast on the cross-country track, which was a failure. An epic failure, to be honest. The kind of failure that could have gone viral if only it had been caught on camera. Kam turned a corner and failed to see a giant mud puddle. By the time he finished sliding through the mud on his belly, he was covered from head to toe. Kam glanced over to the bleachers and saw that Tommy had arrived and was laughing hysterically. He also saw the new boy. The guy that Leo said he met last night. The boy was sitting by himself near the top of the bleachers, watching the tryouts.

After the tryouts, the coach pulled Kam aside and told him he would be on the JV team. He patted Kam on the back, said he expected him to do well if he trained hard, and showed the speed he showed today. He also encouraged Kam to try out for the indoor track season in November.

Kam ran over to the bleachers to fill Leo and Tommy in on what the coach said, and then they all walked back over to Max. Max made team captain, as expected. Kam made JV, and Leo made varsity. Max’s girlfriend joined the four boys as they left the track field. As they walked across the field, Leo turned back and saw Reese sitting in the bleachers. He raised a hand and waved. Reese smiled and waved back, then Leo turned and continued walking off the field.

“Becca, you remember Leo, right? This is his brother, Kameron, and,” Max trailed off, looking at Tommy.

Kam spoke up. “This is my bestie, Tommy. Nice to meet you, Becca.”

Becca walked with Leo as they headed for the school parking lot. “Leo, are you still going out with Jasper Anderson?”

“No. We broke up last year.”

“You’re better off without him, in my opinion. He’s a jerk and a stoner. You’re the one that dumped him, I hope.”

“Yes. He was the biggest mistake of my life, and I’ve moved on from all that.”

Becca looked Leo up and down. “You’re hot. I know three or four boys and half a dozen girls who would fight to go out with you. Forget that jerk. Anyway, do you guys want to go with Max and me to get ice cream to celebrate.”

Kam answered for all three. “Definitely!”

They got to the ice cream shop, and all got their cones. Leo and Max shared stories about Brandon, wondering how they had never all hung out together. Leo noticed Kam and Tommy were whispering off in a corner booth. He thought it was strange but put it out of his head. Leo was distracted with thoughts about meeting up with Charlie later.

Becca noticed that Leo kept looking at his phone.

“Hot date later, Leo?” Becca smirked.

“Um, no. Well, sort of.” Leo blushed.

Kam yelled over. “Don’t let him fool ya. It’s a date. Loverboy can’t stop gushing about the guy.”

“Shut up, Kam.” Leo rolled his eyes at his brother.

Becca leaned towards Leo. “Tell me more. Is he cute?”

Leo sighed. “He’s not just cute. He’s totally dreamy. I met him out on the beach yesterday. I told him I’d text him after the cross-country tryout.” Leo said while looking at his phone again.

Becca stood up. “Well, let’s get you home then. Come on, Max, let’s go.” Becca led the way out of the shop, and they all followed. Max dropped Leo, Kam, and Tommy off and continued towards his home.

Leo was out of the car and sprinting towards the house almost before the car even stopped. He took the stairs two at a time, rushed into his room, and quickly picked out a change of clothes. He darted out of his room and into the bathroom. Leo jumped into the shower before Kam even got into the house. After the quickest shower of his life, Leo got dressed and texted Charlie to find out where he was. Leo started blow-drying his hair and did his best to make it as presentable as possible in as short a time as possible. Then, he ran out of the house. Glancing down to check for a reply from Charlie. He ran towards the fence but then thought better of it. His body was still too sore for jumping. He turned and went around and onto the beach.

He looked up and down the beach and spotted Charlie at the water’s edge. Leo walked up and stood next to the other boy, not saying anything for a minute or two. Then Leo looked over at him. “Sorry, I took so long. A guy from the team took my brother and me out for ice cream to celebrate. We both made the team. I made varsity, and Kam made JV.”

Charlie turned towards Leo, reached out, and grabbed both his hands. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you both!” He leaned in and hugged Leo.

Leo hugged him back before saying, “Thanks, Charlie. I’m happy that Kam and I are doing something together. I think running will be perfect for both of us.” Leo put his hand against Charlie’s face. “You’re so gorgeous, Charlie.” He smiled shyly.

Leo begrudgingly pulled his hand away from Charlie. “We better stop now, or I may decide to try for more,”

Charlie smiled. “You can try, but I’m not sure how far I’d let you get.” He winked.

Leo cleared his throat. “Anyway, what did you do today? I wouldn’t want to suggest doing the same things you already did.” Leo asked.

“We went out on a boat from the aquarium down the street and went on a whale watch. That took up a few hours. It was pretty out on the water, and we did see a few whales. Then mom went shopping, and I walked around town for a while and then came down here.” Charlie took out his phone and showed it to Leo. “Here are the pics of the whales.”

“Let’s walk this way.” Leo held out one hand until Charlie took it. Then he started walking up the beach, away from the lighthouse. “There’s a small carnival up here. It’s only here in the summer. This is the last week that it will be here until next May. There’s a Ferris wheel, a few other rides, carnival games, and junk food! Do you want to go? Have you eaten yet?”

“That sounds fun! No, I haven’t had dinner, and carnival food sounds perfect! Let’s go.” Charlie squeezed Leo’s hand tighter, looked at him, and smiled as they walked up the beach towards the carnival.

By the time they had been at the carnival for twenty minutes, Leo clutched a giant stuffed panda bear almost as big as he was.

“I can never win at these carnival games. Thanks for winning this for me, Charlie. I love him. I’m going to name him Charlie. Charlie the Panda.” Leo laughed, leaned over, and kissed Charlie on the cheek. “Let’s ride the Ferris wheel before it gets too dark so I can show you my town from up high.”

The Ferris wheel line was short, and the boys were in a seat in just a few minutes. They waited as the worker ensured they were buckled in, and then he locked the safety bar. The ride began to slowly turn, stopping and starting at first while other passengers got on or off. Leo pointed out some of his favorite spots in town when the Ferris wheel neared the top.

“One of the things I love the most is that we’re at the ocean, but just a couple miles away, we can swim and fish in the river.” He pointed off to their left. “Just past where the coastline bends in is the little spot where the town gets its name, Pebble Cove. Named that way because the beach there has more pebbles than sand. The cove is pretty, the water is great, but the beach is terrible.” Leo pointed out something different to Charlie each time the Ferris wheel went up. He showed him the Seaport Village, where the old tall wooden ships were displayed. He showed him the shops that were set up to resemble a colonial village, and he showed him many other sights.

Charlie grabbed Leo’s hand. “You really love your town, don’t you?’

Leo turned his head to face Charlie. “I do. I mean, I get annoyed by the crowds during tourist season. Most tourists are jerks who don’t care about anything but themselves. They leave trash everywhere. They drink. They fight. I’m not too fond of that part. But the actual town I do love.”

“So, you hate tourists, huh?” Charlie huffed out a laugh.

Leo blushed. “Cute tourists with hot Australian accents are the exception to my rule.” Leo turned in the seat to face Charlie, and he leaned in. Charlie was so nervous that he was nearly shaking, but he went for it. Eighteen years was long enough to wait for his first kiss. He wasn’t about to wait one minute longer. Charlie grabbed the front of Leo’s shirt with both hands and pulled him close. Their lips met tentatively at first. Charlie’s lips parted, and Leo’s tongue darted inside. Leo leaned back against the side of the Ferris wheel car, pulling Charlie down on top of him. The seat strap dug into Charlie’s chest, so he ducked under it, freeing himself. Leo ran his hands up and down Charlie’s broad, muscular back. Charlie had one hand braced against the seat to stop himself from falling and his other hand on the back of Leo’s neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepened.

Clang! A loud metal bang rang in both boys’ ears, and they looked up, eyes wide. The ride had stopped. Their car was at the bottom, and the metal bar swung open. The carnival worker was looking at them with a look that was half scowl and half smirk.

“Get off my Ferris wheel, you two! Take that somewhere else.” He waved off in a direction away from the ride. “And you,” he pointed at Charlie. “If I ever see you on my ride again without the safety strap, I’ll kick you off permanently!”

Charlie mumbled. “Yes, sir. Of course, sir.” Then he grabbed Leo’s hand, and the two boys ran off as fast as they could away from the Ferris wheel and the line of people standing there and watching the entire thing.

They slowed down when they turned a corner and entered a different part of the carnival. Charlie spoke up. “Hey, do you want to grab something to eat?”

“Yum! Junky carnival food sounds great!” Leo chuckled. “Let’s go find some deep-fried chicken and onion rings, and when we’re done with that, some fried dough for dessert!”

Charlie rolled his eyes at the choices but followed as Leo led the way to the food booths.

After they ate what passed for dinner, the two boys walked through the carnival midway, finishing their fried dough. Leo glanced over at Charlie and smirked. He stepped directly in front of Charlie and looked up at the taller boy, then pulled Charlie’s face down to his own. As Leo leaned in close, his tongue darted out, and he slowly licked just to the side of Charlie’s mouth on both sides, then pulled back.

“What was that for?” Charlie beamed, his eyes burning with desire.

“Powdered sugar. I love it. I didn’t want to see it go to waste.” Leo shrugged and grinned and started walking again. They were passing through the carnival games when Leo suddenly stopped.

“I want to try and win something. This looks like a fun game. You won the panda for me. Now I want to win something for you.” Leo was hugging his giant panda as he spoke.

“Awe. I’m glad you like your panda, but you don’t have to win me anything. It’s sweet of you to want to, though.” Charlie replied.

“I know I don’t have to. I want to. Now hold onto Charlie, Jr.” Leo handed the panda to Charlie. The game had six big metal milk jugs, and the object was to toss a baseball into one of the pitchers—two dollars for three baseballs. Leo won four times and traded up for the prize he wanted. Sixteen dollars later, he handed a giant stuffed dolphin to Charlie.

“A dolphin to welcome you to our little fishing town.” Leo leaned in and kissed Charlie.

“Should I name him Leo?” Charlie smirked. “Nah. I won’t copy you. Pebbles for Pebble Cove.”

“That’s perfect.”

Charlie pulled Leo close and kissed him before pulling back and looking down into his eyes. “There are too many people around right here. Let’s walk somewhere else.”

Leo’s eyes lit up, and a devilish grin spread across his face. “Absolutely brilliant plan. Let’s go!”

The two boys headed towards the carnival exit, but Leo pointed between the fence and the Ferris wheel. “Back there. Behind the Ferris wheel. No one will ever go back there.” He pulled Charlie along by their linked hands until they were just outside the reach of the carnival lights. Now, in near darkness, Leo turned and faced Charlie. He placed one hand flat against the older boy’s chest and firmly yet gently pushed him up against the fence. Leo freed his other hand from Charlie’s grasp and slowly ran both hands up Charlie’s body until his hands were at the collar of Charlie’s light blue button-down shirt. Leo pulled on the collar, forcing Charlie to bend down slightly. Leo leaned in, and the two met in an open-mouthed kiss. Charlie was older. Charlie was taller. However, Leo was in charge. Leo broke away from Charlie’s mouth and started licking and kissing Charlie’s jawline, then moving up to his ear. After nibbling on Charlie’s ear, Leo began kissing the older boy’s neck.

Leo let go of Charlie’s collar, and his hands found their way to the top button of his shirt. He unbuttoned the top button and kissed the newly exposed skin. His fingers were shaking just a bit with nerves, and he undid the next button and then the next. He kissed and licked his way down with each button he released. Lower and lower. He was halfway down Charlie’s chest when he felt the other boy run his fingers through his hair and grip the top of his head.

“Yeah. Oh my God, Leo, that’s amazing.” Charlie said as he gently applied pressure, urging Leo even lower. Leo was on his knees in front of Charlie. More buttons unbuttoned—more kissing and licking. Leo finally released the bottom button on the shirt and spread the shirt open. Leo’s tongue darted out and into Charlie’s innie belly button. Charlie moaned and gripped Leo’s head even tighter. Leo rubbed up and down the front of Charlie’s khaki board shorts, feeling just how into this Charlie really was. Charlie moaned even louder. “Leo. Oh, God, Leo. Wait. Stop.” Charlie grabbed Leo’s shirt and pulled him back to a standing position. Charlie’s eyes were glazed over with lust, and he was breathing heavily. He took a deep breath and began to speak before Leo could cause him to change his mind. “We have to stop. I want you so bad, but not here. Not now.”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Leo had a worried look in his eyes.

“No. Oh, God, no. Absolutely not. It’s just that I,” Charlie hesitated and blushed before speaking again. “I’ve never done anything like this before. The kiss on the Ferris Wheel was my first ever kiss.” He put his hand up to stop Leo from interrupting. “I know we’ve just met, but I want more of my firsts to be with you. Not here, though. Not in a muddy field behind the carnival where anyone could,” As if on cue, a loud noise interrupted them.

Crash! Bang! “Hey! You two! What are you doing over there?! You don’t belong back here! The carnival is closed!” A voice yelled.

Both boys nearly jumped out of their skins. Leo spun and looked towards the yelling and saw a carnival worker. The man was emptying trash into a bin and had seen the boys. Leo grabbed Charlie’s hand, and they ran off into the darkness. They ran through the exit and out onto the beach. They never even slowed until they were near the path leading to Leo’s house, where they finally stopped.

Running Toward Love (Prologue)

Prologue

Leo Kennedy hated family picnics, and the annual Memorial Day picnic at his grandparent’s house was always the worst, in his opinion. At least this year, the weather was beautiful; it was eighty-four degrees, and no clouds were in the sky. Last year, it rained, and everyone was jammed inside the house. He scanned the crowd of relatives, looking for his brother Kameron, but he didn’t see him anywhere.

Leo grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and jumped over the porch railing, heading for the yard’s edge. He just wanted to be left alone if he couldn’t find Kam. He was about to sit down when he noticed someone else sitting alone, staring off into the distance. Leo thought momentarily, then picked up his chair and strolled over to where the man was seated. He sat down on his lawn chair next to the older man. “Hey, Uncle Kai, nice day, isn’t it?”

Kai took off his sunglasses and made a show of looking all around and behind his nephew. “You look like my nephew Leo, but he usually has two shadows close at his heels. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him by himself before.”

Leo snorted with laughter. “Jazz had to go to his family picnic, and I’m unsure where Kam went. I’m by myself, sometimes.”

“Jasper is a very close friend, isn’t he?” Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

Leo blushed. “We’ve been best friends since the first day of kindergarten, and sophomore year is over in two weeks! So, yeah, we’re pretty close.”

“Leo, I want you to know that you can come to me any time and ask me anything. Even things that your parents may not be willing to understand.”

“I know, Uncle Kai. Thank you.” Leo squirmed in his seat and then looked back at his uncle. “Uncle Kai, how come grandma won’t even mention your friend’s name, the one that died in the war. Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember people like that. The family knew him. Shouldn’t we celebrate him most of all?”

Tears stung Kai’s eyes. “I celebrate him every single day, Leo.”

“He was your best friend, wasn’t he?”

The beginnings of a smile formed on Kai’s face. “Yes, Leo, he was my best friend.”

“Was he,” Leo hesitated, “was he more than your best friend?”

“He was much more than my best friend. He was the love of my life. He was my hero long before he was a hero to the country. He won me my freedom, then went to Kuwait and Iraq to win others their freedom.”

“What do you mean he won you your freedom? Freedom from what?”

“Freedom from your grandmother. I’m sure you can see how she is. You are a brilliant boy for sixteen, Leo. After your father moved out, your grandmother monopolized all my time. She wanted me with her always. Anytime that anyone got close, she tried to push them away. Doug was the only one who stuck by me, and it was only because of him that I managed to get out from under her thumb. That’s why she still hates him to this day, even though he’s been dead for over thirty years.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean about grandma. I love her, but she is a bit overbearing. How did he help you, though? Why does she hate him so much?”

“You say she’s overbearing? That doesn’t even describe how she was when I was your age. She had me scared of everything. Fear was my constant companion, especially the fear of change. Any change sent me into extreme anxiety attacks. Doug was the only one who could pull me out of it. By age eighteen, I knew the only way to have an everyday life was to leave this house. She tried to make me stay, but the thoughts of Doug pushed me forward through my fear. Let me tell you a story, Leo. The story of the day I finally moved out of this house. The day that Doug won his first battle and gained me my freedom.

The door was open, but fear held Kai in place. He needed to go through the door. Four steps, only four steps. He just needed the courage to make his feet take those last four steps.

Fear gnawed away at Kai Kennedy’s soul, infecting almost everything in his life. Now, finally, on the verge of freedom, he was even scared of not being scared anymore. He was used to the fear. Change is what had him scared now. Change of any kind was a frightening prospect for Kai.

Kai’s life had been almost entirely unchanged for nearly eighteen years. Kai lived with his mother. He knew his mother loved him, but it was an overbearing, jealous love. Kai’s mother craved attention. She needed all of Kai’s attention. All of Kai’s love. If he gave love or attention to anyone or anything else, it sent his mother into a rage. So, Kai gave his mother the care she needed. He didn’t go out with friends. He didn’t date or do anything except spend time with his mother.

Kai’s thoughts returned to his present situation. The doorway. He still wasn’t any closer to it than he had been ten minutes ago. He knew a different life was waiting for him outside that door. He wanted that life, but he was scared to leave this one. It’s not that he liked his life; it’s just that he was used to it. It was comfortable. Kai smiled for a minute. The reasons he thought of as positive were the reasons Doug told him he needed to change it. It was Doug who made Kai smile. It was Doug who gave Kai the strength to consider this change. Thoughts of Doug made Kai smile again, and he stepped towards the door.

Three more steps now, and he’d be free in just three more steps.

Kai couldn’t see through the doorway for some reason. Even though the door was open, it was just darkness where the doorway should have been, and it was the middle of the afternoon. Kai was beginning to feel lightheaded and dizzy from all the emotions raging through his heart and mind. His thoughts drifted back to his mother.

There had been plenty of good times between Kai and his mother. They had a lot of fun together over the years. He laughed when he remembered some of the family gatherings. He loved his family, especially his mom. He just wished she would let him love other people as well. When Kai gets too close to someone, his mother grows angry and tries to destroy the relationship. She would try to fill Kai’s mind with any fault she could find with the other person. If that didn’t work, she would use so much of Kai’s time doing things for her that the other person would grow tired of it and leave. The exception to this was Doug. Doug had stayed by Kai’s side through thick and thin. Doug wouldn’t allow Kai’s mother to drive him away. Kai’s mother hated Doug because of that, but Kai wouldn’t listen to her about him. The thought of his mother’s hatred of the one thing he loved angered Kai, and he took another step forward.

Two more steps now, just two more steps.

Kai loved his mother… and hated her simultaneously, if that was possible. He loved her for all the good things she had brought into his life. She had brought him up well and taught him a lot, but she had also sheltered him from the rest of the world. Kai didn’t believe that she did it on purpose. She craved the attention and felt she deserved it. She told him she had given up much for him and expected him to do the same for her. Kai had done just that. He had been made fun of throughout school because he was so different. He was always off alone and didn’t get involved in any activities with anyone else. That was until Doug came into his life. Doug talked Kai into doing things. They weren’t terrible things, but things that a kid like Kai should have been doing all along. Things like going to Prom. That’s when Kai’s mother’s dislike of Doug became pure hatred. She could sense that Kai was drifting away from her. She tried to drive a wedge between Kai and Doug, but it was too late. Her meddling in their relationship drove Kai closer to Doug instead of the other way around. Two months later, a moving van stood packed in the driveway, filled with all of Kai’s things. Kai was moving out of his mother’s house and into his own apartment. An apartment he would share with Doug. Kai’s mother told him that she would never want to see him again if he did that. She thought that he would change his mind. He didn’t. He cried at the things his mother said to him and about him, but he felt she would reconsider after she calmed down. Her threats only made him surer of his decision. He cleared his head and came back to the present again. He took another step towards the doorway.

One more step now, only one more step.

Kai’s mother was screeching in the background. “Kai, you will be sorry if you go with him! Please don’t leave me! He won’t be there for you like I always am, Kai! You’re making a mistake! Don’t go to him!”

Just as Kai thought he couldn’t take that last step, a hand reached through the doorway. Kai smiled. He would recognize that hand anywhere. Kai could have grasped that hand and let himself be pulled through the door, but Kai knew for his own peace of mind that he needed to take the last step himself. Knowing who was on the other side and waiting for him to step through was all the help he needed. Kai took a deep breath, looked back one last time, and stepped through the doorway.

As soon as he was on the other side of the door, Kai felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. The moment’s stress overcame him, Kai grew weak, and the world around him dimmed. Kai started to fall, but he never hit the ground. He felt himself being carried down the steps and away from the house. Kai looked up and saw the face of his best friend, his boyfriend, Doug. Kai knew he was safe. Before he allowed himself to drift off, his last thought was that his life would never be the same. Kai wasn’t scared anymore. Kai Kennedy was finally free.

Leo had tears streaming down his face. “Uncle Kai, that was a beautiful story, and Doug should be celebrated just for that, even if he hadn’t ever gone to war.”

Kai patted his nephew’s hand. “Thank you for saying that, Leo, but I think you know that most in this family would not agree.”

Leo blushed. “I know. It really sucks. You don’t think my dad would accept a relationship like that?”

Kai struggled to find the right words. “The look in his eyes, even today, when I mention Doug tells me that he probably wouldn’t. Times are much different now than in 1986 when I was your age. Even if you don’t feel you can tell your dad yet, there must be people you can talk to.”

Leo’s eyes grew wide. “Me? What makes you think I’m asking these questions because of me?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “I’m old, but I’m not dead. Even before we started talking today, I suspected. I see the way you and Jasper look at each other. It reminds me so much of Doug and me. Are you two, uh, are you two a couple?”

Now Leo was really blushing. “No! Nothing like that!” He shrugged. “Not yet, anyway. We have talked about it. A lot. And Uncle Kai, you’re not old!”

Kai chuckled. “At sixteen, I definitely considered fifty-three old, but thank you for saying that.”

“You’re the coolest adult I know, Uncle Kai. You’re not gonna tell anyone about me, are you?”

“Of course not. No one should ever be outed against their will by someone else. I do suggest you find someone that you trust to tell. Maybe your brother or your sister?”

“Definitely not Allison. Maybe Kam. I can trust him.”

“Speak of the devil. There he is now.”

Kam waved from the other side of the yard. Leo grinned. “I should go check on him before he gets himself into trouble. Thanks for the talk, Uncle Kai. I’m glad you know. Your friend Doug was a true hero. Happy Memorial Day!”

Kai Kennedy wiped the tears from his eyes as he watched Leo race across the yard. Tears of sadness at the memory of his lost love, but also tears of joy at the bright future he sensed for his young nephew.

CinderEli

Elijah finished cleaning the fireplace and went to wash up. He didn’t even get to the washbasin before he heard one of his stepbrothers yell for him.

“Eli, get back in here! You’re not done. This fireplace is a mess.” Robert yelled.

Elijah went back into the front room. “Robert, I’ve told you guys a million times, my name is Elijah, not Eli. And I cleaned that fireplace already. You jerks must have spread more ashes all over it.” Elijah yelped in pain and surprise as his other stepbrother hit him in the back of the head.

“You will not talk back to us, little brother. And your name is what we say it is. Look at you all covered in ash and soot. Your name isn’t Elijah or even Eli. Your name is CinderEli.” Edward said.

Elijah rubbed the back of his head and scowled at his stepbrothers. He didn’t bother saying anything else. He knew it was pointless. Their mother had his father wrapped around her little finger. Elijah felt like a servant and not even part of the family. He knelt and started cleaning the fireplace all over again. He nearly finished cleaning it for the second time when his stepmother rushed into the house.

“Boys! Edward! Robert! Come here at once!” She yelled. Elijah stopped what he was doing and turned around to see what was so important. His two stepbrothers returned to the room and said, almost in unison, “What is it, mother?”

“You’ve both been invited to a Royal Ball at the castle. A notice went up in the village requiring all boys of royal blood who are at least fifteen years of age to attend the Princess’s eighteenth birthday ball. It is tomorrow night. We’ll have to spend all day tomorrow getting you both ready. People say she’s looking for a suitor. She has to pick one of you!” Their mother said.

Elijah spoke up. “I’m fifteen. Will I be going to the Ball, too?”

All three laughed at him. His stepmother said, “Of course not, boy. Look at you. You’d be an embarrassment. Now be quiet and go back to your cleaning.”

Elijah was furious. He considered going to his father but knew that would do no good. He returned to work and tried to put the Ball out of his mind.

The next day, the house was a constant hive of activity. Rebecca ordered her two sons around, preparing them for the Ball that evening. Rebecca sent Elijah on numerous errands to pick up things his two stepbrothers needed. Each time she forced him to help, he got madder and madder.

The evening arrived, and Elijah watched as his father, stepmother, and two stepbrothers got in the carriage and left for the Ball. He finally allowed the tears of anger and sadness to fall from his eyes. Elijah left the house and headed straight for the clearing in the woods behind the house. At the far edge of the clearing, he found his mother’s grave. He dropped to his knees in front of her headstone and cried. “Mother, everything is horrible without you. Father has remarried, and she’s a mean and wicked lady. She has two sons, and I’m cast aside and treated as a servant. Papa won’t even help me. He does whatever she tells him to do.”

Through his tears, Elijah noticed a little blue light flickering back and forth over the headstone. It was a weird little light. It distracted him momentarily, but he continued with what he needed to tell his mother. “They are all at the Princess’s Birthday Ball, Mama. They made me stay home. I have more right to go than Robert or Edward! My whole life now is just cleaning up after them and putting up with them bullying me. I wish… well, I wish many things, but right now, I wish I could go to the Ball.”

His tears were flowing heavier now. When he first saw it, he thought it was his imagination, but the little blue light grew. Before Elijah’s astonished eyes, the blue light grew into a brightly dressed man with glowing blue wings. Elijah blinked, wiped the tears from his eyes, and looked again. The winged man was still there. “Uh… hi… who… what are you?” Elijah asked.

The man huffed. “I’m a who, not a what, Elijah. I’m your fairy godfather, and I’m here to grant your wish.”

A broad smile crossed Elijah’s face, but a suspicious frown quickly replaced it. “If you’re my fairy godfather, why wait until now? I’ve made a million wishes since my mom died. My stepbrothers have bullied and tormented me for months. Why haven’t you helped me before now?”

The fairy sighed and looked at Elijah. “I’m not allowed to guide every event in your life, but I’ve watched for a key moment to intervene. This is that key moment.” He waved his wand over Elijah.

Elijah looked down at himself and smiled at the fancy, crisply pressed black and white tuxedo. Then his suspicious frown returned when he noticed the “Hello. My name is Elijah” sticker under his left lapel. “Hey! What’s with the nametag?”

“You will be working with the caterers, serving drinks to the guests at the Ball. I’ve arranged it so they won’t notice that you aren’t their employee.” The fairy said.

Elijah’s eyes welled up with fresh tears. “Great. Some fairy godfather you are. You grant my wish to go to the Ball, but instead of sending me to dance with the Princess, you send me as a servant.”

“Elijah, you know as well as I do that a princess is not what you seek.” The fairy smiled and patted Elijah’s shoulder.

Elijah looked up at the fairy, eyes wide. Then he looked down and blushed. “That may be true, but why should I go to the ball?”

“Trust in me that I know what is best for you. It is my job, after all. More than princesses are at the Ball.” The fairy grinned.

Elijah looked up at him, the suspicion fading from his eyes. “Ok. I’m used to people looking at me as a servant anyway. I may as well be a servant at the Royal Ball, too.”

The fairy smiled. “Trust in me, Elijah. And leave the Ball before the last stroke of midnight. That’s when the enchantment will wear off.” The fairy waved his magic wand again, and Elijah disappeared.

Elijah blinked his eyes in surprise. One second, he stood in front of his mother’s grave, and the next, he was in the most massive kitchen he had ever seen. The kitchen was more extensive than his entire house! Before he had much of a chance to look around, an older man stormed up to him. The man glanced down at his nametag and then said, “You. Elijah, grab that tray of drinks and get out front. The guests are thirsty. You’re not here to gawk around at the kitchen like some dumb country farm boy. Move it!” Elijah picked up the drink tray and walked through the door and into the main ballroom.

After an hour of walking the floor handing out drinks, Elijah found himself at a stationary bar along the back wall. In between serving drinks, he watched as everyone else danced. He knew the fairy was right and didn’t want to marry a princess, but he still longed to dance at the Royal Ball.

He ducked down behind the bar every time he saw his stepbrothers. Not that they would notice him anyway. With his perfectly pressed black and white tuxedo and clean blonde hair combed back off his face, they’d never even recognize him. From off to his left, he heard someone clear their throat and a boy’s voice said, “Excuse me, Elijah, can I get a glass of ice water, please?”

Elijah turned and nearly dropped the glass he was holding. His breath caught in his chest, and his heart skipped a beat. The boy sitting at the bar smiling up at him was the most gorgeous boy that Elijah had ever seen. He had light brown hair, cut short in the back, but the bangs were long. He combed his hair to the right, and the bangs partially covered his right eye, and that was a shame because he had stunning bright blue eyes. They were a bright blue to make a cloudless summer sky jealous. Elijah set the glass he was holding down on the bar and tried to steady his nerves. “Sure thing, sir. One ice water coming up.” Elijah gave the boy a nervous smile and prepared the drink.

“Here you go, sir. Enjoy your water and enjoy the Ball.” Elijah said.

The boy shot Elijah a killer smile. The ruby-red lips and perfect dimples nearly left Elijah in a melted puddle on the floor. The boy leaned forward. “I’m only just now enjoying the Ball. It was boring me until I spotted you over here. You’re not one of the usual servants. I’d have noticed. My name is Will, by the way.” Will stuck his hand out to Elijah.

Elijah shook Will’s hand and blushed. “Pleased to meet you, Will. As you noticed from my nametag, I’m Elijah. And you’re right. This is my first time here at the Royal Castle.”

“Welcome to the castle. What do you think of it?” Will asked.

“I’ve only seen the kitchen and the ballroom, but it’s stunning,” Elijah replied.

“I’ll have to give you a private tour sometime,” Will said, winking at Elijah.

Elijah blushed a deep, bright red. “Are you the Royal Tour Guide, Will? If so, sign me up for that tour.” Elijah grinned.

Will reached over and took one of Elijah’s hands in his. “What’s with these gloves anyway? I want to feel your hand, not these stupid gloves.”

Elijah shrugged. “The Royal Family doesn’t want us, lowly servants, to touch the things that they serve to them and their guests. I was told to wear gloves all night.”

Will rolled his eyes. “That’s ridiculous. Wait…” Will squinted, looking at Elijah with intense concentration. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

Elijah scowled. “No. Should I?”

Will gently took Elijah’s face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed him. Elijah’s eyes nearly popped out of his head in shock, but he soon recovered and kissed the younger boy back. After several minutes, Will pulled back from the short make-out session, smiling broadly. “Sorry to be so forward, but I wanted to see if you wanted that before you found out who I am. I could probably have any boy in the kingdom, but I want one who wants me, not my title or family.” Will said, looking a little sad.

“Any boy in the kingdom?” Elijah scoffed. “Just who are you? The crown prince?”

Will sighed. “I am who I said I am. I’m Will. Most people insist on calling me William, though.”

Elijah looked confused, and then his jaw dropped. “No way. You ARE the crown prince?! Oh my god. No way! But… you’re here. Talking to me. You freaking kissed me! Why aren’t you up there with your parents and sister?”

“I was. Then I saw you. Now I’m here.” Will smirked.

“I… I don’t know what to say.” Elijah blushed and looked down.

“Say you’ll take off those stupid gloves and dance with me,” Will said with a grin.

“I’m not allowed to take my gloves off by order of the Royal family, though.” Elijah laughed.

Will stood up straight and puffed out his chest. He spoke as profoundly as his fourteen-year-old vocal cords could muster. “I hereby order, by Royal Decree, that you, Elijah the Beautiful, must remove your gloves so I can feel your hand in mine.” Will burst out into a fit of giggles. “Just give me the damn gloves, cutie.”

Elijah blushed a deep red, but he smiled and took off the gloves. “Here you go, your Royal Highness.”

Will rolled his eyes and stuffed the gloves into his pocket. He took Elijah’s hand and led him out onto the dancefloor.

Elijah didn’t know how to dance, so he let Will guide his movements and soon caught on. An hour later, they were still out there, attracting more stares than any couple, except for the Princess and her chosen companion. The music slowed, and Will pulled Elijah close. Though a year younger, Will was about three inches taller than Elijah.

“You have the brightest and most beautiful green eyes I have ever seen. Brighter even than the emerald in my father’s treasury.” Will said, looking down at Elijah.

Elijah couldn’t seem to stop blushing around this boy. “Hey now, don’t even talk about pretty eyes with those beautiful baby blues of yours.” Elijah reached up and pushed the hair out of Will’s eyes. “And your hair is perfect, too.” He smiled.

“Listen, blondie, don’t get me started on perfect hair,” Will smirked.

Elijah couldn’t help but smile. “You’re gonna have like a million princesses come calling when it’s time for your Royal Ball. You’re as sweet as you are gorgeous. She’ll be a lucky girl, whoever you pick.”

Will pulled Elijah even closer and bent down close to his ear. “What makes you think I’ll pick a girl?”

Elijah looked up at him, confused. “Won’t your father make you? Royal heirs and all that?”

Will leaned in and kissed the side of Elijah’s neck. “You’re so cute but so thick-headed. We’ve been dancing in front of my parents for over an hour. They know I’ll never marry a girl. We’ve already talked about it. As the first-born son, I will be King. But I’ve already said that I will designate my sister’s children as the heirs to the throne. That’s why they’re so formal and careful with who she chooses to marry.”

Elijah’s eyes widened. “Over an hour? What time is it?”

“Time doesn’t matter when I’m with you. You fit perfectly within my arms, Elijah. I think I want to keep you around.” Will leaned in, about to kiss Elijah. Then, the clock struck the first stroke of midnight.

Elijah pulled back from Will’s embrace. “Will, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I really, really like you, but I need to go. Right now.”

Will’s face showed surprise and disappointment. “Elijah, if it’s the job, don’t worry. You’re with me. You’ll never be a servant in this castle again. Stay with me.”

Tears stung Elijah’s eyes. “It’s not that. I can’t explain right now. I need to go. I’m so sorry.” With that, Elijah turned and ran out of the castle as fast as he could.

Elijah’s sudden departure stunned Will. He wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but he was confident Elijah didn’t want to leave. He felt something was wrong and was determined to find out what. He took off at top speed after the other boy without even calling for his Royal Bodyguards.

Will couldn’t catch up to Elijah, but he kept him in sight as they passed out of the Royal Compound and into the town. Will lost count of the number of streets they passed and side streets they turned down. He nearly lost sight of Elijah but turned the last corner just in time to see him dart off the road and into a backyard. Will couldn’t find Elijah anywhere. He searched the nearby woods and other yards but couldn’t find him. Finally, Will gave up and headed home. He vowed inwardly to order the Palace Guards to perform a more thorough search of the town. He would see Elijah again if it was the last thing he did.

Elijah was even more depressed than usual. He had the absolute best night of his life last night and was now cleaning the fireplace again. He had to put Will out of his mind. He, of course, would never see the Crown Prince ever again. It was an incredible night, but that’s all it was, just one night. Just then, his stepbrothers interrupted his daydreams of Will.

“There’s a palace carriage stopping out front. Get out of here, little CinderEli. We can’t have your filth embarrassing us. Go clean the kitchen.” Robert said.

“Yeah,” Edward added. “No one wants to see dirty old CinderEli.” Both boys laughed as Elijah left the room in silence.

A loud knock on the door echoed through the house. Robert and Edward raced to the door and pulled it open. The palace guardsman looked them both up and down and asked, “Is the Lord or Mistress of the Manor at home?”

“Our stepfather is out of town on business. I’ll go get our mother at once, sir.” Edward responded, turned, and ran into the house. He returned not a minute later with his mother.

Edward stated to the guardsman. “Sir Guardsman, may I present Duchess Wainwright, Lady Rebecca.”

The guardsman entered the house, followed by a figure wrapped in a hooded cloak. The hood completely shadowed the second person’s face. The guardsman bowed to Lady Rebecca. “A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“How may we be of service to the Royal Guard?” Rebecca asked.

The guard took a small item from his pocket. “I have been sent out searching for a boy who left this glove behind at the Royal Ball last night. We are ordered to find the boy whose hand fits this glove.”

Robert and Edward elbowed each other to get up close to the guard. They looked expectantly back and forth between the guard and their mother. Rebecca nodded to them.

First, Robert and then Edward tried on the glove. Neither boy could even fit all their fingers into the glove. They growled in frustration and handed the glove back to the guard.

Rebecca looked sympathetically at the guard. “Sorry to waste your time. Good luck with your search.”

“Thank you, Lady Rebecca.” The guard started to turn away, but his cloaked companion grabbed his arm and whispered, “This is the manor I followed him to. Make sure there is no one else here. I have to find him!”

The guard turned back to Rebecca. “I’m sorry to bother you, my lady. Are there any other young boys in residence here? A servant? A distant relative? I have to check everyone.”

Rebecca frowned. “Well, my step-son Cin… Eli lives with us, but he did not go to the Ball. You can’t possibly be looking for him.” She scoffed.

The guard said. “Call him here at once. We’ll be on our way if the glove doesn’t fit.”

Rebecca turned and stormed off into the kitchen and returned moments later with a dirty, disheveled Elijah, covered from head to toe with cinders and soot. Elijah brushed himself off and started to walk towards the guard.

The cloaked figure stared intently at Elijah as he walked forward. Robert reached out and roughly grabbed Elijah’s arm. He asked the guard, “Are you sure you want this little soot-covered CinderEli to dirty the glove? There’s no chance that they belong to him.”

The cloaked figure leaped forward, the butt of his staff striking Robert squarely in the abdomen. Robert doubled over in pain. The cloaked figure grabbed him by the hair and bent close to Robert’s ear. “If you touch him again, you will lose the hand you touched him with.”

Edward jumped to his brother’s side. “The King will hear about this! Just who do you think you are?”

The cloaked figure reached up and lowered his hood. “Go ahead and tell my father what happened here today. While you’re at it, tell my mother that your mother ignored her order that ALL boys fifteen or over of royal blood attend the Ball.” He pointed at Elijah. “He is fifteen and the Duke’s blood heir. Yet she did not allow him to attend. Though I will say that it worked out for me that he got there independently without the need to dance with my sister.” Will smirked at Elijah as he took the glove from the guard and took the other one out of his own pocket. “Make it official. Put those stupid gloves back on. I know it’s you, though. The ash can’t hide those pretty green eyes.”

Rebecca inhaled sharply and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince. “Your Majesty, Prince William, I and my sons beg your forgiveness.” She glared at her sons, and they also bowed to the prince.

Hands shaking, Elijah put on the gloves. They fit perfectly. His stepmother and two stepbrothers were in shock.

Will smiled at Elijah. He reached up and brushed some of the soot and ash out of his hair. “Elijah, I knew from the moment I saw you that I wanted you in my life. I don’t want you staying here with these cold-hearted bullies. Come live at the castle.”

Elijah took both of Will’s hands in his. “But what would my role be there? Servant? Friend? Why would your father allow it?”

Now, Will was the one who looked nervous, with unsteady hands. He got down on one knee in front of Elijah. “I know we just met last night. I know I’m just fourteen, and you’re fifteen. I know you have absolutely no reason to say yes. Still, I am hereby officially asking you to be my betrothed. We can get married after my eighteenth birthday. What do you say?”

“Oh, Will!” Elijah gushed. He pulled William to his feet and kissed him. “Oh, yes, Will, yes! A thousand times, yes!”

The boys kissed again. Will looked over at Rebecca. “Give anything belonging to Elijah to the guard. We’ll be leaving immediately. His father is welcome to come to the castle upon his return home. You and your sons would be best served to stay at home.” He slipped an arm around Elijah’s waist and guided him to the Royal Carriage.

The guardsman exited the manor with all of Elijah’s possessions. Then, the carriage rode off into the distance towards the castle and, more importantly, towards a bright new future for Elijah and William.

Our Love (A Haiku)

Whether you are near

Or if you are far away,

Our love brings us close.

Love: My Definition

Love is butterflies in your stomach.

Love is your quickened heartbeat every time you see him.

Love is knowing you want him, always.

Today is the Day

Was I working or was I home?

It doesn’t matter, I was all alone.

In a group or with a friend,

my lonely thoughts never end.

So, if you hear my silent shout,

please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Then we can be alone together,

silently shouting into the ether.

Someday maybe we’ll find our voices,

and alone together we’ll make our choices.

A choice to reach out a hand,

a nervous touch, a smile so grand.

A warm feeling that pushes lonely away,

a distant hope that maybe you’ll stay.

Then you pull me close, whisper in my ear,

I’m here to stay, please don’t fear.

A tentative smile brightens me eyes.

Today is the day that loneliness dies.

At the River

The sky glowed like brilliant fire,

His eyes burned with hot desire.

The sun set behind the river,

His touch made my skin quiver.

As we watched, he held me tight,

And the evening turned into night.

Just before we turned to go,

He pulled me close, kissed me slow.

We walked home hand in hand,

Both of us feeling oh so grand.

We reach his street and must part,

My love for him is off the chart.

He touches my face, says I love you,

I say good night, I love you too.

The Waterfall Pool

The cascade of water flowed over the rocks,

as I sat on the bank and took off my socks.

I glanced to my right and saw my friend smile,

as each piece of clothing ended up in the pile.

The roaring of the waterfall was loud in my ears,

as his loving touch eased all of my fears.

I saw each possibility reflected in his eyes,

while to foam and spray splashed into the skies.

He guided me past the rapids and into the pool,

where the water was calm and refreshingly cool.

I swam naked for hours with the love of my life,

while the waterfall pool washed away all my strife.

The Frog’s Prince

The Frog’s Prince

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there was a boy named Jonah. Jonah sat in the shadow of the old oak tree and chuckled quietly. He watched the parade of prancing princesses proceed to the pond, kiss the poor frog, and then storm angrily away when nothing happened. He chuckled because he knew his best friend in the entire world, Lucas, was having yet another dreadful day. He watched until all the princesses were gone, and the frog sat alone by the pond’s edge. Jonah left his hiding spot, walked to the pond, and sat facing the poor little frog.

“No luck again today, I see, Lucas. Just how many princesses are there in the world anyway?” Jonah grinned down at the frog.

“Ribbit.” Said the frog. The frog made a face as close to annoyance as a frog’s face can get.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Jonah said, reaching down and touching the frog’s head.

“UGH! Thanks. That’s much better. I still can’t figure out why that only works for you. I can’t even talk to my father or brother. As far as the princesses go, there seems to be an unending supply! I wish one would finally break this spell. I’m sick of being a frog!” The frog darted its head to the side, flicked out its tongue, and caught and ate a fly.

“That’s so gross!” Jonah pretended to gag but ended up laughing.

“I know, right! But I can’t help it. It seems to be instinct for this body. This curse really sucks!” Lucas groaned.

“Why were you cursed, Luke? We’ve never talked about that. Obviously, I know you are the prince of this kingdom. Is that why she cursed you?” Jonah asked.

“Get me out of this pond for a while. Let’s go for a walk, and I’ll tell you.” Lucas said. Jonah reached over and picked up his friend. He set the frog on his left shoulder, stood, and walked onto the path into the woods.

Lucas began his story. “Even as a small child, I was a spoiled rotten brat. My dad always told me I was meant to lead our glorious kingdom, but all I wanted to do was play and have fun. Book learning and army training were boring. I avoided my duties as often as I could. Then I turned thirteen, and my mind switched from my toys to girls. Honestly, I didn’t treat the girls any better than my toys. They were princesses who were sent to woo me and win the heart of the crown prince of Lerithia, and I played silly games with their hearts, kissed them once or twice, and sent them on their way.” Lucas blushed as much as a frog can be said to blush.

“That just doesn’t sound like the Lucas that I know.” Jonah turned his head, so he was looking at Lucas. “You’ve changed so much. Cut yourself some slack. Hell, maybe being a frog has been good for you.” Jonah snickered.

“Anyway.” Lucas rolled his little froggy eyes at Jonah. “To continue my story, I was mean to many people, especially girls. One night at dinner, this old lady burst into our dining hall and pointed at me. She shouted at me about how I broke her granddaughter’s heart.” Lucas sighed. “Jonah, I couldn’t even remember what her granddaughter looked like. She drew a wand out of her cloak and pointed it at me. My father’s guards reacted, but not in time. The wand glowed, and she said, ‘Shallow Prince with much vanity, like a frog you’ll now be. No cure for you shall they find until True Love’s Kiss clears your mind. If no love finds you before eighteen, you’ll end your days with skin of green.’” Lucas sighed again. “I’m doomed, Jonah. Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday!”

Jonah gasped and sat down on the side of the trail on an old tree stump. “Oh my god, Luke. Why didn’t you say something before? Tomorrow? Is that why your dad has been bringing in even more princesses than usual the last few weeks?”

“Yeah. My dad thinks if enough girls kiss me, one will be the right one. The trouble is, I can’t even talk to any of them like I can talk with you. How can I know if it’s true love? Do I want some silly spell to decide my future even if the curse is broken?” Lucas sounded depressed, even in his froggy voice.

Jonah wanted to reach out and comfort him so badly, but how do you hug a frog? “What kind of girl would you want it to be if you could choose?” Jonah thought he could get Lucas talking and get his mind off tomorrow.

“Someone kind and caring and compassionate. Someone who listens to me and doesn’t just want to talk about herself and her clothes. Someone… well, someone just like you, Jonah. Why can’t you be a beautiful princess?” Lucas laughed.

Now, it was Jonah’s turn to blush. “Shut up, Luke. I’m trying to help figure this out for you.” Jonah got back up and started walking back towards the pond. Suddenly, the King’s Guards burst through the trees. One scooped Lucas off Jonah’s shoulder, and two more grabbed Jonah by the arms. The one in charge said, “Aha! We’ve found you! How dare you kidnap Prince Lucas. To the dungeon with you!”

Lucas was yelling at the top of his lungs for them to unhand his friend, but all they heard was the ribbiting of a frog. Jonah proclaimed his innocence, but they wouldn’t listen and dragged him to the castle dungeons. Jonah was yelling, “You don’t understand! He’s my friend! You don’t know what’s going on. You don’t even know who I am!” The guards refused to talk to him and locked him in the dungeon.

That night and the next day passed slowly for both Lucas and Jonah. Jonah couldn’t find a way out of the dungeon. No one even came to talk to him. He was concerned and scared for his friend. He wanted to be with him, especially since it was such an important day for Lucas.

Lucas was also worried about Jonah and blamed himself for his friend getting locked in the dungeon, possibly forever. If he couldn’t break this curse and talk to his father, there would be no way to convince his dad to free Jonah. So, hoping to break the curse, Lucas stayed in his pond instead of running off to be with Jonah and submitted himself to today’s parade of princesses.

Night fell without the curse breaking. The princesses were gone, and the guards were out of sight. Lucas decided that, since he didn’t know if he’d still be able to talk to Jonah after the curse became permanent, he wanted to spend his last few hours before midnight with his best friend. He hopped out of his pond and headed for the tree line. Once in the trees, he leaped towards the castle as fast as he could. Lucas knew precisely where his dad would have locked up Jonah, and Lucas knew how he could get to him. He snuck in, undetected, through the back kitchen doors when the cooks were bringing the night’s trash out. He stayed hidden amongst the pots, pans, and brooms and finally found his chance to sneak into the cellar when a cook opened the door. From the basement, he made his way to the dungeons. He hopped right into Jonah’s cell. Jonah curled tightly into a ball and, crying, didn’t see Lucas at first. Lucas hopped over to him. “I’m here, Jonah, I’m here.”

Jonah looked up, saw Lucas was still a frog, and started crying even harder. Through his tears, he said, “No luck with the princesses again? I’m so sorry, Luke. I’m just so sorry. If that witch could see you now, maybe she’d undo the spell herself. You’re not a spoiled, arrogant brat anymore. You’re the kindest, sweetest guy I’ve ever met.”

Lucas blushed. “Thanks, Jonah. You’re a pretty great guy yourself.”

“Luke, it’s almost midnight. What’s going to happen? Will I still hear you like now?” Jonah asked.

“I don’t know. I hope so, but I don’t know. I’ve never understood why you’re the only one who hears me anyway.” Lucas said.

Jonah reached down and picked up Lucas. He stared directly into the frog’s eyes. “If this is our last conversation, I have to say this aloud for you to hear. I love you so much, Luke. More than you know. You’re my best friend in the entire world. I… If you were a boy and not a frog, I might love you even more than that.” Jonah blushed a deep, bright red. “You have an amazing soul, Lucas. I’ll love you forever.” He bent down and kissed the frog.

Electricity crackled around the boy and the frog, and purplish-colored smoke swirled around them. When the smoke cleared, Jonah was looking up into the bright, crystal blue human eyes of Prince Lucas. Lucas brought both hands up and cupped Jonah’s face between his hands. He bent down and kissed him. After he broke the kiss, Lucas smiled and said, “I love you, too, Jonah.”

——————————————————————————————————————————–

King Samuel’s night of worry over his son Lucas’s predicament was interrupted by news that a small army, led by the neighboring king, had entered his lands. King Samuel led a small force out to greet the other king. King Edmond rode out from his army and greeted King Samuel when the two armies met.

“My guards last saw my son, Prince Jonah, enter your kingdom, Samuel. He has not returned home. I’ve come looking for him. Have you or any of your people seen him?” Edmond described Jonah to Samuel. One of the King’s Guards spoke up and told his King what had happened at the pond and that he thought Jonah might be that boy. Samuel relayed that information to Edmond with his apologies, and they rode together to the castle.

The two kings walked into the dungeon, turned the corner, and saw the two boys curled up together, sound asleep in each other’s arms. Both kings were momentarily speechless, and then Samuel yelled, “Lucas! You’ve broken the spell! What happened? Why are you in the dungeon? Guards, unlock this cell at once!”

The boys, shocked by the sudden intrusion, untangled from each other’s embrace and stood up. Jonah noticed his father standing behind the other king. Lucas spoke first. “Dad!” He ran and hugged his father when the guards opened the cell door. “I hopped in here when I was still a frog. I wanted to spend my last few hours with Jonah. Then, just before midnight, he kissed me and broke the spell!”

Both kings audibly gasped and turned and looked at each other. Samuel looked back at his son. “The spell said only True Love’s Kiss could break the enchantment. Is Jonah your True Love?”

Lucas blushed and looked down. “Yes, Dad. I’m in love with Jonah, and he’s in love with me. We want to be married. You always told me that whoever broke the enchantment was the one I would marry. I couldn’t talk to you, but I heard everything you said. I want you to keep your word. I want to marry Jonah.” Lucas told his father that Jonah could hear him for the last year, and they talked for hours every evening after the princesses left. He told his father everything.

“Jonah? Son, is this what you want also?” King Edmond asked, stepping forward.

Samuel stepped aside to let Edmond to the front. Samuel spoke to Lucas, “Son, this is King Edmond from Garlandia, Prince Jonah’s father.”

Lucas’s jaw dropped, and he turned to Jonah. “Prince Jonah? You never told me!”

“It wasn’t and still isn’t the most important thing about me. I love you, not your kingdom, and I wanted the same in return. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t want it to get in the way of our friendship.” Jonah said.

“It’s fine, Jonah, I definitely understand,” Lucas said.

Jonah turned towards his father. “Dad, to answer your question. Yes. This is what I want. I know I’m just sixteen. I know you planned on me marrying some princess and having lots of babies, but I’ve never wanted those things. I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m in love with Luke. Like head over heels in love. The type of love I see between you and Mom. Please let me have this.” Jonah was looking at his father, but his hands gripped Lucas’s arm, and he leaned into the taller boy.

The two kings looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. Samuel spoke. “I’ll put the proclamation out to the other kingdoms. The marriage of our sons, the crown princes of Lerithia and Garlandia, will take place one month from today. May fortune smile on you both and upon both our kingdoms.”

With both of their fathers and a dozen guards watching, Lucas pressed his forehead against Jonah’s and whispered: “I love you.” Jonah leaned in, and they kissed.