Kiss and Spell

  The shutters opened and a tiny head popped out the window. “You be interrupting me teatime!” It was a smallfolk.

  Ginger peered over Raven’s shoulder. The scent of peppermint drifted from the tiny creature’s teacup. She’d never met a smallfolk before. Maybe it could help them find Hopper. “Sorry to bother you,” Ginger said. “But we’re looking for the Frog Prince. Did you happen to see him hop this way?”

  The smallfolk grumbled something to itself, then glared up at Ginger. “I be seeing a froggy with a crown hop past, if that’s what you be asking about.”

  “Oh, that’s great news,” Ginger said.

  “Which way did he go?” Raven asked.

  “Where all froggies be going.” The smallfolk leaned out the window and pointed down the path toward the swamp. “At least froggies be knowing their place. Unlike you bigfolk, always stomping about where you don’t be belonging. Now leave me to be drinking me tea in peace. And watch where you be stepping with those big foots of yours.” The little head disappeared into the toadstool, and the shutters slammed shut.

  “What a grouch,” Blondie said.

  “Smallfolk don’t like us much,” Ashlynn explained. “They are the caretakers of the forest floor, and we’re always messing things up.”

  “My feet are not big,” Apple said with a humph.

  Her hopes reignited, Ginger scrambled back onto the path. Then she took her place in front and continued to lead the way. “Hopper, we haven’t forgotten about you!”

  Blondie picked a strand of moss from her golden curls. “This is so not right. Are we there yet?”

  “Ick.” Apple plugged her quaint little nose. “What’s that smell?”

  “Swamp gas,” Ginger told her. Her childhood kitchen had often been filled with that stench while her mother brewed. “That means we’re getting close.”

  “Listen,” Ashlynn said. “I hear them.” The distinct sound of croaking drifted down the path. “I haven’t learned amphibian yet, but they do sound happy, don’t you think?”

  Raven shrugged. “They sound like frogs.”

  Then, just as Ginger was about to step over a gnarled root, something sparkly caught her eye. She reached down and picked up a tiny crown. “Look,” she said, holding it up for the others to see. “He was definitely here.”

  Hoot!

  Everyone looked up at the forest canopy. A pair of yellow eyes gazed down at them. “The owl says we’re interrupting his hunting,” Ashlynn whispered.

  Raven narrowed her dark eyes. “Let’s just hope the crown fell off Hopper’s head by accident instead of being knocked off by a pair of talons.”

  Knocked off? “Don’t eat my friend!” Ginger said, pointing up at the owl. “You hear me? Tell him, Ashlynn. Tell him not to eat Hopper.”

  Ashlynn hooted a couple of times, then shrugged. “My owlspeak is pretty rusty. I’m not sure if I said ‘don’t eat the Frog Prince’ or ‘don’t eat before swimming.’” Either way, the owl didn’t reply. He just blinked his full moon eyes.

  If owls were hunting, then what else was hunting? Had Hopper already been eaten? Ginger picked up the pace and bumped right into a sign. “Here it is!” she cried.

  WELCOME TO THE EVER AFTER HIGH SWAMP.

  ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK.

  After pushing some branches aside, Ginger stepped over a log and around a clump of reeds and stood at the water’s edge.

  At first, it looked as if the murky swamp were filled with floating eyeballs, but then Ginger realized that the eyeballs belonged to swimming frogs. “There are way too many,” Blondie said. “How will we find Hopper?”

  “We’ll just have to kiss them all,” Ginger realized.

  “Kiss them all?” Briar cringed. “Seriously?”

  “That’s going to take forever after,” Ashlynn said.

  Raven folded her arms. “Is it too late to change my mind and un-volunteer for this quest?”

  Ginger’s heart began to pound. After coming all this way, were they going to give up? “It won’t be that bad,” she said, trying to reassure the princesses. “There are only about fifty frogs in here. Well, maybe more like one hundred. Okay, possibly two hundred… or so. But that’s not bad. We can do this.”

  “We?” Briar snorted. “You don’t have to do the kissing, Ginger. You’re not a princess.”

  “Lucky girl,” Raven said.

  Apple took a tube of charm gloss from her pocket. “Duty calls, ladies. No complaining. We are princesses, and turning a frog back into a prince is one of our most important obligations.” She glossed her lips. Then she grabbed a net, stepped into the water, caught a frog, and kissed it. Just like that.

  “Wait, I wasn’t ready.” Blondie fumbled with her MirrorPad. “Can you do that again? I want to get a close-up. My viewers are going to love this.” She pressed record and started shooting. But Apple had already released the first frog and had caught a new victim. Smooch. Then she grabbed another. Smooch. And another.

  “Hey, she’s trying to kiss them all herself. She wants to be the one to save Hopper.” Briar slogged into the water and rolled up her sleeve. “You’re not the only princess around here.” She plunged her arm into the muck and pulled out a wiggling frog. Then she cringed, puckered up, and planted a kiss on the top of its head. “Ack,” she said. “That was disgusting.”

  “Oh, don’t hurt its feelings,” Ashlynn told her as she stepped cautiously into the water. “And be careful, everyone. Step lightly so you don’t hurt anything.”

  Ginger couldn’t believe her eyes. The princesses were actually catching and kissing frogs. Though Ginger was smiling, the frogs didn’t look too pleased. They’d been minding their own business, going about their day, and suddenly found themselves being plucked from the water and kissed by total strangers. They squirmed and kicked, then leaped to freedom as soon as the kiss was over. Unfortunately, not a single one turned into Hopper the boy.

  As it turned out, Ginger’s mother had taught her well—her frogging skills were undeniable. She quickly filled one of the nets with frogs and handed it to Raven, who was sitting on a log, rolling up her leggings. “All these are for me? How thoughtful of you.”

  “I’d help kiss, but I’m not a princess,” Ginger said with an apologetic shrug. As she began to fill another net, she listened intently, in case one of the frogs decided to recite poetry or to declare his love for Briar. That would have made things super easy. But no frog spoke any word except for croak or ribbit.

  Just as she reached for another frog, a dragonfly flitted in Ginger’s face. She swatted at it. But it flew around her head, hovering near her ear. What an annoyance. “Go away,” she grumbled. It circled two more times, then landed on a rock, right next to a frog. Either the dragonfly was clueless that frogs eat bugs or…

  “Drake?” A shiver ran up Ginger’s spine. The dragonfly nodded and blew a tiny flame from his mouth. Ginger almost shouted with joy. Drake the dragonfly was showing her Hopper.

  “Can you tell my viewers how you’re feeling?” Blondie asked, interviewing the princesses.

  “My mouth tastes weird,” Ashlynn complained.

  “My lips are sticky,” Apple said.

  “Frog is definitely an acquired taste,” Briar said, making a gagging sound.

  Raven sighed. “No comment.”

  Ginger held her breath. The frog’s eyes were closed. He didn’t seem to know that Ginger was hovering over him. The poor little thing looked so tired after his long journey. Ginger didn’t announce that she’d found Hopper. She didn’t want to do anything that might startle him. Ever so slowly, with fingers extending, she reached out. The dragonfly watched, his wings vibrating in place. “Gotcha!”

  “Oh, not another one,” Raven said. “I’m not even done with this batch.”

  The frog’s eyes popped open. He squirmed as Ginger lifted him until he was level with her face. “Hopper?” she whispered.

  He kept squirming.

  Then Ginger did something, even though there
was no rational reason to do it. She wasn’t a princess. But at that moment, she was overcome with instinct, pure and simple.

  She kissed the top of the frog’s head.

  Chapter 22

  Happy Hopper

  What happened? Where am I?”

  Hopper the boy stood up to his knees in swamp water. Clumps of moss clung to his jacket and his hair was a bit messed up, but those adorable freckles were still in place. Drake the dragonfly flew around his head, then landed on his shoulder.

  Hopper looked around, his expression tight with confusion. “Why…?” He gulped. “What…?” He scratched his head. “Where…?”

  At first, Ginger didn’t smile, because she felt equally confused. “Don’t be scared,” she said. “It’s a long story and—”

  “There he is!” Briar exclaimed. She dropped a frog and sloshed through the water until she was standing next to Hopper.

  All the princesses spun around. Upon seeing Hopper, they stopped kissing, dropped their frogs, and hurried over. Blondie climbed onto a tree trunk so she could get a better shot with her MirrorPad.

  “Welcome back,” Raven said to Hopper.

  “I did it.” Briar beamed proudly. “I broke the spell.”

  “I’m royally sorry to say this, Briar, but what makes you think it was you?” Apple asked. “It could have been my kiss.”

  “Or mine,” Ashlynn said.

  “Would somebody please tell me why I’m standing in this…” Hopper looked at the water. “Swamp?”

  “I kissed you,” Briar informed him. “And you’re welcome.” Then she took an antislime wipe from her bag and cleaned her crownglasses. “My work here is done. Let’s go, girls, or we’ll be late for afternoon classes.”

  “And there you have it, my fellow fairytales.” Blondie was talking into her microphone. “Briar Beauty has broken the spell with her princess kiss, and Hopper Croakington is, once again, a boy.”

  Apple frowned. “I still think it was my kiss.” She smiled at Hopper. “Surely you remember who kissed you.”

  “Kissed me?” Hopper loosened his bow tie. “I don’t remember being kissed.”

  “Ginger was the only girl standing on this side of the swamp,” Ashlynn pointed out. “Maybe she saw something. Ginger, did you see Hopper swim over here after being kissed? And did you see who kissed him?”

  Ginger knew exactly who had kissed Hopper, and it hadn’t been a princess. But that could mean only one thing. Her head was spinning. “I didn’t see anything,” she lied.

  “Then we’ll never know who broke the spell,” Raven said. “So there’s no use arguing about it.”

  They quickly emptied water from their galoshes and cleaned slime off their hands. Then the princesses started back down the path. “Wait,” Blondie called. “I want to get some postquest interviews.” MirrorPad in hand, she hurried after them.

  Ginger and Hopper were still standing in the swamp, looking equally dazed.

  “Let me get this straight,” Hopper said. “Briar… kissed me? She really kissed me?”

  Ginger weighed the consequences of telling the truth. If she admitted to the boy she liked that it had been her kiss that had saved his life, she’d be the hero. Hopper would be very grateful; he might even change his feelings toward her. He might even start to like her. But she’d also be admitting that a true love’s kiss had saved him. And that was way more than she wanted to admit. She liked Hopper—that was certain—but true love? Besides, he seemed so happy with the notion that Briar had saved him. She wanted him to be happy, after all, and she was glad to have her friend back. Maybe it just wasn’t the right time to tell him the truth.

  “Uh… yeah, it was Briar. You needed a princess kiss to turn you back.” And then she told him the whole story, about how he’d wished to be a frog, how he’d turned into one, and how everyone had joined together to find him.

  “Whoa. All I remember is that I was on your show, I went back to my room, and the rest is blank.” Then he beamed. “I can’t believe they came out here to kiss me.” He looked as if he were going to burst from happiness. “Briar kissed me.”

  The moment was truly bittersweet. “We’d better get back.” Ginger waded from the swamp, sat on a log, and emptied her galoshes.

  As they started down the path, Drake flew up ahead, leading the way. There was a happy rhythm to Hopper’s steps. On Friday morning he’d stood in the kissing booth, completely ignored. Now he knew that several of the fairest princesses at Ever After High had tried to kiss him. Had wanted to kiss him.

  Ginger sighed. She was happy to have Hopper back, happy to see him smiling, and happy he didn’t know the truth. She just wasn’t ready for true love. Not yet.

  As she wiped frog slime off her hands, she giggled to herself. Someday she’d kiss Hopper the boy. And that day was worth waiting for.

  Chapter 23

  Chef Ginger

  Humphrey looked at his watch. “Fifteen minutes until showtime,” he said. “Are you sure your special guest is coming?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.” Ginger was back to her old self. She’d chosen a lemon-yellow dress with peppermint buttons, frosted tights, and a pair of icing-dipped shoes. A chef’s hat shaped like a towering birthday cake sat atop her head.

  A couple of days had passed since the frog-kissing expedition. Blondie had made the story the highlight of her show. She’d replayed the footage a dozen times, and for days and days, it was what everyone talked about. And it got far more viewers than Daring’s Day. Luckily, Blondie hadn’t recorded the actual kiss, so Ginger’s leading role in breaking the spell remained a secret.

  Hopper got a lot of attention that week. He even created some new pickup lines based on his experience. “Wanna hop over to my place?” “Only your kiss can break my spell.” “It’s no croak—I’m hoppy to see you.”

  Even Daring was impressed. “Way to go, roomie,” he’d said with a high five. “The princesses were lining up to kiss you. Are you sure you’re not related to a Charming?”

  As Ginger cleaned the counter and Humphrey checked the lights, Hopper took his place behind Camera 2. “Thanks for talking the tech crew into giving me another chance,” Ginger said to him.

  “No problem,” Hopper said. “I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t helped me.”

  You’ve no idea, she thought with a smile.

  Blondie entered the classroom, followed by a long line of students. “You’ll have no problem getting viewers,” she happily told Ginger. “Now that everyone knows your wish cake was a success, they want to know what’s next.” She hugged Ginger. “I’m so proud of you. We’re going to have the most watched shows at Ever After High. It’s our destiny.”

  Melody waved. So did Briar, Apple, and Ashlynn. “Can’t wait to see what you cook today,” Cedar Wood said. The room quickly filled. Even Faybelle flew in. She glared at Ginger but didn’t say anything.

  “Ten minutes to showtime,” Humphrey announced.

  Then everyone turned and gasped as a woman in a tall black hat strode into the room. “Gingerpoo, Mommy’s here.”

  Ginger didn’t cringe. She didn’t try to hide. Instead, she waved.

  The audience parted, leaving a path for the Candy Witch. Her green hair was matted with twigs and brambles. Her ratty old black dress was patched with burlap, and her military boots were caked with mud. A wiry black hair had sprouted from her chin wart.

  Blondie elbowed Ginger. “Uh, what’s she doing here?”

  Ginger stepped in front of the counter and raised her hands to get the audience’s attention. “Everyone, this is my mother, the Candy Witch, and she’s going to be my guest today on Spells Kitchen.”

  At first, no one said a word. Ginger waited, her stomach tightening. Would they jeer? Or leave? The Candy Witch had such a wicked reputation—how would Ginger’s friends react? Then Blondie broke the silence. “Brilliant!” she said as she wrapped an arm around Ginger’s shoulder. “You’ll get a zillion viewers. Now you’re thinking like a true spelle
brity chef.”

  As the tech crew made final adjustments and the audience chatted, the Candy Witch set a picnic basket on the counter. “Rumpelstiltskin and I rescheduled our date for after your show,” she told Ginger. “Look what I brought. This’ll be a date he’ll never forget.” She opened the basket to reveal a loaf of bread that was wiggling. “Worm loaf,” she said. Then she pointed to a wedge of cheese. “I poisoned the cheese with a brand-new recipe. It makes holes in the cheese and holes in the eater.” She cackled. “It’s just temporary, of course. No guts will fall out.” Then she held up a bottle. “We’ll finish the meal with this lovely brew.”

  “Did you poison it?”

  “Of course. One sip and Rumpelstiltskin’s toes will sprout teeth!” The picnic basket shuddered, then emitted a loud belch.

  “That’s great, Mom. He’ll love it.” Ginger quickly closed the basket so the odor wouldn’t invade the room. Then she set the basket aside. “But remember, today we’re going to cook something nonpoisonous.”

  “Of course, sweetie. This is your show, after all. I’m so proud of you.”

  There were a few minutes until showtime, so Ginger went around the room and introduced each of her friends to her mother. And when her mother offered them a piece of candy, they each politely declined. Faybelle shook her hand. “It’s so nice to see you again, Ms. Candy Witch. My mom is always telling me how good you are at wicked witchery. Did you hear, Ginger and I are lab partners in Science and Sorcery?” She put her arm on Ginger’s shoulder as if they were the dearest of friends. “We daughters of villains should stick together, don’t you think? I’m trying to persuade her to follow in your bootsteps.”

  The Candy Witch cackled. “There’s no need to do that. She’s got a mind of her own, and I like it that way.”

  Faybelle frowned.

  “I just sent a hext to the entire student body that your mom’s the guest,” Blondie said. “Your viewer numbers will soar.”

  “Places, everyone,” Humphrey called. Ginger took her mom’s hand and led her behind the counter. She didn’t bother handing her mother a pink apron. The days of trying to pretend that her mother was someone else were over. And Ginger wasn’t going to pretend to be someone else, either.