The Crush

The Crush

“How about this!” Frankie said, glancing down to his waist where Kip could see he had a frog hidden under his shirt.

“Where did you get that?” Kip asked.

“He was hopping over by the building. I won’t hurt him, but I’m gonna scare that bunch of girls over there before I let him go, that’s for sure!”

“Why?”

“Because!”

“Because why?”

“What are you talking about? There is no because why? There is just because. What’s the matter with you?” Kip asked looking at Frankie like he had two heads.

“Nothing!” Frankie said, turning a bit red.

“Nothing? If there was nothing you wouldn’t be asking me why I’d be bringing a frog over to chase a bunch of silly girls off the playground. It’s because it’s fun of course!”

“It’s not nice.”

“NICE? Who wants to be nice to girls?”

“Well, not all girls, some girls...”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Things are different now.”

“How?”

“Susan is in that bunch of girls.”

“Susan White? So, what?... NO! You LIKE Susan White?” Kip said suddenly, finally getting it.

“Shhhh!”

“Oh, I’ll shhh all right, what’s the matter with you? She’s a girl!”

“I’m gonna be sick...” Kip said.

“You’re already sick.”

“Just let the frog go, and leave the girls alone,” Kip pleaded.

“Fine, but this is not the last you’ll hear about this from me!” Frankie said, disgusted.

And it wasn’t. Frankie told the story often over the next sixty-two years. It always got a good laugh, even from Kip, and Kip’s wife (who actually was Frankie’s crush also, that long ago day, the former Susan White.)