"Frankie, open your mouth!" Franny commanded her frog. The green creature stared back at her blankly.

Lewis laughed. "Let me see him," he said, prompting Franny to hand over her precious star.

He placed the frog into a small cardboard box with a window cut into it that was small enough that Frankie couldn't jump out, but large enough for Lewis to do his work.

Lewis took a clean popsicle stick and gently placed it against the roof of the frog's mouth, and lifted it up, opening the mouth. Frankie started to squirm a bit, but Frankie held him still. "It's for your own good!"

Frankie let out a small whimper-like croak.

Lewis investigated the frog's throat, and after a good five minutes or so, he removed the popsicle stick.

"Incredible! The frog's vocal chords are actually much more suited to singing than a human's!" Lewis said in awe. Franny squealed in absolute delight.

The boy launched into a full explanation of a frog's vocal chords and their density and how it differs from an average human's. After he was done, he searched something up on his laptop and printed it out, then handed it to Franny.

"Franny, you might want to have your frogs practice some, uh, scales I think they're called," he said.

Franny smiled. "Will do, Lewis! Oh and," her cheeks flushed a raspberry color. But she then lunged at him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Lewis," she gushed. "Nobody's ever cared for my frogs the way you do."

"Well," he said, adjusting his glasses shyly. His cheeks were also rosy. "You held up your end of the deal, so it's only fair that I do the same."

The music princess smiled. "You're a good friend, Lewis."

Lewis only had time to grin when Bud knocked on the door, saying, "Franny, dear? Your brothers are here!"

"Coming!" Franny called out. "Thanks again, Lewis! See you later!"

She shouldered her backpack and left as Lewis said goodbye as well.

Bud leaned against the door and smiled at Lewis after she had left.

"So, Cornelius, has Cupid paid you a little visit?" he teased.

"W-What? Franny's just a friend!" Lewis sputtered, blushing again.

"I don't blame you," his adoptive father laughed. "She's a pretty one."

"Dad!"

"Okay, okay. But just remember that when you grow up and have kids, you'll feel the same way when your son starts to like a girl."

"How do I do that?" Lewis tilted his head.

Bud paused. "Do what, son?"

"Have kids of my own."

His eyes widened even more underneath his glasses, and he shifted uncomfortably. "Um, you should go ask your mother. She'll tell you. Mother knows best after all, right?"

"But why can't you tell me?" his son asked.

"Well," he began to scratch his head when Lucille called out, "Honey? Can I please have some help down here?"

"Coming, dear!" Bud called out, relieved. He turned to Lewis. "We'll, um, talk later, son, okay?"

"Okay, dad."

It was recess time the next day when Franny brought all of her frogs to show the class for the end of their frog project. She had the large box in her arms when suddenly she felt something, or someone, to be exact, trip her.

She yelled in surprise as she fell onto the concrete ground, her frogs spilling out of the box.

"Well well, Franny," a snarky voice said from above her. "Clumsy as ever, aren't we?"

"What business is it of yours, Cindy?" Franny said, getting up and dusting off her shorts.

"Oh, nothing, just making sure you know where your place is, Teacher's Pet," she examined her manicured nails. She had dark brown hair tied up into a tight bun and pale skin with harsh blue frozen eyes. She would have been pretty if not for the makeup caked on and the scowl always smeared onto her face.

Franny gasped when she saw her frogs on the ground. "My frogs!" she exclaimed, picking up the box and scooping one in.

"They're absolutely disgusting," Cindy sneered, poking one with the side of her foot.

"Hey! Stop that!" Franny growled.

"Or what?" the other girl taunted, pushing the frog around even more. The poor animal seemed traumatized.

"Or I'll-" Franny was suddenly shoved from the back by another girl, and landed on the ground hard. Her chin was scraped and bleeding, as well as the bottom of her palm, wrist, and left knee.

The other girls behind her laughed as Cindy teased, "You got a little something under your chin."

Franny tried to get up but her knee was bruised bad. She crumpled.

"Oh, look at her!" Cindy exclaimed. "She looks like one of her dumb frogs!"

"You look more like a pig," Franny snarled.

Cindy's brows furrowed in rage. She kicked the frog that she had been tormenting before, slamming it against the wall. It stopped moving.

"No!" Franny screamed, starting to cry. "George! No!"

"George, huh? That's a dumb name."

The rest of her posse joined in on the laughter.

"That's it!" Franny yelled in rage. Even Cindy was taken aback a bit.

What happened next, no one was ready for. Franny lunged at Cindy, kicking her in the stomach and then karate-chopping her neck. The girl shriveled in pain as her friends tried to restrain Franny, only to each be violently punched away. All of them ran away screaming as Franny continued to beat the living life out of Cindy, tears of rage and sadness flowing down her cheeks.

Cindy could only scream for help and for her "friends" to come back when Mrs. Crawber came running out and had to pull Franny off of Cindy.

"Ms. Framagucci, you'll be sent to the principal's office immediately," the teacher said firmly.

"She killed my pet frog!" Franny sobbed, pointing to the wall where George's dormant carcass lay.

Her teacher's look softened for a moment, but then firmed up again.

"We'll have to sort this out with Mr. Wickman," was all she said.

"Hey, Franny," Lewis said softly. In his hands was Franny's box, along with a smaller one.

Franny was waiting in the principal's office, her eyes still red from crying.

"Hi, Lewis," she said weakly. He set down the larger box containing the frogs next to her.

Lewis looked down before handing her the smaller box. "George didn't make it. He died of trauma and had a broken spine."

Franny gasped and began to sob again. Lewis looked like he was about to say something when a voice called out, "Franny Framagucci, Mr. Wickman's ready for you."

Author's Note: I have risen from the writer's block! I know I haven't updated this story for a while but I'm starting to get back into fanfiction and you can expect to see more chapters coming up soon! Love you all!