After dancing through several songs with the Frog, Greenlee was relieved that a slow song started to play. Her shoes were stabbing into her feet like razors and she'd pretty much lost all feeling in her toes. Not only that, but she'd been up half the night before, thinking about all that stuff her dad had told her. She swayed peacefully with the Frog, resting her head sleepily on his shoulder. She thought about her brother... she wished so badly that he could have survived. Knowing about him now made her feel a certain sort of emptiness inside. She also, for the first time in her entire twenty-three years of life, actually felt sorry for her mother. Greenlee began wondering if there was something that she could do for her... it was Christmas, after all. It sunk into her mind, then, that she didn't even get her mom a Christmas present.
Maybe her mom had been a bit nasty over the course of Greenlee's life, but now Greenlee understood why. It was no excuse, really, but at least Greenlee knew that it wasn't because Mary hated her. It was because she was destroyed inside. It had been clear to Greenlee for years that her parent's marriage was failing, and as if that wasn't enough, but Mary had a dead son and her only daughter - her only child, for the rest of her life - was in no way affectionate towards her, and in fact, went well out of her way to make her life miserable. Because Greenlee did. She hated her mother so much that she went against everything she said. Real mature, Greenlee sighed. As she did, her dancing frog gave her hand a squeeze.
Greenlee lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up into his froggy face.
"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" He said.
"Of course not," She smiled. "Just thinking, that's all."
Greenlee casually looked up at the clock. She was surprised to find that it was already 11:30. She couldn't help but sigh again. At this point, there was no hope in finding Leo. She may as well go to bed, she figured, because Josh would be breaking away to dance with his girlfriend soon anyway.
"Thanks for dancing with me, Josh," She stopped the dance and took a step back. "You can go find Angela now."
"Greenlee, you're not leaving the dance, are you?" The frog asked.
"Of course not." The princess replied.
He laughed, "Did you know your voice gets high pitched when you lie?"
Greenlee couldn't help but smile, "Luckily that's something only you would notice."
She leaned up, kissed his cheek again, and turned to go.
He stopped her.
"Dance with me, please?"
Greenlee knitted her eyebrows in confusion. The way which he said those 4 simple words... there was such a sense of pleading in his voice, of anxiousness. Greenlee thought it would have been very romantic, if it hadn't been her cousin who whispered the words in such an intimate way.
"Okay..." She said slowly. "If that's what you really want."
Her hands clasped together with his and they swayed, once again, gently across the floor.
Greenlee began to consider that maybe the frog wasn't Josh afterall. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the Handsome Princess was Josh. The angel was, of course, Angela. There was no mistaking it now.
So, who was she dancing with?
Leo?
HAH! She quickly shrugged that thought away. As if Fate would actually decide to be nice to her.
"Oh, Greenlee, I know I've been quite awful towards you in the past, throwing you some tricky curve balls, but I decided to give you a break. Merry Christmas." - Fate.
Yeah, right. Greenlee laughed at herself under her breath.
Another slow song played next. It was something light and sweet, but at the same time it was heavily dramatic. A simple piano accompanied by a violin.
Greenlee's mysterious frog partner pulled her up close for the dance. She put her arms on his shoulder and rested her head beneath his chin.
She felt secure with him, this myserious frog. He held her so tenderly that she couldn't feel help but feel safe in his arms.
As far as she was concerned, it was only him and her and the peaceful melody of the piano... floating gracefully, silently across the room.
And the shimmering lights carefully strung around the room? To Greenlee, they were twinkling stars spread across the night time sky.
"Greenlee..."
She opened her eyes, but didn't lift her head.
"Greenlee, you know what?"
"Hmm?"
"You make the most delicious cocoa..."
A jolt.
A tingling sensation.
It started in Greenlee's stomach, then burst out in every direction.
A sting in her feet.
A throb in her chest.
A skipped breath in her lungs.
She lifted her head.
"Leo..?"
"Since that first day, Greenlee, when I walked in on you and Andrew... I tasted that cocoa, and ever since, from time to time, I've craved it. It's that good, Greens."
"Leo," she gasped. "I hoped it was you. I hoped so badly."
They held each other tightly, like Cinderella and Prince Charming.
"I've never met anyone like you before, Greenlee."
They twirled, like Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, across the ballroom floor.
He pressed his forehead against hers; their eyes unmoving from their magnectic-like attraction to each other.
"I know we just met, but Greenlee, you're so amazing. So... beautiful."
"Oh, Leo."
She tingled again.
Her hands shook from nervousness.
"How...how did you know it was me?"
"When you bumped into me on the staircase," he smiled. "When I caught you. It was my girl. My Greenlee."
-His- Greenlee. She liked the sound of that. -My- Leo had a nice ring to it, too.
She elevated herself on her tippytoes brushing her lips across his. He intercepted the attempted kiss by slipping his finger between them.
"Not 'til midnight." He grinned.
11:59. One minute.
But one minute seemed too long.
"Greenlee?"
"Yes, Leo?"
"I want you by my side. Always."
A grin played across her lips, "I think I can manage that."
"Now that you're here with me, now that I have you in my arms... I don't want you to ever leave."
"I.. I don't want to leave, Leo."
"You are so beautiful in that dress, Greenlee... but to me, you're just as beautiful flopped on the couch in your pajamas, makeup off, sipping cocoa. That's the Greenlee that I... that I've managed to fall in love with."
The clock chimed. One.
"Greenlee, I love you."
Two.
They stopped dancing. Greenlee was gazing into his eyes.
Three.
The entire room hushed. Excitment bubbling all around.
Four.
"I love you so much, Greenlee."
Five.
"Leo... I love you, too."
Six.
"How could I resist such a free spirit?"
Seven.
"...Pulling down those books..." She grinned.
Eight.
"At the risk of sounding corny... you complete me, Greens."
Nine.
"I never felt such peace as I do just from being in the same room with you."
Ten.
"No Christmas present could ever measure up to just being able to spend time with you."
Eleven.
"Greenlee Smyth, I love you."
Twelve.
Leo gently removed the mask from her face. Her eyes were filling with tears. With a happy sort of smile, she pulled his mask off. As she stared up into his eyes, the mask dropped from her hand. He leaned down, smiling as they lips touched.
They kissed.
Maybe her mom had been a bit nasty over the course of Greenlee's life, but now Greenlee understood why. It was no excuse, really, but at least Greenlee knew that it wasn't because Mary hated her. It was because she was destroyed inside. It had been clear to Greenlee for years that her parent's marriage was failing, and as if that wasn't enough, but Mary had a dead son and her only daughter - her only child, for the rest of her life - was in no way affectionate towards her, and in fact, went well out of her way to make her life miserable. Because Greenlee did. She hated her mother so much that she went against everything she said. Real mature, Greenlee sighed. As she did, her dancing frog gave her hand a squeeze.
Greenlee lifted her head from his shoulder and looked up into his froggy face.
"You're not falling asleep on me, are you?" He said.
"Of course not," She smiled. "Just thinking, that's all."
Greenlee casually looked up at the clock. She was surprised to find that it was already 11:30. She couldn't help but sigh again. At this point, there was no hope in finding Leo. She may as well go to bed, she figured, because Josh would be breaking away to dance with his girlfriend soon anyway.
"Thanks for dancing with me, Josh," She stopped the dance and took a step back. "You can go find Angela now."
"Greenlee, you're not leaving the dance, are you?" The frog asked.
"Of course not." The princess replied.
He laughed, "Did you know your voice gets high pitched when you lie?"
Greenlee couldn't help but smile, "Luckily that's something only you would notice."
She leaned up, kissed his cheek again, and turned to go.
He stopped her.
"Dance with me, please?"
Greenlee knitted her eyebrows in confusion. The way which he said those 4 simple words... there was such a sense of pleading in his voice, of anxiousness. Greenlee thought it would have been very romantic, if it hadn't been her cousin who whispered the words in such an intimate way.
"Okay..." She said slowly. "If that's what you really want."
Her hands clasped together with his and they swayed, once again, gently across the floor.
Greenlee began to consider that maybe the frog wasn't Josh afterall. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that the Handsome Princess was Josh. The angel was, of course, Angela. There was no mistaking it now.
So, who was she dancing with?
Leo?
HAH! She quickly shrugged that thought away. As if Fate would actually decide to be nice to her.
"Oh, Greenlee, I know I've been quite awful towards you in the past, throwing you some tricky curve balls, but I decided to give you a break. Merry Christmas." - Fate.
Yeah, right. Greenlee laughed at herself under her breath.
Another slow song played next. It was something light and sweet, but at the same time it was heavily dramatic. A simple piano accompanied by a violin.
Greenlee's mysterious frog partner pulled her up close for the dance. She put her arms on his shoulder and rested her head beneath his chin.
She felt secure with him, this myserious frog. He held her so tenderly that she couldn't feel help but feel safe in his arms.
As far as she was concerned, it was only him and her and the peaceful melody of the piano... floating gracefully, silently across the room.
And the shimmering lights carefully strung around the room? To Greenlee, they were twinkling stars spread across the night time sky.
"Greenlee..."
She opened her eyes, but didn't lift her head.
"Greenlee, you know what?"
"Hmm?"
"You make the most delicious cocoa..."
A jolt.
A tingling sensation.
It started in Greenlee's stomach, then burst out in every direction.
A sting in her feet.
A throb in her chest.
A skipped breath in her lungs.
She lifted her head.
"Leo..?"
"Since that first day, Greenlee, when I walked in on you and Andrew... I tasted that cocoa, and ever since, from time to time, I've craved it. It's that good, Greens."
"Leo," she gasped. "I hoped it was you. I hoped so badly."
They held each other tightly, like Cinderella and Prince Charming.
"I've never met anyone like you before, Greenlee."
They twirled, like Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, across the ballroom floor.
He pressed his forehead against hers; their eyes unmoving from their magnectic-like attraction to each other.
"I know we just met, but Greenlee, you're so amazing. So... beautiful."
"Oh, Leo."
She tingled again.
Her hands shook from nervousness.
"How...how did you know it was me?"
"When you bumped into me on the staircase," he smiled. "When I caught you. It was my girl. My Greenlee."
-His- Greenlee. She liked the sound of that. -My- Leo had a nice ring to it, too.
She elevated herself on her tippytoes brushing her lips across his. He intercepted the attempted kiss by slipping his finger between them.
"Not 'til midnight." He grinned.
11:59. One minute.
But one minute seemed too long.
"Greenlee?"
"Yes, Leo?"
"I want you by my side. Always."
A grin played across her lips, "I think I can manage that."
"Now that you're here with me, now that I have you in my arms... I don't want you to ever leave."
"I.. I don't want to leave, Leo."
"You are so beautiful in that dress, Greenlee... but to me, you're just as beautiful flopped on the couch in your pajamas, makeup off, sipping cocoa. That's the Greenlee that I... that I've managed to fall in love with."
The clock chimed. One.
"Greenlee, I love you."
Two.
They stopped dancing. Greenlee was gazing into his eyes.
Three.
The entire room hushed. Excitment bubbling all around.
Four.
"I love you so much, Greenlee."
Five.
"Leo... I love you, too."
Six.
"How could I resist such a free spirit?"
Seven.
"...Pulling down those books..." She grinned.
Eight.
"At the risk of sounding corny... you complete me, Greens."
Nine.
"I never felt such peace as I do just from being in the same room with you."
Ten.
"No Christmas present could ever measure up to just being able to spend time with you."
Eleven.
"Greenlee Smyth, I love you."
Twelve.
Leo gently removed the mask from her face. Her eyes were filling with tears. With a happy sort of smile, she pulled his mask off. As she stared up into his eyes, the mask dropped from her hand. He leaned down, smiling as they lips touched.
They kissed.