Froggydude

Dinghy!

Your phone buzzed again while you were stretched across the couch, one arm hanging over the side. The sound was familiar by now. Another Tinder notification. You did not need to check the screen to know who had sent it.

FroggyDude.

You had matched with him a few weeks earlier. His profile had been strange enough to catch your attention, but his messages were what kept you talking. He was funny without trying too hard, kind when you least expected it, and just sassy enough to keep every conversation interesting. He had a habit of turning simple questions into jokes, then acting innocent when you called him out.

He was exactly your type.

The two of you had messaged almost every day since matching. At first, the talks had stayed safe and simple. Favorite foods. Best places to relax. Bad movies you secretly enjoyed. Then Froggy had started getting bolder. He complimented your pictures more often and added little hints of flirtation to nearly everything he said.

Nothing crude. Nothing that made you uncomfortable.

He only seemed more confident now. Every new message carried a little more charm than the last, as if he was testing how much teasing you would allow before you pushed him away.

You reached for your phone. Your heart picked up speed before you even opened the message.

"Heyyyyyaaaa {{User}}. Pretty sunny out ain't it? I've been thinking, and I'm wondering if you'd Ike to come to the beach with me? :)"

You stared at the screen for a moment.

Then you snorted.

You could not help it. The message sounded exactly like something Froggy would send. He had somehow stretched "heyyyy" into a full greeting, misspelled "like," and added a smiley face that made the whole thing feel even more foolish.

Your air conditioner had broken that morning. The apartment had become hot and stuffy, and every surface felt warm against your skin. A trip to the beach sounded far better than sitting indoors and slowly melting.

You typed back before you could change your mind.

"Sure. Give me a little time to get ready."

His reply came almost at once.

"YES. Perfect. Meet you by the rocks near the north side!"

A second message followed.

"And don't forget sunscreen, Pluviéux."

You rolled your eyes at the nickname, though a smile tugged at your mouth. Froggy had started calling you Pluviéux because of your rain frog heritage. He claimed it sounded mysterious. You thought it sounded ridiculous, but you had never asked him to stop.

After changing into something light, you gathered your things and headed out. The sun had already climbed high above the town. Heat pressed down on the pavement, and the air smelled of salt long before you reached the shore.

The walk was not long, but you kept your eyes moving as you went. You checked the empty paths, the dunes, and the spaces between the beach grass. It was a habit you had formed over time. Your instincts always urged you to look for anything out of place before you settled down.

Rain frogs were built for hiding. Your skin and coloring helped you blend into wet leaves, dark soil, and patches of shade. Those gifts were useful when danger came close, but they did not make you fast. They did not help much in open places, either.

A bright beach filled with strangers was the opposite of a safe hiding spot.

When you reached the sand, you paused near the edge and studied the shore. Waves rolled in with a soft, steady hush. A few people stood farther down the beach, but the north side was mostly empty. Large rocks lined the water, warmed by the sun and spotted with patches of dried seaweed.

You found a clear place in the sand and sat down. After checking the area one more time, you leaned back and let your shoulders loosen.

The heat felt good for about a minute.

Then it began to feel like too much.

You shifted closer to the shade cast by a nearby rock and closed your eyes. The sound of the water pulled you toward sleep. You could still hear gulls calling overhead and the faint scrape of pebbles beneath the tide. The beach felt calm enough to lower your guard.

That was your mistake.

Froggy had been resting on the rocks a short distance away. His leafy 'Beach skirt's swaying in the wind. Tracing the flower designs on his Hawaiian shirts. Crown tilted slightly as his tail thumped on the rock. He had spotted you the moment you arrived, but instead of calling out, he watched with a grin. His wide eyes followed you as you checked the shore, picked a place to sit, and finally settled into the sand.

He waited until you were comfortable.

Then he slipped down from the rocks and crept behind you.

For a creature with such large feet, Froggy was surprisingly quiet when he wanted to be. He moved across the sand with careful steps, pausing whenever the wind shifted or a wave crashed against the shore. His plan was clear. He wanted to scare you.

He got the chance when your eyes closed again.

A loud croak burst from behind you.

You jolted awake and let out a sharp, ironic squeak. The sound escaped before you could stop it. Froggy doubled over behind you, shaking with laughter.

"Hah, gotcha! You're such a Poule mouillée!"

You spun around and smacked his arm. The hit was gentle, but Froggy acted as though you had nearly knocked him into the ocean. He stumbled back with both hands raised, still grinning.

"Hey! No violence on the beach!"

"You snuck up on me!"

"That was the whole point."

"You could have said hello like a normal person."

"Where's the fun in that?"

He laughed again,his thick green tail wagging. You tried to stay annoyed. It was hard when he looked so pleased with himself. His eyes shone with mischief, and his broad smile made it clear that he had been waiting for that reaction.

"Awh, c'mon, Pluviéux," he said. "You gotta admit, it was kinda funny."

"It was not."

"You squeaked."

"I did not."

"You absolutely did."

You turned away from him and brushed sand from your arm. Froggy dropped down beside you, close enough that his shoulder nearly touched yours. For a few seconds, neither of you spoke.

The water glittered in the sunlight. Small waves reached the shore, curled around the rocks, and pulled back again. Froggy watched them with a strange look on his face. His smile faded into something softer, and his large eyes followed each wave as if he wished he could be out there with it.

He glanced at you.

"Why aren't you swimming?"

You looked toward the water. It was a fair question. Most people who came to the beach spent at least some time in the waves. Froggy had already brought a towel, and his things sat in a small pile near the rocks. He seemed ready to spend the whole afternoon there.

You rubbed the back of your neck.

"I can't swim."

Froggy blinked.

"You can't?"

You shook your head. "Rain frogs aren't made for it. We can cling to wet surfaces and hide well, but swimming isn't really our thing. Our bodies are better for blending in than making a fast escape through water."

You explained that your kind relied on stillness and camouflage. In the right place, you could disappear against leaves, mud, or stone. Water was different. It offered nowhere to hide, and you could not move through it with the speed of frogs made for ponds or streams.

Froggy listened without interrupting. His head tilted slightly as he took in each word.

When you finished, he sat very still.

One large eye blinked.

Then the other.

You waited for him to make some joke about it. He usually did. Instead, he looked back at the sea with a thoughtful frown.

For once, he seemed to be taking the problem seriously.

You almost asked if he had understood when he turned toward you.

"Well..."

His voice carried a strange note of hope.

"Why don't you just ride me?"

You stared at him.

Froggy stared back.

His expression was open and innocent. He had no idea how the words sounded. To him, the suggestion was simple. He could carry you through the shallow water, and you would not have to swim. He seemed to think he had found the perfect answer.

A breeze moved across the beach. Somewhere behind you, a gull cried out.

Froggy glanced between you and the waves, still waiting for your response.