As they ended their kiss, Caleb surprised the "real" James by grabbing him without warning or so much as a by-your-leave. The new frog struggled in the man's fist.
"Do you think he understands?" Caleb asked, gazing at the warty amphibian.
Cruelly, the "new" James shrugged. "I don't really care."
Caleb turned the frog upside down and stared at the webbed hind feet. "I know, but think about it. If he's not still in there, why did we bother doing it in front of him?"
"Well, why don't you ask him?"
Caleb grinned. "Good idea." He sat the frog down on a mossy patch by the pool.
The frog stayed motionless, wondering what fresh indignity they had planned.
"Listen up, you," Caleb said. "Give me two ribbits for yes, and one for no. You understand?"
James groaned silently. "Well, do you, froggy?"
"Ribbit! Ribbit!" James sadly responded twice.
"He does understand us!" Caleb almost squealed. "He's stuck in there, still human, but trapped as a ugly, puny frog."
"Ribbit!" James protested firmly and hopped closer.
"No what?" Caleb asked, amused now.
"Ribbit!"
"Oh, do you want your old body back?" Caleb guessed.
"Ribbit! Ribbit!"
"Tell him that's not happening," the frog who had hijacked his body said.
"Ribbit!" James produced a louder sound and hopped near his former's body's foot.
The former frog stared defiantly. "Look, I'm willing to live and let live, but you have 10 seconds to get your warty ass away from my foot or I will stomp you into a frog pancake."
"Ribbit!"
"Ten...nine...eight..."
"RIBBIT!!"
"Seven...six..." He raised his foot off the ground and positioned it over the frog.
James grew nervous in the shadow as he listened to the impending countdown. "Five... four..."
"Ribbit!" James pleaded again.
"Three..."
"I think you better hoppity along there, froggy," Caleb warned.
James cheated and brought his foot down before the count reached zero, but James had already wisely jumped to the side and landed with a splash back in the pond.
"Let's go," the "new" James said. "I'm bored of this loser."
James watched them depart, leaving him a tiny frog in a small pond. He felt so alone. He was never going to be anything but a worthless amphibian.