don’t want to screw up the universe or something.”
“Fine. Then why don’t we just wish for three pizzas and call it a day?”
He actually seemed to consider that for a second, but shook his head. “No, I can’t.”
Of course not , I thought. Don’t make things easy or anything.
“I’ve got to use my wishes for something important. If I don’t...” He sighed. “Look, I need some time to figure stuff out. How long do I have?”
It was tempting to lie and say that his wishes were due to expire in about ten minutes. That was one way to get my ring back in a hurry. Unfortunately, given his track record, making Sean hurry would only lead to more half-baked, impossible wishes.
I sighed. “Take your time, I guess.”
#
“I wish that I were back inside my bedroom, completely unharmed and intact,” I said.
A moment later, I was bouncing off my own bed.
I crept to the door and opened it a crack. The sounds of Mom and Dad’s rented movie piped up to my ears, and I smiled. If they had realized I was gone, they would both be yelling at the police to hurry up and come look for me.
I shut the door and padded over to the bathroom. Most of the bubbles had dissolved into a pinkish white film, but the appetizing scent still clung to the air. Breathing in deep, I let the sweet smell flood into my brain, a welcome distraction from my thoughts of Sean Fabry.
As I dipped a toe into the bathtub, I winced. The water had turned cold.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning, I yearned to fake sick with a well-placed cough and a heating pad to the forehead, but having a doctor for a mom doesn’t really work well for that.
I blinked into the fluorescent lights of the school hallway, my eyelids heavy from lack of sleep. I had spent most of the night worrying about big wishes and a life of migraines, not to mention what my parents would do to me. If they found out about my mistake, I could forget about camp this summer--Mom and Dad would be locking me in the house with no visitation rights until my thirtieth birthday.
Now that I was at school, I felt like everyone was looking at me. It probably had more to do with my grumpiness and the frightening state of my hair, but I couldn’t help worrying that the entire school was now wondering what their three wishes would be.
I didn’t think Sean had told anyone else, but I couldn’t be sure, and I couldn’t exactly wish for him not to. For all I knew, he had called all his stupid soccer buddies and told them about his new pet genie. His pervy friend, Todd Griffin, would probably start by summoning a stack of porn, then move on to global domination.
After that, I assumed he would circle back and ask for another stack of porn.
The thought of Sean passing my ring around like a party favor should have had me bouncing off the ceiling, but somehow, I stayed on the ground. Strangely, I didn’t think Todd Griffin would have me donning a belly shirt and harem pants anytime soon. Sean had backed off pretty quickly on the world peace thing, so maybe he wasn’t so bad.
Maybe.
Or (maybe) my brain was just too fried to think straight.
I stared into my grizzly reflection in the small mirror in my locker, wondering why I had suddenly decided that Sean and I were buddies. “It doesn’t make sense,” I muttered.
A bright red blur behind me signaled Natalie’s arrival. “What doesn’t make sense?”
“Nothing. Just last night’s homework.” I slammed my locker, and we started to walk toward our first class.
“I know, right? I mean, I like Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare. He’s a great guy.”
Despite my grouchiness, a smile played at my mouth. “You’re just not in love with him?”
“Funny. I just think that reading plays isn’t very satisfying. They’re meant to be performed. Speaking of which...” She handed me a piece of paper. “It’s tomorrow. What do you think?”
Amateurs Wanted: Dead or Alive! announced the flyer. In smaller text below, it added, ...but
“Fine. Then why don’t we just wish for three pizzas and call it a day?”
He actually seemed to consider that for a second, but shook his head. “No, I can’t.”
Of course not , I thought. Don’t make things easy or anything.
“I’ve got to use my wishes for something important. If I don’t...” He sighed. “Look, I need some time to figure stuff out. How long do I have?”
It was tempting to lie and say that his wishes were due to expire in about ten minutes. That was one way to get my ring back in a hurry. Unfortunately, given his track record, making Sean hurry would only lead to more half-baked, impossible wishes.
I sighed. “Take your time, I guess.”
#
“I wish that I were back inside my bedroom, completely unharmed and intact,” I said.
A moment later, I was bouncing off my own bed.
I crept to the door and opened it a crack. The sounds of Mom and Dad’s rented movie piped up to my ears, and I smiled. If they had realized I was gone, they would both be yelling at the police to hurry up and come look for me.
I shut the door and padded over to the bathroom. Most of the bubbles had dissolved into a pinkish white film, but the appetizing scent still clung to the air. Breathing in deep, I let the sweet smell flood into my brain, a welcome distraction from my thoughts of Sean Fabry.
As I dipped a toe into the bathtub, I winced. The water had turned cold.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning, I yearned to fake sick with a well-placed cough and a heating pad to the forehead, but having a doctor for a mom doesn’t really work well for that.
I blinked into the fluorescent lights of the school hallway, my eyelids heavy from lack of sleep. I had spent most of the night worrying about big wishes and a life of migraines, not to mention what my parents would do to me. If they found out about my mistake, I could forget about camp this summer--Mom and Dad would be locking me in the house with no visitation rights until my thirtieth birthday.
Now that I was at school, I felt like everyone was looking at me. It probably had more to do with my grumpiness and the frightening state of my hair, but I couldn’t help worrying that the entire school was now wondering what their three wishes would be.
I didn’t think Sean had told anyone else, but I couldn’t be sure, and I couldn’t exactly wish for him not to. For all I knew, he had called all his stupid soccer buddies and told them about his new pet genie. His pervy friend, Todd Griffin, would probably start by summoning a stack of porn, then move on to global domination.
After that, I assumed he would circle back and ask for another stack of porn.
The thought of Sean passing my ring around like a party favor should have had me bouncing off the ceiling, but somehow, I stayed on the ground. Strangely, I didn’t think Todd Griffin would have me donning a belly shirt and harem pants anytime soon. Sean had backed off pretty quickly on the world peace thing, so maybe he wasn’t so bad.
Maybe.
Or (maybe) my brain was just too fried to think straight.
I stared into my grizzly reflection in the small mirror in my locker, wondering why I had suddenly decided that Sean and I were buddies. “It doesn’t make sense,” I muttered.
A bright red blur behind me signaled Natalie’s arrival. “What doesn’t make sense?”
“Nothing. Just last night’s homework.” I slammed my locker, and we started to walk toward our first class.
“I know, right? I mean, I like Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare. He’s a great guy.”
Despite my grouchiness, a smile played at my mouth. “You’re just not in love with him?”
“Funny. I just think that reading plays isn’t very satisfying. They’re meant to be performed. Speaking of which...” She handed me a piece of paper. “It’s tomorrow. What do you think?”
Amateurs Wanted: Dead or Alive! announced the flyer. In smaller text below, it added, ...but
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