A Wish Unwanted – Part 13
by Limbo’s Mistress

“Peej?” Sarah asked again, moving a step closer to me to place her hand on my arm. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

Oh, that? That was nothing at all to be alarmed about, Sarah. Just some idiot who thought it might be a good idea to rearrange the universe to satisfy their own selfish desires. That’s all. Certainly nothing that you’ll notice anyways.

I glanced up at her for a second, then went back to staring at the triple simultaneous calls. The obvious choice of which I was actually going to answer was never in any doubt. My thumb moved to the circle beneath Charlie’s name and swiped.

“Was that what I think it was?” he asked as soon as the connection completed. “I thought I was going to throw up.”

I put the phone next to my ear and took a step back from Sarah. The expression on her face bounced from concerned to slightly annoyed. I wasn’t sure if she’d seen who was trying to reach me. If she had, though, she was probably wondering why I picked the “dork” over two of my fellow Raiderettes. Even if one of them was Jen.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to sound casual despite my pulse pounding like a freight train. “I think so.”

A moment of silence. “What do you think changed?”

“I don’t know,” I said, giving Sarah a smile I’m sure she knew was totally fake. “I’m afraid we’re going to find out sooner rather than later.” I bit down on my lip for a second. “Are you … the same?”

“A pimple-faced, untouchable geek? That’s an affirmative.” He chuckled, weak and hollow. Gallows humor. “You?”

“Everything still seems normal. Well, normal for … you know.”

“Yeah, I get what you mean. Maybe we can … Oh! Tracy is calling me. I’m going to see if she’s got a clue about what happened.”

“Good. Text me with the sitch.”

“I will. Promise.” Then he hung up.

I sighed and looked at Sarah. “Sorry, bit of an emergency.”

One slender brow arched in disbelief. “An emergency. With Charlie Mueller?” The suspicion in her voice was blatant. “With the same Charlie Mueller you disappeared with for about half an hour last night.”

I blinked, staring at her. There was an accusation in her words and it took me a second to make the same deductive leap she had. Wrong as it might be.

She thought I was cheating on Lee with Charlie.

“I was also with Tabitha,” I countered. “And Tracy Malloy.” I pointed at the phone in my hand. “I believe I mentioned to you last night that he and Tracy are sort of interested in each other. Well, he was calling to get some advice. For, uh, a date night idea.”

Wow. That sounded totally lame. No wonder Sam preferred to tell people the truth, no matter how rough it might seem. Keeping up with the falsehoods was exhausting. Still, I kept my face in full poker-mode, hoping Sarah would agree that my explanation was far more likely than hers.

After a couple of seconds, her skeptical expression softened. “I guess that makes sense. I mean, he probably doesn’t have any experience with girls. Romantically, I mean. So, of course, he would reach out to the one female who he knew would help him. I got it now. Sorry if I sounded like a total ‘b”.”

I smiled, shrugging one shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s understandable that you might think something was up. With Charlie and I having a bit more contact lately.” I glanced over toward the school as I held up my phone and shook it. “You might want to go on ahead. I better see what Uber Bitch One and Uber Bitch Two wanted.”

A sly grin formed on her face. “Better you than me, Peej. Too early in the morning to deal with either one of them. See you in a bit.” She headed off down the sidewalk toward the school’s entrance. I spotted Chad just leaving the parking lot, and my friend altered her course to intercept him.

I pressed my thumb on the missed call icon next to Tabitha’s picture. The phone rang once, then her haughty voice came through the speaker.

“I suppose it’s too much to hope you turned into a fat, smelly blimp who wears a triple extra-large cheer skirt.”

I rolled my eyes at the phone. “So sorry to dash your hopes and dreams, Tabby. It appears that I am still hotter than you.”

“Figures,” she said with a sigh. “Notice any changes yet?”

“No,” I said, taking the time to turn in a slow circle, my eyes passing over everyone within viewing range. “Neither did Charlie. He’s talking to Tracy right now. Maybe she knows.”

“I doubt it,” the girl on the other end of the line said with an audible sneer.

I sighed. “Stop being a total bitch, okay? We’re all kind of in the same boat here.”

“Yeah, the S.S. Titanic,” she replied. I could detect a note of fear beneath the arrogant bravado. Like me, she was probably worried about the changes she didn’t know about. “Oh shit,” she said. “Jen is calling me.”

“Yeah, she called me the same time you did, probably to find out what changed. I chose to ignore her.”

A pause. “Seriously? Wow, that’s a pretty big set of balls you’ve got there, Davenport. A lot bigger than the ones you used to have, for sure. Well, I’m not going to answer her, either. Until we know what changed, there’s nothing to tell her. And I don’t fancy getting yelled at again.”

I tapped my foot on the sidewalk for a second, wondering if I was making a mistake. Tabitha wasn’t a nice person. Considering what she’d done to Tracy, I didn’t know if she’d ever been one. However, she was just as tied to the stone as the rest of us. Which might not make her an ally, but it didn’t make her a total enemy, either.

“Tabs?”

“What?”

“If you find out what happened, will you text me? I’ll do the same. That way none of us are caught off-guard.”

“Fine,” she huffed. “But only if you swear that you will call Jen once we find out. I’ve already been screamed at for the stunt you and Mueller pulled.”

“Why were you yelled at?” I asked, completely confused. “Not like you made the wishes.”

“Try telling Super Bitch that. Later, Peej.”

I hung up the phone, put it back into my bag, and started walking down the sidewalk toward the school. Sarah and Chad were hanging by the front steps, having a rather animated discussion that didn’t look like it was romantic in nature. Especially the way Chad kept gesturing in the air and the way Sarah stood a foot back from him, arms crossed defiantly over her chest.

As they noticed my approach, the disagreement was placed on pause while the obviously distressed boy turned to me and smiled.

“Hey, Peej,” Chad said. “How’s it going?”

I arched a brow at him. I wasn’t sure if the two of them were having a fight. Or if they’d simply been arguing about whether or not pineapple belonged on pizza. Regardless, it was pretty clear they had no intention of continuing it in my presence.

Sarah, still standing with her arms folded over her, shot him a hard look. Then she turned to me. While not exactly saying anything verbally, I got the impression that she wanted me to keep moving. I guess she’d been winning and didn’t want my interruption to detract from that.

“Pretty good. By any chance have you seen my boyfriend this morning. I saw his car when we pulled in. I thought he’d be with you.”

“You mean you don’t automatically know where he is?” Chad asked, cracking a slight smile despite the fact that he still seemed pissed. “As tight as that leash you keep him on is, I figured you’d low-jacked his ass.”

I rolled my eyes. “There is no leash,” I countered. “Now, do you know where he is or not?”

He shrugged. “He said something last night about needing to talk to Coach C. this morning. Maybe he decided to do that before homeroom.”

I turned and glanced up the steps behind Chad to the front door of the school. Lee hadn’t said anything about not meeting me before homeroom when he left last night. Of course, between the amorous activities in my room and the haste with which he departed, I really wasn’t all that surprised.

Besides, I didn’t know if he usually talked football with Penny. Or if she said that much to him about cheering.

His unexpected absence this morning, especially after the alterations to reality, might have caused me alarm. Fortunately, Chad’s words helped put my mind at ease. For the most part.

I still needed to know what had been changed.

“Okay,” I said, looking at the two unhappy lovers. “I’m heading inside. See you in French, Sarah.”

She nodded, giving me a slightly-forced smile. “Oui. That you will.”

As I headed up the steps, I heard the two of them renew their previous disagreement.

“Seriously, though,” Chad said in a furious whisper. “McDonald?”

I tuned them out, choosing to focus my attention at the other students as they passed me to see if they looked … different. Or out of place. However, to be honest, I didn’t have the slightest clue what exactly to look for.

According to Tracy, when as soon as she saw Penny, something in her head simply told her who I’d used to be.

I could only hope it would be as obvious to me.

Walking down the hall to my locker, I felt like my head was on a swivel. Left. Right. Left. Right. Searching for someone who didn’t seem like they belonged. Maybe someone who used to be fat, but was now toned and shapely. Or possibly someone who used to be super short who now could be the star player on the basketball team.

Of course, my plight was further complicated by the fact that everyone who saw me had something to say to me.

“Hey, Pee-Jay.”

“Morning, Pee-Jay!”

“Love that skirt, Peej,”

“Great party last night, Pee-Jay. It was a blast!”

That last was one was said by Darius Jackson. Which threw me off because the shindig the previous evening hadn’t been my party. It had been Jacob’s. It didn’t make sense why I would get the congratulations on its success.

“Everyone wants you.” Tracy’s words came back to me. I wasn’t simply well-liked. I was wanted. Which probably meant that any social event from now on that I attended would be considered the “it” place to be.

Ugh. Me and my big fat mouth. Why couldn’t I have complained to Cindy that I didn’t understand what it was like to be a well-hung guy who was irresistible to women?

On second thought, that might cause just as much of a headache.

I got to my locker, then made it to homeroom without spotting a single thing out of place. I might have begun to believe that I’d only imagined that something had changed. Except for the part where Tracy, Tabitha, and Charlie all felt it too.

Oh, and Jen. Almost forgot about her. I bet she was about to blow her top. Twelve hours away with no clue as to what some unknown people had done to her world, and no way of finding out for herself.

When I sat down in my seat, Candice leaned over and whispered to me.

“That outfit is totes adorbs,” she said. “You’re the only person I know who can be all four seasons when she wants. So lucky.”

I shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. Thanks to what I’d learned at Jacob’s party, I had the feeling I could throw on an old potato sack and a pair of muddy combat boots and people would still consider me to be the most desired person in the school.

Not that I had any plans on wearing a sack. The sweater and skirts were far more comfortable.

Seriously.

I mean, there’s something to be said for looking in the mirror and thinking that what you’re wearing is totally cute and very sassy. The fact that only three days of being in touch with my feminine side had allowed me the ability to pair and coordinate outfits should have been a touch disconcerting. Instead, it felt completely natural.

Just like all the other girlish experiences I’d had. Another week, and I probably would know more about being a girl than a boy.

Which didn’t seem to scare me that much either.

“Thanks,” I said to Candice. Then, because I felt it was deserved, I returned the compliment. “Though that bikini you had on last night was do die for. I mean, Envy City, girl.”

She giggled. “Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“I’m not,” I insisted, turning around to look at her. “It looked completely fab on you.”

She nodded. “Well, it should. You picked it out. Remember?”

And … screech to a halt. Of course Penny did. Why was I surprised? I bet if I asked, the entire squad, save Jen and Tabitha, took fashion advice from Penny.

Was there anything of me that wasn’t supported by that damned stone’s magic?

I almost asked Candice if she had seen anything unusual this morning, but then I realized that she wouldn’t have noticed. If she wasn’t making the wish, hadn’t already made one, then whatever this new reality was, it had always been that to her.

The bell rang and I departed homeroom for French. Once again, I found my attention being divided between searching for what was different and being polite to the dozen or so people adamant about saying something to me.

I walked into the class and slid into my seat, already feeling like I was going to have a massive migraine before lunch rolled around. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I texted Charlie.

“Anything yet?”

His reply was quick.

“Not yet. Tracy wants to meet during Free Period. Library?”

I figured that meeting to figure things out took precedent over another hangout session at the Clubhouse.

“I’ll be there.”

Sarah came in and plopped down, looking not any happier than she had before first bell. She grumbled as she pulled her textbook out of her bag and let it drop to her desk with a heavy thud.

I put my phone away and tapped her on the shoulder.

“You okay?” I asked. “Want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “Chad is being a total ass. He’s pissed about last night.”

“About what you did?”

I’m sure the boy had planned on continuing the adventures he and Sarah had enjoyed in Jacob’s pool. However, he should have been over getting shut out by now. Maybe my original assessment of him being a clueless Neanderthal was right after all.

She nodded. “I mean, it’s not that big of a deal, right?” she asked, looking at me with pleading eyes. “You don’t think I was behaving like a slut, do you?”

Well, I probably would have had more discretion than to let Lee finger me to an orgasm in another boy’s swimming pool at a crowded party. However, since I did let mine do something similar in my bedroom, I decided to reserve judgment.

“No,” I said, nodding my head. “You were just … uh … enjoying yourself. Nothing wrong with that.”

She smiled as she used a tissue pulled from her purse to dab lightly at the corners of her eyes.

“Can you say something to Chad, then? Tell him that you don’t think I was doing anything wrong?”

I wasn’t sure why I had to tell her boyfriend that. It really should have been her job. Plus, she shouldn’t have to explain to Chad why she felt the need to end their evening of fun when they got back to her house.

However, I was her best friend. Not to mention I had the sneaking suspicion that my newfound powers would make it easier to smooth things over. With any luck, the pair of them would be back to PG-13 pre-class make-out sessions by the end of the day. Which was much better than the them fighting.

“I’ll talk to him at lunch,” I promised, reaching out to tuck some hair behind her ear. “Okay?”

She nodded and turned back around as a man in a slightly rumpled gray suit came into the room. He looked like he might be about forty-something, with a bit of a pot belly and dark reddish-orange hair that was thinning quite a bit. His face was clean shaven, but seemed to carry the weight of a person who has spent decades trying to educate high school students.

He crossed over to Miss LaCroix’s desk and put a scuffed, brown leather briefcase on top of it.

“Bonjour, class,” he said, turning to face us. “I trust everyone is ready for today’s quiz?”

Quiz? We had a quiz today? On what? Why did we have a quiz and I didn’t know about it?

The biggest, most important question running through my mind, though, was the one that practically screamed over the din of the others.

Who the hell was this guy?

Joan Shively, sitting all prim and proper in the front row with her long sleeved blouse and ankle-length matron skirt, raised her hand.

“Mr. Tate,” the moral monitor of Benson High asked. “Is the French Club meeting this afternoon?”

The teacher everyone but me seemed to know, nodded with a bored expression.

“Yes, Miss Shively. At four o’clock. Per usual.”

He opened his briefcase and began to remove several stacks of papers, placing them on the desk in neat little piles.

I leaned forward and tapped Sarah on the shoulder. When she turned to look at me, I nodded at the frumpy older man.

“Who is that guy? Where is Miss LaCroix?”

Her brow crinkled in confusion as she looked at me. “You’re joking, right?”

I shrugged. No, Sarah, I wasn’t joking. Believe it or not, the person who teaches our senior French class is a very pretty young woman from Paris. Not a rumpled, down-beaten guy who sounded like he was from Jersey.

“What if … I’m not?” I asked. Yeah, I was taking a huge risk here. But this was the first clue as to what was different. Hopefully this little nugget would lead to the bigger picture.

Sarah’s confusion turned to disgust. “That’s not funny, Peej. Especially not after what we just talked about.”

Okay, now I was the one who was completely confused. What did Sarah’s blue-balling Chad after Jacob’s party have to do with Miss LaCroix no longer being our French teacher? The two incidents couldn’t possibly be related.

“Davenport? Strand?” the man said, drawing our attention back to the front of the room. “Think we can skip the gossip session so we can get on with the quiz?”

Sarah and I both nodded, her turning back around in her seat, her back to me. There was a ton of tension in her posture. As if she were still upset about my inquiry. The wish from this morning had thrown a massive hiccup my way, and my lack of knowledge had caused me to accidentally rub my best friend’s fur the wrong way.

I took the quiz form from the strange teacher as he passed down my aisle, trying to ignore the broad smile he beamed at me. God, I hoped it was because I was one of the best students in the class, and not because he found me desirable. That would be totally gross!

The next twenty minutes were torture. The questions on the sheet in front of me should have been a breeze, but the constant wondering about what had happened to one of my favorite teachers kept rearing its ugly head. Why would she have been affected by the sudden change in reality?

When Mr. Tate finally announced that time was up, I felt positive that I had was no closer to figuring the mystery out than I’d been earlier.

I was also positive I’d completely failed the quiz.

For the rest of the class, Sarah refused to turn around and look at me. When I finally got enough of a chance, I texted her to ask if she was okay.

“Are you mad at me?”

She didn’t text me back, but did shrug her shoulders after reading it. A gesture I took as a confirmation that I’d crossed some line.

When the bell finally rang, I quickly gathered my stuff, moving to stand in front of her desk so she would have to look at me.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

She shrugged again. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the one who did anything wrong.”

Okay. However, someone obviously had. Had it been Miss LaCroix? Though that didn’t make much sense.

“I feel like I did,” I said, trying to sound more hurt than confused. “I shouldn’t have asked about her.”

She paused her actions to give me a little wide-eyed stare. “I don’t get it, though. You know as well as I do what happened to Miss LaCroix. Now you’re telling me that you weren’t comparing me to her?”

Wow! This was going downhill fast. I shook my head back and forth. “I wasn’t. I promise.”

I reached out and placed my hand on her arm. “You are my best friend. I would never do, or say, anything to deliberately hurt you.”

She studied my face for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Let’s just call it a brain fart on your part and forget it.”

I smiled. “One brain fart, duly noted.”

When we stepped out into the hall, she started to walk away without so much as a goodbye. Then she turned around, walked over, and gave me a one-armed hug.

“Sorry I got mad at you,” she whispered into my ear. “Please say you’re still going to talk to Chad at lunch.”

I nodded. “I promised, didn’t I?”

She looked at me and smiled. “Thanks.” Then she stepped back and shrugged her shoulders. “I mean, it’s not like I sucked off a whole line of guys, right? It was just Peter.”

Before I could even register what she’d said, she turned around and resumed her trek to her next class with a light bounce in her step. As if she hadn’t just dropped a serious fracking bomb on me.

That’s why Chad was so angry earlier? Why Sarah wanted me to talk to him to smooth things over? Because she had apparently given a hummer to Peter last night?

Peter Who?

I made my way to second period with my brain feeling like it was about to explode. I couldn’t think of a single Peter I knew. Especially not one who had the ability to convince Sarah to put her mouth on a dick that wasn’t Chad’s.

It didn’t make any sense at all. I mean, if this Peter had wished for Sarah to be his girlfriend, rather than being coupled with the football player, then he would be. Which would preclude Chad from even being concerned what the two of them had done.

Plus, how did the absent French teacher figure into it.

I planned to use to do some snooping on my phone, during Mr. Andrews’ boring lecture. See if I could find any reference at all to Miss LaCroix.

Unfortunately, Mr. Andrews decided that we needed to engage in an interactive recounting of the opening events of the Great War. So there was no chance for me to even glance at my phone. Much less perform in-depth investigations. Plus there was the ten minutes it took for him to partner me with someone. Due to everyone insisting that they get to be the lucky one.

When I finally got into the library, I was about fifteen minutes from being a total wreck due to the unrequited need to know what horrors the wish had wrought. I drifted past the front desk, where Mrs. Tobin greeted me with a wave and a smile. Along with the group of freshmen sitting nearby working on some type of group project.

I spotted Tracy and Charlie in the same spot where I’d spoken with Tracy on Monday. Strategically placed away from prying eyes and nosy observers. As I walked up to them, they looked at me expectantly. Charlie even arched an eyebrow.

“You found something, didn’t you?” he asked.

I nodded, but gestured at them. “You guys first. Any theories?”

They both shook their heads.

“I haven’t see anyone who didn’t look like they normally do,” Tracy said. “But I was lucky enough to only get told to stop staring like an idiot freakazoid only once.”

Charlie nodded. “Same here. The only thing that was odd was Harold Langham wasn’t in physics. But considering he was coughing and sneezing his head off yesterday, I’m not surprised he was absent.” Then he turned to me. “What did you discover? It must be big, since you look like you did that time in eighth grade when Trevor Langham threw your backpack into the lake.”

“It had a first edition print of Magnetic Man in it,” I grumbled.

Tracy sighed. “I can’t believe I got magically inducted into this group.”

“Anyways,” I said, steering us back on track. “Miss LaCroix isn’t my French teacher anymore. There’s some old guy named Tate there now.”

Charlie blinked. “The wish turned the hottest teacher in school into an older man?”

Tracy shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the case. Consider this, when the magic changed me and Tabitha, our names and families didn’t change with us. At least, not all that much. The only thing that changed with you two was your names, right? Your folks are still your folks.”

I shrugged. “For the most part. Our relationship changed.”

“But not the specifics. Last name, address, siblings. So, if someone had wished Miss LaCroix to be a guy, he’d be Mr. LaCroix.”

“That makes sense,” Charlie said.

I shook my head. “It’s more than that. I also just found out that Sarah gave a blowjob to a guy named Peter at Jacob’s party last night.”

“Peter who?” Tracy asked. “New boyfriend curtesy of Invidia?”

I shook my head. “No. But she’s pretending like it wasn’t a big deal. Like it was just a common enough thing. She wants me to talk to Chad and get him to see it that way.”

“How does Miss LaCroix fit into all of it?” she asked.

“I don’t know. But when I asked, casually, where she was, Sarah got real pissy. Like I was asking just to make fun of her.”

“Uh-oh,” Charlie said. “Let me check on something.”

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up a web browser. He typed in the words “LaCroix and Benson High”, then hit search.

Tracy and I crowded around behind him, peering over his shoulders as the software sent out its net and brought back a slew of hits. Over ten thousand, to be exact. However, it was the first result, from the local news station, that made the three of us collectively draw in a gasping breath.

“Benson High School Teacher Convicted.”

Charlie hesitantly moved his thumb to the link and pressed it.

None of us spoke as we slowly read the text that appeared. I couldn’t speak for the rest, but each sentence made my stomach more unhappy and caused a spear of pain and anger to pierce my heart.

According to the story, Ms. Jeanette LaCroix had been found guilty of having an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of her students. The name of the Benson High School student involved was being kept confidential due to his being a minor. However, the report listed his age as being sixteen.”

“A sophomore?” Tracy asked.

I shook my head. “It says here that the affair took place at the end of last school year. So they would be a junior now.”

“Think it was this Peter person?” Charlie inquired.

“It’s as good a guess as any,” I replied, feeling a swell of anger rising in me. “We need to find out who he is and what he wished for.”

“And who his partner in magical crime was,” Tracy added.

“Well, we can do one of those now,” Charlie suggested, pointing toward the reference section. “I’m pretty sure there’s a year book or two on the shelf. Just look up all the Peters who were sophomores last year.”

He walked over to the shelves while Tracy and I sat down at one of the tables. A trio of younger girls, probably freshmen, walked past on their way to the checkout desk. When they looked our way, I absentmindedly threw up a hand in greeting.

The effect was instantaneous and extremely disturbing.

Six sets of eyes widened and stupid grins split their youthful faces. Giggling, they bunched together whispering animatedly. Most of what they said was undiscernible, but I did get the impression that the simple act had become the highlight of their day.

As if they couldn’t begin to believe that Pee-Jay Davenport would acknowledge their lowly existence.

Maybe a nunnery wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Tracy smirked. “It’s a lot more noticeable now that you know what to look for, isn’t it?”

I turned away from the star-struck teens and looked over at her. “It’s freaky. I feel like I’m being watched with anticipation from everyone.”

She nodded. “You are. And probably will be for the rest of your life. Better start getting used to it.”

On that depressing note, Charlie returned with last year’s photo album. Flipping open to the tenth grade portion, he began to run his fingers down the list of students’ names.

“Peter Baker. Peter Garland. Peter McDonald. Pet…”

“Stop,” I said, probably a little louder than intended. Glancing around to make sure my little outburst hadn’t drawn unwanted attention, I pointed at the book. “I overheard part of Sarah and Chad’s argument. He said the name ‘McDonald’. So that’s got to be the guy.”

We all leaned in to look at the picture associated with the name. The image showed a boy, definitely a little younger than us. He had shaggy, close-cropped hair, and braces adorning his teeth. While not completely unattractive, he was far from what I expected to find. Especially after managing to somehow seduce both the really hot French teacher and one of the Elite.

“I figured he would look like some kind of supermodel,” I said, shaking my head. “That maybe he’d upped his appearance to the point where girls would just fall over themselves for him.”

“Apparently not,” Charlie said. “He looks kind of like a moron, if you ask me.”

Tracy laughed softly. “If this is the guy, then he must have wished for some kind of power over females. Mind control, maybe?”

A chill ran through me and I looked over to find Charlie staring back at me with the same worried expression I knew was plastered on my face.

“What?” Tracy asked. Then she let out a little gasp. “Oh, that could be bad.”

“Think that’s possible?” I asked them. “I mean, it’s one thing for me to get turned into a hot girl, but I’m still bound by the laws of the universe otherwise.”

“No, you’re not,” Charlie said, glancing over at Tracy, who nodded. “You have this improbable power of super popularity. Beyond what just a pretty face could command.” He tapped on the photo. “If this guy made a wish to have mind control powers. Or telepathy. Or anything like that, we might find ourselves out-gunned.”

Tracy sighed. “If we confront him without knowing for sure, we could end up with our brains melted. Or worse.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I might have been willing to go the extra mile and reciprocate for Lee last night. But that didn’t mean I wanted to become some bimbo slut who would let Peter McDonald do things to me, or me to him, without any hesitation or regret.

“If he has that kind of power,” I mused. “Then why not keep Miss LaCroix from getting into trouble. I mean, he could have just caused the people who found out about them to forget it even happened.”

“That’s why we can’t just speculate,” Charlie said. “We need to know for sure what he wished before approaching him.”

For the next twenty minutes, we formulated a plan. We’d stick to our usual routines, but keep an ear out for any mention of Peter’s name. Or his actions. Since I could probably get away with inquiries without causing too much suspicion, I would see if I could find out who Peter was friends with. Which might allow us to identify his wishing partner.

“I’ve got to go,” I said, glancing up at the clock. The bell ending the period was going to ring in less than a minute. “Maybe I can stealthily grill some of the other cheerleaders about him without a crowd around. I have a feeling Sarah isn’t the only Raiderette to have sampled McDonald’s menu.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “No matter how popular or wanted you get, Sam, you’ll never quit making stupid puns at the worst times.”

I shrugged, managing a small grin. “Probably not. I’ll be in touch.”

When I pushed open the door of the library and stepped out into the hall, the bell began to ring. I quickly made my way down the hall, weaving in and around the students filing out of the classrooms. I kept my head down and ignored the sudden stream of greetings that hurled my way.

In the cafeteria, I skipped the lunch line since what I’d learned in the library had pretty much killed my appetite. Stepping outside into the quad, I found my regular table was occupied by Jordan, Melissa, David, and Mark. All four of them waved hello as I walked over to stand across from them.

“Not eating?” Jordan asked? “Grilled chicken salad with avocado today.”

“Not really hungry.”

She arched a slender brow at me. “You feeling okay?”

I nodded. “I’m fine.” Then I looked at all four of them. “Have you guys seen Lee?”

“Who?” Melissa asked, her mouth full of romaine and chicken.

“Very funny,” I said. “My boyfriend, doofus. Have you seen him?”

Mark smirked, shaking his head. “As a matter of fact, Pee-Jay, I have.”

I turned to him. “Where?”

The bulky jock nodded his head in my direction. “Right behind you.”

I began to turn around just as a powerful hand encircled my upper arm and pulled, speeding up my about-face and sending me into a rapid one-eighty. A second hand, located at the end of a thick, muscular arm, moved around my waist and planted itself securely on the curve of my ass beneath the pleated skirt. A pair of lips clamped down onto mine as a thick tongue snaked its way into my mouth. The lips were attached to a face that was only centimeters from mine.

A face that wasn’t Lee’s.

I was too shocked to respond immediately. Stunned that this virtual stranger was violating my mouth with his mouth and my ass with his hand. The fingers of which, by the way, continued to squeeze and fondle. I guess I should have been thankful his groping was taking place over top of the skirt, rather than reaching beneath it.

Behind me, I heard a chorus of giggles and a few whistles.

“You the man, Barnes!” I heard Mark shout.

Finally, just as my wits were starting to return to me, the boy removed his tongue from somewhere just shy of my epiglottis and pulled his head back to stare down at me.

His face was slightly oval, with an angled jawline and a pronounced chin. His nose was slightly larger than normal, with what looked to be a long-healed break across the bridge. The eyes on either side of it were a deep emerald green, flaked with bits of gold. His hair was a dirty blonde color, shaved close on the sides, but longer and thicker on top. When he smiled, I saw that his teeth were perfectly straight and extremely white.

Like, toothpaste commercial white.

While he had obviously had experienced enough minor facial injuries that he would likely never make a living as a GQ model, he was not unattractive. I’m sure a lot of girls would have responded with weak knees and vapid titters at having been practically swept off their feet into such a passionate kiss from the likes of him.

But for me, there was no spark. None of that electric surge I got when Lee and I touched.

The boy grinned, looking exactly like someone who’d just won the big pot in a poker tournament. Right after having cheated.

“Hey beautiful,” he said, trying to sound suave and romantic. “You been looking for me?”