A Wish Unwanted – Part 18
by Limbo’s Mistress

A tiny smirk formed on his face, and those blue eyes narrowed just the slightest bit.

“Magic?” Lee repeated in barely a whisper. “Are you talking magic, as in the wonder and mystery of life? Or more like … Hogwarts?”

My cheeks grew warmer, my heart thumping in my chest, as I suddenly felt like that coyote from that cartoon my parents watched as kids. More than once, the not-so-certifiable genius had allowed his haste to lead him into running off the edge of a high cliff. He would hang there in the air, looking down at the world below him, and knowing, without a doubt, that he’d just put himself out too far.

“The latter,” I replied, looking down for a moment. “Though, more goddess power and not so much bearded wizards.”

When I brought my gaze back up, I saw his amused smile was now a little more into the confused range.

“Religious stuff? Like miracles?”

I shook my head. God, this was getting totally off-track. Why had I opened my big mouth in the first place?

Gravity had reached up to snatch Wile E. Penelope out of the air and was pulling her down to a fiery crash waiting in the valley below.

“Not exactly. I mean, sort of.”

The smile returned. “You’re not exactly being clear here, Pee-Jay.”

I nodded. Of course I wasn’t being clear. I was trying to talk to the boy who made my insides turn to jelly with a smile about a magical stone put out into the world by a messed-up goddess. Not sure if there even was a clear point to be addressed.

I sighed. “What if you could have a wish? What would you wish for?”

Lee leaned back in his seat, rubbed his chin, then glanced over to make sure Mr. Eastman wasn’t looking our way. When he turned back around, he shrugged.

“Other than something like ending world hunger? Or senseless war? I suppose those big-ticket items are off the table, right?”

I didn’t answer immediately. Could the Stone of Invidia make such a drastic change in the whole world? I mean, yeah, it had seemed to shift my reality, and the reality of others, around without much effort. But did it really have any effect at all on the rest of the world if Sam Davenport no longer existed? Probably not.

Hell, it wouldn’t have had that much of a disruption at Benson High. To be honest.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “But, for simplicity’s sake, let’s say yes. Whatever you wish for has to be personal to you. One single wish. What do you choose?”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Honestly? I guess I might wish that my younger cousin’s cancer would be cured permanently. She’s in remission at the moment, but the threat of recurrence is always there.”

My heart just stopped. The ability to change anything, I mean anything, about his life with magic power and he picks curing a family member of a horrible disease? Seriously?

Swallowing, I bit down on my lip for a moment, then arched a brow. “Nothing for yourself?”

“If I only had one wish to use, then I’d rather use it for someone who needs it.”

I didn’t deserve him. No one did, really. Not me, and certainly not Jen.

“Oh,” I said, frowning a bit. “I forgot that there are actually two wishes. But it takes two people. Each one making the other’s wish.”

“How does that work?” he asked.

“Well, say you and I were doing the wishing. I would make the wish that your cousin would be cured, since that’s technically your wish. Then you would make whatever wish I wanted.”

He leaned back in his chair again. “That would require an insane amount of trust, Pee-Jay. I mean, you would have to be sure that the person would be willing to carry through on their end.”

I nodded. “Yeah, that could be an issue if you did it with the wrong person.”

“What would you wish for?” he asked, leaning in again. “I mean, if the people making wishes were you and I?”

You. The thought leapt into my head, but thankfully went no further. Because that was completely wrong. Completely. Hadn’t I already had enough actual experience with what happens when you use magic to make someone be in a relationship? Despite the way I felt around Geoff, and particularly my state after one of those kisses, when I was away from him, I could see just how wrong it was.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I’d have to give it some thought.”

He nodded. “You do that.” Then he smiled a huge grin. “I can’t wait to read it.”

I blinked at him. “Read what?”

“This story you’re writing.” He tilted his head to the side, fixing me with a look. “You were getting my opinion to help with writing a story, weren’t you?”

A story. He didn’t think I was a crazy person. Or a lunatic who needed some heavy medication and a padded room. He thought I was a fracking writer trying to get input on a tale. I wanted to slap my own face in embarrassment.

“Yeah,” I said, wincing at the defeat in my voice. “That’s it.”

He nodded. “Sounds intriguing. Of course, your prose in progress doesn’t explain how you knew I was a fan of Emily Bronte.”

“I, uh, might have asked around,” I said with a sigh. Looks like a Muggle explanation was going to have to do. “Just trying to know more about what you’re like.”

He laughed softly and put his hand on top of mine. The zap that shot up my arm nearly made me jump out of my seat.

“You could have just asked me directly, Pee-Jay,” he said softly. “I don’t think I could honestly say no to you. About anything.”

I opened my mouth, but the sound of Mr. Eastman clearing his throat yanked both of our attentions back to the world outside our little bubble. Glancing around, I noticed that everyone in the class was looking our way.

“Mr. Taylor, if you and Miss Davenport are ready to rejoin the discussion, could you please turn back around.”

Lee nodded, his face turning as red as mine felt. “Yes, sir. Sorry.” Without another glance at me, he faced forward again and left me with a heart that felt as if it had been sliced cleanly in two.

The rest of the class was thankfully short and mostly a blur. Even when Mr. Eastman put his back to us to write on the board, Lee refused to look back at me. And when the bell rang, he rose from his seat and departed the room before my rear could even rise off my chair.

What had just happened? I stood next to my desk, staring at the door. It had been as if he couldn’t get away from me fast enough. Did the fact that I claimed I was asking about him put him off? Was he mad that I distracted him from what was going on in the classroom that the teacher had to publicly call him out on it?

I bit down on my lip, nearly hard enough to draw blood. I wanted to chase after him, make him stop and listen to me explain. Explain what? I couldn’t tell him about the old reality. Bad enough he probably thought I was weird for even bringing up magic and wishes.

Heading out of the class, I let myself move forward on autopilot down the hall. Each person who said hello to me was just another spike shoved into my soul.

It was my own fault, though. I’d scoffed at Cindy’s constantly complaint about the attention fostered on her. The oppressiveness of having everyone seemingly want you around them. My arrogance at thinking I knew better than her had come around to slap me in the face. The only reason these people felt any sort of way toward me at all was because of the stone.

I stepped out into the sunlight, making my way toward the gymnasium.

People are going to look to you as an example. An idol, of sorts. Sam’s voice was devoid of the mocking I’d come to expect from my former self. This time, he sounded like he was remorseful. There’s nothing you can do about it. However, you’ve already seen that you can use it to make other people’s lives better. Being the most popular girl in school means that you can break the rigid constraints of the clique cliché.

Sarah waited for me outside the sports complex. When she saw me, she tilted her head slightly to look at me. Her standoffish posture instantly changed into something more friendly.

“Are you okay, Peej?” she asked, concern filling her voice. “What’s wrong?”

I nodded, but didn’t answer. I didn’t know where to begin. With Lee? But that would require telling her about the past she didn’t know. In fact, everything that was wrong went back to that point.

“I’m okay,” I lied. Then I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tightly against me.

For a few seconds, we stayed like that. Then, when I was mostly sure I’d be able to speak without crying, I released her and stepped back.

“Uh, okay,” she said, hesitantly. “You haven’t done that in a while. Like, since freshman year when you tore the sleeve of your mom’s coat after she told you not to wear it to school.” She leaned over and looked into my eyes. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Her last words to me had been distrustful. Because I was being secretive and shady. However, as a true friend, she’d thrown all that aside the moment she saw I was hurting.

This time I shrugged. “I will be. I think.”

She nodded. “Can you tell me what’s wrong? Or is it another big secret.”

“It’s a part of it. A big part.” I slowly brought my hand up and put it on her upper arm. “I swear, Sarah, I will tell you everything, answer every question you might have, this afternoon. Let’s just … get through the day. Okay?”

She didn’t even pause. “Okay. But only because you promised.”

Linking her arm through mine, we entered the building.

In the locker room, I was greeted with a number of good-natured catcalls from some of the other girls. Including more than a few shouts of, “you go, girl!”. Even Chloe gave me a big thumbs-up and a huge smile when I looked over her way.

Crap. I guess that damned picture really had gone viral. At least among the attendees of Benson High.

I sighed and set my backpack on the bench, pulling out the small bag containing my gym attire. As I shoved the unneeded items back into the metal cage, I glanced over at Sarah.

“I really hope The Butcher takes it easy on us today,” I said. “I could use a break.”

She turned to look at me, a small wave of confusion passing across her face. Apparently my words had pulled her out of her thoughts. Then her eyes widened comically and she jumped up from her bench.

“Oh crap!” She said, flailing her arms about like a drowning swimmer. Her unrestrained breasts bounced around like they were on pogo sticks. Sam would have immensely enjoyed the view. “Oh crap! I totally forgot to warn you. I was so focused on trying to figure out your mystery. Oh crap! Oh crap!”

I took a step back, glancing over to see several of the other girls, all in various stages of getting dressed, looking our way. Shrugging at them, I turned back to my panicking best friend. It would have been a little funny, if she didn’t actually look like she was going to start screaming.

“Deep breaths, girl,” I said in a lowered voice, stepping closer to her. “Take about thirty-percent off and tell me what you forgot to warn me about? The Butcher?”

She nodded, her cheeks, neck, and upper chest. “Yes. Uh, when you were absent yesterday, I told her you left because you weren’t feeling well. She had us start doing relay suicides while she went into her office. When she came back, she was really angry.” My friend swallowed hard and the reddish areas of her flesh turned to crimson. “I think she called the infirmary to see if you were there.”

I let out a dejected sigh and plopped down on the bench. “No, I didn’t go by to see the nurse. I guess I should have, though. At least to check in and get a dismissal note. I was just too upset about Geoff’s stupid wi … uh, self. I just went right home.”

Sarah nodded, slipping into a dark blue sports bra, then layering her gym shirt over top. “I didn’t even think, Peej. I’m sorry. I meant to call you last night and tell you, but …”

I reached out and put my hand on her arm. “You were upset about the whole secret meeting thing.”

She frowned. “Yeah.” Then she looked at me, shaking her head. “You have no idea how long this day has been for me. I just want to pin you down and shake the information out of you. Having to wait until after practice is just really cruel.”

I might have felt guiltier if she hadn’t followed up with a small grin. She stood up and closed her locker, leaning against it.

“So, you might want to speed up the changing clothes so you aren’t late. Again. That’s just going to make whatever punishment she gives you twice as bad.”

I knew she wasn’t joking. Even though I’d had an actual sample of the ire the gruff physical education teacher possessed, the stories Sam had been privy to were the stuff of nightmares. I quickly stripped down to my panties, threw on a bright pink sports bra and my own gym attire, laced up my sneakers, and departed the locker room.

Sarah and I emerged into the gym, walking at a hurried pace to the gaggle of girls lounging on the pull-out bleachers beneath one of the retractable basketball goals. Thankfully, Coach Burchett was nowhere in sight.

Monica grinned from her seat as her dark brown eyes drifted over to me. The slight incline of her head told me, before she even opened her mouth, that she was going to comment on Sean’s damning photo.

Was this nightmare ever going to end?

“I give you a ten out of ten for that kiss, Davenport,” she said, drawing a round of giggles from the girls on either side of her. “Barnes really is a lucky guy. Too bad you don’t switch hit. I bet that kiss alone would have put me over the top.”

I paused, blinked a few times, then managed to recover without falling over myself. I had no idea that Monica Keen liked girls. I mean, I hadn’t kept detailed notes on the romantic entanglements of every attractive girl at school, but more often than not, I’d at least noticed who hung onto who.

Settling down on a seat two rows in front of her, I turned my head to back in her direction. “Sorry, Monica,” I said, smiling. “Boys only.”

She nodded. “I know. Doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming though.” Then she winked at me.

Before I could respond, a shrill whistle cut through the chatter and background noise emanating from the other side of the gym. We all turned out heads to see The Butcher standing a few feet in front of the bleachers, the silver noisemaker swaying from a green cord slung around her neck.

“Okay, ladies,” she yelled in a voice that would make a drill sergeant pee his pants. “Off and on! That means off your lazy butts and on your feet. We’re going to do some serious sweating today.”

A collective groan came from the females around me as we all managed to get up from where we were sitting and form two rows of bodies in front of the barbaric gym teacher. Sarah moved into position on my left, while Tracy settled in on my right.

“At the other end of the room, you will find a set of bright orange cones and a bag full of soccer balls. I want the cones arranged in a line running diagonally from the top corner of the basketball court to the left side of the basket. Then you will divide into two groups. One group will start at each end of the line and dribble a ball down to the other side. At the same time, the other group will come from the opposite direction.”

A sadistic smirk formed on her weathered face.

“If you geniuses manage to do this correctly, you will pass the person from the other team on the other side of your cone. If not, then you two bimbos will probably run into each other. Hop to it!”

We all started to surge to the other side of the gym, no one wanting to be noticed as less than enthusiastic about The Butcher’s orders. However, I’d only managed a couple of steps before she held up her hand and shook her head.

“Not so fast, Davenport. You and I need to speak for a hot second.”

Sarah stopped in her tracks and looked back at me. I waved her on, not wanting her to get into trouble on my account. She hesitated, looking from me to the teacher. Then she frowned and ran off to catch up with the rest of the class.

“You seemed to have gotten lost on your way to my class yesterday,” the older woman said, turning her eyes away from Sarah and onto me. “Miss Strand said you were sick, but the nurse in the infirmary didn’t have a record of you stopping by.”

I shuffled from one foot to the other. “I, uh, sort of checked myself out, Coach. I know I should have gone by the office and got a note …”

She held up her hand. “Save the excuses, Davenport. You ditched and got caught.” She tapped her index finger, the light pink nail at the end of it trimmed short, against the top of the silver whistle. “Now, normally I would have a couple of options for punishing you.” Her frown deepened. “Well, for punishing others who ditch class.”

Uh-oh. Something told me that her segregation of me from the other students wasn’t a good thing. Or, at least, a distasteful thing to her.

“See, I could give you three days’ suspension. However, that would result in your being unable to cheer tomorrow. Since, I really don’t want to listen to Ferguson’s bitching about it, that idea’s out.”

“Coach …”

“Can it. Unless you want to dig your hole a little deeper.” She shook her head. “Detention is the same problem. If I give it to you today, you’ll miss practice, and we’re back to Ferguson jumping my crap. Keeping you after school on Friday is completely impossible, and scheduling it for Monday will give you and Winters far too much time to appeal to Principal Ader.”

She sighed, as if realizing she was defeated. Then she narrowed her eyes at me as she flashed me a grin that would give a Nazgul nightmares.

“So, the only way I can teach you a lesson about the importance of attending my class is to do what the program is designed to do. Make you sweat.” Her smile widened and she pointed upward.

For a second, I honestly thought she was either going to call down a bolt of lightning to fry me, or else ignite the tip of her finger like some sort of demon. Instead, she merely wiggled it back and forth, indicating the track over our heads.

“Start running, Raiderette. You can stop when the bells rings.”

There was no arguing with her. I’d dared snub The Butcher and now I was paying the price. I nodded and turned around, walking toward the stairs that led up to the track. Glancing over, I saw Sarah, Kara, and some of the others watching. All of them looked at me like I was heading to the gas chamber.

“I believe I said ‘run’, Davenport!”

Sighing, I broke into a light jog that carried me the rest of the way to the steps and up them. At the top, I continued my pace, focusing only on the white line bisecting the blue flooring and stretching off ahead.

I kept my pace steady, knowing that if I went too slow, Coach Burchett was going to start blowing her whistle and yelling. If I went too fast, then I’d need Sarah and Kara to carry me to cheer practice. Where the most I’d be able to do would be lie on a bleacher and try to give orders.

As the laps went by, I found my thoughts drifting from the track and the ambient sounds of the activates of the people below. Instead, I began to replay my interactions with Lee.

There had been a look in his eyes when he kept me from busting my butt in the hallway. Not so much desire, or need. More like, accepting. Like he saw me as a person long before he noticed me as a figurehead. Or idol. If I had to pick a tried and true moment to relive over and over, it would be the sensation of my fall being arrested by his arms.

It was one of those type of moments they make sure is in every romantic comedy.

The way he seemed to just … respond … to me was another point of interest. Our conversation in Mr. Eastman’s class had been a knee-jerk reflex on my part. I’d allowed my concentration to slip, uttering information I should not have possessed. Then I attempted to cover it up by testing the waters of his imagination.

And what had he done?

Taken the opportunity to let me know that, should he ever find himself in the position of using magic power to change the world, he would use it to help a family member. Completely and totally unselfish.

As I’d felt before, I didn’t deserve him. Not even when we’d been together in the first iteration of Penelope. Why? Because, even though I hadn’t used the stone on purpose, I’d still made sure to enjoy the benefits of the results. I’d basked in the adoration and loved it.

I was a fraud. Lee would be better off falling for some girl who actually warranted having a guy that great. What I truly deserved was to let Geoff’s wish overtake me. Bind me to him as punishment for my … pride?

It probably wouldn’t take much, really. I mean, another four or five of those kisses and I’d be hooked worse than a meth-head. I’d be more than okay with throwing away true, pure love for a relationship with someone who felt they could just make a wish and own me.

The sound of a whistle yanked me back to the present, and I glanced over the railing to see Coach Burchett standing on the gym floor looking up at me. The rest of the class were walking toward the locker room, Sarah bringing up the rear.

I stopped and bent over to place my hands on my knees as I looked down at the scowling instructor.

“You’re done, Davenport,” she called up to me. “Next time you skip my class, I won’t go so easy on you.”

I nodded and turned around to head back downstairs. I realized my hair was plastered to my scalp and my t-shirt clung to every curve, damp enough to showcase the outline of my bra through the thin material.

At the bottom of the steps, I navigated in the direction of the rest of my classmates, before spinning back around to approach the adult watching me.

“I’m sorry I ditched, Coach,” I said in my most apologetic voice. “It won’t happen again.”

She studied me for a moment, then gave a single nod of acceptance. “See that it doesn’t.” Her eyes locked onto mine for a moment, then over my shoulder as the barest hint of a grin formed on her normally angry face. “You better run along before Strand organizes a rescue party.”

I twisted around to see Sarah had stopped short of the locker room door and was watching me and The Butcher carefully. When I began to walk her way, I noticed some tension leave her body.

“She didn’t change her mind and give you detention,” she asked when I reached her. “Cause, you know Ferguson will flip out over that.”

I shook my head. “No. An hour of laps was the extent of the penality.” I nodded my head in the direction of the locker room. “Come on, I need to at least wring out this shirt before practice.”

She sniffed in my vicinity. “You might want to take a quick shower, too, Peej. You’re not getting into my car if you’re all stinky.” A tiny smile formed on her face.

I did as she suggested, keeping my bathing time limited to a mere fifteen minutes. Then I scrambled into a pair of black and green Lycra pants, a fresh sports bra, and a clean t-shirt. Stuffing my dirty clothes back into my bag, I exited the locker room.

Sarah was leaning against the far wall, texting on her phone. When I emerged into the hallway, she glanced up and quickly stuffed the phone into her backpack.

“Do I smell sufficiently appropriate now?” I asked, stepping next to her.

She made a big show of sniffing my hair, then leaned back and nodded slowly. “It’ll do.”

I giggled and looped my arm through hers. I really liked Sarah. She was, beyond a doubt, the best friend Penny could hope to have.

Too bad it was going to end once I told her the truth. Even if she did believe me, she probably wouldn’t feel comfortable being around me anymore. Though that thought did scare the crap out of me, I knew my conscience wouldn’t let me keep lying to her.

I’d just have to handle the rejection, when it came, like a big girl.

The rest of the squad, including Tabitha, were waiting on the side of the football field. Several of the girls were stretching and warming up. Tabitha was leaning against the railing of the steps that went up to the bleachers, and Melissa was looking at her phone.

I dropped my bag next to the low retaining wall running around the field and then stepped over to Melissa’s side.

“You can tell Jen that I didn’t miss practice again, Inez,” I said, flashing her a flat smile.

“Peej,” she said, startled. “I wasn’t … didn’t …”

“Save it. She ratted you out last night.” I shook my head. “I’m not mad, Melissa. Just disappointed.”

Her face fell and her shoulders slumped. Honestly, I thought the poor girl was about to start crying.

“I’m sorry, Pee-Jay. She texted me yesterday right after second period. Bitching about you and Tabs not answering your phones. Then she started in with asking all these questions. They were a little … weird, but she seemed so mad. I didn’t want her to be mad at me.”

I sighed. Of course. I might be the most desired girl on campus, but Jen was still a force to be feared. Especially if you were a Raiderette. Part of me wondered if that was a direct result of her particular wish. Or if being an overbearing bitch had always been in her nature.

“Don’t sweat it,” I said. “It’s hard to say no when Jen starts screaming at you for something. Go warm up with the others.”

She nodded and put her phone away. Then half-jogged to stand next to Candice.

I glanced over at Tabitha, who was watching me with a curious expression that was half-surprised, half-amused.

“You planning on cheering tomorrow, Stevens?”

“Of course.”

I nodded. “Then shag your little bottom over with the rest.” When she drifted past me, I lowered my voice so that only she could hear. “You keep forgetting you aren’t co-captain anymore.”

The blonde blinked, her head snapping around like she’d just been slapped. Then her lips curled into a smirk.

“Promotions and demotions can come at any time, Pee-Jay. Just remember that.”

I almost retorted, but decided to withhold my response. For now. Instead, I walked over to stand in front of the assembled girls.

“Okay, Raiderttes!” I said, looking up and down the line. “Jen will be back tomorrow. The boys are going to be going up against Southwest, so I don’t have to tell you that they’re going to need us rooting them to victory.”

Sarah, Kara, and Jordan all let out a little whoop, with Sarah doing a quick back handspring.

I couldn’t stop the small grin that formed on my face. Here I was, a former guy, giving a pep talk to the fracking Pep Squad. I should have been tongue-tied. However, looking at the pony-tailed posse I’d started to come to know, it felt natural to be the source of encouragement.

Of course, I’m sure the magic of the stone was playing a big part as well.

Over the next hour, I went through every single combination I could remember. And I didn’t just walk back and forth barking out orders or giving directions, I even joined in on the routines. I mean, I knew I could use the practice as well. Even Tabitha seemed to get into the action, and I caught her grinning wildly on a couple of occasions.

I still wasn’t completely sure about her. We’d had some moments since my wish where I thought she was sort of a decent person. Then that angry bitch side would rear its head and she tumble right back down to the bottom of my respect barrel. God only knew what sort of crap I would be in for when she and Jen were finally able to join forces.

Finally, I could see that the girls were starting to get worn out. When Shelly mis-stepped twice in a row, I decided it was time to call it quits.

“Okay!” I said, bouncing over to turn off the music. “Great job everyone! I think we’re totally going to blow it out of the water tomorrow night!”

That brought another round of cheers and yells. The girls all threw each other quick compliments, then began to gather up their things in preparation for going home. There was quite a bit of excited chatter taking place, but I wasn’t close enough to hear what was being said.

“Not too bad,” Tabitha said as she walked over to me. “Not great, mind you. But a lot better than that crappy performance you brought to the table on Tuesday.”

“Wow,” I said as I bent over to pick up my backpack. “Did that hurt? Because it sounded really painful for you to say.”

She crinkled her nose. “Don’t get used to it, Sam. Things are going to change when Jen gets back. We both know it.” She shrugged. “Though, the chances of her just kicking you off the squad are pretty much nil. Not when the entire student body believes you practically walk on water.”

“Wouldn’t do her popularity any good to do that, huh?”

“Probably not. But she can sure make your life a hell on earth, though. Wear you down until you quit.”

“Like she did with Tonya?”

“Yep. Only she’s not likely to be as nice about it with you.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “I got the worst of her venom when I was a guy, Tabby. Now that I’m not a loser anymore, she’ll find I’m a tougher nut to crack.”

She responded with another of those one-shoulder shrugs. “She won’t come at you directly, you know. She’ll find the cracks in your armor and that’s where she’ll attack.”

A little amused smirk appeared on her face, then she turned around and started walking away.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t go after a certain ex-football player as her opening move. Night.”

As she left, I glared daggers at her back. She’d all but announced that Jen knew I was “officially” dating Geoff, that I still had my feelings for Lee. If the Ice Bitch rolled back into town and tried to steal him away from me, I was going to start re-thinking this kinder, gentler Penny.

“Hey,” Sarah said from right behind me, causing me to jump and let out a tiny, high-pitched squeak. “Sorry.”

I shook my head, got my heartbeat under control, then smiled. “It’s okay. I just didn’t see you there.” Then I gave her an inquiring look, gesturing to Tabitha’s departing form. “How much of that did you hear?”

She shrugged. “Not much. Just something about an ex-football player.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

She arched a brow. “Something to do with what we’re going to your house now to talk about?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

We crossed campus and climbed into Sarah’s Prius. As soon as my butt hit the seat, my phone began to chime with what had to sappiest love ballad I think I’ve ever heard. Grabbing it out of my bag, I knew who it was before I ever looked at the screen.

Sighing, I hit the answer button. “Yes?”

A moment’s pause. Then his voice drifted out of the phone’s earpiece. “Well, hello to you, too.”

I glanced over at Sarah and rolled my eyes. She shot me a weird look, but started the car anyways and pulled out of the lot.

“It’s been a day, Geoff. A long, tiring day.”

“Yeah, I heard The Butcher made you run laps through the entirety of sixth. That sucks.”

“That it does.” I sighed. “Is there something you need?”

“Just wanted to hear your voice,” he said, sounding like he was trying to sound hurt. “Didn’t you want to hear mine?”

“Not at the moment, no. I just want to go home and relax.”

“I could come over and help you relax.”

I closed my eyes, fighting against the memory of our lunchtime kiss. The image of Lee catching me swam to the forefront of my mind and I latched onto it like a drowning person on a life preserver.

“You don’t relax me,” I said through gritted teeth. “You make me tense and agitated.”

“Really?” He laughed. “Funny, you didn’t seem like either of those at lunch.”

“Bye, Geoff. See you tomorrow.” Then I hung up and tossed the phone back into my bag.

“Wow,” Sarah said, cutting her eyes over at me. “That was really … rude. I thought you two had made up. I mean, you certainly looked like you’d made up to me.” She sighed with a little dreamy noise. “Even I got a little wet watching you two.”

I snorted and shook my head. “If you only knew the truth.”

She shrugged. “I will, right? Know the truth.”

“You’ll hear the truth, Sarah. I’m pretty sure you won’t know it, though.”

When we got to my house, I noticed mom’s car was there, but dad’s wasn’t. Must be working late again. We walked inside, finding my mother in the living room on the phone. I didn’t smell anything delicious emanating from the direction of the kitchen, which usually meant leftovers. I paused in the entranceway and looked at the woman pacing back and forth.

“No,” she said. “I think the antibiotics are doing their job. It’s just going to take a couple of hours. Keep an eye on his temperature and call me back if it gets above one-oh-three.” She hung up and glanced over at the two of us. “Hello, sweetie. Sarah.” She pointed at the device in her hand. “New mother with a sick baby. He’s going to be fine, but I’m afraid she’s going to have nervous breakdown.”

I nodded. “Sarah and I are going upstairs to discuss … uh, homecoming.”

She waved her hand toward the steps. “Go. Discuss. I’ll throw something in the microwave. Sarah, you’re welcome to stay for dinner if you want.”

“Thanks, Mrs. D,” she said. “But I probably won’t be here long.”

“Suit yourself.”

We went up to my room. I closed the door behind Sarah and locked it before dropping my bag onto the floor.

She set hers on the desk, then sat down on the edge of the bed. We stared at each other for several long seconds before she finally sighed.

“So, are you going to start? Or do I need to begin just asking random questions?”

I glanced around the room. I’d known this conversation was coming the whole day long. But I really hadn’t given much thought to just how I was going to start telling Sarah about everything.

“Okay,” I said, wiping my sweating palms on my pants. “First of all, things aren’t really the way you think they are. Or even the way you remember them being.” I gestured around us. “For example, this isn’t my room.”

She arched a brow, looked around, then back to me. “Sure looks like it.”

I shook my head. “No. I mean, what I’m telling you is that, before Monday, it was a guy’s room. With science fiction posters and dirty clothes, and gaming stuff piled up everywhere. There weren’t any ballet posters or cute dressers or a closet full of girlie clothes.”

“I’m not sure what you …”

“This was a guy’s room because, before Monday, I was a guy.”

“A guy?” She shook her head. “Pee-Jay, I’m not sure what kind of game you’re playing …”

I held out my hands. “I’m not playing any games Sarah.” I sighed. “Before Monday, I was a guy named Samuel Davenport. Charlie? Charlie was a girl named Cindy. She was the Raiderette, not me.”

“Upchuck used to be a girl. Wait, no. You’re saying Upchuck was one of the Elite?”

“Yes.” Then I dropped my hands. “You don’t believe me, do you? Of course you don’t. Because I sound completely crazy.”

“So, explain to me how I couldn’t possibly have not noticed you were a boy all this time? We’ve showered together after gym for a couple of years now. We’ve shared the same bed during more sleepovers than I can count. Not to mention there is no amount of makeup, wigs, or tucking that would make anyone think Charlie was a Raiderette. Not even if they were legally blind.”

I swallowed, feeling the conversation begin to slip away from me. Why hadn’t I just made up some story? Anything that didn’t have to do with magic or malicious goddesses? I could have said Charlie, Tabitha, Tracy, and I were in some twisted polygamous relationship that we didn’t want to become publicly known. Or a group of devil worshippers. Anything sounded less insane than the truth.

“There was this stone,” the words just tumbled from my lips. “A magic stone that grants wishes. It takes two people to make a wish happen. One for each of them. Tabitha and Tracy used it. As did Cindy and I.”

“I suppose Geoff and Jen?”

I shook my head. “Geoff used it with Peter McDonald. I don’t know who Jen used it with. She refuses to tell me.”

“How does Lee Taylor fit into all this? Did he make a wish too?”

I paused, then shook my head. “I don’t think so. Because he doesn’t remember the other reality. Just the one we’re living in now.”

“Other … reality?”

I nodded. “Before Geoff made his wish. In the reality before that, Lee and I were dating.”

Her nose crinkled in a mixture of confusion and concern. “Lee and Pee-Jay? Or Lee and …”

“Pee-Jay,” I said, running my hands through my hair. “It’s complicated. When you make a wish, you can remember what things were like before you made it. But no one else does. Unless they’ve used the stone prior. Tabs and Tracy used it before Charlie and I, so they remember us being Sam and Cindy. Geoff and Peter used it afterwards, so they only remember Pee-Jay and Charlie.”

Sarah laughed, but there was no humor to be found in it. “A magic wishing stone? That rewrites reality for the people that make a wish, but that no one else remembers? Give me a break, Pee-Jay.” She held up her hands. “Oh, sorry, I mean ‘Sam’.”

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. “Didn’t I tell you that you would think I was crazy.”

“Crazy?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t think you’re crazy at all.”

I stared at her, terrified of the look in her eyes. It was like a rolling thunderhead of anger, hurt, pain, and embarrassment. As if someone had taken every negative emotion possible and shoved them all at once into her gaze. I saw her hands open and close several times as her teeth clenched silently.

“Sarah …”

She shook her head. “I don’t think you’re crazy. Or that there is a magic rock that grants wishes.” Her eyes narrowed at me. “I think you just don’t want to be my friend anymore. So you’re making up outrageous stories to cover the fact that you’ve moved on.”

I blinked, nearly falling backward. “Moving on. To whom?”

“Tabitha.” She spoke the words as if they were completely and utterly true.

“What? Now that’s just crazy.” I pointed at the window, as if the blonde in question were hanging around outside like some preppy vampire. “I can’t even stand Tabitha, Sarah. You know this.”

She mimicked me by crossing her arms over her own chest. “Really? Then why are you always sneaking off with her. Or whispering stuff to her.” Then her mouth dropped open. “You aren’t … with her, are you?”

It took me far longer to follow her train of thought than it should have. I blamed it on the stress of the day. “What? With her … like a couple? Sarah, I’m straight. Totally straight.”

“I thought so, but now I’m not too sure.” She stared at me. “I mean, it’s not totally insane. She’s really pretty. Prettier than me.” Her head canted slightly to one side. “Is that the reason you and Geoff have been fighting? Over Tabitha?”

“Oh. My. God!” I yelled, throwing my hands in the air. “I am not attracted to girls. Not anymore. And when I was, I was never attracted to Tabitha Stevens. Ever.” I walked toward her, holding out my hands. “Sarah, please believe me. I know I can’t offer any proof. Or convince you that I’m not making this up. You’re my best friend. Please believe me.”

She didn’t immediately respond. Instead, she walked around my room, looking at everything that screamed the resident of it was female. Then she turned back to me.

“I’m your best friend?”

I nodded, putting a smile on my face. The blurriness of my vision worsened.

“Yes,” I said, still holding my hands out to her. “My very best friend.”

She didn’t take my outstretched hands. Rather, she sighed and picked up her back from the desk.

“Funny, because according to what you’re trying to get me to believe, I wasn’t your best friend until a few days ago.”

“Sarah …”

She shook her head. “You can keep your secrets, Pee-Jay.”

The way she said my name was like a knife twisting in my heart. The tears brimming at the edges of my eyelids broke loose and streamed down my cheeks and over my lips. Hot, wet, salty. The flood increased as she put the bag across her slumped shoulders and walked toward the door.

“I don’t want to be your friend anymore,” she said as she put her hand on the knob. “No, that’s not right.” She turned to look at me. I could see her tears through my own. “I can’t be your friend anymore.”

Then she opened the door and walked out, leaving it ajar.

“Sarah …” I whispered weakly.

Then I sank to the floor in a blubbering heap of pain and anguish.