We piled into Tony’s new car which he—repeatedly--told us was a part of him. It was like a sports car in appearance, but it was able to accommodate all five of us, including Riley, due to Matt using some space time manipulation—his words. Riley sat in the passenger front seat with the rest of us in the back.
“It’s been a good day,” Riley said as he clapped his hands.
“Yeah, dude, it has.”
“Think of the chicks you can pick up with this car, Tony,” Chris shouted with a slap to Tony’s shoulder.
“I saw everyone crowding around it, wondering who the owner was. I just stood by and took down some names.”
“How fast can you go?” Matt asked.
“Not the question you want to hear from the ladies,” Chris replied.
“I haven’t checked. Let’s give it a try.”
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. The county sheriff patrols this stretch of the road,” I cautioned.
“Duly noted, Ty. But they gotta catch us first,” Tony replied as he accelerated.
The car was silent as it increased speed. The surrounding highway blurred past us as Tony glided by cars. All of us saw a highway patrol car turn on its lights but they had no chance of catching up with us. However, through the power of the radio, three more cars, with lights and sirens blaring, pulled up beside us.
“You guys want to see something cool?” Tony asked.
“As long as it’s not the inside of a cop car,” Matt replied.
“Dude, you’re not the only one who can fly!”
Tony sat back as the steering wheel changed shape. He then pulled it down and the car took off into the sky.
I really wanted a seat belt.
“Thank you for flying Ricci airlines. We will be cruising at an altitude of whatever I please. First stop, Peterson Station.”
I looked out the windows to see we were high in the sky, but we were not moving very fast, and I was fine with that. The others treated this as just another day. Matt has his face plastered go the glass, starting at it all.
“You haven’t made your wish yet, have you, Ty?”
“No, I’m kind of wondering what to do. I thought of something simple but then everyone else is going Justice League.”
“Avengers!” Matt called back with his face still against the window.
“I’m not exactly sure if that’s what I want to do,” I replied as the craft descended.
“Katie didn’t say these wishes had a limited effect.”
“Would she do that, like while we’re all up here like this?” Riley asked.
We sat motionless for a second.
“Tony, take us down, quickly.”
We dropped Riley off and continued the carpool on the road, after Tony adjusted the exterior look of the car and the license plate to avoid being pulled over.
“So, this could be limited?”
“It’s possible, Chris,” I replied.
“Why do we have them to begin with? Why did she choose us?”
“Guys,” Matt began, as raised his hands, “we’re never going to know the reason. She said herself, she was a genie, or however she pronounced it, and she gave us a wish. I mean if I won the lottery, I wouldn’t refuse it. I’d be all for them to put that check in my hot little hand.”
“Did anyone this about the strings that could be attached to these wishes?” Chris asked.
“Strings?”
“Yeah, ‘the be careful what you wish for, you just might get it’ kind?”
“Maybe’s she like the Disney one, but not blue and doesn’t sound like Robin Williams.”
“I’m going to agree with Matt,” Tony replied.
“Ty, since she has Geometry with you, why don’t you ask her?”
“I’ll do that,” I agreed as we pulled up to my house. “Remember, let’s try to keep this on the quiet side.”
I opened the door and the trunk popped open.
“Still thinking about what you want to do with your wish, right?”
“A little,” I replied with a nod as I closed the back door, grabbed my backpack and closed the trunk.
“See you tomorrow, Ty!” Tony said through a speaker somewhere in the car.
I waved goodbye and walked up the rest of the driveway as they drove off.
I could keep it all a secret, it was going to be easy for me to do. I wondered if Riley’s parents were under the same spell, or whatever Chris called it, to believe he was always huge. How would Tony explain the car—or how it absorbed into his body? Would Matt blow his house up as he tried to see if he possessed explosive capabilities?
A wave of relief came over me as I didn’t have to worry about superpowers, as I didn’t want them. I didn’t want to be a superhero on a team of Super Friends. I would be more like Batman, but without any money, fancy gadgets, or a cool car.
I turned back to the road and brushed my hair from my eyes.
“I hope tomorrow’s calmer,” I said to no one. “I’ll ask Katie if there’s an expiration date on all of this and let the guys down easy. Nothing lasts forever.”
I turned back to the door and looked at my hands. They seemed different, perhaps smaller, slimmer. I fished into my pocket for my key to unlock the front door and then walked in.
The lights were out. Mom must have gone to the store or something. Dad usually came home around six, so there was about fifteen minutes to get started on my homework before having to help with dinner.
I dragged my backpack into the living room and plopped down on the couch.
“Crazy day,” I heard a female voice say. I sat up with a jolt and looked around,
“Hello?” I heard the same voice come from my lips.
I clapped my hands across my mouth and ran to the bathroom.
I was confident my scream could be heard for miles as I stared at the reflection of a girl with long red hair.