“I don’t know if I have that in me. Everyone hates me. I have no real friends. Just hangers on that enjoy my cast offs. I am a using monster, how do I recover from that?” Paula asked.
“I can try to help you but in all honesty I am not known for my interpersonal skills. People can change though and you are literally not the person you have been. Trust me things can be a lot worse if you pursue the easy path of wishes. You are young and rich. You have the time and ability to make amends. From our conversation you strike me as intelligent.” Joe said.
“Okay but I am keeping the lamp as a means of protection. If I may have my room I am going to change and start my long journey to being amazing.” Paula watched Joe puff away waving goodbye.
Joe appeared home but kicked himself for not more strenuously trying to convince her to relinquish the lamp. Temptation might prove too strong later. He didn’t ponder it long as he got roped into a conversation about the party they already had.
“I think that we should call the whole party off. I think that yesterday, I mean today taught us is we should cancel the party.” Tommy said.
“No way. There was a girl there I totally would’ve scored with if I hadn’t spilled a drink on her.” Mark protested.
“I am with Mark on this. Not the him scoring because that ain’t happening even with genie powers. But I thought I’d switch up the lucky lady tonight.” Brad said.
Mark responded, “I think that what you mean is that Fawn chick turned you down.”
Brad shrugged, “Turns out she likes the ladies, I can’t blame her. No real loss.”
“Whatever you say to protect your precious ego. But I am not doing anything to reduce my chances.” Mark said.
Joe voiced his opinion, “I say that we simply depower ourselves. That way we are safe.”
“I don’t need powers to score so I could go along with that.” Brad said and all of the roommates agreed with the compromise. Then an issue presented itself. The medallion couldn’t be located.
Larry meekly spoke, “There is the slight possibility my sister Emily took it.”
Tommy asked, “When could she have done that? She hasn’t been here recently.”
“She actually has in this timeline. I was her babysitter Darla and brought her over to watch her for a few hours yesterday. Do we know when the medallions went missing?” Larry checked around the room finding a lot of shrugs, “Who used it last?”
“I think I did when we changed into our current forms. Then I put it back.” Larry said.
“But we did that today so that eliminates Emily as a suspect.” Tommy smiled proud of his deduction.
“You are thinking in the wrong timeline. We changed yesterday to become used to our current enhanced forms. That leaves Emily in.” Joe explained.
“So yesterday which wasn’t yesterday but really today the day before that.” Tommy hoping he got that right.
“Exactly.” Joe affirmed.
Tommy flopped onto the couch, “I am getting a headache.”
“One of us can simply wish to have the medallion.” Brad offered.
“Can’t we are unable to grant our own wishes.” Joe rejected.
“We’ll just wish on someone else’s lamp.” Mark came back with.
“We as genies are bound by a strict code that can not be broken. We can neither grant our wishes nor those of our fellow genies.” Joe spoke with authority.
Brad’s brow furrowed, “Who made that stupid rule?”
Joe answered, “The Djinn who rules over all others.”
“But he doesn’t exist. Genies weren’t real before we became them.” Brad said.
“Are you forgetting we have a shapeshifting medallion? I have a couple theories on it. By becoming genies the medallion it created a reality to make it possible. Or there are genies and by becoming them we are now controlled by the rules that bind them.” Joe responded.
“Am I right in understanding that you think the shapeshifting medallion alters the fabric of our reality each time we use it?” Tommy stared at Joe.
“I think it alters what it needs to achieve the users desires. It might include reality. I don’t know its limits and am not sure it is wise to try to find out.” Joe said.
Brad faced Joe, “How do you know that we have wish restriction?”
Joe answered, “I have read quite extensively.”
“But you don’t know.”
“I don’t for sure but I am confident.”
Brad proceeded to grab up his and Mark’s lamps, “I wish for a ham sandwich.” His words hung in the air but nothing happened.
“See.” Joe then organized them in finding the medallion, “Larry how about you check with your sister. Everyone else try and remember who all has been here between yesterday and today.”
Meanwhile Paula pursued her goal of changing her persona. After a shower and dressing she warmly greeted her parents before they set off for the day. She found them leery at first awaiting whatever she planned to ask for next. Then she befuddled them when nothing followed. She also left the staff confused with her lack of demands and clean room.
Her day at school proved difficult. While her base classes offered her no difficulty her interactions with others did. Her “friends” tried to engage her in idle gossip and mean back talk but now she dismissed them as politely as she could focusing on class. She returned home and settled into a routine of study combined with relationship building. She built a list of those wronged under her former self. In time she planned to help each of them the best she could.
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