She took back into the air. Zoe realized that she could give some wishes to her friends. Someone who actually had a general need for a wish. She started flying back toward the suburbs, she was going to share her wishes. But not with Derek, but another one of her goth friends. Someone who she's known since the 6th grade. Her best friend Julian.
Julian was sitting alone in his room using his computer to look up porn on the internet. His mp3 player was blaring Genitorturers as he scanned the free galleries of his favorite asian porn stars. His room was alot like Zoe's, walls painted dark blue, smattered with posters of Marylin Manson and Garbage. He just barely heard the thump of what sounded like a person jumping on the roof outside his second story window. Julian pulled himself away from the computer. Julian was kind of a doughy, pasty, nerdy boy who never put too much thought into his attire or grooming.
He looked at the window. At this time of night it was impossible to look through it. The darkness outside turned windws into mirrors where all Julian could see was his own reflection. He noticed a new zit on his huge nose as he scratched one of his thick eyebrows. He was so occupied with the reflected image in the mirror that he almost jumped back in surprise as a face appeared, almost ghost-like in the blackness of the window.
"Agh! Oh my god." he yelped before taking a moment to process the image. "Zoe is that you?"
Julian fumbled with the window locks, but was soon able to open it. Zoe climbed into the room, her wings poised in cape mode once again.
"Zoe, what are you doing here? I have a front door you know."
"I know, I just wanted to surprise you."
"Well, mission accomplished. Why are you here?" Julian asked as he rushed over to his computer to close the porn sight.
"I have something incredible to show you!"
"Is it that cape?"
"Even better."
Zoe dramatically unfurled her bat wings and let them fill as much of Julian's room as they could. The arched up and away from her body, brushing the ceiling.
"Oh my god! You have wings!"
"You like?"
"Oh my god! They're totally sick!"
"I know." A wicked grin crossed Zoe's face as she lowed the wings into a more comfortable position.
Julian's face twisted in confusion. He had known Zoe for years, and he didn't know what to think. His best friend has grown huge bat wings, leathery and furry and kind of gross. Yet on Zoe they seemed appropriate, almost natural.
"I knew you would be growing wings soon, but I never expected this."
"What did you expect?"
"I don't know, how do they feel? Can I-- can I touch them?"
"Yes. And they feel weird, it's weird to have a new body part you didn't have yesterday, but it's a good weird."
Julian rubbed the surface of her wings with his thumb and fore-finger. It was warm to the touch. His mind couldn't seem to make the mental connection that this body part, the body part of an animal was attached to his friend. He looked back up at Zoe's face. She just shrugged.
"Can you fly?"
"Oh, you bet I can."
"Can you show me?"
"Yeah, in a minute, but first, do you know how I got these wings?"
"What do you mean, I knew you were getting wings, but you never told me how exactly."
"Yeah, don't you think it's strange that no one else in the world never sprouted giant bat wings from their back overnight?"
"Come to think of it, it is kind of strange. But here you are."
"Yes, but can you remember the exact time or place that you found out I was going to grow wings?"
"That is kind of weird, but--"
"No Julian, don't dismiss it! That's just how the magic plays tricks on you."
"What do you mean?"
This is how Zoe introduced the rock to Julian and she told him everything she knew and all the wishes she had made up until that point. Then Zoe explained why she had come to Julian's house.
"So I want to use the rock to help you Julian."
"What do you mean help me?"
"I want to give you some of my wishes so you can be a girl."
"What?!" What little color he had washed out of Julian's face.
"You know, your fantasy. The one you told me about." Zoe tried to go into a more gentle mode as Julian started fumbling about.
"Well, that was just, that was just..."
"Julian, it's okay. When you first told me, I didn't understand. I thought, 'guys have it great, why would he want to give it up?' But then I started looking around on the internet and I understood alot better. That's why after that I let you borrow some of my old clothes. I don't think any less of you for it, it's just the way you are. You've always been great friends with me and alot of other girls at school. You've got this feminine way about you."
"No I don't." Julian mumbled. He was beginning to shut down on Zoe.
"You've gone out in drag on halloween for the last three years. I know you want this."
"I can't. It's not real, it's just a fantasy. It's not like I wanted sex change surgery or anything."
"Julian, this is better than any surgery, this is real." Zoe flapped her wings for emphasis. She handed the rock to Julian. "Just one wish and it's yours."
Julian looked at the rock in his hand, then back up at Zoe. Under the black lipstick and heavy eyeliner, she had a genuine look of concern. Did he really want this? It would be real, but it would also be permanent. But nobody would know the truth that he had been born a boy. He took a long pause while he concentrated.
Suddenly remembering her own transformation, Zoe interrupted Julian.
"Just remember to wish for a painless change."
"I wish to painlessly transform into the girl I am picturing in my head right now."
