Karyn explained her idea, and Jon agreed.
"I wish," said Jon, "that the girls in Sarah's crowd who became Karyn's friends, aren't bimbos, but geniuses, and that they just got smarter now without changing any history, or knowing things they didn't know before. I wish that even then, they won't believe Sarah if she tells them about wishes or magic or new memories."
"Thanks!" said Karyn. "Now let's see what happens..."
"I'm still not sure I get it," said Jon. "You didn't want them to know anything, but you wanted them to be smarter?"
"Maybe I'm being too devious," said Karyn, "but look at it this way. I don't want them to stop being cheerleaders, the ones who are, I mean. I don't want them to talk nuclear physics, and I certainly don't want them to use big words. I want them to think better. I want them to know the same things they do now, to want the same things they always want, but to be intelligent. You know how Sarah always tries to manipulate people? Well, what do you think will happen when Sarah's bimbo friends get smart? The first time she tries to blame something on them, or lie to them, or steal a boyfriend, or ask a rich girl's parent for a favor, they're going to figure out exactly what she's doing and know exactly who she's helping."
"Hmm," said Jon. "In other words, if they're smart, Sarah can't mistreat them and get away with it?"
"That's about right."
"Okay, let me help you."
"What?"
"I wish that Karyn knew enough to act like a friend of anyone she's now a friend of. Oh, I wish I knew if Sarah's listening to this... Nope. Okay, Karyn, later..."
"Bye!"
Karyn hung up and walked out to where Sarah and Stacey were waiting. "Hi, Stacey," she said. "What were you and Sarah up to? Discussing going to the mall in your new car?" Which thanks to the wish, Karyn knew about now.
"Yeah," replied Stacey. "But Sarah's acting weird. I don't get it."
"Sorry, Sarah," said Karyn. "Nothing I can do yet. I'm sure I can contact Jon later."
Sarah grumbled but didn't say anything.
"By the way, Sarah," said Stacey, "remember last week when you were going to give me those concert tickets if I got my brother to hack into the teacher's computer for you?"
"Huh?" said Sarah, but the expression on her face was a distinct lack of puzzlement. "Oh, yeah. I'm surprised you remembered that."
"Pay up!" said Stacey.
"But I don't have..."
"Like you'd risk your parents finding them at home. Besides, today at lunch you had something in the same color paper as the concert tickets right underneath your lunch money."
"You must have been imagining it. You know I'm such a good friend, would I lie about something like that?"
The argument continued for several minutes, until Sarah finally gave up, took out her purse, unfolded a group of dollar bills, and handed Stacey the tickets. Karyn giggled, and wondered how long Sarah would keep her friends....
