"I said that?" Jon didn't sound scared at all "Thanks for noticing Karyn. But I guess this means I'm going to have to face her. I just wish that I was confident enough for her." The stone glowed. "Heck, I just wish that she would go out with " Karyn snatched the rock out of Jon's hands before she finished his sentence.
"Jon!" Karyn cried. "That's cheating. You can use the rock, but if you want to make it really fair then don't cheat. I'd better put in some conditions first."
"I wish that the bet that I started had the following conditions.
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Jon cannot make any wishes directly to win this bet. Stuff like "I wish I would win this bet", or "I wish Sarah would ask me out on a date".
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Jon cannot make any more wishes to improve himself and so win this bet.
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If Jon gains muscle mass or knowledge manually then Sarah would only look upon Jon as if he was as he is now."
Jon paused for a moment and then said, "Okay I think I got it. But I have a few conditions of my own.
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Karyn, if you're near when I approach Sarah you'll turn invisible. I need her to know that I'm paying full attention to her while I'm around her or otherwise she'll just be disinterested.
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I need to have some sort of friend status on her social hierarchy. Actually being a stranger is fine. I just can't be her enemy. Enemies becoming lovers is something that only happens in fiction.
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I want you to know that however I act around Sarah is just for the sake of this bet. It's not how I really am or what I'm turning into.
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I'm going to need some protection. I don't want a member of her staff coming onto me and being a dick to me. I need friends and I like my voice just the way it is."
Karyn contemplated the conditions. She could see reason in the last condition. (She hid her smirk at all the dick jokes that he made). She understood the third condition and she guessed that it would be unrealistic to make an enemy into a lover. But the first condition . She didn't like it. She could stand around the playground but if she wanted to be a real spectator in this bet she would have to follow them into restaurants and stuff. That would be awkward.
"I wish to accept your conditions. However I wish to be able to watch this bet, even when I'm not around you." The stone glowed twice. Karyn started tossing the stone.
"Well then. What about stakes for this bet?" Jon asked.
"I was thinking something along the lines of five wishes to alter the other person." Karyn replied
"Okay, but can't I do that already? Or rather you could do that right now"
Karyn saw Jon start to move cautiously towards her. He was trying to get the stone!
"I wish that unless otherwise agreed upon in a bet, Jon and I couldn't make wishes to alter each other." Karyn gasped for breath. She saw the stone flash and then fly out of her hand. Jon was just a moment too late.
"Karyn," Jon whined. "Now I can't pretend I made a wish to make you beautiful. Now you already know."
Karyn laughed. She loved this side of Jon. Even if he wanted his way most of the time, he would prop up her self-esteem and appreciate her for things that other people wouldn't notice. She started to daydream.
"Mommy, Mommy look what I drew." A little girl came running to Karyn. No. This was not just any little girl. This was their little girl, Connie. "Mommy, it's you and me and daddy and little Jack!"
"Jack doesn't look like that" Jon bent down in with little baby Jack in his arms. He was five months old and fast asleep. "Jack doesn't have that much hair. It's not as if Jack is like you and mommy. Jack is a man! Men have short hair!" Jon's fake aggression was enough to make Connie and Karyn both laugh. Even Jack gurgled in his sleep.
"What about the next one? Should we find out now?" Karyn asked.
"No," Jon put down Jack and put his hand on Karyn's stomach. "I think we'll leave this one up to chance. We won't use the wishing rock"
"Wishing rock!" cheered Connie, even though she had no idea what the grown-ups were talking about. "I want to use the wishing rock!"
"Okay then" Jon gave in "I wish for the next five minutes Connie was a flying fairy.
"Wheeeeeee Mummy, Daddy, I'm a flying fairy, look at meeeeee "
The sound of Connie's voice deepened then faded into the sound of Jon's voice.
"Hello, Karyn? Karyn, look at me, we need to go to class." Jon's voice pulled Karyn back into reality "Karyn, the bell just went. We need to get to class"
"Sure, I'm coming." Karyn sighed. She didn't think that she loved Jon but maybe, when she was older, it would be nice to have a family with What was she thinking? Jon was simply her friend. Her friend that was just about to lose a bet
"Don't forget about our bet." Karyn called "I'll give you a month to see if you can be the gentleman"
"I'll only need a day." called Jon. They had different classes' in 1st period so they split off.
