Julie took down notes in her history class. It was some information about the Civil War that she would have to remember for a test someday, but taking notes for class was just part of life. Then she realized: Her handwriting was wrong. Since there wasn't really a Julie, all the notes she took were, of course, in her own--which is to say Jon's--handwriting, with only very slight differences caused by differences in hand size.
When the bell rang she stood up and made a beeline for Jon. Nadine Ferguson tried to ask her something but she replied "I need to talk to my brother" and waved her off.
"Julie?" asked Jon.
She quickly pulled Jon towards the hall and whispered into his ear, "The rock. Now. Please."
Jon reached into his pocket and said "I wish that I can talk with Julie now and nobody else would hear us, by chance."
Nothing much seemed to happen... except some of the area changed subtly and Julie noticed that a person who had been facing with his ear towards Jon was now facing the window. Nadine was several yards farther away and on the ground picking up her books as though she had tripped.
"My handwriting isn't really Julie's," she explained. If you don't fix it by the end of lunch, I'm going to have to hand in an assignment and the teacher'll think I cheated by getting you to write it for me."
Jon grinned. "I did."
"Just wish it," said Julie.
Jon reached into his pocket and made his wish. "I wish that Julie's handwriting to be like mine, except for some minor differences that won't cause problems with anyone thinking we cheated. There you go. We have to watch out, there are probably little differences because your hands aren't the same size, or because you sign things with hearts on the i's or something."
"Thanks. Now I think Nadine wants to talk to me."
"Really? I didn't know you two were friends. You weren't hanging out with each other before vacation, I know." There was a slight hint of falsity in Jon's tone, as Jon knew exactly what "Julie" knew and there was no question that they weren't friends.
"I have no idea what this is about, Jon."
Nadine managed to approach Julie just as Julie was finished talking to Jon, which given the stone's magic was no coincidence. "Er, hi," she said. Nadine was a fairly straight-laced, religious girl who was thought of as a little bit strange because of it.
"Hello," said Nadine. "So, how was your trip?"
After the whole bit of trickery with Zoe, this was the first time Julie had to answer that query for real. "It was fun. Except that I got a big shock in the middle. My grandfather died. Not the one I was with, my other one. I never knew him that well but still...."
"Oh, that's terrible. Was he a Christian?"
"I, er, guess he was. He never converted to something else if that's what you mean." How exactly would Julie respond to such a remark?
"That's good," said Nadine. "My mother tells me it would be terrible to die while having rejected the Gospel... I don't mean it's good for anyone to die, but...."
"Never mind, Nadine," said Julie. "It's not something to talk about. Let me tell you about this place in the historic district..." Julie had to try to remember. "She" had really been there the year before and could tell Nadine what had happened--if she concentrated and tried to remember, anyway.
They chatted for a while, walking towards the lunchroom and waiting in line. It was hard keeping up the pretense of being Julie, but it got easier with practice, and Nadine noticed nothing. But then who would suspect she was talking to someone who didn't exist? It went on with a combination of idle chitchat including clothes--"but I guess your family doesn't let girls wear pants", which Nadine denied--and even guys, at a fairly innocent level.
Then Julie proceeded to a seat. Nadine followed her. "Thanks," said Nadine.
"What?"
"Thanks for talking to me. Sarah McMillan pretty much laughed in my face when I just said 'hi'."
"Nadine, I'd never... But wouldn't she? No, she wouldn't be a bitch like Sarah, but she did think Nadine was strange. If she had been Jon, she'd have said something, sooner or later, that Nadine could take as being hostile. But she was paying so much attention to getting the Julie impersonation correct that she didn't even have the chance to be judgmental about Nadine, or to give nasty replies to any strange thing Nadine might have said about the Devil or about not being allowed to watch certain TV shows.
"If I was Julie," she thiought, "I'd probably wonder what Jon would think about this...."
