Zoe knocked on the door to Athena's house and Athena's mom answered it. She greeted Zoe with a smile.
"Hi zoe! Athena's upstairs in her room."
"Thanks Mrs. D" Zoe replied as she made her way up. "Why can't my mom be more accepting of my lifestyle?" She wondered.
"Hey Athena. What is it that you wanted to show me?" Zoe asked as she entered her friend's room.
"This." Athena replied holding up a small stone. Zoe looked confused.
"You had me come all the way over here just to show me a rock?"
Athena shook her head. "No no no. This isn't just any rock. Watch."
She held up her other hand and said. "I wish that I had $100 in my hand right now."
Zoe's eyes grew wide in amazement as she watched a hundred dollar bill materialise out of nowhere in Athena's hand.
"What the?" She exclaimed. "How the hell did that happen!?" Zoe asked her friend.
Athena showed her the rock again.
Zoe paused for a moment before putting two and two together.
"So that rock...It grants wishes?" Zoe asked. Athena nodded.
"Woah!" Zoe exclaimed taking a step back. "That is fucking awesome!"
"And the thing is," Athena explained. "Everyone who hasn't heard the wish will think that this is normal."
"No way!?" Zoe said. She needed to sit down so she crossed over to Athena's bed and sat down.
"Uh huh. I didn't believe it at first but then I tested it on my mom."
Zoe was shocked. "Wait! You tested it on your mom!?" Athena nodded. "What did you wish for? I didn't notice anything different."
"Of course you wouldn't." Athena told her. "You didn't hear the wish. Anyway I tested by wishing that my mom was more accepting of my Gothic lifestyle."
Zoe was confused again. "But Athena. Your mom's always been accepting. Remember that time we all had a sleepover at your place because Stephanie got kicked out?"
To Zoe's surprise Athena shook her head. "No Zoe. I don't remember because I made the wish."
"Wow! It's weird because I've always been jealous of how accepting your mom is and now you're telling me that it's because of a wish?"
Athena nodded.
"I wonder if I can do the same with my mom?" Zoe wondered.
"You have to be careful though." Athena warned her. "Wishes can't be reversed. Only modified."
"What do you mean?"
Athena squeezed the rock and then made a wish. "I wish that Zoe was wearing a pink T-shirt."
"Hey!" Zoe cried as she watched her top morph into a pink T-shirt.
"Why did you do that?" She said angrily but Athena held up her hand.
"Just watch." She told her. Athena then made a wish so that Zoe was wearing her original clothing but nothing happened.
"Wait! Why didn't it work?" Zoe asked.
"I told you. Wishes can't be reversed. Only modified. She made another wish.
"I wish that Zoe's top was a light pink."
Zoe watched as her top changed from hot pink to a lighter pink.
"Ok, so that's pretty scary." She said.
"Yeah. We're going to have to be really careful when we need to make a wish. Like put a time limit on it or something." Athena said.
"Yeah, good idea." Then Zoe paused. "So wait. How do you know about all of this?"
"Oh crap!" Athena said smacking her head. "I completely forgot about the letter."
"What letter?" Zoe asked as Athena rummaged through a drawer to find the letter.
"This one." She said as she found it and handed Zoe the letter.
"Amazing" Zoe said as she finished reading the letter. "Any idea who wrote that?"
Athena shook her head.
"Strange." Zoe said as she glanced around the room. Her eyes fell on to Athena's clock on her bedside table.
"Shit! Is that the time?" She exclaimed. They had been there for hours.
"Mom's going to kill me if she finds out that I snuck out again." Zoe said standing up.
"Why don't I just wish you there?" Athena suggested.
"Will it work?" Zoe asked eager to try out the stone.
"I don't see why not." Athena said shrugging her shoulders. She gripped the rock.
"I wish that Zoe would be teleported to her room and that no one would notice that she had been missing."
There was a flash and Zoe disappeared leaving Athena on her own in her room.
A few moments later her phone buzzed and Athena picked it up. It was from Zoe.
"It worked!" Athena smiled as she put the phone back down.
Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
