... This was easily the most decisive victory of anything the Wish had put in front of her so far. Option 1. June hadn't even had to sneak it, she smashed Option 1 before putting her phone away for Mr. Matheson.
After all, people were rational, or so June thought. They would listen to sound, logical arguments from fact more often than any screams or crocodile tears about one's feelings, and so keeping the logical arguments instead of the emotional ones was therefore the obvious choice. Besides, getting angry with people was just rude, and usually pretty unhelpful, too. June's mother had always said you catch more mosquitos with honey than blood, or something like that anyway.
The change washed over her, but there really wasn't much to notice right away. June felt her face slightly puff up to something she figured was "cuter", but she didn't have a mirror, and didn't really care regardless. Being seen as cute when angry couldn't possibly be that bad!
...Right?
5 Hours Later
Wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, oh so very very wrong.
Some random lowlife in a cafeteria full of them had just smacked June's denim-clad ass out of nowhere. On its own, without the Wish, this would have been pretty bad. What made it so much worse was the way June bounced up on her feet afterwards and let out this adoo~oorable little squeal in response to the tease, then clapped her hands over her blushing red face to stifle it, then realized that was only making it worse. She whipped around and realized she couldn't tell who behind her had done it; everyone was just enjoying the show, as, apparently, was the usual now.
"You guys are suu~uuch meanies!" June whined at them, and unfortunately, it sounded almost playful. Truth be told, June was well and properly pissed off by now, but all that was manifesting on her face was this flustered, blushy pouting that couldn't be perceived as anything but cute. She was trying so very, very hard to tell them off, to somehow find the words to get them to just fuck off and leave her alone for fifteen god damned minutes, but thanks to the magic that bound her now, all that was bubbling out of her was coming across as a childish tantrum at worst. "This isn't faaaiiir! And it's not funny either, stop giggling at me!" June protested, almost tearing up despite her fury. It was useless, regardless; she knew that only too well by now.
June honestly hadn't thought much of bullying before. She'd genuinely figured all those hilariously ineffective anti-bullying PSAs the school dragged her through were fabricating boogeymen out of it, or else exaggerating the case as extremely as a Hollywood feature. After all, Jon seemed like a cliche enough bullying victim (kinda nerdy, not all that tough, friends with a girl, less sociable, average at everything, etc.) but apart from some general stuck-up behavior from his haughtier peers he'd not experienced nor witnessed firsthand much of this mythical school terror. And to him, that made sense: when you're truly a nobody, you never get noticed at all, let alone picked on. Where did all the bullies go?
They had all gone catcalling and flirting with June, just so they could see her flustered, that's where they went. Getting a rise out of June, teasing her or harassing her or whatever it was that forced her to turn on the Cute™, it was the pastime of half the school now, and June's best efforts at protest were only ever drawing in more obnoxious ragebaiters, like bees to the only honey in a vinegar-filled school. Reasonable and logical objections to the fun they were having as meanies were simply brushed off; literally the only thing that could stop them was whatever conscience they already had, with June's worse-than-useless objections to it out of the way.
That's the last time I ever give these supposedly "rational" perverts any credit! she thought bitterly over her lunch. What was I thinking? You can be as stupid as you damn well please these days, as long as you're also mean enough to back it up! Fuck, I hate this. I hate them all.
So it was that June found herself sulking off to try and find a quiet corner of the lunchroom to eat her meal alone. Not for the first time but much more intensely than usual, June found herself wishing Karyn shared a lunch period with her this year, or that she had any other real friends she'd feel comfortable sharing a table with. Maybe then she wouldn't feel so... so...
"June?" a voice asked.
June looked up and froze. Oh no. Not her. Not now! It was Sarah McMillan.
"What are you doing sitting over here by yourself? You look awful."
There wasn't any overt malice to it, but all the same June clammed up and turned away with the cutest little "Hmmph!" noise. This HAD to be a trick. The girls had been just as bad as the guys this morning, relentlessly slut-shaming her for all the attention she was getting from the guys and hearing nothing about her being a lesbian that didn't want it. Apparently some lie had been circulating in this reality that the Cute™ the Wish had forced on her was all an act, one she was doing on purpose for attention, and it was a lie seemingly corroborated by other false rumors from guys all too eager to claim they'd manage to sleep with an attractive lesbian tomboy. She was a pariah to the girls and a sex object to the guys, and she couldn't voice any of her anger about it no matter how hard she tried. Why did Sarah have to rub it in!?
"We have a spot for you at the other table... Don't you wanna come on over?"
Don't answer. It's a trap. Sarah's a bitch like that, and a good liar too.
After a while, Sarah asked, "Did, um, something happen? I haven't seen you like this in a long time."
Don't answer. She's lying. Don't answer.
"... do you want to talk about it?"
Stonewall her. Whatever she's doing, it won't work.
"... Well, uh... in that case, do you mind if I sit here with you, then?"
...
So she's committed to the bit. Whatever. Doesn't change anything. Don't answer. Just pout that cute little pout long enough and she'll go away.
So Sarah took a seat next to her and started to eat. Not that she really had much to eat; Sarah was health conscious as ever and mostly had a bunch of greens to pick at. June, on the other hand, hardly touched her own food. She was much more curious what it was Sarah was trying to play at by being here instead of with the usual entourage. She did look a little different, probably due to all the reality shifts her Wish had caused: she had a fuzzy pink sweater on, which June didn't remember her owning before; she had a bunch of cherry red ribbons in her hair, pulled back into a loose ponytail instead of worn straight like usual; her jewelry didn't seem as flashy today, nor her makeup so garish; and instead of her typical short skirt she had on a pair of pearly white skinny jeans, perfectly cut for her curves of course. As always, she looked like she cost a small fortune in cosmetics and a few hours in her morning routine, but she was different in a way June couldn't quite put her finger on. More easy-going-ish? Less the typical popular bitch look and more the clueless rich girl? And something was... off about her mannerisms.
"...Y'know," Sarah tried again after she finished her scant meal, "if you don't want to talk to me about it, that's fine, but, you know Karyn's going to be worried sick."
"Karyn already knows," June spit back without thinking. "I can totally trust her to keep a secret, at least." June was still fuming about the rumors surrounding her at school.
Sarah raised an eyebrow. She looked around to make sure they were alone, then leaned in and whispered, "If it's about the Stone, she already told me about that. And that you made a mistake with it... is that what this is about?"
And then June did a double take in shock. "She TOLD you about it!? With like, words and everything!?" Of course the little covered mouth gasp she did was just the cutest little thing.
"...Yeah. Was she not supposed to?" Sarah asked curiously. "I know it's supposed to be a secret and everything, but June, she's my girlfriend! If she should know, then I oughtta know too, right?"
For a moment, June could do nothing but stammer and babble. Sarah and Karyn were lesbians now, she knew that well enough, but she didn't think they'd already be dating! They were in the closet, right? The app had specifically said they were in the closet!
"Th-that's supposed to be a secret too!" June tried. "Not everyone knows you two are dating, you two have your own secrets!"
"We have our secrets together, June," Sarah explained patiently. "Not everyone knows, but then, not everyone has to know, do they? We three are in the same boat that way, and I'd really prefer we all get along in that respect."
It was unthinkable. No way Sarah was being nice to June, just for the sake of being nice to June? Sarah from the old reality always had some angle, she was a narcissist and egotistical at best. How much could her sexuality have changed that?
... Maybe it wasn't her sexuality. Maybe it was Karyn. Sarah was definitely friends with Karyn now, and it seemed like she was friends with June through her. Maybe being friends with them had mellowed her out a bit? June didn't know. But then, maybe she didn't need to, for now.
"Fine, fine, you got me. I'm a little dummyhead and I made a Wish I really shouldn't have. I can't even tell you about it because that was part of the magic! But now reality's all different, and things are so much worse, and I just... I don't know what to do." More pouting, this time more openly.
"... Well, whatever it did, June, just sitting here and sulking about it isn't gonna make you feel any better," Sarah reassured. "You have Karyn. You have me. I don't know what it did or how to fix it, but hey, at least we can take your mind off it for a while! You did bring the Stone to school today, didn't you?"
"...Yeah, I did," June replied. "Karyn and I were gonna brainstorm some fun things to do with it later, but not now, okay? Not when there are so many people who could overhear."
"No, no, I got that, your secret's safe with me for now. Just, let that be something to look forward to, okay? After school you and Karyn and I are going to have some proper fun with that thing, and if you keep that in mind maybe putting up with the new reality in the meantime won't seem so bad!"
"...I don't know," June replied. She hated to think what she'd have to choose between when her phone buzzed again. "I appreciate the thought, but it's not that simple, Sarah. Thanks anyway, though."
"Hey, hey, it's the least I can do. Well, that and convincing you to come back on over to the Closet, so you'll stop being all by your lonesome self here."
"...The Closet?" June raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Our Lunch Table? Us and all our gayest friends." There was a pause. "...That wasn't there in the old reality, was it?" Sarah asked, catching on.
June could neither confirm nor deny that to Sarah, but her silence was all the confirmation Sarah needed.
"Well in that case, it looks like there's some good news for you in this reality! C'mon June! I've got some new friends for you to meet! If you're open to it, that is?"
"... Yeah, I'd... I'd like that." So, June got up and followed Sarah over to their newest circle of friends.
