After enduring another day of school, I made sure to meet up with Karyn at our usual spot. The stone was safely hidden at home, just as I promised myself. I kept picturing it, tucked away, the box's dark wood blending seamlessly with the rest of the junk I had stashed away over the years.
Karyn walked up, still a strange sight with her long blond hair flowing and the unusual fullness of her figure hidden beneath her usual attire. The change was less jarring now, a day later, but still disconcerting.
"Hey, Jon-boy," she greeted me with a slightly embarrassed smile. "This isn't as bad as I thought it would be." She ran a hand through her hair, her smile faltering just a bit. "I'm getting used to it."
"Yeah," I said, unsure of how to respond. I didn't want to upset her.
"I've been thinking," I blurted out, deciding to dive straight into the matter. "About the stone, I mean."
Her eyebrow lifted in interest. "Oh?"
"I've decided," I swallowed, unsure how she'd take it. "I need to use the stone. For good. Like, major good. The world's full of problems, right? Why can't I try to fix them?"
Karyn looked at me for a moment, her eyes wide, and then she began to nod. "Yeah, you're right," she said. "That's... that's a really good idea, Jon."
"But we need a good plan. The stone has a limited range. I can't just make one wish that will affect the entire world at once. And even if I could, that part about it the wish changing things so the wish always was true is scary. We could wind up with everybody having forked tongues and donuts falling from the sky. Even in just a limited area, that still would be bad."
