A Magic Crystal? (3 page)

“Did you even know whose house it was?” asked Stuart. “Or did you just walk into some stranger’s house?”

“It was an old fire station,” said Marvin. “I got to slide down a fire pole.”

“I thought you said it was a house,” said Nick.

“It is. It used to be a fire station. Now it’s a house. The fire pole is in the living room.”

His friends looked at him oddly. He knew he wasn’t making any sense. But at least they stopped asking whose house it was.

They got to school just as the first bell rang. Marvin hurried to class.

Casey Happleton was already at her desk.

“I hope no one’s sick,” Marvin said as he sat down next to her.

“They better not be,” said Casey. “I’ll kill anyone who’s sick.”

That was the only wish he and Casey had made. They agreed to make only one wish a day. Casey promised not to make any wishes by herself, without Marvin.

They watched the door. Marvin nodded and said “Good” to himself every time someone entered the room.

Kenny coughed.

Casey glared at him.

Kenny coughed again.

Casey went over to his desk. “Are you sick?” she asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” said Kenny.

“Then quit coughing!” Casey demanded.

Kenny didn’t cough after that.

Casey returned to her seat. “He’s not sick,” she told Marvin.

Marvin wasn’t worried about Kenny. He was worried about Gina and Clarence. Both of their desks were empty.

The second bell rang. Marvin glanced at Casey. She was frowning.

The principal’s voice came over the P.A. system. Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Gina entered the classroom right after
the Pledge. “I’m sorry I’m late, Mrs. North,” she said. “I didn’t think I had to go to school today.”

“Oh?” said Mrs. North. “And why was that, Gina?”

“I was sick last night. Really! I threw up twice and had a fever and everything! I was just going to lay in bed and watch cartoons today. But then, when my mom took my temperature this morning, I was all better. It’s not fair!”

“That’s too bad,” agreed Mrs. North.

A big smile came across Marvin’s face. “Did you hear that?” he whispered to Casey. “Gina was supposed to be sick today!”

“Big deal!” Casey grumbled. “What about Clarence?” She angrily hit her desk with both fists.

“Casey, is something the matter?” asked Mrs. North.

“No, nothing,” muttered Casey.

“She’s just worried about Clarence,” said Marvin.

Mrs. North looked at Marvin oddly. “Casey is worried about Clarence?” she asked.

“Why isn’t he here?” asked Casey.

Now Mrs. North looked oddly at Casey. “Clarence will be fine,” she said. “His mother called the school this morning.”

“Does he have a temperature?” asked Casey.

Again, Mrs. North looked oddly at Casey. She obviously had a hard time believing that Casey cared so much about Clarence.

“He stuck a needle through his thumb,
and it got infected,” explained Mrs. North. “The doctor wants him—”

“Then he’s not sick?” interrupted Casey.

“No, he’s not sick,” said Mrs. North.

“Yes!” shouted Casey. She jumped out of her seat and raised her arms in triumph.

Marvin smiled, too.

“I’m sure Clarence will appreciate your concern,” said Mrs. North. “His thumb is badly swollen, and very sore. He can’t even hold a pencil. Perhaps you should make him a get-well card, and let him know how much you care.”

“I don’t care if his thumb falls off!” Casey replied. “Just so long as he’s not sick.”

Two Wishes

Marvin hurried across the playground and got in line to play wall-ball. He was good at wall-ball. He usually won, but not all the time.

He hated to lose. He wasn’t a bad sport. It was just that when he won, he got to keep playing. When he lost, he had to go to the end of the line. Wall-ball was a very popular game. Once he lost, he might not get a chance to play again.

He wondered if he could use the magic crystal to wish that he’d never lose again.
He doubted Casey would go along with it. Casey sometimes played wall-ball, too. Why would she wish for Marvin to always beat her?

Marvin didn’t believe in the magic crystal. Not really. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Gina had said.
She was supposed to be sick today. She threw up twice!

Nick and Stuart got in line behind Marvin.

“So, is it true?” asked Nick.

“I can’t believe it,” said Stuart.

Marvin wondered how they found out about the magic crystal. Maybe Casey told Judy, and Judy told Stuart.

“Is what true?” he asked.

“Did you go to Casey’s house yesterday?” asked Stuart.

“Is she your girlfriend?” asked Nick.

“No,” said Marvin. “I went to her house, but she isn’t my girlfriend. I don’t even like her.”

“Then why’d you go to her house?” asked Stuart.

“You said you went to a fire station,” said Nick.

“She lives in an old fire station,” said Marvin. “That’s why I went there. I wanted to slide down the fire pole.”

His friends nodded. That seemed to make sense to them. Marvin knew they’d like to slide down a fire pole, too.

“Are you going to her house again today?” asked Nick.

“No way!” Marvin insisted.

Just then, Casey Happleton came walking toward them. The boys stopped talking and stared at her.

“Hi, Marvin,” Casey said. “I’ll see you after school today.”

Marvin felt his cheeks redden.

Casey skipped away. Her ponytail bounced up and down.

“I’m not going to her house,” Marvin explained. “She’s coming to my house.”

After school, Casey walked home with Marvin. He knew that Nick and Stuart were following them, making stupid jokes and laughing. He knew what they were thinking, but it wasn’t true. She wasn’t his girlfriend. He didn’t even like her.

Casey talked nonstop the whole way home. She talked about Clarence’s fat thumb, and Gina throwing up, and her favorite cartoon shows, and wall-ball, and a million other things.

Casey was funny, but Marvin tried not to laugh. He knew Nick and Stuart were watching.

There was a white fence around the Redpost house, with one red post next to the gate. Marvin’s father painted the red post once a year. Casey laughed when she saw it.

“A red post!” she said. “I get it.”

“It’s good luck,” Marvin said. He tapped the red post as he walked through the gate.

Casey tapped it, too.

Marvin’s little sister, Linzy, met them at the door. She stared at Casey a long time, then said, “Who are you?”

“I’m Casey,” said Casey. “Who are you?”

Linzy didn’t say anything.

“That’s my sister, Linzy,” said Marvin.

“Hi, Linzy,” said Casey.

“You’re a girl,” said Linzy.

Casey turned to Marvin and said, “Your sister’s really smart.”

Marvin laughed.

“I know a boy named Casey,” Linzy said. “He’s in my kindergarten.”

“I used to be a boy,” said Casey. “I kissed my elbow and turned into a girl.”

Linzy giggled. “Your ponytail sticks out of the side of your head,” she said.

“Yes, it does,” said Casey.

“It’s supposed to stick out the back,” said Linzy.

“Really?” asked Casey.

“Yes,” said Linzy. “You don’t know that, because you used to be a boy.”

“Thanks, Linzy. I’ll try to remember that,” said Casey.

“If you want to know anything else about being a girl, just ask me,” said Linzy. “I’ve been a girl my whole life.”

Marvin’s mother came out of her office. “Would you and your friend like a snack?” she asked. “I made chocolate-chip cookies.”

Marvin wanted to tell his mother that Casey wasn’t his friend, but he thought that might be rude.

“Sure,” he said with a shrug.

“Thank you, Mrs. Redpost,” Casey said politely.

Marvin started to follow his mother into the kitchen, but Casey grabbed his arm, stopping him. She had a gleam in her eye. She showed Marvin the magic crystal and whispered, “I wished for homemade cookies!”

Marvin felt very happy sitting next to Casey, eating homemade cookies. The cookies seemed to taste especially good because Casey had wished for them.

But then he thought about it. How did
he know Casey really wished for cookies? When did she wish for the cookies? Hadn’t they agreed they’d make all their wishes together? And only one wish a day?

Either Casey lied when she said she wished for the cookies. Or she could have made a lot of secret wishes, and only told him about the ones that came true.

The cookies didn’t taste so great anymore.

“This is so cool, Marvin!” said Casey. “We can wish for anything in the whole world! What do you want to wish for?”

“I don’t care,” Marvin grumbled.

“What’s wrong?” asked Casey.

Marvin shrugged and said, “Nothing.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Casey.

“You promised not to make any wishes without me,” Marvin said.

“I didn’t,” said Casey.

“What about the cookies?” said Marvin.

“Oh, that doesn’t count,” said Casey. “It was just a little wish. It wasn’t a big wish.”

“How many other little wishes did you make?” asked Marvin.

“That’s the only one. I promise.” She crossed her heart.

Marvin didn’t know if he could believe her.

“You don’t believe me, do you?” she asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” said Marvin.

“Here,” said Casey. She handed Marvin the crystal. “You make a wish all by yourself. Wish for anything you want.”

Marvin took the rock, but he really didn’t feel like making his own wish. The fun part was making wishes together.

“If you’re mad that I wished for cookies, then you wish for something.”

“I’m not mad,” said Marvin.

“I didn’t get mad when you wished for an ice cream sundae,” said Casey.

“I’m not mad,” Marvin said again, although he was beginning to get a little angry.

“You’re eating the cookies, too,” Casey pointed out.

“I know,” said Marvin.

“Just wish for something!” said Casey. “Whatever you want. Wish for a million dollars, Marvin. You can keep it all yourself. You don’t have to give any to me, even though I’m sharing
my
cookies with you.”

“They’re not
your
cookies,” said Marvin.

Casey pushed the plate away. “Oh, now I can’t have a cookie!” she snapped.

“That’s not what I meant,” said Marvin.

“First you say I can have a cookie,” Casey complained. “Then you say I can’t. Then you say I can. Then you say I can’t. Then you say I can. Then you say I can’t.”

Marvin closed his eyes.

“Just make a stupid wish, Marvin!” Casey demanded.

“I wish you’d shut up!”

Silence