You almost forgot about Tyler and the chess club. You remember that you had promised to meet up with him at the chess club meeting, which was always held in one of the empty classrooms. Of course, all the classrooms were empty right now since the last period was over and most students had gone home, except for those who were participating in extracurricular activities and those who were hanging around for sports and club meetings.
Now, Tyler was on the soccer team, and he had practice first. So, you walk to the back of the building and out the door. You avoid the football field, since you couldn’t stand the football players. Those guys were all the bullies. You stroll over to the soccer field, where you spot Tyler wearing his cleats, shorts, long soccer socks and shin guards and his colorful jersey. He was all dressed in red and black, just like all the other guys. The guys were kicking the soccer balls to each other, before they did a soccer game. You just sat in the bleachers overlooking the field, until practice was over.
Once soccer practice was over, you waited for Tyler by the door to the main building, and the two of you walked to the classroom. He was in the mood for a game of chess, but you had other plans. You spent all day hauling around that lamp in your backpack, and it was time to find out whether it was real or not.
Once you got in the classroom, you closed the door behind you as he set up the chess board. You removed the lamp from your bag, and you set it on the desk next the chessboard. Tyler didn’t notice it at first.
“Okay, dude, ready for our first match? Let’s start… Oh! What’s that?” he asked, pointing at the lamp.
“It’s a lamp! A magical lamp!” You smile. “I bought it at a store today! Isn’t it cool?”
“What’s it for? What did you get it for?” he wondered.
“Dude! Didn’t you see the Aladdin movie? If you rub the lamp, then you’ll turn into a Genie! You can grant any wish to the next person who rubs it!” you explain to him. “I’m dying to try it out!”
“Oooh! So, you want ME to rub the lamp?” he asked.
“Yes! Tyler… Just think… You’ll become an insanely powerful Genie! You’ll become big and strong!” you tell him excitedly.
“Yeah, but for how long? Genies are prisoners! I mean… I don’t wanna become a prisoner of a tiny lamp for a thousand years, dude!” Tyler sighed.
“Yeah, but first, I’m here! I’ll be the next one to rub the lamp!” you assure him.
“Oh! So, you’ll become my Master?” he asked.
“Yes! I’ll make three wishes and then… You’ll be free! I just wanna try it!”
“Hmm…”
“I promise I’ll wish for you to become a muscle guy when you’re free as my third wish!” you promise him. “After all, you’re my chess buddy! I don’t want you to live inside of the lamp… Not unless you end up enjoying it!”
“Alright!” Tyler smiled. “Let’s do this! I’ll be your Genie! So, what do I do, now?”
“Just rub the lamp!”
“Sounds easy enough…” Tyler smiled.
Tyler stood up and walked over to the desk where the lamp was. He placed his left hand on the top of the lamp and the right on the side. Then, he began to move his hand from left to right, rubbing the lamp slowly. At first, nothing happened. After a minute or so, the lamp began to emit a bright, blue glow.
“Keep at it! Keep on rubbing it!” you instructed him.
Tyler kept on rubbing the lamp until the glow intensified.
A cloud of thick, white smoke suddenly blew out of the spout of the lamp, engulfing Tyler’s body! Tyler was completely covered in smoke and it became so thick, that you couldn’t see him anymore!
Then, the thick, white cloud began to dwindle as it got sucked into the spout of the lamp until it was completely gone, taking Tyler with it! When the cloud was gone, Tyler was nowhere to be found!
“Uhh… Tyler? TYLER?” you gasp, realizing how your pal had suddenly disappeared from sight.
You carefully look at the lamp, which had taken away your best friend. That was amazing! It really worked! So, had the lamp turned your best friend into a… Genie? There was only one way to find out. It was now your turn to rub the lamp and summon the Genie as its new Master!
“Ohh, God… Please bring Tyler back… Please…” you whisper as you place one hand on the side of the lamp, and you begin to rub it gently. It takes a few seconds of rubbing before it begins to glow a bright red light this time. You figure that meant the lamp now contained a Genie!
You continue to rub the side of the lamp. The bright, red glow intensified until a thick, white cloud of smoke suddenly burst out from the spout! It filled the whole room! When the smoke cleared, you see Tyler standing before you! Tyler is still wearing his soccer uniform and everything. This time, however, Tyler’s arms are thick and bulging with muscle! His pecs are huge, and his torso is ripped with abdominal muscles. His quads are thick and wide, and his calves are massive. Tyler practically looks like a teenage bodybuilder who is about to burst out of his soccer uniform! The only other difference you notice is, he’s got two metal gauntlets around his wrists which have a long, metal chain attached to them, like a prisoner.
“YES! Yes! This is AWESOME!” Tyler roars as he appears, standing before you! He raises up his thick, muscular arms and flexes them, showing off his huge, bulging biceps!
“WHOA!” You gasp as you take a step back! You have always known Tyler as a skinny, short, nerdy dude, so this is a whole new look for him. You rub your eyes and blink a few times. You need to get used to the idea of Tyler looking like a muscle guy!
“Heyyyy, dude! You’re my Master! Cool, man! I gotta give you three wishes, man!” Tyler grins.
THIS was an unexpected turn of events. You had expected Tyler to be timid and fearful. Instead, he was happy and delighted. He was fired up! Tyler just stares at you with a wide grin on his face!
“So… How does it feel to be a Genie?”
“Dude, it is INCREDIBLE! I have unlimited powers inside of the lamp! I can do and create ANYTHING! My room inside of the lamp is like a penthouse!” Tyler says with a huge smile on his face. Anyway, this is not about me but about YOU! What’s your first wish, dude?” he asked you again.
“Ohhh, darn…. I wanna see your lamp on the inside!” you mention to him.
“Is that your first wish? How long do you want to be inside of my lamp? A few minutes? An hour? A month? A year?” Tyler replied.
You realize that you had to be specific with your wish otherwise you’d end up trapped in the lamp for a long, long time!
“One hour! I wish I could come visit you in your lamp for exactly one hour!” you say out loud.
“Yay! Finally, a wish! Whoohoo!” Tyler cheers as he aims his thick, muscular arms at you. Then, you and he are both engulfed in a thick cloud of smoke. You can’t see anything in front of you for a few moments. When the smoke clears, you are standing next to Tyler inside of a large, domed room. Tyler has a desk and a bed and a dresser on one end of the room, a bathroom and a TV on the other.
“What do you want? A pool, or a spa? Video games or a stereo? Or, perhaps a large, flat screen TV?” Tyler smiles at you.
Tyler snapped his fingers and a spa appears on the ground, right before your feet. A few feet next to that, a large 84-inch flat screen TV popped up. Next to that, a large stereo system, blasting the latest hits. A huge rack appeared out of nowhere, containing thousands of records and CD’s. Tyler could make anything appear out of nowhere.
You get into the spa and you enjoy the hot water. After a few minutes, you lay on his large waterbed. You watch TV on his huge TV screen. You marvel at his big state-of-the-art computer system, which is on his enormous desk. Tyler truly has everything, and he has the best of the best.
After an hour has passed, your body is surrounded by a thick cloud and moments later, you’re standing back in the classroom again. Your turn around, and Tyler is standing there, with his thick, muscular arms folded.
“Alright, dude… Do you have your second wish for me?” he asks you.
You ponder for a moment. You want to wish something for yourself before you wish something cool for him. What would you wish for?