"Me!" said Evan and Caden simultaneously, while Ian went with "I do!"
The friends chuckled, then Ian picked up a die from the game they had been playing. "How about we roll for it? Highest throw goes first."
"Sounds good," said Pat.
Ian threw first, and got a four. Evan then picked up the die, and rolled a six. Caden snorted. "Is there even a point?" But he also took the cube, and rolled a three. "Hmph."
"Well, it's not like there's a limit," Pat pointed out. "You have to wait a bit, but you'll still get your wish."
"Yeah, I don't think what we want is going to hurt you," joked Ian. Caden rolled his eyes, but in good humour, and then they all looked at Evan expectantly.
"I want to be rich," Evan stated pragmatically. Then after a second, "How about, we're all rich?"
"Good thinking," Caden said with another laugh, while Ian smiled. "I could use more money."
Pat nodded. "Okay then. I wish that we were all rich."
Evan's outfit immediately changed from outsized cast-offs to casual but pricey brand T-shirt and shorts. His family was on the poverty line, which made his wish an obvious one -- Evan had dreamed of having wealth for years.
The changes in the others' clothes were less ostentatious, but they did become higher-quality and newer. The room also changed subtly, a crack in the wall disappearing, a leaky pipe being fixed and all the dust vanishing.
And it came to them that they all shared access to a four million-dollar Swiss bank account, a trust fund that had been set up for them by a certain Malik ibn Malik al-Djinni at the beginning of the year. They had been receiving monthly payments, but on their eighteenth birthdays, they had gained full access to the account.
"Whoa," breathed Evan, pulling his shirt out from his body so he could stare down at it. "We're... millionaires just like that..."
"And we won't even have to explain where the wealth came from," realised Ian. He shook his head. "This is crazy."
"Yeah..." Pat stared at the rock in his hand, and squeezed it. Once again he felt the increased strength of his grip. "Maybe this is just a dream..."
"We can't all be dreaming the same thing," Ian pointed out. "Also, uhm..." He cleared his throat. "I believe it's my turn?"
"Don't I get to enjoy my wish a while?" joked Evan. Ian's mouth quirked.
"What, want to go on a shopping spree right now?" He gestured at their clothes. "Looks like we've already gotten some upgrades from our new wealth. We probably ought to check out what we have now before buying more; and what else could money really do, anyway?"
"Lots," replied Evan. "'Money makes the world go 'round.' We could go out to eat, buy ourselves cars -- I know we don't have those yet -- bribe our way into a strip club --"
"They wouldn't even be open," objected Caden, laughing. "Look, just let Ian have his wish, okay? We can blow our new cash later."
"I agree," said Pat. "I said I'd grant each of you a wish, and I don't want to make you wait.
So what do you want, Ian?"