“What are you waiting for then?” Karyn demanded. “Pick up the phone and call her!”
“OK, OK,” said Cady. The smile remained on her face, but she still seemed a bit nervous.
“Just play it cool,” advised Karyn. “Don’t act like you know anything, just ask her.”
“OK, I can do it,” said Cady. Her voice contained more confidence now than it had just a few minutes ago.
She dialed the number and waited. “Hello, Samantha?” she asked. “Yea…Yea, it is Cady. How’d you
know?...Really?...Well, how have you been? It’s been since graduation…That’s good…I’ve been OK…Yea, not much
new…So, hey, I was wondering, and this might sound weird, but…Really?...Come on, you’re joking…I guess I read
your mind.” Karyn and I both looked at her like she was insane. Cady mouthed “Sorry” to us but refocused her
attention on the call. “When? Well anytime is good for me…Tomorrow?...Sure, sounds great…OK, I’ll meet you
there…I can’t wait either…Bye!” Cady ended the call and had a big grin on her face. “As if she’d know we
read her mind,” she said to us.
I looked at Karyn and admitted, “She’s right about that.”
“Whatever,” said Karyn. “That sounded good,” she said to Cady.
Cady said, “Yea, it did. She said she was about to call me and ask to do something.” Cady paused and then
frowned. “Your wish wouldn’t make her think that, would it?” she asked me.
“I can’t see how,” I said. “I only asked for you to know what she’d say, not to give her the idea and create
feelings or anything. It has to be real.”
“Oh, I can’t wait,” Cady admitted. “Wait, I’ll still remember I have a date with her, right?”
“Why not?” I answered. “The wish had nothing to do with your memory.”
“You said it was temporary,” said Cady.
Karyn said, “That’s because we thought you’d ask for something like Erin did. Something that couldn’t remain
because it would have more of an effect.”
Erin interrupted and asked, “Does that mean I could stay like this?”
Karyn looked at me to give her the answer. “Uh, yes?” I said without much confidence.
“Then why can’t I?” asked Erin.
Karyn said, “There would be too many complications. We’d have to make everyone else remember you this way, if
that’s possible.” Karyn probably felt, as I did, that it was possible. “But you’d lose seven years of your
life. I don’t think that’s worth it. It wouldn’t be fair to make you older than Cady either.”
Erin pouted a little. “I guess you’re right,” she said. “Can I stay like this for the rest of the night?”
she asked.
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll make it so that you change back while you sleep.”
“It’s getting a little late,” said Karyn. “Joey and I are going to go back upstairs. You can do what you
want, but try not to stay up too late, OK?”
“OK,” they said in unison.
Cady walked up to me and gave me a hug. “Thanks, Joey,” she said. “I appreciate it.” Then she reached down
and pinched me in the ass. “Just kidding,” she said.
I decided to reply by lightly backhanding her in her breast. “You deserved that,” I said.
“I know,” she smiled. “Thank you again.”
“Yea, thanks, too, Joey,” Erin said. She also gave me a hug. I guess she really did follow Cady’s lead.
Both of them hugged Karyn as well and we all exchanged “Good night’s” before Karyn and I returned upstairs.