Nobody Likes Megan McGowen

10. Skipping School

Megan had hoped she'd get used to this wish – especially now that she was stuck with it, but the next few days were just as weird. Any time Megan answered even the most basic question, someone told her how great she was. At least it was coming from students as much as teachers; it made Megan feel like just a little bit less of a suck-up. But nothing could make her feel better when she got an answer wrong and everyone was still impressed by her. It really made her think about wishing to be smarter. That way, she'd at least deserve some of that praise. As it stood, all it did was remind Megan how it was all fake – none of these people really cared about her.

So Wednesday morning, Megan decided not to go to school. She hadn't told her mom, or pretended to be sick – she just decided not to go. Maybe a day off would help her relax, give her a chance to stop worrying for once. Besides, it wasn't like she'd been in trouble yet at school anyway – no matter what she did, everyone always seemed to adore her. So this seemed like as good a time as any to test out whether or not she could actually get in trouble at school anymore. If she couldn't get in trouble for ditching, there was probably nothing she could get in trouble for.

She lay in bed until she was sure no one else was home. Then, she went downstairs and made herself a bowl of cereal. But by ten, she was bored. The only things on TV were weird soap operas and little kids' shows, and Megan didn't think she'd be able to stand watching any more of the apparent Sesame Street marathon that was going on. Instead, she went up to her room, thinking maybe she could get some entertainment out of that genie. She didn't really want to talk to him – especially since their last conversation hadn't exactly gone as planned, but she was pretty desperate and didn't know what else to do with her time.

"I'm bored." she told him when he appeared. He glanced at the clock on her dresser.

"Shouldn't you be at school?" he asked disinterestedly.

"I'm taking the day off." Megan shrugged. Not that it was really any of his business anyway.

"Just like that?"

"Sure, why not?" she asked defensively. He just grinned in a way Megan wasn't sure she liked.

"I wouldn't have thought you'd be the kind to do something like that." he told her simply.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I won't get in trouble for it." She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Unless you change something without telling me...You wouldn't do that, would you?"

"Not without telling you."

"Well, good." At least that was something.

"Seems like you're already used to that first wish." he said, almost to himself.

Megan shrugged. She didn't think she'd ever get used to it – especially not the way he'd set it up. But there was no way she'd give him the satisfaction of ever admitting that. Or how it was actually a little more stressful than she would have thought. She wondered if there might be a way out of it.

"Remember how you said you couldn't lie to me?" she asked the genie as casually as she could. He was instantly suspicious, but he tried to act like he was above it all.

"I did. Why?"

"Just wondering." she told him.

She could tell she'd made him worried, and that was almost enough for her to drop the subject right there. He'd been so smug ever since she'd met him, acting like he didn't care about any of this. But now, he was actually looking like this might not be going according to plan. Megan grinned to herself; now maybe his plan would be messed up. So why shouldn't she let him sweat it out a bit?