That One Wish I Made ✔

Chapter 6- Being Jackie

Chapter 6- Being Jackie

I had become Jackie. Jackie Johnson.

The realization hit me while I was looking at myself in the mirror. I remembered making the wish- but how can it come true? It wasn't just possible!

I moved my hands up and down and even pinched myself to make sure it wasn't a stupid pipe dream. But the reflection in the mirror did so too.

It was literally a dream come true. But not in the way I wanted it to...

I sank back onto the extra-soft bed. Burying my head in my hands, I said to myself "This is all wrong. All wrong. It was not supposed to be like this!"

I'd written 'I want to be like Jackie' and not 'I want to be Jackie' But the wish reader took it the wrong way. Illiterate wish reader!

"What do I do now?" I mumbled to myself, tensed.

Then it struck me. Sharon's mom- she was the only person who could help me.

But as I reached the beautiful plywood door to escape, I heard a knock. I froze.

"Honey wake up!" a voice called from the other side. "You've got to do exercises and meditation"

It literally took me more than a minute to analyse those words. Are you kidding me?!

These kind of words just didn't suit me.

"Who's this?" I shouted suspiciously as I tried guessing who it might be.

Oh lord, not a serial killer please...

"Why, your mom of course!" the voice called back, completely bewildered.

Mom? Did she know already?

But then I realized it couldn't be my mom. It was Mrs Johnson!

"Just stay calm Felicia" I muttered as I slowly opened the door. I chuckled sadly as I remembered that I wasn't really Felicia anymore.

A slim, tall woman smiled at me as she greeted me a good morning. She had the exact same kind of hair as Jackie and the same large eyes. I could see why Jackie was so beautiful. I chuckled again remembering again that I was thinking that way about myself actually.

"Go get fresh and then you have to do exercises" Mrs Johnson said sweetly.

Oh God! Like really? I couldn't believe that Jackie had to wake up every day and do exercise.

"Yeah just give me a sec Mrs Johnson" I said, stifling a yawn.

She gave me a strange type of look as she squinted her eyes. It took me some minutes to figure out what that look was for.

"I-I mean mom" I added quickly, doing a mental facepalm. Well done, you moron!

"Well hurry up then lazybones!" she teased casually after a pause of silence and walked away.

Phew! That was a close escape!

I got dressed up and came out of the room. My room.

It took me quite a long time to find out where the dining room was. Gosh! It sure was a big house.

"Did you do the exercises?" Jackie's mom inquired as she laid some brown bread and an omelette in front of me.

"Um... yeah" I lied as I pulled the plate closer.

"Well then you should probably eat and get ready for school" she said, sitting near me.

School.

I hadn't even thought about that!I will have to go to school as Jackie. But how could I? Travis and Natasha won't even recognize me. And Jasper... He would think that I'm his girlfriend!

"B-but I don't feel really well today Mrs Jo...I-I mean mom" I stuttered.

She raised an eyebrow. "But you seem quite fine to me..."

"No I look fine from outside but on the inside I'm so very tired mom..." I explained and sighed with relief (mentally) as I managed to call her mom successfully in one attempt.

"Alright... I'll just call Aunt Hailey and tell her you're sick" she said giving me a comforting smile.

Whoa,whoa,whoa! Miss Hailey was Jackie's aunt? I never knew that. So that's why she loved Jackie so much..

I smiled back at Mrs Johnson and went back to my room although it was Sharon's house I needed to go...

********************

"Hi... I'm Fe...Jackie" I said to Sharon.

We were sitting together in her drawing room. I'd told mom- not my real mom, Jackie's mom- that I was going to Jasper's house.

"Hey, I'm Sharon" she replied sweetly. "I've given you the history notes. There's homework in English so I couldn't give you the English notes. Sorry"

"Oh it's okay. No problem" I said. I scanned the room with my eyes to see if her mum was around. But I couldn't find her.

"Come on, let's go up to my room" she suggested. I nodded.

Her room was quite weird- all kinds of statues and dolls crowded the shelves and there was a peculiar smell in the air. But still, it had a certain warmth which comforted me.

I sat awkwardly on the couch.

Sharon was watching me closely. "You're not like everyone says you are" she said. "You are...different"

"Well... what does everyone say?" I asked, although I knew what everyone said about Jackie Johnson.

"Well some told me that-that you were very proud of your looks and intelligence" she stated. "But I can see that you're not"

I laughed. "Thanks... I suppose?" I said.

Just then her mum came in, holding a tray full of snacks. "Dearie, you must be hungry. Come have some snacks"

"Well, you enjoy. Because I've got...um..some work to do" Sharon said, hurrying out of the room.Just at the right time.

I didn't beat around the bush. "Do you have something called the wish reader?" I asked directly as her mum and I both sat opposite to each other on the clean, wooden table.

Sharon's mum looked at me for a moment. "Yes dear... I do have a wish reader with me...."

"Can I ask you something related to it?" I said.

"Related to the wish reader?" she sounded surprised. "Okay..."

"Say, a person makes a wish ok? And... Well... that wish is granted. For how long does it.... like, stay?" I asked, pausing a lot in between.

"It stays until the person learns the lesson" she answered simply.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I questioned. "I- I didn't get it"

"People make wishes because they're not content. They think that wishes are a good thing" she said, keeping her hands gently on the table. "But they're not. Wishes are dangerous"

I just kept looking at her blankly.

She continued. "When the wish reader grants something, it's because it wants the person to learn the value of work, the value of the life given to the person. So in nutshell, all I can say is that the wish lasts until the day the person truly regrets making the wish at the first place. . ."

And that's how I knew I was doomed.

And that I'll be stuck like this forever......