A Magic Crystal? Read online

  “That’s my sister, Tanya,” said Casey. “She’s just stupid.”

  A short while later, Mr. Happleton yelled up that the sundaes were ready.

  “Let’s go,” said Casey. She ducked under the railing, grabbed the pole, then disappeared beneath the floor.

  Marvin looked over the railing. His legs felt very weak. He took a long, deep breath.

  He still held the magic crystal. He closed his eyes and whispered, “I wish I don’t get hurt.”

  He ducked under the railing, took hold of the pole, and wrapped his legs around it. He let himself slide down, very, very slowly.

  An elderly woman was watching television in the room just below the library. Tanya was there with her.

  “Hi, Marvin,” said Tanya. “This is my grandmother.”

  “Hi,” he said, clutching the pole.

  “Marvin?” asked Tanya’s grandmother. “Aren’t you the boy who picks his nose?”

  Marvin slid beneath the floor.

  4

  The Wish

  Marvin swallowed a spoonful of ice cream. The sundae was delicious. It might have been the best ice cream sundae he’d ever had in his whole life. It had burnt pecans and caramel sauce.

  The crystal lay on the table between him and Casey.

  Maybe there was something to this wish stuff after all, Marvin thought. So far, every wish had come true.

  “Now what should we wish for?” he asked Casey. “How about a million dollars?”

  Casey thought it over. “I’m not sure about that,” she said.

  “You’re right,” said Marvin. “Two million dollars.”

  “Ummm … that’s kind of selfish, don’t you think?” asked Casey.

  Marvin felt hurt. He didn’t think of himself as selfish. Besides, weren’t wishes supposed to be selfish? Anyway, he didn’t really believe it would come true.

  Maybe that was the real reason Casey didn’t want to wish for two million dollars, he thought. Maybe she only wanted to wish for things that had a chance of coming true. That way, she could still pretend to believe in the magic crystal.

  “How about this?” he suggested. “Let’s wish that nobody in Mrs. North’s class is sick tomorrow.”

  “Good one!” Casey agreed.

  He knew she’d like it. It wasn’t selfish. But more important, it had a good chance of coming true.

  “Hold out your hand,” said Casey.

  Marvin held out his right hand, palm up. Casey placed the magic crystal on top of his hand. Then she put her hand on top.

  The rock was sandwiched between their two hands. The tips of their fingers pressed together.

  “Close your eyes,” she whispered.

  Marvin closed his eyes, and they spoke together. “We wish nobody in Mrs. North’s class is sick tomorrow.”

  More than anything, Marvin hoped it would come true.

  * * *

  The next morning, he walked to school with Nick and Stuart. Nick complained about how mean Mr. McCabe was, but he didn’t really sound that mean to Marvin.

  “So, what’d you do yesterday?” asked Stuart. “While we were stuck in Mr. McCabe’s office.”

  “Just went over to someone’s house,” said Marvin.

  “Whose house?” asked Nick.

  “Just somebody’s house,” said Marvin.

  He didn’t dare tell them he went to Casey’s house. They might think he liked her. They wouldn’t understand about the magic crystal. Besides, he promised Casey not to tell anyone about it.

  “Did you even know whose house it was?” asked Stuart. “Or did you just walk into some stranger’s house?”

  “It was an old fire station,” said Marvin. “I got to slide down a fire pole.”

  “I thought you said it was a house,” said Nick.

  “It is. It used to be a fire station. Now it’s a house. The fire pole is in the living room.”

  His friends looked at him oddly. He knew he wasn’t making any sense. But at least they stopped asking whose house it was.

  They got to school just as the first bell rang. Marvin hurried to class.

  Casey Happleton was already at her desk.

  “I hope no one’s sick,” Marvin said as he sat down next to her.

  “They better not be,” said Casey. “I’ll kill anyone who’s sick.”

  That was the only wish he and Casey had made. They agreed to make only one wish a day. Casey promised not to make any wishes by herself, without Marvin.

  They watched the door. Marvin nodded and said “Good” to himself every time someone entered the room.

  Kenny coughed.

  Casey glared at him.

  Kenny coughed again.

  Casey went over to his desk. “Are you sick?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t think so,” said Kenny.

  “Then quit coughing!” Casey demanded.

  Kenny didn’t cough after that.

  Casey returned to her seat. “He’s not sick,” she told Marvin.

  Marvin wasn’t worried about Kenny. He was worried about Gina and Clarence. Both of their desks were empty.

  The second bell rang. Marvin glanced at Casey. She was frowning.

  The principal’s voice came over the P.A. system. Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance.

  Gina entered the classroom right after the Pledge. “I’m sorry I’m late, Mrs. North,” she said. “I didn’t think I had to go to school today.”

  “Oh?” said Mrs. North. “And why was that, Gina?”

  “I was sick last night. Really! I threw up twice and had a fever and everything! I was just going to lay in bed and watch cartoons today. But then, when my mom took my temperature this morning, I was all better. It’s not fair!”

  “That’s too bad,” agreed Mrs. North.

  A big smile came across Marvin’s face. “Did you hear that?” he whispered to Casey. “Gina was supposed to be sick today!”

  “Big deal!” Casey grumbled. “What about Clarence?” She angrily hit her desk with both fists.

  “Casey, is something the matter?” asked Mrs. North.

  “No, nothing,” muttered Casey.

  “She’s just worried about Clarence,” said Marvin.

  Mrs. North looked at Marvin oddly. “Casey is worried about Clarence?” she asked.

  “Why isn’t he here?” asked Casey.

  Now Mrs. North looked oddly at Casey. “Clarence will be fine,” she said. “His mother called the school this morning.”

  “Does he have a temperature?” asked Casey.

  Again, Mrs. North looked oddly at Casey. She obviously had a hard time believing that Casey cared so much about Clarence.

  “He stuck a needle through his thumb, and it got infected,” explained Mrs. North. “The doctor wants him—”

  “Then he’s not sick?” interrupted Casey.

  “No, he’s not sick,” said Mrs. North.

  “Yes!” shouted Casey. She jumped out of her seat and raised her arms in triumph.

  Marvin smiled, too.

  “I’m sure Clarence will appreciate your concern,” said Mrs. North. “His thumb is badly swollen, and very sore. He can’t even hold a pencil. Perhaps you should make him a get-well card, and let him know how much you care.”

  “I don’t care if his thumb falls off!” Casey replied. “Just so long as he’s not sick.”

  5

  Two Wishes

  Marvin hurried across the playground and got in line to play wall-ball. He was good at wall-ball. He usually won, but not all the time.

  He hated to lose. He wasn’t a bad sport. It was just that when he won, he got to keep playing. When he lost, he had to go to the end of the line. Wall-ball was a very popular game. Once he lost, he might not get a chance to play again.

  He wondered if he could use the magic crystal to wish that he’d never lose again. He doubted Casey would go along with it. Casey sometimes played wall-ball, too. Why would she wish for Marvin to always beat her?

  Marvin didn
’t believe in the magic crystal. Not really. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Gina had said. She was supposed to be sick today. She threw up twice!

  Nick and Stuart got in line behind Marvin.

  “So, is it true?” asked Nick.

  “I can’t believe it,” said Stuart.

  Marvin wondered how they found out about the magic crystal. Maybe Casey told Judy, and Judy told Stuart.

  “Is what true?” he asked.

  “Did you go to Casey’s house yesterday?” asked Stuart.

  “Is she your girlfriend?” asked Nick.

  “No,” said Marvin. “I went to her house, but she isn’t my girlfriend. I don’t even like her.”

  “Then why’d you go to her house?” asked Stuart.

  “You said you went to a fire station,” said Nick.

  “She lives in an old fire station,” said Marvin. “That’s why I went there. I wanted to slide down the fire pole.”

  His friends nodded. That seemed to make sense to them. Marvin knew they’d like to slide down a fire pole, too.

  “Are you going to her house again today?” asked Nick.

  “No way!” Marvin insisted.

  Just then, Casey Happleton came walking toward them. The boys stopped talking and stared at her.

  “Hi, Marvin,” Casey said. “I’ll see you after school today.”

  Marvin felt his cheeks redden.

  Casey skipped away. Her ponytail bounced up and down.

  “I’m not going to her house,” Marvin explained. “She’s coming to my house.”

  After school, Casey walked home with Marvin. He knew that Nick and Stuart were following them, making stupid jokes and laughing. He knew what they were thinking, but it wasn’t true. She wasn’t his girlfriend. He didn’t even like her.

  Casey talked nonstop the whole way home. She talked about Clarence’s fat thumb, and Gina throwing up, and her favorite cartoon shows, and wall-ball, and a million other things.

  Casey was funny, but Marvin tried not to laugh. He knew Nick and Stuart were watching.

  There was a white fence around the Redpost house, with one red post next to the gate. Marvin’s father painted the red post once a year. Casey laughed when she saw it.

  “A red post!” she said. “I get it.”

  “It’s good luck,” Marvin said. He tapped the red post as he walked through the gate.

  Casey tapped it, too.

  Marvin’s little sister, Linzy, met them at the door. She stared at Casey a long time, then said, “Who are you?”

  “I’m Casey,” said Casey. “Who are you?”

  Linzy didn’t say anything.

  “That’s my sister, Linzy,” said Marvin.

  “Hi, Linzy,” said Casey.

  “You’re a girl,” said Linzy.

  Casey turned to Marvin and said, “Your sister’s really smart.”

  Marvin laughed.

  “I know a boy named Casey,” Linzy said. “He’s in my kindergarten.”

  “I used to be a boy,” said Casey. “I kissed my elbow and turned into a girl.”

  Linzy giggled. “Your ponytail sticks out of the side of your head,” she said.

  “Yes, it does,” said Casey.

  “It’s supposed to stick out the back,” said Linzy.

  “Really?” asked Casey.

  “Yes,” said Linzy. “You don’t know that, because you used to be a boy.”

  “Thanks, Linzy. I’ll try to remember that,” said Casey.

  “If you want to know anything else about being a girl, just ask me,” said Linzy. “I’ve been a girl my whole life.”

  Marvin’s mother came out of her office. “Would you and your friend like a snack?” she asked. “I made chocolate-chip cookies.”

  Marvin wanted to tell his mother that Casey wasn’t his friend, but he thought that might be rude.

  “Sure,” he said with a shrug.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Redpost,” Casey said politely.

  Marvin started to follow his mother into the kitchen, but Casey grabbed his arm, stopping him. She had a gleam in her eye. She showed Marvin the magic crystal and whispered, “I wished for homemade cookies!”

  Marvin felt very happy sitting next to Casey, eating homemade cookies. The cookies seemed to taste especially good because Casey had wished for them.

  But then he thought about it. How did he know Casey really wished for cookies? When did she wish for the cookies? Hadn’t they agreed they’d make all their wishes together? And only one wish a day?

  Either Casey lied when she said she wished for the cookies. Or she could have made a lot of secret wishes, and only told him about the ones that came true.

  The cookies didn’t taste so great anymore.

  “This is so cool, Marvin!” said Casey. “We can wish for anything in the whole world! What do you want to wish for?”

  “I don’t care,” Marvin grumbled.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Casey.

  Marvin shrugged and said, “Nothing.”

  “What’s the matter?” asked Casey.

  “You promised not to make any wishes without me,” Marvin said.

  “I didn’t,” said Casey.

  “What about the cookies?” said Marvin.

  “Oh, that doesn’t count,” said Casey. “It was just a little wish. It wasn’t a big wish.”

  “How many other little wishes did you make?” asked Marvin.

  “That’s the only one. I promise.” She crossed her heart.

  Marvin didn’t know if he could believe her.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?” she asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” said Marvin.

  “Here,” said Casey. She handed Marvin the crystal. “You make a wish all by yourself. Wish for anything you want.”

  Marvin took the rock, but he really didn’t feel like making his own wish. The fun part was making wishes together.

  “If you’re mad that I wished for cookies, then you wish for something.”

  “I’m not mad,” said Marvin.

  “I didn’t get mad when you wished for an ice cream sundae,” said Casey.

  “I’m not mad,” Marvin said again, although he was beginning to get a little angry.

  “You’re eating the cookies, too,” Casey pointed out.

  “I know,” said Marvin.

  “Just wish for something!” said Casey. “Whatever you want. Wish for a million dollars, Marvin. You can keep it all yourself. You don’t have to give any to me, even though I’m sharing my cookies with you.”

  “They’re not your cookies,” said Marvin.

  Casey pushed the plate away. “Oh, now I can’t have a cookie!” she snapped.

  “That’s not what I meant,” said Marvin.

  “First you say I can have a cookie,” Casey complained. “Then you say I can’t. Then you say I can. Then you say I can’t. Then you say I can. Then you say I can’t.”

  Marvin closed his eyes.

  “Just make a stupid wish, Marvin!” Casey demanded.

  “I wish you’d shut up!”

  6

  Silence

  Casey didn’t say anything for the next five minutes, which had to be a record for her.

  Marvin felt bad for telling her to shut up. He felt bad for having made such a big deal over her cookie wish.

  He tried to pretend there was nothing wrong. He bit into a cookie. “Ummm, good cookie!” he said enthusiastically. “I’m sure glad you wished for these.”

  Casey didn’t say anything.

  “So, what should we wish for?” he asked.

  Casey didn’t say anything. She took the crystal from Marvin and put it in her pocket.

  “Are you mad at me?” Marvin asked her.

  Casey shook her head.

  “Then why won’t you say anything?”

  Casey smiled at him.

  “Oh, I get it,” said Marvin. “Because I wished you’d shut up, now you’re pretending you can’t talk.”

 
Casey didn’t say anything.

  “I know you’re just pretending,” said Marvin. “I know you can talk if you want to.”

  Casey just smiled.

  “Besides,” said Marvin, “don’t you remember? You told me you wished Clarence would stop talking. He can still talk.”

  Casey rubbed her chin. She looked sideways at Marvin.

  He knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that she had wished Clarence would stop talking about sticking a needle through his thumb. That was different. Marvin had wished for a total “shut up.”

  “I don’t see the difference,” Marvin said.

  Casey glanced at him in a way that seemed to say, I can’t help it if you’re stupid.

  “You’re faking,” Marvin accused.

  Casey shrugged.

  “Well, what do you want to do then?” Marvin asked. “You want to watch TV? You don’t have to talk to do that.”

  Casey shrugged.

  “All right, let’s watch TV,” said Marvin. “Teenage Caveman is on. Let’s see if you can watch that without laughing.”

  Casey shrugged.

  Teenage Caveman was one of Marvin’s favorite shows. He knew Casey liked it, too. She could imitate the teenage caveman’s voice perfectly. She always made him laugh.

  Casey followed Marvin into the family room. He turned on the TV.

  Casey watched the entire show without laughing or saying one word.

  Marvin didn’t laugh either. The show didn’t seem as funny as usual.

  Casey’s father came by at five o’clock to take Casey home.

  “It was very nice to get to meet you, Casey,” said Marvin’s mother.

  “Bye, Casey,” shouted Linzy.

  Casey smiled at Marvin’s mother and waved to Linzy.

  After she left, Marvin’s mother told him that Casey seemed like a very nice girl. “Although she’s kind of quiet, isn’t she?”

  Marvin didn’t say anything.

  7

  A Conversation?

  Casey could talk. Marvin was sure of it. If she couldn’t talk, one of her parents would have called and asked what happened.

  He knew she’d have to say something in school. It would be impossible for her to go through a whole day in school without saying one word.