The Real Ram

Chapter 12

 "One wish," Beast asks Trish. "You only have one wish and you can't ask for more."

"Can I wish that wasn't a rule?"

"Then you wouldn't be able to get anymore wishes," Shawn points out.

"Others will though," Trish counters, "What if that was my wish?"

"I doubt it was," Beast smirks.

Trish goes to argue but instead she smiles and laughs, "Yeah, you're right."

"What would your wish be then?" Shawn asks.

Trish looks down, "I don't know."

"Mine would be to meet Benny Jones."

"Who?" Trish asks.

Shawn's eyes bug out, "He's the best invisibility person known to walk this planet."

"I think you might be overreacting there," Beast says with a laugh.

"What would you pick?" Shawn asks Beast as he bites his ham sandwich. We just sat down a few minutes ago when Beast asked us this life question. 

"I would wait and use it for something that I really needed later on," Beast replies.

"Like what?" Trish presses.

"I don't know, something important."

Trish turns to me, "Zoe? What would your wish be?"

I think about it. I could wish for a normal life, I could wish for my mother not dying, my brother not leaving, John never existing. I could wish for a more common power, or my father never abandoning me. I could wish for a good life and a good family and a nice, white picket fence house on the edge of a wealthy neighborhood just like an American dream.

"Tamable hair," I say nodding my head.

"That's it?" Trish asks. "Hair that's calm?"

"Yeah, that's what my wish would be for," I smile.

"You're lying," Trish states.

"How would you know?" I ask.

Trish scoffs, "You're being serious?"

I slap the table lightly and sit back a bit in my chair, "I don't know, Trish. Maybe you're right. Maybe my life was meant to be this way. Everyone has faults, mine is this frizzy mess of hair."

"You wouldn't wish for anything else?"

"I couldn't handle wishing for anything else," I say half serious. Trish gets the point and we start to talk about a different subject. When someone decides to plop a chair to my left.

I look over and see Jack's smug little smile. "Hello Team... I'm sorry, do you prefer geek or nerd?"

"I prefer you to leave," Beast says calmly.

"Nah, I don't like that name. How about weaklings? Incompatibles?" He looks to me, "Freaks?"

I look down and say, "What do you want?"

"I'd actually like to wish you four luck in the tournament. It's a little tournament against the groups, and seeing you guys will probably be the first out, I'd personally like you guys to be my cheerleaders."

"Go away," Beast says cautiously. I notice he's tense and agitated. Beast is usually pretty good with keeping his cool. I've known him for about a month now.

"I don't take orders from people lower than me."

"Then why don't you go pick on someone your own size?" Shawn says.

Jack curls his lip and turns to Shawn. "You don't challenge me, got it? I can take you down in one swipe of my hand. You are lower than me, kid." Jack pushes Shawn's shoulder and stands up, "You all are, don't forget that."

He turns around and Trish calls, "Don't be so sure about that, Jack."

His head whips around, "Why's that? You think you can take me?"

"I don't know about me, but Zoe here can handle you just fine."

He gives me a tight smile, "Really?"

"Just please leave," I say not daring to make eye contact. I've developed my other senses over the past month, but I don't think I can take on Jack. Trish doesn't know what she's talking about.

"Can you?"

"Sure she can," Shawn stands up to defend me.

"I didn't ask you," Jack moves to Shawn and hauls him up by his collar.

"That's enough, Jack," Beast's voice echoes through the cafeteria. "Why don't you go sit down with your group."

"Why don't you make me?"

"You know how that'll end," Beast says with a clear threat just underneath the polite tone of his voice.

Jack drops Shawn back into his seat and walks off. The conversation in the cafeteria slowly goes back to normal as the tension in our group goes away.

"I really don't like him," Shawn says playing around with his food.

"I don't think anyone does," Trish says with a sigh.

"One of these days I'm going to put him in his place," Beast says.

The tension within my group is starting up again. This is what Jack wants. Us dwelling on his jerkiness. Well I won't take that for the answer to this.

"You know what, I actually think I would wish for a puppy." They all look at me and I say, "Who cares about hair when you can have a cute little husky with bright blue eyes beside you." They all manage a smile and I feel the tension go away.