“You what?!” Anne shrieked. I moaned. This was not how I wanted this to go.
“Yes, but it was the only thing I could do! She threw the rock at me and was really mad-”
“But what if she tells someone?!”
“She won’t.”
“You don’t sound sure.” Anne grumped.
“Anne, I had to. She was really mad.”
“Okay...it’s just...I guess...she got all different after hanging out with Jessie that one time and I started to like her less and less.” Anne confessed. “I wanted to hang out with you more, and I guess now it’ll just be weird if she knows and is back in the group!” Anne sighed, unable to meet my eyes.
“Anne, I understand that-”
“But I am such a horrible person saying that! It sounds like I want you all to myself, which isn’t true, I just don’t….I don’t really think she is the Eloise we used to know anymore.” I stopped to think about this. I comforted Anne silently, while thinking about what she said. This was true. Eloise used to be fun and not care what other people thought, but now, she only wanted to be perfect and pretty and cool. I started to regret telling Eloise.
“Look, Anne.” I started. “We’ll sort this out later. Right now, we can go and try out the yellow stone, how about that?” Anne nodded.
“Okay.” She wiped her nose. “Thanks, Kate.” We got up and walked to the treehouse. I was super excited to try the yellow stone, which could twist people’s thoughts. We had read in the mind bubble thing that it lasts as long as you want it to, and you can make the person think anything you want.
When we got up to the treehouse, I told Anne, “You can twist my thoughts first.”
“Why does ‘twisting your thoughts’ sound so evil?” Anne wondered. I smiled.
“True. Okay, you can make me think anything, but make it a surprise.” I decided. Anne smiled.
“I know the perfect thing. Okay, I put the ring on,” She slipped the ring on her finger. “Then I think of the person I want to do, and what I want them to think…” Anne scrunched up her face and relaxed it. Then she said, “Hey, Kate. Do you believe in magic?”
I instinctively said, “No. There’s no way magic is real. If it was, our lives would be so great, or so bad.”
“What about the stones?”
“Okay, no, no, no!” I exclaimed. “That was a hallucination or something. I can’t explain that, true, but it couldn’t have been magic. Magic isn’t real.” For some reason, saying this, I was very sure. Even though I remembered using the stones, it had to be a mistake or something.
“What about the monsters?” She prompted.
“No, those would have to be magic. My mom was making that up...my...what? No she wasn’t!” My mind cleared and I shook my head.
“That was weird.” I said, still blinking.
“That was crazy! I made you believe magic wasn’t real for a whole minute! And you believed me!” Anne laughed. Then she looked concerned. “Did it hurt?”
“No, I just suddenly felt like magic wasn’t real, despite my memories.”
“Ooh! Do it on me!” Anne took off the ring and sat on the bench. She told me again how to do it.
I decided to make her think we were princesses. I did as she told me, and decided to do it for two minutes. I opened my eyes.
“Hey, Anne. Wanna go play outside?”
“Sure! I just need to ask my dad. Being the king, he can be so annoying and proper.” She responded. I laughed. Anne still had the same personality and memories, she just now thought she was a princess.
“We can use the stones again.” I suggested.
“Okay! Just make sure my mom doesn’t find out. They would make her the most powerful queen in the world!” Anne laughed. I giggled with delight. We talked for the remaining time, before Anne shook her head and blinked.
“That was weird!” She exclaimed. “I actually thought I was a princess!” We laughed.
“This will be helpful if someone sees us with the stones flying or something!” Anne said. I agreed. We decided to go home because we were really tired.
“See you tomorrow for the final stone!” I called as we went to our houses.
“Green!” Anne celebrated. I walked home happily, before the looming dread of the ‘Eloise Problem’ settled itself in my head, and darkened my mood for the rest of the day