All I can do is smile and stare at my friend as she picks up a hair tie and fiddles with it in her right hand. Her left hand rakes through her cancer-scarred scalp as new, magic hair grows back at a rapid rate. Within seconds, her lush mane that disappeared months ago is back at full glory. Now she’s back to being the fierce lionness I always knew her as.

With a small smile on her lips, she draws the new hair back into a long ponytail. She whips a few times, feeling the hair hit against her ears and neck. Perfect.

Next, she picks up the box of new shoes. I recognize the brand. They went out of business around a decade ago. Any shoe survivors became worth a fortune. My friend didn’t care about that. Carefully, she removed the out-of-style pumps from the box. There’s a sticky-note on the back of the left pump. With a delicate touch, she removes the note, reads it, and quickly begins to weep. I rush to her and squeeze her in a tight hug.

On the note was the words: “Get a little crazy, baby girl” in soft, cursive handwriting. My friend used to have a pair of pumps just like those--except they weren’t new. They had been worn only once by her mother on her 1983 prom. Unfortunately, during freshman year, she passed away. And left my friend those pumps to wear on her own prom--now only a year away. However, they were accidentally destroyed in a recent house fire.

But now, they were back exactly the way they were before she lost them.

Finally, my friend picked up her new iphone. Gleefully, she texted me--even though I was right beside her.

Look what I got! She typed.

I can see. I responded.

She pulled me into another hug. I gotta admit, texting is a lot between that using that landline she called me on. My friend briefly scrolled through her contacts. Only her dad and me were in it. I know why.

Because I’m the only one who would understand the meaning of such mundane things.

I glare deeply at my friend who giddily ties her hair with her new hair ties.

You okay? she asks like she didn't use her last wish for fucking 99 cent hair ties.

Peachy, I say.

Something wrong? she asks smiling as she ties her blonde locks.

My choice in friends is all. She looks at me dumb-founded. Huh?

I smile, a smile that could make It retreat deep into his sewer never to be seen again.

Of all the things to wish for..money, world peace, end to homelessness and hunger, a private jet even... she chooses hair ties. HAIR TIES. Maybe she should have wished for half a brain, hell a quarter of a brain or an ounce of intelligence; maybe then she wouldn't be this fucking stupid. Has she always been this dumb? Does that make me dumb by association? Oh God...this explains so much.

I could scream, but instead I take a breath. In...1...2...3... Out...1..2..3...Repeat until not homocidal.

Nothing, I say, absolutely nothing at all.

Um... Can we share what you wished for? I ask, waiting for her reply.

(You better give me the iPhone, I silently think while glaring at her expectantly.)

It's probably best to make use of what we have right now, instead of brooding over what we could have gained.

After the lamp disappeared I was a little upset. I wanted to make my wishes. My three wishes. I wanted to wish that I would be a genie to, us to still have powers, and for us to be free. I would then date this genie. She was so hot and I could tell she liked me too.

Thats the end bros

Mouth agape. I stare at the embodiment of foolishness.

Minutes pass by.

Will I die from shock?

"You can have a hair tie," proceeds the fool.

Mouth ajar. A fly could rest on my tongue and my shock would not dissolve.

"Oh crap, I should have asked you what you want," the fool goes on. Endless chattering spews from the empty mind and I wail.

"AHH, what is that sound you are making?" of course no fool would understand.

"It is the sound of agony of the loss of a golden opportunity, " I utter looking into the distance, "We can no longer be friends."

I stood there, mouth opened, eyes wide at what I just witnessed. A genie, a real life genie, full of magic and capable of anything was in front of us. The universe, God, luck, whatever, had blessed us with this opportunity. An opportunity to change our lives, to change the world. Within seconds, Heather wasted that opportunity by wishing for a new pair of sneakers, an iPhone and...hair ties.

The irony, the sheer stupidity of those wishes were clearly lost on Heather. She happily tied up her long, brown hair into a ponytail and turned her attention to her black iPhone. Watching her just made me angrier.

”What is wrong with you?!”

”What’s wrong with YOU?” She countered.

”We had a genie, A GENIE, who could have granted us any wish and you wish for...for...hair ties?!?”

”I needed hair ties,” Heather replied as if that was the most important thing in the world.

”They are a dollar! You could have wished for a hundred hair ties!”

She laughed, for some reason. “I don’t need a hundred Rebecca.“

I threw my hands up in the air. “You could have asked for a million dollars! You could have asked for all of the money in the world!”

”I thought that but when he came out he said he couldn’t create anything. It had to already exist in the world. If I asked for a million dollars, I’d be taking that money from someone else.”

“That doesn’t make any sense! He’s a genie!” Heather shrugged her shoulders. “That means you took those sneakers, that iPhone and those hair ties from someone.”

”No silly,” She said as she dismissed my statement with her hand. “He got these from the store.”

”How do you know that?”

”Because why would he take these from someone when they are in stores? Duh.”

I could punch her right now. I love Heather, we have been best friends since the third grade but her smug attitude is really irritating me. I collapsed onto the couch and took a deep breath. “You could have given me a wish though.”

”Why? It was my genie.”

”Why? Because we were together when we found the lamp at Reggie’s Pawn Shop.”

”Yes, but I brought it. So it’s wasmy genie. Besides, what would you have wished for? For Stephen Groder to be your boyfriend,” She teased.

My face grew hotter at the mention of Stephen Groder. “No!” I shouted but it was no use. My blushing cheeks gave me away. “Eh, it doesn’t matter what I would have wished for! It would have been something better then hair ties!”

She looked up at me from her phone. “Fine,“ She placed the phone on the coffee table before bending over and picking up the shoe box. “Here. Have these sneakers.”

”I don’t want your sneakers! I want my wish!”

”Then go find another genie.”

”I will!” I declared as I stood up. I stormed out of the room, unaware at the time that was the end of our friendship.

***

”Did you find another genie Granny?” Hector, my freckled face grandson asked me.

”No I didn’t. I searched for years but I never found another genie.“ I scooted towards the end of my chair and grabbed his little hands. “Learn from me. The greatest magic in this world does not come from a genie or a witch. It comes from your friends. Those memories you create, that’s the magic of the world.” He stared up at me with those big, brown eyes, full of innocence. “Go on now. Go play outdoors.”

”Okay!” He bounced to his feet with youthful energy and ran outside.

I leaned back in my chair and looked out the window. Memories started coming back to me of Heather and myself. Back before our friendship ended, all because of some hair ties.

My mind has just been blown into so many pieces,

That even a wish could not save it,

Right now, my friend is a myriad of colors,

That confuse me,

How could she even be happy still?

Am I the fool here?

At this moment,

All I Want to do is scream at the world,

For punishing me like this,

Tempting me, with something far more delicious than the most heavenly foods,

The biggest cash cow I've seen,

Only to tear it down, right in front of me,

So slowly, so painfully,

I can only hope to wake up from this nightmare

It was sure a waste to use absolute power for a piece of a hair tie, however, I stared baffled at my friend who acted simple and selfish, but not greedy in that tempting moment.

Is this my friend? If it was me, I was sure to think of getting a whole island or act good and bring peace to the world.

But that wasn't the case; the more time we think, the more tempting it was. Humans are naturally selfish.

For her to act as if it was nothing, to ask a hair tie from a Genie that could pretty much give anything you want, well, I thought: it was amazing…