Saturday night, Jake sat down to dinner with Megan's family. Except for the time he cooked for her and her brothers, it was the first time he'd been allowed to sit at a dinner table since he lived with his own parents.
Megan had been really nervous about letting him meet her parents – like he was going to show up in full jinn gear. He tried to get her to relax. After all, he'd met every single one of her friends and none of them suspected anything. So why would her parents be any different?
"Jake, it's so nice to finally meet you." Mrs. McGowen beamed. "We've heard a lot about you."
"Really?" Jake grinned. He was pretty sure Megan hadn't been doing a lot of talking about him.
"Of course." she told him. "All of our kids seem to know you fairly well."
"I actually eat lunch with Drew." Jake nodded.
"Megan told us you just moved here not too long ago."
"Yes, ma'am – a few weeks ago."
"So what do your parents do?" Mr. McGowen asked. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw Megan stiffen.
"My dad's in agriculture – barley, mostly." Jake told him, remembering. It had been so long since he'd thought about his family. "Back home, my brothers and I used to help out after school." Well, after they couldn't afford to go anymore.
"Really?" Drew asked, surprised.
"Yeah." Jake nodded. "It was a lot of work, but I actually kind of liked it."
Jake saw Megan staring at him like he'd just grown horns. He casually looked down, making sure he hadn't accidentally reverted back to his horrible jinn clothing. Nope – jeans and T-shirt, everything was fine.
"Your brothers go to Rosemont too?" Ben asked.
"You don't have to ask him so many questions." Megan interrupted. She looked really worried. "No one likes to be grilled like that."
"It's fine." Jake told her.
Actually, he kind of liked watching her work herself up like that. And to be honest, it was nice telling someone about his family, even if they had all been gone for a very long time.
"I just don't want you to feel like you're being put on the spot or anything." she explained. And Jake knew what she meant; she didn't want him to have to lie to her family.
"It's ok." he told her.
"Up to you."
Megan shrugged like she didn't care, but he could see the tension in her face. But she didn't have to worry; he'd show her that he really did know how to be normal.
"They're both a couple years younger. One's in junior high, and the other in elementary school." Jake told Ben. Really, Farid would have been in high school with him, but there was no way Jake could say his brother went to the same school as Drew.
"What're their names again?" Drew asked.
"Farid and Kamran." Jake told him.
"Oh yeah."
The rest of dinner went incredibly smoothly as far as Jake was concerned. Even Megan managed to relax after the conversation finally drifted to topics that weren't Jake. And after dinner, Megan walked him out to the front porch.
"So? How'd I do?" he asked her.
"Good." she told him, grinning. "I just kept thinking about all the ways that could have gone wrong."
"I could tell."
"Well, meet me upstairs in a few, ok?"
"Alright." he told her.
Jake walked down the driveway and out to the sidewalk. He turned and headed down the street until Megan's house was out of sight. He was about to disappear when he thought he saw someone peering out of one of the windows. But when he looked again, nothing. Jake figured it'd be better to go a little father down, just in case. When he was sure no one was watching, he vanished, reappearing in Megan's room like usual.
"What took you so long?" Megan asked.
"Just making sure no one saw me." he told her. She nodded.
"I was impressed with your story down there." Megan told him. "And how you kept it consistent with what you said at the theater – you know, so Drew wouldn't know..."
"Of course it was consistent." Jake said. So much for his idea to show her how normal be could be.
"Is that the story you always tell?" she asked.
"To be honest, I never get asked – I don't need a story." he told her.
"So you just made it all up on the spot? How are you going to keep it straight?" She sounded so impressed Jake found it hard to be completely insulted.
"Want to know a secret?" he asked casually.
"What?" Megan asked.
"It's not a story."
"What's that mean?"
"Except for me hinting that it was only a few years ago, what I said was true." he told her. "So it'll be pretty easy to remember."
"Wait – that was real?" Megan's eyes were huge.
"Yeah. I had a family and everything before...this."
"So...your brothers...are they like you?" Megan asked.
Jake just shook his head.
"They've all been gone for a long time."
"I'm really sorry." Megan said.
"Don't be." Jake told her. If there was one thing he learned, it was that whoever was in charge should never feel sorry for him. "I've had a while to get used to the fact."
"I didn't know you had a family..." she started.
"Most people don't." he told her. He didn't feel the need to point out that most people would have locked him away for even hinting that he might have been human once.
"So, about my final wish..." Megan said slowly.
Jake took an almost involuntary step backwards, wanting to make sure he understood what she was asking. After this, they were most likely done. That is, unless he came clean about that second wish.
"Yes?" he asked. "You finally know what you want?"
"Well, maybe." she looked down at the floor, suddenly embarrassed. "...I was just wondering if there was anything you wanted."
"Really? Like what?" Jake tried not to seem confused. He'd never been asked that kind of thing before.
"I don't know..." Megan said. He could tell she was starting to doubt whatever idea she'd had.
"Whatever you want, I'll do my absolute best to make it happen." he promised.
He knew she had no way of knowing it, but it was the most sincere he'd ever been to someone in charge before.
"Well, I was just thinking...like, maybe you didn't want to do this anymore." she shrugged, and he got the impression she was starting to regret this whole conversation. But Jake just couldn't help himself.
"Are you asking if I want to be human again?" Jake asked. He tried not to grin; he knew she was being serious.
"Well...do you?" she asked, and Jake finally stopped smiling. He thought about it for a long time before he spoke.
"That's very nice of you to offer." he told her. "Actually, I think you're the first person to ever ask me if there's anything I want."
"So, is that a yes?" she asked slowly.
"I can't – I'm sorry." he told her.
"What? Why not?" She looked shocked by his answer.
"That's one wish that never works." It was part of his punishment; if he could get out of it that easy, he'd have managed a long time ago.
"You've had someone wish it before?" He could tell she was surprised.
"Several times, actually." he told her.
"What's that mean?"
"Usually whoever says it is really mad at me – it's right up there with wishing I'd never been born." he grinned as he added, "You might not know this about me, but I can be somewhat difficult at times."
Megan rolled her eyes at him before getting lost in thought.
"Well...what if I don't make a wish then?" she asked slowly. "What happens?"
"If you just never made one?" he asked. Well, that was a thought.
Megan nodded.
"I guess we'd just keep on like we are." he told her.
"Would you want that?" she asked.
"Actually, I think I would." Things were better for him now than they'd ever been.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "I mean, I don't want to force you or anything."
"I'm sure." he told her. Megan looked at him and broke out into a grin.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled." she told him.
ns 15.158.61.5da2
