Chapter 6: The Power

The bell rang after what felt like an eternity, and George breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, let’s get out of here. My brain can’t take any more tangents.”

“Master, what was all that? I didn’t understand any of it.”

“I hear ya. My theory is that they just make this shit up to mess with me,” said George sarcastically. “Though I’ll admit it, calculus is easier to pay attention to when you’re not in pain all the time.”

Lunch was next, and he was happy to have a break and spend more time with his new friend. He wasn’t hungry, so he planned to pass on lunch and find a quiet spot to be alone with her. But, as he approached the lunch counter, he smelled something that made his mouth water. He couldn’t remember smelling anything like that in years. So, thinking it had to be something special, he rushed to get in line and stood on his toes for a better view.

The Genie giggled at his sudden curiosity. “Master, what is it?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I was going to skip lunch today, but holy hell, that smells awesome!”

He waited impatiently for the line to move forward and eventually entered the lunch room. He eagerly grabbed a tray and scanned the counter for the source of the smell. But nothing seemed that exciting. It was chili day, just like every Thursday. There were other sides, a fridge full of drinks, and a few pre-packaged desserts on offer, but that was it. Still, the chili smelled fantastic. He checked his virtual wallet and had plenty of money left over from the other times he skipped lunch. So, he proceeded to load up his tray with as many things as he could fit on it, including two bowls of chili.

The woman at the register’s eyes widened when she saw the spread he’d brought her. “Sheesh, kid, are you eating for two?” she quipped as she rang him up.

“Something like that,” he replied with a smirk.

Their business concluded. George entered the cafeteria and was going to pass through to the commons as usual. But with all the extra food he’d purchased, he thought a table would be better. So he found a small empty spot near the corner, plopped down on the chair, and chowed down.

The Genie giggled, “My gosh, you’re ravenous.”

George was busy stuffing his face with chili but responded with his mouth full despite what his mother might have thought. “It must’ve been the curse, but I haven’t tasted anything but ashes for months,” he said as he took a swig of chocolate milk. “If this is how cafeteria food tastes, what about food from a fancy restaurant? Or heck, even a pizza.”

“Could I try some?”

“Of course! I got this for you.” He pushed the extra bowl of chili towards the other end of the table. “Here. Can’t have you going hungry.”

Her vaporous essence left him and condensed into her human form in the seat across from him. She wore a cute yellow tank top without a bra and skin-tight jeans. Her big, perky breasts jiggled freely with every subtle movement. “Thank you, Master!” she said in a happy sing-song voice. “And we don’t need to eat, so don’t worry about that. I’m just curious cuz you’re right; it smells great.”

George was so ensnared by her beauty that he almost didn’t notice what she said. “Did you just say we don’t need to eat?”

“Uh-huh,” she said as she tasted a spoonful of chili. Her eyes rolled back as she savored the flavor. “Mmm,” she groaned, “salty. I love it.”

George watched her, noting her perfect posture and table manners. He stopped scarfing his food down and tried his best to emulate her. Meanwhile, he said, “So, let me get this straight. You’re saying that we don’t need to eat, like, ever?”

“Yup,” she beamed, “we don’t need to eat, sleep, breathe, cough, sneeze, pass gas, or use the bathroom. Ooh, what are these?” she asked, holding a chicken nugget.

“It’s a nuggie. And seriously? I won’t get hungry, sleepy, or short of breath?”

“Seriously! I mean, you can do all those things. You just don’t have to. The only urge you’ll feel is the horny, but that’s the fun one anyway.” She took a bite out of the nugget, and her eyes lit up. “Oh gosh, these are so good!”

“I had to sleep last night, though. I mean, I was exhausted.”

She explained while she ate, “Well, the bonding process is a bit complicated, and ... you would have been vulnerable,” she said apologetically. “Part of the vessel’s magic is ensuring you’re alone and safe. It also takes time. Not a lot, but some. So you were put to sleep. It’s known as the ‘Master’s Rest.’”

George sat back in his chair, his mouth agape, trying to come to terms with what she said. Especially the part about sleeping. George hated sleep. The pain made it difficult, and he’d always considered it a waste of time. But now, his nights were free for all sorts of activities. That alone would be enough, but with her protection, he could live on the moon without a spacesuit. With perks like those, George hardly cared about wishes anymore.

The Genie reached toward him and gently nudged his mouth closed. She giggled and said, “I know, I’m pretty awesome.”

George checked the other people nearby as they ate, and nobody seemed to notice his companion. “Hey Genie, we’re hidden, right?”

She dipped some fries in her chili and said, “I am. People can see you, but you look like you’re eating by yourself.”

“I thought so.” He looked around some more, scanning the crowd for someone.

“What’re ya looking for?” she asked.

“I was hoping to see Piper today. I know she has the same lunch period as me, but I don’t see her.”

The Genie wore a mischievous grin. “Oh, who’s Piper? Is she your girlfriend?”

“No, she’s not my girlfriend,” he grumbled. “She’s not even a friend, really. But I was kind of a dick to her, and I wanted to apologize.”

Genie frowned. “Aww, Master, what’d you do?”

“Well ... she seemed really upset that I was feeling so bad, I guess. So she walked me home. But I was already beyond the point of no return by then, so I blew her off.”

“But ... Master, I thought you said nobody cared. Clearly, she did.”

George froze mid-bite. “That’s ... true. She did. At least, I thought she did, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. The curse had me all fucked up, so who knows.”

The Genie also began looking around the cafeteria. “Now, I want to meet this girl.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” he said, waving her off. “If I don’t see her in Art class later, maybe I’ll see her tomorrow.” He focused his attention back on the Genie. Seeing her there, eating and talking like a real person, was strangely therapeutic. Of course, other people did things like that all the time. But for George, the idea was completely novel.

“Ya know, I’ve never had lunch with a girl before,” he said sheepishly.

“Neither have I,” she said with a wink.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess not.”

The Genie smiled sweetly and slid her hand over the table until her fingertips traced over his knuckles. “It’s almost like we’re on a date or something,” she said.

George blushed and said, “Our first date, huh.” Then he remembered where he was and cringed, “In the school cafeteria. Not my first choice.”

“Aww. Well, I’m having fun. And besides, I’m sure we’ll go on many dates.”

“I hope so,” he said. “Maybe we’ll call this one a practice date?”

“Nope, real date!” Genie said cutely with big, sweeping hand gestures. “I hath declared it thus!”

They both laughed, and George felt more at ease. The Genie returned to eating her lunch, describing everything she ate and giving it a thumbs up or down. But George was more interested in watching her. He knew what soggy french fries tasted like, but what did they taste like to someone who’d never eaten before?

The Genie had just taken a large bite of a buttered roll dipped in chili when she noticed George looking at her. “What,” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said as she snapped him out of his reverence, “you’re just adorable.”

She flashed him a flirty smile, “You charmer. Are you trying to get me out of my pants? Cuz it’s working.”

“Maybe,” he said.

She wiggled in her chair. “You know, you could just ask me. I wouldn’t say no if that’s what you’re worried about.”

George smiled, “I’m actually not worried at all. I’m just having fun. I’ve never had a chance to flirt.”

“See? This is a great first date,” she beamed. Then, something caught her attention, and she shifted her gaze across the room. “Ooh, Master, a cute girl is looking at you.”

George tried to find the girl she was talking about when he noticed Farah, highlighted by Genie’s signature aura. She sat beside her friend, Lacy, near the end of a long rectangular table filled with football players and their girlfriends. Connor was sitting at the end with his back to George. Most of the noise in the cafeteria came from them, with hoots, hollers, and jeers followed by an eruption of laughter. Farah merely smiled, feigning interest, while she snuck glances at George.

“Do you know her?” Genie asked.

“Yeah, that’s Farah. She hates my guts,” he said sadly.

“Why do you say that?”

George sighed, “It’s a long story. Short version, I wrote her a silly letter in seventh grade confessing my puppy love. She’s been annoyed with me ever since. And yesterday, I did something to piss her off, big time. She chewed me out, and then Connor kicked my ass.”

“Ohhh,” she said, “so that’s where the internal bleeding came from.”

Alarmed, George said, “Wait...” but stopped himself. “Nevermind. Doesn’t matter.”

“And she doesn’t hate you.”

George cocked his eyebrow, “Sure she does. She said so on multiple occasions.”

“Oh, Master,” she said pitifully, “It’s more complicated than, ‘Does she hate me? Yes, or no.’ If she seemed hostile, it’s probably because she wasn’t sure how to feel about you. That, and the curse was influencing her.”

He watched Farah as she flipped from a depressed teenager while looking at George to a happy, popular girl when the situation called for it. She couldn’t tell he was watching her, thanks to Genie’s shroud, allowing George to study her closely. As always, she wore a stylish outfit--a gray sweater dress strategically torn to reveal black leggings and a pair of maroon-colored high-heeled boots that traveled all the way up to her thighs. Her long dark-brown hair was down and had a freshly blow-dried feathering. She was more slender than the Genie, but it suited her.

“Do you still like her?” she asked.

George took a deep breath. “Yeah. I suppose I do,” he said.

Genie leaned forward, rested her chin on her hand, and asked, “So, what do you like about her?”

George thought for a moment, trying to come up with reasons besides her looks for why he had harbored such an intense crush on her for years. Finally, he said, “Well, she’s usually nice to everyone. She’s wicked smart, like, brilliant. I think she already has a full ride somewhere. She’s captain of the soccer team, and she’s really good. She does lots of charity work, like breast cancer awareness, aid for climate refugees ... and stuff.” George trailed off, realizing he didn’t actually know that much about her. The only time they’d interacted was when she told him to get lost. “I don’t know, Genie. She’s just ... better than me.”

The Genie gazed at Farah quietly, seemingly in contemplation. George could see the Genie’s eyes flash pink every so often. “Would you like to know more about her?” she asked carefully. “I can tell you all about her love life. We can plan our seduction.”

George was undoubtedly tempted. Farah had always been an enigma to him. Beautiful, sweet, intelligent, dedicated, but he’d caught her several times now in a state of pensive melancholy. But then, something suddenly clicked into place. Farah sat in profile to him, a thoughtful expression, the light catching her just so. And then, Genie watched as George opened his bag and pulled out the shattered tablet.

“What’s that?” she asked.

George stared sullenly at the wreckage and said, “It’s um ... it’s a drawing tablet. It’s for creating digital images.” The Genie stayed quiet, unsure of what that meant, and waited for George to process his emotions. “It was a gift from my mom. But I used it to make a sketch of Farah ... without asking. Connor ... he broke it ... because I was a stupid fucking idiot.”

The Genie frowned and rose from her chair to move closer. She knelt at his side and gazed up at him lovingly. “Master, you know that wasn’t your fault. The curse...”

“It was my fault,” he interrupted. “I was just trying to find a way into her life, any way I knew how. I didn’t really care about what she wanted. Pfft, I barely know anything about her.” George looked down at her and said, “I was being a creep, and I got what I deserved.”

The Genie didn’t know what to say, so she stroked his arm to try and soothe him.

He continued, “It’s the same with your powers. I’ve no doubt that you could tell me some really juicy stuff. Secrets that I could use against her. It was wrong of me to perv on her before, and just because I wouldn’t get caught doesn’t make it okay now.” He bowed his head in shame, “And now I’m ruining our first date.”

“Aww, Master. You haven’t ruined anything. I like seeing this side of you.”

He rolled his eyes and huffed.

“It’s true. Have you ever opened up to anyone like this before?”

“ ... No.”

“That means I’m the first person you’ve trusted enough to be vulnerable with. I mean, that’s like, fourth or fifth date stuff.” She grinned, “And here I thought you wanted to slow down.”

He chuckled and said, “We kinda skipped around a bit, didn’t we?”

Genie got up and sat sideways in his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, pushing her breasts against his chest, and said, “My Master plays by his own rules.”

When he met her gaze, George was captivated once again. Her bright blue eyes and seductive expressions had a way of breaking him out of his negative spirals and setting him at ease.

“And ... I think you’ve beaten yourself up enough. Haven’t you?” she said softly.

George sighed as he realized how right she was. Perhaps he’d been punished enough. He thought that as long as he learned his lesson, he could do better and move on. Then, George felt the tablet’s weight in his hand and was struck with a surge of inspiration.

“Genie, I’d like to make a wish,” he declared.

The Genie’s face brightened. “Yes, Master?”

“I wish my tablet was restored to perfect condition so I can draw the sexiest images I can dream up.”

The Genie’s eyes flashed with pink light, and the tablet quickly reassembled itself. Pieces snapped back into place, wires and connections reattached, and the screen flickered to life. All the images he’d already created were still there. It even had a full charge.

“Genie,” said George.

“Yes?”

George ran his fingers across her cheek and through her hair. Then, he leaned in and kissed her soft lips, allowing his romantic nature to shine. Finally, he gave her an adoring smile and said, “You are the fucking best.”

“I know,” she sang while blushing.

It was George’s turn to blush. He hadn’t much reason to smile for many years, and now he couldn’t help himself. But all the emotions started making him uncomfortable, so he pushed on to the reason for his wish. “So, one of the neat things my tablet can do is take pictures. Do you think you’d like to pose for me?”

“Really?” she squealed.

“You fixed it. It’s only right for you to be its first subject.”

The young Genie hopped to her feet and pranced down the aisle. In fact, she was so elated that she accidentally bumped into another student with her perky round behind. Thankfully, they didn’t notice.

George aimed the tablet at her, ensuring the angle and lighting were right, but she stopped him. “One sec, I gotta change.” Then she began cycling through different outfits, each coming and going in a puff of pink smoke and never lingering for more than a second or two.

Poof “This one? Nah.” Poof “No. What about...” Poof “Hmm, too much camo.” Poof “Oh, hell no.” Poof “Oh! Sorry, this one is for special occasions.” Poof

This went on for some time until, finally, the poofing stopped. George was glad for it, partially because the smoke was starting to fill the room but mainly because the ensemble she chose was very alluring. She wore a thin white sweater that hung off one shoulder and exposed her flat tummy, a pair of tight jeans with one of the legs cut off, a lacy black thigh-high stocking in its place, and cute pink sneakers with blue laces. Her smooth, tawny hair was contained in a thick ropey braid that fell down her front to her bare midriff. And though he couldn’t quite tell, George figured she had to be wearing a remarkably flattering bra, with her perfect breasts even more prominent than usual.

“Holy crap, Master, look at this cake!” she squealed as she slapped her right cheek and watched it jiggle.

George looked on with a silly smile for several long moments.

“Master,” she said cutely.

“Huh?” said George as he snapped out of his daze.

She smiled knowingly and said, “You’re staring.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “I’m probably gonna do that a lot.”

The Genie struck a flirty pose with a bright smile, and the afternoon sun shining through the windows gave her hair a healthy radiance. George took aim and snapped a few photos as Genie reveled in the attention. She then bounced back to him to lean over his shoulders and examine the pictures more closely.

“What do you think?” asked George, though he was pretty confident that he knew the answer. Genie quietly traced a delicate finger along the lines of the piece, and George enjoyed her weight pressing into his back while he waited patiently for her reaction.

“That’s really me, isn’t it,” she said.

“Yup, that’s you,” he said proudly.

“I ... I’m in the world now. I exist. I’m real.”

George could tell she was having a moment but wasn’t sure what to say. So, he held her hand and let her examine her own image, rendered digitally for the first time.

Then she surprised him by saying, “Hmm, it’s missing something. I look hot as fuck, but...” Then, she tilted her head and said, “Oh, duh, of course!”

The Genie pulled George to his feet. “Whoah, what’s up?” he asked nervously.

“I’m missing you,” she pouted.

George panicked a little, hating the idea of having his picture taken. “W-Wait,” he stammered, “Who’s gonna take the picture?”

“You let me worry about that,” she said, taking the tablet from him. She guided him into position behind her and placed one hand on her bare stomach, with the other hanging loosely around her neck and shoulder. Then, she released the tablet to float on a pink misty cloud and rested her hands on his. “First, we’ll do a fun one. Big smile!”

Putty in her hands, George complied with her every whim. He watched as the tablet arranged itself into position and entered selfie mode, the screen facing them. All the while, other students in the cafeteria ate their lunches in complete ignorance of the beautiful Genie and her hunky Master. Finally, the tablet beeped as it captured them in digital for the first time.

Before he could protest, she gently guided the hand around her neck so that he was holding hers next to his face. The Genie gazed at him with hungry, love-struck eyes, bit her lip, and whispered, “This is the best first date I could have asked for.”

George forgot about the tablet, the people around him, and his nervous energy. As his deep brown eyes met hers, he felt himself truly falling for her. While the tablet repeatedly beeped, he pulled his companion closer and kissed her tenderly. She could only whimper in response.

As their kiss deepened, the pair got more handsy. George grabbed her plump, rounded ass and reached under her sweater to roughly knead one of her huge tits. Meanwhile, the Genie unzipped his hoodie and ran her expert fingers across his muscles, from his broad chest down to his rippling abs. The tablet hovered nearby, beeping with every shot. He’d been getting used to people not noticing him. Overcome with lustful need, the Genie’s knees went weak for a moment, prompting George to grab her even more roughly. “Master,” she breathed, “Could we please go somewhere special and fuck? I need it...”

He was about to do just that when suddenly, George heard a loud crash behind him. He turned and saw a junior boy wearing a purple and black letter jacket lying on the floor, covered in a bowl of chili. George reluctantly let go of his companion and moved to help the younger boy. “You alright, man?” asked George as he extended his hand.

The junior slapped George’s hand away. “Fuck off!” he spat. He started getting up but immediately slipped on some spilled chili, tumbling to the floor again. He reached out to brace his fall and hit a girl’s tray behind him. The junior was now face down on the ground, covered in more chili and some uneaten corn. People had noticed and surrounded the area; some were laughing, but most were stupefied. He pounded the floor in frustration.

“You sure you don’t need help?” asked George.

“Shut up!” growled the junior. He started getting up, but the boy slipped again. The crowd laughed and jeered. George could hear Genie giggling along with them.

George felt sorry for the guy and decided not to wait for him to swallow his pride. He stepped over the mess, grabbed the junior under his shoulder, and pulled him to his feet. George then grabbed some leftover napkins from a nearby table to help with the mess. The boy snatched them out of George’s fingers and glared at him.

“Uh ... sorry about your jacket,” said George.

“Man, get out of my face!” yelled the junior.

The junior looked angry and embarrassed after ruining his varsity letter jacket, which even George understood was an important status symbol. The young man had puffed himself up to look more intimidating than George, but George was nearly six inches taller and much thicker. He noticed that the Genie had set up inside his mind once again.

The crowd was alive with hoots and hollers and began chanting, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” More people came over to join in, including the entire table of footballers.

George backed away and looked around nervously. His gaze abruptly met Connor’s, watching some distance away from the crowd. George may have been mistaken, but Connor seemed amused by the exchange. Then, the junior stepped forward to push George hard, but George didn’t even budge. The chanting continued.

George was getting scared. “Genie, what’s going on?”

“He was about to dump his chili on you while your back was turned, but he must have tripped. Poor boy,” she said flippantly.

George didn’t know what to do. A cheering crowd surrounded him, and this guy wouldn’t back down. George had meant to diffuse the situation, but this encounter had gotten out of hand. “Genie, I could really use your help,” he said, frantic.

“Patience, Master,” she calmly replied.

Meanwhile, the junior saw red and was ready for a fight. As if in slow motion, George watched as he shifted his weight to his back foot and cocked his elbow, prepared to punch. Then, the boy lunged forward, ready to hit George square in the jaw with all his might. Without thinking, George stepped aside with lightning speed. The junior lost his balance and tumbled to the floor a fourth time, right back in the puddle of chili. The crowd erupted with laughter as he struggled to get up.