Three Evil Wishes Read Online Free PDF

me.
    â€œHe’s Jesse’s friend,” I whispered back. “Not mine.”
    Gene gulped down the club soda in a single swallow. A few seconds later he was burping his head off. It was really gross.
    I thought there was no way my parents would let Gene stay for dinner. But they did. Jesse and I have really nice parents.
    â€œWe’re only having pizza,” Mom told me. “You’ve got about half an hour.”
    Jesse and I led Gene up to Jesse’s room. “Houses have changed,” Gene murmured. “No butter churn.”
    I turned to him. “Will you try to be more normal?” I whispered. “You don’t want my parents to think that you’re weird, do you?”
    â€œWeird? Me —weird?” he replied, his eyes wide with shock. “I’m the most normal genie in the Lost Kingdoms of the Great and Golden Raj!”
    â€œWell, try to act like a normal twelve-year-old person,” I pleaded.
    â€œThere’s no such thing,” he muttered. He picked up the remote clicker to Jesse’s TV. “What’s this?”
    â€œFor the TV,” I explained.
    â€œDon’t spell your words out,” he scolded. “Don’t whisper, don’t call names, and don’t spell out your words! It drives me crazy!”
    I pointed across the room. “That’s called a TV,” I said. “You can watch things on it.”
    â€œHere. I’ll show you,” Jesse offered. He took the remote clicker and turned on the TV.
    Gene smiled as the picture appeared. A Bugs Bunny cartoon.
    â€œYou watch for a while,” Jesse told him. He shoved me toward the door. “Hannah and I will go talk about our next wish. Okay?”
    â€œThis TV is some kind of magic,” Gene said, staring at Elmer Fudd. “How does it work?”
    Jesse and I closed the bedroom door behind us and made our way to the end of the hall to talk in private.
    â€œWhat are we going to do?” Jesse whispered.
    â€œWe have to get him out of here. He’s too weird. Mom and Dad will never believe he’s a normal kid.”
    I nodded. “I know. But how can we get rid of him?”
    â€œMaybe we should make two more wishes—real quick,” Jesse suggested. “We could—”
    â€œToo dangerous,” I interrupted. “We have to be careful. Our first wish was a disaster.”
    â€œBut we know we want to do something about the Burger brothers—right?” Jesse insisted.
    I shook my head. “I’m not so sure. It’s all too dangerous. And Gene is so weird. He might mess up again and do something terrible to us.”
    Jesse gazed over my shoulder at the bedroom door. “It’s very quiet in there,” he whispered. “I don’t hear the TV anymore.”
    â€œMaybe we should make two dumb wishes,” I suggested. “You know—ask for a closet full of candy bars and a stack of hundred-dollar bills. Just to get rid of him.”
    â€œNo way,” Jesse replied sharply. “I just keep picturing my backpack, all soaked and drenched in mud. My science project that I worked six weeks on—totally ruined.”
    Jesse sighed. “I really want to pay back Mike and Roy. I really do.”
    â€œI think it’s a bad idea,” I insisted. “I don’t think we can trust Gene. I think we have to get rid of him as fast as we can.”
    â€œDinner!” Mom’s call from downstairs interrupted our discussion.
    â€œWe’ll be right down!” I called back.
    Jesse and I hurried back to Jesse’s room to get Gene. “Do you think he’ll be okay at dinner?” I whispered.
    But Jesse had no chance to answer.
    We pushed open the bedroom door—and both of us gasped in horror.

11

    F irst I saw bolts and wires and sheets of metal strewn over the bedroom carpet. Then I saw the TV’s picture tube lying on its side in front of the dresser.
    Knobs and electronic