Three Evil Wishes Read Online Free PDF Page B

parts and circuit boards were piled beside the bed. The cable box had been taken apart. Pieces of it rested at the foot of the bed.
    Gene had his back to us. He was busily pulling the speaker from what was left of the TV.
    â€œI—I don’t believe it!” Jesse croaked.
    â€œGene—what are you doing?” I shrieked. “You took apart the whole TV!”
    He lowered the speaker to the floor. Then heturned to us. “Just trying to figure out how it works,” he replied with a grin. He shook his head. “Hoo. So many parts.”
    â€œBut—but—but—” my brother sputtered.
    â€œDon’t worry,” Gene assured him. “I’m pretty sure I can get it back together.” He scratched his head. “Pretty sure,” he muttered.
    â€œDinner!” Mom called from downstairs.
    â€œMy TV!” Jesse wailed. “I’ve had it for only a few weeks!”
    â€œWhat does this do?” Gene asked. He held up a long metal tube.
    â€œHow should I know?” Jesse snapped furiously.
    â€œGenies are very curious,” Gene said, studying the tube. “You need to be curious to be a genie. If you aren’t curious, you’ll never learn anything—right?”
    Jesse grabbed Gene by the shoulders and tugged him away from the TV. “You’re not supposed to be a genie now, remember? You’re supposed to be a friend who’s staying for dinner.”
    â€œDo you think you can act normal?” I asked the genie. “Don’t give Mom and Dad any reason to think you’re weird—okay?”
    â€œHoo. That’s easy,” Gene replied, following us out of the room. “I do know how to eat. It won’t be any problem.”
    I felt so nervous as we entered the dining room.We usually eat in the kitchen. But since we had a guest, Gene, Mom and Dad set the table in the dining room.
    Gene sat between Jesse and me on one side of the table. Mom and Dad were at the ends.
    I had a sudden urge to blurt out the truth: “Gene isn’t a kid. He’s really a genie. He’s been inside a bottle for a hundred years. Jesse and I pulled him out, and he’s giving us three wishes.”
    But I knew Mom and Dad wouldn’t believe me. They’d think it was some kind of dumb joke.
    So I didn’t say anything.
    Instead, I tried to fight down my nervousness. And I silently prayed that Gene wouldn’t do anything weird or embarrassing.
    â€œHannah, pass the pizza to Gene first,” Dad instructed. He took a deep breath, inhaling the pizza aroma. “Mmmm. It looks great. Plenty of pepperoni. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving!”
    I picked up the pizza tray by the edges and held it out to Gene.
    â€œThank you very much,” he said politely. “It does look really good.”
    Then he reached both hands to the tray.
    He rolled the entire pizza up.
    And slid the whole thing into his mouth.
    *   *   *
    After dinner I hurried out to my studio in the garage. I had to get out of the house. Away from that crazy genie.
    Poor Mom and Dad.
    They didn’t know what to say when Gene ate the whole pizza.
    They had stared at him in amazement for the longest time. Then Mom went into the kitchen, opened a can of tuna fish, and made sandwiches for the rest of us.
    Gene smiled and talked about his heartburn, and acted as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. Mom and Dad kept flashing me glances like “What is this kid’s problem?” I could see that Dad was really angry.
    Jesse hurried Gene upstairs. And I ran out to my studio. Barky followed me. I got to work on my self-portrait. I hoped that working with clay would help me feel better about Gene and wishes and pizza!
    I carved away at the chin, making it a little pointier. Then I worked on the hair, the nose, and the hands. Before I knew it, an hour had gone by.
    â€œOh, boy, Barky, I’ve been working a long