I Wish by Elizabeth Langston Page B

needed to show him, and I knew how. He hadn’t spent all of the money we’d budgeted for the air conditioning unit. We could spare a few dollars. “Grant?”
    He appeared in the doorway. “What is it?”
    “Do you like ice cream?”
    “The invention of ice cream was one of humanity’s finest hours.”
    I smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes . Why don’t you come with me and Henry to get a treat?”

    The Super Scoops Ice Cream Parlor was located on a side street behind The Reading Corner. My brother beat us there by half a block and had stopped on the sidewalk to talk with his soccer teammate, Reynolds.
    Some girls from my senior class were exiting Super Scoops as we arrived. Grant held the door for them, shocking them into silence, whether from the jaw-dropping sight of him or from the fact he was with me, it was hard to tell.
    It would’ve been easier if my genie had been ugly. Or twelve inches tall. Or green. But no. I had to end up with the BSB who was every girl’s dream. There might be questions tomorrow at school. I would have to spend some time tonight making up answers.
    I entered the shop ahead of him and Henry. “What should we get, guys?”
    “Peach,” Henry said as he ran to the glass case holding huge tubs of ice cream.
    Grant said, “Vanilla.”
    “Vanilla?” I gave Grant a pained smile. “Please tell me you’re not serious. You ought to try something radical. Like caramel-fudge-brownie. It’s a symphony of flavors.”
    “Vanilla is about all I can stand. My sense of taste cannot take anything stronger.”
    I preferred anything with chocolate. Henry wanted peach, and Grant could only tolerate vanilla. Three flavors. Since I had a Buy-One-Get-One-Free coupon with me, we’d only be able to get two flavors.
    I stood in line to order while Grant claimed a table in the front corner. It had a good view of the entire shop, with its black, white, and pink 1950s decor. He positioned himself with his back to the wall and waited until I placed both dishes in the center of the table.
    “Hey, Lacey, can I sit outside with Reynolds?” Henry asked loud enough for the whole store to hear.
    “Sure, if his mom doesn’t mind.”
    “She doesn’t. I already asked her.”
    I handed over his dish and watched as he ran to an outdoor table occupied by Reynolds and his parents.
    “All right,” I said as I pushed the other dish nearer to my guest. “It’s our turn to eat.”
    Grant shoveled in his first spoonful like he was afraid someone would take it away. It was cute and unexpectedly endearing. “How often do BSBs get ice cream?”
    He swallowed and smiled lazily. “Not often. We only eat human food when invited.”
    I licked my spoon and paid extra attention to the taste. Creamy, rich, and delicious. I would hate only having ice cream when someone else asked. It was bad enough to wait until I saved up the money.
    My BSB didn’t get invitations or gratitude very often. Instead, he received criticism for the free services he provided. Was this why he needed a league?
    Behind us, a group of people burst into laughter. Grant’s gaze shifted in their direction. He stiffened and set down the spoon, his expression fierce.
    I turned to see what had upset him. Some of my classmates were sitting nearby. Four half-eaten banana splits crowded the table top. The guys were flinging bits of pineapple and strawberry at each other. The floor under their table was disgusting.
    I swung back around. “Don’t watch. They’re being stupid.”
    “I have experience with behavior like theirs. It’s the reason the League developed guidelines for our assignments.”
    “To protect you from humans?”
    “To protect us from the shallow ones. We’re no longer obligated to indulge pure greed.” He scooped up more ice cream and savored it as he watched Henry through the window.
    “Do you like being a genie?”
    He nodded. “There were several job options available to me. I made a conscious choice to spend my