THE MOMENT
"Hold on," Oz said. He interrupted the discussion between his companion, Astra, and a young woman they just met named Barley. They sat on a red wooden picnic table in the middle of a bustling park. Beyond those details, Oz didn't know where they were. They arrived while Barley was eating; but, she was quick to invite them to join her. He decided to worry about their location later. Barley mentioned something that blew Oz's mind; but, Astra kept the conversation going right past it. "You just said genies are real?" he asked. Astra and Barley nodded at him.
"Then, why aren't we going that route?" Oz asked. "Surely we could solve all of this with three wishes." Astra shook her head while Barley giggled from behind her hand.
"If we could, we'd already have done it," Astra said. "Genies don't have any magic of their own; they work for and channel the universe."
"But, it's still magic, right? Powerful, universe magic?" Oz asked. Astra and Barley nodded at him.
"Then, isn't it worth a shot?" he asked. Astra shook her head; Barley took a big gulp of soda.
"Not really," Astra said. "I just told you they work for the universe."
"Uhuh," Oz nodded. He remained quiet for a moment before Astra spoke up again.
"She...," Astra put her index fingers at the side of her head to mimic a pair of horns. "...is a walking talking universe. Genie magic won't touch her."
"You guys talking about Ballisea?" Barley asked.
"Shhhhh!" Oz tried shushing Barley, but it was pointless.
"They are...," a woman's voice filled the air around the picnic table with light laughter. "...it's cute that they think I can't hear them if they don't say my name." Barley grinned and joined in Ballisea's laughter. Oz's cheeks warmed with a light flush. He hoped he and Astra were almost done there so he could put the embarrassment behind him. He didn't know why they were there talking to Barley and he did not want to look silly by asking Astra in front of Barley. Instead, he watched Barley lean back with the soda can to swallow the last gulp. Then, she set the can down and gave a contented sigh. Oz had a sudden realization. He'd been distracted by the mention of genies and it took time for him to realize the implications of what Barley said. He looked at the empty can, then up at Barley.
"Did you waste a wish on that!?" he asked.
"No!" Barley laughed and shook her head. "I got chips too," she added with a smile.
"Why!?" he asked. "You could have had anything and you got chips and soda!?" Barley shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah," she said. " 'S what I wanted."
"But.. you could have had anything," Oz said. Barley nodded.
"Yeah. And I got it. Then I made my third wish."
"What was your third wish?" Oz asked.
"Friends to share my snack with," she said. Her smile faded slightly, and she cast her eyes at the picnic table. "But, we started talking and I forgot to share," she said.
"I didn't want any anyway," Astra said. She smiled at Barley. "I might next time."
"Okay! Next time for sure!" Barley said. Oz felt he missed something and decided he'd rather look silly than not know what was going on.
"Wait, next time? What are we here for this time?" Oz asked. Astra tilted her head.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Why'd you bring us here this time?"
"Ohhhh," Astra smiled, then shook her head. "I didn't. We are her third wish."
"What?" Oz asked. "How so?" Astra shrugged.
"Barley wished for friends and we're looking for friends; the universe matched us up." Astra turned to Barley.
"Wanna join our roller derby team?" she asked.
"Oh boy!" Barley clapped her hands together and rubbed them eagerly. "I had four wishes come true today!"