Free Wishful Thinking by Amanda Ashby

would’ve preferred to go straight home and hide under her bed until this whole thing was sorted out, but they were right, sneaking out of school on the first day probably wasn’t such a great idea. Especially since her mom had been looking a little bit stressed lately and her getting a detention probably wouldn’t help.
For that matter, neither would finding out that her daughter had been turned into an orange djinn.
    â€œOkay, I’m almost finished.” Kara stepped back and seemed to be examining Sophie’s face with a critical eye before turning her attention to Sophie’s hands and arms. Finally, she nodded in approval. “There. Done. And you know, as long as you don’t let anyone get too close to you, I think you should be okay for the next two classes.”
    â€œAnd this will help cover you up,” Harvey added as he shrugged off his favorite hoodie and draped it over her shoulders.
    â€œThanks,” Sophie said as she wriggled into it. Due to the fact that Harvey was so tall (and she was so short), it reached almost to her knees, and the sleeves covered not only her arms but her hands and fingers as well. “Though I’m still not sure about this.”
    â€œIt won’t be forever.” Kara gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she passed over a small mirror so that Sophie could inspect her face. It wasn’t perfect, but at least the paint was now hiding the worst of the orangeness. Then she inspected her fingers and wrists and tried to convince herself that they looked normal. “It just needs to work until you can get hold of the djinn and get this whole thing sorted out. Now, there’s the final bell, so we’d better get our hustle on. Oh, and Soph, one more thing.”
    â€œWhat?” Sophie blinked as she tried not to think about just how insane this day was becoming.
    â€œDon’t let anyone throw water on you.”
    Yup, definitely insane.

W OW, I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT REALLY WORKED,” Harvey marveled a couple hours later as the three of them piled off the school bus and congregated in a huddle on the pavement in the dull September afternoon. “I mean, no one said
anything
about the fact you were covered in paint or that you were wearing a hoodie that came down to your knees. Sixth grade really is different.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Sophie looked at him in alarm. “You told me you were sure it would work. That’s why I let you guys do it in the first place.”
    â€œYeah, but come on, Soph. You’re orange and you’re covered in Kara’s kooky paint. You didn’t really believe me, did you?”
    â€œNot anymore I don’t,” Sophie squeaked as she pulled out the small mirror and inspected her face again before realizing that there were still a few seventh graders loitering around them. She quickly thrust her hands deep into her pockets again. At least the buzzing in her ears had stopped, but she was still boiling hot.
    â€œSophie looks completely natural.
And there’s nothing kooky about my paint either,
” Kara added with a sniff.
    â€œHey, don’t get me wrong,” Harvey quickly protested. “I’m happy it did work, it’s just, I was worried. Especially when she put her hand up to answer Mr. Langden’s question about who first used bronze in their society and her sleeve slid up so you could see her orange elbow.”
    â€œYes, that was a mistake,” Sophie was forced to agree as they turned and started to walk toward her house. “But it was just when everyone else was getting the answer wrong, I couldn’t quite help myself. I mean, who doesn’t know it was the Mesopotamians?”
    â€œEr, me,” Harvey admitted before turning to them both. “So what now? Do you want to practice your new skills or anything like that?”
    â€œHarvey, if you’re trying to convince her to magic you up some food again, then you