Genie Meanie

by Mahtab Narsimhan

  We had a running competition about things made in India versus in China. We both tried hard to convince the other that our own country’s products were superior. Neither of us budged an inch.

  “Kira-Kira and Bye-Bye sitting on a desk,” Matt sang. “Making a big mess, mess, mess.”

  My face turned hot as some of our classmates started giggling.

  “SHUT UP or you’ll be sorry!” I yelled, banging my fist on the desk. School had not even begun, and he was already teasing us.

  Our teacher walked in just then. He was tall, with glasses and thinning hair. He seemed to fill up the room as he frowned at me. “I don’t tolerate this kind of behavior in my class. Please apologize to your classmate.”

  This was so unfair! I apologized to Matt through gritted teeth. His mean smile made me even angrier.

  “It’s all right, Kiara,” Matt said. “I forgive you.”

  “All right, settle down, everyone,” the teacher said in a booming voice. “My name is Mr. Walters. Welcome to third grade.”

  “I’ll show him this year,” I muttered to Bai, a volcano bubbling in my chest. “I have a plan.”

  “What plan?” said Bai.

  “Um…er,” I stammered. I’d forgotten I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about Zayn. “Tell you after school,” I whispered, buying time.

  “You two,” said Mr. Walters, pointing at us. “No talking, or I’ll have you sit separately.”

  “Sorry,” we said in unison.

  Mr. Walters took attendance, then told us to share one interesting thing about ourselves. “I’ll go first,” he said. “I love history and ancient civilizations. No matter where I go on vacation, my first stop is always a museum.”

  “I can fold my tongue in half,” said Tara. And she demonstrated for us. Immediately the rest of the class tried it, but no one could do it as well as she could.

  “I collect insects,” said Abdi. “The creepier, the better.”

  “I love to travel,” said Bai. “But my home country, China, is my favorite place to go.” He looked at me.

  “I love watching Hindi movies,” I said when it was my turn. “I’m going to be an actress when I grow up. And India is the best place in the whole wide world.” I glanced at Bai, who shook his head slightly.

  Matt laughed out loud, and his buddies joined in. “You two are so funny.”

  “Nothing funny about appreciating where you came from,” said Mr. Walters. “Do you know the population of your countries?” He looked at Bai and me.

  “One-point-four billion,” said Bai promptly.

  “One-point-three-six billion,” I said just as promptly.

  “Well done,” said Mr. Walters. “I wouldn’t be surprised if India caught up to China in the next decade. Both countries seem to have a healthy competition going on.”

  Just like Bai and me. I smiled at my friend, and he smiled back.

  “Thank you, class, for sharing. It’s given me a better understanding of all of you. Now let’s fill those heads with information, shall we? Take out your notebooks, please.”

  I wondered what Zayn was doing and if he’d be ready to grant me my wishes when I got home.

  Chapter Five

  We sat at a corner table in the cafeteria during recess. Normally we went to our special spot on the playground, a hollow in the trunk of a large maple tree. The leaves were so dense that even if it rained, we didn’t get a drop on us—that is, until the leaves fell off in the fall. But today Bai wanted to check out the library after lunch, so we stayed inside.

  I’d brought a grilled chicken sandwich with carrots and hummus. Bai dug into a beef-and-rice bowl, which was still steaming. He asked me to try a bite. It was delicious. “How does it stay so hot? Your mom must have packed it hours ago.”

  “Thermos was made in China,” said Bai through a mouthful of food. “Much better than your Indian tiffin.”

  “You wish!” I said, crunching a carrot. “The tiffin has four compartments. Yours has only one.”

  We bumped fists, smiling.

  “So what’s the plan to deal with Matt?” Bai asked.

  Before I could reply, Matt appeared at our table. I froze. Bai swallowed his mouthful and almost choked. Matt thumped his back—hard. Bai glared at him.

  “Hand over some money, you two,” he said. “I forgot mine, and I’m hungry.”

  Just like that, it had started again. If we didn’t do something, this year would be the same as the last. But do what? Zayn wasn’t here. I glanced around quickly. The teacher was too far away, chatting with the lunch server. Matt seemed to have excellent timing, or he was smart enough to approach us when he knew no one was watching.

  “Leave us alone, Matt,” said Bai, his voice shaking. “Or I’ll tell the teacher and the principal about your bullying. And anyway, we don’t have any money.”

  “Do it, then,” said Matt, sneering at Bai. “Go on. Call the teacher!” He sat down. Two other students at our table picked up their lunches and hurried away. I didn’t blame them.

  Bai stood up and waved, trying to attract the teacher’s attention. My heart zoomed into my mouth. “Bai, don’t!” I said, but he ignored me.

  Matt swept Bai’s thermos off the table. It cracked, and the food splattered on the floor. Bai stared at Matt, then at his spilled food.

  “Oops, clumsy me,” said Matt, standing up. “This isn’t over, you two,” he said as he strolled away.

  I sat on the bench like an ice sculpture, hating myself for not being able to stand up to Matt or help Bai. If Zayn had been here, we could have taught Matt a lesson.

  “You could have yelled for the teacher too,” said Bai. “Matt wouldn’t have been able to stop us both.”

  “I told you not to try anything,” I said.

  “We have to stop being cowards and stand up to him,” he said, his eyes flashing. “Isn’t that what we decided, or have you changed your mind?”

  “You can share my lunch,” I said, though his words stung like a wasp’s bite.

  He shook his head and walked away.

  I found that I’d lost my appetite too.

  Bai didn’t talk to me for the rest of the day. As soon as the bell rang, he swept his things into his bag and hurried out of the classroom. I raced to catch up with him in the hall. I prayed Matt would leave us alone. Things were bad enough already.

  “Bai, wait up!”

  He stopped.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t help,” I said. “You know what Matt’s like.”

  “I know, and that’s why we have to do something this year,” said Bai, taking our usual route through the park. “We can’t do nothing! I’m tired of being scared of that bully.”

  “Matt could hurt us,” I said, walking faster than Bai now.

  “Not if we stick together and fight back,” said Bai. “Hey, what’s your hurry? Someone waiting for you at home?”

  “Nope, he’s right here,” said a voice I recognized. “How do I look?”

  And there was Zayn, prancing alongside us, grinning. He’d found my stash of old Halloween costumes and was dressed as a pink unicorn. I suppressed a desperate urge to giggle. I said nothing, knowing it would look weird if I talked to thin air.

  “My grandfather is waiting,” I said to Bai. “He’s visiting from India and likes to spend as much time with me as possible.”

  “Sweet. May I come over and meet him?”

  “Sure!” I said, happy that Bai wasn’t mad at me anymore. We cut across the soccer pitch.

  “Is that your best friend?” Zayn asked. “Ask him if he’ll lend me his outfit. It’s so cool.”

  “Shut up,” I whispered.

  “I didn’t say anything,” said Bai, looking confused.

  “Sorry, just talking to myself,” I said.

  Over Zayn’s laughter I heard thundering footsteps behind me.

  “Run, Bai!” I said, looking back. “It’s Matt.”

  “Stop him, Zayn,” I said under my breath as I pumped my arms and legs. �
�Trip him or something.”

  I’d run a short distance before I realized Bai wasn’t beside me. I stopped and looked back. Matt was emptying Bai’s satchel onto the grass. He’d picked a spot where no one else was walking by and the trees shielded them from the pedestrian path.

  “Zayn, do something,” I said. But he just leaned against a tree trunk, watching Matt and Bai arguing. “Please! I command you to do my bidding!”

  “If you’re so worried about your friend, you do something,” Zayn said. “I’m on vacation, remember?”

  “I know you have money, Bai,” Matt growled. “Give it to me.”

  “Kiara, HELP!” Bai shouted.

  Once again I froze, my heart pounding against my ribs.

  Matt raised a foot and slammed it down on Bai’s pencil case. There was a crunching sound.

  “No!” yelped Bai.

  “Last chance,” said Matt. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

  Bai’s hand shook as he got his extra lunch money out of his pocket. His face was as white as his shirt.

  “Wow, I’m rich!” said Matt, snatching the bills from Bai. He waved to me. “You’re next, Kira-Kira!”

  To my horror, my feet turned and ran, taking me along with them.

  Chapter Six

  “How could you stand by and watch my friend being bullied!” I yelled at Zayn. “You could have done something, you useless genie!”

  “Why didn’t you do something?” asked Zayn, taking off the unicorn costume.

  I flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The scene replayed in my mind like a movie on repeat. I was such a loser. I hadn’t helped my friend. I’d run away.

  I’d. Run. Away.

  Dinner tasted like pencil shavings.

  “Why aren’t you eating, Kiara?” Mom asked.

  “Not hungry, Mom.”

  “Tough day at school?” asked Grandpa, stroking my hair.

  You have no idea. I would have given anything for a clove-scented hug from Gran. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “You’ll settle down in a day or two,” said Dad, cutting up a piece of grilled mutton.

  Zayn hovered beside the table, pointing to the food and rubbing his belly. I ignored him, just like he’d ignored my pleas earlier that day. It was hard to focus on everyone’s questions and keep an eye on Zayn at the same time. His hand hovered over the garlic bread. If he picked it up, would everyone see it floating in midair, or would it just disappear? How would they react? I was in no mood to find out.

  “No!” I said, glaring at Zayn.

  “No need to yell,” said Mom, continuing a conversation I hadn’t heard. “We won’t go to the new Hindi movie on the weekend if you feel that strongly about it. I thought it would cheer you up.”

  I shot Zayn a dirty look. He’d timed this perfectly. I’d yelled at the precise moment Mom was asking about the movie I’d been wanting to see. He was more trouble than help.

  “Um, I have some reading homework,” I said. “May I eat dinner in my room, please?”

  “I prefer that you eat with us,” said Mom. “But I’ll make an exception just for today. You may go.”

  I piled my plate with more garlic bread, grilled meat, green salad and a piece of blueberry pie. It would be mean to starve Zayn, even if he hadn’t helped out today. He did a happy dance around the table as he eyed the food.

  Back in my room, Zayn balanced the plate on his knees and tucked in to the meal.

  “If you can do magic, why can’t you conjure a meal for yourself?” I asked.

  “Magicked food tastes horrible,” he said. “Now shhh. Let me eat.”

  I wondered what Bai was doing. He was so mad at me for running away. I would be mad at me too. How was I ever going to make it up to him?

  I sent him a text saying I was sorry. There was no reply.

  Zayn finished eating and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “So good and there was no garam masala in it!” he said and burped. “Can’t stand the smell of that spice.”

  “Your turn to help me,” I said.

  “You have the pleasure of my awesome company,” said Zayn. “What more could you want?”

  “You could easily have stopped Matt. He wouldn’t be able to fight someone invisible. Why didn’t you?”

  Zayn’s green eyes bored into mine. “Magic doesn’t solve every problem. Why didn’t you do something?”

  “What’s the use of feeding and clothing you if you can’t even help?” I said, pacing my room.

  “I only help those who help themselves,” said Zayn, sprawling on the carpet.

  I stopped and stared. His words were like arrows in my heart. I’d done nothing to stand up to Matt last year or today. And Matt had grown bolder.

  “I freeze when I’m scared,” I said softly. “I can’t help it.” I slumped to the floor and hid my burning face in my hands.

  “There’s nothing wrong with being scared,” said Zayn, sitting down beside me. “Fear is a good thing. It keeps you alert and safe in dangerous situations. It’s what happens after that you have to pay attention to.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Imagine what would happen to Matt if I’d helped you. Close your eyes and describe it to me.”

  I had a clear picture in my head. “He’d be scared because someone invisible had punched him. I would warn him never to touch me or my friend again as he raced away, peeing in his pants.” I opened my eyes.

  “Violence is never good except when you are protecting yourself,” said Zayn. “If Matt tries to hurt you and you defend yourself, he’ll get the message. Can you imagine how he would look if you fought back instead of running away?”

  “Yes!” I said. “Every detail, down to Matt’s frightened expression.”

  “Good,” he replied. “Whenever you’re scared, think really hard about what you want, and want it really bad. Your fear will melt away. You should be the one to stop Matt so he never bothers you or Bai again. Not someone he can’t see.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I snapped. “Last year Matt shoved my swing so hard, I fell off. I scraped myself badly, even though I’d wished, really hard, that I wouldn’t fall and get hurt.”

  Zayn shrugged. “Just giving you pointers. It’s up to you to follow them. Or not. I’m on vacation, remember? Ask me for those wishes in a thousand years.” He dived into his bed and turned on the TV he’d conjured out of thin air. It even had cable!

  I stomped down to the kitchen with the dirty dishes. Zayn was useless except when it came to entertaining himself. Clearly it was going to be up to me to stop Matt.

  Chapter Seven

  The hands on the clock crawled toward eight forty-five. Bai hadn’t come into the classroom. I drummed my fingers on the desk, my eyes glued to the door.

  Matt, sitting across the room, glanced at me now and then. He was going to get me after school, and the thought made me want to barf.

  Bai and Mr. Walters walked in together as the bell rang. I tried to catch my friend’s eye, but he avoided looking at me. When he slipped into an empty seat at the front of the classroom, it felt as if someone had punched me in the gut.

  Bai hated front-row seats. Today, it seemed, he hated sitting next to me even more. I could barely pay attention in class. How could I make it up to him? How could I stand up to Matt without freezing or blubbering? At lunchtime Bai disappeared. I didn’t see him in the cafeteria or in our special spot in the maple tree. He appeared just as the bell rang at the end of recess. He was mad at me for not keeping my promise, and the only way to make it up to him was to stand up to Matt.

  As the clock’s hands moved to three fifteen, my stomach shriveled to the size of a pea. It was time to take Zayn’s advice. Except I didn’t know if I was brave enough to follow through.

  Bai zipped out of class. I ran to catch up with him.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday, Bai. I was scared.”

  He refused to look at me. It was as if I were invisible.

  I coul
d see Zayn waiting by the school gate. Today he was dressed like a sports coach, with a whistle around his neck and a baseball cap on his head. He fell into step beside me. It didn’t make me feel any better.

  “Leave me alone, Kiara,” Bai snapped after I’d been following him for a few minutes through the park. He was taking a different route today. “I don’t want to be friends with you anymore.”

  A lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball appeared. I swallowed. Bai had never been this mad at me.

  “I mean it, Kiara,” said Bai. “Leave me alone, or I’ll tell Mr. Walters that you’re bothering me.”

  He sounded serious, his brown eyes hard behind his glasses. I stopped.

  “Don’t you dare give up, Kiara,” said Zayn. “You stay with your friend till he gets home.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone,” I said. “No matter what you say.”

  “You’re too chicken to fight back, so what’s the point?” said Bai.

  “BOO!” yelled Matt. He’d sneaked up on us while we were arguing.

  Bai and I both jumped. Matt guffawed.

  “Thank you for running away, Kira-Kira,” said Matt. “If you hadn’t, I would never have known that your friend is loaded! Now shoo!”

  I froze. Matt was right. Because I’d run away, my best friend was his main target now. Bai’s face looked gray under his tan, and my chest hurt just looking at him.

  “Imagine the outcome,” said Zayn, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You march up to the bully. He’s surprised that you’re standing up to him. He shoves you, and you punch him in the nose and take back Bai’s money. As Matt is running away, peeing his pants, you yell at him never to bully anyone again. Bai is impressed and you are best friends again. Now move! Hup, Two, Three, Four!”

  Zayn’s voice goaded me on. I unfroze. I lifted one foot, then the other, and marched toward Matt. I was doing it.

  “You go, girl!” said Zayn, blowing the whistle.

  “What are you doing?” said Matt, glaring at me. “Running away is in that direction!” He pushed me hard. I sprawled on the ground as the world spun around me.