Genieology 101

Chapter One

Hey guys! So this is my second story on wattpad, and I’ll try to update as often as possible. Keep in mind that I am a grade 12 student and the whole preparing for university thing is pretty stressful. Btw, I know that most authors hate it when you ask them to update, but I'm usually encouraged by the 'please update' comments so keep them coming! :P Anyways, I hope you guys like this, because I sure do enjoy writing it! :D

*Dedicated to the girls who claim to be realistic and indifferent to the idea of love, yet hope, deep down, for a bit of fantasy*

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Chapter One

“I’m gunna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket…”

I bobbed my head to the beat, smiling inwardly at how fitting the song was. Here I was, in a thrift store in the middle of nowhere, picking through shelves upon shelves of dusty racks looking for anything that caught my eye. My best friend Sierra was on the opposite side, disgust written all over her face.

“Did we really have to come in here?” she whined, putting a dirty teapot back on the shelf, “There’s a cute cafe right across the road!”

“I know,” I replied, trying not to let the frustration seep through my voice, “But you know that I’m looking for items to add to my collection. Plus it’s not like we have anything else to do, seeing as our car broke down and all.”

Defeated, she crossed her arms, resorting to sitting on one of the rickety chairs nearby. Sierra might be the closest friend I had, but our personalities were so different that it was a surprise that we even tolerated each other the past few years.

Still humming to myself, I picked up a few items I liked and took them to the counter with me. An old analog clock, a chipped teacup and a deck of playing cards from the 80s were a few of many I picked out. The young lady sitting there was reading the latest seventeen magazine, crescent framed glasses perched on her nose precariously. I smiled at her as I placed my items on the counter, but she didn’t reciprocate it, choosing to glumly check out my things instead.

I looked around as I waited, when I spotted it.

The most beautiful lamp was in a showcase on the back wall, and it practically screamed, ‘Buy me! Buy me!’ Despite looking a bit old, the bronze piece still had the glamour only an antique could have. I knew right then and there that I had found what I was looking for.

“Miss, how much for the lamp?” I asked, pointing to the object behind her.

“This one?” She asked, pulling it off the shelf, “It’s a real antique, but I’ll give you a special price. Fifteen dollars and you can have it.”

“I’ll take it!” I practically squealed, excited to have gotten such a good deal. A small nagging voice in my head found it a bit suspicious that she was so willing to part with a ‘real antique,’ but I brushed off my paranoia. This was going to look amazing as a part of my collection; I could already picture it on my bookshelf back home. 

She wrapped all my purchases in newspaper and shoved them into gray plastic carry-bags, but took her time wrapping up the lamp in multiple layers of newspaper. Handing it over, she gave me a wary smile. “Be careful with it,” she said, as she handed it over, “it’s a very valuable item.” She held onto my hands for a second too long while staring into my eyes, effectively creeping me out.  

“Uhm… okay?” I replied, trying not to look into it too much, “Thank you!”

Spotting Sierra, I grabbed her hand and started fast walking towards the exit, pulling her along with me.