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Max regretted her third wish as soon as it was out of her mouth. She and Jeanie the Genie had become pals and Jeanie had been more than happy to chill in her lamp on Max’s bookshelf until the girl was ready to use her third and final wish.
She’d used the first wish on something simple. A new skateboard. But not just any skateboard, an indestructible one. After Billy broke her last board, which he had since apologized for, she didn’t want to take any chances.
The second wish she went a little more hardcore. Endless movie tickets. For life. How cool was that? She’d never have to pay for a movie again! And sure, she’d probably look back on this when she was a grown up and kick herself for not wishing for anything more substantial, but she was a kid and dammit she wanted the chance to actually act like one for once.
But the third wish. The third wish was giving her trouble. She wanted to do something for someone else. But who? She couldn’t decide between her friends, she loved them all too much. Her mom, for the most part seemed pretty happy. It really only left her with one option.
Billy.
Billy was a total weirdo and yeah he was kind of a jerk, but he’d been making a real effort to be less of a shitty brother and Max appreciated it. She knew Billy wasn’t happy. Knew that there was a big part of himself that he had to keep a secret because his dad would probably kill him if he found out. But keeping his feelings bottled up wasn’t healthy.
“Ugh, I wish Billy could be more honest with how he was feeling,” Max grumbled without thinking.
The lamp on her shelf began to shake, bright purple smoke spilling from the end of it and oh shit, she’d said “i wish!”
“Well honey, I think that’s a might sweet thing for you to wish,” Jeanie said, smiling at her little charge.
“No! No, that wasn’t-
“And thus with a snap, your wish shall be granted!”
Jeanie snapped her fingers. Nothing happened. But of course it wouldn’t, since Billy wasn’t in her room right now.
“Wait, Jeanie, t-that wasn’t my wish,” Max said.
Jeanie’s face fell.
“But…I heard you say I wish. Oh, fiddlesticks, that’s a human thing isn’t it?! I mean, you’d say that even if a Genie wasn’t in your room, oh dear!” Jeanie cried miserably, wailing and covering her face with her hands.
Max patted the distraught Genie on the arm.
“It’s okay. I wasn’t think. But, isn’t there any way to reverse it? i mean, if Billy’s gonna start being honest about his feelings, he could get hurt.”
Jeanie wiped at her tears.
“What is done, can’t be undone. But I think I can bend the rules, just a little. I can make the honesty spell wear off when he finds happiness. That’s why you wished it right? So that he would be happy?”
Max nodded.
Jeanie snapped her fingers again.
“I could get in trouble for that, so don’t tell okay?” Jeanie asked nervously.
“I won’t. I promise,” Max said seriously, smiling and waving as Jeanie tucked her lamp under her arm.
“It’s been fun, sweetie. I hope you have a splendid life!”
With another puff of swirling purple smoke, she was gone.
No sooner had she gone, than Max’s door burst open to reveal a very distressed looking Billy.
“Max!” he cried, running forward and pulling her in for a hug.
Max awkwardly hugged back. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this close to Billy, let alone hugged him.
“Uh, you feeling okay?” Max asked.
Billy pulled away, his eyes wide and bright.
“I’m fine, I just…you know I love you right? Like, I know I’m a jerk sometimes, but I never mean to direct it at you. You’re just an easy target. But you’re my sister and I care about you,” he said seriously.
Max stared at him in astonishment. Okay…this was officially weirder than anything that had ever happened to her, including the shit with the Upside Down.
“I, uh, I love you too,” she said awkwardly.
Billy smiled, ruffling her hair fondly.
“Speaking of love, the truth is, there’s this guy,” Billy started, plunking down on Max’s bed and fiddling with his curls. “And he’s, he’s so perfect Max. And way too good for me and we just got to be friends and I’m worried if I tell him how I feel he won’t want to hang out with me anymore,” Billy told her, his bottom lip sticking out like he was gonna cry.
Max sighed, sitting down next to Billy and putting a gentle hand on top of one of his.
“You’ll never know if you don’t go for it. And hey, if he’s a dick about it, then he wasn’t worth it in the first place. Right?”
Billy nodded.
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I’m gonna tell him. Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m gonna tell Steve that I like him. I’m freaking out!”
Max gaped at him.
“Steve? As in, Steve Harrington?”
“The one and only,” another voice said from the doorway, making both Max and Billy turn in surprise.
Steve was leaning against the door, looking confused.
“Steve!” Billy said excitedly, getting to his feet. “You’re here!”
Steve frowned.
“Of course I’m here. I came over to hang out, then you got this weird look on your face and said you had to go tell Max you love her and I was gonna give you a minute but then you didn’t come back and I felt weird sitting alone in your room so…yeah, here I am. Everything okay?” he asked.
Max opened her mouth, like she was going to explain about the Genie and the wish, but before she could Billy was walking up to Steve and kissing him soundly for a solid ten seconds before he pulled away.
“So the thing is, I think you’re amazing. A-and I know you probably don’t feel the same but-
Steve pressed his fingers to Billy’s lips to cut him off. He looked shocked, but not displeased by the turn of events.
“I’m not really sure what brought this on, but uh, I do. Feel the same, I mean,” he said.
The grin that broke out on Billy’s face made this whole fucking Genie, accidental wish, thing totally worth it…..until Billy and Steve started making out right there in her room and then Max had to literally shove them out and remind them that Billy’s room was “RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL! AND MAKE SURE YOU CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR!”