I stretch loudly, startling Elliot who's walking next to me.

"Be careful, people are going to look at you weird."

"Why would I care about that? We just finished our exams and we're on our way home for the summer vacations, so I want to stretch and relax and let all the stress I accumulated out!"

"Ah! It's just like you to say that. Gonna take it easy all summer, then?"

"You bet! I bought a ton of games I didn't have time to try yet, so I have a bunch of catching up to do. And there's this new MMO, World Ascension Online, coming out in two weeks. It promises to be huge! I'd like to at least get myself established in it before the next school year."

He brings a hand to his chin and, with a mocking tone and smile, responds:

"Lofty goals indeed. You truly are a paragon I should try to emulate."

I lightly punch his shoulder with a laugh.

"Come on! You don't have to put it that way! This year was already hard enough, I don't need to give up on the only two months of real rest I get in a year by stressing out about greater pursuits. And what are you going to do to be able to claim superiority over me?"

His facial expression morphs, taking on an almost sinister expression.

"Glad you asked! This summer, I'm going to complete my intermediate piano formation and begin the advanced courses, take extra classes in computer science and cinema since those subjects are not part of our high school curriculum, and get better than you at that MMO, as a flex."

"Damn overachiever. Can't you ever just rest?"

He sighs in resignation before answering:

"My parents fear that if they give me any time off at all, I'll become lazy and never get back on track. My mom's even complaining about your 'influence' on me. Something something 'he's poor because his parents don't have good work ethics' something something."

That gets me to smile again.

"Guess they can't understand why someone from a rich and prestigious family like yours would want to be friends with a lowly peasant like me."

"Yeah... I'll try to find some time so we can hang out, despite all that."

"Hey, if you actually manage to get better than me in WAO, I'll do whatever you want! Maybe that'll motivate you, and at least we'll get to play it together that way."

He wraps an arm over my shoulders and, going back to his sinister face, says:

"I'll take you up on that offer. You better not complain later."

We stop at an intersection. This is where our paths diverge, with him heading in the direction of the richer area with all the big houses, while I go towards the neighboring section with the more modest habitations.

"I'll see you in a bit, then. Message me when you're free, okay?"

"Of course!"

We wave each other goodbye before turning in opposite directions.

"Level up!"

With a flash, the game lets me know I've grown stronger. I open my character menu and distribute my stat points as I ask, in my microphone:

"So, where are you at now?"

I hear Elliot's voice through my headphones:

"I'm still just level 15. I can't believe you're that far ahead already!"

I look at the "Level 28" displayed over my character's head and smile with satisfaction.

"There was just no way someone as busy as you could ever hope to surpass me!"

"Hey, the bet was that I would get better, not higher level. If I can surpass you in some way, you still need to keep that promise."

"Yeah, yeah."

He's never going to manage. He only plays in the evenings, and not even every day, while I made sure to put aside every afternoon since the game launched last week to focus on it. All these extra hours mean that I'm both higher level and more used to the game's systems than him.

I lean back into my chair, smiling confidently. There's no way I'm losing this.

As I let my thoughts wander, a sudden devilish idea enters my mind. I move closer to my microphone and ask:

"Hey, do you think Ember plays this game?"

I hear him choke on something, I can't tell if he was drinking or if it was just his saliva, but after coughing for a bit he manages to respond:

"What... what makes you say that?"

I know that he's in love with Ember, so I like teasing him about it. To be fair, I also have a bit of a crush on her... Okay, no, I need to be honest with myself. I have a huge crush on her. But still, I decided to let Elliot have a go first, out of respect for him, and also because he has a much better chance of seducing her. He's a lot better than me in pretty much everything, for starters, and he's handsome and comes from a rich family. I just don't stand a chance against that.

So for now, I keep my feelings for myself, and play with his when I get the opportunity.

"Well, she does like playing video games, and this is one of the bigger releases of the year. Maybe we should ask, it could be fun to team up with her."

"You know how awkward I get when she's around! Don't do this to me!"

"Isn't this the perfect opportunity for you to get more comfortable? You won't see her, just hear her over the internet. It's like progressive exposure."

"Even then, that's a bit much. Plus, we don't know if she actually plays it, and I'm not asking her."

"Alright, alright. We'll stay a team of two, then."

I resume my monster slaying, which shares of the experience points I get with him. That way, he'll level up faster, and we'll be able to move on to harder parts of the game sooner.

As we finish clearing up an area of the map, Elliot says:

"Oh, right, I almost forgot to ask... My dad just came back from a trip, brought some weird souvenir back. According to the locals, it can grant a wish. I'm sure it's just some tourist trap to sell more of them, but I figured there was no harm in giving it a try."

"Cool. So what's the question?"

"Apparently, it only grants one wish per two people, so you need someone else to be there to activate it. So I figured I'd ask you. Tomorrow's one of my very rare free days, if you want to come over."

Going to his place is always a ton of fun. There's the huge pool in his backyard, plus his giant collection of console games... I think I can take a day off from playing WAO to go visit.

"Sure, I'll come. Should I bring my swimsuit?"

"Yeah, of course!"

Leaving that subject behind, we resume our task of defeating a camp of monsters to obtain special rewards.

I ring the bell, then take a few steps back and wait. I can never get used to just how massive this house is. They're all like this in this part of the city, so I feel like an ant when I ride my bike along these streets. Rich people really do just go through life differently.

After a few seconds, Elliot opens the door.

"Welcome! Come in, come in. Glass of water?"

"Yes, please."

I leave my shoes at the door, then walk to the kitchen with him. There, we come across his mom, who sneers at me.

"Oh... Andrew is here..."

She locks eyes with me, then continues:

"You better not try to pass on your bad habits to my son, young man! He won't be able to take over his father's business if he decides to follow your example."

She never liked me, but she stopped trying to hide it after we began high school. Elliot and I attend a private institution that costs a lot to get in, so my parents had to get financial help to be able to afford it. She probably thinks it makes me undeserving, but the truth is that I can only keep attending it by scoring above average in every subject, while rich kids who barely put any effort in get to keep attending as long as their parents pay. But that's not the part she sees. From her point of view, a filthy peasant is attending a school he shouldn't be allowed in.

Wealth really distorts the way people see things.

Elliot gives me the glass and responds to his mother:

"Please, mom, stop it with the petty grievances. I'm just using my rest day to hang out with a friend. Is that such a bad thing?"

She turns away and leaves, without a word. At least she's unlikely to pester us while we're swimming or playing in Elliot's bedroom.

I drink the water, put the empty glass on the counter, then say:

"Alright, let's get going!"

I'm sitting on the floor of his bedroom, waiting for him to find the thing in his drawer. Something that can grant wishes, uh? I guess stories that revolve around them are pretty common, and who has never hoped they'd be the one to find a magic lamp and be granted their wildest dreams?

If I had the opportunity to get literally anything, what would I pick? Stuff like infinite money, eternal good health, love... Yeah, they're nice options, but don't they feel a bit too obvious? I guess what I really want is a peaceful life during which I accomplish my dreams and a nice retirement for my parents where they won't struggle with money anymore. Falling in love and having a family sounds nice, too... I doubt that can happen with Ember, but I'm sure I'll meet someone else eventually.

So I guess I'd just wish for a fulfilling life filled with small things that make me happy. When you really think about it, the form it takes doesn't matter much. As long as it's all real and not the result of some trick being played on the brain, being happy and fulfilled is what matters most, whatever that ends up meaning for each person.

My thoughts are interrupted by Elliot:

"Ah ha! Found it."

He sits in front of me, dropping a strange sculpture on the floor between us. It's not very big, about as tall as my hand is long, and it consists of two seemingly naked humanoid figures on a stone base. One of them is curled up, with its face hidden against its legs, while the other is standing up, extending a hand towards the first. That one also has two small blue gemstones embedded in it eye sockets, which contrast with the grey texture of the rest of the sculpture. The two figures are crudely made, so despite them appearing naked, no explicit details have been carved into their bodies.

As I'm taking a closer look, Elliot explains:

"According to the locals my dad got this from, the one making the wish needs to put a finger on the head with the open eyes, and the one supporting that wish does the same with the curled up figure. Once the wish has been granted, the blue eyes will close, and the statue won't grant anything more. Wishes also can't be taken back, so we have to be careful with how we use it."

"No going back, uh? That's a bit scary."

"Yeah, but I already know what wish I'm going to make and I doubt it's going to cause any serious issues, assuming any of this is in any way true. The most likely scenario is that nothing will happen, and we're going to have a laugh about it."

"Yeah, that's true."

I put a finger over the head of the curled up person, then say:

"Alright, let's get it done, then."

Elliot nods, then does the same with the other figure.

"I wish for the girl I love to have been my childhood friend, and for mutual feelings to have developed between us over the years!"

Ah, so he went for love, one of the obvious choices. Can't blame him. Having Ember as a childhood friend instead of having met her in high school would probably help him feel more comfortable around her, on top of making it more likely she'd have any feelings at all for him. He also seems to be a big fan of the "childhood friends turned lovers" trope, judging by some of his favorite love stories, so he definitely wants that for himself.

It's starting to look like the wish won't be granted, though. We've been staying immobile and in silence for a few seconds, and nothing happened with the statue. As I'm about to lift my finger up, however, the two blue eyes start glowing brightly, Causing us to jump back and cover our eyes. Almost as quickly as it started, the light goes down, and we look at the sculpture only to see that the two blue gemstones are now gone, with the standing figure looking like its eyes closed.

I get a bit closer to make sure I'm not seeing this wrong, then ask:

"So... Did it work? Is Ember your childhood friend now?"

"I... don't know? It doesn't feel like anything changed."

"Maybe they found some way to have the statue react to a wish to make it look like it was granted... Eh, whatever. Let's put this thing away and go for a swim."

"Yeah, good idea!"

I push myself up and start walking towards my bag, but after a few steps, I'm suddenly overtaken by a dizzy spell. I stumble, trying to catch my footing again, but quickly find myself on the floor instead.

"Andy? Andy! Are you okay? Should I call for help?"

"I can't... feel my body anymore. I think I'll... sleep for a while..."

I hear Elliot rush out of the room as everything becomes white around me. I haven't fainted in so long... I guess I'll just take it easy for now.

Eventually, the white turns to black, and my restless thoughts calm down. While I normally feel like crap after fainting, this time, I'm more relaxed than anything else. I open my eyes, and am surprised to see the ceiling of my bedroom. How did I get back home?

And, more than that... There's something wrong. We replaced my ceiling light a few years ago, so why is it back to the way it was when I was a child?

I sit up and take a look around me. Everything is the way it was years ago. It's almost like I traveled back in time. I reach out to grab my cellphone to check the date and time... only to be startled by my own arm! Why is it so small!?

I jump up on my bed, then look down at my body. I'm back to being a small kid! I even recognize the clothes I'm currently wearing, a very comfortable t-shirt and a baggy pair of cargo shorts with all the pockets I could ever want. They were one of my favorite sets back in the day, but I outgrew them in time.

I was so surprised by my own body, I only now notice that there's no phone at all where I usually leave mine. What kind of sick joke is this? Did I really somehow go back in time!?

I didn't simply turn back into a kid, otherwise my room wouldn't look like this. And I wasn't only sent back to the past, because my body turned back too. Could this be a result of Elliot's wish? Maybe we had to go back in time to actually live though the new timeline in which Ember is his childhood friend. In that case, either everyone will be like me and remember a previous life of sorts, or it'll only be me and Elliot, since we were the ones who activated the statue.

I should text him and... a, right, I didn't have a phone when I was younger. And neither did he. This is going to complicate things...

I should go around the house and make sure everything is as it was in the past, and confirm the current date. I jump down from my bed, landing in front of my mirror. I take a quick look, and... Yep, I'm back to being my younger self. As a kid, I didn't take care of my hair at all, so it's all messy. I remember my mom forcing me to sit down so she could comb it whenever we visited family, and me hating it.

Wait, if things stay like this, I'll have to go through that again!

I open my bedroom door and rush down the stairs. As I barge into the living room, my mom lifts her head and asks:

"What's the rush, Andy? Something happened?"

She looks at least a decade younger too, and is doing puzzles in a book, something she left behind as a pastime after getting a tablet. The fact that she's not in the same panicked state as me probably means she doesn't remember being sent back in time.

"Mom, what day is it?"

"Uh? It's Friday."

"No, I mean... the full date?"

Now she's really confused, but instead of questioning it, she shrugs and responds:

"Today is July 13th, 2012, sweetie. What's wrong, you're worried you're running out of time before school starts?"

2012. 2012!? That means I'm back to being five? I knew I looked young, but I expected to be a few years older than that at least... Does that mean I'm going to go through school all over again? What a pain! If it's July 2012, it means I'm entering kindergarten next month. The fact that I'm this young yet kept all my memories of reaching a much higher age might cause some issues.

As for the date, I seem to have gone exactly 12 years back in time, as it was also the 13th when Elliot made his wish. I can only assume that this is significant in some way, but all I have right now are conjectures.

Seeing that my mom is still looking at me with a worried look, I try to reassure her:

"Thanks. I think I... had a bad dream? I'm okay now, though."

She lets out a sigh of relief, then gets up from the couch and, after crouching next to me, gives me a hug.

"There's no reason to be scared, sweetie. Mommy is here for you."

I hug her back. I think I've missed the kind of attention I got as a kid.

She lets go and starts walking back to the couch. That hug made me feel a lot better, so hopefully I can start trying to figure out what's going on.

My mom acts completely normally, so it's safe to assume that everyone but me and maybe Elliot forgot about the other, pre-wish timeline. I can't remember exactly when I met him, but I know it was in kindergarten, so we'll be seeing each other again soon. When we do, I'll have to find a subtle way to ask him about the whole situation.

And then... then what? He did say the sculpture didn't take wishes back, so I guess I just have to go through life again? If the wish was actually granted, there's a good chance we'll do so with Ember being with us this time around, so it promises to be a lot different in some areas at least.

That's not something I expected or really wanted, but I guess it's time to go through my childhood in New Game+ mode!

Speaking of... Now that I've calmed down, I feel a bit weird. It's like there's a series of sensations I'm used to that are missing, replaced by sensations I've never felt before. And it all seems to be coming from...

... my crotch?

I start panicking again. I don't remember anything weird ever happening to that part of my body. In an attempt to not worry my mom again, I walk to the nearest bathroom and close the door behind me as normally as I can manage. There, I drop my shorts... and uncontrollably scream.

My mom pushes the door open, rushing in.

"Andy, what's wrong?"

Trying to keep the tears from flowing out, I ask:

"Mom, what should I do? I... I turned into a girl!"

She stares at me with eyes full of confusion before responding:

"Andrea, what are you talking about? You've always been a girl."