Magic 8 Ball

Magic 8 Ball

*Content warning; animal violence*

*Open to constructive criticism*

“Ooo an estate sale! Jenny!”

“Want to stop?”

“Yeah!”

Denise and I pulled over our bikes to rummage through this dead person’s belongings. I walked through the driveway, and sat in an old lazyboy. Denise turned around and showed me a pair of costume earrings.

“You don’t even have your ears pierced!” I laughed.

“They’re clip-ons!”

She strolled up to a stand alone mirror and admired her newest find. Denise was the prettiest girl in the 7th grade since she had her “glow up” last summer. She grew her honey blonde hair out, her braces came off, and she started wearing contacts which made everyone see how blue her eyes were. And on top of that she grew boobs. While you could literally mistake me for a boy. I would have done anything to get the attention Denise did. I loved Denise, but I would be lying if I said I was never jealous.

I looked to the fold up table next to me and saw a box labelled “misc.". Me, always looking for a treasure, got up to search through the knick knacks. I felt an urge to dig to the bottom of the box until I felt something smooth and round. I pulled out THE magic 8 ball.

Denise turned around to look at me, “Ooo! I think my mom used to have one of those.”

“I’ve only seen these on Pinterest, never in real life.” I replied.

“I think it could look cool on your nightstand.”

“I wish I could get it. But my allowance doesn’t come until next week.”

I turned it over to the answer side where it showed: It is certain.

I was fumbling with it in my hands while Denise strolled up to the woman running the sale, “How much for the earrings?”

“$1.” The woman looked over Densie’s shoulder and saw me with the 8 ball.

“If you like that, I’ll give them both to you for $1.”

“Thank you!” I smiled at Denise.

Later that night, I placed the magic 8 ball next to my yankee candle and started to scroll instagram in bed. Denise’s latest selfie, 153 likes. I went to comment.

“Omg my bestie is so beautiful!” and I meant it.

“Maybe I’ll post a selfie.” I held the camera up to my face and tried from the left side. Didn’t look right. Adjusted my hair and tried from a bit higher up. Still not perfect. Maybe I should have just used the Facetune app. I put my phone on my bed in defeat.

“Will I ever be as pretty as Denise?” I shake the 8 ball lazily. Cannot predict now.

“Even the stupid ball thinks I’m ugly.”

I picked my phone back up and clicked on Denise’s likes. Emily J, Nick, Alice, and then Jayden. Even just seeing his name made my 13 year old heart do back flips. And then I remembered, it was her photo, not mine that he liked.

“8 ball, does Jayden like me?”

Better not tell you now.

“Does Jayden like Denise.”

As I see it, yes.

“Fuck.” After all of that defeat, I earned some sleep. I put the magic 8 ball on my nightstand and went to sleep.

The next morning I felt the call to put the 8 ball in my backpack and headed to school. I held the 8 ball inside of my locker and asked “should I take the west wing to first period?”

My reply is no.

So I made my way to the east wing bustling with prepubescents. I look up from my phone to hear, “Hey Jenny!” Jayden was standing at Bryce’s locker. I never see Jayden before 5th period. Our routes to class don’t cross until he’s going to tech and I’m going to gym.

“Hey Jayden, hey Bryce!” I flushed red and looked away quick. He called me out to say hello all the way across the crowded hallway. For the next few days, I took the east wing to class every morning.

A couple days later, in the bathroom during lunch, I finally decided to ask the big question, “Magic 8 ball, will I grow boobs?”

Outlook good.

When I walked in the door after school my mom looked up to say, “honey I think it’s time we stop using training bras and get you a real one. You’re starting to fill them out”.

I closed the door to my room and shrieked with excitement. A real bra! Maybe now Jayden would like me.

I called Denise to come over immediately.

“I might sound crazy, but I think this thing is actually magic. Everything it says comes true.”

“No way.”

“Yes way, it got me to walk by Jayden first period, and it got my mom to buy me a real bra.”

“I want a turn with it.”

“No, it’s mine.”

“Technically, I paid for it.”

“You paid for your earrings.”

“Come on, just give it!” Denise snatched the 8 ball out of my hand, and it rolled onto the floor. All of a sudden, Benny, my yellow lab, snatched up the 8 ball and ran around the room.

“Benny, drop it!” I demanded.

Benny walked over and dropped it in Denise’s lap.

“Ew there’s slobber all over it. Stupid dog, just go away.”

Denise flipped over the 8 ball and it read: You may rely on it.

And the next morning, Benny was gone. Benny had been missing for three whole days. And for three whole days we did not touch the magic 8 ball.

There I was, crying in my room and staring at the magic 8 ball. Through my tears I whimpered, “Please bring Benny back. Can Benny please come back?” I shook it wearily and it read Reply hazy; try again. I threw the magic 8 ball across the room so hard it dented my wall.

I heard my mom shout, “Benny!” I looked out the window and saw my yellow lab standing in the street. “Oh my god Benny!”

I sprinted out of my room and to the front door where my mom was standing. It happened so fast my thoughts couldn’t keep up with what my eyes were seeing. I heard a loud thud as the SUV hit Benny and ran him over.

That evening, I walked into the forest with the magic 8 ball and a shovel. The sun was setting over the horizon as I started to dig and dig and dig. As deep as I could go, so that no one would ever find the magic 8 ball again.

With the magic 8 ball behind me, I went into school the next day. I was prepared for a regular day of being less pretty than Denise, not liked by Jayden, walking my regular route to class, and having small boobs. I opened my backpack to grab my books for first period and found the magic 8 ball.