Chapter Fourteen: The Magic is Gone

The four of us sat at the Chinese restaurant, poking our food in silence. It was so awkward. The only good thing about that situation was the noodles, which were amazing.

"Great noodles," I said, keeping my head low. It was an attempt to fill the void, but it didn't help much. Guess I'd better keep my mouth shut.

"The owners are personal friends of my mom," Jean said.

It was quiet again. Normally I wouldn't mind, but there was just so much unspoken tension and I couldn't stand it.

"Let's cut to the chase," I said. "Jean and I didn't invite you two to our anniversary dinner for no reason. What the hell is up with you guys?"

Ryan and Kaylee, who had been silent just a moment ago, began shouting about why they were right and why the other one was crazy. Great. This is just what I needed today.

The whole restaurant stared at us. Jean tried to calm them down in her little Jean way, which was gentle and meek. Of course it didn't work. No one ever responds to kindness.

"HEY!" I finally shouted. "SHUT UP!"

When I screamed, not only did my voice shatter through Kaylee and Ryan, but through the whole restaurant. The entire restaurant was quiet, staring at us.

"Not you!" I told the restaurant. Slowly, but surely, everyone else returned to their own conversations.

"Scary as fuck," Kaylee mumbled.

"Now, I don't know what happened between you two, but I don't wanna hear you yap and shout at each other. It's annoying, and it doesn't fix anything. We're going to sit down and talk about this like adults. Understand?"

Kaylee and Ryan nodded.

"Ryan, why are you upset at Kaylee?"

"She's always acting suspicious," Ryan said. "She--"

"I didn't even do nothing!" Kaylee interrupted. "You always--"

"Stop it," I said. "You'll get your time to talk. Ryan, continue."

I peered at Jean, who was smiling at me, visibly pleased by my interjections.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," he continued, giving viperous glaces to Kaylee, "she just doesn't act the same as she used to. She just doesn't act like she's into me anymore. She never wants to hang out with me anymore, but she's always hanging out with her guy 'friends' even though they just wanna get in her pants. That's why I was so mad that you liked his instagram photo."

I nodded. "Okay. Kaylee, it's your turn to speak."

Kaylee sighed. "I'm not cheating on you, Ryan. The reason I don't wanna hang out with you anymore is because you hella clingy. You always up on my ass wondering what I'm doing, and it's like you wanna be with me all the fucking time and won't let me live my own life. You even get mad when I ain't answer your calls and I be fucking SLEEPING!"

"I have an idea to help solve this issue," I proposed.

"I'd love to hear it."

"How about you guys hang out together on scheduled days? That way, Ryan can expect when to get attention from you and won't feel neglected. At the same time, you can make time for your friends on some days, and know when to give time to Ryan on others and he won't have reasons to accuse you anymore."

She rolled her eyes. "It seems like a pain in the ass to live my life according to a schedule."

"Why don't you just try it for a week, and if it doesn't work we can think about something else."

Kaylee and Ryan glanced at each other, then turned to look back at us.

"I'm all for it," Ryan said.

Kaylee shrugged. "Whatever you say."

We went back to eating our meals, and Jean touched my leg. She leaned in and whispered, "I'm so proud of you."

I used to be the most socially distant person in existence I thought to myself. How did I end up being a goddamn psychiatrist?

* * *

After that long and tedious dinner, Jean and I went back to a hotel.

"I really liked how you handled that situation earlier," Jean said. She giggled. "And you said you didn't care."

"I never said I didn't care. I said that it was none of my business. It is my business when the two of them are shouting in the middle of my dinner though."

"Either way, I'm glad they came to a compromise."

"For now, anyway."

Jean kissed me, laying me down on the bed. She slipped her hands through my hair, and got on top of me, straddling me. It was nice I supposed. I felt a lot of affection for Jean. I guess I was feeling lazy though, because I didn't really participate in the foreplay. I just kind of laid there. What was this feeling? I was only humoring myself, pretending that I had to ask. I knew this feeling all too well. It was boredom.

"Hey, Nick?" Jean asked, pulling away from me for a moment. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," I said. And it was true. Everything was okay. But it was only okay. Nothing else. "Something bothering you?"

"Kaylee and I were talking in the bathroom earlier today. She said that one of the reasons she isn't hanging out with Ryan as much anymore is because they've been together for a long time now, and now the magic is gone." Her lip quivered. "We've been together for as long as they have. Do you think . . . do you think our magic will be gone one day too?"

The magic is already gone I wanted to say. In more ways than one.

"Their relationship is fueled with constant fighting and miscommunication," I said. "Their relationship is toxic, while you and I are perfectly decent to one another. There's nothing for you to be afraid of."

She embraced me. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, me too." I hadn't told a lie, but something within me felt as though I was being dishonest.

* * *

Jean had said we could have spent the night in that hotel, but I didn't want to. I had gone home, and I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. Something was disturbing me for a long time, and I thought it was about time I faced myself.

I thought back to a year ago from today when I met Jean. It was odd, but I was shocked for a moment when I reminded myself that she was an actual genie when I first met her. The story we told other people about how we got together when we fake-dated was false, but I've told that story to the point where I almost believed it.

I just wished Jean could remember the truth about our origin story. I wished she would be free from her genie past and that she would forget, and I'm happy she doesn't have to endure that type of trauma anymore, but a part of me just wishes she'd remember. Things were different when she was a genie.

Wait a minute, was that why I wasn't feeling it for Jean anymore? Because she wasn't a genie anymore? Well, yes and no, perhaps. When Jean was a genie, she was her entire self. She held the wisdom of a spirit that was thousands of years old. I always heard about her adventures of wishes gone wrong, and enjoyed listening to her tales and insight. Now that she had forgotten all those memories, she was . . . just the same as any other girl.

Not to mention that when she was a genie, there was a secret that I was in on. There was adventure. There was spice in my life. Now it all feels plain. I touched the gold coin necklace, the one that Jean gave me almost a lifetime ago. Sometimes I wondered if I imagined all of it, but I could feel her soul in this necklace. It reminded me that it was all real.

Kaylee and Ryan fighting doesn't help anything either. My whole friend group was falling apart. Everything now was completely different than how it was a year ago, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was wrapped in plastic once again.

I made a silent wish to myself, but I took it back because it was a horrible thing to wish for. I was just glad no one could hear my thoughts.

* * *

The next day at school was just like any other day. I went to Jean's house, picked her up, went to school, and hung out with Kaylee and Ryan at lunch. It was a routine. Or was it a time loop I was stuck in?

In my last class, I didn��t take in a single word my teacher was saying. I was just sitting in my seat, going over what had been running through my mind last night.

In the middle of class, a girl with darkish skin and bushy, curly hair opened the door and slammed it. Normally I wouldn't mind other students being routey in class. It was none of my business. My only problem was that the girl was looking in my direction, scowling. I turned around, but there was no one there. She was scowling at me.