What I Heard When I Listened

So this is the worst thing that has ever happened.

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything Dad.”

“Yes you did, something about this being the worst thing that has ever happened.”

“Ugh, Dad, can you just get out of my room”

“Sorry, I was just walking by and heard you talking to yourself.”

“DAD!”

“Okay, I’m leaving.”

You see, this is exactly what I mean, the worst thing that ever happened to me. It all started with this dream I had. In the dream a genie came to me to grant me three wishes. I don’t even remember what I wished, but I woke up with a rather uneasy feeling. The next day at school I was telling this girl I sit next to in first period English class about the dream, and she asked what I would wish if a genie really did appear and ask me. Well right at that moment Chad (who I sort of have a crush on, shhh, don’t tell anyone) walked into the room, and he locked eyes on me, and I thought wouldn’t it be great if I could hear his thoughts so I could see if he liked me the same as I liked him. So of course that is what I told my seat mate. Well, I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but then, the next morning, well, yesterday morning, which was also the next morning, the strangest thing started to happen to me, people started acting like they could hear what I was thinking. That’s right, the wish I talked about, well, it happened, sort of, only the wrong way around.

I first realized there was a problem in that same English class. My teacher was droning on about iambic pentameter, and I remember thinking about how bored I was, well the next thing I knew my teacher had stopped class and was staring right at me.

“If you are so bored, Mary, perhaps you should try teaching the class”

So that was embarrassing. And stuff like that just kept happening all day. OMG, I could hardly stand it, I only made it through three periods before I faked a headache and went home. I have basically been locked in my bedroom ever since, trying to keep anyone from hearing my every thought. Oh, and the worst thing, that girl from my English class, well, she wasn’t even there yesterday. Seriously though, what am I supposed to do? Well perhaps…

“Okay” I said to my empty room, “I’ve learned my lesson.”

No response…

“Um, I’ve learned to be careful of what I wish for, and , I guess, try thinking less of myself and more of others, and, um, if I want to know about what others feel, maybe I should ask them?”

Suddenly the house shuddered, the lights flickered, and my Dad ran into my room.

“Mary, are you okay?”

Yes, I thought.

“Mary, are you okay?” he repeated.

Thanks goodness, it worked.