Read Online Just One Wish by Janette Rallison - Free Book Online

her hair,” I said.
    The Grim Reaper turned an icy stare in my direction. “It won’t work.”
    “And she braided it into a rope, like in the story of Rapunzel.”
    The Reaper’s hollow voice echoed toward me. “It’s impossible.”
    “Then she used her bow and arrow to shoot the rope to the very edge of the underworld.”
    I must not have sounded convincing because Jeremy let out a “nu-uh” of disbelief. “Your hair isn’t that long,” he said.
    “It grew during the walk to the underworld.”
    “Isn’t the underworld a long way down?”
    Apparently that ending wasn’t going to satisfy him. In the background, I heard my father calling Jeremy’s name.
    “I’m not finished with the story,” I said. “When the arrow flew away, she saw the rope wouldn’t be long enough. But she took Jeremy’s hand and told him they’d figure out a way to escape from the underworld together.”
    My father’s voice became louder, and I knew he stood near Jeremy. “Come on, buddy,” I heard him say. “It’s time to go.”
    Jeremy said, “But Annika’s telling me a story.”
    “She can finish it later. The school bus is coming.” Next my father’s voice came on the line. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”
    “I’m taking a break.” Which, technically, was true.
    He didn’t question me about it. Instead he let his voice drop to a whisper and added, “Thanks for the you-know-what you left on our bed. You-know-who is going to love it.”
    “Don’t make him wait for Christmas to open it,” I said. “You can let him have it whenever.”
    “Maybe later tonight,” he said. “Now you’d better get back to class.”
    I hung up with him, called in sick to the school, then phoned Mrs. Palson and asked her to pick up Jeremy from school again. I had until one o’clock—well, one-thirty if I drove fast—until I had to leave for Nevada.
    It took a good part of the morning to dye our hair. Madison and I both went medium golden brown. She bought the temporary kind that washes out after a few shampoos, but I went for the permanent. Part of me wanted a permanent change—as though if I changed my hair color, I could leave everything behind.
    Madison fussed over her hair, but I liked mine. It made my blue eyes seem darker, more mysterious. I curled my hair so it was wavy and voluptuous. I flipped it around so it fell in my face, then I gave the mirror sultry looks. This, I thought, must be how Leah feels all of the time.
    Madison stood behind me, applying foundation, but watching me. “I thought you were going to be an animal wrangler, not a starlet.”
    “I am an animal wrangler. I’m just one with starlet potential.”
    Madison steadied her face for mascara and blinked. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
    “I can’t believe you are either.” I left my hair alone and picked up my eye-shadow compact. “Although I notice neither one of us said we couldn’t believe I’m doing this.”
    She laughed but didn’t comment. Sometimes I wonder if I’m a bad influence on Madison.
    We found a pet store and then had to wait until ten o’clock, when it opened. Using Madison’s credit card, we bought a cage full of rabbits and an aquarium with a five-foot Burmese python. I purposely chose a snake because enough people didn’t like them that if I was, say, walking across the studio lot with a large one draped across my arm, people might stay away from me.
    The lady at the pet store assured me the snake—Herman, she called him—was a sweetheart and not at all venomous. She took him out of his tank and hung him around her neck like a feather boa just to prove the point. He held his head up, surveying me with piercing black eyes, and licked the air. Then the lady put the snake around my neck and I felt the muscles in his body pulse as his smooth skin slid over mine.
    “Oh, yes,” I said in a voice several degrees higher than my normal one. “I can tell he’s a sweetheart. I’ll take him.”
    I was able to make