2021 Read online

  ‘How’s that work out then?’ asked Alec curiously.

  ‘Well put it like this, if I pray for you to win a million pounds, then I’d be better off too as you’d be sure to share some of it with me’ explained Tom.

  ‘I wouldn’t be so sure about that, mate, I might just keep it all for myself’ smiled Alec as Tom just laughed at him.

  Then Alec looked thoughtful.

  ‘What about me and Sarah then? That wouldn’t benefit you in any way would it?’ asked Alec curiously.

  Tom just stroked his chin in thought.

  ‘I’m not 100% sure about that one’ he told Alec truthfully.

  ‘Let’s find out then’ responded Alec keenly.

  Tom just sighed.

  ‘OK, but I have to warn you, Alec, praying is like ‘wishing’ and if I ever wish for something that ‘isn’t right’ it sometimes doesn’t turn out as planned’ Tom warned.

  ‘But what’s that supposed to mean?’ puzzled Alec impatiently.

  ‘It means ‘be careful what you wish for’ explained Tom seriously ‘because you might just get exactly what you’ve wished for!’

  ‘But that’s good surely?’ smiled Alec.

  Then he looked thoughtful for a moment.

  ‘For a chance to snog Sarah Brown I think I’ll risk it’ he smiled as Tom just laughed at him.

  ‘Go on then, get praying boy’ suggested Alec keenly.

  ‘I’m not doing this with you watching me, I’ll pray for what you want later tonight, Alec’ Tom explained as he began to leave.

  ‘This isn’t just some ‘wind up’ is it, Tom?’ Alec asked suspiciously.

  ‘I almost wish it were, Alec’ Tom replied seriously ‘it is an awful responsibility to carry around with you, that’s all I know.’

  ‘What, being able to pray for anything you like? You’re joking?’ laughed Alec.

  ‘Don’t tell anyone about this, Alec’ asked Tom seriously.

  ‘My lips are sealed, well, in readiness for Sarah anyway’ chuckled Alec.

  ‘Blimey and I thought I had it bad for her’ smiled Tom as he left for home.

  ‘MAKE SURE YOU DON’T FORGET!’ Alec shouted after him.

  So later that night, Tom prayed for pretty Sarah Brown to fall in love with his best friend Alec.

  *

  The next day, Alec and Tom’s first two lessons went exactly the same as usual.

  Then it was time for their usual mid-morning break.

  ‘Oh look, there’s sexy Sarah!’ smiled one of their friends as he pointed her out.

  Sarah was just chatting with some of her friends when she suddenly caught Alec’s eye.

  ‘Blimey! She’s only coming over to see us’ uttered one of Alec and Tom’s friends in surprise.

  Sarah meanwhile, marched straight up to Alec and just smiled at him.

  ‘My, you’re sexy, where have you been hiding all my life?’ she uttered as she then grabbed him by the collar as she planted a long lingering kiss straight onto Alec’s lips!

  All the other boys just stared in disbelief as their jaws now dropped to the ground in surprise.

  After Sarah had finally let Alec up for some air she pouted away at him.

  ‘Make sure you meet me behind the bike sheds at lunch time’ then she smiled and winked her eye at him before wiggling her way off again.

  ‘Blimey! What was that all about?’ uttered one of their friends after she had gone.

  ‘What aftershave are you wearing, Alec, as I want to buy some!’ joked another.

  ‘Oh, no way!’ uttered another of their friends now scratching his head in amazement ‘you lucky, lucky, so and so, Alec’ he laughed ‘she’s definitely after your body mate, there’s no doubt about it!’ he laughed.

  Another just patted him on the back.

  ‘I don’t exactly know what is you’ve got, Alec, but whatever it is, I know she wants it!’ he joked as they now all just smiled and laughed away together.

  Alec though, just turned bright red with embarrassment.

  Yes, Alec had indeed been granted his ‘wish’ and he was already fast regretting it, as he met the now almost ‘overly keen on him’ Sarah Brown three more times before her planned school lunch liaison with him.

  Finally, when the school lunch time bell rang Alec almost jumped out of his skin! He looked a complete nervous wreck now!

  He dragged Tom into one of the boy’s toilets and quickly locked the door behind them.

  ‘Tom, what the hell am I to do?’ he asked him in panic.

  Tom though, just smiled.

  ‘Now I just knew you weren’t paying proper attention in that last biology lesson. I think there were some diagrams I drew. You can borrow them if you like? Make sure you get them the right way up mind’ chuckled Tom. ‘Or thinking about it, maybe it might be more interesting the wrong way?’ he giggled away.

  ‘No, Tom, I’m serious!’ uttered Alec.

  ‘That’s good, because I think so is she!’ smiled Tom.

  ‘No, Tom, this is no joke, mate, I’m only thirteen for Christ sake! What do I know about making love to a girl like her?’ pleaded Alec.

  ‘How do I know?’ shrugged Tom with a smile ‘you’ve seen the odd video on the internet. You just do what you’ve seen in them I suppose, just do what comes naturally’ suggested Tom with a wry smile.

  ‘But, Tom, I’m just not ready for her, I mean, she’s so much older than me and more experienced’ uttered Alec as he continued to panic.

  ‘Yes, she’s at least 3 years, 3 months older, blimey that’s just absolutely ancient’ laughed Tom ‘it’s a wonder at it she hasn’t been embalmed she’s so ancient’ he laughed. ‘Don’t tell me she’s too old for you already? Is that what it is?’ chuckled Tom, enjoying seeing Alec squirm.

  ‘Don’t joke around, Tom, she’s a woman, fully developed and all that’ gulped Alec.

  ‘Yes, I had noticed, so has every bloke in the school I reckon’ smiled Tom.

  They just held out in the boy’s toilets after Alec had placed the ‘toilets temporary out of order – cleaning in progress’ notice in front of the door after locking it again.

  Alec now paced nervously up and down.

  ‘Alec, you’ve got what every bloke in the school wants, a chance to snog gorgeous, sexy, curvy, voluptuous Sarah Brown and you’re complaining?’ queried Tom.

  ‘I’m just not ready for her, Tom, I’m still a virgin for Christ’s sake and if you tell anyone I said that I’ll bash you!’ he uttered nervously.

  ‘Well, I wouldn’t worry, you won’t be a virgin any longer after Sarah gets hold of you’ chuckled Tom.

  ‘It’s all right you laughing, Tom, I never thought it would be like this’ uttered Alec.

  Tom now felt sorry for his friend.

  ‘Alec, we’re both just boys and that’s the truth of it. Sure, we’ve had odd thing, but you know she expects a lot and always keeps score and tells all her mates all about it afterwards. That’s just what she’s like, Alec. She’ll definitely ‘kiss and tell’ she always does. Then she rates her boyfriends and scores them out of ten’ Tom smiled.

  ‘That’s what worries me, Tom, what if I can’t perform or something? She’ll make me the laughing stock of the whole school then as she’ll score me as a big fat zero!’

  Alec leaned back on the wall of the boy’s toilet and just continued to look very nervous.

  ‘Seriously, Tom, I never realised the pressure I would feel under when she came onto me like that. I’m just going to make a fool of myself I just know it’ Alec confessed.

  ‘I reckon she’ll eat you alive, mate, a bit like one of those female spiders once they’ve mated’ chuckled Tom as he just leaned back on the wall next to him. ‘I can see the plaque now, here lies the body of poor Alec, died with a huge smile on his face behind the school bike sheds.’

  ‘You can laugh!’ Alec compl
ained.

  ‘Yep, that I can’ laughed Tom. ‘Alec, mate, let’s face it, you’re just a boy’ commented Tom.

  ‘Well so are you!’ answered Alec.

  ‘I never said I wasn’t’ replied Tom honestly.

  Then he looked at his friend and smiled.

  ‘I’ll be honest, Alec, as much as I fancy gorgeous Sarah Brown, I think I’d rather lose my virginity to a girl, well let’s say, a little less ‘experienced’ and a bit more forgiving. Well, at least the first time anyway’ nodded Tom with rueful smile on his face.

  Alec just remained quiet as he looked very worried.

  ‘Seriously, Tom, can you reverse this thing?’ he asked.

  ‘What, regrets?’ smiled Tom ‘I told you, Alec, be careful what you wish for because you might just get it, and I reckon you’d definitely get it from Sarah, perhaps in more ways than one!’ Tom just giggled away.

  ‘I never realised what it would be like. I’m not ready for this kind of pressure yet, Tom. Maybe in a couple of years time though’ Alec pondered as Tom just smiled at him and they both then laughed together.

  ‘Christ, Tom, what was I thinking, I’m barely out of short trousers’ smiled Alec.

  ‘Alec, seriously, mate, girls like Sarah are way out of our league, I mean, she’s already going out with some bloke who owns a Porsche!’

  ‘Are you serious?’ asked Alec, looking surprised.

  ‘Yeah’ smiled Tom ‘thirteen year old guys aren’t going to impress her very much, well, unless they’re you of course’ Tom laughed.

  ‘Can you just make things back as they were before?’ pondered Alec.

  ‘I’m tempted to say ‘no’ just for the fun of it, to see how you’d get on, but yes, all right, I’ll have a go anyway. You’ll have to go outside though, because I’m not doing this in front of you’ replied Tom seriously.

  ‘It will definitely work though will it?’ asked Alec as he was halfway out the door.

  ‘Well I guess we won’t really know that until we find out whether you’re still alive or dead at the end of the day’ Tom chuckled away.

  ‘Thanks, Tom. Gosh! I never really believed you when you said you could do this stuff. I definitely believe you now though. Er, I’ll wait for you just outside then’ Alec added nervously.

  ‘What not in the playground?’ Tom smiled.

  ‘No fear! She’ll be out there looking for me’ Alec gulped before finally leaving.

  ‘Go on, bugger off then’ laughed Tom as his friend finally left.

  After Alec had gone, Tom prayed that everything would return the way it was before. He then joined Alec outside again.

  ‘It is done?’ Alec asked nervously.

  ‘Yep’ nodded Tom.

  They never saw Sarah for the rest of the day.

  The following day though, when they did see her, it was just as if nothing had ever happened. Alec actually passed by her in a corridor and she didn’t even acknowledge he was there.

  ‘Blimey, it’s just as if yesterday never happened!’ marvelled Alec.

  ‘Well I ain’t changing it back again if you’ve changed your mind again’ smiled Tom as he discreetly whispered back to him.

  ‘No, I’ve learnt my lesson now’ Alec smiled.

  That night after school, the two boys began to discuss it as they sat in Tom’s bedroom.

  ‘I’ll be honest, Tom, when you said anything you prayed for would come true I didn’t really believe you. I definitely believe you now though’ Alec smiled.

  ‘Well I never actually said anything I prayed for would ‘come true’ only that my prayers definitely get answered’ Tom corrected him. ‘All my prayers do get answered, but not always in the way I want them to, I’ve learnt that much.’

  ‘Don’t you realise though, Tom, you have an amazing power at your fingertips? Why, you could pray for ‘world peace’ or an ‘end to all starvation in the world’ stated Alec as he began to get excited.

  ‘You sound like a Miss World contestant now’ joked Tom.

  ‘No, Tom, I’m being serious’ insisted Alec ‘you have been given an amazing gift!’

  ‘A gift or a curse?’ queried Tom.

  ‘What do you mean?’ puzzled Alec.

  ‘Alec, I’ve been afforded the chance to help others, but not ever myself, I’m not supposed to even tell anyone anything about this. So even if I do something good only I will ever know about it and if I make a serious mistake, I face a fate literally worse than death itself! Is that not really more of a curse?’ Tom pondered.

  ‘I guess when you put it like that then maybe it’s not so good after all’ nodded Alec. ‘But hang on a minute, you told me that you’d prayed for me?’ queried Alec ‘I thought you said you couldn’t tell anyone?’

  ‘Yeah and look how well that turned out’ smiled Tom.

  ‘Yes, you’re right about that’ laughed Alec. ‘Gosh, I didn’t think she’d really come onto me like that, I really wasn’t ready for that’ smiled Alec.

  ‘Yeah, I noticed’ chuckled Tom.

  They both paused as they gave the matter some more thought.

  ‘I still think it’s an amazing gift you have though, Tom’ insisted Alec ‘the good you could do for people’ he suggested.

  ‘I can’t imagine it’s just me who can do this though, Alec’ pondered Tom ‘I just thought maybe everyone is secretly doing this?’

  ‘No way, definitely not!’ stated Alec firmly.

  ‘It’s too much power for any one person to have though, Alec’ questioned Tom ‘surely no man should control so much power even if it is for good?’

  ‘I don’t know, I just wish I had it’ Alec disagreed.

  ‘No, don’t wish that for yourself, Alec, the consequences if you get it wrong are simply unthinkable’ Tom shook his head.

  ‘Why can’t you just pray for no one to starve or something?’ queried Alec as he sat there looking deep in thought.

  ‘It sounds good, Alec, but you don’t know the consequences’ replied Tom.

  ‘What do you mean the consequences?’ queried Alec as he gave Tom a curiously look.

  ‘It’s hard to explain, Alec, it’s like; if your dad’s in his car and he stops to let someone out of a side turning.’

  ‘Yeah, so what’s wrong with that?’ puzzled Alec.

  ‘Well nothing really, the guy he let’s out is obviously very pleased. The bloke in the car following him though, who is already running late for his important meeting, isn’t very pleased at all, especially as your dad letting someone out of a side turning is making him even later.’

  ‘Serves him right, he should have left earlier’ commented Alec as Tom just laughed.

  ‘Can’t you see though, Alec, everything you touch effects everything and everyone else in ways you can’t possibly imagine or predict’ suggested Tom.

  ‘Oh I still think you almost have the power of a God, Tom, if everything you prayer for is always answered’ disagreed Alec.

  ‘That’s the point though, Alec, I’m not a God’ answered Tom as he suddenly slumped down to the floor and looked very depressed.

  ‘I’m sure the nightmare I had was showing me what could happen to me if I get this stuff wrong, so maybe I shouldn’t do it anymore?’

  ‘It seems such a waste though?’ argued Alec ‘you must have been given this gift for a reason?’

  ‘Waste or not, I can’t risk getting another one wrong’ commented Tom seriously.

  They both just sat there for a while.

  ‘Do you believe in angels, Alec?’ pondered Tom.

  Alec just looked over at him.

  ‘Is this a catch question?’ he replied.

  ‘No, I’m serious, Alec’ replied Tom. ‘Most people think that angels are dead people who fly around with wings on their backs and sit around the clouds.’

  ‘That’s right isn’t it?’ pondered Alec ‘I mean, I haven�
�t exactly seen many when I go shopping or anything, but that’s how they’re supposed to look isn’t it?’ questioned Alec.

  ‘No, not really’ answered Tom. ‘I believe angels are really people who secretly help other people but they cannot tell anyone the good that they do and so no one ever knows the good things they have done.’

  ‘That sounds a bit of a bum deal’ smiled Alec as Tom just laughed.

  ‘Yes, especially as they can’t ever do anything to help themselves and they are often persecuted’ insisted Tom.

  ‘But how do you know all this stuff, Tom? Did your dad tell you about it before he died or something?’ queried Alec. ‘I mean, you can’t have got all this stuff from going to church as you don’t even go?’

  ‘I don’t know?’ puzzled Tom ‘I just know stuff somehow’ Tom smiled.

  ‘If angels are really alive, is that what you are then?’ puzzled Alec.

  ‘Me an angel, that’s a joke, anyway even if I was I wouldn’t be able to tell you would I?’ smiled Tom.

  ‘Oh, I’m getting a headache now’ groaned Alec.

  Tom had never told any of his friends about this before and he now sat there wondering if he should have even told Alec.

  Alec though, just sat there still deep in thought.

  ‘That was just amazing what you made happen to me, Tom’ he smiled. ‘Anyone who can make sexy Sarah snog the face off ugly me must have been given this power for a reason surely?’ he queried.

  ‘I might have been, Alec, but maybe I just don’t know quite what it is yet?’ Tom pondered.

  Then he looked over to Alec.

  ‘Don’t tell anyone about this will you?’

  ‘Tell anyone?’ laughed Alec ‘half the school already think you’ve won the bloody lottery or something, so bribed gorgeous Sarah to kiss me’ commented Alec as they both looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

  ‘What I don’t understand is you don’t even go to church’ commented Alec ‘so how come you got into praying in the first place?’

  ‘Don’t ask me’ shrugged Tom.

  ‘Are you sure you couldn’t just pray for me to become a millionaire?’ smiled Alec ‘just a little millionaire maybe?’