Page 21 of The Wish
A fter Kelly leaves the room, Jesse climbs back on Amy’s bed. She feels bad for shouting at her, no one is listening to her, no one – none of the adults, at least – can understand what she is creating with Alex. Why don’t they get it?
‘Don’t worry, Jesse. I’ll fix this for you. You will get your wish,’ Amy says full of confidence.
Jesse bursts out laughing.
‘What’s so funny?’ Amy asks.
‘You. I’m picturing you fixing this for me while lying in bed receiving chemo. You know the drill, just because you’re in remission doesn’t mean you immediately stop the drugs and chucking.’
Amy joins her laughing. ‘All right, so I can’t fix it straight away, but you get me the name of Alex’s company and I’ll fix it.’
‘All I want is a simple wish to help bring my family back together. Something for my family to remember me by. I want them to be a family again. Is that too much to ask?’
As the two girls hug, Ryan and Luke wander in.
‘What’s going on?’ Ryan asks.
‘Amy’s going to tell my dad and Kelly that Alex is coming back, and they can’t say no. Can you imagine my dad’s face when she says that?’ Jesse says giggling.
‘Jesse needs her wish,’ Amy tells the boys.
‘And Jesse is going to get it,’ Ryan says looking at Amy and Luke.
‘Dream team assemble!’
‘We saw your dad and Alex fighting last night,’ Luke tells the girls. ‘It wasn’t pretty.’
‘Oh, groan,’ wails Jesse.
‘Luke, have you got your phone with you?’ Ryan asks.
Luke pulls his phone from his pocket. ‘Yeah, do you want it?’
‘Yes, I do. Now what’s the name of the company Alex works for, Tri something?’
‘TriOptic Studios,’ Jesse says. ‘Why, what are you going to do?’
Ryan searches on Google. Finding what he is looking for he hits ‘call’.
‘Hello, hi, can I talk to whoever is in charge, please?’ the others hear Ryan say. ‘Well, if he’s not around, can I speak to the next person in charge, please?’
‘Good manners,’ Amy whispers.
After a short while, someone comes to the phone.
‘Hi, Steve, is it? Well, my name is Ryan. I’m calling on behalf of my friend Jesse, she’s in hospital and one of your employees, Alex something . . .’
‘Oh, you know him, good. Well, here’s the deal. He’s meant to be helping my friend Jesse . . .’
‘Oh, you know about that. Well, good. So can you please tell him to stop being a moron, get his butt back to the hospital and get on with making Jesse’s wish.’
Ryan listens for a while.
‘Yeah, but he’s not going to let a little problem like her dad stop him from doing what he’s paid to do, is he?’
Ryan listens some more.
‘All right, thanks, Steve, I knew I could count on you. OK, you’re right, I don’t know you, but I was sure once I made this call, we could sort it out. Yeah, you have a word with him, and we’ll see him back here as soon as possible. Thanks, Steve, you’re the man.’
He presses the end button on the phone with a flourish, grinning to the rest of the group.
‘“You’re the man”?! What are you thinking?’ Amy groans.
The others are in varying states of hysteria; Jesse is laughing so hard she has tears rolling down her cheeks.
‘He sounded like a dude, so I was trying to sound like him.’
‘Not a sixteen-year-old kid, huh?’
‘Hey, he’s going to tell Alex to come back.’
‘Thank you, Ryan, that was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. But I’m pleased you’ve spoken to someone who might be able to get through to Alex,’ Jesse says, giving him a quick hug.
‘My turn,’ says Amy, taking the phone from Ryan.
‘Who are you calling?’ Jesse asks.
‘Your dad. Someone needs to set him straight.’
‘Please, Amy, don’t call my dad. You’ll only make it worse.’ Her stomach is in knots.
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, please don’t.’
‘Well, can I say something to your mum when she comes? Let her know that we are doing our best to get Alex to stay on the project and make your wish, and that it shouldn’t be us having to be the grown-ups, making your dad see sense?’
‘Yes, you can talk to my mum anytime about anything.’
‘You got it, sister.’
Ryan is on the bed next to Amy and they’re starting to play a video game. Luke has got his phone back. ‘Group selfie?’ he says. ‘Get in, Jesse!’
He holds the phone out and they take photo after photo, laughing together, making funny faces, pulling dramatic poses.
When they’re done, they crowd round Luke’s phone, hooting at how hilarious some of the photos have turned out, applying filters and stamps, making the colours pop.
Jesse sits back, observing them for just a moment, her friends, brought together by a terrible illness, but finding joy in being together.
She’s so lucky to have them, so grateful.
‘Jesse!’ Luke’s voice brings her back into the room. ‘I reckon you should have this one made into a T-shirt.’
In the photo, Jesse is pulling a face, tongue sticking out, eyes bulging. She laughs and playfully bats Luke on the arm, turning away from her thoughts and back into the company of her friends.