It had been two weeks since Jake first got the Wishing Stone from that strange website. In that time, he’d done all sorts of fun—and sometimes ridiculous—things with it.

For starters, he’d turned his boring pet fish into an energetic, loyal dog that followed him everywhere. He’d used it to help a friend by restoring their broken family, making them whole again as if the fights and separation had never happened. One weekend, just for fun, he’d even wished himself into his early childhood form so he could score a bunch of freebies at the mall without raising suspicion.

The stone had quickly become his greatest secret—and his most dangerous tool.

Now, however, Jake faced a more practical problem. He’d been putting off his science project for weeks, and the due date had crept up on him. The project was due tomorrow, and he had… absolutely nothing.

He groaned, pacing in his room. Normally, this would be a disaster, but then he glanced over at the Wishing Stone sitting on his desk. An idea formed.

“I wish I still acted exactly like myself,” Jake said aloud, gripping the stone, “but was secretly super smart… and that anything I did for school would automatically get an A-plus.”

A warm pulse radiated from the stone, and suddenly Jake felt more focused. The project that had seemed impossible before now looked ridiculously easy. Within an hour, it was finished—perfect, polished, and ready to hand in.

The next day at school, his teacher gave him an A-plus without hesitation. On top of that, he also got the same grade on the test he’d taken on Monday… the one he hadn’t even studied for. Jake smirked to himself. With this wish in place, schoolwork would never be a problem again.

With academics taken care of, Jake began thinking about what to do next. He’d already used the stone to give his family incredible good luck. His parents were now in the best shape of their lives, healthier and happier than ever. He’d even made his four-year-old sister a magical toy chest that produced any toy she could imagine.

But now… he was stuck.

He tapped the stone lightly, staring at it as if it might give him the answer.

“What should I wish for next?” he murmured.

The possibilities were endless.

End of Part 2.