[ OT ] Sunday Free Write : Leave A Story , Leave A Comment - End of Camelot Edition

I began writing this based on a writing prompt some time ago when it crept up, but events happened and I never got it finished. When I went to look for it later I could n't find it either by searching or just scrolling back so I never saw any of the entries or what became of it. Anyway, the original prompt was something like this: 
 
 **People get three wishes in life. One at age 5, 15, and 25. ** 
 
 -- - 
 
 I suppose it was just a matter of time before they would find out. Trying to hide it from everyone at school was a stupid idea in the first place, as the moment I was forced by the teacher to remove my baseball cap the wild mane of long brown hair that I took much effort to conceal came tumbling down my shoulders and back until it stopped at my hips. 
 
 I glanced nervously at my so-called classmates. I do n't even consider them classmates. They're all jerks that harassed and bullied me for the last 7 years. First they were bewildered, glancing to each other as none of them seemed to know what to think. The the ringleader, Freya, started laughing which prompting all of them to follow. 
 
 `` You wasted your wish on that?'' Freya mocked. 
 
 `` At least I got a PS4!'' Devin shouted. 
 
 The teacher herself seemed to be enjoying it as well, though she tried to hide her laughter as I glared at her. She growled sternly at the class. `` Students. Enough. We're not through attendance yet.'' 
 
 She let me sit back down as she moved onto the next student. From behind me I could hear Lindsay whisper, `` Snip snip.'' 
 
 -- - 
 
 The rest of the morning was the usual harassment. At the 10:15, someone came up and yanked hard at my new hair before they went bolting down the hallway. Never was quite sure who it was as they ran into the crowd. This hair was heavy so having someone yank violently like that really kinked my neck and made it sore for the rest of the day. I never imagined that having hair this long would be so heavy but first of all it felt like it weighed at least an extra pound or two. Since I made the wish I have been learning just what other fun surprises go with having long hair. It tickled my ears like crazy though mom assures me it will pass in time. Now all this extra stuff needs to be cared for as well with shampoo and conditioner which is something I never worried about before. It would need a lot of brushing too which was not something I expected. Split ends? Never even in my vocabulary until now. Maintaining it to be silky smooth was going to be a challenge. 
 
 The other problem was now everyone was walking around with scissors in the classes and the halls, taunting me by snapping them in the air which I had to check to make sure no one had done so next to me. All this hair was giving them was extra ammo in which to attack and harass me more. 
 
 `` Did you think we'd just leave you alone if you had long hair?'' Freya slid up against the locker next to mine as I was trying to get my books and tablet for the 3:45 class. It did n't help my locker was near the floor so I had to squat to get into it. 
 
 `` No.'' I muttered, trying my best to ignore her. 
 
 `` What did you try to do? Wish to be a girl and it backfired?'' 
 
 With more confidence, I rose to my feet. `` No. Go away.'' 
 
 `` Aww..'' She cooed, `` Being bullied by a girl again no fun?'' 
 
 I had enough and walked away. The last time I dealt with her bullying casued me to be suspended and I was forced to write HER an apology note when she was the one harassing me. This whole bullshit about girls being so underpriveleged in society has given them complete reign of the school. They can bully and even hit a guy and nothing gets done anymore. If I even speak out about it, I'm the one in trouble. 
 
 As I walked away I heard her call out, `` It would n't have worked anyway. Had you turned into a girl we'd still pick on you anyway. You're a big loser.'' 
 
 They laughed. In turn the entire hall laughed. But I ignored them as I must. 
 
 -- - 
 
 The end of the school day could n't come fast enough. School was always horrible but today was even worse. I got my books, loaded my homework onto my tablet, and set out towards home hoping to avoid more trouble. Wish that would have happened. 
 
 Freya had other plans and had organized a small group of her most loyal friends outside the school before class was over. Unaware of her plans, I walked out the front doors and before I even got around the corner I was jumped from behind. They hid out of sight behind the stairwell and the moment I came out was when Marcel and Herberto, who were two of the biggest guys in the next grade up, swooped in and grabbed me. 
 
 `` What the hell?'' I demanded. `` Let me go.'' 
 
 Freya came walking out with at least a good half a dozen of her friends and anyone else who came to watch the show. Cell phones were pointed at me as Freya produced scissors from behind her back. 
 
 `` We decided you need a haircut. Boys do n't have long hair.'' 
 
 `` No! Let me go!'' I shouted. `` Help!'' 
 
 `` Uh uh..'' She stated. `` You wasted your wish on a ridiculous thing. I wo n't allow it.'' 
 
 `` Leave him alone!'' A woman shouted. Everybody froze. 
 
 `` Kevin!'' A girl screeched my name in tears. I did n't even get a chance to see her coming before she plowed right into me, sending me flying backwards onto the grass. What the hell was that? Quickly I got swung around and to my knees. 
 
 `` Maria?'' I asked. 
 
 It looked like she had been bawling her eyes out. Wiping her tears onto her sleeve, she sobbed, `` Thank you. Your mom told me what you did. I wanted to come over before school but I did n't get the chance.'' 
 
 `` That's enough of that.'' Maria's mother went right up to Freya and ripped the scissors from the girl's hand. `` What the hell were you thinking of doing to my daughter's hair?'' 
 
 Freya was stunned. `` Your daughter?'' 
 
 Maria was not just angry, she was bitter. She leaped to her feet. `` Yes. My hair! ``, and then she ripped off her baseball cap revealing her perfectly bald head. 
 
 Freya was confused and a little more than stunned. `` Wait. I do n't get it.'' 
 
 I think that was where I snapped. For a long time I just pretended to ignore them. I ca n't do that anymore. Keeping her hair safe was now more important. I got up, walked right up to her face and unloaded on her. `` Of course you do n't get it. You're a very mean and selfish girl who only thinks of herself.'' Then to the group, `` You all are.'' 
 
 She never said a word, just stared back at me with her blue eyes. I doubt there was anything she could have said at that point. 
 
 I looked to Maria's mother. `` Let's go.'' 
 
 Maria took my hand as I walked away from my tormenters. `` Hey, you look pretty good in my hair.'' 
 
 I shrugged. `` It's much heavier than I imagined.'' 
 
 We only get three wishes at certain early points in our life. Why this happened and who is responsible for them in the first place no one seems to know. Want to cure cancer or save someone's life and the wish never comes true, so many kids when they get their wishes waste them on useless things like a PS4. But I sort of think they're meant for some other purpose like giving my cousin who could n't live with the thought of losing her precious hair a little bit of hope while she bravely faces the biggest fight of her life. 
 
 That would probably be the end of the story except for one small footnote. Maria's mother had a talk with my mother about what happened. As a result, I stayed with her family and attended Maria's school for the next 3 years until I graduated. No one teased me, Maria made sure everyone knew what I did for her. I even found I sort of missed the long hair a year later after it returned to her. 
 
 As for Freya, a very strange thing happened I never expected. I went to college and she was there. I would n't even hear out her apology for the first few months, I was so mad at her. However she kept insisting and working to make up for the torment she put me through. She even asked me out two years later and while part of me was saying what a bad idea this was, it turned out not too bad. Some time later she admitted her wish was to meet again in the future and have the chance to make up for what she did to me in school. 
 
 Last year she became my wife.
