The Genie's Wish

Based off the Disney movie "Aladdin" with a twist. It is told from the genie's perspective, and the genie is a girl who falls in love with Aladdin.

     As I am laying on my bed, I start to feel it shake and slide around my room. Is there an earthquake? Oh wait, I forgot, I live in a lamp. These past 10,000 years have felt like an eternity. Woah, has it really been 10,000 years since my lamp has been rubbed? As my future “master” rubs the lamp, I am finally out of that tiny pathetic excuse of a home. And that’s when I see the startled man holding my lamp staring at me wide eyed in awe, as if he wasn’t expecting a genie to come out of the lamp he rubbed. He must be new to the evil mastermind business, because he doesn’t look sinister like all the other people I’ve served. He is actually kind of cute, in a sort of messy way. He had tousled dark hair, warm brown eyes, and olive skin. He has an amazing build, and as I am observing this I hear him clear his throat.

“Not to be rude, but what are you?” he asked.

“I am a girl,” I answer, only a little sarcastically.

“Okay, well, obviously. I guess what I should be asking is why did you come out of a lamp?”

“Because you rubbed it.”

“Huh?”

“Wow for a power-hungry psychopath you are really clueless.”

“Woah, I didn’t realize I gave off the ‘power-hungry psychopath’ vibe. I always thought I appeared to people as a street rat.” he chuckled to himself.

“So you’re not a power-hungry psychopath?”

“No, but the guy who trapped me in this cave is. He was willing to let me die just so he could take your lamp. I wondered why he was so obsessed with the lamp, and now I am even more confused. What would he do with a pretty girl who appears when you rub the lamp?” It took him a few seconds to realize what he just said and his cheeks turned a crimson red.

“Ah, this makes a lot more sense,” I answered, ignoring his last question, “You aren’t the evil mastermind, just the guy who was tricked into helping him.”

“Yeah that is pretty accurate, but could you tell me what is so special about you and your lamp?”

“I am a genie who lives inside that lamp. When you rub the lamp, you become my master and I can grant you three wishes. Does that answer your question?”

“Wait, so you’re telling me that because I rubbed your lamp you now have to grant me three wishes?” he questioned incredulously.

“Yup, I am pretty sure I just said that. And before I forget, there are three rules for wish granting. I can’t kill anyone, make people fall in love, or bring back anyone from the dead. Also, when you want to make a wish, all you need to do is rub the lamp and say ‘I wish for’ and then say your wish.”

“Does that mean you could get us out of this cave?” his eyes left mine and searched around the cave.

As he looked around, so did I. This was the first time I noticed we were even standing in a cave filled with all different kinds of treasures. As I am looking around, I see a small monkey approaching us, and he climbs onto the man’s shoulder. “Uh, is that monkey yours?” I asked, forgetting he even asked me a question.

“Yeah, this is Abu. Abu I would like to introduce you to, wait I don’t even know your name. Did I ever introduce myself? I apologize for being so rude, it has just been such a long day and-”

“It is okay, you don’t need to explain yourself. You are actually the first person to have a real conversation with me. Everyone else who has rubbed my lamp just told me what they wanted, I gave it to them, and then we parted ways.”

“Well I am going to change that. My name is Aladdin, and you are?”

“I’m-” I hesitate. Nobody has ever asked for my name. What if he doesn’t like it? Wait, why do I care? Aladdin will make three wishes and then I will never see him again. Once he is rich and powerful he will forget all about me, so telling him my name is not a big deal. I realize I have been waiting too long because he is staring, waiting for my answer. “I’m Gianna.”

“That is a beautiful name. Now Gianna,” a beaming smile spreads across my face when I hear someone else say my name, “Is there any way you can get us out of this cave?”

“Sure,” I say, still thinking about how Aladdin thinks my name is beautiful. With a snap of my fingers we are out of the cave and standing in the middle of a desert. “Okay, now you have two more wishes.”

“Hold up, I never said ‘I wish for us to leave this cave’, I just asked if you could get us out of the cave.”

I thought for a moment, and I realized he was right. How could I have let something as silly as hearing my name distract me from doing my job? I sighed, “You may have gotten away with tricking me, but please don’t do that again, it could get me in so much trouble.”

He flashed a charming smile, “I am sorry, I didn’t realize you had to follow the rules. I-”

“What?! Do you think rules are just guidelines?” I exclaimed, a little too loudly, and scared off Abu.

“Listen, I haven’t exactly lived the perfect life. If I followed all the rules I would have died of starvation long ago. I am sorry if you think my opinion of rules is wrong, but,” he looked over at his monkey who was moving farther and farther away from us, ”Abu come back here!” and with that he ran off to get his monkey.

Seeing as there was no need for me, I retreated to the safety of my lamp. I began pacing back and forth in my very small living space, analyzing how things went from zero to one hundred in an instant. Why did his response make me so angry? I know I overreacted, but I was bothered that he thought he could charm his way out of every problem. I don’t understand why he didn’t just agree to follow the rules instead of mocking me and my lack of freedom. If I didn’t have to follow the rules, then I would not still be stuck in this lamp being forced to make the dreams of others come true. I know I should probably go back out and apologize to him, but I think I should wait a little while and cool off.

I stop pacing and turn to look at my reflection from the lamp. My toffee brown hair is down in long loose curls, and compliments my flowy deep blue dress. I have always thought that my hair created a unique contrast with my fair skin, which helps make my hazel eyes pop. The one thing that drives me crazy about my appearance is the faint golden glow that radiates off of my skin. But unfortunately, that is just one of the perks of being a magical being.

I wonder if Aladdin likes the way I look. Wait, no I definitely don’t wonder what he thinks about me. Why am I even thinking about him? Our relationship is strictly professional, nothing more than a master and a servant. Why can’t Aladdin be an evil, corrupt man like all the other people I have served? I cannot wait for him to make his three wishes so we can part ways and I never have to deal with him again. Unfortunately, Aladdin is rubbing my lamp and I have no choice but to face him.

“Have you decided on your first wish?” I ask dryly.

“Gianna I feel bad for how we left things, can we talk this out? Because as much as I love Abu, I would love to have a friend to talk to that can actually respond.”

“You think we are friends?”

“I, uh, yes? Do you not want to be?” he looked confused.

“No it’s just,” I pause, exhaling slowly, “I am used to being bossed around and then thrown away. Now you come along, treating me like a person with feelings, and it has thrown me off my game. I would love to be your friend, and you have no idea how much your kindness means to me. I am so sorry for overreacting, your response just made me feel so angry. When you said you thought I didn’t have to follow rules, it just reminded me of how I have to follow the rules every single day. To me, it just felt as if you were mocking me because of all the freedom that you have.” I stare at the ground, playing with the golden bangles on my wrist.

“Gianna I am so sorry that I ever made you feel that way.”

“It’s okay, you didn’t know any better and it was a silly thing for me to get upset about.”

“Well could you tell me more about being a genie and all of the rules you have to follow?”

“I don’t think that is something you want to learn more about Aladdin, and you don’t have to pretend like you are interested in talking about me. Honestly, I won’t be offended if you admit that you’d rather talk about something else.”

“I didn’t even know what a genie was until earlier today when you appeared out of a lamp, and now I want to learn everything there is to learn about them. If I know more about you, then I will be less likely to offend you in the future. Besides, it’s a long way back to Agrabah and we need something to talk about,” he argued, as Abu climbs up on his shoulder.

“What is Agrabah?”

“Agrabah is my home. Okay no more stalling, I am ready to learn all about being a genie,” he looks up at me attentively as we start walking.

“Fine,” I give in, and hold out my hands, “These,” I shake my wrists and the golden bangles on them, “are what symbolize my captivity to the lamp and serving those who rub it.”

“They are beautiful.”

“I know and that’s why I hate them,” he gives me a confused look, “Because it symbolizes that my imprisonment is beautiful, even though it is quite the opposite.”

“Ah, that makes sense. So how long have you been a genie?”

“For about 100,000 years.”

“You’re telling me that you are 100,000 years old?”

“No, not exactly. I was nineteen when I was given this punishment, so that is the age I will always be when I am inside this lamp.”

“What did you do to deserve all this?” he lifted up the lamp and shook it.

“I was a slave to a powerful sorcerer. He found out that I was helping his innocent prisoners escape, and he wanted to give me a punishment worse than death. So he trapped me in the lamp, forcing me to spend eternity serving every person who rubbed the lamp.”

“That’s horrible. And there is no way that you can escape the lamp?”

“There is one way. The master of the lamp has to use one of their wishes to grant my freedom.”

“Gianna, I promise to you that I will use my last wish to free you.”

I swallowed, choking back tears, “That means the world to me Aladdin, thank you.”

“Wait, when you are free, will you still be a nineteen year old girl? Or will you turn into an old hag?”

“I will be a nineteen year old girl and then age normally like all other mortals do. If freedom meant turning into an old hag, I would not want it so badly.” I laughed.

“True, true. Well since I have to think of two more wishes, do you have any ideas?”

“The most popular wishes I’ve granted are world domination, a power of some kind, and all of the wealth in the world, but you don’t seem like the evil, corrupt type. When I told you that you had three wishes, did you really not have any instant ideas of what you wanted?”

“Honestly, there are so many things I want, but nothing specific came to mind.”

“Nothing?” 

“Well, there is one thing, but it goes against one of your rules.”

“And the one thing is?” I prodded.

“A little while ago I met this amazing girl named Jasmine. The problem is, she is the princess of Agrabah and I live in the street.” he sighed.

I hate how jealous I feel when he confesses his feelings for another girl. I can’t be developing feelings for Aladdin, that will create so many problems. I need a reality check. If he is in love with a princess, there is no way he would change his mind and settle for me. I am just his friend. I need to keep my feelings for Aladdin locked away, even if it makes things hard. Soon, I will be free and that is all I have ever wanted. If I acted on my feelings for Aladdin it could mess that all up. This is my one chance at freedom, and I can’t blow it.

“So?” he interrupted my thoughts.

“So, what?”

“So, is there anything you can do to help me out?”

“I already told you, I can’t make people fall in love.”

“I know, but do you have any ideas that could help me get her attention?”

“If the problem is that you are too poor to ever have a chance with her, I guess I could turn you into a prince.”

“That is a brilliant idea Gianna! Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I forced a smile. Why did helping him have to be so hard?

“Okay, Gianna. I wish for the royal title of prince.”

After he spoke those words, I snapped my fingers and in an instant his ratty old clothes turned into fine ivory silk. I also added a gold crown on top to complete the look. I did a really good job, he looks amazing in the prince outfit I designed. I hope this princess appreciates him, not just for his looks but for his kind and easygoing personality as well. Why am I thinking about this? I know why. As his friend I am just looking out for him, because that is all we are. Friends. A friend can do that, right?

Abu hopped off his shoulder and Aladdin looked down at his new outfit, looked at me, and gave me an approving smile. “I love it, thank you so much Gianna,” he gave me a big bear hug, and gave me no other choice but to lean into him.

“You’re welcome,” I said in a muffled voice, because my face was still pressed against his chest. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying this, but he was going to have to let go soon before I lost my senses.

After a few more seconds enjoying his embrace, I stepped back and our eyes met. He gazed at me intently, and started leaning in close. I held my breath, not sure what to anticipate next, he paused, then staggered backward and continued walking. What just happened? Did I imagine it, or did we almost just kiss? As I was trying to analyze what just happened, Aladdin stopped walking.

“There it is,” he announced, pretending as if nothing happened.

I was really confused about what he was talking about, but when I looked up I saw it. “Agrabah?” I asked, pointing towards the bustling city a few miles ahead with a golden palace overlooking it. With the setting sun behind the city, the view was breathtaking.

He nodded and lifted Abu onto his shoulder, “We are finally home Abu.”

“Aladdin,” he turned to me as we continued to walk toward Agrabah, “how long have you been away from home?”

“A few weeks I think? Jafar kid-”

“Woah, who is Jafar? Is he the power-hungry psychopath?” I interrupted, and he nodded. “Okay sorry, continue.”

“Jafar kidnapped me, I ended up in the desert, and he convinced me to go into the Cave of Wonders and get the lamp.”
“When you say he convinced you, do you really mean he forced you?”

He shook his head, “No, he persuaded me to help him by saying he would help me win Jasmine over if I got the lamp.”

“So, you completely ignored the fact that he kidnapped you, and thought he was a good person, just because he said he would help you get the girl?”

“Okay, when you say it out loud, you make me sound stupid.”

“You did that all on your own.” I replied, annoyed at how desperate he was to get Jasmine to notice him.

“Uh,” he had no idea how to respond to that.

“Woah, sorry. I didn’t realize how rude that sounded until after I said it. I guess I am just confused. Why would you want to go through with that just for a girl?”

“It’s just,” he hesitated, “she is unlike any girl I have ever met. She was so trusting and adventurous, and she didn’t care about how rich I was. She made me feel like I mattered to someone, and it has always been so hard to feel that way living on my own.”

“I get what you mean, I have literally lived in a lamp by myself for 100,000 years. Living in captivity my whole life made me feel like I never really mattered to anyone. Well, that was before I met,” I caught myself before I said something I would regret.

“Me,” Aladdin finished, looking at me and giving me a warm smile that melted my heart.

Wait, no, it definitely did not melt my heart. It just made me feel really happy. If it melted my heart, that would mean that I was falling in love with him, which is something that can never happen. His smile gave me an overwhelming feeling of happiness, because of how understanding Aladdin was. We had something that we could both relate to, and it was really easy to talk to him. Friends are easy to talk to, right?

As I keep thinking about this, I notice Aladdin staring at me expectantly, and realize I never responded. “Yeah, exactly. Except the difference is I am not in love with you, because that would be ridiculous,” I force a weak laugh.

“Oh yeah, totally ridiculous,” he responds, and for a second, his smile falters.

“Not that there's anything wrong with you, it’s just, well, you and I, we’re just friends,” I rambled. Wow, I need to stop talking. Unfortunately, I continue, “And you are already in love with someone else, so-”

Thankfully, Abu provides a distraction before I can embarrass myself further. He moved quickly ahead of us, down a dark alley, making loud noises. The weird thing is, we are also heading in the direction of the same dark alley. There is no way this is a good idea. The only light we had was the full moon above us, and the city was eerily quiet. I hope Aladdin is just trying to find Abu, and then we can find a safer place to stay for the night.

“Uh, where are we going?” I asked, hoping he was already forgetting about all the foolish things I said.

“We are going home. Don’t worry, we are almost there.” he replied, as he started climbing a ladder up the side of a building.

“Nope, sorry I don’t do heights,” I admitted, and without waiting for a response I go inside my lamp.

After a few more minutes of Aladdin jumping and climbing around, he stopped moving and shouts, “You can come back out now, Gianna.”

When I come out of my lamp, I look around. I am standing on the roof of some building, with vibrantly colored curtains and rugs used as makeshift walls. I see Abu already asleep on a pillow in the corner, and when I turn around to see the rest of the room, I see the wind blowing open a curtain to reveal Aladdin standing outside staring out at the palace.

I walk to him, and when I see how close we are standing to the edge, my heart starts pounding. What if I fall off? I can’t even die but the thought terrifies me. What if Aladdin falls off? Seeing him fall to his death is worse than my falling off.

I turn around and take a step, but before I can move Aladdin grabs my arm, spins me back around, and reassures me, “We aren’t going to fall off Gianna, you can trust me.”

I sigh, realizing I have been holding my breath this whole time, and quietly say, “I know.”

“I can’t believe tonight could be my last night here,” he confessed.

“Isn’t that a good thing? I mean, this is actually a really cool set up, but tomorrow you could be living in the palace! That’s exciting, right?”

“Yeah, it will just be a major change in my life.”

“Was it hard? Growing up on your own and having to fend for yourself?”

“I wasn’t always on my own. I lived with my parents until I was seven, but then my mom got really sick and my dad left us. That was hard. I was so angry that my dad had left right when my mom needed him the most. It was also really hard as a seven year old to watch my mom die, knowing there was nothing I could do to help her. Once she passed I chose to leave our house, because there were too many memories there. Then, I came here and created all this,” he gestured towards his home behind us, “and I found out that this place had a frequent visitor, Abu, so I started to take care of him. We got pretty good at sneaking around the city to get all the things we needed to survive. Of course, we would get caught from time to time, but we always outsmarted the people who would chase after us. That is how Abu and I have been living for the past fourteen years. It was hard at times, but I never complained. Even when we would go starving for weeks, I always held out hope that things would get better. And now, I have the opportunity to go live in the palace and possibly marry a princess. I am really scared it will be hard to fit in, or that the princess will change her mind about me.”

“Aladdin, I can see why you would be nervous. My advice, as cliche as it sounds, is to just be yourself. You are kind, caring, understanding, and so much more. If Jasmine can’t see that, then maybe she isn’t worth it. After what you have been through, you deserve all of the happiness in the world.” As I say this, I wonder if I am only telling him this to try to change his mind, but I realize that I do mean every word. I want Aladdin to be happy, no matter what happens between us.

“Thanks, Gianna. And I am sorry I dumped all of that on you, it’s just, well, you are really easy to talk to.”

“There is no need to apologize, Aladdin. I am glad that you trust me enough to talk to me about the hard stuff,” I give him a reassuring smile.

“You have a beautiful smile,” he said suddenly, turning toward me.

Well, that was the last thing I expected him to say. What am I supposed to say to that? Okay, maybe I am overthinking this. All he did was compliment me, it’s not like he just professed his love. Friends can compliment each other, and it doesn’t have to mean they have feelings for the person. But if Aladdin thinks of me as his friend, why is he taking a step closer to close the distance between us? Why does he have to look so perfect in the moonlight? He is really making this “friends” thing difficult.

As I am about to respond, his face leans toward mine. Except this time, he doesn’t stop himself. He cups my face with his hands, and his lips pressed against mine, giving me a sweet, tender kiss. At first I hesitated, knowing that this was wrong, but my heart didn’t care. I kissed him back, and felt the smile that formed on his face. All too soon, my head caught up with my heart and realized I needed to stop. I lifted his hands from my face, and took a step back.

I steadied my breath and softly spoke, “Aladdin, we can’t do this.” I stared at the floor, feeling his eyes on me. If I looked up and met his gaze, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears that threatened.

“Gianna, don’t say that. Once I free you, what would be stopping you from being with me?”

“Aladdin, let’s be real here. Tomorrow you are going to be reunited with Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah. You have been doing everything you can for weeks to see this girl again, and you and I just met a few hours ago. Once you spend time with Jasmine you will forget all about whatever happened between us, and realize that she is the one you are meant to be with.”

“But, I feel something with you that I never felt with Jasmine.”

“No, Aladdin, you don’t. You might think you do, but once you are with Jasmine again you will realize how wrong you were.”

“Gianna, you can’t honestly tell me that kiss didn’t make you feel anything,” he challenged.

I looked him straight in the eyes and lied, “I couldn’t feel anything, because I was too busy thinking about how wrong the situation was. That kiss was a mistake, and I hope by tomorrow you realize that.”

I could tell he believed me because he went silent, so I ran through the curtain and went inside my lamp. I was holding on by a thread back there, but now the tears started streaming down my face. I wish that for once I had the power to grant myself wishes, so that I could wish that this whole thing never happened. Ever since Aladdin rubbed my lamp, I have been setting myself up for heartbreak. A part of me hoped that he would want me over Jasmine, but it is a silly thought. She is a princess, and I am a slave. I guess it is a good thing I ended things now instead of later, when I would not only be rejected but also be second best. I lay down on my bed still sobbing, and at some point I fell asleep.

Morning came too quickly, and I still wasn’t ready to face Aladdin. What would I even say to him? Should I apologize for what I said to him last night and tell him how I really feel? No, I did the right thing. Besides, today he was going to be with Jasmine and remember why he fell in love with her. If he is with the princess, he can make a better life for himself. I can’t take away that opportunity from him because of my feelings toward him, that would be selfish. Before I can even plan what I am going to say to him, he rubs my lamp.

“Good morning, Gianna,” he said, a little too cheerfully, as I came out of my lamp.

“I am glad to see you are in a better mood now.”

“Yeah, well, I thought about what you said, and realized you were right. Our kiss was a mistake, but I don’t see why we have to let that get in the way of our friendship.”

I nodded my head in agreement, “Soon everything is going to work out the way it should. I will have my freedom, and you will finally get to be with Jasmine.” Even though it broke my heart to say that, I really need to try my hardest to hide my hurt from Aladdin.

“I’m glad we were able to get this figured out, because I would hate losing you as a friend.”

“Now that we have gotten that out of the way, how are you feeling about today?”
“Honestly, I am a little confused how it will all work out. Won’t Jasmine recognize me?”

“No, she will have no idea who you are. When I made you a prince I used my powers to put an ‘invisible mask’ on you, so the only people that recognize you are Abu and I. All we need to do now is come up with your name. Any ideas?”

“I feel like my prince name should be similar to my real name, so I am not completely lying.”

“You could have it start with an A, and only use letters that are in your real name. Maybe something like Prince Ali? It wouldn’t give too much away, and it is catchy.”

“That is perfect! What will I say when I show up at the palace?”

“Just say you wish to see the princess. I am sure that suitors show up daily interested in Jasmine.”

A nervous look grew on his face, “Are you saying she will just think I am another prince trying to win her over? That I have a really slim chance?”

“No, not at all. If anything, you have the advantage because you already met Jasmine.”

“But she won’t know that was me.”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is that you know her, which will help you get her to fall in love with you.”

“That’s true. I think we should head to the palace now, it is a long walk from here.”

“You think you should walk there?” I laugh, “I don’t think you can convince them you are a prince if they realize you just walked here. You need to make a big entrance, something that will make you stand out from any other prince.”

“I don’t want to make a scene, Gianna. I know Jasmine, and I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t want a show-off as a possible future husband.”

“Okay, fine, we don’t have to do a grand entrance, but I still think you need to make your entrance stand out to Jasmine.”

“Like what? Flying to her palace?” he joked.

“Aladdin, that would be amazing! You could fly to the palace on,” I look around and grab a rug from his makeshift wall, “this! A flying carpet. It’s not too extravagant, yet it will definitely grab Jasmine’s attention.”

“Woah, Gianna. I wasn’t being serious. There is no way I am going to arrive at the palace on a flying carpet, I don’t even know how to control it.”

“Calm down, Aladdin. The carpet will basically fly itself, you just need to tell it where you want to go.”
“I don’t want to use my wish on a flying carpet, and I don’t mind walking to the palace.”

“Luckily, you don’t have to use another wish to get a flying carpet. Transportation comes with being a prince.” As I say this, I snap my fingers and the rug I set on the ground springs to life.

“Is it alive?” he questions as the carpet starts flying all over the room.
“Kind of. It will fly you anywhere you want, but it also has a mind of its own.”

“What if it turns evil and tries to kill me?”

“I can promise you that won’t happen. Are you ready now?”

“Ready for what?”
“To fly to Agrabah, obviously,” I answer.

“I’m guessing I don’t really have a choice?”

I nod my head, “You better leave now, so you have more time with Jasmine.”

“Wait, you aren’t coming?”

“Um, as much as I would love to be a third wheel on your date, no, I would rather hang here with Abu.”

“What if I need to make another wish?” he asks. He really needs to stop asking so many questions.

“Then you can just fly back here, get my lamp, and fly back. Now go already, before all your questions drive me to insanity!”

“Okay, okay,” he turns to the magic carpet that is currently poking at Abu, “Carpet! Fly me to the palace, please.” The carpet flys over, scoops up Aladdin, and zooms off towards the palace.

Now I get to wait, for who knows how long, until Aladdin comes back. I start to yawn and realize how tired I feel, since I didn’t get much sleep last night. I may as well get some more rest, I’ve got nothing better to do.

“Abu, I’m going to be in my lamp. If there’s some type of emergency, rub the lamp,” I instruct the monkey, not even sure if he understands me. He seems to understand Aladdin, so I figured it was worth a try. I return to my lamp, flop onto my bed, and fall asleep the instant my face hits the pillow.

After what feels like only a few minutes my lamp is being rubbed, and I am forced to leave the comfort of my bed. Once I have left my lamp, I look up at the sky and notice it is dark outside. Did I really sleep all day? I turn around and meet a pair of familiar brown eyes. Aladdin? Why is he back? I thought by now I would be getting an invitation for his wedding. Did something go wrong on the date? That thought should not give me hope, but it does.

“Aladdin? Is everything alright? Did the date not go as well as you hoped?”

“Everything is amazing, and the date was better than anything I could have hoped for.” he responded a little too cheery to be believable.

“Then, why are you here?”

“I missed Abu,” he laughed.

I could tell there was something he wasn’t telling me, but I decided to leave it alone, “Well, that’s unfortunate. He is already asleep,” I glance over to the corner Abu is huddled in, “So you should probably head back to the palace.”

“Gianna, they won’t even notice I’m gone. I will sneak back in later, but right now I just want to talk with you,” as he says this, he sits down on the floor and looks up at the beautiful star-filled sky.

“I really think you should go back-” I start, as I join him on the floor.

“And I will, but not right now. I just want to talk with you, because right now you are the only person that I can be myself around. Please,” his eyes plead with mine, and I know there is no way I can turn him down.

“Okay, fine. Tell me how the day went with Jasmine,” I know I shouldn’t be asking him this, but maybe it will help me get over him quicker.

“Once I arrived at the palace, the sultan interrogated me with so many questions before I even got to see Jasmine. I answered them the best I could, usually bending the truth or making something up on the spot. Eventually, I got his approval and met Jasmine. It was really weird seeing her again, but knowing she doesn’t know me. We talked for a while, and she told me so much about herself. I felt horrible lying to her, because she poured her heart out to me and I couldn’t even tell her my real name. We went for a ride on the magic carpet, and she loved it. When we were back at the palace, the sultan offered me a room. As soon as I was in the room I locked the door, took the magic carpet, and flew back here.”

“Why didn’t you stay in the palace?”

“Because I felt like a fraud. I was lying to everyone in that building and pretending to be an extravagant prince, when in reality I am nothing more than a poor boy living on the streets. How can Jasmine and I ever work out? We come from two totally different worlds and I can’t be honest with her. Once she finds out who I really am I could be thrown in jail, or worse.”

“Well, you still have two more wishes. I bet we can figure something out. Jasmine was already in love with the real you before you became a prince, maybe you just need to ditch the whole prince thing altogether?”

“Actually, I only have one more wish. My last wish is reserved for you, remember?”

“If you need to use your third wish to help you out, it’s okay. I wouldn’t want to be free if it meant you were unhappy, and I would be a terrible friend if I robbed you of your happiness.”

“Gianna,” Aladdin looks me in the eyes, “I promised you that I would use my last wish to free you, and I am not going back on that promise.”

“Okay, fine. You have one wish left to help you with this whole Jasmine situation. How do you want to use that wish?”

“I’m not sure.” he shrugged.

“Well, it’s really hard to help you if I have to come up with all of the ideas.”

“No, I mean I’m not sure if I want to fix the Jasmine situation.”

“Aladdin, what do you mean you’re not-”
“You know exactly what I mean Gianna,” he interrupted, “Last night I made my feelings about you very clear. The only reason I went to the palace today was because you said my feelings were wrong, and that Jasmine was the one I wanted. I thought that was your way of telling me you didn’t have feelings for me, so I figured I should go after Jasmine since I wouldn’t have a chance with you. But the whole time I was with her, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was then I realized that if you really didn’t feel anything for me, you wouldn’t have kissed me back.”
I sat there, dumbfounded. There was no way I could deny what he was saying, I already tried lying to him once and that obviously didn’t work out. Should I tell him how I really feel, or should I keep trying to convince him to give Jasmine another chance? He can have a much better life with Jasmine, but that’s not what he wants. He wants to be with me and I want to be with him, so why is it so hard for me to just tell him how I feel? My thoughts are interrupted as Aladdin mumbles under his breath.

“Kissing you was never a mistake.”

“Even if it was, I’m glad it happened. Aladdin-”

Before I can say anything else, he gently presses his lips against mine and he’s running his hands through my hair. I put my hand on his shoulder, and this time I don’t hesitate to kiss him back. In Aladdin’s arms I felt a sense of belonging, which is something I have never felt in all 100,019 years of my existence. Being with him just felt right, so why should I keep trying to push him away from me? We kiss for a little while longer, and then I step back.

“Aladdin, what about Jasmine?”

“What about her? You’re the one I want to be with.”
“That doesn’t make it okay for you to just walk out of her life without an explanation. I think she will be really confused if she wakes up and you’re gone.”

“Then what should I do?” he asks.

“I think we should go back to the palace.”

“We?”

“Yes. You can bring me in the lamp, and when she wakes up you will tell her the truth.”

“You want me to just walk up to her and tell her I’m not in love with her?” his eyes are fixed on me, looking at me as if I’m crazy.

“No,” I take a deep breath to calm myself, “Tell her who you really are, genius.”

“Why do I need you to help me do that?”

“Because she probably won’t believe you when you tell her, and that’s when you’ll rub the lamp and wish to be who you really are.”

“Oh, okay. That is a really good plan,” he stands up, and I follow suit, “We should probably fly back to the palace now.”

“You will be flying, I will be safely stored in my lamp where I don’t have to worry about falling to my death.”

“Gianna, you wouldn’t die. As of right now you are immortal, remember?”

“That doesn’t make the thought of falling any less terrifying,” I remark and without waiting for his response, I retreat to my lamp.

As I plop down on my bed, I can’t stop the goofy grin that spreads across my face. Aladdin wants to be with me, and soon we can finally be together without any complications. Tomorrow, I will be free. Free to do whatever I want, and free to be with the man I am falling in love with. I won’t have to worry about breaking the rules, and I won’t be forced to do what other people tell me to do. I will finally be able to do what I want to do, and be who I want to be. I fall asleep with a smile still on my face, full of hope for once in my life.

I woke up only a few hours later, because I was so excited for what the day would bring. I spring out of my bed, and look at my reflection. Today is the last day I will ever have that obnoxious glow radiating off of me. It’s also the last day I will have to live in this tiny lamp. As I am dancing around, Aladdin rubs my lamp, and as I emerge from the lamp I see Jasmine staring at me in disbelief.

She’s gorgeous, and has the same big brown eyes and olive skin as Aladdin. She’s wearing an exquisite teal dress, with a matching jewel in her hair. Her dark chocolate colored hair is thick and beautiful, and pulled back into a loose ponytail. She continues to stare at me, and I am starting to feel really uncomfortable.

“Gianna,” Aladdin says, and I turn to him, “I wish to become Aladdin again.” I snap my fingers and instantly his fine silk clothing turns back to the raggedy outfit he wore when I first met him.

“Aladdin, why would you lie to me? I was so honest with you.” Jasmine’s soft voice sounded so hurt, and her eyes filled with tears.

“Jasmine, I never met to hurt you. When I met you that day in the market, I knew I would never have a chance with you. You came from a whole different world, and I was worried you would never be able to love me for who I really was. I thought the only way I could be with you was if I became a prince, but that doesn’t make lying to you right. I know you are feeling hurt right now, but I hope one day you can forgive me.” Aladdin sounded so sincere as he said this.

I felt so awkward just standing there, but I didn’t know what else to do. As I was about to return to my lamp, the deep voice I heard behind me made me jump.

“Aladdin, we meet again. I’m glad to see you made it out of the cave alive,” the man said, followed with a dark chuckle.

I turn around and my eyes meet a pair of menacing eyes and I realize that I am face to face with Jafar, the evil mastermind who sent Aladdin to get the lamp. My whole body freezes with fear as he continues to stare at me, and it feels like he is staring into my soul. I lose all my train of thought and hear his voice echoing through my mind.

“Gianna, get away from him!” I hear Aladdin yell, which draws me back to reality. I run into the safety of Aladdin’s arms before Jafar can put me under a trance again.

“I will make you a deal, Aladdin. If you give me the lamp, I will make sure that the princess lives,” as he says this, Jafar walks towards Jasmine and grabs her before she has the chance to escape.

“Aladdin,” I warn, “you can’t give Jafar my lamp. Think of all of the horrible things he would do.”

“Ah, so you’re the genie that lives in the lamp. I was a little confused why you were here,” Jafar realizes, “Don’t worry, my dear. If I was your master, we would have such a fun time together.”

A dark look took over Aladdin’s face, “You won’t get anywhere near her, Jafar.”

“That would be a real shame, because now I am going to have to kill Jasmine.” Jafar looks into Jasmine’s eyes, putting her into a trance. A few moments pass by and then he snaps his fingers and Jasmine falls to the floor and has a seizure. She seizes violently as Jafar explains, “I put her under a simple spell. She will seize for about five minutes, and then stop moving and breathing indefinitely. It is easy for me to stop this and pull her out of this trance, all you have to do is give me the lamp. I need to go check on something and then I will return. Until then, I will let you two discuss whether or not you want to save the poor girl.” And with that, he walked away.

Once he left the room I exclaimed to Aladdin, “He doesn’t realize that you still have one more wish! We can use it to save Jasmine!”

“No. There has to be another way we can save her without giving up your freedom.”

“Aladdin, only Jafar’s sorcery can save Jasmine, so you need to wish for his powers to be taken away. That will save Jasmine and make it easy to lock Jafar away.”

Aladdin’s eyes are fixed on the ground, not wanting to admit I was right. A few moments passed and he looked at me and spoke in a soft voice, “Gianna, I don’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose you either, but I don’t want to get my freedom at the expense of someone else’s life. It wouldn’t be right, and you know it. I think there were so many obstacles in the way of us being together for a reason. You were meant to be with Jasmine, and once we bring her back there won’t be anything standing in the way of you two being together.”

“I don’t love Jasmine. I love you, Gianna,” he glances over at Jasmine, who is still seizing on the ground, “And I know this isn’t the most romantic situation to be telling you this, but I do love you. You understand me like no one else does, and I don’t want to give up on us being together.”

“I love you too Aladdin, but we have to do what’s right,” I pause, trying so hard to pull myself together, “And the right thing is to use your last wish to stop Jafar and save Jasmine.”

“Gianna,” his eyes fill with tears, “There has to be another way.”

“If we had time, we probably could find another way to stop Jafar. But we only have a few more minutes left to save Jasmine. It breaks my heart, not just because I want my freedom but because I wanted to be with you, but you can’t use your last wish on me.”

Aladdin pulls me in and gives me a quick kiss, knowing it will be the last chance he will get, and whispers in my ear, “Goodbye, Gianna,” he then rubs the lamp and makes his final wish, “For my final wish, I wish for Jafar to be stripped of all his sorcery and magic.”

I snapped my fingers and the last thing I saw was Jasmine laying on the ground motionless, but her chest was slowly rising and falling. Once I granted Aladdin’s last wish, I could no longer be outside of the lamp until someone else rubs it. That was the last time I will ever see him again, and I never even got to say goodbye.

Epilogue

It’s only been a few months since my adventure with Aladdin, and I don’t really know how everything turned out after I was forced to return to my lamp. I’m assuming Jafar got locked away, because he hasn’t rubbed my lamp. I’m pretty sure Aladdin and Jasmine are happily married by now, because after I was out of the picture nothing was really standing in their way. At first this thought made me so hurt and angry, but now I’ve realized that Aladdin is happy, which is what I wanted for him since the beginning. All my life the one thing I wanted was my freedom, until Aladdin came along. Aladdin made me want not just my freedom, but the freedom to love and be loved. Thanks to Aladdin that wish came true, even though it may not have lasted very long. I’ve moved past all the hurt now because Aladdin not only gave me love, but also hope. Hope that there's good in the world, and another kind person like Aladdin will come along and give me my freedom. Until then I will be in my tiny pathetic excuse of a home, waiting for that person to come along.

Author's Note

This is my first story and I would love feedback on anything that needs improvement, whether it's the grammar, dialogue, or story line. Anything helps!