How to do the hey julie dance

Hey Julie Dance Challenge | Know Your Meme

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Status: Submission
Type:: Dance
Year: 2019
Origin: TikTok

Tags: drip, wrist, heard you got that, click, lil yachty, kyle

About

Hey Julie is a dance challenge originating on TikTok in which users perform a set choreographed dance to the lyrics "Yeah, hey Julie, heard you got that drip, drip, drip, drip. Yeah, something for my wrist, wrist, wrist, wrist" from the song "Hey Julie!" by KYLE feat. Lil Yachty.

Origin

On December 3rd, 2018, American Rapper Kyle^[1] released "Hey Julie! feat. Lil Yachty" on YouTube (shown below). The video gained 5.1 million views and 102,000 likes in five months.

On February, 24th, TikTok user @justmaiko posted the first dance video featuring the a sound clip of the song (shown below). The video gained over 783,800 likes and 47,900 shares in two months.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6661686942360407302

Precursor

Soon after the song's release "Hey Julie!" became a dance hit on YouTube with numerous choreographers posting their dance videos for the song. On December 10th, 2018, Guy Groove posted choreography video to YouTuber which gained over 176,000 views in five months (shown below, left). On January 3rd, RainO also posted a choreography video to Youtube which garnered over 13,400 views in four months (shown below, right).

Spread

The "Hey Julie!" sound clip has been used in over 4.7 million videos in two months. On March 31st, 2019, Tik Tok user @leilaniii2 uploaded a video that has accumulated over one million likes in a month (shown below).

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6674675539866815750

On April 2nd, 2019, Top Best TikTok uploaded the first compilation video which accumulated over 366,000 views and 3,200 likes in a month (shown below, left). On April 4th, the first dance tutorial specifically for Tik Tok was uploaded (shown below, right). The video gained over 6,000 views in a month.

On April 18th, TikTok user @sarimarmuniz uploaded a popular "Hey Julie!" video which gained over 834,700 likes and 22,900 shares in several weeks (shown below, left). On April 15th, @lilmissross22 also uploaded a popular rendition that gained over 887,000 likes and 22,400 shares in several weeks (shown below, right).

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6677671888019262725

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6679966550729952517

Various Examples

https://www. tiktok.com/embed/v2/6673979811322400006

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6673851005173501189

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6678028398385696005

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6674277545573092613

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6676474410213313798

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6674635172119317765

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Billboard- Hey Julie

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Meet the choreographers behind some of TikTok’s most viral dances

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Amelia Tait

Culture

18.08.2020 06:00 AM

TikTok has become the home for one artistic medium in particular: dance

Keara Wilson

There is, and seemingly always has been, a dance for every letter of the alphabet. From the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance of the Middle Ages (in which residents of the Staffordshire village run around with reindeer antlers) to the traditional Greek Zonaradiko (whereby dancers hold on to one another’s belts), we have always loved a good routine. Yet while you could peer into an 1870s debutante ball or a 1970s disco and see people following a set of steps, our modern era seems altogether less structured. In the 90s and early 2000s, only the occasional Macarena inspired a school dance hall to move in sync. Then, in 2017, along came TikTok.

In just three years, the video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has been downloaded over a billion times, making it the seventh most downloaded app of the decade. Immensely popular with Generation Z, TikTok hosts short clips – ranging from three to 60 seconds – in which people lip-sync, perform skits, or take on challenges. Yet it is dancing that TikTok is best known for. Every week, a different dance craze goes viral, prompting living rooms around the globe to shake as viewers join in the fun.

In the six months spanning September 2019 to February 2020, various renditions of the Renegade – a routine set to the hip-hop song “Lottery” by K CAMP – were viewed over 1.6 billion times on the app. The dance was shared by everyone from Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown to former FLOTUS Michelle Obama, and was covered everywhere from the New York Times to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I love seeing people come together and have fun,” says the routine’s original choreographer, 14-year-old Jalaiah Harmon.

Moves like dabbing, flossing, and hitting the woah (making a circular movement with the fists before freezing on the beat) have spread far and wide thanks to online video and Fortnite’s “emote” actions. Yet TikTok is different. The app has not given rise just to one-off moves, but has birthed a number of complete and complex routines.

Despite its reputation as an app for bored teens in their bedrooms, many of TikTok’s most popular dances are created by professional choreographers. “Social media and TikTok changed everything in our industry,” says Greg Chapkis, a choreographer who created a dance to Daddy Yankee’s song “Con Calma” that blew up in February 2019. “I was getting tagged in not just hundreds but thousands of videos with my choreography… It’s crazy that so many dancers and people that don’t dance got moved by it.”

Some popular TikTok routines take days to invent, others are created in five minutes; some are designed with internet fame in mind, others take off organically. TikTok virality has wide-reaching ramifications: the app has launched songs such as Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” to number one spots on the US Billboard charts, and has given a new lease of life to old songs, such as when the 1956 hit “Tonight You Belong To Me”, by sister act Patience and Prudence, became popular in summer 2019. Though musicians don’t directly make money from their songs being used on TikTok, many have recognised it as a powerful marketing tool, and some artists and labels pay famous TikTokers to dance to their music.

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Yet despite the power TikTok choreographers have, it isn’t always easy to determine the original creator of a dance. Dance challenges can explode so quickly on the app that it can be difficult to trace their origins, especially as many TikTokers like to put their own spin on routines. In practice, this means that already-famous TikTokers can often steal the limelight from lesser-known dancers. This has been particularly troubling for black creators, like Harmon, who have frequently seen white TikTokers get credit for their routines. Reporting on Harmon's Renegade in February 2020, New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz argued that mainstream influencers "co-opt" the "cutting-edge dance community online". Since the beginning of the year, many TikTok stars have begun tagging original creators in their captions.

It’s no wonder choreographers want credit – a successful TikTok account can bring in money from brands who pay influencers to post sponsored content and adverts on their profiles. “My whole life revolves around TikTok,” says 20-year-old influencer Michael Le, who frequently posts three videos a day to the app. Le now earns 80 per cent of his income from TikTok; he has more than 23 million followers, and labels have paid him to promote their music. Earlier this year, Harmon posted her first piece of sponsored content (for Warner Bros’ new Scooby-Doo movie) and also launched her own merchandise range; hoodies sell for $45 (£36) on her official site. Still, other TikTokers struggle to earn money. The app has no in-built revenue-making mechanism like YouTube’s AdSense, and so for many TikTokers tons of views don’t equate to tons of money.

Despite TikTok’s Chinese origins, seven of the top ten most-followed TikTokers in the world are American. This is partly because the Chinese version of the app – Douyin – is run separately due to government restrictions. Though nearly four times as many people had downloaded TikTok in India than in the US (before India banned the app in July), TikTok’s 2019 round-up of its most popular videos demonstrated that Americans dominate the app, possibly because of the popularity of the English language and American music (this could change in the future as the US moves to restrict TikTok). Elsewhere, keen TikTokers often translate hit songs into their own languages in order to add their own spin to dance crazes.

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Many of the dance routines that take off on TikTok are set to hip-hop songs. Erik Saradpon, a choreographer who has won honours at the World Hip-Hop Championship, puts this down to the genre’s universal appeal. “Hip-hop and pop music are the most mainstream music to young people. It’s the same reason why you see so much hip-hop in commercials,” he says. Saradpon says that TikTok has now influenced particular movements and phrasing in hip-hop choreography, and says the app is “definitely sparking creativity in people of all ages. ”

How does this creativity strike? Here, TikTok creators explain how they came up with their dances – and demonstrate how you can give them a go.

The Renegade by Jalaiah Harmon, 14

Song: “Lottery (Renegade)” by K CAMP

Jalaiah Harmon

The Renegade has 21 steps and should take between 15 and 20 seconds to perform. The dance is made up of moves involving the arm and upper body, making it easier than routines with tricky footwork. Start with a woah, followed by extending your arms into a downwards clap, then swing and wave your arms before snapping your fingers. Harmon explains the dance is a medley of already popular moves – learn those and you’ll find it easier to master the routine.

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Harmon takes hip-hop, ballet and jazz classes, and invented the dance after school in her Atlanta bedroom in September 2019. “I’m really proud to be a dancer right now because it’s a cool talent,” she says. The Renegade’s huge success had multiple ramifications, from K CAMP retitling his song to include the name of the dance to the teen’s appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I think it’s really cool when I see celebrities doing my dance,” says Harmon, who now has over 2.3 million followers on TikTok and her own agent. “For people my age, when you’re a good dancer, you’re popular, and a lot of people respect and admire you.”

The Git Up by Ajani Huff, 19, and Davonte House, 21

Song: “The Git Up” by Blanco Brown

Ajani Huff and Davonte House

Half-brothers Ajani Huff and Davonte House popularised The Git Up on TikTok off the back of country rapper Blanco Brown’s song of the same name. Brown uploaded an Instagram video of himself line dancing to the song in April 2019; Huff and House filmed their spin on the routine in a gazebo by a New York lake in May. Another teen TikToker, UK-based Harvey Bass, helped their routine go viral in June, and the brothers later collaborated with him, filming other dances together for the app.

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To join in, start with your arms hanging out by your sides, bent at the elbows, before performing the footwork of the “cowboy boogie” – crossing and uncrossing one leg behind the other. Grab the bottom of your shirt while thrusting, spin around, swing your knees in and out, and you’ve git it down.

“We wanted it to blow up but we didn’t expect it,” says House, who explains he and his brother take between “literally a minute” and hours to choreograph dances for the app. The pair say the secret to TikTok success is “something that’s easy but hard” at the same time. “Like, you’re capable of doing it, but it looks hard to others,” House explains.

Con Calma by Greg Chapkis, 40

Song: “Con Calma” by Daddy Yankee feat. Snow

Greg Chapkis

Greg Chapkis, choreographer on Daddy Yankee’s 2019 music video for “Con Calma”, didn’t create the dance with social media in mind. Nonetheless, his routine took over the internet – the music video has 1. 8 billion YouTube views and the #ConCalma hashtag has 455 million views on TikTok.

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To join in, lean backwards and tuck one leg behind the other while bringing your hands up. Turn around on the tips of your toes and slide your knee out to the side. “People were asking me non-stop for a tutorial,” says Chapkis, explaining that his social media profiles “exploded” after the dance was released. The choreographer has been teaching for 24 years – his mother owns a studio in Ukraine, where he grew up before moving to San Francisco.

“I feel dancers were always in the background to the artist, and now dancers are creating their own lane,” he says. On YouTube, a behind-the-scenes video of one of Chapkis’ rehearsals for Con Calma has been viewed over 77 million times. He says virality has allowed him to teach sold-out classes across the globe, meaning it has also increased his opportunities to travel. “I feel really happy and proud,” he says.

Savage by Keara Wilson, 19

Song: “Savage” by Megan Thee Stallion

Keara Wilson

“I was scrolling through TikTok and I noticed people were basically doing the same dances over and over again, so I decided to switch it up a bit,” says 19-year-old Keara Wilson, a military student from Ohio. Wilson spent an hour coming up with her routine to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” in the hopes of going viral – she created three or four different endings but decided on the least challenging option to help viewers.

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For the main part of the dance, thrust your elbow to the side and then bring your arm over your head, shake your shoulders and bum before forming a cross with your arms, and stick out your tongue and waggle your fingers by your head in time with the “acting stupid” lyric.

Wilson, who hopes to make a career out of TikTok, was overwhelmed when the routine blew up in March 2020. She has been dancing for ten years and was also a cheerleader in high school. Since her routine went viral, Wilson has got an agent and launched her own merchandise – though her career is just starting. In April, when Beyoncé released a remix of “Savage”, Wilson dropped another routine which quickly accumulated just under 200,000 likes.

“It made me speechless, very speechless, I was in disbelief,” Wilson says of going viral the first time. “I actually cried tears of joy because this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”

7 Rings by Devin Santiago, 26

Song: “7 Rings” by Ariana Grande

Devin Santiago

It was Christmas Day and Devin Santiago’s best friend was feeding her newborn baby when he first came up with a routine to Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings”. Santiago, who is 26 and from New Jersey, took between 15 and 20 minutes to choreograph the dance while the baby ate; afterwards, he and his friend filmed the dance in his older sister’s bedroom. “I was so excited, it’s such a good feeling when you make up something and you feel so confident that it’s good,” he says.

Santiago has been dancing for 18 years and is also in film school – he says the outfits, backdrop, and theme to a TikTok video are almost as important at the dance itself.

To join in with the thousands of others who’ve danced his dance, swing each elbow to the side in turn before putting your hands up, palms outwards. Bring your hands down and your knees up while snapping your fingers, and then cross your arms and jump, splaying your legs, before doing your best spin.

Hey Julie by Michael Le, 20

Song: “Hey Julie!” by KYLE feat. Lil Yachty

Michael Le

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TikTok dances constantly evolve: while one person may create two or three steps to a song, someone else might add two or three more that push it to go viral. Multiple people can be credited with the moves in the viral TikTok routine to KYLE’s “Hey Julie!”, but 20-year-old Michael Le from Florida was the first to popularise a full routine on the app (and has the coveted “Original” tag for uploading the song). It is likely the special effects he used in the background of the video helped capture attention – his video is animated with light blurs and lyrics that pop up on screen.

In this case, the lyrics prove highly instructional. Wave your hands at “Hey Julie”, and pull at your shirt four times when you hear “drip, drip, drip, drip”. Throw your arms to one side and move them in sync to the lyric “wrists, wrists, wrists, wrists” – then you’ve got the gist, gist, gist, gist.

“Honestly, I made that dance up in ten minutes and we recorded it immediately after,” says Le, who earns all of his income posting content on TikTok and Instagram. Le is paid by both record labels and brands to promote music and products – he most frequently works with an energy drinks company and a clothing brand. In May 2020, he began to rent a luxurious house (complete with indoor and outdoor pools) with his influencer earnings.

In total, Le has nine years of dance training. “The dancing on TikTok obviously isn’t super-duper intricate or expert, but because I have training, I’m able to execute movements in a way that’s different from someone who doesn’t have that experience, it looks a lot more natural,” he says.

Out West Challenge by Nicole Bloomgarden, 19

Song: “Out West” by Jackboys & Travis Scott feat. Young Thug

Nicole Bloomgarden

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When famous TikTokers performed 19-year-old PR student Nicole Bloomgarden’s routine at an NBA game in February 2020, she decided it was time she got credit for her dance. Bloomgarden developed the #OutWestChallenge in December 2019, a day after the song was released, making it “easy to replicate” in the hopes of going viral.

Bloomgarden got her wish: famous TikTokers like Charli D’Amelio began doing her dance in the following months and the challenge soon spread, but Bloomgarden got no credit (like Harmon, she didn’t have the “Original” tag on TikTok because she didn’t upload the track and her video together). When celebrities including Usher began doing the dance, she spoke out on Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, finally earning recognition for the routine.

To do the dance: hit the whoa, clap your extended hands, shimmy your shoulders forwards, cross your arms, point your elbows to the side, and extend your arms to the ceiling.

“All I want to do is entertain,” says Bloomgarden, who went to dance classes when she was a child but is mostly self-taught. “I want to be able to put people in a better mood.”

Volcano of Passion read online Melanie Rocks (Page 9)

— Where are we going? Julia asked Rodrigo cheerfully.

- Well, for starters, we could walk around the city, go to souvenir shops. If you're interested, of course. I highly recommend purchasing Hawaiian coffee, local wine and chocolate. You've probably never experienced anything like it in your life. - Rodrigo even licked his lips, apparently remembering the divine aroma of coffee or a bouquet of wine. “And then I suggest we have some fun at the Bamboo Bar on the beach. Today they promised to arrange a luau.

- Luau? Julia said with difficulty. - What it is?

— I don't even know how to explain it... You'll see everything for yourself. The only thing I immediately warn about is that we will have a chance to dance and taste the wild boar, which was cooked for the whole day in an earthen oven.

“Mm, that sounds tempting,” Julia said. — And then what?

— The further program depends on your mood.

— That is, if I wish to swim naked under the moon, then you will keep me company?

“If you ask me nicely,” Rodrigo replied with a sly smile. “Julia, don't provoke me at least now.

They walked along a wide street, on both sides of which grew bushes with bright pink and yellow fragrant flowers. The sun had already set, and a cool breeze was blowing through Julia's silky hair.

She had already forgotten about embarrassment and felt relaxed in Monica's "flower dress". In addition, Julia, not without conceited pleasure, caught the admiring glances of the men she met.

Rodrigo and Giulia wandered through the shops, scattered in huge numbers along the pedestrian part of the city, towards the ocean.

The waves rolled lazily on the shore. Snow-white yachts and anchored ships could be seen in the distance. Tired windsurfers with multi-colored boards on their shoulders dispersed to their homes.

It was already dark, so Giulia heard rather than saw the Bamboo cafe that Rodrigo was talking about. Incendiary rhythms were carried along the entire coast, attracting visitors to the institution.

“Well, we are almost there,” said Rodrigo. Suddenly he bent down to Julie's neck and sniffed. “Mm, nice scent. True, citrus notes are somewhat false.

Julia felt uneasy at the proximity of Rodrigo, and she shuddered slightly.

Are you cold? asked Rodrigo, not even thinking of pulling away. - Well well! You have to warm up.

- What do you have in ... - Julia did not finish the sentence, because she felt Rodrigo's hot breath on her neck.

He covered her delicate skin with light kisses, then ran his tongue up the crook of her neck and took her earlobe with his lips. Julia froze, not daring to move and trying not to betray her sensations with a sweet moan. She heard Rodrigo's rapid breathing, which merged with her own. After playing with her earlobe, Rodrigo ran his hot, wet tongue over the curl of her ear. Julia threw back her head, experiencing an unprecedented sensation of sensuality. Secret experiences were ready to break out with a dull groan, but she restrained herself with the last of her strength.

Suddenly Rodrigo pulled away.

Julia bit her lip in annoyance. Well, as soon as she reached the stage when she was ready to agree to everything ... We'll have to change the rules of the game.

Are you warm? Rodrigo said hoarsely.

He still asks! Julia burned, blazed with a blue flame, ready to explode from the passion that overwhelmed her. However, she thought it best not to communicate her feelings to the smug macho. Let him think that all his tricks and tricks do not work on her. True, Julia had no doubt that Rodrigo understood her feelings better than she herself.

“Let's go to the luau soon, or they'll eat the boar without us,” Julia said, trying to control the tremor in her voice.

Rodrigo motioned for her to follow him.

— What a beauty! Julia exclaimed in admiration as soon as they got a little closer.

Cafe "Bamboo" was a small enclosed area of sandy beach. A roof of palm branches, bamboo walls through which you could see the white lambs of the ocean waves. It seemed to Julia that the cafe literally “breathes”, filled with a light sea breeze. Glare from burning torches mounted on the walls danced to the rhythm of incendiary music.

“Julia, please close your mouth,” Rodrigo whispered into her ear with a smile. “Although there really is something to be surprised about.

- Aloha!

Two beautiful young women with even golden tans approached them. Long black hair and slightly slanted brown eyes betrayed an aborigine in them. Of the clothes on these Hawaiian goddesses, there were only short colorful skirts, and halves of a coconut, fixed with golden threads, served as a bra. The women were barefoot.

The Hawaiians approached Rodrigo and hung a necklace of small sea shells and orchids around his neck. Julia was also adorned with the same necklace. After that, the "goddesses", unceremoniously taking their hands and without saying a word, led the couple to a free table in front of the stage.

To the right of the stage, Julia noticed a large pit, in the middle of which stood the carcass of a wild boar, covered with salt, clay, earth and leaves.

— Is this the monster we are going to eat? she asked Rodrigo in surprise as soon as they sat down on the shell-shaped chairs.

Rodrigo nodded.

— The whole thing?

- Whatever you like, honey, but don't forget we've got dances and nighttime dips in the ocean on the program too.

Julia stared at Rodrigo in sincere bewilderment: does he seriously believe that she was going to swim with him at night? On the other hand, why not? She herself wanted to play this game, she herself sought to enjoy love for a short stay in Hawaii. Why waste time and show unnecessary modesty to anyone?

Two seductive beauties approached their table again. This time they held scrolls in their hands, tied with some kind of dry grass.

“Menu,” Rodrigo explained, taking one scroll.

Julia took the menu that was meant for her from the hands of the smiling Hawaiian.

“Let's see what's here,” she said slowly, unrolling the scroll. It contained dishes completely unfamiliar to her, and even from exotic fish and plants.

— What do you advise me? she asked Rodrigo, realizing that she was unable to make a choice. Guessing and hitting the sky with a finger just for the sake of then choking on indigestible food, Julia had not the slightest desire.

- Have Hawaiian chicken in coconut milk and salted salmon, tomato and onion salad.

“Very well,” agreed Julia, “I trust your taste.

“I like it,” Rodrigo said with a sly smile and looked into her eyes. I hope we don't have any disagreements in the future.

Julia lowered her eyelashes in embarrassment.

— And what shall we drink? she asked, thinking that the alcohol might give her the courage she needed.

— Well, I don't think you should experiment with that. Let's take the Margarita, otherwise I'll be left without continuing the banquet. Rodrigo smiled again.

— Are you so sure that it will take place? Julia asked coquettishly.

"No woman has ever remained cold after a hula dance," remarked Rodrigo.

The mention of other women hurt Julia. Is this insolent man going to brag to her about his love victories? I wonder what number it is listed in his filing cabinet? It's probably over a hundred by now. Fortunately, if only for the first.

Julia tried to push the unpleasant thoughts out of her mind. What does it matter in the end? After all, she is not going to go down the aisle with Rodrigo and give birth to a dozen children. Let my recklessness be an unforgettable and beautiful memory of a wild vacation on tropical islands, Julia decided.

Two Hawaiians approached their table again, bringing the ordered dishes on round wooden trays.

"We're just in time, the show is about to begin," Rodrigo said to Giulia. The locals are used to combining food and entertainment. Let's just say: two vital needs.

— Do you think that entertainment is as necessary for a person as air, water and food? Julia looked into his black pupils defiantly.

— Do you think otherwise? Rodrigo asked, not at all embarrassed by her gaze. “Look at yourself: for someone else, but for you, rest and pleasure are vital. And as soon as possible.

- And, apparently, you are going to become my ambulance.

Rodrigo nodded and turned to the chicken, looking as calm as if he had just discussed the change of weather with Julia.

He's like a dormant volcano, she thought. Outwardly calm, but passions boil inside. And only the eyes allow you to look into the mouth of this volcano and accurately predict the imminent eruption.

Why didn't you try the salad? asked Rodrigo, carefully chewing on a piece of salmon. Are you afraid of being poisoned? He smiled. - Hawaiians are the most good-natured and cheerful people in the world, believe me. Don't worry, the days when they ate poor Cook are long gone. Now there is nothing more offensive than to be reminded of this incident.

Julia smiled broadly, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. Thanks to mom with her apples, which she fed her daughter, barely weaned.

— So it's true that Cook... well... that Cook really got eaten?

- Yeah. Rodrigo nodded and smiled fervently. - What a sin to hide, it was such a thing. True, any Hawaiian will tell you that the captain was killed in a duel with the leader. Only then his body was divided into parts and eaten. It was believed that in this way you can acquire the strength of the enemy.

Julia raised her eyebrows in surprise.

— Wow... Thank God, these wild customs are a thing of the distant past.

— Well, why not, — Rodrigo said with a smile, placing his hand on Julia's hand, in which she was holding a fork. “I wouldn’t mind eating such a beauty.”

Julia looked reproachfully at the joker.

- Well, well, I'm just kidding. You don't have to look at me as if you were your pupils in kindergarten. I can't stand teaching.

Rodrigo really looked like a little boy, used to enjoying every day, enjoying both the sun and the rain. Julia lacked his love of life, simplicity of perception of the world and inner freedom. Perhaps Rodrigo's behavior did not fit into the framework of a strict upbringing, but it was much more natural and closer to nature than all the rules of etiquette invented over hundreds of years. Have the so-called civilized people become happier because of this?

Hey Julia? Where are you hovering? Look at the stage. Rodrigo squeezed her hand lightly with his fingers.

— Yes, yes… I'm here. What's happening?

Julia fixed her eyes on the stage. A funny shorty in palm leaves appeared on it. He gesticulated emotionally and babbled something quickly. All the visitors to the cafe at times applauded and laughed, apparently at his jokes.

“The signature dish of the evening, roasted boar, will be served now,” Rodrigo explained, suppressing a smile.

“I'm looking forward to it,” Julia said irritably.

Rodrigo looked at her in surprise.

"Sorry, you're not involved here," Julia said. “It's just that I'm a little uncomfortable here because I don't understand your language.

Rodrigo smiled reassuringly and stroked her arm again.

- Trivia. Be natural and you'll understand. Sometimes words are not needed at all to gain understanding with another person.

That's right, Julia thought. For example, now I feel the warmth emanating from Rodrigo with my whole body. As soon as he touches me, a small spark lights up in me, threatening to flare up at any second into a raging flame.

— I'm sorry, I'll leave you for one minute. I’m going to powder my nose,” Julia said with an embarrassed smile, getting up from the shell chair.

— I will look forward to your return.

A few minutes later, when Julia returned to the hall, she saw that a stunning brunette with magnificent breasts was sitting next to Rodrigo. They, like conspirators, bent over the table and discussed something. Apparently, the conversation was serious, because neither Rodrigo nor the black-haired beauty had even a trace of a smile on their faces. Suddenly Rodrigo turned around, as if he felt Julia's eyes on him. Noticing her, he said something to his friend, and she stood up. By the time Julia approached the table, the brunettes were gone. Moreover, Rodrigo's girlfriend was nowhere to be seen at all. It seemed that she simply evaporated, dissolved in the air, saturated with spicy aromas of spices.

Who was that? Julia asked with mock indifference, burning with curiosity and jealousy.

— So… familiar. More like a colleague.

What kind of work is this, thought Julia, if there are such beauties?

- I wonder if she appears in the same outfit during working hours? Julia scoffed. - If, of course, it can be called an outfit. Rather, it is his absence.

Rodrigo smiled indulgently. This is how parents smile at the slander of their young children.

- Dear Julia, believe me, your dress is not much more modest. Besides, if a woman has something to show, then why not? Isabella has beautiful breasts, doesn't she?

Giulia wanted to object, but bit her tongue in time, otherwise she would have had to tell Rodrigo everything that she thought about him from the very first minute of their acquaintance. As a result, the evening would be irreparably spoiled.

Well, she knew what she was getting into. Monica and Enrique warned her what kind of fruit this Rodrigo Asvaldo was. And he himself, in general, did not build a good boy out of himself. So there is nothing to be surprised by meeting one of his passions in a nightly entertainment establishment. A colleague is a colleague. As you wish, Rodrigo, Julia decided to herself.

At that moment, young girls in colorful pareos appeared on the stage. Thin matter rose from graceful movements, exposing tanned shoulders, slender legs, flexible backs ... The muffled beat of drums and the reflections of fire on chocolate skin created the illusion of unreality, the fantastic nature of what was happening. Julia was bewitched, fascinated by the smooth movements of the dancers. They beckoned her into the unknown, full of passion and fire, promised eternal pleasure...

“I can see that you can't wait to dance,” said Rodrigo, noticing that Julia began to move involuntarily to the beat of the music. She fell into a semi-hypnotic, trance state.

Soon the same short man dressed as an islander appeared on the stage and announced something loudly. At that moment, many men and women jumped up from their tables and rushed to the stage.

- Let's go! - Rodrigo commanded and dragged Julia somewhere.

She did not understand where and why they were going, and she did not want to understand. The main thing is next to Rodrigo. All the rest is unimportant.

- Let's show them the class. Rodrigo raised his hand, summoning the shorty. He went up to them and wrote their names on a small tablet.

Julia looked at Rodrigo in bewilderment.

Don't worry. We'll just dance.

“I can't dance at all,” Julia protested.

— How is it? Rodrigo was surprised. - Everyone can dance.

- Apparently, I'm an exception. I didn't even dance at my high school prom.

Rodrigo smiled and pulled Julia towards him. She heard the beating of his heart, felt the heady aroma of his toilet water.

“Hulu is very easy to dance,” began Rodrigo. - You just need to move to the rhythm of the music and to the beat of your heart. Or rather, your heart itself will beat in unison with the drumbeat.

Julia shrugged her shoulders doubtfully and quietly asked:

“Why did he,” she pointed to the little man who was talking to another couple at that moment, “write down our names?”

— Well, how is it?! exclaimed Rodrigo in surprise. We are participating in the competition!

— In a contest? Why did I only find out about this now?

Julia was struck by his impudence and arbitrariness. Wow tricks: at first he asked for it to be my guide, now he has involved me in some incomprehensible competition. I can't even dance!

In fact, this circumstance irritated Julie the most. She was ashamed of her clumsiness on the dance floor, afraid to trample her partner's feet. Let those to whom it is given dance, but for herself Julia decided not to dance. Or rather, do not try, because she did not know how to dance anyway.

“There is nothing difficult about it,” Rodrigo reassured her. - Close eyes.

Julia followed his advice.

— Breathe evenly and deeply. Feel the breeze on your skin... in your hair... It's nicely cooling... Relax. Imagine that you are a palm tree swaying in the wind. Right-left, right-left… Like this. You are doing great.

Julia herself was surprised at how well she and Rodrigo moved. Their bodies almost intertwined in a dance. One burning touch, a collision - and back again. Julia lost control of her body. It seemed to take on a life of its own. Genuine life. It knew better than she herself what to do and why.

Rodrigo's strong hands glided over her back and thighs. Julia could feel the bulges of muscle under her fingers on his back... on his powerful neck. She ran her fingers through his soft hair, and suddenly she wanted to be alone with Rodrigo on the ocean. Julia dreamed of throwing off her dress and sandals, which in an instant became unnecessary. She continued to dance with her eyes closed, trusting in Rodrigo. This could go on indefinitely. Music. Dance. Awakened passion.

“Let's get out of here,” she whispered in Rodrigo's ear.

— Don't you want to wait for the announcement of the winners? he asked playfully.

— To hell with the winners! I want you.

Rodrigo whistled.

— Even so? I told you that hulu melts even the coldest hearts.

“And wakes up volcanoes,” Julia added.

"Don't mess with volcanoes," Rodrigo warned. - Hawaiians are afraid to once again even signal on the roads, so that God forbid not to disturb the beast sleeping in its muzzle.

“And I want to play a joke with your volcano,” Julia said defiantly, pressing her whole body against Rodrigo.

“Looks like it’s too late to run away,” Rodrigo said with mock sadness. Well, the ocean is waiting for us.

Julia opened her eyes and looked at the man with a look dark with desire. She did not see anyone around, only the lips of Rodrigo, which were approaching her lips. Julia lowered her eyelashes again. After a few seconds, she felt a demanding kiss. She parted her lips, passing Rodrigo's hot wet tongue further, into the languid captivity of her tender mouth. Their tongues intertwined. Julia lost track of time, enjoying sensual sensations.

Rodrigo suddenly pulled away. Julia opened her eyes in disappointment.

“Enough for the first time,” Rodrigo said hoarsely. We're in no hurry, are we?

Julia nodded in agreement. Yes, they have the whole night ahead of them. Then another day and another night ... For the first time she had the opportunity to slowly enjoy love and intimacy with a man. Usually in snatches, in small portions, she received love from Paul, who was always in a hurry to his wife. Now Julia had to determine for herself how much pleasure would be sufficient. However, Julia did not see the limit - she wanted to give herself to Rodrigo without a trace, to give him unearthly pleasure. And get nothing less.

They went to the beach, where the ocean roared mysteriously. Waves rolled onto the shore, throwing out small shells. Julia took off her sandals and walked barefoot across the soft white sand. She and Rodrigo were still holding hands. Julia felt some mysterious, magical unity with him. It seemed to her that she had known Rodrigo for an eternity, that they never parted and always loved each other as much as a person is capable of loving. Her love embraced the entire Universe, filled Julia's whole being with lightness and cosmic music. She did not walk along the beach, but hovered over the white sand, over the dark, wise waves of the ocean, over the majestic palm trees...

Read online Maeve's Three Wishes by Julie Berry - LitRes

Dedicated to my mother, Shirley Keith Gardner, that brave girl

Julie Berry

WISHES AND WELLINGTONS

Chapter 1

I have always preferred to solve problems with my fists. That's why my parents sent me to Miss Salamanca's school for well-mannered young ladies. That is why this morning Miss Bickle, the needlework teacher, sent me to the headmistress's office. It seemed I needed a reminder of how well-bred a young lady must be. I bet anything, soon this reminder will be imprinted on my back.

With the most innocent expression, I froze in a straight-backed chair in front of the table in Old Salamanca. I thought I was already well-bred. But judging by the headmistress's fixed gaze on me, our opinions did not coincide. It looks like even the puffs on the sleeves of her dress are puffed up with indignation.

“Miss Merritt,” Old Salamanca began. “Right now, this minute, young Miss Trezelton is lying in the infirmary with a piece of cold meat over her eye. What do you say to that?

What should I say? What do you deeply regret? Here are the boobies.

- I'll say she's lucky that it's meat and not liver.

Old Sally's frown deepened.

“His scent reminds me of home,” I explained. “Besides, the meat instantly cools the bruises.

The headmistress slapped the magazine with a flourish.

- Pupils of my school don't fight like street hooligans! Don't you think about your family at all? Do you care about your education?

I just shrugged. A family? My mother exiled me to this uninhabited island after fighting with the village boys. Actually, we usually got along, they just didn't like to lose to me at cricket. Right now, Mommy and the older sisters must be somewhat saddened by the state of their wardrobe. All but my dear Polly. She never wanted to be sent away.

Old Sally sighed, as Christian martyrs sighed before entering the arena with lions once again. Here we go again.

- Well, let's try differently. Miss Merritt, why did you hit Miss Trezelton in the eye?

No one needs a reason to shoot Teresa Trezelton in the eye - that would be an honest answer. She just walks into the room and it's done.

But Old Sally was hungry for facts, so I gladly gave them to her:

- Miss Trezelton stuck a needle in me. “Even the charming rich woman Teresa Trezelton with her chestnut curls will not get away with such a crime. - Fourth size.

All needles!

The headmistress sucked in a breath through her teeth.

– And where is it?..

I was carefully examining my nails, suddenly discovering that they were of great interest.

- At the needlework lesson.

– No, where is… the wound on your body?

I put on a puritanical look.

- In the place that-must-not-be-named.

Old Sally hit the magazine again with her fist.

- I won't let some girl talk to me like that! Drop your tricks, young lady. Where exactly did she stick the needle?

- Up my ass.

The headmistress sucked in air through her teeth again, so loudly that the whistle could have served as a beacon for ships in the fog of the English Channel.

- Maeve Merritt! Where did you pick up such words?

If I had become even a little more well-bred, the halo would have blinded those around me.

- And this does not concern you.

Chapter 2

Foul language. It was for him that I was deprived of two days of study, and I don’t care if I miss classes or fail my exams later. They put me in the garbage collection. According to Miss Salamanca, such an occupation would benefit my quarrelsome temper or something like that.

Like, since I'm behaving like a street ruff, talking like a street ruff, the street ruff is the very place at the garbage dump, at the same time I will taste how much I like it.

I didn't mind too much. Unless it smelled here.

Okay, I'm lying. Dismantling garbage I immediately hated. However, not in the way that Miss Gunterson hated French lessons.

The former governesses, even before my mother entrusted my upbringing to the boarding school, also tried to correct my character with punishments. It didn't work out. These ladies never stayed in their positions. All Miss umm and Miss Charlotte I chewed and spit out. Perhaps my days within the walls of Miss Salamanca's school are already numbered. If it were my choice, there wouldn't be any left.

It was a cold December day. The second day of garbage collection. The wind bit my stockinged legs, climbing up under my skirts. The sun was barely peeping through the thick clouds, sunset was approaching. Barely half an hour, and I'll be called to bathe and supper in the kitchen, away from the starched aprons and sensitive noses of the rest of the well-bred young ladies who have not stained themselves with punishment, at least so far.

Wearing rubber boots and heavy canvas gloves, I sifted through bins, rummaged through compost heaps, and peered down gutters, separating tins and trash that could be burned in the oven from fireplace ash and other garbage that the scavenger would pick up.

My face was covered with soot, it was as if a bucket of ashes had been poured into my lungs. His gloves were soaked with a slimy slurry of rotten apples and cabbage soup.

If I thought of running away into the winding streets and lanes of London and getting lost there, they would instantly find me: “Sergeant, a fugitive - a skinny girl of about thirteen, in rubber boots and a gray school uniform. It stinks like a compost heap."

A couple of times I wondered what Mom and Dad would say if they knew how they paid me to rummage through the trash, choosing cans and rags. My father has always been stingy.

He worked as a senior clerk, though not yet a board member, at the Archangel Michael Bank and Trust. And my mother, whose head is full of women's societies, buying hats and blowing dust off my older sisters Polydora, Deborah and Evangeline - "they will be married soon, thank heavens" - probably would not care much that I rummaged through the garbage. Of course, provided that our friends do not know about it.

Although my mother didn't talk much with Polydora. Polly isn't the type to talk to at all. Perhaps that is why I love her more than all the sisters. Polly is too sensible for empty nonsense. But Deborah and Evangeline ...

My older sisters were allowed to leave school at twelve. Mamma firmly believed that over-education ruined good girls. Dad's checkbook was all for it.

My parents used to say about me: a lively imagination must be encouraged and pacified, and as far away from home as possible, where I cannot shock the neighbors and disgrace my family with attacks from the bedroom window and insulting familiarity with the boys. Ball games, hopscotch, hoop and pebbles - especially with children not of their own circle - are a scandal and a sin. Well, if so, in the afterlife I will prefer fiery hell.

It's much better than playing with dolls and having tea parties with prim girls like the ones my mother hoped to teach me how to communicate with. The frivolous daughters of her chirping girlfriends.

- Come on, get moving! - From the window, opening the shutters, Mrs. Grubboyle (the cook and the damned death of all the school servants) stuck her red nose out to remind me that she did not take her eyes off me. Everything must be done before dinner.

The shutters have closed.

Suffering and adversity. That's why parents send their daughters to such boarding schools, where there are a lot of spiteful and bilious people. To poison young lives with a good portion of suffering. So rightly so parents that the money wasted!

Suddenly, on the other side of the alley, I noticed some movement. It turned out to be a frail red-haired boy who was watching me from behind the gate of his garden. An orphan from the Missionary Trade School and Orphanage for Boys. It's still a hole.

I frowned and threatened the bully with a rock. The redhead ducked and disappeared from view. We did not know him - I did not even know his name, but most of the orphans from the orphanage managed to find out about my accuracy. I overheard one of them say it's a pity I don't play cricket. If girls were allowed to participate, I would, according to him, become a good pitcher. Oh, if these boys knew!

But the weather in December was not conducive to cricket, and I had to finish my dirty work. Going to the next tank, I put my hand in the ashes, rummaged around and fished out something flat and heavy.

Canned sardines, sealed! Can't be. How did she end up in the trash? Our cook, Roughboy, was crazy about sardines. To be honest, she stank of fish spirit all the time. I can't imagine her throwing away a whole jar.

I shook the tin and carefully examined the lid. Under a layer of dirt, she was very beautiful, even enamelled. I've seen similar collectible cans in a greengrocer's display case. "Exotic Sultan's Sardines in Salted Oil, Produced by the Eastern Trading Company, Liverpool". With the hem of my skirt, I polished the jar to a shine to give it a decent look.

It seemed to me - I could almost swear - that the jar was moving in my hands.

- Hey, sardines, are you still swimming there? I asked aloud, rubbed the tin a little more and almost dropped it. “You see, well-bred girls from Miss Salamanca's school! I yelled, waving a can of sardines in front of a brick wall that opened onto an alley. - They made me work hard until a seventh sweat, they regretted the food! Yes, my hands are shaking because of you!

Mrs. Roughboy slammed the shutters in response.

I sat down on the back steps of the old pension. On impulse, I turned to look at the windows to make sure no one was watching me stealthily feast on sardines. I preferred them served with toasted bread smeared with butter and mustard, but my own fingers would do too. Roughboy, of course, didn't even think to call me for tea when they served the rest of the girls.

The canned food was newfangled - with a key on the lid. I have never opened a can like this. At home, all this was done by the cook. But I had a chance to watch her, so I removed the key, inserted the tongue of the cover into a small slot on it and began to twist it in the opposite direction.

The lid opened slightly, and thick sulfuric smoke poured out.

- Wow! I held my nose, brushing off the putrid stench. - Spoiled!

Smoke swirled over my head and poured out of the tin without ceasing. I threw it on the ground and began to disperse the stench with a scarf.

- Enough! roared a voice from the smoky plume.

I froze. Whoever it was sounded fierce. But not a single soul is nearby, only a poisonous cloud of mustard-yellow smoke. I pulled off my coat and started waving it around.

- I said stop! the voice growled. “Stop, oh wretch, or I’ll chop you up into little pieces and feed you to the sharks!”

I immediately shoved my hands into the sleeves. Whoever this voice belongs to, must be some murderer (a murderer from a can of sardines?), I think it's better to meet him warmly dressed, and not stiff from the cold.

– Who are you calling unhappy?! I cried. - You rotten fish head, and even badly brought up!

- Badly brought up? the voice roared again, as cold as the sea and full of contempt. “Where I come from, a girl with your manners would be skinned alive and eaten for dinner.

The smoke from the can began to swirl like a hurricane. The wind tore off the pieces and carried them away through the air, the bulk of them let out tendrils, trying in vain to pull the shreds back. I have never seen such a miracle in my life. Already in London - that's for sure, even though the capital was famous for its poisonous fumes.

- I was just about to treat you to evening tea - gobble it up with bones and skin. I would have done so, but it turned out that you are rotten.

Boiling with rage, he doused me with a fish spirit.

- Rancid? A mere mortal claims that I'm rotten? You humans are nothing but food for worms and vultures. I, Mermer, know only warriors and kings. Nobles and princes beg at my feet for mercy!

- What legs?

The smoke was already clearly taking on the outlines of a man. One could see something like a head, arms, a massive torso, but the legs narrowed into some kind of rope that tied the ghost to a can of sardines.

I knew! I knew! I wanted to scream, jump, dance a jig! I found him - he's mine, mine, mine! Genie from a jar! Why not? In our time, what is just not canned.

Genie, my own genie!

He was huge. Twice as much as any man. However, I grew up chasing the ball with the village boys, and from childhood I wound up on my mustache - big growth does not mean anything.

The genie thrashed about, stretching and making faces, twitching his cheeks and throwing his arms out to the side. It was as if his body had been molded from clay, and now, after being imprisoned in a tin, he was trying to give himself the right shape.

Oh, and this devil turned out to be ferocious in appearance! The skin was full of green and gray spots, ripples went through the body, like waves on the ocean in a thunderstorm. Spiky white eyebrows hung over greenish fish eyes that gleamed angrily. An incredibly absurd mustache - gray and long, curled in rings - hung below the chin. The huge head was round and bald, like a billiard ball.

He looked angry. Evil and ancient. Perhaps older than London, but it went back to the Romans themselves! However, there was not an ounce of senility in him: large green muscles were bulging with strength, although instead of legs he smoked only smoke.

“Mermer…” I drawled. - Funny name. But I know who you really are. You are a genie!

Mermer flared his nostrils and folded his mighty arms on his chest.

- Did I ask a man-cub to tell me who I am? Jean, you say? You don't know anything! He exhaled indignantly and looked down the alley. “Tell me,” demanded the genie, “what is this place?” Whose possessions? Say the name of your king and which year it is now!

I laughed out loud.

- And I don't know anything at all?

Mermer just gave me an angry look.

“We are in London, the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the great British Empire,” I explained with some pride.

“Britain…” the genie echoed.

- Our ruler, if you want to know, is Queen Victoria, God bless her, and the year is now eighteen hundred and ninety-six.

- One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six? The genie rolled his eyes. “Is that, as they say, according to Christian calculus?”

- Time flies fast, doesn't it? I grinned.

Don't know what year, wow!

- I slept for three hundred years! Mermer groaned. - And no one found me ... Wait a minute. You say your empire is ruled by a queen?

“God save her,” I immediately replied. - From the age of eighteen he rules!

- A woman? The genie grabbed his head. “A young woman… Oh heavens, no wonder the maidens have become so daring!” What kind of world is this?

Seems to me much more attractive than the one where Mermer comes from. However, let's get back to the point. Did the genie really think that he could confuse me and make me forget about the desired prey? He doesn't know Maeve Merritt very well!

“Be braver,” I demanded, “admit it.” You are a genie. The real one! I have read a lot about them. To the one who found you, you must fulfill three wishes. And I found you! So you are my property. Those are the rules.

Mermer darted towards me, and his gigantic face was inches from my face.

“Then make a wish, fledgling,” he said softly. - Think of the first one right now - the best you can think of.

He hovered over me, watching me carefully.

Make a wish right now? Why not? What to expect? Although… shouldn't we think things through first?

“Come on,” said the genie, “ask me for something. Are you not afraid? You're not some retarded brat who can't think of even the tiniest, pitiful wish, are you?

If Mermer had been some neighborhood boy or an orphan from the alley, his jaw would ache right now, and my fist would hurt. But punching a genie is probably not the best way to strike up a friendship.

Stroking my chin, I slowly walked around Mermer, pretending to make a wish, but really looking at the prey. He wore an iridescent fish-scale vest and an embroidered skirt fastened like a kilt at the waist. Over it, like a belt, a yellow silk sash is tied. A thick silver circlet dangled from her earlobe, and around her neck—I couldn't quite see it, but I could almost swear—a huge shark's tooth hung from a leather cord.

- Can't think of anything, can you? Mermer grinned, folding his powerful arms across his chest. "You don't have the guts to command me!"

The genie's full turquoise lips concealed sharp, shark-like teeth.

- How do I know if it's worth it? I asked. “How will I know that you really grant wishes?”

He bared his sharp fangs, snapped his fingers, and at the same moment a lean tiger appeared next to him, almost half the length of the alley. The tiger is ready to jump. Mermer glared at my face and frowned. He snapped his fingers again and the tiger disappeared. Now a cobra wriggled instead of him, a serpent's head with a swollen hood moving back and forth in a bewitching way.

Wow!

Realizing that I was not afraid at all, Mermer became angry. His eyes flashed evil sparks. Click! And the cobra turned into a giant boar with a rearing stubble on the back of its neck and a burning red eye.

I have never been so close to a bloodthirsty monster, except for Sister Evangeline, before she drank tea for breakfast.

- Brilliant! I exclaimed. – Can you conjure a bear?

Mermer's green face turned purple with rage.

- Stupid girl! Strong men tremble at the sight of my menagerie!

– Do you have an octopus?

But then Mrs. Roughboy slammed the shutters again and stuck her nose out the window. My heart sank. If at least someone from Miss Salamanca's school sees my green giant, they will certainly wish to appropriate it! And he is mine! I've been rummaging through the trash all day, I've found a genie, and now I won't let him slip away.

But Mrs. Roughboy was not in the habit of looking down the street. A half-naked bald giant with green skin hovered above the ground, the cook noticed him out of the corner of her eye, but did not consider him worthy of interest. Adults are all like that: they will not allow even the thought of something impossible.

Roughboy turned her nose and frowned. To whom it is said - remove all these tins and go to wash. She slammed the shutters again.

Mermer, a kind of peacock, seems offended that he was not noticed.

“You'd better get into the jar,” I told him. - We'll talk later.

“But I won’t get in,” the genie extended his huge hands, girded with rings of dark blue and green tattoos. “I don't want to talk to you anymore.

I ducked under it, grabbed the tin and started to turn the key in the opposite direction, unwinding the lid. If you open ordinary canned food, it will no longer be possible to seal them, but I took a chance to try - what if this jar is different?

And she was right. The jar began to close, pulling Mermer inside.

Stop it! The genie puffed up even more and hovered over me, glaring at me with green fish eyes. He clenched his fists and his muscles bulged menacingly. “I warn you, little bird, beware my wrath!” A thousand lives are not enough to make Mermer forget about...

But then a jet of smoke pulled the genie into the tin, like a sea rope pulling an anchor on a reel. The green body again turned into a yellow fumes, it was sucked into the jar, the lid slammed shut, the key returned to its place, and the canned food became as good as new.

I put the jar in my pocket and ran to school.

Chapter 3

– Come on, turn away, ladies. Dirty-Maeve goes for water and a stale crust! I proclaimed, holding my nose high, mimicking Teresa Trezelton.

That's what Teresa would look like if she knew what I was hiding in my pocket.

Dinner is over. The girls gathered in the living room on the third floor, in the common hall where the seventh grade bedrooms were located. Sitting beside the kitchen sink, I ate my portion: unoiled potatoes and a barely warm chicken wing, a reminder of my humiliating disgrace. From the dining room came the smell of piping hot mashed chicken, gravy and hot apple pie.

Don't care. Food did not excite me: my head was occupied with an amazing discovery. Genie! Here in London in 1896. So much for ... The world was on the threshold of the twentieth century, and I found a genie. Just like in the Thousand and One Nights fairy tales. How many times have I read the gilded volume of Polly and envied Aladdin!

After washing the dishes, I went up the stairs. In the living room, I ran into Teresa, who was sitting surrounded by her retinue.

Teresa's father ran a large shipping company, which put him on a par with the lords in terms of wealth and guaranteed Mr. Trezelton's daughter the position of the most obnoxious and at the same time the most desirable student in any boarding school in Britain, except for those where the daughters of real lords were sent .

Teresa's bruise changed from black and purple to just purple with a yellowish border. She looked like the pansies in the wallpaper in Miss Salamanca's office.

“Maeve Merritt,” Teresa purred and smiled sickly. “Poor thing, you spend two days digging through the garbage. And all because you were never taught manners befitting a young lady.

Favorites followed suit.

“So kind of you to feel sorry for me, dear,” I chuckled. “You should be the one to feel sorry for, Miss Fingal.

Teresa jumped up from her chair.

- Take back your words immediately!

- I don't think so.

Her hands clenched into fists.

- You owe me a bruise! Teresa exclaimed, and in response, I stuck out my chin so that it would be easier for her to hit me.

- Come on. I will stand still.

I knew she would never dare.

Teresa was seething with anger, her lower lip glistening with saliva. The girl looked at her fist, as if she had already peeled it off my jaw, and then unclenched her hand.

“You are disgusting anyway,” she said. “Just look at yourself. Dirty like a chimney sweep.

“Even more disgusting,” said Honoria Brisbane, Teresa’s chief hanger-on, a snooty girl with a narrow, weasel-like face. - Chimney sweeps don't stink of slop.

- Did you sniff the chimney sweep, Honoria? I pretended to be surprised. - Nice company you have! Good night lady. I'm going to take a bath and go to bed. Do not erase your tongues about gossip.

Leaving the living room, I went to my bedroom. I know I was being more brash than I should have been, asking for retribution—I would probably get revenge while I was taking a bath—but the thought of the all-powerful genie in my pocket gave me courage. Let Teresa, Honoria and the others steal all my stockings and petticoats - think about it! My genie will conjure me clothes worthy of a queen herself, and even better, a man's suit for an expedition into the jungle. O! Great idea to wear pants. What a scandal! However, then I thought it over carefully and came to the conclusion: if Mermer can only fulfill my three wishes, it’s not worth wasting one of them on some rags.

So, just in case Teresa and Honoria had ill intentions, I stuffed my bag with my belongings and took it to the bathroom, where I could lock myself from the inside while washing.