Some of you seem to have a little pity for Norm considering how much Timmy Turner's interactions with the girl would interfere with his revenge plans. Others are simply happy with the idea of Amanda meeting the boy and how they seem to be getting along. Either way, you seem to be enjoying where the story is going and I hope you continue to like it. I have plans in mind. In fact, I have an idea for the future of this story that I doubt that anyone has ever decided to try before. But we have some time before that particular event comes to pass.

Norm began to truly wonder if concepts like karma were real. He knew that humans who tried to abuse his magic tended to suffer for it, but that wasn't karma so much as it was him. But he was beginning to seriously wonder if things like his continued feud with all things Canadian or his manipulation of some of the less selfish masters was coming back to haunt him.

He could blame bad luck on Amanda moving to Dimmsdale. And her going to the same elementary school could be explained by her age. But, while watching her from a distance and seriously considering turning the grey boy into a ferret, things swiftly progressed from possible coincidence to "oh, you have got to be kidding me."

Turner. Amanda had met the enemy and, even worse, they seemed to be getting along. How could his luck be this bad? He wanted to keep his revenge plans separated from his hobbies, but now they were simply walking down the street together.

Wearing a trench coat and fedora, the genie carefully floated after them at a reasonable distance. He probably looked like a creepy stalker, but no one would automatically assume he was a magical creature. Even though he couldn't spot his godparents at the moment, Norm knew they were there and he wanted to avoid them noticing his presence. As long as Turner and fairies didn't identify him, he didn't really care what anyone else thought of him.

From what he could hear, the trio of boys was describing a number of things at the school to beware of. Most seemed to be common sense statements, like leaving the popular kids alone, don't eat the mystery meat, and staying away from anyone with a grey complexion and ape-like physique. Then a particular name caught his attention.

"And always stay away from Mr. Crocker on March 15," Turner stated firmly.

Chester added, "Or just avoid him all the time."

Even though the blond boy had ruined his last attempt at revenge against the bucked-toothed loser, Norm didn't hold much of a grudge against that particular past master. He made a good pawn, overall, and the genie should have kept closer tabs on the kid with the lamp. Besides, most of his plan had unraveled by the time Chester made his final wish anyway. His attempt at freedom by becoming a godparent had already failed, so he only messed up the "revenge on Turner" aspect. And Norm was more willing to let a little thing like halting a vengeance scheme than he would someone stopping his bid for freedom like Turner did. Thus, Chester did not end up on his hit list.

"Why do I need to avoid him?" Amanda asked quietly.

The third boy explained, "He's crazy. Mr. Crocker is obsessed with proving his completely-bonkers idea that fairies are real."

Laughing slightly, Chester continued, "He really believes they're real and keeps trying to catch one. And he keeps targeting Timmy with his insane plans because he's positive Timmy has some."

The brunette boy chuckled nervously, "Yeah, how crazy does that sound?"

"Oh…," mumbled the girl, adopting a rather thoughtful expression.

At that moment, the genie realized that they would be having another uncomfortable conversation in the near future. She was a clever and curious child. She would want to know if Timmy had fairies and would wonder if Norm knew anything about it. And, upon reflection, the genie could almost remember saying Crocker's name around her. If she recognized the name, it would raise even more questions.

Norm allowed himself to fall back further, increasing the distance between him and the group of children. Once he felt that he was far enough away, he snapped his fingers. He would wait in her room and try to figure out what to say.

As they reached one intersection, their group split in half. Chester and AJ had to head to their respective homes and Timmy, upon inquiring about the quiet girl's address, found out that Amanda's residence wasn't too far out of his way. Rather than let her wander around a strange town on her own, the boy decided to walk the rest of the way with her. Besides, he could always have Cosmo and Wanda poof him back home when he was done.

Timmy glanced at the brunette girl who was staring at the ground. Conversation with her had been difficult so far. Beyond the occasional question, she'd remained silent for much of the trip. It wasn't the quiet of being ignored, such as Trixie Tang generally employed. It was more of a shy and uncertain silence.

"Um… I guess you miss your friends back in Shadowville," he began uneasily, trying to get a response.

"I didn't really have any friends," she responded after a moment. "No one would want to be one with me."

"What? What do you mean you didn't have any friends?" asked Timmy in shock. "Even Tootie has friends and her sister scares off everyone."

Amanda glanced at him momentarily, "Why would I have them? I'm not special enough. I haven't done anything to deserve them. Some people are simply not meant to have friends."

He didn't have to look at the disguised fairies to know they were equally stunned by her statement. It was a depressing thought. What kind of person would come up with that? It was almost as bad as the time Timmy wished himself out of existence and Jorgen tried to convince him that the world would be better off without a certain pink-hatted boy as some kind of freaky test.

"That's just stupid," he stated. "I just met you and I can't see any reason why you shouldn't have friends. You're kind of quiet and don't have the sense to run away, but compared to Vicky or Crocker, you've got great people skills. Haven't you ever had a friend?"

This time, she hesitated as she remarked, "Not… really, but… there is someone who's sort of like… I like him and enjoy spending time with him… and we do stuff together and talk… even if he doesn't have to be there… He's great, but… I don't know if…"

"Well, he sure sounds like a friend," pointed out Timmy, interrupting her disjointed explanation. "And, if you don't have a lot of friends to pick from, that means he also qualifies as your best friend. Which means you're wrong about not having friends."

"But I… he… would he really… best friend?" she stammered.

"And, since I just risked getting beat up by Francis to save you," added Timmy after an encouraging look from his pink pen, "I think that it only makes sense that I add you to my list of back-up friends. On a trial basis."

This time, Amanda stopped dead in her tracks. The boy was just glad they weren't crossing the street when she froze. Judging by the absolutely astonished expression, she would likely not even move if she ended up in the middle of traffic. Her eyes were at least off the ground now. Instead, she was staring at him.

"But… why would you… want me around?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You seem like a nice enough person and it's only a trial basis. If you start stalking me or trying to make me your boyfriend, I'll do my best to avoid you. But, otherwise, it might be fun," he explained.

"I…," she began before relaxing from her stunned expression. The girl gave a slight smile, "Thank you."

As they began walking again, Timmy heard Wanda state quietly, "That was very sweet of you, Sport. I'm proud of you."

The boy gave a small smile at the comment. Amanda seemed like a decent person and it wouldn't kill him to add another back-up friend. Elmer and Sanjay could argue out where she fit into the exact rankings later. As long as she didn't try to be his girlfriend or anything weird like that, everything should be fine.

After traveling a few more blocks in silence, Amanda abruptly commented, "I think we're here."

The house they stopped in front of was a nice one. It wasn't at the same level as Trixie's, but it was still of reasonable size and certainly more expensive than his own home. The white building reminded him a little bit of AJ's house in style. The hedges were perfectly trimmed and neat, giving the place a rather orderly appearance. Still resting on the lawn was a "sold" sign that looked a lot like the ones his mom used.

"This is where you live?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes. Thank you for walking me home and for… everything."

"No problem. See you later."

Amanda gave a small smile before running towards the front door. As soon as she was inside and the coast was clear, Timmy looked at the disguised fairies.

"I wish I was home."

The girl practically sprinted for her room. She couldn't believe it. He wanted her to be his friend. It didn't matter that it was a trial basis or that she was a back-up friend. This was still far more than she ever dreamed possible. Even discovering that a genie lived in the lava lamp in her backpack and learning about the numerous magical creatures that existed just out of sight were easier concepts for the child to accept. She'd just gained something she'd never hoped to possess and Timmy offered this precious gift, friendship, as it if was no big deal.

And he even suggested that she already had a friend. She didn't say Norm's name or described anything specific about him, but what she did mention about him was apparently enough for the boy to declare that the genie was her friend. She already decided months ago that she was his friend, but Timmy seemed to think that Norm was her friend back. Amanda didn't' know how true that statement might be, but the brunette boy probably knew far more about friendship than she would and it would likely be best to trust his judgment in this case. Besides, if he was right, that meant she could consider Norm her first and best friend.

Opening the door to her room, she found the genie already floating above her bed. His shades were pushed up high enough that she couldn't see his eyes and he was leaning back in a rather relaxed position. As she stepped inside, he sat up and turned towards her.

"Hey, kid," he greeted casually. "You look rather happy today. Be careful or else your face will freeze with that grin on it. And you'll be stuck with a career as a clown."

She giggled slightly, "Sorry, Norm, but something really good happened today. I met a boy."

"Should I send out the wedding invitations, then?" he asked dryly.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's too old. But… he said I could be his friend. A back-up friend on a trial basis, but that still means he wants me to be his friend," she explained excitedly. "Can you believe it?"

"No," answered the genie in a tone that could only be described as pure and concentrated deadpan. "I don't believe it."

"His name is Timmy and he wears a pink hat," she explained. "He helped me escape a bully and walked home with me. And he and his friends were talking about all sorts of different things like their teacher, Mr. Crocker." She paused, a previous thought she'd had pushing its way through her enthusiasm. "Hey, Norm? Didn't you mention a Crocker once?"

"Yeah, he was one of my old masters. Hunchbacked, obsessive, not very bright, and completely annoying due to the fact he always insisted in ignoring the easy and obvious options," remarked the floating magical creature.

"Could Timmy's teacher be the same man?" the girl asked, pulling the lamp out of her backpack.

"Afraid so," he answered. "I actually spent quite a bit of time in Dimmsdale at a certain point, even if most of my past masters won't remember. Their third wish tends to undo everything, including rubbing the lava lamp in the first place. Crocker should still remember me. As should Timmy Turner."

"You know Timmy?" Amanda asked in amazement. "Did he used to have your lamp?"

This time, Norm was speaking slowly and cautiously. It seemed as if the genie was considering each word carefully to ensure he didn't say the wrong thing.

"Yes, he possessed the lava lamp for a short time and I met the boy. I even granted his wishes. But we didn't… we didn't quite part on the best of terms in the end. Last time we ran into each other, things didn't go smoothly between us."

The girl felt concerned by this statement and inquired with equal care, "What happened?"

"It's a long story," he remarked, adjusting his shades a little to look at her. "But the best thing for everyone would be for him to not find out I'm back in town. Okay?"

She wanted to ask again what happened. What could have happened between the genie and the nice boy she met today? But Norm didn't want to tell her, so she wouldn't ask again.

There was one important question she needed an answer to, however. This one she was a little nervous about, taking her time to place the lava lamp on her side table in order to put off asking as long as possible. If Norm said "yes," she would go ahead with the plan. Regardless of what she might want, it was far more important to do what is best.

"Do you… do you want me to stay away from him, Norm?" the girl asked. "I will, if you want me to. I… I won't mind."

The look the genie gave her seemed to be an odd mixture of surprise and something else she couldn't quite identify before he shoved his sunglasses back into place to hide his eyes. He didn't immediately respond. She waited patiently for his answer.

"No, don't do that," he finally stated, his tone as strange as his expression. "You…. You shouldn't give up your friend. Just because we're not on the best of terms doesn't mean he can't be friends with you. Just don't tell him about me."

"Okay," Amanda smiled, feeling rather relieved. "If you say so."

"Well, now that we have that taken care of, how about I go grab us some pizza?" suggest Norm.

As soon as she nodded, he snapped his fingers and vanished with a gong.

He couldn't get away fast enough. It had been awhile since the last time he'd wanted to escape a location and a specific person this badly. Not even the time when Amanda started inquiring too deeply into the relationship between fairies and genies did he feel this level of desperation to get away. He couldn't believe the power this child held over him, how she could twist those treacherous emotions into a painful tool with just a few words. He'd entered into the conversation with the knowledge that it would be difficult, but he'd been nowhere near prepared for turn it took near the end.

Amanda claimed months ago, back when he didn't understand the odd girl fully and held no concerns about her emotional responses, that the only thing she truly wanted was a friend. Not someone compelled by magic to act as a companion, but someone who actually liked her and honestly wanted her friendship. When offered the magical potential of a genie, that single concept was the only thing she desired. The lonely child wanted a friend and, even without the use of magic, she managed to gain one.

And then, after obtaining her one desire, the girl offered to give up her new friend without any argument or even any prompting. Because of him. She was willing to stay away from Timmy Turner simply because Norm told her they didn't get along. The idea that she would give up what she wanted more than anything simply because of him only served to prove beyond even the most stubborn doubt that the child was nothing like any other human being. The kid truly cared about him.

The smart thing would have been to say yes. If the two of them remained in close proximity, if they were friends, it would be even harder to keep Amanda out of his revenge. The genie's life would be so much easier if he just accepted her offer. And it wasn't even like he was asking her to do this; the girl was the one who made the suggestion.

But the second he even heard her unbelievable offer, Norm was hit by a combination of shock, guilt, and something else that left him feeling a little happy and very miserable at the same time. Even considering taking up her up on her suggestion caused a painful lump to inexplicably form in his throat. He only regained his ability to speak when he chose to tell Amanda not to sacrifice her happiness because of him. All of his past arguments that he didn't truly care about her, that his continued presence in her life was merely due to him being interesting, and that he viewed her in the same light as he would a fun hobby or a clever pet were beginning to sound hollow and false even to his own ears. You didn't have this type of reaction when you didn't have a real attachment to them.

"Caring about my master? Liking the kid?" he muttered, floating above the Atlantic Ocean. He'd gone to the first isolated location that popped into his head, more concerned about being alone than having a real destination. "I am one messed-up, disgrace of a genie. On the other hand, I'm well on my way towards turning into a dumb, annoying fairy with all this behavior." He shook his head at the thought, "Figures that I'd start thinking and acting like one of those wand waving godparents after I lose the job."

He knew that he could float out here all night, trying to sort out everything. He also knew that any answers he devised concerning Amanda, Turner, and the entire mess would not be very helpful. Besides, he was supposed to be doing something else at the moment.

Producing a cell phone with a quick gong, Norm quickly dialed and began, "Hey, Papa Jingle's? I'd like to place an order for pick-up."

"I wonder what Timmy wanted to tell us, Elmer," the dark-haired boy remarked. "I'm sure that his news will be most exciting."

The other boy shrugged, "I don't know, Sanjay. Maybe he has an activity coming up that Chester and AJ won't be able to attend."

"A chance to spend quality time with Timmy? Oh, that is definitely most exciting. I hope you are right," grinned Sanjay. "I can think of no better way to spend a day than with him."

The two boys, the absolutely bottom rungs of the social hierarchy, were waiting on the bus for him. They'd been surprised to receive an e-mail from Timmy, but neither the bespectacled youth with the yellow shirt nor the bespectacled boy with the large boil would ever give up a chance to be included in something.

"I think that taking over the word would be better," the boil muttered into Elmer's mind.

He knew that the boils should not be considered as their own entity. No one else he knew with such blemishes, like his parent, gave them a name, let alone believed that they could think and share their thoughts. Bob, his boil, was not normal. Elmer could hear his thoughts and knew he wanted to take over the world. He didn't like it when Bob declared his evil thoughts in his head, but he'd been the closest thing the boy used to have as a friend prior to his short time as the substitute Timmy and he was still a rather reliable ally. As long as he ignored the fact that Bob tried to control his mind sometimes, it wasn't too bad.

"Hey, guys," greeted the pink-hatted boy, taking the seat across the aisle from them. "I just thought I would let you both know that I've decided to add a new member to my back-up friends. On a trial basis."

"What? Why, Timmy? Are you demoting one of us?" asked Sanjay in horror.

"No, nothing like that," he answered swiftly. "There's just a new student. She needed a little help and I thought giving her this chance would be best."

Elmer inquired, "A girl? Is this anything like your attempts to get Trixie's attention?"

"No, she's just a kid," he responded. "She's like seven or eight."

"Okay, but why is she in the same category as us? She's younger than us and she's a girl," pointed out Sanjay. "There should be a different category for her."

"We do have our pride," continued Elmer. "We earned our place as your back-up friends. She can't just come in here and try to steal our spot. Can she?"

"Fine, I'll organize my entire friendship set-up by gender as well as closeness," sighed Timmy. "I don't see the big deal. Especially since she's on a trial basis."

Sanjay explained simply, "It is the principle of the thing. We do not need extra competition."

"We could take her out of the picture," muttered Bob, but only Elmer could hear his idea.

At the next bus stop, Timmy stood up and waved towards the girl who was stepping onto the vehicle. She looked nervous, but she sat beside the bucked-tooth boy. She tugged at her turtleneck slightly and seemed to be staring at the ground a lot, but she didn't seem to be a real threat to their friendship with Timmy. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. He'd worked hard to get ahead of Sanjay in the first place and he didn't want to lose that position.

"Everyone, this is Amanda," Timmy introduced. "Amanda, these are my other back-up friends.

"I am Sanjay," the dark-haired boy proclaimed.

"My name is Elmer," remarked the other child. "And this is my boil, Bob."

In a quiet voice, the girl responded, "It's nice to meet you."

"Once I take over, it won't be so nice," Bob commented, making Elmer grimace. "I will enslave or destroy all of you. And I will sing opera as I conquer."

He watched as she stepped off the bus and headed for the school. Amanda was with Turner and two other boys that Norm instantly labeled as complete losers. Two more, Chester and the bald boy from the day before, quickly joined them. As nervous as she looked, the girl also looked kind of happy to be with them. The kid deserved friends, even if the genie didn't particularly like her choices.

From his position across the street, he could see them perfectly and he was even able to spot the oddly-colored squirrels that quickly scurried over to Turner. Keeping a close eye on the boy and his fairies was rather important if he had any hope to get revenge. But he did experience a moment of shock when he spotted a pink, a green, and a purple squirrel near the kid.

A third fairy? A smaller and purple one? Norm began to wonder if he should have read Turner's file more closely rather than merely skimming. The fact there was a third, smaller fairy present, and because he highly doubted Jorgen would assign another one to the boy, meant that it there was a good chance that the new addition was younger. As in very young. The godparents might be actual parents now.

That was not good. Even if fairies weren't the most threatening opponents, they tended to be more dangerous when their god-kids were in trouble. It was some type of protective parental instinct similar to why you don't mess with a mother bear's cubs. He was already running that risk by targeting Turner. If he put both their godchild and their actual child, or if they even thought they were being threatened, he could end up with a pair of very angry fairies and at least one of them wasn't a complete idiot.

"Aw, fez," he muttered in frustration. "Why is getting a little revenge so hard?"

Principal Waxelplax was about to head for her office, and the delicious jelly donut that was waiting for her, when something odd across the street caught her eye. A mysterious man seemed to be just standing there, watching the young children as they headed towards the school. He was wearing a dark trench coat and fedora, hiding most of his features from sight. There was no real way to identify the strange individual who was watching the innocent children because of his unusual outfit, but the red-haired woman had her suspicions. There was really only one reason that she could think of to explain his presence. He was crazy. And if he was crazy, that lead to one logical conclusion.

"Crocker must be working on a new disguise," she decided. "Well, at least he isn't screaming about fairies at the moment. Time for the jelly."

All thoughts other than those concerning the delicious donut were instantly banished from her mind. Any concerns about making certain of the mysterious man's identity or how it almost looked like he was floating could not compete with the wonderful jelly-filled goodness. And the food definitely beat out the odd observation that he seemed to vanish or the unexplained cymbal gong.

And now we have a few more familiar characters for your enjoyment. I definitely had fun adding Bob into the story briefly since he's a weird character even for this show. Tossing in Timmy's back-up friends and Principal Waxelplax was also a nice moment for me. I like adding little references to different moments from the show.

I hope you are enjoying things so far. I definitely love the feedback so far and hope that you'll keep reading and reviewing. Thanks!