if i got three wishes, first i'd find out all about how wishes work

[self_composed]

Bella brings two blank notebooks to school the next day. Her old one is safely computerized and boxed up with its predecessors.

At lunch, she sits with Angela; Jessica and Eric and Lauren sit at the same table but mostly talk to each other, and Mike is nowhere to be seen.

Bella is just about on time to gym, thanks to an overnight icing that means she has to pick her way with extreme care across the slippery grass or the slick sidewalks. The second time she falls down, she gives up on attempting any dignity at all, and, cradling her thwacked elbow, scoots the rest of the way to the gym on her rear. This leaves her with damp jeans but no further injuries, and they were a little damp anyway from the falls.

She doesn't have time to do more than smile and wave at Alice on her way to get her mat and get out of the way of careening balls. She spends the class doing the subset of her safe activities that won't stress her elbow.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

It is exactly that nice.

"You're the best, Hilary," Alice declares after his first bite.

Hilary beams. Smugly. "I know."

[self_composed]

Bella giggles around a mouthful of spaghetti and nods enthusiastically.

[edgeofyourseat]

Dinner ensues. Apparently everyone is too busy with the deliciousness to talk much, because the conversation is almost nonexistent.

When all plates are empty and no one is eyeing the pot for seconds, thirds, fourths, or fifths, Hilary gets up to go fetch the cake. Contrary to last time, she serves it right at the table, which means everyone gets to request the size of their slice.

"Judith?"

Mrs. Hammond eyes the cake with mild trepidation. "Ooh, just a little one, please."

"There you go. Laney?"

He measures out dimensions in the air that amount to twice the cake his mother got.

"Done deal, you glutton. Bella?"

[self_composed]

"Mmm... I can take some home, you said. So somewhere between those two sizes."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Your wish is my command," says Hilary, causing Alice to giggle uncontrollably.

[self_composed]

Bella takes only a moment to grin at Alice before taking her first bite of cake. And oh, it is an evil cake.

[edgeofyourseat]

It is evilly delicious.

Hilary takes a slice about the size of Bella's and sits down again.

[self_composed]

Om nom nom nom.

"This is the best thing," Bella announces.

[edgeofyourseat]

"It's pretty fucking good," Alice concurs. His mother rolls her eyes, but doesn't caution him about his language.

[self_composed]

"How much of it can I bring with me?" Bella asks. "I'm sure my dad will love it too."

[edgeofyourseat]

"In that case, half," says Hilary. "Of what's left."

[self_composed]

Bella is very pleased with this.

She finishes her slice and looks at Alice to see if he's still working on his.

[edgeofyourseat]

Yes.

And then, very shortly, no.

[self_composed]

"Up we go again?" Bella asks. She doubts that rules about asking to be excused apply when Mr. Hammond is gone.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Sure!" says Alice. "Bye guys!"

With a general wave, he departs the table. "Have fun," Mrs. Hammond calls after them, to a snort from Hilary.

[self_composed]

Bella snickers. And goes up the stairs.

Back in the privacy of Alice's room, Bella says, "I shouldn't stay very late. Charlie'll worry. But let's think if there are any more urgent pentagon-level things to do besides the necklace. And..." She takes off one of her shoes and peels back her sock, revealing accumulated triangles. She puts them with the others.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Nice," says Alice, perching on a corner of his bed. "Okay, so what kind of stuff would be urgent?"

[self_composed]

"Well, for example," Bella says, "it might turn out that the cipher is really complicated and takes me weeks to crack, or heavy-duty magic that I'm not currently ready to generate. You might want the pentagon for emergencies during that time. I'll give you some squares and triangles either way. In case you need them," she adds softly.

[edgeofyourseat]

That... is way more unexpected than it should have been.

Alice smiles.

"Thanks."

[self_composed]

"How long is he going to be gone?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"'Bout a week."

[self_composed]

"Mkay." Bella closes her eyes. "I wonder if the triangles can make any amount of progress on the cipher? If so I can probably do the whole thing with a pair of tweezers pulling out leg hairs or something. I honestly know nothing about cryptanalysis." She picks up one of the triangles that she brought into existence near her foot, and pulls out Elias's book and turns to the cipher/map.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice watches curiously.

[self_composed]

Bella tries a series of wishes regarding the cipher on her triangle. Wishes for this letter to be decrypted - wishes for the cipher key - wishes for a hint, a clue, for a single pixel of same to appear on the page.

The triangle stays put.

"So much for that." She puts it away and takes out a square.

[edgeofyourseat]

"I wonder if it's even solvable," says Alice. "...I wonder if you could use a wish to check. How big a thing is the answer to a question?"