unconsciousness would be an undesirable outcome

[self_composed]

On Sunday, Bella drives to the movie theater with Angela in tow, and her car breaks on the way home from Angela's house. She calls a tow truck, and calls her dad, and she goes home in the cop car and her station wagon goes on vacation to the mechanic.

On Monday, Charlie drives Bella to school.

As she's been discharged from the car and Charlie pulls away, a van driven by a panicking teenager screams out of nowhere towards Bella.

Making wishes is easy.

It is not automatic. It is not instantaneous.

The van creams Bella, good and proper.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

"Pasta does!" he says, sitting up and collecting his fallen pentagons. "And I made hexes."

[self_composed]

"Oooah," yawns Bella, looking appreciatively at the hexes. She peers at the stove to see if it's a mess or not. "Have fun with that?

[edgeofyourseat]

"You bet I did," he sighs.

The stove definitely looks like things were burned on it. Mostly not recognizable things, however.

"I hexed myself healing powers but the rest are for you if you want 'em," he adds, scooting toward her chair and offering up his double handful of black, glimmering pentagons.

[self_composed]

"Took me this long to think of the fact that hex sounds like a kinda spell," says Bella. She triangles away the mess on the stove and accepts the pentagons. "Thanks! The other heap of hexes too? Don't want to gratuitously waste squares moving them on and off."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Count 'em first, maybe," he says. "I think there might be a hex in there, but it's mostly pentagons. And sure, you can have 'em all."

He dusts himself off and gets to his feet, grinning, to grab the four hexagons off the counter and hand them over. There is indeed one more among the dozen pentagons he gave her.

[self_composed]

"You know, I can still see them once they're on here," Bella says. "I can count 'em on as well as off." She wishes all the new coins onto her necklace, and then sniffs the air, and then triangles away the burning smell. "Paaaaasta."

She is obviously still very tired.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Pasta!" he agrees. "Isn't it easier to count 'em when they're off, though?"

[self_composed]

"I guess in large quantities I could sort 'em into piles, but in large quantities seems pretty safe to just know that there's lots," Bella mumbles into her elbow. She lifts up her head again. "Plates're in the cupboard above the sink."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Wonder what happens if you run out of room," he muses, grabbing a pair of plates and trying drawers until he finds cutlery.

[self_composed]

"Necklace'll expand, 'cause I am smart," she says. "'f it gets too heavy I can unshrink Elias's treasure chest. Or just make heaps an' heaps of wishes."

[edgeofyourseat]

"You are smart," says Alice. "I love you and your smarts." He deposits a plate in front of her. "Pasta!"

[self_composed]

"Oh, or, and I could make the necklace lighter by magic," Bella says, gesturing and looking around for a fork. "Forks're in the drawer by the - oh, you found 'em. Cups're in the cupboard left of the plates." She's clearly in no condition to get up and fetch a beverage; she looks reasonably likely to fall asleep in her pasta. She takes a bite of the pasta instead. "Mm."

[edgeofyourseat]

"You are so cute," says Alice. "I kind of wanna pet you."

He grabs two cups, since she mentioned them.

"Somethin' to drink?"

[self_composed]

"Water," Bella yawns. "You can pet my hair if y'want, 's only fair." Pasta, pasta, pasta.

[edgeofyourseat]

Bella can have water, then! From the tap, since she didn't specify. Alice gets himself the same thing, brings his cup and plate to the table, leans over her, and gently ruffles her hair.

[self_composed]

Bella sighs in tired contentment as she eats and sips at her water.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice scarfs down his pasta roughly twice as fast as she does.

"You gonna go nap when you're done with that?" he inquires. "Should I clear out?"

[self_composed]

"Probably will nap. Whatever you wanna do, but it's probably boring here," yawns Bella. "This is pretty tasty."

[edgeofyourseat]

"If I get bored I'll just hurt myself some more," he says cheerfully.

[self_composed]

"Don't let Charlie walk in on you doing that. He'll get home at, like... seven."

She finishes her pasta and finishes her water. "I wonder if it'd be dumb to magically teleport upstairs instead of getting off my butt and walking."

[edgeofyourseat]

"I could carry you," Alice offers.

[self_composed]

"Really?" Bella asks, skeptical.

[edgeofyourseat]

"...yeah," he says.

[self_composed]

"Do you like, lift weights while skipping school? 'Cause one time I asked you what you do and I don't remember that one."

[edgeofyourseat]

"No, but I bet I can still pick you up," he says, shrugging.