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]

"That is adorable and kind of horrifying," says Alice. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"

[self_composed]

"Talking mini-pies are horrifying? They were super cute," says Bella. "And yeah, you do that like five times a day."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yeah, they're super cute," he says. "Until somebody eats them."

[self_composed]

"Well, no one ate them in my dream," Bella says firmly. "They just happened to be pies, that's all. I mean, someone could eat you. No one's likely to."

[edgeofyourseat]

...Alice ponders this eventuality.

"Okay, that's hot," he says.

[self_composed]

"Everything is hot," Bella says, rolling her eyes, "according to you." She looks at her clock-radio. "I should start dinner. You sticking around or are you hieing home to the siren call of Hilary's food?" She pauses. "Also, was Theo terribly confused when he arrived at school and does your mom know where you are and is she likely to worry?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"I thought of that one myself, actually. I called Mom and said I'm at a friend's place and she told me to have fun and call her if I need a ride. Pretty sure she thinks I skipped school to get laid."

[self_composed]

Bella laughs. "I wonder what she'd think of the truth if she knew it."

Pause.

"Speaking of which," Bella says. "What are you going to do... in a few days?"

[edgeofyourseat]

He opens his mouth.

He closes his mouth.

"...how about I come over tomorrow or something," he says, "and we figure out a plan that's not wishing him off a cliff. Since you don't want me to do that."

[self_composed]

Bella nods. "I do have a couple weeks off from school, conveniently enough."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yeah. Is it weird that I'm glad you got hit by a car? 'Cause I'm glad you got hit by a car," he says.

[self_composed]

"I wish I had been slightly less hit by a car," Bella says consideringly. "It would have been much better if I could have stayed conscious, made the hex, and then healed myself before anyone got to me."

[edgeofyourseat]

"...yeah," says Alice, "probably. On the other hand, this way you get plenty of time to help me figure out how not to kill my dad. Oh, uh, before I forget, can you wish me up a necklace like yours? If I do it I just know I'll forget something."

[self_composed]

"Sure. D'you care if I make it so we can both see yours?"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Nah, go for it. It's a good idea."

[self_composed]

"Lemme have your coins for a sec, and they can start out already on it."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Okay," he says, and digs them out of various locations - socks, pockets, more pockets.

[self_composed]

Bella collects them all in a little heap and wishes on one of her pentagons. They appear all strung on a necklace like hers - chain with no clasp, expansible, invisible and insubstantial to anyone not herself or Alice. She then drapes it around his neck, pats him on the head, and gets up to go start dinner.

[edgeofyourseat]

Headpats! Alice beams up at her for a moment before he gets up and follows.

[self_composed]

Bella has made "the nice chicken recipe" often enough that she doesn't work from a recipe; she has the amounts memorized. "Wanna help?" she asks Alice.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Yes I do."

[self_composed]

"Spiffy." Bella assigns him to fetch her ingredients and measuring cups and the like from the relevant cupboards, and she turns on the oven and starts taking the chicken out of the packaging.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice cheerfully fetches all the things he is tasked to fetch.

"So apparently," he says after a little while, "if we're a 1950s married couple, I'm the wife."

This seems to please him inordinately.

[self_composed]

"Meh, I didn't barge in wearing a suit from work and shout that I was home," Bella points out. "Besides, I cook too, I was just tired." She mixes capers into the sauce for the chicken and lets it sit, and then dredges the pieces in flour. "Lucky you I bought extra chicken - I decided to start leaving leftovers more to make up for how often I'm having dinner at yours of late. Charlie manages - I mean, he didn't starve to death during some non-summer season before I moved here for good - but it's really not pretty."

[edgeofyourseat]

"I can bring lunch when I come over tomorrow," he offers. "I can bring cake."