One moment, Jon was walking into his kitchen, and the next he was lying on his back, on his bed, arms and legs extended to the four corners of the mattress, unable to move anything but his head.
Before Jon could quite orient himself and figure out what was going on, a peal of laughter assaulted his ears, followed by a very familiar voice: "Jon, I wish you would tell me everything you know about this rock."
The words exited his mouth like a syphon, each one dragging the next one after it. He started with the letter from his grandfather, practically recited it word-for-word, explained about the blue branch, how he had shown the stone to Karyn, and finally about her ill-advised wish.
"That's what she wished for?" Sarah was immediately incensed. "Well, if that girl wants my hair and my boobs, I just wish she'd get the rest of my body as well."
The stone flashed, and for a moment Sarah looked shocked. But after a glance at the stone and a realization of what happened, she regained her composure, never for a moment allowing Jon to know that she had lost it, even as the boy's own face was frozen in shock. A few seconds after that, as nothing seemed to be changing, Sarah figured that whatever had changed would not affect her directly, and resumed her previous plan. Thanks to Jon's explanation, she now knew that she couldn't reverse the wish, in any case.
So she turned to the boy who lay supine upon his own bed, simple red T-shirt and loose blue jeans defining the entirely nondescript blank canvas that he was, and shifted her expression quickly from hawklike, predatorial glare, into a classic cheerleader's smile.
"I want to help you, Jon."
The boy struggled briefly, trying to turn to look at his apparent captor, but in the end all he could do was twist his head uncomfortably to bring the girl partially into his view. "I don't want your help."
"Oh, don't be like that." Sarah stepped closer, allowing Jon to relax his neck somewhat. "I really do want to help you. See? I'll give you a gift. I wish that Jon and his wardrobe would always fit each other."
There was a soft sucking sound, and when Sarah looked back at Jon she saw that his T-shirt was now fitted to his torso, and his jeans had a much more flattering cut. Jon was straining his neck trying to look down at himself.
"Oh, stop checking yourself out," Sarah teased. "You look a lot better now."
"I didn't ask for your help, Sarah. Give me back my stone."
"Ungrateful much?" Sarah turned nd walked away, leaving Jon's field of view entirely. "I'm not even done giving you gifts."
Jon could hear the sound of a zipper unzipping, then a few light grunts mixed with the sound of fabric moving against fabric. But he couldn't see what Sarah was doing. And then, shortly after the sound of a zipper zipping back up, she reappeared into his view.
"See?" she said, holding out a strappy piece of fabric in her hand, "I'll even give you the bra off my back. I'm giving this to you. It's yours now." Sarah took a few steps away and Jon could hear the sound of a dresser drawer opening. "It's a part of your wardrobe."
The hollow thunk of the drawer closing echoed deeply in Jon's chest.
