Authors Note: Slight retcon to the last chapter. Jon doesn't get the box if he wins or loses. Only if he wins. I'm thinking of implementing some loose rules on these bets. Only the winner has their conditions realized, and you can't create something from nothing. eg) You can't say "If I win, I get a million dollars". You CAN say "If I win you give me a million dollars." physical and to a lesser degree psychological transformation are considered "free" in regards to this principle as long as they don't require a supernatural explanation within the new reality. eg) You can say "If I win, you turn into a nerd." You can't say "If I win, you turn into an alien.
"If I win the bets get canceled out and this is the new normal." Zoe announced.
"Huh?" Jon grunted.
"One more thumb war, win or lose, and I turn into boy you. Gross. I don't want that. So this is the new normal. If you want to change back you've got to do it bet by bet, deal by deal."
"Stop messing around, I know you don't actually want to lose your life."
She shrugs. "I've already been goth for two weeks."
"We're talking about a bit more than just a fashion change Zoe."
The pair stare at one another, and Zoe glances away. "Maybe..."
"Definitely more than maybe." Jon states.
Her eyes flare. "Maybe I'm ok with that. I mean, I'm older. I'm more popular than I was. I'm pretty. I still have a lot of the same friends. Maybe I'm a bit of a dreamy romanticist, but that's ok." She points at Jon's body, "But you stuck me like that for two weeks."
Jon grumbles, "Not exactly like this..."
She ignores him and continues, "So maybe this is Karma. If I win, this is the new normal, I'm Mina, you're Zoe, and the thumb wars bet is canceled."
Jon conceded, and held up his hands to placate her. "Fine! Fine, as long as I get the box and everything in it."
"If you win." Zoe states.
"So, thumbwars?" Jon asked. "Without interruption this time?" He glares at Karyn.
"Like I'm going to agree to that again. High card wins." Zoe leans over to Jon's night stand and rummages around with an uncomfortable degree of familiarity and pulls out a dark set of cards. They're black with gold ink, and have more pagan artistry on the back, as opposed to a more traditional deck.
Zoe shuffles it a few times, her slender fingers moving with a practiced efficiency, then set the deck in front of Jon.
He cuts the deck, and she places the bottom half on the top.
Her glossy black nails hover over the deck then she deftly draws the top card. She smirks. "Jack of clubs. Get ready for your new life Zoe."
Jon gulped, then tentatively reached over and drew... "An ace of hearts." She stated plainly. "Is ace high or low in this game?"
"I don't know..." Mina admitted. "I mean, I don't feel compelled to give you the box, so I must have won."
Zoe's brow furrowed, and she reached out her hand. "Let's play a game of thumbwars. If nothing happens...."
"No way!" Mina snapped, "I'm not taking that risk."
"Well... What do we do?" Zoe pressed her older sister.
