John laments her woes to Karen as they make their way home. A patient smile rests on Karen's face the entire time.
"I guess we've each got our botched wishes now " She considers in between sharing their days and struggles.
They finish the walk home in relative silence, and John grabs some snacks while Karen trots on up to John's room. She rifles through the fridge with growing irritation. Milk, juice, flavored vitamin water "Where's the soda?" she finally declares with exasperation. "And for that matter, where's the snacks?" At last she rolls her eyes, grabs two bottles of the carbonated water and some baby carrots. Health food for a day won't kill her. She chuckles at the irony as she makes her way to her bedroom.
When she opens the door and gawks. "Karen! What are you doing?" Trash is littered about the floor, along with dirty laundry, more cosmetics than you can shake a stick at, and old toys for a little girl.
"Don't get huffy with me. We're here to find the stone remember."
"T-this is still my room. It's, like, an invasion of privacy!"
Karen laughs. "Oh this is your room? So this must be your Barbie doll?" Karen picks up a bimbo barbie from the floor with matted and tangled hair. John sighs with exasperation, but Karen just laughs again. "And I guess this is your makeup "
"Fine, fine point taken. It just feels weird "
She nods somewhat sympathetically. "Well, Allison," she emphasizes Jon's name. "I thought you were messy before for having dirty clothes lying around, but this place is overflowing with clutter. All of this is just from under your desk."
"Oh, Well, sorry."
She laughs again. "Don't apologize. Geeze Jon. I'm just teasing you."
John throws her arms up with exasperation. "Let's just find the stone."
The two begin to tear through the room, looking in drawers, counters, under the mattress, through the closet. Slowly, the clutter builds up in the room, and it's not long before they can barely navigate without stepping on some piece of garbage or another. It's actually quite fun for the pair to rifle around the room and discover who this girl is. Her fashion reflects a sort of retro pop culture, and while she's got more pop CD's than she knows what to do with, there's a few classic rock CD's as well. To John's embarrassment, the pair frequently finds some more intimate apparel as well. Karen sends John over the edge when she comes across an empty condemn wrapper. John can only hide her face "ugh. Noooo. I don't want to think about that."
Still, the longer they look the more tense the mood becomes. The levity seems to start flowing out the window, and they don't kid around as much. The stone isn't showing up anywhere. They've looked in all the expected secret hiding places. Then they looked in all the hiding places they wouldn't expect. Then they looked in places that aren't good hiding places to begin with. No stone.
The pair sits solemnly on the bed together staring out of his window. "Well... It wasn't here." Karen finally breaks the silence.
"No it wasn't." John reciprocates.
"It has to be here somewhere." She insists.
"Maybe at school?"
"Maybe "
The two return to silence as the mood begins to fall heavier on their chests.
"Well what about the wish that did this to you?" Karen ponders. John raises an eyebrow at her friend. "Didn't you wish something about your computer being the way the change took place."
"I... Yeah... I think so! I think I said that there would be a folder on my computer that..."
Karen interrupts her. "On your computer? Are you sure?" John nods. "Then maybe we don't need the stone. I could just give you my old computer, then it becomes yours and that file might appear." She snaps her fingers. "We get old John back, we get the stone back. No worries."
John beams a smile. "Hey, that should work! What are we waiting for?"
Right as she finishes her statement, the door creaks open, hits some garbage, then is pushed inwards. "Allison, what is going on in here?!" Ms.Madison stands aghast in the doorway. Surprisingly she's wearing a full business suite with a thin tie, trimming sports coat, and long skirt. "What have you done to your room?" Her question is more imperative than interrogative.
John merely gapes, but Karen jumps in. "Sorry Ms.Madison! We're just cleaning. We were pulling everything out first."
Ms.Madison glances around the room and fiddles with her watch clasp while she speaks. "I'm sorry, we haven't me before, you are?"
The pair are taken aback by how curt she is, as much as her not knowing Karen.
John speaks up. "Oh. Mom, this is Karen, a friend, like, from school."
"Karen Black ma'am " Karen utters through her confusion.
"Nice to meet you Karen." She responds curtly. John considers that It doesn't sound like it's nice for her to meet Karen at all "Allie, Apparently the board thinks they need to hold an emergency meeting tonight about all of those hacks that have been taking place on the news. I'll be eating out after that, so no need to cook unless you and Zoe just want to."
"Umm... ok."
Ms. Madison's eyes turn critical. "When I get back, I expect this mess to be cleaned up." She flits her finger around the room, then brings it to rest pointed at Jon. She sighs, then utters "Love you dear." As quickly as she arrived, she disappears. The pair hears her exchange some words with Zoe, then make her way down the stairs and out of the door. John looks to Karen and states, "Well, that was odd Apparently my mom's some big shot."
Karen nods slowly, then quips, "At least you don't have to cook tonight." John just rolls her eyes, and hits her friend with a pillow.
