Linda Gibson smiled wistfully as she passed by her son's bedroom door. It sounded like he'd gotten himself caught up in the girls' magic games. Linda could remember when she was a teenager, how important all of the posturing and positioning felt. Like if her coven somehow ever lost face, it would be the end of the world.
But a woman grows out of that as an adult, and she realizes that there are more important things than magic. Every woman she knew had the same realization at some point in their early-20's, but at the same time, every teenage girl she knew was obsessed. Just as Linda had been. Just as Zoe was now. And this Sarah girl. Jon was one of the rare few boys who would ever even know about these magic games that played out in every high school.
Linda chuckled to herself, feeling a new wave pass through reality as she made her way down the stairs. Jocelynne now, not Jon.
It's a growing experience that all girls go through, Linda mused to herself. Mostly harmless. She sat on the living room sofa and picked up her crochet, and a peaceful twenty minutes passed before Jocelynne's bedroom door opened and a freshly made-up Sarah descended the stairs, her hair in a different style of braid than it had been when she and Jon had first arrived.
There was a melancholy smile on her face, like she'd resigned herself to some fate, but Linda could tell that this girl had vastly exceeded her reserves today. If Linda knew anything about her own daughter, Sarah would be in dire straits should she have any sort of run-in with Zoe while she was this thoroughly drained. It was to a point where actual danger might occur. And this was around the time of day when Zoe usually came home.
So, subtly, and helpfully, Linda twirled a finger and lent Sarah a bit of her own energy. She had to be careful, herself, how she did this with someone so currently-defenseless. But, she reasoned, any side-effects would fade within a few days, and this would be better for the girl than the alternative.
Sarah visibly brightened halfway down the staircase, as Linda brought the girl to about 25% capacity. Not a ridiculous amount of energy, but enough to defend herself with. And it was a good thing, too, because Linda could see a familiar silhouette through the frosted glass of the front door searching for her keys, right at the same moment that Sarah finished descending the stairs.
