Linda was milling about her new wardrobe, getting into an excited tizzy about all the cuter cuts and clothes decorating her wardrobe. She was trying on swimsuits and having fun, actual fun. Her midriff was tight and worth showing off, the stone's magic eraser having whisked away all the aftershocks of her three pregnancies. Even her boobs felt perkier, sitting higher up than they had in a long time and really making the stringy straps work in a way they hadn't in a long time.
With one wish, she was actually excited for beach season and thinking of all the ways she could show off in the meantime. Thursday's yoga class would be especially delightful, Linda already planning on all the subtle ways she could snipe at Susan McMillan. Her surgically enhanced figure not holding a candle to Linda's more natural curves. Well, as natural as a wished up body could possibly be.
She continued to go through more outfits, snapping some selfies, and giggling with glee at just how tight everything was. She only noticed something was off because of the repeated selfies, the time on the lock screen not changing through multiple log in attempts. If the time hadn't ended with her favorite number, it may have taken her a lot longer to catch that it had been 9:17 for far too long.
Her first instinct to check the stone was the correct one, rightly surmising while fetching her purse that her son Jon, must have made a wish that needed her attention.
'It's a good thing I gave Jon a placebo stone. The boy barely makes it through first period and is already making a wish. Now let's see what we have here..."
Touching the stone gave her an immediate answer, "I just wish Biff respected me."
"Okay, maybe not as straightforward as I assumed."
The just in Jon's statement leading Linda to think this wish wasn't entirely intentional. But why now? What would necessitate such a reckless wish, especially about Biff! She had thought Jon and him were friends from back in there tee ball days. She needed context.
"Alright stone, I wish that I'd get a little bit of context why Jon made his wish before deciding how it'll be granted."
The stone pulsed faintly as it listened to Linda, sending a direct visual impulse of what caused Jon to engage in such reckless behavior. Linda was treated to a montage of Biff's greatest hits of tormenting Jon, finally ending with the event that pushed Jon to use the stone, accidentally or not. Her son was just about to work up the nerve to ask that lovely girl Karyn on a real-honest-to-goodness date when Jon had made the mistake of standing in front of Biff's locker for a moment too long. Before Jon could spit the words out, a partially melted Blue Slush was dumped on his head, ruining his favorite band tee, and causing a bunch of other nasty little school children to laugh at her darling son.
At least, that's how it seemed from Jon's perspective.
To her pride, Jon didn't even slug Biff or even try to, being the bigger man and turning the other cheek, just like she had taught him. He made the wish moments after, not wishing for revenge but respect. Linda realized she was a bit too quick to judge Jon for wishing and totally wrong in her estimation of Lakepoint's Football Captain, proving true the tried and true phrase about assuming.
This would be an easy assist. After all the stone had done for her already, she was sure with the correct guidance, Jon's life would also benefit from this wish. It just needed the right ingredients and her subtle touch.
After a bit of pondering and wondering how the sweet and shy blonde headed boy who was best friends with her son during their tee-ball years could turn so rotten, she came up with an answer. It always came down to parenting.
"Okay stone," Linda announced, the stone not really paying attention yet. "Grant the wish by helping Biff become the same respectful young adult that I raised Jon to be, help Jon and Biff mend their relationship, and get Biff to treat my son with the same respect Jon shows others."
The stone glowed, longer this time, the small fire inside the crystal almost threatening to break containment. This request needing a bit more energy than anything Linda had conjured up before.
And then the flame was instantly dashed, time resumed, and all the words Linda uttered all echoed at once in sound wave stacked cacophony that spooked Jon's mom.
Linda smile, knowing she had done well by her son.
What she didn't understand... was actually a lot. The wish may have been granted at her home, but the effects were happening miles away, reality changing out of her purview and understanding. That, and a sneaky little fact that stone only 'understood' (as much as a cosmic rock can understand anything) Jon's 'respect', only in the way Linda understood and experienced Jon's 'respect', that is from child to parent.
