Rylene stood there grinning curling her hair around her finger. Vinnie the giant dumb jock stood there staring
at her as he got bigger and dumber. He probably wouldn't be able to speak, which would be just fine with
Rylene. She was still under Vinnie's spell. He wished that she was the second smartest person in the school,
and that Stacy was the third smartest. He had already wished that he was the smartest, but Rylene's wish
hadn't just been to turn Vinnie into a big dumb jock, it was to make Horst the smartest kid in school, and to
make him her boyfriend, since Vinnie's wish had been for the two smartest kids in school to go to the prom
together. They would, but he wouldn't be one of them. She snickered, Vinnie was starting to drool. She had
left him the memories of his former intelligence, but he was so enamored with her, his current idiot state
hadn't quite registered. She giggled. He was too dumb to know he was dumb. He just beamed broadly at her.
Rylene held the amulet between her thumb and index finger.
She stood on her tiptoes, Vinnie bent down to kiss her lips. He never quite managed to touch her lips with his
because she whispered, "I wish you were Horst's big dumb jock."
His face became pale as a sheet, and furrows striped his face before he collapsed into his new fabric form. It
fell from where his head had been and landed in Rylene's outstretched hand. Everything in Vinnie's room
vanished in the blink of an eye. The massive football trophies, wrestling trophies, and water polo trophies,
as well as the science medals and awards simply vanished. The furnishings shifted and the room now was the
Cost family multipurpose room with yoga mats, exercise equipment and computer desks.
Rylene smiled, and frowned, why was she here? If Vinnie existed now only a jockstrap, shouldn't she have been
transported to her house or Ryan's? Maybe because she knew what had existed before. She saw a gift wrap
station over by the closet. It had five types of wrapping paper on rolls like at the department store, along
with similar but more varied wall mounted rolled of ribbon. She found slots with different size collapsed
boxes, and walked over to select an appropriate one for Horst's new jockstrap. She soon had Vinnie completely
and thoroughly wrapped as a gift for her boyfriend.
The door to the multipurpose room open and Vinnie Cost's mother walked in.
"Oh, Rylene, I'm glad you managed to get your boyfriend's gift wrapped on your own. That phone call took
longer than I expected. Would you like a ride home? I have to go show a house-that's what that call was about,
and it's just a block from your home."
"Sure, Mrs. Cost, that would be great," Rylene said with a smile.
As they drove to the Standish house, Emily Cost yakked on and on. Ryan and Vinnie-in-the-box just listened.
"You know your mother was the best sorority sister I could have asked for," Emily Cost said, "You know I was
your age when I got pregnant -that's why I had to marry Cesare Cost." She looked perplexed and sighed, "I
guess a child wasn't in the cards though, so while we stayed married, I was able to continue in college, and
get my business degree. Now I'm one of the most successful real estate agents in town. Uh, I guess what I'm
trying to say is always use a condom, when you're with a guy. You know I am loathe to think what my life would
have been like if I had been stuck with a kid. I'd have had to quit college. I'd have ended up a stay at
home mother, and lord knows what. So promise me you'll use a condom."
"Oh, I will, Mrs. Cost," Rylene said with a chuckle. Her removal of Vinnie from the timeline had certainly
improved Mrs. Cost's life.
"You can always have kids later," she sighed, "I think I may try invitro...uh, but don't tell your mother that
last part. Here we are," she said pulling up at the Standish house.
"Thanks, Mrs. Standish, for letting me wrap my gift over at your place."
"No problem, Rylene. I've got to run now. Wish me luck on selling the Barlows that Stewart house."
"Good luck, Mrs. Cost," Rylene said as Emily drove off.
Holding the box up to her face, Rylene whispered to Vinnie, "Now how do you feel, knowing how much your
mother's life has improved without you?" She skipped up the steps of her house and froze.
The basketball hoop that had hung over the garage was gone. She sighed, and went inside.
"Hello, Mom? Dad?" Rylene called, but no one answered. She was alone in the home.
She went upstairs to her bedroom. Except it wasn't her bedroom. It was her brother Todd's bedroom. He wasn't
there. That meant she had his bedroom, she frowned and walked across the hall. The bedroom door was closed,
but a placard on the door decorated with flowers read, "Rylene's Room - Please Knock First".
She chuckled and opened the door. Rylene blinked temporarily blinded by all the hot pink. "Oh, I can't believe
everything's so pink!" she lamented as she went to examine her room. It was smaller than her old room, but it
had a walk-in closet and its own bath. It was perfect for a girl.
"I should just wish things back to normal," Rylene said, "But I can't."
She set the package down and lay down on her soft pink flowery bed. Even the ceiling was pink. She closed her
eyes. The doorbell rang.