Jack briefly considered the idea of visiting or making a universe that not only had delayed puberty, but also changed the social perspectives of pseudo-teenage girls leading to them having greater interest in older men--but somehow this seemed unnatural. Unsporting. Cheating, even. It would lead to disappointment. The ring would allow him better choices and opportunities. What if, Jack thought, he just changed how he looked? He'd already used the ring to change the appearance of other people; it didn't seem like it would be much of a stretch to use it on himself. If he looked the right age, it wouldn't matter how old he really was.
He left the bus stop and walked over to the nearest place with a public restroom. He'd want a bit of privacy for this. Jack walked into the nearby McDonald's, made a beeline for the bathroom, entered a stall, and locked the door. He took a seat on the toilet to steady himself. He touched a finger to the ring, and with only a moment's hesitation, gathered his thoughts and wished that he looked 15...
Jack felt the changes begin almost immediately, as the ring warmed up a little in response. His body gradually became thinner and more streamlined. His belly vanished, his hair grew back, leaving a slight fringe which obscured the upper ranges of his vision. He looked down, watching the shapes of his thighs disappear, leaving the legs of his pants looking deflated, while the hair on his forearms disappeared, and the meat and muscle vanished from them in a flash. His hands, too, shrank noticeably, leaving him with narrow wrists and skinny, uncalloused fingers. The ring slipped down his slender finger, only to suddenly resize itself before he caught it with his fingertip.
The ring cooled off and he stood up, holding his pants at waist level from a flapping belt, remembering a certain lightness of body that he'd nearly forgotten. He'd even grown shorter, he realized, finding himself rather shorter than before.