There were only two people present in the Principal’s Office at JFK High School in Orange County, Florida: Mr. Lucas Denny, the school Principal, and Steve Johnson, the coach of the high school’s men’s’ swim team.
“I have received the resume of a swim coach from a high school in Dade County and I must say I’m very impressed…” Principal Denny began to explain to Steve, in a small meeting which took place behind closed doors.
“But, why are you looking into getting another coach? Aren’t you happy with my coaching? The boys have really worked really hard this year…” Steve began to plead, fearing that he was going to get fired from his job.
“I know that, Steve. Allen, Carl, Sylvester, Sean and Thomas have been outstanding this year. You even recruited this new kid… What’s his name? Paul?” Lucas wondered out loud.
“Peter Karlowski. He started out a bit slow, but I guess he began to work out in the gym, for he’s just become much bigger, stronger and faster ever since I recruited him! I mean, he seems to grow overnight! He was tall and skinny, and suddenly he just bulked up like crazy! But he’s been a tremendous asset to the team. Peter and Allen are my best swimmers…” Steve replied.
“But Steve, we haven’t earned any titles in awhile! There is a competition coming up in Fort Lauderdale next month, and I would like to see your boys competing in the finals. If we don’t win something this year, then I’m going to have to let you go…” Lucas replied, in a sad tone of voice.
“What? You’re going to fire me?” Steve asked in shock. Lucas got up from his chair on the other side of the desk, and walked over to where the swim coach was sitting. He then leaned against the edge of his desk, facing Steve.
“Listen Steve, its all politics. This new swim coach is related to the top administrator of the Orange County School District. There’s nothing I can do about this. Get your boys in shape so they can win a title for the school, and you will keep your job. I’m sorry, Steve. My hands are tied behind my back on this one…”
Steve stood up and walked towards the office door. He was about to walk out, when he turned around to face his boss one more time.
“My boys are the best! They will win the State Championships! They’re big, strong, and fast. I got the best swimmers in the state, and I’ll prove it to you. Just wait and see…” Steve warned him, as he closed the door.
Steve drove home, obviously feeling hurt, angry and depressed. He turned on his laptop and looked up his old resume. Faced with the probability of losing his job as the swim coach, he went to the bar just an hour before practice. There he had some strong liquor to drink before it dawned on him that his team was supposed to have practice at the pool that afternoon. He then carefully drove to the pool, where his team was waiting for him.
Allen and Sean were talking while standing at the pool’s edge, when Peter came walking out of the locker room.
“You’re late, champ! What’s up?” Allen shouted at him.
“I know! I had a big physics test to study for. I got a test coming up tomorrow and this one is going to be a killer!” Peter explained as he walked up to other swimmers. They were all just wearing their Speedo’s, while they waited for the coach to arrive.
“Peter! We’re doing the 100 meter relay together! I need to get you in shape! You’re going to have to grow a little for this, champ!” Allen chuckled, unleashing his invisible magic on his one and only victim. Suddenly; Peter was frozen in his tracks. He couldn’t move his body, as he slowly began to grow taller. His torso and his legs grew several inches longer, making him now almost 6 foot 11 inches tall. His pectorals and shoulders grew bigger and wider, as his upper body became more muscular overall.
“Allen! Don’t make me grow too much! More muscle means I’ll gain more weight! You’re making me too heavy!” Peter protested, as his growth came to a halt.
“You’re right! Okay then, I’m just going to make you grow taller, but I want your body weight to remain what it is now, so the weight will be distributed evenly! Here goes!” Allen chuckled.
Peter gasped as the growth started again, making him grow to a height of 7 feet and 3 inches!
“There! You’re ready for the relay!” Allen said, looking up to Peter with a smile. “You look great! And those extra inches in height will help us a lot during the race…”
Just at that moment Steve came walking out of the locker room. He was just wearing sandals, shorts and a t-shirt, with his whistle hanging from a cord around his neck. The boys immediately realized something strange about their coach.
“Alright you guys, what are you all standing around for? Let’s stretch and warm up! We need to get started, before it starts to rain…” Steve shouted at the group. The boys all looked at each other in shock, since it was sunny out and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
“Oh my God… He’s drunk!” Allen said in shock.
“You had better believe it! If we don’t win… Then I may no longer be your coach… Some School District Administrator’s family member is going to coach you guys from now on, and I’ll be gone!” Steve shouted back.
“If any of the teachers see him like this, he’ll get fired!” Sean shouted at the others.
“He needs to become sober… like immediately!” Allen responded still feeling incredibly disappointed about seeing his coach show up to practice as being completely drunk.
“Oh NO! The principal is heading this way!” Peter shouted back at Allen.
“How do you know?” Sean wondered out loud.
“I’m psychic, dudes. I see Principal Denny walking this way!” Peter replied.
“He can’t see the coach like this! Peter, do something!” Allen replied.
“I know how we can help him to become sober quickly…” Peter replied with a smile, as he focused on his drunken coach, who was standing before him.
“Gosh, Peter… You look taller again… What’s up with that?” Steve said, as he slowly began to regress. All other swimmers just gasped as their coach began to shrink before their eyes!
Steve was about 6 feet tall, and he was now slowly becoming younger, shorter, and skinnier. The 41 year-old coach now looked like he was in his mid thirties! As Steve continued to regress in age, his clothes began to fit more loose, as his legs became shorter and skinnier, his feet became smaller; the hair on his chest, his legs and arms began to disappear as well.
“Golly, Peter… Are you still growing?” Steve wondered, as he looked up. He didn’t quite realize it yet that he was in fact shrinking, although Peter appeared to be growing bigger before him.
“No. You’re shrinking, Coach!” Peter said with a smile, looking down at the shrinking man.
Steve now appeared to be in his early twenties, when his body rapidly began to take on the look of a teenager, making him resemble the kids on his team!
As he began to look around, he noticed that all the other swimmers appeared to be growing as well.
“What’s going on here? You guys are all growing!” Steve wondered, as his shorts and underwear began to fit much too loose on him.
The boys chuckled when Steve’s underwear suddenly came sliding down his skinnier, shorter legs. But he quickly grabbed hold of his shorts before they slipped off his smaller waist! His t-shirt was now two sizes too big, and his sneakers came off his feet when he tried to take a step back.
“I’m shrinking! I’m a little kid again! What is this!?” Steve squeaked, in his high voice. He then looked up at Peter, who towered over him by almost three feet.
“Stay quiet, Coach! Principal Denny is about to walk by the pool, and I don’t want him to know it’s you!” Peter replied with a chuckle. Steve wanted to say something back, but he had lost his voice! Even though his lips moved, he could no longer talk, thanks to Peter’s power. Steve now looked like a six year-old boy who was wearing clothes which were way too big on him. Just at that moment, Allen pulled Steve behind him, as the principal walked by the pool.
“Good afternoon, men!” Mister Denny said, as he walked by, going into another building.
“Whew! That was close!” Allen said, allowing his pint-sized Coach to come forward again.
“Alright, Coach… You need to sober up!” Peter said, as he walked up to the little boy. “Gosh, Coach… You seem really short now!” Peter chuckled, as he grabbed the coach under the armpits, lifting him almost 4 feet in the air, until the boy was looking Peter in the eye. Steve’s tiny feet were dangling in the air, as he gasped when he looked down.
“Oh my gosh! You’re twice my size! Put me down! I’m still your swim Coach! I’m an adult, you know? Put me down, you big lug!” the 6-year-old Coach shouted back at the giant swimmer, who was easily holding him suspended over 4 feet from the ground.
“You’ll need to sober up, Coach! I’ll make you need to relieve yourself now, to get the alcohol out of your system…” Peter said, as he gently set his little coach back down on the concrete floor. Immediately Steve had the urge to go use the restroom. When he came out, still holding up his huge shorts with his hand while his oversized t-shirt was hanging down to past his knees, Peter quietly allowed his Coach to grow back.
The swimmers gathered around the coach as Steve slowly began to grow back to his normal size. He started out around 4 feet tall, as a six-year-old, and he was now approaching 5 feet, as a 10 year-old. His legs grew longer and thicker, his torso became longer and wider, as well as his shoulders and arms. His body began to fill up his clothing, and Steve no longer needed to hold up his shorts with his hand anymore.
When Steve finally reached his height of 6 feet, he closed his eyes in pain. He had a pounding headache!
“Oh my gosh… I feel like I’m getting sick…” he said, as he opened his eyes and realized that there were 7 boys staring at him.
“I’m sorry, guys… Mister Denny told me that I might lose my job if we don’t win the State Championships… I’m sorry you guys had to see me like this…” Steve explained, with tears coming out of his eyes. Allen, the team’s Captain, then walked up to him and placed his hands on his Coach’s shoulders.
“Don’t worry, Coach! We won’t let you down! We got Sean, Carl, and Peter… We can do this! We’ll do our best to win it!” Allen replied with a smile, as he tried to encourage his Coach.
“Alright, men… Let’s get to work! Allen and Peter; in the water! NOW!” Steve shouted back
“Wait, I have to do one more thing…” Allen said, as he tuned towards peter.
“Uhhhhhh….” Peter gasped, as he started to grow another 2 inches taller!
“Get in the pool, you big lug!” Allen shouted, as he pushed Peter with both hands in the pool. A loud SPLASH followed, with Peter coming up to the surface a few seconds later.
“Hey Allen!” Peter shouted from the pool.
Suddenly Allen began to levitate in the air, as Peter slowly used his psychic powers to make him float over the center of the pool, before dropping him in the water with a loud splash.
“That’s what you get for using your magic on a Wizard!” Peter chuckled, as he watched Allen swim to the other side of the pool.
Steve just smiled, as he began to get over his hangover. He wasn’t aware of the fact that Peter made him sober up completely, so that he could coach the team to their first State Championship!