Gloria waved goodbye until Katie and Kellie were no longer in sight. Sighing the girl entered her own home, taking one more glance at Katies emoty home. As she entered her house she could see her stepmother Lisa putting things away.
Lisa had only recently decided to move in with Jason and Gloria. Despite Katie technically owning the house Lisa had considered it home for many years. Finally she conceded to Jason’s requests and move down in. Today she was placing the lay of her things in the house. Lisa now wiped her brow as she smiled at her step daughter. “Hey Gloria,” she smiled. “Katie leave?”
“Yeah mom she just left,” Gloria said. “I’m surprised you didn’t come out to say goodbye.” Lisa sighed as she now smiled down at Gloria. “Katie and I went out last night,” she sighed sadly. “Ever since her first day of college I can’t bare to watch her go. I sob every time.”
Gloria smiled as she went to Lisa, giving her a small hug. “Well you still have me and dad,” she said happily causing the red headed woman to smile. “And that couldn’t make me happier,” she whispered returning the blond girls hug tightly.
“Um mom,” Gloria now said shyly. “Katie um gave me something.”
Lisa turned curiously as Gloria now held out her hand. Lisa’s eyes narrowed as she now gazed at the ring of Age. “So,” she stated. “I see your sister passed on an heirloom. I’m not surprised to be honest. From what she told me she has a new item of her own.”
“Katie told me you knew about this,” Gloria said. “I was kinda hoping you could tell me what you know. I, Uh, I really haven’t had a chance to try it out.”
Lisa smirked as she looked Gloria over. “Oh this is going to be fun,” she smirked, rubbing her hands together. Lisa now guided her daughter into the living room to talk. As the two sat Lisa now smiled, remembering all of the good times she and Katie had had with the ring of the years.
“Well Gloria,” she started. “As you already know the ring controls people’s ages and reality. You have to be very careful with the ring though. If you make someone older or younger reality changes so that everyone remembers them at the age you made them.”
Gloria nodded as Lisa continued. “Right now the only people that actually know about the ring are Katie, Kellie, Claudia, her siblings, Mika, Shiro, Ashley, Jennifer, Samantha, Mary Elise, her sister, Kumiko and myself.” Gloria’s eyes bulged as she took in the group that currently knew about the ring. “Mom when did Mary’s sister find out about the ring?”
Lisa giggled as she now relayed the story. The summer before junior year the girls had attended the wedding of Victoria Abbott. Mary Elise accidentally left the ring at her house before she left and it was her sister who found it. When Mary Elise came home she found that Megan had accidentally transformed her parents into 12 year olds while she was now 40. The poor girl was especially scared when at first Mary and her friends remembered Megan as Mary’s mom while her parents as Mary’s siblings. If Megan hadn’t wished for Mary to remember things could have gotten ugly. Fortunately Katie was able to fix everything and they then sat down with Megan explaining the ring of Age.
“You see that’s why you need to be careful,” Lisa said. “The ring can be a bit tricky, especially at first. It takes some practice but eventually you get really good at controlling it. Katie is an expert with it at this point but I’m pretty good myself.”
“Wow mom,” Gloria whispered. “That’s...that’s alot to take in. I need to be super careful but how I mean I would have to practice with it. Who could I practice on.”
Lisa smiled impishly as she now gestured to herself. “You,” Gloria exclaimed. Lisa nodded, taking her daughters hand in hers. “Well yeah,” she said. “I mean I’ve had my age changed so much at this point that I can pretty much guide you through everything.”
Gloria nodded shyly as Lisa now stood up smiling. “Listen Gloria there’s just one thing,” she said. “Your dad doesn’t know about the ring. I....I never told him about was kinda worried about freaking him out. Now, Well, now that you have it I guess we can decide if we want to tell him. If you do though can..can we do it together?”
Gloria smiled and nodded. “Sure Mom If I tell dad you can be there. For now though how do I get this thing to work?”
“All you have to do is wish for someone to be an age and the ring does the rest.”
“Okay so....how old do you want to be?”
Lisa now rubbed her chin as she thought. “How about your age,” she said. “Just remember though to be specific. If you just say 14 then I become 14 in body and mind. If you say just 14 in body only then I will look like a 14 year old but still remember everything.”
“So be specific when I use the ring,” Gloria said looking at the ring. “I think I can handle that. Just out of curiousity though what were you like when you were my age?”
Lisa blushed as she laughed quietly. “Way too wild,” she laughed. “Trust me I’d rather not relive those days. Looking like a kid is one thing, actually becoming one though would be a bit much.”
“Did Katie ever make you a kid, like a real kid?”
Lisa sighed as she looked at Gloria. “Yeah once,” she sighed. “Just before college Katie went to a party and had a bit too much to drink. We got into an argument because I wasn’t to happy about her being hammered. She was so drunk that she accidentally wished me to 17. I ran wild and caused a lot of problems, I stole the car, partied hard and in general made life miserable for Katie. When she found me I was actually hooking up with some college guy. Katie wished I would remember who I was and proceeded to apologize to me the rest of the summer. Needless to say I got a bit of payback.”
“So what did you do,” Gloria asked. Lisa smirked as she leaned towards Gloria. “Well Katie was grounded and spent the rest of the week behind bars.....in a crib.” Gloria stifled a laugh, thinking of her older sister reduced to an infant as punishment. “Okay note to self don’t give you a teenage mentality.”
“Exactly,” Lisa said. “Now you ready to do this?”
Gloria smiled as she now looked at Lisa. “Yeah, I wish Lisa was physically 14 years old.”
Lisa now felt the all to familiar tingles spread through her body. As she looked at Gloria she could see the look of astonishment she was familiar with. It was a look she too had whenever she watched someone become younger or older. Reaching into her purse she now gazed at her appearance. Over the years she had gotten quite good at deterring her age, checking her appearance she now saw she was around 25.
“Well looks like I’m on my way,” She’s said. “Which reminds me I’ll probably need some clothes. I was around your height when I was your age so if it’s okay can I borrow some clothes?”
Gloria nodded as a now 22 year old Lisa followed Gloria upstairs. Lisa now adjusted her clothing as she reentered her teens. Gloria gazed at her Youthful mom amazed at how Young’s she had become. “Um mom,” Gloria stammered. “You feeling okay?”
Lisa smiled as she became 18. “Yeah I’m good,” she said smiling at her now youthful tone. “This doesn’t bother me too much anymore. In another moment though you’re going to really be amazed.”
Gloria gave her mother a confused look as she watched her become younger. Lisa’s face continued to youthen as she slipped further into her teens. Gloria was amazed at her moms youthful face, skinny waist and perky breasts. Even Lisa’s red hair seemd to be regaining its youthful glow. As Lisa crossed the threshold of 16 and became 15 Gloria gasped.
Lisa shrank about an inch a six she became 15. The auburn haired girl giggled as she now looked at her waifish waist and perky breast. Before Gloria could say anything she saw Lisa shrink another inch or two and become 14. Gloria’s jaw went slack as she looked at the girl in front of her. Lisa was now a young teen the same height as Gloria. The red haired girl smirked as she looked at her daughter. “Told you we were the same size,” Lisa giggled. “Although I think you might have a bit more upstairs, kinda jealous.”
Gloria giggled as she looked at Lisa’s perky b cups before looking at her own. She didn’t want to say anything but Lisa was right, she was just a bit larger. “Well mom lets get you out of those baggy clothes.”
Quickly Lisa discarded her baggy outfit, changing into a T-shirt and Jean said Gloria gave her. As she looked herself over she smiled, she looked every bit the coltish 14 year old girl. “Congrats Gloria you’ve successfully used the ring of Age so what do you want to do now?”
Gloria now rubbed her chin as she thought things over.