The next couple of weeks proved to be quite odd for Gloria’s friends. Gloria refused to talk with Katie, ignoring any text messages or phone calls she made. Whenever Gloria’s friends tried to ask what was going on she would change the subject. The girls also noticed a change in Gloria’s attitude.
Before Gloria had been a quiet, overachieving girl who thought of her friends, family and school first. Once she started dating Nate the girls discovered Gloria was spending more time with Nate, even branching out and making friends with the girls who hung around Adam. Gloria’s friends disliked those girls and tried asking Felicia what was going on.
“Wish I knew,” Felicia said sadly. “Gloria barely talks with me. Even Nate is getting a little tired of it.”
The girls were quite puzzled by Gloria’s change of attitude. While Felicia seemed to make Adam a better person Gloria seemed to be becoming worse. The girls were bewildered by this. They could see that this wasn’t Nate’s fault, the teen seemed dumbstruck by Gloria’s changes. After quite a bit of discussion it was finally Sasha who stepped forward.
“I’ll invite her over to my house today,” she said. “Maybe I can find out what’s going on.”
As school ended Gloria and Sasha began walking towards Sasha’s home. Gloria had been strangely quiet throughout the day. “You feeling okay,” Sasha asked.
Gloria smiled, nodding at her friend. “Yeah I’ve been great. Lately I’ve just felt....free. Like I can finally be myself.”
“Yeah about that,” Sasha said. “This new self, doesn’t really seem like you. You’ve been really distant and snobby lately. What’s with you.”
“You guys worry too much,” Gloria snorted. “I’m fine, I’m just tired of being little miss perfect that’s all. Everyone is always like Gloria is so responsible, Gloria is so nice. I’m tired of being treated like some kid, I’m growing up, I’m my own person now. Let me live a little.”
Sasha frowned as they approached her home. Whatever was bugging Gloria seemed to be affecting her deeply, hopefully she could get to the bottom of things and help her friend. As the two girls walked into Sasha’s home they could see a businesswoman sitting in the living room. Sasha smiled as she recognized the woman. “Hey Claire how are you?”
Claire Jenkins smiled, waving at the two teens. “Hi Sasha,” she said warmly. “Just having a business meeting before me and your dad get together tonight. So thankful for him letting me have it here, my apartment is a mess.” Sasha nodded as she looked at the other two women sitting with her. “Hey dad doesn’t mind,” she said. “By the way what are you three talking about.”
Claire turned to her two associates, explaining what they were meeting about. “Well Michelle and Nicole here are helping me put together a proposal for a piece of residential property we’re thinking of developing,” she said. “We’ve already made an offer that the owner has accepted, now we just have to come up with a presentation on the homes we’re going to build.”
As Sasha nodded and continued talking with the three adults, Gloria watched numbly. The three adults seemed so boring to her. Looking at the three businesswomen she found them to be quite boring. Smiling impishly Gloria got an idea that could easily make things more interesting. Looking at her ring she decided to make a wish.
Claire, Michelle and Nicole shivered slightly as they talked. Puzzled they now looked at Sasha. “Ugh did you feel a draft Sasha,” Claire asked. Sasha she her head as she looked at the three women. “No maybe somethings up with the heat I’ll check.”
As Sasha now left Gloria smirked as the three women began to grow younger. From what Gloria could see all the women were in their late 30s. Slowly they began growing younger though, their skin becoming brighter while their hair began to glow Nicole and Michelle’s brunette hair seemed to grow out slightly, extending from their shoulders to their upper backs. Gloria listened intently as the women’s conversation began to change. Instead of experienced business women they now sounded as if this was their first big business deal.
“If we can close this deal it will help further our careers,” a now 28 year old Claire exclaimed. “We need to make a splash when we meet with the senior partners tomorrow.”
“Do you think this will finally get us promoted,” 28 year old Michelle asked.
“Absolutely Michelle,” 28 year old Nicole said. “The big wigs want to make money and if this deal pans out it will bring in a TON of money.”
Gloria continued to smile as the women traveled back through their 20s. The two brunettes and blond grew steadily younger, their bodies reentered their prime as excess weight vanished leaving luscious curves, gorgeous faces and healthy, glowing hair. Quickly though the women grew younger, reentering college. The women were now just 20. Their hair growing to the middle of their back as their faces became more innocent. Gloria could also see they were becoming skinnier as their curves began to decrease slightly. As she listened she could hear the conversation change once more. Now they were worried about exams instead of closing a business deal.
“Ugh this stuff is impossible,” Nicole groaned as she adjusted her Ill fitting suit. A 20 year old Claire smiled encouragingly at her friend, shifting slightly in her now baggy business suit. “Cmon Nicky,” she said. “You know this stuff better than anybody. We can do this.”
“I don’t know,” Michelle said shyly, brushing her long brown hair out of her eyes. “I mean you guys have tutored me on this and I still don’t get it. Maybe...maybe I’m just not college material.”
Gloria watched as Nicole and Claire now tried to cheer up their friend. “Ugh boring,” Gloria thought. “Maybe these three will be more fun in high school, or junior high heh maybe preschool.”
Gloria smiled impishly as she now wished the three women even younger.