“Gloria I know you probably don’t want to hear this but we should get Lynne,” Katie said. Gloria nodded in agreement, hopefully by combining their power they could reverse this. “Um you sure that’s such a great idea,” Jackie asked nervously. “From what I heard that last time she was made younger she kind of freaked out.”
“She did,” Gloria said flatly. “And that’s how I know it’s not her, at least not the future her rather the present her. Ugh this is complicated.” Gloria rubbed her temples as she tried to think, trying to keep Lynne from freaking out and blaming her was going to prove extremely difficult.
“Gloria I’ll handle Lynne,” Katie said. “You will,” she exclaimed, shocked and relieved to see Katie willing to do this. Katie smirked as she gazed over at the red haired teen. “Yeah I got this, besides apparently I’m her teacher I. The future. Hopefully she’ll show me some respect.”
Gloria and Jackie gazed nervously at one another as they followed Katie and Kellie towards Lynne. As they approached they could see the girl happily talking with a now regressed Mandy and Tricia. “Hey Katie, Hey Gloria,” Lynne said cheerfully. “You guys remember Mandy right?”
Katie smiled as she waved politely at the bubbly young preteen. “Nice to meet you Mandy,” she said. “Lynne was hoping me and Gloria could talk with you in private.”
Lynne nodded saying she would be back as she followed her sisters into a side room. “Mandy keeps trying to convince me to go out for cheerleading,” she sighed. “I don’t have the heart to tell her I hate that stuff, that doesn’t make me a bad friend does it?”
“No not at all Lynne,” Katie said warmly. “You don’t have to like everything your friends do. If their your friend they’ll respect you for you.” Lynne seemed to relieved to hear some sisterly advise from her big sister, unfortunately Katie knew things were about to get ugly. “Lynne how old are you?”
Lynne tilted her head as she looked at her sister. “I’m 12 duh,” she said. “I don’t turn 13 til July. Why you asking such a weird question.”
“Here’s the thing though Lynne,” Gloria said nervously. “Your not. Your supposed to be 14 and I should be turning 15. Katie isn’t 18 either she’s supposed to be 20, turning 21 next month.”
Lynne laughed as she looked at her sisters. “Yeah right good one,” she chuckled. “Look I know your excited to be a teenager finally Gloria but this is taking it a bit far Don’t you think?” Gloria and Lynne stared stone face at one another before turning sympathetically towards their sister. “Katie show her.”
Touching her pendant and then placing her hand on her sisters head she concentrated to help Lynne see through the fog the spell was placing upon them. Lynne blinked her eyes as she reached for her head. “Ugh what’s going on...” Lynne paused as she looked first to Katie, the Gloria, the herself. The girls eyes went wide as she realized what was going on. Seeing she was about to scream Gloria rushed over placing a hand over her sisters mouth.
“Lynne stop,” she whispered, trying to muffle the girls scream. “Look were freaking out too Okay. We need your help so calm, down.” Slowly but surely Lynne began to regain her composure, slowing her breathing down. When Gloria felt her sister was calm enough she released her hand from the girls mouth. “Holy shit, holy shit,holy shit...WHY!”
“We don’t know,” Gloria said quietly. “Me and Jackie noticed it after we blew out the candles on our cake. Next thing we know everyone’s younger.”
“Did any of you do this,” Lynne said angrily, glaring at the four girls in front of her.
“God no,” Gloria said, feeling nervous. “You think I would try something like this?” Lynne narrowed her eyes as she looked her sister up and down. “I need a word with you sis,” she growled. Gloria nodded fearfully as she watched the girl stomp away from the group. When they were far enough away she turned towards Gloria. “So you didn’t do this then,” she whispered angrily.
“Of course not Lynne,” she hissed. “I already know how you feel about having age magic used on you. I made a promise to you and I intend to keep it.” Lynne stared cautiously at her sister trying to determine if she was telling the truth. After a moment she sighed heavily before tearfully staring at Gloria.
“I’m scared Gloria,” she whimpered. “Why is this happening? How can we stop it?”
“I have a theory Lynne,” Gloria soothed as she hugged the frightened young girl tightly. “I think the baby you might be doing this. Mom is younger too but she’s still preganant. That makes me think this is something like what happened to Aunt Ann.”
Lynne groaned as she now peaked out towards the other room, noticing her preganant mother milling about the party. “Remind me to remind you to kick my ass sis,” she sniffed. Gloria smirked as she ran her hands through the girls hair. When Lynne finally seemed to calm down she held her at arms length smiling. “Look,” she said warmly. “All we have to do is figure out a counter spell. Between you, me, and Katie we can do this.”
As Lynne was about to answer she noticed herself and Gloria begin to glow brightly. “Gloria what’s happening,” she whispered as she gazed at her hands. Gloria could only stare at her hands before looking at Lynne, she had a bad feeling what was about to happen. As she gazed at the young girl she could see her growing younger once more. Lynne grew shorter as she left puberty, the girls face lost all of its near teenage shape as it became childish with cherubic cheeks and a smattering of light freckles across her cheeks. Soon a girl of 9 gazed up at her sister.
Lynne watched as her teenage sister began growing younger as well. Quickly leaving her teens Lynne watched as Gloria grew shorter while she rapidly abandoned puberty. When it was finished a girl who appeared to be celebrating her 10th birthday stared dumbfounded at the now larger room.
“Gloria we got even younger,” Lynne cried in a girlish tone. Gloria hugged her sister tightly as she began to cry softly. “I know Lynne but we’ll be okay.” As she stood their holding the frightened girl she now hoped that they could somehow stop this before they ended up too young.