The bus arrived with all the children, including Scott. His stomach flipping around during the journey. His official first day of school in decades.
All the kids crowded off the bus. Scott following Dustin. They didn't say a word, as they all trudged into the imposing building. Scott looked up at the structure in trepidation. He was now entering as a student rather than as a parent.
Sighing, he tugged on Harry's heavy backpack that was now his and surged forward with all the other kids. Scott followed Dustin up a few flights of steps, to the third floor where the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms were. He followed Dustin to a closet outside the 6th grade classroom. A long narrow room, with a long bench on each side, with a row of hooks and a boxlike shelf above the hooks. Each of his new classmates seemed to beeline to their own spot. He followed Dustin to his, and took up the spot next to him. He nudged off the backpack, the pulled off his slightly large jacket. He hung them both up from the hook like everyone else.
Looking around, all the boys were dressed alike, just like all the girls. He was wearing the same damn school uniform himself. Humiliation piled on top of humiliation. He kept forgetting he had Harry's face, so he didn't actually look out of place like he kept thinking he did. His outward appearance was that of a brown-haired, brown-eyed angelic young boy. But his mental image of himself was....well....himself. Blond hair, blue eyes, and an aging face. His short stature and small smooth hands as his reminder of who he is supposed to be. But still, his new facial appearance of Harry's never fully registers in his mind.
The kids all walked out of the closet room, and into the classroom. Scott bringing up the rear of the line. He purposely hung back, to see where each person takes their seat.
"Alright, class. Please take your seats," said a nun with a habit that followed Scott into the room.
The class quickly took their seats. Two left. One in the front row, and one back behind Dustin. He was about to walk towards the back, when a tall figure practically bowled him over. It was the Little Asshole! He headed towards the empty seat in the back. The only one left, was up front.
"Whatever," Scott thought, and took his seat. Turned out it actually was Harry's seat. His books were inside the desk.
"Ok, take out your homework. We're going over the math homework now."
Scott froze. "Homework? Oh shit! I didnt do any homework! Did Harry do it before he....he....Harry! Poor guy was still stuck as a statue in the lab!"
Scott's stomach was twisting in knots. He didnt pull anything out of his backpack, which was in the closet now. And nuns have a reputation for being assholes. But more than that, he sure hoped that his inanimation machine doesn't force human-turned-objects retain their consciouness in that state. If so, Harry's at home, unable to ever move and has been stuck in that position for...how many hours now? 12? At least.
"Harry, we're going over our homework now."
Scott wasn't paying any attention. He was still contemplating about Harry, who at this very moment, was still a statue and lamenting trying it out. Still horny, but unable to do anything about it.
"Harry! Homework!"
Scott jumped in his seat. That's right! He was Harry now!
"Um. I think i left it in my backpack just now." he wimpered.
"Well, hurry up and go get it!"
Scott jumped out of his seat, and made his way to the classroom door. The door was big and heavy. Unexpectedly so. It was solid wood, and enormous. He had trouble pulling it open. The teacher had to come over and help him. "What a wimp!" he heard someone say, and a few voices snickered.
Embarrased, he quickly made his way to the coatroom. That door, too was big and heavy, and he had to heave it open with his small undersized 10 year old body. He went to the backpack, unzipped it, and didnt know what to bring with him. So he decided to bring everything. All the books.
He came back tk the classroom, whose door had swung shut behind him. He yanked it open with his arms full of books, and dropped them all over the floor in front of the classroom. Everyone erupted in laughter.
"What do you think you're doing, Mr. Swift?"
"Swift?" Harry thought. "Oh! That's right! That's Harry's last name! Harry Swift!" It was weird to have a completely different name....
"Oh, uh, nothing. Just. Uh. Getting my stuff," he said in his childish nervous voice.
"Well. You don't need all those books. Put some of them away. We'll get them later when we change lessons. You know this already. How long have we been in 6th grade?"
"This is my first day, " he responded out loud. All the kids roared with laughter.
"Mr. Swift! I will not tolerate such smart behavior! You will be staying after school, and you'll have to explain to your parents why you have detention! Now hurry up, pick up your things, and take your seat!"
"Yes, sister," you respind automatically as ylu grab your stuff and quickly take your seat.
"That was hilarious," a kid behind you whispered in your ear.
Scott looked back, and gave him a typical crooked Harry smile.
The rest of the day went uneventfully, except that Harry never did his homework and will now have that marked against him. Wasn't Scott's problem, anyway. Dumb kid should have done it.
There was lunch, then...recess. Recess. He played a weird game called Sharks and Minnows with the other kids. He discovered he had a lot of energy he didnt know what to do with.
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. But he had to stay behind and smack erasers together. He had to wait for his mom to pick him up, which wasnt until after 5:00.
"Supper, homework, teeth, shower, then bed!" His mom....or rather, Harry's mother...sternly lectured him.
He sighed like the scolded child he was. He was thinking about Harry. The real Harry. Stuck in that boring old lab in the basement as a statue. Poor kid. He had to fix this.
But his "mother" was breathing down his neck. Irritated that she had to go out of her way to pick him up after work. She was all the more irritated, because "Scott" was still missing. Irritated and growing worried, which she tried very hard not to burden who she thought of as her son.
So he got home, got washed up, did the homework (which he worringly struggled with!) Ate, and went to bed. Not even bothering to check out his body or look at the mirror, his mind was so pre-occupied with thinking about rescuing Harry.