Nora pondered her situation. She couldn't find any answers staying at her house, but she couldn't exactly go out in just a robe on the town. Then again, a preteen girl all alone would also cause many questions, but she had to at least try to figure this out. The first thing she had to do, she knew, was find some clothes. Nora hadn't been a preteen girl in a long time, and she knew none of her old clothes would fit her at all, and going shopping alone as a kid wouldn't be possible. Heck, she couldn't even drive a car now even if she tried or wanted to.
This left her with one alternative, finding clothes nearby, and lucky for her she had two neighbors who had children approximately her age. She knew sneaking out like this was a risk, but she'd have to take it, and even then there were other risks. Of the two children she knew, the girl Amy she knew would probably be home about now, or at least her parents would be. If she wanted girl's clothes, she'd probably risk exposure there. The other kid, Jason, would not be since he and his family had gone away and they'd left her a key to watch their house. She'd be able to get clothes easily there, but they'd be boy's clothes.
Wracking her brain, Nora thought and thought. Both kids houses were equidistant to hers. If she was quick, she could scamper along the back alley to both their houses. She'd have to vault her own fence, and just the thought of doing so filled her with a strange nostalgia thinking about when she was a child so long ago and doing similar things to go meet her friends. She had to at least try. Tightening her robe around her, she crept out into the backyard.
All was quiet out there, and she was still shielded from prying eyes. The fence seemed impossibly tall now thanks to her diminished height but old habits came back to her. She stacked a trash can next to it and pulled herself up, peering over the fence. The alleyway was empty, or at least it looked so. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. Once over, coming back wouldn't be possible, she'd have to go on the main street to get to her house again.
"Well, its now or never." She said to herself and vaulted over. She landed nimbly on her feet, surprising herself. She hadn't been so canny and flexible in a long time. It brought a little smile to herself briefly, before she remembered her task and set out...