“I can’t believe you’d be so irresponsible!” Eloise lectured as she parked the car.
“It wasn’t exactly my choice,” Kelly defended as Megan traced circles on the shrunken teen’s stomach. “I was kidnapped.”
“Well, what did you think would happen?” Eloise inquired. “Shrinking in the middle of the park,” The woman mumbled to herself, “Honestly!”
“I just really wanted to…” The high schooler started.
“To try out something you found in a public park?” Eloise demanded. “Would you eat candy off the ground, too, or try something you found in a bag?”
“Ewww,” Kelly responded, “And no.”
“So irresponsible,” Eloise remarked.
“I am not!” Kelly argued.
“Really?” Eloise asked as she parked the car. “Are you sure there’s nothing else you’ve forgotten?”
“Someone else?” Megan hinted.
“No,” Kelly responded as she slapped her sister’s hand away, “And stop that!”
“Awww,” Megan giggled, “Someone’s cranky.”
“Honey, leave your sister alone,” Eloise ordered. “You two stay here while I look for the shrinking gun.” The middle-aged woman eyed her shrunken teenager. “I’d hope I find it if I were you, and I’d do some good thinking about anything you’ve forgotten.”
“If mom doesn’t find the shrinking gun,” Megan inquired as mom went to look for the reducer. “Are you gonna have to stay like this?”
“Probably,” Kelly replied as she wondered whether a toddler-sized teen could still attend high school. “Do you think Mom and Dad would let me do homeschool?”
“Dunno,” Megan responded as she started playing with Kelly’s hair, “You’d look so cute with pigtails.”
Kelly sighed in misery, “What kind of job could I get like this?”
“Hmmmm….” The second grader put a hand to her chin in thought. “You could be a model, like for toddlers.”
“Great,” Kelly sarcastically replied as she thought of herself doing diaper commercials for the rest of her life. “I guess I could always be an undercover agent for CPS.”
“What’s that?” Megan asked, “The police?”
“A toddler-sized cop?” Kelly demanded. “You watch too much TV, Meg.”
“Do not!” The grade-schooler argued. “Maybe I could take care of you.”
The shrunken teen cringed at the thought of being a forever toddler for her sister, but she smiled, knowing Megan was just trying to be helpful, “Sounds great, Meg.” Eloise returned to the car, sat down, and started the car without a word. Both Kelly and her sister looked at one another with worry. “Well?” Kelly demanded.
Eloise held up the reducer, “You got lucky.” The teenager sighed in relief as her mother started to drive home. “Now,” She said, “Are you sure you haven’t forgotten anything today?”
Megan began to pant as if to give her sister a hint, but Kelly didn’t catch on. “Nope.”
“Really?” Eloise inquired as Megan sighed. “Because a certain someone came scratching at the door this morning.”
The teenager mentally slapped herself, “Pinky.”
“Oh,” Eloise replied. “You remember her name. Do you have any idea how worried I was when Pinky came home without you?”
Kelly knew it was a rhetorical question but knew to reply, “No.”
“I was frantic!” Eloise lectured. “I called your father, the school, friends, sister, and aunt!” The woman listed. “I even pulled Megan out of school because I needed to know where one of my babies was. I was just about to call the police and plaster the town with posters when I got your phone call!”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Kelly defended. “I tried to escape on my own, but…”
“But the daycare staff,” Eloise interrupted, “Is well equipped to deal with naughty little girls!”
“I guess,” Kelly blushed. “I’ve got some explaining to do to many people.”
“I guess you do!” Eloise barked, “And I’ve got to think up a punishment.”
“Punishment?” Kelly repeated as she gestured to her daycare uniform. “Haven’t I been punished enough? I’m in training panties, for God’s sake.”
“Not even close!” Eloise growled. “I’m going to make sure you’ll think before you do this again.”