"How?"
That was all Stephanie could think to say as she gazed at her rejuvenated grandparents. Was it a magic ring? A potion? Idonn's apples, again? Martin and Marilyn had no idea. One moment they were quietly relaxing in Ann's living room, the next moment POOF, they found themselves teenagers again. It was proving to be a bit more than Stephanie could handle, especially as Marilyn now made a request.
"Dont call Gloria," the red haired teen exclaimed. "I can't have my granddaughter seeing me like this! Let alone my actual daughters. I just know I'll never hear the end of it from Lisa."
"But grandma," Stephanie stammered. "I don't have magic and they probably have more experience with this kind if thing than I do. I bet Katie or Gloria could figure this out and change you back like that." Stephanie snapped her fingers, trying to show Marilyn how quickly this could be fixed. Needless to say, Marilyn wasn't convinced as a sour look now crossed her face. "I don't think your grandma is going to go along with that idea," Martin replied, sheepishly rubbing her neck. "She was always a bit stubborn, especially when she was a teenager."
"What's that supposed to mean," Marilyn exclaimed. Martin now tried to backpedal, noting the anger in his wife's face. Marilyn had always been a bit hot tempered. Never abusive by any means but the look on her face was enough for most to quickly concede. Martin recalling in his mind how she would stare down her daughters when they were teens, unmoving as they tried to yell at her. Teenage angst quickly melted when Marilyn glared at them with an unblinking eye. Now, reduced to a gurl of 16 once more, Martine could still see that same intensity on her young face.
"Well," he now tried to say. "Its just...you um, seem a bit emotional right now."
"EMOTIONAL!"
"Um like a um teenager dear."
Marilyn scowled, glaring up at the skinny 17 year old boy in front of her. Maybe Martin had a point, her emotions were raging right now. When she had been 16 the first time, she had been a hot tempered girl, often getting in trouble at school or getting in fights with other girls. Yes, she had been popular, even named homecoming and prom queen, but she always had a nagging feeling that she had to prove herself. Especially after she met Martin.
Martin at the time didn't seem like her type. She had been 15, he had been 17. She was cute and popular. He was a skinny wallflower. She was a cheerleader. He was on the chess team. They were total opposites, yet for some reason she fell head over heels after talking with him. Martin was kind, caring, willing to listen and keep her temper in check. He was her rock. "Okay maybe," she huffed.
"Besides," he smiled, the skinny teen now dropping as cane as he did a quick dance. "Look, no pain." Marilyn gasped, a girlish squeal escaping her lips as she jumped into her husband's arms. "Oh my god Martin," she exclaimed. "Its incredible! You haven't been able to do that since..."
"Sonce what grandma?"
Marilyn quieted, looking up at Martin. "Its nothing Stephanie," Martin said quickly. "Its something," Stephanie replied. "What happened?" Martin and Marilyn fidgeted, both teens tight lipped. Neither wanted to talk about this, yet Stephanie wanted nothing more than to know what this secret was. "Stephanie dear," Marilyn called. "Would you do your grandma a favor and help her find something to wear? I'm afraid my current outfit just isn't my style. I need something....cool. kids still say cool right?"
"Yeah they do," Stephanie sighed. "Okay grandma I can find you some clothes for now but I want to know what happened later Okay." Both recently turned teens nodded, Marilyn now gazing up into the man she had loved for more than 50 years. "I'm going to get dressed Mr. O'Toole," she said. "You wait down here young man, I'll be back shortly."
"Wasn't planning on going anywhere dear," he grinned. "Why would I when I got the prettiest girl right here?" Marilyn giggled, girlishly blushing as she now gave her husband a passionate kiss. Skipping up the stairs, Stephanie could only roll her eyes at the cheesy romantic gesture. Martin and Marilyn may look like teenagers but they certainly didn’t sound like modern teens.
As Stephanie now watched her grandmother rifle through her closets, she couldn't help but notice Marilyn was opinionated about fashion. "Why are the jeans torn," she asked. "That's kind of the fashion now grandma," Stephanie replied. Marilyn scoffed, holding the jeans up to herself as she studied her reflection. "Your Aunt Kellie wore stuff like this in the 80s, or was it the 90s? Never understood it, wearing ripped clothes and the cost! Goodness it was crazy. Never bought them and almost blew a gasket when Kellie decided to cut holes in them."
Stephanie chuckled, finding Marilyn's take on teenage fashion humorous. The fiery red head had been alive long enough to see fashion tends come and go and come again. The last thing she expected was to find herself engaging in one of those trends. "Well how do I look?" Stephanie now watched as her grandmother exited the closet. Marilyn was even more attractive than Stephanie thought, the trendy jeans hugging a curvy waist while the shirt she wore accented her teenage curves. As insane as it sounded, Stephanie felt a bit jealous gazing at her cute teenage grandmother. "Wow you look amazing!"
"Oh you're too kind," Marilyn smiled. "I just hope Martin likes it." As they now made their way downstairs, Martin looked up, the boys jaw dropping as he gaped at his teenage wife. "Wow!"
"Its not too much is it," she asked shyly, smoothing out her shirt. Martin now gently took her hands, a kind smile on his face as he gazed into Marilyn's eyes. "No you look amazing Marilyn."
"Hate to break this up," Stephanie interrupted, the two teens blushing crimson. "But we still need to figure out how this happened." Stephanie sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Okay so you don't want Gloria or the Katie but we have to figure out how you two got like this and how we can change you back."
"So what's the plan," Martin asked.
"Let me call my friends," Stephanie said. "Maybe they can help."
Twenty minutes later Stephanie answered the door, watching as Nat, Rei, Spark, Connor, the Desoto twins, Amara, Chenoa, and Travis were standing in her living room, gawking at Stephanie's teenage parents. "Such a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. O'Toole," Chenoa smiled. "Stephanie never mentioned you were both very attractive in your youth."
"Um thanks," Martin and Marilyn blushed.
"So," Stephanie asked, trying to get her friends to focus. "How did this happen?"
"Can I just say thank you to Rei for actually giving me set of clothes that fit," Martin chimed in, pointing to his newly transformed clothing. Rei had decided to keep her spell simple, transforming his shirt and khakis into a hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans. "No problem Mr. O'Toole," she said.
"As I was saying," Stephanie interrupted. "What happened to my grandparents?' The room now quieted, Stephanie's friends looking amongst eachother. "Stephanie," Nat said softly. "Here's the thing. Rei, Spark, Travis, we all tried to pinpoint how it happened. We can't figure it out."
"What?"
""I'm sorry Stephanie," Travis stated. "We don't know how they got turned into teenagers. And we don't know when or if they'll change back."