The adult-turned-little leaguer sheepishly emerged from the changing cubicle. He pulled the curtains with his smaller hands, unveiling a local ballpark in front him.
As the game was about to start, the boys before him assumed their respective positions ahead of time. Some straightened their uniforms, while others firmly grasped their bats or slipped on their gloves.
"Dean!" A boy shouted. Jerry-now-Dean turned his sights to see a boy about his age waving at him. "Where did you go? Coach was gonna start the game without you."
The regressed boy wanted no part of this, so he turns around only to find the changing room gone, and with, his clothes - the only shot he had at getting his old life back. There was no running from this ballgame, that much is clear.
Jerry took a deep breath. "Alright," he sighed, "I’m ready now! We can start."
Even though he wasn’t much for sports, Jerry decided to take a shot and wait until someone, perhaps one of Dean’s parents, came to pick him up.
He nervously stepped onto the field for his first ballgame. And as though by reflex, Jerry threw pitch after pitch, effortlessly striking out the opposing batters. He had all the fundamentals of the sport engraved in his new memories now.
The cheers from his friends grew and drowned out Jerry’s worries as they fueled his motivation, and with each successful pitch, the boy’s confidence grew. He couldn't help but revel in the whole atmosphere; the playful spirits, the exuberance - the sun gently shining down his capped head. It was all these little things combined together that made him feel a sense of pure bliss.
Time passed. The game came to its closure with a decisive victory for Dean’s team. Soon enough, parents came driving by to pick up their kids. Jerry recognised one of the parked SUVs as the car of Dean’s father, so he came running up to meet his dad.
"Hey, kiddo!" His dad spoke. Jerry, slipping into his new personality, leaped over to give his father a sincere hug. "You did great work out there. I’m really proud of you and your little brother."
The ride home didn’t leave much room for conversation. Before he knew it, Jerry found the car parking right in front of his suburban home. And as he entered, he announced his return with a "mom! I’m home".
Jerry, effectively Dean now, made his way upstairs, but he stopped right before before his door. The fact that he could change into the owner of any uniform he wore wasn’t something he could just toss aside.
On one hand, he wanted to stay as Dean and see where this new life took him, but on the other hand, he remembered what his dad said about having a little brother - he then recalled Dean’s 6-year-old brother ‘Max’. He wasn’t old enough to join little league, but he showed some serious promise already while playing T-ball. Perhaps he could turn himself into Max?
Then again, he could always try and grab one of his teammate’s uniforms next time practice session. The options were only growing.