Scott woke up with a start, the soft light of morning streaming through the window. For a brief, blissful moment, he thought it had all been a dream. But the soft sheets printed with soccer balls, the dragon plush still clutched in his arms, and the alien lightness of his new, smaller body quickly reminded him of the awful truth. He was Luke now—at least to everyone else.
Before he could dwell on it too much, the door to his room swung open, and his new mom bustled in with an annoyingly cheerful smile plastered across her face. "Good morning, sweetie!" she chirped, heading straight for the closet. "Time to get ready for school! I picked out some clothes for you."
Scott groaned internally. School. He didn’t want to go back to his school—where he’d once ruled as principal, but now would be nothing more than the punk kid Luke. He dreaded how the teachers would look at him, knowing who he really was. And the students? God, what if they found out?
His new mom pulled out a garish outfit from the closet, holding it up like it was something special. “Here you go! Isn’t this great? You’re going to look so handsome in this!”
Scott stared in horror at the clothes. A bright red T-shirt with some tweenish design that screamed "middle school cool," paired with cargo shorts that looked way too small and uncomfortable. She even had mismatched socks ready to go—classic Luke. The outfit felt all wrong, like something a 12-year-old would pick out in a misguided attempt to look trendy. Which, of course, Luke was.
"Ugh, I’m not wearing that," Scott grumbled, crossing his arms.
His new mom just smiled, ignoring his protest entirely. “Oh, don’t be silly. You’re going to look adorable! Now, come on, get dressed.”
He wanted to resist, to demand some kind of dignity, but it was useless. She had all the power here, and he was stuck in this body. Reluctantly, he shuffled into the bathroom to change, glaring at the scrawny, blonde-haired reflection that had once been his worst nightmare. As he pulled on the clothes, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of defeat wash over him. He was Luke now. The brat who had made his life hell was the face staring back at him, and nothing he did would change that.
Once dressed, he trudged downstairs to the kitchen, where his new mom had already set out breakfast. At least there was one small silver lining—the cereal. The sugary, colorful stuff he used to hate as an adult tasted like heaven in his new, younger body. Scott found himself digging in with an enthusiasm that surprised him, shoveling spoonful after spoonful into his mouth.
“Slow down, Luke!” his new mom laughed, amused by his sudden appetite. “You’ll make yourself sick if you eat that fast.”
But Scott didn’t care. He was too caught up in how delicious it all tasted. The sweetness, the crunch—it was so good. He couldn’t stop. By the time he finished, the bowl was practically licked clean.
Just as he was savoring the last bits, his new dad walked in. The man loomed over the kitchen, his presence heavy and imposing. He barely said a word, just nodded at Scott before grabbing his coffee. Scott felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn’t spent much time around his new “dad,” but something about the guy made him uneasy. He was huge, towering over him like some kind of force of nature, and Scott couldn’t shake the nagging fear that came with it. This man had complete control over him now—and, worse, he had the power to discipline him however he saw fit.
Scott straightened up in his chair, trying to avoid eye contact. He didn’t want to upset the man. He didn’t want to give him any reason to exert that authority. “You ready for school, Luke?” the man finally asked in his deep, rumbling voice.
“Yes, sir,” Scott replied quickly, the words slipping out almost automatically. It felt like the safest thing to say.
With breakfast done, his new mom grabbed her keys and cheerfully announced, “Alright, time to head to school! Let’s go, sweetie!”
Scott's stomach churned at the thought. School. Facing his former colleagues, his students, as Luke. But there was no getting out of it. He followed her to the car—an expensive, shiny black SUV that looked like it cost more than his old salary. He climbed into the back seat, feeling even smaller than usual in the plush leather interior.
The ride to school felt surreal, like a slow-motion march toward his inevitable doom. Every minute that passed was one minute closer to walking through those doors again—not as Scott, the respected principal, but as Luke, the mischievous 8th grader. He had no idea how the teachers would react. They all knew who he really was, and he dreaded the humiliation of seeing them treat him like a student now. Would they show him any respect? Or would they secretly mock him?
As they pulled up to the school, Scott felt a sinking dread in his chest. His new mom turned around and gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ll be fine, Luke. Just have a great day and be yourself!”
Be myself? Scott almost laughed at the absurdity of it. He didn’t even know who he was anymore. But he forced a smile and nodded, trying to hide the panic rising inside him.
With a deep breath, he stepped out of the car and onto the school grounds, feeling like a stranger in what used to be his own kingdom.