Pauline look around as she entered the restaurant, hoping for two things. One; is that none of her classmates has showed up so that she could be alone (well as alone as with baby Nate can get) with her thoughts. However, the other option is that she spots some her other classmates, hopefully they are still 18 or maybe a teacher who hasn’t been regress yet so she can confine in them of what she should do. As luck would have it she spotted a long table with five people at it, well four people and a toddler.
She couldn’t tell who the toddler was, but she recognize that the people were 18 years old and they were evenly split in who is a boy & girl. The two boys she easily recognized from the school and knew. One has black hair with glasses name, Daniel Hudson, who she shared a history class with. On occasions, she would refer to his advice when things were tough and she enjoyed his company. He was sitting next to an 18-year-old Asian girl with black hair, tied in a bun and wearing a Japanese school girl uniform. He looks smitten with her, which Pauline couldn’t help but feel responsible for because she interacted with him so often when growing up.
Sitting next to this ‘schoolgirl’ was an 18 year old perky blonde girl that she didn’t recognize but who she sat across from was the other guy she recognized. His name is Thomas O’Brien; who she shared physical education with and was always somewhat of a serious person. Still the fact that he was holding hands with a girl across the table, rubbing at the top of it with his thumb, and having a dopey grin on his face was really out of character for him. Look at the table it looks like they had their drink orders had come in so that was good they haven’t eat yet.
Finally, there was the toddler in the highchair that Pauline couldn’t recognize due the fact he was facing away from her, but he said at the end of the table on a highchair has a happy kid ever be.
‘This could work.’ Thought Pauline as the waitress came up to her.
“Table for two?” The waitress asked. Pauline turned and smiled.
“Umm…no. I’m with Jefferson High School.” Pauline said in respond as she pointed to that group. “I wouldn’t mind joining those people if they’re also from the same high school.” The waitress just gave a smile.
“Oh good I’m glad that we could finally fill out that table.” Said the waitress that she grabbed the menu, a highchair, and led her to the table. When they got close enough, one of the people noticed her.
“Hey Pauline, I’m surprise you are joining us.” Said Daniel in surprise. This got so much attention on her even breaking Thomas and his ‘girlfriend’ to stop their lovey-dovey stare session to see who was joining them. The waitress placed the menu on the side of the table with Thomas before expertly moving the high chair with the toddler over a few inches before expertly flipping the other highchair upside down (to where it seems something can be put on top of it) place it right next to the other highchair. Recognizing what the attention was; Pauline managed to unhook the baby carrier from the stroller and place it on the legs of the upside down highchair before taking a seat.
“Your waitress will be over shortly to take your order.” Said the waitress at the front desk before she went back to it. Pauline took a breath before smiling at the people she was in company with.
“I admit it is nice to see you, Pauline.” Thomas said to her before looking at little Nate. “And I take it that little cutie is Maddie?” Across the table Daniel and the other two girls laughed.
“Thomas; honey, I love you but even I can tell that that baby despite being possibly months old is a boy.” Said the perky blonde girl. This got Thomas to look at both little Nate and the toddler; examining them closely even crook has head a bit before straighten it up.
“You’re right, Stephanie.” Thomas said before looking at Pauline. “Sorry about that Pauline I couldn’t tell.”
Normally, Pauline would accept the apology, but she was too distracted by the fact that this blonde girl was named Stephanie. She knew a Stephanie or two in her age group, but none of them look like this girl.
“It’s obvious that this is Mr. Cameron. After all he was assigned to the room with her and Ms. Fuller.” Said the Asian girl which surprised Pauline.
“How…how di…” Pauline stutter before Daniel burst out laughing.
“Sorry for not just telling you this earlier but this…” Daniel said before positioning his hands as if to present the Asian girl. “is Ms. Yamamoto.” he then put one hand down and pointed to the girl next to the now identified Ms. Yamamoto. “and little Miss flirt over there is Ms. Carter.”
“You can call me; Sumire.” Said the now identified Ms. Yamamoto. Now it makes sense to Pauline cause now she can identify these two as regressed teachers. Ms. Yamamoto was a social study teacher while Ms. Carter was an English teacher, so they will probably know that Mr. Cameron was assigned to the same room as her and Madison. This was causing confusion in Pauline‘s memories because she remembers the teachers, but now she’s remembering something else due to them being her age now. Shaking her head, she looked at Stephanie who just grin. However, a new waitress showed up with a pen and pad.
“Last member of this group?” She asked Pauline and Pauline gave a nod. The four high school seniors gave her odd looks, as if wondering, why did she not mention Madison. “What do you want to drink, hon?” Pauline gave a long thought before answering.
“Tea.” The waitress, wrote it down and nodded her head and left.
“So tell us, hon. Did he do this to himself or did you two trick him?” Asked Stephanie (Ms. Carter). Pauline acted nervous before answering.
“Me and Madison were behind his regression.” Pauline answered causing Stephanie to start laughing.
“Oh boy…all that boasting…and he…still fell to…you two.” Stephanie said between laughs. Sumire just eye rolled before giving Pauline a serious look.
“But how?!? I was pretty sure the Principal had arranged that your room specifically had its regress and progress by thinking turned off.” Sumire gave an observation. Just then the waitress return with the tea she place it on the table before pulling out her pen and pad.
“Now what do you all want to eat?” She asked. The group gave their orders with Pauline ordering chicken fettuccine Alfredo, as soon as all the orders for down she turned and left. However, Pauline noticed that Sumire’s glare was on her yet again so she decided to start explaining.
“Whatever else in the room that could’ve caused regression and progression was not locked up tight, cause I found one of these patches that would cause regression the longer they were on.” Pauline said as she paused to gage the other’s reactions. Daniel look like he wanted her to continue hoping whatever she says was justified. Sumire was looking with scrutiny in her look. Stephanie looked on an interest as if she was listening to gossip. Thomas was surprisingly not interested in the conversations at all and was just looking lovey-dovey at Stephanie which was a bit out of character for him.
“We managed to get it on to him without him noticing thanks to Madison, putting on a good act.” Pauline continue. “At first I figured once he gets down to our age, it would be an even playing field but boy we were not ready for what we saw.”
“Hottie?” Asked Stephanie with interest.
“Yeah like high school quarterback hottie. A real Adonis.” Pauline answered.
“Make sense. From what research I’m done from that guy he was a star quarterback back when he was in high school. Until a poor defense and a hard tackle cause of damage leg that ended any future career in that sport. Really let himself go and reinvented himself as a teacher.” Stephanie said with interest. This seemed to cause Thomas the pout, but then for some reason he got a weird reaction and looked at Stephanie. “Don’t worry, hon. You’re the only a guy in my eye.” She said which caused Thomas to smile dopey. Pauline looked at Daniel as if to get some clarification.
‘Don’t ask.’ Daniel mouth before saying in his regular voice. “Continue.”
“Despite the fact, he was such a hot tie. We allow the regression to continue and it…I don’t know why we allow it to continue to this but as soon as he was a baby, I came to my senses and I pulled off the patch as fast as I could. Leaving him three months old and it seems to affected me as well given well.” As she motion down to her entire body as if to emphasize the point. Daniel looked at Sumire as if to asked her permission to something. She put her hand on his shoulder and nodded.
“Now that you mention it, you seem to put more mass in certain areas.” Daniel said before he asked. “I take it that the room made you Mr. Cameron’s mother?” Pauline nodded causing for Stephanie to start laughing again.
“So why are you to here and where is Maddie?” Asked Thomas. “You two are thick as thieves.”
“We..had a disagreement before I got a chance to diaper him.” Pauline said before she reached out and petted the chin on little Nate’s face casing him to giggle before she retracted her hand. “After he broke the tension, I got him diaper and dress, and decided to head out to dinner on our own.”
As if on cue the waitress and another waiter came by with their food. After the food was sit on the table; the conversation forgotten they started to eat. They were halfway through the food when it seems that someone was curious about something.
“So you decide to head out to dinner without Madison?” Asked Daniel.
“I told her if she could find us she could join us. Guess she never did found us or decided not to come.” Answered Pauline
“So what caused you to go to dinner without Madison?” Asked Sumire out of curiosity.
“When…Mr. Cameron became this age and I became his mother; at first, we were shocked at this, but then Madison started making suggestions.” Pauline said as she looked ashamed.
“Oh what kind of suggestion?” Asked Stephanie.
“She said that we can’t keep him at this age and reminded me how his 18-year-old self looked. Come to think of it, when he was 18, he did look at Madison in a certain type of way.” Pauline said and this got Stephanie laughing. “I don’t know why I objected to it. It was almost as if I had maternal instincts and my new memories seemed to show I was better.”
“Oh right that tends to happen from time to time depending on what ages we ended up.” Daniel said as a matter of fact.
“Really like how? Like how we are now friends with this teenage Ms. Yamamoto and how are you two are now a boyfriend & girlfriend?” Pauline teasingly asked. Causing Daniel to blush a bit as well as Sumire but Daniel quickly brushed it off before continuing.
“Actually when I was about to talk about was actually Henry over here.” Daniel said referring to the toddler in the highchair. This caused Pauline to do a double check at the toddler. This was also her classmate Henry O’Connor? Granted they were also friends, but he was more attached to Daniel than any other person.
“Yeah when he fell into toddlerhood all of a sudden I’ve been having trouble referring to him as either my little brother or my cousin since we were so close.” Said Daniel. Pauline smiled at the fact that Daniel knows what it feels like.
Soon they were finish eating but this led to Pauline to finally ask when she wanted to ask.
“I don’t know what to do now. I mean at first this was meant to be a way to get back at him, but now that he’s at this age, I want to protect him. Not to mention it would feel awkward if I allowed him to return to 18 and he… did the deed with Madison.” Pauline said as she remember the toddler Henry was with them. “Plus now with my extra memories it feels like I’m drifting apart from Madison. What should I do?” She asked as she looked at her fellow classmates and regressed teachers.