The receptionist brought the last group that would be joining them. It consist of three individuals with two adults who look like they’re in their mid 30s and a stroller containing a one year-old baby girl. As the reception is setting up another highchair, although it was flipped upside down, so the baby carrier can be disconnected from the stroller and placed on there; the two adults sat on the side with Thomas.
Daniel immediately recognize the man as Mr. Cameron, one of the math teachers. Although it seems, he have regressed down to his 30s because he was supposed to be over 50 years old. What was surprisingly is that he looked generally happy and it wasn’t because his hair that was once grey from all those years of teaching and stress was now fully brown again. This was extremely out of character because Mr. Cameron was a grouch that thought highly of himself.
Daniel was surprised by the woman that sat down next to Mr. Cameron, mostly because he recognized her. He knew her because he was friends with her, and she was supposed to be his age originally, but by the looks of things she may have doubled her age making her in her mid 30s as well. She was surprisingly a late bloomer as well cause she seemed to have gained 5 inches as well as a little mass in both her top and rear not as if Daniel has noticed.
“Pauline?” Ask Daniel. The Way the woman reacted to the question there was no doubt that this person was Pauline Chan. That would make the one year-old baby laying in the baby carrier in the highchair next to little Henry is Madison Fuller. They were once high school seniors and a duo known as the Troublesome Twos that dealt justice in their own way.
The school football team bullying one of the autistic students named Ayden; the locker room gets flooded. One of the science teachers Mrs. Moore tries to work to removing environmental sciences from the high school curriculum, her car mysteriously breaks down. When Seth Collins ‘pumped’ and dump Daniel’s childhood friend Lola Madrigal. While, Daniel confronted Seth about it and got his butt kicked by him so badly that he was out of school for two weeks. Pauline and Madison record the event and showed it to the principal which led to Seth being suspended, which ultimately resulted in him being held back. So now Seth was still a high school junior when he should be a senior with the rest of the class.
“I am surprised you referred to me by my first name, Mr. Hudson but please understand that I’m the teacher and you’re the student. So please, even if it’s in a setting like this, you will refer to me as Ms. Chan. The same goes for you as well Miss Carter, Miss Yamamoto and Mr. O’Brien.” Pauline responded which again to Daniel in a loop. Pauline is a high school senior but she is acting like she has always been an adult and after that matter, she was a teacher. Pauline once confined in Daniel that her job is to be a teacher but she doesn’t want to become another Mr. Cameron.
“Okay Ms. Chan. Nice of you and Mr. Cameron to join us. I take it the little baby is Madison?” Ask Thomas shaking Mr. Cameron‘s hand.
“Yes, and the principal made the right call for assigning two teachers to the same room with one of the most troublesome students.” Said Mr. Cameron, obviously lying the fact that he was assigned to a room with a teenage Pauline and Madison. Just then, the waitress came up.
“Last group?” Asked the waitress and when both adult nodded she continued. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Two teas please and a strawberry milk youthie for the baby.” Ordered Pauline. Daniel was confused about that last order, but when he looked towards Sumire she looked like she heard something horrible. With that the waitress left.
“You never seem to let me have a beer.” Mr. Cameron commented in a disappointed tone.
“Someone needs to make sure you stay sober.” Tease Pauline. OK Daniel now knew something was on because the way Mr. Cameron and Pauline were acting. It was almost as if those two were a couple and Daniel knew that Pauline will never go after a guy as grouchy as Mr. Cameron if she was 18 years old.
“Surprising that Madison was the only one to use the rooms to change her age.” Sumire said after getting out of her horror looking face. Daniel looked at her with confusion, but realized that she is just playing along because it was obvious that something mentally had happened to both Thomas and Pauline. It was better to go along with the narrative rather than question it for now.
“Yeah I’m surprised too. After all I doubt the four of us here had a chance to use the rooms.” Said Thomas. OK that just confirms it for Daniel something definitely happened to Thomas mentally because from what he knows & been reading so far is that; Ms. Yamamoto, Ms. Carter, Mr. Cameron, Pauline, Henry, and Madison have changed their ages and he would be aware of this if he was in his right mind. Judging by Pauline‘s reactions, the same thing goes for her as well. It seems that he, Ms. Yamamoto, Mr. Cameron, and Ms. Carter are aware of the truth in this little group.
“That’s not entirely true both me and Mr. Cameron tried to room to make your ages before we age back up to our original ages.” Pauline said chuckling. Judging Mr. Cameron‘s reaction confirm that he was just going along with whatever flow is happening. All of a sudden in baby Madison became fussy.
“Aww what’s wrong with the little baby?” Asked Stephanie (Ms. Carter) in a cooing tone.
“She’s just a little upset that I punished her by tricking her to regress herself to a one year-old after she tried to seduce 18-year-old version of Mr. Cameron. She still has her 18-year-old mind.” Answered Pauline.
“Not for a long.” Commented Mr. Cameron, as the waitress returned with the drinks. She swiftly put the drinks on the table, then took out a pin and pad.
“What will y’all be having?” The waitress asked. As the others made their order, Daniel and Sumire decided to share a sub sandwich filled with pepperoni, salami, ham, provolone cheese, spinach, lettuce, and some sauce that they both can agree on. Daniel ordered for Henry asking for the ‘green’ plate which you could customize what goes on there so Daniel chose fried okra, mashed potatoes, and applesauce. After the waitress got the order she left.
For the next 10 minutes, it was a casual chat until Pauline got out of her seat for a bit to get Madison out of the baby carrier. She expertly cradle Madison in one arm as she sat back down into her seat. She took the pacifier that Madison was sucking on out for a bit before proceeding to pick up the baby bottle with the weird liquid that she ordered in the other hand.
“Time for your meal; Madison.” Pauline said, and this got reaction out of Madison. Given that she still had her 18-year-old mind; Madison began flailing her limbs as of the protest as the bottle became closer and closer to her mouth. Ultimately, it was futile as the moment nipple on the bottle entered her mouth Madison suckle as all babies without their reaction would do.
Daniel and Sumire was unsettled by this as they watch as the baby that was struggling all of a sudden started to relax herself, as if whatever intelligence that was telling the baby to fight it was slowly fading away. Soon enough, the baby started to act like a normal baby nursing from a bottle of milk. When the baby was done suckling; Pauline put the bottle down and lifted Madison over her shoulder then proceeded to pat Madison’s back lightly.
Madison gave a burp which resulted in Pauline cooing the baby as she got out of her seat again to place Madison back into the baby carrier. Sure enough as soon as she was done and started to sit back down next to Mr. Cameron; Daniel and Sumire look closely at Madison. They could tell by the look of her face and in her eyes that Madison was no longer mentally a 18-year-old trap in a baby body, but now was full body and mine a baby. Daniel felt Sumire’s right hand squeezing his left hand, which he squeeze back in assurance.
As luck with the waitress came back with food and it was a silent eating from there. Some conversations were started with Daniel and Sumire pitching in from time to time just to be part of the conversations. However, it was very clear that they felt awkward being there with these four people and a baby.
When they were done, Daniel flagged down that waitress.
“So do we have to pay for…” Daniel began to ask, but the waitress interrupted him.
“Don’t worry, hon since you’re all from Jefferson high school this is technically billed to their account and don’t worry the food is surprisingly cheap here.”
“Thank you.” With that the waitress leaves, but when she does, Madison unexplainably starts crying. Pauline got out of her seat and got close to the baby carrier when her nose scrunched up.
“Oh smells like little Maddie did one heck of a number two.” said Pauline as she got Madison out of the baby carrier and proceed to fish out the diaper bag she had in the stroller. “Be right back. I just have to take her bathroom and change her.”
Noticing that Henry had a messy face from eating, Daniel got up and got Henry out of the highchair.
“I’ll take Henry to the bathroom as well and clean him up.” Daniel said as he put Henry on the ground and guide him to the bathroom.
“Wait up I’ll join you.” Said Thomas as he got up from his end of the seat.
‘God damn it.’ Thought Daniel as Thomas followed him into the men’s bathroom. As soon as those five were in the bathroom, Sumire turn back and address her fellow teachers.
“You two are sick you know that right?” Sumire asked.
“Why Ms. Yamamoto, whatever could you mean?” Ask Stephanie in a curious tone while Mr. Cameron look like he felt extremely guilty.
“You two use mental stuff on your students that you’re rooming with? Seriously Ms. Carter, you honestly didn’t think I would recognize you use that…” Sumire pointed to one of the drinks that Thomas was drinking before looking at Mr. Cameron. “Or the youthie that was ordered.”
“In my defense I wasn’t the one that ordered it.” Mr. Cameron said, holding up his hands.
“You still didn’t object and I suspect you use the mental pills in the room to make Pauline believe she is older, a teacher, and not to mention seem to be in a romantic relationship with you?” Sumire asked but Mr. Cameron’s response was to put down his hand and blush.
“I won’t claim that it was for self-defense.” Mr. Cameron said as he looked up. “At first, those two tried to pull a fast one on me by putting a patch that causes my age to decrease. Given the fact; I took acting lessons in high school, I decided to take off the patch when I reached 18 and put those skills to the test.” Sumire gave him a disgusted look. “Hey you can’t argue with results and I managed to turn the tables on them. My other idea was allow them to regress me to see how far they would go.”
“And you?” Sumire asked Stephanie.
“You know it as well as I do that we both found our respective boys cute.” Stephanie answered.
“At least I am trying to win mine over slowly.” Sumire commented.
“Yeah yeah, slow and steady wins the race, but mine was such a prude, not accepting my advances. I was desperate.” Stephanie reiterate.
‘This is going to be frustrating.’ Thought Sumire as she was about to go over some things with her fellowteachers.
Meanwhile
“Look, dude I am happy you found such a wonderful girl and you can’t just stop bragging about her, but please be quiet so I can clean Henry in peace!” Daniel yelled at Thomas before he calmed down and went back to cleaning Henry’s face.
“Dude all I’m saying is that you should appreciate the finer things you have with your girlfriend. Who knows make this trip be your first time.” Thomas said, causing Daniel to internally groan.
“I am way too busy taking care of Henry and I appreciate that Sumire is helping me, but I don’t want to think that far ahead just yet.”
“Come on, dude you cannot let what happen between Seth and Lola get you down there every time and keep yourself from getting laid with your own girlfriend.” Thomas had just crossed a line by reminding Daniel about what happened that day and the resulting incident that ended him in the hospital for a week & out of school for two weeks. Fortunately for him, Daniel had finished cleaning Henry’s face and put Henry back down on the floor.
“I am going to take Henry out of the bathroom and leave the restaurant with Sumire.” Daniel said in a threatening tone. “ If you know what’s good for you, you’ll wait five minutes in this bathroom.”
As they left the bathroom, Sumire was waiting there with the stroller. She immediately picked up Henry and then putting him in the stroller and buckled him up.
“Everything okay?” Daniel asked noticing the frustration look on Sumire face.
“We’ll talk once we get back to the room.” Sumire said and with that they walk towards the exit and left the restaurant.