After their superhero cosplay antics, Jess and Macy were still giggling and enjoying themselves.
Macy browsed through another nearby rack, her eyes lighting up. “Hey, let’s try something normal for once,” she said, holding up what looked like a casual two-piece outfit. “Something comfy.”
Jess nodded, relieved. “Thank God, finally something not ridiculous.”
Macy tossed her what she thought was a cropped hoodie and skirt set. Jess caught it with a raised brow. “This is tiny…”
“Just try it, it’s probably meant to be a snug fit,” Macy said, already heading toward the changing rooms with her own casual wear.
Jess sighed and stepped into a stall, undressing and holding up the “crop top.” But something felt off—she could barely get her head through the opening. The sleeves bunched around her elbows, and the skirt barely went past her hips.
“What the hell?” she muttered. Then suddenly—
A wave of dizziness. Her limbs shrunk. Her fingers got smaller. The clothes suddenly fit.
She looked down at her hands in confusion—chubby fingers. Her chest? Gone. Her height? Slashed in half.
“What the—?!”
Just then, Macy stepped out of her stall in jeans and a tank top, stretching. She turned to Jess and stopped dead in her tracks.
“Jess…?” she blinked. Her brow furrowed. “Wait… sweetie, what are you doing out here without your shoes?”
Jess looked up, stunned. “M-Macy?”
But Macy wasn’t responding the way she normally did. She knelt down, brushing Jess’s now child-length hair gently behind her ears.
“Oh honey, I told you not to wander,” Macy said in a calm, motherly tone. “Come here.”
Jess stepped back instinctively. “No, I—I’m not a kid! Something happened! You gave me this weird shirt—!”
But Macy only gave her a patient smile, like a mom dealing with a dramatic toddler.
“Shhh, shhh, I know you get worked up after your naps. Come on, baby, let’s sit down for a second,” Macy said, taking Jess by the hand and walking her toward the bench by the fitting rooms.
Jess looked around in panic. The world seemed taller now. The bench was huge. Everything looked wrong.
“Macy, it’s me! It’s J—!”
“Jessica,” Macy interrupted, “You know better than to use that tone with Mommy. Now let’s not throw a tantrum in public, okay?” she added, pulling a little juice box out of her purse (wait—she had a purse now?) and pressing the straw to Jess’s lips.
Defeated and confused, Jess sipped. It was apple. She didn’t even like apple juice—but somehow, it tasted right.
She looked up at Macy, who now had a tired but warm expression—her features subtly matured, her posture more composed. The transformation wasn’t just physical. Macy believed she was Jess’s mother now.
Jess didn’t know how long this effect would last, but it was clear: she wasn’t going to be seen as a teenager any time soon.
Macy finished smoothing down Jess’s tiny outfit—pink frills and cartoonish patterns she hadn’t even noticed before—and gave a satisfied nod.
“There we go, much better. You were such a wiggle-worm in that dressing room,” she said, adjusting the sleeves. “Honestly, I don’t even know why I let you pick your own clothes.”
“I didn’t pick—Macy, listen to me, I’m not—”
“Jessie,” Macy interrupted, her voice dipping into that sharp-but-gentle mom-tone that brokered no nonsense, “what did we talk about? You use your indoor voice and full sentences when you're talking to Mommy.”
Jess’s mouth opened, then closed. She wanted to scream. Instead, all that came out was a whine:
“But I am using full sentences—!”
Macy patted her on the head. “Someone’s cranky. Are we getting sleepy already?”
Jess scowled, stomping her little foot. “I’m not tired! I’m—”
But as if on cue, a big yawn escaped her mouth.
Macy raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing look. “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought.”
“I don’t need a nap…” Jess mumbled, now starting to rub her eyes.
Macy knelt and pulled out a tiny hairbrush from her purse. “Come here, let me fix your hair, sweetie. You made a mess of it rolling around earlier.”
“I did not!” Jess snapped, but even she winced at the pitch of her own voice. It had taken on that shrill, sleepy tone of an overtired little girl on the edge of a tantrum.
“You’re being awfully fussy,” Macy sighed, brushing her hair gently. “I think we need to find a quiet café where you can sit and have a snack.”
“No! I don’t want snacks! I want—” she stopped herself, biting her tongue. Her lower lip quivered slightly as she felt tears of frustration building behind her eyes. Not from anything specific—just pure, toddler overwhelm.
Macy smiled sympathetically and kissed the top of Jess’s head. “I know, I know. Big feelings. It’s hard being five sometimes.”
“I’M SIX!” Jess shouted.
“You turned five last week, sweetheart,” Macy said automatically, leading her by the hand again toward the escalators.
As they descended, Jess’s feet shuffled lazily against the floor. She was dragging. Everything around her was overstimulating—bright lights, people talking loudly, and her shoes were uncomfortable. She tugged at her outfit.
“I don’t like this shirt. It’s itchy!”
“We’ll get you something else later,” Macy said, distracted, pulling out her phone to check something. “Now come on, you said you wanted ice cream earlier.”
“I said I wanted to go back to normal!” Jess pouted.
“You’re not getting candy if you keep whining,” Macy replied without looking up.
Jess folded her arms, huffing so hard her little cheeks puffed out. She slumped on a bench near the food court.
“I’m not moving,” she declared, loud enough for nearby people to look over.
“Jessica Lynn, do not make me count,” Macy said sternly.
Jess’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t…”
“One.”
Jess crossed her arms tighter.
“Two…”
She bolted upright, stomping over. “Fiiiine.”
“That’s what I thought,” Macy said, taking her hand again. “You’re still my sweet girl under all that attitude.”
Jess was too tired to argue anymore. All she could do was mumble under her breath and try not to cry from how hard everything felt.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the mall, Ryan nudged Billy. “Dude. What the hell just happened? She’s a kid now?”
Billy stared. “And Macy’s, like… mom-mode 3000.”
Ryan scratched his head. “This thing is weirdly adaptive. You think we should try to fix it?”
Billy glanced down at the device.
“…Or make her a teenager again, but super nerdy?” he grinned.
Ryan smirked. “Tempting. But let’s see how long she lasts as a kid first.”
They hadn’t even made it halfway across the food court when Jess suddenly slowed down, her little legs wobbling with every step. She tried to keep up, but the mall tiles stretched on like a desert of shiny, polished exhaustion.
“Maaaacccyyyyy…” Jess groaned, dragging her feet.
Macy turned around just in time to see Jess sway and plop down on the floor with a dramatic little sigh. “Jessie, don’t sit there! That’s dirty.”
“My legs hurt,” Jess complained, her voice hitching toward a whine again. “I can’t walk anymore.”
Macy crouched down with a sigh. “Okay, okay. Come here, little limp noodle.” With practiced ease, she lifted Jess into her arms, settling her tiny frame against her hip. Jess’s arms instinctively wrapped around Macy’s neck, her head flopping lazily against her shoulder.
“This isn’t fair,” Jess mumbled, half-heartedly. “I’m not… I’m not five…”
Macy rubbed gentle circles on her back. “Shh, I know, I know… it’s been a long day, sweet pea. You can tell Mommy all about your dreams after your nap.”
“I’m not… not tired,” Jess slurred, her voice growing softer. “I gotta… find the… computer…”
But before she could finish, her head nestled into the crook of Macy’s neck. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and despite every intention to protest, her body betrayed her. Within seconds, she was snoring quietly, arms limp, mouth slightly open as she finally gave in.
Macy smiled down at the little girl in her arms. “That’s what I thought,” she whispered affectionately. “Out like a light.”
She shifted her grip and began to hum softly as she walked, gently rocking Jess in her arms. Shoppers passed by with polite smiles, seeing only a loving mother carrying her tired daughter after a long day at the mall.
But just behind them, Ryan and Billy watched in stunned silence from behind a pillar.
“She fell asleep, dude,” Billy whispered. “She didn’t even try to change back or figure out what happened.”
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “This might’ve gone a little… deeper than I expected.”
Billy frowned. “Should we undo it?”
Ryan looked at the device, hesitating. “Not yet… I want to see what happens when she wakes up.”