"Tell you what, Dusty," Ty said.
He watched Dustin screw up his 7 year old face in disgust at being called "Dusty", but he didn't say or do anything else. He stood there, and finally asked, "Yes, Tyler?"
"I prefer, Ty."
"Yes, Ty?"
"Better. Now here's the deal, every time you do something good for a person, you will grow one year older. Do something mean or rude, and well, you lose a year. You're 7 now, so I suspect unless you want to end up disappearing off the face of the earth, you better be good. I somehow suspect that you won't be much older than you are now at the end of the school day."
"I'm 7! I can't go to high school like this!" Dustin exclaimed. He suddenly was 6.
"Okay, first grade it is. You better get dressed. Your bus will be leaving shortly. Oh, and watch your mouth if you don't want to end up in pre-school."
"Yes, big brother, Ty," Dustin said respectfully
He dressed in his Super Hero underwear and notice how much each of the heroes looked like Ty. He wondered if Ty had messed with his mind or it was his imagination, or maybe Ty had simply changed the designs of the comic book heroes to resemble him. All three possibilities frightened little Dustin.
There were some third graders at the bus stop picking on the first and second graders when Dustin arrived at the bus stop with Ty.
"Be good, Dusty. I will see you when I get home from High School," Ty said with a big grin emphasizing the words high school.
"Dusty?" asked Milo a third grader picking up a handful of dirt. He opened his hand over Dustin's head, and said, "Yeah, you're Dusty all right."
Dustin wanted to say something or maybe launch in to Milo with fists, but he didn't want to get any younger.
He wiped some of the dirt off his face and said, "Yes, Milo, I am."
Milo laughed.
The bus pulled up, Dustin shook and wiped the dirt of his head and shoulders and climbed on the bus. First graders sat in the front of the bus, so Dustin promptly sat down in the first open seat. The old bus driver looked quizzically at the dirt still covering bits of Dustin, but said nothing. He shook his head and closed the bus doors.