You continue the long walk back to house in a sour mood. Not only was the slow pace getting on your nerves, your feet felt like they were on fire since they were squeezed into your smaller trainers. You'd been consistently changing throughout the entire walk, getting more muscular and hairier, and now heftier as your stomach had recently begun to curve outwards as you developed an insulating layer of fat. And yet despite all this, you were surprised that George's dad hadn't even noticed anything wrong with you. Sure, you were walking ahead of him so he couldn't see the thick stubble and longer hairs of the goatee sprouting on your ever maturing face, but surely he should have noticed you were close to bursting out of the clothes you'd put on back at the house, or how your exposed arms and legs were abnormally beefy and hairy for a teenager. Heck, your hair could no longer be considered blonde by any means at this point yet he said nothing. Either he was really unobservant or he knew more than he let on.
After another 10 minutes of painfully slow walking, you finally come onto the block your house is located. You pick up your pace to an almost jog. George's dad calls for you to slow down again but you ignore him this time. You just wanted to get into your house and get the socks so you could end this ordeal once and for all. You stop outside the front door, and dig your large hand into the small pocket you kept your keys. Your heart stops. Quickly, you stuff your other hand into the other pocket, then that unnecessary extra pocket on your backside. You pull the lining of each inside-out, your anxious breathing was short and shallow. You pat your whole body down, trying to find an inorganic bulge anywhere under your clothes but there was nothing "Oh my god!! This can't be happening, not now!" you shout. How could you forget your keys!? They were in your pants for Christ's sake! The realisation hit you like a truck. You kick the door in frustration, then slam a fist into it.
As you throw your body onto the door in the hopes your extra weight would break the locks, you hear someone behind you say "OK, what's happened now?". You turn to see everyone had caught up with you. George's dad had a quizzical look when he noticed your face but you didn't care. There was no use hiding things now.
You turn back and lightly bash your head against the door. "I left. My keys. In. My old. Pants". You hit your head against the door with every pause.
You feel one of your friends put their hand on your shoulder but your shrug it off. They were persistent, rubbing your arm sympathetically. You heard them say "It's a minor setback but we're here! We can't stop now"
You slap the hand off your arm and turn around, an angry snarl on your face. "You don't understand!" George and Colby step back cautiously while George's dad looks visibly shocked to actually see your face, finally noticing how little you resembled the teens you were friends with. "Every time I've tried to get back here, something has stopped me. It's like the universe is against me ever reaching those socks and I guess I'm starting to believe it".
"You can't just give up now, you're so close! Maybe there's an open window or you forgot to close the back door, or..."
"I don't care! It's clear to me that fate wants me to change back into my dad, from all these distractions keeping me away to that nagging feeling that I belong in his body". You lay back against the door and sink to the floor, wrapping your arms around your legs and resting your bearded chin on them. "I'm just going to let the magic take its course. It can't be long now right? I've got the goatee, I almost have the gut, soon it'll be over".
Your friends rush to your side, trying to make you move and yelling words of encouragement. Meanwhile, George's dad hadn't moved an inch or said a word since you revealed your changing body to him. But with you curled up on the floor in despair, he finally broke his silence."Can someone please explain what the hell is going on!? Who is this man, and why are you encouraging his delusion? Where did that friend of yours go?"
You stay tight lipped, not wanting to talk. George sighs and turns to his dad. "This is going to sound crazy but he is that friend. You see...". He proceeded to describe your whole ordeal from the beginning, with the occasional interjection from Colby. How you bought these magic socks that could turn you into anyone when you wear their shoes, that you used them to become your father and introduced them to your friends. That after an eventful afternoon of bowling, you not only failed to turn back to yourself in the evening but left the socks on all night. That you were losing your sense of self throughout the ordeal and becoming your dad in both body and mind until you finally managed to turn back into yourself by morning. That there were lasting consequences from using the socks for so long and now you were slowly turning back into your father and had basically lost hope in ever being yourself again.
George's dad listened to the whole tale patiently. Once it was finished, he brought a hand to his forehead and squeezed it sharply. "That's... A lot to take in. But I believe you. I guess I have to with all the evidence in front of me". He spoke directly to George "Now I'm going to have a good talk with you about impersonating me later, but now", he turned to you and crouched down so you were eye to eye.
"I realise that you feel hopeless at the moment, and you feel like the whole world is against you ever being your real self. I can see that you've given up, that you would rather stay looking like your dad. And I can't blame you, he's one heck of a guy. But if you go through with this, you would be ridding the world of an amazing young man, someone who could go on to do big and important things in life. Not to mention there will be two dads roaming around without a son. You need to know that you are your own person, that you don't need to pretend to be someone else, and that all of the pain and trouble you'd been through getting there will be worth it in the end. The sooner we get to those socks, the sooner we can get you back in your own body and the sooner we can put this whole thing behind us".
You look into his comforting face, even his bushy beard couldn't hide his good intentions. You sigh and hold out a hand to him. "You're right. You're all right! I shouldn't just give up, no matter how easy that option is!" Colby and George both whoop and cheer in jubilation while George's dad grabs your outstretched hand to help you both back to your feet. Then he pulls you in for a big bear hug, crushing the wind out of you.
"Atta boy!" he bellows, releasing you from his grip and ruffling your hair enthusiastically. Although he pulls his hand back quickly and mumbles "Whoops...". He steps back and you see several hairs clinging to his palm, mainly dark in colour with the infrequent silver. You bring your own hand to your head to feel that your hairline had started receding and your hair felt thinner than before you arrived at your house. He grinned apologetically and said "We better act quickly before you lose any more". You grunt in agreement and put an arm around his back, leading everyone off the front porch and to the back of the house.