As Oliver jogged back home he daydreamed about the possibilities of what the ring could do, but as time wore on, the voice of reason began to get louder. If there really were such incredible things in the world like the magic ring, how come he had never heard of any? That kind of magic would change the world, not just a normal little life like his. The ring was probably just a prank someone was pulling, and he idly began to wonder if he was on candid camera.
Finally reaching home, Oliver had come to a decision. He would try out the ring, just for kicks. After all, if it didn't work, no harm done, and his life would be just as boring as it was before. But if it did work...Oliver shook his head and tried not to get his hopes up.
During the jog home, Oliver had considered the various options indicated by the note, and while he would like to do something wild, like changing into another person, he realized that if the ring, by chance, did work, he might end up in a tough spot if he looked completely different but had no ID for that person, or swapped bodies with someone else without having a way to change back to his original body.
Therefore, Oliver first took a quick shower, then, with a towel wrapped around his wiry frame, dug through the back of his closet, pulling out an old shoebox. Inside were a pair of sneakers he hadn't worn since middle school, since he had long outgrown them. Feeling a bit silly, Oliver sat down on his bed and debated going through with his plan. Annoyed that he had even believed in the ring's powers in the first place, Oliver determinedly jammed his bare feet into the shoes, resolved to prove to himself that the ring was a hoax. Considering his growth spurt in high school, he couldn't even fit his whole foot into either shoe, ending up with his heels sticking out. Standing up, Oliver sighed and chuckled at his own ridiculousness.
However, Oliver was suddenly overcome with a sensation of vertigo, as though he had stood up too quickly. Swaying a little, Oliver leaned down a bit and put a hand on the bed to steady himself. Feeling a bit strange, Oliver didn't even reach for the towel as it fell off his frame, landing around his shoes. A bit unsteady, Oliver decided to leave the towel on the floor instead of bending over further, and just go get some clothes from the dresser. He lifted his feet to step over the towel, expecting the ill-fitting shoes to slide off. It was only when he had stepped completely out of the encircling towel that he realized, much to his shock, that his feet had somehow slid completely into the sneakers, which now fit him as though they had been tailor-made for him.
Still nude except for the shoes, Oliver raced over to the long mirror and gaped at his reflection. Staring back at him was the perfect image of his short, skinny 13-year-old self. The ring was real.
Oliver felt as though his common sense had gone out the window, but in its place came rushing back all the daydreams he had imagined while out on his jog. Pushing all worries about the consequences aside, Oliver pondered gleefully what to do next.