This choice: Continue (Melanie's POV) • Go Back... Meanwhile, as soon as she left the kitchen, Hannah went straight upstairs to her room. As she stood in the doorway, she noticed how small everything in her room seemed now. Going over to her dolls, she sat down and grabbed one of them. As she held it in her hands, Hannah started to tear up again, “I can’t believe I have to be an icky boy.”
“You think I want to be a little girl, Hannah?”
Looking up, Hannah spotted John standing in the doorway; one hand behind his back and the other holding the hem of her favorite dress. “What do you want, John?”
“I hate to do this; but technically, thanks to you, this is my room now.” wincing, John walked into the room and said, “Your room is down the hall.”
“But that’s a boy’s room!”
“I don’t like this any more than you do, Hannah.” Sitting down next to his little sister turned older brother, John said, “But we’ll just have to live with this until Mom decides to change us back.”
Trying to regain her composure, Hannah said, “I’m sorry I got us swapped, John.”
“I know.” Looking at Hannah, flashing the same smile she would give, John said, “Maybe Mom’s right; maybe this will help bring us closer together.”
*********************
After Hannah and John made peace with each other, they spent almost 30 minutes having a tea party. As time went by, although he would never admit it, John found himself enjoying the experience. He was just starting to get into it, playfully asking if Hannah wanted more tea when Melanie came walking into the room with a dour look on her face. “I’m glad to see you two are having so much fun.”
“Forgive us for making the best of a bad situation, Melanie.” Trying to sound intimidating in Hannah’s body was difficult, but John did what he could. “We’re in this mess because you were irresponsible with the magic book.”
“I’m not the one who read a spell out of the book.” Gesturing to Hannah, Melanie said, “You could’ve stopped Hannah from reading it."
"How was I supposed to know something like this would happen?" Looking at her, John said, "I didn't even know magic existed until today."
John heard the sound of the phone ringing downstairs; followed shortly after by the sounds of a muffled conversation. After a moment the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs could be heard. Mom appeared in the doorway to Hannah’s room; looking at John, she said, “That was Kelly’s mom inviting Hannah to a sleepover tonight.” Pausing, she said, “I hope you don't mind if I said yes.”
"Why should I care if Hannah's been invited to a sleepover?" Suddenly the reality of the situation dawned on John. His face turning pale, John said, “There's no way I'm going to a sleepover with a bunch of little girls."
"For the time being, John, you are in Hannah's body." Sighing, Mom said, "I'm sorry but that means you have to be her, and that includes going to school and playing with her friends."
“You can’t be serious, Mom; I have no idea how to act like a 7-year-old girl.”
“I have a solution to that problem.”
Looking at Mom, with a confused look, John said, “What kind of solution?”
“It’s called a mimic spell.” Taking a breath, Mom says, “It’s used to help someone blend in with a certain group; in this case, a group of 7-year-old girls.”
John suddenly had a bad feeling in his stomach. Looking at Mom, he said, “It’s not permanent, is it?”
“Don’t worry; I’ll remove the spell when you come home tomorrow.”
“Will I remember that I’m supposed to be a boy?”
“This spell doesn’t affect memories; only personalities.” Sighing, Mom said, “So yes; you’ll be a 7-year-old girl with the memories of a 13-year-old boy.”
John paused to think it over for a few moments. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of attending a girl’s sleepover; but if mom had a way to make it easier, he’d be stupid not to go for it. Taking a deep breath, John said, “Okay, I’ll go for it.”
“Okay then.” Looking at Melanie, Mom said, “Melanie, honey, you might want to leave the room for a moment. Hannah and I will be protected from the spell’s effects, but I’d rather not have to explain why my 13-year-old daughter suddenly has the mind of a little girl.”
Melanie didn’t argue as she turned to leave; closing the door behind her. She leaned against the opposite wall for a few minutes until the door opened again. Seeing Mom in the doorway, she said, “Did the spell work?”
“Come and see for yourself.”
Melanie walked back into the room to find John and Hannah in the corner by Hannah’s dollhouse. There wasn’t anything particularly strange about that; since John would occasionally play with Hannah like that. What amused Melanie was the sight of her twin brother and little sister acting like they were 7-year-old girls.
“No Hannah, you’re doing it wrong!” Holding a dog figurine in his hands, John said, “The doggy goes ‘woof’ not ‘bark.’”
From behind her, Melanie heard Mom say, “Let’s go John; I promised Kelly’s mom I’d have you at the house by 5:00.”
“Okay, mommy.”
As she and Hannah watched John follow after Mom, skipping down the hall just like Hannah would do, Melanie hoped her carelessness wouldn’t take her brother from her.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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