This choice: She explains in full. Filling you in on all the details. • Go Back...Chapter #10She explains in full. Filling you in on all the... by: Wassel   "Okay. Remember two weeks ago, when you and Randall went to see that space movie?" she asked you, "The one you were both really excited about."
Remembering it well. The movie in question having turned out to be a complete let down in every conceivable way.
"Well, it was while you were there that I started to feel this strange sort of itching. Like I was getting a rash. Only I couldn't see anything, and it came completely out of nowhere. One minute I was fine and the next my entire skin was crawling. And I tried everything I could to make it stop, but nothing worked. It just got worse and worse and... all of sudden... it no longer felt like it was on my skin, but underneath it. Like the itching was coming from within me, and it got so intense that I honestly thought I was going to pass out."
Thinking to yourself as she described this, Whoa! That sounding absolutely horrible, and not something that she'd mentioned to you at the time.
Your de-aged mother continuing, "But instead of passing out I...I don't know... It was like I was having some sort of seizure. My muscles started to spasm and I could feel myself physically changing. Shifting, shrinking and tightening. My skin... My body... Everything! It all started to get younger before my very eyes. And when it finally stopped and I looked into a mirror, I saw this staring back at me. I saw myself aged 17. Or very close to it at least." Which was the same thought you'd had. That she definitely looked like your mom at that age. If slightly more idealized a version.
"I just about passed out from the shock of it. Of losing a quarter of a decade in under a minute. As if I'd somehow traveled back in time."
Not being able to blame her for this reaction. Being in shock yourself and barely able to believe that it had actually happened. Despite the fact that she was standing right there in front of you, telling you all of this with her now incredibly youthful face.
Asking her, "And you... You didn't think to say anything? To tell me about any of this?" Given how major and seemingly impossible an occurrence it was.
"No, I... I didn't," she stuttered. Looking a little shameful and guilty about this. "Because... Well, after going into panic mode and not having the first idea what to do, that itchy feeling reappeared. Only it wasn't anywhere near as intense." Explaining then, after her body began to change for a second time, she was once again her normal 41 year self. As if nothing had happened at all.
"And I know I should have told someone, but to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure I hadn't dreamed it. So instead I just on the couch trying to convince myself that I wasn't crazy. Which was when it happened again..." The exact same process repeating itself while she had been replaying it all inside her head. Even quicker this time and with a lot less discomfort. Leading to the discovery that she could actually control it and make herself change back and forth. A realization that took away her fear and instead left her feeling rather excited. Getting to experience what it was like to be a teenager once more. After which she spent the next several hours scouring the internet for any evidence of such a thing happening to anyone else. Only finding fictional stories or links to movies and television shows that followed a somewhat similar idea. Your mother and this newfound condition appearing to be entirely unique. Having a super power of sorts.
"And I was so worried about being carted off to some secret laboratory to be studied that I decided to keep it a secret. Even from you. Even during that follow up appointment I had with Dr. Kerry. Who, I'm glad to say, found absolutely nothing wrong with me. Did a full physical and said I was completely fine. So I figured, I must be okay right? If he said that...".."
You guessed. Imagining that if there was anything seriously wrong then he, of all people, would have noticed. Though at the same time you were still unable to get over the fact that she'd actually kept something like this a secret. Before suddenly remembering a secret of your own. A secret that you were also keeping about her, and about the accident. Oh my God. Which you now realized could have something to do with all this. An unforeseen side effect of the transplant surgery…
Before you could dwell on this idea further or even think to bring it up, your mother continued where she’d left off. Describing how, with the all clear from the doctor, she decided to experiment with this ability and have a little fun. Waiting until you were otherwise occupied and dressing herself up as if she was indeed a teenage girl. Before eventually heading out in public. Getting quite the thrill being perceived as a much younger person than she actually was. With nobody being any the wiser. Especially when she started buying herself much more age appropriate clothing and fully immersing herself in the role. Actively pretending like she was 17 and very much enjoying the reactions. Which, now that she said this, the odd behavior that she'd exhibited this past week did start to make at least a little more sense. Having been fully immersing herself in what was essentially a second life. Judging from her presence here at this party. Having been chatting away quite the thing with two incredible attractive and popular girls from your school. Which made you extremely curious as to how she'd gone from playing make-believe and dressing herself up to THIS. To actually being here at Bryce Spencer's house, looking like she belonged here far more than you did.
Her answer to which was, "Well it was last Saturday, when I said I was going out to run some errands. I ended up going to the mall to do some shoe shopping as my 'younger' self and Gretchen, Lisa and Brandi all just happened to be there as well. And we... Well we got to talking and somehow we just hit it off. We must have talked for at least two hours and they even invited me to have lunch with them. After which we exchanged number and they told me to call them if I ever wanted to hang out. Said I was "cool"."
No fucking way! Being in even more disbelief on hearing this. Brandi Summers said my mom was cool?! How the fuck does that even happen?
You had absolutely no idea. Yet somehow it had. Your mom adding to your bafflement by adding, "So I gave them a call mid week and we hung out again. Which was when they invited me to this party. And believe you me, I had no idea you were going to be here. Otherwise I never would have come." Having of course told her that you were having a sleepover at Randall’s.
Obviously you had no idea that she'd be here either. Having in fact imagined that you'd get in trouble if she knew. Hence the deception. Yet here she was, doing the exact same thing that you were. Only the people surrounding you were actually your age. You weren't the one mixing with a bunch of 40 year olds and pretending that you were a 40 year old too. Which was essentially what she was doing. Only the other way around.
Near enough blurting out to the entire party (though just managing to restrain yourself), "You wouldn't have come if you knew?! Mom, you shouldn't be here full stop! This is... It's insane! You're a fully grown woman, and this is a party for teenagers. Teenagers from MY school! It's... It's... It's so freaking weird!"
"Well you can hardly talk. Mr. 'I'm spending the night at Randall's house'. You shouldn't be here either. And like I said, Brandi and the others invited me. And I wanted to see what it would be like, going to a house party. It's been over 20 years since I've done anything even close to this. And it... It makes me feel so alive! In a way that I haven't felt for so long. Being stuck at home, doing nothing but cooking and cleaning and being a 'mom'. This is so different and so exciting. And everyone has been so nice."
"Nice? But... Who... Who do they think you even are? Some stranger who just showed up one day out of nowhere, who just so happens to look like my mom?" Fearing the repercussions if anyone else put two and two together. Which, in your eyes, and on learning the truth, you very much anticipated that they would.
She had a much different opinion however. Laughing this off. "No. Of course they don't. Nobody knows we're related. How could they? I've never met any of them before." Other than perhaps in passing during a Parent-Teacher meeting or some other event at school. "And even if I have, I look quite a bit different. It'd take quite some leap to figure out that I'm actually your mother." The fact that you looked as if you were basically the same age putting a stop to that.
"And obviously I haven't told anyone my real name either. Or at least my married name. Instead they know me as Jen Burton (her maiden name). A 17 year old girl who's recently moved to town and goes to Langdon High. Which is all true. Or at least it was 30 years ago." Having done exactly that. Moved here with your grandparents when she was 11. As well as attended an entirely different high school.
"Yeah, but… But even still… This isn’t right,” you told her. Regardless of whether or not this was an adequate cover story. "You’re my mom! You shouldn’t be hanging around with kids my age and pretending to be one of them. You should be hanging around with people you’re own age." Like her friends Rebecca, Sheryl and Elizabeth. Friends that she actually had things in common with.
"I do. But this is different. And besides, they’re all so busy with work or their own families, that we barely have time to see each other anymore. And we’d certainly never do anything like this. We’ve all become so stuck in our own rut's and this has finally been a chance for me to break free. To simply enjoy myself and not worry about anything else." Which it did indeed seem like she’d been doing. Grinning away at you even now. Despite the fact that you'd discovered her secret.
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