“Wow Tyler…that is quite the look for you” I said seeing the 13 year old boy entering my office.

“Thank You Mr. Brown; I want to look my best today” Tyler Johnson said adjusting the knot in his tie.

“But should I even ask why so big?” I said standing up and walking around my desk.

“Well, if I’m going to be Principal for the day, I wanted to wear a suit that said that” Tyler said flapping his arms a bit to get his hands out of the massive holes they were lost in.

“You do know that they make suits in your size” I said looking him over.

Everything he was wearing was several sizes too large for him, as if he had taken all of his father’s clothes. He wore a pair of brown dress shoes that looked like clown shoes sticking out from the rumpled down cuffs of his extremely baggy pants. A belt was hitched tight around his waist to keep his navy blue pinstripe pants up while a white oxford shirt billowed and puffed out. I felt as if I pushed against his chest, it would give way for a while before I hit his actual chest.

He wore a red tie, tied too long and hanging way down past his belt that when I traced up led to the gaping neck hole of his shirt. His navy blue pinstripe suit jacket sat high upon his shoulders like a linebacker’s pads, the weight of the jacket could tip him over at any moment.

His hair was slicked down and parted but his acne and braces gave away the true face of a newly minted teenager.

I shook my head as he continued to smile up at me “Did you bring a change of clothes?” I asked.

“Why? I’m not going to need them” he said looking bewildered I would even broach such a subject.

“Alrighty then” I responded. “So what do you have planned for Principal for a day?”

He shrugged “I guess just normal principal stuff; you know…all in a day’s work. I’ll do the morning announcements, do a round to check into the classrooms, maybe get to put somebody in detention”

“Sounds like a plan” I chuckled.

“What are you going to do today Mr. Brown?” he asked.

“I think I’ll hang around” I answered.

“Oh” he looked disappointed.

“What did you have in mind that I do today” I asked.

“Go to my classes” he answered matter of factly “I mean if I’m principal, that means there’s a student missing from all my classes”

“I think it’ll be okay” I answered with a smile “Well what are you waiting for…head on around the desk until you get to my side…the interesting side” I gestured.

Tyler shuffled and ambled his way around the desk, beaming until he got to my side hiking up his pants “I’ve always wanted to have this view” he said with a satisfied nod of his head. “Would be even better if I had a student on the other side…looking up at me…a bit of terror in his eyes…wondering…what will I do to him…I’d have the power over him and even the teacher’s too”

I smirked, it was to be expected that a 13 year old kid would enjoy the fantasy aspect of being Principal of his school “Don’t get too used to it” I reminded him.

“Why not?” he asked “Looks like I’m on the side that has the say so around here”

“It’s just for the day” I said.

He looked up at me, a serious look now in his eyes, the smile faded as he said “No”

I cocked my head about to reprimand him “This was a bad idea…you’re taking this way too seriously I think…”

“It no longer matters what you think Joshua” Tyler said to me. My stomach pitted at hearing him use my first name so casually, so forcefully. Tyler stretched his hand out of his sleeves, white cuff still covering most of it as he opened up his fist and displayed his palm.

I saw a small black stone sitting there “I wish we could swap places” he said. “I wish I was the adult and you were the kid”

“What are you talking about?” I said, my voice wavering and cracking a bit; I sounded unsure, even a bit afraid.

I immediately felt as if the wind were knocked out of me. I exhaled everything out of lungs in a quick rush. My eyes began to water as I took a step backwards.

“I’m going to be the Principal of this school from now on Joshua” Tyler said in a calm voice that was deepening by the word.

I looked over at him, still much larger than him, still much older than him. I looked at the stone in his hand only to have him chuckle at me “Oh…this won’t do you any good son. It’s only good for a one time only shot and that shot was mine” he said flipping his palm over and letting the stone drop casually to the desktop.

I heard confidence in his voice, assuredness and a sense of command “Did you really think I would dress like this without a reason?” he asked condescendingly to me. “I did bring a change of clothes though; but it’s not for me…it’s for you Josh”

“You can’t just do this…I mean people will still know my name” I said grasping at straws “Everyone won’t just start thinking that you’re the principal and I’m…”

He cut me off with a curt “Oh, we’ll see about that…just watch…”

Tyler folded his arms over his chest, his suit still ridiculously large on him but as I stared, I saw his shoulders begin to fill in. Fingers became visible popping out of his sleeves, then his whole hands were there.

I replayed Tyler’s words in my head “I wish I was the adult and you were the kid” as I watched his arms grow. The suit seemed to be fitting better.

Tyler undid the belt so it wouldn’t be so tight on him but he still held onto his pants “Need to give myself some room to grow into the job” he said putting the emphasis on the word grow.

I shook my head, my mouth had gone dry and my head felt tense like every muscle contracted all at once. My stomach lurched as butterflies flew, my knees were shaking but I tried to stand tall and still, my chin up “Now you listen to me young man!” I said jabbing my finger out.

Tyler laughed and I lost my nerve instantly, all confidence that I could take back control of the situation left me in that second. As I thrust my arm and hand out, my shirt sleeve flew out and covered them up, swallowing them.

“Ha-Ha” Tyler laughed “Look whose clothes are starting to not fit them; why it’s big bad Mr. Brown. Not so big though anymore are you?”

“I…” I managed to spit out weakly. I looked across and noticed that the difference in our heights wasn’t as much as it had previously been.

Tyler had walked in standing around 5’5” and weighing 100lbs; both of those numbers had already increased and were continuing to grow. “How tall are you?” Tyler asked me “I mean before you starting shrinking down into a little shrimpy 8^th grader that is”

My lips were dry and I had a lump in my throat “Uh…”

“It doesn’t matter” he waved me off in a dismissive manner “I know you’re going through a lot over there…how does it feel to be on that side of the desk?”

I swallowed hard. I felt my shoulders slump and I could see when I turned my head that the fabric of my shirt was standing up loose. My sleeves were getting bigger on me as my arms shrank down thinner and shorter. My wrists had slimmed and the cuffs of my shirt now came down to my knuckles of my small hands.

I felt the collar of my shirt loosen up and air hit my hot neck. I could clearly see Tyler catching up to me in size.

“Just about equal already Josh” he said. “I bet you’re going to be even smaller than I was aren’t you?”

I tried to think back to how tall I had been at 13 and it was going to be close. I had walked into my office at 6’2” and 220lbs but as I felt my pants loosen up, I knew I was no longer anywhere near that anymore.

Tyler pulled his shoulders in, his jacket and shirt fitting much better if still a little big on him “How big are you going to get?” I found myself asking.

“Oh…he finds his voice!” Tyler laughed “Don’t know but I’m guessing I’m going to be even bigger than you were”

Tyler flexed his knees back and forth. He looked down and lifted his pant leg up “A lot hairier, let alone longer” he said mostly to himself “Shoes fit better too”

He looked me straight in the eye “How’s your clothes feeling? Looking a little baggy on you over there…”

I lifted my arms up feeling my shirt flow around my shrinking chest. It was still tucked in but was coming out at my sides as I lost weight. I now cinched my belt tighter which only made Tyler laugh again.

That deep rolling rumble came from his widening chest “Ha-Ha…we really are switching places…everything’s reversing on us; it’s up to you to keep your baggy pants up now…shorty”

He added the last word in as I dropped lower than him in height. I blinked dumbfounded at having to look up at him. The sensation of physically shrinking is not one anyone should experience, especially at such a rapid rate. The room was growing around me, common items looked bigger to me, my perspective on everything was getting all messed up in my mind.

“Has it hit you yet?”

“What? What else could hit me?” I asked as I felt air along my sides as my shirt came out.

“Just think about it” Tyler teased.

“Think about what?” I asked confused at what he was getting at.

“Anything you studied in college smart guy” he responded.

The blank look on my face must have given me away automatically since Tyler began to laugh at me again.

“Can’t think of anything can you big guy?” Tyler said shaking his head, still growing taller and further away from me. “I told you we’d take care of it…nobody’s going to think of you as the principal of this school anymore; you’re just Josh Brown, another 8^th grader while everybody knows me: I’m Mr. Johnson now” he tapped his forehead suddenly clear of acne and changing in looks.

He bared his teeth to show a set of strong, straight, white and brace free teeth inside his mouth. Stubble broke out across his cheeks, chin and upper lip and began to grow in fuller and fuller as his cheeks lifted and his eyes spread out over a broad but straight nose.

I couldn’t hold back the shakes any longer “Don’t be scared” he said to me looking down at me. I barely came up to his shoulders now. He hiked up his pants, which now fit perfectly and smiled through his full beard.

I was trying not to cry but I wasn’t sure I could keep the tears in. I hiccupped once and blinked. My nose started to run as my face began to tingle. I brought my hands up inside my giant shirt and ran my fingers over my completely smooth cheeks. I ran them over my forehead and felt the hot red bumps that were breaking out all over just before I pulled my lips in tight.

I felt the metal locking into place on my molars first before the weight and metallic taste rushed forward as each tooth one by one was slapped with a fresh bracket and wire.

I heaved, suppressing an urge to vomit as a new feeling settled into my stomach.

A new tingling settled in lower “Oh shit” I managed.

“Watch your language; you know this school has a no swearing policy” Tyler told me.

“Yes sir” I responded “Sorry Mr. Johnson” I finished before I even realized what I had said.

“That’s good” he replied still smiling “Very good…this is actually working better than I had thought it would”

I gasped. I tried to think about anything that would hold onto my life, onto my adulthood but so much was slipping away so fast. I was regressing back through high school rapidly, I was almost back to the 8^th grade.

I felt an odd sensation as my penis shrank, my testicles pulled up and I lost the last bastion of my adulthood. I patted frantically at the front of my huge pants finding my small and flaccid dick laying against my leg, useless.

Tyler smirked as he shifted his weight and stuck out his right hip. He exhaled and let out a small chuckle. His hand went to the front of his pants where a noticeable bulge sat. He gently tapped and grabbed at his increased girth, shifted again to get his boxers to sit better and looked down at me in something that could only be described as pity. He shook his head and tightened his tie “Don’t you look ridiculous” before he added in “You know they make suits in your size right?”

I wanted to run, my mind was in full panic mode but my clothes were now huge on me; it looked like I was wearing my Dad’s stuff “I, uh…” I slapped at my baggy clothes barely hanging on to me.

“What…” I began to say as a thought of my Dad came to my mind clear as a bell yet confusing as hell. “My Dad is Thomas Brown” I realized “But he was my brother…now he’s my…” I pressed the heels of my hands against my temples as I saw my Mom Sarah, who had been my sister-in-law, I was now a part of my brothers family which also meant that my nieces were now my sisters “Mia is older than me; she’s 15 and Sophia is 11”

I made a move to get closer to the desk stumbling and coming out of my shoes as I did. I stepped on the bottoms of my pant legs and had to catch myself on the desk “No” I muttered reading the nameplate on the desk as Mr. Johnson. I glanced up at the walls and read Tyler Johnson on all of my diplomas and certifications. He had graduated college, not me. It was his name on the State Certification as Principal.

I could hear him still chuckling in the background as I grabbed the framed picture off the desk “Don’t you get it yet son” he said to me “We swapped lives…roles. I’m the adult now and that is my…”

He didn’t get any further as I now did throw up. I lunged sideways to the wastebasket and emptied my guts out into it. Tears were in my eyes as I brought out my left hand, shaking and quivering to find my ring finger empty.

Still on my knees I ducked my head down and saw Mr. Johnson pushing his wedding band out in my direction, tapping at it with his thumb nail with a smirk on his face.

I looked back at the picture, sick to my stomach. There in the frame was my wife with her arm around Tyler with their two kids in front of them.

“How can a scrawny little 13 year old boy like you have a wife and two kids; you can’t…you just can’t. You’re not a man anymore; you’re an 8^th grader…Hell, you’ve never even had a chance to use that twig between your legs except with your own right hand and even then you don’t know what you’re doing”

I tried to think about sex but all that came to mind was garbled images from movies and TV, nothing personal was there except that I had a crush on Emma Hughes. I saw her face and body clearly as she sat next to me in math.

I went back to the picture; my daughters looked different. Of course they had a different father now so their looks had changed a bit but I also recognized Allison from her being a 6^th grader here at the school.

“You’ll see there behind the door, in the bag I brought in…those clothes are for you son” Mr. Johnson told me “I’ll step outside as to not embarrass you any further”

He came around the desk, sweeping past me, dwarfing me with his presence. He must have stood at least 6’4” and weighed a muscular 220lbs. “I’ll be right outside the door; you have 5 minutes max to change and get to your homeroom”

Those words snapped more of my world back into focus “Mrs. Fox will have a shit fit if I’m late” I thought.

Everything was way too big so it didn’t take me but a few seconds to get stripped down. I looked down at my scrawny body and exhaled in exasperation. Skinny arms, sunken chest, skinny legs; I saw body hair but not as much and none on my chest as I dug into the bag and brought out a small pair of plain white briefs. I didn’t want to linger so I pulled them on followed by a pair of black jeans, white socks and a faded red t-shirt with the Spider-Man logo on it. A pair of black tennis shoes went on before I caught my reflection in the glass window of Mr. Johnson’s office “Holy shit” I muttered.

I ran my hand through my longer and shaggier hair taking in my face ”I’m a kid!” I looked around frantically and while I was still alone, I saw it; the black stone was still sitting there on the desk. I grabbed it just before the door opened and Mr. Johnson came back in.

I didn’t know quite what to do but I held out the stone “You said this was only good for a single wish but what if I make a wish on it; won’t I get mine”

Mr. Johnson laughed “No” he said simply “It’s not one wish per person; it’s one wish only”

“I wish I was an adult again” I said.

The hulking figure in front of me took another step closer and I danced the other way. He made no move toward me, he simply headed for his chair.

Nothing was happening.

“Why don’t you keep that” he pointed to my hand as he sat down and leaned back “A little keepsake for you from this morning when you lost everything to me”

I stared.

“Bell’s going to ring in another minute; get a move on” he said looking down at the paperwork on his desk.

I dashed out of the office and ran down the hall. I knew locker number 65 was mine. 37-8-18 I twisted and grabbed my backpack once it opened. I turned and sprinted the few doors and slid in the door just before the bell sounded.

“So nice of you to join us today Joshua” Mrs. Fox said to me.

I blushed and shook my head “I wasn’t feeling good” was all I said as I went to my desk.

My teacher looked at me “No…you don’t look good, are you sure you’re okay”

“Yeah, I’m fine now” I answered.

I wasn’t fine. My heart was pounding, my mind was reeling. I barely knew who I was let alone where I was. I stared at the white board dumbly trying to piece together what had just happened to me.

“This is a bad dream; this has to be a dream” I told myself. “I’ll wake up any second now in my bed; Jenna lying next to me”

The announcements started “Good Morning students…here’s what’s happening for Tuesday October 24^th. Congratulations to our 7^th and 8^th grade girls’ volleyball team for their victory over Adams Middle school last night…” Mr. Johnson’s voice said over the speakers.

“Wake up!” I screamed in my mind while pinching my forearm “…Today’s lunch is soft tacos, rice, and fruit…”

I wasn’t waking up.

“Are you alright man?” I heard a voice next to me ask. It was Alex Gardner, a friend of mine since 3^rd grade.

“No…no I’m not alright” I replied.

“Maybe you should go to the office” he said.

“No!” I replied a bit too loud. A few heads turned my way and I was embarrassed, I blushed again and swept my hair off my forehead only to have it fall right back into the same place “I’m fine” I whispered.

Homeroom only lasted 10 minutes and the bell was already ringing. I had Science in block 1 so I walked down around the corner and went into Mr. Cook’s room and took my seat next to Nate Hopkins and behind Savannah McKeever.

I reached down into my bag and pulled out my green folder. I opened it up and saw worksheets filled out in sloppy handwriting ‘Josh Brown’ scrawled across the name line.

I zoned out as Mr. Cook droned on about igneous rocks.

The thing was, I didn’t know the first thing anymore about any kind of rock. I pulled a copy of A Farewell to Arms out of my bag and knew I hadn’t ever read it except the first three chapters in Miss Namath’s class next block “Son of a bitch took my education” I realized.

Anger built up in me. I could feel my throat tighten thinking about it “I woke up this morning 38 years old; married with two kids with my degree in education and a master’s in administration. I drove here in my car…wearing a shirt and tie. I was 6’2” 220…that asshat switched everything about us with the simple words I wish I was the adult and you were the kid. Now I’m what? 5’6” and 100 pounds soaking wet with the mind of any other 8^th grader. I can’t drive and my brother and sister in law are now my Mom and Dad”

Thinking about Sarah made my stomach queasy again but I could picture her as my Mom now. I had been best man at their wedding.

Memories of both my Mom and Dad and sisters were all there. Vacations, soccer and baseball games, dinners around the table. Mia picking on me and me picking on Sophia.  

Luckily I didn’t get called on as the sounds of the room came and went for me. I turned in my worksheet as I left for Language Arts. I walked with Nate and we talked about a Jake Paul video we had both watched on YouTube the night before.

I passed Emma Hughes in the hall and my stomach fluttered at seeing her wearing a dress, her thin smooth legs topped off in black ballet slippers, the slight swell of her breasts beneath the light yellow fabric, her brown hair pulled back to show off her round face.

I felt an all too familiar rush in my pants as I went from flaccid to instant erection “God Damn” I muttered to myself adjusting my walk until it went down.

It didn’t go down until after I made it to Miss Namath’s room and I slid into my seat. Unfortunately, I now found that I found Miss Namath attractive too with her short blonde bobbed hair, and white blouse that showed off a large set of boobs and a black skirt and heels so my dick went back up and I sunk down in my seat. “Fuck me” I thought on several different levels.

After Language Arts was Music and I found that as boring as possible and I felt my stomach rumble, ready for lunch.

Sitting in the back of the music room I replayed my morning. My mouth went dry again as I saw Tyler, he wasn’t Mr. Johnson yet, walk into my office in that ridiculously oversized suit “How was I supposed to know what he was going to pull?” I told myself. I felt the pit of my stomach drop again as he pulled out the black stone.

I had that stone in my right front pocket and I pressed down on it and rolled my fingers over it through my jeans as I watched Tyler grow into Mr. Johnson all over again.

I could feel myself shrinking, I could feel myself losing control, losing power, losing my memories and education and being helpless to stop it “Switch places…reverse everything…everything I had is now his and everything he had is now mine”

The humiliation of having to strip down and change into these clothes, to have to see Jenna in the arms of another man while knowing that she has no idea I even exist now. “Maybe that’s for the better” I thought “Having her see me like this would be even worse…reduced to a scrawny 13 year old boy”

Thoughts kept playing through my mind. I could still see clearly when Tyler’s hands popped out of the ends of his sleeves. Watching his pants rise up and the wrinkles smoothing out as his legs took off growing. The smug look on his face.

I could see that smug face so clear I wanted to punch it.

The bell rang and I headed to lunch. I got my tray and got in line. I watched the crowd as I waited in line. I knew all the kids here but I remembering my time as their principal was already getting harder and harder to do. I tried to remember and picture the time I had to suspend Mark Jacobson when he dropped an M-80 into the toilet but instead, all I could see was him running out of the bathroom as I had been standing by my locker when he did it.

There were several girls who were taller than me. Several guys too. I knew Dylan Masterson was a bully, he had been in my office on several occasions, now I avoided eye contact with him because I knew he had threatened me last year in gym class and I had been afraid of him ever since.

The harder I tried to remember anything I had done as Principal, the more childhood memories crowded in and pushed those away.

Trying to remember college or even my years in high school seemed like I was seeing a few blurry scenes from a movie I had watched and not paid attention to years ago.

I got my lunch and went to the table I always sat at with Alex and Nate and few other guys. Only one girl sat with us, Abby Murphy, but she was just one of the guys. We talked about YouTube and video games, Marvel and Star Wars. We made bad jokes and bragged about stuff there was no way we would do for a long time; just a typical 8^th grade lunch before we went outside and played a half assed game of basketball.

A shot went off the rim and ricocheted across the lot. I ran after it but when I picked up the ball, I saw him standing about 10 feet away, close enough that I heard his voice; Mr. Johnson was standing there in his blue pinstriped suit, his meaty arms folded over his chest as he talked to the gym coach Mr. Ellis.

I looked up and we made eye contact. He gave a nod and a smile “Little help Joshua?” he said as I fumbled the ball from nerves.

“No; I got it” I mumbled before I turned my back and hustled back to my friends. I could feel eyes boring into my back as I jogged away from him.

I knew right then and there I was never going back. He won. I would grow up again in his place while he enjoyed my old job and life and family.

I glanced back over my shoulder once and I knew by the look on his face that he knew all of this as well.

Math was my first class after lunch and with Emma sitting next to me, it was easily my favorite. Mrs. Fox could say anything and would be happy to be there. Emma didn’t know I was on the planet; she already had a boyfriend, Garrett Summers, and I hated him intensely.

I kept an eye on Emma as much as I could and felt my heart sink when the bell rang sending me to Social Studies “Till tomorrow” I thought with a sigh.

I saw him in the hallway as I changed classes. There he was, Mr. Johnson, standing with his hands in his pockets talking to Mr. Cook, two adults just laughing and talking in the hallway. I walked by and he barely looked up. He was scanning the crowd and we never made eye contact.

Social Studies was followed by Study Hall until the final bell rang. Heaving my backpack up on my scrawny shoulder I made my way home.

I paused outside my old office as I went down the main hall. I chewed on the inside of lower lip thinking back to the morning; it seemed very far away already, almost like a dream. “Was I really old?” I caught myself thinking “Was I actually the principal, there’s no way I had a wife and kids?” My world was continuing to shift and change around me and inside me.

Nate caught up to me and hit my shoulder as he went by “Come on Brown…let’s get out of here”

We walked home with Nate grinning and smiling the whole way “Dude; what is up with you today?” I asked.

“Well…rumor has it that Emma and Garrett got into a big fight in Study Hall” Nate said.

“No way! No fucking way!” I exclaimed, my heart beating faster.

Nate split off a few streets before my own. I knew exactly where I lived with my parents and sisters and I knew that Mia would already be home when I got there; the high school let out 20 minutes before middle school did.

As I was picturing my life with Mia and Sophia, my phone went off. Mom and Dad had gotten me my own cell phone for Christmas last year. I was on limited data and text but it was at least something. It was my friend Abby ‘OMG! Emma Hughes asked me to give her your number!’

I stopped dead in my tracks standing on my front porch, I couldn’t catch my breath. My hands were shaking as I typed back to her ‘Did you do it?’

<Ding> ‘Of Course I DID! I heard she and Garrett have been fighting for weeks and are breaking up! OMG! See I told you she knows who you are!’

As I stood there staring at my phone, Mia came out.

My sister was 15 and 2 inches taller than me. A cheerleader with long brown hair and big brown eyes, she had never had a reason to be nervous about getting attention from a guy “What are you smiling about?” she asked. “Are you going to come inside or are you gonna stand out here all night?”

“Oh” I said looking up at her “Yeah I…HEY!” I yelled as I felt my phone get snatched out of my hand.

My little sister Sophia had snuck up behind me without me hearing her, I was way too distracted by my messages, and now she had taken my phone and ran into the house with it.

“Ha-Ha” Mia laughed at me and blocked me with her hips just long enough to allow Sophia to run inside. She squealed with joy as she yelled “Mia! You have to read this! Josh’s got a girlfriend!”

Mia gave me a look of shock but underneath it, I could see she was happy for me and just teasing me like she always did. She could give me a hard time, but she was always looking out for me in the end and while Sophia could be a pain, she was a good kid too.

Mia took my phone and glanced at it “Good luck with that” she said with a wink and a smile as she tossed it to me “You need to take the trash out though before Mom gets home” she reminded me as she headed up to her room.

As I did my chores, my phone dinged: My heart jumped up into my throat but it was good; I was convinced my life was pretty awesome.