“Bella…Principal’s office now!”
“Ah Miss Knight…back again huh?” Principal Jamie Ramsey said folding her arms over her chest “Come into my office”
Bella Knight walked in with her own arms folded across her chest. In the 4th grade, she came up to her Principal’s chin as she made her way to the chair across the desk.
Jamie sighed as she made her way to her own chair behind the desk. It was a good thing that she was an elementary school principal, if the kids were any older, they’d start to get taller than her. She only stood 5’2”
She wore heels, today, a pair of black wedges to help boost herself. And despite being nearly 40; she looked 10 years younger with straight brown hair and nary a wrinkle on her face.
“It’s not my fault Mrs. Ramsey…it’s my teacher! She hates me and is out to get me!” Bella protested. “She sent me down here saying that I back talked her but I didn’t. I wish you could see what it’s really like in her classroom! She changes completely when you or any other teacher walks in. When she is by herself…she just picks on us!”
Jamie had heard many similar stories over the years of Bella’s teacher, Amanda Hardy. She didn’t seem to actually enjoy being a teacher but over the years, she did seem to pick one kid in her class and single her out for punishment. Usually it was a girl, and usually the girl was intelligent and strong willed. Bella Knight certainly fit the mold.
Jamie sat back in her chair sighing again. Part of her did wish she could go undercover in Amanda’s classroom, but that was impossible.
Jamie looked out through the glass into the main office and saw a woman speaking to the secretary who began to glance over her shoulder into Jamie’s office.
“Could please wait just a second Bella?” Jamie said as she stood up.
Bella turned around to watch what was going on as Jamie went out to the main desk.
“Ah Mrs. Ramsey…just who I wanted to talk to” The woman said.
“I’m busy with a student at the moment, if you would like to wait” Jamie said.
“Actually, we should include young Bella…she plays into what I can offer to you just as much as you” the woman said.
“How did you know her name?” Jamie asked confused.
“How did I know when to show up with the perfect solution to your problem…the solution you thought was impossible” the woman said as she breezed past and into Jamie’s office. “That’s the question you should be asking” she added with a smirk.
Jamie shared a shocked and surprised look with her secretary but she went into her office and closed the door.
“I honestly don’t have any idea what you’re talking about or even who you are” Jamie said talking quickly.
“My name is of no concern really. I can give you the opportunity that you want”
“What?...What are you talking about…I, uh…I’m not sure I’m following?” Jamie said.
The woman took a seat next to Bella and crossed her legs “You were just thinking that you would like to go undercover in Amanda Hardy’s class. You mentioned it” she looked at Bella with a smile “But you were thinking about it and I can make it happen for you”
Jamie could only blink as she stood there. Her jaw went up and down a time or two soundlessly. She folded her arms over her chest “I don’t understand” she said flustered as her cheeks began to redden “What are you going to do? Turn me invisible so I can sneak my way in there?”
“No Jamie…I’m going to make you a 4th grader” the woman said simply.
Bella smiled wide and began to bounce out of her seat clapping her hands.
“No wait just a minute” Jamie was blushing beet red “I never…that’s impossible…you can’t just…I can’t be turned into a 4th grader!” her jaw dropped and she laughed nervously.
“That would be so amazing! You can come back to class with me and…”
“Oh No Bella” the woman put her hand out to calm down the young girl “You would be staying here. See if she becomes the 4th grader, then you need to become the Principal”
Bella’s jaw dropped.
Jamie and Bella stared at each other in shock.
As they stared, the closet door opened. Jamie always kept an extra set of clothes in her closet and now the white blouse and black skirt floated out and laid out across Jamie’s desk.
“What are you…how are you doing that?” Jamie asked.
“This is by far the simplest thing I’ll be doing” the woman said breezily with a wave of her hand.
The clothes were already quite petite. The blouse was a size small and the skirt was a size 4.
Once they lay on the desk, they began to shrink down even smaller.
Jamie’s eyes bulged wide as she watched her clothes shrinking down. She leaned forward over the desk in awe. Bella stood up to watch them go down too.
“Look like something that might fit you now Bella?” the woman said.
“Um, yeah…yes they do” Bella replied. She reached for the blouse and saw it was now a girls 12-14 and the skirt was a 10-12 “They’re my size!” she said.
“Ow…” Jamie said grimacing and bring her left leg up. She popped off her black wedge heel which had grown very tight on her foot. Her right one had to come off as well. She grabbed them off the ground by the backs and held them up. Her jaw dropped as her shoes shrank down.
“I’m sorry but you didn’t have an extra pair of shoes so I had to shrink those down”
“You could have warned me” Jamie said. As they shoes shrank in her hand down to a kids 4Y. Once again, her jaw dropped.
With a wave of her hand, the clothes on the desk changed.
Jamie jumped and blinked seeing her clothes vanish only to be replaced by a small of pair jeans, a white and blue striped shirt and a pair of white canvas slip on shoes. In that blink of an eye, she recognized the clothes as the ones that Bella had been wearing.
Jamie looked across the desk. There stood Bella frozen in shock, her arms straight at her sides, her chin against her chest as she looked down at herself clothed now in a white blouse, black knee length skirt and a pair a black wedge heels.
“Now wait just a minute…I didn’t agree to this I…” Jamie said backing up as the clothes on the desk began to grow larger “I can’t just turn into a kid! I have responsibilities! I have a husband and a family!”
“Tut, tut, tut…not to worry Jamie…it’s all taken care of, or should I say it will be” the woman said as the shirt became a woman’s small, the jeans, a size 4, and the shoes a woman’s size 7.
“This isn’t going to be permanent is it?!” Jamie said.
“No! By no means would I make something like this permanent. That would hardly be fair to Bella” the woman said.
Bella looked up at the sound of her name. She saw her clothes now adult sized lying on the desk “Whoa” she said shaking her head slowly. She looked at the woman who glanced down and gave her a quick smirk before she flared out her fingers and the clothes vanished from the desk top.
Jamie staggered a step backwards finding herself dressed in entirely different clothes. They fit, but instead of the blue blouse and black skirt she had been wearing; she just simply knew she was wearing jeans and a blue and white striped shirt. She lifted her toes confirming they were now encased in white canvas slip on shoes.
Jamie let out a quick and low “Ah” as she looked down at herself in her new clothes. Her toes pointed inward and her heels lifted up as she rose up onto the balls of her feet “I…I guess I don’t have a choice in all this do I?” she finally said.
The woman smirked again.
Jamie turned around to her closet. There was a mirror hanging on the door so she could check her hair and makeup if needed. She looked in it now at her face.
At 39, Jamie Ramsey still looked very young. She had big brown eyes and a rather flat nose but she had a welcoming and warm smile with dimples. She wore light makeup; just a bit of eye makeup and some lipstick to look professional. She kept her straight brown hair at shoulder length.
“4 kids” Bella said and Jamie turned around to face her.
“You have 4 kids…Trent is in 8th grade. Xavier is in 5th…Noah is in 3rd and Willow is in Kindergarten” Bella said.
“Oh come on” Jamie said rolling her eyes and her shoulders.
“You just realized that you would slot right into the middle of your own kids” the woman said chuckling a bit as Jamie shivered all over.
“How did you get in here again?” she asked pointing at the mysterious woman. “How did we get like this?”
The woman closed her eyes and when she opened them, both Bella and Jamie shivered all over.
The woman looked between the two of them approvingly and nodded.
Jamie shook all over as her t-shirt grew tight then, it loosened again. The waistband of her jeans pinched briefly, then, her pants felt loose like they were about to slide off.
Bella felt the sleeves of her blouse slip over her hands. She looked down and she saw the sleeve pull up. Her hand became exposed again, even her wrist was showing, and then, the sleeve drooped back down covering most of the back of her hand.
She felt something similar with her skirt. It would loosen around her waist and scrape over her knees only for it to tighten up and pull above her knees again and again.
“Um ladies…” the woman said as she pointed to each other then crossed her fingers toward the other one.
Jamie and Bella turned toward one another “Oh Holy shit Bella! Oh my gosh excuse my language! But it’s just that…you’re just…you’re getting bigger!”
Bella scanned her principal up and down quickly taking in how skinny she was getting to be before realizing that she was just below her eye level; they were nearly equal in height “And you’re getting smaller and, you look so young!”
Jamie’s hands went to her face and she rubbed her cheeks. Her cheeks felt higher and firmer under her fingers. But it was seeing her fingers and her arms that caught her immediate attention.
She flipped her hands back and forth quickly as she examined her palms and the backs of her hands. ”They’re so smooth! And so small! Look at my fingers! They’re tiny! My nails are like miniscule” she wigged her small and thin fingers.
Jamie’s eyes traced up and in to look at her suddenly rail thin upper arms. No excess fat; no excess muscle” Her jaw dropped again as she looked up and directly into Bella’s eyes.
Bella just blinked. Her clothes continued growing larger and taking her along with them. She knew she was actually still slightly shorter and bolstered by her heels. She picked up her right foot and gave it a waggle, the shoe sat tight on her foot. As she put her foot back down, she looked down into Jamie’s eyes. She was taller than her Principal. “Oh my” she said stretching her shoulders and back out.
Bella felt a stinging sensation followed by a wave of warmth race across her chest. She shivered again.
Jamie was astonished to not only be shorter than Bella but also by Bella’s emerging curves. Jamie detected hips and a curve coming in along her sides underneath her white blouse not to mention “Um” Jamie said as she glanced down at Bella’s chest as it began to push the blouse out.
“Oh my God” Bella said embarrassed. She looked a bit confused. She shimmied her shoulders and looked down to her shoulders “Am I…Am I wearing a bra?” she asked the woman
“Of course you are…a 32B!” the woman replied.
Bella’s hands came up and grabbed the cups of her bra through her blouse. She grabbed mostly fabric but small breasts were forming up and growing inside of them and she blushed once her hands hit the small cone like mounds.
The skirt was beginning to fit differently. Bella’s thighs were filling out and her ass and hips were growing and pushing outward.
Jamie flexed her chest muscles and no longer felt fabric strapped around her chest “Wait…am I not wearing a bra?”
“Oh honey, you don’t need one anymore” the woman said patronizingly.
Jamie felt heat burn her cheeks and a newfound realization that soon there would be 2 women and a girl in the office and she wouldn’t be one of the women.
5’2” wasn’t tall but now, she knew she was well under 5 feet tall and still shrinking.
“You look like a kid Mrs. Ramsey” Bella said shocking both of them with the newfound deepness of her voice, which had suddenly dropped and matured. “I mean, like your face looks like you’re so young”
“It’s okay Bella, I know what you mean” Jamie blushed anew as her voice had risen higher and sounded very immature.
Jamie turned to the mirror but gasped when all she saw was the room reflected. He mirror was over her head. She rose up on her tip toes and could only see her face down to her nose. “The bags under my eyes are gone” she thought blinking her big brown doe eyes. Her hair looked lighter and thinner. She could tell it was longer just by looking down which she now did.
Jamie’s hair now lay over her shoulders and down to the bottom of her shoulder blades on her narrowing back. But what really caught Jamie’s attention now was her legs.
Her tiny hands flew to her thighs and she wrapped both hands around the left one as her mouth dropped open. Her legs had none of her usual curve or heft. Her legs were the skinny, straight little legs of a little kid.
Jamie looked up, way up to Bella now. At least 6 inches separated them now.
Bella rocked her right foot back on its heel waggling the toe of her heel back and forth as her feet continued to grow larger. Up to a size 6 already, her legs were getting longer and filling out very nicely as her body matured, stretching her skirt out to form as it stopped growing at her size 4. Her hips had formed up, her ass was shapely and round pushing out her skirt as her blouse settled over her waist and stomach. Her arms had filled out in the sleeves of her blouse and she flexed her hands looking at her larger and longer fingers topped off with manicured fingernails. Veins and marks ran across the backs but she couldn’t care less.
Bella pulled her shoulders back slightly to emphasize her chest to herself while trying to be obnoxious about it and flaunt it.
“Oh you two are shaping up very nicely” the woman said nodding approvingly “Very nicely…”
Jamie turned toward the woman who was now very imposing. She had been several inches taller than her naturally but now…now “Um…how so?” she said to the woman who was now nearly a foot and a half taller than her as Jamie finally stopped shrinking at 4’4”
“Just that Jamie…you look like a 9 year old little girl and Bella looks like a mature woman” the woman said.
“I’m 2 months shy of turning 40” Bella stated.
“Yes you are” the woman said looking at Jamie.
“I’ll be turning 10 in June” Jamie said shocking even herself with her answer.
Jamie felt her teeth shift inside her mouth. A hole opened up where she was missing a tooth on the top, then another hole opened on the bottom row and she stuck her tongue through it.
Her earrings vanished as she became too young for her Mom to allow her to have pierced ears. Her wedding ring was gone from her hand, Bella wore it now along with her small gold stud earrings.
Bella now turned to the mirror on the closet door and gasped at the reflection. “That’s me!” she said leaning so far forward that her breath fogged the mirror.
It was the face of an adult looking back; her own adult face. She had a few creases across her forehead and laugh lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth. She looked older than Jamie had even though she knew they had swapped ages exactly.
Her mouth was wide with full plump lips. She bared her teeth and giggled at how large and straight they had become. Her nose was long and angular and her green eyes shone out over her defined cheekbones.
She turned her face back and forth a bit to get different angles of her chin and jaw and she felt the extra presence of earrings in her lobes which had grown larger along with every other features.
Bella’s dark blonde hair had changed to more of an overall brown color but still had a few streaks of lighter color. Her hair had pulled up shorter and just off her shoulders as the front swept to the left.
“I’m her size now” Bella stated standing up straight and seeing her face framed perfectly in the mirror.
“Yes, you’re 5’2” now. I kept you the same size as her clothes would dictate. I can tell that as you actually age, you will probably end up taller than that but for the sake of this experiment, you will be Jamie’s size and Jamie will be yours” the woman said.
Bella’s eyes traced back down to the floor and her heels. She slipped her right foot out to take a peek. Her toes were scrunched up together as they emerged and she spread them out in curiosity. Painted a dark maroon color, she waved her foot back and forth before sliding it back in the comfortable wedge.
The heels took her up to 5’4” which still left here 4 inches shorter than the mysterious woman changing them.
Jamie too was curious. She easily slipped her tiny foot out of the white canvas slip on “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe how small I am!” she said in a very high pitched voice. In shock at the sound of her little girl voice, she missed her shoe and put her bare foot on the tile floor feeling the coldness of it in the sole of her foot.
Her tiny little toes curled up against the cool chill. She looked down and saw the small flat toenails atop stubby little toes.
Jamie hastily stuck her foot back inside her shoe moving her ankle to really get it to fit.
“Well it looks like a success” the woman said “But I do say looks like. Physically you two have exchanged ages and body types but mentally…” she looked at Bella “…you are still a very immature 9 year old in an adult body and you…” she looked down at Jamie somewhat disapprovingly “…you’re still mentally not only 40 but you are also an experienced educator and Principal. You will never pass yourself off convincingly as a 4th grader. You will slip up and say something that no child would ever say”
“But I’ll try my best not to” Jamie insisted.
“It would not be fair to either of you to maintain your facilities as they currently are” the woman said. “It would be a crime to send you Bella off to be a wife and mother without an essential change”
“No! No Please! Not my mind too!” Jamie pleaded as tears welled up in her eyes.
The woman merely looked at Jamie who froze with a blank stare on her small face “This won’t hurt a bit and it really is for the best and you know it…everything will be returned to you in time”
Bella also had frozen in place staring at the wall. With a snap of her fingers, both instantly sprang back to attention.
“Now then…isn’t that much better?” the woman said.
Bella shook her head with a look of concern on her face “What…oh…” she said staggered.
Jamie blinked a few times “I…” she put her hands up to her temples and rubbed. She concentrated as hard as she could but it was all gone. She was truly a kid again. Everything she had, had been switched over to Bella.
“It’s for the best” the woman said.
“I guess you’re right” Jamie said “But…how long are we gonna be like this?” she asked.
“Hmmm…I’m still thinking that part over young lady. I know it will have to be long enough for you to truly experience life in Mrs. Hardy’s class. I’m not sure if a week will be long enough…in fact now that I’m saying it out loud, I’m sure that it won’t be so now should it be a month or for the rest of this grading period”
Jamie’s heart dropped; at least 30 days like this and maybe more…the grading period had just started 2 week ago. She had to stop and do the math in her head “7 weeks!” she squeaked.
“Do you have any preference Bella?” the woman asked.
“Whatever you feel is appropriate?” she said lacing her hands together and dropping the in front of her.
“Then 7 weeks it is!” the woman said. “I will return at that point. Hopefully by then you will have a clear picture of Mrs. Hardy’s classroom and her teaching techniques. This is a very serious affair that needs investigated properly…until then” the woman tuned and simply walked out of the office.
“Good day Miss Spicer” they heard her tell the secretary as she left.
Jamie and Bella stared at each other again. Jamie wanted to scream.
Bella looked at her name badge ‘Principal Isabella Ramsey’ it said with her picture below it.
“Jamie Knight…it’s time to return to your classroom” she said.
“But…”
“No buts…if you dawdle any longer in my office it will look inappropriate. You must go to class” Mrs. Ramsey said folding her arms over her chest and tapping her foot for effect.
Jamie was speechless but she also knew what she had to do. She walked out of the office, turned left and headed to the 4th grade wing and room 24.
She took a deep breath and hurried past room 14 where her son Noah was in, rushing by looking down at her shoes.
Jamie got to the door, she had to steel herself before going in.
“Well look who finally made it back” Mrs. Hardy said very sarcastically as Jamie came in.
“Wow she is rude!” Jamie thought.
“Did Mrs. Ramsey finally set you straight? Are we going to have any more issues?”
“No” Jamie said suddenly sacred of Mrs. Hardy.
“No she didn’t set you straight or no we aren’t going to have any more problems?” Mrs. Hardy said “Well class let’s stop everything we’re doing yet again for Jamie. Everyone wait for Jamie to enlighten us before we can go back to our science lesson”
Jamie froze being put on the spot. She felt every set of eyes on her. Her stomach dropped into a cold pit “No more trouble” Jamie mumbled. She felt like she was on fire. She would rather be on fire than standing here.
“Take your seat” The words dripped with acid and contempt.
Jamie slipped in behind her desk. Her cheeks were burning with fear and shame. Mrs. Hardy had just embarrassed her and belittled her much more in a minute than being turned into a 9 year old did. “This is going to be a hard 7 weeks” she thought.
The only saving grace was that she had Mrs. Hardy for science and math but got to go to Mrs. Walsh for reading and language arts and Mrs. Evans for Social Studies.
Then she remembered that she also had art, music, gym and lunch “That’s better” she told herself “I can already tell that Mrs. Hardy is a meanie who plays favorites”
Jamie tapped her pencil as she looked over her worksheet. The answers were not coming to her. She had taught 4th grade for 10 years before becoming the Principal but now, she was finding this worksheet hard.
She had to concentrate but it was coming to her so she filled it out and turned it in. Mrs. Hardy stared at her over the top of her glasses at her giving her that withering feeling again.
“She definitely doesn’t recognize me as her boss” she thought before picturing herself as the little girl she had become. Her self-image was changing as was the voice inside her head. She was no longer hearing her thoughts in her normal lower adult voice, instead, her thoughts were coming in high pitched and increasingly erratic spurts. Her train of thought was short and just jumping around more and more. It was difficult to concentrate and her energy level was rising making her fidget in her seat.
Art class was coming up in a few minutes and she was looking forward to working on her pottery project. Finally the bell rang and she hopped up and hurried out, done with yucky Mrs. Hardy until tomorrow.
Bella Ramsey watched Jamie head out from her office doorway. She leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded and her right foot crossed over her left ankle. She tapped the toe of her shoe twice before walking back into her office. She checked her email and responded to one from the Superintendent.
She went through the attendance sheets and call offs before checking on a Kindergarten student who had come down to see the nurse. “This is the easy part of my day…work is work, it’ll be quite interesting when I go home this afternoon, that’s when my fun begins”
She closed her eyes and could picture her house, her bedroom, her bathroom. Sitting still she could hear her kids, remember small details that only a Mother would know. Then she thought about Jason and she felt warm. Warm and protected and loved by her husband.
Her self-image was shifting. She no longer thought she was just a kid thrust into an adult body and situation, no, she was an adult. She was a well-trained and studied teacher. She had worked her ass off to get where she was. She deserved to be Principal the low, mature and familiar voice inside her head assured her.
She walked to the nurse’s office “Let me walk you back to class Kailyn” she said with a warm smile as she put her arm around Kailyn’s shoulder.
She chatted with the 5 year old who had just gotten a baby aspirin and was headed back to class.
Small, petite and thin, Bella took her time walking back to the office just listening to the teachers conduct their classes.
She lingered outside the speech therapist’s room listening to her work with a 2nd grader. Lunches would begin soon with the 5th graders so she checked on the cooks and saw the tables were being put up. “Everything going alright?” she asked.
“Sure is Bella” the head custodian replied.
Bella smiled “Awesome Mr. Calhoun”
Jamie was having fun in art class painting her pottery cup so it could get baked on. She was quite engaged when the bell rang. She had to carefully move it to the rack before going to her language arts class. Lunch would break up Language arts and reading and she was looking forward to talking to and playing with her friends at recess.
After working on her spelling words and the use of semi colons, she got to get her packed lunch out of her locker. A PB &J Uncrustable, a bag of Doritos, some goldfish crackers, a Hostess Cupcake and a bottle of water.
She talked endlessly with her friends as she ate. As soon as the lunch ladies said they could go outside, she sprang up and ran out.
She came to a screeching stop as she threw her bag away and saw her Principal standing by the door. Suddenly she became very aware of their situations and roles. Her stomach lurched and she blushed.
“Have fun at recess Jamie” was all Mrs. Ramsey said with a big friendly smile and a wave.
Jamie couldn’t say anything; she was too nervous. She simply smiled a gap toothed smile and ran off with her friends.
Bella could have patted her former Principal on top of her head as she skated by but she didn’t. She just continued to talk to more of her students.
Bella stayed around the lunch room for all the lunches. She would watch the kids and go to the teacher lounge to talk to her staff.
She went to the copy room and met with more staff before returning to her office. Two 5th graders had gotten into a fight so she made them talk, apologize and then gave them detention before sending them back to class.
Emails and phone calls and talking to teachers filled her afternoon until it was time to start monitoring the buses, walkers and the pick-up line.
She took the walkers that went to the south and would help them cross the road watching traffic. The vice principal went to the other main road while various teachers watched the buses and pickup line but she could also see both from where she was. She said goodbye by name to each and every one of them.
“All in a day’s work” she thought as she kept an eye on bus number 6. She watched Jamie get on board.
Bella went back to her office where 3 of her kids waited for her. Her 5 year old daughter Willow ran up to her and hugged her around the waist “Mommy!”
“How’s my big girl?!” Bella asked her hugging her back.
“Good”
“How was your day guys?” she asked Noah and Xavier who both gave brief rundowns.
Her 8th grader Trent was in the middle school only a block away. He walked over as she was talking with a few of the teachers. He was already quite a bit taller than her and was proud of that “What up Trent?” the one teacher Lisa Williams asked.
“Not much” he replied with a shrug.
“Now the real fun begins” Bella said. “3 different practices to get to now. Home to change clothes and repack”
Bella put her hand on Trent’s back “Everyone to the car, have a good night everybody, see you all tomorrow” she said as she left with all 4 of her kids heading to her car with her purse over her shoulder.
She drove home to get on with the really chaotic part of her day.
Jamie had read a chapter in Shiloh in reading, went to social studies to learn about the Revolutionary war and music ended her day. She had stayed busy, the day had been harder than she had thought it would be. She had homework and she had gymnastics class at 6.
She headed to the buses, she tried to concentrate on what she would be doing if she was still a grown up. She saw her Principal at the crosswalk, “That was my job” she thought. Her eyes wandered to her minivan “That was my car…but I can’t drive anymore” She thought about her kids but the memory blurred and her mind changed the subject quickly distracting her away.
When the bus dropped her off at what was now her house, she knew to go to the side door. Her older brother Owen was in High School and would already be home.
“Hey shrimp…how was baby school?” Owen asked sitting at the table eating a sandwich and doing his homework.
“Whatever” Jamie replied as she put her backpack down and slipped off her shoes.
Her Mom would be home in an hour. She would get some dinner before practice but she went to her room to get her bag ready. “Leotard…chalk, wrist guards…and clothes to change into afterwards. Oh yeah, my water bottle” she added in paying little attention to the fact that she now had a room decorated by unicorns.
She did her math homework before she watched Disney channel until her mom came home.
She talked to her Mom about her day, leaving out the whole age and life swap and mostly trying to gloss over getting sent to the Principal’s office by Mrs. Hardy yet again.
“God that woman…”I’ll be so glad when you move on to 5th grade!” her Mom Cathy exclaimed slamming her hands on the counter. She was making spaghetti for dinner.
“And I didn’t do anything!” Jamie pleaded “And Mrs. Ramsey wasn’t even mad at me either!”
“I think your Principal should report that woman to the superintendent and the school board. She’s a terrible teacher and shouldn’t have power over children…I’d love to get you out of there”
“I’ll get by Mom” Jamie said. “Even if she does hate me, my grades are still good”
“Well that’s a very mature way of thinking about it” Cathy admitted. “But I’m still going to email Mrs. Ramsey yet again to let my opinion be known”
Jamie just smiled and swung her legs back and forth under the table.
She ate and grabbed her gymnastics bag. She sat in the backseat of her Mom’s car and rode along, not quite forgetting what it was like to be the driver.
Once at the facilities. She spotted the 5, 6 and7 year old class finishing up and therefore, she saw Willow.
Jamie just stared for a moment. Her daughter, was gathering up her stuff and putting on her shoes barely smaller than she was now and only 4 years younger. Her mind kicked into a messed up in between place.
“I can’t be her Mom…I can’t be anyone’s Mom…not like this…not now. I’m just a kid myself. I can’t even drive and boys are gross. Xavier and Trent are older than me like this and Bella is their Mom now. She’s the Principal…she should be, not me” she thought as she stood frozen and blinking by the door.
Willow rushed past her with no recognition. She held her breath as she ran by and out to her Mom.
Bella was waiting by the main doors and didn’t see Jamie.
Cathy had dropped her off and went to go grocery shopping while she practiced. Jamie watched Bella’s warm and genuine smile and the way she took her by the hand to lead her to the car.
Jamie shook it off and went to practice. Flips, cartwheels and somersaults led to floor routines and balance beam work.
She had to shower when she got home. She did it quickly and brushed her teeth. She curled up on the sofa to watch some TV and play on her tablet before her 9:00 bedtime which she was very ready for. She was exhausted after her day.
Bella had dropped Xavier and Noah off to basketball practice before taking Willow to gymnastics. Her husband would pick the boys up, drop them back off at home and take Trent to his track practice.
She swung by Subway and got everyone’s favorites on their way home from the gym.
The boys were doing their homework when she came in and was finally able to kick off her wedge heels for the night.
Barefoot, but still in her skirt and blouse, Trent came in sweaty and smelly before Jason did. She gave her husband a kiss as the kids all ate. They talked for a few moments away from the crowd.
Bella of course made no mention of the biggest part of her day, chalking up the whole day as “Pretty routine”
By then, Noah and Willow were done, so Jamie and Jason sat down to eat as Xavier and Trent finished up.
The hectic pace continued all night as homework questions, showers, baths and bedtime rituals left very little alone time. She checked her private emails and Facebook in between and was exhausted by the time she finally made it to bed.
The morning was just more chaos, but organized and well timed chaos. Getting everyone ready and out the door, she dropped Trent off before going to her own school with the other 3 kids.
Dressed in a pair of navy blue slacks and a yellow sleeveless blouse with navy blue heels, she greeted students as they came in and saw them all off down the hallways to their classes and teachers.
She met with her secretary and the guidance counselor and vice principal to lay out the day, falling into her usual work routine.
Jamie too had found her new routine. She got up, had breakfast and dealt with the stomach ache of worrying about seeing Mrs. Hardy.
She went to the corner where she caught the bus wearing polka dot leggings, white tennis shoes and a light blue top along with a light jacket and her backpack.
At least Math and Science were her first two classes. She tried to stay quiet and unnoticed and note and observe if other kids were getting picked on as well. She knew Mrs. Hardy had sent Bella, Madison and Reagan to her office several times through the year.
Today was Madison’s turn to be targeted along with a boy named Kyle. They were getting all the wrath and withering looks and sarcastic remarks.
As the days went on, both fell into their routines. They made it to Friday.
Friday was jeans day for the faculty so when Jamie passed Bella, they were both in jeans and blue shirts with their school name and logo on it ”Awesome shirt Jamie” Bella said with her trademark wide smile giving her a thumbs up as she came in from the bus.
Jamie smiled “Thanks Mrs. Ramsey” she replied happily.
“Have a good day!” Bella called out.
She got a snide remark from Mrs. Hardy when she missed a math question which embarrassed her but at least she didn’t get sent to the office.
The weekends meant Jamie got to play and watch movies and go to a sleepover at her friend Megan’s house.
The weekend meant Bella got to clean her house and run her kids around to practices while running errands.
She did manage to go out to dinner with her husband though on Saturday night while Trent watched his siblings.
She and Jason went out early, getting to dinner at 4:30 but at least it was just them. They shared a bottle of red wine while eating Italian food and just talking.
At night, they were usually worn out so they just curled up and fell asleep joking about their red hot love life.
The days became weeks. The weeks turned into a month.
Jamie was sent to the Principal’s office with two weeks remaining in the grading period. She came in carrying her note and sat down across from Bella.
“Jamie Knight” Bella said shaking her head slowly back and forth, her brown hair swaying yet still tucked behind her ears.
Jamie just looked over and up, her feet dangling above the ground.
“You know I’m not going to yell at you” Bella said.
“You’d better not” Jamie said softly.
“You can just hang out here for a little bit” Bella said. “And you must know that you’re not the only one picked on by her. I get students from her other classes coming down here too”
“Oh she totally plays favorites Mrs. Ramsey!” Jamie said excitedly “I knew it before but I really know it now!”
“Yeah…” Bella just said “Just keep your head down and in we should be switching back in a few weeks”
“Yeah…I’ve missed some stuff but being a kid is pretty fun” Jamie admitted.
“I’ve missed some parts of being a kid…the carefree nature of it all but this is definitely interesting on this side of the desk. I have to admit that I like being a Mom the most of living your life” Bella said.
Jamie teared up a bit “That’s what I’ve missed the most”
“I know”
Jamie headed back to class and made her way through the next days as quietly as she could.
As the final week went on, time seemed to slow down for Jamie but speed up for Bella. Before they knew it, it was Friday.
Bella was in her office making sure all the final files came through from her staff full of teachers. They all needed to be in s grade cards could start to get printed on Monday. Bella had reviewed all the ones already turned in but a few teachers were waiting until the last minute.
Jamie was on her way to her last class of the day, gym. As she headed down the hall, she had to pass the main office. She saw the woman standing in the office talking to Mrs. Ramsey.
Miss Spicer came out and handed a note to Jamie’s friend Megan “Give this to Mr. Smith, Mrs. Ramsey needs to see Jamie”
Jamie headed in to the office, her heart fluttering suddenly with excitement “You came back!” she said to the woman
“Of course I did…I always keep my word” the woman smirked as Jamie headed into the inner office. The woman followed with Bella last, closing the door behind her as she came in.
At the end of the grading period, all of the Principals had a meeting at 3:30 with the Superintendent so Bella wasn’t in her jeans and t-shirt; she was wearing a sleeveless navy blue dress with matching heels.
Jamie was wearing a pair of blue leggings with butterflies on them and a pink top with music notes on it. Since it was gym day, she was wearing white socks and pink and white tennis shoes.
“So…I take it you were successful in your little undercover mission” the woman said emphasizing the word little
“Yes…I know what needs to be done” Jamie said folding her arms over her chest.
“Do you agree with your student’s assessment Principal Ramsey?” the woman asked.
“I saw a whole new and different situation walking in these shoes” Bella said rocking her right foot back on her heel. “I thought it was just because I was a kid in her class that I thought she was mean. But she’s nasty and a bad teacher”
The woman nodded “Now I must commend both of you on how you handled these past 7 weeks. Felt like a long time didn’t it?”
Jamie nodded while Bella shook her head “Flew by for me” she said.
“Well yeah cause you’re a busy adult” Jamie said.
“Busy is an understatement” Bella said.
“You make such a great little kid…almost seems a shame to swap you back” the woman said smirking “And you are very good at your job Bella. Very good…and you have run your family without a hitch through this time…one again, seems like a shame and a waste to swap you back into a just a little girl”
“Well, um, thank you” Bella said.
“You seemed to get into being a wife and mother” the woman added with a wink as Jamie’s jaw dropped and Bella blushed and looked at the ground.
“Oh ease up you two…you were placed where you are for a reason and a purpose and you needed to live the life you were given” the woman laughed dismissively with a wave of her hand. “I’ve said that you were great as a kid too…you really got into it; almost forgot who you really were and what age you’re supposed to be on more than one occasion”
Now it was Jamie’s time to blush.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you two want to stay like this” the woman said.
“I, uh…” Bella said. It was tempting.
Even Jamie felt the pull to stay as a carefree child and take her time getting a second chance to go through life “No” she said “I want to be big again”
“Big? Haha…what a great way to put it” the woman said laughing and clapping her hands “Do want to be little again?” she asked turning to Bella “I never intended to steal your childhood from you. You get your chance to grow up and make your own decisions on a job and husband and kids…not live with her choices”
Bella straightened up pulling her shoulders back.
“No. You did exactly what you were supposed to do and now it’s time to go back” the woman said as she snapped her fingers.
Jamie gasped as she felt her feet lift up now encased in size 4Y navy blue heels. She pin wheeled her bare arms as she caught her balance in the tiny size 10-12 blue dress.
The bottom sashayed around her thin colt like legs and the top molded to her narrow and flat chest. Her jaw dropped in pure excitement “It’s happening!” she squeaked out in her high voice.
Bella took a step backwards as her feet dropped flat on the ground encased in size 7 pink and white sneakers. Her curvaceous legs and hips were in a pair of leggings with butterflies on them and a pink top with music notes. Her small but pert breasts on display. “Whoa…little kid clothes made in my size. I will never get over this…I will never forget this”
“Me either Mrs. Ramsey” Jamie said.
“Maybe I should start calling you that again” Bella replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh my gosh…that’s gonna sound weird again…Principal Ramsey…Mrs. Ramsey…” Jamie said.
“It’s your name…not mine…I’m going to be a Knight again”
“Oh you two are so touching” the woman said, her words dripping with sarcasm. “You need to get on with it before it gets too sappy in here”
The two of them looked at each other and smiled bashfully.
Jamie felt her toes curl up then pop out straight, curl up again and pop out and spread inside her shoes all the while a strange stretching sensation consumed the soles of her feet. She saw them bulge up and out and then smooth again as her feet began to grow back out to size.
Her legs began to lengthen and fill back out. Her dress going up in size as her mature body returned to her. She looked up at Bella and then down to the ground as she started to grow taller and marking as she began to climb up closer to Bella in height.
Bella felt her top billow out and move. Her stomach fluttered like when she rode a roller coaster and she got a bit dizzy as she noticed the room beginning to move on her. The walls were moving up. The woman was getting taller next to her. Jamie was getting taller directly in front of her.
She noticed that Jamie’s facial features were already beginning to change back as well. Her chin was defining, her nose was growing larger and longer as her lips began to fill out. She was such a cross between a woman and a child as she changed back.
Bella too was an interesting mix. Her cheeks were rising up higher and rounder and her green eyes were changing shape as well. Her forehead was smoothing back out wrinkle free along with the corners of her eyes and mouth.
She felt her pants tighten down, pinching the skin around her waist and hips. Then, it felt comfy again before getting tight once more ”I’m shrinking” she stated plainly “I’m shrinking back down”
Just 3 inches shorter, Bella was 4’11” but as Jamie grew 3 inches to 4’7” along with her heels, they were coming back to even.
Bella looked down and realized her breasts were shrinking away. Her hands came up and clutched but grabbed more bra cup than breast. She squeezed as they got smaller and smaller until her bra vanished off of her. She looked to the woman.
“You don’t need it” she said looking to Jamie.
Jamie smiled as she felt fabric slap over her shoulders underneath her dress and wrap around her back and chest.
Jamie pulled her shoulders back and seemed to grow an inch as she did. Her breasts began to form up and push out the front of her dress. Her body began to mature. Curves returned to her sides and hips. Her rear pushed out round and firm as her thighs pulsated outward plumping back to shape and size.
Jamie’s calves regained a curve as her feet grew larger as her shoes returned to a size 7. Her upper arms filled out, her hands and fingers grew larger and longer.
Blinking she saw that she and Bella were equal in height for just a moment before she grew taller which caused her to rise up higher in her shoes.
The slight bags underneath her eyes returned, one of the few signs of her age. Her teeth filled back in, straightening back up to perfect. Her earrings popped back into her lobes as her wedding ring returned to her finger.
Bella shrank down below Jamie. Her face continued to regress back to that of a child. Her lips thinned and her chin and jaw lost definition as her ears shrank down. Her chest was flat, her arms thin, her hands small, her hips and rear non-existent as her legs went rail thin atop tiny, tiny feet encased in childish sneakers
The last few inches and years exchanged back and with a shiver Bella was back to being 9 and Jamie had returned to 39.
“Wow! That was amazing! I still can’t believe we actually just did that” Jamie said and she examined her restored body.
“That was so cool Mrs. Ramsey!” Bella said hopping up and down “I had your life! And you had mine!”
“I enjoyed it but I’m glad to be back” Jamie said.
“Me too…I’ll never forget this!” Bella said.
“Me either and, just to let you know…you’re not going to have to worry about Mrs. Hardy any longer. I’m firing her” Jamie reported as Bella smirked.