Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Eli shuffled into the living room and froze. A barefoot woman reclined on the couch. There wasn’t anything remarkable about her, except the rose tattoo adorning her shoulder, the half naked baby latched to her breast, and the fact that he had no idea who she was.

“You’re finally awake.” Her pink-nailed hands shifted the baby’s position, causing it to dislodge from her nipple. She rectified the situation, or rather it did, reattaching its toothless mouth to the mammary like a vaccuum hose.

“Who are you?” Eli took a step backwards, suddenly self conscious of his clothing. Before she’d left for school, Winter had exchanged his shirt for one with less drool and more ‘cuteness’. However, the latter came at a price — he was now a walking advertisement for a yellow sea creature with boxy pants and a tie.

“Cecilia, but yew kin call me Aunt Cece,” she said, her Southern drawl disturbingly heavy. “Good thing yews finally woke up. Was ‘bout to hafta go in dar and pour water on ya.” She winked, something she did often, judging by the crow’s feet on her otherwise unwrinkled and plump face.

“You’re my babysitter?”

“Dat depends. Is yews a baby?”

“No.”

“Den I guess I ain’t yews sitter, now is I? Reckon I’m your friend, wachin’ out fer ya during da day. So long as yews behave, we get along like peas in da pod.” She lifted the baby to her shoulder and burped it. “How ‘bout yews run and grab Aunt Cece a towel. Jaxon here ‘bout ready to spit somethin’ up, and I ain’t in the mood to be washin’ clothes.”

Eli darted to the hall closet, then back to the couch, small towel in hand. Cece swiped it from him just in time to catch the off white emission from Jaxon’s mouth. It wasn’t much, but it would’ve made a mess on her brown tank top.

“How old is he?” Eli asked.

“Just turn eight months. How about yews keep an eye on ‘em while I go git lunch ready.”

“Um...”

Cece placed the baby on the carpet and plodded off into the kitchen. She left an unusual scent in her wake, strawberry lotion and fresh bread. “Just keep da gate closed. He’s a crawler.”

And he was. Jaxon crawled straight to Eli’s feet and clutched a handful of pajama bottoms. Eli had to pry the little dude’s fingers off, not an easy task considering the strength of the grip. Frighteningly, if Eli shrunk any further, which he would, he’d be at the mercy of this kid’s curiosity, and who knows how that would turn out. Perhaps he should let the kid exhaust his curiosity now, rather than later.

Eli plucked a stuffed giraffe, its spotted neck extending from between the couch cushions, and danced it in front of Jaxon. The baby squealed and reached for it, but Eli pranced it further away. Jaxon chased, a wobbly pursuit at best, his body careening from side to side as his limbs bent like Jell-O. Eli was about to surrender the animal when the doorbell rang.

“Git dat fer me, Eli.” Cece hollered over the beep of the microwave.

“Sure.”

Eli swung open the stair gate, then scrambled downstairs. After a few leaping attempts, he unlocked the deadbolt to the front door, but couldn’t pry it open. Using both hands, he could twist the doorknob, but the midday heat had sealed it shut.

“Eli!” Cece stomped down the stairs, closing the gate behind her. “I told yews to keep that shut.”

“I know, but — “

“What yew doin’ dawdlin’ out here?” She flung open the door, imprisoning Eli on the other side of it. “Sorry, we ain’t buyin’ no gurl scout cookies.”

“Is — is Eli here?” a soft voice asked. “I’m his friend.”

“Ain’t you posed’ to be in school?”

“I got out early today to come check on him. I’m his watcher at school.”

“Well, come on in den. I kin use da help. Got ‘nuff to keep track of wid own lil’ un. Eli, yer frien’ is here! Now where dat boy run off?”

He squeezed out from behind the door.

“There yew is. Go grab a hot dog with yer frien’ — what’s yer name?”

“Parker.” The blue haired girl stepped inside and leaned her skateboard against the wall. “Hi, Eli.” She gave a little wave, more of a one handed clap, bending over to peer at him.

Cece shut the door and turned to Eli. “Now what yew waitin’ fer. Ain’t yew know it impolite to stare. Say hi to yer frien’.”

“Uh, hi.” Did he know this girl? She seemed familiar. Wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt and shredded jeans, she dressed like a boy, but her pretty (albeit scratched) face and exotic hair placed her firmly in the girl category — a category he had no business interacting with in his current state.

Eager to escape the situation, Eli followed Cece up the stairs and into the kitchen. He reached for a plate, but it was at the back of the dryer rack. Parker’s arm extended over his head, grabbed the plate, and deposited a hot dog on it. She handed it to him and he accepted, both hands clasping the edges.

“See, already helpin’ out.” Cece patted Parker’s head. “Y’all go play while I try to put my lil’ un to sleep.”

“C’mon.” Already at the hallway, Parker motioned for Eli to follow. He did, admiring the blue, almost purple, hue of her hair. How did she get it that color? Did kids make fun of her for being different?

They entered Ally’s room, and she plopped down in the larger bean bag. “Neat room. I like the Nirvana posters.”

“It’s not my room anymore. My sister and I switched yesterday.”

“Oh.” She patted the yellow bean bag. “Have a seat. I don’t bite. Usually.” She smirked, provoking fear and excitement to war in his stomach. Where had her shyness gone? As soon as Cece had left the picture, Parker had transferred it to him.

He gulped, then sat in the bean-filled chair, careful to prevent his hot dog from rolling off the plate. No condiments adorned the tube of meat, and it looked like it could feed him twice over, but at least it gave him something to do besides talk. He bit into it, filling his mouth with bun.

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

He chewed the dry morsel and swallowed before responding. “Sorry. I don’t.”

“It’s ok. You’ll remember me once you get smaller.” She scratched her lower leg, a patch of skin that peeked through a rip in her pants. “Must be pretty frustrating. Forgetting stuff.”

He shifted his eyes to meet hers, gray metal orbs — probing, yet kind. “It is...”

“You can talk about it if you want. I’ll listen.”

He filled his lungs. Finally, someone who didn’t treat him like a child. “I — I feel like I’m trapped in this body. Even now, it’s hard to...talk. My body wants to do kid stuff, but I just want to be normal again. To think normally. To remember things that I should remember. I know I’m getting smaller, and that’s ok I guess, but I’m afraid I’m losing my mind too. It’s scary.”

“Well, I’m sure everyone’s already told you it’s temporary. So”—she shrugged, expression earnest—”why not just be a kid?”

“What?” He was expecting silence, or commiseration with his situation. Not this. “I don’t understand.”

“Just enjoy it. Be a kid. Do what your body is telling you to do. At the rate your shrinking, it’ll only be for a few days at most, so why not enjoy it? Not everyone gets a chance to relive their childhood.”

“Um.” Something about hearing it spoken freed something in his brain. If he just gave in to the impulses, he would be happier, not fighting them all the time. “I guess you’re right.”

“So...what’s your body telling you right now? What do you want to do?”

“Uhhh…” He wasn’t going to give complete control to his kid brain, but it couldn’t hurt to listen to it, could it? “I’d rather be eating cookies, but they’re too high.”

Parker grinned. “Wait here.”

She left, then returned with a small plate of sugar cookies, closing the door behind her. “How about you take two more big bites, then you can have a cookie.”

“Ok.” Big bites were his only option anyway, given the size of the hot dog. If he wanted any meat, he practically had to dislocate his jaw. After downing the two mouthfuls, she delivered a cookie into his hands as promised. He ate three-fourths of it before rubbing his stuffed tummy.

“Aren’t you going to eat anything?” he asked.

“I had lunch before skipping — er, before coming here.” She popped the rest of his cookie into her mouth and ate it, which was fine. He didn’t want the rest anyway, and there were two more on the plate. “So, what next?” she asked.

“Wanna play Mario Kart?”

“Ab — so — lutely.”

He turned on the Nintendo 64, his favorite game already slotted for play. She choose Yoshi and he picked Toad. The first race didn’t go as expected. She killed him, as did nearly all of the computer players. The double-sized controller fumbled in his hands, and the track itself surprised him with twists and turns he didn’t recall.

“Again!” He propped the underside of the controller with his knees.

“Ok, but if I win, you have to come sit with me.”

“Fine!” he said. She wouldn’t win this time.

He led the second race until he attempted the powerslide maneuver. Instead of hugging the corner, his cart veered off the track and into the water. Things went from bad to worse. In spite of getting the star three times in a row, he fell further behind and finished dead last.

“Hmph.”

“Come on over.” She patted the spot between her knees.

“Okaaaayyy.” He got up and sat between her legs. She wrapped solid arms around him, locking him in place with the controller spanning between her hands. Her chest hugged his back and her chin brushed his hair.

“Another round?” she asked, her cinnamon breath tickling his ear.

“Yep!”

“Ok, but if I win this time, I get to give you a kiss.”

“Ewwww, gross.” The words flew from his mouth without warning. His mind didn’t see it as gross, but his body’s brain did. And, as was quickly becoming apparent, his body’s brain had won the right to speak first.

“Just a little peck on the cheek.” Her strong arms gave him a brief squeeze of reassurance.

“Fiine.”

She didn’t just win the third race, she destroyed him. He could see her victory approaching like a shark in the ocean. Before he even passed the finish line, he dropped his controller and dipped out of her embrace, running to Ally’s bed.

“Oh no you don’t.” She giggled, crawl-chasing after him. “Get back here.”

He buried himself under the comforter and waited. Nothing happened for several seconds. Then the world collapsed around him, shaking him to and fro, causing him to laugh and gasp for breath.

Light flooded his eyes as the cover ripped away. Before he could react, she had him pinned, her hands stapling his wrists to the mattress. She leaned over as he squirmed.

“Just for that, I get to kiss you more than once.”

“Nuh uh!” He twisted his head to the side, wincing.

“Kiss attack!” Her head dove downward, and she pecked at his cheek and temple, bobbing up slightly between each smooch like a bird searching for food in the ground. He laughed, but she continued kissing all of his exposed skin: nose, hair, jaw, and neck included. When she finally stopped, he turned to face her, his eyes peeking open.

The way she looked at him, it wasn’t gross, but...hypnotizing. Her top two teeth chewed ever so slightly on her bottom lip, and her gray eyes shone with mischief and something else. Something that made his heart turn inside out with fear and longing.

It happened so slow, he hadn’t realized it until her lips were touching his. Touching wasn’t the right word. More like the barest of grazes, a lingering caress, eradicating both his fear and his childishness at once.

“Parker.” Her name emerged from his lips, a mere whisper, yet full of  meaning. “I remember.”

“I knew you would.” Her eyes, locked on his now, glistened with liquid joy.

“Can we kiss ag— ”

Her lips met his before he even completed the question. She bit his upper lip, gently, then his lower, sucking it into her mouth before releasing it with a snap. He opened his mouth to return the gesture, but she used the opportunity to invade, her sizeable tongue dipping into his much smaller orifice, filling it and retreating with a healthy portion of his saliva.

She was in control now. Any attempt he made to explore her mouth was met with staunch resistance. She practically ate his chin with her kiss at one point, her mouth opening so wide, it covered his with room to spare.

Then she dove lower, kissing his neck. Her hands had moved from his wrists to underneath his t-shirt, short nailed fingers scraping harmlessly across his skin. Before he knew it, she had his shirt lifted up to his armpits, her nose against his chest. She alternated between short licks and soft kisses, progressing lower and lower until she reached his upper abdomen, his navel, and the waistband of his pants.

“Uh” —he said between breaths — “I think we should stop.”

She raised up, her face a curious mix of concern and desire. “Are you sure? I — I really like you Eli.”

“But...I’ve never…”

“It’s ok. I haven’t either.” Her hands masaged his chest, making it difficult to think. “If you shrink anymore, we can still do things, but we’ll never be able to…”

To what? What exactly did she want to do? His younger brain protested, as did his older one, though for different reasons. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

She paused, hanging there as if deciding something important. Then she sighed, the hint of her characteristic smirk returning. “You’re probably right. Sorry, I got kinda carried away there.”

“It’s ok. I liked it. I just — can I ask you a question about your family?”

Her smirk took a downward turn and she slid off him, sitting with her legs hanging over the edge of the bed. “You want to know about my dad. Right?”

“Well…yeh. I heard he’s a premie.”

“Who told you?”

“My sister.”

She combed her fingers through her hair, eyes focused on the far wall. “She probably said some other things about me, didn’t she?”

He sat up, pulled his shirt down, and scooted next to her, their legs nearly touching. “She said you had a ‘thing’ for premies.”

“Do you believe her?” She faced me now, her heart exposed in the gray pools of her irises.

“Believe what? That you only like me because I’m a premie? I don’t think that’s true.”

“Why not? We’ve only known each other a few days. And here I am, all over you. Maybe the fact you’re a premie, maybe that’s exactly what I like about you.”

He placed a hand on her leg, careful to avoid her skin. “If it’s true, I wouldn’t mind.”

“You — you wouldn’t?”

“When I first saw you at school, I was attracted to you, physically. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. We’re human, right?”

She chewed on the side of her bottom lip, head dipping in a half nod.

“Then, I got to know you better and I like you even more now. You’re different than most girls. You’re braver than me, and it doesn’t seem to bother you.”

She leaned in and landed a quick kiss on his cheek. Then she layered her hand on top of his. “I’d say you’re pretty brave for saying all that.”

He shrugged, satisfied she seemed in better spirits.

“My dad’s a premie.” She began, slowly. “So is my cousin. I’ve grown up around premies. I don’t know if that makes me a premie-lover or whatever, but I can’t help how I feel.” Her cheeks reddened a bit. “When we met, my heart skipped, but I hid it. That was before you told me you had the shrink gene. Admittedly when you told me that, my heart raced. I can’t explain it. I just knew I wanted to see you again. And when you showed up to skate after school — ”

The door swung open and Cece’s head peeked in. “Jaxon sleepin’ so yews keep it down in here.”

They nodded, Eli sliding his hand back onto his own lap. If Cece noticed, she said nothing, closing the door as she left. They turned to each other, stifling laughter.

“Hey, if you’re up for it, you’re welcome to have dinner at my place. My mom can pick you up. My dad’s really interested in meeting you.”

“He is? You’re mom didn’t seem too certain.”

“Well, he’s not crazy about the idea of me having a boyfriend, let alone a premie boyfriend, but he realizes he can’t control me. I think if he meets you, he’ll change his mind a little. Plus he can show you his house.”

“I am kinda curious about premie houses, especially since I’ll be in one soon enough.”

“Great. Then it’s a date.” She stood and bent over, pointing to her back. “Now how about we go outside and skate?”

He hopped on, wrapping his arms around her neck, not caring about the childishness of the situation. She said he could be a kid, and as long as she still liked him, he’d give in to the dysphoria. Things would get better, his mind would go back to normal soon, so why not enjoy it?