Although Lonna’s locker was just down the hall from Lauren’s classroom the two women did not see each other until the end of the day. Lauren could not work out a way to get Lonna out of her lessons to meet up with her. Not that she had much time to chat with her even if she could. Wednesday was the busiest day she had so far this week teaching chemistry.
Lonna had an equally busy day with her classes. These finished with a double maths lesson followed by a gym class. She knew that if she took some time getting changed back into her street clothes after the lesson she would be able to speak to Lauren as her classes would have also finished. She just hoped that there were no other members of staff in the classroom when she arrived.
It seemed for once this week that luck was on Lonna’s side when she knocked on Laurens’ classroom door a short time after lessons had finished for the day. She could hear what sounded like a pair of heels making their way towards the door. Once it was open she saw Lauren for the first time that day standing in an outfit that she realized must have come from the closet in her old bedroom. It looked like it could have been made for her was all Lonna could think as Lauren waived her inside.
“I didn’t think that I would see you today,” Lauren said to Lonna as she took a seat behind one of the desks inside the room, it didn’t seem right to sit at the teacher's desk after all this was no longer her classroom. Lauren locked the door behind her so that no one could come in and interrupt them as had happened before. “You look great in that outfit. Is it from …?” Lonna started to ask poilety trying to start a conversation between them. “I am sorry Lonna for interrupting you but I think that we have more to talk about that fashion,” Lauren said rather abruptly Lonna knew that Lauren was right but she could not think of an easy way to ask what she had to ask her.
“Have you noticed any other changes since we last spoke?” Lauren asked. “One or two,” Lonna replied. “Like I seem to be four inches taller than Monday,” Lonna told the woman in front of her honestly. Yes, a woman she could no longer think of Lauren as a child standing there she looked every inch an adult. She suddenly noticed that Lauren looked different from how she had at the start of the week. She now knew where her black hair had gone, right to the top of Lauren’s head.
“I bet that is not all. If you looked closer you might notice some other changes.” Lauren told her “Like what?” Lonna asked. “Well, your hair is one. Not to mention that you look quite a bit younger than when this started. How old should you be?” Lauren. With a smile on her face as an attempt to break the tension that had been building “I will have you know that I was only 35 years old.” “Was being the operative word. I checked earlier you are now 28 years old. Somehow you have grown a whole seven years younger to go along with those four inches in height.” Lauren went on to say.
“However I have grown eight years older and have a new natural hair and eye colour. Talking about eyes has the shape of yours changed?” Lauren asked Lonna who nodded slowly in reply. “What is happening to us?” Lonna asked despite already have coming up with an answer that morning. “I think we both know the answer to that question,” Lauren answered. “It has to be the stone it seems to be giving us all of the life that we envied so much on Monday.”
“How far do you think it will go?” Lonna asked the teacher in front of her. “I am not sure but I have some frightening suspicions,” Lauren replied to the scared-looking woman. “I am working on finding some information but my source won’t get back to me until Friday.” Lonna to Lauren trying to inject some hope into the conversation. “Source?” Lauren asked. “Yeah, Mrs Sheppard. She has found a couple of books about the stone and should have them on Friday. I told her it was for a report.” Lonna told Lauren answering the unasked question.
“I just hope that there will be enough of our old lives left by then to go back to,” Lauren said to Lonna rather dejectedly. “As long as we keep doing what we are doing we should be fine. Let me know if you notice anything else changing. You know where you can find me.” Lonna said smiling once again attempting to reassure the younger (for now anyway) in front of her. With nothing more that they could do or say that evening Lauren walked to the classroom door and unlocked it and Lonna left to head towards home. She hadn’t told Lauren everything like some of the mental lapses that she had been having. Se thought that Lauren had been having similar problems but could not voice them.
A short time later Lauren left the school grounds in her car even though the mere thought of her working together with Ms Tran was something that would never happen. It was now a fact that if they didn’t there was no way to resolve their problem. Lonna and she had never really given things a chance, now however when they had been forced to work together they did make a good team. She hoped that was something that could continue after everything was back to normal. Hopefully, it would.
