Jon trailed after his own body down the stairs, trying to get used to the feeling of being… well, shorter. The steps seemed steeper than they ever had before, his balance a little different, his hands small and quick when they brushed the banister. His voice, Mikey’s voice, still echoed in his head from when he’d muttered “weird” a minute ago. It was all weird, but not in a bad way.
He stopped halfway down the staircase, pressing a hand to his chest. Heartbeat faster. Lighter. He’d always teased Mikey for being a wiry little monkey, but now Jon felt it for himself—the spring in the legs, the restless energy thrumming under the skin. No wonder Mikey was always tearing off with friends while Jon stayed home scrolling through sites.
By the time he reached the bottom, the strange shimmer outside the windows had faded. The green sky bled back to its normal shade of evening blue, and Jon knew, with a sinking feeling, that the body-swap storm had passed. He was stuck. For now.
But stuck didn’t feel quite as terrifying as he’d expected. Watching his own taller body stride ahead, shoulders set in that familiar half-slouch, Jon almost laughed. He was free of that. For once he didn’t have to be the guy dragging through high school with a locker full of unfinished assignments and a reputation for being invisible. No—he was Mikey now. The kid who everyone in middle school seemed to know, the one with the easy grin and the effortless popularity.
Jon ran a hand through Mikey’s shaggy hair—softer, lighter, and annoyingly silky compared to his own stubborn mop. It flopped into his eyes and he couldn’t help but grin.
“Not bad,” he whispered in Mikey’s voice. And it wasn’t.
For the first time since he’d picked up that stone, Jon felt a flicker of something unexpected. Not dread. Not panic.
Opportunity.
He followed after his own body, smiling. Maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad ride after all.
