The Running Shoes (Ch. 48 - 2/23/2025)

[PamperedPrince]

13 minutes ago, Mary Moon said:

I don't think Charlotte will make the trip again, I fear she has regressed again, maybe to high school age, she could be the same age as Lauren and Monica now, since she was 2 years older. Now especially if she has regressed again and is no longer an adult, her mother could get angry and punish her for not wearing protection. I think Charlotte is getting younger again and she might start to panic about the situation and be afraid of going too far back.

However it is a bad idea to set the alarm multiple times during the night to avoid wetting the bed, i tried it even as a teenager, it just devastates you with tiredness

We'll just have to see in the next chapter.  And yeah.  setting multiple alarms to help avoid bedwetting doesn't help with sleep at all.  Here is the next chapter.  More will be posted tomorrow!  😃

 

Chapter 10

Charlotte was in tears as she watched her mother peel off the soaked bedding.

“Charlotte,” Darcy said with a frustrated sigh.  “What am I going to do with you?  All you had to do was wear your nighttime protection and you wouldn’t have a wet bed.  I know that you don’t want to wear them, but it’s your overactive bladder, dear.”

Charlotte wept, her face buried in her hands.  “Mom, I forgot!  Now, can I pack?  I need to get back to Los Angeles.”

Darcy nodded.  “Yes dear.  But not until I take care of this bedding.”

“Mom!” Charlotte shouted.  “It’s almost 7 hours to Los Angeles.  With good traffic mom!  Maybe 8 or more if The 5 is jammed.”

Darcy gave her daughter an impatient nod.  “Yes honey!  I know that you have a long drive.  But I’m trying to clean up your little accident.  Now Char honey, I’m not going to be able to remind you to use your nighttime protection back at your apartment.  Can you please remember?  Your landlord will be upset if you ruin the mattress.”

Charlotte sighed, as she began to feverishly pack her things.  “I’ll remember, mom!”

Darcy left the room with Charlotte’s soaked bedding, leaving Charlotte with the task of packing everything up for the trip back to Los Angeles.

Charlotte then spent the next hour packing everything back into her bags.  She was already showered before her mother discovered her accident, so that was one less thing that she needed to worry about. Her wet night clothes would have to be quickly washed with her bedding before she left.  Either that, or her mother could just send her clothes back to L.A. in the mail.  Charlotte really wanted to get back to town.

A strange thought then entered Charlotte’s mind.  ‘Wasn’t I supposed to go back to Beverly Hills?  And what about the Rolls Royce?’  As strange as these thoughts were, they were actually Charlotte’s reality trying to get her attention.  Charlotte then began to pack Bobo in her luggage.  He was going back with her.  She never knew why she left him in the first place.  But what about this luxury car, and living in a wealthy zip code?  All of this felt strange and familiar to Charlotte at the same time.

But Charlotte dismissed these thoughts as she began to make numerous trips to her Lexus to pack everything.  This only took another 10 minutes.

Before Charlotte knew it, she was standing in the driveway, giving her mother a goodbye hug.

“Drive safe sweetie!” Darcy said with a smile.  “I’m going to miss you.  Good luck with your modeling!”

Charlotte nodded and got into the car.  This was it.  She was now going back to Los Angeles.  Time to be on my way.  Charlotte turned the key to the ignition and…

Click.

Charlotte turned the key again.

Click. Click.

Charlotte tried again.

Click. Click.

“C’mon!” Charlotte screamed.  “Why won’t you START?!”

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Charlotte kept trying for what seemed like another 10 minutes.  She was now furious.  “Fuck!”

With her frustration reaching a boiling point, Charlotte thrust the door to her Lexus open, realizing that her mother was still nearby in the driveway.

Darcy glanced at her daughter Charlotte with concern.  “What’s wrong, Charlie dear?”

“It won’t start!” Charlotte shouted, now stomping both her feet on the driveway. Then her frustration continued in a series of jumbled words, intermingled with growls and screaming.  “ThestupidcarWhyWhywon’titstartIneedtogethomeIneedto whyisthishappeningtomeohIhatethisdamncar whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?!!!!! It-it-it-it-it-it-it-it-it-needs to….”  Charlotte began to burst into tears.

Darcy gave Charlotte a stern look and placed her hand on her arm.  “I can’t BELIEVE I’m seeing this right now!  A temper tantrum?  From an adult?  Just look at you, honey!  You’re stomping, screaming, shouting….Calm down, Char.  You’re going to go inside and you’re going to calm down.  I’m not going to speak to you if you’re having a hissy fit.   Go!  I’ll talk to you in a few minutes.”

In every way, Charlotte wanted to say no.  She wanted to get back in the car and hope that it would start this time.  But her mother meant it.  Charlotte just threw a fit in the same manner that a child would.  ‘What is happening to me?’ Charlotte’s thought shouted so that it filled every crevice of her mind.  Realizing that her mother was still staring at her impatiently, Charlotte slowly walked into the house with her head hung down.

What Charlotte couldn’t see was that her mother was sighing.  She was no longer impatient but now very concerned.  ‘What has gotten into that girl?’ Darcy wondered.  ‘What is happening to the Charlotte that I love?’

Charlotte was now inside, sulking on the couch.  She then began to feel warm hands rubbing the back of her neck and patting her on the back.  When she looked up, she saw her mother with a concerned face that looked supportive.

“Now my dear,” Darcy began.  “What seems to be the problem?  It seems like your car is not starting.”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yeah.  The stupid thing won’t start.  You don’t understand, mom.  I need to be back at work tomorrow!”

“Oh, but I do understand, honey.” Darcy said, as she gently stroked Charlotte’s back.  “Your work will understand if you’re going to be late.  Now, how about you call a wrecker and a repair shop?  They’ll have to tow your car there and work on it before you can leave town.”

Charlotte sighed.  She wasn’t thrilled with the idea of her car being worked on, as she had no idea when they would even get to it.  “I will do that, mom.”  Charlotte got up from the couch, and was halfway out of the living room, when she glanced back at her mother.  “Oh, and mom?  Thanks.”  Charlotte returned to the couch and hugged her mother before exiting the room.

“You’re welcome, dear.” Darcy said, as Charlotte approached the staircase.  “You may be growing up, Char, but you’ll always be my little baby.”

Charlotte sighed at this remark, as she didn’t see herself as little anymore.  She half wanted to say “Mom, I’m grown up now!”, but she let that thought remain in her mind.

Charlotte dialed a few numbers until she found one that didn’t have a busy signal.  It was a towing service in Santa Rosa, the next city over from Langford.  This was the only choice, since Langford didn’t have a business with a towing service.

“Tony’s Towing!  Tony speaking!”

“Hi Tony!” Charlotte began.  “Um…My car…it’s a white 2014 Lexus LS 500 Sedan.  And…It won’t start!”

“What’s your name, miss?” Tony asked her sharply.

“Charlotte Warren,” Charlotte said, feeling embarrassed that she forgot to give him her name.  “Can you please tow it to Quick Fix Automotive?”

“I need your address,” Tony rapidly responded without missing a beat.

Charlotte gave him the address, with more specific directions indicating that she was in the third house on the left and to look for a white car.

But the next detail caught Charlotte off guard.  “Do you have roadside assistance to cover this towing charge?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yes, I do.” She suddenly remembered that all those details were in the car, so she hurried out to her car to give Tony the rest of the details.

“Thank you, Miss Warren.  Now there’s no guarantee that we’re going to tow your car today.  There are many other requests that are ahead of yours.  If we can get to it today, we will.  Have a nice day!”

The phone hung up before Charlotte could say another word.

Charlotte walked down the stairs to find her mother watching what looked like a soap opera.

Darcy glanced up from the TV and eyed Charlotte curiously.  “Well?”

“Tony’s Towing has my information, but there’s no guarantee that they’re going to get to it today,” Charlotte sighed.

Darcy rubbed her chin and nodded.  “Well, that’s all you can do, hon.  Why don’t you unpack a few days’ worth of clothes?  And your workout outfit!”  Darcy’s face lit up.  “Yes!  Why don’t you go for a run?  You’ll feel a lot better, Charlie dear.”

Charlotte smiled when her mother brought up the idea of running.  Charlotte always loved to run, so she graciously entertained the idea.  “Okay mom!”

Charlotte was now unpacking a few days’ worth of clothes.  A few of her favorite dresses, skirts, and skinny jeans. Also, her essentials.  Her bras and her panties.  She didn’t want her mother to get upset so she unpacked at least six of her nighttime Depends.

Then came the workout clothes.  Charlotte grabbed a couple sports bras, along with the tank tops.  Then she grabbed a pair of workout shorts.  And then a pair of jogging pants.  Also, her headband and her tab socks.  Then, she got them out.

Her running shoes.

Charlotte had the biggest smile when she glanced at the running shoes.  At this point, Charlotte couldn’t wait to put them on.  She was no longer worried or even concerned about her trip home being delayed.  It was, because…because she was going to be in those running shoes again.  Her feet were about to be in paradise once again.

After Charlotte unpacked her toiletries and placed them in the bathroom, it didn’t take her more than five minutes to change into her workout clothes.  She stepped into the running shoes and it was…wow.  It was the same feeling that she had every time that she put them on.  Ecstasy.  Euphoria.  Excitement.  No.  It was much better than all of that.  It was.  It was…Charlotte just didn’t have a word to describe it.  It was…paradise.  It was…heaven.

Charlotte was so excited that she barely remembered saying goodbye to her mother.  She was now on the running trail that went around the Langford schools, finishing her stretching exercises that she did effortlessly.  The last thing she remembered before fully dressing was weighing herself.  Charlotte weighed 94.8 pounds.  Charlotte knew that her water retention wouldn’t change her weight too much.  Charlotte glanced forward and got ready to take off.

Three.

Two.

One.

Charlotte was off.  As she ran, Charlotte could see the entire running trail vanish underneath her.  Everything else vanished into darkness as Charlotte was now running on a dark expanse of nothingness.  The warmth filled Charlotte’s feet and shot up Charlotte’s legs and into her heart, filling her whole body.  All of this.  Every part of this.  It felt…good.  It felt…right.  All of Charlotte’s worries and fears melted away as she enjoyed the serenity and comfort from the running shoes.  And nothing else mattered.

Charlotte was now running on very hilly terrain. Was this?  Could it be?  Considering the difficulty of the hills that she was running up and down, there was no mistaking it.  Charlotte was running in the Boston Marathon.  And although she was traversing numerous hills, she was clearing them effortlessly.  Her speed.  Her grace.  Her style.  All of it was leaving the other runners in the dust.  Charlotte still felt a tremendous amount of energy in her, despite this being called one of the most challenging marathons to finish in the world.  It wasn’t the distance that affected so many of the runners.  It was the rise and fall of the course.  The numerous twists and turns.  The hilly and rugged terrain made it a welcome challenge to the most decorated of marathon runners.  Charlotte continued to clear the various runners until only three of them were left.

In about a minute, Charlotte was now in second place.  Ahead of her was a runner that looked familiar.  Was this…Anthony Jacobs?  The same one that she passed in the San Francisco Labor Day Marathon?  This runner seemed to be at the top of his game, but not for long.  In just a few more seconds, Charlotte managed to pass Anthony once again.

“You again?” Anthony said with a smile.  “I don’t know where you get it, but I’ll see you at the finish line.  Guess I’ll settle for second place…again…”

Charlotte then glanced around to see the finish line in the distance.  To her right were all her family and friends cheering her on.  Her mother, Aunt Darlene, Uncle Daniel, Heather, Allison, Lauren, and Monica.

But as Charlotte broke the tape for the finish line, something happened.  Charlotte began to feel very dizzy.  In an attempt to stop herself from blacking out, Charlotte sat down off the course, trying to stop her head from spinning.

But Charlotte couldn’t stop it.

Charlotte blacked out.

When Charlotte woke up, she was sitting down on the running trail in Langford.  Charlotte could remember uttering something before her blackout. 12 miles….12 miles.  That’s what she said.  Charlotte just finished running 12 miles without slowing down once.

Charlotte stood up and felt a little better.  Even with a run like that, Charlotte’s legs didn’t really hurt at all.  But Charlotte noticed something different about her jogging pants.  For some reason, they felt just a little bit loose on her.  Charlotte could see the excess fabric from the elastic waistband sag around her waist.

And it wasn’t just that, either.  Charlotte glanced at her tank top.  Like the jogging pants, it felt a little bit loose.  ‘That’s strange.’ Charlotte thought to herself.  ‘All these workout clothes fit me perfectly before my run!  How do they fit differently all of a sudden?’

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands towards her waist.  Wait.  Did I just lose a little weight?  She knew that it wasn’t water weight, as water weight was not enough to make her clothes fit differently.  And mood-wise, Charlotte felt a little different.

Charlotte returned home and gasped when she saw that the Lexus was gone.  ‘Yay!’ she thought.  ‘Tony’s Towing took care of my car!’

Darcy saw Charlotte entering the house, her daughter’s face covered in sweat.  “Did you have a good run, dear?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yes mom, but…” She glanced at her slightly loose clothes.  “These workout clothes are a little big on me.”

Darcy nodded with a laughed.  “Of course, honey! I had to wash all your other workout clothes.  Thankfully, your friend Monica had that one as a hand-me-down…”

Charlotte gasped.  Hand me down?  ‘But…’ She thought.  ‘That entire outfit fit me perfectly before my run!  What’s going on?’  Charlotte sighed and walked up the stairs to take a shower.

“Typical behavior for their age,” Darcy said with a nod.  “She’ll grow out of it soon enough.”

Charlotte undressed herself and glanced at the mirror before entering the shower.  She immediately noticed a difference in her face.  There was a small layer of acne around her cheeks.  What? WHAT?! Acne?  ‘I didn’t have this since I graduated Langford!’  In addition to this, her face looked a little more sculpted.  Charlotte, now frustrated and worried weighed herself on the scale:

92.1 pounds.

“No!” Charlotte shouted.  “There’s no way I can lose more than 2 pounds just like that!”

As Charlotte took her shower, she noticed that every part of her body looked a little bit different. And it wasn’t just that.  She felt…different.  Her mood.  Her behavior.  Hormones?  Was it hormones?  Charlotte didn’t know if it was her imagination, but both her breasts and areola looked just a tiny bit smaller.  And once again, there was another fresh layer of pubic hair for her to shave off, even though this was done just a couple days ago.  She sighed and took care of her hygiene, scrubbing the slightly different parts of her body that she couldn’t quite recognize.  It was all the same.  Just a little…smaller.

When Charlotte entered her room, all the changes that she immediately saw made her heart sink.  Large stacks of teen magazines sat by her desk now, with her fashion notebook opened up.  Her room was a mess, with various clothes lying around it.  And every one of her outfits was totally different.  This was fashion that she recognized when she attended Langford.  And here it was.  In her closets and on the floor.  And…

Charlotte opened up the drawers to her dresser.

In her dresser.  She now began to cry as she grabbed a pink pair of panties from her underwear drawer.  But she couldn’t help but notice rows of her nighttime Depends all stacked together on the other half of her drawer.  Her tears began to run down her acne-covered cheeks as she began to put on her panties.  She found a bra and put on a fashionable white top with a mint green skirt.  ‘How?’ Charlotte cried.  I just KNEW that I just got a little bit younger.  But how young?  But despite this, Charlotte wanted to see if her Lexus was towed.

Darcy could see her daughter approaching her, all showered and dressed.  “Yes honey?”

“Mom?” Charlotte asked her.  “Did they tow my Lexus?”

Darcy gave Charlotte a puzzled look and laughed.  “Tow?  Honey, you don’t own a car yet.”

This made Charlotte mad.  “No!” she shouted.  “I have a white 2014 Lexus LS 500 Sedan!  Where did they tow it?!  Where mom?  Where?!”

Darcy now gave Charlotte a stern look.  “Look Char,” Darcy told her.  “I don’t know where you’re getting this nonsense of you owning a car.  Did it have anything to do with you browsing cars yesterday?”

Charlotte could never remember doing this.  What?

“Well honey?” Darcy said, sighing.  “I don’t know if this is one of your games, but you don’t own a car, and it didn’t get towed.”

Charlotte did not like where this was going.  Charlotte did not even know why she was about to ask the next question.  But she blurted it out.  “Mom?  Mom?  What year was I born?”

Darcy laughed.  “Honey, why would you ever ask me that?  Charlotte, just look at your California State ID.  You were born in 2006, hon.”

2006. 2006. It can’t be.  No.  It just can’t.  Three more years?  I went back three more years?  The worst part about this was that her mother didn’t even know about her aging in reverse.  Her mother accepted it all as fact, despite it being an obvious change in Charlotte’s life.

“And if you need to know your age too, you’re 17 dear.” Darcy told her daughter.  “You’ll be turning 18 in November.  Wow, you’re growing up so fast…”

29. Charlotte kept hearing that number repeated in her mind. 29. 29. 29.  I am 29 years old.  29.  29.  What Charlotte didn’t realize was that she was repeating this out loud in front of her mother.  “29.” Charlotte argued.  “29.  I am 29.  Yes. 29.  29.”

Darcy laughed.  “You’ll be 29 in 12 years, Char.  Now, how about you pack up your school bag?  You have a big day tomorrow.”

But then it happened.  She didn’t know when it happened.  It either happened when her mother gave her the year she was born or her current age.  Charlotte didn’t know.  But it happened.  Charlotte broke.  “29!” Charlotte screamed in a crazed and demented voice.  “I am 29! 29!  Why the hell is this happening to me?  I am a successful supermodel, and I should be going home to my mansion in Beverly Hills!  Why is this happening?  Why does it keep happening?  When will this fucking madness end?”

Darcy now grabbed her daughter by her shoulder and neck.  “Charlotte Marie Warren, I will not tolerate anymore of this behavior coming from a 17-year-old woman.  You’re supposed to be growing up!  Well, since you don’t want to do that, I am going to take you up to your room and you’re going to stay there until you’re ready to act like an adult.  I don’t want another word out of you until you can behave in a civil manner.”

Darcy dragged Charlotte up the stairs as she cried in a series of frustrated squeals.  She took Charlotte into her room and pressed her down onto her bed.  “I don’t know what has gotten into you, but you are not leaving your room until I can see you acting like an adult.  Do I make myself clear, young lady?  Nod for yes.”

Charlotte bobbed her head up and down in a sad and forlorn nod.

“That’s all, hon.” Darcy ordered.  “When I see you again, I want to see a young lady, not a whiny child.  You’re better than this, Char!”  Darcy left Charlotte’s room and closed the door.

Charlotte spotted Bobo laying on her comforter and hugged him.  Ironically enough, her mother didn’t want her to act like a child.  But here she was, aging backwards without her mother even knowing.  This was the most frustrating part as she was certain that no one would believe her.  Any mention of her reverse aging would have her dismissed as a crazed lunatic.

Charlotte glanced at her fashion notebook sitting on her desk.  She got off her bed, carrying Bobo and walked over to her desk.  She found a blank notebook underneath her other past years that she kept on her desk for some reason.  Should I start this?  This mystery.  This reverse aging.  How do I figure it all out?  Charlotte smiled.  “I’m a Super Sleuth!  I will figure it out!  I was able to find every one of Blue’s Clues so this should be easy, right?”

Charlotte sighed and sat the empty notebook down.  She yawned and returned to her bed.  “I’ll do it later,” she decided.

Something else came upon Charlotte.  She didn’t know if it was her running 12 miles, but Charlotte felt really tired.  And before long, Charlotte was out cold on her bed, lying in a fetal position.

***

“Charlotte! It’s dinner time!  Are you ready to act like an adult, honey?  Charlotte!”

Charlotte sat up, suddenly feeling wet for some reason.  She glanced at her comforter to find a small wet spot around where she was laying.  Her panties were soaked.  No no no no no!  This was just a nap!  How am I now wetting the bed during the day?

Charlotte quickly changed into some new panties and a new skirt.  She was about to open the door when the door opened already.

Darcy glanced at the various clothes that were strewn around the room.  Then she saw the wet spot on the bed.  “Oh dear!  Charlie!  You soaked your comforter.”

Charlotte was frustrated and despondent.  “Mom, I didn’t mean to!  I fell asleep on my bed!”

Darcy nodded and lifted up the comforter. She then felt the sheet underneath.  “It looks like the comforter took most of the damage.  The sheet is a little damp.  It didn’t get to the fitted sheet, though.  Now I know that you have that little problem, but are you ready to act like an adult?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yes mom.  I thought about it.”

Darcy wadded up the bedding into a pile in both her hands.  “Go and start eating dinner and I’ll take care of this.  We’ll just put on some new sheets, okay?”

“Okay.” Charlotte was about to leave her room when her mother stopped her.  “Oh, and honey?”

Darcy walked over to Charlotte’s dresser and pulled open her underwear drawer.  She pulled out one of Charlotte’s nighttime Depends.  “When you’re done with dinner, can you please wash up where you peed and put that on?  I know that it’s not quite bedtime yet, but your accidents are getting worse, dear.  I don’t want you to risk having another accident if you fall asleep again.”

Charlotte felt ashamed about her accident and how it had to happen again.  She let out a deep sigh.  “Okay mom.”

“Thank you dear, for being an adult.” Darcy told her.  “I know that it’s not easy for you to have an overactive bladder.  But it’s going to help you.  It’s going to protect you.  It’s going to keep you nice and dry since I know that you can’t help it.  I’ll join you for dinner after I take care of the laundry.”

Charlotte nodded and made her way to the kitchen.

Fortunately, the dinner was one of Charlotte’s favorites:  Tuna noodle casserole.  Charlotte splashed the hot sauce on her bowl that contained her dinner and began eating it.

In the middle of her eating, Darcy came in and served herself a bowl and carefully dripped the hot sauce on her dinner.  When she saw that Charlotte was almost done, she glanced at her.  “Char, did you thank God for your food?  Here. Let’s do it together.”

Darcy said a short prayer as both Charlotte and her held hands together.  It was a prayer that Charlotte heard many times, and it ended with “Amen.”

After dinner, Charlotte entered the shower, quickly rinsing and scrubbing the pee off her pelvic area and legs.

Now dressed in two wrapped towels, Charlotte was in her bedroom, looking embarrassed, frustrated, and ashamed as she stared at the nighttime undergarment.  Charlotte blushed as she dropped both towels and began stepping into the nighttime undergarment.  She stepped into the left leg and pulled it up.  After that, she stepped into the right leg and pulled it up snugly around her waist.  It didn’t matter if Charlotte had a bladder problem.  As she gazed into the mirror, Charlotte didn’t feel like a teenager.  She felt like a baby.  ‘Only babies piss their pants and wet the bed.’ Charlotte thought.

Charlotte didn’t want to see anymore of her “nighttime Pull-Up”, so she quickly dressed herself in a pink nightgown.  She saw that her bedding was already replaced by a new sheet and a new comforter.  She decided to sit down on her bed, since it was almost her bedtime anyway.

Darcy entered her bedroom and sat on the bed with her daughter.  She placed her hand on Charlotte’s behind to see if she followed through on her request.  In feeling the soft padding, she smiled.  “Good honey.  You’re going to feel a lot better not having to wake up to a soaked bed.  You have a big day tomorrow.  It’s the first day of your Senior Year!”

Charlotte gasped.  Senior year?  That meant she was going back to…Langford.

Charlotte was going to Langford. THAT Langford.  The Langford where she took all of her modeling classes.  The Langford where she ran on the track team. THAT Langford.

Charlotte was not heading back to her modeling job.  She was a high school Senior once again.  She was back living with her mother again.  What about my modeling job?  “My modeling job…” Charlotte repeated.

Darcy smiled.  “Yes Char.  You had that summer internship in Los Angeles over the summer.  But now you’re back home to finish school so you can begin modeling.  Won’t that be exciting?”

Charlotte now tried to remember her first two years of modeling, but it was all…fuzzy.  She couldn’t remember the modeling shoots.  She couldn’t remember the products.  She couldn’t remember anything.  All she could remember was the summer internships that she had a year ago and this year.  ‘Urgh…Why can’t I remember?’

Darcy kissed Charlotte good night.  “Get good sleep, Charlie dear.  You’re going to need it for your first day!”

Darcy left the room and now Charlotte was worried.

She clutched Bobo, hoping that he could comfort her in the most confusing stage of her life yet.  Nothing was making sense.  It was supposed to be a vacation.  A vacation!  Then she was supposed to go back home.

But none of that was going to happen to Charlotte.  Charlotte was now 12 years younger than her original age.  Not 29.  Not 27.  Not even 20.  Charlotte was 17 again and was perplexed at the mystery that kept making her age in reverse.

And not only was Charlotte 17, but she was also going to Langford.  And what scared Charlotte the most is that after being out of school for a decade, she was not sure that she would be ready for her Senior Year.

[Mary Moon]

Who knows who she will meet at school, maybe the boy she had a crush on is now a teacher.

It is understandable that Charlotte is hysterical about the situation. She was about to escape from the shoes, but the magic must have caused the car to break down.

[PamperedPrince]

Chapter 11

Charlotte tossed and turned in her bed, as a multitude of dreams began to flow through her like a raging river.

In one particular dream, Charlotte was driving home to Beverly Hills.  It felt so real to Charlotte that it felt as if it was reality to her.

Charlotte approached the gate to her mansion, and it automatically opened.  She drove through a large field, which featured a large fountain and a two-story mansion just ahead.

Charlotte got out of her Petra Gold Rolls Royce Phantom and approached the house with her set of keys.  She then saw a silver Rolls Royce right next to hers and gasped.  Is…that…Lexi?

Charlotte opened the large double doors to her mansion and entered to see Lexi already standing there, with a woman that she never saw before.  The woman was a little taller than Lexi and had the most beautiful brown hair.

“Hi Lexi!” Charlotte said with a smile.  “I’m back from Langford!  Are you ready to model tomorrow?”

Lexi laughed.  “Charlotte, what are you doing here?”

And out of nowhere, Maya was now standing between Lexi and the brunette.

“Yeah Char.” Maya said with a smirk.  “What are you doing here?”  Maya turned to the brunette.  “Claire, what is she doing here?”

Claire shrugged her shoulders.  “I don’t know.  Charlotte, right?  This is my place.  What are you doing in my mansion?”

Charlotte shook her head.  “Oh no.  This is my mansion, and YOU need to get out of here!”

Claire burst into laughter.  “Oh, you’re killing me!  Really.  This is my place. I have owned it for a couple of years now.”

“Yeah Char.” Maya said in a teasing tone.  “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

“Oh, that’s cute.” Lexi said.  A teen wants to stay at Claire’s mansion!”

Charlotte was now furious.  “Look here, you bitch!” Charlotte protested.  “This is my mansion.  I’m Charlotte Marie Warren and I am 29 years old.  I have been in the modeling business for more than 10 years now.  Pack your bags and get the hell out of my house!”

This made the three girls laugh even harder.

“Char?” Lexi said, while laughing so hard that her sides were starting to hurt.  “Reality check.  You’re 17!”

“No I’m not!” Charlotte said in a weak and timid tone.

Right after Charlotte said that she began to shrink and age backwards to her 17-year-old self.  But Charlotte was not her normal size.  She stood just a couple of inches tall while the three girls loomed over her.

“Oh, look at the little teenager!” Claire said, roaring with laughter.  “What year is she going to be in?”

“It’s her senior year!” Maya shouted.

“Senior year?” Claire said, gasping.

“That’s what she said!” Lexi said.  “Look at the little senior!  Go back to Langford, Charlotte!”

“Little Char!” Maya shouted.

The chanting and name calling began, with three of the girls beginning to chant:

“Little Char! Little Char! Little Char! Little Char!”

“I’m not little!” Charlotte argued.  “No!”

Just then, Charlotte noticed that she was wearing the running shoes.  A warmness began to fill her whole body and she felt good.

Charlotte then sat down and began to release her bladder.  A moisture ran down around her legs and a puddle began to form around her.

“Oh gross!” Claire shouted.  “She’s 17 and she pisses herself?”

Lexi nodded.  “Yeah.  She always does this.  She’s Leaky Char.”

The chanting then changed as all three girls shouted a new insult:

“Leaky Char! Leaky Char! Leaky Char! Leaky Char!”

“No!” Charlotte screamed.  “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Charlotte woke up in a cold sweat, gasping as if the events of her dream actually happened.  But as Charlotte gauged her surroundings, she found herself in her room again, lying in her queen-sized bed.  Bobo was slumped over face down on the edge of the bed, about to fall off.  Charlotte rescued Bobo and flipped him over, placing him in a much safer position in the center of the bed to the left of her.

Charlotte then paused to gather the remnants of what remained of her dream before it vanished from her memory.  ‘I was at my mansion in Beverly Hills,” she noted.  ‘Lexi was there.  Maya was there.  And…Claire?’  Charlotte never met Claire in her life, so the addition of her in the dream both baffled and frightened her.  Was Claire the one that both Lexi and Maya ended up befriending instead of me?  It broke Charlotte’s heart for her to know how her friendship could be replaced so easily.  Either that, or they never had a strong friendship in the first place.  Sure, Charlotte still remembered their names, but she now had no childhood memories associated with them.  Could Claire have been the one to replace Charlotte in all the sleepovers that they used to have?  Afterall, Charlotte could now only remember having sleepovers with Lauren and Monica.  It was almost like her past friendship with Lexi and Maya was like what she just experienced.  Only a dream.

Charlotte continued noting the events that happened in her dream before the memories vanished from her mind.  ‘It was my mansion.  I tried to kick Claire out.  But the mansion was Claire’s now?’  Charlotte paused, as if there was something that was more important that she needed to remember.  ‘Ah yes!  I told them that I was 29 and Lexi said I was 17.  I then shrunk down until I was the size of a soda can!  I aged backwards down to 17 and I…’ Charlotte panicked.  ‘Pissed myself?’ 

Charlotte immediately checked underneath her covers for any evidence of her wetting the bed.  To her relief, the bedding was completely dry.  But as she was doing this, she couldn’t help but feel a large sag that swung back and forth between her legs.  She took her cellphone and used the flashlight app to lift up her nightgown.  Her “nighttime adult Pull-Up” was swollen like an overinflated balloon and heavily yellowed.  It rustled with every movement that she made and squished when she sat down.  ‘Great.’ She sighed in defeat.  ‘Because of the dream, I soaked my Depends in my sleep.’ What made this embarrassing accident so unfair to Charlotte was that she had no warning or even so much as an opportunity to wake up and hurry to the bathroom before the accident occurred.

Charlotte’s frustration with her soaked Depends faded into fatigue as her eyes were heavily caked with sleep. And the very next thing that came out of Charlotte’s mouth was a snore.

“Char?  Honey?  Wake up!  We need to get ready for your first day of school.  It’s the first day of your Senior Year!  Don’t want to be late!”

Charlotte yawned as she began to rub the sleep out of her eyes.  “Ugh…” she sighed.  “Can’t I sleep just a few more minutes?”

Darcy shook her head as she lifted the covers off the bed.  “Hmm…” she said, as she glanced at the bedding.  “No wet bed!  But is that Depends dry dear?”

Charlotte pressed her hand against the swollen “Pull-Up” that was about to burst.  “No mom.  I pissed it like a baby.”

Darcy swatted Charlotte lightly on her neck.  “Charlotte Marie, we do not talk like that.”

Charlotte sighed.  “Fine mom.  I peed it like a baby.”

“You are not a baby, hon.” Darcy said, grasping a strand of Charlotte’s black hair.  “You have an overactive bladder, so you need protection at night.  And guess what?  Your bed is not wet so no laundry!  Get in the shower and I’ll make you a quick breakfast.”

Charlotte nodded, still feeling tired as she dragged herself to the bathroom.  Once there, she removed her nightgown and her bra.  She lowered the Depends below her waist, causing the saturated undergarment to hit the bathroom floor in a sloshy thud.  Charlotte began her shower, carefully scrubbing clean all the pee that made contact with her skin overnight.  While most of her accident was gelled up inside of the Depends, the overflow was beginning, and she was very close to leaking.  “This is just great,” Charlotte softly muttered.  “How am I now having all these accidents?  I can never remember having any issues in having accidents or bedwetting!  How am I now having these bladder problems?”

A random thought then crossed Charlotte’s mind.  ‘I had a cast-iron bladder!’  Cast-iron bladder?  Was I ever able to hold it that long?  It almost sounded like a fairy tale to Charlotte at this point.

A loud pound at the bathroom door interrupted Charlotte from her thoughts.

“Charlotte, please try to wrap it up.  We have to leave in 20 minutes!”

Charlotte nodded and finished up with her cleaning routine.  Then suddenly, Charlotte had to pee, so she released the small stream down the drain as the shower continued running.  This was a secret that Charlotte had often done since her childhood.  ‘It saves time.’ She told herself.

Charlotte wrapped two towels around her waist and made a mad sprint to her bedroom.  She put on a black bra with a white top and pink skirt.  She then put on another pair of pink panties.  She noticed that her gym duffel bag was already packed so she grabbed that with her backpack.  Since the running shoes were with her gym bag, she wore another pair of tennis shoes for her first day.

While Charlotte usually wore her hair down, she decided to be different for her first day.  She bunched a thick strand of hair in her right hand and ran a black hair tie through it, twisting the hair tye before running it through her hair again, which resulted in a flowing black ponytail.

Charlotte was now downstairs, quickly devouring a bowl of Golden Grahams that her mother poured for her.  She always LOVED Golden Grahams, and this day was no different.  The right amount of milk was poured, which was just enough to submerge the cereal.  After Charlotte finished the cereal and drank the cereal-flavored milk residue, she poured a quick cup of coffee with Hazelnut Coffeemate.  While she carefully sipped the scalding hot cup of coffee, she turned her attention to the newspaper, which had a word search that she always liked to do.  Charlotte took no time in circling every single word on the word search.  This was something that she prided herself in doing.

Darcy glanced at Charlotte as she was circling all the words at record speeds.  “A word search?  It’s always been your favorite, right?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yes.  And it’s done!”

Darcy stared at her daughter in amazement.  “Very nice, Charlie.  I can remember you making it a challenge to always try to finish the word search as fast as possible.” Darcy then glanced at her cell phone to ensure that they were still on schedule.  “Grab your bags and let’s get in the car.”

“Okay mom!” Charlotte quickly responded as she hoisted both bags around her arms.  The backpack on her left arm and the gym bag on her right, along with her purse which dangled with her backpack.  Charlotte knew that there was only one thing that she had left to do, and she would finish it on the car ride to Langford: her makeup.  Even with it being her first day of school, she could pull off the routine in just five minutes.

Charlotte got in the red 4Runner and rode in the passenger side.  Her mother drove the car out of the garage and pulled out of the driveway.

On the drive to Langford, Charlotte brushed her face and added some eye shadow during the duration of the car ride.

The car made its climb up the hill, where Millionaires Row could clearly be seen.  But instead of turning down that road, the 4Runner went higher up the hill until it reached the top.

Once at the top sat the Langford School.  The school was a fine and performing arts school founded in 1871 by Susan Langford and the help of her husband William Langford.  Over the years and decades, the school has always prided itself on every kind of art, including modeling, which was added in the 1970’s.  While all grades used to be in one school, the main building became the high school, and the middle school was added in the 1950’s.  The elementary school was added at the same time.  But unlike the middle school, the elementary school was in its own separate building nearby.  The middle school, however, had one large branching hallway that connected the school to the high school.

Since the founding of the Langford School, it has become a very popular school for celebrities, politicians, and business executives to send their children to.  As a result, the school attracted numerous wealthy families that wanted to build their residences near the school.  Since the Langford school owned so much land, much of it was sold in large tracts which formed the row of mansions known as Millionaires Row.  The rest of the land was sold to create the small community.

The red 4Runner drove to the entrance and sat behind the cluster of cars that all slowly inched forward as parents dropped off their teens at the school.

As Charlotte exited the car, she noticed the familiar stretch limousine that sat just five or six cars ahead of her mother’s.  ‘Is that…Lauren?’  It had to be, since Charlotte remembered riding in a limo like that on her trip to Monica’s.

Charlotte traced her vision from the red Toyota 4Runner to the stretch limo.  She was about to spot who was stepping out of the limo when she heard the sound of the window rolling down.

“Char honey?”

Charlotte glanced back at her mother.  “Yes mom?”

“Have a wonderful first day!” Darcy said, giving her daughter a supportive smile.  “I know you’ll do well, honey.  See you at 3:30!”

“Okay mom!”

Charlotte glanced back at the limo to see a man opening the rear passenger door.  Sure enough, Lauren stepped out of the limo carrying what looked like a fancy purse, a designer backpack and a leather gym bag.

Wait.  What is Lauren doing here?  Charlotte tried to connect the dots, racking her brain in an attempt to figure out why Lauren was at the school.  Then she remembered something.  While she was at Monica’s, they ate Chinese food and Monica was excited about her fortune, saying that it would be their senior years at Langford.  Does that mean…?

Charlotte gasped.  ‘Because I jumped back another three years, I am now the same age as Lauren and Monica!”

It all made perfect sense to Charlotte now.  Charlotte sped up her pace to catch Lauren as she was slowly walking towards the school.

Lauren caught Charlotte out of the corner of her eye and waved her down.  “Whoa Charlotte!” Lauren shouted with a smile.  “Slow down!  We’re not doing track yet!  That starts next Wednesday after school!  Also, registration for track and field is early that same day so don’t forget!”  Lauren gave Charlotte a friendly nudge in the right shoulder.  “Come on.  Monica just texted me while I was in the limo.  She’s already in the school!”

Charlotte nodded.  “Okay.”

The two walked together towards the old three-story school building that was Langford.

Charlotte smiled as she gazed at the architecture.  “This building looks pretty old.”

Lauren nodded.  “Yeah.  It is.  Just a few years ago, my father funded a much-needed renovation for Langford.  The school didn’t even need to use its own funds.  Wasn’t that nice of him?”

Charlotte nodded, as she closely glanced at Lauren as they were walking in.  While she couldn’t quite explain it, she felt like she knew Lauren a lot more now. 

As they entered the school, Monica was there in the lobby, waving down both Charlotte and Lauren.

“Over here!” Monica shouted.

Charlotte nodded as she glanced at Monica.  Monica too felt a lot more familiar now.  As Charlotte tried to figure out the reason, it hit her.  Charlotte was no longer the older student that both Lauren and Monica looked up to.  They were now equals.  They were all the same age!  She smiled at Monica.  “Aren’t we all 17 now?”

Monica shook her head.  “Eighteen Char,” she corrected her.  “I turned 18 in May and Lauren turned 18 in August.  That means you’re the youngest, Char.”

What?  Charlotte could not believe that she went from being the oldest to being the youngest.  Well, she did go back three years and with Charlotte having a November birthday, it would make sense that she would be one of the last to turn 18 of all her friends.

Charlotte was about to head off to the right when Lauren stopped her.

“Wait Charlotte!” Lauren said, tugging at Charlotte’s hand.  “We all have modeling as our first class!”

Monica laughed.  “Yeah Char.  Didn’t you look at your schedule?”

Charlotte sighed.  “I guess I didn’t.”

To be honest, Charlotte didn’t know anything about her schedule since she had no idea that she was going to be a Senior again.  That she was going to be a teenager and attend Langford again.  And while it may have felt like it again to Charlotte, it was the first time for Lauren and Monica.

The three girls walked right into Mrs. Hampton’s modeling class.

Mrs. Hampton caught notice of the three and nodded impatiently.  “It’s nice that you three are exactly on time.  But let’s waste no time and get started.  Everyone!  Up in front!  We are going to review everything that you learned from your internships!”

Monica nodded and whispered to Charlotte.  “Yeah.  Typical Hampton.  She’s the kind that doesn’t like to waste a single second of time.”

“No side discussions!” Mrs. Hampton ordered as she clapped her hands in front of Monica.  “Everyone! Perform the pose as I order it.  Beginning….now!  One two three….Over the shoulder….One two three…hands on hips!”

All the girls in the studio classroom performed the poses precisely as Mrs. Hampton instructed them.  All of the poses were synchronized perfectly.

“Three-quarter pose!” Mrs. Hampton continued.  “Let’s keep up!  One two three…back to camera!  One two three….facial play!  Work those faces!  Let me see some action!  One two three…face the camera!  One two three…hands in pockets!  One two three…Contrapposto!  Come on!  I want to see it!  Look natural!  Very good, Charlotte!   Very good, Lauren!  Yes, we got it Monica.  One two three…play with your hair!  I want to see you play with it!  Run your fingers through those strands, ladies!  Touch it!  Massage it!  Oh, that looks lovely, Gloria!  We’re not done.  Ladies, this is a runway so work it like your modeling career depended on it!  Go go go!”

All the girls in the class gasped as they shifted from pose to pose as instructed.

Charlotte couldn’t believe how many poses that she had to follow.  While all this was supposed to be second nature to Charlotte, most of her memories of more than a decade with the modeling agencies were gone now.  And if there was anything left, it was very fuzzy in her mind.  All she could clearly remember now were the internships before her junior and senior year.  Besides this, she could remember nothing else from her past modeling experience besides during a couple modeling gigs in her childhood.

While Charlotte would eventually get the hang of all these poses by the end of her Senior year, this was day one all over again, so she was at the same level as most of her class, with the exception of Lauren, who was a natural at every pose.

The remainder of the class was spent practicing the poses that they didn’t execute perfectly, and their homework was to watch and review a fashion show, noting the poses and each model that performed them.

Charlotte gasped as they left the studio classroom. She then glanced at Lauren.  “How do you do it so well, Lauren?”

Lauren smiled.  “You could say that it’s a hobby, Charlotte.  I spend a lot of my spare time studying and practicing those poses.  After all, my mother would…” Lauren remained silent and got out a tissue to wipe a few tears out of her eyes.   “I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

Charlotte shrugged her shoulders.  “What’s wrong?”

Monica elbowed Charlotte and scowled.  “What are you insensitive, Char?  Lauren’s mother died when Lauren was young.”

Lauren nodded.  “It’s okay, Monica.  Charlotte, you’re okay.  My mom died when I was five.  She…was a famous supermodel.  My father said she was one of the greatest.  So that’s what I do.  I watch the old fashion shows with my mother in them and study every modeling pose over and over again.  I want to…make her proud by being a supermodel myself…” Her eyes flooded with tears as she began to wipe them again.  “Oh, I’m so sorry!”  She cried loudly as Monica hugged her.

“Lauren, it’s okay.” Monica told her.  “It’s like you said, Lauren.  Your mother is in a better place, watching over you.”

Lauren then smiled.  “Yes.  She is.  I can almost feel her presence.  It’s like she’s helping me with all the poses.”

The three girls walked to their next class, which was AP physical education.

The three girls entered the locker room and stripped down to their birthday suits.  But before Charlotte could even change into her outfit, she had to pee and poop really bad.  She rushed into a stall and took care of her business before returning to her bag in the locker room.  They then put their workout clothes on, which all consisted of sports bras, tank tops, panties, shorts, and tab socks.

Now dressed, Charlotte smiled as she glanced at the running shoes.  She put the shoes on, lacing them and tying each of the shoes twice.

The girls all went outside to the track, where Mrs. Durham was waiting.  Unlike the modeling class that was all female, it was co-ed, with an equal mix of males and females in this class.

Mrs. Durham blew her whistle to get the students’ attention.  “Listen up everyone!  This is Track and Field, an AP Level Physical Education Course!  If you want an A, you will be running laps the entire class!  Complete 5 miles and you’ll get credit for today.  Some of you girls will be on Varsity Track and Field.”  She then gave Charlotte a smile.  “And Cheetah, I expect great things from you this year!”

One male nodded.  “Yeah Jim.  Did you hear?”

Jim gasped.  “What Marty?”

“Cheetah!” Marty said, pointing at Charlotte.  “That girl right there is the fastest runner in the entire school.  She puts guys like us to shame.  She’s been on varsity since she was a freshman!  Too good for JV…”

Jim smiled.  “But is she too good to date?  That girl does look kind of cute…”

Marty laughed.  “That’s if she likes you.  The girl’s pretty picky.”

The whistle blew again.

“Everyone!” Mrs. Durham shouted.  “When I blow my whistle again, you will start your five miles.  Ready, set…” TWWWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEATTTTTT!

Everyone in the class began running around the quarter mile track.

Charlotte burst into a sprint and began running at the same pace that she did when she was running the San Francisco marathon.

And in less than a half hour, Charlotte was done with her miles before anyone else finished.

Mrs. Durham smiled as she glanced at Charlotte.  “Ah, you showed them up again, didn’t you Cheetah?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yes, Mrs. Durham.  I did.”

“You see,” Mrs. Durham continued.  “There’s a reason why I call you Cheetah.  It’s the name that I give to my fastest student.  And honey, I have been watching you.  Nobody can keep up with you!  That’s your talent, Charlotte.  Don’t waste it!  Keep up the good work.”  Mrs. Durham held out her fist to bump Charlotte’s fist.

Charlotte once again felt the strong urge to pee, so she hurried to the girl’s bathroom and was just seconds from another accident.  After finishing up in the bathroom, she went to her next class, which was World Literature.

After World Literature and Psychology, it was time for lunch.

The three girls had their usual seafood subs for lunch and shared what they thought of their classes so far.

Monica spit out her food when she saw a tall male walking by the table.  She jabbed Charlotte on her side.  “Char! Char!  It’s James!  Are you going to ask him out this time?  Got $100 if you will.  Don’t chicken out this time!”

Lauren nodded.  “Yeah.  Let’s just say that it didn’t end well last time.”

Charlotte looked at James.  ‘Am I supposed to know who this guy is?’ Like her two friends, he looked familiar yet was a perfect stranger at the same time.  “Wait,” she said with a frown.  “How did it not end well last time?”

Monica grinned.  “Well Char.  You kind of…pissed yourself right in front of him!  How do you not remember that?  Remember?  Last year?”

Charlotte shook her head.  As crazy as the last three weeks have been, how was she supposed to remember an event that was now part of a newly revised timeline?  If Charlotte had all her memories intact, she could tell you that she was on a vacation to Hawaii a year ago.  But instead, one year ago was now Charlotte as a Junior at Langford.  Long before the days of her modeling career would even begin.  “I don’t remember, Monica.  Why would I want to remember something so embarrassing?”

Lauren sighed.  “Charlotte, you don’t have to do it.”

Charlotte then glanced at James again.  It looked like he was going to take a seat at a table that was nearby.  Wow.  Charlotte couldn’t help but be totally infatuated with James.  His brown hair was short and neatly kempt, and he wore a maroon colored polo shirt with black dress pants.  A smile came over his face which made Charlotte blush.  ‘Oh my God!’ Charlotte thought.  ‘That James! He looks so beautiful!  Why do I love him so much now?’

By just looking at James, Charlotte could somehow remember things about him that she couldn’t remember before.  Perhaps it was all of the rewritten past that was catching up to her.  Various details filled her mind, indicating who he was.  James was the leader of the drama club.  James had parents that were both movie stars in Hollywood and he wanted to become an actor himself.  James moved up to Langford with his family as a Freshman when his family wanted a change in scenery.  Prior to that, he was attending a private school in Hollywood.  How did she know all this if she had never dated him before?  It was…Roxy?  She could somehow remember the gossip coming from Roxy since she had dated James a number of times.

Charlotte could then remember her embarrassing encounter with James a year ago.  She wanted to talk to him.  She was about to say something but…she peed herself right in front of him!  Her face reddened as she could remember every detail of the memory now.  How?  Just how?  ‘I think that I really love James but how am I remembering all of this?  I…I want him.  I need him!  I…I love him!  I hope that he loves me…’  She thought about documenting her mystery, which will be something that she’ll want to do when she gets home.  ‘Yes.  I will solve the mystery! Then I can be my normal age again!’

Without hesitation, Charlotte stood up and walked towards the table with James sitting there by himself, enjoying a slice of brick oven artisan pizza.  Fresh sausage, old world pepperoni, onions, and green peppers all on a freshly made crust.  While James got a little bit of sauce on his mouth, he quickly wiped it off with a napkin.  Charlotte waved her hands at James to get his attention, and then she did one of her modeling poses as a way to flirt with him.  She did a Contrapposto before resting her free hand on her other hip.  “Hi!” she said, now starting to blush.

James sat down his half-eaten slice of pizza and glanced up at Charlotte.  “Hello Charlotte,” he said with a wide smile.  “How has your first day been so far?”

Charlotte responded with a timid smile.  Her inner monologue was now spiraling out of control.  F-first?  First day?  C’mon Charlotte!  This is your chance!  Ask him on a date!  Say something!  Don’t just look stupid in front of him!  And whatever you do, don’t pee yourself!  Right after she thought this, Charlotte could feel a little bit of an urge coming on.  “It’s…fine.” Charlotte said, choking out every word.  “Would you…would you…?”

James smiled.  “What would you want me to do, Charlotte?  Are you asking me out on a date?”

Charlotte gave James a shy nod.  “Y-yeah.  A date.  Please?”

James got out his phone and looked at his calendar.  “I don’t have time for a date this week, but how about next Friday?  I’ll pick you up at your house at 5:00.  I should have all my parts recorded for that day.”

Charlotte frowned.  “Parts?”

James nodded.  “Didn’t you hear?  Cinestar Studios is filming a movie right here in Langford!  The name of the movie is Runway and it’s about a woman growing up in an impoverished family who goes from rags to riches.  From a dirty nobody to a famous supermodel.  I play one of the students as an extra.  I get a few lines so it’s pretty nice.”

Charlotte nodded.  “That’s nice.  Who’s playing the leads?”

James scratched his head.  “Ah!  Yeah.  The leads.  Claire Wilmington is playing Valorie Sinclair.  Taylor Abbott is playing Justin Blake, an aspiring actor who grew up in a wealthy family.  So yes.  They are filming this movie over the next 100 days.”

Charlotte gasped.  Claire?  Wait a second!  She could suddenly remember a dream that had a Claire in it!  Could it be the same Claire?

Then she thought of Taylor.  From what Charlotte could faintly remember, Taylor was a crush that she had back when she attended Langford.  Instead of James, it was Taylor.  She then put the pieces together.  ‘Let’s see.  Taylor is in the movie, and he used to be my crush.  Claire is in the movie, and she took my mansion in my dream.  If Claire got the part for Valorie, then I was supposed to be Valorie and was supposed to be with Taylor!’  This made her all the angrier the more that she thought about it.  By some strange cosmic event, Charlotte was not 29.  She was 17 and a student at Langford, which meant that she would not be acting in the Runway movie.  Why, this could’ve been her big Hollywood debut in playing a starring role!  But this was not meant to be.  Charlotte was somehow a teenager again.  A teenager now filled to the brim with angst and resentment regarding the very role that was written just for her.  First, Claire took my house and now she took my debut as an actress!  What else was there left to take? 

At this point, Charlotte decided to end the conversation with James.  “Well,” she told him.  “It was nice talking to you.  I look forward to the date next Friday…” And then, Charlotte could feel a buildup of gas inside her stomach, working its way up her throat.  “Good byyUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!”  Charlotte stood frozen when she realized what had just happened.

James laughed.  “Perfect timing!”  When he saw Charlotte covering her face in embarrassment, he gave her a pat on the shoulder.  “Hey.  It’s okay, Charlotte.  It’s just a burp.  You must have had a good lunch, right?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yeah.  It was a seafood sub.  Talk to you later, alright?”

As Charlotte was leaving the table, she could begin to feel the pain building up in her groin.  But before she could leave the cafeteria, Monica was shouting, waving a $100 bill in her hand.

“Char!  Over here!”

Charlotte hurried over to the table, where Monica handed her the money.

“Congratulations Charlotte.” Monica said grinning.  “You just scored yourself a boyfriend.”

Lauren nodded.  “I’m so proud of you, Charlotte!  Now we all have dates!  I have Victor…”

“And I have Quentin!” Monica quickly interjected.

Charlotte’s face was now reddening as she pressed her hands against her crotch.  “And I have to go to the bathroom…now!”

Charlotte hurried out of the cafeteria, trying to keep the flow of pee from coming out.  She managed to enter the women’s bathroom.  She entered the stall…

She folded up her skirt…and…

It was already happening.  Her panties were beginning to darken.

She threw her panties down and sat down on the toilet, releasing the rest of her bladder in a long and heavy stream.  ‘Why do I keep having these accidents?’ she told herself.  After she wiped herself, she looked at her panties.  While they were not sopping wet, they were quite damp.  ‘Great.  I’m going to have to spend the rest of the day in wet panties.  That is unless…’  She thought of her gym bag and let out a growl of frustration.  ‘Gross!  I can’t wear those panties either!’  Charlotte was at a stalemate.  She could either wear her damp panties or her sweaty ones.  Neither option was favorable to Charlotte.  So, she decided on the first option: Charlotte was going to wear her damp panties for the rest of the day.

Charlotte found her friends just outside the cafeteria.

Lauren gave Charlotte a concerned look.  “Did you make it, Charlotte?”

Charlotte sighed.  “No I didn’t.  I get to wear pissy panties for the rest of the day.”

Lauren frowned.  “That’s got to be rough.”

Charlotte nodded and tried to change the subject.  “Do you think that I got a shot with James?  I know that I’m going to date him, but he’s been seeing Roxy!”

Monica laughed.  “Yeah.  They’re just good friends, Char.  From what I heard, James has been on dates with other women so he’s currently undecided right now.  Still open for the picking so don’t worry.”

RIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!

“Five minutes!” Lauren said with a gasp.  “Five minutes until the next class!”

The rest of Charlotte’s day was okay, besides the fact that she had to sit in wet underwear for the rest of the day.  It was just AP Physics and AP Calculus.

Darcy picked Charlotte up right at 3:30 as she promised.  Surprisingly, her daughter was silent for the whole trip home.  Despite her attempts at trying to get Charlotte to open up about her first day, she respected her boundaries.  Perhaps she can ask her later over dinner.

Once at home, Charlotte exited the garage with her two bags and purse and went right upstairs to her room.  Fortunately, she didn’t have a lot of homework for her first day.  Just the fashion show, a short story to read in preparation for a pop quiz tomorrow, a physics worksheet, and a calculus worksheet, reviewing the math that she did last year.

After Charlotte plopped down her two bags, she grabbed a fresh pair of panties and went off to the bathroom to remove her damp ones from earlier.  She quickly rinsed off her crotch and surrounding area with a light amount of soap and dried off before putting the fresh pair of panties on.  She went back to her room, carefully concealing her damp panties before burying them in her dirty clothes hamper, which had an enormous pile of clothes in it.  She then sat at her desk and saw what she had been ignoring for some time.  The blank notebook.  Then it hit her.  The Mystery!  I need to document the mystery!

Charlotte found a few pens lying on her desk near the stacks of Seventeen magazines that sat to the left of it.  She grabbed one and wrote the following on the front cover of the black composition notebook:

SUPER SLEUTH CHARLOTTE’S MYSTERY NOTEBOOK

For solving The Mystery!

…

Charlotte felt that the subtitle was necessary as she was determined to solve the mystery that was behind the reverse aging that has happened to her three times now.  She opened the notebook to the first page and began writing down her observations.

…

Charlotte’s Super Secret Observations (HIGHLY CLASSIFIED)

MYSTERY #1 – The Mystery of the Reverse Aging (AKA Fountain of Youth Mystery or Benjamin Button Mystery)

ORIGIN AND OFFSET OF MYSTERY: Cause is still unknown.  The strange mystery began after my first run with my friends Lexi and Maya in mid August August 16^th.

DESCRIPTION OF MYSTERY: Being a really busy (on the verge of becoming famous) supermodel, I, Charlotte Warren, decided to take an extended vacation from my mansion in Beverly Hills to my mother’s house in Langford, California.  I gave Raymond, my chauffeur, the day off and took my Petra Gold Rolls Royce Phantom Extended north for a 17-day vacation where I didn’t have to think.  The traffic in Los Angeles was BAD on the way up but was okay for the remainder of the trip.

I got to Langford with the plan of running with my friends Lexi and Maya, followed by a fun night of eating out and spending the night with them at my mother’s house.  My mother interrupts me with a wonderful gift: a pair of Bottega Veneta running shoes.  She spared no expense with this pair of designer athletic footwear.  The shoes didn’t fit at first, but then after I got ready for my run with my friends, they…fit?  Anyway, I love my BV’s and I wear them all the time on my runs now.

I go on my run, and I find myself already primed for the workout.  After running, I appeared to be in some other alternate dimension.  A dream world where I was running a marathon in Paris.  When wearing the shoes, I seem to be filled with a boundless endurance where I can run fast without tiring from my pace.

After the run, reality seemed to have been altered when both Lexi and Maya told me that I have always been the fastest runner.  There’s a possibility that I may have been sent to an alternate universe (NOTE: EXPLORE THEORY LATER!).

Next event to suggest alternate reality: My mother told me after my run that my Lululemon shoes didn’t fit me and that my BV’s fit me perfectly, even though I can remember my mother watched me slipping on the BV’s when they didn’t fit.

Besides the alternate reality, there has been three different episodes where I have undergone a reduction in my age (NOTE: ORIGINAL AGE IS 29 WITH ORIGINAL BIRTHDATE OF NOVEMBER 8^TH, 1994.  WILL NEED THIS FOR GETTING BACK ONCE THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED).

Episode 1: 2-Year Reduction (8/17/2024)

New age was discovered to be 27 the very next morning after my sleepover with Lexi and Maya at my mother’s.  Alternate reality happened again as my Petra Gold Rolls Royce was replaced with a Diamond Black Rolls Royce Phantom (my older model).

Next event to support alternate reality: Birth year was found to be 1996 instead of 1994 on my California Driver’s License (NOTE: THIS WILL BE RECURRING).  When I got home, my mother corroborated the allegedly fake license by showing me my birth certificate that had the same date of birth.  Evidence is definitely pointing to an alternate reality where everything around me changes every time I get younger.

The alternate reality has also somehow given me bladder problems (my mother calls it overactive bladder).  While I used to have a cast-iron bladder, there are now times where I can barely hold it.  Accidents are frequent at night, and I have wet the bed a few times.

Episode 2: 7-Year Reduction (8/30/2024)

New age was discovered to be 20 when I tried to buy Crystal Dragon from the Langford Liquor Store (settled for Pepsi instead).  Driver’s License DOB now read 11/8/2003.  Woke up to feel AMAZING but it turned out to be seven more years that managed to escape me.  Had to go to bed early for SF Labor Day Marathon.

New friends were discovered due to the alternate reality: Lauren Ashcroft and Monica Swanson.  (NOTE: THE ALTERNATE REALITY REPLACES ORIGINAL MEMORIES WITH AR MEMORIES.  DON’T TRUST THE NEW MEMORIES!)  Alternate reality gave me new memories with new friends that I never met.  It appears that I know them well in this strange new reality.  I called Lauren and Monica my “Besties for Life”.

Marathon in alternate reality resulted in first place finish but a horrible accident happened where my bladder failed me and I peed myself.  The last four miles of the race was total hell running in wet bottoms.

Sleepover was worse where I had another accident at Monica’s before going to bed.  I set alarms all night to try to avoid using the Depend Night Defense (AKA nighttime adult Pull-Up’s).  Accidents keep getting worse (I blame the alternate reality).

Episode 3: 3-Year Reduction (9/2/2024)

New Age was discovered to be 17 after going on a run around the Langford running trail.  Felt dizzy.  Woke up to my workout clothes feeling a little loose.  Talked to mom about workout clothes and she told me that she was washing all the other clothes.  The alternate reality has shifted again!  When I asked my mother what year I was born, she said 2006 and that I was 17.

The original plan was to drive back to Los Angeles in my white 2014 Lexus LS 500 Sedan (Yes, because I didn’t own a Rolls Royce until I was 27).  The Lexus wouldn’t start so I had to call a towing service to get it fixed.  Towing service was supposed to get it.  Unpacked everything and went for run to kill time.  Came back to find my car gone.  I thought that it was towed, but the loose-fitting clothes and other clues suggest that the alternate reality shifted after my run.

New friend:  A crush by the name of James Richardson (I LOVE YOU JAMES!  XOXOXOXOXO).  My feelings for him are very strong in this current reality.  (NOTE:  ORIGINAL CRUSH’S NAME IS TAYLOR ABBOTT AND HE’S CO-STARRING IN THE MOVIE RUNWAY, WHICH IS BEING SHOT IN LANGFORD.  REMEMBER THIS ORIGINAL MEMORY AS IT COULD BE THE KEY TO GETTING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL REALITY.)

9/3/2024 – Had a lot of close calls today with my trips to the bathroom.  And even one accident!  I won’t miss these accidents once I get back to my original reality.

 

PERSON(S) AFFECTED BY MYSTERY: Charlotte Warren (only known case)

IS MYSTERY CONTAGIOUS? Mystery points to an alternate reality, so mystery is not contagious.  It’s an isolated case affecting only one female subject (Charlotte Warren).

THEORIES REGARDING THE MYSTERY’S ORIGIN:

1. Alternate Reality – This theory postulates that I have somehow been transferred to an alternate reality different from my own. This reality continues to mold and shift every time there’s a reduction in my age. Everyone else in this reality seems to be unphased to any difference or change in the reality shift.
2. A Coma? This theory is formulated around the assumption that I am in a perpetual state of sleep. Some traumatic event may have caused this extended comatose state to happen upon which I am unable to awaken.  Could I be in a hospital?  Is all of this a dream?
3. A Simulation? This theory is based on the assumption that some research scientists or aliens have abducted me and have managed to hook me up to a machine that has linked my subconscious to an avatar body. The “Age Reductions” are nothing more than adjustments made to the simulation program to see how I react to the new stimuli.  I am a living experiment being studied against my will and in every way, I need to escape the simulation and get back to my normal life.
4. Magic (NOTE: ONLY CONSIDER THIS THEORY WHEN ALL OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED AS MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION ARE CONSIDERED PSEUDOSCIENCE) This theory is formed around the assumption that magic is real and should only be used as a last resort when all other theories have failed. Some possible things that may have happened include the following. There is a curse or hex placed on me which has somehow made me slowly regress in age over time.  The curse or hex may not be so much as limited to a spell, but some kind of accessory or object with mystical and enchanted properties.  The continued use of this object prolongs and worsens the effect of the curse.  Another possibility is that I may have upset a wizard, an elf, or some other mythical being (a fairy or pixie?) and they used their mysterious magic on me to age in reverse at unpredictable intervals of time.  If enchanted object is a lamp, I will release the genie and wish for my life to be restored back to normal.  Otherwise, I will need to search for the mythical being responsible and do them a good favor in hopes that they will restore me back to my original age and life.  Possible suspects include Quenlumina: The light Elf Queen, Marilith: The dark witch of the Forest of Brominir, Mythra:  Fairy Queen of the Shimmering Cloud City in the Upper Lands, Plexsia: Trickster Pixie of the Forbidden Forest, or Dujani (if the suspect is a genie).

 

Investigation on Mystery #1 is ongoing and clues will be gathered and analyzed until the mystery is solved once and for all.  Additional notes will be added as new information is discovered.

…

…

Charlotte closed the notebook and caught a glance at her magazine pile.  The September 2024 issue of Seventeen Magazine sat on the top of the stack, and she couldn’t believe who was on the front cover.

It was…Claire.  Again?  Charlotte scowled as she saw Claire on the front cover, proudly modeling an orange dress that she could’ve easily modeled back in her original reality.  It was like Claire was taunting Charlotte.  Teasing her that she was just a teenager now with her age slowly deteriorating before her very eyes.  Charlotte grabbed the magazine and threw it against the wall.  “Stupid bitch,” she muttered under her breath.  “Taking EVERYTHING that I used to have.  My house, my starring movie role, and now a front-page cover on Seventeen!”  But then Charlotte smugly smiled.  “But I was on Vogue…”

Satisfied with that thought, Charlotte then began working on her homework for a couple of hours.

Just as Charlotte was finishing her last assignment, the door opened to her room.

“Char honey? Are you ready for dinner?”  Darcy glanced at her daughter, who looked very busy.

Charlotte nodded.  “I just finished my homework, so perfect timing!”

Charlotte hurried downstairs to where dinner was already served at the table.  Charlotte wasted no time in starting on her ham and grilled cheese sandwich, with tomato soup and peas.

Between bites of her sandwich, Darcy tried again to converse with her daughter about her day.  “So Char, how did your day go?  You seemed pretty unresponsive in the car.”

Charlotte nodded.  Her mother had no idea about the truth of what was going on with her.  That she was more than a decade younger than her original age.  Why, she could’ve done a whole modeling shoot today instead of school!  “It went well, mom.” She said softly.  “Today was just very busy.”

Darcy smiled.  “Of course it was, honey.  All first days are busy like that.  Tomorrow should be a lot easier to handle.”

Charlotte glanced outside and smiled.  “I’m going to run another five miles after I eat.  I already ran five miles in physical education today.  I need to stay trained for track and field since that’s next Wednesday.”

Darcy softly touched her daughter’s black hair.  “That’s right, dear.  You have to get up really early for the registration and warm up.”

Charlotte was now finishing her peas, since she had already eaten her sandwich and soup.  “Well, I’m going to do my run mom!”

Darcy nodded.  “Okay dear.  After that, how about a nice shower and some downtime before bed?”

Charlotte was already halfway up the stairs.  “Will do mom!”

Charlotte’s five-mile evening run was even faster than the one she did this morning in physical education.  This time, she was running a marathon in Tokyo, as she noticed the Tokyo Tower, indicating that she was nearly finished with the marathon.  As she finished, she could hear the male announcer announcing her first place finish in Japanese.

After a much-needed shower, Charlotte reluctantly put on her nighttime protection before slipping on her nightgown from the night before.  For her downtime, she decided to watch TV with her mother.  One show was an old sitcom from the 1950’s.  An episode of I Ruminate about Rachel came on, which was about a genie named Rachel that lived with an astronaut named Andy Norris.  Following that was one episode of America’s Next Top Model.  Her mother always watched this when Charlotte was growing up and was the main reason why she wanted to become a model.  That, and her mother was kind of a model, only she had more limited gigs.

About halfway through America’s Next Top Model, Charlotte was fast asleep on the couch.

“Aw…” Darcy said with a smile.  “My Charlie Darlie is tired after a busy day at school.”  She shook Charlotte awake and began to guide her upstairs.

Charlotte was half awake when her mother was directing her upstairs.  And did Charlotte just feel a little warm?  If Charlotte did, she had no memory of this, or even how she got to her bed.  All she knew was that she somehow got to her bed from the couch.

Charlotte was now tucked all snugly in her bed, peacefully sleeping without a single worry in her mind.  Yes, she knew that she had a mystery to solve, and she was certain that it was going to get solved.  It was now only a matter of time before she would figure the mystery out.

[Mary Moon]

Charlotte after the understandable hysterical crisis, is now trying to use logic to understand, in my opinion she is close to understanding what the shoes have to do with it.

P.S. wasn't her crush called Brandon instead of Taylor?

[PamperedPrince]

Yes.  Charlotte had a crush on Brandon, but she has had other crushes when she attended Langford.  Brandon was the earlier one while Taylor was the later one.  You could say that she had more than one fish in the water but she never bothered to reel any of them in.

I'm very busy with work today so expect a new chapter tomorrow!  😄

[Mary Moon]

Just now, PamperedPrince said:

Yes.  Charlotte had a crush on Brandon, but she has had other crushes when she attended Langford.  Brandon was the earlier one while Taylor was the later one.  You could say that she had more than one fish in the water but she never bothered to reel any of them in.

I'm very busy with work today so expect a new chapter tomorrow!  😄

However, i identify with Charlotte (except for the fact that i am neither rich nor a model  ), I mean as a character, like her in that situation i would have had a hysterical crisis but then I would have started looking for a logic and making theories (since I am very much a conspiracy theorist  ). So now there's this Claire who has taken her place in this reality must be frustrating. I fear that when she wakes up she may have another regression now, i hope she won't have too many. I think the story is more interesting if she doesn't go back too much

[PamperedPrince]

22 hours ago, Mary Moon said:

However, i identify with Charlotte (except for the fact that i am neither rich nor a model  ), I mean as a character, like her in that situation i would have had a hysterical crisis but then I would have started looking for a logic and making theories (since I am very much a conspiracy theorist  ). So now there's this Claire who has taken her place in this reality must be frustrating. I fear that when she wakes up she may have another regression now, i hope she won't have too many. I think the story is more interesting if she doesn't go back too much

You'll just have to see.  Now for the next chapter!

Chapter 12

The rest of the week at Langford seemed to go surprisingly smoothly for Charlotte.  In the modeling class with Mrs. Hampton, Charlotte was starting to improve on her technique with the poses, while Lauren still performed them flawlessly like a natural.  I guess that it did make since that she was so good, since Charlotte now knew of her mother’s passing and how seriously Lauren dedicated her life to the discipline of modeling.

As for the physical education class with Mrs. Durham, this class required no effort as running any number of miles was an easy A for Charlotte.  She always completed the class with the most miles ran of any classmate, averaging just under 11 miles every class period.  For the men, she found it funny since she was outrunning them all and they were “losing to a woman”.

And while Charlotte still had many close calls, she had no accidents for the rest of the week. She even had mornings where her nighttime Depends were dry, resulting in a mad dash to get to the bathroom in time before the floodgates of her bladder opened.

And to Charlotte’s surprise, she didn’t see James during lunch for the rest of the week.  Could he be filming scenes for Runway?  Despite James’ absence, Charlotte couldn’t stop thinking about James and longed to see him everyday.

When Friday rolled around, she couldn’t believe who she saw in the cafeteria.

Sitting at the one lone table.

It was…

Lexi.

Maya.

Her friends.  Her old friends!  Her friends that she used to attend Langford with!  And here they were…eating lunch in the cafeteria?

Charlotte eagerly ran over to her original besties and tried to hit it off like nothing had ever changed.  “Hey Lexi and Maya!” Charlotte shouted.  “How’s it going?”

Lexi gave Charlotte a pensive stare.  “Wait.  Do we know you?”

Charlotte frowned.  How could her best friends not remember her?  “It’s me! Charlotte!  Don’t you remember me?”

Maya smiled.  “It’s the girl that we taught in the Junior Trailblazers.  Remember?”

Lexi nodded.  “Oh.  Hello again, Charlotte! It’s been quite a long time since we last met!  What were you in?  First grade when we taught the class?  Look at how far you’ve gone!”

Charlotte was speechless.  Neither of her best friends could even remember all the fun times that they had together.  All they could remember was teaching a running class that Charlotte participated in when she was in the first grade!  But for some reason now, Charlotte’s frustration calmed for a moment as she got to be with her friends again.  Even though they didn’t see things the same way in this alternate reality, Charlotte always saw Lexi and Maya as her friends no matter what.  Even though they were totally hanging out just three weeks ago.

But Charlotte still didn’t understand why her old friends were at Langford today.  “Why are you back at Langford?”

Both Lexi and Maya exchanged glances.

“Charlotte, we’re back at Langford because of the movie Runway.” Lexi answered.  “I’m playing Melanie Bradbury, one of Valorie’s good friends.”

“And I’m playing Lorrie Rosenthal, Valorie’s other good friend,” Maya said with a grin.  “Isn’t it great, Lex?  We get to return to Langford and act in a movie with our best friend Claire!”

Charlotte gasped.  Claire? Claire?!! CLAIRE???!!!!!  WHAT?  Charlotte couldn’t take it anymore.  She was about to explode.  ‘Oh, that’s right.  The bitch is in the movie.  And it only makes sense that she’s with my friends since she was in the dream!’  She glanced at both Lexi and Maya with a frustrated glare.  “So Claire is in the movie?”

Lexi nodded.  “Yeah.  She’s got the lead role.  I don’t think you know this, Charlotte but Claire has been one of our best friends since childhood.”

Charlotte was now in hysterics.  ‘No!  I’m your best friend!  Me!’ She then looked at her old friends with a sigh.  “Aren’t both of you my best friends?  Lex? My?”

Maya laughed.  “That’s what Claire calls us!”

Lexi nodded.  “Yes Charlotte.  We can be your very best friends if you want.  You have really grown up from when we first saw you.  Who else was there?”

“Lauren and Monica.” Charlotte responded.

“Yeah!” Lexi gasped.  “You were with both of them!  It was fun watching you all run together.  Now that you, me and Maya are now best friends, how about we all wrap up lunch and talk another time?  Some of the scenes take all day to film, and we have 100 days to get this done.”

“Correction Lex,” Maya told her.  “There are 96 days left.”

Lexi nodded.  “Yeah.  It’s not a lot of time.  And also Char.  Since we’re in the area, we have checked in on the Junior Trailblazers and have volunteered as guests!  Maybe you should consider giving back and volunteer with us.  While we still have a lot of scenes to shoot, we still have a couple of off days a week.  Every Wednesday night, they meet if you’re interested.  Maybe you can see how much they have changed since you were in it.”  Lexi then glanced at her cellphone.  “Well, it’s been nice talking to you, Charlotte.  It’s always fun to see how students like you have changed over the years.  See you later, best friend!”

Maya smiled.  “You too, best friend.  See you, Char!”

Charlotte still felt a little bit better about them agreeing to be her best friends.  But what hurt her the most was how they couldn’t remember the strong bond that they all had that made their friendship so unique.  Sure, they both volunteered to be her “best friend”, but it just didn’t feel the same.  To Lexi and Maya, Charlotte was now like a first grader who just came up to them after 11 years of not seeing them.

But she still had Lauren and Monica.  Speaking of which, where were they?  Oh, that’s right!  Charlotte remembered that Lauren was coaching Monica on the poses during lunch since she was really struggling with them, and she needed some extra help.  And since Langford had a couple practice studios, they were in there, working on the poses.  Charlotte felt that she understood them well enough to not need any practice.

The rest of the day went by pretty smoothly, with Charlotte finishing most of her homework in every class.

By the time that Charlotte got picked up by her mother, she only had one homework assignment for the whole weekend and that was in modeling.

And from what Charlotte read from her text during Calculus, the sleepover at her mother’s was still on.  Both Lauren and Monica would arrive in the limo and the sleepover would commence.

After Charlotte got home, she grabbed her two bags along with her purse and went upstairs to her bedroom.  She threw her bags down and sat down at her desk.  She made a brief update to her Super Sleuth Charlotte’s Mystery Notebook:

…

…

UPDATE: Friday, 9/6/2024 – 3:42 PM

New findings indicate that Lexi and Maya, my old best friends, don’t really remember me anymore.  The only memories that they had with me were now all the days that I attended the Junior Trailblazers when I was in the first grade.  Is that all that they really see me now?  As a former first grader?  My heart is hurt that they don’t remember all the fun things that we did together.  This alternate reality stinks.  I miss our friendship!  Progress is being made and the mystery will be solved.  The means to get back to the original reality haven’t been figured out yet.  Theories will be investigated soon.

“Charlotte!”

Charlotte gasped, and suddenly felt a little wet.  She glanced up to see Monica right on her back.

“Monica!” Charlotte shouted.  “That was not funny!  You made me pee myself!”  Charlotte then realized that she was still trying to stop the rest of the pee from coming out.   “Um, excuse me!”  Charlotte hurried into the bathroom and managed to release the rest of the floodgates into the toilet, having only the small accident caused from Monica startling her.  She finished up, washed her hands, and returned to her room, where both Lauren and Monica were sitting on the floor.

Lauren was looking annoyed at Monica.  “Tell her you’re sorry,” she ordered.  “Charlotte, I know that you had a good week, but what Monica just did was totally unacceptable.”

Monica sighed.  “I’m sorry, Char.  I should’ve known that you startle so easy.”

Lauren nodded.  “And don’t forget that she has an overactive bladder!  No more scaring her like that!”

Monica then glanced at the desk, noticing Charlotte’s new notebook.  “That notebook you were writing in…Super Sleuth Charlotte’s Mystery Notebook?”  She picked up the notebook.  “I’m going to have a peek.”

Lauren took the notebook away from Monica.  “No, you won’t!  Whatever Charlotte has in that notebook is very personal information!  It’s like any journal or diary.  You do NOT look at it unless you have their complete permission!”

Monica nodded.  “Fine.  Char, can I please look at your super-secret notebook?”

Charlotte was now anxious.  There was no way that either Lauren or Monica would even believe her regarding what was really happening to her.  Even if they were her best friends, they would still consider herself crazy for even writing about aging in reverse.  Perhaps Monica would call her crazy while Lauren would defend Charlotte, saying that’s she’s very imaginative and creative.  But even a statement like that from Lauren would be enough for her to know that neither of her friends are buying the reality that she is now forced to live with every single day.  Charlotte has now missed almost a full week of modeling since she’s a high school student again.  But it wouldn’t be like she’s missing work since the reality shifted to make it as if Charlotte never worked a single day in modeling except for her two internships.  And even if she took a special leave to co-star in a movie before her vacation to Langford, she is now missing out on all the fun that both Lexi and Maya were having with…Claire.  Charlotte hated that name the more that it echoed in her head.  Even though Claire wasn’t directly responsible, she felt as if she was the stand-in that stole everything in her life that she used to enjoy.  Why did she have to relive her Senior Year again?

“Char?” Monica repeated.  “Are you there?  Can I please see your secret notebook?”

Charlotte sighed.  “No Monica.  You can’t.”

Lauren smiled and handed the notebook back to Charlotte.  “Here you go.  You should put a lock on that to protect it from people like Monica.”

“Hey!” Monica said, grinning.  “I’m not gonna look at it if Charlotte doesn’t want me to.  Now Char, what’s so personal about that notebook?”

“She doesn’t have to tell you!” Lauren quickly answered.  “Whatever Charlotte wrote in that notebook, it’s very personal to Charlotte and she’s not going to share it with you.”

Charlotte sighed with relief.  ‘Thank you, Lauren!’ Lauren may not have truly understood what was in the notebook but she knew its importance.  How confidential it was from any other party being able to see it.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The door opened and Darcy entered.

“Hi girls!” Darcy said with a smile.  “Let’s have a pizza night.  What do you all want from Geno’s?”

Monica screamed.  “I LOVE GENO’S!!!!”

Lauren nodded.  “How about we each contribute our favorite topping?  And we all have to eat it.  Even if we don’t like it.”

Monica nodded. “Deal!  Mushrooms!”

“Green peppers!” Lauren said.

“Pepperoni.” Charlotte said.  “Can’t argue with a classic.”

Darcy wrote down the toppings on a piece of paper.  “So, pepperoni, green peppers, and mushrooms?  Okay.  I will get a smaller pizza for myself, but you girls can share the large one.  I’ll call you when it’s delivered!”

The three girls nodded and began to discuss their modeling homework assignment for the weekend.

Within the next hour, the three girls were all happily munching on their pepperoni, green pepper, and mushroom pizza from Geno’s.

“Mmm hmm…” Monica said with her mouth full.  “Thesh mushroomsh are amashing…”

Lauren on the other hand was politely eating her pizza without speaking.  She jabbed Monica and sighed.  “Monica, you’re not supposed to talk with your mouth full.  Do you need finishing school again?”

Monica shook her head.  “Nope!  But I do need to finish this slice!”

Charlotte just shook her head as she heard the banter between her two friends.  “The pizza is good,” she said.  “When my mom orders pizza, she usually gets it from Geno’s.”

Monica nodded.  “Same.  I am totally obsessed with their mushroom pizza.  Sometimes I get it with onions.”

Lauren held the crust of her pizza slice.  “Every now and then, I like to get a little sausage or bacon on it.”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yeah.  I prefer the meats to the vegetables.  It’s not that I don’t like veggies…”

Lauren nodded.  “We know what you mean, Charlotte.”  She then glanced at Charlotte.  “So what now?  Another chick flick?”

“Or we could just binge America’s Next Top Model.” Monica suggested.

“What?” Charlotte gasped.  “My mother loves that show!  I like it too!”

Lauren exchanged a nod at both Charlotte and Monica.  “Hey.  It’s a modeling show so I’m in!”

And that was all that the girls did for the remainder of the night.  Charlotte was glad that Lauren stood up for her with the journal as nobody really had any business in looking at it.  After all, who would actually believe that Charlotte used to be nearly 30 and a successful supermodel?  Not Lauren.  Not Monica.  Not even her own mother.  That journal was for Charlotte’s eyes only and she was determined to keep it that way.  All she hoped was that she could find a way to solve her Mystery very soon.

[kerry]

I'm a bit confused about the fact that Charlotte, who understands everything that is happening to her and that it is happening only to her, changing timelines for everyone else, continues to be upset and/or confused when people don't recall things from her original timeline...

[PamperedPrince]

I would have to say Charlotte's confusion is fueled by her stress of it happening so quickly.  It's basically an inner struggle of trying to cope with the new changes that are going on.  Because of everything happening so fast, it doesn't give Charlotte any time to adjust to the new changes.  And by the time she does, some other small change happens, which adds to her confusion.  As much of a runner that she is, it seems that her mind just can't keep up with everything.  And honestly, she is starting to get tired of it.  You know the old saying.  What goes up, must go down.

But yes.  You do bring a valid point about why Charlotte is confused about something that she is already aware of.  I just think that it's her not having enough time to adjust to the new changes.

Stay tuned for how everything unfolds!  😀

[Mary Moon]

I think it's perfectly understandable that Charlotte is confused and still can't accept the changes. However, i have a theory that might make sense: what if this Claire is responsible for everything? In short, she's the only one who benefited from this story. Maybe the shoes are connected to her in some way, maybe she arranged for them to end up with Charlotte so she could take her place and have her life. Maybe she envied Charlotte's life or had a grudge against her for some reason in the past. However, right now I don't see how Charlotte can get out of this, even if she has figured out that the shoes are the problem, they seem to be influencing the will (like when they forced the seller to sell them to Charlotte's mother). She needs an ally or someone who believes in her.

[PamperedPrince]

46 minutes ago, Mary Moon said:

I think it's perfectly understandable that Charlotte is confused and still can't accept the changes. However, i have a theory that might make sense: what if this Claire is responsible for everything? In short, she's the only one who benefited from this story. Maybe the shoes are connected to her in some way, maybe she arranged for them to end up with Charlotte so she could take her place and have her life. Maybe she envied Charlotte's life or had a grudge against her for some reason in the past. However, right now I don't see how Charlotte can get out of this, even if she has figured out that the shoes are the problem, they seem to be influencing the will (like when they forced the seller to sell them to Charlotte's mother). She needs an ally or someone who believes in her.

It's a good theory, and you'll just have to wait until the later chapters to see if you're correct or not.  In the meantime, stay tuned for the next chapter!  😃

[Mary Moon]

1 hour ago, PamperedPrince said:

It's a good theory, and you'll just have to wait until the later chapters to see if you're correct or not.  In the meantime, stay tuned for the next chapter!  😃

Charlotte's dream where Claire was living in her house in Beverly Hills is also a clue to this theory, i think Charlotte will also start to suspect Claire.  

[zeeko28]

Love this can't wait for more!

[PamperedPrince]

Chapter 13

Charlotte woke up to a sharp pain that she felt in her groin.  But since Charlotte was so tired, she was in a temporary state of sleep paralysis.  Wanting the pain to go away, Charlotte let out a deep sigh as she relaxed in her bed.  The sudden warmth didn’t even stir Charlotte as she fell into a deep sleep.  “Ahh…” She muttered in her sleep.  “Feels good…”

…

Charlotte rubbed her eyes to see a glint of sunlight peering into the window of her room.  She immediately felt…cold.  ‘Why do I feel so wet?’  She pressed her hand around the sides of her nightgown below her armpits to find it saturated, the sodden nightgown sticking to her skin.  “No!” she whispered in frustration.  “No no no no no no no no no!”  She lifted up her covers to see a large wet spot in the center of her bed where she was laying.  “Another one?  I forgot to put on my nighttime protection!”

Charlotte tried to figure out how she ended up with this accident.  ‘I must have fallen asleep during an episode of America’s Next Top Model and forgot to change into my Depends.  Great.  Mom will have some more laundry to wash.’

Charlotte could hear the sound of yawning nearby her and the smacking of lips.  Then she saw Lauren sit up in her sleeping bag.  “Charlotte?” she asked her.  “Is everything okay?”

This woke Monica up, who was lying in a fetal position in her sleeping bag.  “Huh? What?  What about Charlotte?”

Charlotte sighed and began to blush as she pointed to the puddle that was soaked into her bedding.  “Lauren…” she said, her face beginning to fill with tears.  “I wet the bed!”

Lauren hugged Charlotte but gasped when she felt the moisture that was all along the back side of Charlotte’s nightgown.  “Charlotte, you should’ve put your nighttime protection on.”

Monica nodded.  “Yeah.  This happens every sleepover.  You either piss yourself or piss the bed.  But yeah.  For the most part, you usually remember your special underwear.”

Charlotte nodded, as she continued to let the tears drip down her cheeks.  “Now my mom will have to…”

Lauren shook her head as she began to remove the bedding from Charlotte’s bed.  “No, she won’t, Charlotte because we’re going to wash your bedding.” Lauren noticed a thick plastic covering all of Charlotte’s mattress.  “So you have a waterproof mattress cover?”

Charlotte nodded with another blush in her face.  “It’s a must because I keep peeing myself at night like a baby…”

“Charlotte, listen to me.” Lauren said in a deeply compassionate tone.  “You are not a baby.  You have an overactive bladder.  There are many women like you who have to deal with this same problem every day.  Does it make them babies?  No.  Why do you think there are so many incontinence products?  It’s to help them, Charlotte.  Now I’m going to help you with your bedding, okay?”

“Okay!” Charlotte cried as she gave Lauren another hug.

As Charlotte locked Lauren in her embrace, Lauren gave Charlotte a few pats on the back.  “It will be okay, Charlotte.  We’re going to take care of this, okay?  Go get in the shower.  Both Monica and I will take care of your bedding.”

Monica nodded.  “Sure!  I babysit all the time, so this is not uncommon.”  Monica glanced at Charlotte and nodded.  “But it’s not anything directed against you, Charlotte.  Let’s do this, Laurie…”

Charlotte entered the bathroom and peeled off all the saturated parts of her nightgown that clung to her skin.  The dry part in the front easily fell off.

Once in the shower, Charlotte tried not to think about the accident.  ‘Just let it get washed down the drain’. She told herself.

After Charlotte cleaned up, she dressed herself in a pink bra, a mint green crop top, pink panties, and a pair of ripped skinny jeans.

Charlotte was quiet during her breakfast as she ate her bacon, eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice to wash it all down.  She was simply tired of all the accidents, and she didn’t feel like talking about it this morning.

Both Lauren and Monica immediately picked up on Charlotte’s body language and let her have her space.

Lauren glanced at Charlotte and sighed.  “It will be okay, Charlotte.  We got your laundry in.”

“And now you’re eating a nice breakfast!” Darcy said with a wide smile.  “C’mon honey!  Cheer up!  Both your friends took care of your bedding.  Wasn’t that nice of them?”

Charlotte nodded as she began to sip her orange juice.  ‘Yeah.  That was nice of them.’

After Charlotte said goodbye to her friends, she was back up in her room, about to start her theories.  ‘Let’s see.  Alternate Reality, A Coma, A Simulation, or Magic.’  But which one was it?  Charlotte didn’t have all the clues yet, but she was determined to find all the pieces to the puzzle.  The pieces that she needed to figure out what caused her reverse aging and then fix the problem so that she would be back to normal.  Charlotte was all the more determined to get back to normalcy the more she studied the contents of her notebook.  ‘I have the most evidence for an alternate reality’. She thought.  ‘But wouldn’t I have to find a portal to get back to my original reality?’

When Charlotte began her next week at Langford, she would make it a point to check out as many books about alternate dimensions as possible.  Perhaps books related to time travel, wormholes, and strange occurrences might be a good place to start.  Researching comas and computer simulations would be next if she is unable to find the portal back to her original reality.  She then thought about her run.  “Oh yeah!” Charlotte gasped.  “I’ll look for the portal on my next run!”  Charlotte looked at her cellphone, which read 10:42. ‘Speaking of which…’

…

Charlotte ran downstairs, all dressed in her workout clothes.  “I’m going to run 11 miles mom!”

Darcy nodded.  “Okay dear!”  She raised her voice as Charlotte was about to leave the house.  “But don’t forget!  We’re going to Aunt Darlene’s later and you’re going to babysit Heather and Allison.  You did a wonderful job back in the spring, dear.  Us adults want to have a fun Saturday evening, okay sweetheart?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Okay mom!”

Charlotte was out the door and on her way to the running trail, feeling the serenity and comfort from her running shoes.  ‘These shoes are SOOOOOOOO comfortable!’

Once on the Langford running trail, Charlotte’s eyes began to dart around, tracing every tree, blade of grass, pavement, and other features that she saw as she slowly rotated in a complete circle.

“Nothing.”

Charlotte then began to run her 11 miles.  And like usual, the track and everything around her vanished.  ‘Wait.  Did I just enter the portal?’

If Charlotte did, she didn’t see the portal, or any indication of one.  All she saw now was thousands of onlookers watching her in the audience as she ran the course of yet another marathon.  ‘Where am I this time?’

Charlotte was now running into an area that was called “Hyde Park”.  And then…the “Royal Botanic Gardens”?

Then in the distance, she saw it to her left.  It was the Sydney Opera House!  Charlotte was running a marathon in Sydney, passing numerous runners like they’re standing still.

And as always, Anthony Jacobs was leading the pack.  But not for long.  Charlotte passed her friendly rival and waved at him.  “Hi Anthony! See you at the finish line!”

Anthony nodded.  “Yeah.  You too, Charlotte!  Time for yet another second place…”

Charlotte approached the finish, now clearly seeing the Sydney Opera House ahead of her.  She had to admit.  Sydney was just beautiful.  She broke the tape and finished another first place marathon about three minutes ahead of Anthony.

And just like that, Charlotte was back on the Langford running trail.  Wait.  How did I get back here?  Why didn’t I see the portal?  Charlotte glanced everywhere around her, looking for a dimensional distortion in time and space.  But she couldn’t find anything.  No wormhole.  No strange vortex.  Nothing.  ‘Urgh! How did I enter the portal if I couldn’t see it?’

Charlotte was now done with her 11 miles, so she returned to the house and got a shower.  Since she had to pee, she peed in the shower to “save time” as she kept telling herself.

Charlotte was now dressed in her same mint green crop top and skinny jeans as earlier and was walking with her mother to Aunt Darlene’s house.  She decided to wear her running shoes again since she wanted to show them to her cousin, and they were oh so comfy!

Darcy rang the doorbell.  The door quietly opened a few seconds later.

Darlene held her finger to her mouth to make the “shh!” sound.  “I just put Allison down for her afternoon nap.” She whispered.  “It took me forever to get her to sleep.”

Darcy nodded.  “She’s almost 17 months, right?  I don’t ever remember having problems with putting Charlotte to sleep when she was that age.  She was usually out like a light before I could even get her to her crib!”

Charlotte sighed.  “Really mom?”

Darcy nodded.  “Yes Charlie.  I don’t know why you find it so embarrassing for me to share something about you being younger.  That’s just what happened, honey!”

Charlotte walked inside with her mother and Aunt Darlene to find Heather comfortably lounging on the couch, watching Blue’s Clues.  Charlotte gasped.  ‘I love this show!’  Charlotte didn’t care how childish the show was.  She could remember watching every episode and she could spot every single clue.  Even reruns didn’t matter to Charlotte as she was content with watching the show for countless hours.  Charlotte took a seat next to her younger cousin and got sucked into the colorful visuals of Blue jumping onto the screen.  When the “Mail song” started playing, Charlotte began to passionate recite every word of the song by heart.  “MAIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!” Charlotte shouted, which made Heather giggle.

Heather smiled.  “I like it when he sings about the mail.”  She then pointed to the screen and gasped.  “Look!  It’s Blue!”

Charlotte nodded, as she secretly was more obsessed with the show than Heather was.

Just then, Heather began to fidget in her seat.  Gasping, she stood up.  “I gotta go potty!”

Charlotte paused the show and took her cousin by the hand.  “Let’s go then, Heather!”

Charlotte guided Heather to the bathroom, but it looked more like Heather guiding Charlotte with the speed that Heather was pulling her.  Heather stood on the stool and pulled down her Moana underwear in front of Charlotte.  She sat on her potty seat, which sat on top of the toilet and used the potty like a pro.

“I did it!” Heather shouted.  “Let’s go tell mommy!”

Charlotte shook her head.  “Wait.  What do you do next, Heather?”

Heather thought for a second.  “I…I tear off this square and wipe.  Then I drop it into the potty and flush!  I always like the flush part.”

Heather finished up and flushed the toilet.  She was about to leave the bathroom when Charlotte shook her head.

“No no!” Charlotte told her.  “There’s one more thing you need to do.  What do you do, Heather?”

Heather smiled.  “I wash my hands and sing ‘If you happy and you know it’!”  Heather lathered up her hands and proceeded to sing the song.  She turned the faucet off when she was done singing.

Both Charlotte and Heather gave Aunt Darlene the successful attempt at using the potty.  After that, both Charlotte and Heather returned to the couch to watch more of Blue’s Clues.

Some time later, the adults left leaving Charlotte in charge of Heather and Allison.  Aunt Darlene got Allison up from her nap and changed her, so Allison was playing in her playpen nearby while Charlotte and Heather enjoyed a Blue’s Clues marathon.  Every now and then, Charlotte paused the show to check up on Allison, to make dinner, or to see if Heather needed to use the potty.

Bedtime finally came.  Charlotte gave both of the girls a bath before getting Allison ready for bed.  Heather was next, so she went into her bedroom.

Charlotte had Heather stepping into her nighttime Pull-Up.  While Heather was really good with the potty during the day, she was a heavy sleeper at night, so she still needed her Pull-Ups.  After she got Heather into her pajamas, Heather wanted to stay up longer.

Charlotte relented and let Heather watch one more episode of Blue’s Clues with her.  This was a good idea as Heather fell asleep halfway through the episode.  Charlotte carried Heather to her bed and tucked her in while she was still out like a light.

With all the kids in bed, Charlotte decided to continue watching Blue’s Clues downstairs.  But like Heather, she fell asleep in the middle of an episode.

The remainder of the night was all a blur to Charlotte. 

She drowsily grabbed the babysitting money from her aunt.

She walked back home with her mother like a zombie.

She was barely awake when her mother was making sure that she had her nighttime Depends on.

And before Charlotte knew anything, she realized that she was now lying in her bed instead of watching Blue’s Clues at her aunt’s house.  ‘How did I get here?’ Charlotte thought as she yawned.  All she knew was that Blue’s Clues was the best show ever, and she looked forward to watching more of it tomorrow.

[Mary Moon]

It seems like the shoes are draining Charlotte's energy, after she puts them on she always collapses exhausted. I think she might figure out that the visions during the races are activated by the shoes. She's worn them a lot now, by the way, she might lose more years now

[PamperedPrince]

Chapter 14

The rest of the weekend flew by quickly, along with Monday and Tuesday.  It was now Tuesday night and Charlotte was getting ready for bed.

For much of Sunday, Charlotte just spent more time on her theories, trying to discover some more clues that would help her get back to her normal reality where she would be her normal age of 29 once again.  Oddly enough, Charlotte almost forgot that she was 29 on Monday, but her notebook helped to jog her memory.  Charlotte really didn’t make any progress on the theories, and it was nothing but dead ends for her.  She didn’t like the wet Depends in the morning, and this was turning into a pattern as it was once again wet on Monday morning as well.

One thing that made Charlotte really happy on Monday was being able to talk to James once again.  From what James told her, the date for Friday was still on.  Charlotte was getting better on her poses and was still undefeated when it came to running in her track and field class with Mrs. Durham.

On Tuesday, she saw Lexi and Maya once again during lunch and was actually able to sit with them.  Both Lauren and Monica also sat with Charlotte’s old friends and Lexi recounted her memories of Charlotte, Lauren, and Monica all playing together in the Junior Trailblazers class.  Since it was at the beginning of their lunch, Charlotte was able to spend more time with them before they had to shoot more scenes of the movie Runway.

Since Charlotte had to get up early Wednesday morning for the Track and Field registration, her bedtime was a little bit earlier.  But that night, Charlotte couldn’t help but think about James.  She was FINALLY going on a date!  It never worked out with Taylor, so she was happy that James finally gave her a chance, despite her overactive bladder.  Charlotte thought that this could be a misdiagnosis, as she felt that most of her accidents were caused due to stress, instead of her bladder working overtime.

Charlotte sighed when she felt the rustling of her Depend Night Defense nighttime garment.  Like the past nights, her mother made sure that she was wearing it to bed, and it was probably a good thing that she was, due to her bad track record in keeping it dry.

Charlotte has also been keeping up with her after-school runs, averaging 5 miles per practice run.  For Tuesday, it had to be a short 3 mile run to ensure that she would be going to bed early enough.

Charlotte longingly sighed as she continued to think about James.  It didn’t matter that she didn’t know James just two weeks ago.  All the memories were there, and that was enough to satisfy Charlotte’s obsession with him.  ‘Why can’t Friday come faster?’ she thought, wishing that time could flow by faster.  Her wishing and longing turned into yawning.  And her yawning turned into snoring.

…

…

Charlotte was suddenly jolted awake as she felt the familiar pain surging through her groin.  She heard the rustle of her “nighttime adult Pull-Up” and…what?  For once, she did not feel any jelled-up moisture that pooled up inside the garment.  If anything, it felt like a miracle considering how many wet nights she has experienced lately.

Charlotte wasted no time sprinting out of bed and hurrying to the bathroom.  She closed the door…

She pulled down her nightgown and Depends and sat down on the toilet and…

Phew!  ‘I made it!’  Charlotte thought, as she heard the loud sound of pee reverberating against the inside of the toilet bowl.  In Charlotte’s normal life, this would’ve been something that Charlotte would’ve taken for granted.  But with Charlotte’s hit-or-miss record in making it to the bathroom, she would take any victory at this point.  Even a small one like this.

Charlotte wiped herself before hearing a loud gurgling sound in her stomach.  ‘Maybe I should sit here a little bit longer.’ She told herself.

The gurgling sound intensified inside of Charlotte’s groin before resulting in a loud release of gas, and….

PLUNK PLUNK PLUNK PLUNK PLUNK!  The small deposits began to pile inside the toilet bowl.

A few minutes later (plus starting a fresh new roll of toilet paper), Charlotte was finally finished…But then she felt like she had to pee a little more, so she made one more release before finally finishing up.  ‘Am I FINALLY done?’  She washed her hands and returned to bed.

It was almost 3:00 in the morning, so Charlotte had a little more sleep to get before getting up early.  She smiled at her victory and fell back asleep.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

‘4:00 AM?’ Charlotte sighed and sprang out of bed, surprised that she still had no accident.

From the moment that Charlotte woke up, she wasted no time in getting ready for her early morning track meet registration.  Since Charlotte was going right to this activity, she packed her change of clothes in her duffel bag and hurried downstairs.

Darcy was surprised that her daughter was already up and almost ready to go.  Charlotte was toasting two frosted strawberry Pop Tarts and had a glass of orange juice poured on the table with her vitamin.  “Good morning, dear!” She said to her daughter with a smile.  “Are you ready for this morning’s track meet?”

Charlotte nodded, as she already had half of her first pop tart stuffed into her mouth.  “Yesh mohm…” She said as she chewed large mouthfuls of Pop Tart.

Darcy scowled.  “Char honey, you do not talk with your mouthful.  Finish chewing all of that and then swallow.  Then answer me.  Okay sweetie?”

Charlotte finished chewing every last bite until it was just small pieces that were easy to swallow.  Once everything was down her throat, she took a sip of orange juice and glanced up at her mother.  “I said yes mom!”

“That’s better, dear.” Darcy said, praising her daughter.  “Now finish your breakfast and I can drop you off at the school.”

Over the next couple of minutes, Charlotte was already done with her breakfast.

During the trip to Langford, Charlotte saw that it was still dark, and the sun was not yet up.  As she sat there, she noticed that the passenger side seat that she sat in next to her mother felt a little roomier.  ‘Did mom get a bigger car?’  But there was nothing different about the interior of the 4Runner, nor was there any difference on the outside.  ‘Hmm….It looks bigger to me.  Maybe she got a bigger 4Runner?’ Charlotte felt a little shy about asking her mother about the new car in question so she decided to ask her later.

Charlotte was dumped off in the parking lot, where she noticed a few other vehicles dropping their teens off in the distance.  Including…the white limo.  ‘Lauren.’

“Bye honey!” Darcy told Charlotte as she made a hasty exit carrying her two bags plus her purse.

Charlotte hurried on ahead before Lauren could even catch up to her.  Charlotte found a seat in the bleachers and noticed a tent lit up near the quarter mile track.  Charlotte let out a sigh of comfort as she felt the warm tingle come from the running shoes.  To Charlotte, it just felt…good.  And it felt so…right.

A firm tap on the shoulder snapped Charlotte out of her daydream.

“Nice seeing you here, Charlotte!”

It was Lauren, with Monica right beside her.

It could have been Charlotte’s imagination, but she couldn’t help but notice that Monica was a little bit taller.  No way!  Did Monica just have a growth spurt?  ‘Wow!  I didn’t know that such a growth spurt could happen so quickly!  I wonder if I will get one soon?’  Charlotte thought to herself.

Charlotte looked at Monica again.  It wasn’t just her height that Charlotte noticed.  But Monica’s breasts looked…bigger.  For contrast, Charlotte looked down to notice just how much bigger her friend was compared to her.  ‘It’s just that she’s bigger.’ Charlotte told herself.  ‘I haven’t had my growth spurt yet.  Maybe I will get one soon?’

“Hey Charlotte!”  Lauren shouted.  “Are you ready to outrun everyone?  You’ve got a lot of talent!”

Monica smiled.  “Yeah Char.  For where you are, we can’t even keep up with you!”

Charlotte proudly nodded.  ‘Well, this is my varsity year.  And I have always been this talented…’ she thought to herself.

The coach showed up, which turned out to be Mrs. Durham.  She blew the whistle to get everyone’s attention.

“I hope all you girls are accounted for!” Mrs. Durham firmly warned.  “Here are the rules.  I will call your name, starting with your last name.  If you are not present this morning, you will not be on the team this year.  After that, you will get your measurements for your weight and height.  You will then wait for everyone else to be done before we start running.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Coach Durham!” All the girls shouted in unison.

Mrs. Durham gave them a jovial smile.  “Good.  I will start with the names for the JV team and then finish with the Varsity team.  Again.  Be present when called upon!  Let’s get started.”

Coach Durham went through a list of all the JV team members, starting with all the Freshman.  When she finished that list, she finished the JV team members with the Sophomore List.

After all the girls in the JV team got called on and measured, Coach Durham moved on to the Varsity team.  Charlotte knew that she would have to read all the Junior’s names before they got to her name.

Then Charlotte gasped when she heard the sound of her name being called.

“Warren, Charlotte?”

Charlotte immediately sprang up from the bleachers and ran down to where Coach Durham was.  “I’m here, coach!” She said in a vigorous and spunky demeanor.

Coach Durham didn’t look too impressed by Charlotte’s enthusiasm.  “That’s nice, Charlotte.  Can you please get on the scale?”

Charlotte nodded while she gave the coach a weird stare.  “Um…Coach?  Why did you call on me first?  I’m supposed to be one of the last Seniors…”

Coach Durham sighed.  “Yeah, Miss Warren.  Maybe in a couple years.  Now please step on the scale.”

Charlotte was still confused.  “A couple of years?  But I’m a Senior this year, coach!”

Coach Durham now gave Charlotte an impatient stare.  “Miss Warren, I am not going to tolerate jokes this morning.  Now you are the only Sophomore on the Varsity team and there are plenty of girls that need to go after you.  Get on the scale so I can measure you.”

Charlotte got on the scale as she felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach.  ‘A Sophomore?  Me?  No!  There’s no way I could be a Sophomore!  No way!”

Coach Durham read Charlotte’s measurements out loud.  “4 foot 11 and two-thirds of an inch.  88.5 pounds.  Thank you.  Next!”

Charlotte was devastated.  ‘No!  There’s no way that I can be less than 5 feet tall!  I’m 5 foot 2 inches!’  Charlotte’s mind was going berserk, as there was no way that her coach could be right about her measurements.  And what was the weight?  88.5 pounds?  ‘That’s almost five pounds lost overnight!’

Charlotte’s mind continued to race frantically as she sat down next to her friends.

Lauren gave Charlotte a puzzled look.  “What was the issue with holding up the line, Charlotte?”

Charlotte sighed.  “Well, it’s very clear that the coach has gotten both my measurements and grade wrong.  You both know me!  I’m five-two and I’m a Senior!”

Monica couldn’t hold back the laughter that was now exploding out of her.  “Char…Always the funny one, huh?  But could you save the jokes for another time?  The coach wasn’t very happy with what you did up there.”

Lauren glanced at Charlotte’s anxious face.  “Charlotte? I know that you like to joke, but let’s get serious for this morning, okay?  For a Sophomore, you’re a very talented runner.  This is why we like you as a friend.  Even though you’re the fastest, you still kind of look up to us!”

Charlotte could not believe it.  ‘No!  Lauren, Monica, me…We are equals!  Sure I’m almost 18 but we’re almost the same age!’  The problem with Charlotte’s belief was shattered when she glanced at Monica and once again noticed how she was a little bit bigger than her.  Her breasts, her legs.  It was like she experienced a growth spurt overnight and left Charlotte in the dust.  Lauren was even bigger than Charlotte by comparison and the difference was quite noticeable.  Charlotte felt intimidated by her full pair of breasts and legs that were longer than Monica’s since she was the tallest in the friend group.  “Look up to you?” She finally managed to utter.  “Are we…equals?”

Lauren gave Charlotte a friendly nod.  “In terms of friendship Charlotte, yes.  We are all equals.  We are best friends and we always will be.  But the fact remains, Charlotte.  You are a Sophomore and Monica and I are Seniors.”

“You’re still a very good friend,” Monica told her.  “Even if you are a little younger than us.”

Charlotte was unable to speak another word.  She was dejected.  How in the world could she possibly be even younger today?  Whatever happened to being a Senior?  ‘After all,’ Charlotte thought.  ‘This was my year.  My year to be with James.  James?  Does he remember our date?  Maybe we still have a chance.’

But Charlotte could not shake the new reality that hit her this morning without warning.  When Coach Durham finally got to the Seniors, she called Lauren.

“Ashcroft, Lauren?” Coach Durham called.

Lauren happily walked down to get measured by the coach.  From where Charlotte was sitting, she could clearly hear the measurements that were read by Coach Durham:

“5 foot 4 and a half inches.  112.3 pounds.”

After Lauren came back, Charlotte continued pouting and then watched Monica since it was her turn.

“Swanson, Monica.” Coach Durham called.

Monica made a quick dash off the bleachers to get weighed by the coach.  She then read Monica’s measurements out to her:

“5 foot 2 and a quarter inches. 95.3 pounds.”

Charlotte moaned in frustration.  ‘That was MY height!  That was MY weight!’

By the time that the coach finished measuring the last girl on the Varsity track team, Charlotte just couldn’t take it anymore.  She ran up to the coach, almost out of breath in frustration.

“Coach,” Charlotte said, pointing to the paper.  “I think there’s a mistake!  You didn’t give me the right weight or height!  Also, I am a SENIOR!”

Coach Durham sighed.  “Charlotte, we have already had this discussion.  Need I discuss it with you again?  You are not a Freshman anymore, so I expect better behavior from you.  There is really no way that you can be a Senior since you are not at that competency level.  I don’t know why you think that you are a Senior even though you can outrun them all.  We are not going to have this discussion again as I will see to it that you are removed from the team if you bring up this matter again.  Do I make myself clear, Miss Warren?”

Charlotte sighed.  “Yes Coach Durham.”

Charlotte pouted, as she walked back to the bleachers as she heard a few classmates snicker.

“What’s her problem?” A senior girl asked.

“I don’t know, Shirley,” the other senior girl answered.  “All I know is that she’s the fastest one on the team.  So does she think that she can be a Senior just because of her speed?  Just look at her!  Basically every Sophomore is in JV except her.  She’s way too advanced for JV.”

Another senior girl that was taller than Lauren approached them.  “And I heard her talk about the wrong weight and height?  What is she, dense?  Doesn’t she know how to read weights and heights?”

Shirley nodded.  “Yeah Brittany.  She’s SUPPOSED to know how to do that.”

The truth was that Charlotte could clearly read heights and weights.  But Charlotte was just too upset to accept her new reality that showed up unannounced.

The early morning continued and all the girls in track and field ran for two miles before they were told that they could go inside and begin their day at Langford.

Charlotte finished her two miles before anyone else and entered Langford alone.

She hurried to the locker room to have her own privacy.  She stripped off her clothes and glanced at herself in the mirror.

What Charlotte saw in the mirror was a teen girl that she didn’t even recognize.  ‘That is me now?’  She glanced down at her breasts which were now less developed than yesterday.  Surprisingly, there was a light shade of pubic hair “down there”.  ‘It looks like I keep up with it.’  This was the least of Charlotte’s worries as her underdeveloped breasts was the thing that bothered her the most.  And it wasn’t even that they were underdeveloped.  They just happened to be small for her age, as she had a very petite body.

Charlotte quietly whimpered as she took a quick shower.  She managed to quickly pee before any of the other girls started to show up.  She was still…troubled.  Her new reality was still bothering her as she wasn’t ready for a new age.  Charlotte was certain that she wasn’t ready for any age for that matter.

After she dried herself off and wrapped herself with two towels, she sat down with her duffel bag, unzipping the bag that she had packed from last night.

Unfortunately, a new surprise awaited Charlotte inside the duffel bag.  It wasn’t the white bra or pink panties that surprised her.  It was a mint green two-tone sequin heart top.  Also the white ruffle skirt.  ‘What the hell!  I don’t remember packing any of these clothes!’ Charlotte put on the new outfit, which she believed in her mind was a fashion disaster.

What confused Charlotte even more was her classes that she had that day.  When she tried to go to Mrs. Hampton’s Modelling class, all the Seniors laughed at her, resulting in Charlotte heading to the office to figure out her new schedule.

It appeared that Charlotte began her day with AP Geometry and AP Geoscience.  After AP Contemporary Literature and AP US History, it was finally lunch time.

Charlotte was depressed as there were no friends that knew her in her classes.

But then Charlotte saw it.  She saw…him.  It was…James!  Yes.  Him at last.  Does he remember…the date?

Charlotte walked up to James and smiled.  “Hi James!  Are we still on for our date on Friday?”

James looked more confused than happy to see Charlotte.  “A date?  I’m sorry.  Have we even met?”

Just then, Lauren saw Charlotte talking to James.

James then glanced at Charlotte.  “Can you please tell me who this is?”

Lauren nodded.  “Oh.  That’s Charlotte.  You probably don’t know her since she’s not in any of your classes and she’s a Sophomore.”

James nodded.  “Yes.  I see.”  James then politely fixed his gaze on Charlotte and sighed.  “Charlotte,” he told her.  “I’m sorry.  I only date Seniors.  They’re just more my age.  I actually am going on a date this Friday, and it’s with Roxy.  But I’m sure you’ll find your crush soon enough!”

Charlotte nodded as she quietly sighed in defeat.

Both Lauren and Monica got in line and filled their trays with breadsticks and pizza sauce.  They noticed Lexi and Maya sitting at a table, so they sat down with them.

Charlotte noticed that she was with her best friends again.  Surely they would remember her!  She waved her hand at both of her old friends, hoping that they would recognize her.

“Hi best friends!” Charlotte shouted.

“Who is she?” Lexi asked with a frown.

Lauren smiled.  “That is Charlotte.  When Monica and I were in the third grade.  Charlotte joined our class in the first grade.”

Lexi, to Charlotte's surprise, shook her head.  “I see!  I guess I remember you now, Charlotte!”

Charlotte sighed.  ‘You only remember because of Lauren.’ She said to herself.

Charlotte was despondent.  She quietly finished her food and left the lunchroom.

The rest of the day was lonely for Charlotte.  She had Physical Education and then finished the day with Beginner Modeling.  It was like the modeling class only the poses were basic. At this point, modeling was only something that Charlotte knew from a couple of gigs that she had as a kid.  Besides that, her memory of even her modeling internships was starting to get fuzzy.

Charlotte didn’t even say anything when her mother picked her up.

“Charlotte?” Darcy sighed.  “Charlotte?  Poor girl must be tired from this morning.”

Yes, Charlotte was tired.  But that wasn’t what was bothering her.  Charlotte’s world was once again different, and she didn’t like it.

Charlotte finally broke the silence when she was in the living room with her mother.  “Mom?” Charlotte said frowning.  “What year was I born?”

Darcy smiled at Charlotte.  She wanted Charlotte to be happy, so she humored her.  “What year, honey?  Charlotte, you were born in 2008.  You turn 16 in November.”

Charlotte sighed.  “Thanks mom,”

Charlotte marched upstairs with both her bags and her purse.  The facts were just too much for Charlotte to digest today.  It might have also been her getting up so early.  But no.  Charlotte was not ready for time itself to reverse on her again.  Charlotte was just too tired to be frustrated today.

Charlotte threw herself onto the comforter and let out a deep sigh.  Just how many times was she going to have to go through this?  And wasn’t I supposed to solve the mystery?  Charlotte wanted to.  Oh, she really did.  But everything changed on her again and she was tired.

So Charlotte fell asleep, feeling like a prisoner as she was dragged through the sands of time.

[Mary Moon]

Poor Charlotte is now getting discouraged, she needs something to hold on to or outside help. The smaller she gets, the less chance she has of figuring out how to get out of it

[PamperedPrince]

4 minutes ago, Mary Moon said:

Poor Charlotte is now getting discouraged, she needs something to hold on to or outside help. The smaller she gets, the less chance she has of figuring out how to get out of it

Stay tuned.  There might be something that may help Charlotte in the not so distant future.  As for what that is, you will just have to wait.  Stay tuned for the next chapter, coming tomorrow!  😀

[Mary Moon]

Maybe other people also have some residual memories of the original reality. The reality shift may not be perfect. This is demonstrated by the fact that what Charlotte writes in her notebook does not disappear when she gets younger. 🤔

I love this story, I'm curious to find out how Charlotte can get out and if the villain is really this Claire

[PamperedPrince]

Chapter 15

The remaining two days of school for the week were not any better for Charlotte.  Charlotte felt…stuck.  She felt hopeless regarding the changes around her that felt inevitable.  There was nothing that she could do to stop them.  They just happened.

‘Wasn’t I just supposed to have a nice vacation before all this happened?’ Charlotte despaired in her mind, trapped in the deep crevice of despair.  The deep depression was starting to get to Charlotte.  It made the last two days of school for the week very challenging for her.  Yes, she did all her runs during and after school.  But Charlotte was at a point where she felt like things were never going to turn around.  The sands of the hourglass were falling through, each grain representing a piece of Charlotte’s life.  A second.  A minute.  An hour.  A day.  A week.  A month.   Even a year.  In a normal situation, a person was supposed to be getting older.  But where Charlotte was, she was watching all of this happen backwards.  And she was powerless to stop it.  Her inability to control her Benjamin Button condition made her feel helpless and depressed.

Why bother?  Why bother with anything anymore?  Charlotte was now about half her original age, and felt as if she would never see 30 again.  After all, she was on the verge of reaching 30, but that would not have been until November.  And at the rate that she was going, was she just going to disappear someday?

During Charlotte’s Sophomore classes, there were no new friends to console her, as everyone was already in their own group.  There was no room for Charlotte.  They were all just too busy with their other friends.  Although Charlotte was still very grateful to have Lauren and Monica, even they saw her as younger now.  “A friend that she looks up to.” They told her.  They all knew of Charlotte’s depression but kept their distance when Charlotte kept pushing them away.

The biggest thing that crushed Charlotte was the loss of James.  The date that he was going to have with Charlotte was off.  Charlotte reasoned that it was the reality shift that changed the course of events so that Roxy ended up dating James instead of her.  Why?  ‘I had a chance!’ Charlotte thought.  ‘A chance to be with James!  But that chance was lost now.’  Today would’ve been the day of the date, too!

After school that Friday, Charlotte took her things upstairs.  While Charlotte had plenty of sports bras, she couldn’t find any of her other clothing for her workout, so she opened up her closet.  All her head bands sat on the top rack.  Charlotte walked over to the closet and reached.  And reached.  And reached. “Urgh…” she groaned.  “That’s weird.  I can’t reach my head bands!”  Out of frustration, Charlotte had to jump up to reach what she was grasping for.  After her second attempt, she jumped and swiped a pink head band off the rack.

Her tank top and sweatpants were next.  There were plenty in the closet, so she grabbed one and began putting it on.

As Charlotte her arms through both sleeves, Charlotte noticed something off about the pink tank top.  Both of the shoulder straps were loose around her shoulders and there was some extra fabric that sagged below her belly.  ‘How is this too big on me?’  Charlotte could remember wearing the exact same workout outfit last week and it fit her perfectly.  In fact, all of her Sophomore workout outfits were fitting her perfectly as well.  The grey sweatpants were no different.  While the elastic was supposed to be snug around her waist, it was beginning to sag, exposing her mint green panties.  ‘Well, this outfit’s a no-go!’  She tossed it aside and reached for the next one in the closet.

She tried the second outfit on.  A mint green tank top with a white pair of sweatpants.  Too big.

She tried the third outfit on.  An orange tank top with a black pair of sweatpants. Too big!!!

Why?  ‘Even with my current clothes since Wednesday, they all fit me.  Am I getting younger already?’  Charlotte was now having a panic attack.  “MOM!!!  NONE OF THESE WORKOUT CLOTHES FIT ME!  THEY DON’T FIT!!!  THEY’RE TOO BIG!!!”

Moments later, the door swung open, and Darcy glanced at Charlotte.  “What seems to be the problem, sweetie?”

Charlotte pointed to three different outfits piled on the floor.  “Mom!” Charlotte whined.  “None of these workout outfits fit me!  They’re too big!”

Darcy inspected the outfits and nodded.  “Yes dear.  Of course they don’t fit you.  I should’ve told you this, but Monica dropped off some clothes the other day.  All those workout clothes in the closet are ones that she has grown out of.  You will grow into them soon dear.  I am washing all your other workout clothes, Charlie dear.”

Charlotte nodded but continued to pout.  “But I want to do my workout!”

Darcy nodded and wrapped her arm around Charlotte.  “I haven’t started the load yet, honey.  I will let you wear one of your outfits while I wash the rest of them.  Sound fair?”

Charlotte nodded, and watched her mother leave the room. 

About a couple of minutes later, she came back with a green tanktop with a pink heart in the middle.  For the bottoms, she had grey sweatpants for her to wear.  “Here you go honey,” she said, handing her the clothes.

“Thanks mom,” Charlotte muttered as she began to dress herself in the workout clothes.

Darcy gave her a pleased nod and rubbed her daughter’s black hair above her brow.  “Anytime sweetheart.  Have a good run!”

Charlotte finished dressing herself and went for her run.  Charlotte found herself running a marathon in Paris once again.  After the 11-mile run, it was time for a nice shower.

Charlotte undressed and got in the shower.  She could feel the soothing hot water splash against her skin.  It was the one nice thing that Charlotte enjoyed, considering that she has not been in the best of moods lately.

Charlotte continued lathering her loofah with the soap and continued scrubbing when…”OHMYGODTHAT’SSOCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLDCOLD!!!!!!!!!!!”  She immediately shut off the shower, screaming “COLD! COLD! COLD!!!!”

Charlotte ran out of the shower, dripping wet with cold water and exited the bathroom as naked as the day she was born.  This was the last straw.  Charlotte screamed at the top of her lungs: “MOM! MOM! IT’S COLD! THE WATER IS COLD! I WANT MY HOT SHOWER NOW! WHAT THE HELL! CAN’T I HAVE A HOT SHOWER?”

Darcy reached the top of the stairs to find Charlotte standing there in her birthday suit, dripping wet with cold water.  “Charlotte Marie!  You need to calm down this instant!  And you’re dripping wet honey!  Get some towels!”

“But I want a hot shower!” Charlotte shouted.  “Why does this have to happen?”

Darcy leaned her face right next to Charlotte’s.  “Calm down.  Yes, this is tile, but I don’t want water all over the floor dear.”

Charlotte got some towels from the bathroom and wrapped herself in them.  She came back to see her mother still standing there with a disappointed look on her face.

“Charlotte, you need to calm down.” Darcy said again.  “The water is being worked on, and it’s not going to be cheap to fix it.”  She glanced at Charlotte, who still looked annoyed.  “Please honey.  You need to change your attitude.  You’re a Sophomore now, so you need to start acting like an adult.”

That one word set off the trigger for Charlotte.  Sophomore. Sophomore.  SOPHOMORE!!!  No.  I’m not.  I’m not…A Sophomore!  “No!” she screamed.  “I am not a Sophomore!  I am a Senior!”  No.  That wasn’t right either.  An adult.  Yes.  Charlotte then continued her screaming fit: “I AM 29 YEARS OLD, MOM!  29, YOU HEAR ME?!!!! I’M A SUPERMODEL, NOT A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT! IT’S NOT FUCKING FUNNY ANYMORE! DROP THE ACT ALREADY!  WHERE’S MY ROLLS ROYCE?  I WANNA GO BACK TO MY MANSION IN BEVERLY HILLS!  I ALREADY GRADUATED FROM LANGFORD!  WHY DO I HAVE TO GO BACK?  I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS FUCKING SHIT.  JUST…*sniff *sniff* STOP IT NOW….PLEASE? *sniff* *sniff* *sniff*

Darcy looked like she was about to erupt.  “Charlotte Marrie Warren! I cannot believe that a 15-year-old young lady like you is throwing a temper tantrum!  You know better than this!!  Now, I’m going to drag you into your room, young lady, and you are going to stay there until I call you.  You understand?!!”

Charlotte was sobbing, too afraid to speak to her mother.

Darcy shook her daughter’s head to get her attention.  “YOU UNDERSTAND, CHARLOTTE?”

Charlotte let out an ear-piercing scream.  “Yes mom!” she wailed.

Darcy yanked Charlotte by the scruff of her neck and very swiftly took Charlotte to her bedroom.  She then shoved Charlotte on her bed, causing her to roll onto her towel.  “Get dressed and wait for me to call on you.  I want you to think about your little hissy fit.  You are a Sophomore, Charlotte Marie.  Grow up and start acting like an adult already!”

Darcy, still filled with anger and frustration, left Charlotte’s room and closed the door.

Charlotte was now hiccupping due to her crying so incessantly.  She changed into her daytime clothes from before: A pink top with a sewn pink heart in the center with a matching pink skirt.

After Charlotte was all dressed, she glanced at her desk.  She realized that she was so down from Wednesday and the rest of the week that she forgot to update her Mystery Notebook. Charlotte went to her desk to update her Super Sleuth Mystery Notebook as tear droplets fell from her eyes:

Episode 4: 2-Year Reduction (9/11/2024)

New age was discovered to be 15 after I was weighed and got my height measured for this year’s Varsity Track Meet.  Coach Durham called me a Sophomore even though I was a Senior the day before.  In just a day, I lost 2 years overnight.

Some additional clues may have suggested that I was 15 before and during the track meet.

Clue # 1 – My face looked different in the mirror.  There was additional acne that wasn’t there the day before.

Clue # 2 – The passenger seat in mom’s car felt just a little bit bigger.

Clue # 3 – Both of my friends looked a little bit bigger than me.  I thought that Monica had a growth spurt.  But it wasn’t Monica getting bigger.  It was me getting smaller.

All of my friends seemed to have adapted to the shift in reality again.  I am now the “young Sophomore friend that looks up to them”.

James won’t even go out with me anymore!  He doesn’t go out with Sophomores, but he will go out with “Seniors”.  Go figure.

9/13/2024 – Had a scare today when I was putting on my workout clothes before my run.  Tried three clothes out before my run and none of the clothes fit (too big!).  Thought I was getting even younger, but mom told me that they were Monica’s old clothes that she grew out of.  Monica is 5’2” so clothing size is estimated to fit 5’0 and a half to 5’1 and a half (I am currently 4’11 and two-thirds of an inch.).

The cause of my reverse aging is still unknown, and I am too depressed and hopeless to figure it out right now.  Going to take a break until I feel better.

 

Charlotte closed her notebook and began sobbing even more.  Is this the reality that she’s stuck with?  Living her days like Benjamin Button? Charlotte just couldn’t stand it anymore.  Her adult soul was trapped in the body of her 15-year-old self with no way to reverse the process.

And sure, Charlotte’s room looked a little different since she turned 15, but she was too depressed to take in all the differences.  All her numerous hair scrunchies that she had near her dresser.  Her increased number of teen magazines.  And not to mention some of her clothing looked a lot more juvenile than adult.  And she had various cut-outs of male movie stars sitting on her dresser like they were her “crushes”.  All this didn’t matter since she was about to cry herself to sleep on her bed.

As Charlotte was beginning to hug her favorite stuffed bear friend Bobo, she heard her mother’s voice from downstairs:

“Charlotte?  Can you please come down here now?”

Charlotte was now done crying, but her face was all red.  Her mom didn’t sound mad anymore, so she exited her room and walked downstairs.

Darcy was waiting for Charlotte in the living room.  She gave the seat next to hers a pat, offering Charlotte the seat.

Charlotte sat down and sighed.  “Yes mom?”

Darcy gazed into Charlotte’s eyes as a look of concern came over her.  “Charlotte dear, I know that you are growing up.”

“No I’m not.” Charlotte sighed.  “I don’t feel like I am.”

Darcy shook her head.  “Sit in my lap, dear.”

Charlotte sighed as she sat in her mother’s lap.  Her mother smiled as she gazed into her eyes.

“Listen Charlotte,” Darcy told her.  “Listen to me, dear.  It may not feel like you’re growing up, but you are, honey.  All these dreams about being 29 and a supermodel.  They’re all very good honey.  And you will get there!  I know you will, sweetie.  You want a Rolls Royce and a mansion in Beverly Hills?  Those are wonderful dreams, and I hope that they all come true.”

“But they haven’t, mom,” Charlotte said, knowing the truth to what she was really telling her.

“They haven’t come true yet dear,” Darcy said.  “But listen to me, Charlotte.  Listen to me carefully.  You are growing up dear.  You are growing up so fast.  Where have all the years gone?  One day I was swaddling you in my arms and the next day you are a teenage girl!  You are growing up so fast, dear.  That is why I want you to listen to me carefully, Charlotte.  Listen to what I am about to tell you.”

“Charlotte honey, you are growing up.  And as you grow up, you are going to experience difficult changes in your life.  Changes that you can’t control and changes that you can’t explain.  You are going to get very frustrated at these changes.  But don’t dear.  You are a runner, Charlotte.  And as a runner, I tell you to do this as your mother.  While these changes that you can’t control or explain are obstacles, you may try to run through them.  You may try to run around them.  You may try to run past them.  But don’t.  Let the obstacles catch up with you.  And when they do, accept it.  Accept all of it. Because when you do, you will find yourself to be a lot better.  You will be happier.  You will be braver.  You will be wiser.  You will be stronger.  And in that place, you will find true peace and happiness.  You will find true happiness and joy when you let your obstacles catch up with you and you accept all of them into your life.”

Charlotte was speechless.  While Charlotte knew that her mother didn’t know of her real predicament, her words of wisdom spoke as if she did.  Every one of the times that Charlotte regressed in age felt like a new obstacle in her life.  ‘Now does that mean that my mom wants me to accept my current younger age even though I don’t understand how I got here in the first place?  Even though I can’t control it?  Even though I can’t explain it?  Was I just supposed to accept being younger every time now?’  This was a tough pill for Charlotte to swallow.  One that she was still fighting.

Darcy stroked Charlotte’s black hair.  “What do you think, Charlie?  I don’t like to see you act the way that you did.  Now you may be upset about all these changes that are going on inside of you.  But that is part of growing up, honey.”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yeah.  I may have gotten a little upset earlier.”  Charlotte felt as if she should’ve kept the fight going from earlier but agreeing with her mom just felt right.  “I’m going upstairs…okay?”

Darcy smiled.  “Okay honey.  If you want to talk, I will be here.”

Charlotte went upstairs and entered her bedroom.

But just as she touched her bed, she heard the sound of the car horn.  She glanced outside to see a white limo parked on the street.  It was Lauren and Monica.

It was time to go to Monica’s again for another sleepover.  Charlotte felt strange about doing this this time around.  With her being the youngest friend now, how will she be treated during the sleepover?  And what of her mother’s wisdom with her new obstacle in being a Sophomore?  Was she just supposed to accept being a 15-year-old now?

Charlotte didn’t like the idea of this, but she knew that she at least had to give it a chance.

[Mary Moon]

Charlotte's mind is showing cracks for the situation. In her place I would have already gone crazy, the idea that my friends did not remember me and that my girlfriend herself together with another girl, would have driven me crazy  

[PamperedPrince]

Chapter 16

Charlotte kissed her mother goodbye and left the house, walking towards the white limo.

Right after Charlotte piled her overnight bag and purse on the floor and entered the limo, Lauren wrapped her arms around Charlotte, securing her in a tight embrace.  “I felt that you needed that since you have been very sad this week.  What’s wrong, Charlotte?  Can you please tell us?”

Monica gave Charlotte a soft tap on the back as Lauren was still hugging her.  “Yes Char.  We’re both very concerned about you.  Would you like to talk about it?”

Charlotte’s face was still red from all the tears that she cried earlier.  A fresh stream began to fill her eyes again.  She sighed, as she stared at Lauren’s concerned eyes.  “I have just been…*sniff*…going through a lot lately…*sniff* *sniff*…my mom says…it’s all part of growing up…*sniff* *sniff* sniff*”

Both Lauren and Monica exchanged glances and nodded.

“Oh!” Lauren said as she gave Charlotte an understanding nod.  “Is it all the changes that are going on in your body?  You are in a very awkward phase right now.”

“Yeah.” Monica nodded.  “So very awkward.  And it’s just going to keep getting awkward.  You just need to go with the flow.  Both Lauren and I have experienced the awkwardness already.  You’re going to have these growth spurts, headaches, bloating, fatigue and a lot of weird cycles if you know what I mean…”

Lauren smiled.  “Monica, she’s almost 16.  She already knows about menstruation.  But Charlotte, just run through the changes.  Things will get better from there.  Trust us.  Just take it from your older friends.  We’ve been there.  Everything that you’re going through, we’ve gone through already.  And you know what?  We’re still kind of going through it!”

Charlotte’s heart stopped at the words “older friends”.  Older Friends.  Charlotte felt less significant now and felt like she was only tagging along instead of being at the same level as Lauren and Monica.  She was still tight in Lauren’s embrace and could clearly see the four inch height difference she had over Charlotte.  Lauren’s head extended above Charlotte’s by just a hare while Monica was just barely taller than Charlotte was, as two inches was a very small difference but was still clear in both of her friend’s slightly larger bust sizes.  Charlotte felt underdeveloped, like she was still blossoming at her current age.

With the lemons that life gave Charlotte, she tried to make lemonade.  She thought of the notebook that she just updated.  ‘I need to solve the mystery!’ She told herself.  ‘For now, I will try to ride these changes out, as strange as they may be.  Somehow, I will get my age restored.  Somehow…’ Charlotte metaphorically drank this lemonade of hope, firmly believing that she will figure out the reverse aging and get back to her normal life.

Just as the limo was pulling into the Swanson Estate, Charlotte was beginning to fidget in her seat.  Her groin was starting to hurt.  She pressed her hands against her crotch.  ‘Oh no.  Not now!’

Lauren took notice and gasped.  “Jarvis, can you please make this a little faster?  My friend’s about to blow!”

Jarvis noticed Charlotte desperately trying to hold in her bladder as she squirmed around in her seat.  “Oh dear!  I will hasten my stop so that Miss Warren can get to the nearest facility she can.”

Jarvis stopped the limo and instead of formally opening the rear passenger door for the girls, he let Charlotte hurry out of the limo.  “Hurry miss!  Hurry!”

Charlotte ran ahead of her friends into the Swanson Estate, noting the first bathroom she could access.

Fortunately, there was one near the foyer, so Charlotte ran inside….

She threw down her panties and sat down on the toilet seat.  “Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhsssssssssssssssthatwasacloseone!!!!!!”

Charlotte’s close call was heavily spraying the inside of the toilet bowl for the next 45 seconds.  Hearing the pitched whistle of the porcelain filled Charlotte with relief as she narrowly avoided peeing all over the inside of Lauren’s limo.

Charlotte finished wiping with three squares of toilet paper.  She flushed and washed her hands in the fancy sink that had a valve for hot water and one for cold water.

After Charlotte left the bathroom, she noticed Baxter wheeling in both Lauren’s and Charlotte’s luggage on the cart.

“Charlotte!” Lauren shouted.  “Did you make it?”

Charlotte gave Lauren a thumbs up.  “Just barely.” She told her.

“That’s good.” Monica said with a smile.  “I hope that you packed your nighttime protection.”

Charlotte sighed as she felt that Monica’s statement was an invasion of her privacy.  ‘Yeah.  Mom made sure alright.  It was that, or I couldn’t leave the house to go to the sleepover…’

With it already being dinner time, Monica went ahead and ordered toasted subs for everyone from Sally’s Savory Subs.  Lauren got the Chicken Fajita Melt.  Monica ordered a Tuna Melt for herself.  Charlotte got a grilled chicken barbeque sub.

About 45 minutes later, the subs were all delivered to the Swanson Estate and the girls gathered around the dining room, each placing their subs on the plate and unwrapping them at the table.

Both Lauren and Monica took small and careful bites of their subs, wiping their face often to keep it clean. 

Charlotte on the hand was stuffing the sub into her mouth.  She took big bites and ended up getting a lot of barbecue sauce all over her face.  “Mmm!” Charlotte exclaimed. “Thsss soob ish gahd.  Thew bubucoo saush ish thew boost…”

None of this really impressed Lauren or Monica as they were now staring at Charlotte with shock and disgust.

“Um, Charlotte?” Lauren asked, trying to sound respectful and polite.  “If you have something to say, please wait until you finish eating first.  I can’t stress enough how important manners are, okay?”

Monica then pointed to her face and made a wiping motion with it.  “And you might want to look at your face, Charlotte.  Can’t you feel all the barbeque sauce on it?  Char, you’re supposed to eat the barbeque sauce, not wear it.  I’m sorry, but barbeque sauce doesn’t pass for face cream.”

Lauren again tried to be helpful to Charlotte and handed her a napkin.  “Here,” she said, offering it to Charlotte.  “For your face, okay?”

Charlotte nodded and set the napkin aside.  ‘I’ll get it later when I’m done.’ She told herself, as she was right in the middle of enjoying a savory barbecue sub.  The cubed pieces of grilled chicken were the best.  They were grilled to perfection and had a robust flavor to them.  The barbeque sauce was tangy, sweet, and a little spicy.  It wasn’t until she was almost finished eating that she realized just how messy her face was.  Her friends were right.  They either attributed Charlotte being a slob to her naiveté or Charlotte just “dealing with her changes”.  They knew that Charlotte was dealing with a lot, so they simply excused the absence of her manners.

After the three girls finished their dinners, Charlotte thought that movies would be next.  This wasn’t the case when Monica blurted out the next plans for the evening:

“How about a nice swim in the swimming pool?”

Charlotte gasped.  ‘Swimming!  That’s right!’ Her face became saddened when she realized that she was missing something important.  ‘Oh great.  I forgot my suit…’ She glanced at Lauren and Monica and sighed.  “I didn’t bring my swimsuit…”

Monica nodded.  “You can borrow one of mine, Char.  I have an extra orange one that you can wear.  I’m just a little bit bigger than you so it may still fit.”

A sudden urge began to fill Charlotte’s groin.  Not again!  Charlotte glanced nervously at both her friends.  “I’ll be right back!”

Lauren nodded.  “Okay Charlotte!”

As Charlotte was leaving, Monica sighed.

“Doesn’t she do this at every sleepover?” Monica complained.  “Seriously.  I feel like she makes 50 trips to the bathroom!”

Lauren nodded.  “Stop teasing her, Monica.  Just try to picture yourself in Charlotte’s shoes.  What would you do if you had that same bladder problem every day?”

Monica grinned.  “I would probably wear a diaper or something.  I don’t know.”

“Enough!” Lauren shouted.  “I know that I would be racing to the bathroom too like her.  Can you please take it easy on her?  I know that she’s going through a lot.”

“Yeah.” Monica said.  “I know that she is, and I care about her.  I’m just making an observation.  Let’s go get into our suits.  I’ll get my other orange suit for Char.”

Meanwhile, Charlotte was pushing her panties down and sitting on the toilet seat.  Yet another close call.  At this rate, Charlotte was afraid that she would be peeing in Monica’s pool.  She finished up, washed her hands, and walked up the staircase to where Monica’s room was.

Moments later, Monica walked out in her orange two-piece swimsuit.  But unlike last time, Charlotte could clearly see that Monica’s breasts were more filled out then her’s.  ‘We were the same size a couple of weeks ago!’ Charlotte silently moaned.  ‘Same height, almost the same weight, the same cup size…everything!  But now I look like a petite teenager that has yet to finish growing…’

Monica handed Charlotte her other orange two-piece swimsuit.  “Here.  Once you put it on, meet me and Lauren at the swimming pool.  We will wait for you.”

Charlotte nodded and entered Monica’s bedroom as Monica left her room, leaving Charlotte to try on the same swimming suit that she had just worn two weeks ago.  Now Monica said that it may fit her, even though it was just a little bit bigger than her.  After all, the top and bottom pieces were adjustable, so Charlotte might be able to get it to work.

Charlotte undressed herself and began to fit the cups of the top of the suit to her breasts.  But she noticed something weird this time.  There was some extra fabric around the cups, causing them to sag.  ‘No big deal.’ She told herself.  ‘I’ll just adjust everything with the laces.’  She then wrapped both laces of the top around her back and began to adjust them.  Hmmm…The left could be adjusted but the right didn’t look right.  And she tried to adjust the right side, the left cup didn’t look right.  And when she tried to tie the cups together into a bow and adjust them, there was no fixing it.  The top piece was just a little too big on her.  Big enough that it would look all lop-sided if she tried to wear it in front of her friends.

But what about the bottom?  Maybe she could get the bottom to fit her if the top didn’t work.  She would need some kind of coverup for her top, though.  She slid her legs into the bottom piece. She folded both sides of the bottom piece so that it covered her in a triangular pattern around her crotch and butt.  And it fits?  Wait!  Charlotte could notice some extra fabric sagging around her right hip.  She adjusted the right side to fit her but the left side was sagging.  She adjusted the left to fit her but the right side was sagging.  And when she tied each side, one of the two sides was sagging.  And when she pressed on the excess fabric where it sagged, the sag moved to her crotch.

Charlotte frowned as she moved the bottom piece of the swimsuit.  ‘Didn’t this same suit fit me perfectly a couple of weeks ago?  Monica and I were twinsies and now it doesn’t fit?’

Well, of course it didn’t fit.  Because Charlotte knew.  It was…It was…her smaller size since she wasn’t a Senior anymore.  She was a smaller Sophomore who was still not finished growing.  ‘And what was that wisdom that mom told me again?  That I may try to run away from the obstacle but I had to let it catch up with me?  That I had to accept all of it?  Well, what if I don’t want to?  What if I just…I just…want to return to my normal self…’

Charlotte began to sob again as the hopelessness of her reverse aging was beginning to ebb away at her soul.

Charlotte sadly put her normal clothes back on and made her way towards the swimming pool.  ‘It’s okay.  I don’t need to swim this time.  I’ll just…watch.’

Charlotte entered the swimming pool area to find both Lauren and Monica lounging in pool chairs.  In Lauren especially, she could see just how well toned her legs were.

Monica frowned when she noticed that Charlotte wasn’t dressed for swimming.  “Why are you not in your suit?  Did it not fit?”

“Yes.” Charlotte said with a tear rolling down her cheek.  “It’s just too big because I’m too small…”

Monica gave Charlotte a sympathetic nod.  “Well okay.  I think that I may have a swimsuit that’s small enough to fit you.  Come with me and give me a second.”  She winked at Lauren.  “Hold down the fort, Laurie!”

Lauren nodded.  “I will!  I’ll just be studying modeling poses while you’re gone…”

Charlotte followed Monica back to her bedroom and Monica spent the next few minutes trying to find a swimsuit that was small enough to fit Charlotte. 

After much searching and shuffling around her closet, Monica found a smaller swimsuit in the far-left side of the closet.  But unlike the orange two-piece swimsuit.  It was a one-piece suit that was dark blue with floral patterns on it.

Monica smiled and handed the one-piece suit to Charlotte.  “This is a Junior Kids suit, but one of the largest sizes that they have.  I can remember fitting into this one just a couple of years ago.  It should be able to fit you.  Now, I’m going to check on Lauren.  Come swim with us when you go and get changed, okay?”

Monica left the room leaving Charlotte with the one-piece suit.

Charlotte sighed as she held the suit in her hand.  ‘It’s a junior kid suit?  Really?’  Surely the suit was intended for a taller middle-schooler but not a petite teen like Charlotte.  At that point, a teen should be able to wear a two-piece suit as a one-piece was a no-no for modeling.

Charlotte stepped into the blue floral one-piece swimsuit, sliding her legs through both leg openings and pulling the suit up until it was snug around her crotch.  It…was actually fitting her.  And not just loosely.  But it fit her perfectly.  She secured both her arms in the V-back straps of the suit and tied each of the straps snugly, joining each of the sides around her arms to join the top of the suit that covered her breasts.  When she was satisfied with the fit around her arms, Charlotte nodded.  ‘Okay.  It fits.’

But when Charlotte stared at herself in the mirror, there was something about the swimsuit that she didn’t like.  Because it was a one-piece swimsuit (or bathing suit), it made her look more childish.  The floral patterns on the suit didn’t help make her seem more adult-like.  In fact, it did the opposite.  Charlotte was nothing more than a blossoming teen that could’ve easily been mistaken for a tall middle-schooler due to her height.

Feeling very self-conscious, Charlotte walked out of Monica’s room and returned to the swimming pool.

Once in the swimming pool, she could see Lauren and Monica splashing each other.

“Hurry!” Monica shouted.  “Lauren’s defeating me!”

Lauren smirked.  “Well, you started it!  You shoved me into the pool!”

Monica glanced at Charlotte and smiled.  “So, it fit?  It looks very nice on you, Charlotte!”

Lauren nodded.  “Yeah.  I remember that suit!  Didn’t you wear it just two years ago?”

Monica nodded.  “Yeah.  My mother bought it during a summer clearance sale.  It was ‘on sale’….”

Charlotte carefully stepped into the pool and walked towards her friends.  She joined Monica in splashing Lauren.

“Hey!” Lauren cried.  “No fair!  I’m outnumbered now!”

Monica laughed.  “Ha!  You’ll just have to splash harder to beat us!  Right Charlotte?”

Just then, Charlotte could feel something very warm around her groin in the pool.  ‘Great.  Now I’m peeing in my best friend’s pool!”  From that point, Charlotte began to weakly splash Lauren.

Monica, who was right next to Charlotte, could feel a little bit of the warmth that was next to her.  “Uh Charlotte?” she sighed.  “I think that you just peed in the pool.”

Charlotte blushed, and she was unable to respond to her embarrassing act that she just committed.

“Monica,” Lauren told her.  “Charlotte clearly didn’t do it on purpose.  You know her bladder problem!”

Charlotte sighed.  “it’s okay.”  Feeling embarrassed, Charlotte climbed out of the pool, wrapped herself in a towel and decided to just watch her friends instead of swim with them.

Lauren frowned.  “Oh Charlotte…”

Monica nodded.  “Yeah.  You don’t have to swim if you don’t want to…”

And that’s what Charlotte decided.  Over the next half hour, she heard both Lauren and Monica talk about various subjects at school where she just didn’t feel connected to anymore.  Mrs. Hampton’s Modeling Class, the track and field class that followed, and other classes that they were in that she wasn’t.  It was like she was an outsider listening in to her friend’s gossip.  The discussion then shifted to boyfriends, which Charlotte had very little interest in.  Charlotte was still upset about James not dating her, yet she heard Lauren and Monica both talking about their dates.  ‘Yeah.  Rub it in.  Rub it in to your younger friend that you just have tagging along…’

Charlotte then felt another pain in her abdomen.  ‘AGAIN?’  But the pain was more directed around her stomach this time.  ‘Oh…Uh…Yeah.  I really have to poop…’

Charlotte stood up and waved at both her friends.  “Um, I have to poop!” She blurted out.

Monica nodded.  “Okay Char!  We’re almost done swimming, so we’ll see you in a bit, okay?”

As Charlotte was leaving the pool area, she could overhear Lauren softly speaking to Monica.

“Doesn’t she look cute in that swimsuit, Monica?”

“Yeah.  So cute!”

Charlotte tried to hold in her bowels as she dashed towards the bathroom.  She entered the bathroom, pulled down her swimsuit, and sat down on the toilet seat as she began making a huge deposit into the toilet bowl.  “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryeaaaaurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…” Charlotte sighed with relief.

After Charlotte finished up in the bathroom, she found both Lauren and Monica still in their swimsuits wrapped in towels.

Monica smiled.  “You good, Char?”

Charlotte nodded.  “Yeah.  I was about to crap my pants.”

“Well, it’s time for a movie night.” Monica announced.  “How about rom-coms?”

…

Charlotte was now freshly showered and standing in the guest bedroom where she was in the process of changing into her nighttime clothes.  Charlotte was not thrilled with the idea of setting alarms every hour to wake herself up, so…

She glanced in her bag to see two Depends Night Defense garments.  She pulled one out and stepped into one, pulling the garment up her legs until it was around her waist.  ‘I’ve had it.  If I piss myself, I piss myself.  Whatever.’  So she didn’t have to see the repulsive garment, she quickly put her mint green nightgown on.

Minutes later, she joined her friends in the private movie theater to begin the rom-com movie marathon.

Lauren glanced at Charlotte.  “So, are you wearing your nighttime protection?” she asked as she pointed down at her pelvis to give Charlotte a visual cue.

Monica smiled.  “Didn’t you hear the soft rustling sound?  She has them on.”

Lauren smiled.  “Good.  Are we starting the movie?”

“Yeah.” Monica said as she pressed some buttons on the remote.  “And you can help yourself to some popcorn, Char.  We just made some fresh.  Now let’s get started!”

Charlotte got herself some popcorn and some sparkling water and began watching the first rom-com with her friends.  The movie was Miss Congeniality starring Sandra Bullock.

As the movie continued playing, Charlotte didn’t seem too interested in watching the rest of it with her friends.  Charlotte just felt…tired.  She stared at her friends, rubbing her eyes and yawning.  “I’m going to bed.”

Monica gave Charlotte an understanding nod. “Okay Char.  You have a good night!”

Lauren nodded as she comfortably lounged in her leather reclining seat.  “Take care, Charlotte!  Sleep well!”

Charlotte retreated to a bathroom where she brushed and flossed her teeth before using the mouthwash.

Finally, Charlotte retired to her guest bedroom for the night.  There on her bed lay Bobo, since she already unpacked him.  The stuffed bear gave her a warm smile, like he was waiting for her.

Charlotte turned off the lights in her room and crawled into her bed, burying herself underneath the covers.  She picked up Bobo and gave him a warm hug.  It made Charlotte feel better despite feeling out of place with her two older friends.  In being two grades apart, she now felt like she had less in common with them.  Sure, they both liked to run and sure, they both liked to model.  But it was all the other social nuances that made Charlotte feel uncomfortable when she was around them.  Their classes, their boyfriends…Charlotte couldn’t relate to either of these things.

A small piece of her mother’s wisdom continued in her mind. 

“Let the obstacles catch up with you.  And when they do, accept it.  Accept all of it. Because when you do, you will find yourself to be a lot better.”

But better how?  Charlotte was half her original age and felt like she was unable to cope with the reality of her age changing before her very eyes.  Unable to accept all the changes associated with each younger milestone that she had to adjust to.  Unable to…be content with it.  Be content?  No.  Charlotte just couldn’t.  She was unable to.  Somehow, Charlotte got herself into this mess.  And she was going to get herself out of it at any cost.  She just needed…more information.  More information to solve the mystery!

Charlotte tightened her embrace around Bobo as her despair transformed into determination.  ‘The mystery….I will get more information to solve it.  And then…and then!  Yes.  I will be able to have my normal life again.’

Content with her plan, Charlotte’s eyes grew heavy as she fell asleep with her stuffed friend wrapped tightly in her arms.

[Mary Moon]

Charlotte's frustration is turning into determination, she will probably now try to actively solve the mystery

[PamperedPrince]

Charlotte needs to figure out what she needs to do to solve the mystery first.  Otherwise, she is just forming theories all day and is not getting anywhere.

[Mary Moon]

6 minutes ago, PamperedPrince said:

Charlotte needs to figure out what she needs to do to solve the mystery first.  Otherwise, she is just forming theories all day and is not getting anywhere.

She has some clue that could understand, the change of reality is not perfect, for example what she writes in the notebook does not change. Then she could start to suspect Claire who apparently is the only one who has benefited from this story. Maybe it is possible that there is someone immune to the changes of reality or a former owner of the shoes.

Anyway my theory is that there was Claire who was a teenager with incontinence problems, who was good at athletics but who dreamed of living a life like Charlotte's and either she herself has magical powers and created these shoes or she made a pact with some entity or witch