Corey sat on the swing set sulking as he glared around the playground. He paid no attention to the happy squeals from the other cubs around him. It had been some time since his age had been reversed. At first, he would slip out of his kid mentality every so often due to the absence of his binky, but now he had lost it forever.
His parents had finally grown tired of waiting for him to outgrow his binky. His dependency on it concerned them and they finally took matters in their own hands and took it away. His first week without it had been a volatile one. When he reverted, back to his younger mind set he threw violent temper tantrums because they wouldn’t give it back and when he was in his adult mind, he was still a mess. It took several weeks but finally he was able to come to terms with the fact that he’d no longer have the pacifier to relieve the stress.
However, despite having an adult mind he found he was still subject to all the hazards of a young cub. One of which that he lacked complete control of his bowels and still needed to be potty trained. The fact that he kept wetting his bed during the night demoralized and upset him a lot. He also found his temperament to be quite fragile; it didn’t take much to make him cry which was usually for cubs his age.
Another effect he noticed was that memories of the past were either fading from his mind or being overwritten. Memories more recent in life were being effected the most, either fading so he had a hard time recalling them or they would just disappear. He figured it was to be expected that they would, as his regression wasn’t complete.
This sudden loss of memory is what concerned him the most. He didn’t want to have to re-learn everything, especially when he still had his adult mind. What was worse was that he had started pre-school and would hate to have to re-learn what they had to teach. This he felt was yet another blow from the loss of the pacifier.
His reverie was cut short when a little Calico by the name of Cali wondered over to where he was brooding. She had brilliant emerald green eyes and she had a snowy white fur that started at her jaw and seemed to travel down to her chest. There were patches of brown and black fur on her forearms and mostly black fur on her left ear leaving her paws and other ear completely white, and a long multi-colored tail. Her parents had also dressed her up in a yellow skirt with a ribbon on her long tail and next to her left ear.
“What are you doing?” she asks in a squeaky voice.
“Nuthin,” replies Corey sulkily.
“May I swing with you?” she asks indicating to the vacant swing next to him.
Corey shrugs and starts swinging next to Cali. He stays silent and tries to start thinking to himself again but cant. No matter how hard he tries his mind just won’t focus on his dark thoughts and keeps straying to the little Calico swinging happily alongside him. She notices him taking furtive glances at her and says challengingly, “Betcha’ I can outswing you!”
“Nu-uh!” he replies with a challenge in his eye and starts pumping his legs furiously trying to outstrip her. The two set a furious pace and start gaining more and more altitude. Soon they are both flying high nearly causing their swings to stick straight out. Both are neck and neck at first but soon Corey gains more height than Cali, winning the contest.
Sensing she had lost Cali backs off and starts swinging at a more leisurely pace. Corey slackens his pace, pulls even with her, and says in a gloating voice, “Told you so.”
Sniffing haughtily she replies, “I let you beat me.” Corey snorts unbelievingly at her. Well you’d never be able to jump outta the swing an fly farther than me.”
“Betchya I can!”
“Let’s see who can fly farther now!”
“You can’t jump outta the swing in a dress! It’s gonna get all dirty!”
“Ok den, you jump outta the swing an I’ll tell you if you flied farther than I can!”
“You’ll just say you can go farther!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Will not!”
“Will too!”
“Betcha you nevah jumped outta a swing before an your just being a scaredy-cat.”
“Have too!”
“Ok den scaredy-cat, jump an see if you can jump farther than me!” taunts Cali.
“Nawtta scaredy-cat” mumbles Corey.
“Scaredy-cat, scaredy-cat!”
This is the final straw for Corey. Even though adult common sense told him that, it would be unwise to jump, in the face of peer pressure his cub mentality won out. In a desperate attempt to prove he wasn’t a scaredy-cat, he decided to jump.
As the swing moves forward, he moves his shoulders in front of the chains and uses his momentum to push himself out of the swing as it reaches its forward most progress. It’s at this moment that the realization of what he was doing dawned upon him, and in a vain attempt to stop himself he grabs out at the chain in an attempt to stop himself from flying off.
Unfortunately, the momentum is too great and he cannot stop himself. To make matters worse he had gotten a hold of the chain as he flew out of the seat causing his momentum to change direction and flip in mid-air. Time slows down for him, as the world around him becomes a blur of green, blue and brown. His flight comes to a jarring halt when he lands heavily on his back driving the wind from his lungs.
The teachers arrive on scene instantly asking him frantically if he was ok. Seconds later, he bursts into tears pressing himself against their soft fur seeking comfort. He wasn’t hurt, but merely very shaken up. His teachers made sure he was ok and wasn’t hurt at all then drilled him with questions to get to the bottom of just why he had jumped from the swing. After discovering the reason, he was berated for being so foolish and Cali was told off for egging him to do it.
For the rest of the recess he and Cali sat on the bench next to the teachers. Corey silently berated himself for being so foolish and letting himself be bated into doing something so dumb. He glared over at the little Calico sitting next to him who was casting guilty glances at him. He could tell that she was sorry for causing him to hurt himself but he still felt annoyed with her.
The rest of the day past by uneventfully and he soon found himself sitting on the curb outside waiting to be picked up and sat twirling a weed with a long green stalk, and two green prongs on it covered in black seeds. Cali walked up to him and stood shuffling her feet waiting for him to acknowledge her.
Corey ignored her till she realized she had to start the conversation.
“Sorry,” she says in a quiet, shy voice. Corey continued to ignore her until she grew uneasy with the silence and said in an attempt to break the silence, so, what’s dat in your paws?”
Looking down at his paws, he stares at the weed vacantly till an idea forms in his head.
“It’s a milk-weed. You suck on da end and you can taste sometin’ sweet coming outta it. ” he says holding it up for her to see.
“Really?” she replies eagerly, happy that he finally said something back to her and eager to make friends again.
“Yeah, here, try it!” he says proffering her the weed. Cali hesitates at first but wanting to make things up to him, she bites gingerly down onto the plant. In a flash, Corey pulls the plant sideways out of her mouth leaving the black seeds in her mouth. She squeaks in surprise and start trying to get the seeds out of her mouth by spitting and running fingers over her tongue.
Corey falls back pointing and laughing at her. Cali stops her frantic actions for a second to glare at him before running away crying loudly. He watches her run off and feels his heart drop guiltily. He hadn’t meant to make her cry; she was only trying to be friends with him. He doesn’t have much time to reflect till the teachers descend on him and tell him off for what he had done and telling him that they were going to inform his mother, what he had been up to that day.
That night Corey was sent to be early for being a bad boy that day. He in truth didn’t mind it that much, he couldn’t do that much at this age so sleeping was about all he could really do. His adult mentality was painfully present now, it’s only a pity that it wasn’t present earlier he thought ruefully.
The next day at school Corey sought out Cali, because not only had his mom told him to apologize but also because he wanted to make up for acting so mean the previous day. He soon found her and found that she hadn’t forgotten about his little trick with the weed. The moment she saw him she pointedly turned her back on him. The rest of the day she purposely ignored him, nothing he did could make her acknowledge that he existed.
It wouldn’t be until the next day till he finally was able to corner her and get to apologize. “I’m sorry for being a meanie the other day, can you please forgive me?”
Cali stood considering him for a moment or two before saying, “Are you really sowwy?” Corey nods his head. “Ok den, let me put a weed in your mouth an I’ll forgive you.”
Corey knew that he had no other choice and so picked up a weed and stuffed in into his mouth. Cali’s jaw dropped slightly and then she started giggling at him before saying, “You didn’t hafta put the whole thing in your mouth silly!”
Corey grinned sheepishly realizing that she was right. Still, she seemed to have gotten over her anger, which was what matter most. The two played together for the remainder of recess, and worked together during class. Corey had to admit that he enjoyed his time around her.
The next day Cali’s parents had dressed her up again; she didn’t seem to mind ignoring some of the boys of the class when they tried to pick on her for it. After Corey asked why she was all dolled up, she explained that her mom really liked to dress her up. She didn’t know why she did but she didn’t mind at all. The only thing she didn’t like was the fact that sometimes the other cubs picked on her for it.
Later on during recess, Corey left for some water, when he came back, he found Cali surrounded by three other cubs. The biggest and more aggressive of the bunch and obvious leader was taunting her, “Awww, mommy’s little angle likes to play dress up! I think she’s jus trying to hid dat your ugly!”
Cali tries to stick up for herself but is obviously scared because she’s quivering. “I’m not ugly! My mommy says I’m very pretty!”
“Your momma is lying, your ugly!” says another cub with a sneer.
“No she’s not!” wails Cali tearfully.
The small gang see’s that she’s on the verge of tears and lays into her even more. The leader grabs her tail and tries to pull off her bow but only jerks her tail causing her to squeak in pain and jerks her tail out of his grasp. The other two think this is hilarious and start pulling her tail or just on her fur making her squeak each time.
Corey realizes that he needs to stop this, and quick. Charging at the group and making a bee line for the leader he shouts, “Leave her alone!” before crashing bodily into him. The attack takes him completely off guard and he cries out as he hits the ground before Corey lays into him. The other two cubs can only stare in disbelief. The ferocity of the attack combined with the suddenness of it is too much for the bully and he manages to knock off Corey and run away crying with his two cronies in hot pursuit.
The scuffle didn’t go unnoticed by the teachers and they were soon on scene to get to the bottom of the matter. After Corey explains, what had happened and Cali backing him up they congratulated him for being so brave but warned him to tell them the next time it happens. The three bullies are told off and are put in time out during recess for the rest of the week. Poor Cali though is still shaken up by their attack and sits by the teachers for the rest of recess.
Later on Corey is again waiting to be picked up by his parents and is sitting alone next to a tree. He spots Cali when she comes around the tree and looks bashfully on the ground, scuffles her foot paws and says, “Thank you for saving me from those bullies.”
Corey doesn’t have time to say anything more before she kisses him quickly on the lips. Corey is too shocked to move or anything. Cali blushes deeply and rushes off giggling leaving him in stunned silence. Seconds later, he feels is face burn under his fur and hopes that his dark fur covers up the fact that he’s blushing.
Corey felt confused and guilty; two strong feelings were battling it out in his head. On the one hand, his adult mind was slightly shocked and repulsed at his sudden feelings towards the little girl. On the other hand, his cub mind was smitten by her and reasoned that it was ok because he was a cub too. Neither side was backing down, he felt dazed and confused.
Corey was shaken out of his daze suddenly when a voice asked, “Who was that little boy you just kissed honey?” Corey looked up and saw a young women glancing over at him, leading Cali away.
“Dat’s my boyfriend!” she declares proudly.
“Oh really?” her mother laughs.
Corey felt his head reel again as his adult mind recoils and his cub mind woops joyfully. Later he gives up trying to work things out in his head. The whole thing felt so wrong and so right at the same time. He just couldn’t make heads or tails of it and in the end just gave up trying too. It seemed that for better or worse he had just made a friend for life.
