From Textbooks to Changing Tables

Chapter 3
The Times, They Are A'Changin'

Chapter Description: The trio of Sam, Scott, and Matt head for the farmers market as Matt's first signs of regression rear their head.

Matt woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside his window, and sunlight through the slits in the curtains. He had slept pretty well, and estimated it to be about noon. He took a look around his room and made a mental note that it would probably be gone soon. The posters on the wall, the TV mounted on the other side of the room, the luxurious queen bed with a black satin comforter. It would probably be replaced with a toddler’s bed, cutesy paintings, and a mobile, or worse; a crib, cutesy paintings, and a changing table. Sam strode into the room, wearing her morning robe and holding a cup of coffee, Scott a few steps behind her, “Good morning Matt! How’re you feeling?”

“Good-” He started, only to jump at the sound of his voice. It was higher, more feminine. It cracked. This was not his voice. This was the voice of a twelve year old. “Oh no, it’s starting!” Matt lamented, his hands in his hair. He threw the covers off him, only to see his boxers were loose on him, and his shoulders and his muscles had disappeared in the night.

"Look at you, Matt! You’re so cute! I just want to swat your bony butt!"

"Sam! So not cool!" Matt yelled at her. He was in no mood.

“What happened to big bwutha?” Scott wondered as Matt looked in the mirror to see what else he was missing. His stubble and most of his pubes had retreated into his body throughout the night too.

Sam knelt down to see Scott eye to eye. “Okay Scotty, your brother has this problem where he’s going to get younger. He might end up a couple years older than you, or younger, so you might have a baby brother, or your brother is going to be just a tiny bit older than you instead of much older.”

“Yayy! Stho I’m gonna get a playmate?” Scott said excitedly.

“Listen, you little twerp,” Matt’s voiced cracked through clenched teeth, “This isn’t funny! I’m growing down!”

“Matthew!” Sam interrupted, setting her coffee down, “That is not any way to speak to your brother! He’s just excited because he’ll get to know you better” Sam gestured to Scott, who was slightly taken aback by Matt’s harsh statement. “If this keeps up when you get younger, I’m going to have to get physical.” Matt started giggling at that word, “physical”. He didn’t know why, but he found sex jokes funny again.

“Come on, boys, we’re going to the farmer’s market!” Sam exclaimed as she left to go shower. This was going to be a long day for Matt. He could feel it. He put on the preteen’s clothes Sam had devoted part of his closet to and trudged out toward the car as Sam buckled Scott into his car seat. He almost started toward the driver’s seat, then realized his condition and headed for shot gun.

“Uh-uh, you’re too short for the front now” Sam ordered, “You’re sitting in the back with Scott.”

“But, but!” Matt sputtered. “No buts, mister” Sam commanded, “In the back with you.”

Matt trudged to the back and took a look at Scott playing with his mother’s phone in his carseat, and sighed, holding back tears as they slowly headed out of the driveway toward the market.