Michelle felt like she was in a washing machine. Or a blender. She felt herself being tossed and whirled and twirled. She could see nothing but bright, blinding light, and hear nothing but the roaring in her ears. It had started our slow and calm, like she was floating, but then got faster and faster.

Eventually, it calmed down again. It felt like she was flying now. Flying peacefully through the air, letting the wind be her guide. As light as a feather, without any thoughts, without any cares in the world...

She opened her eyes.

And she was standing in a room full of noise and bustle. She was standing in front of a girl with long brown hair and a green dress. It too her a moment to recognize who it was.

Talia! It had been so long since she had experienced the Christmas party that she had almost forgotten her friend. She was saying something that Michelle wasn't quite listening to. Inwardly, she was bursting with joy. She didn't even care that she had to relive the dreaded party yet again.

"Uh, Shel?" Talia's voice finally took her out of her happiness. "Are you listening to me? I said—"

Michelle couldn't help it. She wrapped Talia into a hug. Talia stumbled backwards, taken aback, before returning it.

"I guess you're really glad to see me," she joked.

"Oh, I am," replied Michelle, pulling back with a huge grin on her face. "I really am."

Talia looked weirded out. "Uh... okay then. We'll open presents later, okay?"

"Okay!" Michelle chirped back. She assessed the living room with a smile. It was exactly how she remembered it. She had never appreciated how stunning the decorations were, how comforting the noise was, how beautiful the music playing sounded. She spotted Tommy playing with his cars under the tree. She was less happy to see him. He'd be back to his terrible eight-year-old self, she had no doubt about it.

Still, even that couldn't put a damper on her happiness. She longed to run out of the room and find a mirror to see her fifteen-year-old self again. Actually, she could do that. And she was going to.

She ran to the door and nearly bumped into a very good-looking boy who entered. She stumbled backwards, feeling her cheeks heating up. No matter how many times she saw Jeffrey, she was never more calm about it.

"H-hey, Jeffrey." She resisted the urge to ask him what she looked like.

"Hey, Michelle. I bought something for you. I was going to give it to you later, but—"

"What is it?" She didn't care if Tommy came by and ruined things. As far as she was concerned, he could tear up her dress like Cinderella's stepsisters and she wouldn't bat an eye.

Jeffrey fished into his bag and pulled out the wrapped tape. Michelle didn't have to feign her excitement this time. It felt like she really was getting it for the first time.

She didn't even say anything when Tommy ran to them. "What did you get, Shel?"

She didn't have a chance to respond before he saw the tape in her hands. "Cool! What songs are on there?"

"Coldplay," she replied. "You probably haven't heard of them."

"Can I listen to it later?" he asked excitedly.

"Uh... sure," she replied hesitantly. Tommy had never taken an interest in her music before.

Tommy's face lit up. "Thanks!" Then he noticed Jeffrey, and the dreaded question came. "Did your boyfriend get it for you?"

She didn't even feel embarrassed, though Jeffrey clearly was. He blushed as Tommy stared at Michelle like he was expecting an answer.

"He's not my boyfriend," she replied casually. I wish, she thought.

Tommy looked confused. "Really? I thought he was. You're always talking about him."

Michelle laughed. "I guess I am," she replied.

At this point, Jeffrey had disappeared, handing out gifts to his friends. Tommy seemed to notice at the same time Michelle did. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to make him leave."

Michelle was confused. Eight-year-old Tommy never apologized for anyone. "Oh, uh... it's fine."

"Look what I got." Tommy tugged at Michelle's arm, dragging her to the tree. Along the way, she tripped over, landing on the floor with a squeal and thrusting her hands out to break her fall.

Tommy turned around and laughed upon seeing her sprawled on the floor. Then he reached out a hand and she accepted it as he helped her up. "Sorry," he said, giggling.

Under the tree, he showed her his new toy cars, telling her the names he had already given them and asking—more like forcing—her to play with him. She found herself letting Tommy's car win in races and destroy hers in car crashss.

When it was time to open presents, Tommy came up to her while she was holding her Harry Potter collection. "Can you read it to me when we get home?"

She was surprised he asked. He asked it as if they regularly read together. Like they had done on the day of the Christmas pageant.

"Uh, of course," she replied.

"Can you read it now?" Tommy persisted.

"I don't know..."

"Please?" He turned his puppy dog eyes on her. She forgot he used them at eight too. She couldn't blame her parents for giving in to him so much if he used that tactic on them. "I want to know what Harry's third year is like."

He said it like he had read the first two books. "Oh, fine," she replied, secretly excited. It was a nice change reading to someone instead of reading them herself. "But it's too loud in here."

"We can do it somewhere else," suggested Tommy.

Soon they were in the kitchen, Michelle on a high stool and Tommy on a lower one, as she read The Prisoner of Azkaban to him. She quickly realized he had indeed read the first two. She must've read them to him, even though she knew she never let him near her books. He talked about which parts and characters he liked and disliked about the other books before she started. He was almost as passionate about the series as she was.

She stopped after the first chapter, promising him she'd read more when they got home. She remembered to give Talia, Max and Lola their gifts and kept her new jacket in her big bag. When Tommy asked to try it on, she refused.

"It probably won't fit you, anyway," she added.

He pouted. "You let me try your other clothes on."

Michelle was confused. She knew she didn't. She was very serious about her clothes, keeping them in pristine condition and refusing to let anyone try them on, especially not Tommy. He had often ruined her clothes trying to steal them.

"This one's new," she explained. "I want to try it first, when we get home."

He pouted again, but left. Michelle decided to relax and watch the movie playing. She was spread out on the rug in front of the television, a plate of cake next to her. She yelped as she felt something cold and wet on her back, rolling over and yelping again as she realized she had rolled onto the cake.

She stood up as Tommy giggled, a paper cup with the cold liquid in his hand. "Tommy!" she groaned, immediately reaching for her handbag. "Why did you do that?"

"It was an accident!" His claim was belied by the giggling fit immediately afterwards. Michelle rolled her eyes. Even though Tommy seemed a bit nicer in this party, he was still a brat.

She wiped herself off as best as possible and watched the movie standing up. Soon her parents called her to the guest room to show her and Tommy their presents. She slipped her new phone into her handbag as she watched Tommy ravenously open all his presents.

Eventually, he came up to her. "Shel, where's your phone? I wanna take a picture, like you showed me!"

Like she showed him? She never let him touch her phone.

"I don't know..." She discreetly tried to hide her handbag behind her back.

"Michelle, let him," urged her mother. "It's a good chance for him to practice what you showed him, after all."

"I... fine." Very confused, Michelle reluctantly reached into her handbag and even more reluctantly handed Tommy the phone. He eagerly instructed his family to huddle together before he took a picture.

As soon as the flash went off, Michelle hurried forward and snatched the phone from him. It was a rather decent picture, though she still couldn't wrap her mind around willingly teaching Tommy to use her phone.

After they left the party, Michelle thinked things through while they were in the car. Tommy acted as if she read to him, let him try on her clothes, and taught him how to use her phone...

Like she was nice to him.

Maybe it was the cuckoo clock's magic. Maybe this was a different timeline where Michelle spent more time with Tommy, and Tommy wasn't as much of a pest as a result. Maybe it wasn't just her parents who caused his bratty behavior, but her as well, and how he acted at eight was partly because of how she had brushed him off throughout the years,

Well, this time around, she sought to be a better sister. And it seemed that in return, he'd be a better brother.

"Shel!" He poked her in the side and kicked her leg, and when she turned to him, he said, "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M."

Michelle sighed. "Let me guess. Moron?"

Tommy paused. "Close. It's actually moronic Michelle." He burst out laughing.

Well, he might not be quite as awful as she thought, but he was still a little brother.