Chapter 28: Remaking Magic (or, Son of the Return of the Teenage Hormones II)

August 11, 0000

The world slowly faded into view as four figures surrounded him. He could see Zeke and Ellie standing to his left and Tifa, or Kate (as she was known while she was living there), was standing to his right.

It was Donna who was sitting on the foot of his bed, holding a large plate of pancakes and French toast.

"Happy birthday, Kyle!" the all shouted in unison.

"Thanks," Cloud replied groggily.

He was now fourteen.

It was another year later. Tifa was thirteen. Donna was sixteen.

Zeke and Ellie were older, and had more gray hair.

His adult life had gone further from his mind.

LATER THAT MORNING….

Tifa, age thirteen, stood in front of the mirror. A lot was on her mind, and had been so for the past few weeks. Since her discussion with Cloud about the Old World, a lot had changed. Mainly, a lot had changed with her.

She was a teenager now, and she had begun to transition once again, from a girl to a woman. Two weeks after her conversation with Cloud, what Donna had mistaken Tifa's question for happened for real, and Donna was the one who noticed, much to Tifa's embarrassment.

Donna had also noticed a change in Tifa's body three days before today:

"Holy Old World! Your boobs are almost bigger than mine!"

Great, thought Tifa. That's coming back.

There was one change that Donna did not notice.

She was starting to feel a tingle around Cloud. She had frightened him with her honesty four years earlier, and, although she had considered it a necessary evil, deeply regretted hurting him for it.

When she turned thirteen a second time, no feelings had developed at first. But, that summer, it started to change. Cloud and Tifa had spent a lot of time in the pool. She was constantly seeing, and interacting with him, while his shirt was off. And, while she was forced to wear a one-piece (the Sullivans' no-bikini policy was still in effect), she could feel him checking out her legs, thighs, and, when she was sitting upright, the side of her butt. This minimal level of intimacy gave her the tingles. It was slow at first, but she soon felt a significant increase in her desire to spend time with Cloud.

This continued for several weeks. Sometimes, after swimming, she would, instead of putting her clothes back on, opt to remain in her swimsuit, and subtly encouraged Cloud to do the same. She would also usually lead him into the basement, where they would spend at least a couple of hours playing pool, table hockey, or video games.

Donna would sometimes join them. On one occasion, Tifa noticed she could see the shape of Donna's butt through her swimsuit, and realized that she was subject to the same situation. Thereafter, she spent more time in front of Cloud. Often, she would stand a few feet away from him, with her back turned to him, and fix her hair, hoping he would look at her. It was a subtle flirting any guy could pick up on.

Then, one day, while they were in the pool, she felt the urge to touch his bare chest. It was then she knew that her feelings for him were back. When she led him into the basement rumpus room, they played video games for a while before Tifa decided to start a poke war. She poked his shoulder first, prompting him to do the same. She then poked the side of his torso.

The sparks flew. She never intended to go beyond the flirting, but she hoped it let him know that her romantic feelings for him were back after a four-year absence.

Just then, Tifa's thoughts were interrupted as a knock sounded the half-open door to her bedroom.

Tifa turned to see a familiar face.

"Hey Kate!" Donna greeted.

"Hey there!" Tifa greeted back. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me," Donna invited. "I was thinking of taking you and Kyle bowling to celebrate his birthday. I need some new clothes."

An idea immediately sparked in Tifa's mind. When she had originally turned thirteen in Nibelheim, she took Cloud bowling. And she found a not-so-subtle way to draw his attention.

"I would," Tifa replied. "But I think I need to confess something. You can't tell your parents."

"Ooh!" Donna giggled. "Tell me!"

"I was thinking about getting a crop top to wear," Tifa announced.

"Me too!" Donna said.

"Really?"

"There will be guys there," Donna replied. "Funny how we think alike. I think we're somehow actually sisters!"

Tifa smiled, but did her best to avoid revealing that it was for Cloud. As far as Donna could tell, Tifa and Cloud were brother and sister, and she would no doubt freak if she knew the truth.

THAT AFTERNOON…

Donna had driven Tifa into Bolaton, the only "real" town for miles. Before that, they had passed Aoblig, which was basically an intersection with flashing red lights instead of a normal traffic light; there were a few stores at the intersection, with about half open and half empty.

Donna drove Tifa down Main Street, turned, and drove a few blocks north to where it almost became rural again. There was a large store called Hugh Jemporium. It was the largest store Tifa had ever seen in her life. Beyond it, it was all cornfields again.

"One big store for the whole town?" Tifa asked.

"Not exactly," Donna replied. "We have a small grocery store, a few restaurants, and several Main Street shops, but this is where just about everyone shops." She paused. "Oh yeah, and we have the county fair."

Without further ado, Donna parked the car and led Tifa inside.

As she made her way through the store, Tifa noticed a fast food kiosk, an eye center, an auto shop, and even a hair stylist.

This store literally had everything.

The two girls went into the area that read "Women's Fashion," and stopped.

"Here we are!" Donna announced. "The crop tops!"

They spent a few moments browsing before Tifa found the crop top she wanted; it was identical to the one she had worn on her first thirteenth birthday, which, of course, seemed like another life.

"Ooh, green!" Donna acknowledged. "That would look cute on you."

Tifa was really hoping to remake the magic tonight. She felt stupid for being unsure of their future. True, she had been a child again, but she also knew the outcome when they grew up. Hopefully, it would woo him as much as it did the last time.

"You know what would go perfect with that?" Donna asked.

Tifa shook her head.

"Skinny jeans," Donna answered. "We need to show our butts off as well!"

Donna snatched a white crop top before leading Tifa across the clothes area, whereupon they each picked a pair of skinny jeans.

"Anything else?" Tifa asked.

"Makeup," Donna replied. "Lipstick and mascara."

"You think I'm old enough?" Tifa asked.

She had been forbidden to wear makeup when she was thirteen originally. Her father said she was too young.

"Of course you are!" Donna said. "Be a girl! The guys will love it! And so will you!"

THAT NIGHT….

Donna parked the car at the Main Street Bowling Alley in Boltaton.

Inside, the bowling alley was nothing like the one in Nibelheim. It was on ground level, and was brightly lit. There were no flashing lights, and the music was absent. Needless to say, it was an older bowling alley.

Cloud, Tifa, and Donna began to bowl as a three-person team, with the intention of allowing a girl or guy one of them liked to join them later on.

It did not take Tifa long to get Cloud's attention with the green crop top she was sporting. Although his memories of his former life were vague, that was definitely a day he remembered. He soon, once again, found himself checking out her exposed midriff. He felt his heart beginning to accelerate as he did so; he had not seen her belly button since they were turned back into children four years earlier. It made him want to get closer to her, both physically and emotionally.

Of course, he could not check her out for long, as Donna would soon notice and likely call out: "That's you sister, Kyle!"

He realized he could not say anything, either. It certainly made him wonder if her feelings for him had returned, but it was way too ambiguous.

Perhaps he could show her how he felt without saying a word. During Tifa's turn to bowl, Cloud called Donna aside.

"What's up, fourteen-year-old?" she asked with a smile.

"I need to ask a girl something," he nervously replied.

"I'm a girl," she playfully reminded him. "Ask away!"

"Is there a way you can show a girl you know that you like her?"

Donna quickly scanned the bowling alley, which was full of adults and teenagers, as well as a few tweens.

"Which one of these girls do you know?"

"Umm….she's not here right now," Cloud replied sheepishly. "I think she's in the bathroom."

"Put your hand on the small of her back," Donna commanded. "She'll know you want to be more than a friend. And if she feels the same about you, it'll send chills up her spine."

"What if she's wearing a crop top?" he asked.

"Even better," she answered. "If she likes you, your hand on her skin will put her on cloud nine."

Cloud decided to wait until the next time Tifa was waiting at the ball return. He stood behind her, able to see the skin of the small of her back. He was nervous, wondering how she would react if she did not find him placing his hand there welcoming.

But he knew that there was only one way to find out.

You snooze, you loose, he thought to himself.

He closed his eyes.

He then realized that she had been thirteen when she originally liked him. He needed to show her that he liked her as well. He also realized he needed to do it soon, or she might think he had lost interest.

And then, something else hit him. Donna might see it, and freak out, as she thought Cloud and Tifa were brother an sister.

And then, he realized that, if he got the desired outcome, it would not matter much anyway.

He cautiously reached out his hand, until he felt it rest on the skin of what could only be the small of a girl's back.

He did not realize that he had taken too long.

He did not realize that Tifa had retrieved her ball and sat down.

He did not realize that Donna had bowled, and needed to retrieve her ball.

He opened his eyes.

And it was at that moment that he realized it was Donna's back he was touching.

Donna placed her hands over her mouth in surprise.