Kenny and Jessica had never gotten along. At fifteen, Kenny found his eight-year-old sister annoying and childish, while Jessica thought her older brother was mean and ignored her. Their mother, tired of the constant bickering, decided to try something unconventional---hypnosis.

One evening, she sat Kenny down, spoke softly, and guided him into a deep, relaxed state. She told him that he and Jessica were best friends, that he loved spending time with her, and that playing together was the most fun in the world. She hoped it would bring peace to the house.

The next morning, the house was unusually quiet. Curious, their mother walked down the hallway and peeked into Jessica's room. She stopped in her tracks.

There was Kenny, sitting on the floor, wearing one of her floral dresses and a pair of white tights. A pink bow was clipped into his sort hair, slightly off-center. His face was glowing with excitement as he held a Barbie doll, his legs folded under him, bouncing slightly with uncontainable energy.

Jessica sat beside him, giggling as they set up a pretend tea party. “Mommy! Kenny is my new best friend!” she announced cheerfully.

Their mother blinked. “Kenny?”

He turned to her with wide, eager eyes. “Hi, Mommy!” he chirped. “Jessica and I are having so much fun! Oh, and I'm really sorry I borrowed your clothes without asking,” he added, tugging at the hem of the dress. “I just wanted to look nice for our playdate!”

Their mother pressed a hand to her forehead. “Sweetheart… why don't we talk for a second?”

Kenny jumped up and grabbed her hands excitedly. “Mommy! Can you pleeease transfer me into Jessica's class? I wanna be with her all the time!”

She shook her head gently. “No, honey, you've already graduated from grammar school.”

Kenny's face fell for just a moment before lighting up again. “Oh! Well, if I can't do that, can I join Jessica's dance class? I've never taken dance before, but it looks sooo fun!” He twirled on his toes, lifting the hem of the dress slightly as if imagining himself in a recital.

Their mother hesitated. “No, Kenny, I don't think that's a good---”

Before she could finish, Kenny's lower lip quivered, and his eyes welled up with tears. “But… but I really wanna dance,” he sniffled.

Jessica pouted and hugged him. “Mommy, don't make him sad!”

Seeing his distress, their mother sighed. “Maybe… we'll see, okay?”

Instantly, Kenny's tears vanished, replaced by a beaming smile. “Yay! Oh, Mommy, can I share Jessica's room too? And can we go shopping for pretty clothes like hers?”

Their mother swallowed hard, realizing just how deep the hypnosis had gone. “Let's… talk about that later, sweetheart.”

Kenny clapped his hands excitedly and turned back to Jessica. “Did you hear that? Maybe means yes!”

Jessica giggled. “You're so silly, but you're still my brother!”

Their mother sighed. *This might be harder to fix than I thought.*

As the days passed, Kenny remained full of childlike energy, dressing up in more of his mother's clothes and playing dolls with Jessica every chance he got. He no longer wanted to play video games or talk about things he used to enjoy. When his mother sat him down one evening, her tone gentle but firm, he could tell something was wrong.

“Kenny, sweetheart,” she began, “I think it's time we talk about getting you back to being… well, yourself.”

Kenny froze, his cheerful expression vanishing. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice hesitant.

His mother reached for his hand. “I think the hypnosis worked a little too well. I just want my son back.”

Kenny yanked his hand away, his eyes wide with hurt. “No!” he shouted. “You're trying to take my happiness away! You want me to be that mean boy again!”

His mother looked startled. “Kenny, I---”

But he was already backing away, shaking his head frantically. “Jessica told me how I used to be! She said I was always too busy for her! That I thought she was annoying! I don't wanna be like that again!”

Tears welled up in his eyes. “You're being mean, Mommy! I don't want you to hypnotize me ever again!”

Before his mother could stop him, Kenny turned and ran out of the house.

Jessica found him later, sitting by the backyard swing set, hugging his knees. She climbed up next to him, swinging her feet. “Kenny?” she asked softly.

He looked at her, sniffling. “I don't wanna go back, Jess. I like who I am now. I love being your best friend.”

Jessica smiled. “You are my best friend, Kenny. And my brother, too.”

Kenny wiped his eyes and straightened his bow. “Then I'll never let Mommy change me back. I promise.”

As he reached out and took Jessica's hand, his heart swelled with certainty. He would never be the old Kenny again.

And no one---not even his mother---was going to make him.

---

Mommy, Mrs. Beckworth sat nervously in the psychologist's office, wringing her hands. She had been explaining the situation for the past ten minutes, from the hypnosis to Kenny's sudden transformation and his determination never to change back.

Dr. Whitmore, a calm, middle-aged woman with kind eyes, listened patiently, nodding as she jotted down a few notes. When Mrs. Beckworth finished, Dr. Whitmore leaned back in her chair.

“So, if I understand correctly, your son is fully aware of who he was, yet he refuses to return to his old self because he believes he was unhappy before?”

Mrs. Beckworth nodded. “Yes. And now he insists on acting like a little girl. He's playing with dolls, dressing in my clothes, and even asking to share a room with his sister. I tried reasoning with him, but the moment he thinks I'm trying to ‘change him back,' he panics.” She sighed. “I don't know what to do. Is there a way to… undo this?”

Dr. Whitmore tapped her pen against her notebook thoughtfully. “Hypnosis can be effective in influencing behavior, but now that Kenny is fully conscious of the changes, it would be nearly impossible to ‘undo' it with hypnosis alone. The mind resists direct suggestions when there's awareness.”

Mrs. Beckworth's heart sank. “So there's nothing I can do?”

The psychologist smiled gently. “On the contrary. The best course of action isn't to fight it, but to embrace it.”

Mrs. Beckworth frowned. “Embrace it?”

Dr. Whitmore nodded. “Let him act like a little girl. Encourage it. Treat him like one. If he wants to play with dolls, let him. If he wants to wear dresses, buy him some of his own. Call him by pet names you'd use for a young girl. Make sure he's always included with younger children rather than kids his own age.”

Mrs. Beckworth's eyebrows furrowed. “How is that supposed to help?”

Dr. Whitmore smiled knowingly. “Because Kenny isn't actually an eight-year-old girl. He's a fifteen-year-old boy who thinks this is fun right now, but eventually, he's going to realize that being treated like a child comes with its own set of frustrations. If you stop fighting him and instead encourage this behavior, he'll likely tire of it on his own. At some point, he'll want to be treated like a teenager again. And when that happens, he'll make the choice himself.”