Ralph arrived at the school gates, smoothing down the front of his light blue, short-sleeved casual blouse with its subtle ruffles along the collar. The blouse was tucked neatly into a colorful floral print skirt that swished just above his knees. Dark navy tights hugged his legs, and simple black flats completed the look. Delicate silver hoop earrings swayed as he walked, matching the dainty necklace with its small pendant and the colorful beaded bracelets jingling on his wrist. His hair fell in loose, soft waves, partially pinned back with a cute pastel-colored hair clip.

He clutched his purse a little tighter and scanned the campus, looking for his friend Barbara. *Like, where is she?* he thought, his mind racing.

Finally, he spotted her near the main building, chatting with a couple of other girls. Ralph hurried over, his skirt swaying with each step.

“Omigosh, Barbara! There you are,” he said in a bright, bubbly voice that sounded exactly like a typical teenage girl’s.

Barbara turned and smiled wide. “Hey Ralph! Oh my god, I love your outfit. That blouse is so cute with the ruffles, and the skirt? Total vibe.”

Ralph gave a quick twirl, but his expression quickly turned serious. He leaned in closer, dropping the casual tone a bit. “Look, I really need to talk to you. Like, right now. No small talk, okay? Something super important happened.”

Barbara tilted her head, still smiling. “Sure, what’s up?”

Ralph took a deep breath. “Okay, so... my daughter Patricia? She totally changed me. She used this magic amulet and swapped a bunch of traits with me-my apparel, my education, all my friends. I’m stuck here in high school instead of being at my actual job. I’m supposed to be a 40-year-old guy with a career, not... this. I need your help to get back to my real life. Please.”

Barbara blinked, then laughed softly. “Wait, what? That’s... hard to believe, Ralph. I mean, we’ve been friends since middle school. We have like three classes together this semester. You’re always hanging with us.”