The Kev (body swap)
by MS_alberta
I've got two things in my life. Swimming and Family. That's all I really need.
That's me in the middle with a bunch of my friends. I'm the one turned to the side with one leg up on the chair. We're all shaving in that pic.; it's kind of a pain, shaving, I mean, but you gotta do it if you want to swim. Well, actually, just between us, I love being smooth. I don't know what it is, but having no hair on my arms or legs or like... other places, it's just really cool. Well, whatever, school's out now, nothing to do but head home.
The Kev, my little brother, is already home when I get there, bouncing off the walls as usual. We call him "The Kev" 'cause it's what he's gone by since four, when he only knew the first 3 letters of his name and insisted that was his whole name. He's nothing but a ball of energy. I guess that's why dad enrolled him in gymnastics. It's not tiring The Kev out though; now instead of just running all over the place and climbing into, on, or over things, he flips over them or off of them. The little acrobat is going crack open his skull one day, I'm positive.
He's wired today, just like every other day, and it's still an hour till my dad'll be around to pick him up and take him to gymnastics practice.
OH. MY. GOD. How can one kid be so loud! I'm trying to take a nap after my swim practice but he's EVERYWHERE.
"KEV!" I shout.
"WHAT?" He shouts back, thinking its some new kind of how-loud-can-we-talk game or something.
"PLEASE" I am literally begging my baby brother here, "please, try to just sit still for a little while longer until dad comes and gets you. Please?"
"Why?" he asks.
OH. MY. GOD. I hate that question; I never used to hate it, but once he asked it for the first time when he was 5, and it was all downhill. I know this game, he'll ask and ask and ask until whoever he is talking to just gives up and let's him have his way. Ok, wait, this isn't entirely fair; he doesn't really get that he's just too much to handle sometimes. He's actually a really sweet kid. He's just way too curious and way, way too full of energy.
I get up and I hold him still for a second. "Kev... I just need you to be... I need you to act like... umm." What the hell do I say? I can't just tell him he's 'too much', can I?
"More like you?" Kev suggests. 'More like me?' I think. Am I mellow? I guess I kind of am. Wow, never really thought of myself that way before.
"Um, yeah, Kev, sure." I wonder if he'll sit still for even 5 minutes.
"Okay! But that means you have to be more like me then!" He demands.
"Sure, little guy, why not?" At this point I'll say anything to try and get this kid to settle down.
"Alright! It's a deal! No gives backs!" He hollers as he plops down next to me, and pretends to take a nap, making all kinds of loud snoring sounds and still fidgeting every 2 minutes.
"Whatever." I murmur. I'll try to fall asleep here, even with the little tornado bouncing on the couch.
"KEV! LET'S GO! TIME FOR PRACTICE!" Dad shouts.
There goes my nap. Wow. It's actually quiet. Did Kev actually fall asleep? COOL!
Dad walks in to find us both asleep on the couch. "Kev, c'mon little man, we have to get moving."
For once, I get to tease Kev about being too slow "Yeah, Kev, you better-" and just like that, I can't believe what I'm hearing. My voice. It sounds so high!
"What was that Kev?" Dad asks, except he's looking right at me.
I get up and take a look at myself. At my new incredibly short self! ohcrapohcrapohcrapohcrap! I'm Kev! He's me! He's just lying there, still asleep, taking up most of the couch in MY BODY! How the hell did this happen. And why do I feel so hyper all of a sudden.
"KEVIN!" My dad orders, using his rare SERIOUS BUSINESS VOICE, "Get your things, and get in the car. Now, young man." I'm on auto-pilot. I've had that voice used on me before, he really does mean business. I am dashing all over the room, getting all of Kev's gear together. How do I know where all of his stuff is? In five minutes I'm in the SUV, strapped-in in the back, and I can't help myself, I am playing with everything within reach. I'm messing with the locks, and the window controls, and playing with the seat-belts and just basically being a pain. Dad takes the wheel, and locks all the controls, taking away about half my entertainment. I was never like this growing up! I'm acting just like Kev and I can't even help it.
Before I even realize we've left the driveway, we are pulling up to the gym. I've only been here like twice, but somehow I know where everything is, who everyone is, and what all the platforms and ropes and trampolines and everything is for!
Kev's coach walks over and we go through all my warm up stuff. I don't know half the terms he's using, but my body seems to. Looks like I have The Kev's brain and his energy.
"Alright, Kev! Time for your favorite. Rings!" my coach says, as he lifts me up by my waist and without thinking my small hands are like vices on the rings. I can barely control myself; I start swinging around and upside down, and raising and lowering myself.
Holy crap, who knew my brother was this strong! "Kev! Loosen up, guy! Stop thinking about it!" My coach shouts. I try to, I just kind of let go and let me body do its thing, instead of trying to direct it. Just like that, everything seems even easier than before, and my coach and dad are beaming and pointing and smiling at me. I can over hear them, they're both excited at how good I getting.
My kid brother is kind of amazing.
The rest of the practice goes... just damn awesome!
I love everything about this place and about gymnastics. I've got so much energy just bound up inside me, and this place is so perfect to let it out.
I guess this is kind of great. I don't think I'll be too bummed if we're stuck like this. I mean, sure, I'll be a little kid again, but whatever, in a few years, I'll be in jr. high, then High school, then college. Whatever, this is still pretty awesome. Between us, you what to know what's really cool? My arms and legs are like, completely smooth! No more shaving for me! At least not for years and years!
I could have kept going all night. As it is, we're some of the last people there, and the coach basically closes up shop and locks up right after we leave. Holy crap! How did I forget about the real Kev! Oh, man, he could be getting me into all sorts of trouble.
Kev must have the shortest attention span ever and now I have to wrangle with it. In a flash we've left the gym, and we're pulling back into the driveway. I shoot out of the car and up the steps, only to hear dad yell at me to come back and bring all my gear in.
It's torture heaving all my junk back inside, while my thoughts are bouncing around in my skull about what Kev is doing in my body.
"Oh no..." Dad moans behind me. "Look like your big brother is back at it again, Kev!" he jokes.
I realize he's talking about the rhythmic pounding going on. Kev is playing on my drum set! I stopped playing when I joined swim. How did I not notice that sound when I came in!?
I make my way back to the garage to find Kev in my body just pounding away at my set. He looks like he's been at it for hours. I can smell his sweat all the way from the door. Wow, is that how I smelled? Whatever, I'm drenched from practice, but I smell the same as before. So weird.
He get's up, hooks his arms under my armpits and swings me around till I'm laughing and begging him to stop. He swings me around upside down, with my legs hanging over one of his shoulders and walks around as I continue to laugh as my shirt falls over my face. He finally puts me right side up and lets me go, like my weight is nothing. "Hey, little guy..." he says it slow and looks right in my eyes as he says it. "I'm kind of digging this new arrangement? How about you?" My brother is so tall now in my body; I think about how he just picked my up and tossed me around and how strange it is to be this small, but how great this whole experience has been. "Umm... Yeah, actually, Kev. I kind of like this a lot. Do you, like,you know, like being older? Being me?" I reply, worried that he'll make fun of me for liking being a little kid. "Yeah... being tall and strong, and in charge. It's cool. Everything's like, mellow. It's neat being chill. I'm not all over the place, you know? Also, if I want to, I can make more noise with these than I ever could just as a kid." He says motioning to my drum set.
I feel like I should be ashamed about wanting to stay in my little brother's body, but it's really just so flippin' awesome! Kev is looking at me, from head to toe, nodding, "Yeah, I think we should keep it like this, at least for a little while, right? Oh, and remember little guy, you're The Kev now."
It's been a month now, and its just been so great I can barely remember what it was like before all this. It did take some getting used to. It's the things you do or don't do without even thinking. I never think my clothes will fit, but everything always does, and it took me a while to get used to not putting on deodorant. Every now and then I'll sneak into my brother's room and just remember how stuff used to be.
Sometimes, the real Kev in my body asks me if I want to go back, and each time I break out in a huge smile and shake my head "No".
"Cool" is all he ever says back. He's trying to grow out a beard or something, I think he's really excited about being hairy. It's weird to see my old self getting hair on my arms and legs and chest. Whatever, that's fine by me, I like NOT being hairy, he can do what he likes with that body now!
Hi, my name is Kev, short for Kevin, but I never let anyone call me that. I love my dad, my "big" brother, my coach and gymnastics. Everyone says I have way too much energy, but I can remember a time when I didn't. Maybe one day, I'll stop being The Kev, but it won't be anytime soon if I have a choice.
END