A Christmas Switch

1784

Charlie lounged back on his chair. It was Christmas Eve night, and his nephew Cody was staying with him for the holidays. His brother’s kid was great. Really great kid. And Cody’s parents were enjoying the holidays for the first time without their son while skiing at a lodge up north. For them it was a chance to rekindle their romance. Fearing they might get a divorce, Charlie came up with the idea to begin with. And it would give him and Cody a little time to bond and hang out. His nephew had just turned twelve a few months before. He was still kind of puny, for a twelve year old, he had thought but not expressed out loud, of course.

He finished the beer bottle in his hand and checked himself out in the living room mirror before continuing past the tree with all its bright lights and laden gifts. He got the looks in the family, no doubt about that. Muscles and natural girth made him a natural athlete, and he was more than happy with his job as a high school gym teacher. He was 25 and living life up to the fullest he could. Especially now with the holidays on, he could maybe afford to relax a little and put off his routine for a few days. He had a deep tan, and dark, glossy straight brown-black hair. He had even been in some exercise magazines, showing basic weight training poses and flexes. And it didn’t hurt that somewhere out there were a bunch of horny guys wanking all over the pages with his image.. But then Charlie had always relished getting attention. Men and women both threw themselves at him quite frequently, but it was men that really got his motor going.

Cody was in the kitchen eating snacks.

"Hey, buddy. Don’t pack in too much tonight. You won’t be able to get some sleep and then Santa won’t come by."

Cody scoffed. "Yeah, whatever Uncle Charlie. I haven’t believed in Santa for years." Charlie put on a fake hurt frown.

"That’s no way to talk about Santa, as if he’s not real. Santa can do anything, he’s magic."

"Okay. I have a wish for him."

"What is it?"

"To get a taste of your beer?" Cody smiled hopefully.

"Sure, why not?"

"Really??!"

"Yeah, in about six years. When you’re an adult." He laughed at his nephew’s attempt. He had tried similar stuff on older relatives when he was Cody’s age, with no success.

"Oh, ha ha. C’mon. Why can’t I just have a sip? It is Christmas."

"Why do you want a sip of my beer so bad?" Charlie shut the fridge door and cracked the cap.

"Because it means you’re…more adult. You know." Cody shrugged.

"It’s because you want to get drunk or get a buzz."

"So? Beer is fun, everyone knows it, but no one will let me try it. You know in Medieval times kids were allowed to drink."

"They also got the Black Plague and married at your age. I’ll tell you what. You get married, and I’ll give you your first beer." Charlie smiled at his nephew.

"That’s no fair! You’re not married!"

"I’m an adult, I don’t have to prove my manhood," Charlie replied playfully.

"Fine," Cody sulked. "I just wish there was some way for me to be an adult just once, big like you. I hate being just a kid."

"Well you’ll get there eventually…why not just wait and enjoy the ride?"

"Because the ride sucks? I’m puny. I’m a shrimp, and everyone at school knows it." Charlie regarded his nephew. What he said did have a point. The kid wasn’t very big for his age. Charlie met the issue carefully.

"Charlie, all kids mature at different rates. Both your dad and your other uncles all matured at about the same rate as you."

"But what about you? Were you always big?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah. And you know what? Kids still made fun of me…for being tall! Kids will make fun of you no matter what, if you’re even the tiniest bit different."

"I guess…" Cody looked sullen. He did seem sharp as a tack, that was one thing going for his gene pool, Charlie thought. "But man, the kid could use a pick me up." Suddenly a thought bloomed in his head…a fun game they could play together.

"Hold on. Come here," Charlie said, leading his nephew into the dark interior of the living room again, illuminated only by Christmas tree lights. "Wait here," Charlie said, and went into his room, the guest room he’d been crashing while staying in his brother’s house. He came back with some silver objects and set them down on the floor and sat down cross legged.

"These are some Tibetan spiritual figures. Now my—an old friend of mine, got them in Tibet and…well according to him he was standing in front of an old monastery admiring some trinkets, and this peddler walks up to him and starts talking about how some people are after him because he has valuable objects from the temple. But my friend, he thinks its all just a ploy to get him to buy some other pretty things. He wound up buying them. Then when he was on a tour of the temple, he heard the monks talking in Tibetan, they just supposed he didn’t speak Tibetan, and they were talking about stolen objects that had been taken from their inner underground shrine. They mentioned they believed the object could move one soul after death, and keep it in this here doohicky," Charlie said, pointing to what looked like a teapot. "And then put it into a new body where the chakra would unite the two souls in one body. Only mystical warriors had ever done it and such."

"Sort of like…Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," his nephew replied, looking at the silver teapot looking thing with interest.

"And my friend, well, he gets to thinking that he really does have this in his possession but he can’t say anything about it, because he doesn’t want to risk them accusing him of the theft! Jail time in China is NOT fun, if you get the idea." Cody nodded seriously. "But that’s just what he said," Charlie added. "Cause I think he just wanted to give me something cool for my birthday," he rolled his eyes at the memory. "And I wound up with it. Now the little things here that look like silver kazoos, what you apparently do is breath into them your desire to untie with another soul, and then you put it on the teapot, while some incense is burning, and then each person spins the teapot around and takes the breath of the other and then well, one gives strength to the other I suppose. But it was mostly done when someone was about to, pass away. Now the reason I’m showing you this is it seems like you could use a little strength, right? So if I give you some of mine, maybe it’ll help with your inner warrior spirit. What do you say?"

Cody paused. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ll give it a try. I mean, I like Buddhism. It’s neat. And they’re really pretty." He gazed at the silvery dragon-like pattern of the metal.

Charlie got up and lit some incense sticks with the candle burning above the fireplace mantel, where the embers of the fire remained. He brought them back and put them in holes especially designed to hold them on the flattish teapot. Two holes were designed to hold the small silver breath-holders. Charlie thought of himself as being pretty smart and this would give Cody just what he needed, a boost of confidence. Maybe it would make him believe in some sort of magic again, and he would look forward to all those years of junior high and high school where his body would grow and grow, and he would just enjoy it for what it was worth. His nephew didn’t believe in Santa anymore, but that didn’t mean he had to not believe in himself, and Charlie thought that would be the best Christmas present he could give his nephew.

"Okay. So. I guess now we basically take these up these whistle things, and blow into them all the way, and make the wish in our thoughts as we blow, then put them onto the holders. Ready? One. Two. Three." Both Charlie and Cody exhaled and put the silver whistles down, and both inhaled large amounts of the swirling incense smoke. It was only incense, but suddenly Charlie felt very light headed. "Whoa."

"Uncle Charlie? Are you sure we should be…doing this? I mean, I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but what if its dangerous?"

Charlie laughed. "C’mon, Cody, when was the last time I let you do something dangerous? Now c’mon," he said, turning the movable silver wheel 180 degrees, "Now let’s finish this, and make sure that you get passed on the same genes as me and your dad and uncles." He made a "cheers" gesture with the whistle Cody had blown into. "Now inhale all the way."

He took in the air from the whistle. And felt….

Everything slid. Smoke blew around him. He couldn’t hear anymore. His heart started beating twice as fast, he could hear it thundering, now SLAMMING against his chest. He couldn’t move. He saw only smoke. He fell over backwards in slow, slow motion, and lost himself in strange dreams, dreams of smoke, dreams of mountains at the top of the world, of a place where souls swam in the aether of the air, in pools and eddies of mountain wind, just waiting for the right moment to be reborn. He felt himself gliding there, and then gliding back, back, back, somewhere familiar and yet different.

And he took a breath.

He lay on the floor. It was morning. He must have fallen asleep here? How many beers had he drunk last night? It was only a few, not enough to get so wasted he would just simply pass out. When he looked around he saw his reflection lying on the ground. Which was odd. What was this? How had a mirror gotten there by the tree? He shuddered and turned his head back and forth. His reflection then opened his eyes. But his eyes had been opened longer. His reflection drew in a startled breath. He did the same, fearfully put a bone thin arm to brace himself on the floor. What the…WHAT THE HELL?!

He grogglily got up and stood on two feet. And panicked. Everything was bigger than him now! The…the fucking tree loomed over him! The room was so big he could jump up and not even think of touching the ceiling.

"What am I doing over there? Uncle Charlie! Uncle Charlie!" his reflection said panicking, jumping up and made several clumsy attempts at walking. He saw his reflection stomp his feet on the ground inexpertly, then he saw his reflection pat himself all over, jumpy and afraid, looking back at himself. And then both noticed the same thing.

Their reflections weren’t doing what they were doing.

"My voice! What’s wrong with it!! I don’t understand!" Charlie saw himself, and with a dizzying sensation realized Holy fuck, I’m looking up at me!

Charlie and Cody saw the mirror at the same time.

"Oh my God!" Charlie cried in his nephews pipsqueak voice. Cody, now large and bulky, slapped first one hand, then two on his face, feeling it all over, in quiet disbelief.

"Uncle…Charlie?"

"Cody? Is that…you?"

"Who else would it be! Oh man! Oh man, oh man, my dad is gonna kill me!! Oh man, this is really whacked out!" Cody began. He began squinching his, or rather, Charlie’s face together in ugly struggle, trying not to cry. He let out several whimpering noises.

"Don’t panic! Don’t panic, Cody!" He walked over to his body and held a large, hairy hand. "Don’t worry. We did it once, we can just go back and do the same thing over again. But you need to calm down. All right?"

"Uncle Charlie, did you know this would happen?!" Cody made Charlie’s body sound a bit more immature, like a well…naïve kid. Naivety was not something he supposed a grown body could cure.

"No! I just…didn’t understand. It must be real. Really…magic. Or whatever it is, however it’s done. We’ve messed with something, well no, I’ve messed with something without knowing what it was. Cody, I’m sorry, just wipe your eyes, alright son?" Cody whimpered a laugh and sat down on the couch, falling awkwardly, not used to his now mighty limbs.

"Looks like, you know, weird when you call me son now," Cody said, laughing through a whimpered teary eyed man’s face. "Let’s go back now, Uncle Charlie, I’m scared."

"Okay, just take it easy, we’ll just do the exact same thing we did before. Um, could you reach up to the candle for me to light the incense?" Cody smiled wanly and got up, marveling at everything, his hand, how far his feet were away from his face now, the bulk and weight he felt with each step, the sheer amount he felt between his arms, chest, back, the hair that spread all over, making him feel kinda well…cool.

They repeated the experiment and blew into the whistled, then spun the silver flat teapot wheel and mimicked the same thing they did before.

"Maybe we started with the wrong ones." Charlie suggested. "Let’s start out with these." They did so, and tried it again. Nothing happened.

"Why isn’t it working!?" Cody screamed at him, loudly.

"I don’t know! I don’t know how it happened the first time! You think I like this??" Charlie shook in his tiny frame. He didn’t like this. He felt lost. He felt diminished. He felt his manhood was gone, and it was. He felt sorrow well up within him, as well as a great deal of panic. But he kept his cool. He was still an adult inside.

"Okay. Okay we just have to think about this. Maybe it only works at night."

"You mean…we have to stay like this til tonight?"

"Maybe. I think that might be what it is," Charlie lied, not really knowing but wanting to calm down his nephew before Cody really started panicking.

"It’s so weird having your voice come out of my mouth, Uncle Charlie. I feel like I’ve swallowed something that made my voice all deep and stuff. I just feel heavier."

"You are. By at least a hundred and twenty pounds."

"Wow!" Cody grinned.

"Okay. So don’t panic. You’re not panicking. That’s good. Why don’t…Cody, I know this sounds crazy, but…why don’t we make the best of it? I mean, you could even consider it a Christmas present from me."

"Really?" Cody made a stupid face for an adult to make. Like gee, really? His eyes goggled and he looked at his new adult hands again. "I get to be you for a day? That’s so COOL!"

"Yeah. Hey, maybe it’ll be fun. Different. Maybe we can have some fun with this. Good thing your folks aren’t here."

"Yeah, they’d like, totally freak out or something, huh?"

Or something, Charlie thought. Like send up both to the loony bin…

"Why don’t we open up some presents? It is Christmas, after all." He made himself smile for Cody. What this kid needed was someone to keep him calm until he could find a way to reverse this thing.

"Okay. Uncle…uh…Charlie. Man it feels weird calling you that with your voice."

"Tell me about it, kid."

"Hey, I’m not the kid anymore," Cody pointed out, warmly laughing. And so they began to open presents.

Cody went first. The first was a baseball glove from his dad. It didn’t fit him, it was designed for a kid. "I guess I can use it when I get back in my body," he said. The next were a couple of video games, and some clothes…which now wouldn’t fit him, ever, at least not in Charlie’s body. "I guess you can have these for now." Cody said, a little bummed out sounding. "Why don’t you open some of your presents, Uncle Charlie?"

The child nodded very wryly and winked. "Okay, sport." The first present he opened was from a buddy of his that he hadn’t opened yet. It was a set of beer mugs, real nice ones. "Guess it’ll be a little while before I use these. I wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite and drink in your body, Cody. I promise I’ll take good care of it." The next present that he opened was from his brother, Cody’s dad. A nice box of his favorite types of cigars. Cody started giggling.

"Well it is kinda funny, Uncle Charlie. I mean, you’re a kid now, you can’t smoke cigars, you’re not allowed!" Cody laughed. Charlie smiled back, a bit smarmy, and put the box aside.

"Guess it’ll be a little while before either of us can enjoy our gifts," he said to Cody. Cody shrugged and started looking kind of embarrassed.

"Hey…Uncle Charlie?"

"Yeah?" Charlie asked, now a kid, answering questions for an adult. What a strange reversal, he thought.

"Since I’m like…in you now? Do you think maybe I could try them?"

"Try what? Beer?"

"YEAH!" his nephew replied enthusiastically.

"Oh hell, I guess so. But eat some breakfast first."

"Oh yeah! Man, I get to try beer for the first time!" the muscular adult beamed and went into the kitchen. Charlie, in Cody’s body fumbled around the kitchen, every now and then asking Cody to get something down for him, and every time he did he felt like some sort of invalid, unable to do things for himself. But eventually breakfast was made and eaten and Cody looked at him expectantly.

"Oh okay, sport. Go for it."

"Thanks, Uncle Charlie! Wow!" Cody strutted over to the tree and came back with a mug. He took a beer out of the fridge, giddy as he could possibly look. He fumbled trying to get the cap off, but Charlie didn’t help him. His nephew poured the beer and said "Cheers, Uncle Charlie," and took his first taste. "That tastes amazing! Dude! You said it tasted nasty!" Cody accused.

"Well some beer does. I overexaggerated."

"I’ll say. Man, I feel so grown up. My first beer." The phone rang. Charlie answered it.

"Hello? Oh! Uh, hi dad! Yeah, lemme see if I can find Uncle Charlie." He turned up to his nephew, covering the phone. "It’s your father, kid. Pretend to be me and just try not to comment too much. And call your father Darren." Cody took the phone.

"Hey, d-Darren, what’s up? Uh huh. Whoa! Oh my God! Yeah, um, no, I mean, sure…" Cody simply looked bewildered and some minutes later said good bye feebly. "Uncle Charlie, I don’t feel so good."

"What is it?" Charlie as a child asked, very seriously.

"He said that he broke up with mom. She ran off with a friend of hers, her ski instructor. She’s known him for years. She’s not coming home." He looked sad. "And dad is coming home tonight!"

"Holy shit!"

"Watch your language!"

"What?!"

"Oh, sorry. I don’t know why I said that. It’s just, you’re a kid and all. What do we do now?"

"We should try and contact my friend who went to Tibet, that’s what! I’m going to dial him up now and…man, you better talk to him first. I’ll tell you what to say." Charlie handed the phone over. "His name is Kevin. Tell him that you need to talk to him about the artifact…see if it really works." While Cody took the phone, Charlie sat down next to his lumbering nephew, and noted now much larger his nephew’s legs were than his puny own. It was so embarrassing he could barely think.

Cody told the person on the phone "hello, Kevin?" and Charlie waited for Cody to turn to him telling him what was being said, annoyed that at first he wasn’t. Cody mumbled something about using the silver wheel thingy from Tibet. There was a laugh on the other end of the line. Cody said finally "Yeah, I think it works. I think…I think that it actually can take someone’s spirit and put it in another. Cause I’m not Charlie. I’m his nephew, my name’s Cody and I’m only twelve years old, mister."

Charlie grabbed the phone away and started speaking.

"Hello? Hello? Who is this?"

"Kevin, you idiot! You gave me a magical spiritual ancient little doohicky that actually works!" Kevin laughed and talked about how it was a nice practical joke, put your uncle back on the line. "Is it a practical joke when I say that you cheated on your wife with that Tibetan little hussy? You showed me a photo. She had a weird birthmark on her neck and it was shaped like an albatross. It was a tattoo? I didn’t know that. Anyway, we cheated together on a test in chemistry 202 and I let you copy my answers, and if I was just really a kid how could I know that…" Charlie rattled off various complex equations and went into an intense dialogue with Kevin, who asked him question after question and Charlie answered them all immediately with scientific clarity. "Kid, where’s your uncle? This is beginning to freak me out." Charlie gave the phone to Cody, who took it as he was lying on the couch bored-looking.

"Honest mister, I dunno anything about how to get back and I just want to be back in my body, I’m just a kid! My name is Cody and I’m 12 and I have a scrapbook and I have a private journal, and I have a box of my stuff buried in the yard and only I know where it is and only I know where my dog Brick got buried cause I’m the one that dug a whole for him and only I know the best tire swing in town is behind the old mill in the middle of the woods and only a few kids know about it and I’M ONE OF THEM!"

Charlie took the phone again. He answered several more chemistry questions before Kevin was silenced for a while. "Oh my God, holy shit," he said.

"Yeah, no kidding holy shit and my brother is now my DAD and he’s coming back tonight! How the hell do you think I feel about that, mister expert! What the hell do you know about this thing, can you get into contact with the people who used to own it? You need to make some phone calls, Kevin. And you owe me. If you don’t help me out I know certain things about you that your wife REALLY wouldn’t want to know about like a certain something I did with you in the backseat of your SUV last summer. Uh huh. No, but I can tell my nephew here to make a quick phone call. And remember that video I took? Uh huh. I don’t care how much it costs to call China, just do it!" Charlie exchanged pleasantries with his friend and then hung up.

"So is he gonna help us?"

"Yeah, luckily he’s in town so he’ll come over a little bit later. He’ll make some phone calls and come right over. I’m so gonna regret ever being friends with him.
Don’t look so glum, sport, you’re makin’ my face look all gloomy."

"So what if Dad comes home?"

"Then don’t call him dad! Call him Darren!"

"This is weird! I don’t want to call dad Darren! I want my life back! Unless…what if we can’t get back? I have to be you! I have to teach gym class! You have to tell me how!"

"Don’t jump to conclusions. Classes don’t resume for another week. And maybe we can call me in sick. I don’t know. I just don’t. If Darren does come over and we’re still like this then just act like you’re me and try not to be suspicious."

"Does that mean I can smoke cigars with dad? Hey, wow!" Cody got up and swaggered over to the cigar box and put one in his mouth. "How do I look?" he said, chomping a big one. He made the motion of blowing smoke with his mouth. "Cool!"

"You’re not old enough to smoke cigars!"

"Im twenty five! That’s older than you!"

"Do not light that thing up." Charlie put his tiny hands on his tiny hips.

"Who’s gonna stop me, you? I can smoke if I wanna!" Charlie went to his dad’s room, where he knew he could find a lighter. He came out flicking a flame over the cigar.

"You have to bite the end off first, or clip it." Charlie rolled his eyes. "Kid, you don’t know enough about being an adult to be an adult. Trust me."

"So what?" Charlie said. "I feel like an adult. And I mean, think about it, maybe we’re stuck like this. Maybe I don’t want my body back after all. Look at how big my arm is! And my chest!" Cody started to cut the cigar open with a knife he had just got from the kitchen. Charlie saw him feeling all his heavy, worked out muscles with sparse, but dark hair covering them. Damn kids for having mood swings! Dammit! Charlie thought. "And I mean, if I’m stuck like this it could be kinda cool! I don’t have to go to school…wait I do, but I’m the teacher now! Man, what was I so upset about? Being an adult is the greatest thing that ever happened to me!"

"I think you’re getting a little carried away, Cody." Cody lit the cigar and started puffing on it. He exhaled smoke and let out a surprised gasp. "So that’s what it’s like to smoke? That’s fucking awesome!"

"Cody, look…"

Cody stood over his uncle and crossed his powerful arms and chomped his cigar, and took a drag.

"Who? I’m not Cody, I’m your Uncle Charlie, boy!"

1993

"Stop that, and stop smoking, we’ve got to concentrate on getting back!"

"Why would I want to? My parents just split up and I hate my mom, always have. She’s crazy! You know it’s true. If I live in your body I don’t have to deal with it!"

"You’re just trying to get away from your parents divorce!"

"Yeah! And it’s going to work, because I have the adult body. I’m you. Who’s gonna listen to you if you tell them different? Dad? He’d laugh and then whoop you." Cody took more drags off the cigar and the air became full of their strong fragrance. "Man, this is amazing! I am so glad you gave me your spirit, dude I can live the rest of my life bein’ big and strong!"

"But this is madness!"

"No it ain’t, what’s madness is not listnin’ to your elders. Now, after I finish my cee-gar, you’re gonna teach me how to drive. Go hop in the car and take the keys with you."

"What!"

"If you want me to try and get us back in each other’s bodies you’ll do it. I’m in charge now!!" Cody said, wildly and happily, holding his cigar with a wide grin. "Now go get some clothes on. I’d better, too. Think I’ll wear some of your boxer shorts since I’m big enough to fit your britches!" He laughed. "Hey, that’s funny, I’m finally big enough for your britches."

"Cody—"

"Cody! That’s your name, now scoot Uncle Charlie. I mean, Cody. You’re gonna teach me to drive today. We’ll leave a note in case Kevin comes by."

"I don’t have to do anything you say!"

"Now young man, your father left me in charge and I said get to your room and get dressed. It’s nothin’ personal Charlie, it’s just…I need your life and your body right now. I promise I’ll try and give it back, maybe. If you’re good."

Charlie turned to go, on the verge of tears. Man, that cigar smelled good. He wondered if Cody would "let" him have a few puffs. If he was good…

He came back to find himself in a smart outfit, suit and tie that belonged to his brother Darren.

"Fits me a little tight, but then Darren always was a shrimp compared to me. Let’s go outside." Outside it had just rained and the sun was coming out. Everything was bathed in light and everything was wet and clean. Cody stood on the lawn smoking his cigar and Charlie looked up at him wanting a taste so, so bad.

"This is so awesome!" Cody shouted, and threw the cigar stub down and smashed it with a boot. Charlie headed for the driver’s seat. "Uh, you drivin’ buddy?"

"Yes, but just until the parking lot down the street. It’s huge and an abandoned area and everyone is still opening Christmas presents, so they won’t see me driving."

"Well alright, I guess it’s okay. Just this once. Just take care of MY car, CODY."

Charlie mumbled to himself. He was so mad at Cody he could scream. The kid always had gone between being too silent for his own good and mouthing off and being a smartass. He had forgotten about just how rebellious his nephew could be. So much for teaching the kid a lesson. Well, I guess I am teaching him how to drive, so I am teaching him a lesson, he thought. Just not the ones I’d like to! He started up the car and realized how difficult it was going to be to drive in a puny body with mini muscles! He managed to make due and luckily it was still only 9:AM or so and they didn’t come across a single soul. He took a road that traveled along the woods and up towards the park area. No one was there today around the lake and the parking lot was huge and empty. He got out and Cody took his place and put his hands on the steering wheel. Charlie was exhausted already from having to bend up nearly standing as he had driven there.

"All right, unc. Start showin’ me how it’s done."

HOURS LATER…

Cody had surprised him. He had taken to driving like a duck to water, he was driving like a pro in a matter of hours, almost as if he was remembering how to do it. He wondered if maybe it was like a genetic memory…that his body had done it for so long Cody stepping into it had absorbed a bit of that experience. If so it was kind of weird and he was getting kind of tired. He dozed off and realized that they were nearly home and Cody had driven him there!"

"Man, I need a beer now I think! Whoo! I have NEVER had this much fun! EVER! It’s so great to be an adult! C’mon Charlie! Let’s get inside so you can make us some dinner!"

"You’re the adult now," Charlie said grinning. "Why don’t you do it?"

"Cause I don’t feel like it. I feel like smokin’ another cee-gar and waiting for Darren to get home so we can talk. You know. Grown up talk. You wouldn’t understand," he said nonchalantly.

Charlie seethed inside. There was nothing he could do. He went inside and decided on a quick spaghetti dinner. Then the doorbell rang. It was Kevin.

"Hey, Charlie!" Two men hugged in front of his eyes. "I mean…are you really just a kid in there?"

"Fraid’ so. But I kind of like it in here." Cody smiled.

"This here’s Charlie, but it’s best if we just call him Cody. Dad’s coming home soon."

"Charlie? Far oooooout." Kevin bent down to him. He had always been attractive but now more than ever. He had grown sideburns longer and had chops now, and a little bit of a goatee going, and it looked stunning on him. "Man, this is so weird, I’m like bigger than you now."

"Did you find a way to get us back to normal?" Charlie asked desperately.

"Yeah, let’s go into the kitchen and sit down, huh? Man, my dogs are barkin’!" He patted Cody’s massive stomach and went past him down the hall. Kevin was just so hot Charlie wanted to kiss him but it would be so so wrong and weird and Kevin would never go for it when he was like this! Kevin was gay but married because his girlfriend in college was wealthy and he planned to divorce her and take what he could eventually. He had always frowned on that but it didn’t matter when they were fucking, Kevin was just hot shit. Slick hair, piercing dark eyes, he was a leather queen secretly.

They all sat down.

"Now I have good news and bad news, Charlie-boy. Uh, no pun intended. Now the good news is there is a way to get you back, bad news is you have to go to Tibet for it. And you can’t do it until the next eclipse there."

"What?! Tibet! When is that!!" Charlie screamed at him.

"Uh, about…ten years." Kevin winced.

"You mean…I get to stay in Uncle Charlie’s body for good? OH MY GOD!"

"You can’t mean this. There has to be some mistake." Charlie said, desperately.

Cody lounged his arm on his chair and sat back. "Only mistake you made was in giving me your body. And I like it! Dude, I mean, Kevin, I know I’m only a kid, but can you teach me all I need to know about how to be a grown up? I already know how to drive!"

"Kid, unless you want people haulin you off to the looney bin, you’ll never refer to yourself as a kid again. Charlie, I’m sorry, I really am, but there’s nothing I can do. Look, I was thinking about this on the way over here. Listen, no just listen, really listen. You get ten more years onto your life. Lots of people don’t get that opportunity and want it. So what if you used that? Used your knowledge and etc, to get grades that skyrocket above others, you’d be a genius, you could get into Harvard! Think about it, you get to live your teen years over again, do you have any idea what some people would pay to have that done? In fact I was thinking about that as well, maybe we can discreetly arrange it, switch adults with kids more and for a profit!"

"I can’t believe you’re saying this!"

"Believe it, junior. Look, there’s no way outta this, so we gotta make the best out of it. I intend to and it sure looks like Cody here intends to—" Cody smiled at this arrogantly. "But we need your help to make it work, help us to help you and all that, you will need help adjusting to being a kid again, I can guarantee that. Man, I need to sit down. I need a beer. You guys got one?"

"In the fridge," Cody replied. "Hey Kevin, pour one for me too!" He smiled happily.

"Hey sure, buddy boy. How bout you, Charlie, you want one? No, only kiddin! Sorry, couldn’t resist."

"Oh you’re so fucking funny!"

"You watch your smart mouth!" said Cody. "You are speaking to your elders, sport. So get used to it. I am," he smiled again and took the beer Kevin handed to him.

Charlie looked up at the two adults. "So I’ll have to go by the name Cody from now on, won’t I?" He looked depressed.

"Cheer up," said Kevin, lighting a cigar for himself. It’ll only be a few more years before you’re an adult again. And by that time, you won’t even care. Just let us take care of things until time has passed and you two can get used to your new lives." There was a long silence.

"Fine. Alright. But I’m still not happy about this," Charlie said.

"That’s cool," said Kevin. "Just promise you’ll chill out and go along with things until your brother gets here. Okay?"

"Okay," Charlie relented. "But we are going to have a LOT to talk about if you’re going to be living my life, and it is temporary."

"Whatever you say, Uncle Charlie. Or should I say, Cody." Cody put out his hand. Charlie shook it. They all continued talking about what they would be doing over the next couple days. Charlie had a bad feeling about all of it. He didn’t like it one bit. Cody just smiled and kept smiling and occasionally just feeling his big new muscles.

Whatever happened next, it had to be better than this.

Charlie took one of the toys he had gotten for Christmas and went out to the front porch, and as he fiddled with it, he thought of all the things he would have to adhere to in order to act the part in order to avoid Darren, his brother, from finding out who he really was. He stood there waiting for his new "father" to come home.

END

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