Seanday Swaps: Another Secret

Richard finished showering and towelled himself off when he noticed a mobile on the countertop. He recognised it instantly, it was his sons.

He sighed heavily, James was always leaving stuff around but was rarely parted with his mobile. He picked it up and felt a tingle, and then a spasm raced its away up his arm. He dropped the mobile.

Shaking his head, he finally focused on his reflection. A broad grin drew across his face. Gingerly he reached up and touched the thick heavy pecs that hung from his ample frame. His hands traced their way down his torso feeling the tight abs just below the surface. Turning left and right he studied his physique and sniggered as he flexed a bicep.

He cleared his throat and then spoke, "My name is Richard Mason." He laughed again, "This is totally awesome."

He picked up the mobile and wrapped a towel around his waist and left, entering the room opposite. Laying on the bed was a teenager, who appeared to be sleeping. He wasn't muscular like his father, but he was lean.

Richard lifted one of the teenagers arms, it dropped like a stone when he let go. "This is fucking weird," Richard muttered to himself.

He dialled a number on his phone and waited for an answer. "Yeah, I did what you told me." "Yeah I'm in his body now--feels weird." Richards eyes darted let and right, "I--I know everything, everything he knows." "Uh-huh."

Richard looked at the mobile and ended the call. Reaching out he took the hand of the teenager and manipulated the hand to hold the device. James's body started to spasm, and he rolled onto his back groaning.

Richard stood over the teenager as he blinked and opened his eyes. "He's a lot bigger than I remember," James muttered.

Richard stroked his hairy chest, "He's just how I remembered."

James turned over and sat on the edge of the bed. Richard gave a perplexed look, "How does it feel Jeff? I mean to be me."

The teenager looked bemused. "What do you care, you've got what you wanted right?"

"I guess so," Richard replied stretching as if he was getting ready for the gym.

The two stood there for a moment looking at each other. "So you going to just stand there and watch me? Get out of my room!"

"Jeez, why are you being such a jerk Jeff?"

"Yeah, Jeff's a real jerk--I'll tell him next time I see him."

"What?"

He walked to the door and waited. "I'm not Jeff, now get out of *my* room."

"What do you mean? We've been planning this for ages."

"I've been planning this for a lot longer than you think."

"But all the emails."

"You really are stupid. I hacked your friends email address ages ago," James explained. Richard looked blankly on. "It was me, not Jeff sending the emails. Why do you think I told you only to use email when we planned this?" James was losing patience quickly.

Richard needed to figure this out. As  he headed for the door, he picked up what used to be his mobile. As he passed, James snatched it from his hand. "Mine I believe." Before Richard could argue, the door was slammed in his face.

Richard returned to his own bedroom and got dressed. It only occurred to him when he left that he'd dressed himself in his dad's typical attire.

In the kitchen, thoughts and memories circled his mind. Some of his dad, but mostly confusion and concern of his own.

It wasn't until a knock at the door that he realised he'd made coffee and loaded the dishwasher--tasks his dad would generally carry out. Was he losing himself in his dad's mind?

Richard opened the door to find Jeff. A similar age and built to the body his used to own. "Oh, hello Mr Mason.  Is James in?"

"Come inside," Richard whispered pulling the teenager roughly into the kitchen.

"What's going on Mr Mason?" Jeff spluttered but was hushed quickly by Richard.

Jeff was ushered through a door and into the garage. Richard gently closed the door and opened the door to the family SUV. "Get in," Richard whispered. Jeff looked nervous, overshadowed by the giant of a man.

Richard looked at his friend from another life and tried to think of the words he needed. "What is it? Why are we here?"

"This is going to sound weird Jeff, but bear with me--please." Richard took a deep breath, and Jeff eyes widened. "Have you been sending emails to--

Richard had to catch himself, "To James over the past few weeks?"

"No, my email was hacked and I couldn't get into it so I've been using Messenger on my phone."

Richard bit at a perfectly manicured nail. "You know nothing about a freaky mobile app called *Juxt*?"

Jeff pulled a face and shook his head. "What's this about Mr Mason?"

"It's me, James. I might look like my dad, but it's me inside."

Jeff frowned, "Are you, OK sir? That is kinda weird."

Richard rubbed the heel of his hand on his brow. "Jeff, I've known you since middle school. Would my father know--

Richard leaned over, "That you're gay, and you haven't come out to your parents or your friends--apart from me."

Jeff visibly paled. "James promised not to tell anyone."

"And I didn't," Richard replied. "I am James."

Jeff reached out and touched Richard's face. "So--

He touched the thick beard. "So that's really you James?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"Like I said, there was this mobile app--Juxt. It swapped me and my dad. We've been planning it for the past couple of weeks--well, I thought it was you in the email. You, were meant to take my body and we, could live together, but when I started the app again somebody else took my body."

"Who? Who was it?"

"I don't know, they're upstairs. Look, Jeff, you've got to get my mobile from him. I'm pretty sure I can reverse it."

"I don't know, this is kinda weirding me out Mr Mason."

"James, it's me JAMES."

"OK, you've convinced me. Just don't tell anyone else about--that."

"Course not. So will you get my mobile?"

Jeff nodded slowly. "You think he's dangerous?" He asked uncertainly.

"No, he's me, so he'll won't give anything away. Just act normal, like it's really me."

"OK, wait here. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Richard tried to calm himself as he watched Jeff leave through the door into the kitchen again. He was a good friend, smart as well.

It was a short time later when Jeff returned to the garage--in his hand was the James's mobile phone. Walking over he passed it to Richard.

Richard tapped at the screen unlocking the phone and selected the  *Juxt* app. "You know what you're doing," asked Jeff.

"I think so, you should be able to--

Richard felt the same tingle in his hand and spread up his arm. The shaking returned, he only glanced at Jeff before being swallowed up by darkness.

Jeff, leaned into the SUV and pressed a few fingers to the side of Richards's neck. "Is he OK?" Jeff turned to see James standing at the door.

"He's going to be fine," Jeff replied taking the mobile. He joined James at the door and handed him the mobile. "He'll be out of it for about thirty minutes."

James looked at the display on the mobile, it slowly pulsed a dark red. "He uploaded himself again, swapped with his dad again."

"I guess we should celebrate. New identities and twenty years younger," Jeff grinned as he retrieved a few beers from the fridge.

"Back to school it is then," James toasted raising a bottle.