As I round the corner I discovered Tony's hulk of a body passed out on the couch. It was starting to become a regular occurrence, but as I was going to find out, it was for a completely different reason than normal.
I roughly shook him and he let out a weak groan. Leaning close I checked his breath for alcohol, but smelt nothing. More concerned I checked his neck for a pulse. It was slow, but strong.
Rolling him over, he belched and giggled quietly. I sighed, a little reassured and took the opportunity to study his build. I always envied his genes, putting on weight and muscle seemed so easy for him and he looked so young for his age. I always struggled, had to watch my diet--hardly any fun at all.
"I'm in the bathroom," came a shout in a voice I didn't recognise.
I groaned and walked towards the voice. When I saw who'd called out my jaw dropped. "Is that you?"
"Yup, finally figured out that spell I told you about." He stuffed some papers in his pocket and turned on the spot. "What do you think?"
I blinked hard. "Jesus Tony, he's a bit young. What, by six years?"
"Four, he's seventeen. He's one of the freshmen from school."
"Shit Tony, what did you do, kidnap him?"
"What do you think I am some kind of weirdo?" I didn't reply. "He was down at the Mall, with his friends sounding off about a party. It's going to last all weekend," he told me in the youths excited voice.
"Ok, so you wanted to relive your freshmen years--again."
He smiled widely. "I can bring a friend. The seniors are going as well," he replied.
"Right, like I'd fit in."
He looked hurt. "That doesn't matter to me."
"Well, thanks for the optimism, but I don't think I'll ever pass for a freshman or a senior for that matter."
"I can fix that," he told me.
He took my hand and led me back to his barely breathing body. "So this guy is in your body at the moment?" I asked.
"Yup."
I lifted and dropped the bodies muscular arm. "Why's he like this?"
"Don't want him wandering off in my body, do I?" he told me. "I thought of it while I was on the john last week. I sedate myself, enough to keep me immobile. Then I do the magic and swap into the other guy. I get the wake body, and he gets to snooze in mine."
"You still haven't told me how you got the kid here."
Tony laughed, "Told him he could earn some money helping me out with moving some shit in the house. Gave him fifty bucks to get him interested." From the back pocket of the kids jeans he pulled a fold of money, "It's mine again now."
"So tell me what your big idea is," I asked.
He pointed at me, and then at his sleeping body. "You're going to party as me." I swallowed hard, trying to hide my mixed thoughts--in my eyes, the perfect body with me in control. "I know what you're thinking," he added.
I felt my cheeks warm as I blushed, but had no reply.
"You don't have to say anything, do you want to try?"
"How?" I stuttered.
From a draw he pulled a small pouch and showed my it's contents. Pills, different coloured ones. He explained that different combinations knocked out a person for different times. Then he showed me a vial filled with a liquid. "This stuff will snap anyone out of a sleep."
"Explain."
"It's easy, I give you some of these pills. You go night-night and I swap the guy that's in my body into yours. Then I wake you up, and we go to the party!"
I bit my lip, barely thinking it through before I said, "Yes!"
"The party's going on all weekend, so you'll need two of the blue ones and a red one," he said dropping the pills in my hand.
"This is safe right?" I asked.
"Yeah, perfectly safe."
Laying on the couch, I slipped the pills in my mouth and gulped them down. A euphoric rush of colour and warmth swallowed me into a deep lagoon, followed a calming darkness.
I could hear a soft voice, feel the breeze of someone walking past me; a touch to my chest. The young voice, whispered some words and I started to feel as if it was lifting from the mire. Colours started to surround me, strings like tendons tethered themselves to my limbs, lifting me into the air.
Below I could 'see' my own body, the youth had both hands on my chest. Some of the strings that connected me to my body pulled and jerked themselves free, lashing around furiously before grounding out at Tony's body creating a pathway.
The strings tightened, pulling me towards my sleeping neighbour. As I neared, the youth the inhabited Tony's body was pulled free. I watched his face, eyes wide open as we passed on the same string of tendons that connected the two bodies. I turned, jus the kid was pulled into my own sleeping body. The tendon's that attached me to my own body snapped clear and I felt the strength of Tony's body pulling me down into his strong, thick body.
Darkness surrounded me again, but it felt different. It was large, but it felt safe and strong. I heard the voice again, soft and comforting. I felt something on my lips; a liquid dripped into my mouth, I swallowed.
The liquid warmed my throat and I felt darkness constrict and tighten around me, binding me to the body I now inhabited. The gloom turned to a grey, a dryness in my mouth made me cough, gasping for air, I sat up quickly my eyes snapped open.
In front of me was the kid, his eyes bright and excited. "You in there?"
I looked around, feeling much larger. I felt my arms, muscular arms with thick hair. My hands touched my chest, large and heavy. "Yeah," I stammered and stopped. The unfamiliar voice rung in my ears. "I'm here, I'm you!" I gasped looking into the eyes of the kid.
He chuckled, "You might as well get used to calling me Owen... Tony."
I got to my feet, glancing over at my sleeping body. "Will he be alright?"
"Sleeping like a baby," Owen replied. "Come on, lets get ready to go."
I returned to Tony's bedroom and picked through his clothes, finding something that I knew looked good. When I returned, Owen had put a blanket over my old body.
"Nice, let's go." He threw some keys in the air and caught them. "I'll drive, he's got a sweet ride."
I followed him out, as we walked to the car I hooked a big arm around his waist. It was strange, but it felt natural.
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