"Ben. Ben." Jake snapped his fingers in front of his face. "YOU THERE?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." Brad felt suddenly uncomfortable. He had to do a good job. He was at his Dad's job and he had to prove to Dad he could do this. He kind of wanted to go take a nap. His body itched and burned for something. God! I need another cigarette!
"You are kind of off today, you know that? You're off in dreamworld a lot today, bud."
"Yeah, well maybe I'm distracted. Every time I work with you I just want to get you naked."
Holy cow, did I just say that? Brad thought.
"Well that's natural. I am a fucking stud. Been working out. You just can't wait to suck and fuck. Fucking horndog! Wake up!"
Jake laughed amicably. This was fun! Jake was becoming his friend. Wait, maybe they were more than friends. He remembered kissing Jake and having some hot…he was remembering things in his Dad’s head! Jake was really hot! Wait, I think guys are hot? Am I gay?
Dad was gay. Or bi. Dad never talked about wanting to fuck guys before. But then Dad never talked about fucking anyone before. Whoa, I’m thinking about fucking! Dad and I never talked about this. Now I’m able to have sex I bet. Cause I’m grown up.
“Hey. JAKE,” Brad said, relishing being able to call a grown up by his first name. “It sure is great being an adult, huh?”
“I guess. It has its perks. Why, you wanna go back to school?” He laughed. “You would hate that, being stuck in a classroom all day when you could be working outside.”
“Yeah, I would! Fuck, that would suck to be young again. I fucking love construction.” I do? I enjoy it? I guess? Why do I keep saying things Dad would say? I guess I must be better at imitating Dad than I thought!
Jake looked good today. A thirty two year old with a blond buzz cut and enormous muscles, even bigger than Brad now had. All American beef. Squarish, rugged face with a mean look to him and a louder voice than Brad now had. It was exciting to be with a grownup that thinks I’m grown up! Brad thought.
“So when you coming over for another fuck session, man?” Jake asked him. Jake spoke in a Texan drawl and it was so sexy Brad started to concentrate on it and Jake’s stubble. He was getting hard down there uh oh
“Um. Soon?”
“Cool. You should come over. My dick misses you, buddy.” Jake punched him lightly on the arm. “We need to do some wrestling. I can clean the mat.”
“Cool. Can you show me how to wrestle?”
Jake laughed. “You always show ME how to wrestle, you asshole! Fuck, that’s hot! You like my arms? They’re getting fucking puu-uumped!”
“I love your arms! They’re so big. Geez, I need a cigarette. Scuse me,” Brad said and dug one out of his pocket. It felt so good to be so free with smoking. He had only just learned how to do it and he loved it! And he was lighting up like he’d done if for years. He spoke in a gravelly voice as he leaned his arm out over the window “Man, this is crazy. I’m remembering all sorts of things.”
“Yeah? Things I’m gonna do to you? Tie you down and suck you off?”
“Suck me off? You mean my pe-dick?!”
“Yeah. Only the best feeling in the world. We are lucky to be men! Hahaha.”
Brad felt his body burn with delight as the waves of nicotine hit him. He didn’t want this to end. They had been driving all through the mountain road and were passing various landscapes.
“I like having big muscles. Does it feel as good as that? Getting our dicks sucked?”
“What? Well, it can feel like cumming if you have a big enough lift sometimes. My entire body wants to orgasm in the gym about half the time. My body is on fire most of the time. Fucking you is all I can think about with you sitting here.”
“Oh. Um. Cool.”
“You playin’ coy today?”
“I am?”
“Cute.”
“You think I’m cute.” Brad smiled. He scratched at his facial hair and ran his hands over it, as if he couldn’t believe he was a grown man with a short beard. He had finished his cigarette. He was smoking like his dad now!
They got to Smithville and started moving pallets onto the truck. Brad had never worked a job before where you had to wear a safety belt and a construction cap but he was taking to them like he had worn them for years. He had a lot of fun exercising his muscles as they lifted up all of the materials. It took them two hours to haul everything up and organize. Jake smoked a cigarette, and blew smoke in Brad’s face. He smiled flirtatiously and Brad blushed. Brad lit one up, too. This was the coolest day ever! He got to smoke cigarettes and not go to school and take tests!
“Dude, I’m fucking tired of driving. It’s your turn, here.” Jake threw the keys to Brad, who was suddenly terrified. He couldn’t tell Mr. Connors…er..Jake…that he had no idea how to drive a car! He was an adult in his 30s! So he stepped up into the driver’s seat of the truck.
Okay. I know how to drive. First, buckle up. Then, clutch? No, keys. Find the right key. Okay, this one? No, this one. Okay. And…wow! The engine is on! It’s running and I’m going to drive and NOT Dad! Oh my God this is so exciting!
Brad started to pull out in reverse and then onto a dirt road that led to a small highway. He turned. He realized he had been controlling the acceleration of the car with the gas and brakes like a pro! He smiled. He was really getting used to this whole driving thing.
“I don’t see what Dad was so worried about?”
“What are you talking about now?” Jake said, perplexed.
“Oh um, nothing. I was just remembering a conversation I was having earlier. I’m just tired,” Brad lied.
“Alright well wake up. We’ve got another hour and a half to go. Keep your eyes on the road, slick!”
“I will, Mr. Connors”
“Shut the fuck up with that. Mr. Connors? You said that earlier. I bet it’s cause you’re infatuated with me.”
“You’re silly.” Brad said, blushing again. He was tall enough to drive a car now! AND he had a license. Dad will have to wait like, six more years before he can drive again. He’ll be totally mad if that happens!
This is so cool. I can drive which means, I can go to work every day and take dad to school every day! This is gonna be awesome! Then he realized the time. Dad would be getting out of school soon. But Dad would have to take the school bus home due to the fact that Brad would have to work late. He started thinking about all the things he would have to get used to. Smoking, working, exercising so I can lift in the garage like dad does…Brad flexed his arms. Yeah! I look great!
Then it hit him. He was starting to think of the swap as long term. They had no idea how long it would last. They didn’t know how the charm worked. Maybe it only granted the wish one way and there were no more wishes left. He wanted to panic but the nicotine was flowing through his veins and he turned on the radio. He wove around other cars, and suddenly realized he knew how to use the turn signal and how to check behind him for cars. No one had taught him that. Dad’s body must remember. There must be some kind of muscle memory.
He suddenly wondered if Dad was doing okay. Dad was probably getting picked on. Brad hoped they went easy on the little guy…he drove on in the truck until he got all the way back home!
“That…was awesome!” Brad announced.
“I know. It was so much fun,” Jake said sarcastically.
“I have to call my son. He’ll have to take the school bus today. Hey, dad. I mean…uh…It’s YOUR dad, dad. Son! I’m not the son, you are.”
“What is wrong with you today?” Jake asked Brad, and walked away rolling his eyes.
“Dad, I had to drive all the way from Smithville and I did it by myself!” Brad had walked away from hearing distance so no one would ask why he was talking to his father.
“What?” he heard his voice say from the other end. “What the hell do you mean you drove a truck!? You’re twelve goddamn years old!”
“Nuh uh, I’m 37 now! I’m 6’2”, so I’m tall enough to reach the pedals. I did such a good job, Dad. You should have seen me!”
“I don’t know what’s going on here, but it has to be that charm,” Ben said in his son’s childish voice. Nothing he said came out as authoritative as he wanted it to. “Son, I can’t go on the bus. I just can’t. You can’t make me. There are kids everywhere. It’s dangerous here!”
“Oh, son. It’s not that bad,” Brad said in an overexaggerated voice. “You’ll be fine, SON! I love you, SON! Now you have the house key with you, right, SON?”
“Yes, but send me an Uber. Send something! Let me tell you what happened. I-“
“Don’t worry, Dad. I’m the grown up now and I’m gonna do an amazing job. I’ll be home a little late because of the delivery. But I’m getting paid overtime, which is great.”
“You have to get me out of-“
“OH, gotta go, Dad. It’s that asshole Carruthers. He’s gonna yell at me unless I get back. Just keep going to classes and stuff.” Brad hung up. His dad would understand. After all, what he was doing was like, way more important than whatever Dad was doing. It’s only 7th grade, it’s not like anything that bad could happen there. It certainly couldn’t be as complicated as the windows he had to install before leaving.