Simon worked on his homework, it was Monday after school so, come Saturday afternoon Simon will have complete power and autonomy! Simon smirked to himself as he tried to calculate, 5x + 3x = ??x... Ugh, why do math and letters mingle? It just doesn't make any sense! Simon was growing frustrated, "I can't wait until dad has to fight with this. Ill come home from work and not have homework to do, it'll be amazing."
"SIMON, DINNER!" Mom screeched up the stairs.
Kimberly was tired, her 12 year old son was entering his teenage years and she knew her hell was starting. Girls always want and need attention. This is known, this is accepted. Boys, oh god.. They are a mine field... Ask them how they are doing and your crowding them, don't ask them how they are doing and you're neglecting them. Bend over backwards for months and months on end, this is normal, ask them to complete a chore... you might as well be asking for them to rip out their own heart for your amusement. Kim sighed heavily as she looked to her 7 year old daughter and smiled, "I am so glad you aren't there with him."
Nicole looked up sensing her mom was talking to her, "Why are you glad I'm not upstairs?" she asked only understanding the literal version of what her mom said.
"Cause its dinner time now silly, put the crayons away, its time to eat!" Kim said placing the last dish on the table, without missing a beat.
John came in through the garage, the smell of the cigarette he just finished clung to him. In one hand was the beer he grabbed from the garage refrigerator, in the other his cell phone which he holds up to his face despite the Bluetooth headphones he wears. "No Michael, I don't care what the seniors say they want, they don't understand the implications of what they are asking. No! Don't do anything tonight! Dong that will set us back three weeks! I'll take care of it in the morning and call you by 8:30! *Gulp*Gulp* Alright, Thanks Mike.. G'night."
John took another two gulps, stared at his phone and sighed heavily. He didn't know what he was expecting but he was expecting something. a text saying the building caught fire? Yes, that would do nicely, followed by a client demanding the original documentation which just burned up. John, despite himself, started laughing. The constant emergencies wore him down, he had to make immediate decisions to fix problems and all his choices were constantly being second guessed up the command chain because sometimes the solution he came up with in three minutes to fix an immediate urgent problem didn't have a solution that made sense long term, he could almost cry.
The smell of dinner finally registered and John pulled his eyes away from his phone to realize he made it to his kitchen. Looking up his eyes met with Kim's and she was looking at him with... Pity? No, of course not. Compassion. John smiled, realizing she heard everything and he didn't need to bother trying to mask how stressful the situation was. God how he loved her.
"Is dinner ready now or do I have a few minutes?" John asked hoping he had time for another cigarette.
"It's ready now." Kim smiled. "You will just have to wait to chew the next guy a new one." She flashed a smirk knowing from the tone of the last conversation that John intended to take no prisoners.
Simon trudged down, sighing dejectedly as he plopped into his seat.
"What's the matter?" John tried, placing his own problems aside.
"Nothing, Algebra, It just doesn't make any sense, like, its so stupid, and worthless, and mean!"
"Aw, buddy, I know it can be hard but learning algebra now will be helpful throughout the rest of your life. Graphs made by Algebra, with regression lines and ... or is that statistics? Either way, math really is important and you will be able to do amazing things with it one day!" John said, feeling like he solidly spoke on the topic and was supportive of his son's education.
Simon's face contorted, he felt horribly misunderstood, and trapped, oh god did he ever feel trapped. Not only did nobody offer to help him with his homework, but dad underscored how important it was and how he had to understand this thing that made no sense, and he had to be amazing. Simon got up from the table and bolted to his room.
John looked at Kim dumbfounded. John turned to Nichole, "Do you understand your brother?"
"Nope, not one bit!" she chirped, "Math is hard and it's important. That seem's like a pretty easy idea to understand. Like how chocolate ice cream is cold and it's yummy."
John looked over at his daughter and smiled. "From the mouths of babes" he thought. "Right you are!"
"Daddy?" Nichole cooed as Kim placed her dinner in front of her. "When I'm done with dinner can I have Chocolate Ice Cream?"
John and Kim exchanged glances knowing that it wouldn't be a few seconds from mentioning ice cream that she wanted ice cream, "Sure thing princess, but you need to finish your dinner first."
Simon had gone up to his room and was pouting, he knew he was making a point, and that the idea of the point was really important but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was. He was mad, and sad, and angry, and depressed, and ... ravenous. Simon didn't realize that it was approaching 4 hours since he messed with the Chronivac and as 7 pm was approaching, he was rapidly becoming a hormonal 14 year old...
By 8 pm, Simon heard that dinner had finished. Mom was cleaning up, Dad had gone back outside and could be heard talking on his phone through the walls, and Nichole is watching TV and playing by herself in the living room. Its almost her bed time.
Simon had cried into his pillow at the unfairness of it all and realized no magical homework fairy is going to come in and tell him he doesn't need to know this. With that realization, he blew his nose and got back to his homework, trying to figure it out.
.....................................................................................................
Simon woke up slower than usual the next morning, he felt like his body was hit by a semi and everything seemed out of place. Simon's 17th birthday was just a few weeks away and this summer he wanted to get a job, how did he miss out on last summer? His parents supported the idea, Simon snickered at their support. It was because he couldn't stand them and wanted to get away that he wanted the job.
Simon looked at the clock, 6:30, despite feeling like shit, his body knew the routine, which was somehow a small measure of comfort. He Jumped in the shower, and shaved while in there, heaven forbid Nichole find hair in the sink... Not being blessed in the facial hair department, he is going to need to shave every three days or so until summer, at which point he can let it "grow ugly" and then trim it.
He threw on clean clothes, deodorant, bod spray, and dumped his dirty clothes in the laundry basket in his room. Then he went downstairs.
As Simon entered the kitchen he saw his dad, "Morning John." he greeted without thought or hesitation as he grabbed a coffee mug, filling it with water and putting it in the microwave to make his instant coffee.
"Morning Son," John replied taking a sip of milk.
Simon felt something was out of place but was distracted as Nichole bounded in singing the latest hit kids song, "Morning Princess" he chimed.
"Morning Simon" she replied.
Simon stared at the mug spinning in the microwave, replaying the last few seconds over and over again until he suddenly realized, I never call dad by his first name... this must be one of the first effects of the Chronivac program! As Simon took a big swig of his black coffee, he thought to himself, "I wonder if the Chronivac has changed anything else yet?"
By 8:30 when school started, Simon was newly a 17 year old junior
By the end of lunch Simon was an 18 year old senior.
Come end of the school day Simon was pushing 19 as he was approaching a day since he initiated the changes, Not that he yet realized.
Simon went inside and changed clothes, donning his work uniform, and raiding the fridge as quickly as possible. His appetite had grown to 90% that of a normal adult male, and thankfully, the Chronivac stocked the fridge accordingly. The school lunch he had 4 hours ago was portioned for a 12 year not a man.
Simon is switching roles with his father, physically, mentally, and socially. Originally a 13 year old, becoming 43 over 5 days and vice versa.
24 hours = 6 years older
12 hours = 3 years older
6 hours = 1.5 years older
4 hours = 1 year older
3 hours = 9 months older or .75 years older
2 hours = 6 months or .5 years older
1 hours = 3 months or .25 years older