Kurt had an accident. He didn’t even reach the skate park when he tripped over the curb and sprained his right foot and hand. He’s anchored to his bed for most of the month and his complaint about his predicament never ends. He thought he could spend the time playing video games but his arm is covered in a cast. Over the speakerphone, he blurted how he couldn’t even wank himself - which my mother heard. He’s frustrated that the only things he could do are watch his younger brother play with his friends on the lawn or wallow in pity in front of the computer.
Henry pities him. They were friends ever since kindergarten and they passed through problems, thick or thin. He doesn’t believe this sock will work, but something inside him feels like it will. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with trying if it works or not. Henry grabbed the socks and went over to The DiMartino’s residence, a pristine marble-made villa with a large empty pool in the back which Henry uses for his skateboard practice.
The place is usually desolate every morning. Kurt’s dad works as a high-ranking banker whilst his mother is a real estate agent advertising properties larger than their house. It’s always just Kurt, his brother Devon - otherwise known as Dev, and their gardener Mr. Angelo. Judging by the noise at the back, Dev’s friends are also out there, probably playing their foam-bullet toy guns. Henry invited himself in, like always, and grabbed a pair of shoes beside the door. It’s Dev’s light-up sneaker which Henry remembered from last year’s Halloween trick-or-treat. He wore it under his bedsheet ghost costume which made him look like a disco party under those covers. He took those shoes to the bathroom where he wore it over the so-called “magic socks”.
Nothing happened at first, other than feeling ridiculous at wearing the undersized shoes. Henry’s toes would pop out of the shoes if his toes took a wrong move. Then suddenly, a wave of energy emanated from those socks. It's a brief flash that shook his skin and raised every hair in his skin. It gave him goosebumps. Henry’s heart pumped - he was afraid that he did something wrong. Despite this fear, he was also excited because just as his fearful breaths huffed on his chin, the change began. He felt the tightness in his shoes disappearing as if the shoes were getting bigger. No - it’s not the shoes that’s getting bigger but it was him that’s getting smaller. His foot grew smaller until his foot fits snugly in the shoe. The wave of change didn’t stop there, as his legs grew thinner and the thick leg hairs reeling back. His crotch squirmed under his briefs, his butt clenched like it was being sucked by his asshole. Henry felt his torso imploding, crunched into a smaller figure with thin childish arms to complement it. Before his head leveled with the sink, Henry saw a glimpse of what his face was melding into. The flesh on his cheeks bubbled and moved like ripples as the change washed over. His eyes were blue but when he took a single blink, they turned into hazel brown. His dirty-blonde shoulder-length changed into a darker tinge and reeled back just behind his nape.
The energy filling Henry leveled into nothingness. In its wake, he found himself looking exactly like Devon but wearing his oversized clothes. He grabbed his old clothes and went to Devon’s room where he stole his clothes and wore them. He adorned a simple brown t-shirt and a pair of black shorts. It’s embarrassing to wear his underwear so Henry went commando. He found out that even if he removed the shoes and socks, he doesn’t revert to his original body. So he surmised that to return, he must wear the shoes of his original body. Henry scoffed the thought - he’ll worry about that problem when it arises. As for now, he went to Kurt's bedroom where he’s currently watching infomercials on the wall-television. His face is dead of boredom - so bored that he’s willing to watch mop commercials.
The door creaked and Kurt turned around to see Henry.
“Dev? What the hell are you doing in my room?”