Jeremy bit his lip reviewing everything he had set up to be orchestrated, adding a finishing touch or two as the knocks on the front door rang through the house, his phone buzzed, and his mom called that Hunter was here.
Jeremy ran downstairs to let his friend in and dragged him to the kitchen commanding him to freeze. "No really, just be still for 5 seconds." Jeremy held up his fingers and counted down. Upstairs, the Chronivac scanned Hunter's profile as he got in range, recognized the boy was not a member of this household and was standing still for more than three seconds and began processing the changes Jeremy had programmed to happen to the first non-household member who remained still in the kitchen for 5 seconds. As the changes were downloaded into Hunter's body and the reality changes were uploaded to the Transdem servers for processing Hunter was hit with the telltale wave of sudden heat and broke his stillness to fan air on his face. "What was that?" Hunter asked.
"It worked!"
"What worked?"
Jeremy's mom paused putting the dishes away to look at the two 13 year-olds.
"Oh, nothing, come on lets go out back. I have something important to talk to you about!"
The pair made their way outside and sat on the cheap patio set his mom had been able to thrift over the years.
"You remember a week or two ago when you said my mom was hot?"
"Yeah"
"Well, at first I thought that was super gross. The idea of you thinking of my mom in that way, taking the place of my bio dad, and everything else that came with that seemed really gross, but I found a way to make it okay. You can be with my mom, be my dad, and nothing about it would be weird at all!"
"I'm only 15 Jer, settling down is last on my list of things to do right now, partying is first."
"I know, I know, you explained it all to me before, you want to drink, and smoke, and play the field... but I'm telling you, I found a way for you to have done all that and get with my mom and we can still be best friends!"
Hunter chuckled and passed a confused look. "You're a fun kid Jeremy, but I'm 17 and in a year I'm going to head off to college and I do look forward to doing all those things, but how did you know that?"
Jeremy looked at Hunter who was on the verge of finishing puberty instead of being on the verge of kicking it off like Jeremy is, like he was a few moments ago... "Oh um, lucky guess. I mean, what guy wouldn't wanna party?" Jeremy looked at Hunter's face as the dark speckles of beard shadow became a permanent shading to Hunter's jaw and fought to crawl up his cheeks as seconds represented months of development. It was fascinating to watch.
Mom popped her head out of the patio door, "Jeremy, leave Hunter alone, he's not here to babysit you, he's here to mow the lawn."
The pair stood up and Jeremy waivered on what to say or do, looking at Hunter he was surprised at how tall he had become and noticed his pants shift from blue jeans to black, as the patio furniture switched from a plastic set to a metal framed set that looked nicer. "Alright, I'll leave you be..." Jeremy was curious what was going on with the Chronivac, Hunter isn't part of his family yet, so why would household fixtures be upgraded without a second income yet?
Running upstairs, Jeremy saw the machine was processing. Several bars were moving across the screen, Hunter's age was progressing smoothly, as was his mental attunement, whatever that was. but as Hunter's progress reached 25% the reality bar lurched to 66% and as this happened things in the house began fading out of and into existence. Most things appeared as the same item but higher quality, a bigger tv, a better looking desk, a more fashionable wardrobe... but as Jeremy walked around the house there were pictures with an older version of Hunter showcased, extra coats in the coat closet and the smell of the house shifted with the scent of another inhabitant.
Jeremy looked outside and saw Hunter fighting with the push lawnmower, he was probably in his late 20's but that would soon change... An open beer bottle now rested on the patio table next to an ashtray. Jeremy was excited about getting to have a dad, and having a dad who is his best friend. Memories of the new reality fluttered in and he learned he usually called Hunter dad, and still, even at 13, sometimes daddy. History rewrote itself as his dad was always patient, kind, compassionate, and informative. As much as he loved his friend he loved his dad more.