As Jillian and Jeff now watched their little brothers play outside, they began talking about their week and the changes they may have made. "So a little brother huh," Jeff smirked.
"Um yeah," Jillian blushed. "He um used to be my best friends grandfather. He was kinda lonely so, un, used the Chronovac to put Alex in kindergarten."
"So how's it working out for you," Jeff asked. Jillian paused, her mind now remembering her life with Alex. Honestly it hadn't been easy. The age gap was at first difficult, Jillian and Alex's interests were quite different. "Well we really don't have alot in common, " she blushed. "Alex is really into Pokémon and Paw Patrol. I'm more into books, which is hard to talk about with someone still learning their ABC's." Jeff chuckled, offering Jillian a warm smile. After dealing with Tommy and Artie he completely understood where she was coming from. "So does anyone else know about the Chronovac," he asked.
"No," she stated. "Which has been super hard. I tell Rose everything."
"Rose?"
"Yeah Rose," Jillian replied. "My best friend and next door neighbor. We tell eachother everything. By the way, she's super excited about me talking with you. She says we make a cute couple." Both teens now blushed, exchanging an awkward look between one another. "How about you? Have you told your best friend?"
"No," Jeff sighed. "But then again, I don't really have a best friend." Jillian balked, her jaw dropping as she stared at Jeff. How was that possible? Jeff always seems to be hanging around with kids around school. Jillian always thought Jeff was super popular with the friends he had at school. How did he not have a best friend? "Okay how us that even possible?"
"I don't know," Jeff shrugged. "I mean I'm usually busy after-school and it's not like there's alot of people our age in the neighborhood." Jillianfurroeed her brow, deep in thought for a moment before an impish smirk spread across her face. "Well that changes today," she exclaimed. Reaching into her pocket, Jillian now grabbed her phone as she opened the Chronovac app. "What are you doing," Jeff asked.
"Finding you a best friend," Jillian stated. "And maybe a boyfriend for Rose." Jeff now cast Jillian a curious look, the girl sheepishly rubbing her neck as she began to blush. "Was hoping we could all double date." Jeff smiled, now staring down at the remote Jillian searched for options.
Jeff knew his neighborhood possessed plenty of burnt out middle aged divorcees as well as elderly people. Their were plenty of potential prospects but, who would be right for the job. As Jillian now paused on the neighbor directly behind them, she gestured to his profile. "What about him?" Jeff now studied his profile carefully as he mulled over the decision.
Name: Ethan Cromwell
Age: 72
Mental Age: 72
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 205 lbs
Hair: grey
Eyes: blue
Build: medium
Relationship: Susan (wife) Cheryl (daughter) David (son in law)
"Mr. Cromwell," Jeff asked. "He's always been cool. I see him working in the yard all the time. He doesn't even mind that there's a small army of kids here all the time."
"He sounds perfect then," Jillian smiled as she now punched in the new stats. Both teens now gazed at the readout Jillian had produced.
Name: Ethan Cromwell
Age: 16
Mental Age: 16
Height: auto
Weight: auto
Hair: Brown
Eyes: blue
Build: athletic
Relationship: Susan (grandmother) Cheryl (mother) David (father)
Execute commands Yes/No
Both Jillian and Jeff now anxiously looked to one another, before taking a breath and hitting the button. Cautiously the pair now peaked into Mr. Cromwell's backyard as they anxiously awaited the changes.
Ethan Cromwell was simply going about his daily routine, trimming the hedges as he meticulously cared for his lawn. Home gardening had always been a passion of his, however, as he got older he found himself slowing down. Now as the changes began, both Jeff and Jillian noticed a renewed vigor overtake the man..
Ethan was moving a little faster than usual, the deep wrinkles in his face beginning to smooth as he raced backwards in age. As he hit 6o and began to travel backwards through his 50s thw teens began to notice his hairline begin to inch forward, his previous brown slowly overtaking the grey on his hair. Passing 5o, Jillian Egan to notice the man's body began to firm. Apparently Ethan had been quite athletic in his youth, his muscles becoming thicker and more defined with the loss of years.
"Wow he's kind of ripped," Jillian said in awe. "Do you think he was a jock in high school?"
"No he wasn't a jock," Jeff stated. "Mr. Cromwell told me he did alot of work outside when he was younger. I think he might have grown up on a farm or something. He did tell me though that he wasn't much for sports."
"Okay cool," Jillian sighed with relief. "Really don't want to set Rose up with some jock."
"Worse case scenario we send him back to kindergarten," Jeff smirked. "Wait what," Jillian exclaimed. "Okay wait...have you done that before?" Jeff said nothing, a smirk crossing his face as he simply pointed to Ethan. For now, Jillian would save her questions for later. Right now she wanted to watch what was happening with Ethan.
Ethan was now barely 30, Jillian feeling her cheeks flush as she gazed at the man. Ethan was certainly handsome in a rugged sort of way. Thick muscles bulged under the man's tshirt, Jillian noticing a thatchet of chest hair poking out underneath his shirt. "Okay wow," she whispered. "The dude looks like a lumberjack or maybe a farmboy."
"So I take it you like the whole Clark Kent look then," Jeff grinned. Jillian simply blushed, elbowing Jeff in the side playfully. "Ow," Jeff chuckled, rubbing his side. "That kind of hurt."
"Yeah well serves you right," Jillian called back, an playful smile on her face. As the teens awkwardly blushed at one another, he turned back to watch Ethan descend through his twenties.
At Ethan hit 20 and began to retreat into his teen years, they watched as his face began to round, his muscles becoming a bit leaner with the return to his teens. Although he still seemed impossibly strong, he was now longer as massive as he had once been. Ethan's face now began to round slightly, the stubble, which had been growing fainter as he retreated further into his twenties, slowly evaporating. As he now reentered high school in the opposite direction, they could see the 18 year olds face become boyishly handsome with a small smattering of body hair on his strong, young body.
The loss of two more years wiped away only a little more of Ethans maturity. Ethans muscles shrank slightly, his face rounding ever so slightly. Now instead of a rugge, well built outdoors man, Jillian and Jeff beheld a teenage farmboy. Ethan was still more heavily muscled than most teenagers but lacked the definition he would possess as an adult. The teens tshirt and jeans appearing a bit baggier than when he was an adult. Jillian now began to fan herself as she gazed at the rather cute farmboy next door. "You like him," Jeff teased.
"No," Jillian exclaimed, her cheeks blushing crimson. "I mean he's cute, in a farmboy, Clark Keny kind a way but no. He's your friend. I...admire him."
"Yeah you do," Jeff smirked.
"For his hard work ethic," Jillian countered quickly. Jeff simply laughed, his thoughts settling on the newly minted Ethan Cromwell. Ethan was Jeffs best friend, a hard working teen that loved the outdoors, worked exceptionally hard, and was probably the nicest, most humble person anyone had ever met. When the teen wasn't helping his parents around the house, he would help out local small farmers around the area. Jeff recalled how his peers had given the teen the nickname Ox because of his impressive strength. The guys at school wanted to hangout with Ox. The girls, for the most part, all swooned at the presence of the impressively muscular and friendly teen Still, Ethan remained humble and polite, always offering to help others or offer them a warm smile. "So do you think Rose will like him?"
"Like him," Jillian exclaimed. "Rose will love him! He's just her type and I'm sure you can remember how Ox is. All the girls love him! I think it's the whole farmboy thing."
"Probably," Jeff shrugged, glancing at his phone as Ethan now sent him a text message. Ox was nervous about the date he would be going on with Rose, the teen asking if Jillian had any advise on how to impress Rose. "Pretty sure though that him and Rose will hit it off." Jillian nodded as the couple now texted their friends to make plans for the double date.