Jeff sat up on the couch, his heart racing as he looked at his furious mother—well, the version of her that was actually her. The resemblance between them was uncanny. They were identical now, down to the same black ponytail, green eyes, and features. The only difference was their clothing; his mom wore a pair of sweatpants and a simple t-shirt, while Jeff was still dressed in his mother’s casual outfit from the day before.
“Uh… I can explain,” Jeff stammered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
“You’d better,” his mom snapped, her voice sharp and filled with irritation. “Who are you, and why do you look like me?”
Jeff sighed, realizing there was no way out but the truth. “Mom, it’s me. Jeff.”
His mom’s expression turned from anger to sheer disbelief. “Jeff?” she repeated, her voice rising. “That’s not possible. What kind of ridiculous prank is this?”
Jeff stood, wobbling slightly from his hangover, and gestured toward the computer. “It’s not a prank, okay? I… I found this device. It’s called the Chronivac, and it lets me change things—bodies, minds, everything. I used it to, uh, see what it’s like being you.”
His mom’s eyes narrowed. “You used some crazy machine to turn yourself into me? Why on earth would you do that?”
Jeff flushed with embarrassment. “I just thought it’d be fun, okay? I wanted to see what it’s like being a girl and an adult, and, well… being you seemed like the perfect chance. You were gone for the weekend, so I thought I could just switch back before you got back.”
His mom’s jaw tightened as she processed the information. “Fun?” she hissed. “You turned yourself into your own mother for fun?”
Jeff winced, surprised how fast she actually beleved he was Jeff but then again he was right now a complete copy of her in front of her, so he tried to explain himself further. “It wasn’t just that! I, uh, wanted to understand what it’s like to, you know, be the one in charge. And, okay, maybe I wanted to mess with Henry a little bit. But it was all harmless, I swear!”
His mother crossed her arms, her glare piercing. “Harmless? You took my body. You’ve been walking around pretending to be me, embarrassing your little brother, drinking alcohol in my body, and who knows what else. And you think this is harmless?”
Jeff hung his head, realizing how bad it all sounded when she said it like that. “I’m sorry, okay? I was going to change back this morning…”
His mom raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you’re sorry? Well, we’ll see about that.” She walked over to the computer and sat down in front of it, scanning the program he’d left open. Her eyes widened as she took in the possibilities, and a wicked smile spread across her face and started to tipe.
“Mom?” Jeff asked nervously. “What are you doing?”
“You like being me so much, Jeff?” she said, her voice laced with mock sweetness. “Then I guess you can be me—for the next four days, that seems like long enough for you to know what its like to be me, the mom and working woman.”
“What?” Jeff’s heart sank as he saw her clicking through the program. “Wait, no, you can’t—”
Before he could stop her, his mom activated the program. A tingling sensation rushed through her body, and Jeff watched in stunned silence as his mom transformed into him. Her hair shortened, her body shrank, and her features shifted until she was a perfect copy of his 16-year-old self. She even had his voice when she spoke next.
“Well, would you look at that,” she said, smirking as she ran a hand through her short hair and the over down now his body and new boys crutch. “I’m Jeff now.”
Jeff stared in disbelief at what was essentially himself standing in front of him. “Mom, this is insane! You can’t just—”
“Oh, I absolutely can,” she interrupted, wagging a finger at him. “And don’t worry, Mother.” She said the word mockingly. “I’ve made sure you have all the knowledge you’ll need to take care of Henry and Hanna and me. You’ll know how to cook, clean, drive, and even handle my oh-so-boring job as a teacher at Henry's school.”
Jeff’s stomach dropped. “You… You’re serious.”
“Dead serious,” she said, crossing her arms and grinning. “And don’t think I’m giving you the option to say no. I’ve locked the program so no changes can be made until I say so. For the next four days, you’re me, and I’m you, and i put a timer on so on... thersday we will swap back at 6pm.”
“But what are you going to do?” Jeff asked, panic rising in his voice.
“Oh, I’m going to enjoy myself,” she said with a mischievous grin. “I think I’ll spend some time with your friends. Maybe I’ll even show them what a fun teenager I can be.”
“Mom, you can’t!” Jeff shouted, not wanting her to ruin his image he had made for himself, but she was already walking toward the door.
“See you later, Mom,” she said, her grin widening as she mimicked his voice perfectly. “I’m expecting dinner to be ready when I get home. Don’t disappoint me.”
Before Jeff could stop her, she was out the door, leaving him standing in stunned silence. He looked down at his hands, still delicate and feminine, and his reflection in the mirror—a perfect replica of his mother—stared back at him.
“Oh, shit,” he muttered, realizing just how deep in trouble he was.