Jeff looked at Dennis, then at the comic on the floor, and after a moment of consideration, shook his head with a grin. “You know what, Dennis? Nah, that’s too dangerous. Let’s not mess with extracting characters from a comic book. That’s a recipe for disaster. Let’s just play some video games or something instead.”
Dennis visibly exhaled in relief. “Thank God. I was *this* close to having a panic attack just thinking about it,” he said, chuckling nervously. “But yeah, video games sound like a way better idea.”
Jeff laughed. “Glad you’re on board with my genius idea. Let’s find something fun to play.”
The two teens rummaged through Dennis’s impressive game collection, eventually settling on a racing game. As they played, their conversation drifted naturally to the Chronivac app, brainstorming creative and mischievous ways they could use it. The ideas ranged from harmless fun—like temporarily making Dennis’s dad grow a ridiculous mustache—to wilder schemes, such as giving their pets the ability to talk for an hour. The more they brainstormed, the more they laughed, their imaginations running wild with the app’s possibilities.
At one point, Jeff turned to Dennis and said, “Man, the possibilities with this thing are endless. I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface.”
Dennis nodded, eyes glued to the screen as he tried to beat Jeff’s car in the final lap. “Yeah, but we gotta be careful, though. This thing could easily spiral out of control. Like, imagine if someone used it to swap everyone’s genders in the world or something crazy like that. People would freak out.”
Jeff smirked. “True, but also… kinda hilarious, right?”
Dennis rolled his eyes. “You’re nuts.”
The evening flew by as the two teens switched between games and wild ideas for the Chronivac. Neither of them realized how much time had passed until Dennis’s mom called up the stairs. “Dinner’s ready, boys!”
Jeff glanced at his watch and was shocked to see it was already 6:00 PM. “Whoa, it’s already six? I better get going soon, Dennis. My parents are gonna wonder where I am.”
Dennis’s expression fell. “Aw, man, that sucks. I was having a blast. Too bad the fun has to end.”
Jeff shrugged. “Yeah, me too. But hey, we can always hang out again. Maybe next weekend?”
Dennis’s eyes suddenly lit up, and a sly grin spread across his face. “Wait… what if it *doesn’t* have to end?”
Jeff raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Dennis leaned forward, his voice dropping conspiratorially. “I just got the craziest idea. What if we swapped places with my little twin brothers for the night?”
Jeff blinked. “What?”
“Think about it!” Dennis said, grinning. “I’ve always been a little jealous of how close they are. They’re like two peas in a pod. Plus, I bet they’d love the chance to be the ‘cool big brother’ and his friend for the night. And you and I could see what it’s like to be the younger brothers for once. Could be fun, right?”
Jeff hesitated, thinking about Ben and Len. The twins were undeniably adorable, with their matching cheeky grins and boundless energy. They were a little mischievous, sure, but they seemed like good kids. Plus, the idea of being a carefree 13-year-old again, even for a night, was oddly appealing.
Jeff finally shrugged. “You know what? Why not. Let’s do it. It could be fun.”
Dennis grinned ear to ear. “Awesome. Wait here. I’ll go grab them.”
A few minutes later, Dennis returned with Ben and Len in tow. The twins looked curious but excited, their eyes darting between Dennis and Jeff.
“Okay, guys,” Dennis said, clapping his hands together. “Jeff and I have something really cool to show you.”
Ben tilted his head. “What is it?”
Len grinned. “Is it a prank? It’s a prank, isn’t it?”
Dennis laughed. “Not exactly. It’s more like… an experiment. But you’re gonna love it. Trust me.”
Jeff decided to step in. “Basically, we’re gonna let you guys swap places with us for the night. You’ll get to be me and Dennis—older, cooler, and all that. And we’ll get to be you for a bit. Sound fun?”
The twins exchanged wide-eyed looks, their grins growing even bigger. “Wait, seriously?” Ben asked. “We get to be you guys?”
“Yup,” Dennis said, pulling out his phone and opening the app. “It’s completely harmless. It’ll only last a few hours. What do you say?”
Len pumped his fist. “Hell yeah, let’s do it! This is gonna be so cool!”
Ben nodded eagerly. “I’ve always wanted to see what it’s like to be the older brother. You guys are so lucky.”
Dennis smirked. “Alright, then. Let’s get started.”
Jeff pulled out his own phone and quickly set up the swap. He input the twins’ names into the “swap” feature, paired them with himself and Dennis, and set the duration for six hours. Once everything was ready, he glanced up at the twins. “Okay, you ready?”
“Ready!” they said in unison.
Jeff tapped “Confirm,” and the world seemed to shimmer for a split second. Then everything went black.
---
When Jeff came to, he felt… different. The first thing he noticed was how much smaller and lighter his body felt. He glanced down and saw that his hands were now smaller, his fingers more slender. His jeans and t-shirt had been replaced by a blue Superman shirt and a pair of jeans that felt a little too big on him. He looked at his feet and saw white sneakers.
It hit him all at once. He was in Ben’s body.
“Whoa,” Jeff said, his voice high-pitched and unfamiliar. He touched his throat in surprise. “This is… weird.”
Across from him, Dennis—now in Len’s body—was inspecting himself in equal amazement. “Holy crap,” he said, his voice also higher and lighter. “It actually worked.”
Standing nearby were their original bodies, now occupied by the twins. Ben, in Jeff’s body, stretched his arms and grinned. “Man, this feels awesome. I’m so tall now!”
Len, in Dennis’s body, chuckled. “This is the coolest thing ever. I feel so strong!”
Jeff stared at the two of them, still processing the fact that he was now looking at himself and Dennis from the outside. It was a surreal experience, to say the least. He glanced over at Dennis, who looked just as fazed as he felt.
“Uh, Dennis?” Jeff said hesitantly.
“Yeah?” Dennis replied, his voice nervous.
“Are we sure this was a good idea?”
Dennis bit his lip, looking down at his smaller hands and feet. “I… I don’t know. But it’s too late to back out now.”
Meanwhile, Ben and Len were already grinning ear to ear, clearly enjoying their new roles. Ben clapped Jeff on the shoulder. “Well, I better get going. to jeffs now my house, after all I'm jeff!”
Len laughed, patting Dennis on the head. “Don’t worry, bro. I take good care of things while theres us.”
With that, the twins—now in Jeff and Dennis’s bodies—headed downstairs, leaving the real Jeff and Dennis standing there in their smaller, weaker bodies, feeling completely out of their depth, well Jeff did, with Dennis seeming to be getting use to his new small body and was planning soothing with looking at jeff now his twin bro.
What meant Jeff barely had a moment to process the surreal reality of being in Ben’s smaller, wiry body before Dennis—now in Len’s equally scrawny frame—grinned mischievously at him. “You know,” Dennis said, his voice light and full of that youthful energy he clearly wasn’t used to, “we should totally do what the twins would do in this situation.”
Jeff blinked, still adjusting to the high-pitched tone of his new voice. “Uh… what do you mean?”
Dennis’s grin widened as he crouched slightly, his posture suddenly playful. “This!” Without another word, he lunged at Jeff, tackling him to the floor with surprising speed and energy.
“Whoa!” Jeff yelped, completely caught off guard as he was knocked onto the plush carpet of Dennis’s room. For a moment, he just lay there in stunned silence, staring up at the ceiling as Dennis, now Len, straddled him with a triumphant laugh. “What the hell, Dennis?!”
Dennis laughed even louder, clearly enjoying himself. “Come on, Jeff! You’re in a 13-year-old’s body now. You gotta embrace the chaos!”
At first, Jeff wanted to protest—this wasn’t something he’d ever do in his real body. But as Dennis playfully pinned his smaller arms to the floor, Jeff couldn’t help but feel a strange rush of excitement. He felt light, quick, and brimming with energy, even if he was physically weaker. A grin began to spread across his face as he wiggled out of Dennis’s grip and pushed him off, sending Dennis tumbling onto his back with a mock “oof.”
“Oh, it’s on now,” Jeff said, his grin turning mischievous. He scrambled to his feet, crouched slightly, and launched himself at Dennis, the two of them tumbling around the room in an impromptu wrestling match.
They laughed and rolled on the carpet, neither of them really trying to “win.” The energy of their 13-year-old bodies took over completely, and soon enough, they were gasping for air between fits of laughter. Jeff couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this carefree, this childish. It was oddly liberating to just let go and have fun without overthinking everything.
After a while, they collapsed onto their backs, lying side by side on the carpet, catching their breaths. “Man,” Dennis said between gulps of air, “no wonder the twins are always so hyper. I feel like I’ve got an endless supply of energy.”
Jeff nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Yeah… I haven’t felt this alive in years. It’s like… everything’s simpler, you know? Like, no responsibilities. Just… fun.”
Dennis chuckled. “Exactly. Being 13 is kinda awesome, even if it’s also totally stupid.”
Jeff laughed at that. “Yeah, we’re literally rolling around on the floor like a couple of idiots. I can’t even remember the last time I laughed this hard.”
Dennis smirked and sat up slightly, looking down at Jeff. “Oh, you’re about to laugh harder. Check this out.” Without any warning, Dennis lifted one leg and let out a loud, cartoonish fart.
The sound echoed through the room, and for a moment, Jeff just stared at him in disbelief. Then, out of nowhere, they both burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching their sides as tears streamed down their faces. It was so stupid, so childish, and yet it was the funniest thing in the world at that moment.
“You’re such an idiot,” Jeff managed to gasp between laughs.
“And now you are too,” Dennis shot back, grinning ear to ear.
Their laughter was cut short by the sound of a knock on the door, followed by it creaking open. Dennis’s mom poked her head in, looking at the two boys sprawled on the floor. “Alright, boys, time for bed,” she said with a warm smile. “Come on, let’s get you tucked in.”
Both Jeff and Dennis froze, their laughter dying instantly as they exchanged wide-eyed looks. Bedtime? Tucked in? This was definitely not part of their usual nighttime routine.
Jeff tried to protest. “Uh, we can just—”
“None of that, young man,” Dennis’s mom interrupted, wagging a finger at him. “You know the rules. Let’s go.”
Dennis, now fully committed to playing the role of Len, grinned and shrugged. “Guess we don’t have a choice, Jeff,” he said, nudging him. “Come on, *Ben*.”
Jeff sighed, feeling his cheeks heat up. “This is so weird…”
Dennis’s mom led them to their respective rooms. “Goodnight, Len,” she said to Dennis, ruffling his hair affectionately before turning to Jeff. “And you, Ben. Into bed.”
Jeff followed her into Ben’s room, his stomach twisting with a mix of embarrassment and discomfort. The room was undeniably that of a 13-year-old boy, with posters of superheroes on the walls and a collection of action figures neatly arranged on a shelf. The bed was small, with a Batman-themed blanket and a matching pillow. On the dresser sat a pair of pajamas: a big, oversized sleep shirt with the Batman logo on it and a pair of simple white underwear.
“Let’s get you ready,” Dennis’s mom said, her tone gentle and motherly.
Jeff felt like an imposter as he let her help him into the pajamas, the sleep shirt draping over his much smaller frame and the underwear fitting snugly against his now skinny, wiry legs. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize the boy staring back at him. He looked so… young.
Once he was dressed, Dennis’s mom tucked him into the small bed, pulling the Batman blanket up to his chin. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” she said with a smile.
Jeff forced a smile back, trying to suppress how awkward he felt. “Goodnight,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
As she turned off the light and closed the door behind her, Jeff lay there in the dark, staring up at the ceiling. The small bed felt strange, like it wasn’t meant for him, and yet his 13-year-old body fit into it perfectly. He sighed, knowing that by the time he woke up, the six hours would be over, and he’d be back in his own body.
Still, he couldn’t help but admit that this brief experience—however weird and awkward—had been fun. Being 13 again, even for a little while, was oddly refreshing.
With that thought, Jeff closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep, a faint smile on his face.