Guy angrily threw the jar of ointment down on the floor, cursing loudly, his anger growing by the second.
"How the fuck is this even possible?" he screamed in a high pitch.
An unexpected knock at the door swamped his anger, replacing that emotion with sudden fear, especially when he heard a familiar voice.
"Guy, open up. I forgot my key."
Guy immediately recognized the voice, "Oh shit! It's Karl!" Guy exclaimed. "I can't let him see me like this!"
Guy tried to stay quiet, hoping Karl won't hear him or suspect that he's home.
POUND! POUND! POUND!
"Guy!" Karl yelled through the door.
Guy shook at the loud knocking.
When his boyfriend didn't answer, Karl's jealousy and suspicion kicked into gear.
They have already had several arguments about Guy's new devotion to the Karl, three years older than Guy, had always considered him to be a little more on the immature side when it came to their relationship.
And Karl had started feeling that an attractive, flirty man like Guy was probably in the business of having others on the side, although it had never been a true assumption.
"GUY!" Pound! Pound! "I saw your fucking car in the driveway! Open this door or I will bust it down!"
Guy snapped to attention, "Karl, I'm sorry but I'm feeling sick, I think I have the flu or something..." he said, conciously trying to make his voice sound as deep as possible.
Karl took a step back from the door.
"Well, let me in," Karl said, his voice calmer. "I'll look after you."
"I ...uh...don't think you want to. Karl, I'm just....not myself today."
"Guy, you really don't sound well," Karl said.
"Tell me about it," Guy muttered to himself.
"C'mon, just open the door, ok?"
Guy foundit hard to relent. "Ok, I will, but promise me something ok?" Guy asked. "Whatever you do, don't freak out when you see me, I am already a mess over this myself....ok?"
Besides, if he can't trust Karl with this, who can he trust?
"Sure," Karl promised.
And Guy knew he needed help in some form or another. But, before he unbolts the door, he looks for something to cover himself up with. He grabbed a towel he had thrown on the floor the other day and wraps it around his waist.
Karl knocked again, getting really impatient.
"Just a second!" Guy squealed excitedly, not bothering to mask his voice this time.
"Guy?" Karl tried to interpret the shrill voice he heard on the other side of the door.
"Yeah?" Guy answers, taking a deep breath, unlocking and swinging the door open with a 'Whoosh!'
Karl hurried into the room, moving to the center of the room. Guy remain partly hidden by the still open door.
"Where are you?"
Guy spoke. "Over here, I-I don't want you to see me though..."
Of course, Karl's head turned in the direction of the voice. At first, his gaze overshot the top of Guy's head. But he compensated and looked down at the adolescent wrapped in the big towel.
He half snorted, half laughed. "Okay! What's going on here?"
Guy shut the door and locked it, only managing to look over at his boyfriend with a pained expression. Words he would certainly choke on seeing Karl from this new vantage point.
"Guy?" Karl yelled and moved toward the hallway. He turned back and looked at the kid. "Where's Guy?"
"It's me," he said. "I am Guy...."
Guy shivered, wondering what is going through Karl's head.
Karl shook his head in a slow motion.
"I don't know what kind of game this is..." Karl began.
"Karl, it's me," Guy began. His story poured out. "I swear it! I was in Chinatown yesterday after the gym and I went into this store with an old man...."
Guy continued to feverishly review the happenings that resulted in him being a kid.
All the time, Karl is studying him. Karl suddenly laughed loudly, causing Guy to stop his story.
"You are telling me this ointment on the floor shrunk you into a kid?" Karl said. "God, this is the worst practical joke Guy has ever pulled..."
Guy had forgotten about tossing the ointment onto the floor
Picking up the ointment, Karl eyed the kid slyly. "So how much did he pay you to do this?"
"And where is he?" Karl tilted the jar of ointment back and forth, it has a consistency similar to gravy.
"Please, be careful with that," Guy pleaded. "You've got to believe me!"
"Be careful with it, huh?" a sly smile spread across Karl's lips. "So I don't want to do this?" he asked, unbuttoning his dress shirt from the top and smearing an ample amount of the ointment on his bare chest.
"Stop! Are you fucking crazy!" Guy rushed forward.
Laughing heartily, Karl pressed his palm against Guy's forehead. "Ok, game's over kid, "Where's Guy?"
"Please, go rinse off. You've got to help me, and you can't do that if you end up in the same boat!"
"Seriously kid, I said it's over...where is he?" Karl demanded. "...and who are you anyway? I didn't think he had any younger brothers..."
Guy remained silent.
"Damn, the resemblance is striking," Karl said. "Where did he find you?"
"It's me, dammit!"
"The first time we got together was out back of The Hothouse."
"The second time was at your place."
"Me who?" Karl asked. "Oh now he's telling children about our sex life? I'm not gonna let this one slide!"
Guy stared at his boyfriend's chest. "Oh no!" Guy wailed.
Guy watched as the hairs on Karl's chest seemed to retract
"Oh no, what?" Karl asked condescendingly.
"You've gotta believe me! Look at your chest!"
"Kid, I already told you I'm not playing your game. Now what is your name little guy?"
"You idiot..."
Guy reached up and wiped some of the cream off Karl's chest with his hands, but most of the ointment had already been absorbed into the skin
Knocking Guy's hand away, Karl's face tightened. "LOOK KID! THIS ISN'T FUNNY ANYMORE!!! WHERE IS HE?"
Karl's last few angry words came out in a voice that broke at its higher register.
"What the?" Karl looked down at his shrinking, now teenage body. "What's happening to me???"
"I warned you!"
Karl's eyes widened and a cold sweat formed on his brow.
"I-I'm shrinking!"
"There's still time to rinse some of it off."
For both Karl and Guy, the ointment was working more changes.