Kyle and Dave continued to stare at each other in utter shock, fear, amazement, and many other conflicting emotions. Neither could process fully what had just happened. Kyle grabbed the merged shirt both boys were wearing and slowly lifted it up. There was only one stomach, one belly button. Dave's pale white skin and Kyle's lightly tanned skin blended seamlessly in the middle of their shared stomach. That blend seemed to stretch along the entire middle of their now single body.
Dave stared for several more agonizing moments, hoping that they would suddenly become two teens again. Or, that this seemingly weird dream would disappear when he jolted awake. Neither happened. Dave finally made eye-contact with Kyle. "What did you get? What were these things?" Dave asked. It was not an accusing tone. Dave knew that Kyle was just as baffled as he was, somehow he knew. An old biology teacher's lecture about hormones and fear came to mind. Their fear was shared.
Kyle held Dave's gaze, but he couldn't think of a response. His mind was clouded by this astounding event. He opened his mouth several times, trying to force some words out. Finally, he responded. "I... I don't know." Kyle shifted his gaze down to the united two-headed eagle that hung against their chest. He held it in the palm of his one hand so he and Dave could see it. The two-headed eagle looked normal. No glow. "Maybe we just have to pull it apart." It sounded absurd. But, what else could they do.
Dave just nodded. He grabbed ahold of half, and Kyle grabbed the other. They pulled on the eagles in opposite directions, but nothing happened. The panic inside Dave's chest... their chest was building. Dave tried swallowing it down, tried to keep a level head despite his fear. Both boys were lost in their own thoughts. Dave was at least relieved that he and Kyle did not share thoughts too.
Despite his fear, Kyle tried to lighten the situation. "At least you and I won't miss hanging out now." Kyle faked a smile.
Dave just stared at him, obviously not in the mood. "Really, your going to joke about this. We're freaking sharing a body."
"Sorry." Kyle simply stated. "I was just trying to take are minds off the obvious."
"Yeah well, we need to focus on the obvious." Dave said, staring Kyle down. "We're like the closest of friends now, and I want to get some physical distance between us."
"Wait!" Kyle said, as a memory flashed in his head. "What did you just say?"
"I want to get some physical distance between us..." Dave repeated, not following.
"No, before that." Kyle suddenly felt a burst of excitement.
"We're the closest of friends now..." Dave slowly repeated. He still did not get why Kyle was excited about.
"The owner... he told me the necklaces would make two people the closest of friends.... He knew this would happen. He knew it would bind us together...." Kyle had a wave of anger flash through him, but he ignored it. "He must know how to undo this."
Dave slowly nodded his head. "Okay, but that doesn't help us now. We're sharing a body. We can't go walking down the street. And... I'm not even sure we can even walk that far." Dave clenched and unclenched his hand. "We're like two half bodies stitched together."
"No, I have the guy's card. Its down stairs in my jacket pocket." Kyle said. He was excited. They could fix this, and then he could have that old man a piece of his mind for selling him some magic fusion necklace.