Father's Day

Chapter 1
Part 1

SRU

Father’s Day

By Louder

Billy took a deep breath as he pedaled his bicycle into the mall parking lot. It was a long trip by bike and he had just set a new personal best time. He had forgotten about Father’s day and wanted to get something quickly for his father. He wheeled into the area designated for bicycles and chained his bike to the ’bike locks’. A few quick steps later and he was inside the mall. Now all he had to do was figure out what to get his dad. After all, he seemed to have everything! Billy looked up and down the corridor at all the various shops. He also faced the problem of very little money to actually purchase a gift. For some reason his eyes caught the sight of a shop he had never seen before.... Spells R Us. He shrugged and headed there.

He opened the door and listened as some bells signaled his entrance. Once inside, he saw the shop was filled with all sorts of odd items. Nothing much looked new but rather like well-cared for antiques. Billy wasn’t sure what he could find here for his dad. He was about to turn and leave when a voice spoke from the back room.

’Just a minute, Billy, and I’ll be right out.’

Billy stopped and wondered how the clerk could know his name! A few seconds later and he saw and old man with a tattered bathrobe enter from the backroom.

’So, Billy, you’re looking for something for your dad?’ the old man asked.

’Ummm.... Yeah.... But how’d ya know I wanted something for my dad?’ Billy replied with curiosity in his voice.

The old man smiled mischieviously and answered ’Father’s Day.... I figured a young man like you wouldn’t forget his dad on Father’s Day’

Billy wasn’t sure about the old man but he seemed harmless enough. Still, he wondered what he could find among the store’s wares that his dad would like.

’Yeah, I’m just lookin’’ Billy answered.

’I’m sure I have something here. Do you and your dad like sports?’ The old man asked.

’He likes watchin’ ’em but he says he’s too busy and too tired to play ’em everytime I ask. He mostly just watches on TV.’

’He’s a busy man, I bet!’ the old man told Billy as he fumbled with some items underneath a glass display case and finally grabbed a small bottle. ’Aha! Here we go.’

Billy looked at the bottle the old man was holding. ’What’s that?’ he asked.

’~This~ is cologne. A very special type that you and your dad will enjoy.’ The old man cackled with glee.

’I don’t know......’ Billy said but then decided time was running out on him. ’How much is it?’

’For you.... exactly a dollar!’

Billy thought for a moment. The bottle was very fancy and certainly looked more expensive than a dollar.... and he had to get something quick! ’So you think he’ll like it?’

’I think it’s just the thing and it’s guaranteed to put a spring in his step!’

Billy didn’t know what that meant but he decided a dollar was too good of a deal and so thrust a dollar bill onto the counter. ’Yeah, I’ll take it. Can you wrap it for me?’

’Certainly’ the old man said as he deposited the dollar bill into the cash register. A few pieces of cellophane tape later and the old man handed Billy the package. ’Thank you for the business!’ he said.

Billy put the gift in his pocket and headed back to his bike. He pedaled as fast as he could and was soon back home. His mom and dad were seated around the breakfast table.

’You’re sure an ’early-bird’ this morning!’ his mother, Michelle, said as he entered the room.

’You sure are. What got into you?’ his dad asked.

Billy smiled and grabbed the present for his dad. ’I got this for you!’ he beamed ’Happy Father’s Day!’

His dad took the gift ’Well, looky here, Hon!’ he said as he held the present up for his wife to see. ’Thanks for remembering, Billy!’

Billy and his mother watched as his dad unwrapped the gift.

’After Shave! And it looks really expensive too!’ his dad said once he had unveiled the bottle.

’Try it, Jim’ Michelle urged wanting Billy to think his dad really liked his gift.

Jim splashed some in his hands and applied it to his face. ’Ooh! It tingles’ Jim said as he shivered ’And it smells great!’

’You like it, huh?’ Michelle asked making a bit of a show for Billy.

’Yeah.... I mean I ~really~ do! Here...’ he said as he took Michelle’s wrist and dabbed a small amount on her.

’Whoa... It does tingle... And smells wonderful! How’d you ever afford ~this~?’ she asked suddenly deciding it wasn’t the inexpensive offering that she figured Billy would have been able to afford.

’Awww it was on sale’ he answered. ’It’s cool that ya like it!’

Billy then took a seat and the three had a light brunch. He was glad his present was so well accepted. They all chatted and made plans for a future trip to an area amusement park. Billy was pretty excited because he had wanted to go for a while but his parents never wanted to go. They were always too busy or too tired.... At least now they were actually talking about going!

Finally, his dad pushed himself away from the table and spoke. ’I think I’m gonna fix that mower and mow the yard. It shouldn’t take too long’ he said as he tugged on the waist of his pants.

Michelle smiled wickedly and said ’~I~ might have something for you for Father’s Day once you get that yard mowed!’ And with that she gave a big wink.

Jim winked back and replied ’I ~hope~ you do!’ He turned and made his way to their garage while Michelle placed the dirty dishes in the sink.

Unlike usual, she didn’t bother to actually wash them and put them up. This time she just left them there.

Billy thought that was strange and also started wondering if she looked different somehow. Her hair looked lighter... and maybe longer. ’Must be the morning sun’ he thought.

Michelle still had on her standard morning wear of an oversized T-shirt and baggy sweat-pants. She pulled the legs up higher on her calves and adjusted the string in the waist-band.

Billy kept looking trying to decide just why she looked so much different. Her clothes even looked baggier than usual.

She turned the radio on and immediately said ’~Bor-ing!’ as a new Celine Deon song played. She started bobbing her head as she found a more upbeat radio station. Her son just shrugged and left for his room. Michelle danced around as she tidied up the kitchen while the radio played. She sat her eye-glasses on the table. They were starting to blur her vision more than help. She really felt good this morning. Really good! A few more tugs on her baggy clothing and she decided it was time to get dressed for the day.... and what a great day it was she thought as she looked at the sun streaming in the window. She headed to her room to get changed.

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Jim had the mower ready quickly. He somehow managed to improvise a repair that worked fine. He gave the wrench a toss across the room and into the toolbox. ’YES! And it counts!’ he said as the wrench landed in the open wrench drawer. He started the mower and pushed it out into the yard. The first order of business was to remove his shirt. The sun was much too hot to mow with a shirt on! He was glad that he didn’t carry a spare tire around his waist like some of the guys he knew. As a matter of fact, he had to give his khaki shorts another tug or two just to keep them in place. ’I’m gonna have to get a smaller size’ he thought as they constantly fought his efforts to fit properly. He brushed the hair out of his eyes and began his mowing. The sun was hot but felt good. ’What a great day to head to the lake and check out chicks!’ he thought to himself as he continued mowing. He subconciously picked up the pace as his mind thought about the bikini clad girls that were likely already staking their places in the sand.

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Michelle hopped on her bed and began painting her nails. She had already spent some extra time with her hair. She liked it long and doubted she would ever like it short.... regardless of what her mother was always telling her about ’one of these days you won’t have time to mess with it and you’ll appreciate having it shorter!’ She knew her mother meant well but was just from a different era...if not planet! She giggled at her own joke and then began looking through the closet for something to wear.

’Bor-ing’ she again sang as she looked at all the dull clothes. ’I shaved my legs, did my nails, fixed my hair... and all I have is this ’granny’ stuff in here!’ 22 year old Michelle wasn’t happy with anything in the closet. ’I’m gonna have to get some new stuff!’ she said to herself. She grabbed an older pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The jeans were baggy but passable. They were very faded and she hadn’t worn them in years because she thought they were too tight.

’Oh well.... This’ll have to do’ she said as she grabbed one last check in the mirror and then headed to her car. ’Mall bound!’ she said.

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Billy heard the mower making laps. It sounded like his dad was really hurrying. It seemed like no time for the mower to complete a lap. He pulled the curtan back to see why the rush. ’No wonder! he said as he saw a teenager was now mowing the yard. As he looked closer he noticed that the teen looked familiar.... very familiar.... like his dad in his high school yearbook! Billy squinted to see better but it still looked the same. He ran down to try and figure out what was happening.

’Ummmmm ~Dad~?’

Jim stopped the mower. ’What?’ he said in a higher pitched voice.

’What happened to you?’

’Happened? Happened, like how?’ the teen answered as he again pulled on his shorts. As soon as he would tug on them they would immediately slide back down exposing the waistband of his underwear. He looked like a regular teen to Billy!

’You don’t know?’ Billy asked.

’Know what?’ Jim said as his voice cracked and his height dropped.

Billy was stunned! And his father didn’t seem to notice anything. All the hair was gone from his chest and only a little quickly disappearing peach-fuzz remained on his face. The shorts were now ridiculously huge. And he was still regressing!

’You wanna play some ball?’ Jim asked his son. ’This ’ol yard can wait.’

’Play ball?’ Billy pondered what his youthening dad had asked. He wondered what could cause this! Was it magic? It suddenly dawned on him that the cologne must’ve been magical. That is why the mysterious old man had asked about his father playing sports with him. What else could it be? Was this a good thing? Billy decided to just ride it out and see what would happen. He thought it might be fun.

’Ummmmm sure we can play but you’d better find something else to wear cuz I think those shorts’ll slow you down!’

Young Jim pulled on them once more and proceeded to the house. His adult shoes slipped off as he lost even more height as he retreated through puberty.

’I wonder what mom’ll say when she sees you?’ Billy asked himself as he followed Jimmy inside. Fortunately, she wasn’t anywhere around that he could see.

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20 year old Michelle looked through the clothing at her regular store. It was all way too boring! She had noticed a trendy place on her way in and so she decided THAT was where she needed to shop. Things were much better there! ’Cool!’ she said as she saw racks of ’neato’ stuff. Midriff baring tops. Short sun dresses. Shorts. Swimsuits. It was all so ’cute’ she thought. She knew her mother wouldn’t approve of a lot of the items in this store but she didn’t have to get her mother’s approval anymore! She settled on a few skimpy items. She left her old clothes in the dressing room and decided to wear one of her new outfits. When she stepped out of the dressing room she had on a pair of shorts and a bikini top. Her blonde hair flowed over her shoulders. A few boys walking down the hall saw her through the store’s window and had to stop and stare. She blushed as she saw the cute older boys ’checking her out’. Before paying for the items, 18 year old Michelle noticed her shoes starting to slip. With her credit card in hand she added a new pair of sandals to her bill and was ready to take on the day. She felt very sexy as she left the store. The boys admired her ’sassy’ walk.... and she was happy to let them see it!

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Billy and Jimmy were puffing. Their basketball games had been pretty intense. ~Had been~....

10 year old Billy didn’t have much trouble beating the now shorter and younger Jimmy in basketball. Jimmy wanted to try something else but Billy liked his advantage. 12 year old Jimmy had won a couple of games but now youthened to a 9 year old, Jimmy was losing every game. Shots were falling short... IF he could even get them over his opponents outstretched arms.

’Can’t we play somethin’ else?’ Jimmy whined as he tried to catch his breath ’This ain’t no fun anymore!’

’What’s wrong squirt? I guess I’m just better than you and you’re just a crybaby?’

’Am not a crybaby!’

’Are too!’

’Am not!’

y’Are too!’

’Nuh huh! I’ll beat ya this time!’ Jimmy angrily said as he tried to swipe at the ball.

Jimmy didn’t seem to be youthening any longer which Billy figured was good. After all, he didn’t want to have to explain a baby!

The games continued but were finally getting monotonous to Billy. He was beginning to tire of winning every game.

’Maybe we can take a break now, squirt?’ Billy asked. ’Let’s go show you to mom and see what....... Ummmmm hey! You put a little of that cologne on HER wrist, didn’t you? I wonder..........’

Before he could finish his thought a car pulled up.

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17 year old Shelly pulled into the driveway. She was slightly confused as to why she had even driven here...at first... but then it came to her. She was to babysit the two children here. She liked babysitting here because there was a nice pool where she could lay out. She adjusted her bikini top before she got out of the car. It had gotten a little loose during the drive over.

’Oh no! Uhhhh Mom?’ Billy said as he saw the teenaged legs exit the door of the car. His eyes followed them up to see the very teenaged face of his mother!

’Mom? Sorry, but like, it’s just me.... Shelly the babysitter!’ the teen replied as she cracked her gum.

Billy wasn’t sure of what to say. She looked so much smaller and he’d never seen his mother wear anything like she was wearing. She looked so young and tan.

She bent over and grabbed her cola from inside the car. Billy and Jimmy didn’t say much while watching the view of her ’behind’, but two boys driving by made a point of yelling.

’Yeah....whewwwwwwww.... show us ba-by!!!!’ they yelled.

She looked up at them and quickly showed them her middle finger. ’Hoods!’ she yelled.

Billy knew it had to be the cologne. His dad had used quite a bit and so he’d ended up a kid. On the other hand, his mother had used just a little on her wrist and so she had only ended up a teenager in the same amount of time. And both of their mind’s had seemingly came to terms with their rejuvenated states. He wondered how long it would last. He lost his train of thought as he heard Jimmy whining back at the basketball goal. Billy laughed as he saw Jimmy again trying to hit the basket without being guarded. He missed every shot.

Shelly made her way to the pool. The teenager kicked off her sandals and then slid off her shorts revealing a thong bottom. She stretched out on a towel and soaked up the brilliant sunshine. She untied the strings of her bikini top when she rolled over ’face down’ to sun her back. A couple of 14 year old neighborhood boys watched from the upstairs of their houses as they saw the ’new’ girl sunning herself. She knew they were watching but it didn’t bother her. In fact she made a point of giving them a show when she rolled back over and retied her top!

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The magic didn’t wear off as night came. Shelly made lunch for her two ’charges’ and then shortly there-after sent them to bed. They protested a little but gave in and shut down the Playstation for the evening. Billy wondered when the magic would end.....if it would end at all! He figured it would end too soon. He was enjoying having someone that he could beat in any competition that he tried!

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Later that evening Michelle awoke on the couch to the sounds of MTV and another episode of ’My So Called Life’ being played as part of their ’My So Called Life Marathon’.

’What a dream! That’s the last time I watch this stupid teen stuff before I go to bed!’ she said as she curiously rubbed her stinging shoulder. ’Feels like sunburn?’ she said aloud to herself wondering how that could have happened. She groggily kicked the cover off her legs and immediately noticed the cool air of the evening on her bare legs.... much TOO bare legs she thought curiously as she looked down to see her bikini clad bottom and painted toenails! Her eyes opened wide! She felt the bikini bottom string cutting into her middleaged waistline and also noticed a strange feeling cutting into her rear... ’A THONG!!!!!! What the hell?’ she said as she jumped up and nearly lost her bikini top as the ’too tight’ strings snapped with her sudden movement.

She heard a noise and did her best to cover her much too exposed middle-aged flesh as she turned to see Jim walking down the stairs in what was left of some Bugs Bunny pajamas that were torn to threads. She was speechless.

’What a strange dream... I must’ve been sleepwalking and put Billy’s old pajamas on....’ Jim said before actually seeing what his wife was wearing.

’What the hell? How?......... THE COLOGNE!’ they chorused as they both had the same thought.

Billy smiled upon hearing the exchange below. He’d already found and collected the cologne bottle and its still plentiful contents.

’I’ll just keep this with me....never know when it might be handy!’ he said with a laugh.

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And back at the mall.... in a room in the rear of a strange little shop.... an old man laughed at a mental picture of two middle-aged people frantically searching their house for a bottle of cologne that somehow let them recapture a little of their youth.... if only for a day!

The End (?)

Louder

 

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