Well Wishes

Chapter 6
A Deal is Struck

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Chapter Description: Shane hopes for a way to make the best of both worlds.

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By the time Robbie got their dry garments from the dryer, dressed himself and got back to the living room, Shane had managed to get his thoughts off Jon, a muscular teenager and his next-door neighbor, long enough for his embarrassingly little hard-on to shrink.

He still felt awkward in front of Robbie. "You go outside and get started," he said. "I’ll be right there."

Thankfully, Robbie didn’t give him any debate. He hurried out the front door, leaving Shane alone to get dressed. But, rather than risk any other interruptions, he carried the clothes into his bathroom. There, standing in front of the full-length mirror on the back of the door, he dropped the towel.

He cringed when he saw how hairless and puny he looked. He had enough grown-up sensibilities to get turned on, but he saw with unmistakable clarity how ill-equipped he was to do anything about it.

Disturbed, he turned away from the mirror and quickly pulled on his clothes. Even then, looking into the mirror again, he looked so small and weak.

A couple of hours of mindless labor pulling his own weeds in his own garden with the teenager next door sounded like a good way to take his mind off something now beyond his reach.

But, when he walked back into the living room, he was surprised to find Robbie and shirtless Jon in a conversation he’d rather they not have.

"Why didn’t you guys just put on some other clothes?" Jon asked.

Robbie, who had taken notice of Shane’s arrival, just stammered and looked toward his friend.

Shane flubbed the answer under pressure. "I took them over to Robbie’s for a sleepover," he said.

"All of them?" Jon asked.

"I didn’t pack a lot to come here and visit my uncle," he said, finally getting a little quicker and smarter with his answers.

Robbie, perhaps to distract him, asked Jon how he got such big muscles.

The question made Jon laugh.

The big teenager leaned down and made a muscle with his bicep. He invited Robbie to touch it.

Robbie wrapped both his hands around the muscle.

"Hold on," Jon said, and then he lifted Robbie right off the floor.

"Shane! Shane! Do you see this?"

Shane watched, a little jealously, as Robbie dangled on Jon’s bicep. The smaller boy tried, without effect, to pull down Jon’s right arm.

"Help me!" Robbie yelled.

Shane rushed toward the teenager and his friend, grabbing Jon’s other arm, trying to pull it down.

The muscular teenager laughed, taking even more delight in lifting both the smaller boys off their feet. Shane marveled at the solid bicep that he had managed to wrap his hands around.

"Get him!"  Shane yelled to Robbie. "Do something."

"I’m trying." Robbie responded.

Jon laughed. "Ok... you want a real contest?"

"Sure," Shane readily agreed.

He shrugged the boys off and then stretched out on his back on the floor.

"If you guys can pin me down for 10 seconds, I’ll give you five bucks each." He grinned.

Shane felt a surge of excitement - whether from the idea of pinning him or (oddly) getting $5, he wasn’t quite sure.

He and Robbie tried to attack at each shoulder, but Shane couldn’t seem to get any traction. He recalled that a few days ago he could easily have pinned this guy down without any help at all.

Shane tried using his full weight, but realized that’s not that much leverage.

"He’s too strong." Robbie blurted out in defeat.

"We can get him!  C’mon, Robbie, you’re not trying!"

Shane tried to remember wrestling moves he had learned growing up. But Robbie stood up, effectively admitting defeat.

"You win."

Shane remembered his old moves but just can’t seem to make them work with his little body.

Now, Jon took advantage, and threw the smaller boy. Now, Shane found himself pinned under Jon’s weight.

"OOFff!" Shane grunted.

"Now, it’s UNCLE time!" Jon declared.

"Uggh - help!" Shane shouted as Jon bore down on him with his full weight. "Robbie - help me!"

"You gotta say it before I let you go," Jon said.

Robbie successfully avoided Shane’s desperate glance. The boy hesitated, then finally said, "Sorry. He’s too big for me."

Shane felt embarrassed that his next-door neighbor was able to subdue him so easily.

"Let go of me," he commanded, trying to squirm out from under him - which he could probably have done, except there was now so much of his neighbor to contend with.

Although he smiled pleasantly the entire time, Jon pushed down more forcefully. "Say it!"

Shane felt the teenager’s strength pinning his arms to the floor.

"NO!" Shane shouted. "Who do you think you are?"

Jon laughed. "Wrong answer."

"Robbie, give me a hand," Jon said. "I will hold him, you tickle him."

Shane, pushing with all his might, failed to affect Jon in the least. His abs and arms may as well have been made of steel

It’s frustrating, but at the same time the experience of finding himself helpless and at the handsome teenager’s mercy appealed to him in an unexpected way.

’Don’t do it, Robbie!"

"Don’t listen to him," Jon countered. Sweat glistened on the teenager’s forehead.

"I dunno..." Robbie said hesitantly, although he moved closer.

"Don’t!" Shane ordered. "We’re friends."

That caused the boy to waver.

"Let me go, Jon!" Shane said, trying in vain to make his tone sound authoritative.

"You gotta follow the rules," Jon said. "Say ’Uncle’ and I’ll let you go."

"You big bully!" Shane said.

The game lost its appeal, and Jon eased up. "Don’t you have a big brother?" The teenager asked.

"As a matter of fact, I don’t," Shane said in a huff.

"I do," Robbie interjected. "But he usually ignores me."

Jon, who realized his playful actions had ruffled Shane the wrong way, stood to his full height again, which only served to remind Shane just how much he had fallen.

"Well, don’t worry about it, guys," he said. "I’ve always wanted a kid brother, so this summer I can have two."

Unexpectedly, he reached down and messed up Shane’s hair in a gesture of truce. Jon’s benevolent attitude fueled Shane’s hero-worship for the older teenager.

"So, are we going to help with the yard work?"

Jon stretched and yawned. "Not today, guys. We can try again tomorrow." He made his way over to a chair at the kitchen table. Turning the chair toward the two boys, he straddled it.

"So, you kids don’t need anything?"

Shane felt like asking if Shane had some extra dimes he could spare.

"We’re fine," Robbie answered for the both of them.

"I do need to see your uncle," Jon said. "I kind of need to get paid. I’ve got plans."

"Uh, I will let him know," Shane said.

"By the way, where is your uncle?" Jon asked, suspiciously.

Shane felt short of breath. Trapped. Almost like being pinned again.

He stammered out a reply. "He...he has to work... a lot."

"He never used to work this much." Jon responded. "In fact, I haven’t seen him for a couple of days now."

"C’mon, Shane, let’s check on that... thing," Robbie said, tugging on Shane’s arm.

Jon’s expression looked curious. "What did you call him?"

"Shane," Robbie said guilelessly.

Shane shook his head, eyes wide. About that time, Jon’s cell phone rang and he had to fish it from his short’s pocket.

He had a brief conversation, and then announced he had to go. "But, you tell your ’Uncle’ Shane that I will be around tomorrow."

"I will," Shane promised meekly.

He grinned. "Don’t forget."

When Jon walked out the front door, Shane looked accusingly at Robbie, feeling in a near panic, like realizing that he had showed up at school without having done his assigned homework.

Or, even closer to the mark, having shown up in his underwear without the homework.

He forced himself to take a deep breath, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Shane really, truly suspected anything

The prospect of his teenaged neighbor learning the truth brought a humiliating blush to his face. For some reason, it’s OK that Robbie knows, but for Jon to discover his real identity would be way too embarrassing.

The only solution, or so Shane figured, was to get tough with Robbie. Get some dimes and get this over with. Although...there’s no denying he will miss some of it.

"Good going, dude," Shane said sarcastically. "I told him my name is Seamus."

"No, wait... or did I tell him I am Jack," Shane added.

"Well, which is it?" Robbie asked, a faint hint of amusement creeping into his tone.

"I should have kept everything simple," Shane reasoned. "I don’t even remember, but not Shane. OK?"

"Ok." Robbie grinned. "Whatever you say...Seamus."

Shane scowled. "I’m getting some dimes, and we’re going back to the park."

"Ok...I understand..." Robbie said, following him through the house.

Shane entered his room and walked over to the dresser. He found some spare change in the box where he kept his watch.

He turned back to face Robbie, who now looked a little timid. "But I have an idea," he revealed.

Having caught a look at himself in the mirror, which showed his big ears sticking out from his boyish face, Shane couldn’t resist his next utterance., "I’m all ears."

Robbie found his confidence renewed at Shane’s jocular manner.

"Well, I know you have a grown-up life, and you probably want to get back to that..." Robbie said.

"That’s right," Shane said. "I have a job, and responsibilities..."

"Although we are now best friends..."

"Yes," Shane said, wanting to hurry the boy to the point.

"Couldn’t you be a kid, maybe on weekends?" Robbie said. "Or maybe on holidays, like the Fourth?"

His first instinct was to dismiss the notion. But...

He had enjoyed most of his time as a kid. Getting used to his much smaller body had taken some adjustment, but even that process had been oddly appealing.

"...but how would I do that?" Shane asked.

"Well, we just make a wish each time."

"Huh....I guess that would work...." Shane said, debating the pros and cons. He didn’t see any immediate drawback to the boy’s proposal.

"Yeah?" Robbie looked eager.

There’s an odd, if not totally logical, appeal to being able to transform back into a boy, shed his adult cares and woes, if only for a temporary period of time. It has been fun. The magic works, so why not take advantage of it?

Shane looked at Robbie in a new light, and he suddenly felt another twinge of that hero worship transfer...."How did you get so smart?"

Robbie reddened a little at the compliment. "I’m just glad you like the idea."

"It’s pretty cool, actually," Shane said. "And that will solve the problem with Jon."

"Exactly," Robbie said in his excited voice. "You can meet him as your grown-up self and pay him for the yard work."

Shane had stopped listening in favor of making mental notes. "I can even stock up on clothes for when I am little again," he said. "Then I wouldn’t look like such a dork all the time."

"Hey! Those are the clothes I loaned you."

"Sorry, Robbie, but those clothes are so dorky. Maybe I can buy you some cool clothes at the same time."

After he fished some dimes from the drawer, Shane announced he was keeping possession of the coins until they reached the park.

As they walked toward the park, it was as if the weight of the world lifted, and Shane fully enjoyed being a nine-year old with a best friend.

Back at the park, the construction guys must have taken a long lunch break. Their machines and equipment are in place, but there’s no sign of them. Shane, followed by Robbie, got around the fence and over to the well. But there’s a bulldozer parked near the well.

"Robbie - we gotta be fast about this - before those big guys come back!"

Robbie took his dime once Shane handed him the coin. They both stepped to the very edge of the old wishing well.

"I wish Shane is a grown-up again."

His coin landed with a "plunk" deep in the well.

Shane did the same. "I wish I was a grown-up again, too," he said in his boyish voice. He tossed the dime into the well. No sooner did the coin hit the water than he felt a tingle ran through his body.

"Hey, you kids!" It’s the big construction guy again, and he doesn’t look pleased. "I told you both to stay out of here."

The good thing is that the big guy’s on the other side of the fence.

"C’mon, Robbie," Shane urged. "Let’s go!"

"What is the appeal of that old well, anyway?" The man bellowed at them as he got closer.

"It makes wishes!" Robbie blurted out.

"We’re going, mister," Shane said. His skin crawled, and he felt as if bugs were scurrying beneath his skin.

"Wishes!" The big guy sounded shocked, and he roared in laugher. "Now, that’s a good one."

Shane reddened, knowing Robbie had made both of them sound like gullible little kids.

The big guy slapped the front of his dusty jeans. When he stopped laughing, he looked down at them. "Well, you’ve made your last wish," he said. "We are filling it in tomorrow."

"What?!?!!" Shane squeaked. "But you can’t!"

"Making room for the new park," the man said.

Robbie, looking forlorn, asked quietly, "What’s wrong with the old park?"

Shane looked at him, seeing his endless summer fading.

"Take it up with city hall," the burly man told them.

Shane felt his body straining under the clothes Robbie had loaned him. He knew that he needed to head home.

"I...I gotta go!" He told Robbie.

The other boy nodded at him, and he realized what must be happening. Shane broke their locked gaze and started running. "See you at the house," he called over his shoulder.

Robbie would have followed, but the big construction guy had made it to his side of the fence. "Kid, you and your little friend need to stay away. Got it?"

Robbie, who just wanted to chase after his friend, nodded eagerly. "We will, mister. I promise."

He then took off in hot pursuit of his friend.

As for Shane, who was halfway home already, he felt his borrowed T-shirt getting really tight. His bones were stretching again, with painful growth spurts magnified by a factor of 10.

He barely make it to the front door, with his bones and joints hurting as he ran as fast as he could, trying to outrace his approaching metamorphosis.

He stumbled awkwardly through the front door, realized he couldn’t get a solid read on his size. Once home, he bypassed everything to get to a mirror. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was his familiar grown-up face staring at him. Although he’s glad, he can’t help but accept what he’s seeing with a definite bittersweet feeling.

He touched his face. If anything, he looked older - must be the afterglow of being a kid for so long, he decided.

The clothes, however, were not going to be of any use to him or Robbie. The shorts had split in the seat, and the T-shirt had ripped around the arms and the neck-hole. He managed to pull on some better-fitting clothes by the time he heard the tentative knock at the front door.

He sighed. Time to face Robbie. When he opened the door Robbie looked so small.

"Were you really that size?" Robbie said in awe as he looked up.

"Whoa - and you’re so little!" Shane blurted out. He spoke in a manly voice, but his boyish excitement was definitely a holdover from his transformation.

"Oh man! You’re huge again!" Robbie exclaimed. Then, he brightened. "But this is good..." His brain is in over-drive. "You can make people listen to you."

"What do you mean?" Shane asked patiently.

"You can’t let them demolish the wishing well," Robbie pleaded. His voice sounded so desperate.

"I don’t know, Robbie. Maybe it’s best that..."

"Oh, please," he begged. When Shane looked down, he could not help but find his resistance demolished by Robbie’s sad eyes.

"Well, I do have some contacts at city hall," he said. "But, it’s pretty hard to fight city hall....plus they’re already in construction."

"You’ve got to try!" Robbie insisted. "Please, Shane."

How can he say no to that?

"Ok!" He relented. "I’ll do it."

Robbie shocked him by running forward and giving him a hug. His hands wrapped around him at the waist, and Shane gently detached him.

"No need to thank me," he said. He laughed. "What are friends for, right?"

"I better get home," Robbie said. "But, you will do it? You’ll stop them?"

He nodded, but even as he did so, Shane felt distracted in his clothes - even though they fit fine - they felt really funny on his now grown body.

His brain must have just gotten familiar with its new wiring when he pushed everything back into all the old pathways.

As he walked through the house, everything looked familiar but strange at the same time. Only a few hours ago, everything had been so much larger.

After he felt more comfortable in his proper skin, he retrieved his phone and checked his list of contacts until he found the one for his buddy at city hall.

He dialed, and soon began pleading the case of the park’s wishing well. When his friend seemed non-committal, he played the trump card. "You owe me," he said.

On the other end of the line, he heard a sigh. "All right," agreed the city official. "I’ll send word for them to leave the well standing, if it means that much to you."

"Let’s just say you’re making a little boy very happy," Shane said with smugness. It felt good to throw his weight around.

 

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