Jake is dressed in a simple T-shirt with a pop culture reference from a sci-fi show he hasn’t watched yet. All of his shorts are baggy. He hoped he could have found something that would perk up his ass. It’s a shame that Brandon is wasting his body. A few squats here, a few lifts over there, and he could be as defined and handsome as their older brother, Smith. Youth is indeed wasted on the young. With no satisfiable shorts he could find in the wardrobe, he settled for baggy khaki shorts bountiful in large pockets. That’s where he’d put his money if Brandon even had one. The homeschool life means he doesn’t get allowances. Their father supports Brandon’s proclivity toward robotics but he’d have him list down all the materials he needs for his projects rather than give him money.
Jake was about to grab himself a blue hoodie because it’d finish the signature Brandon look. But he realized he is not Brandon. He’s Jake piloting Brandon’s meat suit. He does not have to act and look like Brandon. He can do whatever the hell he wants. And one thing he wants is to leave the sad loner look. He looks a lot better without the hoodie.
In the hallway, Jake saw Smith walking from the opposite end. It’s odd. It seems that by possessing Brandon, the things around him seemed to have become bigger. And that includes their already gargantuan brother. He’s fresh from the gym and is dripping with sweat. It didn’t bother Jake before, but somehow, the stink coming from his older brother is making it all weird inside his chest. It was difficult to breathe, and his head spun like a carousel. The smell is alluring yet he fought his hardest to break from the trance.
“Are you going out?” Smith asked, but the way he spoke about it seemed more like a starting sentence for a joke. He gave a light chuckle to himself.
“Yeah,” Jake was about to add “what of it?” but he remembered that he was in Brandon’s body. He wanted to say it but it’d risk his head getting bashed in with those sweet muscles if he provoked Smith.
“Are you for real? Do you even have friends?” Smith’s snicker turned into a burst of full-blown laughter as he locked the door to the bathroom behind him. His voice boomed and reverberated from the bathroom and across the hallway. What he said could have hurt, only if he was Brandon. Sucks on him since it’s Jake piloting this meat suit. What Smith said struck him though. He was planning on going outside but what’s he going to do anyway? Brandon doesn’t have friends. He has no school to get to. And without money, he had to walk miles just to get out of this suburban asphalt hellscape. And with legs like these, they would snap in two if he walked five blocks away from here.
Jake returned to Brandon’s bedroom, bummed out that this body wasn’t as fun as he thought it’d be. But to be honest, what did he even expect to do here? Smith’s taking a bath. Maybe possessing him would be a better experience than this. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a continuous ping on the bed. Jake came over and picked up Brandon’s phone which automatically opened when it scanned his face. There’s a message, a couple of them. All of them came from a single guy whose surname is a little too familiar. Christoff Hensley. His profile picture is your typical male anime character, and his nickname in their private chat is something pretentious: “Captain Edgelord”.
“Did you finish it?” he asks.
“Let me see,” another message pings.
“You were hyping it all evening. Why aren’t you replying?”
There were only ten seconds before his last message. Good lord, this guy is awfully excited about whatever Brandon is going to show him. And Jake assumed it must be that worm toy lying on the floor. He doesn’t remember getting obsessed with anything at this level. And for a worm toy? It’s laughable. He took a picture of the robot and sent it to him, which was sent with an immediate ‘wow’ reaction.
“I know your butt is either stuck in your bedroom or your house’s garage, but can you show your bot over here?” Chris asks, followed by a puppy-eyed emoji.
Jake smirks. Smith can’t believe it, and neither could he. Little Brandon found himself a friend in his entire miserable life on this earth. He typed the letters and made a smirk while doing so, “Where do you live again?”
“Wait? That’s a yes. Of course, it's a yes." Chris sent a map of his address, which is kind of close. Just a few blocks around Mulberry drive, beyond the small public park where Jake tried to buy marijuana but got spooked when he saw their dad’s car passing by. It’s close, but with legs like these, Jake was gasping for breath, especially with this heavy mechanical worm whirring on his back. It’s awful that he couldn’t get Brandon’s memories, because if he did, he could have turned this stupid thing off. There were times that the worm would flop around, like a fish, and throw his butt on the floor. He looked like a man possessed under daylight. Some passersby saw but Jake didn’t care. He’s not bruising his ego - but Brandon’s.
“You’re here!” Chris shouted before Jake turned the corner from their house. He ran to where he is and squeezed his head between the iron-spiked fence.
Jake walked to the gate and stared at the mansion that lies before him. He wasn’t sure if it was Brandon’s wonky sense of size, or was the house really that big. Maybe a combination of the two. But that house could house four of his houses. It’s that big.
“I didn’t expect you to look so different,” Chris piped in. Jake is having the same thoughts. Chris looks a little bit older, maybe two years older than Brandon. And it’s strange to see such a man with muscles be interested in robots.
“What do you mean, different?” Both of them entered the house, where they both settled in a room upstairs. Jack didn’t see anyone else, other than a small pomeranian who barked at him twice before returning to his meal.
“I expected something a lot nerdier. That’s the gist I got from your profile picture.”
It’s probably the hoodie, Jack thought.
“I didn’t expect you to look more than decent,”
“Is this your way of saying I’m cute? Because that’s the gist I’m getting.”
“Whoa. You speak differently in real life than online. So, what if I am saying that you’re cute?” Chris is turning pink. Jake didn't expect that pushing the buttons of a man taller than him would be this fun.
“Shut up,” he laughed. “Is this what you wanted right?”
“Wh- what I wanted?” Chris looked at him, his flush turning strawberry red.
“This,” Jake plopped the robotic worm on the floor, who proceeded to struggle like a fish desperate for water.
“Oh,” All of the colors disappeared from his face. “That.”
Wasn’t he excited about this thing earlier? Jake thought. He guessed his presence changed all of that. It might be fun to entice him like before. Possessing Brandon’s body might have some benefit after all. What did Jake do next?
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