"Let's just say that I'm interested in walking a mile in your shoes, while you walk a mile in mine. You won't have much to worry about," he said.
"John. You're a weird kid, but seriously, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Ms. Wall, what I'm saying is that I somehow accidentally invented a machine that can switch our bodies," he said, dead pan. He looked her straight in the eyes as she pulled over in front of Johnny's house. "You think I'm crazy, but my mother and I have already used it. It wasn't what I had planned, but we spent almost two days in each other's bodies."
The awkward smile on Cheryl's face faded as she slightly squinted her eyes, trying to read Johnny and see if he was actually telling the truth. Honestly, he may have believed himself, but Cheryl was having a difficult time accepting that this 17-year old boy invented the least likely of machines.
"I… I don't know what to say. I mean, it isn't possible. I think we need to get you to a hospital or a doctor," she said, shifting the car back into drive.
"No, listen to me. It's true. Just let me show you. What do you have to lose? If I'm wrong, if you're right, then there's no harm - no foul. But if I'm right… then you get the break you've been asking for."
She pondered his words momentarily, as she tried to figure out if she was the crazy person for actually starting to believe him. "But why me? Even if you had a machine that could do that, why would you want to switch places with me?"
Johnny admitted that was a good question. "Honestly, I don't want to show this to any of my peers. I don't think they could handle the responsibility. I need to continue testing my software and hardware so I can fine tune it. I hadn't really considered you until something you said put the idea in my head. 'A vacation from your vacation'. Those were your words. I'm here to offer you that very thing. 72 hours. You get to relax, sleep in, eat whatever you want, and be as lazy, or active, as you please. All I ask is we keep a low profile and stay safe."
Cheryl's pensive look turned to confusion as her eyebrows scrunched together. "You're serious."
Johnny nodded.
Contemplating Johnny's proposal, Cheryl was feeling quite baffled. Am I crazy for wanting to believe him? What if it actually worked? The thoughts were flooding her mind as she shifted the car into park, turned the key into the off position, and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Let's give this a shot." She didn't know why she said it at the time. Perhaps it was the faith that it wouldn't work. Maybe it was the fact that she really wanted it to happen. She didn't know, but the thought of a few days being completely incognito was too good of an offer to pass up.
"Does this mean you'll be walking around in my body," she asked Johnny as the pair walked into the back yard.
"Yes. I'll have you know that I handled my mother's body, and life, with minimal problems," he said reassuringly. It didn't work.
"But… but what about Paul? Will he know? What about all of my plans?"
"You keep a detailed list of events in your Woogle Calendar, right? And Paul? I don't think he'll be able to put the pieces together. Honestly, you might get the chance to hang out with him in a new manner."
She nodded.
"Is there anything you can get out of?"
"Hold up," she said as she furiously typed away on her cellphone. "I love my girls, but I just thinned the plans for you… hopefully."
They continued back as Johnny opened the door to the Swap Shack. "Here it is," he said.
Cheryl was not impressed. In fact, a small wave of relief washed over her as she realized there was no way Johnny's machine was going to work. "It's… nice," she said flatly.
"If you just have a seat here, I can have this set up and ready to go in no time," he said.
"Can we switch back whenever we want?" Cheryl asked.
"I think so. Look, if you get cold feet or you just need to have your body back, I'll respect that. The last thing I want is one of us doing something rash in the other's body. Try to relax. Look at this as a real vacation. You don't have those responsibilities. You don't have to do anything, be anywhere, or meet up with anyone."
"I can just chill. Sleep in til noon. Eat junk food."
"That's the idea!" Johnny said as he continued getting everything set up. He attached the headset to Cheryl and uploaded the updated software to the laptop. He double-checked everything to make sure it was squared away. Satisfied by his due diligence, Johnny sat down in the adjacent chair and hooked himself up. The thrill of body swapping was starting to fill Johnny as he looked over at Cheryl. Her wavy brown hair was tied behind her head, and she was sporting a cotton blouse and pair of jeans. Cheryl, like other women her age, was showing the effects of years of unhealthy eating habits and missed gym sessions. Now, she wasn't fat by any means, but she had some cellulite buildup on her legs, her breasts were swollen, her arms weren't toned, and she sported a small double-chin. In her earlier years, she was no doubt an attractive woman. Her tanned skin and wild mane of thick brown hair were still stunning, thought Johnny.
Johnny caught Cheryl looking over his body, then back to herself. "You're sure you want to do this?"
"This isn't my first rodeo. Besides, I re-wrote some of the code, so this should be much more predictable than the last time. That being said, are you sure? Can you handle letting go for a few days?"
"Let's do it," she said with a steely resolve.
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