top of page
Writer's pictureHenry Cavanaugh

Supposed To Be Difficult

“You could never last a week as me,” my older brother had said. “You’re a freshman, you’ve got no responsibilities and you might talk a big talk but you’re nothing more than a pushover!” It wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. I’d never had much of a good relationship with Chase no matter how hard our parents tried to get us to bond. He was an athletic jock-type who had quickly gained popularity after joining the school’s football team while I was an out-and-proud member of the drama club who couldn’t be much lower on the social hierarchy of our school if I tried.

Our latest argument was over who had a more difficult school life. He seemed to think that just because he had the pressures of popularity and keeping our school football team’s winning streak going that he had it so much more difficult than me, a fourteen-year-old who had been bullied relentlessly for daring to be open about my sexuality and my less-than-traditionally-masculine interests. Anybody would think that was a crime considering the way I was treated on a daily basis.


Chase’s girlfriend Katherine was the one that came up with the idea that we switch bodies to see whose life was really more difficult. I was surprised that she suggested it but he was so willing to do anything she asked of him that he agreed which shocked me even more. I took a little bit of confusing because as much as I was envious of my older brother’s much bigger, more powerful body I wasn’t sure I really wanted to be him for any length of time.


How wrong I was! I’ve had the best week of my life and I think it’s fair to say I was right all along. Sure, maybe I have the responsibility of being the captain of the football team but did you see how great I was in that game? I pretty much won the whole thing for us! The rest of the team were saying that’s the best I’d ever played too so Chase can have fun with the knowledge that his nerdy ‘queer’ brother is actually better than football at him.


Adjusting to being in Chase’s body took a little bit of time and I was certainly surprised when I found myself repulsed by the very same things I had previously found attractive. It seemed like any of my sexual desires towards men had faded, replaced by fantasies of barely-clad women and most importantly Chase’s girlfriend. She wasn’t complaining either, especially since I apparently retained all of my brother’s knowledge about her pressure points and how best to make her scream.

It turned out that Katherine had discovered that Chase was cheating on her with one of the cheerleaders and she wanted a way to get back at him. It was only supposed to be for the week but I think I’ve talked her round into leaving the spell in place. After all, my brother was so sure that being him was more difficult than anything I went through so I was doing him a favor by living his life for him while he gets to live to supposedly easy life of being the jock’s favorite punching bag. The fact they were once his best friends only makes it funnier.


As for football being difficult like he’d told me… well, I’ve already proved I can do it. Coach thinks I’ve got a real shot of going pro so I guess I should start getting ready for the next game. After all, the team needs their captain!

287 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page