An Honest Day's Work
I had been working my ass off for quite a while, trying to pay off debt and make a living for myself. Whenever I vented about my work, especially around my dad, he always acted like it wasn't hard. often saying I never had done an honest day's work in my life. He always was annoying, never got why my mom got with him in the first place.
He always thought he was better than me with my IT job. He owned and worked at a local construction company, Sinclair Construction... he once drunkenly told me he would call it Sinclair and Son's if I was worth it. What an ass.
He was tall, around 6'3, had dark short hair that flowed nicely into his stubble, a squared and serious face with brown eyes. His body was like a wall, broad and yet no signs of anything but muscle, probably roided out. He had some tattoos on his body too, said they were from the military days. Even more reason not to like him. I didn't call him dad, though. I mean I never saw him as one. His name was Brock to me. A douchey first name if I had ever heard one.
Today was a bit odd, though. He called me up. I thought I never would see the day when he asked for my help but... he did. "Hey, [Y/N], You're into those electronics right?" Oh boy, this was going to be fun...
I sat up in my computer chair and nodded as I said "Yeah, why?" I was pretty skeptical as to why he wanted or needed me.
"Certified too, right?"
I groaned. "Okay, Brock, what do you want?" Of course I was certified, I had a job after all. It may not pay as well as his shitty one but it was at least more technical. I needed more brains to do my job than to hit a hammer against a wall.
"Well my guy just quit on us. Fuckin loser, your generation is so annoying with this? Don't any of you want to-" I cut him off and asked him what he needed, or if he just called to complain. If he did then I would promptly hang up. "Okay, jeez. That's another problem with your generation. Whatever. I need you to get off your ass and actually do some labor today. I'll pay. Just need someone certified to help with these wires."
Oh my god Did he really have to be that way? Why couldn't my dad ever just ask nicely. I had a plan, though. "If I do this, you have to promise to stop saying I've never worked a real man's job or any shit like that. Got it?" He agreed and I got my stuff and went down to the location he gave me. As I pulled up I saw a house under construction, looked big from what I saw of the shell. I walked past the little guard rails to the back and knocked on the door. I saw two of the other guys and they groaned before I texted Brock.
Eventually he came down and looked at me. He shook his head. "If you needed some equipment get it from the truck. Not letting my company be jeopardized by you." Warm welcome... I groaned and went to the truck, grabbing a hardhat, vest, boots, and gloves. Although none of his other workers had them on. I went inside and looked around.
One of the workers walked up to me. "Alright, boss is a bit busy so we're gonna need you to run those wires up to the outlets or whatever upstairs. Hurry up with it too." I nodded and started at it. These guys were all rude. I heard them making jokes about me as well. I started to get some cable from the box, this was way more than light electric work. I had to wire the whole ass house!
I pulled some wire through as I got my vest stuck. God damn it. I started to yank as I felt my arms get a bit tighter. more wire came through as I got to the upstairs. I didn't say a word to Brock. He was such an asshole for this. I doubt I'd even get paid. I walked through the house up and down... Unbeknownst to me my arms and legs were gaining weight, muscular weight. Soft and useful muscle came down my body.
Then a guy came up to me. "Hey, we're gonna need you out there for a second." He patted my back and looked at me as I followed, groaning a bit. They had a big cement block.
"What do you need me to d-" The guy handed me the block. I struggled to keep it up before the guy told me to put it in the garden. i didn't know why but my body moved on it's own. Every step with these blocks felt easier until I put them down.
I oddly filled in my head what they wanted. I started to put the blocks around, slowly making the landscaping look nice? What? How? I had no skill in this. I clapped my hands as I went back, my chest now swole with some hair.
Work went like this for a while, the stress was getting to me. I could feel sweat go down my chin as I worked harder than I ever had before. The stress made my face feel sore. Like I was older.
Around four hours later I felt my dad pat my back. "See you have been talkin to the guys, likin it so far?" He smirked. "For someone who's never done this before you're a natural. Like we've been doin this for years."
"Huh? I mean... I think this is stupid but... I dunno. It just came naturally." I felt somethin bottling up in me before I spat out the words. "If this generation isn't gonna step up then better have someone like me." I was shocked by what I just said. I sounded like my dad. He laughed and took me up the stairs and to a finished mirror. In the mirror I saw myself, but I looked nothing like how I did. I looked more like him! A squared face with his eyes, stubble for a manlier face. Muscles rippling from everywhere, soft and useful and not like those showboat ones. A total dad bod showing how much I aged. I looked around his age now... I gasped and held my face. "What did you do to me?"
He sighed. "I didn't do anything to you, you did this to yourself. You said yes to the first hard day's work in your life... and now look at you!" He patted my back again as I groaned. "Look, I know we ain't related. And I know you don't like me... but I decided this could be better. I needed someone who got me. These workers? They're great but your mom wanted something better. So I gave her a solution. Either you man up, or I man you up myself."
I was pissed and he could see that. "Oh, angry huh? Well, good thing that'll change soon enough too." He patted me and told me to get back to work. I didn't know why but my body did it. I went straight back to working. I tried to stop as my body aged more, my muscles grew more, my face changed more.
After two more hours I could feel my mind changing. I had previously thought they were funny. Their jokes were gross and rude. Eventually I found myself laughing at them, then telling them. I felt ashamed of myself, which slowly washed away.
People started to ask me how to do things. I gave them answers that were oddly right. I looked at Brock and tried to be mad but he'd say a joke and I'd laugh or something similar. Eventually everyone started calling me a new name Gabe.
At first I tried correcting them. I was [Y/N], not Gabe. But eventually I started saying Gabriel... then Just stopped correcting them. My mind was twisting as I gained new thoughts. Eventually Brock wanted my wallet and brought it out to his truck. He came back an hour later. He handed me a new wallet, leather and more based on utility.
In it was a new ID, for my new life. Oddly though... I had a new last name. Sinclair. He smirked at me and walked around before showing off a new logo. It was for his company... no our company. "Sinclair Brothers." I was his... brother?
EPILOGUE:
It has been three months since I changed. My mindset has changed, I quit my job, and everybody knows me as Gabe Sinclair now. The town knows me as a blue collar worker, and acts like I've always been this way. Surely Brock didn't pay off everyone.
At family events I'm never invited to my mother's stuff anymore... but Brock's parents treat me like I've grown up like this. Are they in on it? Either way I don't care. I'm happier now.
I work a real man's job and a real days' work. Unlike Trevor's son... hey... maybe we can add some more to our workforce. Worked for me, maybe it'll work for him too.


















