The Line-Up

This is based on a caption from my old tumblr blog that was voted by Patrons in last week's poll to become a full story!

The Coach had told his team time and time again that if they didn’t rapidly start improving there would be consequences. Every single game there were too many interceptions for his liking, too many fumbles and too many sacks. The Coach was an intense man and let them have an earful when they were back in the locker room after what was likely another crushing defeat. They’d only won three out of their nine games in the season and in doing so they had tarnished the Coach’s perfect record, or so he said. He recognised that there were some members of the team genuinely trying to succeed but there were far too many young men who played sloppy games because they were more concerned about the cheerleaders on the sidelines or how many signs they could see in the stands with their names on them.

“I might not get a winning season outta you boys but like hell am I gonna be dragged down to the bottom of the league! No chance in hell! My damn nephew could play better football than most of you and he’s only sixteen for cryin’ out loud!” the Coach bitterly told his team after yet another victory had been whisked away from them in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately it wasn’t anything they hadn’t heard before. He delivered the same speech after each game but after four consecutive losses he decided to take things a step further. Being yelled at clearly wasn’t doing the job so the boys evidently needed more of an incentive to get their shit together. Thankfully the Coach already had the perfect idea. He’d said that his nephew could play football better than them so why not put that to the test?

The team were well aware of the Coach’s nephew Blake - he came to every game and was at most training sessions too. He was a reserve kicker for his high school team but everybody knew that he’d only got that position because of who he was related to. Blake was certainly not built like an athlete: barely five-foot-six, one-hundred-and-thirty-five pounds and with an overall very slender frame. Not one of the men on the Coach’s team had ever been a skinny runt like Blake at any point in their lives, nor would they want to be. That was why he was the perfect weapon for the Coach to use against them. 

Twelve men from the fifty-strong roster were pulled aside by the Coach before they could leave the locker room. Each of them knew why they had been chosen - they were responsible for some sort of fuck-up during the game, be it failing to protect the QB from a sack or fumbling a pass that should have been an easy catch. Nerves soon creeped in for most of the men as they feared what was to become of them, particularly judging from the dark expression on the Coach’s face. Were they being cut from the team? Was their dream of playing football at a national level finally over? Of course, none of them could quite predict what the Coach really had planned, so when young Blake entered the locker room and stood beside his uncle, there was some confusion among the players gathered there.

“I said my nephew could play a better game than any of you and now we’re gonna prove it,” the gruff older man explained, eyeing up each of his chosen players in turn. “Blake here is going to choose one of you and he’ll be taking your place on the team for the rest of the season.” There were a few confused faces among the players and some even seemed to be stifling laughs. “Oh, I forgot to mention that he won’t just be takin’ your place, he’ll be takin’ your body too.” That was enough to stun all of the men into rigid shock. “That’s right, boys, one of you is gonna be headin’ back to high school as my darlin’ nephew here!”

With all twelve off the men stood silently in a line, Blake was given time to patrol each of them as the Coach explained their infractions and then what would be expected of his nephew if he was to take their place. The teen kept a neutral expression as he passed by each man, although he secretly relished in the alarm he saw behind each of their eyes. For the first time in his life he had power and authority over guys who were twice his size and weight and that was simply an incredible feeling. Of course, Blake had watched each member of the team from the sidelines for years and already knew plenty about them, plus he already had his prime target in mind, but keeping them all in suspense for a few minutes longer was just as fun.

There was only one man among the twelve who didn’t seem to be quaking in their boots: Jay Aldritch, one of the team’s wide receivers. Rather than scared, Jay appeared to be angry and the glare he levelled at Blake when the teen stopped in front of him carried the weight of several expletive-filled threats. Although he was by no means the sloppiest member of the team, Jay had an ego that often got in the way of him successfully gelling with the rest of the team. He could be rude and obnoxious in the locker room and demanding out on the field, harassing the quarterback whenever he opted to pass elsewhere. The fact that he was handsome enough to walk the runway and look right at home only inflated his ego further and it was becoming rather troublesome for the Coach to handle. That combination of reasons made him the perfect choice.

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare,” Jay threatened, his deep voice as sharp as any knife. Unluckily for him, all that did was help solidify Blake’s choice. Knowing that it would perhaps be the one and only moment he’d be able to really take down an arrogant jock like Jay, Blake let a sweet satisfied smirk settle on his features. 

“I’ve made my choice,” he announced suddenly. “I’ll be taking Jay’s place on the team.” Eleven sets of shoulders all relaxed from their tensed states around him and the Coach quickly dismissed all but two of them, who he instructed to hold Jay in place. Barely ten seconds later and only five individuals remained in the room: the Coach, Blake, Jay, and the two guys with a hold on Blake’s future body. 

As expected, Jay wasn’t one to take things without protest and, struggling against the teammates that kept a grip on him, he was soon up in the Coach’s face, towering over the man and muttering so many obscenities at the older man that he was even spraying spittle over the other. Despite the tirade right in his face, the Coach remained calm and instead reached into his pocket to pull out a small bag, from which he took a piece of red chalk. Jay’s threats continued while the coach drew two unique patterns on the palm of each of his hands. He inspected them both for a moment before pressing one to Jay’s forehead and suddenly the wide receiver’s body stood rigid and his rant was immediately silenced.

“Don’t let me down, boy,” the Coach directed at Blake before pressing the palm of his free hand to his nephew’s forehead. The teen’s body went similarly rigid for a moment, before both bodies shook and their souls were given passage right through the Coach and into their new home. The two teammates who had remained behind let go of Jay and jumped back, terrified that they might somehow get pulled into whatever magic was in the process of bringing Coach’s master plan to life. Their worry needn’t have lasted long: thirty seconds later and it was done. The team’s biggest problem was suddenly a no-factor.

For a brief moment Blake had felt totally weightless before he settled into his new body and became aware of just how big he was. He now stood over six-foot, was comfortably over two-hundred pounds and even had a well-defined six pack! He took a step back, rolling his shoulders and clenching his hands into fists for a brief moment. Even just moving parts of Jay’s body was an exciting experience and a smile quickly spread across his handsome face. “Holy shit,” he murmured, elated to hear the older man’s voice speak the words. “It worked, Uncle!”

“Hey, I ain’t your Uncle anymore,” the older man in between them remarked, “Call me Coach from now on.” He clapped a shoulder down on his player’s shoulder, a proud smile breaking out across his worn features.

“Yes, Coach!” Blake exclaimed, beaming across at the man who had been his hero for the better part of his life. He’d dreamed of one day playing for his uncle’s team and now he finally had that opportunity - as one of the best wide receivers on the team, no less! 

It wouldn’t take long for Blake to prove himself either: within the first game he had scored two touchdowns and caught some impressive long passes from the quarterback, much to the adulation of the roaring crowds and the rest of the team, many of whom still unaware that their teammate Jay was actually the coach’s nephew! Those eleven other men who had been kept behind that fateful day - and especially the two who had witnessed the exchange - had decided not to share what had happened for fear of what Coach might do to them if they dared risk his ire. Indeed, everyone on the team was working harder than ever both in training and under the bright lights. It wasn’t for nought either, they’d played their best game of the whole season!

As for the former Jay, he was struggling to adjust to not only being forced out of his body but also being back in high school and not as one of the popular kids as he had been during his own high school days. He was barely tolerated by the school’s jocks for his position on the team and was being bothered by Blake’s friends for missing their weekly board game sessions. “I don’t know what’s going on with you but you’re being a real moody asshole right now,” one of them had even had the gall to say to Jay when he’d told them to “stop fuckin’ botherin’” him. 

As if I’d lower myself to being such a loser, he thought bitterly, although truthfully he had to admit that he was feeling both lonely and miserable now that he was so far removed from the perfect life he had crafted for himself. He had nobody to talk to about what was really going on though as the only presence at home was the Coach himself - Blake apparently didn’t have a good relationship with his parents - who relished in knowing that Jay was being forced to play the role of a dutiful nephew. He even demanded that Jay refer to him as ‘Uncle’ too!

Perhaps the worst of it though was that his hormones were out of control and, despite his wishes, he was paying special attention to his former teammates and their muscular bodies. He had long suspected Blake had been gay from the hungry looks the younger individual had cast his way when he thought Jay couldn’t see, but he’d never expected to experience those homosexual feelings while he was in the other’s body! He’d resisted the urge to give into those desires so far but the end of the season was still two whole months away. How was he going to make it without going out of his mind? 

Maybe if he was able to have a one-on-one conversation with Blake he’d be able to win the other over and get him to convince the Coach to switch them back. That felt like a long shot but what other choice did he even have? This couldn’t go on for a moment longer!