Plausible Deniability

PART ONE 

There had been a commotion at the Big Dipper. Nobody knew for sure what had happened. The queue and surrounding area had been evacuated suddenly, and roped off for over two hours now. Rumors were swirling, as they do when the public are left in the dark. Sensible, level-headed folk talked of water pump issues and bodily wastes in the pool. The more outlandish, and louder, folk claimed a young boy had gone down the slide and met an untimely end. He'd been launched off the water coaster by the powerful jets, and crashed into the nearby tanning spot. Or a crocodile had gotten loose and chomped him up as he came off the slide. Or even some dangerous chemical spilled into the water and liquified him to a fine paste. Why else would there be people in bio-hazard suits prowling the site? Whatever had happened, it was not a good day for Splashdown Adventure Park.

But as with all tragedies, the hype eventually died down as guests moved on with their vacation. Only half a dozen people still watched the action from the ice cream shop balcony, the only vantage point not closed off. "They're still testing the water," a guy said aloud as one of the suited men took another sample from the pool. "I wonder what they're trying to learn."

"Apparently, some experimental fertilizer got dumped into the pool, and the boy that went down the slide was exposed to it. Turned him into this huge, hairy adult with bulging muscles. Kinda like me. That's what I heard, anyway."

The guy cocked his head as he stared at the bald, brawny man a good decade older than him, before breaking out into a harsh cackle. "That's gotta be the stupidest thing I've heard this morning!" He brayed as he whacked the dismayed man on the back. "Oh thanks, pal. I needed a laugh like that. Literal magical bullshit turning a kid into a man, ha HAH!"

Miles frowned as the guy turned away, still chuckling to himself. "It's not stupid..." He mumbled under his breath. "Now being melted by chemicals, that's stupid..."

"Would you stop telling people that? We're trying to keep a low profile."

"But everyone thinks that I'm dead!" He growled in agitation. "They oughta know the truth, at least. I'm literally still here, I'm okay. In fact, I'm more than okay. I'm thriving!"

"Cool it, big guy," Chase sighed, not wanting to mediate another argument. Once was enough. That poor teenager was only doing his job. The law says you need to show ID to purchase alcohol, even if you do look more than double the legal age. But the less said about that, the better...

The new man slumped against the railings with a frown. After giving the lifeguards the slip, Chase had managed to convince him to ditch the neon-green swim shorts and go for something less conspicuous. Now Miles was wearing his dad's swim shorts, which were noticeably tighter than his favored freebie, his taut stomach slipping over the waistband. Chase found a few more accessories buried amongst the bags in the cabana which completed the look of your typical middle aged dad enjoying his day at the water park, much to Miles' chagrin. 

He tugged on the rim of the bucket hat placed precariously atop his head with a sneer. "I didn't like wearing hats when I had hair, let alone bald..." he moped. "Do I really have to wear all this? It's giving major dork vibes."

"At least one thing hasn't changed," Chase replied. "We don't want those lifeguards to notice you. And besides, we've run out of sunscreen. You don't want a sunburn on your scalp, right?"

"No Mom, of course not Mom. I'll keep my hat on Mom," Miles grumbled. "I can't believe that's a thing I have to worry about now. I was so caught up in the joy of never needing to shampoo or brush or style my stupid hair ever again, I didn't consider I'd still need to protect my bald head from anything. Hats have to be one of the uncoolest collections out there..."

Chase rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the slide. "Why is the Big Dipper still running? You'd think they'd turn it off while they dealt with the clean-up."

"A ton of fertilizer fell into that water," Miles replied. "Maybe they have to dilute it all before draining the pool. If they're this concerned about one wimpy kid being aged into a buff, hairy, sigma man, then imagine what'd happen if all that junk entered the ecosystem. I bet they'd get into lots of trouble for polluting the town's water."

"Or maybe it's tested clean, and they're going to reopen the ride. It looks pretty normal down there."

"You kidding? The water doesn't look that color because of the tiles, you know."

"Either way, there's too many people around the pool. You can't just throw me in, and hope for the best. So unless there's another way to gain access, I think it's a dead end." 

Chase sighed, unsure whether he felt disappointment or relief. His stomach was full of knots as he considered his options. It wasn't the thought of growing up that scared him, it was that he would be unrecognizable. A stranger in his own body. Miles may have already adjusted to his adult body, but to Chase, it was a foreign entity of bulk and fur and wrinkles. He acted like the Miles he remembered, but he looked nothing like the boy he called his friend. And that's just Miles. What was going to happen to him? Chase couldn't bare the thought of facing his reflection and not seeing himself.

But on the other hand, it was still Miles. Still his bestest friend in the entire world. He couldn't abandon him in this weird state of quasi-adulthood alone. Up to now, they'd been inseparable. Knowing he would never get to grow up, and reach those core milestones with his best friend by his side made his insides hurt. 

Which came to the other side of the story - being big. the prospect of being as large as Miles was becoming more and more favorable. Chase had never really thought about it until today, but he hated being small. It didn't help that he was the middle child of five, two twin older brothers and two twin younger sisters. He'd often feel invisible within his family. His parents had each other, the twins each had each other, Chase only really had himself. But if he were to grow up, nobody would ignore him. His family would have to notice him if he was just like his best friend. If he was a man.

Fears or not, he told Miles he was going down that slide, and he never backs down from his word. He was going to get on that ride somehow. Chase looked to his friend to pose the question, only to see that Miles wasn't even looking at the Big Dipper. His eyes were set on another attraction a bit further afield. He had a mischievous look in his eye as he stroked the tip of his bristly chin.

"I think I may have an idea..."

 --------------------

"I'm sorry little guy, you're a smidge too short to ride The Big Kahuna. But there's plenty of other slides you can go on! I bet the two of you would love Leaky Falls!"

"The kiddy play area?" Chase sighed, and kicked at the floor. "I hate being short..."

"Now hold on," Miles stepped up. "He was exactly 48 inches tall when we arrived this morning. He was able to get in the queue for the Big Dipper just fine. You know, before they closed it..." He leaned in closer and said in a low voice, "come on, it's his birthday. We've already had enough disappointment today. It's only a smidge, right?"

The woman looked up at Miles' tired face, then down to Chase's expectant eyes, and sighed before putting on a weary smile. "How can I say no to the birthday boy? Go, have fun!"

Miles grinned and ruffled Chase's hair. "What do you say to the nice lady?"

"Thank you!"

"Yes, thank you ma'am," Miles said as he led Chase up the inclined path. The woman kept up appearances until they were out of sight, whereupon she slumped her shoulders and scowled. She was not paid enough for this... 

As the two friends climbed up to The Big Kahuna, Miles rubbed a hand over his scratchy face with unbridled glee. "That woman didn't even question us at all! Not about your height, or your birthday, or even me. I reckon she actually thought that I was your dad. Can you believe it?"

"Miles, you're, like, forty years older than me now. Of course she thought you were my dad. That, or she's a real bad judge of character."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool I can basically be your surrogate father figure for the time being," Miles said, completely ignorant. "I bet your real dad'd never lie to sneak you onto a ride like that. He's a real square."

"A what?"

"You know, a square! It's, like, old talk for a dork. Since I'm essentially a freshly minted boomer, I should probably start speaking the lingo."

"I don't think that's how it works. You're still a gen alpha kid, just... More mature..."

"Uhm, I'm the one who magically became middle aged, and I say that's exactly how it works. What do you want me to say, that your cringefail dad's a cheug with no rizz?"

"Ick! No! " Chase shuddered. "Never say that again! You're the one who's cheugy..."

"Exactly! Because I'm not a kid any more. Let's face it, I'm in my forties, maybe even fifties. So using kid slang makes me sound like that one sub who thinks he's 'connecting with the students' but he's just embarrassing himself. I can't skibidi with the best of them any more..." Miles paused as he stared at his calloused hands, eyes locked on the dark hairs that swirled across the back of them.

"Miles? Hey, Miles!" Chase snapped his fingers in front of his friend's face. This was the thing to finally give him a mid-life crisis? Skibidi Toilet?? "Worry about this later. You haven't even told me why we're in line for a completely different ride."

"Huh?" Miles looked down onto Chase's frown, then chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, right! The plan! So this is one of the tallest rides in the park. You can see everything from up top. It also happens to be right next to..."

 As they reached the top of the climb, and before a small set of stairs that led up to The Big Kahuna, there was a brief part of the queue that overlooked an attraction a few dozen feet below them, separated by a steep, grassy hill. Chase gasped aloud. "Hold on, is that..?"

"Yup," Miles said with a smug cross of the arms. "We're overlooking the entrance to the Big Dipper slide! I noticed it when I was in the queue for it earlier. People were just waltzing on by above me while I was stuck waiting with a dumb float for half an hour... I didn't even realise what ride it was for until a few moments ago."

It looked eerily quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of the rest of the park. The conveyor belt that tipped riders onto the slide wasn't moving, but there was still water gushing from the top. It was the same eerie blue color as in the pool. Miles was right, once again. Chase hated when that happened... There was a singular lifeguard on duty, a college-aged man who looked like he wished he were anywhere else. Perhaps management assumed a heavy presence at the queue entrance was secure enough.

"So what now? I just go down the slide, and I'll become a man?"

"That's what happened to me." Miles mused. "Though given how long its been since the water got polluted, it's probably worn off some. You'll be lucky to be even half the age I am."

"You say that like it's a bad thing..." Chase joked, his voice wobbling. He stepped toward the wooden railings before hesitating. "Okay, but what if it's had time to brew, and it's actually stronger now. So strong that I end up even older than you? No offense, but you're old enough as it is..."

"No, that is a valid concern," Miles muttered with a stroke of his chin. "If you're having second thoughts, you don't have to do it."

"Of course I do, or we can never be friends again..."

"Chase," Miles sighed in a weary tone. He knelt down on one knee so he could look his childhood friend in the eye. Chase had never seen him look so serious. It was a little disturbing. The solemn expression, the steadfast jaw. This could have been any adult man in his life, not the carefree goofball he called his best friend. "This isn't a decision you make easily. What happened to me was an accident, I didn't know I was going to come off that slide 40 years older and 200 pounds heavier. And honestly, I've been downplaying how scary this whole situation has been."

"You, scared?" Chase deadpanned.

"Of course I was scared! When I wiped the water from my face and felt my beard for the first time, my heart practically stopped. Seeing all the muscle and hair that had replaced my tiny kid body, I thought I got knocked out on the slide and was having a nightmare. So I pulled out a few chest hairs, and the pain told me I was awake, which was so much worse! Then those strange guys in their suits surrounded me. I could've crapped myself. I thought maybe I'd mutated into a monster or something, and they were going to 'do away' with me... Even when I saw you for the first time. I must've seemed so excited, but I was panicking on the inside. Especially when you didn't believe it was me. We were practically the same size this morning, and now I dwarf you like a giant. Heck, I'm on my knees and I'm still looking down on you!"

"No need to rub it in..."

"The point is, I may come off as enthusiastic about my change but this isn't a normal thing to happen. I'm a middle-aged burly bear of a man. I've skipped over the prime of my life and I'll never be young again... Now I've already accepted that. It's pretty obvious that I like who I've become, warts and all. Given the choice again, I would still go down that slide, no hesitation. But just because I like being a furball, doesn't mean you will."

He had a point, Chase thought. But there was still the question of comradery. "What about our plan to live together in a big mansion? Because I don't think my parents would let you adopt me if I stayed a kid."

"Well, that wasn't exactly realistic, for one," Miles smirked. "So we wouldn't live together, that doesn't mean we can never stay in touch. I could be, like, your DuckTales friend. The super rich and fun uncle who takes you on adventures around the world." He sighed, and placed his hefty mitts on Chase's shoulders, emphasizing just how big he'd become. "Just think about it," Miles said, "because once you get on that slide, there's no going back."

Chase sighed. "When did you get so wise?"

"About the same time I grew this beard." A smile cracked across his face and, once again, Chase could see his best friend beneath all the wrinkles and facial hair. The same smile as the goofy kid who replaced the sugar with salt at breakfast only a few days prior. He'd been there all along.

In that moment, Chase finally understood what this meant to him. It was never about growing old, or the money, or even his friendship. It was about staying true to himself. Despite his size and hirsuteness, Miles was still the same rambunctious guy he'd known his whole life. Just enhanced. He could grow old and still be young at heart. His entire body could become unrecognizable, but he would still be himself on the inside. He would always be Chase. And Chase wanted to be big, and masculine, and above all, he wanted to be older. He gave Miles a determined nod, and grinned. "Let's do this."

Chase looked over the side of the railing. It was a steep drop, even with the grassy padding. And what was he going to do about the guard? It was a lot to ask of a little boy. Fortunately, Miles took the initiative. He could only watch as the behemoth crashed through the wooden railing like it was made of cardboard, and slid down the dirt hill with a loud holler.

The sole lifeguard turned and gulped as the hairy behemoth descended towards him. "Wait, stop! Y-you're not supposed to-" He managed to stammer in a feeble attempt at authority before Miles hit the floor with a bounce and immediately tackled the lad to the ground with an almighty thud.

As Miles laid on the young man with all his brawn, he cocked his head to the side, then smiled. "Hey, I know you!" He said cheerfully. "You used to babysit me when my parents worked late. Before you went to college, anyway."

"Huh-whuh?" The guy looked dazed. "Babysi... How could..."

"I know, I've done a lot of growing up since you last saw me," he said with a cocky grin. He beat a fist against his chest and said, "it's me, Miles!"

"Miles...? Wait, you went down the slide?? I thought... All a joke..."

"I sure did! I'm a big man now. I gotta be twice your age, at least! Twice the size too. And, like, a thousand times hairier. Pretty cool, right?" Miles nodded up to Chase, who was slowly crawling down the slope, trying not to slip or tread of any of the debris from Miles' entrance, and added "my friend's gonna go down the slide too so we can be big men together."

"No... He shouldn't..." The guy slurred, his vision doubling before finally passing out.

"Whoops, I guess I really don't know my own strength..." Miles sighed before turning back to his friend and crying out, "Come on, Chase. Before he wakes back up!"

Chase reached the bottom and padded over to Miles with a frown. "You didn't have to wreck the railing, or knock out the guard, you know... You think he'll be okay?"

"He's been through worse, he used to play rugby before he went to college. Besides, it's all a part of the plan," Miles said with a tap of his nose. He got up to his knees before grappling with a nearby fence to hoist himself back to his feet. He let out a groan and rubbed his lower back. "Oooh, whenever grown ups complained about their aching bodies, but I thought they were overreacting," he sighed. "I am going to feel that tomorrow..."

"Okay, old man," Chase said with a roll of the eyes, "Quit complaining and help me get this thing moving." 

He hopped inside the vacant tube that had been left on the conveyor belt, and shuffled it closer to the lip of the slide. The water felt oddly cool to the touch. Less like cold water, more like when you use body wash with menthol. Cold Plus. It tingled wherever the water splashed him. Miles grabbed a hold of the float, and nodded his head. "Okay, this is your final chance to back out. I'm giving you an out here. You don't need to grow up if you don't want to."

"You know as well as I do that once I've committed to something, I don't back down," Chase grinned. "Besides, even if I wanted to leave, I think it's already affecting me." He shifted uncomfortably in his float as the coolness spread. Were his legs getting longer, his feet gaining a new shoe size, or was it his overactive imagination?

"Well alright!" Miles beamed, clearly relieved that Chase wanted to stay. He patted him on the shoulder, then pressed the button that sent a shudder through the conveyor belt. "See you at the bottom, kid."

With one last look at his older friend, knowing their age gap would imminently close, Chase went over the edge of the slide. His stomach flipped as he went down the drop, and for a brief moment, he forgot everything that had happened and what was about to come. He was just having fun for what felt like the first time that day. He hit the bottom of the slide with a jolt. The bubbling water jets pulsed around the float, and he was sent flying up towards a dark tunnel, his stomach flipping once more as the float briefly escaped the stream and landed with a splash that sent water all over him. That weird, menthol-like tingle swept across his body now, as he spiraled around in what looked like twinkling stars all around him. He shifted in his float uncomfortably. He'd been resting with the float on his shoulder, but now he was leaning forwards slightly to keep balanced, the middle of his back resting against the rubber. Surely he hadn't grown that much already.

Chase entered daylight once more, and his stomach flipped before he even went down the drop. He had grown significantly. His legs hung over the edge of the float at the knee, each with an emerging layer of dark hairs across the calves. His monster-sized feet were grazing the water's edge. While his torso was practically twice the size, now hunched over as he gripped the float handles. How Miles didn't realize anything was up was beyond him, he was quite clearly in the throes of puberty, maybe even nearing its end. But before he could fully process the stupendous growth spurt he'd achieved, he was sent flying up the next ramp and into darkness once more.

Lights zoomed around him in various colors, like comets and meteors. Each burst of simulated space rock lit up his changing body, giving brief glimpses of unfurling muscle and the shadows of body hair. When he appeared once more in the sunlight, it was apparent he was an actualized grown up. Swathes of dampened, dark hair coated his chest and snaked down his stomach. More hair clung to his arms and legs in swirled patterns. His trunks were ripping apart at the seams under the pressures of his tree-trunk thighs. As Chase hit the bottom of the dip, the water jets were the final straw as his shredded shorts were sent flying up the ramp before he was. Before he could even acknowledge the sight of his grown up genitals, he entered the final tunnel.

Once more in the darkness, Chase was beginning to feel sick from all the bumps and spirals. That, or it was a by-product of aging several decades in minutes. The final tunnel was entirely pitch black, which made the sudden drop within very unexpected. He cried aloud as his stomach flipped. A rough, guttural growl that surprised him as much as the drop. 

Finally, he re-entered the outdoors. Chase blinked in the bright light, squinting as he drifted towards the end of the slide. There were more than a dozen people in bio-hazard suits watching him from afar. He gulped as the float hit the pool. He slipped off its rubbery confines and into the water below.

Chase dove underwater, and held his breath. He wanted to stay under for as long as he could. It was better than facing all those angry people. But eventually, he had to come up for air. He broke the surface with a desperate gasp, and stood in the water. He wasn't even treading water like usual, his feet were firmly on the pool floor. Not only that, the water didn't even come up to his waist. It was like standing in a bathtub. He wiped the water off his face, getting his first taste of what was to come. 

His face felt longer, stronger, yet more malleable than he was used to. Then there was that unusual sensation above his upper lip. He poked his tongue upwards to confirm his suspicion, a bushy mustache now overhung his mouth. Unlike Miles, he didn't gain a full beard, yet his cheeks still felt uncomfortably rough to the touch. To top it off, his scalp had that same strange sensation around the sides which gave way to sleek skin up top, given he was now entirely bald. He sighed to himself, he hoped he'd keep his hair. But beggars can't be choosers.

The next thing he couldn't help but notice was the hefty belly that blocked his view of anything below the waist. It didn't take a genius to tell his trunks were long gone by how the cool water splashed around his crotch. He gave his stomach a rub, and found it was more solid than he expected. Maybe there was some muscle beneath all that blubber. His pecs certainly felt more like tough slabs of beef instead of the sad sacks of fat most men his size had. Well, he did want to be as big as Miles, and there was more than one way to be huge. At least now there was no chance people could ignore a man his sheer size. 

Although he was still in the pool, it seemed the changes had come to a halt. Chase looked around, noticing the people in suits had backed away from him. One of them reached for a walkie talkie, and said "Uhhh, we have another Code Silver at the Big Dipper... Yeah, just came down now... Uhhm, a caucasian male, approximately, uhh, late fifties, possibly early sixties... Okay, received. Over and out."

Chase gulped. He knew there was a chance he'd be older than Miles. But that old!? He stepped away from the faux rockwork surrounding the pool to get the man's attention, and asked in that grit-soaked bass he'd gained "What's going to happen to me?"

"Don't worry, you're a little confused. Everything is going to be okay."

There was a sudden commotion. The sound of people yelling and struggling. Over the top, he could hear Miles' unmistakable voice yelling "Chase! CHAAASE!" until the man himself parted through the barrier of suits. He was panting, having clearly fought his way through. The two man locked eyes, and Miles cocked his head. "Woah, Chase! Is that really you?"

"I don't know anyone else who'd be paddling butt naked in this pool."

Miles chuckled, and sat by the pool side, his legs dangling in the water. "Sorry, I was expecting you to be, you know, more like me. What's with the mustache?"

"I don't know, what's with your mustache?"

"I also have a beard. I just figured... You know what, it doesn't matter. Who knows how this stuff works."

"Yeah, well a lot more has changed about me. My voice, for one. I sound like Mr. Krabs. Second of all, I'm as wide as I am tall. And thirdly, I've got hair on my chest and none on my head."

"I know the feeling. Looks like we're going to have to get you a hat," Miles said with a cocky grin. "You know, to protect your precious scalp from the sun? We're bald bros now. Bald bros forever!"

"Har har," Chase grumbled as he rubbed the top of his head. It was possibly the hardest thing to accept. He loved his auburn curly locks. "Don't call us that again, it sounds like we host a podcast."

"Oh my gosh, we should totally start a podcast!" 

Chase shook his head with a weary chuckle. "Would you help me out of this pool before it decides to steal more of my youth. I mean, you never know..."

Miles helped him out of the pool and over to a nearby bench, before sitting down next to him. He took his bucket hat off, passing it to Chase below the belly. "You know, for decency." Then slung an arm around his old friend and lowered his voice. "But seriously," he said in a softer tone. "Are you okay? I know you didn't want to be old, and... Well... You're not exactly young..." He rubbed the back of his head with an apologetic wince. 

"To be honest it's a lot to take in..." Chase gazed down at his hands, large and rugged with a mix of dark and white hairs across the top. He ran one of them across his meaty chest, a myriad of white chest hairs tickling his fingertips, then down across his bloated stomach before giving it a slight pat. "It's not ideal, but I think I'll be okay once I'm used to all this," he said with a shake of his belly. "On the plus side, I still feel like me on the inside."

"Well I could have told you that. I've never not felt like myself."

"I wanted to be a big man, so that's another plus. Sure I'm not swole like you, but there's definitely some muscle underneath all of this. And I'm definitely taller than you."

"No you're not."

"Yuh-huh!" He declared as he pushed himself up to his feet, his belly bouncing from the sudden shift. Miles followed swift, frowning as he faced the realization he only came up to Chase's chin, even on his tiptoes. Chase smugly smirked and patted him on the head. "It's nice to finally look down on your chrome dome for once." Miles poked his tongue out, and batted his hand away. "It really makes up for the extra maturity boost." 

"You were always the more mature of the two of us. All you've done is make it more literal."

"Yeah, but it'd still be nice to be the youngest of us," Chase sighed. Before he could dwell on his situation any further, he noticed something behind Miles, There were a few men dressed in business suits, alongside a slim, younger woman wearing casual clothes over a bikini. "Woah-oh..."

"Milo Fernando Iglesias!" Miles cringed, he hated when his mom pulled out his full name. That always meant he was in big trouble, and this was no exception. He spun around to face her with his signature innocent smile, though it didn't look quite so innocent beneath his scruffy beard. "How dare you walk out of such an important meeting! We've had the whole park searching for you. When I heard that another person had gone down this death trap, I prayed to God my son wouldn't be involved, and yet here you are at the scene of the crime!" 

 "Mama, it's not that big a deal. We'll explain everything!"

"Hi Mrs. Iglesias." Chase said with an awkward smile. "I guess I'm who you're talking about..."

"Chase?" Miles' Mom gasped. "Oh you poor sweet baby, what happened to you? Surely you didn't... But how could you...." She pointed an accusing figure towards Miles and said "Your father is doing his best to vouch for your innocence, and you pull a stunt like this? It's awful enough that you ended up in this situation, but to drag poor, innocent Chase into it as well!?"

"It wasn't his fault, ma'am," Chase said earnestly, trying to break the tension. "Honestly, if anything, it was m-"

"The park's fault!" Miles interrupted. Chase gave him a curious look, but the man nodded his head slightly before continuing. "I admit I probably should have let you know I was leaving to find Chase. But I didn't want to disturb your lawyer stuff, and I was worried that he was all alone, not knowing what had happened. You know that people think I died? He needed to know the truth!"

"He's right," Chase added. "He explained everything, and I felt super bad for him 'cause it wasn't his fault that he ended up growing into a gross, hairy grown up."

"I'm not gross," Miles grumbled under his breath before adding, "we was gonna go back to join you guys, but we've been here for ages, and neither of us had done a ride together! So I suggested we do The Big Kahuna, since it was on the way and we'd never done it before. In the queue, I noticed we overlooked the Big Dipper entrance. I was confused since the slide was still working but nobody was going on. So I pointed it out to Chase when I leaned on the railing, and it snapped! I guess I'm a lot heavier than I thought." He rubbed the back of his neck with a boastful chuckle. "I fell down the hill, and the poor lifeguard tried to catch me, but I landed on him and knocked him out. Again, heavier than I know. Somebody should check on him, actually..."

"I was worried for Miles, he just got turned into a grown-up, and now he's falling off high places! It's like the park was out to get him. So I slid down the hill after him, just to make sure he was alright."

"I was, just a couple scrapes and bruises... But when Chase reached the bottom, he tripped over the knocked-out lifeguard and fell backwards onto the ride!"

"I did?" Chase seemed confused before correcting himself. "I did! There was a float waiting on the track, and before I knew it, I'd tipped the float right over the edge. Miles tried to grab me but it was too late..." He teared up at the thought. "It was so scary, I could feel myself changing, getting bigger and older, but I couldn't stop it. And now I'm just as big and old and gross as Miles! I've lost my childhood, and a huge chunk of my life, and it's all your fault!"

"Our fault?" One of the suits scoffed. "Your tale sounds like utter trash. Broken railings? Tripping and falling onto the ride? Do you take us for gullible fools, because your story is far-fetched."

"Far-fetched?" Chase growled. "You think I did this to myself deliberately!? That I wanted to be fat and bald and hairy and old?!? I don't even know what I look like, but from what I heard, I could be in my sixties. My grandpa is fifty-eight, am I older than him now? Is it fair that this park's failings have caused me this pain and tragedy?? I didn't want this to happen, I want to be a boy again..."

Chase suppressed a sob, but a few tears streaked down his cheeks. With that, Mrs. Iglesias turned to the park official by her side, and jabbed a finger in his direction. "How dare you accuse this poor innocent soul of deliberately jumping into danger! Clearly there's a laundry list of OSHA violations at every turn in this death trap you call a water park! Ooooh, we are going to have a field day with this!"

"Now, now. Nobody's jumping to conclusions. We want to solve this matter as much as you, and ensure nothing like this ever happens in our parks again. Why don't we discuss this further with your husband. I'm sure we could come to an amicable agreement without the need for further action, hmm?" 

The proper grown-ups left in a hurry, sniping back and forth over legal action again. Meanwhile, the two former boys stayed sat on their bench. Chase wiped the tears from his eyes with a sniff, and Miles cleared his throat, putting a hand on Chase's shoulder. "Hey, so was all that true?" He asked. "That you hate what's happened? You regret growing up?"

"I just said what your parents needed to hear. It's probably been difficult for them to argue on your behalf when you're obviously flaunting your manhood all the time. But now there's me, the poor little boy who became an old man through no fault of his own."

"Is that a no or...?"

"I'll get back to you on that. I need time to let it settle in... But I don't think I regret it, no." 

Oh, that's a relief," Miles sighed. "I thought you were going to hate me forever!" 

"I think I would have forgiven you eventually." The two sat in content silence for a moment until a realization came to Chase. "We did lie though. What if the lawyers find out? Then we'd have no case and no money. This would all have been for nothing..." 

"Don't worry," Miles said. "They told me earlier that an electrical fire in the construction zone knocked out the power to CCTV in the surrounding area. That was their excuse for having no evidence of how the pool was polluted in the first place. If they call our bluff, they'll have to admit they were also lying about that. It's our word versus theirs. Plausible deniability and what not."

"Good ol' possible dennibilty." 

"You almost got it... Besides, Splashdown would still be responsible for their utter lack of security around a dangerous hazard, allowing two boys to skirt the rules and put themselves in danger. They also decided to leave the slide running, and they contaminated the water in the first place. We're just collateral damage in the grand scheme of things." Miles stretched his arms out, and tucked his hands behind his head with a cocky grin. "Yup, there's a whole bunch of stuff I bet they don't want the public finding out about, let alone a court of law."

"So they're just going to cover this whole thing up?"

"If it means they don't have to close all of their water parks and face jail time, I wouldn't put it past them!"

"Well alright!" Chase smiled for what felt like the first time since he came off the slide. He grabbed a towel, wrapping it round his waist and underneath his stomach to ensure it stayed put. "Welp, I should probably get those glow-stick swimming shorts back at the cabana, and we can go meet your parents." He started to head to the Big Dipper exit. "You remember the way?"

"We could do that," Miles said in a mischievous tone. "Or, we could hit up some rides!"

"Miles..." 

"What? You know, my parents are going to take ages working their magic on those Splashdown lawyers to make sure we get a decent payday, We've been here for hours, and I've literally done one ride. I've got a lot of adrenaline that's just aching for release!"

"The last time you didn't go back, they sent their goons after you."

"Come on! It's not like we can get into any more trouble. You're already grandpa age, and I'm probably pushing fifty. We gotta live while we can! By getting back in the queue for The Big Kahuna!"

"It is the tallest slide in the park..." Chase mused with a stroke of his dignified mustache. "Otherwise, it's a waste of a day if we don't do the rides..."

"It's such a waste of a day!"

"Well, alright... But I get first dibs!"

"What?? No fair!"

-------------------- 

As those middle-aged, brawny men rushed out of the Big Dipper exit, things were still business as usual amongst the people in suits. A truck with an attached glass tank appeared from the construction site, and several more suits jumped out with a hose and pump that was inserted into the pool. Slowly but surely, the water level began to drain into the tank. One of the new suits approached another, each showing their identification.

"So, any updates?" 

"The contamination in the water hasn't subsided. If anything, it's increased in potency. We're still waiting back on results of its composition. Meanwhile, another boy made his way down the slide, presumably the first boy's friend, and he experienced similar effects. An extreme increase in physical maturity and body mass with no change in mentality. So we know this wasn't an outlier."

"Good, that's why we're here. I'm sure the park management is happy to see the backside of this water. It was kind of them to contact us as soon as it happened."

"From what I hear, they're expecting us to cover any legal fees and settlements from those two boys. Can you believe he's the son of the Iglesiases? It's not going to be cheap."

"Well we're investing in this liquid gold. Once we learn the ins and outs, and conduct a few trials in a better controlled environment, we'll more than make the money back with our little miracle..."

The water pouring down the Big Dipper came to a gradual halt as the slide finally shut down for maintenance. The official response from Splashdown Adventure Park was that some construction work in the nearby area had spilled some oil into the pool. A boy entered the pool, and was treated for minor injuries. Everyone else was evacuated until the spill could be properly cleaned up. It would be several hours before it re-opened, contamination free. It almost sounded too convenient of a story. However, whatever may have happened that day would soon be forgotten by the next news cycle.