Trait Swapper: Skin (Patreon)

Sheryll walked to the makeup counter with her five-year-old son Denny.  On the way, Denny's skin was swapped with a woman only a few years older than his mother.

Denny waited while his mother looked over the products.  She was looking for a new foundation and maybe a new eye shadow palette.

Denny didn't care much about what his mother was doing.  Instead, he found a table with some moisturizers.  He saw something called, Dr. Brandt Skincare Microdermabrasion Age Defying Exfoliator.  He couldn't read all the words.  He couldn't make out all the words in a Dr. Seuss book.  But he knew he needed something like this.  He remembered seeing this product before.  It was good, but not the best.  That was for normal skin, but Denny knew his skin wasn't perfectly normal, it was slightly sensitive.

Denny looked over the products, there were so many to choose from.  Sheryll didn't mind as long as she could see the boy at all times.

Denny knew what he needed, he needed an exfoliator that uses lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acid. Until today, he had never even known those words existed.  Now, they were imperative to his skincare routine.  He looked through the products.  Money wasn't an object.  He barely knew what money was worth in the first place.

Denny saw VÍZ-1000 Hydrating Serum which had Hyaluronic Acid, and Sunday Riley's Good Genes Treatment which had Lactic Acid, and finally Miracle Skin Transformer Acne Control Tinted Treatment Lotion which has Salicylic Acid.  But MURAD AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser had all three.

Denny picked up the tube, it was a small tube, almost 7 ounces, and called, “Mommy, can I have this?”

“No, Honey.”

“But I need it.  I have to exfoliate my face.”

“You need to what?”

“Exfoliate.”

“Why do you need that?”

“I want to keep my face smooth.”

“Your face is plenty smooth.”

“But I want to keep it that way.”

“I said NO!”

“Can I at least get this?”  Denny held up a bottle of Bare Republic Mineral Face Sunscreen Lotion.

“We already have sunscreen.  Besides we aren't going to the beach anytime soon.  It's almost winter.”

“I should use sunscreen all year long.”

“Who told you that?”

“Everyone knows.  I want to keep my skin nice and smooth.  This will help”

“This area is for Mommies.  Not for little boys.”

“I need these things.”

“No, you don't.”

“What about this for my dry hands.  I need a moisturizer.”

“What's gotten into you?”

“Nothing.  I just need these things.”

“You can't have them.  But I'll get you a McDonald's when I'm done.”

“You want me to eat greasy burgers and fries?  I don't want to eat that.”

“You love McDonald's.  If you don't want a burger, you can have chicken nuggets.  There will be a toy in your happy meal.”

“I don't care, I'm not going to eat it.”

“OK, suit yourself.”  Sheryll went back to her cosmetic selection.

Denny looked around some more.  If Mommy wouldn't allow him those creams and lotions, maybe she'll get him some

“How about this?”  Denny was holding Glossier Body Hero Exfoliating Bar.  It would both moisturize his skin and exfoliate too.

“What about it?”

“Can I get it?  It's just soap.”

“We have plenty of soap at home.”

“Not like this.”

Sheryll had had enough.  Denny, stop asking for things.  Nothing here is for you.”

“You don't understand.  I have to keep my skin smooth.  I just have to.”

The scene deteriorated rapidly.  Soon Denny was having a tantrum. His skin was soft now, but if he didn't do something, it wouldn't stay that way.  He wanted these things more than any other toy he owned.

Sheryll had no other choice, but to grab Denny by the arm, pull him up.  He was crying on the floor now and slapped his butt hard three times.  Then she dragged him out of the store.

“Mommy, Mommy, buy me a moisturizer he screamed through tears.”

A mile away a woman who had passed Denny and his mother was in the drive-thru of a McDonald's.   She would order a Big Mac meal.  On her backseat, she had a bag full of skincare products that she would never use.

She wouldn't need to for a while, her skin was softer and smoother than it had been in thirty years.

End.

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