With school over for the graduating class at Silverview High School, everyone was having a blast. Everyone, that was, except for Sara. She was busy building up the courage to confess to her crush. It was their school’s annual end of the year party for the senior class, and probably the last time most of them would be seeing each other. With graduation over, this was her last chance to tell Max how she felt. 

She’d had a crush on Max pretty much since the school year began. Ever since the two were partnered up for a history assignment by complete coincidence, Sara knew she had feelings for him. They’d talked every day in history class, but she was never able to work up the courage to tell him how she felt. She’d come close a few times, but always stopped just short due to her own fear. Maybe it was because she worried how her JROTC friends would react to her confessing to someone outside of their social circle, or perhaps it was because she was scared he wouldn’t feel the same way towards her. Probably the latter. 

Now here, possibly on the last day they’d ever see each other, she was chickening out again. Part of her wanted to abandon this idea and just go play tag with the other JROTC cadets, but Sara knew she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about him. A few tables away sat Max, off with the rest of his robotics buddies. They were lounging and drinking sodas as they talked about their plans for the future, looking like they were having a great time. With Max bound for college and Sara destined to be a pilot, and later a colonel like her father and oversee the nearby Air Force base, their paths would diverge and likely not connect ever again. 

Idly, Sara reached down to pat the envelope in her pants pocket. In it was the handwritten letter she’d spent hours on, tirelessly making sure each word was perfect and accurately portrayed her feelings for him. If she blundered her way through telling him in person, she could always fall back on that. She studied Max some more, both hoping and fearing he would turn and look her way.

There was just something about his body that rendered Sara incapable of taking her eyes off of him. Perhaps it was how different his body was from hers. By her best guess, Max was five foot nine, but skinny. He had the fluffiest, curliest, light brown hair Sara had ever seen; a stark contrast to her own black hair which absolutely refused to curl. He had the most adorable freckles on his cheeks, something the cadet had spent many a class period daydreaming about. Sara reached up to idly twirl a stray lock of hair, thinking about how she could stare into his deep, brown eyes for hours. 

Sara was five foot five, and in incredible shape from years of constant physical training. While she lacked bulging biceps and a chiseled six pack, she had next to no fat on her body. Her stomach was toned, and just barely showed a trace of abs. She could run a mile faster than most guys and lift like one, too. Although she’d never asked his exact weight for obvious reasons, she was confident she could pick up her crush. One of her favorite fantasies was pinning Max against the lockers and lifting him up by the armpits, just to demonstrate her strength over him. 

Casting another glance at Max, she noticed that he was staring back. Her heart jumped in a combination of excitement and fear before giving a shy wave back. He suddenly stood up and began walking towards her. Fight or flight kicked in like flipping on a switch. Her heart was beating so hard it felt like it would break a rib as he got closer and closer. As Max sat down beside her, Sara reached for the letter but didn’t show him it yet. 

“Sara! How are you doing?” He asked, running a hand through his fluffy hair. 

“Good, good! How about you?” She replied, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Same as usual,” Max shrugged, “Ready to kiss all of this goodbye?” 

“Most of it, yeah. I’ll miss some things,” She had to resist adding like you. 

“So, Air Force. Looking forward to it?”

“Yep! Following in my dad’s footsteps!” 

“You’ll be an amazing fighter pilot. You’re a natural.”

“How about you? What’s your plan?” She asked, though she’d memorized practically everything about him long ago. 

“College in San Diego. I’m going for robotics,” He replied. 

“Cool! I’m happy for you! Now you can kick back and enjoy your summer. Anything fun planned? Any…dates or anything?” She asked, wondering if maybe Max has a secret girlfriend that by some chance had never been mentioned. 

He laughed, “No, nothing like that. Just relaxing before I head off.” 

This was her chance. Right now. Sara opened her mouth, “Well…uh…I just wanted to say…” She rubbed her hand over the letter hiding in her pocket, “I know you’ll do great.” 

“Oh, why thank you!” Max smiled, “Say, if you’re available, you should come to my graduation party! It’s in two weeks, at my house,” He said, handing her an invitation. 

“Wow! Thank you! I’ll have to check if I’m available that day!” She replied, knowing very well she wasn’t going to be doing anything. 

“Have a great summer! And good luck with your future!” He replied, giving her a half hug before getting up and walking back to his seat. 

She’d failed. Her last chance, gone just like that. Even if she went to Max’s graduation party, she knew deep down that she wouldn’t have the guts to tell him her feelings. Sighing in defeat, Sara looked down at the sealed envelope with Max’s name written in the neatest lettering she’d ever mustered. All for nothing. While Sara wallowed in self pity, her best friend and fellow cadet Ashley sat down beside her. 

“You look sad,” Ashley stated. 

“That’s an astute observation,” Sara grumbled. 

Ashley brushed away her blonde bangs, “You know what? You should come over to Billy’s tonight! His parents are away for a few days, so he’s throwing a party! A bunch of us are gonna go swimming and take a dip in his hot tub. I think it would be a great way for you to unwind and really get into the summer mindset. Besides, there’s gonna be a ton of guys there!” She elbowed Sara’s shoulder with a wink. 

“I don’t know. Besides, Billy invited you over because he wants to see you in a swimsuit. I don’t think spending a night in a hot tub filled with horned-up, probably drunk guys is what I need,” She replied, shaking her head. 

Ashley sighed, “Well, if you change your mind, you know where it is! Feel free to stop by if you’re feeling it!” 

She got up and went over to talk with some more people, probably about the pool party, leaving Sara alone. Giving another look at Max, she debated asking him if he wanted to go to the party with her. She quickly decided against that idea. Max was in a completely different social circle, and would know nobody else there. He never struck her as the type to go out and party. 

For the rest of the day, all Sara could think of was the different ways she could have successfully talked to Max. Now, late at night, she was still mentally at war with herself as she undressed to get ready for bed. Her love letter and his invitation sat on the desk, silently mocking her. In the heat of the moment, she’d completely forgotten to invite Max to her own graduation party. Yet another wasted possibility. 

Sara spared a moment to check out her naked figure in her bedroom mirror. All those nights spent flirting to her reflection, pretending her deep azul eyes were his, ultimately came to nothing. Flexing her biceps, she smiled and regained a bit of confidence. Her body was in amazing shape, there was no denying that. Her breasts were smaller than she would’ve liked, although she had a sculpted butt and curvy hips that could make any girl envious. She couldn’t be sure, but she suspected that Max was more of an ass guy. 

“How could I have wasted my last chance to ask him out?” She muttered, slipping into a comfy pair of athletic shorts and a loose Air Force T-shirt. 

Sara flopped down on her bed, not ready to go to sleep just yet. She looked around the bedroom she’d foolishly cleaned in the hopes she’d be inviting Max over to hang out. She’d even purchased a few condoms for if she got really lucky, but would now just sit on her desk and collect dust. 

“It’s just a stupid letter. How hard is it to give him a stupid letter?” She muttered, angrily thrusting a hand down her shorts to furiously masturbate to the thought of Max. 

Closing her eyes, Sara pictured herself grabbing a handful of Max’s curly hair and grinding his adorable, freckled face against her clit as she commanded him to worship every inch of her body. Biting her lip to stifle a moan, she imagined claiming his virginity like a Medal of Honor. He would be a completely clueless virgin and she’d love every second of it. They’d fuck until they both came in unison, with fireworks exploding in the picturesque background as they cuddled the night away. 

“Oh fuck…” She whispered, Max clear as day in her mind. 

Arching her back, Sara tightened her core as she felt her orgasm building. Her free hand migrated beneath her shirt towards her nipples, doing what she knew best to extract even more pleasure. Her breathing became shortened, her chest rising and falling quickly as her fingertips danced across her clit. Hissing through clenched teeth, Sara imagined Max’s fingers bringing her to orgasm rather than her own. 

A few minutes later, Sara was laying in bed with post-orgasm clarity. All it was telling her was that she’d missed her chance and should’ve told Max she liked him. Not like she hadn’t been thinking about that for the last few hours already. She wasn’t any more tired than before; and while tempting, she didn’t feel like masturbating her emotions away for the rest of the night. Kicking off the sheets and turning on the lights, Sara walked over to her wardrobe. Fishing around her swimsuit drawer, she grabbed a candy apple red bikini. Changing into it and ruefully wishing Max was there to see her, she grabbed her phone and called Ashley. 

“Sara! What’s up?” Ashley asked, music and people talking in the background. 

“Hey, Ashley…is it too late to come over to that party?” 

“Of course not! The party’s just getting started!” 

“I’ll be over in a few minutes.” 

Stepping into her Air Force sweats and snatching a beach towel, Sara quietly snuck her way out of the house. With her father still at the airbase and her mother a notoriously heavy sleeper, Sara had zero issues retrieving her bike and setting out. Pedaling her bike the two miles to Billy’s neighborhood, Sara quickly found which house had the party. Music could be heard a few blocks away, along with at least twenty cars parked in the driveway and along the street. Ringing the doorbell, Sara waited patiently for someone to open up. Glancing around a final time to check for any signs Max had magically shown up, she was disappointed yet again. The door suddenly swung in, and a shirtless Billy stood in the doorway. 

“Hey, glad you could make it! Come on in, I’ll show you where the action is!” He smiled, motioning for her to follow. 

“I’m surprised you haven’t had a noise complaint called,” Sara replied, following him through the house. 

“Don’t worry, half the people here live on this street. Anyway, here’s the pool!” 

Sara had passed Billy’s house on the way to Ashley’s, but never had she seen his pool for herself. Sara’s jaw hit the floor as she saw the backyard for the first time. While the tediously cared-for lawn was impressive, the pool and surrounding area were absolutely the focal point. The pool area represented the harmonious joining of wood, brick, concrete, and flora. There had to be at least two dozen people there, many of whom she recognized from JROTC. 

“There’s beer in the cooler, hot tub’s over there,” Billy pointed, snapping Sara out of her trance, “Help yourself to whatever you want, and put your stuff wherever you want.” 

Sara wandered around the backyard, taking everything in. Finding an open chair, she set down her towel and removed her sweatshirt and pants. Feeling the warm night air against her bare skin, Sara stretched to show off her toned belly before adjusting her bikini so it sat better. 

“Hey! Sara!” She heard Ashley yell. 

Turning around, Sara spotted her friend in the hot tub, lounging with a few others. Shrugging, she walked over and climbed in, feeling the hot water rush over her body. Sinking down so only her shoulders and head were visible, she sighed and leaned her back against the side. As it turned out, this was just what the doctor ordered to get her mind off of Max. With her now in the hot tub, it was almost at its maximum capacity. Stuck between two guys she barely knew, Sara made the mental note to kick the shit out of them if they tried to sneak a feel. 

“Beers, anyone?” Billy asked, walking up to the group with an armful of cold cans. 

Sara shrugged, “Sure. Why not?” 

Taking a can, she held it in her hands but didn’t open it yet. Looking around, she thought about how this probably wasn’t a party Max would’ve enjoyed. Underage drinking, people that could be assholes sometimes, this wasn’t his sort of thing. Or maybe it was. Perhaps Max was a huge party animal and would’ve gladly joined in on the fun. Starting to feel guilty for not inviting him, Sara cracked open her beer to distract herself. 

The first sip of beer washed away her sour mood like a tsunami. Letting out a relaxing sigh, Sara tilted her head back to pour more of the hoppy liquid down her throat. 

“So? How about that hearing, huh?” Billy began, chugging his beer with one hand and placing the other over Ashley’s shoulder. 

“What hearing?” Sara asked. 

“They decided they won’t charge that Katelyn girl!” 

“Oh. I haven’t really been following that whole story,” Sara admitted, taking another sip. 

“I’m glad they decided against any action. Sounds like it was a kickass party! Can’t fault a girl for having fun!” One of the other girls piped up. 

“Fun? She could’ve killed people!” Billy exclaimed, “But don’t worry. I could stop her if she ever proves to be a threat.” 

Sara scoffed, “Kill a girl who’s half the length of a football field?” 

“Hey! She’s a big target, s’all I’m gonna say!” Billy shrugged, taking a sip from his can. 

“Right. Because surely a gun’s gonna do anything. I bet she wouldn’t even notice!” Sara replied, following suit with a sip from her own. 

“I’m gonna side with Sara,” Ashley declared, earning a grin from her friend, “You’d need missiles or something to hurt her. Maybe more.” 

“Probably more,” Sara quipped. 

The group’s conversation eventually shifted to other topics Sara had no interest in. Silently listening to the rest talk, she was quick to notice the puppy dog eyes Ashley was giving Billy. Leaning into his shirtless body, clinging onto every word he said, it was obvious where she wanted the night to end up: his bedroom. And judging by how his hand playfully slipped beneath her bikini top’s straps, it looked like she’d be getting her wish. 

Starting to feel lovesick again, Sara tilted her can up and drained the last of the beer in one gulp. Deciding to have some fun with the empty can, she raised it up to the side of her head, pressed it firmly, and pushed. The can crumpled like wet paper against her head, and she didn’t even flinch. Dropping the flattened aluminum can by the side of the hot tub, she muffled a burp before turning her attention back to the conversation. 

Without any warning, a violent migraine suddenly pounded through her head. Wincing, Sara began to rub her temples to try and help with the sudden pain. Closing her eyes, she became frustrated that nothing was easing the pain. 

“Woah, Sara, are you okay?” Billy asked, diverting the group’s attention to her. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Headache,” She said, gritting her teeth. 

“Maybe that music is getting too loud. I’ll go turn it down,” He replied, climbing out of the hot tub. 

Sara’s entire body began to heat up. She could feel the sweat on her brow running down into the hot tub. She hadn’t had anything like what she was feeling happen before, which began to worry her. Her mind didn’t feel quite right, like a radio that was just a hair out of tune, with static somewhere in the background muddling everything.

“Sara, you don’t look so good,” Ashley worried.

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe the alcohol in my system and the heat are throwing my brain out of whack. I’m gonna cool off for a minute,” Sara replied, quickly climbing out. 

After readjusting her bikini bottoms so that they sat properly, Sara decided things would get better when she cooled off. With her head still pounding, she walked to the side of the pool and jumped in. Immediately, she felt a million times better. Her headache was still persisting, albeit not as bad, along with that weird staticky feeling that hadn’t changed. Deciding that she would just fight through it, Sara climbed out of the pool, adjusting her swimsuit once again. Was it just her, or were her bottoms more snug? And did her top’s straps always dig in that much?

Only a few steps from the hot tub, the headache came back with a surge worse than anything she’d felt before. The blinding pain drove her to her knees. Sara felt like her head was about to explode. Unable to fight the pain any more, she cried out for help. Everyone descended on her in seconds, and soon she was surrounded by at least thirty people. 

“Move! Make room!” Billy shouted, crouching down to feel for any injuries. 

“She’s burning up! You! Call an ambulance!” He shouted, pointing at someone in the crowd. 

There was no denying something was seriously wrong with her. She could feel her body becoming drenched in sweat. Her bikini felt like it was tightening, the fabric digging deep into her skin. Ashley grabbed her head to look into her eyes, but suddenly backed away from Sara in terror. Before Sara could begin to wonder what had prompted her friend to back away in fear, another wave of pain struck her head. It was too much for her to bear. Crying out in pain a final time, everything went black. 

——

When she regained consciousness again, only a minute or so had passed. She was still outside, laying on her back. The coarse concrete was no longer rubbing against her skin, but she couldn’t tell what new surface she was laying on. Groaning in pain, she looked over at the others, who were staring a few feet away. They were looking…up at her, like she was on a high table. But that couldn’t be, she felt the ground below her. She moved her legs, confirming she wasn’t on an elevated surface. Suddenly, she kicked something heavy, followed by a loud crash. 

Sara slowly sat up to see the table that sat on the deck completely destroyed by her foot. The wrought iron table crumbled like chicken wire from the force of her kick. It made no sense, how was her foot able to destroy it? And why was her foot able to hit something at least thirty feet away from her?

The crushing realization suddenly made its way through her chaotic head. She had grown! Like that girl across the country a few months back. Katie or something, she didn’t keep up with that story. Sitting up, she realized her clothes had long since ripped away, leaving her utterly exposed. Covering her breasts awkwardly, she felt her nipples pushing against her palms due to the cold air. 

From her new vantage point, her head easily surpassed the two story house beside her. The pool looked no larger than a footbath, and the yard barely contained her. Looking around frantically, her foot accidentally crashed through the back fence, turning the wooden planking to splinters. Hugging her knees to her chest, she tried to take up as little space as possible to prevent breaking anything else. Looking over the roof of Billy’s house, Sara saw that she towered over the neighborhood. Carefully checking over her body, she noticed that her headache was gone. Everything felt cool, then immediately chilly as reality set in. 

Turning her attention towards the ground, Sara spotted her friends. They were huddled together, staring up at their now gigantic peer. As she reached out towards them, they took a nervous step away. It broke Sara’s heart to see them afraid of her. Is that how everyone would see her? Is that how Max would see her? Sara’s heart began to thunder within her chest. Her breathing hastened, her voice slowly building in her throat. 

“WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?”