I woke up groggy and bleary-eyed. I had barely been able to sleep after the events of last night. How was I supposed to face Hannah after that, let alone Jess? Not just because of what I saw, but because of how it affected me.

            Now I could try to handwave it away. I'm a guy going through puberty, and a cute girl just worked herself into a frenzy and eventually orgasmed in front of me. Of course, I would get an erection. Just ignore the presence of my 8-year-old little sister. Pretend that I just happened upon Jess masturbating in Hannah's room while she was away. Same result, right?

            But I couldn't lie to myself. Not that Jess isn't attractive; she's quite pretty. But watching that scene, I didn't want to be Hannah, having Jess (or some other girl) riding my dick, getting off to what a big, strong man I was. No, I wanted to be Jess. I wanted to be the one brought to orgasm by a tall, powerful woman.

            Not Hannah, of course. Sam was my girlfriend. She was the girl fueling my fantasies, the one I thought of when I jacked off. Hannah had never even crossed my mind as someone who could be sexy. Obviously, right? She's my little sister, and even if she wasn't, she would still be a third-grader and quite a bit shorter than me. But I had seen what she did last night, heard what she said, witnessed her strength, her control. I couldn't put that genie back in its bottle.

            Well, It's not like I could hide in my room for the rest of my life, so eventually I had to grit my teeth and head down for breakfast. And, sure enough, not five minutes later, Hannah and Jess were walking into the kitchen. I looked up, but as soon as my eyes met Hannah's, I had to lower them again. I could feel my cheeks heating up. Dammit, are you trying to out yourself as a voyeur?! Act natural!

            "Morning, Nate!" Hannah said. "Sleep well?"

            "Urgh, not really. I was tossing and turning all night. You?"

            "Great!" Hannah slid into the seat next to me. "Not like Jess, though. She was asleep the moment we turned off the lights. I think I wore her out last night."

            *An image of Jess frantically grinding on Hannah's thigh flashed in front of my mind's eye.*

            "R-", I coughed. "Really?" What is she doing? Does she know? Is she trying to get me to slip up and admit my crimes? Is she getting revenge by making me squirm?

            "Mhm", Hannah confirmed, her smile widening. She paused as Jess tried to take the chair on her other side. Hannah grabbed her gently but firmly by the waist and pulled her onto her seat; settling the smaller girl between her legs.

            "We were playing a pretty active game", she continued. "Jess was really getting into it."

            *I saw Jess gasping as Hannah lifted her foot off the stool.*

            "And I wanted to keep playing, so I stretched it out."

            *Hannah holding Jess immobile, thumbs rubbing her inner thighs.*

            "I might have gotten a little rough at the end."

            *Hannah jamming her thumb onto Jess' clit, Jess spasming in climax*

            "And then she spilled some stuff all over her legs. Some of it got on me, on the carpet. A little even got on the bed. So if you heard the shower last night, that's why. We had to clean up after the game."

            My face had to be redder than a stop sign. But then I realized there was someone even more embarrassed than me here. Jess had been at the edge of my awareness this whole time, but now it clicked. She hadn't looked in my direction once, and the more Hannah talked, the more flustered she had gotten. At this point, she looked like she was hoping a hole would open in the floor and swallow her.

            That's what was going on here! Hannah was talking to me, but the target of her double meanings was Jess. Of course! Subtlety wasn't Hannah's style. If she had known about my peeping, she would have confronted me last night. She was just teasing her girlfriend. This was probably overdoing it, though.

            "Well, everyone makes a mess at some point", I said. "Especially if you're bringing drinks up to your room. No need to make a big deal of it. You're embarrassing her."

            Hannah paused, then glanced down at Jess, her shit-eating grin dissolving.

            "Oh! Sorry, Babe. I took it too far, didn't I?" Her arms wrapped around Jess in a tight hug.

            "S'okay", Jess mumbled.

            "No, I should have been paying more attention. I'll make it up to you."

            I smiled, turning back to my neglected meal, my secret safe for the moment. Whew, I can't believe I made it through that.

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            A while later, Sam and I were talking in front of our lockers during a break between classes. We were having a good time, enjoying each other's company, when we were rudely interrupted.

            "Sam! Just the person I was looking for!"

            I turned towards the voice and caught a glimpse of a shapely neck and collarbone before Kerry slammed into me. The impact sent me careening into my girlfriend, thankfully allowing me to stay on my feet.

            "Oh, Nate!" Kerry exclaimed in mock surprise. "I didn't even see you."

            "Kerry! Knock it off", Sam snapped, wrapping an arm around me protectively. "You could have hurt him."

            "Hmph. I don't see how it's my fault that you insist on dating a little wimp."

            "He'll grow. He was taller than you a couple of years ago, and he's going to be taller than both of us a few years from now."

            "Right. And yet he seems smaller every time I see him."

            I cringed inside. It was true that the gap was widening. Kerry had definitely grown since September, at least an inch, maybe two. But I needed Sam to think I was still growing, however slowly, until I could find a way to break the news to her gently.

            "Even if he does outgrow you someday," Kerry continued, "are you really going to wait all that time? When you could ditch the little boy for a real man right now? Just let me talk to Rick for you; I know he has some hunky friends. We could even make it a double date."

            Rick, I assume, was that high-schooler Kerry claimed to be dating.

            "Did it ever occur to you that I might be dating Nate for more than just his body?" Sam retorted, causing a warm feeling to fill my chest.

            "Well, I'd hope so", Kerry chuckled. "Wait! Is it true love? Anyway, your relationship with your boy-toy isn't what I came to talk about. We need to figure out our group project for Mr. Pritchard's class."

            After that, Sam and Kerry talked right over my head for about 10 minutes. I couldn't really contribute to the conversation, since I wasn't part of their group, or even in that class. But I didn't want to leave.

            Sam's strong arm was still draped across my chest, her body touching my back, her warmth enveloping me. Her breasts pressed lightly against me, from my ears to the top of my shoulder blades. Not to mention Kerry's sizable tits, hanging just a bit lower, less than a foot from my face.

            The fact that the two of them seemed to completely forget about my presence, made me feel so insignificant. Like I was beneath the notice of such towering beauties. This only heightened my arousal.

            Thankfully, they finished up, and we parted ways with a few minutes still remaining before the next period. That allowed me to make it to the men's room instead of busting in my pants.

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            Well, there was no getting around it now, Hannah was definitely having a growth spurt. The first inch coming so quickly after her claim that she was growing could have been a coincidence. Even the second inch, arriving just a couple of months later, wasn't undeniable proof. It's not like kids grow at a steady, constant rate. But her growth just wouldn't stop.

            I remember reading somewhere that the normal growth rate for a kid pre-puberty is 2 to 3 inches a year. Hannah had reached the upper end of that range in 6 months.

            And then there was her strength. After Valentine's Day, I had seriously started to wonder if she might already be stronger than me. While before I would have cringed at how embarrassing that would be, now I had to worry about a far worse outcome. That it might arouse me.

            Fortunately, I figured I just had to avoid situations where our strength could be compared. Unfortunately, someone had other ideas.

            "Nate! Arm wrestle me!"

            "What? No!" I said, turning away from the TV to see my sister standing behind me. Shit, Red Alert! Begin evasive maneuvers!

            "Ah, c'mon! Why not?"

            "Because I don't want to." I turned back to the TV, hoping she would just drop it. But that wouldn't be like Hannah at all, now would it? There was a moment of silence, then a whoosh and a thump, as she vaulted over the back of the couch to land beside me.

            "Seriously? You've seen this episode before. It's not even a good one."

            "Why do you want to arm wrestle me, anyway? Wouldn't someone your own age be better?"

            "Ha! I could beat everyone in my grade at school before I started this growth spurt. Challenging one of them now would practically be bullying. Besides, I want to know if I'm stronger than you yet."

            "I've really been pushing myself with the arm workouts lately", she explained. "Since my legs are already stronger than yours, obviously."

            "What do you mean, 'obviously'?" I retorted. While I doubted I could lift Jess with one leg like Hannah did that night, I couldn't admit to knowing that fact.

            Hannah scooched closer to me, so that our thighs were touching. Then she raised her eyebrows as if to say, "Seriously?" I looked down. Holy cow! The difference was clear as day. Her leg was muscular, even when relaxed, and visibly wider than my skinny limb. Obviously stronger indeed. I mean, her thigh was just so big... so thick...

            Wait! No! I looked away from her and shifted so our legs weren't touching anymore.

            "Ahem. What's in it for me, anyway? If I win, it's not like I can be proud of beating an eight-year-old, and you'll probably just get mad and go sulk."

            "C'mon, I promise I won't get mad. I know! If you win, I'll give you my allowance and do your chores for a week."

            Dammit, that was actually tempting. I sighed. It looked like she wasn't going to drop this either way, might as well get it over with.

            "Fine."

            "Yes!" Hannah and I moved to the floor next to the coffee table and put our arms in position.

            "Hey", Hannah said as our hands locked together. "Since you get something if you win, if I win, you have to do a little favor for me."

            "That wasn't part of the deal", I protested.

            "I am altering the deal", Hannah stated, making her voice as deep as she could. "Pray I don’t alter it any further." I snorted.

            "Fine. Just a little favor, though."

            "OK! On three. 1... 2... 3!"

            I gave it my all right from the start. It's not like I had no chance of winning. Guys usually have stronger upper bodies, while a girl's strength is tilted towards the legs. And I wasn't a wimp or anything, right? Still, no sense in taking any chances.

            For a split-second, it seemed to be working. I was pushing her arm back, but then it was like I hit a wall. My hand stopped moving forward, and no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't get it going again. After grunting and straining for a few fruitless seconds, I finally looked over at Hannah.

            Her bicep was clearly visible, a smooth dome rising from her arm. But while my arm was beginning to shake from the continuous exertion, hers may as well have been carved from marble. Her initial expression was surprise, like I caught her off-guard, but it quickly morphed into a look of quiet determination.

            I had just enough time to realize that I was in trouble, that my little sister was only getting started. Her firm grip on my hand tightened, her bicep expanded, and in an instant we were back to the starting position. Then she began forcing my arm down.

            I tried to resist, looking for some untapped reserve I could draw on, but I was tapped out. I had been pushing at 100% this whole time, and now I could actually feel myself getting weaker as my stamina ran out. My hand slowly dropped lower and lower until it touched the table.

            It was over. I had lost.

            The shame of losing a contest of strength to a third-grader caused a swelling in my pants, leading to deeper shame. I looked up, expecting to see Hannah's grin, but instead, she just looked confused.

            "What's wrong? You won. I figured you'd be jumping for joy right now."

            "I mean, I am happy", Hannah replied, contemplatively. "I've been looking forward to this for so long. But, it's just... I guess I expected it to be harder. I could have won this weeks ago."

            The idea that my little sister wasn't just slightly stronger than me, but noticeably stronger, only aided my erection. Hannah stood up, her smile returning.

            "Oh well, I still won. I'm finally stronger than you! C'mon, stand up! It's time for that favor."

            I really didn't want to get up, in case my hard-on was visible, but there wasn't much I could do. And staying seated, with Hannah's muscular torso filling my vision, wouldn't be ideal, anyway. So up I went. The sight of Hannah's head at the level of my mouth might have calmed me down, if my brain hadn't immediately reminded me that only a few months ago, she didn't even reach my chin.

            "Now?" I asked. "What is it?" Hannah grinned up at me, mischievously.

            "This'll just take a sec. You don't need to do anything; just hold still."

            "What are you...?" I didn't get to finish my question. Hannah stepped forward, wrapped her arms around me, and lifted.

            Oh, God! I shuddered, as my cock was pressed into and then dragged up her abs.

            "Whoa! Hannah, stop! Let me down!"

            "Nope! You agreed to this", she rebutted. She giggled, bouncing me up and down, causing further stimulation. "You're lighter than I thought you'd be. Or maybe, I'm just even stronger than I thought."

            "Hannah, please. This is embarrassing."

            "OK, fine. Spoilsport", she said, her smile never wavering. She lowered me to the ground. As soon as she let go, I quickly sat down on the couch. How could she not have noticed my erection rubbing against her? Did she just not realize what it was?

            Hannah turned and skipped away. As she reached the stairs, she looked back over her shoulder at me.

            "That was a lot of fun, Nate. Thanks for letting me play with you."

-------------------------------------------------------------

            Before I knew it, spring break had arrived. I had planned to spend the whole week relaxing, but I only made it to Tuesday before my Mom demanded that I go outside before I "became a permanent part of the furniture".

            So here I am at the mall. I've been walking around for a while, and my feet are starting to hurt. And to further drive home my lack of exercise, I noticed my jacket doesn't fit right anymore. It was the same one I had worn during the fall, but now it felt loose around the shoulders.

            At least the day hadn't been a total loss. I managed to find a used copy of my favorite retro game in the back of the video game store. But that, plus lunch at the food court, meant that I was now out of money. I was about to call it a day, and find somewhere to sit and browse YouTube on my phone until it was time for Mom to pick me up, when I saw a familiar figure by the entrance.

            Sam! What a lucky coincidence! I was about to wave and call out to her, when I noticed the girl standing beside her. Kerry. That figures, the two of them have been hanging out more and more recently. Before I could decide if seeing my girlfriend was worth interacting with Kerry, the blond waved over a couple of guys.

            Who are they? They definitely weren't boys from our school; the shorter of the two was as tall as Sam. Wait a minute, could that be Rick? He actually exists? So who's the other guy? He had to be almost 6 feet tall. Oh shit! Is this a double date?!

            Sam seemed to be having the same thought, as I could see her angrily gesturing from here, even though I couldn't hear what she was saying. But then Kerry pulled her a short distance away and, I assume, tried to convince her to stay. No way my girlfriend would agree to that!

            But then they walked back to the guys. And together, they started heading towards the cinema that occupied one side of the mall. What? Why? I quickly jogged to the entrance myself and looked inside.

            The four of them were nowhere to be seen. Damn it! How did they get through the lobby so quickly? Did they pre-order tickets? I guess I could buy a ticket to a random movie and sneak through all the theaters until I found them. No wait, I already blew all my cash. I only had a couple of bucks left.

            I would have to wait them out. I found a bench where I could watch the exits from the cinema. As I sat there, I tried to think about why Sam might have gone along with this.

            Oh! That's it! They must have pre-ordered the tickets like I thought, and it would have been a waste to not see the movie then. So Sam agreed to go with them after making it clear she wasn't interested in a date.

            That line of thinking made me feel better, but I still wanted to wait and see what happened when they left. Unfortunately, only 30 minutes later, I got a text from my Mom that she was here to pick me up.

------------------------------------------------------------

            The next day, I went to hang out at Sam's house. I had sent her a text asking to meet up before leaving the mall, and we agreed on a time when she replied that evening.

            "What's up?" Sam greeted me at the door. "Couldn't last a few days without seeing your girlfriend?"

            "Well, Mom wants me out of the house. And if I can't watch TV, I might as well hang out with you instead", I joked.

            "Sooo glad you can fit me into your busy schedule", Sam snarked back, flopping down on the couch.

            With her long limbs sprawled out, I had to squish into one of the armrests to fit beside her. God, she was big. Even her loose casual clothes couldn't hide her maturing body, her bulging muscles. Wait! Don't get distracted.

            "I'm not the only one with a busy schedule. We could have hung out yesterday if you hadn't taken so long to text me back."

            "Oh, um, yeah. I was at the movies, so my phone was on silent. Kerry invited me to watch a chick-flick."

            "Girls-only day, huh? I get it."

            "Uh, yeah! Just... just us girls." Wow, it was rare to see Sam so nervous.

            "You've been hanging out with Kerry a lot lately. Didn't you guys hate each other?"

            "Honestly, she's not so bad once you get to know... Nah, who am I kidding? She's still a massive bitch. We just really bonded during basketball season, you know? Now we shoot hoops together, and she shows me how to apply make-up and other girly shit."

            "I'll have to take your word for it. It seems like she dislikes me more every time we run into each other."

            "Yeah, she's weirdly negative when it comes to you, even compared to normal Kerry behavior. It's like, now that we're friends, she doesn't think you're worthy of me, or something."

            I mean, yeah. Sam's this gorgeous amazon, who just keeps getting bigger, and stronger, and hotter. While I'm a weak, skinny, little shrimp. She could do so much better.

            "Which is ridiculous", Sam continued. "Your worth isn't determined by your height or athleticism or whatever. Like, sure, I'd like it if you worked out more, or if your growth spurt came sooner. But that doesn't mean I'm lowering my standards to date you."

            "I dunno, it does feel like you're out of my league", I said, looking away from her. "Maybe a varsity football star would fit you better than a wimp like me."

            And there it was. The real reason seeing her with that guy got me so worked up. It wasn't just the fear that she would cheat on me. It was the idea that, maybe, it would be better for her if she did.

            "Shut. Up." Sam's hands slammed down on either side of my head, one on the back of the couch, the other reaching across my body to the armrest. I spun around to see her face right above mine.

            "Nobody gets to talk about my boyfriend that way", Sam growled. "Not even you. Fuck Kerry and her stupid highschool friends. I decide who's 'worthy' of dating me. Understand?"

            "Yes'm."

            "Good." And then she kissed me hard enough to force me into the couch cushions.

            I never should have doubted her. Even if she was too embarrassed to tell me that Kerry tried to trick her into a double date. It's not like I could bring myself to be 100% truthful with her either.

------------------------------------------------------------

            OK, that's it. I can't keep going like this. I need to shape up. Just because Sam still wants to date me, doesn't mean I shouldn't try to become a more fitting boyfriend. I may be doomed to forever be a shrimp, but I can at least be a buff shrimp. I'm going to start exercising.

            Oh, come on, the voice in my head butted in. How strong could a puny guy like me even get? And lifting weights is just too much wo...

            No! Screw you, stupid voice! I'm getting fit, and that's final!

            Of course, there was one other mental hurdle. Our family did have a small home gym in the basement. Just some dumbbells, a treadmill, and a pull-up bar.

            The collection started about a year and a half ago, when exercise became Jess' obsession. Hannah and her pooled their allowance to buy a set of small dumbbells. Even after Jess moved on to a new topic, Hannah continued to work out. She slowly added more weights with birthday and Christmas gifts to keep up with her growing strength.

            And that's the issue: the gym is Hannah's. It would be rude to use it without her permission. Also, I could look up exercises and techniques online, but if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right. So I should get personal advice from someone who knows their stuff. I'm just going to have to swallow my pride and ask my little sister to show me how to lift.

            "Really?" Hannah gasped. "You want me to help you get fit?"

            "You don't have to, if you don't want to."

            "Are you kidding? This is awesome! I get to hang out with you and show off a thing I'm really into."

            "I guess we really haven't been spending that much time together lately."

            "Right? You should pay more attention to your cute little sister." I snorted.

            "But seriously, you were so excited when you found out you were stronger than me. I didn't think you would want to help me get stronger."

            "Hey", Hannah said, her tone suddenly serious. "Just because I like being stronger, doesn't mean I want you to be weak or anything. Besides," her grin returned, "I'll keep getting stronger too, so it's not like you can catch up."

            "Hah! We'll see about that."

------------------------------------------------------------

            Jess seemed strangely cheerful when I came up for hypnosis a few days later. I thought her annoyance at my presence was a given at this point. Well, I certainly wasn't going to risk ruining her mood by bringing it up, so I went for another topic instead.

            "We've been doing this hypnosis thing for a while. I figured you guys would have moved on to something new by now."

            "Oh, we still come up with new things to do", Hannah stated, throwing a sideways glance at Jess. Jess blushed. "But hypnosis is different. She has a real talent for it. I think we're going to stick with it for a long time."

            "That's great! She could even become a professional hypnotist someday. That's a thing, right?"

            "Yes, it is", Jess stated. "But I would only want to practice my own style of hypnotism. And it's hard to perfect that without more test subjects."

            "It's been really hard to get people to volunteer", Hannah added. "Mom and Dad would only do one session, and Jess' Mom stopped after two. You and me are the only people who've been willing to commit to it long-term."

            "That's a surprise. It's really easy, and I always wake up relaxed and refreshed, like I had a good nap. None of your friends were interested?"

            "Nope", Hannah sighed. "We tried asking a bunch of them months ago."

            "I guess, I was reluctant at first too. Maybe you just need to find a way to show them that it's safe and beneficial. Like a demonstration."

            Hannah's eyes got wide, and then a second later, a big grin covered her face.

            "That's a great idea!"

------------------------------------------------------------

            I don't know if I can keep this up. I've been working out with Hannah for a few weeks now, but I'm not making any progress. And every day, I have to fight a battle with my own brain just to get the motivation to walk down to the basement. Knowing Hannah was waiting for me was the only thing that kept me from ditching some days.

            Then, during the workouts themselves, I feel like Sisyphus pushing that boulder. Like, if I just pushed a little harder, I would reach the top and get my strength back. But no matter how hard I try, I can't quite make it. Instead, I just end up back where I started.

            After exercising, I'm tired and sore and sweaty. Hannah says a good lifting session leaves her energized and ready to conquer the rest of the day, but I just end up feeling exhausted. And it seems like I've barely recovered before it's time to report back for another workout.

            Honestly, the only good part of this whole experience is getting to spend more time with my little sister. It feels like we've drifted apart recently. We used to hang out and play together all the time. Now she's usually busy with her friends (and girlfriend), while I'm doing my own thing.

            It's really great hearing the passion in her voice when she talks about lifting weights and exercise. Seeing her gleeful expression when she gets a new personal best. I think I would enjoy coming here just to hang out and talk while she works out. If only I didn't have to exercise too.

            If only being weak didn't feel so good!

            OK, let me walk that back a bit. Obviously, in general, I don't like how weak I've become. I hate how low my stamina is. P.E. has become my least favorite subject. I've even started to avoid playing sports with my friends, because it's depressing seeing more and more of them outperform me.

            But whenever I'm around Sam, Kerry, or even some of the other girls at school, I find their strength incredibly arousing. And the weaker I get, the stronger they seem by comparison. Any one of them could just walk up and do whatever they wanted to me. There would be no way for me to stop them. And just thinking about that makes me so hard.

            So exercising feels like a battle. Not just against my body, but against my mind and my libido too. And I'm not sure it's a battle I can win.

------------------------------------------------------------

            It's now April, which means Sam's birthday. This year, she decided to have a girl's only party to celebrate. I guess that makes sense. Now that everyone's in puberty, it would be awkward to have a bunch of boys over to her house.

            Of course, that doesn't mean I won't get to celebrate with her. In fact, I get to give her my present on the actual day, while all the girls will have to wait for the party the following weekend.

            "What's this?" Sam asked. "No quips about dating an older woman this year?"

            Since Sam's birthday is before mine, there's a two-month window where she's "a year older". We would use the opportunity to tease each other. I would joke about her "getting old" and she would wonder if I "was up past my bedtime". Silly stuff like that. At least, that's how it used to be.

            "Well... it just seemed a little too... on the nose this year", I said, gesturing at her body and then mine.

            "Ah."

            "...yeah." Great, now I've made things awkward. It used to be so easy to talk to her, but not anymore. Sometimes, I can still get some good banter going, but other times I can't seem to find the words. I just don't have the same confidence I used to.

            "Ahem. So, are you looking forward to the party?"

            "Yeah. It's gonna be great. All the girls from the basketball team are coming."

            Ah. I feel even less bad about missing out now. Kerry might have been the loudest, but she wasn't the only one in that group that didn't like me.

            "It's too bad most of them are leaving for highschool", Sam continued. "We would have such a sick roster otherwise."

            "So you all still play together?"

            "Yeah! Even Alice. I wasn't sure if she would stick with it, but she's been really dedicated. She's going to be a terror on the court next year. You should join us sometime. I think you would get a kick out of watching her play against Kerry."

            "Ah. Yeah. It would be awkward just to show up to watch, though. Maybe in a couple of years, when I'm tall enough to play again." Yeah right.

            "Oh, sure... But you'll come to cheer us on once the season starts, right?"

            "Of course. I wouldn't miss it." That was 100% true, at least. Man, it feels like our activities and social circles are getting further and further apart. If only things could go back to how they were before.

------------------------------------------------------------

            "Nate, let's play some basketball!"

            I turned to see Hannah, ball in hand, a determined look on her face.

            "Nah. You go ahead, I don't feel like leaving the house today."

            "Nope", Hannah declared, marching around the couch to stand in front of me. "I'm not taking 'no' for an answer. If you're going to skip out on our workouts, the least you can do is give me a quick 1-on-1."

            Ouch. It was true, though. I had managed to attend regularly for a whole month, but after that, my motivation bottomed out. I just couldn't see any reason to continue. I hadn't been able to increase what I could lift in a single exercise. The best I could say is that my endurance improved a little.

            So over the past week, I only made it to 1 out of 5 sessions. The first couple of days, I came up with excuses, but it was obvious that I had given up.

            Hannah took my silence for further resistance. Frowning, she shifted the basketball to one hand so she could grab my arm with the other.

            "C'mon!" she said, pulling me to my feet and towards the door.

            "Alright, geez! You don't have to drag me."

            "I'm pretty sure that I do." Once we were at the door, she let me go so I could get my shoes on. But she didn't stop glaring at me until we were outside.

            "Why are you so set on basketball, anyway?" I asked. "Last time we played, you just ended up angry."

            "My dear big brother", Hannah said, finally smiling now that she had gotten her way. "You forget that last time I was but a little girl. I have grown so much since then." She paused for effect. "You know, as a person. I'm much more mature now. Also taller. So much taller."

            I sighed. "Just don't be disappointed when you lose. I still have the advantage."

            Hannah just smirked, walking to the out-of-bounds line opposite the basket.

            "Ready when you are, bro."

            I walked up to cover her. No sense in giving her a free first shot.

            "Let's do this."

            Hannah raised her arms and locked her eyes on the basket. Was she really going to try to shoot with me right in front of her? Her legs bent slightly. She was going to jump.

            I had to immediately start my own jump. Last time we played, I could block her shots without jumping, but the height difference was much smaller now. She could probably jump higher, too.

            As my feet left the ground, Hannah burst into motion. But not into her own jump. I had been so focused on countering what I thought she was doing, that I hadn't noticed that she had paused after bending her legs. Now she released that energy to dodge right past my left side.

            By the time I managed to land and turn around, Hannah was already halfway to the basket. 1-0.

            Once again, my little sister had caught me completely by surprise right at the start of the game. Thankfully, I was able to turn things around after that. But even as I slowly built a lead, I could see that things were different this time.

            Last game, it was clear that Hannah had practiced shooting baskets to the exclusion of everything else. Which made her terrifyingly accurate for an 8-year-old, but left her outmatched by anyone who could reliably block her. Now her skills were more balanced.

            She had improved her dribbling, footwork, blocking skills, and general game sense. She must have found someone to play with; you couldn't get this good just running drills by yourself.

            Honestly, the only real advantages I had left were my greater experience and my remaining height advantage. She was faster, stronger, and more agile. She could out-jump me, out-shoot me, and even dribble better than I could.

            But as the game went on, I figured out all her tricks. And if she couldn't juke me, I could block her. It wasn't easy. If she jumped, I really did have to jump too.

            And I couldn't just shoot over her head, either. Her powerful legs almost negated my extra height, so I could only barely avoid getting blocked by jumping as high as I could. Even then, she could at least throw off my aim.

            2-3, 3-5, 4-8. I could do this. I could still at least beat a 3rd-grader at basketball.

            But then, my stamina started to give out. I was having to put so much effort into keeping up with Hannah just so I could be in a position to block. And each point I scored was hard-fought.

            She slipped past me and banked the ball off the backboard. 5-8.

            I managed to throw her off, by jumping backwards instead of straight up, giving me enough distance to arc the ball over her. 5-9.

            I blocked her next three shots, but each time she kept me from scoring in turn. Then she finally got the ball in the air before I could get in the way. In her haste, however, she didn't line it up perfectly. The ball hit the rim and bounced away.

            But not far enough. Before the ball rolled out of bounds, Hannah was there. And I was still halfway across the court. Now she had more than enough time to aim. 6-9.

            I realized this was my last chance. I could feel my strength failing. I would need to give it my all just to score. And if I gave 100% this time, I would have nothing left the next time I got the ball. It didn't matter that Hannah still needed 4 points to win. Once I could no longer keep up, she would get those easily.

            I dashed to the right, then desperately juked to the left. Hannah stayed with me. I ran right again. No dice. Left again. Right again. My legs felt like they would give out any second. Just a little more! I headed back to the left.

            Or so she thought. Instead, as soon as my body started moving to the left, I reversed course and jumped further right. I almost tripped all over myself, but I just barely stuck the landing. I only had a second before Hannah would be back on me. I took a deep breath, aimed, and threw.

            The ball went in. I did it. 6-10.

            I slumped to the ground, sweat pouring off me. I wouldn't have any energy to argue with my sister this time. She could rant to her heart's content. And when I looked over to her, she was clearly frustrated. But as soon as I saw it, her expression changed, her grin returning.

            "Well, I guess that's it. Good game, bro."

            "Uh, yeah, you too." I watched dumbfounded, as Hannah trotted over to retrieve the ball and then back towards me. "I guess I should apologize. I really expected you to blow up. I guess you have matured."

            "I mean, don't get me wrong, it is frustrating", Hannah said, reaching out a hand to help me to my feet. "I honestly thought I had you this time."

            "You really almost did", I replied. The fact that I was still gasping for breath served to underline my admission. Hannah's grin widened.

            "Thanks. But I figure there's no reason to be upset, since even if I didn't win, I still got twice as many points as last time. And I've only gotten halfway through the height gap. Besides, you definitely didn't hold anything back this time."

            "You can say that again", I agreed. "I'm not sure I would be able to make it back inside without your help."

            Wait. Halfway?

------------------------------------------------------------

            Well, it finally happened. I've been dreading this day for months. If the only ones outgrowing me were girls, that would be fine. I could even live with my guy friends getting taller than me. But, of course, that wasn't the case; everyone in my grade was growing. And unfortunately, everyone included Brad.

            It was the start of March when I noticed Brad had caught up to me in height. Though, as I had predicted, that wasn't enough for him to challenge me, I knew it was only a matter of time. Through that month and the next, as I got weaker, he got bolder. By May, Brad was clearly stronger than me, and even worse, when we passed in the halls a week ago, I noticed he was an inch taller as well.

            He hasn't bullied me yet, but I'm sure that's only because he has yet to catch me alone. He won't pick a fight with Damian or Matt, let alone Sam. If only I was the only one affected, but right now, just around the corner, he's caught Tim again.

            "Well, well, look who we have here. And with no one around to get in the way", Brad crowed. "Though it wouldn't even matter if we weren't alone. Have you seen your 'hero' lately? Nate's become a total wimp. Even you might have more meat on your bones than he does now. Honestly, I wish he would show up. Then I could finally get revenge for all those times he humiliated me."

            Dammit, he's right. If I tried to intervene, I would just be giving him another victim. And that's why I've been dreading this scenario more than him bullying me personally. It proves that I'm a hypocrite. I always said Brad was too chicken to pick a fight he didn't know he could win, but it turns out I'm no better.

            I should confront him anyway. Even if I can't win, it would be the right thing to do. But my legs won't move. The very thought of calling out and revealing myself makes my throat close up. I'm a coward.

            Maybe it's not too late. I think Matt was still in the classroom when I left. If I can get him to help...

            "Well, looks like that will have to wait. At least, I can show you who's boss. Time to get in the locker, nerd."

            Oh, God! Time's up. What am I going to do?

            "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

            All three of us turned to look, and there, striding down the hall, was Alice. I was surprised that she was choosing to get involved. Brad, being an equal-opportunity asshole, had picked on Alice for being a skinny, awkward kid in grade school. While her transition to tall, curvy teen had lessened her appeal as a target, she hadn't had the physical presence that would allow her to protect others.

            Clearly, she thought things had changed, and as she got closer, I had to agree. Almost nine months as a basketball enthusiast had changed her body once again. Brad, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice. He was annoyed at the interruption, but not angry that his fun was being spoiled.

            "Buzz off, Alice, unless you want me to send you to Wonderland", Brad growled, shaking a fist at the approaching girl. Alice paused, glancing to the side with a frightened expression. But then she steeled her resolve, gritting her teeth and balling her hands into fists.

            She turned back to face the bully and stomped towards him. Brad had just enough time for his bravado to falter before she had fully closed the distance. Then, giving him no time to react, Alice grabbed him by the arms and slammed him into the nearest locker door.

            The ease with which she handled her former tormentor surprised everyone, Alice included. But she was the first to recover, a smile breaking out on her face as she looked down at him from a height advantage that his recent growth had done nothing to close.

            "Well, looks like I've eaten enough of the left side of that mushroom."

            "Wha?" Brad uttered, too stunned to struggle. Alice frowned.

            "I know eating too much cake is bad, but it seems to be working out for me."

            "Huh?" Brad still didn't get it. Alice sighed and shook her head.

            "I guess I was expecting too much", she stated, then crouched down to Brad's level. "Look, Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, changes size a lot, right?" Brad nodded.

            "Well, me too. Except, I keep getting bigger", she straightened back up. "...and bigger", she rose up onto her tip-toes, causing her chin to pass the top of Brad's head. "...and bigger. And I don't plan on shrinking anytime soon."

            "I've always thought that Nate went too easy on you. Sure, you'd back off in the moment, but you always started bullying us again whenever he wasn't around. So I'm going to do things differently."

            "Listen carefully", she continued, grabbing Brad's chin and forcing him to look up into her eyes. "I'm only going to say this once: if you ever touch Tim, or any of my friends, again, you're going to be the one shoved in a locker."

            Alice released Brad and turned, grabbing Tim's hand.

            "Let's go", she said with a smile, before pulling him down the hall and out of sight. Leaving me and a still-trying-to-hard-reboot-his-brain Brad. And then just Brad, as I snuck off in the opposite direction before he could recover and notice me.

------------------------------------------------------------

            And so probably the worst and definitely the weirdest school year of my life finally came to an end. But there was one last event before everyone went their separate ways for the summer, at least among my friends. You see, my birthday was less than two weeks after the last day of school.

            Every year, about a dozen guys would descend on my house for cake, games, and a rowdy good time. And this year wouldn't be any different. Well, a little different. This would be the first party where I wouldn't be the tallest in my friend group. And the first where I wasn't looking forward to the inevitable football or basketball game.

            That won't keep me from enjoying myself, but it is going to be a little awkward.

            As the first guests arrive, I pull them into playing Smash Bros. on the big TV in the living room. This is, of course, all part of my master plan, as the more time we spend playing video games, the less time I have to spend trying not to embarrass myself outside.

            It also serves as a good icebreaker for the one guy who hasn't been here before. I finally invited Tim over. It turns out he's really good at Smash. Also, I've been able to hold a conversation with him better since I started replacing sports with games and TV.

            Once everyone arrived, we had to start taking turns. There were only 8 spots and 14 of us (Hannah had come down to play too). Thankfully, everyone seemed happy to watch or chat when they weren't playing, so we should make it to cake time without any problems.

            At one point, Hannah and Tim were off the switch at the same time. She took the chance to introduce herself.

            "I haven't seen you before. I'm Hannah, Nate's sister."

            "Uh, I'm T-tim. Nice to meet you."

            "Oh, Tim! I've heard about you. Nice to meet you too."

            "'Heard about me'?"

            "Yeah! The other day, Nate said he was happy to have finally found something you both liked so he could talk to you about it."

            "O-oh. I was worried that he was complaining about always having to r-rescue me from Brad."

            "Don't worry, he wouldn't do that. Honestly, I think he feels bad that he can't help you more."

            There was a pause, and I almost got sucked back into watching the match. It was a little weird to be listening in while other people talked about me.

            "Hey Tim", Hannah said, "can you do me a favor? Stand up for a second."

            "Uh, sure, I guess?" Tim slid off the edge of the couch, and scooted around one of the guys sitting on the carpet, to stand next to the chair Hannah was perched on.

            "Thanks. I just wanted to check something", Hannah said, before getting to her feet as well. She turned and stepped right in front of Tim. Then she smiled as she looked down into his eyes.

            "Hey Tim, you're in the same grade as my brother, so that means you're 13, right?"

            "Y-yeah", Tim stuttered, clearly not used to someone standing so close to him.

            "Cool. I'm taller than a 13-year-old."

            "H-How old are you?"

            "I'm eight", Hannah replied, her grin widening. "Well, nine in a couple of months."

            "No way! I t-thought you were eleven, ten at the youngest."

            I could understand his confusion. He may have been one of the shortest kids in our school, but he was still 13. And, unlike me, he had grown a couple of inches this year. But I knew Hannah would be taller. The top of Tim's head came up to my nose, whereas recently Hannah had gotten tall enough to block my view if she stood right in front of me.

            "Do you l-like being tall?" Tim asked.

            "Of course, being tall is the best!"

            "It seems like the g-girls at school can't wait for the boys to g-grow taller than them. Well, except for A-alice, I guess."

            "Oh? She likes being bigger than the boys, huh? And what about you; what do you think of her height?" Hannah pressed. Tim looked away, his face turning red. "Haha, that's what I thought."

            Weird. I guess Tim and I have more in common than I thought. I felt a swell of nervousness, though. How long would it be before Hannah was looking down at me like that? Before I would be a shrimp even compared to Tim?

            Cake and presents followed soon after. And then I had to face the music, as the guys trooped out to the vacant lot to play football. Thankfully, I was able to pull rank as the birthday boy and get to play quarterback. There's no way I could be in the skirmish line like I used to.

            It wasn't too long before I was put on the spot, however, as Matt managed to break through and tried to sack me. I narrowly dodged him and broke into a run towards the goal. For a moment, I thought I could go all the way. But then Andy, one of the opposing running backs, slammed into me from the side.

            Andy was only 4'9" and had a runner's physique, but that was more than enough to take me down. I landed painfully on my skinny ass, but managed to wave it off and continue.

            At least, my speed was still OK, and my dodging skills carried over from basketball. And I was able to conserve my stamina by mostly passing, only running when absolutely necessary. This allowed me to make it through the first game.

            Even so, by the end, it was clear I was way more winded than the others. Everybody noticed. I could see the surprise, and worse, the pity, in their eyes. This was the downside of avoiding these games for the past few months. Instead of watching my gradual transformation into a wimp, it was hitting them all at once.

            "Um, maybe we should head back inside", Damian suggested. "You have the new Madden NFL game, right, Nate?"

            And so I was saved from further humiliation. Soon enough, it was time for everyone to go. But the day wasn't over yet.

            Sam arrived about an hour before dinner. I immediately received a surprise gift, when my Mom came over to greet her and I realized that they were almost the same height.

            Of course, that wasn't the present Sam had prepared. We went up to my room to open that one. But when I removed the wrapping paper, I found only an empty box.

            "Surprise!" Sam exclaimed. "The box was just cover. I figured we hadn't done anything romantic in a while. So my gift is whatever you want to do between now and dinner."

            "No way", I whispered, my mind's eye immediately filling with lewd images.

            "Within reason, of course. Your family is still here."

            That was all the time I needed. An obsession, filed away for months as impossible, had overwhelmed every other idea. I'm not sure what gave me the confidence to request this now. The fact that it was my birthday? Sam's surprising forwardness with this gift? Maybe, after a day of pitying looks and visions of future shrimpitude, I just needed a win. And I was willing to take a risk to get it.

            "Do you remember the first day of middle-school?"

            "Sure. Why? Did something happen that day?" Of course, she wouldn't remember. What had been a life-changing event for me, was just a bit of flirting to her.

            "When we were walking home, I asked you to stop calling me your 'little boyfriend'. And then you... you picked me up and kissed me. You said that when I got big enough that you couldn't do that, then you would stop calling me your little boyfriend."

            "Oh! I remember that", Sam chuckled. "You were spacing out for the rest of the walk. Wait, that's what you want to do? Why?"

            "Are you kidding? That was the sexiest kiss we've ever had. It was all I could think about for the rest of the week."

            "It wasn't supposed to be sexy! Well, I guess the kiss was supposed to be a little sexy. But not the picking-you-up part. I was just teasing you about your height. Ya know, like I used to before you developed a complex about it."

            Ouch. Of course, I'd get a com... No! Don't get distracted!

            "Well, it was sexy to me. That's what I want to do."

            "That's just too weird. Guys aren't supposed to want that kind of thing!"

            "Well, I do! Besides, in a year or two, I'll be too big, like you said", I lied. "I have to enjoy it now while I have the chance." And now the Coup de Grace. "But maybe it's already too late. I guess we don't have to do it if lifting me is too hard for you now."

            "What?!" Sam exclaimed, then her eyes narrowed. "Oh, so that's how you want to play it? Fine. I'm going to rock your world, little boyfriend, so you'd better enjoy it."

            Enjoying it wouldn't be an issue. I had been erect basically since Sam arrived, and now that she had finally agreed, my cock was twitching in anticipation. But she didn't reach under my armpits like last time. Instead, her right hand grabbed my t-shirt at the center of my chest. My jaw dropped as I glanced at her left arm hanging motionless at her side. No way! Even Sam couldn't possibly be that str...

            Sam let out an angry growl as her bicep exploded in size. Her whole body tensed up, and my feet left the ground. My girlfriend curled me like I was a dumbbell. My dick throbbed. I managed to tear my eyes away from the massive muscle threatening to tear her sleeve apart, and looked up at Sam's face. Just in time for her to overwhelm my mouth with her own.

            Her tongue pushed inside and proceeded to claim its territory. I had never been kissed so aggressively, and I only lasted a few seconds. My body spasmed as I erupted in my pants, Sam's mouth muffling my moans.

            Only when I had finished, did she lower me back to the floor.

            "There", she said, unable to completely hide the pride in her voice. "Now go clean yourself up, weirdo."

------------------------------------------------------------

            I thought that went pretty well, even considering Sam's reluctance, but I was soon proven wrong. It became clear the next time I saw her that things had gotten even more awkward between us. And, unlike our experience in January, this awkwardness never really went away.

            Now it's been almost a month, and we haven't done anything more intimate than the occasional kiss. Hell, today I'm at her house, and she's not even there.

            Now, this isn't that unusual. Sam and her parents both had things they wanted to do this afternoon, so they brought me in to babysit the twins. I had done this several times since I got along well with Taylor and Edward, and their parents trusted me. It just provided an uncomfortable metaphor for my current relationship with my girlfriend.

            That said, I didn't mind babysitting. At least, the twins still treated me the same as they did before I stopped growing. Currently, Ed was on the couch reading a kid's book. He had a pretty high reading level for a kid that hadn't even started kindergarten yet. That left me with the not-insignificant job of keeping Taylor entertained.

            "Nate, give me a piggyback ride again!" She demanded, jumping up and down. I had already run around the room with her on my back an hour ago. Honestly, I was proud of myself for managing that, but there was no way I could handle a second round.

            "I don't think I can, Taylor. You're getting too big."

            "Awww", she pouted, but her smile quickly returned. "I guess I'll just have to get big enough that I can give you a piggyback ride instead!"

            "Haha! I'm looking forward to it."

            "I bet! Big sis said that you like getting picked up. Is that why you're so much smaller than her?" Jeez, Sam. What are you telling a 5-year-old?

            "No, girls just grow faster at our age. All the guys are shorter than her."

            "Nuh-uh. The guy that came to pick up Sam today was taller than she is."

            Wait, what?! Sam said that she had made plans with... Kerry. Oh, God. No, hold on, gotta confirm.

            "Are you sure that wasn't her friend's dad?" I asked. Taylor shook her head.

            "He was old, but old like you guys. Not old like a parent."

            I was sure that time at the mall had been a one-time thing. Just Kerry misjudging Sam's commitment to our relationship. But now I had to question every time Sam and Kerry had hung out in the last few months. There's no way that I just happened to find out the only two times it happened.

            Why would Sam keep going along with this? Would Kerry really keep trying if she wasn't responding positively?

            My suspicion only intensified when Sam returned that evening. On foot. Did she have them drop her off at the end of the street so I wouldn't see the guys? I should have just asked her, but I didn't have the courage.

            I wouldn't find the courage in the following weeks, either. And then it was too late, Sam left for basketball camp. I wouldn't see her again until right before school started.

------------------------------------------------------------

            Being around Hannah wasn't helping my confidence either. Not that she was being purposefully mean. She just loved how big and strong she was getting, especially compared to me. She also really enjoyed my reactions to her growth. So she didn't miss a single opportunity to flaunt her size and strength in front of me.

            As if that wasn't enough, today, her ninth birthday, she received her first gift directly from her own body. I was woken up by her barging into my room, claiming that her pajamas felt tight. She demanded that I measure her, and sure enough, she had gotten even taller.

            In just a year, my sister had gone from 4'2" to 4'8". She was now only two inches shorter than me.

            I didn't have time to come to grips with this newest development, as I was roped into helping with her birthday party. The party was being held at the park downtown, and there were too many kids coming for my parents to keep track of alone.

            It might seem weird that Hannah has this many friends, since I've barely mentioned any of them other than Jess. But they just haven't factored into the story so far. In reality, Hannah was quite popular. She's friendly, extroverted, and a natural leader.

            And she didn't care about school cliques. Just counting party attendees, there were jocks and nerds, tomboys and girly girls, shorties and tall kids. Ranging in age from 7 to 11. Enough to fill a classroom, including a dozen or so boys.

            And so, Mom, Dad, and I, along with a handful of other parents, spent a couple of hours keeping an eye on everyone while the kids played tag, spread out for a game of capture the flag, and chowed down on a picnic lunch with a massive chocolate cake.

            This gave me ample time to see just how big Hannah was compared to the other kids. It went beyond her just being the tallest. The only kids that came close to her height were the ones two grades ahead of her. She towered over anyone her age or younger. Even Jeremy, who matched her in height just a year ago, looked small standing beside her. She seemed to be a good 3 or 4 inches taller than the older boy.

            Eventually, the party wound down, and most of the kids headed home. Jess and a few of the girls got to go to our house for a sleepover. We only had so much room, so Mom made her limit the guest list to seven for this part.

            This was also the time when Hannah got to open her presents from the family. Well, mine was already open, since we set it up in the basement last night. She just hadn't seen it yet.

            "A punching bag? That's awesome!" Hannah exclaimed, nearly crushing me with a quick bear hug. "Thanks, Nate!"

            "Gloves too", I added, once I got my breath back. "Just be careful. You can really hurt your hands if you hit it wrong."

            "I'm always careful when I'm working out", Hannah replied in a serious tone.

            "And this is from your mother and me", Dad said, handing over a large box.

            Hannah tore open the packaging, her face lighting up as she revealed a pair of rollerblades.

            "It's the exact kind I wanted!" She squealed. This item had been at the top of Hannah's wishlist, even beating out weights and gym equipment.

            "I've got to try them out!" And she was gone, dashing up the stairs without so much as a second thought.

            "There are elbow and knee pads in the box!" Mom called after her. "And don't forget your helmet!"

            Jess had followed her immediately, though at a slower pace. I turned back to the other girls.

            "Sorry about that. That's just..."

            "...how she is. We know", Cindy finished. The other girls nodded in agreement, even Sarah and Sally, who had only moved here this year. "I'm sure she'll remember she's supposed to be hosting a party at some point."

            We all headed to the living room to wait. I ended up standing as the girls took up the available seating. It was a pretty varied group, much like the larger one at the park.

            Cindy was 10, about 4'4", and athletic. She lived nearby and was a regular participant in games down at the lot.

            Sarah and Sally were identical twins, both just under four feet tall. Sarah was a gymnast, while Sally loved to draw. They were ten as well.

            June was Hannah's closest friend from the same grade, 4'1" tall, and an avid martial artist, Judo, I think. Also, she was born in November. No, I don't get it either.

            Naomi was 9, 4 foot even, and always wore dresses. Evidently, she had done the beauty pageant circuit a few years ago, but her parents had pulled her out when they realized how toxic the competition was. She was one of the few people I knew who could pull Jess' attention away from Hannah, usually to talk about whatever she was reading at the time.

            Finally, there was Rosie, 7 years old, 3'9", and an avid fan of whatever Hannah was doing at the time. She idolized her the way kids do if a cool, older kid is willing to hang out with them.

            "Well, would you look at that? Hey down there, little bro."

            I must have been spacing out a little; I hadn't realized Hannah was back until I heard her voice right behind me. I turned to face her.

            "What do you mean, litt..." My voice died as my brain froze up. Less than a foot away, directly in front of my eyes, was Hannah's nose. I stared, mouth open, as she smiled down at me. For a second, I was unable to form a coherent thought. After that, I wasn't any less confused; I was just able to actually generate questions.

            Why did I have to look up to meet Hannah's eyes? She couldn't be taller than me! How could she grow 3 inches in the ten minutes she was gone?

            "Hannah! Take your rollerblades off when you come in. You'll scratch the floor."

            "OK, Mom!" Hannah called over her shoulder before turning back to me, her expression somehow even more smug than before. She put one finger under my chin and pushed my mouth closed. Then she spun around and clomped back towards the door to remove her skates.

            Only then did it click that I had been had.

------------------------------------------------------------

*Snap*

            I woke up sitting on Hannah's bed, surrounded by her and her friends, with Jess directly in front of me.

            "How do you feel?" June asked.

            "Pretty good. I was starting to get a little tired before this. Now I'm awake again, like I just had a good nap. But I'm still super relaxed, like all my worries have melted away."

            "And you don't remember anything from when you were hypnotized?" That question was from Sally.

            "Nope. It was like Jess snapping her fingers happened right after number 5 in the countdown."

            "Amazing", Cindy said. "I didn't believe it at first, but now that I've seen it, wow." Rosie started giggling.

            "What?" I asked. "You didn't make me do anything funny, did you?"

            "Cross my heart", Hannah said. "Hypnotism's just weird, the first time you see it."

            "I wouldn't know. You never let me watch your sessions."

            "Yeah, yeah. I promise I'll let you see it someday. Now, shoo. Everyone's getting a turn, so we have to be quick."

            "Alright, alright, I'm going." I headed to the door.

            "We haven't all agreed to do it, yet", June reminded my sister.

            "Oh you will", Hannah stated confidently. "Just watch."

            I walked over to my room. A little while later, Hannah finished her session. I could tell because of all the noise they started making.

            "Amazing!"

            "Wow! Oh, I'm definitely trying this!"

            "That is so cool!"

            "Me first, me first!"

            I'm not sure what part of Hannah's hypnotism got them so excited, but I'm glad that my idea worked.

------------------------------------------------------------

            The annual check-up with Dr. Feldspar was coming to an end. The atmosphere was somber, everyone wearing a serious expression. Well, except for Hannah, of course.

            She radiated barely restrained glee, along with a smug sort of pride. I wasn't surprised. This was her moment of triumph, after all. Her outburst from last year vindicated. From the moment we entered, the doctor's jaw dropping at the sight of her next to me, to now, the grand reveal.

            "Well, ahem, let's begin with Hannah's chart", Dr. Feldspar announced. "You've grown 6 inches this year, which is a lot for someone in the middle of puberty. Even more so for you, since you haven't even started puberty yet."

            "That puts you at 4'8", or over the 99th percentile for 9-year-olds. Now, according to the graph, this would leave you at least 6'2" as an adult. But I need to caution you that an unusual spurt like this is usually followed by a year or two of slow growth as the body compensates."

            "Oh, I'm not worried", Hannah responded, with unwavering confidence. "I'm going to keep getting taller, and when I do start puberty, I'll just grow even faster."

            "Well, either way, it hasn't negatively affected your health, but I'm still going to send your data to an endocrinologist just to make sure."

            "Uh-huh", Hannah nodded, unconcerned. "What about my weight?"

            "85 pounds. Which, like last year, is high for your age and height, but not concerningly so given your, um, physique."

            Hannah smirked, not even bothering to strike a pose. She didn't need to. Her biceps were clearly visible, even without flexing.

            "So... I'm five inches taller than Nate was when he was nine. Is that enough for me to be taller than him as an adult?"

            "Hannah!" Mom exclaimed. "Don't be insensitive. How can you ask that now?"

            "What's the big deal? So, he's short now. He'll be fine."

            "That's just it", the doctor explained. "We don't know that he'll be fine. He hasn't just grown less than expected this past year, he hasn't grown at all. That shouldn't happen to a healthy boy. And until we know the cause, we won't know what side effects might show up later."

            Hannah looked like she was about to argue, but then her eyes widened. She sat back in her chair and seemed to be seriously thinking about something for a few seconds.

            "I'm sorry, Nate", she said, suddenly subdued. "I wasn't trying to be mean. I hope you'll be OK."

            "Don't worry about it. I know you wouldn't do that on purpose." It's true. She's never been cruel. She's just too self-centered, sometimes. Pushing ahead without thinking about the effects her actions have on other people.

            "There are several reasons why something like this could happen", Dr. Feldspar continued. "We can already rule out several of them. Most of the genetic causes would have other effects that we don't see, delayed puberty is out because we can see other signs of puberty, etc."

            "There is one thing that could be related but would worry me even if you were still getting taller. That is the weight loss. Last year, we recorded your weight at 83 pounds. Now you only weigh 70 pounds. That is dangerously underweight. You've lost almost one-sixth of your body mass."

            "Maybe you should have kept coming to our workouts", Hannah accused. "I bet most of that lost weight was muscle."

            "I stopped because it wasn't working", I shot back. "A whole month, and I didn't gain a pound of muscle."

            "Both of you be quiet", Mom demanded.

            "That is concerning", Dr. Feldspar said. "Your body should be able to maintain a decent amount of muscle just due to testosterone produced via puberty. Together with the growth failure, I believe this is either a hormonal imbalance or malabsorption. Malabsorption is when your body can't process all the nutrients it needs, even if you eat enough.

            "Sadly, both conditions can come from a variety of causes, so I won't be able to prescribe anything today. We'll know more once I get the results back from my more specialized colleagues."

            He started to wrap things up after that. I should have let it be, but there was one piece of information left, and I just had to know.

            "Doctor Feldspar. Just for curiosity's sake, what's my height percentage now?"

            "Ah." He pulled my chart back up. "49th percentile."

            Well, there it is. I guess I'm just average now.

------------------------------------------------------------

            A couple of days later, I was standing on the porch. I had just gotten a call from Sam. She was back from camp. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder. Despite the awkwardness of the summer, she seemed excited to see me. And I was eager to see her as well.

            And what a sight it was. Before she even got within speaking range, I could tell she had grown. She was wearing the same outfit when she left a month ago, and it no longer fit the same. Her top was tighter, the text on the front a little more distorted. Her pants didn't quite cover her ankles. And as she got closer, I had to look up more and more to keep eye contact.

            "Hey there, little guy. Did you miss me?"

            "More than ever."

            She grinned and leaned way down, until her lips met mine. Too soon, she broke it off and stood back up.

            "Whoo, I'm gonna get a backache bending down like that. Guess what? I grew again. I don't know what's in the water at camp, but damn, is it effective. I'm 5'10", now. That means I'm as tall in these flats as I was in my Samus costume last Halloween."

            I quickly lowered my gaze so I could look straight ahead. And there it was. The same view as in October. Well, the level was the same. The view was very different. Sam back then was beautiful and athletic, and her breasts, while modestly sized, were damn sexy.

            Sam today makes her previous self look like a skinny little girl. Her muscles are bigger, her hips wider, her breasts fuller. But despite their greater mass, they're so perky that my view is still of their undersides.

            Her current tank top and jeans might be less flattering than a skintight jumpsuit, but they fail to hide her beauty or dampen my arousal.

            Unfortunately, the size comparison wasn't just apparent to me.

            "Wait a minute", Sam said, confused. "That can't be right. It looks like you're the same height as back then, too. Shouldn't you be a little taller?"

            "Uh..." I desperately tried to come up with something to say but the pause was long enough to make Sam suspicious.

            "Nate, how tall are you?"

            "Four-foot-ten", I admitted.

            "But that would mean you haven't grown at all this year. Not an inch. Is that even possible?"

            I froze up. All the lines I had come up with over the past year. All the little lies to delay the inevitable. All the ways to state the truth that might cushion the blow, disappeared from my mind. The only thing I could do was be honest.

            "I didn't grow at all. I-I'm done growing."

            "Oh my God, Nate. I'm so sorry. I... hold on. How long have you known?"

            "Since the first week of middle school", I confessed, miserable. "I didn't have proof then, but I knew."

            "A year?!" Sam exclaimed. "And you never told me? Were you ever planning to tell me?"

            "O-of course, I was. I just couldn't find the right way to break it to you. I was afraid of what would happen, especially after January."

            Unfortunately, my candor did nothing to stem Sam's anger. Actually, I think I was just making it worse.

            "What, you were worried that I was going to dump you for being a shrimp? Instead of dumping you for being a liar? Dammit, you even lied to convince me to pander to your weird amazon fetish!"

            "Well, forgive me for being attracted to my girlfriend's actual body, instead of just keeping her around, hoping she eventually grows the body I want her to have!"

            "That's not what I..."

            "And don't act like I'm the only one being less than truthful here!" I continued, shouting right over her response. "Were you ever going to tell me about all those dates you've been going on behind my back?!"

            I knew I shouldn't be saying this. I was in the wrong. I should be apologizing and looking to de-escalate the situation. But it was like a dam had burst inside of me. All the worry, stress, and embarrassment I had been bottling up over an entire year boiled over in that moment.

            I just wanted to respond to her anger and accusations with some of my own. To fight fire with fire. To make her feel a little of the pain that an uncaring universe had dumped on me. And seeing her furious expression replaced with a look of shock, and maybe even guilt, just spurred me forward.

            "You thought I didn't know, huh? I saw you and Kerry in the mall over spring break. Then, like an idiot, I decided to trust you. 'Oh, it must have been a misunderstanding. Sam would never do something like that.' But then I found out you went on a second date. Months later! I can only imagine how busy you must have been in between."

            "Was it fun stringing me along? Letting me take you on dates and buy you presents? Then skipping off to swoon over a hunky highschooler? I bet you didn't have any trouble getting aroused around them. I wonder how many of them you slept wi..."

            My voice died mid-rant as my body reacted before my brain fully registered the danger. Sam had had enough. I didn't even finish insulting her virtue before her hand raised. This activated my flight response, causing me to raise my hands to protect my head as my body curled up on itself.

            Now TV might suggest that the slap would sting my pride more than my face. But Sam was no delicate damsel. The hand about to strike me was the same one that she had used to lift my entire body two months ago. Her slap might knock my head right off.

            But by the time my mind caught up to the situation, Sam had already relented. I guess I looked too pitiful to kill.

            "For your information", Sam spat. "I didn't go out on a single date. If Rick's friends didn't want to hang out without a chance to get with me, I left. Sleeping with one of them was never even mentioned. But maybe, I'll give them another shot, now that I don't have a boyfriend."

            Without another word, she spun around and walked away.

            "Wait, Sam! I didn't mean that! I'm sorry!"

            She didn't even look back. Oh God, what have I done?

------------------------------------------------------------

            "Nate? I heard you and Sam yelling. What happened?" Hannah opened the door to my room and found me curled up on my bed, sobbing.

            "G'way", I mumbled.

            Hannah didn't listen. She strode over and climbed up beside me. Then she wrapped her arms around me, pulling my face to her chest.

            "I said, 'Go away'", I sobbed, attempting to push her away. I might as well have been trying to shove a brick wall. Eventually, I gave up, and let her hold me, until I cried myself to sleep.