Last night was the worst night of my entire life. But, in the morning light, things didn't look quite so grim. Sure, I had messed up, more than I ever had before. But this wasn't the first fight Sam and I had had. We always made up eventually. Why should this time be any different?

            I was worried that she might not let me be her boyfriend again, even after forgiving me. But I had been afraid that she would dump me since the day I stopped growing, so I was used to dealing with that fear.

            Now I just had to get her to talk to me so that I could apologize properly. I had sent her a couple of desperate texts right after she left. But when I checked my phone this morning, she hadn't even read them. This was just a delay though, surely. If she had been anywhere near as emotional as I was last night, it makes sense that she wouldn't want to see my texts. I'll just send her a more composed message and wait until she's ready to respond.

            But the hours passed with no reply. Eventually, I sent her another text and then even later I tried calling. Of course, she didn't pick up, so I left a voice-mail. But I wouldn't hear from her that day.

            The next day, I walked to her house to try to talk to her in person. Her Mom opened the door and wouldn't let me enter. She told me that I was no longer welcome there and I should leave before Sam's Dad noticed me.

            At least, my own parents were a little more lenient. They didn't approve of what I'd said and done, obviously. But they could see how distraught I was and decided that they didn't need to add their own punishment.

            Hannah, on the other hand, didn't seem angry with me at all. In fact, she was being too nice. She had done a complete 180 and now seemed to be actively avoiding anything that would lead to a height or strength comparison. She had an almost guilty expression around me, like she was the one that had messed up. I guess she felt bad for exacerbating my insecurities.

            Anyway, if I couldn't get Sam to read my texts, and I couldn't go to her house, then I would just have to wait. School was about to start again, and there was no way she could avoid me there.

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            I knew I was average now, (well 1% below avg.) but seeing it was still surprising. Half of the 8th-grade boys were taller than me now. And given how skinny I was, even the ones that were my height seemed bigger. The girls were even worse. (Better?) Only the latest of bloomers were still waiting to outgrow me. And the rest, dwarfed me. Several of the 7th-grade girls were already taller than me too.

            But they were all just background noise. The only thing that mattered was Sam couldn't avoid me here. I would make her listen to me. And it didn't take long to find her. Her towering form as clearly visible as mine was hidden in the crowd.

            "Sam!" I called out. Her head turned towards my voice but she didn't see me. I waved and yelled her name again. Her gaze finally met mine but then she clenched her jaw and turned away.

            "No! Sam wait!" I pleaded as she began to walk in the opposite direction. I tried to keep up with her, but the crowd made way for a 5'10", 175 lb. girl significantly more than a 4'10", 70 lb guy. Thankfully, I couldn't lose sight of her for the same reason.

            I caught up to find her talking to Kerry and Alice. They had grown over the summer as well and formed an intimidating trio. Comparing them to Sam and I, it looked like Alice had reached 5'5", while Kerry stood an incredible 5'8". I pushed into their circle regardless.

            "C'mon, Sam. Are you really going to give me the silent treatment the whole year? At least, listen to my apology." The girls kept talking like I wasn't there, even Alice now easily able to look over my head. Though, she at least had the decency to look uncomfortable while doing so.

            "Dammit, Sam. I'm not letting y..." I was cut off by Kerry's hand covering my mouth. Her long fingers wrapped almost halfway around my face.

            "Did you hear something?" She asked, nonchalantly.

            "No, nothing", Sam replied. My heart sank. "Anyway, can you believe they want us to do history first period?"

            "I-I know, right?" Alice answered, stumbling slightly over her words. "There's no way that I can memorize Greek philosophers at 8 AM."

            "Ugh. Try French," Kerry rebutted. "I swear that language was invented by a sadist. A deaf sadist."

            "And what's up with the new students?" Sam wondered. "There's no way we were that lost on our first day."

            "They're so tiny and cute, though", Alice enthused. "I swear, I haven't seen a single one that's as tall as me. It's amazing!"

            I was determined to wait Sam out, even if I had to chase her to her first class. But then, Kerry slowly pushed my head back, forcing my view up to Sam's face. And there I saw the emotion that her voice had hidden.

            Her cheeks were wet with tear tracks, and as I watched another slid down from her right eye. My frustration and determination evaporated. I didn't even try to resist as Kerry slowly pulled me out of the group, twisting her arm back until I was behind her. As soon as she let me go, I fled.

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            I managed to stumble my way through the rest of the day without incident, almost. As I was on my way out, halfway from my last class to the front door, my feet suddenly left the ground. I flew threw the air and into an empty classroom. I found myself staring straight into someone's neck, a pair of hands under my armpits. As she kicked the door closed behind us, I finally realized who was holding me: Kerry.

            "Don't say a word", my captor warned. "I'm going to talk and you're going to listen. Then, if you're a good little boy, I might give you permission to speak." I shut my mouth and looked up.

            "God, you're such a pushover", Kerry said, her stern expression slipping for a moment.

            "Alright, in case this morning wasn't enough for you, let me spell it out. Leave Sam alone. I don't know why, but she's really upset about this breakup. So you're going to give her space. You are not going to call her, or talk to her, or follow her around yapping like a lost puppy. This will last until she decides otherwise."

            "'But Kerry, you're such a massive, evil, self-centered bitch, why do you care how Sam feels? It's not like you two are friends.' What? I know what most people think of me. Besides", she said, flashing a predatory smile, "they're only half wrong. Most people don't deserve my friendship, so I don't give it to them. But Sam proved herself to me. So now, she is my friend, and I don't like seeing her cry."

            "Now you might be thinking that I already bullied you last year, what more can I do? But that's because you're an idiot. During basketball season, you were an annoyance, so I pushed you around a little. Afterwards, well, turns out that physically overpowering a weak little boy is pretty fun. The point is that it was never serious."

            "You don't want me to get serious. I will destroy you. Socially, emotionally and physically. Not that breaking your body would be an impressive achievement. I'm pretty sure my niece could put you in the hospital if you pissed her off, and she's 10."

            "But enough of the stick, let's talk about the carrot. Now obviously, going to our games once basketball season starts is out. Can't have you distracting our top player. But if you behave, I have a way to sneak you in. Also, I'll be sure to keep teasing you."

            "Oh come on, don't pretend that you didn't enjoy it. You've been hard this whole time, even while I was threatening you. You might just be the horniest little sub I've ever seen."

            "Really?" She said, seeing my confusion. "I knew Sam was weirdly innocent, but you too? Don't you have the internet in your hovel? Sub as in submissive. Probably some masochism and macrophilia too."

            "Basically, you like being dominated by big, strong women. And it doesn't matter if they're nice", she gently lowered me to the ground, "or mean." She took a quick step forward, smashing her bust into my face hard enough to knock me down.

            "Now don't misunderstand, you won't be my boyfriend or anything. Like could you imagine? You'll just be my little toy that I play with when I want to be reminded of how superior I am."

            "Anyway, I've said what I needed to. Nod if you understand."

            I slowly moved my head up and down.

            "Good boy. Alright, you may speak. I'll even answer a few questions. Oh, but no getting up. Being on the floor suits you."

            I glared at her, but stayed sitting propped up on my elbows. There were some things I wanted to know. Even if knowing them wouldn't really help me.

            "Why did you want Sam and I to break up so bad?"

            "Isn't it obvious? She deserves better. She's tall, strong, hard-working, focused, and honest. She isn't afraid to piss other people off. And to top it off, she's the second hottest girl in this school. She deserves a partner who has those qualities too. Not someone who might have had the first two when she started dating him but now has none. Next question? Maybe one that you couldn't figure out yourself with a little thought?"

            "How many double dates did you take Sam on?"

            "None. She refused to go anywhere without making sure that the guys knew she wasn't looking to trade her current boyfriend in for a better model. And boy did that make my life difficult. The first guy I tried to set her up with gave me an earful after she left. Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay in the popular clique in high school? Let alone as a seventh grader? My reputation took a real hit that day."

            "Wow", I said sarcastically. "I'm so sorry that I inadvertently caused a drop in the value of Bitchcoin."

            "Oh, so you can talk back. I don't think I like it." Kerry placed one of her feet on my chest and pushed me onto my back. Then she started pressing down. Her foot covered a significant portion of my torso, and as the weight increased, I started to find it hard to breath.

            "We're not friends, or equals. I am better than you." The hard sole of her shoe was beginning to seriously hurt where it pressed on my ribs. "I deal out the verbal and physical abuse. You take it silently, like a good little bitch. If I allow you to talk, you will be respectful, or at least civil, when addressing me."

            "But I'm feeling generous today", she said, lifting her foot off of me and placing it back on the floor. "So I'll answer the question you meant to ask. We went on eight outings with different guys. After that first hiccup, I managed to convince Sam that everybody was on the same page vis-a-vis her relationship status. That allowed her to enjoy the eye-candy guilt-free, I guess.

            "Oh, actually it was nine times. Tony came back for a second round. I think I'll remind Sam of that fact when she's done with her 'mourning period' or whatever."

            "Well, that's all the time I'm willing to waste on you today. Just remember, do what I want and reap the rewards. Piss me off and", she placed her shoe back on my chest, "suffer", pain exploded through my body as she lifted her other foot and stepped over me, "the consequences."

            I lay there, trying to get my breath back, as her footsteps faded into the distance. Eventually, I got up and exited the school. I made it outside just in time to see her climb into the back of an expensive-looking car. The last bus had already left, so I had to settle for walking home alone.

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            Over the next few days, Kerry's threats turned out to be mostly redundant. Seeing Sam cry would have been enough to get me to leave her alone, at least for a while. And it turns out, my social life was already destroyed. I had heard stories where an entire friend group would side with one person in a breakup. Now, I got to experience it firsthand.

            Not that I could really blame my friends. I was clearly in the wrong. And I had been drifting away from the group for a while, anyway. I hadn't even seen most of the guys between my birthday and the start of school. It still sucked.

            I had a feeling that this semester was going to be very lonely. This made me even more determined to get one particular person to go back to treating me normally.

            I opened the front door after another long day at school, to see my sister immediately rush to the couch and take a seat.

            "Um... Hi, Nate. Welcome home."

            "Hannah", I sighed. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better but this needs to stop."

            "Huh?"

            "This whole thing you've been doing since the breakup. Like taking a seat as soon as I walk into the room so I won't be reminded that you're almost as tall as me. You used to take every opportunity to show off how strong you were, but now you act like seeing you lift something heavier than your school bag will make me break down in tears."

            "But, but I..."

            "I get it", I said, walking over and leaning against the back of the couch. "My insecurity over my height and athleticism was one of the things that led to the fight. But it's not like you were the only one outgrowing me. So stop acting like this is your fault." For some reason, this statement made her wince and look even more guilty.

            "Besides, none of the stuff that happened to me this year made me say the things I said that day. I could make excuses, but in the end, I was the one who messed up. If I had handled the situation better, hell, if I had been honest with Sam from the start, things would be different."

            "My point is: you're just making things awkward, when what I really need is someone who treats me normally. So please, go back to the way you were before."

            Hannah didn't seem convinced, but after a moment, she shook her head, as if clearing away her own doubts. Then she sprang to her feet with the look of determination that I knew so well. I straightened up as she rounded the couch to stand in front of me. She broke into a grin that only seemed a little forced and slowly rose onto her tip-toes.

            "Well", she stated, looking down into my eyes, "whatever makes you happy, little bro."

            "Ha ha ha. Don't push your luck", I replied, smiling for the first time in what felt like ages. In reply, Hannah's grin turned more genuine. She wrapped me in a quick hug before lifting me off my feet.

            "Ah! It feels good to be back."

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            "Well, well, well. Look what we have here", a voice from behind me observed, "a weak, little nerd with no friends."

            I turned around to see Brad walking towards me. Shit. It was the very end of the lunch break and I was at my locker getting ready for the next class. No one else was around. Presumably, they had gotten their stuff earlier or just didn't have as much trouble carrying their books and so needed to visit the lockers less.

            I guess a week was long enough for Brad to decide that all my friends really had abandoned me. Meaning no one would retaliate on my behalf.

            "C'mon Brad. You don't want to do this." Brad's smirk flipped to a frown.

            "Oh, I don't, huh?" He growled, shoving me hard. I slammed into my locker, pencils and papers spilling out around me. "Don't try to get smart with me, Nate. I've been waiting for too long for this day to come. I finally get to pay you back for all the fun you stopped me from having."

            "We'll be late for class. Next period starts in..." Brad cut me off by burying his fist in my gut. I bent over, gasping as the wind was knocked out of me.

            "Shut up. Though I guess you've got a point. Don't worry, I'll make this quick." He reached past me and started shoveling my books onto the floor. "That way, only one of us will be late for class. Now get in."

            I hesitated for a moment, but when he raised his fist again, I gave in to the inevitable. One punch was painful enough. Even with the bigger middle-school lockers, it was still a tight fit, made even more so when Brad slammed the door closed. Then he locked it, trapping me inside.

            "I told you that you would regret getting in my way."

            And he walked off. Thankfully, he didn't bother cleaning up the school supplies that were scattered in front of my locker, so it was pretty easy to get someone to notice me. I still missed two classes and had some serious cramps thanks to my contorted position.

            Honestly, as far as villainous revenges go, it was pretty mild. Sadly, I doubted Brad was done with me.

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            Today was my first hypnotism session since Hannah's party. I was looking forward to it. The last few weeks had been very stressful and it would be nice to relax for a bit. The pre-hypnosis atmosphere was not very conducive to relaxation, however. Jess was even grumpier than usual.

            "Hurry up and sit down", she grumbled. "Let's get this over with." She wasn't even trying to be polite anymore. It was bad enough that even Hannah noticed.

            "Jess, is something wrong?"

            "Huh?" Jess started, like she had forgotten that Hannah was in the room. "It-it's nothing. I'm just tired." She looked away from us, her face turning red. But the embarrassment tinging her tone wasn't enough to hide the resentment underneath.

            "No. That's not true at all", Hannah responded. It wasn't a question. "Jess, look at me." Jess met her eyes reluctantly, but obediently. "Hmmm..." Hannah shifted to the edge of the bed and leaned forward. She peered into Jess' eyes intently, like she was looking into her soul.

            "You weren't like this at school", she stated, almost like she was talking to herself. "But you have been a little on edge since we entered the house, haven't you?" Jess nodded, nervously. "It was worse when you woke me up from hypnosis, I just wasn't paying attention. But, why? It's almost like..." Hannah's face broke into a sly grin. "Jess, you're jealous, aren't you?"

            "N-no, I'm not", Jess stuttered, her face going pale.

            "You are! You're jealous of all the time I've been spending with Nate lately. Oh, Baby, we just had a sleepover a few weeks ago. Though, I guess there were other girls there too. Honestly, you're so silly, Jess." Hannah got to her feet, forcing Jess to look almost straight up to maintain eye contact. "All you had to do was ask."

            I may seem like a broken record at this point, but it really was incredible just how much Hannah had grown. Jess was going through puberty and, unlike me, her puberty included a growth spurt. She was about 4'1" now. But Hannah had so thoroughly eclipsed her that the top of her head only reached Hannah's chin.

            "I was going to drag Nate down to the basement after this", my sister continued. "To see if I could at least get him to do some cardio. But I might be convinced to take you instead. It's been a while since you watched me workout, you might not be able to handle seeing what I lift now." Jess was blushing again. Her whole body trembling as Hannah bent down to whisper in her ear.

            "I might even set a new personal record today, just for you. Would you like that?"

            "Yes... Please, Hannah..." Jess panted. I couldn't blame her. Hannah's display of dominance was making me hard and it wasn't even directed at me.

            "Hmmm, OK. But first, isn't there something you need to do?" Hannah sat down and nodded in my direction. 

            Jess glanced at me, then quickly turned away again, her face somehow finding an even deeper shade of red to display. But she took a few deep breaths, and by the time she turned around, she had managed to get herself under control. She stepped in front of me and met my eyes.

            "You are getting very sleepy..."

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            Turns out I was right about Brad. He hasn't trapped me in my locker again, probably because there's too big a chance of teacher involvement, but he hasn't left me alone either. He actually has quite a repertoire of bullying tactics. From just shoving me into the wall as he walks by, to verbal attacks, to the legendary swirly.

            I didn't think anyone actually did that last one, but I was proven wrong today. And let me tell you, you haven't realized how nasty a public toilet is until you've had your face shoved in one. He got me in the morning too, so I've been in damp clothes all day. Sadly, his bullying is far more common than Kerry's more stimulating interactions. Though, today, I ended up getting both.

            "Ugh, what is that smell?" Kerry exclaimed. "Did you forget to shower this morning and decide to take a dip in a sewage drain instead?" I pulled myself upright using the wall Kerry had knocked me into in lieu of a hello.

            "Brad dunked my head in the toilet this morning. I haven't had a chance to take a shower since then."

            "Wait, a swirly? I thought those only happened in old movies."

            "I'm pretty sure that's where Brad gets his ideas."

            "Well, that wouldn't be a problem if you didn't let Brad of all people bully you. I didn't think you swung that way."

            "I don't let him do it because I enjoy it. I don't let him do it at all. He just does it."

            "Wow, how pathetic do you have to be to get bullied by little Brad Peters."

            That particular title caused a memory of a year ago to surface. God, I missed Sam. I managed to muscle down my emotions in time to avoid tearing up in front of Kerry.

            "It's too bad", she continued. "I was going to reward you for managing to go two weeks without making Sam cry. But your stench is ruining the mood. I hope you didn't leave loser residue on my top." She brushed the spot on her blouse that had connected with me earlier, sending a distracting jiggle thru her big breasts.

            "Oh! I've got it, I just have to use the bottom of my shoe. It's almost as dirty as you, and it'll move your odor further from my nose. That just leaves one question: are you going to lie down on your own, or do you want me to force you? It is your reward after all."

            Well, it wasn't like I had a choice either way, but the tiny bit of pride I had left didn't want to just get on the floor myself. I'd basically be begging her to step on me. I was also kinda curious how she would get me on the floor with just her feet. I straightened up and put on a brave face.

            "You're going to have to make me." Kerry just grinned.

            "Lying down on your own would have been delightfully pathetic, but I'm glad you chose the fun way."

            Then she just raised her foot until she could rest it against my chest, like I was a slightly higher than normal stool. She pushed me back into the wall and then dragged me down it until my ass hit the floor. Her shoe moved to my side and tipped me over before nudging me until I was flat on my back. Then it was back to the center of my chest. Thankfully she was wearing a soft-soled sandal today, so it didn't hurt even as she leaned more weight onto me.

            "Mmm. There we go. Hey, try to escape. I want to see what would happen if you really tried to resist." I gathered my strength and pushed against the floor as hard as I could. No dice. I tried to roll or shift to one side then the other. Nothing. Every time I managed to make the tiniest bit of progress, Kerry would just press down a little harder. Eventually, I was completely immobilized.

            "Damn, you're so weak. I'm not even trying. My other leg is still holding most of my weight." Kerry's face was slightly flushed; her breathing a little uneven. But it wasn't from exertion. It suddenly hit me that she was turned on.

            "I remember when we first met. You seemed so big and strong then. Now you can't even beat one of my feet." She slid her foot back until her heel bumped the tip of my penis. "Oh! It's the little boy's little dick." She moved down my twitching erection until her sole covered it. "It's so hard, but I bet I could still squash it. You're lucky I'm such a nice girl."

            "C'mon", she urged, shifting her foot from side to side. "Show me how much you love being inferior. Shoot your loser juice all over yourself."

            "Uuuuuuhhhh!!" I came, spasming on the floor. Kerry smiled triumphantly and walked off without another word.

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            Dr. Feldspar welcomed us into his office. The test results had arrived.

            "Let's discuss Hannah's results first, since they're more straightforward. Her body is producing unusually high levels of all the various growth hormones and processing them very efficiently. However, there are no indicators of a pituitary tumor or an overactive thyroid. It seems that her body is just going through a period of rapid growth."

            "I still expect this to even out over the next year or two, but even if she continues to grow at this rate, I wouldn't worry. As long as she stays healthy, it's best to just let her body do its thing."

            Hannah just sat in her chair looking satisfied, apparently feeling no need to reiterate her opinion on this matter.

            "For Nate, well it's complicated. I'll be honest, none of the specialists I consulted have seen anything like this. But I'll do my best to summarize what we do know. Unfortunately, there's bad news and good news and, well, bad news again."

            "First of all, those wrist x-rays I sent off just to be thorough, turned out to be very important. Generally, we would be measuring bone age for either precocious or delayed puberty, neither of which applies to you. But what we found is that your growth plates have completely closed. This shouldn't happen until the end of puberty at the earliest. I'm sorry to say that this means you won't grow anymore, and there's nothing we can do."

            "But I did say that there was good news. Closed growth plates before the end of puberty should result in harmful side effects, but we don't see any of them. Instead, your body seems to be performing a delicate balancing act that allows you to get all the results of a normal puberty without trying to force a growth spurt your bones cannot perform. And it has maintained this balance for several months."

            "Oh, well that's good", I joked. "I didn't want the height and muscle anyway. But I couldn't handle giving up the acne, BO, and awkward voice cracks."

            I smiled to show the sarcasm was cheerful, not sullen. Surprisingly, this wasn't an act. I hadn't really expected Dr. Feldspar to solve my growth problem. The certainty that I would always be this height made it hard to believe in an easy solution. So this news was more relieving than disappointing. 

            And my joke helped to reduce the tension in the room. Hannah's giggle was expected but I got a chuckle from the doctor as well.

            "Don't knock it too quickly", he chided with a smile. "If your body keeps this up, you should be a healthy teenager that becomes a healthy adult. Just a shorter than normal one."

            "But I did say there was more bad news", he continued. "Your muscle loss is another puzzle we couldn't solve. Your body is maintaining testosterone levels consistent with normal puberty, but it isn't promoting the muscle growth we would expect. Normally, the body maintains an equilibrium between breaking down old muscle proteins and synthesizing new ones."

            "As far as we can tell, you are free from complications that would prevent the body from reaching its desired equilibrium, like malnutrition, disease, or extensive muscle trauma. So the problem is where your body wants that equilibrium point to be. Even so, regular exercise should raise that point as it convinces the body that spending the calories to maintain extra muscle is necessary."

            "But your body has decided that you only need the muscle mass you currently have, despite it being lower than normal even for a sedentary teen, and isn't changing that equilibrium in response to exercise. Sadly, we don't know why this is happening and any attempts to artificially increase muscle growth could disrupt the hormonal balance we discussed earlier."

            "So until your body's finished developing, the best prescription I can give is a healthy diet and light to moderate exercise. Even if it doesn't result in regaining your lost muscle, it's still important for maintaining a healthy body."

            "Don't worry Doc", Hannah said, reaching her arm around me and pulling me against her. "I'll make sure he sticks to it this time."

            "Haha. Well, I'll leave him in your hands."

            Oh boy, looks like the taskmaster is back in business.

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

            Well, I did it. I managed to avoid Sam for the whole first month of school. Now, I'm not saying we hadn't seen each other at all. We shared several classes, after all. But I did my best to stay out of sight, and she pretended that I was invisible. Outside of class, I avoided her entirely. Not that it was easy for me. She seemed to grow more beautiful every day and worse, I missed spending time with her.

            But today was finally the day. The basketball team's first game was right after the end of school, and Kerry had promised to get me in. I would finally be able to watch Sam without worrying about her noticing me.

            "There you are", Kerry said, as I arrived panting, to an out-of-the-way corner of the school. "Could you move any slower? Some of us have places to be."

            "I came as fast as I could. Maybe, you could have given me the details before the last minute."

            "Hmph. You should be grateful that I'm doing this at all."

            "So, what's the plan? How am I going to watch the game without Sam seeing me?"

            "Oh, she'll be able to see you", Kerry explained, with an evil grin. "She just won't recognize you. Because you'll be wearing this."

            She unfurled the bundle she had been holding to reveal...

            "A mouse costume?"

            "A field mouse to be specific. Don't you recognize our school mascot? You're going to be our biggest supporter, leading the crowd in cheering us on, all while remaining totally anony-mouse."

            I didn't dignify that pun with a response.

            "We didn't have a costumed mascot at our games last year."

            "Of course not. Middle school games are too low-key to bother. But I managed to convince the Principal and Coach Anderson that it would increase school spirit and camaraderie."

            "Um, wow, thanks. I didn't think you'd go through all that effort for me."

            "I did it for Sam, idiot. But, when I make a deal I always uphold my end. And since you did as well, you get to reap the rewards. Besides", she leaned down and gave me a smirk, "what better way to sneak a little boy into a pride of lionesses, than by disguising him as a mouse?"

            She straightened back up and shoved the costume into my arms.

            "Now hurry up and get changed. Coach will fill you in on your actual duties when you get to the court. I have to get ready too. After all, the show can't begin without the star."

            I decided against mentioning that Sam was the real star, instead scrambling for the nearest men's room to don my disguise. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to get into, and I got to the gym before the game started. Coach didn't seem too thrilled with the mascot idea, so there was no big plan for what I should do.

            I was just told to stand on the floor in front of the bleachers and "come up with something encouraging to yell." She seemed mostly concerned with warning me to avoid various stupid things like wandering onto the court.

            I manned my post just in time to watch the players arrive. My eyes locked onto Sam as she strode out at the head of the team. God, she looked hot in her uniform. Her big arms were on full display, and the shorts hid very little of her long, muscular legs. She was also clearly taller than anyone else on the court, including the two coaches.

            In fact, once I let my gaze shift from my former girlfriend, our team as a whole seemed more statuesque than last year. Back then, our tallest player was Chelsea at 5'7". Both Sam and Kerry are taller than that now, and even Alice isn't that far behind. Then it hit me. This year's basketball team was all girls! And tall ones too, even the 7th graders.

            At this point, the game started and it became even harder to concentrate on anything other than Sam. She had managed to significantly improve her skills and athletic ability despite already being the MVP last year. Now she was basically unstoppable.

            I felt my erection rise and harden as she dominated the members of the other team unfortunate enough to be in the starting lineup. They didn't score a single point from inside the key. By the end of the first half, we were far ahead, 12 to 32.

            Thankfully, the mascot costume hid my arousal with ease. I even managed to remember to do some jumping around and yell things more coherent than "WOOOOO!" and "YEAAAAH!" Not that there was much of a crowd to get riled up, though there were a few more students watching than we usually got last year.

            Only when halftime hit and Sam moved to the bench did I notice a conspicuous absence: Alice wasn't part of the starting lineup. And as the backup team took their positions, she stayed behind. Surely, Coach hadn't relegated her to bench warmer again this year.

            The second half began and our team immediately ran into trouble. The enemy shooting guard was very good. She wasn't tall (comparatively, she looked about 5'1" or 5'2") but she was fast, accurate, and skilled. It made me wonder if she was only on the backup team, so she could face shorter opponents. Right from the start, she ran circles around the similarly sized 7th grader trying to guard her.

            Things weren't looking good for us. In just a few minutes, the score had narrowed to 26-34. But then Coach Anderson called a timeout. She sent our shooting guard back to the bench, and replaced her with Alice.

            Suddenly, everything made sense. Alice didn't have a position so that she could be subbed in wherever the other team's strongest player was. She was the Sixth, but more than that: she was an Anti-ace. As the game resumed, it became clear that she hadn't wasted the 9 months between seasons. Her skills had improved by leaps and bounds, in addition to her 4-inch growth spurt.

            Her opponent had no chance. Alice matched her speed and refused to fall for any of her tricks. And due to the height difference, she easily dominated on offense as well. The opposing team's plan for the second half had centered around getting the ball to this girl and helping her score. Now they just fell apart. The slaughter only ended when the final buzzer sounded. At 31-57, our victory was total.

            The crowd, such as it was, erupted in cheers, while the team huddled together to excitedly congratulate each other. Even the super serious Coach Anderson was sporting a wide grin. And why not? The team as a whole wasn't perfect, but she finally had a core that might just make it to nationals.

            As the teams lined up to shake hands, I made my exit. My "job" was done, and I didn't want to give anyone the chance to ask awkward questions.

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

            I had hoped that Brad would lighten up on the bullying once he had gotten his revenge, but no such luck. It was now mid-October and he was only getting bolder. He made a point of tormenting me at least once, basically every day. And after weeks had gone by with no one coming to my rescue, he stopped waiting until I was alone to strike. He would pick me out of the crowd hurrying between classes and just start harassing me.

            I thought I had managed to avoid him today, but no such luck. I was on the bus about to head home when he boarded and immediately took the seat next to me, an evil grin on his face. I was trapped.

            "Nate, buddy!" He exclaimed, putting an arm around my shoulders. "I almost thought you were out sick. Where were you today?" His voice dropped to a low growl. "Thought you could get away, huh?" He pulled me into a head-lock, and gave me a vicious noogie.

            "Ah! Dammit, Brad. Ouch!" I struggled futilely.

            "God, you're such a wimp", he chuckled. "This is too easy. You catching that shrinking sickness or whatever is the best thing that's ever happened to me."

            "I'm not shrinking", I protested.

            "Whatever, nerd."

            This continued for the entire bus ride. I was starting to worry that he would make me miss my stop, but he let me go right on time. I scrambled out the door, but Brad followed me off the bus.

            "W-what are you doing, Brad? This isn't your stop."

            "Nah, mine's just down the road. I'll be able to get home just fine after I've had my fun with you."

            I was about to run for my house when Brad stepped up to me and shoved me hard. I toppled over backwards, falling to the sidewalk. I scraped up both my elbows trying to break my fall and still managed to whack the back of my head on the concrete. Damn, that hurt! Tears began to fill my eyes.

            "Aww, don't start crying yet. We're just getting started."

            My parents wouldn't be back from work for a couple more hours, and even then, there were several houses between my home and the bus stop. I was on my own.

            "Look out! Coming thru!"

            Brad turned towards the sudden voice just in time to jump out of the way as Hannah barreled down the sidewalk on her rollerblades. She hit the brakes and screeched to a stop right beside me.

            "Hey, Nate!" She greeted me cheerfully. She glanced at Brad and then back to me. "Is that little boy bothering you?"

            "Who are you calling little?" Brad demanded.

            "Hannah, what are y..."

            "Bro, I need you to be honest with me", she interrupted, crouching down so her face was closer to mine. "Is that little boy one of your friends or not?"

            Suddenly, it hit me. Hannah was going to pick a fight with Brad on my behalf. But this wasn't like the incident with Alice. Alice had 4 or 5 inches on Brad and he had been too shocked at one of his former victims overpowering him to even struggle. My little sister was 4 inches shorter than Brad and purposefully riling him up. Even if she won, she would have to take a beating on the way.

            "Hannah, don't. You'll get hurt." She just nodded, her smile never faltering.

            "I said: who are you calling a little boy?" Brad had stomped over to stand right behind Hannah. She nonchalantly rose to her feet and turned to face him.

            "Do you see any other little boys around? Other than Nate, of course."

            "You're shorter than I am! You're just wearing roller skates!"

            "Oh, wow", Hannah's tone was mocking. "Three inches taller than a fourth grader. Really impressive."

            "Shut up!" Brad shouted, shoving her with both hands. Hannah slid back a few feet but didn't fall.

            "Is that it? That's just sad."

            Brad growled and gave her another shove. This time she didn't move an inch. He glanced down to see that she had anchored herself by grabbing his shirt.

            "My turn." Her shove knocked Brad to the ground.

            "You bitch! You're going to pay for that." Brad climbed to his feet and took a swing at her. Hannah shifted to the left, dodging the blow effortlessly. She proceeded to dance around him for several seconds while he made increasingly desperate attempts to land a punch.

            "Stay still, damn it!" Hannah skated back out of his reach then stopped.

            "Aw, need some help there, little guy? Here you go." She pulled her shirt up several inches, exposing her midriff. "Take your best shot."

            My jaw dropped. What was she doing? Was she insane? Brad seemed surprised too, but he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to finally score a hit. He stepped up and slammed his fist into her abs. Hannah let out a grunt but kept her feet. Brad clutched his hand.

            "Ow! What the fu..." His voice died and he took a step back. I looked at my sister. She was still smiling, in fact, her grin had gotten wider.

            "Not bad, I almost felt that. Wanna try again?" She paused. "No? Guess I'll come to you then." She started forward. Brad took another step back, fear showing on his face. He turned and I think he would have run right then, but it was too late.

            Hannah's fist connected with his temple, causing him to stagger to the right. A second later, her other hand buried itself in his gut. He bent over, but she grabbed his head, pulling it up before slamming it down onto her rising knee. His head snapped back and he dropped onto the grass like a puppet whose strings had just been cut.

            Brad had been terrorizing me for over a month. Hannah had taken him down in three seconds.

            But she wasn't done with him yet. Brad was flat on his back, blood leaking from his nose as he howled in pain. Hannah put one foot on his chest and leaned over him. She was no longer smiling.

            "Shut up", she growled. Brad's jaw closed so fast I heard his teeth clack together. "You see that boy over there." She pointed at me. "That's my brother. Nobody. Hurts. My. Brother." Brad whimpered as Hannah dragged the wheels on her roller blades across his ribs with each word.

            "If you touch him again, I will come to your school, hunt you down, and put you in the hospital. Understand?" Brad nodded rapidly, tears in his eyes. "Then get out of here. I'm tired of looking at you." Hannah took her foot off his chest and turned her back on him. She didn't look back as he got to his feet and ran away. Instead, she walked over to me and held out her hand.

            "See?" She said, helping me to my feet. "Nothing to worry about." She glanced down at my arm and frowned. She pulled my hand up to get a better look at my elbow. "Shit, Nate you're bleeding. We need to get to the house and fix you up."

            We started walking back towards the house, Hannah still holding my hand. Her arrival and the subsequent fight had hit me with one shocking event after another. Now that my brain had time to process what happened, I felt my dick begin to rise.

            My sister was only nine, but she had just utterly dismantled a 13-year-old boy. One I couldn't even think of challenging. Her strength, her confidence, it was just insane. And she was still shorter than me. She still had so much room to grow and improve. All the shame I usually felt for getting aroused by my sister was overwhelmed by awe. At least for the moment, I fully understood why Jess had fallen for her.

            "I'm sorry, Nate." Her apology brought me back to the moment. I looked up to see her staring ahead with a frustrated expression. "If I had gotten there a little sooner, you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

            "No way!" I objected. I stopped and tugged on her hand until she turned to face me. "You were amazing! It was like I was watching a fight in an action film. You should be proud, not regretful." I slowly coaxed a smile back onto her face. "Besides, it's just a little scrape. It hardly hurts anymore. I'm more worried about you. Did that punch really not hurt?"

            "What?" She giggled. "No, that hurt like hell! I'm gonna have a massive bruise later. Sure fooled him though. I don't think he'll be bothering you again. That reminds me..." Her expression got serious again and she stepped up so she was right in front of me.

            "Nate, This wasn't the first time he bullied you, was it?"

            "No, he's been picking on me since just after the start of school."

            "Why didn't you tell me?"

            "Why didn't I tell my little sister that I was being bullied so she could rescue me? Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind." Hannah sighed.

            "OK, I get it. But now you know I can handle myself. So tell me next time someone messes with you, alright?"

            I nodded. It was still hard to wrap my head around, but she was right. She was stronger than me, would soon be taller than me, and had probably always been tougher than me. Big brothers are supposed to protect their little sisters but Hannah was far more capable of that than I was.

            Then it hit me. This feeling was the same one I used to get around Sam. I felt small and weak, but safe. Like as long as Hannah was with me, everything would be OK.

            Then with her standing so close to me, I realized something else. My eyes snapped down to look straight ahead, right at her... mouth?

            "Hannah, are those new skates?"

            "No. Why did you think that?" She asked, confused. But then she grinned. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot the whole reason I was waiting to ambush you when you got off the bus. I got taller again! Only 1 inch to go!"

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

            A few days later it was clear that Brad had learned his lesson. He didn't even come to school the day after the fight, and when he did return, he looked nervous and skittish. I guess he was worried that someone might find out the bruises on his face came from a fourth grader. Or maybe he was scared that Hannah would suddenly appear, out for blood.

            I almost felt bad for him, almost. Mostly, I was just happy to be able to go to school in peace. On the other hand, Brad had been interacting with me more than any of the other students, so now my loneliness became even more acute. I was eating lunch alone again today, despite the cafeteria being full of middle-schoolers.

            "N-Nate..."

            I turned at the sound of my name and was shocked to see Timothy standing there. I don't think we had had a single conversation this semester. He looked really uneasy for some reason.

            "Oh, hey Tim. What's up?"

            "I-I just... I w-wanted to... I'm sorry!"

            "Huh?" He paused, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself.

            "I'm sorry, Nate. F-for the way I've been treating you lately."

            "What do you mean? You haven't done anything to me. We haven't even talked since school started."

            "Exactly! After everything you d-did for me: defending me, being friendly even when we didn't have anything in common, you even invited me to your birthday party. Then when everyone turned against you, I-I abandoned you too."

            "It's only natural, after what I did."

            "No, it's not! E-everybody's overreacting. It's not like this one thing changes who you are. You shouldn't lose all your friends just because you and Sam broke up. So, if you're willing to forgive me, I-I'd like to be friends again."

            I felt a smile break out on my face. Maybe things were finally getting better.

            "I'd love that."

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

            "Hey, little mouse", Kerry called out, striding towards me. "Why do you disappear at the end of every game? Scared you'll turn into a pumpkin?"

            "I'm trying not to blow my cover, unlike a certain someone", I replied, gesturing down at my lack of costume. I was on my way to change for today's game, so my mascot outfit was still stuffed in my backpack.

            "Well that's no fun", Kerry huffed. "Some of the girls have been getting curious about their biggest fan. Stick around today so I can introduce you."

            "Are you cra..."

            "It wasn't a request. But don't worry, I have a plan. Just follow my lead and everything will be fine."

            Well, it's not like I had a choice. I just had to hope she knew what she was doing.

            So I stayed put as the game wrapped up. I saw multiple girls glance my way, and sure enough, several of them walked in my direction as soon as Coach Anderson dismissed the team. I looked for Kerry, only to see Coach pull her aside before she could leave. Shit! I had to abandon the plan and get out of here. But it was too late.

            "Hey there, little guy", the first girl said as she walked up to me.

            "I'm pretty sure we didn't have a mascot last year." That was Lisa, one of Alice's friends. "So why are you doing it now?"

            "I hear you're our biggest fan", another girl giggled. I'm pretty sure she was a 7th grader, though she was still several inches taller than me, of course. "Though that really doesn't seem like the correct adjective here."

            What was I going to do? Kerry hadn't told me her plan, and I couldn't exactly follow her lead if she wasn't here.

            "Well, I, um..." I stuttered, trying to disguise my voice and think of something to say at the same time.

            "That's a lot of work just to watch some girls play basketball. It's kind of creepy, honestly."

            "I think it's cute. It's nice having someone cheer us on. Coach isn't exactly liberal with the praise after all."

            I was basically always hard during the games. Watching girls, all taller and stronger than me, showcasing their height and athleticism. This included the opposing teams, which were mostly composed of girls as well. And then I got to see those same girls look small and weak in front of Sam.

            My current situation left me terrified but that only seemed to enhance my erection. I felt more helpless than ever. And then there was my perspective. You see, due to the design of my costume, while I could move my head somewhat side to side, I couldn't tilt it back any further than straight ahead.

            With the girls standing so close to me, I couldn't look any of them in the eye. Instead, I was staring at mouths, chins, and necks. It made me feel even smaller, like I was a little kid, caught spying on his older sister's slumber party.

            "Well, at least take off that costume and introduce yourself."

            Oh, no! The one thing I couldn't do. Sam would recognize me. And without the mascot outfit to dampen my body language, these girls would all see that I was trembling with arousal.

            "I... I..." Great, Nate. Real articulate.

            "Now, now girls. I said you would get to meet him. Not interrogate him."

            I felt relief wash over me at the sound of Kerry's voice, which was a novel experience for me. Once she finished speaking, I saw her stride into view. Well, her tits entered my vision, but I assume the rest of her was attached to them.

            "So, who is he then? He won't tell us for some reason."

            "Of course not. That's the whole point of wearing the mascot outfit. He's just a shy little boy, you see. Cheering, jumping up and down, making a fool of himself every single game. It would be far too embarrassing to do if people could recognize him. What would his classmates think if they knew about his deep, passionate love... for basketball?"

            "So he went to you, the notorious good Samaritan, for help?" Ouch. Joining the team hadn't changed the relationship between Kerry and Lisa, I guess.

            "No, I was the one that initiated contact, obviously. I needed something, and he was the best person to get it. I told him that he would get a reward if he did a good enough job and this is what we settled on. Besides, this team deserves some adoration, don't you think?"

            "OK. But why'd you let us meet him then? His secret is safer if he leaves right away like he has been doing."

            "Because he's just too fun to mess with", Kerry said, stepping beside me. She grabbed my shoulder and pulled me against her. Even through the headpiece, I could feel her boob pressing against the side of my face. My dick twitched.

            "He turned into a stuttering mess after just a minute with you girls. It's hilarious. This also lets me get ahead of any rumors. One of you might have ambushed him otherwise."

            "I'm still curious which of the boys he is", another one of the girls piped up. She was the shortest one there, only a couple of inches taller than me. "I wonder if we share any classes."

            "Oh, he's not a 7th-grader. Hard as it is to believe, this little guy is the same age as me."

            "No way! But he's so small!"

            And that did it. Having a girl a year younger than me, who was just a little above average herself, shocked by my tininess, was too much. I barely managed to clamp my jaw hard enough to not moan as I orgasmed. But with Kerry pressed against me, there was no way she didn't notice. I couldn't see her smirk, but I could feel it.

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

            "Nate! Time to get up!" Hannah threw open the door to my room and strode in, a huge grin on her face. "Rise and shine, bro. It's workout time!"

            I sighed theatrically, but didn't argue. Hannah had pushed me back into exercising, keeping her promise to Dr. Feldspar. But it didn't turn into the burden I thought it would. She was relentless, but only when it came to attendance: an hour in the gym, five days a week. For the workouts themselves, she stuck to the prescribed light to moderate aerobics, only pushing me enough to make sure I challenged myself.

            I really only had to last until I tired myself out, usually around 30 minutes. This meant that I sort of got my wish from the spring, since I could spend the rest of the time chatting with Hannah while she finished up her own workout. I got to know my sister from a new angle, hearing about her classes, her friends, and all the stuff she got up to when I wasn't around.

            She listened to me ramble in turn. She seemed really happy to hear that I was hanging out with Tim and his friends, and genuinely interested in the exploits of the basketball team. I did keep my interactions with Kerry a secret, no reason to let her know how much of a deviant I was. I was also a little afraid that she would challenge Kerry to a fight, if she knew how she treated me.

            Of course, getting off to Kerry's bullying wasn't the limit of my deviancy, I was also aroused by Hannah herself. Ever since my eyes were opened to the possibility of finding her sexy, no amount of reminding myself that she was my little sister could quench my libido. She was too big, too strong, too dominant to ignore. And she just kept getting taller and stronger.

            When we tried exercising together in the spring, I got lucky. Every time I would start getting aroused, the misery of my workout routine would distract me. But that no longer applied. My aerobics are easier and require less attention, and then half the time I'm just sitting around talking.

            With nothing to keep my eyes from wandering, I can't ignore her muscles, glistening with sweat. Her workout clothes stretched over her growing body. The preposterous weights she's lifting. So I'm erect at some point basically every session. And let me tell you, exercise shorts are not the best at hiding a hard-on.

            It seems impossible that Hannah wouldn't have noticed it at some point. And if she did notice, surely she would have said something, or at least reacted in some way. But nothing of the sort had happened so far. Maybe I'm overthinking this. Despite her relationship with Jess, she's still a nine-year-old. Maybe she just doesn't know how boys work.

            "Nate look! I finally completed a full set of leg curls using the heavy band!"

            I looked over from my cooldown stretches to see Hannah lying on her stomach on a bench. A thick resistance band stretched from her ankles to the bench's base.

            "Wow, that's amazing. Didn't you only start using them recently?"

            "Yup, I bought them with my birthday money from Grandma. They're really great. Check out how pumped my hamstrings are! My thighs look so huge right now!"

            I really should have just agreed and continued stretching, but I couldn't resist. I got to my feet, and walked over for a closer look. Holy crap! She wasn't exaggerating. Her swollen muscles bulged out from the bottom of her shorts. The separate muscle groups that made up her thighs were clearly visible, rather than just hinted at on an otherwise smooth limb. I'm pretty sure you could fit both of my legs inside just one of hers. Suddenly, I heard her giggle.

            "You got so quiet all of a sudden. I bet you're wondering if they're as hard as they look. Why don't you feel them and see?"

            What the hell? She is just an innocent kid, right? I should say no, but why would I refuse if I wasn't turned on? They're just legs, after all. I have to pretend it's no big deal. Like I'm just curious about her progress as a proud big brother.

            "Sure, why not? Gotta make sure they're not just for show." 

            I slowly placed one of my hands on her thigh. Oh, no! It feels too good. Her skin was soft and warm and when I squeezed my fingers made a slight indent. But that was it, any further progress was halted like I was trying to grip a steel beam. Her muscles weren't firm, they were rock solid. I almost lost myself but I managed to pull my hand away. My heart was beating like I was back on the treadmill. Then I looked over and saw Hannah smirking at me. My dick surged.

            "Yup real hard good job i'm proud of you wow i think i hydrated too much i gotta go bye!" And then I ran for the stairs.

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

            As October turned into November, things really were getting better for me. Hannah and I were getting along. Jess didn't seem as jealous as before; she was at least polite when she was around me. Brad wasn't a problem anymore, and I was really having a good time hanging out with Tim and his friends. He even got Alice talking to me again. It wasn't that hard of a sell, Alice had never seemed comfortable with the "Shun Nate Project", but I was grateful he was willing to stand up for me.

            If only Sam would forgive me that easily, life would be perfect. I guess being accepted by the rest of the basketball team would have to do for now. A couple of them were still suspicious of me but the others were pretty friendly. That said, their treatment of me wasn't exactly normal.

            I don't know if it was Kerry's influence, the size difference, or the fact that they only saw me in my mascot costume, but none of them treated me like a fellow student. Instead, some of them acted like I was a little kid, and some like I was their pet.

            "And then he was all, 'don't wear those when we go out, you'll look ridiculous next to me.' More like he'll feel ridiculous next to me."

            Marcia was having relationship trouble again. So, naturally, she had grabbed me after today's game to vent. She was the member of the team that had gotten the most attached to me, and she would often use me as a captive audience.

            It was a little awkward for me, as she was the one whose comment had tipped me over the edge the day I met the team. Having a girl make me cum before I even learned her name, made follow-up conversations hard. Luckily she seemed happy to talk whether I replied or not.

            "I mean, he's shorter than me even without my heels", she continued. "So what difference does it make? You think he's being silly too, right Mouse?"

            The girls needed something to call me, and since my name was off-limits, they had settled on Mouse, because of my costume. Kerry's suggestion, of course.

            "He is", I agreed. I could have left it at that, Marcia would have kept going on her own, but maybe I could be more than just a pet today. "But try to see it from his point of view. We watch all these shows and movies where the guy is taller than his love interest, then when we finally start getting interested in girls, they're all taller than we are. He probably feels like he doesn't measure up, and the heels only make it worse."

            "Sure, I guess. I still don't like him telling me what I can and can't wear."

            "And he shouldn't. I'm not saying 'do whatever he wants'. It's just... communication is important. And it'll be easier to talk to him about it if you know where he's coming from."

            "Hmmm... OK, I'll try. Thanks!" She got up on her knees on the bench and gave me a hug, pulling my face against her chest. "You know, you're pretty smart for a little mouse. Are you sure you're not actually a boy in disguise?"

            "Ha, ha. You got me", I admitted. She giggled then sat back down beside me.

            "I'm a little worried, though", she said, her voice serious again. "You know what happened to Sam, right? She broke up with her boyfriend at the end of the summer. I heard that he couldn't handle her being so much taller than him. I don't want the same thing to happen to me."

            "You don't want what happening to you?" Asked a voice from above me.

            Marcia jumped to her feet like someone had put an electric current through the bleachers.

            "Sam? Hey! N-nothing important. Wow, look at the time! Gotta go, bye!"

            The voice that had startled her into motion had paralyzed me. I sat frozen as the speaker walked up and sat in the spot Marcia had evacuated. Even sitting down she was so big that I couldn't see higher than her neck. For the first time in months, Sam was going to talk to me.

            "So you're 'our biggest fan'. Mouse, was it?" I nodded. "I'm Sam, though I guess you already knew that."

            "She's not wrong", Sam sighed, leaning back against the next level of the bleachers. I could finally see her face. "Well, the details aren't right, but the basic story is. We both handled it like idiots."

            "I've had similar worries lately. Not about my height. Can't change that. But sometimes I wonder if I can keep a boyfriend as I am now. What if we go on a few dates, and then I find out he doesn't like my muscles? Or he thinks I'm not girly enough, or that I'm too obsessed with basketball?"

            I had an evil thought: Yeah, it would suck to not live up to your lover's expectations, huh? See how you like it. But I immediately banished it. I might hate that Sam had decided to cut off all contact with me, but that didn't mean that I hated her.

            "I don't think you should have to sacrifice what's important to you", I replied quietly. Sam raised her eyebrows.

            "You're not going to tell me that relationships are all about compromise?"

            "Well... I guess they are. But if you give up too much, won't you just end up hating them? Or hating yourself?"

            "Heh", Sam chuckled softly. "And I heard you were so shy you could barely talk." She reached over and put a hand on top of my head. "You should speak up more often." She stood up and started to walk away. "And don't let the others pick on you too much. It would be a shame to lose our biggest fan."

            And then she was gone.

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

            It turns out that Kerry did get the adoring crowd that she desired. Last year, the only people watching our games were friends or family of one of the team members. But more and more frequently, I was seeing random students show up to cheer the girls on.

            And it wasn't hard to understand why. The new members of the team had improved rapidly and the veterans hadn't slacked off in the slightest. As a result, you could expect some cool plays and an eventual victory, basically anytime you showed up to watch a game.

            There was only one problem, and unsurprisingly, that problem was Kerry. She had been getting more and more into my "reward" sessions. Regardless of how it started, it was now clear that she was as turned on by her domination of me as I was. She had been pushing the envelope for a while, but today she crossed the line.

            The game was unusual from the start. Sam was absent with a cold, so Alice took over as the Center. This meant that Kerry didn't have to share the spotlight nearly as much as usual. Add in a weak lineup from our opponents, and the result was Kerry running over the opposition for the entire first half.

            Her almost single-handed domination of the other team had a visible effect on her. As she walked back to the bench, her face was flushed and she was fidgeting like she couldn't figure out what to do with her hands. Anyone else would interpret it as exertion and post-adrenaline jitters, but I had learned to read the signs. She was aroused and trying to resist the urge to touch herself.

            During the second half, she went from hot and bothered, to frustrated and impatient. I wasn't surprised when she made a beeline for me as soon as the game was over.

            "Get out of that ridiculous outfit and meet me in room 104", she demanded. "Don't make me wait." Then she spun around and headed for the locker room.

            I had gotten pretty adept at removing and packing up my costume, but it wasn't enough. I walked into the empty classroom to find Kerry waiting for me. She grabbed the back of my head and mashed my face into her torso as she shut the door with her other hand. I didn't have enough time to wonder why her underboob was sandwiching my forehead before she tossed me to the ground.

            "I thought I told you not to make me wait", she growled, her shoe taking its usual place on my chest. Only then did I have a chance to take in the scene.

            Kerry hadn't taken the time to shower or change, just grabbing the gym bag I could see tossed in one corner of the room, her sneakers beside it. While waiting for me she had traded them in for a pair of stilettos. That explained her tit elevation, she had to be around 6 feet tall in those heels.

            "Did you see me out there today?" She asked, her irritation evaporating as lust took over. "God, I was unstoppable. Who told those midgets they could play basketball?" Said midgets had been around Alice's height, not that the details mattered to Kerry. She was already panting, one of her hands caressing her tits.

            "I thought I was going to explode when halftime hit. Luckily, I have my own personal midget to finish me off."

            Usually, Kerry at least pretended to be coolly aloof during our sessions, but she was too far gone to keep up the act today. On the other hand, while I was rock hard, I couldn't enjoy it nearly as much.

            Her choice of footwear was part of it. The hard toe was already a bit painful and she wasn't even pressing down much. The heel spike scared me. More frightening was the purpose of the session. When the stated purpose was my pleasure, I could count on her to at least be careful. But now, I had no idea how far she would go.

            "Even those titchy bitches would look like amazons next to you. What does that make me? A giantess? A Goddess?" The hand not occupied with her assets was creeping closer to her shorts."I feel so powerful right now. I could squash you like a bug." She leaned more of her weight onto me. I gasped as the pain increased in turn.

            "Kerry, you're hurting me!"

            "I know!" She moaned. "And there's nothing you can do about it." She began rubbing herself. "Beg. Beg your Goddess for mercy."

            "Please, Goddess. Please stop hurting me." At that point, I was willing to say anything, as long as it made the pain go away.

            "Mmmm... No." She dug her heel between my ribs. A spike of agony shook my body.

            "Aaargh! Please stop!" I squirmed side to side, desperately trying to find relief. But she just pressed down harder.

            We screamed together as she finally climaxed. Only then did she lift her foot off of me. We were both silent for a while, recovering from the experience. Eventually, I managed to get to my feet.

            "What the hell, Kerry? Were you actually trying to skewer me?"

            "Awww, did the big, strong girl play too rough with the little boy?"

            "I'm serious."

            "Well, too bad." She stepped closer to me. "God, you have to look up just to see my tits. Who do you think is in control here? I get to do whatever I want and you just have to hope that I decide to go easy on you. Honestly, you should be grateful. What other girl would touch a deviant like you, even if you weren't also a skinny dwarf."

            "What about you? What would Rick think if he knew you were getting off while stepping on a 'skinny dwarf'?"

            "Rick? Oh, I dumped him months ago. Turns out he was an early bloomer, so he's the same height now as he was when we hooked up. He was the best a 12-year-old who hadn't even finished grade school could get, but I decided it was time for an upgrade."

            "Seriously, when we met, he was 6 inches taller than me, now he's shorter than I am. Less than an inch, we're both technically 5'8", but it's pretty noticeable when you're close enough to kiss. My new boyfriend is a 6'1" varsity football star. Much more appropriate for a queen like me. As far as our playtime goes, well, what he doesn't know won't hurt me."

            "I was going to finish you off, but I think I'll let you stew today. Maybe next time you won't be so whiny over a little pain."

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

            That day was a wake-up call for me. I used to think that Kerry was going to do whatever she wanted so I might as well try to enjoy it. I couldn't accept that anymore. Of course, this decision didn't mean that I could suddenly stand up to her physically. I needed a plan. For now, though, I would just try to avoid being alone with her.

            This worked through the end of November. Luckily, Kerry had an image to maintain, so she couldn't just hunt me down in the open like Brad used to do. It was also easy to spot her in a crowd before she saw me.

            Unfortunately, I forgot one important detail. Kerry had followers, minions, cronies. And a few of them were on the basketball team. After the last regular game of the season, several of the girls gathered around me to celebrate. When Brenda, one of the seventh graders, positioned herself behind me, I didn't think anything of it.

            When the group broke up, I tried to leave as well, only to find myself stuck. Brenda had grabbed the back of my outfit, holding me in place. So, I could only watch as Kerry walked in my direction.

            Brenda strong-armed me after Kerry until we reached an empty classroom, then left us alone.

            "What the hell, Ke..." I was cut off by Kerry's leg slamming into my crotch. The impact lifted me off my feet, leaving me straddling her thigh. I slowly slid off to one side, collapsing onto the floor. She kicked me onto my back, then stomped on my balls.

            Pain and nausea rolled through my body. I would have screamed if I had been able to breathe.

            "Thought you were real clever, didn't you?" Kerry hissed. "Just gonna hide from me forever." She ground her foot back and forth. "Looks like my little slave needs to be reminded of who owns him."

            I was gonna be sick. Holy shit, that hurt! It was an effective way of making sure I couldn't talk back, I guess.

            "Listen, tiny bitch. It's playoff time. Everyone made a fuss, so you get to come cheer us on. And, of course, outside game time, you will make yourself available for my pleasure. Work hard and I might just forgive you for the last few days. Keep making me mad, and I might decide to castrate you. Consider this a preview."

            She stomped down one last time and walked off.

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

            This turn of events was both terrifying and thrilling. Well, once I had a few hours to recover anyway, before that it was hard to feel anything other than pain.

            Kerry would have me at her mercy, isolated far from home. But I would get to see the team play in the championships, maybe even Nationals. More importantly, I had figured out a plan of action. I just had to be ready when the time came and I would be free of Kerry for good.

            The regional tournament was like a series of standard games, hosted at various schools. So the only real change for me was I got to attend the away games, riding there and back on the bus with the team.

            We had faced these opponents during the season, so I knew we had a good chance of victory. In the end, the only real challenge was the final game against Selma Middle School. Their Center was even taller than Sam, and the team as a whole was quite skilled. But we were just a little better, and defended our title.

            Kerry didn't have a chance to get me alone that week. Everybody was grouped together from the start of each game to our parents picking us up.

            But then it was time for the state tournament. That was held at the capital over the course of one long day. Each of these games was a real fight. I could only watch in amazement as our team rose to the occasion. Again, and again, and again.

            Last year we made it to the round-of-8, and were lucky to get that far, despite everyone playing their hearts out. This time it felt like we really deserved to be here. The round-of-8 came and we made it through. Then came the semi-finals, against the school that had eliminated us last time. They were still tough, but they couldn't hold us back today. We pulled ahead in the final minutes to win 33 to 39.

            The Finals brought us up against last year's champions. Sam once again showed her status as MVP, grinding out a lead in the first half. Then Alice took charge of the backup team, defending that lead to the end. Our opponents couldn't catch up. I cheered from the sidelines as the final buzzer sounded. We did it! We were going to Nationals!

            I thought Kerry had gone to the locker room with everyone else, but she was waiting for me as I walked back to the bus. She dragged me into a back room and peeled off my costume. I braced for another torture session, but she was surprisingly gentle.

            She sat on the floor next to me, held me down with one hand, and used the other to finger herself while I struggled ineffectually. She even made sure I reached climax once she was done.

            "See what happens when you're a good boy and don't make a fuss", She stated. I'm sure she meant the experience to be reassuring, even tempting, but to me it just proved how fickle she was. She didn't feel bad about the pain she had inflicted on me before, she just didn't feel like repeating it today.

            I would have to be more careful during Nationals. Today, she had left me no time to get my plan going. If I was caught unprepared again, I might not get another chance until after Christmas, which would complicate everything.

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

            Nationals were being held in Chicago this year, which meant a whole day on the bus just to get to the tournament location. We left early Friday morning. Saturday would be the qualifying rounds to narrow the 50+ teams down to 16. Then those contenders would duke it out on Sunday for the championship.

            Add in the ride back on Monday and I would be spending 4 days and 3 nights with the basketball girls. This would give Kerry ample opportunities to take advantage of me, so I had to be ready to put my plan in motion at any time.

            Getting on the bus, I passed Sam and Kerry, Kerry shooting me a smug grin. Jokes on her though, as much as I would love to spend time with Sam, sitting next to her all day making small talk would give me a heart attack. Across from them, Coach Anderson sat with Mrs. Stamford, who was acting as an additional chaperone. She huffed disapprovingly at my back.

            "I don't like bringing this random boy along. What if he tries something with one of the girls?"

            "Oh, please", Coach replied. "Any one of my girls could break him in half if he tried anything. He's the most harmless 13-year-old boy I've ever seen. Besides, the team itself could have had boys in it, like last year."

            "I still don't like it. 30 years of teaching experience tells me all boys his age are irrepressible horndogs." Kerry snorted. "Do you have something to add, Ms. Hemingsworth?"

            "Oh, no, Mrs. Stamford", Kerry said innocently. "Just talking to Samantha. But I wouldn't worry about little Mouse, my parents rented a bunch of rooms so they could come watch me play. He'll be staying with them. He'll only be around us on the bus and during the tournament."

            Of course, what she failed to mention was that her new boyfriend, Dave, was in one of those rooms with his friend Tony. That's who I'd be staying with.

            As for the bus ride, I ended up in the back, sandwiched between Marcia and Tammy, another 7th grader. In fact, all 5 of the 12-year-olds on the team were clustered in the back of the bus.

            "OK, Mouse, fess up. Which of the girls do you have a crush on?"

            "W-what?" I stuttered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

            "Oh, c'mon. Nobody goes through this much trouble just to watch middle school basketball. You have the hots for someone on the team, but you're too shy to confess, so you cheer them on in disguise."

            "Wait! Is it one of us? LOL!"

            "No way, get over yourself, girl. It has to be one of the 8th graders. Probably one of the Big Three."

            At this point, I realized I didn't have anything to worry about. This wasn't an interrogation. They were just looking for a conversation topic. It was 3 hours into the drive after all.

            "Alice? She hangs out with a bunch of little nerds, right?"

            "That's why it can't be her. Too approachable. No need to put in any effort, just join her group and hang out. Now Kerry, on the other hand."

            "No, no. Kerry was the one that set this whole thing up, remember? She already knows who he is."

            "Yeah, I can vouch for that", Brenda chimed in with a smirk. "Their relationship might be a lot of things, but distant pining isn't one of them." Oi. Don't act so smug, you damn accomplice.

            "Oooooh! Give us the details! C'mon, deets, deets, deets!"

            "Sadly, I don't know any of the finer details, and even if I did, do you really think I would leak Kerry's secrets?"

            "Boo! Cheapskate!"

            "That means it has to be Sam!"

            "Wow, ambitious. Although, if you're gonna have an impossible dream, might as well make it as big as you can. Right, Mouse?"

            "Yeah", I sighed wistfully. Wait! What the hell did I just say?!

            "I knew it! It was kinda obvious, guys. We should have just started with her."

            "Shove it, Marcia. Just because you have a big ol' girl crush on her, doesn't mean everyone else does."

            "Whadda ya mean, girl crush? I have a boyfriend, I'll have you know. But, if she asked me... I mean, how do you say no to that?"

            After that, they shifted to ribbing Marcia in earnest, and seemed to forget about me altogether. I guess it wasn't that big of a slip-up. There were probably a lot of guys with the hots for Sam, not just her ex.

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

            The venue turned out to be a massive stadium, where several games could be played simultaneously. But there were still far too many teams for everyone to get to play at once, so we had a lot of time to burn when it wasn't our turn. Unfortunately, this meant we got to watch the other games. Several of the girls were very unsettled by the skill displayed by the other competitors, all champions of some kind.

            Thankfully, Sam was there. She jumped in, pointing out flaws in even the best opponent's play. Putting together strategies that could be used if we faced a particular team. I wouldn't say her every word was fool-proof, these were just off-the-cuff observations, after all. But they sounded convincing to me, and I had spent years listening to Sam talk about basketball.

            Our games were epic. You would expect that from the finest teams in the whole nation, but it was still thrilling to see in person. I yelled and whooped and cheered until my voice gave out. Then, I tried to compensate with energy and body language. Thank God for Hannah's workouts, I wouldn't have lasted more than a couple of games before she made me exercise.

            And I really needed the stamina, because, incredibly, our team refused to be eliminated. What had started as a rag-tag group of students from a small, suburban public school, was now one of the 16 best teams in the country.

            After dinner, everyone retired to the hotel to relax. Then the moment finally came. I got a text from Kerry summoning me to her room. I could have said no, she wouldn't show up to force me in front of her boyfriend. Probably. But that would just be delaying the inevitable, and going now meant I could come prepared.

            "Lose the stupid costume", Kerry demanded the moment I arrived. "The rest of the team is socializing in Sam's room. They won't be back for at least an hour."

            I left my outfit in a pile next to the door. I turned back towards Kerry just in time to see her drop her bathrobe. The sight of her in nothing but lingerie and heels gave me an immediate erection, in spite of my fear. But I couldn't give in. I needed to be clear from the start that I didn't want this.

            My attempts at refusal didn't sway Kerry, of course. In fact, while her face showed annoyance, I'm pretty sure my unwillingness only heightened her arousal. Her nipples threatened to tear through the thin fabric of her bra, already stretched taut by her impressive bosom.

            The first few minutes mirrored my previous experience with her stilettos. I begged for mercy and screamed in pain, she moaned and monologued about her superiority. But while that session had ended once she climaxed, it wasn't enough for her today. The haze of pain faded just in time for me to see Kerry toss aside her soaked panties. Then she was standing above me again, one heel on either side of my head.

            "It's not right that I'm doing all the work. I think it's time you worshiped your Goddess directly." And with that, she began lowering herself towards me. Her long legs stretched the moment out, as her pussy slowly grew to fill my vision.

            "No, Kerry! Don't mrphgh..." She moaned as she settled on to me. The weight of her amazonian figure pressing my face into her cleft.

            "Oh! This is your fault, you know", she panted. "I used to be just your average tall, beautiful, brilliant school queen. Wanting nothing more in life than a boyfriend befitting my status and the adoration of the masses." She swung her hips in small circles, grinding herself on me.

            "But then you came along. So small. So weak and pathetic. You made me feel so powerful, invincible, unstoppable. Like a force of nature." Her juices coated my face, filling my nose and mouth. "A queen who rules unopposed! A Goddess to be worshiped!"

            I was starting to suffocate. She wasn't going to stop until she was satisfied, so I had no choice but to try and expedite the process. I started to lick and suck in earnest. Kerry shuddered, her moans coming more and more frequently until she was unable to keep singing her own praises. But the closer she got to completion, the harder she pressed down and the wetter she became.

            Just when I thought I was actually going to drown, spots appearing in my vision, she came, her back arching. She lifted off me for a moment, allowing me to cough and take a single breath, before she collapsed on top of me, driving the air right back out again.

            Thankfully, she rolled off before I passed out, and while she grabbed her robe, I crawled to my costume.

            "Where do you think you're going, little mouse?" She said, settling down on a chair. "You can't leave without cleaning up your mess." She nodded towards the dark spot on the carpet.

            "No."

            "No?" She got to her feet and started walking towards me. "When will you learn? You don't get to say 'no'. I own y..." She went silent as I straightened up and turned to face her, holding up my phone.

            "Not anymore. I was recording the whole thing. Ah," I pulled back as she reached for my phone. "It's too late. I just uploaded the file to my email account."

            "So what? You're still a puny loser. All this accomplishes is pissing me off, and I already told you what happens next."

            "Yeah, yeah. You'll destroy me", I managed to keep the fear out of my voice, but it wasn't easy. One step closer and I wouldn't even be able to see her face past her tits. I had to keep reminding myself that I held all the cards.

            "But, you see", I continued. "I realized something recently. You're the one with something to lose. What can you take away from me? Sure, you might spread some nasty rumors at school, but all of my friends who might care about what you have to say have already left me. You might beat me up, I know I couldn't stop you. But you're already hurting me now."

            "On the other hand, you have a reputation to worry about. I spread this around and suddenly, you're not Kerry, the girl so pretty, so cool, that she had to go to a high school to find a suitable boyfriend. You're Kerry, the sadistic deviant who cheats on her boyfriend with that loser, Nate."

            The longer I talked, the less confident Kerry looked. Now she fully backed off, returning to her seat.

            "Fine. You got me. What do you want? Or are you just going to ruin me out of spite?"

            "No, I don't plan on sharing this with anyone, as long as you leave me alone. I don't want to be your slave anymore. That's it."

            "Really? You're going to give up all this", she gestured at her strong, sexy body, "just because I got a little rough? And don't act like you weren't as aroused as I was."

            She had a point. Even today, I had cum at some point during the torture.

            "I won't deny it. But it's not enough anymore. My dick might not care who gets me off, but I do. Maybe I can't have a normal relationship, but if I'm going to be owned by someone, I want them to be someone who cares about me."

            "Right. Have fun waiting for your imaginary dream girl. Now get out. I can't stand the sight of you anymore."

            I didn't wait for her to change her mind. Once I was outside, I breathed in the cold air. I did it. I won. I was free!