Kellie was checking out her outfit in the full-length mirror in her Mom’s room. As was usual for the teen heroine, it was designed to be practical. She was wearing a modified leotard similar top similar to the one she wore as her emergency Elevator Girl costume under her clothes, for when she didn’t have the right conditions to access her leather armor, but this one has a plunging neckline. It was somewhat daring, but tame compared to the leather. Over it she wore a skirt designed to match the top. It was ankle-length with a slit on the left side that came almost up to her hip. With the spike-heeled shoes she was wearing, these would be killer legs.
To make sure she was getting the full effect, Kellie grew to her standard Elevator Girl height of 7 feet. From behind her came a voice. “Wow! That outfit’s dangerous,” her Mom said.
Kellie turned back and smiled down at her mother. “I’m a big girl,” she said. “I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not your health I’m worried about,” Gemma Ross said. “It’s your identity. There are so many people who know you at this school, including your date. Your risk of exposure is incredible.”
“I’ll be fine,” Kellie said, toggling the bracelet down to her Kellie height. “I’ve been practicing my mannerisms to make sure Elevator Girl moves differently. When I’m as tall as I’ll be, my voice sounds different; it does when I’m anything that isn’t close to my usual height. I’ll be OK.”
“But your date is Dakota,” Gemma said. “He knows you so well. How will you keep it from him?”
“He knew me so well, you mean,” Kellie said. “Mom, I’ll be fine.”
“But what if --”
“Mom, how can I not do this?” Kellie said. “I have to do it, for Kota, and for Dad.”
Gemma looked down sadly, then smiled back at her daughter. “You’re right, of course,” she said. “You know, these were prom-only outfits in my day.”
“Homecoming’s a lot like prom these days,” Kellie said.
Gemma nodded. “Well, have fun -- but not too much fun.”
“We will, and we won’t,” Kellie said, smiling. “Well, it’s time for me to go. See you!”
Gemma waved as her daughter left the room. “Be careful,” the mom whispered.
Kellie arrived at Dakota’s as she often traveled as Elevator Girl, as a giantess. She reduced from 50 feet to 7, seeing the TV cameras there. She smiled and went up to the door. She almost knocked, knowing the doorbell hadn’t worked in years, but realized Elevator Girl wouldn’t have a way of knowing that. She pushed the bell and, to her surprise, it worked.
In less than a minute, Dakota’s twin sister, Lakota, arrived at the door, wearing a simple blue sheath dress that looked elegant on her long frame. She looked up at the giantess. “Oh, hi,” she said. Over her shoulder, she hollered back, “Dakota! Your date’s here!” Then, to Elevator Girl,” she said offered her hand. “I’m Lakota Greene, Dakota’s twin sister.”
“Hi,” Kellie, taking Lakota’s hand. She was surprised at how small it felt; she hadn’t shaken a lot of hands as Elevator Girl. “I’m --”
Lakota laughed, a sound Kellie remembered fondly. “It’s kind of obvious who you are, Elevator Girl,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of 7-foot-tall girls out there, after all.”
Kellie’s laugh was slightly nervous. There was a sentence in what Lakota had said that had scared her for her identity’s security for a few seconds.
Lakota gestured to the sofa, and Kellie sat down. It was strange, being in the house she had played in so often while in elementary school. It seemed so big then, and was so tiny to her now.
Lakota smiled. “So, how does it feel to be the crush of every teenage male in town?” she asked.
Kellie smiled. This was the same old Lakota, as direct as ever. “Really?” she said.
“Oh, come on,” Lakota said. “With those outfits you wear? And you’ve got to know how great that body is.”
Kellie blushed. “I just wore what I could piece together for uniforms,” she said. “I’m kinda new at this.”
“Well, I’m jealous, and so are a lot of other girls,” said Lakota.
“I’m jealous of you,” Kellie said. “You’ve got a better body than me, and a social life, from the looks of things. Heroing doesn’t lend itself to much dating.”
In fact, Kellie, as herself, had been asked by three different guys to the dance tonight, but had passed; all had asked after she’d agreed to this date.
“Really?” said Lakota.
Just then, Dakota entered. He stopped on the stair landing, looking down at Elevator Girl. He smiled, looking in awe. “Hi,” he said, waving tentatively.
Kellie stood up. Dakota was a little thinner than he’d been, and his skin was pale, but he otherwise looked healthy. He still had his hair, she realized; the chemo hadn’t taken it away. He was wearing a simple blue suit with a red tie, and was perhaps the best-looking male she had ever seen.
“Hi,” she said, smiling. “You must be Dakota.”
He nodded. “And you’re really Elevator Girl.”
“The one and only,” Kellie said. “Are you ready to go?”
“He will be once he says goodbye to us,” said Dakota’s dad, who was entering the room with Kota’s mom. He offered Kellie his hand. “Pleased to meet you, Elevator Girl.”
“The pleasure’s mine,” she said, shaking both parents’ hands.
“Take care of our boy,” said Dakota’s mom.
“He’ll be in good hands,” Kellie said. “Well, actually, for part of the time, just one hand.”
The twins and Dakota’s dad all laughed. Dakota’s mom didn’t.
“Well, the TV crew is waiting outside,” Kellie said. “We’d better go before they get too antsy.” She looked at Dakota. “You ready?”
Kellie and Dakota exited, posed for the cameras and answered a few softball questions. Then Kellie had a space cleared, grew to about 20 feet tall, and lowered her hand for Dakota. Next she swelled to 50 feet and strode away.
Dakota peeked over the edge of his date’s hand. “Wow!” he said. “The view from up here is incredible!”
“Yeah,” Kellie said. “That’s one of the perks of this heroing gig. You get to see all sorts of things from a new perspective.”
Dakota looked up at her. “Is it hard sometimes?” he asked.
“I’m fighting for my life, and other people’s lives,” Kellie said. “That’s never easy. But someone has to do it.”
Dakota nodded. “I appreciate it,” he said. “When you saved Jackson High, you saved a bunch of my friends. I was out then, for treatment, but I’m sure glad you fight that fight.”
“Well, your classmates fought for me against the Planner and his robot,” Kellie said. “That means a lot to me, too.”
Soon they arrived at the school. Kiera was there with a different cameraman. They shot footage of the pair entering, and the reaction of surprised students as they realized who Dakota’s date was.
For awhile, Dakota and Elevator Girl made small talk. Then they went out on the floor to dance. After a few dances, including a slow dance, during which Dakota just beamed up at her. Kellie suspected she was beaming right back, despite her efforts to hide her feelings.
Then they sat down again. Kellie realized Dakota seemed a little wobbly. “You OK?” she asked.
“I’m still a little sick from the chemo,” Dakota said. “Sorry.”
“You talked about my fights being hard,” she said. “You’re fighting for your life, too. That’s got to be hard.”
“Sometimes,” Dakota said. “But I … Oh, you’re gonna think this is stupid.”
Kellie put her hand on his. “Dakota, someone I love died of cancer. I know the pain from that side, and I saw what that person went through. There’s nothing you can say about this that I think is stupid.”
Dakota looked up at her. “I take hope from you,” he said.
Kellie pulled back slightly. “Me?” she said in a surprisingly small voice for one so big.
Dakota nodded. “I’ve seen and heard about how hard you work at what you do, how you do things like running Mammoth into the harbor to get him away from people, and how you use every weapon you’ve got against them, including your wits. I’m fighting my cancer that way, giving it everything I’ve got, because of you.”
Kellie couldn’t help but have tears moistening her mask at that point. “I’m … honored,” she said.
Dakota looked at her. “Do you mind if I ask you a kind of a personal question?”
Kellie smiled, still feeling the wet spots on her mask. “Shoot,” she said.
“Why do you wear that leather outfir?” he asked.
Kellie chuckled. “That’s probably the question I’m asked the most,” she said. “It’s armor. Leather was used as armor in ancient times, and it gets really thick when I grow while I’m wearing it.”
“Then why do you wear the pink outfit sometimes?”
“I can’t hide the leather gear under my street clothes,” Kellie said. “That’s my quick-change uniform.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, it suits you better,” he said. “You’re more of a girly girl than a dominatrix type.”
Kellie laughed. “That’s probably true,” she said. “But options for buying leather clothes for women are … limited.”
They both laughed. Then they heard a slow dance announced.
While the announcer was still talking, Dakota said, “I’ve got what may be a strange request, but you’re the only one who can fill it. Could you dance with me, and shrink while we’re dancing -- slowly shrink?”
Kellie smiled quizzically. “Sure, but why?”
“I’ve always wanted to feel a girl melting in my arms,” Dakota said. “This may be my only chance, even if it’s in kind of a weird way.”
Kellie stood up. “You’re pretty close to that in the traditional way,” she said. “Let’s go dance. It’ll be fun to feel you getting taller.”
Kellie set the bracelet so she started shrinking slowly once they were on the dance floor. Soon she was only a few inches taller than Dakota, and then the same height.
As they danced and reached the same height, their eyes locked. Suddenly, Dakota was staring into Elevator Girl’s sky-blue eyes, and she was staring into his hazel eyes. Her lip started to quiver.
Fearful she would give too much away, Kellie, now several inches shorter than Dakota, laid her head on his shoulder and snuggled in. From her perspective, she could feel him getting bigger and stronger with each passing second. She found herself enjoying the feeling of melting in his arms.
The dance ended, and Kellie stopped the shrinking. She looked up at the towering figure of her date. She calculated her current height at about 3-foot-6, about half her normal height as Elevator Girl.
Playfully, she reached up to Dakota. “I carried you,” she said. “Carry me back to our seats, please.”
Dakota looked embarrassed. Kellie realized it was a side effect of the chemo; she would be too heavy at this size.
“Let me help,” she said. She dropped herself down to only about four inches tall.
Dakota smiled and gingerly scooped up his date. Carefully he carried her back to their table.
All too soon, it was time to go. Kellie knew she needed to take Dakota home pretty directly. While they both were enjoying themselves, he was clearly tiring. They went to the parking lot, where she grew to 50 feet and had him climb back on her hand.
Dakota gazed up at her. “You know, you remind me a lot of someone,” he said. “An old friend of mine. She’s hot like you, and she’s wicked smart like you.”
Kellie smiled. “Well, thank you for the compliments.”
“I haven’t talked to her much in a while,” Dakota said.
“Why not?”
“I dunno,” Dakota said. “We just kind of … grew apart, I guess.
“Just a suggestion, as someone who’s lost someone?” Kellie said. “Don’t leave any gaps in your life you don’t have to. You never know what’ll happen -- to anyone. If this girl matters to you, let her know.”
“I will,” said Dakota.
Soon they were at his house. Kellie carefully placed Dakota on the ground and dropped back to 7 feet tall.
“Thanks,” Dakota said. “This has been everything I could have hoped for -- and more.”
Kellie realized she was blushing, and didn’t care. “Actually, it’s meant a lot to me, too,” she said. “You’ll inspire me in every fight, in everything I do. You’re a great guy, Dakota Greene.”
Before he could say anything else, Kellie leaned down and kissed Dakota -- hard. Suddenly each was enfolded in the other’s arms, locked in an ardent embrace.
Just as swiftly, Kellie slipped free. Then she waved as he grew. “I’ll see you,” she said, striding away.
“I hope so!” Dakota called.
That night, Kellie couldn’t sleep. All she could think of was Dakota.
The following Monday, Kellie saw Dakota in the hallway at school. When he saw her, he waved. “Hey, Kel!” he said.
She approached, smiling. “Hey, Kota,” she said. “You’re looking good.”
“I was surprised I didn’t see you at the homecoming dance,” Dakota said.
“I was busy,” she said. “I’m surprised you were looking for me, from what I’ve heard about your date.”
“Yeah, Elevator Girl was great,” he said. “But she reminded me to make sure I stay in touch with my friends -- all of them. And that includes you.”
Kellie blushed. “You, too,” she said. “Um, actually, Kota, I was wondering … see, there’s this big Halloween party in a couple of weeks and, well, … um …”
Inwardly, Kellie was kicking herself for tripping over her own tongue. She had defeated supervillains, for crying out loud. How could she be having so much trouble asking a simple question.
“Yeah, about that,” Dakota said. “I was going to ask one of the hottest girls in the school to that party.”
“Oh,” said Kellie in a small voice, looking down.
“So, will you go with me?” Dakota asked.
Kellie looked up. After a flash of surprise, she grinned broadly. “That’s what I was going to ask you to do,” she said.
“I asked you first,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, nodding.
“Good,” said Dakota. He looked into Kellie’s eyes and said, “Kel, I --”
Then their eyes locked. Kellie saw a look of realization cross Dakota’s face, followed by one of delight.
Suddenly she was engulfed in a large hug. “Oh, I’m so glad I asked you before I put that together!” he whispered. “Don’t worry; it’s safe with me.”
Then Dakota stood up. “Well. I’ve got to get to class,” he said. He turned and waved, saying, “See you soon.”
Realizing what he was really saying, Kellie said, “I hope so!”
Dakota grinned broadly as he strode down the hall. Meanwhile, Kellie stood, frozen, overwhelmed by what had just happened. Then she smiled and actually skipped down the hall to her class.