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This is your favorite movie, Alice in Wonderland? That’s such a like, weirdly niche movie; I don’t think I know anyone who’s willingly seen this movie more than once.”

Paul shifted awkwardly from Kathryn’s opinion of his movie tastes, as if she’d personally offended him by dissing his choice of films. “It’s a Disney movie, people love Disney stuff,” he half-heartedly defended himself. “It’s probably a ton of people’s favorite film.”

“Yeah, don’t be mean,” Stella chastised her friend. “You always have the worst movie takes too—didn’t you say you thought Fifty Shades of Grey was better than Call Me By Your Name?”

“Yeah, cuz Jamie Dornan is actually hot, but Timothee Chalamet looks like a little weasel.”

“Who cares what the actors look like, that movie is so boring? I was crying my eyes out by—nevermind, whatever.” Stella sighed, knowing an argument would be futile, and continued nudging her friend out the front door. “Just don’t pick on my brother, only I get to do that, mkay?” The two of them shared a quick giggle, and then Kathryn left, allowing Stella to close the door.

“Even for it being your favorite movie, you really seem to watch it a lot,” Stella commented, joining her little brother on the couch. She crossed her feet in his lap, causing him to shift uncomfortably from their weight. Stella was only a few inches taller than average, but Paul was barely more than 5 feet tall, and she was always reminding him of the size difference in subtle and seemingly innocent ways. “Why do you like it so much?” she asked suddenly, noticing how entranced he was with the animated film despite seeing it for the hundredth time.

He swallowed nervously, somewhat annoyed that she’d interrupted during his favorite scene, but he didn’t want to get mad at her. He paused the movie, thinking of how to answer her. “And I’ve seen you watching this scene specifically like, at least half a dozen times on YouTube,” she continued, scooting closer and sitting on her legs. She leaned forward, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

With her eyes trained on him waiting for an answer, while she huddled close-by, partially embracing him, he felt compelled by her curiosity to answer truthfully. “I just… I just think it’s, you know, cool I guess,” he answered, avoiding eye contact but not wanting to be 100% transparent. As if she wouldn’t prod him further anyways.

What’s cool though?” she asked, grabbing the remote from his hands and pressing the play button. They watched as Alice’s foot burst through the white rabbit’s doors, until her legs extended out from his home as if the house could just get up and walk away at any minute. Even under scrutiny of his sister, Paul couldn’t hide the fascination in his eyes. “The growing? You think it’s cool when she grows?” Paul looked away from the TV, and Stella knew she was onto something. “That’s gotta be it, I mean that’s the whole point of the scene, right?”

Paul slowly nodded. “I mean, some people think flying’s cool, or like invisibility or something,” he mumbled, fidgeting with his fingers. “I just think growing’s really cool, I dunno.”

“Wait, you growing, or other people?”

“I think, it’s… um… well, basically—”

“I’m gonna guess based off how you’re acting that you like when other people grow. Am I right?” Paul didn’t want to lie to his sister, and all it took was a quick glance into her caring and curious eyes for him to spill the truth. He nodded hurriedly, embarrassed to admit it. “So you’ve been surrounded by people taller than you your whole life, but instead of fantasizing about being the big one for once, you wanna feel even smaller?”

“Well, I mean not really, I don’t wanna feel smaller necessarily, I just—”

“You just wanna see some pretty blonde girl grow a lot bigger, right,” Stella interjected, finishing his thought for him. “Which means you wanna feel smaller. Cuz size is relative; Alice is only big because the old rabbit guy is so little.” Paul knew she was right, plus he didn’t wanna stand up to her anyways, so he kept silent in return. “Why’d you never think to mention this to me before?” she asked, scratching and rubbing his head with a calming smile. “You have a sister that can change the sizes of things, but you never thought to ask me about fulfilling a dream like that?” It was a family secret, but Stella had the ability to make things—including people—grow or shrink at will. But the magic was incredibly taxing on her, both physically and mentally, so it wasn’t something she just went around using willy nilly. 

“I dunno,” Paul shrugged, “cuz I know how hard it is for you to do it. And who would you even grow?”

“Nobody, doofus,” she rolled her eyes, lightly shoving him. “I’d shrink you. Everyone else would grow. It’d be like your dream come true times a thousand; I’d be bigger, Mom and Evelyn would be bigger, Aunt Josie would be bigger. You could walk down the street and it’d be like everyone was Alice compared to you. Real life Wonderland.” She smirked as Paul’s mouth hung open slightly, as he latched on to the vision she painted for him. “I could even buy a big blue dress and pretend to be Alice,” she giggled.

Paul swallowed nervously as he looked up into his sister’s gleaming eyes. “Really? You’d go through all the pain of using your magic just for me?”

“Of course! You’re my little brother,” she cooed, squeezing him close and giving him a noogie, laughing as he squirmed uncomfortably, too weak to escape her teasing grip. “But!” She held him out, making sure to look him dead in the eyes with a serious expression. “I think it’s only fair that I’d get something in return.”

He nodded quickly and earnestly, always willing to help Stella out and heed her requests when possible. “For sure, yeah! No problem,” he smiled, and she tilted her head to the side, glad to see him give in to her demands so easily, before she’d even said what they were.

“I’ll dress up as Alice and shrink you down, and you’ll get to watch me grow taller and taller and taaaaaller. But in return, you agree to let me take care of you while you’re small. Cuz someone has to. And I wanna keep you safe, you lil weirdo.” She pouted that last statement and then hugged her little brother close for extra effect.

“I don’t think it’d be very fair to just help you shrink and then let you run off and do whatever you want,” she continued. “So if you wanna have fun at your new size, it has to be with me. Deal?”

“Yes,” he replied, so quietly that he sounded tiny already, and then hugged Stella back and began dreaming of what life might be like under his bigger sister’s care.

  

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