Tracey filled the last shot glass with what remained of a tall glass of vodka. "We'll start simple." she said, standing up to her full height. She stared down at her friends, and couldn't help but smile. "God, it feels like I'm standing on a podium or something. I'm not used to looking down at all of you. It was easier with strangers, but now..."

Erica walked up to her, placing her hand on Tracey's shoulder. With her other hand, she placed a shot glass in Tracey's palm. "What are we drinking to?"

"Old friends." Dave said, raising his own glass.

"And new possibilities." Ashley added. The rest of them raised their glasses, and downed the vodka quickly, letting their faces purse as it burned down their throat.

"Sorry," Tracey gagged. "We're down to mostly bottom shelf at this point. A lot of the good liquor was gone before we started."

Rebecca stepped back, trying her best to look innocent. Ashley smiled down at her, hiding her laughter with her hand.

"Erica, are you ok?" Pat asked. They all whipped around to see Erica, her head still craned toward the ceiling.

"Oh my god, is she choking?" Tracey asked, lumbering over to Erica and placing her hand on her back.

"I don't think she's choking." Heather replied. "I think it's the other thing."

Erica's spine went straight. Her eyes clenched tight. The people gathered around Tracey turned their attention to the woman in the green dress as it slowly slid up her legs. The loose hem at her knees tightened as it rose, ending just on the edge of her flaring hips. Erica heaved, coming up for air as she fanned her glistening face. She stared up at the other towering blonde's concerned face next to her.

"What the hell was that?" Tracey gasped.

"It's kind of my own personal brand of the virus." Erica breathed. "Really keeps me on my toes."

"Did that lady just grow?" A voice in the crowd called.

"Yeah, she does it all at once." Pat tried to help, nestling up to his date. The top of his head barely cleared her shoulder now, but he didn't let it phase him.

"She's gotta measure! That's the rule." Came another voice. A cheer broke out amongst the crowd.

"Kind of a little game we've been playing." Tracey explained to her baffled friends. "If somebody notices you grow, you have to measure on the wall." Her long arm pointed over to the high wall next to the bar. A string of well decorated markings snaked upward, with readings all the way up to nine feet. Kevin whistled in awe as his eyes looked higher and higher at the max reading.

"There's no way they think someone could..." Heather couldn't bring herself to finish her thought. Chants had erupted as Tracey placed her arms around Erica and Pat, walking them toward the wall. She placed Erica up against it, smiling down at her as she read out for the crowd.

"An even seven feet!" Another cheer. Drinks flowed even faster, as someone handed Erica a pint glass full of something that looked strong.

"What do I win?" she laughed.

"A drink!" Tracey replied.

"Aren't all the drinks free?" Erica asked.

"Yeah, but you WON this one." 

Erica laughed with Tracey. She wasn't going to fight it. With her larger friend next to her, she realized everyone else she could see was smaller than her, and much smaller than her at that. "Seven feet." she whispered.

Debbie approached her, staring up at her with a wide smile. "You're only the third one to clear seven that we've seen. Just you, Tracey, and Paulette... wherever she is."

"I'm sure she's got her hands full, still." Tracey smirked. From afar, she locked eyes with Alicia and Greg who smirked back at her. Even from a distance, Tracey could tell Alicia had cleared the gap with her taller husband, with them both standing at a height around 6'2". That made her smirk grow even bigger.

"How does it feel, baby?" Pat asked. "You're the star of the show!" He was already a little tipsy. Erica envied him as all eyes looked at him.

"Feels like I'm glad for a drink." she laughed. They all cheered, with the crowd breaking back into their groups. It made it hard to notice Heather slip away from them. Kevin watched her slink away out of the bar and followed her.

In the hallway, he found his wife alone, her shoulders slumped in the dim hallway behind the front desk. "Heather, you ok?"

He saw a tear wipe from her cheek as he got even closer. "What's going on?" he persisted.

"It's nothing." Heather choked. 

"It's never nothing, Heather." Kevin replied. She turned around to him, staring down at her well-dressed, average-sized husband.

"It's not that I'm jealous." she shouted.

"I didn't say you were."

"Well, I'm not. But I do feel... something. And whatever that is I'm feeling, makes me feel guilty." Heather explained.

Kevin nodded along, trying to follow the cryptic code his wife used to talk about her emotions.

"I see what happens to Erica there, and I want it to be me. And I've never wanted that. I was happy being the size I was. And then you made me feel happy being this size. So why do I want more?" Heather cried again. Kevin walked up to her, brushing her wet face with his hand.

"You're not doing anything wrong." he said, calmly. "Your feelings are not wrong. Whatever you want, it's ok to want it. The others are doing fine with it. And no matter what happens, if you stay this way, grow three more feet... hell, start shrinking... you have me. Always."

Heather laughed, letting her tears catch in her throat. "Kevin." She pulled him into a hug. He rubbed her back, letting her melt into his arms. She kissed him on the cheek, then again. Their mouths found each other. Her arms snaked down his sides as she laughed again. They were about to do this. He always knew how to cheer her up.

Kevin slid his hands down her back, stopping on her ass as he squeezed it through her tight skirt. "Have I told you that you look amazing yet?"

"Yes." Heather moaned through her kisses. "A few times."

"But I haven't on this floor, yet." Kevin replied, still kissing.

Heather laughed. "I guess not."

Kevin pulled away from her, staring down at his wife, her knees buckling already with pleasure. "You look amazing."

He kissed her again. They made out in the dark hall, paying no attention to the handful of partygoers sneaking past them into the lobby. Kevin felt his wife's lips explore his, pulling away from him with each peck. She was making him chase her, and he was obliging. He felt her head move slowly away as she rose higher up, adding to the game.

"It's no fair if you keep standing up straight." Kevin laughed.

"I'm not standing up straight." Heather purred. Kevin chanced a glance down past his wife's cleavage. Her knees were still buckled, and yet he found himself reaching to kiss her. "Heather." he tried.

"Mmm." she didn't.

"I think we should stop for a second."

"Don't you dare." Heather purred again.

"It might be to your benefit."

Heather pulled away from her husband, glaring down at him with full annoyance. Her long arms were wrapped around his shoulders as she raised an eyebrow. 

"Stand up straight." Kevin pleaded.

Heather let her twisted legs straighten out, watching with growing awe as her husband's eyes moved further away. "No!"

"I don't think you're done just yet." Kevin remarked. He'd just gotten used to staring at his wife's chin. Now he was looking right at her collar bone. Heather kissed him again, and he fell back into his sway. Then she stopped, abruptly. She stood up straight, and took him by the hand. They raced back into the bar where the carousing hadn't even slowed down a millisecond.

"Say it." she whispered, nudging Kevin.

"Say what?" Kevin asked.

"Say it, so they'll measure me." Heather helped. Kevin got it. He cleared his throat dramatically.

"I say, ma'am. I think you've grown some since you got here!" A cheer roared out. Their friends were suddenly around them. Heather watched them surround her, leading her toward the height wall. Tracey and Erica still looked massive, but Heather took small comfort in how close Marlene and Ashley were to her own size.

"I guess I spoke too soon." Rebecca chirped. Heather smiled, trying to look as unthrilled as possible noticing that the be-heeled Rebecca was now smaller than her again. Tracey took her in close and placed Heather against the wall. 

"Six-five!" she shouted. Everyone roared, before Tracey's big hand rose to stop them. "And... still growing?"

Tracey was beside herself. Before her eyes, she could see Heather's head ever so slowly clearing the line of 6'5". She wagered Heather would be six and a half feet tall before the next hour. She told her as much. Kevin nodded.

"It's just like day one all over again." he said, sagely.

"So I had a little break, and now it's going to hit me like a ton of bricks again?" Heather stammered. It was beginning to dawn on her that we must be very careful what we wish for. "How the hell does that work?"

"Well, there's probably some form of gestation period within some... members who get... infected." Martin blustered. "Makes the symptoms hibernate-"

"The expert has weighed in." Marlene laughed.

"She asked!" Martin laughed back. Marlene leaned down and kissed her husband. She let herself sigh just a little. The past couple days, being the tallest person in the group started to feel like an unofficial burden. Martin's obsession with his own height had infected her. She found herself happy to return to average, at least amongst her female friends. She sidled up next to Ashley, noticing that she was now staring at the bridge of her nose.

"Looks like the group's not done yet. Want me to announce you?" she nudged her.

"Don't you fucking dare." Ashley whispered with mock anger. Marlene smiled.

Tracey pulled Heather and Kevin aside, pouring Heather her celebratory pint glass. "So this is pretty weird, huh." she commented. "Heather, did you ever imagine back in school that one day we'd both spend a week becoming linebackers in a dingy hotel?"

"Can't say I did. I don't think I ever even imagined looking up at you." Heather replied. She laughed, remembering. "Remember when you bought those six inch heels, and you were so excited to take them to the dance floor... and you could barely get out the door with them?"

Tracey laughed with her. "I had to chuck them in the bushes and run back for my flip flops!" They all laughed.

"And now you've got, what? 10 inches on me? Almost a foot." Heather added.

"For now, lady. Your boobs look like they're about to pop out at me." Tracey pointed at Heater's tight top. She looked down, noticing a new curve of flesh arching out behind the red fabric. She blushed, clutching her chest.

"We can go back upstairs if you want." Kevin helped.

"Do you have any more of those bedsheets?" Heather asked Tracey. Tracey just smiled.

Heather watched the edge of the doorframe as she slipped into the backbar. She had seen Tracey have to duck under it quite a bit, so she was more than prepare. She still let herself watch it as it passed, and recognize how close it had become to her face. It was only going to get closer. She could feel her sleeves pressing against her shoulders more and more with every minute. 

She followed her massive former roommate along the steel tables of the back kitchen, watching her rap her knuckles on every pot and pan as she went. "We got acquainted with the space all yesterday. I wish you'd been here. You and Marlene would have had a blast preparing with us. But, I guess blame Rebecca. I felt like I wanted to surprise you all, too."

Heather laughed. "I don't think I'll ever stop being surprised, Tracey. You're a mountain."

"Mount Tray-nier." Kevin chimed in. She didn't even notice until then that he had tagged along. He looked even shorter than he had only an hour ago in the hallway. She knew he wasn't the problem. She looked down at her skirt, now barely hanging down past her groin. She could see the very tip of her undies, also pressed firmly against her, peaking out beneath them.

"So you said you have something back here, then?" she wheezed. She felt her breasts jiggle dangerously as she picked up the pace to keep up with her taller friend.

"Here we go!" Tracey opened a steel cabinet to reveal a pile of long, billowing fabric. "We made a storage compartment, for just such an occasion as you're experiencing now."

Heather pulled a long, white sheet out from the pile, watching it straighten out in front of her. "It's not exactly formal wear. Maybe-"

A snap from below cut Heather off. Her eyes shot down just in time to watch her belt fall down around her ankles. The clasp had cracked down the middle, unsalvageable.

"Jesus, Heather." Tracey said. She couldn't help but feel a mix of concern and pride.

Heather whisked the white cloth around herself like a cape. "I can make it work."

Tracey emerged from the back bar, with all eyes falling on her again. She was still getting used to being the center of attention, and the level of leadership that comes with it. She held up a hand "Ok, guys. Sorry, we need a new rule. And I'm not just saying it because she's my oldest friend. But if we keep giving Heather drinks every time someone notices she grew, we're gonna deplete the bar faster than any of you will like."

A mixture of mock sadness and laughter filled the room as Heather appeared from the back bar. She found herself dipping slightly under the doorframe as she clutched Kevin's hand. She had converted her skirt into a scarf of sorts, letting it cover her now very-indecent cleavage. Her long legs were covered by a well cinched sheet that dragged along the floor. She walked up to the group, now staring at her interesting choice of fashion.

"I think it works." Marlene said, staring down at Heather's new skirt scarf. Heather smiled at her, and her mouth fell open.

"Stand up straight!" she squealed.

Marlene started to get the picture. "I am!"

They were the same height. They took each other by the arms and jumped. The room took notice, and they quieted down, meekly.

"You both look incredible, and nobody can say different." Erica slurred, putting her arms around her smaller friends. "And the best thing is... you can grow into it." she cackled at that. They all noticed that Erica's free pint glass of hard liquor was nearly gone.

"Ok, so I'm gonna just sip this very slowly." Heather remarked to her own pint glass. Erica laughed harder at that.

"Get on my level! Ashley, you're the expert. Don't you think she made it nice and roomy?" Erica asked.

Ashley perked up at the sound of her name. She had been leaning against a tall table, letting her finger circle around Dave's palm. It was the only distraction she had from just how tight her dress was becoming. "Yeah, looks great." she faked.

They all gasped as Ashley stood to attention. She was towering over all of them now. Even Erica had to stare up just a little bit. Pat's mouth curved into a devilish smile.

"Patrick, you say one word, and I'll-" Ashley began.

"Ashley! Did you GROW?!" Pat screamed.

Ashley slumped down further as she was lost in the roar of the crowd.