The slow dance had mellowed, as everyone found their places back on the bed fort. Martin couldn't stop praising Marlene's handiwork, even though she wasn't even in the room. These last couple days cooped up with nothing to do had made him realize she was about to burst with creativity.
In the bathroom, Marlene was bursting with something else. She tried her best to slip her tight sleep tee off her chest, but it just wouldn't budge. She shook her whole body, almost in an attempt to wiggle out of it, but it was no use. She sighed. She cracked the door open, careful not to let anyone see the half-moon nipple poking out from her scrunched shirt. "Can I get some help, please?" she asked, ashamed.
Martin stood up, ready for action. He was in over-compensate mode. Erica stopped him. "I think an expert might be required." she remarked, sauntering past and slipping through the bathroom door without any exposure of Marlene's twisted up position.
In the bathroom, Erica stared up at her towering friend, suddenly realizing how cramped it was for two women dangling around six-and-a-half feet tall to share a hotel bathroom. "It won't budge." Marlene whined. Erica smiled.
"Let me just..." She grabbed Marlene around her thin, tight stomach. As much as Heather and she had gained in the abdominal department, Erica noticed now that Marlene had not had the same advantage. Her height had skyrocketed, but perhaps in the short amount of time it did, she had less mass to compensate. She made for a very willowy figure, even with her impressively expanded chest.
Erica tugged, and tugged. But her efforts were just as futile as Marlene. She heard the big girl moan apprehensively. "Honey, I'm sorry. I think we're going to have to rip it."
"I love this top, though!" Marlene whined. "It's my third favorite to sleep in."
A tear from her back made her whimpering stop in an instant. Marlene sighed. "Alright."
She gently motioned Erica aside and grabbed the sides of her shirt with her hands. With a quick tear, her chest was free. Erica watched as her breasts rippled out like water from a dam. They hung like soft, swelled fruits on a tall tree. Erica had to stop herself from touching them in sheer wonder. Luckily, Marlene was busy doing that, herself. "My god, it's just obscene."
"Well, let's get your shirt on then." Erica grabbed Martin's graphic tee from the sink and handed it to her. She watched Marlene pull it over her head, as her hands knocked against the top of the ceiling.
"Oh!" she cried, scrunching down to fit as she adjusted the tight-fitted shirt to her frame. "It takes some getting used to, I guess."
"Yeah, we're still getting the ropes, ourselves." Erica agreed. "You're in good company. Marlene smiled. She stood up straight and stared down at Erica, who smiled back.
"Never in all my years did I plan for something like this." she sighed.
"I find that hard to believe, Marlene. You were the one who planned how many people would need leftover trays at your wedding reception."
Marlene giggled. She did do that. "Would you be surprised to hear I'm considering winging it from here on out?"
"No!" Erica said, mock-outraged.
"It's not so different for you. You've always been tall." Marlene said.
"Not this tall. Not freak tall." Erica corrected. "I was a tall kid, sure. But once you hit a certain age, you just learn to scrunch down a little for pictures."
"I might have to get on my knees, at this point." Marlene said. "How do you do it? Stay so calm."
"Practice. And alcohol."
They stepped out into the room, and everyone cheered as they saw Marlene in a much more comfortable shirt. She giggled again, giving them a twirl. Martin laughed. Even in a few minutes absence, he still found himself shocked when he saw his wife re-enter his sight. The difference now, was the excitement he felt when she did. "What are we watching?" Marlene belted, ready for action.
"Nothing yet, new kid's choice." Dave replied.
"Maybe we put it to a vote?" Marlene pitched, already drawing up a voting system in her head. "We have everybody here now, after all."
"Everybody but Tracey." Rebecca corrected.
"Tracey's not here?" Marlene asked, making a head count of all the heads below her own.
"Oh my god! Tracey!" Heather sat bolt upright. All this time, all this commotion, she had forgotten about her college roommate. Little Tracey. She hadn't made a peep since the first mass text. "We should text her. God, I'm such an ass."
"I'll say." Kevin said, staring up at his wife's butt as she tapped her foot nervously, letting it bounce behind her PJ pants. With her long arms, Heather was able to text and smack her husband at the same time. She typed a quick greeting, before flooding her chat with little messages one by one. It was as if she felt she needed to make up for her silence with a barrage of interaction.
"She knows we're all hanging together, right?" Pat asked, guiltily.
"She must. Everyone else does." Ashley confirmed.
The others looked at each other, nervously. Had they accidentally left out a dear friend? They all silently hoped she was still uninfected, to make their negligence feel more heroic. The buzz of Heather's phone saved them from their self-imposed mental flagellation.
*I'm fine! Doing my own thing.* Heather read. "Hmmm. So I guess she's still in the clear?"
They all shrugged. Heather texted a long-winded explanation, giving many caveats of how safe they were being, and the minute she felt like she was infected, she was more than welcome to join. She had gone fully overboard, and she knew it. But she also knew Tracey expected her to go overboard. She was Heather, and her helicopter blades were spinning at full speed.
"So... how about that movie?" Marlene was already ripping up little strips of paper as she spoke. She wrote several names down on them, and placed them in an empty cup. They watched as she raised it above her head, before realizing it would collide with the ceiling. She handed the cup to Ashley, who accepted the role of Decider with grace and aplomb. She pulled a name out of the hat, and they all agreed to the new and exciting rules Marlene had chosen for them.
Ashley set the cup back down, pouring herself a drink. Rebecca came up to her, to assist. "Our supplies are getting a little low, Beccs. Any chance you have any more secrets stashed in your room?"
"Not in my room, no." Rebecca said, mysteriously. Ashley looked up at her. She made a note to herself that she was now staring directly at Rebecca's bottom lip as she bit into it, thinking something over.
"What do you mean?" Ashley asked.
Rebecca bit her lip further. She pulled Ashley aside toward the door as the movie kicked on for the rest at the bed fort. "If you come with me now, you have to promise to keep it a secret."
"Keep what a secret?" Ashley replied.
"Exactly." Rebecca nodded. "We're gonna head back to my place to grab some more snacks and spirits!" She shouted to the group.
"Want us to pause it?" Dave asked.
"Oh, no! We've seen it a hundred times." Ashley replied, going along with whatever Rebecca was getting her into.
"Could practically recite it." Rebecca added. "Mind if we borrow your spare key, Dave?" she asked.
Dave nodded, waving goodbye as Rebecca already started shoving herself and Ashley out the door.
In the hallway, Ashley rushed along, trying her best to keep up with Rebecca's long stride. It didn't help that she was starting to feel her pants chafe. "So can you tell me now?"
Rebecca shook her head. Ashley watched as she passed her room, and opened the stairway door. She followed Rebecca past the sad stack of amenities that had barely changed since the first day of quarantine as Rebecca snaked down the four flights of stairs to the bottom. "What in god's name..."
Rebecca motioned her closer as she pushed the door open a crack. Ashley nudged her face against Rebecca, just beneath her own. She felt her roommate's breasts press against her back. She was doing this on purpose.
Rebecca was doing it on purpose. She had noticed the gap was getting smaller between their eyelines, and she couldn't help but gloat for as long as she had left. For now, she scanned the lobby of the hotel. There was no one in sight. "Coast is clear." she announced, and stepped out.
"I usually do this at night, when everything's quiet. So we're risking it a bit coming down when the sun's still up." she explained, tip toeing along the hallway past the empty front desk. Ashley thought it was strange the front desk was empty. There wasn't a soul in sight.
"What is it you do, exactly." Ashley asked. In response, Rebecca pushed a metal door open, revealing a kitchen that looked like it hadn't been used all week.
"Restock." She replied. She and Ashley walked along the corridors, until they found a pantry stuffed with simple snacks, and munchables. The same Rebecca had been making a feast of for the past 3 days.
"Good for you, Beccs." Ashley nodded. They grabbed bags, stuffing them with everything they could get their hands on.
"I'm surprised I'm the only one who's come up with this so far. Or at least, who takes a noticeable amount all at once." Rebecca winked. She stood up, shouldering her bag and walking toward the door. "One more stop."
They crept across the lobby into the bar. Ashley watched as Rebecca sat her bag down on the empty bar, before hoisting herself over it with an acrobatic flip. She could never have done that before, Ashley thought. Now she was an athlete. She felt the jealousy begin to simmer amongst the tingle of glee she had running a clandestine errand with her best friend. They hadn't done something like this in so long. Even if she could do a backflip now, Rebecca was still her same partner in crime.
Ashley approached the bar, hoping her new inches would help her the same way they did Rebecca. She waddled to the middle, unable to clear the distance. Rebecca appeared from beneath the bar, holding a bottle of brandy in one hand. "Your tits are too big." she commented.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment for the time being." Ashley replied. Rebecca laughed, tugging her hourglass friend the rest of the way over the bar. Crouched down, they now saw a sea of options before them.
"We can take an even bigger haul with the two of us now." Rebecca said, her eyes gleaming.
"If only I had your strength." Ashley relented, wheezing.
"Give it time." Rebecca said, with genuine kindness.
Suddenly, they froze. Commotion was rising from the other side of the bar. Voices were getting closer. They looked at one another, trying their best to telepathically concoct a good excuse for when they were eventually caught with a regiment's worth of supplies. The voices stopped on the other side of the bar. They sounded giddy. Not professional.
Ashley and Rebecca risked a peek over the bar. Their eyes rose slowly and quietly, focusing on a man and woman holding each other in their arms. The man looked normal, if not presently residing on cloud nine, as he wrapped his arms around an absolutely massive woman. Rebecca and Ashley shot each other a look of astonishment. The woman must have been almost seven feet tall. Even after seeing Marlene's new stature, they couldn't help but feel at ease realizing that the phenomenon was happening all over the hotel.
The Hotel LeGrande was becoming stocked with gigantic women, and it showed no sign of stopping. Neither did the busty redhead, as she took the man into her arms and kissed him. Ashley nudged Rebecca, nodding toward the shirt the massive woman was wearing. It hugged it her tightly, stopping just at her wide behind, with no hope of going further. Her panties flared on either side of her wide hips as she dug them into her lover. Rebecca got the point. It wasn't a shirt at all. It was a dress. A dress this formerly diminutive woman must still be clinging to as an actual fashion choice.
Rebecca giggled. The couple stopped. Ashley and Rebecca shot down behind the bar, clasping their hands to their mouths as the once amorous pair now stared in their direction. Ashley's heart beat loudly in her chest. Would the couple take offense? Could the both of them take a beating from a woman a foot taller than them? Is this how they died? Surrounded by liquor? Seemed about right.
"Let's get out of here." muttered a sultry voice from across the bar. Ashley heard heavy footsteps disappear out of the bar. They both sighed with deep relief. Then they laughed. The kind of laugh that comes free of charge with the feeling of immense relief.
Rebecca unscrewed a bottle of tequila. "One for the trip." she explained, taking a sip, and passing it to the still hyperventilating Ashley.
As they climbed back up the stairs, Ashley could still taste the tequila on her tongue. She wasn't exactly happy having to lug several bags of victuals up the stairs after spending much of the day drinking, but she was surprised how much easier the task was turning out to be.
Rebecca could tell why. As she followed behind her, Rebecca had a front row view of Ashley's back stretching out beneath her once baggy sheer sweater. "Feeling good, now?"
"Hmm?" Ashley asked.
"I don't want to spoil it for you, but I think you're officially a tall girl." Rebecca replied. They'd made it to the fourth floor, pushing the stairwell door open. Ashley walked out into the hallway and turned around to face Rebecca. When she did, she realized she was staring right at her nose. Her eyes shot down to her own body. Past her breasts, she could see her sweater dangling down, with a good couple inches of her midriff exposed.
"I didn't even notice." Ashley said.
"Yeah, I bet the others will. That sweater's turning int a shawl, fast." Rebecca said, chuckling. The moment was upon her. She was about to be the shortest girl again. As they passed Tracey's door at Room 403, she found herself wanting to rip it open and stare down at her. How selfish, she thought. Feeling insecure about this after she made such a big deal about it on the first night. This was her karma, she surmised, for rubbing it in everyone's faces. Now she was getting the same, but magnified in all directions.
"I don't want them to make a big fuss." Ashley said. Unless it was Dave, she failed to add.
"Well, let's just rip the band aid off and get it over with." Rebecca said, opening Dave's door.
The room was abuzz with energy as soon as they stepped in. Everyone was standing around Erica, who seemed to be having trouble breathing.
"What's going on?" Rebecca asked, worried.
"Is she alright?" Ashley added.
"I'm ok!" Erica insisted. "I just swallowed something wrong. Heather and Marlene were on either side of her, rubbing her back. The men watched, concerned, in the corner.
"There." Erica said, much calmer. "It's already passed." With that last word, her whole body tightened. Her eyes clenched, and she shot upward. "Oh god, again?" she screamed as her head rose higher. Marlene and Heather stood up straight as Erica had another all-or-nothing spurt in front of them. Her legs lengthened, her chest swelled. Her clothes tightened, showing every curve of her as it expanded. She breathed heavy, staring down at Heather's gobsmacked face. Even through her fuzzy vision, Erica could almost spot a hint of resentment in Heather's expression.
"Erica!" Marlene shouted. "What the hell was that?"
Erica laughed and turned to Marlene. "Yeah, it's been kind of a rollercoaster for me. She sighed, realizing Marlene's eyes were still a few inches from her own. It couldn't have been that bad after all. Then she saw Ashley approach, and she gasped at how far down she looked. Rebecca wasn't exactly as imposing as she seemed before, either.
"Ashley!" Erica shouted. The others looked at her, confused. "Your shirt!" She added, trying to save herself. It worked.
"Yeah, Ash. Looks like Erica's not the only one with a spurt." Pat said.
"Really? She just went up a weight class in two seconds and you guys are focused on me?" Ashley laughed.
"Six foot seven!" Marlene called. They all turned to see Erica already against the height wall, with Marlene right next to her measuring.
"Can't beat the champ just yet." Erica smiled. "But I'll take the silver medal all the same."
"Game's not over yet." Heather said. She covered her mouth, catching herself all too late.
"Game?" Ashley asked, mischievously. "Don't tell me you want to get bigger than the rest of us, Heather."
"I am bigger than you." Heather shot back. They were pushing her buttons, and they knew it.
"I'm five-foot-five, and I'm happy to be five-foot-five" Pat impersonated, very matter-of-factly. They all laughed. Heather hid how much she was laughing too.
"Well now I'm happy with this height!" She shouted, trying to calm everyone. "But if there happens to come... more... then... game on." she winked.
Ashley strode up to the height chart herself. She could see Rebecca's 5'11" less than two inches away. She turned, seeing Rebecca nuzzle up to Dave as they worked together to unpack all the new supplies.
"Game on." she whispered.