I had to do something. After Valentine's Day, I was in serious danger of falling in love with Hannah. She was too perfect a match for all my fetishes, in a way no one but Sam had ever been. I needed to stop before I crossed (even more) lines that siblings should never cross. The only solution I could see was to get a new girlfriend. Of course, this presented a couple of problems.

             First, I had found Hannah arousing for a year now, and for half that time Sam and I were still together. And I couldn't imagine anyone else measuring up to her. But an imperfect distraction was better than none. A girlfriend would also hopefully help me get over Sam.

             Of course, I felt a little bad having such motivations. But it wasn't like I was just leading someone on, I did want a relationship. I wouldn't get back with Kerry for a billion dollars, but I would be lying if I said I didn't miss the physical intimacy.

             The second problem was who this girl could be. It wasn't like suitors were lining up to be mine. Several girls I used to be friends with wanted nothing to do with me after the breakup. And in the geek squad, only Alice seemed interested in short guys, and she was obviously off limits.

             There were a few classmates that I could try asking out, but my flirting skills were pretty lacking given how I had been with Sam since I got interested in girls. So it took me about a week to figure out what to say and work up the courage to say it.

             Eventually, I decided on Wendy from my English Lit. class. She wasn't really athletic, but she was pretty, and we got along. Also, since she was only a bit taller than me, I might have a chance with her.

             "Mr. Salisbury is really piling on the homework lately, huh?"

             "Yeah", she replied, "this book report is something else. Getting it done by Monday is gonna suck."

             "We could work on it together. You could come to my house on Saturday. And maybe, once we're done, we could catch a movie or something." Her eyes narrowed.

             "Catch a movie? Like a date?"

             "Um, yeah. But, only if you want to, of course." She sighed.

             "Look, Nate, you're a nice guy, but don't you think you're a little short for me?"

             "Well, it doesn't bother me if you're taller than I am. And it's only like an inch or two anyway."

             "Only an inch, huh?" She said, getting to her feet. I stood up too. "My growth spurt might have started late but my family's pretty tall, while you're done growing."

             "But..." I protested, looking up into her eyes.

             "I just don't think you're boyfriend material."

             "Oh, what's this? Nate finally found someone his size?" I turned to see Kerry's tits hanging just above my eye level. Damn. I had completely forgotten that she was in this class too. She was wearing heels today, towering over Wendy and I.

             "No", I corrected her. "I tried to ask her out, but she's too tall for me."

             "Hmmm?" Kerry bent at the waist, slowly lowering her head down to our level. "Oh, you're right! The two of you are so short, that I couldn't tell at first."

             I was used to Kerry's verbal jabs, but Wendy turned red with embarrassment. She glared at me like this was somehow my fault, before grabbing her stuff and storming off. I frowned up at Kerry, studiously ignoring the deep cleavage chasm her posture was exposing.

             "Was that really necessary?" She just smirked at me.

             "Interacting with titches like you two is rarely necessary. But it can be fun."

             "Wow, I almost forgot how much of a bitch you are." She frowned and straightened up.

             "Don't push your luck, little boy. That blackmail will only get you so far." And she strode past me, swinging her hip into me as she did.

             I was struck, literally, by how much difference the last year and a half had made. Instead of hitting my gut and knocking the wind out of me, Kerry's hip smacked into the lower half of my chest and knocked me to the ground.

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             Well so much for that idea. By the time Hannah picked me up on Friday, I had tried to ask out 3 other girls. None of them were interested in a single date, let alone a relationship. That was it for my list. Unless I wanted to start hitting on complete strangers, I would have to endure Hannah's behavior without a girlfriend.

             Thankfully, I was excused from working out on Saturdays, so I got to sleep in. By the time I got up, it was about 1 in the afternoon. I headed into the kitchen to grab some breakfast. Hannah was already up and watching TV.

             "Oh, Nate", she called once the microwave dinging alerted her to my presence, "you're finally up!"

             "Yup. Just getting some breakfast."

             "Cool. Hey, grab a glass of juice for me, while you're there." I looked down at my hands. One held a cup of milk, while the other was needed for my plate of waffles.

             "Sorry, my hands are full. You'll have to get it yourself." Hannah sighed theatrically. I smiled and opened the microwave. After grabbing my food, I turned to see Hannah right next to me.

             I was startled, not just by her proximity but by her expression. There was a bit of irritation but it was mostly a look of stern disappointment. Like a school teacher who just found out that one of her kids was too stupid to follow simple rules. Not an expression you would expect a nine-year-old to make.

             "Nate. When I tell you to do something, I expect it to be done, understand? You can finish whatever you were doing afterwards. Serving me comes first."

             I was stunned. Did she really expect me to act that way? Like I was her servant or something? And why was I getting an erection?!

             "I... W-wha...?" My stuttering caused her seriousness to dissolve into giggles.

             "I'm just messing with you, bro." She reached around me to open the fridge and grab the juice herself. "Like, can you imagine? Me ordering you around like that?" She straightened back up, grinning down at me. "I mean, it sounds fun to me. But there's no way you would agree to that, right?"

             "O-of course not."

             "Of course not", she agreed, nodding.

             Then she stepped even closer to me, before rising onto her tiptoes. Her chest brushed lightly against mine as she stretched up to grab a glass from the cabinet behind me. I gasped, my heart pounding. Her biceps flexed on either side of my head as she poured her drink. Only once she had finished and placed the juice carton back in the fridge, did she step back.

             "I guess getting it myself was pretty fun too", she stated, glancing down at the tent in my pants, before turning and strutting out of the room.

             Why does she do things like this to me? I can't hold onto the idea that she doesn't realize what she's doing anymore. She's made it more than clear that she knows she's turning me on. What is she looking to accomplish? She's my sister! She already has a girlfriend! I just can't figure it out.

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             A few weeks later, there was a hypnotism get-together. This surprised me since I hadn't really seen any of the girls come by for hypnotism since Hannah's birthday.

             "Oh, yeah. It would've been awkward for them to have to come here for every session", Hannah stated when I asked. "Cindy's the only one that lives in the neighborhood, so we've just been doing it at school. Everyone's still participating. In fact, we've had several more kids join after seeing how good it was."

             "That's great! Jess must be really busy."

             "Yup. That's why we had to schedule this get-together. Otherwise, some of the girls would've had to skip a session."

             I ended up tasked with greeting the guests and keeping them entertained until it was their turn. Hannah said it was so each of them could have some privacy, but it almost felt like she was trying to make sure I stayed away. The girls had been together for their first session after all.

             June was the first one up. She had ridden the bus with Jess while Hannah waited to take me home. She was close friends with my sister so her coming over was a pretty regular thing. The next girl, on the other hand, I hadn't seen since the summer.

             "Hi!" Rosie chirped, as soon as I opened the door, before turning to wave goodbye to her dad. This gave me a moment to cover my surprise. She was tall!

             Not compared to me, of course, she was only seven. But for a seven-year-old, she was huge! The top of her head came all the way up to my shoulder!

             For a second, I thought I was overreacting. It had been half a year since Hannah's party, maybe Rosie had always been way taller than the average 2nd grader and I had just forgotten. But that couldn't be it. I distinctly remember most of the girls at the sleepover being about shoulder-height, and Rosie being a few inches shorter than them.

             The last hope vanished as I welcomed her in. Her shoes were basically flat, so that couldn't explain the gap either. I just had to accept that she had somehow grown about 3 inches taller.

             "June already started her session, so you should only have to wait a few minutes", I told her, as we headed over to the couch. I guess I could just ask. "You've gotten bigger since I last saw you. You must be about 4 feet tall now."

             "Yup! I'm the tallest in my class! I've been working out, too. I'm gonna be big and strong, just like Hannah!"

             "You'll have to work hard to catch up to her, but it looks like you're on the right track."

             "Yeah, she's so cool!" Rosie's eyes shone with admiration. "She's even taller than you now, right?" I nodded.

             "It's almost like she's getting all the inches I can't use anymore." For some reason that made Rosie giggle. But then, a knock signaled our last guest arriving.

             I opened the door and was immediately stunned again. I was looking straight at Cindy's nose! That couldn't be right! A low chuckle brought me back to Earth.

             "Well, are you gonna let me in or not?"

             "S-sorry!" I stepped to the side, pulling the door with me. "Come on in. M-make yourself at home." She strode past me and then bent down to remove her shoes. I finally thought to check, and sure enough, they were boots with at least a modest platform heel. She hadn't really grown 4 inches in the last two months or so.

             Once she straightened back up, I was able to confirm that yes, she was still shorter than me. But the boots didn't account for all her extra height. She was still taller than she had been in January, but at least her eyes were level with my nose, instead of the other way around.

             "Hmmm, not quite there yet", she said, like she could tell what I was thinking. "Though it is a nice preview."

             "I, I guess?"

             "If only my brother was as short as you."

             "Looks like everybody's here." I turned to see June walking down the stairs. "Your turn, Rosie."

             "OK!" The second grader replied, springing to her feet. As they passed each other, I was able to get a good comparison between the two. Despite Rosie's recent growth, June still seemed a few inches taller than her. I guess I see her often enough that I hadn't realized that she was getting taller too.

             That's three for three. Are all of Hannah's friends shooting up just like her? What the hell is going on?

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

             I blinked sleepily and rolled over to look at the clock. Huh? Dammit! I overslept! A jolt of adrenaline hit me and I scrambled to change out of my PJs. I should have started my aerobics 5 minutes ago. Why didn't Hannah wake me up?

             Once I had my workout clothes on, I dashed down the hallway, glancing into my sister's room on the way. She wasn't there. I hurried down to the living room and then around the corner to the basement stairs.

             I could hear grunts of exertion coming from below. I guess she just forgot about me. I reached the bottom of the stairs but immediately pulled back. Did I really see that? I peeked around the wall dividing the stairwell from the basement itself.

             Hannah was indeed working out; she was using her new barbell for bicep curls. But she wasn't using the plates she would need to challenge herself. Instead, sitting precariously in the middle of the bar, was Jess. As I watched, Hannah curled the bar, bringing Jess' bare midriff towards her face.

             "Si-Ahh!" Jess gasped as Hannah kissed her right above her bellybutton. "S-six." Hannah smoothly lowered Jess down and then brought her back up. Jess again stumbled over the count as Hannah gave her another kiss.

             "Careful, Jess", she chided with a smile. "If you lose count, I'll have to start over." Hannah continued to curl her girlfriend, her lips moving a little lower with each rep.

             I really shouldn't be watching this, but it was hard to look away. At least, Jess was clothed this time. Though her crop top and shorts left little to the imagination. Just before Hannah would have had to strip her to continue her downward path, she finished the set.

             Jess climbed off of the bar, her legs shaking like she was the one who had been lifting. Hannah set the barbell on the rack and headed over towards the bench.

             "Are you sure no one will come down here?" Jess asked nervously. "Your whole family is home right now."

             "Don't worry", Hannah assured her. "Mom and Dad never get up before their alarm. And I always wake Nate up for our workouts, so he doesn't even set his alarm anymore. Just you and me for your birthday, like I promised."

             "OK", she continued, as she lay down on her stomach on the bench. "Climb on my legs and hold on tight."

             Once Jess was in position, Hannah launched into a set of leg curls. This was followed by leg extensions, and so on. My sister progressed through her workout routine, substituting Jess' sixty-ish pounds for her normal weights. Jess tried to keep count of each rep, but was often thrown off by Hannah's incessant barrage of teasing foreplay.

             I was rock hard, and not just from what I was watching. I realized almost instantly that I probably only weighed about 10 pounds more than Jess. 10 extra pounds wouldn't phase my sister. And after that my imagination was running wild, trying to picture how it would feel if I was the one Hannah was lifting.

             "H-Hannah", Jess panted, after 30 minutes of this, "I can't take it anymore. Please." She was out of breath, sweating, her face flushed.

             My sister, on the other hand, looked as fresh as when I first saw her. Working her petite girlfriend into her exercises had in most cases reduced the weight she had to lift. Which shows how much Jess meant to her; very few things could get Hannah to take an easy day.

             "Jess, we're barely halfway done. Are you implying that I would give my girlfriend half a present?"

             "Please!"

             "We really need to work on your endurance, Babe. But it is your birthday, so I guess I can let you off the hook, just this once. OK!" Hannah swooped in and lifted Jess into her arms, cradling her like a baby. "Last set!"

             Jess let out a whine.

             "Trust me, you'll love this one." Hannah performed a deep squat. Then another, Jess dutifully keeping count. I wasn't sure what she was up to, 60 pounds was barely a warm-up weight for her, at least when doing squats. Then she paused.

             "Hmm, too easy. How about this?" Her balance shifted slightly, then she lifted one foot off the floor. My jaw dropped as she extended that leg out in front of her and then started to squat, using just the remaining leg to support her and Jess' weight.

             "Hannah, Oh my God!" Jess gasped, as Hannah pushed herself upright. Hannah just looked down at her expectantly until she blushed a deep crimson and whispered "Three."

             Hannah smiled and continued her set. By the time she was done, I was ready to burst, and Jess seemed even closer to the edge.

             "See, wasn't that worth the wait?" Hannah asked. Jess just whimpered in reply, squirming weakly in her arms. "Oh, alright." Hannah grabbed Jess' shorts with one hand and whisked them off in one smooth motion. She grinned as she lifted Jess higher. "Working out always makes me really hungry."

             That's when I ducked back out of sight. Watching any further was definitely off-limits, I felt guilty for hanging around as long as I did. Jess' screams of ecstasy provided cover for my footsteps as I climbed back up the stairs. By the time they were done and Hannah got to my room to wake me up, I was back in my pajamas and under the covers.

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

             Back to school and Kerry's antics. She hadn't crossed the line and made me use my trump card but she wasn't ignoring me completely anymore. It was about the same level as a year ago. Knocking me over in passing or looming over me in the lunch line. This was enhanced by her near-constant use of heels, making her seem 6 feet tall instead of her already imposing 5'8". Today was more of the same, except I wasn't alone.

             "Jeez, Kerry. Back off." Alice insisted. She stepped up behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "My friends are not your playthings."

             Kerry glared at her for a moment, before the look of smug superiority she wore around me reinstated itself.

             "On the contrary, Alice, that's exactly what they are." She took a step forward so she could look down on her former teammate. This had the added effect of nearly sandwiching me between their Amazonian bodies.

             "Don't get a big head just because you're a little taller than the average twerp you hang out with. You're still a little girl to me."

             That was an exaggeration. Alice was tall enough that her chin cleared the top of my head with room to spare. She wasn't little in any sense. That said, thanks to her heels, Kerry could still comfortably look over her head. But before either of us could object, Kerry pushed past Alice and walked off. Of course, since I was in front of Alice, I got smooshed into her.

             "Sorry about that", I said, once I had regained my footing and turned around. "She's been extra bitchy around me lately."

             "It's not just you", Alice sighed. "She's like that to everyone smaller than her nowadays." Well, with her heels that was basically everyone. Hell, most of the teachers too. "Maybe it's relationship troubles. I hear she's going through a rough patch with Dave."

             "Must be my fault", I joked. "How can a mere high-schooler compare to this?" I flexed my biceps.

             "Yeah, that must be it", Alice agreed, and we had a good laugh.

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

             Spring break came around once again, and I found myself dropped off at the mall after Mom got fed up with me lazing around. But this time, I wasn't alone. Hannah had joined me in exile. We were here to see the new Marvel movie in the theater that occupied part of the mall.

             "I'm really excited!" Hannah gushed. "The trailers looked so epic."

             "I just hope they can stick the landing. The franchise has been kinda disappointing lately."

             "OK, old man. Next, you're gonna say that back in your day they knew how to make movies and kids these days could never understand."

             "Haha. It's kinda true though. Maybe they can surprise me this time. But the movie doesn't start for a while. What do you want to do until then? Look around? Go to the food court?"

             The mere mention of food was enough to make Hannah's stomach growl, forcing a laugh out of both of us.

             "Well, I guess that answers that question."

             We headed to the food court and eventually settled on McDonald's. Once we got through the line, I was the first to order.

             "I'll have a quarter pounder meal, please. Medium size."

             "I want a large, double quarter pounder meal. An extra double quarter pounder, an extra large fry, and an oreo McFlurry. Oh! And two apple pies."

             "Wow, sis!" I exclaimed as we made our way to a table, Hannah having to balance two trays to carry all her food. "I guess I've gotten so used to you having seconds and thirds at home, that I forgot how much you're actually eating."

             "Of course", Hannah replied with a smile. "I'm a growing girl, after all."

             "I'm glad that we decided that I would buy the tickets and you would cover the refreshments."

             "It wouldn't have been fair otherwise", she agreed, between bites.

             "Is it really OK to be eating McDonald's of all things? Don't you usually stick to healthy foods?"

             "I give myself cheat days every now and then. Jess said it was the only proven way to stick to a diet long-term. Besides, is a life without burgers really worth living?"

             "No arguments here", I agreed, taking a big bite out of my own burger. We sat in silence for a few minutes, too busy stuffing our faces to talk. Eventually, Hannah restarted the conversation.

             "That reminds me, I need to ask Jess to come up with a diet plan for you too."

             "What for? I don't really need to lose weight you know."

             "Of course not. I'm not dieting to lose weight either. But it's important to eat right just to be healthy. Dr. Feldspar said that during our last visit, remember?"

             "I guess I can't argue with that. Just as long as Jess doesn't try to get me to eat the really nasty veggies, like Kale and Brussels sprouts."

             "I'll let her know. But don't pretend like you wouldn't eat those too if I told you that you had to." I sighed.

             "Yeah, you're probably right." Hannah's grin widened.

             "See, doesn't it feel good to do what I say?" This again? I just went along with what she wanted most of the time because it was easier than arguing. It's not like I enjoyed following her orders or anything. That would be weird.

             "It's only because you and Jess know more about diets than I do."

             "Sure, sure. Well, no time like the present to get started: that is an unhealthy amount of fries. You should let me finish them for you." I snorted but handed them over.

             "Whatever. We need to get a move on anyway. The previews are gonna start soon."

             A couple of hours later, the movie was over, and we were leaving the theater.

             "Damn, the first half was actually pretty good", I said. "But then it felt like they decided they were straying too far from the formula and chickened out."

             "I enjoyed it. The fight at the end was epic!"

             "But they had to pull so much bullshit to make it to that point. It only happened because half the characters acted like complete idiots for the last hour."

             "Don't be such a critic. It got me all hyped and that's what's important. I totally want to find a super-villain and throw down." Hannah started shadowboxing as we exited back into the mall proper.

             We hadn't been sure exactly when the movie would end, so we still had some time before Mom would get here to take us back home. We headed over to the benches by the mall entrance to wait, still discussing the film.

             But as we sat there, I saw a group of four high-schoolers walking into the theater. They weren't people I recognized, but I could clearly tell that they were couples on a date together. And that sent me on a depressing trip down memory lane. It had started here, a year ago.

             Eventually, Hannah realized that I wasn't participating in the conversation anymore.

             "Nate? What's wrong?"

             "Huh? Oh, sorry. Nothing's wrong, I got lost in thought."

             "I don't buy that", Hannah said. "You looked like you were about to cry." She scooted closer. "Talk to me." I sighed.

             "It's just... This is where my relationship with Sam really started going downhill. Last year during spring break I saw her and Kerry enter the theater with a couple of high-school guys. I gave her the benefit of the doubt at the time, but if I hadn't seen it at all, I never would have accused her of cheating on me. And then maybe we..." My voice cut off as my throat tightened. "Maybe we would still be together."

             Hannah had stayed patiently silent through my story. Now she reached over and grabbed my hand.

             "You don't need her anymore. You have me."

             "Huh?" My eyes had been drawn down to our clasped hands, but now I looked back at her face in confusion.

             "Nate, it's OK", she stated, her voice and expression completely serious. "You have me, so you don't need a girlfriend, Sam or anyone else."

             "Thanks. I know you're trying to make me feel better, but having a sister is different from having a girlfriend, no matter how much we love each other." Disappointment and frustration played across Hannah's face. She sighed and pulled away from me.

             "You still don't get it. All this time and you still don't understand what I want." Before I could reply, both our phones pinged. Hannah immediately stood up and started walking towards the exit. I jogged to catch up to her, but she refused to even look at me the whole way home.

             Honestly, I didn't really have to ask what she meant. At this point, I thought I knew the answer. But I couldn't accept it, so I had to pretend to be oblivious.

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

             A few days after school started up again, I got a text from Marcia. She was having relationship issues and really wanted someone to talk to. I was reluctant to meet in person since I had given my costume back to the school. But she insisted.

             I guess it's fine; basketball season ended months ago. Worst case scenario, I have someone else shun me because of how I treated Sam. So, we set up a meeting spot after school.

             "Hey, Marcia", I called out once I arrived. She got up and met me halfway.

             "You're Mouse?" I nodded and she grabbed me in a hug. "I've missed talking to you." I awkwardly patted her on the back. Eventually, she let go and stepped back. "You're exactly how I imagined you."

             "Really?"

             "Yeah. Short and skinny. Cute in a nerdy kinda way."

             "Thanks, I guess." I deadpanned. She giggled.

             "So, are you gonna let me know your real name? Or should I keep calling you Mouse?"

             "Nate", I admitted. Marcia frowned thoughtfully, then her eyes widened.

             "Wait! Nate? Like Sam's ex? That Nate?" I nodded, bracing myself. Several emotions cycled across her face as she stared at me. The silence lasted long enough to get awkward.

             "Urgh..." She muttered, finally. "Wow, I really want to hate you. I've had this persona built up for months of the despicable guy that broke Sam's heart. But I can't. You're still Mouse, and I like Mouse." She walked back to the bench she was on when I arrived and sat back down. "This is making my head hurt. Can we just talk about my problems instead?"

             I nodded and joined her on the bench.

             "That's what I came for. But if it helps at all, I regret what happened with Sam every day."

             "Well, that's more than I can say for my ex-boyfriend, at least."

             "Wow, so it's not just an argument. You've officially broken up."

             "Yeah, I dumped him." Marcia sighed. "I tried to do all that stuff you said. See things from his point of view, talk it out, but it just wasn't working. Sure, we'd make up but then a few weeks later, we'd be fighting again."

             "I'm sorry to hear that. I guess I just ended up keeping you in a bad relationship longer with my advice."

             "Nah, it's not your fault. I'm sure it will come in handy with my next boyfriend. I just expected too much from Mr. 'I'm the man of the relationship, so you have to listen to me.'"

             She went on for a few minutes, going over the last few fights in detail, before ending on her walking up to him in her highest pair of heels to tell him it was over. I hoped the tightening of my pants wasn't too obvious as she described the look on his face when he realized that her chin cleared the top of his head.

             "Seems like boyfriend troubles are going around", I said, after she finished. "I hear Kerry's been having issues too."

             "Yeah, though I'm not sure what guys see in her anyway. You know, other than..." She cupped her hands a couple of inches out from her chest and pantomimed jiggling some impressive assets.

             "For some guys that's all it takes", I replied, chuckling.

             "Sam's had it rough too", she said in a more serious tone. "She and Tony split up a few weeks ago. Now she's dating another high-schooler. Alex or Andrew or something like that. Seems like a total douche."

             "Heh, shouldn't I be the one jealously criticizing her partners?"

             "Hmph. You'd agree if you saw them together. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent, I don't want to make you miss your ride."

             "Oh, um, it's OK." I felt my cheeks starting to redden. "I told her that I would be a little late."

             "What's with that reaction? Wait", she squinted at my face. "Oh my God, I knew I had seen your face before. You're the guy that gets a piggyback ride from that muscly girl every day. Is she your girlfriend? She looks kinda young for that."

             "She's my little sister", I answered, my blush deepening. Marcia stared at me for a second before doubling over with laughter.

             "Your little sister, OMG! That's adorable!"

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

             "Well, I would say we know for sure now. Though Jess will want more data, of course."

             Hannah was talking to someone on the phone when I came downstairs. I slipped into the kitchen to get breakfast, staying quiet so I wouldn't interrupt her.

             "Yeah... uh-huh... Every other Saturday after lunch should work. That way if you miss a session now and then it will still be OK, any longer and Jess says the body will start to reject the changes. Yeah... OK... Yup, I'll grab something to eat and then go get Jess. I'll call you from her place in about an hour."

             I had just sat down with my cereal when Hannah entered the kitchen, slipping her phone into her pocket.

             "Morning", I said. Hannah started, surprised to see me, but she covered it quickly.

             "Morning. I didn't know you were awake yet."

             "Yup, just came down to get breakfast." She smirked.

             "You know, this is lunchtime for normal people."

             "Whatever. I noticed you were on the phone with someone. More hypnosis subjects for Jess?"

             "Yeah", she nodded, looking slightly nervous for some reason. "Grace and Michelle."

             "Huh. How does that work?"

             "Video calls. I actually mentioned it to them at the Christmas party, and we've been testing it out for a few months now. Turns out that as long as they can see and hear Jess, actual distance doesn't matter."

             "I guess that makes sense. What about Evan? It seems like Jess doesn't have many guys to experiment with."

             "He wasn't interested. Which is a shame. Spending more time with his sisters could have been helpful when Grace gets her wish and outgrows him."

             "Ha ha, yeah. I would say that's unlikely but who knows? Actually, that reminds me. Cindy mentioned having a brother at the get-together. She also seemed to want to get taller than him."

             "Oh, yeah. Evan's lucky compared to him."

             "What do you mean?"

             "Well, you were always nice to me when I was little, so I haven't had a reason to be mean to you now that I'm bigger. Evan and Grace's relationship isn't that good, but they get along alright, even if he has an attitude problem. Cindy's brother, on the other hand, is an outright bully."

             "That's rough. Though, I'm surprised that it's still a problem. I would have thought that you would have set him straight by now." Hannah nodded.

             "I offered, but Cindy told me to leave him alone. I guess she wants to do it herself once she's big enough."

             "She has been growing really fast lately. But what if she doesn't manage to pass him?"

             "I wouldn't worry about that. Cindy's only a year older than me. She has a lot of growing left."

             It was weird. Hannah had the same air of absolute certainty that she had had when announcing her own growth. Like she had some sort of powerful insight into the inner workings of her and her friend's bodies.

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             Well, I should have seen this coming. In fact, now that I think about it, it's surprising that it took this long. It's been almost a month since Marcia learned my secret identity. And now, as I'm leaving school for the day, I find her talking to my sister.

             "...and so Mouse almost has a heart attack. It makes sense now that I know who he is, but at the time he just seemed really shy. Not that it mattered, the other girls had already moved to the next conversation topic." Marcia was telling a story, to Hannah's obvious amusement. She paused once she spotted me.

             "Look, it's the little guy himself! Hey, Mouse!"

             "Hi, Marcia", I responded, unenthusiastically. I knew this was going to be embarrassing. I couldn't even argue the "little guy" title. Marcia was about 5'3" now, and in her rollerblades Hannah was just as tall.

             "Nate! Why didn't you tell me you had a cute nickname?! And why have I never heard any of these stories?" Hannah exclaimed, before turning back to Marcia. "He told me all about the games, but I thought he just cheered the team on and then left. Now I find out he had this whole double life thing going on."

             "Yeah, little brothers can be tricky like that. You think you know all there is to know about them, until you see how they act when you're not around."

             "Tell me about it. Did you know he used to get bullied by Brad Peters? I didn't have a clue until I caught him in the act last year. Thankfully, I was able to fix that problem pretty quickly."

             "Wait, you beat up an 8th-grader?" Hannah nodded. Marcia glanced at me. I nodded. "OMG, Mouse! Your sister is so cool!" Hannah beamed. I sighed.

             "Please don't encourage her. She has a big enough head as it is." Unfortunately, Marcia would not be deterred.

             "Little brothers", she said, shaking her head. "They never appreciate all the things we do for them."

             "Yeah, but I'm working on it. He's actually pretty obedient most of the time. Even if he complains beforehand."

             "She keeps you in line, huh?" Marcia said, turning back to me.

             "I... I just follow her advice on the things she knows more about. That's all."

             "I make sure he exercises and eats right", Hannah continued. "He actually just started dieting last week. I expected him to complain more, but he was very good this time."

             As they continued to find humor in acting like I was Hannah's younger brother, I was just relieved that Marcia didn't ask why I followed her orders.

             Jess had come up with a diet plan for me, and Hannah had been delighted to see brussels sprouts recommended as a good source of Vitamins K and C. She insisted that I eat them, despite the plan listing alternatives, probably just to see how far she could push me. I decided to obey without argument just to see how it felt.

             Hannah was surprised, but she recovered quickly and upped the ante. She said that I had to ask Mom to add them to the grocery list myself, even though it was her idea.

             Submitting to her had given me a worrying thrill, but this brought it to a whole new level. I wasn't just accepting the situation, I was actively bringing it to pass. Complicit in my own humiliation at the whim of a nine-year-old.

             "So Nate would give you romantic advice?" Hannah asked, back in the present.

             "Sometimes. Mostly he would just listen to me rant about my shitty boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend now."

             "Oh? So you're single now?" Hannah seemed concerned.

             "Yeah. It's too bad, now that I've met Mouse for real, he's pretty cute. If we had gotten to know each other normally, I might have asked him out. But it would be too weird now, like dating my little brother."

             Hannah looked like she couldn't decide if she was relieved that Marcia and I wouldn't get together, or offended at the implication that brothers weren't valid dating prospects.

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

             The school year was drawing to a close. But before it could end, there had to be a confrontation with Kerry. Though, I wouldn't be her opponent this time.

             "Well, well, would you look at that." I was brought out of a deep conversation with Tim and Carl by the sound of Kerry's voice. "I didn't know that the Lollipop Guild was meeting today."

             I turned to see Kerry striding towards us. Upon arrival, she towered over me, but maybe a little less than normal. I guess she was wearing a shorter pair of heels for once.

             "Does that make you the Wicked Witch of the East, or the West?"

             "Shut up, Munchkin. Although, I have been told that at least two parts of me are 'defying gravity'."

             Kerry thrust her boobs forward, causing them to nearly collide with my face. But I stood firm. You see, I knew this was a trap. There was a member of our group that was suspiciously absent. Alice had gotten fed up with Kerry lording her height over everyone, and bought her own pair of 4-inch heels to even the playing field. I just had to wait while she snuck up behind her.

             "I'm going with Wicked Witch of the East", Alice said, announcing her presence. "Which means you should watch out for girls surprising you from above."

             Kerry hadn't heard Alice coming, but she managed to keep any surprise from showing on her face. At least until she turned around.

             "From above? What, are you going to stand on a chai..." Kerry's jaw dropped as she found herself looking up into Alice's eyes. But she quickly looked down and saw Alice's new shoes. "Oh, very funny. Why don't you try again, without those platforms."

             "You first", Alice countered, her grin widening.

             Kerry frowned, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. Alice had clearly bought her heels to match or exceed the 6-foot mark Kerry's own shoes normally got her to. She had just gotten lucky that Kerry had worn a more modest pair today. So, surely, once they were both barefoot Kerry would have the advantage again.

             Kerry removed her heels and dropped down to her natural 5'8". She grimaced as she found herself eye-level with the bottom of Alice's chin.

             "There, happy? Now, it's your turn."

             "One second. I'm enjoying the view." Alice stood as straight as possible for a bit longer, before acquiescing and removing her footwear. Finally, her sock-covered feet joined Kerry's bare ones on the floor.

             Kerry's usual smirk had just enough time to return to her face before Alice straightened up, banishing it again.

             "Wait... You're..." Kerry sputtered, not looking up into Alice's eyes anymore but also not looking down.

             "Would you look at that? I guess I'm not a little girl anymore, huh?" She paused to give Kerry a chance to respond, but for once she couldn't muster a comeback. No problem, Alice had more to say anyway.

             "It seems like I'm finally tall enough for my opinion to matter to you, so let me spell it out. You need to find someone else to play your Queen Bitch games with. Because from now on, when you mess with my friends, I'll be there to remind you of how small you really are."

             Of course, Kerry stormed off without agreeing to Alice's demands, but I wasn't worried. They might be the same height now, and Kerry probably had another inch or two left before she stopped growing. But the way things were going, Alice could grow an inch or two just over the summer.

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

             And just like that, the school year ended, and I graduated from middle school. Last year, I thought 7th grade was probably the worst year of my life. Well, 8th grade was definitely worse, but it doesn't really feel that way now. Looking back, more bad things happened this year and I reached my lowest point ever.

             But I think that's the difference. Last June, my life was rolling downhill. And it did get worse. But then, it got better. And even though my life is far from perfect, things are still improving, slowly but surely.

             I can pinpoint the exact time my life turned around too. It was the day Hannah beat Brad so bad that he hasn't dared to even look at me funny since. Yes, like so many things in my life, it all comes back to her. I can never thank her enough for that moment.

             So I guess it's only appropriate that my main worry today is how I'm going to deal with my sister. Ever since that day at the mall, she has abandoned all subtlety. She's made it clear that she knows that I find her arousing. And she likes it that way. She's been especially ruthless since school ended. I'm afraid that one day she'll take it too far and I won't be able to resist.

             She's backed off a little today, at least since the first guest arrived for my birthday party. The guest list was smaller this year, but it felt right to me. Tim, Carl and Frank were invited obviously, but I also decided to take a chance and invite the girls too. Surprisingly, they all said yes, so Alice, Lisa and Marcia are here as well.

             Like last time, the party started with Smash. It wasn't exactly the same though. Everyone took it much more seriously this year. Although, with this crowd, I should have expected that. Eventually, egos got involved, and we had to set up a 1v1 tournament to establish who the best player really was.

             I was pretty sure that Tim was a shoo-in for the gold. Frank had a chance, but it would be a pretty big upset. As far as I could tell, the rest of us ranged from decent to very casual players.

             In the first round, there weren't any surprises, Frank easily beat me, Marcia got unlucky and had to face Tim, Carl knocked Hannah out, and Alice won her match vs Lisa. The three girls immediately huddled up to talk about basketball, while I stayed to watch the rest of the games.

             Tim vs Frank was cool to watch. Frank played very defensively, and got in some great counter-attacks, but Tim slowly and methodically picked him apart. No dark horse victory this time. The next match was unexpected. Alice beat Carl decisively. I guess that despite all the changes she's gone through, she's still a nerd at heart.

             Then it was time for the finals. I was once again surprised by how good Alice was. The two of them were basically even. They went back and forth, neither player able to gain the advantage for long. But eventually, they were both down to their last life, over 200% damage each. Just one slip would allow the other player to strike for the win. And Tim blinked first.

             "Congratulations, Alice", Tim said, then sighed. "I was sure that spending all of middle school practicing and playing basketball wouldn't give you enough time for Smash, but you're still a pro."

             "Aw. Thanks, Babe. I couldn't let my skills get too rusty, or playing with you wouldn't be fun for either of us anymore. And I couldn't accept that." Alice responded, causing Tim to blush. "Besides, you're definitely better in a free-for-all now. I can still beat you 1-on-1 because I know all your weaknesses."

             "What? I-i don't... what weaknesses?" Alice just grinned.

             "Maybe I'll tell you someday. But only if you're a really good boyfriend."

             "If you two can pause the flirting for a second", Lisa deadpanned, "the cake is ready."

             Cake and presents followed. Then the girls announced that they wanted to play basketball. Thankfully, no one here expected athleticism from me, but it turned out to be a moot point anyway. The girls really just wanted a 2v2, they expected us to stay inside and keep playing video games. But I decided that it would be fun to watch, and the other guys agreed.

             They settled on Hannah and Alice vs Marcia and Lisa. The game started and I could tell right away that there was a problem. I've said before that Hannah had amazing basketball skills, and that's true, for a nine-year-old. Hell, she could join your average middle-school team and be one of the better players, but she wasn't facing average players today. The other girls were part of the number 3 team in the whole country.

             She clearly struggled on both offense and defense and I could see her frustration building as the game went on. Luckily, she had Alice on her team, and the geek squad's guardian amazon was on fire today. Neither of the other girls could handle her, so it balanced out. The game was pretty close, but eventually, Alice sunk the final basket, ending the game 10-7.

             Everybody was quick to compliment my sister on her performance. Marcia was especially vocal, as she was the only one who hadn't seen her play before. And to her credit, Hannah didn't throw a temper tantrum or stomp off to her room to sulk. But I could tell that the feelings were still there, Hannah just had the maturity now to keep it bottled up.

             She was quiet for a few minutes, but just as everyone was getting ready to head back inside, she spoke up.

             "Hey, let's do one more thing before we go back to sitting around the TV. I still have some energy to burn off."

             "Yeah!" Marcia quickly agreed. "That game got me all pumped up. What's the plan?"

             "Well, I was thinking that we could have a race. From here to the bus stop and back. First one to touch the mailbox wins."

             "That's not a bad idea, but it seems pretty easy", Lisa objected. "If you need to tire yourself out before more video games, wouldn't a longer race be better?" Hannah flashed a sly grin, clearly anticipating the question.

             "I've got a plan for that. You see, I would feel bad if we left the guys out again. So, to make it more challenging, each of us will pick a guy to carry during the race."

             OK, I could see her angle now. Basketball trained your speed and stamina, but carrying a teenage boy added a strength aspect that would play to Hannah's advantage. That being 4 months of rollerblading with me on her back. She also knew that I would be aroused by this competition, and she wasn't about to let that chance pass her by.

             "OK! I get Mouse!" Marcia exclaimed. Hannah's mouth dropped open. Man, this was not her day. While she was in shock, Alice paired up with Tim and Lisa claimed Frank.

             "Um, maybe we should time it or something", Carl suggested, nervously. "It wouldn't really be fair for her to have to carry me, and she might hurt herself too."

             Hannah immediately snapped out of her surprised state and her eyes narrowed. She stomped over to Carl.

             "Get hurt? You think I can't handle a little extra weight?" She stopped right in front of him and glared down from her 1-inch height advantage.

             "Um... I... it's not just a little extra. I'm kinda..."

             "Fat? Chubby? Congrats, you might weigh almost as much as I do. If we were in the gym I could lift you to warm up." Hannah turned around and bent her knees. "Get on."

             Carl hesitated, still uncomfortable with the idea. After a couple of seconds, Hannah sighed and looked back over her shoulder.

             "Listen, Carl. You're Nate's friend and you seem like a good guy, so I don't want to embarrass you. But if you don't climb on my back right now, I will pick you up and race with you in my arms, like a baby."

             Carl gulped and climbed on without any further protests. Hannah straightened up with a grunt. That signaled the rest of us to mount up and the girls lined up at the end of the driveway. As the birthday boy, I got to give the signal to start.

             "Ready... Set... Go!"

             And off we went. All of the girls were more than capable of running while carrying our weight, but Lisa fell behind almost instantly. Frank might be skinny as a rail, but he was still several inches taller than the rest of us guys. That said, he still weighed less than Carl, and Hannah was out in front.

             She channeled her anger into a sprint right out the gate and seemed determined to maintain that speed the whole way. By the time she reached the bus stop, she had built a comfortable lead.

             But then she had to turn around. And that broke her concentration and interrupted her stride. She got up to speed again, but as we passed, I could see that the strain was beginning to show. Alice, meanwhile, had pulled ahead of Marcia and I and was heading back as well. And then she started to speed up.

             She had been pacing herself through the first half but now she began closing the gap. Hannah, meanwhile, was slowing down, unable to keep up the pace. Alice got closer and closer. And then she passed my sister. Hannah grit her teeth and tried to push even harder, but it wasn't enough. Her determination was no match for Alice's much longer legs and the 30 or so pounds between Carl and Tim.

             Hannah still came in second, despite a final sprint from Marcia. Lisa finished a distant fourth, though she was able to make it to the end with little difficulty. Hannah sank to her knees in the grass and Carl climbed off. He offered a hand to help her to her feet.

             "Are you OK? I told you that I was too..." Hannah slapped his hand away with a glare. Then she got back to her feet and angrily stomped back to the house without a word. I apologized to the group for her actions, and we went inside to finish up the party without her.

             I didn't see my sister for the rest of the day, except briefly at dinner, where she shoveled her food in as quickly as possible before withdrawing again. Eventually, I went to my room to get ready for bed. I had just changed into my PJs when there was a knock at my door.

             "Nate, are you still awake? Let me in." I opened the door and Hannah slipped in and swiftly shut it behind her. It looked like she had decided to vent her frustration by lifting weights. She was in her workout clothes and all of her muscles were pumped and shiny with sweat.

             Today had been an exercise in hiding my erection, as I was titillated by four tall, attractive girls towering over me. Watching Alice and Hannah had been particularly arousing, although Marcia having no issue running with me on her back deserves mention too. Now, my dick surged to attention once again.

             "I'm glad you're still up. I need to give you your birthday present." I looked up at her voice but it took me a second to process what she said. I was distracted by the view of her mouth, so close and level with my eyes. How had I never noticed how pretty her lips were? I wonder what they'd feel... Hold on.

             "Birthday present? Didn't I open that before the party?"

             "Oh, that was just to throw off our parents. The real gift is my honesty. You seem determined to not take a hint, so I'm going to help you out."

             "What do you... Mmrphf!" Hannah cut me off by forcefully pressing her lips against mine. What is she...? Before I could recover and pull away, she grabbed my arms and spun me around. Then she pushed my back into the door. One of her meaty thighs pushed between my legs as her mouth continued to devour me.

             I gasped as she pressed her muscular leg against my cock. This left my mouth open enough for Hannah to push her tongue inside. What was I going to do? I couldn't back up and pushing her off me was impossible. The best I could manage was twisting my head back and forth a little. I was at her mercy. Just as I was about to explode, Hannah broke off the kiss. She looked down at me with an affectionate smile.

             "There. I don't think I can be any more obvious."

             "But... but why? Why are you doing this?"

             "Because I love you, idiot! And no, not just like all siblings are supposed to love each other. I'm in love with you, I always have been."

             "But you can't. We're brother and sister. That's..."

             "Wrong?" Hannah interrupted me. "Unethical? Perverse? I don't care. And neither should you. I know you feel the same way about me. You're always trying to hide it, deny it, talk yourself out of it, but I know better." She ground her thigh against my dick. "I can feel it."

             No. I had to talk her down, get her to back off. But I could barely think straight with her this close to me. I could still taste her. Her warmth enveloped me, the fragrant smell of her sweat filled my nostrils. My eyes were caught by her lips, wet with our shared saliva.

             What if she's right? This feels so good, so right. She's already so big and strong, and with every passing day, she just gets bigger and stronger. It would be so easy to give in and just do what she says.

             No! Dammit, how am I going to convince her that this won't work if I can barely convince myself?

             "Hannah, please", I begged, forcing my eyes up to meet hers. I struggled to keep my voice even, my tone serious, even as waves of arousal pulsed through my body. "Just let me go, and we can sit down and talk about this." She frowned.

             "Fine." She lifted her leg higher and higher, until I was forced onto my toes. "I'll back off if you do one thing for me."

             "What... what thing?" She slowly rose onto her tip-toes, lifting me with her huge thigh.

             "I want you to cum, little brother." My feet left the ground. "Cum for me." And my body obeyed.

             After I finished, she kept her word: lowering me to the ground and taking a step back. I stumbled over to my bed and sat down. Hannah didn't sit herself, instead she stood in front of me, arms crossed.

             "Please, turn off the dom for a minute. Let's just talk normally." She sighed, but I guess she was satisfied after pushing me to orgasm. She relaxed, a sort of tension leaving her body, and sat down next to me. I took one of her hands in both of mine.

             "I... You turn me on. OK? I admit it. But there are a lot of girls that I find sexy that I can't have a relationship with. Alice is in love with Tim, but I still get aroused by her. There's this girl Kerry who has an amazing body, but she's a bully and a sadist, so it would never work between us."

             "It's the same for you and me. I love you, maybe more than I should, but we can't be together like that. Incest is wrong."

             "I don't care! I don't care if other people think it's wrong, it feels right to me. You're mine, and that's all there is to it."

             "What about Jess? Are you just going to dump her?"

             "Do you think that I didn't talk to her about this? She's been helping me since day one. She'll still be my girlfriend, I'll just have a boyfriend too."

             "What about our friends? What about Mom and Dad?"

             "I don't care what our parents think!" She jumped to her feet, her voice rising. "I Don't Care!"

             "What about me?" I said quietly. "Don't I get a say in this?" Hannah's face got red.

             "Aaugh! Why can't you just do what I say? Haven't I waited long enough?" She leaned down until her face was next to mine. Her voice was quiet but no less angry. "Fine. I'll back off tonight. But I'm not giving up. I'm going to grow and grow until you come to me, begging to be mine."

             And she spun around, stomped to the door, and slammed it behind her.

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

             Hannah was annoyed with me for weeks after that. It's the longest she's ever taken to get over something. I suppose I should be grateful for the reminder that she's still my kid sister under the tall, confident amazon she presents to the world. But I'm not. I hate this. I guess I never realized just how dependent I've become on her over the past two years.

             It's more than just her saving me from bullying. She's the only one who's stayed by my side no matter what. Her smile, her companionship, her love was constant even as everything else changed.

             She isn't shunning me even now. We still work out together, she still uses her height to arouse me, she still flirts with Jess in my presence instead of going somewhere private. But it's always with an attitude of frustration and a short temper. The knowing looks and teasing smirk replaced with a glare and a frown. It's torture.

             At this point, I would do anything to get her to go back to the way she was before. Well, anything other than agreeing to be her boyfriend.

             "Nate!" Hannah's voice jolted me back to the present. I had been so lost in thought that I hadn't realized that she had stopped lifting and walked over to stand beside me. I quickly stopped the treadmill and gave her my full attention.

             "Sorry, I was zoned out. What's up?" I asked. Oh boy, she was already glaring at me. As promised, she had continued to grow, gaining another inch just since the party. Even with me standing on the deck of the treadmill, we were eye to eye.

             "You need to buy me more weights. I can't get a proper workout with the ones I have now." She gestured to the barbell hanging on the rack, and sure enough, every plate she owned seemed to be loaded onto it. Could she really lift that? There was only one pair of 45 lbs plates, but added to all the smaller ones, and the bar, that still had to be close to 200 lbs.

             "I've already spent all the money I can", she continued. "Mom and Dad got so tired of me asking for advances on my allowance that they've cut me off for the rest of the summer. That means you need to pick up the slack."

             "I don't have a lot of money either. You could just take it easy for a while, what would you even do with the extra plates that you can't do now?"

             "Take it easy? Take it easy?! After what happened at the party, how can you even suggest that? You saw that race. I nearly killed myself and Alice wasn't even breathing hard! I need to get stronger! A lot stronger!" She walked back over to the rack. "And this?" She got under the barbell and stood up with all that weight on her shoulders.

             "This was my one-rep max a week ago. Now?" She dropped into a squat and growled as she forced herself back up again. "It's just..." Another rep. "not heavy..." Another. "enough!" Her fourth rep was accompanied by the sound of threads popping as her thighs tore her shorts open. She began slowly, forcefully, walking towards me. The treadmill squealed in protest as she stepped up onto the deck, still carrying the loaded barbell.

             "That, little brother", she growled through gritted teeth, "is why I need more weights. Understand?" I nodded, timidly. She rolled the bar off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor behind her with a deafening clang.

             "Good. Get me a pair of 45s and a pair of 20s. I'll wait for you here. You can carry them down yourself, since you're so worried about me straining myself. Oh, and no delegating. The parents can drive you and help unload the car, but once you're inside it's up to you alone."

             I left immediately to ask Dad to take me to the store. Not because I was afraid of what Hannah would do if I didn't. She was very intimidating, but I knew she wouldn't actually hurt me. No, I obeyed because I couldn't help myself. Especially after she added that extra restriction. The thrill of submission was too strong. The idea that I was being punished for merely questioning the orders of my nine-year-old sister turned me on so much.

             Thankfully, Dad had the day off and was planning to go shopping anyway, so I was back with my tribute after just an hour away. He was a little concerned when I asked him to leave the plates at the front door, but I managed to convince him. Now my brain just had to find a way to cash the check my dick wrote.

             The 20-pound weights weren't so bad. I could carry one using both hands if I took frequent breaks to catch my breath. I got them both down without hurting myself. Hannah was still in the basement, but she barely acknowledged my return, just a single glance before returning to her workout.

             The 45-pounders were a different story. I really should just call the whole thing off. Tell Hannah that she was being ridiculous and could carry them down herself. But I was in too deep to stop now. Still, how exactly was I going to do this? Each plate was more than half my body weight. I couldn't even get it off the ground, let alone carry it down a flight of stairs.

             It took several minutes, but I eventually hatched a plan. Grunting and wheezing, I managed to get one of the plates balanced on its edge. Then I put one foot on either side, to keep it from tipping over and slowly shuffled towards the top of the stairs, carefully rolling the plate forward between my legs. I reached the first step without incident, but now came the hard part.

             I planted my feet on the next step down, grabbed the plate with both hands, and using all my strength managed to haul it after me. It landed between my feet with a clang, its descent barely slowed despite my best effort. One down, twelve to go.

             By the time I reached the bottom, I was out of breath and covered in sweat. I looked over to my sister, but she didn't even spare me a glance this time. Grimacing, I turned and headed back for the last weight.

             I finally finished delivering the weights, 45 minutes after I got back home. I stood there panting, exhausted as Hannah walked over.

             "Good", she said, tersely. "It's about time." Then she reached down and grabbed one of the 45 lb. plates with each hand. She lifted them like they weighed nothing. Without another word, she turned and headed over to the rack.

             I slumped against the wall, crushed. Only now did I realize that I had been expecting something more. That she would look down at me and tell me I did a good job, that she would break character, and we would laugh at how ridiculous we were acting, that she would fucking smile, for a moment. Dammit, I could feel myself tearing up. I stood up to leave.

             I turned and made it two steps before Hannah's arms wrapped around me from behind.

             "I'm sorry, I went too far. I should have said: 'Thank you for getting these, it really helps me out.'" I sniffed. Shit, I really was crying now.

             "So... so I did a good job?"

             "Oh, Nate! You did a great job. You're such a good, good boy." She turned me around. "Honestly, I'm really impressed. I didn't think you'd actually bring them all down. The 20's maybe, but the 45's are way too heavy for you. But you didn't give up. I couldn't believe it when I heard you clunking down the stairs with that first big plate."

             "It was all worth it, now that I get to see you smile. I was starting to think that I wouldn't ever see it again."

             "Wait? Have I really not smiled around you?" I shook my head. "Since your birthday?" I nodded. "God, I'm such a brat. How do you put up with me?"

             "You don't make it easy, sometimes."

             "Well, I was mad at you, but I was exaggerating it today. I guess I should save that kind of play for after you become my boyfriend, and we can set some limits."

             I... You know what? I'll take it.

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

             I love summer vacation. But no school does lead to a problem. All the time I would have spent in class, I now spend at home, with Her. My sister. My great temptation. Now that she isn't angry all the time, there's no barrier between me and the blinding light of her presence.

             Far from figuring out how to talk her into abandoning her incestuous goals, I'm finding it harder and harder to convince myself that she's wrong. She doesn't just arouse me, she motivates me, she comforts me, she makes me happy. Why wouldn't I want to spend the rest of my life with her?

             "Nate!" Hannah proclaimed, barging into my room. "Me and some friends are going to the pool. Get your swimsuit on so you can come with us."

             "That sounds like a pain. Can't I just stay here? I have this game I've been meaning to pl..."

             "Nate", she interrupted me, "what did I say?"

             "To get my swimsuit on so we can go to the pool. But..."

             My sister sighed theatrically before walking up to me, only stopping once she was close enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. I felt my heart rate quicken.

             "Nate", she repeated, "what did I say?"

             "To..." I only got one word out before Hannah took another step forward. Now she was so close that her chest brushed against mine. I gasped as a shiver raced through my body; blood rushing to my dick. She was just so huge. It was more than just her 3-inch height advantage. With her thick, muscular body pressed against my skinny frame, she seemed more than twice my size.

             "To", I tried again, "get on my swimsuit, so we can go to the pool."

             "And so? What are you going to do?"

             "Put on my swimsuit and go to the pool", I answered, quietly.

             "Right!" Hannah grinned. She turned and walked out of my room. She didn't bother checking to make sure I was following her instructions, because she knew I was.

             I stood dazed for a second, a dumb grin on my face. Then I got changed and headed downstairs.

             Mom drove Hannah, Jess and I to the pool. We were the last to arrive. The three other girls got out of the water to greet us. One of them was Naomi, which allowed me to check on her growth. And sure enough, she was taller than she should be. Her growth wasn't as extreme as the other girls I had seen, but she was as tall as Jess now, which meant a 4-inch spurt in a little less than a year.

             I didn't know the remaining two girls, but they were both tall for their age. Were they getting hypnotized by Jess too? Was there a connection between those two things? It seemed impossible but it was getting harder and harder to ignore the coincidences. I was rea...

             "Up you go!" My train of thought was derailed as Hannah scooped me up into her arms.

             "Whoa! Hannah? What are you doing?"

             "I told you we were getting in the pool, but you were too busy staring at my friends to hear me." I immediately turned bright red.

             "I-I wasn't..."

             "Pull your legs up to your chest and hold on tight!" I was curled up as instructed before I thought to question her orders.

             "Hannah! Wait a seco..."

             "Cannonball! Launch!"

             And I was flying through the air, the surface of the water shining beneath me.

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

             "Nate, can you go get your sister? She playing over at Jess' place."

             "OK, Mom!"

             High school was fast approaching. In fact, Hannah's birthday was only a few days away. A sure sign that summer vacation was almost over.

             I was almost at Jess' house when I saw the front door open and someone unexpected walk out.

             "Hey, Alice! What are you doing here?"

             "Oh! Hi, Nate", she said, as we walked towards each other. "Just finished my hypnosis session. Gotta stick to the schedule, right?"

             "You're doing hypnosis too? Since when?"

             "Since, like a year ago! Your sister introduced me to Jess when she found out I wanted to keep..." Alice paused, her eyes widening. "Oh! Um... I gotta get going! It's dangerous to bike after dark! Uh, see you at school!"

             And she ran to her bicycle, parked on the sidewalk. She hopped on and pedaled away before I could say anything.

             OK. That settles it. Something is going on. Hannah and her friends' unusual growth spurts, her certainty that Grace would outgrow Evan, Alice's extended puberty, they all had one thing in common. Hypnosis.

             Oh My God! I've been getting hypnotized by Jess. Does that mean...?

             I need answers. I'm going to have to confront my sister.

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

             Hannah's birthday began, like her last one, with her barging into my room. She didn't want to get measured today (that happened a week ago). She had another development to show me instead.

             Hannah walked right up to me and, while I was still trying to wake up, she grabbed my hand and pressed it to her chest.

             "Whoa, Hannah! What are you doing?"

             "Do you feel that?" She asked. I paused. I could feel her warmth, the firmness of her meaty pectoral muscle. Her nipple poked the center of my palm through her nightie. Wait, no. That's too wide to be her nipple, what is...? I moved my hand slightly, trying to get a better mental picture.

             "Ohh..." Hannah let out a soft moan. What the hell? I tried to jerk my hand away, but she held it tight. "That hurt a little, but it also felt kinda good."

             "Hannah! Is that...?" She smiled.

             "It's called a breast bud, Nate. Do you know what that means?"

             "You've..."

             "I've finally started puberty! Now I can start growing for real. I'm gonna make 6 inches a year look slow." She finally released my hand, and turned towards the door. "Well, I guess we should get ready for the party, unless you want to perform a more thorough investigation?"

             "Actually, there is something I need to talk to you about. Maybe after the party?"

             "Some of the girls are coming over after that, but we're not having a sleepover this year, so they're only going to stay a few hours."

             "After dinner then?" She nodded.

             "It's a date."

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

             The party was held at the park again this year. There weren't many places that could accommodate 30ish kids and a half dozen adults affordably. Once again, I was drafted into keeping watch to make sure none of the guests wandered off or got into trouble. This gave me the perfect opportunity to gather more data for my theory.

             And what data it was. Last year, I had been amazed by how much taller Hannah was compared to her peers. And while that was still true, it wasn't the only oddity.

             Everyone who attended the slumber party had grown significantly, but the trend extended beyond them. It wasn't super obvious, given the varied ages and puberty stages of the guests, but the more I looked, the more convinced I became.

             The girls were taller than the boys, at least on average. By an inch or two for the younger grades, and even more for the older kids. If this is really the result of Jess' hypnotism, she must be working overtime. And only on the girls for some reason.

             This led to some amazing comparisons. Cindy and Jeremy were together for most of the party, and she had left him in the dust height-wise. In just a year they had gone from the same height to Cindy standing a head taller. In fact, Cindy was now one of the tallest kids here, only a little shorter than the birthday girl.

             Rosie was the standout of the lower grades. At one point, I saw her talking to a couple of Hannah's classmates, and she was taller than either of them. She had clearly been following Hannah's exercise obsession as well. The two guys looked a little intimidated by the fit, energetic eight-year-old.

             But eventually, the games had been played, the presents unwrapped, the cake eaten, and it was time to go home. The upcoming part of the festivities made me nervous. Getting aroused by Hannah was one thing, the cat was out of the bag there, but popping a boner because of her friends was a new thing to worry about.

             I thought I might avoid the possibility entirely, just hide in my room until they left, but my sister squashed that idea pretty quickly. She said that I was an integral part of the activities, which only made me more nervous. I was acting doorman again, and about 10 minutes after we arrived, the first knock sounded. I opened the door to reveal Rosie.

             "Hey. Welcome." I greeted. But Rosie didn't respond, instead, she stood there with a serious look on her face. She placed her hand on top of her head and drew it across until it met my chin. She nodded thoughtfully.

             "Yup, that's about right." Then a grin broke out on her face, and she skipped over to the couch where Hannah was waiting.

             What was that about? Then it hit me: my chin? Just how fast is she growing? Six months ago she only reached my shoulder. Another knock brought my attention back to my duties and I let Naomi in. She smiled up at me.

             "I'm growing into a beautiful woman, aren't I? Or at least you think so, right? I've noticed you watching me."

             She gave me a wink, then walked past me without waiting for an answer, though I'm not sure how I could respond to that. I was saved from the attempt by the next girl arriving. Jess looked vaguely disgusted by something. After my greeting, she responded in a complete monotone.

             "Wow. I'm up to your mouth now." Then she left to sit next to her girlfriend. I guess she wasn't thrilled with the little show Hannah had organized. I had to assume that that's what's happening; the girls showing up one by one in order of height. It would explain why everyone was so slow getting here from the park.

             The next guest confirmed my suspicions, as Sarah arrived alone, her sister nowhere in sight. However, that was quickly pushed to the back of my mind by the sight in front of me. I knew the twins had grown significantly, and that Sarah, always the more athletic one, had become even more so. But I hadn't seen them close up until now.

             She was jacked! Even compared to the other girls, who all seemed to have gotten fitter over the past year. The only thing keeping my jaw off the floor was my constant exposure to my even more impressive sister.

             "Long time no see. What do you think?" She struck a double-bicep pose. "I've changed a little."

             "Yeah. Just a little, though. I might not have noticed if you didn't point it out to me." We shared a chuckle at that. Then she headed over to the other girls.

             This is bad. I had managed to keep my libido in check through the first few girls, but seeing Sarah had been too much. Her increased musculature combined with her growth caused a corresponding growth in my pants. I mean, holy cow! She had been quite a bit shorter than average a year ago, but now she had to be average for her age, if not a little taller. So, she grew what? Twice what a normal girl does during puberty? And her sister is even taller?

             I was only just over halfway through. I was screwed.

             June was next. She hadn't started puberty until a few months after last year's party, but she had definitely made up for lost time. She was almost as tall as me now!

             "I'll be bigger than you soon. Still getting used to that thought."

             Following her was the other twin. Sally was indeed taller than her sister. She barely had to tilt her head to look me in the eye.

             "Almost there. If only I had grown a little faster." She rose onto her tip-toes, forcing me to look up to maintain eye contact. "I guess this will have to do for now."

             "Uhhhh..." Evidently, I had lost the ability to speak. Sally giggled before continuing on into the house. My dick was at full mast, and there was still one girl to go.

             I didn't have to wait long for her to show up. I opened the door to see Cindy's chin. A quick glance confirmed that, this time, she was in flats. My gaze passed quickly back up her strong, maturing body to find her grinning down at me.

             "Wow", I breathed. Cindy's smile widened.

             "Careful, little guy. Someone is bound to get jealous if you're too impressed by me." She joined the others but it took me a second to shut the door and follow her. She hadn't just exceeded my height, she had blown right past me. It wasn't even close anymore.

             "Alright, Nate has a pretty good idea of our heights now", Hannah said, with a smirk, "but let's get some concrete numbers, shall we? There's a height chart in the kitchen that we can use."

             Oh, God. We weren't done with this? I was already burning with embarrassment, sure that everyone could see my hard-on pressing against my zipper. But when they all trooped off to get measured, I followed dutifully behind.

             It looked like the girls were going to stick to the same order as before, as Rosie stepped up to the growth chart first.

             "OK, Nate, check her height", Hannah instructed. I sighed. Of course, I was the one doing the measuring. Well, it's not like I could refuse.

             "So? How tall am I?!"

             "F-four-foot-three." Wow. I mean, I could have guessed just from the earlier comparison, but somehow seeing it on the chart made it more real.

             "Six inches in a year, impressive!" Hannah complimented her with a proud smile. Rosie beamed.

             Naomi was next. As I leaned in to read the chart, she smiled up at me, flirtatiously. I had to look away and cough, before I could continue.

             "You're 4'4"."

             "If you're not careful, you're gonna end up as the little girl of the group instead of me", Rosie said, cheekily.

             "Oh, please. I'm just getting started. Besides, there's another person here that really deserves that title." She walked over to Jess and put an arm around her shoulder. Jess blushed and looked away, but with a little smile on her face.

             Then, it was her turn to be measured. Revealing that she stood 4'5". She must have grown another inch over the summer. Four inches in a year for a girl in puberty was perfectly acceptable, but in this group, it left her tied with Naomi for the slowest growth.

             Now it was time for the really fast growers. The girls who had spent most or all of the last year in puberty. First up was Sarah, but I immediately noticed a problem, she was tall enough that I couldn't see over her head to read the chart. But just as that thought crossed my mind, Hannah's arms wrapped around me from behind.

             "Aww. Is she too tall for you, little bro? Let me give you a boost." And up I went.

             "Four-foot-seven", I gasped. This was bad. I was long past getting erect in front of Hannah's friends. Now I was worried that I might cum before we were done. Especially now that I was pressed against Hannah's body as she effortlessly held me up. And then I discovered that Sarah, the shorter twin, had grown eight inches this past year!

             June was a slightly less impressive 7 inches taller, though that still left her at 4'8".

             Then it was Sally's turn. My cock twitched as I announced her height to the room. 4'9"! She had grown 10 inches in 12 months. How is that even possible? Wait! If Sally grew this much, how much would Hannah grow before her next birthday?

             "Dang! So close. Well, there's always next year", Sally said. Rosie giggled.

             "I bet we'll all be taller than him next year."

             While my mind was whirling, Cindy took Sally's place. She was so tall that even with Hannah holding me several inches off the floor, I could only just read her height, 9 inches taller than she was last summer.

             "Five-one", I announced, to the cheers of the girls. Then Hannah set me down, leaving me gazing up at the towering amazon in front of me.

             "OK, my turn!" Hannah exclaimed.

             "I guess I'll help Nate out on this one", Cindy added.

             Cindy and my sister switched places before I could process what was coming. Then I was being lifted again, trying not to blow my load as Cindy's perky breasts pressed against my back. This wasn't made any easier when I realized I was looking at Hannah's forehead.

             "Um, I'm still not high enough."

             "Damn, girl. You're making this real difficult for us normal-sized people", Cindy commented, as if there was anything normal about a 5'1" sixth-grader. But she obligingly raised me a few inches higher, so I could finally reveal my sister's height to the others.

             "You're still the tallest of the group; standing 5'2"." I almost expected her to have somehow grown another inch just to surprise me.

             Once Cindy put me down, I breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow, I had made it through that.

             "Hey!" Rosie interjected. "That looks fun! I want to pick Nate up, too!" Crap!

             "In that case, we should give everyone a chance", Hannah replied, looking down at me with a knowing smile. "Let's go in reverse height order this time."

             "I'm game", Sally agreed, walking up to me. Then she wrapped her arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet. She released a grunt while doing it though. Clearly, this wasn't as easy for her as it was for Cindy or Hannah, but she didn't seem to be straining too much either.

             She put me down pretty quickly, leaving the stage open for June to pick me up next.

             "You're even lighter than you look", she commented. "I throw guys around at the dojo that weigh a lot more than you."

             "Let's mix this up a bit", Sarah said, when her turn came. "Don't want it to get boring for you." She leaned down and scooped me up in her arms, cradling me like a baby. My face was bright red. My cock surged, as the girls laughed around me.

             "OK, Jess, you're up", she said, once she got tired of rocking me back and forth. Jess frowned.

             "I'm not interested."

             "Aw, c'mon. Everyone else is doing it", Sally insisted. "Don't be a spoil-sport."

             "Yeah. He's really light", her sister added. "Even you should be able to lift him."

             "Hey! That's enough", Hannah interrupted, her tone suddenly serious. She stepped up beside Jess and put a hand on her shoulder. "She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to."

             "But..."

             "We weren't..."

             "That's. Enough."

             "OK, OK." The twins backed off; their hands raised in surrender.

             You'd think that Jess would be happy watching her girlfriend defend her like that. But she just looked hurt. She walked a few steps away to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs. Naomi went over to join her.

             "I think I'll pass too, guys." She said. "We aren't all athletes here."

             "Guess that makes it my turn!" Rosie exclaimed, ignoring the tenser atmosphere of the last few minutes.

             "I don't know", I objected. "You're still a lot smaller than me. I don't want you to get hurt."

             "I can do it!" She insisted, indignant.

             "Don't worry, Nate", Hannah added. "She's been working really hard this past year. Besides, she isn't much smaller than I was, when I picked you up the first time, and I didn't have any trouble."

             I gave in. My desire to not be lifted by an eight-year-old while sporting a raging hard-on, overruled. But Rosie didn't grab me by the waist like the others, choosing to imitate Sarah instead.

             "Oh my God!" I couldn't be more embarrassed, being bounced up and down in the arms of a giggling third-grader.

             "I told you I could do it. You aren't that heavy. Are you really six years older than me?" At least her voice revealed that this wasn't easy for her, despite her words. Not hard enough to keep her from holding me for several additional seconds, however.

             Once she finally put me down, I was determined to retreat. Any more of this and I would either blow my load or die of embarrassment, probably both. But my sister wasn't done with me.

             "Hey! Don't go anywhere, little bro. I'm not satisfied yet. I've been able to lift you for over a year now. Hmmm... If only there was some way to up the difficulty." She looked thoughtful for a second. "Oh, I know!" And she reached out and grabbed the front of my shirt with her right hand.

             Oh, no! If she does that, I'll definitely...

             "Rrrraaugh!" Hannah shouted, her bicep swelling. And then my feet left the floor. My sister looked straight into my eyes and smiled.

             My whole body shook as I orgasmed, unable to hold on any longer. When I was spent, she lowered me back to the floor, and I fled the room.

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

             A little while later, the guests left and dinner was served. I wasn't surprised to see Jess at the table, in fact, having her here would be helpful in the upcoming conversation. As we headed back upstairs after eating, Hannah gestured for me to come into her room.

             "So", she said, closing the door behind us, "what did you want to talk about?"

             "It's about hypnosis."

             "What about it?" She asked, though her eyes said that she knew exactly what I was getting at. Damn, I really didn't want to say it out loud. It just sounds so impossible. A ridiculous conspiracy theory. But I have to know.

             "Are you... somehow using hypnosis to... to get taller?" I paused. Looking for some sign from her that I wasn't crazy. She held my gaze without reacting for a moment, letting me sweat. Then she grinned.

             "I was wondering if you would ever put it together."

             "How? It doesn't make sense! I'm only asking now because I can't think of any other way to explain what's been happening."

             "Well, you're right. Hypnosis is making me taller. The other girls too. Jess can tell you how it works." She nodded towards her girlfriend.

             "We should sit down", Jess suggested. "This could take a while." Hannah and I sat on the edge of her bed, while Jess pulled the chair over from Hannah's desk to sit in front of us.

             "First of all, what is growth? If you break it down, it's just cell division. Creating more cells to build more tissue leading to a bigger body. But how do the cells know it's time to grow? Or how fast they should divide?"

             "Uh... Growth hormone?" She nodded.

             "It's much more complicated than that. Everything involving the human body is. But basically, yes. Growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland. Now, how does the pituitary gland know that it should make growth hormone?"

             I shrugged. That was outside my limited knowledge of biology.

             "It's another hormone, produced by a different gland. But if you follow the trail of cause and effect all the way back, where does it lead you? How does any part of the body know how to do anything, in the first place?"

             "DNA, right?"

             "That's it. But, DNA is just an instruction manual. What parts get read, and when, is very complicated and nobody really understands it all. For growth, there are a lot of environmental factors that affect how much we grow."

             I must have looked overwhelmed, because she paused.

             "Think of it like a water faucet. The more water that is flowing out, the faster you grow. DNA would be the construction plan for building the faucet and pipes and a guide for how much to turn the handle based on various conditions."

             "But DNA doesn't operate the faucet itself. Well, kinda of. I guess in this metaphor, step one of the guide would say: 'Hire a worker to monitor the conditions and turn the handle appropriately.' So what's the worker in our body? What organ is made specifically to take in and process information?"

             "The brain."

             "Exactly. But you don't consciously make growth hormone. Just like you don't order your heart to beat or your sweat glands to cool you off. That all happens in your subconscious." I gasped, my eyes going wide.

             "And hypnotism bypasses the conscious mind to allow direct communication with the subconscious!"

             "Yes!" Jess exclaimed, a smile breaking out on her face. Her previous melancholy pushed to the side by her passion for the subject.

             "At first, it was a mere trick for entertainment. Using the subconscious to do things the conscious mind would normally control, like moving the body. Then people realized it could be used for relaxation and reducing anxiety. Basically lowering the heart rate and changing the production rate of various brain chemicals. Something the conscious mind could only do indirectly."

             "But that's just scratching the surface! I'm the only one to realize hypnosis' true potential. If I can determine the proper instructions, I can use the subconscious to take control of almost any process in the body!"

             "So for me", Hannah quipped, "she stuck a giant post-it note over the guide that said: 'Open the handle all the way!'"

             "That makes it sound much easier to do than it actually is, but essentially, yes."

             I was floored. It still seemed like science fiction but Jess' explanation made it sound like an obvious next step from conventional hypnotism. If this was a movie, I would probably still dismiss it as something that could never work in real life, but there was too much evidence of its success right in front of me.

             That said, Hannah and her friend's amazing growth was only one part of the puzzle. I could extrapolate what the hypnosis had done to me, but not why.

             "Then why did you hypnotize me? Were you so impatient that you turned me into a shrimp just so you could outgrow me faster?" The two of them looked back at me. Jess' expression became serious again, while Hannah seemed hurt by my accusation.

             "Of course not!... Well, not entirely, anyway..." Hannah had the decency to sound a little ashamed of herself, at least. "I'll admit that at the start, I was just being selfish. I was certain the hypnotism thing would work, but Jess wanted to take it slow. She said we should focus on simple, harmless changes and only use it to help me grow after she was confident that she could do it safely."

             "Then Dr. Feldspar told me that I wasn't going to end up taller than you, even after all my hard work. I was really mad, so I lashed out. I decided that you didn't deserve to be tall and ordered Jess to hypnotize us both that night."

             "But if that was all there was to it, it wouldn't have worked for two reasons. One, I would have cooled down long before your next hypnotism session and called the whole thing off. If you hated being small, I wouldn't have kept you that way, just because I wanted to be taller than you."

             "Two, if you hated it, it wouldn't have worked in the first place. Don't you remember? Your subconscious won't do anything that goes against your true desires." She leaned towards me, her smug grin reasserting itself. "I only turned you into a shrimp because, deep down, you wanted to be a shrimp."

             "I... T-that can't be right. It took me more than a year to make peace with my height. Being small scared me, made me angry and depressed."

             "You don't understand", Jess interjected. "True desires sound like commandments written in stone, all pointing to some ideal future that will make you the happiest. But they're really just your deepest set of wants and motivations. They're free of all the complications your conscious mind adds to determine your behavior, but they still have nuance. They can change over time, even conflict with each other."

             "There were things that made you want to get taller", Hannah stated. "Becoming Sam's ideal boyfriend, being able to protect people from Brad and other bullies, improving your basketball performance. But you also wanted to stay small. You've always been a sub, little bro. It's part of your personality, whether you realized it at the time or not."

             "You like it when someone else takes control." She stood up and moved in front of me. "Feeling helpless before a big, strong girl turns you on." She leaned over me, placing a hand on the bed on either side of me. "And you love knowing that she's going to grow, every passing day increasing the gap between you."

             She stood back up, allowing me to breathe again. The tenting in my pants proof of the truth in her words.

             "So part of you wanted to get big, and part of you wanted to stay small. And the small side won out."

             "But how could you know that? Did you just gamble and hope for the best?"

             "Well, I could see the way you acted around Sam, especially once she started to tower over you. But I couldn't be sure until I asked you."

             "Huh?"

             "The subconscious doesn't just take orders", Jess explained. "It can answer questions too. And it never lies."

             "Here", Hannah added, sitting next to me again, "let me show you." She pulled out her phone and opened a video.

             I was confused. This was the video she recorded of the first time I was hypnotized. I watched Jess wrapping up her countdown, the two of them ordering my body to act like a dog, and Hannah laughing so hard the camera lost focus.

             "I don't get it. I've already seen that video. You showed it to me right after you filmed it."

             "Not quite. Did you notice that the video ended before we woke you up?"

             "No, but now that you mention it."

             "Well here's what happened next." I watched as another video started.

             *I could still hear Hannah's giggles behind the camera, but they died out as Jess ordered my body to sit cross-legged on the floor.*

               *"So he'll tell me anything?"*

               *"Yes, as long as you ask the right questions. The subconscious won't hide the truth, or make excuses. It just relays information."*

               *"Cool!" I could hear the eagerness in her voice, as the camera moved closer to me. "Nate, this is Hannah. Um, what do you think of me?"*

               *"You're my sister. You can be annoying and selfish and sometimes I don't get you."*

               *"Hey!"*

               *"But I also admire your drive and your cheerful attitude. I enjoy spending time with you."*

               *"Sorry", Jess said, the slightest bit of amusement audible in her tone. "I forgot to add that the subconscious doesn't have any tact either."*

               *"Hmph. It's OK. He didn't say anything he hasn't told me before. Let's try again. Nate, do you love me?"*

               *"Yes, I do. You're my sister. You mean the world to me."*

               *"Nate, do you think I'm sexy?"*

               *"No."*

               *"Why not?!"*

               *You're my little sister. I don't find little girls attractive."*

               *"Do you think Sam's sexy?"*

               *"Yes."*

               *"What about her do you find sexy?"*

               *"Her whole body is sexy. Her boobs are sexy. Her long legs are sexy. Her muscles are sexy. I am aroused by how tall and strong she is. I love her confidence. I love when she takes the lead. I love when she's in control. Kissing her feels so good."*

               *"When she's in control? You like it when she tells you what to do?"*

               *"Yes."*

               *"OMG! And her being bigger and stronger than you turns you on?"*

               *"Yes."*

               *"OMG! Jess! My brother is just like you!" Hannah giggled. "Don't give me that look, I mean under the tall, confident jock he's a little sub too." Her focus shifted back to me. "Nate, do you want to be smaller?"*

               *"No."*

               *"Huh? Why not?"*

             The questions lasted a few more minutes, but it basically boiled down to the same reasons for and against being small that Hannah explained earlier. Except this time, the against side won out. Eventually, Hannah sighed and leaned back.

             *"I guess he isn't exactly like you, though he might change his mind someday. Still, we can work with this. If he doesn't want to be small, I'll just have to grow even bigger. One day, he won't think I'm a little girl anymore"*

               *"You'll still be his sister. He might not even consider the possibility of finding you sexy."*

               *"I have a plan for that. But you should wake him up now. It's almost dinner time."*

             Then, Jess ordered me back to my hands and knees and the video ended.

             "Wow", I said. Having all my secrets available for the taking was a little disturbing, but it did explain some things.

             "Right? Why do you think I've been so good at turning you on since then? I know your kinks better than you do."

             "But that video makes it seem like you shouldn't have been able to stunt my growth. The tall side won."

             "That wasn't when we stopped your growth. It was the second time we hypnotized you, after the check-up with Dr. Feldspar, remember? I decided to ask the question again, and for some reason, that time you said yes. Something had tipped the scales."

             Oh. I saw a vivid image of Sam picking me up and kissing me until my brain overheated. I knew it was a life-changing event, just not the sheer magnitude of the change.

             "OK. But why were you so determined to be taller than me, anyway? I know you love being big and strong, but why was it so important that you outgrow me specifically?"

             "Do you remember when we used to play make-believe as kids?"

             "Yeah?" I answered, confused by the non-sequitur.

             "Well, my favorite games fell into two categories. The first group was the ones that had us in a relationship of some kind, like when I made you play house with me. Like I told you on your birthday, I've always been in love with you. I had a crush on you before I knew what crushes were."

             "The second group was games where I was in control. Like the horseyback ride. I'd sit on your back and you'd go wherever I told you to. Even back then I wanted to be in charge."

             "So, I wanted us to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but I wanted to be the dominant one. I wanted to protect you and take care of you. So I had to be taller and stronger than you."

             "I guess that makes sense. But there is one more thing that's bothering me." I paused. This was the big one. The one that had been haunting me for days.

             "What is it?" Hannah asked, softly, her smile fading as she saw my serious expression.

             "Why did you keep it a secret for so long? Why didn't you stop it before my life fell apart?"

             Hannah looked away from me and took a deep breath. When she turned back, she looked nervous and guilty. I was surprised. It had been a long time since I had seen her look so... vulnerable.

             "I'm sorry. Let me just be clear on that right away. If I had known how bad things would get for you, I would have found another way. So, I'm really sorry."

             "But that isn't what you asked, so I'll try to explain. There were 3 reasons. For the first few months, I just convinced myself that you were fine. You know how, if I get really focused on something, I can forget to think about the consequences? I know that's a poor excuse, but I was so happy to finally be growing, that it was hard to worry about anything else."

             "I always planned to tell you but, as long as the hypnosis was effective, I thought that meant that deep down, you were fine being 4'10". And there was always another milestone if I waited a bit longer. You started getting aroused by me, I got stronger than you, I almost beat you in basketball."

             "It wasn't until the end of that school year that I started to realize that you were having problems because of your height. We were talking about you getting to know Tim better, and you let slip that you felt bad because you couldn't protect him anymore. So I decided that I had to tell you and let you choose if you wanted to start growing again."

             "But when I talked to Jess about it, she said your growth plates had closed. I thought we could just open the faucet again, but it turns out the water in the pipes had frozen solid. Jess was pretty sure there was a way to reopen your growth plates, but she hadn't figured it out yet."

             "So that's reason number two. I didn't tell you that summer because I didn't want to admit that we didn't know how to fix the problem. I knew Jess would figure it out, I just had to keep you in the dark for a little longer."

             "Um. Then you and Sam broke up. And I panicked. I didn't realize how bad things had gotten. It was all my fault and I couldn't figure out what to do. Every time I thought about telling you the truth, I got so nervous that I felt like I was going to throw up. I was sure that you were going to hate me forever."

             "That explains why you were acting so weird", I noted.

             "Yeah. Then you asked me to go back to treating you normally, and I realized what I had to do. I had to show you how good being small was. If I could convince you that you were better off short, not just subconsciously but consciously too, then I could tell you. So that's what I've been doing this whole year."

             "So, um... Do you hate me now?"

             I sighed, then reached over and slapped her shoulder.

             "Like I could ever do that, dummy! Sure, if you told me right after the fight with Sam, I would have been really mad. Maybe I wouldn't have talked to you for a day or two. But I could never hate you. I love you too much for that."

             "You really mean that?"

             "Of course, I do. Besides, the break-up still isn't your fault. It wasn't my height that drove Sam away, it was how I acted, my inability to deal with my insecurities. I can't even blame you for hiding it for so long, when I did the same thing to Sam. Just promise you won't do it again."

             "Cross my heart!" And then we hugged.

             Eventually, Hannah pulled away and shook herself.

             "Whew. I'm glad that's over with. OK, now that you know all my secrets, it's time for you to be honest with me."

             "About what?" I asked, as she got up and moved to stand in front of me.

             "Tell me how you really feel..." She leaned down and grabbed one of my thighs. I gasped. "...about me. I told you that I wouldn't give up. You've made me wait all summer." Her hand slowly slid higher. "So are you still determined to resist? Or are you ready to admit that we're made for each other?"

             She was making it hard to think straight, but I had to try. Could I really do this? Become Hannah's boyfriend? Her submissive? Everything about it sounded so wrong. But then why did it feel so right? My dick was already hers, a point she was literally rubbing in with her thumb on my inner thigh.

             But my dick was happy with any big, strong girl. I needed to think beyond that. She meant more to me than that anyway. She made me feel safe. She encouraged me, motivated me. When she found me crying after the break-up, her first thought was to comfort me, before she even knew what happened.

             Sure she can be selfish, impulsive, overly competitive, but nobody's perfect. And when she knows that she messed up, she tries to fix it. She loves me. And I love her. Even tonight, when she was vulnerable, confessing to hurting me with her carelessness, as far from a confident dominatrix as possible, it didn't change how I felt about her.

             Then it hit me. Something I said to Kerry during nationals. "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." And no one cares about me more than Hannah.

             "You were right. I love you. I want to be with you forever." There, I said it.

             Hannah smiled and for a second I thought she might start crying, but then she stood as straight as possible and glared down at me.

             "Then say it right. Beg for it." I became, somehow, even more erect.

             "Please, Hannah. Please let me be your boyfriend. I..."

             Before I could get any further, her lips were on mine.

             When we finally separated, Hannah took a step back.

             "There's one last thing for you to decide tonight." She said. "Where do we go from here with your hypnosis?"

             "What do you mean?"

             "Remember when I told you that Jess was trying to find a way to reopen your growth plates? Well, she did. And we even got to test it."

             "On Alice?"

             "Yup. She's actually been doing hypnosis with us for about a year. I got Tim to introduce me after we talked about her at your birthday party."

             "Wait, she started hypnosis before Sam and I broke up?"

             "Yeah", Hannah said, her expression darkening. "By about a week. But, I didn't know that she had abandoned you until after you became friends again. I would have..." Her fist clenched. She didn't finish her sentence. "Anyway, you forgave her, so I had to let it go."

             "The important thing is that the hypnosis worked. Her growth spurt was over, she probably would have gotten a little taller, but her growth plates were closing. Jess was able to open them back up and restart her growth."

             "So I can get taller?"

             "Yes", Jess answered me. "The ends of your bones will have to be broken down to make room for new cells, so there will be some joint pain for a few weeks. But then you will start to grow again."

             "If we do nothing else, you will have missed two years of your growth spurt, so you will still end up below average. Probably 5'5" or 5'6". However, once you are growing, we can extend or accelerate that growth just like the girls, so any height is possible."

             My head was spinning. I could still get taller? I could actually reach 6'2 like I was supposed to? But is that even what I want now?

             "That's one option", Hannah's voice pulled me out of my swirling thoughts. "Another one is to keep going the way we have been. You stay 4'10" and enjoy all the big, strong girls around you."

             I... this shouldn't be a difficult choice, right? Sure, I made peace with being stuck at 4'10", but that was because I didn't think that there was another option. Was pleasing my libido really worth staying a puny wimp for my whole life? Depending on my sister to protect me from even the weakest bully?

             But she would protect me. Why do I need to be big and strong when she can be big and strong for me? Why should I care if the rest of the world thinks I'm a tiny loser? She likes me this way. The biggest reason I wanted to be taller was Sam, wasn't it? And that ship has sailed. So what would be the point of growing? I like being small. I... like being small.

             I looked up, meeting Hannah's eyes, but before I could open my mouth, she held up a hand.

             "Hold on. I wanted to give you a second to think, but don't decide yet. I need to tell you two things, first. One: Don't worry about what I want, this is your decision. You've already given me the best birthday present I could imagine. And I'm going to keep growing too. So even if you're 6'2" someday, you'll still be my little brother."

             "Two: There's another option for hypnosis that I haven't told you yet."

             "What else could there be? I either grow or I don't." Hannah shook her head, her grin widening.

             "You stay the same height, or you get taller, or... you get smaller."

             "Smaller... Are you saying you can shrink me?!"

             "Exactly!"

             "How is that possible? Shrinking isn't something the body does!"

             "Neither is reopening a growth plate", Jess countered. "That was the second big breakthrough I made. I can do more than just tweak available processes. I can direct the body to use its resources in ways that it isn't designed to. But I have to be very careful, very precise."

             "In this case, it's the opposite of cell division. Controlled cellular destruction. The body will break down, reabsorb, and then expel excess tissue. The in-sync reduction of your bones, muscles, organs, etc."

             "How small would I get?"

             "I don't know. This hasn't been tested yet. You could shrink a few inches and that's it. At most, you could lose about a foot. I don't recommend this option, there's too much I don't know, too many possible problems."

             I barely heard her warning. As soon as she said that I could end up a foot shorter, I couldn't think of anything else. I had to see it. I turned and looked at Hannah and she understood. I slid off the bed and onto my knees as she moved forward. Her torso filled my vision, her top an inch from my face. Then she pulled it up, exposing her midriff. I was looking straight into her abs; her bellybutton level with my chin.

             My gaze slowly ran up her body, until I could see her smiling face looking down at me. I had never felt this small. Even Kerry in her highest heels didn't tower over me like this.

             Oh God, was I really considering this? 4'10" was small, but I could still live a mostly normal life. At 3'10", that would be impossible. I wouldn't be able to drive a car, many careers would be out of the question, even some household chores would be too much for me. I would be even more dependent on Hannah.

             But, looking up at her now, it felt like this was how it was meant to be. No matter how helpless I became, she would be there for me. I just had to do my best to make her happy.

             And I could tell that she wanted this. She had told me not to worry about that, that this was my decision. But it didn't matter. If she wanted this, then I wanted it too.

             "Please, Hannah! Please shrink me! I want you to tower over me! Even more than this! I want to get smaller while you get bigger and bigger!"

             Hannah's smile widened, and I exploded in my pants. And this time, my orgasm was followed, not by embarrassment or shame, but by joy.