Eve's Boutique - Chapter 5

The Mind-Body Problem

Chloe set a brisk pace on the way to her bus stop.  She felt nervous, and exposed.  Her tank top didn’t fit right – it was too tight around the shoulders – and the straps of her bra dug in awkwardly.  It also felt like her thighs might burst through these tiny shorts at any moment.  It was a good thing they were a little stretchy.  So far, all this extra muscle was nothing but a hassle.

All the same, it was a nice day out.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing.  It was hard to feel bad on a day like this.  She tried to forget that her physique had just been radically altered by a magic potion, and that this basically flushed everything she knew about modern medicine down the toilet.

She watched the bus drive off while she was still a block away from her stop.  She sighed, and checked the tracking app.  There was another due in ten minutes, and that would easily get her to class on time for her exam.  But campus wasn’t that far, and it really was such a nice day.  If she moved with purpose, she could be there in plenty of time.

She looked up suddenly.  There were a pair of frat boys coming down the sidewalk toward her, laughing and joking about something.  She set her jaw, ready for the inevitable stares.  Her chest was even more prominent than usual, and even at her most daring this was more skin than she was used to showing.

She tensed, as the gazes of both men fell upon her.  And frowned, ever so slightly.

Both men immediately looked away.

She stood as they walked past her, the two of them falling into a polite silence until they were halfway down the block.

Choe smiled.  Maybe Eve knew what she was doing after all.

At school, Chloe settled down at her desk, looking through her notes one last time.

One of her classmates wanted to know if she was wearing a new outfit.  No, she’d had this one for a while.  It looked good, they said – and left it at that.  Someone else wanted to know if she’d been working out.  A little, she admitted.  There was more casual conversation, people getting out their nerves before the test.  At this point in her academic career, most people in her cohort knew her by sight.  She’d been afraid someone would point out how she’d clearly put on ten pounds of muscle over the weekend, and that just wasn’t normal.  People noticed – but if anyone thought it was odd, they kept those opinions to themselves.

Their instructor came down the aisle, passing out papers.  Chloe braced herself.  The Anatomy and Physiology professor was an older man, tenured, not afraid of offending his students.  He often made excuses to speak with the more attractive women in the class, addressing his remarks directly to their chests.  Chloe had been on the receiving end of more than a few of these pectoral monologues.

He paused briefly at her desk.  He had a bird’s eye view of her cleavage, and there was no way for Chloe to hide.  She crossed her arms self-consciously, still getting used to the weight and thickness of her new biceps.  She hadn’t intended to flex, but her muscles seemed to have a mind of their own.  The professor quickly looked away, and handed over her test.

The first question was on the spinal column, and it was easy – humans had 33 vertebrae, which fused to 24 during normal development.  The next question wasn’t any harder.  Nor the third.  She had a double-sided three-by-five card of notes, written in her tiny meticulous handwriting, but she didn’t glance at it once.

It wasn’t that the test was easy.  She could feel the tension in the room without needing to look.  And there were other signs – chairs creaking, people sighing.  Chloe had studied, and knew this material.  But the ease with which she could draw it from her memory was a little amazing.

She had tried Adderall a few times, and other stimulants.  Chloe wasn’t against a little better living through chemistry, and if it helped her learn better, what was wrong with that?  It made her feel too twitchy though, and the increase in blood pressure just wasn’t acceptable.  This feeling was similar.  There was the same smoothness of thought, the increase in focus.  Only instead of her brain feeling like an out-of-control freight train, she felt like a well-oiled machine.

If she knew she could get these benefits from a little weight training, she would’ve started years ago.

She was the first one done, and class wasn’t scheduled to end for another hour.  She walked out into the midday sun, feeling amazing.  Her next class wasn’t until two, and her usual routine was to just grab lunch on campus.  But she happened to know Kayla would be arriving at the gym soon, in between her morning factory shift and her evening barbacking gig.  It would be nice to see her.  And honestly, she was a little nervous about what her girlfriend would think of her new muscle.  Better to get it out of the way.

Lift Legends 24-Hour Gym and Spa was a short walk away.  Chloe had been once or twice, mostly to use the elliptical and give Kayla a little emotional support.  She walked through the glass door, gave the young man at the desk a friendly nod, and made her way toward the weight room.

The door was locked.

“Oh, sorry miss,” the man called after her.  “Did you forget your keycard?”

Chloe covered her mouth in embarrassment.  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry.  I’m not a member!  I’m just here to see my girlfriend.”

“Ah, I understand.  I’m kind of new here myself.  I just assumed you were a regular.”

The door opened, and Kayla stuck out her head.  Her white cotton tee was wet from exertion, and there were little beads of sweat on her brow.  “Hey there sweetie, I thought I heard your voice.  This is a nice surprise, I–”

Kayla abruptly stopped talking.  Her jaw fell open.

“Yeah, I missed you.”  Chloe suppressed a smile, letting Kayla drink her in.

Kayla swallowed.  “Hey Sam.  I’m going to guest Chloe in.  Okay?”

“Sure.”  He started to tap on his keyboard.  “I’ll just need her license, and I’ll get her a liability form….”

“We’ll handle all that on the way out, okay?  I’m mid-workout and I don’t want to lose my pump.”

Sam hesitated.  “I’m not supposed to… oh, I guess it’s okay.  Just this once.”

Kayla grabbed Chloe by the hand, and dragged her into the locker room.  She didn’t speak as she led, past benches and banks of lockers, to the changing area.  There were a series of private stalls, each about the size of a department store changing room.  Chloe had time to think it was a very civilized way to handle getting naked in public, before her girlfriend pushed her inside.

Kayla shut the door behind them.  She took several deep breaths, and looked toward the ceiling, clearly trying to get her thoughts straight.

“Hi,” she said, at last.

Chloe giggled.  “Hi.”

“So.  That really was a magic potion you drank last night?”

“Apparently.”

“Alright.  My current opinion, is that this is the most awesome thing that has ever happened.  But reassure me?  Your heart isn’t racing?  You aren’t flying into sudden fits of rage?”

“Oh for God’s sake, I’m not taking anabolic steroids.  It’s magic!”

Kayla looked unconvinced.  She chewed her lower lip thoughtfully.

Chloe pouted.  “I thought you said this was awesome.”

“It is!  Seriously.  You look amazing.  I’m honestly having trouble not straight up tearing your clothes off.  I’m just, you know.  Worried.  People don’t just grow like this.”

“If you think this is amazing, you should see Abigail.”  Chloe looked down shyly.  “But um.  Tell me more about tearing my clothes off?”

Kayla laughed.  “I mean.  You look really fucking sexy with all this muscle, okay?  Not to mention that skimpy little outfit.  Like.  You know I adore my soft little Klo-cake.  But you basically went from a ten, to a fourteen.  You’re sure you’re feeling okay though?”

She thought about mentioning the ‘side effects’ she was experiencing.  The higher energy levels, the clarity of thought.  The abnormally high sex drive.

“I think I have a way to put your mind at ease,” she said, instead.

“Oh?  And what would that be?”

Without a word, Chloe began to strip.  Her shirt was tight but flimsy, and it came easily.  Her bra was a bit of a challenge – she had less shoulder flexibility now, and the garment was squeezed to its max to accommodate her pectorals.  But soon she stood before her girlfriend, completely unclothed.

“If you’re worried about me,” she said softly.  “Inspect me.  Make sure I’m okay.”

The dressing room was cramped, and wouldn’t have been spacious even for one person.   Chloe was so close to Kayla that she could smell the subtle shift as her girlfriend became excited.  She’d always loved the way Kayla smelled.  Her arousal, of course, but also the natural perfume of her body.  And maybe it was weird, but she even loved the smell of Kayla’s sweat.  It meant exertion, and closeness, and an excuse to rub her poor tired muscles.  It was also an omen of sexy times to come.

Kayla began to look her over.  Checking her carefully.  Her throat, and shoulders.  Her biceps, and forearms, and each individual finger.  Chloe stood dutifully still, moving to accommodate the inspection.  Silently turning, or lifting her arms in response to Kayla’s touch.

“I feel drunk,” Chloe whispered.

Kayla stopped, looking up from her investigation of Chloe’s washboard tummy.  “Are you…?”

“No.”  She smiled reassuringly.  “It’s a good feeling.  I always feel good when you look at me.”

“Is that why you said yes when I asked you out, that first night?  I wasn’t smooth at all.  Staring at you from across the bar.  It felt like I was fourteen again.  I kept dropping things, bumping into customers.  My boss was so mad.”

“I wanted you to keep staring.  I never wanted you to stop.”  She ran her fingers through Kayla’s hair.  And gently pushed the woman’s head lower.  “There’s more of me to inspect, Kayla honey.  I think you should take a good, long look at my thighs.”

Outside, the door to the locker room opened.  Feminine voices echoed, coming closer.  Kayla and Chloe looked at each other in panic.  There was no lock to their changing room, and the bottom of the door was almost knee-high.  If anyone walked by, it would be obvious there were two sets of legs in a single stall.

Kayla pointed toward the bench, and Chloe moved at once.  Climbing up onto the seat, pushing herself as far back as she could, lifting her feet off the floor.  The bench was narrow, not meant for this, and it left her in an extremely awkward position.  Her back pressed against the wall, her head bent forward.  She had to spread her legs as wide as she could to keep her feet off the floor, and she had to flex nearly every muscle in her body to maintain herself like this.  She grasped her ankles, her legs already beginning to shake with the effort.

Her girlfriend peeked over the top of the door, and scowled.  Apparently, the women outside weren’t leaving any time soon.  Kayla turned, her expression apologetic.  But the moment her eyes fell upon Chloe’s predicament, her face broke in an evil grin.

Chloe glared.  “You wouldn’t,” she mouthed.

Kayla put a finger to her lips, smirking.  She moved forward, her motions silky, cat-like.  And gently ran the tip of her finger along the hard edge of Chloe’s inner thigh.

Chloe’s breath came out in a slow, shuddering exhalation.  Her legs shook harder.

“Please.”

“Please what?” Kayla breathed.

Her finger began to draw a long, slow circle around the circumference of Chloe’s groin.  Then another circle, and another, drawing in tighter each time.  Chloe covered her mouth with both hands in anticipation, and just barely managed to stay quiet as Kayla stroked over her clitoris.  A finger slipped inside her.  Thrust.  Then pulled out, and began to roughly massage her clit.

Chloe whimpered from the back of her throat.  Her entire body shook, the tension of holding still and silent almost too much to bear.

And all the while Kayla watched her.  Drinking in every involuntary muscle twitch, every shudder, every furrow of her brow.  Chloe had never felt more on display in her life.  The intensity of Kayla’s attention felt like a drug.  And all she could do was sit there and accept it – even the smallest movement and she might fall off this damn bench, and then she’d receive another kind of attention entirely.

Kayla’s hand was moving faster now, working into that well-practiced rhythm that meant Chloe wouldn’t be able to resist much longer.  Her girlfriend leaned down and kissed her carefully, completely covering Chloe’s mouth with her own.  And increased the pressure of her fingers a tiny, tiny amount.

A moan finally escaped from her lips as she came.  The sound entered Kayla’s mouth, reverberated through her chest.  Through the kiss, she could feel Kayla’s grin.

“Everything okay in there?” someone called.

“I’m fine,” Kayla answered sweetly, her forehead pressed against Chloe’s.  “Just my dumb ass, wearing skinny jeans on leg day.”

The women outside laughed.  They continued chatting for another minute, while Chloe’s head spun with endorphins and afterglow.  Finally, the voices outside began to fade.  The door opened, and when it shut again, all was quiet.

“That,” Kayla growled.  “Was really.  Fucking.  Hot.”

Chloe pushed her girlfriend off of her, and stood.  She wiped sweat off her brow, and glared.  “Yeah.  It was also super rude.  You know how hard loud I usually get.  What if we’d been caught?”

Her girlfriend gave her a demeaning little pat on the top of the head.  “You did a great job, dumpling.  We’re going to have to practice this more.  I’m sure Abby will appreciate the silence.”

Without warning Chloe grabbed her girlfriend by the shoulder, and shoved her against the wall.  Kayla had almost a foot of height on her, and even after her recent growth spurt was far more muscular – yet Chloe met surprisingly little resistance.

Kayla looked down at her incredulously.  “And exactly what do you think you’re doing?”

“Helping you practice, too.  I’m not the only one who’s loud.”

Chloe roughly grabbed the elastic band of Kayla’s workout shorts, and yanked them down to her knees.  Without hesitation she reached out, and shoved her entire hand between the woman’s legs.

“Fuck!” Kayla spat.  “Chloe, slow down!”

“Quiet,” Chloe teased.  “What if someone hears you?”

“I can’t,” she said, from between clenched teeth.  “Not when you go fast like that.  Fuck!”

Her girlfriend was already soaking, her well-toned thighs slick with essence and sweat.  Chloe leaned her weight against Kayla’s chest, breathing in the scent of her.  God she smelled good.

“I’m not going to stop,” Chloe said flatly.  “Not even if someone else comes in.”

Kayla groaned, her body going slack.

“So you better come fast,” she said, raising her voice.  “Got it?”

Kayla moaned, and nodded.

“Hey.  Look at me when I’m talking to you.”  She glared up into her girlfriend’s eyes, her palm flicking lightning-quick between Kayla’s legs.  Stroking her lips and clit beneath her palm.  She pressed harder, grinning.  “Kayla.  Come.  Now.”

Kayla came.

Chloe held her, pinning her with all the strength in her body, never slowing for an instant.  A few seconds later Kayla shuddered, and came again.  The larger woman started to move, trying to pull away, but Chloe grabbed her by the shirt collar, and shoved her back against the wall.

“What’s the matter baby?” she drawled.  “Am I too much for you?  Want me to stop?”

Kayla’s cries grew louder and higher in pitch.  The sound that escaped from the back of her throat when she came a third time was one Chloe had never heard before.  It was an animal shriek.  The sound of something beyond all reason, a sound of pure instinct and need.

Afterward, she eased Kayla onto the bench.  Helped her sit, and rest her head on Chloe’s shoulder.  It was cramped for two people, but cramped was okay.  Chloe held her.  It was many minutes before Kayla’s breathing returned to normal, and the signs of overstimulation began to fade.

“You,” Kayla panted.  “Have got to start coming to the gym more often.”

Chloe took Kayla’s chin in her hand, and kissed her firmly.  “I’m strongly considering it.  Physical fitness certainly has its benefits.”  She cleared her throat.  “Now.  Why don’t you show me the showers?  I think we could both use it after that.”

 

Monday - Chapter 4

Growth Spurt

Abigail knew it had worked before she opened her eyes.  Her pajama pants were way too tight around the hip, and she could feel the bottom hem riding up her calf.  Her toes were sticking out from under the blanket too – just a little.  The pillow even felt smaller.

She squeezed her eyes shut, grinning.  Okay.  She was bigger.  How much?  More than two inches, and it felt like a lot more.  She lay there for almost a minute, lingering in the moment.

Schrödinger’s Growth Spurt.

Her smile widened.

From the next room, Chloe screamed.

Abigail was out of bed in an instant.  Her feet carried her to the door in too few steps, and she had to struggle to work the too-small door handle, but then she was in her best friend’s room.

“Klo honey?  You okay?”

Chloe shook her head.  She sat straight up in bed, blanket pulled protectively up to her chin.  Sunlight streamed through the large picture window, nourishing the dozen or so plants the woman had lovingly positioned about the room.  The room was immaculately decorated, and they’d only been in the place for a few weeks.  Abigail had hardly managed to unpack yet.

“You’re taller,” Chloe said.

“Yeah.  Something happened to you too.  Is it bad?”

Chloe considered the question.  She shrugged.

Abigail held up both hands in a calming gesture, and began to advance slowly.  “I’m going to come take off that blanket, and we’ll look together.  Okay?”

Her friend didn’t respond.

Abigail took hold of the covers, and in a quick, smooth gesture, pulled them down.

“Holy shit Klo!”

Chloe whimpered.

“No, I….”  Abigail laughed.  “You got jacked!”

“Kayla is going to be so mad.”

“What?  No she won’t!”  Abigail grabbed Chloe’s hand, smiling eagerly.  “Come on!  Stand up, let me take a look at you!”

Reluctantly her friend obeyed.  Chloe had slept in a t-shirt with a grinning cartoon duck on the front.  It hung almost to her knees, and it was unclear if she was wearing anything underneath.

Abigail walked around her in awe.  Lifting an arm, squeezing a shoulder.  “Yeah.  You look awesome!  You’re definitely not as muscular as Kayla….”

Chloe relaxed a little.

“...But you look like you’ve spent the last year going to the gym every day.  Damn girl.  I never knew how bad you needed a little tone, but here it is.”

“You really think I don’t look like, um… a guy?”

Abigail laughed.  “Does your girlfriend look like a guy?  Muscle’s sexy, Klo.  Besides, you still have absolutely massive tits.  I bet they’re perkier too, judging by how that shirt is hanging on you.  You might even be able to go without a bra.”

“Let’s not get crazy.”  Chloe sighed.  “Okay.  I am officially ending my freakout.  Though I reserve the right to have a new one at any time.  That being said.  Abby!  Oh my God!  You’re so tall!”

Abigail smirked.  “How tall am I?”

“Um.  I don’t… exactly have a yard stick handy.”

Chloe hesitated, then stood chest to chest with Abigail, smiling shyly.  She used her hand to mark off the distance between their heights.  Abigail stood still, reveling in the fact that she could actually look down at her best friend.

“You’re about an inch taller than me,” Chloe said.  “I’m five-two, so that means….”

“Five-foot-three.  Not bad.  Still a bit shorter than an average woman.  But eight inches in one night is pretty great.”  She scowled suddenly.  “Shit.  None of my clothes are going to fit!”

“Are you just now realizing that?  You can borrow something of mine.”  Chloe was already rummaging through her closet.  She pulled out a drab, oversized sweater.  “Hm, this might work for me.  It’s really baggy, so it’ll hide all this….”

Abigail took the sweater from her grasp.  “Nope.  You, little lady, are going to wear a tank top.  A white one.”

Chloe gasped.

“And those stretchy black shorts you wore the other day.  Oooh, they’re going to be so tight on you!”

“I can’t do that!  People will see!”

“That’s kind of the point.”  Abigail gave her a patient smile.  “Klo.  The potion was supposed to get people to stop staring at your chest, wasn’t it?  How is that going to work if people can’t see your muscles?”

Chloe looked unconvinced.

Abigail held the sweater high over her head, grinning from ear to ear.  “I’m not giving this back.  Shorty.”

“I could beat you up,” Chloe said in a tiny voice.

“That’s the spirit!”  She mussed her friend’s hair playfully.  Then frowned.  “Shit.  I’ve gotta be out the door.”

“I do too.  My A&P exam….”

“Guess you better hurry up and get dressed.  I have to get to my morning class.  And this afternoon?  I get to see Elijah.”  Abigail smiled dreamily, and began to rummage in Chloe’s closet.

Five minutes later they were out the door.  Abigail had picked out a spaghetti strap sundress with a bright floral print.  It fit decently well, even if it was pretty loose around the chest.  Chloe had followed her friend’s instructions, and wore a flimsy tank top with a tiny pair of exercise shorts.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.  You can see my… my abs.”

“You look great.  Go get ‘em, tiger!”

They parted at the sidewalk – Abigail heading for the main campus, Chloe going to the STEM complex on the north side of town.  Abigail walked fast, head held high, grinning at the day.  Damn, it felt good to be tall.  And she was making amazing time.  These long legs could really get you places.

It was rush hour, and the subway was crowded.  To her amazement, people actually got out of her way to let her enter the car.  A few even made eye contact.  As usual she was forced to stand, and grip a bar for support as the train took off.  She held on… and for the first time in years, noticed the little rubber handholds overhead, swaying back and forth as the train moved.  They’d always been so far above, and apparently she’d trained herself out of seeing them.  Tentatively she reached up… and got a giddy thrill when she found she could just barely grab hold.

Her morning Advanced Grammar class was predictably dull.  The professor droned on about the nuances of participles, while Abigail tried to concentrate.  Her gaze kept slipping to the people around her.  Wondering if they were thinking about her new height, and whether any of them would confront her and demand to know how she’d grown so much over a single weekend.  A few people did look back curiously – but more the curiosity of someone wondering why a pretty girl was staring at them, than wondering how said girl was so much bigger.

She got to biology a few minutes early, and took the time to set her desk up just right.  This time when she looked around the room, she was more bold about it.  Almost daring anyone to ask about her height.  The most she got was a look of confusion, from people who were noticing her for the first time and puzzling over why someone would join a class this late in the semester.  Mostly people just smiled back at her.  One guy even gave her an awkward wave.

“Hey, Abigail.  Nice dress.”

Elijah took the seat next to her.  The man didn’t know how to sit down properly.  He always had the air of someone falling out of the sky, only to find there was a chair beneath him at the last instant.  It was oddly charming.

Abigail gave him a smile – the one she’d seen Mackenzie use on more than one occasion when she was hunting.  “Hey Elijah.  Notice anything different about…  oh my God, what happened to your hands?”

He held them up, grinning sheepishly.  They were both wrapped in heavy gauze.  “It’s not as bad as it looks.  Doctor says it’s just a precaution.”

“Does this have anything to do with rescuing that cat?”

Elijah nodded.  “Mittens was a Maine Coon this time.  Poor guy.  He really didn’t want to come down from the tree.  I had to wrestle him.  Then Wendy wanted me to come inside so she could examine me.  That took a while.  Then we realized she forgot to do any first aid, and I said Jerry at Urgent Care always knows what to do when stuff like this happens to me, and Jerry said….”

Abigail thought fast.  Summoning all her courage, she reached out and tentatively rested her hand on his bicep.  Her heart was racing.  “Well.  You obviously can’t write with your hands bound up like that.  Want me to take notes for you today?  I can even walk you home after, if you want.  Make sure nothing else cute and furry decides to attack you.”

“Aw, that’s real nice of you.  But I’m gonna try this mental technique I read about on the internet.”  He tapped his temple.  “I’m going to close my eyes, and just listen.  Absorb all the information passively.  The way plants do.  It’s called osmosis, I think?”

She frowned, her hopes fading.  “Oh.  Well, good luck, I guess.”

“Thanks.”  He smiled.  Then abruptly, leaned in and brought this face down very close to hers.

“Hey,” he said softly.

“H-hey.”

“There really is something different about you today.  Isn’t there?”

She smiled at him, her mouth suddenly dry.  “Yes.”

He sniffed.  Then suddenly his face broke out in a grin.  “You switched deodorant, didn’t you?  You’re wearing the one that Chloe girl had on yesterday.”

“Yes.  That is what is different.  About me.”

“I knew it.  I’m in the ninety-ninth percentile for noses.  It’s kind of my super power.”

“Oh.  Neat.”

The lecture began.  Abigail tried to concentrate, but her head really wasn’t in Punnett Squares today.  Elijah nodded along for a while, eyes closed.  It wasn’t long before he began to snore gently.

Class ended, and she gently shook him awake.

“That was great,” he said, stretching.  “I’ve never felt so energized by school before.  I feel like I learned a lot.”

Together they got up from their desks.  It was nice standing this close to him.  She was about eye level with his neck, instead of the middle of his chest.  It was a much better view.  This close to Elijah, he had a kind of calming aura.  She could listen to his inane monologues about all the good dogs that lived on his street all day.  She briefly considered what it would be like to listen to him talk this way in bed, while she curled up beside him.  The idea warmed her.

He was about to get away again, and she was suddenly determined not to let that happen.

“Elijah.  Can I ask you something?”

They were in the hall now.  “What?”

“Would you ever want to, like.  Hang out sometime?”  She brushed a stray lock of hair off her forehead, blushing.  “Like.  At my place?  Maybe Saturday night?”

“Oh yeah?  What’s the occasion?”

“A party.”  The words were out of her mouth in an instant.  Her brain demanded to know what the hell she was doing, but she ignored it and kept talking.  “We’re inviting a bunch of friends over.  Cool people.  I think you’re a cool person.”

He tilted his head, and smiled.  “Thanks!  I think you’re a cool person too.”

Her stomach did a somersault.  “So.  It starts at seven.  And maybe don’t tell too many people, because….”

“Oh my gosh!  I can’t believe running into the two of you here!  What a coincidence!”

Mackenzie strode down the hallway like a movie starlet on the red carpet.  She wore her cute black miniskirt that showed off an amount of leg considered dangerous by FDA standards, and that hatefully adorable pair of kitten heels.

“Oh,” Elijah said.  “Mackenzie, right?  Nice seeing you again.”

“I think so too!  We keep running into each other like this.  It has to be fate!”

“Don’t you have class right now?” Abigail said.  “Like, all the way across campus?”

Mackenzie frowned, but the expression held for less than a tenth of a second before she was fawning over Elijah again.  “It was canceled.  Which makes this an even greater coincidence!  Say, are you doing anything right now Elijah?  Want to get a cup of coffee?  Or, I don’t know.  Go someplace a little more private?”

“I really have to go to the bathroom.”

“I’ll wait.”

He held up his gauze-wrapped hands.  “No, I mean I have to go see Jerry so he can take these off.  Otherwise I can’t, you know.”

He waved one bulky hand in the vague direction of his fly.

Mackenzie opened her mouth, but apparently decided offering to help was out-of-bounds.  She shut it again.

“But I’ll see you later,” he said, already turning.  “You’re going to be at the party, right?”

“What party?” she asked his retreating back.  Mackenzie wheeled, and glared at Abigail.  “What party?”

“Just an idea I had,” Abigail said quickly.  “I didn’t think you’d mind.  To celebrate our new apartment.  We’ll keep it low-key.  Close friends, couple drinks….”

“It would be a good excuse to get all dolled up.  I could introduce some of my partners to each other, and to The Besties.  And if Elijah is going to be there...”

“Yeah.  Plus I was thinking about your advice.  How I should, you know.  Enjoy the attention.  A party seems like the perfect place to practice.”

Mackenzie nodded, smiling.  “Good for you.  I think this plan has the full blessing of the Bestie Committee Chairman.  Good thinking, Abby.”

“Glad I could help.”

“And you gave him my card, right?”

Abigail slapped herself in the forehead.  “Shoot.  I left it in my other pants.”

“Shoot.  At least I’ll see him Saturday.”

“Yeah, stay upbeat.  Anyway, I’ve got another class, so….”

She had just turned her back, when Mackenzie grabbed her by the shoulder.  “Wait.”

Abigail looked up at her, exerting a huge psychic effort to keep her expression neutral.  “What is it, ‘Zee?”

Mackenzie narrowed her eyes suspiciously.  “There’s something weird about you today.  Like.  Very weird.”

“Oh.  Um.  It’s the dress.  I borrowed it from Chloe.”  She did an awkward little twirl.  The garment wasn’t exactly tight, but it did a good job suggesting the shape of her figure beneath.  “I figured I’d start dressing more sexy.  That was your advice, too.”

Mackenzie’s eyes lit up.  “Oh of course it was!  It looks good on you.  I’m glad you decided to listen.  Stick with me, sweetie.  You’ll be one of the cool kids in no time.”

“I just might do that.”

Mackenzie winked.  And headed off in the direction Elijah had gone.

“Hey.”

Abigail flinched.  There was a freshman standing behind her, mere inches away.  She hadn’t even heard him approach.  It was the guy who had waved before.  He was wearing a band t-shirt, and his hair needed a good combing, but he wasn’t bad looking.

“Uh.  Can I help you with something?”

“No, not really.”  He tugged at the collar of his shirt.  When he spoke next, the words poured out very fast.  “I just want to say that height looks really good on you.  Like you looked good before but it really suits you.  I don’t know how you did it, like growing so much, but….”

She held up a hand, silencing him.  “What do you mean, ‘growing?’”

He looked deeply embarrassed.  “You um.  Grew, right?  Maybe eight inches?”

She hesitated.  Looked one direction down the hallway, and then the other.  The two of them were alone.

“What’s your name?” she asked quietly.

“Dylan,” he answered, in the same tone.

“Okay.  I’m Abigail.”

“I know.”

“Oh.  Okay.  Well.  Could you please do me a favor, Dylan?”

“Sure.”

“Could you please not draw attention to it?  The, um, growing, I mean.”

“Totally.  I can keep it quiet, no problem at all.”  He laughed awkwardly.  And leaned in just a little closer.  He wasn’t a tall man, maybe five-foot-seven, and he didn’t have to lean down far to whisper into her ear.  “Are you planning to grow more?”

The question took her by surprise.  For many seconds, she said nothing.

“I have another class.  And you’re kind of in my personal space right now.”

“Oh.  Right!”  He took several big steps back, looking apologetic.  “Sorry for cornering you like this.  And sorry if I came off as creepy.”

She shrugged.  “It’s okay.”

Abigail walked quickly to her next class, her mind whirling.  Try as she might, she couldn’t get Dylan’s question out of her mind.