I slept through my alarm. Again.

This was the third day in a row. I felt so weak. I could tell I was losing weight, all of my clothes were loose. Whatever virus I had was wreaking havoc, and even walking around for any length of time left me feeling dizzy and tired. Worse, I’d discovered that classes did actually e-mail for missed work so I didn’t even have a visit from Heather to look forward to. My roommate Ryan had turned out to be a total germaphobe and got permission to change rooms, so I had the place to myself until they assigned me a new roommate. Not that I was doing much with the extra space. How can a headache last for a week?

They were going to have to amputate.

***

Friday. I woke up in time for class but still felt like shit. Better than I had all week, but still shitty. There was no way I was going to stumble between classes like the walking dead. Whatever virus I had probably wouldn’t last through the weekend. On the other hand I was practically swimming in my clothes. Even my shoes were too big which was downright bizarre. That seemed a little excessive for a week’s worth of weight loss but puzzling it over sent my headache into overdrive.  

In the afternoon I took a walk until I got so dizzy I had to lean against a tree to keep from falling. After that I stayed in bed watching Netflix.

My phone rang and I picked it up without pausing The Magicians. “Mom you don’t have to call every night. I’m sick, not dying. Besides I’m feeling a bit better today.”

“Uhm.” Shit. That was not mom’s voice. “Mike?”

“Let’s pretend that never happened.”

Heather giggled, “You really need to work on that whole checking your phone thing.”

“Yeah well I’m not really at the top of my game right now,” I said more defensively than I’d intended.

“Chill Mike, I’m teasing you. I know you‘ve been sick, but I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better.” Heather almost sounded sincere.

“Thanks. So, whats up?”

“Feeling good enough for study group?”

The thought of missing an opportunity to take pictures of Heather was a bummer, but the thought of collapsing in front of her and Crystal was worse. “Sorry Heather, I want to but I think I need another day or two. I feel alright lying in bed but moving around- not so much.”

“I see,” Heather said, sounding disappointed. Her voice brightened suddenly, “Oh- I know. Why don’t we bring the study group to you?”

“You want to do it in my room?” Not the greatest choice of words I realized.

Heather didn’t seem to notice, “I don’t want to force you If you’re not feeling strong enough yet…”

“No. I’m good. Strong like bull.” Did I really just say that? Clearly a week of pounding headaches had turned my brain to mush.

Heather snorted what sounded like a pity laugh. “Good, so I’ll see you in an hour then?”

“See you in a bit,” I said before tapping the call off and burying my head in the blankets. I felt like such an idiot. After wallowing in self pity for a good long moment I pulled my head out and saw my room needed another cleaning job. Five days cooped up alone had left pizza boxes and plastic cups scattered everywhere.

Twenty minutes and two trips to the dumpster later my place was back in order. With the extra time I decided to finish watching the episode of The Magicians I’d started when Heather called. The girls in the show were all solid tens, especially Alice. She had an amazing body that, unfortunately, always seemed to be buried beneath a giant sweater. Still not as hot as Heather though.

A knock on my door coincided almost perfectly with the credit roll. “Come in.” I said loudly.

Crystal’s head poked in and her eyes met mine. She shared a look of such profound sadness that I immediately felt awkward. “I’m sick, not dying,” I said as Heather pushed in behind Crystal.

“He’s not contagious Crystal, stop being weird,” Heather said,I had told her earlier in the week that I was past the contagious stage after my former roomie had insisted I be ‘checked out for safety reasons’. Heather briefly filled the doorway with her spectacular figure before pushing past Crystal into the room. I couldn’t be certain but she seemed bigger than ever.

Crystal moved across the room and sat demurely at the desk that had been Ryan’s and was now a home for a small pile of books and assorted junk I’d been too lazy to clean up. Heather took a seat in front of my laptop and the wooden chair creaked under her weight. She was more stunning than ever, her skin positively glowed with vitality. “So, how have you been?” Heather asked.

“Alright I guess, not dead yet anyway. You?”

“I am having so much fun. College is great,” Heather gushed. “You know I always kind of hated Middleton. People call it a college town but it always seemed so podunk. I mean there were what, eight hundred students at Sedgwick?”

“Something like that.”

“MSU enrollment is over twelve thousand!” I had never heard Heather get so excited about something. I guess for someone whose entire identity was to be recognized as the best swimming in a bigger pond did present certain opportunities.

“Its big,” I agreed.

“When I turned down Yale I wondered if I was making a big mistake, but there is so much opportunity here at MSU,” Heather said with genuine enthusiasm. “I think I’m going to start a sorority.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah I mean, why not? There are only a couple on campus and they aren’t very popular. What I’d really like is to make a co-ed sorority.”

“Do they even allow that?”

Heather shrugged as if that were an unimportant detail. “Would you join?”

“Uhh, sure?” I answered in the form of a question.

Heather snatched a pillow off of Ryan’s old bed and threw it at me. “Don’t sound so eager,” she quipped.

“Come on, you haven’t told me anything about it!”

“Well, I’d be in it.”

“Oh in that case please, please let me in,” I said sarcastically.

Heather crossed her arms which served to cantilever her enormous rack towards me. “You know what, just for that I’m going to make you beg to get in.”

“That’ll be the day.”

Heather shook her head. “Now Crystal will be the first one accepted. You better shape up if you want the number two spot.”

“It’s not even a thing!” I said in exasperation.

“It will be.” Heather replied confidently.

Crystal had pulled out her laptop and was silently typing away. I sighed. “Are we going to study or talk about your plans to conquer the university?”

“I can’t study without coffee,” Heather pouted, giving me puppy dog eyes.

“No way. I’m sick, remember?”

Heather sighed. “Chivalry is dead. Cryyyyystaaal?” she whined. Without a word Crystal stood up and moved across the room. She was halfway out the door when Heather said, “Crystal, don’t be rude! Did you want anything Mike?”

“No,” I said feeling a bit bad for Crystal, “I’m good thanks.”

The door shut behind Crystal.

“She does whatever you want?”

Heather rolled her eyes. “She is like, totally dependent on me. You have no idea how much I do for her.”

“Really?” I said skeptically.

Heather gave me a level look. “Really,” she said, standing up to stretch. Today’s outfit included a maroon shirt with metal snaps over the bustline. Midway through her stretch the top snap popped open. Heather didn’t seem to notice. “I hate how tiny these rooms are,” she complained. “My room in the sorority will be huge.”

“Are we on that again already?” I groaned.

“Don’t blame me,” Heather said, placing her hands on her hips. “You’re the one who hasn’t taken a camera out.”

“Now?”

“I’m not getting any younger.” That was more than enough encouragement for me. I scrambled down from bed and fished around in the closet to get my camera.

When I finally got it ready Heather was standing there looking bored. “Okay can you close that blind behind you. I think I’m gonna use flash.”

“Sure, whatever,” Heather said.

“Hey this was your idea.”

“I know it’s just that… you’re not really doing it for me.”

“Doing what for you?”

“You’re supposed to make me feel special. Like a model.”

“Oh you mean like this: That’s it darling.” I said with a posh accent, “That’s it! Fabulous, darling. Now turn and yes, perfect you’re an angel darling, gorgeous!”

Ryan’s other pillow nearly knocked the camera out of my hand. “Hey!” I said. “Take it easy.”

“Maybe I should leave.” Heather said.

“Come on, I was joking.”

“I’m serious though.” Her voice got quiet, “I want to feel beautiful.”

“Heather.” I said, flatly. “You are beautiful.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “Go on.”

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” I said, hiding my face behind the camera. Heather’s smile widened. “Movie stars probably want to look like you.”

“You mean that?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“That’s really sweet, Mike.” A moment passed before she spoke through a fixed smile, “Now take the fucking picture.”

I obeyed, snapping the first few off in quick succession. Heather’s pose was simple, but even without any overt attempt to emphasize her assets her body dripped sexuality. Even though my room was far from an ideal location she was so hot it hardly mattered. “Turn your head a little to the left,” I suggested. To my surprise Heather obeyed without comment. I took a few more head and upper body shots before trying something a little more adventurous. “Can you put your left foot on the chair?”

“Like this?” Heather brushed her skirt back as she lifted her foot onto the chair then clasped her hands above her knee. It was a classic pose that she pulled off surprisingly well and had the added benefit of squeezing her over-large tits together so that cleavage swelled halfway to her chin. Far more pornographic than I’d intended, but I wasn’t about to complain. I snapped a half dozen pictures for good measure.  

Without a word Heather reached down and unsnapped the uppermost button on her shirt, revealing a tantalizing inch of cleavage. I hesitated for a moment before tentatively snapping another picture. “You like that?” she asked casually.

“Yeah,” I said, arousal stirring in my jeans.

She unsnapped a second button. This time I didn’t hesitate to take a couple more photos. Her body was pure sex. I had to adjust the flash setting because the light reflecting off the upper swells of her breasts was over-saturating her face.  “Incredible,” I muttered. Heather bent at the waist, causing her heavy breasts to strain mightily against the snaps. I thought the next one might come undone without her help. Miraculously, it held. Until Heather reached down and unsnapped it to reveal a third inch of buoyant teenage cleavage. Her chest swayed and jostled as she placed one hand on her hip and braced the other against the back of the chair. We were in pure pin-up territory now. My hands started to sweat and I prayed to whatever gods would listen that I didn’t drop the camera as I snapped off a few more pictures.

Without direction Heather pushed the chair aside took a couple steps forward, filling the lens with her oversexed body. I adjusted the zoom to compensate but she was too near for anything other than a close-up. I had to lean back just to get her head in frame, she was so tall. I peeked around the camera to see what kind of heels she was sporting only to see that she wasn’t wearing heels at all.

What the hell?

I knew she grew over the summer but this was ridiculous. She was a foot taller than me! Vertigo gripped me for a minute and I had to steady myself against the bed. “Everything okay Mike?”

My head was swimming. “Yes. No. I don’t know.”

“What’s wrong?”

The signs were all pointing to one thing and I couldn’t deny the evidence, but admitting it aloud felt too much like defeat. “I’m shorter,” I said in despair.

“Shorter? That’s silly. You’ve always been a bit short for a guy.”

“I’ve been 5’9” since Sophomore year! That’s average,” I protested.

“5’9”? I think someone’s been having some pretty wild fever dreams,” Heather said. The door opened and Crystal walked in with Heather’s coffee in hand. “Crystal, how tall is Mike?”

Crystal’s face scrunched up and she said, “I dunno.”

Heather sighed dramatically, “Guess.”

“5’5”? 5’4”? Something like that.” Crystal said.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You two planned this right? You’re fucking with me?” Crystal shook her head. Heather raised an eyebrow. “Come on, just look at my clothes,” I said. “Why would all my clothes be too big?”

“The shirt you’re wearing now fits fine,” Heather pointed out.

“I shunk this shirt a year ago, I just never got rid of it!” I nearly shouted. Even I had to admit I was starting to sound unhinged.

“Okay,” Heather said, “I’ll humor you. Try another shirt.”

I turned and quickly grabbed a shirt at random from the closet. It was one of my favorite polos. Pulling it quickly over my head I stuffed my arms through the holes. It fit. Like a glove. What the actual fuck. I sat down on the bed, hard. This had to be a bad dream. I closed my eyes and mentally repeated “I’m five nine. I’m five nine. I’m five nine,” for a good twenty seconds before opening them again.

Heather and Crystal were staring at me with weirded-out expressions.

“I think I need to be alone for a bit,” I said numbly.

“Sure Mike,” Heather said sweetly. “Whatever you need. See you at class Monday?”

“Yeah.”

They left. I did not wake up. This was really happening.

I was shorter.