Spoilers, guys.
Next bit, more plot stuff. Growth returns in the next part.
* * * * *
Will walked up to the table where his girlfriend was sitting. As he dropped into the chair across from her, he noticed an empty tumbler on the table and another half-empty one in Carla's hand. She didn't even seem to notice him at first; she was doing a thousand-yard stare out of the window by the table. Finally, he cleared his throat and she seemed to snap out of it enough to look at him.
“Rough morning?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“You have no idea,” she replied.
“So what's going on?” he asked, after she didn't volunteer any more information.
“I don't think you'll believe me when I tell you,” she answered. Taking another sip of her drink, she added, “I barely believe it, and I saw it.”
“Try me.”
“Well. I'm not sure how to put it so it won't sound crazy.” She seemed to be trying to think. Finally, she continued. “I guess there's no other way to say it. All morning, these girls from the high school have been coming in, and...they've turned into Amazons.”
Will stared blankly at her for a few moments. “Okay. What's the punchline? I don't get it.”
“Punchline? I'm not joking. They're Amazons.”
“Amazons,” he said flatly.
“Yes.”
“Like, tall, savage warrior women with huge tits and fur bikinis.”
“Well, no, not savages, and none of them were wearing fur, but...” she faltered for a moment. “I don't have a better word for what's happened to them.” He seemed to be trying to stifle laughter, and she got annoyed. “They were normal a few days ago, and now they've all grown huge!”
Will shrugged. “Teenagers go through growth spurts. I read somewhere that people can keep growing until, like, their mid-20s.”
“This isn't just some normal growth spurt!” she shouted, exasperated. “I'm telling you, they're enormous!”
“Look, babe, you know I love you. But you have got to stop letting your height bother you. I'm worried you're developing a complex,” he said. “Just because they're taller than you doesn't make them Amazons.”
Now Carla looked more annoyed. She tipped back the rest of her drink and signaled the waitress for another one before addressing him again. “You're right, that doesn't,” she said through gritted teeth. “But I think maybe the fact that they're all over SEVEN FUCKING FEET TALL does.”
“What?” He looked surprised for a moment, then grinned. “Okay, now I know you're putting me on.”
“This isn't a joke, you ass! I'm telling you the truth!”
His amused expression didn't change. “You expect me to believe that a bunch high school girls--”
“Fifteen of them, to be exact,” she interjected.
“Right. Fifteen high school girls just suddenly shot up to seven feet tall practically overnight.”
“Actually the shortest one was 7'2”. One of the girls on the swim team was 12'10”. And yes, that's exactly what happened.”
“Babe. That's impossible. Nobody is that big,” he said, shaking his head.
“Tell that to the swim team, Will.” Her next drink arrived and she took a big sip. “And I'm going nuts in that office. I feel short enough around normal people, but with this going on... And then I try to discuss it with you and you don't believe me, which isn't helping at all,” she finished with a glare.
He looked skeptically at her. “Well, fine. Show me some proof.”
“What? What do you mean, proof?”
“I mean, like, you must have taken a picture with your phone or something, right? If something like this actually happened it'd be headline-worthy. You know, impossibility and all,” he added, a note of amusement back in his voice.
“Well, no, I didn't. They're patients. Do you know what kind of trouble I could have gotten into for that?” Carla said angrily, taking another sip of her drink and mentally kicking herself for not sneaking a photo or two.
Damn. Wish I'd thought of that.
“Well then see if you can take one later without being obvious about it and send it to me,” he said. Then he smiled broadly at her. “Better yet, I'll walk you back to work! Then I can see these 'Amazons' for myself,” he added. “Unless, of course, you're prepared to admit now that this is some bizarre joke that you refuse to abandon.”
“Fine. You can walk me back after I've had something to eat. If I go back to work on three drinks and an empty stomach, my afternoon may not go so well,” she said with a scowl.
After the waitress came and took their lunch order, he noticed she was staring pensively out of the window again. “Something else on your mind?”
“Hmm? Oh. Well, I was just thinking...I wonder if what happened to them is contagious, somehow. I mean, you know I hate being so short, but I don't think I'd want to be that tall, either.”
He looked at her quizzically. “Really?” he asked. “As hung up on your height as you are, I'd expect you to jump at the chance, even if it meant standing out in a crowd.”
She looked at him incredulously. “Standing out in a crowd? Will, were you listening when I said that the
shortest girl in the office was over seven feet? That's already highly unusual, enough to get you stared at constantly. And most of them were bigger than that. What if I ended up thirteen feet tall? I'd be a freak.”
He smiled good-naturedly at her. “I'd still love you anyway.” He gave that a moment to sink in before adding, “Even if I had to stand on a stepladder to reach your boobs.” She threw a roll at him, and he dodged it, glad to see she was cheering up a bit.
“You'll pay for that remark later, mister,” she said sternly. “But I really do wonder what happened to them. I mean, none of the groups came into contact with any of the other ones, according to them, so how were they...” She trailed off, staring at the ice cubes floating in Will's glass.
“Carla? Hon?” When he got no response, he waved his hand in front of her face. “Earth to Carla. Come in, Carla. Over.”
She snapped out of her trance, startled. “Hmm? Oh. Sorry. I just thought of something. I think I'll run it by Bruce when I get back to the office.”