“Thanks for coming down for this photo shoot ladies, we appreciate your time” the photographer said with a wide smile as he wrapped up.
MyKayla Skinner smiled back “It’s no problem really...I don’t mind, anything to promote Team USA” she said as she stepped aside and shook out her arms.
“Yeah, you made it really fun today” Katie Lou Samuelson added.
“Well you two made it easy” the photographer added as he gathered up his equipment.
There were others in the room as they moved around. MyKayla being careful to make her way to the side as she was barefoot and in her gymnastics leotard.
The picture was the classic size difference shot. Gymnast MyKayla Skinner at an even 5’0” tall standing next to basketball player 6’3” Katie Lou Samuelson. Both in their Team USA uniforms and smiling. They were used to it and it had been fun. They had never met before and had hit if off chatting throughout the shoot.
They continued talking as they made their way back to the changing room. They stepped in and saw another woman there. Her back was turned so they just saw that she had long dark hair.
They both brought both their white and red uniforms and while they had tried on both; they took the pictures with Katie in her red and MyKayla in her white leotard. As they approached the hangers the woman turned to face them with a smile on her face. “Hello ladies!”
They both stopped and took a step back. “Um...Hi” MyKayla said “Who are you?”
“Oh my name isn’t important...but what I’m proposing and what I can do is” the woman said.
Katie Lou’s brow furrowed “Um...I don’t think I’d be interested in too much at the moment...just want to change clothes...”
“Oh but what I’m offering is even more exciting than just changing clothes...” the woman had a wicked and alluring smile on her lips; a curious smile that caught both of their attention. “What I’m saying is...what if you could change into each other’s clothes?”
MyKayla stifled a laugh while Katie Lou rolled her eyes “Yeah right lady...I don’t think so”
“Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you were the other one’s size?” she raised a single eyebrow “What would it be like if you were the basketball player MyKayla...and what if you were the tiny little gymnast Katie Lou?”
“I can honestly say that has never crossed my mind...” Katie Lou started to say but the lady saw right through her.
“No...it has. That’s why I’m here...both of you have wondered what it would be like” the lady said and Katie Lou blushed hard while MyKayla looked straight down at the floor.
There’s absolutely no reason to be embarrassed you two! I’m not here for malicious purposes...rather, I’m here to make those dreams come true!” the lady said.
Both looked up, both looked the lady, then to the other.
“Not only can I change your sizes and body types...I can also transfer your particular skill sets” the lady said.
Katie Lou’s jaw dropped and a big smile sneaked across MyKayla’s lips before she stopped herself “What you’re saying is impossible though...isn’t it?”
“You’ve always been so tiny MyKayla but you always wondered what if...and Katie Lou...from a family of giants! Two sisters both over 6 feet tall and both basketball players! How could you ever possibly be just 5 feet tall!”
“But why?” Katie Lou said.
“One: I enjoy helping people do things like this and two: I enjoy watching a social experiment. You two will become each other’s size along with each other’s skills but in your minds, you will still be yourselves. I am dying to see how you react, how you adapt and more importantly...will you want to stay as your new sizes or return to these sizes you currently have”
They looked at each other again, sizing each other up and down, now actually feeling possibility in the woman’s words. “Are you actually just joking with us?” MyKayla said.
The woman put her arms out and Katie’s white uniform floated forward and hovered in front of MyKayla. As her jaw hung down, her red leotard now floated forward and stopped just out of Katie Lou’s reach.
“So small” popped into her head. Her mouth was almost watering.
“So big” popped into her head. Her mouth was almost watering.
Both women were tingling all over.
“So...are you both in?” the woman asked.
They looked at each other, the look in their eyes confirmed it and smiles spread. They knew instantly that they were both curious enough to do it. MyKayla’s mouth was dry but as she nodded she managed a quiet “Yes”
“Yeah” Katie Lou said taking a step forward and reaching out to touch the suspended leotard “I’ve never worn a leotard before in my life” she giggled.
“Now as I mentioned; this can be permanent or temporary but I will let you two make that decision at a much later date. For now...” she waved her hands and the clothes began to change.
The USA #33 jersey began to shrink down along with the shorts. “That might be the smallest basketball uniform I’ve ever seen” the woman said as it shrank down to MyKayla’s size.
In front of Katie Lou, the red leotard grew from an XS to an XL “And that might be the largest and longest gymnastic leotard ever...I mean, come on, who’s ever heard of a 6’3” Olympic gymnast”
“Or a 5’0” forward on the Olympic Basketball team” Katie Lou added.
“Well I’ve changed the sizes of your clothes temporarily. Once you put theses one, they will return to their original sizes and take you along with them” the woman explained. “Then, you two can try out your new skill sets. You will both still be on the Olympic team...just changed with each other. The new Power Forward will be 6’3” MyKayla Skinner and Katie Lou Samuelson will be a member of the gymnastics squad. Not the shortest member maybe but not the tallest either. I can guarantee that absolutely NO one will be calling you tall for a while”
Katie bent down and untied her shoes. She kicked them off and removed her socks, a smile on her face “I can’t believe this is actually happening”
MyKayla began to peel off her leotard, working it forward before slipping her arms out and taking it down.
Katie lifted the jersey off revealing an undershirt which she also removed to reveal her sports bra, the woman simply nodded and that came off too. The shorts and compression shorts came off too.
They both quickly put on their new outfits, both giggling the whole time. Katie Lou struggled with the leotard even with it being her size and MyKayla had to help her get it adjusted.
“Oh that goes straight up your ass!” Katie Lou blushed as MyKayla nodded knowingly. They both laughed as they realized they looked quite silly currently.
“Get ready; you two are about to see the world from entirely new views” the woman said as she waved her hands.
“I can’t wait” MyKayla said enthusiastically. “I’m the size of a small child!”
“Not for very much longer” Katie Lou said.
“Nope...I won’t be short any longer...you will”
“I think I passed up 5 feet tall when I was about 9” Katie Lou said.
“So now you get to be the size of a 9-year-old again” MyKayla replied “but not really, because I finally made it to 5 feet when I was in high school. Tiny was always in my genes”
“Not anymore...Oh My God!” Katie Lou stopped dead in her tracks “What will my sisters say when they see me?!”
The woman just shrugged “You were always the runt of the litter”
“But I was actually the tallest one by 3 inches!”
“Now you’ll be a foot shorter” the woman said as both of them felt butterflies build up in their stomachs. “Looking up at them like the giants they will be to their little sister”
They looked at each other as the first inch transferred. MyKayla grew to 5’1” and Katie Lou shrunk to 6’2”. It wasn’t much but it was a definite start and both were shocked. ”It worked! It’s actually working!” Katie Lou said as she now dropped another inch to 6’1”
“It’s happening!” MyKayla jumped for joy. As she landed she was 5’2” “I already feel bigger...I can tell I’m getting taller!”
“You really have a long way to go!” Katie said shrinking down to 6’ “Still at least a foot more”
“This is so amazing...I can’t...I just...AH!” She grew to 5’3”.
“You’re already getting so much closer to me” Katie Lou said. “Just a few inches already makes a difference”
“A 6-inch swing already with you being 3 inches shorter and me being three inches taller...I just can’t wait to like, you know, tower over you!” MyKayla admitted “I’m so tired of having to look up to everybody”
Both women were blonde haired and blue eyed and that would not change. But their features were beginning to. MyKayla’s small features began to grow larger and Katie Lou’s began to get smaller. Weight had to swap too as well as different muscle groups developing as they changed specialties.
As Katie Lou dropped another inch, she had a premonition about her height “I’m under 6 feet...I just know it” she said as she dropped to 5’11”
“Will you ever want to be that tall again?” MyKayla asked and Katie gave an exaggerated shrug and smile as MyKayla rose to 5’4”.
MyKayla looked down at her bare feet “Whoa! My feet are getting bigger! They look different...like my toes are longer and they’re wider...”
“Well they have to be! You can’t have tiny little feet at the height you’re going to be. I wore a 12” Katie Lou admitted.
“I was a 6!” MyKayla said as Katie laughed
“Oh My God I’m going to be so small...my feet are going to literally be half their original size” she said looking down at her own feet which were getting smaller already. She shrank down to 5’10” as MyKayla grew to 5’5”
They put their hands up to the other’s. Katie’s hand was still much larger especially with her fingers spread out. The tips of MyKayla’s fingers stopped at Katie Lou’s last knuckle but even as they held them together, they could feel small movements as they exchanged sizes. “It won’t be too much longer at the rate we’re going” MyKayla said.
Katie Lou slipped down to 5’9” as MyKayla rose to 5’6” and they pulled their hands back and just compared themselves. “Yeah...any second now. We’re getting really close to tipping the scales” Katie Lou said.
Both were smiling as Katie Lou shrank down to 5’8” and MyKayla grew to 5’7”. MyKayla nodded and held her breath, her blue eyes, growing larger and wider with her changing physique and excitement “If you would have told me when we came in here for these pictures that by the time we left, I would be taller than you...”
“I would have thought you were nuts” Katie Lou laughed. They locked eyes as they exchanged titles as the tall one and the short one. For a brief moment; they lined up at exactly the same height but soon, Katie Lou felt her eyes train just ever so slightly upward to maintain their lock on MyKayla’s eyes as she grew taller at 5’8” to Katie Lou’s 5’7”
Katie Lou exhaled out her held breath and dropped her chin as MyKayla jumped for joy again letting out a long and loud “YES!”
“Enjoy it...I’m loving being small just as much!” Katie Lou said watching the gap begin to widen as she shrank another inch to 5’6” and MyKayla grew another inch to 5’9”.
“I know you are, it’s just...I can’t help it! This feels amazing! The name on the back of the jersey changed from Samuelson to Skinner. Her features continued to broaden, changing her look. Her nose grew, her chin and jaw stretched out and her forehead rose.
Katie Lou’s features were becoming more elfin like as she shrank down. From her ears, to her nose to her cheeks and bone structure, the now growing petite blonde was changing her looks. She shrank down to 5’5”. The leotard fit better as her legs continued shrinking. Her ass and thighs began to thicken and muscle up in response to her body now being built and trained for gymnastics.
MyKayla grew to 5’10” as she put her hand up and spread out her fingers and nodded. Katie Lou hesitated for just a second before a smile crossed her lips and she put up her hand. MyKayla’s fingers were now longer than Katie Lou’s. They both smiled and both put out a foot.
MyKayla grew to 5’11” and Katie Lou shrank down to 5’4”. MyKayla’s foot was several sizes larger than Katie Lou who had to hold her hair back from her face as she lifted and wiggled her now stubby toes.
“Oh My God my toes are so long! They’ve never looked like this...” She lifted up her long toes.
“They do now” Katie Lou announced. “And mine are so small now”
“The better to fit on a balance beam” MyKayla told her.
Katie Lou could feel it, see herself on the beam as she shrank down to 5’3”.
“I’m over 6 feet tall; I know I am” MyKayla said growing taller to an even 6’
“You’re as big as my sisters then” Katie Lou laughed.
“And now I’m taller than those two” MyKayla declared as she grew to 6’1”
“I feel so strong. Like coiled power built up inside me” Katie Lou said as she dropped another inch to 5’2” “But how much shorter am I getting?”
“Almost finished now...we have to be close” she said growing to 6’2” “I mean I’m huge...I feel so freaking tall”
“Over a foot in height difference between us” Katie Lou said looking way up. More up than she ever remembered looking up to anyone except maybe her Dad as a little kid. She shrank down to 5’1”
Both women shivered all over as their last inch transferred from Katie Lou to MyKayla. MyKayla shook out her shoulders, her blonde hair waved as she rose up to 6’3”. Katie Lou stuck out her small but powerfully built chest, throwing her shoulders back as she shrank one last inch down to 5’0”
“My, my, my how the tables have turned. Look at you two!” the woman said walking up between them. “A total reversal of sizes and statures...how does it feel to be opposite?”
“Amazing!” Katie Lou said.
“Awesome!” MyKayla answered. “Like...” she began.
“...like I’m where I’m supposed to be” Katie Lou finished.
MyKayla nodded “Like I’m in the body I was supposed to have”
“Good. Try it enjoy. Enjoy yourselves. Live your lives. Go live your Olympic dreams. I will see you again in time. You will find that your whole wardrobes have changed. Little things...” she looked at Katie Lou who put her tiny hands on her latex clad hips “...will become obvious and evident over time”
With that, the woman left.
“Oh My God...you are so tiny!” MyKayla told Katie Lou.
“Yeah well at least I can blend in, unlike you, ya giraffe” she teased.
Just for the heck of it, Katie Lou did a standing backflip. “Oh MY God I CAN JUST DO THAT!” She bounced up and down in joy.
A basketball lay nearby and MyKayla picked it up and began dribbling it between her legs before jumping and tossing it off the opposite wall exactly where she intended it to go “I never played much basketball but that felt natural”
“I was never the most coordinated girl but I feel so graceful and confident now” Katie Lou said.
MyKayla tugged on her jersey “should we find some place to try out our new skill sets?”
“Maybe but first I want to change clothes. I’m not going to find a gym and I can’t go out dressed like this”
“Well YOUR clothes are right over there. I really doubt I can wear them out of here” MyKayla said drifting to Katie’s locker.
Both of them held up their pants, a look of shock on their faces “This is my size?” Katie Lou asked “Is this from the kids’ department?”
“Just from petite juniors” MyKayla answered “Are mine from a special big and tall store?”
Katie Lou nodded. “Just wait until you wear heels haha”
They both got dressed in the other’s clothes; their clothes now. Katie Lou slipping on a tiny pair of pinkish beige flats to finish off her look. She checked out her reflection in the mirror. “I look so different!”
“Not really...you still look like you, just your features had to shrink down and adjust and your body is different. I look different”
“Nope...same thing as me...just different in the opposite way. Longer and bigger everything...you look good like that” Katie Lou told her friend.
“You’re absolutely adorable” MyKayla replied.
They ventured out to their hotel. Gyms were there for all the Olympic athletes. Both changed and headed to their respective arenas.
Chalking up her hands, her ankles and wrists wrapped and a plain blue leotard on, Katie Lou headed to the uneven bars first. She was a natural at it and knew it was her best event. She was amazed at how her body flew, exhilarated yet a familiarity began to seep in the longer she went.
She went to the balance beam and did a quick routine. She tumbled her way through her floor routine smiling the entire time.
She chalked up again, wiped the sweat from her brow and felt the twitching muscles in her thighs as she took off at a dead sprint to do a run on the vault. “I love this” she said to herself.
Meanwhile in the next gym over, MyKayla dribbled and shot 3 after 3, draining them one after another. She ran as other players showed up; her teammates. They teased her and called her Mikki as they ran drills. Eventually they played 5 on 5 “I love this” she said to herself as she drained a fade away jumper.
They hung out often over the next few months as both trained. They would go out to dinner, go shopping or just hang out talking at one of their places. It was all very natural.
MyKayla’s husband visited often as well. He didn’t seem aware that he was married at one time to a tiny short woman. To him, MyKayla was always 6’3”
Katie Lou’s sisters both visited as well. Neither of them seemed aware of their little sister’s sudden loss of stature. They teased her but it felt like it had always been that way and they were very protective of their diminutive sibling.
Months passed and both women got more comfortable and confident in their bodies and their abilities. Besides that, both of them absolutely loved the clothing choices that came with their new sizes. The petite fashions, the layered looks and little jumpers all appealed to Katie Lou.
MyKayla loved showing off her mile-long legs. Short skirts and long sweaters and she was not afraid of wearing heels at her size. She fully embraced her size and height.
The Olympics were upon them. Both arrived in plenty of time for the opening ceremonies and Mikki found out the worst part of being tall; the amount of room in an airplane seat.
Katie Lou had plenty of space.
They found each other during the opening parade and they walked together taking in the sights. But afterward, it was down to business.
MyKayla averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds along with 7 assists as the USA won the gold over their two weeks of games.
Luckily, they had an off day when it came time for the team finals in gymnastics.
The whole women’s basketball team showed up to root on their countrywomen. Katie Lou saw her. She took a deep breath and performed flawlessly. Team USA won going away.
Katie would add on an individual silver medal on the uneven bars the next night.
They stayed for the closing ceremonies taking in every possible minute and experience of their time at the Olympic games.
Once they flew back to the states, they landed in Los Angeles Airport. Katie Lou being from Huntington Beach, she was home while MyKayla was from Arizona so she had just one more quick little jump back.
As they departed the flight, a woman they both recognized walked up through Terminal C.
“Hello ladies...I hope you both have time to talk” she said to them “Maybe you can join me in the United Club. I have a room where we can talk”
“Of course” MyKayla said looking down at the woman taking her customary long strides.
“I’d love to” Katie Lou said walking fast just to keep up.
They made their way through and in closing a door behind them.
“First off, congratulations to both of you. I followed both of your exploits and I have to say that you both represented your country very well!” the woman said.
MyKayla put her carry-on bag down next to Katie Lou’s.
“I don’t want to keep you longer than we need; I’m sure both of you are looking forward to seeing your families but we do still have some business to attend to and I thought this might be the last time you two are together for a while so...” she put her hands out wide. “I seem to remember a time when the one on my right was the taller one but now...now it’s the one on my left” she smiled at MyKayla.
She turned her attention to Katie Lou “And you...you don’t seem to mind do you?”
Katie Lou shook her head no.
“So I take it that you two have already discussed this and have made up your minds then” the woman said as both nodded yes.
Their smiles gave it away. The answer hadn’t been in doubt. “We’re staying like this” MyKayla said smiling wide.
“Yeah...no way I want to be tall like that again” Katie Lou added.
“The shrimp life is NOT for me...” Mikki added shaking her head vigorously. “You switching us was the best thing that ever happened to both of us”
“It really was...I, I mean we, are both so much happier like we are now” Katie said.
“Then my job here is done. You’re welcome” the woman said before made her way to the door and headed out.
Katie Lou and MyKayla hugged and laughed and bounced around in the room before composing themselves and heading out of the club and to the luggage area where their families waited for them, cheering and waving banners.
“Wow...you’re tall enough to be our long lost sister!” one of Katie Lou’s sisters said to MyKayla as they were introduced. “You’d think our LITTLE sister would have gotten some height but it looks like it all went to you haha”
“You may be right” MyKayla replied “It certainly does look like I got her height” as Katie Lou just laughed.