"Whoa," Jim heard a voice behind him say. He whirled around and saw a 10-year-old boy staring at him open-mouthed. In fact, he recognized the boy as Linus Williams, his young neighbor.
Linus was the middle child in his family, often overlooked in favor of older brother Dylan, who was 13, and younger brother Brody, who was 8. He desperately wanted to be noticed, and seeing what Jim had done showed him an opportunity.
"Linus, please don't tell anyone what you saw just now," Jim begged.
Linus smirked. "Ok, I won't...as long as you do me some favors in return."
"What do you want?" Jim said, exasperated.
"First, I want to be older. How about 15, like you? Then I want you to make me muscular and attractive."
Jim decided to comply. He did as asked and watched as Linus underwent a growth spurt. The boy grew taller and more muscular and very handsome.
"Thanks Jim! Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Linus said as he left.