Angela, Jessie’s Mom, was surprised to see that her daughter had changed outfits. ‘Are you going out somewhere?’ she asked her daughter who had just entered the kitchen with a huge smile on her face.
‘No, I just wanted to show how the dress now fits me’ said Jessie with a huge smile on her face.
‘Hmm it does, I hadn’t realised you were dieting. Or are you wearing shape wear? You certainly look trim, but do my eyes deceive me? Have you a bit more cleavage?’
‘No shapewear Mom, but my body has changed. It’s this ring’ Jessies showed the ring on her finger. ‘It really works. It changes your body to suit the clothes you put on. This dress is now a perfect fit’
Angela was sceptical ‘You look great Jessie, but magic isn’t real. Give me a hand will you. Your father and the boys will be home soon. Can you set the table?’
‘Sure Mom’ Jessie didn’t mind, she was in a wonderful mood.
Angela couldn’t help but check over Jessie's body. The dress really did look like it fitted her perfectly but only last weekend she had to advise Jessie to wear a different outfit as that same dress had looked like it was about to burst at the seams. She couldn’t recall Jessie dieting. She hoped the girl wasn’t vomiting up her dinner to lose weight. What was the word? Bulimia? Parents had been warned to look out for sudden unexplained weight loss. This was a concern.
……..
30 minutes later Brendan, Jack and Aaron were back home from Jack’s basketball game and the family were sitting down to dinner. Angela watched what Jessie was eating. She didn’t seem to be a girl on a diet. Indeed, she seemed to be keeping pace with Jack. She decided to have a word with Brendan in bed tonight.
Jessie seemed to be in a particularly good mood actually. She was even talking about playing basketball herself once more. Now that would be a breakthrough. Jessie had been a talented player but had had inexplicably given up at the end of last season. The supposed reason was that Jessie had wanted to concentrate on her studies but Angela had suspected it was more to do with a falling out in Jessie’s friendship group.
Anyway she was listening as Jack and Jessie were teasing each other
'You're too short to be a good basketballer’
‘Who says that I won’t have another growth spurt? I might even get as tall as Mom’
‘As if! Girls stop growing at 15. Get used to it sis. You’re going to be a short arse the rest of your life’
‘Jack! Be polite. Jessie is 5’4 that’s a good height for a girl’ Brendan scolded his son
‘Well that’s short to me. I’m 6’4 and still growing. Mom’s 5’7, you’re 6’4 and I’ll bet even Aaron will be taller than Jessie in a couple of years’
‘You want to make a bet do you? Okay I’m in. I bet I’ll be as tall as Mom by your birthday’
‘Oh god! Listen to her! That’s only 3 weeks away! Easy money. You’re on. What do you want to wager? $50 bucks?’
Angela had heard enough ‘Jack! You know our attitude to gambling. I’m happy for you to make a bet but it should not be for money’
‘Okay what then?’
‘How about Halloween costumes? If I win the bet I get to choose what costume you wear to the Halloween party. If I lose you get to choose my costume’ Every year their cul-de-sac held a Halloween party and everyone dressed up. This year the party was at the Smith’s house. Rebecca Smith was Jack’s girlfriend.
Brendan interrupted ‘Jessie are you sure you want to make that bet? It is rather unlikely that you would grow 3 inches in 3 weeks’
Jack was already dreaming up the most embarrassing costume for his sister to wear. ‘It’s a deal’ Jack said extending his hand. He was surprised when Jessie readily extended her own hand and shook on the deal.
Jessie had an enormous smile on her own face. She stated ‘So the rest of you are witnesses that Jack agreed to this deal willingly’