"So, shall we go home?" Tricia asked Sam as she led her out of the store.
"Nah, not yet," Samantha said in her tiny little voice. "We're sisters now, right? Let's do something sisters would do."
Tricia giggled. She was relieved that Sam was finally getting into the swing of her transformation. Hanging out like this was a real thrill. "What would sisters do?"
Samantha thought for a moment. Images of amusement parks and toy stores flashed through her head, but she wanted something simple that they could both enjoy. "Let's go for ice cream!"
"Sounds good to me!" Trish replied. "But I think you should address your big sister with a little more courtesy. Little children don't go around giving orders, do they?"
Samantha grimaced. "Come on, Trish, don't make me beg."
Tricia turned up her chin haughtily. "Well then, if you want to be a brat about it, I'm taking you straight home."
Samantha swallowed her pride with just a hint of playful anticipation. She realized a part of her enjoyed playing this strange reality-bending game, but it was still more than a little humiliating. She mustered up the best pleading eyes she could. "Pleeeease, can we get ice cream, big sis?"
"How can I argue with a face like that?" Tricia smiled. "Let's go."
Samantha couldn't suppress her broad smile. The two walked quickly to the local soft-serve ice cream shack, which was just a little hole in the wall where you ordered right on the street and you were handed ice cream through the window.
While they waited in line, Tricia looked in her purse. "I guess I'll have to pay for both of us, since your purse disappeared with the rest of your old clothes."
"I'll pay you back tomorrow," Samantha said.
"Or, maybe we can make things more interesting and you can pay me back another way."
Tricia and Samantha ordered their usual sundaes. Tricia tried to order Sam's in kid size, but Samantha insisted on a regular dish despite her present condition.
As they waited for the ice cream, Tricia continued their conversation. "Here's the deal... I pay for your ice cream, and after you enjoy it, we're going to play a little game."
"Does this game involve transforming me some more?"
"Oh, you're such a smart girl!" Tricia said as she playfully rubbed Sam's head.
The sundaes were exchanged for cash, and Tricia carried them to an empty table on the sidewalk. As they chowed down, Tricia noticed Samantha was vigorously devouring her cookie dough ice cream.
"Calm down," Tricia said. "You don't want to get a headache. And don't spill anything on your nice vest."
Samantha continued to whittle away at her sundae, and Tricia started to chuckle. She was getting way too into this whole sister thing. Sam was old enough--in mind--to know when to stop herself. It was hard envisioning the mind of an eighteen-year-old within that adorable little girl, though. She had to admit, Tricia truly felt like Samantha's older sister. They knew each other well enough that they might as well be related.
Sam triumphantly dropped her plastic spoon into an empty cup. There were traces of melted ice cream and chocolate syrup, but it was effectively picked clean. She waited patiently for Tricia to finish her mint-flavored sundae.
"You really had an appetite. I didn't think you'd be able to pack it all into that stomach," Tricia said.
"So what's the game?" Sam asked.
"Follow me," Tricia ordered. Once they had thrown their empty cups into the nearest trash bin, Tricia and Samantha ducked into an alley, where Trish began to explain the "game..."