"Eugh. 10 o'clock."
The flashing characters on the screen put him in a trance. It was Saturday but that didn't change Mother. Her voice echoed through the grand hallway, up the stairs and into the bedroom where a round-cheeked, darker skinned, newly sixth-grade boy laid chest-down on his bed in loose pajama pants and an old grey T-shirt.
"SAM"
"Wha-at?"
"Get changed and take a shower! You know you have to get your homework done before Max comes over!"
"Oka-ay!"
The flashes continued for 5 minutes until the button was pressed and the light on the box turned off. He then progressed from his room to the bathroom across the hallway.
*thump**thump**thump**thump**thump**thump**thump*
Door, close. Curtain, pull. Knob, twist. Water, splush.
Sam pulled his shirt off over his big head, wiggled his loose pants off, hesitated, and then jumped in the shower.
His mind went to the flashing character on the screen again. A symphonic melody was on repeat and the jagged hair of the hero flew through the air as swords clashed and colors exploded.
He squirted some shampoo and ran it through his inch-and-a-half dark brown hair. Water flowed on him and then, again...
Knob, twist. Curtain, pull. Towel--wait. Hold on.
Sam looked at the mirror covered with condensation providing a brown blob reflecting in the mirror. He slowly stepped forward, and then took a sudden, large, sweep at the mirror and created a circle of clarity in the muddled mess of the reflection.
"Holy crap."
Sam's body in the reflection was lanky, and defined. It was as if he had suddenly put glasses on for the first time. He realized that he was thinner, so I guess that means he used to be chubby.
His body was elongated, his head more proportional to his body. His shoulders were wider, his chest fell between them with nickel sized nipples. He must have had a belly before because now he had in 6 slight bumps on his chest. His arms were longer, and his hands were bigger.
He stared down at his feet. They didn't look familiar. They were too big for his body and they were angular and bigger, like the way his Dad's looked. He felt as if he were wearing shoes. His legs had wisps of hair in addition to the bit of hair below his bellybutton.
Oh. hello.
Sam suddenly became embarrassed.
He looked at the thing hanging between his enlarged thighs. It ended halfway between his hips and his knees and was surrounded by a sea of twisting hair. Confusion and curiosity set in as he realized this thing definitely was not what it used to be. Suddenly he realized that his butt felt firmer, or bigger. or. something. It was as if it was attached to his body. He twisted to look at it and saw how his back looked like it was just older. More teenage. Was that it?
"I'm a teenager." He let that thought process in his mind for a bit. His arms felt like they could do more, they felt thicker. better. Sam liked it.
He examined his face that looked pulled out of his previously chubby head. Then his hands started to gravitate to his new chest, curious and bewildered. Suddenly he heard something.