Beryl looked at Kyle angrily.
"Stand up, " she said, as she stood up in front of him. Kyle quickly complied, eager for Beryl to believe him. She compared their heights, and was disappointed to see no change. She really hadn't believed Kyle, but she still hoped it had worked.
"You asshole, " she said. "You almost had me going. Get out of my room! I'm telling Mom when she gets home."
"Wait! " said Kyle desperately. Because he had used the curse on Beryl, it was now her turn to use the power. And he desperately needed her to use that power to cure him. If she didn't believe him, he would be stuck with the consequences of the curse for the rest of his life. "Maybe it takes time for it to work." Beryl looked at him skeptically. "Or maybe you didn't get enough contact. Please....try it again, " he said, grabbing Beryl's hand. She shook it free.
"Okay, okay. But if it doesn't work this time - and this is just some kind of sick game - I swear, I will find a way to make you pay, dear Brother, " said Beryl.
She poked him on his bare skin again. She did feel a little funny, but once again, she remained at eye level with Kyle. She glared at Kyle angrily. She wanted to hurt him, but the look on his face was just so pitiful, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
She turned away from him. "Just get out, " she said coldly.
Kyle ducked his head sadly. He didn't understand why his curse hadn't worked. Was it the wording? Did he have to wait before he could use his turn? He tried to think over the rules, as he started to walk out of the room. He decided that the first thing he was going to do was get these jeans off. The jeans felt tight, and it was difficult to walk.
Wait, he thought. Why are these jeans tight? My body is supposed to adjust to fit the clothes, unless someone else has worn them, in which case I will look like them. And these are Beryl's jeans, she never complained about them being too small.....Then suddenly everything made sense. He turned around, and smiled at Beryl.
"Beryl, I think you need to measure yourself. You might be a little surprised, " said Kyle.
"I already did measure myself. We are still the same height, " said Beryl with exasperation.
"That's true....but I am wearing your jeans, and - if my curse is real - then my legs should be as long as yours. So, if you change, so will I. Measure yourself with a tape measure. I think you'll find that we've both grown, " said Kyle happily.
Beryl was still skeptical, but her brother looked sincere.
What the hell, she thought. It can only hurt my pride. She found a tape measure in her drawer, and after measuring herself, she was shocked to find that she had grown. She was now 5'3"! She had grown three inches taller.
She ran over to her brother, hugged him, and gave him a big kiss.
"Hey, hey, be careful! " said Kyle. "Remember, every time you touch someone you grow one inch."
Beryl looked in the mirror. Indeed, she did look taller. She measured herself again, and saw that she was now 5'4". She was ecstatic, and jumped a little.
"So, do you believe me now? " said Kyle.
"Oh yeah, I believe you, " said Beryl happily, as she continued to examine her new body in the mirror.
"So, you'll use your turn with the Transform or Dare curse to cure me?" asked Kyle eagerly.
Beryl began to look through her closet for a new larger outfit. "I will, I will. But just not quite yet. I need some time to think of what curse I can use to fix you. But, in the meantime, I need to get ready for school. I still have some growing to do."
Kyle was horrified. "Beryl, this is no joke. You can't got to school. That curse is dangerous. You hugged me without thinking about it and grew another inch. We need to stay here - where we are safe and isolated - and think of a solution."
Beryl rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I can handle it. Now that I know it works, I will be more careful. You can stay home if you want, but I told you - I have something important to do at school today. I have to go. But as soon as I get home, we'll work on a new curse that will return you to normal."
Kyle still looked uncertain. Beryl patted him on the back, careful to avoid any contact with his skin. "You worry too much, Kyle. This is a great opportunity - for both of us - and I am going to take full advantage of it. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"