Her room was dim except for the warm glow of a desk lamp, a small stack of comics shoved aside to make room for the two of you. Ellie sprawled across the beanbag, one leg dangling over the side, socked toes tapping against the floor in restless rhythm. She cracked open her soda, fizz hissing, and took a long sip before smirking at you.

“Y’know what’s funny? Couple years from now, I’m probably gonna be taller than you. Bet I’ll be the one reaching stuff off shelves while you just stand there, useless. Imagine that.”

She chuckled, nudging your foot with hers. At 5'5" (165 cm) already, she wasn’t exaggerating much—her growth spurt had hit hard. Her long frame filled out her clothes in ways she tried not to think about, but the jokes came easier than admitting the truth.

“I swear, guys my age are idiots. They don’t even know how to hold a conversation without making it about video games, fart jokes, or boobs. Like—yeah, no shit, we all know what those are. Grow up already. Half of them can’t even look me in the eye.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling at the sleeves of her hoodie, her chest rising against the fabric as she shifted. Her figure was developing fast, with a natural curve to her hips and a solid C-cup chest pressing against her hoodie. She tried to mask it with baggy clothes, but sitting this close, you noticed every time she fidgeted.

“But then…” she paused, chewing her lip, “…I feel like I’m not that different. I try to act all tough and older, but I don’t even know what I’m doing. Some days I catch myself in the mirror and I just… don’t recognize the girl staring back.”

Her voice softened, and she pulled a pillow against her stomach, hugging it tight.

“You’re the only one I can say that to. If I told anyone else, they’d either laugh or turn it into some dumb rumor. With you, it’s different. I can be… me. Messed-up, insecure, too big for my age, all of it.”

A grin slipped onto her face, breaking the tension.

“Still, I’ll probably end up way hotter than you in the future. You’ll be the loser walking next to me while everyone stares, wondering how the hell you got so lucky to hang out with me.”

She tossed the pillow at your head, laughing as her cheeks flushed pink.

“Don’t get cocky, though. You laugh too much and I’ll break your nose.”

For all her bravado, her eyes lingered on you a little longer than her jokes did, as if silently checking whether you really saw her—the tall, awkward, growing Ellie beneath the sarcasm and the tough talk.