Becoming Bigfoot

Josie's sympathy vanished. "You drugged me," she said plainly with a scowl on her face. "You're my best friend, how could you do this to me?!"

"No! Josie, please try to understand-"

"You tried to change my body without me knowing?!"

"I just wanted things to go well between you and Derrick -"

"You wanted to play matchmaker and now I'll forever be single with my ugly face and disgusting colossal feet!" She picked up a huge foot and plopped it down on the floor with an audible slap! to prove her point.

"Oh!" Amanda chirped, ogling Josie's feet. "Don't say that! If you're big-footed forever that means I'll be big-eared forever and -!" Amanda sniveled pathetically. She pushed her hefty ear lobes back so that they dangled limp behind her shoulders. "I just don't know what I'll do with ears like these! They're already getting so heavy."

"It serves you right for doing what you did." Josie sighed and hung her head. Even if Amanda did get her just desserts, it wouldn't change the immense size of her feet. Her toes twitched a bit then reached forward another inch, and another, and another until they were stretching across the bathroom tile.

"They're growing again!" She moaned, wondering just how big they would get.

Amanda followed Josie's gaze and tilted her head downward, hefty ears sagging on either side of her face.

"Those puppies are getting enormous!" She announced.

Ligaments stretched and pulled as Josie's feet extended all the more.

"Oof," she grunted as her toes flexed and popped out.

"Are you okay?" Amanda asked, putting a hand on Josie's shoulder.

"No, I'm not okay! How am I going to walk up stairs or drive a car or go on a date with Derrick now? This is all your fault!" Josie accused. Her heart was thundering in her ears, pulsing in her skull, pumping throughout the whole of her body. A sickening knot formed in her gut knowing that her best friend had betrayed her like this.

"I'm sorry Josie! I'm so sorry!"

The gigantic feet finally ceased their growth at an earth-shaking big-n-floppy 24 inches long.

"Like I said,'' Josie panted, gaping at how far away her toes were. "Ugly bigfoot."

Chapter Five:

Amanda was sitting on the floor in front of the couch with her head leaned back on the cushions. For the past hour she'd been doing nothing but complain about how heavy her ears were. "My neck hurts, my head aches, my ears are so sore," she whined, massaging one gently with both of her hands. Josie was recruited to kneel at her side and help with the other. Rubbing Amanda's giant, flabby earlobe was like kneading into a lump of dough the size of a coconut.

"Aah," she exhaled with relief, working her hands along all of the ridges and rubbing circles at the base of her ears. "We're going to have to come up with some way to support their weight. Like bras do with boobs only ... with my ears," Amanda groaned in despair. "Oh God, what am I saying?! My ears. My poor ears!"

Josie shook the stiffness out of her fingers, then she made her way to the recliner across from the couch where she sat with her feet flat on the floor. As much as she could she avoided looking at them, but the sight of her big toes poking out in her lower peripheral vision was difficult to ignore.

"I guess the date with Derrick is off," she mumbled.

"It can't be!" Amanda protested. She heaved her head off the couch, ears flapping forward and back. "A hot architect invited you out, and need I remind you how awful your dating life has been up 'til now? This could be the moment of a lifetime!"

"I don't think he intended to ask out a woman with 24 inch feet. He'll probably end up stepping on them or tripping over them. Everyone will," she said sadly. Already the shame was getting to her. A pinkish hue flared up on her cheeks and she hoisted up a floppy flipper and crossed it over the other, hoping that made them look smaller.

"Josie, you've always hated your crooked hillbilly teeth, and your Gandalf-looking eyebrows, and your limp hair -"

"Thanks Amanda," Josie rolled her eyes.

"But Derrick asked you out in spite of all that. Are you really going to let those big ol' whoppers stop you? In fact, I'm feeling a little bold myself. I'm a self respecting woman and so what if I have big ears? I mean, really! Lots of women have big ears and mine aren't even that big, right?"

Josie looked at her friend's elephant-sized ears and nodded slightly, but she wasn't buying the pep talk. There was no way Amanda couldn't see and feel just how widespread her ears were, and Josie was in no denial about her feet either.

She lifted up a heavy foot outstretched before her, shifted her plump, round toes a bit, and sighed. If she went water skiing, she doubted that she'd need the skis. In fact, she probably couldn't even cup her hand completely over her big toe. But as outlandish as her feet were, that feeling in her again was stirring; a flicker of hope. A feeling that maybe after everything she'd been through, it would be worth a shot. With a loud smack! she let her fat foot fall back to the floor.

"Fine," she said. "I'll do it. I'll keep my date with Derrick, but you have to drop me off and pick me up at Horton's."

"Deal!" Amanda agreed. "We've got this, girl, don't worry -" Her countenance suddenly darkened. "What will we do about shoes?"

"I don't think they make shoes my size."

"So you're going to walk around with naked feet?!" Amanda's eyes widened as if Josie had just committed a cardinal sin.

"Can you think of any other option?" Josie asked, leaning back in the recliner and crossing her arms.

Amanda sighed. "Guess we'll have to make those tootsies look as pretty as possible." She stood up and made her way into the bathroom just off the hall, ears brushing either side of the door frame as she entered. Since high school she had been collecting nail polish and had acquired a stash of it that she kept under the sink. Josie sat listening to her rummage around the cabinets, and when she brought the overflowing box of little nail polish bottles to the living room, Josie laughed out loud.

"You think that's going to work? It will take three bottles of nail polish and three hours just to cover one of my big toes!"

Amanda dropped the box onto the floor with a clatter. "I've got all day," she said with a shrug. "And unless you've got plans to win the gold medal in swimming with your flippers, well, I'm guessing you're free today, too." She twisted off the cap on a bottle of bright red polish and bent over Josie's toes.

Chapter Six:

It took hours of painting and every bottle of red nail polish that Amanda owned to cover all of Josie's toenails. The tiny brushstrokes over the massive surface area was like trying to paint a wall with a q-tip. It was painstaking work, and Amanda had to take regular breaks to lean her head back on the couch to give her droopy ears and burdened neck a rest.

In spite of the horrors that morning Josie really was more at ease as she basked in all the pampering. Sure, it took some effort to ignore just how tiny her friend's hands felt against her giant toes - Amanda cupped them in her palm and turned them this way and that as she painted, trying to cover every angle - but Josie managed to keep her focus on the matter at hand: her date with Derrick.

She imagined what it would be like to meet him again, to stare into his dreamy eyes for even a moment. Of course she would have to stick her feet out to the side a bit so that he could stand in front of her, but so what? That wouldn't be so bad. After a lifetime of being bullied and alone there was nothing to lose and everything to gain. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but in her heart of hearts she was convinced that Derrick, the hunky architect who made her feel more beautiful than ever, was the one - and that he wouldn't mind dating a big-footed woman like her. What Amanda said was true: she was ugly and he still talked to her, laughed with her, bought her a drink, sheltered her beneath his coat, and asked her out on a real date. An extra 18 inches added to her feet wouldn't change a thing.

"Hold still," Amanda said as she swept a makeup brush across Josie's eyelid.

With Josie's nails finished and evening fast approaching, the two of them moved on to the bathroom with Josie seated on a chair in front of the vanity, and Amanda leaning in to work her magic with makeup. It was more difficult than usual, since her big ears eclipsed the vanity lights, but she made do.

"We're going to draw a lot of attention to ourselves," Josie said warily.

"Don't you want to draw attention tonight?"

"Well, yeah. Positive attention. Derrick's attention."

"Exactly! So, some other people might stare, too, but all that matters is you and that sexy stud of a man. A smokey eye and a red lip are going to be perfect!"

"I've never worn this much makeup in my entire life."

"We're going for the sultry look, girl, and you're going to knock him dead!"

"Or knock him over ... with my feet," Amanda grumbled. "I just hope he doesn't reject me because of them."

Amanda turned to grab a tube of lipstick and whacked Josie in the cheek with her big, round ear.

"Ow!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Amanda apologized as her ear jostled a bit with the impact. "Here, let's just move onto hair."

Somehow she managed to pull Josie's thin hair back into a twisted updo. It fell out a few times in the process, but a whole pack of bobby pins and a can of hairspray helped to tame it into place. Then, she did her own hair and makeup. Leaning toward the mirror, tilting her head back and forth, she dabbed and brushed, stippled and plucked until her eyes shone and her skin wore a dewey sheen. Two wavy locks of golden hair draped in front of her pinkish ears while the rest of her hair swept loose down her back.

Josie followed her into the bedroom, feeling strangely jealous at how easy it was for Amanda to maneuver around the house. Her dainty feet nimbly navigated between the dresser and the closet as she rummaged around for the perfect gowns for tonight. Meanwhile she was left to lug around on her massive feet, huffing and puffing with all the effort it took to lift them up and flop them down. To make matters worse, every step seemed to shake the floor beneath her.

"Ah ha!" Amanda exclaimed as she pulled a satin floor-length gown in a deep and sultry red out of her closet. "This is it. This is the one." She positioned Josie in front of the full-length mirror, and slid it over her head.

The generous A-line skirt hid at least the first 12 inches of her vast feet. She swept it out further trying to cover them completely, but it was no use. No matter how she adjusted the dress, her ten enormous toes and half of each foot were poking out from beneath the skirt. A sense of regret started nagging at her and she wondered if it really was a good idea to paint her nails such an eye-catching red. They didn't look pretty as much as they looked ridiculous and even more noticeable, but all she could do was hope that Derrick didn't mind.

"You look stunning," Amanda said with a tear glistening in the corner of her eye. "I'm so sorry for doing this to you. I was only trying to help."

"I know," Josie exhaled deeply, wiggling her toes into the carpet. "But if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have met Derrick and had the best night of my life."

"And tonight will be even better."

Chapter Seven:

Even with the passenger seat moved as far back as it could go, it was a tight fit for Josie. The floor beneath her was completely taken up by her cramped feet that were only barely squeezed in, and Amanda wasn't having an easy time either. At every intersection she had to turn her head fully to the right and to the left so that she could see past her ears, and each time the massive things flailed about. At long last, they pulled up to Horton's Bar and parked along the street, not too far from the front door.

"I'll walk you back to his table, but then you're on your own," Amanda said, touching up her lipstick in the rearview mirror. "I'm a confident woman, but I'm going to try to avoid the gawking public for now. Just call me when you're done, okay?"

"What about all that talk earlier? Your ears aren't that big, remember?" Josie smirked.

"They're not!" Amanda protested sharply then grabbed hold of the edge of each ear, testing their size. A frown crossed her face when she simply couldn't deny that they were monstrously huge. "Not the biggest in the world anyway, I'm convinced of that."

Josie just shook her head. Her whole body was trembling with nerves. "I can't believe I'm about to walk in there with these." She wriggled her toes a bit.

"You're going to do great," Amanda soothed. "All you have to worry about is getting to know Derrick."

Both of them got out of the car; Josie's debut was a sight to be seen as she emerged from the car feet-first and flopped her big ol' clodhoppers onto the sidewalk. The grainy sensation beneath her soles was unnerving, but she was surprised at how comfortable she was standing there on the rough pavement. They were as ready as they'd ever be to face the public in their predicament.

"It's a Saturday night," Amanda noted as she fluffed up the tulle of her pink skirt and brushed her plump ear lobes off her shoulders like she was brushing away a stray lock of hair. "The place will be busy so watch where you step with those honkin' things."

Then, with a jolt of courage, the two of them began making their way onward. One patron was already entering the bar in front of them and he stopped halfway through opening the door, seemingly frozen in shock as the strange women approached. Amanda looked gorgeous as always, but her ridiculous ears wiggled with her every step and their movement only drew attention to their tremendous size. Josie walked beside her, kicking out her bare, bulky feet then plopping them down on the sidewalk like she was lumbering along in a pair of swim flippers. She saw the stranger staring aghast as they neared and hesitated for a moment wondering if he was about to run or throw up at the sight of them.

Amanda must have sensed the wavering nerves because she leaned toward Josie and whispered, "ignore him." The two of them passed by the man who held open the door and they each chirped their thanks as if nothing unusual was happening at all.

To Josie's relief, Amanda walked into the building first. She turned her head so that her ears didn't hit the door frame on her way in, and Josie cringed a bit at the cold and vaguely sticky sensation of the floor beneath her bare feet.

"He'll be near the back," Amanda nodded. "He said he likes to keep to the shadows."

They scanned over the chattering crowd that was gathered there. People were criss crossing in front of them, flitting between the bar and the dining area and Josie's heart began to beat harder than ever. She didn't know how she would make it through all of these people with her feet. The thought of accidentally tripping in front of everyone made her heart leap into her throat.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea," she choked in a shaking voice.

"You've made it this far, just follow my lead," Amanda urged. "Excuse me!" She announced.

A few people turned toward them and ducked out of the way, silently watching with curious eyes as the oddly-shaped women trotted along. Several times Amanda's big ears accidentally slapped an unwary person in the face.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized, then quickly hustled on. Josie wasn't moving anywhere fast, though. Her fat feet took up so much real estate on the floor that she had to wait for the crowd to make room before she could take even one heavy step forward. Diligently she pushed on through the crowd, ignoring the side-eyes and judgmental glances until at long last she saw Derrick waiting for her.

He had on a full-blown custom tailored suit in jet black, and his hair was slicked back, glistening in the mild light. In front of him on the table was a tumbler of his usual: whiskey, and he twisted his Rolex nervously, like a teenager on his first date. Her thundering heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but smile when she saw him.

"Derrick!" Amanda called. She waved wildly, ears fluttering.

He perked up at the sound of his name and flashed a perfect white smile ... until he noticed their strange features. That jittery heart in Josie's chest thumped even harder when Derrick's eyes fell to her enormous feet and his jaw dropped open. She couldn't tell if it was merely shock or disgust. Why wasn't he rushing to escort her to the table? Some part of her wanted to turn and run. Clearly he wasn't interested anymore, but with her humongous feet she wouldn't be running anywhere. Josie was stuck standing there with her feet splayed wide and her huge, red-painted toes pointing directly at Derrick who finally hopped up out of his seat and hastened to her side. She smiled with anticipation at his approach.

"What happened to you ladies?" He asked in a whisper, looking around the room to see if anyone was watching them. "Josie, your feet have ... grown!"

Josie swallowed hard. Why wasn't he escorting her back to the table with his hand at her waist?

"I - I - umm..." she floundered. "Yes, they have. Is ... is that okay?"

Derrick was silent.

"Well, are you going to keep this date with Josie or not?" Amanda pressed, crossing her arms and getting straight to the point. Even her ears seemed to fan out as if they were emphasizing the importance of her question.

"I mean ..." Derrick peered down at Josie's feet that stuck out before her, draped with the hem of her dress. She curled her painted toes shyly and swept out her skirt in embarrassment, doing whatever she could to make them appear even a few inches smaller.

"Well?! I don't have all night but I do have some heavy ears and they're starting to ache, so, chop chop." Amanda reached up and brushed her hands forward beneath her ears, allowing her lobes to slouch on her shoulders again so she could ease the burden of their weight.

"I'd like to keep our date," Derrick said, smiling down at Josie. She gave a long sigh of relief and looked up at his kindly face. A warmth took hold of her, wrapping her up in a sweet bliss she'd never before felt. This man truly did love her.

Chapter Eight:

When Amanda left, Derrick exhaled with a whistle and slid his hands into his pockets. He tried to avoid looking at his date's huge feet, and Josie knew that they were going to be the elephant in the room all night long if she didn't clear the air.

"I'm really sorry about how pushy Amanda is," Josie said.

"There's no need to apologize, hon. Why don't you come sit down?" Derrick asked, gesturing toward the empty table.

Josie looked up at him and uttered a timid: "okay."

He sat down at his seat and beckoned her to join him as she hoisted up one foot and flopped it down with a hefty thud, then the other. Her skirt fluttered and her flashy toenail polish glittered with each step. The odd sight didn't seem to faze Derrick. He looked on with that charming smile of his. Oh, how she hoped with everything in her that he didn't mind what he saw!

Josie slid her oversized feet under the table as she sat down on the chair, feeling them knock clumsily into Derrick's much smaller shoes. Rosy blush bloomed across her cheeks.

"Sorry," she said and adjusted them so that they were sticking out to the side, giving Derrick room to rest his feet between them.

"So, what happened? I don't remember your feet being this generous last night." He questioned, leaning forward with a cocked eyebrow and a look of genuine interest.

"Amanda took a pill to enhance her appearance. I guess she slipped one into my drink, too, and well ... she woke up with jumbo-sized ears and I woke up with big fat feet." Josie explained. "I'm not sure if they'll get any bigger, but I doubt there's a way to shrink them back to normal. I think I'm stuck like this ... forever."