Football Time

Steven was most definitely the most handsome player on the Tigers team. Being a wide receiver he worked out a lot. Ran a lot, lifted a lot and ate well. He was blonde and rugged looking. Although he shaved every day, he looked like he had a near 5 o clock shadow constantly. His friends were many and his fears were none. He had a great future ahead of him. He was validictorian of his college class, a star football player who was going to be picked up by the Minnesota Vikings upon graduation, a fraternity member, head of several charitable organizations and openly gay. He was head of the lambda group on campus and because of his masculinity, good looks and extremely pleasing personality, no one gave him any shit about it.

He personally helped raise funds for the new wing of the local hospital childrens ward, which was one of his greatest accomplishments, but he would consider the tutilage and mentoring of his friends among his proudest moments. Friends who have gone on to become as involved and as caring as he was.

His friends, the many that claimed this title, would stand up and tell you that Steve was one of the greatest guys they had ever known. Steve was humble when approached with this fact, which made his life all that more envious.

One day on campus, Steve signed up for an experiment in the science lab. It intregued him because it said "Please sign here for a one day study on human growth, extra credit will be given for science classes." Science fascinated Steve even though he was an architect major. He also had his own personal reasons for signing the slip for an experiment that he had no clue about.

Steve was disappointed, to say the least, when he walked by the next day and saw "EXPERIMENT IN HUMAN GROWTH CANCELLED!!!" He stared blankly and something knawed in him. He was so excited to participate, he would find out why.

He talked to Eric, his best friend who was among those souls that Steve mentored. Eric moved quickly from being depressed with life and suicidal to being in the top 10 percent of his class, and involved with similar charitable campus organizations to help others. He got a new girlfriend that loved him dearly and he was ready to take on the world after graduation. His field was cancer research and already he had made some amazing discoveries that would come out in his thesis that year. Discoveries that his stunned professors believed could herald the end to cancer in many forms. Breast, testiscular, and many other forms eradicated by the findings of this young man who only needed a push, and a friend.

Steve approached Eric in the hall and asked him about the experiment. Eric's face immediately fell.

"As excited as I am about what they've accomplished with the growth experiment, Steve, I need to tell you I can't talk about it. It is a done deal"

"What do you mean?" Steve asked now more piqued in curiousity than ever.

"It's over, finished, I'm not supposed to talk about it. Why are you worried about it anyway?"

Steve paused. "Uh...because I had signed up for the experiment and I would get a few more points for my advanced biochemistry class." He hoped his lie would go undected. It didn't.

"Steve. With everything you've done for me, everything thats happened, I don't think you've ever lied to me," he laughed. "You're really not very good at it you know."

Steve laughed, "Sorry, Eric. I'm just very interested in the subject matter is all."

"Well, that's all you needed to tell me, bro," Eric smiled. "Hey with all you've done for me, it is the least I can do for you, but you gotta promise not to say anything to anyone. Hell...I don't even have to ask, I know you better than I know myself. Let's just say its confidential, big guy."

"Not a problem with me, Eric, my lips are like glue, man."

Eric looked around and pulled Steve into one of the classrooms. "OK. Again, I'm telling you this is between us." Steve nodded in agreement. "The school brass found out what Dr. Ernst was brewing and wanted part of it. He has been working for years on a growth experiment."

"You mean like growth hormones, creatine and that type?"

"No, man. This stuff is potent. He has found a way to actually increase the mass and appearance, structurally of anything to enormous proportions."

"Whoa!!!"

"Whoa is right. It could mean an end to problems like world hunger. Imagine fruit 20 times the size, cattle 10 times the size, managable yet enormous for consumption." Eric began talking faster, Steve fed off of the energy that Eric had and the excitement he saw in Eric's face made that energy palpable.

"So, what happened?"

"Dr. Ernst jumped way too quickly, is what it boils down to. He wanted to experiment with humans, he found a reversal solution as well, it won't shrink anything, but everything that grows will go back to normal size."

Steve felt an excitement he had never felt before, and tried to contain himself to not arouse suspicion in Eric. "Where's the problem then?"

"Are you kidding??? He wanted to have a few college kids grow and see if it had any effects on them. He got way too far ahead of himself. Appearantly they had used the formula on rats and frogs, but they grew at varying rates and sizes."

"What do you mean?"

Eric started to talk like a spy who was ready to crack and hadn't had anyone to tell the information to for years,"Steve, bro, some grew to 5 times their size and others to 20. They could never predict how big anything could get, same happened with all in adimate objects; paper clips, tacks, pencils. Most experiments were done in a barn..."

"The barn the Pi Phi's had their formal in?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, how did you?"

"Its the only barn I know of thats near campus."

"Well, anyway, doing it to animals and objects is one thing but on a human is entirely another. Even with a subject's consent, tons of red tape needs to be meticulously gone through. Like I said he got too excited and went too fast and administration found out. They werent mad but told him to slow it down."

Steve was visibly shaking now, "A-and everything went back d-down in size? What's the problem then?"

Eric put a hand on his shoulder, "Think about it. The power that comes with that formula. I know its a bit scary, but they'll be taking all precautions and going through all channels. To answer your question more directly, yeah everything other than the growth unpredictabilty factor seems to be cool. No other problems."

Steve questioned Eric only a little bit more, finding out that the formula would be kept by Dr. Ernst privately and not shared anymore. Steve thanked Eric for the information and left. Steve was a good soul, Eric knew he would never share that information with anyone. However, he didn't know all there was to know about Steve. No one did.

Steve was in his dorm only 5 minutes before striping down and putting on running clothes. In a matter of minutes he was in the barn where many dances were held and of late, many experiments conducted in near-secrecy. He glanced at his watch and realized he would be late soon for football practice. Well if this went as planned, he might not have to go.

Steve scoured the barn and found the refrigerator that he assumed held the solutions. It was new and very out of place, as he approached he reaized there were two of them, one stacked upon the other. Both were wrapped with chains and signs of biohazard placed on them. Upon closer inspection Steve saw they were due to be picked up tomorrow and disposed of.

He had come prepared. With the same set of cutters he used to get into the barn he cut open both of the refrigerators. Biohazard or not, he might be able to get rid of them soon.

He looked and just as he had hoped and prayed, there was a vile in the top one marked "antidote", but he was greeted with an empty fridge on the bottom, save a small greenish puddle that he assumed was spilled. He looked and his heart beat faster than it ever had. He knew what he wanted and he would get it one way or another. He didnt know if this was how it was done, but he licked a bit of the green stuff then spread some on the football cleats he had been wearing around his neck for practice, and on the wiped off his finger on his running shorts.

He prayed that this would work. He sat there for 10 minutes and nothing happened, no feelings or anything. Then he decided to go. A wave of guilt fell over him for what he had done and was planning. He couldn't be that bad could he? He threw the chains in the bushes and locke the barn again. Oh, well, he thought. It was a great dream, but God, I do have a life to get back too, and it's a damn good one. I don't need to screw it up.

He raced to the lockerroom just in time for practice to begin, as he put on his cleats and pads, he noticed that they were a little tight. He thought nothing of it and ran outside. Running made his pants feel tight as well as his cup. He was in full gear for a scrimmage to start the practice, but damn, it felt wierd, as a matter of fact he felt weird. A little woozy when Reg, one of the defensive line came over and patted him on the back.

"You OK, man?" Reg said.

Steve stood back up and Reg backed off. "Whoa, brother." Steve was shorter than Reg yet, now he was looking down at him. He must have been 3 inches taller, putting him at 6'7" The queasiness now mingled with excitment! He knew what was happening!!! His dream was coming true! He yelled a primal yell as the rest of the team looked back at him...

(to be continued?)