Kristie Davenport stared at her breasts in the bathroom mirror, having wiped away the late evening fog from her shower.

I started getting breasts when I was ten. They grew slowly, until they stopped back in 7th grade. From then to right after Halloween, nothing. Just barely a B-cup, not enough for cleavage, but looked really weird with any augmentation bras as my lame mother calls them. Falsies. And now?

Kristie shook her head again, staring at the two imposing melons on her chest. They're huge. Me, who never sagged, who didn't need support... now I sag. Not much, but I do. My nipples, just quarter-sized at Halloween, are now bigger than silver dollars. When I rub myself, my nipples get nearly as big as my whole breast used to be.

And rubbing myself... I thought Halloween was cool, doing it in front of everyone, laughing at them, so lame and clueless. Then Cousin Glennie had shown me a thing or two about rubbing breasts, particularly nipples and now when I rub these, the sensations are ten times what they were before. My nipples stay erect all day, just from my bra! I couldn't do my ghost costume again, because it would take everyone standing up screaming and shouting to drown out the noise I make.

Kristie brought up both hands to knuckle her eyes, carefully avoiding her breasts. Rub them and Mom will be on my case again about too long in the bathroom. She yawned, slipped on her robe and went back to her bedroom, putting on her Hillary Duff CD to fall asleep to.

Wouldn't it be nice to be a rock star? she mused, picturing it in her head. People cheering and waving, bright lights and big cars; beautiful dresses, handsome people all around her, awaiting her beck and call. Ann Marie Kruger would have nothing on Kristie Davenport then!

She sneered, thinking about Ann Marie.

Stupid lame school! Stupid lame teachers! Stupid lame class play! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

We need angels, Ms. Cox said.

Who needs dumb, stupid ass angels?

Oh, let's let Ann Marie and Kristie be angels!

Kristie tried to calm herself, but years of rat treatment by the rat bitch rose up and caused a raw feeling in the back of her throat.

Can't let her get the best of me! It's happened too many times!

Kristie shook her head. Ann Marie wins. Always. Just get it over with, that's all Kristie wanted. Two rehearsals, two performances; I can do this... I can.

And what really pissed Kristie off? After thinking about Ann Marie she didn't feel like rubbing herself! Stupid! Stupid lame bitch! Ruins everything she gets near!

Kristie came out of the dressing rooms, walked quietly to the rear of the stage area, stayed partly in shadow, watching quietly. Ms. Cox, the drama teacher, was busy on the stage proper, talking to the kids who played Mary and Joseph. Kristie giggled, remembering what Principal Snyder had said to Ms. Cox's idea to have a real donkey on stage.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kristie saw Ann Marie standing with fists on her hips, looking like she owned the place. Ann Marie seemed to be watching the same thing Kristie was, and was no more eager to move forward, either. What, Kristie thought, don't tell me you miss Angela and Andrea? If Andrea did any worse in school, it's not gonna be the Dean's list she'll be on... she'll be the list of those coming back again next year.

Kristie saw Ann Marie's eyes roam, then fix on Kristie. Sure enough, Ann Marie started marching right at Kristie.

Kristie contemplated a quick trip to the bathroom, then decided that it would be a big waste just to avoid the aggravation. Ann Marie would still be right here when she got back. Better to just get it over with.

Ann Marie stopped a foot away and gestured imperiously at Kristie's angel wings. "Your wings sag."

For a moment Kristie's world flashed red; you stupid bitch, I had to put this lame costume on by myself! You're supposed to have someone help with the wings, to get all that shit inside them straight! But no... you were too busy sucking up to Ms. Cox! No, everyone else was too busy with just about anything else, instead of giving me a hand!

Kristie's eyes blazed, and for the first time in Kristie's life she saw something in Ann Marie's face that wasn't smug, supercilious contempt. Kristie wasn't sure what Ann Marie was feeling, but it wasn't her usual rat bitch attitude.

Kristie took a step closer to Ann Marie, her eyes blazing. "Maybe if I'd had someone to help, they'd be ok." Kristie's voice was low and brittle. She took another step closer to Ann Marie, who took a quick step back, only to bump into the wall of the stage.

"Maybe if you were a human being instead of a turd," Kristie was really going now! "You'd have come over here and said 'Hey, let me help you with those.'" Kristie moved another bit closer, this time her breasts bumping Ann Marie's.

"But no, not Ann Marie Kruger! No! That's not who Ann Marie is!"

For a second the two of them stood eye-to-eye, toe-to-toe. Then it happened: Ann Marie blinked.

And as stunning an upset as that was, it was almost as big a surprise when Ann Marie's eyes flicked down and fixed on Kristie's breasts.