Plans were made very quickly by your family to split up and reconvene later. Your mom said she'd made plans to go the resort's spa with your stepmom, Helena, who'd texted to confirm she and your dad would be joining everyone on vacation. Though, in practice, it'd really be just her because no doubt she'd keep your licensed father as an article of clothes the entire trip. Your "Aunt" Barbara and someday sister-in-law Vicky, made plans to grab a bite to eat, while Sarah, who'd just gotten off of a double shift at the hospital, decided to relax and tan at the pool and Katherine had decided to join her.
That left you with mere seconds to do the mental math on which option would cause you the least plan.
You knew going anywhere with your ditz of a mom and usage-licensed minded stepmom would either result in you being crushed or literally objectified, and, although you were hungry, you knew going with Aunt Barb was all but volunteering yourself to take a trip through her digestive tract... again. That just left tanning and though Katherine posed her own unique set of dangers, at least your kind-hearted, elder sister Sarah wouldn't let Katherine get away with pulling her "pranks" on you right under her nose.
"I think I'll stay and tan with you two," you said loudly, catching Sarah's eye, who nodded. She'd been in the middle of stifling a yawn when she caught your eye. It sounded like she'd had a long night at work. Hopefully she'd gotten enough rest on the trip to the resort to keep being your guardian angel. Just then your eyes were drawn to Aunt Barb as she reached down to grab Brett, presumably to put him back in her back pocket, and you rushed forward, waving your arms. "Aunt Barb, wait! Let Brett stay here! It's been a long time since we go to hang out together!"
"Oh, sure! I'm sure Brett would love that!" Aunt Barb said, perking up. "Brett said he was looking forward to seeing you again, and he's already in his swim trunks." Brett was still reforming but gave you a grateful look as he became less of a tan square. "Wait," Barb said, looking at you closer. "Aren't you tanning? Where's your swimsuit, Anthony?"
"I have it," Katherine said.
You didn't even have to look at her to feel her malicious smirk. You remembered your mother had mentioned Katherine had grabbed some of your old clothes. You doubted the swimwear she picked out for you was dignified. As she pulled her hand out of her purse and opened her palm, your eyes confirmed it wasn't. It was a Tinex speedo the exact same color as your skin.
"There's no way I'm weari--"
Before you could finish your sentence, Katherine roughly grabbed you and began ripping your clothes off. Literally. Your shirts and pants were reduced to shreds by her fingernails.
"Katherine!" Sarah snapped angrily.
"What?" Katherine asked in feigned innocence. "I'm just helping our lil bro get dressed... and... TA-DA!" she said, dropping your mortified self on the table, most of your flesh bare save for the far too revealing speedo. You looked practically naked!
"Aww, what a cute swimsuit," your mom cooed.
"A very bold choice, Anthony," Barbara said drinking in the sight of you. "Hubba hubba," she said, then mimed a cat swiping its paw and actually purred, causing you to turn beet red in embarrassment, offering the only change in color from your swimsuit and causing everyone else to laugh save for Sarah, who fortunately scooped you and Brett up in her hand.
Everyone said their goodbyes and soon enough you were situated on a small table between two pool chairs with Sarah and Katherine on either side of you. Katherine had pulled down her white short shorts and taken off her green tube top to show off a revealing bright green bikini top and bottom, while Sarah pulled off her sundress to reveal her own two-piece swimwear. Though Sarah's white bikini covered more flesh, concealing her curves only emphasized how large they were, making her look more appealing than Katherine's outfit which exposed more skin. Katherine, at least, clearly felt that way given the sour look she gave her older sister.
Turning your attention to Brett, you saw your friend was having some difficulty reforming. Presumably being away from his mother so frequently on the other side of the country for work meant that he hadn't needed to reform as much, as opposed to needing to do it hourly due to being squashed at his mom's house. If you were lucky, having your own apartment meant one day you'd have a similar problem being out of practice reforming.
"Need some help?" you asked.
Brett looked like he was an accordion with his arms and feet back but his torso compacted, but he brushed your offer off. "You kidding me? I'll be better in no time! Of the two of us, I've always been a wiz at reforming!"
You rolled your eyes. "Right. Let me give you a hand, Merlin."
Before Brett could protest, you placed your feet firmly on his, grabbed both his wrists and pulled them up with all your strength in a stretch, popping him back into shape.
"Dude!" Brett whined. "I said I'd take care of it!"
"Yeesh, sorry, didn't know it was such a big deal."
You knew Brett could be competitive but this was surprising. Then you followed his gaze and saw his eyes were fixed on Katherine as she lounged on her chair, posing to look sexy for another selfie. You felt a migraine coming on and facepalmed.
"Dude," you said. "Seriously?!"
"This is gonna be it, man," Brett said, smiling confidently. "I can feel it! Before this vacation's over, Katherine's gonna be my girlfriend."
"Dude," you said flatly.
It was the only word to describe how mindnumbingly stupid Brett's feelings for your big sister were. For as long as you could remember, Brett had nursed a major crush on Katherine, and for as long as you could remember, Katherine had used his feelings for her to wrap him around her little finger and do everything she asked. A wink here, a cutesy petname there, and Brett was putty in her hands, ready to do anything that made her happy. And what made Katherine happy was pranking him for new content for her subscribers. But no matter how many times Katherine had arranged for him to be stepped on by Sarah, sat on by your mom, or eaten by his own mom, all Katherine needed to do was blow him a kiss to get Brett to forgive her and come crawling back for more.
It was annoying enough that Brett was enough of a horndog to keep falling for Katherine's manipulations, but what made it worse was your guilty conscience spurred you into action to get your best friend out of trouble... which, in reality, just meant you would also end up getting stepped on, sat on, and eaten.
Of the 10 million followers she had, how many were hooked in by promises of seeing your best friend tortured? For that matter, how many had subscribed to see you tortured? That was a horrifying thought if there ever was one.
"Seriously," you said, forcing him to look you in the eye. "Read my lips: It--will--NEVER--happen. Katherine's just using you!"
Brett put a hand on your shoulder, and sighed pityingly. "Tone," he said shaking his head, then shook it again with each repetition of your name, "Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone... Tone. You have a lot to learn about the fairer sex, my friend. You don't know the subtle intricacies of seduction."
"Subtleties?! Every time you flirt with her, you end up getting crushed into a smear, turned into clothes, or boiling in someone's stomach!"
"That's just how Katherine expresses affection," Brett argued. "Y'know, like, when a kid picks on someone to show they have a crush on them."
"Are you kidding me?! That's like saying because Rebecca Lewis made high school a living hell for me that she must secretly be in love with me!"
"Weren't you her date to senior prom?"
You winced at the humiliation of that memory. "I wasn't her date. She made me her butt's date. She kept me wedged up her ass all night!"
"And that doesn't sound like flirting?"
Brett casting your old bully's abuse in a romantic light, literally made you recoil at the thought of it, and he took advantage of that to push past you and walk across the table towards Katherine, who was absorbed in her phone.
"Watch and learn, bro," Brett said, "and someday you too will find love!"
"I won't save you if you get squashed!" you called out angrily.
"Won't be an issue," Brett said without looking back.
You groaned. It looked like nothing you said would convince your idiot of a best friend to turn back before he got himself in serious trouble. You knew you just said you wouldn't help him, but were you really going to let him walk off to his doom? You turned to look at Sarah, who was being handed a drink from a waitress, unable to stifle an even larger yawn than before even as she thanked the woman. The smart thing to do would just be to hang out with your eldest sister. Yes, she seemed tired--really tired--but you knew she'd never hurt you or let Katherine mess with you like your mom allowed. And if you did see Katherine begin to mess with Brett, you could tell Sarah to save him... provided she didn't fall asleep, which looked like a very real possibility.
Groaning even louder you threw up your hands and...
Choice 1) Followed Brett over to Katherine, hoping to keep your friend out of danger.
Choice 2) Made your way over to Sarah to talk with her. Hopefully she doesn't fall asleep on you.
Choice 3) Writer's Choice
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