CHAPTER 142

"Hey, Matty?" Belle called. "I need you to get me the madeleine pan up there."

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Belle pointing to the top shelf of one of the cabinets. I set down my knife and the carrot I'd been chopping, took three steps to the left, and reached up to grab the pan. It was a regular occurrence for me to grab things on high shelves for Belle. She'd grown as tall as she would ever get by age fourteen and stopped at only 5'1", slender yet stacked, like a lingerie model at four-fifths scale. Her mom had been a short, busty little woman, too. On the other hand, I hit my growth spurt right when Belle stopped and now stood 6'1", taller even than Belle's dad.

Belle said thanks and busied herself pouring batter into the molds. Today was the Wednesday after Labor Day. Tomorrow would be the first day of school, and she wanted to bring treats for our friends. Her dad had not yet come home from work, and even though I didn't actually live in this house, I was making dinner for the