"Ha! Pinned ya again!"
Aaron only grinned in reply, ruffling the hair of Tyler, his younger brother, who was lying on top of him. Of course, "pinned" wasn't really the right word, as Tyler's legs and arms couldn't even reach all the way around the chest of the bigger, more muscular tiger. But it didn't really matter; after all, they were just roughhousing and having fun with each other.
"That's two for me, none for you!" Tyler exclaimed as he rolled off onto the floor. "I win!"
"Awww, dang it!" Aaron pouted playfully. "C'mon, best three out of five?"
Tyler rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Nah, Aaron, I know you're letting me win. Thanks, but I think we can stop... for now." Leaning in, however, Tyler gave him a playful punch on the arm. "But some day, I'll be as big as you-- or even bigger! Then we'll have a fair fight!"
"Yeah..." Smiling softly and nodding, Aaron nevertheless couldn't help himself from doubting that. After all, the ten-year-old tiger was definitely on the scrawny side. At 4'4" and 80 pounds, he was even outsized by some of the mouse and bat kids in his class. Why, when he was his age, Aaron would've been almost a foot taller and twice as thick. He knew that Tyler would probably hit a growth spurt at some point, but he was starting to think that might not be enough to help him catch up.
Maybe, Aaron thought to himself as he watched Tyler start doing some sit ups, I can find something that could provide a little boost.
*****
The tall brawny tiger walked down the aisles of the nutrition store, not even sure that they'd have what he was looking for here. Sure, he'd bought plenty of protein shakes and muscle enhancers here before, but he had naturally been graced by a height over seven feet tall, so it had never occurred to him to look for anything that helped overall size before. At least, until now.
He had to go through nearly three-quarters of the store before he found something that looked like it would fit the bill. QuickSprout Powder, the label read. Can provide up to an extra six inches in height in just eight weeks! Just stir two spoonfulls in with water! Scanning the rest of the shelves around it, Aaron didn't see anything else that looked similar, and he realized he was holding the last bottle. Figuring that it was either a hot ticket item or on clearance, he quickly made up his mind to purchase it, bringing it to the counter along with his regular monthly supplements.
Perhaps he made up his mind a little too quickly, however, for if he read the rest of the bottle, Aaron would've noticed a warning label: WARNING: Keep out of the reach of children who are going through or haven't yet entered puberty. If a child ingests this product, please call this number immediately...
***
Scooping in two spoonfuls into a mostly-full glass, Aaron watched as the powder quickly dissolved. He brought it up to his nose, sniffing it. There wasn't any odor as far as he could tell, and the powder seemed to fade into the water, nearly completely invisible. "Hmmm, I suppose a third spoonful wouldn't hurt," he murmured, as he mixed another one in. Thoroughly stirring the drink, he then brought it into the living room, where Tyler was lying on the couch, watching TV.
"Here," Aaron said as he handed Tyler the glass. "Try this. It's something I picked up at the nutrition store."
The younger tiger grabbed the glass and peered into it. "What is it?"
Aaron paused, trying to decide just how much of the truth he should tell Tyler. "It's... something that will make sure you grow up well," he finally said.
Shrugging, Tyler brought the glass to his lips. He slowly lapped at it first, then, as his eyes lit up, he started drinking it faster. Aaron noticed the tip of his brother's tail seemed to flick back and forth excitedly as he drank the mixture. He must like it, he thought.
As he finished, he lowered the glass and let out a loud, satisfied sigh. "Aaah, that was great!" he exclaimed. "I might want some more of that soon!"
"Heh," Aaron chuckled, "well, I'll keep it in the pantry next to my stuff. Just let me know when."
"Okay!" Tyler beamed, as he suddenly leapt to his feet, seemingly bouncy and full of energy. This startled Aaron, but after a moment he shrugged it off. Kids, he thought, shaking his head.
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