Freedom at Last

Lily pressed her face against the grand window of her family's villa, watching the black sedan disappear down the winding driveway. Her parents were finally gone for their week-long business trip to Minnesota.

"Yes!" she whispered, spinning around in the marble foyer. No more stuffy dinner parties with boring adults talking about investments. No more having to wear uncomfortable dresses and sit up straight for hours.

She pulled out her phone and texted her best friend Emma: "They're gone! Sleepover tomorrow night? We can order pizza, stay up all night, and eat ALL the ice cream!"

Emma's reply came instantly: "OMG YES! I'll bring candy and chips!"

Lily grinned, already planning their epic night. She walked through the enormous kitchen, opening every cabinet and drawer. Cookies, candy bars, frozen pizza, ice cream, sodas - everything her health-conscious parents never let her touch.

Tomorrow would be perfect.

The Morning After

Emma arrived Saturday evening with three bags of candy and a huge grin. "This is going to be the best night ever!" she squealed, dumping everything on the marble kitchen counter.

Lily ordered four large pizzas, grabbed every container of ice cream from the freezer, and opened bag after bag of chips. They spent the night watching movies, eating non-stop, and laughing until their stomachs hurt from more than just the food.

When Lily woke up Sunday morning, something felt wrong. Her pajamas were stretched tight across her body. She sat up slowly, looking down at herself in shock.

"Emma, wake up!" she whispered urgently.

Emma rolled over and gasped. Her clothes were also straining at the seams. They both looked like they had gained twenty pounds overnight.

"What happened to us?" Emma whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

Lily stumbled to the bathroom mirror. Her face was puffy, her body completely different. The girl staring back looked nothing like the popular, graceful Lily everyone knew at school.

"We have to fix this before anyone sees us," Lily said desperately.