Eric Templeton was 15 and in love. He was also in a quandary. His love interest, a) didn't know he existed; and b) was about 2 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. Eric had always been what some would describe as "slight." He was by no means wimpy, whiny, or a crybaby; he was just smaller than average. Reasonably athletic, proportionately strong, above-average coordination, he was normal in nearly every other way. His only other "difference" was that he enjoyed being smaller; especially smaller than some of the girls he was attracted to. He had "discovered" his "kink" that summer, when, at a pool party at a friend's house, on a dare, 18 out of the 20 girls there had been able to lift him over their shoulders or in their arms, and carry him several feet around the yard. Eric thought of his interest as a "kink" but not necessarily one he felt ashamed of, nor that he wanted to change. Although his former girl friend had been turned off when he appeared to enjoy this activity, Eric didn't mind, for he had found a whole new area of pleasure had opened up to him.

Diane Bailey, 5-9, 145 pounds of fit, strong, beautiful high school junior swam her laps warming up for the drills easily, smoothly; her lean, defined arms and legs cutting a nearly effortless path through the pool. She was oblivious to Eric's attention. As she made her near-perfect turns at each end, he silently admired the grace and strength she projected, seemingly without any idea of the effect she was having on him. He thought back to just a few weeks ago, when Diane had carried him from the middle of the pool to the steps at the end, up the steps, and 50 or so feet to his towel, gently setting him back on his feet without even breathing hard. Two inches taller, she had smiled sweetly at him, not at all condescending, not arrogant nor making fun of the fact that she was clearly superior to him physically. Now, Eric gazed at her admiringly, but certain there was little if any chance of a relationship between them. As he walked to the end of the pool to practice his starts, she completed the lap, slowed, and looked up at him. Treading water, she grabbed her hair and pulled it back, wringing the water out, and driving Eric crazy as he admired the firmness and definition of her upper arms. "Hi, Eric!"

"Hi, Di," Eric replied. "You're lookin' good!"

"Ah, I don't know. I don't feel particularly coordinated today," she told him. "Thanks, though."

Eric held his breath as he considered what to say next. "Diane," he began, "Would you mind doing me a favor?" Eric was thinking as he spoke, formulating a way to get physical with her again, somehow, some way.

"Sure! I'm gonna take a break anyhow. What do you need?"

"Well, Coach told me I need to work on my starts for the relays." Eric thought he might have an idea. "Would you mind swimming to the end, and I'll practice getting a better start? You know, sort of anticipating your touch and starting my dive to maybe shave off a couple tenths."

"Sure," Diane grinned up at him. "Let me get back a few yards." She leapt backwards into a powerful backstroke, and again, Eric had to force his breathing to be slow and smooth.

"Her upper body is amazing," he was thinking. "She's got to be bigger than I am across the shoulders. How can I get her to wrestle around a little?"

"OK," Diane snapped Eric out of his daydream. "Ready?" She started her stroke and Eric leaned over the starting block. Just an instant before she touched the end, Eric pushed off and knifed into the water. As his legs went under, he just brushed her foot with his leg and the electricity was almost tangible. He came up immediately, and spun around, spraying water off his head.

"How was that," he asked her. "Did you notice if I left too soon, or could I take off even a little earlier?"

"Yeah, I think you could take off even sooner," Diane smiled at him. "Want to try again?"

This time, Eric knew what he was going to do. The worst she could do was laugh at him. He felt certain she wouldn't. It would be worth the try, anyway, he thought. "Yeah, I would, if it's OK with you. I'd really like to make the starting team this trip."

"I have about ten minutes before Coach wants us to do time trials. Let's try a few more," Diane told him. "It's good that you want to improve as much as you can, Eric. I think it's cool that a little guy like you'" She stopped suddenly. "I didn't mean-I mean, you're not little, Eric, I didn't mean it that way-"

"Sure!" Eric glared at her in mock anger. She was playing right into his hands. "I know. I'm just this little, cute kid for you to tease." Then he grinned at her with a twinkle in his eye. "I'll show you-" He ducked under suddenly, surprising her with his quickness, and came up with her held tightly around the waist and over his shoulder. Unfortunately, Eric hadn't thought about the fact that, at the five-foot depth, his nose was still under water! He could hear her laughing and feel her kicking, but he had to stand on his toes, and occasionally jump, to keep his head high enough to breathe! And she felt surprisingly heavy, and hard, yet so good he hated to let her go. But it was that or drown, so he pushed up on her thighs, flipping her into the water. Then he took a couple of strokes toward the end of the pool, where the four-foot depth would at least let him stand upright. As he went to put his legs down though, there was a strong hand around his ankle, pulling him up and back. Then a second hand caught the same leg a little higher, near his calf, and he was pulled completely off the pool floor, hanging helplessly by one leg, in Diane's strong hands. As Eric struggled to keep his head out of the water, he heard her laughing.

"So, you'll show me, huh?" She was still laughing. "What, exactly, is it, that you were gonna show me?"

Eric's head was again under water and he had no other choice (not that he minded his only choice), but to hold on to Diane at the waist, and hold his head out of the water to breathe. She in turn began pulling him higher, by holding his leg and going hand over hand, as though his body were a fish and his leg the rope on which it was hooked! Eventually, she had both her hands around his thigh, just above the knee, and he was suspended with his head just at the level of her ribs. This girl was strong! "OK, OK," now it was Eric's turn to laugh. "You win. You showed me!"

"Just don't forget," Diane grinned at him. "You're a likable little guy, and I say that affectionately, Eric. I don't mean to embarrass you, really. I'm not, am I?"

"Oh, no," Eric replied dryly. "I just love it when girls overpower me in front of a lot of people I know. Now why don't you just complete the picture and carry me back to the end so I can practice some more!" Eric hoped it sounded sarcastic enough so Diane wouldn't catch how much he really enjoyed this, but at the same time, she might consider it a challenge and do exactly that! Sort of like B'rer Rabbit's "Please don't throw me in dat briar patch!" trick.

"All right you little shit," Diane was grinning at him. "Maybe I'll just do that!"

Eric's heart skipped several beats as Diane sort of dropped him into the pool head first, and in the same motion, ducked down and caught him up in her arms and held him close to her as if he were about 3 years old. She walked slowly toward the end where Eric had been diving from and in a tremendous show of strength, even though he only weighed about 130 pounds, swung him up and slipped her hands under his butt, lifting him to the edge and setting him there with little apparent effort.

"Wow," was all Eric could say. "You are amazing, Di! I really didn't think you could do it!"

"Are you sure?" she asked him, grinning that devilish way again. "Or do you really like being held close like that? It's OK, Eric, really, cause I like doing it!"

Again his heart fluttered, both from the warmth of Diane's smile, and the thought that she really seemed to be flirting with him a little, even though she was obviously his superior, physically. "I have to admit, Di; I don't mind your squeezing me like you did." OK, it was out in the open now. How would she react? "The fact that you can toss me around like a rag doll doesn't really bother me, either. You don't think I'm weird, do you?" Eric waited, his heart nearly stopped, consciously controlling his breathing. Diane smiled at him, but said nothing. Was she laughing at, or with him? "Well, Di," Eric continued, "do you have time to help me practice my relay entrances any more?"

Diane glanced at the clock, and looked back at Eric, still with that quizzical smile on her face. "Yeah, I guess. It's still a few minutes before Coach will be ready. Let's get you on the starting team, whattya say?"

Eric jumped to his feet, almost like a kid seeing a Christmas Tree. It had worked far better than he could have imagined. Not only that, but he thought there may be future chances for horseplay with this vision of loveliness and power. "OK, Di. Thanks. I really appreciate this."

Diane once again did her backstroke a few yards away, and looked up at Eric. "Ready? Now, this time, push off when you see my hand about a foot from the end. That should give you the perfect start. OK, here I come!" She again swam two powerful crawl strokes, and was, Eric figured, just about a foot away when he pushed himself in. This time they didn't touch as he entered the water, and when he surfaced and turned back to ask Diane how he had done, she wasn't there! He noticed the shadow, just as he felt something behind his legs, and felt himself lifted out of the water. Looking down, Diane's beautiful, laughing face was grinning back up at him, sputtering, and dripping. She held him tightly around each thigh, and said, "That was perfect!. Your feet left exactly as I touched the end. You do that in practice and you'll save at least two tenths, maybe three. You'll start the next relay too, I'll bet!" She started towards the pool end, Eric still riding high and thrilled on her shoulders. "We'll do this once more. Then I think you'll have it!" When Diane reached the edge she leaned forward a little and Eric stood up. She backed out from under him, did her backstroke again and said, "Let's do it!"

Eric couldn't believe this was happening. It was like a dream, and he was sure to wake up. He gazed at Diane, with whom he was rapidly falling in love. "OK," he said. "Go!" She stroked and he watched, mesmerized at her strength and power, then at exactly the right time, again he dived in, surfaced and turned to Diane. This time she was there, grinning again.

"Wheee-oooo! You hit it again! You are a quick learner!" She stood there with her hands on her hips, and Eric thought he might collapse from excitement and nerves, she was so beautiful! He couldn't resist swimming back towards her.

"You really think so? Diane, you've been such a great help! I can't thank you enough." He swam up close to her and leaped at her neck, wrapping his arms around those incredible shoulders, and kissed her on the forehead as Diane held him around the waist with his feet off the pool floor. He lifted his legs and wrapped them around her waist and she lifted her face to his and kissed him right on the mouth! "Diane," Eric began, "I'm crazy about you! I love watching you, and playing with you, and I could stay wrapped around you like this forever!"

"You feel good there too, Eric. I think I could like having a guy like you who can handle the idea of being'I don't know'I hate to say "overpowered,' cause that makes it sound like I would be beating you up all the time; but I probably am stronger than you, or at least as strong, anyway, and that doesn't seem to matter to you. Does it?"

Diane was looking at Eric so sweetly, and so seriously, he was overwhelmed. "You know," Eric said, "some men beat up their wives or girlfriends just because they can. Most women and many men, including me, think that's sick. In our case, the roles might be reversed, but don't count me out. Maybe sometime we can wrestle and see. Anyway, you're right, it doesn't bother me if you turn out to be stronger than me. But I would never stand for you humiliating me, or abusing me, just because you can. Just because I'm a guy and you're a girl, doesn't change that."

As Eric was talking to her, he became aware they were moving. Diane was walking, carrying him, rocking so gently and gracefully in the water as she did so, he hadn't realized it. She reached the steps and climbed to the top, Eric still holding on and enjoying the ride immensely. Unbelievably, Diane released her hug, put her hands under his arms and set him back down on the floor. "Eric. There is one thing. I don't know how much you weigh. I know I'm heavier. But I want you to pick me up, right now, in your arms. It's important to me. I don't mind it if you're not big or macho. But I don't want a wimpy guy who can't carry me. I like that, too, as a girl. So, let's see."

Again, Eric was absolutely incredulous. This girl, whom he thought might be the most unreachable girl he could ever dream of having, wanted him to be her boyfriend, and all he had to do was carry her around a little? Thank God he had been working out and swimming a lot these past few months. This ought to be a breeze! "Diane! You can't be serious!" he kidded. "You expect me to carry you? Jeez! OK, I'll give it a try." Inside he was delirious with joy. He stood next to her, reached his right arm around her back and swept his left arm behind her knees, swinging her up in the air much more easily than Diane, or Eric himself, for that matter, ever expected. "Oh wow, you must weigh a lot! I can hardly move!!!" Then he tossed her lightly in the air and caught her, one, two, three, four times. He scrunched down and straightened back up, swinging her legs over his left shoulder, catching her hard, flat stomach on his shoulder with his left arm over her back. She straightened out and stretched both her arms like wings. "You," Eric said, "are like a great big, beautiful, lovable bird!" He pulled down on her shoulders with his left arm, and flipped her neatly down to her feet, catching her at the waist to steady her.

"Wow!" Diane turned and looked at Eric. "You're something! You're much stronger than you look! I think we are gonna enjoy each other's company!" Before Eric had time to do more than grin at her, she gave him a bear hug that lifted him well off the floor, held him there for several seconds, again kissed him on the mouth, and grinned at him before letting him back down. "I gotta practice. Swimming. I'll "practice' with you later!"

End