This night, Valerie barely slept. She had committed to something she’d have preferred to evade all her life. Still, the next day would bring a rupture in her perspective. Coming to terms with her body would be her challenge. She got up at five am, restless and desperate. At first, she just sat in the kitchen, unsure of what to do. Finally, she decided herself, packed a tracksuit into her bag, grabbed a towel and some shampoo and went to the next gym. When she arrived, the entrance was flooded by greyish neon light. Outside, it was still dark. However, there was already some activity. People who got up early were getting ready for their day, using the lonely morning hours for some light cardio. She approached the desk and asked the rather fit receptionist:
“Hello. My name is Valerie Arubaya and I’d like to join.”
The man was wide awake, smiled and said:
“No problem. Just fill in this form and you’re on. My name’s Daniel. If you need any help, I can assist you. Just tell me, if you need something.”
She nodded, filled in the form, returned it and paid the membership fees for the first month. She then said:
“Are you a personal trainer?”
“Actually, I am. We take turns at desk duty.”
“Excellent. Would you train me? You seem to be friendly.”
“Thank you. I hope I am. If you want it, I can train you. Do you have a specific goal?”
Valerie looked deep into his eyes, hesitating. After a few seconds, she answered:
“Yes. I have one. I want to become a bodybuilder. I want big, powerful muscles.”
Daniel shook his head in disbelief.
“What? Why?”
“Just so. You heard me. I want to be as muscular as I can. Can you help me?”
“Uh. Of course. Are you sure? It’s not standard in any way. Besides, most people don’t approve…”
“I don’t give a shit about other people. I just want to do this right. Are you in? Will you help me?”
Now it was Daniel’s turn to search her eyes for clues. Was this some kind of crazy test, some practical joke? Was there a hidden camera somewhere? He looked around, then said:
“You are aware that this is a lot of work? This lifestyle isn’t for everyone. It doesn’t exactly leave time for anything else, you know.”
“No problem for me. I can be here all day.”
“Okay. You’re on. Let’s start right away. You’re off for cardiovascular training, to build your endurance.”

A few hours later, Raffaela woke up in bed next to her boyfriend. The events of the last evening were slowly fading into strange memories. She smiled at him gladly, then thought about the challenge. She’d have to comply. The very idea of being upstaged by someone as plain and uptight as Valerie was inconceivable. She lifted her arm, flexing her biceps. A very small bump formed. She tried to imagine herself with huge muscles, just like Diana. She turned her forearm, watching the bump move under her skin. It did have its charm, although she wondered where she’d get clothes with arms like these. On the other hand, Diana’s abs were quite beautiful. Having a true to form six-pack would be great.
At last, Kieran stirred. She turned around, lying on his broad chest, playing with his chest hair. She asked:
“Did you sleep well?”
“Perfect.” He smiled, then kissed her. Their nights together were far too few. “How about you?”
“It was okay. I have a lot on my mind right now, so it’s not as easy to sleep well.”
“Is this about your course with this guru professor? Can I help you?”
She grinned.
“Maybe you can.” She dropped downward, then suddenly blew on his stomach, producing a loud, burping sound. He jerked up, squealing with surprise and delight. She jumped back on top of him, held his wrists with her hands and placed her hips on his. “How about taking me to the gym with you today?”
“You want to work out?”
“Exactly. I want to tone up a little. Get a six-pack, you know, girl stuff…”
“Whatever.”

The next six weeks were a blur for Valerie. Her days were basically composed of training, eating, relaxing, getting massages to promote muscle growth, writing reports and reading literature on exercise and nutrition. Her progress was excellent. Daniel was really surprised. She slowly but relentlessly shed her body fat, reducing her belly as her arms and shoulders grew. Soon, her biceps were easily visible when flexed and her breasts rose a little as she flexed her chest. She spent her days in exercise gear, always ready to add another rep when Daniel asked her to. He really admired her dedication, even going so far as to increase his training regime to follow suit.
After these six weeks, she had lost 30 pounds but increased her muscle mass at the same time. Still, she was still far from fitness competitor level, let alone bodybuilder shape. Just as she finished her leg exercises, wiping the sweat from her brow, she asked Daniel:
“Can’t this go any faster? I’m doing all I can, but I’m nowhere near of where I want to be.”
“I’m sorry. You’re doing great. I’ve never had anybody with your dedication, but this is as fast as it will go.”
“Look. I’ve watched the news. I seriously don’t want to compete in any bodybuilding shows or contests or anything. I just want bigger muscles. So I’m asking you again: Is there a way to get more quicker?”
“You’re talking about drugs.”
“Of course. I’ve checked on the internet: every bodybuilder seems to be using them. I want some.”
“I’m sorry. This is not my game. If you want this, you’ll have to go somewhere else.”
“Like where?”
He jerked his thumb at two massively muscled men who were lifting huge weights at full power. He added:
“These guys are our resident ‘black sheep’. Since one of them is the club owner, there isn’t much you can do about it. Still, this would be a really stupid idea…”
“Why?”
“Well, there are pretty awful side-effects, there’s also the risk of contaminated substances. Anything could happen.”
“I still want it. I’m pretty sure I’ll cope. These guys must know what they’re doing.”
He lowered his voice.
“Trust me, they don’t. I’ve seen his balls. You really shouldn’t do this.”
“Well, then, do something. Help me. I’m paying you to train me, so don’t let me down.”
“You can’t force me into this! There’s no way I’ll get you any of that stuff.”
“Alright. I’ll just talk to the big guys. What’s his name again?”
“Brian. Okay, listen up. I have a friend who’s a doctor. If you absolutely have to do this, I’d really prefer him to take care of you. I’ll talk to him, maybe he’ll help. Although I doubt it, since it violates just about every principle of health care.”
“Whatever. Let’s get back to training.”
Valerie was surprised at herself. Before this, she’d never have thought of behaving this way. It was as if she was channelling Raffaela. What a strange situation! Still, what had to be done, had to be done.

At the same time, Raffaela was at the gym with Kieran and his friends. She had slowly usurped the other exercises the boys were doing, thus quickly muscling up all over. Since they were all part of a sports team, they really enjoyed the company, and even though Kieran was a little irritated, the competitive spirit had definitely increased since she joined them.
Kieran was still unsure of whether he approved of Raffaela’s new passion, but he decided not to worry. Her new-found energy was well invested into excellent sex and the time shared at the gym was actually nice. She had now reached a body close to the style of Rachel McLish, and the guys approved. The only problem they had was that Raffaela’s presence prevented them from using their performance enhancers. Of course it was cheating, but since everybody did it, oh well. Since the championship was approaching, the coach had asked him to get her to leave for final preparation. As a result, he found himself talking to her in private in the locker room.
“Listen, Raffaela, I have a big request for you.”
“What is it?” She was all giddy from the training and was clearly enjoying the privacy of the locker room. She fondled his balls.
“Do you want me to stop looking at Ronny? I tell you, I don’t give anything about him. He’s nice and everything, but don’t worry.”
“I don’t. He’s gay.”
“He is?”
“Yep. The point is, we would like you not to train with us for a while. It’s just not good, with the championships approaching.”
“But didn’t you tell me last week that everybody was much more motivated since I joined?”
“Yes, but…”
“But?”
“Well…”
“Quit stalling! What’s up?”
He started mumbling:
“Well, you know, since it’s the championship, we just need to, well, prepare and…”
“What?”
The next came very low:
“We don’t feel comfortable getting our ‘supplements’ when you’re around.”
“Supplements? As in drugs?”
He nodded in acknowledgment. She said:
“Okay. I want in.”
He was flabbergasted:
“Why the hell? Why would you want this? What’s up with you?”
“Well, I just want to be stronger. I really like this and I wouldn’t have believed it, but everything feels so great when you work out, so please. Come on…”
“I don’t know. What if it’s bad for you?”
“I guess it would be bad for you guys too, wouldn’t it? Besides, think about it: You get the ‘supplements’ and my training bonus. This should win you the championship, shouldn’t it?”
“I’ll ask the coach. We’ll see…”