Tom Carpenter was a fairly typical 11 year old boy. As the first born of parents who didn’t work thanks to an inheritance, Bill and Susan, he was very outgoing. Some would say that he had an air of cockiness about him. He had to be the best at everything. And for most of the time, that meant picking on his little sister.

Cindy Carpenter was a shy 6 year old, more interested in reading books, and having her friends over. But to her, every time she did have company, Tom always seemed to have his friends over, and that meant the boys got first dibs on the TV or playing records. And Cindy and her friends would have to retreat to her bedroom until Tom and his friends went outside.

Their parents, Bill and Susan, were wealthy avant-garde people, who never had a problem spending money on their kids. If the kids needed clothes, money was never a problem. If their kids wanted toys, bikes, records, money was never a problem. However, if the kids needed their time, something would always come up. Time was the one thing they couldn’t spare.

And as the school year was starting, it was time for clothes shopping. Tom was a healthy 11 year old, standing 4’10”, as he was going into 6th grade.

Cindy was also a healthy 6 year old as she stood 3’7”, heading into 1st grade. But Cindy would also have to ride the same bus as Tom. If he would pick on her at home, he would also pick on her going to and from school. It was the one thing that she wasn’t looking forward to.

And the first day of school arrived. The bus came, and Tom made fun of Cindy’s ponytails. He and his friends were laughing up a storm. Cindy wanted to tell her brother to shut up, but she knew that he would only laugh more.

The bus pulled into the lot of the Avondale City School, and the students got off. Tom went to his new classroom, and Cindy went to hers.

And the school year was going along uneventfully, until around Halloween, when it was announced that a new formula was being made available to all children that were six years of age. The formula was called the GH-X2 formula. The formula would make those that took it taller, stronger, and healthier. The ultimate size of the person would vary, but the boys and girls who took the formula at age 6 and another at age 11 would average heights of 12’ for the males, and 11’ for the females. 

Seminars were held at the local lab building, and discussions with parent groups went on weekly. Parents were encouraged to ask as many questions as possible, and raise any concerns they may have had.

Bill and Susan had long talks about the situation. They were very progressive by nature, and they always hated the fact that males had it much easier in life. They had the best jobs, made the most money, held all the positions of power in business and government. Women were expected to stay home and do all the work and put their lives on hold serving the men in the lives.

On the other hand, Tom was too old to get the formula. And if they let Cindy get it, how would that affect their relationship. But they thought about it, and they decided that Tom was a male, and would be able to succeed in life just by being a man. Cindy, on the other hand, needed help, because society would make it difficult for her to succeed on her own.

So they decided that they would pay the money to get Cindy the treatment. Tom objected, saying it wasn’t fair, but his parents pointed out that he was too old to take the formula, and that society is set up to make sure he succeeds.

And so, during Christmas break, Susan’s mom watched Tom as she and her husband took Cindy to the lab complex, where she would have to stay for a week while they monitored her for any adverse reactions. And when the week was over, they headed home, picking up Tom on the way back.

Tom was still upset by their decision, and was quiet on the ride home. Cindy wasn’t doing much talking either, as the formula was making her tired. And when they reached home, she went straight to her room and slept until noon the next day.

Bill and Susan were given a resource packet by the lab, which contained the names, addresses, and phone numbers of representatives that would help them when the time came with clothing, which they would have to pay for, housing and a vehicle as the formula took effect on Cindy, which would be free, and modified to help all members of the family adapt to their new situation.

Cindy wasn’t alone in taking the formula. Almost all of her classmates did, except for two boys whose parents didn’t believe in miracle cures.

And as the school year ended, Tom grew to 5’, while Cindy grew to 4’2”. Tom still picked on her, but he also noticed that she was getting taller.

School had only been out a few days when Tom had some friends over. And Cindy was walking towards the kitchen, when she noticed they were watching a movie on the TV. 

She stopped and asked him what were they watching. Tom told her is was nothing that a little girl would watch. It was a western, Cowboys and Indians, that sort of stuff, and that she should go play with dolls in her bedroom.

Cindy was very hurt by what her brother had said. She ran off in tears to her room and locked her door. A small smile formed on Tom’s face. He had shown her who the boss was between the two of them. But he was also angry that she got the formula and was getting bigger, a lot bigger. He was jealous, and it affected how he treated his younger sister.

When their parents got home from one of their many day trips to the country, Cindy told them what had happened. They told her that it was normal big brother, little sister stuff that all families have. Cindy was hurt as much by their reaction as she was by Tom’s words. Her parents never stepped in to stop her brother from picking on her. They were always too busy taking trips, or doing dinners at a friend’s house. 

She had heard stories about when her parents were in high school. Her mom was the top academic student in the whole school, but when she applied for scholarships, she didn’t get them. The school always said that she had impressive academic records, but they only had a limited amount of scholarships, and they always went to the star athletes. 

Both her parents had become disillusioned by this. Bill inherited a nice fortune from his parents after they died in a car accident when he was in high school. So he and Susan got married right after graduation, and spent years abroad, traveling the continent, hooking up with the avant-garde crowd. And they learned about life, how men conspire to keep women pregnant and in the home, and how women need to work three times as hard to get the same recognition as a man who just got hired out of high school.

So, because of their experiences, they were missing from the house while Tom and Cindy grew up. Tom was in charge because he was the oldest, and he let his sister know about it every chance he got.

So Cindy spent the next few weeks staying in her room, away from her brother. They were going to have birthdays a week apart just before school started. 

But Cindy noticed that Tom was picking on her less and less. In fact, She rarely saw Tom, as he was hanging out with his friends for most of the summer. And that meant that she could have her friends over without her brother picking on her.

And then it was time for Cindy’s birthday, and some of Bill’s cousins came, as well as Susan’s parents, and her sister, plus some of Cindy’s friends. It was then the effects of the formula were clearly visible. Tom had grown to 5’2” by the time August came. Cindy was nearly as tall as her brother, standing 5’, and it looked like her shoulders were almost as wide as her brothers.  In fact, Cindy’s friends were just as tall as her. This really made Tom uncomfortable and resentful. To him, it still wasn’t fair that his parents had let his little sister get the treatment. And he spent most of her birthday in his room being upset about how unfair life was becoming.

And Cindy wasn’t the only family member to have received the treatment. Her two cousins on her dad’s side, twins Betsy and David, had received the shot. Betsy was as tall as she was, while David was about 5’4”. She wondered how they were handling it.

And when Tom had his birthday, it was a low key gathering. His parents, sister and a couple of friends helped him celebrate. Tom’s friends weren’t as shocked by Cindy’s height. In fact, they were in the same situation as Tom. There parents had made the same decision. And the boys, like Tom, hated the idea of their little sisters becoming bigger and stronger than them. 

But here they were, watching it happen, and their was nothing that they could do about it, other than accept it. 

A couple of days before the school year started, Bill and Susan took Tom and Cindy clothes shopping. Tom was easy to buy for. His natural rate of growth meant that clothes could be bought at a slightly larger size, and he would grow into them and be able to finish out the school year without buying anything else.

Cindy would be a different story. Her growth spurts during the year meant frequent trips to the store to buy new outfits. When Bill and Susan attended meetings before her treatment, they lab recommended buying clothes in 3-4 different sizes, and they were working with the city to build a section in which houses and shops would be built to accommodate the children as they grew. But for now, they had set up a mail order catalog business that could quickly send out clothes should the older stores be unable to meet their needs.

And then school started. Tom and Cindy got on the bus, and sat with their own friends. Cindy’s friends were basically like her, quiet, liked to read and listen to music and watch tv, whereas Tom and his friends loved to play sports, watch westerns, ride bikes.

And they reached the Avondale City school. Tom and his friends made their way to the 7th grade classroom, while Cindy and her friends went to the 2nd grade.

And the school year was kind of uneventful, except everyone noticed that the girls in the second grade were taller, a lot taller. In fact, they were taller than most of the boys in 6th grade. This caused Cindy and her friends to chuckle among themselves. They had been quiet bookworms, they never gave any thought to being taller than boys four years older than them. 

And as Christmas break approached, it became obvious that Cindy was now taller than Tom by three inches, standing 5’5”. In fact all of her friends were taller than Tom and his friends. This caused some tension at home.

Tom was becoming more upset by what was happening. And he was being disrespectful to both his parents and his sister. It was their fault that this was happening. They were being unfair to him. And he hated having to look up to his little sister. 

But one day during the break, when their parents were off on one of their excursions in the country, Cindy had her friends over. Tom had wanted to listen to music on the record player, but Cindy had gotten to it first. In the past, Tom would have just grabbed an album he liked and replaced her record with his. And despite her protests and complaints, there was nothing she could do about it.

Tom thought it was a good time to do it again. He got his record, and replaced hers with his. But this time, when Cindy complained, she stood up and stepped towards him. Tom looked up at her, but he wasn’t budging. Cindy told him that she and her friends were listening to her record, and she wanted him to put it back on. Tom refused. Cindy grabbed for the record in his left hand, and Tom tried to move his arm out of the way, but he wasn’t fast enough. Cindy had taken his arm. Tom could feel how strong she was, which took him by surprise. Cindy told him again that she wanted her record, and as she was talking, he grip was becoming tighter, causing Tom to drop the record.

She releases his arm, and said thank you. Tom rubbed the area where she had grabbed him and star rubbing it, as it was a little sore. More than that, he ran to his room and locked the door, and started to cry. He had just been embarrassed by his sister in front of her friends. Was this the new life that he was going to have to live? But he calmed down enough to finally realize that he had been very tough on his sister when they were growing up. And he realized that he was rude to her now, in front of her friends, and that if he was in her shoes, he would have done the same thing. 

He hated to admit it, but he had been a terrible brother to her, and he could see why his parents had made the decision to let Cindy receive the formula. All those years of him picking on her, and they never once corrected him, never stood up for her. He had it made, while she was forced to endure his behavior.

So, Tom made a decision. He swallowed his pride. He came out of his room. Cindy and her friends were standing in the kitchen, having a drink of water and talking.

Tom approached Cindy, and in front of her friends, apologized for his rude behavior today, and for all the times he treated her poorly in the past, and that he hoped she could forgive him.

Cindy didn’t know what to say. At first, she thought he was joking, but she saw his eyes, and knew he meant it. She started to cry and hugged him. All those years of being picked on suddenly went out the window. She was as happy as she had ever been. She told Tom that she did forgive him.

The Christmas break was over and Tom and Cindy returned to school. Cindy seemed a lot happier since the day her brother apologized to her. And she knew he meant it.

Tom had thought long and hard about how he had treated his younger sister. And he realized that he was closer to her than he cared to admit, due to the fact that his parents were never home. Add in the fact that she was bigger and stronger than him, and would continue to be, he thought it was best he made amends now, not when it was too late.

As the school year flew by to its conclusion, Tom grew to 5’6”, but Cindy grew to 6’3”, putting her a solid nine inches taller than her brother. She also recalled the time that were at the mall, and someone recognized her as Tom’s little sister. Except he started calling her a freak and other names. Tom went after the person in a physical altercation that her brother didn’t fare too well in. But it made Cindy feel good knowing that Tom would defend and protect her.

And during summer break, Cindy and her friends, and Tom and his friends, started hanging together. It was a surreal sight. Four boys, on the cusp of being teenagers, hanging out with girls 5 years younger, but much taller than them. It was awkward at first, but it became apparent that the girls were very nice, and the boys appreciated a break from being around their own younger, taller sisters. 

And as the school year was growing closer, and after their birthdays, it was time to go close shopping for school. 

Tom had grown another three inches, standing 5’9”. Cindy grew to 6’8”. Bill and Susan called the numbers in the resource packet, setting up the housing that they knew they would need, probably as soon as next year, and to arrange a vehicle, as soon Cindy would outgrow the school bus. And they took advantage of the clothing catalog, as no store had outfits that would fit Cindy.

So the first day of school came, and proceeded uneventfully, except for the fact that the third grade class was taller than everyone else in the school, except for the two boys whose parents refused the formula. Which really made for an odd sight, being as that they were only about 4’3” tall, normal for their age, but almost 2 and a half feet shorter than the girls in their class.

And by the Christmas break, Cindy only added an inch to her height, while Tom added 3 inches, standing an even 6’, still ten inches shorter than his younger sister.

And over the break, their parents announced that they would be moving into a new house a couple of days after the school year ends, and that they will be getting a vehicle which would make it easier to drive Cindy around, as she was getting too big for their current house and car.

Tom asked about the new house, and what would be different about it than what they are living in now. Bill, his father replied that at the beginning of February, they will be given a tour of their new home. Things will be adjusted for Cindy’s current and future height, and that modifications will be implemented to help the three of them maneuver through the house. Tom was a little confused, but remained silent after that.

And with the Christmas break almost over, it was time to start packing up things that they never really used, and get rid of them. Cindy felt like everything was being done just for her, and it made her feel uncomfortable knowing that her family was going to have to move because of her. 

She didn’t like it. She had never wanted to be the center of attention. She would have been the happiest girl in the world if she could just read and listen to music without interruption. Now, everyone’s life was being jostled about just to make sure she was comfortable and happy.

And after her and Tom went to their rooms that night, she was still bothered by all that was going to happen. So she left her room and knocked on Tom’s door. He was still awake and said for her to enter. He was sitting up on his bed reading a western magazine. She asked him if she could sit, and he said yes.

She was hesitant at first, but then started crying as she apologized to him for all the upheaval that she was causing. She never meant to have everyone’s life changed to make her happy.

Tom, gave her a hug. Being 10 inches shorter than her meant it couldn’t be a full hug, but he did his best t comfort her. He wanted to talk to her anyway. He said that he was very upset by the fact that their mom and dad signed her up for the formula. He thought it was unfair, and he resented her for taking it. And it wasn’t until last Christmas break, when they had their incident in front of her friends, that he realized that she was more family to him than their parents. And it wasn’t her fault, or anyone’s fault about the formula. Their parents had been right. Women had it tougher than men, and now he was happy that she would at least be able to take care of herself without a man protecting her. In fact, she would probably end up protecting the man.

She laughed at his joke, which really made her feel better. And she knew Tom was right about their parents. Tom, even with him being a jerk to her for all those years, really was like a true parent to her. She gave him another hug, and then went to her room to go to sleep.

The Christmas break had ended. Tom was beginning his last 5 months in 8th grade, before moving on to high school. It should have been a time for him to be excited about moving up, yet something started to gnaw at him. He would be in high school, and Cindy would be on her own going into 4th grade. He thought that even though she would be over 7’, he still wouldn't be there to look out for her.

Cindy was feeling a little down for a different reason. Her family was going to have to move because of her, and get a new vehicle to drive her around,? especially to school. She wouldn't be able to hang with her friends on either the ride to school, or home from school. She understood about both. The house’s ceilings were only 7’5” tall, and she had no room to stretch her arms if she was standing, and she was forced to duck her head when going through the doorways.

The car was worse. Even though her dad was about 5’10”, he couldn't move his seat up far enough for her to get comfortable in the back seat. So she had to sit up front, and even then, with her legs getting longer, the seat would only go back so far.

But on the next to last Saturday in January, the Carpenter family piled in the car, and headed towards a section of town that Bill and Susan hadn't visited in years, when there were businesses that would sell anything and everything that one could think of. But hard economic times happened, and all the shops eventually closed up. The area had been deserted and run down for years.

It took the introduction of the GH-X2 formula for the area to be revitalized. Bill and Susan had gotten occasional updates on the progress of the development, especially the letter stating that a new school was being built that would house the elementary school on one side, and the high school on the other. There wasn't enough extra land for there to be separate buildings.

They finally made their way to the entrance of where the new construction had taken place. Wide streets, wide sidewalks. They were the widest they had ever seen. Then there were the shops. Windows 20ft tall, and 5ft wide seemed to be on every business. The doors seemed that they were 15ft high, and as wide as the windows. 

Cindy recognized some of the people walking on the sidewalk as her classmates, moving with the parents. It never struck Cindy that what she was seeing was what walking with her parents, or Tom looked like. It was as if her classmates were the parents, and the parents were the children. She thought it was funny, but she wasn't about to tell her family.

Bill finally turned down the street leading to the houses. The road was as wide as the street with the shops. They saw the representative waiting outside a large house that looked like the shops they just passed. It was one story, but the floor looked to be twenty feet tall. The front door was of the same height as the doors on the shops, and just as wide. There was a garage to the left, again with a door that looked like it was the same height as the front door, but five times as wide.

Bill parked the car, and they all got out. The lady introduced herself as Jane, and she said that she worked with the real estate company that was part of the lab’s business. She looked at Cindy and smiled. Jane was probably only about 5’5”, and she asked the girl how tall she was. Cindy replied that the last time she was measured, just before Christmas break, she was 6’10”. 

Jane asked Cindy how old she was, and she said she was 8 and a half. Jane complimented her on her height, and with that the tour of the house began.

The group made their way to the front door. Jane gave the key to Bill. He was eye level to the bottom lock. The deadbolt was slightly above his eyes. Jane explained that when they were trying to project the final heights of the people who took the formula, it was determined to they should place the locks at this height. She turned and asked Cindy if she would ever have a problem bending down slightly to use the key. 

Cindy didn't think she would, but even if she did, she didn't want to cause any problems with her family. The door wasn't as heavy as it looked. Jane explained that they used lightweight materials, so that normal sized people could open and close it without hurting themselves.

They entered, and everyone immediately noticed that the ceilings were about 15 ft high. Jane explained that they were designed with Cindy's final height in mind. It was then that her parents truly understood how tall their daughter would eventually become. It's one thing to see pictures, diagrams, and other things. It was another thing to be right in the middle of what was described.

The kitchen was the first room they entered. The countertop looked to be around 7’6” from the floor. Jane asked Cindy if she would have any issues with bending over to use them, or the sink. Cindy said no. She was feeling a little awkward by the whole thing. But she listened intently.

Jane pointed out the two step riser in front of the counters, that looked to level off around 4 ft off the ground. Jane explained that it would allow a normal sized person full access to the counters and sink. She also pointed to a 7ft step stool that would be used to allow a normal sized person to access the cabinets above the counters. The refrigerator was about 10 ft tall, and very wise. The handle was about 5 ft off the ground. Once again, Jane asked Cindy if she would have any issues with bending down to use the handle. 

This time, Cindy thought for a moment, went over and tried the handle. At her current height, she thought the handle was too low. So she told Jane it was too low. Jane went to the wall phone that was just lying on the table, made a quick call, and then said a new refrigerator would be delivered that afternoon, one with a handle around 7 and a half feet tall. The step stool for the cabinets would be used to reach the handle for Bill, Susan, and Tom. Jane took the step stool over to walk, grabbed the phone, and hung it. It was about 8 ft off the ground. 

Next it was off to the dining room. They was a table that was slightly taller than usual, and 3 chairs that were slightly taller than usual, and one normal sized chair that was wider. Jane explained that the current set up was scaled for Cindy's current size. The three taller chairs were for Bill, Susan, and Tom, and would allow them to be as close to eye level with Cindy as they could. However, as Cindy grew taller and taller, the dining room furniture would be replaced with sizes scaled to her new height. Jane then pulled out pictures of a dining room set, with detailed specs next to them describing what it would look like.

The first thing that they noticed was as the tables became taller and taller, the seats would be taller also. And each new set of chairs, except for one, which would be Cindy's, had steps built in on the side to allow the other family members to sit on the seats. Bill noticed that the final height of the chairs was about 7 and a half feet tall.

Again, Jane asked Cindy if she would have any issues with the smaller table and chairs at the beginning, and Cindy said that she wouldn't.

Next they went out to the living room. Immediately they saw a sofa that had seats 7 ft tall, and it must have been about 12 ft wide. Jane asked Cindy if she would have a problem having if she would have to sit lower than normal. Again, Cindy said no. Tom thought it was totally insane that here were a bunch of things in the house that were positioned taller than his head by at least a foot, and Cindy was being asked about having to bend down to use them.

There were a couple of recliners also in the living room, each the same height as the sofa, but only half as wide. And there was a fan with a light hanging around a foot from the ceiling, and light stands about 10 ft tall. Thank God they noticed that the lights could be turned on using a switch built into the cord that plugged into the wall. Then, it was off to the bathroom.

While still in the living room, the group noticed a ceiling fan with a light fixture hanging down around two feet from the ceiling. They also noticed 4 large tables, each standing 6 feet tall. Two were positioned on either side of the sofa, and the other two were placed at the side of the recliners. Additionally, there were three floor lamps, each standing 10ft tall. And fortunately for Bill, Susan, and Tom, the cords leading to the outlet all had switches on them. No risers would be needed to turn them on and off.

Next, they made their way to the bathroom. Again, another 15 ft door with the handle placed around 5ft off the ground. Jane already knew what Cindy would say if asked about the handle. When Cindy grew, the handle would be placed higher. Once inside the spacious bathroom, the vanity, like try he countertops in the kitchen, were 7’6” off the ground, and the familiar risers were in front. The toilet was larger than normal, but not as scaled as the sink.

Once again, Jane said that as Cindy grew taller, the toilet would be replaced with a new one to accommodate her new size. 

Next was the bathtub. This was, like everything else in the house, set up to accommodate Cindy's final height. The tub was 10ft long, about 7 ft wide. It had tub knobs to control temperature and to switch from bath to shower positioned at the height of 6 ft. The tub’s wall was 5 ft in height, and there were steps both on the inside and outside to help normal sized people in and out. The shower head was attached to a long flexible hose, with three holding brackets attached to the wall. The lowest of the bracket was 6’5” high, the second 9’, and the last 14’. Jane told Cindy that if she didn't think the last two were positioned for her correctly, let her know, and they would be taken care of. 

After the bathroom, came the bedrooms. Jane asked Cindy which bedroom she wanted. Cindy opened the two doors on the left. They were set up the same. High ceilings with fans and lights attached, plus two 10 ft floor lamps at either end of the room. The beds weren't set up yet, as they didn't know which room Cindy would choose.

Cindy chose the first room, and Jane excused herself again, and came back a couple of minutes later, explaining that the beds would be here in a couple of minutes to be set up. And when the delivery men brought the beds in, it was stunned Bill, Susan and Tom that Cindy's bed frame was about 15 ft long, and the mattress lay about 5ft off the ground. Again, Jane said to Cindy that as she grew bigger, the mattress would become bigger, with the surface around 7’6” off the ground. 

The size of the rooms was made more absurd when Bill and Susan's bed, and Tom’s bed, was set up. Normal sized beds in a room capable of fitting ones three times the size. And add in the bigger dressers that Cindy would need, as compared to the regular sized ones for the rest of the family, was just too much for their brains to process. Jane had told Cindy the same thing she had been saying all day, as she grew, her furniture would be replaced with something that would fit her size. 

The closets in the bedrooms were all set up the same way. Tall, wide, and with huge doors, they had three separate height levels for things to be hung, 6 ft, 9ft, and 13 ft. Needless to say that Cindy's parents and brother wouldn't need anything other than the 6 ft bar.

And the laundry room was set up the same way. An oversized washer and dryer, scaled to Cindy's final height, with risers in front to help everyone else reach them. 

And the garage was set up the same way. The door had an electric opener, which Bill was extremely grateful for, and a nice high ceiling. The lights were by the entrance to the house, meaning a normal sized person could access them just by using the steps.

And the final part was the parcel delivery van outside. Jane had opened the side door of the van. It revealed three normal seats, and one special seat in the back that could be adjusted to Cindy's height as she grew. The high interior meant she didn't have to slouch, and although it wouldn't be the most comfortable, it would do its job. 

Jane had told Cindy that auto manufacturers were starting to build actual vehicles for children that took the formula, and the hope was, they would be ready in a couple of years. She also told Bill and Susan that they could sign all the paperwork necessary for them to move in immediately. Their belongings would be packed up by a moving company, and would be delivered the next afternoon. They moving company would also take possession of their old house, and would handle any sale, the proceeds of which would go to the Carpenter family. 

Bill and Susan had asked Cindy what she thought, as she would be the one to have to make the decision, since the house was built for her. She looked at her parents and brother, and agreed to move in immediately. 

Tom then asked Jane what happen to their old house. Jane thought for a moment and said that with the increase of children that have taken the formula, their old house would be sold, demolished, and rebuilt to scale for a family whose child or children had taken the formula. She also said that it was her understanding that every child, except for the two in Cindy's class, had taken the formula. The needed to make sure suitable housing could be built to accommodate them.

And with that, the Caroenters moved into their new home. Tom chuckled to himself that as tall as Cindy was presently, she would still need to use some of the risers in the short term.

Bill and Susan Carpenter signed the paperwork allowing their family to move Into their new house immediately. They transferred the old house over to Jane’s company, allowing them to sell it.

With the stuff from their house coming the next day, Jane informed the family that a crew would come once a week to clean the entire house. Bill and Susan asked why. Jane told them that only the doors were made with lightweight materials. The furniture would be too big and too heavy for them and their son to move. Cindy may be able to do it, but it wouldn't be right for a 8-9 year girl to be doing all the cleaning.

If they wanted to keep their car, they could. And Bill and Susan said they would. The van needed to be available at all times in case Cindy needed to be driven somewhere. A second car would be helpful.

Once they took the house, Tom kept laughing at Cindy. She kept ducking down when walking through doors, even though they were twice her height. Tom thought this was due to muscle memory. Cindy had spent the last two months having to worry about hitting her head on small ceilings or door frames. He knew it would be a while before she broke the habit.

Deep down Tom thought it was kind of cool that this huge house was built for his little sister. If she ended up growing as tall as they projected, it would have really been terrible if there was no housing for her. He could only imagine being a giant and being forced to use objects that were way too small for them to use. 

Tom and Cindy were asked by their parents to come to the living room. When they got there, what they saw made them laugh. Their mom and dad were sitting in both of the chairs, their leg sticking straight out, unable to bend. Finally, Tom got the true scale of the sizes of things to come, and it left him in awe.

Bill and Susan motioned for their kids to sit on the couch. Tom and Cindy climbed up. Tom’s legs were in the same position as his parents, Cindy's were bent slightly. Tom chuckled to himself, because to him, it was funny seeing his taller sister having to use the seem risers or steps to sit. 

But his humorous thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the look on his parents’ faces. He had no idea what was up, but their expressions worried him.

Bill and Susan looked at both of them and apologized.

Tom and Cindy looked at each other in confusion. Their parents apologized for not being there for them when they were younger. They apologized for being selfish, for putting their needs ahead of Tom and Cindy’s. They apologized to Cindy for ignoring her when she had issues with her brother. They should have stepped in sooner.

They apologized to Tom for basically giving him the responsibility at an early age of basically raising his sister. They realized that it put a terrible burden on him, and they suspected it contributed to his behavior towards her.

They said that they could never forgive themselves for what had happened, but made a promise to Tom and Cindy. They would be there from now on, no matter what.

Tom and Cindy saw that their parents were crying, which caused them to cry. Tom cried when they mentioned his behavior towards his sister, as he was still wracked by guilt.

Cindy cried, because now she would get the one thing she craved more than anything, time with her parents. She would have a mother to talk to and share with. And it relieved her that her parents would be there to help her through the changes yet to occur.

She looked at Tom and thought of all those times he was a jerk towards her, but she felt it was an act. She understood that being given the responsibility of watching and taking care of her at an early age wasn't fair to him. And that his behavior was caused by it. 

She remembered the conversation from the year before when he spilled his heart out to her. She had a new appreciation for the challenge he faced growing up, because she was about to go on her own. But this time, her parents would be there for her. They weren't for him, and she cried at that thought.

Everyone had gone to bed. The house was quiet, but Cindy couldn't sleep. Her bed was too large, and her room too big. It felt cold and impersonal. She tried to take her mind off the uncomfortableness of the situation, but she couldn't. So she got up and headed out of her room.

She didn't know if her parents were up, but she could see the light was on in Tom’s room. She knocked on his door and heard him say come on in.

Tom was sitting on his bed reading a western magazine. He looked up at her and sensed that she was upset. He asked her to sit on his bed. 

He tried to break the ice. He mentioned that was some speech by their mom and dad. Cindy agreed, telling him that it took her by surprise. She had no idea that their parents felt that way. 

Tom agreed. He told her that it was great that their parents were going to be there from now on, he just wished they had done it sooner. Cindy tried to tell him that they had things to do. Tom replied that they always had things to do, except be home when they needed them to be. 

He could tell Cindy was getting upset, so he added that having parents arrive late to the party was better than having no parents at all. Cindy said that's true.

Tom asked her what was bothering her. She started to cry, saying she was uncomfortable with the idea that everyone had to change their lives to accommodate her. She didn't want to be the center of attention. Tom recalled the conversation from the previous year, in which Cindy brought up the same things.

He put his hand on her arm and reassured her that nobody was doing anything that they didn't want to do. He also told her that what she was going to go through was going to be tough on her. She only needed to just relax and be a kid. Let him and their parents worry about the other things. He told her that he would always be there for her, no matter what.

Cindy also described the feeling she got in her room. Tom pointed out that today had been so hectic, nobody had time to breathe, especially her. He said that since Monday was a holiday, they had two whole days to get used to the house, and that he was going to enjoy watching her have to use the same risers and implements as him and their parents, before she grew big. He winked at her, and that made her smile and feel better. 

He told her to sleep in his bed tonight. He will move out to the living room. If being in a smaller bed for the night would help her relax, he didn't mind the sofa. She was about to refuse, but he said it was his decision, and it was final. After all, he was still her big brother. And they both laughed at that. 

She agreed, got her blanket and pillow, and he removed his from the bed. Once she was settled, he bent over and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and promised that everything would get better in time. Then he said goodnight, and left his room.

Cindy had relaxed after her talk with Tom, so much so that she was out cold within 10 minutes after he left. Tom went out to the living room, but didn't feel like climbing up on the sofa, so he laid on the floor and fell asleep.

Cindy woke up the next morning half off the bed. With her increasing size, a normal bed wasn't wide enough, but it’s coziness allowed for much needed sleep.

Tom, on the other hand, woke up with a kink in his neck. The floor was spacious, but uncomfortable. However, seeing Cindy feel much better made the uncomfortable sleep worth it. 

Their parents were awake and in the kitchen when the phone rang. It was funny watching his dad use a ladder to answer the phone, but when he hung up, he announced that breakfast was going to be delivered in about 20 minutes. And that groceries would be delivered by 12.

And after the meal arrived and breakfast was finished, Cindy said the she wanted to walk around the neighborhood. Tom said that he would go with her.

After both got dressed, they made their way out to the sidewalk. They saw three girls walking towards them, and they decided to head in their direction. 

The girls saw Cindy and Tom and waved, and both waved back. They met at the street corner. Cindy and Tom introduced themselves, as did the girls. Lucy, Sally, and Patty. They were the same age as Cindy, and said that they just moved from out of state. 

They asked Cindy if Tom was her younger brother, but before she could answer, Tom said that he was actually 13. The girls were confused. Tom explained that he was too old to take the formula when it was introduced, and that his parents wanted Cindy to get it. He was going to make sure that she didn't have any problems as she got bigger.

They girls thought that was very nice of him. They were the oldest in their families, and they had younger sisters who had just got their first shot.

The girl said that they didn't know if any other families had moved in yet, but they were exploring the area. Cindy said that they were doing the same.

So the five of them continued on together, and were a little disappointed that they were the only families in the development. However, their moods improved when they saw furniture trucks at a couple of houses, which to them meant that people would be moving in soon.

So they said goodbye, and Tom and Cindy headed for their house. Tom asked his sister if she was doing alright, and Cindy replied energetically that she was. She thanked him for his pep talk, and that she couldn't think of a better brother in the world than him. 

Tom knew she would be able to adjust to growing. She was happy, and he and his parents would help her in any way they could. 

By the time Tom and Cindy got back to the house, both the groceries and their stuff from the house had been delivered. Their parents were putting the food away. Tom laughed watching his parents use a ladder to put things in the refrigerator. He laughed even more when he realized that he would be doing the same thing.

He and Cindy turned their attention to unpacking their stuff and getting their rooms better organized. The sheer size of his room meant that it would almost be impossible for it to ever feel cluttered. His bed was normal sized, but the bureaus and the closet weren’t. The three sizes of bars going across meant that he was using the one that was his height. 

And due to the width of it, it would always feel more than half empty. But once he got everything situated to his liking, he went to check on his sister.

He knocked and heard her say come in. He opened the door and saw that she had arranged everything as close to her bed as possible. That left about 80% of the room empty. As big as his room was, hers was twice the width. 

Tom asked her if she needed any help, but Cindy said she was all done. Her clothes were away, and with her belongings so close to her bed, it made him think that her arrangement would help make the cavernous feel of the room more bearable. Everything may have been designed for Cindy's future height, but she was nowhere close to it now, so he was sure that she would occasionally get frustrated when things didn't go as planned.

They both made their way to the living room. Just the thought of having to use steps in order to sit on the couch or chairs was crazy. Here he was at 6’ having to use steps to sit on furniture that was a foot above his head. Even Cindy at 6’10” had to use the steps. It was a wow moment for the both of them.

By now, their parents were finished with the groceries, but before they started on the task of unboxing their belongings, their father Bill said he was going to take a shower. Tom noticed that his parents had worked up a sweat putting all those groceries away. And his father could give a scouting report on the shower and all it's quirks.

While their dad was in the shower, Susan had made herself as comfortable as possible on one of the chairs in the living room, and with her children both sitting on the sofa, asked them how they were making out. 

Tom said he was fine, everything going as well as could be expected. Cindy said that she felt the house was too big, that it didn't feel like a home. Susan said to her that it was a natural response to a quickly changing situation. But she assured her daughter that as she grew and got bigger, she would start to see the benefits of a house built for her.

Susan tried to stress to her daughter about just being a kid, first and foremost. Don't try to grow up too fast. That she would get bigger, but that she needed to relax and enjoy life and the journey that she was going through.

And she basically repeated everything Tom had said. Just to be a kid, and they would take care of the rest. Cindy looked at her brother and smiled. His advice was going to be the right advice.

Their dad finally came out of the bathroom. Tom asked him what was the shower like. Bill looked at his son and said he once was in a shower this big, and held his hands apart. Everyone laughed at the joke. 

He did say that it was so big, that he thought it could fit about 10 people his size with no problem. He looked at his wife, and said to him, it was designed for two extremely large people to use it at the same time. 

Just then, there was a knock on the front door. Since Bill was already standing, he opened it and saw three girls the same size as Cindy. They asked if she was home. He said yes, and asked them in.

Cindy and Tom recognized them as the same girls from earlier that day. Lucy, Sally and Patty. Cindy introduced her parents to them, and after the introductions, they asked Cindy if she wanted to hang out with them, Cindy looked at Tom first, then her parents. They told her to have fun, but be back by 5pm.

It was right around this time that a letter from the school district arrived. It stated that a new school complex was that would contain the elementary school and high school was currently under construction and was hoping to be completed by the start of the school year. It was stated that the children in third grade were quickly outgrowing the current building. The letter apologized for any interruptions.

When she got home and read the letter, Cindy thought that it was what Tom told her last night. Maybe she should just relax and have fun. She had met three girls earlier, and just hung out with them. She could talk to them. Plus she was sure that her classmates would be moving in soon, which would help.

Cindy soon found that navigating through the house had become easier. She got used to the implements and adapters. And soon her whole class had moved in to the development, except for the two boys who were small. They did in fact move away. And Cindy was a little sad by that, because they were always nice to her.

But once she became situated, and her friends and family were around her, Cindy found school to be fairly easy. The school year was speeding towards conclusion. And new challenges were sure to arise at some point. But with her friends and family around, Cindy looked forward to them.

I finally decided to revisit this story. I didn't know if I would ever add more chapters, because I couldn't get past the first paragraph of PT 7. But hopefully I can do the story justice. Thank you.

The summer sped by. Cindy was very happy that her classmates moved into the development, and she grew closer to Lucy, Sally, and Patty. Her and Tom’s birthdays were only days away. She had reached an even 7’ in height by her ninth birthday. But she still hadn’t grown into the house.

The combination birthday party for Tom and Cindy brought the usual family members. By then, Tom had gotten used to any relative that was Cindy’s age or a little younger being taller than him. And so the resentment that he felt just a few years before was no longer present.

But once school started, all children, whether they took the formula or not, were unprepared for the new school buses. Tom and Cindy couldn’t get over the size of the steps leading up to seats. Much taller than they remembered. But the seats were even more of a challenge. Scaled to the future heights of the kids that took the formula, the seat made Tom look like a toddler, while Cindy looked like a 7 year old sitting in daddy’s chair. It definitely took some getting used to. But what fascinated Tom was the bus driver. An older, normal sized man who was in a seat raised 4-5 feet off the ground, with pieces of wood about 4 ft long and attached to the pedals, allowing him to drive the bus. It would be an image that would stick with him forever.

So Tom and Cindy found seats. Cindy was with the three girls she met when they moved into their new house, Patty, Sally and Lucy, while Tom was with his group. They were all curious as to what the new school would look like. They had heard all kinds of rumors. It was going to have this, or have that, or look like this, or look like that, they never ended. But until they could find out for themselves, it was a guessing game. But it did feel a little exciting.

Once everyone got their first look at the new school building, every rumor seemed to be both true and false. The building was definitely much taller and wider than the other, and the doors were also taller and wider. But they were nowhere near 100ft, as some of the students claimed. But they were definitely twice the size as the doors in the old buildings. 

Everyone gathered in the huge gymnasium. The students from the fifth grade up to twelfth, and first grade, sat up front towards a podium that was placed in the middle of the building. Second, third, and fourth graders sat in the rear. Tom knew that was a change, as the older students always were in the back due to their bigger size. But with the students in second through fourth now as tall, and in many cases, taller than the seniors in highschool, the positions were reversed. 

There was an unfamiliar man at the podium. It was the new principal. The principal introduced himself. His name was Mr Lee, and he wanted to welcome all the students to the new school building, saying that it was the finest structure in town, and to inform the students of all the rules and regulations. And that he hoped that everyone would enjoy the year, but if anyone had any questions or issues, feel free to see him anytime. Tom thought that it was the usual blah, blah he heard every year. 

As the students headed to their classrooms, Tom noticed that the male highschoolers had funny looks on their faces as they walked past Cindy's class. He noticed that everyone had to look up to the girls in fourth grade, which must have been unnerving for them. They were not used to it, but Tom knew from experience that they would have to get used to it, and fairly quickly.

Tom spotted his sister and waved. Cindy waved back and went with her class. There was no student who hadn't taken the formula, so everyone was basically the same size. And with the students in her class well over 7’, they dwarfed the middle aged male teacher, Mr Jones. They found out pretty quickly that he was ok. He accepted the position because he loved teaching children, and to him, it didn't matter if they were towered over him, or only came up to his midsection. They deserved to be treated the same, and taught the same. 

Every student, from the fifth grade on up, was stunned when they got to their classroom. The rooms may have been cavernous, but the normal sized desks only served to emphasize the future height disparity between people who took the formula, and those that didn't. Tom immediately thought about Cindy, and wondered how she was making out.

The desks in Cindy's classroom were larger than normal. The students in fourth grade could barely fit in the seats. Principal Lee stopped by the room and asked the students to be patient. New desks had to be made, and should be finished by the following week. He apologized for any inconvenience.

With everything being so new, especially for the children of fourth grade, the teachers decided, with the principal’s permission, to offer the students a chance to ask questions, but only for that day. Starting with the following day, students would be taught. But this was considered a special occasion, so they could get to understand what was going on.

Once the day was over, everyone filed onto their respective busses, and Tom decided to sit with his sister. He was anxious to find out how her day went. Cindy told him that it went well. She described the desk situation, saying that new ones should be arriving sometime the following week. But the teachers were nice. The only thing that upset her and her friends were the looks the highschoolers gave to her and her classmates as they left the gym. She thought that was rude of them.

Tom agreed, but pointed out that this was probably the first time that they ever saw kids that were 5 years younger tower over them, so they weren't used to it. He assured her that they would get used to it, or else, and he shook his fist. That brought a smile to her face. And she asked him about his day. Tom told her that it took some time to get used to the size of the classroom. Everything was so big, it was like they were built for giants, like she would be one day. And he playfully nudged her on the arm. 

Once they got home, they found the house empty, and both thought that their parents were back to taking their little trips again. But they saw the note on the refrigerator. It was from their mom. Their dad slipped stepping off one of the implements, and hurt his ankle. She took him to the hospital, and hoped to be back soon, but if they weren't, she left money to order pizza and have it delivered. 

Brother and sister looked at each other and both felt bad that they thought their mom and dad were back to being absentee parents again. But their dad got hurt, so they really prayed that he was alright. And as the hour approached 5:00, it became apparent that it was time to order the pizzas. Cindy’s growing appetite made ordering one pie no longer feasible. Tom just smiled at his sister and made the call.

The pizza arrived at the same time as Bill and Susan returned from the hospital. Both Tom and Cindy were relieved that their father only suffered a sprained ankle. He would need to use crutches for about a week. He was scheduled for an examination in three days. The doctor wanted to make sure that it was a sprain and not a fracture, but needed the swelling to go down first. And with his pain medication taking effect, Susan escorted her husband to the bedroom and tucked him in, and gave him a goodnight kiss.

She came back out to the kitchen. She asked her children how their first day of school went. Cindy told her that it went well, even though the boys in highschool were giving the kids in her class strange looks. Susan hugged her daughter and told her the same thing that Tom had earlier. These were boys who weren't used to seeing girls as young as she was towering over them. But they should get used to it. It may just take a while. Cindy looked at Tom. He was right. He told her that if anyone gave her any trouble, she was to tell him and he would take care of it. She appreciated what he just said.

Once dinner was over, Cindy asked her mom if she could take a walk. Susan said yes, provided her brother went with her. Tom really wasn't in the mood to go outside, but he didn't want her walking by herself, so he agreed. When they were outside and beginning their walk, Cindy found herself having to slow down in order for her brother to keep up. She didn't realize that her stride was getting longer, thereby covering more ground. But Tom never complained, and did his best to keep up with his younger sister. 

As they walked along, Cindy asked Tom if she could tell him something in private. He looked up at her and said he wouldn't tell a soul. They continued on as she told him that there have been a lot of times that she wished their parents didn't get her the formula shot. She wanted to live a normal life, but she found as she was growing, as long as she was with her friends or classmates, she felt like she belonged. But when she was with him or their mom and dad, she felt awkward and out of place. She just hated being different.

Tom stopped, and grabbed her arm gently. He looked up into her eyes, and told her that unfortunately, what their parents decided was already done. She was going to be a special person when she was done growing. But she needed to just embrace what was going to happen to her going forward, because it she didn't, she would become miserable, and that would affect who she was as a person. He couldn't get the formula, and he eventually accepted that. But she was going to be special. She just had to accept that.

Cindy bent down and hugged her older brother, thanking him for trying to cheer her up. She had a little tear running down her cheek, and he wiped it away. He told her the same thing that he had always told her. He would always be there for her, no matter what. And all he asked in return is to get his cereal bowl from the top shelf of the cabinet! And he laughed, and she did too. His jokes always calmed her down.

By the time they got back to the house, their dad was awake and sitting in the living room with their mom. He didn't look quite awake, but both of his children hugged him and asked him if he was alright. He said he was. His ankle was sore, but otherwise he was doing well. Tom asked him what happened? Bill told his children that he was putting something on top of the fridge, and when he was coming back down the step ladder, he missed the bottom rung and twisted his ankle. He just asked them to both be careful when using the implements. They told him that they would.

Tom and Cindy said goodnight to their parents, and went to their rooms. Once alone, Tom kept thinking about what his sister told him. He had grown very protective of her, and it upset him that she wasn't happy. He understood what she was trying to say, and he tried to ease her mind, but it was her life that was changing rapidly. She was scared, and unsure of things. He could only offer support and advice. But she was going to have to experience her changes by herself. She had her friends and classmates, but they wouldn't be there with her at all times. She would be alone at some point, and he felt that was when the self doubt set in. She was a 9 year old that towered over grown men, but still a vulnerable little girl inside. He would try to steer her in the right direction as best he could, but if she felt alone, or doubted herself, she would struggle. He only hoped that she would accept her changing life.

Cindy went into her room and laid on her bed. She thought about the talk with Tom. He was probably right in what he told her, but she still felt like she was struggling with the choice her parents made. She hated being the center of attention. She wished she could just stay in her room and read. But she was grateful that her brother would be there for her. It made her feel better. 

As the school year progressed towards Christmas break, Cindy experienced a growth spurt, standing just over 8’ by the time the holiday break occurred. Tom was smart. He got his sister books and a record she liked. They were growth proof. Their parents bought her clothes, which they had to return because they were too small. Tom laughed. He hoped that it would be a lesson learned. 

As the new year approached, Tom was laying in his bed, reading a book set in the old west. It was something that he really enjoyed. Cowboys and Indians, shootouts at the saloon, duels at sunrise in the middle of town. The lores and myths just fascinated him. And he always sided with the good guys. And it made him think of the current situation his family was in. 

His parents had made a choice, and his younger sister received a shot that made her grow exceptionally tall, and she would only grow taller. They had to move into a new house in a new development. It was like he was living in one of his western novels, a family looking for a better life, settle down in a new frontier town. But in this case, it was a development that was initially sparsely populated, but rapidly filling in. He just hoped that it became one of the peaceful towns that the citizens of his books always sought, and not one inhabited by the likes of a Black Bart, or worse.

But as he was reading, there was a knock on his door. He said enter, and Cindy came in. She said that she was going to go to the playground at the edge of the development, and wanted to know if he wanted to come along. Her friends, Lucy, Sally, and Patty were going also. 

At first, Tom felt like saying no, but said yes. That brought a smile to Cindy's face. Although she was over 8’ tall, she was still only 9, and her parents didn't want her to be out without her brother being with her. Tom quickly got dressed, and once he was ready, brother and sister headed out. It gave them the opportunity to talk. 

Ever since their parents took more of an interest in being home to raise them, the free time that they used to enjoy when they were by themselves was few and far between. Occasionally, before bed, they would chat, but it always felt rushed. Now, with just the two of them alone and enjoying the open air, Tom asked his sister if she was getting more used to the house. Cindy told him that she wished she could definitely say yes, but to her, the house didn't feel like home like the old house did. 

Tom told her that was understandable. They had been in the house for almost a year, and it seemed as huge now as it did then. And it was still taking him a long time to get used to the fact the house would never get smaller for him, and he suspected that their mom and dad felt the same way. But he told her what he had been telling her. It would get easier for her as she grew. She just should enjoy the journey. Besides, he told her that when she grew to her projected height, he was going to enjoy hiding things from her by placing them under the furniture. She laughed, and teased him that the same thing would be true for her. All she had to do was place something that was shoulder level to her, and he would struggle mightily to get to it.

They both laughed at that. Tom had developed a way to make Cindy feel optimistic about the future, and to put a smile on her face. She realized that without him, she wouldn't be able to handle her situation. He gave her strength.

They reached the playground, which sat on the border between the development and the part of town for regular sized families. Lucy, Sally and Patty were waiting for Cindy. They had gotten to know Tom from the frequent walks they took through the development. While the girls used the swings, he just walked around, as he wasn't tall enough to reach the bench or use any of the equipment. But he didn't mind. Seeing his sister smile and at ease with her friends made him feel good.

Just then, a group of high school boys riding bikes past the playground started yelling at the girls, calling them freaks and losers, and other nasty things. Tom could see the girls getting upset, so he ran after them, telling them that they should apologise to the girls.

The boys turned their bikes around and headed towards him. But Tom stood his ground. The boys got off their bikes and moved towards him, demanding that he repeat what he said. Tom did, telling them that they should apologise to the girls. One boy laughed, saying that there was no one there to make them. 

Tom’s heart was beating a mile a minute, but he repeated his demand. Suddenly, he found himself surrounded, and before he knew it, he was punched in the side of the head. He suddenly started swinging his fists, and felt himself connect against one boy. But then two others grabbed his arms, and the boy he hit was coming towards him with anger in his eyes. Tom just glared at red boy.

Suddenly, the boy was stopped in his tracks by a pair of large hands. It was Cindy, with her three friends by her side. The highschool boy suddenly looked very afraid, as did his two friends. The four girls bent down and looked the highschoolers in the eye and told them to apologize to Tom. 

The boys looked at the girls, then each other, then the girls again, then at Tom, and meekly offered apologies. The girls told the boys that the next time they wouldn't be so lucky, and told them to go, before they got mad. They highschoolers quickly got back on their bikes and sped off. 

The girls went over to Tom, who had a bloody nose and a quickly blackening eye, and made sure that he was alright. Except for the nose and eye, he was alright physically. It was just his male pride that was slightly bruised by the fact that his sister and her friends had to rescue him from a fight that he was losing. But he couldn't let those high school boys insult his sister and her friends, especially since they were older and supposedly more mature. Now he knew why his parents wanted him to be with Cindy while she was outside. 

The playground lost its appeal for the day, so they all said goodbye. Tom and Cindy walked home, and she kept making sure that he was alright. He kept telling her that he was. She thanked him for sticking up for her and her friends. He told her that she would never have to worry about that. He stopped and looked up at her and thanked her for saving him from those older boys. She bent down and gave him a hug and said that he was her brother, she would never let anyone or anything happen to him. He laughed at those words, only because he knew them to be true. It was the new reality.

With the incident at the playground behind them, Tom and Cindy celebrated the arrival of the New Year. They watched everything unfold on TV, from the start of the countdown to the eventual lowering of the shiny giant ball and blizzard of confetti that followed. Their parents invited some of the neighbors over, and alcohol was consumed.

While the adults talked, the children were in the living room playing a board game. Neither Tom nor Cindy hung around the others that were there, as the girls were a couple of years younger than she was, as were the boys compared to Tom. But they were in the same situation. Brothers too old to get the shot, while their younger sisters were the right age. And the boys noticed that their little sisters quickly grew taller than they were. Tom sympathized with them. He was in the same boat, and in the quiet moments, he tried to reassure the males that everything would be ok. The girls wouldn’t change their personalities, and if they were kind before the shot, then they would be kind after it.

Once the New Year arrived, it was time to go back to school. One thing that Tom noticed was that the boys in the upper classes were nicer to him for a change. All the smug, superior attitudes that they exhibited towards him mysteriously disappeared, replaced with live and let live sentiment. Tom instantly knew it was a direct result of what happened at the playground. The boys were afraid of Cindy, and were going out of their way to be nice to him, so that they wouldn’t incur her wrath. He found the whole thing equally amusing and a little uncomfortable. The fact that boys aged 15-18 were afraid of a 9 year old girl made him laugh. But those thoughts were tempered by the reality that his little sister had become his protector. And he found that a little uncomfortable. He was used to fighting his own battles, but now, he didn’t have to. He had in essence become her “little” brother. It would take some time to get used to it.

Tom and Cindy, along with the rest of the school, discovered notices that had been taped all over the school walls and classrooms. Effective immediately, all high school varsity sports would be open to fourth graders who took the shot. Rumors spread that their high school was the only one in the state that had kept varsity sports strictly for normal sized students, only to be blown out by at least 80 pts in every game they played against the much taller students. Boys, Girls, it didn’t matter. The high school coaches were begging the district to change their policy.

It wasn’t too much longer before word got out that within 2 years, all playing fields and courts would be scaled to the size of the growing athletes. Everything would be pretty much doubled in size. The only holdup were the exact measurements, which were to be calculated based on a government formula. So all Jrs and Srs that were playing varsity were immediately demoted to intramural activities against players of their own size. There were many heartbroken players that were affected by the new regulations that were put into place to “protect” them from injury.

Tom had been interested in trying out for the varsity baseball team, but those feelings were quickly dashed. He did encourage Cindy to try out for the basketball team, but she wasn't interested. Although growing at a good clip, she still preferred to stay at home and read or listen to music or hang out with her friends. 

It wasn't until Lucy and Patty decided to play basketball that Cindy decided to give it a try, if for nothing else than to stop her friends from bugging her. She figured that she would try out, be so bad as to not make the team, then go back to living a quiet life. But, to everyone’s surprise, including hers, she had a natural talent for the sport. She had never played any kind of sports in her life, but she was able to pick up basketball very quickly, and found herself enjoying it in the process, and she made the team as a result.

Tom was very happy for her. He had secretly hoped that she would come out of her shell and meet new people. She did that with her three friends from their development. But Tom was of the belief that one could never know too many people.

Once Cindy made the team, her parents installed a basketball net in front of the house. Tom practiced with Cindy everyday, helping her with her skills. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world for having a brother like him. She had promised him that she would protect him from danger, and she was going to honor her word, no matter what.

Around the beginning of February, Tom and Cindy got on the school bus one morning. That was when he saw her. A girl with light brown hair and green eyes, sitting by herself. Tom saw his friends, and apologized for not sitting with them, and then made his way over to the empty seat next to the girl. 

Tom asked her if it would be alright with her if he sat in the empty seat next to her. She had been looking out the window, minding her own business when he spoke, which startled her. Tom apologized for that, and repeated his question. She looked up at him, and his heart was instantly smitten with her. She said that it was ok.

Tom introduced himself. The girl did the same. Victoria West. That was her name. Tom thought that Victoria was the prettiest name for a girl, and one that fit her like a glove. But once he sat next to her, he found it awkward to ask her if she was new. Sensing what he was wondering, she told him that her family just moved in to town because of her father's job. And that they had to move into a development for people who took the formula, because her twin brothers had taken it and outgrew a normal sized house.

Tom explained that he was in the same situation, and turned and pointed out Cindy, who was talking with her friends. Victoria was going to make a joke about how they would both have to rely on their younger siblings to protect them, but she knew boys in her old school that were very sensitive about the subject, like they thought themselves as less than men because of it. So she decided to casually mention how she would be able to feel safe as her brothers got older. Tom mentioned the same thing applied to him, and brought up the playground incident from Christmas break. He hated to admit that he was so glad that Cindy stopped him from getting his face beat in by the three seniors. 

Victoria was slightly impressed by his admitting what happened. To her, it meant that Tom was completely comfortable with the situation. And it took maturity to admit the obvious fact of life. And once the bus pulled up to school, Tom and Victoria let everyone else exit before they got off. Tom noticed that she was as tall as his 6’1” frame. And she noticed that he was ok with that also. It hurt her tremendously when boys would be intimidated by her natural height. And as a result, they wouldn't talk to her. But the boy she just met, Tom, was completely different. He intrigued her.

Although Cindy proved to have a natural talent for basketball, it didn’t stop the varsity team from losing more games than they won. However, they were much more competitive than before, losing several games on last second shots.

However, the big news from the school district was that all gyms and athletic fields were to be replaced by new ones that were scaled to the students that took the shot. All current, normal sized, varsity teams were to be demoted to intramural status.

All lockers, showers, and equipment were to be equally scaled. The district apologized to the students that were going to be adversely affected, but stated that it was for safety reasons. Tom joked that his football career ended before it got started. His new friend, Victoria, agreed.

As the school progressed, Cindy went through a solid growth spurt, adding 5 inches between the middle of January to the beginning of March, standing 8’10” in height. And even though she was in fourth grade, she always made sure Tom was doing ok, especially after the incident at the playground.

Tom and Victoria became more than just friends when he asked her out, and she happily accepted. He also tried to keep his life somewhat on the private side, but when Cindy saw him holding her hand as they walked to the bus, she decided to go up to the older girl and see what her intentions were. Tom tried to intervene, but his sister ignored him. She was going to talk to the girl.

Since she was in the same situation as Tom, Victoria didn’t shy away when Cindy formally introduced herself. In fact, Victoria wanted to get to know his younger sister, but hadn’t had the opportunity. Cindy discovered that one of her classmates was her brother, and that kind of eased any misgivings she had about the freshman girl. 

Satisfied, Cindy went back to her friends, and boarded the bus for the ride home. Tom had felt a little embarrassed when his younger sister acted like a parent in front of him. It was a big reason why he didn’t want to tell her. But the incident was over, and all appeared normal. There was peace among the people, although later that night, Cindy told Tom that if Victoria ever broke his heart, he was to let her know. 

Cindy didn’t know what she would do if that happened, but she just wanted to let her brother know that she would look out for. Tom chuckled at her words. He knew his sister meant well, but lacked the maturity gained with age to properly say what she meant. But he really did appreciate her concern for his well being.

Tom’s science teacher assigned the class a project, and the students could pair up with someone. It was a perfect opportunity for him to go to Victoria’s house and meet her family, and vice-versa. It would be the best of both worlds. They could spend time with each other while doing school work too. And hopefully he could make a good impression on her parents. 

Once March ended, the last two months of the school year flew by. Cindy and her friends earned top grades in their class, and as a result, their teachers asked them to tutor the students that needed help. It would earn them extra credit in class. They agreed, and so, the last period on Fridays, normally a study hall/homework time, became their classroom, helping any and all classmates that were having issues.

Tom and Victoria got to work on their project. They got dropped off at the library on Saturdays to do research, and spent Fridays alternating between each other’s houses. One Saturday, while waiting for Victoria’s dad to pick them up, Tom surprised her with a kiss, which made her feel like she was floating on air. 

For Tom, it was the perfect opportunity. He didn’t dare do it at her house, especially with her parents there. And he didn’t think about doing it at his house, especially with Cindy around. So the library was the best spot, and he took his chance.

The school year ended late May. From that point up until her birthday, Cindy grew another 7 inches, now standing 9’5”. Tom felt a wave of disappointment, because now all sport areas were scaled to what Cindy would eventually grow to. And that meant that he could no longer practice basketball with her. The new balls were much too large for him, the courts too big for him, and the nets too tall for him. She would have to make do with her friends. He had actually enjoyed spending time alone with her, now he couldn’t. 

But their birthdays arrived. It was more low key than usual, just their parents, Cindy’s friends, and Tom’s friends, and Victoria. Tom and Cindy’s parents announced that they were going to have an in-ground pool put in for the following year. They just had to work out what the dimensions would be. This caused excitement among the children. Their very own pool. They looked at each other and smiled.

Both Tom and Cindy had a few days to relax between their birthday party and when school started. Their mom, Susan, took her shopping at AlphaMart, a brand new department store catering to the ever growing population of children who were taking the shot. 

One thing mother and daughter were not prepared for was the sheer size of the building. Nice wide aisles, plenty of sections for children of different ages and sizes, plus areas that were closed then, but were being set up and stocked for the future growth of the children.

Susan had gotten used to seeing parents with children 3-4 ft taller than them, so it was a sight that brought familiarity and comfort. Cindy picked out her clothes, and bought a new sized basketball so she could practice at the playground.

When the girls returned home, and Tom found out about the ball Cindy bought, he became excited, as he thought it would be great to help his sister practice. He even scoffed at the notion of the ball being too big for him, as she tried to explain that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to practice with her.

Tom walked over to the ball, picked it up, and paused. It was definitely much larger than the one they used during the summer. In fact, it was the size of a beach ball, and twice the weight of a regular basketball. 

He took it outside to try a dribble, but had trouble with its much bigger size. He found that he needed two hands to lift up over his head, and discovered that there was no position that he could put his hands on it, and find it comfortable enough to shoot.

Tom came back inside, feeling extremely disappointed. He thought that he would get to be able to help his sister practice, which was something he really enjoyed, only to come to the realization that he was now too small to be of any use to her. 6’1”, and he was too small. He grumbled to himself and went to his room.

But if brother and sister were a little surprised by the size of the new basketball, it was nothing compared to changes that were happening at school. Apparently, the three elderly ladies that taught grades 3-5 had decided that they no longer wanted to deal with children that were at least a foot taller than them. They had nothing against the kids, but they found the whole idea of the formula to be an abomination. So, the day after the school year ended, they filed for retirement. And that left three openings to be filled. 

Two male teachers were hired for 3rd and 4th grade. They both stood 7’2” naturally, and the school figured it would make it easier for the growing children if they had someone close to their height to learn from.

But it was the 5th grade teacher that drew the most attention, especially from the high school boys that would watch her park in the teacher's lot. Standing 6’11”, she towered over every male, except the new teachers hired, and had flowing red hair, and long legs. Ms Casey Murrin became the dream of every high school senior male. Everyone of them made sure to be outside when she arrived in the morning. 

But if the 5th grade students thought that she was going to be hard to talk to, they were pleasantly surprised by her very friendly and gracious demeanor. And when she told her life story, and all the times she was made fun of because of her height, it instantly connected with the class, as they occasionally experienced similar reactions.

Once the buzz caused by the arrival of the new teachers died down, the school year settled into a familiar pattern. But Cindy found out that although Ms Murrin was very friendly and personable, she also assigned a lot of homework and was a fan of pop quizzes. Tom had told her that every 5th grader got the same treatment, no matter who the teacher was.

As the month turned into October, and with brother and sister in the rooms getting ready for bed, Tom heard a knock on his door. It was Cindy, and she looked like she was bothered by something. 

Tom asked her to come in, and she sat on his bed. He did likewise, as he asked what was going on. Cindy wasn't sure how to bring up the topic. 

Tom asked his sister if school was becoming too hard for her, but she said that wasn't the problem.

She just came out and said that she was due to get the second shot the day after school ended. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to get it. 

Tom didn't know how to respond, as he never had the shot to begin with. But he became deep in thought as he searched for an answer. Finally, he had an answer.

He gently pointed out an obvious result if she didn't get the second shot. She would probably only grow a few more inches. She was 9’5”, and there were parts of the house that were still too big for her, like the shower, and the kitchen, and even some of the furniture. That meant that she would be too tall for a normal sized house, and still too small for this house. She would be in between, and she probably wouldn't be comfortable living like that. If she got the first shot, the logical thing would be to get the second one as well. That way, she would fit in with a rapidly changing world.

Cindy thought about what Tom had said. He made a lot of sense. She looked down at her big brother, and for the first time, felt guilty that she got the shot, and not him. They had grown super close the last couple of years, and she appreciated how he always tried to look out for her, and guide her through the challenges she had to face.

In a much better mood than when she entered Tom’s room, Cindy was going to say goodnight when her brother told her of a conversation he had with an elderly man who was a basketball coach. He showed him drills that would improve footwork and speed, and if he couldn't practice with his sister, he would work with her in improving in those areas. 

Tom smiled at his sister, who bent down and gave him a hug, thanking him for everything he did for her. He was the best brother a sister could ask for. And with that, they said goodnight and tried to fall asleep. The alarm for school was going off at 6:30am, whether they were ready for it or not.

The birthdays had come. Tom turned 17, and was getting ready for his senior year in highschool. Cindy turned 12, and was entering 7th grade, which meant that she was in her first year of junior high. 

Cindy had blossomed into a beautiful pre-teen girl, had caught the eye of plenty of boys, some even a few grades ahead of her, which meant they only came up to her waist. That is until she had a growth spurt.

She had gotten close to Tom’s girlfriend’s brother, Dan. Victoria had spent a lot of time at Tom’s house, which meant her younger brother came also.

To Tom, he seemed nice, but that didn't stop him from keeping a wary eye on his sister. But also realistically knew that there would have been no way he would have been able to physically step in if there was trouble, as Dan had passed 12ft in height.

Cindy wasn't far behind, standing 11’6”, with future growth still likely. It made pictures with the four of them a surreal experience. It looked like two adults and two toddlers standing next to each other. 

With any chance at sports long gone, Tom turned his attention to the chess club. One didn't need to be a giant to play, only have a good head on their shoulders, as the game demanded the ability to think multiple moves ahead, not the use of brute force.

Tom became quite proficient in the game, and was considered the best player in the school. Dan was fascinated by the strategy involved, and asked Tom if he could teach him how to play. As a junior high student, he was now eligible to join all the clubs that highschool had to offer. 

Tom and Dan worked on the fundamentals of the game every day. Both Victoria and Cindy thought it was boring, and would always chat about other things. 

Cindy grew to like Victoria. She didn't at first, as she was extremely protective of her older brother, and was keeping her own wary eye on the situation. But once she started hanging out with her and Dan, her attention focused more on her classmate than her brother’s love life.

There was a Welcome To Junior High dance at the beginning of October, and Cindy and Dan had already decided to go together, which meant dress shopping was going to be a future event. But for now, the boys worked on their chess game, and the girls chatted about the boys.

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As Cindy, who grew almost a foot between 7th grade and 9th, was about to enter her freshman year of highschool, Tom had been talking with her about what to expect. There would be a whole group of new people entering her class with her, and he encouraged her to be careful about who she trusted.

Cindy knew he meant well, but she and Dan had sort of become a couple (as much as young teenagers could), so she knew she could count on him if there were any situations that could arise.

Tom, having graduated highschool the year prior, had been working as a file clerk, for very good money, at a local construction business. His dreams of doing something physically demanding were dashed long ago, as with the new formula kids becoming adults, it made him unqualified for anything remotely tough.

But with weekends off, and not having to work out in the weather, it really allowed him and Victoria to spend a lot of time together. 

In fact, Victoria and her brother had been spending so much time at Tom and Cindy’s house, that she had practically moved in. His parents had cleared it with her parents, and so they weren't under any pressure to behave like proper people.

And Tom and Cindy’s parents had really made the effort to be stay at home parents when both their children were in school. But once Tom graduated, they fell back into their old lifestyle of traveling abroad, leaving their son to look out for his young sister once again.

On the first day of school, Tom took off from work, in order to be there when Cindy came home from school. And once she and Dan entered the door, Tom and Victoria were waiting, like parents, to see how their day went.