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This is another story inspired by Imagin8's GH-X2!

The boys raced their bikes down the dirt road in a race to see who could get to the lake first. The taller of the two, James Adams, had the longer legs, but the other boy, Todd Peters, had the faster legs. It was neck and neck, but James beat Todd by a nose.

 

Westmont Lake was a secluded area in the town of Westmont, a coal mining town in the heart of the mountains. The boys got off their bikes and sat on a bench near the water.

 

James and Todd had been lifelong best friends, a brotherly bond made stronger by the fact that their fathers were also best friends. Their dads were both formen for the company that operated the mines in the Tri-County area. Thanks to the energy boom, Westmont was considered upper middle class in terms of income. And their fathers both worked schedules that allowed them to be done by 4pm and home in time for dinner with their families.

 

James really admired his parents. His mother, Debbie, seemed to be the kindest, most generous soul in the world. If she had to call him by his full name, and in a voice slightly above normal, James knew he was in trouble. And for most of his 14 years, he looked up to her. She was the gentle rock that kept the family together, and had given up a promising basketball career to stay home and raise her son. His mother stood around six feet tall, and had such a warm smile, it could tame a rabid dog.

 

 

And it wasn't just his mom he admired. His dad, Tom, was well respected by the workers at the mine, and was actually considered a true voice of the men when dealing with upper management. An imposing man of six foot four inches, he never lost his temper, even when drunks would hang around the mine looking to start trouble.

 

James got his height from his parents, as at 14 he was already stood at six feet three inches and weighed 210 pounds. He was a star defensive lineman in his youth football league, the most unstoppable force the county had ever seen. And his friend Todd was the most highly followed quarterback in the state. Even at 14, he had a powerful arm, and speed to match, as he won many games with his legs. The pairs' reputation was such that Alex Besson, coach of the Westmont High football team, had been watching their games since they were in sixth grade. He knew that as soon as they entered high school, they were starters for the varsity team. 

 

James and Todd got back on their bikes and headed for home. Following the dirt road, they came across many construction vehicles entering a large parcel of undeveloped land. From what the boys could see, the buildings were pretty far along in the construction. It looked to them that there was a huge area for housing, shops across the way, and what looked like a new school building. The boys had heard rumors of a new high school, but those rumors had been around for years, with nothing to show for it. The boys turned and rode off.

 

James saw his dad's car in the driveway when he got back around 5 pm. Upon entering the house, he immediately sought out his mom and gave her a hug and kiss. James loved his dad, but his mom was the one he felt closest to. She had been there all his life. He was sick, his mom took him to the doctor. He had wild plans about what he wanted to do when he grew up, his mom encouraged him to dream big. 

 

James went over to his dad and shook his hand while looking him in the eye. His father had stressed that since he was young. A firm believer in keeping his word to people, James' dad thought the handshake was his way of letting people know that his word was his bond.

 

James mentioned the construction that he and Todd had passed by, and wanted to know if his dad knew anything about it. His father replied that the mine was rapidly expanding at a pace that took the town by surprise. So they had to work fast to expand the area, which included new houses, shops and a school, and they hoped to have it ready by the beginning of August. But he also heard that the new people that will be moving in are not like them. He heard that they were really tall. It seemed that they were people who had taken a formula called the GH-X2, and it really caused the sizes to increase. He wasn't sure how tall they were, because he never met them, but he reminded James that just because they might be different from him, he should still treat them with respect and kindness.

 

James nodded his head, and his mom announced that dinner was ready. James couldn't wait for the summer vacation to end, so he could get back to playing football with Todd in the fall.

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