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.