You know, most people go throughout their day, not thinking about the difficulties for other people. Like me. I've spent about ninety percent of my life in my mom's hands. She's WAYYYY too overprotective of me. Her name is Cindy Dixon. My name is Micheal Dixon. Son of the late famous Colonel George Dixon. He saved a small town from a bomb buried deep under the city's gas supply. Unfortunately, he was killed in Iraq. I haven't seen him since I was 6. I'm only 14 going on 15.

Anyways, as I was saying, I have several difficulties in my life. Since I'm only 3 inches tall. I was born at an amazing half an inch tall. My mom didn't know she was pregnant, because of my size. But somehow, I survived birth. My mother never told me the story, and I really don't need to know.

As I was saying, things that would seem easy to you are actually almost-impossible tasks to me. For instance, walking around the house. Maybe you could reach your room from the living room in a few seconds, right? Not for me. It takes a couple minutes. Because, my sister (Selena) is constantly walking around the house barefoot. I have to go out of my way to not get squished sometimes. But thats only when she's chatting on the phone and doesn't bother to look down.

My sister is a pretty 17-year-old brunette with almond colored eyes that you could melt in. Not really, but you get it. She towers over me, standing at about 5"8. My mom has all the same features as Selena. I, on the other hand, have short brown hair like my dad. My eyes are a light gray, unlike my dad. I never really understood why I had gotten Gray eyes, but hey, I'm not complaining.

I'm also not complaining about my family. My mother, thank god, is a tailor and made me clothes since I was born. My clothes were messed up here and there the first couple times. Now, she could make me pants, a shirt, and socks in about, 6 hours. My shoes are made from some material used to make actual shoes. They were specially ordered from a company that makes shoes your way.

Oh yeah, this would be a good time to mention my twin brother. His name is Jack. He was born 4 years after me, but looks exactly like me. He stands at about 2 and a half inches tall. Again, my mom didn't know she was pregnant with him. And boy am I glad he was born. I'd hate to be the only abnormal member of the family.

Also, I have a little sister, Jazzmine, only she's regular height. Right now she 12 and approximately 5"1 tall. She has blue eyes and blonde hair. When she was little, she'd play with me against my will. I was forced to play "Tea Party" until Selena saved me. And being saved by Selena is a 1 in 1,000 chance. My realationship with Selena has been dying over the years, now that we're older. She barely even makes eye-contact with me. The only time are family gathers up is on Sunday dinners. My mom would cook something up and we'd all sit at a small table.

But I have to say, my relationship with Jazzmine has gotten better. She apologized for all the things she made me do and I accepted. Honestly, Jazzmine has been a better sister to me than Selena. To Jack as well. Jack's and my bond with Jazzmine is REALLY strong. Jazzmine would do anything for us. But Selena won't. She's entered that "Rebelious" phase and the age where she wants the least to do with any of us. Sometimes I miss when I was little, I would cry and she would hold me against her cheek and rock me until I fell asleep. She was a better child than Jazzmine. She comforted me when I found out my dad had died.

I would give anything for the memory of her cradling me. Anything.

I wake up earlier than expected. I look at the window. Its still dark. I guess I have a couple more hours until breakfast. I look to my left and see Jack. He's asleep with his head at the foot of the bed and his leg is hanging off the bed while his blanket is on the floor. I chuckle because of the way he sleeps. I get out of my bed and walk over to his. I put his leg back on the bed and I cover him with the blanket. All he does is shift. I smile walk to the window of my little "house".

My friend, Mark, made me a wooden house in his woodshop class. He made it perfect. Everything is my size. I think he made it a couple years ago. My mom painted it and but little furniture in there. And I have to say, it looks like a real house. Speaking of woodshop, I've always wanted to go to real school. Meeting new people, learning things my mom couldn't teach. My mom has home-schooled me since I could walk. Don't get me wrong, she's a good teacher, but there were "some" things she couldn't teach me about.

Anyways, I look out my window and look across the wide valley of Selena's room. She's sleeping right across from my house. My house is on her bookshelf, right next to her radio and her jewlery. Sometimes, I turn up the radio and listen to music. Of course, Selena walks in and tells me to lower the volume. So, I do. Her room is giant at my size. Like an airplane hangar. Theres a little staircase leading up to the house that me and Jack use.

Today is my birthday. I'm finally 15. And, I know what I want. I'm finally going to ask my mom if I can got to real school. Since I'm 15, I am eligible to go to high school with my sister. Hopefully, my mom will say yes. I always wanted to see other people who aren't my brother and sisters and my mom. I want to learn more and see the outside world. Then again, she might say no. At my current size, I can easily be stepped on. The thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

My thoughts are interrupted by a very familiar voice.

"Happy Birthday Micheal." Says Jack, half asleep. He gets up out of his bed and walks over to me. "What are you doing?"

"I..... I don't know." I say, "I guess just looking out the window? And thank you Jack, today is going to be great. But, you need to go back to bed."

"You need to too!"

"I know. I be there right now. Let me just.... finish."

"Okay. Goodnight. I think." Then he walks back to his bed and falls asleep all to quickly. I'm startled by a loud noise in the kitchen. Jack bolts upright and looks at me.

"What Was That!?" he says scared.

I shake my head and say "I don't know. Let me check."

"I'm coming with you." He says bravely, as if he's going on a mission.

"No," I say, "you need to stay here. If I don't come back in a couple minutes, wake Selena. I'll be right back." He nods and looks out the window. I start on my way down the staircase. The steps are jagged and uneven, but I can still walk down them. On my descent, I pass several books. One, which is my favorite, being "The Borrowers". I've read that books so many times, I could recite any paragraph on any page. The thought of hiding among humans and "borrowing" their things, like in the book, excited me.

Anyways, I reach the floor and walk towards the kitchen. Its pitch black and I can barely see a thing. You're probably wondering why a 3-inch-tall 15-year-old is doing investigating a sound in the kitchen. You're also probably asking "If its something bad, what are you going to do? You're 3 inches tall!". Well, I can't just stay in my house! It can be a burglar! I can alert my sis- "HEY!"

I stop dead in my tracks. The voice came from behind me. I slowly turn around and see Jack, running towards me out of breath.

"What Are You Doing Here!?" I say.

"Selena," he says, huffing, "isnt..... there...."

"What do you mean she isn't there?"

He catches his breath and says "I got scared so I went to wake up Selena. When I got to the top of the bed, she was gone!"

"Then," I say, with a hint of fear in my voice, "where is she, and what was on her bed?"

My brother looks up and points. I turn around, facing the kitchen. The light turns on and I see Selena, Jazzmine, and my mom with a cake with the candle "15" on it.

"SURPRISE!!!" They yell, nearly blowing my ears out. My mom holds the cake while Jazzmine blows on a horn and pulls the string on one of those "Confetti Cannons" and a ton of colorful, little strings burst out, making a loud "POP!" To my surprise, Selena is smiling while she holds a small box covered with wrapping paper and a little bow. I'm guessing my present.

I smile and Jazzmine kneels next to me. She lays her hand palm side up on the floor. Me and Jack step on. She carefully lifts us to the counter. She places her palm on the marble counter and we walk onto it. She removes her and my mom places the cake next to me.

She says "Happy Birthday sweetie!" and lowers the cake until I'm in blowing distance of the candle. I take in a deep breath and blow out the yellow flame. She smiles and grabs a knife. She cuts a small piece and places it on a napkin. She does the same thing for Jack. Then, she cuts bigger pieces for Jazzmine and Selena.

I sink my teeth into the cake. It tastes sweet..... and sugary. I watch everyone eat their cake. After we finish, I ask "Mom, why did you do this so early in the morning?"

"We wanted to surprise you. Also, when Selena was getting the candles from her room, she saw you were awake, so we hurried and here we are."

"Gee. Thanks mom. And thank you Selena and Jazzmine." Jazzmine smiles while Selena just stands there.

Then, she talks, "Here, this is your present from me and Jazzmine."

"Jazzmine and me, sweetie." My mom sometimes corrects us.

Selena places the box on the counter, next to me. I tear the wrapping off but I carefully take off the bow. I open the box that was under the wrapping. Its an Iphone. A big one.

"A Phone?! AWESOME!!!!" I look at Jazzmine and Selena. I raise up my arms and say "Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" Surprisingly, Selena picks me up first and holds me to her cheek.

She chuckles and says "No prob, little bro'." I hug her cheek and enjoy this moment. These kind of moments are a rarity to me.

Jazzmine stomps her foot and says "I helped to!" Selena carefully transfers me to Jazzmine's hand. She also brings me to her cheek and I hug it. Another rare moment. Then she puts me down so I can look at my new phone. It about 4 inches long and 3 inches wide

Selena then says "We packed it with all your favorite shows and movies. We also put a couple games in there."

"Thank you!" I say. Then, in the corner of the box, I see another Iphone, but my size. I pick it up and inspect it. Its like it was shrunk! It fits perfectly in my hand.

"How were you able to get this?"

Selena opens her mouth to say something but Jazzmine beats her to it. She says "It was hard, but we had it made for you!" with a smile. I turn it on and it works. I call the house and it works!

But then my mom says "Okay, we have to go back to bed. We'll celebrate the rest of your birthday later on, but now its time to go to bed." I nod and Selena picks me and Jack up, along with my presents. She walks into her room and places us at our house. Then, she places our little "TV" in the middle of Jack's and my bed, to the wall across. I put my new phone in my pocket and before I walk into my house, I yell Selena's name.

She turns around, walks up to me and says "What is Micheal?"

"I just wanted to say.... Thank you. This was a great gift. I love you big sister."

She smiles and gives me a kiss. "I love you too little brother." She walks away, into her bed, but turns off the light first. "Another rare and precious moment" I say to myself on my way to my bed.

"Another rare and precious moment."

After I got in bed, I waited for Selena to sleep. The second I heard her snoring, I turned on my "TV". Jack and me have been watching our favorite show "Regular Show" for awhile. We watched alot of episodes. So many, I didn't realize the sun had come up.

I hear my mom yell "Breakfast!" Then, Selena walks in wearing shorts and a tight pink top. Her hair is still damp from the shower she took. She walks over to our house and looks at Jack and me watching the Iphone.

She laughs and says "Come'on guys, lets get ready for breakfast." She places her hand palm side up at the door and I walk on. She walks me to the bathroom and places me in the sink. After turning the water on, she says "I'll be back in a couple minutes." and closes the door.

Again, the sink was specially made. The faucet has several little holes the lets the water come out gently. Theres little drains in the sink floor. Big, but small enough for my foot to not get stuck in one. Above the faucet are little shelves that hold my soap and a little panel that controlls the temperature. My mom has really spent a lot of money on me. I get undressed and take my phone out of my pocket. I turn the water to warm and walk in the water and wet my hair. I then grab my soap and scrub my body. Well, you don't need to know all the details. I'll be back when I'm done.


I finish rinsing and I turn the water off. I climb out of the sink and grab my towel. I scrub my hair with it and dry my body. When I finished, I put on some dark blue jeans and a yellow shirt. Yellow is a happy color, right? Then I put on my dress shoes. After I finish, I wait for Selena. At this height, I'm stuck here until Selena or Jazzmine or my mom get me off.

I take this time to think about how I'm going to ask my mom about school. What am I going to say? I hear a knock on the door and I grab my phone along with my dirty clothes.

"COME IN!" I shout. Selena walks in and sets the side of her palm on the side of the sink so I could get on it easily, as I do. She carries me to my house and now it Jack's turn to take a shower. I walk in the house and see Jack getting ready. He hugs me and walks into Selena's awaiting hand. I drop my clothes in a small shotglass my mom gave to me and set my phone on my pillow. I then lay back on my bed and stare at the roof. What time is it?

I walk to my TV and press the screen button. It says 9:30 AM. Oh yeah, breakfast. I quickly run down the stairs and walk into the kitchen. Jazzmine sits in her chair, eating bacon and eggs. I walk over to her bare foot and tickle it. This is my way of signaling her. She giggles and picks me up. Her hand takes me to my seat. A barbie doll plastic chair with a little table and a tiny plate. I move the plate.

Jazzmine says "Mom, Micheal is here." My mom turns around and brings a little plate with a small strip of bacon, and half of a scrambled egg. It sounds like a little bit, but less could fill me up.

"Thank you, mom." I say politely

"You're welcome dear. Now eat up, we have a big day ahead of us!" And then she walks back to the stove. I grab my plastic fork and knife and eat the bacon. My mom comes back with a thimble of orange juice, and I gulp it down quickly. I then start on my eggs. The egg is too thick for my fork, so I use my knife to cut it into small pieces. After the egg is small enough for me to eat, Selena walks in carrying Jack. Selena gently places Jack in the chair next to me. My mom gives Jack the same amount of food I recieved.

"I can't wait for today!" says Jack.

"Yeah. Me too." I say, a bit glum and a bit excited. Theres a 50-50 chance my mom will let me go to school, and the suspense is killing me.

Jack leans in closer to my ear and whispers "I wasn't supposed to tell you, but one of your cousins is coming. I think her name is Bianca."

"Bianca?" I say, puzzled at the name.

"Yeah. She's going to be here in a few minutes."

"Who told you?" I think I already know.

"I can't tell you, but I can tell you she isn't the only one coming." And then, like nothing happened, he starts eating his food.

"What do you mean 'she isn't the only one coming'?" He ignores me and continues to eat. What did he mean? I ponder this while I eat my food. I finish quickly and I call my mom and she takes my plate. Jack finished as well and she takes his plate too.

"Hey, Jazzmine!" I say.

She looks at me and says "What is it big brother?"

"Can you take me and Jack to our house?"

"Sure. Here." She sets her hand on the table and Jack and me step on. She makes sure we're on board and starts walking to Selena's room. She walks in and sets us at the front door.

Before I walk in, she says "Happy Birthday Micheal, I love you!"

"Thank you, and I love you too. And Jazzmine.... Thank you for being so nice to me all these years. My bond with Selena has been falling apart. Thanks for not forgetting about me."

She picks me up in her palm and she says "I could never forget about you. Or Jack. I love you two." She holds me against her chest, hugging me. I hear her heartbeat and I feel the heat eminating from her skin. After a few seconds of hugging, she puts me back in my house and walks away. When I get in, I see Jack is already watching something.

"Whadd'ya watching Jack?" I ask.

"DING-DONG!" I hear the doorbell ring. I gasp and turn around. I hear the door open and small talk from my mom and a lady I've never heard. The voices get closer.

I start shuddering after I hear my mom say "Oh, Bianca, why don't you go in Selena's room and meet Micheal and Jack. They should be in the little house on top of her bookshelf."

"Okay." says a female-like voice. I stay in the middle in the floor of my house, frozen by fear. I hear footsteps advancing to my position.

I almost jump when I hear the voice say "Oh. My. GOD!" I feel giant pillars wrapping around me as I'm taken from the safety of my home. Jack jumps up and reaches for me, but its too late. I'm brought to face level of a girl that I believe is Bianca.

I look into Bianca's gigantic face. She has hazel brown eyes with black hair. The left side of her bangs are dyed red. As she holds me in a fist, my arms are pinned to my side. I look down and shudder. A fall from this height will kill me, or put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, and I'm not so sure about possibilty number 2. She opens her hand and I fall into her right hand's palm.

She pokes me roughly and says "What are you? You can't be my cousin. You're too small."

"NO! REALLY, I AM! I AM!" I scream.

"You're really my cousin?" Bianca asks, questioning my reality.

"Yes! I'm Micheal! You're Bianca, right?" I say, trying to convince her that I'm real.

"Yeah. How'd you get so small?"

"I was born like this. I have a brother too. He's in the house." I say.

She starts walking towards the house but then I say "Wait! He doesn't like being picked up out of the house. I'll get him."

"Okay." Bianca says with an indifferent tone.

She places me next to the door and I walk in.

I grab my phone instantly and call Selena. I know her phone is in here and it will make it ring and she will check it. Which means she might check on me as well. Knowing her, its a 99.99% chance, since she loves her phone. I have to be quick, or Bianca will know something is up.

I dial Selena's number and put the phone to my ear. I can hear Bianca's breathing.

I hear Selena's phone ring. Then twice. Then three times.

"Whose phone is that?" Bianca says.

"I don't know." I lie. "I'll be right out." I continue.

The phone rings one more time and stops completely. NO! I'm done for!

"Jazzmine, go check on your brothers." I hear my mom say.

Wait, there might be hope after all! I hear Jazzmine's skipping down the hallway.

She walks in and spots Bianca.

"Who are you?" Jazzmine says, staring at Bianca.

"Who are YOU?" Bianca says, staring at Jazzmine

Thank god she's here.

"JAZZMINE! OVER HERE!" I shout as loud as I can.

"Micheal? Who is this?" She says as she walks towards me.

She carefully picks me up in her palm and says "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Is all I said.

"Is he your brother?" Bianca asks, a little confused.

"Yes. What did you do to him? He looks scared." She asks Bianca, glaring at her.

"I just held him. That's all." Bianca says.

Then, Selena walks in. She looks at Jazzmine. Then at Bianca. Then at me. Then she repeats it in that order.

"What's happening?" She asks all of us.

"I think this girl did something to Micheal." Jazzmine says.

"WHOA, EVERYBODY CALM DOWN! She didn't do anything. This is Bianca. Bianca, this is Jazzmine and Selena." I say as I motion everybody to eachother.

"Hey." Selena says to Bianca without looking at her.

"Hi." Bianca says to Selena.

An awkward silence fills the room. I never expected this to happen.

"Well, hi Bianca. How ya' doing?" Jazzmine askes Bianca in a perky way.

"I'm doing good. How about you?" Bianca answers Jazzmine.

Maybe this won't be a bad day after all. Then, I hear the front door open.

"Hello Cindy, its great to see you!" I hear a male and female voice say in unison.

Oh no. Not more people!

"Todd, Molly! Its been awhile since I saw you two! How's the family?" I hear my mom say.

"Well, Rachel has been a handful. She's going through her rebellious phase. You know teenagers," Molly says.

"Moooom! Would you quit with that crap?! I'm not going through a 'rebellious' phase, so quit it!" I hear a younger female voice say.

Maybe that's Rachel?

I hear angry stomps coming towards us. Rachel walks in. Whoa, I didn't think she'd look like this. Her hair is coal black and she has alot of black make-up on. Black mascera, black lipstick, and black eye-liner. She's also wearing a black shirt and black skinny jeans, along with some black Vans. Besides all the make-up, she looks very pretty. She would be prettier if she didn't wear all that make-up.

"What's that?" Rachel asks, with a bit of disgust, as she points at me in Jazzmine's hand.

"His name is Micheal! He is not a 'that'." Jazzmine says as she pulls me closer to her.

"Well excuse me! I thought he was some kind of bug." Rachel says with an attitude.

"Hey!" I shout.

At that moment, I hear the doorbell ring again, which is followed by the sound of the door opening.

"Martha, great to see you again! And David, it's nice to see you too!" I hear my mom say in a perky way.

Not more people!

Its been an hour since I last saw Rachel for the first time. So far, there are at least 9 of my cousins here.

Bianca is 14 and half with pretty hazel brown and black hair with the left side of her bangs died red. She's a Caucasian with light skin. She's about 5'2 with alot of bracelets and necklaces. After talking to her for a while, I learned she is a really smart and nice girl. Her parent's names are Kelly and Thomas. Kelly is S.T.E.M. worker and she does all kinds of cool thinks at her work. I think STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, if I can recall what Bianca told me. Her dad works at a company called InsoniO. A technology company. So you can tell her parents are the smart kind of parents and they want Bianca to follow in their footsteps and become a doctor, or something like that. But she told me she doesn't want to be that. She wanted to own a small hair salon. She wants to learn to cut and style hair. I told her to go ahead and do it, that I'm hoping she follows her dream. But the thing is, she hasn't explained it to her parents. She doesn't want them to know, because they might get angry at her or something. I told her maybe I could help her break the news to her parents. She said "Really"? I said yes and she thanked me. After all, they can't get mad at her with me there.

Rachel is 16 year-old with black, well, everything, who doesn't give a poop anymore. She, for some reason, wants to end her life. I got depressed and worried when I heard that. I asked her why she felt that way and she told me her parents are fighting and planning on getting a divorce. I asked her when they said that. She said since she was 14. Two years of listening to her parents fight. Fight about who gets custody of her. Fighting about everything. She told me the only reason they sucked it up and looked like a nice happy family was because they wanted to see me, and not scare me or anything like that. I told her I felt sorry fer her, but this aggravated her for some reason. I honestly don't know why she opened up to me in the first place. Her parents, Todd and Molly, both work at Wells Fargo, as bankers. I've never been to Wells Fargo.

Next up, is the Gredder Twins. Both 10 years old, they have blue eyes, with blonde hair and very light skin. As far as I know, they're only here for the candy and cake. Their parents are Martha and David. They don't like being mean to the twins, so basically, they treat them like a prince. As i'm told by their 13 year old daughter Sierra. The twins stole her spotlight from being an only child. Sierra has to deal with her twins getting away with everything, like stealing stuff from her, vandalizing her room, and alot of other stuff. I felt kind of sorry for her. That's how Selena must feel about me and Jack. But she just doesn't show it. My mom has her full attention to me and Jack. Sometimes it's good, but others, it's a bit too much.

After the Gredder family came, the Nio family came. They have a 14 year old son named Jared. He's a cool blond, with olive green eyes. He has long wavy hair. His family came here from Florida, where he goes surfing. Almost every day. He also works out. He came wearing shorts and a muscle shirt. He is an extremely cool guy. I spent a while with him, talking and hanging out. He live in Bradenton with his mom and dad, and a little brother on the way. His parents names were Linda and George. He didn't really tell me where they worked, but he told me about the wide and relaxing beaches they have in Bradenton. The calm water, the soft sand. I've always wanted to go to a beach. I told him and he said maybe I could visit him sometime. He could take me to the beach. I told him I would ask my mom if I can go. He said cool and left to meet my other cousins and family.

Some girl who looked ten or nine came here and talked to Jack for a bit. Didn't talk to her, or catch her name, but I know Jack and her are getting along well. I hear her ask Jack if she could pick him up and he said yes. They left the room giggling and talking. So far, all the people that have came have kids. Some cool, and some a bit weird. I wonder where, and what Jazzmine and Selena are doing. I haven't seen them since this morning, and not to be selfish, but it's my birthday! Oh well, she must be doing something more important. What should I do? I stand up.

I'm on a table outside in our backyard. My uncle Gabe is cooking us some hot dogs and hamburgers. My mom made her famous Double Dippin' Dip for the chips. It's the best dip I've ever tasted. I don't know what she puts in it that makes it so delicious, but I love it! I see the Gredder twins running around the table I'm on. One of them falls and pushes the table over. It tilts over and I slide down the side of it. I keep my balance but then I tumble down onto the dirty grass. I roll around the dirt and fall into a mud puddle. Just my luck.

"Oh no, Micheal?!" I hear my mom shout.

The walks over to the table and lifts it up. She looks around for me and when she notices I'm not there, she shouts "Micheal!"

The puddle is pretty deep. Deeper than I thought.

"What happened?" I hear Selena boom from my left.

Thank goodness. I try to get up and call her name, but she doesn't hear me and I see nothing but the bottom of her flat. I scream and try to "swim" away from the giant foot, but the mud is too thick and I'm stuck. I feel a thick pad smash me into the mud. ALL the way in. Then like nothing, her foot is gone, leaving me all the way in the mud. But Jazzmine follows and I see her shoe's shadow as well. I'm pushed into the mud as I scream. Mud fills my lungs and my ears and eyes. Then her foot lifts and is gone. I'm at the bottom of the mud puddle, coughing, trying to wipe the mud out of my eyes. The mud slowly goes back into place, sealing me in the mud. Soon to be dried and become dirt. It's like I'm being buried. I shout and thrash around. I look to my left and see my mom searching the ground, desperately looking for me. I try to make as much noise as I can. My mom looks in my direction and crawls towards me. She sees me in the mud and screams a shrill ear piercing scream. She carefully picks me up and tries to wipe the mud off of me.

My family crowds around me and gasps. My mom just starts crying and runs into the house with me safely in the house. She walks into her room, and into the bathroom. She turns the water to a soft warm stream of water. She very carefully puts me in the stream and tries to thoroughly clean me. She takes my dirty clothes off and puts them aside. The mud in my body makes me cough loud and vigorously. After the mud is out of my eyes, I look up at my mom. She has tears in her eyes. The water feels good. Cleansing the mud off my body. After she thinks I'm cleaned good, she sets me on a towel and wraps it around me. I feel the warmth and even though my chest is killing me, I can't help..... to not fall...... asleep......

"Micheal?" I hear a familiar voice say.

I open my eyes slowly and look up. I see Jack sitting right next to me, his face sad and worry-filled. I'm still wrapped in the warm comfortable towel my mom put around me. Which must mean..... I'm still in my birthday suit. I sit up and feel my hair. Mud free. I have to thank my mom for cleaning me like that.

"Micheal?! You're okay?!" I hear Jack say as he perks up and looks at me.

I cough and say "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" I tell him.

"Rachel told me you weren't going to make it. That you would die because of the mud in your lungs. How are you feeling?" He says.

Why would Rachel tell him that?

"Doing okay. There is a lot of mud in my body, but it will work it's way out of me in a while. What time is it?" I ask him.

"You've only been out for a few hours. It's 6:24, Pm." He replies.

"Wow, I was out for 3 hours?" I ask Jack.

"Yeah, when mom put you in our house, I came to sit here to make sure you were okay. I didn't want you to die." Jack says as he starts tearing up.

I sit up and wipe his tears away while saying "Don't worry little brother. I'm okay. Thanks for staying with me."

"No problem Micheal. So should we go outside?
mom just put you in here and left, sobbing. Maybe we should tell her you're okay?" Jack suggests.

"Good idea! We have to be careful though. We need to find the safest path to mom, only, we don't know where she is." I say.

"Lets try and get Selena's attention!" Jack says enthusiastically.

"Ok, let me get dressed though." I say.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for you outside the door to our room." He says.

He sits up, off our bed, and walks down the stairs. While he's walking, I take the towel off me and look in the mirror. I see a bruise on my chest, clear as day, and one on my head. Where did I get those from? I open my clothes drawer and pick out a blue shirt with black skinny-jeans. I put on my underwear and my muscle shirt. Then, I apply deodorant and put the clothes I picked out on. Should I get my phone? Another accident like today's and it would be ruined. Oh well, I might need it. I grab it and put on a pair Devaul Shoes. I think I have everything I need. Walking down the stairs, I look for Jack. I don't see him anywhere, he must be outside already.

Then, I hear two voices outside. Very familiar ones.

"I can't believe he wants to go to high school. After what just happened, he wouldn't last a single day. Pathetic." I hear a girl say.

"Well, we can give him a chance." I hear a different female voice say.

"He'd get crushed into tiny bloody bits in High School, you know that but you don't want to tell him because it would crush his little dreams. Just tell him already Selena." I hear the voice say again.

Selena?

"I know he wouldn't last. I don't want him to go to High School, he'd probably get bullied, or stepped on. And, I honestly don't think he's smart. But I can't tell him that Rachel!" Selena says.

I gasp at what these girls are saying about me. I breathe quickly and lose my balance. I tumble down a few steps and hit the floor. I start hyperventilating. I try to get up, but I feel like my arms have turned into spaghetti noodles. I can't feel my arms. I can't believe what they said about me. I could last in High School. With Selena, I could!

"Just tell him already. Plus, that bug would follow you around, always asking YOU for something. He'd never leave you alone. He'd be killed in the first two days." Rachel says.

"He's not a bug! At least, I think so. Maybe you're right about this. I don't want him to be following me around, asking for annoying things. I guess I'd better tell him. Thanks Rachel." Selena says.

"You're welcome." Rachel says as I hear foot steps walking away.

I can't breathe. Is this what everybody thinks? I wouldn't survive the first day in high school?! I hear the door open and I crawl under the bookshelf.

"Micheal? Are you here? Are you in your house? I have to tell you something." She says.

I see her yellow flats and parts of her ankles come closer, to look in the house.

"Micheal?" She says out loud.

"Micheal?! Where are you? Micheal!" She shouts.

I stand up, and run over to her shoe, and kick it really hard. She looks down at me and sighs.

"Thank god," she says.

"I would last in High School! Without your help! I could make it! Just because I'm small, it doesn't mean I'm mental or dumb! I'm a person! Not, a bug!" I yell at her with everything I'v got.

She has a look of sadness on her face. She reaches out to pick me up but I slap her fingers away and run under the bookshelf. Into the deepest darkest corner. Why would my own sister say something like that about me? Doesn't she believe in me?

"Micheal, I'm sorry but.... It's true. Face it, a boy like you couldn't last in High School. I mean you're very smart, but your size will affect everything. How you get around, how you turn your homework in. It just doesn't seem possible. Especially after the incident today. You have to be more careful." She says in a soft tone.

I try holding my anger in, but I just..... pop.

"I crawl out from under the bookshelf and look at Selena.

I shout "This was your fault! If you hadn't had stepped on me, and pushed me in the mud in the first place, I may have had a chance to go to high school! This wasn't my fault! You didn't check to see where you were going and you almost killed me! I could make it in High School! Size doesn't matter! It's what I have on the inside that counts! So leave me alone! No good sister would call me a dumb, idiotic bug, like you did!"

I see her face twitch. She looks down at me, with tears pouring out. A giant salty-tasting tear fall right on my face, like a soft punch. I stumble back and fall.

"I stepped on you? I almost killed you? I.... I..... I'm sorry Micheal. I didn't see you there. I ruined your only chance to actually go to high school. I'm so sorry." She says.

She slowly moves her hand towards me and gently carries me to her. She's crying.

"I'm sorry Selena, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I just....." I stop mid-sentence.

I feel something coming up. Out of my stomach. It's a lump, traveling up my throat. I grab Selena's index finger and move my head away from her hand. I throw up a brown liquid pile of mud. I cough, and try to stop it, but more just keeps coming out. Tears come out of my eyes, from the pain of the dirty, nasty mud coming out of my mouth. Lumps of twigs, leaves, and dirt come out of me, I never knew they were inside of me. When I feel like it's all gone, I let my head drop onto Selena's thumb.

"Micheal, are you okay?!?" She asks me, wiping her tears away with her left hand.

"I think...." I cough the words out, "I could use some water though."

Selena keeps me safely in her palm, as she opens the door and walks to the kitchen. She grabs a barbie doll playhouse cup, that was painted gray or me, and she fills it with water. She hands it to me and I hold the cup to my lips and drink all the water. I breathe and I think the mud is out of my system. Thank god.

"Thanks Selena. I'm sorry for making you feel bad. You really are a good sister." I say looking up at her beautiful face.

"I'm sorry Micheal. I didn't mean what I said. Should we go tell mom you're ok?" She says.

"Yeah, lets go." I say.

She picks me up carefully, and walks to my mom's room. I haven't asked for my birthday wish yet, and this might not be the good time, but I'm going to ask my mom my big question. If I can go to high school, or not. I'm super scared right now.

I can't believe today is the first day I'm going to school! Painfully, the days passed by to today, the first day of school! My mom had registered me into the school and I got my classes based off of a test I did for them the day I registered. They told me they were surprised at my intellect, no hard feelings intended. I had gotten a 96% on the test that was 9th grade level. They told me I would get honors math and English. I have no idea what "honors" classes are, but I bet they are fun. I have no idea how I'm going to get around, I'm about 4 inches, more or less. I just hope people watch where they walk. I doubt it though. Who always looks down before every step? No one. Unless you don't like step on bugs, then they look down every step. I'm just so excited. My mom got everything ready. I sharpened some pieces of lead from a pencil to try to make a makeshift pencil my size. Mom also packed me my lunch. Which is basically a crumb to regular sized people, but to me, it's a good meal. I grab the sandwich wrapped in plastic and I put it in my back pack. A barbie doll backpack painted my desired color. I stand o the table, waiting for Selena. I hear her coming down the steps and around the corner.

"Are you ready Micheal?" She asks me as she sets her hand down next to me, palm side up.

"Yup." I say.

I stand onto her hand and she gets a good grip on me.

"Now remember Micheal, be very careful. Try to not get hurt. I love you Micheal. And I love you too Selena." My mom says.

"Okay mom, I will. I love you too." I say.

Right when we're about to walk through the door, my mom grabs Selena's arm and whispers something to her. Selena nods and continues to walk out the door. I feel a bit suspicious. What did my mom tell Selena? As we're walking to the bus stop, I ask Selena what mom told her.

"I can't tell you." She says with a tiny smile on the corner of her lips.

"Why not?" I reply.

"It's a secret, and I told you, it wouldn't be a secret." Selena says.

"But, if it's a secret and mom told you, that means it's not a secret anymore. So tell me!" I say.

"Touche." She says.

"Thanks." I say.

What does "Touche" mean? I've never heard of that word. I just sit down on Selena's soft, coconut-smelling palm and look at the sun. It's barely up. The sky is still a light shade of blue and I feel a little breeze. But then the breeze gets colder and colder and I realize I don't have a jacket. I sit closer to Selena's thumb, and I try to wrap her fingers around me. She has her hand in the air, palm side up, so it was a bit difficult. I eventually get her fingers over me. Her fingers are soft and warm. Like giant teddy bears. I look up and see Selena looking at me in her hand all comfortable. I see her smile a bit, but then she raises her head again to look at the sidewalk. I wonder what Jack and Jazzmine are doing. I think Jazzmine went to school and Jack is just at the house with mom. Or he might be watching something on our "TV". That reminds me, I brought my phone with me. I pull it out and look at the time. 7:12 AM.

"Hey Selena, is it okay to use our phones in class?" I ask her.

"Nope, if a teacher catches you, you'll get the phone taken away until the end of the day." Selena says.

"Okay, thanks." I say.

I turn off my phone and shove it into my left pocket. I see the bus stop sign ahead of us. I have a feeling Selena doesn't like carrying me.

"Selena, are you okay with carrying me? I could walk from here." I ask her.

"It's okay, and you wouldn't make it to the bus at this size. I mean you wouldn't be able to reach it." She says.

"Well, can I sit in your shirt pocket? I know you holding your hand out is making your arm tired." I ask her.

"Okay then." She says. With her right hand, she gently wraps her fingers around my waist and slowly lifts me into the air. Then, she tucks me in her shirt pocket.

"Does anyone else come to this bus stop?" I ask as I wiggle around in the pocket, trying to get comfortable.

She giggles and says "Yes, but stop moving around so much, you're tickling me."

"Oh, sorry. Who else comes here?" I ask, as I stop moving.

"My best friend Gina." She tells me.

"Have I met her?" I ask.

"Nope, so she'll be surprised to see you."

"Will she try to squish me?"

"No silly. I'll tell her you're my brother, and to be careful where she walks in school."

"Oh, okay thanks sis."

We reach the bus stop and we wait. Selena stands with her backpack and I stand up in her shirt pocket as well. It's quite comfortable in here. It's soft and warm and close to her heart. Soon, I hear footsteps to my left. Loud and solid, like the person is wearing boots. I look to my left and see a tall, blonde girl in boots. She has quite a bit of makeup on her face. Her hair reaches down to her shoulders and a bit farther. Is this Gina?

"Selena? Is that you?" She says.

"Hey Gina!" She says.

"It's so good to see you! How's Jazzmine?" She asks Selena.

I guess she never told Gina about me. Figures, I've never seen Gina at our house before.

"She's good. How's your mom?" Selena asks.

"She won't stop crying over the crash." She says.

"Crash? What crash?" I say by accident, curious of what they're talking about.

"What was that?" Gina asks Selena.

"Gina, I have to tell you something. Have you met my brothers?" Selena asks Gina.

"Brothers? What brothers?" Gina questions Selena.

"This is one of them. His name is Micheal." Selena says.

Selena moves her hand over the pocket and reaches in and pulls me out.

"What is that?!" Gina shouts, pointing at my tiny form.

"My brother!He was born like this." Selena says.

"Is this a trick?" Gina asks, looking at me closely.

"It's not. You can hold him, if he's okay with it.

Both of the girls look at me. I nod and Gina picks me up out of Selena's hand. She carefully prods me in my chest with her index finger.

"Wow.... just... Wow!" Gina says.

Gina hands me back to Selena. I sit in her palm, looking at Gina's astonished face.

"Why are you here Micheal?" Gina asks me.

"I'm going to go to school. With you and Selena." I reply.

"Really? No offense, but at your tiny size, people would squish you! This is a bit too dangerous." Gina says.

"I know, but I wanna socialize, and this is the perfect way." I say.

"Guys, the bus is coming!" Selena says.

We all look to our left. I see a yellow bus with black stripes. The bus drives up to the curb and the doors open with a pneumatic hiss. I look at the bus driver. She waits for us to get on the bus. I guess there's no turning back now.

I open my eyes and begin to lift my head. Some faint light shines through our window, it’s still early in the morning. I don’t think I have to be out of bed for another hour or so. Jack’s still peacefully asleep in his bed. His chest slowly rises, then falls, in an even rhythm.

Even when I was asleep, I couldn’t get my mind off my situation. It all seems so… bizarre. I mean, if I really look at my entire life, nothing makes any sense.

Why am I here? Why was I cursed with size, along with Jack? Is Jack even my twin? I always called him that because of how close we’ve been, but our four-year birth separation defies the meaning of being a twin. Was a single day at high school worth the toll it took on my relationship with Selena? I mean, if I’m even to begin to believe the reasons she gave me yesterday. Bullying at school caused this? She brings the bullying home, for what, to then in turn take this anger out on me? At least Jack hasn’t seen this side of her, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me to handle. Whether or not it was the reason she exploded, that doesn’t change the fact she’s been harboring these feelings for quite some time. Maybe her interaction with Rachel stirred the pot before it boiled over as well.

I really don’t know what to do at this point. What can I say? Not that she’d even listen to me for just a moment. For the first time in my life, I feel like… like I have nobody I can go to. I can’t go to back to bed and I don’t like thinking about this.

I yank the sheets off and sit up, swinging my legs over the side of my bed. Placing both my feet on the cold ground, I stand up and shuffle to the window that gives me a view of the room. Selena’s still asleep as well.

I feel so trapped. I can’t do anything on my own right now. Even if I wanted to do something simple, like reading a book, I’d need someone to crack it open for me. Otherwise I’d risk being crushed. How sad is that?

Maybe this whole school thing was a mistake. Maybe I should just throw away the whole idea and go back to how things were. Even though I’m only three inches tall, I had a good life, I guess. It was a lot simpler, at least on the surface.

But today… I got a taste of it. Of living a normal life. I met a girl I really liked. No, more than that, she gave me feelings that I don’t even fully understand yet! I have met people who haven’t been nothing but nice to me, something that the world is full of, something I need to learn to deal with. Potential knowledge and lessons I can’t learn from just my mom, that I need to learn for myself. I’ve got to keep this going, I must trudge on. What kind of person would that make me if I just gave up on the first challenge of the new direction I’ve taken in my life?

It’s settled. I am going to do this. The first possible step I can take to the prospect of being independent, even to some small degree, lies on me doing this.

“Look out world,” I say, straightening my posture, “here I come.”