Within a week, the buzz surrounding Paul and Alice died down. People were realizing that Alice was still in charge. Their fantasy that some little Beta slayed the monster quickly went away when she and her friends humiliated an Alpha male who was a senior.

Nobody knew the exact details. It was like top secret information held by clandestine government agencies. Nobody knew of the events, but they saw the outcome.

The senior looked forlorn as he had to walk around school for a day wearing pink nail polish. And what was worse, he had to show his nails to all the senior girls. 

What would normally be a funny situation between Alice and the senior was anything but to Paul. He came to terms with the situation, but it still ate at him. He thought about Linda constantly, day and night. But when his thoughts drifted towards school, it soured his mood.

Paul hated bullies. He didn't know why. And he was never a victim, only because he would fight back before the bully had a chance to gain the advantage.

And he knew a lot of kids weren't like him. They didn't know how to fight back, or were too afraid. And then that was it. They lost the battle.

Growing up with his parents, Greg and Debbie, he was taught at a very young age to never pick on someone who he perceived to be weak. Everyone lived life differently. Some people avoided confrontation, some preferred to try reasoning, some were scared, and some would resort to violence. 

There was no right or wrong way. It was up to the person. But bullies perceived the avoidance of confrontation as a sign of weakness, and would pounce. 

And that feeling of being unable to help started affecting his relationships with his friends. As long as he could talk about Linda, he was happy. Happiness pervaded his whole body. Once the talk veered towards Alphas or tweeners or any other subject, his feelings of self-pity would return and dampen the mood.

And he was in one of his moods one day when Linda came up to him, and asked him out. The only thing Paul could say was ‘huh’, as he had been distracted. She repeated that she was asking him out. And, in the flash of an eye, he became laser focused on Linda. The Lovely Linda. 

And he had tears in his eyes. This shocked the hell out of her. She didn't know what to say, other than if he was ok. He apologized for being so absorbed by feeling sorry for himself that he felt that he was neglecting her. She was the absolute best thing in his life, and do to his emotions, he lost sight of that. And then he said it without thinking,  ‘I Love You’. 

Linda was totally stunned. She didn't know what to say. So many emotions were running through her mind that she couldn't say a word. All she could do is look at him.

Now Paul was stunned. He had never, in a million years, ever expected to just blurt that out. But now it was out there. And as he looked up into Linda’s eyes, he wasn't sure if he did the right thing. 

Linda was finally able to get control of the thoughts in mind. But the feelings flowing through her body were still strong. Paul had just said words that she never expected to hear. Especially as it relates to a guy saying it to her. She had spent the better part of the last four years or so accepting the possibility of never finding anyone. Socially awkward, tweener guys wanted a girl with confidence and the attitudes of the Alphas turned her off. Any Beta male was scared off by her size. Paul was the first guy who wasn't. He truly cared about her, and felt totally comfortable with their size difference.

The silence between Paul and Linda was deafening. They just continued to stare into each other's eyes. They were like two statues that were placed in the middle of a room, not to be moved.

Finally, Paul moved towards the giant girl in front of him. He decided that he would say it again. He looked up into her beautiful eyes, and again said that he loved her. 

Paul had told Linda again that he loved her. Finally able to fully process what was said, and with joy filling her body, she bent down to give him a hug, except after embracing him, she stood up with him still in her arms. She had tears in eyes as they kissed, like it was the most natural thing between them. Paul had said the words Linda had longed to hear, and after the kiss, realized that she had picked him up. She was embarrassed. She quickly put Paul down and apologized. Paul smiled at her and said she didn't have to apologise for anything. He would do his best to adapt to her height, not the other way around. Plus he secretly liked what she did. He just didn't want her to know.

The morning went by quickly. Paul kept thinking of Linda. Lunch came, and they got their food, and made their way to their usual table. 

Before they started eating, Paul wanted to say something. He apologized to the four of them for his behavior over the last few weeks. His attitude was affecting his friendship with them, and he hoped that they could forgive him. And that with the weather still warm, he invited them over to his house on Sunday for a cookout.

Linda looked at Paul, and he could tell by her expression that she was concerned about breaking any furniture. Paul told her that there was a four foot wall around his house, and he figured that it would be easier for her and Todd to sit on that. Linda smiled.

Todd was a little stunned. He had never been invited to anything in his life. His eyes got real wide at the thought of actually being asked over to someone’s house. It was a new experience for him.

Todd Banks was a true rarity among people. He literally had no friends growing up. His classmates in Pre-K and Kindergarten thought he was too much of a dork to ever hang out with or invite to anything. It left him feeling like an outsider. 

Both of his parents had family that live a couple of states away, so he didn't even have cousins that were close enough to hang around with. 

And when his parents signed him up to get the formula, Todd felt that once he became an Alpha, he would belong. He saw how Alphas commanded respect, how everyone looked up to them. He would belong.

But when it became apparent that the formula variant that he took wouldn't work they way it was intended, he was crestfallen. And his feeling was only enhanced as the kids who would become Alphas started treating what became known as the tweeners with contempt and derision. 

Neither liked by the Alphas nor the Betas, the tweeners became outsiders. Buildings were either for Alphas or Betas. There was no in-between. Todd felt like an outsider among outsiders.

And when he saw two Beta boys walking in the hallway freshman year, he thought it was the perfect opportunity to show the Alphas he belonged. Except that one stood up to him, and challenged him to a fight. He was two feet taller than both, and yet they showed no fear. He felt scared. He had never been in a fight before, and now was being challenged. He mumbled something and left.

The same thing happened sophomore year. He was talking to a girl when the Beta from the previous year showed up. Todd was more going to try again to impress the Alphas. Instead, the same Beta challenged him again, and once again fear got the better of him. He walked away.

But when the Beta known as Paul Barton had asked his permission to sit at his table during lunch, he realized that somebody was finally nice to him. Never before had anyone asked him a question like that. In fact, he was the one that was always asked to leave a table. It made him see things in a new light.

And when he was being terrorized by that freshman girl, nobody came to help him. No Alpha or tweener intervened. It was a Beta, Paul, that tried to protect him. And he owed Paul a life debt that could never be repaid.

So when Paul included him in his invitation for the cookout, Todd finally realized that he found his group. He realized that he belonged.