I know I said that Chapter 35 was going to be the last official chapter in this story, but I found myself unable to leave it alone. So, this should be the last official chapter. I will pick up the story in the future, under the title of The Future Have and Have Nots. There is more to be told with Paul and Linda, and I look forward to writing their story. Thank You!
Paul and Linda's first prom had become memorable for all the right reasons. Not only did they enjoy each other's company immensely, but Alice proved to be a revelation. She had a tremendous sense of humor. It took a while for everyone at the table to get comfortable with her presence, but once Paul cracked a few jokes about life in general, the ice broke, and a side of Alice not previously seen emerged.
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Alice
Alice Wilkins was destined to be tall even if she never took the original formula. Her parents would have been both over six feet if they were normal sized. Her dad was projected to have a height of 6’6”, while her mother projected to 6’3”. Alice was projected to reach a height of 6’8”.
She was always the tallest in her grade. And Alice was very down to earth. She loved to tell jokes. Kids teased her in a good natured way. And she enjoyed her classmates. They took the original formula, so they had that bond.
And as they grew, Alice was usually a head taller than her classmates. The girls didn't mind. Alice was one of them. It was the boys who had issues.
Even when the boys hit puberty, their growth spurts with the formula were nothing compared to Alice's. And the boys’ fragile egos wouldn't allow them to accept what was common knowledge. So it got to the point where no boy, Alpha, Beta or Tweener wanted anything to do with Alice. They couldn’t handle her size.
As a result, Alice withdrew from a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and hung out with the 3 or 4 girls she was closest with.
Unfortunately, as the girls got older, Alice was treated less and less like a close friend and more like a status symbol. She was always the tallest in the class, and her “friends” felt that by hanging around her, it would increase their popularity.
And as Alice was approaching her teenage years, she was losing more of her personality, and finding herself being pulled in directions that, at first made her uncomfortable, but ultimately gave her a group to hang out with. These were “friends” that loved to bully smaller classmates, then hide behind Alice’s size when there was any trouble. She just wanted to have friends.
And high school was falling into a familiar pattern. The girls in her circle would push the boundaries, and Alice would be there to clean up the mess. It wasn't until Paul Barton, a Beta in her grade, stood his ground on the bus one day that opened her eyes to what her life had become. Someone finally talked to her without fear or being intimidated. It made her realize that she didn't have any real friends, just hangers-on. She also realized that if circumstances had been different, she could see herself being friends with Paul. But after the way she had treated him and his friends, she gave up that thought as a lost cause. It wasn't until George, a senior, was inspired by Paul to approach her and ask her out, that she finally found some happiness.
But she had noticed the problems that Jill Robbins was causing for Paul and his friends, and regretted terribly not intervening on his behalf. And once Jill was eventually booted from school, she and George had made it clear to everyone that Paul and his friends were off limits to any trouble. And she was nervous approaching Paul at the Prom, because she didn't know how he would react to her wanting to talk. George had encouraged her to just be herself. And she was relieved that Paul was willing to hear her out. And a friendship was born.
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It was Linda who had a tougher time accepting Alice. Linda had naturally become very protective of Paul, and there at the table, their table, sat a girl who had caused Paul some grief. And it took her some time to understand why Paul invited her to join them. For all his stubbornness, he considered any incident or issue to be done with as soon as it was over. And it spoke to his character that he would open himself to allowing friendship with people who he normally wouldn't hang around with, like Todd. It was why she loved him. A kind heart like his was in short supply, and it made her feel like the queen of the world that he only wanted to be with her.
The three remaining weeks in the school year went by so fast, it was like a blur. George was graduating, and Alice invited them to attend, which they did. Paul thought it was a nice gesture from the giantess who was proving to have a softer heart than even he gave her credit for.
It wasn't until the Sunday after graduation, when the new group of friends were hanging out in Paul's backyard, when there were a couple of visitors who showed up. It was Jill’s parents. They had come to speak with Paul. His parents asked him if it was ok, and Paul said yes.
Tony and Elizabeth Robbins walked out onto the grass with Paul. They asked him how he was feeling. Paul replied that he was doing well. They asked him if he still wanted to see Jill, and without hesitation, he replied yes. Tony Robbins then said that they wanted to talk to his parents. Paul said he would be right back, and went into the house.
Greg and Debbie Barton came out to the backyard. The Robbins explained to them what was going on, about Paul's request when he was in the hospital, and asked if it would be possible for their son to see their daughter. Mr Robbins explained that the facility’s policy forbade any Alpha and Beta being together without strict supervision.
Greg and Debbie started to object to the situation, remembering that Paul spent a week in the hospital due to injuries suffered at the hands of Jill. They refused to grant permission. And they were about to inform the Robbins that the meeting was over, when Paul interjected. He explained to his parents why he felt it was important to him to see Jill. He needed to make sure that she was alright, and the only way he could be satisfied was to see her in person. He needed to put his mind at ease. And he pleaded with them to change their minds.
Greg asked Tony how a supervised meeting would be handled, and Mr Robbins said that Jill would be on one side of the room, Paul would be on the other, right next to an exit, and there would be three staff members in there with them.
Greg and Debbie Barton looked at each other, and then looked at Paul, who looked intently at his parents, and grudgingly agreed to let their son visit Jill. The arrangement was made for Wednesday morning at 9. The Robbins gave the Bartons the address, and said that they would see them there.
Once the Robbins left, and with his parents back in the house, Paul returned to his friends, who were curious about what was going on. They were all very surprised to see Jill's parents show up. Paul looked at everyone, and with a serious tone, informed them of what was going on.
John, Mindy, Todd, Betty, Alice and George were stunned to hear what Paul was planning. But it was Linda who flipped over hearing what he had in mind. She started raising her voice. Paul tried to get her to calm down, but it was no use. She felt her anger rising. Jill could have seriously hurt Paul, or even worse, killed him, and all he could think about was making sure that she was ok.
Paul walked over to where Linda was seated and tried to give her a reassuring hug, but she was too upset. Sitting, she was still taller than him standing, and had never emphasized that aspect of their relationship, but she bent her head down slightly to let him know that she wasn't going to allow him to visit Jill. Her actions shocked the others, because they had never seen that side of Linda.
Paul stepped back, and saw the seriousness in her eyes. But instead of giving in, he looked her right in the eyes and informed her that he was going to see Jill, no matter what. It was too important to him. And with that, Linda went to the back door and knocked. Debbie answered, and Linda asked her if she could call her parents to come pick her up, tears starting to form in her eyes. Ten minutes later, Linda’s father pulled up in front of the house, and Linda abruptly said her goodbyes, and got in. The vehicle drove away.
Victor could see that Linda was terribly upset, and his first reaction was that Paul hurt her by mistreating her. It wasn't until they arrived home, and Linda ran to her room, that her mom went in to see her. Expecting the worst possible scenario, Linda’s mom braced for the news that Paul broke up with her, or cheated on her.
But what Linda told her was completely unexpected. After hearing what Linda had to say, she gave her daughter a hug, and called her husband in. Once he entered, Linda told him what was going on. Victor looked at his daughter, held her much larger hand, and explained to her that it seemed to be in Paul's nature to want to ensure the well being of others. She may not agree with his decision, but it was a tremendous character trait, one that was rarely seen anymore in a me first world. It showed that he cared.
Victor pointed out the night when they treated Paul like shit, and he never wavered in his feelings for her, and never held it against them for their behavior. He reminded his daughter that he was a kind soul that wanted to be a part of her life, and if he felt it was important enough to make peace with Jill, she should support him, because he would do the same for her without hesitation.
Linda considered what her father had just said, then looked at her mom, who nodded in agreement. Linda felt like crying uncontrollably for the way she treated Paul, and in front of other people. She felt lousy. She hoped Paul could forgive her. She told her parents that she wanted to be alone.
Seeing Linda leave in the manner that she did hurt Paul deeply. He had never wanted to upset her, and yet, there she went, leaving with only a courtesy goodbye. He felt empty without her, but he wasn't going to let the others see that he was upset.
John asked him if he was sure he was making the right decision, to which Paul replied that he was. And when the others asked him about it, and still feeling deeply hurt by Linda leaving, Paul exploded, telling everyone that his mind was made up, and if they didn't like it, they were free to leave. And with that, Paul went into the house, directly into his bedroom, and cried. All he could think of was the look in Linda's eyes, and how he felt that he let her down. But visiting Jill was too important to him. He was fighting a raging battle in his mind between making Linda happy, and making sure Jill was ok. He suddenly felt as if the weight of the entire world was on his shoulders.
With Linda gone, and Paul in the house, the six remaining weren't sure what to do. Should they just leave? Should they wait for Paul to come back out? Or should they make sure that he was ok? They had never seen that kind of reaction from him before, not even John, his oldest friend. John volunteered to go and check on him. He came out 10 minutes later with Paul, puffy eyes and all.
Paul apologized for his behavior, saying that everyone there was a great friend. And Alice spoke for the six of them, apologizing for upsetting him with questions about his visit with Jill. They didn't mean for it to be anything other than making sure that he was going to be safe. Paul said that he understood their concerns, and asked them if they were hungry, which they were. So Paul cooked them food on the grill, which they ate in a subdued manner. It wasn't the same without Linda.
Once the meal was over, and the goodbyes were said, Paul told his parents that he would be right back, and ran off towards Linda’s house. A five minute car ride turned into a 15 minute run-walk combo. But he finally reached her house. He knocked on the door, only because he couldn't reach the doorbell. Victor answered. Paul asked him if it was possible to see Linda. Victor said yes, and directed him to her room.
Gently knocking, he heard heavy footsteps coming towards the door. Once it was opened, he saw Linda's puffy eyes and immediately knew what she had been doing. He started to ask her if she was alright, but before he could finish, two long arms reached out and picked him up and brought him into the bedroom. Linda started kissing him and wouldn't stop, until she realized that Paul was having trouble catching his breath.
She released him from her embrace, and once he caught his breath, he gave her a hug as she was apologizing to him for her behavior. Paul looked up at her, and said that she had no reason to be sorry. He understood her feelings, and reiterated that he would be completely safe during his visit.
There was another knock on her door. It was her mom, telling her that she and her father were going out for a bit, giving her a sly smile. Stephanie said goodbye to Paul, and she and Victor drove off. Once they were gone, Linda started rubbing Paul's cheek, and bent down and started kissing him again, but this time moving all around his face. Paul immediately felt something stiffen between his legs, and started caressing the large breasts that were just below his chin. And then the light to the bedroom went out, and …….
Linda's parents came back about an hour later, and gave Paul a ride home. Linda sat with him in the back, holding his hand in her larger one. She just kept thinking about how lucky she was to have found him. She just couldn't imagine him not being in her life forever, and she hoped that she would be a good wife and mother for him and their children.
Wednesday morning, Paul woke up before sunrise. He was anxious with anticipation for his meeting with Jill. He had been warned by her parents that she still had anger issues, and didn't always take her medication, but he told them that he understood the situation. It was more important than ever that he try and talk with her. He just hoped that she would listen.
Eventually, his parents drove him to the facility. The Robbins were waiting in the parking lot for them. Once out of the car, Mr Robbins asked Paul if he was sure that he wanted to visit Jill, and once again, without hesitation, he said yes. Tony Robbins didn't know this little Beta boy well, but he was becoming more and more impressed with his character. He knew someone in the Management Consultant field, and he made a note to offer Paul a chance to go into that line of work.
Once inside the building, they had to wait at the front desk for Jill’s doctor to come and explain the situation to Paul. He was a little surprised by the female doctor that showed up. Not because she was a woman, but because she looked like she should have still been in highschool. She introduced herself as Dr Sammie Loomis, and gave Paul the run down of the procedures he was to follow if there was any trouble. Paul said he understood the directions, and with that, the Dr led him into a room off to the left. Jill was already seated at a table at the far end, and three strapping Alpha males were positioned around the room.
Paul felt a case of the nerves. He asked the Dr to turn off any listening devices that were set up to monitor the situation. The Dr said that wasn't possible, but Paul needed his conversation with Jill to be private, and looked to the Robbins for backing. Tony Robbins told the Dr it was ok, and with that, the switch was turned off.
Jill had been eyeing Paul ever since he entered the room. Paul returned her gaze with his own. He could still see some anger in her eyes, so he decided to proceed with caution, and gently asked her how she was doing. Jill just looked at him, trying to stare through him in an act of intimidation, but she quickly noticed that he wasn't playing along with her.
She begrudgingly answered that she was doing ok. She asked him why he wanted to see her. Paul decided that total honesty was the only play with Jill, and said that he had been told by her parents about what had happened to her when she was in 1st grade. He said that he felt sorry for her, because he hated bullies, and if he had been there for her, he would have stopped the boys right then and there.
This caused Jill's icy stare to soften slightly, but she never took her eyes off of him. Paul continued by saying that he realized that the trauma she had suffered affected her greatly, and that was why he couldn't blame her for her actions.
Jill mistakenly thought that Paul was being condescending towards her, and stood up angrily, causing the three men to move closer to her, until Paul told them that she was fine. They backed off slowly. Paul apologized to Jill for any misunderstanding. He was only trying to let her know that he understood where she was coming from, and that if he had been in her shoes, he would have acted the same way.
Jill sat back down, and continued to look at Paul, but with a different gaze, one of bewilderment. She asked him why she should believe what he was saying. Paul stood up and walked towards her. The staff stopped him, but Paul asked them if he could get closer to her. The staff still refused, so Paul stayed where he was, and asked her if he had ever lied to her before. She couldn't remember if he did, so she told him no. He asked her if he would do anything to protect his friends and the people he loved. She said that he would do that, remembering the incident in the cafeteria.
Paul told her that he was there because he cared about her well being, and that under different circumstances, they could have been great friends. He knew that deep down, she was the happy girl that entered first grade. It was a shame that person was buried inside her, but he was hoping to be her friend one day. He asked one of the staff to write something down for him, and give it to Jill.
Jill looked at the paper. It was a phone number, Paul's number. He told her that if she ever wanted to talk, or needed to talk, she could call his house. He wanted to be there for her, because nobody had ever been there for her. And if she wasn't comfortable talking on the phone, maybe he could visit her every other week.
Jill was still looking at him, but could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that the boy who she tried to seriously injure was making sure that she was ok, that he was looking out for her well being. She looked away so he wouldn't see the tears. She stood up, and told him that she would think about his offer, and then left the room. Once back in her bed, she cried. She didn't want to, she couldn't help it. Someone had shown her kindness, someone she hurt. She was confused, a million thoughts running through her mind.
Soon the doctor came in to check on her. Jill was still on her bed, crying. The Dr asked her how she was feeling, and for once, Jill couldn't answer. This surprised the Dr. Usually the reply to that question was a sneering ‘I’m Fine’. Not this time. The Dr thought that maybe this was a breakthrough, but only time would tell.
When Paul left the room, he wasn't sure how it went, or if Jill even thought about what he said to her. But at least he got to say his peace to her, so if nothing came out of the meeting, he would know that he tried to reach her.
Summer was going smoothly. Every Sunday, the eight friends would get together, and the places rotated. Paul's house, Alice’s, George's, Linda's, and Todd’s. It allowed their families to meet the ever tightening group. And with junior year approaching, Paul received a phone call from Elizabeth Robbins. It seemed that Jill did think about what Paul had said, and asked if he could come once a month to visit her. Paul jumped at the chance.
But both junior and senior years went by faster than anyone realized. The highlight of both years was the prom. Paul could swear that Linda became more beautiful as she was approaching adulthood. His heart always fluttered when he was waiting in her living room, waiting for her to get ready. It made Paul feel chills just thinking of how she would look on their wedding day.
Paul started off visiting Jill once a month, which quickly became every other week. She was making progress, slowly but surely, and her parents made sure to keep her education current, but it gave her some comfort having someone her own age to talk to. She would occasionally suffer outbursts, and threaten the workers, but her mental state had improved since the time of Paul's first visit. And he was totally surprised when her father offered him a chance to go into the management consultant field, paying for his education. Paul needed to think it over, and talk with his parents and Linda, and promised to let him know within two weeks.
Paul accepted Mr Robbins' offer. He went to the library to research the field, and found that it greatly appealed to him. He asked that if there were any classes near where Linda would go to college, could he take them there. Mr Robbins said it would not be a problem. And as graduation was upon them, Linda was accepted into college to become a teacher. So there was much to celebrate as Paul and Linda and Todd and Betty and John and Mindy got their diplomas. The future was bright indeed.