James was on cloud nine. Meg had seemed very receptive to the idea of getting pizza with him. He took a chance in asking. But he quickly came back to reality with the realization that because of their size difference, he would have to meet her there. The options were suited for people her size. And he secretly prayed that her parents would ignore him as any sort of threat to their daughter's safety, and not want to meet him before hand. But that was an issue for later. Now, it was off to math class.

Back at work, Tom used his new cart to his benefit. The secretaries gave him plenty of folders, files, and binders to be dropped off to other offices within the building. The loads were usually heavy, but the cart made things much more bearable and a lot easier.

He noticed Susan had talked to each secretary individually. What was discussed he could only guess at. But he noticed several times the lady being talked to looked back in his direction. It made him a little uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do, except his job.

When Susan talked to each of the secretaries, it became apparent that they all resented Tom Adams’ presence within the office. To them, he was a hindrance to them doing their jobs effectively due to his size. They could carry twice as many binders and large folders than he could, and that he basically needed help in doing tasks that they could do within seconds by themselves.

Susan listened to their complaints patiently, and when it was her turn to respond, she stressed that Tom had been with the company for a lot of years, and due to his effectiveness as a foreman, the mine had become the most successful branch in the company. In fact, it was so successful that the original company was bought and they, the secretaries, each had well paying jobs because of Tom’s hard work. He didn't ask for this new job. It was created to reward him for his service. 

She also pointed out that it wasn't his fault that he wasn't the size of an Alpha. And that they should have a little understanding of what it's like to be different in an ever-changing world. Whether the secretaries would change their attitudes towards Tom was anyone’s guess. But it was important for Susan to explain the situation.

And since Susan didn't know if the ladies would treat Tom with courtesy and respect, she decided to have her desk moved into to secretaries’ area just so she could keep an eye on Tom. She wanted to make sure that he would be able to do his job without being subject to intimidation, humiliation, or any abuse, as Susan read the news and saw stories of abusive behavior from Alphas towards Betas.

Tom was faced with a choice. He had written his resignation letter to give the boss. He had every intention of walking away from the only job he ever loved. But with Susan working in the office, he felt that he had a friend that he could trust. He couldn't explain the feeling. He had just met her a couple of days prior, but instinctively knew that he could trust her. So he decided to tear up the letter and stay with the mine.

Back at school, James and Meg were able to find an empty table for lunch. Another class was running late, so the cafeteria wasn't as crowded. It was exciting for James to be sitting with a girl that he was attracted to. It also let Meg feel somewhat normal, as she really didn't socialize with her fellow Alphas. So for the first time since they met at the beginning of the school year, they were able to enjoy each other's company at lunch.

James got up the courage to ask Meg about her family. Meg responded that she had a mom, dad and sister who were Alphas. And the she offered her history.

Meg Daniels was born to Leo and Michelle Daniels. She also had a younger sister named Amanda that was in 6th grade. And since her dad worked for the mining company, they had moved around often enough that neither she or her sister could make lasting friendships. So they basically kept to themselves and became the outcasts of the cliques that would form in school. And then Meg returned the question back at James.

James thought he heard the name Amanda before, but he couldn't place where or when. So James explained that he was the only child of Tom and Debbie Adams. He explained that he was always the tallest kid in his class, then winked at Meg, and told her that he “used” to be the tallest. Meg heartily laughed at his joke. She found herself becoming attracted to him. James did the one thing that no other male, Alpha or Beta, had done. He not only treated her with respect, but he treated her like a lady, despite his obvious size disadvantage. She looked forward to going out with him on a pizza date.

But like James earlier, she realized that her parents would object. She knew that her parents had a disdain for Betas. Thankfully that attitude skipped her and her sister. There was no way that they would ever accept James as being worthy to date her. But she was going to bring it up to them anyway. She realized that she couldn't sneak any relationship past her parents, especially one involving a Beta. 

But soon, it was time to catch the bus home. James sat with Meg, and once his stop was reached, he promised Meg that he would call her after dinner. Meg smiled and told him that she would be waiting for the phone to ring. And with that, James exited the bus at the same time his father pulled up to the house.