Both Tom and Cindy had a few days to relax between their birthday party and when school started. Their mom, Susan, took her shopping at AlphaMart, a brand new department store catering to the ever growing population of children who were taking the shot. 

One thing mother and daughter were not prepared for was the sheer size of the building. Nice wide aisles, plenty of sections for children of different ages and sizes, plus areas that were closed then, but were being set up and stocked for the future growth of the children.

Susan had gotten used to seeing parents with children 3-4 ft taller than them, so it was a sight that brought familiarity and comfort. Cindy picked out her clothes, and bought a new sized basketball so she could practice at the playground.

When the girls returned home, and Tom found out about the ball Cindy bought, he became excited, as he thought it would be great to help his sister practice. He even scoffed at the notion of the ball being too big for him, as she tried to explain that it wouldn't be a good idea for him to practice with her.

Tom walked over to the ball, picked it up, and paused. It was definitely much larger than the one they used during the summer. In fact, it was the size of a beach ball, and twice the weight of a regular basketball. 

He took it outside to try a dribble, but had trouble with its much bigger size. He found that he needed two hands to lift up over his head, and discovered that there was no position that he could put his hands on it, and find it comfortable enough to shoot.

Tom came back inside, feeling extremely disappointed. He thought that he would get to be able to help his sister practice, which was something he really enjoyed, only to come to the realization that he was now too small to be of any use to her. 6’1”, and he was too small. He grumbled to himself and went to his room.

But if brother and sister were a little surprised by the size of the new basketball, it was nothing compared to changes that were happening at school. Apparently, the three elderly ladies that taught grades 3-5 had decided that they no longer wanted to deal with children that were at least a foot taller than them. They had nothing against the kids, but they found the whole idea of the formula to be an abomination. So, the day after the school year ended, they filed for retirement. And that left three openings to be filled. 

Two male teachers were hired for 3rd and 4th grade. They both stood 7’2” naturally, and the school figured it would make it easier for the growing children if they had someone close to their height to learn from.

But it was the 5th grade teacher that drew the most attention, especially from the high school boys that would watch her park in the teacher's lot. Standing 6’11”, she towered over every male, except the new teachers hired, and had flowing red hair, and long legs. Ms Casey Murrin became the dream of every high school senior male. Everyone of them made sure to be outside when she arrived in the morning. 

But if the 5th grade students thought that she was going to be hard to talk to, they were pleasantly surprised by her very friendly and gracious demeanor. And when she told her life story, and all the times she was made fun of because of her height, it instantly connected with the class, as they occasionally experienced similar reactions.

Once the buzz caused by the arrival of the new teachers died down, the school year settled into a familiar pattern. But Cindy found out that although Ms Murrin was very friendly and personable, she also assigned a lot of homework and was a fan of pop quizzes. Tom had told her that every 5th grader got the same treatment, no matter who the teacher was.

As the month turned into October, and with brother and sister in the rooms getting ready for bed, Tom heard a knock on his door. It was Cindy, and she looked like she was bothered by something. 

Tom asked her to come in, and she sat on his bed. He did likewise, as he asked what was going on. Cindy wasn't sure how to bring up the topic. 

Tom asked his sister if school was becoming too hard for her, but she said that wasn't the problem.

She just came out and said that she was due to get the second shot the day after school ended. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to get it. 

Tom didn't know how to respond, as he never had the shot to begin with. But he became deep in thought as he searched for an answer. Finally, he had an answer.

He gently pointed out an obvious result if she didn't get the second shot. She would probably only grow a few more inches. She was 9’5”, and there were parts of the house that were still too big for her, like the shower, and the kitchen, and even some of the furniture. That meant that she would be too tall for a normal sized house, and still too small for this house. She would be in between, and she probably wouldn't be comfortable living like that. If she got the first shot, the logical thing would be to get the second one as well. That way, she would fit in with a rapidly changing world.

Cindy thought about what Tom had said. He made a lot of sense. She looked down at her big brother, and for the first time, felt guilty that she got the shot, and not him. They had grown super close the last couple of years, and she appreciated how he always tried to look out for her, and guide her through the challenges she had to face.

In a much better mood than when she entered Tom’s room, Cindy was going to say goodnight when her brother told her of a conversation he had with an elderly man who was a basketball coach. He showed him drills that would improve footwork and speed, and if he couldn't practice with his sister, he would work with her in improving in those areas. 

Tom smiled at his sister, who bent down and gave him a hug, thanking him for everything he did for her. He was the best brother a sister could ask for. And with that, they said goodnight and tried to fall asleep. The alarm for school was going off at 6:30am, whether they were ready for it or not.