The birthdays had come. Tom turned 17, and was getting ready for his senior year in highschool. Cindy turned 12, and was entering 7th grade, which meant that she was in her first year of junior high. 

Cindy had blossomed into a beautiful pre-teen girl, had caught the eye of plenty of boys, some even a few grades ahead of her, which meant they only came up to her waist. That is until she had a growth spurt.

She had gotten close to Tom’s girlfriend’s brother, Dan. Victoria had spent a lot of time at Tom’s house, which meant her younger brother came also.

To Tom, he seemed nice, but that didn't stop him from keeping a wary eye on his sister. But also realistically knew that there would have been no way he would have been able to physically step in if there was trouble, as Dan had passed 12ft in height.

Cindy wasn't far behind, standing 11’6”, with future growth still likely. It made pictures with the four of them a surreal experience. It looked like two adults and two toddlers standing next to each other. 

With any chance at sports long gone, Tom turned his attention to the chess club. One didn't need to be a giant to play, only have a good head on their shoulders, as the game demanded the ability to think multiple moves ahead, not the use of brute force.

Tom became quite proficient in the game, and was considered the best player in the school. Dan was fascinated by the strategy involved, and asked Tom if he could teach him how to play. As a junior high student, he was now eligible to join all the clubs that highschool had to offer. 

Tom and Dan worked on the fundamentals of the game every day. Both Victoria and Cindy thought it was boring, and would always chat about other things. 

Cindy grew to like Victoria. She didn't at first, as she was extremely protective of her older brother, and was keeping her own wary eye on the situation. But once she started hanging out with her and Dan, her attention focused more on her classmate than her brother’s love life.

There was a Welcome To Junior High dance at the beginning of October, and Cindy and Dan had already decided to go together, which meant dress shopping was going to be a future event. But for now, the boys worked on their chess game, and the girls chatted about the boys.

—------------------------------------

As Cindy, who grew almost a foot between 7th grade and 9th, was about to enter her freshman year of highschool, Tom had been talking with her about what to expect. There would be a whole group of new people entering her class with her, and he encouraged her to be careful about who she trusted.

Cindy knew he meant well, but she and Dan had sort of become a couple (as much as young teenagers could), so she knew she could count on him if there were any situations that could arise.

Tom, having graduated highschool the year prior, had been working as a file clerk, for very good money, at a local construction business. His dreams of doing something physically demanding were dashed long ago, as with the new formula kids becoming adults, it made him unqualified for anything remotely tough.

But with weekends off, and not having to work out in the weather, it really allowed him and Victoria to spend a lot of time together. 

In fact, Victoria and her brother had been spending so much time at Tom and Cindy’s house, that she had practically moved in. His parents had cleared it with her parents, and so they weren't under any pressure to behave like proper people.

And Tom and Cindy’s parents had really made the effort to be stay at home parents when both their children were in school. But once Tom graduated, they fell back into their old lifestyle of traveling abroad, leaving their son to look out for his young sister once again.

On the first day of school, Tom took off from work, in order to be there when Cindy came home from school. And once she and Dan entered the door, Tom and Victoria were waiting, like parents, to see how their day went.