Jason was freaking out, alternately terrified and excited. Terrified at the prospect of spending the rest of his adult life as a midget, which was even worse with the memories filtering in of always having been a midget and worse yet, a midget basketball player, a complete and utter joke through school and college, kept around as a mascot more than anything else, rather than the alternative of the life he'd remembered as well, of being 6'10" but too lanky at that height to be a truly effective big man on the court, especially when compared to guys who were true seven footers and built like Shaq.
He'd always dreamed of being an actual seven footer, big enough to really use his size to advantage, not just bully high school students because the only job he could get was being a gym teacher after being so-so in college and turned down for the NBA draft.
But Jason was also excited. He was only twenty-three, a great age to be in the game, and not only did he have a chance to get his height back, he had a chance to get some extra, and all it would take is a supreme effort of not being a jerk in the two and a half hours he had left.
Basketball practice was next and he went into the locker room, reaching up to twist the knob of the huge door after unlocking it with the keys and whistle that hung around his neck like a huge medalion.
The team was already in the locker room, getting changed. One of the guys dropped his socks under the bench and Jason rushed over to get them for him. "Here you go, Matt," he said, giving the 6' student his socks, amazed at how he'd always thought him a tiny kid, proportionally, and now having him tower over him, three times as tall.
"Uh, thanks, coach," Matt said, grinning, and took the socks as Jason found himself growing another inch to 2'2"
"No trouble," Jason said. "It's so much closer for me anyway."
He scurried around the locker room as fast as he could, getting students things they dropped, bristling at how they almost treated him like a pet, and more than a bit of a joke, but smiling every time someone said, "Thank you."
By the time the team was ready to go into the gym, he'd gotten five more thank yous and another five inches. He was 2'7" Still a ridiculous midget, but feeling a little less like a doll.
He got his clipboard and took roll call the usual way, except that he wasn't looking down on students as before, and 6'7" Roger, the team's center, looked particularly enormous to him.
"Okay, men," he said to the team. "Listen up." He paced in front of them, realizing that his old habitual looming wasn't working and he was having to bounce around on the balls of his feet, looking up at them, well, like a little guy. Like people used to do for him, but more so. "I know how everyone was disappointed to lose the last game to the Dragons, but hey, we're the Giants, right?" That line used to be a good one. Now, it made him even more of a joke. They guys snickered, especially Roger. "Okay, well, you guys are the giants," Jason admitted, "and I know how I said if you won the game, there'd be a pizza party, but if you lost, you'd get nothing. But hey, you're still a great team. So I'm buying. For lunch today."
The faces of the team lit up. "Gee, thanks coach!" Roger said and Jason sprouted another inch, up to 2'8"
"Yeah, thanks," Matt concurred. 2'9"
There was a chorus of thank yous from the team, all twenty regulars and alternates. Jason suddenly sprouted to 4'7" almost staggering from the rush of height. He glanced at himself, realizing that the way he was now, with his thin build, he'd have a great career as a jockey, but being a tiny dude just wasn't who he was.
He pulled out his cell phone and pressed the autodial. "Hello? I'd like to order six pizzas, all extra larges. Three combinations, three pepperoni and sausage." He paused, then added loudly. "And a dozen two-liters of Coke and ice."
"Gee, thanks Coach," Roger said. 4'8"
"Thanks," Matt said. "Thanks a lot." 4'9' 4'10"
There were a few more thank yous, softer, but no less effective, since Jason found himself sprouting to 5'2" Now he was just an incredibly short guy.
Memories rearranged, and he remembered just being a really short ball player like Mugsy Bogues, not a ridiculous midget who the cheeleaders always accused (sometimes rightly) of looking up their skirts.
He glanced over to where the cheerleaders were practicing on the other side of the gym with Coach Doreen, who he'd always thought was hot, even though she'd hardly glance at him with his current height. "How'd you like the cheerleaders to join us for lunch?" he asked the team.
"Cool," Roger said, "Thanks." 5'3"
Jason called out loudly to Coach Doreen, in something approximating his old voice. "Hey Coach Doreen! I'm treating the guys here to a pizza party for lunch. The pep squad want to join us?"
Doreen smiled. "If there's a vegetarian option, you bet."
"And four vegetarian pizzas. Send them to the Giants. Coach Jason will be paying." He paused. "Yes, by credit card." 5'4" "No, thank you," Jason said, guessing that there must be a student working at the pizza parlor as vocational training.
He shut his cell phone just as there was a loud squeal of delight from the girls of the pep squad, who on Doreen's coaching, lined up to face him, sixteen gorgeous girls who began to wave their pom-pom's and chant: "HE'S COACH JASON, HE'S OUR MAN/GOT A GIANT PIZZA PLAN/HE'S OUR COACH FOR BASKETBALL/THANK YOU! THANK YOU FROM US ALL! YEAH COACH!
In one chant, Jason sprouted from 5'4" to 6'8" almost back to his old height, and then, the second yell made him jump straight to 8' even.
He nearly dropped the clipboard, it so much smaller in his now giant hands, then he watched as Charlene, the head cheerleader, bounched forward and cried, "Give me a T!"
"T!"
"Give me an H!"
"H!"
"Give me an A!"
"A!"
Jason knew where this was going, and part of him knew that he should stop it, and part of him didn't want it to stop, and that part won out, waiting as Charlene said the final "O" and he went up to 8'1" and then the other fifteen cheerleaders called it in response and he rocketed to 9'4"
"What's that spell?" Charlene queried.
"THANK YOU!" shouted the cheerleaders as one, Charlene joining in, and Jason jumped to 10'8"
The jersey he wore that said "GIANTS" was now a joke of another sort and he shook his head as new memories filtered in. He was now an NBA basketball star, the biggest one ever on record, height wise at least, not to mention the tallest man in the world. And he was back coaching at his old high school as a way to give back to the community.
And he'd really gotten over being a jerk, though he hoped the students would stop thanking him soon.