"Ty, are you in there?" June called through the door.
Ty jumped, startled at the sudden knock. Usually, his foster parents left him alone (or plain ignored him)
after they'd given him his list of chores. Nervously tugging down at the waist of his pants to hide his now
slightly exposed ankles, Ty quickly answered.
"Yeah, what is it June?"
"Mark and I are taking Dustin to the doctor for a checkup. We're going to the movies after that, and a
restaurant. So you're on your own today. I just got groceries so eat what you want. And make sure the lawn
gets done or you're grounded for a week."
Ty was stunned. It was HIS birthday, and everyone except him was going to town to see a movie? Did June just
forget?
His confusion was short; there was that knock again.
"Oh, and happy birthday."
Ty just sat back on his bed as he heard his 'family' pull out and drive away. Here he was, fifteen years old,
stuck in a crappy house, alone, while his crappy family was having a great day.
"Wait..." Ty blinked. "They're going to the doctor?"
Oh. Suddenly Ty remembered. When he was listening at the top of the stairs, Mark had said they should take
Dustin to the doctor, since he was so 'underdeveloped.' It was weird how everyone else now thought Dustin was
completely normal that way, even though Ty had watched his foster brother shrink right before his eyes.
"In fact," Ty thought out loud, "I made him shrink. I changed him. And now Mark and June are freaking out,
thinking I'm going to catch up to their 'precious little boy'."
It was always like that, though. Ever since Ty moved in four years ago. Dustin always got the better
treatment, got extra help with his homework (Ty still managed to beat him sometimes; Mark was no rocket
scientist), got all the extra food and snacks he wanted, a platinum gym membership...the list went on.
And now Dustin had to be bigger, too. Ty wasn't an idiot, his foster parents weren't taking HIM to see any
doctor.
Frowning in thought, Ty glanced down at his feet; noticing how they were slightly farther away, the solid two
inches of bare ankle showing past this pants.
His face split with an evil grin.
"Who needs a doctor?" Ty hopped up on his feet, heading downstairs. "Just an hour ago, June didn't think
Dustin needed one either!"
"What was it she said again?" Ty rubbed his chin in thought as he stole a glance out the back window into the
yard. It was completely overgrown; last week they'd tried to make Dustin clean the yard.
"I wish the yard work was done." Ty ordered. And it was.
"Oh, right!" Ty grinned. "She said 'Why don't we give it a little more time, maybe he is about ready to
shoot up!'"
Pulling back a chair, Ty plopped down at the dining room table and kicked his feet up.
"Well, maybe its time they didn't get something they wanted for their precious little Dustin. Maybe it's time
I got something for once." Ty paused, thinking. His next wish was going to change him. He needed to be
careful.
"I wish that I could start growing like a normal kid. As much as June and Mark want Dustin to grow."
Ty waited a moment. He glanced to the table at his feet. He checked his arms, legs, hands. Nothing. Nada.
Zip. For a moment, he almost thought he heard crickets.
No wait. He did hear something.
Grumble...
Blinking, Ty looked down at his stomach.
Grumble...
Ty winced. That was definitely his stomach. Glancing over at the fridge, Ty hoped that forgetting to say how
FAST he should grow wasn't about to bite him.
He also hoped June had bought a LOT of food.