"T H E  D A Y  T H E  C H I L D  
R E A L I Z E S  T H A T
A L L  A D U L T S  A R E  
I M P E R F E C T ,  H E  B E C O M E S
A N  A D O L E S C E N T .   T H E
D A Y  H E  F O R G I V E S  T H E M ,
H E  B EC O M E S  A N
A D U L T .  T H E  D A Y
H E  F O R G I V E S
H I M S E L F ,  H E  B E C O M E S
W I S E."
Alden Nowlan

"Y O U  H A V E  T O  D O
Y O U R  O W N  G R O W I N G  
N O  M A T T E R  H O W  T A L L
Y O U R  G R A N D F A T H E R
W A S."
Abraham Lincoln

"W E   H A V E  H A D  B A D  
L U C K  W I T H  C H I L D R E N .
T H E Y  H A V E   A L L  
G R O W N  U P."
Christopher Morley

This is the sixth episode in a series of adventures about Maximilian and his magical thinking abilities.
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“I want to be tall,” Suzy said, “like Willow.”

Willow had become very popular since the basketball team said they did not have a problem with people being tall.

People now admired her for being tall.

“The school nurse said Willow is taller than 99% of girls her age,” they said. “That is so cool!”

No one called her Tree anymore. They did not notice that her coordination had not grown as quickly as she had.

She still tripped over things and bumped into people but no one said, “Watch out, the Tree will fall on you.”

The First Team, the best football players, had said they did not have a problem with bumping into people and falling on them.

Suzy was envious of Willow. She was a very smart and attractive girl who sang like an angel and was the head cheerleader. She was also very popular.

Willow was now just as popular than Suzy. Maybe even more.

“The school nurse said I am only taller than 50% of girls my age,” Suzy complained.

“You are of average height,” Maximilian said. “You cannot be tall like Willow.”

“I get 99% on all my tests,” she cried. “I do not want to be average at being tall.”

“I want to be like Willow,” she pouted. “She has become very popular. Maybe even more than me.”

“You could start bumping into people and falling on them,” Horse snickered. “You would be very popular with the Coach.”

Suzy glared at him.

Horse grinned. He just loved it when Suzy paid attention to him. Teasing her was easier than holding his breath until she thought she had to resuscitate him, like at the school dance.

“How will I ever be tall,” Suzy cried.

“Stand next to Maximilian,” Horse said, giggling.

The school nurse had said that Maximilian was shorter than 99% of boys his age.

“Maximilian is 1% at being tall,” Horse said. “He is way below average.”

Suzy looked at Horse over the top of Maximilian’s head. “Cute,” she said, turning up her nose in disgust.

Horse beamed.

Maximilian sighed and shook his head. Being a friend to Horse required lots of patience, especially when Horse was around Suzy.

He had used his magical thinking to help Horse stop cheating on tests and to dance with Suzy. He had even gotten the Coach to buy root beer for the football team when Horse had said he was thirsty. That was enough.

Horse will have to stop acting silly without my help, he thought.

“Hello, everyone,”

Suzy, Horse and Maximilian all looked up as Willow joined them in the school hallway.

Willow stood close to Maximilian and gave him a special smile.

Maximilian felt his face get very warm.

“You two are perfect together,” Horse said with a smirk. “99 and 1 make 100%.”

“Thank you, Horace,” Willow said politely. She was very sensitive about calling people by their right names.

Names are not always respectful, she thought, like Tree, Short and Horse.

And she thought Horse might not act so silly if she treated him seriously, especially around Suzy, when he was usually the most silly.

Suzy began to pout. She was not getting any attention. Not even from Horse.

Willow always noticed when people had hurt feelings.

“Are you okay, Suzanne?” she asked, not wanting Suzy to feel left out.

Suzy looked up in surprise. No one ever called her by her right name.

Except for Willow. Suzy had never paid much attention to Willow before she became popular for being tall.

Suzy thought Willow wanted to be just like her, like all of the other girls.

Now they all wanted to be tall like Willow.

“I want to be tall just like you,” Suzy blurted out, “Everyone thinks being tall is cool and I am just average at being tall.”

“I want to be as popular as you are, maybe even more,” she said, pouting even more.

“Maybe you should stop worrying about being tall and start acting a little more grown-up,” Horse said.

Maximilian looked at him in surprise. Horace was not teasing. He was being serious.

Where did that come from, Maximilian wondered. I did not think of it for him to magically say.

Willow smiled warmly at Horse. He was not acting silly. It had been important for her to treat him seriously, she thought.

Suzy could see that Horse was not teasing her. She did not glare. She was paying close attention to him.

Maximilian was watching everyone. Were things getting better without a need for his magical thinking? That would be perfect.

“Willow is very grown-up,” Horse said. “She is not just tall.”

Suzy looked up at Willow. She had stopped pouting and was thinking hard.

“I like being called Suzanne,” she said. “It sounds very grown-up. I have been called Suzy since I was a little girl. It is a little girl name. I am not a little girl anymore. I am growing up, even if I am only average at being tall.”

“Yes,” Willow agreed.

“People look up to you when you act more grown-up,” Horse added. “Everyone looks up to Maximilian now after he made things better for the basketball team.

And then Horse smirked. “And he is only 1% at being tall, way below average.”

Maximilian sighed. Horse had acted so grown-up until just then.

“You need some serious treatment,” he said to Horse.

Willow glowed. Maximilian said almost the exact same thing she had been thinking about Horse all along.

Like magic, she marveled. Like Maximilian is able to read my mind. Horace was right. We are perfect together.

As the four of them walked into class, Maximilian could hear the girls say, “Hey, look at Suzanne and Willow, they both look so grown-up. Being grown-up is so cool!”

Well, a little magical thinking can always make things even better, Maximilian thought to himself, hiding a smile.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 5.  Gary Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.