Brave (New Earth Saga)

Ch. 1

"You look so much like your mother right now," my dad said as he carefully rumbled into my bedroom, and over to my trifold mirrors I was stood in front of. Like pretty much everything in my room, my mirrors were on a pedestal so they came up to around the height of my dad, Joe's, knees.

I spun around to face Joe as he crouched down in front of me. "I'm not getting emotional today Joe!"

"Well that makes one of us," Joe countered.

It had been a little over 6 months since my mom passed away. Now it was just me and my dad, Joe. Joe became my father 7 years ago when my mom and him made headlines as the first legal marriage (and adoption) between a human and a giant. I never met my biological father so the anomaly of being a human with a giant for a father is the only version of a dad I've known.

To be honest, outside of living in a really huge house, my life has been very human. I always went to human schools, human extracurriculars, and outside of Joe and his family, I haven't really interacted with many giants.

With my mom passing away, Joe and I have had to make some changes... For one, we moved to a brand new house in the district that Joe works in. This district is more 'mixed' so it will hopefully be the best of both worlds for Joe and I.

Today was my first day of school at a newly renovated Giant & Human co-ed High School. Though I've never attended a co-ed school, I was already living a kind of "co-ed life" here with Joe. How hard could this school be... right?

"You've already had breakfast?" questioned Joe. Knowing Joe, he had probably been sat outside my room waiting for me to leave and get breakfast the entire morning.

"Yea... I just had a cereal bar cuz I'm kind of... You know... anxious about today," I admitted as I looked down at the floor. I didn't want to make Joe feel bad or anything, seeing as he was super excited about the whole co-ed experience, but even having lived a co-ed life at home, I felt this was going to be an adjustment to say the least. When I think about it, I guess I've met a few other giants outside of family when attending holiday parties with Joe's work, or running any errands with Joe, but there's always that safety net... Joe.

Joe was the first giant I ever met. I'll never forget how terrifying it was being lifted into the air whilst riding in the palm of the hand of my mother's (at the time) boyfriend, Joe. It truly took MONTHS for me to finally feel comfortable around him. And, to raise my anxiety more, Joe is literally the most gentle, aware, and well versed giant, when it comes to interacting with humans. Would high schoolers be as... aware?

"It's going to be great Morgan. You have nothing to worry about," Joe said in an attempt to calm my nerves as he enveloped my back in his massive hand.

"At least all the classes will be just like human school, right?"

"Yep, everything should be the same aside from getting to ride your fancy e-scooter to class," replied Joe as he shook his head. I'm sure he was shaking it at the thought of human high schoolers on e-scooters.

"Hmmm, I wonder whose idea the scooters were?"

Blushing through his olive skin, "Well, I never anticipated my own daughter using them in high school!"

"Well it's a selling point for this human," I joked as I spun back to my mirror to give my jean capris, light grey peplum top, and light pink sneakers one last check.

Joe is the CEO of the world famous company, Fuse. Fuse's mission is to utilize technology to create more efficient ways for humans and giants to inhabit the same space. Fuse created the electric scooters humans use in human halls or tunnels to allow humans to move at a pace closer to giants, when indoors with giants. Joe even supplied a set to the school so every human would have access to a scooter that included a compartment for school materials along with having automatic bumper-car-like safety features to permit students to ride without helmets. (God knows his human daughter was not signing up for a co-ed school if it meant perpetual bad hair days.)

I obviously could feel Joe's enormous presence lingering behind me. He didn't typically spend much time in my room. Turning to face him, I squinted my dark brown eyes, questioning, "What's up Joe? Am I going to get a first day of school lecture?"

Looking away from me with his seemingly guilty brown eyes Joe replied, "No..."

Trust me, he had a lecture/peptalk fully ready, but he was trying to play it cool.

"I just wanted to ask if I could walk you to school?" Joe finally asked.

I pursued my heart shaped lips as if I was in deep thought before giving in. "Yes... but when we get there just be chill, okay?"

"I'm always chill," Joe replied in his "I'm a hip dad" voice.

"Joe, just don't talk to anyone okay? Please?"

"You win Boss!" Joe replied with a chuckle using the nickname he'd given me years ago, Boss, as he threw his hand up as a sign of innocence.

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As we got close to school I was reminded of how much bigger Joe is then most giants. Joe was well over 60 feet tall while most male giants are in the 50s height wise. Joe's shoulder (where I was sat) was around the height of many giants.

Approaching the school I tugged on the collar of Joe's shirt to try and hide myself a little. Noticing my movements Joe questioned, "Everything alright Morgan?"

"Yea... just a little camouflage... I'm probably the only kid here who's parent literally carried them to school," I admitted.

Joe's skin grew warm with a flush of embarrassment. I didn't mean to make him feel awkward. It was just that I felt awkward.

"At least you're a cool dad," I added while patting the side of his neck.

"Look down there," Joe spoke as he motioned to the human entrance. "Other kids are being dropped off by their parents. It's the first day."

"You're right," I replied. Of course they were dropped by car instead of by hand... but I knew this is the "new normal" when your only living parent is over a gazillion taller than you.

"I can't go to the drop-off circle but I can drop you at the edge of the human parking lot. That okay?" (Giants technically aren't allowed to walk in the human parking lot. Oh and Giants mostly walk everywhere- while humans use technology like cars, etc. to travel)

"Yea," I answered nervously.

Beforing setting me down, Joe gently held me to his chest with his hand in our version of a hug. I could feel his quick heartbeat thumping through his chest. Joe might have been more nervous than I was!

"Have the best first day of school, I love you so much," Joe whispered as he gently set me down and sent me on my way.

I turned to give Joe one last wave before entering the school. I could feel tears threaten to fill my eyes when I saw that Joe was indeed still knelt at the edge of the human parking lot making sure I made it to through the human entrance. I know that's what my mom would do. I wish she was here. I know Joe wished she was still with us too.

I took a heavy breath before turning around and finally entering my new school.