Janet, living in Pennsylvania with her single dad and older brother Mason, shares her story of growing up inseparable from Mason despite their father's clear favoritism towards her and harsh treatment of Mason. As they grow, Janet's tall stature leads to more praise from their father and bullying at school, which Mason defends her against. However, tensions rise when Mason's secret love poems for a classmate, Lisa, are accidentally revealed by Janet, leading to embarrassment and a fight that strains their relationship. Janet's gymnastics success and Mason's writing aspirations further divide the siblings as their father supports Janet's pursuits but dismisses Mason's dreams. A serious injury to Lisa during a competition causes Janet to reevaluate her priorities, leading to a reconciliation with Mason and Lisa. Eventually, the siblings distance themselves from their father to pursue their dreams independently. However, when their father falls ill, Mason sacrifices his college attendance to care for him, prompting a family reunion and reconciliation as they realize the importance of supporting each other's dreams and well-being.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Janet, lives in Pennsylvania with her single dad and older brother, Mason.
2. Janet and Mason are close in age and were best friends growing up.
3. Their dad favors Janet over Mason.
4. Mason is thin and small, and people often mistake Janet for the older sibling.
5. Janet has a growth spurt in eighth grade and becomes taller than her peers.
6. Mason writes love poems for a girl named Lisa, but is too shy to show them to her.
7. Janet reads Mason's notebook and discovers his feelings for Lisa.
8. Janet convinces Mason to show his poems to Lisa, but things don't go as planned.
9. Mason gets into a fight with some boys at school and is humiliated.
10. Janet starts training in gymnastics and joins a team.
11. Janet's dad becomes her manager and helps her connect with agents and institutions.
12. Mason wants to attend a creative writing college, but their dad is not supportive.
13. Janet wins a competition and earns $50,000, which she uses to pay for Mason's tuition.
14. Janet's friend Alisa gets hurt during a competition and is hospitalized.
15. Mason visits Alisa in the hospital and gives her his poems.
16. Alisa recovers and starts dating Mason.
17. Janet and Mason distance themselves from their dad due to his lack of support for Mason's dreams.
18. Janet pays for Mason's tuition and he becomes a professional writer.
19. Janet competes in gymnastics tournaments and travels the US.
20. Mason takes care of their sick dad and misses out on college.
21. Janet flies home to see her dad and reconciles with him.
22. Their dad apologizes for being hard on Mason and acknowledges his greatness.
23. Janet, Mason, and their dad make amends and express their love for each other.