Saeko tried to ignore the hushed whispers and murmurs throughout the classroom as she was placed on the teacher's desk. She kept her eyes low, intimidated by the gaze of dozens of giant teenagers.

“We have a new student today!” Miss Harris began. “She's a little smaller than a lot of you are used to dealing with, but that doesn't mean that she's any less special. Kids, I want you to welcome your new classmate, Saeko Kitazawa!” An unenthusiastic chorus of 'Hi, Saeko,' echoed through the room, and Miss Harris smiled down at her tiny, bowing student. “Where would you like to sit?”

“Oh, anywhere is fine.” Saeko's English was fantastic, as she had spent the last year studying hard, ever since she found out she would be moving to America. She hadn't wanted to go, but it was her parents' decision to make, and there had been little room for argument.

“How about right over here?” The teacher scooped her tiny student up in her palm, and Saeko wriggled to a comfortable position in the warm hand. The ride only lasted a moment before she was gently deposited onto a large plane of wood, with Miss Harris smiling down at her. “Is this a good seat? Can you see okay?”

The desk was in the front of the class, only a few spaces away from the center. Saeko nodded and thanked the teacher before unpacking her materials, sitting down on the desk and getting ready for the day's lesson. She pulled out a composition notebook, a pencil and her textbook, all of which had been specially-made for people of her size. She layed the textbook open in front of her, took her notebook in her arms, and began taking notes, following along with the lecture.

A few minutes into class a giant finger suddenly filled Saeko's vision. She yelped and dropped her notebook, drawing giggles from the girls sitting around her. The finger retreated just as Miss Harris turned around, peering quizzically at her students as if to let them know that she'd heard them laughing and doubted very much she would find similar humor in whatever it was they had been doing. The girls who sat on either side of Saeko, both tall, thin blondes, stared respectfully ahead, giving no indication they had been involved in anything untoward.

The tiny girl picked up her notebook and began writing in it again, but no sooner had Miss Harris turned around again than the finger was back, from the girl to her right. Saeko was prodded in the shoulder a few times, but she did her best to ignore the rough treatment, holding the book closer to her face to demonstrate how little attention she was paying the bully.

From her left came another hand that scooted her textbook far away, over to the far front side of the desk. She looked up forlornly at the classmate who had pushed it so far out of her reach, but the giant girl only smiled and shrugged in response, turning to face the teacher once more. Sullenly, Saeko stood up and trudged to her book, picking it up and taking it back to her spot near the middle of the desk. She sat down and folded her legs over the book, as if to keep it away from prying fingers.

“Get her legs,” the girl to her left whispered. Saeko's legs were gripped by the giant girl and spread apart, and the other slid her textbook away from her while she struggled to escape the powerful grip of these bullies.

“Stop it! Let me go! Miss Harris! Miss Harris!” Her tiny cries went unheard by the head of the class, who was now reading aloud from her own book. The blonde girls snickered to themselves as they released the new girl, leaving her to crawl forward and get her textbook once more. As she neared it, the girl to her right leaned down and slid it back to where it had been, whispering a derisive, insincere apology.

Saeko returned to her book and stared down at it, but she couldn't see through her tear-filled eyes. She heard conspiratorial whispers over her head and withdrew in herself, fearing the next round of torment, but suddenly a voice called out from behind her.

“Miss Harris! Julie and Nicole are picking on the new girl!”

The two girls who had been called out sat up straight in their chairs, unconsciously leaning slightly away from one another as if to distance themselves. “Fucking narc,” one girl hissed over her shoulder.

“Girls, leave Saeko alone. I'm sure she's having a hard enough time transitioning to a new school. Try to think how you would feel if giant strangers made fun of you.”

“But Miss Harris, that would never happen because we're not little mouse-girls.” Half the class laughed at Nicole's comment, but the teacher frowned.

“Miss Wheeler, that is totally unacceptable! Apologize to Saeko right now!” The blonde girl rolled her eyes and pouted, folding her arms across her chest. The small student got to her feet and took a few steps forward.

“It is fine, Miss Harris. It was just a misunderstanding.”

Nicole gestured at Saeko. “See? She didn't take it personal. Just... teach, or whatever.” The teacher looked to Patty, the girl sitting behind Saeko, and she indicated Nicole wasn't lying. Miss Harris gave Nicole and Julie warning glares before turning around and resuming where she'd left off.

The rest of the class was largely uneventful. Saeko couldn't help but steal a few glances at the girls beside her, and whenever she did she caught their spiteful gazes. She was certain that the two would do their best to make life miserable for her now, and she actually started wondering what she could do to get back into their good graces.

When the bell rang, the two girls rose out of their seats, looming over the new girl's desk. “So Psycho, what class do you have next?”

“I-it's Saeko, actually...” she muttered, keeping her head lowered. “And it's... um, it's math, with Mister... Price?”

“Great, you can come with me.” Before Saeko knew what was happening she was whisked off the desk by a hand that came from behind, and almost immediately a large body came between her and the two blonde girls. She looked up and saw the red-headed girl who had been sitting behind her. “My name's Patty, I have Price next period too.”

Saeko sat silent in Patty's hand, unsure of this new giant's intentions towards her. Eventually Patty broke the silence. “Sorry about those two, by the way.”

“What did I do to make them make fun of me?”

The giantess shook her head. “Be small. They're bitches, they think it's their right to do whatever they want to anybody.”

“Thank you for protecting me from them,” Saeko said, running her hand softly along Patty's palm, and the giant girl nodded uncomfortably.

“Y-yeah, no problem.” They entered another gigantic classroom, and Saeko looked around, wondering where she would sit. She very much wanted an empty seat near her new friend. “Hey, what do you say you stick with me? You can have a corner of my desk, and I'll make sure nobody fucks with you.”

Delighted, Saeko smiled up at Patty. “Oh, that would be great! Do you think it will be okay?”

“Of course it is. Come on, I'll get you set up.” She set her tiny passenger down on her desk, carefully arranging her utensils and materials just so. “Are you good there?” Her voice was lower as class had almost begun, and the soft din of the students speaking was dwindling.

“Yes, thank you!” Saeko couldn't be happier. She felt secure, and the presence of large school materials on her desk was more welcome than the barren expanse that there had been in the last class. She still felt the quick glances and occasional stares of her classmates, but she knew she was something of a novelty and tried not to let it bother her.

Second period went by much quicker than first, so much so that Saeko felt a little cheated. She and Patty compared schedules and found that they had no other classes in common. “It's okay,” Patty assured her. “I'll swing by after fourth to pick you up for lunch, and... I can help you get home, if you like. Do you already have arrangements?”

Saeko nodded. “I am supposed to stay in the classroom, my cousin will come by to pick me up.”

“Okay, great! Do you need a ride to third?” Nodding again, Saeko climbed aboard Patty's outstretched hand, hoping she would have a friend in the next class.

She didn't, as she discovered when the bell beginning class rang, but it didn't matter much. She sat near the front of class again, this time on the counter by the window, and went mostly undisturbed. A couple times she turned to catch the boy sitting closest to her leering uncomfortably in her direction, but she turned away whenever she saw him, pretending it wasn't happening.

Her classes had been arranged to be physically close to one another, and it was no problem getting the teacher to carry her right next door to her fourth period. Immediately upon entering the room her heart sank. One of the blonde girls from first period noticed her, and immediately her eyes lit up in delight.

“Oh! I'll take her! She can sit on my desk!” Julie told the teacher holding Saeko, wondering where he could place her. The tiny girl tried to call him off, to warn him of the danger of delivering her to Julie, but he wasn't paying attention to her. He casually dropped Saeko off on Julie's desk before quickly returning to his own classroom, leaving her alone with the giant, predatory teenager.

“I hope I don't have to use this desk for defense,” Julie mocked. “Because I think I see a little chink in it.”

Saeko turned away from Julie, keeping her supplies close to herself as she tried to focus on the teacher. The giantess laughed and brushed all of her things off the side of the desk, causing Saeko to yell. “What're you gonna do about it, mouse-girl?” she hissed, her voice a low whisper.

“Give me it back!” she shouted up. Julie leaned over the side of the desk, looking down at the materials.

“What, these?” She moved her high heel over them, and with a soft crunch completely destroyed Saeko's school supplies. “Whoops. Gonna get mad at me now, little Psycho?”

She was completely defeated and she knew it. Saeko fell to her knees and turned away once more, not wanting Julie to see her cry. The giant teen just snickered and got her own things out just as class began.

Saeko felt completely out of place. She was in school, but she had nothing. No bag, no notebook, not even a pen or pencil to write with. She thought about how easily Julie had crushed what it meant to be a student under her shoe, and realized it wouldn't be much harder for the sadistic teen to crush what it meant to be human.

Halfway into class, when the students were meant to be working out of their textbooks, the teacher noticed little Saeko sitting still on Julie's desk. “Miss... Kitazawa?” the teacher asked, checking her roll sheet. “Where is your textbook?”

With the subtlety of a professional, Julie shot Saeko a dark look; a warning of things to come if she spoiled Julie's fun. The tiny girl whimpered and looked back at the teacher who had approached the desk, now more imposing and intimidating than ever. “Well? Do you speak English?”

“Y-yes, Miss Gregory.”

“So you understand what I'm saying.”

“Yes,” Saeko was trembling with humiliation, her head low and her arms crossed down her front, hands clasped together.

“Then where are your things?”

“I... I didn't bring any, Miss Gregory.”

“And why not?”

“I don't know, Miss Gregory.”

“Well who does?” Saeko didn't understand the question, and she hesitantly looked up at the teacher, tears in her eyes. “Who can I ask so I can find out why you didn't bring your things? Does Miss Parker know?” She indicated Julie, who smirked at the tiny girl's embarrassment.

“N-no.”

“So who does?”

“I do.”

“Oh, do you? Then, once again I'll ask you, why didn't you bring your things?”

“B... b... because I'm stupid!” she screamed, holding her head in her hands and crying into her knees. The teacher just looked down at her with a gaze of mild contempt.

“Pull yourself together, that's not what I was saying. Don't let it happen again, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Miss Gregory!” Saeko called through her wails. The teacher walked away, leaving the room in silence again. Even the tiny wails only carried a desk's length, just loud enough for Julie to enjoy while she did her work.

“Loser,” she snickered, shaking her head. Saeko held her arms over her ears and cried, wishing she was anywhere other than there. The lesson eventually went on, but Saeko didn't move from her position. She stayed on her knees, huddled in her self-created darkness, thinking about how nice school had been back home. Nobody would even think of making fun of her there, much less destroying her things and making a public spectacle of her. She'd always felt like just another student, but in the span of half a day this school had made her feel like a rat.

When the bell rang indicating lunch, Julie swept Saeko up almost immediately, curling her fingers around her. “We're gonna have some fun now, Psycho.”

“Let her go.” Saeko recognized Patty's voice immediately. She felt the fingers tighten as Julie replied.

“I don't know what you mean.”

“I saw you through the door, I know you have her. Give her to me. Now.”

“She's not yours, Fatty. Move aside.”

The next line was much softer and came from right above Saeko. “If you don't put her in my hand right now I will put you in the fucking hospital, do you hear me?”

“Y-you can't touch me,” Julie said, although she didn't sound certain of it herself.

“Wanna bet?”

There was another pause before light slowly streamed into Saeko's world once more, and she tumbled from Julie's hand to Patty's. The blonde pushed her way past Saeko's savior, and Patty smiled down at Saeko, checking her over.

“Are you okay?” she asked as she carried Saeko out of the school and onto the front lawn. “I'm so sorry, I remembered that you shared fourth with her too late, or I would have... I dunno, snuck you out or something.”

“She destroyed everything, Patty!” Saeko cried, fresh tears returning to her eyes. “All my books, my notes, and everything that was in my bag! She just stepped on it like it was nothing!”

Patty looked down at her friend sympathetically as she sat down in the grass. “I'm sorry, Saeko. I... I know how cruel they can be.”

“What do you know? They... they just want to keep me and laugh at me! Like a stupid monkey that does tricks or something!”

The red-head stared hard into the grass, letting Saeko yell until she was done. Eventually, she quietly replied, “They broke my brother.”

“W... what?”

“He was born small, too. And he went here, but he was three grades older than all of us, a Senior when we were all Freshmen. I would see him sometimes, but he had his own friends. His own circle, you know. Everything was fine for him, but... but one day, I guess whoever helped him out was gone. Whatever happened, nobody was there for him when he needed them.” Patty's voice was barely above a whisper. “I wasn't there for him.”

“Nicole and Julia...?” Saeko wondered, and Patty nodded.

“I don't know what they... he doesn't talk about it. What I do know is what was left. Fractured ribs, a broken leg... they... they took some of his fingers, Saeko.”

“Is he okay?”

The giant girl laughed bitterly. “No, but he's alive. He lives with us now, and we do what we can to make him comfortable.”

“How did they get away with it? How... how are they still here?”

“There aren't laws for you guys. You're just... vulnerable, and there's nothing anyone can do.” Tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, but she made no move to wipe them away. “They're sick, Saeko. They can't empathize. But it's okay, I'll protect you.”

“I have third period with her. Every third period! I can't last even a week like that! She nearly destroyed me in one day!”

“It's okay,” Patty assured her tiny friend, running a finger down her long black hair. “I'll protect you. We'll get your classes to sync up with mine, and you'll just be under my care all day. How does that sound?”

Saeko smiled. “Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden.”

“Not at all, I'll be happy to. Do you, uh,” Patty shook her head and wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt, clearing her throat. “Do you want some food? I have some salad, you can have some if you'd like.” The girls spent the rest of the lunch period sharing stories between themselves as Saeko tried to put the monsters in her school out of her mind. At least, when she had to see them next, she would have protection. She would have defense. She would have a friend.