“So how did Jake find out?” asked Michelle, cupping Joe protectively in her hands. Stacy sat in the back seat, staring out the window, and occasionally looking back at Joe. She had so many questions for him, but held back from asking at his request.

“Once I’m normal sized and this whole mess is done and over with, I’ll explain everything,” he had said. Stacy looked back out the window at the passing cars and other objects. She had wanted to stay back, but the others had convinced her to come along. Joe said it was important that they all come. Jake laughed, and she turned her attention over to the conversation up front.

“Ha, now there’s a story. If it weren’t for me, Tom Thumb here would be nothing more than a smear on the floor,” said Jake, taking a right turn, being careful not to shift the car around too much, for Joe’s sake.

“First off, I told you to stop calling me that!” he shouted, fists down at his sides, glaring at Jake, who held an amused grin on his face.

“And secondly,” Joe continued, “He’s right, it is one hell of a story.”

“You want me to tell it, or should you?” he asked, and Joe sat down in a huff.

“Let’s just tell it together, that way I’LL be sure to add anything you miss or take out what you add,” said Joe, and Jake rolled his eyes.

“Fine, whatever,” he said.

********************************************************************************

“JAKE! Office! Now!” screamed Mrs. Dawson, and Jake walked into the hallway, concealing a smile. Seventh grade had just begun, and he was already getting sent to the office. Most kids would probably be petrified at the thought, but he took pride in his work. Today had been some simple stuff, a few spitballs, and even a paper airplane or two. But his teacher had been in a bad mood to begin with, and he knew it wouldn’t take much to get her riled up.

And besides, English was boring. He didn’t really like reading all that much and preferred his time in the hallways. Today, he made sure to take the longest route possible to get to the office, stopping multiple times to take a drink of water from multiple water fountains, as well as kick a stray pencil or two.

“That’s the fourth time this week, Jake,” he said, mimicking his parents, who hated the fact he spent more time in the office than he did in class. He sighed, just imagining the note he would be going home with today.

Joe sprinted through the halls to get to his locker before it was too late. He had forgotten his pills! He never forgot his pills! But somehow, today, he had managed to leave them in his locker, which was a very bad thing. He had been in the middle of gym class, when the alarm on his watch had gone off, letting him know it was time for his daily dose of painkillers. Excusing himself from class, he made his way into the locker room to grab his pills, and not finding them where they should have been, was now sprinting down the hallway to his locker, which held the bottle his pill were in.

“Don’t get hurt, don’t get hurt, don’t get hurt!” he kept telling himself. He was only a hallway away now. Not too far. He picked up the pace and rounded the next corner running smack dab into Jake. Literally.

Jake hadn’t heard Joe coming from around the corner, and was caught completely off guard when a kid he didn’t even knew knocked him onto his back. They were in the same grade and had a few classes together, but other than that, they didn’t so much as talk to one another.

“Watch it shrimp!” said Jake, picking himself up off the ground to glare at the kid. Joe was already on his feet, and he didn’t look too good.

“Uh, you ok man?” asked Jake, standing up as well. He may have been pissed off for being knocked to the ground, but he wasn’t a mean kid, just a bit pissed he’d been knocked over.

“Yeah, I’m- I just need to get to a bathroom,” said Joe. He could already feel the affects coming. If he could just get to the bathroom, he could wait it out, and if necessary, make a call to his parents. He looked around frantically and saw a bathroom nearby. He sprinted for it, ignoring the yells that came from Jake.

“Hey, wait! Where are you going?” Jake shouted, but Joe ignored him as he stumbled towards the nearby bathroom. The door swung open, and Joe disappeared inside.

“Dude, stop, that’s the girls bathroom!”

Joe immediately regretted the decision of entering the bathroom. For starters, he took one look around, and not seeing any urinals, his blood went cold. He was in the girl’s bathroom!

“Oh shit,” he said, before he felt his stomach twist. He heard a toilet flush, and looked to see each stall held a pair of legs.

“This is bad,” he mumbled, and he looked around to see everything starting to spin. He leaned against the wall to support himself, and then it happened. Joe had been through this process multiple times before, yet he could never get used to it. It felt like he was falling from super high up, yet his feet were staying in the same place. His clothes became baggy until the fell off completely, leaving Joe in a small circle of giants clothing. In a matter of seconds, Joe had gone from a slightly shorter than average twelve year old to Joe the action figure. And to make matters worse, there were girls coming out of the stalls.

“Oh god! Oh god! Oh god!” shouted Joe, looking around to find a place to hide. The only place that seemed useable was a nearby trash barrel. Joe tripped and tumbled over his clothing to try and make it over there, but he wasn’t fast enough. A girl stepped out of one of the stalls, the one closest to him, took one look at Joe and the pile of clothes, and screamed.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEH!” she screamed, and Joe covered his ears in agony. The echo affect from being in the bathroom amplified the scream, and Joe thought his ears were gonna explode.

“Too loud!” Joe moaned, his hands covering his ears. He had safely made it through the pile of clothing and behind the trashcan, but at this point, it may have been too late.

“Oh, this outta be good,” laughed Jake, leaning against the wall. The kid had just walked right into the girls bathroom, and if his hunch was correct, there were some girls in there right now who would be getting quite a shock. He laughed to himself and waited for the inevitable scream.

It came, and Jake laughed out loud, but his amusement didn’t last for long. One of the girls came running out of the bathroom, screaming her head off.

“There’s a mouse in there! There’s a mouse in there!” she squealed, running from the bathroom and down the hall. Soon after, three other girls came running out as well, saying the same exact thing. Jake raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Mouse?” he said. That kid was short, but why were they calling him mouse? Eventually, curiosity got the better of him, and he made his way to the bathroom. He creaked open the door and looked around. There didn’t appear to be a mouse, just some stray paper towels here and there as well as a pile of clothes laying…

Jake stared at the pile of clothes. They looked like the ones that kid had been wearing. But he wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and yet he hadn’t seen him come out of the bathroom.

“Uh, dude, you in here?” he whispered, looking around. He turned back to look outside to see if any girls were coming. When the he saw the coast was clear, he stepped inside. He made his way over towards the pile of clothing. He picked them up and inspected them, and his suspicions were correct. These were that kids clothes.

“But where did he go?” he asked himself aloud, glancing around the room. He made his way over towards the stalls, all of which were wide open. He wasn’t in a single one of them. That’s when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He looked back to see that a paper towel had moved slightly. It was folded up a bit like a tent.

“Hmm,” he said. It was motionless now, yet he could have sworn it moved. He turned his head, and again, in the corner of his eye, he saw movement. He quickly turned his head back around, and the towel stopped moving. Squinting his eyes, he walked over to the towel and picked it up, revealing a small trembling figure underneath.

“What the-,” he started, as he looked to see the shaking tiny figure of a small boy, the same boy that had run into him not to long before. But now, for some unknown reason, was smaller than Jake’s finger. The boy took off running in the opposite direction, but Jake was too quick. Kneeling down, he put his hand out and blocked the boy’s path. Without missing a beat, the boy jumped up, grabbing the top of Jake’s hand that was closest to the ground, and hopped over, landing on the other side running.

“Woah, hang on,” said Jake, genuinely impressed by the athleticism. That was a high jump and couldn’t have been easy for him to make. Reaching out with his other hand, he grabbed hold of the tiny figure, hearing him yelp. Finally, the boy spoke, fear evident in his voice.

“Please, don’t hurt me! I’m sorry I ran into you, earlier, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going!” he pleaded, covering his head with his arms. Jake raised an eyebrow.

“Hurt you? Why would I want to hurt you?” he asked. The boy didn’t answer at first, and just kept his head down. Jake lifted his hand so that he could get a better look at the kid.

“Hello? You still there?” he joked, and the boy peaked from beneath his arms.

“Y-you’re not gonna hurt me?” he asked, his question muffled by his arms. Jake shook his head.

“No, I think you’ve been through enough already,” he said, and the boy uncovered his head, looking at Jake a little less scared.

“Oh. Um ok,” he said, and Jake smiled.

“That was some serious skill right there, by the way. The way you just jumped over my hand like it wasn’t even an obstacles,” he said, and the boy smiled.

“Wow, thanks,” he said, than he frowned.

“Wait, you’re not weirded out by this?” he asked, gesturing to himself and around the room. Jake shrugged.

“A little, I guess. For the most part, I just want to know how you got like this,” he said, and Joe looked around.

“Maybe we can talk about this somewhere else. You know, before those girls come back to kill me,” he said, and Jake nodded in agreement. He stood up, and Joe closed his eyes.

“Not so fast, please,” he said, and Jake slowed down.

“Whoops, sorry,” he said, and Joe opened his eyes again.

“Oh, and do you mind maybe letting me sit in you hand? You’re kind of crushing my lungs,” he said, and Jake loosened his grip and let Joe slip from his grasp and into his other hand. Joe landed on his butt and took a deep breath.

“Oh yeah, much better,” he sighed, and Jake laughed.

“Ok, yeah this is really weird,” he said, and he grabbed Joe’s clothes and headed for the door.

“I said 30! Not 13!” said Joe, frustration in his voice, as Jake struggled with the lock.

“Well sorry, you’re a little hard to hear, Joe!” he said, spinning the lock around to start over. Joe sat atop Jake’s shoulder and gave him directions on how to open the locker so he could get to the pills. Jake turned the lock a few more times, then gave it a pull. It didn’t unlock.

“Oh come on!” he said, and punched the locker.

“Hey, not so loud! Someone might hear you!” said Joe, and Jake glared at him.

“Well I’m sorry, but your lock is being stupid!” he said, and he took it in his grip again to give it another go.

“Well it’s not MY fault you don’t know the difference between 13 and 30!” shouted Joe, and Jake sighed.

“I’m beginning to regret helping you out,” he said. Finally, after a few more tries, the lock came off.

“Yes!” said both boys at the same time, and Jake opened the locker. On the top shelf of Joe’s locker sat his bottle of pills, and Jake grabbed it.

“Awesome! Now come on, back to the bathrooms!” said Joe, and Jake nodded. He shoved the bottle into his pocket and closed the locker, and locked it back up.

“Let’s make sure it’s the right one this time,” he said, and Joe laughed. Jake headed down the hallway back to the bathrooms, and stopped when he saw the girls from before in front of the bathroom with the Janitor and a teacher. A very specific teacher to be exact.

“Oh great,” grumbled Jake. It was Mrs. Dawson.

“What’s wrong?” asked Joe, trying to get a better look from his vantage point on Jake’s shoulder, while at the same time trying not to fall off.

“Ugh, it’s Mrs. Dawson,” he said, and Joe raised an eyebrow.

“So? She’s not going into the boy’s bathroom jus the girls. Just go past her and into the bathroom,” said Joe.

“Oh great idea! And when she asks why I’m not in the office, what should I do than, hmm?” Jake asked.

“Oh, right. Well then… try another bathroom?” he asked, and Jake shook his head.

“No, it’d take too long, and somewhat might see you,” he said, and Joe agreed.

“Do you think they’ll be long?” he asked, and Jake shrugged, causing Joe to shift a little.

“Can’t tell. Oh wait, look!” he said, and they watched as Mrs. Dawson, the girls, and the Janitor all walked into the bathroom.

“Go, now’s your chance!” shouted Joe, and Jake nodded, running for the bathroom at full speed. Joe hung on for dear life as Jake ran towards the bathroom, a bundle of clothes under his arm. He reached for the door to the bathroom, and rushed right in, just as Mrs. Dawson and the others came out of the bathroom.

“But I swear, I saw it! It was pink, small, and creepy looking!” shouted one of the girls, and Joe recognized her as the one that had seen him first.

“Well, if it was there, it isn’t anymore,” sighed Mrs. Dawson.

“Now, you three, back to class! Mr. Pots, I suggest maybe investing in some rodent traps for the school,” she said, and the Janitor muttered something incoherent under his breath. Jake and Joe listened for a little while longer, until they were sure everyone had left. Jake slumped up against the wall, and he and Joe sighed in relief.

“That was a close one,” said Joe, and Jake nodded.

Joe stood in the middle of the floor, eyes clothes, and taking in slow deep breaths. His clothes sat in a pile on the ground next to him, and Jake stood by the door, a little ways away. He was watching Joe with interest, as well as keeping look out for any possible interruptions. He opened the door a crack then glanced back at Joe.

“Come on, dude, and hurry up. Somewhat might come by soon,” he said.

“Almost there,” said Joe. He took one final deep breath, and he felt the familiar feeling wash over him. This feeling was similar to the one he got when he shrank, but this one felt a little different. As he grew, he felt his skin stretch, and the pain was almost pleasant, yet still somewhat sore. He grew and grew, and in a few seconds, stood at his full height once again.

“Woah,” said Jake, eyes wide in amazement. Joe wasted no time in taking a few pills out of the bottle and popping them into his mouth, swallowing them as quickly as he could. He sighed in relief and immediately started putting his clothes on.

“Well this has been quite a day,” he said, and he looked over at Jake, who still held a look of amazement on his face.

“Not something you see everyday, huh?” he asked, sitting on the sink countertop and putting his shoes on. Jake shook his head and walked over to Joe, looking him up and down.

“It’s crazy! Just minutes ago I could put you in my pocket. And now your normal sized,” said Jake, and Joe smiled, tying his shoes and jumping back onto the ground.

“Yeah, even I still find it crazy, and I’m the one it happens too!” he said, laughing. Jake couldn’t help but smile too, then Joe stopped, looking Jake right in the eyes.

“I owe you big time, Jake. Without you, I don’t think I could have made it out of that bathroom, let alone get the pills from my locker,” he said, and reached his hand out. Jake took it and shook it.

 “Don’t sweat it, Tom Thumb,” he joked, and Joe glared at him.

“Please don’t call me that,” he said.

********************************************************************************

“We’re here!” said Jake, just as Joe was finishing up the story.

“Aw, that’s so cute! I didn’t know Jake was such a softy. So you guys have been friends ever since?” asked Michelle, and Jake nodded.

“Something about saving someone’s life kind of makes it hard to just stay acquaintances afterwards. And who you calling softy?,” he said, parking the car and turning the ignition off.

“Well, I think you were really nice to help little Joe out,” said Stacy from the back seat. She was finally starting to grasp the situation, and a little of her old self was coming back.

“Ehem, ‘little’ Joe?’ said Joe, looking at Stacy with a raised eyebrow.

“Fine, small Joe, whatever,” she said, and stepped out of the car before he could say another word. Michelle laughed and wrapped her fingers around Joe, creating a small cage so she could get out of the car without dropping him.

“Thanks for all the help, Michelle,” said Joe, and she smiled down on him.

“You know I’d do anything for you, Joe,” she smiled, and she stroked Joe’s back. Normally, it made him feel a bit insignificant when people did this too him, and he usually asked them to stop. But when Michelle did it, he couldn’t help but just enjoy it.

“And besides, I feel responsible for all this,” she whispered, so Stacy and Jake wouldn’t be able to hear her. Joe sighed and turned around, grabbing Michelle’s finger and kissing it.

“Michelle, stop it, ok? Look, what happened, happened. We can’t go back in time and change it. Yeah, I would have liked you to find out about my condition under more favorable circumstances, and yeah, I could have done without the whole head smashing part. But I’ve been through crazier shit, and I have great friends and a beautiful and capable girlfriend to help me out. As far as I’m concerned, I’m one lucky guy.” Joe smiled up at Michelle, and she could see he meant every word he said. Before she could say anything in response, she was interrupted.

“Hey, you two love birds done whispering?” asked Jake from the other side of the car.

“Last time I checked, we had a patient to check in.”