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Story Notes:

I apologize in advance for contributing to the overdone "tiny goes to normal sized high-school" subgenre. Hopefully this story maintains some originality by not being told from the tiny perspective.

First Day

"Why are you here?" Camille asked the familiar-looking girl standing next to her in the parking lot. She could already guess why Vivian Sterne – their school's self-appointed moral guardian – might be here this morning, but she held out hope that Vivian might be on a different errand than what brought her to this corner of the school that morning.

        The blonde girl turned towards her and huffed, "I'm here because as the sole member of the 'Students for the Rights of Tiny People' club, it's my job to escort Jacob Smith around school," pointing an accusing finger in Camille's direction, she continued, "A better question is why you're here. You a friend of his?"

       Camille looked away, unsurprised by the hostility. Vivian's many self-righteous crusades had driven away all her friends long ago. "No, no, I'm not. Just... curious, is all," Camille lied. She was hoping there would be no one else here to greet Jacob when he showed up for his first day. Camille wanted Jacob all to herself, and she was far more than just curious. She'd fantasized about having a tiny boyfriend ever since she'd seen teen heartthrob Noah Heely play Daven West in Little Lover.

       "Well, keep your 'curiosity' to yourself. He's not a toy, he's a person like you or me – just smaller," Vivian replied.

       Camille sighed. She had to admit that Vivian's reason for being here was better – or at least more official – but she'd waited too long for a tiny to attend their school. She had to put up some kind of resistance. Clearing her throat, she replied, "I wasn't going to treat him like a science experiment or anything. I just wanted to meet him, show him our school, get to know him a bit, maybe we could be friends, y'know?" Her mind settled on the next words naturally, but she paused, unsure how the other girl might react to them. She decided they were innocuous enough, and that it was better to be honest than to arouse more suspicion. She continued, "I actually think tinies are really cute. I'd love to have a little guy as a boyfriend."

       Camille could practically see Vivian's scorn grow as she uttered those words, but it was too late. The blonde let her judgmental gaze linger a moment before she spoke up, "Oh, I know your type. You want a little slave to pleasure yourself with because no man your size will bow to your princess complex. Disgusting."

       Putting a hand over her mouth, Camille looked down in futile attempt to hide her embarrassment. That had struck a little close to home. But Vivian didn't understand! Could she not love Jacob and use him to carry out her fantasies? Was that so terrible? Gradually, Camille recovered her composure. Vivian wasn't looking at her any longer, but the smirk she wore hurt Camille more than her piercing green eyes.

       Defeated, Camille said, "Whatever you think of me, I'm staying here and I'm gonna talk to Jacob."

       Vivian didn't respond.

       An awkward silence reigned for a few minutes. It was early in the morning, but some students were already starting to trickle in. Most of them parked and walked onto campus, leaving the drop-off zone where Camille and Vivian stood fairly empty. A little yellow hatchback pulled all the way to the end of the lane and parked. The pretty, dark-haired young woman who climbed out of it walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, even though there didn't appear to be a passenger. It took Camille a moment to realize what was going on, but Vivian was already a striding over to greet the newcomer.

       "Hello there, you must be Karen Christiansen," Vivian said. The woman shut the car door and turned to face her, revealing the tiny figure in her hand. Without missing a beat, Vivian smiled and greeted him, "And you must be Jacob Smith."

       "Yeah, that's me," he replied, rubbing his eyes.

       Karen chuckled, lightly tousling Jacob's brown hair with her thumb, "Somebody's not quite awake yet." Then she gave her free hand to Vivian, who shook it, "I take it you're Vivian Sterne, I'm glad to finally meet you." Finally she turned and greeted Camille, who was almost startled to be included, "And you are?"

       "I'm, um, Camille Calloway," she paused, feeling very much put-on-the-spot. How did she not see this happening? Thinking of nothing else that could justify her appearance at this obviously very planned encounter, she blurted, "I'm a friend of Vivian's – with the tiny rights club."

       Vivian gave her a bone-chilling glance, but said nothing.

       "Well, it's nice to meet you, too," Karen finished.

       There was a moment of silence, then Vivian spoke up again.

       "Okay, is there anything else I should know before class starts? Anything you didn't cover in the emails?" she said, addressing Karen and Jacob.

       "Yeah, hold on," Jake said, pulling a folded paper out of his pocket. "You need to know which classes to take me to." He took a moment to read off the classes he had – which subjects, with which teachers, and in what rooms.

       Vivian listened, putting a hand to her chin in concentration. After a moment, she replied, "So, I think we're in the same class for first, third, and fifth period."

       "And you'll have enough time to take Jake to his other classes in between periods, right?" Karen asked.

       "Of course. No trouble at all," Vivian replied.

       Camille had also taken note of what classes Jake had. It was so perfect, she couldn't help but grin. With smug confidence, she interjected, "Actually, that won't be necessary, Vivian. I'm in Jake's second, fourth, and sixth period classes."

       Karen seemed to light up at this. "Oh, that's wonderful! My only real worry was that Jake might have trouble if he was alone in class, but I'm sure you girls will take great care of him!"

       Vivian pursed her lips, bringing a pointed finger up to protest, but was cut off as the bell rang.

       Karen lifted Jake up to her face. They locked eyes for a moment. "Be safe, okay?" she said.

       "I will, I will," he replied dismissively. He cracked a grin, but it was forced and uncertain.

       With a graceful motion, Karen leaned in and planted a small peck of a kiss on Jake's head. Then she turned to Vivian, arms outstretched to transfer the tiny young man. Vivian cupped her hands together, placing them next to Karen's and allowing Jake to walk across to her.

       Camille watched all this with strange fascination. That small kiss – so natural and effortless – showed a level of trust and care beyond what most people would ever know. Mixed feelings of jealousy and joy worked through her chest. She longed to share such intimacy, but could not deny that seeing it from a distance felt good, too.

       Karen, now a bit misty-eyed, waved goodbye to Jake and the girls. She turned to walk back to her car, leaving Vivian and Camille alone with Jake.

       "We'll meet over in the quad after first period, got it?" Vivian said with barely repressed scorn.

       Camille put on her biggest, brightest, smile. "Whatever you say, Viv. You're in charge."

       Vivian whipped around and strode off across the courtyard, her blonde ponytail streaming proudly behind. Camille watched her go, pondering just what mess her naive daydreaming had gotten her into this time.

-----

With the greatest care and precision, Vivian wove her way through crowds of students towards her first period class. She tried to keep her senses focused outward, and not on the tiny person inhabiting her palm, but couldn't keep from analyzing the new sensation.

       She marveled at how light Jake was – a whole life right there in her hand and she could barely feel it. She might forget he was there at all, but the touch of his tiny limbs made her skin tingle and her heart race. It felt nice to hold him, she decided, then immediately recoiled from the thought. Wasn't that what she berated Camille for? Where was her self-control?

       Vivian almost didn't realize Jake had spoken to her.

       "So, what was that all about?" he asked casually.

       "What... was what about?" Vivian stopped dead in the hall, suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

       "Well, Camille said you two were friends, but you were giving her some nasty looks," said Jake, "Just seemed strange, is all."

       "Oh, that," Vivian said, relieved. She realized Jake was craning his neck to speak with her and brought him up to eye level before continuing, "I don't really know Camille, and she's not in the Rights Club. She just showed up today and wanted to see you."

       "What's wrong with that? Don't you want her help?" Jake asked in a confused tone.

       "No, of course not," Vivian retorted, "For all I know she wants to take advantage of you."

       "She seemed nice. You should give her a shot."

       It was Vivian's turn to be confused. "You're not worried about strangers?"

       Jake sighed and shook his head as a knowing grin spread across his face. "If I was, do you think I'd be here? How do I know you aren't going to slip me in your pocket and take me home? Or worse?"

       Vivian was speechless a moment. He had a point there. "You don't," she admitted heavily.

       "That's right, I don't," he repeated, "But here I am."

       Vivian was afraid she'd upset him, reminding him of his weakness, and tried to ameliorate the damage, "I want you to know that I would never do anything you didn't want or hurt you in any way,–"

       He tried to cut her off. "Oh, don't be like that, it's no big deal," he said with surprising nonchalance. She'd expected him to be meek and fearful, someone she needed to give special respect and care to maintain the illusion of equality. She wasn't prepared for someone so worldy and mature. It was quite endearing.

       "–And also that I think you're very brave," Vivian finished despite his protest. "Really, I do."

       "Ah, jeez, Vivian. Thanks, I guess," Jake rubbed his forehead, then looked back to her, "What surprises me is that anybody cares enough to schlep my tiny butt around all day."

       Vivian gasped, surprised by his bluntness, but found herself giggling instead of scolding. Jake smiled at that, and continued, "Now, let's get to class, before–"

       He was cut off by the ringing of the second bell. Vivian realized she would be late to class for perhaps the first time in her life. Today, though, that didn't bother her so much.

-----

Camille sat in her second period class, watching Jake draw something on her paper. He was sprawled out on almost a quarter of the page, making broad, sweeping lines with his little stub of a pencil. In a few minutes, she would be tasked with inking and coloring whatever sketch he came up with, as the art teacher, Mr. Thomas, had assigned.

       Mr. Thomas was one of those teachers who tried to hard to be young and hip. Normally insufferable, today he displayed some of the good will and understanding that made it an endearing sort of insufferable. After personally greeting Jake and shaking his hand (with a finger) he allowed Jake and Camille to work on their assignments together.

       Despite how well this class was set to go, Camille was not happy. Not sad, either, but frustrated. Here she was, with her little prize all to herself, and she still had no idea what to say to him. Luckily he was busy, or else the awkward silence would strangle any chances she had with him.

       She did have one topic on her mind, but Camille hated to start the conversation with a question about *her*. Still, she was curious, and it was better than this agonizing waiting.

       "I noticed Vivian was in a much better mood after first period, what did you say to her?" Camille asked.

       Jake looked over his shoulder and responded, "What, can't believe she just loves calculus that much?"

       "I can almost believe it," Camille scoffed, "But no, not even Vivian."

       "She's a serious gal, but you're right. It wasn't the calculus," Jake said, "We talked. I might have convinced her to lighten up towards you."

       "Oh, really?" Camille smiled, "Sticking up for little ol' me? I'm flattered."

       "Don't think things are all different now, Vivian's still a hard-ass."

       "Hardly an hour together and you can already tell," Camille laughed, "She has quite the reputation around here, you know."

       "Can you believe she actually asked me if Karen was abusive? The woman is basically the entire reason I'm even at this school, and Vivian's worried her displays of affection are a 'breach of privacy and trust' or some nonsense."

       Camille let her mouth quirk into a lascivious little grin. This line of conversation was going places.

       "Quite frankly, I thought it was very cute when she kissed you." she said.

       Jake shrugged in a sort of exaggerated, embarrassed manner, "Karen would probably agree."

       "I wasn't exactly in the loop before this, and I'm not sure... Karen is too young to be your mother, so she must be...?" Camille asked. It had only just occurred to her that if Karen was Jake's girlfriend, her chances with him were nil.

       "She was originally my babysitter, but now she's more like a family friend," Jake said, "See, I'm second generation – both my parents are my size. We live in the enclave downtown. Right around when I was nine, or so, they called around to get a 'sitter. Nobody."

       "Or at least, nobody your size," Camille completed the thought.

       "Exactly," Jake said, "Karen was just sixteen at the time, but she agreed to come to the enclave, pick me up, and take care of me at her house, all for the same price she usually charges."

       "That was very generous of her."

       "At this point that's the least of what she's done for us, but it's not a one-way street. My family's done their share of favors for the Christiansens."

       Camille was hoping to question Jake about his physical intimacy with Karen, as a lead in to her own relationship with him, but now found herself wrapped up in his story. Jake was more than happy to indulge her curiosity. He'd given up his sketch and was now facing her, pencil cradled in his lap. He didn't seem to notice the graphite smeared all across his shirt and pants, which lent him a cute, disheveled look, Camille thought.

       "Why did you even bother to come here if it was so difficult?" Camille asked. She knew very well what her hopes were upon Jake's arrival, but until now she had not considered what his motivation might be.

       "Well, the high school in the enclave isn't nearly as well respected as Central High, which matters a lot for college acceptance," Jake explained, "Some of the advanced classes, like the ones I have with Vivian, aren't even offered there."

       "So you're shooting for Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, some place like that?"

       "Honestly I'll take any college that has a strong robotics program."

       "Why robotics?" Camille asked, intrigued.

       "Well," he paused, and a conflicted look crossed his face, "Don't tell Vivian this, but I'm not here to lead the way for integration because I don't think it's possible."

       "Really?"

       He nodded solemnly. "Not like they advertise it, at least. With tinies living side-by-side with everyone else like it's no big deal. It's not realistic."

       "Then... why?" asked slowly, a little distressed at his pessimism.

       "Technology can be the equalizer. I want to build robotic suits – exoskeletons – that tinies can use to interact with the larger world. Safely and... and normally. Just like everyone else."

       It sounded like the pipe-dream of a kid who'd read too many sci-fi novels, but the conviction in Jake's voice made Camille want to believe it. She smiled.

       "It sounds dumb, I know. But that's why I'm here," he shrugged.

       "It's not dumb at all, it's just a huge ambition..." she mentally added for one so small, but she dare not say it. Vivian's scornful words still haunted her, and she felt guilty now. It wasn't Jake's job to be her boyfriend. He obviously had ambitions far larger than her and her bedroom fantasies. She doubted she could follow in his path, and decided to content herself by helping in the small ways she could. That would be enough for her.

       "What about you? Why'd you volunteer to deal with me?" Jake asked with a hint of sarcasm, ripping Camille out of her reverie.

       The question sent a jolt up Camille's spine. What had Vivian said to him? The goofy grin on Jake's face betrayed nothing. Surely he knew. Or did he? Did it matter? It didn't matter. Not anymore. And yet she couldn't do it.

       "Are you sure you want to know?" Camille said with nervous sarcasm, "It's boring, I swear."

       "I don't care how boring it is, it can't be worse than my sob story," Jake replied, "Run it by me and then we'll finish this drawing."

       "Well...," Camille started uncertainly. She had no idea where she was heading with this one. "...I needed some – um – community service hours, and I always had a certain interest in tinies, so I came out to help Vivian with... um... you."

       "I see," Jake replied with a smug grin. Camille cringed; it was painfully obvious he didn't buy it.

       "Yep," she replied.

       Mercifully, Jake didn't pry any further.

-----

Vivian spotted Camille from across the quad. It was a warm late-summer day, but the brown-haired girl was still dressed in her sweatshirt and baggy jeans. The confident stride with which Camille plied through the crowd of students was quite unlike her, though. It was not long before she made her way up to Vivian, with Jake in hand.

       "How was class?" Vivian asked.

       "Today was the one day Mr. Thomas didn't make me want to kill myself," Camille said, "So I think it was a success."

       "He was actually very accommodating," Jake said, "A big change of pace from Ms. Greening's apathy."

       "Don't get used to it," Vivian warned, "We've got history with Mueller next."

       Camille extended her hand out, and Vivian met it with her own. Jake scampered across and sat down in Vivian's palm.

       "Good luck," Camille said, before she left for her own class, joining the shifting throng of students.

       A minute later Vivian gently pulled open the door and crept into the classroom. Although she normally sat in the front row, she chose a seat in the back corner today. She felt it would be safer for Jake if she could keep an eye on all the other students.

       Roll call went smoothly, and soon enough Mr. Mueller had begun his droning lecture. Jake was busy furiously scribbling notes into a notebook he'd pulled from his backpack, but Vivian worked at a more leisurely pace. She had reviewed today's material the night before and had a good grip on it.

       About halfway through class, Vivian shifted uncomfortably in her seat – an unforeseen complication. She was embarrassed, and a little worried.

       In the lowest whisper she could manage, Vivian said, "Hey, Jake."

       He looked up from his notebook. "Yeah?" he replied.

       "I need to use the restroom."

       "Okay?" he replied, clearly confused.

       "I don't want to leave you by yourself," Vivian said meekly.

       "It's just class, nothing's going to happen to me," he said, "And besides, I need to get caught up on this material."

       "Please?"

       Jake shook his head.

       Vivian sighed. As much as she wanted to protect him, it was not her place to impose rules. He was an adult and he could make his own decisions, she told herself.

       "I'll be right back," she said.

       Quietly Vivian slipped out of her chair and fast-walked over to the door. As soon as she stepped outside she bolted down the hall.

       Scarcely a minute later Vivian returned to class. As she returned to her desk, she stopped dead a few feet away. It was empty. Jake was nowhere to be seen, his little backpack lay abandoned where he'd sat just minutes earlier. She felt the momentary satisfaction of vindication, but it was immediately overwhelmed by horror. She tried to remain calm, but couldn't.

       "Mr. Mueller, I can't find Jake!" she blurted out, interrupting the lecture. She was already on her hands and knees searching the floor and riffling through her backpack.

       Mr. Mueller huffed, and took his attention away from the class to look at Vivian. "You can't find him?" he asked in frustration.

       "No, I–," she started, "He's gone. Has anybody seen him?"

       Vivian stood up and scanned the faces of the students around her. Some were surprised, some indifferent, some pleased. None raised a hand to help her.

       "I don't see how this is anyone's problem but Jake's." Mueller said, "If he can't get through a class without getting lost, it's just more evidence he shouldn't be here in the first place. Now please take a seat, Vivian."

       "You don't understand," she breathed in exasperation, "I have to look for him."

       "If you leave class now I will have to mark you absent," Mr. Mueller said sternly, "And if you stay I will have no more interruptions."

       Vivian made her decision. She hastily packed up her backpack and stormed out of the classroom, knocking aside an empty chair in her path.

       She knew someone had taken Jake. It was the only explanation. And she would find them. Oh, she would find them.

-----

Vivian and Camille sat under a tree on the outskirts of campus, wracking their minds to find some way to rescue Jake. It was lunch period, right in the middle of the day, and they had an hour before either they or Jake would be expected in class.

       "We could go to the police," Camille suggested.

       "We could," Vivian replied, "They would help us find him, but an investigation would ruin any chance he has of staying at Central High."

       "So that's our last resort, then," Camille said.

       Silence reigned for a moment. They had nothing.

       Camille groaned and hung her head in her hands. She felt sick.

       She could only imagine how Vivian was feeling. Failure was rare for the athletic blonde. Vivian expected a lot from others, but she held herself to the highest standards of all. Camille glanced up at the other girl. Her jaw was set, green eyes cast off in the distance. She looked like she wanted to hurt someone.

       "Look, we're not giving up yet," Camille said, "You think someone kidnapped Jake. Is there anyone at the school who would want to do that?"

       "There's a few who might," Vivian replied, "But they would have to have been in the classroom already. I was only gone a minute, nobody could come in, take him, and leave without any other students seeing."

       "Run the names by me, anyway," Camille said, "I may be a loser but I know the good gossip when I hear it. There might be some connection you're not seeing."

       Vivian listed off a few people – teachers and students she'd come in conflict with in the past.

       "The only person I really think has the balls to do it is Ms. Corning, though," she added.

       "I've heard she's a little nuts, but what does she have against Jake?" Camille asked.

       "Her family owned a mill back in the days before the enclaves," Vivian said, "The stuff she wants to do to tinies makes even asshats like Mueller pale."

       Camille paused a moment to turn over all the new information.

       Vivian went on, "She teaches a third period class, though, there's no way she could have done it."

       Camille looked Vivian dead in the eyes, "What if she had an accomplice?"

       "Nobody in this school is dumb enough to do her dirty work."

       "They wouldn't have to be dumb," Camille said, "Jimmy Hogarth is Corning's nephew."

       "Poor bastard," Vivian muttered, before her eyes went wide, "Wait–"

       "She could've put him up to it," Camille continued.

       Vivian finished, "–he was next to me in class! And when I left I knocked over his chair because he wasn't sitting in it!"

       Vivian practically leaped to her feet. Cracking her knuckles against her palm, she gave Camille a sidelong glance, "You know where he hangs out at lunch, right?"

       "I do, but we can't just go and beat him up!"

       "Ugh," Vivian groaned, "You're right."

       "I have an idea of what we *could* do, though."

-----

Vivian huddled in the shadows underneath the stadium bleachers. A squat corrugated shed hid her from sight, but looking out from behind it she could see Camille sitting on the corner of the high-jump pad, which had been folded and stored here. The brown-haired girl had taken off her baggy sweatshirt, revealing a tight fitting v-neck that clung to her plump form. She was fiddling with her phone, trying to set up a good angle to take a picture of herself.

       "God, I feel like such a ho," Camille muttered as she attempted to press her breasts together with her arms and hold the phone above her head at the same time.

       Vivian loudly whispered back, "This was your idea."

       "Oh, shut up," Camille responded, "Do you want to take the picture? Because I can slam Jimmy's scrawny butt up against the shed a few times. I'm not ripped like you but I've got a weight advantage."

       "Just take the picture."

       The phone clicked. After a few more taps Camille returned it to her pocket and laid back on the soft foam pad.

       "There, it's done," she said.

       They waited.

       They didn't have to wait long.

       Vivian heard the characteristic scraping of someone walking up the gravel path. She saw Camille tense up, then relax into a leisurely laying position, with her head propped up by one hand.

       "Hey-a, Jimmy," Camille drawled out in a sultry tone.

       The response was muffled by the shed, "O-oh, wow, I, uh, didn't see you there Camille."

       "Course ya' didn't. Why don't you come sit with me?" Camille replied, and patted her hand next to her on the pad.

       Vivian cringed. Camille was laying it on real thick. It seemed to be working, though.

       More gravelly footsteps. Vivian raised up, steadying herself against the side of the shed. She couldn't quite see him yet.

       "I didn't know you were into me Camille," Jimmy said, "This is, like, a dream come true."

       Camille rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, then replied, "Well, I wouldn't say that."

       Still walking forward, Jimmy came into Vivian's sight at the same unfortunate moment he opened his mouth to reply to Camille. She burst from the shadows with such ferocity that his response was rendered to nothing more than a squeal. He would've collapsed from fright if the strong girl hadn't already grabbed his shirt and slammed him up against the shed door.

       "What did you do with Jacob!" Vivian screamed down at him.

       He recoiled away from her – limbs curled, head turned to the side, shrieking, "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorryI'msorry," as fast as he could.

       Unsatisfied with that response, Vivian growled, "What. Did. You. Do. With. Jacob," slamming Jimmy against the shed with each punctuation.

       "Corningmademegrabhimsaidshe'dgetmeexpelledifIdidn'tIdidn'twanttodoitpleaseletmego."

       "Say it again."

       Jimmy took a few shaky breaths to compose himself. His face was all red, he had tears in his eyes and snot running down his nose, but he wasn't hurt.

       Finally, he began, "Ms. Corning made me grab him. She told me if I didn't do as she said she'd find a way to get me expelled from school. I wasn't going to listen to her, but, but," he gasped, "My mom always takes her sister's word over mine, I had no choice. I swear I don't have anything against Jake or tinies or anything! My aunt's crazy, I hate her just a much as you guys."

       "Thank you," Vivian said. She breathed out as she allowed herself to relax, but she still held Jimmy against the shed. "So you took him to Corning? What does she want to do with him?"

       "I grabbed him right off your desk and took him to her class. I tried not to hurt him, but he was fighting me. I had to keep him in my hands without breaking his arm, or crushing him, or..." he trailed off, remembering, "...It was horrible. I'm horrible." He looked down, no longer willing to make eye contact with Vivian. She sighed, and released him.

       "Hey, hey," Camille said, "It's alright, you told us. We'll fix this."

       "It's just – fuck, man, my aunt could do anything to that guy. I don't even know what she's capable of."

       "And you don't know where she's hiding him, either?" Vivian asked.

       Jimmy shook his head, "Dropped him right into her hand and then she told me to get out of the room."

       Vivian turned and helped Camille off the pad. She looked back over at Jimmy and said, "If your aunt tries to get you expelled, we'll vouch for you."

       "That... actually means a lot coming from you, Vivian. Thanks."

       Camille crouched down in front of Jimmy, who was sitting with his back to the shed. "Sorry for, um, 'getting your hopes up'. Maybe... another time? And not underneath the bleachers?"

       "It's alright. It was rude and stupid of me to come walking down here like this. I deserved it," he said.

       Camille gave him her hand and helped him to his feet. Jimmy stood weakly while she brushed some dust off his clothes and fixed his hair.

       Vivian watched Camille comfort the battered boy. There was genuine concern in her eyes. It fascinated Vivian. How she could be so forgiving? Vivian's disgust at Jimmy's actions overpowered whatever urge she had to comfort him, but it wasn't that way for Camille. She was just soft, and kind. In a way, Vivian envied her. How much easier would her life be without the stress of constant judgments?

       Camille led Jimmy over to the high-jump pad, and laid him down on it.

       "Just rest here a bit," Camille said, "After we deal with your aunt you should be able to forget all about this."

       "Thanks for being so understanding, you guys," he said, before collapsing backwards into the mat.

       "Of course, Jimmy," Camille said, with a slight wave, before turning back to Vivian. The two set off back to the main campus.

-----

Minutes later, Vivian and Camille stood outside Ms. Corning's room. The curtains were drawn, but light shown through the narrow window on the door. It was still lunch period, so with any luck the teacher would be inside. Camille hoped she would be alone, but it didn't really matter for what they planned to do.

       "Got your phone ready?" Vivian asked.

       After a few swipes, Camille set her phone to record audio, then slipped it back into her sweatshirt pocket.

       "It's ready," she replied, "Are you sure you can distract Corning long enough with just an argument?"

       "Pretty sure," Vivian said, "I have that sort of way with people. I make them angry. If we're lucky she'll even confess," she paused, "You have to find Jake while she's distracted, though."

       "Of course, of course," Camille said, then smiled a bit. It was a devious smile, but a sincere one, too. "Whatever you say, Viv. You're in charge."

       Vivian frowned at the odd choice of words, before recalling when Camille said them earlier. A knowing grin slowly crept onto her face.

       "You really mean that this time, don't you?" she asked.

       Camille nodded, "I do."

       "We're friends, now, aren't we?"

       Camille put her hands up defensively, "Don't look at me, you're the one who said it."

       "Well, at least we don't have to lie to Karen about it anymore," Vivian scoffed, "Now let's go rescue our friend."

       Vivian pulled open the door and entered. Camille shook some of the anticipation out of herself, then followed.

       In a desk along the back wall sat Ms. Corning. Although middle-aged, she had obviously aged gracefully. Despite her blonde hair being in a youthful bob-cut style, with her striking green eyes and sharp features, Camille thought she looked like an older, crueler reflection of Vivian. She didn't think her friend would appreciate the comparison, however.

       Walking around the block of empty desks, Vivian approached the teacher. Ms. Corning glanced up from her computer to appraise the approaching students, but quickly returned her attention to the screen.

       Vivian headed right for the desk, but Camille positioned herself to the side, leaned against a student desk. She tried to appear disinterested, but was actually scanning the room for any place Jake could be hidden. She had both of her arms folded into her sweatshirt pocket, with a nervous grip on the phone.

       "Yes?" Ms. Corning asked expectantly.

       "Hi there," Vivian began confidently, "My name's Vivian Sterne. I'm with the 'Students for the Rights of Tiny People' club. I was wondering if you had any thoughts about Jacob Smith attending our school."

       Corning seemed to perk up at that. Her eyes narrowed. With a few clicks she closed what she was doing on the computer and spun her chair to give Vivian her full attention.

       "I'd be glad to share my thoughts," Corning replied, "But first, I'm curious, why do you want this... Jacob Smith to attend Central High?"

       "If he graduates from Central, his chances of getting accepted to a major university go way up. I'm glad to be able to help another student achieve their goals."

       Camille heard Corning scoff, but didn't catch the woman's reply. Instead she gently pushed away from the desk and drifted over to the wall. She wanted an angle that would allow her to see behind the teacher's desk. She quickly scanned the bookshelf beside her. Mostly books, but what about that little jewelry box? Caked with dust – no good.

       "The infrastructure required to integrate tinies into society is simply not feasible, it would cost billions," Corning said flatly.

       "That's why it's our duty to help them every step of the way," Vivian countered.

       Always demanding better of everyone. That was the reasoning that made people mad. Vivian was on the right track.

       Camille crouched down a bit, eyes darting between the lower shelves. Nothing. Further along, a file cabinet – she gently pulled on a drawer handle – locked.

       The argument continued to escalate.

       "As a citizen of this country, Jake shares the same rights as all of us. And that includes a decent education!" Vivian bellowed.

       "That you even think those runts are worthy of citizenship shows how far you are from reality!" Corning raged.

       That was controversial, but hardly damning. Vivian needed to push her a little bit further, yet.

       Camille moved along the wall, approaching Ms. Corning's seat from behind. She made like she was trying to look out the window, but stole glances underneath the desk. Empty save for a few drawers opposite Corning. No way Camille was getting into those. She watched the teacher's thigh bounce rhythmically in agitation, the back of her flat flapping lightly against her heel. Then it all slammed down. Corning stood up.

       "Those little rats make a big show of their oppression and we're just supposed to hand them the world, like it makes any sense for real people to bow to such weak, repulsive creatures," Corning seethed, "Now I'm expected to believe it's worth my time to educate one of them?"

       "I can't believe they let bigots like you work at this school," Vivian cried, turning away from the other woman in disgust, "Jake is the first of many, it's you who needs to change."

       Corning reached across the desk and grabbed Vivian by the chin. She made no effort to resist the hand, instead meeting Corning's manic gaze with a glare of her own.

       "When I'm done with Jacob Smith, there will never be another tiny student at Central, or anywhere else," Corning screamed, "They'll parade his mangled corpse on all the news channels, and they'll quarantine the enclaves for the safety of the tinies. Segregation will reign, and I'll never have to hear another word about those infuriating mites ever again!"

       Hook, line, and sinker. Camille pulled out her phone and stopped the recording.

       Vivian had pushed away from Corning, freeing herself from the frantic woman's grasp. She made eye contact with Camille. Corning stood between them panting. Vivian's green eyes pleaded. Panic gripped Camille momentarily. They had the evidence that would bring Corning down, but they didn't have Jake, and their distraction had run its course.

       But Camille had an idea. She hastily swiped through menus on her phone. Copied a file, sent a message.

       Camille slowly approached Corning from behind and gave her a tap on the shoulder. The woman spun, looking confused, like she had forgotten Camille was even there. Camille played back the audio recorded on the phone, deftly fast-forwarding to the last line.

       Ms. Corning looked very pale. Vivian's mouth hung open.

       Coldly, Camille said, "Return the boy and I might be so kind as to delete this. If I don't, at the absolute minimum you will never teach again. But you're much more likely to become acquainted with the federal prison system."

       Corning knew she had been bested, but she had one last spiteful act left.

       "Fine," she said, with a vicious grin. Then she rolled back her chair and reclined it, laying her feet out on the desk. She kicked off a flat, revealing Jake's tiny body clutched between her toes. She peeled him off her foot and held him out to Camille.

       "Delete the recording."

       It took all of Camille's willpower to calmly place her hand underneath Corning's, and hold it steady.

       She tapped the phone, then showed it to Corning, "See, all gone."

       Jake dropped into Camille's hand. She caught him and instantly clutched him to her chest. He was breathing. There was no blood. Everything would be okay.

       Vivian and Camille left the classroom quickly, eager to put as much distance as they could between themselves and Corning.

       As soon as they got outside, Vivian burst out, "Camille! That was brilliant, but, but, if we don't have any evidence, how can we stop Corning from doing it again? We can't fight her every week, we aren't superheroes!"

       "Check your phone," Camille said quietly.

       As Vivian fumbled with her device, Camille adjusted her grip on Jake, still carrying him against her chest protectively.

       "You! Is that?" Vivian squealed.

       "It is. It's the recording," Camille replied, before she found herself buried in a suffocating hug. "Careful... Jake..." Camille managed to eek out.

       "You're the best," Vivian said, resting her head on Camille's shoulder.

       The bell rang, forcing Vivian to finally release Camille.

       "One last thing," Vivian said, and reached into backpack. She pulled out Jake's tiny backpack and handed it to Camille, who slipped it into her pocket.

       Needing no more words, the girls parted ways to go to class.

       Out of habit, Camille started towards the gym to go to the locker room. Halfway there she realized that wasn't going to work today. Luckily it was Monday, so she had her clean gym uniform already in her backpack. Working her way out of the stream of students, Camille headed in a different direction, towards a rarely bathroom in the corner of campus.

       Once inside a stall, she pulled her hands away from her chest and cradled Jake between them. His eyes were closed, but the movement and light disturbed him. He stretched awkwardly and sat up.

       "Were you asleep?" Camille asked.

       "No... well, sort of," Jake replied, looking embarrassed, "Your sweatshirt is a lot softer than Corning's shoe. I guess I drifted off," he paused for a moment, still getting his bearings, "Thank you for rescuing me. I only heard some of what happened from where I was, but you guys were incredible."

       "Well..." Camille smiled a bit, blushing, "That's just what friends do."

       "Is it time for class again?" he asked.

       "Gym class, yeah," Camille replied, "Are you sure you want to go? If you want to rest some more I'll stay with you."

       Jake sighed shakily, staring into space a few seconds before turning back to her with resolve in his eyes, "No, I can do this."

       Though it hurt her, Camille acquiesced.

       "Alright then," she said, handing him his backpack, "I'm not setting you down in here, so you'll have to change on my hand."

       As Jake pulled out his gym clothes, Camille closed her eyes. She felt his tiny feet dancing on her palm as he attempted to remove his jeans and underwear without sitting down.

       Alone with Jake, Camille felt some of her darker impulses return. She assumed Jake's cute little body would be toned and muscular from the rigors of navigating a larger world, and she was curious to find out the truth. Eventually she could resist no longer. She popped one eye open and looked down at the boy in her hand. He had just pulled his underwear back on, giving Camille a good look at his build. Her heart sank. Her little catch was everything she had hoped for – except for the vicious bruises all over his skin. Camille's involuntary coo of concern betrayed her.

       Jake looked up, frozen with one leg through his gym shorts.

       "What?" he asked.

       "Oh, Jake, what did she do to you?" Camille murmured.

       "I'm fine," he mumbled dismissively, "They don't... hurt as bad as they look."

       "No, no, you're not fine. I'm not taking you to gym. It would be stupid even if you weren't covered in welts. Just relax and let me clean you up," Camille said, gently but emphatically.

       "You shouldn't have to miss class because of me," Jake said, "It's already my fault I got kidnapped, I don't want to be more of a burden."

       "You're not a burden. I'm offering this freely," Camille pleaded, "Please let me help you."

       "No."

       "Why? Why?" Camille said, growing frustrated, "How can such a tiny head be so thick?"

       Jake sighed and hung his head in resignation. Camille cursed herself for not controlling her emotions better. Had she pushed him too far?

       "I never ask giants for help unless I absolutely need it because I worry that eventually you'll get tired of my constant helplessness, and resent me for being so useless," Jake said flatly, "If I want to be treated as an equal I need to be willing to suffer anything to prove it."

       Camille wanted to blurt out that that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard, but she held her mouth. He did have a point. She couldn't imagine living with that burden on top of being tiny in the first place. Her heart ached with sympathy for the boy.

       He needed to know that she would never – could never – resent him for a weakness he had no choice in. But the task of conveying that ultimate trust was so daunting to her. She felt trapped. A good cry was in order, but she tried to hold back the tears.

       "You shouldn't have to fear the kindness of others, Jake," she blubbered, "And as long as Vivian and I have any say in things, you never will."

       He just watched her cry. His eyes were red, too, but he shed no tears. Slowly, very slowly, he relaxed, and allowed Camille's gentle fingers to support him. Camille knew what that meant. She had convinced him. He trusted her. With the sleeve of her sweatshirt, she dried her eyes, and sighed.

       The pair was silent for a moment. Camille realized she was now holding Jake quite close to her face, which brought another realization – he smelled like what she could only assume was Ms. Corning's feet.

       "This might sound like a bit much, but would you mind if I, um, rinsed you off a bit in the sink?" Camille asked sheepishly, "You smell like feet."

       "I know, it's awful," he replied, "To the sink we go."

       Cleaning Jake off without touching him to any of the dubiously hygienic surfaces of the bathroom proved to be a delicate procedure. After he slipped out of his clothes, Camille gave him the tiniest dab of soap, helping him lather up his back and chest with her thumb. She let him work the rest of his body, careful not to stare as she kept the water at just the right temperature. Soon Jake was donning his clean gym clothes, and cramming his smelly normal clothes back in his backpack.

       "We have the better part of an hour before fifth period," Camille said, "I think that's enough time for a power nap, don't you?"

       "You don't have to be my bed if you don't want to, Camille," Jake protested, "I'm sure you have better things to do."

       "Ah, ah, ah," Camille tutted sarcastically, "You were asleep before we got here. I'm going to break this habit of yours."

       Camille left the bathroom, walking out into the empty quad. She headed for a shady spot on the grass, and laid down there, propping up her head with her backpack. After getting comfortable herself, she gingerly deposited Jake on her tummy and spread her hands across him like a blanket. Expecting some kind of protest, she was surprised to find he had snuggled himself into the soft fabric of her sweatshirt, completely comfortable and at home atop her midsection. It was the best thanks she could imagine.

-----

"I still can't believe it – I was only gone a minute and you were taken!" Vivian ranted. She was still angry at herself for failing to protect Jake.

       "It was my fault, I told you to leave me on the desk," Jake replied, "Don't beat yourself up about it."

       "I just- I just-" Vivian glanced back to the glass pipette in her hands, filling it to the mark as she thought out her next words. "I wanted this day to be perfect for you. And you were right. You shouldn't have anything to fear, just sitting in class."

       "It doesn't matter what should be. That's the way things are. I forget sometimes, when I'm around Karen, or at home in the enclave. But the world is a dangerous place for us."

       Part of Vivian knew he was right, and she hated it. It was defeatism, it was surrender, it was failure. She decided to keep pushing. She needed him to admit things could be different.

       "Even if you accept it, how can your parents? How can Karen?" she asked.

       Jake sighed heavily, and looked away from her. He put down his lab notebook, and ran his fingers through his hair, contemplating. Finally he said, "My parents were born in captivity. They have a certain... outlook, that many of us have. They love me dearly, but if I died, they would be prepared. Life would go on."

       Vivian gasped softly. Her mouth stayed open, in an expression of horror. She took responsibility for starting Jake on this path, pestering him to satisfy her doubts. Dread welled in her chest as he continued.

       "But Karen," he winced, "Karen would be hurt the most. In a way, she's innocent. Always has been. If she wasn't, she would never have showed up to babysit me all those years ago, never have thought a tiny couple would hand their child over to a giant stranger just because she seemed nice and made a promise."

       "Then why did they?"

       Jake sighed, "My dad's never given me a straight answer. Mom says he's just good at reading people, and knew that Karen wouldn't hurt me. I think he took a gamble on human nature, and it payed off."

       Both were silent for a second. The classroom bustled around them. Vivian noticed their beaker was boiling over. Instead of tending it, she just turned the burner off.

       Vivian finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, Jake."

       "You saved my life today, you don't have to be sorry for anything," he replied, "I just wasn't expecting to have this conversation on the first day."

       "I wasn't expecting to have it at all. I didn't know how much of a burden it is, for all of you," she said softly.

       "Well... thank you for helping me bear it," Jake said earnestly.

       After wringing his deepest emotions out of him, he still wanted to thank her. Sitting cross-legged on the corner of her notebook, a weary but good-natured grin on his face, Vivian thought Jake looked adorable. She almost didn't notice she was blushing.

       "I... It's..." she fumbled, mentally scolding herself for sizing up the tiny boy like a piece of meat. "You're welcome," she replied awkwardly.

       Jake gave a nod, seemingly satisfied by that. "Now lets finish this lab, before Mrs. Allen regrets letting us partner up," he said.

       "Yes, right, sure," Vivian replied, still somewhat dazed. She tried to focus back on the lab, but she couldn't stop analyzing her own reaction. At the start of the day she could never imagine romance with a tiny to be anything but one-sided fetishism. Now she was falling for Jake, and it had nothing to do with his size. She was still loathe to admit her whole outlook on tinies was wrong, but for Jake she might just have to.

-----

Jake lay on his stomach, held in Camille's hand about six inches above the desk. He was propped up on his elbows, leaning over the edge to read the literature textbook they were sharing. It took a bit of cajoling from Camille for him to accept this arrangement, but forcing him to walk across each page of the book just to read seemed ridiculous to her. And, of course, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to hold him.

       Down on the desk, Jake's backpack vibrated. He sat up in Camille's hand, and she gave him a questioning glance.

       "That's probably my phone," he said, "Could you hand me the backpack?"

       "Sure," Camille nodded, and plucked up the backpack in her fingers, depositing in next to Jake in her hand.

       "Thanks," Jake responded, rummaging around inside before producing a heavy brick of a device, with a long antenna.

       "That's your phone?" Camille asked incredulously.

       "It's the best they can do at this size," he shrugged. He pressed a few keys and put the phone to his ear, listening to a message. When it finished, he looked up at Camille with an uneasy smile. "So there's been a change of plans..."

       "...And?" Camille asked expectantly.

       "And I might need to go home with you. Or Vivian. Karen's gotta work late, and my parents can't..." he trailed off as he noticed the look on Camille's face. She was very excited about this turn of events, and despite her best efforts, it showed. "So it's–" Jake started.

       "Yes!" Camille squealed excitedly, "But it will have to be at Vivian's house. My parents are the death of fun, I won't take you anywhere near them until I absolutely have to."

       "So you're just going to invite both of us to Vivian's house?" Jake asked sarcastically, "Real smooth."

       "Well, we're friends now, right?" Camille said uncertainly, "That's what friends do."

       Jake just chuckled and shook his head.

----

Vivian slid into the driver's seat of her car. Despite its age, the little coupe was immaculately clean, both inside and out. Across from her, Camille flopped into the passenger seat and spent a moment fixing her sweatshirt with one hand, while holding Jake in the other.

       Vivian went through all the motions of starting the car by muscle memory, but she paused before backing out. She looked at Jake uncertainly, and asked, "Are you going to be okay in Camille's hands? Or would you be safer in the cup holder?"

       "I usually sit in the cup holder while Karen drives, but hers are padded. I think it's better if you hold me," he replied, looking towards Camille.

       "No complaints here," Camille said cheerfully. She was practically beaming, like this was some kind of big adventure. It was cute, in a dorky sort of way, Vivian thought.

       With that, Vivian pulled out of her parking spot and joined the procession of cars leaving the school.

       It took a few minutes of sitting in traffic before they finally got on the road. As they headed away from the school, Camille asked, "So where is your house, anyway, Vivian?"

       "My Dad lives in one of those apartments by the lake. My Mom lives downtown," she said briskly, "We're going to my Dad's."

       "I see," Camille replied, and left it at that.

       Jake was quiet. He seemed to be taking in the sights through the windows, something he couldn't normally do from down in the cup holder. At one point Vivian noticed him looking curiously at the gear shifter from over the wall of Camille's fingers.

       "Never seen a stick shift before?" Vivian asked jokingly.

       "Not like that one. But I've only ever been in Karen's car."

       "They don't have cars in the enclaves?" Camille asked.

       "Not in mine," said Jake, "Don't need them, I guess. All our services, houses, stores, all of it's in the same big buildings. They call them 'units' or 'blocs'. Within a unit, everybody walks. Between units, there's a sort of subway system," he gestured vaguely, "But it's not electric. It runs on air. It's very different than how you guys have it, with individual houses and streets everywhere."

       "I always assumed you lived in a miniature little town," Camille said sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed by her own ignorance. Vivian rolled her eyes.

       "Like the one from 'Little Lover'?" Jake asked.

       "Maaaybe..." Camille replied slowly, a bit of blush creeping into her cheeks, "But, I guess it's closer to–"

       Vivian cut her off, "Did you two seriously watch that flick? It's blatant exploitation."

       "I-I thought it was kinda cute," Camille said meekly.

       "Karen wanted me to watch it with her. It's just another romantic comedy, hardly anything malicious," Jake said dismissively, "What were you saying, Camille?"

       "Oh! Uh," she hesitated, "Based on what you said, it sounds like you live in an arcology."

       "A what?" Vivian asked, eyes flicking between her passengers and the road. She was on the sidelines of this conversation, and she didn't like it, but she had to concentrate on driving, too. Traffic was picking up as people were starting to get off work.

       "It's a sci-fi word, for cities that are self-contained, all in one structure." Camille explained.

       "It isn't like that everywhere, though," Jake continued, "Enclaves like Daven's hometown exist, but they're mostly for rich tinies. Or tiny relatives of rich giants, as it were."

       Vivian glanced over to Jake, "Why did you build arcologies? Why not build normal cities?"

       Jake shrugged, "It's easier to build something relatively large at our scale. Most tinies that come to the poorer enclaves are used to living in nooks and crannies, always indoors or underground. And the government didn't give us much space. New families come in all the time, too – maybe they've been living in somebody's basement for twenty years and finally got discovered and turned over to TPS, or they saw the ads on TV–"

       "Vivian. Vivian! Look at the road!" Camille yelled, pointing ahead with her free hand while the other hugged tight to her chest.

       Vivian looked up to see the approaching wall of fenders and immediately slammed on the brakes. They locked up, sending the car skidding. Vivian had a death grip on the wheel as she counter-steered to keep the car straight. They finally stopped, barely a foot away from the hulking SUV ahead of them, and the car slumped back to level like a hard sigh.

       Vivian turned to make sure the other two were alright. Camille was looking between her empty hands, her lap, and the floor with wide eyes. Jake was nowhere in sight. Vivian cringed, and started glancing around the interior of the car. She was already mentally beating herself up for not keeping her eyes on the road; if she found Jake splattered against the windshield she'd never forgive herself.

       Her search was interrupted when Camille gasped. Vivian turned back to her, and noticed the movement under her shirt. The other girl looked mortified. She gingerly reached into her cleavage to retrieve the squirming figure, and squeaked when he fell through and slid down her shirt further. He landed against the fold in Camille's tummy, forcing her to pull her shirt up until he plopped out into her lap.

       It took Jake a second to get his bearings and sit up. His hair was ruffled and his face was a tinge reddish, too, but not from blushing. Camille's body heat had warmed him up. As he caught his breath he looked between Camille, who was still burning up, and Vivian, who was watching with amusement.

       "What?" he said, with a hint of confusion.

       "Are you alright?" Vivian asked.

       "Of course. Camille caught me."

       "I didn't mean to do it like that," the other girl mumbled, "Sorry."

       "Don't worry about it. Personal space works differently when you're tiny," Jake said. Then he added, "Not that I'd ever mind being close to you."

       "Go easy on her, Jake," Vivian said, half-joking, "I don't want her to have a nose bleed in my car."

       Vivian could tell it was taking every ounce of Camille's self control to keep her from scooping the boy up and covering him in kisses, dropping him back down her shirt, or placing him somewhere else lewd. Instead she offered out her hand, letting him climb on and holding him a bit closer than before.

       Part of Vivian was jealous Jake didn't fall into her cleavage, and slip down her shirt. She pushed those thoughts away, but realized they didn't disgust her like they did earlier. Was it really so bad? What she'd just seen was natural and harmless, and Jake even confirmed it himself. She realized that all this time she'd thought of his size as a disability, something that always needed to be worked around. And all Jake wanted was to be treated normally and casually, regardless of the consequences.

       The car behind them honked, and Vivian snapped back to reality. Traffic ahead was moving, and she threw the car into gear and sped to catch up.

-----

Camille sat at the counter in Vivian's house, bent over a textbook while she worked through her math homework. She would rather be doing almost anything else, but she couldn't pass up Vivian's offer to help her. Right now, though, the other girl was talking with her dad on the phone. Jake was laying off to the side on top of another textbook, resting his head on his backpack while he read a book he'd brought along.

       Vivian hung up her cellphone and came over to the counter to address the other two. "It looks like my dad won't be home tonight, so we'll have to fend for ourselves," she said, "As your hostess, I'd like to make something nicer than a TV dinner, but the only thing I know how to cook is pasta. Can either of you do better?"

       "Nope," Camille replied flatly, before looking up, "But I can help you with the pasta."

       "I might be able to whip up something fancier back at home," Jake said, "But trying to walk you guys through it in an unfamiliar kitchen won't end well."

       "Pasta it is, then," Vivian said, before leaning under the counter to get a big pot.

       Vivian set to work preparing the food, coming over to answer Camille's questions every few minutes. Camille was pleasantly surprised to find that Vivian's tutoring style wasn't as condescending as she expected. The studious girl seemed to genuinely enjoy helping her friend, although she didn't refrain from showing off entirely.

       Soon Vivian was at the sink, pouring the noodles into a strainer. Camille was wrapping up her homework – the first math assignment she'd fully completed in weeks. She noticed Jake was no longer reading, but laying spread-eagle with his book covering his face. "Somebody looks tired," she said in an overly sweet voice.

       Jake drew a long breath before grabbing the book and sitting up. He stretched, and replied, "Tired and hungry."

       "You bet," Camille said. They both looked over to Vivian. "Hey, Viv," she continued expectantly.

       "Almost there," the other girl replied, with a hint of exasperation. The spaghetti was back in the pot, this time with red sauce, and she was stirring to mix it in. "Grab some plates," she said, pointing out one of the cupboards.

       Camille tidied up her spot a bit, clipping up her binders and stowing them back in her backpack before she went to get the plates. She grabbed two dinner plates from the cupboard, then hesitated, unsure if she should grab a third for Jake. She started to carefully shift the two she was holding to her other hand so she could pick up the third when he interrupted her.

       "I can just take a bit off somebody else's plate," Jake said, before adding awkwardly, "If you don't mind me touching your food, of course."

       "Are you sure?" Camille asked, "It's no trouble to make you a place." She wanted to be accommodating, especially after what he'd said earlier about never asking for help.

       "So I can sit in the middle of a huge plate and eat a tiny slice of noodle? Don't bother."

       "Alright, but if you end up on somebody's fork, don't blame me," Camille joked. Surprisingly, Vivian had no objections either, so Camille continued setting the table for the two of them, laying out place mats, utensils, and drinks on the small kitchen table. When she finished she returned to the counter and gave Jake a ride to the table, before sitting down herself. Moments later Vivian sat down across from her, placing the large bowl of spaghetti in the center of the table. Both girls took good sized helping, and started to eat.

       Camille was starving, but with the incident in the car still fresh in her mind she took care not to eat too ravenously. Losing Jake in her prodigious bosom was embarrassing enough; drawing attention to her plump belly by getting him stuck against it had been too much. If she ate like a pig now, she couldn't imagine what the others would think of her.

       To take her mind off the delicious food, Camille spied on Jake, watching him eat with morbid curiosity. The tiny boy was sitting on the rim of Vivian's plate, chewing on the end of a single rope-like noodle. After a moment he stood up, leaning back to yank his noodle away from the mass. At the same time, Vivian was absentmindedly spinning some spaghetti onto her fork in the center of the plate. The spin grabbed the other end of Jake's noodle, pulling it taught in an instant, and sending Jake flying head first into a thick glob of sauce.

       Camille started to laugh, but choked it back before she sprayed a mouthful of food across the table. Instead she lifted her eyebrows and pointed, trying to signal what had happened to the still-oblivious Vivian. The other girl caught on quickly.

       "Ah, geez, sorry, Jake," she said tenderly, as he started to pull himself out of the pasta. She offered him her fork, and he grabbed onto the bottom rung for support. He quickly worked back to the edge of the plate, but he was still dripping with sauce. He wiped his face and looked up at Vivian with a grin. She averted her eyes slightly out of shame, but she was smiling, too.

       "So. There's two ways we can fix this," Jake said.

       "Two ways?" Vivian asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

       "One, you take me over to the sink and I'll clean myself up."

       "Or?"

       "Two, you stick me in your mouth and suck this sauce off of me."

       Camille stopped chewing. Was he serious? Both girls waited for him to laugh and say he was kidding.

       Instead, he said, "So what'll it be?" At which point Camille expected Vivian to grudgingly take him over to the sink.

       Instead, the blonde girl set her jaw, squinting her eyes ever so slightly – the look she had when she'd been challenged. "The sink's awfully far away, let's just do this here," she said.

       Camille's jaw went slack, and her mouth hung open slightly. What had gotten into Vivian?

       Vivian brought her hand down to the plate, and Jake vaulted up onto it, dribbling sauce as he went. She slowly raised him up to her face, but hesitated as Jake closed in. She didn't seem to know quite how to get him in her mouth.

       "Say 'ah'," Jake ordered.

       Vivian opened her mouth wide, sticking her tongue out and bringing her hand up to its tip almost reluctantly. Without warning, Jake hopped onto the pink muscle and slid right into her mouth. It snapped shut behind him, Vivian's eyes going wide in surprise as she caught him against the roof of her mouth, stopping his descent. She flexed her jaw a few times, as if sucking on a candy. Once she had a feel for the boy in her mouth, she pressed him into her cheek with her tongue. Camille watched in rapt fascination as his outline bulged through Vivian's skin, shifting back and forth.

       Finally she brought him back to the center, and opened her mouth to give him some air while she reached down to grab her glass of water. Jake's heady laughter could just be heard over Vivian's heavy open-mouth breathing. As she pursed her lips to sip, he took a sharp breath before being immersed. Vivian took several big gulps of water, letting it run over Jake as she held him against the roof of her mouth. Finally she leaned forward to gently spit him out into her palm.

       In between gasps and chuckles, he managed to mutter, "Very thorough." He looked like a surfer who'd just washed up on the beach after a gnarly wipeout, but there wasn't a single spot of spaghetti sauce on him.

       "So now that the sauce is gone, how are you gonna get dry?" Vivian asked, a hint of victorious condescension slipping into her tone.

       "Set the napkin holder over there," he huffed, pointing to the corner of the table, "I'll stand behind it so I can strip, and use a napkin to dry off. I'll be nice and dry in no time, trust me."

       Vivian shrugged doubtfully, but did as he asked. Once she set him back down he scampered off to fix himself.

       Vivian looked across the table at Camille for the first time in what felt like minutes. "You still breathing over there, girl?"

       Camille was so focused on watching one of her most kinky fantasies play out, she'd forgotten the other two were actually there with her, and not on the other side of a computer screen. Vivian's voice startled her, and she murmured, "Yeah... yes, of course," before turning back to her food.

       Camille spent the rest of the dinner in awkward silence even after Jake returned. The other two talked a bit, but it was subdued. Everyone was tired. Nonetheless, Camille's mind ran through what she'd seen endlessly, caught between excitement and apprehension. She'd never thought her dreams could be this close to coming true, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

-----

Hours later, the girls sat on the couch, watching the ending credits to SGNL_01, an indie sci-fi movie put together by some art students from Jake's enclave. Jake had recommended it because it was filmed almost entirely in the labyrinthine corridors of the (relatively) huge enclave arcologies, offering the girls an insight into how he lived. While the movie was good, it was dark and suspenseful, not the most welcome atmosphere after such a long and emotional day. Camille and Vivian were glad it was over, and Jake – having already seen it – had fallen asleep partway through.

       Camille lay on her back, taking up most of the couch, while Vivian had her feet tucked up under her, and was leaning onto the arm. Jake, wedged into the same roll of Camille's tummy that had trapped him earlier, was snoring softly. Camille was glad he didn't seem to mind the noisy gurgles and groans her stomach made as it digested dinner, as she quite enjoyed his presence there. Though her slight muffin top was an endless source of embarrassment, it did seem to make a good pillow.

       The closing theme trailed off, leaving an oppressive silence between Camille and Vivian. With Jake asleep, this was the first time they'd been alone together since he'd been kidnapped. After the day's events, there was something on both of their minds. Camille sat up a little bit, careful not to disturb Jake. Vivian set her feet down and rested her arm on the back of the couch as she turned towards Camille. Vivian's cool green eyes met Camille's nervous brown ones.

       Vivian spoke first: "If you want to go further with Jake, I won't stop you. You two are perfect for each other," she said earnestly.

       Camille was surprised for a second, but self-doubt quickly gripped her. She cast her eyes down, "I'm just a dorky girl with a crush. He deserves better than that. He deserves you."

       It was Vivian's turn to look surprised. "You can't really think he has no feelings for you, he was flirting with you in the car, and look where he is right now," she pointed.

       "He might, but he has dreams and ambitions I could never touch. Did you ever ask him why he wanted to come to Central High?"

       "Well, no," Vivian stumbled, "I just assumed he wanted to lead the way for integration, to prove that a tiny could do anything anyone else could do."

       Camille shook her head, "He told me he doesn't believe integration will ever be truly possible, that it's too dangerous for every tiny to live among giants."

       "Really?" Vivian looked wounded, "But I thought..."

       "He says if he learns robotics at a high-profile normal university, then maybe, just maybe, he could design suits that tinies could use to interact with us on even terms."

       "That's crazy."

       "Can you blame him?" Camille continued with conviction, "He spent one day at our school and almost got killed, with both of us watching his back."

       "But why does this mean he should date me?"

       "He's got a long road ahead of him, and I'm just not cut out to help him get there. I'm cut out to work a boring job in HR for 30 years until I get fat and old, and then retire. Not to change the world."

       Vivian sighed, the sharp huff she always gave when someone else was wrong and she needed to correct them. But instead of feeling good because she was going to get to correct someone, she felt terrible because she hated to see her friend tear herself apart. "You came up with a plan to get information from Jimmy, outsmarted Corning, and won Jake's complete trust all in the same day. You're 'cut out' for a lot more than you give yourself credit for."

       Camille flinched back from Vivian's words. There was truth there, but the scope of Jake's ambition still intimidated her. Maybe she was thinking about this all wrong, but she was so tired she didn't want to continue this conversation much longer. "Still... I think you can do a lot more for him."

       "Don't be so sure. Isn't your family loaded? Money to fund his research could be more important than anything I could ever do."

       "It could be," Camille put her hands up defensively, "Maybe you're right about all this, but I can't think about it now."

       "That's fine, I don't have to convince you tonight. I just thought you and Jake could have some fun while you're here," Vivian smiled. Camille's reluctance had actually worked out in her favor. Vivian didn't have the other girls kinks, but Jake was definitely a catch, and there were some things she wanted to try.

       "Fun?" Camille asked meekly. The smile Vivian was wearing scared her.

       "And now there's no reason why I can't get involved."

       "You mean...?" Camille trailed off as the realization hit her, "No!" She covered Jake with her hand, as if to shield him from Vivian's lewd suggestion.

       "Why not? I've seen the way you look at him, and I won't deny that I find him adorable, too. No harm in asking him if he's up to it."

       "But what if he agrees just because he's afraid of us? Or because he feels like he owes us? That wouldn't be fair."

       "Being with Jake today, and talking to him, I realized that he doesn't want special treatment, even if it makes things easier for him. He just wants to be treated like someone our size. If he was our size, I'd be looking to get in his pants tonight. He's not, so I'm going to try to get him in my pants instead."

       Camille huffed, "You're right, you're right, again, of course, but he's exhausted and covered in bruises and he's already asleep, let's just let him rest tonight, okay?"

       No sooner did Camille say this than something began to tickle around her bellybutton. Tiny hands gripped her thumb, and Jake popped his head up over the edge of her hand. He looked groggy, and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. "What're you guys talkin' about?" he mumbled, "Is the movie over?"

       "Hey there, cutie," Vivian greeted salaciously, "Camille and I have a proposition for you," she finished with a suggestive wink.

       Jake stared at Vivian, then glanced up at Camille and asked conspiratorially, "What's gotten into her?"

       "I'm not sure," the freckled girl replied, "But I don't like it."

       Jake started to pull himself off Camille's tummy. She responded by cupping him in her fingers and flipping her hand over, allowing him to stand up in her palm. Now fully awake, he spread his arms in a grandiose gesture, "A proposition?"

       "Mhmm," Vivian purred.

       "Both of you?" Jake asked.

       "Mhmm," she repeated with a bit more inflection.

       "Right now?"

       "Oh yeah," Vivian whispered as she started to work her way out of her shirt.

       "We're not trying to force you into anything, Jake," Camille interjected, "It's okay to say no."

       "I don't know..."

       Both girls looked at him expectantly.

       "I'm kidding," he said with a dismissive wave, "You really think I'd turn down a night with you two?"

       Vivian looked at Camille with the infuriatingly smug 'I told you so' face she was known for.

       "But... but you could get hurt! And you must be so tired already! And..." Camille stammered.

       "You guys handled me well today, I trust you not to squish me in the throes of passion," he said confidently, "Besides, I'm tougher than I look."

       Vivian threw her shirt over the back of the couch and slid down into a more comfortable position. She looked across at Camille with a little smirk on her face. Jake looked up at her from her hand, and she realized they were both waiting on her to make the first move.

       She'd played this moment out in her fantasies many times before, but the reality turned out to be awkward. Vivian's judgmental gaze bored into her, and little Jake, so fragile and hopeful, sat in the palm of her hand, completely at her mercy. To have her way with him would be a debasement, a gross abuse of her power.

       Or would it?

       Camille looked over her friends again. Vivian's gaze was intense, and she wore a slight smirk, but her eyes weren't judging. She looked as happy and relaxed as her musclebound frame and hawkish features would allow. And Jake, precious as he was, was also strong. He could handle her, and he would enjoy every minute of it. He'd said as much – though not with words – just standing confidently in her hand, shirt draped over one shoulder, jeans undone and loose, like it was completely normal that he was about to make love with two people a hundred times his size.

       Camille took a deep breath, and set Jake down on her thigh while she took off her shirt. Following Vivian's lead, she tossed it over the back of the couch, and slid lower, until her torso was nearly level. Without prompting, Jake scurried up her thigh and vaulted his way onto the soft surface of her tummy. His bare hands and feet were like warm pin-pricks, and a ticklish feeling welled up in Camille's chest. She failed to suppress a giggle, and the tremor almost sent the tiny boy sprawling.

       When Jake regained his footing he was standing right in front of her belly button. He glanced about, taking in the living landscape before him, looking at that moment more like a surveyor than her lover. Camille felt a pang of arousal as his actions made their size difference so clear. She wanted to scoop him right up and engulf him, steal him away into the warm folds of her body never to be seen again. But she held back. Not yet, she thought. Instead, she gingerly reached around to undo her jeans, sliding them down to reveal the white fabric of her underwear.

       Camille looked down at Jake, and their eyes connected. Now face to face with the object of her desire, it was not so easy to discount his feelings. Camille's sense of doubt and inadequacy returned. The young woman had never been so painfully aware of her own body – how every dimple and imperfection must be magnified on his scale, from the blush on her face to the barely-perceptible hairs covering her skin. She was caught in the spotlight, unable to fully embrace her role, but also unable to turn away.

       "This is new for both of us," Camille said through measured breaths, "So we'll take it slow. I'm all yours," she sighed, finally relaxing. Across the couch Vivian rolled her eyes a bit, but Camille ignored her.

       "Are you sure?" Jake asked cryptically.

       Camille was taken aback by the simple question. It seemed strange for him to consider her feelings when she held all the power. But it was natural for Jake to ignore such logic. He had to. "I'm sure," she said.

       Jake nodded. He inhaled and stretched, and Camille prepared for him to spring into action. Instead he just flopped down on her tummy. "I am actually really tired. So if it's up to me I'm going to just lay here a minute," he said, craning his head back to make eye contact.

       "That's... that's fine," Camille mumbled. His tiny body squished into her soft paunch, and she could feel that he was completely relaxed. Seeing him act so comfortable with her body made her giddy, but also confused. Surely her fat stomach was her worst feature? How was he not disgusted? After a moment watching Jake slowly rise and fall with her breathing, she worked up the courage to ask, "You... you don't mind my – um – my weight?"

       Jake scoffed, and looked back up at her, "Every part of you looks huge to me. I'm just glad this part is soft. You think I want to lay on Vivian's abs? They're more chiseled than mine!"

       "Hey!" the other girl blurted in indignation, "They are so not!"

       Camille laughed, a real unfettered laugh that sent Jake bouncing across her belly. The release of tension felt so good, better even than the titillating arousal she felt just from having Jake so close. The inhibitions layered into her psyche were dropping away. Camille felt free and comfortable.

       Across the couch, Vivian had sat up and moved to straddle Camille's legs. She loomed above the other two, inspecting Jake with a pensive look. Her eyes wandered to her own torso, then back to the tiny boy. "Ok... maybe you're right. Maybe. But it's close."

       "You just keep telling yourself that, Viv," Jake said flippantly.

       The blonde girl huffed and flopped back to her side of the couch.

       "There's one spot I can think of that would be better, though," Jake said.

       "Oh yeah?"

       "Do you want me to show you? Or do you already know where it is?"

       "I have a spot in mind," she rested a hand on her tummy, below where Jake lay, and drummed her fingers, "But I'll let you show me." She was almost certain her spot was not his spot.

       Jake hopped to his feet and walked towards her chest, taking long, deliberate strides across her pliant skin. When he reached her bosom, he hooked his hands into the cups of her bra, and planted his foot on the band between, hoisting himself up until he could plunge into her cleavage. Camille gasped a bit as she felt him slip in and disappear.

       After a moment Jake touched down against her breastbone and shimmied upwards, resurfacing right under her neck. He lay on his chest, one arm draped over each breast for support. Once he got comfortable he put his head against her skin, listening. Camille didn't dare interrupt his repose with words, but she did maneuver a finger to gently rub Jake's back. The tiny boy murmured in approval, and relaxed deeper into her embrace.

       As Camille and Jake cuddled, Vivian grew restless. She couldn't deny their adorable display, nor did she want to, but it was time to move things along. Slowly, with the precision of a stalking predator, she moved across the couch to straddle Camille once again. As she lowered her way onto the other girl, Camille looked up, and Jake turned around to meet the source of the looming shadow. Before he could react he was hit with a wet, sloppy kiss. Vivian pummeled him with her lips for a moment before slurping him up and rising away from Camille.

       "Vivian!" she pleaded, trying to sit up even as Vivian's strong thighs boxed her in.

       With Jake safely in her possession, Vivian backed off the oral assault. She gave him a good once-over with her tongue to taste his natural flavor – undiluted by spaghetti sauce – before she spun him around and opened her mouth to display her prize to Camille.

       From inside Vivian's mouth, Jake looked down at Camille. He was straddling her tongue with a wild look on his face. "I guess you'll have to come and get me," he called out.

       Vivian bobbed her eyebrows and nodded, confirming his suggestion, challenging her.

       Camille didn't back down. Instead of fighting the other girl off, she wrapped her arms around Vivian's back and rolled up into a tight embrace, planting a kiss on the blonde girl's lips in the process. Vivian's eyes went wide as Camille forced her tongue in, wrestling for control of Jake. He was quickly sandwiched between the two tongues, pulled back and forth as both girls tried to suck him into their mouth.

       Vivian was slowly losing the battle, but as she wrapped her tongue up Jake's leg she realized how much he was enjoying this, and her priorities changed. On the final turn she brought her tongue back to alight on his erect member, fondling the tip in the folds of the bumpy, slimy muscle. He twitched involuntarily, kicking his legs against the roof of her mouth in a spasm of pleasure.

       Satisfied by Jake's reaction, Vivian went to work on the boy in earnest, challenging herself to bring him to orgasm before Camille ripped him away. She was rewarded when moments later he arched up and blew his load into her tongue. She sucked the salty taste off him and pulled out of the kiss, leaving Jake in Camille's mouth.

       Vivian took a second to catch her breath. There was something stuck in her teeth, and she licked it into her mouth, before spitting it out onto her hand. The puddle of saliva in her palm contained Jake's boxer shorts. She smiled and flicked them over the back of the couch to join the shirts.

       Camille was surprised when Vivian broke off the kiss and left her with Jake. She slurped the limp and tired boy into her mouth greedily, lapping at him with her tongue and enjoying his unique taste. The whole experience was so novel she almost didn't realize he was completely naked.

       As Camille gently sucked on Jake she felt the urge to engulf him return. She wanted him inside her, where he could be completely surrounded by her warmth and love. He was so close now. She would swallow him down, bask in the warm glow of that fragile unity, and then bring him back up, safe and sound, just like she practiced.

       She could resist the urge, she knew she could. But did she have to? Jake trusted her with his life every time they interacted. She only had to trust that he would not reject her for making him a part of her fantasy.

       With a single, smooth motion, Camille tilted her head back and swallowed Jake. His weight rippled down her throat almost painfully, before he landed in her belly, sending a warm buzz all over her skin. She could feel him get to his feet and lean into the stomach wall, causing her stomach to bulge out ever so slightly. One hand went to caress her tummy, returning Jake's gesture. The other slipped into her panties to quell her burning arousal. Camille purred and tossed her head back in bliss. Finally, she thought.

       "Is this... is this why you were afraid of..." Vivian sputtered, looking on with awe.

       Camille gasped, pausing just long enough to stifle an airy belch and whisper, "Yes."

       "Is he going to be okay?"

       From behind clenched teeth, Camille replied, "Yes."

       It seemed to be enough for Vivian.

       Jake continued to massage Camille from within while she pleasured herself. His motions increased in tempo as she neared climax, but they never became panicked. Camille knew then that he trusted her completely and utterly. Her fantasy realized, the last vestiges of self-doubt melted away and the joy of releasing those suppressed feelings launched the young woman into the most intense orgasm she'd ever had. She gasped and threw her hips forward, every muscle tensed as she let the pleasure wash over her. Then she collapsed back onto the couch. She lay there for a moment to catch her breath.

       "Camille..." Vivian urged. They both knew what she meant.

       "Hold on." Camille replied. She sucked her fingers clean, then closed her eyes and plunged them deep into her mouth. She gagged once before a bulge rose out of her chest and Jake emerged into her mouth. She gently spit him out onto her hand. He looked unharmed, so she laid back and moved him onto her tummy, inches above the stomach he had just been inside.

       As soon as Camille set Jake down, Vivian moved in to inspect him herself. She couldn't tell who looked more tired, him or Camille. She gingerly scooped his spit-and-bile coated form into her hand and brought him up to her face.

       "Are you alright?" she asked. Her domineering attitude was gone; she was concerned now, and a little amazed.

       "Yeah, yeah," he huffed, "I just... like, holy shit."

       "Do you want to call it a night?"

       "Nah, just... just give me a minute. I can go a round with you."

       "Okay."

       As Vivian waited for Jake to recover, she grabbed a tissue from the dispenser on the coffee table and offered it to him. He took the edge and wiped his face with it, not bothering with the rest of his body.

       "Thanks," he muttered. He still looked shell-shocked. Vivian couldn't blame him - he'd just had an experience few would ever have, and fewer would ever survive. Part of her was jealous.

       "No problem," she replied, reaching a finger up to rub his back.

       Across from them, Camille had finally recovered, and was now sitting in a relaxed position, with one arm across the back of the couch. She looked happy and confident, somehow unlike herself and more like herself at the same time. "Well?" she asked.

       Vivian looked to Jake before she continued. He'd struggled to his feet and was pacing around on her hand, stretching and swinging his arms to get pumped up. He glanced up at her with the wild grin all young men wore when they were about to do something stupid, "Are you gonna one-up Camille or are you gonna go easy on me?"

       Vivian met him with a wicked smile of her own, "Depending on how you look at it... yes."

       She slipped out of her jeans and set Jake down on her thigh. He crept a bit closer on the smooth skin, careful not to fall between her legs. Vivian laid a hand across the silken triangle obscuring her nethers and tapped her fingers. "Are you ready?" she asked.

       "Of course," Jake replied smugly, "Are you?"

       His confidence excited Vivian, and drove her to take the initiative a bit more roughly than she might have otherwise. She grabbed Jake and slipped him underneath her underwear, fingers splayed to guide him into her folds. She expected to do most of the work herself, and was surprised when he grabbed her clit roughly and swung his legs right between her lips. The rush of stimulation made her shiver, and she withdrew her hand, allowing Jake to pleasure her under his own power. His outline made a visible bulge in her panties, sliding to-and-fro, and she rubbed it in satisfaction as she leaned back.

       As Vivian's arousal grew, Jake's surroundings became slick and wet and he could no longer maintain his grip. He slipped into her folds completely, but continued to massage her as well as her could. Though his movements were quite titillating, Vivian wanted to know how he'd feel deeper inside. She slipped her hand back under her panties, and past her lips, cradling Jake's back with her fingers. Inserting the tips of her fingers alongside his feet she fed him deeper into her sex. The pressure of his tiny limbs against her innermost flesh was like nothing she'd ever felt, a warm static haze that wiped out every other thought in her mind. In moments she arrived at a clenched-jawed, bucking orgasm, only barely managing to pull Jake out into her hand before collapsing forward onto Camille.

       The other girl tensed up as Vivian's dead weight landed on her. She tried to push her off, but her friend was far too intent on using her as pillow to move. Leaving Vivian face-down in her bust, Camille looked around for Jake, and found him held in Vivian's hand, just inches to her left. He was having much more success at prying himself from Vivian's grasp, and soon freed himself, hopping down onto the couch surface.

       "Looks like Vivian took your spot," Camille said.

       "Yeah," he smiled wearily, "I can see that." His breathing was labored, and he looked absolutely exhausted.

       "I know one that's almost as good."

       "Oh?"

       "Come over here and I'll show you," she pulled a hand out from under Vivian's crushing weight and moved it to the shoulder nearest Jake. He treaded over and offered himself to her grip. She plucked him up and slipped him under the cup of her bra. He shimmied a bit to get comfortable, and then relaxed into her soft skin. Camille rested her hand on her breast affectionately and looked down at the tiny boy tucked away there. She meant to ask if he was comfortable, but he was already asleep. It wasn't long before Camille joined him, with a smile on her face and hope in her heart.

Chapter End Notes:

Thanks for reading. For those of you who enjoyed the world-building, expect to see other stories set in this universe.

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