Brian Bernstein was feeling exhausted. He could barely focus on what Professor Hopkins was saying about probability theory. Not that it mattered much - Brian never had to do much studying to do well. He was just mad with himself that he wasted another night trying to get laid partying it up with some randos. Brian knew he had more important things to focus on than sex, but his libido typically got the best of his judgment. Brian gave up on paying attention to the lecture and began scanning the classroom. 

Brian was glad to see that his favorite classmate showed up today. Dang..that sounded so weird, thought Brian. He only talked to her twice but she was his dream girl. Brian knew it instantly. Her name was Amy Liang - she always sat right in front of him. He knew what he was going to do instead of listening to his professor drone on about convergence. 

Brian stared into space as he watched the petite and cute coed write dilligently and showing the professor more respect than he would ever had. He wished he could work up the courage to talk to Amy for real. But she probably didn't know that he existed. Amy probably had a boyfriend anyways. It was futile to even try to start up anything with her - even a friendship. Brian would only see Amy in a classroom setting anyway. Brian was a mathematics and physics double major. Brian knew Amy was a math major, but he was honestly too anxious to even Facebook stalk her to learn more. 

From his brief interactions with Amy, he found her to be incredibly sweet and modest. Brian had trouble gaguing whether she was interested in him or if she was just being nice. The latter seemed much more likely. However, that just made him more attracted to her. It was rare that anyone was kind to him. People typically found him to be standoffish and arrogant - for more so good reasons than he wanted to admit. He didn't have much patience for superficiality of any sort and it showed in his interactions with others. Amy was different though - Brian could tell.

But what if she wasn't? What if this was just his hormones acting up? Brian only had sex once his freshman year with a girl who needed help passing calculus. All he could say from that experience was that he lost his virginity and he didn't catch any STDs after going back to the Havenbrook Medical Center once a month for nine months to make sure that slut didn't give him anything. He wanted to have sex again though.   Brian felt a tingling sensation down there. What class was he in again? 

Then Amy did something which drove Brian wild. She dropped the cap of her pen. However, rather than picking it up, Brian watched as Amy took one foot out of its flat. Her petite yet majestic foot arched from its freedom from the confinement of the flat. She then brought her foot down onto the cap and began moving it under her foot. She then wiggled her toes - polished a light shade of green - and took her other shoe off. She began switching foot every minute or so and rubbing the cap under each one. 

Brian envied the cap. He wanted to be the cap at the mercy of Amy's foot. Thankfully, Brian thought, this crazy fantasy of his could be a reality soon. His genius would help save the day. 

His concentration was interrupted by the shuffling of bags. Class was over. Brian needed to think of an excuse - anything - to talk to Amy. What did he learn anyway? Oh - he would figure things out easily on his own. But this was the opportunity.

Brian walked over to Amy. She already had most of her stuff packed - ready to go. He noticed she had both her shoes on and the cap was already back on her desk.

"Oh, hi Amy", said Brian with probably an embarrassing tone of trepidation.

"Hi Brian", said Amy with a soft smile, "how are you?"

"Good - just a little tired. I think I fell asleep in class again - stupid me, huh?"

"Lol. That happens to me sometimes too. Especially with class being so early in the morning. You're so smart though that you will still do better than me on the next exam."

"You're being too modest, Amy. I'm the idiot who needs your help."

"Really?"

Shit...of course she knew that he was just looking to get into her pants. Perhaps literally soon once that project is finished up. 

"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention - you were."

"I guess."

"Hey - I don't know if you are interested but maybe we can help each other out. Would you want t-t-t-t-t-to um...”?

"Study together? I'd love to, that's what you were going to say - right?"

Brian loved Amy's genuine smile. It put him more at ease. It was like she knew what he was feeling and wanted to help him out.

"Um - yeah. I suppose someone like you has a very busy social calendar, huh?"

"It's flexible."

"Sunday night? At the library?"

"Tennyson?"

"Yeah, let's meet at Tennyson."

"7 PM?"

"Yeah works for me. I'll have recovered from all the parties by then."

"Tee hee - I usually don't like to party all that much to be honest. But my friend Lea is having her 21st tomorrow night and I have something special planned for her and. oh sorry, I shouldn't be rambling on about my life like that."

"No - it's fine. Sounds like a lot of fun."

"It will be. I'm just scared because I am kind of planning the whole thing."

"If she's a true friend, I am sure it will be a blast whatever you do."

"Aww. You’re so sweet. So, Sunday, 6 PM, at Tennyson? I'll put it on my calendar. I know you don't because you have a freak memory."

"Freak memory, huh? Ok, I will write it down too."

"It's a compliment."

"I know - I'm just playing around."

Amy winked at Brian and said, "I have to head off to my next class, I am already late but looking forward to be your study buddy - see you then!"

Amy gathered her things and left the classroom. Brian was now the only one in the classroom - even Professor Hopkins had left. Brian couldn't believe what just happened. He would get to spend time with Amy outside of class. Brian knew she was just trying to pick his brain to do well in class but maybe he could work his moves on her - perhaps he needed to talk to someone who knew how to talk to women. 

Brian needed to go to the Pearson Lab right away - he was already late for his work-study/independent study. He was working on a very secret project - one which was spearheaded by the brilliant Dr. Richard Lennox. Brian found that he could relate well to the scientist. Both had similar goals and interests. It was perhaps why Dr. Lennox had offered to hire Brian as his assistant when he was just a freshman figuring out how to pay for his prestigious yet highly expensive education. 

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

Brian arrived at Pearson Lab. His workspace had become so familiar to him that he saw it more often than his dorm room. It's been a year and a half now. Brian was close to solving the puzzle. He had successfully shrunk objects 99% of its original size. However, 99% was nothing. He would only be able to shrink his 72-inch self to 71.28 inches with that. That was nothing! Brian wanted to be more like five inches tall or even just an inch high. He couldn't break the electromagnetic bonds for long enough to shrink any more than that. However, Brian was persistent. He had more than two years to crack the case. It also allowed him to stay at Havenbrook.

Honestly, he was jaded enough that he would have been fine just going to Rutgers where he would have probably gotten a full scholarship (and if not - the in-state tuition was something his mother could have afforded) but she wanted more for him. She wanted Brian to go to one of the best universities in the world - and Havenbrook was up there.

However, Brian could do without the rich elitist assholes who also attended - like a certain somebody - who was already there - ugh, Dr. Lennox only hired her because her family offered to fund the project. It wasn't worth it. She made things more difficult. She also seemed to do her best to make things more miserable for Brian when he was there. They had different outlooks on the world. He believed in the pursuit of knowledge. Olivia was a spoiled and narcissitic materalist who had no business being anywhere near his work. 

Brian saw Olivia Tennyson was already there. She was completely undressed for laboratory work wearing a tank top, short shorts, and high-heeled sandals. She was just playing with her long auburn hair and texting her friends. She knew she didn't have to do anything except be there. 

Brian didn't bother to say hello to Olivia and began working on a process that could increase the magnitude of shrinking without destroying either the object being shrunk or destroying the shrinking apparatus. There was also that pesky trick of getting the object to grow back to normal size or even larger, but it was the same concept as shrinking - just the reverse reactions. Brian was deep in focus. He would be done soon enough. He would make Dr. Lennox proud. Speaking of Dr. Lennox, Brian was surprised to see no signs of Dr. Lennox anywhere. Usually he would be grumbling about Brian's tardiness or mocking Olivia by asking her detailed questions about their work. 

"Umm - like -hello."

Brian heard that voice. He wished he could shrink her voice box so that she could no longer speak. He ignored her.

"I know you think you’re hot shit", said Olivia, "but can you at least not ignore me?"

"I'm not like you", Brian shot back, "I don't mooch off my trust fund and treat others like shit. If you have anything to offer which will help me finish this faster - I would then be happy to talk to you."

"My family and I are very interested in this project."

"Dr. Lennox isn't interested in selling it as a consumer good where people can go batshit crazy on each other. So I don't think the Tennysons will make much money from it."

"I respectfully disagree."

Brian didn't like the way Olivia said that - something was wrong. 

"You're always coming in so damn late", said Olivia, "Dr. Lennox was actually looking at your work and figured out how to speed up the process. I have to say - he's really proud of you. He said he would have never got there without you."

"Really? Wait - what? You're serious, aren't you?"

"I totally am, silly. So you can go do whatever it is your nerd self does in his spare time. I am guessing busy mastrubating in your dorm room to pictures of women like me who are waaaayyyy above your league."

"I'm not interested in you. I didn't think I actually had to make that clear."

"But I am a Tennyson. Everyone loves me."

"Then let me be the first."

"Oh", said Olivia with a cruel smile, "you will love me too." Brian didn't have time to react and saw her pull out the shrinking appartus. "I will do the same thing to you I did to the professor. it works really well! I am impressed!" Brian saw Olivia push a button on the apparatus and then he blacked out...