A great crash interrupted Mr. Henniker's droning history lesson. The haggard and balding middle-aged teacher in his baggy shirt and creased trousers looked to the ceiling and sighed in frustration. He sat down at his book-covered desk, rubbing the temples of his head to soothe the headache. There was no stopping the chaos that was about to erupt. All the students jumped from their chairs, pushing and shoving one another to turn as they around gathered to look out the window. Henniker rolled his eyes and placed the textbook he had been reading aloud to the class down, knowing that it would be futile to coral his class back to his seats. Such quakes were commonplace in a mixed-sized school, as the footfalls of the giants tended to be an annoyance the smaller teachers and students had to get used to. Yet this sound had been harsher, more destructive, like the rending of metal shrieking its death throws. All the class saw the black loafers, akin to the size of a bus in height and length, pressed right before the school’s Block C building. A faint yell came from above. Being on the second floor of Block B, the more minute of the school’s three main buildings, the students were afforded the best vantage point to witness a giant schoolmate passing through. When the classmates looked, an immaculately dressed blonde-haired giant loomed over Block C. The giant was averting her gaze down to her side, desperately avoiding looking at something on the roof. Tiffany had turned her head, attempting to hide her smile and blushing cheeks.
Whoever was yelling now shouted even louder. “Come on man, you can do it!”
There appeared to be silence, but something was happening on the rooftop, something that had drawn the giant’s attention. All the class could see was how Tiffany fidgeted on the spot, pulling on her grey blazer and tugging on her navy blue skirt as though they no longer fit so neatly. She then started fiddling with her luscious blonde locks, twirling a strand of golden hair in one finger and then letting it uncoil. Her noble features kept delving into deeper shades of red as if her cheeks were becoming sunburnt with each passing moment. Tiffany giggled to herself. She lent over the block, her slender body pressing into the concrete and against the glass panes. Though sturdy, a giant pushing into it tested the rigidity. The reinforced windows started to shatter, and parts of the building began to crack. For all the strength of its foundations and meticulous engineering, it still wasn’t enough to withstand the power a giant could bring to bear.
One of the class let out a long whistle. “I hope whoever's on the fourth floor is getting pictures.” He pointed at her chest and hollered. The lads around him laughed. A girl beside him rolled her eyes in indignation.
Just when it looked as though nothing was happening, a sudden outburst of joyish excitement erupted. “Y-Yes!” Tiffany boomed.
She then picked up a student from the rooftop as though she had plucked a miniature doll. Tiffany fawned over him in her hand and then perched him onto her shoulder. A teacher came out from the doors of Block C, trying in vain to have Tiffany unhand him so he could get back to class. Either ignoring him or deaf to the squeaking on the ground, she carried the student away as she walked towards the open field beyond the courtyard. Bits of flattened metal fell from her shoe, showing the path between Block B and C with small bits of debris. Where Tiffany has once been standing was an indent in the courtyard. The heel of her loafer bored into the tarmac. Pressed into that indent, however, was a plethora of crushed bikes that had almost been melded together, as if they had all gone through a compressor. The teacher who had tried to talk to Tiffany turned pale as he surveyed the remains left behind. Nearly all of the rack had been crushed without the giant schoolgirl even deigning to notice.
With the commotion dying down, Mr. Henniker finally spoke up. “Alright everyone, funs over. Get back to your desks.”
The crowd of students dispersed back to their seats, yet all of them were laughing or joking about what they had just seen, rather than bothering to give Mr. Henniker their time or focus. A choir of voices stirred the gossip, each student generating some wondrous insight and answer as though they had some form of intimate knowledge about what has just occurred.
A gaggle of girls in the right-hand corner spat out their venomous remarks. “Oh come on, the only reason someone asked her out is because of her boobs. If the boys could look any higher than her chest, they clearly wouldn’t want to be with that slut.”
Those who had their desks by the windows kept on looking out as teachers patrolled around Tiffany’s heel mark, pointing at them and the crater. “Wait until it rains and the school’s got a new swimming pool!”
A group of guys in the middle were having a stimulating debate with one another, “Nah mate! She’s going to take him out to the field and stick that guy into her bra! Tiffany is a god damn perv!”
One of the members waved away the notion. He scoffed at the very thought. “Everyone knows Tiffiany is a bitch. I bet you she's taking him out to step on him, or he’s gonna end up as some snack.”
Amongst all the inane chatter, Joey leaned back on his chair, reading his phone and glanced over at the crater left by Tiffany’s shoe. “Huh… wasn’t there a bike rack outside Block C?”
In front of him was a despondent classmate, slumped over on his desk and not partaking in any of the conversations around him. “Hey Tom,” he asked “You alright?”
A thin black-haired teenager stirred from his stupor. His uniform was a size too big, making his blazer, shirt and trousers drape on him. With a great huff, he deflated like a balloon as he spoke. “My bike was there man...”
“Oh shit. Did it cost a lot?” Joey slipped his phone into his pocket and sat up straight. He gave Tom his full attention.
“Yeah…” Tom’s voice trembled. He held back his tears as best he could, lest he be mocked for a show of weakness. “I worked my ass off for it.”
“Fuck man.” Joey rubbed the back of his head. He did not know how to handle Tom who looked as though he was able to break down crying. “Maybe you can ask teach if you can go down and check. You know, just to make sure?”
Tom nodded. That glimmer of hope, no matter how small the possibility, was what he really needed. He thanked Joey for the idea, picked himself up from the chair and went to the front desk where Mr Hennkier was calming himself down. A thick vein throbbed on the teacher’s head as he rubbed his temples to soothe the tension.
“Hey, Mr. Henniker.” Tom rubbed his arm and looked at the floor rather than directly into Mr. Henniker’s thoroughly bloodshot eyes. “Can I leave the class? I think the giant stepped on my bike.”
“No.” He stated bluntly. His hand tightened into a fist and then loosened. With a heavy sigh, Henniker focused his weary gaze on him, analysing Tom from top to bottom. “Please go back to you-”
Unbeknownst to the teacher, the girl's debate had escalated into a full-blown argument. Insults were hurled at one another. Then, Kelly jumped out of the chair and slapped Charlotte across her cheek. After a moment of shock, both now were screaming at top of their lungs at each other as Charlotte lunged for Kelly, throwing weak punches and pulling on her hair. Classmates pounced on the new opportunity, forming a semi-circle around them to watch a fight unfold between the two. Hooting and hollering abounded again as the two girls fought. They thrashed against their desks as the student's circle morphed to allow their brawl to continue unimpeded. Mr Henniker pulled out a hall pass from a drawer on his desk in an instant and then turned to Tom to address him.
“No more than ten minutes understand?”
Tom nodded, swiped the pass and left the class. Mr Henniker, meanwhile, sprung into action by parting through the wall of students and ripping Charlotte and Kelly from one another through brute strength. The dirge of jeers and echoing laughter of all his classmates died down as he went through the hall, down a flight of stairs and out of the Block C into the expanse of the courtyard. The summer breeze picked up around him as the sun shone to give the dull industrial grey tarmac a sheen that almost gave it a hint of vibrancy. He could hear all the students in the other classes going through the same motions, with teachers desperately forcing them back to whatever lesson they were going through. There were faculty members still gathered around where the bike shed had once been. They all looked equally confused. Exchanges of snide bickering came across, how they shouldn't have to deal with these sorts of issues. In front was the administrative hub, more akin to a brown-bricked rectangular block than an actual building with any notion of architectural coherency. To his left was Block A, a five-storey high building and the largest of the school’s buildings for the tiny students. However, behind that were three monolithic complexes whose shadow drowned out the surrounding landscape, for they were designed specifically for the giants. Such monolithic structures rose higher than anything could hope to construct. For their part of the school, each storey was the equivalent to an entire Block A. They had been named Blocks D, E and F to relate them to their more minute counterparts. Such naming conventions, however, only served to make the buildings seem smaller. Tom approached where the bike shed had once been. A pang as fierce and violent as a punch to the gut struck him.
A teacher broke from conversing with his peer and walked up to Tom. “What are you doing outside of your class?”
Though he spoke to Tom, he appeared to be deaf as his face became void of colour, turning a sickly pale shade as he inspected the crater, meeking out “M-My bike.”
Tom pointed to a crushed grey frame, a husk of what had been a bike now firmly pressed into the tarmac. The teacher looked over his shoulder and responded in a firm voice, “I’m sorry about that, but you need to go back to your class.”
“It was brand new…” Tom whimpered. “How am I going to get home now?”
The teacher looked to his partner for support. Both did not know what to say that could comfort Tom, but they knew they had to be a voice of authority. He exhaled. “I can’t do anything about it. If it meant that much to you, get your parents to talk with the headmaster, but you need to head back to your class for your last lesson.”
As Tom tried to speak, the ground beneath shifted and shook to a rhythmic pulse. When he turned around, three giants who all eclipsed the blocks in height were making headway towards them. One of the teachers put his hand on Tom’s shoulder as if he were steading him. The trio’s quaking footfalls unsettled the earth, as though their tread would crack the tarmac on the courtyard. One giant alone was enough to create havoc for the classes. The combined power of three walking together was more liable to tear the blocks down. Soon enough, the teachers and Tom found themselves beneath the shadow of the giants. The girl's bus-sized black loafers stood only a few paces away from them. Their shoes formed a dark wall in front of them, punctuated then by white socks that rose like pure ivory towers before them. All those below were forced to crane their neck backwards to glimpse who dwarfed them. Tom gulped as he caught sight of who was leading the group.
A colossus, a fair-skinned giant even amongst her own kind, had a lurid half-grin plastered on her face. Whilst her schoolmates who flanked her side wore their uniforms in the neat and correct fashion, their leader had instead tied her burgundy blazer around her waist, pulled her skirt high up around her slender stomach, rolled up her sleeves and unbuttoned the top of her snow-white shirt, proudly display her well-endowed chest for all to see. She flicked her exuberant mane of flowing golden hair, brushing it out with a flick of her hand as if to announce her arrival in a more spectacular and melodramatic way. Her soft elegant features contorted into a sneering smile as her cool purple eyes, coloured like lilacs in bloom, gazed over Tom and the teachers crowding around him. Of all the giants to be met with, it had to be Sophie.
“Aw… what's all the fuss about?” Her voice reeked of contempt and mockery. The two giants beside her started tittering.
“It's none of your concern.” The teacher’s words did well to hide his stammer and reveal his subtle fear. Though in essence, he held authority over the giants, that meant little when the being you wished to command stood before you and dominated you through sheer height. His peep was akin to mewling to the trio and the teacher recognised he was more beholden to the whims of the giants than they were to him.
“Oh? Is that right?” Sophie rose her foot, her black loafer hung above the teachers as if threatening to stamp them. Then, she moved over to the remnants of the bike racks.
“Wait! What the hell do you think you are doing!” The teacher barked out.
Other faculty members went to raise their voices to stop Sophie. Fear, however, inclined them to keep their mouths shut. Dread overcame them, worrying instead that she would tread onto them. An improbability for most giant students. Teasing was a usual affair. Sophie, however, was one to push boundaries. Each had heard of the incidents involving her. None of them could prove it, however. But like any rumour, there is always a hint of truth buried within, and they weren’t willing to see what was fact or fiction about her. They decided to flee instead, much to the enjoyment of all students now watching the events unfold. Sophie in particular was enjoying the sight. How these high and mighty teachers scampered away before her shoe. Yet, they were not her target nor the object of her focus. All the trembling tinies around her were a pleasant sideshow to the main event. Sophie then began to press onto the bike rack, slowly letting her shoe grind down the metal more and more. Her pink glossy lips etched into a cruel, vindictive grin.
“What the matter teach? I thought it wasn’t any concern?” Each word oozed enjoyment at how powerless all the teachers were to stop her, how all they could do was stand around as her shoe effortlessly crushed the remaining bikes.
With a dull thud, Sophie’s shoe pressed into the tarmac of the courtyard, snuffing out the structure and adding her own crater to the one beside Tiffany’s. The girls around her let out a booming laugh, revelling at how distraught all the teachers were. Sophie placed her hands on her hips in triumph, sneering at the teacher who had dared talk down to her. She felt a sense of pride for in one fell swoop, she had humbled the teachers and left her own mark for the tiny students. Even now when she looked at the Blocks. Sophie could see the minute specks within their quaint little classrooms, all the ruckus and mayhem being caused because of what she was doing. Seeing all those reactions fed into that sense of superiority. Those at her feet were teachers, but they held no sway nor control over her, and all the students they meant to control loved her for humiliating them so. Sophie's ego welled from all the attention, spilling over like a flood as she embraced being the focus of everyone around her. It was then she noticed a small student who had backed away from her, grinning in delight as having found her next target.
“Aww, what's the matter?” Sophie went to unleash a barrage of scathing insults, but something arose within her.
It was subtle at first. Too subtle in fact. It was like a single drop falling into an ocean. The pathetic ripple it caused should have died out immediately but it built, growing in strength as though it had birthed a violent storm within her. A wave of emotion overcame her as she looked at Tom, this tall scruffy-looking tiny. Before focusing on him, he had looked like any other tiny. Small, weak, worthy only of her contempt, yet Sophie started to see him as something more. She attempted to dispel the thought, but anytime she did, it came back a thousand times stronger until it became the only thing in her mind. This tiny student looked beyond dashing, surmounting anything she had witnessed before. Beforehand he had seemed benign, bearing only plain features on his thin pointed face, but to her now it was as though he had surpassed the fantasies of her wildest dreams. This tiny had transformed in an instant into a handsome figure, this beauty that made the rest of the tinies around him look all the more hideous and disgusting by comparison. Sophie began to blush, her cheeks turning blood red. She had to take his eyes off him. Everyone was watching her, focusing on her. They most certainly could not, would not be allowed to see her in this state.
Yet Tom remained silent. Though Sophie’s words roared out like a crack of thunder, his focus remained on the scattered parts of his bike. Fury arose within the giant attempting to ridicule him. The insults lodged in her throat. She wanted to toy him, poke fun at his pathetic lamentations. Her efforts to goad him into a response became entangled with the sorrow she started to feel welling up. Whatever this tiny felt infected her as well. Sophie could not fathom it. Her emotions felt like they were caught like a ship within a storm, swaying to-and-fro, thrust from one extreme to the next. Rage to remorse, powerful to pitying. This tiny had to be toying with her. Such a thought was infuriating to even entertain. How could someone so small be toying with her? He had to be doing something to make her thoughts swing as violently they did. The teacher then stepped in between them and again desperately asserted himself to regain control, but it gave Sophie a target to focus on. She had to look away from Tom, or she thought she would be caught forever in this terrifying spiral of emotion.
“T-The headmaster will get you expelled for this!” He yelled, balling his hand into a fist to control his rising anger. The giant grinned. A sense of strength and control returned to settle her. This was the natural order of things. A return to normality.
“Pff, see if I care.” Sophie scoffed. She waved her hand like swatting away the threat as though it was as inane as a puff of smoke. Seeing as the teacher was more than happy to engage with her, she wanted to elicit more from him, to drive home that indignation of being so utterly useless against her.
Grabbing ahold of the Block B building, her hand cracking part of the concrete, Sophie balanced herself as she scrapped the few recognisable bits of the bike rack off her shoe. Hunks of metal crashed into the ground several paces away from the teachers. “Is that really the best you tinies can build? It’s soooo flimsy!” Sophie joked, flicking off bits from her sole.
The giant to her right, who had since grown bored of Sophie’s antics, let out a long exaggerated yawn and rolled her eyes. “Are you done yet? Let’s go find Tiffany.”
Sophie sighed. “Oh fine.” She lowered her foot, deliberately placing it right before the tiny teachers in one last show of dominance, slamming it down to throw them to the ground.
She examined the trail of footsteps, following the tread left like the tracks of some great lumbering beast. “Looks like she went to the field.”
As the trio left for the field, Sophie heard the classrooms of the tiny students going wild. Her smug grin widened and she flicked her golden mane behind as if she were brushing away the events as though nothing had happened. Yet she slowed her walk and threw a look behind. Her soft eyes fell onto Tom, still despondent and unmoving despite all the chaos she caused. At first, she scowled at him for daring to ignore her, but as the teachers hurried him back into the Block, fearful that the giants may decide to turn back around, a pang rose in Sophie. She poured over every detail of him, minute as he was, yet soaking in every part of him made her heart pound. It had already been racing thanks to the intoxicating sensation of being the centre of attention. Having so much fun at the expense of the tinies made her giddy, lapping up the cheers of the small students.
However, seeing Tom made it feel as though her heart was about to burst through her chest, its beating becoming stronger until it seemed it was the only thing that she could hear. She gave him one last look over, just to confirm to herself he was as mewling as the rest of the tinies. Her breath was stolen away, and she became light-headed, unable to peel her focus away from him. Butterflies abounded in her stomach and her thoughts became scattered, forgetting she was meant to find Tiffany. She tore herself away. Yet, her mind instead flashed images of Tom, bringing them to the forefront of her thought instead. This unknowable tide of emotion had rolled back in and it had overwhelmed her. She must have seen him beforehand, one of many insignificant tiny students over the years at this school. Sophie questioned why this sensation was beginning now. What had changed to make tiny such a focal point for her attention?
Classes for the day had finished and the students poured out from the blocks like a flood. To prevent any accidents, the giants were let go first, allowing their fewer numbers to make some headway before a horde of smaller pupils found their way into the streets. Beyond the courtyard came the car park and beyond that was a thick hedge row, punctuated with hefty steel gates spaced out to allow for the even dispersal of students. One giant, however, stood guard by a gate, and all the students, wary of going too close to her, crowded instead into the exits. Rather than face the giant directly, the teachers came out and supervised the throng, corralling them like cattle so they could get home safely. Busses and bikes filled the streets, while friendship groups walked down the sidestreet, but all stayed clear of the giant.
Tom, Joey and Keaton were one of the last to leave, allowing the madness to subside as they wandered out of Block B as others trickled out from the buildings. They passed by where a bike rack used to be and all Tom could do was sigh in frustration. The inane and random chatter from his two friends helped to distract him, but knowing that all those weekends spent working to scrape up enough money for a brand new bicycle, one that was not rusted, worn down or given to him as a hand-me-down. It was his, earned through sweat and toil, giving away his free time that could have been spent seeing his friends or relaxing. A momentary lack of thought from a giant had undone hours upon hours of struggle. Now, he had to take the long walk home. Joey and Keaton were lucky to live half an hour or so away. With no funds to spare for a bus fare, Tom readied himself for the lonely and tiring trek. He would have to do this, day in and day out. Up at the crack of dawn and home by fading twilight.
The three went through the furthest gate on the right, coming out onto the expanse of the street. The sidewalks were wide enough to accommodate all the pedestrian traffic, with bike lanes allowing for cyclists to speed along at their leisure. Two lanes on the main road allowed for busses and other essential vehicles to zoom along, yet the widest portions in the centre were reserved for the giants, designed specifically for their weight and to allow three abreast on either side. Such feats of engineering allowed most of the tremors unleashed by their football to be absorbed so as to not disturb the tinies around them. That is what the tinies were told at least. A cyclist or bus driver would not have to bounce up and down to the marching beat of a giant's footsteps, allowing both giant and tiny to go about their day alongside one another. Some reverberations still got through if the giant had particularly powerful footfalls. Tom looked behind and found Sophie, arms folded and with a dark scowl on her face, scanning from group to group of students. Her heavy gaze unsettled all it fell upon, immediately speeding up their pace as soon as they became the centre of her focus. Then she came upon them.
Tom turned his head to focus on the street ahead but a terrible sense of dread struck his gut. His eyes had met hers for a split second. Joey and Keaton were ignorant as Tom played down his worries but when a shadow formed over them, a chill as cold as arctic ice crept up their backs. Then, a black loafer slammed down in front of them to block their escape. When they dared to face the giant, they saw Sophie staring down at them in furious disdain.
The trio couldn’t move, either the ground had rooted them to the spot or their nerves had been frozen over and were unable to respond to the basest of impulses and flee from her.
Sophie’s breathing was heavy and erratic. Tom was beneath her, trapped between her shoes made it feel as though her heart was going to burst from its rapid beating.
“S-Scram,” Sophie stuttered out, unsure of issuing her command.
As the group started their sprint, her voice became low, much deeper and softer. “Not you.”
Sophie squatted down, pinching her fingers onto Tom’s shirt to stop him from catching up to his friends and a bolt of lightning zapped through her. Her body tingled, recovering from the sudden zap of electricity. She let go of Tom as a wave of lightheadedness settled onto her as her thoughts became scattered, like a hundred different voices all whispering different ideas to her at once. The more she looked upon Tom, the more her thoughts relied upon him as though he was the fulcrum upon which all her inner thoughts spun. Sophie grabbed her head as her features contorted, unable to decide upon a smile, a grimace, or wincing in pain, leaving her in a limbo of all three feelings.
For Tom, every worry and fear came crashing down upon him. What had he done to get Sophie, of all the giants who despised and teased tinies, what had he done to get her attention? Perhaps she had released her pinch just to watch him shaking in fear, how his legs trembling as though they were about to give out under him. Both together looked as though they were enduring a localised earthquake to any curious onlookers. They kept silent, trying as they might to steel themselves and to calm their tattered nerves. Sophie parted her lips, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and then exhaled, letting all her pent-up feelings leave her in one wave.
“What's your name?” She asked.
“T-Tom…” He sputtered out in response, staring more at the floor. To look up when she was squatting might have him peak at something he was not meant to, and that would end up being the last thing he would see. To look up a giant’s skirt, especially Sohpie’s, would be a fast route to the grave.
“So you're tiny who got his bike crushed by Tiffany right?”
“Y-Yeah…” Cautious that this was some trap, he clarified further, “O-One of them.”
“Well… how would… if you would like it…” If Sophie’s cheeks burned any more red, they would have her look as if she had endured the worst sunburn. Her breathing became more frenzied, panting a storm onto Tom who endured barrage after barrage of mint-scented breath blasting against him. Thinking this was some oddly concocted method of teasing, Tom weathered it as best he could, his baggy uniform blowing in the breeze.
“I can… give you… a lift… home?” Sophie, unsure of what she had even said, looked befuddled. Had she really just said those words.
“No, no, its fine…” He sensed a trap. Sophie had to be holding back her laughter or had some elaborate ploy in mind. There was no way she could be this nice, especially to someone so tiny. “I can walk.”
Tom went to back away. Sophie shimmed herself closer, boxing him in with shoes even further. Her voice began to crack in her attempt to be as authoritative as possible. “I’m going to give you a ride home. U-Understood?”
“And don't get it in your head that I like you or anything!” She suddenly snapped. Sophie drew her finger towards him until it hovered in front of him. Tom froze at the sight of the massive digit in front of him. The tip of her finger was almost as large as him. If it came any closer, it would easily flatten or crush him.
“I just feel bad you have to walk home okay?” Sophie withdrew her hand. She used it instead to cover her quivering smile. The excitement was getting to her, she felt that intoxicating, glorious rush. This was the moment she had dreamt of all day. She did not know why she wanted this, only that she craved it more than anything in the world. Tom in her chest pocket, this handsome little tiny, right by her side. But as the feeling peaked, invading all her senses to the point of insanity, Sophie could not help but think why again. What was it about him? He looked so plain, so scruffy. Yet, the more she started, he looked so stunning, so breathtaking to gaze at.
“And if you tell anyone I’m doing this,” She whispered to him. “You’ll end up being as flat as your bike. Got it?”
“Y-yes…” Tom stammered out. He spent more time focused on the floor than at her.
“Right then… Are you… okay with me picking you up?”
Tom nodded. With consent given, Sophie gently plucked him from the ground. It felt like touching lightning. A shock, more terrible and all-encompassing than the bolt before, coursed through her. Every end tingled, every sense exploding with delight. Her heart raced harder, it's thumping the only thing she could make sense of. Sophie wanted to squeal, she wanted to shout, to cry out in unadulterated joy and delight. She was holding Tom, she was holding him, this tiny stud was hers, and hers alone! Sophie rose to her full height, opened her shirt pocket, and tucked Tom in. A terrible lustful urge struck her mind as Tom slid down her chest and into his new resting spot. She wanted to pat him, rub and ruffle his locks of black hair. More than that, an overwhelming craving to stuff him into more secluded sections. A shirt pocket is far too tame. No doubt a tiny such as him wouldn't mind the embracing warmth of her cleavage. To be so well endowed and not use such fabric-stretching assets to pleasure him would be a terrible crime indeed. Sophie breathed in and calmed herself. The storm of emotion passed for now.
The change of scenery was a terrible adjustment for Tom. He had never seen the world from on high like this before. A tame heat exuded from Sophie’s body like he was resting his back on a warm radiator. The school below seemed so minuscule now. All the blocks he had lessons in, all the surrounding houses and shops. It gave him a newfound perspective on how small everything really was to the giants. No wonder they could step onto his bike and barely notice. He was surprised Sophie could even see him from his height. Tom gave a pensive look over his shoulder to see the giant panting up a frenzy, staring at him with mad intent. When their eyes met, she turned away, her cheeks flushing further red than he thought possible. All he could think was this was some kind of game. Sophie was probably going to meet with her friends from before, and they were going to laugh at him. The anxiety twisted his gut, but he accepted his fate.
“S-So…” Sophie squeaked. “Where do you live exactly?”
“Err…141 Verulam and Brotan?”
“Oh yeah… Veralum…” Her voice trailed off. She rubbed her chin in a sad attempt to pretend she knew where that was.
“I-I can always walk there, its not that far hone-”
“No!” Sophie bellowed. The power of her interruption struck like an explosion. Birds that have nested and settled in the nearby trees scattered from the sudden eruption. A few lingering classmates close by turned their heads in shock and then fled in haste, fearing the wrath of the looming giant seemingly talking to herself.
Tom cowered away, trembling in fear. He wanted to bury himself deeper as if somehow sinking into her pocket would help him to escape the violent outburst. He felt he should have said no, but he was placed into a losing situation with Sophie. To reject her would have probably meant a trip down the hospital, with several shattered bones after being ‘accidentally’ stepped on a giant. Whatever prank she was playing, she was playing it well. All alone with her, subject to whatever torments she wanted to inflict. A bad day that was growing worse by the second.
To see him so afraid of her from her blurt made her want to cry. She had not intended for such a terrible ear-shattering interruption. The thought that he did not want to be with her brought her heart to a standstill, as if the beating gave way to it being shattered instead. She could not, would not, entertain for a single moment Tom wanted to be away from her. A momentary lapse in control, that was all. He was closeby to her, that was all she desired now, more than anything else. All her feelings kept on coalescing into a terrible tempest that threatened to sweep her away. Keeping him close was calming, a safe haven from all the confusion she felt addaling her senses. Whatever Tom was doing to her was unclear. What was evident, however, pure and clear from all the chaos around her, was tiny in her pocket. He had to be close. He had to be with her.
“S-Sorry Tom. I didn’t mean to be so loud.”
He looked up. Sophie’s lips curled. She was on the verge of tears. He had never seen her frown so deeply.
“It’s okay!” He replied. To witness her sadness brought an urge to keep her calm. It was all a mess to him. Maybe the giants had drama class or something today, for he refused to believe for a moment that Sophie, of all people, was going to shed tears in front of him. Steller acting indeed. He felt remorse for her, such as the believability of her act.
“You sure?” Sophie wiped away the tears that had formed.
“Yeah! I… err… Can give you some directions? Of course, if you even want them! It won’t be that long of a trip I think. Long for me, short for you. Is that okay!”
Sophie beamed the brightest smile. “Don’t you worry Tom! I can take you back home!”
Recalling directions from on high was a difficult task. Typical landmarks ingrained into memory that gave bearing were no longer of much use when given a birds-eye view of them. Yet, he pointed her down the streets as best he could. He did not wish to admit the novelty of looking down on the world as Sophie strode past all the small structures and dwellings around her. Every step she took echoed a thunderous thud. More terrifying however was how he jiggled. It embarrassed him however footfall of hers made her chest jiggle ever so slightly. He wanted to say something as if to inform her that his current position in her pocket unbalanced him. Equally, however, the sensation was pleasurable. It was soft and delicate, he felt as though he was laying on a cloud that swayed in the wind. Her scented perfume mixed with the smell of freshly washed fabric combined with the tender warmth made it seem as though he had been transported into paradise. Upon that paradise, his worry faded away into nothing. All that anxiety that contorted his gut loosened and Tom felt a level of comfort unknown to him. Maybe it wasn’t an act after all.
Portions of the town designed for tinies were an interesting sight for Sophie. She never had a need to come to these parts before. It felt as though she had entered into some model village or was surrounded by dollhouses. A few twists and turns around streets, with houses and shops that barely rose higher than her ankle, it was like navigating an entirely new world. The tinies were unconcerned with her, however. They kept on going about their daily business, talking with one another as she passed by. Shopkeeps put out their wares, businessmen chatted on their phones as they cycled along, and college students worked on their laptops whilst sipping coffee by some cafe. When one of these rather small persons wanted to cross the road, they simply waited for Sophie to walk by and then cross the rather long width of the road. There were some larger buildings scattered about here and there. Office blocks or luxury apartments were being constructed in the more modern portions of the town. What was curious to Sophie, however, was just how normalised it all was.
In school, the giant’s lorded over the tinies. Out here, however, it was more balanced, more equal. Several construction workers hung from steel beams of some partially complete real estate as a rather brawny muscle-bound giantess sweated away and brought up materials to her small coworkers. An office lady came down one road chatting to a colleague on her shoulder. There were not many giants in this area, so it made it more acute when one did crop up, however. Yet the suburbia of the tiny area had a unique charm to it which is no doubt why some giants came down this way even outside of their work or business needs. The giant quarters were filled with glorious feats of architecture, with wide-ranging pavilions and mansions all around. A tiny village was more reserved, with brown bricked hovels with quaint little gardens, that stretched along road by road, mile by mile. There were the usual parks dotted about alongside pubs and shopping centres. Sophie witnessed a whole nother culture that she never truly appreciated before.
With careful guidance, Tom had led her to his home. What would have been a two or so more hour-long walk was done in just a few minutes. They had walked in silence for the way, both unable to say anything to one another during the trip. The roads around this part were more narrow, barely able to fit her feet. Indeed, this portion was on the furthest edges of the town for the tinies. The designers probably never anticipated for many giants ot have any need to wander into these outskirts. Nor did the neighbours even expect a giant to come down here. Many popped their heads out the window to see the cause of the rumbling that afflicted them. The shocks were minimal, but still an annoyance. Many tutted when they saw a giant schoolgirl, thinking it was some teenager with too keen an interest in the tinies. A temporary nuisance that would quickly depart when they grew bored of looking at them. Yet Sophie froze in fear, all the rosy glow of her face during the wandering now replaced with a paleness fit for the dead and diseased. A horrible realisation encroached.
“So… uhh…” Tom scratched his head to ease the tension. Sophie seemed very unwilling to look at him.
“We are here!” He chuckled nervously, trying and failing to lighten her mood.
Ice crept up Sophie’s spine, its cold tendrils enveloping her. Tom would have to go now. The very thought made her want to scream. Not now, she thought, not when they had just gotten so close. Those few minutes with him were the most amazing moments, how could it be so fleeting? From her despair, came rage. An inclination to tear through the town, to stamp on this place he called home. What was his home put a pile of bricks or mortar? What was so special about it anyway? Besides, if she crushed it by just applying an inkling of her power down upon it, the whole thing would crumble and Tom would have to stay with her. He could live with her, in the mansion. A castle needs its king as much as it needs a queen. A more rightful abode for someone so gorgeous she thought. This squalid shabby structure was a mockery, unfit to house him.
All that fury levelled out into sad acceptance. What would Tom think if she just stepped on his house, potentially hurting and maiming his parents, siblings or family members within? An unconscionable act. She could not inflict that on him just because of her desire to keep him close. Sophie bit her lip and closed her eyes. Inhale and exhale. Focus. She had to focus. As much as she longed to have him by her side, she still had to respect him. The notion bewildered her. Respect? Just earlier she had made a mockery of all the tiny teachers. Why did he need respect now? What did he do to earn it from her? She had to have seen him at school before, another face in the endless throng of small students at the school. What had happened to her to form such a crush? Her hand trembled as she scooped Tom from her pocket. She bent down, cautious of how her short skirt might be giving a window of opportunity for any perverted peakers behind her, and deposited her tiny onto the street.
“Thank you for taking me home Sophie…”
She kept quiet. A chill enveloped her. Without him, it felt as though the sun had set on her, all the warmth and glow he provided somehow left her on a barren frigid tundra, where cold and gloom ruled. There had to be an excuse to see him again. Some ploy to see him again sooner rather than later. Sophie flooded her arms and jogged her leg. Her thoughts raced, amplifying the pace of her tap. The design of roads absorbed most of the vibrations, but they could only do so much to withstand the power of a towering terrifying titan like Sophie. Tom bounced on the spot, performing a little hop each time her foot struck the ground. He did not know what to say, for he did not truly know what was conspiring with her. The walk home had been a confusing enigma. Mindful of the damage she could cause, as well as all the complaints his family would get for abruptly inviting a giant down their street, he settled on a new course of action.
“So… Any chance you would give me a lift in the morning?” Tom joked. He rubbed the back of his head. It helped to relieve the tension for him at least. Humour would be a safe avenue to help smooth things out with the brooding giant he thought.
Sophie's eyes twinkled. An exhilarating rush crashed through. “Yes!” She near enough screamed at him.
“What time? Eight, seven in the morning? No, maybe six would be best since it's a long walk after all! How about we make it five just to be sure right?” She aired her mind in a frantic pace, speaking as fast as her brain could conjure up thoughts.
“Well… err.” Tom looked up to see Sophie’s statuesque face staring at him with great intent. His knees lost strength as he struggled to stand. The intensity of the gaze from the bronze giant made him want to shrink away. She didn’t think it was a joke. A complete miscalculation.
“I mean, seven sounds… okay?”
Tom knew it wasn’t. The walk had not been that long to warrant such an early start. If classes started at nine, they would be there in no time at all, but he knew that he had to appease her. Something was off about everything that had happened, so it would be best to placate her for now. Still, he wouldn’t mind a ride in that pocket again. It was cosier and more comfortable than his bed, likening it being on some kind of giant marshmallow, laying out onto something so soft and plushy. He didn’t want to admit that to her, since it felt shallow to admit that was part of the reason why he wanted to see her again. There was something else there, but he couldn’t rightly figure it. He felt safe around her, impossible as it seemed. Why would he want to be so close to someone that treated everyone no better than bits of dirt? That nagging feeling this was some elaborate prank snuck up on him again. Yet, he blurted out a response and would have to deal with the fallout.
“Seven is perfect!” She radiated with such infectious joy and enthusiasm. Then, like the flip of a switch, turned sour.
“B-but just remembers, this is only cause’ I stepped on your stupid flimsy little bike. I just feel bad for you okay?” Sophie stammered. She pointed a finger at him, but her hand trembled.
Appearances had to be maintained of course. A giant like her could not stoop so low as to be equal with a tiny. This arrangement was only to be kept until Tom got his new bike, then she would go back to normal. Big, in charge, all the tiny students fearing her tread. Sophie placed her hands on her hips, looking as haughty and triumphant as possible, believing she had just put the tiny back in its rightful place. A facade, but one she tried to maintain, even when her gut punished her for such a transgression with a pang of regret. In truth, she never wanted him to go.
Then, her eyes widened when her mind got caught on one thought. When he got his new bike. It rang in her skull, the words bouncing around until it deafened all over hoise. Her heart raced and she became short of breath. If he got his new bike, she would not have an excuse to see him. Of course, there was always the option to step on it. She had done it once before. Doing so again wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility. Some klutz of a giant that keeps stepping on the bike racks for the tiny students. But it was wrong. Tom no doubt had to scrape and save so much. If she crushed it, intentional or otherwise, he would hate her. No, it was too much of a risk. There had to be another way of keeping him close. The short term was covered, but the long term was equally a pressing issue. A devious ploy came into motion. Enticement, suggestion. If the bike was the competitor here, she needed to persuade him that she was the better option.
“So…” Her demeanour flipped again. Sophie twirled her foot, digging it into the road and grinding the asphalt. She played with her hair, curling it around her finger, looking off in the distance. She had to attempt and at least pretend like there was somehow something more interesting in this world rather than at Tom.
“See you tomorrow at seven?”
“Sure… I suppose?” Tom replied sheepishly.
Just as he turned to go, a shadow formed around him, bathing him in darkness. He looked over his shoulder and gawped. Sophie squatted down and her chest was more or less hanging above him now. He could not help but stare in wonderment at the sheer breadth. Pressed against the thin fabric of her shirt, it allowed him to see a faded scarlet red bra. Such was were their enormity, Sophie’s breast strained the buttons of her shirt, as though they were about to burst. Tom wanted to wrench his eyes away. She would murder him for staring so long. Yet, they hung above, hypnotising him. His gaze crept up further and found Sophie’s salacious smile.
“I’ll see you tomorrow Tom.”
She gave him a wink. Her cheeks went red. She looked to her left and right in quick succession, checking for something. Like a hawk fixing on its prey, Sophie’s focus snapped to him. With Tom fixated on her, she blew him a kiss. The abrupt gale winds nearly sent him flying from his feet. She then quickly stood up and near enough sprinted down the streets, covering her face. Why did she go through with that? The embarrassment she felt made her gut churn and made her cringe. Tom must think she is some kind of pervert now. It had only been a walk home, what in god’s name was she doing, blowing him a kiss like they were lovers?
The ground rumbled with Sophie’s steps as she sprinted away. Tom balanced himself as Sophie’s figure darted around the roads. Soon enough, her gargantuan figure disappeared over the horizon. It took a while for the realisation that everything was now quiet to settle in. No huge giant shadowing him, no worries about what Sophie had planned for him, nothing. But then a longing came. He sighed. A pang of loneliness. Again, it confused him. They had barely been together for more than ten or so minutes for the walk. Being apart from her saddened him. He did not really understand why. There was no reason to feel this way, no logic dictating it. Yet, he felt it all the same. At the very least, he would see her tomorrow, bright and early. Being separated from her, despite the strangeness of the afternoon with her, left him hollow and void. He walked to the front door and into the house, the image of Sophie burned into his mind’s eye like he had been staring at the sun for too long. Maybe he didn't need to be so quick in buying a new bike after all.