Ch 1. New Faces by TerryLarka
“Jackie,
walk faster! I want to get to class before all the back row seats are taken.”
“I’m
sorry,” Jackie apologized to the two-inch tall woman perched on her shoulder.
She was slipping through the densely populated courtyard in front of the main
classroom. “There’s too many people here, Lynn.” With it being the first day of
the semester, many students were gathered there whether they were on tours,
signing up for clubs or organizations, hanging out with their peers, or
struggling to navigate campus. Jackie wormed her way through the sea of bodies,
careful not let her sister fall out from her special pocket or to step on any
tinies traversing the forest of legs.
Jackie and
Lynn Richards were starting their first year of college, excited to finally
move out, meet new people, and discover their paths in life. They were
attending Winston State University, a metropolitan campus that took great pride
in its status as one the country’s highest rated colleges in regards to its
mixed size accommodations. Its buildings were designed to host people of all
heights, including interlink networks, multiple doors to every room, marked
walking zones in hallways and on sidewalks, seating options for those large and
small, and many more. The university took every chance to promote its blended
culture and considered itself an exemplar to how society should function thirty
years after the two sizes abandoned isolationism and began cohabitating the
same spaces. Therefore, the college board was all too ecstatic to welcome the
Richards sisters into their student body.
Jackie and
Lynn were semi-famous for being the world’s only known instance of mixed-sized
twins. Aside from the stark difference in height, the two appeared identical.
They both shared the same dirty blonde hair, the same freckled skin, the same brown
eyes, and the same voluptuous curves, though Lynn’s breasts were no bigger than
a pair of peas. However, the twins styles helped set them apart, in case the
one being a little over five feet shorter wasn’t enough. Lynn’s straight hair
hanged down past her shoulders while her sister fashioned hers in a short bob.
Jackie usually wore a grey beanie knit by her mother; today, she also wore an
orange t-shirt depicting artwork for mini-metal band Four-Limbed Spiders, a
well-worn pair of denim jeans, and black combat boots. Lynn, on the other hand,
wore a lace camisole, a pleated miniskirt, and high-top Converse. She resided
within a pocket stitched onto the shoulder strap of her sister’s backpack, her
upper body peeking out from the fabric’s lip.
Eventually,
Jackie broke through the crowd, bringing herself within arm’s reach of the main
classroom entrance before getting stopped by a blonde woman in a neon pink tank
top. “Hey, would you like to join our sorority, Alpha-Beta-Phi-Gamma?” She
stood between Jackie and the door, offering a graphic pamphlet and a chipper
smile.
“Uh,” Jackie
couldn’t look her in the eye. “N-no thanks.”
“You sure?”
the girl continued pressing. “We host all sorts of fun events all year round,
and our parties are killer. Seriously, they’re the best on campus. You can ask
anyone, they’ll vouch. And I know you’re prolly thinking sorority life is just
drinking and making out, and sure there’s plenty of that, but we also do a lot
of charity work, and we look great on a resume. Honest, we have a lot of alumni
in high places and it’s such a cinch starting a career when you can connect…”
Jackie tried to reject her offer, but she couldn’t find an opening to speak.
“Ugh! We
don’t want to join your stupid club!” Lynn interjected. “Buzz off so we can get
to class already.”
“I wasn’t
talking to you, b-” the woman snapped back, biting her tongue before she said
something uncouth. “…buddy.” Lynn rolled her eyes.
Just
call me a bug, she thought. I know you want to, bitch.
“Sorry,”
Jackie said softly, eyes glued to the ground. “I don’t want to join.”
“Whatever.
Your loss.” The sorority girl finally stepped aside to hassle another student,
allowing Jackie to slip through the door. Main classroom’s atrium was no less
packed, filled with students scurrying between classes, using the school
computers, or filling up every available seat and windowsill. Jackie took a big
gulp upon seeing even more bigs gathered so tightly together.
“You can
drop me off at that walkway over there,” Lynn said, pointing to a glass
corridor suspended from the wall. The campus interlink was a system of confined
hallways hanging off the walls and ceilings to allow tinies to easily traverse
campus without having to navigate the floor or be carried by a larger peer.
Every building had an interlink, and there were shuttle services set up to
carry tinies between buildings at a much quicker pace than walking. “Are you
going to be alright without me?”
“Yeah,”
Jackie muttered. She walked over to the wall in which a miniature elevator sat
at her foot and placed her sister in front of it beside of a group of tinies.
The elevator connected to the interlink through a glass tube and could hold up
to a dozen tinies. “The tiny center isn’t too far from here.”
“Okay, but
call or text me if anything comes up.” The elevator doors opened, and Lynn was
pressed to enter before it filled up, but she hesitated to leave her sister
unattended.
“I’ll be
fine. Get going already, before all the backrow seats are taken.” Jackie waved
and disappeared into the stream of bigs, sulking to avoid any eye contact with
them. Lynn trudged backwards into the elevator, packing into it like a sardine,
and kept her eyes on her twin as long as she could.
…
Lynn’s
first class that morning was Applied Algebra, a basic, gen. ed. math course for
liberal arts majors filling a requirement or freshmen who hadn’t yet decided on
a major. The interlink exited out beside every classroom via elevators built
into the wall, giving tinies easy access to wherever they were heading.
Upon
entering the classroom, Lynn noticed the line of tiny desks in the front row
situated in sets of five before the larger desks two feet out. This gave tiny students a direct view of the
front whiteboard a few yards away; the professor’s desk stood up against the far wall as to not
block the view of the front. There was also a metal plate in the center front
from which a podium could be raised for tiny professors who wished to lecture
at their larger students’ eye level. Despite her concerns, the tiny girl had
arrived early enough that most of the seats were still vacant.
Lynn walked
past the tiny desks and made for the back. The desks on either side of her rose
up like skyscrapers, her jaunt akin to walking the sidewalks of New York City.
After a minute of walking, she made it to the last row of seats; both of which
in her aisle were occupied.
“Something
we can do for you?” the woman to Lynn’s left asked. She was exceptionally tall,
even for a big, with a slim build and toned muscles. A black, sleeveless
crop-top accentuated her biceps and abdomen, and her baggy pants hid her sturdy
thighs and calves. Her massive sneaker, its toe planted less than an inch
before Lynn, was spacious enough for the tiny to live out of. Lynn waved to the
towering woman from the floor.
“Hi there!
Is this seat taken?” she asked, pointing to the desk in front of the woman. The
big, a half-Japanese woman whose long, straight hair was dyed bleached blonde
on one side and cotton candy blue on the other, shot her friend a goofy look.
“Don’t you
think that’s a little big for you?” the friend mused with a chuckle. She was a
good foot shorter than the lady next to her, with a thicker, curvier build
filling in her tank top and jeans. Her frizzy, black hair hung down to her
shoulders, and she had smooth, black skin. A pair of wire-framed glasses were
perched on the bridge of her nose.
“I don’t
want to sit up front,” Lynn replied. “If you could lift me up, that’d be
appreciated.” The two women shot each other another glance and laughed. Lynn
continued to smile up at them unphased. “I’m Lynn by the way.”
“I like
you, Lynn,” the taller woman said. “Most tinies are afraid to get anywhere near
me.”
“Most bigs
too,” her friend jested.
“Anyway,
name’s Heather. This is my best bro, Alena.” Heather stood up out of her seat
into the aisle. Her looming body stretched on for what seemed like miles. Lynn
had to crane her neck to get a glimpse of Heather’s lofty face. “Wait there, I
have an idea.” Heather stepped over Lynn, almost knocking the tiny off her feet
from the rushing wind of her gait. She walked to the front of the classroom and
picked up an empty tiny desk, the thing being small enough to be held in her
fingers, and carried it back to her seat. Placing it on her desk, Heather
crouched down and held her hand out palm-up for Lynn to jump onto. Doing
exactly that, Lynn was lifted up to her desk atop Heather’s. “There. I don’t
think anyone will have a problem with that.”
“Thanks!”
Lynn cheered.
“If someone
sits in front of you, are you going to be able to see?” Alena asked.
“I'll
figure it out,” Lynn decided. “This is math, not like anything important.” As
she spoke, she noticed Heather's backpack leaned up against the wall, more
specifically the skateboard strapped to it. “Woah, you skate?”
“Yeah, I
skate here from my apartment. I have to use the bike lanes in the city since
they outlawed wheels on the sidewalks.” Heather breathed a heavy sigh, blowing
a gust through Lynn's hair. The tiny could smell the lingering scent of nicotine
on her breath. “I don't get it. I can see tinies clear as day. Avoiding them
ain't hard.”
“That's so
cool!” Lynn squealed. “I tried learning when I was younger, but I never had the
patience for it.”
“Honestly,
same,” Alena chimed in. “I don't have the coordination to pull off what she
does.”
“Please,
you flatter me,” Heather scoffed. “It just takes practice. I'm no one special.”
“Girl, you
skateboard, rollerblade, snowboard, BMX, mountain bike, and surf.”
“I only
surf on vacations,” Heather interjected.
“My point
is that you're a god on a board or anything with wheels. You don't get to be
humble and tell us mere mortals that all it takes is some practice. Right,
Lynn?”
“Right!”
Lynn was just happy to express her agreement. “I know how to rollerblade, but
that’s about it.”
“I can ride
a bike on asphalt, but not up a mountain!”
“Alena,
seriously, you’re making a bigger deal of it than it actually is,” Heather
pouted, her cheeks turning red. “Enough about me. Lynn, what sorts of shit are
you into?”
“I like to
draw,” Lynn admitted, feeling lame as hell next to Ms. Skater Girl. “I can show
you my sketchbook, if you’d like.”
“Please!”
both women said with bright eyes. Lynn fumbled through her backpack for the
most recent notebook she drew in and held it open for her new friends. Heather
pulled out her phone and used the camera to zoom in on the images, angling it
so Alena could get a good look as well. These days, phone cameras had a setting
that automatically enlarged tiny-scaled writing or pictures, giving bigs easier
access to their smaller peers art.
Lynn’s
sketchbook was filled with colored pencil drawings of landscapes, portraits, a
variety of characters both human and inhuman, as well as more abstract creations.
Though her sketches had apparent flaws that could be expected of a self-taught
amateur, the attention to detail was mesmerizing and most of the images seemed
to pop straight off the page. “Ignore all the anime characters,” Lynn advised,
flipping through some pages quicker than others. “I draw those for my sister.”
“Lynn,
these are incredible.” Heather kept gesturing for her to flip back a page to
get a better look.
“For real,
I’m super jealous.” Alena fidgeted in her seat to stay comfortable as she
leaned over her desk’s arm bar. “I’m majoring in fashion design, and none of my
sketches come out this well.”
“Oh! We
should draw together then!” Lynn hopped up and down, her puny body unable to
hold all of her excitement. “I could give you pointers, and I’d love to hear
more feedback.”
“Sounds
like a plan.” Deep in their conversation, the trio didn’t notice the seats
around them fill up as it was time for class to begin. To Lynn’s fortune, no
one sat directly in front of Heather’s desk.
“Good
morning, class,” the professor announced. He was a portly fellow with a
receding hairline and a pair of glasses that drooped down his nose. “We’ll be
going over the syllabus today. I’ll be passing it around along with the
attendance sheet.” The professor walked up to the front row, handing the big
student seated in the corner a stack of papers. Then, he crouched down to hand
the tiny student a significantly smaller stack pinched gingerly between his
fingers. The stack passed until it reached Alena who then handed it to Heather.
“Shit, your
name’s not on this sheet. What’s your last name, I’ll write it in.”
“Richards.”
Lynn watched as Heather jotted the tiny’s name down and noted that she was
sitting with her. As the larger woman wrote, Lynn found her full name listed:
Heather Suzuran. Suzuran? Lynn pondered. Why does that name sound
familiar?
…
After what
felt like forever, Jackie broke free from the crowd of bigs and entered the
university’s tiny center. The room looked like it came straight out of a
edutainment science museum. The space itself was the size of a regular
classroom, but every piece of furniture was scaled down to tiny sizes. While
tiny furniture was a common sight next to larger accommodations, it was rare to
see nothing but it in a room designed for bigs. There were desks and tables,
chairs, couches, bean bag chairs, whiteboards, and computers scattered
throughout.
The tiny
center served a few purposes. It was primarily the meeting point for the
university tiny committee, a student operated group responsible for organizing
events and running programs related to all things tiny. The center was also
considered a “safe space” for smaller students, a place to break from loud,
handsy, careless, clumsy, inconsiderate, or otherwise obnoxious bigs. However,
due to campus policy, bigs were required to be allowed access to the center
just as tinies were allowed in any other area on campus, though giant visitors
were often discouraged from lingering by the lack of adequate furniture, and
staffers held the authority to remove any specific individuals who were causing
a nuisance.
Jackie
stepped up to the front desk occupied by a tiny secretary. The desk didn’t even
stretch the length of the larger twin’s toes.
“Hello
there,” the secretary greeted, craning her neck so she could meet the visitor’s
gaze. “What can I do for you?” Jackie crouched down to make things more
comfortable for the secretary.
“My name’s
Jackie Richards. I saw the ad online and was hoping to join…” Jackie trailed
off feeling the malicious glares pointed her way from the tinies seated
throughout the room.
“What is
she doing?” one tiny murmured.
“Hey guys,
a big’s here to ruin everything.”
“Fucking
giants. Think we can’t do anything for ourselves.”
“Yeah,
where do they get off acting so high and mighty?”
“I, uh,
I’m, I came to, um,” Jackie’s train of thought derailed off a cliffside. Her
cheeks burned as murmuring insults scraped her ears. The secretary pretended
not to hear them, hoping the big could finish her piece without embarrassing
herself any further. Jackie stood up and started for the door. “I’m sorry. I
shouldn’t have come here.”
“Wait!” Two
tinies rushed up to her. One was quite tall at two and a half inches. He had
his black hair spiked up into a faux-hawk, and was wearing a purple and gold
basketball jersey, repping the school's colors. The other tiny was only a head
shorter, though he was much more rotund than his skinny partner. He had a mop
of brown hair and the beginnings of a goatee on his chin. His T-shirt was plain
white with red around the collar and shoulders, matching well enough with his
brown cargo shorts. “Are you interested in joining the committee?” the taller
one asked.
“Yeah.”
Jackie turned back towards the tinies and crouched down. “I know I look like a
big, but I’m actually half-tiny.”
“I know.
You’re one of the twins, right?” The taller tiny held out his hand to greet
her. “The name’s Javier, but you can just call me Javi.” Jackie pinched his
hand between her fingers and gently shook it.
“And I’m Pierce.”
The other tiny simply waved with Jackie returning the gesture.
“That’s
right. I’m Jackie, but how did you know about me having a twin?”
“The
college posted about it.” Javi pulled out his phone and brought up the school's
social media page. By sharing the screen to Jackie's phone, she was able to see
a tweet with a picture of her and Lynn at an orientation event. The caption
read: We at Winston State are proud to welcome the Richards twins to our
esteemed family. Here, both will be able to flourish thanks to our nationally
acclaimed multi-scale programs.
“Really? We
never signed off on this.”
“Well,
nothing exemplifies the school's commitment to diversity like taking advantage
of mixed students for promotional material,” Pierce posited.
“That's
what happens when you put corporations in charge of higher education,” a random
student chimed in. “See, the problem with capitalism is…”
“Here, come
have a seat.” Javi and Pierce led Jackie to a circle of chairs, couches, and
bean bags where members of the committee were discussing plans while they
lounged about. A long table sat in the middle, cluttered with printouts,
laptops, and an assortment of open beverages. Jackie sat cross-legged in an
open space outside the circle, looming over the tinies as if she were playing
with a toy set. A couple students squirmed in their seats, having to adjust to
the woman's lofty presence, but Jackie felt right at home surrounded by those
smaller than her. A tiny woman wearing a white button up and grey slacks stood
up and waved to Jackie.
“Welcome!”
Her long brown hair was tied into an intricate braid. “My name is Melanie. I'm
the current head of the committee.” Melanie squeezed by her peers to approach
Jackie and shake her finger. “I'm so glad you could join us. I don't believe
we've ever had a half-big for a member. Hope you don't mind doing a lot of heavy
lifting.”
“No
problem,” Jackie chuckled. “I'm used to that sort of thing.” The way she spoke,
her voice was noticeably softer than what was typical for bigs. Her movements
were also more controlled, not fidgeting or making any unnecessary motions with
her feet or arms. The other committee members visibly eased up as they begun to
recognize Jackie as one of their own.
“Awesome.
If you have any questions feel free to ask any of us. Me and some of the senior
members are still planning things out for the semester, so if you freshmen,”
she said, pointing at Jackie, Javi, and Pierce, “want to just hangout and
mingle for today, that's cool.” Melanie trotted back to her seat to hash out
the very important business of what theme the homecoming dance would have.
“So, what's
it like having a miniature version of yourself?” Javi asked, lying face up on a
beanbag.
“It’s
great! Lynn’s a lot more outgoing than me, so it’s nice being able to carry her
around everywhere. She kinda acts like my voice, telling people what’s on my
mind when I can’t form the words.”
“So, is the
whole twin telepathy thing true?” Pierce asked, leaned all the way back on a
reclining office chair.
“We don’t
read each other’s minds, if that’s what you’re asking. It’s more like we get
each other, like we know one another so well that it’s always obvious what the
other is thinking.” As Jackie spoke, another woman barged her way into the tiny
center. She was a hefty woman, thick in all departments and unafraid to show
it, wearing a thin, pink tube top and an XXXL pair of daisy dukes.
“Javi!” she
called, stomping through the room in her Birkenstocks. Every tiny inside
covered their ears at the sound of her blaring voice. “Javi, where you at?”
Even Jackie flinched at her boisterous tone.
“I’m over
here, Michelle!” Javi replied, getting off the bean bag to approach her. He
looked like a man walking into a tornado as he headed towards the careless,
stomping woman. Michelle’s sandal slammed down half an inch in front of him
before she finally noticed him. Despite the danger, Javi didn’t appear phased.
“There you
are!” she announced. She bent forward and plucked Javi off the ground,
oblivious to the amount of cleavage she was displaying for the room. The
committee members that weren’t grumbling expletives were scrunching their
furrowed brows in irritation. “Ready to get to Women’s Studies?”
“Sure thing,”
Javi said from her palm. He turned to face Jackie and waved. “Hey, we should
hang out more sometime. Make sure Pierce gives you my number.”
“Okay, will
do.” Jackie waved back, but stopped upon receiving Michelle’s death stare. With
a huff, she turned to the exit and carried the tiny away. Once the obnoxious
woman was gone, the tinies returned to business. “What’s her problem?” Jackie
asked Pierce. “Was that his girlfriend?”
“Nah, but
she wishes she was.” Pierce picked his ear, trying to get the ringing to stop.
“Michelle went to high school with us. She’s had a crush on Javi as long as
I’ve known her, but he was always dating someone else. His last girlfriend is
attending some school on the other side of the country, so they split up. I’m
guessing Michelle isn’t taking any chances now that he’s single again.”
“Keep my
distance. Got it.” Jackie held her forehead in her palm. “Hate freakin’ bigs,”
she muttered loud enough to get a few nods of agreement. Pierce cocked an
eyebrow but decided not to pry, instead checking the time on his phone.
“I should
probably head to my next class.” Pierce pocketed his phone and shouldered his
backpack.
“Where you
headed? I could take you there, if you want.”
“English
101 in Room 215. Only if it’s on your way. I don’t want to be a bother.”
“Yo, I’m in
that class too.” Jackie held her palm out for Pierce to climb on. “I’d be glad
to take you there. We can chat more on the way.” Pierce clambered onto her
hand. He was amazed by how soft it was. It was clear she used moisturizer, Pierce
overwhelmed by the pleasant aroma of peaches wafting from her skin. As Jackie
stood up, the tiny had no trouble keeping his balance, the woman’s hand lifting
at an even pace. “Should I carry you in my hand or keep you in my bag’s
pocket?” she asked, pointing to the pocket on her shoulder strap.
“Uh…”
Honestly, Pierce wanted to stay in her hand, but he couldn’t admit to that.
“Whichever you prefer.”
“I think
I’ll just hold you.” Yes! “Lynn would get upset if I let others ride in
her pocket.”
“Sounds
good to me.” Imaginary fists were pumping in his mind as he sat down in her
expansive palm. Jackie made for the exit, careful to step around the furniture
and any tinies below, but as she reached the doorway, a voice called out to her
from behind.
“Jackie,
was it?” one of the committee members asked from his seat. “Sorry about
anything you may have heard earlier. We’re happy to have you.”
Jackie
smiled, nodded, and went on her way.
…
Women’s and
Genders Studies 101. Michelle sauntered
into the classroom holding Javi out just below her chest, mesmerizing the tiny
with her clapping funbags every step she took. He tried to keep his focus
elsewhere, not stare for too long nor fantasize about getting lost between them
too much, but his efforts were fruitless. Michelle was well aware of the
effects her body had on the little guy. She had a powerful urge to simply shove
him down her cleavage and consume every fiber of his attention, but she held
strong, recalling an article she read on attracting tiny men:
While it
may be tempting to snatch up the man of your dreams and smother him in your
loving embrace, it's important to remember that tiny men value their
individuality just as much as the larger variety do. The better approach is to
give your boy toy the illusion that he has agency. Any woman can pick up a tiny
and stuff him in her bra, but the successful suitor seduces her man, teases him
with the possibilities, and always leaves him craving more until she is the
only thing on his mind. And then, like putty in your hands, he'll come
crawling, begging for the right to worship you.
As Michelle
carried Javi to the back of the classroom, she picked up a tiny desk from the
front row. Reaching the end of the seats, she placed his desk on hers and set
him down, squeezing her bulging frame into her seat. Sitting to her left was a
half-Japanese woman biting into a granny Smith apple.
Shit,
he's cute, Heather thought, crunching loud as she noshed on her fruit. She
was enamored by his tall proportions, his silky black hair, caramel skin,
chiseled physique, and what she assumed was a great ass (it was hard to tell
with him sitting down, but she had a sense for these things).
“Hey there.
I'm Javier,” he greeted, wondering how long the woman across the aisle was
going to ogle at him without saying anything. “Though, you can just call me
Javi.”
“Sup. Heather.”
She wasn't sure where to go from there, still recovering from her daze. She
looked to her snack for guidance. “Want a piece?”
“Sure!”
Heather carved out a small chunk of her apple with her fingernail and handed it
to Javi, catching Michelle's glare in the process. “This is my friend,
Michelle.”
“Friend,
huh?” Heather smirked. Suddenly, the other woman wasn't so threatening, no
matter how many daggers fired from her eyes. “How about you?” She gestured the
apple her way.
“I'm good.
Thanks.” Michelle rested her arm across the left side of her desk, forming a
barrier between Javi and the minx.
“Javi, is
that you?” another woman asked, sitting down in the desk ahead. She was a few
years older than the freshmen, wearing a sleek vest over her button-up. A
professional skirt rolled over her stocking-clad legs, and wavy red hair
cascaded onto her shoulders. “Oh my God, I haven't seen you in forever.”
“Wow,
Shawna, I didn't know you went here.” Javi was somehow oblivious to the ire
oozing from the women behind him. The two ladies took note of the ballistics
Shawna had secured behind her vest and the gams that went on for days,
especially for a man that could literally hike up them. “I think’s it’s been three
or four years since you guys moved.”
“Who’s
she?” Michelle asked incredulously.
“Sorry, I
should introduce myself. I’m Shawna, the teaching assistant for this class.”
She held out her hand which both women reluctantly shook. “Javi and I were
neighbors, and I used to babysit him when we were little.”
“Neighbors?”
Heather interjected. “How did that work?”
“Our
neighborhood was weird,” Shawna explained. “It was built right around when the
borders opened up and the government was still figuring out how cohabitation
was going to play out. Some realty company decided to design a mixed-size
suburb with tiny houses between regular ones. It was a massive flop at first
since everyone was so nervous back then, but once they cut the prices real low,
a bunch of new families like ours moved in. It was a lot of fun growing up next
to the Delgados.” She turned her attention downward to Javi. “I’m seriously so
glad to see you again.”
“Same. I’d
be down to hang out after class.”
Great, Heather
simmered, now I’ve got the childhood friend to contend with.
“Absolutely!
I’d love to catch up. And if you ever need ‘one-on-one tutoring,’ that’s
literally what I’m here for.” Shawna gave Javi a warm, nostalgic smile, but her
eyes told the truth. The three colossal women stared each other down, shooting
glances back and forth in a modern-day Mexican standoff, their puny prize
sitting helplessly in the center. Javi started sweating from the forehead,
clueless as to why; he was unaware of the animosity soaring far above his head,
but he felt its impact nevertheless.
…
“You’re
majoring in computer engineering?” Jackie carried Pierce up the stairs to the
second floor. Even while travelling up the steps, she held her hand steady,
giving the tiny a smoother ride than any top-class car could.
“Tinies are
always in high demand for IT jobs, and if I land a spot in a big company, I’ll
be set for life.” Pierce felt the subtle heat radiate from Jackie’s palm and
worried if his sweating was noticeable which elicited more sweat from him than
the temperature could. “What about you?”
“I’m
undecided for now.” Entering the second floor hallway, Jackie weaved seamlessly
through the crowd of students, unphased by their looming presence now she had
someone small to focus on. “I know I want to work in a tiny district, but I’m
not sure what I’d do.”
“That’s a
tough one. Tiny employers don’t pay as much, so most bigs don’t look for work
there. Aside from patrollers, I suppose,”
“Can’t do
that. The last thing I want to do is have to confront some ornery big.” When
Jackie reached their class, she grabbed a tiny desk from the front row and
brought it to the very back, repeating what was becoming a common ritual among
mixed size friends.
“Yeah, that
sounds miserable,” he laughed in acknowledgement. He took a seat on the desk
placed on her desk. “What about construction?”
“Those are
usually outsourced to dedicated construction companies, so I’d mainly be
working on projects at my scale.” As the two talked, Jackie was overcome with
the strange sensation of being watched. Turning to her right, she was
confronted by the widened eyes of a stout girl with frizzy, black hair. “C-can
I help you?”
“Sorry,”
Alena said, snapping free from her haze. “You look exactly like someone I know.
Sorta. It’s kinda freaking me out.”
“Oh, you
must mean Lynn. She’s my twin sister.” Despite the explanation, Alena’s shocked
expression didn’t falter.
“You have a
tiny twin? I had no idea that was possible.”
“I can’t
blame you. As far as I know, we’re still the only ones. I’m Jackie by the way,
and this is my friend, Pierce.” The tiny lit up at being called a friend
already.
“Alena.”
She placed her hand on her heart, calming herself down. “Sorry again for acting
weird. I met Lynn this morning and was not expecting to see her blown up like
this.”
“Yeah, I'd
probably freak out too if I was suddenly taller than Jackie,” Pierce added. The
larger twin shuddered at that nightmare scenario. “At least I know to expect it
when I meet Lynn.”
“She showed
me some of her drawings. They're really good, and you have great taste in anime
by the way. Have you seen…” The three spent the time before class gushing about
the shows they like. It surprised Jackie how easy it was talking to Alena
despite them being the same height. Likewise, Alena found it interesting how
vocal the tinies she met were, speaking as freely to her as they would someone
their own scale. Pierce was happy to have made new friends so quickly,
expecting to have to stick to Javi's coattails like in high school.
“…Wonder of
U would trash Made in Heaven,” Jackie shouted in heated debate. “The calamities
would accelerate along with the rest of the universe. There's no escaping
that.”
“You're
still not factoring in time stop,” Alena argued, “and you know DIO and Pucci
are tag-teaming it.”
“Excuse me
if I'm interrupting,” the professor snided, “but if you can shelve your
passionate debate over classic rock so I can start class, that would be
appreciated.” The trio shut up, feeling the burning attention of their peers on
their necks as the rest of the room's silence struck them. Jackie shut herself
off, burying her blaring red face in her arms. Pierce turned his head and
stared at the wall so he couldn't meet anyone's gaze.
“Sorry,”
Alena apologized, maintaining her composure as best she could under the
circumstances.
“And if I'm
to offer my two cents,” the old professor continued, “Killer Queen is a much
better song than Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”
…
“Where are
you headed next?” Michelle asked the tiny on her desk. Women's studies had just
finished, and everyone was packing up to move on with their day.
“Room 215,”
Javi answered. “I'm meeting Pierce there, and then we're probably going to get
something to eat.”
“Oh.”
Disappointment scrawled across the woman's face. “I'm headed the other way, to
the science building.”
“I can take
you there,” Heather offered, standing over the seated pair. “I'm headed to 215
myself to meet a friend.”
“Of course
you are,” Michelle muttered. Ignoring the other woman's snark, Heather squeezed
past the desks into Javi's aisle, holding her hand out for him to climb into.
“Sounds
good to me. Thanks!” Javi clambered onto Heather's fingers and was slowly
lifted up to her shoulder. He stepped off of her hand and onto the strap of her
backpack, hanging onto a flat loop that bore the bag maker's logo for support.
“Buckled in?”
She could barely see him nod within her peripheral vision, his body so close to
her enormous head. The view from up there, as she exited into the hallway, was
incredible. At 6’7”, Heather was a giantess in her own right, and the two and a
half inch Javi had never known what it was like to walk around at such lofty
heights. Seeing the tops of so many heads felt surreal. “It must get annoying
having to be carried around everywhere.”
“Not
really. It's not like we need the help, it's just more convenient. My advisor
told me I should schedule my classes around long breaks, so I could get to them
in time in case I didn't have someone to take me, but I like that this gets me
to spend more time with people, make new friends and all that.” He noticed the
skateboard strapped to her backpack, but before he could ask her if she skated,
they had reached their destination.
“Yo,
Alena,” Heather called and waved, as if she didn't already stand out in the
crowd of students. Alena was walking alongside Jackie, chatting with her and
the tiny Pierce riding in her left hand. “What's uhhhh…” As the two groups
collided, Heather and Jackie froze. The 5’4” twin had to crane her neck to look
the other woman in the eye.
“H-how are
you so tall?” they both asked, dumbstruck. Jackie's heart raced, and her breath
drew short. Heather was perplexed how the woman who had sat on her desk a
couple hours ago was now standing at chest height. Amidst their fright, Alena
stepped between them.
“Heather,
this is Jackie, Lynn's twin sister. They're a mixed size family. Jackie, this
is…” Alena noticed how pale Jackie had become. Her hand trembled slightly,
jostling Pierce like a low magnitude quake. “Jackie, are you okay?”
She blinked
a couple times and snapped out of her haze, Alena's words bringing her back to
the present day. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just, you're so
tall.”
“No worries,”
Heather giggled. “You’re not the first person to freak out over it. Though,
this is the first time I’ve wigged out over someone else being ‘tall.’” She
bent her knees and leaned forward, holding her hand out to greet Jackie
properly. The shorter woman attempted to grasp onto it, but she found her hand
engulfed by the giantess’, it’s gentle pressure more than she could return.
Though the gap between them was still wide, Javi and Pierce's human islands
were close enough that they could wave to each other. “Mixed-size twins, huh?
That's sick as hell.”
Heather
stood up straight, eliciting a gulp from Jackie as she did her best to stay
sane in the skater girl’s shadow. “Thanks. I like your hair.” To Jackie’s
surprise, Heather wrapped her arm around the shorter woman’s shoulder,
embracing her in a sort of half hug.
“You twins
are alright. Me and Alena were headed to the food court to grab a pizza. Why
don’t you join us? Oh!” Heather remembered there were tinies tagging along on
their persons. “That offer extends to the guys too. My treat.” She gently
plucked Javi from her shoulder and lowered him onto Jackie’s palm, reuniting
the friends.
“And what
about me?” a high-pitched voice rang out from the floor. “I’m assuming I’m part
of this equation too.” Lynn stood beside Jackie’s black boot, only coming up as
high as top of the toe.
“Yo! What
up, Lynn?” Heather waved. Jackie crouched and greeted her sister, lowering her
palm so Lynn could climb aboard and join the other tinies. “Of course, you’re
coming too.”
“Jackie,
you were supposed to wait for me by the classroom,” Lynn complained. “I had to
walk a whole three yards to get over to you.”
“Sorry.”
Jackie stood back up, gently lifting the tinies in her hand to chest level. “I
got caught up chatting with my new friends. I forgot we were meeting up here.”
Lynn held her hands at her waist while she pouted, but her displeasure quickly
subsided. It was a wonder that Jackie had made some friends already, and one
was a big of all things.
“Fine. But
I want to ride on Heather’s shoulder! I gotta see the world from up there.” The
bigs all laughed at the puny firecracker, but Heather obliged and plucked the
tiny twin from the other’s palm. Heather placed Lynn on her backpack strap as
she had done with Javi, the tiny becoming mesmerized at the lofty view from
above the rest of the student body. “Holy shit, is this what you see every day?
How do you not get dizzy?”
“I’ve
gotten used to it, I guess,” Heather chuckled. “Who knows? Maybe you will too.”
…
The six sat
on either side of a booth table in the campus’ food court. Alena and Heather
sat next to each other with Jackie seated across from them. The tinies were all
on the table, sitting beside an extra-large veggie deluxe and a mini-XL
pepperoni sausage pizza. Javi and Pierce sat over on Jackie’s end, while Lynn
lied on her stomach atop an open page of Alena’s notebook. The two women were
sketching in it, the larger struggling to maintain her confidence while
watching the smaller belt out masterpieces with little effort.
“Lynn,
these are incredible. My notebook isn’t worthy.” Alena put down her pencil,
disgusted with her own attempt.
“Please, these
aren’t anything special.” Lynn stood up and walked towards Alena’s sketch. It
was a rough illustration of a mannequin wearing a frilly dress. Traces of the
fashionable design Alena devised in her head were apparent, but the proportions
were all off and the dress itself had no depth. “For not working off a
reference, this isn’t that bad. Here,” Lynn walked to a blank space on the page
and lied down on her back, “try sketching me.” The tiny sprawled out like she
was posing for a centerfold, stretching her arms over her head and twisting her
waist to accentuate her curves. Alena’s heartbeat hastened, making it tough to
keep her hand steady as she drew in the space next to the girl. “Don’t think
about me as a whole, but focus on the shapes that make up each part of my
body.” While she drew, the other side of the table was engaged in their own
conversation.
“You should
come over Pierce’s house this weekend,” Javi said to Jackie. “We’re getting
pretty close to finishing up the repairs on his gramps’ old hotrod.”
“We? You
just sit on your ass and scroll on your phone,” Pierce stated, biting into
another slice of pizza.
“I provide
moral support. You need someone to shout at all the times you break something.”
“I’d love
to hang out with you guys. It’s been too long since I’ve last visited a tiny
district,” Jackie responded. “Is the commute long for you?”
“No. Our
house is just outside the city, so it’s only like a forty-minute drive on the
tiny turnpike.” While they were busy making plans, Alena finished her sketch.
“There.”
Alena put down her pencil and the group took a peek at the drawing. Though
still rough, it was a marked improvement over her previous efforts. Lynn stood
over her life-size portrait and nodded in satisfaction.
“Very good.
It’s still a bit flat, but you got my proportions down,” Lynn commented. The
head and limbs all looked well enough like a head and limbs, and the clothing,
though simpler than the real deal, resembled what Lynn was wearing well enough.
But one feature in particular stood out.
“Yeah, her
boobs look great,” Heather pointed out. Looking at the drawing, it was clear
Lynn’s chest had received much more attention than the rest of her, the sketch
rendering her globes almost perfectly.
“What!?”
Alena panicked as the group noticed how right Heather was. “I didn’t mean… I
wasn’t trying… That is… I’m sorry, I’ll erase it now!” Alena grabbed her pencil
and tried to bring her eraser down onto the page, but Lynn dove over portrait,
shielding it from the pink rubber.
“No! I need
those! They’re my pride and joy!” she joked, eliciting a chorus of laughter
from around the table. Alena sighed and put her pencil aside. She pinched
either side of Lynn’s torso and pulled her off the page.
“Now you’re
covered in pencil lead, silly.” Lynn’s bright camisole had been stained grey,
but the illustrated boobs remained mostly intact.
“A worthy
sacrifice,” Lynn noted as Alena set her down on the table. Heather pulled out
her phone and got into her contacts.
“Before we
head off, everyone give me your number. I’ll start a group chat.” Her fingers
danced in a flurry as she inputted the numbers.
“You sure
about paying for the food?” Jackie asked. “Lynn and I don’t mind chipping in.”
“Girl, it’s
fine. Trust me, I can afford a couple pizzas.” With everyone’s info safely
stored, the group got up to head to their next classes. “Everybody share their
schedules, that way we know when we’re all free to hang.”
…
That
evening, once they had finished all their classes, Jackie and Lynn walked
together back to their dorm, the former carrying the latter in her special
compartment. While tinies and bigs tended to reside in separate, properly
scaled dormitories, the university was more than willing to allow the twins to
bunk together in the big apartments. With a sudden brrng, Jackie’s phone
went off in her pocket.
“It’s mom,”
she said, reading off the contact on the screen. Jackie answered and set the
phone to speaker mode.
“Hi,
sweetie! How was your first day?” The woman on the other line spoke with
unbridled enthusiasm.
“It was
fine, mom. You don’t have to check in on us,” Lynn chided.
“Oh good,
your sister’s with you! I’m sure you’ve made tons of friends already, Lynn.”
“We both
have, mom,” Jackie mentioned. “Thanks for calling.”
“Of course!
Your father’s napping at the moment, but he misses you both too. Lynn, your
taking good care of your sister, right?”
“Mom, we’re
hanging up now.” Lynn was ready to jump onto the screen and do it herself.
“Okay, I
won’t keep you any longer. Just remember to stay safe and have fun. I’m so
excited for you both.”
“Thanks,
mom. Bye!” Jackie pocketed her phone and continued walking. The sky radiated a
tangerine orange as the sun sank towards the horizon, bringing a close to the
first day of the twin’s long college career.