Scott knew he shouldn’t even bother being disappointed that he wasn’t handed back over to his sister as soon as his rather unorthodox make-out session with Janie was concluded.  Somehow, from the look of glee in the girl’s eye, he knew she wasn’t going to want to give up her little pot of gold just yet, if at all.  The latter was probably more likely.

                Turning her head to look out the window, Janie could see a small crowd of girls heading back to the cabins.  Her eyes bugging with fright, Janie quickly leaned forward toward the ground and plopped Scott down by her right foot, the long muddy lace brushing against Scott’s arm as she did.  Immediately, the young man panicked.

                “NO!  PLEASE!  Don’t… d-d-don’t… you don’t know what it’s like to… t-t-to…”

                “What’s like to what?” Janie asked kindly, quickly undoing the zipper on her duffel bag.

                “Please don’t put me in your shoe,” Scott squeaked more pathetically than he intended to, falling to his knees involuntarily as if in prayer.  “Please.  I’m… I’m begging you…”

                Janie plucked her catch back off the ground in her fingers, frowning for a moment before giggling and shaking her head.

                “Don’t be silly.  Why would I put something I like to kiss down there where it’s all gross and sweaty and… UGH!  No, I just said that so you’d kiss me.  Don’t be such a weirdo.  You’ve gotta be a little smarter than that if you’re going to be my boyfriend.”

                Boyfriend?

                “The girls are all coming back in,” Janie explained quietly.  “So I’ve gotta put you away for a few minutes.  I’m gonna take a bathroom break and hide you out back until Gabby leaves me alone about you.  Don’t worry, I’ll be back before dark to pick you up again.  You can sleep in my bed tonight,” she detailed with an enthralled grin.

                “But…”

                “Because I’ll bet you’re getting SO sick of getting stuck between your sister’s toes all night instead, right?” winked Janie, gently depositing Scott into her right pocket.  “Which reminds me: we’re not making out again until I give you a bath.  Freakin’ foot germs all in my mouth…”

                “Janie…”

                “Two seconds, Mr. Handsome Bigshot.  I gotta get us out of here,” Janie promised with a smile before allowing her athletic shorts pocket to billow shut.

                A matter of minutes later, Scott found himself with two dirty shoelaces tied around all of his limbs and looped together multiple times before being tied tightly into a nail spike jabbing awkwardly out of a tree hovel about twenty yards behind the cabin that had evidently been used to hold up a tent at some point.  Janie was obviously taking no chances on her prize/newly chosen significant other making a break for it.

                “Janie… this isn’t necessary…” Scott protested weakly as, with a musical hum, the young girl finished looping the intricate knots around her lime-painted fingertips and tightening them just enough that Scott had no chance of breaking out of them by sheer force.

                “I’d love to believe you, Scott, but honestly?  I don’t want to take the chance.  I want you to be here forever.  You’re gonna teach me even more stuff later,” she said with a wink that made Scott shiver with terror.

                “This is ridiculous… I’ll… I can come visit you!  We could hang out when I’m normal size!  And…”

                “Did you just say when you’re normal sized?” Janie said with a piteous huff.  “Try if you’re normal sized.  And I don’t think I believe you.  I bet you’d just go straight back to your bitch girlfriend and forget about me.”

                Using the skill of holding back the rage that he had learned a long time ago, Scott took a deep breath.  “She’s not a bitch.  She’s a wonderful person.  You’d like her.  And…”

                “But she’s not willing to offer you everything like I am.  I’m… I’m younger than you, and I’m okay with that.  I want to learn from you!  You’re almost a real man, but you need me to protect you… we can take care of each other, Scott!  Forever and ever!  I’ll be the best girlfriend you’ve ever had.  You won’t even miss her because you’ll be too much in love with me.”

                “Janie, I have a FAMILY, too!  They’ll be looking for me, and…”

                “The kind of family that shrinks you all the time and wears you in their shoes like a bug?” Janie said with a snort.  “Doesn’t sound like much a family.  Sounds more like jail.”

                Scott came dangerously close to pausing in his argument and agreeing with her, but stopped himself short.  Priorities.  Priorities.  Priorities.  College coming up soon.  So, so close.

                “Yeah, but…” Scott tried to butt back in.

                “I’d never wear you in my sock, Scott.  Ever.  Not in my boots.  Not in my stockings.  Not in my sandals.  And I wouldn’t even think of taping you to me when I sleep.  Not unless you asked me to.  You’re too important.  I like you too much.  I’d do whatever you wanted, once you accepted me as your girlfriend.” 

                Scott became lost for a moment.  The thought was wild and horrible and didn’t make any kind of sense from any angle, and yet he found some deep, primal, untapped part of himself not totally opposed to the idea.  What was going on with his mind?

                “We’d be perfect together.  Believe me, I’d only put you under my foot if you cheated on me or something…”

                Scott grimaced, brought somewhat back to reality.  This was just getting peachier all the time.  He grumbled, struggling against the strings to no avail.

                “You can forget about getting out of those.  I have two older brothers, both cub scouts.  Taught me like 4 different knots that are really hard to get undone unless you know how.  Plus, I don’t think you’re strong enough, anyway,” Janie giggled, biting her lip again softly.  Bringing her finger up to her lips, she puckered against it and kissed it before tapping it ever so gently against Scott’s face.  “See you later, handsome,” she whispered before stealthily hurrying off back toward the cabin to avoid suspicion.