I was safe, secure in my ball again.  I knew what it was, where I was and understood it all, but despite my situation I found it utterly comforting to be totally contained, to lay upon the smooth plastic beneath me and just breathe.

My ball rested on Chloe's bed at her side.  I watched her for a long time, marvelling at her smooth, languid movements and gestures, at the warm, contented smile she continued to wear throughout the evening.  She really was like a goddess... it shouldn't be possible for so much power and grace to exist together in one perfectly beautiful form.

I watched Shauna serve her.  Watched her lusciously strip off the lady's stockings and carry them to the sink, washing them by hand.  I watched her with smoldering jealousy as she knelt and suckled at our keeper's long and lovely toes, then fetch her slippers and delight in tugging the soft, fiery red knit boots up over her smooth and slender calves.

I helplessly watched as they left me behind, moving to a plush armchair across the room.  Chloe settled into it, and Shauna brought her a  stack of folders and a cup of tea, then stretched out on the ground before her, wearing a silly little grin and seeming utterly relaxed.

I hated being so far away.  Of course, Chloe was a busy woman with much to do.  Team Flare was worth billions, possibly even trillions.  I really had no idea how many members there were, but maybe I was one now?  Anyhow, I logically understood that she didn't have time to be interacting with me all day.

Still, Shauna was with her.  Shauna was there, and I was trapped in a ball.  I dragged myself up and pressed myself against the plastic, filled with longing as I continued to watch their interactions.

At one time, it had seemed so strange, so wrong that Shauna would do all of the things I'd seen her do.  Crawling on the ground and licking Chloe's shoes and obeying every offhand order she gave with an eager smile... it didn't initially make sense.

It did now, though.  It made Chloe happy.  It pleased her to have people underfoot.  It satisfied her to be unquestioningly obeyed.  Even now, she leaned back and lifted her legs to bring her feet to rest on Shauna's supine form, I called to her, pleading to let me take her place.  I saw the gleam in her eye, the utterly contented sigh and the gloriously radiant smile she wore when her boot settled slowly onto Shauna's waiting face.

If only she'd use me to rest her feet on.  If only she'd let me crawl to her and shower her slippers with kisses, with all the desire and worship earnestly building in my breast.

If only it was my face pinned beneath her sole, kissing the bottom of her boot again and again and again...

Then that smile would be for me.  That happiness would be mine.  That angelic pleasure would be my doing, my gift to the incredible being I belonged to.

I watched for what felt like hours, Shauna squirming and smiling underfoot, glorious Chloe reading her files and contentedly sliding her soft-soled boots along the girl's body and face.  I was empty where I sat, filled only with longing for what they had.  Eventually, I drifted off, wishing for my lips upon those precious and powerful soles, for her eyes upon me or even the faintest touch, but all I had were my fitful, pathetic little dreams.

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

“Lucy.”

White light surrounded me, and the sweetest voice called my name.  I stretched lazily, yawning, rubbing my eyes.  I didn’t remember standing up, but I seemed to be on my feet all the same.

“Lucy.”

Just as sweet and melodic and soft, but there was a touch more insistence in her tone.  Chloe was speaking my name, calling to me, and as I opened my eyes I saw her standing before me, bathed in the beautiful morning sun.  She’d dressed already, wearing a little bright red turtleneck sweater dress that wrapped around her body with wondrous precision and sheer black stockings that stretched above the tops of her tall black buckled boots, and she looked so effortly magnificent that I had to catch my breath.

I wanted to rush to her, to throw my arms around her and nestle at her side.  I wanted to beg her never to leave me alone again, to keep me with her every moment and never go.  Instead, I swallowed once and tried to run my fingers through my long, wavy hair, focusing on my hopes that her slightly more casual dress was intentionally a step down from the executive garb she wore the day before, meaning that she’d not be going off to wherever her office happened to be and would instead spend the day with me.

Me and only me?  I took a step forward, nervously folding and rubbing my hands together, having a hard time looking her in the eye.  “Where’s… ah, where’s Shauna?”

“You are a mess,” Chloe flatly stated, looking me over and wholly ignoring my question.  I was suddenly terribly self conscious of the fact that I was still in yesterday’s clothes, and that they were the same ones that I’d worn while laying in the dirt, being stepped on, and crawling about on the floor.

“We’re entertaining today, little one,” she continued while closing the distance between us in one long stride.  The sound of her heavy boot striking the floor sent a chill through me, though I couldn’t immediately place why it intimidated me so.  Her hand stretched out to brush some bit of stray debris from my shoulder, and I found myself leaning towards it, dreaming that her palm might brush my cheek.  “She’ll be here any moment, so go… do something about yourself.  Quickly.”

I whimpered at the rebuke, but there was no time to pity myself.  I gave a quick nod of understanding and scampered off to the sink.  I rushed through washing my face with cold water, splashing a bit of it through my hair and trying to brush it with my fingertips.  Only a few minutes had gone by, and I was still dabbing at the streaks of dirt on my skirt when I heard the chime of the door bell.

“Answer that,” Chloe called to me over the faint clink of glass from the kitchen, “And remember, this is a dear friend of mine.  You will respect her as you do me, understood?”

“Yes, Miss!” I answered as I dropped what I was doing and briskly scurried towards the door.  Why ‘Miss?’  Where had that come from?  I guess I had to call her something, but saying her name out loud just seemed like it would be too familiar.  Either way, I didn’t have time to worry about that now.  I cleared my throat and reached for the door, swinging it wide and offering my brightest smile.

There was no mistaking her.  The pink hair, the contemptuous sneer, the narrowed eyes that stared me down over the rim of her colored sunglasses.

Malva.

“Nice to see you, runt,” she uttered while planting her hand on my chest and shoving me back through the door.  “Now, get on your goddamn knees.”