The Shrink Program

Chapter 53

The good thing about being knocked unconscious and in recovery for a couple of hours.... was that it was hours I missed out on school.

Somehow, I couldn't help but think that was a little intentional. I certainly felt waaaay better than I had this morning, once the headache had worn off.

It's amazing what a little trauma-induced nap can do for a person. I felt near phenomenal.

For someone who had just fought a giant hand and lost... I'd come out of it surprisingly intact... Without even a battle bruise to show for.

... Perhaps the true reason I stayed out for so long had more to do with sleep deprivation... rather than actual injury.

Knowing that I had managed to avoid today's math class put me in a good mood, regardless.

His sore wrist, the stressful morning, plus the fact that he had missed out on all the wonders of today's math class, had put Vain in a bad mood.

Though he was never all that chirpy, to begin with... An upset Vain is still a force to be reckoned with.

Alex, very wisely, chose to go investigate what had happened with the King, telling us to call his mobile if anything happened. With a muttered 'Yes mother' from me, he had abandoned us to the joys of yet another English class.

Despite what I might think, one English class a week is apparently not enough.

After a discussion about what had apparently happened so far in the book, the class picked up from where they had left off yesterday.

Since I was in a good mood and had just spent my morning snoozing, I had too much energy to relax quietly, and soon became bored.

... To a point where I was willing to have my head bitten off by a very irritable Vain if that meant entertainment.

That was the fateful moment, where I discovered that I had Tetris on my phone.

Lazily wondering why the Shrink Program felt the need to put so many retro games in their shrunken victim's mini phones.... despite all the evidence pointing to them wanting us to be completely miserable, I played the most epic game of Tetris ever attempted.

Making it to the third level. Twice.

Nope. As it turns out, my most recent case of brain damage had not turned me into a gaming savant. Pity.

After catching me playing with my phone instead of actually paying attention to class, Vain had made me sit on the desk instead of his shoulder.
The book that the class was reading sat open on the desk in front of me. So thick, it came up to my chest as I sat.

Vain said he didn't care what I did, as long as he didn't have to listen to mobile game noises right next to his ear. Which wasn't fun at all...

So I just sat, watching and listening to the giant world around me. After being shrunk, most noises I heard seemed deeper, and even the small movement of Vain turning the page seemed more like heavy machinery moving than someone's hand.

It was kind of cool... in a really scary way...

A girl to the left of Vain stood up from her desk, presumably to go to the ladies room and I watched lazily as her giant body walked past us, having to strain my neck to look up at her face.

I froze, seeing that she was looking at me too, glaring down at me like I was a bug. That nasty expression is what made me recognise her as Rachel Fredem, the crazy girl from the bus.

Mentally patted myself on the back for being so observant, I sent Rachel one of my nicest smiles.

I could tell she appreciated it, as she resisted the urge to squash me into the table. With one last scathing look at me, Rachel glances at Vain, her lips pressed together in frustration.

I felt irritation tug at my smile.

Why the hell was this girl so obsessed with Vain anyway?

I had punched her once years ago after she stalked Vain and actually broken into his house.... Vain didn't know about that part though.

Tense, I watched quietly as she left the room, grateful that she didn't push it any further.

Sighing with a mixture of relief and wariness, I sagged forward to rest my chin on my hand, elbow propped in my lap.

It wasn't that I was possessive. I may not like his fangirls, but I never tried to keep them away from him. He did a good enough job scaring off the girls with his horrible personality anyway...

I just drew the line at letting psychos get attached to him.

Distracted as I was, it hadn't even occurred to me to look at Vain to see if he had even noticed the exchange.

Suddenly very self-conscious, I risked a glance up at Vain... only to have my worst fears confirmed.

He was observing me, his expression speculative.

I almost flinched, and a strange feeling of guilt washed over me. It's not like I had started outright growling like an overprotective guard dog... but I may as well have.

Surely, he must think, I am the last person in the world who had the right to be acting in such a way.

Not after I had spent the last two years avoiding him.

Trying to push back my sudden insecurity, I resorted to a comfortably familiar emotion. Pissed off.

As he continued to watch me, I glared back at him accusingly.

"You're supposed to be reading the book!" I hissed.

That's right, Vain. How dare you slack off.

Vain rolled his eyes silently, and after one last careful look at me, he sent his watchful gaze towards the door. From the anxious look in his red eyes, I could tell he was stressing about something.

Couldn't really blame him. With Jack on the prowl, anything could happen.

A sudden explosion of noise tore through the air.

I hunched over, clutching my ears in agony.

Through the pain, I recognised the school's fire alarm.

At this size, the blaring noise was deafening.

The other students began to stand up, chairs scraping and urgent voices booming as they began to evacuate.

"Vain!" I cried out in terror, in too much pain to do more than clutch my ears.

I need to get away from the noise.

Forcing my eyes open, my gaze focused just in time to see Vain stand up and reach a hand towards me.

But before he could touch me, a hand shot out from the crowd of evacuating people, shoving Vain to the side. With an exploding clatter of noise Vain crashed into the floor. Tangling up with his chair and the desk beside his.

"Vain!" I cried out in alarm, but unable to see more before I was enveloped up in black cloth.