The Shrink Program

Chapter 92

There are three words that I just can't stay mad at.

Ice-cream. For. Breakfast.

Just let it be known, life is officially worth living once more.

"You don't have to cry, Maddison..."

"I'm not crying." I seriously informed Nigel between mouthfuls of ice-cream. "This is just my body's way of keeping its figure. Ice-cream goes in, water comes out."

"Right." He nodded eagerly, a bright smile twitching at his lips.

After a quick apology and a promise to make it up to us, the two dorky supervisors had departed, lost in the storm of yet another stupid argument.... and I can't stress the word stupid enough here.

Nigel and I sat in the crowded cafeteria, a room that took up a large section of the south wall.

I sat happily, mostly in denial of the fact that it was technically lunchtime, because you know, I'm having ice-cream for breakfast and all...

"So... Um... this place seems nice...." Nigel commented conversationally, laying his head lazily on his crossed arms.

"You think so?" I scoffed derisively.

"Yea, they even gave me a free T-Shirt."

"That's your prison uniform idiot."

"And it's kinda cool." Nigel continued eagerly. "Being small."

I blinked at him, shocked. "You like it?"

"Sure." He smiled at me softly, a little sadly. "The world always felt too crowded before....."

His gaze lowered to his own arms.
"I was always afraid to move.... in case I hurt or broke something by accident. But like this..."

He sat up, stretching his arms up happily. "I finally feel free to move!"

I rolled my eyes, subtly averting my gaze down into my bowl of ice-cream. "You're easily pleased." I murmured.

I had noticed it.

That Nigel tended to move a little stiffly when he was around others or forced to go indoors. I suppose that being numb to the world, Nigel always had to be careful.

"You only like it because you've only been small for a day or two," I informed him. "Wait a little bit longer, and you'll come to understand the true horror of shrunken life." I gave him a serious look over the edge of the bowl.

Nigel gave me a worried look. "... Really?"

My gaze grew intense.

"Being shrunk isn't all fun and games, Nigel. You get your ass handed to you by small animals and every five minutes you find yourself trapped in yet another glass jar."

My shoulders tensed, my body stiffening at the reminder.

"Everything is huge and people just... look at you like you're some kind of freaky insect....all the time. Worst of all, ever since I was shrunk, I've missed breakfast...." I slammed the bowl down with a firm clack. "Twice."

Nigel recoiled in horror. "T-that's...."

"It's true, Nigel. I have nearly starved to death two times!" I stressed, tears welling up in my eyes. "If we stay like this, at this rate, I'm certain that we're going to eventually go a whole day without food. And that means..."

"We're going to die here!" Nigel and I wailed together, clutching at each other in dramatic horror.

The people around us fell silent, most giving us odd looks.

A second later, I sniggered, and that was all the encouragement Nigel needed.

Soon we were laughing, holding to each other as we shook.

It was as I was trying to remember how to breathe.... that I heard Nigel quietly speak.

"I'm sorry... All this time... I didn't realise how scared you were Maddison."

Suddenly, we weren't clutching each other dramatically anymore.

Without me noticing, Nigel had turned it into the "gentle so as not to hurt you by accident" hug of his.

Sneaky bastard...

"Me? Scared? Are sure you didn't hit your head when I tackled you earlier?" Even as I indignantly denied it, I didn't bother to resist the hug.

With his freakish strength, I couldn't pull away if he didn't want to let go.... so I had no choice but to rest my cheek against his shoulder.

No. Choice. None.

"Yea... It's going to be okay, right? " He squeezed a little tighter. "We'll sort this out."

I didn't bother to disagree. Nigel wouldn't listen anyway. The idiot's too optimistic for his own good.

"...E-even though... I'm really angry with him too... I'm sure that we can find a way to fix things between you and..."

I sat bolt upright in his arms, breaking away from the hug in my shock.

I'm going insane.

This has to be some sort of delusion, brought on by my desperate need to avoid thinking about him.

Because.

He.

Can't.

Be.

Here.

If Nigel hadn't grabbed me, my head wouldn't have been turned to the side. My gaze wouldn't have been focused on the elevator.

I wouldn't have seen Apollo, holding an ice cream cone to his lips, step inside.