Bryce had been startled to see his former student Mia Lawson staring down at him. He recalled the last time he saw her. It was the end of the fall semester as he had just submitted all his student’s grades the evening before he came down with Smallara. He knew Mia would have graduated high school in the spring and if it was fall now that meant he had been in that facility for approximately nine months.
The facility didn’t allow for news. It was a culture shock at first. He had gotten so used to being online all the time. Now he just had a tablet that connected to an internal server that held digital copies of seemingly thousands of books. It had some basic games like Microsoft Solitaire and a digital version of Checkers but that was it.
This left Bryce clueless as to what was actually going on in the outside world. He had been told his family was contacted but they were unable to meet the financial obligations for his release. As laws changed and the Smallera pandemic got worse Bryce was mostly unaware.
Each day at 9 am, 1 pm, and 6 pm a girl named Heather who he could only describe as a giant would come by and deliver a plate of food. Bryce knew she wasn’t really a giant. She had told him once she was merely 5’2″ but to Bryce, even that short of a height was almost like a dream. Heather would place the small plate of food on her index finger and then open his door. Her giant finger would enter his room and he would lift the plate from her finger and deposit his dirty plate back onto her finger.
She would then always smile so warmly at him before pulling her finger back out and closing his door. That was the majority of Bryce’s interaction outside of once a day he was allotted a 30-minute recess. It was nice to see other people and get to talk to them. However, no one ever really knew much of anything new.
Now as he looked at Mia it was surprising to see another person. As her hands wrapped around his small body, Bryce struggled to comprehend just how strong her dainty hand was. He tried to move his arms or legs but her hand left him completely immobilized.
“It’s my birthday, Wexie. Aren’t you going to wish me a happy birthday? But, I guess it might be a little strange for my gift to wish me a happy birthday.” Mia said as she continued to snap her gum and smack her lips. The sound of the gum-snapping was annoying enough. The addition of her lips smacking was an extra irritation.
Bryce tried to comprehend what Mia had told him. A gift, he was gifted to her by that teenage boy. That must have been Tanner. He couldn’t be a gift. He was waiting for his family to raise the money to pay the licensing and registration fees.
“Oh, Happy Birthday,” Bryce said with a stammer. “Umm, My family is trying to raise the money to get me out. I’m sure of it. If you could send me back or maybe contact them.” Bryce said as Mia held him firmly in her hand. She had pulled him out completely from the shoebox revealing a large bedroom with two beds in it.
“I’m not returning you, Mr. Wexler. Tanner, my brother picked you out just for me. It would be rude not to appreciate the gift of you. You belong to me now. I’m your guardian. This paperwork even says so. You’re my property, Mr. Wexler.” The statement was made so matter of factly as Mia flashed the paperwork in front of his face. There wasn’t any hint of callousness in her tone. It was as if this was the most normal of things.
The statement was oppressive and harsh to Bryce. He knew that he was considered a ward of the federal government like the others who are checked into the facility. He just didn’t think reassignment was so beyond his control.
Mia stood up from the sofa and walked across the room while she dangled Bryce in her grip as she carried him with the casualness that a person carries a pen or pencil along with the same amount of thought. Mia gathered her purse and slung her bookbag over her shoulder before stopping next to her bed. A sickness churned at the pit of Bryce’s stomach as he soon hovered over the middle of her bed before Mia’s grip on him released. The world whooshed by in a blur before he landed on her bed taking several good bounces. By the time Bryce had settled, he saw Mia heading towards the door.
“Wait, what about me?” Bryce tried to shout but he still hadn’t gotten any water or food for that matter. It made his voice quite meek sounding and his throat was so dry it hurt to speak. If the room hadn’t been completely quiet he would have been inaudible to her.
“Uh, what about you? I have a class. You can just lay where I put you till I come back.” Mia said in a tone that told him that was the dumbest question imaginable to her before she dashed out closing the door behind her.
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