The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chaos of teenagers free for lunch—trays clattering, laughter bouncing off the walls, clusters of students crammed together at tables. Some had unpacked meals from home, while others queued for the school’s polished culinary staff offerings, eyeing what was still fresh before the heat lamps dried everything out.
Roni and Joey had timed it just right. They blew through the lunch line, trays piled with the freshest options still out, not yet overcooked by the heat lamps. Turning away, they scanned the room for their group’s usual spot.
Eager to escape the noise in their heads, the two made small talk as they walked, trying to distract each other from the still-buzzing rumors about the latest Smallara outbreak and who might already be hiding among them. Students had gotten used to watching for signs—someone keeping their distance, suddenly quiet, or maybe even acting a little too energetic. Everyone had their theories about how the vulnerable tried to cover it up. But no matter the speculation, it was widely accepted that anyone destined to shrink would do their best to pretend nothing was different.
That didn’t make it easier. The last thing anyone wanted was for their secret to leak. Blending in, moving with the crowd, treating each day like normal—that was the safest play. Anything else only invited attention, and attention meant trouble. High school was rough enough without that hanging over your head.
The seniors still remembered their first year, when an outbreak had turned the school into the wild west. Overnight, students with status, friends, and influence had started dodging even the meekest of freshmen, desperate to avoid the shame of being outlasted by kids they’d normally look down on. It was a bitter tonic, one that pushed students to be bolder, sharper-tongued, even ready to throw punches if it meant proving someone else belonged beneath them.
It was for those reason that Joey really, really wanted this day to just be over so he could go home. Sure he was feeling sick, but sickness wasn’t what drove him to constantly check the time or work as fast as he could on assignments. It was desperation, a desire to run and hide before his fears were realized and the Hive finally made their social media post.
Finally making it to the table where Cam, Lauren, Sophie, and Zay were sitting and conversing, Roni and Joey took a seat, with Joey immediately looking as his tray while Roni let out a small sigh of sympathy, racking her mind for anyway to make him feel better.
Luckily, though, the others were there again, and more than willing to take the reigns and help.
“Hey, Joey,” spoke Lauren, setting her book aside for a moment to look him over. “I forgot to mention earlier, I got some new warmhammer figures. Not much, but they still need to be painted.”
This grabbed Joey’s attention immediately as he looked at her with curiosity.
“You’re really going all in with Warhammer? I thought you were loving the Pathfinder and DND books?”
“Yeah, well, a girl needs her hobbies, ya know,” she chuckled. “Besides,” she started before looking to Zay and Cam, “Those two looove sci-fi so much more than fantasy, this is a good way to finally get them into table top games”
Zay could only shrug with a smirk, but Cam rolled her eyes before looking at the two of them. “I am not that kind of nerd, Lauren. My thing is tech, not roleplaying as a Trekkie on the Galactica”
“Trekies are startrek cam!” Lauren and Joey said in unison in mock outrage, before laughing with each other.
Zay only smirked at this before turning to Cam. “Cam you totally said you’d play. That’s whole reason Lauren bought these. That and the fact I can’t afford them”
“I said I’d consider it, Zay. And I did. Briefly.” offered Cam with a rebuttal, before Sophie and Roni snorted.
“If you only considered it,” Roni taunted, “then why’d you DM me about wanting to be a Adeptus Mechanicus! What was it you said?”
“Oh I know,” Sophie joined in with a laugh, “Sophie, Roni! Look, I’m basically this irl!”
The whole table laughed as Cam’s face flushed with embarrassment, unable to say anything knowing she did actually look into it and found a faction of tech obsessed being interesting and relatable.
“Ugh fiiinnnee….I want to play the stupid space game, happy?” admitted Cam before laughing, “Can a girl help it that she wants to be a cyborg?”
No one could refute her. After all, outside of Joey, Cam was the biggest tech nerd in the group. It was what made the group of six gel together. Shared interests kept them close—hiccups were rare, and no worse than any other friend group
Lunch mostly continued like this: playful jabs, fun discussions, trying to decide what to do for the upcoming weekend or what video games to play tonight. The banter was exactly what Roni and Joey needed to distract from their stressful morning thoughts.
Sadly, this didn’t last. Sophie was the first to notice, and she let out a groan of annoyance and frustration.
“Ughhh….,” she started with a whine before sitting up straight, “Hive at 5 o’clock”
The whole table turned and, like Sophie said, saw a few girls heading towards their table.
The Hive, as some students call them, consists of the most popular and influential girls in the 11th grade class. Even some of the more popular 12th graders didn’t seem to want to mess wit them despite having influence of their own.
Of the Hive members, the ones approaching were the most intimidating: Sabrina Ellison, Zoey Tran, and Taylor Robison. Sabrina and Zoey were wearing their usual self-assured smile, emanating confidence and control in a way that was both alluring and intimidating. Taylor walked with her usual look of disinterest, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone knowing anyone with a brain would move out of her way or face her wrath.
“Well, well, well if it isn’t my favorite cliche in the grade,” Sabrina said with mock sweetness, smiling brightly at all of them.
“Hiiii Zay!” Zoey cooed, her eyes alight with interest in the star football player, “Still waiting for that prom invite, boo. I have our outfits all picked out.”
Zay just groaned in annoyance before going back to his meal, Zoey’s cheeks flushing with frustration.
“Cool it Zoey, we aren’t here for your love life. You’ll bag a rich senior, any way.” Sabrina said firmly, though still amused by Zoey’s fascination with the poorer students like Zay.
Already annoyed, Sophie stared daggers at Sabrina.
“Just spit it out, Ellison. We all know you’re shtick. Just get to the point so we can eat in peace” she said firmly, clearly unhappy with the presence but not afraid to stand up to the queen bee.
Sabrina wasn’t affected in the slightest. If anything, her smile widened in amusement, enjoying how easily her presence got under Sophie’s skin.
“Easy there, underfund. You know the rules—I have my fun, then I make my point.” Her voice was sugary, almost kind, before she locked eyes with Joey.
“So, Joseph… anything new?” she asked, feigning innocence.
“New?” Joey echoed, a small frown tugging at his mouth. “Can’t really think of anything.”
Sabrina studied him for a beat, then let out a huff.
“Zoey, didn’t you mention posts about… a certain person being an underbred? Ones that disappeared immediately after they went up?”
“Mhmm, sure did,” Zoey said, eyes glittering as she gave Joey a pointed look. “One second they were there, then—poof. Gone.”
“Not many people can make that happen, right, Zoey?”
“Only a handful,” Zoey replied smoothly. She tapped her chin, pretending to think, before flashing a smile. “Like you… or Joseph.”
“Exactly.” Sabrina’s gaze slid over the table, searching for cracks, then settled back on Joey.
Joey sat still, then gave a small shrug. “Haven’t done anything, Sabrina.”
“Yeah, Sabrina, seriously.” Cam cut in, her irritation bubbling. “Joey doesn’t waste time on drama. Maybe try minding your own for once?”
Sophie snorted. “Careful, Cam. If she thinks too hard, her tiara might slip.”
That got Taylor’s attention. She looked up from her phone, eyes cold.
“No one asked you two. Like an underfund and some new money should even be speaking anyway. Keep talking, and I’ll show you how fast reputations burn.”
“Yeah,” Zoey added, scowling. “One post from us, and you’re done. Want to be known as sluts? Maybe you’ll both have eating disorders. Want us to say you cry in the bathroom at lunch? We can make it happen. Its. so. Easy.”
“Girls,” Sabrina snapped, sharp enough to cut through the noise. Zoey and Taylor quieted instantly. Sabrina tilted her head, smiling sweetly at Cam and Sophie. “They didn’t mean anything by it.”
Both girls ducked back to their trays, their silence a reluctant shield.
With the control reestablished, Sabrina turned back to Joey, her smile softening into false warmth.
“You know, Joey… there’s nothing to be ashamed of,” she said sweetly. “I just want to make sure you end up… in the right hands. The high quality hands that a Calhoun deserves.”
Sabrina leans in, smiling even wider. “Like…mine? I have been looking for the perfect little. Who better for me than you, Joseph? ”
Roni was doing everything she could to keep a straight face. Inside, she was seething at the audacity of Sabrina. She wanted to leap across the table and feed Sabrina her lunch tray. However, she could see in Joey’s face that he wasn’t rattled.
No, Joey was calm, collected, confident. Years of being in a class about elite taught him much more than he ever let on, and now those lessons were on display.
Joey steepled his fingers, voice calm but cold.
“Sabrina. Whatever you think you know—you don’t.”
He leaned in, letting the silence drag before speaking again.
“We had an agreement. My friends, my group. Yours is over there. And you seem to have forgotten—I’m still a Calhoun.”
His gaze locked on each of them in turn.
“Leverage doesn’t disappear just because I don’t use it. So before you ever look our way again… think about the Country Club hideout.”
All three Hive members went pale, with Sabrina immediately scowling at him.
“You asshole,” she hissed, “There’s no way you—”
“There is a way, Sabrina,” Joey interrupted firmly, “There are many, many ways. I protect my own. Now, if you have nothing else, you’re dismissed. And don’t you ever bother me with petty rumors ever again.”
His voice rose a bit and this time, he let his anger show in his face. “Do I make myself clear?”
The three girls looked at each other, and, with a growl, Sabrina nodded, “I guess I misheard. No underbred would talk back like that….my apologies. Taylor, let’s go talk to Mia. See if we can visit with her and her little…”
“Ugh, I told you, the little jerk won’t let me near him,” Taylor said in annoyance as all three left the table.
The rest of the table let out a collective sigh, before Roni looked over at Joey with a smile.
“Dude, that was fucking badass! You totally—”
Roni stopped, looking at Joey closer, seeing what only she could see now that her anger subsided. There was a subtle tremor, a very small misting of tears in his eyes, and sweat finally showing on his forehead.
“Let’s….just finish lunch, please?” He asked, letting out a shaky breath.
The rest of the group just nodded, eating silently, the joy from earlier replaced by a solemn silence with the bustling cafeteria serving as ambient noise.
A) I think Joey could have played up that if he was going to be a little he would have told Sabrina because he would want to be with a Sexy giant instead to going def con 5 lol.
B) I see pride issues popping up with Joey when he turns into a little and will need one of the giant sisters to help him with something or one of the giant girls in the group.
C)I think Zay would make a good little team with Joey and one of the girls in their club takes him. Then they could go on little ,human double dates lol. The littles sitting on one of the girls boobs while watching a movie so her boobs are each like a seat so the guys can talk to and share a piece of popcorn lol.
D) if the group plays war hammer, the girls can dress up Zay and Joey to make them live figures lol. The girls would go crazy buying different outfits and dressing and undressing their ultimate dolls whether they like it or not lol.
E) Does the school let humans bring their littles to School? I am ready for Joey’s and hopefully Zays change. So much fun to had. Hopefully then Embracing being littles and don’t fight against what they are. Embracing what they are but still having fun is way better then being bitter all the time.
F) I wonder what would happen if Little Joey physically bonds with one of the younger sisters because Roni didn’t spend enough physical touch time with him?
A) Sabrina’s not a very good person lol probably in the realm of being Charity, Cindy or Birthday Shipment Mia’s little. even if they were attractive, I don’t think i’d be happy being abused or talked down to like a idiot or something of little to no real value if put in that position. She looks down on poor people and people that came into their fortune instead of it being a dynasty. that’s more of the reason why she and joey avoided each other. Joey’s family is almost Ellie status in CA, so no one wants to screw with him, but he’s very reasonable and made it clear a long time ago that the two of them wouldn’t be friends, but weren’t\aren’t supposed to be hostile. This broke that agreement and on top of that she talked down to his friends. He’s justified in his reaction. And I’ll add that he know way, way more about the Hive than he let on. The incident he refered to I haven’t flushed out, but he knows WAY more than he let on about other, much more reputation damaging things not just about Sabrina and her friends, but their families.
B) I think the opposite on that regard. There are currently no littles that have found out they are such and cheered, danced and celebrated their futures lol so yeah he’ll probably be stand offish, have his own opinions and not be docile or anything and being willing to say his piece and stand his ground, but that is a good thing for a little to be. So when we see them speaking up or fighting back and giving their take, thats them maintaining who they are and keeping a personality. A natural born little will be different, but I don’t think anyone who becomes a little will ever be happy about the idea of losing basically everything that a being recognized as human in the USA of this universe. Mexico they’ll at least be compliant, but that’s out of a horrific inhumane system that was implemented
C) Zay’s immune lol so he won’t be a little. Joey’s the only one who ended up not being immune in his friend group similar to how Gavin would have been in his friend group had he not betrayed Sara and caused tension in the group dynamic
D) I mean yeah they could force Joey to undress or just do it to him, but that’s a pretty callous way to go about and they’d probably not really see him as a friend anymore if they were at the point to do that to him. The thing about Littles is that it’s not necessarily that people look at them like they’re are animals, it’s the legal classification based on the desire of the Government not wanting to deal with them and the civil rights issues of them maintaining their original status and the propaganda that followed suit that makes people see it that way. I personally don’t. Even if the government calls them animals, to me, they are still people and shouldn’t accept their lot in life just cause. Otherwise they may as well just be mindless with no ability to critically think, and Preematech would be the ones leading that charge lol
E) It’s the same as at Sara’s school. Maybe a bit more liberal since this is CA and Littles at the state level have a bit more protections, like the anti-discrimincation law from the earlier chapters. For instance, it’s illegal to fire anyone in CA in this world because of their Smallara vulnerability status, if a little does get permission from their gaurdian to apply for a job, said company has to give them the same opprotunity as a nomral human unless that job is a Federal one in state, etc. So A little can attend school and take the same type of classes Jordan is taking, I just haven’t flushed that part of the story out because the earlier chapters haven’t really had reason to bring it up.
F) It’s possible but very unlikely. Joey’s going to be with Roni a lot. She promised him as much and they’re basically a mirror image of Gavin and Sarah if Gavin never messed up. Had Gavin been Sarahs Little, he would be set for life, and that’s where I got the idea for this story from. That and wanting to give my take on the idea of life knowing you’re vulnerable
Sorry if this came across as biting your head of haha was re-reading it and felt like a dick. very passionate about the fictitious world in which i get to write
I guess I always have joked around with woman, even the ones I didn’t like because it was how my 10 years older big sister taught me. I never talk mean to girls. I am guessing its why my party’s at my party house were not sausage fests lol.
I think because I try to be positive about my own accident in my life and there was some positives that came from the horrific accident , I think being a little for many people could be a big positive like Jordans bond with Sara has made his life way better. Just not in places that littles are treated bad like 3 world countries’, those places they are making German porn with mice and littles or something creepier.
I know being a little would be a big improvement in my life. the Metamorphosis would heal many small things on me and make my life free because i use my mind a lot anyways and having were powers would be fascinating to try to exploit lol
for sure. Totally see where you’re coming from. TBH I really do think were it not for this universes government, being a little probably wouldn’t be as bad for those that weren’t always littles. There’d still be prejudice and what not, but I wouldn’t mind it if it weren’t for the fact that my legal status would be above domestic animal but still below human despite my cognitive ability not changing lol that’s the other reason i think we see littles unhappy with people that are not littles. They think the metamorphosis changes their mind when it doesn’t even really touch it
Still burning slowly 😇
Another good episode!
Thank you. I actually had forgot awhile ago that there were two periods before lunch so that’s where chapter 37 came from lol otherwise I’d have done this one in the last post. i like how they both turned out though. built up some tension and added some world building without sacrificing content
0) Sorry I’m late, absolute shithouse of a day.
1) “But no matter the speculation, it was widely accepted that anyone destined to shrink would do their best to pretend nothing was different.” I’m sure Gavin did that.
2) “It was a bitter tonic, one that pushed students to be bolder, sharper-tongued, even ready to throw punches if it meant proving someone else belonged beneath them” reasonable response
3) “I got some new warmhammer figures. Not much, but they still need to be painted.” just think of the five detail a Little could add to such art,
4) . “Like you… or Joseph.” so they don’t know, just suspect?
5) “You know, Joey… there’s nothing to be ashamed of, I just want to make sure you end up… in the right hands. The high quality hands that a Calhoun deserves.” She wants status, his status, specifically.
6) “Like…mine? I have been looking for the perfect little. Who better for me than you, Joseph? ” I have known you exactly 678 words and can confidently say, most hands are better hands that yours.
7) “There are many, many ways. I protect my own. Now, if you have nothing else, you’re dismissed. And don’t you ever bother me with petty rumors ever again.” Joey for the win
8) “let’s go talk to Mia. See if we can visit with her and her little…” as in Mia Lawson? Are they visiting Wexie? (Time line doesn’t line up but solid reference if that’s who you meant.) or Miah from your other story?
0) no worries!
1) absolutely lol
2) people can be like sharks if they smell blood in the water
3) if the paint fumes don’t bother him, Joey probably wouldn’t mind helping out. it’s in his sphere of interest
4) they don’t. Zoey’s the one who’s all about social media and monitoring it and saw rumors but the posts were getting removed very very fast, like someone else is watching and keeping it under wraps. Joey and Sabrina are probably the only two in the school that could have someone do that. Their families have been in the same circles for a long time, just the Calhouns are far more influential so it’s reasonable for them to suspect Joey, even though Sabrina more than likely knows it’d be a bit odd for Joey to do since he does stay out of drama and social media from a personal stand point because he doesn’t have much reason to.
5) 100%. Joey to Sabrina is like Charity to Evan
6) lol you’d be right to think it. She’s probably a couple of tiers below cindy but sill pretty bad. She’d care for a little and love them, but her views would see them more like an accessory and symbol, which is why she’s really picky on what little she gets for her first (her groups gaurdian trained)
7) Joey doesn’t fuck around. I wanted to give people a glimpse into the fact that if he wasn’t a generally good person and wants to make a positive difference in the world, he could have been exactly like his parents, who in the business space can be just as ruthless and taught him how to be so. He just chooses not to and had opted to out of the spotlight so long as sabrina and her group didn’t bother his own
8) dang it. my keyboards been funky and i missed that. Yes it’s Miah from the other story. She and Taylor are cousins, their mom’s are sisters