The SUV’s back door thunked open, and the cold hit them like a wet towel.
Nicole swung her legs out first, slower than usual, like her knees were negotiating with the weather, hitching her backpack strap higher with that efficient, practiced motion she had for everything now. Dayton stepped out last, scanning the parking lot on instinct, eyes flicking to exits without meaning to.
Mr. Myers clicked the key fob. The SUV chirped obediently. He didn’t say anything. He just fell into step behind them, hands in his jacket pockets, doing that adult thing where he pretends he’s not listening while somehow hearing the thoughts you haven’t said yet.
Little Mart sat at the end of the strip like it belonged there. Bright signage. Clean windows. A poster in the glass showing a smiling Guardian holding a smiling Little, like they were advertising a phone plan. Under the big letters, the smaller slogan: SAFE. LEGAL. CERTIFIED.
Dayton’s stomach tightened anyway.
They crossed the lot in a loose triangle. Nicole drifted closer to Dayton, shoulder to shoulder in that subtle way friends do when one of them is carrying news and doesn’t want to throw it across open air.
Kinsley noticed immediately, of course. She always did.
“Okay,” Kinsley said, squinting at them like they were a suspicious math problem. “What is it. You’re doing the whisper walk.”
Nicole huffed. “We’re not whisper walking.”
“You’re whisper walking,” Kinsley insisted. “It’s like… your foreheads are practically texting.”
Dayton didn’t rise to it. Not fully. She kept her eyes on the automatic doors ahead. “Nicole didn’t want to tell you until I was here.”
That made Kinsley’s expression change. The teasing drained out, replaced by something sharper. Her gaze flicked to Dayton’s empty hands, like part of her brain expected to see a hoodie pocket bulging with a tiny life.
Mr. Myers cleared his throat once behind them, the universal adult sound for I’m here but I’m not interrupting yet.
Nicole took a breath. “Okay. So. The SEA came today.”
Kinsley stopped walking for half a second, then kept moving, slower now. “To school school.”
Nicole nodded, eyes fixed on the storefront. “To school school.”
Dayton’s voice was flat. Controlled. Like she’d said it to herself ten times already so she wouldn’t say it wrong. “They didn’t just… come in.”
Kinsley’s eyes sharpened. “What do you mean.”
“I mean,” Dayton said, and her throat moved like she had to force the words past something, “they came in like it was an operation.”
Nicole’s voice came in quick, tight. “It was an operation. Fully armored. Helmets. Vests. Rifles.”
Kinsley’s face drained of color in a way Dayton recognized.
“They locked the whole school down,” Nicole continued, and she wasn’t exaggerating, she was reciting. “Doors shut. Teachers kept kids away from windows like a shooter drill. It was… instant. Like someone flipped a switch and the building stopped being a school and turned into a… facility.”
Mr. Myers’s pace slowed behind them. His voice came careful and low. “Guns were out?”
Nicole nodded without looking back. “Yes.”
“did they point them at kids?” Mr. Myers asked.
Nicole answers carefully, “Not at us. But… they didn’t point them away either. They were ready for anything.”
Dayton added, quieter, “I saw one of them in the hallway. Rifle up. Like…” She cut herself off and swallowed. “Like we were dangerous.”
Kinsley’s voice went very small. “Why.”
Dayton’s jaw flexed. “Ezra.”
Kinsley stared at her. “Ezra Rhys.”
Dayton nodded once.
Nicole’s fingers twisted around her backpack strap. “They said he was unclaimed. Uncollared. Still teaching. Something about seditious acts and minors, inproper teaching plans, And the district had been… stalling.”
Kinsley let out one sharp, humorless puff. “Stalling. Classic.”
Dayton’s eyes stayed forward. “They called it reckless. They called it noncompliance. They called it a federal safety issue.”
Nicole glanced sideways at Dayton, then back ahead. “They pulled admins out of the school and raided the district office simulataneously. They had SEA agents in the office and in the halls. Once they had operational control of the building then they came into the classroom.”
Kinsley’s mouth parted. “Into your classroom. With guns.”
Dayton nodded again. “Yes.”
Mr. Myers exhaled slowly through his nose. The kind of breath that says I would like to sue the entire universe but okay.
Nicole’s shoe scuffed the edge of the curb as they crossed the last strip of parking lot. The automatic doors ahead slid open and shut in quiet, indifferent cycles.
“They called Dayton to the front of the classroom,” Nicole said. Her voice went a little thin on front. “Like… by name. In front of everyone.”
Dayton didn’t look at her. She watched the doors. Watched the bright Little Mart posters like they were just… normal.
“They verified I was the listed Guardian,” Dayton said. “Then they asked if I had the collar on me.”
Kinsley’s head snapped toward her. “On you? Like you were supposed to just… have one in your backpack?”
Dayton’s jaw worked once. “It was nerve-wracking. I didn’t know they were doing any of that today. I bought it weeks ago and kept it in my bag.” A pause, then, quieter: “I thought there’d be a heads-up.”
Nicole nodded fast. “They made us put our phones face down immediately. Like the first instruction was basically: don’t record, don’t move, don’t argue.”
Mr. Myers shifted behind them, a half-step closer. He didn’t interrupt. He just listened the way adults do when they don’t like what they’re hearing.
“So we just… watched,” Nicole continued. “Dayton walked up there and he was… right there, and the agents were… right there, and everyone just sat there.”
Kinsley’s eyes flicked, calculating. Then her mouth set hard. “In front of everyone?” she said, voice tight. “He wasn’t my favorite teacher. Kind of an ass. But he didn’t deserve that kind of public display.”
Dayton didn’t soften it. She didn’t defend the SEA either. “Yeah,” she said. The word came out flat. “It was harder than I thought. I filed. He was in the wrong. But I didn’t picture…” She swallowed once. “Not that.”
Nicole hesitated, then pushed through anyway because somebody had to say the next part. “And then Dayton—”
“And then I claimed him,” Dayton cut in.
She didn’t say it proudly.
She didn’t say it like she wanted forgiveness.
She said it like a fact that existed, and she was done letting anyone else put prettier language on it.
Kinsley’s face did that rapid recalibration thing: shock, calculation, anger, something like grief, all fighting for the steering wheel at the same time.
“You claimed your teacher,” Kinsley said.
Dayton’s shoulders lifted in a controlled shrug that wasn’t a shrug at all. It was armor. “He’s not my teacher anymore.”
“That’s not what I said,” Kinsley snapped, heat immediate. “That’s your English teacher.”
Dayton finally looked at her. Not angry. Not smug. Just steady.
“And now he’s my Little,” she said. “That’s what the system says. That’s what the collar says. That’s what the agents made sure everyone understood.”
Nicole’s fingers tightened on her backpack strap. “Kin… Dayton asked for pointers. Remember.”
Kinsley’s nostrils flared. She looked away, toward the sliding doors. Toward the store that sold this like it was pet food and phone cases.
“Yeah,” she said. “I remember.”
Then, quieter, like the truth slipped out before she could stop it: “I just hate that they made it a show.”
Dayton’s voice dropped. “Me too.”
They reached the entrance.
The doors hissed open.
And the bright, polished world of care-as-commerce swallowed them whole.
Mr. Myers’s voice came in low and steady from just behind them, the way adults speak when they’re keeping their composure on purpose.
“Where is Ezra now.”
Dayton’s pace slowed as they reached the curb cut near the storefront. The automatic doors were only a few yards away, sliding open and shut for other shoppers with a soft sigh, bright light spilling out every time they parted.
“He’s at my house,” Dayton said. “In my room.”
Kinsley blinked hard. “In a habitat.”
Dayton’s eyes flicked to her for a fraction of a second. That same Guardian recalibration. Then: “Yes.”
Nicole’s gaze sharpened. “Dayton.”
Dayton’s mouth pressed into a line. “He chose to stay when we came out. I gave him the option.”
Kinsley’s expression did something complicated. Not approval. Not disapproval. Recognition, as she knew exactly how ugly an “option” could feel when the other choice was being carried around like a purse dog.
“And the SEA is going to…” Kinsley started, then stalled, like she didn’t want to say the next word out loud.
Dayton said it anyway. “Monitor.”
She didn’t dress it up. She didn’t apologize for it, either.
“Check-ins,” Dayton continued. “Compliance audits. They’ll want proof I’m following Guardian standards, and proof he’s contained and cared for.” A beat. “They made it really clear today that the district isn’t trusted.”
Mr. Myers let out a long breath through his nose. “And your mom is okay with this.”
Dayton’s expression flickered. For half a second she looked thirteen again, not a certification number. “She doesn’t love Littles,” she said. “She loves me.”
Kinsley stared at the Little Mart doors, at the glossy poster of the smiling Guardian with a smiling Little perched in her palm like an accessory. The lie of it was almost aggressive, like it dared you to question the packaging.
“Does he talk?” Kinsley asked.
Dayton’s voice dropped. “Yes.”
Nicole’s eyes softened. “A lot.”
Kinsley’s mouth twitched, a humorless almost smile. “Of course he does.”
Dayton’s jaw shifted, and for a moment Nicole thought she was going to give one of her clean, procedural explanations again. Instead she said, quieter, “He… he didn’t deserve the classroom version of it. I know that.”
Kinsley looked at her sharply. “You mean the part where they made you do it in front of everyone.”
Dayton didn’t flinch this time. “Yeah.”
Mr. Myers’s gaze moved between them, slower now, like he was re-cataloging the story. Not just the raid. Not just the collar. The fact that it had happened under fluorescent lights while teenagers watched, unable to look away.
They reached the sidewalk directly in front of the entrance. The doors were tall sheets of glass, so clean they barely looked real. Ezra-sized, they were gods. Human-sized, they were just… doors.
Inside, under bright lights, rows of tiny products waited: bedding, bowls, enrichment toys, collar accessories, sanitizer wipes, travel carriers. The whole packaged world of containment, sold as care.
Dayton stared at the sensor above the door like it was a checkpoint.
Nicole’s voice went soft, but it carried. “So. That’s the story.”
Kinsley looked at Dayton, really looked at her, like she was measuring the difference between Guardian and girl, between paperwork and choice.
Then she nodded once. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s get you what you need.”
The doors slid open with a quiet, welcoming hiss.
Wow the government traumatizing kids at school how shocking …. Oh wait no it’s not like damn I get enforced laws or necessary for society to stay stable but holy fuck the news should come out about that shit there’s no way that the news media won’t find out about what happened
Realistically this be all over the internet and spark out rage and protests like they isn’t some random person bringing a weapon to a school that’s the authority and government doing it like come on
Legally they should have recorded it unless the world is that different from ours in that case sure but come on
Overall good chapter and another heavy chapter about the situation
This world the government suppresses information regularly but that happens in real life too.
They would report what happened but leave out some details.
It would be reported as sea raid on corrupt district in which illegally registered little was found to be spewing seditious acts and anti government rhetoric to minors.
Admin staff and district heads removed by sea and little brought under proper guardian care.
Any other version of events never happened.
It’s a massive threat to the narrative so they made sure there were no recordings. No information leaks or anything so they can control what information is let out and what info isnt. Regardless of what Ezra was saying, the very fact there was a little teaching students without being monitored by a guardian or wearing a collar would give room to question the laws keeping littles designated as domestic dependents and probably encourage it to happen again, and would inspire protests, more movements, more questions, more “chaos” the government doesn’t want to deal with. Ezra would have been a martyr
Yup Ezra was the example to every person, every business. No one is above the law.
Fall in line, be brought in line, or tossed in a hole so dark you won’t ever see the light of the day. Was the message.
As the hope is by showing force here they never have to use it. As if they will raid a school in full military gear they will raid your business.
The only business they may give pause to is Generitech as they have their own military/security team. That is loaded to the gills with the latest technology.
now i want to see a private generitech owned school where littles are integrated with the staff and teaching just to see what would happen lol
Ironically i do have the outline of something like that. But unsure if it would be that or Madison’s worms next.
It’s a Generitech school.
I am thinking a something like that would not be goverment approved and cause issues even for genritech.
Generitech has its own county as revealed in smallara series where they govern. They have public services, schools, construction, security and police, hospitals,mags stations etc.
They have a full infastructure and own all the land in the county. Everyone works for Generitech in the county.
Ellie’s family handles the transportation. Because there families are friendly. However the government looks the other way as they need Generitech and Generitech also plays ball and does things they don’t agree with all
The time but are necessary to keep the arrangement and peace.
ugh i want a generitech school first, but i have a feeling everyone else wants madisons world or birthday shipment lol
Makes me wonder if the SEA is required to have body cameras on its officers.
They have cameras Chloe mentioned she was watching a feed. But they arent available to regular people. They are available to the sea and government review. Since it involved a little Generitech was brought in. So they monitored. Most sea activities have Generitech in the loop and provide support and assistance as directed by the government
That makes sense.
1) “Okay. So. The SEA came today.” Hadn’t she already been told?
2) “It was an operation. Fully armoured. Helmets. Vests. Rifles.” Unless she just hadn’t been told the whole story, lies of omission type shit.
3) “Doors shut. Teachers kept kids away from windows like a shooter drill” Well, there were several armed people in the building
4) “They called it reckless. They called it noncompliance. They called it a federal safety issue.” and they treated it like he was a dangerous criminal
5) “Mr. Myers exhaled slowly through his nose. The kind of breath that says I would like to sue the entire universe but okay” I’m guessing this isn’t how he’d have liked to find out
6) . “Then they asked if I had the collar on me.” – “On you? Like you were supposed to just… have one in your backpack?” Well, she did. I am curious, what would they have done if Dayton didn’t have it on her?
7) “It was harder than I thought. I filed. He was in the wrong. But I didn’t picture…” He was in the wrong but so were you, Dayton, two wrongs don’t make a right, that doesn’t change just because your wrong was legal.
8) “She didn’t say it proudly. She didn’t say it like she wanted forgiveness.” Good because she deserves neither pride nor forgiveness
9) ““You claimed your teacher,” – “He’s not my teacher anymore.” – “That’s not what I said, that’s your English teacher.” Sounds like Kinsley isn’t as supportive as Dayton’s other friends
10) “And now he’s my Little, that’s what the system says. That’s what the collar says. That’s what the agents made sure everyone understood.” Lines like this and the one from 9 are why I maintain that Kinsley’s the exception to how Dayton views Littles, not the inspiration for her to do better. Kinsley clearly has concerns, which Dayton is just shrugging off.
11) “I just hate that they made it a show.” – “Me too.” That show did suck, I’m hoping we see nore consequences for it.
12) “He’s at my house, in my room.” – “In a habitat.” Dayton’s eyes flicked to her for a fraction of a second. That same Guardian recalibration. Then: “Yes.” Didn’t they just discuss this in the car?
13) “And your mom is okay with this.” Ok is a bit of a stretch.
14) “glossy poster of the smiling Guardian with a smiling Little perched in her palm like an accessory. The lie of it was almost aggressive, like it dared you to question the packaging.” I’m waiting for one of these to be Sara and Jordan instead of a miscellaneous guardian.
15) “Does he talk?” – “Yes.” – “A lot.” Is silence a common reaction from Littles?
16) “He… he didn’t deserve the classroom version of it. I know that.” He doesn’t deserve a lot of what’s happened to him.
9 and 10) I think thats fair. I think Daytons been doing better and not being as harsh as she could be, but when she says stuff like this its a major step backwards.
Well she is still Dayton. She has a belief system and grows like a person would.
Everything she was is still there she had grown and matured but as you learn you reconsider and modify and morph the beliefs you have.
However just like us when we learn we reconsider but don’t just throw out everything.
Especially in a world where Daytons beliefs are expected and normal. So she has a more opened mind because of her expierences but she isn’t just a whole new person.
She had flaws just like the rest of us. Those flaws are what make us unique.
I think for 9) & 10) she was just trying to answer correctly per the system they are in.
could be. wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen someone use canned responses that meet the legal bare minimum
6) My guess is Ezra may have been sent to a facility.
7) I think in the world of smallara , Dayton turning in a teacher that was putting himself in danger by not having someone watching over his safety and not following classroom protocol by demeaning students with his personal grudges is not a wrong. I think prof Puff got off easy compared to dying from a accident in school unsupervised.
1) Yeah, I’m confused. In the previous episode Dayton mentions Ezra by name when they are talking, saying she gave him a choice about coming along. Seems like that would insinuate that Kinsley knew about him.
2-4) This all begs the question, what is the government so worried about to have responded so aggressively. Are they worried about a Little uprising?
7) Morally wrong, but not legally.
9) Well.. she is a Little after all. Different perspective.
10) Wonder if Dayton will start seeing Littles differently or will she start see Kinsley differently?
12) See my comment on #1
14) Would Sara want to get involved with government propaganda?
15) I felt he was rather quiet given his personality prior to the SEA showing up.
1 +2) She only knows what was on tv and the brief message sent from school. But they didnt want to talk about it over the phone for obvious reasons and Nicole wanted dayton present when they talked about it. So kinsley hadnt heard the full story play by play style until now. Plus some parts only dayton was there for so it was just easier to wait to do the full explanation.
3) yup all SEA
4) Well he was a criminal. He was doing illegal activities and doing things that were against the law. They set the example of what happens if you choose to break the law or not take things seriously. The collaring law is the collaring the law and they dont want Ezra’s opinion of what happened and the laws and rules. They want the government version of the laws and rules taught as that is the law of the land. Ezra doing a little FAFO and he Found out.
5) Well the finding out not so much just he’s not liking what he is hearing.
6) He wouldn’t have been released to dayton. He would have been held at a local holding facility for 48 hours. If dayton coudlnt collect and produce a collar within 48 hours he would be moved to a SEA facility and the arrangement would have been voided and he would have lived at a SEA facility unil they saw fought to move him. which would be days, weeks, years, deacdes, or never. It would be solely at the SEA’s discretion on if he was ever placed again or even saw the light of day. The general rule of thumb is you never mess with the SEA. Its like messing with the FBI. You generally don’t mess with people who can make you not exist but be very much alive but you may wish you werent.
7) Well yeah although her being wrong is more subjective.
8) I Love how anti dayton you are.
9) Well she knows how Ezra is. So shes not a fan but she does acknowldge that he is her teacher regardless of the situation.
10) I mean she didnt say anything not factual. She doesnt have to like it to be able to state the fact that Ezra is hers, the sea did make that clear, and the collar does depict his legal status. Those are all true.
11) The show was the consequnces for the illegal actions. It was making everything legal and proper. So now the only consequences are if Dayton or Ezra dont stay compliant.
12) well its the next part of the retelling of the story as it also leads into further discussion. It would have been odd to omit htat part then discuss her moms thought.
13) Well considering how she could be. THat is about as okay as Mrs. Harris gets on the subject. She could have easily been much worse.
14) Its inside
15) They have a range it really depends on the little and situation.
16) I mean he deserved everything he did that was illegal as just because you dont like the law doesnt mean you can break it without consequence. He clearly thought the consequence was worth it and now he is living the consequence for his actions.
I am shocked Kinsley wasn’t a fan of professor puff lol.
She was there for how he treated Dayton. So
She knows first hand how she was.
Obviously later things she heard about post smallara.
part of me is thinking he is getting some Karma backlash but not a lot because Dayton so far is being a better guardian the most I would think. What more could she do for a new little with a attitude.
I think the twins have a special relationship and I hope they pop into chapters once in awhile. I hope Kayla and Kelli can find that Kind of balance like the twins have with the big sister quietly in charge but the little sister still has spirt and asked for cuddle love without feeling like she is less.