shrinking as karmic punishment will never stop being funny to me because it is SUCH a specific kind of cosmic humiliation
like imagine spending your whole life acting superior to everyone else. being racist. being homophobic. talking down to people like youâre inherently bigger or better than them in every conceivable way
and then the universe goes âokay. counterpoint.â and suddenly you are six inches tall trying not to get blown away by a desk fan
it has the same energy as Mike Teavee in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory except instead of being punished for being an arrogant TV-obsessed menace, it is specifically terrible bigots getting hit with the worldâs most ironic consequence
because shrinking is fundamentally a loss of assumed dominance. all that swagger evaporates REAL fast when a housecat becomes an apex predator to you
suddenly you are dependent on the kindness and patience of other people. suddenly the world is not built around your comfort anymore. suddenly you are discovering empathy via the horrifying experience of needing a boost to climb onto a couch cushion
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*Edit* = Kaleb's dad's physical description has changed because I'm indecisive and for next chapter's lore ;)
~
Oop. The last time I updated this was October 2022. I've completed an entire Master's degree since then ^^'
Thank you for being patient with me everyone! You have @fireflywritesgt and their incredible writing recently to thank for me rekindling my G/T hyperfixation and picking up my slack with Borrowed Courage. I hope you enjoy this mammoth of a chapter, kicking off the morning after Brooke and Kaleb's video call.
Word count: 7.4k *whistles*
Content warning: contains angst, swearing, and borrower gang tattoos(?)
****
A normal weekend for Kaleb was relatively boring by human standards, but to his borrower side, it was a welcome change of pace. His daily use of Upsize and constant interaction with humans meant that by the end of the week, Kalebâs mind and body were battered to the point of exhaustion. It was for that reason that heâd come up with a rule for himself that on his days off, it was strictly âborrower timeâ. The concept was exactly as it sounded; Kalebâs Saturdays and Sundays were spent tinkering away within the walls at his original size, going on the occasional borrowing trip (mostly out of habit than necessity), and if he really felt like it, travelling to the cityâs aptly named interspecies zone with one of his upsized family members. As much as he loved attending school and blending in with human society, there was a deeper, almost visceral part of Kaleb that relished the moments he got to spend living unapologetically as a borrower.Â
Unfortunately though, this weekend was going to be different. As his phoneâs alarm went off bright and early on Saturday morning, Kaleb groaned, dragging himself reluctantly out from under his mothersâ handmade quilt of fabric scraps and across the room to silence it. He braced himself on the side of his propped up phone for a minute, hiding a yawn behind the back of a hand and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with the other. Bands of light streaked through the cracks in the wall that separated his cobbled-together living space from the human-sized apartment outside, illuminating hundreds of tiny, floating dust particles that no borrower could ever seem to escape from. Kaleb studied them intently for a minute, trying to distract himself from the overwhelming urge to flop back into bed. Â
Thereâs no time to sleep in, he reminded himself, because today, he had a mission. A very un-borrower-like mission that involved breaking his own rule.Â
In his meagre defence, Kaleb hadnât expected Brooke to actually take him up on the offer to study together in his familyâs apartment. In fact, if he were being honest, heâd made that comment in the spur of the moment to sound cool in front of his human neighbour. This brought him to his current predicament: Kaleb had lied about having human guests over. Well, at least guests Brookeâs age. The truth was, the only human who had ever stepped foot in the Finch residence was Evie, and for good reason.Â
This is gonna be a long day. He thought, staring longingly at his unmade bed one last time. Â
With a begrudging sigh, Kaleb forced himself into his morning routine. He pulled on a fresh pair of handmade clothes, ran his repurposed toothbrush through his unruly bedhead, and set out into the âhallwayâ that led to his familyâs main living area. His cloth shoes were silent against the dust-covered timber floor, which was really a support beam that ran horizontally from one side of the wall near his human bedroom to the open kitchen and living room area on the other. On a normal Saturday morning, Kaleb would take his time with the trip, admiring the infrastructure of the apartment walls from a perspective he was fairly sure not even the human architects who designed the place would ever experience. Today, that luxury was swept aside as he turned the corner and shimmied down a knotted line stapled to the connecting support beam. From there, he speed-walked the last few feetâs distance towards a door crafted from the sturdy plastic cover and spiral binding of an A6 sized notebook.Â
âHey mom, dad? You there?â Kaleb called as he crossed the threshold, leaving his shoes on a mat at the door.Â
Having constant access to Upsize and by association the human world meant that the Finch household was more accessorised than most borrower dwellings. The floor was carpeted for starters, hence his momâs strict no-shoes policy. Their kitchen and living room area had been purposely built parallel to the human-sized equivalent, which allowed Kalebâs dad and uncle Rodney to construct a series of tubes and pipelines that provided water, electricity and gas. The kitchen itself boasted a functioning gas stove and range hood made from a small aluminium funnel that filtered the steam outside. Â
On the other side of the room was a walk-in pantry that housed a wide assortment of nuts, dried fruits and repurposed glass trinket bottles filled with pickled vegetables. There was a sprig of rosemary and a bay leaf almost as tall as Kaleb himself leant against one side of the doorframe, and a stick of cinnamon on the other. And, on the apartmentâs kitchen counter that could be accessed through a door next to the pantry was his uncle Rodneyâs most prized possession, a mini fridge meant to hold human cosmetics, that allowed the Finch family to do what most borrowers could never dream ofâstore their perishables.Â
Kalebâs mom, dad, and twin sisters, who were seated at their popsicle stick dining table having breakfast, glanced up in surprise when he entered the room. Â
âSomeoneâs up early.â His mom remarked, looking over his shoulder at a leather watch pinned horizontally across the wall to check the time. She gestured for him to sit down in a spare seat before leaving her own chair to fetch him a plate and cutlery. Kaleb did so, fighting the urge to drool as he took in the plate of steaming dime-sized pancakes, syrup, and berry slices his mom had prepared in the centre of the table.Â
âHeh, yeah. Morning.â He greeted, thanking her as she handed him a simple plastic plate repurposed from a button, a copper wire fork, and a knife he was fairly sure had once belonged in a set of Cluedo. Kaleb wasted no time helping himself to a stack of pancakes, maple syrup, and a slice of strawberry, momentarily distracted from his reason for being up so early in the first place.
As if reading his mind, his mom continued. âItâs not like you to be up this early on a Saturday. How was work last night?âÂ
âSame old.â He said around a mouthful of pancake. âTheyâre talking about letting me start working the drive through next month, which sounds kinda cool. Apparently the payâs a bit better than flipping burgers.âÂ
âOoh, I wonder if youâll get any pranksters.â Juno piped up eagerly from her seat at the other end of the table. âYâknow, like those people on TikTok!âÂ
Kaleb smirked across at his sister. For their thirteenth birthday and in preparation to begin attending human school next year, Juno and Paige had been gifted their first ever mobile phone, or in other words, their gateway into the world of the internet. Since then, the pair of them had been chattering non-stop about all of the amusing things human influencers did to entertain their loyal fans on social media. âIf I do, youâll be the first one to hear about it.â He promised her, before turning back to his mom.Â
âActually, I was hoping to ask for you and dadâs opinion on something.â Kaleb started, setting his knife and fork down as he mulled over his next words.Â
His parents both looked at each other, and then across at him with concern. âSure, Kaleb. Whatâs wrong?â Asked his dad, leaning across the table to grab a wedge of blueberry.
âWell⌠nothingâs wrong, exactly. I justâŚâ He squeezed his eyes shut, finding himself clamming up all over again. Why was it suddenly so hard to speak?Â
âIs this about apologising to that girl in your class?â His mom interrupted, lacing her fingers together. âBecause if it isâ"
âNo, no, itâs not that.â He replied before she could continue with what was sure to be another lecture. âWell, I mean, it is, kind ofâŚâ Voice trailing off for the second time, Kaleb gritted his teeth in frustration and decided to just get it over with.Â
âHow do you feel about me bringing someone from my class over to work on a project next week after school?â He blurted out.
Instantly, the mood around the dining table shifted. âSomeone from your class⌠Wait, you mean a human?â His mom realised, an incredulous look plastering her face. âYou want to have a human over? In our apartment?âÂ
âWho?â His dad enquired, scratching his stubbled chin thoughtfully. âIs it someone youâve told us about before?â
âWell, about thatâŚâ Kaleb began to fidget idly with his fork, preparing himself for the reaction his next words would almost certainly garner. âItâs actually Brooke Tucker. Yâknow, from downstairs?âÂ
âBrooke TuckerâŚâ His mom was the first one to connect the dots. âHold on, you mean the girl your teacher called me about⌠the exterminatorâs daughter?â She looked positively aghast.Â
Meanwhile, from the other end of the table, his dad chuckled, amusement glinting in his hazel eyes. It was the perfect example of how he and Kalebâs mom couldnât be any more different when it came to handling situations involving humans. âI take it your apology was well received, then?âÂ
His momâs icy gaze shifted from Kaleb to her husband. âHugo, this isnât a joke.â She scolded, pointing her own wire fork across at him accusingly. âDonât you see how risky that is, letting a human like that into our home? What if she notices something amiss, or worse, someone gets seen?âÂ
âMargalo, dear, letâs think about this for a minute.â Kalebâs dad cut her off from her fretting, well practiced in calming her anxious antics. âItâs not like Kalebâs going to be giving her a private tour of the walls. Iâm sure the two of them will just study together in the main room like Iâd imagine any other human students would. Am I getting that right, Kaleb?âÂ
âPretty much.â Kaleb confirmed, endlessly grateful for his dadâs support.
His mom glanced helplessly from her husband, to Kaleb, and then back again. âI know, but that doesnât eliminate the risk involved here.â She protested. âWith that⌠man⌠for a father, that girl is probably more observant than your average human, and besides all that, I heard from Kalebâs teacher that she brags about torturing borrowers in class. Why on earth would you want to bring someone like her into our home?â
âYeah, about that.â Kaleb said, recalling his conversation with Brooke from the other night. âItâs a long story, but turns out, she actually made all of that stuff up to try and get me to leave her alone. I⌠I think I can trust her.â
Margalo Finch narrowed her eyes. âYou think, or you know?âÂ
Meanwhile, Kalebâs dad was appraising him with that observant look of his that always seemed to peer deep into oneâs soul. It was the same look he got when he was thinking of a new protagonist or plot-line for one of his novels. âShe has no reason to suspect us, dear.â He finally said, addressing his dishevelled wife with the calmest voice he could muster. âEven if Kaleb did provoke this Brooke Tucker girl about her fatherâsâŚâ he coughed ââŚline of work, that doesnât mean sheâs automatically going to assume there are borrowers living here. Besides, plenty of young humans are getting into borrower rights activism these days, and if sheâs had a change of heart so quickly, then isnât that a good thing? One less thing to worry about with Kaleb going to school, hmm?â Â
As he listened to his dad defending him, Kaleb felt a pang of guilt that both of his parents were blissfully unaware of how much Brooke already knew about their family secret. Heâd thought about telling them what had happened; how heâd made the fatal error of running his mouth on the apartment roof that night and paid the ultimate price for it; how heâd escaped with Evieâs help and against his better judgement, confronted Brooke again the following night; how he was finally starting to see eye to eye with her, as rocky as that process was turning out to be. But he just couldnât bring himself to do it, at least not yet. A part of him was afraid that if he did, he would never be allowed to attend human school or use Upsize again. That was a gamble Kaleb just wasnât willing to make. Â
âI⌠I understand that, but why?â He was jolted from his thoughts by his mom, who stared across at him with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and defeat. âIâm proud of you for making things right with her, but I thought you couldnât stand the girl.â Â
Kaleb let out an exasperated sigh. That question again. It was one he was still grappling with himself. Why was he making this much of an effort with Brooke? He decided to shelve that debate for the time being, instead casting his mind back to the conversation heâd had with his mom earlier that week. âItâs like you said, isnât it?â He recalled. âThat the humans own the world, and we just live in it. When I thought about it that way, I wanted to make more of an effort to see things from Brookeâs perspective, yâknow, just like any other human would. I guess I figured if I do that,â Kaleb almost laughed at the absurdity of his next words, âthen maybe we could even be friends someday.âÂ
Kaleb wasnât sure if it was the delivery of his conviction, or the fact that heâd used her own words against her, but he could see the fight leaving his momâs pale blue eyes. She sighed, relenting. âWell⌠I suppose itâd be alright to have her over, so long as itâs just the one time.â
He breathed a sigh of relief. Well, thatâs the first hurdle crossed. âThanks, mom.âÂ
âYouâre actually gonna bring home a human then, Kaleb?â Juno exclaimed. âThat is so-o-o dope!âÂ
âDope?â Their dad asked, bemused.Â
âYeah!â The borrower teen declared proudly. âWeâve been practicing our slang for human school!â
Kaleb groaned, pinching his brow. âNo one uses that word anymore, Juno.â
âBut Damon saidââ
âIf youâre actually listening to Damon, then thatâs your first mistake.âÂ
âThatâs what I said!â Paige piped up smugly from beside her twin, and Kaleb reached across the table to give her a first bump.Â
âOkay fine, I wonât say it again.â Juno relented, before quickly turning back to her older brother with an impish grin. âBut still, Kaleb, are you sure you wanna have a girl over? Our apartment looks so povo.â Â Â
âHmm⌠Iâve definitely heard that word get tossed around, but only by this one Australian kid in class.â Kaleb confirmed as he processed the rest of her remark. âYou do have a point, though.â He straightened up in his seat. âThatâs kind of the other reason I got up so early this morning.âÂ
âPovo?â His mom repeated in confusion, to which Hugo Finch sighed.Â
âI believe our children are comparing the main apartment to something akin to squalor.âÂ
âWell, I suppose we do have quite a bit of⌠extra furniture.â She surmised with a chuckle, starting to lose some of the tension sheâd built up from before.Â
âExtra furnitureâ was a stretch. The truth of the matter was that by nature, everyone in the Finch family was a kleptomaniac. Kaleb had seen a few episodes of Hoarders on YouTube, so he knew their human-sized living space wasnât overly messy per se, but the fact remained that the Finch apartment currently functioned as more of a storage space for its residentsâ various trinkets and bits-and-bobs than a place youâd expect humans to be living in. After all, it wasnât like most of the giant furniture they could have purchased to fill the rooms would ever be used in the way it was intended. In fact, the only reason the apartment contained things like an old table and chair in the living area and Kalebâs springy mattress were for the human-sized borrowers to have somewhere to sit while they waited for their Upsize to wear off in the afternoons.Â
With that in mind, Kaleb revealed his next big proposal. âHow about this,â he declared. âI have some money saved up. If you let me have Brooke over to study, Iâll turn the apartment into the most decked-out human condo you can imagine.âÂ
Margalo eyed her youngest son skeptically. âThatâs the first Iâve heard about these savings.â She pointed out. âDoesnât most of your money go towards your Upsize?â Â
Kaleb cringed at the reminder of his current financial situation. âWell, yeah, but I have some left over.â He protested.
âHmm,â was all his mom replied with as she mulled over the idea in her head.
His dad spoke up next. âIt would be nice to add a little bit of charm to the place. Who knows, maybe if it were more inviting, I would spend more of my time writing out there instead of in my office.â After earning a raised eyebrow from his wife, he added, âItâs just a thought. Iâm sure Evie would appreciate it, at the very least.âÂ
Juno, meanwhile, looked positively ecstatic. âYes! A home make-over! Iâve always wanted to do that, since I saw this interior design page online!â She exclaimed giddily, jumping out of her seat with her hands still planted on the table.
âYeah, câmon, mom.â Paige agreed. âYouâve gotta let Kaleb do it, our apartment will look so awesome at the end! We can even take those cool before-and-after shots like they do on Youtube.â
With bated breath, the four of them waited in suspense for Margalo Finchâs final verdict on the matter. At last, Kalebâs mom spoke up, though not without first taking a long, thoughtful sip of her peppermint tea. âJust to be clear, whatever this âhome make-overâ is going to involve, itâll have to come out of your bank account.â She said sternly. âYour father and I are able to pay for your schooling, but that doesnât mean we have the money to afford this, too. Remember, your Upsize delivery is tomorrow. Itâs not going to be our fault if you have to miss a week of school because you ran out of money to pay for it.âÂ
Kaleb nodded his understanding. Every second Sunday, he made the journey to the next suburb over, where for lack of a better term, he made the exchange of two-hundred-and-fifty dollarsâ cash for his next package of the highly secretive size-changing pills. âDonât worry about that. Iâve got it covered.â He assured her, which was only partially true. Satisfied with the way things had gone with his parents, Kaleb thanked them for breakfast and got up from his seat. âWell, Iâd better get to it then. Iâve only got this weekend to pull this off.â Â
Before he could make his exit, Juno and Paige both leapt out of their own seats, flanking their older brother on either side. Juno looped her arm around Kalebâs, gazing up at him with wide, pleading eyes. âHey bro, if you let us take some of your Upsize, we can help out with the decorating?âÂ
Kaleb hesitated, weighing up the idea in his head. Their offer wasnât exactly surprising, all things considered. Ever since their dad had permitted them a trial run of Upsize earlier in the year, the Finch twins had been itching to venture out into the human world again. Kaleb couldnât blame them. For him, experiencing life from a humanâs perspective for the first time was like tasting a forbidden fruit. Once heâd seen everything the bustling city beyond the walls had to offer, the apartment building, despite being roughly the size of a city itself to a borrower, had never felt smaller.Â
âWell, I guess this would go a lot quicker if I had some extra helpâŚâ Kaleb started to reply, but paused, reminded of the abysmally empty plastic jar in his room where he kept his medication. âBut Iâm down to my last two pills, and Iâll need at least one and a half for myselfâŚâ
As though reading his mind, his dad chimed in. âDonât worry about that. Iâll go collect your delivery tomorrow for you if your sisters want to help out.â He gave the twins a pointed look. âItâll do them good to take a break from technology for the day.â In a lower voice, he added. âThatâs all they seem to talk about anymore.âÂ
Kaleb nodded gratefully, before turning his attention back to Juno and Paige and their identical gleeful expressions. âOkay, but that still means I only have enough Upsize left for one extra person, and only for half a day. Youâll have to do rock paper scissors on it.âÂ
The borrower family watched in amusement as its two youngest members played best of three. A moment later, and Juno let out a triumphant cry. âI win!âÂ
Paige folded her arms and stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. âFine. But you better let me tag along, too, okay?âÂ
âOkay!â Juno looked relieved that her twin wasnât mad. âIâll even wear the overalls Damon bought me with the big pocket on the front, so you can see everything!âÂ
Kaleb had taken to leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded, smiling at their conversation. âWell this is new.â He joked. âI was starting to think Iâd need to butt in, but it sounds like youâve already sorted things out.âÂ
âOhshut up, Kaleb. Weâre not twelve anymore.â Paige snapped indignantly. âI can take the loss this time.âÂ
He raised an eyebrow. No, but youâre barely a year older than that.Â
âAnyway, Mr. big shot.â Juno continued, hands on her hips. âForget the Upsize. Do you really have enough money to buy all that human furniture?âÂ
âWell, no.â He admitted, before shooting them a coy smirk, the irony in what he was about to say not lost on any of them. âIt looks like weâll just have to borrow some things along the wayâŚâ
****
While Kaleb and his sisters worked tirelessly from morning till night on their DIY apartment makeover, Brookeâs weekend was shaping up to be as dull as ever. She spent her Saturday locked away in her room, humming along to the latest Five Seconds of Summer album through her AirPods as she scrolled away aimlessly at social media. She wasnât really paying attention to her phone, though. As she lay there with only her thoughts to entertain her, Brooke couldnât help but mull over the events of the last week, and the many encounters sheâd had with her classmate-turned borrower whose family happened to live on the third floor.
It still felt surreal to look back on it all. So much had changed in such a short time; about the way Brooke viewed society, about the way she viewed borrowers, about the way she viewed Kaleb Finch. It was a lot to process, and she still wasnât sure how she felt about it. A part of her still wished she could go back in time and stop herself from going up to the rooftop that night, if nothing else but to prevent the torrent or emotionsâthe confusion, the guilt, and everything in betweenâthat followed. Â
Even so, Brooke would be lying to herself at this point if she said she wasnât at least a little curious about the secret life of her upstairs neighbour.
Bored as she was, the human girl couldnât help but wonder what Kaleb was doing at that time. Would he be out and about exploring town? Considering his poorly concealed fascination with anything human-made, she could definitely picture that being the case. Or maybe he was hanging out in his own bedroom in the walls; a sight Brooke still hadnât managed to rid from her mind after getting a glimpse of it during their video call last night.Â
Or maybe⌠she glanced lazily up at the ceiling, studying the grate of the air vent in the corner, half expecting to see a pair of much smaller eyes staring back at her from the other side. Maybe he was passing his time stalking her again, waiting for the perfect opportunity to sneak out from within the walls. She found herself scanning the room almost involuntarily, studying every nook and cranny that a borrower could possibly conceal themselves in. She felt her phone slip out of her hand as her heart filled with strange sense of⌠was it yearning? Curiosity? The thought alone made the human girl shudder in discomfort.Â
Did she⌠want to see him again? Brooke was struggling to deny it at this point, especially after last night. Weird as their conversation had been, it had unlocked a part of her that she thought had been buried long ago. Maybe she was lonely after all; lonely enough that even the company of her former bully was preferable to returning to the way things were. After all, the alternative couldnât be true, could it? She couldnât have really been enjoying spending time with Kaleb⌠right?
Stop thinking about him! Brookeâs thoughts screamed, bringing her internal monologue to a screeching halt. Youâre not that desperate, Brooke. Get it together! The human girl would have slapped herself again had she not been paranoid about the footage somehow making its way onto the landladyâs security camera feed. With renewed determination, Brooke snatched up her phone and flopped over onto her stomach in bed, opening up her Netflix account. If binge watching the latest season of Stranger Things couldnât distract her from thinking about her borrower neighbour, she didnât know what would.Â
****
It was at exactly three thirty-five on Sunday afternoon when Brooke realised that ignoring Kalebâs existence would be easier said than done. After a night spent glued to her phone screen like the teenager that she was, Brooke had committed to watching the last few episodes of the season on her laptop while she simultaneously updated her Spotify playlist with 80âs songs from the showâs latest soundtrack. Just as the credits rolled after the final cliffhanger, Brookeâs reeling thoughts were interrupted by an email notification in the corner of her screen. Still in the midst of processing the showâs ending scene, she clicked on it, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the subject line: Integration Day.It was sent by Mr. Bell, her history and home room teacher, and Brooke immediately felt all of her concerns about Stranger Things drift away as she read the message.
Dear Students,
I hope you have all had a relaxing weekend.
I am emailing in regards to an initiative the school is putting forward in an effort to promote borrower inclusion into the human education system. Beginning this week, the first Friday of every month will be Integration Day, during which we will be inviting those students living with borrower tenants aged 13 to 20 to have them participate in classes.Â
If you would like to be involved in this initiative, I have attached a consent form below. In order to be considered, the form must be completed and signed by both your parents or guardians, as well as the parents or guardians of the borrowers wishing to attend school as part of the program.Â
More information regarding the initiative will be announced in home class tomorrow morning.Â
I look forward to seeing you all then.
Yours sincerely,
Mr Bell
Brooke closed her laptop abruptly, frowning as she took a minute to process the information. This was a surprise. Of all the things she expected her teacher to agree to host, a borrower education scheme certainly wasnât one of them. It was almost funny, she thought. Had Brooke received that email even a week earlier, she probably would have had a very different reaction to the one she was experiencing now. She imagined herself fuming in front of the laptop screen, cursing at the borrower race that seemed to find every possible way to make her life miserable. Hell, that part of her was still there, in some way. Mostly though, Brooke felt⌠indifferent about it all. She wasnât as angry as she probably shouldâve beenâwouldâve been. Instead⌠Yep, there it was again.
Brooke couldnât help but wonder how Kaleb felt about the Integration Day announcement.
Running her fingers down her face in exasperation, the human girl decided it was as good a time as any to get some fresh air, if anything to put some distance between herself and⌠whatever thoughts her head kept conjuring. So, she got up out of bed, tugged on her pair of well-worn doc martens without bothering to properly do up the laces, and set off into the neighbourhood, bidding her parents a brief goodbye on her way out.Â
The street was quiet, save for a group of teenagers riding skateboards and laughing amongst themselves out the front of the local diner. Brooke tore her eyes away from the familiar green plaque emblazoned with the letter âBâ hanging in its window. Surprising (and frankly, unsanitary) as it was that borrowers were allowed in a burger joint of all places, she didnât want to think about that right now. Trusty earbuds in, Brooke trudged along the sidewalk, letting the world fall away for a moment as she listened to the comforting riff of a punk rock song.
Eventually, hunger won against out against her mindless wandering, and she stopped by the bakery to grab a ham and salad sandwich on her way back to the apartment. Before long, Brooke found herself sitting against the railing on the rooftop to watch the sunset, absentmindedly nibbling at her late lunch as she took in the pink and orange hues of the sky.
âDamn, am I gonna have to find a new place to do my evening brooding?â A familiar voice piped up, as if on cue, and the human girl barely refrained from cringing at the sound.Â
So much for avoiding him. The nagging voice in the back of her mind taunted. Itâs almost like you were hoping heâd be hereâ
Brooke swallowed down those thoughts, as well as her mouthful of sandwich, hard. Trying to compose herself, she tilted her head in the direction of the voice, eyes widening momentarily in surprise to find Kaleb standing at the top of the staircase a few feet away at his borrower size. He was learning casually against the cement wall with his arms folded, a halfway smile on his face that the human girl could barely make out from this distance. She noticed with interest that he was decked out in what she was coming to label his âborrowing outfitâ again; tiny black fingerless gloves, a cropped brown jacket and beige undershirt, khaki pants and what looked to be a brand new set of (barf) rat leather boots. A coil of string attached to a fishhook hung from a loop in his belt, and that ratty looking satchel of his was strung across his body, looking somewhat bulkier than usual.Â
Realising she was staring, Brooke coughed. âYeah, sorry, there really isnât enough space up here for two.â She quipped, gesturing to his smaller form with her sandwich. âEven when youâre⌠like this.â That raised another question. âWhy are you small, anyway?â Brookeâs trademark nonchalant attitude returned in full force like the trusty emotional shield it was. âSurely thereâs something productive you couldâve been doing today.â
She could have sworn he gave a tiny eye roll at her comment. âSpeak for yourself.â Kaleb scoffed, stepping out towards her so he didnât have to speak so loudly. âAnd I donât have to be human-sized to be productive, geeze.â There was a pause. âTo answer your question, though, Iâm waiting for a package. The company that⌠organises my Upsize comes every Sunday afternoon with a delivery. Since I ran out early though, dadâs gone to get it for me.âÂ
âThat doesnât sound sketchy at all.â Brooke smirked.
A flutter of wings caught her attention, and she watched as a pigeon landed a few metres away, head tilting curiously at her food. Out of the corner of her eye, Brooke didnât fail to notice Kaleb already taking a few cautious steps backwards, towards the top of the staircase. With a cheeky grin, she tore a piece of bread from her sandwich and tossed it directly in front of the borrowerâs escape route.
Less than a second passed before chaos ensued. Pigeons descended from the sky to fight over the crumbs, and Kaleb let out a startled yell, falling unceremoniously onto his backside with his arms held protectively over his head.
âW-What the hell, Brooke?â He cried, scrambling to a stand and slowly edging towards the shadow of her torso. He looked up at her indignantly with his tiny arms folded. At his size, the sight was almost cute, though she would sooner die than admit that to him out loud. âAre you trying to kill me?âÂ
âRelax, theyâre just pigeons!â Brookeâs grin widened. âCâmon, donât you guys train them as pets and shit?â
âYou try training a wild animal twice your size, see how well that works out for you.â He grumbled back, thoroughly unamused.Â
Brooke smirked, stuffing the last of her sandwich into her mouth. As the pigeons, realising there was no longer food on offer, finally dispersed, Kaleb sighed irritably and took a seat about half a meter away from her, one knee drawn up to his chest. Chewing thoughtfully, she noted the uncharacteristic slump in his tiny shoulders. The human girl had an inkling as to why that might be.Â
Following her hunch, she spoke up. âI take it you got the email then? Aboutââ
âYeah, I got the email.â He interrupted, kicking a minuscule speck of rubble with his shoe. With how close he was sitting to the railing, it sailed right over the edge of the roof, and Brooke was once again left to wonder how Kaleb was able to sit so calmly before a relative five-hundred foot drop without losing his nerve. A Borrowerâs tolerance to heights was no joke.Â
âSo?â She pressed, adopting a cheshire catâs grin. Reaching out, she poked him in the side with a finger. âWant me to take you with me to class on Friday? I think everyone would get a kick out of it, especially Amy Snyder.âÂ
Kaleb swayed where he sat, not even looking up at her. His gaze remained focused on the city view ahead of them, as the sun dipped further into the horizon. âYouâre not funny, yâknow.âÂ
âReally? I thought it was plenty funny.âÂ
âCanât you take a hint?â he snapped, irritation plain on his tiny face as he finally turned to glare up at her. âIâm not in the mood for your stupid human jokes right now.âÂ
She leaned back on her elbows on the uneven concrete floor, looking down at him tauntingly. âClearly. Iâm confused, though. Isnât integration what you lot were pushing for in the first place? I wouldâve thought youâd be happier than this.âÂ
Kaleb grit his teeth. âYou call bring-your-borrower-to-class Friday âintegrationâ? This whole thing is just a publicity stunt, to boost Westmountâs reputation as a âdiverse learning environmentâ.â The borrower shuddered. âTch. I can already see the headline.âÂ
âWell, at least theyâre making an effort, right?â Brooke pointed out. âThatâs more than you can say about other high schools.âÂ
âThe whole point of borrowers attending human school should be to learn. This is more like show-and-tell than anything.â Kaleb shook his head stubbornly, hands clenching around the strap of his bag. âNope.â He decided. âI donât want anything to do with it.â Â
Brooke stared at him for a moment, his five-inch-tall form silhouetted by the glare of the setting sun. A question was nagging at her mind again, one that had been stewing there since her heated debate with him on the same rooftop just the other night. She tilted her head to the side. âKaleb, why do you hate humans so much?âÂ
He looked back at her, caught off guard for a moment as the question sank in. âIââ
âKaleb? You up here?â A distinctly male voice called out suddenly, and the echo of human footsteps could be heard traipsing up the stairs. As if heâd stepped on a live wire, Kaleb was on his feet in an instant, his face losing several shades of colour.Â
âShit, thatâs my dad.â He announced in a panic, flashing her a jaunty salute. âGotta go!âÂ
âYourâwhat?â That was all the warning Brooke got before the borrower took off at full speed towards what was no doubt a secret pathway behind the stairwell. The human girl sat, blinking in shock at how quickly Kaleb had made his escape, just as the sound of a man clearing his throat behind her reached her ears.Â
Brooke wasnât sure what she was expecting when she took in the sight of who she could only assume was Kalebâs upsized father as he stood at the entrance to the rooftop. âUm, good evening.â He began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he greeted her. âSorry, I didnât realise anyone would be up here at this hour.â He warbled. Brooke hadnât failed to notice the way his hazel eyes darted across the roof as he spoke, no doubt checking for any sign of his currently much smaller son. Frowning faintly, he returned his gaze towards her. âIâm looking for a borroâ I mean, a boy around your age. He always comes up here to watch the sunset, you see.â Â
Brooke almost snorted at his ramblings. That was definitely a trait Kaleb had inherited. Everything else about him, though, was not at all how sheâd imagined the borrower man to look like. For starters, he was lean and wiry, even more so than Kaleb, with shoulder-length brown hair tied in a messy bun at the back, showing only the slightest hints of greying. His skin was a deep olive colour, almost sun-kissed, as though the man had spent more of his life outdoors than in. His body was littered with faded scars, one particularly gruesome one on his leg that looked almost like an animal bite, and another jagged line across his forehead, cutting through one of his eyebrows. He even had his right ear pierced with two simple black studs, making him look less like an author and more like a seasoned warrior from a video game.Â
What surprised Brooke most about the man though was the sleeve of tattoos running up almost the entire length of his left arm. At a glance, she could make out the realistic designs of what looked to be a field mouse with its teeth bared against an opposing finch, surrounded by strange symbols completely foreign to her human eyes but looking suspiciously like the borrower equivalent of gang signs. That and the fact that the mysterious man in question was unapologetically wearing a t-shirt that said âWorldâs Greatest Farter (Father)â, boxer shorts, and fluffy slippers left Brookeâs mind completely blown.
Realising he was waiting for a reply, the human girl forced herself to speak. âI havenât seen anyone, sorry.â She spluttered. You owe me, Kaleb.Â
âOh, well, thatâs alright. Iâm sure heâll turn up eventually.â Kalebâs father responded, hesitating as he stared her down with almost the same intensity as she had just done with him. âActually, I donât believe Iâve seen your face around here before.âÂ
âProbably not.â She replied glibly. Brooke for one had certainly never seen the man before, otherwise she might have done a better job hiding her bewilderment. As it was, she was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that borrowers could have tattoos of all things. Shutting down that particular train of thought, the human girl focused back on the conversation at hand. âMy family and I just moved in the other day.â She continued, standing up and nodding in his direction. âIâm Brooke.âÂ
Instantly, recognition flashed in the manâs hazel eyes, and he beamed across at her, closing the gap between them and holding out his hand. âOh! You must be Brooke Tucker. Our new downstairs neighbour. You know of my son, thenâKaleb.â He cleared his throat a second time as he introduced himself. âMy name is Hugo. Hugo Finch. My family and I live in apartment thirty-five.âÂ
âNice to meet you.â She answered, awkwardly shaking his hand and trying not to think about how at his normal size, she would be able to fit her own hand around his entire body. âAnd yeah. Heâs in my class.âÂ
âYes, heâs told us a lot about you.â Hugo said with a nod, making the human girlâs eyebrows raise in surprise.
âReally?â Brooke gave the upsized borrower her most innocent smile. âAll good things, I hope.â
âOh, of course.â He said without missing a beat. âHe tells me the two of you are working on a project together for modern history at the moment. Itâs nice to see him making some new friends at school.âÂ
Brooke winced at that. âI wouldnât exactly call us friends.â She said, dancing around that particular topic. âBut yeah, weâre getting there with the presentation. It helps that we live in the same building, too. Definitely makes it easier to get our research done.â She forced out a chuckle.Â
âIâll bet it does.â Hugo agreed pleasantly, seemingly oblivious to her awkwardness. âI hear youâll be visiting our apartment after school this week for a study session, too. Sounds like the two of you will be finished before you know it at this rate.âÂ
Brooke smirked at the indirect mention that Kaleb had apparently asked his parents if he could have her over to study. Cute. âYeah, seems like it. Itâll be good to get it done early, I guess.â
âYouâll love what heâs done with the place, too.â Hugo continued, his expression full of pride as he spoke about his son. âIt was a mess before, but he and his sisters really stepped up this weekend to clean it up.â He gestured to his blatantly stay-at-home attire. âI even tested out the space for my work today, as you can probably tell. Before, I was renting out another⌠office because of the clutter, but I can definitely see the appeal of working from home nowâŚâ He trailed off with a chuckle, paying no mind to the human girl in front of him as she struggled to process this new information.Â
âI didnât realise Kaleb was⌠redecorating.â Brooke said slowly, not sure whether to be amused or unsettled. She felt herself fidgeting uncomfortably with the inner seams of her hoodie as she recalled her conversation with the borrower in question last night, and how sheâd jokingly suggested taking him up on his offer to have her over to his place. Surely Kaleb hadnât spent the entire weekend cleaning out his familyâs apartment just for them to study in⌠right? There was no way that could be true. She felt her cheeks redden at the mere thought.Â
Brooke was jolted back to the present when Hugo gave a breezy laugh, looking almost as uncomfortable as she did. The man wrung his hands, his expression reminding her vaguely of a deer caught in the headlights. If Brooke didnât know any better, heâd just told her something he wasnât supposed to. âR-Right, well, Iâm sure heâll tell you all about that at school tomorrow.â He warbled, glancing down at his wristwatch. âSpeaking of Kaleb⌠if youâll excuse me, I really should be getting back to tracking him down. It was nice talking to you, Brooke. Iâm sure Iâll be seeing you around.âÂ
Before Brooke could string together a reply, heâd darted back down the stairs almost as quickly as Kaleb had fled the rooftop not even ten minutes earlier. All the human girl could do was stare, hand raised in a wave that had come far too late.
âYeah. Nice meeting you tooâŚâ She muttered to the empty rooftop, as the breeze whistled through her hair and night finally settled in.
Brooke was beginning to wonder if it was a borrower custom to run off mid-conversation. With how much sheâd already learned about humankindâs smaller counterparts and their strange and secret culture in the past week, she didnât think anything would surprise her at this point. Yet she still wanted to know more, a desire that both scared and excited her. She wanted to know more about Kalebâs world, just like he wanted someone to share it with. Her heart just wasnât ready to admit that yet.Â
For now, the human girl settled back into the blissful ignorance she was used to. She sat down heavily with her back up against the railing, and turned her music back on.Â
âMy life is so weird.â Brooke sighed up at the stars.Â
My sMALL corruption of champions dude (like 5â˛6âł) getting so hungry that he eats some imp food and shrinks and panics and whines âoh no Iâm getting even smaller!â and his friends/lovers squeeing over how cute the smaller he gets the more they wanna FUCK HIM FULL idkÂ
shrunk/small dudes unable to fight back
I don't get as much time for writing anymore with my uni degree in its final years, but this is a one-shot I've been working on for an obnoxious amount of time now based on a prompt I got a while back: What if Kaleb, my borrower character, shrunk in class?
To set the scene since the last time I updated Borrowed Courage was in 2022 *sobs*, Kaleb and Brooke live in a world where the borrower race was discovered 10 years ago and unbeknownst to humankind, many borrowers use a drug called "Upsize" to temporarily grow to human size and blend into society. This one-shot is canon but probably won't be added to the main story for timing reasons. It's set roughly 2 months after Brooke first discovered Kaleb's secret identity as a borrower.
Part II will be up tomorrow - I hope you like!
Content warning: contains angst, swearing and nudity (not graphic).
****
âAlright. For the rest of today, I want you to work independently through the exercises in chapter two of your textbooks. Iâll be floating around if anyone has any burning questions.â Mr Bell instructed the class. From his seat at the back of the room, Kaleb gritted his teeth in frustration. On any other day, he would be more than happy to follow his teacherâs instructions; learning about human history was one of the things heâd enrolled in school for in the first place. From a young age, Kaleb had been fascinated with the way the giants that owned the world had came to be that way, while his kindâ the borrowersâ had spent their lives hidden away in the shadows. Today, though, he was only half paying attention. Kaleb ran his hands through his scruffy brown hair, finding it increasingly difficult to ignore the incessant pounding that seemed to reverberate all the way from his skull to his fingertips. Â
Something was off.Â
It wasnât uncommon or him to be getting headaches from going consecutive days using Upsize, the drug that allowed him to attend human school at five feet nine instead of five inches tall. Even so, they hardly ever set in this early in the week, and were never an issue unless he was moving around too much. This one felt different. It had barely set in twenty minutes ago and was already driving him crazy. With a pained sigh, Kaleb tried to preoccupy himself with opening his textbook to the designated chapter. It felt weird to consider, since borrowers didnât get sick nearly as often as humans did, but⌠maybe he was coming down with something. Â
From the seat adjacent, Brooke Tucker glanced up from her own work to frown across at him. âAre you good?â She whispered, leaning forward with her hand on her chin.Â
Kaleb immediately stiffened, surprised sheâd even noticed his discomfort. Am I that obvious? âI donât know.â He said uneasily. âMy head is killing me.âÂ
The human girlâs brow creased in concern, an expression she rarely ever directed at him. If he werenât so distracted by the pain, Kaleb probably wouldâve been flattered. âCould be a migraine.â She suggested, before adding in a lower voice. âDo borrowers even get those?â
âYes, we get migraines.â He whispered back, rolling his eyes. Since sheâd discovered Kalebâs true identity back in September, the human girl had made it her mission to find every opportunity to tease and mock him about being a borrower. Still, Kaleb couldnât quite shake the feeling that something about this particular headache felt familiar. No way. Thatâs impossible. He dismissed, turning back to his textbook. âItâs probably nothing.â He assured her.
That was when he felt it.
BADUMP.Â
A sudden wave of pain reverberated through his body, making him sit bolt upright in his desk like heâd just stepped on a live wire. It was a sensation Kaleb knew all-too-well, because heâd experienced it every afternoon after school for the past four years.Â
His Upsize was about to wear off.Â
âShit.â He hissed, feeling the colour drain from his face. His mind reeled, struggling to make sense of why this was even happening. It was like one of his worst nightmares come to life. He shouldâve had more time. He always had more time. Had Rodney messed up his dose?Â
Kaleb ground his teeth together, forcing himself to focus. There was no time to dwell on the âwhyâ. He had to get out of sight, and fast.Â
BADUMP.
The room spun as he was hit with another rapid full-body ache, and Kaleb almost collapsed out of his chair. He felt himself start to shiver uncontrollably, the primal fear of being seen overwhelming his senses. âKaleb, what the hellâs going on with you?â Brookeâs voice echoed somewhere beside him. âYouâre making a scene.âÂ
Shit-shit-shit-shit-shit. Kaleb didnât have to look up to know that the whole class was staring at him, a tingling feeling that sent his borrower instincts to flee into overdrive. He glanced across at Brooke, gazing unblinking into her judgemental grey-green eyes like they were his lifeline. In that moment, he made a decision.
âWhyâre you staring at me like that, itâs creeping meââ
âCome with me.â Kaleb blurted out.Â
That was all the warning Brooke got before heâd clamped his hand around her wrist and launched out of his seat, dragging her along behind him.Â
âSorry Mr Bell, weâll be right back!â He announced in a rush of adrenalin, practically stumbling out the classroom door. Brooke, who had been too bewildered to react to their sudden exit, finally came to her senses as they entered the empty hallway. She ripped her hand out of his grasp, ears reddening in second-hand embarrassment from what had just gone down.
âWhat the fuck was that about?â She hissed, though her expression shifted to concern when he leaned heavily against the wall several paces in front of her, clutching his head. For the first time, Brooke noticed the raw, unsuppressed fear in his eyes. Â
âI can explaiââ Kaleb started, but broke off with a startled yelp when he felt the shrinking process finally kick in. He could only catch a glimpse of Brookeâs startled expression before the ground rushed towards him and he was swallowed up by his human clothes that were suddenly hundreds of sizes too big. Within the span of a few seconds, he found himself back at his original five-inch-tall height and buried beneath the course folds of his t-shirt, chest heaving from the lingering adrenalin and body frozen in terror as the reality of his situation dawned.Â
Brooke, having witnessed the whole thing, did a double take. âWhat in theââ One second Kaleb had been standing there in front of her, and the next⌠Her eyes fell to his unoccupied pile of clothes, and she swore, realising what had just happened.Â
âKaleb? Brooke? Is everything okay with you two?â She froze at the sound of Mr Bellâs voice from inside the classroom, his footsteps growing closer and closer.
Panicking, Brooke scrambled to scoop up the bundle of Kalebâs clothes, quickly locating the squirming figure buried within, and shoved them behind herself. The second he felt her fingers close around him and lift him blindly into the air, Kalebâs heart leapt into his throat. He shivered involuntarily, the sensation of powerful human hands around his entire frame serving as a stark reminder of how little control he had over their current situation. All he could do was make himself as small as possible in her grip and trust Brooke to handle things with the teacher.Â
âY-Yep!â The human girl said, turning around just as the Mr Bell poked his head out the classroom door. Her hands tightened protectively around Kalebâs smaller form under the clothes, feeling his tiny heartbeat flutter like a birdâs against her fingers. She cleared her throat awkwardly in attempt to compose herself. âI mean⌠actually, Kaleb wasnât feeling well. He went ahead to the nurses office, but would you mind if I go too? J-Just to make sure heâs okay.âÂ
The teacher gave her a strange look, and Brooke held her breath, waiting for him to notice the bundle of Kalebâs clothes behind her back and effectively blow her cover story. After a moment though, Mr Bellâs expression softened to concern. âOh, of course you can.â He said with a nod. âI hope he feels better soon. Donât worry about missing the rest of the lesson. Iâll email the two of you supplementary work later today.â
She managed a strained smile. âThank you.âÂ
The moment he disappeared back inside, Brooke took off down the hall, her mind stalling on what she was supposed to do next. There was no way she could actually take Kaleb to the nurses office without exposing him, and it would be too suspicious if she just up and left the building in the middle of class. She cursed. There was really only one place that would give the two of them some privacy, which made her uncomfortable even thinking about, but Brooke didnât really have a choice.Â
Resigned to her fate, she made beeline for the girlâs bathroom.Â
Locking herself inside a cubicle, Brooke let out a relieved sigh. She sat down heavily on the closed seat of the toilet, turning her attention to the bundle of Kalebâs human clothes in her lap and the tiny muffled voice she could suddenly hear through the fabric. âCanât breatheâ!â
Eyes widening, Brooke loosened her hold around the clothes. It seemed silly now, but in her haste to get to somewhere private, sheâd almost forgotten that Kaleb had been with her the whole time, buried underneath the layers of denim and cotton. She was about to reach in to try and pull him out, when she realised that somewhere amongst the folded material, Kaleb was not only borrower-sized but naked. Face heating up at the thought, Brooke sat back against the toilet and cleared her throat awkwardly. âOkay, youâre safe to come out. Weâre alone.âÂ
Sure enough, it wasnât long after sheâd spoken that Brooke noticed a miniature head of scruffy brown hair poking out through the of one of the t-shirt sleeves as Kaleb revealed himself at last. He blinked rapidly in the harsh fluorescent lighting, scrambling to cover himself with his blanket-like clothes. Without his usual shirt and tan jacket combo, he seemed almost smaller than usual, his bare shoulders slim and pale and his breaths short and fast. Fragile was the first word that came to mind. Intuitively, Brooke knew that compared to humans, borrowers really were fragile and vulnerable, but those were never words sheâd associated with Kaleb. Now though, he wasnât even trying to hide the fact that his entire body trembled like a scared animal in her hands.Â
That didnât stop her from glaring daggers at him. âWhat the fuck, Kaleb!â She hissed. âYou almost gave me a heart attack!âÂ
Kaleb flinched instinctively, his hazel eyes shooting up to meet her now much larger grey ones. Brookeâs angry expression faltered. Shit. He looked terrifiedâ even more so than the time sheâd found him on the apartment roof all those weeks ago. She swallowed, turning away uncomfortably. That look in his eyes⌠It didnât suit him at all.Â
The two of them didnât speak for several minutes, awkward silence permeating the cubicle. Kaleb took that time to try and compose himself, his full-body tremors slowly dissipating as he tried to calm his pounding heart. It wasnât easy to do by any means, but he appreciated Brookeâs patience. Finally finding his voice, he tilted his head to meet her eyes.Â
âS-Sorry.â He said, holding the material of his shirt around his nude frame with white knuckled hands. He licked his dry lips. âNo one saw⌠did they?â
Brooke sighed, making a conscious effort to shift to a gentler tone of voice. Now probably wasnât the time for their usual teasing banter. âNo.â She reassured him. âJust me.âÂ
Kaleb visibly relaxed at that, minuscule shoulders slumping under the thick material of his shirt. âThank god.â He breathed, almost too quiet for her to make out. So he hadnât been seen by anyone else in the class. Just knowing that was enough to ease a significant portion of his built up anxiety. With a clearer head, Kaleb finally paused to take in his surroundings, and his jaw immediately dropped when he caught sight of a toilet roll as long as he was tall. âWhat theââ He exclaimed, looking up at her with an aghast expression. âIs this the girlâs bathroomâ?!âÂ
Brooke held back a snort as his tiny face turned beet red with embarrassment. Much more like the Kaleb she knew. âYou didnât exactly give me much time to think of a better place to go.â She pointed out, sitting up straighter on the toilet seat. âAnd while weâre on that topic, what the hell happened to you? Isnât your wonder drug supposed to last the whole day?âÂ
Kaleb flinched at that and peered down at his smaller form, pathetically dwarfed by the clothes that had fit him perfectly less than ten minutes ago. Already, without the disguise that was his human height, he was starting to feel like the fraud he was; just another borrower trying and failing to carry himself with the same level of confidence and liberty as a human. âI-I donât know.â He mumbled. âMaybe my uncle messed up the dose.â He wrapped the the fabric of his shirt sleeve tighter around himself, feeling more exposed than ever. âThis has never happened to me before.âÂ
âClearly.â Brooke said. âIf I hadnât been there to cover for you, youâdâve been screwed for sure.âÂ
She felt him shiver at that fact, almost making her regret her choice of words. âYouâre right.â Kaleb looked up at her again, his expression earnest. âThank you, Brooke. Really.âÂ
Brooke blinked. That was unexpected. She shifted in her seat and looked away, hoping he wouldnât notice her blush. With their current size difference, that was unlikely. âI-Itâs fine.â She said. âSo, uh⌠what now, then? Do you have any more Upsize you can take?âÂ
Kaleb pursed his lips. âI donât keep any spare pills at school.â He admitted quietly, shuddering again despite the course fabric around him. âWith Upsize, you need to wait at least an hour after shrinking before you can take another dose. Itâs supposed to give the medicine a chance to leave your system, kind of like a cool-down period.â
âRight, of course thatâs a thing.â Brooke sighed. She tried racking her brain for an alternative solution. âWell then, can someone come get you? Surely Evie would. I bet sheâs bored out of her mind back at the apartment without having me to spy on.âÂ
Instead of laughing at her poor attempt at a joke, Kaleb looked horrified. âI canât just leave early!â He exclaimed. âIâll miss maths next period. Mrs Crowley said sheâd be giving out final exam tips today!âÂ
Brooke couldnât believe what she was hearing. âYouâre kidding.â She started, holding back a disbelieving laugh. Looking closer at his tiny, pleading features though, her smile faded. âYouâre not kidding.â She deadpanned, groaning. âCome on, Kaleb. How the fuck are you supposed to come to class like this? You donât even have any clothes!â
Kalebâs cheeks heated up and he pulled the shirt sleeve a little tighter around himself as he was reminded of his current nudity. âI can get clothes.â He insisted, his usual confident demeanour returning in full force. âI have a spare set in my locker. Climbing gear, too.âÂ
Brooke would have face palmed herself if her hands werenât still cupped around his tiny frame. She regarded him quizzically. âWell thatâs great, but isnât your whole thing supposed to be not getting seen by the rest of the class?âÂ
Kaleb shook his head. âI donât have to actually come to class. You could just, yâknow, let me off into the air vent and I can listen in from there.â He suggested, giving her a clumsy shrug from amongst the bundle of clothes.Â
Brooke just stared down at him, completely lost for words. âYouâre crazy.â She muttered. âYouâre actually fucking crazy. You literally almost shrunk in front of our whole class, and now you want me to just let you go off into the walls so you can catch some stupid exam tips?âÂ
âBrooke.âÂ
She didnât hear him, her voice rising in annoyance as she continued. âAnd then what? Am I supposed to just stay back and look for you after class, like thatâs totally not suspicious at all?!â
âBrooke.âÂ
âUgh!â She wanted so badly to bang her head into the cubicle door. âWhy do I even get myself into these situations? I swear, ever since I found out about you and your stupid little secret, my lifeâs been a fucking disasterâ!â
âBROOKE!â
She broke off with a start at his exclamation, caught off guard by how loud heâd managed to sound despite his obvious disadvantage in size. Brooke bit her lip, breathing heavily through her nose. She almost jumped when she felt a slight pressure on her thumb. Kaleb had reached out to touch it with his much smaller hand, stroking the digit in attempt to reassure her. âYou good?â He asked.Â
âY-Yeah.â Brooke replied weakly, her mouth dry. She didnât want to say anything but the feeling of his tiny hand on her finger felt so⌠weird. Kaleb almost never initiated physical contact with her when he was borrower-sized. Â
He nodded, meeting her eyes again. âIâm sorry.â He said with obvious embarrassment. âI got a bit ahead of myself there. I guess I just thought youâd want me out of your hair so you could get back to class. If you can help me to my locker, Iâll call Evie to come pick me up, and Iâll just email Mrs Crowley about the exam later.âÂ
Brooke sighed at his words, a much simpler solution coming to mind that she was probably crazy for even suggesting. âOr you could just come with me.â She pointed out, the corner of her mouth twitching in amusement when he blinked up at her. âWhat? Did you forget we have the same maths class?âÂ
âCome⌠with you?â Kaleb repeated, looking thoroughly unconvinced. âAs in, on your person? Where would I even goâ?â His broke off, eyes trailing upwards to the chest pocket of her oversized denim jacket at the same time hers did. His face lost several shades of colour, and he shook his head firmly, despite knowing deep down that he might not have any say in the matter. âNo way. No way. Iâm not gonna sit in your pocket all day like some house pet, Brooke! Thatâs just⌠thatâs just embarrassing!âÂ
The human girl smirked down at him. âWell, would it be any more embarrassing than being tiny and naked in the girlâs bathroom?â Her hand inched up to ruffle his hair teasingly. âI mean, unless youâre secretly a pervert?âÂ
Kaleb swiped at her already retreating digit. âIâm not a pervert!â He snapped, pointing his own diminutive finger up at her accusingly. âYou brought me here, not the other way around!â Â
âRelax, Iâm just messing with you.â She giggled. âYouâre always so easy to work up like this.âÂ
Kaleb bristled. âYeah, well can you blame me? When Iâm like this, thereâs five extra feet of you to piss me off!â
âFair point.â Brooke smirked. âSo, whatâs it gonna be then?â Her hands edged closer around him, as she impatiently tapped her foot against the tiles. âI canât just keep sitting on the toilet for the rest of the day.â
Kaleb sighed, turning his gaze downwards in defeat. He had to admit she was right about that. Stalling was only prolonging what they both knew had to come next. âFine. Iâll come to class with you.â He hesitated. âJust⌠can we please get my clothes first?âÂ
Brooke looked at him, shock evident on her face. Did he really believe that she wouldnât let him get changed? It was humbling to think that with Kaleb like this, without his bag or climbing gear, he was essentially putting his life and his autonomy in her hands. Just knowing that made Brooke soften her voice ever so slightly. âUm, yeah, of course. Thereâs no way youâre coming with me in the nude. Thatâs fucked up.âÂ
Kaleb breathed a sigh of relief at her reassurance, offering a grateful smile. âOkay⌠Well, in the meantime, could you grab me a piece of toilet paper? To cover up, I mean.âÂ
Brooke blinked, glancing across at the roll beside her. Hesitantly, she tore off a small strip of toilet paper between her thumb and index finger and handed it down to him. Kaleb took it, ducking under his sleeve for a moment to tie it around his waist like a towel. He looked down at his handiwork, rubbing the back of his neck. âItâll do.â He muttered to himself, letting the oversized shirt sleeve fall away so that he was standing at his full five-inch height in her cupped hands. Â
Despite herself, Brooke almost did a double take when she saw his bare chest for the first time. There was no denying it; Kaleb was ripped. The thought had never occurred to her, but considering his active lifestyle, she really shouldnât have been as caught off guard as she was. A little more of a tan, and he couldâve belonged in a body building magazine. She tore her eyes away before he caught her staring, but that didnât stop her cheeks from heating up.Â
She coughed. âRight. Ready to go then?â
âThat depends.â Kaleb smirked knowingly. There was really no way he could have missed a stare that size. He took a bold step forward in her cupped hands and flexed his muscles tauntingly. âDid you want a closer look?âÂ
âW-What?â
âWhoâs the pervert now, huh?â He teased, throwing the label right back at her.
âShut up!â In that embarrassment-riddled moment, Brooke reacted in the only way she could think of. She poked Kaleb harshly in the chest. Like always, he staggered backwards with a yelp at the impact, but this time neither of them had taken proper stock of their surroundings. As if in slow-motion, Kaleb tripped over the folded clothing behind him, simultaneously jostling free the poorly secured knot holding up his toilet paper toga. All hope of modesty gone, he fell flat on his back with his legs gracelessly splayed⌠within full view of the human girl holding him.Â
The two of them stared at each other in silent shock for several seconds, and Brooke wished she could bleach her eyeballs. Instead, she opted for the next best course of action.
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Part II of my little thing featuring Kaleb's existentialism and Brooke being... considerate? Consider this a teaser of what their relationship will be like two months after the events of the main story...
I hope you enjoy!
Content warning: contains swearing and themes of prejudice.
****
After checking briefly that the coast was clear, Brooke sucked in a breath and exited the girls bathroom. She walked down the empty hallway with as much purpose as she could muster, though her heart still pounded loudly in her chest. She could feel a second, much smaller heart pounding against her body as well, fluttering even faster than her own. Kaleb sat hunched up at the bottom of her jacket pocket, his tiny, shaking hands gripping the thick denim on either side of him to steady himself. Â
After the two of them had recovered from their embarrassment in the bathroom and Kaleb had readjusted the toilet paper around his waist, Brooke had taken it upon herself to put the rest of their plan in actionâanything to get her mind off of what sheâd just witnessed. Obviously, Kaleb had protested against her planned hiding spot for him, complaining that it would be too obvious. To prove her point, Brooke had stood in front of the mirror by the sink, demonstrating how little Kalebâs tiny form actually stood out from inside the pocket. After seeing that, Kaleb had shivered but said nothing, and dropped down into the pocket without a word.Â
If anything could have reminded him of just how small he was compared to a human, it was that.Â
A few minutes of walking later and Brooke cleared her throat, a sound that Kaleb felt as well as heard from his position. âWeâre at your locker.â She announced. When no movement could be felt from her pocket other than Kalebâs slight weight, Brooke frowned. âOh, câmon, are you really gonna sulk for the rest of the day? Your clothes are in there, right?âÂ
Carefully, she lifted the flap of the pocket up, watching the small borrower inside shield his eyes from the sudden change of lighting and peer up at her cautiously. Curled up as Kaleb was, her pocket almost looked roomy, a thought that had never exactly crossed Brookeâs mind before. âIf you donât wanna move yet, then at least tell me your locker combination.âÂ
âItâs 1-2-6-4.â Kaleb replied, voice quieter than normal.Â
â1-2-6-4âŚâ Brooke muttered to herself as she fiddled with the lock. Moments later, the door came loose with a faint click, and she pulled it open, revealing Kalebâs untidy collection of belongings. Brooke stared at the lockerâs contents for a moment in bemusement. At first glance, it looked like your everyday teenage boyâs locker: a disorganised pile of notebooks, pens, and crumpled worksheets. What drew her attention though was the assortment of knick-knacks Kaleb had managed to cram into one cornerâstray buttons, rubber bands, bits of string and wire, thumbtacks, screws, aluminium foil, and even an empty plastic soy sauce fish from a packet of sushi. Brook wrinkled her nose. âSheesh, itâs like a dumping ground in here. You do know we have bins on campus, right?âÂ
Kaleb gave a sheepish shrug from within the confines of her pocket. âWhatâs that saying you humans use? One manâs trash is another manâs treasure?â
She groaned. âYouâre obsessive.âÂ
Not bothering to wait for his snarky reply, Brooke leaned into the locker so her chest was out of sight of anyone passing by and reached a hand into her jacket pocket, closing her fingers around the borrower inside as gently as she could muster. Kaleb couldnât help but shudder slightly as he felt the all-encompassing pressure of those digits against his torso. He didnât think heâd ever get used to being handled by humans, despite how many times Brooke had proven herself to be careful in the past. Kaleb fought against his instincts to squirm against her grip as he was brought out of the pocket and into the relatively spacious interior of his locker. Once inside, he took a moment to adjust the toilet paper around his waist, before glancing across at Brooke, whose giant frame blocked out the expanse of the hallway beyond.Â
âThanks for the lift.â He said, shifting awkwardly under her gaze and trying to mask the unsettling feeling of being watched with a half-assed smile. âYou can close the door while I get changed. Iâll knock twice when Iâm done.âÂ
âRight.â Brooke nodded. The human girl spared the empty hallway a quick glance, before pushing the locker shut with a creak.Â
The second the door clicked shut and darkness swallowed up the lockerâs interior, Kaleb let out the breath heâd been holding in. His eyes adjusted instantly to the nearly pitch-black space, taking in the stack of notebooks, school supplies and trinkets heâd only ever interacted with at human size. It almost felt surreal seeing them now, like he was a stranger getting a glimpse into the unreachable world of Kaleb the human. Those thoughts nagged at Kalebâs mind as he sought out the small pile of borrower clothes he kept tucked away at the back of his locker. Wasting no time, he tugged on a simple short-sleeved navy shirt, capri pants and tan shoes, and tapped lightly on the metal door to let Brooke know he was done.
Kaleb shielded his eyes as light flooded back into the locker and his world opened up again to reveal Brookeâs gigantic gaze. From outside, the human girl smiled slightly, glad to see him back in his usual borrower getup. Anything to get her mind off his bare chest, and⌠well⌠Brookeâs crude thoughts were interrupted suddenly by the sound of the school bell echoing through the hallway. Kaleb jumped at the volume, tiny hands clamped over his ears. âCrap.â He winced, glancing around nervously. âI forgot we still had recess before next period.â
âMe too.â Brooke said, before realising the implications. âOh, shit.â Acting on instinct, her hand shot out to wrap around Kalebâs midsection, and she quickly lifted the flap of her jacket pocket to drop him inside, out of sight. The borrower yelped at the sudden transfer, disoriented, though his breath hitched as the noise outside suddenly picked up, hundreds of humans beginning to swarm the halls in their mad dash to the cafeteria. He drew his knees to his chest automatically, feeling smaller than ever. Despite knowing full well that no one would ever suspect Brooke Tucker of all people to have a borrower hidden away in her pocket, the layer of denim separating him from the outside world didnât feel thick enough.Â
Brooke, meanwhile, slammed Kalebâs locker shut before anyone could see what she was doing, and started off down the hall. She passed by her own locker on the way to retrieve her packed lunchâwith her parentsâ current financial situation, joining the line for the cafeteria felt like a fleeting memoryâbefore hesitating, wondering where she should go.Â
From inside her pocket, Kalebâs ears were pricked, listening intently to the sea of voices and squeaking of giant sets of shoes on the vinyl floor outside. It was always disorienting to travel by pocket and even more so when he wasnât able to see what was going on around him. With a sigh, he shifted into a more comfortable position with his back against the wall of Brookeâs chest, hearing as well as feeling the pounding of her giant heart through the denim. Suddenly, the commotion outside ceased, and Kaleb frowned to himself, wondering where exactly his human chauffeur had ended up. Tentatively, he lifted the flap of the pocket, though froze when he felt the pressure of her hand on the outside, covering it. âHang on.â Her voice rumbled through him.Â
Kalebâs stomach lurched uncomfortably as he felt her take a seat. Finally, once she was settled, Brooke lifted the pocketâs flap to allow her borrower passenger to take in their surroundings.Â
Immediately, Kaleb pressed himself back into the depths of the pocket. âWeâre outside?â He gulped, blinking up at the blue sky he rarely ever got to see from his regular size. âI thought youâd go to the library or something.âÂ
Brooke leant back against the trunk of the tree sheâd chosen to sit under. Her face was dappled with the shadows of the rustling leaves above as she stared down at him, confused. âNo one ever sits here, so I figured itâd be safer. I guess I could find us a spot in the library though, if you really want.âÂ
âOh.â Kaleb said, hiding his flushed face. It was rare for Brooke to consider his needs like that. âNo, itâs okay.â He said hurriedly, trying to hide the flutter of nerves that always came with being outside in an unfamiliar place. âI donât mind staying here.âÂ
âSweet.â Brooke said simply, turning to get out her lunch. Unwrapping her somewhat squished sandwich, she hesitated, sparing her downsized classmate a thoughtful glance. âUh, do you want some of this? Itâs just PB and J, but if youâre hungryâŚâÂ
Unsure how to go about sharing her lunch with a borrower, Brooke broke a small portion off her sandwich and held it out to him between her pinched fingers. She tried not to think about how sheâd used her bare hands to touch his food, or how stale the bread her mum had used to make the sandwich probably was. Luckily, Kaleb didnât seem to mind at all. To a borrower, food was food, and the novelty of actually being able to eat while at human school wasnât lost on him. He accepted the squished clump of bread and condiments with a grin, nodding his thanks.Â
It didnât escape Brookeâs attention that Kaleb hadnât asked to leave her pocket since sheâd sat down. âYou can come out, if you want.â She said, looking out at their surroundings. The tree sheâd chosen was far enough against the perimeter of the school grounds that no other students were in sight, other than a group of boys playing soccer on the oval nearby. Even if somebody did come over, Kaleb would have plenty of time to duck out of sight before they arrived. Â
Apparently that wasnât enough to convince the borrower in question. âIâm fine just staying here.â Kaleb said dismissively. âI donât wanna risk anyone seeing me.âÂ
He supposed it was a version of the truth. In actuality, there was a larger part of Kaleb that was absolutely terrified by the thought of being stuck out in the open without his borrowing gear. It was one of those realities of his kind that he would never expect any human to understand, let alone Brooke. To him, venturing outside unequipped was like a death sentence, something even the most hardened of borrowers wouldnât dream of doing. Just as humankind had survived by creating their tools and weapons and inventions, a borrowerâs grappling hooks, sewing needle swords, and thumbtack daggers were like their lifeline. Without them, Kaleb would be the perfect prey for a crow or stray cat, or worse, an overly curious human who just couldnât leave well enough alone.
Which leaves me all the more dependent on Brooke right now. That unhelpful part of his brain reminded him.Â
âFair.â The human girl said. âI donât exactly wanna be caught eating lunch with a borrower, either.âÂ
Kaleb smirked, internally glad she hadnât pressed the issue. âDoesnât really suit the exterminatorâs daughter reputation, huh?â
âI will leave you here.âÂ
They were silent for a moment, and Kaleb took a bite of his makeshift sandwich, chewing thoughtfully and trying to ignore the sound of Brooke doing the same albeit at a larger, far more unsettling scale. âI never thought Iâd see the school like this.â He admitted as a way of distraction, gazing over at the red and yellow brick building in the distance. From his current perspective, there might as well have been an ocean of grass separating it from where Brooke was sitting; a reality that was both humbling and unnerving at the same time. Kaleb found himself wanting to try and explain it to her, whether she chose to listen or not.Â
âIâve always kinda seen coming here as like my second life, where I can live the way any other human teenager would without being in constant fear of danger or being caught.â He said, arms draped over the lip of Brookeâs pocket as he brooded. âBut right now, when Iâm like this, itâs hard to explain. It makes it so obvious that the person I become when Iâm human-sizedâmy whole identity when Iâm at schoolâitâs all fake. Just a lie I built to protect this Kaleb. The real me.âÂ
Kaleb stared at the outline of his hands, so tiny in comparison to the human whose pocket he leant out of, and even tinier when held out in front of the backdrop of Westmount State High. When Brooke said nothing in response, he sighed, speaking more to himself than anything. âBut still⌠Even though Upsize is a pain to deal with, and clearly it doesnât always work the way itâs supposed to, I canât imagine going back to the way things were before I started using it.â
Her borrower neighbourâs honest words stirred up a torrent of emotions inside Brooke; something that had been happening more and more frequently lately. I shouldâve known heâd start getting all existential on me, her thoughts were screaming. Deep down, she knew that she and Kaleb were beginning to reach a bit of a stalemate with their empty threats and bickering, but a part of her still found comfort in those interactions. She could keep her guard up that way, and maintain a certain degree of separation from being genuine with him. Still, Brooke couldnât deny that other part of herâone she tried to keep sealed awayâthat yearned for connection. If someone had told her two months ago that sheâd be finding that connection from Kaleb Finch of all people, she would have laughed in their face. And yet here they were, and Brooke couldnât help but agree with his words. She was sick of pretending, too.Â
âYou basically just summed up why so many humans like playing video games.â Brooke mused, swallowing the last of her sandwich and leaning back against the tree trunk with her legs stretched out in front of her. She laced her hands behind her head. âWhen youâre playing as a character and really immersing yourself in their world, itâs easy to forget how shitty your own life is behind the screen.âÂ
Now it was Kalebâs turn to hesitate, not expecting such an earnest answer. Brooke surprised him more and more with those these days. âMy life isnât shitty.â He said. âItâs justâŚâ He stared down at his hands again.
âSmall?â The human girl offered with a smug grin.
Kaleb hid his own smile behind the material of her pocket. âI was going to say dull, but I guess thatâs a more obvious way of putting it.âÂ
âTo be honest, I forget too.â Brooke said. âThat youâre actually a borrower. You fake being human so well itâs kinda scary. But then I come home and youâre suddenly popping out of some random hole in the wall and scaring the shit out of me like itâs the most normal thing ever.â She gave a half-hearted, knowing sigh. âI get it. For you, the difference between who you are at school versus home is literally huge, and honestly, I donât even want to try and imagine what thatâs like. But youâre not really as alone as you think. Every human who knows whatâs good for them puts on a face at school to protect themselves. Itâs just part of fitting in until youâve figured out the kind of person you want to be.âÂ
âYeahâŚI guess youâre right.â Kaleb said, looking up at her dinner-plate-sized grey eyes as they gazed out across the grassy oval. He could see that the Brooke at school was a different person too, in a way. She always seemed sadder, more wistful. Hidden behind that trademark smug look of hers was the pain of understanding what it felt like to be marginalised. It made Kaleb wonder how much of that was his fault.Â
âI just wish I could tell everyone the truth.â He blurted out before he could fall into that particular pit of self-loathing.
From his position, Kaleb could feel as well as hear Brooke snicker. âSeriously? Like the whole class?â She asked with an amused grin. âYou reckon you could trust them all? Even Amy Snyder?âÂ
I trust you. Kaleb wanted to say. âYeah, youâre probably right.â He agreed instead, but found himself hesitating when two figures kicking a soccer ball across the oval caught his eye. Kaleb blinked, surprised at how small they both looked from this distance, even though he knew it was only a matter of perspective. The borrower sighed. âIâd want to tell Thomas and Marcus.â He amended. âIâve known them since I started here back in middle school. Itâs exhausting, lying to them about everything. I didnât really notice it until I started opening up to you.âÂ
Brooke hummed in agreement. âYeah. Now that you mention it, I guess you do find every opportunity to tell me some weird borrower fact that I donât actually care about.âÂ
When Kaleb shot her a withering look, the human girl tried again, though not without smirking first. âYouâre worried theyâll look at you differently once they find out what you are, right?âÂ
Kalebâs gaze dropped to the inside of her jacket pocket, where he began to fidget with the overlock stitching lining the edge. âWell⌠yeah.â He said quietly. âI mean, you did, didnât you?âÂ
âI⌠did. I mean, I do.â Brooke had to admit. Heâd gotten her there. Glancing down at his tiny, sulking form, she sighed, trying not to think too hard about how much she meant the words that came out of her mouth next:
âBut is that really a bad thing? Yeah, I admit I still think borrowers are shit-talking little tight-wads, and I bet you still think me and my family are just another bunch of human bigots⌠but at least that means we both understand each other a little better, right?âÂ
Kaleb froze in place. Tactless as she was, he could see Brookeâs intentions as plain as day, how this was her own roundabout method of cheering him up. It made him smile, properly this time, and he met her giant eyes, opening his mouth to reply.
But then the bell rang again, signalling it was time to go back to class.
****
Fourth period was as dreary as ever for Brooke, who sat in her usual spot up the very back of the classroom so she could doodle in her notebook in peace. Although she was by no means flunking out of the subject, she definitely didnât harbour the level of care towards maths that the borrower stowed away in her pocket seemed to have. Feeling her eyelids droop out of boredom, Brooke hid a yawn behind one hand while she sketched the outline of a guitar with the other. She hadnât felt Kalebâs tiny form shift against the inside of her pocket in a while now, figuring he was busy listening intently to Mrs Crowley taking questions about their upcoming exam as promised.Â
Brooke rested her elbow on her desk and propped up her head with a hand. At the front of the classroom beside the whiteboard, the clock ticked away at her tauntingly. She blew the bangs out of her eyes with a huff. The sketch of her old guitar had killed exactly ten minutes of class time.Â
Only eighty more to go. She thought miserably, reminded again of Kaleb and his abnormal appreciation for maths. Â
After triple checking that no one was looking, Brooke decided that now was as good a time as any to check on the borrower in question. Maybe seeing him taking rigorous notes using the tiny scrap of paper and pacer lead sheâd provided him earlier would spur her into actually engaging in the lesson herself. So, as quietly and non-discreetly as she could muster, Brooke pinched the flap of her jacket pocket between her thumb and forefinger and lifted it up to peer inside. She was fully expecting Kalebâs tiny hand to immediately try to bat away her intruding digits, and for him to let out a string of curses for interrupting his note-taking (which she probably deserved).
Instead, Brooke was met with a very different sight. Â
Her borrower classmate lay fast asleep at the bottom of the pocket, paper scrap and lead all but forgotten. The human girl watched his tiny chest rise and fall steadily, undisturbed by her relatively giant eyes gazing in. His body was curled up, free of the tension it had harboured since shrinking down hours ago. The near-permanent shit-eating grin had been wiped from his face, his features softened and relaxed. Brookeâs gaze lingered on his slumbering form for a moment longer, before she let the pocket flap fall back into place.
So much for catching those stupid exam tips. She thought to herself.Â
For some reason though, Brooke wasnât as annoyed as she imagined sheâd be. If anything, seeing Kaleb let his near-impenetrable guard down after everything heâd been through that day made the human girlâs chest swell with unexpected warmth and that all-too-familiar emotion she wouldnât dare acknowledge out loud.Â
The corner of her lips tugging upwards into a smile, Brooke let out a sigh and turned to a fresh page of her notebook, writing the title âfinal exam tipsâ at the top.Â
âYouâre welcome." She whispered as she got to work.
Kaleb POV after poking the bear Brooke (he has many regrets)Â
This literally took forever holy shit. Shoutout to my anatomy figure and the quite frankly horrifying mirror selfies I took for assisting me with the poses XDÂ