The Sunshine Project Pt. 14

I can't believe my eyes what's happening. Jess actually let her do that. Allie's been joking about it. I've heard their conversations. But she did it... And now is my cue to walk away. I turn away, climbing back up the steps where I can hear but not see, and I lie down. I wanted them to have their talk. I did not want to hear them fucking. But now that my body has suddenly come alive with desire, I know I can't stay small forever. No way that'll work.

God... I just want to sleep and get tomorrow over with. I plug my ears and clamp my eyes shut. When will this be over?

Chapter 42

Beck

Those stupid bitches... all three of them. I smack the damn door until my hand hurts. My head is swimming. I drank way too fucking much, but everything was going fine until Jess got up and ran out. Now, I'm two feet tall and angrier than a fucking hornet. If I'd have been a little more sober and quick thinking, I'd have gotten my phone and took a picture of that girl. Or my fucking self for that matter. That's proof enough, right? Kirk and his buddy would have to believe that.

"Let me out of here!" I scream, banging on the door harder. I can't believe this is happening. When Allie suggested this, I thought it was some weird sex kink, and fuck was I totally into it, but they just fucking ran out.

How do you get in her fucking head like that, Jess? I want to get that shrink ray and fucking shrink you, then lock you in a box. Or maybe I'd just step on you.

"Fucking let me out!"

I pound and scream until my voice goes hoarse; then I rest my drunken forehead against the cool wood and find myself yawning. Even if they made me big again, I'd never be able to drive home, and I'm too dizzy and blurry eyed to even stand up anymore.

The blanket pools on the ground next to the bed where it slid off when Jess got up, so I pull on it a little more and most of it falls down. It's soft and warm, and it's the only option I have. They're going to take their damn good time coming back up here, if they even come up. They're probably down their fucking by themselves and have forgotten about me entirely.

I curl up on the blanket and pull the corner over me. If I was stoned and paranoid this would be way more frightening, but alcohol has voided my ability to care or even think straight. Before I can even take a deep breath, my body is passing out.

The light coming in the window wakes me. I have a pounding headache. I can't tell what time it is and for a few minutes I even forget where I am or what I was doing last night to make myself so hungover. Until I look around the room and nothing looks familiar--or the right size. I shoot to my feet and touch myself up and down. My body is here--it's mine; I can feel it. But the dresser and bed are so fucking huge and panic washes over me in waves.

I turn around and see my bra laying on the ground at the foot of the bed, panties next to it, and remember last night. Well, not all of it. I have questions about where Jess and Allie are right now, but I remember Allie asking me to shrink and then leaving. I banged on the door for a while and no one came, but that's what I remember. I had a dream too, about a shrunken blonde-haired girl wearing doll clothes.

"Fuck..." I groan, realizing how tiny I am. You better be able to make this right, Jess, or I'm going to have your head. I can't be late today.

I walk to the door and bang on it, hoping someone can hear me. If it wasn't so fucked up, this shrinking thing would have been really hot. I just need to get rid of Jess so I can enjoy it with Allie. Maybe I have just the way. Maybe I need to just steal that gun and fucking shoot her.

Is that what you want, Jess? Why you're being such a bitch about things? You want me to just punish you for taking my Allie Bug? Well, I have no problem doing that. You fucking walk out on me last night and go downstairs to screw and leave me here... You're finished, and you don't even know it yet. This entire situation is fucked.

I bang again, louder this time. The whole door shakes against the door jamb. I'll scream at the top of my lungs until I wake the whole neighborhood. Allie knows I have court. I told her as much last week. This week is massive for my career. I need to be normal size again so I can get dressed and get to work. I don't stop banging until I hear the latch click, and Allie walks in. I back away as she rubs her eyes.

"What the actual fuck, Allie?" I'm done with being nice. Maybe I was wrong this whole time, and it was never Jess. Maybe you're the problem.

"Hey," she yawns and stretches. She's ass-crack naked, and now I know they had sex last night.

"Hey? That's all you have to say is 'hey?' What the fuck is wrong with you? You shrank me and then left me in here alone." I glance at the door where I see movement but turn back to her in anger. "I have court this morning. Just make me normal so I can fucking leave."

Allie scowls at me. "You're really bossy, you know that?"

Don't fucking call me bossy, you bitch. You and Jess are total losers. I can't believe I actually wanted to date you. I glare at her until she points the gun and shoots, and the green ray hits me in an explosion of light. I don't remember what it felt like to shrink because I was so wasted, but this is painful. It feels like my muscles are going to tear in two, and my brain feels like it's swelling inside my head.

I shut my eyes and fall to my knees and my whole body shudders with pain and pressure. When it's over and grit my teeth and remain there for a few minutes. It takes my breath away, and I find myself sucking air. I feel air move around me and then my clothes drop onto my hand, which is pressed against the carpet. I look up and see Allie standing over me with the gun and my phone in hand. She tosses it onto the pile of clothes and rolls her eyes at me.

"You should call in. I already have." She tucks the gun under her arm and stares at me as I stand, picking my things up.

"I can't fucking call in. It's court day. You knew that." One glance at my phone tells me I'm already late. It's a forty-five-minute drive to the courthouse in Montgomery County, and I have to stop at home first, and I have thirty minutes. "Fuck!"

Allie walks out without another word, and I'm so furious I could throat punch her. I drop my shit on the foot of the bed and take my panties and start dressing. Even if I rush as fast as I can, I will be late. I need Sheila to cover for me, and I know how much she hates doing that. I dress as quickly as I can, and when I turn around I'm shocked to see a tiny blonde-haired girl standing in the doorway.

So it wasn't a dream? You really do have a little fuck toy, Jess?

"You should be nicer to her. I mean, she's a bitch, but you are just nasty." She rubs her canine tooth with the tip of her tongue and walks right past me as if me seeing her shrunken body means nothing. I scramble to get my camera app open and pointed at her. This is just the evidence I need to prove that these guns are real and bury Jess at the very least. I may redeem things with Allie if I can do that.

"Hold still," I snap, but the girl scowls at me. I snap a picture but then she darts under the bed. "Come back here," I growl, dropping to my knees. I reach under, sweeping my hand back and forth trying to find her, but she evades my grasp, and it's pretty dark under there. And then my phone starts ringing.

"Fuck's sake," I snarl, and press the screen. It's Sheila, which means I'm double fucked. "Hey, Sheila."

"Beck, we need to talk."

Her tone is angry and cold. My heart is already pounding a thousand times a minute thanks to these two dumb bitches. I don't need my boss mad at me too. I open my mouth to apologize, though she doesn't even know I'm going to be late yet, and then I stop, because--she doesn't know I'm going to be late. Why are you calling, Sheila?

"There has been a situation evolving since last week, perhaps even before that."

"A situation?" I ask, now confused. I haven't heard of any situations. The only thing on my mind now is getting to my car and getting to work. I walk toward the door with my phone pinched between my ear and shoulder and head down the stairs. My shoes are at the bottom of the steps; I see them as I descend.

"Yes, well, it's uncomfortable to talk about over the phone, but you don't need to waste the drive into the office today, or the courthouse."

I slow my descent, taking one step at a time as every muscle in my body tightens. "What? Why not? It's court day. I have to advocate for Lucy--"

"You're fired, Beck." Sheila is blunt, laying out the facts for me concisely. "You've been acting in an inappropriate manner at work at times, though HR had no real complaint about your controlling behavior for a long time because you were doing a good job. But after the security team caught you in public displays of affection on state property during work hours, and then they saw you doing highly inappropriate things with a child's toy in the elevator... I don't think I need to say anything else. You may come in after hours to collect your things, but you may not be on the premises while there are children present."

"What, no. You don't understand."

"I'm sorry, Beck. It's not my decision. I actually had to go to bat for you to tell the county prosecutor they didn't need to investigate. What were you thinking? We work with abused children here... I have to go." Sheila hangs up, and I step into the living room to see Jess and Allie standing near the sofa chatting. The phone goes silent, and all I can think is how this is all their fault. Both of them.

Oh, you've gone too far this time... I shove my feet into my shoes and move quickly toward Allie, hoping to grab the shrink ray. Allie sees me coming and ducks behind Jess who holds her hands up defensively.

"Do you even know what you've done!" I'm livid. "I just got fired. Fucking fired!"

"Woah, calm down, Beck." Jess puts her hands on my shoulders as if she is going to calm me, and I smack them away.

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down. You bitches shrank me and kept me locked in a bedroom all night." I shift uncomfortably, backing away and hugging my arms over my chest. "Now everyone is going to know because I'm going to tell them. You fucked up this time."

I walk toward the door, and Allie runs over and puts her hand on it and holds it closed as I turn the knob, only to find it's locked. "Move."

"Beck, you can't go tell people. They'll think you're crazy."

Nice try, Allie Bug, but you had your chance and you chose her.

"Not when I show them this..." I whip out my phone and swipe to the photos app. Allie gasps when she sees the image of the girl they have in their room trying to run away from the camera. She shoots her hand out trying to grab my phone but I jam it into my pocket. "Nope... You have no idea the storm you've created." I push her aside and unlock the door, then dart out before they can stop me.

I'm going straight to the police with this information and skipping the military guy. He'll move slowly, red tape and bureaucracy. But the police will recognize this girl and come here immediately. If she's been missing for a while or someone reported her kidnapped, they'll probably already know about her. God... I hate doing this to Allie after everything we've been through, but they got me fired.

I stop when I reach my car and look up at the door. It's shut, and Allie is watching me out the window, pillow held in front of her chest. If there is a way to redeem anything with her, it will have to be after Jess is out of the way because I'm not coming back to this place unless it's to take Allie out of here. Even then, she'll have to side with me and testify against Jess.

Oh, Allie Bug, we could have been so good together...