Jake Barry
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Chapter 41
🕑 Added 2023-05-17 21:33:42 +0000 UTCThe struggle to hold on to Myra's bracelet continues as she makes her way down the hall. The giant girl swings her arms as she walks, threatening to send me flying. I maintain my grip, knowing that if I rest for even a second, it will be the end of me. My hopes of being found by Jeannine dwindle as the two giantesses head in opposite directions. I am sure my friend is waiting until she is far enough from Myra before speaking. I can already guess what she will say. "We did it, Nick! Oh my gosh, my heart is beating out of my chest!", or something like that. I feel so bad about ruining what should be a huge celebration. She will call for me, but I will not answer. When she checks the cabin, she will go into a panic. She will run back to the room, be unable to enter, and panic even more. With Myra and the President busy with class, she will have to wait until the meeting. At that point, she will lose all hope when I am no longer on the lab bench.
"I'm sorry, Jeannine. I should have just jumped in with the rescued Remnants..."
Myra comes to a stop in front of a door. I am raised, along with her arm, as she goes to knock. The sound assaults my ears twice, leaving them ringing. If I had free hands I would cover them, but that is not possible at the moment. She waits for a few seconds, holding her arm in the same position as she waits for a response. When no one answers she reaches for the handle and lets herself in. I feel the motions of her arm moving until she comes to a stop once more. Then they resume, much more intensely than before. The world around me becomes a blur. I hear a zipper and the sound of a sheet of paper. It is too much for me. I can hardly feel my hands at this point, and my shoulder is screaming. Unable to hold on any longer, I finally let go.
I fall through the air just as Myra is placing a printed submission on the desk. I land on it, which breaks my fall, as it settles into place on the desk. The landing is rough, but I come out of it alive.
The next thing I know, I am looking at the giantess' back as she walks out. There is a loud 'thud' as she shuts the door behind her. I lay there on my back for a time. My body is so tired. I need to rest. With no plan and no way of getting help, I lay there for the time being and just think.
An hour pass, and then two more. At this point I think I am ready to get up. "A-Agh... Crap..." I groan, stumbling as I stand. I roll my shoulder a few times, which makes it feel a little better. I do not think I dislocated it. It is probably a muscle tear. I will have to get it check out when I get home. That is, if I get home. "Calm down. Consider your options. Think carefully..."
I look around the area, checking out my surroundings for the first time. I appear to be on a desk. In the distance I can a humongous chair. There are various objects placed on it, such as a picture of a teenage boy, some paperweights, stationary, and various other objects. I am standing on a plain of white, peppered with large, typed letters. At least, I think they are. It is impossible to read what is written from way down here.
"This must be Myra's submission. That means I'm in her professor's office." I do another scan of the area, hoping to find anything useful. My eyes light up when I notice speakers on the upper left corner of the desk. I see no wires coming from them. I think that means they are the Bluetooth kind. I believe that is the same technology my earpiece uses to pair with Jeannine's. That gives me an idea. "It's worth a shot."
Taking out my earpiece, I look for any buttons. There is a total of four. The big one is for power and the ones below it is for volume and muting. On the opposite side is another, which is used for pairing. At least, I think it is? When Icarus gave me this, it was already paired. I hold the device above my head and press the button. Upon doing so, the indicator light goes from flashing green to flashing red.
"Okay. That should have unpaired it..." I then press and hold the button for ten seconds. I watch as the indicator light changes from a flashing red to a stable green. This is followed by a chime from the speakers. "No way. Did that work?"
I hold the device near my mouth and breathe in slowly. To my surprise, the speaker relays that same sound at a much higher volume. It looks like I may be able to establish contact with someone! Finally, I have made some progress toward being found. Just as I think that I see the door to the office open. I mute my device, turning around to see who it could be. In walks a familiar, unfriendly face; someone who both Jeannine and I have listened to for many hours. "No, no, no! Anyone but her..."
The giant, older woman enters the room with a mug in hand. She slams the door with the other, huffing in frustration. She locks the door behind her, muttering as she does so. "Fucking kids, always glued to their phones, never paying attention…"
She turns and begins to walk toward her desk, the clacking of her heels sounding louder in the small room. She does not utter another word, but the look on her face is a dead giveaway of her mood. She looks positively pissed. It does not take a genius to guess why.
The professor is always nicely dressed, today being no exception. The older woman is wearing a navy-blue pant suit up to her waist, with a white, buttoned shirt underneath. I would call it professional looking, if not for the large, brown coffee stains. Both her blazer and parts of her shirt are ruined. She places her mug down near me, causing the entire desktop to quake. I watch her carefully, my anxiety slowly rising. I am well aware that this woman is not a fan of my kind. She is the last person I want to be around when I am lost and helpless! Least of all when she is in a mood!
"But if she finds me skulking around here, it might make this situation worse..."
The way I see it, I have two options.
I can either hide and try to produce a new plan, or I can take my chances with her. I consider the consequence of both carefully as I watch her inspecting the stains with a scowl plastered on her face. The professor takes off her blazer, hanging it on the back of her chair. She then bends over to open a drawer somewhere out of sight, pulling out a set of clean clothes. They are placed on the arm of her chair as well. Her hands then move to her shirt, undoing the top button. They move to the next, and then the next. By the third, I can see bits of her underwear.
"Oh my gosh, she's undressing! She thinks she is alone..." I mutter, my face growing red. I feel like some sort of perverted voyeur. Before I can see anything, I should not, I give her my back.
I listen to the sound of fabric rubbing against itself, waiting for her to finish. A few seconds later, I hear it stop. The silence in the room is broken when she finally decides to speak.
"A Lilli, in my office…" Her tone is ice-cold. I spin around, only to find the woman with her hands on her hips, leaning forward to get a closer look. Her shirt is halfway unbuttoned, but that is the least of my concerns. The sight of her huge, incredibly angry eyes locked onto me, fills me with abject horror. She then leans back, standing up to her full, imposing height. She makes no attempt to cover herself, similar to how one does not experience shame when exposed in the presence of animals. Her eyelids droop as she adopts an expression of pure indignation. "Not only do you crawl into every aspect of our society, our politics, and my work… Now you feel the need to invade my office to spy on me?"
My adrenaline spikes as she pulls the paper I am standing on, pulling it to the edge of the desk nearest to her. She turns around, now looming over the me with her backside. "Fine. If you are this desperate, then be my guest. Get as good of a look as you want!"
The giantess immediately sits down, dropping her body onto me. I have no time to react. All I can do is watch as the navy-blue sky descends upon me. I shield myself with my arms and close my eyes, preparing for the worst. The ground shakes as she lands, forcing me to the ground. A sudden, intense pain comes from my leg. I cry out in pain, as I lose the ability to move it. I take a shaky breath, unable to believe that I am still alive. I slowly open my eyes, seeing nothing but fabric. The temperature is rising rapidly, and I take a guess at where I am. A shiver rocks my body, and I try not to think about it. Whatever worries I had about contacted the professor are long gone now. I reach for my earpiece to unmute it, when suddenly the world begins to move. I am thrown against a wall of fabric as the giantess twists her hips, trying to grind me to death. Before she can, I manage to unmute my earpiece and finally make contact.
"D-Dr. Lam! Please, stop!" I say, hearing my own voice amplified loud enough for a Brob to hear.
The giantess gasps, suddenly freezing in place. A moment later, she lifts herself off the table and takes a step back. Her eyes remain on me the entire time, a puzzled look on her face. She mutters under her breath. "What in the world..."
"Hello, professor..." I say, nervously. I struggle to rise to my feet, putting all of my weight on my working leg. The other is clearly broken.
She takes a step closer, dropping into her chair and leaning forward. I endure a gust of warm breath as her lips part and her jaw drops. "A talking Lilli...?"
"Yes, I can talk. All Lillis can-" I stop myself before I can say anything that will irritate her. I clear my throat and continue. "My name is Nick. I connected to your speakers so that we could talk."
She glances over at her speakers, and then back at me. "I admit that is a neat trick. I have never met one of your kind that knew how to use technology.
However, it does not excuse you from being a peeping tom." Dr. Lam sits up straight, bringing her finger over to me. She hovers it in the air, threateningly. "Since you can speak, I will give you ten seconds to explain why you are on my desk. Depending on your answer, I may not crush you. Do I make myself clear, Nick?"
I feel faint, staring at the oversized finger above me. My heart races and I begin to sweat. My body trembles and my legs suddenly feel heavy. This is the third time I have experienced this. Once with that Brob waiter and again with Jeannine's mom. Each of those times, I was unable to do a thing. I only survived due to luck. Something tells me my luck has run out. No one is coming to save me, not even Jeannine. As much as it terrifies me, it also makes me feel...angry. For some reason, Mayor Rin's words spring to mind. If a Brob wants to do something, there is nothing a Lilli can do to stop them. She was right, it is frustrating. I am no less than this woman. I am not some bug to be threatened and crushed. I am a person! I try to control my breathing as I feel a fire building in my chest. An explosion of anger will not resolve this. I have to keep calm.
"Dr. Lam, please remove your finger. I am not a bug. Do not treat me like one."
The professor scoffs, bringing her finger down dangerously close to me. The impact knocks my already unstable self onto my butt. "That does not sound like an explanation. Do you have a death wish, you pathetic, little Lilli?"
Despite her actions, I do not show any fear. I am not so meek that I will let a sizist like her scare me. I respond in the same, confident tone as before. "I am not afraid of you."
"Hmph. You should be." She then brings her finger down on me, putting just enough pressure to pin me down. "I will give you one, final chance. Tell me why you are in my office, watching me undress."
She then increases the pressure slightly, making it difficult to breath. I worry that my ribs will crack soon.
"I... was brought... here...!" I struggle to say, while effectively having a house dropped on me. It is a miracle I can even get that much out. "P-Please... understand...!"
"Likely story." She says, relieving some of the pressure without removing her finger. "And who, pray tell, brought you here?"
"It was one of your students. A girl named Myra."
There is a pause, followed by Dr. Lam pulling her hand away. I sit up, feeling the throbbing pain in my leg worsen. I am dizzy and sweaty, likely going into shock. It takes all my willpower not to pass out. The professor's eyes narrow as she studies me carefully. "You mean to tell me that Myra brought you here? Why would she do that?"
"She didn't mean to... I was on her submission... Which she brought during the lunch hour." I pant. "It's at the top of the stack, professor."
She glances over, confirming my words. I notice the anger in her expression lessen, but not by much. "Assuming I believe you, that raises even more questions. I don't know where to begin."
"Take your time... I am not going anywhere..."
The giantess raises a brow, looking down on me. "You know, this would be a good opportunity to run. Given how difficult you are to spot, you might even make it." She laughs softly, a smug grin creeping across her face. "Or maybe not. I forget how pathetically slow your kind is."
"I have no plans of running away." I tell her, flatly.
Dr. Lam goes silent as she stares at me. I use the brief reprieve to recover some energy, the pain making me less concerned with her stupid taunts. She appears to be thinking hard about something.
"What do you want then? I am not going to keep you as a pet if that is what you’re hoping for."
I shudder at the thought of that. I will not dignify her remark with a response. I simply sit there, glaring at her. As much as I would like to hurl an insult back, I know it would not be right. It might even cause her to follow through on her earlier threats. Instead, I address her earlier comment.
"For the record, I turned around when you began to change. I do not care if you believe me, but I was not going to ogle my professor!" I explain, with a hint of annoyance in my tone. "I can't run because my leg is broken. You broke it when you sat on me." I wince in pain as I stupidly try to move it. "Not that I would run in the first place. I connected to you speaker to ask for your help. Look where that got me."
It might be my imagination, but I notice a hint of concern on the giantess' face. Her tone is significantly less hostile when she next speaks. "Hold on. What do you mean by, 'my professor'?"
"I... I am friends with a certain student in your class. Sometimes she brings me to your lectures."
"Excuse me?" Dr. Lam shakes her head in disbelief. "A Lilli attends my lectures?"
"Despite your backwards, baseless views, I find your subject material interesting."
"You must be joking." She laughs.
"Not at all. Yesterday's lecture on comparative politics was interesting. Though, I enjoyed the previous week's lecture on sovereignty more."
The look on the professor's face can only be described as astounded. She gazes at me in disbelief, the look of concern on her face becoming less subtle. "How old are you, exactly?"
"I'm eighteen, professor."
"I have students the same age as you..." She trails off. "Your leg. Does it hurt?"
"Yes, a lot. I can't hardly stand up." I say, without holding back.
She leans back in her chair, folding her arms. I notice her fingers tapping rapidly on her arm. I decide to stay quiet until she speaks. There is not much I want to say. I have already shared more than I ever should have to an outsider. After taking her own, sweet time, Dr. Lam continues her line of questioning.
"I have never met a Lilli quite like you, Nicholas. Despite seeing things, you should not have, I feel you have suffered enough. I will generously let you off with just a broken leg."
"Thank you, Dr. Lam." I tell her, forcing myself to be nice.
"This friend of yours..." She begins, staring off into space. "I have a feeling I know exactly who it is."
"You do?" I respond in surprise.
"Let me guess. Is she tall, with long hair?"
"Yes." I nod.
"Does she often sit next to a student named Sara?"
"Umm, yes. How did you-"
"And does she have large breasts?"
I suddenly go silent, unable to answer that last one. My silence all but confirms her suspicions. She grins, sitting up in her seat. "Your friend is Jeannine."
"...you guessed right. How did you know?"
"There is only one student in my class who is so vocal about treating you Lillis well. I've had my share of arguments with her in the past, but she no longer disrupts class." She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. "Would you like me to have her come get you?"
"Yes. That is all I ever wanted, professor."
Dr. Lam nods, rapidly typing out an email on her phone. She shows it to me before pressing send. Not thirty seconds later, a response come back from Jeannine. "She is on her way now."
The two of us wait in silence for about five minutes. It is awkward, but I think neither of us really want to talk. I do, however, notice the professor buttoning up her shirt again. I make no comments on that. A knock is heard on the other side of the door, followed by Jeannine's voice. The door opens and my best friend steps in, her hair a mess and clearly out of breath. She approaches the desk, not seeing me until Dr. Lam gestures toward my location atop the piece of paper. Jeannine leans in, her eyes red and puffy from crying, before another tears runs down her cheek. I do not think I have ever been so happy to see her.
"I don't understand." She sniffles. "How did...? I mean, why is...? Umm..."
"Jeannine, please take a seat. You have a lot to explain."
Reluctantly, Jeannine complies and takes a seat. Over the next fifteen minutes, she tells the professor all about the Lilli club and how she lost me there, leaving out some details. She tells her the truth about what they do and how they lied to the administration. I expect her to show Dr. Lam the rescued Lillis, but she does not. I suppose that is for the better, as she would likely confiscate them. After answering a few more questions, masterfully avoiding revealing anything too private, Dr. Lam finally seems satisfied.
"I was not aware of the Lilli studies club's mistreatment of Remnants. I will be dissolving their group as soon as I can. As a professor at this university, I cannot ignore this. It could become a scandal, or worse, lead to legal consequences."
"Thank you, professor." Jeannine gives a tight-lipped smile. "I didn't think you would care about such a thing."
"Believe me, I don't. If not for my position, I could care less what happens to Remnants." She shrugs. "That said, I do not wish them harm, unless they cause me trouble. Those Remnants did nothing to deserve punishment."
"I see." Jeannine's expression becomes uncomfortable.
"Please take your friend and leave my office. I don't have any more time for this." She shoos her away with her hand. "As for you, Nicholas, you had better go with her before I change my mind and throw you in the trash."
Neither of us argue as Jeannine very carefully uses her nail to collect me. She transfers me from there to the center of her palm, ensuring she does not make my injury worse. Once I am settled, she turns and goes to leave.
"Oh, and no word about any of this, got it?" Dr. Lam adds.
Somehow, I feel that instruction was meant for me more than Jeannine. Before I lose connection to her speaker, I answer her. "I wouldn't dream of it."
"Yes ma'am." Jeannine adds.
The two of us leave together, finally reunited. With some difficulty, I manage to return to the cabin once Jeannine places it in her palm.
I take my seat and strap in, careful not to move my leg unnecessarily. Once I am there, Jeannine lifts the cabin to her face so that she can see me better. She smiles, her tears finally dry. "Nick, I am so sorry for making you go along with my plan. There was an incredible risk. I pushed you despite knowing that."
"Jeannine, please, just shut up." I groan. "I agreed to it of my own volition. I wanted it as much as you did."
"But still..." She pouts. "You got hurt because of me. You nearly died."
"What's past is past. All that matters is that we saved everyone. Now get me to the hospital before I pass out. Holy shit, my leg hurts!" I half laugh and half cry.
"Thank you." She says softly, latching the earring to her ear. "You're kinder to me than I deserve. It... means the world to me."
Comments
Jake Barry
Thanks so much. I put a lot into this one.
Haroon
I didn't cry but I enjoyed the chapter lol. Excellent job
G
You know what I think I know why I like Nick A.K.A the G.O.A.T so much He reminds me of Peter Parker - spider-man. Now hear me out I know he doesn’t have the cool powers and stuff although that would be cool as hell to see that not what I'm talking about. I mean from him losing everything but still moving forward as best as he can, with his desire to help his people when he can even though he knows he can’t save everyone but I know if he ever had to power to do so I know he would. Added to his sense of humor his sense of what is right and wrong and that Lilies are people and their lives matter just as much as Brobs is just somewhat inspiring.
