‘This might sound weird’ Claire spoke softly to the little girl cupped against her chest, ‘but are you still up for that whole getting to know each other night.’

Georgia looked up a little lost for words.

‘It could still be fun. I mean, what I mean is it’ll be a break, we’ll have fun tonight and just leave this to the morning. A movie might help you feel a little better’

Claire saw her nod back.

‘Okay’ Georgia mumbled.

Claire lowered Georgia back down and set her on the bed, she stood up towering over her.

‘I’ll just be a minute’ she whispered down.

Claire clicked the lock back open, pulled the door and left. Georgia sat there by herself, she pulled off her suede hunter style boots and wriggled free from the thick woollen jumper she had on. It was green with an Aztec pattern on it, she folded it neatly beside her and rested her boots on top. Georgia sat there in jeans and a band t-shirt she was just trying to get to grips with her new size. She gathered herself back up to her feet and stood tall taking in the view of the whole room. She pattered across the thick surface, it sprung up reflexively under her footfalls. She bounced with every step. Curiosity got the better of her and she jumped. It was less than inch high but as she landed back down she was sprung into the air again. She felt a weird mix of happiness doing this, she felt like a kid again. So she jumped and rolled and threw herself to the floor.

Claire walked back in midsentence, ‘I’ve just ordered the pizza it’ll be about twenty minutes, and I borrowed a DVD from’ she stopped, surprised at seeing Georgia treating her bed as a massive bouncy castle, a slight smile perked at the corners of her mouth and turned to a grin. She padded carefully across to her bed, it seemed Georgia hadn’t even registered her coming in. Claire flopped down to the bed with a mighty crash.

The force of the impact sent Georgia flying in to the air about three times her height. In the same moment she was weightless and shocked. She fell back to the ground and rolled down the grove Claire’s weight had created, she found herself pressed up against the familiar rumbling of Claire’s stomach.

Georgia pulled herself free and they both burst out laughing.

Claire saw the tiny woolen jumper and plucked it between her thumb and forefinger, she raised it up right in front face.

‘Awww, I know you can’t appreciate this, but this jumper is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Look how tiny it is’

Georgia looked up at her scrunching her face up into an annoyed pout.

‘Oh, I think you’ve just become the new winner.’ She reached down and guided Georgia into her palm. Her thumb rubbed against each one of her feet, ‘anyone with who can wear socks this little has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.’

Georgia kicked back at the thumb a couple of times like an angry child throwing a tantrum. Claire giggled at her efforts and placed Georgia on the bedside table.

‘I’m just gonna put the film on.’

‘What did you get?’

‘Seeking a friend for the end of the world, I borrowed it from Candice. You were right she is sweet. Have you seen it?’

Georgia shook her head.

‘It’s like an apocalypse rom-com, it should be good. It’s got Kiera Knightley and the guy from the US office in it.’

Claire put the disc into her player and turned the television input over. She fell back onto her bed. Her knees raised and back leant against a stack of pillows by her headboard. She had a side on view of the television so she brought Georgia down from the cabinet and let her drop onto the top of her jeans. Georgia squirmed to get comfortable but the rigidity of the denim did nothing to help.

She felt the struggles and kicks against her as Georgia tried to find some way to get a good position.

‘Sorry’ Claire said, ‘give me a minute I’ll just change into something more comfortable’

‘You don’t have to do that’

Claire lowered Georgia back down and stood up in front of her. She unbuttoned the front of her jeans and pulled them down struggling to get each foot out. All Georgia saw was the image of Claire’s black underwear bending close down to her hanging over threateningly as she changed. It was an overwhelming sight for her that if she slipped back she would be crushed, no doubt about it. She whisked her jeans into the corner behind the door and reached into the drawers of her cupboard pulling out a pair of pyjama shorts that barely reached down halfway her thigh. Claire fell back into position and pulled Georgia back on top of her near the waistband of her shorts. It was much comfier, Georgia managed to wrap herself up a little and use a fold as a pillow. The material was thin and Claire the little movements against the warmth of her skin. It made her quiver a little but she managed to hide this from Georgia who was fixated on what must have been one of the largest cinema screens she had ever seen. After ten minutes of watching the film Claire leaned forward, so she was crouched over Georgia. She looked up daunted by the looming view of the giant face.

‘Have you decided about tomorrow yet?’ Claire asked inquisitively, ‘about the lectures I mean, do you want to come with me?’

‘I’ll come’ as she spoke she let out a yawn and pulled the cloth of Claire’s shorts tighter, bundling herself up, ‘in your pocket, I don’t want anyone to know yet’

Satisfied Claire leaned back and gently stroked her hand over Georgia before dropping it back down to her side. Georgia twitched her nose at the gentle touch and smiled. Even with her boyfriend she had never felt this comfortable and protected before. She had balled herself up in this girls’ shorts. There was closeness and then there was this. She tried not to think about it and just enjoy the warmth of the blanketing folds than really to assess the absurdity of the situation. She had no precedent for how to act after being shrunk so she just went with it.

Georgia was just drifting off to sleep when a thunderous booming sound jolted her awake. She raced to her feet, got caught as the fabric slipped beneath and fell flat on bottom.

Claire laughed at the little display, ‘Relax it’s just the pizza guy’. She stood up slowly letting Georgia roll down her front and land between her thighs. She left the room and about 30 seconds later she made a triumphant return with a pizza box in hand. She sat down next to Georgia and watched the movement as Georgia fell against her thigh as the depth of the mattress dipped under the sudden impact before reforming to its natural state. She flung the lid open and took in a big sniff moving her nose right above the pizza.

‘What did you get?’

‘Double pepperoni, can’t beat a classic’ she reached down and gripped Georgia under her arm and around her chest bringing her up above the box’

‘It’s huge’ she whispered

She let go dropping her into the corner of the box where the dipping sauce had been.

‘Go ahead’ Claire called out as she ripped a slice away, ropes of cheese tore and fell in front of her.

Georgia walked up cautiously in the slice sized gap that had been created, she went to the edge of another slice and before she knew it she had her feet pressed into the lower crust taking in huge mouthfuls of pepperoni. Claire watched the spectacle of the tiny woman ravaging a topping more than double her size.

There was a knock at the door and Claire let out a gasp bits of chewed up food flew out as spittle and showered the area around Georgia.

‘Hide’ Claire hissed. She threw the rest of her slice in the box and slammed it shut dumping it behind her on a slant against her pillows.

‘Only me’ Candice said pushing the door open, ‘we haven’t really talked much, have you seen Georgia, she’s not in her room and been gone a while. Anyway I thought maybe we could hang out a bit’ as she said this she sat down on the bed next to Claire.

Claire gulped down the mouthful she had, and looked back at Candice’s smiling face. She couldn’t think of what to say, how to get out of this. She looked back at her and hummed in agreement.