In this chapter:  Some time has passed as Jessica continues to sell tiny people to her sorority friends.  Jessica decides to cut in her favorite teacher, Ms. Faust, in on the action as she samples the product.  Miranda stands up for herself as everyone prepares for the semester winter break. 

Day 97 – Jessica – University Campus

            The temperature regularly dropped each day as tree leaves browned and dried, falling and swaying off the branches into piles and scattering about the stone and concrete pathways of the school’s main campus.  The college buildings on either side of the quad strip had ivy growing up the side walls, the roots and vines slowly desiccating in the cold winter air as students trickled out of the doorways from their classes’ halls.  Steadily, the noise of quiet conversation and thousands of students walking up and down the paths filled the breezy cool air.  There were only a few days left before a much-anticipated Christmas break of the semester as students anxiously waited for their test scores to be announced online. 

They were hoping for good news and that specific feeling of instant stress-relief from a passing grade as the young-adults constantly refreshed their class’ website portal on their smartphones.  The ringing of a clocktower in the middle of campus chimed out signaling midday as a new wave of students exited their buses for their first classes of the day, the rest piling on the busses to return home or reluctantly get ready for their part time jobs or extracurricular activities. 

Jessica felt the crunch of a few dead and brittle leaves under her dark brown winter boots, reminding her much of the countless thousands of people she had the same pleasure of feeling flatten under those same soles, the leaves emulating death and destruction in her mind as she looked down to admire her expensive boots, seeing the dead laves disappear under them with her steps just like buildings and neighborhoods full of micro people did much of the same; the golden buckles and rings on the boots with soft reflections of the grey sky and overarching trees in the shiny metal.  Jessica removed her hands from the front waist pockets of her black coat, the fuzzy lining inside keeping her hands warm as she pulled out her phone to text a sorority friend. 

The friend who had let Jessica stay in her room in the earlier days of the semester after getting drunk, the ditzy friend from the Halloween party who chose to use college as a social ladder rather than a major step of growth in adulthood.  The same friend who had been getting special little food containers filled with tinies for $50 a package.  After a checking her text messages, Jessica went to the meeting spot on the stone steps below an older statue that had been on the campus for many decades.  Jessica then waiting at the base of the steps, digging her hands back into her lavish black coat as hundreds of students walked past her to their classes. 

Jessica’s face was feeling a little dry as her makeup faded slightly in the colder air, her dark brunette hair swaying a bit as the chilly wind picked up in speed sending dead leaves tumbling across the pathways.  Jessica scanned the sea of students for her typical-sorority-girl looking friend as she spotted her, “aahh no, just another clone…” Jessica thought as the random stranger girl walked by her side up the stairs and past the worn statue with an almost identical outfit Jessica was used to seeing her friend wear in the colder months of the year.  Jessica readjusted the leather strap of her purse around her shoulder and wondered how all the different packages in her pouch were doing, she was moving a bigger load that day, the most she had ever done to that point.  The pocket-sized plastic cups with tight seals on them with the smallest holes punched into them for an acceptable air supply, at least to Jessica’s standards.  Each one holding a different amount of microscopic people within for different prices she deemed reasonable, 50 people for $50, 100 people for $75, 250 people for $150. 

The collection method was pretty brutal, just like when Jessica first forced people into her plastic container when she took them to the pool with Lacy a few months prior; if the tinies did not get in then she would start crushing innocents like bugs in different parts of the city until the guilt weighed down on the once good people of Toy Town, the people barely having any time to say goodbye to their families, if they were even alive at all, the wreckage and carnage from months of torture and cruelness had drained the people of their mental state, nearly making them mindless subservient zombies, obeying almost everything without question now that there wasn’t much of a military or leadership left within the district to resist. 

Suicide was an option for some people as a few loners and denizens without families took their own lives despite the act being severely condemned in their culture from their old world; punishment used to be dealt against the family of the one who had taken their own life, so the pressure was extremely high to continue on through the hardship no matter what, yet many people understood why they would, anything being better than snatched away forever without a single hope of ever coming back.  Many other people wishing for their release, but they continued on, depressed and alone in the universe, apart from their evil goddess and the women she had been selling them to.  Many people actually volunteering to get in the containers to be sold if it meant a quicker death that wasn’t of their own cause so they could escape their living nightmare, little did they know some of the horrors they would face as sometimes even their own goddess wasn’t the only one with a twisted mind with cruel intentions.   

              Jessica didn’t want to disturb the cups too much to keep as many alive as possible until it was in the customers’ hands and the payment was retrieved relieving her of all responsibility for the product.  Tucking the purse tightly under her arm as the crowds of students around her slowly dwindled down.  A few trickles of students and slower walkers climbing up the steps as Jessica finally caught the eye of her sorority friend in her typical attire.  Thick tan Ugg boots wrapping around the ankles of warm black skin tights leading up to a puffy black vest jacket and long sleeve white shirt underneath. 

Despite the winter months coming into fruition, the girl had a dark tan, probably from tanning beds, or a cheap spray, dark blonde hair tied up, a distinct lack up makeup behind large dark sunglasses, and a sizable and spacious shoulder-bag for her school supplies and laptop.  “Jess! Ahhh!” she yelled in a dramatic manner as if she hadn’t seen her friend in years, the high-pitched typical sorority voice made a few guys on the stairs turn back in curiosity, seeing the young girl match nearly every other sorority girl on campus in looks and attire, judgmentally rolling their eyes to themselves as they walked off towards their classes. 

“Ashley! Oh my god, heyyy” Jessica said, carefully hugging her friend as to not disturb the products in her purse.  “How’d your tests go?” Jessica asked. 

“Ahh it’s such bullshit, fucking statistics final was hard, probably have to retake it… fuck it… whatever.  What about you?”  Ashley asked.

“I’ve gotten 3 classes back so far, all A’s as usual” Jessica said with a confident smirk. 

“Not everyone can be that amazing, Jess! Haha” Ashley laughed behind her large sunglasses. 

“Well, you know me… Anyway, where are you headed? I can walk with you to your building, we can talk business on the way.”  Jessica said.

“I’m going to Stanley Hall” Ashley said.

“The criminal justice building?”  Jessica asked.

“Yah, you got everyone’s stuff, right?”  Ashley asked.

“We’ll get to that… I didn’t know you were taking criminal justice classes, what’s that about?”  Jessica inquired. 

“Oh, I’m not, I’m just meeting some other people there for some other hush-hush deals” Ashley said.  The two friends started walking up the steps towards the next mesa of the large campus.  The buildings spread out on all sides as students walked in and out of the common areas. 

“What other deals?”  Jessica asked as they entered a small brick pathway to the main opening of the second level.  The large, windowed library towering above them as it was the most prominent and noticeable structure that could be seen from the highway and even the girls’ apartment.

“A forecast of snow…”  Ashely hinted, clearly referencing cocaine. 

“Oh… you’re back on that bullshit?”  Jessica quipped as they walked up over a small bridge towards the connecting courtyards. 

“I mean yeah… coke, Vyvanse, Adderall… it all helps me study, and your “product” helps me keep level” Ashley remarked.

“You know… that’s actually probably why you’ve been failing…” Jessica condescended. 

“No, it really doesn’t make me fail, it’s all part of the routine.”  Ashley said.

“Whatever…” Jessica exhaled quickly, rolling her eyes.  “Do you mix all of those at the same time or something?”  Jessica asked curiously, reaching the steps with her friend at the base of a cluster of departments including the criminal justice building. 

“No, dumbass, it just depends on my mood, like sometimes I use them to spice things up with a Tinder date during sex, or ill dump them all over me when I’m taking a bath, it’s funny watching them try to swim to me… wait…”  Ashley interrupted herself, holding the side of her arm out towards Jessica’s shoulder to stop her from walking any further, “Isn’t that your uppity bitch roommate over there?”  Ashley asked.

“Oh fuck, you’re right. Hey, follow my lead.”  Jessica suggested to her friend, tapping her on the arm.

“Didn’t you two get in a big fight recently?”  Ashley asked, her concerned eyebrows raising over her sunglasses.

“Shhh!  Just go with it” Jessica commanded, carefully prodding her friend to her side as they continued walking like they had no idea Miranda was coming towards them at a steady pace. 

Miranda was walking towards Jessica and Ashley, her backpack snug around her shoulders as her tied up blonde hair bounced left and right with her stoic steps.  A blank yet confident look on her face as she treaded through the courtyard towards the bus stop without burden.  Barely paying attention as she warmed her hands in her puffy black vest pockets, eyes forward as her posture was perfect, her black and pink Nike athletic shoes one in front of the other as she caught a familiar annoying voice in her ears.  Looking briskly to her left as she saw Jessica and Ashley conversating overtly loudly and laughing rather obnoxiously. 

“Oh my god you did what to them? Hahah!”  Jessica laughed hard, a wide smile across her face as her eyes lit up. 

“Hahah yeah!  I mixed them with crushed up Adderall and snorted them right up my nose, gives it a hella huge kick!”  Ashley exaggerated while Jessica nearly keeled over laughing.  Making sure it was just enough so she could peak an eye out at Miranda to gauge her reactions, but she just kept walking by like nothing happened. 

Miranda raised her eyebrows in annoyance, tilting her head to the side and blowing out a focused and stressful breath from her puckered lips as she passed them up without looking towards them.  Continuing her stride as if they didn’t exist.  Jessica and Ashley calmed down, an easy task as it was such a forced and fake conversation, staring at Miranda from behind as they both squinted in confusion, Jessica a little frustrated that Miranda didn’t try to say anything to them. “Well shit…” Jessica said surprised.

“Sorry, girl, I tried…”  Ashley said, with a little fake frown, her pale lips wrinkling around her tanned cheeks. 

“Nah… it’s alright” Jessica said, a little disappointment hinted in her voice as the two friends sat on a bench to the side of the criminal justice building.  Jessica setting her bag carefully to her side, “Alright, before we talk business, I’m curious as to if you actually mixed them up with your study drug…”  Jessica questioned. 

“Yes, I actually do that… it’s great. They go up so easily and the tickle in my nose and the back of my throat is so awesome, like knowing they’re getting rocked in my lungs with each breath is so surreal, I swear I get like so high I can feel each one in there wiggling around, it’s like little warm vibrator in my chest… or it’s the drugs” Ashley arrogantly shrugged.

“Huh… yeah, probably the drugs” Jessica said.

  “I mean you do have the shit, right?  You have all my deliveries?” Ashley lurched forward demandingly. 

“Calm down, god damn, they aren’t a drug you addict sounding bitch…”  Jessica was slightly taken aback, almost as if she saw the humanity in the situation, lowering her eyebrows, “Although they are yours to do with what you wish after the transaction is finalized” Jessica finished. 

“After the transaction is finalized… oooo, you’re such a business major, just give them to me so I can get everyone their shit”.  Ashley mocked Jessica, trying to hurry up the exchange.

“Calm yourself or you’re not getting a single micro.”  Jessica said, a bitchy smirk on her face as she stared down her friend through her sunglasses. 

“Okay fine… what do you want first?” Ashley reluctantly stated.

“My marketing research, I want to know how my products are being used by you and the sisters at the sorority house, details, names, and numbers please, just like we talked about.”  Jessica said. 

“God, you’re taking this way too seriously…” Ashley scoffed, rolling her eyes behind her dark shades, crossing her arms in annoyance.

“Fine… no packages today, I’ll make time and deal with the others girls myself, you lose your cut and discount”  Jessica scorned, reaching to her side and gently grabbing the straps of her bag as she turned away, knowing she wasn’t going anywhere as it all just a door-in-the-face scheme to get her friend to take the bait and comply. 

“Okay fine!”  Ashley said, uncrossing her arms, rubbing the back of her neck, leaning in towards Jessica a bit as she recollected events within the sorority house.  Jessica opening the home screen on her phone as she crossed her legs and diligently tapped away on the screen to her email. “I guess I’ll start with mine…” Ashley persisted.  Ashley opened her email app, sending a collected list of notes and improvised surveys to Jessica from a number of girls in the sorority house.  A notification dinged on Jessica’s phone as she quickly opened up the attachments.  Jessica quickly scanned through the pages of notes seeing names, comments, numbers; everything she was looking for to boost her commitment to selling her special product.  “Does that all look good?” Ashley reluctantly asked. 

“Yeah… Looks decent enough.” Jessica said with some attitude.  Focusing on some of the details in the comments from a few of the girls as a small smile appeared on her face.  “Hahaha, oh my god, did Samara really do that to them?”  Jessica excitedly asked.

“Yeah… she made a hundred of them go up her ass right before she went to the student gym, I doubt any of them survived that hell hole…literally” Ashley said with a little smirk.

“How did she manage to do that?” Jessica asked intrigued.

“Well… she was laying in her bed with all the tinies, placed your container right in front of her asshole and like gave them a choice” Ashley said.

“What do you mean a choice?” Jessica asked.

“From what I heard she told them to climb in willingly or go out the other way, I guess the micros all took their chance at not getting digested and went straight in without hesitation” Ashley said. 

“I really didn’t think a prude like Samara would think of something like that, I guess that’s one way to do a butt plug” Jessica said admiringly. 

“Yeah, well apparently that prude likes to put your micros in her ass and exercise them to death, especially on leg day” Ashley said. 

“Apparently so!” Jessica said with a chuckle.  “What else do we have here…”  Jessica said as she continued to read the feedback on her phone. “Ohoho… fuck, Yasmin is one cruel bitch.  Letting them run around all loose in the cheerleader’s locker room while they get dressed, huh?  That’s so high school!  Oh… and she sticks them on tape to the insides the cheerleader’s skirts before football games… damn… ya know, I’ve always liked Yasmin, such beautiful and flawless dark skin… glad she’s been using my product so well, and she can drink tequila like a fucking champ.”  Jessica admiringly said. 

“Yeah… yeah… all of that. Sooo… my stuff?” Ashley lead on persistently. 

“Oh my god, here!” Jessica yowled, impatiently sliding her phone into her coat pocket and pulled out the containers from her purse.  She nearly shoved them into Ashley’s chest before catching herself at the last second, saving thousands of micros from a deadly concussive crash, instead carefully handing them off with a half effort apologetic look in her eyes.   “They’re all labeled for each person, the amount that they’re getting… blah blah… you know what to do.  Just send over the money later” Jessica insisted.  Ashley cautiously placed the products in her bag with a huge smile on her face, probably already planning on what to do with her share later on. 

“Thank you, really, like, these things are awesome, maybe I’ll try to keep these ones alive for little while longer this time” Ashley said as she zipped up the bag condemning the micros to total darkness until they were ready to be used by their new owners. 

“So, you’re waiting here for your cocaine?”  Jessica asked.  Standing up, she straightened out her coat and briskly swung her now nearly empty purse apart from one smaller container around her shoulder. 

“Shhh…. Jesus, Jess, not everyone needs to hear that.”  Ashley impeded. 

“Oh, shut up, everyone on campus knows that you “Easy Epsilons” do all that shit.  Anyway, I gotta go meet with my business teacher in her office.  Text me if you run into any problems with the deliveries, don’t blow all your micros on a one-off clit massage, alright?” Jessica said mockingly. 

“Fine, see ya later, thanks again, and by the way, they give like the best clit massages!”  Ashley jokingly shouted, hugging her bag as she waited patiently for her other deals, watching as Jessica walked off towards the courtyard.   

***                                                                 ***                                                           ***

Day 97 – Jessica – Campus

            Jessica walked down the smaller hallways of the teachers’ offices in the business building, passing up some of the thinner doors as she could hear numerous conversations of students begging for a higher grade on their final exams.  Jessica smirking with glee as she heard a few students sobbing, just more proof that she was better than everyone around her in her mind giving her that much more of a purpose in her confident stride towards the corner office that read Ms. Faust on the placard.   Jessica politely knocked on the already slightly ajar door and stepped inside the small, yet nicely decorated office.  Jessica caught the smile and brown eyes of her favorite teacher as she turned in her office chair towards her.  “Hello, Ms. Faust” Jessica said as she sat down in one of the small grey chairs across from the professor’s desk. 

“Hello, Jessica, thanks for setting up a meeting!  Is there anything you want to talk about?  You received a perfect grade on your final, so I doubt it has to deal with that.” Ms. Faust deduced with a proud smile. 

“You’re right!  I’m not here to discuss anything of the like, wait… actually… did I ruin any kind of test curve?”  Jessica slyly asked, carefully keeping her purse by her winter boots on the floor next to her. 

“Ruin isn’t the word I would use, but I did have to significantly reduce the curves for most of the students, don’t worry, they won’t know you were the one who got the perfect score” Ms. Faust insisted. 

“Actually, it’s okay if they do figure out it was me, I’m here to show everyone I have the brightest future here by a long shot.”  Jessica smiled, tilting her head at Ms. Faust’s surprised reaction. 

“That attitude might get you far in some circumstances, but university is all about new experiences and finding out how you can help others in different ways, I’m sure the other students wouldn’t want you to talk about them like that” Ms. Faust reaffirmed. 

“That’s kinda why I’m here to talk to you, I have an idea that might help people and not just students” Jessica said, leaning her head forward slightly. 

“Oh?” Ms. Faust recoiled, scooting her chair up closer to her desk, resting her elbows on the table as she held her hands patiently.

“I have a business idea that I would like you to hear out and critique.  You see, you’re my favorite professor and I’ve really enjoyed your classes over the last few semesters and what you’ve taught me.  I think it would be a good move for me if I showed you my product, what people are saying about it, and how it could be very profitable with your skills mixed with mine.”  Jessica explained. 

“Well, this is certainly not a normal conversation I would have with one of my students, but I am interested to see what you have to say” Ms. Faust said, her eyebrows lowering in curiosity behind her red-rimmed glasses as she nodded. 

“Technically I’m not your student anymore” Jessica quipped with a cheeky smile. 

“True… Okay, let’s hear it then.”  Ms. Faust said with much interest, leaning into her comfy desk chair. 

            Jessica reached down to grab her purse, placing her large designer bag in the empty grey seat cushion next to her, carefully unzipping the bag and retrieving a small translucent plastic container filled with nearly 200 micros.  Jessica raised the container to her eye peaking inside the clear opening to see them all squirming against each other.  Satisfied that they were all alive, Jessica placed the container on an empty part of the desk just in front of the 34-year-old professor. 

            “What is this?” Ms. Faust asked.  Unclenching her hands, placing them at the side of the container as she looked a little closer.  She could see a colorful mass moving around ever so gently. 

            “It’s my product!”  Jessica shouted excitedly. Jessica crossed one leg over the other as she watched her former professor study the container without knowing anything about what it contained. 

            “It’s… glitter?  Sprinkles?  What am I looking at here… why do they look so strangely familiar?”  Ms. Faust said, her eyes squinting as she rotated her head around the container trying to figure out what she was looking at. 

            “Well, they definitely could be used as sprinkles and… they look familiar because you have seen them before.  Remember when you had that ant infestation in your classroom a few months back?”  Jessica prodded, straining the reveal of what her product really was. 

            “Yes… It was only that one day, really, I remember swiping them away… why?”  Ms. Faust asked, rearing back in her chair as she winced her face with confusion. 

            “Well, they aren’t ants.  They’re people… really small people.”  Jessica stated waiting for the obvious disapproval and denying reaction she was fully expecting to hear. 

            “Tiny… people…right” Ms. Faust said with a judgmental look on her face.  “Have you been drinking before our meeting, it’s 12:30 in the afternoon for the love of god”.  Ms. Faust said disappointingly. 

            “Ms. Faust… I’m not drinking anything.  This is my product. They are very real and very valuable, go ahead take a closer look, open it up.”  Jessica stated.

            “Jessica, please this is just kind of sad.”  Ms. Faust said. 

            “No!  What’s sad is that you’re almost 35 years old and you have no ring on your finger, no signs of any romance, that’s sad.” Jessica said.  Ms. Faust was taken aback, almost with shame in her eyes as she reared her head back confused. 

            “Excuse me! That is completely inappropriate for this type of meeting” Ms. Faust said with weaker confidence in her voice. 

            “Trust me, these products can help with that lonely heart” Jessica said. 

            “I’m not lonely! Just…” Ms. Faust paused for a second. 

            “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, this is where we make all of our money, plenty of women are going to want to use these things.” Jessica informed her. 

            “Yeah, but they’re still not real, they can’t be” Ms. Faust stated, regaining focus. 

            “Like I said… take a look please” Jessica reiterated, crossing her arms, and staring down the apparently lonely professor. 

            “Fine… but this sounds so crazy” Ms. Faust said. 

            “Crazy is not believing in how much we can make with this product” Jessica quipped.  Ms. Faust exhaled from her nose slowly and patiently as she skeptically looked downward towards the container with tiny holes punched into the top.  Leaning back in her chair as she reached her right hand towards the small cup, bracing her other hand on the side of the plastic, the flesh of her palm and fingers pressed up against the clear plastic in front of the near hundreds of shaken and confused tinies within.   Ms. Faust carefully removed the lid and leaned her eyes in to get a better look, seeing dozens of colorful specks piled on top of each other wiggling.  Ms. Faust could barely hear a feint moaning as many people were in agonizing pain from being shaken and tossed around all morning. 

            She then began to tilt the container to its side, slowly raising her hand until they slipped and fell out onto the dark wooden desk in front of her.  Dozens of piles of micros splashed outward scattering across a small space of the professor’s desk. 

            “As you can see, they’ll probably start moving around in a second” Jessica stated.  Ms. Faust looking up towards her for a second before looking back down at the specks.  They began to move as Ms. Faust thought about the similarities between the specks before her and the ants she exterminated a few months prior.  The specks aimlessly walking around as they feared running across the massive brown surface would only make things much worse.  Staring up behind the pen holders and gigantic computer monitor as the woman with red glasses peered down at them like they weren’t real.

            “These things aren’t people… see” Ms. Faust said, reaching her right hand next to an individual speck who rolled a little farther away from the others.  Standing alone as a building sized finger settled in front of his face.  Ms. Faust tensed her index finger against her thumb and flicked the speck away and off her desk.  His body exploding into a red mist as he saw a wall of clear material blindingly speed towards him, a microscopic red smudge remaining on the tip of the professor’s unpainted nail. 

            “Well…They are people and you just flicked one to death, just like you killed all those others that day, I mean, I set them loose on the floor and your chair that day on purpose, but hey, you didn’t even know, and it was SO funny!”  Jessica said with much glee.  Ms. Faust’s eyes widening with confusion.  “Oh my god, look at your face, they are people, but it’s okay because they have no brains!  Seriously, they follow commands and do whatever you want like little toys, try it, tell them to do something” Jessica said.

            “I just… killed one?” Ms. Faust asked.

            “Yeah, but they don’t care, go ahead, try giving them a command” Jessica said as she watched on with excitement.

            “Uh…okay… line up in a little circle here” Ms. Faust anxiously said as she pointed her bloodied index finger at a spot just next to her mechanical pencil.  The micros hurried to where she pointed, grouping up in a circle as best as they could as the two giants above them watched on.  “Oh wow… what, they’re actually doing it.” Ms. Faust muttered. 

            “Yup, now this is where all the possibilities come to play, if they don’t do what you say you can kill a few and they usually obey without question, but these recent batches I’ve been selling have been near totally obedient” Jessica said.

            “You’ve already been selling them?” Ms. Faust asked, peering down again at the tiny circle of people. 

            “Yes, I’ve already made well over three-thousand dollars” Jessica stated with confidence. 

            “Wow… umm… okay, so why do you need me exactly?”  Ms. Faust understandably asked.

            “Because, I don’t know about expanding a brand, getting logos, doing all the actual business stuff, the legality, getting designer packaging for the product, sure I’m your best student, but you’ve actually done these things, and I trust you, you’re smart, and there are tons of women out there like you that could use this!  We could make a lot… how does all that extra money to blow on vacations sound to you, huh?”  Jessica pitched. 

            “Women like me huh… and what would women like me do with these things” Ms. Faust asked. 

            “Here, I forwarded you an email with customer surveys about how the Epsilon sorority have been liking these people, sorry, products.”  Jessica said.  The tiny circle of people still abiding their shape.  “You can do whatever, and I mean whatever you want with them, when you get lonely, they can be used as sex toys, that’s their most popular use by far, but your imagination is the limit, read some of those surveys and get an idea” Jessica said.  Ms. Faust nodded her head in silent agreement as she opened the email, her eyes darting left to right with the white glowing reflection of the computer screen on the lenses of her glasses. She read some of the feedback, occasionally looking down at the circle of people, her mouth slowly opening in shock as she read everything and all the details with it. 

            “And these are students?!” Ms. Faust said with awe. 

            “Yup, all students so far” Jessica answered.

            “Oh my goodness… completely satisfied orgasms, they taste good… what is happening… manicures, pedicures, putting on makeup, gym exercise… what?”  Jessica, what is going on here? You’ve made over three-thousand dollars?” Ms. Faust said still in awe. 

            “Yeah, in less than a month, that’s only with one sorority too.”  Jessica said. 

            “But they aren’t people, that’s the whole… catch, right? Haha” Ms. Faust laughed off the idea, turning her attention back to Jessica. 

            “They are real, how many times do I have to say that.”  Jessica said, her tone shifting to being annoyed. 

            “Okay… fine, but they are essentially tiny servants, right?” Ms. Faust asked, still not totally buying the fact that they were in fact, real speck-sized people. 

            “Whatever you want to call them, they follow every command and leave everyone satisfied with whatever their owner desires at the time.  They are easily disposable and replaceable, go ahead, take them and see for yourself what all the satisfied customers are saying,” Jessica jokingly said. 

            “But they are finite, you are not creating these, correct?”  Ms. Faust said.

            “They are practically infinite, there are so many that it would be nearly impossible for us to run out, at least until we have made millions… at least that’s what I think this could all be worth.”  Jessica said in a serious tone, fully aware of the potential the micros had to be sold to women for their own pleasure. 

            “Wow… you’re convincing me to be totally honest.  Disposable and replaceable, right?” Ms. Faust asked.  Jessica nodded. Ms. Faust then picked up her mechanical pencil pointing the clean white eraser down towards the circle of people still following her command to maintain the shape.  Slowly the professor lowered the eraser tip on the top curve of the circle and dragged across the table, smudging out tens of micros with ease as their bloodied flattened remains squished into the rubbery mass, smearing against the desk.  Ms. Faust angled the eraser to her face to inspect, black and red little mashed up dots scattered about the previously clean white surface as the circle remained broken, the tinies staying in place as they waited for another command. 

            “Easy to clean too, looks like… umm… get back in the container” Ms. Faust said with a little more confidence that time around. The professor placed her pencil on the desk and retrieved the cup angling it as she watched the remaining micros walk in.  Angling the cup upright and closing the lid over them carefully.

            “Very easy to clean, or you can have them clean up, totally up to you.  That cup is yours to keep by the way… a sample packet if you will.  Use it to your little lonely hearts’ desire.”  Jessica said with a joking smile.  Ms. Faust hmphed a bit as she placed the container next to her coffee cup with a smile. 

            “Indeed… I’ll test these, as you say, people servants out over Christmas break… but for now, let’s agree on a business deal.  I think you have some real potential here and we can work well together on one condition…”  Ms. Faust said, peering down into Jessica’s eyes from across the desk.

            “And what would that be?”  Jessica asked.

            “You cut that damn attitude out and let me do what I do best, equal cuts, and proper legal practices.  Before you know it, we could have hundreds of clients… deal?”  Ms. Faust said, extending her hand out. 

            “Yes, Ms. Faust. Deal” Jessica said, nodding in agreement with a genuine smile, shaking her hand, Jessica’s gold bracelets jingling slightly.    

            “Sandra, from now on.”  Ms. Sandra Faust said.

            “Great.  I’ll work on my attitude… I promise.”  Jessica said. 

            “When we get back from break, I’ll have some things to show you, for now on just keep being your confident self.  See you after the new year.”  Ms. Sandra Faust said, returning to her computer as Jessica politely excused herself from the office room with a real smile and a plan to work on herself, but not before a little last-minute bye with the roommates. 

***                                                                 ***                                                           ***

Jessica – Day 97 – Grove View Apartments

            Jessica returned to Grove View getting out of the cold air and into the slightly less cold air-conditioned small entrance hallway of the apartment.  Greeted by a tired looking Lacy sitting on the couch on her phone. “Heya, is everyone here?”  Jessica asked Lacy. 

            “Yeah… pretty sure” Lacy said, not taking her attention away from her phone, her black hair a mess and dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion and stress.    

            “You… alright?”  Jessica asked. 

            “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired” Lacy said. 

            “Yeah, well if you need anything, you can talk to me” Jessica said with generosity.  “Oh… sup…”  Jessica then recoiled, seeing Miranda come out of her room in the same outfit she saw her in earlier on campus. 

            “What?”  Miranda replied as she brushed passed Jessica to retrieve her water bottle from the kitchen. 

            “Why are you acting like such a…”  Jessica began.

            “Like such a what?  Huh?  You trying to get in my head like this morning, I heard what you were like, trying to do.  Remember what happened last time?  Try to go in my room to take my people ever again and I swear to god I’ll fuck you up.”  Miranda vented in the kitchen, pointing her finger in Jessica’s face then walking by Jessica into the open area of the living room between her and Lacy. 

            “I was going to kick your ass last time, you blonde bitch!”  Jessica shouted. 

            “Then why didn’t you?  Exactly, because you’re all talk.”  Miranda retorted. Just then Ana walked out of her room, rubbing her eyes as her orange hair scattered around her face in every direction.             

            “The only reason you’re still here is because Russian freak over there stomped out my army to save you from total humiliation.”  Jessica reacted.

            “It’s Ukrainian freak, and I’m trying to take nap, please.”  Ana said, squinting at the sudden irritation of waking up and hearing the typical shouting from the two enemies that lived together. 

            “It’s okay, we’re just about done here.  When are you leaving for Christmas break, Jess?”  Miranda asked.

            “I was actually just about…” Jessica said before being interrupted.

            “Sorry, none of use give a shit, we can’t wait until you’re gone, bye.”  Miranda said, as she marched off towards her room shutting the door behind her in the dimly lit apartment, the grey sky in the background beyond the patio door windows. 

            “I uhh… okay, bitch.”  Jessica said under her breath.  “Bye everyone, see you in a few weeks.”  Jessica announced.  Ana with no reply shut her door and returned to her nap.  Lacy managed to mutter a small “see ya”.  Jessica returned to her room and grabbed her pre-packed luggage, hauling it out of the apartment and down the stairs to her luxury car.  Trying to be careful with the large suitcase as she had quite a bountiful package of micros in there so she wouldn’t get bored over the winter break with her mother.  Placing the luggage carefully in the trunk of her car, Jess sat in the driver’s seat, turning on the car and the heat, opening her music as she sighed heavily, thoughts running through her mind, about Miranda, about her mother, about her professor turned partner… it was all building up, plenty to think about on Jessica’s long drive back to her home state and to her lovely mother, Isabella…