Hailee woke up to a break-up text from her long-time boyfriend without any explanation. He only told her that it ‘wasn’t going to work’. When she tried to get more information out of him her texts wouldn’t go through. She was so upset; she threw her phone across the room. Immediately regretting it when her phone crashed into the wall and shattered.

She didn’t have the money to buy a new one, and neither of her parents thought that her four-year boyfriend breaking up with her without a reason was a good enough explanation for why her phone broke.

Hailee stood at her locker mumbling something to herself about how guys sucked. Her hand reaching to her back pocket to text her friends out of habit. She groaned and rolled her eyes when she remembered that she didn’t have a phone. “Guess I’m stuck actually going to class today…”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” The familiar voice of her sister Beth spoke from behind her.

Hailee turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “And just why is that?”

Beth was Hailee’s junior by a year, but Beth’s athletic frame and more mature nature made her seem like the older sister compared to Hailee’s petite body and slacker attitude.

“Because you have bio test today. Don’t tell me you didn’t study.  Again.” Beth said with a tinge of disappointment.

“Wait for real? Why do you know more about my schedule than I do!?” Hailee asked as she once again went to reach for her phone in her back pocket.  “Ugh! I can’t even check my calendar to see if you’re joking or not!”

“I’m serious. And I know because some of my friends are in the same class as you. All they’ve been talking about over the weekend is how hard this test is supposed to be.” Beth said a hand on her hip as she talked down to Hailee.

“Yeah, but your friends are a bunch of dumb blondes. I’ve never had to study for Mrs. Dowe’s tests before and I always get, like, at least a C.” Hailee had turned back to her locker, gathering her things for her first class as she spoke.

“Kathy’s a brunette, and besides. You’re a natural blonde too. Or did all that green hair dye sink into your skull so deep it made you think it was natural?” Beth teased.

“Oh, whatever. They’re still all dumb.” Hailee said as a matter of fact as she closed her locker. Her supplies for her first class under her arm.

“They’re not…” Beth went to defend her friends but slowly trailed off. “Well not all of them are dumb. And they’re all really nice, so they have that over you.”

Hailee scoffed. She clutched her stomach with her free hand, falling back against the locker as if she had just taken a punch to the gut. “You wound me, sister!”

Beth waved her hand in the air before she walked off down the hall. “You’ll be fine. Just walk it off.”

“And you call me the mean one!” Hailee called out to Beth who was already halfway down the hallway. A playful smirk on her face as she closed her locker and turned to go to class. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something moving against the wall. At first, she thought it was a mouse. She was ready to scream and throw her books at it. When she looked at it closer, though, it was a bright white and walking on two legs.

The hallway was nearly empty as she slowly approached the little Mallow. The first bell had already rung, and the second one filled the air as Hailee crept towards him. He didn’t seem to notice her until her shadow came over him. He looked up and saw Hailee’s grinning face before it was quickly eclipsed by her hands swooping down and grabbing him in her fist.

She held him in a tight grip squeezing his body that had been hidden within her fist. She enjoyed the squishy feeling of the little creature as she squeezed him. The squirms and struggles of the small being tickled and massaged her palm as she used him as a little stress ball. A grin crept across her face as she made her way to the bathroom. Hailee didn’t care if she missed her first class. It was a drama class that she took as an elective to have something she wouldn’t have to put effort into.

Hailee peeked under all of the stalls to make sure no one else was in the bathroom before she dropped the Mallow into the sink. The grate on the drain small enough she didn’t have to worry about him falling in, the edges steep and slick enough that she knew he couldn’t get out.

Her face commanded the sky for the Mallow trapped in the sink as she leaned down and examined him closer. An index finger coming forward and poking against his face. All four of his eyes clutched shut at the approaching fingertip.  The mouth on his belly frowning as he stumbled backward and fell onto his butt.

“God you things look so weird.” Hailee said as she gave the mallow another poke. This time she pressed her finger into its face hard. Mashing the malleable little head under her finger. She laughed as it spread out flat under the pressure. His little limbs were flailing about in pain and discomfort. The small voice screamed out as she smushed his head flat against the cold porcelain of the sink.

“I never really understood the appeal of keeping you things as a pet until now. You’re really fun to mess with. I figured the novelty would wear off after a few weeks, but I can see myself having a lot of fun with you.” Her finger was still pressed into his face. She wiggled it back and forth, grinding his face flat as she spoke.

Finally lifting her finger. She laughed as she saw the crater that her finger had made of the helpless Mallow’s face. Her laughter settling into a grin as she settled down and watched the mashed head slowly inflate and return to its original shape.

“I know you're not supposed to look a horse’s gift in the mouth or whatever that saying is, but it’s really weird to see one of you guys out in the open like that. What’s your story?” Hailee asked.

“M-mi…mistress brought me to school. I…I wanted-“ His voice was shaky as he went to speak with quivering lips. The small creature in the sink blinked his four eyes up at the looming being before him. Still recovering from having his face mashed flat against the surface of the sink.

“Shit. Someone already owns you?” Hailee said cutting him off.

She didn’t wait for a reply before she reached down into the sink and flicked him onto his back. A heavy sigh as Hailee’s shoulders drooped. The initials of his owner had been burned into his back prenatally scaring his body, and ensuring that no one else would be able to claim him.

“Fucking Gabby.” She said as she rolled her eyes.

Gabby was the leader of the preppy girls. She came from money, and her parents had no issue spoiling her. Of course, she would be the one having a Mallow. She already treated everyone like her servants as it was.

The Mallow flinched at the mention of Gabby’s name. Seeing that reaction from the helpless mallow made Hailee smirk. Life with Gabby must have been worse than she imagined. No one treated Mallows very well. They were abused, smashed, and forced to do demeaning tasks at the hands of their owners. There were a few organizations that petitioned for Mallow rights. Claiming that they were equal to humans, but that ideology didn’t seem to be gaining any traction.

Hailee didn’t really care, though. All she was thinking about was how she wasn’t going to get a Mallow for herself even though she wanted one now. Her eyes lit up with a sudden realization. She scooped the Mallow out of the sink and stuffed him into her back pocket before heading off to her drama class.

She didn’t speak a word to the small being trapped in her pocket. Her jeans were tight and the Mallow was nearly instantly smashed flat against her firm cheek. Every step she took the Mallow felt a tremor shake through his entire body. He tried to move. He tried to struggle and climb out of the pocket, but it was too tight, he was pressed and smashed even tighter whenever Hailee took a step forward.

Every breath was a challenge within the confines of her back pocket. The task growing even more difficult when she sat down. Her entire body pressing down against him, mashing him down into the hard, plastic seat.

Hailee forgot about him in her back pocket as she sat in class. She would wiggle in her seat occasionally to get comfortable. Those small movements the only chance for the poor neglected Mallow to grab a half breath of musky, stale air.

She only remembered him when she saw Gabby after class. Gabby was standing around her locker with two friends talking about something that  Hailee didn’t care to listen to before cutting in.

“Hey, Gabby. I think I found something of yours in the hallway this morning.” She said, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out the flattened form of the Mallow. He was blue from lack of air and gasping as Hailee dangled him upside down by one of his legs.

The blonde spoiled princess looked upset that someone like Hailee would come up and talk to her like that. The frustration on her face melting the moment she saw the mallow dangling from Hailee’s fingertips. She went to grab him, but Hailee pulled her hand back. The blue, gasping Mallow let out a grunt as he began bouncing up and down.

“Nuh uh. I need a finders fee. You either owe me a favor or a hundred bucks if you want it back.” Hailee said. A sly smirk across her face as she held the Mallow for ransom.

“Ugh!” Gabby groaned and looked to her two friends who stood at her shoulders. “Well? Pay her! I was lending it to you two when you lost it so you have to pay to get it back.”

The girl on her left shrugged and accepted that well enough as she began to dig around in her purse for the money. The other girl seemed more hesitant about bringing the mallow back to his owner but began to dig for the money anyway.

Hailee took the money, shoved it into her back pocket where the Mallow had once been, and tossed the off white Mallow towards Gabby.

“Ugh!! You’re such a bitch!” Gabby proclaimed as she snatched her slave out of the air, roughly stuffing him into her purse.

“Yeah. At least I know I am, though.” Hailee said as she handed the Mallow to Gabby and pocketed the bill. She walked away and simply went on with the rest of her day.

Hailee sat in her car after school. She watched the crowd of people leave the building, scanning them for her sister. When she didn’t find her in the first group her grip on the wheel tightened. She let out a soft sigh and grumble as she sneered into the crowd.  Then she saw Beth coming out of one of the three doors. She was with her friends. They were all smiles and laughter as they talked and joked with each other.

Beth came over to the car and tapped on the window, motioning for Hailee to roll it down. “Hey! Nancy said she could give me a ride to her place so we can study there before practice. I would have texted you to let you know, but…” Beth stopped talking as she noticed the white knuckles from her hard grasp on the wheel, and the furrow in her brow. “You alright?”

“Peachy!” Hailee screamed. “I lost what I thought was the love of my life this morning, but I figured I’d just roll with it, ya know? But no! Then I had to have a stupid bio test over things I swear we never went over in class, and to top it all off now you’re late and I find out I waited on you for no god damn good reason!!”

Beth stood there and stared at Hailee after her emotional explosion. She tilted her head to the side a bit and silently stared at her.

Hailee sighed and shook her head. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you I’m just. Everything went wrong today, ya know? And I was sorta looking forward to spending some time with you this evening.”

Beth’s expression softened as Hailee apologized. “We can still hang out. Tell Mom we can make dinner tonight. And. Maybe go for a walk in the park or something. Get your head clear.” She reached through the window and touched Hailee’s shoulder. As she did, she spotted a strange plastic box in the passenger seat.

Hailee reached up and placed her hand over Beth’s. The simplest of kindnesses from her sister helped to calm her down. When she noticed Beth looking past her and into the passenger seat, she looked over too. There was a small plastic terrarium sitting in the seat.

“Oh yeah. I'm supposed to record a journal on this little guy’s metamorphoses or whatever. It’s the same every time so I don’t get why I have to actually watch it happen but, it’s whatever.” Hailee shrugged, reaching over and poking the side of the container. There was a small caterpillar inside climbing up one of the branches that Hailee had haphazardly tossed into the terrarium.

“Well, I wouldn’t want to take Mister Caterpillar’s seat in your car anyway.” Beth said. “I think he’s a better fit as your boyfriend than Patrick was anyway, to be honest.” Beth had never kept it a secret that she thought Hailee could do better.

“Beth!” Hailee said as she reached out of the car and playfully shoved Beth’s shoulder. She tried to act offended, but she couldn’t help how funny she found it. “Oh my God. Can you imagine what Patrick would think if I had a Mallow boyfriend?!”

“Heh. Yeah. That’d be something.” That comment wiped the joy off of Beth’s face. She suddenly looked flat and expressionless.

“Right, sorry. I forgot you’re all about Mallow rights or whatever.” Hailee said as she rolled her eyes at the concept of Mallows having human rights.

“I don’t want to talk about that right now. It always leaves me in a foul mood when you share your thoughts about it.” Beth said. Her voice had gone just as flat and expressionless as her face. “I’ll be home to help you with dinner.” She said before going back to her group of friends who had already gathered around Nancy’s car.

“She’s so sensitive about Mallows I swear.” Hailee said as she talked to the caterpillar in the terrarium in her passenger seat. “But I think she did have a good idea. Let’s go on a walk in the park together.” Hailee reached over and buckled the seatbelt around the terrarium and drove off towards the park.

It wasn’t until she reached into her purse for her phone after she got to the park that she remembered she didn’t have one. “Oh right. Ah well, they can just worry or bother Beth. Not my problem.” She said to herself as she reached over and unbuckled the terrarium.

Hailee took the terrarium with her as she got out of the car and went for her walk. There was a walking trail that she and Beth used to play on in the summer when they were little. She let her mind wander as she walked on the path. Hailee held the terrarium with both hands in front of her stomach to try and give the caterpillar a smooth ride. She remembered making mud pies in the creek after heavy rainfall. It hadn’t rained for about half a month. The creek nearly dried up and just a small trickle as she looked down into the shallow valley that seemed like a river in her memories.

She found herself smiling and feeling a lot calmer as she walked through the nature path and let her memories wash over her. Then she came to a stump. Her smile slowly fading as she remembered the picnic she had there with Patrick. She had worked so hard to impress him for their first date. She had worked so hard the entire relationship and then he decides to end everything over a single text message.

Without realizing it she found herself squeezing the plastic box in her hands. She closed her eyes and started to take deep breaths. Smelling the spring air and letting the breeze wash over her in the shade of the trees. As she focused on breathing her nose began to tickle as she breathed in the scent of flowers.

Hailee opened her eyes and looked around. Curious about where the flowers she was smelling were. She wanted to pick some for Beth as an apology for yelling at her earlier. Maybe even braid some into a flower tiara for her if there were enough. A small smirk curled over her lips as she thought about giving Beth a crown of flowers and naming her queen of the hippies for her supposed love of Mallows.

She placed the terrarium down on the stump as she scanned nearby. A bright red flower waving in the wind caught her eye across the dried-up creek. She slid down into it, jumped over the small trickle of water that was still barely moving, and climbed up the other side. Hailee chuckled a bit, rolling her eyes at herself as she realized what she was doing for a single flower.

When she pushed through some of the branches to get to it, she revealed a small flower bed full of the bright red flowers. There was something unsettling about them, though. They didn’t seem natural. She watched the flowers dance in the gentle breeze, but couldn’t put her finger on why they seemed so strange. Until she noticed they were all in lines.

Each and every flower seemed like it was purposefully placed. Someone planted them. Hailee furrowed her brow and shook her head. That answer didn’t make any sense. Who would want to plant flowers like this? It didn’t make sense until she saw the small dirt paths at the base of the flowers.

A grid-like pattern trampled into the grass below the flowers. This only fed her confusion. It didn’t make sense to her. As she followed the dirt path with her eyes, she saw one that broke off from the pattern and went off deeper into the underbrush.

Fueled by curiosity, Hailee pushed on. She walked through the flower bed, careful not to trample any of the flowers as she peeked over the underbrush to see the trail continue. She saw it break off again and go over to a styrofoam cooler that had a small square hole carved into the side of it.

Her eyes went wide with realization. Slowly stepping away, she cautiously made her way back to the creek. She sat on the stump next to her terrarium. With a look of awe and disbelief on her face she looked down at the caterpillar inside of it.

“I think I might have found a Mallow camp, Mister Caterpillar.” She knew it was strange to talk to the bug inside the plastic box. She didn’t have her phone and she needed to tell someone about what was going on.

Hailee picked up the terrarium and pulled the top off. She dumped the contents and the caterpillar out onto the ground.  “Sorry, I need something to put them in to take them home. I bet these woods are more your style anyway.” She said to the caterpillar that she had just dumped at her feet.