The night of the dance came pretty quick. Jake was going to pick up George and Becky from Becky’s house before swinging over to Sara’s.
The couples had fun at dinner as they talked and joked. It was apparent that Becky and George were best friends as they carried most of the conversation with stories from their past. It was entertaining to their dates though, so everyone enjoyed it.
George flew next to Sara in the zupper car as they entered the dance. The gymnasium was decorated in an under the sea design with streamers hanging from every which way. George followed Sara to a corner where they awkwardly stood next to each other. Becky, on the other hand, had dragged Jake onto the dance floor upon arrival.
After a couple of songs Becky spung her way over to the awkward couple. “Are you guys just going to stand there all night or you going to dance?” she said with an amused smile. George stared at her red as a tomato. Becky rolled her eyes and shook her head as she motioned for George to follow her.
“You know the point of a dance is to dance at them…” Becky said plainly.
George looked distraught, “In all honesty I didn’t really think we would have to dance. I thought we could just talk…”
Becky shook her head, “George, Sara is bored out of her mind and wants to dance. So dance with her.” She motioned to the Sara standing there looking longingly at all the students dancing.
George looked down and let out a sigh, “But how Becky… This is why I hate dances… How could I possibly dance with her… No one wants to dance with a 5 in tall guy…”
Becky laid a caring finger over one of George’s hands. “George, she asked you here didn’t she? Maybe you should give her a chance. She seems really gentle. And if anything happens you know I’m here for you!” Becky said warmly.
A small smile crept along George’s lips. “Thanks Beck… I am really lucky to have a friend like you.” he said placing his other hand over the tip of her finger.
“Come on!” she said pulling back her hand, “Let’s go dance the night away.”
Positives, George thought, was that Sara’s hands were gentle and soft. Negatives, they were cold and kind of clumsy. George thought on more than one occasion he would have to use his emergency squirl suit as he was on the brink of being dropped. The dance overall wasn’t bad though.
George flew next to Sara as he walked her back to her front door. Jake and Becky were sitting in the car waiting for them.
“I had a good time.” George said upbeat.
Sara shyly nodded. “Me too.” She mumbled.
“Maybe we could do something like this again.” George offered.
Sara glanced up quick before dropping her gaze. George noticed a slight hint of sadness to her face. “Ah… George… I don’t really know how to say this but… I don’t think I want to continue a relationship with you… Holding you tonight was one of the most nerve-racking things I have ever done. I didn’t know how small and fragile you were till you were in my hand… I’m sorry George, I just don’t trust myself not to hurt you…”
Sara’s words hit like a right hook to the gut. Small. Fragile. The word echoed in George’s empty mind. He stared off into the distance letting the words sink in.
“George?” Sara asked hesitantly.
George sighed, “No worries. I understand. Thank you for being honest.”
“No hard feelings?” Sara asked.
“No hard feelings.” George said giving her a sad smile. He then turned and flew back to the car.
Becking immediately picking up on her best friend’s down mood started conversation with Jake to give George some space. She reached her hand back to rest the tip of her finger on his lap to let him know she understood and was there for him. George fought back tears as he wrapped his arms around Becky.
Becky waved Jake a goodbye as the two walked towards her house. Neither said a word till they reached her door.
“Hey George… Are you ok?” Becky asked caringly.
“Yeah I’m fine…” George said fighting back tears.
Becky stopped and stared hard at her friend. “We both know you are lying. Spill.”
George let out a long sigh. “She said she didn’t want to be with me because I am small and fragile…” George choked out, no longer able to hold the tears back. “And the worst thing is that she isn’t wrong… In her hands I probably did feel small and fragile…”
Becky stood there quietly as her friend cried. Letting out a soft sigh she gently reached up and held the underside of the zupper car steady. George looked up at her with surprise. She motioned for him to turn off and return the rotors spinning above his head. George complied.
Becky then brought her other hand over and placed it expectingly next to the zupper car. George broke down crying again as he crawled onto her hand. Once he was safely secured, Becky brought him to lay comfortably over her chest. Her heartbeat soothed him as he cried.
George hated being small and fragile. He especially hated it when he was around people who would intentionally or unintentionally made him feel vulnerable. George hated being in Sara’s grasp. Her shaky hands did remind him that regular life was dangerous for him. What hurt even more though, was that she said the words out loud. The feelings could be ignored till they were said in the open.
George buried his face into Becky’s chest as the tears continued to fall. He felt safe with Becky. Her hands were strong and confident. Her callused hands were soft and caring. Her strength made him feel strong. He didn’t feel fragile when he was with her. He felt, normal.
George tried to go about his day hoping no one would comment on Sara. He almost made it till lunch until on of his usually tormentors spoke up.
“Hey George I hear Sara broke up with you because she didn’t want to date a doll. Thought the slightest movement would break you.” The boy who sat on the left of him in Spanish class jeered. George ignored him. There was only a minute or two left in class and he just needed to make it to the bell to get out. “Probably the same reason that total hottie Becky didn’t date you either. Heck, she was probably just trying to find ways to no longer be the babysitter of your sorry ass.” He hissed. George grinded his teeth but bit his tongue. “Too bad that tall guy Jake got to her first. If I knew she was begging to spend time with anyone but you, I would totally offered for her to come over to my house. I would show her how holding a real man feels.” The boy continued with sickening smile.
George was about to go off on him, but the bell rang. George let out the breath that he was holding and started to collect his belongings around his small desk. “Smart boy. You know better than to say anything back to me because you know you have no control now. You are too small and fragile to stand up for yourself.” His voice beckoning for a response. The words small and fragile echoed throughout George’s mind. He couldn’t hold back anymore.
“No one cares what you say Nick. You are all talk and no bite. Just shut up and save your breath. I am being smart to not engage with an idiot like you and lower myself to such a level. Now if you will excuse me I am going to go to lunch.” George said turning to his zupercar.
“All talk and no bite huh?” Nick said towering over George’s desk. “I’ll show you I can bite.”
George raised an eyebrow and stayed collected on the outside. On the inside, though, he was quaking. “You know better than to hit me Nick. I would either end up in the emergency room or dead and you would end up in jail.” He said trying to remind Nick of how harry the situation could become.
Nick was starting to get mad at this point. George marveled at how quick his face turned red. “Fuck you George.” He said snapping his hand out. George reflexively turned and braced himself for the worst, but it wasn’t him that was the target. George felt the wind rush by him as the zupercar was plucked from the table. George looked up with complete horror as his eyes dashed around for someone to help. There was no one else in the room. Everyone went to lunch. “You don’t talk so big now when your precious crutch is in danger.” Nick said with an evil grin.
George struggled to speak. “Yyou wouldn’t dare!” Was all George could force out.
“Oh I wouldn’t?” venom dripped from his voice. Nick then lifted the zupercar high in the air.
“STOP!” Becky yelled, frozen in the doorway.
Nick gave an ire smile, “Looks like your knight in shinning armor arrived there Georgy. Too bad she is too late.” Nick then exchanged all the potential energy he had for kinetic as he rocketed the little craft to the floor. Becky was across the room in seconds, tackling Nick to the floor. It was too late, though. The zupercar laid crushed upon the floor. Becky was on Nick, fists flying at his face in rage. Nick struggling to find a way out till he looked to the desk where George stood. With a swift kick Nick slammed the legs as hard as he could, flipping the desk. Becky didn’t notice as she landed one more punch that knocked Nick out cold.
“Becky!” George screamed as clung to the side of his teetering desk, with another one slowly threatening to fall and crush him.
“George.” Becky said under her breath as lunged toward him. Georged closed his eyes expecting the worst. Relief rushed over him as he felt warm hands engulfing him. He looked up to see an extremely worried Becky looking him over. “Please tell me you are ok George.” She pleaded.
George chuckled, “Now I am. Thanks Becks. Would probably have been a goner without you there.”
Becky shook her head, “I shouldn’t have tackled Nick. Then you would have never been in that situation…”
George waved her off. “Nah Becks. You tried to save the zupercar. I would have done the same if I was in your situation.” He said patting her hand and smiling up to her.
Becky, shifting George to one hand, used her other to pick up what was left of the zupercar. “I’m sorry George… I know what this means to you…”
George sighed, “Yeah… I really hate when people have to help me out… I feel like a burden… But you never know. Maybe my dad can fix it for me.”
“Hopefully! Here, let me collect all the parts for him.” She said setting George on the ground as she carefully placed all the parts in her backpack. George helped her by picking up smaller items that she put in a ziplock bag as to not lose them. Becky tucked everything in her bag before turning back to George. “Want to go to lunch?” she asked.
“What about him?” George said pointing to Nick.
Becky glanced at him and then back to George. “Ah he will come to sooner or later. Either he will tell on us or take his licking. Either way I’m voting to leave him.”
“May I pick you up?” Becky asked trying to be polite.
“I think you will have to!” George laughed, “It would take me a day just to get to the cafeteria if you don’t!”
Becky shook her head and laughed. Gently she wrapped her fingers around his small frame and slowly rose. Putting George on her shoulder, she started down the hall. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she liked having George this close.
Just as Becky expected, the principle came for her during fifth period. She looked down and greeted the small, balding man as she stepped out of class. George was already in his hand and did not look like he was enjoying his current ride. “Mr. Walace, do you mind if I take George?” Becky asked. Mr. Walace complied, roughly handing him to her. George let out a huff when he was finally in Becky’s hands. She tried to hide her smile as she put him on her shoulder.
“I hate when people handle me like I am a toy.” George said low, so only Becky could hear. “Have these people ever heard the phrase, firm, but gentle? He should have gotten you first anyway. Then I wouldn’t have had to sit in his disgusting, sweaty hand smelling his BO the whole time.” George grumbled. Becky just looked at him and smiled. He was cute when he was angry, she thought.
The two sat in front of Mr. Walace’s desk as he berated Becky about beating another student unconscious. To George’s dismay, Becky just took it. When the principle asked if she had anything to say for herself, she just kept quiet. George couldn’t though. “Sir! With all due respect, Becky is not the perpetrator in this. Nick was the one who started this problem! I’m pretty sure he would have hurt me if I didn’t remind him of the consequences. He destroyed my zupercar and then tired to kill me! Not Becky. Becky tried to stop him! Yeah she might have gotten a little caught up in the moment, but I question what would have happened if she didn’t!” he said forcefully.
Mr. Walace let out a long sigh. “Look. My hands are kinda tied in this matter. His parents are pissed that their son was unconscious for a while in the classroom and are big supporters of the school. I know that Ms. Lopez did what she thought was right for the most part, but there has to be consequences for what happened.”
“Will there be consequences for Nick?! He destroyed my zupercar and almost killed me?!” George spat.
Mr. Wallace pursed his lips, “We will work on consequences for him after he is out of the hospital.”
Becky and George looked at each other. “He is in the hospital?!” They said in unison.
The principle nodded, “Yes. He is fine, his parents just wanted to take him in as a precaution.”
Becky held back a snort thinking the little punk Nick was taken to the hospital. After Mr. Walace was done with the two he dismissed them, banning Becky from the hockey team for a month. Becky picked up George and set him on her shoulder. Once out of earshot George turned to Becky. “Why didn’t you defend yourself back there? You just let Mr. Walace walk all over you!” He said, pissed.
Becky glanced down at him and said, “Nothing I said would have changed his mind. To him I did it just because I could. He listened to you because you were the real victim, but in no way was I the victim. To him I was a possible perpetrator.”
George shook his head. “This whole situation is messed up.” He grumbled. “I can’t believe he banned you from hockey too! What a jerk. Doesn’t he know that sports keep kids out of trouble!” George continued.
Becky laughed, “Cool your jets there George or you will fall off my shoulder with all that movement. I saved you once today. I would prefer not having to do it again.”
George started to grumble to himself. Becky tried hard to hide her amusement as she bit her lip. He was adorable when he was like this. It dawned on her that she really missed being close to him like this.
