The Coach - Chapter Six (Speck Tier)

Slowly emerging from a deep slumber, Rick allowed his heavy eyes to flicker open. He briefly surveyed the room around him, the light outside slicing through his half-closed blinds. Fumbling to check his phone on the bedside table, Rick saw it was 9am and sighed.

A Saturday. Finally, a day of rest from the constant ordeal his job had become. There was nothing he needed more than some time away, considering what happened yesterday - accused of snooping in the locker room, in front of Miss Scherman no less! His life had flashed before his eyes as he came painfully close to meeting a fate like the one of his old colleague, Cole. The stakes were now scarily high, and the competition was fierce. Not only was Lydia growing in confidence, but the other girls were too, like Billi.

Feeling drained and unmotivated, Rick didn't want to even leave his bed. His body was heavy as he reluctantly clambered from beneath his sheets and dropped down onto the carpeted floor below. Dragging his feet, he followed his usual routine and walked over to the markings on his wall.

As Rick stood against the wall and marked it just above his head, he turned to read the measurement. A deep sorrow overcame him. Clutching his face in his hands, he fell to his knees, "F... f... four..." He was almost exactly four feet tall, maybe less than an inch over.

Through the night, he had lost almost eight inches: no mess, no dreams, no problems, just natural shrinking. Well, as natural as the virus could be. He stayed there a while, wallowing in his sadness. Rick couldn't help but think back to his visit to the doctor, where he'd been told that abstaining from orgasms could make his spurts worse. Eventually, he climbed to his feet and meekly stumbled over to his closet.

Rick flicked through his oversized clothes and struggled to find anything that wasn't huge on him. Digging right into the back of his closet, he eventually found and settled on a tee that had been too small for him and a pair of old shorts. The tee hung almost to his knees, and the shorts were more like a skirt; he could at least tighten the waist around them.

Sighing, Rick studied himself in the mirror. He looked like a child who had stolen an older sibling's clothes, nothing more. He realised he needed new clothes and decided he'd visit the mall today, begrudgingly giving business to one of the many companies profiting from the virus.

Rick headed into his bathroom and reached up to the sink, barely succeeding in getting his toothbrush and toothpaste down from the porcelain. He brushed his teeth, spitting into the toilet to make things a little easier. After finishing getting ready, Rick promptly left his apartment and walked the short distance to his car.

As he looked around, Rick prayed nobody had seen him climbing into his car. He quickly leaned out and pulled the door shut, feeling embarrassed. Reaching down beneath his chair, Rick pulled the seat as far forward as it would go, still unable to see over his dashboard nor press his pedals down fully.

At a total loss, Rick realised the day had come. He took his phone from his pocket and held it in both hands before unlocking it. Scrolling down to Jessie's number, he audibly groaned as he clicked to call her.

"Hey, Rick!" Jessie cheerily said, answering the phone almost instantly.

"Hey, Jessie..." Rick replied, sadness leaking through his otherwise neutral tone.

"Is everything alright?"

He sighed, "Yeah, everything's fine. Are you busy?"

"No, not at all," Jessie said back between noisy chews, "I'm just having some breakfast." Her spoon clanged loudly against her bowl as she swallowed the rest of her mouthful, "So, what do you need?"

"I don't fit in any of my clothes, and I can't drive my car anymore," Rick admitted. He just wanted to be straightforward with her.

"You can't drive anymore?" she asked, "Did something happen yesterday?! Did you shrink?"

Rick considered telling Jessie what happened in the locker room. As his colleague, she deserved to know, yet he didn't want to burden her either. Quickly decided to keep his mouth shut, he wondered if the stress had been what made him shrink last night. "No, everything's fine. I just shrunk through the night again. I'm like four feet tall now. Could you please drive me to the mall for some new clothes? I need them for work on Monday."

"For sure!" Jessie agreed, "I'll be there in like fifteen minutes, and we can get going. It'll be a fun trip out!"

Rick chuckled softly, "Thanks, Jessie. You're the best." She really made this tough time better, and it was hard for Rick to imagine what life would be like without Jessie. He became sad again as he thought back to yesterday, wishing she had been there.

"Aw thanks, Rick! You're not so bad yourself," she shot back, "See ya in fifteen!" The call ended.

Rick sat in his car awhile, just taking in everything that had happened. He thought about what life would be like now at four feet and how soon he'd be even smaller. It was all so much to take on, so much to consider. After about ten minutes of silent thought, Rick headed back inside and put his car keys away.

Perfectly on time, he heard the honk of Jessie's car outside. He made his way straight to her and quickly climbed into the passenger side of her car. "Seatbelt!" she commanded down to him with a smirk.

Rick reached up for his seatbelt and pulled it over him, lightheartedly remarking, "I'll need a damn booster seat soon!"

Jessie laughed, waiting for the click of Rick's seatbelt before pulling away, "At least we could claim it as a business expense!"

The drive to the mall was an enjoyable one, with Jessie's contagious positivity seeping into Rick. Stopping at a light, Jessie looked over at him, "So, any drama after I left yesterday?"

Rick felt his heart suddenly pounding in his chest as he was forced to consider telling Jessie again. She was so happy, so carefree. After that whole thing with Miss Scherman, Jessie deserved some time to think everything was okay. The problems Rick experienced day to day were her problems now too, and she took them on selflessly. She deserved the break, so he simply replied, "Ah, y'know, same ol'..."

She smiled, "Well, I'm glad it was uneventful. I'm there to be your muscle, the mediator. I'd hate for there to be drama after I left, knowing Lydia she'd purposely pick a fight without me there." She pointed down to Rick's pocket, where his phone was situated, "You should put me on speed-dial. I'm available whenever you need me."

"Thanks, Jessie. You really are such an amazing help. I don't know what I'd do without you!" Rick praised her as he scrolled through his phone and set Jessie as the number one on his speed dial.

"Aw Rick, you're too kind!" Jessie blushed as she pulled into the parking lot, "Well, we're here!" She drove to the front before stopping in one of the typically reserved bays.

"Jessie... Is this bay not reserved?" Rick asked, confused and peering up at the sign. It had a parent holding the hang of a child, and Rick knew those spaces were for parents and toddlers, to save them walking through the busy parking lot.

"Yes, of course it is," Jessie replied as she opened her door and climbed out of the car. Bending over and peering at Rick through the open door, Jessie explained, "The President Hope administration opened these spaces up to the guardians of shrunken people too. You guys are just as vulnerable as kids, maybe even more when you get smaller."

It was a tough thing for Rick to wrap his head around. He was an adult man and now needed help navigating a parking lot; it was demeaning, to say the least. He didn't feel at all like Jessie's equal, nor like the equal of any woman.

Rick climbed out of the car and made his around to Jessie. "Alright, let's head in!" she said as she placed a guiding hand against Rick's back. He couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable about it, yet it seemed a normal thing to her.

Rick looked up at Jessie as they walked, "Hey, you don't need to guide me. I can walk into the mall pretty normally, even at this size!" He laughed, trying to make light of the situation, so Jessie didn't feel awkward.

"Oh, stop!" Jessie smiled down at Rick and kept her hand against his back, "It's just until we're out the busy parking lot."

Not wanting to be combative, Rick gave in. Walking just in front of Jessie, he watched the surrounding cars creeping down the various lanes. They weren't too close, nor particularly dangerous, yet Rick now felt wary of them. His entire life was centred around just how vulnerable he was, and it was getting to him.

Jessie removed her hand from the small of Rick's back as they walked through the automatic doors of the mall. Rick sighed with relief once they entered, glad to have regained some of his freedom. He looked around the bustling mall, and there were people of all different sizes. Every man seemed to be accompanied by at least one woman, and those women appeared to be just as overprotective as Jessie, if not worse.

Rick couldn't help but feel like the mall seemed foreign, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on why. Shrunken people were the norm now, so he didn't feel it was that. Jessie walked happily alongside him, seemingly none the wiser of any difference.

They browsed the front windows of many different shops as they moved deeper into the mall. It had changed a lot since the virus broke out, so much size-focused marketing and businesses propping up, and not just for shrunken men but also the women responsible for them. There were shrunken men accessories, management tools (whatever that meant, Rick didn't want to know), even sex toys if you found the right store.

Peering up at Jessie, Rick could see the options enthralled her. They'd passed so many clothing stores already. "Hey, recommend any of these stores?" Rick asked, pointing to a row of two that had huge signs for "ALL SIZES CATERED FOR" and "SMALLER OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE".

Jessie looked towards the two stores, "Yeah, they look like they'd do the job. For you, I was thinking more like the size range for Armani, or maybe Nike if you're looking for work stuff!"

Rick laughed and turned towards the two stores he pointed out, opting for the one that boasted clothing for all sizes, "I don't think I need anything like that, just the basics will do." He shrugged, "I'm gonna shrink out of them at some point anyway. Maybe when I stop shrinking..."

"Yeah, that's a good point." Jessie replied as she tapped her temple, "Practical thinker!" The pair of them cut across the mall and made a beeline for the store.

Suddenly, a broad-shouldered woman in a shirt and tie stepped between them and the store. Rick almost crashed straight into her as she blocked his path. "Hey!" he shouted, looking up at her. The woman spared him a single glance, only to roll her eyes before returning her gaze to Jessie.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," the masculine-looking woman said, "Sorry to bother you, I couldn't help but notice your man is walking freely."

Furrowing her brow, Jessie replied, "Ermm... Yes, he's walking freely. Is there a problem?"

The woman sighed as she leaned in towards Jessie, "Sadly, Miss, there is a problem. In this mall alone, we've had a noticeable increase in men going missing, and the situation nationwide is only worse."

"You're kidding!" Jessie responded, her eyes wide and mouth agape. She looked down at Rick, and he could tell she was worried. In fact, she was terrified. The thought made Rick a little nervous too, but surely such things weren't as prevalent as this fearmongering lady made out.

"I wish I were, Ma'am," the woman continued, "We've upped security across the mall and implemented some new policies to minimise risk while you're shopping. That's actually why I've stopped you today."

Upped security? Rick didn't feel so bad about that. With girls like Lydia running amuck, treating their fellow students like objects, security guards wouldn't go amiss. They weren't too dissimilar to what Jessie was to him. If anything, he was impressed that the mall took the initiative to improve security. He wondered why the woman would initiate with, "your man is walking freely," though.

"Oh!" Jessie answered, placing a hand upon her chest, "I got a bit of a fright; I thought we'd done something wrong!" She looked down at Rick and smiled, "We're just getting some new clothes for him. He certainly needs them!" She pointed to Rick's oversized outfit and laughed lightheartedly. Rick blushed, rubbing his neck as the two women looked down at him, finding the humour in his predicament.

The security guard chuckled, "Ha, yes, we get quite a few women bringing men just like him in. He's lucky he can fit into anything aside from specialist clothing. We've had women bring their men in bags, towels, napkins, anything so they're not stark naked in the mall." The woman placed her hands on her hips as she addressed Jessie a little more directly, "However, I do need to run our new policies by you. They're mandatory for the safety of the little guy."

"Of course!" Jessie answered, "Please, I'm eager to know. Hope University hires me to be his assistant and guardian, any tips or guidelines you have I'd love to know."

"I'm glad to hear it!" the security guard cheerily said back, "Although, you're his assistant? That's quite a rarity nowadays." She pointed down at Rick, "So this guy really is living lavishly. What does he do?"

"He's the volleyball coach, championship team!" Jessie quickly replied, taking the words from Rick's opening mouth.

"Oh! Hope University Volleyball Team? My niece plays for that team!" the woman said excitedly.

Rick, feeling totally dismissed, cut into the conversation, "Oh really? I know all the girls very well. Who's your niece?"

Looking down at Rick, the woman seemed to hesitate before responding, "Lydia Jones?" Rick's could feel his mind going blank, anxiety-ridden just from hearing her name.

Noticing Rick's loss of confidence, Jessie took back over, "Oh yeah, we know Lydia. She's one of our star players. We're training hard to get yet another championship this year; make sure you come along to one of our games and say hello!"

"Oh, I'm gonna! I love Lydia. I see her every chance I get," the woman replied, "Anyway, if you wouldn't mind, we have a Contact Only Policy. If you're bringing your man into the mall, he can't be out of contact with you unless you're in a store. We make exceptions for leashed harnesses, which you can buy in Shrunk and Me, or Tiny Tools over there." The woman pointed to a huge store across the way, "You can also keep him in a backpack or something similar, but it all just depends on what works for you."

"Oh... I ermmm..." Jessie stuttered as she looked down at Rick, "Am I alright just to hold his hand? I don't have any of those things, and I doubt Rick would want to be on a leash." She reached down and held her open hand out to Rick.

Rick stared at Jessie's waiting hand. Was he really going to walk around and hold her hand like some sort of child? He looked around at the other shrunken men, only now realising that was why the mall seemed so strange! All the men were holding hands with women, some even on leashes or strapped to the back of their accompanying woman. He glanced up at the security guard, who was tapping her foot and waiting for him to take Jessie's hand.

Rick sighed and reluctantly placed her hand into Jessie's, it clasping around his like a venus fly trap. She was worried about him. He understood why she'd hold it so tightly. "Yeah, I'm not a dog. I don't want a leash," Rick added, chuckling.

The security guard didn't see the humour nor react to Rick's remark. She simply looked away from him once more and back to Jessie, "Thank you. I'd seriously consider the harness for him, it's most practical, and some other places don't allow just the handholding. If you have any trouble, we have security booths stationed across the mall." The woman smiled at Jessie, "Have a good rest of your day!"

"Thank you so much for your help! You too!" Jessie replied before continuing the walk into the clothing store. She looked down at Rick as she clutched his hand, "Men going missing? Are they just being snatched up? I can't believe it. We're going to have to be really careful. I might keep a hold of you in the stores too."

"No, no. That won't be necessary, Jessie," Rick said, not wanting to be any further demeaned or belittled, "I'm sure it's perfectly safe for me to walk without holding your hand."

Jessie looked around as they entered the store, "I dunno, Coach, it's pretty busy in here. If you left my sight for a second, it would only take one woman." Rick slackened his grip and waited for Jessie to release his hand.

"Erm, Jessie," Rick piped up, "Will you please let go of my hand? We're in the store now."

Grimacing, Jessie replied, "I'm sorry, Rick. I can't risk it. I take my job very seriously, and I have a responsibility to you and the university. If I lost you, I'd never forgive myself!"

Rick grunted, displeased. He couldn't believe Jessie would outright refuse to do something he asked, yet he could believe that she was that worried about him. It was bittersweet. But once again, he submitted to her overprotective whims. It wasn't worth the argument, not with her. Jessie was the one person he truly trusted and depended on, and he would never do something to upset her. She was only trying to help.

The pair continued into the store. "Oh wow, there are so many options! Shall we check the sportswear first?" Jessie asked, "I think work clothes are probably your top priority, no?"

Rick nodded to Jessie and felt his arm almost come out of the socket as she eagerly pulled him across the store. She sized five different outfits up against Rick, gauging it by eye and not giving him much of a say on what specifically to get. He didn't mind. Rick wasn't exactly known for his fashion sense. Regardless of size, having a girl like Jessie to help him shop saved him a ton of hassle, and he'd look better for it.

Jessie dragged him over to the changing rooms before finally releasing his hand from hers. She shoved the clothes into Rick's arms, "Here, go try these on! I'll wait here, but I want to see every outfit!"

Rick smiled; she was so excited. It was hard not to have a positive attitude around Jessie, as he always found was the case. He looked to where Jessie would wait - a cramped sofa with women already filling most of the space upon it. It reminded him of a different time, where that sofa would be full of men waiting for their wives and girlfriends.

He pondered on how much had changed since then as he headed into the first available stall. The world was completely different, and it would never revert to how it once was. It was a sad thought, considering how much worse things were for him. But he was hopeful that things would improve once everything stabilised a little. Rick pulled the curtain of the stall shut behind him, nulling some of the noise from outside.

Serenity. Well, almost. He could still hear the women bickering and laughing outside, the roar of heels clicking on the hard floor outside the store; it was just a little quieter with the thick curtain. He stripped out of his oversized clothes and tossed them into a heap on the floor.

Rick removed the first outfit from their respective hangers. It was a polo shirt and shorts, perfect for a hotter day on campus. As he pulled both items on and looked at himself in the mirror, he was elated. True form-fitting clothes had been a thing of the past for quite some time, and now he was looking pretty damn well kept. He loved the outfit and couldn't wait to show Jessie.

As he left the stall, Jessie immediately clocked him. "Oh my God! You look so good!" she shouted, jumping up from her position seated on the sofa. "That is a must!"

Rick smiled, "I couldn't agree more! I think I should get the same for the next few sizes down too so that I have things ready for if I get smaller."

"Great idea!" Jessie replied before fanning him away, "Now go try on the rest!"

Turning on his heel, Rick made his way back into his changing room stall. He was eager to get Jessie's opinion on the other outfits. As Rick tried each outfit on, he'd repeat the same process of coming out and showing Jessie. Each time he showed her, she'd react with such awe at the sight of him. By the end of it all, they decided to keep four out of the five.

Rick struggled to hold onto all five outfits as he peered up at Jessie, "So you think I should get these four? Can you grab the other off the..." Rick tried to lift his chin above the pile of clothes as they slowly tipped over his mouth, "off the top, please?"

Jessie laughed at Rick's struggles, "You do look cute trying to carry all those clothes, but sure!" She reached over and took the ill-fitting outfit from the top into one hand, leaving Rick to carry the rest. "Get in front of me while we get the other sizes since I can't hold your hand," Jessie nonchalantly ordered.

Ushering Rick around the store, Jessie asked, "So what sizes do you want? Right now you’re still a four footer."

"So I was thinking I'd get four, three, and two footer," Rick explained, "That should cover quite a bit of time. Anything beyond that, then we can come back."

As they approached the racks, Jessie put the ill-fitting outfit back. "I'll grab the smaller sizes since you have your hands full," Jessie grinned, enjoying watching Rick hold the outfits. She collected the other sizes with ease and draped them over her forearm, making it look like light work compared to Rick's attempt to carry much less.

"Alright, let's checkout then!" Jessie said cheerily as she directed Rick to the counter at the front of the store.

"Hi, I'm Amy. Thanks for shopping at Threads4All. Can I interest you in a loyalty card?"

Rick couldn't quite see over the counter as Jessie heaved the clothes onto it. Jessie turned to take what Rick was carrying as she responded to the woman's attempt to upsell, "Not today, thank you! We're hoping to not be back for a while!"

Amy chuckled, "Oh, fair enough. I hadn't expected the manager of this place to shrink as fast as he did. Within a few weeks, he went from six feet to three inches in height, can you believe it?"

Jessie's mouth fell agape as she listened during her wait, as Amy scanned each item, "That's crazy! Rick here has been shrinking quite slowly really." She looked down at Rick, "Haven't you?"

"Yes!" Rick positively confirmed, "Maybe I have a mild case."

"Well, mild or not, nobody stops shrinking until they're down to three inches. Or so that's what the government has been saying," Amy countered, "My little guy is that size. She placed the clothes into two paper bags for Jessie, "That's $48.34. Are you sure you don't want a loyalty card?"

Digging his hand into his back pocket, Rick retrieved his wallet before slipping his card out from one of the pouches. He raised his hand high above his head and slid the card onto the counter. "It really won't be necessary," Rick explained, "I'm paying, and I'm quite happy without a loyalty card, thanks."

"Well, you're missing out on some real bargains. I use the discount when I'm buying stuff for my man all the time," Amy replied as she took the card from Rick and held it against the reader.

Jessie looked around the seemingly understaffed store, "So where is the manager now? Does he still work here?"

"Sort of! I'm the manager now, and he took a lesser role once he started shrinking. I look after him; he's my man!" Amy explained, playfully sticking her tongue out. She reached behind the counter and pulled open a drawer.

All Rick heard was a gasp from Jessie as Amy placed something onto the countertop, "Oh my God! He's tiny! You keep him in a drawer?"

"Sometimes, the counter can get very busy. It's much safer!" Amy replied with a smile, "Like think of all the clothes that get put on here, he'd get lost so fast! We sometimes let him tidy up the changing rooms at the end of the day. If he's been particularly awkward, then using a stick to get the grime out of the tiles in the staff bathroom is also something he's suited for."

"Ah, understandable," Jessie replied, a little uneasy with that last bit, but she wasn't one to question a stranger "Well, have a nice day!" Jessie concluded, waving at the shrunken ex-manager with a single finger before grabbing the two paper bags from the counter beside him. Moving both bag handles into one hand, Jessie reached out for Rick's hand with the other. Rick obediently clasped his hand into Jessie's, not wanting the fruitless debate nor the security guard to see him not following the rules.

They walked back to the car uneventfully. Rick couldn't help but stare at all the men - on leashes, strapped to women like babies, holding the hands of their wives and family. And here he was, holding the hand of his assistant to buy clothes. It dawned on him just how dependent he truly was on Jessie and how much the world had changed.

Yesterday without Jessie had been a disaster, a disaster she didn't even know happened. He wondered if it were truly for the best not to tell her. Whether Rick liked it or not, Jessie was his protector and guardian, and she needed to know everything that went on to do that effectively.

"Hey, Jess?" Rick called up to her as they walked.

Jessie looked down at Rick, with a typically positive look on her face, "What's up? Want to look in more shops? Or shall we just head back to your place or mine? We could get food!"

Rick chuckled, "All of that sounds great. I have something to tell you, though."

"What is it?"

"Yesterday..." Rick began.

Before Rick could continue, Jessie's face dropped, "Did something happen yesterday?"

Rick sighed. "Oh my God, Rick!" Jessie shouted in frustration, "How could you not tell me!? What happened? I need every detail."

"It was with Mighty Mouse," Rick explained, "I could hear the girls terrorising him from my office, and I couldn't just sit there and let it happen!"

"You went into the girl's locker room?" Jessie asked, intently listening as she walked.

"Yes. You know the door nobody uses that leads into there? I went through it, but it was an hour after training. I thought the girls would've been changed by then; most of them were..." Rick shook his head in disbelief, "I was sure she had Mighty Mouse up her ass..."

"You're kidding... Who's she?" Jessie replied, her tone nulled, and her expression horrified, "What did you do? Where is he now?"

"Errr... Billi! I tried to confront them, and they tried to deny it. Then Miss Scherman came in from the toilets," Rick explained.

"Miss Scherman was there?"

Rick shrugged, "Apparently so." The idea that the girls had an executive essentially on their side was harrowing to Rick. It often felt like him and Jessie against the world. He continued, "Miss Scherman assumed I had come into the locker room maliciously, and the girls jumped on it. She threatened me with a future like Cole's..."

"Rick..." Jessie said empathetically, looking as if she were ready to cry.

"I... I..." Rick began, choking back his own tears, "I'm lucky to be here now. It was so... so close, J-Jessie!"

Jessie stopped walking dead in the centre of the mall, women zooming by on either side of them. She dropped the bags before crouching down to Rick's level. Holding her arms out to him, Rick collapsed into them and sobbed. "There, there, shhhh," she cooed, "It's okay. I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you."