Timothy & Shrinks

  “There’s no way they’ll catch you, Shrinks. You’re small enough to slip in and out without hitting the creases or anything.”

  Shrinks shook his head violently and continued to refuse to hop through the school’s window.

    “No way, Timothy. I’ll set off some alarm and then the police will come and they’ll put us in jail and then they’ll call our parents and then they’ll yell at us and we’ll be grounded for life!” Shrinks shied the mouthful in his squeaky, inadequate voice.

Timothy and Shrinks were some of the stupidest kids in school. They fitted perfectly together. Timothy was of muscular build and it astonished the ladies, whom he did well with… until he spoke. Shrinks was Timothy’s, what? Only friend, probably. Shrinks was just his nickname. His real name was Ben Fuller. He was nicknamed Shrinks because of his abnormally small size. Well, being abnormal in high school wasn’t … too bad. Every high school student is abnormal.

  Tim gave Shrinks a slight shove towards the window and looked at him sternly. “It’s not like the school would actually buy alarms for this stuff. Just go in and put it on Ms. Mackenzie’s desk. C’mon.”

  Shrinks grunted in disapproval and looked up at the colossal Tim. If he didn’t get moving, Tim would get to moving him. Shrinks sighed once, a long, exaggerated sigh and held his arms open so Tim could lift him. “I need a lift, first.”

  “Sure,” Tim’s lips curled and parted into a toothy grin, revealing the different colours in his teeth. He stepped forward and opened up the window as wide as it could. What an idiot, Tim’s thought was directed at the janitors, or whoever was required to shut the windows… properly. He turned back towards Shrinks and picked him off the ground, like picking flowers, Tim chuckled at how he could relate everything so easily. He was so smart. He never did pick flowers though, and if he tried he’d crush them by accident.

  “There we go,” Tim said and Shrinks nodded as he plopped right through the open window and into the hall. Tim observed the window carefully and stuck his head in to check the halls. “Maybe I could fit in this,” he suggested.

  “Not a chance, don’t even try.” Shrinks replied only too quickly, though it all sounded slightly gibberish.

  “Okay.”

  “Give me the papers to replace our old ones,” Shrinks appeared to demand, but it seemed more like he was asking for permission to hold them.

  Tim reached into his bag and handed Shrinks a pack of paper, stapled together.

  “Thanks. Wait here,” this line Shrinks expressed firmly.

  Tim nodded.

  Shrinks sprinted across the hall, but tripped. He let out a squeak and the pack of papers flew further down the hall. Tim stuck his head in again and gasped as he saw Shrinks on the ground.

  “Are you alright?” he bellowed, then sighed after not being answered for about five seconds.

  Tim tried to fit his abnormally large body through the window, and after ten minutes of struggling, got stuck. He repeated Shrinks’ name in moans.



  Light was not able to shine through the hall’s second window that morning, there was an obstruction through it and it leaved just that area slightly darker.

Mr. Pollen, the principal, unlocked the school door and entered. He yawned and, out of habit, covered his mouth politely. There was no noise coming from or into the school, and that was to be expected. It was too late for the crickets to chirp, and too early for the birds to ensue in their harmonious melodies. Four o’clock Am would be an appropriate estimate.

  He made his way to the main office and sat at his desk. He stared into space for a while, and then let his head rest in his hands and he let out an exaggerated sigh. He didn’t look well, he never did, actually. In front of the kids, he’d put on a happy, or at least neutral face in.

  After a few minutes of mysterious thought, Mr. Pollen lifted himself off his chair and left the office. He walked down the halls and heard a noise he didn’t often hear. He cut the corner and, his next step made a light ‘fwoop’ as Tim and Shrinks’ pack of papers folded.

  Mr. Pollen looked down at his feet and took a step back, off the papers. He bent down and lifted the pack, brushing through it. In the front, at the top right corner, it read Timothy Baxter & Ben Fuller.

  Mr. Pollen knew these guys well. Every one at school knew Tim and Shrinks. Mr. Pollen ran his hands through his hair and lifted his head, nearly halfway across the hall, Shrinks was lying down, asleep. The noise he’d heard before was snoring. He’d rarely ever heard that noise because he’d rarely ever been … with anyone, at night time, that is. Just a moment after, Mr. Pollen saw Tim half in the window, half outside.

He sighed and just left them there, making his way back to his office. He held the pack of papers as he trudged towards what he knew as his second home.