Lauren stays

"Get real, May." said Lauren. "I'm not getting in that car with you. Especially not with you."

"You hurt me, Lauren." May tried to fake resentment. "You think me a heartless monster, while in fact I had your best interest in mind."

Yeah. Like that could ever happen... Even Danny's buddies rolled their eyes at that remark. People'd said many things about May, but selfless was none of those.

"I..." started bathroom guy shyly, "I may be able to pick the lock." He was not entirely sure whether this skill was something to be proud of or not.

All of them turned towards him with a puzzled look. Learning that a friend of theirs could pick locks was understandably a surprise to them.

"What? I have seen it in movies many times." he stammered. "I might damage the lock a bit though."

"Do it!" came the order from Lauren. A moment ago she hated this guy for locking her out in her current predicament, but right then he was the best chance she'd got. "And do it fast!"

Bathroom guy ran to the truck. "I'll just need my tools from my bag." he shouted back. Like it was totally natural to carry around tools for picking locks.

"So, Lauren..." May tried to break the silence. "When was the last time you exercised?"

The others all snickered at her sassy question. It gave them a certain sense of superiority to have the town favourite Lauren before them in her undies, being made fun of. It was a moment anyone would have cherished.

"Screw you, May! I haven't got an ounce of fat on me." Lauren sucked in her little tummy.

"Well, you haven't got an ounce of anything else on you either." snapped back May. "Maybe that's what confused me."

"Me too." laughed Danny slapping his knee.

Lauren was snarling with anger. She was sure these two had the time of their lives at her expense. But her biggest concern was about getting back into her home. By any means necessary. When bathroom guy returned with a small box of what she assumed to be his 'tools', she was ready to give him anything if he could get her inside soon.

"Oh, I found these." he winked at Lauren while holding a torn clothing towards her. Her nightie. Or what was left of it. Lauren wrapped it around herself hastily. She didn't even notice that she flashed her little boobies again.

"Now hurry up!" instructed May with a sneer. "I think Lauren is 'freezing' out here. Those little nipples of hers are about ready to cut glass." This elicited another laughter from the guys. Lauren tried to ignore the comment and cover herself as best she could with the flimsy remains of her once favourite sleepwear. But her shattered pride bothered her more than her torn nightie.

As bathroom guy was working on the lock, the others settled down on the porch and were chatting and snickering away about Lauren's body. Her cheeks were burning with shame and hatred towards them. That was when they heard a siren from the front of the house.

All eyes turned to a police car pulling right up behind Danny's truck, with an officer in his late 40s climbing out and walking towards them. Lauren crouched behind her ex, trying to become one with the floor.

"Is there a problem here?" the officer asked suspiciously. Bathroom guy stood up so fast, his 'tools' hit the floor with a clang. Not very subtle, thought the officer.

"No, officer." replied May, being the 'leader' of the group. "We were just... moving stuff." She **** a smile on her face.

"And what were you doing with the lock?" he continued the investigation turning toward bathroom guy, who tried to fake invisibility at the moment.

"We were just trying to open the door." May replied, thinking it best if the guys didn't talk at the moment. She thought she should handle this alone.

"Do you own this house, ma'am?" asked the officer looking at May, as she seemed to be the most talkative of the bunch.

"Well, no." She regretted her answer immediately.

"Does any of you own this house?"

The guys remained silent.

"She does." May pointed at Lauren. Danny took a few steps to the side, so that the officer could see Lauren crouching with her ripped nightie barely covering her tiny frame.

Darn it. So much for hiding, thought Lauren. If these bunch of losers hadn't been enough, now an adult was looking at her in that embarrassing state of undress. Could things get any worse?

"The little girl owns the house? And why is she naked?"

Lauren blushed at his comment. Little girl? He called May 'ma'am' and her 'little girl'? Did the officer really think she was a kid? At the moment, she may have lacked womanly curves, and without her make-up she really did look younger, but little girl? Other times, adult men had fought to sit next to her and now she was degraded to a mere child. She choked back a sob.

"She is an adult woman." May tried to explain. "Just look at her!" Well... shit. If she'd had some tits, she would have looked more like an adult. Maybe. Regardless, at the moment it was a weak attempt at trying to sound reasonable. Lauren looked nothing like her adult self.

"So, let's see if I get this straight." said the cop, starting to get impatient. "You came here with a truck and tried to get into a locked house that doesn't belong to either of you."

Danny was lost for words. It did sound ridiculous. They were no burglars. He locked eyes with May, trying to will her to say something smart.

"I'm telling you, she is the owner of the house." May was frantic with anger.

"Yes, I see." the officer looked up the bunch one last time then grabbed his radio. "Officer Beckerman here, requesting immediate backup for a robbery in progress and child **** at Mill street. Over."

"What?" came the question from Danny.

"No, officer." objected May. "This is a misunderstanding." She grabbed a hold of Lauren's arm and pulled her to her feet. "She lives here. She knows us."

As she was pulled up, her torn nightie slid down her petite frame and hit the floor around her ankles. Lauren was standing in just her flimsy panties in front of an adult officer of the law. Her pink little nipples winking at him. Her face was flushed and tears were welling in her eyes.

"Ma'am, I have to ask you to step away from the child." intructed the officer while placing a hand on his gun.

Lauren was beside herself. She didn't know what to do. She was the owner of the house, but with no ID or anything on her, would the officer even believe she was an adult? Would she even want to be recognised as an adult after being seen near naked? She'd rather not reveal herself to be THE Lauren. She had to think of something fast.

"Lauren! Tell him! Tell him we are here to help you." insisted May as she reluctanctly stepped away from her as the officer asked.

Lauren looked up at the officer and saw pity in his eyes. This was her chance. She had to play along. She ran to the man, stepping out of her torn nightie, and crouched down behind his legs; like she was terrified of something. Or someone.

"That's not twue! The mean lady gwabbed me and told me to shut up. She even wipped my wittle dwess." She said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

The others watched with mouths agape in astonishment. This was something neither of them expected. Something neither of them would ever forget.

It was humiliating to act like a kid in front of her ex and May, especially after her body's shortcomings have been so unceremoniously revealed, but it was the only way out of her predicament. For an adult, she played the child pretty convincingly. If she had to momentary throw away her elite status to protect her identity, so be it. The fact that May might get into some trouble for a change was a nice bonus. Whatever would happen, at least the officer would take care of her. The police wouldn't dare treating an innocent child poorly.

"There, there." said the officer while patting Lauren's head. "Don't worry, petal. The 'mean lady' will be taken care of." He looked at May with contempt.

May was boiling with rage. Mean lady? Her? If not for the current situation, it could have been funny seeing the pompous Ice Queen act like a child. But this had turned from funny to problematic rather quickly.

"So, officer..." asked Danny sheepisly. "Are we under arrest or what?"

"You will be taken to the station for questioning, yes. And then we will have this mess sorted out."

May looked shocked at this new development. No. She couldn't have been in trouble. Her parents would kill her. They were helping Lauren. And had a little fun with her, but they were still helping her. But without her word, it really looked like they were trying to rob the house. She glanced at Danny, who stared back at her with a questioning look. Darn it, these guys were useless, she thought. She had to rely on herself to get out of this mess. That shapless bitch with the body of a child would not get the best of her. Never. She may have feared Lauren in the past, but that had changed a few hours ago. She was no longer someone to fear or envy. Once she'd smoothed things over at the station, things would come back and bite Lauren in her scrawny little ass. May was certain that once all was said and done, she would have the last laugh.

Another police car pulled up to the house, with flashing sirens. Backup had arrived.