Chapter 1
“So,” Penny said to kill the awkward silence. “How’ve you been?”
Emma didn’t move or say a word, trapped in her sleeping bag on the floor with Penny just a few inches away from her. As she lay there, alone with her thoughts, Emma realized that this was the most amount of time she’d spent with Penny since she hurt her head.
“You haven’t said a word all night,” Penny said, “Or like… All year.”
“I was busy,” Emma said.
“Busy?” Penny asked. “Do you know how many times I visited you in the hospital? And when you finally woke up all you wanted to do was spend time with Izzy. I thought we agreed to stop hating each other and be best friends again and all of a sudden you won’t even talk to me. After a while I stopped calling for you.”
“You look like you’ve been just fine,” Emma said.
“Yeah I grew up,” Penny said, “I got contacts and learned about makeup and periods and sex. I guess there really is a big difference between fifth grade and fourth grade. It’s just like Susie says.”
“About what?” Emma asked.
“When girls grow up they become women and the others stay little girls until they grow up,” Penny said, sounding like she was repeating something she often heard. “That’s why we’re so different now.”
Emma thought about that for a second.And then she let out a chuckle.
Which became a giggle.
And then a full on laugh.
She wasn’t sure when Penny joined her, but Emma noticed that they both stopped laughing at the same time.
“Susie doesn’t know anything about anything, does she?” Emma asked.
Penny answered, “The only thing she knows about growing up is the stuff she saw when she walked in on me… Uhm… Anyway, Seriously. How’ve you been?”
“Up and down,” Emma said, running her fingers across her head. “They said I was all better but I still feel a tiny bump. Izzy says you can’t see it but I can feel it and I know it’s there.”
“So you two are like best friends now, huh?” Penny asked.
Emma gulped. “Best friends. Forever.”
“I see,” Penny said.
There was a brief silence.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Emma said.
“I KNEW IT!” Penny shouted.
“Shhhhh!” Emma giggled again.
“Mimi is surprisingly good at keeping secrets when she wants to be,” Penny said, “But that just means it’s easy to tell
when she’s hiding something. I just wasn’t sure what it was.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Emma said.
“Obvi,” Penny said.
“And don’t say ‘obvi’ either,” Emma said. “It makes you sound gay.”
“Do you know what that really means?” Penny asked.
“I’m not stupid,” Emma said. “It’s short for obviously.”
“No, I mean,” Penny stopped and said, “Nevermind.”
Penny looked over at Emma, who seemed to be struggling with something.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I have to pee,” Emma said. “And yes, I am wearing a Pull-Up.”
“So?” Penny asked, confused. “When I got here you had a Pull-Up sagging down to your knees, why don’t you-”
“I don’t know,” Emma said. “It’s just not as easy as it used to be.”
A moment later, Emma sat up and squatted in place. A few moments after that, Penny heard a slight hiss and confirmed that Emma was relieved.
“Does it feel good?” Penny asked.
“I guess,” Emma said.
“You started wearing them because they felt good right?” Penny asked, “If it doesn’t feel good anymore then maybe you
should stop wearing them.”
As Emma got back into her sleeping bag she yawned and rolled over, saying, “Yeah. Maybe I should.”
Chapter 2
Penny took the long way home the next morning. Even though her and Emma lived just across the street from each other, she decided to walk the entire way around the neighborhood on her way back. Instead of heading along the sidewalk, Penny made her way through the backyards behind everyone’s homes.
She imagined that on this early weekend morning Susie was probably trying to “mature” just as Penny had explained to her. While Penny was not good at explaining, Susie was much better at trying. She just wasn’t very successful overall.
As she passed Lilly’s house, Susie wondered if Lilly was already up as well, using her newfound outlook on like to create something new like a painting. Or that motivation had already worn off and Lilly was watching cartoons and eating junk food in her underwear like normal.
Penny approached Abigail’s house, which was now Nicole’s house as well. Nicole usually woke up as a fully conscious nine year old, disgusted at the Pull-Up her three year old self usually wet as she slept. Abigail, now twelve and just as wet as her, was probably trying to console her. It wasn’t working.
Passing a few of the boys’ houses, Penny realized she hadn’t seen much of any of them in a while. Perhaps when the summer sun is upon them the boys and the girls will fight over who gets dibs on the swing sets.
The more she thought about that, Penny didn’t think it would happen. They were all older now and the days of playing outside were probably behind them.
When she arrived at her house, Penny found that everyone was still asleep. She pushed open the door to Mimi’s room, just a tad, and saw her sister sleeping soundly.
Penny went into her room, tossing her sleepover supplies down, and fell back into bed.
Everything and everyone around her was changing. Growing up, moving on. Some things were staying the same, while other things were incredibly different.
Emma was losing interest in diapers and gaining interest in girls.
Lilly had a shaved head with a slowly healing scar.
Nicole was still recovering from the foster mother from hell.
But Mimi was still sleeping in. Abigail was still a bedwetter.
But no one, especially Emma, seemed to notice or care how Penny was changing, how she was growing up. Their friends
came to Penny to try and help get her and Emma back together. Twice. Both times it was for Emma’s sake. But now
Penny knew the truth.
She didn’t need Emma.
She didn’t need anyone.
All she needed was herself.
Still wearing the dry Tru-Fit she had on from the night before, Penny slid her hand down her pants and started growing up.
Some time later, after Penny had lost all track of time in multiple states of euphoria, she relaxed and looked down between her legs. With her underpants soaked with urine and other fluids, Penny sat up and instantly had a new thought. She didn’t feel like moping around anymore. All of her friends were moping around because of scars, physical and emotional, and Penny knew something had to change.
Chapter 3
Penny changed her pants.
Chapter 4
Penny stormed into Mimi’s room and said, “Wake up!” as she ripped the blanket off her sister. “Operation: Save Emma’s Friendship With Penny 2 was a failure so I am hereby initiating Operation: Save Everyone’s Friendship With Everyone.”
“You’re not allowed to come up with Operations,” Mimi muttered, eyes still closed.
“Well your last one failed so it’s my turn,” Penny said, “Now get up.”
“Fine,” Mimi rolled over and sighed. “Lemme pee first.”
Mimi smiled, looking like she was having a peaceful dream as she relieved herself.
“Mimi,” Penny said.
“Yeah?” Mimi continued to smile.
“You’re not wearing a Pull-Up.”
Mimi’s eyes shot wide open. She glanced down at her pajamas and stared for a second. She shrugged, said, “Oh well these are your pants anyway.”
“Keep them,” Penny said. “There are more important things going on right now.”
While Mimi cleaned up, Penny did her make-up and put in her contacts. The two sat down for a pow wow in the basement, which was only partially finished and still dark and musty in some places.
“Let’s recap,” Penny said. “Where is everyone?”
Mimi said, “After Emma woke up in the hospital she stopped being your best friend again-”
“After being my best friend for like two hours,” Penny interjected.
“And then she became best friends with Izzy,” Mimi continued, “Because Izzy still wore diaper diapers and all of her
friends were gone. Then they started to hold hands under the table and kiss when no one was looking.”
“But now Emma won’t even talk to her,” Penny said, “It’s like she is dead inside and she can’t even pee in her Pull-Ups for fun anymore.”
“Nicole is living with Abigail,” Mimi said, “Abigail’s crazy mom rescued Nicole from her even crazier foster mom and now-”
“Hold on,” Penny interrupted again, “This is getting complicated, let me get some paper.”
When Penny found an old corkboard she started pinning notecards to it as Mimi went on.
“Nicole is like a weird ghost person or something,” Mimi said. “Sometimes she acts like she’s nine and other times she acts like she’s three. She wears Pull-Ups all the time and only really needs them at night unless she snaps into being three in which cames she has accidents all the time. Even poop.”
“Ewe,” Penny said.
“I know, right?” Mimi smiled.
“Because she doesn’t like diapers and stuff,” Penny went on, “Rena stopped being friends with pretty much everyone and joined the tomboy crowd full time.”
“Lilly has been secretly trading notes with this sick kid named Zack for ages,” Mimi said, “But thanks to my genius deduction skills I figured out who it was. And then she got a tumor and had to get her head shaved but now she’s okay but kinda acts like Emma sometimes. Some say it’s post traumatic stress but I just think she likes piggytails.”
“Abigail basically is rebounding from being the center of attention,” Penny said, “and Susie isn’t really doing anything.”
“Don’t forget Emma’s little sister,” Mimi said, “She’s still mean and sneaky but isn’t locking us up in anything so she’s cool.”
“And lastly there is us,” Penny said, “You think you’re a world class detective but in reality you’re worried that playing with diapers is actually making you need them because you’ve been having a lot of accidents.”
“Right,” Mimi nodded, clearly not paying attention. “Hey!” she screamed when she heard it. “Well you think you’re a cool teenager now but you always have wet diapers too even if they’re just a tiny bit wet. And sticky.”
“I always pee on purpose though,” Penny said, “You always have stained underwear whenever you run out of diapers.”
“It’s not always my underwear,” Mimi smiled.
“Yeah well-” Penny came to a hault. “Sweet son of a bitch,” Penny said.
“I’m telling,” Mimi said.
“Don’t you get it, Mimi?” Penny asked. “The problem here. The route of all our drama. It’s not Emma or Abigail or anyone.”
“Then what is it?” Mimi asked. “Hormones?”
Penny shook her head, not sure if she wanted to admit it. The one thing that has ruined all of their lives for almost a whole year. The one with that would make their lives better if it would just go away forever. The one thing that needed to get rid of.
“Diapers.”
Chapter 5
Winter was vanishing even faster than expected. Penny waked down the street in a nice sundress, even though it wasn’t even Easter yet. Beneath her dress she wore normal cotton panties. And that is what she would wear every day for the rest of her life.
Except on long car rides.
And whenever she was swimming of course.
Or taking a bath.
Penny decided to take it upon herself to walk door to door to every one of her friends and bring an end to their childish ways that have plagued their friendships.
“Hey, Penny,” Susie said when she answered the door. “Nice day out, huh?”
“I need to show you something,” Penny said as they headed upstairs.
“Me too,” Susie said as she closed the door. “Check these out.”
Susie lifted up her own plaid dress. Penny stared at the sight before her. They were solid purple, a darker shade than most Goodnites, and had a different shape and fit to them. Penny couldn’t take her eyes off of them.
“They’re called, Underjams,” Susie said. “My mom found them on sale. What do you think?”
“Uhm...” Penny instantly forgot what she was doing there and asked, “Can I try one on.”
Thirty minutes later, Penny found herself laying on Susie’s bed with a drenched Underjam between her legs.
Susie, who was standing at the foot of the bed, cleared her throat and said, “Did you totally just forget I was here or do you always do that in front of your friends.”
Penny blushed and pulled the covers around her and over her head.
“I have a problem,” Penny said.
***
“Here you go,” Susie handed Penny a warm cup of hot cocoa as her little blond friend huddled under the covers, freshly out of her bath. “Now then, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Everyone stopped being friends again and it’s all because of diapers,” Penny said. “So I want to convince everyone to give up diapers so we’ll all be friends again.”
“But?” Susie asked, knowing there was more.
Penny blushed and said, “I love them.”
“Okay,” Susie said, sitting down next to her friend. “Remember like four months ago when you wouldn’t even talk to anyone who wore diapers? And now you can’t even put one on without doing that thing you just did. Don’t you think you should look back and see what the real problem is? Why don’t we look at everyone and see where they are now.”
“Now, we just did that,” Penny said. “We don’t need another recap.”
“Fine,” Susie complied. “But ask yourself this: Sure everything is the way it is now because of diapers, but how would things be if you took them out of the equation now. Things may have been better off if Emma never introduced them to the rest of us, but how would we all be affected right now if all diapers were magically obliterated from the world. ”
Penny did think about this. She thought about it long.
Izzy and Abigail were normal, run of the mill bedwetters. Nicole was going through a whole traumatic experience on top of using diapers 24/7 for months. Emma may not be interested in diapers anymore, but it was becoming the only thing keeping her and Izzy together. Mimi and Susie seemed to be enjoying themselves, but certainly not as much as Penny was herself.
After this realization, Penny stormed home where she found Mimi watching TV. “You were right,” Penny said, “It’s hormones.”
Chapter 6
“You know, in some way, we’re all totally screwed up,” Penny said. She swung side by side with Emma on their favorite swing set in the park behind their houses. There was no more slushy dirty snow. It was already spring time. In like a lion, out like a lamb. Or whatever.
“So are you going to like… Get pregnant and start smoking now?” Emma asked.
“I don’t think so,” Penny said. “I mean I wasn’t planning on it. But a lot of things in life don’t go according to plan.”
“Will you name your daughter after me?” Emma asked.
“What if I have a boy?” Penny asked.
“Emmet,” Emma said.
“Maybe,” Penny nodded. “That’s a good name.”
“Are you wearing a Tru-Fit?” Emma asked.
Penny shook her head. “Are you wearing a Pull-Up?”
“Nope,” Emma said. “We’re out right now. I told mom not to rush. There are some new headphones I want anyway so I might spend my allowance on those instead.”
“That’s smart,” Penny said. “Pretty soon I am going to be needing a push-up bra and a purse and high heels. Beeing a teenager is going to be tough.”
Emma giggled for a second, but it didn’t last.
“Teens are age thirteen to nineteen,” Emma said. “But you’re only ten.”
“Girls develop at different ages,” Penny said. “Just look at Abigail. She used to act all tough but ever since Thanksgiving her boobs suddenly got smaller.”
“They shrunk?” Emma asked.
“She was stuffing them,” Penny explained. “Like a Thanksgiving turkey!”
Emma giggled again, this one lasted a bit longer.
“I still don’t want to grow up,” Emma said, “There are still so many things I want to do.”
“My cousin Sheila graduated from college last year,” Penny said. “She says she gets to eat whatever she wants whenever she wants and stays up late and sleeps in and watches cartoons.”
“Wow, being an adult sounds awesome,” Emma said.
She looked up as the clouds slowly scattered above the blue sky.
“But let’s wait a little while, okay?”
Penny smiled and said, “Deal.”
“So,” Penny said to kill the awkward silence. “How’ve you been?”
Emma didn’t move or say a word, trapped in her sleeping bag on the floor with Penny just a few inches away from her. As she lay there, alone with her thoughts, Emma realized that this was the most amount of time she’d spent with Penny since she hurt her head.
“You haven’t said a word all night,” Penny said, “Or like… All year.”
“I was busy,” Emma said.
“Busy?” Penny asked. “Do you know how many times I visited you in the hospital? And when you finally woke up all you wanted to do was spend time with Izzy. I thought we agreed to stop hating each other and be best friends again and all of a sudden you won’t even talk to me. After a while I stopped calling for you.”
“You look like you’ve been just fine,” Emma said.
“Yeah I grew up,” Penny said, “I got contacts and learned about makeup and periods and sex. I guess there really is a big difference between fifth grade and fourth grade. It’s just like Susie says.”
“About what?” Emma asked.
“When girls grow up they become women and the others stay little girls until they grow up,” Penny said, sounding like she was repeating something she often heard. “That’s why we’re so different now.”
Emma thought about that for a second.And then she let out a chuckle.
Which became a giggle.
And then a full on laugh.
She wasn’t sure when Penny joined her, but Emma noticed that they both stopped laughing at the same time.
“Susie doesn’t know anything about anything, does she?” Emma asked.
Penny answered, “The only thing she knows about growing up is the stuff she saw when she walked in on me… Uhm… Anyway, Seriously. How’ve you been?”
“Up and down,” Emma said, running her fingers across her head. “They said I was all better but I still feel a tiny bump. Izzy says you can’t see it but I can feel it and I know it’s there.”
“So you two are like best friends now, huh?” Penny asked.
Emma gulped. “Best friends. Forever.”
“I see,” Penny said.
There was a brief silence.
“She’s my girlfriend,” Emma said.
“I KNEW IT!” Penny shouted.
“Shhhhh!” Emma giggled again.
“Mimi is surprisingly good at keeping secrets when she wants to be,” Penny said, “But that just means it’s easy to tell
when she’s hiding something. I just wasn’t sure what it was.”
“Don’t tell anyone,” Emma said.
“Obvi,” Penny said.
“And don’t say ‘obvi’ either,” Emma said. “It makes you sound gay.”
“Do you know what that really means?” Penny asked.
“I’m not stupid,” Emma said. “It’s short for obviously.”
“No, I mean,” Penny stopped and said, “Nevermind.”
Penny looked over at Emma, who seemed to be struggling with something.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I have to pee,” Emma said. “And yes, I am wearing a Pull-Up.”
“So?” Penny asked, confused. “When I got here you had a Pull-Up sagging down to your knees, why don’t you-”
“I don’t know,” Emma said. “It’s just not as easy as it used to be.”
A moment later, Emma sat up and squatted in place. A few moments after that, Penny heard a slight hiss and confirmed that Emma was relieved.
“Does it feel good?” Penny asked.
“I guess,” Emma said.
“You started wearing them because they felt good right?” Penny asked, “If it doesn’t feel good anymore then maybe you
should stop wearing them.”
As Emma got back into her sleeping bag she yawned and rolled over, saying, “Yeah. Maybe I should.”
Chapter 2
Penny took the long way home the next morning. Even though her and Emma lived just across the street from each other, she decided to walk the entire way around the neighborhood on her way back. Instead of heading along the sidewalk, Penny made her way through the backyards behind everyone’s homes.
She imagined that on this early weekend morning Susie was probably trying to “mature” just as Penny had explained to her. While Penny was not good at explaining, Susie was much better at trying. She just wasn’t very successful overall.
As she passed Lilly’s house, Susie wondered if Lilly was already up as well, using her newfound outlook on like to create something new like a painting. Or that motivation had already worn off and Lilly was watching cartoons and eating junk food in her underwear like normal.
Penny approached Abigail’s house, which was now Nicole’s house as well. Nicole usually woke up as a fully conscious nine year old, disgusted at the Pull-Up her three year old self usually wet as she slept. Abigail, now twelve and just as wet as her, was probably trying to console her. It wasn’t working.
Passing a few of the boys’ houses, Penny realized she hadn’t seen much of any of them in a while. Perhaps when the summer sun is upon them the boys and the girls will fight over who gets dibs on the swing sets.
The more she thought about that, Penny didn’t think it would happen. They were all older now and the days of playing outside were probably behind them.
When she arrived at her house, Penny found that everyone was still asleep. She pushed open the door to Mimi’s room, just a tad, and saw her sister sleeping soundly.
Penny went into her room, tossing her sleepover supplies down, and fell back into bed.
Everything and everyone around her was changing. Growing up, moving on. Some things were staying the same, while other things were incredibly different.
Emma was losing interest in diapers and gaining interest in girls.
Lilly had a shaved head with a slowly healing scar.
Nicole was still recovering from the foster mother from hell.
But Mimi was still sleeping in. Abigail was still a bedwetter.
But no one, especially Emma, seemed to notice or care how Penny was changing, how she was growing up. Their friends
came to Penny to try and help get her and Emma back together. Twice. Both times it was for Emma’s sake. But now
Penny knew the truth.
She didn’t need Emma.
She didn’t need anyone.
All she needed was herself.
Still wearing the dry Tru-Fit she had on from the night before, Penny slid her hand down her pants and started growing up.
Some time later, after Penny had lost all track of time in multiple states of euphoria, she relaxed and looked down between her legs. With her underpants soaked with urine and other fluids, Penny sat up and instantly had a new thought. She didn’t feel like moping around anymore. All of her friends were moping around because of scars, physical and emotional, and Penny knew something had to change.
Chapter 3
Penny changed her pants.
Chapter 4
Penny stormed into Mimi’s room and said, “Wake up!” as she ripped the blanket off her sister. “Operation: Save Emma’s Friendship With Penny 2 was a failure so I am hereby initiating Operation: Save Everyone’s Friendship With Everyone.”
“You’re not allowed to come up with Operations,” Mimi muttered, eyes still closed.
“Well your last one failed so it’s my turn,” Penny said, “Now get up.”
“Fine,” Mimi rolled over and sighed. “Lemme pee first.”
Mimi smiled, looking like she was having a peaceful dream as she relieved herself.
“Mimi,” Penny said.
“Yeah?” Mimi continued to smile.
“You’re not wearing a Pull-Up.”
Mimi’s eyes shot wide open. She glanced down at her pajamas and stared for a second. She shrugged, said, “Oh well these are your pants anyway.”
“Keep them,” Penny said. “There are more important things going on right now.”
While Mimi cleaned up, Penny did her make-up and put in her contacts. The two sat down for a pow wow in the basement, which was only partially finished and still dark and musty in some places.
“Let’s recap,” Penny said. “Where is everyone?”
Mimi said, “After Emma woke up in the hospital she stopped being your best friend again-”
“After being my best friend for like two hours,” Penny interjected.
“And then she became best friends with Izzy,” Mimi continued, “Because Izzy still wore diaper diapers and all of her
friends were gone. Then they started to hold hands under the table and kiss when no one was looking.”
“But now Emma won’t even talk to her,” Penny said, “It’s like she is dead inside and she can’t even pee in her Pull-Ups for fun anymore.”
“Nicole is living with Abigail,” Mimi said, “Abigail’s crazy mom rescued Nicole from her even crazier foster mom and now-”
“Hold on,” Penny interrupted again, “This is getting complicated, let me get some paper.”
When Penny found an old corkboard she started pinning notecards to it as Mimi went on.
“Nicole is like a weird ghost person or something,” Mimi said. “Sometimes she acts like she’s nine and other times she acts like she’s three. She wears Pull-Ups all the time and only really needs them at night unless she snaps into being three in which cames she has accidents all the time. Even poop.”
“Ewe,” Penny said.
“I know, right?” Mimi smiled.
“Because she doesn’t like diapers and stuff,” Penny went on, “Rena stopped being friends with pretty much everyone and joined the tomboy crowd full time.”
“Lilly has been secretly trading notes with this sick kid named Zack for ages,” Mimi said, “But thanks to my genius deduction skills I figured out who it was. And then she got a tumor and had to get her head shaved but now she’s okay but kinda acts like Emma sometimes. Some say it’s post traumatic stress but I just think she likes piggytails.”
“Abigail basically is rebounding from being the center of attention,” Penny said, “and Susie isn’t really doing anything.”
“Don’t forget Emma’s little sister,” Mimi said, “She’s still mean and sneaky but isn’t locking us up in anything so she’s cool.”
“And lastly there is us,” Penny said, “You think you’re a world class detective but in reality you’re worried that playing with diapers is actually making you need them because you’ve been having a lot of accidents.”
“Right,” Mimi nodded, clearly not paying attention. “Hey!” she screamed when she heard it. “Well you think you’re a cool teenager now but you always have wet diapers too even if they’re just a tiny bit wet. And sticky.”
“I always pee on purpose though,” Penny said, “You always have stained underwear whenever you run out of diapers.”
“It’s not always my underwear,” Mimi smiled.
“Yeah well-” Penny came to a hault. “Sweet son of a bitch,” Penny said.
“I’m telling,” Mimi said.
“Don’t you get it, Mimi?” Penny asked. “The problem here. The route of all our drama. It’s not Emma or Abigail or anyone.”
“Then what is it?” Mimi asked. “Hormones?”
Penny shook her head, not sure if she wanted to admit it. The one thing that has ruined all of their lives for almost a whole year. The one with that would make their lives better if it would just go away forever. The one thing that needed to get rid of.
“Diapers.”
Chapter 5
Winter was vanishing even faster than expected. Penny waked down the street in a nice sundress, even though it wasn’t even Easter yet. Beneath her dress she wore normal cotton panties. And that is what she would wear every day for the rest of her life.
Except on long car rides.
And whenever she was swimming of course.
Or taking a bath.
Penny decided to take it upon herself to walk door to door to every one of her friends and bring an end to their childish ways that have plagued their friendships.
“Hey, Penny,” Susie said when she answered the door. “Nice day out, huh?”
“I need to show you something,” Penny said as they headed upstairs.
“Me too,” Susie said as she closed the door. “Check these out.”
Susie lifted up her own plaid dress. Penny stared at the sight before her. They were solid purple, a darker shade than most Goodnites, and had a different shape and fit to them. Penny couldn’t take her eyes off of them.
“They’re called, Underjams,” Susie said. “My mom found them on sale. What do you think?”
“Uhm...” Penny instantly forgot what she was doing there and asked, “Can I try one on.”
Thirty minutes later, Penny found herself laying on Susie’s bed with a drenched Underjam between her legs.
Susie, who was standing at the foot of the bed, cleared her throat and said, “Did you totally just forget I was here or do you always do that in front of your friends.”
Penny blushed and pulled the covers around her and over her head.
“I have a problem,” Penny said.
***
“Here you go,” Susie handed Penny a warm cup of hot cocoa as her little blond friend huddled under the covers, freshly out of her bath. “Now then, do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“Everyone stopped being friends again and it’s all because of diapers,” Penny said. “So I want to convince everyone to give up diapers so we’ll all be friends again.”
“But?” Susie asked, knowing there was more.
Penny blushed and said, “I love them.”
“Okay,” Susie said, sitting down next to her friend. “Remember like four months ago when you wouldn’t even talk to anyone who wore diapers? And now you can’t even put one on without doing that thing you just did. Don’t you think you should look back and see what the real problem is? Why don’t we look at everyone and see where they are now.”
“Now, we just did that,” Penny said. “We don’t need another recap.”
“Fine,” Susie complied. “But ask yourself this: Sure everything is the way it is now because of diapers, but how would things be if you took them out of the equation now. Things may have been better off if Emma never introduced them to the rest of us, but how would we all be affected right now if all diapers were magically obliterated from the world. ”
Penny did think about this. She thought about it long.
Izzy and Abigail were normal, run of the mill bedwetters. Nicole was going through a whole traumatic experience on top of using diapers 24/7 for months. Emma may not be interested in diapers anymore, but it was becoming the only thing keeping her and Izzy together. Mimi and Susie seemed to be enjoying themselves, but certainly not as much as Penny was herself.
After this realization, Penny stormed home where she found Mimi watching TV. “You were right,” Penny said, “It’s hormones.”
Chapter 6
“You know, in some way, we’re all totally screwed up,” Penny said. She swung side by side with Emma on their favorite swing set in the park behind their houses. There was no more slushy dirty snow. It was already spring time. In like a lion, out like a lamb. Or whatever.
“So are you going to like… Get pregnant and start smoking now?” Emma asked.
“I don’t think so,” Penny said. “I mean I wasn’t planning on it. But a lot of things in life don’t go according to plan.”
“Will you name your daughter after me?” Emma asked.
“What if I have a boy?” Penny asked.
“Emmet,” Emma said.
“Maybe,” Penny nodded. “That’s a good name.”
“Are you wearing a Tru-Fit?” Emma asked.
Penny shook her head. “Are you wearing a Pull-Up?”
“Nope,” Emma said. “We’re out right now. I told mom not to rush. There are some new headphones I want anyway so I might spend my allowance on those instead.”
“That’s smart,” Penny said. “Pretty soon I am going to be needing a push-up bra and a purse and high heels. Beeing a teenager is going to be tough.”
Emma giggled for a second, but it didn’t last.
“Teens are age thirteen to nineteen,” Emma said. “But you’re only ten.”
“Girls develop at different ages,” Penny said. “Just look at Abigail. She used to act all tough but ever since Thanksgiving her boobs suddenly got smaller.”
“They shrunk?” Emma asked.
“She was stuffing them,” Penny explained. “Like a Thanksgiving turkey!”
Emma giggled again, this one lasted a bit longer.
“I still don’t want to grow up,” Emma said, “There are still so many things I want to do.”
“My cousin Sheila graduated from college last year,” Penny said. “She says she gets to eat whatever she wants whenever she wants and stays up late and sleeps in and watches cartoons.”
“Wow, being an adult sounds awesome,” Emma said.
She looked up as the clouds slowly scattered above the blue sky.
“But let’s wait a little while, okay?”
Penny smiled and said, “Deal.”