Chapter 1
Rena and Izzy didn’t know what to expect when the door swung open. They saw a relatively normal looking lady, standing in a relatively normal house, with a relatively normal smile on her face.
“Hello?” the woman asked, “How may I help you?”
“Hi,” Rena said, “Our parents told us that we could find our friend here?”
Izzy added, “Her name is Nicole!”
“Oh, yes! Little Nicole!” the woman said, “She is such an angel. We feel so blessed to have had her come into our lives..”
“So she is here?” Rena asked.
The woman nodded, “She’s still been adjusting and we all weren’t so sure as to whether it would be a good idea to have you all around so soon.”
“So we can see her?” Rena asked. She was growing impatient. She hadn’t seen her friend in what felt like ages. The thought of this one woman standing in her way was pushing her over the edge.
“Of course,” the woman said as she led them in and guided them to another room. “Little Nicole is just in here. I wouldn’t recommend staying too long, it’s almost dinner and all.”
Rena and Izzy understood. They hadn’t seen her in so long, they didn’t care if it was only a moment.
“Right this way,” the woman said as she opened the door and left the two alone. What they saw next was far from relatively normal.
The room was clearly a playroom, but it wasn’t decked out with a TV or video games like the ones they had. There was a childish wallpaper, all sorts of colorful toys, and everything looked so neat and tidy. And right in the center of it all, sitting at a tiny plastic table with a coloring book, was Nicole.
“Hi, guys!” she said with a perky smile.
Izzy and Rena got a better look at her as she stood up and ran to hug them. She wasn’t dressed like Nicole, her hair didn’t look like Nicole, and she didn’t even move like Nicole. To them, she seemed more like a toddler than their friend.
“Nicole,” Rena said, eyes wide with confusion, “You look so... So...”
“Cute!” Izzy said with glee. “This is what I’ve been saying all along, you always dress so glum.”
Nicole giggled, “I guess I should’ve listened to you.”
“Whatever,” Rena said, “Nicole, what is going on? After your dad got arrested you completely vanished. It was weeks before they even told us what happened. You’re in foster care now?!”
“Yeah,” Nicole said, “But it’s fun. I get to play all day and Miss Kathy is really nice.”
“Are you coming back to school?” Rena asked.
After a pause Nicole shook her head. “I’m gonna start homeschooling,” she said, “After Miss Kathy adopts me.”
“WHAT?” Rena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Nicole, listen to yourself. This isn’t the real you. It’s like you’ve been brainwashed or something. Whatever happened to the girl who punched Abigail in the face?”
“Miss Kathy said I shouldn’t do things like that anymore,” Nicole explained, “It’s not how ladies act.”
“Is this what a lady is?” Rena asked, “You’re sitting in a room with a panda on the wall. You’re coloring outside of the lines. Your hair looks like a cartoon character and your clothes are-” Rena took a closer look at Nicole’s outfit, and then made a shocking discovery. “Are you wearing a diaper?!”
Izzy’s eyes shot wide open. She took a closer look at Nicole, who was now blushing.
“Yeah,” Nicole said, “They’re comfy. I don’t mind them.”
“But why are you wearing them?” Rena asked. “Last time I checked, diapers were for babies.”
“Miss Kathy said I can wear panties again,” Nicole explained “As soon as I can make it to the potty on time.”
Izzy and Rena were silent for a second. And then, Rena asked, “Am I going crazy? The Nicole I know has never said the word ‘potty’ or even ‘panties’ for that matter.”
“Rena,” Izzy whispered, “I think Nicole is trying to tell us something.”
“Is it ‘Help my I’ve been captured and they’re making me wear diapers’ because nothing else makes sense?” Rena said.
“I think,” Izzy explained, “She’s just been really troubled, with her daddy and all. I mean sometimes when I’m upset or in a bad mood I wet my bed too.”
“What?” Rena was shocked. “Since when? I never knew that.”
“It’s not like the entire fourth grade is lining up to talk about peeing and diapers,” Izzy said. “It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen. Like when Nicole first disappeared. I was worried about our friend. But then again my daddy comes home at night, so I don’t have a lot to be upset about.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Rena asked.
“Wanna color?” Nicole asked, smiling.
Izzy smiled back, and then turned to Rena. “You wanted our friend back?” she asked. “Well here she is. This is Nicole. She’s different, everyone changes. But she’s okay, and she’s happy. Why should it matter if she wears diapers and plays with baby toys?”
“Because,” Rena explained, “This is not Nicole. This is that that Miss Kathy’s brainwashing or something. Okay, fine, she’s sad about her dad and wets herself every now and then. That doesn’t mean she has to dress like a baby and act like a baby.”
“Are you guys gonna stay and play or not?” Nicole frowned.
“I have to go,” Rena said. Turning to Izzy, she asked, “Are you coming?”
“Sorry, Nicole,” Izzy said, “We’ll be back.”
The two left and avoided Miss Kathy on their way out. After they were a few houses away, the tension finally broke.
“Thanks for backing me up in there,” Rena said.
“She just needs time,” Izzy explained.
“Please,” Rena scoffed. “Today she acts like a three year old. Maybe if we give her enough time she’ll be sleeping in a crib and Miss Kathy will breastfeed her.”
Izzy didn’t say anything. She knew that on some level there was truth to what Rena was saying. But she wanted to think of it different. And yet still, they were both thinking the same thing.
While Nicole may be alive and well, they still may never truly see their old friend again.
Chapter 2
“So anyway there are gonna be a lot of recruiters at the game this week,” said Rena’s teenaged brother Chad.
“Could you pass the potatoes, sweetie?” Rob, Rena’s father asked, clearly not paying attention to his son.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a couple days off?” Francine, Rena’s mother asked as she passed the potatoes.
“You know I don’t set the schedule,” Rob explained, “Practice everyday after school, plus games most weekends. Not to mention school itself.”
“Don’t you think they’d be okay without the gym teacher for a few hours?” Francine suggested.
“Dad’s crackin’ down on classes this year,” Chad explained, “We’re not just shooting hoops for fun. He says we’re even gonna have written tests.” That was the kind of thing gym teachers usually say at the start of the school year. They rarely follow through.
After dinner, Rena offered to help with the dishes. She didn’t exactly like cleaning, but it was the only time she could get a word in.
“So where did you go after school?” her mother asked.
“Me and Izzy went to see Nicole,” Rena said.
Her mother was shocked, “Oh. Yes, I said that would be okay. Were you fine walking they’re yourself?”
“It wasn’t that far,” Rena said, “The house was big.”
“That’s nice,” Francine said, “Did you have fun?”
“Well,” Rena didn’t know what to say. She was still processing it herself. “What exactly did her father do? The mayor I mean?”
“That’s a little bit complicated, sweetie,” her mother said, “I suggest you don’t worry about it.”
“But, like,” Rena asked, “He’s only gonna be in jail for a little while, right?”
“It’s hard to say,” Francine shrugged.
“But what does that mean?” Rena almost yelled. “That’s what everyone keeps saying. The teacher, the school counselor, everyone. What is so hard to say about it? We’re not little kids, I’m nine! I can handle it, so just tell me when Nicole is gonna be back to normal!”
Francine was taken back by her daughter’s slight blow up. “Rena,” she said, “Nicole is normal. She might be in foster care, but there is nothing wrong with her,”
Rena didn’t expect any good would come of her elaborating on Nicole’s condition. But Rena didn’t really think before she spoke.
“They’re brainwashing her!” she said. “They have her wearing baby clothes and playing with giant blocks and sleeping in a crib!” For some reason, Rena left out the diapers.”
“Don’t over exaggerate things, Rena,” her mother said.
“But I’m not!” Rena shouted, “Nicole used to act like an adult. She wanted to be a grown up and would walk and talk like she was twice her age. Now she makes Izzy look like a CEO!”
“Heads up!” Rena’s father came in, tossing a ball at Rena. As always, she caught it. “We still have a few weeks before the government makes us change the clocks for no reason,” he said, “So let’s use up that beautiful sunlight before it’s gone.”
Rena sighed and went outside with her father. She was not satisfied with pretty much anything. Except the potatoes.
Chapter 3
“You know,” Mimi said as Lilly was deciding between finishing her tacos or getting in line to use the little girls room. “If you were wearing a diaper you could finish your tacos and your chips and still get to go to the bathroom.”
“Are you ever going to stop that?” Emma asked. It had been two weeks since she and Lilly stupidly told Mimi about their recent diaper play. That was fourteen straight days of Mimi constantly bringing up diapers for pretty much any reason.
“And besides,” Mimi went on, “You always eat two ice creams at lunch. Combine that with tacos and I’d wish I was wearing a diaper too.”
Lilly dropped her taco and ran straight for the bathroom line, passing Izzy and Rena as they sat back down.
“Doesn’t she want my ice cream today?” Izzy asked.
Mimi shrugged as she grabbed Lilly’s last taco.
“Alright, guys,” Emma said, “Spill. You said you saw Nicole yesterday. What happened?”
Izzy and Rena looked at each other and sighed. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Rena asked.
“Bad news,” Mimi smiled. Emma rolled her eyes, but waited to hear them out,
“The foster lady is a psychopath,” Rena said, “She has Nicole dressed up like she’s four and makes her play all day in a room that looks like a day care. Nicole is brainwashed and thinks its all amazing. She smiles and giggles and doesn’t mind any of it.”
“Wait,” Emma looked confused, “I thought we said bad news first?”
“Uh, Emma, that WAS the bad news,” Rena said, “Actually, it gets worse. They want to adopt her and make her homeschooled and we’d never get to see her again.”
“No way!” Mimi and Emma declared.
“You haven’t heard the good news,” Izzy said.
“I was being dramatic when I said that,” Rena explained, “There is no good news.”
“Nicole is happy!” Izzy said, “She might be a little different but at least she isn’t miserable and doesn’t look like she’s in any pain.”
“Getting to play all day doesn’t sound too bad,” Emma shrugged, “I could do without the clothes though.”
“She looks cute,” Izzy said, “You should see her all dolled up. Not like the corporate weirdo she pretends to be.”
“There is nothing cute about pigtails with butterfly clips and socks with bunnies on them and diapers!”
“I have butterfly clips,” Mimi defended her own wardrobe, before realizing she missed something. “Hang on. Did you say diapers?”
“She’s probably just reacting to what happened with her dad,” Izzy explained, “You’d probably start wearing them if your daddy got arrested.”
Emma was silent. Mimi was not. “Oh no,” she said, “Emma here would probably start wearing them if the sun came up.”
“Huh?” Izzy and Rena were both confused.
“Mimi!”
“Add another person to the list of people who get to wear diapers as long as they’re not me,” Mimi continued her usual pity fest. “So that’s Nicole, Emma, Lilly, Penny, that Susie girl we don’t even know, and still not me.”
“You and Lilly wear diapers?” Izzy asked
“Mimi, shhhhhh!” Emma tried quieting her down.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Rena looked at Emma with shock, “What’s your excuse?”
Emma clearly wanted to say something, but held it back for simply, “It sort of just feels good?”
“What does?” Lilly asked as she sat back down.
“You guys wear diapers for fun?” Nicole asked her.
“That’s it,” Lilly stood up, “I’m going to start hanging out with Courtney and Brittany. They’re actually normal.”
As Lilly walked away, Izzy asked, “Does it really feel good?”
“Izzy!” Rena shouted.
“What?” Izzy shrugged, “You know I still have accidents every now and then, it sounds better than waking up in wet sheets and PJs.”
“You still wet the bed?” Emma asked, “I didn’t know that.”
“Only when I get upset or I’m in a bad mood,” Izzy explained, “Like when Nicole disappeared.”
“I don’t think Nicole is going through anything like that,” Rena explained, “She’s a tough girl. She wouldn’t let all this get to her like that.”
“Rena,” Emma said, “We should just let this one work its way out.”
“And what if it doesn't?” Rena asked, “What if she gets adopted. Starts homeschooling. Even if we do get to hang out with her, I want to hang out with Nicole. Not some toddler that looks like Nicole.”
They finished out the lunch period in silence.
Chapter 4
“How ’bout Michael?” Izzy asked.
“That is not a Puerto Rican name,” Sophie said, “What about Carlos?”
Izzy shook her head. “That’s the name of a boy in my math book,” she explained, “He always has a lot of stuff and has to divide it up by baskets or subtract a few to fit in his backpack.”
Sophie giggled as Izzy continued to rub her tummy. “What about Diego?”
“I like Kevin,” Izzy said.
“Hmm,” her mother thought, “How about Andres?”
Izzy didn’t respond. It was late. Not late enough that her mother thought she needed to be in bed, but late enough that she was in her pajamas and growing tired.
Izzy had been thinking about more than baby names lately. Ever since they saw Nicole, all she has wondered is whether she would change back to normal or whether that was even the best thing for her.
It was true that the way Nicole dressed and acted was very unlike her or her age. But was that so bad? Izzy wasn’t sure. She told herself that as long as Nicole was happy, it was okay. but she couldn’t imagine that Nicole was actually happy.
Izzy thought that she might like to be able to play all day, but she would certainly miss her daddy if he was gone. Also, she would definitely miss her friends. That was one place where Rena seemed to have a point. Nicole’s foster mother might not exactly be brainwashing her, but it did seem weird the way that she kept Nicole away from them. Nicole had seemed so happy when they came to visit, so why wasn’t she calling and at least inviting them back over?
“Mommy?” Izzy asked, “Do you miss when I was a baby?”
“What do you mean?” her mother asked.
“Well,” Izzy explained her theory, “I thought that since I’m all grown up now, maybe you missed having a baby and so you decided to have another one.”
Sophie chuckled, “Isabella, you are far from being all grown up. When you were little I had to wait for you to fall asleep, I had to feed you, and I had to wipe your stinky butt. Not much is different now. I fed you earlier and now I am waiting for you to fall asleep. Hopefully I won’t have to change you again very soon.”
Izzy blushed. “So then why are you having another baby?” she asked.
“Well,” her mother explained, “It was just that time. We tried right after you were born actually. We wanted you to have a little brother or sister, but with a smaller age gap. Plus we wanted to go through all the baby stuff at once. Now we have to buy all new clothes and toys and we even have to do the whole diaper thing again.”
“If you want,” Izzy said meekly, “I could be a baby this time too. I don’t mind. I’ll wear baby clothes and play with baby toys and even wear diapers.”
“Why do you want to be a baby all of a sudden?” her mother asked.
“I don’t!” Izzy defended. “Baby clothes are cute. Baby toys are fun.” Izzy built up to her last point. “And maybe if i wore diapers you wouldn’t have to clean the bed all the time.”
“Is that what this is about?” her mother thought she had figured it all out. “You have accidents, what? Once a week, maybe less? I’m not going to make you wear diapers because you wet the bed. This happens to everyone. Your body goes through all sorts of changes as you grow up.”
“I know,” Izzy said, “I just wish it would slow down a bit.”
Chapter 5
The next day, after school, Rena went to soccer practice and then back home to work on her homework. After that, Rena headed over to Izzy’s house and knocked on her door. She had a plan and was ready to set it in motion.
“Izzy,” she said when her friend answered, “I want to go see Nicole again, and I want you to come with me. We’re going to make her act like she is nine and stop being a baby and then she’ll come back to school and we can all be friends again.”
“I don’t know,” Izzy said, “I think we should just give her some space. I really don’t think we should try to make her get better any faster.”
“It’s been like a month!” Rena said, “I’m really worried about her,”
“Everything will end up okay,” Izzy said, “What is the worst that could possibly happen, huh?”
“The worst that could possibly happen,” Rena explained, “Is that she never comes back to school, we never see her again, and she gets hypnotized into being that weird lady’s living baby doll forever.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Izzy chuckled, “My mommy said that everything happens for a reasons and there is always a happy ending.”
“Really?” Rena reminded Izzy, “Well, Nicole’s dad did bad things for no reason and in the end he went to jail and we lost our friend. That doesn't sound like a very happy ending if you ask me.”
“Well that’s just because the story isn’t over,” Izzy smiled.
“Izzy,” Rena said, “You’re going to have to realize sooner or later that there are no such things as happy endings.”
Instantly and without warning, Izzy was in tears. “That’s not true!” she cried.
Rena just sighed, “I can’t deal with this right now. I already have one baby to rescue.”
As Rena walked away, Izzy stormed back into her house, wailing her pains away. She stormed up the stairs and landed in her bed where she drenched her pillow with her tears.
“Isabella!” her mother ran in, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Rena and I got into a huge fight and now we’re not friends anymore!” Izzy cried into her mother’s shoulder.
“Is that it?” Sophie was grateful, “I thought you were hurt or something. Don’t ever scare me like that.” Realizing that her words didn’t make her daughter feel any better, Sophie added, “Listen, friends fight. It happens all the time. You and Nicole and Rena always get into fights and you’re always friends the next day.”
“But Nicole is gone,” Izzy sniffled, “What if she doesn’t come back?”
“Ah,” Sophie realized, “I thought you were taking that all too well, but your sheets said otherwise. Tell me all about it.”
“The foster lady wants to adopt her and homeschool her and keep her away from us forever,” Izzy explained, holding back tears as she spoke what she now believed to be the truth about their friendship’s future.”
“Isabella,” her mother said, “What did I tell you? Every story has a happy ending.”
“But that’s not true, is it?” Izzy asked. “How do you know? How do you know it will all be happy?”
“I don’t,” her mother admitted. When her daughter returned to tears, Sophie explained, “I don’t know, but I have faith. Where do you think happen endings come from?”
Izzy looked up and sniffled, “I don’t know?”
“Do you remember to pray before bed every night?” Her mother asked her. When Izzy shook her head, she said, “Then that is why you do not get your happy ending. If you are sad and miserable, you will be sad and miserable. But if you be positive and say your prayers, you will get your happy ending.”
That night, Izzy prayed for a happy ending. She prayed for Nicole to get better and come back to school. She prayed for her and Nicole and Rena to all be friends again. She prayed for her new baby brother to be healthy and happy. And, seeing as she knew she would be in bad sorts until she made up with Rena, Izzy prayed for a dry night.
Chapter 6
Rena jogged all the way to Emma’s house and knocked on her door. She had just left a crying Izzy on her porch, and needed to figure that out quickly. The two secluded themselves to Emma’s backyard, where Rena demanded that she talk to Izzy.
“Wait a minute,” Emma seemed confused, “I thought Nicole was the one who needed our help?”
“Nicole is a lost cause,” Rena said, “Because Izzy won’t help get her back. So we need to save Izzy, so together we can save Nicole.”
“I still don’t get it,” Emma asked, “What’s wrong with Izzy?”
“I just left her crying her eyes out like a baby,” Rena said, “She is delusional that everything with Nicole will work its way out with a happy ending.”
“Holy crap, Rena,” Emma said, “What has gotten into you?”
“Me?” Rena was shocked the attack was coming her way.
“You have been acting so selfish lately,” Emma explained, “Acting like Nicole’s situation is only affecting you.”
“Well excuse me,” Rena said, “But all my friends are acting like babies. Izzy is crying because Cinderella isn’t real, Nicole is drinking from a bottle, and everyone else is apparently wearing diapers.”
“We don’t wear diapers!” Emma declared, and then thought it over a second. “Okay, we don’t wear diapers anymore.”
“Well then,” Rena said, “I’m listening.”
Emma told Rena everything. How she was inspired by Penny’s own diaper wearing, how others, got involved, and how Penny found out. She was careful not to leave out any detail. She knew that once she started, she had to tell the whole story.
At the last minute, Emma told Rena that she was the one who gave Nicole her first diaper on the same day she was taken away. It was the final detail that forced Rena to put everything into perspective.
“So that’s why Penny and me aren’t friends anymore,” Emma explained.
Rena sighed and took it all in, “So then. You think that you’re the one who got Nicole into diapers?”
Emma asked, “Are you mad at me?”
“If diapers make you feel better,” Rena said, “If they make Nicole feel better... I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry,” Emma said, “I’m not gonna try to recruit you to our weird diaper club. After Penny found out we shut everything down. Of course Mimi is upset she never got to try it.”
“If Penny said you could,” Rena asked, “Would you start again?”
Emma shrugged, “Diapers just make everything feel less crappy. When you wear one, it’s like you’re back to being a little kid when nothing mattered, instead of all this drama. It’s so much better than growing up.”
“We don’t have drama because we’re growing up,” Rena explained, “This drama is all because of you.”
“Huh?” Emma didn’t understand.
“Penny was your best friend and now she won’t even talk to you,” Rena explained, “Nicole’s mind has been replaced by a two year old because you told her it would make her feel happy. Mimi is mad because you excluded her. And now Izzy-”
“Don’t blame Izzy on me!” Emma had had enough, “I didn’t yell at her and make her cry.”
“Face it Emma,” Rena said, “You used to be the one who kept all of us together, but now you’re just making everything falling apart.”
“Rena,” Emma tried to defend her actions, but Rena was already walking away.
Chapter 7
“Hello there,” Miss Kathy smiled, “We were expecting you.”
“You were?” Rena said. She had decided to finally just go back to see Nicole and get her back all on her own.
“Of course,” the woman said as she led Rena in and guided her to the playroom. “Everyone is in here. Play nice now.”
Rena stood at the door to the playroom. Why was this woman expecting her. And who was the ‘everyone’ she spoke of?
Inside, Rena found the same old bizarre playroom, but Nicole was not sitting alone.
“Izzy?!” Rena’s jaw hit the floor.
Izzy sat next to Nicole, dressed just like her in childish clothes, were her hair all done up in pigtails.
“Rena,” Izzy was not expecting her to show up, “What are you doing here?”
“It’s obvious, silly,” Nicole got up and went to hug Rena, “She came to play with us. Isn’t that right, Rena?”
Izzy and Nicole were both staring at Rena, who didn’t know what to say. “Uh... Sure.”
And so they played. They colored pictures, played with dolls, and even watched a Barney video. Izzy and Nicole were having the time of their lives. It was all too surreal for Rena, who was having no fun at all.
“Where is the bathroom?” Rena asked after an hour. She and Izzy both turned to Nicole, who simply shrugged. “Of course,” Rena didn’t know what to think of that. How was Nicole supposed to “make it to the potty on time” if she didn’t even know where the bathroom was?
Suddenly, Rena was frightened for her life. It had just occurred to her that by walking back into the house, there was a thin chance that neither Rena, Nicole, and now Izzy would ever escape again.
Rena bolted out of the playroom and stumbled around until she found the bathroom. She was thankful that she didn’t run into the crazy foster lady again. However, when she returned to the playroom, she saw a horrifying site.
“There you go,” Miss Kathy said as she lifted Izzy up off the floor. To Rena’s shock, both Nicole and Izzy were naked from the waist down, save for nothing but a fresh, fluffy white diaper. And next to Miss Kathy’s various supplies were not one but two rolled up, used diapers.
“Oh. My. God,” Rena said.
“Did you find the bathroom alright?” Miss Kathy asked. Rena nodded, and the crazy foster lady added, “That’s a relief. But you know there are ways to prevent such a close call like that. Isn’t that right, Izzy?” Miss Kathy tickled Izzy on the nose.
Izzy was still giggling as Miss Kathy left the playroom with her diapering supplies. Neither Izzy nor Nicole made even the slightest attempt to cover themselves up. They just continued on with their play with their diapers exposed.
“Izzy, what are you doing?” Rena demanded.
“We’re gonna play with LEGOs!” Izzy smiled.
“No!” Rena continued, “Why are you wearing a diaper?”
“What?” Izzy said, “They're comfortable and nice. Emma was right.”
“Nicole isn’t going to get any better if you play along with her fantasies!” Rena declared.
“Rena, I am not sick!” Nicole defended.
“Yes you are!” Rena shouted back, “You’re sick in the head. This woman has you thinking you need to wear diapers and act like a baby but she is totally messing with your head.”
“Rena, why are you trying so hard to change Nicole?” Izzy asked.
“She is already changed,” Rena said, “I just want to change her back!”
“Look at her!” Izzy shouted. “She is smiling. She is happy. You want her to go back to being the Mayor’s sad daughter? Miss Kathy is here for her every minute of every day. We never even met the Mayor before. You might be happy to have the old Nicole back, but what about what she wants?”
Rena stared at Nicole, who was indeed smiling through the loud discussion of her own well being. And then, Rena looked at Izzy, who was allowing and actually helping Nicole to stay this way.
“I’ve lost you,” Rena said, “My two best friends. Lost”
Rena turned around and walked away, leaving Izzy and Nicole alone in Miss Kathy’s playroom. Rena made it few houses down before she heard the sounds of someone running towards her. She turned around and saw Izzy running toward her, now wearing pants.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she pulled her pigtails out. “You’re my best friend, and I love you, and I don’t know what to do.”
Rena saw that Izzy was bravely fighting back tears. “I know,” she said as the two hugged, “I’m sorry if I’ve been acting selfish. But that place is not good for Nicole.”
“You’re probably right,” Izzy said, “But if there isn’t anything we can do, I just... I just... I don’t want to lose you too.”
“I’m already lost,” Rena said, “We’re all lost. This whole school year has been lost. Because Emma started wearing diapers, she and Penny aren’t even friends anymore.”
“I didn’t want you to find me like this,” Izzy said, “But I sort of think that I have to wear them. The diapers.”
Rena took that in. “Okay.”
“Only at night!” Izzy quickly interjected, adjusting a very noticeable wedgie. “I prayed that I wouldn’t have an accident, but it didn’t work. So my mommy said I should just wear diapers to bed and save all my prayers for Nicole.”
“I thought you only wet the bed when you were upset or in a bad mood?” Rena asked.
Izzy nodded. “That’s true,” she said, “But sometimes I just don’t wake up in time, no matter what sort of mood I’m in.”
Rena smiled. “I don’t care if you wet the bed,” she said, “And I don’t care if you wear diapers. I just don’t want to not be friends anymore.”
“I agree,” Izzy said.
The two walked back together. It wasn’t that far, but they stood by each other’s side the entire way. It was getting dark, and neither one wanted the other to get lost.
Rena and Izzy didn’t know what to expect when the door swung open. They saw a relatively normal looking lady, standing in a relatively normal house, with a relatively normal smile on her face.
“Hello?” the woman asked, “How may I help you?”
“Hi,” Rena said, “Our parents told us that we could find our friend here?”
Izzy added, “Her name is Nicole!”
“Oh, yes! Little Nicole!” the woman said, “She is such an angel. We feel so blessed to have had her come into our lives..”
“So she is here?” Rena asked.
The woman nodded, “She’s still been adjusting and we all weren’t so sure as to whether it would be a good idea to have you all around so soon.”
“So we can see her?” Rena asked. She was growing impatient. She hadn’t seen her friend in what felt like ages. The thought of this one woman standing in her way was pushing her over the edge.
“Of course,” the woman said as she led them in and guided them to another room. “Little Nicole is just in here. I wouldn’t recommend staying too long, it’s almost dinner and all.”
Rena and Izzy understood. They hadn’t seen her in so long, they didn’t care if it was only a moment.
“Right this way,” the woman said as she opened the door and left the two alone. What they saw next was far from relatively normal.
The room was clearly a playroom, but it wasn’t decked out with a TV or video games like the ones they had. There was a childish wallpaper, all sorts of colorful toys, and everything looked so neat and tidy. And right in the center of it all, sitting at a tiny plastic table with a coloring book, was Nicole.
“Hi, guys!” she said with a perky smile.
Izzy and Rena got a better look at her as she stood up and ran to hug them. She wasn’t dressed like Nicole, her hair didn’t look like Nicole, and she didn’t even move like Nicole. To them, she seemed more like a toddler than their friend.
“Nicole,” Rena said, eyes wide with confusion, “You look so... So...”
“Cute!” Izzy said with glee. “This is what I’ve been saying all along, you always dress so glum.”
Nicole giggled, “I guess I should’ve listened to you.”
“Whatever,” Rena said, “Nicole, what is going on? After your dad got arrested you completely vanished. It was weeks before they even told us what happened. You’re in foster care now?!”
“Yeah,” Nicole said, “But it’s fun. I get to play all day and Miss Kathy is really nice.”
“Are you coming back to school?” Rena asked.
After a pause Nicole shook her head. “I’m gonna start homeschooling,” she said, “After Miss Kathy adopts me.”
“WHAT?” Rena couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Nicole, listen to yourself. This isn’t the real you. It’s like you’ve been brainwashed or something. Whatever happened to the girl who punched Abigail in the face?”
“Miss Kathy said I shouldn’t do things like that anymore,” Nicole explained, “It’s not how ladies act.”
“Is this what a lady is?” Rena asked, “You’re sitting in a room with a panda on the wall. You’re coloring outside of the lines. Your hair looks like a cartoon character and your clothes are-” Rena took a closer look at Nicole’s outfit, and then made a shocking discovery. “Are you wearing a diaper?!”
Izzy’s eyes shot wide open. She took a closer look at Nicole, who was now blushing.
“Yeah,” Nicole said, “They’re comfy. I don’t mind them.”
“But why are you wearing them?” Rena asked. “Last time I checked, diapers were for babies.”
“Miss Kathy said I can wear panties again,” Nicole explained “As soon as I can make it to the potty on time.”
Izzy and Rena were silent for a second. And then, Rena asked, “Am I going crazy? The Nicole I know has never said the word ‘potty’ or even ‘panties’ for that matter.”
“Rena,” Izzy whispered, “I think Nicole is trying to tell us something.”
“Is it ‘Help my I’ve been captured and they’re making me wear diapers’ because nothing else makes sense?” Rena said.
“I think,” Izzy explained, “She’s just been really troubled, with her daddy and all. I mean sometimes when I’m upset or in a bad mood I wet my bed too.”
“What?” Rena was shocked. “Since when? I never knew that.”
“It’s not like the entire fourth grade is lining up to talk about peeing and diapers,” Izzy said. “It doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen. Like when Nicole first disappeared. I was worried about our friend. But then again my daddy comes home at night, so I don’t have a lot to be upset about.”
“So what do you think we should do?” Rena asked.
“Wanna color?” Nicole asked, smiling.
Izzy smiled back, and then turned to Rena. “You wanted our friend back?” she asked. “Well here she is. This is Nicole. She’s different, everyone changes. But she’s okay, and she’s happy. Why should it matter if she wears diapers and plays with baby toys?”
“Because,” Rena explained, “This is not Nicole. This is that that Miss Kathy’s brainwashing or something. Okay, fine, she’s sad about her dad and wets herself every now and then. That doesn’t mean she has to dress like a baby and act like a baby.”
“Are you guys gonna stay and play or not?” Nicole frowned.
“I have to go,” Rena said. Turning to Izzy, she asked, “Are you coming?”
“Sorry, Nicole,” Izzy said, “We’ll be back.”
The two left and avoided Miss Kathy on their way out. After they were a few houses away, the tension finally broke.
“Thanks for backing me up in there,” Rena said.
“She just needs time,” Izzy explained.
“Please,” Rena scoffed. “Today she acts like a three year old. Maybe if we give her enough time she’ll be sleeping in a crib and Miss Kathy will breastfeed her.”
Izzy didn’t say anything. She knew that on some level there was truth to what Rena was saying. But she wanted to think of it different. And yet still, they were both thinking the same thing.
While Nicole may be alive and well, they still may never truly see their old friend again.
Chapter 2
“So anyway there are gonna be a lot of recruiters at the game this week,” said Rena’s teenaged brother Chad.
“Could you pass the potatoes, sweetie?” Rob, Rena’s father asked, clearly not paying attention to his son.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a couple days off?” Francine, Rena’s mother asked as she passed the potatoes.
“You know I don’t set the schedule,” Rob explained, “Practice everyday after school, plus games most weekends. Not to mention school itself.”
“Don’t you think they’d be okay without the gym teacher for a few hours?” Francine suggested.
“Dad’s crackin’ down on classes this year,” Chad explained, “We’re not just shooting hoops for fun. He says we’re even gonna have written tests.” That was the kind of thing gym teachers usually say at the start of the school year. They rarely follow through.
After dinner, Rena offered to help with the dishes. She didn’t exactly like cleaning, but it was the only time she could get a word in.
“So where did you go after school?” her mother asked.
“Me and Izzy went to see Nicole,” Rena said.
Her mother was shocked, “Oh. Yes, I said that would be okay. Were you fine walking they’re yourself?”
“It wasn’t that far,” Rena said, “The house was big.”
“That’s nice,” Francine said, “Did you have fun?”
“Well,” Rena didn’t know what to say. She was still processing it herself. “What exactly did her father do? The mayor I mean?”
“That’s a little bit complicated, sweetie,” her mother said, “I suggest you don’t worry about it.”
“But, like,” Rena asked, “He’s only gonna be in jail for a little while, right?”
“It’s hard to say,” Francine shrugged.
“But what does that mean?” Rena almost yelled. “That’s what everyone keeps saying. The teacher, the school counselor, everyone. What is so hard to say about it? We’re not little kids, I’m nine! I can handle it, so just tell me when Nicole is gonna be back to normal!”
Francine was taken back by her daughter’s slight blow up. “Rena,” she said, “Nicole is normal. She might be in foster care, but there is nothing wrong with her,”
Rena didn’t expect any good would come of her elaborating on Nicole’s condition. But Rena didn’t really think before she spoke.
“They’re brainwashing her!” she said. “They have her wearing baby clothes and playing with giant blocks and sleeping in a crib!” For some reason, Rena left out the diapers.”
“Don’t over exaggerate things, Rena,” her mother said.
“But I’m not!” Rena shouted, “Nicole used to act like an adult. She wanted to be a grown up and would walk and talk like she was twice her age. Now she makes Izzy look like a CEO!”
“Heads up!” Rena’s father came in, tossing a ball at Rena. As always, she caught it. “We still have a few weeks before the government makes us change the clocks for no reason,” he said, “So let’s use up that beautiful sunlight before it’s gone.”
Rena sighed and went outside with her father. She was not satisfied with pretty much anything. Except the potatoes.
Chapter 3
“You know,” Mimi said as Lilly was deciding between finishing her tacos or getting in line to use the little girls room. “If you were wearing a diaper you could finish your tacos and your chips and still get to go to the bathroom.”
“Are you ever going to stop that?” Emma asked. It had been two weeks since she and Lilly stupidly told Mimi about their recent diaper play. That was fourteen straight days of Mimi constantly bringing up diapers for pretty much any reason.
“And besides,” Mimi went on, “You always eat two ice creams at lunch. Combine that with tacos and I’d wish I was wearing a diaper too.”
Lilly dropped her taco and ran straight for the bathroom line, passing Izzy and Rena as they sat back down.
“Doesn’t she want my ice cream today?” Izzy asked.
Mimi shrugged as she grabbed Lilly’s last taco.
“Alright, guys,” Emma said, “Spill. You said you saw Nicole yesterday. What happened?”
Izzy and Rena looked at each other and sighed. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” Rena asked.
“Bad news,” Mimi smiled. Emma rolled her eyes, but waited to hear them out,
“The foster lady is a psychopath,” Rena said, “She has Nicole dressed up like she’s four and makes her play all day in a room that looks like a day care. Nicole is brainwashed and thinks its all amazing. She smiles and giggles and doesn’t mind any of it.”
“Wait,” Emma looked confused, “I thought we said bad news first?”
“Uh, Emma, that WAS the bad news,” Rena said, “Actually, it gets worse. They want to adopt her and make her homeschooled and we’d never get to see her again.”
“No way!” Mimi and Emma declared.
“You haven’t heard the good news,” Izzy said.
“I was being dramatic when I said that,” Rena explained, “There is no good news.”
“Nicole is happy!” Izzy said, “She might be a little different but at least she isn’t miserable and doesn’t look like she’s in any pain.”
“Getting to play all day doesn’t sound too bad,” Emma shrugged, “I could do without the clothes though.”
“She looks cute,” Izzy said, “You should see her all dolled up. Not like the corporate weirdo she pretends to be.”
“There is nothing cute about pigtails with butterfly clips and socks with bunnies on them and diapers!”
“I have butterfly clips,” Mimi defended her own wardrobe, before realizing she missed something. “Hang on. Did you say diapers?”
“She’s probably just reacting to what happened with her dad,” Izzy explained, “You’d probably start wearing them if your daddy got arrested.”
Emma was silent. Mimi was not. “Oh no,” she said, “Emma here would probably start wearing them if the sun came up.”
“Huh?” Izzy and Rena were both confused.
“Mimi!”
“Add another person to the list of people who get to wear diapers as long as they’re not me,” Mimi continued her usual pity fest. “So that’s Nicole, Emma, Lilly, Penny, that Susie girl we don’t even know, and still not me.”
“You and Lilly wear diapers?” Izzy asked
“Mimi, shhhhhh!” Emma tried quieting her down.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Rena looked at Emma with shock, “What’s your excuse?”
Emma clearly wanted to say something, but held it back for simply, “It sort of just feels good?”
“What does?” Lilly asked as she sat back down.
“You guys wear diapers for fun?” Nicole asked her.
“That’s it,” Lilly stood up, “I’m going to start hanging out with Courtney and Brittany. They’re actually normal.”
As Lilly walked away, Izzy asked, “Does it really feel good?”
“Izzy!” Rena shouted.
“What?” Izzy shrugged, “You know I still have accidents every now and then, it sounds better than waking up in wet sheets and PJs.”
“You still wet the bed?” Emma asked, “I didn’t know that.”
“Only when I get upset or I’m in a bad mood,” Izzy explained, “Like when Nicole disappeared.”
“I don’t think Nicole is going through anything like that,” Rena explained, “She’s a tough girl. She wouldn’t let all this get to her like that.”
“Rena,” Emma said, “We should just let this one work its way out.”
“And what if it doesn't?” Rena asked, “What if she gets adopted. Starts homeschooling. Even if we do get to hang out with her, I want to hang out with Nicole. Not some toddler that looks like Nicole.”
They finished out the lunch period in silence.
Chapter 4
“How ’bout Michael?” Izzy asked.
“That is not a Puerto Rican name,” Sophie said, “What about Carlos?”
Izzy shook her head. “That’s the name of a boy in my math book,” she explained, “He always has a lot of stuff and has to divide it up by baskets or subtract a few to fit in his backpack.”
Sophie giggled as Izzy continued to rub her tummy. “What about Diego?”
“I like Kevin,” Izzy said.
“Hmm,” her mother thought, “How about Andres?”
Izzy didn’t respond. It was late. Not late enough that her mother thought she needed to be in bed, but late enough that she was in her pajamas and growing tired.
Izzy had been thinking about more than baby names lately. Ever since they saw Nicole, all she has wondered is whether she would change back to normal or whether that was even the best thing for her.
It was true that the way Nicole dressed and acted was very unlike her or her age. But was that so bad? Izzy wasn’t sure. She told herself that as long as Nicole was happy, it was okay. but she couldn’t imagine that Nicole was actually happy.
Izzy thought that she might like to be able to play all day, but she would certainly miss her daddy if he was gone. Also, she would definitely miss her friends. That was one place where Rena seemed to have a point. Nicole’s foster mother might not exactly be brainwashing her, but it did seem weird the way that she kept Nicole away from them. Nicole had seemed so happy when they came to visit, so why wasn’t she calling and at least inviting them back over?
“Mommy?” Izzy asked, “Do you miss when I was a baby?”
“What do you mean?” her mother asked.
“Well,” Izzy explained her theory, “I thought that since I’m all grown up now, maybe you missed having a baby and so you decided to have another one.”
Sophie chuckled, “Isabella, you are far from being all grown up. When you were little I had to wait for you to fall asleep, I had to feed you, and I had to wipe your stinky butt. Not much is different now. I fed you earlier and now I am waiting for you to fall asleep. Hopefully I won’t have to change you again very soon.”
Izzy blushed. “So then why are you having another baby?” she asked.
“Well,” her mother explained, “It was just that time. We tried right after you were born actually. We wanted you to have a little brother or sister, but with a smaller age gap. Plus we wanted to go through all the baby stuff at once. Now we have to buy all new clothes and toys and we even have to do the whole diaper thing again.”
“If you want,” Izzy said meekly, “I could be a baby this time too. I don’t mind. I’ll wear baby clothes and play with baby toys and even wear diapers.”
“Why do you want to be a baby all of a sudden?” her mother asked.
“I don’t!” Izzy defended. “Baby clothes are cute. Baby toys are fun.” Izzy built up to her last point. “And maybe if i wore diapers you wouldn’t have to clean the bed all the time.”
“Is that what this is about?” her mother thought she had figured it all out. “You have accidents, what? Once a week, maybe less? I’m not going to make you wear diapers because you wet the bed. This happens to everyone. Your body goes through all sorts of changes as you grow up.”
“I know,” Izzy said, “I just wish it would slow down a bit.”
Chapter 5
The next day, after school, Rena went to soccer practice and then back home to work on her homework. After that, Rena headed over to Izzy’s house and knocked on her door. She had a plan and was ready to set it in motion.
“Izzy,” she said when her friend answered, “I want to go see Nicole again, and I want you to come with me. We’re going to make her act like she is nine and stop being a baby and then she’ll come back to school and we can all be friends again.”
“I don’t know,” Izzy said, “I think we should just give her some space. I really don’t think we should try to make her get better any faster.”
“It’s been like a month!” Rena said, “I’m really worried about her,”
“Everything will end up okay,” Izzy said, “What is the worst that could possibly happen, huh?”
“The worst that could possibly happen,” Rena explained, “Is that she never comes back to school, we never see her again, and she gets hypnotized into being that weird lady’s living baby doll forever.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Izzy chuckled, “My mommy said that everything happens for a reasons and there is always a happy ending.”
“Really?” Rena reminded Izzy, “Well, Nicole’s dad did bad things for no reason and in the end he went to jail and we lost our friend. That doesn't sound like a very happy ending if you ask me.”
“Well that’s just because the story isn’t over,” Izzy smiled.
“Izzy,” Rena said, “You’re going to have to realize sooner or later that there are no such things as happy endings.”
Instantly and without warning, Izzy was in tears. “That’s not true!” she cried.
Rena just sighed, “I can’t deal with this right now. I already have one baby to rescue.”
As Rena walked away, Izzy stormed back into her house, wailing her pains away. She stormed up the stairs and landed in her bed where she drenched her pillow with her tears.
“Isabella!” her mother ran in, “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Rena and I got into a huge fight and now we’re not friends anymore!” Izzy cried into her mother’s shoulder.
“Is that it?” Sophie was grateful, “I thought you were hurt or something. Don’t ever scare me like that.” Realizing that her words didn’t make her daughter feel any better, Sophie added, “Listen, friends fight. It happens all the time. You and Nicole and Rena always get into fights and you’re always friends the next day.”
“But Nicole is gone,” Izzy sniffled, “What if she doesn’t come back?”
“Ah,” Sophie realized, “I thought you were taking that all too well, but your sheets said otherwise. Tell me all about it.”
“The foster lady wants to adopt her and homeschool her and keep her away from us forever,” Izzy explained, holding back tears as she spoke what she now believed to be the truth about their friendship’s future.”
“Isabella,” her mother said, “What did I tell you? Every story has a happy ending.”
“But that’s not true, is it?” Izzy asked. “How do you know? How do you know it will all be happy?”
“I don’t,” her mother admitted. When her daughter returned to tears, Sophie explained, “I don’t know, but I have faith. Where do you think happen endings come from?”
Izzy looked up and sniffled, “I don’t know?”
“Do you remember to pray before bed every night?” Her mother asked her. When Izzy shook her head, she said, “Then that is why you do not get your happy ending. If you are sad and miserable, you will be sad and miserable. But if you be positive and say your prayers, you will get your happy ending.”
That night, Izzy prayed for a happy ending. She prayed for Nicole to get better and come back to school. She prayed for her and Nicole and Rena to all be friends again. She prayed for her new baby brother to be healthy and happy. And, seeing as she knew she would be in bad sorts until she made up with Rena, Izzy prayed for a dry night.
Chapter 6
Rena jogged all the way to Emma’s house and knocked on her door. She had just left a crying Izzy on her porch, and needed to figure that out quickly. The two secluded themselves to Emma’s backyard, where Rena demanded that she talk to Izzy.
“Wait a minute,” Emma seemed confused, “I thought Nicole was the one who needed our help?”
“Nicole is a lost cause,” Rena said, “Because Izzy won’t help get her back. So we need to save Izzy, so together we can save Nicole.”
“I still don’t get it,” Emma asked, “What’s wrong with Izzy?”
“I just left her crying her eyes out like a baby,” Rena said, “She is delusional that everything with Nicole will work its way out with a happy ending.”
“Holy crap, Rena,” Emma said, “What has gotten into you?”
“Me?” Rena was shocked the attack was coming her way.
“You have been acting so selfish lately,” Emma explained, “Acting like Nicole’s situation is only affecting you.”
“Well excuse me,” Rena said, “But all my friends are acting like babies. Izzy is crying because Cinderella isn’t real, Nicole is drinking from a bottle, and everyone else is apparently wearing diapers.”
“We don’t wear diapers!” Emma declared, and then thought it over a second. “Okay, we don’t wear diapers anymore.”
“Well then,” Rena said, “I’m listening.”
Emma told Rena everything. How she was inspired by Penny’s own diaper wearing, how others, got involved, and how Penny found out. She was careful not to leave out any detail. She knew that once she started, she had to tell the whole story.
At the last minute, Emma told Rena that she was the one who gave Nicole her first diaper on the same day she was taken away. It was the final detail that forced Rena to put everything into perspective.
“So that’s why Penny and me aren’t friends anymore,” Emma explained.
Rena sighed and took it all in, “So then. You think that you’re the one who got Nicole into diapers?”
Emma asked, “Are you mad at me?”
“If diapers make you feel better,” Rena said, “If they make Nicole feel better... I don’t know.”
“Don’t worry,” Emma said, “I’m not gonna try to recruit you to our weird diaper club. After Penny found out we shut everything down. Of course Mimi is upset she never got to try it.”
“If Penny said you could,” Rena asked, “Would you start again?”
Emma shrugged, “Diapers just make everything feel less crappy. When you wear one, it’s like you’re back to being a little kid when nothing mattered, instead of all this drama. It’s so much better than growing up.”
“We don’t have drama because we’re growing up,” Rena explained, “This drama is all because of you.”
“Huh?” Emma didn’t understand.
“Penny was your best friend and now she won’t even talk to you,” Rena explained, “Nicole’s mind has been replaced by a two year old because you told her it would make her feel happy. Mimi is mad because you excluded her. And now Izzy-”
“Don’t blame Izzy on me!” Emma had had enough, “I didn’t yell at her and make her cry.”
“Face it Emma,” Rena said, “You used to be the one who kept all of us together, but now you’re just making everything falling apart.”
“Rena,” Emma tried to defend her actions, but Rena was already walking away.
Chapter 7
“Hello there,” Miss Kathy smiled, “We were expecting you.”
“You were?” Rena said. She had decided to finally just go back to see Nicole and get her back all on her own.
“Of course,” the woman said as she led Rena in and guided her to the playroom. “Everyone is in here. Play nice now.”
Rena stood at the door to the playroom. Why was this woman expecting her. And who was the ‘everyone’ she spoke of?
Inside, Rena found the same old bizarre playroom, but Nicole was not sitting alone.
“Izzy?!” Rena’s jaw hit the floor.
Izzy sat next to Nicole, dressed just like her in childish clothes, were her hair all done up in pigtails.
“Rena,” Izzy was not expecting her to show up, “What are you doing here?”
“It’s obvious, silly,” Nicole got up and went to hug Rena, “She came to play with us. Isn’t that right, Rena?”
Izzy and Nicole were both staring at Rena, who didn’t know what to say. “Uh... Sure.”
And so they played. They colored pictures, played with dolls, and even watched a Barney video. Izzy and Nicole were having the time of their lives. It was all too surreal for Rena, who was having no fun at all.
“Where is the bathroom?” Rena asked after an hour. She and Izzy both turned to Nicole, who simply shrugged. “Of course,” Rena didn’t know what to think of that. How was Nicole supposed to “make it to the potty on time” if she didn’t even know where the bathroom was?
Suddenly, Rena was frightened for her life. It had just occurred to her that by walking back into the house, there was a thin chance that neither Rena, Nicole, and now Izzy would ever escape again.
Rena bolted out of the playroom and stumbled around until she found the bathroom. She was thankful that she didn’t run into the crazy foster lady again. However, when she returned to the playroom, she saw a horrifying site.
“There you go,” Miss Kathy said as she lifted Izzy up off the floor. To Rena’s shock, both Nicole and Izzy were naked from the waist down, save for nothing but a fresh, fluffy white diaper. And next to Miss Kathy’s various supplies were not one but two rolled up, used diapers.
“Oh. My. God,” Rena said.
“Did you find the bathroom alright?” Miss Kathy asked. Rena nodded, and the crazy foster lady added, “That’s a relief. But you know there are ways to prevent such a close call like that. Isn’t that right, Izzy?” Miss Kathy tickled Izzy on the nose.
Izzy was still giggling as Miss Kathy left the playroom with her diapering supplies. Neither Izzy nor Nicole made even the slightest attempt to cover themselves up. They just continued on with their play with their diapers exposed.
“Izzy, what are you doing?” Rena demanded.
“We’re gonna play with LEGOs!” Izzy smiled.
“No!” Rena continued, “Why are you wearing a diaper?”
“What?” Izzy said, “They're comfortable and nice. Emma was right.”
“Nicole isn’t going to get any better if you play along with her fantasies!” Rena declared.
“Rena, I am not sick!” Nicole defended.
“Yes you are!” Rena shouted back, “You’re sick in the head. This woman has you thinking you need to wear diapers and act like a baby but she is totally messing with your head.”
“Rena, why are you trying so hard to change Nicole?” Izzy asked.
“She is already changed,” Rena said, “I just want to change her back!”
“Look at her!” Izzy shouted. “She is smiling. She is happy. You want her to go back to being the Mayor’s sad daughter? Miss Kathy is here for her every minute of every day. We never even met the Mayor before. You might be happy to have the old Nicole back, but what about what she wants?”
Rena stared at Nicole, who was indeed smiling through the loud discussion of her own well being. And then, Rena looked at Izzy, who was allowing and actually helping Nicole to stay this way.
“I’ve lost you,” Rena said, “My two best friends. Lost”
Rena turned around and walked away, leaving Izzy and Nicole alone in Miss Kathy’s playroom. Rena made it few houses down before she heard the sounds of someone running towards her. She turned around and saw Izzy running toward her, now wearing pants.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she pulled her pigtails out. “You’re my best friend, and I love you, and I don’t know what to do.”
Rena saw that Izzy was bravely fighting back tears. “I know,” she said as the two hugged, “I’m sorry if I’ve been acting selfish. But that place is not good for Nicole.”
“You’re probably right,” Izzy said, “But if there isn’t anything we can do, I just... I just... I don’t want to lose you too.”
“I’m already lost,” Rena said, “We’re all lost. This whole school year has been lost. Because Emma started wearing diapers, she and Penny aren’t even friends anymore.”
“I didn’t want you to find me like this,” Izzy said, “But I sort of think that I have to wear them. The diapers.”
Rena took that in. “Okay.”
“Only at night!” Izzy quickly interjected, adjusting a very noticeable wedgie. “I prayed that I wouldn’t have an accident, but it didn’t work. So my mommy said I should just wear diapers to bed and save all my prayers for Nicole.”
“I thought you only wet the bed when you were upset or in a bad mood?” Rena asked.
Izzy nodded. “That’s true,” she said, “But sometimes I just don’t wake up in time, no matter what sort of mood I’m in.”
Rena smiled. “I don’t care if you wet the bed,” she said, “And I don’t care if you wear diapers. I just don’t want to not be friends anymore.”
“I agree,” Izzy said.
The two walked back together. It wasn’t that far, but they stood by each other’s side the entire way. It was getting dark, and neither one wanted the other to get lost.