Eric & Scotty: Pool

“Here we are!” Eric said cheerfully, smiling back at his brother Scotty, who had dragged his feet for all six blocks of their walk to the community center by their new house. “'C'mon, squirt!”

“Mom told you not to call me that.” Scotty said sullenly. Eric had been taller than him for a few years now, but his latest growth spurt had put him more than a foot ahead of him. Being reminded of it was one of the most annoying things in Scotty's life.

“Why are you so glum?” Eric asked. Scotty just grunted. He was irritated because mom had gone above and beyond praising Eric for doing simple things like packing their bags to go swimming and calling ahead to reserve them passes for the community center. He would have done those things, if she had only asked. Eric just had to be a little goody two shoes and did it without even being asked. “How about we go inside?” Eric pulled open the shiny glass door and Scotty stepped into the air conditioned entryway.

“Hello!” The woman behind the welcome counter said breezily. “I'm Brenda, you must be the new members. Eric and Scotty, right?” She pointed to each boy in turn.

“That's right!” Eric said cheerfully. Scotty groaned. Two chipper people made it even worse. Brenda emerged from behind the desk and came up to Scotty, bending down to look him right in the eye.

“And you must be Scotty.” Scotty nodded tersely. He hated when people drew focus to his size, especially strangers.

“Don't be rude.”

“Oh, it's okay. I know it's tough meeting new people.” Brenda smiled at him. “You must be what? Six?” Scotty bristled! He was used to people guessing he was a bit younger than fourteen, but six?

“That's right!” Eric said with a huge grin.

“No, I'm not!” Scotty wished more than anything that his voice would deepen right then.

“Oh, that's right. He's six and a half.” Eric said, emphasizing the last three words in that way that adults did when indulging a child. Scotty tried to argue, but he felt Eric squeeze his shoulder as Brenda hurried back over to her desk. “I'll explain in a minute.” Eric mumbled, giving him a stare. Scotty glared up at him, but knew that Eric could make his life a living hell if he did not cooperate with whatever scheme he had going. His vastly superior strength let him do basically whatever he wanted.

Just a week earlier, Scotty had been just finishing up brushing his teeth in the bathroom in just his underwear, like he always did. Eric came in, startling Scotty to the point that he knocked a glass off of the sink.

“Oh, my god!” Eric exclaimed. Quick as a flash, he scooped Scotty up, cradling the older boy in his arms. “Don’t want you to cut your feet!”

“Let me go!” Scotty exclaimed, squirming.

“I better tell mom.” Eric said, hardly even noticing the squirming boy as he carried him to the living room, where their mom had a couple neighbors over already. “Hey, mom. Scotty broke a glass in the bathroom.” The teenager was mortified. Here he was, in his brother’s arms, in front of the neighbors in just his underwear!

“Thank you, Eric.” She said, trying her hardest not to laugh at the unorthodox tableau. “Why don’t you clean it up? And let poor Scotty go. The neighbors don’t need to see him in just his tighty whities.” Eric gasped.

“Oh! I’m sorry, Scotty!” He put the boy down and Scotty ran for cover as fast as he could.

“Scotty?” Eric's voice pulled him back into the present. “C'mon, Brenda's got our wristbands.”

“Green for Eric, and a fun rainbow for little Scotty.” Brenda said. “Hold out your wrist, kiddo.” Scotty obeyed, all too aware that she had given Eric his to put on himself. “There you go! You two are going swimming, right?” Scotty nodded, figuring anyone who talked to him like a little kid did not deserve verbal responses. “Looks like you’re all set. Keep an eye on your brother for me, okay?” She patted Scotty’s back.

“Come on, bud.” Eric said, leading the way toward the changing rooms. “Excited to swim?”

“I guess.” Scotty said hesitantly. “What’s with the wristbands?” Eric looked over his shoulder, confused.

“What do you mean? Oh! Um, it was cheaper to get an under eight pass.”

“But”

“You didn’t pay.”

“Neither did you.”

“Inside voice” was all Eric said as they walked into the men’s changing room. Scotty huffed, refusing to let it go.

“And what was that with that lady?”

“Brenda.”

“Whatever. Don’t dodge the question. You told her I’m six.”

“And a half, which you’re acting like right now, I think.” Eric put the bag down on the polished wooden bench before sitting.

“Am not.” Eric just smiled and gestured for Scotty to come over.

“Let's go, buddy, time to get undressed.”

“Huh?”

“I said, let's go.” Eric grabbed Scotty's wrist and pulled him over, lifting his shirt over his head in seemingly the same action.

“What are you doing?”

“You can't swim in your clothes, silly. Are these my shorts?” He undid the snap and unzipped them. “Tighty whities ho!” He exclaimed with a smile.

“Not so loud.”

“We’re alone in here, Scotty. Now down comes the undies and out comes Scotty’s dinky!”

“That’s creepy.” Scotty said, covering himself. Eric smiled. A real big brother would do something more than fuss, so it only proved to him more that Scotty was his little brother.

“Everyone in here has a dinky just like yours. You're not hiding anything special, champ.” Eric moved Scotty's hands away. “I'll have you in your swim undies in no time anyway.”

“You mean my swimsuit? What even are sw- swim undies?” All he knew was that he did not like the sound of it.

“These go under your swimsuit. Swim. Undies. Get it?” He tousled Scotty's hair. “Of course you do.” Scotty sighed. He hated when Eric got in one of these moods where he teased him instead of just saying what he meant.

“Can I see them?”

“What?”

“The swim undies or whatever you called them.”

“You’re going to love them. They have Nemo and Dory on them!” Eric dug around in the bag and pulled out a blue item.

“That’s a swim diaper!” Scotty exclaimed, scandalized. “I am not wearing a diaper!”

“Keep your voice down unless you want the whole pool to know.” Eric said calmly. “It’s not a swim diaper. They’re swim undies, silly. They’re so that the mesh lining of your trunks doesn’t rub up against your little dinky or bum-bum.”

“Why are you talking like that?”

“Would you prefer to swim naked?” Eric unfolded the Little Swimmers. “See, just like your undies.”

“I am not”

“Say not one more time and you’ll be getting a spanking.” Eric said. Setting the Little Swimmers aside, he pulled Scotty over his lap. “Do you want a spanking?”

“No.”

“Do you want to put your swim undies on?” Scotty muttered something about swim undies, but how could Eric know if it was a yes? He smacked the boy’s naked bottom. “Use your big boy words, Scotty.”

“I’ll put them on, okay?” Eric smiled and kept Scotty across his lap, slipping the swim diaper up his slender legs. He rubbed Scotty’s thigh. It had been a few years since his own leg had been hairless, but Scotty’s still were. Eric could not believe he had ever seen Scotty as a big brother.

“That’s you taken care of.” Eric said, letting Scotty stand. “Now for my swimsuit.”

“Wait, I’m not wearing only this, am i?” Eric laughed.

“Of course not, kiddo! But you can hang out in the locker room in just your swim undies for a minute, can’t you?”

“Could you stop calling them that?”

“Do you really want me to start saying swim diaper?” Eric asked, dropping his shorts and pondering for a moment making Scotty aware of just how different their bodies were. Standing there in his t-shirt and boxers, he looked almost like the dad of the little boy standing opposite him in nothing but a swim diaper. He smiled and turned his back for a moment to tug down his boxers and replace them with a pair of black swim trunks. “Alright,” he said, ignoring Scotty’s whimpers about how differently attired they were. “Let’s go rinse off real quick.”

Eric pulled off his shirt and immediately picked Scotty up, pressing him against his bare chest. He carried him across the changing room, feeling the boy’s swim diaper against him. He smiled contently as he turned on the shower.

“Too cold?” He asked as it rained down on them. Scotty remained silent, squirming every now and again as if to remind Eric that he still held the tiny teenager in his arms.

It felt weird to even acknowledge that Scotty was a teenager. Some of Eric’s friends’ little brothers seemed far more mature than the itty bitty fourteen year old in his arms. None of them would have thrown a fit like Scotty had when their parents had come home with new underwear for the both of them for the summer. Scotty insisted that as a teenager, he should get boxers, not tighty whities. Both Eric and their parents had tried to explain that he had always worn briefs, so why should it change? Things only got worse when he discovered hand me downs from their little cousin Gavin in his dresser. He had insisted that he could not wear the clothes of a kindergartener, even after mom made him do an impromptu fashion show of a veritable rainbow of primary color superhero shirts with matching elastic band shorts. All the same, he had spent the whole day yesterday in a lime green Spongebob t-shirt and matching shorts.

Satisfied, Eric carried Scotty back over to their things and set him down on the bench. He smiled and tapped the boy’s nose.

“Ready to swim?”

“You said”

“I know. We’ve just got a couple more things first.” He reached into the bag again and pulled out a strange belt like apparatus. “Your arms go through here.” Eric pulled the confused boy’s arms through two loops.

“What is this thing?”

“Your floaties.” Eric said, buckling it behind his back. A bar crossed the boy’s chest and his arms were in matching inflated loops.

“I don’t”

“Hush. Mom told me to bring it. She said that if it fits you, you should wear it.”

“But”

“That spanking is still on the table, Scotty.” Eric said. A man walked into the changing room and Scotty whimpered. Here he was, in just floaties and a swim diaper, right in front of strangers. “Ready for your trunks?”

“Yes.” Scotty breathed a sigh of relief. At least that sounded normal.

He only frowned a little when Eric revealed a pair of blue trunks with Spider-Man on them. At least it was better than the swim diaper. He sighed as it sunk in that he really, truly was wearing a swim diaper. How was it even possible that it fit him? He knew he was a bit smaller than average, but this was ridiculous. Eric must have gotten some novelty ones that were extra large or something.

“Ready?” Scotty nodded, stepping into the trunks while Eric held them for him. “Up they come!” He pulled the trunks up his legs, smiling as his hands brushed against the plastic of his swim diaper. He could not even believe that he had managed to get Scotty into a swim diaper with so little fuss. He wondered if he would bring it up to mom and dad. Eric knew he could figure out some way to turn them to his side, if it was necessary. Maybe he could even manipulate Scotty into telling them. He smiled, imagining it backfiring on Scotty to the point that Scotty was ordered to wear a swim diaper every time he swam.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, he admired the image in front of him. His older brother stood there in Spider-Man swim trunks that sat just beneath the waistband of his Little Swimmers, a toddler life vest across his chest. Some people might not even believe he was as old as six and a half and that suited Eric just fine.

“I think we're all set.” Eric said, standing up and stretching his back a bit to emphasize the size difference between him and Scotty before quickly stashing everything in a locker. The key for it was on an elastic band he put on the same wrist that held his lime green teen pass. “Hold my hand.”

“No.”

“Suit yourself.” Eric said, not even hesitating to pick Scotty up and carry the whining boy toward the pool. Whining only made him look more like a little boy who needed his big brother to carry him after all. As they emerged out into the pool area, Scotty watched the various families nervously, terribly worried that someone would realize that he was a fourteen year old being carried by his little brother. Eric knew that there was no chance of that whatsoever, holding Scotty tight as they crossed the room.

Eric only put him down when they reached a table where he could put their towels. “Don’t run off yet, kiddo. Your trunks are slipping.” Sure enough, there was now a good inch of swim diaper showing above the elastic waistband of Scotty’s swim trunks. Eric quickly pulled them up, batting away Scotty’s efforts to do it himself as he tied the draw strings. He smiled to himself as he took care to leave the swim diaper peeking out in the back, just enough for him, and maybe a few eagle eyed others, to notice. “We don’t need you flashing your diaper to everyone at the pool, now do we?”

“Finished?” Scotty asked irritably, which only encouraged Eric to tickle his tummy a bit.

“Sure am, cutie.” He said as Scotty glared at him. “What should we do?”

“I want to go down the water slide.” Scotty pointed to the enormous structure that fed out into the deep end of the pool, a genuine note of excitement in his voice.

“Alright.” Eric said with a smile. “But no running. We don’t want to get in trouble with the lifeguards, do we?” Scotty had a sneaking suspicion Eric would try to carry him again if he was not careful, so he set off toward the stairs to the water slide with a deliberate pace, but not one that could be mistaken for running. Eric followed, noticing a lifeguard in red board shorts at the base of the stairs. This could be interesting.

“Afternoon” the lifeguard said as Scotty and Eric approached. Scotty ignored him and headed for the stairs, but the lifeguard stepped in his way. “Whoa, sorry buddy. Gotta be over eight to use the big slide.”

“I am over eight.” Scotty said indignantly. Eric quickly swooped in.

“Sorry, Scotty. Maybe when you’re older.” He said, grabbing the boy’s hand. He smiled apologetically at the lifeguard and led Scotty away.

“Eric, let me go!”

“Scotty, remember your wristband? It marks you as under eight.”

“I’ll take it off then!”

“If you do that, we’ll have to go home and you better believe you’ll have a sore little bum-bum if that happens.” Scotty glared up at Eric defiantly, but he knew better than to call the bigger boy’s bluff.

“Whatever, let’s go swim.” He stormed over to the pool, but Eric once again intervened.

“How about we ease ourselves in and not jump in over your head?” Scotty scoffed, so Eric took a more drastic measure. He picked Scotty up and carried him over to the shallow end. “Three feet should be a good place to start.”

“Three feet?” Scotty practically snarled.

“Just humor me, okay?” Eric could tell that this would be a long day.

Scotty stood at the edge of the pool for a moment before jumping in. He hit the water with a big splash, but the floats on his arms and chest interfered and he emerged a moment later, coughing. Eric effortlessly slipped into the shallow water, rubbing and patting Scotty’s back.

“You’re not supposed to drink the pool, silly!” He said, making sure the boy was okay. “I think we’ll have to do something a little different for your next jump.” He pointed to the steps nearby. “Go out and come back to the edge.” Still coughing slightly, Scotty complied. Eric smiled up at the boy, adorable in his floaties and toddler trunks. “Now jump right here.” He pointed to the space between his arms. “I promise I’ll catch you.”

“Don’t need help.” Scotty mumbled.

“Oh, are you done swimming?”

“No”

“Then you better get into the pool, don’t you think? You can’t swim up there!” Eric laughed at his own joke. Scotty rolled his eyes and jumped, somehow not realizing that Eric could move to catch him, no matter where he landed. Eric held on to him, bouncing him up and down in the water. Scotty was always pretty light, but the water made him especially so. Finally, Scotty’s squirming became enough and Eric let him go. The frustrated teen splashed him and Eric laughed. “So it’s a splash war you want, is it?”

The two splashed back and forth for a bit, but Eric saw Scotty sneaking glances at the water slide. He had been genuinely excited to go down it. There had to be something Eric could do. He was the big brother, after all.

“I have an idea.” Eric said, taking a full wave of water to the face. “Truce, truce!” Eric made a t with his hands. “I see a slide you can definitely go down, Scotty.” Scotty turned to look where Eric was pointing and his nose wrinkled.

“But that’s a baby slide.” He said, looking at the bright red plastic slide that led into the other end of the shallow end they were in.

“I bet it’ll be more fun than you realize.” Eric said. “Why don’t you climb out and give it a try? Don’t run now.”

“Eric”

“Go on!” Scotty sighed, but obeyed just as Eric was considering giving him a swat on the bottom to get him motivated. As Scotty made his way along the outside of the pool, Eric crossed the pool to take his place at the bottom of the slide. He smiled to see that Scotty’s trunks had slipped down just a bit, more than enough for him to spy the boy’s swim diaper. He loved that his brother had taken so readily to wearing it. He wondered if he even remembered he had it on. “I’m right here at the bottom!” Eric called as Scotty stood at the ladder of the little plastic slide.

“This is dumb” he heard Scotty mumble.

“It’ll be fun!” He called. He grinned mischievously as he added “be brave like a big boy!” loud enough for pretty much anyone else at the pool to hear. He snickered as he heard Scotty’s annoyed groan. “I’m standing right here, slide down into big brother’s arms!” Scotty grumbled, but slid down. Eric caught him and hugged the boy, the pool tugging down on his trunks to expose the top half of his swim diaper. Eric pretended not to notice, spinning Scotty around and around playfully. Scotty tried to reach back, but could not reach in his current position.

“Eric” Scotty said, trying to get his attention. Eric just smiled and bobbed the boy up and down. A nearby mother noticed Scotty’s predicament and came over.

“There you go, little guy.” She said, pulling up his trunks.

“These darn strings just keep coming loose.” Eric said. “Thank the nice lady, Scotty.”

“Thank you.” Scotty mumbled, not even caring that in his humiliation, he looked every bit a little boy hiding his face in his brother’s shoulder.

“Don’t be shy, sweetie. My nephew still wears Little Swimmers and he’s bigger than you!” Before Scotty could ask his age, she had returned to her own kids.

“Put me down.” Scotty said as firmly as he could. Eric complied.

“Do you want to go down the slide again?” He asked, noticing the look on Scotty’s face that said he was on the edge of an angry outburst.

“Sure.” Scotty said through gritted teeth. He marched toward the steps out of the pool, but rather than turn toward the slide, he kept storming off. Eric watched him go and shrugged. He would be back once he learned just what it meant to have an under 8 pass on his wrist.

Scotty could not say where he was going exactly. All he knew was that he had to get away from Eric. Eric had lost his mind! Scotty growled in frustration as he felt the trunk slip down his slender frame. They were for a baby, why were they so loose on him? He did not know the answer, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Eric’s fault somehow.

“If I had a phone, I’d call mom and dad.” He muttered, deciding to head back toward the locker rooms. He would change and then make a game plan from there. Maybe, he thought reluctantly, he could find and use Eric’s phone. He had almost made it to the entrance to the locker room before he remembered that Eric had locked everything up. “Great” he muttered, turning around to go back to Eric and demand the key. Where had he gone?

“Hey there, buddy.” Scotty spun around to see a lifeguard standing there, his hands on his knees as he bent forward to be more at Scotty’s level. “Are you lost?”

“No, just looking for my brother.”

“Ah, well, how about you come with me and we’ll look together?”

“Um no thanks?” The lifeguard could only have been three or four years older than him, but he was talking as if they were completely different ages. He blushed as he remembered that he was dressed like a toddler.

“Sorry, bud, but we can’t have you running around unsupervised. Were you trying to go potty?”

“No”

“Alright then, let’s go.” The lifeguard held out his hand. Scotty stared at it and begrudgingly grabbed it, his hands enveloped by the lifeguard’s. “What’s your name, champ?”

“Scott.”

“Nice to meet you, Scotty. My name’s Lifeguard Brian.” He began to walk along, smiling down at Scotty as they went. Scotty did his best to ignore him, keeping an eye out for Eric. It was as if he had disappeared into thin air. “Oops!” Brian said as Scotty nearly walked into a pool chair. “Here, how about we do this?” Without even asking, he lifted Scotty into the air, setting the blushing teen against his shoulder as he carried him over to the lifeguard station. “What’s your brother’s name, Scotty?”

“Eric.” Scotty replied, wishing that there was some little kid version of Eric’s name that he could give.

“Do you know your last name?”

“Michaels.” Scotty muttered. Brian nodded as they reached their destination.

“Alright, you hang out right here.” He set Scotty down in an area that was fenced off. It felt a bit too much like a playpen to the teen, complete with some plastic toys. “You can play with those if you want, but I bet Eric will come running right over once he hears that we’ve found you.”

“You’re not supposed to run by the pool.” Scotty muttered mockingly.

“That’s right.” Brian said with a chuckle, apparently completely missing the boy’s tone. “I’ll be sure to tell him to walk.” He winked at Scotty before dialing a nearby phone.

“Eric Michaels, your baby brother is at the lifeguard station. Eric Michaels to the lifeguard station.” Brian looked at Scotty with a smile. “Oh, and your baby brother wants us to remind you to walk, not run.” Scotty felt as if his face was redder than the lifeguards’ shorts as he heard chuckles echo throughout the pool. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon, Scotty.” Brian said cheerfully. “Let me know if you need to potty or anything.”

Scotty fumed. The only clock he could see was an analog one, which he did not know how to read, but he could tell that it had been at least fifteen minutes since Brian had called Eric over the intercom and he still had not shown up.

“Where is he?” He muttered, glaring at the plastic toys nearby as if it was somehow their fault. As if by magic, he spotted Eric approaching. “There!” The word escaped Scotty’s lips and he realized he had even jumped to his feet.

“Hi,” Eric said to Brian. “I think you have something of mine.”

“Hey, you look familiar.” Brian said. “You go to Van Buren?” Scotty knew that Eric did not. He was still in middle school! Eric simply nodded and looked at Scotty in the fenced off area with a smirk.

“Is this your grown-up, Scotty?” Brian asked. Scotty sighed and nodded.

“That’s my brother Eric.” Brian lifted Scotty out and handed him to Eric.

“Thank you.” Eric said. “I went to the bathroom real quick and he somehow got away from me.” Brian nodded.

“You be good and stay with big brother, okay buddy?” Brian said, shaking his finger at Scotty with mock severity.

“Okay.” Scotty mumbled, eager for this to all be over.

“You done swimming, kiddo?” Eric asked as he carried Scotty along. “Let’s grab our towels.” He only put Scotty down when they reached their towels. “Can’t believe you got yourself in baby jail.”

“It wasn’t baby jail!”

“Did you wet your diaper?” Eric teased. Scotty growled and busied himself with drying off, not that he was all that wet anymore after his prolonged time at the lifeguard station. “Let’s go change, hmm?”

To Scotty’s relief, Eric allowed him to walk back to the locker room, but the moment that they were alone, Eric pulled him in and stripped him down to his swim diaper in no time. He refused to give up on trying to do it himself, but quietly reminded himself that he would be dressed again soon.

“Oh, shoot. We forgot my flip flops out by the pool.” Eric said, staring down at his feet. “I was so distracted by your situation”

“Go grab them.”

“Remember, you can’t be alone, so you’ll have to come with.”

“Can I get dressed first?” Scotty asked irritably.

“I don’t want someone to steal them. Wear your towel or something if you’re that worried about people seeing your diaper.” Scotty practically snarled, wrapping his beach towel around his waist. It dragged on the floor, which slowed them down, but they soon had retrieved Eric’s flip flops.

“Let’s go.” Scotty mumbled, concerned that someone would see his diaper through the towel. He turned to go back toward the locker room, but trod on his towel. He caught himself before he fell, but he was not so lucky with the towel. It fell to the floor, exposing his swim diaper completely.

“Oh, shoot!” Eric swooped in to cover the boy again, but the damage had been done and Scotty felt tears welling up in his eyes. “C’mon, let’s go.” He picked Scotty up and hurried back into the safety of the locker room. “It’s okay. No one saw, Scotty.”

“Yes, they did.” Scotty sniffled. “I wanted to get dressed and you wouldn’t let me.”

“It’s over now.” Eric said reassuringly.

“I shouldn’t even be wearing this dumb thing.”

“I know, I know.” Eric unlocked their things and began to get dressed, giving Scotty a moment to calm down. Once he had, Scotty busied himself digging his clothes out of the bag.

“Hey, Eric. Where’s my clothes?”

“In the bag.” Eric said, standing over by a mirror to check his hair.

“No, they aren’t.” Eric came over.

“You threw everything everywhere.” He observed.

“Yeah, I’m trying to find my stuff!”

“Calm down. It has to be here somewhere.”

“It isn’t.”

“Maybe I forgot to put them in the bag?” Eric checked the locker. Nothing. “How about the lost and found?” The two of them checked everywhere in the locker room, Scotty hardly even noticing he wore nothing but a swim diaper in his urgency.

“Where are they?”

“I think we’re going to have to improvise.” Eric said. “Hmm… your swimsuit’s still wet and already packed up anyway” he tapped his chin. “Alright, we need to find you a shirt.”

“But” Eric dug into the bag and pulled out a plain white t-shirt.

“Good thing I brought a spare.” He bunched it in his hands and looked at Scotty expectantly. “Arms up, kiddo.” Scotty bashfully complied and the shirt came down over his head. The neck was quite loose and the shirt fell past his knees. “There, all covered up.”

“But”

“You’ll just have to wear your diaper, but I don’t think anyone will see.” Eric said mildly. “It’s just what six blocks to home?”

“I can’t. You can’t.” Scotty said breathlessly.

“I know it’s not ideal, but it’s a short walk.” Eric slung the bag on his back. “You can either walk or I can carry you. Your choice.”

“But”

“Ooh, I have an idea. What if you wore the backpack and I gave you a piggyback ride? That’d be fun!”

“No way.” Scotty said.

“What’ll it be then? Carried or walk?”

“Walk.” Scotty muttered through his grimace. He looked down at the shirt and sighed. “Let’s hurry.” Eric thought about mentioning that carrying him would be faster, but held his tongue for once. After all, these were summer-long passes. They would be back to the pool. And soon.