Tommy Tsunami
Tommy hated Halloween. This wasn't a dislike of it. It wasn't the sort of hate of a boy who looked at trick or treating as baby stuff. It was the hate of a boy who had spent the last few Halloweens in babyish costumes. This year would be different. As far as he was concerned, he would stay barricaded in his room all day and not emerge until the first of November, if not school on Monday (just to be safe).
He was already starting to see the flaw in his plan when boredom set in right after lunch, but he remained firm. The news that Eric and Jake would be hanging out right down the hall, between him and the stairs, no less, only made him more determined.
"Tomcat." Dad called through the closed and locked door. Tommy jumped.
"Yeah?"
"You're not putting down roots in there, are you?"
"No."
"Well, come on out."
"I can't."
"What do you mean?" Dad tried the doorknob and Tommy panicked. He knew Dad could get in if he wanted to. Neither he nor Jake had actual locks on their doors.
"Um, uh, I'm naked."
"Oh." The doorknob stopped jiggling. "Well, good. You should shower. Er, not shower. It's on the fritz again. You'll need to take a bath."
"I will." He added more quietly. "I guess."
"Right now. I don't, you don't want me to put Jake in charge of reporting to me if you did or not, right?"
"Are you going somewhere?"
"I'm done having a conversation through the door." Tommy groaned inwardly, but figured there was no real risk in opening the door to his dad. If Dad wondered how he had gotten dressed so quickly, he didn't ask.
"Where are you going?"
"Work. Halloween's not a holiday like that." He nodded in the general direction of the bath. "Go on."
"Can't I use the shower in your room?"
"And run naked through the house once Jake gets here?" Tommy bit his tongue and trod off to the bathroom. “Clothes in the chute please.”
“I know.” Tommy muttered, closing and locking – after three tries – the bathroom door behind him. “Doesn't anything work in this house?” He groaned as he tried in vain to start the shower. “Fine. Bath it is.” He shuddered, remembering against his will that this would not be the first bath he had taken, against his will no less, on Halloween.
For a second, he thought about keeping his underwear just so he had something to wear under his towel if Jake and Eric decided to play a prank, but since his underwear had smiling dinosaurs all over it, he figured being caught naked would be better. Or at least slightly less bad.
Tommy slipped down into the water and almost immediately grew pensive. What would tonight bring? Eric had promised Mom and Dad that he planned to just watch scary movies with Jake in his room. They had asked follow-up questions that made Tommy blush and Eric roll his eyes. Tommy knew enough to suspect that Eric and Jake would take any opportunity to forget about the movie and get into trouble. Whatever, he thought. I'll just hang out in here until they're settled in Eric's room, then make a run for mine. As if on cue, the doorbell rang, the water in the tub splashing almost as high as the spout as Tommy jumped in surprise. The door's locked, right? He awkwardly crossed the bathroom, wet and naked, to make sure. Good.
He returned to soaking and trying to listen to the voices downstairs. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. He could hear Eric and Jake, for sure, and heard Mom laugh. He sighed and relaxed. He was worried over nothing, he thought as he grabbed a washcloth and started to actually bathe.
Tommy heard the doorknob rattle. Whoever it was seemed like they were attacking it, enough that Tommy could actually see it moving from across the room.
"I'm in here." He called. Who went right for the doorknob rather than knocking once they saw the door was closed. "I'm in here!" He said more loudly as the door opened.
"Sorry." Eric said. "Cover up. I gotta pee."
"Go downstairs!"
"It's an emer-"
"Get out!" Tommy didn't even care how shrill he sounded. He was in the tub and the last thing he wanted to do was be reasonable to his brother. Eric looked at him for just a second too long and Tommy felt something was terribly wrong. He pulled his knees up to his chest out of instinct as Eric turned toward the hall outside.
"Janet! Tommy's ready to get out of the tub!"
"What?"
Panic took hold, but there was little Tommy could do as he was gripped by a thousand decisions. Did he stay in? Get out? Try to close the door and just deal with Eric and J snickering? Was Janet even actually here? By the time he had the answer to that last question, it was too late to do anything.
"Someone's super duper excited!" She gushed as Tommy impotently splashed. "I bet you know just how much fun we're gonna have!" She turned her back, but only to go into the linen closet right inside the bathroom door, her body blocking Tommy's only means of escape. He looked past her, both to see if there was any gap to try to squeeze through and to see if Eric was watching his misfortune.
"Get out! I'm naked!"
"We're gonna get you out of the tub, hold your horses." She unfolded a fluffy robin's egg towel. "Or is that seahorses? Oh! You've still got water in here. We don't want your towel to slurp that all up, do we?" She kept up a steady stream of chitchat, ignoring Tommy's protests and urgent questions as she scooped him up and out of the drained tub, enveloping him in the towel.
"What are you doing here? Let me go!"
"I know you're so very excited for our fun activities, but we can't have you running around naked all day, can we?" Tommy stared up at her, wide eyed. Normally, getting dressed would reassure him, but when Janet was involved, that almost invariably meant some embarrassingly babyish costume.
“Ok,” despite his efforts to remain calm, his voice trembled. “Let me go to my room and-”
“Oh, I'm sure we have just what you need right here. What was it I spied in the linen closet, right by your towel?” Tommy struggled, knowing that whatever she had found was not going to be good. Unfortunately, Janet had all but swaddled him in the towel and even getting a leg out, let alone an arm, was proving nearly impossible. “Tommy's diaper!”
“No! No, no, no!”
“What is it with little boys wanting to be nudists?” Janet wondered out loud. Jake was the same way, way way back when he was a baby.” She kissed Tommy's nose. “Did you know that even your big brother was a baby once?”
“I remember.” Tommy grumbled. “But he's not my big brother. He's younger than me!”
“I've babysat a lot.” Janet said, opening the cupboard under the sink. “I know diapers are never far when there's a baby in the house.”
“I don't need diapers!” He was shouting so loudly, why had no one come to see what was going on? Mom had left, but wasn't Dad still home?
“I see diapers, but I don't see Pull-ups or a potty seat, so something tells me Tommy isn't ready for potty training.”
“What? This”
“Shhh, shh. Someone's a little overstimulated, huh? So excited about all the fun we're gonna have, your mouth's going a million miles.”
“Janet.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t need diapers. I am a teenager, just like you!” He didn't know why he was even trying. Janet never listened and how are you supposed to prove your age when you were wet and naked? Can I get my school ID from my room? Tommy thought. Can I get Eric to get it? That seemed even less likely to work out well.
“I think we're ready to get you diapered!” Setting him down on the floor, she began to unravel the towel from around him.
“I'm naked!” He squeaked.
“Yes, you are!” He had forgotten just how sickly-sweet Janet's voice could get. “But that's what the diaper's for.”
Unable to even look, Tommy stared at the bathroom wall as Janet powdered and diapered him, rolling his eyes as she cooed about how docile he had become once the diaper was under his butt. Maybe this was all a bad dream? He couldn't remember ever taking a shower, let alone a bath, in a dream and his dreams of Janet certainly never involved her diapering him in full detail.
“Can I go get dressed?” He asked, shuddering at the special sense of violation that came from her running her finger along the leg guards of the diaper to make sure it wouldn't leak.
“Might be better to be in just a diaper.” Janet said to herself, picking Tommy up and setting him against her shoulder. “Two year olds get so messy!”
“Two!?” Tommy pushed against her, but turned beet red as he realized what he had just touched.
“Oh, what a pleasantly pink clean baby boy.” Janet said with a grin, kissing his cheek.
“I am not a baby!”
“I know. Toddler.” Her voice dripped with indulgence. “I'll set you down once we're past the stairs. First rule of babysitting, don't risk the stairs with any little guys. Well, maybe not the first rule.”
As they arrived downstairs, Tommy looked around from his vantage point in Janet's arms, expecting everything to look different somehow. Everything seemed the same at first. The living room had folded laundry on the coffee table, waiting for him or Eric to come and put it away. His shoes still sat on the small shelf by the door. Things seemed the same.]
Janet carried him into the dining room, where Tommy noticed a white pumpkin on the table with paints arranged all around it. So she had been setting things up down here! He desperately searched through his memory, trying to remember if he had noticed her voice. Had she talked to Dad, given him any clue that she thought Tommy was a baby? If I had heard her, I could've gone to my room, gone out the window, slid down the drainpipe, and run to someone's house. Tommy thought. Instead, he found himself being set down on a chair in front of the pumpkin, wearing nothing but a diaper!
“What you're gonna do is paint all over this pumpkin. Make it a bonafide Tommy masterpiece!” She smiled and brushed his hair out of his face. “And don't worry about getting messy. Be a little artist!”
“What are you gonna do?” He asked, almost terrified of the answer.
“Oh!” She seemed as if she had not thought about it. “I suppose I could paint a pumpkin too.” She looked in a bag that seemed concerningly large. What else did she have in there? “Oops, do you want a smock like a real artist?” The smock she unfolded was pink and white with lambs that could only be accurately described as adorable romping to and fro all over its surface. “You know what sound a sheep makes!”
“Baa.” Tommy said, hoping it would count both as the sound a sheep made and a firm rejection of the idea of wearing the babyish smock.
“The paint says it's washable, so we should be ok.” She smiled at him. “Go on. Let your artist out!”
Looking around, Tommy noticed he had no brush. Painting a pumpkin seemed strange; finger painting a pumpkin was undeniably a toddler activity.
“Could we carve it at least? I know where-” Janet shook her head.
“No losing fingers on my watch!” Tommy sighed. He heard a thump overhead.
“How come Eric and Jake don't have to do this?” It was more of a rhetorical question, but Janet answered all the same.
“They can judge our works of art.” She said, dipping a brush into paint. So she wasn't finger painting? “I'm going to do a ghost on mine! But he'll be a friendly ghost.” Tommy nodded, unsure of what on earth to do. Every year, I end up right here, being treated like a baby and trying to figure out how to get Janet to acknowledge that I'm obviously not a little kid.
“I was a pumpkin for Halloween a few years ago.” She had said he was two, but surely she remembered that! “And a tiger before that.”
“Are you gonna paint a tiger on your pumpkin?” Wasn't she listening? “You'll need orange and black for that, won't you?”
“Uh” Tommy pushed. “I'm talking about past Halloween costumes. Remember?”
“Oh, right. You were an adorable little pumpkin, weren't you? That must've been when you were one!”
“No, that was two whole years ago!” Tommy said desperately. “You made me sing a dumb song and perform and everything!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! That was the unmistakable sound of Eric and Jake coming down the stairs, drowning out Tommy's attempts to get Janet to recognize that he was the world record holder for oldest two year old. Tommy panicked. He was wearing nothing but a diaper! What was he going to do?
“So much for a peaceful afternoon.” Janet teased as the boys emerged.
“Tommy was screaming just-” Jake's voice trailed off as he saw Tommy's puffy bottom. Eric recovered more quickly.
“Uh, why's Tommy in his un- di- why's Tommy not dressed?” Tommy stared at Eric, unsure why he had even entertained the thought that Eric might help him.
“We're gonna be messy.” Janet explained as if it was obvious. “He just had a bath, you know. And what are you two up to?”
“We were-” Jake elbowed Eric.
“We're grabbing snacks. We're doing movies in Eric's room.” He glanced at Eric. “‘member?”
“He's lying.” Tommy said.
“Hush.” Eric came over and covered Tommy's mouth. “You're in no position to tattle, punkin pants.”
“Pumpkin pants?”
“Alright.” Janet held her paintbrush to her lips, then added a bit more paint to her pumpkin. “Tommy wants you two to judge our pumpkins, so don't get too invested in your movie. It's too bright for scary movies anyway.”
“Well, we can't go anywhere.” Jake spat back.
“You can always do fall activities with me and Tommy.” Janet replied, clearly used to her brother's attitude. “Just as long as you're where I can find you easily.” Jake muttered something under his breath.
“C'mon.” Eric said, leading him by the arm into the kitchen.
“I'm gonna go see what they're doing.” Tommy slid off the chair, not even waiting a second for Janet to give him permission. This is my house anyway.
“You've got to help me!”
“Why? Can't you paint a pumpkin by yourself?” Eric asked with a smirk.
“It's a Halloween tradition, Tommy.” Jake said. “Did you really think you'd get to just hide in your room all day?” Tommy glared at him.
“You need to tell Janet the truth.”
“Dude, it's been how many years?”
“Shut up, Jake.” Tommy growled. “Eric. Please.” Eric sighed.
“How?”
“Go…. get my student ID or something.”
“Why can't you?”
“Think.” Tommy said, trying to make it abundantly clear to Jake that he was an endless nuisance for him. “The second I try to go upstairs, your sister'll grab me.” Jake snorted.
“Well, that sounds fun to me.”
“Eric, seriously. I'll do anything.” Eric shrugged, but Tommy could tell he was getting through to him.
“Eric, we” was all Jake needed to say to get Eric to nod.
“Sorry, T. We've got our own thing going on. You'll be fine.”
“I'm in a diaper!”
“You pull it off.” Jake said with a smirk. Anyone with eyes could see that Tommy was much too lanky for the diaper, though it still fit him well enough.
“Can you bring Tommy back in here? His pumpkin misses him!”
“Hear that, baby?” Jake teased. “Waddle back to your punkin.” Tommy sighed and shuffled back, taking advantage of his final moment out of Janet's view to give Jake and Eric the finger. So much for that, he thought as he returned to the table, reluctantly studying the paints and stickers before him.
“Jake, are you guys still in there?” Janet called as Tommy was trying to half decorate the pumpkin, half talk himself into ripping off the diaper and running for the stairs.
“Yeah?”
“Not getting up to any mischief, I hope?”
“Mischief?” Jake and Eric emerged from the kitchen. “We're not freaking pixies.”
“Pixies?” Eric muttered.
“Shut it.”
“I need to go to the bathroom. Can you two watch Tommy?” She walked over and seemed disappointed to see his pumpkin was still pristine and white. “You can't rush art, can you?” Tommy was halfway through the nod before she added. “And your diaper's still dry?”
“Yes.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Perfect. Don't leave him alone. He's your baby brother, Eric.”
“No, Eric's my baby brother.” Tommy said, but Janet did not seem to hear.
“You haven't painted your pumpkin at all yet.” Jake said. “Don't you know how?”
“Would you want to paint a pumpkin?”
“No, but I'd also not get diapered like you did.” Jake said. “Eric, how about we help him?”
“How?’ Tommy and Eric said at once.
“Simple.” Jake grinned. “Eric, hold your baby brother so I can paint his ass.”
“What?”
“Don't you remember doing fruit stamps?” Jake asked. “You dip half an orange in paint and then stick it on paper. No wait, I think it was potatoes? You really don't remember?” The familial resemblance between Tommy and Eric could not have been stronger as they both stared at Jake, bewildered. "I'm the only one who's done that? Huh." He shrugged. "Well, anyway, we're gonna paint Tommy's diapered butt and then push it onto the pumpkin."
"What? Why?"
"You wanted our help, didn't you?" Eric said, getting on board.
"Not like this!" Eric grabbed Tommy's shoulders and held him in place as Jake used a broad brush to coat the butt of his diaper in green paint.
"And now, mash!" Jake declared, pressing the pumpkin against Tommy's diaper. "So poofy! Poofy Tommy, punkin pants!" He teased.
"That's a unique approach." Janet said. All three boys froze. "And so nice of you two to help Tommy with his artistic vision. But don't sit back down with wet paint on your diaper, Tommy!" She came over and made him stand there as the four of them examined the pumpkin.
After a moment, Janet placed her pumpkin next to Tommy's and then nodded as if that had settled it for her.
“I think we can all agree that Tommy's the winner.” Somehow, Eric had managed to get a perfect imprint of Tommy's puffy diaper butt on the curved surface of the pumpkin. “I think you need to sign your- Tommy!”
He had taken advantage of everyone studying the pumpkins to start slowly backing away, moving as quietly as he could with a diaper on. He had nearly made it to the stairs when Janet noticed him, closing the gap in a few strides. “Actually, your diaper looks just like your pumpkin, huh?” Jake and Eric snorted as she held his puffy green and white rump up right next to the white and green pumpkin.
“Which one's which?” Eric laughed.
“Of course you don't know.” Tommy muttered before it became entirely too much that he was having his diaper displayed. “Can I take this thing off now that it's all covered with paint?”
“Quick drying!” Janet observed, patting his bottom. “At least on the outside.”
“Wait, did he?” Eric and Jake started laughing so loudly, Tommy could not make his denial heard over them. He had not wet himself!
"We can get your diaper taken care of as soon as we put our pumpkin works of art outside for everyone to see!" Janet decreed as Jake and Eric took the opportunity to disappear upstairs again. They were no help at all. Tommy thought. At least I'm gonna get this thing off soon. "Can you be a big boy" he really didn't like how she emphasized those words as if it was the thing Tommy most wanted to be. In a way though, he supposed that that was the case. "And carry your pumpkin out to the steps for me?"
"No-" A stroke of inspiration. "No one will know what it is!"
"Oh." Janet laughed. "Well, maybe you can stand out there and show 'em your diaper, huh?" Tommy's nose wrinkled. "I'm just being silly. If they really want to know, they'll knock on the door." She picked up the pumpkin. "It's very heavy, so use both hands. Make a basket!" She waited for him to comply, then placed the pumpkin in his arms. "Off we go! The pumpkin express! Choo choo!" Janet tried to nudge Tommy toward the door, but another burst of inspiration came.
"It's too cold. I'm in just my... under...wear." It sounded weird. Who thought of a diaper as underwear? But it was better than saying diaper.
"Good point." Janet allowed. "Our next activity's outside, so let's go ahead and get you dressed. Good job carrying!" She took the pumpkin from him with one hand and then nudged him all the same toward the front door.
"My clothes are all upstairs."
"Then whose outfit is all nicely folded on the table there?" She asked, chuckling as he shrugged. "Guess we better go find out." She bent down just enough to give his bottom a playful pat. "And take care of business." He thought he heard her mumble.
"Oh, aren't these cute?" Janet cooed as she looked at the clothes on the coffee table. She had to be pretending, Tommy thought. It was a flannel shirt, pants, and a puffy vest. Well, if that's what she wants me to wear- "But first, we gotta get your soggy boggy bumbum all dry and clean."
"What? I am not soggy!"
"You're not what?"
"Soggy!"
"You don't have a soggy boggy bumbum?"
"No!" Tommy was scandalized.
"Soggy boggy bumbum." Janet sang. "Froggy boggy bumbum. Tommy wommy's bumbum nice and clean." Had she hit her head or something? "Lie down on the floor, Tommy."
"No."
"Tommy, don't be like that. Fun is fun, but sometimes, we gotta take care of business."
"I don't need- I want to- No!" This was crazy! Sure, he dealt with Janet every Halloween, but that never made it easier. "I'm fourteen years old, I don't need a diaper change cuz I don't need diapers! I- I-" He tore off the diaper and threw it at her. It landed on the floor with the bone dry interior exposed. "See?" Tommy said before sense set in and he covered his crotch.
"Halfway done!" Janet declared, undeterred. She grabbed Tommy and wrestled him down to the floor. "But now we're at defcon two for puddles!"
"Stop! Stop! Let me go!" How Janet was able to hold him down while also grabbing wipes and a diaper, Tommy did not know, but he was not going to accept a second diaper so quickly. He lashed out with his feet, mostly as a distraction.
"We do not kick, Tommy." She said, catching and holding his feet by the ankles. "Where's the docile little boy from earlier? Did your bath calm you down?"
"You caught me by surprise. This time, I was ready." It sounded pathetic, but the sentiment was true.
"I know what'll calm you down. Well, I guess more it'll put you in a better mood." As she let one of his feet go, Tommy had a split second to wonder if he should try to kick her again or roll over or- he squealed and his back arched! "Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Tommy had had no idea that he was ticklish on the bottom of his feet, but clearly, he was. "There's a smile!" Janet cooed, grabbing his other foot and tickled that one too!
"No more tickling!"
"Okay, but that means I gotta find-" she hit both sides of his torso at once with a tickle attack, reducing Tommy once again to a giggling, squealing baby. "I gotta-" tickle, tickle, tickle. "What was it I needed to do?" Tickle, tickle, tickle!
"I'm... I'm gonna!" Even in his tickle-induced euphoria, Tommy could feel it coming. "I'm gonna!"
"Uh-oh!" Moving quickly, Janet grabbed the first thing that came into reach, the unfolded paint splattered diaper, and threw it over Tommy's privates. Neither of them dared to move for a moment. Tommy relaxed as the pressure in his bladder faded. False alarm.
"That was my fault." Janet said. "Obviously you should've had a diaper on before I started tickling you. Good job recognizing that you had to go and holding it!"
"I didn't use it!" Tommy insisted again, but Janet merely smiled and started wiping all around his privates and even his inner thighs. "Seriously! I have underwear right upstairs-" she returned him to his back. "I do not need a diaper!"
"I'm gonna tape your feet down if you try to kick me again."
"Well, quit trying to diaper me."
"I know, I know. It's no fun having to stop playing and get your diaper changed!" She said sympathetically. "If I knew where your paci was, we could distract you, but we'll just keep powering through."
"I don't need diapers!"
"At the volume you're yelling, I suppose Eric'll probably come and tell us. If not the neighbors."
Whether she was trying to make a point or not, Tommy settled down. The last thing he wanted was for more eyes to see him naked, in mid-diapering.
"All done! And you lived." She winked at him. "Now, let's get you dressed so we can put our pumpkins out and go for a fun fall walk, hmm?"
"I'd rather not" Tommy said, but his opinion did not seem to matter.
In no time at all, he wore the outfit Janet had gushed over, his face still red as the flannel he wore over the humiliating ordeal of getting the pants over his diaper. This was even worse than wearing a costume. At least when he was a firefighter or pumpkin, he could justify the diaper as part of his costume. Now, in normal clothes, the diaper couldn't be explained away.
"That should keep you nice and warm while we go around and collect leaves." Janet shrugged into her jacket.
"I cannot go out like this." Somehow, the pants made his diaper feel far thicker. He took a step and felt like he had the most extreme waddle imaginable.
"Here." She pulled her phone and snapped a quick pic to show him. He studied it, frowning. He felt like he was wearing a balloon around his waist, but you could hardly even tell he was diapered in the photo, other than a small bit of white plastic that he was able to fix. How could that be? "Do you approve, young master Tommy the Twonager?"
"What's a twonager?" He muttered before begrudgingly giving it the nod of approval. At least a walk around the neighborhood sounded normal. Maybe someone I know'll see me and think I'm on a date, he thought as he noticed Janet's leggings for the first time. Just as long as they didn’t try to talk to him and let Janet ruin everything.
As they started out and Janet made him put a few leaves into a burlap bag she had, he wondered just what her plan was. They were collecting leaves, sure, but there had to be-
“Ooh, this one’s so pretty and yellow, don’t you think?” Tommy silently nodded and added it to her bag. “I don’t think we need those icky brown ones, do we?” Tommy shook his head. “You’re such a serious little leaf collector!”
“I guess.” Janet was undeterred.
“I think I know what’ll cheer you up.”
“This red leaf?” He asked sarcastically.
“It matches your shirt!” She held out the bag. “But no, I meant that.” She pointed past him toward a sign much too cheery for Halloween: Trunk or Treat.
“I don’t have a costume.”
“We’ll tell them you’re a leaf collector. If you say it with confidence, or in your case, just nod enth- happily, they’ll buy it.” She took his hand without asking and walked toward it. He tried to go quickly, but the diaper made him swing his legs wide with every step. “Is that how a leaf collector walks?”
“No, it's this dumb diaper." He muttered.
"Are you soggy again already?"
"No! I wasn't even soggy the first time."
"You piddled from tickles!"
"That's not even-"
"Hi there! Is someone excited for trick or treat?" He could tell by the woman's expression that she did not get his costume.
"Does it cost anything?"
"How old's the little guy?"
"Two." It stung, not just hearing Janet say it so matter-of-factly, but he could tell the woman at the gate found that entirely believable.
"Oh, sorry. We're actually only three and up. Choking hazards and all that." She smiled down at Tommy, unbothered by his lack of disappointment. "But, I think I've got something special for-"
"Tommy."
"Tommy!" She smiled and pulled out a pair of jack-o-lantern sunglasses. "Here you go, buckaroo!" She slid them onto his face. "Whoa! Super cool!"
"What do you say, Tommy?"
"Thanks."
"Aww, shy guy." She smiled. "But we do this every year, so we'll see Tommy next year!" Bet you won't.
"Well, that's too bad." Janet said, picking him up and carrying him away. "But we've got lots of leaves."
"For what?"
"Oh, you'll see. It's a fun game I've played with some other little boys and girls. You do like fun, don't you? I can't remember." Tommy remained silent. Nothing Janet did was fun.
"Shoot." Janet muttered as Tommy's house came into sight. "I didn't remember to tell the boys we were going out. Hopefully they're still there." She gasped and kissed Tommy's cheek. "And our pumpkins! We never put them out, did we?"
"Guess not."
"Then that's two super important tasks for us to take care of. We've got a busy, busy, buzzy bee day!"
"Hooray." Tommy muttered. Maybe avoiding trunk or treat hadn't been the stroke of good luck he had hoped it was.
With their pumpkins outside, Janet set Tommy down on the couch and thought for a moment.
"I need to go check on the big boys upstairs, so can you be good and sit here?" She hesitated. "Actually, how about you sort the leaves?"
"Sort the leaves?"
"Yep. One pile for each color. You can spread out on the floor."
"Why?"
"It's good for your brain. Bet you can't get through all of these before I get back."
"What do I win?"
"You drive a hard bargain, mister." Janet laughed. "Get through them all and then no nap."
Janet disappeared upstairs, leaving Tommy alone with his thoughts. Should he sort the leaves? Even glancing in the bag, he realized there were a lot more than he remembered collecting. Was a nap better or worse than whatever else Janet had in mind? Almost certainly better. Better still, though? Sneaking upstairs and getting his own clothes on. But Janet was up there and Eric's room was closer to the stairs, so she'd almost certainly catch him.
I could run! Dressed the way he was though, she was definitely faster. Could he strip?
"Yeah, they flew the coop." Who was Janet talking to? "I've still got the little guy here with me. We went for a walk and they took their opportunity." She came into sight, her phone to her ear. "Yeah, not my smartest move, but maybe they'll show up over there. Anyway, Tommy's curious, so I better go. Bye. Love you, daddy!"
"They're gone?"
"Were you eavesdropping when you shoulda been sorting leaves?" She teased.
"There's more than I expected." Tommy replied.
"Ok, well, you keep at it." She pulled him over to her and, after considering him for a moment, pulled his pants down.
"Hey!"
"Couldn't think of a better way to check ya." Tommy turned as red as the leaf he held. "Alright, I'm gonna get you some water to help you with your sorting and then" she gasped and covered her mouth. "Almost ruined the special surprise!" She giddily ran away, leaving Tommy confused with his pants around his ankles.
"How could things get any worse?" Tommy muttered, pulling his pants up before putting the leaf in his red pile, now unable to shake the feeling he had jinxed himself. He still, even now, doubted he would be getting through the day without a costume.
"What on earth is she doing?" He muttered as he heard water rushing in the kitchen. With everyone else gone, he was surely the master of the house and, given the way it sounded like a pipe had burst, he needed to investigate.
"Just filling up your sippy!" Janet said with a laugh as she intercepted him before he reached the kitchen.
"With the ocean?"
"Hmm?"
"I heard a lot of water."
"It needed to be rinsed out." He stared up at her. Did she not realize what a lousy liar she was? "Here, drink up and then I'm getting you another."
"I'm not thirsty."
"Your body likes water and we just went for a walk. I drank water, now it's your turn." They were in a standoff. "Unless you'd prefer a baby bottle? Like a baby?" Tommy glared at her and she laughed. "That's what I thought. Drink up, Tommy! You're a little boy, not a little camel."
With such a small cup, Tommy knew he could chug it down in maybe two seconds, but the lid had other plans. Instead, he had to stand there and suck and suck and suck until finally, the cup was empty.
"Very good! See? Not poison." She took the blue plastic cup from him. "I'm gonna refill this and deliver it right to your leaf sorting station. How bougie, huh?" Tommy shrugged and eyed the stairs before reluctantly returning to his sorting.
"What's that orange one doing in your yellow pile?" Janet asked as she came in with the refilled sippy cup.
"That's the oranges. These are the yellows." Tommy explained, pointing to each pile in turn. Janet smiled indulgently.
"Alright, I won't interrupt your process." Tommy rolled his eyes. "Drink your water and let me know when you're ready for your diaper change."
"I..." Tommy sighed. "Whatever."
"Want me to check you?"
"No!"
"Then," Janet smiled sweetly. "Let me know when you're ready for your diaper change."
"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Janet's smile grew.
"You'll find out."
"When?" It grew again, as if she had hoped he would ask.
"After your diaper change."
“This is my house! What are you doing?”
“So bossy!” Tommy nearly threw his hands up in frustration.
"I'm done sorting the leaves." Janet patted the top of his head and looked over his work.
"Did we really grab that many brown ones?" Tommy shrugged. "Such a solemn little tyke. How's that diaper doing?" She asked as she handed him the sippy cup.
"Drier than these leaves." He said, even though it meant the spout went into his mouth.
"I'll be the judge of that." Janet decreed, keeping the sippy cup up to his lips. "Drink!" The water was refreshing, though Tommy would have preferred one of the energy drinks in the fridge. Janet would prolly freak out, he thought, loving the image. "Whatcha smiling about?" Janet asked. "Oh. I know what." Tommy almost choked as she patted his crotch. "Someone's making peepee in his pants!"
"Am not!" Down came his pants. "See?" Janet laughed.
"Such a spicy nugget." Tommy sputtered as she shifted him onto his back. "Drink your water, bud, and we'll get this diaper changed."
"I'm dry!" Had that been why she had been running the water? To try to get him to pee? I'm not gonna piss myself!
"Your sippy isn't. Drink it up." Tommy glared at her. "You know the deal, buckaroo. Boo, no fun diaper change, then we get to have fun. And you'll really like this next activity."
"Doubt it."
"Hmm, maybe we do need a nap, don't we?"
"I won't respond to threats." Janet snorted and ripped open the sides of his completely dry diaper.
As if it wasn't enough to receive an unnecessary diaper change, Tommy soon found himself stripped down to nothing but it.
"Why?"
"Because you're a cutie." She replied. "Plus there's a lot of water in our next fun activity." Tommy's brow furrowed. Had she flooded the kitchen?
"Speaking of," that was all she had to said to get Tommy to finish his water before she pulled him to his feet. "Shake, shake, shake! Shake, shake, shake! Shake your booty." He stared at her. "You are definitely taking advantage of the fact that it's too close to bedtime for a nap." She thought out loud. "Or maybe you're just hangry."
"Or I'm annoyed."
"I bet you'll cheer right up once you see" she picked him up, holding him in one arm as she covered his eyes with her free hand. "Oof, should bring you to the gym. Lifting you is a workout!"
"Cuz I am not a baby!"
"I know, you're such a big boy, you needed two diaper changes already."
"Ugh!" Before Tommy could vent, Janet pulled her hand away and he saw something he would have never expected in the kitchen he was in every day: a kiddy pool filled with just enough water for apples to float on top.
"Bobbing for apples?"
"But even more fun for a little guy like you." Janet gushed proudly. "Jake used to love doing this, though he usually wore his trunks. Your diaper will work." Tommy frowned. Why did Jake usually wear a swimsuit? "Now," Janet said as she set him down on the tiled kitchen floor. "Once you're in there, no using your hands. Mouth only!" She pointed to Tommy's lips. "Bite in, you win!"
"Win what?"
"The game, silly." Janet smiled and gave his diapered bottom a gratuitous pat. "No cheating!"
"There's a lotta apples if I'm just trying to get one."
"It's supposed to be fun. Just relax!"
"Sorry," Tommy put on a sheepish air. "Must be the fact that I'm a teenager, not a baby!" Janet's eyes met his and then moved up and down his body , as if to draw attention to his slightly bowlegged stance due to wearing nothing but a diaper. "Ugh." He muttered. "Is there a time limit?"
"Nope, splash around like you were doing in the tub."
"You scared me." Tommy muttered.
"Aw, I didn't mean to. Eric told me you knew I was coming."
"Not my fault you believed him."
"Alright, let's bob for some apples, Tommy!" Janet said. He had a feeling she was looking forward to recording him splashing around like an idiot. "Do you want a boost or can you climb in all on your own?"
"Climb in." Tommy muttered, feeling foolish when he realized too late that he should have just done it rather than answer the question. He stepped over the low barrier and immediately slipped in his distraction. Sploosh!
"Well, that's getting into it!" Janet said, retrieving the apple that had been blasted out. "Tommy tsunami! Tsu-Tommy!"
"Now I'm wet." Janet laughed.
"That's not the kind of wet I meant, Tsu-Tommy!"
"So, I just gotta get an apple?"
"Hands behind your back! You have to use your mouth. Or" she reached down and tickled Tommy's foot, producing another smaller tsunami. "It'd be really impressive if you did it with your feet." Tommy put his hands behind his back. This should be quick.
The apples proved much more difficult to catch than he had thought. Grabbing an apple in a basin was one thing, but with a whole pool, they were able to escape him over and over again. He gave chase, slipping, falling, and splashing. Every time he tried to use a hand to steady himself, Janet made him return it to behind his back.
"This is impossible." He bemoaned.
"You've gotten so close, Tommy!" Janet reassured him. "It's a shame your brother and Jake didn't stick around to see this. You're adorable!" Tommy groaned and went back in, though all the water was beginning to weigh on him as more and more got in his diaper. This would almost be easier if I was naked, Tommy thought. Or in a swimsuit. That made more sense.
Worse, the splashing and various other watery sounds were conspiring with the water he had drank to wage war upon his bladder. He paused, wondering what the rules were for taking a bathroom break.
"Keep going!" Ok, Tommy told himself. Get the apple and then we'll find a way to the bathroom. He looked down at his now thoroughly waterlogged diaper. I am not peeing this thing. "Keep going!" Tommy lunged and an apple spun away, bobbing along almost mockingly. He growled in frustration. I'm gonna be here for forever!
Well, if there's all this water, I guess I can pee while trying to catch- he charged forward, even sliding a bit until he reached the far wall of the pool. There was nearly more water on the floor around the pool than the pool itself.
"So close! Keep those hands behind your back." Tommy glared at the apple nearest him, imagining it had Janet's smarmy face. Why did I ever think she was hot?
It was difficult to tell how long he spent trying to get an apple. His lips brushed them a few times, but he had no luck at all. His bladder ached and he had to face the inevitable.
Janet smiled as she watched Tommy flop around in the water. He was such a little cutie. Such a serious face as he tried again and again to get an apple. Janet remembered Jake always being exhausted by the time he got one and she had a feeling Tommy would be exactly the same way. Tommy suddenly froze in the middle of the pool. Janet wondered for half a second if he was just particularly strategizing, but even with his back to her, she knew what he was doing.
"Needed a change before dinner anyway, but I guess that's good too." She eyed the water around his very full diaper, wondering if it would develop a yellowish tinge. "I was going to wash the apple anyway." She said to herself.
With his bladder lightened, Tommy had renewed vigor. He pounced again and again with increasing abandon.
"Aha!" He declared proudly as he settled on his knees, apple held triumphantly in his teeth. Janet giggled and clapped for him.
“I know I said there isn’t any prize, but I think you won a fresh diaper.” Just that once, Tommy did not argue with her.
Tommy sighed in resignation as he got to his feet, freshly in yet another diaper. Where was she getting all these? How had he managed to get so many changes? He shuddered at the thought of another one, but surely Janet would keep insisting. What could she be planning next?
“Hungry?”
“I guess?”
“Perfect. It’s getting to be dinner time, isn’t it?”
“Uh” Tommy realized he didn’t know what time it even was.
“While I’m cooking, I want you to stay out of trouble, okie dokie?” That made it sound like she might finally be leaving him alone. He could- “No sneaking upstairs or going anywhere I can’t see you.” She picked him up. “So you can go in the living room, the dining room, or the kitchen. Those three” she held up three fingers. “Three places. One, two, three!”
“Keep it up and I’ll go to a fourth place. Outside and away from here.” His clothes, well, the clothes he had worn earlier, were still in the living room. He could go for help.
“We need to check on our pumpkins, don’t we?”
Almost before Tommy even knew what was going on, Janet had carried him outside to look at their pumpkins, and he was only in a diaper!
"Still here." He observed, hoping this would be a brief trip outside.
"It's only been a little bit, but sometimes, squirrels eat them! Did you know that?"
"No, actually."
"You'll need to watch the pumpkins, won't you?" Back inside they went. "Where do you usually eat your dinner?"
"At the tab- in my room." Janet smirked as she set him down.
"You think this is my first time babysitting? You've met my brother."
"I have." Agreed Tommy gravely.
"Let's just see here." Tommy watched Janet walk around the table. What was she looking for? "Oh! The closet!" As soon as she opened it, Tommy knew what she had been looking for.
"That thing's ancient!" He protested as she pulled the highchair out.
"I'm sure it was Eric's before it was yours, but ah!" She pointed at the plastic tray where Tommy was scrawled in crayon. "See? Knew it was yours." Tommy could have explained to her how at the age of three, he had had a fit about Eric getting his highchair, going so far as to write his name on it to try to prove it was his, not the baby's, but he knew it was pointless.
Tommy did not like that a highchair was becoming just as much of a yearly tradition as being babysat against his will. This year though was different. This highchair was his highchair. He had an advantage. Sure, it had restrained him as a baby, but surely Tommy the teenager could escape. He just needed Janet to leave him alone.
"Hmm." Janet looked around the dining room once Tommy was acceptably contained by the highchair. "Let's find you some paper and crayons so you don't color more on the tray, hmm?"
"You could grab my Switch from the den." Tommy suggested. "I can play Mariokart or Capri-"
"Brain rotting!" Janet dismissed. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Is there anything that doesn't make you a grumpasaurus?"
"Yeah, not being diapered."
"Oh, so you wanna be a nakee little baby?"
"That's not what I meant at all. I am a teenager! You can't keep doing this to me! I... I..." he growled in frustration as Janet returned as promised with paper and loose crayons that seemed like they had been chewed on as often as they'd been used for their intended purpose.
"I'm not touching those!"
"Maybe you will once boredom sets in." Janet tousled his hair. "Cutie little grump a rump. I'll be right back with dindins."
"Do not call it that." Tommy worried what exactly she was making that could be called 'dindins'. As soon as she disappeared, he pushed his worry aside. He wouldn't be here to eat it. All he had to do was get out of the highchair, then dash upstairs. He would lock his door and refuse to come out! Janet wouldn't know the trick for unlocking the door, after all, the same trick that had gotten him stuck like this in the first place.
If memory served, the release for the tray was behind him, just out of reach for the highchair's occupant. Good thing I'm a lot smarter than a baby. He pushed against the tray to see if it had any give. He felt like he had gained an inch or so, so he moved on to try to flip over in the seat to get a better look at what was behind him. It was slow going, especially when he had to quickly look busy when Janet came into the room to deliver his sippy cup.
"You're really not coloring?"
"I'm finding ways to entertain myself." One side of Janet's mouth moved upward as if she was wondering what he meant by that.
"Well, just as long as you're being good. This guy's got wheels, you know." She walked back into the kitchen, melodramatically poking her head back around as if she might catch him in some naughty act that he had started in the last tenth of a second.
Tommy squirmed his way back around, grinning as he spied the release button. So long highchair, he almost said as he reached down and pushed it. Nothing happened. He pushed it again, but he could feel the tray pressed up against his back and the very top of his diaper. There was a button on both sides! He slumped back into the chair in defeat.
"All done fidgeting?" Janet asked, effortlessly removing the tray to get him better situated before clicking it back into place.
"I guess."
"Good, cuz you have a sippy to drink and dinner's nearly done. You're not vegetarian, are you?" That seemed like a strange question to ask someone you thought belonged in diapers.
"No." Janet nodded.
"Nuggies for my spicy nugget'll be done in a jiffy!" She once again poked her head out of the kitchen. "With smiley potatoes!" While Tommy wished he had managed to escape, he couldn't find any reason to hate chicken nuggets.
Dinner came with a large amount of ketchup as if Janet was daring him to get messy. He took care to eat almost fastidiously cleanly just to spite her.
"Such a little gentleman!" She praised. "You know to be careful when you're not wearing your bib."
As if she was deliberately trying to up the ante, Janet brought out the apple Tommy had caught, sliced into segments, along with even more caramel than there had been ketchup. He wondered just what it looked like from her perspective to watch him take twenty minutes to slowly eat the apple and caramel.
Despite his efforts, there were still red ketchup drips and a few streaks of caramel on the front of his diaper. He braced himself for another completely unnecessary diaper change, but Janet simply had him drink his water while she took a wet paper towel to his crotch. He jumped in surprise, nearly choking on his water, when she blew a raspberry into his inner thigh.
Tommy was worried this would lead into another tickling, but Janet had seemed to mellow. They moved to the living room where she made Tommy sit with his legs spread eagle as they played a game of rolling a ball back and forth.
"Gentle!" Janet said softly as he tried to push it past her, if only for a break from the tedium. Back and forth the ball went, Janet not even pausing to check her phone when it chirped.
"Can we-"
"Quiet voice."
"Can we do something else?"
"Not yet." Janet cooed, pushing the ball back toward him. He learned quickly to catch it or it would run into his diaper each and every time. He wondered why Janet had such accuracy, but he supposed the white of the diaper against the dark carpet made for an easy target. She didn't sit with her legs spread and her leggings weren't nearly as noticeable. Her legs are nice though, Tommy thought. He really wished it was easier to reframe these Halloweens as something more than they were. The way his friends talked, it should be the easiest thing in the world to. Yeah, but a diaper's not anything except embarrassing.
Back and forth, back and forth. Janet seemed to be waiting for something. Back and forth, back and forth. Maybe I can just stand up? Back and forth, back and forth. Tommy stifled a yawn and nearly missed the ball as it hit his puffy crotch.
"I think someone's sleepy."
"Nuh-ahhhh!" His poorly-timed denial allowed a yawn to escape.
"Alright, buddy. I think it's pajama time."
"It's not even dark out." He looked to the window, amazed that the sun had gone much lower than he had thought. Wasn't dinner super early?
"We've had a busy, busy day," Janet picked him up and another yawn escaped. "So what do you wear for jammies?"
"I don't."
"Okay, we'll go nothing but your diaper." Janet said. "But I think a warm, snuggly blanket is the best plan."
"Stop! I'm not going to bed!"
"There's that second wind." Janet said knowingly. "But you'll crash once you're cozy as a posy." Tommy struggled, but, like always, Janet would not be deterred once her mind was made up.
"Let me out!" Tommy whined as she held him in her arms, wrapped up in a soft green blanket.
"Shh" was all she said, rocking him back and forth in the same rhythm as the ball had been going. He struggled, but it was no use. Maybe it wasn't all bad. This meant Halloween was over, which meant another year free of Janet. By this time next year, he would make sure he would not be home. Maybe even make friends in another town so I can be... he dozed off, unable to fight off the sleepiness a moment longer.
He was already starting to see the flaw in his plan when boredom set in right after lunch, but he remained firm. The news that Eric and Jake would be hanging out right down the hall, between him and the stairs, no less, only made him more determined.
"Tomcat." Dad called through the closed and locked door. Tommy jumped.
"Yeah?"
"You're not putting down roots in there, are you?"
"No."
"Well, come on out."
"I can't."
"What do you mean?" Dad tried the doorknob and Tommy panicked. He knew Dad could get in if he wanted to. Neither he nor Jake had actual locks on their doors.
"Um, uh, I'm naked."
"Oh." The doorknob stopped jiggling. "Well, good. You should shower. Er, not shower. It's on the fritz again. You'll need to take a bath."
"I will." He added more quietly. "I guess."
"Right now. I don't, you don't want me to put Jake in charge of reporting to me if you did or not, right?"
"Are you going somewhere?"
"I'm done having a conversation through the door." Tommy groaned inwardly, but figured there was no real risk in opening the door to his dad. If Dad wondered how he had gotten dressed so quickly, he didn't ask.
"Where are you going?"
"Work. Halloween's not a holiday like that." He nodded in the general direction of the bath. "Go on."
"Can't I use the shower in your room?"
"And run naked through the house once Jake gets here?" Tommy bit his tongue and trod off to the bathroom. “Clothes in the chute please.”
“I know.” Tommy muttered, closing and locking – after three tries – the bathroom door behind him. “Doesn't anything work in this house?” He groaned as he tried in vain to start the shower. “Fine. Bath it is.” He shuddered, remembering against his will that this would not be the first bath he had taken, against his will no less, on Halloween.
For a second, he thought about keeping his underwear just so he had something to wear under his towel if Jake and Eric decided to play a prank, but since his underwear had smiling dinosaurs all over it, he figured being caught naked would be better. Or at least slightly less bad.
Tommy slipped down into the water and almost immediately grew pensive. What would tonight bring? Eric had promised Mom and Dad that he planned to just watch scary movies with Jake in his room. They had asked follow-up questions that made Tommy blush and Eric roll his eyes. Tommy knew enough to suspect that Eric and Jake would take any opportunity to forget about the movie and get into trouble. Whatever, he thought. I'll just hang out in here until they're settled in Eric's room, then make a run for mine. As if on cue, the doorbell rang, the water in the tub splashing almost as high as the spout as Tommy jumped in surprise. The door's locked, right? He awkwardly crossed the bathroom, wet and naked, to make sure. Good.
He returned to soaking and trying to listen to the voices downstairs. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. He could hear Eric and Jake, for sure, and heard Mom laugh. He sighed and relaxed. He was worried over nothing, he thought as he grabbed a washcloth and started to actually bathe.
Tommy heard the doorknob rattle. Whoever it was seemed like they were attacking it, enough that Tommy could actually see it moving from across the room.
"I'm in here." He called. Who went right for the doorknob rather than knocking once they saw the door was closed. "I'm in here!" He said more loudly as the door opened.
"Sorry." Eric said. "Cover up. I gotta pee."
"Go downstairs!"
"It's an emer-"
"Get out!" Tommy didn't even care how shrill he sounded. He was in the tub and the last thing he wanted to do was be reasonable to his brother. Eric looked at him for just a second too long and Tommy felt something was terribly wrong. He pulled his knees up to his chest out of instinct as Eric turned toward the hall outside.
"Janet! Tommy's ready to get out of the tub!"
"What?"
Panic took hold, but there was little Tommy could do as he was gripped by a thousand decisions. Did he stay in? Get out? Try to close the door and just deal with Eric and J snickering? Was Janet even actually here? By the time he had the answer to that last question, it was too late to do anything.
"Someone's super duper excited!" She gushed as Tommy impotently splashed. "I bet you know just how much fun we're gonna have!" She turned her back, but only to go into the linen closet right inside the bathroom door, her body blocking Tommy's only means of escape. He looked past her, both to see if there was any gap to try to squeeze through and to see if Eric was watching his misfortune.
"Get out! I'm naked!"
"We're gonna get you out of the tub, hold your horses." She unfolded a fluffy robin's egg towel. "Or is that seahorses? Oh! You've still got water in here. We don't want your towel to slurp that all up, do we?" She kept up a steady stream of chitchat, ignoring Tommy's protests and urgent questions as she scooped him up and out of the drained tub, enveloping him in the towel.
"What are you doing here? Let me go!"
"I know you're so very excited for our fun activities, but we can't have you running around naked all day, can we?" Tommy stared up at her, wide eyed. Normally, getting dressed would reassure him, but when Janet was involved, that almost invariably meant some embarrassingly babyish costume.
“Ok,” despite his efforts to remain calm, his voice trembled. “Let me go to my room and-”
“Oh, I'm sure we have just what you need right here. What was it I spied in the linen closet, right by your towel?” Tommy struggled, knowing that whatever she had found was not going to be good. Unfortunately, Janet had all but swaddled him in the towel and even getting a leg out, let alone an arm, was proving nearly impossible. “Tommy's diaper!”
“No! No, no, no!”
“What is it with little boys wanting to be nudists?” Janet wondered out loud. Jake was the same way, way way back when he was a baby.” She kissed Tommy's nose. “Did you know that even your big brother was a baby once?”
“I remember.” Tommy grumbled. “But he's not my big brother. He's younger than me!”
“I've babysat a lot.” Janet said, opening the cupboard under the sink. “I know diapers are never far when there's a baby in the house.”
“I don't need diapers!” He was shouting so loudly, why had no one come to see what was going on? Mom had left, but wasn't Dad still home?
“I see diapers, but I don't see Pull-ups or a potty seat, so something tells me Tommy isn't ready for potty training.”
“What? This”
“Shhh, shh. Someone's a little overstimulated, huh? So excited about all the fun we're gonna have, your mouth's going a million miles.”
“Janet.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t need diapers. I am a teenager, just like you!” He didn't know why he was even trying. Janet never listened and how are you supposed to prove your age when you were wet and naked? Can I get my school ID from my room? Tommy thought. Can I get Eric to get it? That seemed even less likely to work out well.
“I think we're ready to get you diapered!” Setting him down on the floor, she began to unravel the towel from around him.
“I'm naked!” He squeaked.
“Yes, you are!” He had forgotten just how sickly-sweet Janet's voice could get. “But that's what the diaper's for.”
Unable to even look, Tommy stared at the bathroom wall as Janet powdered and diapered him, rolling his eyes as she cooed about how docile he had become once the diaper was under his butt. Maybe this was all a bad dream? He couldn't remember ever taking a shower, let alone a bath, in a dream and his dreams of Janet certainly never involved her diapering him in full detail.
“Can I go get dressed?” He asked, shuddering at the special sense of violation that came from her running her finger along the leg guards of the diaper to make sure it wouldn't leak.
“Might be better to be in just a diaper.” Janet said to herself, picking Tommy up and setting him against her shoulder. “Two year olds get so messy!”
“Two!?” Tommy pushed against her, but turned beet red as he realized what he had just touched.
“Oh, what a pleasantly pink clean baby boy.” Janet said with a grin, kissing his cheek.
“I am not a baby!”
“I know. Toddler.” Her voice dripped with indulgence. “I'll set you down once we're past the stairs. First rule of babysitting, don't risk the stairs with any little guys. Well, maybe not the first rule.”
As they arrived downstairs, Tommy looked around from his vantage point in Janet's arms, expecting everything to look different somehow. Everything seemed the same at first. The living room had folded laundry on the coffee table, waiting for him or Eric to come and put it away. His shoes still sat on the small shelf by the door. Things seemed the same.]
Janet carried him into the dining room, where Tommy noticed a white pumpkin on the table with paints arranged all around it. So she had been setting things up down here! He desperately searched through his memory, trying to remember if he had noticed her voice. Had she talked to Dad, given him any clue that she thought Tommy was a baby? If I had heard her, I could've gone to my room, gone out the window, slid down the drainpipe, and run to someone's house. Tommy thought. Instead, he found himself being set down on a chair in front of the pumpkin, wearing nothing but a diaper!
“What you're gonna do is paint all over this pumpkin. Make it a bonafide Tommy masterpiece!” She smiled and brushed his hair out of his face. “And don't worry about getting messy. Be a little artist!”
“What are you gonna do?” He asked, almost terrified of the answer.
“Oh!” She seemed as if she had not thought about it. “I suppose I could paint a pumpkin too.” She looked in a bag that seemed concerningly large. What else did she have in there? “Oops, do you want a smock like a real artist?” The smock she unfolded was pink and white with lambs that could only be accurately described as adorable romping to and fro all over its surface. “You know what sound a sheep makes!”
“Baa.” Tommy said, hoping it would count both as the sound a sheep made and a firm rejection of the idea of wearing the babyish smock.
“The paint says it's washable, so we should be ok.” She smiled at him. “Go on. Let your artist out!”
Looking around, Tommy noticed he had no brush. Painting a pumpkin seemed strange; finger painting a pumpkin was undeniably a toddler activity.
“Could we carve it at least? I know where-” Janet shook her head.
“No losing fingers on my watch!” Tommy sighed. He heard a thump overhead.
“How come Eric and Jake don't have to do this?” It was more of a rhetorical question, but Janet answered all the same.
“They can judge our works of art.” She said, dipping a brush into paint. So she wasn't finger painting? “I'm going to do a ghost on mine! But he'll be a friendly ghost.” Tommy nodded, unsure of what on earth to do. Every year, I end up right here, being treated like a baby and trying to figure out how to get Janet to acknowledge that I'm obviously not a little kid.
“I was a pumpkin for Halloween a few years ago.” She had said he was two, but surely she remembered that! “And a tiger before that.”
“Are you gonna paint a tiger on your pumpkin?” Wasn't she listening? “You'll need orange and black for that, won't you?”
“Uh” Tommy pushed. “I'm talking about past Halloween costumes. Remember?”
“Oh, right. You were an adorable little pumpkin, weren't you? That must've been when you were one!”
“No, that was two whole years ago!” Tommy said desperately. “You made me sing a dumb song and perform and everything!”
Thump! Thump! Thump! That was the unmistakable sound of Eric and Jake coming down the stairs, drowning out Tommy's attempts to get Janet to recognize that he was the world record holder for oldest two year old. Tommy panicked. He was wearing nothing but a diaper! What was he going to do?
“So much for a peaceful afternoon.” Janet teased as the boys emerged.
“Tommy was screaming just-” Jake's voice trailed off as he saw Tommy's puffy bottom. Eric recovered more quickly.
“Uh, why's Tommy in his un- di- why's Tommy not dressed?” Tommy stared at Eric, unsure why he had even entertained the thought that Eric might help him.
“We're gonna be messy.” Janet explained as if it was obvious. “He just had a bath, you know. And what are you two up to?”
“We were-” Jake elbowed Eric.
“We're grabbing snacks. We're doing movies in Eric's room.” He glanced at Eric. “‘member?”
“He's lying.” Tommy said.
“Hush.” Eric came over and covered Tommy's mouth. “You're in no position to tattle, punkin pants.”
“Pumpkin pants?”
“Alright.” Janet held her paintbrush to her lips, then added a bit more paint to her pumpkin. “Tommy wants you two to judge our pumpkins, so don't get too invested in your movie. It's too bright for scary movies anyway.”
“Well, we can't go anywhere.” Jake spat back.
“You can always do fall activities with me and Tommy.” Janet replied, clearly used to her brother's attitude. “Just as long as you're where I can find you easily.” Jake muttered something under his breath.
“C'mon.” Eric said, leading him by the arm into the kitchen.
“I'm gonna go see what they're doing.” Tommy slid off the chair, not even waiting a second for Janet to give him permission. This is my house anyway.
“You've got to help me!”
“Why? Can't you paint a pumpkin by yourself?” Eric asked with a smirk.
“It's a Halloween tradition, Tommy.” Jake said. “Did you really think you'd get to just hide in your room all day?” Tommy glared at him.
“You need to tell Janet the truth.”
“Dude, it's been how many years?”
“Shut up, Jake.” Tommy growled. “Eric. Please.” Eric sighed.
“How?”
“Go…. get my student ID or something.”
“Why can't you?”
“Think.” Tommy said, trying to make it abundantly clear to Jake that he was an endless nuisance for him. “The second I try to go upstairs, your sister'll grab me.” Jake snorted.
“Well, that sounds fun to me.”
“Eric, seriously. I'll do anything.” Eric shrugged, but Tommy could tell he was getting through to him.
“Eric, we” was all Jake needed to say to get Eric to nod.
“Sorry, T. We've got our own thing going on. You'll be fine.”
“I'm in a diaper!”
“You pull it off.” Jake said with a smirk. Anyone with eyes could see that Tommy was much too lanky for the diaper, though it still fit him well enough.
“Can you bring Tommy back in here? His pumpkin misses him!”
“Hear that, baby?” Jake teased. “Waddle back to your punkin.” Tommy sighed and shuffled back, taking advantage of his final moment out of Janet's view to give Jake and Eric the finger. So much for that, he thought as he returned to the table, reluctantly studying the paints and stickers before him.
“Jake, are you guys still in there?” Janet called as Tommy was trying to half decorate the pumpkin, half talk himself into ripping off the diaper and running for the stairs.
“Yeah?”
“Not getting up to any mischief, I hope?”
“Mischief?” Jake and Eric emerged from the kitchen. “We're not freaking pixies.”
“Pixies?” Eric muttered.
“Shut it.”
“I need to go to the bathroom. Can you two watch Tommy?” She walked over and seemed disappointed to see his pumpkin was still pristine and white. “You can't rush art, can you?” Tommy was halfway through the nod before she added. “And your diaper's still dry?”
“Yes.” He said through clenched teeth.
“Perfect. Don't leave him alone. He's your baby brother, Eric.”
“No, Eric's my baby brother.” Tommy said, but Janet did not seem to hear.
“You haven't painted your pumpkin at all yet.” Jake said. “Don't you know how?”
“Would you want to paint a pumpkin?”
“No, but I'd also not get diapered like you did.” Jake said. “Eric, how about we help him?”
“How?’ Tommy and Eric said at once.
“Simple.” Jake grinned. “Eric, hold your baby brother so I can paint his ass.”
“What?”
“Don't you remember doing fruit stamps?” Jake asked. “You dip half an orange in paint and then stick it on paper. No wait, I think it was potatoes? You really don't remember?” The familial resemblance between Tommy and Eric could not have been stronger as they both stared at Jake, bewildered. "I'm the only one who's done that? Huh." He shrugged. "Well, anyway, we're gonna paint Tommy's diapered butt and then push it onto the pumpkin."
"What? Why?"
"You wanted our help, didn't you?" Eric said, getting on board.
"Not like this!" Eric grabbed Tommy's shoulders and held him in place as Jake used a broad brush to coat the butt of his diaper in green paint.
"And now, mash!" Jake declared, pressing the pumpkin against Tommy's diaper. "So poofy! Poofy Tommy, punkin pants!" He teased.
"That's a unique approach." Janet said. All three boys froze. "And so nice of you two to help Tommy with his artistic vision. But don't sit back down with wet paint on your diaper, Tommy!" She came over and made him stand there as the four of them examined the pumpkin.
After a moment, Janet placed her pumpkin next to Tommy's and then nodded as if that had settled it for her.
“I think we can all agree that Tommy's the winner.” Somehow, Eric had managed to get a perfect imprint of Tommy's puffy diaper butt on the curved surface of the pumpkin. “I think you need to sign your- Tommy!”
He had taken advantage of everyone studying the pumpkins to start slowly backing away, moving as quietly as he could with a diaper on. He had nearly made it to the stairs when Janet noticed him, closing the gap in a few strides. “Actually, your diaper looks just like your pumpkin, huh?” Jake and Eric snorted as she held his puffy green and white rump up right next to the white and green pumpkin.
“Which one's which?” Eric laughed.
“Of course you don't know.” Tommy muttered before it became entirely too much that he was having his diaper displayed. “Can I take this thing off now that it's all covered with paint?”
“Quick drying!” Janet observed, patting his bottom. “At least on the outside.”
“Wait, did he?” Eric and Jake started laughing so loudly, Tommy could not make his denial heard over them. He had not wet himself!
"We can get your diaper taken care of as soon as we put our pumpkin works of art outside for everyone to see!" Janet decreed as Jake and Eric took the opportunity to disappear upstairs again. They were no help at all. Tommy thought. At least I'm gonna get this thing off soon. "Can you be a big boy" he really didn't like how she emphasized those words as if it was the thing Tommy most wanted to be. In a way though, he supposed that that was the case. "And carry your pumpkin out to the steps for me?"
"No-" A stroke of inspiration. "No one will know what it is!"
"Oh." Janet laughed. "Well, maybe you can stand out there and show 'em your diaper, huh?" Tommy's nose wrinkled. "I'm just being silly. If they really want to know, they'll knock on the door." She picked up the pumpkin. "It's very heavy, so use both hands. Make a basket!" She waited for him to comply, then placed the pumpkin in his arms. "Off we go! The pumpkin express! Choo choo!" Janet tried to nudge Tommy toward the door, but another burst of inspiration came.
"It's too cold. I'm in just my... under...wear." It sounded weird. Who thought of a diaper as underwear? But it was better than saying diaper.
"Good point." Janet allowed. "Our next activity's outside, so let's go ahead and get you dressed. Good job carrying!" She took the pumpkin from him with one hand and then nudged him all the same toward the front door.
"My clothes are all upstairs."
"Then whose outfit is all nicely folded on the table there?" She asked, chuckling as he shrugged. "Guess we better go find out." She bent down just enough to give his bottom a playful pat. "And take care of business." He thought he heard her mumble.
"Oh, aren't these cute?" Janet cooed as she looked at the clothes on the coffee table. She had to be pretending, Tommy thought. It was a flannel shirt, pants, and a puffy vest. Well, if that's what she wants me to wear- "But first, we gotta get your soggy boggy bumbum all dry and clean."
"What? I am not soggy!"
"You're not what?"
"Soggy!"
"You don't have a soggy boggy bumbum?"
"No!" Tommy was scandalized.
"Soggy boggy bumbum." Janet sang. "Froggy boggy bumbum. Tommy wommy's bumbum nice and clean." Had she hit her head or something? "Lie down on the floor, Tommy."
"No."
"Tommy, don't be like that. Fun is fun, but sometimes, we gotta take care of business."
"I don't need- I want to- No!" This was crazy! Sure, he dealt with Janet every Halloween, but that never made it easier. "I'm fourteen years old, I don't need a diaper change cuz I don't need diapers! I- I-" He tore off the diaper and threw it at her. It landed on the floor with the bone dry interior exposed. "See?" Tommy said before sense set in and he covered his crotch.
"Halfway done!" Janet declared, undeterred. She grabbed Tommy and wrestled him down to the floor. "But now we're at defcon two for puddles!"
"Stop! Stop! Let me go!" How Janet was able to hold him down while also grabbing wipes and a diaper, Tommy did not know, but he was not going to accept a second diaper so quickly. He lashed out with his feet, mostly as a distraction.
"We do not kick, Tommy." She said, catching and holding his feet by the ankles. "Where's the docile little boy from earlier? Did your bath calm you down?"
"You caught me by surprise. This time, I was ready." It sounded pathetic, but the sentiment was true.
"I know what'll calm you down. Well, I guess more it'll put you in a better mood." As she let one of his feet go, Tommy had a split second to wonder if he should try to kick her again or roll over or- he squealed and his back arched! "Tickle, tickle, tickle!" Tommy had had no idea that he was ticklish on the bottom of his feet, but clearly, he was. "There's a smile!" Janet cooed, grabbing his other foot and tickled that one too!
"No more tickling!"
"Okay, but that means I gotta find-" she hit both sides of his torso at once with a tickle attack, reducing Tommy once again to a giggling, squealing baby. "I gotta-" tickle, tickle, tickle. "What was it I needed to do?" Tickle, tickle, tickle!
"I'm... I'm gonna!" Even in his tickle-induced euphoria, Tommy could feel it coming. "I'm gonna!"
"Uh-oh!" Moving quickly, Janet grabbed the first thing that came into reach, the unfolded paint splattered diaper, and threw it over Tommy's privates. Neither of them dared to move for a moment. Tommy relaxed as the pressure in his bladder faded. False alarm.
"That was my fault." Janet said. "Obviously you should've had a diaper on before I started tickling you. Good job recognizing that you had to go and holding it!"
"I didn't use it!" Tommy insisted again, but Janet merely smiled and started wiping all around his privates and even his inner thighs. "Seriously! I have underwear right upstairs-" she returned him to his back. "I do not need a diaper!"
"I'm gonna tape your feet down if you try to kick me again."
"Well, quit trying to diaper me."
"I know, I know. It's no fun having to stop playing and get your diaper changed!" She said sympathetically. "If I knew where your paci was, we could distract you, but we'll just keep powering through."
"I don't need diapers!"
"At the volume you're yelling, I suppose Eric'll probably come and tell us. If not the neighbors."
Whether she was trying to make a point or not, Tommy settled down. The last thing he wanted was for more eyes to see him naked, in mid-diapering.
"All done! And you lived." She winked at him. "Now, let's get you dressed so we can put our pumpkins out and go for a fun fall walk, hmm?"
"I'd rather not" Tommy said, but his opinion did not seem to matter.
In no time at all, he wore the outfit Janet had gushed over, his face still red as the flannel he wore over the humiliating ordeal of getting the pants over his diaper. This was even worse than wearing a costume. At least when he was a firefighter or pumpkin, he could justify the diaper as part of his costume. Now, in normal clothes, the diaper couldn't be explained away.
"That should keep you nice and warm while we go around and collect leaves." Janet shrugged into her jacket.
"I cannot go out like this." Somehow, the pants made his diaper feel far thicker. He took a step and felt like he had the most extreme waddle imaginable.
"Here." She pulled her phone and snapped a quick pic to show him. He studied it, frowning. He felt like he was wearing a balloon around his waist, but you could hardly even tell he was diapered in the photo, other than a small bit of white plastic that he was able to fix. How could that be? "Do you approve, young master Tommy the Twonager?"
"What's a twonager?" He muttered before begrudgingly giving it the nod of approval. At least a walk around the neighborhood sounded normal. Maybe someone I know'll see me and think I'm on a date, he thought as he noticed Janet's leggings for the first time. Just as long as they didn’t try to talk to him and let Janet ruin everything.
As they started out and Janet made him put a few leaves into a burlap bag she had, he wondered just what her plan was. They were collecting leaves, sure, but there had to be-
“Ooh, this one’s so pretty and yellow, don’t you think?” Tommy silently nodded and added it to her bag. “I don’t think we need those icky brown ones, do we?” Tommy shook his head. “You’re such a serious little leaf collector!”
“I guess.” Janet was undeterred.
“I think I know what’ll cheer you up.”
“This red leaf?” He asked sarcastically.
“It matches your shirt!” She held out the bag. “But no, I meant that.” She pointed past him toward a sign much too cheery for Halloween: Trunk or Treat.
“I don’t have a costume.”
“We’ll tell them you’re a leaf collector. If you say it with confidence, or in your case, just nod enth- happily, they’ll buy it.” She took his hand without asking and walked toward it. He tried to go quickly, but the diaper made him swing his legs wide with every step. “Is that how a leaf collector walks?”
“No, it's this dumb diaper." He muttered.
"Are you soggy again already?"
"No! I wasn't even soggy the first time."
"You piddled from tickles!"
"That's not even-"
"Hi there! Is someone excited for trick or treat?" He could tell by the woman's expression that she did not get his costume.
"Does it cost anything?"
"How old's the little guy?"
"Two." It stung, not just hearing Janet say it so matter-of-factly, but he could tell the woman at the gate found that entirely believable.
"Oh, sorry. We're actually only three and up. Choking hazards and all that." She smiled down at Tommy, unbothered by his lack of disappointment. "But, I think I've got something special for-"
"Tommy."
"Tommy!" She smiled and pulled out a pair of jack-o-lantern sunglasses. "Here you go, buckaroo!" She slid them onto his face. "Whoa! Super cool!"
"What do you say, Tommy?"
"Thanks."
"Aww, shy guy." She smiled. "But we do this every year, so we'll see Tommy next year!" Bet you won't.
"Well, that's too bad." Janet said, picking him up and carrying him away. "But we've got lots of leaves."
"For what?"
"Oh, you'll see. It's a fun game I've played with some other little boys and girls. You do like fun, don't you? I can't remember." Tommy remained silent. Nothing Janet did was fun.
"Shoot." Janet muttered as Tommy's house came into sight. "I didn't remember to tell the boys we were going out. Hopefully they're still there." She gasped and kissed Tommy's cheek. "And our pumpkins! We never put them out, did we?"
"Guess not."
"Then that's two super important tasks for us to take care of. We've got a busy, busy, buzzy bee day!"
"Hooray." Tommy muttered. Maybe avoiding trunk or treat hadn't been the stroke of good luck he had hoped it was.
With their pumpkins outside, Janet set Tommy down on the couch and thought for a moment.
"I need to go check on the big boys upstairs, so can you be good and sit here?" She hesitated. "Actually, how about you sort the leaves?"
"Sort the leaves?"
"Yep. One pile for each color. You can spread out on the floor."
"Why?"
"It's good for your brain. Bet you can't get through all of these before I get back."
"What do I win?"
"You drive a hard bargain, mister." Janet laughed. "Get through them all and then no nap."
Janet disappeared upstairs, leaving Tommy alone with his thoughts. Should he sort the leaves? Even glancing in the bag, he realized there were a lot more than he remembered collecting. Was a nap better or worse than whatever else Janet had in mind? Almost certainly better. Better still, though? Sneaking upstairs and getting his own clothes on. But Janet was up there and Eric's room was closer to the stairs, so she'd almost certainly catch him.
I could run! Dressed the way he was though, she was definitely faster. Could he strip?
"Yeah, they flew the coop." Who was Janet talking to? "I've still got the little guy here with me. We went for a walk and they took their opportunity." She came into sight, her phone to her ear. "Yeah, not my smartest move, but maybe they'll show up over there. Anyway, Tommy's curious, so I better go. Bye. Love you, daddy!"
"They're gone?"
"Were you eavesdropping when you shoulda been sorting leaves?" She teased.
"There's more than I expected." Tommy replied.
"Ok, well, you keep at it." She pulled him over to her and, after considering him for a moment, pulled his pants down.
"Hey!"
"Couldn't think of a better way to check ya." Tommy turned as red as the leaf he held. "Alright, I'm gonna get you some water to help you with your sorting and then" she gasped and covered her mouth. "Almost ruined the special surprise!" She giddily ran away, leaving Tommy confused with his pants around his ankles.
"How could things get any worse?" Tommy muttered, pulling his pants up before putting the leaf in his red pile, now unable to shake the feeling he had jinxed himself. He still, even now, doubted he would be getting through the day without a costume.
"What on earth is she doing?" He muttered as he heard water rushing in the kitchen. With everyone else gone, he was surely the master of the house and, given the way it sounded like a pipe had burst, he needed to investigate.
"Just filling up your sippy!" Janet said with a laugh as she intercepted him before he reached the kitchen.
"With the ocean?"
"Hmm?"
"I heard a lot of water."
"It needed to be rinsed out." He stared up at her. Did she not realize what a lousy liar she was? "Here, drink up and then I'm getting you another."
"I'm not thirsty."
"Your body likes water and we just went for a walk. I drank water, now it's your turn." They were in a standoff. "Unless you'd prefer a baby bottle? Like a baby?" Tommy glared at her and she laughed. "That's what I thought. Drink up, Tommy! You're a little boy, not a little camel."
With such a small cup, Tommy knew he could chug it down in maybe two seconds, but the lid had other plans. Instead, he had to stand there and suck and suck and suck until finally, the cup was empty.
"Very good! See? Not poison." She took the blue plastic cup from him. "I'm gonna refill this and deliver it right to your leaf sorting station. How bougie, huh?" Tommy shrugged and eyed the stairs before reluctantly returning to his sorting.
"What's that orange one doing in your yellow pile?" Janet asked as she came in with the refilled sippy cup.
"That's the oranges. These are the yellows." Tommy explained, pointing to each pile in turn. Janet smiled indulgently.
"Alright, I won't interrupt your process." Tommy rolled his eyes. "Drink your water and let me know when you're ready for your diaper change."
"I..." Tommy sighed. "Whatever."
"Want me to check you?"
"No!"
"Then," Janet smiled sweetly. "Let me know when you're ready for your diaper change."
"What are you doing in the kitchen?" Janet's smile grew.
"You'll find out."
"When?" It grew again, as if she had hoped he would ask.
"After your diaper change."
“This is my house! What are you doing?”
“So bossy!” Tommy nearly threw his hands up in frustration.
"I'm done sorting the leaves." Janet patted the top of his head and looked over his work.
"Did we really grab that many brown ones?" Tommy shrugged. "Such a solemn little tyke. How's that diaper doing?" She asked as she handed him the sippy cup.
"Drier than these leaves." He said, even though it meant the spout went into his mouth.
"I'll be the judge of that." Janet decreed, keeping the sippy cup up to his lips. "Drink!" The water was refreshing, though Tommy would have preferred one of the energy drinks in the fridge. Janet would prolly freak out, he thought, loving the image. "Whatcha smiling about?" Janet asked. "Oh. I know what." Tommy almost choked as she patted his crotch. "Someone's making peepee in his pants!"
"Am not!" Down came his pants. "See?" Janet laughed.
"Such a spicy nugget." Tommy sputtered as she shifted him onto his back. "Drink your water, bud, and we'll get this diaper changed."
"I'm dry!" Had that been why she had been running the water? To try to get him to pee? I'm not gonna piss myself!
"Your sippy isn't. Drink it up." Tommy glared at her. "You know the deal, buckaroo. Boo, no fun diaper change, then we get to have fun. And you'll really like this next activity."
"Doubt it."
"Hmm, maybe we do need a nap, don't we?"
"I won't respond to threats." Janet snorted and ripped open the sides of his completely dry diaper.
As if it wasn't enough to receive an unnecessary diaper change, Tommy soon found himself stripped down to nothing but it.
"Why?"
"Because you're a cutie." She replied. "Plus there's a lot of water in our next fun activity." Tommy's brow furrowed. Had she flooded the kitchen?
"Speaking of," that was all she had to said to get Tommy to finish his water before she pulled him to his feet. "Shake, shake, shake! Shake, shake, shake! Shake your booty." He stared at her. "You are definitely taking advantage of the fact that it's too close to bedtime for a nap." She thought out loud. "Or maybe you're just hangry."
"Or I'm annoyed."
"I bet you'll cheer right up once you see" she picked him up, holding him in one arm as she covered his eyes with her free hand. "Oof, should bring you to the gym. Lifting you is a workout!"
"Cuz I am not a baby!"
"I know, you're such a big boy, you needed two diaper changes already."
"Ugh!" Before Tommy could vent, Janet pulled her hand away and he saw something he would have never expected in the kitchen he was in every day: a kiddy pool filled with just enough water for apples to float on top.
"Bobbing for apples?"
"But even more fun for a little guy like you." Janet gushed proudly. "Jake used to love doing this, though he usually wore his trunks. Your diaper will work." Tommy frowned. Why did Jake usually wear a swimsuit? "Now," Janet said as she set him down on the tiled kitchen floor. "Once you're in there, no using your hands. Mouth only!" She pointed to Tommy's lips. "Bite in, you win!"
"Win what?"
"The game, silly." Janet smiled and gave his diapered bottom a gratuitous pat. "No cheating!"
"There's a lotta apples if I'm just trying to get one."
"It's supposed to be fun. Just relax!"
"Sorry," Tommy put on a sheepish air. "Must be the fact that I'm a teenager, not a baby!" Janet's eyes met his and then moved up and down his body , as if to draw attention to his slightly bowlegged stance due to wearing nothing but a diaper. "Ugh." He muttered. "Is there a time limit?"
"Nope, splash around like you were doing in the tub."
"You scared me." Tommy muttered.
"Aw, I didn't mean to. Eric told me you knew I was coming."
"Not my fault you believed him."
"Alright, let's bob for some apples, Tommy!" Janet said. He had a feeling she was looking forward to recording him splashing around like an idiot. "Do you want a boost or can you climb in all on your own?"
"Climb in." Tommy muttered, feeling foolish when he realized too late that he should have just done it rather than answer the question. He stepped over the low barrier and immediately slipped in his distraction. Sploosh!
"Well, that's getting into it!" Janet said, retrieving the apple that had been blasted out. "Tommy tsunami! Tsu-Tommy!"
"Now I'm wet." Janet laughed.
"That's not the kind of wet I meant, Tsu-Tommy!"
"So, I just gotta get an apple?"
"Hands behind your back! You have to use your mouth. Or" she reached down and tickled Tommy's foot, producing another smaller tsunami. "It'd be really impressive if you did it with your feet." Tommy put his hands behind his back. This should be quick.
The apples proved much more difficult to catch than he had thought. Grabbing an apple in a basin was one thing, but with a whole pool, they were able to escape him over and over again. He gave chase, slipping, falling, and splashing. Every time he tried to use a hand to steady himself, Janet made him return it to behind his back.
"This is impossible." He bemoaned.
"You've gotten so close, Tommy!" Janet reassured him. "It's a shame your brother and Jake didn't stick around to see this. You're adorable!" Tommy groaned and went back in, though all the water was beginning to weigh on him as more and more got in his diaper. This would almost be easier if I was naked, Tommy thought. Or in a swimsuit. That made more sense.
Worse, the splashing and various other watery sounds were conspiring with the water he had drank to wage war upon his bladder. He paused, wondering what the rules were for taking a bathroom break.
"Keep going!" Ok, Tommy told himself. Get the apple and then we'll find a way to the bathroom. He looked down at his now thoroughly waterlogged diaper. I am not peeing this thing. "Keep going!" Tommy lunged and an apple spun away, bobbing along almost mockingly. He growled in frustration. I'm gonna be here for forever!
Well, if there's all this water, I guess I can pee while trying to catch- he charged forward, even sliding a bit until he reached the far wall of the pool. There was nearly more water on the floor around the pool than the pool itself.
"So close! Keep those hands behind your back." Tommy glared at the apple nearest him, imagining it had Janet's smarmy face. Why did I ever think she was hot?
It was difficult to tell how long he spent trying to get an apple. His lips brushed them a few times, but he had no luck at all. His bladder ached and he had to face the inevitable.
Janet smiled as she watched Tommy flop around in the water. He was such a little cutie. Such a serious face as he tried again and again to get an apple. Janet remembered Jake always being exhausted by the time he got one and she had a feeling Tommy would be exactly the same way. Tommy suddenly froze in the middle of the pool. Janet wondered for half a second if he was just particularly strategizing, but even with his back to her, she knew what he was doing.
"Needed a change before dinner anyway, but I guess that's good too." She eyed the water around his very full diaper, wondering if it would develop a yellowish tinge. "I was going to wash the apple anyway." She said to herself.
With his bladder lightened, Tommy had renewed vigor. He pounced again and again with increasing abandon.
"Aha!" He declared proudly as he settled on his knees, apple held triumphantly in his teeth. Janet giggled and clapped for him.
“I know I said there isn’t any prize, but I think you won a fresh diaper.” Just that once, Tommy did not argue with her.
Tommy sighed in resignation as he got to his feet, freshly in yet another diaper. Where was she getting all these? How had he managed to get so many changes? He shuddered at the thought of another one, but surely Janet would keep insisting. What could she be planning next?
“Hungry?”
“I guess?”
“Perfect. It’s getting to be dinner time, isn’t it?”
“Uh” Tommy realized he didn’t know what time it even was.
“While I’m cooking, I want you to stay out of trouble, okie dokie?” That made it sound like she might finally be leaving him alone. He could- “No sneaking upstairs or going anywhere I can’t see you.” She picked him up. “So you can go in the living room, the dining room, or the kitchen. Those three” she held up three fingers. “Three places. One, two, three!”
“Keep it up and I’ll go to a fourth place. Outside and away from here.” His clothes, well, the clothes he had worn earlier, were still in the living room. He could go for help.
“We need to check on our pumpkins, don’t we?”
Almost before Tommy even knew what was going on, Janet had carried him outside to look at their pumpkins, and he was only in a diaper!
"Still here." He observed, hoping this would be a brief trip outside.
"It's only been a little bit, but sometimes, squirrels eat them! Did you know that?"
"No, actually."
"You'll need to watch the pumpkins, won't you?" Back inside they went. "Where do you usually eat your dinner?"
"At the tab- in my room." Janet smirked as she set him down.
"You think this is my first time babysitting? You've met my brother."
"I have." Agreed Tommy gravely.
"Let's just see here." Tommy watched Janet walk around the table. What was she looking for? "Oh! The closet!" As soon as she opened it, Tommy knew what she had been looking for.
"That thing's ancient!" He protested as she pulled the highchair out.
"I'm sure it was Eric's before it was yours, but ah!" She pointed at the plastic tray where Tommy was scrawled in crayon. "See? Knew it was yours." Tommy could have explained to her how at the age of three, he had had a fit about Eric getting his highchair, going so far as to write his name on it to try to prove it was his, not the baby's, but he knew it was pointless.
Tommy did not like that a highchair was becoming just as much of a yearly tradition as being babysat against his will. This year though was different. This highchair was his highchair. He had an advantage. Sure, it had restrained him as a baby, but surely Tommy the teenager could escape. He just needed Janet to leave him alone.
"Hmm." Janet looked around the dining room once Tommy was acceptably contained by the highchair. "Let's find you some paper and crayons so you don't color more on the tray, hmm?"
"You could grab my Switch from the den." Tommy suggested. "I can play Mariokart or Capri-"
"Brain rotting!" Janet dismissed. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Is there anything that doesn't make you a grumpasaurus?"
"Yeah, not being diapered."
"Oh, so you wanna be a nakee little baby?"
"That's not what I meant at all. I am a teenager! You can't keep doing this to me! I... I..." he growled in frustration as Janet returned as promised with paper and loose crayons that seemed like they had been chewed on as often as they'd been used for their intended purpose.
"I'm not touching those!"
"Maybe you will once boredom sets in." Janet tousled his hair. "Cutie little grump a rump. I'll be right back with dindins."
"Do not call it that." Tommy worried what exactly she was making that could be called 'dindins'. As soon as she disappeared, he pushed his worry aside. He wouldn't be here to eat it. All he had to do was get out of the highchair, then dash upstairs. He would lock his door and refuse to come out! Janet wouldn't know the trick for unlocking the door, after all, the same trick that had gotten him stuck like this in the first place.
If memory served, the release for the tray was behind him, just out of reach for the highchair's occupant. Good thing I'm a lot smarter than a baby. He pushed against the tray to see if it had any give. He felt like he had gained an inch or so, so he moved on to try to flip over in the seat to get a better look at what was behind him. It was slow going, especially when he had to quickly look busy when Janet came into the room to deliver his sippy cup.
"You're really not coloring?"
"I'm finding ways to entertain myself." One side of Janet's mouth moved upward as if she was wondering what he meant by that.
"Well, just as long as you're being good. This guy's got wheels, you know." She walked back into the kitchen, melodramatically poking her head back around as if she might catch him in some naughty act that he had started in the last tenth of a second.
Tommy squirmed his way back around, grinning as he spied the release button. So long highchair, he almost said as he reached down and pushed it. Nothing happened. He pushed it again, but he could feel the tray pressed up against his back and the very top of his diaper. There was a button on both sides! He slumped back into the chair in defeat.
"All done fidgeting?" Janet asked, effortlessly removing the tray to get him better situated before clicking it back into place.
"I guess."
"Good, cuz you have a sippy to drink and dinner's nearly done. You're not vegetarian, are you?" That seemed like a strange question to ask someone you thought belonged in diapers.
"No." Janet nodded.
"Nuggies for my spicy nugget'll be done in a jiffy!" She once again poked her head out of the kitchen. "With smiley potatoes!" While Tommy wished he had managed to escape, he couldn't find any reason to hate chicken nuggets.
Dinner came with a large amount of ketchup as if Janet was daring him to get messy. He took care to eat almost fastidiously cleanly just to spite her.
"Such a little gentleman!" She praised. "You know to be careful when you're not wearing your bib."
As if she was deliberately trying to up the ante, Janet brought out the apple Tommy had caught, sliced into segments, along with even more caramel than there had been ketchup. He wondered just what it looked like from her perspective to watch him take twenty minutes to slowly eat the apple and caramel.
Despite his efforts, there were still red ketchup drips and a few streaks of caramel on the front of his diaper. He braced himself for another completely unnecessary diaper change, but Janet simply had him drink his water while she took a wet paper towel to his crotch. He jumped in surprise, nearly choking on his water, when she blew a raspberry into his inner thigh.
Tommy was worried this would lead into another tickling, but Janet had seemed to mellow. They moved to the living room where she made Tommy sit with his legs spread eagle as they played a game of rolling a ball back and forth.
"Gentle!" Janet said softly as he tried to push it past her, if only for a break from the tedium. Back and forth the ball went, Janet not even pausing to check her phone when it chirped.
"Can we-"
"Quiet voice."
"Can we do something else?"
"Not yet." Janet cooed, pushing the ball back toward him. He learned quickly to catch it or it would run into his diaper each and every time. He wondered why Janet had such accuracy, but he supposed the white of the diaper against the dark carpet made for an easy target. She didn't sit with her legs spread and her leggings weren't nearly as noticeable. Her legs are nice though, Tommy thought. He really wished it was easier to reframe these Halloweens as something more than they were. The way his friends talked, it should be the easiest thing in the world to. Yeah, but a diaper's not anything except embarrassing.
Back and forth, back and forth. Janet seemed to be waiting for something. Back and forth, back and forth. Maybe I can just stand up? Back and forth, back and forth. Tommy stifled a yawn and nearly missed the ball as it hit his puffy crotch.
"I think someone's sleepy."
"Nuh-ahhhh!" His poorly-timed denial allowed a yawn to escape.
"Alright, buddy. I think it's pajama time."
"It's not even dark out." He looked to the window, amazed that the sun had gone much lower than he had thought. Wasn't dinner super early?
"We've had a busy, busy day," Janet picked him up and another yawn escaped. "So what do you wear for jammies?"
"I don't."
"Okay, we'll go nothing but your diaper." Janet said. "But I think a warm, snuggly blanket is the best plan."
"Stop! I'm not going to bed!"
"There's that second wind." Janet said knowingly. "But you'll crash once you're cozy as a posy." Tommy struggled, but, like always, Janet would not be deterred once her mind was made up.
"Let me out!" Tommy whined as she held him in her arms, wrapped up in a soft green blanket.
"Shh" was all she said, rocking him back and forth in the same rhythm as the ball had been going. He struggled, but it was no use. Maybe it wasn't all bad. This meant Halloween was over, which meant another year free of Janet. By this time next year, he would make sure he would not be home. Maybe even make friends in another town so I can be... he dozed off, unable to fight off the sleepiness a moment longer.
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