This is the continued story of
Simon’s Journal.
I would highly recommend you read the first volume of this story,
Simon’s Journal
Thirteen Days – The First Crusade
before you begin this novel.
The following
narrative is nearly a complete work of fiction.
Any similarity to actual individuals living or dead is completely
unintentional.
If reading a coming of age story about boys wearing diapers and exploring their
awakening sexuality is offensive or illegal in your area, then might I suggest
you go read War and Peace or something equally stimulating.
Simon's
Journal
Volume II
Thirteen
Nights – After the Crusade
Written by
Danny
Author of Thirteen Days
PART
1 – Sunday, March 07, 2004 – Peace, the Greatest Victim of War
At
exactly
“Jamie?”
I spoke in a parched morning voice.
He
didn’t jump or act surprised; instead he turned and said, “Go back to sleep!”
“What
time is it?” I asked.
“It’s
“What
are you doing?” I asked.
His
form appeared to glow from the light of the monitor before him. I saw his head
fall forward as he again spoke, “I’m just chatting with someone online.”
“Who?” I asked as I rubbed my eyes.
“The
President!” he said.
“Of what?” I asked not getting that he was being
sarcastic.
Still
whispering but sounding irritated he growled, “Would you just leave me alone
and go back to sleep please?”
“I
can’t sleep with you over there tapping on the keyboard so loud!” I growled back.
I
saw the silhouette of his head fall forward again. Without saying anything else
I heard him typing again but not for very long. I assumed he must have told who
ever it was that he had to go because he turned off the computer, which put us
back into the dark again. I expected him to get back into bed with me but he
didn’t; instead he clicked on his bedroom light. It was so bright that it hurt
and I had to pull the covers over my head to shield my eyes.
“JAMIE!”
I yelled from under the covers.
“Will
you shut up!” he said in a strong whisper.
“Then
turn off the light!” I said.
I
waited a few seconds that then tried to peek out from under the covers. The
light was still on however not for much longer. Maybe half a minute later the
light went out and still feeling irritated I said, “Thank you very much!”
There
was no more noise from him. I listened but couldn’t hear anything at all.
“Jamie?” I whispered but got no reply.
“Did
you leave?” I asked, which I now realize was a pretty
stupid thing to ask.
Despite
trying, I could not get back to sleep and after a while I finally gave up, got
out of Jamie’s bed and went in search of him. It didn’t take me long to find
him. He was curled up on the sofa watching the television. He was wearing his
robe which made me aware of the fact that I was only wearing a diaper and from
the weight of it I must have wet more then once while I had been asleep.
I
sat down at the other end of the sofa; his sock covered feet were only half a
cushion away. “Are you okay?” I asked softly.
“Just
leave me alone!” he said and I thought it sounded like he had been crying
though he didn’t look like it.
“W-what
did I d-do?” I asked trying my best not to be offended
or to get upset.
“Nothing! Just drop it!” he rolling himself so
that I could not see his face anymore.
I
sat with him, without speaking, all the way through some stupid movie about a
guy training monkeys in a libratory to fly airplanes that would drop nuclear
bombs. I wondered to myself why he didn’t try to find something better to watch
and maybe he would have if I had told him I didn’t like it but I chose not to
say anything. I just suffered through the movie along with him; I mean, I guess
he was suffering; I don’t know really.
When
the movie was finally over, I got up and that is when I realized he’d fallen
back to sleep. I couldn’t believe that I sat and endured that badly made movie
for nothing. Not knowing what to do next, I decided to go back to the bedroom
to put on some clothes before Marsha woke up.
However,
when I stood up my diaper nearly fell off my hips. I don’t think I was
surprised really, I just didn’t realize that I’d wet so much while I’d slept
and while sitting watching the movie. I had obviously wet enough that my diaper
was filled to its maximum capacity and was on the verge of leaking.
To
keep it from falling off me, I had to hold the diaper in place and after
checking the spot where I had been sitting for any wetness and happily finding
none, I did a funny kind of duck walk back to Jamie’s room. As soon as I had
made it back, I let go; the diaper fell off me and landed around my feet with a
bit of a splat sound. Now I was in a bit of a pickle. It would be foolish of me
to try and go around without a diaper given that I’ve been wetting myself
without knowing anything about it and yet I wasn’t sure I could put a regular
diaper on all by myself.
Not
knowing what to do, I decided to do what I knew I could do. I picked up the wet
diaper, rolled it up, used the tapes to secure it closed and then placed it in
Jamie’s wicker trashcan. I had gone back to my bag and was getting out a new
diaper when Jamie came walking into the room looking groggy.
“Boy
I am glad you are awake! Can you help me put this on?” I held out the clean
diaper to him but he walked right past me without saying a single word.
Something
in me finally snapped, “W-why are you mad at m-me?”
He
didn’t answer but instead pulled off his robe, tossed it into the bottom of his
closet and proceeded to dress himself. When he sat down on his bed to pull on
his shoes, I tried to sit next to him but he just stood up and walked out with
one shoe on his left foot and the other in his hand.
Even
though I tried calling after him, “Jamie wait?” he didn’t even slow down.
I
sat at the foot of his bed trying to think of what I could have done to make
him so mad at me but I could not reason it out at all. While sitting and trying
to imagine what it might have been, Marsha walked into the room wrapped up in a
black and gold oriental style silk house robe. Had her hair not looked as if it
had been combed with an eggbeater, she would have looked good enough to go out
on the town.
She
walked in to see me sitting stark naked, holding a fresh diaper and looking
despondent. Completely out of instinct I, like an idiot, tried to cover my
nudity with the folded up diaper. Still trying her best not to make me feel
embarrassed she simply said, “Come on, I’ll help you with that!” As she said
it, she brushed several strands of hair out of her face and hooked them behind
her right ear.
Embarrassment
did not dare rear its ugly head at me this time. I was too upset and confused
to bother with a stupid emotion like embarrassment. “M-Marsha?
D-did I d-do s-s-someth-thing wr-r-r-rong?” I asked her.
Looking
confused she asked, “What do you mean?”
“W-w-why
is h-he s-so m-m-m-mad at m-m-me?” I hated that I started to cry, “W-what d-did
I d-do?”
She
bent down and held my head to her warm, silk covered chest. In a soft motherly
voice, she said, “Simon, you didn’t do anything! Jamie is mad because he got in
trouble. That is all. It has nothing to do with you.”
“W-why? W-what d-d-did he d-do?” I sobbed into
her silky house robe.
She
pulled me away wile still keeping her arms around me. As if she was trying to
peer into my soul, her eyes appeared to be probing my own before she finally
let out a held breath. “Do you know that Jamie idolizes you?” she asked.
I
scrunched up my nose as I grunted my confusion, “Huh?”
“He
does!” she nodded. “Each time he comes back after spending the weekend with
you, he seems so happy and talks about you non-stop for hours!”
I
had a hard time buying into what she was saying. Until just recently, Jamie and
I had been mortal enemies; never missing a chance to get each other into
trouble or to cut the other person down with our words. Heck, we’d fought so
much that I think mom and dad were starting to have second thoughts about
having us sleeping in the same room.
“Jamie
wants to be just like you in every way!” she said.
I
sniffled and asked, “B-but I-I-I a-alw-ways th-th-thought h-he h-h-hated
m-m-me?”
“Have
you ever noticed that he dresses like you, combs his hair like you and even
scrunches up his nose just like you do when you are confused about something?”
she brushed the tears from my cheeks.
“Th-then
w-why is h-he b-being m-mean t-to m-m-me n-now?” I sniffled again.
Marsha
took a deep breath and let it out again before telling me the reason. “Jamie wants
to be just like you and I’ve caught him several times wearing your GoodNites
here at our home.”
I
started to grunt and scrunch up my nose again but having her comment on it made
me aware that I did it, so I stopped myself. “H-He h-has
a-alw-ways p-p-lick-ked on m-me f-for w-w-w-wetting m-m-my b-b-bed!”
Marsha
scooted herself farther up onto the bed as she’d been sitting right on the edge
of the mattress. “I think Jamie wants to be so much like
you, that he gets frustrated at times and that makes him upset.”
I
looked away from her for the first time and down to my dangling feet as I
thought about it all before asking, “Why is he mad today? What did he do?” and
as soon as I asked it, I knew the answer.
She
cleared her throat, “I came in to check on you during the night and found him
wearing one of your diapers. I made him get up and take it off. I told him that
some people have real problems just like you and it isn’t right to imitate that
sort of thing. He’s still brooding because I told him that he was grounded to
the apartment for today as punishment.”
I
suddenly felt like someone had stomped on my heart and smashed it into the mud.
Yea sure, Jamie asked me to put the diaper on him, but I did it and now he is
in trouble because I put it on him last night!
Without
thinking I started to speak, “B-but h-he was onl-ly d-doing th-that s-so I-I-I
w-w-would n-not f-f-f-f-feel b-b-bad or Emb-barrassed.”
Marsha’s
gaze changed. I felt as if she were searching to see if I was telling the truth
now, which of course I wasn’t, but I’d committed myself to attempting to bale
Jamie out and I wasn’t going to quit half way into the effort.
“H-honest! H-he w-w-was!”
I said.
She
continued to look at me quizzically before finally saying, “Come on! Let’s get
you into that and dressed.”
The
two of us stood up together. I went to the side of the bed and lay down and she
taped the diaper into place after wiping me down with one of my baby wipes. She
didn’t use the diaper cream or the powder this time and although I noticed I
didn’t bother to reminder her. She was helping me into my pants when she called
out, “Jamie? Can you come in here a minute please?”
My
heart began to race! My plan to free him from his single-day of house arrest
was in danger. Jamie appeared in the doorway to his room looking seriously
miffed.
“Simon
just told me that the reason you were wearing a diaper last night was because
you were trying to make him not feel so bad about having to wear them around
you. Is that true?” she asked him.
She
was looking at him as she asked her question and I tried to catch his eye in
hopes of passing some mental message but he never looked up from the floor.
When he finally nodded his head I wanted to shout but that would blow our lie
right out of the water.
Marsha
stood up and looked at me and then back at Jamie. “Why didn’t you tell me that
in the first place?”
Jamie
looked up finally and said, “I don’t know.” which is, of course, the customary
response all us kids are to give an adult whenever they ask us anything at all.
Without
saying anything Marsha reached into Jamie’s closet and pulled out a large gray
sweatshirt. Holding it out before me she said, “Arms up!”
I
raised my arms as high as I was able to with my armor on and she slipped the
shirt over my head and pulled it down into place. It was really big and
actually hung down past my backside.
She
turned to Jamie who was still standing quietly in the doorway. “Well, it was a
nice gesture and you’re not on restriction anymore, but I don’t want you doing
that sort of thing anymore!” She paused long enough to glance at me and then
back to Jamie before telling him, “Why don’t you help Simon get his socks and
shoes on and I will go get breakfast started.”
Jamie
was smiling as she left the room. He walked over to me and looking me right in
the eyes he asked, “Why’d you tell her that?” To which I shrugged my shoulders
as much as my armor would allow. He looked toward the open door then tuned back
to me, smiled again and gave me a quick peck on my lips, “Thanks!”
“So
you aren’t mad at me anymore?” I asked.
Pulling
his eyebrows down to a point in an attempt to look mean he said, “I wasn’t mad
at you!”
I
gave him a fake jab to the gut, “You sure had me fooled!”
After
helping me to get my socks and shoes on, we went and had our breakfast. On the
way out of his room he playfully swatted my diapered bottom which made a loud
whopping sound. We had scrambled eggs with
There
was a limitless numbers of things we could do today
and for starters we tromped back to Jamie’s room for a while. “You think Ian
might want to paint us today?” I asked as Jamie started to make his bed.
“Dunno,
but we can stop by and see!” Jamie said arranging his pillows.
I
started helping him make the bed as we talked. “I’d really like to see how he
does those paintings.” I said.
“I
seen him do it lots of times.” Jamie said.
“Want
to go over there now?” I asked.
“He
doesn’t get up this early; especially if he was out the night before.” Jamie
said as he and I pulled the bedspread up over the pillows.
“Plus
he might not be alone.” Jamie added.
Not
catching his implication I asked, “What do you mean?”
Instead
of using words Jamie looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows up and down. I
giggled as the image of Ian in bed with another guy formed on the movie screen
within my mind.
“Can
I ask you something?” I asked.
“I
think you just did.” Jamie said with a mocked up innocent expression.
“Now
don’t start that again!” I shook my fist at him and he acted like he didn’t
even see me do it.
“What
then?” he asked while smoothing out the wrinkles in the bed.
“Your friends and you?” I started to say.
He
started to walk around the bed to my side, “Yea, what about us?”
“You
guys really have a,” I dropped my voice so that I was barely audible, “sex
club?”
Jamie
let loose a rolling kind of chuckle, “Yea, we really do!”
Jamie
started smoothing out my side of his bed while I asked,
“You really do all that stuff you told me about before?”
“Yea,
sure do!” he said and totally by accident he was moving his arm backwards in a
sweeping motion and his elbow caught me right in the crotch. Thanks to my diaper
it took most of the blow but it was still hard enough that my poor little boy
marbles began to ache and drew back up into my body for protection. I doubled
over and fell forward onto the bed.
Jamie
began to laugh and with no sympathy at all said, “Hey! I just got all the
wrinkles out of that!”
As
if it would help at all, I was holding the front of my pants and moaning. “You
jerk! You got me right in the privates!” which only made Jamie laugh that much
more.
Now
Jamie had done it on accident and really didn’t hit me as hard as he might have
had I not been wearing the diaper, but when I rolled over and sank my fist into
his groin, it wasn’t by accident or as slight hit as his had been. I nailed him
dead in his boy jewels. He fell right to the floor, his body curled instantly
into the fetal position and his eyes were squeezed completely closed. I don’t
think he was breathing either. I started to laugh while still holding my own
jewels as they still hurt.
“You
are so dead!” he groaned without moving his mouth at all.
“Serves you right!” I laughed.
Groaning
as if the words were being gargled out from the back of his throat “Oh you
butthole! I didn’t mean to hit you!”
“I
didn’t mean to either!” I laughed.
He
opened his eyes and moved for the first time, “You absolute jerk! You did too
mean it and you know you did too!”
“You
want me to kiss it and make it all better?” I teased and he tried to kick me
but when he moved his leg it only caused his injured boyhood hurt even more.
“I’m
so going to kill you when I get up!” he said and this time he sounded more like
his normal self again, which told me is would be getting up any second.
I
jumped to my feet and ran from his room, through the living room and into the
kitchen to where I assumed I would find Marsha but she wasn’t there. I turned
and looked back out of the kitchen to see Jamie hobbling slowly my way. He was
dragging one foot as if it was partially paralyzed and was all hunched over,
clutching his groin. He resembled some junior version of an old horror movie
monster. I was reminded of
I
ran out of the kitchen and positioned myself so that the table was between
Jamie and me. If he would move left I would move left too making it impossible
for him to get a hold of me.
I
was giggling like mad as I tried to apologize, “Okay! I am sorry! I am sooooo
sorry!”
“Not
as sorry as you will be when I catch you!” he growled and almost smiled.
“Jamie
I am very, very, very, very, very times a thousand, sorry!” I was still
giggling, “Please don’t kill me okay?”
“Let
me ‘Frog’ you twice and I’ll call it even!” Jamie offered.
“No way!” I protested, “You hit me first
anyway!”
Jamie
moved two steps to the right so I too moved two steps to my right. “I didn’t
mean to do it! You did!” Jamie said as he suddenly moving halfway around the
table making me move just as fast to keep him at bay.
I
tried to out think him, “I thought we were supposed to be at peace and not at
war!”
“You
are the one that broke the truce!” Jamie jogged left two steps and then back
right all the way around the table one before stopping again.
“Stop!” I said laughing.
Marsha
came out of her room with her hair wrapped in a towel. “What’s going on?” she
asked.
This
time Jamie lied to her, “We’re just playing mom.”
“Well
you’re being too loud! Take it down a few notches.” She said and went back to
her room.
I
looked back at Jamie who, while I had not been looking, had taken the chance
and moved to where he was almost on my side of the table. Since I was closer to
the living room I turned around and made a desperate attempt to reach his
bedroom. I made it and got the door closed and locked before he got to it. I heard
him slam into the door and then a thud that I guessed was him falling to the
floor.
Concerned
that he might have really hurt himself I unlocked and opened the door again
only to have him barge in and nearly knock me over in the process.
“Now Jamie! Remember, I have broken ribs!” I said
holding my hands up to keep him at arms distance.
He
balled up he fists and raised his middle finger so that the knuckle was
sticking up from his fist. “Where do you want your first ‘Frog’? In the arm or the leg?”
“Jamie
please I am really sorry!” I said backing up until I was against the other
wall.
In
the distance I heard the phone ring but Jamie still stood there waiting for me
to choose, “If you don’t pick one then I will!” he faked a jab at my arm.”
“Please
don’t!” I dropped to my knees and pleaded for mercy.
“Jamie, phone for you!” Marsha called out.
“I’ll
just have to get you later then!” he said and ran out of his room to go get the
phone.
I
stood up and raced after him. He was in the kitchen talking into the phone,
“Yea but not very long.”
There
was a pause as Jamie listened to the caller before he spoke again, “Okay, let
me ask.”
He
pulled the phone from his mouth and asked Marsha, “Can we go over to Paul and
Noah’s?”
Marsha
was making herself a cup of tea, “I wish you would!” she said.
Jamie
put the receiver back to his mouth, “She said yes! We’ll be right there!”
He
paused for a moment before saying, “Okay, bye!” and then hung up the phone.
“Come
on!” Jamie said taking half a step away from the phone.
“You
two check in every hour!” Marsha said.
Jamie
grabbed me by my arms as he said, “Okay see ya mom!”
We
were out the door in less then a second and Jamie turned and before I could
react, he gave me a ‘Frog’ in my right arm that hurt so bad it felt like I was
going to die.
“Oh
you are such a punk!” I said rubbing my arm.
“You
got one more coming!” he laughed as he moved several steps backward out of my
reach.
“No way! I only hit you once!” I said.
“Okay,
then we are even!” he said still moving away but not
turning his back on me.
I
wanted to run up to him, grab him by his ears and shake the crap out of him but
I was too busy rubbing my lifeless arm. “Dang Jamie that
really hurts!”
“Oh
stop belly-aching and come on!” he said from half way down the hall.
I
was cradling my arm and trying to wiggle my fingers as I walked. “You know
something?” I asked as the two of us stepped into the elevator.
“What?”
he asked.
I
shook my still throbbing arm and said, “We sure suck at keeping the peace going
between us.”
As
the elevator doors opened Noah and Paul were there to greet us, “Hi Jamie!
How's it going Simon?” Paul said.
“Hey
guys!” Noah said as Jamie and I walked out of the elevator.
I
waved at the same time Jamie asked of them, “What are you guys doing out here?”
“Had to take the trash to the chute.” Noah
answered.
Not
missing a beat Jamie said, “But Paul is still here?”
Paul
started slap-boxing with Jamie, “Oh you are so not funny!” Paul said.
I
must admit that I got some satisfaction when Paul accidentally cold-cocked
Jamie upside his head. Jamie started to stagger and nearly fell over had he not
staggered into Noah.
“Oh sorry! Are you alright? I didn’t mean to hit
you so hard.” Paul said helping to steady Jamie. I had to bite the inside of my
cheek to keep from busting out laughing. When Jamie recovered, he was rubbing
his jaw and trying to act as if it didn’t hurt but I knew it had especially
since it had only been a few days since I’d given him a shiner.
Jamie
tried to look macho and dazed as we walked down the hall to their apartment.
Despite being in the same building and having the same overall floor plan, I
was surprised how different their apartment looked from Jamie’s’. Where Jamie’s
mom had decorated theirs to look very modern and clean, Paul and Noah’s had a
much more lived in look. The floors were covered in a multi-shaded brown
carpet; the walls were all painted in a generic off white with tons of pictures
all over the place of Noah and Paul at various ages. There were also a lot of
plants, plants hanging from the ceiling, some on shelves, several here and
there on tables and an absolutely huge palm kind of tree that was so tall that,
to keep the tops of it up, someone had tied the top of the tree to three hooks
that were in the ceiling. Now that I think about it, maybe that was to keep it
from being knocked over. I think the thing that made there apartment look so
different is that there were no walls separating the Living room, Kitchen and
Dinning room areas. It was like one big grand living space.
A
frumpy sort of woman, with hair that looked to have been over bleached, came
walking out of the kitchen dinning room area carrying a laundry basket full of
freshly washed and folded clothes. As if she didn’t even see Jamie or me she
said to Paul and Noah, “There you are. I was calling for you.”
“We
were taking out the trash!” they answered in unison.
“Well
now you can go get your clothes off the washer and take them to your rooms. Put
them away where they are supposed to go, folded neatly and not just stuffed
into any old drawer or dropped on the floor!”
Paul
and Noah looked a little uncomfortable and didn’t put up any argument as they
started toward the kitchen. With no walls to obstruct the view I saw that on
the far side of the kitchen were two bi-fold louvered doors that were open
revealing a tired and un-matching set of washer and drier.
“Leave
your dress shirts in there! I will iron them later today!” she shouted which
caught me off guard and maybe startled me a little. She was almost to the other
side of the living room before she bothered to recognize that Jamie and I were
even in the apartment.
The
way she addressed Jamie made it sound like he was one of her own children and
not just a friend. “Jamie? What have you been told about wearing shoes in the
house?”
“Sorry!”
Jamie said kicking off his shoes. Not wanting to get verbally chastised to I
quickly kicked my own shoes off as well.
When
I looked back up she was gone and Paul and Noah were walking back toward us,
both carrying armloads of folded clothes. I looked down and for the first time
noticed they were both in their socks, which I realized was why they didn’t get
yelled at for wearing shoes in the apartment.
“Come
on!” Noah said leading the way for Jamie and I. Paul had raced a head of us and
was already in their room.
The
three of us were just crossing the living room when a man came out of Paul and
Noah’s room carrying a cordless screwdriver. Seeming surprised to see Jamie and
I he said, “Oh hi there Jamie, and this must be your brother Sampson?” he stuck
out his free hand to shake mine, “The boys have told me all about you! Sampson!
That is a great and noble name! It’s from the bible you know?”
I
shook his hand and politely corrected him, “Actually my names Simon.”
“Oh
yes! Well, Simon you say? Oh well there’s nothing noble about that?”
He
turned to look at Noah for a second, who looked positively horrified. Then turning
back to me he raised his cordless screwdriver as if he were attempting to rob
Jamie and I, “Oh wait, wasn’t there a Simon in the bible too?” and raising his
cordless screw driver high into the air he announced, “Ah yes, one of the
twelve! Yes, Yes! Simon is truly a noble name! I shall never forget again!” and
walked off rustling Noah’s hair in the process.
Noah
had turned to bright red that I expected his head to pop like a balloon. Not
making eye contact he said, “That was my dad. Everyone calls him Buzz.”
Jamie
laughed, “Yea their dad’s nuts but he’s cool!”
“Glad
you think so!” Noah said turning and walking into his room with Jamie and me
following behind.
Their
room looked like someone had set off a bomb. There was stuff everywhere; toys,
games, clothes and books, all scattered everywhere.
“Wow!”
I said at seeing the mess, “My mom would kill me if she ever saw my room like
this!”
I
noticed that Paul, who was sitting on the bed, had not put his clothes away
like he’d been told but had instead dropped them on the floor in front of the
dresser. Noah on the other hand did put his clothes away but not before kicking
Paul’s stuff out of the way so that he could open the bottom drawer of the
dresser.
“Dad
screwed the shelves to the wall so they won’t fall over again.” Paul said which
drew my attention to the fact that the shelves on the far wall had nothing
except for what looked to be a pair of dirty underwear just sort of hanging
two-thirds off a middle shelf.
After
using his foot to push the bottom drawer back in, Noah said, “Yea, mom used to
yell at us all the time to clean up but she hardly ever does now.”
Paul
jumped in, “Yea, she said as long as we bring home B’s or better on our report
cards she won’t say anything about our room.”
“How
did the shelves fall over?” Jamie asked bending down and picking up a Gameboy
from the floor.
“Butthead over there.” Paul started to say.
Noah
picked up one of Paul’s’ clean shirts that Paul had just carried in and threw
it at his brother, “You’re the Butthead that threw my bear all the way on top!”
“Bear?” I said and wished I hadn’t as soon as
the word was past my lips.
Noah
again blushed and Paul, not willing to let the subject pass without taking another
stab at Noah said, “Yea little baby Noah can’t go beddy-bye without his Teddy
Bear!”
As
if he had rocket implants in the soles of his feet Noah launched himself into the air and came down on top of Paul with his
fists flying in from every direction.
“Get
off, you dweeb!” Paul groaned as he tried to fend off Noah’s attack.
“You
promised you’d never tell!” Noah said landing a swinging left into Paul’s
stomach and ending the battle . . . for now.
I
felt really out of place, like I should leave but I also felt like it would be
rude to just walk out. Jamie, who had not even paid any attention to Paul and
Noah was standing beside me playing with the Gameboy, he finally looked up at
me and said, “Don’t worry, they always fight like that!”
I
was concerned for Paul who was curled into a ball on the bed clutching at his
stomach and gasping for air, “You okay?” I asked.
Noah
answered instead, “He’s fine except he’s a butthead!”
A
couple seconds later Paul raised himself up in time to kick Noah in the back,
but it must not have hurt because Noah didn’t even flinch.
“You
jerk! You nearly knocked the air out of me!” Paul then rolled himself off the
bed and stormed out of the room.
“I
think you really hurt him.” I said to Noah.
“No way!” Jamie said, “I seen them fight worst
then that!”
Noah
was still looking a little embarrassed over the Teddy Bear comment but soon got
over it, or at least acted like he did. Noah tried to change the subject,
“Which one you got there?”
“Pokemon
Gold.” Jamie answered without looking up form the game.
As
if it really mattered Noah said, “That one’s mine, you can play it.”
I
noticed that on the wall separating their room from the rest of the apartment there
were two movie-sized posters for Star Wars Episodes 1 and 2 taped to the wall.
“You
like Star Wars?” I asked.
“They
are only the best movies ever!” Noah said.
From
off in the distance came his mothers’ shrill cry. “Noah! Stop hitting your
brother!” to which Noah only rolled his eyes.
Paul
came back into the room later looking as if he might have been crying. “Tattle Tail!” Noah said to him.
Paul
then countered with, “Least I’m not a diaper baby that sleeps with a Teddy Bear
and sucks his thumb!”
I
felt myself flush with embarrassment at those words, “Diaper baby,” and Jamie
surprised me by suddenly whipping the Gameboy at Paul and hitting him right in
the chest.
“Ouch!
Dang Jamie that hurt!” Paul cried out.
Jamie
looked like as if he was seeing red. He positioned himself in front of me as if
protecting me from an impending attack. He had both hands
raised defensively, “You better watch what you say or I’ll bust you right in
the mouth!”
Noah
took a step away form Jamie, Paul was rubbing and holding his chest where the
game had hit him hard and not realizing what he’d just said he asked, “What did
I say?”
Noah
suddenly realized why Jamie was so mad and gave Paul a shove! “You jerk! You
know Simon has to wear Diapers!”
I
couldn’t believe what was being said and all I wanted to do was run away which
is exactly what I did. I was at their front door, shoes in hand before the
three of them caught up to me. With tears streaming down my face I grabbed the
knob and started to turn it but Jamie barged in front of me, effectively
stopping me from opening the door.
“Get
out of my way!” The words flew off my tongue as if strapped to a missile.
“Jamie
wait!” I heard Noah say from behind me.
Seething
I said to Jamie, “You told them!”
Jamie
tried to touch my arm but I batted his hand away, “I only told them so they
wouldn’t say something to embarrass you last night.”
I
don’t think I’ve ever been as mad in my life as I was at that moment. Much like
had happened the morning I had taken on Peter and his friends all by myself I
suddenly lost control and with a single punch to his stomach, Jamie tumbled
over. I turned the doorknob and was out the door and Paul followed me out.
“Simon
stop! Please! I didn’t mean anything by that! I . . .”
he stopped midway though whatever he was going to say when I turned and had a
shoe raised into the air ready to strike him down.
Paul
had his hands raised to try and block me if I chose to swing, “I’m sorry I
wasn’t thinking I was just mad at Noah!” he said.
I
threw my shoe at him and he ducked out of the way. I threw the other and missed
him only by a fraction of an inch. I then turned and ran down the hall and to
the stairs. I expected him to come running after me but I didn’t hear him. I
took the stairs back to Jamie’s floor and was going to go through the door when
I noticed the grate on the wall was not fastened correctly.
Not
really thinking about what I was doing, I took hold of it and it lifted open. I
slipped into the duct behind the grate and lowered it back into place. After
making my way all the way to the big metal door that led to the garden, which I
found was not closed all the way I stepped in to find Becky inside watering the
plants.
I
startled her so much that she screamed when she saw me. “AAAAHHHH!” and dropped
the watering can which hit the concrete floor with a clunk and spilling water
everywhere.
Having
hoped that I would find the place empty so that I could sit myself down for a
good cry and finding that was not going to happen I turned and started to
leave. Becky must have seen that I was crying because she ran over and caught
me by the back of my shirt. “Wait Simon, what’s wrong?” she asked sounding
genuinely concerned.
All
I could say was, “Please let me go!”
She
pulled me back a half a spet, enough that she could get around in front of me,
“What’s the matter?”
“I
just want to be alone, please!” I said before totally breaking down which
didn’t help the way I was feeling given that I didn’t really even know Becky
and didn’t want her to see me crying.
She
stopped trying to get me to tell what was wrong but instead put her arms around
me and patted the back of my head affectionately while I sobbed into her fuzzy
sweater. I suppose it was because Becky is several inches taller then me and
the way she was holding and shushing me that made her seem kind of motherly. I
imagine that is what it must be like to have an older sister to run to.
I
was able to get all my tears out before the two of us were interrupted by the
clank of the metal door being opened again. As it swung open Becky and I had to
move out of the way. She released her embrace and I turned so that my back was
to the door while wiping my eyes and nose on the sleeve of Jamie’s sweatshirt
that Marsha had put on me this morning. In an odd sort of way I felt kind of
good to be wiping my own snot on Jamie’s shirt.
“There
you are!” Noah said as he came in.
“What’s
going on?” Becky asked sounding angry, “Why’s Simon crying?”
Noah
ignored Becky and said, “Simon? We’re sorry! We didn’t mean too, I mean . . .
uh, we shouldn’t have said those things! We weren’t thinking!”
“Why?
What did you say?” Becky asked still sounding mad.
“Becky
would you just shut up for a minute! This has nothing to do with you!” Noah
said in a very nasty way to Becky.
I
heard a thump behind me and then Noah cry out! “Ouch Becky!
What you stomp on my foot for?”
“Because you are a jerk! Now get out
and leave us alone!” Becky said.
“Stop
pushing!” Noah said.
“Out,
and don’t come back!” Becky shouted and then I heard the metal door clank
closed again.
I
felt a hand on my shoulder and then saw Becky’s arm reach around me from behind
and taking hold of my elbow turned me around and embraced me again. “You okay?”
she asked in a soothing voice and I found it remarkable how she could go from
sounding so violent one second and gentle the next.
I
had nearly stopped crying and Becky loosened her grip on me. “You want to talk
about it?” she asked.
I
shook my head no.
“Want
to help me water the plants?” she asked as if talking to a small child.
I
nodded.
“Okay,
I’ll have to go get some more water. Will you be alright while I’m gone?” she
asked as if she were going to be gone more then a few seconds. I remember Jamie
telling me that there was a water faucet in the room with all the pipes and
ducts, which was just on the other side of the storage room.
After
I nodded again she picked up the watering can and went to go fill it up. She was
back after a minute or two but she wasn’t alone. Noah was with her and was
looking very humbled. I also couldn’t help but notice that he was limping
slightly due to Becky having tromped on his foot and he was still only wearing
socks.
“Noah
just told me what happened.” Becky said softly.
I
spun back around so that I did not have to look at either of them, “I don’t
want to talk about it.” I said.
I
could not understand what Becky said next because she said it so softly but
afterward Noah spoke, “Simon?” his voice cracked.
When
I did not respond I heard Becky say, “Noah, tell him or I will do it for you!”
Noah
cleared his throat and said, “Simon, I used to wet the bed too!”
I
heard Becky say, “Tell him the whole truth!” while putting an emphasis on the word whole.
Noah
sighed heavily, “I . . . I still do sometimes!”
When
they had come back into the garden they had not closed the metal door so we
heard when Jamie and Paul were coming through the grate the lead into the
storage room.
I
turned to see that Jamie was the first in, “He’s in here!” he whispered to Paul
who came in too and closed the metal door behind him.
Instead
of addressing me Paul turned to Becky, “We could hear you all the way out by
the stairs! Why didn’t you have this door closed?”
Jamie
spoke up next, “I bet everyone could hear what was being said.”
I
was looking right at Noah when Jamie said that and I saw as every bit of color
washed out of him and he started to look like he was going to pass out or
something. I don’t think any of us expected him to do what he did next. With no
warning whatsoever Noah leaned forward and puked right there on the concrete
floor. The smell quickly overtook the rest of us and I could see everyone
turning various shades of green. Becky went over behind a tall concrete pillar
and opened a window that allowed fresh air to blow in swiftly.
Jamie
and Paul had taken Noah over to the grass to lie down and Becky was trying to
use the watering can to wash the bile down the floor drain a couple feet away.
When she went back out to get more water I slipped out behind her but she
didn’t know it. I managed to hide behind a stack of boxes until she re-entered
the garden room and closed the metal door. I went through the grate, through
the plumbing room, back into the ducts and out the grate by the stairs and made
my way back to Jamie’s apartment.
However
when I reached the door I found it locked and so I had to ring the bell. When
Marsha answered the door she looked a little confused, “Where’s Jamie?” she
asked.
“Oh
he’s still at Paul and Noah’s.” I lied.
Then
a look of understanding came about her, “Oh, you need a change?” she asked.
Now
I honestly had no idea but I figured there was a really good chance that I did
so I nodded that I did. She escorted me to Jamie’s room and when I unbuttoned
and unzipped my pants I saw that I was wet, maybe not wet enough to warrant a
changing just yet, but I went a head and assumed the position on Jamie’s bed
without saying anything.
Marsha
unfastened the tapes to my diaper and without removing it from under me was
cleaning off my front diaper area when the intercom buzzer sounded which I had
learned meant that the security guard down in the front lobby was buzzing up.
“Don’t
go anywhere!” Marsha said with a funny grin and I must admit that it was funny.
Next Installment:
Chapter 8 – Part 2 – A League is Formed and a Toe is Broken
** For the latest news on how each installment is coming along as well as answers to questions asked by other readers and so much more, visit me at www.talkhard.5u.com. As always, your thoughts matter to me very, very much, so please send any comments, questions, suggestions, or criticism to me at: [email protected] and I promise that I will reply personally to everyone that takes the time to write to me! **