This is the continued story of Simon’s Journal.
I would highly recommend you read the first volume of this story, Thirteen Days 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

Chapter - 3

PART 1 – Tuesday, March 02, 2004 – Secrets, lies and Vanishing Cream

I don’t think I have ever dreamt so much in a single night in my whole life. I am sure it was because I’d been reading Lowell’s adventure-filled diaper story, because my own dreams all seemed to be about me in diapers, and taking part in some sort of crazy adventure. The longest dream I had was really beyond weird, and I still don’t know what it was all about. I’d been at some man’s house. I don’t know who he was, but he had a nice home, like they have in Hollywood, with lush green trees all around. We were cooking veggie burgers on the grill out back on the cement patio. I was, of course, only clad in an overly large cloth diaper, and a pair of white with blue striped running shoes-no socks.

Okay, so that’s not so odd, but what was weird was that we were not grilling the veggie burgers for ourselves, but for me to use as I broke into some sort of big office type building with my Mom. For some reason, after I got into the building, Mom and I had to return to the man’s home again, to grill another veggie burger which I was preparing in my hands as we pulled up to his house.

That dream seemed to last the longest, and was by far the weirdest one of the night. I’d also had a couple of others that were more enjoyable. I dreamt that Jamie had moved into our house and was living with us; I don’t know why he’d done this or what happened to his mom, but he and I were both in disposable diapers and sitting on a carpeted floor in a bedroom I’ve never been in before, but in my dream, I think it was my room. He and I were playing with Matchbox cars and cutting out roads from red and pink striped construction paper. That is all there was to that dream. The image in my head of Jamie and I sitting on the floor, playing with our cars, and wearing only diapers, is something I’ll try to hang on to forever. Who knows, maybe the next time he’s over for a weekend visit, I can get him to actually do it with me!

The only other dream worth noting here in my journal was about Peter, Tater, Runt, Bull, and someone else that I knew was there, but couldn’t see his or her face. The six of us were sitting on some old, dirty, wood plank floor, in some equally dirty and dank room. Every last one of us were sitting in disposable diapers except that everyone’s diaper was not white, but a sort of baby blue with green frogs all over them. We were sitting in a semicircle, and were tossing blue and red plastic coins into this baseball glove that was sitting in the middle of the floor. I’ve no idea what sort of game that was, but after everyone had tossed in several of these plastic coins; everyone pointed at Runt while laughing and shouting. Runt stood up, stripped off his diaper, and walked outside. As he opened the door a bunch of snow blew into the room, and we all huddled together to stay warm as we watched the door, waiting for Runt to return. The dream ended right there, and I’ve no idea why Runt had to go outside in the middle of what seemed to be a freezing snow blizzard, while being totally naked.

I just had to write about those dreams before I forgot about them. As soon as I woke up, I climbed from the bottom of my closet, got my E-Journal, and started to write about my dreams. Now that I’m done, I need to go see if Mom or Dad are up because I am really in need of a diaper change. I must have wet an ocean’s worth last night. It’s a good thing Mom put me into a cloth diaper, and not one of the disposables. Otherwise, I would have surely leaked all over the bottom of my closet, and probably stunk up all my clothes that are hanging above me.

It was pretty late in the morning by the time I emerged from my closet and went looking for one or both of my parents to help me get cleaned up. I found that Mom was gone again; she’d gone back over to her sister’s to help care for her and her injured foot. That left Dad and I at home alone again. I found him sitting in his home office; concentrating so hard on what he was working on that when I softly said, “Morning Dad” he nearly had a heard attack.

Laughing, Dad said, “Son, you snuck up on me!”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” I said.

“You look like you need some help there.” Dad said, pointing to my diaper. I’d been holding onto the front of my plastic pants to keep my diaper from just falling right off of me. With a big yawn, I nodded my head, and he left what he’d been working on and escorted me back to my room.

Before I assumed the position on my bed, Dad had me stand beside my bed while he pulled down my plastic pants. My diaper, being so very wet, came down with them. The stale stench of pee hit me in the face like a cold wet glove, but it was Dad that commented on the smell.

“I’d say we’d better get you in the tub this morning for sure!” Dad said, while turning his head to the side.

I gagged at the pungent odor, “Gee-whiz!” I exclaimed, while waving my hands in front of my face to try to dissipate the rank odor.

Once I stepped out of the wet blob as it laid around my feet, I started to turn to go, but Dad had taken hold of my left wrist to stop me. I stopped and turned back to him to find out why he stopped me.

“Don’t you think we should take this off, too?” he asked, with a soft knocking of his knuckle on the plastic that encased my ribcage all the way around.

I rubbed the front of the smooth plastic with my hands, “Oh yeah! Wow! I’d totally forgot that I was wearing it already!”

“Well I guess that’s a good thing!” Dad had said, while pulling at the Velcro straps that held the front and back pieces in place.

“Now, when I take this off, don’t go wiggling around or moving too fast. I don’t want you to hurt yourself again! Just take it nice and slow, even while you are in the shower!” Dad said, as he released the last strap that was over my right shoulder.

“My skin looks funny!” I said, as I saw how pink my chest was after Dad had removed the plastic. My two tiny nipples were super-sensitive to the touch.

Dad stood up with the two halves of my plastic body armor in one hand, my soaked diaper and plastic pants in the other, and said, “I think when we put this back on, I’ll put a little powder inside, and that should help your skin stay dryer.” Then he ushered me off to his bathroom.

Now I walked extra slow as I headed for the bathroom. Though I wasn’t hurting, I could tell that everything felt really delicate, and a picture flashed in my mind of a glass shop and a wild bull running through it, breaking everything in it’s path . Then, the wild Bull turned into Bull, Jasper’s older brother, and I started to giggle to myself.

“What are you laughing at?” Dad asked.

“Oh nothing, I just thought of something funny!” I said back.

When we entered the bathroom, Dad deposed all of my things into the sink and then helped me get into the bathtub. At first I was going to sit down, but I was kind of scared to, so in the end, I just stood there in the tub while Dad washed me all over. As he washed my boyhood parts and my backside, I noticed that it felt different, and not in a good way.

“Humm, you’ve got some redness down here. I think your still having a problem with a rash!” Dad said, and I guessed that was the reason the water and soap seemed to feel, well not bad or painful, just not as soothing as it normally did.

I was only in the tub long enough for Dad to wash me from head to toe. Then he helped me back out of the tub, and dried me off just as if I were his two-year-old little boy again. He wrapped the towel around my shoulders, gave me an angel’s kiss on the nose, then had me stand there while he used the rag he’d washed me with, to wipe my plastic body armor clean. He also cleaned my plastic pants, and left those hanging over the showerhead to dry. My wet diaper he left in the sink, only to later retrieve it, and put it into the washer. It really did smell bad!

Back in my bedroom, I stood next to my bed with the towel still draped over me while Dad went to my dresser and got out the supplies he’d need to get me ready for my day. Sure enough, he put a light sprinkling of baby powder inside the two-pieces of plastic, before refitting them to my torso and strapping them back into place.

It’s really amazing how well these two pieces of plastic protect me. As soon as Dad had strapped it firmly into place, I felt strong and able to move around freely again, without any worry of hurting myself. Except for my breastplate, I stood there before my Dad totally nude, and honestly not ashamed of that fact either. I laid down on my bed, and he put on a lot of the diaper cream this time. It was cold, but as soon as it made contact with the skin of my boyhood region, I felt instant relief. It had a cooling and soothing effect . I spread my legs without being told to do it, so that Dad could get the cream all the way between my legs. One leg at a time, he lifted them into the air and applied the cream. He did the same to my bottom too, and I felt the same cooling feeling back there as well.

I’d not noticed that he’d slipped a diaper under me when he lifted my first leg into the air, and after he had my backside well buttered with the diaper rash cream, I expected him to finish diapering me. However, instead of pulling the diaper up between my legs and pinning it into place, he grabbed the bottle of baby powder. He was just about to put it on me too, but he stopped and looked me in the eye, with a sort of thinking stare. I really had no idea what he was thinking about, but then he looked at the towel, the same one he’d used to dry me with after my bath. He took the towel and said, “Here, put this over your face so you don’t have to breath the powder. I don’t want to trigger another one of your asthma attacks.”

“Good idea!” I said with a tiny giggle, as I attempted to smoother myself with the damp towel.

“Easy! You don’t have to swallow it! Just let it rest over your face.” He said with a small laugh.

I felt the powder going on, and then Dad’s hand spreading it around. When I heard him let out a slight cough, I realized there must be a cloud of powder in the air so I left the towel in place until he removed it after he finished diapering me. When he did finally take the towel away from me again, I saw that he’d put me back into cloth diapers. I was going to ask why, but I realized that I must not be going anywhere today, and he must have figured that this way, he wouldn’t have to change me again for a while. It wasn’t until I tried to stand up, that I realized that he must have put on two of the cloth diapers, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t put my legs together. He went back to my dresser, pulled out a pair of light blue, but clear, plastic pants with red trim around the waist and leg openings. Actually, they were not totally clear; on the front there was an image that was a very futile attempt to make them look like real underwear with a ‘Y’ fly pattern. It actually was kind of silly when I thought about it, but I didn’t say anything to Dad. I just kept it to myself. At first, when Dad held them out for me to step into, I wondered if they would fit over a double diaper, but as Dad pulled them up, they encased the thick diaper just fine.

“There we go, you ready for breakfast now?” he asked, patting my diapered butt hard enough for me to feel it through the heavy cloth diapers.

“Hey!” I complained at getting swatted so hard. Dad only grinned back at me.

Having Dad put me in extra thick cloth diapers, than not offering me any clothes to wear, sort of confused me, but at the same time, after all those diaper dreams I’d had last night and having begun to read Lowell’s teenbaby story, I was kind of getting into all of the babyish attention and treatment. I literally had to waddle down the hallway and into the kitchen; it was completely impossible for me to walk normally with my legs being held open so wide by the double cloth diaper between my thighs. Actually, since the cloth diapers Mom got have multiple layers of cotton fabric sown into the middle of them, I’m actually wearing not just two layers of cloth but several. I’ve no idea how many, but I know it sure is a lot!

For breakfast Dad fried us both up some bacon and made two cheese omelets with toast, orange juice, and milk. I must have been ravenously hungry, though I didn’t feel like I was when I started eating, because I ate every last bite of my food, drank all of my orange juice and milk and also had a second glass of milk. Dad served my breakfast beverages in two of my sipper cups that Mom got me to use so that I wouldn’t spill drinks in my room. It was becoming normal for me to have all of my drinks in my sipper cups, no matter if I was at the table, in my room, or anywhere else in the house for that matter.

The two of us talked about different stuff while we ate. Dad listed several things he had to do for work today, and I figured I was going to have to entertain myself while he worked in his home office. Actually, I didn’t mind, I had several things I wanted to do myself and most of them required privacy!

After breakfast, I helped Dad clean up and commented on the mess he’d made while cooking. “If Mom was here and saw this, she’d be mad!” I’d said.

“Well she’s not here, and probably won’t be until dinner time!” was Dad’s comeback.

With the kitchen cleaned up again, we split up and went to our respective ends of the house. I again had to waddle my way back to my room, where I booted up my computer and signed on to check my email. The first one I opened was from Jasper and it said.

Simon – I’m home from school still today. Both Dad and Bull are home now too. Lots to talk with you about but no time right now. I’ll try to email you later. Can we talk on IM?

Jasper

And that is all there was to Jasper’s email. I honestly thought about writing him back, but this time I listened to that little voice inside my head and chose to just close his email and move on to the next.

Aside from a lot of spam emails I had one from Mike, two from Jamie my brother, and five from Lowell.

Since I had so many from Lowell, I thought that there might be a problem, so I read his emails first.

I can’t sleep! Did you finish the first chapter? What did you think of it? Write me back as soon as you are finished! – Lowell

The second, third, and fourth, were nearly the same, though the words were slightly different. He’d sent the fourth one at 1:13 AM according to the time stamp on the email header. The fifth and last email from him was from this morning at 6:01 AM.

Simon!!!!!! You had better be still reading and not sleeping, or I’m going to put live worms in your diaper! PLEASE write me and tell me what you thought of the first chapter of my story!!!!!!!! – Lowell

I couldn’t help but laugh at how desperate he sounded, and though the little devil in me thought about leaving him hanging a while longer, I didn’t want to risk damaging our fragile new friendship. I also was dieing to read the next chapter of his story myself, which he said he wouldn’t send until I emailed him when I finished the first one. So I started an email to him.

Good Morning Baby Lowell,

I hope you slept well last night. Ha Ha! Actually, I can tell from all of your emails that you are probably super tired right now since you didn’t sleep much, if any, last night! Okay, I won’t keep you waiting and freaking out any long. Now don’t get mad at me, I did manage to finish chapter one last night before I went to sleep. I printed it out on regular paper and read it in secret.

As I was writing the email, it occurred to me that I’d left those printed pages laying in my closet. I thought it might be a good idea to get them, and hide them away, out of sight of Mom and Dad. The last thing I’d want to do is have them read it, and then end up getting Lowell and his family into trouble.

I folded the pages in half, and put them into one of the books on the highest shelf, where I knew no one would ever find them, not even my snoopy brother Jamie! As I was climbing down off my desk chair, my elbow bumped a couple books off from one of the lower shelves. They fell to the floor with a fairly loud crash and thump. Luckily, Dad was far enough away in his home office that he didn’t hear it, or at least I think he didn’t, since he didn’t come to see if I was okay.

As I was picking the books back up something fell out of one of them and when I saw what it was, I nearly fell over from shock! It was the money Runt had given me, it was my share of the money they had stolen from the convince store that one night when I’d snuck out of the house and was in the car with them.

In a panic, I fell to my knees and started to gather all the money up and was stuffing it frantically back into the Bible that I’d hid it in all those days ago. Now sweating bullets, I sat back in my desk with my head in my hands, still unable to believe that I had forgotten all about that money! Just knowing now that it was up there, made me feel like someone might find out and that I’d end up in even more trouble than I already am.

I looked up at the computer screen, and at the email I’d not yet finished to Lowell. My mind was racing and I couldn’t think anymore. I read and reread what I had wrote, but the harder I tried to concentrate on writing the email, the harder it became to not think about the money. I finally just clicked the [Save Draft] button, so I wouldn’t lose what I’d already wrote, and clicked off the power to the screen without logging out of my email, or turning off the computer.

I went over and sat on the side of my bed, my eyes kept drifting to the Bible stuffed with stolen money. After several minutes of teetering on the edge of a total Red-Alert Freak-Out, I finally stood up, grabbed the Bible, and slipped back into the bottom of my closet where I closed myself in. I still had my little flashlight so once I turned it on; I wasn’t totally in the dark anymore. When I opened the Bible the money started to fall out again so I gathered it all into my hands and while holding the flashlight with my mouth I started to count it.

Most of it was small bills, ones, fives, and tens but there were a few twenties as well. The higher I counted the harder it became to breath and for the first time I started to feel that my closet was too small and was getting smaller by the second. When I counted the last bill I sat motionless as I stared down at the money, my flashlight dropping due to the fact that my jaw was nearly resting on my diaper!

“Three hundred and fifty-seven dollars?” I heard myself squeak out, “Three hundred and fifty-seven dollars was my share? I tried to do the math in my head as to how much that would be if all of us got equal shares but my brain was locked up and I just couldn’t figure it out.

“But convenience stores don’t have that kind of money.” I whispered to the money as if I expected the faced on each bill to start talking back to me. Heck, even if they had, I don’t think I could have been any more scared or excited at that minute.

Then a thought occurred to me. What if they felt so guilty about nearly killing me that night that they gave me, not only my share, but the entire stash from the heist? “Heist?” I said aloud, “Geeze get a little stolen money and you’re suddenly effing Al Capone!”

Okay, so I was not only talking to the money, but I was also talking to myself! That doesn’t make me crazy . . . does it?

Abruptly there was a knock at my closet door. Not knowing what to do I quickly stuffed the money into my diaper and acted as though I’d been reading. Before opening my closet door, I plucked the flashlight out of my mouth.

“You okay in there?” Dad asked.

“Yeah I’m fine! I am just reading?” I said but I could also tell that the tone of my voice was filled with alarm.

“You reading something scary?” he asked.

“Ah, um, I am reading ah . . .” I stammered.

“Oh, is that your grandma’s old Bible? I had forgot she’d given that to you!” he said.

And taking his cue, “Yeah! I was just reading her Bible!”

“Oh well, that’s good!” he said with a smile, and I knew I was in the clear.

“I need to run to the office for a few minutes. Do you want to come with me?” he asked.

Relieved that he changed the subject I answered, “You mean I can stay home if I want to?”

He got a serious look on his face, “Maybe I should have phrased that differently.”

“You mean I need to get off my duffus, get dressed cause I have to go to your office with you.” I stated or him.

“You got it!” he said with a grin.

“Do we have to?” I whined.

“Yeah we have to!” he whined back.

“Can’t Mom come home while you are gone?” I tried to bargain with him.

“She’s helping your aunt!” he said.

I looked down at my diaper, “Dad, I don’t want to go out like this!”

He screwed up his face and scratched at his head before saying, “Guess we’d better get you changed again then!”

“Ah Dad! Why can’t I just say home? I been in here all morning by myself and I didn’t need any help with nothing and I have been just fine! Can I PLEASE stay here?” I begged.

“I really don’t think you should be alone.” He said as if he was still thinking about it.

“You mean you don’t trust me anymore!” I said and no sooner had I said it than I started to regret it.

Dad’s face dropped and I thought I saw a hint of anger but then he said, “Alright, I’ll only be gone for about fifteen minutes; twenty tops!”

“Can you bring me home some McDonalds?” I said excitedly.

“No I can’t bring you home some McDonalds! But I might stop and get myself some!” he teased but I chose not to play along.

“If you need anything, call me on my cell phone!” he said.

“On your old phone or the new one you got yesterday?” I asked.

He plucked his new phone from off the clip on his belt and wiggled it in the air, “It doesn’t matter; the number is still the same.”

“Okay!” I said.

“And . . .” he started to say but I cut him off.

“I won’t open the doors, start any fires, or leave the house! I won’t even leave my room!” I said with a smirk.

“Smart-aleck!” he said quickly, closing my closet door before I could say anything else.

I sat listening to him leave and just before I heard the backdoor slide shut, he called back, “Simon, I’m leaving now!”

I slid open my closet door to shouted back, “OKAY, BYE! I LOVE YOU!”

I went a head and crawled out of the bottom of my closet and watched out of my window as Dad pulled out of our drive and headed down the hill away from our house and toward his office.

When I knew the coast was clear, I quickly went back to my closet, picked the Bible back up and went to my desk to retrieve the money from my diaper. However, as I reached into the front of my diaper I found, very much to my shock and surprise, that I’d wet myself already this morning. Pulling open the front of my plastic pants, I looked down and the front of the outer diaper still looked dry but I was sure the inside was wet. Wet enough that as I pulled out the money it felt slightly damp too.

Something inside of me just wouldn’t let me put pee dampened money into a Bible so I returned the Bible to the shelf. Pulled every last bill from my diaper and laid it out on my desk to dry for a couple minutes while I went to the kitchen to get a Ziplock sandwich bag to put the money into.

Once back in my room I sorted the money into a single stack by denominations, the biggest bills on the bottom and then by folding the stack in half I was able to stuff it all into the baggy.

“Now where to hide this?” I thought aloud.

“Got to be somewhere no one would ever think to look?” I continued to reason.

Suddenly it occurred to me to not hide it in my room at all, but elsewhere in the house. After all anyone that thought I might have it would think to look for it in the only place on this planet that I consider mine and that’s my room.

I went out to the living room and slowly turned around in a small circle as I tried to think where best to hide it. I knew it needed to be somewhere that Mom and Dad were not likely to innocently look and find it. Yet I needed somewhere that would be easy for me to get to if I needed without anyone realizing what I was doing.

My small creative mind was working overtime as it spat out idea after idea and then shot each one down almost as fast as it was coming up with them. Tape it to the bottom of the coffee table – no that won’t work, someone lying on the floor watching TV might see it. Hide it under Dad’s chair – no what if Mom goes on one of her cleaning fits? The thoughts kept coming like that, one after the other until it finally occurred to me that the living room was not such a good place and I needed to look elsewhere. I moved on to the kitchen where I rummaged through the cabinets, through the refrigerator and freezer. For a few seconds I thought about putting the money all the way in the back of the freezer but I realized that with my luck, Mom would decide it was time to clean out the freezer and would then find the money.

I had just started to head for the laundry room when one of my previous ideas came back to me, Tape it to the bottom of the coffee table! Then out loud I said, “Not the table but the bathroom sink! No one would ever, not in a million years think to look there!”

So that is exactly what I did! I found a roll of duct-tape in the utility drawer in the kitchen, which was only called that because it had just about everything that didn’t have a proper place anywhere else in the house. I made sure it was stuck real good and firm. I wanted no chance of it coming loose over time and dropping down to the bottom of the vanity cabinet.

I returned to my room and was surprised when I heard the backdoor opening. “Wow, did it take me that long to find a hiding place?” I thought quietly but still aloud. “Quiet Simon!” I chastised myself.

“I’m back!” Dad shouted.

“Wow that was fast!” I shouted back.

“You alright?” he shouted again.

“Yep!” I sent back.

“I’ll be in my office if you need me!” he said.

“Okay!” I said back and then listened to be sure he didn’t suspect anything and did go into his office as he said he was going too.

“Whew, that was close!” I breathed a sign of relief.

I started to walk toward my desk and as I took a step, I heard my computer go ‘DING’ which meant I just received a new email. I moved quicker for my desk, clicked on the screen again and looked at my email. I’d just got a new email but it wasn’t from anyone that I recognized. At first I thought it was probably spam so I ignored it and finished my letter back to Lowell.

I know you are going crazy waiting for me to tell you if I liked it or not, but I’m not going to tell you. If you want to know how I really felt about it, you have to come over after you get out of school today and then I will tell you! Mawhhhhhhh!

Your friend, Simon

As soon as I sent Lowell the email I looked at the one that had come in moments before and something made me click to open it instead of deleting it. Boy was I glad I did choose to open it since it turned out to be an email from Bull. He’d gone online and setup a new email address on one of the free web-based email services online.

Simon – I hope you are reading this and didn’t delete it before hand. This is Bull, for real! I know the email address says ‘John Smith’ but I promise it is me. I just thought that with everything that is going on, it probably is better that no one should know that we are writing. Jasper gave me your email address and helped me to set this up. I have to confess that I don’t know a lot about computers but Jasper sure does. I really hope you don’t mind me writing to you and I will not write too much in this first email. I will wait to see if you write back and let me know if it is truly all right for me to send emails to you. ~Bull

Maybe it was because my emotions were working on overdrive just as this email came in after having only just found the money and got it restated all within a few minute time. Maybe that is why, without really giving it any thought I wrote Bull back right away.

Dear Bull,

Yes, it would be great if you could write to me though I am honestly wondering if you are mad at me!

Simon

Knowing that I was doing something that I knew was going to eventually get me into more trouble, the instant I clicked the [SEND] button I started to feel guilty. However, I only had a couple of minutes to brood on it before another email from Bull appeared.

Hi again Simon – Glad you are online right now. Wish we could talk face-to-face but this will do for now and NO, I don’t hate you and I’m not mad at you. I’ll explain more later, I want to send this so that you know I’m online still too. ~Bull

I quickly sent a second reply.

Bull,

I am glad you don’t hate me for calling the police. I wish we could talk too. It would be easier than this is now. So how are things over there? Do you know that Runt is okay now? If you want I can tell you everything I know so far but it’s not much.

Simon

I sent the message and waited for his reply but it didn’t show up as quickly as his last response had and I was just about to give up and check later when it finally did appear in my Inbox.

Simon – It’s not safe right now to write anything else. Moms on my ass. Any chance you would meet me somewhere to talk later this evening or tonight? I can’t drive though; Mom took my car keys away from me. ~Bull

As I read and then reread his email I felt the creepings of fear beginning to take hold of me again. I’m not stupid; I know that Bull might just be trying to get me out of the house so he can exact his revenge.

I decided to send the following reply.

Bull,

I really wish we could meet but I don’t think it is such a good idea, not yet anyway. I’m only just beginning to be able to get around on my own after the working over Peter gave me. Also, if I was caught sneaking out of the house, I’d never see the light of day again. My parents know everything now including the time I snuck out and had you and the other guys help me go see my brother that one night. They would ground me and lock me in my room for the rest of my life if I tried to pull that sort of thing again! I think it’s better that we stick to emails until things cool down a little. When you are able to email, let me know how you and everyone are and ask any questions you might have.

Simon

After sending my last reply I didn’t expect to get another email back right away but I did. It was very short though.

Simon – I understand. Will write you when I can. Thanks for not shutting me out! ~ Bull

Ps. Expect an email from Tater too.

“Expect as email from Tater too????” I thought to myself, “So they have been talking to each other.” And as those words rang in my head vision of the two of them locked in a cell together played out on the view screen of my mind until I shook my head to clear out all those thoughts. To distract myself from thinking about Bull and Tater, I went on to read my other emails and the next few emails I read were basic stuff until I got to Mike’s email.

Simon – My little sister and I are going to be leaving to go stay with my aunt and uncle for a while. They have a computer so I should still be able to write back and forth with you and I will still be able to see you at school. I will tell you when I see you at school or the next time I email you why we have to go but I am sure you have already guessed. My brother is home. He has been in his room since he got home today. I have not even seen him. Yes, I know that my Mom came over to your house, she told so and said you are feeling lots better. She also said that your parents are going to take you to see a Psychologist. Don’t be scared to talk with them I have been seeing one for about a year now and it helps to talk with them.

Mike’s email went on for a while but I honestly have no idea what else it said even though I read it through twice. I was thrown for such a loop over, ‘She also said that your parents are going to take you to see a Psychologist,’ that I could think of nothing else but that. Thoughts like, “Why didn’t they tell me?” and “Do they think I am crazy?” kept flashing around in my head like streaks of lightning through a dark storm filled sky.

I closed out of my email and shut down my computer before going in search of Dad to ask him if it was true about the Psychologist. I found him still sitting at his desk typing away at his computer.

“Dad?” I said soft enough so I would not startle him as I’d done the last time I’d come into his home office.

“Oh there you are!” he said smiling and turning his chair toward me.

“You ready for lunch?” he asked.

“Lunch?” I thought, and then considered, ”Why was Mike emailing and saying he was home from school already if it was only just lunch time?” I shook the thoughts from my head and said, “Yeah I think I’m hungry!”

“Okay, what would you like?” he asked but I wasn’t really listening. I was trying to figure out the best way to ask him about what Mike had said.

“Simon?” Dad called my name to snap me out of my thoughts.

“Huh?” I said not realizing I’d let my thoughts take me away like that.

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked and before I could answer, he’d stood up and placed his hand on my forehead.

“Dad!” I said pushing his hand away, “I’m fine!”

“You’re not acting fine.” He said with a slight scowl.

“Can I ask you something?” I said looking down at my shoes.

Realizing I was being serious, he put his two fingers under my chin and lifted my head up so that I was looking him in the eye. “What’s on your mind?”

“Do you think I’m crazy?” I asked and the words nearly jammed in my throat on the way out.

“What on earth made you think something like that?” he asked.

I turned my head to the side to free my chin from his two fingers and so I could once again look down, away from his gaze.

“Simon?” Dad said so softly that it didn’t sound like him at all.

Without looking at him I answered, “What?”

“Simon!” he said even softer and this time on my own I looked into his eyes. He was crying as he squatted down to my level and said, “You are not crazy, or sick, or demented or anything else you might be think about yourself! You are a very good, very normal boy that just happened to get mixed up in things that you should never have had to deal with. And I am so very sorry that I failed to keep you away from those things.”

Our eyes stayed locked, almost searching each other’s eyes for a good minute before I said, “Spaghetti-O’s!”

“What?” Dad said with no small amount of confusion.

“That’s what I want for lunch.” I said.

He got a really serious look and said, “Did you hear what I just said?”

I nodded my head but he got the idea that I didn’t want to talk about it anymore just then even thought I didn’t get the answer I had come looking for.

Dad found a can of Spaghetti-O’s and got it down from the cabinet for me. He let me open and dump it into a bowl and then placed it in the microwave.

“You got it from here?” he asked heading back to his office without my reply.

I answered with a solid, “Yep!” and just before he was about to vanish from my sight I spewed out, “Are you going to make me see a shrink?”

You’d have thought I had thrown a ten-ton bolder at him the way he stumbled. He turned around and looked just as shocked as if I had really thrown the bolder.

“Well are you?” I asked again with just a little too much attitude but my temper had flared up without me knowing it right away.

I was sure he was going to say something about my tone or ask me how I knew but he didn’t do either, instead he walked back toward me and said, “I really think it would help if you talked with someone!”

I glanced into the Microwave at my lunch before asking, “Do I gotta?”

Dad nodded as he said, “I do think it’s a good idea.”

“But what if I don’t want to?” I said with my focus fully on the microwave so that I didn’t have to look at him.

“What say we give it a try?” he asked and without missing a beat I asked back, “So we’re all going?”

I glanced over at him and he shot me a cold stare that said I was venturing into dangerous ground. I looked back at my food and added, “I will if I have to but I really don’t want to.”

He continued to stare at me for several more seconds until the microwave dinged that my Spagetti-O’s were ready and without saying another word he turned around and went back to his office. I could tell I’d made him mad and that he was trying really hard not to react to my taunting. But I kind of wish he would have . . . I guess that’s kind of morbid to think like that.

I took my Spaghetti-O’s from the microwave and sat them on the table before crossing the kitchen to get a spoon out of the drawer. On my way back to the table I took the empty can and dropped it into the trash and sat at the kitchen table all by myself and eat.

After I had finished my lunch and had deposited my bowl in the sink, I got a cold soda out of the fridge and pored about half the can into one of my sipper cups before going to the living room, clicking on the television and watched a really good movie, even if it was an older one.

The movie was called Ensign Pulver. It was about this guy that was in the Navy and had this really mean ship’s Captain. There were all kinds of funny little pranks and jokes all through the movie and I guess a little more than halfway through the flick I realized that I was wetting myself as I sat there. I think that might have been the first time that I had taken the time to react to the fact that I was wetting myself anytime and anywhere without really knowing I was doing it and it bothered me quite a bit. Looking down I could see through the plastic pants I was wearing that the front of my diaper was defiantly showing the signs that I was wet. I spent the last half of the movie slipping between laughing and worry; I was laughing at the insanity of the movie and worry for the fact that I was not becoming dependent on my diapers but was already 100% dependent on them.

“Can someone become un-potty trained?” I whispered to myself.

When the movie was over, I spent quite a while just flipping through the channels, not really paying attention to what was on, but really just thinking and quietly talking to myself. “How am I going to be ready to go back to school next week? I’ll probably wet my pants before first period is over!”

My one-sided conversation went on like that for longer than I had realized. It was not until I heard Mom coming in through the backdoor that I grasped that I had been sitting there for most of the afternoon.

“Hi sweetheart!” she said when she saw me sitting there on the sofa watching TV and wearing nothing but an extra thick diaper. Oh, and I did notice that she had looked right at my extra-thick diaper even though she didn’t say a single thing about it.

“Hi Mom, how’s Aunt Catherine?” I asked though really I didn’t much care how she was.

“The doctor said it will be a couple of weeks before she can put any weight on her foot.” Mom said as she pulled off her coat.

Dad came out from his office, “Welcome home my lovely wife!” he’d said to Mom as he gave her more than just a peck on the lips. I managed to shield my eyes from most of the spectacle. From the way they were going at it, I could guess they must have made up last night after their big argument.

“Do you want me to go to my room so you can have some privacy?” I said very derogatorily.

“Alright, stop now! The boy’s watching!” Mom said and I noted that I’d gone from being ‘Sweetheart’ to ‘the boy’ in less than two minutes.

“How’s your sister?” Dad asked her.

“I was just telling Simon that the doctor said she’ll have to stay off her foot for at least two weeks.” Mom said as she handed her coat to Dad.

As Dad took Mom’s coat from her something occurred to me for the first time, “Hey wait a second!” I said a little louder than I meant to. “If you wrecked the van, how are you getting back and forth to Aunt Catharine’s?”

Mom smiled, “Motorcycle!” she said and Dad snorted with laughter. Mom spun around and smacked him on his bare arm for laughing at her that way.

“That’s a sight I’d pay money to see!” Dad said still laughing heartily and trying to block his arm from another blow.

“No really?” I said.

“I’ve got your Auntie’s car.” Mom said.

And I nearly said, “That piece of trash car?” but I was able to swallow the words back down before they got past my teeth.

“Oh that looked painful!” Dad said looking across the room at me.

I only smiled because Mom had not seen it but she was looking at me now. She gave me a knowing look and went on to say to Dad, “Do you remember Millicent Bulstrode?”

Dad cringed as if Mom had just said something very foul and loathsome. Mom smiled, “I’ll take that as a yes!” and she went on to say, “Millicent is going to take some time off from work to come stay with Catharine too.

“Too?” Dad asked.

“We’re going to take turns going over to help Catharine until she’s able to get back on her feet.” Mom finished.

When Mom stopped I asked, “Who’s Millicent Bulstrode?”

Dad got a very evil grin on his face, “Remember the red hair and painted on eyebrows?”

And that was all he had to say to me and I knew he was talking about the lady from his office that had stopped me and talked to me when I was taking the folder to Mr. Kutter.

“OH! THAT’S WHO THAT WAS!” I shouted, “Millicent Bulstrode, from the church bazaar last summer!” I said and Dad again cringed as I said her name.

Millicent Balstrode is one of the biggest busybodies this side of the Mississippi and probably in all of North America, including Canada! She’s one of those women that can take a little tiny bit of nothing-news about a person and weave it into one of the biggest scandals since Clinton and that dress!

I made a face as if I’d just ate something quite fowl, “I didn’t know she worked in your office!”

“Has been for about a year now!” he said with a mock shiver of revulsion.

“Oh, she’s not that bad!” Mom said in defense of Millicent.

Dad and I both rolled our eyes.

“Well at any rate, she won’t be here, she’ll be helping over at Catharine’s.” Mom gave Dad a poke in the middle of his chest with her fingernail and from the look Dad gave her, it hurt.

“There’s a scary thought!” I said not realizing I’d actually said it.

“What is?” Mom said rounding on me with her finger still extended as if she were going to shoot me with it.

I managed to back peddle as fast as I could, “Huh? What’s what?”

Dad was standing behind her giving me the ‘Kill it’ sign by dragging his hand across his throat like a knife. I got the message loud and clear.

Mom just glared at me and said, “What?”

However, I made as if I were locking my lips closed and threw the key over my shoulder. Mom said, “Yeah and you better button it too!”

“At least . . .” Dad started to say but the phone rang and he stopped to answer it.

“Yello?” he said into the phone and then looked right at me, “It’s for you.” He said.

“Oh cool!” I said getting up off the couch.

“Is that thing helping?” Mom asked as I walked past here and she patted my plastic encased back.

“Yeah, lots!” I said taking the phone from Dad.

I put it up to my ear and said, “Hello?”

“Hi Simon, it’s me!” I recognized BJ’s voice right away.

“Oh hi BJ!” I said back.

“Bad news! I can’t come over today.” BJ said right off the bat.

“Why not? Too much homework?” I asked.

“Na, nothing like that. It’s my parents; they think that I might get kidnapped like those kids on the news.” BJ said.

“Oh man!” I said and turned my back to Mom and Dad to let them know I wanted to talk in private. They both went back to their room, I presumed so that Mom could change.

I continued talking with BJ, “That really sucks!”

“Tell me about it!” BJ said, “It’s probably better anyway, I have a lot of homework again!”

“I thought you just said you didn’t have homework?” I asked.

“Did I? Sorry, I didn’t mean I didn’t ‘cause I sure do!” BJ corrected.

“Yeah, I’m probably going to be buried in it when I go back to school next week.” I said.

“So you are for sure coming back to school next week then?” BJ asked.

“If the doctor says I can.” I answered.

“I hope so, it’s not the same there without you around.” BJ said.

“Wow, thanks!” I said.

“It’s true!” BJ added and then said, “If you need help with your homework, just let me know! Since I will probably have already done all mine and should know all the answers!”

“Oh sure, you say that now but when I come asking, you will say that helping me is cheating!” I said.

BJ laughed, “Would not!”

BJ and I talked for another ten minutes or so. He confirmed Mike’s story of all the security guards at school and how there have been people talking and saying stuff about me but I told him I don’t much care what others are saying. That wasn’t entirely true but what could I do about it stuck here at home?

No sooner had I hung up from talking with BJ than the phone rang again and nearly scared the life out of me. Heck, I’d not even let go of the phone yet when it rang.

When I got a hold of myself again I shouted back toward Mom and Dad, “I GOT IT!”

I picked it back up and put it to my ear again, “Hello?” I said.

“SIMON!” Lowell screamed into my ear.

“Lowell dang! You scared the crap out of me twice!” I screeched back.

“Twice?” Lowell asked through a fit of giggles and I told him about me hanging up the phone after talking with BJ and then it started ringing before I could take my hand off of it.

“I got your email! Is it still cool to come over?” Lowell asked and boy did he sound excited.

“Hang on, I’ll ask.” I said before pulling the phone away from my mouth as I shouted, “MOM IS IT OKAY FOR LOWELL TO COME OVER?”

She shouted back, “Ask if he wants to stay for dinner too!”

“Mom says yes! Do you want to stay for dinner too?” I said back into the phone.

Without answering me or taking the phone away from his mouth he screamed, “MOM THEY INVITED ME FOR DINNER TOO! CAN I?”

“Dang Lowell! Blow my eardrum out why don’t you!” I said.

Lowell laughed, “Sorry about that! Mom said she don’t care! Dad’s going to drop me off in about fifteen minutes, I mean if that’s okay.”

“That would be perfect, it will give me time to get some clothes on!” I said.

“What? Are you naked?” Lowell asked and it sounded like he was trying to tease or be funny.

“Noooo! I’m not naked, but I don’t have on pants and a shirt!” I said feeling myself blush a little.

“You only wearing a diaper?” he asked in a near whisper.

I whispered back as if to mock him, “Why are you whispering?”

He laughed and whispered again, “I don’t know but don’t avoid the question!”

“Yes!” is all I said back.

“Yes what?” he asked.

“Yes Sir?” I joked.

“Holy diaper bags! I got to see this! I’ll be right there!” And before I could say anything else I heard him slamming the phone down which again killed my ear.

Now there was no way I was going to be wearing only a diaper when Lowell got to the house. I mean what if his Dad decided to come in too?

I knew that none of my clothes would fit over the heavy double-layer of diapers Dad had put me into so I went in search of either Mom or Dad to change me really fast so that I could put on some regular clothes.

I didn’t make it half way down the hallway when I heard sounds coming from behind their closed bedroom door. At first I didn’t know what it was and I thought they were arguing again but I dismissed that idea almost instantly as it didn’t sound like arguing. I moved up to the door and listened but heard no words, only a sort of caveman grunting and that’s when I realized what they were doing in there. I ran to my room, slammed the door, and covered my ears while humming loudly to myself.

Next Installment:

Chapter 3 – Part 2 – The continuation of ‘Secrets, lies and Vanishing Cream

** 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! **