With the new clothes, and encouragement from his parents, Randy’s confidence gradually returned over the course of the summer. He quickly became good at diapering himself, though he needed plenty of room to do so. His one persistent problem was loneliness. Try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to face his friends. Many of them were on holidays, and those kids who’d stayed at home were not his favourites. One Saturday in early August, he got a surprise.

The family had finished breakfast, and Randy was tidying his room, when the doorbell sounded. Grace hurried to answer it. Seconds later, she called up the stairs.

"Randy, you have a visitor."

"Oh no!" Randy thought, "I’m in for it now!"

Feeling nervous, he descended the stairs. Then he stopped dead, eyes and mouth wide open. There, beside his mum, stood Barry Hiller! He wore a cream singlet and black cycling shorts that did nothing to hide his diaper.

"Barry!" Randy exclaimed.

"Surprise!" Barry laughed. "It’s my day off today, and I thought I’d drop in and see how you were doing. I like to do that with my newer customers."

"How did you find the house?" Randy asked.

"Wolfe isn’t a common name in these parts," Barry answered, bending down to untie his cycling shoes.

They went in to the living room and Grace went to the kitchen to fix drinks.

"How can you stand wearing those tight pants?" Randy asked.

"I’m used to it now," Barry explained, "but when I first learned that I’d be confined to diapers, I felt the same way you did. I didn’t even like to mention the word, never mind let anyone see them. Eventually, I got over my fears. When I’m at home, I often go around in just diapers, especially at this time of year. Plastic pants can be awfully hot."

"What did your friends think?" asked Randy.

"Most of them were too glad to see me alive to care much about what I wore," Barry replied. "I was very lucky there. The trouble now is, many girls seem to want to baby me. That’s my big beef. I don’t mind the diapers now, but I won’t be treated like some overgrown baby!"

Randy couldn’t entirely suppress a giggle. Barry was a strong, athletic man, almost a white version of his own father. When he’d recovered, he asked the question that had been nagging him for some time.

"How will I tell my friends about my diapers?

Grace came through from the kitchen as he spoke. "That’s what we’ve been wondering," she said as she poured cold fruit punch. "Any ideas, Barry?"

Barry sipped his punch, thinking hard. How was he to answer this one?

"Well," he said at length, "my advice would be to tell the truth if anyone asks you. I know it sounds scary, but if you try to hide it, kids’ll make a greater effort to find out. As for what they’ll think, I haven’t the faintest idea. Hopefully they’ll understand."

"I’m sure some will," Grace said, "but most kids these days are so cruel and selfish! I can’t think why they behave so horribly around anyone who’s different."

She told Barry about the large-eared girl she’d known in high school. Anger flashed in Barry’s gray eyes as he listened.

"That’s the worst case of shunning I ever heard!" he exclaimed. "Think of teasing a kid for something she couldn’t help. I wonder how she is now."

"I haven’t seen her since we graduated," Grace answered, "but she was so much happier after her ears were fixed. I even heard her telling some of her tormentors that she’d attach big lobes to their ears if she only knew how. Then she’d take pictures and show them to everyone if they didn’t leave her alone."

"That’d be easy enough to do with diapers," Barry observed, winking at Randy.

At last, the first day of school arrived. Randy was entering sixth grade. This morning, he showered carefully to remove any lingering smell of urine, put on a fresh diaper with blue plastic pants, and a pair of navy walking shorts he’d saved for the day. With this, he wore a smart cream polo shirt. Looking in the mirror, he could see the bulge of the diaper. Well, he’d have to face the kids and hope for the best.

Shane dropped Randy off on the way to an early house call. Randy went straight to the nurse with a note from Dr. Shermann explaining his situation. The nurse read it over then gave him a pitying look.

"Will you be needing any help?" she asked in an annoyingly condescending voice.

"No thanks," answered Randy. "I can manage by myself if there’s anywhere I can change in private."

A look of disappointment flashed across the nurse’s face. Randy had a strong suspicion she’d been hoping he’d say "yes," thus giving her an excuse to baby him, or something equally embarrassing.

"Fine," she said, "you’ll be responsible for your own changes. One thing though, you’ll have to use disposables."

"Why?" Randy asked, surprised. "I only wet my diapers. I never poop, and I go–"

"I’m sorry," the nurse interrupted, "it’s for sanitary reasons."

Randy was in a pinch. He was wearing a cloth diaper now, and hadn’t any disposables at all. Since he lived very close to the school, he’d be going home for lunch. That would allow him to change before returning to school. That first day, it wasn’t an issue, as it was only a half day. At dinner that evening, however, Randy told his parents of the nurse’s rule.

"Did you tell her you come home for lunch?" Grace asked.

"I tried," Randy answered, "but she wouldn’t listen."

Shane and Grace exchanged glances. "Couldn’t you bring a few disposables home from the hospital?" Shane asked, "at least until we can buy some?"

"I can try," Grace replied, "But if Randy’s coming home for lunch, I can’t see what’s bothering the nurse. How often do you think you’ll be changing?" she asked, turning to her son.

Randy thought. "Probably at recess and lunch," he said, "and maybe after PE."

"In that case," Grace suggested, "Why not bring your used diaper home in a plastic bag when you come for lunch? You could do the same after school."

"What about the smell?" Randy wondered.

"That shouldn’t be a problem if the bag’s tied tight," Shane assured him.

So the next day, Randy went to school with a clean diaper and a travel-pack of unscented wipes in his backpack.

At first, things went smoothly. Randy changed at recess, using the wheelchair-accessible cubicle in the boys’ washroom. The smell from his backpack when he took the used diaper home at lunch was hardly noticeable and he didn’t have to go near the nurse. In PE, there was some staring, but that was all. He was glad he’d chosen plastic pants that so closely resembled underwear. From a distance, you couldn’t tell if he was wearing a diaper.

It was late in September when problems began. Two new students had joined the class; a tough-looking, red-haired boy; and a hard-faced blonde girl. Randy suspected they were twins or perhaps cousins, since they always seemed to be together when he saw them. He noticed too, that the boy kept staring at him when a teacher wasn’t looking. One Tuesday, as the recess buzzer sounded, Randy fetched his diaper as usual, and headed for the washroom. As he reached the door, he found that the nosy red-head had followed him.

"Hey!" the red-head called as Randy entered the washroom. "What have you got in that bag?"

Randy hesitated a second, then walked in to the wheelchair-accessible cubicle without responding. It was really none of the boy’s business. As he emerged, the red-head was waiting for him.

"What’s in that bag?" he repeated.

Randy was about to walk away from him again, but then Barry’s words came back to him.

"It’s my used diaper," he said calmly. "I have a medical problem and have to wear them."

"What kind of sickness would make you need diapers?" asked the red-head, skeptically. "I bet your just lazy and don’t want to use the potty."

"No," Randy answered, "My bladder’s too small. If I don’t wear diapers, I have to run to the washroom about every hour."

"Oh," said the red-head, and walked away.

That evening, Randy recounted the day to his parents, telling them of his encounter with the nosy red-head.

"You handled it perfectly, son," Shane praised, "but I don’t like that boy’s attitude. He sounds like one of those nasty ones who pretends to be sorry and then puts the info to his own use. You want to watch out for him and any of his friends."