By the time they were finished, Trevor had set aside ten ‘school’ diapers, ten ‘home’ diapers, and six nighttime diapers, plus the appropriately sized plastic pants for each.

“Uhhh, do you really wear those?” Terry asked pointing to the stack of nighttime plastic pants.

Trevor blushed.

“I have to. They’re the only ones big enough to fit over my nighttime diapers.”

Trevor knew that Terry wasn’t asking about their size; he was asking about their style. They were semi-transparent yellow, blue, or green pants—all imprinted with various babyish looking figures. Trevor blushed even more under Terry’s uninterrupted gaze.

“It’s kind of hard to explain. I, uh… I … asked my parents to get them for me,” he blurted out.

“You did? Really?” Terry asked incredulously.

Trevor felt himself get hotter in the face as he became even more embarrassed.

“Yeah. You see, all day long I take care of my own diaper changes but, at night and in the morning, my parents diaper me. I actually kind of like the extra attention. I don’t know—it kind of makes me feel like a little kid again. These plastic pants kind of fit how I feel when they get me ready for bed.”

Trevor stopped and looked carefully at Terry to try to read his reaction. Terry picked up the topmost pant and looked at it. It was green and covered with toy cars, airplanes and trains. The corners of his mouth curved up into a slight smile.

“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. I kind of see your point.”

Trevor wondered how Terry would react to what he was going to show him next.

“There is one other thing. Do you wear pajamas at night?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah. My mom makes me. Why?”

“I bet that the pajamas you normally wear won’t fit over these thick nighttime diapers.”

“No, I guess not. What do you do?” Terry asked.

Instead of answering, Trevor asked a question of his own.

“What’s your favorite color? Blue, green, or yellow?”

“Green, I guess,” Terry answered hesitantly.

Trevor opened a dresser drawer and removed what appeared to be a light green pair of pajamas.

“Even if you buy bigger pajamas, you’re going to find out that it’s impossible to keep your pajama bottoms from sliding down because the plastic pants are so slippery. That’s why I wear this kind.”

He let the pajamas fall open to show that he was actually holding a one-piece sleeper (but without ‘feet’). Terry was shocked. Even his three-year old cousin had stopped wearing sleepers.

“These are for summertime. My winter sleepers are made of heavier material.”

(Also, his winter sleepers were ‘footed’ but Trevor didn’t want to get into that.)

“You wear sleepers every night over your diapers?” Terry asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Trevor answered timidly, still unsure how to read Terry’s reaction.

“Then, I guess I’ll have to wear them, too.” Terry said. “I mean, I’m sure my mom won’t let me go to bed without pajamas.”

There was something about the way that Terry said it that made Trevor hope that Terry was actually intrigued by the prospect of his mom making him wear sleepers. Trevor hoped so. He really liked having his parents zip him into his sleeper every night. It made him feel so safe and secure. He wanted Terry to feel the same way each night as he went to bed.

“But, do you have enough stuff left for yourself?” Terry asked seriously.

“Are you kidding?” Trevor laughed. “I’ve got just as many left as I’ve given you. Plus, if I think I’ll run out, I can go over to my grandparents’ houses or to my aunt and uncle’s and take back some of the stuff I’ve got stored there. I’ve got diapers and plastic pants all over the city,” he giggled.

Terry laughed, too.

“How will we get all this stuff to my house?” Terry wondered.

“I’ll get some bags or something,” Trevor said. “Here, fold this back up,” he said as he handed the sleeper to Terry.

Terry was surprised at how soft and the light the fabric felt. He folded it up and placed it on the bed with the other things. His eyes were drawn back to the babyish nighttime pants. He picked up a yellow pair. They were covered with brown teddy bears, very similar in appearance to his childhood teddy bear. He suddenly remembered that when he was four or five his parents used to diaper the teddy bear every night when they diapered him. Did they actually use a new disposable diaper on the teddy bear every night? he wondered. He smiled at the memory. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. He hurriedly put the pants back and waited.

“My mom got some boxes for us to use. My dad says we’ll drive you home when you’re ready to leave.”

It only took a few seconds for them to fill the two large boxes. Terry was uneasy that Trevor had put the colored baby pants at the top of one of the boxes. He would like to have hidden them, but he didn’t get the chance.

“Let’s bring these downstairs,” Trevor said. “You don’t have to leave right away, do you?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Terry answered. “Usually my mom and dad let me stay out until at 9:30, and sometimes 10:00, on Friday nights.”

“Cool,” Trevor exclaimed.

They decided to go to the den to watch TV. During a commercial break Trevor asked Terry if he had ever gone on a sleepover.

“Yeah,” Terry answered with a little sadness, “my friends Andy and Jarrod used to have sleepovers, especially around their birthdays. I guess I won’t be doing that anymore.”

“I’ve never been on one,” Trevor answered glumly. “I’m afraid of what might happen if the other kids find out about my diapers.”

“Yeah. I know what you mean,” Terry shivered.

They sighed in unison.

“I don’t know what you guys are so sad about,” Mr. Calewell said from behind them. “You can go on sleepovers if you want to.”

“Get real, dad,” Trevor objected. “No we can’t. The other kids would laugh at us.”

“I don’t agree that that’s true, but that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m thinking that you guys can always have sleepovers with each other.”

The boys felt stupid to have missed something so obvious.

“Can we have a sleepover tonight?” Trevor asked excitedly.

“Whoa! Hold your horses! I think that Terry and his parents have a lot to talk about tonight, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Trevor said disappointed. “But what about tomorrow night? What do you think, Terry? Do you want to have a sleepover tomorrow? Please say yes,” Trevor practically begged.

“OK,” Terry agreed happily. “But, I’ll have to ask my parents.”

“Please ask them! Please!” Trevor pleaded. “It’ll be OK, won’t it, dad?”

“I think so. Your mom will have the final word, though.”

Trevor ran to the living room where his mom was reading. She had overheard the conversation and anticipated his request by telling him that he could have the sleepover. He came back to the den to give Terry the good news.

“Can you call your mom and dad now and ask?” Trevor wondered.

“I don’t know,” Terry answered honestly. “Sometimes they say no if they think I’m trying to force them into a decision. Maybe it’ll be better if I ask them after I get home. OK?”

“OK,” Trevor agreed with a measure of disappointment.

They watched another hour of TV, all the while talking about what they were going to do on their sleepover. When it was time for Terry to leave, Mrs. Calewell handed him a note.

“This is a list of the sites on the internet where we order Trevor’s supplies. I told your mom that I would send it over with you tonight… Are you sure that Terry has everything that he’ll need?” she asked Trevor.

“I think so,” he answered.

“Do you have baby powder at home?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Terry answered a little embarrassed.

“How about diaper pins?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Did you include any with the diapers?” Mrs. Calewell asked Trevor.

“Uh, no, I forgot,” he admitted.

She put a brand new card containing a dozen pins in with the diapers. Mr. Calewell and Trevor drove Terry home at 9:30. The Aldersens expected Terry to come home with some diapering supplies to try out but they were overwhelmed by the amount that the Calewells were allowing him to take.

“Oh, my goodness,” Mrs. Aldersen exclaimed, “surely we’re taking too many of your things!”

“Not at all,” Mr. Calewell explained, “Trevor has plenty more. This amount is just what Terry needs to get started. Believe me, there’s absolutely no need to rush these things back to us.”

“Well, thank you, very much,” Mrs. Aldersen responded. “I guess the only thing we need to do now is learn how to put these on properly.”

“It’s really not that hard,” Mr. Calewell said. “You’ll find that they’re much thicker than disposables and that they rise much higher. We find that four pins for the daytime ones is just right and, because the nighttime diapers are considerably higher-rising, it takes six pins to fasten them securely.”

“Terry, would you mind if Mr. Calewell showed us how to properly diaper you?” Mr. Aldersen asked.

“No,” he answered simply.

“OK,” his dad directed, “go take your shower. We’ll be waiting in your room.”

It took a couple of seconds for his dad’s words to sink in. He had just agreed to let himself be diapered in front of Trevor and Mr. Calewell!

“Don’t just stand there,” his mom coaxed. “Get a move on! Mr. Calewell doesn’t have all night.”

Terry nervously showered and then went to his room. His changing pad was already laid out on the bed, covered by a big nighttime diaper. He was very embarrassed to see that the yellow plastic pants with the teddy bears and the green sleeper were also laying on the bed. He wondered if his parents had said anything to Trevor and Mr. Calewell about the juvenile attire.

“Ah, there you are,” his dad said. “Take the towel off and let’s get started.”

He was numb with embarrassment as he unwrapped his towel. He was taken by surprise when his dad picked him up under the arms and laid him on the diaper.

“I think he’s too high up,” Mr. Calewell pointed out.

His dad pulled him down and picked up the powder and began sprinkling it on his front.

“The diaper is going to cover a much larger area than his disposables ever did. You’ll need more powder, at least up to here,” Mr. Calewell said, pointing to an area two inches above his navel.

Mr. Aldersen rubbed the powder in and then told Terry to roll over. He repeated the process on Terry’s backside. Once Terry was back into his original position, Mr. Aldersen pulled the diaper up between his legs. It felt so thick and huge! Mr. Calewell directed Mr. Aldersen to snugly fasten the top pins on each side first, followed by the bottom pins.

“The trickiest part,” he concluded, “is fastening the middle pins. You have to be careful not to poke your son with the sharp point.”

“I’ll say,” Trevor chimed in. “That really hurts!”

“You don’t have to make it sound like it happens every day!” his dad teased.

Now that he was pinned into the diaper, Terry started to relax.

“Now for the plastic pants,” Mr. Calewell said. “I’m sure that you know that it’s important to check that all of the diaper is securely covered. Any material that isn’t completely inside his plastic pants will wick wetness out to his sleeper and bedding.”

“I didn’t know that,” Mr. Aldersen said, “but it makes sense.”

Mr. Aldersen took a lot of time to check the leg openings and waistband of Terry’s plastic pants.

“You’ll get much faster at it once you’ve had practice,” Mr. Calewell observed. “The last part is the easiest—the sleeper.”

Terry’s mom had already picked it up and unzipped it. Terry noticed that the zipper didn’t stop at the waist but went almost all the way down to the ankle of the left leg. Mr. Aldersen guided his right leg and then his left into the sleeper. He asked Terry to lift up and inserted his arms into the sleeves. One quick zip and Terry was ready for the night. Trevor giggled when Terry practically fell over when he stood up.

“It takes a little time to get used to those thick diapers,” Mr. Calewell observed.

Terry was astonished by the huge bulk of material between his legs. He took a couple of cautious steps. Instead of being embarrassed by the situation, he actually found it comforting. Not even the loud rustling of the plastic pants bothered him and, to the contrary, he smiled. His parents looked at each other and were astonished, too. Was this the same boy who, for the last several days, had been moping around the house, depressed by his need for diapers?

“Honey,” Mrs. Aldersen said, “I’ve cleared some room in your dresser for your new things. Would you please put as many of them away as you can? Whatever doesn’t fit can go into the linen closet for the time being.” Then, turning to Mr. Calewell, she added, “Would you have a moment to go over the list that your wife made up?”

The adults left the room. Terry became uncomfortable over the way Trevor was staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Sorry,” Trevor apologized. “I’ve never seen anybody else who was my age wearing nighttime diapers. I always wondered what I looked like.”

“Do I look really stupid?” Terry asked with concern.

“No!” Trevor reassured him.

What Trevor didn’t say was that Terry looked just like a toddler. Personally, Trevor liked imagining himself as a little kid but he didn’t want to risk telling Terry.

“Do you want me to help you put your stuff away?” he asked to change the subject.

Terry opened the top drawer of his dresser and noticed that all his underpants and pajamas were gone. He said as much to Trevor.

“Why would you want to keep them around if you can’t use them anymore?” Trevor asked.

“I guess you’re right,” Terry said with a note of regret.

Meanwhile, in the den, Mr. and Mrs. Aldersen were thanking Mr. Calewell for everything that he and his wife had done. They still hadn’t gotten over how quickly Terry had changed.

“My wife and I did very little, really. It was Trevor who noticed that Terry was in trouble. The only thing we did was to advise him on how to approach your son, on how to let him know that he had a friend who wanted to help him. But don’t think that this is a one-way street. Trevor has also been changed by this experience. He has always been terrified of having anyone find out that he needs to wear diapers. Today was the first day that he ever allowed another kid to know about his diapers. My wife and I are extremely grateful that he now knows someone his own age with the same needs. I was astonished when I came home to find Trevor and Terry comfortable enough with each other to go around the house in just their diapers and plastic pants, acting as if they had known each other for years.”

“Terry did what?” Mrs. Aldersen exclaimed.

“I should explain,” Mr. Calewell quickly added, “that Trevor doesn’t normally wear pants around the house when the family is alone. What I’m trying to say is that Trevor must really trust Terry if he was willing to do that in front of him.”

“And vice-versa!” Mr. Aldersen said in amazement.

The boys finished putting away the diapers and plastic pants. They joined their parents in the den.

“Should we take the boxes home?” Trevor asked his dad.

“That’s a good idea. We don’t need to burden the Aldersen’s with more trash and I don’t know if mom plans on using them for something else… Well, good night. It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope that my wife and I can get together with you real soon,” Mr. Calewell said to the Aldersens.

“It would be a pleasure, I assure you,” Mrs. Aldersen answered. “Thank you so much for everything.”

“Good night,” Trevor said to Terry and his parents. Then, almost as an afterthought he added, “Are you going to ask your parents now?”

“Trevor, don’t push it,” his dad warned.

“Ask us what?” Mrs. Aldersen questioned.

“He wants me to ask if I can go over to his house for a sleepover tomorrow night,” Terry explained.

“I don’t know, honey,” Mrs. Aldersen replied. “I think you’ve imposed enough on Trevor’s parents.”

“Not at all,” Mr. Calewell interrupted. “It would be no trouble at all. Besides, this is the first time that Trevor has ever asked a friend to sleep over.”

“Well, in that case,” Mrs. Aldersen relented, “I guess it would be alright. But… you still have your chores to do in the morning… and, you won’t leave here until all your homework is done, too.”

“Cool!” Trevor exclaimed. “When do you think you’ll come over?”

“Probably around one o’clock,” Terry’s mom answered, “… if he’s finished with all his work,” she emphasized.

“By the way,” Mr. Calewell added, “there’s no need to send him over with extra diapers. I’m sure we can handle all his needs from Trevor’s supply.”

After another round of good nights, Trevor and his dad left.

“You and Trevor seem to be getting along really well,” Terry’s dad observed.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he answered. “I can hardly believe that he’s been wearing diapers for so long.”

Terry related the story of how Trevor had gotten hit by a bus at the age of five and that he had been in diapers and plastic pants ever since.

“I hope you see the lesson here,” his mom observed.

“What lesson?” Terry wondered.

“Trevor’s been wearing diapers for five or six years and no one has ever suspected a thing. I hope you’ll stop worrying that your friends are going to automatically find out about yours.”

“I guess you’re right,” Terry conceded reluctantly. “At least the ‘school’ diapers and plastic pants are really quiet… You’re going to let me get my own, aren’t you?” he added with concern.

“Of course we are, honey. Tomorrow, we’ll order everything you’ll need.”

Terry and his dad went to the den to watch TV. By 11:00, Terry was sound asleep. His mother came into the room to tell Terry it was past his bedtime.

“Don’t wake him up,” his dad said. “I’ll carry him.”

“OK,” his mom agreed, “I’ll turn his bed down. You know,” she observed on the way to Terry’s room, “I thought I would have to give him another sedative. I can’t believe how much more relaxed he is tonight. I guess we should be grateful to Trevor for introducing him to cloth diapers.”

“I know,” his dad concurred, “I was absolutely dumbfounded that Terry agreed to be diapered and dressed in these baby pants and sleeper. I thought he would have a terrible time getting used to them. But, here he is sleeping… like a baby. I hope the little guy has found a measure of peace and will stop obsessing over having to wear diapers,” his dad said with genuine emotion.

“I hope so, too,” Mrs. Aldersen added.

*****

The next morning Terry woke up early. He felt relaxed… and wet, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he was happy. He let his hands travel down his sleeper. Once again, he was impressed by the softness of the material. He smiled slightly when he felt his plastic pants beneath the fabric. They crinkled noticeably as he pressed down on them. He suddenly felt self-conscious and guilty. He was supposed to be a ‘big boy’ and ‘big boys’ didn’t need to wear diapers, much less yellow plastic pants with teddy bears on them! Still, he had been happy ever since Trevor shared with him his longtime need for diapers. Trevor didn’t seem to worry about it. Why should he? On the other hand, what about his other friends? What would Andy and Jarrod say if they knew about his diapers, especially his nighttime wear?

His parents weren’t up yet and he wondered what he should do. He usually got dressed before going downstairs. Today, he really wanted to stay as he was. Last night, when he and Trevor were getting his diapers and plastic pants ready, Trevor mentioned that he took care of his own diaper changes during the day but that he really enjoyed his parents taking care of him at night and in the morning. Terry wanted this, too. He put on a pair of clean athletic socks and headed for the kitchen to find something to eat.

On the way there, he detoured through the living room to take a look at himself in the big mirror. He once again felt an odd mixture of self-consciousness and excitement. Trevor had risen to the status of hero in his eyes. They had each been forced into wearing diapers for the rest of their lives and Trevor had not only accepted it, he had made a game out of it. Surprisingly, Terry was discovering that he was enjoying the game, too. He was looking forward to being changed by his parents every night and morning; he would be very disappointed if he had to do it himself. Even the crinkly baby pants made him happy, even though he couldn’t figure out why. He particularly liked how (in the case of what he was wearing this morning) the teddy bears were visible through the thin material of his sleeper. But, he shuddered at what might happen if Andy and Jarrod found out. In the very least, he would be mocked and humiliated. What if they completely shut him out or told everyone else? He took comfort in the knowledge that Trevor had already been successful in hiding his diaper wearing for many years.

Terry was spread out on the floor watching a DVD when his mom came downstairs.

“Couldn’t sleep, honey?” she asked.

“I slept fine,” he answered. “It’s you and dad who slept late,” he giggled

Glancing at the clock, she had to agree.

“You haven’t gotten dressed yet?”

“Uh, no” Terry admitted. “I … I … uh wasn’t sure if I was supposed to. You know, because dad put my diaper on… and everything.”

Mrs. Calewell had spoken to Terry’s mom about Trevor’s apparent love of being diapered at night and in the morning. Even though Trevor had never said anything to them about it, it had become obvious how attached he was to this treatment. She had counseled Mrs. Aldersen to ‘go with the flow’ with whatever Terry seemed to be asking for.

“I understand. I’ll get my coffee and then I’ll change you into a fresh diaper. OK?”

“OK,” he agreed.

He smiled broadly the whole time he waited for his mom to come back. And his mom smiled, too. She was happy for him. He had been so miserable over the last month that, up until last night, she had feared he would need counseling to help overcome his depression. She also had a secret reason for being happy—a reason that made her feel a little bit ashamed. She had always wanted another child. She loved caring for infants—the baby clothes, the smell of baby powder, the rustling noises of diapers and plastic pants— all these things gave her joy. She hoped that she had been successful in hiding her ecstasy when Terry had asked her to diaper him. She was going to enjoy the nighttime and morning diaper changes every bit as much as him.

Neither of them was disappointed. Terry loved how his mom got him out of his sleeper, plastic pants, and diaper. She even took the opportunity to tickle him when she was pinning on the new diaper. He giggled genuinely and without embarrassment. She was thrilled that he chose to only put on a shirt and socks to do his chores. She hoped that this signaled his intention of going around in just his diapers at home.

Terry was so looking forward to the sleepover that he finished his chores and homework, and had gotten his things ready, by 11:00. Naturally, his mother wouldn’t let him go over that early.

“But why not?” he complained.

“Because you can’t just invite yourself to lunch. They’re expecting you at 1:00. So, instead of complaining about it, why don’t you help me go online and order your diaper supplies?”

“Shopping! Do I have to?” he complained.

“Well, no, you don’t have to” his mom answered. “I just thought you’d like to see what you’ll be getting.

“I don’t need to see,” he whined, “as long as it’s just like what Trevor has.

“OK,” she agreed, “but you’ve just lost the right to complain later on. Understood?”

“Yeah, I understand,” he answered as he ran up the stairs to his room.

His mom called him down for lunch an hour later. As soon as lunch was over he was ready to go.

“Can we go now?” he asked anxiously.

His dad, who was supposed to drive him to Trevor’s house, answered, “Sure. But aren’t you going to put your pants on first?”

“Of course I am!” Terry answered impatiently.

However, the truth was that he had completely forgotten that he wasn’t wearing his pants. Boy, would Trevor have been mad if I showed up at his house like this! he thought. And, what if I forget when Andy or Jarrod come over? He trembled at the very idea of it.

*****

Trevor was as even more excited about the sleepover than Terry. He had been impatient and testy all morning. He couldn’t concentrate on anything and it was only his parents’ threats to cancel the sleepover that got him to finish his chores and homework. He saw Terry drive up with his dad and he ran downstairs to greet them at the door. This took his parents by surprise since he always shrank away from open doors and windows when he wearing only his diapers and plastic pants.

“Hi!” he screamed excitedly, “let’s bring your stuff up to my room then we can start having fun!”

“Well,” Mr. Aldersen said sardonically, “I guess I don’t have to worry about Terry not feeling welcomed.”

Mr. Calewell laughed. “I’m sorry about Trevor’s manners. He knows better than to run away like that without greeting a guest.”

“It’s nothing, really. You didn’t exactly see my son greeting you effusively either!”

“They are excited, aren’t they?” Mr. Calewell said stating the obvious. “Oh, before I forget, there is one thing I need to ask. At what time may we bring Terry home? Would seven or eight o’clock tomorrow night be too late?”

“No, no… that would be fine. But you don’t have to put up with him all day tomorrow. Feel free to end the sleepover in mid-afternoon if you want.”

“I don’t think we can do that,” Mrs. Calewell said, joining the conversation for the first time. “We promised Trevor that if he behaved we would allow Terry to stay through dinner tomorrow… if you said it was OK.”

“In that case, it’s OK with me… as long as Terry also behaves.”

Trevor told Terry to put down his stuff in the corner of the room. There was a pregnant pause as the boys looked at each other.

“Did you wear your pants at home this morning?” Trevor asked.

“Uh, no,” Terry answered.

He kicked his shoes off and began unbuckling his pants.

“But, what are you wearing?” he asked Trevor.

“Well, uh, you see, I loaned you all my white ‘home’ diapers,” he explained. “My parents got me these after I started wearing the plastic baby pants at night.”

Terry couldn’t believe that his friend was wearing a baby-print diaper under his nearly transparent plastic pants. He wasn’t sure, but it looked like it was imprinted with baby blocks.

“You’re not mad are you?” Trevor asked in a worried voice.

“Uh, no. I… uh…” Terry responded.

In fact, Terry didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t upset about them; he was just surprised. “”Does this mean that I’ll have to wear diapers like that, too, while I’m here?”

“Yeah, I guess so. They’re all I’ve got left.”

“OK,” Terry answered with a shrug. “I guess it’s OK… if you’re going to wear them, too, I mean.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be wearing them,” Trevor answered with a broad smile.

Trevor was relieved. He hadn’t really planned things this way when he loaned Terry the white ‘home’ diapers. It was a surprise to him this morning to find out that there were no white ones left. He had simply lost track of the fact most of his ‘home’ diapers were baby-print. If he had dared tell Terry the truth, he would have admitted that he much preferred wearing baby-print diapers to plain white ones. Maybe he felt more secure in them because they were thicker and higher rising.

“I’ve got some movies picked out for us. Do you want to watch one now?” Trevor asked.

Terry agreed but, when they got to the den, they found out that Mrs. Calewell wanted them to play outside.

“Aw, gee, mom. How come?” Trevor protested.

“Because it’s a beautiful day and you should be outside enjoying the fresh air,” she answered.

The real reason (that she didn’t mention for obvious reasons) was that she wanted them to get plenty of physical activity so that they would sleep that night. The last thing she wanted was overactive boys at 2:00AM. The boys went upstairs to put their pants back on.

“So, what are we going to do?” Terry asked.

“How about throwing a ball around the backyard?”

They went out and played for a half-hour and got bored. They sat down against the back fence and talked.

“Have you ever been mad at yourself because you have to wear diapers?” Terry asked.

“Why would I be mad at myself for that?” Trevor responded.

“I don’t know,” Terry continued, “maybe mad is the wrong word. Don’t you ever feel like screaming at somebody because of it?”

“Oh, well… I don’t know… sometimes I get scared. Is that what you mean?”

“I don’t know, maybe,” Terry said, tears beginning to fill his eyes. “I guess I get scared sometimes… like, what if my friends found out?”

Trevor heard the upset in Terry’s voice before he saw it in his eyes.

“I know,” he said with a smile, “let’s scream at the world!”

“Huh?” Terry responded, confused.

“Let’s run around the yard screaming at the top of our lungs.”

“What for?”

“Because we’re mad at the world because we have to wear diapers,” he said simply.

In fact, Trevor didn’t feel that way at all. Over the years, he had gotten used to his diapers and he could no longer remember life without them. He made the suggestion because he thought that it might help make Terry feel better.

“Gee, I don’t know. Won’t your mom and dad get mad at us for making a lot of noise?”

“Come on,” Trevor said standing up, “let’s go.”

He started whooping and hollering as he ran around the yard. Terry giggled and joined him.

“What in the world are those boys doing?” Mrs. Calewell asked. “The neighbors probably think we’re murdering them! I’m going out there to stop that racket.”

“No, don’t do that,” her husband urged. “I don’t know exactly what they’re up to but they were sitting against the fence talking before they started running around. Give them a few more seconds and then we’ll tell them to quiet down.”

Almost as soon as he had said it, they quieted down when Trevor tackled Terry and they began to wrestle each other. Terry giggled and Trevor was glad that his friend’s mood had changed for the better. They rolled around the grass, each trying to get the upper hand on the other.

“Ouch!” Trevor exclaimed.

“Sorry,” Terry answered, loosening his grip.

“Ha! You fell for the oldest trick in the book,” Trevor said as he sat on Terry’s middle and pinned his hands above his head.

“No fair! Get off of me,” Terry objected.

“Everything’s fair!” Trevor exulted. “Admit it. I gotcha.”

“I can see your diaper and plastic pants, you know,” Terry said in an attempt to distract Trevor.

“So what? I can see yours sticking out of your pants, too.”

“Yeah, but mine aren’t sticking way up the way yours are.”

“They will once you get changed,” Trevor retorted.

“How come?” Terry wondered.

“I told you… they’re a bigger size. My mom bought these big so that I could grow into them.”

“I forgot,” Terry responded seriously. “Speaking of diapers… I sort of need to change now.”

“OK, let’s go up to my room.”

Trevor let go of Terry’s hands. Terry grabbed the bottom of Trevor’s shirt and pulled it off at the same time that he pushed Trevor off of him.

“Hey! Give me back my shirt,” Trevor yelled.

“Come and get it,” Terry said running away.

Trevor chased him around the yard and eventually tackled him to the ground. Terry was laughing wildly as Trevor unsuccessfully tried to grab his shirt back. Suddenly, Trevor switched tactics and began unbuckling Terry’s belt. Terry fought back by doing the same to Trevor. In a few seconds, they each had succeeded in ‘de-pantsing’ the other. Actually, neither had fought it very hard.

“OK, now you have to take your shirt off,” Trevor said.

“Make me,” Terry answered as he took off running across the yard.

“Henry, come and look at this.” Mrs. Calewell said to her husband. “What do you think is going on?”

“I think the boys are happy that they don’t have to hide their diapers from each other. I think we should leave them alone

“But what about the neighbors?”

“I don’t know about Terry but I’m sure that Trevor has thought about it. Maybe this will help him get over his paranoia about others finding out that he wears diapers.”

“I hope you’re right,” she answered hesitantly. “I’m still going to call them in. Their diapers are so heavy they’re ready to fall off!”

Mrs. Calewell called to the boys to pick up their clothes and to come inside.

“Are we in trouble?” Terry asked nervously.

“I don’t think so. Maybe my mom thinks we’re getting too much sun.”

Terry suddenly became self-conscious about being outside in just his diaper and plastic pants.

“I guess we should put our shirt and pants back on,” he said.

“What for? We need to change our diapers anyway.”

The boys entered the house through the kitchen door where Mrs. Calewell waited for them.

“Trevor, look at how wet your diaper is. You know better than to let it get to that state. You don’t want another diaper rash do you?”

She didn’t say anything to Terry but he knew that she was scolding him too. Trevor colored with embarrassment that his mom had mentioned his diaper rashes in front of Terry.

“OK,” he answered his mom. “We’ll go change.”

“Before you do, let me see your clothes.”

They handed their shirts and pants over to her.

“Look at these grass stains!” she chided. “And you’ve ripped Terry’s shirt, too. It’s a good thing it came apart along a seam. I’ll have to wash and mend these things before you wear them again.”

“Just like a mom,” the boys thought. “She sends you outside to play and then she complains that you get dirty.”

As they left the kitchen Mrs. Calewell overheard Terry telling Trevor that he hadn’t yet put on his own diapers—that someone else had done for him.

“Wait a minute,” she said, “I’ll help you.”

Terry’s intention in mentioning it was to ask Trevor to do it for him; he was a little uneasy with the idea of Mrs. Calewell seeing him naked. Trevor smiled encouragement to him as they went up to the room. The supplies were taken out and arranged for Terry’s use. He gulped at the diaper that was laid out for him; not only did it look huge but it was imprinted with babyish cars, trains, and airplanes in vibrant primary colors. Mrs. Calewell helped him out of his plastic pants and thoroughly soaked diaper.

“You need to be more careful, Terry. Your skin is beginning to look very raw,” she said as she cleaned him with a baby wipe. “I think both of you boys need to pay more attention to the condition of your diapers.”

Terry was very tense as she sprinkled powder on his diaper area and rubbed it in. He didn’t relax until she folded the big diaper over his stomach and began pinning it on. It was so soft! And fluffy! He didn’t mind at all that it rose so high up on him; in fact, he rather liked the feeling. Lastly, he was put into his plastic pants. They weren’t the semi-transparent white that he had worn up to this point. Rather, they were a semi-transparent silver color that showed off the baby print a little more than he would have liked.

Trevor could have had plenty of time to change himself during Terry’s diaper change but he didn’t. All he did was to take out a fresh diaper and plastic pants and lay them on the bed. It was no secret to his mother that he preferred to have someone else change him.

“OK, next!” she said brightly.

Trevor hopped onto the bed and waited patiently for his mom to come back from washing her hands. He delighted in the special treatment that she gave him. Terry was pleased to see that Trevor was getting put into an equally babyish diaper (yellow, blue, and coral farm animals) and the same kind of silvery plastic pants.

“OK, back outside with you,” Mrs. Calewell declared.

“Can’t we watch a movie now?” Trevor whined.

“Later, after you’ve been outside another hour.”

Trevor picked up a couple of his handheld games to take with them. All of the boys’ inhibitions had returned. They felt quite nervous (and downright silly) being outside in their diapers. Worse, they didn’t have the security of having their pants and shirts close at hand. They sat in the shade and competed against each other for three rounds of games.

“What do we do now?” Terry asked.

“I don’t know,” Trevor answered.

He stretched out on his back and looked up at the sky. Terry joined him as they pondered the clouds for several minutes, each boy lost in his own thoughts.

“You really like wearing these baby diapers and other things, don’t you?” Terry asked.

Trevor hesitated before answering.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because of all the stuff you’ve got… baby diapers, plastic baby pants, and sleepers. And, last night, you said that you asked your parents to buy you the nighttime baby pants… Just now, I watched you pick out the diapers we’re wearing. You skipped over less babyish ones and chose these… on purpose.”

“I don’t exactly know why I like wearing them, I just do,” Trevor confessed. “I guess if I have to wear diapers I want to go all the way.”

Trevor felt that his answer was lame but he couldn’t think of anything to add.

“You think that I’m weird, don’t you?”

Terry hesitated over his answer, too.

“Of course not. I… I’m starting to really like wearing them, too,” he blurted out.

“Really?” Trevor said, sitting up and looking intently at Terry. “That is so cool!”

Both boys giggled.