Kenny shivered as he pushed his bike up the path. He was very cold and very scared. His mother was going to kill him. No doubt about it.

“But, mom, I’m thirteen. I can take care of myself. I’m careful when I’m down by the river. Nothing will happen.”

“I said no, young man, and I mean it. The river is running very high and fast with all the melting snow from the mountains. It’s too dangerous. You’re not leaving this house until you promise me that you’ll stay away.”

“Aw, gee, mom... OK… I won’t go to the river.”

At the time, he had been serious about his promise. After leaving the house, he went around the neighborhood looking for his friends but he couldn’t find anyone. Out of boredom, he went to the bridge to watch the water. He felt that he wasn’t really disobeying his mother. There were lots of people on the bridge. It was safe up here. But, in no time at all, he found himself walking his bike down the path that led to that special place from which he got a great view of the rushing water. Also, down there, he could hear the river as it flowed by, without the interference of traffic noise.

All his life, the river had fascinated him. He loved to watch the water. He felt that he had even discovered some of its secrets. For instance, it was constantly changing colors, never staying the same. Sometimes it looked blue, sometimes green, and sometimes black. Also, the changing light never stopped modifying the river’s shape. Even at night, with no moon visible, it still sparkled in his eyes.

When he spoke about his love of the river to his friends they thought he was crazy. He didn’t know why he was so fascinated by it, he just was. He couldn’t get enough of it.

But, today, the river had betrayed him and he felt miserable. He had been standing about three feet away from the water’s edge when the bank suddenly crumbled. He was up to his shoulders in icy water before he knew it. He felt panic surging inside him as he clawed at the riverbank trying to establish a firm grip. All he got were fistfuls of mud and grass. The current was relentlessly tugging at him. Luckily, he quickly floated to a large tree branch that was hanging just above the water. He grabbed it and slowly pulled himself back to shore. He crawled away from the river about seventy-feet downstream from where he went in. He began shaking as he realized how near he had come to being swept away. Then he remembered the promise he had made to his mother. His spirits slipped even lower.

His wet clothes chilled him to the bone. He needed to get moving immediately. He found his bike and gloomily headed home.

“Are you OK?”

The voice startled Kenny. He looked up and saw a boy about his age looking down from the top of the hill.

“I fell into the river,” he answered. “My mom is going to kill me when she finds out. I’m gonna get grounded for the rest of spring break, I just know it.”

“Gee, that’s too bad,” the other boy said sincerely, “Can I give you a hand?”

“Thanks. But nobody can help me now.”

“Where do you live?” the boy asked, walking next to Kenny.

“Over on Woodside,” Kenny answered.

“I live right over there,” the boy pointed out, “in the blue and white Victorian on the corner.”

“Nice,” Kenny replied politely, but too involved in his own problems to really pay much attention.

“Say. Maybe you won’t have to tell your mother what happened.”

“How?” Kenny asked incredulously. “That’s impossible.”

“No, really. I’m serious. What if you came over to my house and we washed and dried your clothes before you went home. Your mom would never have to know.”

“Really?” Kenny exclaimed excitedly. “But what about your mom? How could we explain it to her?”

“We don’t have to. She’s at work all day. And so is my dad. My older sister and I are alone at home. She’s in college; she won’t care.”

Kenny was getting more excited about this sudden good fortune until he remembered that his mom was expecting him home for lunch. There wouldn’t be enough time to wash and dry his clothes, especially his shoes. He voiced his concern to the other boy.

“You can call her from my house and tell that you met a new friend and that you got invited to stay for lunch. By the way, my name is Artie. Artie Halsted. We moved here last fall. I go to Willowhaven School.”

Willowhaven School was a private school for kids with special needs. Kenny wondered why Artie went there. He seemed normal.

“I’m Kenny Braken. Do you really think this could work?” Kenny asked, returning to the matter at hand.

“Sure, why not?” Artie answered confidently. “At the very least, you’ll get a warm shower and a little time to think of what you’re going to say if you get caught. Come on. Let’s get over to my house.”

****

Kenny removed his shoes, socks and jacket at the back door. By now the water had mostly stopped dripping from his clothes and hair. He gently walked across the kitchen and up the back stairs that led to the bathroom. Artie told him to take off all his clothes and to hand them to him in the hallway. The shower felt wonderful. There was plenty of hot water and Kenny luxuriated in its warmth. He dried off and gingerly opened the bathroom door.

“Artie?” he whispered through the crack.

No answer.

“Artie,” he called a little louder.

Artie came out of a room down the hall and on the opposite side of the hallway.

“Over here,” he answered, signaling Kenny to come into his room.

Kenny scooted down the hall dressed only in the towel he had wrapped around himself.

“I’ve got some clothes for you.”

“Thanks.”

Kenny walked over to the bed and scanned the clothes that were laying there.

“Um,” he said hesitantly, “do you have any underwear I can borrow?”

“No, I don’t,” Artie said shyly.

“You don’t wear underwear?” Kenny asked mystified.

“I mean, I wear underwear, but not regular underwear.”

Kenny was really confused now. If he didn’t wear regular underwear, what did he wear?

“No, that’s not what I mean,” Artie continued. “I wear regular clothes. It’s just that… Oh, God, you’ve got to promise that you won’t tell anyone about what I’m going to show you. Please…,” he said in a begging voice.

Kenny was becoming alarmed. What had he gotten himself into?

“Follow me,” Artie said, walking through the doorway next to his closet.

Kenny followed him. They were in a very large bathroom, complete with and old fashioned claw-footed tub and full shower. His first thought was to wonder why Artie hadn’t invited him to shower here. Artie went over to a long, padded counter. Under the counter there were stacks of odd looking white towels.

“This is my underwear,” he said, turning red in the face.

Kenny was completely befuddled. Artie picked up one of towels and unfolded it. Kenny still didn’t get it.

“These are my diapers,” Artie explained. “I’ve never been completely dry. Sometimes, I even have number two accidents if I can’t get to a bathroom fast enough. You won’t tell anyone, will you?” Artie begged again.

“No, of course not. You’re helping me out big time. I won’t tell.”

Kenny felt sorry for Artie. And, also, more than a little curious. He had never heard of a boy their age wearing diapers.

“What does it feel like wearing diapers?” Kenny blurted out.

Artie hesitated.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ask that question,” Kenny apologized.

“That’s OK. I just don’t know what to say. I’ve always worn them so I can’t compare them to anything else.”

“Oh, yeah. I see your point,” Kenny answered.

He was still very curious.

“I’d better get dressed.”

He pulled the pants up his legs and tightened the belt to the last notch. The were extremely loose. As soon as he let go they started sliding down past his hips.

“Do you have any smaller pants?” Kenny asked.

“Sorry. My pants are all that size so that my diapers won’t show too much.”

“Oh. These are so big that they’re going to fall off.”

“You can always wear one of my diapers if you want to make the pants fit better.”

Kenny’s heart skipped a beat. The thought was intriguing but he didn’t want to look too anxious.

“I don’t know. Do you think I should?” Kenny asked.

“It’s up to you. But, like you said, if you don’t it will be hard to keep your pants up.”

Artie suspected that Kenny wanted to wear one of his diapers. He decided to push the point. “I hope they don’t fall off when my sister is around.”

Kenny was horrified.

“Then, I guess I’d better wear one.”

“OK, but you’ll need my help. Let’s go back into the bathroom.”

Artie carefully laid out one of his diapers. He also took out a pair of plastic pants and laid them at the foot of the table. Kenny didn’t object or question why he had taken out the plastic pants. Artie took this as confirmation that Kenny wanted to go ‘all the way.’

“Take off the pants and lay down on the diaper,” Artie instructed.

After Kenny was properly positioned, Artie sprinkled a generous amount of baby powder over Kenny’s diaper area.

“What’s that for?” Kenny asked in surprise.

“Your skin needs to be protected even if you don’t wet the diaper. Besides, after you have your plastic pants on, you will start to feel how much moisture they trap.”

“Oh, OK,” Kenny agreed.

Artie was only mildly surprised that Kenny didn’t argue against the idea of wearing plastic pants over the diaper.

“Now roll over so that I can put some on your bottom, too.”

Artie used six pins to expertly pin Kenny into the diaper. Kenny felt oddly secure. The smell of the baby powder brought back distant memories. He jumped as Artie started pulling the plastic pants up his legs.

“Lift up so I can pull your plastic pants all the way up.”

Lastly, Kenny stood up and Artie made a final inspection to be sure that the whole diaper was securely inside the plastic pants. Kenny put the pants back on.

“That feels better,” he announced.

Artie wondered if he was talking about the pants or the diaper.

****

The next step was to call Kenny’s mother. She asked to speak to Artie’s older sister. After she got the phone number and satisfied herself that everything was alright she gave her permission for Kenny to stay until 5:30.

“Great,” Artie exclaimed. “That will give us plenty of time to get your clothes washed and dried.”

The guys returned to Artie’s room and played around on the computer. They talked about their families and school friends. Artie had two older sisters. The oldest was already married and his other sister, Dana, was finishing college this year. Her room was on the top floor of the house. Kenny mentioned that his parents were divorced. He was an only child. His dad had abandoned him and his mom six years ago. Nobody knew where he was.

“That’s too bad,” Artie commiserated.

“I guess it’s OK,” Kenny answered, “I’m used to it. I just wish that my mom wasn’t so strict. She never lets me do anything I want to do.”

“You mean like falling into the river?” Artie joked.

“Quit it,” Kenny said, punching him in the arm. “That was an accident.”

They were interrupted by Dana.

“Hi, I’m Dana.” she said.

“Hi. My name is Kenny.”

“Nice to meet you Kenny. You must be a special friend of Artie’s. He never lets anyone come up to his room or see his bathroom.”

“Kenny is staying for lunch,” Artie interjected hastily, somewhat embarrassed by his sister’s indirect reference to his diapers.

“Good. I’m going downstairs to heat up the leftover stew. Do you guys want any?”

“Sure,” Artie and Kenny agreed.

The three went down to the kitchen. Artie and Kenny set out bowls, glasses and utensils while Dana took charge of the stew. Kenny was extremely conscious of the noise made by his plastic pants. He hoped that Dana would think it came from Artie.

“Did you enjoy your lunch?” Dana asked as they were putting the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Yes, thank you,” Kenny answered politely.

“Good, I’m glad.” Jumping to another topic, she added, “I’m leaving for class at 1:30. If either of you guys needs his diaper changed before then just let me know.”

Kenny felt his face burning with embarrassment. She knew!

“I’m sorry,” she said to Kenny. “While you were reaching into the cabinets to get the bowls I saw the top of your plastic pants. It’s OK. I’ve been taking care of Artie ever since he was born. It’s no big deal to me. I wouldn’t tell anyone about your diapers.”

“Thanks,” Kenny croaked.

****

Kenny and Artie were playing around on Artie’s computer. Kenny was very distracted.

“I can’t believe your sister knows that I’m wearing a diaper.”

“Don’t trip out over it. She doesn’t care. She’ll change our diapers before she leaves and then you can change back into your clothes and go home whenever you want. Relax. It’s no big deal.”

But it was a big deal to Kenny. No girl had ever seen him naked before, especially not to give him a diaper change.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” Artie answered.

“How come you wear old fashioned diapers? You know, how come you don’t wear disposables?”

“My mom works as an environmental scientist for the EPA. She’s totally against disposables. She says that they make waste dumps fill up faster and that a lot of diapers are not environmentally friendly. She says it does less damage to wash cloth diapers and plastic pants than to just use a disposable once and then throw it away, especially if the person is going to be wearing diapers for a long time.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Kenny agreed.

They went back to the computer. Half an hour later Kenny got up and headed for the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” Artie asked.

“I gotta pee,” Kenny answered.

“So?” Artie responded, putting a lot of meaning into that one word. “You’re wearing a diaper.”

“I know, but I can’t. I tried.”

Artie very much wanted Kenny to experience a wet diaper. He was pretty sure that once Kenny did, he would be hooked.

“You asked me before what it felt like to wear diapers. You’ll only know the half of it if you don’t wet one. Come back. I’ll show you how.”

Kenny hesitated. He did want to try. He decided to give it a shot.

“Alright!” Artie said enthusiastically. “You’d better take your pants off first.”

“Take my pants off!” Kenny said in surprise. “Why?”

“You don’t usually pee with your pants on, do you?”

“No, but…,” Kenny wavered.

“OK, I’ll take mine off, too,” he said dropping his pants and stepping out of them.

Kenny followed suit. He noticed how wet Artie’s diaper was (he thought he had smelled the distinctive odor of pee earlier).

“Maybe we should go into the bathroom. You can stand in front of the bowl and pretend that you’re taking a normal pee.”

Kenny stood in front of the toilet trying to imagine that he was peeing into it. After a few seconds his hands went up and positioned themselves against his plastic pants. A few drops of pee came out. And then a few more. All of a sudden it was a steady stream as he emptied his bladder. A smile crossed his lips as the warmth spread throughout his crotch. The flow stopped and he opened his eyes. Artie was looking at him intently.

“Well?” Artie asked, although he already knew the answer.

“That was awesome,” Kenny replied, unable to hide his pleasure.

They went back to the bedroom. Artie made no attempt to put his pants back on and neither did Kenny.

“How does it feel now?” Artie pressed.

“Way different from what I thought it would feel like. It even feels comfortable.”

Talking about it was giving him an embarrassing erection. He hoped that Artie wouldn’t notice. They were interrupted by a clinking noise from downstairs. Kenny panicked.

“Is someone home?” he asked in a quavering voice.

“No. Chill out. That was the mail slot... Hey, I wonder if my new games have arrived. Let’s go see.” Artie suggested.

“You mean walk around the house in just our diapers?!” Kenny squeaked.

“Sure, I do it all the time. I practically never wear pants inside the house. Everybody’s used to it. And, besides, only my sister is home. She already knows you’re wearing a diaper.”

Kenny nervously walked downstairs with Artie. There was a big window in the front door covered only by a sheer curtain. Kenny felt terribly exposed. Artie casually walked up to the mail slot and scooped up the pile of mail.

“Yeah, here they are. Finally.” Artie enthused. “Let’s go load them on my computer.”

“What games did you get?”

“I love arcade games. These are a whole bunch of awesome pinball games.”

“Cool,” Kenny enthused also.

Halfway up the stairs they met Dana coming down. Kenny felt his cheeks get warm.

“The mail’s here, I see. Was there anything interesting?” Dana asked.

“I got my new games,” Artie said. “The rest of the stuff is on the window seat.”

“Thanks. I’ll check the mail and then come up to get you guys changed. You both look like you could use some dry diapers.”

Artie immediately began loading the new games into his computer. He was only half-paying attention to Kenny.

“Artie, listen to me.”

“What?” he asked distractedly.

“Why can’t you change my diaper before your sister gets here?”

“For one thing,” Artie said reasonably, “there isn’t enough time. It will only take her a few seconds to go through the mail. Besides, I’ve already told you, it’s no big deal to her.”

“Well, it’s a big deal to me!” Kenny insisted.

“Chill out,” Artie retorted, “oh…, but there is one thing…”

He left his chair and went into the bathroom. A few seconds later he came out carrying a diaper and a pair of plastic pants.

“Here, take these,” Artie instructed. “Give them to my sister when she comes to change us. That way she’ll think that they’re your stuff and not mine.”

Dana’s footsteps approached the room. Kenny felt trapped, but thrilled at the same time. His feeling were so mixed up he didn’t know which way to go.

“Who’s first?” she asked.

“Kenny’s already got his stuff out,” Artie pointed out. “He can go first.”

“OK,” Dana said, taking the diaper and plastic pants out of his hands, “let’s get started.”

Kenny lied down as stiff as a board on the changing table.

“Relax, Kenny,” Dana said soothingly, “I won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” Kenny agreed, “it’s just that…”

“I understand. We’re practically strangers but I know what I’m doing. I’ve changed Artie thousands of times.”

Trying to ease the tension, she began asking him questions.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

Off came the plastic pants.

“No, I’m an only child.”

“I see. Who usually changes your diapers? You mom or your dad?”

The pins were out and he lifted up so that she could remove the soaked diaper.

“I live alone with my mom.”

Kenny didn’t want to lie outright. He was trying to answer the questions truthfully without giving out too much information.

Dana went over to the sink and, under warm water, wet a towel that looked like a mitten. She came back and began gently cleaning Kenny’s diaper area. His erection was almost instantaneous. The color rose in his cheeks yet one more time.

“Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to my brother all the time. It’s perfectly natural. Now, roll over so I can clean your bottom.”

Dana didn’t ask any more questions as she powdered him and pinned on a fresh diaper. This diaper was much thicker than the first one he had worn. She grabbed the plastic pants and pulled them up his legs and over the diaper.

“Uh oh,” she said, “I think you took the wrong plastic pants for this diaper. These are way too small. You must have mixed them up with a pair for a thinner diaper. Let me find one of Kenny’s that will fit properly.”

She rummaged in one of the drawers and pulled out an obviously larger pair of plastic pants. She took off the first pair and slid on the new.

“There, that’s much better. Now stand up so that I can check you.”

The pants crinkled loudly as he stood up and as she tucked in a few stray edges of the diaper. He escaped back into the bedroom.

“Hurry up, Artie,” Dana called from the bathroom. “I’ve got to leave for class soon.”

****

Artie and Kenny were alone.

“Where are my clothes?” Kenny asked.

“I almost forgot. They’re still in the washer; let’s go put them in the dryer.”

“OK. And what about my shoes?”

“I already rinsed them and left them on the porch to dry in the sun. I bet that they’re almost ready.”

Sure enough, the sun was doing its job. Kenny’s shoes were almost wearable again. They put the clothes in the dryer and went back upstairs. They lost track of time as they played the new pinball games against each other.

An hour later the buzzer from the dryer warned them it was time to take out Kenny’s clothes. They brought them back to Artie’s room. Kenny reluctantly looked at the clothes laid out on the bed.

“You don’t have to change yet. My mom doesn’t get home until 5:00, and my dad only after 6:00.”

Kenny agreed. They went back to their pinball games.

“Hello, sweetie, I’m home.” a woman said from the doorway.

Kenny froze. It was only 3:45. They had taken his clothes out of the dryer only fifteen minutes ago. He hadn’t heard anyone come in or he would have at least put his pants on. Once again, a stranger was looking at him wearing a very wet diaper.

“Hi, mom. you’re home early. This is Kenny. He spent the day with me.”

“I know. Dana called me this morning.” Turning to Kenny she added, “Hi, Kenny. Welcome to our home.”

“He.. He… Hello, Mrs. Halsted,” Kenny stammered.

“Kenny had an accident this morning. His mom is really strict and he was afraid to go home so I told him we could wash his clothes here. Even his shoes got wet,” Artie explained.

Kenny was dying from embarrassment. The word ‘accident’ could only mean one thing to Mrs. Halsted. She must think that he had wet his pants.

“You both look pretty wet to me right now. Didn’t you offer Kenny some dry diapers?” Mrs. Halsted scolded mildly.

“I did. And Dana changed him back into his own diaper before she left,” Artie lied (about it being Kenny’s diaper).

“I see. Well, I apologize for scolding you but the two of you are obviously due for another change. Into the bathroom, now.”

Kenny sat on the edge of the tub trying not to stare as Artie got his diaper changed. But his fascination took hold of him and he couldn’t stop himself. He noticed that Artie clearly enjoyed being changed. As Dana had told him, Artie had an erection throughout the whole process. So did Kenny.

When it was his turn, Kenny found out that Mrs. Halsted was even gentler than Dana. She had a soft touch that sent a tingle up his spine. No wonder Artie had seemed so thrilled.

“Artie, go downstairs and get a plastic shopping bag for Kenny’s wet diaper.”

Artie came back just as Mrs. Halsted was doing the final check on Kenny’s plastic pants. Artie put the wet diaper and plastic pants into the bag and quickly returned to the bedroom. He was followed a few seconds later by Kenny and Mrs. Halsted. He looked guilty of something.

“Are these your clothes, Kenny?” Mrs. Halsted asked, examining them closely to see how good a job Artie had done in washing them. “What size pants are these?” she asked Kenny. (Artie sighed and rolled his eyes.)

“Twenty-eight, ma’am. I like to wear them a little baggy.”

As soon as he said it he knew he shouldn’t have. What if his pants no longer fit over the thick diaper he had on?

“See, Artie. Kenny doesn’t have to wear gigantic pants to cover his diapers. Can Artie try them on for size?”

“Uh, yeah. Sure,” Kenny answered nervously.

“Aw, gee, mom. Do I have to? My pants are fine the way they are.”

“Artie…,” his mother warned.

Artie grudgingly got up from his chair and pulled the pants on. Mrs. Halsted satisfied herself that the fit was good.

“Just as I thought,” she remarked. “You’re getting new pants tomorrow. I don’t want to see you wearing those other pants again.”

“But, mom, my diapers will show. I like my pants to be real baggy.”

“Well I don’t and that’s final. Besides, your diapers do not show. Now take them off and put them neatly back on the bed for Kenny.”

Mrs. Halsted left Artie and Kenny alone.

“Sorry,” Kenny apologized. “I shouldn’t have said that they fit.”

“What else could you say? It’s not your fault. Let’s play some more pinball.”

They lost track of time again and Mrs. Halsted had to come up to remind Kenny that it was time for him to leave. She checked his diaper (which was still dry) and watched as he changed into his own clothes. She reminded him to take ‘his’ wet diaper and plastic pants home.

Walking back downstairs he whispered to Artie, “Where are my underpants?”

“Inside the bag,” Artie answered. “Sorry, they’re probably all wet but I couldn’t think of where else to put them. I didn’t want my mother to see them and get suspicious.”

****

Shortly after dinner the phone rang. Mrs. Braken answered.

“Is this Mrs. Braken?” the voice on the line asked.

“Yes, it is. Who is this, please?”

“This is Lauren Halsted, Artie’s mom.”

“Oh, hello, Mrs. Halsted. Kenny enjoyed Artie’s hospitality very much. He told me all about it during dinner. I hope he was well behaved.”

“Just perfect, I assure you. I’m calling to say how pleased I am that Artie has met someone like Kenny. He doesn’t make friends easily, especially with his special needs.”

Mrs. Braken didn’t know what she meant. Kenny hadn’t mentioned anything about Artie being disabled. In a way, she was proud of him for this. Whatever Artie’s problems were, Kenny obviously respected his privacy.

“Of course, it’s always easier when both boys have the same special needs.” Mrs. Halsted continued. “Anyway, Artie would like to invite Kenny for a two-night sleepover this week during spring break if it would be alright with you. I told him that he shouldn’t talk to Kenny until we had spoken. What do you think? I can guarantee that Kenny will be properly looked after.”

“I’m sure he would,” Mrs. Braken agreed. “Kenny doesn’t have any plans for this week. It would be entirely up to him to accept Artie’s invitation. Are you sure you would want him for two nights?”

“One night. Two nights. It’s all the same to us. There wouldn’t be that many extra diapers one way or the other.”

Mrs. Braken was getting confused. Did Mrs. Halsted say diapers? That must be Artie’s special needs. But why tell her about it? And what did one or two nights have to do with it?

“Speaking of diapers, I apologize for sending Kenny home with his wet diaper in a plastic bag. I don’t know what I was thinking. I could easily have laundered it here and given it back to him when he visits Artie again. Also, don’t worry about returning the diaper and plastic pants that Kenny borrowed from Artie. Kenny can bring them back anytime.”

“What is this woman talking about?” Mrs. Braken thought to herself. Why would Kenny bring a wet diaper home? Why would he borrow a diaper from Artie? She was beginning to have doubts about letting Kenny go over there again. This woman was obviously confused, to say the least.

“Excuse me a second. Artie is trying to get my attention,” Mrs. Halsted said.

She didn’t cover the phone as she spoke to her son.

“What is it, Artie? You’re interrupting my phone conversation.”

“Please don’t talk to Mrs. Braken about my diapers. It’s so embarrassing,” Artie pleaded.

“Don’t be silly,” Mrs. Halsted answered. “Kenny was probably as excited as you were to discover another boy who wears diapers. I’m sure he’s told his mom all about it.”

“But, mom, Mrs. Braken doesn’t need all the details. Kenny might not have told her that you and Dana changed his diapers twice today. You saw how embarrassed he was when you changed him, don’t embarrass him more. Please.”

“Oh, for heaven sakes, Artie, what’s gotten in to you?”

Mrs. Braken was dumbfounded. It seemed that Artie was confirming what Mrs. Halsted had said. Kenny was wearing diapers at Artie’s today.

“I’m sorry for the interruption. It seems that Artie has just gotten shy about his diapers. Anyway, don’t worry about a thing. If Kenny accepts the invitation to sleep over Dana and I will see to it that Kenny gets his diapers checked and changed regularly. I don’t know how Kenny is, but sometimes Artie waits too long to ask for a change.”

“Mom!!” Artie’s voice shouted in the background.

Mrs. Braken was beginning to get a headache. Nonetheless, she had the presence of mind to check further into Kenny’s activities today.

“I hope that it wasn’t too much trouble to check on Kenny’s diapers.”

“Not at all,” Mrs. Halsted answered cheerily, “he was quite patient, if a little embarrassed, when I changed him this afternoon.”

“Yes, I can understand that. He is awfully shy.”

“Well, I won’t keep you any longer. I’m sure that Artie will be calling tomorrow.”

Mrs. Braken hung up the phone in a daze. What did all this mean? Should she confront Kenny right now or wait for him to talk to her? She decided to wait.

Kenny came down from his room later in the evening to say goodnight. She thought she heard the gentle rustle of plastic pants but maybe it was just her imagination. After Kenny was in bed she went online and read several interesting articles. She then visited other sites and copied several phone numbers. Just before going to bed herself, she went into Kenny’s room to check on him. She carried a small flashlight. She went over to the bed, gently lifted the covers and shined the light under them. Kenny was still wearing the diaper and, from the look and smell of it, it was wet. Her mind was now firmly made up.

****

The next morning Mrs. Braken got up early and had made several phone calls before she heard Kenny’s shower running. He seemed to be taking a very long shower this morning. She correctly guessed that he was rinsing out the two diapers and plastic pants in an attempt to keep the smell down in his room until he could figure out what to do with them.

“Good morning, honey. Sleep well?” she asked as he came into the kitchen.

“OK,” he answered nonchalantly.

She looked him over carefully and could see that he wasn’t wearing a diaper this morning. She smiled to herself.

“By the way, I spoke to Mrs. Halsted last night. She says that Artie wants to call and ask you something this morning.”

Mrs. Braken saw the momentary flash of panic cross Kenny’s face before he got it under control. She smiled to herself a second time.

The phone rang a little later. Kenny pounced on it before his mother could get there.

“Hello,” he asked breathlessly.

“Hi,” Artie answered. “You’ve got a problem. We’ve got to talk. Can you come to my house?”

Kenny’s mom was in the doorway watching Kenny.

“What about?” Kenny pursued, dreading the answer.

“My mom told your mom about the diapers you wore yesterday.”

Mrs. Braken watched as Kenny turned white.

“No! It can’t be. My mom would have said something. She hasn’t said anything to me. She’d go ballistic if she knew.”

Mrs. Braken decided to go back to the kitchen before Kenny realized that she had observed him on the phone.

“I heard exactly what my mom said. She even told your mom that you were embarrassed when she changed you yesterday afternoon.”

Kenny was getting more and more scared.

“I’ll be right over, if I can.”

He hung up the phone and calmed himself. Artie must be messing around with his head. If his mom knew about the diapers… well, she would say something, to put it mildly.

Kenny got to Artie’s house in less than ten minutes. The first thing he did was to hand Artie the diapers and plastic pants from the day before. They went inside to talk.

“I’m not lying,” Artie insisted. “I was standing right next to my mom when she told your mom about sending you home with a wet diaper in a shopping bag and about you borrowing one of mine to wear. I tried to stop her but she wouldn’t listen. I swear it.”

Kenny’s head was in turmoil. He didn’t want to believe Artie but he couldn’t think of a reason why he would make up such a story. He also couldn’t understand why his mother hadn’t asked him about it.

“I’m gonna be grounded forever,” he said gloomily.

“Why?” Artie responded. “If she knows and hasn’t done anything about it yet then it probably means that she thinks it was just some teenage thing that will go away by itself. At least she doesn’t know about the river.”

“Yeah. I hadn’t thought of that,” Kenny said, suddenly feeling much better. “If she knew about the river it would be much worse. It’s just kind of weird, though, that she knows that I let your mother change my diaper. But, I guess you’re right. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Well, I’m glad that’s over with,” Artie continued. “The real reason my mom called your mom was to find out if she would allow you to have a sleepover with me on Friday and Saturday night. Your mom said it was OK with her, but that it was your decision. You could come over Friday morning and then go home Sunday after lunch. Please say yes. I’ve never had anybody sleepover before.”

Kenny was honored to know that he was the first person ever to be asked to sleepover at Artie’s.

“I guess so,” Kenny said hesitantly.

“Do you think you could keep your enthusiasm down a little bit?” Artie said with a hurt expression.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound that way. I want to do it. It’s just that I would have to wear diapers, wouldn’t I? What if your mom tells my mom again?”

“I don’t think she will. There would be no need to. I think that she’d only talk to your mom if she thought that you had misbehaved. Please say you’ll come.”

“OK. I’ll come,” Kenny said grinning.

“I knew you would,” Artie said happily.

“But what about all the diapers. Won’t your mom get suspicious if I come without a supply of my own?”

“We can take care of that. Just bring a big bag and we’ll load it up with some of my extra supplies. I’ve got lots and lots of extras. Besides, it’s my job to wash my own diapers and plastic pants. If I start running low I can do a wash without my mom getting suspicious. In fact, she’ll probably insist that I wash our diapers as we go along. She doesn’t like them to pile up.”

The guys talked a little while longer before Kenny had to head home for lunch. Before he left, Artie told him that he had to go to two different doctors on Wednesday and Thursday. They were going to put him through a series of tests to see if an operation would do him any good. They probably wouldn’t see each other again until Friday morning.

****

Kenny spent Wednesday and Thursday with his friends from school. His thoughts, however, kept returning to Artie and his medical exams. He hoped that Artie would be alright.

(Mrs. Braken’s packages were delivered right on schedule Wednesday morning.)

Friday morning finally came. Kenny realized that he was anxious to see Artie again. He wanted to know how the tests had gone and, he was forced to admit, he was looking forward to spending two-and-a-half days wearing diapers with his friend.

“Good morning, honey. Are you looking forward to going over to Artie’s today?” Mrs. Braken asked.

“Yeah, kind of,” he admitted. “I still have to get my stuff together, though.”

“I knew you’d wait until the last minute so I took care of it yesterday. I’ve got your bag in the car. I’ll drop it off on my way to the market. I assume you’ll want to take your bike over to Artie’s. This way you won’t have to lug your heavy bag all the way over there.”

“Thanks, mom.” Kenny said gratefully.

“No problem,” she continued, “If you want to take any games or music with you, you’ll have to pick them out yourself.”

“Thanks. That’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“These two days are a break for me, too. I don’t want you back here every ten minutes rummaging around for something else. I’m looking forward to some peace and quiet,” she said laughing.

“OK, I promise to stay away,” Kenny answered lightly, “especially since I’ll be in diapers the whole time,” he thought to himself.

Kenny’s mom left first. He took about twenty minutes to pick out the extra stuff he wanted to take with him. It wasn’t much but he threw it all into a backpack anyway. When he rolled into Artie’s driveway, Artie seemed upset about something.

“What’s up?” Kenny asked innocently.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you had your own diaper supply?” Artie asked accusingly.

“What?!” Kenny responded, genuinely shocked. “I don’t. Why do you think I do?”

“You’d better come inside.”

Kenny greeted Mrs. Halsted and Dana as he made his way up to Artie’s room. He tried to not look worried. He only half succeeded. Mrs. Halsted and Dana thought that it had to do with him being embarrassed about them changing his diapers.

Artie shut the door and went over to Kenny’s bag and started unzipping it.

“When your mom dropped off your bag I was surprised that if felt so full. I wondered why you had packed so much stuff. Then, when I opened it to add my diapers and plastic pants this is what I found,” he said, pointing to stacks of neatly folded diapers and plastic pants. “Your name is even sewn into each one.”

“What?!” Kenny said, his head swimming in confusion. “Where?”

“Here, see these tags. They all say the same thing, “Made especially for Kenny”.

Kenny sat down on the floor next to the bag. Artie was right. These were his diapers and plastic pants. His mother must have done this. But what did it mean?

Just as Kenny had had a hard time believing Artie’s story on Tuesday, Artie was having a hard time believing that Kenny didn’t know anything about this. However, Kenny seemed so genuinely shocked that he eventually accepted Kenny’s story.

Kenny reached into the bag and pulled out a diaper to examine it up close.

“This looks and feels like the thick diaper I wore on Monday.”

Artie agreed.

“You know what else is weird?” Artie asked. A questioning look from Kenny prompted him to continue. “Brand new plastic pants have a special smell all their own. They lose that smell once they’ve been washed. Your plastic pants don’t have that special smell. I think your mom washed them at least once so that my mom wouldn’t think that all your stuff was brand new.”

Kenny couldn’t argue with that. But why was his mom trying to make it look like he had been wearing diapers for a long time?

As he continued looking through the bag he found a small jar containing a dozen safety pins, a half-empty container of baby powder, a full container of baby powder, a little tube of diaper rash cream, and, four wash cloth ‘mittens’ like Dana and Mrs. Halsted had used on him the other day.

“How many diapers did your mom send over?” Artie wondered.

“I don’t know.” Kenny counted. “Um, ten, I think.”

“Do any of them look like nighttime diapers?”

“Nighttime diapers?”

“Yeah, at night I wear thicker, bigger diapers to help stop leaks. They even have special plastic pants that go with them,” Artie explained.

Kenny found the nighttime diapers under his shirts and socks.

“Wow! Those are so cool,” Artie exclaimed. “I’ve never seen such thick diapers before.”

Artie’s enthusiasm was beginning to rub off on Kenny. He, too, was getting excited about the thought of wearing such thick diapers.

“I see four of them. Do you think your mom would let you wear some of mine to see if you like them?”

“You mean, you’d let me?”

“Of course,” Kenny said smiling. He was almost finished looking through the bag. “What are these?” he asked holding up a thick strip of white cloth about as long as a diaper but only about eight inches wide.

“Dude, your mom’s thought of everything! Those are diaper doublers. They fit inside your diaper so that it can hold more pee and you won’t have to get changed as often. Please say that you’ll wear them! Maybe my mom will think it’s a good idea and get some for me, too.

They had finished examining the contents of Kenny’s bag.

“So, what are you going to do?” Artie asked.

“I don’t know. I wish my mom had given me some hint about all this.”

“Yeah, that would’ve helped, wouldn’t it? But for right now, I think you ought to get into one of these diapers. My mom could come and check on us at any time.”

“Yeah. Let’s not make things even more complicated by your mother discovering that I’m not wearing a diaper.”

Despite the shock of discovering that his mother had bought him these diapers, he was still very excited about wearing them. He loved the smell and feel of the powder and the security of being encased inside a thick diaper and plastic pants. He even found that the extra thickness provided by the diaper doubler added extra excitement.

After Kenny’s diapering they decided that they would not wear pants around the house for the rest of the weekend. There was a knock at the door.

“Artie, it’s mom. Open up, please.”

“OK,” he shouted through the door. “See, I told you,” he whispered, “my mom is here to check up on us. It’s a good thing you’re wearing a diaper.”

Mrs. Halsted smiled at the two diaper-wearing boys. “I hope you’ll be comfortable this weekend, Kenny. If you need anything please let Artie or me know.” She started walking away when she remembered something else. “Your mom left this note for you,” she said handing Kenny an envelope.

Kenny stared at the envelope for a long time. Artie left him alone and went over to his computer. Kenny sat down on the bed. He tore through the flap and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

Dearest Kenny,

I hope that you are not too upset with me. I know that it must have been a shock to open up your bag and discover the diapers and plastic pants. Before you make any final judgments, please let me explain.

Do you remember how hard your toilet training was? Probably not. (It was a real trial and I blame myself for everything that happened as a result.) You fought me all the way. Finally, after a series of rewards and punishments (mostly punishments, I am ashamed to admit) you were toilet trained. But something had been broken in your spirit as a result. While you were in diapers you were a happy, outgoing baby; after toilet training you withdrew. You became sullen and shy. You had lost your adventurous spirit.

When you got home Monday and told me about your day with Artie did you realize how animated and happy you were? You had never made friends with someone so fast. I was amazed and proud of you.

Later that night, when Mrs. Halsted told me about your diaper wearing and that you had actually let Dana and Mrs. Halsted change you, I knew that diapers were an important part of your sudden change in behavior.

Please believe that I was not spying on you, but before going to bed that night I checked on you. I saw that you still had the diaper on and that you were sleeping in it even though it was wet. I then and there resolved to give you the opportunity to make up your own mind about what you wanted.

If you want to continue wearing diapers full time, don’t do anything except have an enjoyable weekend. If, on the other hand, you don’t want to wear diapers full time or you are unsure, give me a call before twelve o’clock today and we will talk. Either way, know that I love you very much and that I only want what you want.

Your loving mother

“Wow,” Kenny said handing the note to Artie.

Artie read through it twice.

“Wow,” he echoed. “What are you going to do?”

“I know what I want to do. But what I actually decide sort of depends on you.”

“On me?” Artie asked surprised.

“Yeah, on you. For the last two days I’ve thought of nothing else but wearing diapers this weekend. I know that I want to wear them full time but, if you get your operation, I don’t want to be the only one using them.”

“You have nothing to worry about,” Artie answered quietly. “I failed practically all the tests.”

“You did? I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be,” Artie explained, “I didn’t want the operation anyway. I’m too used to diapers and I think I would miss them a lot if I didn’t get to wear them.”

Twelve o’clock came and went.

Kenny and Artie were well on their way to having one of the best weekends of their lives.