If You Act Like A Baby - Chapter 5 (Diverging Destinies)

It was a regular weekday morning, and Jamie and Ellie were enjoying their breakfast at the kitchen table.

Jamie sipped on his orange juice, while Ellie ate her toast with jam. They chatted about their day ahead as their parents were upstairs getting ready for work.

After a brief moment of pause, Ellie looked at Jamie with a serious expression, "Hey, we need to talk.".

"What’s up?" Jamie asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"I’ve been thinking and it’s really not fair for you to implicate Leo in your desire to wear diapers," Ellie said, her tone firm. "He's trying his best to get potty trained, and you need to encourage him because it will hold back if he’s still in diapers when all his friends are potty trained."

Jamie felt a pang of guilt in his stomach. He knew that Ellie was right. He had been so focused on his own desires that he had forgotten about the impact on Leo. "I know, Ellie, you’re right. I hadn’t really considered it like that. I promise I’ll make more of an effort to get him potty trained.”

Ellie nodded, satisfied with his answer. "And you promise me you won’t steal any more diapers?" she asked, her voice softening.

"Yes, I promise," Jamie replied, trying to assure his sister, but with a tint of sadness in her voice.

"Well done," Ellie said, patting him on the back in a patronising way. "But remember, I'm keeping an eye on you. No more stealing his stuff."

Just as they were finishing their conversation, their parents walked into the room.

Jamie felt his heart pounding in his chest as his parents walked into the kitchen. 

He had been so absorbed in his conversation with Ellie that he hadn't heard them coming down the stairs. Now he was afraid that they had overheard everything and that his secret would be revealed.

His eyes darted towards Ellie, hoping she would keep her promise to keep his secret.

"Ellie. What's going on?" Jamie's mum asked, a curious expression on her face.

"Oh, hi," Ellie replied, trying to keep her composure. "I was just checking in on Jamie to see how he's doing."

Jamie gave Ellie a pleading look, silently begging her not to tell his parents the truth.

"What do you mean, checking in?" Jamie's dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ellie hesitated for a moment before responding, "Just asking him how things are going and making sure he's not getting into any trouble."

Jamie's mum looked at him sceptically. "Jamie, what's going on? Why are you looking at Ellie like that?"

"Uh, nothing, Mum," Jamie replied, his voice unconvincing. "We were just talking."

"That’s right," she said quickly, "I was just asking how Jamie was, that's all."

Jamie's dad scrutinised her with his gaze. "It didn’t sound like that to me. Is there something you're not telling us, Ellie?"

Ellie shook her head, attempting to present herself as genuine as possible."No, I promise. You’re imagining things."

Their parents looked at each other, and Jamie could tell that they were still suspicious. Their mom turned to Ellie and said, "Are you sure that's all it was? You're not hiding anything from us, are you?"

"You better not be lying to us, Ellie.” her Dad emphasised.

"I am not lying," she retorted. "Can you please drop it?"

Their dad then turned his attention towards Jamie, his stern gaze piercing through him. "And you better not be getting into any trouble, young man. Remember what I’ve told you before - if you act like a baby, you'll be treated like a baby."

A lump formed in Jamie's throat as he recalled the lecture his father had given him the last time. He had made a promise to never repeat his mistake, and he was afraid to push his father's warning to the limit. While he was enticed by the idea of being treated like a baby, he didn’t want to engage in his fantasy with his own family. That would be weird.

"I remember, Dad," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

His dad narrowed his eyes. "Say it louder, Jamie. Let's hear you say it like you mean it."

Jamie took a deep breath and said, his voice a little louder this time, "If I act like a baby, I'll be treated like a baby."

Their mother nodded in agreement, her expression serious. "I agree with your Dad, Jamie. If we find out you’re being silly games again then this time you’ll really find out what it means to act like a baby"

Their parents seemed satisfied with his response, and the tension in the room dissipated slightly. Jamie breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that Ellie had stuck to her promise and saved him from disaster.

As their parents headed out the door, he turned to Ellie and mouthed the words "Thank you." She simply smiled back at him, a silent understanding passing between them.

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As the end of the summer holiday drew closer, Hazel was increasingly anxious about Leo’s lack of progress with potty training. Nothing seemed to be working, and she was growing more and more concerned about the impending start of preschool.

In a last-ditch effort to speed up his progress, Hazel had decided to switch Leo from diapers to training pants during the day. Unaware of the real reason behind her son’s lack of progress, she hoped that the added sense of independence and responsibility would encourage him to use the potty more often.

"I think we should give training pants a try and see how he gets on," Hazel suggested. "If we make a really big effort then hopefully we can still get him potty trained by the end of the summer."

"Okay, let's give it a try," Jamie agreed positively, even if was feeling reluctant inside.

Initially, Leo struggled with the transition, having several accidents. However, much to Jamie's surprise and sadness, he soon began to adapt to the new routine, gradually learning to recognize the signs that he needed to use the potty.

Over the course of the next few days, Leo started to stay dry for longer periods of time and was able to successfully use the potty on his own.

Jamie watched with a mixture of pride and disappointment as Leo became more and more independent, realising that he would soon be losing his endless supply of diapers and his playmate.

Leo may have finally started making progress with his potty training, but Jamie was struggling with the opposite problem.

After weeks of wearing diapers full-time, his bladder control had weakened, and he found himself feeling anxious whenever he wasn't diapered.

On several occasions, while out of the house, he had been forced to relieve himself at such notice before the pressure became too much.

While he was worried about having an accident in front of his family or friends, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the desperation he felt whenever he needed to pee. 

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It was Saturday and Jamie had agreed to go to the shopping mall with his Mum. While driving back, Jamie suddenly felt a sudden urge to pee. 

He had intended to use the bathroom before they left but they didn’t pass any toilets and his Mum was in a rush to get back. He was now regretting his decision!

The traffic was heavy, and it seemed like it would take forever to get home.

Jamie tried to distract himself by looking out the window, but the pressure on his bladder was becoming unbearable.

He shifted in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position to alleviate the pressure, but it was no use. 

He needed to go, and he needed to go now!

They still had about 15 minutes left to go, and Jamie was starting to panic, as he knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold on for that long.

"Mum, can you please stop the car? I really need to use the bathroom," Jamie pleaded, his voice shaking with urgency.

His mother glanced back at him, and he could see the frustration in her eyes. "Jamie, we're almost there. Can’t you hold on a little longer?"

Jamie could feel his stomach churning….