Lizzie - Chapter 1

Lizzie slapped the snooze button on her alarm for the third time that morning. Or was it the fourth? She had lost track, but it was the weekend, she could afford to sleep in. However, as she began to roll back over to sleep, there was a banging on her door.

“Lizzie, you need to get up now. We’re leaving in 45 minutes!” Jennifer, her mom, called out from behind the door. Lizzie had forgotten about their Thanksgiving trip to her Aunt Katherine’s house.

“I’m already up,” Lizzie lied through a yawn, pulling the covers back over her, closing her eyes. She just needed five more minutes.

“Oh, is that so?” a gruff voice asked. Her door swung open, and suddenly, something attacked Lizzie through the sheets. It ran up and down her tummy. At first, she attempted to ignore the assault, twisting and pushing away. However, the attack was unrelenting and she began to giggle. The giggles soon grew to full-on laughter as a second attacker joined in.

“Okay, okay, I’m up!” Lizzie barely managed to gasp out between laughs.

“The Tickle Monster has been fended off once again!” Her dad, Philip said, pulling back his hand in a overly dramatic fashion, sinking to the floor. Lizzie couldn’t help but giggle. The Tickle Monster had been ‘helping’ her get out of bed since she was three. Even though she was almost fourteen at this point, it still showed up every so often.

“Now Private,” her father said with a commanding voice, suddenly appearing back into view, “for your next assignment, I expect you at the port packed and ready by 0900 hours.” Philip put his hand to his forehead in a salute.

“Yes sir, General sir!” Lizzie sat up straight and returned the gesture.

“Here’s your suitcase, and don’t forget your Goodnites and new medicine!” her mom chimed in, before the two stepped out of the room.

“Yes mom,” Lizzie said, a slight tone of annoyance in her voice. Thankfully, her mom didn’t seem to notice.

Lizzie rolled out of bed, slipping out of her pajamas, a light blue two piece set with various species of penguins all over. Only after taking the pants off did she notice an extra weight between her legs. She frowned, checking to confirm her suspicions. Her Goodnites were wet, and not just a bit damp, they were soaked. Today had been the third night in a row. Lizzie had always been a bed wetter. They’d been to countless doctor’s over the years, but every test had come back negative. She was perfectly healthy, except for the fact that she occasionally lost control of her bladder at night. The frequency varied over time, but three nights in a row was unusual, even for her.

While growing up, Lizzie had gotten increasingly frustrated at herself when the bed wetting showed no signs of stopping. She hated always having to tiptoe around, worried what her classmates might think if they found out about her problem. Sleepovers were a nightmare, the anxiety almost always led to a rough night, which in turn usually led to her wetting more. She sighed, by now she had resigned herself to wearing Goodnites to bed for the rest of her life.

After confirming, thankfully, that nothing had gotten onto her sheets, Lizzie hopped into the shower. She showered quickly, knowing that her mom would freak out if they were late because of her. But that didn’t stop her from practicing a couple of her choir songs, her voice echoing throughout the shower as she scrubbed along to the rhythm. Soon, she wrapped herself in a towel and stepped out, beads of water continued to run down her chest length hair, dripping to the floor from the light brown strands.

As she dried her hair, she stared at herself in the mirror. Everyone had always told her she had a baby face, and if she didn’t know better, she would’ve guessed the little girl with brown eyes in the mirror was at most eleven years old. It certainly didn’t help that Lizzie was short for her age, having not yet hit her growth spurt. She slipped on her training bra. Lizzie wished that at least her chest would grow out a bit more so she could start wearing real bras like an adult.

An adult that still wears Goodnites to bed.

Lizzie brought herself back to reality as she finished her morning routine. She popped two pills into her mouth and downed them with a gulp of water. To be honest she didn’t know too much about the medicine her mom had recently gotten her. Her mom had gotten them from a friend who worked at some pharmaceutical startup or something. They were supposed to help girls around her age develop strong bodies as her mom had put it. Lizzie secretly prayed it would at least help her grow a couple inches. She tossed the rest of the bottle into her suitcase and began packing.

Despite the towel wrapped around her, Lizzie shivered slightly as she walked back to her room. It was going to be a cold November weekend at Aunt Katherine’s. She dressed, slipping into some warm leggings and a black long-sleeved V-neck.

First, she packed some of her more comfortable hoodies, her favorite being the black one with skulls. She’d bring a winter jacket too in case the weather got bad. A few simple tops and pants were tossed on top. She had been trying to update her wardrobe to match what the popular girls wore at school recently, but her limited allowance meant most of her clothes had to be purchased on trips with her mom.

Her mom always managed to find problems with her choices. This skirt was too short, that shirt too revealing. The name-brand leggings were too thin. It always took a lot of convincing and compromise, but Lizzie had managed to get a few nicer pieces, like the jean jacket she packed next.

Her pajamas followed. Lizzie never did get used to sleeping naked, especially in the winter. Unlike her school outfits, Lizzie didn’t care much about her pajamas, and usually let her mom pick them out. Lizzie had found it to be a good compromise to let her mom pick her sleepwear while she picked the clothes people would actually see her in. She had a large variety of pajamas, both two-piece and one-piece sets, although far more of the latter. Her mom was always worried about her catching a cold. While Lizzie found some of them childish, like the pink Disney footies with Ariel on the front, she was okay with most styles as long as they were comfortable. That being said, she obviously wouldn’t be packing those particular pajamas for this trip. She dug around for a few minutes, eventually settling on two that seemed mature enough for a thirteen year old.

She pulled out three Goodnites from the package hidden deep within her closet. They went into the luggage next, stashed within a folded towel alongside a couple ziplock bags. She had learned over the years the benefits of having a backup container to hold used Goodnites. Lizzie packed her toothbrush, as well as her travel shampoo and body wash. She didn’t bring any makeup, not that she used much normally. She usually preferred the extra sleep instead.

Finally, she got around to packing her entertainment for the weekend. Her Switch was a must, Noah would kill her if she forgot it again. But Lizzie decided to keep that one on the car, in case she got bored. She picked up her portable chess set. It had been a gift for her eighth birthday from Grandpa Ben, only a year before he’d passed away. He had introduced her to the world of chess before Lizzie had even entered Kindergarten. Countless nights they had stayed up, playing chess well past her bedtime. When they had first begun, he had been able to give her Queen odds while still winning easily. However, Lizzie had studied hard, reading countless books and finding chess puzzles online. She had even begged her mom to buy her a chess course for her seventh birthday. She had eventually been able to win and draw a few games, though she could never beat him consistently. She flipped the small chess set in her hands, the board was beginning to show its age despite Lizzie’s careful use. A few scratches littered across the surface, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t touched up with a bit of paint. Lizzie made a mental note to pick some up the next time she went to the mall. She tucked the chess set carefully into the front pocket of the suitcase.

She contemplated for a moment on bringing Terry, her large teddy bear, with her. She had gotten it on her sixth birthday at the amusement park for not crying on the roller coaster. At the time, he had been nearly half her size. Now, he still fit comfortably in her arms every night. His innate squishiness and cute puppy eyes were always there to provide her comfort. Lizzie used to bring him out on every trip, but she decided against bringing him today. She didn’t need any more excuses for others to see her as a child. To wrap things up, she tossed in her chargers and the new chess puzzles book she had bought the other day. Satisfied, she zipped up the suitcase. It took a couple of attempts, but sitting on it did the trick.

“Hey, look who’s finally downstairs,” Philip said as Lizzie appeared, tugging her luggage down behind her, “There’s some breakfast on the -”

“C’mon young lady, go properly dry your hair and throw on a jacket, it’s only forty outside,” Jennifer said, appearing from behind. She was holding a half eaten toast in one hand, a stack of papers in the other. Her hair was all over the place and she was panting slightly.

Lizzie opened her mouth to object, but shut it. The only thing she needed was to listen to her mom chew her out for the entire ride to Aunt Katherine’s. Instead, she gave a short sigh before running back upstairs.

“Did you also pack an extra Goodnite and pajamas like you’re supposed to?”

“Yes mom.” Lizzie lied, rolling her eyes out of her mom’s view. She had never needed the spares, and she wasn’t about to unzip and rezip her suitcase just to pack them.

“Okay then, get your luggage on the car, we’re leaving in ten minutes!”

***

The Cooper family finally made it onto the road. Lizzie sat in the back, a slice of buttered toast in her mouth, browsing away on Instagram. Most of her classmates were partying at Vanessa’s this weekend while she’d be stuck at Aunt Katherine’s. Not that she really minded, she probably wouldn’t have been invited anyways.

“Yo girl, what are you up to this weekend?” Ivie’s text appeared on her screen. Ivie’s parents were close friends with Lizzie’s, so naturally, the two had grown up playing together. Lizzie looked up to Ivie. She was kind, pretty, smart, and athletic. She had become a state swimming champion in middle school and she had already gotten a 1520 on her first SAT. She even spent weekends volunteering at a local retirement home. Ivie was basically perfect, however, she was super modest and Lizzie always felt comfortable around her. Lizzie saw her as an older sister, seeking her out for help and advice. Ivie even babysat her occasionally when her parents out on business trips. Despite being only two years older, her level of maturity put even Lizzie’s mom at ease.

Ivie was one of the few people Lizzie would call a friend, and one of the only people outside her family that knew about her Goodnites. Ivie had been the one to get Lizzie into choir, and she’d taken Lizzie out to karaoke a bunch of times. Lizzie had been sad when Ivie had moved onto senior high last year. At least next year they’d be in school together again.

“nm, heading to Aunt Katharine’s for the weekend, hbu?”

“Just studying… How’s Ms. Taylor? Been practicing your music?”

“she’s been stressed w/ the choir retreat n stuff. I’ve been practicing when I can, still have a ways to go though.”

“Keep it up! Have fun stuck at your Aunt’s. Let’s go karaoke sometime. Ttyl, pomodoro time :’)” Ivie added a photo of her face melting away onto her textbooks. Lizzie laughed, sending back a funny face as well to cheer her up.

Lizzie had just plugged in her earbuds and opened Spotify when their car began exiting the highway. “Why are we stopping already?” she asked.

“Oh, we’re stopping at Uncle Grant and Aunt Jenny’s. We’re carpooling with them to Uncle Joseph and Aunt Katharine’s, remember?” Philip asked. Lizzie didn’t, but she nodded anyways.

The car soon pulled up into a driveway, the three stepped out and rang the doorbell. Aunt Jenny greeted them at the door and the parents exchanged welcomes.

“Hey Lizzie, long time no see, you look as cute as ever!” She gave Lizzie a big hug which Lizzie respectfully returned.

“Sorry, we’re having a bit of trouble getting Lucas dressed and ready, he’s throwing quite a tantrum.” Aunt Jenny shook her head. Her hair was a fuzz, and despite her cheery voice her eyes looked tired.

As if on cue, a scream came from the back of the house. Lucas streaked across the room, naked. Lizzie jerked her head away. Philip chuckled slightly, until Jennifer gave him a punch in the arm.

Lucas continued his screaming rampage as his father, Grant, chased after him. Lucas was special needs, even though he was technically a few months older than Lizzie, his brain hadn’t developed much past one of a toddler.

Lizzie always had a soft spot for Lucas, even though he was often obnoxious and childish, Lizzie felt that Lucas was kind in his own ways. The two didn’t meet often, but when they did they always had a good time. He didn’t judge people, and treated everyone as a friend. Perhaps he was simply too immature to understand, but it was refreshing in a way to see someone so unbiased toward others. Last year for Christmas, Lucas had given her a crayon drawing of the two of them riding a dragon together after the two had watched How to Train your Dragon. It wasn’t a particularly good drawing, but she still kept it framed on her bedroom wall at home.

“What’s wrong?” Jennifer asked.

“Well, since it’s going to be a long trip, we need to get him into his diapers and pajamas for the car. But as you can see, he’s been refusing since morning.” Jenny sighed.

“Lissie… No need… diapees.” Lucas appeared at the doorway. Thankfully, Uncle Grant had been able to wrap a towel around him. “Me… no need… too,” he concluded.

Jenny looked toward Lizzie, “he’s convinced because you’re about the same age that since you don’t need to wear diapers on the car he shouldn’t need to either.”

“His logic does seem quite sound,” Philip laughed. “No worries of course, take your time,” he quickly added.

“Please, come in and sit for a few more minutes, we’ll try to calm him down and convince him.” Jenny invited them into the house as Grant carried Lucas back to his room.

The Cooper’s sat at their dining table while Grant and Jenny struggled with Lucas. Lizzie tried browsing her phone but even through her headphones, she could hear the yelling and crying from the neighboring room. Jennifer looked busy browsing on her phone, but kept glancing up toward Lucas’s room, occasionally getting up to pace around, before eventually sitting back down. Philip looked calm, but even he tapped his fingers across the table.

Eventually, Lizzie got up and went over to the bedroom, hesitating for a moment before knocking and entering.

“Hey -” She paused as all eyes turned to her, the room suddenly quiet. Lizzie took a deep breath before walking over, kneeling down in front of Lucas, meeting him at eye level. “Hey Lucas, if Lissie wore some diapees, would Lucas wear some diapees too?” Lizzie said in her baby voice.

Jenny opened her mouth to say something but Grant motioned for her to stop, eventually their eyes fell onto Lucas. He sat still, head crocked to a side, contemplating the decision.

“Lissie wear same as me?” he eventually asked, to which Lizzie nodded.

After another moment, he nodded, “okay!”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to,” Aunt Jenny whispered to Lizzie.

“It’s okay, it’s just for the car ride.”

“Would you mind wearing some pajamas too? You’re only slightly smaller than he is, but I bet one of his older pajamas would fit you perfectly.”

Lizzie nodded, as long as it would get them onto the road.

“Thank you so much.” Uncle Grant said. “What I would give to have a girl as mature as yours,” Grant nodded as Lizzie’s parents appeared at the doorway.

“She’s certainly not like this all the time, you know, she’s a teenager and all,” Philip said. Lizzie turned and gave him a look. “But we’re very proud of her,” he said as he gently ruffled Lizzie’s head. Lizzie blushed at the comment.

“Okay then, let’s get everyone dressed.” Aunt Jenny led Lizzie and Lucas to the bathroom as the others stepped out to help move the suitcases. Once there, she asked that Lizzie take off her pants and underwear, telling Lucas to face the other side. Lizzie slowly took off her clothing. She had obviously known that this was coming, and both Aunt Jenny and Lucas had seen her naked before. However, she still felt slightly exposed as she took off her leggings and underwear. The air suddenly felt cool against her skin.

Jenny asked if she wanted to go to the bathroom before getting diapered. Lizzie shook her head, having gone just before leaving. She then asked Lizzie to climb onto a changing table to the side before getting to work. Jenny began situating the diaper, asking Lizzie to shift her bum on top. Lizzie complained that she could put it on herself, to which her aunt apologized, stating that she wanted to treat the two of them as similarly as possible, lest Lucas get angry again. Lizzie bit her lip, feeling slightly embarrassed at being treated like a baby, but nodded. Jenny quickly and expertly secured the diaper around her before helping Lizzie down, thanking her again for helping.

Off to the side, Lizzie felt around her diaper. The diaper was secured firmly, but not too tightly, around her lower half with two tapes from either side. The large white padding was much thicker than her Goodnites, causing her to inadvertently spread her legs ever so slightly. She took a couple of steps. Thankfully, it wasn’t thick enough to cause a waddle. Behind her, Aunt Jenny hoisted Lucas onto the table with some effort. Only when she clipped a strap around Lucas’s waist did Lizzie even notice the extra accessories on the table. She eyed the table out of the corner of her eye, there was a pair of straps above the head, presumably for the wrists. She could make out straps around the ankles and knees as well.

“What are the straps for?” Lizzie asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

“Oh, those came with the table, they’re usually for children that wiggle around when getting diapered to prevent them from falling off. We only really use the waist one for Lucas, just to be safe.”

Soon, Lucas was similarly diapered and the two stood side by side.

“Alright, could you please take off your top as well?” Jenny asked Lizzie. Lizzie gave her a confused look. “The pajamas are one-piece, and it’ll be uncomfortable if you have clothes underneath,” she explained as she stepped out.

At first, Lizzie was hesitant, but then she shrugged, she had already gone this far. She slipped her top off, leaving her naked aside from her diaper and bra.

Aunt Jenny returned with two bundles in hand. She handed one of them to Lizzie. The bundle unfolded in her hands to reveal a set of dark blue footie pajamas with white polka-dots. Lizzie was glad to see the relatively neutral design, the last thing she needed was to sport a Lightning McQueen sleeper to her Aunt’s. Lizzie unzipped the front and stepped in. However, as she pulled her feet through, they didn’t seem to fit properly.

“Oh, you have them on backwards.” Aunt Jenny gently pulled the sleeper back down, turning it 180 degrees before asking Lizzie to step back into them. Properly placed, her feet slipped in easily. Lizzie stepped in and pulled the sleeper up and over her shoulders, the zipper now rested at the small of her back.

Lizzie began pulling the zipper up her back until it slipped out of her fingers. She strained her neck to check herself in the bathroom mirror, the zipper pull was now at the base of her shoulder blades, but she struggled to inch it up any further.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Aunt Jenny pulled the zipper up the remaining distance with ease. Lizzie heard a couple of snaps before Jenny patted her on the back. “You’re all set, let me finish zipping up Lucas.”

Lizzie took the time to inspect the pajamas. Unlike her own pajamas, these ones hugged close to her skin. They were tight, but not overly so. She tugged on the sleeper, there was little stretch to the fabric, but that didn’t mean they were uncomfortable. In fact, these were the softest pajamas she had ever felt.

The pajamas also felt thicker than most, having clearly been designed for chilly winter nights. They wrapped nicely around her diaper, the fabric here seemed slightly stretchier. Around the edges of her diaper, the fabric was slightly thicker, growing thinner toward the center, smoothing out the transition between her padded crotch and the surrounding area. This had the effect of somewhat hiding the bulk that sat between her legs, although someone experienced like herself could still tell the difference. Whoever had designed these clearly had diapers in mind. Craning her head, Lizzie viewed the zipper in the mirror. It ran from her left ankle all the way up to where it disappeared behind a small flap at the top.

Taking a look at Lucas, she got a better look at the flap. It seemed to button shut with a couple snaps right at the top of her shoulder blades. The placement made it so she had to strain herself just to get her fingers on the flap. She felt around for the flap, and experimentally gave it a few tugs, but she couldn’t get a firm grip on it.

Jenny turned around, noticing Lizzie’s struggle. “Sorry about the pajamas, I bought these from a special needs store, they’re designed to make it difficult for children to take off their pajamas and diapers when they’re not supposed to. If you mind, we can help change you out of it once we get Lucas in the car.”

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Lizzie didn’t worry too much. She was pretty confident she could open the flap if she tugged hard enough. Plus, it was getting late and she didn’t want Lucas to throw a fit during the ride.

“You two are matching, that’s so cute,” Jennifer said with a smile as the three of them returned to the living room. Lizzie could only roll her eyes as Philip hid a chuckle.

“I’ve almost got everything ready in the car.” Grant said, coming back from the garage.

“Alright then, let’s get a move on!” Philip said, and with that, the two families piled out into the garage.

“So, dads up front, moms in the middle, and children in the back,” Grant said. Lizzie slid the door to the van open and hopped on, but then she stopped in her tracks. Sitting there smack in the middle of the back row was what looked like a gigantic car seat.