After school, Ivie picked her up one last time. Unsure of how to bring up the earlier events again, the ride was silent.

It was only when they finally arrived home that Lizzie finally opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the sound of her parents pulling up in their Uber, their plane having arrived earlier than expected. Things moved quickly, and her chance to discuss with Ivie was gone.

As a token of their appreciation, her parents had invited Ivie out to a fancy Italian dinner, where they caught up on the events of the last week. Despite, her bedwetting being left out of the conversation, Lizzie remained quiet throughout the meal, not having much of an appetite.

***

“I’ll miss you,” Lizzie said, giving her friend a tight hug.

“Thank you again for everything, Ivie,” Jennifer said.

“No worries Mr. and Ms. Cooper. It was fun hanging out with Liz, and most of the time it didn’t feel like babysitting at all.” Ivie slowly tore away from her hug, and hopped onto her car.

“I’m gonna umm… go practice some chess,” Lizzie said as they stepped back into the house.

“One second there, if you don’t mind, your father and I would like to speak to you in the kitchen first.”

Lizzie hung her head.

It hadn’t exactly been a mystery as to why Ivie had pulled her parents to the side for a conversation right after they’d returned from the restaurant. And her parents asking her to help Ivie pack as they quietly chatted in the kitchen all but confirmed it.

It was going to be a long night.

“Now, please.”

“Yes mom.” She trudged her feet over to her parents at the dining table. Taking a seat opposite of them, she stared down at her hands.

“So… Some stuff seems to have happened over the week,” Philip finally broke the tension.

“Care to explain?” Jennifer asked cryptically, not that there was any question as to what she was alluding to.

“I… I didn’t mean to!” Her hands trembled as she spoke. “I really didn’t touch my diaper last night, I promise! I don’t know why the tapes broke off, but they did. You have to believe me!”

She looked up as her vision blurred, desperately trying to hold the tears in. Even she knew how bad it looked, how obvious it was that she’d tampered with her diaper. There was no way—

“We believe you,” her mom said, resting a hand on hers.

“What?” Lizzie sniffled, looking up.

“I said we believe you,” Jennifer repeated. “Ivie told us you were pretty well-behaved after the first incident, and that this morning you seemed genuinely distraught by the accident.”

Lizzie shut her eyes, whispering a silent thank you to her friend.

“But,” Philip began, “that doesn’t mean your other recent actions have been acceptable. Your mom and I have been talking about this for a while now, but we were both extremely disappointed with how you acted at your Aunt Mira’s. Do you remember our chat after your trip?”

Lizzie nodded. The hour-long lecture was hard to forget.

“Then you should remember what the two things we were most disappointed by were.”

“Taking off my protection and getting up while the car was moving?”

Philip nodded. “So, do you see the problem?”

Lizzie looked back with a crocked head. “I know I took off my diaper once. But I never took off my seatbelt!”

“You see, that’s the problem. You did take off your seatbelt. When you and Ivie went karaoke, you took it off as she was pulling into the parking lot. Not only that, you hopped out of the car while the ignition was still running, and raced off to the entrance without her.”

Lizzie opened her mouth to argue that it never happened, but her mom spoke first. “It’s become such a bad habit, I doubt you even realized it.”

She suddenly recalled a faint memory of her friend yelling at her to wait up as she’d sprinted across the parking lot. She hung her head. “I guess that might’ve happened.”

“As for your protection. I think it goes without saying that you know it was wrong. But you’ve always known that, and this never used to be a problem. So why has it happened multiple times recently?”

The question caught her off guard. Indeed, she hadn’t realized this before. But thinking about it more, the reason was evident. “It… It’s because I feel embarrassed. Especially with those… diapers.”

“So diapers are more embarrassing than goodnites?”

“Of course they are! Goodnites are already bad enough, but diapers are for babies!”

“They aren’t for babies though. You don’t see any cute or babyish design on them, right?”

“It’s still not the same! I just want to wear goodnites instead!” She pulled her hands under the table, clenching her thighs as her body shook. Why did she even need to explain this?!

“I know you do sweetheart, but Lizzie, you’ve been leaking through your goodnites recently. The doctor said this is quite normal as you get older and your bladder can hold more. Even so, we’ve already made an appointment with the doctor to double-check, but until we figure out why, you’ll need stronger protection.”

“Why can’t I just clean up if I leak? I don’t need those stupid diapers!” Lizzie exclaimed as her eyes began to fog up once again.

“And what happens when you can’t?” Jennifer’s voice rose. “Are you even aware that Ivie was late to school two times this past week? Want to take a guess as to why?

“Because after dropping you off, instead of going to class, she rushed back to clean up your mattress. Then she left school early in order to make sure you’d have a dry bed to sleep in.”

“I…” Lizzie’s voice trailed off. It hadn’t even crossed her mind to think about how Ivie had managed to clean everything up despite having school herself. But her friend hadn’t mentioned any of this!

“Do you not feel bad every time someone has to clean up after you? Do you even—“ Jennifer paused as Philip put an arm on her shoulder.

“What your mom’s trying to say is that whenever you wet the bed — whether that be because of an accident or because you removed your protection — it’s not only you that’s affected.

“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: your mom and I will always be here for you. We will always be there to help you clean up any messes. But, you want to grow up and be an adult, right?”

Lizzie nodded.

“Then you need to start realizing your actions have consequences. You’re still young, you’re making mistakes, and that’s fine. But sometimes you just need some extra guidance, to help you make the right choices.”

She nodded again whilst wiping her eyes on her sleeve. “So what’s my punishment?” She whispered, already knowing where the conversation was headed.

Philip got up and left, quickly returning with a cardboard box. He set it down and opened it. From inside, he pulled out a dark red bundle. However, as it unfolded, it became quite clear what it was: another back-zip sleeper just like her Rosalina ones. This one featured a large black cat in the front, stretching lazily.

“For the next two weeks, you’ll be wearing either your Rosalina sleeper or this one. This is a direct consequence of your actions. But it is also a reminder. A reminder for you that your protection is there for your sake. Even if you don’t like it, you need to get used to it, do you understand?”

“Yes…” She’d expected as much, but knowing her parents, they weren’t done.

“In the same vein, for the next two weeks, you’re forbidden from changing your protection without asking your mom or I first. To enforce that, you’ll be wearing both your protection and the sleeper any time you’re home. This means right when you get home after school, or the whole day on weekends. You can wear goodnites during the day, but you’ll be wearing diapers at night.”

“So I’ll have to ask for permission to use the bathroom?”

“For the two weeks, yes.”

Lizzie blinked. This was new. She’d expected to get grounded for two weeks, or perhaps having her gaming privileges revoked.

“But why do I need to wear protection in the morning? You’re worried I’ll have an accident?”

“We’re not worried about a morning accident. The goodnites in the morning are to help you get used to wearing your protection while not being tempted to tamper with it.”

“But what about after school activities like my club?”

“You can still do those. The rules will just apply when you’re back home after. But don’t expect to be hanging out with your friends after school for the next two weeks.”

“Wait, what about my sleepover with Madison?”

“That…“ Philip started, but paused to look at Jennifer.

The two whispered to each other briefly before her mom responded, “we already promised you the sleepover, and we know how much you are looking forward to it. So, we will skip the rules for that day, but just that day. You can wear your normal PJs for that night, but you’ll still need to wear your protection.”

“But do I have to wear a diaper for the sleepover? Madison will…” The question jumped out of her.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk about next. I think your mom and I underestimated how embarrassing diapers were for you. We didn’t realize they were very different from your goodnites, but what you said earlier explains a lot.

“We’re sorry for not realizing that sooner. However, it still doesn’t excuse your behavior.

“But it got me thinking, I remember Aunt Jenny talking about goodnite inserts that can help increase their capacity. It might be enough to help with the leaking. I can try and get a hold of some if you’d like to try.”

“Yes please,” Lizzie said. Anything but the diapers. “Thank you,” she quickly added.

“I’ll ask her about it tomorrow. But expect it to take at least a few days. And I want to be clear, there’s a chance they leak and you’ll still need to wear diapers, so either way you need to get used to them, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically. At least there was a chance.

“Alright, do you have any questions? Or we’ll move onto the next part.”

Lizzie wasn’t exactly keen on wearing her new sleeper, but after the first few nights of it with Ivie, she’d gotten pretty used to wearing it. Being forced to ask before going to the bathroom was going to be annoying though, especially during the day, but she had to admit the punishment made more sense than simply grounding her.

Of course, the idea of a thick diaper still dampened her mood. She prayed that the goodnite inserts would work.

Shaking her head, she let her parents continue.

“Based on your recent behavior, you seem to need a reminder for keeping your seatbelt on while in the car. So, while you’re in the car, you’ll be wearing this.” Jennifer pulled out a second item from the cardboard box, a web of straps.

“That’s…”

“Yes, it’s a car harness similar to the one Lucas uses. One difference is that the seat mount is different.” She held up another web of straps. “While Lucas’s ones go all the way to connect in the back, making it impossible for him to release it himself, this one connects right onto the rings on the harness. This means you will be able to take it off yourself.

“But, it’ll take longer than wearing a normal seatbelt, so the idea is that this will make you think twice before unbuckling. And as an additional rule, you’ll be required to ask us before you do so.”

“How long do I have to wear it?”

“Two weeks, same as the sleeper and protection rules. Of course that may increase based on your behavior.”

“When do I have to wear it?”

“Whenever you’re in the car.”

“But what if my friends see it when you drop me off in the morning? I’ll be the laughing stock of the entire school!”

“Our car windows are tinted, so it is highly unlikely they’ll see it…” Jennifer started, but Philip pulled her aside for another whispered exchange.

“That being said, since it’s just for two weeks, we can pull over a block earlier and walk the remaining so that your classmates won’t see you. Okay?”

“Alright…” Lizzie whispered, her brain still trying to process through everything.

“Lizzie, I want to make one thing clear. While these are punishments for your behavior, they are, more importantly, guard rails to help guide you to make the right decisions.

“And we’ll slowly remove them as you learn. But the reverse is also true, if you continue breaking the rules, we’ll be forced to enact even stricter methods. Do you understand?”

“I do…” Lizzie said after a moment, unsure if she really meant it.

Of course, she hadn’t expected the harness. But if she could take it off herself, it was just like wearing two seatbelts instead of one. It hardly felt like a punishment.

In fact, everything seemed relatively tame compared to some of the scenarios she’d been imagining.

It also seemed like her parents were trying to be reasonable. More-so than normal in fact. For once, it felt like her parents were actually trying to talk to her like an adult rather than a child, explaining their thought processes behind their decisions.

Yet, she couldn’t help but hear that little voice in head.

What’s the big deal anyways? It’s not like anyone got hurt with the seatbelt. And you already got punished for taking off your goodnite, why do you need to ask for permission just to go to the bathroom? You’re being treated like a baby! What’s next, a crib?

“Are you okay, Lizzie?”

She shut her eyes, struggling to push the voice out of her head.

A hand came to rest on top of hers. And soon, a second. She took a deep breath, opening to see her parents both staring at her keenly, their gentle hands surrounding hers like a shell.

She shook her head. “I’m okay.”

“I know you must be frustrated. We know you’re a good kid, but everyone makes mistakes. We’re doing this for you, okay?” Her parents stood up, walking over to her from both sides.

“Okay.” Lizzie said. And a part of her believed it was true.

After all that had happened, she closed her eyes and welcomed her parents’ embrace. Their bodies were warm, and it was then that Lizzie realized how cold she was. Her shivers were dissolved as her parents provided comfort, shielding her from the chilly room. Lizzie relished in this feeling as she buried her head into her dad’s chest, trying her best to hold back tears.

But after a few moments, she began growing warm, and then hot as the space between her parents became suffocatingly tight. Lizzie wiped her eyes, before slowly squirming out from the hug.

“Can I go to my room now?”

“One last thing, we should try on the harness now to make sure you know how to release yourself tomorrow. I don’t want you to be late for school because of it.”

Lizzie held in a sigh as she took the harness from her dad. The three of them took a moment to untangle it before she stepped into it.

She raised the remainder of the straps over herself. Philip helped guide her arms through holes, and slipped straps into place over her shoulders.

“Let’s see, so this is slightly different from Lucas’s. There’s a zipper in the back on the left-side here that secures the harness.” Lizzie craned her head as he spoke. “See if you can pull it up yourself.”

She felt around behind her for a bit, eventually finding it by her waist. Due to the angle, it was quite awkward to tug on, and she had to switch to pushing the zipper pull as it neared the top. But eventually, she got it into place, ending just beneath her left shoulder blade.

Pulling up the zipper had caused the harness to close in around her, and the straps now hugged around her snugly. This was further tightened as her mom showed her how to adjust the shoulder straps. Although Lizzie learned that a tool was required to do so.

“Now, can you undo it?”

Finding the zipper pull took a few moments, but once she did, pulling it down was actually much easier.

“Now,” Jennifer said as she did up the zipper again. “Try it again.”

Assuming they just wanted to make sure she’d be able to do it quickly tomorrow, she reached behind herself again.

But this time, it felt different. She could feel the zipper itself, but the pull wasn’t there. Craning her head, she couldn’t see anything behind her, so her hands explored around blindly.

Eventually, she found the pull, and eagerly tugged on it, but it didn’t move. She yanked harder, but it still didn’t budge.

“So there’s actually a clip, which the zipper is attached to right now.” Philip brought her over to a mirror. “Can you reach it and undo it?”

A little clip was sewn into the harness at the top of the zipper, and it now clipped onto the pull.

The clip itself was simple, all she had to do was press down on it and lift the pull up and out. But it had been strategically placed just under her left shoulder blade.

She tried tugging the harness with her other hand to pull it closer, but with it tightly secured around her, she only managed to scratch the clip with her fingernail.

After a minute more of struggling, she finally gave up. “I don’t think so,” she said, panting slightly.

“Interesting.” Jennifer said. “Don’t worry, it works perfectly fine without it. Honestly, I only asked you to try because your Aunt Jenny mentioned it.”

At the mention, Lizzie blushed, realizing that this meant that her aunt knew about the harness.

Not seeming to notice, her parents began leading her toward the car.

“Now, let’s try getting the seat mount on.” Her parents quickly figured out how to set it up. Just like Lucas’s, the mount wrapped around the seat vertically, leaving four straps at the four corners to attach to the harness.

Lizzie had already noticed the corresponding rings on her harness, so she sat down and got to work.

She started with the ones by her waist, grabbing the one on her right. There was a clip at the end of the tether, and Lizzie found that she had to press down quite firmly to get them to open to clip onto the ring.

“Here, you can also try doing this.” Jennifer grabbed the clip for the right shoulder, and instead of pressing it open before hooking it on, she simply pressed the end of the clip against the ring. The force opened the clip and secured it.

With that knowledge, Lizzie quickly repeated it for her left side. Her parents then helped her tighten the straps, pulling her snug against the back of the seat.

“Can you try moving around a bit? See if it’s secure?” Philip asked after he helped her fasten her seatbelt on top.

Lizzie sighed quietly, but did as she was asked. She pushed hard against the back of the seat, but the straps kept her firmly in place.

Twisting was also prevented by the tethers, and so was trying to get up from her seat.

“How does it feel?”

“Weird,” Lizzie found herself squirming. Memories of her previous experience with the harness flooding back. Just to prove her point, she put up a genuine struggle, jerking her body this way and that. Her actions only succeeding in having the straps press firmly into her.

“Is it hurting you anywhere?”

A part of her wanted to lie, wondering if it would be enough to get her parents to forgo the harness, but she just shook her head. They likely wouldn’t believe her, given Lucas used a similar harness without any problems.

“Good. Just remember that for the next two weeks, you need to ask one of us for permission before you take it off. And obviously only when the car is fully stopped.”

“Can I take it off now? Please?”

“Go ahead.”

Taking off the clips was a bit more of a struggle. But after a bit of experimenting, she learned to use both hands to press down on them.

Out of the seat, she reached behind her, only to realize the zipper pull was still out of reach.

“Dad, mom?” She called out to her parents who had begun walking back into the house, and pointed behind herself. “The zipper is still stuck.”

“Oops,” Philip said, quickly unhooking it, but allowing her to pull it down herself. Shrugging off the harness and discarding it at the kitchen table, she scurried back to her room before her parents would come up with any other ideas.

She managed to distract herself for a few hours, studying some new chess openings as well as doing some work for the history project. It was only when her mom called her to get ready for bed did Lizzie start thinking about her punishment again.

With a sigh, Lizzie got showered and put on the now familiar diaper and sleeper. She didn’t even bother touching the zipper as she stepped out of the bathroom, letting her mom check her diaper quickly before zipping her up. As the snap popped into place, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Jennifer patted her lightly on the back, but said nothing as Lizzie scurried away.

Back on her bed, she rolled around sleeplessly, squishing the padding between her thighs.

Her hands pawed at her diaper, not in an actual attempt to remove it, but just to feel its presence.

A hand moved behind her, feeling the flap and zipper that secured the sleeper snugly around her body.

She shut her eyes with a sigh, resigning to the fact that this would be her life for the next two weeks.

***

The first day had been the worst. Lizzie found herself unable to focus as she tugged at her sleeper the entire afternoon.

Asking her dad to go pee was a humiliating experience. Her face unable to contain her embarrassment as the voice in her head screamed at her to be angry.

Yet Lizzie repressed those emotions. If only because she so desperately wanted to have her sleepover with Madison.

It was that thought that got her through the first couple of days. And before she knew it, they began to fly by.

It all quickly became routine: wake up and get her parents to unzip her PJs, put on her harness and go to school, repeat on the way back, and put her protection and get her parents to zip her back up at home.

Normally, she might’ve been frustrated by the fact that she was effectively grounded — while technically she could still go out, she was hardly going to do so wearing her protection and sleeper — but was too preoccupied preparing for the upcoming chess event.

After her talk with Ivie, as well as consulting Madison, she’d mustered up the courage to submit the application.

But she was already having second thoughts. Just the day before, she’d wet herself while in a series of particularly intense online games. Sure, it was just the tiniest of leaks, but still…

Thankfully, she’d been able to change it without being noticed by just telling her mom she wanted to shower and get changed early for the evening.

That being said, the improvement was noticeable. With not much else to do, she was spending every free moment on chess, often eating dinner with a chess book in hand or daydreaming about lines in class.

Madison had been working just as hard, the two played a lot both at school and online. And although she still made the occasional blunder, her online rating was showing progress as well.

Much to her surprise, their club was also growing. And Madison had even convinced some of the braver members to join the upcoming tournament.

Thus, Lizzie’s week had thus-far been quite routine, not that she minded it. Aside from school, she’d only gone out once for dinner with her parents. They’d made her wear her harness on the car, but they’d at least allowed her to change out of her jammies before leaving.

For one reason or another, her parents had been quite reasonable, allowing her to stay late after school a couple times for her history project and chess club activities.

And, while she hated to admit it, the punishments were having their intended effect.

The sleeper made sure she kept her protection on, not that she’d even thought about taking them off since the first night with Ivie.

As for the harness, there had been at least handful of times where she’d caught herself about to undo a clip, only to remember to quickly ask her parents. The extra step enough to make her think twice.

Of course, Lizzie would never admit any of this to her parents. In fact, she made sure to throw out a few quiet, yet persistent complaints just to remind her parents.

Both of them had been keeping a keen eye on her, and seemed to check in on her more frequently than usual. Asking about her day, school, and how she was feeling in general.

Whether that was due to care or suspicion Lizzie didn’t know, but decided she could live with it, along with the rest of her new routine for a little while longer.

But today was different. Lizzie scurried about the house, mentally going through her checklist.

Snacks and drinks prepared, check.

Room cleaned, check. Extra pillows, check.

Spare towels, toiletries, check.

Her controllers were charged, the chess set was set up… everything was perfect for the sleepover.

But there was a nagging thought. She was forgetting something…

Her protection! She scampered to her closet, working to stash the pack of diapers and goodnites deep into the depths of her closet. The last thing she needed was Madison finding them by accident.

As she did so, she was reminded of a few nights ago. As she’d laid in bed anxiously thinking about the sleepover, worrying about whether or not she could keep the real intentions for her goodnites a secret, a thought had crept into her mind.

What if Madison had lied about her goodnites too?

When she’d first heard the story, it’d sounded so ridiculous that she thought it had to be true. But the more she thought about it, Madison was someone who was used to having friends and parties. Surely at some point she’d worried about the same things Lizzie did.

So what if using it as a pad was just an extravagant story she’d weaved over the years to stave off any suspicion?

Could Madison be a bedwetter just like her?

The thought had kept her up late into the night, wondering if somehow, her friend had the same problem she did.

And what would she do if she was? Confront her? Comfort her? Share about her own situation? Lizzie didn’t know.

But one thing was for sure, she needed to find out the truth. And she was going to do it tonight.

***

It was a little after lunch when the doorbell rung.

“I’ll get it!” Lizzie exclaimed, sprinting to the door.

“Wassup girl?” Her friend smiled as she gave her a big hug, before waving to her parents.

“Hi Auntie Jennifer. And hello, you must be Uncle Philip. Nice to meet you, I’m Madison, Lizzie’s classmate.”

“Ah yes, I’ve heard all about you, please come on in.”

As Madison took off her shoes, Philip continued, “you know, Lizzie’s been looking forward to this day for weeks.”

“Dad!”

“Oh, me too, you can tell ‘cuz I already got changed!” Madison unzipped her jacket, revealing her outfit. She was dressed in a comfy set of pajamas: a polka-dotted light pink set with cat laid in the front, sleeping soundly.

Having known her friend would come in her jammies, Lizzie had changed into hers earlier as well. “Look we’re matching!” Lizzie pulled up her sweater, showing off her red pajamas with black cats.

“Now, we promise to get out of your way in just a sec, but just three ground rules.

“Firstly, your father has a lot of important documents in the study and is busy with a report, so that room is off limits for tonight.

“Secondly, please help yourself to any of the snacks and drinks in the kitchen, but use a bottle if you want to drink on the sofa or in the room.

“And finally, lights out at eleven. And I know you two won’t actually sleep then, but I’ll still be expecting you both to wake up for breakfast, alright?”

“Of course, no problems from us!” Madison chirped.

Lizzie let out a quiet sigh of relief, glad her mom hadn’t sprung any weird rules on them.

“Alright, we’ll stay out of your way now, if you need us your father will be in the study and I’ll be in the kitchen.”

As soon as Jennifer was out of earshot, Madison turned to Lizzie. “Alright girl, show me your room!”

The two bounded up the stairs. Lizzie bit her lip. She’d spent yesterday throwing away old candy wrappers, reorganizing her desk, and vacuuming.

“Wow, cute!” Madison said she stepped in. “Dang girl, you have a lot of stuffies.”

Lizzie’s face reddened. “I… Yeah, a lot of those are from years ago, I probably should move them to the attic or something.”

“What? No! They’re so adorable! Like this little one, what’s his name?”

“Oh, that’s Terry,” Lizzie said, relief washing through her. “Anyways, what did you want to do first? I don’t have a lot of consoles but I did just get It Takes Two. I also have board games but unfortunately no karaoke machine.”

“I’ve never heard of that game, let’s try it.”

The two went on to play in the living room, enjoying the intriguing puzzles and beautiful art of the game. Once they got tired, they played chess and other games until Jennifer called them over for dinner.

Lizzie’s eyes widened as her mom brought plates of seafood risotto. Her plate was topped with shrimps, mussels, scallops, and even a lobster tail.

“Wow,” Philip said as he joined them at the table, “What’s the special occasion?”

“Oh, I just saw a new recipe the other day and wanted to give it a try.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just trying to impress my friend?” Lizzie teased.

“Whatever the reason, thank you auntie, this looks and smells delicious!”

“Please, dig in! And if that’s not enough, there’s seconds! Lizzie, could you help pour everyone some drinks?”

Lizzie went and grabbed the drinks, before sitting down and taking the first bite. As expected, it was delicious, and she happily dug in. However, after the first few bites, she became aware of the growing silence. Her mind raced to find a topic.

“So, I don’t know if Lizzie has told you both about this yet, but we signed up for this chess tournament in a couple weeks.”

“I didn’t realize you signed up for it!” Jennifer said.

“Oops, I guess I forgot to mention it.” She put a hand behind her head.

“So does that mean the two of you have to practice a lot?”

“Yeah, we’ve been playing quite a bit online and I know Lizzie’s been preparing some sophisticated new repertoire.”

Philip looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s not as nearly cool as it sounds. I’m just trying to learn some new openings. Madison’s been practicing hard too, her rating has been shooting through the roof.”

“Madison, are you worried about the tournament at all? Lizzie told us there will probably be some really strong players there.”

“Well, we’re mostly there to have fun, but I think Lizzie and I are pretty good too, so who knows, maybe we’ll do well. And if it’s fun, we can go on to play in the regional tournament!”

The conversation soon moved to the chess club and how the two of them had met and become friends. Lizzie was pleasantly surprised that her parents didn’t say anything too embarrassing and they all had a good time.

With all the talking, the girls were still finishing up their food when Lizzie’s parents excused themselves from the table. Of course, the two didn’t mind, happy to change the conversation now that the adults were gone.

Madison caught her up on the latest gossip. It was amazing how her friend was so in the loop and always knew all the latest secrets and rumors.

“Really, she did that?”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. He spent a week clearing it up after, it’s just too much drama.”

“But isn’t that a bit inevitable for him?”

“What do you mean?”

“I just mean that he’s really popular, so he has a lot of friends but also a bunch of enemies, which leads to all the drama, right?”

“True, but you’d be surprised, oftentimes drama begins with friends. Or at least those you think are your friends.”

“You sound like you have a lot of experience.”

Madison waved her hand. “I try my best to stay away from it. It’s just really annoying. Anyways, is your apple juice in the fridge, do you mind if I help myself? I’m a little thirsty.”

“No, no, stay seated and finish your food,” Lizzie went and brought over the juice, pouring it for her friend. “Anyways, so what did… Oh shoot!” Lizzie exclaimed as the cup slipped, spilling onto the table.

They both leapt up, but not before the juice got all over them. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Lizzie scrambled to get some paper towels, handing them to her friend. She’d gotten some on herself, but Madison had gotten the worst of it. Both her top and bottom were dotted with several large spots. Lizzie began wiping the table and floor, all the while continuing to apologize profusely.

“What happened?” Jennifer appeared at the doorway.

“I accidentally spilled some juice and some got onto Madison. Don’t worry, I can clean it all up.”

“What have I told you about being careful?” She shook her head.

“No worries Ms. Cooper, really, it’s fine,” Madison said.

But Jennifer wasn’t so easily reassured. “Madison, why don’t you go take a shower and change. Lizzie you can show her where that is. I’ll go grab some cleaner so we can make sure the floor doesn’t get all sticky.”

Lizzie nodded, pulling Madison to the hallway. “The bathroom is right here. There should be fresh towels under the sink. And you can use any of the soaps, but the purple bottle smells the best. And—”

“Don’t worry about it.” Madison put a hand on her shoulder. “Go help your mom out, I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sorry,” Lizzie said again, but Madison just waved her off with a smile before slipping into the bathroom.

***

After she finished cleaning up with her mom, Lizzie went to her room, finding some show to watch while she waited for Madison. But after just beginning an episode, the door swung open.

Lizzie looked up, only for her jaw to drop as her friend walked in with only a towel wrapped around her torso, her hands wrapped around herself in a hug, clutching the top of the towel.

“Uhh… could I borrow some PJs? I realized I didn’t bring any spares.” Madison said with an apologetic smile, her hair still wet.

Lizzie shook herself out of her daze. Sitting up, she said, “yeah, of course. You can pick anything in my drawers or closet over here, hopefully they’re not too small for you.”

“No need to get up, I’ll find something.”

“I’ll uhh, go grab the hair dryer then.”

“Hey I’m back, lemme just—“ Lizzie froze mid-sentence.

Her friend was turned around, halfway through pulling up a pair of pajamas, exposing her bare back for her to see. The towel laid discarded on a chair.

Lizzie yelped, immediately turning to face the wall. “Sorry!” she stammered, her face beginning to burn red.

A laughter could be heard from the other side of the room. “Oh don’t worry, I’m not shy.”

Lizzie returned her chuckle, trying her best to not sound awkward. “So how’s the pajamas?” She asked without turning.

“I’m not sure yet. I chose this one because of the cute cat, but something’s wrong. The feet are backwards or something. Can you take a look?”

Lizzie turned around slowly, only to find her friend holding none other than her new red sleeper.

A pit churned in her stomach. Out of all the sleepers why did she have to choose that one?

Thinking fast, she decided to play it cool, perhaps she could change her mind. “I can help you with it, but are you sure you don’t want to just wear a two-piece set?”

“But the kitty looks so adorable! Besides, I haven’t worn one with feet in so long. I used to love wearing them on cold winter nights.”

Lizzie’s brain was running in overdrive, but she couldn’t find a way out. “Alright then,” she finally said, resigning to the fact that her friend was about to wear her inescapable sleeper. The only thing she could do now was try to keep Madison from getting suspicious.

“I’ll need you to step out of it first, because you have it on backwards.” Noticing her confusion, Lizzie continued, “The zipper runs along the back.”

“Interesting…”

“Yeah, I think it’s a thing this brand does. It’s so the design doesn’t get cut in half.”

Madison nodded in response, seemingly buying the excuse.

As she helped her friend pull up the sleeper the correct way, her face brushed against Madison’s still-damp hair. She blushed, having completely forgotten her friend was dressed only in her underwear. But if Madison was at all embarrassed, she didn't show it.

There was a bit of a struggle to get it over her shoulders, but the sleeper managed to fit. After helping her with the zipper, Lizzie left the snaps off, praying her friend would be able to take it off herself. Then perhaps she wouldn’t notice anything was wrong at all.

But what if she couldn’t? If she realized the zip was in the back to prevent naughty children from taking off their protection, then…

Lizzie forced the thought out of her mind. She just had to do everything in her power to prevent her friend from realizing.

“How is it?” She asked Madison cautiously.

The girl pondered for a second before responding. “A bit tight, but it’s actually rather comfy. It’s so soft and warm.”

“Yeah, they are pretty comfy.” Lizzie sighed quietly, the last excuse to convince her friend to change extinguished.

“It…” Madison paused as she took a look at herself in the mirror. “Wow, aren’t I adorable?”

She spun around admiring herself from different angles as Lizzie watched. The tightness of the sleeper meant it fit naturally to her friend’s body, giving off an elegant, yet cute vibe. Somehow her friend managed to look beautiful even in this outfit. And Lizzie couldn’t help but feel a little jealous.

“Anyways, how about you get your hair dried and we can watch a movie.”

“Sure, but do you need to shower too?” Madison asked, pointing at her.

Lizzie realized she’d completely forgotten to change. Her juice-infused pajamas were now sticking to her skin. She nodded. “I’ll go take a quick shower then.”

As Madison dried her hair, Lizzie looked for some PJs, deciding on a footie so her friend wouldn’t feel left out.

After her shower, the two went downstairs to set up the movie.

Jennifer sitting at the dining table, hunched over her laptop. Upon noticing them, she glanced up.

“I see you’re wearing one of Lizzie’s sleepers.” Jennifer said with an eyebrow raised.

“Umm… Yeah. I didn’t bring any spares, I hope that’s alright?

“Yes, of course. I’m just a bit surprised you chose that pair in particular.”

“Oh, but they’re so comfy! I didn’t even realize they still made footies in our size. I guess we’re both sorta small though… And I think I look so cute in them. I wish I had a pair!”

“If you’d like I could share you the website,” Jennifer said, reaching for her phone.

“Mom, why don’t you send it to me and I’ll forward it to Madison later. Also, do we have any popcorn left?” Lizzie rushed to change the topic.

“There should still be some in the cabinet.”

“Why don’t you setup the pillows and movie while I make the popcorn. Are you still down to watch Inception?”

Madison nodded, turning to leave, but was stopped by Jennifer.

“One second, the flap isn’t done up.” Before Lizzie could stop her, she got up behind Madison and secured the flap. “It helps prevent the zipper from scratching against your neck.”

“Oh, I didn’t even notice that, thanks!”

“Mom, I can’t find the popcorn,” Lizzie quickly called from the kitchen.

“I thought it was right over here.” Jennifer went over to the cupboard and pulled out a container. “Unfortunately, it’s empty. We must’ve ran out. You have some other snacks though, right?”

“I do, but we really wanted popcorn.”

“Is there a grocery store nearby? We could run out and grab some real quick.” Madison suggested.

“That’s a great idea. There’s a small one just a couple blocks down. I wanted to grab some eggs too,” Jennifer said, heading for the door, with Madison in tow.

Lizzie moved to follow, only to be reminded of her footies. Surely they weren’t about to go parading them for the whole neighborhood to see? Especially with Madison wearing her back-zip pair.

“Uhh, shouldn’t we get some jackets? It’s pretty cold out,” Lizzie said, trying to sound as inconspicuous as possible.

“Good call, wouldn’t want you two to get a cold.”

With a sigh of relief, Lizzie took her friend upstairs, where she grabbed a pair of oversized hoodies, handing one to her friend.

She would’ve gone for a pair of sweats to cover her bottom half as well, but couldn’t figure out any way to mention it without being weird.

With that, the trio started down the two blocks to the store. Lizzie pulled the hood tightly around her head, glancing out the side at the cars as they drove by, hoping none of the drivers would pay them any heed.

Once they made it inside the store, Lizzie bee-lined it for the snacks section, hoping to get in and out as quickly as possible. Hardly browsing the selection, she grabbed the first pack of popcorn she could find.

However, as she turned to leave, she found her friend examining the other snacks.

“Do you want some gummy bears? Ooh, have you tried these flavored lemonades before? They’re sooo good.”

“Umm, yeah, just grab whatever, I’ll pay,” Lizzie said quickly, just hoping to get out before attracting too much attention.

“Aww, you’re the best.” Madison gave her a hug, knocking her hood down in the progress.

“Pajama party?” The cashier asked as she scanned their items.

“Yup, just grabbing our snacks so we’ll have energy to last the night. Don’t tell her mom though,” Madison said without missing a beat.

“Aren’t you two a bit young to be out shopping alone though?”

“Hey, we’re thirteen! Besides, her mom’s just over there.”

“Oops, with your onesies I thought you girls were still in grade school.”

Lizzie blushed at the statement, pulling her hood back over her head.

“Anyways, your total’s eleven forty-seven.”

The two paid for their snacks and waited outside for her mom. How long did it take to buy a pack of eggs anyways?

Finally, Jennifer exited the store with a couple bags, clearly having found some additional items. Without hesitation, Lizzie began scurrying home.

“Yo, what’s the rush?” Madison asked, catching up to her.

“I’m just a bit cold.”

“You know, I thought I’d be cold too, but your pajamas are really warm. They’re honestly awesome, you really need to get me a pair.”

“They’re not that great,” Lizzie said without thinking. Noticing her friend’s confused look, she quickly added, “I just think they’re a bit childish. Footies in general I mean. Didn’t you see the cashier? I hate being seen as a little kid.”

Madison laughed. “Finally, someone that can relate!”

“Wait, that happens to you too?”

“Yes. Well, not as much recently I guess, but I used to get it all the time. Honestly, it’s why I started wearing makeup last year, I was sick of people asking if I was ten!”

“Maybe I should start doing that too. But isn’t it very time consuming?”

“It can be if you’re going all out, but just a little can go a long way. I probably spend five, ten minutes tops every morning. I didn’t bring my kit with me today, but next time you come over, I’ll teach you.”

“I love you! You’re the best!” Lizzie gave her friend a tight hug.

When they arrived home, Lizzie rushed to make the popcorn while Madison poured their drinks into bottles and setting up the other snacks.

The two girls cuddled together under the blankets, enjoying each other’s warmth and comfort as they clicked play.

The movie was interesting, with the characters hopping between the various complex dream worlds. Lizzie struggled to keep up with the storyline. Not because the movie itself was that complicated, but because she found herself frequently glancing at Madison.

The sleeper clung tightly around her body, its ever restrictive grip unrelenting. Yet its occupant seemed unfazed. Her friend didn’t struggle or shift in the sleeper. Instead she looked relaxed, eyes peeled to the screen. The only occasional movement was to grab a handful of popcorn or take a sip of juice.

Lizzie rested her head on Madison’s shoulder, looking up at the side of her face. Her usually gorgeous friend looked adorably cute in the sleeper. A baby face just like hers.

She recalled her earlier thoughts. What if they had even more in common? Her friend wasn’t wearing goodnites earlier when she changed, but if she was anything like her, then she’d wait until just before sleeping.

She imagined her friend changing into them before going to bed each night, staring into the mirror while adjusting her pajama bottoms, wondering if the slight bump between her legs was obvious.

What if the two of them had that in common, but were just too shy to ever ask each other about it?

Oh, how a part of she wished it was true. Then she’d finally have someone that could relate to the unique situations she found herself in.

But… The image of Madison changing into goodnites before bed, waking up in the morning to that soggy sensation between the legs, or tiptoeing around to hide her protection from her friends… It seemed…

A movement jolted Lizzie from her thoughts.

“Sorry, do you mind if we pause for a sec? I think I downed my drink too fast, Imma use the bathroom.”

“Sure. Umm… Wait,” Lizzie called out, stopping her friend as she got up. “The zipper in the back can be a bit challenging, do you want me to help?”

“Don’t worry girl, I got it, just relax and enjoy some popcorn, I’ll be back in a sec.”

Before Lizzie could reply, her friend disappeared into the hallway.

Left with no other options, she sat back down and twiddled her thumbs, hoping her friend would be able to unzip herself.

Unfortunately, when her friend returned a few minutes later red-faced and slightly out of breath, Lizzie knew exactly what had happened.

“I guess I don’t got it,” Madison said, putting hand behind her head as she laughed awkwardly.

“I warned you it was tricky.” Lizzie tried her best to sound nonchalant. As if there was absolutely nothing weird about a sleeper with a zipper that the wearer couldn’t undo themselves. “Lemme help you.”

She leapt up and walked over to Madison, who turned around to let her.

“Thanks,” Madison said, before rushing back to the bathroom, clearly still a bit embarrassed.

Lizzie followed her and waited outside. A few minutes later, Madison exited, jumping a little as she saw her.

“Did you need help doing it back up?”

Her friend only nodded, but turned around and brushed her hair out of the way.

“I guess there’s a downside to the design after all.”

“The zipper can be a bit inconvenient if you’re not very flexible.”

“Wait, so do you have to ask your parents to unzip you when you’re wearing them?”

“Oh, no, I can undo it myself, but it takes me a minute or two,” she lied. “That’s why I don’t wear them that much even though they’re very comfy.”

“Ah, no wonder you knew,” Madison laughed it off.

“Sorry, I should’ve warned you earlier. If you want to change I can go grab you another pair.”

“It’s not your fault, I’m just not flexible enough. Besides, they’re still one of the comfiest PJs I’ve ever worn, the zipper’s annoying but since it’s just for tonight, the cuteness is worth it.”

With that, the two sat back down and resumed the movie. Lizzie snuggled in against Madison, much more relaxed now.

***

“Now that… was mind-blowing.” Lizzie said as the screen cut to black. She was at the edge of her seat, not even sure when she’d gotten there.

“I told you right?! What’d you think about the ending? Is he still dreaming?”

The two headed up to Lizzie’s room, where they continued to discuss every little detail of the movie.

A while later, there was a knock at the door before Jennifer poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt you girls, but just a reminder, it’s almost time for bed,”

“Okay, thanks mom.”

“So Lizzie, what’s your nighttime routine?”

“Nighttime routine?”

“Yeah like moisturizer, serum, and the like.”

“I guess I don’t really have one. Unless you count washing your face in the morning. Oh, and taking my vitamins.”

“What? No way, do you not get any acne? Your skin is so perfect.”

“But yours is great too.”

“That’s only because I do my routine every night. Otherwise I break out pretty bad especially if I’m stressed.”

“I guess I get acne sometimes when I’m stressed too.”

“Here, try my stuff for tonight.” Madison pulled out a small bag and dragged Lizzie over to the bathroom.

After a full skincare treatment, the two girls returned to the bedroom, chatting and watching TikToks together until Philip came up to remind them that it was bedtime.

“Aww.” Lizzie wanted to stay up longer, but as she got up, a yawn escaped her lips.

“See, even your body knows it’s time for bed.”

“It’s okay, we still have tomorrow morning,” Madison said, echoing her yawn as she stretched.

“Hey, do you mind helping me with the zipper again?” Madison asked sheepishly.

“Sure.”

When Madison returned, Lizzie was surprised to find the zip was already done up.

“Your mom noticed and helped me with the zip,” Madison explained, “she also gave me this, said we should drink more water instead of juice.”

She held up two bottles of water, handing one to her.

“Sorry, my mom’s such a health nut.”

“Being healthy is good! Back home, I’m actually the one telling my mom to eat her veggies!”

As they got ready for bed, Lizzie suddenly remembered she hadn’t put on her goodnite.

She silently shuffled over to her closet, fiddling around for the one she’d prepared with the insert.

After confirming that she’d grabbed the right one, she folded it and headed for the door.

“Where you headed?” Madison asked with a yawn.

“Just gotta take care of something, I’ll be right back.”

Upon returning, she shut off the lights, slipping under the covers.

“You okay?” Madison’s voice sounded sleepy, but concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine, why?”

“Just checking. I often get cramps when I’m on my period.”

“Huh?”

“You went to change your goodnite just now, right? I know the look of changing discretely. No need to be embarrassed about it, I’m a girl too y’know. For me, the third day’s the worst. I once went through like six in a day.”

“Oh… yeah…”

“Sorry, I’m being weird.” Madison chuckled.

“No you’re not weird. If you’re weird than what am I?”

“You’re different, but in a good way. And fun to be around. And…” Her voice drifted off.

Lizzie realized her friend was already asleep. “Good night, Madison.” She grabbed Terry, snuggling in with her friend as she too drifted off to sleep.

***

“Psst.”

Lizzie felt something tapping her shoulder. She shook it off, but the tapping soon returned.

“What is it?” She stirred.

“I need to use the bathroom.”

“Okay.” Lizzie spun around, hoping to resume the wonderful dream she’d been having.

“Lizzie!”

This time, she opened her eyes to see Madison looking down at her from the side of the bed. Her friend turned around, pointing behind her.

“Oops, sorry.” Lizzie blushed, recalling yesterday’s events.

She quickly helped her friend, who bounded off as soon as the zip was pulled down. Lizzie waited anxiously, wondering if her friend would be angry.

However, upon returning, Madison turned around, letting herself get zipped up.

She said a quick thanks, waiting for the quiet pops to indicate that the flap was secured into place, before lying back down.

Within minutes, the girl was back asleep. Lizzie was about to do the same when she noticed a bump in between them. Gently lifting the blanket, she found Madison hugging Terry in her arms, a soft smile on her face.

Dressed in her sleeper, hugging her teddy, and with such an adorable face. Lizzie wondered if she too looked this cute at night.

She almost laughed, not sure how they’d ended up in this position. But her innocent friend didn’t seem at all bothered by the garment, even after learning she couldn’t take them off by herself.

Without realizing, Lizzie found herself gently brushing Madison’s hair, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest until she too drifted back to sleep.

***

The two girls woke up bright and early the next morning, eager to make the most out of the remainder of their sleepover.

After teaching Lizzie her morning routine, Madison asked to be unzipped, stepping into the bathroom to change back into her freshly-washed PJs from the night before. She stepped out, passing the back-zip pair back to Lizzie, who gladly threw them into the hamper.

They played some chess, which somehow devolved into a playful pillow fight.

Once Lizzie’s parents were awake, they made breakfast together, and watched some Netflix as they enjoyed their omelettes.

They then spent the rest of the morning chatting, talking for hours on end, never seeming to run out of things to talk about.

However, all too soon, Madison’s phone rang, signalling that their sleepover had come to an end.

“I had so much fun, we have to do it again soon!”

“You make it sound like you never have sleepovers,” Madison teased.

“I actually haven’t been to one in years,” Lizzie admitted, twiddling her thumbs.

“Oh.” There was a short silence before she continued, “well then, we gotta make up for lost time! I’ll get planning, next one’s at my place and we’ll get the whole gang!”

“Deal!” Lizzie said, already looking forward to it. Of course her goodnites would still be a problem, but she decided that the logistics could be dealt with later.

The girls hugged it out. Madison said her goodbyes and thanked Lizzie’s parents for letting her stay. With one final wave, she left, and Lizzie found herself already beginning to miss her friend.