Published: May 12th 2020, 2:01:00 pm
A short story commission from an anonymous Patron.
"I think it'll be good for you," Kyle told her with a smile. "Maybe it will help you make some new friends, you know?"
Sometimes, Bethany hated how wise he sounded, which, combined with how much taller he was than her, made her feel all the smaller, and less mature. More than once, she'd been stopped in the halls of classroom buildings or dorms, asked if she was the little sister of a student there, or if she'd gotten lost somehow and needed to be taken back to high school, or - even worse - middle school. Thankfully, Kyle never did that to her... Maybe he'd just overheard her parents calling Bethany by name when they'd helped her move in, so he knew that's who she was, or maybe he saw past her outside self, knew her for the mature grown-up she really was, despite all appearances...
She'd been very nervous, finding out she was going to be rooming with a guy she'd never met her freshman year of college, having never been in such close, constant contact with a boy, but now, a couple weeks in, she couldn't imagine it any other way. It was a little annoying that sometimes he'd act like this, stop treating her like an equal, the way he normally did, and talk to her like a big brother, though those instances were relatively few and far between.
And maybe he was right... She was pretty shy, and had been having a hard time finding anyone else to hang out with other than him. Perhaps this was a hint... Maybe he wanted her to get more friends, so he could spend time with his own. Honestly, she couldn't blame him too much there.
It was a few days later before she brought up, "I-I don't know if it's a good idea - the play, I mean. I'm no good at memorizing stuff, so..."
"You'll learn!" he promised. "Besides, there are a lot of good, smaller roles, too... You might get one of those, and not have to worry about it as much."
Bethany wasn't quite as certain, but, after a couple more conversations, she finally decided to audition, and was surprised to find, when she showed up at the theatre, to find him sitting in the audience, too. "You're auditioning?" she asked.
"Well, yeah," he chuckled. "Didn't I tell you that? I used to do shows all the time in high school."
That gave Bethany a boost of self-confidence, and a bit more of a question about why he'd tried so hard to get her to do this. She'd thought he wanted her to get out of the room more, to get away from her, but, really, they'd be spending just as much time together, if they both got cast... Maybe even more. She didn't want to make assumptions, to make things awkward between them in the room, although it was hard to contain her excitement over the idea that her crush on him might just be reciprocated after all.
She felt better about her audition than she expected to, yet it was still a shock when the cast list was sent out, and she saw her name, right at the top, as the female lead, opposite Kyle. "That's so great!" he grinned, after hearing her squeal, and having her shove her phone at him when he asked what was wrong. "We'll be able to run lines all the time!"
"Y-Yeah," she giggled. They lived together, ate together, were in the show together, and he wanted to spend even more time with her, running lines... It couldn't be her imagination. He had to feel the same way about her!
It all seemed very romantic as they went through the whole process. Bethany was worried at first, when she showed up to the read-through and found Kyle sitting next to a pretty girl and chatting with her. He patted the seat next to him when he saw Bethany, however, inviting her to sit there, and said, "Bethany, this is Kelsey. She's going to be your understudy!"
They seemed very familiar, but she assumed they must have a class together, or had simply hit it off instantly. She watched them, hoping the director wouldn't notice how natural they looked together, how much prettier Kelsey was, and realize he'd made a mistake. Perhaps it truly had been one, and the e-mail was supposed to list Kelsey as the lead, and Bethany as an understudy... When they went around the room and introduced themselves, though, he didn't stop when Bethany said who she was playing and fix it.
He didn't stop at rehearsal, either, after seeing Bethany stumbling her way through her scenes, although at times it felt like he was close to it. "Don't worry," Kyle told her. "We'll get it. You got this role for a reason... The director saw something in you. All it takes is practice."
And he was right. Memorization was still tough, and Bethany always felt like she was running a bit behind everyone else, especially when it came time to incorporate kissing into the scenes, which made her feel incredibly awkward, but Kyle was a pro. "It's only a stage kiss," he told her. "Don't let yourself get too worked up over it."
But it was hard not to, or the shake the feeling that it might be something more. She didn't have a whole lot of experience with it, although it definitely felt different than the perfunctory peck she'd gotten after prom. And, when the director suggested they might have to work on that, along with Bethany's lines, on their own, between rehearsals, she was more than happy to comply.
Then, before she knew it, it was time. Anxiously, she sat in her dressing room, mentally running through her lines one last time, when the door swung open wildly. Bethany jumped, turned, saw Kelsey there, arms full. "Oh, good," she panted, trying to catch her breath. "You're not dressed yet. The costumer wanted me to give you this."
Bethany's eyes darted over to the costume rack, seeing her outfit still hanging there. "Did they change it?" she asked. "Thank goodness!" Kyle had only thought to tell her it was bad manners, and just a bad idea in general, to complain about your costume in front of the costumer after she'd already done it, though, in her case, she thought it was justified. They wanted something that would fit on either Bethany or Kelsey, just in case, so they wouldn't have to make a second set of everything, or rush around completely modifying things if Bethany wasn't able to do the show. That meant the clothes were a bit too big on Bethany, making her look like a little kid playing dress-up.
Thankfully, it seemed the costumer had noticed, too, and had agreed with Bethany's complaints. "Thank you," she told Kelsey. At first, she'd gotten the idea the girl didn't like her, from the way she sat and watched her at rehearsal, her expression always seeming very judgmental, but she easily could have not made it in time, let Bethany go out in her old costume... Perhaps they'd wind up as friends after this!
"Of course," Kelsey grinned. "This might take a little extra time... I'd better help you so you'll be done in time for curtain."
"That's so sweet of you!" Bethany smiled. "You have just been so... Wait, what's that?"
Her heart began to thump wildly as Kelsey set down the things in her arms, and picked one of them up, unfolding it with a series of crinkles, laying it out on the floor. It almost looked like a giant letter H, made out of bright white, puffy material, coated on the outside with plastic...
"Come on," Kelsey urged, giving it a pat. "We don't have that much time."
She'd definitely seen it before, if not quite this big, when she'd babysat. She didn't want to think this was the same thing, and yet... "Th-They changed my costume t-to...?" She couldn't make herself say it out loud, to complete the sentence.
"It's symbolic," Kelsey rolled her eyes. "The character is helpless at the beginning. They have another costume for the end, but they're not quite done with it... If worst comes to worst, you can wear the old one. But you have to start out in this for the character arc to make sense. You get it, right?"
She didn't, not at all, but she nodded anyway. "D-Does it really have to be so thick?" she whined, creeping closer to it nervously, slipping out of her shorts.
"Underwear, too," Kelsey ordered. "They made sure to tell me that. They didn't want anyone to risk it peeking out anywhere and ruining the effect." Bethany blushed, having always hated the locker room in high school, which wasn't anywhere near as intimate as this, but she didn't want to mess the show up now, and she had no idea how to get a diaper onto herself. Reluctantly, she did as she was told, wincing as she laid down on the waiting garment, hearing it crackle beneath her weight, and with every tiny squirm.
It felt even bulkier than it looked, Bethany's cheeks lighting up when she tried to push her legs together, found her thighs were being forced apart, unable to close. How was she going to walk normally in these?! And they were so warm, the plastic and padding giving the heat of her body nowhere to escape to... And, just as she was starting to get used to that, Kelsey produced a second one.
"It's the theatre," she shrugged, seeing Bethany's horrified expression. "Everything has to be exaggerated, you know?"
And, to top those off, the rest of the costume was a pair of white, frilly ankle socks, shiny black Mary Janes, and a pink, lacy dress that didn't even come close to hiding the diaper, an oversized, pink pacifier clipped to the front. If they wanted her to look childish, and helpless, the costumers had really done their job... Looking at herself in the mirror, all Bethany could see was a silly little toddler.
In the midst of all that, she'd forgotten completely about going over her lines, and, as the intercom crackled and told her it was time for places, they didn't return. "Don't worry," Kelsey grinned at the panicked look on her face, as she asked her what her first line was, to get her started, "I'm sure you'll do just fine." She pushed Bethany out the door, leaving her waddling hurriedly to get out in time for her first cue.
Apparently, the costumers hadn't told anyone else about the last minute change, either, judging by the looks she got. The audience definitely didn't know what to make of it, giggling and snickering as soon as they saw her, which made her more self-conscious, all her hard work memorizing the lines evaporating instantly, leaving her standing there, mute, tugging at the hem of her dress uselessly.
The other actors did their best to keep things moving, but, for a long few minutes, nothing happened, giving nobody anything to distract them from her humiliating outfit... And then Kelsey sauntered onstage, decked out in Bethany's old costume. It looked so much better on her than it ever had on Bethany... The skirt was just enough shorter to look sexy instead of frumpy, the top showing off a hint of midriff. Seeing it now, compared to what Bethany was wearing, it looked hotter than ever.
"You'll have to excuse my little sister," she told the other characters. "She doesn't know her place. Run along, back to your room, little one." She waved her hand once, then twice, as Bethany stood, frozen solid, confused, until at last Kelsey gave her a hard swat on the back of her giant diaper. Bethany's cheeks lit up bright red, the impact hard enough, even through her padding that, combined with her frayed nerves, it made her lose control, sending a trickle of warm wetness into the waiting diaper.
Bethany gasped, feeling the thirsty garment soaking it up, praying it wasn't obvious what she'd done from the outside. There was no way it could be... It was so big, and she'd barely gone at all... But she could feel it there, pressed snugly against her skin, reminding her of her shameful secret. And, from the look in her eye, she could tell Kelsey knew, too.
"Go on," the taller girl repeated. "I can tell you're badly in need of a change, and the adults have things to discuss."
"N-No, I don't!" Bethany blushed, gasping as Kelsey reached down, slipping a finger between the layers of padding, probing the freshly squishy spot.
"This is why we keep you in double diapers," Kelsey declared. "You just can't tell, can you? Now, go see the nurse before I have to spank you."
There was no way she would have done that... Right? The uncertainty was enough to send Bethany toddling back offstage, while, behind her, Kelsey started to say all of the lines she'd forgotten, getting the scene back on track. What was going on?! Bethany turned in time to see Kyle's first entrance, to squirm and gasp as she saw Kyle and Kelsey share the first of many stage kisses together, before the director tapped her on the shoulder and angrily dragged her back to her dressing room to demand an explanation.
Bethany, of course, told the truth, but, when Kelsey came offstage, she had a much different story. "I had no idea what was going on," she claimed innocently. "I saw her out there, making a spectacle of herself, and I rushed in here to get changed as quick as I could to try to salvage the show."
"That's not true!" Bethany fumed, stomping her foot.
"I guess it was just too much for her," Kelsey shrugged. "Getting a lead right out of the gate... She was afraid she couldn't handle it, so she intentionally tried to mess up as much as possible. Sad, really... She has no respect for the work everyone else put in."
Bethany wasn't a violent person, but hearing those lies, after she'd been absolutely humiliated onstage, was too much. Angrily, she lunged for Kelsey, only to be caught from behind, yanked backwards, and over her director's lap. She squirmed in his grip, growling threats at the girl who had stole her part, until, to her shock, she got another swat to the seat of her diaper, even harder than the one Kelsey had given her onstage, made all the worse as her diapers were tugged down, exposing her backside... And the damp spot inside them.
By the time Kelsey returned, arms loaded with flowers, the sound of the audience's standing ovation still ringing in Bethany's ears from over the monitor, the other girl was standing in the corner of the dressing room, diapers around her knees, backside bright red, pacifier firmly stuck in her mouth. She shivered as Kelsey approached, wondering what she was going to do now.
"Here," Kelsey reached down, tugging the diaper back into place. "We wouldn't want you making a mess on the floor of my dressing room. Oh, good, we can still see the pink from your spanking peeking out." Bethany squealed as Kelsey gave the top of her thighs a pinch. "I wouldn't want anyone not to see what a big baby you are."
Especially not, Bethany suspected, Kyle, who was the first person to burst in. As soon as Bethany heard his voice, she started to suck harder on the pacifier, feeling her diaper grow wet again as she tried to blend into the wall, praying he wouldn't notice her, horrified and mortified, and really wishing the director had let her move from her time out when she'd asked to use the bathroom halfway through the second act.
"That was so amazing!" Kyle gushed. "It was just like old times, wasn't it?"
Bethany blushed, hearing the wet smack of a kiss happening behind her. "It was even better," Kelsey said. "We were great in all those shows together in high school, but this was on a whole other level... And we didn't even have the chance to rehearse! I guess we're just natural together, huh?"
"But what happened to Bethany? I heard some crazy rumors at intermission, but..." Bethany gulped, hearing him fall silent, not knowing if he'd seen her on his own, or if Kelsey had pointed her out. Either way, she heard his footsteps approaching and shivered, fighting to calm herself down, not to freak out... Only to feel her diaper grow warm yet again when she felt him touch it.
"She wasn't ready," Kelsey lied. "Sad, really... I almost feel responsible for the poor thing. I should have noticed before this. I was her understudy, after all. I'd take her in, and keep an eye on her to make sure she recovers, but I'm not sure my roommate would approve..."
"You could always move in with us," Kyle offered, as Bethany shook her head frantically.
"Are you sure? I do have an old crib back home I could have my parents bring when they come to see the show... I bet she'd fit into it, but I don't want to impose..."
"No!" Bethany squealed. "You can't do this! It's all her... Mmph!"
Her eyes widened as Kyle grabbed the pacifier that had fallen from her mouth when she'd started to talk and pushed it back into place. "Shh," he said, the same way Kelsey had in the show. "The adults are talking. Don't worry... We're going to take good care of you..."