Olympiczero

Maybe! Isabelle still has time to solve the mystery though, don't you think? I'm glad you're still enjoying the story! I confess the regression is not always consistent. I tried making a formula at one point, if you can believe it. But it was too hard to track and I got frustrated. I like your last questions, I've wondered the same myself! I cut your comment short here because quite frankly, I was a little too embarrassed to respond to all of it. I'll just say thank you, and share that my favorite part of writing this story has been meeting (even if digitally) a number of authors I have followed on this site for quite some time, yourself included now. I cut this portion of your comment out because it resonated with me, and I've been feeling alone with the thought. I have had the end planned since Chapter 2 or 3 about, and each time I get a chapter closer its bittersweet; I, like many others, have been so excited to read each chapter and go on this journey with Isabelle. Even though the end has been planned, everything between has been as much of a surprise to me as every other reader! But each chapter is a reminder that I am one closer to the end, and that makes me sad. I've never written a story before, so don't know if that's a common problem. But it is has been weighing on me, and I've been too shy? ashamed? flustered? to admit it publicly. Thanks for opening the door and letting me. I am trying to get another chapter done today, but it may be late/tomorrow, in case anyone is checking for an update.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 37 Isabelle didn't sleep well at all that night. She had no recollection of her dreams, but they were not good. In fact, Isabelle woke up repeatedly, fearing that she would find herself back on Aquaria, being pulled down by the monster that had discovered her. 'Will I ever make it out?' Isabelle wondered, secure in her bedroom at home, under a canopy of lights. 'Will I ever find out what's in the chest?' When the morning light finally broke though her window, Isabelle was already up, focused on her dreams, the new information she had learned from her book, and of course, planning a way to try and get back to her normal self. 'There's nothing I can accomplish from bed,' Isabelle decided, lifting herself up, and carrying Rabbity with her out of her room. 'It's too early to wake mom up,' Isabelle decided, opting instead to go to the basement to watch TV. Isabelle shifted her legs forward, one at a time, as she hauled her body, weighed down by her sodden sweetnight, and Rabbity down the first set of stairs, before stepping onto the creaky top step of the basement stairs and descending. Isabelle made her way down the remaining stairs, before hopping up on the couch, and turning the TV on. Isabelle navigated the channels, finding precisely what she was looking for; Rover-Roo. Isabelle felt she needed inspiration that morning. She felt like she was making ground, finally, on the verge of discovering more about space and wormholes. Isabelle needed to see how experts investigated and arrived at their conclusions, so she could be confident in doing so herself. 'Who better to watch than Rover-Roo and the Cluefinders?' Isabelle thought. 'No one. That's who!' Isabelle felt herself getting lost in the TV show, laughing, gasping, and smiling along as the cluefinders solved mystery after mystery. Isabelle laid her head down on a pillow, finding herself drifting off slightly, but still watching her show. Isabelle wasn't sure when it happened, but at some point, her thumb had made its way toward her mouth, and then into it, as she settled further down on the couch, laying her body sideways with her head on a pillow. Her nightgown had ridden up her legs, not that she realized, exposing her sodden sweetnight to anyone who would walk down. It was about halfway through the second episode of Rover-Roo that Isabelle felt the need to pee come on. Isabelle didn't hesitate, releasing her pee seamlessly into her sweetnight, feeling the warmth of it spread out from her crotch, around her bum, and all through her sweetnight. Isabelle felt as the little remaining dry and thirsty padding absorbed her pee up with no problem, before sighing and returning her full attention back to her show. Isabelle felt her sweetnight droop further and heavier against her leg, its capacity maximized with her latest deposit. Isabelle unwittingly continued to suck at her thumb and watch her show. As her third episode of Rover-Roo was starting, Isabelle heard some noise from the top of the staircase. Figuring it was her mother, Isabelle didn't divert her attention, keeping her focus on the TV. Jane emerged downstairs to an adorable sight; Isabelle was on the couch, sucking her thumb and watching television like she used to; Isabelle had her head laid down and propped up by a pillow, her eyes completely focused on her cartoons. From her angle, Jane could see a very yellowed and soggy sweetnight. 'It's remarkable it hasn't burst,' Jane thought, starring up the underside of her daughter's nightgown. Isabelle didn't even turn to look at Jane - it was unclear to Jane if Isabelle even knew she was there. Jane made her way over to her daughter, shifting Isabelle's feet and lifting them on to her lap. Jane figured there was no reason to warn Isabelle, being there and all, and gently reached over to press her hand against her daughter's sweetnight. 'Just as I suspected...' Jane thought. Isabelle's sweetnight was not only full, but it was very clear that it had recently been wet. 'This isn't from overnight....she did this while she was awake,' Jane concluded. Jane knew she was taking the correct precautions, especially after finding Isabelle's panties wet again the night prior. 'It's just a precaution,' Jane reminded herself. Jane shifted her hand, tracing her way along the bottom of Isabelle's sweetnight and up her bum, noting how the wetness had spread all the way to the back. Jane continued, moving her hand up Isabelle's back and rubbing it. Jane's hand caused Isabelle's nightgown to shift even higher up her body, making her wet soaked sweetnight even more visible. Jane couldn't believe, as she starred at the front of it, how wet it was. Isabelle was unphased by her mom's touch, if anything embracing it. It didn't seem to Jane like the girl knew one bit how wet she was. "Let's go get ready for the day sweetie. That's enough TV." Jane said, as she took the remote and turned the TV off. Isabelle squealed a protest, but Jane but a swift end to that before it started. "No No. No whining," Jane said, as she pulled her daughter's hand, and thumb out of her mouth. "Let's get up. Come on!" Jane said, getting a little louder, and helping Isabelle to her feet. Before releasing Isabelle, Jane spun her around, kissing her on the forehead. "One more thing first," Jane said, lifting her daughter's nightgown up completely and pulling down the sides of her sweetnight. Isabelle didn't resist. "Okay sweetie. Go upstairs and get dressed. I'll get your breakfast ready, after I throw this out." Isabelle nodded, and sheepishly made her way back upstairs. **** Isabelle jumped out of the car, and waved goodbye to her mom. The morning had passed pretty quick. Isabelle ate her breakfast as her mom chatted on the phone a little bit. After that, Jane told Isabelle that 'I need to run some errands after work today, so you'll need to go to the library after dance for a little, okay sweetie?" Isabelle protested "Can't I come with you mommmmmm?" Isabelle was feeling tired, and needy that morning. She wanted company, and didn't mind going to the store with her mom. 'It might actually make things easier,' Jane thought. 'But it's out of the way..' It didn't make any sense to go to the school first, and then all the way back to the discount pharmacy. Jane knew her coupons only had 2 more days to them. "Sorry baby. I'll have to get you after. Its out of the way." Jane could see the disappointment spread on Isabelle's face. Jane had some ammo to cheer her up though. "But look. I opened your birthday invitation from Charlotte. It looks like you're going to be going bowling on Sunday! Doesn't that sound like fun! And look, moms are invited! I haven't gone bowling in a long time. I am excited to go with you!" Jane said, as she watched the smile return to her daughter's face. After that - and after being reminded to pee again - Isabelle was off with her mom to Higgins. Isabelle made her way into class after dropping her ballet things off once again. Miss Jenny welcomed her with a thumbs up, before greeting the whole class with a big smile! "Good morning, my wonderful students!" Miss Jenny called from the front of the classroom. "Can you believe that Halloween is just around the corner? Today, we're going to learn all about the fascinating traditions and stories that make this holiday so special." Isabelle hadn't realized that Halloween was pretty close. She hadn't even though about what she wanted to be this year! 'What was I last year......?' Isabelle wondered, getting distracted in her thoughts. For the life of her, no matter how hard Isabelle thought, she couldn't remember thought. 'Was I maybe a......cat or something?' As Isabelle got lost in her thoughts, the other kids in the class were getting more focused on Miss Jenny's lesson, leaning forward in their chairs, excited for the day's lesson, and eager to discover more about Halloween. Miss Jenny started by telling them about the origins of the holiday, explaining that Halloween had ancient roots in a Celtic festival called Samhain. Isabelle thought that "Samhain" was a funny sounding word. As Miss Jenny wrote it down on the board, Isabelle thought it was spelled really strangely too. Isabelle tried sounding the letters out, but it didn't make any sense. Miss Jenny went on to described how people believed that on Halloween night, the boundary between the living and the spirit world was thin, allowing spirits to walk among them. Miss Jenny explained that dressing up in costumes on on Halloween was a way to disguise oneself from mischievous spirits. That way, the spirits who came into the world wouldn't think to scare the kids. Miss Jenny went around the class to distribute papers for writing. Miss Jenny explained that the goal of their assignment was to come up with a costume idea, and write about why it would trick the spirits into leaving them along. She encouraged the kids to work together if they wanted, to share their costume ideas and, together, they could brainstorm creative and imaginative outfits. As Miss Jenny passed Isabelle's desk, she gently tapped it to remind her to go to the bathroom. Isabelle, however, was too distracted by the assignment to pay attention to any tapping. When Miss Jenny saw that Isabelle didn't respond, Miss Jenny returned back to Isabelle's desk, lowering herself and whispering 'are you sure you don't want to see if you can help the other student out?' Isabelle realized that she must have missed the signal. But Isabelle didn't want to leave class. She wanted to write about her costume ideas. "Not now Miss Jenny. I'll go in a bit. I wanna get my ideas down first. They are exploding out of my head!" Miss Jenny laughed, figuring the girl could probably wait a little longer. Miss Jenny returned to her desk, watching clusters of kids get together to work on the assignment, and offering help to anyone who needed it. The classroom buzzed with excitement as the students enthusiastically shared their ideas. One student wanted to be a courageous superhero, while another dreamt of transforming into a mystical unicorn. Miss Jenny listened attentively as the kids approached her in groups, and applauded their creativity. Isabelle, however, was the only student that remained alone. She didn't appear to find any friends to work with, Miss Jenny noticed. Moreover, Miss Jenny could see that Isabelle was squirming pretty bad in her seat. Miss Jenny made her way over quickly to Isabelle, this time being a little more insistent. "Isabelle," Miss Jenny whispered, "I need you to ask to go to the bathroom now, so that other student goes. It looks like they really need to." Isabelle had been too distracted by her drawing to notice that, in fact, she actually needed to go to the bathroom. Badly. There was no point in explaining the difference to Miss Jenny. Instead, Isabelle simply shot her hand up and asked to be excused. Miss Jenny granted Isabelle permission, and watched as the little girl moved as quickly as she could out of the classroom. 'I sure hope she makes it,' Miss Jenny thought, before turning her attention to some other students. Isabelle was moving quickly through the halls. 'How on earth did I not realize I needed to go?!' Isabelle asked herself. She had been having too much fun, planning her astronaut investigator costume, and got distracted thinking about a story where she worked with the spirits to solve the mystery of all the parents in the town having been turned into giant pigs. Isabelle decided she was going to call it "Phantomed Away!" Even though a lot of the spirits she was drawing were spooky looking, some of them seemed kind of friendly. Isabelle was on the verge of bursting, as a result though. It was going to be close. Isabelle rounded a corner and made her way toward the girls' bathroom door. Shifting her legs, and pressing them together, Isabelle pressed forward. Isabelle was within reach of the door to the bathroom... ...when it happened. Isabelle felt her bladder start to release into her undies. Isabelle retracted her hand and arm, which was mere inches from the door to the bathroom, and pulled it back to her side. Isabelle could have, if she wanted to, pressed her hand against her crotch. She could have clenched her bladder. She could have run into the bathroom and tried to get as most of her pee into the toilet. She could have done anything beyond what she did do. She did nothing. Isabelle simply stood, in front of the bathroom, and kept peeing. In fact, Isabelle released all effort she had made to hold it at that point, letting the full tank of her bladder empty into her undies. Isabelle got lucky. She couldn't appreciate how lucky she was, however, in the moment. Whether she still had the capacity to appreciate how lucky she got, was, debatable. But as the stream of pee slowed down, her undies managed to just absorb it all, a single drop of her pee falling underneath her to the floor from her dress. Isabelle knew she couldn't sit on her undies. That, even Isabelle knew, as she felt the warm weight of them against her thighs, would result in her pee exploding out from them. She had to come up with a plan. But what could see do? 'I could just take them off.....' Isabelle thought. 'BUT WAIT!' It occurred to her just as the bathroom door opened. She had an extra pair of undies in her ballet locker. Isabelle would have made her way there, but for the fact that she was confronted with a new problem; Miss Amber was starring at her. "Hi Isabelle. Do you need to go in? Go ahead!" Miss Amber said, holding the door open for her. Isabelle went beet red. 'I NEEDED to go in...I don't anymore....' Isabelle thought to herself. "ummmmmmmmm...ummmmm.....no....I uh....... I don't have to anymore........' Isabelle wasn't sure why she said that. But Miss Amber would not likely suspect anything. She didn't know about Isabelle's special undies. Miss Amber, however, did. And Miss Amber knew the look of a girl who had an accident; it was the exact look Isabelle was giving her now. Fortunately, Miss Amber had also spoken to Jane, and to Miss Jenny, and the three had planned for this. Just in case of course. "It's okay Belly. Why don't we go to the locker rooms and get cleaned up? How does that sound?" Isabelle wasn't sure what was going on. 'Does Miss Amber know? I was going to the locker rooms anyway! Why did she say clean up? I don't understand??' Miss Amber could see the poor girl was getting redder and redder, and her eyes beginning to gloss. 'I need to help the poor girl preserve her dignity,' Miss Amber thought. Miss Amber reached her hand out, taking Isabelle's, before saying "I need to go the locker room anyway. You wouldn't believe it Isabelle! The sinks in this bathroom don't work, and I couldn't wash my hands. Like I said, well go together!" Isabelle's demeanor changed entirely. 'OHHHHH that makes sense. She doesn't know! She just needs to wash her hands. I'll just be really sneaky about changing,' Isabelle thought. "Okay Miss Amber!" Isabelle responded with renewed enthusiasm. "Let's go!" Miss Amber wouldn't need to know a thing. Isabelle took Miss Amber's hand, and the two made their way further from Isabelle's class and into the locker room. When they walked in, Miss Amber announced that she was "going to wash my hands for 2 FULL minutes." 'Miss Amber has no idea how easy she's making this for me...she'll never know," Isabelle thought. It was all Isabelle could do to practically stop herself from laughing so hard. As Miss Amber made her way to the sinks, Isabelle quickly went to her locker, opening it up, and unzipping her ballet bag. Isabelle peered around the corner once more. Seeing that Miss Amber was out of sight, Isabelle pulled her undies off, pulling them around her sneakers, and hiding them in the locket. Isabelle took her clean undies, and quickly slipped them up her legs. "Nice!" Isabelle exclaimed to herself, before she realized she was speaking out loud. Isabelle realized she needed an excuse for coming though. Seeing an opportunity, Isabelle kicked off her shoes and socks, putting on her thin sockettes before pulling her ballet slippers on. If Miss Amber asked, Isabelle would just say her shoes were uncomfortable, and that was why she came. 'Why else would I need to?' Miss Amber returned, asking no questions at all. It was almost as if she knew exactly why Isabelle needed to come. But Isabelle didn't know. 'And she doesn't need to know,' Miss Amber thought. "Let's get you back to class." Isabelle walked back into class, and headed to her seat. Miss Amber signaled Miss Jenny for a minute, and the two spoke at the door while Isabelle returned to her assignment, unaware of whatever her teachers were discussing. Miss Jenny then returned, closing the door behind her, and proceeding with the rest of class. To add to the Halloween spirit, Miss Jenny had prepared a spooky story for her class. She dimmed the lights, lit a few candles, and began to narrate a tale of friendly ghosts, talking pumpkins, and magical adventures. The children's eyes grew wide with wonder as they immersed themselves in the whimsical world of the story. Isabelle herself was having a blast, though some parts of the stories were too scary for her liking. To conclude the lesson, Miss Jenny explained the tradition of trick-or-treating. She emphasized the importance of being safe, staying with an adult, and showing gratitude when receiving treats from neighbors. "That's it for today. Everyone off to lunch," Miss Jenny announced, as Isabelle made her way up and out of class, feeling proud of getting away with her little accident. ****** Isabelle stretched out in dance class, working on her calves and ankles to ensure that she was ready for the days practice. Lunch had been terribly lonely. Charlotte didn't want to go to the library that day, so Isabelle followed her in the cafeteria, first in line, and then sitting at the table with her. Isabelle wasn't spoken to, and didn't speak once, the entire lunch period. Isabelle felt reminded of how alone she was. Sure, Charlotte was nice. But none of the other girls seemed to like her. She missed Lola. She missed Dani. She missed Mel. Isabelle left lunch early to go the locker rooms. She hated the feeling of being alone, and sitting at the end of the lunch table, ignored, was just a reminder of how awful it was. Isabelle was growing worried about Charlotte's birthday. 'Would anyone even talk to me?' But at least her mom would be there. As Isabelle stretched out, she felt a presence over her shoulder. It was Miss Amber. "Hi Belly! Nice seeing you again. Are you ready to dance?" Isabelle nodded. Dancing seemed to be the only good parts of her days anymore. "Great!" Miss Amber answered. "I am just reminding everyone to go to the bathroom before class starts - the first part of class is going to be really important. Why don't you set a good example and head in first?" Isabelle pondered the request, before shrugging and obliging. Isabelle liked being a good helper. In any event, the sodas she had at lunch were beginning to weigh on her, she realized as she stood up. 'Peeing is probably not the worst idea!' Isabelle went back to the locker room to pee. Isabelle saw that a lot of the girls were about to leave, so decided to be helpful. "Miss Amber just wanted everyone to know that there wont be bathroom breaks for a while, so to go now!" Isabelle expected that she might receive thanks from her dance mates - but they just looked at her awkwardly, passing her and heading to class. Fortunately one voice made her feel better "That's a good idea," Isabelle heard Cassie say, before the two of them went to stalls to pee. Isabelle actually realized she needed to poop, and so took a little longer than Cassie, returning to the studio shortly after her. 'At least Cassie was smart enough to listen,' Isabelle thought. Isabelle returned to the class to find that Miss Amber had already started the warmup. Isabelle took her place along the barre with the others, joining in with her dance mates as Miss Amber led them through the warmup routine. With each plié and tendu, Isabelle felt more like herself, embracing the artistry of the ballet and preparing herself for the upcoming challenge that was always Miss Amber's class. Once warmed up, Miss Amber gathered the students in the center of the studio. Miss Amber reiterated that the students would each be performing the next day, and explained the importance of proper alignment, balance, and spotting when it came to pirouettes. With patience and precision, Miss Amber guided the students through the mechanics of turning, emphasizing the need for core strength and controlled movements. As the students practiced their pirouettes, Miss Amber provided individual feedback, gently correcting their postures and reminding them to find their center. She stressed the significance of maintaining a calm focus and trusting their bodies to execute the turns flawlessly. As Miss Amber passed by Isabelle, she tapped her on the shoulder twice, catching her attention, and using her head to suggest Isabelle leave the class briefly. Isabelle complied, taking the time to go to the bathroom and pee before returning. Isabelle returned in time to practice a few more pirouettes off barre. "Very nicely done Isabelle.' Isabelle felt good about herself, getting positive feedback. After honing their pirouettes, Miss Amber moved on to petit allegro, the lively and energetic section of ballet. She demonstrated quick and intricate footwork, encouraging her students to infuse each step with energy and enthusiasm. With delicate jumps and precise beats, the students leaped across the studio, their movements synchronized and filled with joy. Once more, however, Miss Amber indicated to Isabelle to leave class, so she could help some of the weaker students. Isabelle left, and repeated her normal routine. Throughout the class, Miss Amber not only focused on technical aspects but also emphasized the artistry and expression in each movement. She encouraged her students to tell a story through their dance, to let their emotions guide their steps and make every turn and jump come alive. "I'll be looking for all of these things tomorrow," Miss Ambert announced, as the bell signaling the day was over rang overhead. "Please be on time tomorrow. I expect you all to bring your very best attitude and support your classmates!" **** Isabelle found herself a seat in the library, content to relax after a grueling dance practice. Isabelle took her time in the locker rooms after, knowing her mom was going to be later to pick her up. But now, she had spare time, and so checked herself into the library with Eugene, finding a table to sit at and continue her research. Isabelle stretched her legs out under the table. Much like prior days that week, Isabelle had opted to keep her ballet slippers on after dance. Comfortable, Isabelle pulled her space book out, determined to find material more on point for her theories. 'There has got to be something here about wormholes.... GOT IT!' Isabelle nearly shouted with excitement. Chapter 13: Womholes - Space Tunnels? Have you ever wondered if there are secret shortcuts in space that can take you to faraway places in the blink of an eye? Well, get ready to learn about wormholes - fascinating space tunnels that could make traveling across the universe much faster! Let's dive into the mysterious world of wormholes. Imagine a wormhole as a cosmic tunnel connecting two different places in space. It's like having a secret passage that lets you travel from one side of the universe to another without taking a long, long journey. Scientists believe that wormholes might exist, but they are still trying to learn more about them. 'Okay....' Isabelle did her best to understand what she was reading, but it was challenging. She had to read the introduction passage a few times just to get a basic understanding. 'But this seems to suggest that wormholes are just like tunnels. There's nothing here about changing to the world.....only moving to other places. I need to continue.' Wormholes are like tubes in space, but they are not made of metal or any physical material. Instead, they are like invisible connections, almost like bridges between distant parts of the universe. Scientists think that wormholes might look like swirling tunnels, kind of like a colorful vortex in a science fiction movie. 'This isn't helpful either.......' Isabelle was growing concerned. Was her theory all for nothing?' Scientists have been studying wormholes and their incredible potential. They imagine a future where spacecraft could use wormholes to travel vast distances in the universe. It would be like hopping from one end of the universe to another in an instant, just like magic! However, there's still much more to learn about wormholes. Scientists are trying to figure out if wormholes truly exist and if they can be stable and safe for travel. It's a big mystery that scientists are excited to unravel. 'Okay....' Isabelle thought. 'So there is still a lot to learn. It could be that everything happening to me is because of a wormhole...' Isabelle continued reading. A Friendly Reminder! While wormholes sound exciting, it's essential to remember that we still have much to discover about them. One thing we are confident in, however, is there are no wormholes that will change reality - Simply put a wormhole is a way to move across space, not change the existing space. So you don't need to worry that you might go through a wormhole and turn into an octopus! Isabelle felt distraught. Her entire theory was defeated by the book. 'Can't change reality.......it says it right there.' Isabelle wasn't sure what felt worse; the fact that the space theory, which had become her favorite, was not real; that she was running out of theories all together, and had nothing more to seriously develop, or; that she was peeing in her undies as she sat at the table in the library. It was hard to decide. Isabelle just felt so... so......without direction. She felt so alone. She felt so... soo........ 'WAIT! When did I start peeing?' Isabelle asked herself, as she continued to do so. Isabelle hadn't even realized she had started to, let along that she was continuing to do so, right in the chair, as she read her space book. Now Isabelle had one more thing to be worried about; 'mom is going to be disappointed in me...' Fortunately, Isabelle's undies did their job and soaked her pee. Unfortunately, Isabelle spotted her mom walking toward her before she could come up with any plans to handle it. "Hi Sweetie! Ready to go?" The question felt loaded. Isabelle wasn't just ready to go. She was ready to be done. Feeling alone, sad, defeated, and wet, Isabelle just took her mom's hand, happy to be with her again. "Yes mommy....I'm ready to go." ***** Jane did her best to cheer Isabelle up on their drive home. Jane could tell Isabelle was bothered by something, so didn't wait for Isabelle to come forward with what Jane expected the problem to be. "Sweetie, did you have an accident," Jane asked Isabelle, as they walked out of the school together. There was no point in denying it; she had had an accident. Isabelle simply nodded. "It's okay baby," Jane said, as she lifted Isabelle into the car, setting her down on the seat, feeling her undies to confirm that she could wait until they got home. What Jane hadn't realized, until she went to put Isabelle's bag in the trunk, was that Isabelle had had two accidents; Isabelle's wet undies she left to school with displayed prominently at the top of her ballet bag. 'I hate that I have to do this for her, but we're going to try it out for a bit.' Jane was pleased she had stopped at the pharmacy on the way to pick Isabelle up. Unfortunately, they had only had a massive box. But with her coupons, it was basically half-off, and Jane could always give them to Jess once Isabelle got over this. But Isabelle needed more help. Her day time wetting had become too frequent, and Jane couldn't keep staying on top of Isabelle to pee all the time. Jane pulled into the driveway, before exiting the car and retrieving her daughter's things from the trunk. Jane also carried another package in a big bag, one that Isabelle couldn't quite see what was in it. Together, Isabelle and Jane walked into the house. Before Isabelle could do anything though, Jane spoke. "Sweetie, I want you to go upstairs to your room and wait for me, okay? Don't change out of your undies yet. I'll be right up." Isabelle thought it was strange that her mom wanted her to stay in her wet undies, but she wasn't about to disobey her mom. "Okay mommy," Isabelle replied, before heading up the stairs. Jane took Isabelle's ballet bag to the foot of the basement stairs, setting it down, before returning to get her other package, and carrying to it up Isabelle's room. When Jane walked in, she found Isabelle laying in the corner of the room, on her stomach, and playing with her dollhouse. Jane carried the bag over to Isabelle, and sat down on the floor with her daughter. "Sweetie, I need you to sit up for a minute. We need to talk, okay?" Isabelle sat up, unsure of what the conversation was going to be about. As she adjusted herself on to her bum, Isabelle felt her wet undies press against her. They were rather uncomfortable, and Isabelle wanted to change out of them. Jane stared at her daughter, and hesitated for a moment. This perfect, adorable girl was starring back at her with eyes like a doe. Jane was about to blindside the poor girl, but she knew she had no other option. Isabelle was such a sweet girl, and according to Miss Amber, she was doing wonderfully in class. But this problem had been going on for too long. Jane knew the problem was getting worse. Isabelle had already been wetting at night, and it seemed to be heavier and heavier. Not to mention, it seemed Isabelle was wetting her sweetnights earlier in the night and later into the mornings. But now, Isabelle was having too many daytime accidents; starting with dinner last week with Jess, and then again in the car; then again at the diner; again this morning while she was watching TV, and; now twice at school. 'This would help,' Jane reminded herself. Miss Amber, Miss Jenny, and Jess all agreed. Isabelle's pediatrician agreed. Jane had called anyone, desperate for someone to tell her this was unnecessary. But all she received instead was confirmation that this was the right thing to do. Jane hesitated again, trying to find her words, before she started. Jane took her daughter's hands in her own, and looked Isabelle straight in the eye "Isabelle, I want you to know that mommy loves you very much. And all I ever want to do is help my little Belly. You know that, right? Isabelle nodded. Of course she knew that. "Yes mommy. Why? Is something the matter?" Isabelle asked, genuinely curious. Jane smiled, feeling pity for her daughter. Even now, it seemed, Isabelle was completely unaware that there was an issue. "Yes sweetie. There is a little problem we need to talk about. Mommy has noticed that you have been having a few accidents during the day. Is that true?" Isabelle was not sure what the conversation was going to be about, but she wasn't ready for that. "NO!" Isabelle said the words before she could control herself. Then again. "Nuh-uh!" Isabelle felt angry, betrayed even. 'How dare mom accuse me of having accidents?!?! I had one! Well, two. Only today!' Isabelle's face started to turn sour. "Sweetie. Don't lie to mommy. You had two accidents today, didn't you? And what about the other night when we were out with Sam? And when you went for dinner with Jess? You've been having quite a few accidents, haven't you?" Jane wanted Isabelle to be part of the decision, but it seemed Isabelle was resisting her. 'This was never going to be easy..' Isabelle was appalled her mother would even bring those moments up. 'Those were freak accidents. One offs. They would never happen again.' Isabelle was getting madder, angrier. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't exactly combat or challenge her mom's fake statements.....She settled on the best argument she could come up with; "NO! NONONONONO!" Isabelle shouted, as she crossed her arms, and looked away from her mom. Jane sighed, reaching out with her left arm and turning her daughter's face back toward her. "Isabelle. Accidents are a natural part of learning, and growing up. It's okay if we need a little extra help sometimes. And that's all mommy wants to talk about - help. It's okay to ask for help sometimes, isn't it?" Isabelle took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. 'I suppose that statement is agreeable.' Isabelle moved her head, just barely, up and down. 'That's all mom is getting out of me though.' Jane viewed the head nod as substantial progress. "See? Mommy asks for help when she needs it too. And Miss Amber was telling me how you were helping other students out...I think someone named Cassie...with her dancing? Its okay to ask for help when you need it. Isabelle looked back up at her mom, but kept her arms crossed. 'Well.....mom does make a decent point. I help people sometimes.' Isabelle decided that her mom was entitled to another nod, maybe just a bit bigger than last time. But she was NOT uncrossing her arms. "See sweetie! So why don't we just talk about helping you, with your daytime accidents. That's all mommy wants to talk about. And I think I came up with a pretty good solution. Lots of people use these to help out sweetie," Jane said, as she reached into her bag and pulled out one of the boxes. "Let's talk about these sweetie. Let's talk about using pullups." Isabelle was shocked. Not by what her mom was saying, but by the raw size of the bag her mom had pulled out. Isabelle could tell her mom was carrying a massive bag from the outside, but Isabelle figured it had loads of things in it. Now, the bag only had one thing left inside; her mom was holding the other. Isabelle was also shocked by her mom's proposal. Isabelle decided to reiterate her strong, unbeatable argument: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It was working, Isabelle knew it. But she decided to shore it up with some follow up arguments. Her mother would be defeated in short order! "Those are for babies. I'm a big kid mom. I don't....NO!" Isabelle cried, tears beginning to come out of her eyes. Jane would not tolerate being shouted at, but knew it was no time to lose her cool. Calmly, Jane responded. "Sweetie. I know you're upset. But you cannot yell at mommy. And we're going to try these sweetie. Its going to be great, I promise." Jane knew she would have to make a better sell than that. Jane explained gently, "Pullups are just like underwear, just like the super cool undies you're already wearing. There is absolutely no difference sweetie, at all. We can even call them undies!" Isabelle continued to cry, moaning the word "no" over and over through her tears. It was breaking Jane's heart, but she knew they were almost done ripping the band-aid off. "Sweetie! All these pullups are going to do is help catch any accidents during the day. They're just a little better at catching than your undies are. It seems silly to not use the best catcher when they are right here, doesn't it?" Isabelle sniffled. She wasn't going to answer her mom. But her mom made the same point Rabbity would make on their space voyages; 'You always go exploring with the best equipment! Never settle for less. Only Rabbity-made gear puts you in the clear!' Isabelle always liked Rabbity's slogan....and having the best equipment DID help Isabelle on more than one planet exploration.... "Look," Jane continued, opening the box and pulling one of the pullups out to show Isabelle. "They're designed to be easy for you to pull up and down all by yourself, just like big girl underwear. They'll keep you dry and comfortable while your body continues to learn. And look at these AMAZING designs!! They have such better ones than those old undies! These ones have the Mutt Monitors on them! You used to love them. And this box also has ones with Rover-Roo on them, and the whole cluefinders gang!" Jane push for enthusiasm, hoping to sell Isabelle on them. Isabelle lifted her butt on to her feet, enough to see the box more closely and look at the design. Isabelle knew she had to consider this new information....'the designs are better, AND they have Rover-Roo......' Isabelle thought wiping away a tear. Isabelle felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, her heart fluttering. Isabelle quickly shut it down, not wanting to give her mom and opening. But it was too late, of course. Jane had seen. Isabelle had a more pressing concern. "But......but.......mommy.......does......does.....does wearing pull-ups mean I'm not a big girl anymore?" Isabelle knew it did; it would mean she would be a baby, if she wore those. Isabelle wouldn't allow that. It was her red line. Her mother would confirm it for her, and then Isabelle would have Jane right where she wanted her. Jane hugged her daughter tightly, reassuring her, "Sweetheart, wearing pull-ups doesn't change who you are. Of course you'll still be a big girl! You are growing and learning every day. Sometimes, our bodies need a little more time, and that's okay. Wearing pullups is just a temporary anyway, until you stop having daytime accidents. LOADS of people wear pullups, even girls much older than you!" Jane wasn't sure it was true, but a little white lie never hurt. Isabelle's worry began to fade away. 'I can still be a big girl AND wear these....?' It didn't seem to make sense, Isabelle thought. But her mom had just told her she could be. 'Mommy always knows best....' Isabelle thought. If her mom said she could still be a big girl, who was she - or anyone else to question it. Isabelle wanted to tell her mom she still didn't want to wear them. She wanted to complain. She wanted to resist. Refuse to wear them anyway. She didn't need them. She wouldn't have them. No. No. No no no no no. But instead, at that moment, at the very moment the words were going to leave her mouth, the second Isabelle was going to coherently and admirably ask for another chance, to explain to her mom that she could be trusted, to ensure her mom that she could use the toilet like a big girl, that the accidents would stop, at that moment, that very moment.. ..Isabelle felt warm. She felt at ease. A calmness. A certainty. A joy and comfort. It spread throughout her body. It started at her feel, her slippers warming the base of them, tickling her little toes; it spread to her little ankles, and up her tiny shins; the joy, the happiness and acceptance, it spread to her waist, her stomach, and up through her lungs. As Isabelle exhaled, she felt that perfect feeling spread from her lungs to every corner of her body; her shoulders, to her arms, to her hands and through the very tip of her littlest fingers; Isabelle felt it spread up her neck, relaxing her tense muscles; it made its way to her lips, wiping away the words of resistance and replacing them with acceptance; it spread to her ears, the sound of her mother's proposal now sounding like sweet music; it spread to her nose, the scent of the pullup appearing like that of fresh flowers; to her eyes, the pullups looking more appealing and fun than anything she had worn before; and finally, it went up to her head, to the very tip of her skull, before - poof - it was gone again. Isabelle wasn't sure what happened. All she remembered were the next words out of her mouth. "Okay, Mommy. I think I'll give them a try." Jane's heart swelled with pride and admiration for her daughter's bravery and willingness to embrace this new solution. 'This will be good,' Jane knew it. "Okay sweetie. Why don't you let mommy help you get into your first one. Then we can out these into your drawers, and restock your sweetnights."

That's really kind of both of you to say! It has been extremely helpful and nice to see you both comment throughout the process. It motivates me to keep writing, even when I am feeling frustrated with the process. I appreciate all your help, advice, and comments! The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 36 Isabelle sat in the back of her mom's car, the coolness of her tights beginning to become more prominent, more uncomfortable. Leaving the restaurant had been mortifying. Jane had to call the waiter over, quietly informing them that "my daughter had a little accident" and that Jane "would clean it up, not a problem." The staff had brought over some cleaning solution and a rag. They were very understanding as Jane cleaned up - "this happens all the time, don't worry about it." Fortunately, the worst of the situation was avoided, thanks to none other than Sam. Apparently Sam realized what was going on, much to the disappointment of Isabelle who wanted Sam to like her. But whatever impact Isabelle's accident had, it had not seemed to change Sam's opinion of her. Sam came over to Isabelle after paying for dinner, comforting her and maintaining his upbeat attitude. But what he did next was life saving - as Isabelle stood up, Sam tied his windbreaker around her waist, concealing the wet patch on her leggings. Isabelle was able to walk through the restraurant and out the door with as few people noticing as possible. "Thank you Sam..." Isabelle managed to squeak out between tears. Isabelle's nightmare was not over, however. Before she got into the car, Jane asked Isabelle to wait, and went to the trunk to retrieve a towel. Jane laid it down on the back seat of the car, and then ushered Isabelle into the car, before disappearing with Sam somewhere. It was a few long minutes before Jane returned to the car, blushing and with a big smile on her face. 'Why is mom so happy I had an accident?' Isabelle wondered. 'Maybe she's happy about something else.' Jane closed the door to the car behind her, and turned to look at Isabelle. "I am very proud of you for being on your best behavior tonight sweetie. I just wish you had told me you needed to go to the bathroom! I would have taken you sweetheart. Are you okay? What do you say we get you home and into some dry clothes?" Isabelle nodded from the back seat, before responding. "I didn't.....I didn't realize I had to mommy. I'm sorry. I was just having too much fun I guess." Isabelle was upset at herself. She did in fact realize she had to go...she just didn't. She couldn't explain why exactly. Part embarrassment of letting a stranger know she had to go, part just not wanting to get up because she was having too much fun. It was strange too, because other than her wet leggings, she wasn't unhappy she had wet her undies. She was only unhappy they had leaked. "That's okay pumpkin," Jane responded, as she backed the car out of the spot. "It's bedtime anyway, so let's get you home and to sleep." Jane drove home, the car quiet the whole time. Isabelle had stopped crying for what it was worth, but evidently her daughter was still not in the mood to speak. It gave Jane the chance to think about what to do next. 'Her bathroom plan seemed to have worked today with her teachers, so there is no reason to make any changes to that," Jane thought. It was a small sample size, but Isabelle seemed content that she was "helping out friends" at school. It seemed to motivate her to go on time. Jane stopped at a red light and continued to consider her options. 'I guess I'll need to institute a similar plan at home.' It could work, Jane thought, the same it works at school. 'No need for deception I guess though. I'll just have to insist she goes into the bathroom and trust her. It's not like I can take her to the bathroom and sit her on the toilet to make sure she goes. She's 8.' Jane considered whether she could though. Jess had mentioned that the strategy worked with Becky. 'Maybe Isabelle needed something similar?' Jane continued processing her thoughts as she pulled into the driveway at home, parking the car, before helping Isabelle out and up the stairs. Jane dropped Isabelle's bags in her daughter's bedroom before bending down and helping her tired daughter out of her wet clothes. Jane could practically see Isabelle's eyes roll into the back of her head - 'she's mentally exhausted.' Jane realized she would need to help Isabelle to make sure everything got done. "Okay sweetie. Mommy is going to help you and then you can get into bed. Let's start by taking these slippers off." Piece by piece, Jane removed her daughter's clothes, first starting with her ballet slippers, her sockettes, her wet leggings, and her daughter's t-shirt. "Good job sweetie!" Jane whispered, as Isabelle lifted her arms and allowed her mom to take her shirt off, almost stumbling to the ground in slumber. Jane took her daughter in, standing in front of her, sleepy eyed, in nothing more than her sagging undies. Jane eased Isabelle's undies down her legs, noting that they actually had quite a bit more capacity than she would have expected. Jane noticed that Isabelle appeared more apprehensive than usual, so smiled and whispered sweet thoughts to her daughter as she stepped out of her soaked underwear. Jane then reached up on to Isabelle's dresser, pulling down the Kidz Wipez, and cleaning her daughter up. Content with her work, Jane pulled a sweetnight out of Isabelle's drawer, and helped Isabelle into it, sliding the dry padding up Isabelle's legs. Jane noticed how much more relaxed Isabelle's body and face were the moment the dry sweetnight was resting against her. 'She really does feel safer in these,' Jane noted. She felt bad for her daughter - obviously Isabelle wasn't doing this on purpose, and would rather not have these issues. 'But I am proud at how grownup she is being about wearing them without a fuss.' Jane pulled a nightgown over her daughter's head, Isabelle cooperating once again. As soon as it fell down to her knees, Isabelle started to make her way to her bed. "Nuh-uh sweetie," Jane whispered, taking her daughter's hand and pulling her toward the hallway. Isabelle was a little out of it, so simply cooperated, unsure where they were going to go. "First you need to try and go to the bathroom. Go ahead, while mommy collects your things," Jane said, as she ushered her daughter into the bathroom. Jane turned to go back to Isabelle's room to collect her wet clothes, but didn't. 'Just tonight,' Jane thought, as she silently pressed her ear against the bathroom door. Waiting. Waiting some more. Waiting again. Still waiting. Until she heard it - the echo of her daughter's pee hitting the toilet bowl. Considering how much Isabelle had peed in her pants, Jane was surprised to hear how long Isabelle peed, before she heard a gap of sound, followed by the toilet flushing. "Brush your teeth too sweetie." Isabelle would be too tired to realize Jane had been outside the whole time, as Jane now made her way to Isabelle's room to collect her daughter's wet clothes, piling them into her laundry basket. Jane turned to see her daughter walking back into her bedroom, wiping the exhaustion from her eyes. Jane went over to her, picking her up into the air and pulling Isabelle into her stomach, Isabelle's legs wrapping around her mom naturally. Jane held her daughter firmly, kissing her on the side of the head, before carrying Isabelle over to her canopy bed. Jane held Isabelle while working to pull the covers back, before laying her daughter down. Jane was about to wish her daughter sweet dreams, before she realized that Isabelle was already fast asleep. Jane simply smiled, placing Rabbity in her arms, and leaving the room with the laundry basket. She had more work to do before she could get into bed too. ***** Isabelle navigated her ship through the air, noting landmarks that she was familiar with from her previous voyage. Armed with her mind, her investigative journal map, and the map from the unicorn space pirate ship, Isabelle easily navigated her way through the air above Aquaria's surface, before hovering over her anticipated landing zone. "First Officer Rabbity, take her down. Initiate landing phase." Isabelle stood still as the ship stalled, not landing. "First Officer Rabbity. I said initiate landing phase...." Rabbity however, did not land. "Oh Alright. You are such a diva. SENIOR First Officer Rabbity, please initiate landing phase." After his recent technological innovations for Isabelle had gone viral, Rainbow Command had given Rabbity a promotion. 'And he hasn't let anyone forget about it," Isabelle thought. 'What a complete diva!' Having been addressed with his proper title, SENIOR First Officer Rabbity lowered the ship, landing it perfectly on a shallow strip near a deep water access point. If Isabelle's calculations were correct, the key to the chest lay at the bottom of the deep water access point. Based on conversations she had with the merpeople of Androsia, and the Silly Squid clan in nearby Kelp Forest, the key was protected by a great beast. Isabelle wouldn't be deterred, however. Isabelle pulled the hatch to her ship's cargo hold open, descending to the planet's surface. Once again, Isabelle went through her pre-exploration confirming she had all of her supplies. 'Mommy packed me chicken tenders this time - SCORE!' Isabelle thought, as she strapped her food to her bag, and jumped straight into the deep water access point." "I have once again returned to the planet known as 'Aquaria.'" Isabelle announced, as her journal recorded the dialogue, making notes itself about all manner of local underwater foliage. "Based on the very detailed description the Silly Squids provided, I am confident the key lies at the bottom of this canyon. Rumors of a great beast should be ignored - the locals tell all manner of far fetched tales. Proceeding down." Isabelle felt the increased water pressure as she continued to descend, forced to activate the lights connected to her helmet as the sun's rays disappeared. "More grateful than ever that I passed Advanced space-investigator training with flying colors," Isabelle recited. "Navigating these depths is proving challenging. It is not a voyage for the faint of heart." Isabelle concluded. 'Let's see SENIOR first officer Rabbity come down here, then we can talk about promotions.' Following the Silly Squid's instructions, Isabelle continued to descend straight down the hole. As Isabelle ventured further down. her heart started to race with anticipation. 'What will I discover in these depths? Where will the key ultimately be? What will I find in the treasure chest?' The excitement was almost too much to handle. Isabelle was forced to concentrate however. What little light her suit was providing was all she had left, and Isabelle was growing scared. She hadn't spotted the key at all yet, and according to her wrist mechanism thingy-mabob - its official name - she was nearly at the bottom. Isabelle was growing dubious that the Silly Squids, known for their silly and humorous pranks, had duped her. 'Those no-good pesky eight armed fiends!' Isabelle thought to herself. But just as Isabelle was preparing to abandon mission, her foot hit the ground. It was the lowest point in Aquaria, and Isabelle could feel the tremendous amount of water pressure coming down on her suit. Her thingy-mabob warned her she had but 2 minutes at this depth, before she needed to ascend. Just then, Isabelle's light caught a refection. It was but a minor reflection, but still, something was glimmering in the space sand beneath her feet. Isabelle moved closer to it, lightly activating the jets on her feet and hands to move quickly, and reached down into the sand to grasp whatever it was. "A KEY! Investigative Journal: Key has been located," Isabelle called, as she tugged at it to no avail. "Key is resisting. Need to re-assess. And quickly. Pressure building." Isabelle used her light to examine the key in more detail. The key was old, rusted in part, but clearly golden in color. It was a huge key, and weighed quite a bit. Isabelle could see that the key was ornately designed. "Key bears the same sigils and cryptic symbols of secret compartment in unicorn space pirate ship. It must be the one." But the key was tangled up in what seemed to be seaweed or some sort. Isabelle activated her thingy-mabob's hot laser device to try and cut it out. As she did, she could hear the seaweed begin to groan. "Strange seaweed groaning at laser. Need to move quickly." Isabelle was beginning to get frightened, but pressed on. Just as Isabelle cut the last of the seaweed holding onto the key, freeing it - "GOT IT! Key in possession, returning to ship." - A mighty groan from beneath the sand belted out, and the sand underneath her began to shift. Isabelle was now very worried. "Activate mega boosters! Get me out of here!" Isabelle commanded her suit. But her suit did not respond. Rather, it didn't respond well, sputtering and failing to activate. "Pressure appears to be compromising suit. Beginning to swim for it." Isabelle announced, moving her arms as quickly as possible. But it wasn't quickly enough. Underneath her, the sand shifted away to reveal The Great Seaweed Monster of Lore, its entangled arms made of weeds reaching out, and grasping Isabelle's left leg. It had her. "Great Monster of Lore is real. It has me in its clutches!" Isabelle was now in a complete panic, fighting, grasping for anything, as the monster began to pull her down further and further into its clutches. "Rabbity!!!! HELLLLP!" Isabelle called, as the monster tore her suit open, water flowing up from the puncture in her leg through her suit. Isabelle could feel it spreading everywhere, climbing to her neck, as the monster pulled her deeper into its clutches. Isabelle was too scared to look down as she felt the water climb to her neck. Isabelle knew she was going to be lost to Aquaria's depths forever. Forever. ************** "MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY" Isabelle was wailing. She shot up in her bed, panicked about the great breast that had her in its clutches. Only Isabelle was no longer on Aquaria, no longer in the grasp of the beast, no longer surrounded by water. It didn't matter though - Isabelle was still terrified, and she called out to her mom once more. "MMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY" Jane came running into her daughter's room, concerned for her safety. It was utter relief to see that Isabelle was still in her bed, alone, simply crying. "Sweetie what is it?!?!" Jane asked. Jane had her hypothesis - another wet bed - but needed to calm herself down before she was ready to deal with it. It was 4:00 AM - It was far too early to be up. Isabelle jumped out of bed, running to her mom and hugging her. Jane immediately saw that neither Isabelle, Isabelle's pajamas, nor her daughter's sheets, looked wet. 'Huh. Well that is good news,' Jane thought to herself. It was only 4 AM -'It would have been pretty remarkable if Isabelle had completely soaked through her sweetnight only halfway through the night. Jane picked her daughter up, wrapping an arm under Isabelle's butt and held her tightly. "Maybe not, actually,' Jane thought, her arm coming into contact with an absolutely soaked sweetnight. "I had a bad dream Mommy!" Isabelle explained, her heart beating strongly against Jane. 'Well, that makes sense at least,' Jane thought. "Oh baby I'm so sorry. You're okay. Mommy is here. Mommy is here," Jane repeated, as she held Isabelle tightly for the better part of ten minutes, letting Isabelle calm down in her arms. Jane could have sworn at one point she felt Isabelle release her bladder a little into her sweetnight, the undergarments warming against her arm. After about ten minutes, Isabelle was starting to calm down. "How about you come into mommy's bed for the rest of the night sweetie? Does that sound good?" Jane knew Isabelle would say yes, and it didn't take more than a millisecond for her daughter to nod her head. "Why don't you go get Rabbity from the bed, and bring him too?" Jane proposed. Isabelle nodded once more and turned to her bed to go fetch her buddy. Jane took the opportunity to open Isabelle's dresser and pull out a fresh sweetnight. Jane then took Isabelle's hand with her other, and led Isabelle into her bedroom. As soon as they were in, Isabelle released her mom's hand, waddling toward her bed and jumping onto it, pulling the cover back. "Hang on sweetie. Before you get in...let's get a fresh sweetnight on you. That one looked pretty full." Isabelle paused for a moment. She had not realized it at first, but her sweetnight did feel pretty heavy, and her legs did feel forced apart more than normal. What was the harm in putting a fresh one on? They always felt great when they were dry. "Okay mommy," Isabelle whispered in response, before yawning and beginning to make her way off the bed. "You can stay there sweetie. Just lay back," Jane said. Isabelle wasn't sure what her mom meant, but obliged her, laying on her back. Isabelle felt her mom shift her nightgown up, before grasping the sides of her sweetnight. "Butt up sweetie.....that's a good girl," Jane whispered, as Isabelle complied, holding Rabbity to her chest. Jane lowered the sopping wet sweetnight off of her daughter's legs, before grabbing the fresh one and sliding it up. "One more time baby...butt up....That's a good girl," Jane remarked, as she slid Isabelle's sweetnight into place. "Now get under the covers, and I'll be right there," Jane said, taking her daughter's sweetnight with her to her bathroom, depositing it into the garbage. 'It's too late...or early, for all of this,' Jane thought, before returning to her bed, to see Isabelle tucked under it, already drifting off to sleep. Jane climbed in as well, feeling her daughter shift and snuggle up against her. 'Too late...' Jane thought again, '...but all worth it,' Jane thought, as she felt her daughter snuggled up against her, drifting off to sleep with a smile on her face. ******* Isabelle woke up the next morning, feeling her head rise and fall with her mom's breathing. She was laying against her mom's chest, her mom's arm wrapped around her. Isabelle didn't bother to open her eyes; she didn't want to. But she did need to pee. Isabelle didn't think on it too long, simply releasing her pee into her thirsty sweetnight. Isabelle could tell her sweetnight was already wet. She could feel it pressed up against her by her mom's leg. But Isabelle remembered that she changed into a fresh sweetnight when she came to her mom's room in the middle of the night. She knew it would be fine. Isabelle laid against her mom as she peed into her sweetnight, feeling the warmth, the comfort of the swollen and swelling padding around her. As she did, she nuzzled her head further into her mom, feeling her mom's arms tightening around her as she did. Jane woke up as her daughter was peeing, feeling Isabelle's sweetnight expand against her leg. Isabelle seemed like she was still sleeping, but it still amazed Jane how much her daughter seemed to pee overnight. Jane let Isabelle finish, feeling as her daughter settled further onto her chest as she did. 'She really is comfortable in those..' Jane thought. As soon as Jane was convinced Isabelle was done, she worked her way up out of bed, waking her daughter as she did. The morning was nothing if not conventional. Jane was feeling tired from the adventures of the night, but seemingly not as tired as Isabelle looked. The two had breakfast together after getting dressed for the day, and made their way to the car on time so they could get to school. Jane kissed her daughter as she helped Isabelle out of the car, and watched as she skipped her way into school as though nothing had happened the night prior. Isabelle made her way to class quickly, wanting to be the first one there. Isabelle wanted to let Miss Jenny know that she still remembered the plan. Isabelle quickly dropped her ballet things off at her locker before making her way to class. As she walked into class, Isabelle saw two or three other kids were already in their seats. Isabelle knew she would have to be subtle about this. "Good morning Miss Jenny," Isabelle announced loud enough that everyone could hear. "Don't worry. I KNOW." Isabelle said, winking to Miss Jenny. 'Well done Isabelle. Very subtle.' Isabelle made her way to her seat as her classmates looked at her strangely. Miss Jenny stifled a giggle, returning Isabelle's good wishes with a good morning of her own. Morning class with Miss Jenny focused on reading again. Fortunately for tired little Isabelle, it would not be her turn to read until next Monday, so she said quietly as a boy named Derek read through a chapter of Cam Jansen. Isabelle was not sure if it was because she was tired or something else, but the words on the page of her book all looked fuzzy to her as Derek read, and she was struggling to read alongside him as she normally did. 'It feel like the letters are all bouncing around...none of these are words.' Isabelle decided. Where Isabelle did succeed, however, was in helping her fellow classmate. Miss Jenny tapped Isabelle's desk twice on two separate occasions. Isabelle loudly asked each time to go to the bathroom, making her way to the same stall and peeing each time. Isabelle even found the first time she had to poop when she sat down. Curiously, no student followed her in either time. 'That poor boy or girl must really be struggling.' Isabelle was happy to see that Charlotte was back in school that day. Just as the lunch bell rang, Charlotte made her way over to Isabelle's desk with another surprise. "Where were you yesterday Charlotte?" Isabelle asked, fighting off yet another yawn that morning. "Oh I wasn't feeling so good so my mom and dad kept me home yesterday," Charlotte explained, as all the other students made their way out of the class. "But I wanted to give you something," Charlotte said, handing Isabelle a sealed letter. "It's for your mom. Its a birthday invitation. It's my birthday on Sunday. I hope you can come!" Charlotte said. Isabelle smiled. It felt great to be included. It had been god knows how long since she had seen Lola, or Dani, or even Mel. She missed having friends, and Charlotte seemingly wanted to be hers. "Thanks Char..lie. I'll give it to my mom- " Isabelle cut herself off before saying another syllable. "Great!" Charlotte responded. "Let's go to the library again and read!" And so Isabelle and Charlotte raced off to the cafeteria, picking up cold sandwiches, before going to the same desk in the library to eat together. Lunch passed by pretty quickly. The girls had to wait in line to even get into the cafeteria. And, once they had their sandwiches, Charlotte was stopped by the other girls in the class to talk quickly. No one seemed to want to talk to Isabelle, which made her feel a little badly. After saying goodbye, and after getting stopped by Mister Sir Eugene for a minutes, lunch was practically half over by the time they sat down and ate. Charlotte picked up where she left off in the Emerald Chronicle book. 'She's racing through it,' Isabelle noted. 'I'll have to give her the second book soon,' Isabelle thought, as she opened up her own space book to continue reading. Isabelle, however, was confronted with the same problem as she ran into that morning; she was having tremendous trouble reading the words on the pages. These words seemed even harder than the Cam Jansen book earlier in the day. 'But this is more important,' Isbaelle told herself. 'Need to figure out why this is....' Isabelle let a yawn loose. '....happening to me. Need to get back to my friends....' Chapter 4: Astronauts - Heroes, Explorers, Adventurers! Have you ever dreamed of exploring the vast wonders of space? Well, astronauts are the brave and adventurous individuals who get to do just that! They are the heroes who travel beyond Earth's.... ....something. 'That word is too hard.' to discover new things and learn more about our universe. Let's take a closer look at what it means to be an astronaut. Astronauts come from all walks of life. They can be men or women, and they can be from different countries. Some astronauts start their journey as scientists or engineers, while others may have been pilots or doctors. The most important thing is that they are highly trained and have a passion for space exploration. 'Like me! I am a girl! And I have a passion for space exploring.' It took Isabelle two or three attempts to read that paragraph, but she moved on. Training to be an Astronaut: Becoming an astronaut is no easy task. Astronauts undergo many years of training to prepare themselves for the challenges of space travel. They learn about space science, how to live and work in zero gravity, and even how to fix things in space. 'I am going to be ready in a few weeks! Forget about years!' Life in Space: Living in space is very different from life on Earth. Astronauts sleep in special sleeping bags that keep them in place. They eat special space food, which comes in packages and has to be made bigger with water! Astronauts even have to use a special toilet to go to the bathroom! And I bet that you didn't know it, but Astronauts even wear a special kind of diaper when they are taking off into space! ......'Special diapers? I didn't know that astronauts had to wear diapers......' Isabelle thought that was the most curious thing. 'Astronauts just seem so grown up....' Isabelle read, and re-read that portion, just to make sure she was understanding it correctly. It seemed she was. 'That's pretty silly!' Exploring and Discovering Astronauts get to explore and discover amazing things in space. They can conduct experiments to learn more about how our bodies react to living in space or how plants grow in zero gravity. They can also take breathtaking pictures of Earth from space, showing us just how beautiful our planet is. 'Just like me! I'm growing a plant!' Conclusion Astronauts are brave adventurers who explore the wonders of space. Who knows? Maybe one day, you could become an astronaut too and embark on an incredible journey to the stars! Isabelle closed the book, pleased with having struggled through it. 'I will become an astronaut! I already am!' ***** Isabelle took deep breaths, working hard to slow her heart rate down after dance class. Miss Amber had them do quite the program that afternoon. The students all worked together to do a routine through center work with transitions, building on the work they had done all week. "You'll all be presenting this performance on Friday afternoon, so keep working at it." Miss Amber was a great teacher, but she was certainly tough! Isabelle was pretty proud of her ability to work through the routine, even if it was tough. Still, she was excelling, and clearly one of the better dancers in the class. Isabelle continued to work with Miss Amber, leaving the classroom so that Miss Amber could focus on other students. Isabelle took her time in the bathroom each time Miss Amber tapped on it. Interestingly, it worked out - Isabelle did in fact have to pee each time she went! Isabelle went through her post-dance routine, waiting for the second round of showers. She was proud, as she undressed, noticing that she hadn't had any accidents for the second day in a row. Isabelle smiled at herself, before making her way to the showers, and rinsing off after her dance practice. Isabelle quickly got dressed, again opting to wear her ballet slippers out to meet her mom, who was waiting to sign her out of school at the front. "Hi sweetheart!" Jane said, greeting her daughter as Isabelle ran into her mom for a hug. "Did you have a good day?" Isabelle nodded, and the two walked about together at Jane waved goodbye to Miss Amber, who was working the checkouts that day. "Mommy," Isabelle called to her mom as they walked out of the school together. "I stayed completely dry today! No accidents!" Jane could hear the enthusiasm from her daughter. "That's great sweetheart!" Jane said, happy that Isabelle remembered to tell her today. "I'm really proud of you." Jane helped Isabelle into the backseat of the car, closing the door behind her. Jane put Isabelle's bags in the trunk, before making her way to the driver's seat. As she climbed in, Jane could see Isabelle's head drooping against the dooor. 'Poor girl is exhausted,' Jane remarked to herself. Jane started the car, and drove in silence, letting little Isabelle rest in the back seat. By the time Jane pulled into the driveway of their house, Isabelle was sound asleep in the back of the car. Rather than wake her, Jane simply got out, going over to Isabelle's side of the car, and opened the door, lifting her daughter up, on to her hip. Isabelle didn't wake up, but wrapped her arms around her mom's neck, laying her head on Jane's shoulder. Jane couldn't help but notice, as she strung her arm under her daughter's butt, that Isabelle's undies were quite warm, and a little swollen. 'She must have had an accident in the car...oh dear,' Jane thought, as she carried Isabelle up the stairs into the house. Jane walked Isabelle up to her bedroom, opening the door, and laying Isabelle down on her bed. Jane slipped her hand under her daughter's dress, and pressed her hand against Isabelle's undies, assessing whether or not she could keep them on. 'These are pretty wet,' Jane concluded. 'I'd rather not leave her like this, the way she's been wetting in her sleep.' Jane went over to Isabelle's dresser, pulling out a sweetnight. 'Running low. I'll need to get more this weekend,' Jane thought, as she carried the sweetnight over to her daughter. Jane gently removed Isabelle's slippers, before reaching her hands up and pulling Isabelle's wet undies off. "shhhhhhhh shhh shhhhh sweetie. It's okay...." Jane whispered, as she slide the undies down her legs, Isabelle lifting her butt as she felt her mom do so. Jane repeated the process when putting Isabelle's goodnight on, her daughter cooperating in her sleep once more. Jane left Isabelle's bedroom, leaving the door ajar. 'I'll let her nap while I go get dinner ready,' Jane decided, as she picked up her phone and called Jess. "Hey Jess! How are you..............yup. She's actually napping now. Poor girl had quite the night........Yup.......Hmmm hmmm....yah again.......Oh that's great!.....Don't be silly......I'm so glad you're going to join us.......Yup......Yup... Well......errr kind of ya. I'll show you before....it is kind of sexy......JESSS.....okay...and the kids? ....Oh that's exciting! Isabelle will be so excited to hear about it. Where did you find out about her?.............................Oh so they already know each other! Great!.......Uh huh......yah, there's just one or two things she should probably know about, but well come over together on Friday to discuss. Sounds good. See you then...uh huh....bye!" **** Isabelle woke up from her nap, feeling groggy. Isabelle could feel that her undies were wet underneath her as she sat up, feeling sad about it. 'Mom was so proud that I stayed dry all day.' Only, Isabelle thought her undies felt different. They were thicker than normal, even in their swollen state. 'These feel like my sweetnights,' Isabelle thought, as she hiked her dress up. Isabelle was shocked to confirm that she was, in fact, wearing her sweetnight. 'When did that happen....' Isabelle wondered, without a clue. Isabelle saw no reason to change, and made her way, disoriented from her nap downstairs. "Hi Sweetie. How was your little nap? Are you feeling better?" Isabelle nodded, before asking her mom "what's for dinner mom? I'm feeling kind of hungry." Isabelle had thought there was something else she wanted to ask her mom, but if there had been, she had forgotten it completely. "Come sweetie. I made some yummy grilled cheeses," Jane said, as she handed Isabelle a plate with her grilled cheese already cut for her in triangles. "Let's eat and then get ready for bed. You need an early night tonight." Isabelle didn't mind having an early bedtime tonight. She was tired. Today had been a long day, and all she wanted now was to think about her grilled cheese, laugh and smile with her mom, and get back into bed. Isabelle took a seat at the counter, feeling the warm squish of her sweetnight underneath her, and smiling - everything felt right. Everything felt perfect.

Thank you for the corrections. It is always appreciated. Thanks! I won't address the other things point by point, since some of it would be a spoiler. But I am glad you are enjoying the story, and I always look forward to your comments!

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 35 Tuesday morning did not start off well at all. Isabelle woke up, only to discover that she had completely soaked through her sweetnight again, this time wetting the bed far more than she had the the morning prior. Isabelle woke up with the feeling of wet sheets underneath her, her pee having spread out from her in seemingly every direction. The wet, cold, clamminess felt horrible. Just about the only thing that felt good was the actual inside of her sweetnight, which someone had maintained its warmth and comfort. Isabelle hadn't cried when she woke up. In fact, her room was silent as she did, but for the sound of raindrops echoing against her window. In that silence, Isabelle simply got off of the sheet and made her way to her mom's bedroom. As she lifted her butt of the bed, she shifting of the plastic sheeting served as a reminder that her mattress was likely okay. Holding Rabbity by the hand, Isabelle made her way into her mom's room, and shook her mom awake. When Jane woke up to the sight of her daughter, she knew what it was about. The wet stain on her daughter's PJS confirmed it. Jane got up, and did what any mom would do: comforted her daughter, before taking her hand and making her way back to Isabelle's room with her. Isabelle was forced to stand on the side of her bed, sporting a big wet stain in her nightgown, while her mom stripped her sheets yet again, and stacked them into her laundry. Jane offered her daughter another firm hug and a smile, before suggesting that she use some wipes to clean up, and get dressed for the day. Jane hadn't made Isabelle feel badly, but Isabelle was feeling sad. She hadn't slept well at all the night prior, likely as a result of her wet bed. Isabelle felt like she was going backward with her progress; though she had discovered a new viable theory for everything that was happening to her, she was yet again confronted with problems sleeping. If she didn't get good nights of rest, her progress during the day would be thwarted. 'How can I be expected to complete astronaut training without sleeping?!?' Jane, meanwhile, was distraught as she carried her daughter's wet sheets downstairs, and throwing them into the washer. Jane then took to folding her daughter's previously wet panties - and other clothes - which were waiting for her in the dryer. Jane threw a bargain detergent pod in, and ran the washer, as she considered any and all possibilities as to what may have caused her daughter's increased nighttime issues, which admittedly, were now bleeding into daytime issues. 'Could it be school? Maybe she's too stressed with the hard work. Perhaps I should have held her back a year,' Jane considered, as she folded the remaining clothes in the dryer. 'Maybe its something else. Maybe its just that she's struggling with friends? Or maybe its me. Maybe she knows what's going on......Am I moving too fast? Am I moving too fast for her?' Jane's priority would always be Isabelle, '...but I've been so happy the last few weeks....' Without any answers, Jane carried the laundry with her up the stairs, setting the basket down near the upstairs staircase. Jane went into the kitchen to begin brewing the coffee, before returning to pick up the laundry, and head into Isabelle's room. As she climbed the stairs, she considered to debate herself on how to move forward. "I just need to give it more time. Perhaps I will call the school and let Miss Jenny and Miss Amber know what's going on. They may be able to help...' Jane decided that was the best course of conduct. 'After all, it takes a village.' Jane pushed open Isabelle's door to see her daughter standing in a t-shirt and her new training pants undies, this time a white pair designed with rainbows. 'She looks happy, in spite of everything. Maybe I am just panicking. Seemingly, the bed wetting doesn't seem to be bothering her....nor the day time accidents...' On the desk near her were more than a generous amount of used "Kidz Wipez,' splayed across her dresser after having been used by her daughter. It was quite the mess. Nevertheless, Jane smiled at her daughter, setting the basket down once more and bending down to give her little girl a big hug. "Its okay sweetie. It was mommy's fault....I forgot to tell you to go to the bathroom before bed." Jane figured a confidence boost couldn't hurt, as she felt her daughter's arms wrap around her neck tighter. Jane released Isabelle from the hug, and directed her to get dressed for the day. Isabelle had decided to select a pair of purple leggings, with a shooting star running up the left side of the leg, and a simple pair of blue socks, to pair with her white t-shirt. "Thanks mommm...I'm sorry I wet the bed again...." Isabelle was feeling a little defeated, but it was more likely that it was just the fact that she was feeling pretty tired. "No problem sweetie. Why don't you pack your ballet bag, and I'll go downstairs and prepare breakfast. Your extra pair of undies are already in the bag sweetie. If you have a problem today, I want you to change into the clean pair, okay?" Jane said, before collecting all the Kidz Wipez in her hand, and making her way out of the room. "Okay mommy." Isabelle knew her mom was only trying to help, but it felt like her mom already thought she was going to have an accident. 'Today I am going to do better. Just focus Isabelle. Pay attention. I'll go twice in the morning, and once at lunch. Then twice in the afternoon, and no accidents.' Isabelle was proud of her plan. Isabelle started packing her ballet bag. She went to her closet to find a leotard, finding a black one with loads of sparkles. "I'll bet Miss Amber will like this one," Isabelle announced to no on in particular, before pulling the leotard off of the hanger. With her other free hand, Isabelle snatched her ballet slippers, feeling at ease for the first time that morning. Isabelle went over to her bag, and deposited her items inside, before going to her dresser and retrieving a thicker set of white tights to dance with. Isabelle had been concerned that her thicker undies had shown through her tights the day prior, so she opted for a thicker set of tights, placing them in her bag as well. Isabelle picked her bag up, as well as her school bag, before heading downstairs. "......yup again........I don't know.......maybe its too soon, you know?" Isabelle heard her mom talking on the phone, but about what, and to who, it was unclear. "I am just a little worried. Perhaps I need to do more?......................uh-huh.......................uh-huh. Yah I mean, its an option I suppose..................uh-huh....uh-huh.................Okay. I have to get Isabelle ready for school now...yup....Talk later." Isabelle sat down as her mom set breakfast in front of her. "Go ahead and eat sweetie. Mommy needs to go get dressed," Jane said before leaving Isabelle to eat on her own. Isabelle wouldn't normally have minded, but she was feeling a little vulnerable that morning, and wished her mom had stayed. On her own, Isabelle picked up her toast and slowly started eating, feeling tired, feeling sad, and wanting the day to be over before it had even started. Isabelle wrapped up her breakfast as her mom made her way back downstairs. Isabelle thought her mom looked a little dressed up today; her makeup was done a little more, she was wearing a different type of outfit it looked like, and she had done her hair a little more nicely than usual. "You look pretty mommy." Isabelle said. "Thanks sweetie. Why don't you go to the bathroom quickly, and well be on our way, okay? Mommy needs to make one more telephone call. Isabelle nodded and stood up, making her way to the first floor bathroom. Isabelle pulled down her leggings and her special undies, sitting on the toilet. Isabelle knew she had to poop, but was surprised at how much she peed as well as she sat on the toilet. Isabelle took her time, in an effort to make sure everything was "out of her system," before flushing and washing her hands. Isabelle returned to her mom just as she was wrapping up her second telephone call. "...thank you. Yes. I am extremely grateful. You are both so good to her." Isabelle once again was lost, simply electing to stand close to her mom and wrap her arms around her mom's waist. Jane looked down at Isabelle and smiled. "Okay...Yes I am bringing her now. Bye-bye." Jane released Isabelle from her waist, and took her hand. "Let's go sweetheart." *** Isabelle made her way into the school a little earlier than usual. She made her way quickly to the locker rooms, and put her bag into her locker, before exiting, and heading to Miss Jenny's classroom. When Isabelle entered, she was the only one there with Miss Jenny, so she waved hello and went to her desk. Isabelle had the idea that she would continue to read her space book, but her idea was thwarted as soon as Miss Jenny approached, bending down to talk to Isabelle. "Hi there Isabelle! I am so excited to have you in class this morning! Are you excited?" Isabelle nodded. Isabelle didn't want to be rude, but she wasn't really in the mood to chat. Miss Jenny didn't seem to care though. "Great! We are going to have SO much fun! I promise. Now, Isabelle, there is something else I want to chat with you about really quick. Our secret, okay?" Isabelle was intrigued at Miss Jenny's proposal, so much so that Isabelle perked up, and decided to speak, looking Jenny in the eye. "What's that?! I like secrets. What is it!" Isabelle wanted to know. No...that wasn't right. Isabelle needed to know. "Well, Isabelle, its very secret so you cant tell anyone, okay? I need your help though. You've been so good in class, but there are some other people that are having trouble with some things, did you know?" Isabelle didn't know. But Isabelle knew she had trouble with things sometimes, and it didn't feel good. Isabelle shook her head no. "I can see its upsetting you! But see, there is this OTHER girl in the class who is having trouble with the bathroom. Now I know you don't have bathroom problems, but maybe you could help this other student out, without saying anything to them, so they can feel better about themselves." Isabelle wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what was going on. Miss Jenny's efforts to dupe her were beneath Miss Jenny, Isabelle, and quite frankly, every second grader ever. 'How on earth does she think she's going to pull this off on me? PUH-LEASE.' Isabelle thought, before smirking her lips, and responding. "Miss Jenny. I already know." Miss Jenny looked surprised, but was curious. "You already know! That's great. But just to make sure, what is it that you already know?" Isabelle couldn't believe Miss Jenny was going to make Isabelle say it out loud. But Miss Jenny left her no choice. "Miss Jenny. I know. I know about the special super cool undies. You know, the special ones that lots of the other girls are wearing too. I know Miss Jenny.....I know." Miss Jenny had to stifle a laugh. 'Kids are the best, I am so happy I became a teacher.' Rather than laugh, Miss Jenny showed a fake relief that Isabelle already knew. "Ohhhh Isabelle thank goodness you know! Now see, I am so happy you already know not to talk to anyone about those special super cool undies. But I need your help in ANOTHER way. Some people wearing those special super cool undies are having trouble forgetting to go to the bathroom. I was hoping that you might raise your hand a few times this morning to ask to go to the bathroom, so those kids are more comfortable asking also. Do you think you could do that?" Isabelle couldn't believe her luck. She was already planning on asking to go to the bathroom at least twice that morning just to....well to be safe, and for no other reason. Now Miss Jenny was asking her to do the same thing because someone else needed help?!? ' I get to help another student, score points with Miss Jenny, AND....well I get to have insurance that I don't need.' Miss Jenny didn't know how foolish she was - Isabelle was scoring big time. "Of course Miss Jenny! Not a problem. I am your girl!!" Miss Jenny smiled. "Great. How about this for a super secret plan between us. When I come by your desk and tap on it twice, you raise your hand to ask to go to the bathroom. OR, if you feel you just need to go, raise your hand like normal. Does that sound good?" Isabelle nodded with approval, just as two or three other students streamed into the class. "You can count on me Miss Jenny." Jenny smiled, she was pleased Isabelle was invested in the plan, and returned to her desk. The rain continued to come down, gently hitting the window to Miss. Jenny's second grade classroom. Most of the students had arrived at that point, but Isabelle couldn't spot Charlotte. As the bell rang, the children hurriedly settled into their seats, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. Miss Jenny stood at the front of the class, a wide smile gracing her face. "Good morning, my dear mathematicians!" Miss Jenny greeted them cheerfully. "Today, we are going to embark on an amazing journey into the world of numbers and shapes. Are you ready?" Much like the day prior, the kids all responded with enthusiasm, this time missing two voices: Charlotte's, who was not present that day, and Isabelle's, who was feeling the tired effects of her restless sleep the night prior. But the other kids in the class practically cheered with excitement, and their energy filling the air. Miss Jenny just had a way about her of exciting the class. 'She could make anything sound fun and exciting,' Isabelle thought. Miss Jenny loved the kids' enthusiasm as well, feeing off of it. Miss Jenny knew that engaging them with interactive activities was the key to their learning success. Miss Jenny began the lesson by introducing the concept of addition using colorful manipulatives. Miss Jenny walked around the class, handing out red, blue, green, and yellow geometric blocks; some cubes, triangles, cones, and all manner of shapes, before returning to the front of class. As she did, she tapped twice on Isabelle's desk, very discretely, so the other students wouldn't think of it. 'THAT'S THE SECRET CODE,' Isabelle thought, as Jenny walked past her without turning at all. "Wow. Miss Jenny is like a superspy,' Isabelle thought, as she shot her hand into the air before being called on. "Miss Jenny? Can I please go to the bathroom?" "Yes Isabelle, go ahead." Miss Jenny responded so cavalierly, Isabelle thought. 'The poor student they were helping would have no idea what was going on, not with this level of sneaky deception.' Isabelle was pleased with herself, keeping up the ruse. But she knew she had to keep it up in order to seem plausible, so off to the bathroom she went. Isabelle entered a stall, just in case the other student came in, and sat down as though she was going to pee. Except she did pee. 'Huh! Look at that. I guess you call that a happy accident.' Surprisingly, Isabelle noticed as she wiped, no other student actually came in. 'Hmmmmm. Maybe I wasn't loud enough when I asked to go the bathroom,' Isabelle wondered. 'No matter. Miss Jenny said we would try at least twice!' Isabelle wiped herself, before returning to class. Isabelle walked back in to a lively scene. As she made her way to her desk, Isabelle could have sworn Miss Jenny silently mouthed a "thank you" to her. Isabelle took her seat, joining the other kids in eagerly participating in the math lesosn. Isabelle's used her tiny hands to grab various shapes and colors of objects in response to promptly, counting them or announcing the shape out loud. With each calculation, Miss Jenny encouraged them, praising their efforts and rewarding those students with the correct answers with encouraging responses. As the class progressed, Miss Jenny shifted into working on subtractions. Unlike the additions, Miss Jenny noticed a few students - Isabelle included - struggling with subtraction exercises. Miss Jenny decided to break the class into groups so she could pair students that were struggling with ones that had an easier time, and hoped by working together the students would help each other. Her strategy was very successful, though Isabelle was still having difficulties with at least half of the problems. Miss Jenny's math class occupied the entire morning lesson. Near the end, Miss Jenny had organized a fun math game for the class though. It felt like such a reward for all their hard work. Miss Jenny told the class to imagine that the classroom had transformed into a bustling carnival, with different stations offering mathematical challenges. All the kids eagerly rotated through the activities, solving puzzles, measuring objects, and identifying shapes. As Isabelle was shifting from one station to another, Miss Jenny passed by her and tapped her on the shoulder twice. "THAT'S IT AGAIN. EVEN SNEAKIER THIS TIME,' Isabelle thought. She would be sure to be louder this time around, so the student who needed the help would be sure to hear. Isabelle made her way to the middle of the carnival, in the busiest section of the classroom, and raisd her hand. "Yes Isabelle?" Miss Jenny called back. Isabelle cleared her throat, before announcing very loudly. "Miss Jenny. I need to use the bathroom. Can I please go to the bathroom?" Miss Jenny chuckled at how indiscrete Isabelle was being, before granting her permission. "Go ahead Isabelle." Isabelle's eyes darted left and right as she left the class, trying to find out who the student she was trying to help was. Not seeing any movement, Isabelle made her way into the bathroom again, sitting on the toilet. This time Isabelle had known she needed to pee, so was grateful when Miss Jenny had sent her here. 'I was about to ask anyway,' Isabelle thought, before wrapping up and making her way back to class. The class ended just as Isabelle reached the last carnival game. Many students jumped out of their seats, heading to the cafeteria, or to their arts classes. But Isabelle lingered behind, just as Miss Jenny approached her. "You were such a great help this morning Isabelle. Thank you. I think you really helped that student out! Maybe you should leave the cafeteria at some point to go to the bathroom - the student might see you going and realize they had to go as well," Miss Jenny said, before walking away. "See you tomorrow." Isabelle was proud of the work she had done. She liked helping people. 'I'll be sure to go during lunch as well!' Isabelle thought to herself, as she left the classroom. Lunch, was, without Charlotte there, a little upsetting. Isabelle took her place at the end of the table with the other girls she had eaten with the week prior, but no one spoke to her. Isabelle, in turn, didn't speak at all herself, and quietly went about eating her turkey sandwich. Isabelle was feeling rather morose; she was tired, she was feeling lonely, and she was feeling badly still about wetting the bed. After she finished eating, Isabelle got up and said goodbye, making a point of letting her tablemates know she was off to the bathroom. 'Even if they aren't my friends, its nice that I get to potentially help one of them.' Isabelle made her way toward the girl's locker rooms to use the bathroom, sitting down in the last toilet stall. As soon as her butt hit the seat, she started peeing. Isabelle was even shocked that, after sitting for a minute, she needed to poo. Isabelle sat quietly, nervous that someone would walk in, as she continued to 'make her deposit,' before wiping, and flushing the toilet. As she made her way to her locker, Isabelle was concerned whoever this kid having trouble was, they were not making it to the bathroom nearly enough. 'Not that I haven't tried to be helpful.' Rather than return to the cafeteria, Isabelle sat in front of her locker, and took the opportunity to get ready for ballet well in advance of class. Isabelle took her shirt off, followed by her shoes, socks, and leggings, putting all of her clothes into her ballet bag, and taking out her ballet clothes. Before pulling up her tights, Isabelle inspected her new undies, noting that they were in perfect condition. Isabelle pulled them out from her waist, looking inside and further confirming that she hadn't even dribbled that day. 'Mom is going to be so proud!' Isabelle thought, as she started pulling her thick tights up her legs, before slipping into her leotard. Finally, Isabelle sat down to put on her slippers, feeling whole once again. Isabelle was lost in her thoughts by the time the bell rang, and the rest of the dancers made their way in to the locker room. As Isabelle was already dressed, she decided to make her way to Miss Amber's class first. 'Maybe I can get a little warmup in before we start,' Isabelle thought, as she smiled and waved at Cassie as the older girl made her way to her locker. Isabelle walked into the ballet studio to find it empty, except of course Miss Amber, who seemed to be preparing for class. Not wanting to bother Miss Amber, Isabelle went quietly to the side and started stretching, working her legs out before class. Isabelle started by working her upper body and arms briefly, before going to the ground and promptly doing ground work, stretching her calves, her ankles, her upper legs, and her feet. Just as she was wrapping up, and before any other student came into class, Miss Amber came over to Isabelle, and sat down next to her. "Hi Isabelle! I'm looking forward to another GREAT class today with you! Aren't you just so excited for dance?!?" Isabelle nodded. She loved Miss Amber's energy. "Yah! Dancing is the best. I am super excited!" "Well, I am so glad to hear it! And you definitely belong in this class, you're practically at the top of the class!" Miss Amber said, beaming with a smile. It made Isabelle feel great. Miss Amber continued. "Listen, I was hoping you might be able to help me with something. Do you think you're up to it? But you need to keep it quiet!" Isabelle nodded vigorously. She would do anything to help Miss Amber. "Great," Miss Amber said. "So there are some kids in the class that are not quite as strong at dancing yet as you are. And I think they are a little bit embarrassed about asking for help when a second grader is in the class and hasn't needed help yet. Does that make sense? Isabelle thought about it for a moment, before answering. "Yes. I guess that does make sense. But I don't mind! Everyone should ask for help. We're all just trying to get better and learn!" Miss Amber smiled. She liked having students with great attitudes, and this girl certainly had one. But that would have to wait. "AMAZING. I am so happy you get it. And you're right. That's a VERY mature answer. But still, some of the other girls are still too shy to ask for help. That's where I need you." Isabelle's eyes grew wider. 'Miss Amber NEEDs me....wow.' Isabelle couldn't believe it. "What do you need me to do Miss Amber." Miss Amber smiled widely. She had the girl like puddy in her hand. "I am SO glad you asked. Here's what we are going to do. When I see another girl needs help, but I know they are too shy to ask, I am going to come by and put my hand on your shoulder. When I do that, make your way out of the studio for a minute or so....but we'll need a good excuse....can you think of any?" Isabelle couldn't imagine why she would leave the ballet studio during dance. It was the best part of her day. But then it hit her: "Ohhh Ohhhh Ohh Miss Amber. I have a good plan. Miss Jenny and I made a similar plan today - but its secret, you can't tell anyone." Isabelle said. She was thrilled with her plan - they would dupe the students so well, and Miss Amber would be able to help. "I'll just say I need to go the locker room to use the bathroom! No one will suspect anything!" 'Gotchya,' Miss Amber thought. "Oh my goodness! I can't believe I didn't think of that. But if this is going to work....well.....I think you should actually just go to the bathroom, in case another student comes in to check, and to make sure the timing is believable. Do you think you could do that?" 'Of course I can do that Miss Amber - she was being so silly.' Isabelle thought. "Yah! That's easy Miss Amber. I'll be the best assistant you could ask for!" Miss Amber smiled, and diverted her gaze to the other students starting to flow into the class. "Thanks Isabelle. I bet you will be," Miss Amber said, before winking and making her way to the front of the class. Ballet that afternoon focused on reinforcing the lessons they had worked on the day prior. Miss Amber again made the students go through a grueling warmup routine that exhausted Isabelle. By the end of it, Isabelle was ready to collapse to the floor, sweating from every pore in her body. But just as she did, she felt Amber's hand firmly on her shoulder. Isabelle looked up at Miss Amber, who was focused elsewhere with her gaze. 'Shoot. Need to be discrete,' Isabelle thought, before leaving quickly and heading into the locker room. Consistent wit their plan, Isabelle went into a stall. Isabelle didn't much feel like getting out of her leotard and tights, and, her plan had originally been to simply sit on the seat in her clothes. But as she closed the door to the bathroom stall, it occurred to her she really did need to pee, and so she went about the laborious task of pulling her leotard off, and lowering her tights to pee. Isabelle returned to the ballet class just as Miss Amber was making her first cycle through the students center work. Isabelle took a position on the end of the second row, and quickly caught on to the sequence they were working on. It was a variation of the work the day prior, so it wasn't much of an adjustment, and Isabelle quickly found herself flowing through the steps easily and smoothly. "Very good Isabelle. Class - look at how Isabelle is engaging her upper core when she does this -" Miss Amber paused, pressing her hand against Isabelle's mid section to show the class when in the sequence the engagement became essential. 'This is what were looking for. Let's see it now." Isabelle smiled and continued to work hard. Cassie, who was dancing next to her, smiled and offered her a positive encouragement. "You're doing so great!," Cassie said, before showing Isabelle, "You're advice yesterday really helped - watch me!" Isabelle did, and watched as Cassie flourished. "Awesome Cassie!" Isabelle said, before thinking to herself 'maybe Cassie was the one Miss Amber was talking about needing help...if so, I'm glad I was able to do my part. Cassie is doing awesome!' Isabelle was proud of herself for helping out her classmates so much that day. Isabelle continued to flourish in class as Miss Amber moved the students to a floor routine, and to work on transitions from the air to the floor. Miss Amber's class was having a ton of fun as the students leapt and fell, over and over again, smiling, giggling, and generally enjoying their afternoon. Isabelle had just wrapped up a transition from air to floor to feet, when she again felt Miss Amber's hand against her shoulder, and made her way into the bathroom again. This time Isabelle recognized immediately that she needed to pee, and made her way as quickly as could before she had an accident. Isabelle was grateful to see, as she pulled down her tights, that not even a drop fell into her panties. **** Isabelle finished showering, returning to her locker to change. She had to wait for the first round of showers to end before she could go herself, so it was nearly time for her mom to pick her up by the time she was drying off and getting dressed. Isabelle pulled on her special undies, it being unnecessary to change into her extra pair, before pulling on her purple leggings and t-shirt. Isabelle considered putting her sneakers on, but opted instead to pull a thin pair of extra sockettes out of her bag, and to wear her ballet slippers out instead. 'These are more comfy anyway!' Isabelle thought, as her feet returned to their happy place, and she made her way out of the school. Isabelle found her mom at the front of the school, speaking with Miss Amber to check her out. Isabelle approached her mom with her bags, catching the tail end of the conversation her mom was having with her dance instructor. "........okay. I am really grateful for your help. It has just been an ongoing problem we are doing are best to address. Please thank Miss Jenny for me as well," Jane said, as she wrapped her arm around her daughter. "We, however, need to get going. We are going out for an early dinner with a friend!" Jane announced, before releasing Isabelle and walking out of the school, hand in hand. Jane walked Isabelle toward their car, asking all about her day. "So, anything to report today?" Jane asked Isabelle, hoping for a more complete answer this time. "I had a pretty good day. We did math with Miss Jenny today, and it was fun. I also got to help her with something extra secret, which was a fun game. And then dance was fun. We did more work off of the barre, and then floor work too. I had a lot of fun!" Isabelle finished, as Jane helped her daughter in the car, taking her bags. On her way to the trunk, jane peered into Isabelle's ballet bag, seeing the extra pair of undies was still there. 'That's promising at least.' "Anything else to report, Jane asked as she entered the driver's seat of the car, turning her body back to her daughter, who was seated back, her legs splayed apart. 'She has this one chance,' Jane thought. 'It's not like I didn't warn her.' Isabelle looked at her mom, and tried to fight off a yawn, failing. Between her restless night and the ballet class, Isabelle was beat. In that moment, she really wasn't sure what her mom was asking, but came up with an answer anyway. "Oh yah! Umm.....' Isabelle started, unsure at first where to go with her answer. "Charlotte wasn't in school today. So it was a little lonely at lunch." Maybe that's what her mom wanted to know? Jane sighed. 'I do feel bad the one girl she seemingly is friends with wasn't in school, but that was not what I was looking for.' Jane had no other choice - she leaned over to the backseat, and reaching with her right arm, pressed her hand against her daughter's crotch. "Sweetie, I've now given you two chances to tell me if you had any accidents. I told you mommy would just check if you can't be responsible and remember," Jane announced, as she shifted her hand a few times to check a few different places. 'If she doesn't like it, all the better. Maybe she will remember next time.' Her strategy appeared to work. As Jane pressed her hand against Isabelle's undies, her daughter recoiled, and tried to pull away, before realizing that she was stuck in her seatbelt. As Jane shifted her hand the first time further underneath Isabelle's butt, Isabelle modified her strategy to try and push Jane's arm away. The issue was that Isabelle wasn't strong enough, as Jane shifted her hand one last time to check one more spot. At that point, Isabelle deviated, opting for an oral objection. "Mommy! Stop. I was going to tell you. I...." Isabelle realized she had forgotten. "....I was just yawning. STOP IT!" Isabelle whined. "Sweetie, I gave you more than enough chances to tell me. Next time you'll tell me right away, and mommy won't need to check herself." Jane said, as she watched Isabelle cross her arms and pout. 'She's probably just tired,' Jane concluded. "Well, it seems that you stayed dry all day sweetie! That's a great job," Jane said, sitting back down and pulling her arm back. "Now let's go out for a really fun dinner, how does that sound?" Jane said, as she pulled out of her spot. Isabelle didn't respond, but Jane could see in her rearview mirror that her daughter was smiling. ***** Isabelle walked into the restaurant holding her mom's hand. They were at a diner that Isabelle was familiar with, though it had been some time since they had gone together. Isabelle loved the diner because they always got ice cream when after dinner when they went. But dinner out was usually reserved for special occasions only; today was just a Tuesday, and Isabelle was pretty sure it wasn't anyone's birthday. "Oh look," Jane said, "Sam is already here." Jane took Isabelle's hand and led her toward a booth where her friend Sam was already seated. Jane had reminded Isabelle on her way to the diner that they were meeting one of her mom's friends. Isabelle was glad for the reminder, as she had forgotten completely. Her mind was fixated on one thing; ice cream. 'There are, of course, priorities in life,' Isabelle thought. It was rare that Isabelle got to meet many of her mom's friends, so Isabelle was both excited and nervous. Her mom had explained that Sam was a really good friend, and that Jane was super excited that Isabelle was going to meet him. As soon as they rounded a corner, a man - presumably Sam, stood up from a booth to greet her mom, hugging her and smiling the whole time. Isabelle looked up at the man - and look up she needed to, as he was very tall - and felt he was very familiar. But as she worked to figure out why he felt that way, a warmth spread from her feet and through her body, making its way to her mind before - poof - the thought was gone. Isabelle felt shy at first, recoiling and hiding behind her mom as Jane greeted Sam. The man was really big, and though familiar, he was a complete stranger. Isabelle figured Sam would likely be a girl, rather than a boy. Her mom had used the word "he" in the car, but Isabelle didn't really pick up on it. So she was surprised when Sam was a boy - 'not that that is a big deal,' Isabelle thought. But seeing Sam caused her an initial shock. Isabelle looked him up and down, trying to work out how she should feel. The man standing before her looked wonderfully friendly with his smile. He carried himself with an air of confidence, yet gentle demeanor that instantly puts Isabelle at ease. His lustrous black hair, with just a hint of greying, was styled with a casual yet sophisticated charm. Isabelle's eyes traced their way across the man's face, which was framed with a chiseled jawline that perfectly complemented his features. The man sported a well-groomed beard that mirrored his head, perhaps with a little more white in it and accentuating his strong facial structure. Isabelle couldn't help but feel at ease as she man smiled at her, bending down and reaching his hand out to shake hers. He radiated a friendly and welcoming aura. Now eye to eye, Isabelle noticed the man's sharp green and brown eyes, that were almost swirling and changing colors as she looked back at him. Isabelle saw so much more than his eyes though; she saw a blend of intelligence, kindness, and a hint of playfulness. The man had done well to take care of his skin, it seeming soft and wrinkle free. Yet, he sported the face of a man who seemed to hold a wealth of stories and experiences, and Isabelle wanted to know them all. His complexion was fair, even lighter than her own, or her mom's. The man clearly worked indoors, if at all, looking relaxed and stress free. The man's physique was also nothing short of impressive. His height, combined with a lean and athletic build, commanded the attention of the room. He nearly bumped into the table behind him when he stood, and the patrons at the table hadn't diverted their gaze from him yet. The man was by no means frightening. Rather, he offered a sense of security. Isabelle reached out and shook the man's hand, feeling a firm, yet gentle and soft hand shake hers back. Isabelle couldn't help but smile back at the man. He was dressed in smart yet casual attire, the clothes falling against his body perfectly. It almost seemed as though the clothes were tailored for him. As Isabelle felt the man lift her hand up and down, she inhaled a breath of cologne, which was neither overpowering nor too subtle. 'The man smells nice,' Isabelle thought. The smell was...fresh. It smelled of citrus and aromatic herbs, with undertones of jasmine and warm woody notes. It was a wonderful scent. 'I like this friend.' "It's so nice to meet you Isabelle. I'm Sam," the man said, introducing himself, and sharing his warm, gentle voice for Isabelle to hear for the first time. "I am so excited to get to know you! Why don't we slide into the booth and you can tell me all about your amazing day at school!" If Isabelle had been shocked, or shy, at first, she had no memory of it after examining the man, and hearing him speak. He put her completely at ease, Isabelle emerging from behind her mother's legs to shake the man's hand back. Isabelle couldn't put her finger on it, but she trusted this Sam. Moreover, he wanted to know about Isabelle's day. 'Most of the time grownup talk is SO boring,' Isabelle thought. 'But this guy wants to talk about fun stuff, like school.' Isabelle wasn't about to object; she had indeed had a pretty good day at school, and was excited that Sam wanted to hear about it. "Okay!" Isabelle squeaked, excited to tell Sam everything. Jane laughed as her daughter jumped into the booth, sliding in after her. Isabelle saw her mom mouth something to Sam, but wasn't sure what. 'It's not important anyway - Sam is asking about MY day, not moms!" Isabelle slid into the booth comfortably, before telling Sam all about her day. "Well, first I had class with Miss Jenny. Miss Jenny is my teacher Sam. Miss Jenny did the best class. But wait. First I need to tell you about Miss Jenny's class yesterday. We planted seeds, and learned all about growing plants. And I brought them home, and we need to water them. Mom - did you water the seeds like you were supposed to? Anyway, Miss Jenny is the best. And so today, we did math. And we got to play with all these cubes and triangles Sam. They were all sorts of different colors. And we needed to use them to answer questions you see? And I almost got all the questions right. ALL of them. Well, almost all." Isabelle rattled off. Isabelle continued to rattled off a similar story about her afternoon class with Miss Amber. Jane interrupted Isabelle for a moment, to ask if she needed to go to the bathroom. Isabelle thought about it for a second, but decided she didn't need to. Isabelle was happy, and having too much fun. Sam seemed to be paying attention the entire time. What Isabelle didn't notice, however, was that her mom and Sam were secretly holding hands under the table, listening as Isabelle shared about her day. As Isabelle finished up, Jane cut her off before she continued. "Well Sam, you certainly got a LOT more detail than I got. Why didn't I get all that detail sweetie?!" Jane asked her daughter playfully. Isabelle simply shrugged, taking her water and drinking it down. Sam and Jane ordered not long after, Jane ordering a kid's cheeseburger meal for Isabelle per her request. As they waited for the food to come, Sam continued to engage Isabelle on all sorts of topics, asking her about her favorite animals "Personally, I like monkeys," same shared - colors "Hmmm, pink and purple are both great colors - I could see what you would like them both", and what her favorite part of ballet was "Oh! I think that was my daughter's favorite part at your age too. You know she's a dancer just like you!" Isabelle loved all the attention she was getting, so much so that she basically ignored her food as it was placed in front of her. "Sweetie - eat your food before it gets cold. You can keep talking to Sam when you're done." Jane said, pushing Isabelle's good closer to her. Isabelle didn't want to stop talking to Sam, but she wasn't about to disobey her mom. So Isabelle went about eating her food, and drinking down another glass of whatever that magically kept finding itself refilled. Isabelle continued to eat as her mom and Sam continued to eat and talk about other things. Isabelle didn't mind - she was happy for the grownups to get the boring stuff out of the way while she ate. As she ate, Isabelle felt the need to pee grow stronger and stronger. The problem was, Isabelle was a little embarrassed and didn't want to say that she needed to go out loud.....'Not in front of Sam!' Isabelle decided she could wait; everyone was almost done eating. They would be going home soon. Isabelle finished the last bite of her cheeseburger, picking up her water once more to wash it down. Isabelle let a big sigh 'AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" go, much to the pleasure of her mom and Sam, who both started laughing. "Well," Sam said, "I don't know about you two, but I need some ice cream. How does that sound to you Isabelle?" Isabelle's eyes nearly exploded out of her head. "YES! Can I have chocolate?!?" Jane laughed. "Sure you can," Sam responded, ordering three chocolate ice creams, "one for everyone!" Sam told the waiter, who smiled in return and set off to get the ice cream. Isabelle was starting to get fidgety - she really was getting desperate to go to the bathroom. But Sam was still there. Isabelle hoped her mom would ask her if she needed to go soon. She knew she wouldn't last much longer. Isabelle did her best - she really did. The problem was that her ice cream arrived, and once it did, Isabelle forgot she had to pee. It was ice cream?! It wasn't her fault. So Isabelle put the thought away, and instead turned her attention to her ice cream, spooning it into her mouth, and well, to be honest, all over her face. As Isabelle continued scooping her ice cream, she felt a warmth grow around her feet, and spread through her body. As it did, Isabelle felt another warmth, this one emanating around her crotch, likewise spreading out, all across her undies. Isabelle didn't mind, the warmth was comforting. In fact, she didn't even notice at first that it was her pee. Instead, all she realized was that she was feeling better, and scooped the last bite of ice cream onto her face. Isabelle felt as the warmth in her pants subsided, being absorbed by her undies. Her undies did a pretty good job absorbing all the pee. Unfortunately, there was a lot of it, and some spread out underneath her, Isabelle feeling that her leggings had gotten wet. 'Uh-oh......' Isabelle thought, realizing what happened. turning to her mom and looking sad. "Everything okay sweetie?" Jane asked, looking at her daughter, before realizing what it might be. "Oh...Sweetie....did you....?" Jane asked, without asking, not wanting to embarrass her daughter publicly. Isabelle simply nodded, and then looked down at her feet. Jane, wanting to confirm what it was, reached under the table and pressed her hand against her daughter's pants, immediately feeling the swollen underwear. Jane looked at her daughter, and simply smiled, whispering an "its okay sweetie." What else could she do? Her daughter needed her. And as much as Jane couldn't believe that Isabelle had peed in her pants sitting at the table, without asking to go, she knew she would be there for her. 'But should I be surprised? It isn't the first time....' Jane knew it was time to go. "Sam. Thank you so much for meeting us for dinner. I know Isabelle had the best time," Jane said, as Isabelle shrunk in her seat and leaned against her mom. "But Isabelle is getting pretty tired. I think I need to take her home. Is it okay if we get going?" Sam smiled, feeling there was more to the story than Jane was letting on. "Sure - let me go the front and pay, and you two can head out! My treat!" I'll meet you outside." Sam stood up, intending to make his way to the front counter. "Thank you Sam, that's very kind of you. What do you say Isabelle?" Isabelle wasn't in the mood to talk, feeling pretty embarrassed. But she wasn't going to be rude - this Sam was really fun, and Isabelle hoped to see him again. "Thank you Sam," Isabelle answered, doing her best not to sound upset. "My pleasure girls!" Sam, responded, before leaving. As soon as he did. Isabelle collapsed into Jane and started gently crying. jane simply held Isabelle, rubbing her side. "Let's get up sweetie. I can see your leggings are a little wet. I just need to let the waitress know, and we can get going. It's okay." Isabelle didn't feel like it was okay. She felt silly. And wet. And she just wanted to go home. The result? Isabelle started crying harder, holding on to her mom for dear life.

I am really thankful for all the writing tips the more experienced writers include here. I check routinely, and though commit plenty of faults in my own story, do my very best to keep these in mind while writing to improve my own narrative. Thank you all very much.

That's really sweet of you. No need for a book though - its here for everyone for free! No. I have made references to it always having just been the two of them. I didn't think it important to develop why there was no father, but its safe to assume Jane got pregnant very young, and decided to raise Isabelle on her own. I'll add a little more in later chapters. I know right? I don't know why everyone thinks she's just going to keep dropping? She has this situation TOTALLY under control, can't you tell? Forget Kindergarten, she's on her way back to the 12th grade!

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 34 Isabelle prepared to exit her ship once more, pulling the hatch to her left to open the ship's haul.. She went through her pre-exploration check once more, insuring she had all of her supplies. She confirmed she had her investigative journal, secured her spacesuit, confirmed she still had half of a Rupperware of spaghetti, and this time, newly outfitted deep diving modifications to her suit. First officer Rabbity had done well in developing modifications to revisit Aquaria. "First officer Rabbity - the ship is your once again," Isabelle called through her intercom, as she stepped down the ramp toward the planet's service. "We have returned to the planet known as 'Aquaria.'" Isabelle announced, as her journal recorded her every word. "We departed home base early this morning. Thank goodness for all my advance space-investigator training - it prepared me for the long journey." Isabelle was proud of having graduated first in her class in investigator-astronaut school. It was a competitive degree, and Isabelle had worked hard. "The entire planet remains completely covered in water," Isabelle noted for her journal. "Last visit, a breach in the suit led to flooding, forcing me to abandon my investigation. Officer Rabbity assures me that the modifications made to my suit will not only prevent further breaches, but will allow me to dive into deeper waters, and explore for additional clues. I remain confident in Rabbity's skills." Isabelle was confident this time she would be able to identify the clues she was after, whatever they were. Isabelle waded into the inches of water, which unlike last time, quickly dropped off into waist deep water. Isabelle could feel the warm water surround her, but was pleased that there were no breaches in the suit. "Rabbity has done well. Deep water is not an impediment this time. Moving forward to chest deep water. Engaging diving systems in T-minus ten." Isabelle was not sure who "T" was, but they only had ten, or whatever that was supposed to mean, to activate her deep water diving modifications. Isabelle moved forward, reminded of the breathtaking beauty of Aquaria. Isabelle was once again confronted with the sounds of native whale creatures calling to her, welcoming her in the distance. Isabelle called back, using her language-animal modificator to tell the whales she came in peace. The whales were of course, quite pleased to hear that. Isabelle continued forward, the water levels beginning to rise, above her chest, and then to her neck. "Engaging deep water diving. Rabbity - don't let me down." Isabelle pushed a button on her wrist module, and her suit immediately modified. Her helmet sealed, and two moving lights appeared at the top, to guide her way in the dark, deep water. The back of her suit expanded, air tanks emerging in order to allow her to breath. New tubed emerged from the back of her helmet to connect the oxygen. Isabelle felt as increased padding generated around her waist and crotch, pushing her legs apart. Her boots were modified to provide air bursts, to move her swiftly under the water. Finally, Isabelle felt jets emerge from her gloves as well, allowing her to direct herself and turn under water. "Transition complete. Heading down." Isabelle dove into the water, using the jets in her arms and legs to propel herself forward. Isabelle's view was illuminated by the lights emerging from her helmet. Schools of colorful fish like creatures darted between the coral reefs, their scales glistening like precious gemstones. Towering kelp forests swayed gracefully in the currents, creating a mystical underwater jungle. Isabelle began inspecting the kelp forests, seeking the secrets they hid. Pushing through the water became more challenging, so much so that Isabelle needed to activate the water-pressure resistance bubble makers on her boots, allowing her to walk through the water with greater ease. "Thank goodness for Rabbity's boot enhancements. Planet is treacherous to cross. Future investigator astronauts be advised: level three swimming badge likely needed to visit." As Isabelle ventured deeper, she encountered friendly sea turtles. After speaking to them with her language modificator, the turtles decided to guide her through the vast ocean depths. Isabelle informed them she was looking for clues, and they responded that they knew what it was she was looking for. Isabelle eagerly followed. The turtles led Isabelle to an ancient sunken ship. It was the most remarkable structure Isabelle had ever seen - a cross between a space ship, a pirate ship, and a unicorn. Isabelle wondered what creatures created such a wonderous work of art, intent on meeting them, and congratulating them on such a remarkable achievement. The turtles, seeing Isabelle's amazement, were sadly left with the task of informing Isabelle that the civilization that created this ship was no more. They left the planets eons ago. Isabelle was deeply upset to hear the development, noting her discovery for her journal. But, the turtles, informed her, the civilization had not left without leaving a treasure behind. The turtles told Isabelle she could find the treasure in the bottom of the ship, but that the turtles could go now further. Isabelle thanked them for their guidance, and waved goodbye as they left to return to their turtle homes. Following the turtles' instructions, Isabelle swam forward into ship. The ship's timeworn frame welcomed her, and she swam through the ship's broken window on the port side, feeling like a mermaid exploring her castle. As Isabelle ventured further into the ship, her heart raced with anticipation. She was excited at the prospect of treasure, but terrified at what might be lurking behind any corner. Isabelle waded through narrow corridors, her eyes wide with wonder at the remnants of a forgotten past. Rusted advanced cannons designed to shoot out shed-unicorn horns stood on one level. Tattered sails made out of deserted turtle shells soared above her, whispering tales of daring adventures that the forgotten civilization once had upon the the high seas or nautical depths of Aquaria. It was as Isabelle pushed aside a funny looking bookcase that she found it; a hidden chamber, Isabelle made her way in, finding a secret treasure map that she collected. Isabelle continued forward, following the secret pathway, the walls covered with cryptic symbols. Left, right, right, down, up, every direction; Isabelle made her way through the ship's secret labyrinthine corridors until she arrived at her destination: a dusty, cobweb-covered room. With a flicker of excitement, Isabelle pushed aside a fallen crate, revealing a chest hidden beneath the debris. The chest was adorned with intricate carvings, its golden lock gleaming in the faint light. With trembling hands, Isabelle made her way to the chest, grasping at it to open. But alas! It would not. Isabelle realized she could not open the lock! "Note to journal. The local turtles directed me to a sunken unicorn space pirate ship. Inside, I found a secret corridor concealing a treasure, Unfortunately, the chest is locked, preventing me from accessing the clues hidden inside." Isabelle paused as her wrist console beeped at her. "Rabbity's modifications inform me I have....." Isabelle paused, as she felt the inside of the suit warm up again, before cooling. "....I have limited air. Need to return to base, evaluate next decision." Isabelle didn't remember making her way back to the ship. All she remembered was walking up, ready to start her day. **** Isabelle starred out the window as her mom drove her to school. She had woken up with a start that morning, full of excitement after returning to her dream in planet Aquaria. But she had also woken up to another surprise: her sweetnight had overflowed just a little bit, resulting in her pajama pants getting wet. Her sheets remained pretty clean - only one spot - and there was no need to strip the whole bed - something Jane was especially thankful for on a Monday morning. Isabelle was still sleeping so much better, so didn't mind that her sweetnight had leaked. Isabelle found her mom getting dressed in her mom's bedroom, and told her about the accident. Her mom had been really sweet about it - after all, like Jane said, "It isn't your fault sweetie." Her mom was right - 'it isn't my fault!' Breakfast went smoothly, before Isabelle returned to her room to get dressed for the day. Ever since she unpacked her new underwear with her mom, she had been excited about wearing them the next day. As she slipped one a white pair with red strawberries, Isabelle noted the differences for herself. The underwear were not as thick as her sweetnights, not even the ones without the booster. But the new underwear were obviously thicker than her underwear, with an almost cup-like area in the front designed to capture any pee that might make its way in. Still, Isabelle thought they were super cute, and by the time she pulled her pleated, high waisted plaid skirt on, she had forgotten entirely about them "See sweetie? Just like your regular undies!" Isabelle's mom had, of course, been right, Isabelle thought as they pulled into the school. "Now, sweetie. I know you're going to make it to the bathroom each time, but in case you don't, I need you to promise you'll tell mommy when I pick you up, okay?" Isabelle nodded, "I promise." Isabelle answered. 'That wouldn't be an issue anyway, because it wasn't going to happen.' Jane had to once again remind Isabelle to use the bathroom before they left. Isabelle went upstairs to pee and poop. Jane, waiting downstairs, was anxious about what would happen this week at school with Isabelle in her new underwear. 'She just seems so oblivious sometimes...when did this happen?' Jane hoped that a regular return Isabelle's dance routine would improve the situation. Isabelle jumped out of the car and waved goodbye to her mom, as she ran into school. "Don't wanna be late to Ms. Jenny's class today!" Isabelle thought, navigating the corridors to her classroom. Isabelle reflected on the classes she had the week prior as she ran; if it wasn't for the fact that it was so awful being alone, Isabelle actually loved school here. 'Much better than middle school classes,' Isabelle thought to herself, 'those were no fun at all.' Isabelle entered Miss Jenny's class with renewed vigor. Isabelle hoped she would get a chance to write another story, and knew exactly what she would write about. Isabelle made her way to her desk, and sat down, just as Charlotte approached her. "Hi Isabelle," Charlotte started, with a kind smile. "I just wanted to thank you again for lending me your book. I was going to go to the library today to start it, if you want to join me?" Isabelle smiled back. It was the best offer she could ever have received. "I would love that. Let's get our lunches quickly and then go!" Isabelle was happy - it really felt like she was making a friend. Charlotte went back to her seat just as Miss Jenny started class. Miss Jenny started off the morning teaching life sciences. Isabelle, who normally didn't care for life sciences very much, found herself to be intimately interested in the lesson plan that morning. Miss Jenny began the lesson with a warm smile, greeting all of her students after their weekend before starting the class. Miss Jenny then reached behind her, and pulled something out. She held up a picture of a tiny seed and asked her students, "Do you know what this is?" The students all excitedly raised their hands, their voices eager to share their knowledge. 'It was such an easy questions,' Isabelle thought, shooting her own hand up as well. Miss Jenny took stock of the class, tapping her finger to her lips before selecting Isabelle to answer. "It's a seed! It's what plants grow from!" Isabelle called out. She was very confident in her answer. Miss Jenny nodded with delight, appreciating their enthusiasm. "That's right! A seed is a tiny, magical package that holds the potential for life. It contains everything a plant needs to grow." Isabelle liked the sound of that. 'See? There is such thing as magic! Even Miss Jenny said so!' With that, Miss Jenny turned back to the board and began drawing plants. Miss Jenny first introduced the concept of germination, explaining how a seed sprouts and develops into a plant. She showed them real seeds, walking around the class to show everyone the tiny magical beans in her hand. Isabelle couldn't see from her seated position, so had to stand up to see what Miss Jenny was carrying when she walked around. Miss Jenny made sure each student could observe the shapes, sizes, and colors of all the different seeds. The students were in awe - Isabelle included - realizing that these tiny objects held the secrets to the beauty of nature. Miss Jenny then had another surprise for the students. Returning to her desk, Miss Jenny pulled out a box, filled to the brim. Isabelle couldn't see exactly what was in it, but there seemed to be some cups and stuff. 'Maybe were having a plant party?' Isabelle wondered. Miss Jenny revealed the surprise to them, explaining that she would be guiding her students in a hands-on experiment. "Everyone is going to plant their own seeds and take them home, and every week you can bring pictures to share how much your plant has grown!" Miss Jenny walked up and down the rows of desks in the class, and provided each student with cups, soil, and a variety of seeds—flower, vegetable, and fruit seeds. Isabelle waited eagerly as Miss Jenny put materials down in front of her, taking stock of everything she had. Isabelle wasn't sure what magic the seeds held, but she couldn't wait to find out! Once Miss Jenny had given materials out to each student, she walked them through what they should do. For her part, Isabelle made a little bit of a mess, spilling soil on her desk by accident. Isabelle repeated the process, this time sweeping the soil into the cup, and planting her seeds. Isabelle covered the seeds with more soil, and then gently watered it just like Miss Jenny showed them. "Okay. I am going to come around and collect your plants. Make sure to put your name on your cup, and you can collect them here after your arts classes," Miss Jenny explained, before walking around the class and retrieving the cups. Isabelle had just finished watering her seeds when Miss Jenny approached. The sound of the water pouring from the cup and hitting her seeds reminded Isabelle that she needed to pee, so she asked Miss Jenny for permission when Miss Jenny collected her cup. Isabelle ran to the bathroom, not wanting to miss a minute of class. Isabelle sat on the toilet, peeing as quickly as she could, before half-heartedly wiping and jumping off the toilet again. Isabelle made her way back to class as quickly as she left, eager to return to Miss. Jenny's lessons. Unfortunately, the rest of class was not as interactive, and Isabelle found the material a little more dull. Miss Jenny proceeded to expand the lesson by explaining to the students the concept of life cycles. Using colorful posters and diagrams, she explained how plants and animals go through different stages of growth, from birth to maturity, and eventually, to death. The last part made Isabelle a little sad. Miss Jenny also emphasized the importance of taking care of living things. The students learned about the needs of plants and animals—water, sunlight, food, and shelter. They discussed how humans, as inhabitants of the Earth, had a responsibility to protect and preserve the environment for all living beings. That meant not squishing bugs, or plucking leaves off of trees, and why it was so important to recycle. Just as Miss Jenny was wrapping up her lesson, the bell rang to inform the students it was time for lunch. "Okay everyone. Leave your bags here. For those of you in dance, leave your dance bags here. For those of you in any of the visual arts like painting or drawing, please take your things to the art classroom next to the library before you head to lunch. If anyone doesn't know where to go on their first day, please stay here and I will help you." Isabelle quickly found Charlotte after class. "I have to go drop my paints and stuff off at the art room. My mom sent me with lunch though. Why don't you meet me in the library after you get something? I'll get us a good table in the library." Isabelle nodded, forgetting that Charlotte was in the visual arts. Isabelle returned to her desk to get her space book, which she planned to read in the library, before making her way quickly to the cafeteria. Instead of going into line for the warm lunch, Isabelle instead took a cold tuna sandwich and water bottle from the fridge, hurrying back toward the library. Isabelle entered the library. She saw that Mister Sir - a.k.a. Eugene was pre-occupied with another student, so simply waved as she made her way further in to locate Charlotte. After a minute or so, Isabelle spotted Charlotte at a group table in the corner, eating food out of a fancy container. Isabelle made her way to the table and sat down. Isabelle was glad to have what felt like a friend. But the truth was, it wasn't the same as her other friends. Charlotte was nice, but quiet. As the two sat their together eating, they didn't engage in any conversation. Isabelle wanted to blame it on the library, but the truth was that it was just because Isabelle didn't know what to say. Isabelle felt very awkward, and continued to miss her friends deeply - 'I haven't seen or heard from Dani or Lola in like a week....' Fortunately, Charlotte did know what to say, or at least how to carry a conversation. "Are you excited about dance?" "What are you reading?" "Space? Cool?" "What do you think will grow from your seeds?" Question after question, Charlotte kept the conversation going. Isabelle thought the girl was so smart and cool, and didn't know why she couldn't carry on the same lines of questioning. "Okay! I am going to start now. I am SO excited," Charlotte said, picking up the Emerald Chronicle book. Isabelle smiled in return. She was happy for the girl. Isabelle decided to pull out her space book and investigative journal, turning to the most recent page. More than ever, Isabelle knew the importance of having a well drawn map, especially after locating one last night in Aquaria. So Isabelle went about drawing her solar system with gel pens, exactly where she had planned to. Armed with her favorite set of gel pens and her journal, Isabelle set out to create her map. She started with a large circle in the center, carefully sketching the Sun, which Isabelle had learned was not a planet, but actually a star, that kept all the planets warm and toasty. Next, Isabelle moved outward, drawing smaller circles to represent the planets. She remembered their order from the Sun and their distinct characteristics, referencing her space book to confirm she was placing them in the correct spaces. Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, was a tiny gray ball, just like a miniature version of the Moon. Isabelle didn't spend too much time on Mercury, as it was not a place she planned to visit. Venus, known for its thick clouds, at least according to her book, shone brightly with a hint of sparkly yellow. Isabelle paid special attention to drawing Earth. Miss Jenny had said that, as a human, it was in part her job to take care of the life on earth. So Isabelle wanted to make sure that she was taking care of drawing Earth as well. Earth was her home; Isabelle made sure to use her greens and blues to draw land, and water, shading the planet perfectly before adorning it with fluffy white clouds. Mars, with its reddish hue, stood out vividly against the white pages of her investigative journal. Jupiter, the giant gas planet, featured bold bands of orange and white. Saturn, known for its magnificent rings, gleamed with shades of gold and beige. Uranus and Neptune, the outermost planets, were portrayed with serene shades of blue and green, capturing their icy and mysterious nature. Isabelle couldn't forget about Pluto, even though it was now considered a dwarf planet. She drew a small, distant dot at the edge of the paper, honoring its place in her heart. Isabelle paused before wrapping up her drawing. Deciding to add one more planet, Isabelle sketched out where she thought Aquaria would be located, using variations of her blue gels pens to do justice to the water planet. Finally, Isabelle scattered tiny stars, sprinkling them throughout the expanse surrounding the planets. When Isabelle finally put her gel pens down, she stepped back and admired her creation. Isabelle was confronted with another realization, however, and that was that she needed to pee rather badly. "I'll be right back," Isabelle whispered, setting her journal down and making her way as fast as possible to the bathroom. Isabelle had to wait for another student to finish, before she made her way into the single stall bathroom. Isabelle fiddled with her skirt, trying to reach her underwear to pull down. Just as she grasped them, Isabelle was surprised by a knock on the door, which immediately caused her to jump, shocking her and making her heart beat rapidly. Unfortunately, the fright had another impact; it also caused her to release a little bit of pee into her underwear. Isabelle froze, terrified that her pee would leak onto her skirt. But it never did. Her new underwear simply soaked up the burst of pee. 'Now is no time to admire my super cool underwear,' Isabelle reminded herself, as she pulled them down, hiked up her skirt and sat down on the toilet, peeing like a big girl. As she did, Isabelle starred down into her new underwear, noticing a hint of yellow in the front and feeling embarrassed. But the underwear had done their job. After she finished wiping, Isabelle pulled her undies back up, feeling a bit of new swelling in the front. Isabelle made her way out to the desk, where she saw Charlotte closing up the book. The school bell had apparently rang, and Charlotte was getting ready to head to art class. "This book was amazing so far! Thanks again Isabelle. I'll see you tomorrow?" "Of course!" Isabelle said, retrieving her own books." "By the way, that was a pretty cool drawing of the solar system," Charlotte added. Isabelle was happy her friend appreciated her artwork. 'But what else had Charlotte seen?' **** Isabelle followed Miss Amber into the locker rooms with the other girls in her dance program. "This is where you can change and get ready for class. In the future, bring your bags here in the morning. Each of you has an assigned locker in here with your name on it, and you can leave your things in there." Miss Amber was walking through the 20 or so girls in the ballet program through the locker rooms, and explaining what was needed. "You will need to show up with a neat ballet bun, tights, ballet slippers, and a leotard to every dance class unless told otherwise. If you do not have your equipment, then you will not be considered ready to dance, and you will have to watch from the side." Miss Amber continued to explain the rules. "Normally, I will be waiting in the classroom for you. You are expected to be in here changing at first bell after lunch, and in class before second bell rings. Does everyone understand?" Isabelle responded loudly with the rest of her class, informing Miss Amber that they did understand. "Very good. Now, I will wait outside. You girls get changed fast, so we can start actually dancing instead of going over silly rules!" Isabelle moved through the locker room in an effort to find her locker. Row after row Isabelle passed by names of other girls, until she found hers - it was the first locker in the first row by the door. The locker room was laid out in a similar fashion to the one in the high school, albeit without the same amenities. When you entered, the lockers were in the first area, running up and down so there were enough for everyone. After that, there was a room with sinks and showers, mirrors and areas to sit. Finally, in the back, there were toilets for the girls to use if they needed them. Isabelle sat down at the bench in front of her locker. There was an advantage to the first row - there were no lockers behind her, just a wall. So it offered some privacy. But there was also a disadvantage - they were furthest from the toilets. Isabelle had always taken lockers in the high school and middle school that were closest to the bathrooms. It felt weird walking by everyone to use the toilet - 'they all know where I am going,' Isabelle would think every time she walked by. Thankfully, Isabelle had just used the toilet, so set off on getting dressed. As she did, a fifth grade girl walked by and smiled, putting her stuff in the locker next to Isabelle's. Isabelle peeked at her locker and saw her name was Cassandra. "Hi Cassandra!" Isabelle offered, greeting her new locker mate. "Hi....Isabelle. And Cassie is fine! I am excited to start dancing! You must be really good to be in the advanced class!" Cassie added, as she started removing her clothes and putting her ballet equipment on. "Oh...I'm just doing my best to learn....and you can call me Izzy. Or Belly. Or whatever you want really!" Isabelle responded, not wanting to seem boastful. Isabelle was a little concerned that, if she undressed, someone might know what her special underwear were. 'Mom said loads of other girls wear them though.....and they don't really look different.' Isabelle's mind was made for her though, when Miss Amber stuck her head back in and shouted, "Let's get going girls." Isabelle quickly took her shirt off, setting it inside her locker. Isabelle then undid the buttons on her skirt, before shimmying it off. Though the swelling in her undies was only minimal, Isabelle felt, in that moment, standing in nothing else but them, as if she was wearing a sodden sweetnight. So Isabelle very quickly pulled out her blush tights, and pulled them up her legs, before stepping into her leotard and pulling it over her shoulders. Isabelle glanced around to see if anyone was starring at her, finding that no one was. Isabelle sat down on the bench to finish getting ready. She quickly tied her hair into a semi-neat ballet bun, before reaching into her bag once more, pulling out her ballet slippers. As soon as she touched them, Isabelle felt their immediate warmth, their power, their energy. Isabelle felt something she had been lacking - the confidence they offered. Isabelle felt the energy from them radiate from her hands, up her arms and through her spine. The energy extended into her heart, which pumped it out to every corner of her body. Isabelle felt the energy reach the edges of her toes, as she slipped the first slipper on to her left foot, the next on to her right. Isabelle felt, as she stood up, the energy explode out from her feet, sending shockwaves through the ground. Isabelle felt right again. 'Boy...I missed these.' *** The first day of ballet class was exhausting. Isabelle had forgotten how much work, in the very short time she hadn't been dancing, ballet was. Miss Amber started the class with a rather intense workout. By the time it was over, Isabelle was sweating out of every gland in her body. Isabelle was sure that class was over at that point, but it had only just started. "Okay everyone! Today, my dear dancers, we will explore the magic of center work. This is an important moment in your ballet training, where you will learn to dance without the support of the barre. Are you ready? Please line up in the center of class. Chop chop. Let's go. No laying about." The students nodded eagerly, their eyes sparkling with anticipation. Isabelle herself was excited to get started, albeit already exhausted from her warmup. Once they were assembled in two rows. Miss Amber started by leading them through a gentle walk through of their center work, ensuring each of the dancers were prepared for the challenge ahead, and had their balance and form set properly. One by one, the students worked at the center work, doing their best to engage their cores and stabilize themselves. Some of the students were very confident, their movements flowing with ease and grace, and clearly had practiced without barres before. Other students were a little hesitant, their tiny feet carefully finding their balance, but often toppling over as they worked through the exercises. Miss Amber watched each student attentively, offering gentle guidance and encouragement. She celebrated their efforts, reminding them that mistakes were part of the learning process and that every step forward was a triumph. For her part, Isabelle executed the techniques with precision and ease. She cycled though the movements one by one: "port de bras, grand bettement, reverence, and repeat. Port de bras, grand bettement. reverence, and repeat. Isabelle cycled through her movements with the grace and delicateness of a professional, catching the attention of more than a few older students as she did. Isabelle felt her ballet slippers move her through each movement, almost doing the work for her, and shining in the process. That feeling of rightness had returned, and Isabelle was enjoying every second of it. She was completely focused on her dancing, unaware of anything else in the worlds. 'Isabelle," Miss Amber said, as she came by, "excellent work. Your clearly have some experience with center work, keep it up." Isabelle's heart fluttered at the compliment, and felt a warmth and relief emanate out of her. At one point, the girl Cassie came by to ask for some advice while Miss Amber provided another student with help. "No problem. The really trick I find that works is engaging your muscles here," Isabelle said, as she pointed to her upper abdomens. "It really makes a world of difference." Cassie smile and thanked Isabelle, finding more success as she took the little girl's advice. As the music played, the room transformed into a ballet wonderland. Isabelle missed these moments of practice and discipline. She was also grateful that, at least this time, she had remained at the ballet studio at Higgins Elementary, and was not transported to some foreign country. The students twirled, leaped, and spun with joy between sets, as Miss Amber worked with each of them on hte center work. Isabelle and the other students' love for dance radiated through their movements. Isabelle felt at peace again, as she poured her hearts into each silly pirouette, tendu, and any other movement she did from center, embracing the freedom and expression that center work provided. "Okay class. That's all for today. Go ahead to the lockers. If you're showering, please don't make a mess. If you are heading out, please pack up ALL of your things. Mr. Clancy has already warned me that he is not keeping lost and found this year." Isabelle collapsed to her knees, exhausted from the class. Her entire body was sore - everything except for her feet of course. Isabelle worked to catch her breath slowly, taking in long, deep breaths, before picking herself up, and moving toward the locker room, following the other girls out. Isabelle pushed the door in the lockers, walking into a chaotic scene. A number of the girls were darting naked toward the showers in an effort to get one before they filled up. Isabelle had considered showering herself, but would wait for the others to be done. She was not in a rush, considering her mom was expecting her to go the library after anyway. So Isabelle made a quick turn to her right, and decided to sit down on the bench next to where Cassie was changing. As Isabelle sat down, however, something unexpected occurred to her. Something felt different, though at first it was not clear what. Something felt.....felt...... 'Shoot!' Once Isabelle recognized the feeling, there was no denying what it was. 'When.........when did I pee?' Isabelle asked herself. The squish underneath her couldn't have been anything else, and she knew it. Now, sitting, Isabelle could distinctly feel the increased swell against her crotch and even a little wet, warmer padding underneath her butt. It hadn't been a huge pee - 'thank god for that' - but at the very least, Isabelle concluded, it was a bit more than just a spurt. Isabelle grew extremely self-conscious as that moment, pressing her legs together as much as they would allow to conceal her recently wet strawberry panties underneath her. What concerned her most was not that someone might find out. No, in that moment, what concerned her most is that she had absolutely no recollection of having peed at all into her panties. "You were pretty great today," Cassie said. Isabelle barely heard her though, simply hearing noise coming from her right. Isabelle turned to stare at Cassie blankly, doing her best to control her emotions. "....Sor.....Sorry what?" Isabelle said. "I didn't hear you....I was lost in thought." Cassie smiled back. "It happens to all of us. I said you were great out there. Thank you for the help." Isabelle watched as the girl took off all her clothes to get ready to go to the showers. Isabelle took a moment to peer at her friends underwear, seeing that it was similar to her own, but still different. The cotton panties her neighbor was wearing bore no extra padding, and unlike Isabelle's were not wet. 'No, those are like my old panties,' Isbaelle thought, 'but its a comfort to know that they look close enough that no one would know.' Though in her own panties current state, Isabelle was not sure. Cassie finished getting undressed, waving to Isabelle and heading off to the showers. Isabelle abandoned any thought of showering. 'Showering means undressing. Undressing means removing my tights. Removing my tights means exposing my undies. Exposing my undies means.....bad news.' Isabelle was close to making up her mind, when she received some help. It was not clear from where, but all Isabelle knew was in that moment, and fleeting doubt she had was pushed away by a warm, powerful, and knowing sensation that radiated through her body. It was as if it was speaking to her, telling her what had happened was okay, and confirming that she was smart not to change. Rather than shower, or even change for that matter, Isabelle simply packed her bag and made her way to the library to wait for her mom. **** "....................And then Miss Amber came by mom, you see, and Miss Amber, you see, she told me that I was doing so good and, and, and, and then another girl, her name is Cassie, and her locker is next to mine, and she's in fifth grade I think, and anyway, and, and Cassie, you see, she came by to me, and, and she asked me, asked me..uhh..she asked me for help with doing the grand bettement you see, and so I helped her, and later, Cassie, she, she, she, she came up to me to say thank you, cause, cause I helped." Isabelle excitedly told her mom all about her day, as she clutched on to the cup with planted seeds in her sweaty little hands Jane was exhausted from just trying listening to Isabelle's story, as she made a left turn toward the road to their house. The prompt had been simple: "How was dance?" Jane could hardly keep track of the story Isabelle told her, but if nothing, it sounded like it went well. "I'm so glad sweetie." Jane was worried about how Isabelle's day would go, starting two new things; dance, and her new training pants. But it sounded pretty good overall. Jane had decided that she was going to trust her daughter after the conversation they had that morning. So when Jane picked Isabelle up, Jane didn't ask about the state of her daughter's undies - she waited for Isabelle to share. Having not said anything, Jane assumed everything went fine, and decided to leave it at that. Though, it did bring Jane comfort when she peeked into Isabelle's ballet bag and saw the spare undies in there, unused. Jane and Isabelle climbed the stairs to the house, Jane telling Isabelle "straight into the shower with you. And then come down for dinner. You STINK!" she said playfully, but her daughter really was gross. Isabelle laughed, handed her mom her cup of seeds, and dropping her school bag in front of the door before running up to her room. Isabelle took her ballet shoes off, delicately placing them in her closet, before removing all of her clothes and dropping them on the floor. Isabelle then made her way into the bathroom to shower. Isabelle took the time to let her sore muscles relax under the warmth of the hot water. She was in no rush to get out, and was content to rest as the water cascaded down on to her. Isabelle reached for her bottle of shampoo, on the side, and began washing her hair. As she did so, Isabelle instinctively released her bladder as soon as she felt the need to go, peeing continuously as she washed her hair. Isabelle let the shampoo soak, and continued her process, grabbing her body wash and scrubbing her aching body, before rinsing off. Isabelle emerged from the steamy shower not long after, opening the door to her bedroom as she continued to dry herself off. Isabelle noticed that her laundry basket was missing - 'perhaps mom came in to get my things when I was in the shower' - and so hung her towel up against her bed. Isabelle wasn't quite ready to get into her pajamas, instead reaching into her drawer for another pair of her new, special, super cool underwear, and throwing a pair of sweatpants on top, before taking a t-shirt out of her drawer. Isabelle then made her way down to the kitchen in accordance with her mother's instructions. Isabelle made her way into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen counter, finding it empty. Isabelle then heard her mom emerge from the basement, and make her way into the kitchen as well. Her mom looked a little upset, though Isabelle was not sure why, as she put a plate of chicken tenders and fries down for Isabelle, sitting to eat herself as well. "Baby, we need to talk about something," Jane started, as she watched Isabelle pick up her first chicken tender and start to gulp it down. "You made mommy a promise this morning. Did you forget to tell me something?" Isabelle looked up at her mom while she chewed her chicken tender. For the life of her, she couldn't think of whatever it was that her mom was talking about. So Isabelle shook her head no, though she knew that was not the right answer. 'Well sweetie. I went into your bedroom to collect your dirty ballet clothes, and found a pretty wet pair of panties. Do you want to tell me what happened? And why you didn't tell mommy like you promised you would?" Isabelle ducked her head. She had forgotten about that conversation earlier that morning. She had just been so excited to tell her mom about dance, that it completely slipped her mind. "Sorry mommy. I was just really excited after dance, I forgot to tell you." It was an odd feeling for Isabelle, to confess the truth. Isabelle was in fact sorry she had forgotten, but that was all she was sorry for in that moment. It escaped her that possibly, just possibly, she should have been sorry for having an accident in the first place. Jane sighed. It had been a busy day. "That's okay sweetheart. But I need you to tell mommy when you wet them. Or else I am just going to have to check myself - I don't mind if that's what you want. But how is it they got so wet in the first place sweetie?" Jane wondered, as she watched Isabelle continue to eat away at her dinner. Isabelle looked at her mom puzzled. She wasn't exactly sure what her mom was looking for, but she knew her response wasn't it. "I...I....wet them?" Isabelle asked. 'Of course that was how they got wet!' But Isabelle knew her mom was looking for more. 'I just dribbled a bit when I was running back to class because I didn't want to miss anything." Isabelle knew that was the truth. "That's okay sweetie. But there is much more than just a little dribble in there. Do you remember if something else happened?" Jane asked. "Well...I was waiting in line for the bathroom in the library, and a little pee escaped when I was getting on the toilet because someone knocked and scared me." Isabelle explained. "Okay sweetie," Jane said understandingly, though disappointed a little knock had that impact. "But still, that doesn't explain it baby. Your undies were pretty much at capacity. Do you know what else it might have been? Do you remember having a little accident maybe?" The problem was, Isabelle didn't. She had no recollection of what had occurred. She just knew that when she had sat down in the locker room after dance, her undies felt substantially wetter. So she answered honestly. "Nope," Isabelle responded casually. "I only noticed after dance, when I sat down in the locker room," Isabelle finished, before chomping at another chicken tender. Jane sighed once more, but presented a smile to her daughter. "Thank you for telling me. I want you to REALLY try harder tomorrow to make it on time, okay sweetie?" Jane asked. Isabelle nodded. She was intent on trying harder for her mom....in fact she had tried really hard that day too! "Tomorrow night we're going to be doing something special too, doesn't that sound fun! We're going to go out with one of mommy's friends, and maybe get a special treat. How does that sound?" 'It sounds awesome,' Isabelle thought to herself, as she finished eating the last of her tenders. "Sounds fun mom! Can I be excused? I want to go upstairs and play." Jane nodded, and started eating her own meal. She was happy Isabelle was looking forward to tomorrow night. It meant a lot to Jane. She just hoped that Isabelle would respond well. Jane was worried that the solution she and Jess had come up with was only a half measure. 'First she wet her PJs last night, soaking through her sweetnights. And now, she's wetting her training underwear without even noticing...' Jane was hopeful Isabelle would grow out of this soon. **** After Jane finished dinner, and cleaned up a bit, she went up to Isabelle's room, finding her playing with her dollhouse. Jane interrupted, informing Isabelle it was bedtime, and watched as her daughter pulled on her padded sweetnight and pajamas, and got into bed. Jane took a moment to watch as Isabelle fell asleep peacefully, watching the little girl's chest puff in and out, as she drifted off to sleep. Jane went over to kiss her daughter's forehead, before turning off her bedroom light. Little did Jane know that before she had even left the room, her sweet little girl was already emptying her bladder into her sweetnight.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 33 Jane took Isabelle's hand as they left the theater together, and made their way to the car. Isabelle was still bouncing from excitement, singing the songs from the movie, carrying a big smile on her face. Jane allowed her daughter to bask in he joy and fun of the evening, but had her mind was elsewhere, in part. Isabelle had refused her offer to use the bathroom after the movie, turning a little red when Jane had offered. Jane hadn't wanted to press the issue, but she was fairly certain what had happened. So when Jane arrvied back at the house with her daughter, she decided to follow her up to her room to "help" her get ready for bed. Isabelle, for her part, had forgotten about her wet sweetnight. Sure, when her mom had proposed going to the bathroom, Isabelle's mind first considered if she had to, before recalling that she already had. The movie had been so enjoyable that Isabelle forgot she had peed altogether. Isabelle didn't even notice her wet sweetnight as she left the theater with her mom, shuffling with a wider stance. So Isabelle thought nothing of it when her mom came into her room with her to get ready for bed. "Come on sweetie, PJs. Let's go." Jane said, as she stood nearby as her daughter removed her socks, then her shirt, pulled down her skirt, and then, pulled down her leggings, revealing a droopy sweetnight. Jane's suspicions were confirmed, and she was glad that Isabelle had agreed to wear it in the first place. Isabelle was reaching for her PJ drawer when Jane interrupted her. "Sweetheart, you need a new sweetnight first. That one is too wet already!" Isabelle looked at her mom, hoping Jane wouldn't be disappointed. But all she saw from Jane was support, love, and a welcome smile. So Isabelle figured there was nothing to worry about, and smiled bag, lifting her arms and pulling open the drawer to her sweetnights. Isabelle took one out, followed by removing her wet one and replacing it with the new, dry sweetnight. Isabelle proceeded to grab a pair of matching pants and shirt from her PJ drawer. "Good girl," Jane said, as she bent over to pick up the sodden sweetnight. "Go brush you teeth and then into bed sweetie," Jane said, leaving the room to carry the sweetnight to the trash. Jane made her way downstairs, considering the events of the weekend. Among the topics discussed earlier in the day with Jess was the fact that Isabelle had wet her sweetnight, while fully awake, the night prior. Jess had shared her suspicions that Isabelle had actually wet it twice; once at the restaurant, and once at ice cream, or perhaps in the car. Now, Isabelle had seemingly either willingly, or more concerning, unknowingly, wet her sweetnight again while awake, during the movie. Jane opened the trash can in the kitchen, throwing the sweetnight in, and pulling the trash bag out to seal it. 'I'm just not sure what to do about this.....perhaps she is using them because she is wearing them. Is the mistake putting her in them during the day?' Jane began to consider that it could have been her fault, first telling Jess it was okay to put her in the sweetnight, and then doing the same herself. Jane carried the trash out to the bin that she had pulled to the curb earlier that day, depositing it in the very full garbage. 'Perhaps my decisions have played some role....but she's still peeing in them. That goodness that's all she's doing, at least.' Jane made her way back into the house, and headed up the stairs. Isabelle's bathroom door was open, and the light off, so Jane figured she must be in bed. 'I'm going to go back to her only wearing them to bed, and we'll see what happens.' Jane made her way to Isabelle's room, gently opening the door. 'Sweetie. Are you in bed?' Only Isabelle wasn't. She was frantically looking around the room for something. "Mom. Mom. Mom. Mommmy. Mommmmy. I can't find Rabbity. I can't find Rabbbbbbittttyy!!' Isabelle was in a panic. Where was her Rabbity. How was she to sleep without Rabbity. 'What kind of cruel joke have the gods played on me! Was it the squirrel?!! Did a squirrel actually get in here?!' Isabelle wondered. Jane remained calm. "Sweetie, I am pretty sure I saw you take Rabbity to the basement. Have you checked there?' Her mom was right, of course, Isabelle realized. She had taken Rabbity downstairs to watch TV with her earlier that afternoon. "You're right mom. I'll be right back." Isabelle had been on the verge of tears - 'thank goodness for mom,' Isabelle thought, as she darted out of her room and down the stairs to the basement. Jane waited in Isabelle's room, deciding to tuck in her daughter. As she waited, Jane made her way to Isabelle's desk chair, sitting down and scanning the desk. Jane saw that Isabelle had a journal she had titled an "Investigative Journal." Electing to see what her daughter had been up to, Jane flipped the journal open to the most recent page, and reading: Investigation continuing. Studying planets to identify potential new home bases to explore wormhole theory from. Leading contenders - Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Mars may have water, which I enjoy drinking. Perhaps Mars was once much like Aquaria - filled with water. I do miss my glow fish helpers as well. Possible return to Mars/Aquaria considered. "Such an imaginative girl," Jane said to herself, chuckling. She continued Saturn and Jupiter also possible. Further away, and will miss mommy. But, I do like pretty rings, so Saturn possible. And it would be fun to tell mommy about my adventures. Jupiter an option due to size - more likely to find wormhole? "Awww my baby! She doesn't want to go on her space trip without mommy. How sweet!" Have ruled out Venus - too hot AND too cold? No thank you. Gas giants, whatever those are, seem stinky. No thank you. Plus, rolling around on my side my result in getting sick. 'I guess she's learning a lot about planets. I need to thank Eugene for giving her this book, she's my little space bug now!' Astronaut training likely to start next week in order to prepare for travel. Still need to study wormholes further before travel, perhaps two more weeks until departure. Should inform mommy of travel plans soon. Draft map to follow with next entry. Jane shut the journal. She loved that Isabelle was learning and having fun journaling. "Such a sweet girl." Jane had some ideas to help Isabelle explore her newfound love of space. Isabelle had made her way up the room at that point, Rabbity in hand. Jane was relieved - she didn't want Isabelle to think Jane was spying on her.' "Let's get you into bed sweetheart," Jane said as she stood up off the chair and eased her daughter into her bed, pushing her up into it. Isabelle crawled under the covers, and Jane kissed her daughter goodnight, whispering to her that "I love you Belle." Jane turned Isabelle's bedside lamp off, before heading out and closing the door behind her. Jane took a big sigh, having realized when she helped Isabelle get into bed that her daughters' sweetnight was already damp. "'I'll figure it out tomorrow," Jane decided, making her way to her own bedroom. She was exhausted. ***** Isabelle woke up Sunday morning feeling good. As the morning light came through the window, Isabelle stretched her body out, spreading her arms and legs across the length of her bed. It was still early, and Isabelle saw no rush to go downstairs and eat yet. Instead, Isabelle rolled onto her side, and lifted herself out of her. Isabelle's thick, wet sweetnight forrcd her legs apart as she hung them over the side of the bed, before lifting herself to her feet. Isabelle took in her room as she rubbed her eyes still feeling sleepy. It was a quiet morning. 'Mom is not up yet,' Isabelle deduced, as only the earliest of the waking birds were beginning to chirp outside. Isabelle was feeling lonely that morning, as she glanced around her empty room. She couldn't explain it, but she felt sad to her core. Her stomach was churning, twisting, and sending feelings of gloom to every corner of her being. Isabelle hated the feeling, and no longer wanted to be alone. Isabelle stood up, with Rabbity in hand, and made her way out of her bedroom. Isabelle considered, for a moment, stopping at the bathroom to pee. But after considering her need for a moment, she decided she did not need to, and continued to shuffle her way toward her mom's bedroom. Isabelle opened the door to her mom's room, finding the same quiet emptiness that was in her own room present in there as well. But there was a difference - there, on the bed, with her blonde hair flowing down her face, her blue eyes and soft skin, was her mother, laying on her side peacefully. Isabelle took a minute to simply look at her mom. She looked almost as though she was smiling in her slumber, content with herself and everything around her. Isabelle watched as the sun's gentle morning rays peeked through her mom's ivory curtains, casting a warm glow upon Jane's peaceful face as she lay still, deep in slumber. Isabelle starred, jealous, wantingly, as she watched her mom sleep so peacefully. The room was filled with a serene stillness, broken only by the soft sound of her mom's gentle breathing. Isabelle had to reconsider her original thoughts. 'This room isn't filled with sadness - not like me. It's peaceful...beautiful.' Isabelle slowly approached her mom's bedside with gentle steps, her small feet barely making a sound as they pattered along the dark, hardwood floor and onto the rug expanding out from under her mom's bed. Isabelle heard the floor creak just as she made the transition from floor to bed, freezing immediately. 'I don't want to wake mom up.' Isabelle stood frozen for a minute, but nothing occurred. Her mom's breathing the only sound in the room, her smile providing more warmth and light than the sun itself. Isabelle eased her way close to the bed, daring to reach out, but confident only to touch the comforter with the very tips of her fingers, feeling with soft coolness of her mom's white comforter against her skin. Isabelle could no longer contain herself. With less delicateness, Isabelle climbed up on the bed, tugging at the top of the comforter to free it, and slide underneath. Isabelle watched as Jane stirred slightly, sensing her daughter's presence. A faint smile danced across Jane's mouth, even in her slumber, knowing that it was her daughter climbing into bed with her. Isabelle didn't stop. She was unconcerned if she was disturbing her mom anymore. She just wanted to be closer to Jane. Isabelle took her mom's smile as an endorsement, and slid her small body underneath the covers. Isabelle turned her face toward the door, backing her body up into her mom's, doing her best to mirror the shape. Isabelle felt her butt come into contact with her mom's stomach, and settled her back against her mom's chest, laying her head in the crook of Jane's neck, and closing her eyes. For her part, Jane had felt as Isabelle climbed into her bed. It had been a few years since Isabelle was regularly climbing into bed with her. Jane knew that her daughter had outgrown the habit - 'all kids do. It's important that they sleep in their own bed,' - but it didn't mean she didn't miss it. So when Isabelle slid under the covers, and wet, padded bum up against Jane, it brought a smile to Jane's face one more, and she wrapped her daughter up in her arms. 'Never know how many more mornings you get like this.' Isabelle felt as her mom's arm reached over her, pulling her in tighter against her mom, allowing Isabelle to nestle her body even tighter against her mom. Just before she drifted off once more, she heard her mother whisper, very quietly, into her ear, "I love you Belly," before gently kissing the top of her head. *** Isabelle woke up once more, this time to her mother kissing her on the cheek. "Wakey wakey sweetie. Let's get you up. Its already so late! Next time maybe we need to go to an earlier movie." Isabelle heard parts of what her mom was saying, but she found that she was feeling rather tired. "ohhhhkkay mommmmy," Isabelle slurred out through a yawn. Jane laughed, seeing that her daughter had been drooling in her bed, and reached over with her arm to wipe her daughter's mouth. "Okay sleepyhead, let's go downstairs." Jane could see her daughter was still sleepy, and decided to help her out, picking her up, and hiking Isabelle onto her hip. Isabelle's head naturally fell on Jane's shoulder, her eyes opening wider. "Let's get you some breakfast." Jane carried Isabelle out of her room, and toward the stairs. With Isabelle positioned on her hip, Jane could feel how full Isabelle's sweetnight was, and boy was it full. In fact, if Jane wasn't mistaken, it felt a little fuller than it had when her daughter climbed into bed with her that morning, bringing Jane's mind back to her thoughts from the night prior. 'What should I do?' Jane wondered, as she rounded the first floor into the kitchen, setting Isabelle down on her feet. "Go sit down baby." Isabelle complied, making her way up onto the kitchen stool, and feeling the squish underneath her as she sat down on her sodden sweetnight, waiting for her breakfast. Isabelle was content to sit quietly, propping her head up on her hand as her elbow rested on the kitchen counter. Jane went through the process of making Isabelle's breakfast, and brewing her own coffee, all while working through her mind as to what she should do about Isabelle's bedwetting, which seemingly was creeping up into waking hours. 'It's possible she is using the sweetnights because she is wearing them.....but its also just as likely that she is using them, and thank goodness she IS wearing them.' Jane continued to contemplate what her next steps should be as she set Isabelle's breakfast down in front of Isabelle, returning to the brewed coffee to pour herself a mug. Jane put whatever milk was left after pouring Isabelle's cereal and glass of milk into her coffee, before sipping it, leaning against the sink. 'She's too old to be wearing pullups or anything like that.' Jane knew pullups most certainly were not an option. The poor girl would be in shambles. Not to mention how it would impact her at school. 'She's already struggling with friends....imagine if she was caught in pullups...' Even more horrible, Jane considered, might be having a very public accident though. 'Kids can be so mean about things like that.' Jane shuddered to think her poor daughter going through such an awful experience. Jane took a moment to watch Isabelle. Her daughter was so peaceful, sitting at the counter, eating her breakfast. She was such a good, well behaved girl, if not a little immature. She was a fine student in school, but such an amazing dancer. Jane knew Higgins elementary was the right place for Isabelle, even if it meant sacrificing everything just to pay off the tuition. 'Thank god they made an exception for me and let me do a payment plan.' Jane knew the school was beyond their means. 'But anything for Isabelle.' Jane was lost. She was unsure of what to do. It was always tough, being a single mom. Jane had managed it fine for all of Isabelle's life. But there were moments like this that she wished she had a partner to go through these challenges with. Someone to bounce ideas off of. 'Thank god for Jess and John.' The next door couple had become staples in her life. Jane picked up the phone, taking her coffee into the other room, and dialing Jess's number like second nature. "Stay here and finish your breakfast sweetie. Mommy is going to the living room to make a phone call." Jane watched Isabelle nod as she scooped some cereal into her mouth, listening to the phone ring, before she heard a voice on the other end. "Morning Jane. How are you?" Jane smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. "Good Jess. Hope everyone there is okay." Jane paused for second, before continuing. "I have something I need to work through with you. I need some help. Do you have a minute?" **** Isabelle was in her room when she heard a knock at the door. After her breakfast, her mom had suggested she go upstairs and shower before getting dressed. Isabelle was happy to, and waddled her way up the stairs and into the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes and jumping directly into the shower. The warm water continued to wake her body up on the lazy Sunday morning. After her shower, Isabelle had returned to her room, dropping her towel on the floor in front of her dresser and pulling out a fresh pair of panties for the day. Isabelle then traversed the pink carpet, making her way over to her closet, and picked out a cute ruffle sleeved, tiered blue and white dress. Isabelle pulled it over her head, before sitting down on her polka dotted chair, and brushed her hair out. Once she was done, she put a cream-colored headband on, with a decorative bow on top. Isabelle had just found a pair of knot sandles with ankle straps, and was pulling them on to her feet, when her mom came into the room. "Hi Sweetie," Jane said, as she made her way across the room to the far side of the bed, sitting at the bottom of it so as to be as close to Isabelle as possible. Jane reached out and spun her daughter's chair so she was facing Jane, and pulled the chair on its wheels so it slid closer to her. "Ready for the day sweetie? You're going to come with me on some errands, okay?" Isabelle didn't exactly have a plan for the day, but she didn't want to go out. "Can't I just stay home mom?" Jane gave her daughter a questioning look. "Alone? Of course not Isabelle. You are coming with me. I spoke to Jess this morning and they can't watch you, and there is no one else around. We're going to have fun! Don't worry." Isabelle contemplated the proposal, and shrugged. She could definitely stay home by herself - her mom was being absurd. 'I suppose this is just mom's way of saying she WANTS to spend the day with me.' It was not worth the fight, Isabelle thought. "Okay mom. Where are we going?" Jane smiled. "Oh well good! We are going to go to the store first. Mom needs to pick up some new things. And then we're going to go grocery shopping. And you can even help me scan the items and pick things off of the shelves. And then we need to pick up a present. How does that sounds?" It didn't sound bad at all, if Isabelle was going to be honest. "Okay mom! That's fun. Who are we getting a present for?" Isabelle was hopeful it was for her, though she doubted it. Jane started to go a little red at the question, but deflected well enough. "Oh just a friend of mommy's. Its their birthday this week!" Jane said, emphasizing the birthday news. But Jane needed to talk to Isabelle about something more serious, and so she changed the conversation. "Sweetie. Before we go out, there is something I want to talk to you about." Isabelle was worried. Her mom was using her serious voice, and Isabelle was concerned about what this could be about. The problem was Isabelle had no idea. 'Did Jess tell mom that I stayed up past my bedtime?' It was a possibility. Her own mother, after all, had gotten in trouble for the exact same conduct. 'Maybe Jess told mom that she didn't think the Emerald Chronicles were appropriate. That would be a disaster.' Isabelle's mind was racing. Jane could see that her daughter was trying to work out what it was, and saw the concern grow on her face. "It's not a big deal sweetie. I just want to ask you a couple of questions." Isabelle seemed to ease a little at her mom's promise, but still had no idea what this could be about. "I want to ask you about your sweetnights. Would that be okay?" Isabelle froze for a moment.. ...before relaxing completely. 'Oh. That's all?' Isabelle wondered, completely unconcerned about the topic. "Sure mom. What about them?" Jane saw her daughter relax, which was comforting for some reasons, but concerning for others. Jane's mind was veering toward one of the two options she had discussed with Jess earlier, but she wanted more information first. "Thanks sweetie. Now I need you to be honest with me okay? When you were with Jess at your sleepover on Friday, did you have an accident at dinner? And maybe another later?" Isabelle nodded, starting to feel a little embarrassed that her mom knew. "Yes mom....my" Isabelle was starting to feel a little vulnerable. "That's okay sweetie. I just want to know, when you had your accidents, did you know you had to go? Or did it happen without you realizing?" Isabelle was not sure what the right answer to the question was. The truth was, each time was different. The first time she did know she needed to go. But the second time, in the car, she simply woke up and was peeing. Isabelle contemplated which answer was better, before responding to her mom. "Welll....uhhh......the first time I kinda thought I had to go, but then.." Isabelle needed a valid reason for peeing herself at the dinner table - she knew it. "I uhh...I was trying to ask to go but some friends of Jess's came up and I couldn't get to the bathroom in time." It was the honest answer. "And then the second time...I didn't realize I had to go." It wasn't exactly the full story. Isabelle probably should have shared that she had fallen asleep in the car, but it didn't seem like an important fact. Jess nodded, confirming where her decision was heading. "And how about last night in the movie sweetie. Did you realize you were peeing? I asked you if you wanted to go and you said no baby. What happened?" Isabelle paid special attention to her mom's words when she asked her those series of questions, before answering. "I didn't realize I was peeing when I was.....And I know you asked, but I didn't wanna when you asked. I got distracted by the movie." Isabelle was not trying to be evasive. In fact, Isabelle was trying to answer the exact question her mom had posed. Had Jane asked her 'Did you know you needed to pee?" rather than use the verb 'want,' Isabelle would have answered yes. And if Jane had asked her if she had decided to pee in her sweetnight instead, Isabelle would have said yes. But Jane didn't and once Isabelle had started peeing, she didn't much realize it was going on. So Isabelle did her best to answer her mom's questions as they were asked. Unfortunately, neither Isabelle nor Jane could appreciate the consequences of the questions phrasing, or the answers, on the reality of the situation. Jane had asked Isabelle certain questions which may have been imprecise, or misunderstood by the sweet girl. And Isabelle had offered answers that told some of the truth, but not all of it. In life, sometimes funny things happen when people aren't careful with their words. And that's what happened with Isabelle and Jane. That's what led to Jane's ultimate decision. "Thank you sweetie. I know it can be very hard to talk about. But I am proud of you," Jane said, seeing Isabelle smile. "I want you to try your hardest today to really think about when you need to go to the toilet. I think maybe when we are out, we're going to pick up some more sweetnights for nighttime only, and maybe some super cool special big kid underwear for during the day? Doesn't that sound pretty cool?" Isabelle wasn't exactly sure what made her panties not special, but she didn't hate the idea of getting new "super cool special" underwear. It sounded kind of awesome, in fact. Isabelle was unaware of the implications, but was about to find out. "That sounds okay. What makes them so cool?" Jane didn't want to lie to her daughter. She wanted Isabelle to be mature about the situation. "Well, first of all, were going to find ones with the best designs on them. That's cool! And they are basically the exact same as the underwear you have now baby. These ones are just a little itsy bit thicker than your panties now. Just in case you have a little accident during the day, these will do a better job soaking it up. But, they're the same as what you are wearing now. No difference at all basically." Isabelle listened as her mom delivered the news with a smile. On the one hand, her mom was explaining that they were the same, which was great: Isabelle loved her underwear. These ones just happened to have cooler designs, it sounded like, which Isabelle wasn't about to object to. On the other hand, these "underwear" were starting to sound really familiar. Like something else.....'like something Becky wear.......IS MOM TRYING TO GET ME TO WEAR PULLUPS?!?!?!" Isabelle's face soured at the thought. 'She can't be...impossible.' Isabelle wasn't sure what she had done wrong, and started to cry in front of her mom. 'Was I being bad? Did I do something wrong? I only had a few accidents. And they were in my sweetnights. Mommy said it wasn't a problem!' "Mommmmmmy," Isabelle wailed between her tears, as she was coming to terms with her mom's proposal. Jane pulled her daughter on to her lap, hugging her tightly. Isabelle continued to talk through her tears "I don't wanna wear them. I don't want to wear pullups. I am not a baby!!" Jane rubbed her daughter's back and continued to hold her. Jane felt awful, but what choice did she have? Isabelle had just told her that she was having trouble realizing when she had to pee. Jane didn't want to do this to her daughter, but she felt it was necessary. But Jane was prepared for this response, and had prepped her rebuttal with Jess earlier that mooring. "Oh Sweetie!" Jane said, pushing her daughter off of her shoulder so Jane could look at her. "Don't be silly! Of COURSE you aren't going to wear pullups! That's not what were going to go get! And of COURSE you aren't a baby. You're my big girl!" Jane said, again sporting a smile and responding in a manner that she was almost laughing off Isabelle's remarks. Isabelle was, in fact, shocked at her mom's response. 'What.....It sounded like mom is proposing pullups? Did I miss something? I must have...Mom is happy, and laughing. Pullups aren't funny.' Isabelle thought. "Wha....What.....What do you mean?" Isabelle asked, stopping her crying almost instantaneously. Jane recited her lines in her head once more before delivering them. "Pullups are for little kids Isabelle. Like Becky. You cant wear pullups. Because you are a big kid, right?" Isabelle nodded. Her mother's logic was, in fact, flawless. Jane continued "Pullups are for little kids that have BIG accidents. All we are getting are underwear for BIG kids who have little accidents sometimes. They aren't even like your sweetnights! They are exactly like underwear, you'll see, I promise." Isabelle sniffled the last of her cries away. Her mom was making her feel better with what she was saying. And it appeared to make sense. "But....but...how do they work then?" Jane knew she had won her daughter over. "It's very simple sweetie. These underwear just had a little bit of padding in them to catch any pee that might accidently slip out while you make your way to the bathroom. Its not for using. Its more like a shield, just to protect you. And I bet lots of other girls in your class wear them. People just don't talk about it, because they are the exact same as underwear. Do you and the other girls talk about what underwear you wear at school?" Isabelle shook her head no. 'Of course we don't. What an absurd topic of conversation that would be.' "See?" Jane continued, "So why would you, or any other girl, talk about these super awesome new underwear they were wearing? They wouldn't. But it doesn't mean lots of big kids aren't wearing them!" Her mom's logic clicked immediately. 'Mom is definitely right. This makes perfect sense. These are BIG kid underwear. Of course other big kids wear them. And it would be so weird if someone just started talking about their underwear. This isn't baby preschool,' Isabelle concluded. "Okay mom....that does make sense. I guess we can go get them. And you promise they'll have super cool designs?" Jane laughed. "Yes baby. They will. you cane even pick which ones you want yourself," Jane decided. She was proud Isabelle was handling the situation decently, and prouder yet of herself for delivering a masterclass performance "And listen. It doesn't mean you pee in them sweetie," Jane reminded Isabelle. "It's just there in case. You still need to pay extra careful attention to going to the bathroom, okay?" Isabelle nodded. Of course she was going to pay attention to going to the bathroom. But right now? Right now she had some super awesome cool underwear to go pick out! "Okay mom. I'm ready to go!" Jane smiled. "Why don't you go to the bathroom first, and I'll meet you downstairs?" 'It was a good idea,' Isabelle thought. She had been completely oblivious to the fact that she did need to go. ***** Isabelle had a wonderful afternoon shopping with her mom. Isabelle sat in the back of the car as her mom drove, playing all sorts of fun music. Isabelle laughed as her mom danced and sung along with the music. After four to five songs, Isabelle felt her mom pull into a parking spot at one of her favorite stores to go to: Parget, or as the pretentious liked to call it, "Pargée." Isabelle walked close by her mom as Jane picked items off of a few racks. Isabelle could tell that some of the clothes were for her, at one point, Jane asking Isabelle to try on a cute denim jacket for the upcoming fall weather. But Jane was also picking out some items for herself, Isabelle watching as her measured the things up against her own body, before throwing it into the cart. Isabelle watched as Jane navigated the aisles looking for something particular, until she stopped, having happened upon her prize - something called "FooFoo Underwear for Big Kids!" Jane hoped Isabelle wouldn't see the smaller print on the packaging which read "training underwear for boys and girls," or pay much attention to the fact that the images of the kids on the outside were a bit younger than Isabelle.. "Look sweetie - here they are. The special cool underwear! AND LOOK AT ALL THESE AMAZING DESIGN!! Pick whichever you want!" Her mom's enthusiasm was infectious, and Isabelle found herself "oooing" and "awwing" at all the options. Isabelle could barely decide which ones to pick, eventually taking two packages off of the shelves - one set that had underwear with designs including rainbows, unicorns, hearts, and flowers, and another set with options that included giraffes, music notes, some pink and blue kites, and strawberries Seeing her daughter's dilemma, and not wanting her to focus on them too intently, Jane simply proposed they get both. Jane took them, checking the sizes, and noticed that Isabelle had in fact picked sizes that were too large for her. Jane looked back on the rack, finding the correct sizes in the same design, and threw them into the cart, before heading to the checkout counter. Isabelle was amazed - she never got BOTH options. 'It must be a REALLY special day,' Isabelle decided. After they were done in Parget, Jane navigated to another store in the same strip mall complex. Isabelle thought the store looked a little odd - it had all sorts of mannequins in their underwear in the windows. Isabelle was grateful that her mom went right up to the register and picked up a pre-ordered bag; she felt a little awkward in the store. After that, Isabelle and Jane were back in the car and on their way to the grocery store. Once they were there Isabelle kept a hand on the grocery cart "at all times, sweetie," just as she was instructed to do. Isabelle let go a few times, with permission of course, to pick some things Jane identified on the shelves, and load them into the basket. As they finished down one of the aisles, Jane turned to Isabelle to ask "do you need to go to the bathroom sweetie?" Isabelle did in fact need to go, so nodded at her mom's question. Jane turned to a nearby employee stocking the shelves, "I'm just leaving this here while we go to the bathroom. Can you make sure no one takes it away?" The man nodded, and Jane took Isabelle's hand, leading her to the bathroom. There had a been a line when they arrived. In front of them, a lady with a stroller holding a toddler was waiting to go in. Jane greeted her as they approached, and took a place behind the mom and her daughter to wait for the bathroom to open. Unfortunately, the wait was talking a little longer than expected, and Isabelle was growing slightly more desperate, bouncing from foot to foot as they waited for the current occupant to leave. Isabelle looked at her mom, and waved her down to her level, wanting to whisper something in her ear. "I really have to go mom.....sorry...." Isabelle was pressing her legs together as the urge grew, Jane recognizing her desperation. "Excuse me," Jane said, catching the attention of the mother in front of her. "Do you mind if we jump you. Mine is doing a bit of a desperation dance? I'd really appreciate it!" The mom smiled in return, just as the door opened and a teenage girl stepped out. "No problem. Mine is going in for a change, so no rush. Good thing yours can make it in time!" Isabelle didn't need to be told twice, overlooking the fact that she had just been compared to the toddler in the stroller, and heading straight in to the bathroom. "Sometimes I'm not sure she can," Jane replied, out of earshot of her daughter, as she chatted away with the woman while Isabelle sat down to pee. Jane and Isabelle wrapped up their shopping by stopping at yet another store to pick up her mom's present. Isabelle was glad they weren't shopping for her - the store only had boy stuff, and none of it looked fun at all. After that, Jane drove Isabelle home, both exhausted from the long day. Dinner was quick that night - a simple meal of hamburgers that Jane had cooked in the pan. Jane again reminded Isabelle to go to the bathroom before dinner, and was disappointed that Isabelle had not been going without her reminders that day. 'I definitely made the right call, even if they are just a crutch until she gets back to normal.' After wrapping up dinner, Isabelle and Jane went up to her room together to unpack her new super cool underwear, and to get her ballet bag ready for the next day. "Sweetie," Jane said, as she took Isabelle's panties out of her drawer, replacing them with the new packaged ones that Isabelle had picked out. "I am really proud of you, being such a big girl and working through these accidents," Jane said. Isabelle felt proud that she had made her mom happy - it made her want to wear the underwear even more than she already did. "I'm going to pack an extra pair of your new undies into your ballet bag sweetie, just in case you feel like changing them. I also packed your favorite pink leotard, and blush tights, okay? And don't forget your new ballet slippers sweetie - why don't you go get them from your closet!" 'My ballet slippers!' It had been so long since Isabelle had danced that she had almost forgotten about them. She did miss them dearly, and practically ran to her closet to fetch them. The idea of putting them back on, of that sense of belonging, of joy, oy perfection retruning...it was too much. Isabelle couldn't wait to put them on. Isabelle located the slippers within seconds, the special feeling the emanated returning the instant she touched them. The slippers looked brand new - almost as if hadn't been dancing in them for weeks. They were perfect. It took everything in her power to let them go when she returned to her ballet bag, not wanting to be apart from them for even a second. 'Not much longer,' Isabelle reminded herself, as she zipped up her bag and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth before bed. 'Not much longer indeed.'

Not at all! I appreciate it. I am going to revisit the language this morning. I suppose I must be this ABDL thingy you describe to have used such a term! 🙃 Thank you for the advice!

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 32 Isabelle stirred, looking for Rabbity with her arms. Rabbity had apparently escaped her clutches that night, and Isabelle felt the need for her bunny. As she reached her arm out, she felt someone's footsteps land near her head, navigating around her body, over here, and onto the floor next to her. 'Whass.....Whassat...' Isabelle wondered. She didn't focus too much on the pitter patter of feet leaving her bed, and floating away. Instead, she found her prize; Rabbity, pulled it in, and took a deep breath. Isabelle felt herself drift off the sleep, as another warm stream of relief spread around her. Isabelle was back asleep, soaking her sweetnight. *** Isabelle woke to the sound of the door opening. "Isabelle sweetie...time to get up. I told you that you stayed up too late." Jess whispered soothingly into the room. Isabelle picked her head up with a smile, waving a good morning to Jess. "You were out so heavily last night, I wasn't even sure I was going to be able to get you up here sweetie! Come straight down, I made pancakes for you!" Isabelle was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Pancakes! Yay!" Isabelle exclaimed, dropping Rabbity in her bed and climbing from her knees to her feet. Isabelle was not phased by the very fully sweetnight underneath her gown, and simply made her way after Jess, down the stairs, and toward the kitchen. As Isabelle passed by the living room, she could hear Eric playing in his bouncer, and Becky on the couch watching TV. Isabelle was too tired to focus on what was on, but did call out to her friend "Good morning Becky!" Becky popped up from the couch, and looked back at Isabelle, waving vigorously. "Good morning Isabelle!" She called back. "Come play!" Isabelle stopped for a moment to consider the offer, but was cut off by Jess. "Isabelle needs to eat breakfast first sweetie," Jess said, as she passed by Isabelle, taking her hand along the way. She'll come play after." Becky shrugged and fell back down on the couch, content to resume watching her show. Jess led Isabelle into the kitchen, and to the kitchen table, where Isabelle let go of Jess's hand and sat down, feeling the wet squish of her sweetnight underneath her. Isabelle wasn't used to wearing the sweetnight at breakfast, and all of the sudden realized she hadn't taken it off. Feeling a little embarrassed, Isabelle tugged at the side of her nightgown, pulling it down so as to conceal her shame. Jess, watching Isabelle react to being in her sweetnight, smiled, as she piled a stack of warm, fluffy pancakes on a green plate, and placed it in front of Isabelle. Isabelle was so excited for her breakfast, she eagerly clapped her hands in excitement as Jess set them down. 'These aren't just pancakes - these are the motherload of pancakes,' Isabelle thought. The pancakes were adorned with a drizzle of maple syrup and a scattering of fresh berries. Jess set the bottle of syrup down in front of Isabelle, who proceeded to immediately pick it up and pour more out on her food. "Hey hey. Careful Isabelle. That's enough syrup!" Jess called back, as she returned to the kitchen counter to make her own plate of pancakes. Isabelle did as she was told, an set the bottle down. Isabelle looked back down at her pancakes, without any idea where to start. Jess had, kindly, cut the pancakes up into a grid for Isabelle already, making the job of conquering the fluffy delights far easier. Isabelle picked up the nearby fork, and stabbed the first grid in front of her, bringing it straight into her mouth. Isabelle's little eyes widened with delight as she took her first bite. The soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and the hint of sweetness danced on her taste buds. She giggled with joy, enjoying every scrumptious mouthful. "hmmmmmmmmmm Jess fees arg da best" Isabelle murmured through a mouth full of pancakes, before returning her fork in for a second bite. Bite after bite, Isabelle continued to devour her pancakes. Jess had joined her at the table with her own pancakes, and a mug of coffee, witching Isabelle eat. Isabelle continued to stuff herself, as Jess watched the girl playfully smear syrup across her mouth, cheeks, and even on her nose, making her Jess chuckle to herself. 'She's almost as bad as Becky,' Jess thought, watching Isabelle. 'At least she can feed herself though.' Isabelle's pancakes disappeared from her plate at a remarkable pace, and Jess watched with contentment as her visitor relished the morning feast. Just as Isabelle was finishing her pancakes up, cheeks having turned rosy with the warmth of satisfaction, Isabelle slid down in her chair, her belly happy with pancake batter. Isabelle's shifting in her seat unknowingly caused her gown to slide up, exposing her sweetnight to the world. But Isabelle was full of pancake - who cares about such silly things when one has been blessed with batter? With her tummy happily full, Isabelle sat to rest. "You need to finish all your milk too sweetie," Jess reminded her, as she went over to Isabelle with a wet washcloth, wiping the girl's face. Just as Jess was finishing up, however, the doorbell to the house rang. "Oh! I wonder who that could be?!?" Jess asked playfully. Jess checked her watch and saw it was already close to 10 AM. 'That would be Jane. I actually thought she would be here earlier.' Jess thought, though it was no issue having Isabelle over all morning. "Wait here and finish your milk," Jess instructed Isabelle, "I'll go see who it is." Isabelle nodded, and reached out for her glass of milk, bringing it to her lips as Jess left the room. What Isabelle heard next was not what she expected at all. She heard Jess open the door, and say something very strange. "Good morning..." something, or another, Jess had said in a sing-songy voice? Isabelle heard a second voice respond, one she knew she recognized. "....please Jess...don't...." Jess continued, revealing actual shock in her voice, but continued playfulness. "UH-OHHH. Look at what we have here," Jess said, loud enough now for Isabelle to hear very clearly. "Someone, it seems, has been a VERY. Naughty. Girl." Jess punctuated each of the last three words, before laughing loudly. Whoever the visitor was did sound like she was also laughing, Isabelle thought. "Isabelle! Come here!! Someone is here to see you!" Jess called for her. Isabelle finished her milk, and hopped off of her chair, her curiosity piqued. Isabelle made her way to the hall from the kitchen. When Isabelle turned toward the front door, Isabelle saw who the mystery guest was: its was her mom. Jane was standing at the door, wearing a long black dress. 'She looks a little messy,' Isabelle thought, her moms hair out of place, and her makeup looking a little off. But that was no matter. Ignoring her extremely full tummy, Isabelle ran toward her mom with a big smile, and fell into her open arms, giving Jane a big hug. "MOMMY!" Isabelle screamed! She had missed her mom the night prior, and feeling her moms arms rub her back felt wonderful. Jess apparently was not done, however. "Mommy, Isabelle, was a very bad girl last night it seems." Jess repeated, playfully with her voice. Isabelle was not sure if she'd ever seen her mom blush before, or if her mom could blush, but if Jane ever had, Jane's face right now looked like it may have been blushing. But Isabelle was confused. "How was mommy a bad girl?" Isabelle asked Jess. Isabelle was genuinely curious, though it seemed the question only embarrassed her mother further. Isabelle felt bad, and guilty, thought she wasn't sure why. Jess provided the answer, and it made everything make much more sense. Almost. "Please....Jess....come on" Jane responded, almost playfully as well. Jess would not, however, "come on." "How was mommy bad? Well, Mommy, it would seem," Jess answered, as she pulled Isabelle away from Jane and into her own arms, before slowly enunciated each syllable of her next sentence as she bent down to rest her head on Isabelle's starring directly at Jane, "stayed up wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy past her bedtime. I'd endeavor to say she stayed up alllll night actually" The grin on Jess's face grew wider. "That's very naughty behavior indeed, don't you think Isabelle?!" Isabelle did happen to agree, though she hadn't realized her mom had a bedtime. 'I mean, I get in trouble for staying up past my bedtime,' Isabelle thought. Jess continued. "Mommy is going to come in and have coffee now, and tell Auntie Jess allllll about what she was up so late doing - and doing again this morning, I would hope." Jess said ushering her less than enthused friend into the house, as Jess continued to tease, taunt, and laugh. "You go play with Becky sweetie. The grown ups need to talk," Jess said, sporting a huge grin on her face. For whatever reason, Isabelle watched as Jane came into the house. If her mom had wanted to defend herself, she hadn't. Rather, Jane had seemingly accepted Jess's determination that she had been bad, and naughty. 'I guess she's coming in to apologize?' Isabelle thought. Isabelle was reminded that she too had stayed up past her predetermined bed time the night prior. Not wanting to have to also apologize to Jess, Isabelle made her way to the couch with Becky, as Jane and Jess went into the kitchen giggling together. Isabelle didn't hear much of her mom's conversation with Jess, but her mom seemed happier as she finally came in. Isabelle did hear her mom tell Jess "you are so bad.." before Jess responded that her mom "was the bad one it seemed." But that was the last Isabelle heard of Jane's behavior's, though over the course of the next hour there were many shrieks, laughter, and cries coming from the kitchen. Whatever her mom had done, it seemed Jess had forgiven her. "Isabelle sweetie, go get changed. We're going to go home." Isabelle heard her mom call from the kitchen. "Okay mommy," Isabelle cried back, as she made her way off the couch and started up the stairs. "Just leave your sweetnights on the floor in Becky's room sweetie," Jess called, much to Isabelle embarrassment. But in truth, Isabelle wouldn't have been sure where to leave the sweetnight. Before she headed into Becky's bedroom, Isabelle made a pitstop in the bathroom, feeling the need to pee and poop. Isabelle pulled her sweetnight off, letting it fall with a thump to the ground, and maneuvered around the step stool to sit on the toilet. Isabelle took her time peeing and pooping, before wiping and flushing the toilet. After washing her hands, Isabelle headed out into Becky's room to get changed into the clothes her mom had packed her. Isabelle took her nightgown off, standing in Becky's room naked. She opened her bag that her mom had packed her, and reached in to get her clothes. Only, Isabelle didn't pick up the blue panties her mom had packed her. For some reason, she picked up one of her two remaining sweetnights, and folded it over in her hands, contemplating the night prior. 'It was just an accident........It was the shock of seeing Mel again......' Isabelle was feeling anxious that she had peed, fully awake, and sitting at the dinner table, straight into her sweetnight like a toddler. But Isabelle was feeling more sad than anxious, at having seen her friend last night and not being able to do anything about it, to spend time with her, to laugh with her. Isabelle wondered if Mel met up with Natalie and Ras after dinner, to watch the Emerald Chronicles together. That was all Isabelle wanted, standing in Becky's room. She wanted her life back. She wanted her friends back. No matter what that meant. Isabelle heard the door open behind her, and dropped the sweetnight. "Everything okay sweetie?" Jane asked, as she slipped her way into the room, closing the door behind her. "Did you have fun with Jess last night? She said you were on your best behavior! I'm very proud of you." Jane made her way over to Becky's bed in her dress, sitting down on the bed, and looking at her daughter, and then at the overnight bag. Jane could see that one of Isabelle's sweetnights had been pulled out, likely by Isabelle. Jane took a deep breath, and looked at her daughter with a smile. She would love Isabelle no matter what, and wanted the girl to be happy. Jane knew Isabelle was struggling with bedwetting, and supposed it made sense that she had trouble last night for the first time during the day. "Sweetie. Jess told me that you maybe had a little accident at dinner and ice cream last night? Do you wanna talk about it?" Jane offered, extending her arms to her daughter. Isabelle didn't in fact want to talk about it, but she did want a hug, and so allowed her mom to wrap her naked body up in her arms, the warmth of her mom an instant comfort. Jane could tell Isabelle wasn't ready to talk, but she needed a little more information. "Why don't you start by just telling me if you had an accident. How's that sound?" Jane offered. Isabelle felt it was a fair middle ground, burying her hear into her mom and simply nodding. "Yah?" Jane responded. "Maybe more than one? Jess said your sweetnight was very full.." Isabelle hesitated in response to that question, but eventually confirmed it as well, nodding again. 'Awww that's okay sweetie. It happens. Its not big deal," Jane responded, holding her daughter even tighter. "You know...if you want to wear your sweetnight during the day today, that's okay with me baby. There are no problems. I just want you to do whatever is most comfortable for you, okay baby? How does that sound? Does that sound fair?" Isabelle considered, for a moment, her mom's proposal. Isabelle was feeling extraordinarily vulnerable, sad, and exposed. It didn't help that she was currently naked. But her mom's offer was a fair one - she was leaving it up to Isabelle. So Isabelle responded again, this time audible. "Okay." "Okay sweetie. I'm going to go get your school things downstairs. You finish getting dressed - however you feel most comfortable - and then we'll go home together. Sound good?" "Sounds good mommy," Isabelle responded, and watched her mom stand up and leave the room. Isabelle returned her attention to her overnight bag, picking up her sweetnight with one hand, and bending down to pick her panties up with the other. She had a decision to make - she knew it. "Mom told me to do whatever is most comfortable,' Isabelle thought, reciting her mom's words in her head over and over. 'And that's what I am going to do.' Isabelle had made up her mind, and proceeded to get dressed for the day. **** Isabelle was happy to be at home with her mom, even if her mom had been in her bedroom for some time now. Isabelle and Jane left Jess's after saying goodbye. Isabelle saw that her mom's car was outside of Jess's house, rather than at home, which Isabelle thought was curious. So Isabelle and Jane got into the car for a short jaunt home, before heading in. Isabelle was proud of herself for deciding to wear her panties. After her mom had left Becky's room, Isabelle had thought long and hard about her choices. On the one hand, Isabelle was a big girl - and didn't need sweetnights. What happened last night had been a freak occurrence, brought on by her nerves, and sadness at seeing her friend. On the flip side, Isabelle had been uncomfortable the night prior in her sweetnights. Well, its not that the sweetnight was uncomfortable - in fact, the sweetnights were more comfortable than her panties. Instead, it was the perceived judgment. Isabelle was feeling like anyone and everyone could see her sweetnights. Isabelle didn't mind that her mom knew about them, or even Jess. Isabelle wasn't even so much bothered by the fact that Becky knew Isabelle had worn one. Isabelle knew that she only had worn it for Becky's sake to begin with. But Isabelle didn't love the idea that someone else might find out. Isabelle's concern about wearing the sweetnights, which, admittedly, was probably her preferred option based on comfort alone, was, in some way, inconsequential as she sat at home. 'Sure, its only me and mom here,' but still, that didn't mean she HAD to wear them at home. 'They're only for nighttime anyway,' Isabelle concluded, 'or for little kids like Becky.' Isabelle remained comfortable with her decision, as she slid her black and white stropped leggings on, followed by beige, yellow, and pink twill skirt, and red shirt. Once they were home, Jane had told Isabelle that Jane was needing a nap, and was going to rest in her room. Isabelle thought it was pretty silly. "Mom! Jess was right, you must have stayed up way past your bedtime!" Jane had a chuckle at Isabelle's remark. 'She's a real piece of work that Jess,' Jane thought to herself, as she eased her way up the stairs. "That's right sweetie. Mommy did stay out past her bedtime. Why don't you go to your room and do some drawing for me, or you can read, while I'm resting, okay? And then we'll do something fun together tonight!" "That sounds great mom!" Isabelle replied, as she made her way up to her room. Drawing did sound like fun, but Isabelle had other plans. Isabelle carried her school bag upstairs ahead of her mom, and went straight into her bedroom. Isabelle made her way over to her painted desk, and plopped her butt onto her pink and white polka-dot chair, setting her bag against one of the legs of the desk. Upon review, Isabelle saw that she had laid her bag against a sticker of Rover-Roo, and, not wanting to cover the pooch up, shifted her back off of the desk and on to the floor. As she shifted the bag, Isabelle opened it up and took out her space book as well as her investigative journal. 'It's time to get to work,' Isabelle thought, putting her metaphorical deerstalker hat, and opening her space book to chapter two: Planets! Planets! Everywhere!!. 'There is bound to be something in here about wormholes!' Isabelle thought, as she started reading: We start our journey here, in our own solar system! What a great place to start learning, since, this is where you are! How exciting is it to be part of something so amazing. Let's go on this journey together. It all starts with the most wonderful story! 'I do love stories,' Isabelle thought, as she was immediately ensnared into the book. Once upon a time, in a vast and mysterious place called space, there existed a fantastic collection of... Isabelle was trying to read the next word, but it was too hard. 'It doesn't make any sense anyway,' Isabelle thought, as she tried to sound out the letters "C-E-L-E-S-T-I-A-L," without success. 'I'll have to ask mommy later,' Isabelle decided, not wanting to bother her mom while she napped. 'Anyway, a collection of those thingies,' known as the solar system. Our solar system is made up of the Sun, eight planets, and many other fascinating objects that dance and spin around it. "Like wormholes! Perfect!" Isabelle cried out. Let's take a journey through the solar system and discover the wonders of each planet. "Yes. Let's do that." Isabelle didn't notice that she was starting to respond with her thoughts out loud, as though engaging in a back and forth with her book. First, we have the Sun, our very own star. It shines brightly, giving us light and warmth. It is so big that you could fit more than a million Earths inside it! But the Sun is not a planet! It is actually.....A STAR! "WOAH! A million earths?!!? That's crazy!!!" Moving outwards from the Sun, we come across the closest planet to it, Mercury. Mercury is the smallest planet and the closest to the Sun. It has a rocky surface. It also has no.... Isabelle ran into another word she was struggling with. "A-T-M-O-S-P-H-E-R-E," and decided to add it to her list of questions for her mom. [that thingy] which means it can get super hot during the day and very cold at night. "I don't think I want to go there. It sounds awful!" Isabelle replied, moving on to the next planet. Next, we have Venus, the second planet from the Sun. Venus is often called Earth's "sister planet" because it is similar in size. However, Venus has a thick atmosphere that traps heat, making it the hottest planet in our solar system. "I didn't know planets had siblings! That's pretty cool. It's like Eric is Earth, and Becky is Earth's sister. So Becky is Venus!" Now, let's move on to Earth, our home planet. Earth is very special because it is the only planet we know of that supports life - and that means You! Isn't it just the best to live on earth? Earth not only has beautiful oceans, mountains, and forests, but it also has perfect little you!. What a great place for plants, animals, and humans to live together! As we continue our journey, we reach Mars, also known as the "Red Planet." Mars has a reddish color because its soil contains iron... Isabelle stopped to spell out the next word again "O-X-I-D-E" and, did a pretty good job pronouncing it. "I still don't know what it means though." Isbaelle was worried all these tough words would slow down her wormhole progress. "I bet Eugene gave me the high schoolers space book, since he knows how grown up I am," Isabelle decided, before continuing. oxide, also known as rust. Scientists are very interested in Mars because they think it might have had liquid water in the past, which means there might have been life there too! Next up, we have the giant planet, Jupiter "WOAH. A giant planet?!? That's cool!" Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, more than 11 times the size of Earth! It is known for its colorful stripes and a giant storm called the Great Red Spot, which has been raging for hundreds of years. Moving further out, we come across Saturn, famous for its beautiful and unique rings. These rings are made up of tiny particles of ice and rock that circle around the planet. Imagine wearing a belt made of ice and rocks! "I like that one," Isabelle said, pointing to the picture of the rings. Isabelle was enthralled with her book as she continued. Uranus and Neptune are the last two gas giants in our solar system. "Hehehhhee. Gas giant...hehehehhe" Uranus is tilted on its side, which means it rolls around the Sun like a barrel. Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun and is known for its striking blue color. After Neptune, it gets pretty cold! Imagine being so far from the sun! Seems a little scary to us! But way out there, there is other things, including dwarf planets like Pluto. Pluto used to be considered the ninth planet, but scientists decided it wasn't one anymore. It still holds a special place in our hearts, though! How great is it that new things are changing all the time? Isn't our solar system amazing? We certainly think so, and bet you do too! Each planet has its own unique features and mysteries waiting to be explored. So, next time you look up at the night sky, remember that there is a whole universe out there, just waiting to be discovered. Isabelle closed the book on space, and pulled out her "Investigative Journal." Isabelle found her last entry, titled "Wormhole theory update:," and continued writing below the last sentence in the paragraph: Might take a few weeks to complete before ready to travel into the stars. Might be necessary. Investigation continuing. Studying planets to identify potential new home bases to esplore wormhole theory from. Leading contenders - Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Mars may have water, which I enjoy drincking. Perhaps Mars was once much like Aquaria - filled with water. I do miss my glow fish helpers as well. Possible return to Mars/Aquaria consitered. Saturn and Jupiter also possible. Further away, and will miss mommy. But, I do like pretty rings, so Saturn possible. And it would be fun to tell mommy about my adventoors. Jupiter an option due to size - more likely to find wormhole? Have ruled out Venus - too hot AND too cold? No thank you. Gas giants, whatever those are, seem stinky. No thank you. Plus, rolling around on my side may result in getting sick. Astra naut training likely to start next week in order to prepare for travel. Still need to study wormholes further before travel, perhaps two more weeks until departoor. Should inform mommy of travel plans soon. Draft map to follow with next entry. Isabelle closed her journal, and was broken from her train of thought as her mom knocked on the door. "Hi sweetie. Are you having fun? Reading a book?" Isabelle nodded, turning to look at her mom. Jane had changed out of her dress, and seemingly showered as well. Jane was now wearing a simple white t-shirt and tight, thick black leggings. Jane looked refreshed as Isabelle showed her mom what she was reading. "This is the space book Mister Eugene gave me," Isabelle said, holding the book up proudly, before setting it down and walking over to her mom. "Oh wow! It looks super cool. Why don't you go to the bathroom and see if you need to pee, and then you can tell me all about it over lunch!" Isabelle nodded heading to the bathroom. She had not realized it, but she did in fact need to pee rather badly. *** Isabelle and Jane had a couple of simple sandwiches for a late lunch. Jane had told Isabelle that they would go to a movie that evening, which Isabelle was very excited about. "It's a new Kisney movie," Jane explained to Isabelle, "all about a girl, who lives in the far away distant and mystical land called Canada. It's all about growing up, except there's magic." Jane continued, pitching the movie to wide-eyed doe Isabelle. "You see, this girl can turn into a blue moose! And the movie is all about her figuring out how to control her magic. How does that sound?" "Blue moose? Magic? CANADA?!?! Sign me up!" Isabelle shouted, as she threw her fist into the air. Isabelle was actually excited to see the movie. It was at that moment, however, that Isabelle recalled that she had at least 45 minutes left in her Emerald Chronicle show to watch, and politely excused herself. "Mom, can I go watch TV in the basement?" Jane stood up, and collected their lunch plates. "Sure sweetie. Just make sure to go to the bathroom from time to time," Jane said, trying to remind her daughter and help her succeed with her recent accidents. 'Its not a big deal, and it was only like one or two accidents. Still - I want to try and help her succeed,' Jane thought to herself, hoping Isabelle wouldn't be upset about Jane's reminding her daughter to use the bathroom as though she needed it. 'Maybe she does though, if just for a little bit.' From what Jane could tell, however, Isabelle didn't seem bothered at all, affirming she would, and actually going to the bathroom before heading to the basement. 'I'm proud of her,' Jane thought, and though she had offered Isabelle the option to wear her sweetnights today, she was secretly very pleased with Isabelle's decision. As soon as Isabelle finished peeing and washing her hands, she made her way toward the basement. However, Isabelle decided she didn't want to watch TV by herself, and made a pitstop by the front door to open her overnight bag, and grab Rabbity, bringing him down to the basement with her, and emulating her best Rabbity hop up on to the couch. Isabelle sat Rabbity down next to her, and grabbed the remote to turn on her show, sitting herself with her knees up on the couch, her twill skirt rolling up to her stomach. Within moments, Isabelle was lost in the world of the Emerald Chronicles. Isabelle felt lost at first, with what was going on, and decided to rewind to the beginning of the episode. Ultimately she was glad she had, because it turned out she had missed quite a bit, even for the parts she was technically awake for. But the episode was amazing. The introduction of the crystal wand; the siege of the buttercup bears; and even a pretty spicy moment between princess Henrietta and the Commodore. 'I don't remember so much kissing....and whatever else he's doing with his hands..in the book,' Isabelle thought. At one point Isabelle even felt compelled to look away - it didn't seem so appropriate. With about ten minutes left in her show, Isabelle heard her mom shout down that she should go to the bathroom. Isabelle paused her show, realizing that her mom was indeed right, and took a bathroom break before returning to finish her episode. Isabelle sat in front of the TV after the episode was over, gathering herself for the better part of 20 minutes, 'at just how friggin amazing the Emerald Chronicles are!' This episode had been even better than the last, and Isabelle was so happy she had gotten to see it. Her joy, however, was mitigated by the fact that she had no one to talk about the episode with. As Isabelle slumped into the couch and pulled Rabbity in, she thought about how much fun it was the week prior to talk about the episode with Mel, Natalie, and Ras, and again the next day with Mel. 'It was almost better than watching the show itself...' Isabelle thought, as she was reminded at how lonely she was feeling. Deciding she didn't want to be in the basement any longer, Isabelle made her way upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Isabelle made her way over her fluffy pink rug, and toward the far corner along the left side of her room to the new dollhouse that had been placed there, settling on her knees in front of it. Isabelle ran her hand along the roof of the doll house, a beautifully scalloped design, each piece of the roof unique and immaculately placed. The bright white color of the roof was pristine, and Isabelle concluded her mom must have gotten it new. Isabelle's hands and eyes traced down the pink exterior walls of the dollhouse, the trim also a perfect white. There were four windows running along each side of the house - two for each floor that allowed Isabelle to peer into the many rooms inside. Isabelle decided it was time for the dolls within to have a little excitement. 'They're just sitting around doing nothing - they should have a tea party,' Isabelle decided. Isabelle worked to carefully rearrange the furniture, making sure everything was just right and to her liking. Isabelle picked up a series of little matching chairs, and placed them around miniature dining table, readying for a pretend tea party. Isabelle then made her way to the other side of the dollhouse, crawling on her hands and knees, before picked up a tiny teapot. Isabelle took the teapot to the kitchen, pretending to fill it with water, before setting it on the stove to boil. 'That will need a few minutes,' Isabelle decided. Isabelle next worked to collect some guests for the party, seemingly picking dolls at random. In truth, an onlooker might see some connection with Isabelle's choices, but Isabelle did not. There was two tall dolls that were invited, one with red hair named Fanielle, and another with black hair name Pola. Isabelle then took three other medium sized dolls, one with darker skin she named Kaz, and one with black hair and striking blue eyes Isabelle decided to name Rel. The third doll, which had blonde hair and was slightly smaller than the other two medium sized dolls, Isabelle decided to call Vatalie. "These are some cool, really unique names!" Isabelle said aloud, proud of her names, and completely oblivious to any connection they might have to her life. Finally, Isabelle found another doll, smaller than the rest, that she decided would be her, to be the final guest at the tea party. 'I am here, after all. It only makes sense....I'll be serving tea to giants!' Isabelle decided. Isabelle sat all her giant guests at the table, and made her way back to kitchen to get the tea pot off of the stove, turning the burner off in the process. "I don't want to set a fire!" Isabelle announced, before carefully pouring invisible tea into each tiny cup, pretending to be the most graceful hostess. Isabelle got lost in her imagination for longer than she expected. Isabelle was so absorbed by her pretend tea party, she had no idea that her mom had made her way into her room, and was silently watching her from in front of her door. Isabelle was a little embarrassed when she saw her mom at first, but, when she saw her mom's smile, her shame dissipated. "Having fun sweetie?" Jane asked, her big smile never leaving her face. "Ya-huh!" Isabelle responded. She was, in fact, having a blast. "I'm so happy," Jane said, as she made her way into the room, sitting on Isabelle's bed. "Come sit next to me for a minute sweetie," Jane said, tapping the bed next to her. Isabelle put her dolls down, and turned around, jumping on the bed next to her mom. "We're going to get going to the movies soon sweetie. It's already 5:10, and the movie starts before 6. I already got tickets, so we're all set," Jane started with the easy part. "I think, sweetie, it might be a good idea to put a sweetnight on for the movie. Just for in case. The movie is a little long. Plus, its basically going to be your bedtime by the time we get out of the movies, so its basically the EXACT same thing as putting it on before bed like you normally do, don't you think? I think that makes sense sweetie, don't you" Jane had put a lot of thought into her proposal that afternoon. 'It's not that I think she needs it. I just want to put her in position to succeed. And movies can be tough sometimes.' Jane felt bad even bringing it up, but, it was much better than having an accident in the middle of the theater. Isabelle contemplated her mom's proposal. 'I really don't wanna wear anything in public like that,' Isabelle immediately thought, consistent with her earlier concern. 'Everyone will know....' Isabelle was pouting - she knew she was - but she couldn't help it. Isabelle sat in silence thinking on the proposal more. 'Mom does make a good point. I'd be putting one on after the movie anyway. I can just put it on before. When I get home, I can go straight to bed. And its the same." Isabelle looked up at her mom, and decided to raise her concern. "I just.....I don't want anyone to know I'm wearing it mommy. And I can still use the bathroom right? They slip on and off just like underwear. So I can go to the bathroom like I always do." Isabelle was not sure why that second phrase felt familiar, but she had borrowed it from somewhere. Jane smiled at her daughter. Jane knew that Isabelle was going to go through with her plan, she just needed reassurance. "Of course you can still go to the bathroom sweetheart. And look - you have your skirt on. No one will be able to see with that covering it up. Don't you worry - no one will see under there. Do you need help putting it on?" Isabelle shook her head no. Jane proceeded to get up, and maker her way out the room. "Okay sweetie. Get dressed quickly, and we'll be on our way." **** Isabelle sat in the back seat of her mom's SUV as her mom drove toward the theater. After pulling her leggings over her sweetnight, Isabelle was really worried that someone looking could tell what she was wearing. There was an obvious bulge, especially with the booster inside it. But Isabelle felt better after pulling up her twill skirt again, as it seemingly covered it up entirely. Isabelle pulled on a new white shirt, and met her mom at the front door, before going into the car together. It was not long before Isabelle found herself, holding her moms hand, and walking into the theater. Jane passed her phone to the movie booth attendant, who scanned their tickets, before letting them through. "Let's go get some dinner and snacks for the movie," Jane proposed, leading Isabelle to the concession line. "How about a Kidz Pack sweetie? Look it comes with a hot dog, and popcorn, and even a bag of candy and a drink. You can even pick a soda for being such a good girl," Jane offered, as she patter her daughter's butt forward in line, confirmed she had put on her sweetnight. Isabelle had been oblivious to her mother's action, instead focused on the awesome meal she was about to get. "Thanks mom! I want a Dr. Onion! 23 flavors packed into one soda? Yum!" "Sounds good sweetie," Jane responded, as the two advanced to the front of the line, and placed their orders. Isabelle allowed her eyes to gaze around the lobby of the theater while her mom paid, looking at all the different movie posters, guests, and movies that were listed as playing. "Let's go baby. All done," Jane announced, Isabelle reaching for her mom's hand. "Sorry sweetie. My hands are full. You lead the way. Were going to theater 9. Can you find it?" Isabelle nodded, appreciating that she was given a job, and led her mom down the hall where she saw a sign marked "9," stopping outside of it. Isabelle turned back to her mom, who was lagging behind, and called for her "Over here mom! Come on!" Jane chuckled, and sped her pace up, meeting her daughter outside of the theater. 'Sweetie. Why don't we go to the bathroom before the movie starts, okay?" Jane proposed motioning Isabelle toward the toilets. "Do you need me to come in with you?" Isabelle considered it, for a moment. She did want her mom to come, but she didn't want her hot dog going into the bathroom. "It's okay. Can you wait out here for me though?" Isabelle asked, to which Jane affirmed she would. Isabelle made her way into the bathroom, finding an empty stall. Her mom's suggestion had been a good one, in the end, as Isabelle needed to pee and to poop, 'and I probably couldn't have waited the whole movie,' Isabelle decided. Isabelle wiped, flushed, and washed her hands, before meeting her mom outside the bathroom once more. "All done!" "Great - lets find our seats.....6F and 6G sweetie. Lead the way." Isabelle navigated the theater to their seats, first counting her way down to row 6, and second reciting the alphabet as she passed by seats to find the ones her mom told her to. Isabelle stopped in front of the two seats, and confirmed for her mom that she - "Found them!" - before sitting down in seat G. Isabelle settled herself back in chair, unwittingly rolling her twill skirt up and exposing the bulge of her leggings. Jane, noticing what happened, handed Isabelle her meal before sitting and fixing her daughters' skirt, kissing her on the forehead. "See sweetie? I got you covered," Jane said, winking at her daughter. Isabelle instantly felt more comfortable in her outfit - she had an ally on her side, helping her hide her sweetnight. In fact, she had the best ally of all: Mom. Isabelle immediately dug into her food while the previews played, unintentionally belching a loud burp after washing her hot dog down with some of her soda. "ISABELLE," Jane whisper-chastised. Isabelle could only giggle, even though it was kind of gross. The lights eventually dimmed, and the movie started. 'This movie is unbelievable,' Isabelle thought, her eyes wide, and mouth agape for most of the film, as she munched on her popcorn and drank her soda gulp after gulp. About a quarter of the way through the movie, Isabelle shook her mom, offering her the candy bag she had gotten for Jane to open. Jane took the bag, opened it up, and took one candy, making a teasing "chuup' noise to Isabelle to show Isabelle that Jane had taken one of her gummies, before Isabelle snatched it out of her mom's hand. Isabelle turned back to the screen to see the girl transform into the blue moose for the first time, inadvertently letting an audible "Whoaaa" escape her mouth. Fortunately, many of the other kids in the theater had done the same. As the movie continued to progress, and the Magical moose-girl explored the exotic land of Canada, Isabelle found herself squirming in her seat. 'I need to pee...' Isabelle thought, 'but the movie is getting better and better and I don't wanna miss any.' Jane, noticing her daughter's squirming, leaned over to ask "do you wanna go to the bathroom Iz?" and waited for her daughter's response. The question was not fair, Isabelle thought. Her mom hadn't ask if she needed to go to the bathroom. She asked if Isabelle wanted to go to the bathroom. Isabelle didn't want to go, she needed to go. What she wanted was to watch the movie, and not miss a single second. So Isabelle answered her mom's question honestly: "no mommy." The problem, of course, was Isabelle was left in a difficult position, because of the aforementioned need - not want - to pee. 'I am....wearing my sweetnight....' Isabelle considered. Isabelle knew she wasn't going to be able to make it until the end of the movie, and it would be truly awful to miss any part of it. 'This is the best part - she's finally learning how to transform into the blue Moose at will! And this need to pee is distracting me.' So Isabelle did what any sensible person would do in her shoes. With sound mind, and upon her own accord, Isabelle deliberately let her pee loose into her sweetnight. As soon as she started the stream, Isabelle ignored it entirely, returning her complete focus to the screen, her squirming a thing of the past, instead, her butt resting firmly on her squishy and wet sweetnight. There were far more important things to pay attention to anyway. That's a really kind comment of you to leave. I am trying to think and plan in advance, though I have no idea why so many readers expect Isabelle to end up in car seats and on potty charts - perhaps you have all forgotten that she is a big girl? - But I have been dedicating a lot of time toward trying to set up the rooms and the scenes. I have all sorts of floor plans, maps, family tress, etc....around me when I write. I've even inquired into commissioning an artist to do some Isabelle works for me to help with her progression, or more accurately, regression. I am a very visual person, and I struggle to write without being able to see things. I'm glad you're enjoying the results!

Thank you - Late night drafting + wine always a mistake. Found a few more Jess/Jane mistakes too. Damn my four letter "J" names. Glad you enjoyed the chapter

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 31 Isabelle loved being with Jess. Jess was always so much fun. This time was no different. "So Belly, how was school today? Did you do anything interesting?" Jess asked, as she navigated the roads toward Becky's pre-school. Jess had found a station called "Kidz Bopz" on the radio that was playing the best music, and Isabelle was bouncing along to the tunes as they drove together. "School was okay. I got to work on my story in Miss Jenny's class today which was fun." Isabelle shared. "But I'm much more excited to be your helped tonight any watch Becky. I'm going to do a really really good job! I promise, you'll see. And then I can be the babysitter for her and Eric next time!" Isabelle said, as she threw her arms in the air. Jess laughed out loud from the front seat. The little girl behind her was so cute, and Jess adored her. "Oh yah? The babysitter? That's quite the responsibility, don't you think? Do you think you can handle that?" Jess asked. Isabelle had no doubts - "Of course I can!" Jess rounded a corner off of the main road and started to navigate some back roads toward the pre-school. "Okay babysitter Isabelle. Well maybe you can help me with some big girl jobs tonight, how does that sound?" Isabelle liked the sound of that, and nodded vigorously in response. "Good," Jess responded. "But just because you're a big girl doesn't mean you cant have fun, right? So we're going to make sure we have a lot of fun tonight too!" 'This is shaping up to be a great night,' Isabelle thought as Jess pulled the car into a driveway, slowing down, before parking the car. "Let's go get your friend now," Jess announced, before turning the car off and getting out of the car. For her part, Isabelle reached down to unbuckle herself, but the buckle was just out of reach. Sitting on the booster seat with the seatbelt tight against her made it impossible to reach, despite all her efforts. But Isabelle didn't need to wait long - Jess had made her way around to her door, opening it up, and unbuckling Isabelle's seatbelt. Before Jess could pick her up, however, Isabelle announced that "I can do it. I can do it," to which Jess smiled and backed off. Isabelle did sort of regret her decision - the jump down from the booster seat was higher than expected, and Isabelle was a little nervous. Nevertheless, she had committed to getting down herself, and do slowly lowered herself, as Jess waited in the background. "Good job Isabelle," Jess said, congratulating the girl on getting out of the car. "Now hold my hand while we go into the pre-school." Isabelle took Jess's hand and followed Jess as she led her into the preschool. Jess pulled Isabelle past the main office in the front and to the left, all the way down the hall to a classroom at the end of way. The halls were all decorated with loads of colors and paintings. The school looked like it was fun. 'Becky doesn't know how good she has it! Second grade is tough. This place looks fun,' Isabelle thought to herself. Jess eventually settled at one door, and pushed it open. When Jess opened the door, Isabelle was not sure what to expect. Isabelle was confronted with a space that was remarkable. It was the kind of classroom where little minds could roam freely and imaginations could take flight. As Jess pulled Isabelle stepped inside, Isabelle was greeted by a burst of vibrant colors and an atmosphere filled with warmth and excitement. The noises and smells in the class felt alive. The walls of the classroom were adorned with silly and playful artwork created by the tiny hands of the preschoolers that spent their days there. Their masterpieces, a large, multicolored painted rainbows, and handprint flowers, was proudly displayed over a massive chalkboard at the front of the classroom. Isabelle immediately spotted Becky's name near the middle, just under the rainbow's arch, showcasing her friend's budding talents. The artwork brought life and cheer to the room, as if the walls were telling stories of the children's imaginations, of how they passed their days. Each flower was unique, much like the students who thrived in the class. The room was filled with cozy reading nooks, adorned with soft cushions and plush rugs. A colorful bookshelf stood proudly in one corner, filled to the brim with books of all shapes and sizes, inviting little ones to embark on magical adventures with each turn of a page. Isabelle saw quite a few titles herself that looked more than appealing, and for a moment, Isabelle considered letting go of Jess's hand to go over and see what there was to read. In another corner, a pretend play area beckoned children to engage in imaginative play. A miniature kitchen complete with tiny utensils and play food sparked the creativity of aspiring chefs. Isabelle wondered if anyone had made spaghetti and meatballs lately. "That's what I would cook if I had the time,' Isabelle thought. Next to the kitchen, and along the back wall, a series of cozy dollhouses were lined up with a table set for tea parties in the middle. Isabelle spotted two girls sitting at the low chairs already, with more chairs welcoming and inviting the other children to step into the shoes of their favorite characters and enjoy a high tea together. Isabelle's eyes traced their way along the near wall, where the learning centers were located. The learning centers in the room were carefully organized and thoughtfully designed so that the children would be enticed and excited about spending time there. A sensory table, filled with sand, minerals, and other liquids, enticed little hands to explore and discover different textures. Nearby, a math center displayed colorful counters, blocks, and puzzles that encouraged early number sense and problem-solving skills. Isabelle though it might be fun to do a puzzle. 'Maybe Becky will want to do one together later,' Isabelle thought Near where the ceiling met the walls, a copy of the alphabet adorned the walls, each letter a work of art. A bright and inviting rug in the center of the room served as a gathering place for circle time, where stories were shared, songs were sung, and laughter filled the air. Isabelle could practically hear the reverberations of music that had played there earlier, feeling the sweet tunes surround her and practically lift her off of the ground. Above the rug, a colorful mobile danced in the gentle breeze, capturing the attention and sparking curiosity. Every corner of the classroom was filled with love and attention to detail. Soft curtains framed the windows, allowing natural light to filter in and illuminate the space. Isabelle hadn't noticed at first, but there was soft music playing in the background as she entered the room, creating a soothing and inviting ambiance. Isabelle was put at ease the moment she walked in, the music likely playing a role in that. There was of course, one other item that Isabelle's attention had focused on. On the far wall, there was an alcove that appeared to lead toward a bathroom. The alcove was positioned off to the side, behind the teacher's desk. But even from her angle, Isabelle could tell what was back there. Sure, there was a door that led to the bathroom for the teacher and the students that used that. But there was also something else. In the cozy corner of the alcove sat what was very clearly a well-equipped changing table, a haven of comfort and care for the little ones that still needed it. It was a place where the needs of the youngest members - or just those members who were not potty trained - of the preschool could have their needs met. The changing table itself looked sturdy and thoughtfully designed, featuring a cushioned surface covered in soft, wipeable material. Its gentle contours gave an aroma of welcome, and looked as though it would be far from the worst place to have to lay, a cozy spot for diaper and pullup changes. Above the table, a shelf displayed an array of supplies neatly organized and within a teacher's arm's reach. Rows of thin, fresh pullups for kids who were working their best at toilet training, but simply had an accident, were waiting to be used. Next to them, a stack of much thicker, fresh diapers, carefully folded and ready for use, awaited their turn to serve their purpose. Containers of fragrance-free and scented wipes, their lids easily accessible, were positioned for quick and convenient use. Isabelle could also spy, from her position, A small, covered bin. Isabelle recognized it instantly; it was the same model that Jess had in Eric's room, only much large - A Diaper Djinn - a place for soiled pullups and diapers to be deposited. Isabelle knew that such a device was essential to ensure cleanliness and hygiene standards were maintained. Its lid, currently in a locked position, sealed away any odors that the school children may have, '..err left behind,' Isabelle thought, leaving the air around the changing table, as well as across the classroom, fresh and pleasant. 'In fact, it smells wonderful in here!' Isabelle thought. The changing table was adorned with colorful, blue and punk décor. Across the table were painted images of circus rides, teddy bears, and dinosaurs. The table's décor was welcoming and inviting, and served as a gentle reminder that each child who was placed upon it was welcomed and embraced with love and care. Playful animal prints or whimsical patterns adorned the walls behind the table, bringing a touch of joy to the space as well. A mobile with soft, captivating shapes dangled above the changing area. It was there to help the teachers who did the changes, catching the attention of the children laid down on the table. Even now, at a distance, Isabelle was ensnared by the mobiles gentle movement and soothing colors. Isabelle did her best to look away, but the mobile provided a captivating distraction even at this moment, calming Isabelle. Close by, within a teacher's arm's reach of the table, were bottles of gentle hand sanitizer and lotion. Isabelle spotted lotion bottles of all colors and shapes, each with different pictures on them; purple ones with flowers, green ones with leaves, and yellow ones with vanilla on them. Each bottle had a pump top, and the numerous options ensured that caregivers had whatever they needed for each child. A sense of organization prevailed around the changing table. Baskets or bins held extra clothing, spare socks, and bibs, ready to be utilized if needed. Isabelle could have sworn that one of the baskets had baby bottles in it, and another even held pacifiers. 'I doubt they have to use those very often - these kids are already in preschool!' At bottom, the beautifully decorated preschool classroom radiated a sense of belonging and comfort. It was a space where Isabelle found herself feeling safe and happy, a place full of laughter and growth. It was at that moment that Isabelle spotted Becky - she was making her way out of the back alcove and running toward Jess, a teacher following behind her, five paces back. "Mommmy!!!!!" Becky, shouted, as she ran into her mom's arms, Jess picking her up and holding her in the air, before kissing her daughter repeatedly. The teacher behind Becky made her way over, and started chatting with Jess briefly, as Jess set Becky down. Becky, meanwhile, come over to Isabelle to hug her as well. "Hi Becky!" Isabelle said enthusiastically, as she hugged her friend, and listened in on the conversation between Jess and the teacher. "......okay today. Had a few........changed her recently.........pullup..........just peed in the potty like a BIG GIRL" the teacher announced, now trying to get Becky's attention, "so at least we get one star on our chart today, don't we? How about that Becky? Why don't you take this sticker," the teacher said, "and go show your friend where your chart is, and put it on, okay?" Becky ran over to collect her bounty, before running back to Isabelle. "Come Belly. I'll show you where I get to put my sticker!" Becky took Isabelle's hand and started to pull her toward the alcove in the back. Isabelle turned to Jess and the teacher and rolled her eyes, as if to try and show the adults she was merely tolerating the juvenile's accomplishment. "Alright Becky. We can go put your sticker on," Isabelle responded, as if the activity marked a tremendous burden. Jess smiled and continued to chat with the teacher as Isabelle made her way after Becky to the alcove. as they rounded the corner, Becky stopped almost immediately, and turned toward the rear-facing wall that Isabelle could not see from where she had been standing at the door. Becky climbed up a nearby step stool, and located her name on the chart, placing the sticker prominently on the correct day, her first sticker of the day it appeared. Isabelle took the sight in. The potty chart was a large poster, sectioned off for the various students and their needs. The potty chart was extremely colorful and had different sections or columns for each child's name, which appeared in a unique color and font. There was a section at the left for "Big Boy" and Big Girl" underwear, with quite a few names under it - half by Isabelle's estimate. There was another section "Getting There!" that ran down the middle of the chart, where about another third or so of the students names appeared. Isabelle discerned that this section was for kids who had occasion accidents. Becky's name however, was not among the first two sections; it was in a third section on the far right, titled "Learning the Ropes!" Each child on the chart had their own row under the respective section where they belonged. The kids' progress was recorded for each day. The further Isabelle glanced from left to right, the fewer stickers she saw, which of course, seemed fitting. The chart was decorated with cute and motivating illustrations related to potty training, such toilets, sinks with kids washing their hands, some kids cheering while seated on the potty, and other fun pictures as well. As Becky descended from the stepstool, Isabelle noticed a need begin to stir in her stomach. 'Oh no..' Isabelle thought. She knew what the need was.....'but here?.....I can probably wait until we get to Jess's,' Isabelle thought. Isabelle stood still for a moment, to consider her options. 'After this morning though.....' It was probably just better to go. 'No need to bother anyone about this,' Isabelle thought. Isabelle made her way to the door at the back of the room that presumably led to the bathroom. Isabelle reached out for the knob, and tried to twist it. Only it wouldn't twist. Isabelle tried again, shifting the knob around as if to find the secret angle to turn the knob at, but no luck. 'Danggit. What's wrong with this door?' Isabelle wondered. At that moment, Becky approached Isabelle. "Belly - do you hafta use the potty? You need to ask Miss Deena to open the door for you. Come!" Before Isabelle could react, Becky took her arm, and pulled her back toward Jess and, presumably, the woman named Deena. Becky was calling to her teacher along the way. "Miss Denna. Miss Deena. Miss Deena. Belly needs to use the potty!" Isabelle was mortified - this little girl was screaming across the classroom that Isabelle needed to use the toilet - 'the toilet Becky, not the potty.' Isabelle turned beat red, shifting her gaze from left to right to observe how many of Becky's juvenile compatriots were now starring at her. But none were. In fact, the remaining kids in the class seemed utterly disinterested in all the noise that Becky was making. 'What on earth.....' Isabelle wondered, questioning what kind of weird kids went to this preschool. "Does she now?" Miss Deena responded. "Thank you for letting me know Becky. I'll go unlock the door to the potty for her. Belly, is it? Come with me." Isabelle felt the need to defend herself, at that moment, as Becky returned to her mother's arms. "Its Isabelle, actually," Isabelle corrected the preschool teacher, garnering a smile from her. "And I just wanted to see if I could use the toilet, but the door appeared locked." Isabelle was doing her best to present a mature front. That said, her need to evacuate was growing stronger. "My my. I apologize Isabelle. Let's get that door unlocked for you so that you can use the TOILET, not the potty of course," Miss Deena responded playfully, making her way to her desk. Isabelle bounced after her, keeping her legs shut as tightly as possible together. Jess meanwhile, watched as Isabelle followed after Miss Deena, walking oddly, and pressing one hand against her butt. "Becky, let mama put you down for a second. I need to make a quick telephone call," Jess said, pulling her phone out. "Still enough time I think..." 'Can this woman move any slower?!?!' Isabelle wondered, as she watched Miss Deena dig through her desk drawer before revealing a key, and continuing toward the bathroom. 'No wonder none of these kids have stickers - Miss Deena can't open the door fast enough. Errrughhhh,' Isabelle thought, feeling her stomach lurch and freezing up. Isabelle waited, got herself under control, and made her way after Miss Deena who was now opening the bathroom door. Isabelle heard the click, and immediately maneuvered around Miss Deena, and into the bathroom "THANK YOU!" Isabelle called back, closing the door behind her. Isabelle pulled her pants and panties down, shimmying to the toilet, and leaping over the stool at the foot of the toilet and onto the seat itself, immediately releasing a giant poop into the toilet. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Isabelle moaned, thrilled to have made it to the toilet in time. Isabelle did not pay much attention to her surroundings, too focused on relieving herself, before wiping, and washing her hands. Isabelle made her way back out to the preschool classroom, where she found Jess, Miss Deena, and Jess, and rejoined her group. "Did someone earn a sticker?" Miss Deena said jokingly as Isabelle returned. Isabelle wasn't going to acknowledge the comment, but it was a free sticker. 'You don't need a sticker Isabelle.' She reminded herself. 'You aren't a preschooler. And you don't need or have a potty chart.' "No thank you Miss Deena," Isabelle responded with her most mature voice. "Okay then," Jess chimed in, "I just spoke to your mommy Isabelle. She's so happy were having so much fun. But its time to go! Come on everyone. Bye Deena!" **** Isabelle walked into the front door of Jess's house first. The car ride home had not been exciting. After Becky finished throwing a tantrum about having to sit in Eric's car seat, Isabelle decided to cheer her up by playing a game of I-spy out the window as they drove. Isabelle took advantage both of her superior intellect and superior view from high up in her booster seat, and Becky was not able to find anything of the items that Isabelle had spied. Out of mercy, Jess had to point out what Isabelle had spied so that Becky could have a turn. "Okay girls. Let's wash up and get ready. Isabelle - take your bag up to Becky's room please. Its right here. And I'll meet you up there in a minute....Hi Hunny," Jess said, as she greeted John, giving him a kiss and taking Eric out of his arms. "And hello to you little man. Who is mommy's little man?!? Who?! Who?!? Is it you?!?! Yes you are!" Isabelle could hear Eric giggling as she made her way with her bag into Becky's room. Isabelle opened the door to the room, and saw that it had already been made up for the night. Becky's "big girl" bed was not big enough for both of them, but Becky did have a trundle bed underneath, which had been pulled out, and the bed made already. 'This is smart,' Isabelle thought. 'It will allow me to better watch Becky all night. And if there is a problem with Eric, I can address that too!' Isabelle had no doubt she was going to be the best helper Jess had ever had. Isabelle set her bag down, and opened it up. Isabelle took Rabbity out - who needed some fresh air - and set him down on the pillow of the trundle bed. Isabelle then took stock of what her mom had packed her; A change of clothes for the next day, which consisted of stripped leggings, a twill skirt, and a cute red shirt with a big smile on it. Isabelle also found the pajamas her mom had packed for her, a pink nightie. Finally, Isabelle found.......'what on earth - four sweetnights? How long was she staying here?!? Mom must have accidentally packed too many,' Isabelle concluded, setting the bag aside. Becky, for her part, had come into the room, proudly telling Isabelle how she helped pull the trundle out, and picked out Isabelle's pillows. "You got my second and thirdest favorite pillows. I have four pillows. I needed to keep my most favoritest. But I wanted you to have the others. You'll love them!" Becky exclaimed. Curious, Isabelle laid down and put her head on each pillow. "These are actually really comfy. Thank you Becky!" Isabelle made her way to the door to go wash up as she was instructed, when Jess came in. "All set Isabelle? Good. Becky? Come with me. That pullup needs changing. Isabelle? I want to chat with you about being my helper tonight after. Can you meet me in Eric's room?" Isabelle nodded, and headed past Jess and into the hall bathroom, which largely mirrored her own at home. Isabelle turned before entering, noticing that Jess had lingered in Becky's bedroom and had not yet left. Isabelle shrugged, and made her way into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. The bathroom had the same layout as Isabelle's at home, except had slight differences. Much like the preschool, a step stool sat at the foot of the toilet. The toilet itself looked like it was lower to the ground than it was at Isabelle's house. The shower curtain running along the bath and concealing it from view was blue with yellow ducks, ironically holding umbrellas. Separately, another stool was near the sink, allowing easier access to the sink, soap, and other items along the table in the bathroom. Isabelle made her way up the stool, noting how much easier it was to reach the faucet, the soap, and the sink itself, and proceeded to wash her hands. When she was done, Isabelle easily turned off the faucet, and dried her hand on the nearby towel. Isabelle opened up the bathroom door, to find Becky stomping through the hall from Eric's room to her own, wearing just a t-shirt and diaper. Becky did not look happy, and her eyes looked as though she had been crying. Apparently Jess had seen it as appropriate to put Becky into a diaper for whatever evening activity they had planned. "Isabelle," Jess called to her, catching her attention at the door to the bathroom. "Can you come in here for a minute?" 'Oh, right, I almost forgot,' Isabelle thought, as she curiously went into Eric's room, as Jess shut the door behind them. Jess bent down to talk to Isabelle. "Sweetie. I am so happy you're going to be spending the night here. And I really need you tonight, watching Eric and Becky is such a challenge!" Jess started with, explaining to Isabelle all the tasks she would need to help with. Isabelle nodded at each - she was ready to do anything. "But there's on other thing I am going to need your help with sweetie. Becky is pretty upset about having to wear one of her diapers out to dinner tonight. I just don't know how long we're going to be out, and John and I decided it was much safer to have her in diapers. Don't you think so?" Isabelle appreciated that she was being consulted. In response, Isabelle pretended as if she was considering the option, before agreeing. "Yes. I do agree. Very smart indeed!" Jess smiled and stifled a chuckle. "I was wondering if you would help make her feel better about it. I saw that your mom packed some extra sweetnights for you. Now I know that you're a big girl, and only wear them at night. But I think we're going to put you in one while we go out for dinner, just to make Becky feel better. What do you say? It would be SUCH a big help, and you would be making Becky feel SOOO much better. And they slip on and off just like underwear - so you can still go to the bathroom like you always do. Okay sweetie? I think this is also a good plan. I know you agree!" Jess finished, pulling out one of Isabelle's purple and white sweetnights with flowers on it that was resting on Eric's changing table. Isabelle was a little torn about the proposal. On the one hand it didn't really sound much like a proposal, but more like Jess had already decided. Isabelle told her mom that she would be a big girl and listen to Jess, but this just didn't feel necessary. On the other hand, a lot about what Jess was saying made perfect sense. Isabelle was being such a great helper, and Jess was telling her that this would make Becky feel better. 'A babysitter's job is to make sure the kids are happy,' Isabelle thought. The way Jess made it sound, Isabelle was basically going to save the day. Plus, all she had to do was wear the sweetnight. They weren't uncomfortable or anything. In fact, Isabelle rather enjoyed wearing them, though wouldn't admit that to anyone. And like Jess said, it wouldn't be as if she was using it. As Isabelle weighed the pros and cons of Jess's proposal, the answer seemed pretty obvious. "Ya Jess. I do agree. That sounds like a really good idea." Jess was relieved. She wasn't sure how Isabelle was going to react after speaking with Jane earlier. "Wonderful! I'm so proud of you Isabelle. Now lets get this done quick, so we can go for dinner, and then get ice cream!" Jess said, as she reached out to Isabelle, grasping her leggings and underwear together, and lowering them down for Isabelle. Isabelle had not been expecting Jess to undress her, but didn't exactly mind. Isabelle eased her feet out of the leggings and panties, stepping out one foot at a time as Jess guided her. Isabelle then accepted the sweetnight from Jess, and pulled it on all by herself. "Good girl!" Jess responded. Isabelle couldn't help but smile. 'I am a good girl,' she thought, as Jess took Isabelle's panties and put them aside, and then helped Isabelle put her leggings back on. Isabelle rested one hand on Jess's shoulder, as Jess eased each foot into the leggings, and helped pull them up Isabelle's legs. When Isabelle had pulled on her sweetnight up her legs, she instantly felt the bulk of her boosted sweetnight, putting her instantly at ease. 'They really are comfy,' she thought. But Isabelle had not worn her sweetnights before with anything other than her pajamas. So it was an even bigger shock when Jess finished pulling up Isabelle's leggings, how much bulk was between her legs. Isabelle took a few steps, immediately feeling her legs forced slightly more apart. Isabelle didn't notice the slight waddle the combination of sweetnight and leggings left her walking with, but it was fairly obvious to Jess, who stood by, anticipating a complaint. But none came. Isabelle simply looked up at Jess and smiled, resulting in a smile from Jess in return. Just looking at Isabelle, it was pretty obvious to anyone that could see the girl what was under her leggings, but it was made even more obvious by the raised waistband of the sweetnight peeking over the top of Isabelle's leggings. For her part, Isabelle didn't seem to notice, or care - 'or both,' Jess thought. "Amazing Isabelle,' Jess said, encouraging the girl's enthusiasm. Let's get going, okay?" Jess said, taking Isabelle's hand. "You'll have to the a VERY big girl for me and sit in the backrow in the van, okay? Don't fool around back there, I don't have an extra booster seat for you." **** Isabelle hopped out of the car after Becky when the family had arrived at the restaurant. Isabelle didn't get to go out to restaurants often, so this was a special treat. "Its an Italian restaurant," Jess had explained in the car ride over, "which I hear is your favorite Isabelle!" It was indeed, and Isabelle was licking her lips as the family walked into the restaurant, John leading the way, Eric hoisted on Jess's hip, and Isabelle and Becky walking in behind them. As they entered the restaurant, the hostess greeted them warmly and led them to a comfortable booth after speaking with John. Isabelle could see Becky's eyes widen with curiosity as he took in the elegant décor and the soft glow of candlelight on each table. Isabelle herself was mesmerized by the nice restaurant. Eric, meanwhile, gurgled and cooed, his wide eyes capturing the attention of the staff and other patrons nearby. The family settled into their seats, Isabelle sliding into the an inner spot in the booth, with Jess sitting next to her. Across from Isabelle was Becky, with John next to her. Eric was placed into a high chair at the head of the table. Isabelle was happy to be seated. From the time she started descending the stairs at Jess and Johns, to getting into the car, to sitting in the car, exiting, and coming into the restaurant, Isabelle had been keenly aware of the fact that she was wearing a sweetnight. It was not just the fact that she was not used to wearing one during the day, nor was it simply the increased bulk that she had between her legs. While those factors certainly contributed to her awareness, it was Jess's remark before they left their house that stuck with her. "See Becky - Isabelle is wearing her protection too! You can both be big girls." Becky, in turn, kept asking Isabelle on the care ride over to the restaurant if her "diaper was wet." Isabelle kept correcting Becky, reminding her that Isabelle was wearing a sweetnight, not a diaper, and that she most certainly was not wet. And that was just what Isabelle realized - the poor girl remained entirely unaware of the sweetnight waistband emerging from her leggings, the obvious bulk present to the outside world, or even the faint pattern of the flowery sweetnight that an onlooker could see through her leggings if they paid close attention. Once Isabelle was finally able to sit in the booth and spread her legs slightly, she was able to forget about her sweetnight. It helped that Jess had handed Becky some crayons to draw on the paper menu, which distracted her from continuing to pepper Isabelle with questions. Shortly after the waiter came over with menus, offering Isabelle and Becky each a special kids' menu. The menu was filled with little games and with pictures to color, which kept Becky very engaged. Isabelle decided to borrow one of Becky's crayons to fill in some of the pictures herself, while Jess and John perused the menu. Eric, meanwhile, was happy to play with a spoon in his highchair, entertaining both himself, and the family at the table next to them. The waiter returned, and John and Jess each ordered their food, as well as ordering for Becky and Isabelle. "I'll get you the spaghetti with meatballs sweetie, I know its your fave!" Jess had declared to Isabelle. Becky, in turn, decided she wanted the same thing. With orders placed, the family engaged in lively conversation, making sure to include Isabelle and Becky in the discussion. John told a silly story about penguins riding a bus, and Jess chimed in with playful banter, causing Becky - and Isabelle - to giggle and squirm with delight. Eric, to the extent he understood what was going on, was all smiles. As the family entertained themselves, Isabelle realized she had a rather urgent need to go to the bathroom. Isabelle was about to speak up to tell Jess, when something terribly unexpected happened. 'Jess....I need to - " "Jess? Is that you! Oh my god how are you?! I didn't know you came here." Isabelle knew she recognized the voice, she just couldn't put her finger on it. But Isabelle didn't need to wait long. Isabelle turned her head in the direction of the speaker and saw who it was: It was Mandy. It was Mel's mom. It was Avery's mom. And following directly behind Mandy? None other than Mel herself. "Mel! Sweetie! Come here. I want to introduce you to my friend Jess. We do yoga together." Mel approached the table, causing Isabelle to practically go white. Isabelle did her best to slink down into the booth, but there was no avoiding her friend; Isabelle was seated right next to Jess, and Mel's eyes went from Jess, straight to her. "Mel! So nice to meet you," Jess responded. "This is my husband John, and my kids Eric and Becky. And this is Becky's friend Isabelle," Jess explained. "We're just out for dinner tonight for some Friday night fun. If everyone behaves we MAY even get ice cream later," Jess said. Isabelle's shock at seeing Mel, had, unfortunately, caused another problem. Isabelle had been so surprised, that she had let her bladder loose, and had been peeing into her sweetnight the entire time Jess had been speaking. Isabelle had been completely oblivious to the fact that she was peeing her pants until she heard Mel speak. "Hi Jess. It's very nice to meet you. And Hi Isabelle! It's nice to see you again!" Mel said. Mel's acknowledgement of Isabelle snapped her out of her shock, and into a new kind of shock, now keenly aware that she was still peeing in her sweetnight. Isabelle tried, for a moment, to stop the stream, but it was too late, and she simply let her remaining pee trickle between her legs. Isabelle couldn't respond - it was all simply too much. Jess, however, came to save the day. "How do you know Isabelle Mel?" Jess asked curiously, and her curiosity was fair. Isabelle didn't know how to answer the question, and, quite frankly, having just realized that she had soaked her sweetnight. Mel didn't get to answer that time either. Instead, it was Mandy who jumped in. "Oh I think she must know her from a dance program or something. Melanie is graduating from Higgins middle school this year. Can you believe it?" Mandy said, as she pulled her daughter in close. "She's started babysitting this year too. And my oldest is graduating from high school, out on a date tonight. They grow up so fast - keep yours just how they are, it goes by in a heartbeat!" "Moooooom ughhhhhhhhhh" Mel said, pushing away from her and following her dad to their table across the way. "They also don't let you hug them anymore" Mandy joked, as she said goodbye and followed her daughter's lead. "Well that was nice of them to come by. And don't you ever stop letting me hug you Becky!" Jess said. "Isabelle - you were going to ask about something before Mandy came?" Isabelle blushed. There was no need to answer anymore. Isabelle shifted in her seat, allowing the warm, thick, and wet padding settle underneath her. It felt like a pillow, Isabelle thought, and as the waiter came and put everyone's food down, Isabelle forgot about it all together. **** With contentment filling their hearts and appetites satisfied, the family and Isabelle concluded their dining experience. After the food had cleared, Jess had taken a series of wet wipes to both Becky and Isabelle's hands and faces, helping get the remnants of meat and sauce off of them. Isabelle was a little embarrassed at the amount of sauce on her face, as she saw Jess deposit the wipes down on the table. John paid the bill, and expressed his gratitude to the staff for their exceptional service as the family made their way out the restaurant. Jess watched as Isabelle and Becky walked ahead of her, paying close attention to both girls' movements. It was obvious, based on Becky's movement, that she had soaked her diaper through the dinner. 'But Isabelle's sweetnight looks likes its drooping a little too...' Jess thought. It was of course, impossible. Isabelle would have asked her to go to the bathroom. 'But after what Jane told me....' It was no big deal, of course. Jess was used to potty training struggles. 'I'm sure its just my imagination,' Jess concluded, as she opened the door to the car, settling Eric into his seat. Isabelle climbed in from the opposite side, and headed to the back. As she did, Jess paid closer attention to the girl's butt as she bent over. 'I think she may have actually peed a little,' but decided better than to say anything. "Okay everyone. What do you say to ice cream!" Resounding cries in favor of the tasty treat were heard from all three rows of the car; Isabelle, Becky, and John throwing their arms in the air. Jess smiled and got into the driver's seat, and off they were to the ice cream parlor. Within minutes, Eric nodded off to sleep in his seat. It didn't take very long to get to the ice cream parlor, and before Isabelle knew it, they were parked again. "Why don't you stay here with Eric, and I'll go in the with girls to get ice cream?" Jess proposed to John, who agreed. "Mint chip?" John confirmed as much. Jess made her way around the car to help Becky down from her booster, and continued to watch as Isabelle came out of the car. Jess closed the door, before picking Becky up, swinging Becky's legs around her hip. "Uh-oh," Jess said, "Becky, did you make tinkles in your diaper? It feels verrrry full!" Becky, for her part, seemed unconcerned. "Yes Mommy. I forgot I hadta go at the restaraunt." Becky simply smiled, and played it off as though it was nothing to be worried about. The conversation, however, reminded Isabelle for the first time that she had made 'tinkles' in her own sweetnight, and she immediately grew self conscious about it for the first time since dinner. "That's okay baby. Mommy knows you tried. Its not big deal. Sometimes people have accidents." Jess tried to be generic about her statement, just in case Isabelle had genuinely had an accident too. In fact, it had been a success, for as soon as Isabelle heard Jess say those words, Isabelle did feel a little bit better about herself. Isabelle was glad that, insofar as she could tell, no one knew that she actually had had an accident. Isabelle followed Jess and Becky into the parlor, and moments later, emerged with a cone of chocolate ice cream. John saw the three coming out, and carried Eric out of the car in the car seat, still asleep, to sit at a picnic table with the family and Isabelle, eating their ice cream. Isabelle sat down, feeling the comfortable squish underneath her, and went ahead eating her ice cream. It was a pleasant evening, and Isabelle was having a lot of fun with Jess and the family. Isabelle was happy to help when Jess said they needed more napkins, getting up and going to an adjacent table to take some of the ones sitting out there. 'I really am being the best helper tonight.' After the family finished their ice cream, they loaded back into the car. Eric had stayed asleep the whole time, and, by the time they were on the road moving again, it was not long before Becky fell asleep in her booster seat. The effect of the kids both falling asleep was that, there was no noise on the car ride home. Even Jess and John were being quiet, for some reason. 'It seems all the grownups - myself, Jess and John, are content to simply appreciate this fine evening for a moment,' Isabelle deduced. Jess reached out to the radio, and turned on some quiet, soothing music. The music was enchanting, and Isabelle found herself listening to it, the mus8c slowly playing its way into her head, into her mind, and through her body. Isabelle shook off a big yawn, and instead settled back in her seat, stretching her legs out. As the music continued to soothe her, Isabelle decided to closee her eyes, feeling all of the food settle in her stomach. It was a pleasant night...and..*YAWNNNN......it was only going to get....*YAWNNNNN...nice........cer..... **** Isabelle woke with a jolt as the car came to a halt. she felt disoriented, but looked in front of her and soon realized where she was. They were back at Jess's. Isabelle saw that Becky was still fast asleep, as was Eric in front of her. Isabelle did her best to compose herself and make it seem as though she hadn't fallen asleep. But composing herself was only half of the battle; It had not been the jolt that had woken her up - or perhaps it was. But either way, Isabelle woke up and found that she was, yet again, peeing in her sweetnight. 'Damn it.' Isabelle thought, as she let the stream continue to pour into her sweetnight, spreading its way underneath her butt, and up her backside. 'It's only because I peed the first time...which wasn't even my fault,' Isabelle decided. 'Whatever. Its stupid anyway.' Isabelle was feeling particularly grumpy, as John and Jess each opened separate doors, each unbuckling and carrying one of their sleeping kids inside. "Coming Isabelle?" Jess asked, holding Eric on her chest. 'The girl seems super focused on something....she was just asleep a minute ago.' Isabelle, for her part, finished peeing before answering. "Yes! Sorry!" and climbed out of the car. Isabelle found, as her feet hit the ground, that she had to adjust her walking like she did in the mornings with a full sweetnight, and did her best to make her way up the stairs without revealing what had happened. But Jess was a mom. And moms knew. 'That girl has definitely wet her sweetnight now,' Jess thought, sure she was right. 'Poor girl must be mortified.' But on second thought, Jess thought, she looks completely fine with it. 'I guess she is used to wearing them at night...still odd she never asked to go to the bathroom,' Jess considered. "Okay everyone. Lets get the kids up to bed. Isabelle - you can stay in the living room and watch TV for a bit while we handle these two." Isabelle nodded, and made her way over to the TV as John and Jess carried Eric and Becky upstairs. Isabelle hoped she wasn't too late, but was thrilled to find out that she had arrived home just in time: the Emerald Chronicles episode two was about to start. 'Phew....I don't think I could have waited to stream it until tomorrow.' Isabelle set the proper mood by turning the lights off, and sat herself on the couch moments before the 9:00 start time. 'Here we gooooooooooo!!!' Isabelle thought, as she kicked her feet and squirmed on the couch, feeling the warm comfort of her full sweetnight engulf her. Isabelle was only about ten minutes into the episode when Jess returned downstairs, walking toward Isabelle, and sitting next to her on the couch. The show had just introduced the crystal wand, which Isabelle knew would be stolen in book three, and Isabelle was entirely consumed by the show, so much so that she barely noticed Jess sitting next to her. "Belly....." Jess whispered, but Isabelle didn't react. "Belly......I need to talk to you....." Jess repeated, whispering, as she started to stroke Isabelle's hair. On instinct, Isabelle's head fell naturally toward Jess, and rested on her chest. But Isabelle's eyes never left the screen. "Belly.....I need your attention," Jess said, as this time she took the remote and paused the show. Isabelle couldn't believe it. "Hey! I was watching that!" Jess was a little startled, but suppose kids talk back a little at that age. And Isabelle was coming off as a little cranky. "Belly! Don't hey me!" Jess said, at her normal voice level. "You can watch your show in a minute.....though I am not entirely sure this is appropriate for you. Does you mom know you watch this?" "Sorry" Isabelle said in response, and then nodded. "Yes she does. She bought me all the books. I just finished book three Jess!" Jess smiled back. "That's okay sweetie. I was just going to tell you that Eric and Becky are both asleep. You can stay up a little longer, but its past bedtime for you too already." Jess said, as she watched Isabelle's face scrunch. "Don't worry - its a streaming show. You can finish it anytime," Jess clarified. "But there is one more thing," Jess said, as she started to whisper again. Isabelle turned her head up from Jess's chest to look her in the eye. "Belly...its okay...its no big deal sweetie....but do you want to tell Auntie Jess if you had a little accident while we were out? Your sweetnights are looking pretty full...." Isabelle didn't respond. She simply went red in the face, and looked down. Instead of answering, she just shrugged her shoulders. What else was there to do? Jess didn't want to make it worse for the girl, but needed to confirm. So Jess reached out and placed a hand on the front of Isabelle's bulging leggings, and gave her sweetnight a gentle squeeze, which effectively, was more of a squish based on how full they were. Jess then pulled Isabelle back in for a hug. "That's okay sweetie. Auntie Jess doesn't mind. Accidents happen. But we can't let you go to sleep in those. So let's go upstairs and get you changed, get you into your pajamas, and then we can come and watch a little more TV, okay? Isabelle nodded, and took Jess's hand. 'Jess is being so sweet,' Isabelle thought, as she rubbed her tired eyes, and let Jess lead her upstairs. But Jess didn't lead Isabelle into Becky's room. Instead, she led her to Eric's room. While Isabelle's heart started to beat faster, she didn't exactly resist. "Come this way sweetie. We have to clean you up too. It'll be easier here." Just like that, Jess led Isabelle into Eric's bedroom, the sounds of lullabies filling the air. Isabelle continued to hold Jess's hand, until they made their way next to Eric's changing table. "We'll be really fast sweetie. Don't worry," Jess encouraged, as she bent down and helped Isabelle out of her leggings. As Jess did, Isabelle's sweetnight was let to fall down, sagging between her legs. 'Good thing....this couldn't last any longer.' Jess thought before helping Isabelle out of it, and depositing it in Eric's diaper djinn. Jess took a series of wet wipes and quickly cleaned Isabelle up, wiping her bottom, crotch and legs thoroughly. Isabelle felt awkward standing there as Jess wiped her, trying to offer but not being fast enough. 'Jess was really quick though.' Jess then helped Isabelle step into a fresh sweetnight, pulling it up Isabelle's legs for her. "Arms up," Jess whispered, as Isabelle cooperated and Jess took Isabelle's shirt off, setting it aside. Isabelle was now standing there in nothing but her sweetnight, and was feeling a little chilly. Jess grabbed Isabelle's nightie, and eased it over her head, letting it fall down to her knees. "There we go sweetie. Go back downstairs. I'll meet you on the couch in a bit." Isabelle didn't need to be asked twice, as she sheepishly made her way back downstairs to turn her show on again. Jess tidied Eric's room a bit, before heading down herself. Isabelle was disappointed in herself for having an accident, but rather than dwell on that, focused instead on how nice Jess had been in helping her get changed. It was nice, being in a dry sweetnight. 'Not that they're so bad when they're wet,' Isabelle thought, as she fluttered her eyes opened and closed, trying to stay awake for her show. Isabelle decided to reposition herself on the couch once Jess returned, laying down and spreading her body out, laying her head in Jess's lap. Jess proceeded to continue stroking Isabelle's cheek and hair, lulling her into a sense of comfort and joy. Isabelle never had time to appreciate the error of her adjustment - she was fast asleep only five more minutes into her show.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 30 By the time the TV show had ended, Isabelle had already wet her sweetnight twice. The first time, Isabelle had considered getting up to go and use her mom's bathroom. The show had transitioned to the first commercial break, and there was nothing technically stopping her. 'But what's the point? I'm going to wet it tonight anyway? And I'd rather stay in bed with mom right now!' So Isabelle let loose, laying on her stomach at the front of the bed, and lifting her belly just enough to let the stream start, this time with very little resistance from her body. 'It was a peculiar feeling,' Isabelle thought, 'feeling so much of the bed getting absorbed in the front of her sweetnight,' as Isabelle felt it spread underneath her, and toward her stomach, never leaving its intended container. It was a contrast to how her pee normally soaked into the bottom of her sweetnight. The second time, however, had been a little more surprising. Toward the end of their episode, Isabelle had shifted to lay on her back near her mom. The show had been nearing the end, and there was been one particularly funny part that resulted in Isabelle laughing quite uncontrollably. Without realizing it at first, Isabelle had started to pee at the height of her laughter. It was a much shorter pee, but Isabelle was surprised as she felt the droplets roll down and tickle the bottom of her butt. 'Where did that come from.' Isabelle had considered saying something about her wet sweetnight to her mom as she said sweetnight, and was heading to bed. 'But what was there to share?' Isabelle wondered. 'I wet my sweetnight. It happens. Its no big deal. Even mom said its not a big deal.' It felt strange to have wet it while she was technically awake, 'but that was a mere technicality, no? I mean, I'm in my pajamas, and its bed time. Its basically bedwetting. I was even in a bed when I did it!' Isabelle rationalized what happened to her, the end result being that she elected to not share with her mom that she was already wet, and instead made her way to her bed. As Isabelle made her way to her room, she could already feel the warm weight of her sweetnight underneath her, protecting her, comforting her, surrounding her like a weighted blanket to help her sleep. Isabelle pushed the door to her bedroom open with a smile, before closing it behind her, and slipping underneath her sheets beneath the canopy hanging over her bed. Isabelle pulled Rabbity into her chest, and remembered nothing else of the day. *** Isabelle went through her pre-exploration checklist diligently. "Spacesuit - check. Investigative Journal - check. Food supplies.....where are my food supplies?" Isabelle asked no one in particular, as she was preparing to leave her landing ship. Turning her head, Isabelle spotted a glass leftovers container with some spaghetti and meatballs, picking it up, and placing it in her bag. She continued. "Food supplies - check. First Office Rabbity, you have command of the ship," Isabelle said to Rabbity, sitting in the co-pilot's chair, who nodded in response. Isabelle pulled the hatch to her left, and pulled her investigative journal out. The journal possessed the most advance of technologies, writing her thoughts in neat gel pen as she spoke orally. It allowed Isabelle to free her hands for more important tasks. The hatch opened. Isabelle took one more moment to ensure her space helmet was secured tightly, and stepped out onto the planet's surface. "We have reached the planet known as "Aquaria." The entire planet appears to be covered in water, ranging from several inches, to several feet in other places. We have landed our astronaut investigator ship in an area with just a few inches, but plan to explore the planet in search of space clues." Isabelle was unsure what the clues were supposed to help with, but it was clear she needed to find them. Isabelle waded into the inches of water, her spacesuit feet submerging into the water. "Investigator spacesuit indicates air is safe to breath," Isabelle stated for her journal, and hit a button opening her mask. Her face was immediately met with the planet's air, which was filled with a refreshing mist and beautiful scent. In the distance, Isabelle could hear the gentle sound of waves crashing, and the call of some native species of whales. With each step, Isabelle marveled at the breathtaking beauty of Aquaria. The planet was covered in sparkling turquoise oceans as far as the eye could see. to her left, a stunning waterfall cascaded down from another surface of water, crashing into rocks made of sapphire, tourmaline, and aquamarine. Isabelle diverted her gaze down into the waters, where she saw native species of fish, rainbow in color, with big smiles on their faces. In the deeper waters off to her right, Isabelle could see a native species of dolphin soaring in perfect formation, welcoming her to the planet. Isabelle noted it all for her journal; any and all of these clues would be vital 'for.....for.......for whatever.' Isabelle concluded, unconcerned of her ultimate goal. But there was something else that caught Isabelle's attention—an island in the middle of the ocean, lush and teeming with vibrant green vegetation. "I have located what appears to be the single piece of land on the planet. I will make my way to it, and claim it in the name of Henrietta," Isabelle declared for her journal, as she pressed forward toward the island. Isabelle walked forward, the water levels beginning to rise, first to her shins, and then to her knees. Pushing through the water became more challenging, so much so that Isabelle needed to activate the water-pressure resistance bubble makers on her boots, allowing her to walk through the water with greater ease. "Thank goodness for Rabbity's boot enhancements. Planet is treacherous to cross. Future investigator astronauts be advised: level three swimming badge likely needed to visit." Isabelle continued to walk through the knee-deep water, feeling the coolness against her suit. As she ventured further, she discovered amazing creatures she had never seen before—glowing fish that illuminated the waters, who formed themselves into a path, guiding Isabelle to the island. "Thank you fishies! Note for journal, native glowfish very friendly. Potential future as investigator assistants." As Isabelle came within 50 yards of the island, she again sunk further into the waters, this time the water level rising above her waist. Isabelle continued forward, however, despite the cool water slowing her pace. "40 yards...almost there......30 yards.......25.." Isabelle stopped at 25 yards, noticing a change in environment. "Stopping at 25 yards from island. Water surrounding suit appears....warmer." As Isabelle felt the warming of the water, she felt she could not move. A slight panic set in, and Isabelle was unsure how to proceed. The warm water spread out from her, expanding toward her legs, and even toward her back which had not even been in the water. Isabelle's heart began to race faster, growing concerned at the spreading warmth. And then, all at once. the warmth cooled, and Isabelle shot up. But she was no longer in her spacesuit. She was no longer on Aquaria. No, she was sitting up in her bed. And her bed was very, very wet. Isabelle couldn't control herself, she couldn't help herself, and everything that happened next, was a blur. Isabelle began wailing, crying her little green eyes out, as she felt the cool dampness surrounding her, an ever-present reminder that she had wet the bed. The cool morning sun had just pierced her window, not yet providing warmth to the room. Isabelle shouted, through her tears, as loudly as she could muster. "MOOOMMMMM MMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!! MOOOOMMMMMMMM MMEEEEEEE" Each call was layered by sobs, by harsh crying sounds. Isabelle was a mess, and threw her comforter off of her, as she sat upright, in the middle of a huge, wet circle surrounding her. Jane, for her part, woke up instantly at the sound of her daughter's cries. Jane didn't stop to think. No, instinct kicked in, and Jane was out of the bed, and out of her room, before she knew what time it was or what was going on. Jane sprinted down the hallway to Isabelle's bedroom, pushing the door open, and finally seeing her daughter. It was a relief in part, that Isabelle appeared safe. Her daughter had not been kidnapped, there was no stranger in her room. Isabelle was not bleeding, did not fall out of the bed and break a bone, and was not, generally in peril. Jane's mind had immediately registered the worst, and seeing her daughter - though crying, and 'Oh baby...she wet the bed' - was safe, instantly calmed Jane down. Isabelle saw her mom come into the room, looking scared and frightened. Her mom had been leaning forward as she entered the bedroom, her head whipping through the door before her body could even fit. But her mom's terror dissipated, and was replaced by a warm, loving smile. Isabelle had hoped to see that smile first, but was glad it came anyway. Regardless, it did nothing to stop Isabelle's crying. In face, Isabelle started to cry even louder. "MOOOMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Isabelle continued to cry, as Jane made her way toward the bed. "I.....I......I......I........." Isabelle couldn't finish the sentence. She couldn't come to terms with what happened. But she knew she didn't really need to; it was pretty clear what happened. Jane was unfazed, but was processing how to move forward. She didn't want Isabelle to worry about something so silly, but also understood this was a pretty traumatizing event for a girl Isabelle's age. 'first comfort, then questions,' Jane decided, sitting down on the bed without a concern that her right thigh was basically laying entirely on her daughter's wet sheet. "Sweetie come here," Jane said, pulling her daughter in tight. 'Now is no time for modesty I suppose,' Jane decided, shifting her daughter from where Isabelle was on her knees, hugging her, by pulling her left arm underneath Isabelle's butt, and sitting Isabelle on her lap. Isabelle allowed her mom to maneuver Isabelle's body, and simply wrapped her arms around her mom. Jane's decision was fruitful, as she was able to cup her daughter's sweetnight as she lifted Isabelle onto her lap, identifying what the issue was immediately: over capacity. Jane didn't start to talk for a while. Instead, she simply squeezed her daughter tightly against her chest, rocking her slowly to help Isabelle down. "Shhhhhhhhh Shhhhhhhhh Shhushhhh baby.....Its okay. Its okay....Shhhhh Shhhh Shhh......It was an accident. Its not a big deal. Mommy isn't mad. You shouldn't be sad. Its okay....Its okay..Shhhhhh.Shhhhhhhhh...Shhhhhh." Jane held Isabelle, repeating those words for the better part of five minutes, waiting for Isabelle's heart rate to slow down. Jane could feel the rate of tears dripping down on to her shoulder slow, as well as the volume of snot fall from her daughter's nose on to her slowly cease. Jane could feel Isabelle's heart pressed against her go from rapid beating to slowing down as Jane continued to rock her daughter in her arms. Finally, Jane could feel Isabelle's vice grip around Jane's neck loosen, allowing Jane some room to mover her neck comfortably. But Jane simply continued to hold Isabelle. Hold her, love her, and let her daughter know that she was there, for probably another five minutes. Isabelle finally appeared to settle down enough for Jane to shift Isabelle's head off of her shoulder, but keeping Isabelle on her lap. Jane continued to feel the massive weight of her daughter's sweetnight laying against her thigh, the liquid contained with in being slightly forced out through the shell and onto her thigh under the pressure of Isabelle's weight. Jane brushed her daughter's hair to the side with her left hand, before wiping a solitary tear off of Isabelle's face. Jane's smile never left her face. "Sweetie. Its okay. It was an accident." Jane repeated once more, the words an obvious comfort to her daughter. "And it isn't your fault sweetie. That's why you have your sweetnights. This one was just too full. Its okay baby!" Jane said, pulling her daughter's back in for another hug. Jane was, however, dubious. The sweetnight should have been enough for the whole night. More than enough, in fact. Especially with the new boosters she had taped in to each pair. 'They're practically diapers with those,' Jane thought to herself. 'How did this happen?' Jane was genuinely curious. Jane would need to explore this more later. For now, they needed to get ready for the day. "Sweetie, why don't you go into the shower and clean up, okay? Do you need mommy's help?" Isabelle pondered the question for a long moment, before deciding that she could do it by herself. "N....No......No...mommy. I can...can.....can....can do it." Isabelle said, as Jane helped her daughter to her feet. "Lets get these jammies off of you," Jane said, easing her daughter out of her long pink, and very wet sleeping shirt, before bending down and easing her sweetnight off of Isabelle. "Okay baby - go into the shower. Mommy will clean this all up - nothing to worry about." Isabelle scampered off. Jane took a deep breath, and started pulling Isabelle's pillows off the bed, as well as anything else that was dry. Jane picked up Rabbity, sniffing it, and deciding that Rabbity was likely fine - a miracle, before pulling the last of the dry linens off of the bed. Jane then pulled the fitted sheet at the corner, scooping up the two sheets on the bed, and setting them on a pile on the floor. Jane then worked to take off the plastic sheet she had added to the bed off as well. 'Thank goodness I put this on. Her mattress looks perfect.' Jane said, applauding herself for the decision. Finally, Jane worked to take the cover on Isabelle's comforter off, as it had gotten a little wet as well, before adding it to the pile on the floor. Jane lifted all of the sheets into Isabelle's laundry basket, picking up her daughter's clothes from the night prior, and wet pajamas from that morning as well. Seeing no reason that the sweetnight couldn't be carried with the laundry, Jane threw that on top as well, and carried the heavy load down to the basement. On the way, Jane could hear the water in the bathroom shower running, and some sobs echoing from the room as well. 'Poor girl...' Jane thought, as she descended the stairs to the basement. Jane set the basket down in the laundry room before carrying the soaking wet sweetnight over to the garbage. It had become routine for Jane to throw Isabelle's sweetnights out in the big garbage bin - her daughter seemed to just leave them on the floor wherever she took them off. Jane hoped Isabelle could show a little more responsibility with them, but hadn't yet. Jane wasn't going to stress Isabelle more about her daughter's bedwetting though. Jane returned to the laundry room, and started to sort the sheets and other laundry, before putting a load of the wet things in, and starting the wash. As she made her way upstairs, Jane considered how it was possible that Isabelle had overfilled the sweetnight, landing on only one possibility. 'She had to have wet it before she went to bed,' Jane decided. 'Maybe no more drinks before bedtime either......I'll need to get more involved I think.' Jane wanted to see what Isabelle had to say, however. Jane made her way back upstairs, and opened the door to Isabelle's bathroom. "Everything okay in here sweetie? I ran the wash and your bed is fine. No harm done! But we need to get going so we can get dressed and ready for school, okay baby?" Jane waited for a response, and after about 15 seconds, she received it. "Okay mommy." Jane closed the door and made her way to Isabelle's room, deciding to pack her school bag for her, as well as her overnight bag. Jane collected Isabelle's journal from her desk, opening her bag to put it in. As she did so, Jane noticed that Isabelle's Emerald Chronicle book was in her bag. Jane turned a little red at the sight of it - she had been nervous to buy that book for Isabelle. 'It is kind of a little inappropriate.' But her daughter had insisted. Jane simple hoped the other moms in her class didn't find out, or, wouldn't judge Jane for it. Jane continued packing, switching over to Isabelle's overnight bag. Jane hoped Isabelle had not forgotten about her sleepover tonight. 'Is it really fair to Jess though,' Jane wondered, 'with Isabelle having all these problems....' Jane felt torn. She felt she should be there for her daughter. 'I should cancel....its the right thing to do....I'll call Jess first though." Jane decided. Just in case, Jane packed the overnight bag, adding two extra sweetnights for emergency use. Jane was zipping up the overnight bag when Isabelle made her way back into the bedroom. Jane gave her daughter another hug, "lets get you dressed for the day!" Jane was trying to exude enthusiasm, to keep her daughter's mood high. Jane turned back to the dresser, and for a moment, just one moment, Jane had to ask herself a question. 'Do I need to send her to school in a sweetnight?' The question was asked in Jane's mind quietly; it was barely as whisper in Jane's mind. But the thought had made its way in, and it was not leaving. It was demanding an answer. Rather than allow it to get louder, Jane answered. 'No. No no no.....Absolutely not. Nothing has happened to suggest she needs that during the day. Its just a nighttime issue.' Jane wasn't sure if she was trying to convince herself or the voice in her head. Either way, she was settled - 'I'm not sending my big girl to school in protection. She's been through enough.' Jane didn't notice, but her hand was resting on the drawer with the sweetnights. She shook herself out of it, and moved it toward the drawer with Isabelle's panties instead, pulling out a pair, before searching the other drawers and pulling out a pair of purple leggings with colorful stars on them, and a white t-shirt Jane had recently bought. Jane took the panties and bent down, holding them open for Isabelle. For her part, Isabelle didn't act as if it was out of the ordinary, simply letting her towel fall to the ground, and stepping into the panties, one leg at a time, and allowing her mom to slide them up her legs. As her panties settled against her, Isabelle couldn't help but still feel naked. Jane repeated the process with Isabelle's leggings, rolling them so Isabelle's foot went straight through the leg hole at the bottom, before handing Isabelle her own shirt to put on, as well as a pair of pink socks. "You put those on yourself baby. Mommy needs to get dressed too." Jane disappeared, leaving Isabelle alone to pull her socks on. Isabelle sat on the floor as she undid the bundle, content to put her socks on herself. Isabelle then put her shirt on, and stood up, feeling much better. Isabelle had continued crying in the shower, but at some point, had simply run out of tears. The warm water from the shower felt nice against her skin, which was still moist from laying in her pee for who knows how long. Isabelle couldn't understand how this happened. She felt mad at her sweetnights for letting her down. Isabelle took a minute to compose herself in her room, before she made her way downstairs. Isabelle could hear her mom on the phone as she approached the kitchen, wondering who she could be on the phone with so early in the morning. ".......No I mean..........Of course I want to, but it isn't...............I am not being ridiculous...................but.......well............Okay. Okay okay okay. You win. Fine." Jane repeated. Isabelle didn't think her mom sounded mad, but the conversation was very confusing. "Yes.......Yes......I did...........packed extra for you.........drop off after I leave work..........hair appointment.......yes my head," Jane scoffed, ".......and I'll be sure to tell her to behave.......Ya.........Yah that will be nice.........Of course. Okay.....And Jess....Thank you." Jane hung up the phone, and turned to her daughter with a big smile. "That was Jess sweetie. She was calling just to say how excited she was that you were going to stay with her tonight! Becky hasn't stopped talking about her big sleepover, and Jess is so happy you'll be over to help her!" Jane said, keeping her strategy of enthusiasm up. "Aren't you just SO excited!" Isabelle had been excited. She was excited to show her mom and Jess that she could be a responsible babysitter again. But after this morning, Isabelle was feeling very vulnerable. "Mom...my.....Do I need to sleepover? Can't you pick me up on your way home?" The question broke Jane's heart. Her daughter was calling, asking for her. But Jane knew it would be better for Isabelle - and her - for her daughter to sleepover. "No sweetie I can't. Mommy is going to be very late, well past your bedtime," Jane explained, but wanted to offer a more compelling reason. "Plus Becky would be so sad in the morning if she woke up and you were gone. That wouldn't be very nice. would it?" Isabelle pondered the question. Her mom was right - that wouldn't be very nice. More importantly, it wouldn't be very 'mature babysitter behavior,' Isabelle concluded. 'It's like mom is always saying, sometimes when you grow up, things happen...like babysitting jobs!.....what was the other part......Oh ya! Things happen when you grow up, and you just need to accept them.' Isabelle wanted to show her mom she was a big girl, especially this morning, and so nodded. "Okay mom. That does sound fun anyway," Isabelle admitted. Isabelle sat down as her mom prepared breakfast, content to do nothing but let her head rest in her hand. Jane put Isabelle's cereal down in front of her, as well as her toast with strawberry jam. Isabelle looked at her toast and noticed that her mom had drawn a smile on each piece of toast with the jam, prompting a giggle out of Isabelle. "You're so silly mommmmm" Isabelle said, as she giggled again taking a bite out of the toast. It warmed Jane's heart to hear her daughter laugh again. Isabelle finished her breakfast as Jane sipped her coffee. "Go to the bathroom sweetie, and then we're off to school." Isabelle nodded, lowering herself off of the kitchen stool, and making her way to the bathroom on the first floor. Isabelle closed the door behind her, and sat down on the toilet. Within a few minutes, Isabelle had peed and pooped. Isabelle wiped herself, and washed her hands, before making her way back to the kitchen where she saw her mom loading the dishwasher. "Okay buttercup, let's get moving. Out out out out the door!" Jane said playfully, as she chased Isabelle to the front door, grabbing her daughter's bags along the way. *** Miss Jenny's class that morning had been a lot of fun! Isabelle welcomed the distraction. After the morning Isabelle had, Isabelle had a hard time leaving her mom as she dropped her off that day. Isabelle wasn't sure if it was made better or worse when her mom got out of the car to give her a big hug, before reminding Isabelle that Jess would be the one picking Isabelle up right after school - no library time. "Be on your best behavior for Jess tonight sweetie. And tomorrow, I promise well do something fun together! How does that sound?" Isabelle didn't audible answer; she just held on to her mom, and nodded into her neck. Miss Jenny's morning class started with reading groups again. Isabelle pulled her Cam Jansen book out, and flipped to the page she had left off at the prior class. Even though it wasn't Isabelle's turn to read, she had a better time with her group today. Alice was in Isabelle's group, and it had been her turn to read today. Alice, Isabelle learned, was a great reader, 'maybe the best in the class,' and she even did different voices for all the characters when she read. Isabelle wondered if she could do that too the next time it was her turn. 'It seems tough to remember which voice is for which person,' Isabelle thought. Alice even seemed to be more inclusive, at first, by reading one part directly at Isabelle. It made Isabelle feel a little better about her social situation. Alice finished reading early, and so Isabelle's group had some free time. Unfortunately, even though Alice had seemed a little more welcoming at first, the members of her group all seemed to gather together without Isabelle. It would have bothered Isabelle less than usual, if not for her morning. Isabelle tried to fight off thoughts of Mel, and how sweet her friend had been to her when Isabelle had her accident, but the memories were strong. Isabelle decided to take out her gel pens and color while she waited for Miss Jenny to shift activities. The latter part of the morning was spent working on the students' stories. Miss Jenny had picked three stories to work on that morning, none of which were Isabelle's. But it didn't matter - it was still fun to hear other peoples stories. The first story they worked on waws about a boy's pet turtle. That story had been particularly boring until the end, when the turtle tried to play volleyball. The class all had to work on spelling ten words from the story, including "volleyball," "turtle," and "beach." Miss Jenny had to spend extra time on the last word for some reason, explaining very clearly and loudly that it was supposed to be spelled with an "ea" and not an "it." Miss Jenny told the class to never spell it the other way, which was odd. Isabelle thought the boy - Ricky - who wrote the story's spelling was the correct one, so Isabelle was happy Miss Jenny taught her otherwise. The class then worked on sentence structure with the next two stories, one about a princess who could turn any vegetable into candy, and another about a blue duck who was being bullied by red ducks. Isabelle worked hard to learn where to place her verbs in a sentence, and more importantly, to include them. Miss Jenny also showed the class why using descriptive words was important, and how it could make a story better. Isabelle was all smiles by the time the lunch bell rang. Isabelle left her items at her desk, and stood up with the other students. Isabelle then made her way to the cafeteria, getting lost in the field of students that made their way there as well. Isabelle settled into the lunch line when she felt someone touch her arm. Isabelle turned, startled, to see that it was Charlotte, greeting her with a smile. "Hi Isabelle. Class was fun this morning, wasn't it?" Isabelle smiled in return. This girl did seem nice. " Hi Char...lie." Isabelle decided to try - it was what her friends seemed to call her, and Isabelle desperately wanted to fall into that category. Simply saying the nickname caused Isabelle to sweat, but she continued. "Ya! I really liked the story work were doing. I'm trying to harness the power of the princess from the second story right now, so I can turn our lunch into candy!" Isabelle's joke prompted a laugh out of Charlotte. 'Score!' Isabelle and Charlotte stood in line together, talking about school until they got their lunch. Today's menu was some sort of fried chicken sandwich, and it smelled amazing. "..So I start with the art program next week," Charlotte explained in response to Isabelle's question about what art program Charlotte was in. Isabelle was slightly disappointed - she had hoped Charlotte would be a dancer too. "I'm really excited. Apparently, Mr. Glick starts the first week with painting, which is my favorite!" Isabelle could feel the excitement radiate from the girl as she spoke. It made sense. Isabelle felt the same way about ballet. Isabelle could hardly believe that it had been three days without dancing, uncertain if she had ever gone that long before without a ballet class. "I'm excited for you! I'm also excited to start with Miss Amber's class next week." Charlotte turned to Isabelle, "I didn't know you were in the advance ballet group. That's SO cool." Charlotte said. Isabelle smiled, feeling good about herself. She needed any boost she could get today. Isabelle followed Charlotte to the same table Isabelle had sat the prior day. Finding herself more comfortable sitting on the end, Isabelle took a place next to Charlotte, allowing the girl to lead her into the table. Though she felt better about having somewhere to eat, the lunch did not offer her the type of comfort and comradery she had been used to. Isabelle remained silent for most of the period, offering the occasional affirmation, head shake, or smile when she felt it was appropriate. Isabelle was already missing class, and was definitely feeling an emptiness inside that she knew only her old friends could fill. So it was, when Isabelle felt her bladder ping in a bit of urgency, she gladly excused herself from the table, and made her way quickly to the bathroom near her classroom. Isabelle didn't mind that the lunch period was still running a little longer; she was content to get to the bathroom, and truth be told, felt more comfortable sitting by herself on the toilet seat than she did on the bench with her classmates. Isabelle's pee echoed off of the toilet bowl in the empty bathroom, as she rested her head in her hands, her arms propped up be her legs. The echo served as a reminder that she was on her own. Isabelle missed her visits to the bathroom with Dani and Lola. Dani was so outrageous all the time, Isabelle used to spend more time on the toilet laughing than peeing. Lola was also a great bathroom partner; she was normally so reserved, but she would always spill her heart out in the bathroom or locker room. Isabelle swung her legs as they dangled above the floor, pretending to dance, and thinking of her friends, as she continued to pee in silence. *** Isabelle's afternoon classes with Miss Jenny started off the same way they ended - more stories. That brightened Isabelle's mood almost immediately. Isabelle was made even happier when it was revealed that they would be working on spelling from her story. Miss Jenny took the time to read Isabelle's story first. Isabelle was proud of it, and could tell other students were very impressed with her writing. Miss Jenny then provided the class with another ten words to word on. Isabelle was a little embarrassed at the mistakes the made, but, it made her feel better that her mistakes were mostly with really long and hard words. 'Miss Jenny even said the same thing,' Isabelle noted to herself, as she had to erase the mistake she made spelling the word "eight" again with her pencil. 'What a silly way to spell that word.' Miss Jenny apparently agreed, and for the next topic, the class worked on something called "homophones," which Isabelle and a few other students laughed about. 'It's a silly sounding word,' Isabelle thought. But the concept was really cool - the entire lesson was all about words that sound the same, but are spelled differently. Isabelle never knew that existed - "I just thought you spelled them the same if they sounded the same," Isabelle answered, when Miss Jenny had asked the question. "Most people do Isabelle, very good!" Miss Jenny responded. 'But that's why we come to school, we get to learn how to spell each unique word, even if it does sound like another word." So the class proceeded through a work sheet that Miss Jenny handed out on homophones. 'Miss Jenny seems to have a work sheet or stencil for everything!' Isabelle thought, as she worked through this particularly challenging one. 'I wish all schools did this!" As the afternoon went on, Miss Jenny shifted to other subjects, and Isabelle lost interest. While they were halfway through their math lesson, Isabelle had to raise her hand to use the bathroom, finding that she rather urgently needed to go. Once she had permission, Isabelle made her way to the toilet to pee, but unfortunately all the stalls were occupied. Isabelle waited the best she could, but her need became more urgent. Isabelle started dancing from foot to foot, waiting as patiently as she could, but her need was becoming desperate. Just when Isabelle thought of finding another bathroom, she heard one of the toilets flush, and the door started to open. Isabelle made her way to the stall, only to find a familiar face pop out. "Oh Hi Isabelle!" Miss Amber said, enthusiastically, seeing the small girl in front of her. Amber immediately recognized what was going on, Isabelle bouncing from one foot the other other, and a hand pressed against her crotch. "I thought you were practicing your dancing out here! Go ahead sweetie!" Isabelle didn't need to wait to be told - she went right by Amber, pulled her pants and panties down, and jumped on the toilet. As she did, Isabelle noticed she had forgotten something. 'I forgot to close the door!' Isabelle was sitting on the toilet and had already started peeing, so could not do anything about it. Amber however, saw the problem and walked over, holding the door shut. "Isabelle! You need to make sure to close the door. I've got it....don't worry." Isabelle was too embarrassed to respond, but managed to squeak out a "thank you!" Isabelle wrapped up her business, before pulling her pants back up, and making her way to the bathroom door. "All done, you can let go!" Amber released the top of the door, letting Isabelle out. "You need to lock it before you sit next time," Amber said stifling a laugh. Isabelle didn't notice, and simply nodded, before leaving and going to the sink to wash your hands. "Okay good. I hope that when you come to my class next week, you pee before you come. The only happy feet I want to see are dancing ones." Amber said, before leaving. Isabelle was unphased by the remark, but made a mental note to herself that Amber was right - Isabelle should probably pee before her dance classes started next week. With that, Isabelle finished drying her hands and made her way back to Miss Jenny's class. The remainder of the afternoon passed without much to report. Isabelle did her best to focus on class, but found it hard. She was feeling rather tired; it felt like the day had been going on forever. Isabelle was relieved when the bell at the end of the day rang, and started to pack her things up. "Okay everyone. Before you leave. Remember - starting next week, you start your arts programs in the afternoon. So we only have morning class. Be sure to get here on time, because we are going to be starting right away next week. And have a great weekend everyone." Isabelle finished packing her things, and made her way over to Charlotte's desk. "Her Char..lie. I brought you the Emerald Chronicle book. You said you wanted to borrow up," Isabelle said, offering the book to Charlie at her desk. Charlie looked at Isabelle, and back at the book, and then to Isabelle again, her eyes going wide. 'Shoot. Did I do something wrong?' Isabelle wondered. 'I cant afford to keep making mista... Isabelle was cut off as Charlie stood up, and hugged Isabelle tightly, screaming "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! This is amazing Isabelle. I PROMISE to return it in perfect condition." Isabelle watched as Charlie stuck it in her desk, and turned back to Isabelle "I just can't bring it home, or else my mom will get made at me! I'll start reading it next week at lunch. Can I ask you questions if I have any?!" Charlie asked Isabelle, her excitement not going away. "Sure!" Isabelle responded. It felt like Isabelle was finally making a friend, so she would be willing to do almost anything to keep that going. 'Plus I love talking about the Emerald Chronicles. So it literally would be my pleasure.' Charlie waved goodbye and ran out the classroom door, her joy exuberant. Isabelle made her way out of class too, waving goodbye to Miss Jenny along the way. Isabelle was about to head to the library when she remembered that Jess was picking her up right after school, and so instead headed to the front of the school where the kids signed out. As Isabelle rounded the corner, she spotted Jess immediately, who was first in line to check Isabelle out of school. Jess was wearing a pair of tight black yoga pants, and a cute, fashionable black top. Isabelle waved vigorously at Jess, who held her arms out for a hug. In response, Isabelle jogged toward Jess and jumped up into her arms, Jess lifting Isabelle up in the air with ease. "Hi Jess! You're first in line! That's crazy!" Isabelle said, as Jess placed her down on the grown, and signed her out with Miss Amber. "Well I was just too excited to spend the rest of the day with you! Now come, we have to go pick Becky up at pre-school. Can you be my helper?" Jess asked Isabelle, as she took Isabelle's hand and walked her out of the school. Isabelle liked being thought of as a helper. "Yes! I'll be the best helper!" Isabelle shouted in response. Isabelle continued to hold Jess's hand, but was jumping around, spinning, and full of energy. Something about leaving school re-energized her, and Isabelle was excited to spend to time with Becky as well. Jess simply laughed, and pushed the door to the school open, putting on her sunglasses, and pulling Isabelle toward her car. When they reached Jess's van, Jess walked Isabelle to the passenger side, opening the automatic door. Once the door opened completely, and before Isabelle could react, Jess picked Isabelle up and placed her into the seat behind the passenger. Only it wasn't just the seat of the car - there was a booster seat on it, and Jess had placed Isabelle on the booster, before reaching for the seatbelt, and buckling Isabelle in. "There we go," Jess said, before pushing the button to close the door. Isabelle settled herself into the booster seat, noting its distinct advantage for peering out the window. 'It does boast a better view.' Isabelle saw no reason to complain. Looking over at the other middle seat, Isabelle could see Eric's car seat - 'It's not as if I'm stuck in one of those.' Jess entered the driver's seat, turning to make sure Isabelle was okay. "All set?" Isabelle nodded. Jess smiled, turning the car on, and offering one last "Off we go then!"

Thank you, as always, for catching my silly mistakes. You deserve to be listed as editor at this rate! Thank you! I need to go back and correct the other excerpts from the book. I don't own MS office haha so I write the story in notepad, and don't have the ability to italicize. I didn't realize I could do so here until a few chapters in. I definitely want to make consistency and readability changes throughout, its just that I want to write new chapters more! LOL. I appreciate the support and comments always! There are loads of more experienced and superior writers here. I feel lucky to be able to learn from them all.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 29 "Sweetie, we're home. Time to get up.." No sooner than Jane having buckled Isabelle into her seat, her daughter had fallen asleep in the back on the car. Jane didn't want to bother Isabelle, and so drove silently to let her daughter rest. 'It sounds like she had a pretty rough day,' Jane thought to herself. 'But she will be okay. Kids go through things like this all the time.' Contrary to Jane's belief, Isabelle was probably going through something a little more rare. But, Isabelle was tired. "Sweetie. Come on. Up you go," Jane said, unbuckling her daughter's seatbelt and lifting her on to her feet. "Can you walk for me baby? Mom has to carry some things into the house. Isabelle rubbed her eyes, feet on the ground in her driveway. She didn't remember falling asleep, but she knew she must have. Isabelle heard her mom's question, but didn't have the energy to respond, so simply nodded, and continued to wipe the dust bunnies from her eyes. "Good girl," Jane said, carrying in Isabelle's bag on her shoulder, and groceries in her other arm. Jane locked the car door, and followed Isabelle up the stairs to the front door of their house, where Isabelle waited for her mom to unlock the door. Jane pulled out her key, inserted it into the door, and pushed it open, feeling the contrasting cool air of the house blast out and hit her. It was nice to be home. Isabelle sluggishly made her way into the house, and headed straight downstairs. She was in the mood to watch some TV, she decided, and made her way down to the couch, pulling the remote out. As she did, she heard her mom call down to her "..Belle. Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. So just one episode okay?" Isabelle heard her mother, but was still working up the energy to respond. Instead, she just flipped the TV on, and found what she was looking for - some Rover Roo. Isabelle needed to take her mind off of things. The harder she worked at cracking her conundrum, the more exhausted she felt. It was a lot of work, doing an investigation by herself. 'I mean look. The Cluefinders have FIVE people,' Isabelle thought, 'plus Rover Roo. And even they take a long time to crack their conundrums. It makes sense that my pace has been slower.' Isabelle settled into the couch as she continued to watch her episode. After it ended, another episode started immediately after, but Isabelle remembered what her mom had said, and so turned the TV off. Isabelle was also feeling an urgent need to pee again, and so when she stood up, she made her way upstairs to the bathroom near the kitchen to pee. Isabelle emerged to her mother walking by, while chatting on the phone. Jane put her arm around Isabelle and guided her back to the kitchen as she continued to speak about god knows what. "uh huh......Yah.......Okay, I'll try that.........Yah I picked some up like you said..............Yaaaaaaa.," Jane said, as she started rubbing her daughter's side, "..we had a bit of a rough start to our morning. But were having a nice time now. Okay.......Ya speak later. Bye." Jane hung up and redirected her attention to Isabelle. "Guess who that was? It was Jess! And she was asking all about your day at school today, did you know?" Isabelle didn't, but she wasn't exactly surprised. Why wouldn't Jess be interested in Isabelle's day at school? It had been quite the day! Jane didn't wait for Isabelle to respond, as she watched her daughter climb up on the kitchen stool. "And guess what? You're going to get to sleepover at Jess's on Friday night! How exciting is that? Jess said she had a very special night planned for you. She needs a helper to look after the kids." 'About time,' Isabelle thought. 'Dani probably let Jess know how responsible I was last week, and I can finally babysit Becky and Eric again.' Isabelle thought, as her mom put a plate of pasta in front of her. "That sounds great mom," Isabelle said, before reaching for her fork and sticking it into her noodles. "Are you coming too?" Isabelle asked, curiously. Isabelle liked the idea of being able to show her mom how responsible she was as well. "No sweetie. But I'll pick you up in the morning, okay? Mommy is going out with friends that night. But you'll be on your best behavior for Jess, right?" Isabelle nodded, as she used her fork to scoop more noodles into her mouth. "Ockkkee Mam," Isabelle said, with a full mouth, before drinking her full glass of water her mom had set out for her. Jane got up to refill it for her daughter. The rest of dinner went by nicely. Jane asked Isabelle all about her book on space. Isabelle, unfortunately, couldn't share much, having only read a single page, but told her mom, between bites of food and drinks of water, that it had been very exciting so far. "I think it will yield promising information," Isabelle said to her mom, without providing more context. Jane stood up and chuckled. "Yield promising information? When did my little girl learn words like that? That Miss Jenny must be doing a wonderful job with you at school, using words like 'yield.." Jane said, as she collected Isabelle's empty bowl and took it over to the sink to wash. "Straight into the shower with you now," Jane said, "and then bed," Jane announced, as she turned on the sink to begin washing the dishes. "And you better use soap young lady!" Jane announced playfully, but having noticed that her daughter's showering habits had been, well, less than perfect of late. "Or else I'll have to come in and make sure you're doing it right!" Isabelle hopped of her stool. "No problem mommy," she responded, before running upstairs straight into the bathroom, where she pulled off her shirt, her leggings, and her panties, before giving the bathtub faucet an extra hard tug to turn it on, pulling the lever to start the shower. Isabelle waited a minute, patting her full tummy, for the water to warm up, before getting in, letting the warm water sooth her bones. Isabelle could practically feel the water wash away the difficulties of the day, the sticky tear streaks under her eyes, the loneliness of the school day flowing off of her, and down the drain. Isabelle felt her body relax in the warm water, so much so apparently, that she had started to pee without realizing it. Isabelle allowed herself to finish, before re-washing her legs again, having peed on them a little more than she would have cared to admit she had. Isabelle turned the shower off, letting the water drip off of her body for a minute, before wrapping herself in a towel, soaking the liquid off of her body. Isabelle stepped out of the shower and on to the mat in front of the tub, where she stopped to dry herself off before leaving the bathroom. 'Another unexpected benefit - less body to dry!' Isabelle laughed to herself, trying to make the most of the less than ideal situation. Isabelle exited the bathroom, where she ran into her mom in the hall. Jane saw her daughter, bent down to her level, and started rubbing the towel Isabelle was wrapped in around Isabelle's body, helping dry her off. "Okay sweetie. Let's get into pajamas. Come, well go together, Jane said, as she stood up and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder, walking with Isabelle toward the girl's room. Isabelle leaned into her mom as they walked. Jane reached out and turned Isabelle's doorknob, pushing the door in, and then walking into the room. Isabelle, however, stopped walking, as she was confronted with yet another thing she had not expected. Her room had changed again. To the naked eye, the space in Isabelle's room was fitting for a girl her age. The room radiated joy and warmth, designed especially for an imaginative and creative ballet dancer such as Isabelle. The walls are painted a soft shade of pink, providing a soothing and cheerful atmosphere that Isabelle would have admitted was a welcome change, if not for being distracted by the rest of the changes. Delicate white trim framed the edge of the walls, which matched the white, scalloped windows that added playfulness to the color. The windows themselves were dressed with flowing and flowery pink curtains, tied back with ribbons adorned with colorful bows, letting the glow of the moon shine into her room. In the center of her room, Isabelle identified her cozy and comfortable bed, smaller than the one she was used to, but still plenty big enough for her. Her bed was adorned with a lovely pink bedspread, her sheets seemingly having not changed from the white polka dot ones she had wet not so long ago. the pink comforter had, what appeared to be horses, stitched on to it, the steeds galloping toward the viewer. The pillows on the bed were dotted with colorful patterns of flowers, butterflies, and even unicorns, with Rabbity sitting prominently in the front. More fluffy pillows in various shades of pink, white, and pastels rested against the back headboard. Isabelle couldn't help but feel the bed was inviting her to sink into it, and fall into dreamland. Above the bed, a whimsical canopy hung from the ceiling, draping down in delicate pink fabric adorned with twinkling fairy lights. The canopy shone with a magical ambiance, making her bedroom feel like a fairytale come true. On each side of her bed, a small wooden nightstand stood proudly, piled with short chapter books on each, ready to whisk Isabelle away to magical lands.. The nightstands had smooth surfaces, each also holding a charming pink lamp with a frilly lampshade. The lamps, along with the twinkling lights of her canopy, were the only source of light when Jane opened the door, casting a soft glow in the evening light. 'Perfect for bedtime reading,' Isabelle thought. Against the far wall to Isabelle's right, her desk had been replaced with a spacious, painted wooden desk adorned with stickers of her favorite cartoon characters. Isabelle immediately recognized Rover Roo and several other members of the Cluefinders starring back at her, welcoming her to sit down. The desk also appeared to be home to an assortment of art supplies, including colored pencils, markers, and crayons in a rainbow of shades. A pink and white polka-dotted chair to match her sheets provided a cozy spot for her to unleash her creativity and bring her vibrant imagination to life. Isabelle wanted desperately to sit down upon seeing the desk, and continue to work on her investigative journal. In front of her was her white dresser, though similar, shorter and wider. Isabelle recognized that it would be far easier to reach into each drawer with this design, considering her diminutive stature. On top of the dresser were photos of Isabelle and her mom, some recent, some old, in whimsical and interesting frames that brought a smile to Isabelle's face. There was also a new feature in her room. On the other side of her dresser, in the far corner of the room running along the left side, a dollhouse stood tall, complete with miniature furniture and tiny dolls, perfectly positioned for playtime. The dollhouse appeared to be in excellent condition, and Isabelle was, despite not wanting to admit it, immediately fascination creating stories and tales for the dolls to adventure through. Isabelle stepped into the room after her mom, her bare feet coming into contact with a fluffy pink rug covering the majority of her floor. Isabelle wiggled her toes, feeling the rung whisp between her feet, creating a soft and inviting space for her to walk - or sit and play. Jane had already made her way to Isabelle's dresser, opening the top, and largest of the drawers, and pulling out a sweetnight. Jane reached out to Isabelle, handing it to her. Isabelle, in turn, simply dropped her towel to the floor, and took it from her mom, stepping into it and pulling it up. There was something, odd, however, tonight about her sweetnight. 'This feels......different,' Isabelle thought to herself. It wasn't that they felt bad, or even uncomfortable. In fact, they felt substantially better. 'They kind of feel great.....amazing, even.' Isabelle thought to herself, as she squirmed a little, watching her mom close the drawer, and bend down to go into what appeared to be Isabelle's pajama drawer. Isabelle took the chance to ask her mom what happened. "Momm.......my sweetnights feel different. Did you get new ones?" Isabelle asked, innocently. Jane had just found a set of lime green pajamas, with pineapples and mangoes dancing around on them, for Isabelle to wear, when she turned to answer. "Oh don't worry sweetie. I just put an extra little pad in the ones we had. Jess told me about the trick. Its nothing to worry about, just put them on like you always do." Jane responded, handing Isabelle the pajama set. "Are they not comfortable anymore? I did my best to make sure the boosters were attached correctly!" As Isabelle listened to her mom's explanation, she was able to connect what Jane was saying to what she was feeling and experiencing. 'hat's what's different,' Isabelle thought, as identified the increased bulk between her legs. Though it was forcing her legs a little further apart, Isabelle actually found it to be even more comfortable, 'almost like having a pillow between my legs,' she thought. "No mom, they're super comfy now." Isabelle responded. "Thanks." Isabelle wasn't sure why her mom had added this little booster or whatever that was, but she was grateful that her mom did. 'This will ensure even better sleeping,' Isabelle thought, 'which in turn, will translate to faster results in solving this conundrum!' Jane smiled, as she watched Isabell pull her pajamas bottoms on. 'I'm glad she's not making a big deal about this..' Jane thought to herself. As she watched her daughter pull her pajama top on, Jane couldn't help but smile. The booster in the sweetnight added some pretty substantial bulk, so much so, that it was pretty obvious what her daughter was wearing underneath her pajamas. Jane chuckled to herself at the cute site of the waistband of the sweetnight hovering over her daughter's pajama bottoms, and the obvious bulk protruding from underneath. 'Sweet girl,' Jane thought, as she made her way over to help Isabelle, who had seemingly gotten stuck in her shirt, find the head hole. "Okay. Bedtime. Chop chop." Jane said, patting her daughter's padded butt toward the bed. Isabelle responded, immediately jumping toward the bed, and throwing some pillows off to the side, before climbing under the covers with Rabbity. Isabelle couldn't put her finger on it, but she could feel something else different underneath her. It wasn't her sweetnight, which was providing her nothing but added comfort. Instead, it was something odd beneath the sheet, 'slippery almost,' Isabelle thought. Much like her new sweetnight, it wasn't a bother. Instead, it felt kind of fun, and Isabelle squirmed her legs around feeling whatever it was all around her, before snuggling up with Rabbity. As she starred up at the canopy hanging over her, Isabelle couldn't help but smile; she loved her new room, her new décor, her new bed even. Isabelle was not sure when her mom had the time to make all these changes. 'This will be the perfect place to sleep, and an even perfecter place to solve this conundrum!' Isabelle thought to herself, as her mom turned her bedside lamps off, and made her way out of Isabelle's bedroom, into the hall. With the faint glow from the firefly-like lights in her canopy, Isabelle closed her eyes, feeling as though she was falling asleep under the heavens, as she fell into dreamland once more. *** Isabelle pulled Rabbit close to her chest as she blinked, laying on her back. She could feel the warm glow of the sun shine through her pink curtains, and hit her cheek once more. Isabelle blinked, and pulled herself up in her bed into a seated position, turning and seeing it was time to get up, at least according to her alarm clock. Isabelle was too comfortable to get up, however, even despite her recognition that she needed to pee. 'I don't wanna get outta bed yet,' Isabelle thought, as she eased herself back down, and consciously let her bladder flow. There was no internal debate this time - 'no dif...*YAWN*....ference.......still sleeping...' Isabelle decided, though very much awake. Isabelle closed her eyes as she felt her pee flow out of her, making contact with an already squishy sweetnight. the front of the sweetnight did its best to rapidly absorb the pee, before it could take no more, reflecting the liquid down further into the sweetnight, more being absorbed along the way. Isabelle smiled as she felt the warmth of the padding, replacing the cooler sections from where the sweetnight had absorbed her pee earlier that night. Isabelle felt as her pee continued to roll underneath her to her, tickling the edges of her butt, as Isabelle shifted her legs further apart and lifted her butt slightly in an effort to ease the pees path underneath her as she yawned once more. Isabelle could hardly believe that the pee was still flowing out of her as the liquid appeared to reach the small of her back, still contained by her sweetnight. As it did, Isabelle heard her door open, her mom having come in and turned her light on. As Jane approached the bed, Isabelle could feel the stream slow, and stop, before the last refuge of her sweetnight at her back soaked it up, before settling, warm and comfortable all around her. Isabelle opened her eyes again, and smiled at her mother. Whether she was smiling at the sight of her mom or something else, Isabelle couldn't be sure. All she did know was that she slept like an angel. "Good morning Isabelle," Jane said, as she came and sat down next to her daughter, sliding a hand under ther covers and kissing her daughter on the forehead. Jane's hand made its way to her daughter's stomach, tracing circles with her fingers, garnering giggles from Isabelle from the tickles. Jane slid her hand further down, patting her daughter's very warm, very very full sweetnight. 'She must have peed just before I woke her,' Jane thought, grasping the front of the sweetnight a little more firmly, feeling its warmth and bulk. 'Its a good thing I put those boosters in. She would have gone right through these. The sheet was smart as well...' Jane concluded. For her part, Isabelle hardly noticed her mothers hand on her sweetnight. Sure, she knew her mom's hand had moved off of her stomach, but paid no mind to whatever it was doing. Instead, Isabelle simple wished her mom a good morning too, shifting up to her knees to give her mom a hug, wrapping her arms around her mom's neck. Isabelle immediately felt the weight of her sweetnight, which was drooping low into her pants, and nearly pulled her over. Isabelle was entirely unbothered by it. "Up. Teeth brushed. And downstairs for breakfast. Let's go." Jane announced, kissing her daughter one more time, and returning to her own room to get dressed for work. Isabelle got out of bed, again feeling the weight of her sweetnight. Standing up now, Isabelle could feel its bulk forcing her legs slightly further apart. The sides of her sweetnight were almost acting like heaters for her thighs, and Isabelle found it rather comfortable. The increased bulk continued to feel better than what she had previously been wearing, including when wet. Isabelle walked toward the bathroom, finding that she had to waddle a little more than walk in her current state. After washing and brushing, Isabelle returned to her bedroom, pulling her pajama top off before removing her bottoms, kicking them to the side. Without her pajama bottoms on to hold her sweetnight up, it drooped still further, and Isabelle laughed as the sweetnight almost took itself off, Isabelle easing it off of her and pushing it to the side. Isabelle turned to her dresser, where she spotted some "Kidz Wipez" on top. Noticing that there was a little pee smell still emanating from her, Isabelle decided to grab a few of the wet wipes from the container, and quickly wipe down her crotch, vagina, thighs, and butt with a few wipes, before piling them up on top of the dresser. Isabelle felt much cleaner like this, and was glad her mom had set the wipes out for her to use. Isabelle searched through two drawers for her panties, finally finding a pair of yellow ones and slipping them on. Isabelle then opened another drawer, intending to find a pair of pants, but instead finding a large piece of dark denim. Unsure what it was, Isabelle pulled it out, revealing a long overall like clothing item. 'Except they aren't overalls,' Isabelle deduced, 'they have a skirt on at the bottom.' Isabelle decided she wanted to wear those today, and went into another drawer to find a black and white horizontally striped shirt, pulling it over her head. Isabelle then stepped into her skirtalls, pulling them up. Isabelle struggled to grasp the buckles and pull them over her shoulders at first, but was able to do so once she sat on the floor. Standing up, Isabelle adjusted her skirtalls down, and made her way downstairs. In the kitchen, Isabelle found her mom drinking her morning coffee and reading the newspaper. Another bowl of cereal, as well as toast and jam, were already waiting for Isabelle, who hopped up onto the stool, and started eating right away. "Mommy, can I have the I-Spy game please?" Isabelle asked between bites. Jane complied, setting the page aside for Isabelle. "Once you're done eating everything." Jane said, flipping the page to the international news section. Isabelle took her mom's remark as a challenge, working hard to eat every last bite of her cereal and toast, before drinking the milk out of her cereal bowl, as well as finishing her glass of milk on the side. "AHhhhhhhhhhhhh" Isabelle groaned, as she finished the last sip of milk, and got onto her knees, so she could reach the newspaper. Jane, watching Isabelle reaching over the counter, quickly moved her daughter's empty glass out of the way, which Isabelle had nearly knocked on to the ground. "Careful sweetie," Jane said, before getting up, and shifting Isabelle's hair around. "Your hair is crazy this morning," Jane said, before leaving momentarily, and returning with a hair brush. Isabelle allowed her mom to brush her hair out at the counter as she worked diligently to spot the differences in her puzzle. 'Can't find any......today," Isabelle thought, pausing as her mom worked a knot out in the back of her head. After about 15 minutes of searching, Isabelle was shocked she couldn't find a single difference. "They're really making these puzzles hard mom," Isabelle said, as her mom was finishing up, clipping a big pink bow on the back of her daughter's hair. "I know sweetie. Those are for adults anyway. I'm always so proud when you even find a single clue. You can try again later though, we need to head of to school. Quick quick. Lets go, out the door. Lets go make some friends today! Jane chanted, trying to send an upbeat message to her daughter, who had hopped off of her stool, fixed her skirtalls, and made her way out the door, forgetting her bag behind her. Jane laughed to herself, following her daughter, and picking up her school bag before locking the door behind her. 'Sometimes this girl....would forget her head!' Jane thought. *** When Isabelle arrived at school, she rushed immediately to the bathroom, rolling up her skirtalls and pulling down her panties, sitting on the toilet to pee and poop. She felt the need arise in the car again, and diligently made her way to the bathroom as soon as she was dropped off, barely waving to her mother as she ran into the elementary school. Once she finished, she made her way alone to Miss Jenny's class. Morning class passed much like it had the prior day, except Isabelle felt right at home for the start. Isabelle had raised her hand to answer the first math problem, nearly getting it right, and worked independently through her exercise book that Miss Jenny had handed out. Later in the morning, the class worked on writing their own short stories, which they would later edit and work on their spelling and grammar skills that Miss Jenny was going to teach. Isabelle decided to write hers about a young detective name Elizabeth who solved mysteries: Once upon a time, there was a girl named Elizabeth. She was ate years old and loved solving misterees. Everyone in her nayborhood new her as Detectif Elizabeth. One sunny morning, Detectif Elizabeth woke up to find her favorit stuffd animal, a bunny named Mr. Hop, missing from her bedroom. Detectif Elizabeth new something was rong because Mr. Hop was always by her side. Detectif Elizabeth put on her detectif hat, a bright pink one with a shiny gold bage, and decided to solfe the misteree. Detectif Elizabeth began her investeegason by looking in her room for cloos. Detectif Elizabeth notised a trail of tiny footprints leeding out of her window. It was cleer that Mr. Hop had been kid napped. Detectif Elizabeth followed the footprints to the neerby park. She went behind the bushes, trying not to make a sound. As she got closer, she saw a skwirel holding Mr. Hop in its mouth! Detectif Elizabeth new she had to come up with a smart plan. She rememberd that skwirels loved acorns, so she quikly gathered a bunch of acorns and made a trail leeding away from the skwirel. The skirwel cood not resist the tasty treet and followed the trail, dropping Mr. Hop along the way. Detectif Elizabeth took her chance and ran too Mr. Hop. She hugged Mr. Hop titely, feeling happy and proud for being the best detectif. With the case solfed and Mr. Hop back in her arms, Detectif Elizabeth returned home. She couldn't wait to tell her mom about her axsiting adfentoor as Detectif Elizabeth. And so, Detectif Elizabeth's repootation groo, and she became a hero to everee one in the sity. Isabelle was very proud of her story when she was done with it as the lunch bell rang. "Okay everyone. Come hand in your stories. We're going to work on these tomorrow afternoon, so make sure to put your names on the top." Miss Jenny announced. Isabelle took a purple colored pencil out from her bag, taking her time to write her name slowly, and neatly, on the top of her page as her peers all ran by her to hand in their stories. By the time Isabelle looked up, she was alone in the classroom. "Isabelle, come on sweetie. Off to lunch." Isabelle wrapped up, and approached Miss Jenny with a big smile, handing her the story. "I hope you like it Miss Jenny," Isabelle said, before heading off. "I am sure I will. Now go get something to eat." Isabelle found herself alone in the hallway with the realization that she would likely have to endure another lunch alone again. 'And this time I doubt there will be pizza to make it better,' Isabelle thought to herself, as she slowly trudged her way along the hallway toward the cafeteria, taking her time. By the time Isabelle arrived, lunch was well underway. She found a place at the back of the lunch line, but it was almost at the food already. Isabelle wasn't too disappointed - she was able to get a hot dog, fries, and even a pudding cup in line, before turning to find somewhere to sit. Isabelle tried to spot Miss Amber, but didn't see her anywhere. 'Where should I sit today.....' Isabelle spotted an empty place at the end of a rectangular table with some girls she recognized from her class. Deciding to take her mom's advice and try to make some friends, Isabelle made her way over to sitting at the end of the table. As she sat down, Isabelle felt her presence had garnered some strange looks from some of the other girls. 'It's not as if they told me I couldn't sit here or anything,' Isabelle decided, joining the girls as they ate. Isabelle largely stayed quiet as the rest the girls spoke, listening for an opportunity to chime in. Isabelle learned that the small blonde girl sitting next to her seemed to be named Charlotte, and she seemed nice. A few of the girls called her Charlie. There was also a set of twins with olive skin and dark hair across from Isabelle, who went by Alice and Erica, the latter of which smiled at Isabelle at least when she sat down. Isabelle felt better today, but it still wasn't the same. 'I miss Lola, Dani, and Mel..' was all Isabelle thought, as her stomach churned a bit from the nerves. At that moment, however, Charlotte mentioned that she was going to try and "sneak" away one of the Emerald Chronicle books from her sister. This caught Isabelle's attention, as a few of the other girls also mentioned their displeasure at "not being allowed to get the books." Isabelle didn't know what overcame her, but at that moment, she spoke out loud. "They're really good books. If you can get it from your sister, you should. They're so fun." The table went silent as Isabelle munched away at her remaining three french fries, completely unaware of the commotion she caused. When she looked up again, she could see the entire table was starring at her; Charlotte's mouth was completely agape next to her, and most everyone's eyes were so wide, Isabelle could basically see into their brains. Alice's jaw was practically on the table. 'Shoot........what did I do wrong?' One of the girls finally spoke up. "Nuh-uh. No way. I can't believe that you read them!" Isabelle was perplexed. She didn't get angry, there was no reason to. "Of course I have. I just finished the new one last week. And I decided to start re-reading the first one this past weekend a bit, so I could see if the show was being the same as the books were." Isabelle said, before pushing her tray out in front of her. Whatever Isabelle had said, however, seemed to make it worse. Now the girls were all making noise, and leaning in, asking more and more questions. Apparently they now believed Isabelle had read the books, but were even more shocked that she had watched the show. "How was it?," "Was it crazy?", "ohmygod was it the best?" "my mom said I'm not allowed to watch it, "Yah mine too!" Isabelle couldn't keep track of why everyone was shouting at her, but did her best to answer at least some of the questions. "Yes it was really good. No...I mean it wasn't crazy. It was a lot of fun!...Yes, it kind of was the best! I love the books, and loved the first episode." Isabelle answered. Charlotte, sitting next to Isabelle, was the only one who had anything of substance to really add. "That's really cool Isabelle. I'm happy for you that you got to watch it. Do you think I could borrow the book from you when you're done re-reading it?" Isabelle saw no reason why not, and simply said "sure, just give it back when you're done." At that moment, however, Isabelle realized she needed to go to the bathroom rather badly, and excused herself. She could almost have sworn Charlotte looked sad that she was leaving, but that was probably too much to hope for. Isabelle put her tray on top of the nearby garbage basket on a pile with the others, and made her way to the bathroom to pee before class. *** Isabelle was happy when the afternoon bell rang, indicating the end of the school day. Miss Jenny's lesson plan that afternoon had been particularly challenging. Isabelle found it really hard to manage with all the names and dates in the history portion of class. 'Plus it was super boring.' And then Miss Jenny taught a whole section about plants, and how they grow, and about soil, that Isabelle felt had dragged on forever. Isabelle was a little disappointed that she got more than a few questions wrong on another work sheet Miss Jenny passed around, and though she was a little embarrassed when Miss Jenny came to correct her mistakes, she was glad that Miss Jenny spent the time helping her. By the end, Isabelle felt a little better about the material. Isabelle checked herself into the library immediately after class, having been told by her mom that she would need to go today as well. Not wanting to wait in the same line as yesterday to check in, Isabelle jogged past the other students to ensure we was first in line, and made her way through the doors in the library. Isabelle made her way past Mister Sir, who she now knew went by Eugene, and checked in, before finding herself sitting at her same table she had occupied the day earlier. Isabelle used her belongings to make it look as though she was occupying as much space as possible, before heading back to the bathroom at the front of the library to pee again. Isabelle was glad to see that the desk was empty upon her return, and she sat down, pulling out her investigative journal again, as well as her new space book, to continue working on her theories. Isabelle flipped the book open to page 2, and continued from where she left off the prior day. '..........But space is not just about stars and the Sun. It is also filled with fascinating objects such as planets, moons, asteroids, and comets!' As you continue to learn about space, you'll encounter extraordinary concepts like worm holes, where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape its pull!' Isabelle couldn't help but audibly gasp. "There it is!" Isabelle shouted, garnering a polite "shhhh" from Eugene at the front desk. Isabelle blushed with embarrassment, but was too excited about the fact that the book mentioned wormholes. 'This is indeed a very good book. I'll have to tell Eugene about it.' Isabelle continued reading. Our home planet, Earth, is just one of eight planets in our solar system. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit other planets like Mars or Jupiter? Isabelle hadn't actually wondered about that before. 'But that would be pretty cool. Maybe I could even travel to the planet where the Emerald Chronicles take place. Maybe they ARE actually real. Oh that would be the best.' Isabelle was loving her new space book, and having a great time reading it. 'Did you know that astronauts are brave explorers who venture into space? They travel in special spacecraft called rockets, leaving the Earth's atmosphere behind to journey into the great unknown. They float in zero gravity, which means they can fly and do somersaults inside their spaceships!' 'This just keeps getting better and better,' Isabelle thought. 'Maybe I can be an astronaut one day. But a detective astronaut, who solves mysteries in outer space!' 'Space is not just for astronauts, though. We have powerful telescopes that help us see far-off galaxies, sparkling nebulae, and even other planets. Scientists study space to learn more about how our universe was born and how it continues to change. So, buckle up your imagination and get ready for an amazing journey into the mysteries and wonders of space. From exploring distant galaxies to understanding our place in the universe, there are endless adventures awaiting you. Are you ready to reach for the stars? Let's go!' 'Buckle up? PA-LEASE' Isabelle thought to herself. 'I've BEEN buckled. Buckling is yesterdays news. Now? Woooah, I'm already way down the road here. This. Book. Is. AWESOMMMMMMMMEEE!' Isabelle was basically bouncing in her seat as she closed the book, having completed the "Introduction" chapter, and putting it back in her bag. Isabelle then pulled her investigative journal closer, opening it up to the next clean page. Isabelle pulled out a sparkly, dark blue gel pen, which she deemed appropriate to be the space color. Wormhole theory update: Found book on space. Very promising. Book includes advansed lessons on worm holes, and lesson plan to become astranaut. Will work hard at learning about worm holes, but also mastering space. Might take a few weeks to complete before ready to traval into the stars. Might be nesessary. Wormhole theory is new leading theory. Space book suggests that wormholes suck things in, impossible to escape. Will need to see if it can also alter reality. If so, it is very possible that the earth was sucked in by a wormhole that made only one change to the planet - some weird thing where I get younger.' Isabelle paused for a moment to consider what she wrote, wondering how plausible it was. After a moment, she continued. 'Its a good thing we didn't go through a wormhole that made mom younger. She is not nearly as good a detective as me. She would have gotten stuck. Will update shortly.' Isabelle turned to the front desk, where she spotted her mom waiting in line behind some other parents. Isabelle packed her gel pen and journal up, grabbing her bag and making her way over to her mom, greeting her with a hug. "Ready!" Isabelle announced. Off they went. **** "So sweetie, how was your day at school?" Jane asked, as they sat down to eat dinner. Jane felt bad - she had to take a work call in the car the whole afternoon. Jane was taking the afternoon off the next day, and had to make sure all her files were in order. The call had lasted the whole car ride as a result, and Jane didn't have a chance to talk to Isabelle at all. 'No matter.' Jane thought, piercing a piece of broccoli with her fork. 'I'll probe her now!' Isabelle had just finished the last of her own broccoli, and was working her way through her baked potato when her mom had asked her the question. "It was okay mommy," Isabelle responded. "I hadda lot of fun in Miss Jenny's class this morning. We got to write stories. I wrote mine about a detective. But I wish I would have wrote it about an astronaut detective now." Isabelle started, as she scooped some potato into her mouth. "Oh! An astronaut detective!? That sounds like a pretty neat job." Jane responded with a smirk. She loved her daughter's imagination. Isabelle swallowed before continuing. "Yah. And we get to work on the stories tomorrow again." Isabelle stopped for a minute, to consider how to proceed next. "I sat with some girls from class at lunch. But they didn't seem to want to talk to me much," Isabelle said sadly. "But one girl seemed nice. Her name is Charlotte. Her hair looks like mine," Isabelle pointed out for her mom. "I tried harder to make friends today....I'm just not sure I made any," Isabelle admitted, sadly. It broke Jane's heart to hear her daughter say she didn't have friends. But the truth was Jane was so proud of Isabelle for even trying. 'And I'm sure she will end up great friends with this Charlotte, and other girls as well, in no time.' Jane concluded, coaching herself up a bit. "I'm so proud of you sweetie," Jane responded with. "I am sure they were so happy that you sat with them. Before you know it, you'll be friends with all of them. This Charlotte girl sounds nice too! Is she in Miss Jenny's class?" Isabelle nodded, and continued to converse with her mom as they finished their dinner. Once Isabelle was done, Jane handed her the I-Spy from the newspaper to work on while Jane cleaned the kitchen. It took Jane a little longer than usual, so Isabelle had some extra time to look for differences. Ultimately, it made no difference, as Isabelle grew bored, unable to find any, and ended up just drawing pictures in the margins of the paper. Jane took a deep breath as she put the off-brand dishwasher pod into the machine, and started running it. She stood upright, and turned to her daughter, and felt nothing but pride. "How about you go upstairs and get ready for bed, and I make us some hot chocolates, and we go watch a show in my bed before bedtime?" Isabelle snapped her attention away from the newspaper, and looked at her mom, wide-eyed, and in disbelief. 'Hot Cocoa?! On a WEEKNIGHT?!?!' Isabelle was not about to question it. "Okay mom!" Isabelle jumped off of the chair, and raced up the stairs, her skirtalls swaying as she sprinted as fast as she could. Isabelle opened the door to her bedroom, unbuckled her skirtalls, and slid them off her body and on to the floor, before pulling her stripped shirt off and throwing it wherever. Isabelle pulled her top dresser drawer open, where she knew her mom stored her sweetnights, and pulled one out - this one actually had a picture of one of her favorite Kisney Princesses on it, which brough a smile to her face. Isabelle took her panties off, and considered, for a moment, going to the bathroom before putting her pajamas on. Not seeing the point, Isabelle instead excitedly slide her sweetnight up her legs. Isabelle was immediately reminded of the comfier, thicker, and, 'well better,' sweetnights her mom had gotten for her. Isabelle then dug through her pajama drawer before finding a simply pink, long t-shirt that she threw on over her head, and raced over to her mom's room. By the time Jane arrived upstairs with cocoas in hand, she found Isabelle was sitting at the front edge of her bed in her pajamas, waiting for Jane. Jane smiled at the sight of her daughter, before handing her the cocoa. "Just let me get into my pajamas too," Jane said, as Isabelle took the cocoa with one hand, and the TV remote with the other. Isabelle waited as her mom got into her own pajamas, more focused on picking out a show to watch. Moments later, Isabelle felt her mom climb into the bed behind her. "Okay. Pick quick. Its teeth brushing, and bedtime right after. One show." Jane instructed, as Isabelle settled on some show she had never heard of. It really didn't matter what they watched; Isabelle was just happy to be with her mom.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 28 Isabelle felt her body rustling. She was disoriented, and for the most part, still sleeping. She was cold all of the sudden though, and used her arms to search for the comforter, but couldn't find it. But she found a different warmth - her mothers touch. Even in her disorientation, her sleep, Isabelle could feel her mother's warm hands, her comforting touch, adjusting Isabelle's nightgown, and sliding her hands up her legs. Isabelle felt her mom grasp something on her sides, and pull it down her legs, Isabelle lifting her butt to accommodate her mom. "Good girl....." Isabelle heard her mom whisper. A few seconds, or minutes later, Isabelle could feel her mom slipping something else up her legs this time, once more accommodating her mom by lifting her butt. Before she knew it, Isabelle had found the covers again, and was lights out again until morning, no memory of any part of what happened. **** Isabelle slowly opened her eyes the next morning. She could feel that she was not in her bed, but knew where she was. 'I must have fallen asleep here last night, with mom' Isabelle concluded, without specifically remembering any part of the night prior. Isabelle felt the warm sunshine against the left side of her face. As it his her, Isabelle felt it make contact with some stickiness along her mouth and down her cheek, from drooling the night prior. Isabelle paid no mind, blinking her eyes to welcome the morning sun into her life. Isabelle pulled the comforters up, wrapping her body in them once more, and turning to her side to find her mom. As she did, Isabelle could feel the full weight of her sweetnight beneath her, soaked from her pee. 'That's what I get for peeing during the movie I suppose,' Isabelle thought, without any idea that the contents she was feeling were from her second, rather than first, sweetnight of the evening. Isabelle was sad that her mom was not next to her, but her sadness did not last long. A moment later, Isabelle heard the latch on the bathroom door open, the door swing in, and her mom emerge in nothing but a towel. 'Good morning my angel," Jane said, making her way over to Isabelle, and sitting next to her on the bed. Isabelle shifted herself over to her mom so that her head was laying in Jane's lap, on top of her leg. Jane stroked her daughter's hair before moving her arm to rub Isabelle's back. Isabelle closed her eyes again as Jane did so. "No no no, we're getting up sweetie. I hope you slept well last night. I loved having you in mommy's bed!" Isabelle smiled. She had enjoyed it as well. She couldn't remember the last time she fell asleep in her mom's bed, but for some reason, it felt more recently than she believed. In any event, she had slept wonderfully. Without so much as Isabelle noticing, Jane's hand had traced its way to Isabelle's sweetnight, the front of which Jane now had cupped, and was bouncing, in her hand. "Someone soaked their sweetnights last night. I'm really not sure these are going to cut it just yet sweetie. We'll have to see about this. Why don't you go brush your teeth. I laid out some clothes for you here in mommy's room for you to get changed into for school." Isabelle didn't respond to her mom's remarks. It didn't feel necessary. 'Sure, yah, I wet my sweetnights. No big deal. I do every night now?' Isabelle thought to herself. 'I don't know why mom is making such a big deal about it. I'm not - I slept great!' Isabelle sat up and smiled at her mom. "Okay mom," and proceeded to get on her feet. Before she could so much as take a step, Isabelle better understood what her mom had meant - her sweetnight was so heavy it was practically pulling her down. 'I must have really had to go last night,' Isabelle concluded. 'No big deal.' Isabelle shifted her way toward her bathroom, feeling the weight of her sweetnight with every step. For that reason, the walk to the bathroom felt oddly longer. Isabelle pushed the door open to the bathroom, turning toward the sink, and reaching for her toothbrush. It took her two attempts to grasp it, but finally, she pulled it back, and put toothpaste on the brush. Isabelle had to reach again to turn the faucet on, before wetting it, and brushing her teeth. Isabelle left the bathroom, returning to her mom's room, where she found her mom getting dressed for work. Isabelle watched as her mom finished hooking her bra, before reaching for her skirt, bending over to in order to step into it and pull it up above her waist. Isabelle smiled at her mom. Isabelle had always thought her mom was really pretty; smooth skin, nice blonde hair like her own, and pretty green eyes too. Her mother had always maintained a nice figure, despite rarely having the time to work hard at it. Isabelle had always held out hope that she might develop a figure like her mom's as she grew up, but never quite matched her mom's bust size. "Come in and get changed sweetie. We're going to be late." Isabelle saw where her mom had laid out a pair of pink leggings, panties, white socks, and grey shirt with a star for her on her bed. Isabelle looked at the clothes inquisitively, before turning to her mom "Mom - I need my ballet clothes for the morning. I can't go to school in these." Jane turned to her daughter as she grabbed a shirt from her closet, "Isabelle. I don't have time to do this. You don't have ballet until next week. Now please put your clothes on. We are going to be late. Please be a good girl," Jane asked pleadingly, as she slipped her arms into her shirt. 'I can do that,' Isabelle thought, though she wasn't sure why dance was off until next week. Isabelle went over to the clothes, and started to pull her nightgown off, when she felt it was grabbed by her mother as well, who eased it off over her head. Isabelle took over her soaking sweetnight, letting it fall to the floor before grabbing the pair of white panties her mom had pulled out for her, and pulling them on. Isabelle grabbed the pink leggings, and, proceeding to sit on the floor, worked to pull them up over her, before putting on her white socks. Isabelle stood up, and put her shirt on over her head, and gave her mom a big smile, proud of the work she did. "All dressed mom!" "Great job!" Jane responded, as she tucker her button down shirt into her pants, "now go downstairs and wait for me. I'll make you breakfast." Isabelle nodded, and made her way toward the staircase, reaching up to grab the banister as she made her way down to the front door. Isabelle stopped to open the door, pulling it, and grabbing the newspaper outside, as she heard her mom chuckle and make her way down the stairs. Isabelle took the newspaper with her to the counter, where she climbed up on a stool, and waited for her mom to make her breakfast. Isabelle opened the newspaper, feeling energized to play a game. She flipped through the sections of thew newspaper until she came upon the games. Moving past the crossword, and some other odd game with boxes and numbers, Isabelle found the I-Spy game she was looking for, and started working to spot any differences in the classroom picture. After about 5 minutes, Isabelle spotted her first one, circling it, as her mom came and put a bowl of cereal and some toast with jam on it in front of her, taking the newspaper away. "Eat sweetie. Quickly please." Isabelle did as she was told, thankful for the extra toast and jam that morning. "hmmmmm strawberry. Thanks mom!" Isabelle said, as she proceeded to chow down her breakfast while Jane poured herself a cup of coffee. Isabelle continued to eat away, before chugging down her glass of milk, wiping her mouth with her forearm. "Ahhhh," Isabelle said, before pulling the newspaper back and starting her game again. Jane, however, interrupted. "Not today Isabelle. Now please go upstairs and use the toilet before we go to school. Okay? And I want you to try and remember to go as often as you can today at school. We don't want you to have another accident - I'm just trying to help," Jane said, in an effort to stave off the embarrassment. 'Mom is right, of course,' Isabelle thought, feeling grateful that her mom was simply looking out for her. 'In any event, I do kind of have to go,' Isabelle admitted, before offering an "Okay" to her mom, pushing herself back, and jumping down from the stool. Isabelle proceeded to run up to the bathroom, closing the door behind her, while Jane tidied the kitchen. Isabelle lifted the toilet seat up, before lifting herself on to the seat, her feet dangling just above the floor. A stream of pee started almost immediately, and Isabelle relaxed as she sat there. Feeling the need to poop as well, Isabelle encouraged her system along, pushing her poop out into the toilet, before reaching for toilet paper to wipe herself thoroughly. Isabelle dropped the paper into the toilet, before flushing, and washing her hands. Isabelle made her way downstairs, where she found her backpack was already packed for her, and followed her mom out into the car. Isabelle made her way directly into the back seat of the car, sitting behind the passenger seat so she could better see her mom. 'Mom looks cute today,' Isabelle thought, as Jane backed the car out into the street, and started taking off toward Higgins. Isabelle buckled her seatbelt, and sat upright so she could peek out the window as they drove to school. Isabelle spent most of the ride responding to her mom's questions: "Yes, I'm excited for school today," "Yes' I am going to learn something new today," "The class I'm most excited about today is math," "No, I don't know who I am going to eat lunch with today," and finally, "Yes, I'll wait for you in the library after school." Isabelle was largely distracted by her mom's onslaught of questions, but also distracted because she already needed to go to the bathroom again! 'Almost at school - no problem.' Isabelle felt as her mom's SUV hit the incline toward Higgins, and started puttering its way up the hill toward school. Isabelle unbuckled her seatbelt as she felt her mom's car inch over the top of the hill, before re-accelerating. Isabelle looked out the window as they passed the high school entrance, and watched as her mom continued along the road toward the back of the school, passing right by the middle school turn off as well. .. .. 'WHAT THE HELL?!?!' Isabelle thought. 'Is mom on drugs or something?!' Isabelle couldn't understand why her mm missed the entrance, especially if they were in a rush as she so claimed. Jane, however, didn't even seem to notice, as the car drove past the outdoor recreation fields, past the sculpture garden, and past the administrative buildings for the teachers. Isabelle couldn't understand it. Isabelle shifted up to the edge of her seat, and her heart started to race. "MOM! You missed the turn. Turn around!" Isabelle shouted at her mom, without thinking. "Young lady. Sit back down this INSTANT. And buckle up! You know better than that, you aren't a toddler! Now. Before I pull the car over. And don't you raise your voice at me like that. What has gotten in to you?!" Isabelle, startled by her mother's sharp tongue, immediately shifted to the back of her seat, and buckled her seatbelt again. Isabelle was angry at her mom for missing the turn off, but now, she was angrier that her mom yelled at her. 'I didn't do anything wrong,' Isabelle thought. 'Had mom made the right turn, my seatbelt would have been off at the right time.' Isabelle was stewing in her seat, but did her best to speak to her mom in a more controlled manner, as Jane continued past the school playground, rounding a turn to the left. "Mom. You missed the turn though. The entrance is way back there." Jane didn't even turn around. She simply finished the rounded turn, and pulled into a line behind several other cars with kids getting out. "Nonsense Isabelle. You're normally so good with the directions. We're exactly where we are supposed to be. Now have a great day, okay? And I better not hear that you've spoken to any of your teachers with that mouth!" Isabelle was frozen in her seat. She couldn't move. She wouldn't move. 'This. Cannot. Be. Happening.' Isabelle though to herself, as the milliseconds passing by felt like hours. Hours of stress. Hours of pain. Hours of suffering. Isabelle felt as the sun - the same sun that warmed her cheek that morning - send an icy chill from her cheek, down her spine. One terrible realization, terribly notion, terrible thought, took over her mind; 'It has happened. It's happened again.' The worst part? 'I didn't even notice.' Isabelle managed to turn her head to her right. In reality, it had only been seconds, but it felt as though lifetimes had passed. Jane had used that vital time to inch up in the carpool lane, to the point where she was now pulling into a drop off spot in front of the school. As Isabelle shifted her gaze slowly to her right, Isabelle's eyes were met with a giant sign pressed against the front of the brick building: HIGGINS ELEMENTARY Isabelle needed to put a stop to this. Her mother was dropping her off at ELEMENTARY SCHOOL for gods sake. She wasn't a kid. She was an adult. Isabelle was not sure what compelled her, what took over her mind, her body, her very soul. But whatever it was, it had decided to draw a line in the sand. "No." It was one single word. It carried a lot of meaning, a lot of power, and even more ferocity. "Absolutely not." Isabelle staked her position. If she could have reached the floor of the car, she would have stomped her foot. Instead, she simply crossed her arms, sat back, huffed, and repeated herself one more time. "No. No. No no no no no no no. NOOOO!!" That time, Isabelle yelled. And she regretted instantly. Jane didn't scream at her daughter. Jane didn't react. Jane didn't allow Isabelle to get the best of her. How could she? It was her daughter - and she was just a child. But Jane did need to take a moment to control herself, gripping the steering wheel very tightly with two hands, and releasing as much anger as she could into the faux leather that covered the steering mechanism instead of toward her daughter. Jane turned, deliberately slowly, without lifting a hand, a finger, or even a point of contact from the wheel. Isabelle wasn't even sure a single muscle in her mom's body other than her neck moved, as her head rotated on a pivot to look back at little Isabelle, arms crossed, slouching, and huffing in the back seat of the car. There was a moment of silence that could have caused the planet to crack in the air. And then Jane spoke, slowly, purposefully, enunciating every syllable of her sentence with power. "Isabelle. Marie. You have five....five seconds when I end this sentence to take your bag and get out of this car. This. Attitude. Is NOT okay. You were raised better. You know better. You are going to get up. Without one. More. Word. You are going to behave at school today. In fact. You are going to be a perfect angel at school today. You are going to wait in the library for me after school today where you will continue to be a perfect angel. And when I pick you up. You. Better. Have ready. The most. SINCERE. Apology ready for this conduct. I love you dearly. I hope you have a great day. Your time starts now." Isabelle was shaken to her core. If her mother had counted to one, Isabelle did not hear it; she was out of the car faster than she'd ever moved in her life, no matter what age you evaluated it at. Isabelle wasn't sure she hadn't leapt out of the window, to be honest. All she did know was, an instant later, she was standing in front of the entrance to Higgins Elementary, feeling incredibly guilty about how she had spoken to her mother, terrified that she had, apparently, gotten younger again, and most significantly at that moment, really needing to go to the bathroom. And so Isabelle did the only appropriate thing someone in her position could do: she walked into elementary school, and turned into the first bathroom she found to have a pee. Unlike the middle and high school building, which was essentially the same, but with classes sectioned off for the various grades, the Higgins elementary school was its own building, which sat on the other side of all the athletic fields, arts fields, recreation buildings, and administrative buildings that were often shared between all three schools. The elementary school boasted one of the top educational and arts programs in the states, and very often, kids who possessed no interest in pursuing the arts went to Higgins elementary in order to vault themselves up into another preparatory or private school outside of the Higgins system. The interior of the building was immaculate, with clean floors, new lockers lining the walls, and intricate, colorful designs playfully flowing along the walls. Isabelle made her way into the front entrance, where she was confronted with a number of other kids who, for the most part were about her size. If Isabelle had been being honest, she would have confessed that most were quite a bit bigger than she was - even the girls. But Isabelle was in no mood for honesty. Isabelle was in the mood to pee. So Isabelle made her way down the hall and into the first girls' bathroom, closing a stall behind her and hanging her bag easily on the hook on the back of the door. It occurred to Isabelle for the first time, as she lowered her leggings and panties, that the hook had been the first easy thing to reach all morning. That prompted Isabelle to take her time sitting on the toilet to reflect on her morning. Isabelle though about how far the bathroom had felt, and the force she needed to use to open the door. Isabelle reminisced on the difficulty of reaching for her toothbrush, her toothpaste, the faucet. Isabelle recalled how her mother had set her clothes out for her, and how hard the I-Spy was this morning 'even for a Monday!' Isabelle reflected on how she had to climb the kitchen stool and how she had to sit upright in the car to see out the window. Isabelle thought of it all, and what it might mean. 'Only one thing, of course, I've gotten smaller, possibly younger.' There remained, of course, the things Isabelle did not reflect on, and yet, even more things that she would come to reflect on, that might've help develop her conclusions. But she could not, and did not, yet come to those realizations. Isabelle did her best not to panic, as she sat on the toilet, having finished peeing some time ago. 'Deep breaths Isabelle. Deep breaths,' she told herself. 'This was always a possibility. Even if I didn't want to admit it.' Isabelle was proud in that moment of trying to match the acceptance of what happened, and continued taking deep breaths. 'You're okay. You've still got your mind. You still recognize this is an issue. And the plan has not changed. I've got to crack the conundrum.' Isabelle continued taking long, deep breaths, and was actually succeeding in slowing her heart rate. 'Just get to class. Find out how far back I've gone, and review notes...so I can develop the theories. It's okay.....It will be okay.' Isabelle, finally content to have talked herself down, wiped herself, and then flushed the toilet. Isabelle grabbed her bag, before stepping out to wash her hands, taking the opportunity to look at herself in the mirror. The girl starring back at her was one that felt so familiar, but at the same time, felt like a girl Isabelle had not seen in years - quite literally. The mirror reflected back an adorable eight-year-old girl with an infectious smile and a twinkle in her vibrant green eyes. Those eyes immediately traced their way to the girl's luscious locks, cascading down her face in soft waves, forming a beautiful mane of golden blonde hair that framed her cherubic face. The hair fell just below her shoulders, and had a colorful bow in the back Isabelle had no memory of ever putting in. Isabelle's eyes returned to her face, ensnared by the most captivating set of freckles, sprinkled like tiny stars across her button-like nose and rosy cheeks. The freckles brough out a certain youthful charm in the girl starring back at her, adding an element of whimsy to the girl's innocent visage. The freckles seemed to dance across the girl's face as she starred at her in the mirror, forming constellations and shapes that forced a smile across his soft, pink lips. The girl's green eyes sparkled with curiosity and determination, reflecting a natural sense of wonder and exploration. Isabelle saw a girl starring back at her that looked like she could do anything. Her eyes were framed by long lashes that fluttered like monarch butterflies when she blinked, adding an extra touch of innocence and grace to to the girl. Her eyes traced their way down to the girl's petite stature, slender and graceful. Her body, despite lacking shape and maturity, was strong and nimble; a perfect combination for a young aspiring ballerina. Isabelle could practically see the reflection of her dancing effortlessly, and silently bouncing in the mirror, prompting her smile to grow even further. Isabelle could not believe that this girl was in fact, her. Part of her missed this girl. Part of her had been sad to say goodbye to her. But another part, a part deep down inside of her, knew that something was amiss. Knew that she had already been this girl. Knew that it was time to be another girl. Isabelle was certain about one thing - the girl in the mirror would do everything she could to become the girl she was supposed to be. Isabelle turned away from the mirror, and walked out the door of the bathroom, ready to start her new adventure. ... Only to find that everyone had apparently gone to class. Isabelle was standing in the hallway, her backpack on her shoulders, without a clue where to go. So, Isabelle did the only thing she could think of, and headed in the direction of the main office, which, for some odd reason 'I know where that is!' Isabelle told herself, rounding a corner and walking down a hall to where she knew the office to be. Isabelle opened the door, and simply waited in the main area, in front of a desk with a young lady sitting behind it. The lady had been looking at her computer and didn't notice Isabelle, so Isabelle decided to assert herself. "Hello Miss. I.....uh........I can't find my classroom." Isabelle decided it was a fair enough excuse. No one would question a child. "Hey there Isabelle" the lady responded. "Still getting lost? That's okay! Happens all the time the first few years. And I've told you to call me Amber. None of this Miss nonsense! We are, after all, going to be dancing together next week!" Isabelle smiled as she watched the young girl stand up from behind the desk, and come out to the waiting area where she was standing. 'This girl cant be more than 25 years old,' Isabelle thought to herself, as she came up to Isabelle and bent down, so that her face was at the same level as Isabelle's. "Hi Amber. Sorry! Uhhhhh......yah. I uhhhh I was in the bathroom. And normally I follow the other kids to class. But...uh......I just got lost." Amber had a little chuckle before standing upright, and taking Isabelle's hand. "That's alright Isabelle. Let's go to Miss Jenny's classroom together. You'll pick up on it any day - I promise." Amber took Isabelle's hand, and opened the door behind her, as the two made their way down the hall in the opposite direction from where Isabelle had started. "So, I hear you're very excited to start dancing next week! I'm told you're quite the talented ballerina. I've already watched all your tapes that your mom submitted. You really are great! It's no wonder you're in the higher placement. I can't wait to work with you," Amber said. Isabelle smiled at the compliment, and thanked the nice young girl. Isabelle had no idea what this girl thought Isabelle's mom submitted, but it probably wasn't video of a high schooler or middle schooler auditioning for elementary school. Amber pulled Isabelle around a corner as they continued down the hall. As she did, Isabelle recalled how, in Higgins elementary, the arts specialties usually only started a month into school or so. It let the younger students get acclimated to class first, before adding the rigors. The classes were also typically divided into two placements; K-2 and 3-5, as there weren't enough dance specialists for those ages to break them down further. Based on what Amber was saying Isabelle was likely about to find herself in 4th or 5th grade. 'Not so bad,' Isabelle thought. Isabelle's temporary relief, however, was just that. Temporary. Suddenly, Amber stopped herself in front of a door, that was ornately decorated. on the glass panel, it read very simply: 🌻MISS JENNY...... ....but that was not all it read. 🌻MISS JENNY'S SECOND GRADE CLASS🌻 ... ... 'How on earth......I dropped four years?!?!!?!' Isabelle was shocked. 'That's the biggest fall yet.....how did......how did this happen.' Isabelle froze for a minute in front of the class. Suddenly Amber's remark made a whole lot more sense. 'When Amber had said it was 'no wonder you're in the higher placement,' she literally meant I was dancing ahead of my grade year.' There was no time to panic, as Amber had already opened the door to the classroom, prompting a lot of strange and curious faces to all stare at the door where Isabelle was standing. "Hi Miss Jenny," Amber said, turning to the class with a big smile, before turning back to the young, Chinese woman who was standing in front of the whiteboard at the front of the class. 'Presumably, that would be Miss Jenny,' Isabelle concluded. But Isabelle was more focused on all the little faces starring at her, instantly causing her to blush, and for some reason, stepping behind Amber where it felt safe. "I see you found my missing pupil," Jenny said with a warm, inviting voice, causing Isabelle to peer out from behind Amber. "Thanks. I had sent an email to your office to let you know I didn't see her this morning," Jenny carried on, ignoring Isabelle, "just ignore it. I don't want anyone reaching out to her mom." Isabelle didn't want that either. She had promised - albeit indirectly - to be on her best behavior at school today. She wasn't about to cause problems in her first hour. Amber waved goodbye to Jenny, and then Isabelle, and took off down the hall. Isabelle had still not moved at that point, trying to cope with the reality that she was, apparently, in second grade. "Well, Isabelle. Come on in! Class isn't the same without you. Go to your desk please." Jenny asked kindly, even though Isabelle knew the request was not exactly optional. Isabelle made her way in, and sat at the only empty desk. Isabelle didn't need to presume it was hers - every desk, including hers, had a decorate name plate that the kids - including Isabelle - had apparently decorated sometime in the first month of schools. Many of the other students' name tags were scribbly, and not very cute. Isabelle was oddly proud at her design, the colorful flowers exploding off the page as they ensnared her neatly drawn name. Based on a preliminary review, Isabelle determined that her name plate was the cutest. Isabelle sat down quietly, and did her best to simply fit in, and pay attention. The morning of classes went by without much fanfare. Isabelle found the classes, oddly enough, interesting, and challenging in a good way. It was fun to solve problems or answer questions that actually had a narrative to them. 'Who cares what an X is in math? Its not even a number?! These problems involve ice cream cones!' Isabelle even enjoyed when Miss Jenny shifted to the book they were reading in the mid-morning portion of class. Miss Jenny divided the class up into small groups, and Isabelle's group was apparently reading the first book in a fun series called "Cam Jansen," a smart fifth grader who uses her excellent memory to solve mysteries. It was Isabelle's turn in the group to stand up, and read aloud, and she did a pretty good job, 'If I do say so myself.' Miss Jenny even came by to tell her so! Isabelle also related to the character a lot; they were both trying to find themselves out of sticky situations. 'Though Cam's is quite literally, more sticky than mine, as it involves maple syrup!' Isabelle laughed to herself at her joke. Isabelle did feel a little awkward all morning, however. When her group had been done reading, the other three members - a boy named Harold, another boy named Kevin, and a girl named Jessica - all started talking and playing a game without Isabelle. 'They didn't even invite me!' Isabelle knew it wasn't a big deal - these were kids, and she didn't need to care about being excluded by kids - but the solitude only reminded her that she was still not with Dani and Lola, and now, not with Mel, Ras, and Natalie either. 'Still, I'm sure some friends will come find me. They did last time this happened. I just need to wait. Who knows? Maybe I'll even make some great friends like Mel again!' But Isabelle waited. And no one ever seemed to come up to her. Isabelle had hoped that during lunch time she might find out who her second grade friends were, but no one approached her after class. Isabelle thought that perhaps her friends were just in another second grade class, but even in the cafeteria as she looked around from line, she didn't spot anyone looking for her. 'This is odd...' Isabelle thought, 'I'm a great friend! Why is no one hanging out with me.' By the time Isabelle had gotten her food, she had still not been approached by anyone. Isabelle was pretty upset about the situation, and so when she spotted an empty seat at a table near where Miss Amber was standing, Isabelle practically skipped over to the spot, sitting down at the partially full table. "Hi Miss Amber!" Isabelle nearly shouted, as she sat down at the seat. Isabelle was actually excited for lunch today, so wasn't too caught up in the fact that she was eating by herself - she had pizza. 'Like Dani always said, 'If I need eight friends, I'll order a pizza.'' Isabelle chuckled to herself. 'Hey there Miss Isabelle," Amber responded, prompting a smile from Isabelle. "How was class this morning. Would it be okay if I sat with you?" Amber asked, garnering a nod from Isabelle as the dance teacher sat across from her. Slowly but surely, some other girls came and sat in the remaining empty seats at the table with Amber as well. 'She must be a popular teacher,' Isabelle thought. Not giving any of the other girls a chance to steal her new friend, Isabelle continued her conversation. "So what are we going to be working on in dance next week Miss Amber?" Isabelle asked, genuinely curious about what they would be doing. Not so curious, though, that seh was not about to take another bite out of her peperoni. The resulting chomp left some pizza grease on Isabelle's face, causing a laugh out of Amber. "That's a good question Isabelle," Amber started responding, before answering the question for more than a few of the new spectators. "For those of you in my class, we're going to be starting on more advanced ballet technique. You should already have your foundation down for positions, alignment, turnout, and proper body placement. We're going to take those skills and work on more complex skills in each area. From there, were going to do a lot of center work off the barre - no more security blanket in higher placement," Amber said teasingly, to which some of the girls were going pale from nerves. Isabelle was unconcerned, and was looking forward to her class. "Sounds fun!" was all Isabelle responded, as she returned to finishing her pizza and water. The conversation continued, with some of the other girls, now nervous, asking questions. Isabelle stayed for a while, but feeling a gurgle in her gut, decided to get up before lunch was over, and head over to the bathroom. Isabelle made her way into the bathroom, catching a glimpse of her pizza face in the mirror on her way in. Isabelle stopped to wipe it, before heading into the same stall, and taking the opportunity to pee and poop in the empty bathroom before class started. Isabelle made her way quickly back to Miss Jenny's class after, recalling the route from Miss Amber earlier that day. Isabelle's afternoon passed, unfortunately, much like her morning had. It was bittersweet. On the one hand, Miss Jenny made class really fun. Isabelle audibly laughed more than once - along with her classmates - as Miss Jenny worked through her lesson plan for the day. On the other hand, having a full school day without dance was a stark contrast to what she was used to. Isabelle's feet were itching to dance, and her body was not far behind. There was of course, another issue - Isabelle remained alone for much of the afternoon, not speaking with anyone. It was hard not having Dani and Lola here, harder yet not having Mel, but hardest feeling like she had no one. Isabelle was glad when the bell signaling the end of the day rang. On her way out, Isabelle waved aggressively toward Miss Jenny to say goodbye, and proceeded out of the class. Isabelle made her way up the hallway toward the main office, but didn't turn, instead proceeding to the elementary school library, the location of which she had identified earlier that day before lunch. Isabelle pushed her way in, and stood in line before the librarian's desk. 'Apparently we need to check in at this one,' Isabelle noted to herself, and waited in line until she was at the front. "OH Isabelle! Lookie who's here," the librarian with a long white beard and no hair on his head greeted her. Isabelle was happy to know, at least, no matter where she went, the librarians seemed to like her. "Checking in for late pickup Isabelle?" the man asked. Isabelle quickly deduced that, unlike middle or high school, the elementary school likely needed to keep better tabs on the students. 'Mom probably knew to send me here because this is some sort of after-school program,' Isabelle thought to herself. "Yes sir!" Isabelle responded, feeling bad for not knowing the man's name. "Sir?" the man looked up from his clipboard, where he had made some mark next to Isabelle's name. "Sir was my father's name. You must call me Mister Sir!" the man said, leaning forward with a wink. The joke caused Isabelle to burst out laughing - it was quality humor, how could you blame her? - before Isabelle made her way past the man, and searched for an open, empty desk near the far end of the library. Unfortunately, the best Isabelle could find was an empty table for three people. Hoping no one would join her, Isabelle set her bag down on a chair and pulled out her Investigative Journal, putting it down in front of a different open spot. Isabelle wanted to write down what she had learned since Monday, but had more urgent needs at that moment. So Isabelle went back toward the front of the library where she had identified the girls bathroom to pee, before returning to her seat, thankfully finding no one had sat down at her table. Isabelle opened her investigative journal to the last page, revieing her notes, and planning where she was going to go from there. 'Thank goodness I started this,' Isabelle thought, 'It'll help me keep track of everything. I almost forgot about pursuing the wormhole theory!" Isabelle took the time to add some notes to some of her points before getting up: 1. Body changing. Update - body smoller. Still, somehow cuter. Not overly concerned. Still managing everything farely well. Mind is still strong - eselled in class today (read out loud by myself!). 2. Others treating me yunger. School - appear to be in 2nd grade now. Still, adults oviously recognize me as more mature than my counterparts. Had mature lunch with danse instructor. Mister Sir of the library feels he can tell me very adult jokes. Appear to be in decent shape, despite additional years jumped back. .... 4. Bedwetting problems - Again, no longer a problem Sweetnights = solution. ... 7. Clothing - really liked my outfit mom piked out for me today. Pink leggings very comfortable. Mom doing esellent gob finding great things to ware. Isabelle then reviewed the theories she had listed at the bottom: ... b. Wormhole theory must be revisited. Find book on space, perhaps? 'That's it! I should find a book on space.' Isabelle knew it was the best way forward. Isabelle put her gel pens away after adding her new clues to her journal, closed it up, and put it away in her bag. Isabelle then collected her items, and decided to return to Mister Sir, to see if he could help her find a book on space. Isabelle approached the desk as a few parents arrived to pick up their kids. Isabelle had to wait as Mister Sir signed them out, before he could attend to her request. Isabelle patiently waited for her turn. "Well, Isabelle, what is it I can do for you? I didn't see your mom come in yet," Mister Sir said with a smile on is face. "No Mister Sir, it's not that," Isabelle responded, prompting a chuckle from the librarian. "I was actually wondering if you might help me. I am conducting an investigation and need to learn more about wormholes. Do you have any books about space I can read?" Isabelle asked as politely as she could, hoping this Mister Sir might appreciate her good manners. "Woah-ho! Wormholes you say? That's some downright advanced stuff there Isabelle. I think it's great you're interested in space," Mister Sir responded, as he typed away at his computer. "Just wait here one minute, annnnnnnnd........yes! I think I have just the book for you! You wait right here okay? Don't go anywhere." Mister Sir disappeared behind the librarian desk into the stacks of books, returning a few minutes later with a book that had really pretty drawings of pictures on it. Mister Sir, sat down, and checked the book out under Isabelle's name, before handing it over. "Here you go Isabelle. I hope you love it. It's brand new - you're the first person to borrow it. You'll have to tell me what you think of it!" 'Excellent,' Isabelle thought. 'Maybe this new book will contain novel theories about wormholes, and I can finally crack this conundrum!' Isabelle was proud of herself for following up on her theory. "Thank you Mister Sir," Isabelle said, before darting off back to her table. Isabelle set her bag down once more, and put the book in front of her on the table. The title read simply: "Space For Kids: Everything from Planet A to Z!" Isabelle thought the title was pretty clever, unconcerned about the word "kids" appearing there. Isabelle decided to open the book to the first chapter. Having a basic knowledge would help her with the complex stuff after all. So Isabelle opened to page 1, and started. 'Welcome to the incredible world of space, where the vastness of the universe and its countless wonders await your exploration! Space is a place full of mysteries, breathtaking sights, and endless possibilities that will captivate your imagination. Anything is possible in space!' 'Just what I was looing for,' Isabelle thought. 'Anything possible...' Isabelle continued. Imagine looking up at the night sky.................seeing just a few stars, you discover that there are billions and billions of them! These twinkling stars are like.................far away from our own. They are so far that it would take us millions of years to reach them, even if we could travel......................... Space is also....................to our own magnificent star called...................... It's so huge that............................Earths inside it! The........provides.......energy, making.............planet.............................ble. Isabelle wasn't sure why, but this book was putting her to sleep. 'I guess I have had a long day,' Isabelle thought, as she picked her head up just before falling fast asleep into her book. 'I'll have to earmark.......page 2 for later,' Isabelle concluded, shutting the book and leaning back in her chair. At that moment, Isabelle heard some noises coming over from Mister Sir's desk, who was talking to someone and was now pointing at Isabelle. Isabelle shifted her seat so as to see who Mister Sir was taking to, just in time to spot her mom, who waved at Isabelle before turning back to Mister Sir. "......you Eugene. I'll see you tomorrow." Jane said, thanking the librarian, before making her way over toward Isabelle. Jane, however, didn't need to wait long, as the sight of her mom caused Isabelle to run toward her, and jump into her arms hugging her. "Mommy!" Isabelle shouted, far too loudly for the library, as her mom picked her up into her arms, giving her daughter a great big hug. Isabelle squeezed her mom with all her might, which didn't feel like it was enough, before her mom set her down and led Isabelle back to the table with her items. 'Eugene told me you got a book on space, is that right?" Jane asked Isabelle, and her daughter nodded in response. Jane motioned Isabelle to sit down, and she did. Isabelle knew what this was about - she decided to get ahead of it. "Mom......my...uh...I'm sorry I wasn't nice in the car this morning," Isabelle started, her eyes starring directly at her shoes. "There was no excuse for being mean. I......I......" Isabelle wanted to come up with something reasonable, believable......and all she had was one thing. ".....I just don't like it here because I don't have any friends." Isabelle started tearing at the truth of her statement. It did make things harder today. Jane starred at her daughter for a moment, before speaking. "Sweetie. Thank you for apologizing. I forgive you. And I know you're having a tough time so far making friends. But I promise that before you know it you will have lots of friends. But you have to listen to me in the car. I wasn't only upset because of how you spoke to me - but you also took your seatbelt off. That was not safe." Isabelle knew her mom was right - that was a safety issue. Isabelle tucked her head even tighter to her chest. "But its okay. And you learned your lesson. And I heard you have so many good things going on here. Miss Jenny told me you did great in class today when I saw her in the hall. You even read out loud!?! And Miss Amber said you were excited about dancing with her next week," Jane continued, trying to list nice things to give her daughter a pick me up. Jane obviously felt bad Isabelle was struggling socially, but had no doubt her daughter would make friends soon. If she could, she would fix any problem for her little girl. This was going to be one she just needed to solve on her own though. "Look at me sweetie," Jane said, pausing a moment so her daughter could look up at her. Once Isabelle did, Jane continued. "I promise it will get better. I really promise. And before you know it, you'll want to be here every day, and wont even want to leave when I show up!" Isabelle wiped a tear away, and smiled at that remark. 'What a ridiculous thought,' Isabelle wanted to respond, 'that I wouldn't be excited when mommy showed up.' Isabelle scoffed, "Nuh-uh!" That would never happen1 "You will sweetie," Jane said, pulling her daughter's chair in close, 'But maybe just not today," Jane finished, before pulling her daughter into her chest and giving Isabelle rapid-fire kisses to the forehead. Isabelle didn't resist, she simple accepted it. "Now what do you say to heading home? I thought I saw you practically falling asleep at the table here! Dinner and bed sound good?" Jane remarked, before picking her daughter's bag up, and walking out the library holding Isabelle's hand.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 27 Isabelle's evening was fairly routine. After getting home, she helped her mom make dinner by getting various things out of the pantry as she was instructed to, while her mom pounded out chicken to make chicken parmesan. Isabelle ate with her mom while the two chatted about their days, before Isabelle went upstairs to her room. Isabelle still needed to find her phone. She was getting desperate at this point, and was coming to terms with the fact that she might need to tell her mom she lost it. Isabelle made her way to her room, looking though all her things, but coming up empty - no phone. Isabelle knew that she had it on Saturday...she just couldn't put her finger on where it went. Rather than let the thought overwhelm her, Isabelle went through her routine of getting her dancing clothes ready for the next day. As she did so, Isabelle thought to herself that she was pleased with her progress on new, viable theories as to what was going on with her. Isabelle took her dirty ballet clothes out of her bag, and replaced them with clothes to change into after dance the next day, settling on a floral dress she found in her closet. Isabelle took out dance clothes for the next morning as well, before deciding to lay on her bed to try and get through some more of her re-read of the first Emerald Chronicle book. After several chapters, Isabelle found herself yawning, but unwilling to put the book down. Her pace had been oddly slow that evening, and she found herself re-reading several pages more than once just to confirm she had caught everything. More often than not, she hadn't. 'Just...tired from today,' Isabelle thought, fighting off another yawn. 'That's all.' Isabelle was about to start another chapter when her mom knocked on her door. "Izzy, bedtime. Please get washed up," Jane asked with a smile. Isabelle knew it wasn't really a request, and so got up from her bed and made her way to the bathroom, first sittiing down on the toilet to pee, before brushing her teeth and washing her face. Isabelle went back to her room to get into her pajamas. Isabelle took her shirt off, before removing her jeans and her panties, noticing a small wet spot in her underwear. 'Must have just been a little dribble,' Isabelle thought. Isabelle reached into her top dresser drawer as though it was second nature, pulling out a sweetnight and sliding it up her legs, until it snugly rested against her crotch. 'That's nice,' Isabelle said with a smile. Isabelle then opened her pajama drawer, pulling out a purple nightgown with a unicorn on it, and sliding over her head, letting it tumble to her shins. Jane had, at that moment, made her way back to Isabelle's room. Jane made her way over to Isabelle, patting her on the butt and ushering her toward her bed. Isabelle hardly noticed that her mom was making sure her sweetnight was on, and merely responded to her mom directing her to the bed, jumping in and allowing her mom to tuck her in. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep. *** Isabelle woke the next morning to her mother's touch. "Isabelle - it's time to get up," Jane said, as she pulled the curtains back from her daughter's window. "We have to get going soon, or you'll be late for class. Did you sleep well? Anything to report?" Jane asked. Isabelle was still opening her eyes as her mother asked her the series of questions. "Okay mom. I'm getting up. I slept well, ya," Isabelle responded, before pushing Rabbity away from her body, and turning to move her legs off of the bed. Jane paused, standing silently as she waited for her daughter to respond to all of her questions. She figured she would give Isabelle another opportunity before taking matters, well, into her own hands. "Nothing to share sweetie? Are you sure?" Isabelle looked up at her mom without a clue as to what her mom was asking about. 'What's with mom this morning?' Isabelle wondered, as she stood up from the bed and went over to her mom, giving her a good morning hug. 'I like that mom woke me up today though.' As Isabelle pressed her head against her mom's chest, Isabelle answered her mom. "Nothing mom - I'm going to get ready now." Jane, however, did not release her daughter from her hug. Instead, Jane kept her daughter firmly against her body with her left arm, as she used her right arm to hike her daughter's nightgown up. Before Isabelle could pull away, or even react, Jane had her hand pressed against an extremely soggy sweetnight. "We spoke about this yesterday hunny. If you aren't going to be able to tell me on your own, mommy is just going to check your sweetnights herself." Isabelle blushed, feeling her moms hand pressed firmly against her sweetnight. The truth was Isabelle had not even noticed her sweetnight that morning. It felt completely natural, so much so that even if she had remembered her conversation with her mom the morning prior, its not likely she would have shared anything. Now, however, with her mom's hand pressing the sweetnight against her, Isabelle was intimately aware of how wet it was. "These really are soaked, hunny," Jane repeated, continuing the conversation with herself. "We may need to find something a little more absorbent," Jane said aloud, before releasing the sweetnight and her daughter from her grip. As soon as her mom let go of the sweetnight, Isabelle could feel the weight of it pull down on her. 'Mom wasn't exactly wrong - it did feel particularly heavy.' Once upon a time Isabelle might be bothered by her mom's comment. In truth, she was surprised that morning that she was not. But Isabelle wasn't bothered in the least bit. Isabelle had slept unbelievably for two nights now, and just one good night of sleep resulted in substantial progress on her working theories. So Isabelle said nothing, and merely went to to the bathroom to get ready for the day. As soon as she entered, Isabelle felt the need to pee again, and so sat on the toilet to go about her business. Looking down at her sweetnight, Isabelle could see how much fuller it appeared as she released her morning pee into the toilet bowl. Isabelle wiped, and stood up, pulling her soggy sweetnight back up, before going over to the sink to brush her teeth. The weight of the sweetnight felt odd, but not so much that it distracted Isabelle from the comfort of having them on. Isabelle returned to her room to ger dressed for dance, removing her nightgown before taking her sweetnight off and pushing it aside. Isabelle pulled her tights on, before stepping into a green leotard she had picked out the night prior. Isabelle put her slippers on, and headed down to kitchen to eat a quick breakfast, before leaving to school with her mom. *** "So," Mel asked, as she pulled the last strap of her leotard over her shoulder, "I heard you're doing some presentations in class today? Its your first one this year, no?" Mel, Natalie, and Ras were sitting around the locker room with Isabelle waiting for class to start. Isabelle had let her friends know that morning that Ms. Appleby expected them to run through some steps they had worked on the day prior. "Presenting is no big deal Belly," Ras added. "Sure, its a little different than the the elementary school ones, and the after school companies, but you'll do great. I wouldn't worry about it." Ras said, trying to encourage her friend. In fact, Mel, Ras, and Natalie had been encouraging all morning. Isabelle thought she must have looked terrified, if all her friends were doing their best to motivate her. Isabelle was, in fact, feeling strange. But she couldn't figure out what it was. The morning had been pretty normal, but her head had felt fuzzy, and her stomach was in knots. 'Maybe I am nervous?' Isabelle thought to herself, as she stood up to try and stretch out a bit before class. 'Thanks girls. I'll.......I'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Isabelle was happy to be able to spend the morning with her friends, even though she wouldn't see them the rest of the day. "I'll see you all later," Isabelle said, departing to class. Isabelle made her way out of the locker room, instinctively turning to the right toward the sixth grade class. Isabelle made her way in, and turned to the barre to begin stretching her body out before class started. A few of her classmates were doing the same, but other than a few smiles and nods, no one came up to Isabelle to chat, instead clustering into their own groups. Isabelle was already starting to feel some of the loneliness of the prior day setting in as the bell rang, and Ms. Appleby came in. "Class. Let's get started. I know many of you must be nervous to perform, but I promise, its no different than what you have done before. Now when I call your name, come to the front, and begin at the top of the key. When others are performing, I expect you to pay attention, and note aspects of their performances you'd like incorporated in your own" Isabelle took her place at the back of the class as Ms. Appleby called out the first name. "Aspenwood, Christine." Isabelle watched as a dark-skinned girl with a perfect ballet figure - presumably at 12 - stepped forward and took her mark before starting her presentation. The presentation itself was not itself very complex, but was demanding. The piece they had worked on the day prior was the opening to a modern ballet based on Dumas' La Traviata, originally written as an opera. The ballet tells the tragic love story of Violetta Valéry, a beautiful and glamorous courtesan, and Alfredo Germont, a young nobleman. The ballet begins much like the opera does, with a lavish party hosted by Violetta, where she meets Alfredo and is deeply moved by his sincere affection. The piece is particularly demanding as a ballet because the lead female dancer cannot just focus on their steps. Rather, the story is conveyed by Violetta's facial features, requiring the lead ballerina to sell the audience in the opening act on the love story. A talented ballerina is not always a talented actress, and the opening of LA Traviata demands both. If a dancer is too focused on their steps, they'll forget to control their facial features, which must carry numerous emotions. If the dancer gets too distracted acting, they'll trip up what are otherwise basic steps. It requires splitting your focus, something young ballerinas struggle with. Aspenwood, Christine did a decent job managing both tasks, but got tripped up with the glissades that Violetta uses to navigate her party in the opening act. After that, Decker, Wendy was next, who more or less forgot that she was able to make facial expressions all together. Isabelle realized she was likely going last - 'this seems to be alphabetical.' Isabelle waited patiently as classmate after classmate performed, some better than others, some to be forgotten. About two thirds of the way through the class, as Ray, Betty, was performing, Isabelle considered excusing herself to go to the bathroom, feeling the sudden, but not urgent need, but didn't want to miss her turn. 'I already ran out early yesterday - I don't want to bother Appleby again today.' Dancer after dancer progressed until finally, Isabelle was called. "Ward, Isabelle," Appleby announced, seemingly colder than she did the other names. 'It's probably just in my head,' Isabelle thought, as she anxiously took her position in front of the class. Much like the other students' performances, Isabelle took her starting position, putting a big smile on her face. Violetta was, of course, hosting a party. And what sort of party host does not greet her guests with a smile? Unlike the other students, however, the music did not start. Isabelle did not move, assuming there was an issue with the recording. But she should have known better. She should have known that her performance would not be like the others'. That her performance would not take place in this ballet studio, in front of her class, or at Higgins at all. No, her performance would take place elsewhere. The only question as the world spun around her was where. As the warmth pulsated through her body from her slippers, Isabelle watched as her classmates disintegrated into dust, blown away by the tiniest of breezes. Isabelle watched as the chipped wooden floor below her feet expanded into a marvelous stage, tall walls arising around her like a box, with an open end to the audience. In front of her rows of orchestra level seats expanded out from the stage, rising slowly, before the balconies emerged in an open hexagonal shape. More rows of seats expanded, and slowly began to fill in the same manner her classmates had disappeared. Below her feet Isabelle could see the musicians begin to ready their instruments in the pit, each musician dressed in formal wear, each with beautifully polished instruments. Isabelle adjusted her gaze to stage left, where, unlike previous experiences, there appeared to be others on the stage with her. Quickly gazing stage right as well, Isabelle confirmed that, in fact, others were present. 'I guess I'm still hosting the party,' Isabelle thought. There was no doubt where she was any longer. The unique hexagonal pattern of the opera house, as well as the longer than normal orchestra section, was unique to one location. Isabelle did not even need to glimpse at the musicians' notebooks to confirm, but confirm she did nevertheless. It was the Johannesburg Ballet - more commonly known as Joburg, a gem on the southern point of Africa. 'Fitting that I ended up here,' Isabelle thought, 'La Traviata has made a resurgence in this theater.' Isabelle did not have long to dwell, however, as the music started, and her feet began moving, Isabelle glided from side to side with her glissades, greeting her numerous guests at each side of the stage. First, the twins, a pair of uppity sisters who have had everything served on a silver platter - A demi-plie into pirouette of course.....'wait, that looked like....Dani and Lola?' There was no time to think, however, as Isabelle's movements took her across the stage to a mother and daughter, recent additions to the royal family, by way of the King's second cousin of course - coupe, passe, good evening to you! Isabelle softened her gaze to greet the young child, but......'that looks like Becky.....and that looks like Jess!' Isabelle's shock, however, did not thwart her performance, as she moved from guest to guest, dancing, greeting, hosting. Isabelle continued through her routine, seeing familiar faces wherever she went. Seeing Lola and Dani wasn't shocking - first, they were dancers, so it would make sense they were there. Isabelle was even unfazed when she greeted the 'Travaita Trio' as they were known in the ballet, a group of women that seemingly were being played by Mel, Ras, and Natalie, as they were likewise dancers. But seeing Jess? and Becky? 'And I swear I saw mom at one point!' It was very odd, Isabelle thought, but it did not deter her from dancing. Isabelle dazzled, shined, and amazed. She lept, turned, spun, and gracefully slide from side to side, welcoming her wonderful guests, perfecting her facial expression for each. Finally, there was but one guest left to welcome - Alfredo - who Isabelle knew would enter stage left, and so spun her way over there, intent to meet his gaze, only to find... ... Only to find it was Avery staring back. He was dressed in 19th century garb, no doubt. But it was him. 'And he kind of looks good dressed like this.' Isabelle had intended to offer a face of love, of joy, or pure sentiment. But upon seeing him, Isabelle felt an incontrollable anger rise in her. 'He betrayed your trust Isabelle. He told on you.' It took everything Isabelle had in herself to overcome that vile emotion building in her, and continue her act. But she managed. And as she greeted Avery - 'I mean Alfredo,' the music slowly cut out. What happened next, was not shocking in concept, but as always, mesmerizing to observe. The guests, with aw-struck faces on, slowly blew away with the wind. The high ceilings slowly lowered, and as they did, the hexagonal shaped balconies, the rows of seats, and the orchestra below Isabelle, likewise dissipated into nothingness. The pristine wooden floors, shrunk and collapsed under feet, folding into itself, and revealing the chips in the floor in studio B. The mirror and barre returned, as did her classmates, and finally, as did Ms. Appleby. "Very good Ms. Ward. Now take a seat. We're going to discuss some of the finer points of Ms. Ward's performance, particularly her facial expressions and how she modified them for each group of guests. Everyone take some mental notes as I walk you through this." **** Isabelle had just changed out of her ballet clothes in the locker room, slipping on her floral dress and was making her way toward the bathroom. On her way, she was interrupted, however, by a grab from behind. It was of course, Mel, holding her back. "Belly! I heard you did great. Apparently Ms. Appleby used your performance as the model. Amazing job!" Mel offered the praise with the utmost joy and excitement, which Isabelle loved. It was another lonely morning in class without her friends, particularly today, where Isabelle spent most of the morning sitting all alone, watching others dance, and other groups of dancers congregate and watch together. "Thanks Mel. I need to uh -" "Nonsense," Mel cut her off, waving her hand in front of Isabelle. "You don't need to do anything. You need to come to lunch with me now." Mel said, as she took Isabelle by the hand, and started pulling her toward the cafeteria. Isabelle hardly had enough time to grab her bags on the way out, as Mel dragged Isabelle out the door. Isabelle waited in line with Mel for food, feeling a far more urgent need to pee. She wished she had gone during class now, and the lunch line was not particularly short. Isabelle did her best to make slow, purposeful, limited, and controlled movements, but her need was growing, and Mel was bouncing all around her. It served as a welcome distraction, and Isabelle decided to pay attention to her friend she missed rather than her bladder. After what felt as though it took forever, Isabelle had her tuna sandwich, a big soda, and tater tots on her tray, and followed Mel to their usual table where Ras and Natalie were already seated. Isabelle put her tray down and stood by the table for a moment before sitting down. 'There was something I needed to do......' "Belly! We heard you did awesome. Sit down already!" Ras enthusiastically shouted at her. Isabelle did as she was instructed, and snapped out of her own thoughts. Isabelle smiled back at her friend, and just nodded, before lifting up her sandwich and biting into it. "Ya - great job Belly!" Natalie added. Isabelle couldn't help but be reminded at how her friends were so kind - and also at how they had actually been dancing with her, at least in some way, in that classroom earlier that day - or wherever the hell she really had been. Lunch proceeded as it usually did, and the girls all ate, giggled, and chatted away about their thoughts for the week. As Isabelle chomped down on her last tater tot, she remembered what she had forgotten. And the memory returned in a very uncomfortable manner. Her bladder was aching to be released. Isabelle knew this feeling - she had felt it this past Saturday at Jess's while in the laundry room. It wasn't a reminder that it was now or never. No - that time had passed. It was that feeling that if she even stood up, she would start to pee. Isabelle's expression turned from one of joy, to one of complete misery and shock. 'How the hell did this happen?! How is it that I forgot I needed to go, if I needed to go THIS badly?!?!' Isabelle couldn't believe that it had come to this. 'At least this past weekend I knew I had to go for a little bit.....but just didn't. This........this...came out of nowhere.' Isabelle knew that was not completely true. She knew she needed to go in class. And she tried to go after she had changed in class. She also knew in the lunch line that she had to go as well.....'and I guess I knew right before I was going to sit down.....But that was it! This came out of nowhere, other than that!' In truth, the urgency had exponentially grown at a rate Isabelle could not have anticipated. But Isabelle knew that she was, at least in part, lying to herself. "We have to go to the library to get some things for an assignment" Natalie said, referring to herself and Ras. "Well see you in class later Mel. Belly, see you later." Isabelle waved to her friends as they departed, her mind now focused entirely on not peeing. 'I'll just wait until everyone leaves,' Isabelle thought, 'and then make a run for it.' It would have to work, Isabelle thought, as she pinched her thighs together, and sat quietly as Mel chatted away. The school bell indicating that middle school lunch was over rang, and with it, Mel stood up. "Coming Belly?" Isabelle did not respond. In the mere minute or two since Natalie and Ras left, her need to go had reached maximum panic. There was no way she was going to make it. Isabelle was in pain, scrunching her face, and pressing her legs desperately together. Her only hope was that she was still living in another reality, much like she had dancing this morning. But Isabelle knew that wasn't the case. She knew she was in big trouble, as her feet bounced underneath her. Mel apparently picked up on her discomfort, shifting from her chair to come to sit on the one directly next to Isabelle. The room had basically emptied at this point, with nearly everyone other than Isabelle and Mel having left to go to class. "Belly - are you okay? you don't look so good? Can I help?" Mel asked, as she started to rub Isabelle's back. Mel's back rub had two consequences; one intended, one unintended. The first, likely the intended consequence, was it put Isabelle at ease, if only for just a minute. Isabelle felt comforted by her friend's touch, her hand on her back, Mel's showing of comfort and compassion, of love and friendship. She had missed having her close by the last two days more than she cared to admit. Mel had, in many ways, made up for a big part of the daily loss of Dani and Lola. The second, unintended consequence, was that it put Isabelle as ease, if only for just a minute. By the time Mel had shifted over to sit by Isabelle, Isabelle had all but accepted the inevitable - she was going to have an accident. The second Mel's hand touched her back, Isabelle knew the battle was over. Her eyes had been welling up for a minute by that point, and as Mel began to run her hand from side to side, a single tear streaked down Isabelle's cheek, and the walls to the dam broke. Isabelle felt as her pee started to slowly trickle out into her underwear. Isabelle would never admit it to anyone, but the first feeling was relief, relief at no longer holding her pee in anymore. Isabelle felt as the warm liquid, expanded out from her spreading across her crotch, wrapping itself around her underwear entirely. Isabelle felt as her pee broke through her cotton panties, and spread to her floral dress, running down between her butt crack underneath her. Isabelle felt her pee press against her legs, before being sopped up by other parts of her dress all around her. Isabelle felt her pee puncture the dress, and spread to the plastic seat underneath her, spreading even further away from her and being inhaled by other parts of her dress as well. Isabelle felt all the pee leave her, and yet stay with her in another way. Isabelle started bawling her eyes out, as Mel quickly identified what the issue was. Mel could have done a lot of things in that moment - recoiling probably the most intuitive. But all she did was pull her friend closer, hug her, hold her, as Isabelle finished peeing herself at school, in the middle of the cafeteria. "Oh god....Belly! What happened? Are you okay? How did this happen?" Mel asked again. Isabelle thought it was a fair question, and did everything she could to pull herself together, trying to handle the situation with even a shred of maturity that she obviously lacked all together. "I.......I.......Don't........I dunnno....." Isabelle cried, doing her best to take breaths and calm herself down. "...it.....came......came out of nowhere.......I..........I didn't realize.....and then I couldn't get up...........IM SO SORRY!" Isabelle nearly shouted, as she did not move an inch, and resigned herself to her ultimate fate. But disaster never struck. Her friends arms never left her. And by the time Isabelle managed to pick her head up, she was not alone. No, she saw her friend smiling at her, with a face that read very simply: 'I'm here for you.' Mel jumped into action before Isabelle had time to even come up with a plan. "You stay here for 2 minutes," Mel started, standing up and yelling back, "I'll be right back." Isabelle took the time to assess the damage she had done to her clothing. Isabelle could still feel that her panties were completely soaked. Indeed, they were still warm. Isabelle decided to lift her butt ever so slightly, feeling the cooler, wet dress underneath her. Based on what she could tell, the back of the dress was ruined - it would be impossible to clean it up. But, there didn't seem to be much pee left in her seat. Mel returned moments later with a roll of paper towels. "Belly, you just need to get up for a minute, while I wipe down the seat. Just go stand over by the wall with your back to it, so no one sees your dress." Isabelle did as she was instructed, without raising a single question to her friend, moving purposefully toward a nearby wall and turning her back immediately. Isabelle peered up at the clock - 'It would be about 9 minutes before high school lunch started. They needed to move quickly.' Isabelle didn't want to think what her life would be like if the high schoolers walked in and saw some stupid pants peeing middle schooler. Mel, meanwhile, worked diligently to clean the plastic seat Isabelle had been on, as well as the floor surrounding it, where a little pee had fallen off. 'Boy, she really had a full tank,' Mel thought to herself, as she quickly and efficiently cleaned up the pee. "Isabelle, I'm all done here," Mel called back to her friend, who Mel could see was still weeping. 'Poor girl.....already having a tough time in her grade...' Mel went over to Isabelle, and set the paper towels down on the side of the cafeteria, without any intent to return them. "Okay Belly. Let's move quick, ya? We're already late for class but......We'll just say you had your first period. And that you didn't know what to do? That'll also explain why you had to change! But let's get to the locker rooms fast, before high schoolers are crowding the halls." Isabelle stared at her friend in disbelief. It was a decent plan, at least good enough to be a passable excuse for being late. If anyone cared to examine her dress, well, it would be fairly obvious her first period didn't result in her bleeding out to death. But who would do that? Isabelle nodded. Before moving, Isabelle looked down and saw that Mel had her arm extended. Isabelle froze at first. 'Why would this girl still be reaching out to hold my hand? I just peed in the cafeteria. I'm gross. But here she is, smiling at me, wanting to be with me still.....' Isabelle knew the answer, she just couldn't come to terms with it in that moment. Isabelle took Mel's hand, with one arm, her bags with her other. and off the two went through the halls to the locker rooms, avoiding anyone and everyone. It was a miracle, the more each of them thought about it, as they rounded the last corner into the locker rooms, pushing the door open, and.. ... Coming face to face with someone they didn't expect. Isabelle had been behind Mel, and didn't see who it was at first. All she knew was that her heart sank - they would be caught. And once one person knew at Higgins, the rumor - 'well, the fact,' Isabelle admitted - would spread. But something interesting happened. Mel stopped only briefly, before she pulled Isabelle into the lockers, despite the presence of someone else there. Isabelle wanted to scream, wanted to yell at her friend, but she couldn't. She just needed to trust her. Isabelle went into the locker room and saw who it was that was there, thankfully alone. It was Lola. Isabelle, still in tears, was not sure why, but having Lola there made the whole situation a little better. 'It should feel worse,' Isabelle thought, 'what kind of person wants their friend to know they wet their pants, or in this case dress?' But Isabelle didn't care if Lola knew. Isabelle only wanted her there. Mel had made a similar assessment upon seeing Lola. 'Shit.....there won't be any avoiding this though. Lola is cool - she'll help.' Mel made a gut call and pulled Isabelle in, and immediately started to explain. "Hey Lola - look, Isabelle had a..uh.....a freak accident. And she kind of *whispering* peed on her dress. We're just going to get her changed quickly. Can you please make sure no one comes in?!" Isabelle waited for the worst. But again, it never came. Lola simply offered a smile to Isabelle, "Oyshh.....poor girl. Yes. Of course. Go rinse off quickly sweetie. I'll make sure no one comes in." Isabelle wanted to completely break down at that point. But there was no time. She was already extremely late for class. Isabelle ran to the showers, kicking off her shoes and socks, and pulling her dress over her head. As she did, Isabelle could feel the cool, wet backside of the dress run against her back. Isabelle deftly moved the dress around her hair so as to not get pee on it, as she pulled the curtain back on the shower. Finally, Isabelle pulled her soaking wet panties off, tossing them to the side. Isabelle tied her hair up, and turned the water on. Isabelle didn't wait for warm water to come out, immediately washing her legs, thighs, vagina, crotch, and butt with soap. Isabelle had to run her hands along her back to, cleaning up where the wet dress had run along, and being careful to keep her hair dry. As the water barely started to warm, Isabelle had already rinsed, and was out on the bamboo slats, drying herself with a towel Mel had placed there for her. Isabelle rapidly dried herself, before wrapping the towel around her and stepping out. Isabelle found Mel and Lola in the locker row where Isabelle had left her bags. Mel had kindly collected Isabelle's discarded clothes, and had taken a black garbage bag to put them in. "Well leave these in here for you to get after class," Mel said, motioning toward a locker, and putting Isabelle's things in. "The only thing is.....your shoes got kind of wet when you kicked them off. Its not pee, I don't think, but I don't think you'll be comfortable wearing them." Isabelle was humiliated - not because her shoes were wet, but because her friend had needed to check what had wet them. Lola took the opportunity to share her contribution. "You can just wear your ballet slippers Izzy. Wear all your ballet clothes. And you can take this zip up hoody from me to wear over it. No one will think anything of it," Lola said, reaching out and handing Isabelle the hoodie. Isabelle had managed to stop crying by this point, but her face was very swollen. Isabelle was eternally grateful for all the work her friends had done. "Thanks guys.....I uh......don't know what I would have done without you." There was no time for modesty, despite Isabelle being self conscious about her current figure. Isabelle dropped her towel, standing naked in front of her friends, and pulled on her tights from the morning, before pulling her leotard on. Isabelle inserted her feet into her ballet slippers, feeling the comfort her friends had offered her spread and echo through her body. Isabelle then pulled on the hoodie, which fell down to her knees, and rolled the sleves up before zipping it shut. 'Just bring it to me on Friday, nothing to worry about Izzy." Lola said. "Now you two need to get to class, or you'll be in a world of hurt," Lola said, as she left the locker room at the sound of the high school lunch bell, leaving Mel and Isabelle alone. Isabelle didn't have anything left to say. She just threw her arms around Mel, and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go. **** Isabelle sat silently as she ate dinner with her mom. The afternoon had been a whirlwind. Isabelle had arrived at class, very late, but obviously having been crying. Her math teacher thought better to embarrass her in front of the whole class, and so didn't draw attention to it. But Isabelle was forced to stay after class and explain herself, sticking with the period story, which - credit to Mel - worked. Classes had, that afternoon, been exceptionally challenging again. Isabelle was thankful for when they ended, and ran out of last period in search of Mel. Isabelle was feeling vulnerable again, and wanted to be with her friend. Unfortunately, Mel was nowhere to be seen. She did leave a note for Isabelle in the locker room with her stuff that made Isabelle smile nonetheless. 'Mel is a great friend.' When Isabelle found her mom's car, she confessed everything to her. She needed to tell someone, and, to be fair, it would be impossible to explain why she was in her ballet clothes, and the state of her dress. Isabelle. Her mother had been really sweet about it. "Oh baby! It's okay. That must have been awful. What a great friend Mel is. So responsible! I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Let's get you home." Isabelle was glad she had told her mom. The consequences otherwise might have been drastic. So Isabelle took the opportunity to confess her other shame. "Mom.....I uh.......I also lost my phone. I can't find it anywhere....I'm really sorry." Jane's reaction to that remark, however, was a little more confusing. "What phone sweetie? All the house phones are in their place. Don't worry about it." "No mom.....my cell phone." "Isabelle," Jane said, sighing, "I know you had a rough day, but we've spoken about this. You don't need a cell phone yet. You're too young. And I know some of your friends have them - but you're always together. If you need a phone, like for something that happened today, you can always ask Mel for hers. She didn't have a phone at your age, I'm sure of that." 'What the heck?' Isabelle thought...'Mom doesn't think I have a phone.....' Isabelle didn't have time to ponder. As soon as they pulled up to the house, Isabelle opened the door to the backseat, and went to the trunk to get her things, following her mom up the stairs to her house. "Please take your wet clothes downstairs baby. I'll do the wash later." Isabelle did as she was told. Isabelle spent the next hour watching TV in the basement. She had planned to do more work on her investigation, but her energy was completely sapped. After her mom finished cooking, the two ate together, Jane working tirelessly to cheer her daughter up. "Why don't I clean up here, and you go get ready for bed, sweetie? Then we can get into my bed together and watch a movie. How does that sound?" Jane proposed. In truth, it sounded wonderful, so Isabelle did exactly that. Isabelle pushed her plate away from her, and climbed the stairs to her bedroom, leaving the door opened behind her. Isabelle unzipped Lola's hoodie, setting it aside, before sitting on her bed and taking her ballet slippers off for the first time since she changed. Isabelle pulled her leotard off, and her tights down, throwing them into her laundry basket. Isabelle made her way over to her dresser, immediately opening the top drawer and pulling a sweetnight out - this one pink, purple, and with stars on the front - slipping it over her feet, and pulling it up to her waist. Isabelle then opened her pajama drawer, pulling out an aqua colored nightgown, and pulling it over her head. Isabelle then went over to her bed, grabbed Rabbity, holding him by his arm, before leaving her room. Isabelle sat Rabbity down on the toilet seat, making her way to the sink to brush her teeth. Isabelle couldn't help but notice the tear streaks still visible on her puffy freckled cheeks, looking down at the sink in order to avoid the sight of herself. Isabelle rinsed her mouth, set her toothbrush down, and picked up Rabbity from the toilet, heading to her mom's room. Jane was already on the bed waiting for Isabelle. "Hey sweetie. Come on up here. I found something for us to watch." Isabelle didn't need to be asked twice, jumping up next to her mom, and pulling the covers over her. As Isabelle pressed her knees against her chest in order to get the comforter free from underneath her, she mindlessly revealed her sweetnight to the world - in this case just her mom, who smiled at the sight of it. Isabelle snuggled up against her mom and Rabbity, who started the movie. The movie - Inquisitive Monkey - was about a pair of investigators; one man in a blue hat and matching blue outfit, and his partner - an inquisitive monkey - who solved problems together. 'It was funny,' Isabelle thought, and it put a smile on her face, as she finally calmed down from the afternoon laying with her mom. Isabelle was growing tired about halfway through the movie, when the urge to pee hit her. Isabelle was comfortable, tired, and didn't want to get up. But she knew she needed to. ... But then again, Isabelle also knew she didn't. Isabelle knew she was wearing her sweetnight. 'It's only for when I'm asleep,' Isabelle thought to herself, as she yawned deeply and watched the monkey drop down a manhole and turn on a flashlight. 'But I'm already in bed, and comfy' Isabelle pondered. "And If I wanted to, I could fall asleep right now...which basically means I'm already asleep.' Isabelle continued to reason. Isabelle adjusted herself closer into her mom's body. As she did, Jane began to stroke Isabelle's arm, as Isabelle continued to watch the movie. "I've woken up wet the last two mornings anyway," Isabelle thought to herself, watching the monkey accidentally step into sewer water, garnering a laugh from her. 'I guess it doesn't really make a difference.....' Isabelle diverted her gaze from the TV up to her mom, who she could see was focused on the TV. Isabelle stared at her mom for a minute, catching her attention. Jane turned to her daughter, who Jane could see was starring at her, sleepy-eyed, and vulnerable. Jane simply pulled her daughter in closer, wrapping her arm around Isabelle's back, Isabelle's body pressed against Jane, with her left knee hanging over her mom. Jane shut her bedside lamp, and adjusted herself lower on to her own pillow. Isabelle wasn't sure what she was hoping for when she turned to stare at her mom. Was it acceptance? permission? direction to get up? Whatever it was, Isabelle's heart was racing, debating internally as to what she should do. But as soon as her mom pulled her in and turned the light out, Isabelle felt understood. In that moment, as her mom held her close, as Isabelle turned her gaze back to the TV to watch the movie, Isabelle started to pee, willingly, without hesitation, and without concern, into her sweetnight. Isabelle felt relief as she peed, without shame, without embarrassment. It was the same relief she would have felt peeing in the toilet. Isabelle could feel her sweetnight absorb her pee, soaking it up, and expanding front to back. It felt safe, secure, and quite honestly, 'it feels nice,' Isabelle thought. As she peed, her mom started to gently pat her back. Isabelle wondered if her mom knew what she was doing. But she didn't wonder long, as Isabelle fell asleep shortly after in her mother's arms.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 26 Update 5.16.23: I am thankful for all advice/criticism/notes for my story. Recently, a reader pointed out that my description of Isabelle's underage body may have crossed the line in terms of sexual content as posted here in the SAF. I am extremely appreciative of the responsiveness of the mods in guiding my story into compliance, without sacrificing the story in any way. The beginning of Isabelle's week went by without much excitement. Isabelle woke up Monday morning to the sound of raindrops hitting her bedroom window. As Isabelle stretched her body out in her bed, she could feel that her sweetnight felt noticeably different under her covers. The thin, soft padding, that once wrapped around her was no longer; in its place was a swollen, warm, and clearly wet undergarment. But Isabelle didn't mind - she had slept great last night, and her bed wasn't wet. 'This plan is going to work,' Isabelle told herself. Not bothering to change out of her sweetnight, Isabelle made her way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she was doing so, Isabelle noticed she had to pee. Isabelle finished brushing, and made her way to the toilet, pulling her pajama pants, which caused her sweetnight to sag a little further down from her body. Isabelle lowered her sweetnight next, and sat down on the toilet seat. As Isabelle sat down and peed, she took a moment to examine the sweetnight a little closer. She had clearly wet in it, yet still needed to pee this morning. Isabelle could see that the sweetnight was clearly swollen, the middle, and even areas close to the edge, from the front where her pee would have hit, through to the part that would cover her butt, had expanded greatly. 'In truth, I'm surprised it didn't wake me up,' Isabelle thought to herself, before wiping and getting up. Isabelle did not pull her sweetnight back up, instead stepping out of it and removing her pajama top. Isabelle proceeded to get into the shower, tying her hair above her head as to avoid getting it wet, before turning the warm water on. Isabelle knew she had to be quick with her shower, immediately reaching for the soap, and lathering a much smaller body than she was used to. As she ran her hands along her arms, Isabelle couldn't help but notice how bare they were - no hairs on her arms, or even in her armpits. In fact, there was no presence that hair had either recently been shaved in either spot. 'And I can't remember the last time I even shaved..' Isabelle though to herself. Isabelle continued to wash her body, spreading the body wash on her chest and stomach. There too, there were no hairs. As Isabelle began rubbing the soap on her chest, she could barely detect a hint of her breasts rising. Isabelle looked down, noticing that they had all but receded, and it was an utter shock to Isabelle to realize this morning that they had basically disappeared all together. Isabelle started to feel deeply self conscious about it. Isabelle took additional soap to wash her crotch, butt, and legs. Consistent with her prior discoveries, Isabelle discovered she had no pubic hair at all. It was not an uncommon feeling, as Isabelle always shaved her pubic hair anyway, but as she soaped the area, she could feel the skin was smoother, softer, and without any trace of shaving. As Isabelle continued to wash herself thoroughly, she noticed other changes as well, which bothered her. Her waist and hips also felt narrower and straighter. Isabelle even noticed that her butt was smaller. Isabelle continued to wash her body, reflecting on these changes to her body. 'This should bother me more,' Isabelle thought to herself. But it didn't. 'It just doesn't feel important,' Isabelle thought, 'in the grand scheme of things at least.' It was simply consistent with everything else that was happening to her. 'It would be completely whack if my body wasn't changing, in fact, but I kept getting younger anyway.' Isabelle laughed at that thought. 'I'd be a giant among my classmates,' Isabelle thought, smirking, though concealing her fears that she was already one of the smaller girls in her friend group. Isabelle finished her shower, before stepping out into the bathroom. Isabelle considered, for a moment, what to do with her sweetnight, before ultimately deciding to just dump it in the garbage nearby, before grabbing her pajamas and heading to her room to change. Isabelle met her mom downstairs, dressed and ready to go to school. "Good morning sweetie. How did you sleep?" Jane asked, curious about her daughter's night. Isabelle simply responded "well" before sitting in front of her bowl of cereal, and starting to eat. Jane was obviously interested in more, and whether Isabelle was withholding purposefully or not, it did not matter. Jane would need to get a few more answers, and expected Isabelle to offer them. "Sweetie. I'm proud of you for wearing your sweetnights, but you also need to let me know in the morning if they were wet or not. Else I'll have to check myself, understood?" Jane said, with a tone that Isabelle understood was not to be challenged. Isabelle looked up from her bowl, and blushed a little. "Sorry mom. Umm.....yah they were wet. But my bed isn't wet or anything," Isabelle added, before returning to her breakfast. 'That wasn't so bad,' Isabelle thought. Jane smiled. 'Of course your bed wasn't wet - that's the whole point,' Jane thought to herself, deciding to keep that remark to herself. "Thank you sweetie. It sounds like it was a very good idea we got them. And you look so much better rested today for school. Let's get going." Isabelle had no objection to ending that particular conversation, and so happily followed her mom out the front door, and to the car. Isabelle reached the car, and drop her bags in the trunk, before making her way to the front seat to sit by her mom. "Where do you think you're going young lady?" Jane asked, playfully, but did not wait for a response. "Back seat. Now." Jane said, shaking her head before getting behind the steering wheel. Isabelle was not pleased with being told she couldn't sit in the front. 'What the heck?!' Isabelle thought, stopping herself just shy of letting a different word slip out of her mouth. Isabelle decided she was in no mood to have a spat over it this morning though, and decided to go ahead and get into the back of the car. Isabelle remained silent for the car ride, unhappy that she was relegated to the back seat. "I'm going to pick you up a little later today sweetie, probably around 5:30, so you'll have to go to the library after school." Isabelle had no objection. It would give her time to work out some new theories. Beyond that conversation, Isabelle largely ignored her mom until they arrived at Higgins, quietly leaving the car and grabbing her bags, before heading into the school locker rooms to get ready for her dance classes. It did not take long for Isabelle to find Mel getting dressed for dance. In fact, Isabelle approached Mel just as Mel was taking off her clothes to change into her dance clothing. "Hey Belly! How are you?" Mel asked, seemingly without a care that she was completely naked in front of Isabelle. Isabelle starred at her friend, who's body was far more mature then her own; her friend had already developed sizeable breasts, and had a much curvier figure than the one Isabelle had washed this morning. The sight of Mel alone made Isabelle blush. "Hi Mel. I'm good. I missed you the rest of the weekend!" Isabelle confessed, before sitting next to her friend as Mel was pulling her tights on. "How was the rest of your weekend?" Isabelle followed up with? "Well," Mel responded, "other than missing you too, not too much excitement." Mel went on to share how their family went out to some fancy restaurant on Saturday night, before going out for ice cream. Mel said it was pretty boring, "until we found out that Avery has a date next week, and everyone was making fun of him. I hope whoever goes on that date knows how gross he is," Mel added, as she straightened out her leotard, "otherwise well just have to tell him." Mel said, laughing. Isabelle's heart sank. 'Gross? Your brother isn't gross,' Isabelle thought, pouting more than she expected to. 'Whatever girl he agreed to go on a date with is the gross one,' Isabelle thought, before simply deciding to agree with her friend. "For sure Mel. That sounds like an okay weekend though." Isabelle elected not to get too in depth about her own weekend. 'I don't plan on sharing those events with anyone, in fact.' Mel and Isabelle started to walk out of the locker rooms together, Isabelle following Mel to the left before Mel stopped abruptly. "Belly.....wrong way?" Mel said. Mel's comment caused Isabelle to stop, unsure of what Mel was trying to tell her. Isabelle stood, motionless, starring at her friend with a perplexed look on her face, until she offered a little more context. "You're going the wrong way Belly. You're in studio B this morning. I'll see you after class, I have to go." Mel said, hugging her friend before jogging off in the original direction she was heading. Isabelle remained still, alone in the hallway, confused about her friend's instruction. 'Why would I be in studio B this morning if Mel is in studio A?' Isabelle pondered, unable to come up with a single reason why that might be the case. Before she knew it, however, the school bell rang, indicating that Isabelle was late, one way or the other. 'Melly obviously knows something I don't' Isabelle decided, and turned around jogging to studio B for class. Isabelle walked into class just as Ms. Appleby was starting her lesson. "Nice of you to join us, Isabelle, Ms. Appleby said. "Now that you're in middle school, you're responsible for showing up on time. Now lets get started." Isabelle considered Ms. Appleby's comments for a moment, before realizing what had happened: Isabelle had gone back, two more years this time. 'Oh god.' Isabelle thought, as she started working through Ms. Appleby's instructions, lining up with the other girls along the ballet barre. 'I really need to sort this out sooner rather than later,' Isabelle thought, stretching down and extending out of a new position. Isabelle was getting herself worked up, in an almost state of panic. Until she wasn't. As Isabelle tried to process what was happening to her, a pulsating vibration was running through her body. It started at her feet, in her slippers, and ran up her ankles. It stayed there, for a moment, until it started to run up her legs, into her thighs, and then her hips. The vibration didn't stop, bouncing up her stomach, and through her chest. It danced down her arms, into her fingertips, before returning up her arms and to her shoulders, her neck. The vibration wouldn't cease, running up her shin, to her mouth, her nose and ears, and cascading across her eyebrows. The vibration and warmth continued to run all the way to the top of her head, until suddenly it left, and with it, any sense that what was happening was anything other than what was supposed to. 'I.......I belo...........I belong here....' It started out as more of a question, as the pulsating warmth spread out from her slippers, through her body. 'I..........I do.....belong here.' The questioned evolved into a statement - sure, one still carrying disbelief - as the warm pulses had spread to her extremities. 'I.....I Isabelle, I....I definitely belong here.' By the time the feeling has spread through, and out the tip of her head, it was no longer a question - it was a statement of fact. One Isabelle knew to be true. Isabelle proceeded through Ms. Appleby's morning class, excelling at nearly every exercise. It's not that it was necessary easy. In fact, Isabelle found it was quite the workout. 'Ballet I was all about building muscle and stamina,' Isabelle thought, as she proceeded through the third set of grueling steps. Isabelle had forgotten how challenging that first year of middle school was, until that moment. Yet Isabelle felt right at home - there was no doubt she was exactly where she was supposed to be. There remained, of course, some resistance. But the resistance was not strong enough to overcome what Isabelle knew and felt to be right. As she danced, Isabelle couldn't help but smile - she felt gratitude for where she was at that moment. By the end of morning lessons, Isabelle was exhausted, Her legs, arms, and whole body were sore. Everything but her feet. But there was one more problem Isabelle was feeling - she was in desperate need to use the bathroom. As Ms. Appleby droned on about the lessons they had learned that day, Isabelle was bouncing from one foot, to the other, desperate to hold her bladder. The feeling had come on almost instantly, and Isabelle was not sure how much longer she would last. "......and that's why its important to break down each step," Ms. Appleby continued on. "Tomorrow, you'll each apply those steps for class, one at a time, and present a short piece highlighting why it's important to complete a step, and highlight the transitions into your next movement." 'Yada yada yada,' Isabelle thought, 'SOME OF US HAVE TO PEE HERE.' Isabelle was growing desperate, hunched over at this point, as Appleby continued on to another subject. 'Forget about this - I can't wait here any longer.' Isabelle was not going to risk another incident. So, while Ms. Appleby was continuing her lesson, Isabelle simply bolted out of class, one hand pressed against her crotch, the other reaching out for the door. As Isabelle opened the door and slipped through, she could hear a call for her to return "....Ward. Get back here!" But Isabelle was not about to stop. Isabelle darted into the locker rooms, finding them empty, as class was not over. Isabelle deftly moved around two sets, of benches, past the showers, running into a stall, and closing it behind her. Isabelle was bounding on her tip-toes as she slipped the shoulder of her leotard off, and yanked her tights down, nearly peeing in them before sitting on the toilet and releasing all of her pee into the toilet. 'Thankkkkkkkk gawwwd....' Isabelle thought, as she heard the bell for class ring, signaling the end of dance. Isabelle didn't care what she looked like, all she knew was that she looked better than she would have if she'd peed in class. *** "The way Lily tells it, you just bolted out of class" Ras recited, as the girls all ate their lunch together. Isabelle's frantic departure from class had been a topic of conversation as the girls had all changed in the locker room, though the real reason behind it remained a mystery to all. Mel, Natalie, and Ras had thought it was a particularly funny story, so now, even as the girls ate their lunch, the topic remained a point of discussion. Eventually, her friends deviated to another topic: class that afternoon. Isabelle was not looking forward to not knowing anyone in class again. Yet, at the same time, Isabelle was looking forward to possibly being in classes that weren't so tough. Isabelle was still not deterred from her ultimate goal of reversing whatever was happening to her. But at the same time, it felt better to be stuck in a place that felt appropriate, at least for the time being. 'And hopefully some less challenging classes,' Isabelle thought to herself. After lunch, Isabelle identified a few girls she recognized from her dance class that morning, and followed them into a class labelled "Math I." Isabelle took one of the empty seats at the front, smiling at the other kids in the class, who, Isabelle realized, looked much like she did. Isabelle felt sad to be without Mel, but the truth was, she felt a little less self-conscious among these classmates. Classes, for the most part, did go better than usual. Isabelle was able to answer a few questions correctly in math after making a few mistakes early in the class. Isabelle also found the "Introduction to Biology" class to be rather enjoyable. It didn't hurt that the class used the textbook she had earlier taken out to try and explore her coma theory. Even though it didn't amount to anything, it helped prepare her for this unexpected class. Mr. Gross was even surprised when she was able to answer a question on the brain! There were of course some challenges. Isabelle embarrassingly was holding her map upside-down in geography class. Isabelle had also been shuffled into some foreign language class, where, by the end of the period, Isabelle was still unable to identify what language they were supposed to be studying. The worst part of the day, however, was Isabelle was lonely. She didn't have Dani or Lola, who she missed more than she could explain. She didn't have Mel, who, 'even though she is much younger than me,' Isabelle missed drastically. 'She's been such a good friend the last week,' Isabelle reminded herself. Isabelle even missed Tori, and Ras, and not-so-little anymore Natalie, who she had not seen at all that afternoon. It made for a hard afternoon, and by the time her last class ended, Isabelle was feeling pretty down on herself. The sound of the bell came with opportunity, though. Isabelle probably should have tracked down Mel and those girls - it would have made more sense, and Isabelle knew it. But it had been three full days since she had seen or even spoken to Lola, and Isabelle was not sure she'd ever gone that long before without seeing her. Plus, she might catch Dani too, who, though Isabelle saw her on Saturday, she was still longing for her company as well So at the sound of the bell, Isabelle made her way directly the girls' locker rooms, in hopes that she would have a chance to find her friends. Isabelle departed her classroom, and immediately made a right turn, navigating her way through the halls. Isabelle went down a set of stairs, made a left turn, further down the hall, another right, before she - *WHAM* Isabelle ran right into a wall. Or what felt like a wall. In fact, it was not a wall. It was a person. And not just any person - it was, of course, Avery. "Oww....." Isabelle moaned from the floor, rubbing her side, where she had landed. Avery, seemingly had been entirely unaffected by Isabelle's accidental tackling attempt, but turned, and saw the poor girl on the floor. "Oh jeez. Isabelle - you need to be more careful," Avery said, before extending an arm, and effortlessly pulling Isabelle up off the ground. "You can't just run around the halls here like that, you'll get yourself seriously hurt." Avery was smiling as Isabelle now, who was still rubbing her butt where she had landed. "Are you okay?" Isabelle was not sure how to answer that question. 'Well, Avery, my butt hurts, a lot. Thanks for asking,' would have been the honest, but strange answer. But in that moment, Isabelle felt angry. She was angry at Avery - angry that he told his mom she had wet the bed and angry that Avery had agreed to go on a date with some skank. Isabelle's afternoon did not help things - she was angry at how lonely she had been all afternoon. So, rather than respond even remotely politely to Avery's kind gesture, Isabelle angrily responded, "I'm fine," before stomping away toward the locker room. If Avery responded, Isabelle didn't hear it. Isabelle made her way into the locker room seconds after Tori exited, heading in the opposite direction. 'Maybe I'm not too late,' Isabelle thought, as she picked her pace up and went into the locker room, sliding by another pair of 12th grade girls leaving. The locker room was scarcely filled, but Isabelle did not need it to be otherwise. She was interested in finding two people and two people only, and it was not long before she located them. Isabelle spotted Dani and Lola in one of the rows, chatting away with Ms. Smith, presumably about their class. Not wanting to interrupt, Isabelle waved, catching Lola's eye, who waved back, and put a single finger up letting Isabelle know it would be a minute. Isabelle sat on a nearby bench, barely within earshot and waited. ".........incredible improvements.............to focus...............leagues here.......................Dani.................potato..............Lola.....................of course. Tomorrow." Isabelle couldn't make sense of anything Ms. Smith was saying. 'Why the heck are they talking about potatoes?' Isabelle wondered, fixated on that portion of the conversation. But, she didn't need to fixate long, as Ms. Smith left after uttering her last word, out toward the hallway. Dani and Lola both sat down, and Isabelle made her way to them. "Hi Dani. Hi Lola. How was dance this afternoon?" Isabelle asked. It felt wonderful to just speak toward her friends after the day she had, even if it would only last minutes. Lola was the first to respond. "Hey Izzy. What are you doing here? What a nice surprise. Dance was good - Smith is being super tough of late, but nothing we can't handle," Lola said, with a grin. Isabelle could see the sweat dripping down Lola's brow, along her cheek, and down her long neck line. Lola's black hair was tied in the most perfect ballet bun, as she turned and smiled at Dani. "This one might disagree though," Lola said, motioning to Dani. "She's a lunatic Izzy. Be grateful you wont see her for years to come," Dani said, collapsing down on hte bench, starring at the ceiling, and stretching her arms over her head, which was now laying next to where Isabelle was seated. Dani turned her head to the left to face Isabelle, "How about you? Good day? Feeling a little better today?" Isabelle immediately blushed at the question, and diverted her gaze down to her feet, which were now nervously bouncing. Lola turned to look at Dani, then Isabelle, pausing for a moment, before returning to searching in her ballet bag. Isabelle was fairly sure she knew was Dani was referring to, but was hopeful Lola never needed to find out. 'I'll just ignore that question,' Isabelle concluded. "My day was okay. Classes were a bit better. And dance this morning was hard, but I didn't have any trouble. I just........." Isabelle was not sure how to share what she was dealing with. "....I just.......I'm..uh.......having" Isabelle wanted so badly to tell the truth, to tell her friends what was happening. But she couldn't. "....just having trouble making friends is all." It wasn't exactly a lie, and her loneliness was weighing on her. "That's alright Izzy," Lola responded. "It took Dani and I a few months to make new friends when we came to middle school. We hardly recognized any of our classmates. Half of the kids from the elementary school didn't stay at Higgins, and we basically only had each other," Lola explained. "Think about this - we only met Tori this summer, and we spend all our time with her now! You'll meet great people, don't worry about it." Isabelle was saddened at the reminder that Lola had not included Isabelle in Lola's friend group coming into Higgins middle school. 'But then again.....I wasn't there....was I?' Isabelle mind began racing, trying to recall memories of her, Dani, and Lola coming into middle school together, as a trio. But none came to mind. It was as though it had never happened at all. 'Because..........because it didn't,' Isabelle told herself, believing that to be true. 'How could it not be true?' Isabelle asked herself, 'look at these two - they're just more grown up than me.....' Isabelle tried harder and harder to remember her memories with Lola and DAni, but the harder she did, she more distant and fading the memories felt. It was as if she lost all connection to how she knew Lola and Dani. All Isabelle knew was that she did, that they were her best friends, that she was supposed to be in 12th grade with them, somehow, someway, but nothing else. It didn't make any sense, and it hurt Isabelle's head to think about. Isabelle was shaken out of her thoughts by Dani, who followed up on one of Lola's questions. "What are you doing here sweetie?" Isabelle looked at Dani, realizing that she would need to come up with a better justification for her presence in the locker room than merely wanting to see Dani and Lola. "Oh...I..uh......I was uh....." Isabelle was searching for an excuse, and settled on the easiest one. "I was going to see if I could use one of the studio rooms. My mom is coming late and I just wanted to practice." "Smart girl," Lola responded, slipping her own tennis shoes on. "That's why you're the best in your class. And trust me, friends will come. Its still the first month of school. October only starts on Wednesday," Lola said. "You have loads of time to make friends. Cute girl like you might even have a boyyyyyyyfriend" Lola said teasingly. Dani added a couple of "ooooooooooooooooooooooohs" to boot. The dance compliment made Isabelle feel good about herself - she could have done without the teasing about boys. But at least, Isabelle ffered Lola a simple "thanks" in response. But Isabelle realized her excuse would only make sense if she actually changed back into her ballet clothes. "I...ummmm....I'm going to change." Isabelle had no interest in changing in front of Dani and Lola, feeling more self-conscious than ever about her body, especially in front of her two, adult - not to mention beautiful - friends. "See you later," Isabelle said, making her way past her two friends, past the showers, and into one of the bathroom stalls, deciding to change there. As Isabelle undressed, she took the opportunity to sit on the toilet and pee. As she did, she heard Dani and Lola make their ways to the showers, catching the tail end of their conversation. ".......little embarrassed about it, but I think she's okay." Dani said, finishing a thought Isabelle couldn't quite figure out. "Wow," Lola had responded, "I feel bad. That's not easy to manage. Probably not helping with her struggles right now too. In any event, how did your conversation go Saturday afternoon. You never updated me......" It was the last Isabelle heard between her two friends. Isabelle flushed the toilet, and opened her ballet bag. 'I really don't want to get back into my sweaty things from this morning.....but I do need to maintain the fib, at least to get out of the locker room.' Isabelle pondered her dilemma, before arriving at a solution. 'I'll just put my slippers on, and if anyone asks, tell them I'm just working them in and walking through steps.' It would be semi-believable, though the fact that she was wearing jeans would make it less so. Either way, Isabelle pulled off her shoes, and slipped her bare feet into her slippers, instantly feeling better about her afternoon. Isabelle unlocked the latch to the bathroom door, and peered out. Not seeing anyone, Isabelle made her way out the door, and quickly darted past the showers, out the locker room, and made her way toward the middle school library. 'That worked out just fine.' Isabelle settled herself at a desk in the library, opening one of her brand new notebooks. Isabelle was, for the first afternoon in a long time, not feeling exhausted. 'Sleeping has done wonders,' Isabelle thought to herself. Isabelle dedicated the following hour to working out her new theories. Isabelle pulled out a blank, black ruler sized composition journal, decorated with white spots. On the front, Isabelle took a pink gel pen and wrote, in bubble letters, "Investigative Journal," before blowing on the writing to help dry it. Smiling, Isabelle opened up the journal to the first page. Isabelle started writing a title - "Isabelle's Conundrum," this time in a blue gel pen, before picking up a red gel pen, and starting to write down the theories she had worked through already, identifying any clues she discovered, and working out why she no longer believed them plausible. For the first time since this started, Isabelle felt she was efficiently marking down her discoveries, and feeling somewhat in control of an uncontrollable situation. 'Selma in the Cluefinders always takes notes, and whenever they ultimately crack a conundrum, the cluefinders always rely on those notes,' Isabelle thought, as she drew a box in purple gel around a new header on a clean page that read "CLUES." Isabelle started writing down what she knew: 1. Body changing. Smaller. Shrinking. No presence of puberty; no hair, haven't had period in month - something to track. Hair longer. Face rounder. Freckles back. Still adorable. Isabelle wasn't sure what compelled her to write the last remark. 2. Others treating me younger. School - appear to be in 6th grade. Mel and girls believe I am younger than them now, but last week same age, I think? Yet, for some reason.....I know I am in the right grade. Strange feeling. Needs to be explored more. Mom - possibly thinks I am younger, but largely treating me the same....I think. Mom=best, helping me. Jess, let me co-babysit, so obviously they know I am responsible. Perhaps strange events only impacting how classmates see me? Worth exploring 3. Dani and Lola - Best friends, but how? Trying to remember how we met, but cannot. Deep down, I know they are the closest people to me. Need to keep them close. VERY IMPORTANT. 4. Bedwetting problems - Handled. no longer issue. Better sleep, better ideas. Able to focus on cracking conundrum better. Very mature decisions made. Well done me. Isabelle continued to write away, pausing to consider additional clues she had found. 5. School - excelling at dance, struggling with some classes. No obvious change from prior. Disallowed from senior library - need to resolve 6. Avery - traitor. Isabelle felt bad about the last line, but was still stewing. Nevertheless, she decided to add additional context to the line about her desired beau. 6. Avery - traitor (to be revisited) 7. Clothing, other changes - generally, world appears to be adapting to me. Clothes all fit, and appear new, much cuter than old outfits. Dance clothes as well - far cuter, fit well. Pleased that some changes had been positive. Slippers - source of comfort, joy, despite everything seemingly existing in chaos. Thank you mom - the best. Isabelle finished by writing a summary of her clues: Overall conclusion: I appear to be getting smaller, and possibly younger, but by how much, unclear. At most, it would appear two years at this stage. Need to find way back to 8th grade......No clear memories beyond that. For some reason, memories of being 12th grader seem more distant...less real. But.....I cant make the connection. Something greater feels wrong, but can no longer identify. Memory hazy - certain things coming back, others.....for some reason will not. Need to work way back to 8th grade first, then re-evaluate. Excellent plan. Isabelle reflected on her clues and her summary, and decided she needed to provide additional theories. Reflecting on her old ones, Isabelle decided to expand the possibilities. 'I need to consider that this might be something I have overlooked,' Isabelle thought to herself, before writing down her new, most likely theories. a. Unknown medical condition. Novel. Unheard of. Patient zero? b. Wormhole theory must be revisited. Find book on space, perhaps? Isabelle was happy to have some direction, after feeling she had none this morning. She set her pen down, intent to close her journal and But something was holding her back. She couldn't flip the page. Isabelle knew why, but could not bring herself, in that moment to admit it. Until, that is, Isabelle felt a warmth flowing through her body. 'I can't rule it out....' Isabelle thought, 'no matter how silly it feels to write down.' ... ... Isabelle picked up her pen one more time. c. Magic. Implausible. Impossible. Silly. .... ...Can't rule out. With that, Isabelle closed her book, and made her way out to the front of the middle school, where her mom was waiting with a smile on her face to take her home. 'I'll get to the bottom of this.' Isabelle wouldn't settle for anything else.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 25 Isabelle heard birds chirping outside her window. Her body felt heavy under her covers, and Isabelle started working to locate her arms, her hands, her legs, her feet. As she stretched each extremity of her body, she felt something that was rare of late - she felt rested. For the first time in several nights, Isabelle had slept, and slept well. Isabelle's eyes fluttered open to the continued sounds of birds chirping, as the sunlight from her window struck her golden hair. She yawned deeply, her mind slowly waking up, trying to catch up with her body. 'I remember......I remember watching TV with Dani,' Isabelle thought, as she stretched her body out once more, in no rush to get out of bed that morning. 'I remember......mom coming.....' Isabelle thought, but the memory was faint. 'I must have really been out cold.' Isabelle shifted in bed, turning to lay on her other side. As she did, Isabelle felt something unusual underneath her. No - it was not Rabbity, who was safely in her arms. Rather, it was something warm, something moist, something...... 'Oh no.' Isabelle thought to herself. 'Oh no oh no oh no.......not again.' Isabelle was frozen in bed, too frightened to lift up her covers and find yet another wet spot underneath her. 'I've peed the bed again,' Isabelle thought. In fact, she knew it. And truth be told, she was exhausted from all the work it took to cover it up. Right now, Isabelle just wanted to lay in bed, and accept her fate. She had had enough. But this morning was odd. It did not feel like other mornings when she had woken up wet. There was no cold, clammy feeling underneath her. Isabelle could not feel any wetness down her legs, on her back, or anywhere else. In fact.....it just felt wet and warm around her crotch. 'Still, even if I only peed a little, its still a wet bed, wet sheets, wet mattress....' But that was the thing - Isabelle's sheets did not feel wet either. Nor did her mattress appear to be wet, at least to her touch. 'What the heck is going on.' Isabelle wondered, her curiosity overpowering her dread enough for her to stick her hand underneath the covers, and feel around. Slowly, delicately, Isabelle moved her hand around her body, not daring to make contact with herself yet. Little by little, Isabelle confirmed her suspicions; no wet sheets, no wet mattress, no wet anything. Isabelle's interest was now very much piqued, her fears and concerns washing away. And so, Isabelle lifted her covers up, to peer down at herself and identify the cause of this new feeling. Isabelle lifted the covers up ... ....and immediately threw them back down, turning crimson red and starring up at her ceiling. 'I forgot.......I forgot about the sweetnights.' Isabelle had not, until that moment, reflected on the whole events of the night prior; hiding in the laundry room, struggling to get out, wetting her pants, discovered by Becky, being cleaned up by her friend, and being dressed into sweetnights. Isabelle had felt so good that morning, the prior nights horrid events had not occurred to her. Isabelle laid in bed, still, embarrassed at her state, for several more minutes, processing what was going on. 'I cannot believe I am wearing these,' was of course, her immediate thought. Isabelle needed to make sense of this, explain it away. 'Of course! It was just as a favor to Dani, to help her out,' Isabelle reminded herself. 'We couldn't exactly leave the kids alone. It was just a fluke thing.' The only problem was Isabell knew that was not true. Isabelle knew she had been having accidents for over a week. And this morning, after some very long weeks, Isabelle was ready to confront the truth about what was going on with her. The truth was starring her in the face - she was not just wearing a sweetnight, but her sweetnight was wet. Very wet at that. And Isabelle was positive that when she fell asleep next to Dani last night, it had been very dry. As Isabelle's mind continued to wake up, she thought of some conversations she had with herself the prior two days, her realization that her bladder issues were preventing her from focusing her efforts on what mattered - figuring out whatever was happening to her. She was previously unwilling to admit it in the hopes that she could resolve this crazy thing happening before she needed to pay it much attention. But the truth was, Isabelle was back to square one with her theories, and would need to redouble her efforts to solve this conundrum. That would mean sleeping, and Isabelle had not been sleeping well. The cause of it - her bladder, her alarms, her panic, her wet beds, and, without question, her embarrassment over all of the above. 'Perhaps there is a solution to this.....perhaps I need to consider......' Isabelle could not believe she was actually taking this option seriously. 'I'm an adult.' Isabelle reminded herself. "I do not need to actually accept peeing the bed.' There would of course, need to be another solution. Isabelle was going back and forth with this debate in her bead, unsure of where to land, and unaware of the irony of having the debate whilst in some very wet protection. Her internal struggle was taking a toll on her that morning, so much so that she barely heard when her mom came into the room, and made her way over to Isabelle's bed. "Good morning sweetie," Jane said, sitting on the edge of Isabelle's bed and leaning over to kiss her daughter on the forehead, eliciting a smile from her daughter. "How did you sleep last night baby? You were out cold when I got to Jess's and I had to carry you home!" Jane said, suggesting some surprise, as she rested her right hand on Isabelle's stomach, stroking her cheek with her left. Isabelle felt a great comfort to have her mom holding her like that. Isabelle considered how to answer, before deciding to do so honestly. "I slept really well mom...I.......I've been really tired lately." Isabelle knew it was probably smarted to conceal what was going on until Isabelle had made her mind up on how to move forward. But the words came out of her mouth, and with them, a weight left her body. It felt nice to share with someone. "I'm sure sweetie. I heard you had a pretty stressful night. Can we talk about it?' Jane asked, as she rubbed her daughter's belly, and continued to smile at her. Isabelle knew the conversation was probably inevitable, Dani had, of course, no choice but to tell Jane what happened. But Isabelle didn't want to discuss it, so she simply shook her head from side to side, looking down at herself as she did so. "I know you must be sad sweetie. But we do need to talk about it." Isabelle was too distracted to notice, but her mom's right hand had been sliding lower and lower. Isabelle didn't even notice as Jane slipped her hand quickly down her leg, and then back up her sweetnight, before settling on Isabelle's stomach again. "Dani told me you had a bit of an accident. Is that what you're embarrassed about?" Isabelle was still not ready to speak, and so instead, just nodded. It was true - she was indeed embarrassed. "That's okay sweetie. And she told me it was because you got stuck downstairs. Its not your fault. So I don't want you to worry about it," Jane continued. Her mom's remarks made Isabelle feel a little better, enough so that she could lift her head up at least and look at her mom again, offering a sliver of a smile. Isabelle's smile, however, would not last long. "But sweetie, I know you've been having more than just that one problem, right?" Jane asked, hoping her daughter would confess. Isabelle did no such thing, however, instead freezing up, and dropping her head again. Isabelle could not admit it. But she couldn't deny it either. Jane took a deep breath before continuing. "You know, I spoke with Mandy yesterday morning, and she mentioned that you had a little accident there too. Is that true?" Isabelle's head shot up at that remark, and her eyes opened very wide. 'Avery - that traitor! He told his mom?!?!? And probably Mel too!' It was too much for Isabelle to handle, her eyes starting to well up with tears, before she let her head fall down again. Jane, meanwhile, did not stop stroking her daughter's hair, and continued to massage her belly, trying to help her calm down. "It's okay sweetie. She didn't say anything to Mel. She just had to tell me, you understand. I would have to do the same thing if it had happened to Mel here." 'That did make sense,' Isabelle thought, and it did make it a bit better, 'but still......Avery told his mom......' That part didn't make Isabelle feel good. Jane was not done yet, however. "And during the week, you also had a few accidents, didn't you?" Jane asked. "I found some clothes in your washing basket on Friday that were wet, no? And I had to clean a few drops of pee in the hall last week too. And don't forget about the sheets I found in the dryer, which I assume were wet, no? And the spray bottle you left in your room to clean the mattress? Moms know everything my sweet Belly." Jane had listed each incident calmly, and sweetly. She was disappointed, of course, Isabelle had not come forward. 'But at least she isn't denying it.' Jane thought. Isabelle could not believe it. Her mom had known everything. 'But I did such a good job cleaning everything up!' Isabelle thought to herself, 'I didn't leave any evidence......well, except the spray bottle.....and I guess the sheets in the dryer.........and the laundry. But that was it. That wasn't enough evidence!' Isabelle concluded. And yet, here was her mom, calling her out on all of it. Isabelle was now fully crying. 'Oh sweetie, come here!' Jane said, pulling her daughter up to her knees, and giving her a big, mom hug. "it's okay. I'm not mad. I just wish you had told me you were having nighttime problems sweetie," Jane said, rubbing her daughter's back. As Isabelle rested her head on her mom's shoulder, Jane took the opportunity to confirm with her eyes what her hand had already told her - her daughter's sweetnight was soaked. Jane pushed her daughter back, Isabelle landing comfortably and softly on her butt. "Now listen sweetie. Lots of girls go through problems like this. Its not big deal. Soon, you'll have to deal with all sorts of other things girls deal with. This is something that happens to everyone, but it is something we are going to have to deal with, okay?' Isabelle, much like last night, was not ready to speak, so instead, just nodded. "Good girl. So yesterday, I went to the store and got a package of these," Jane said, as she reached behind her to pull out the bag of sweetnights, "which you'll only have to wear at night before you go to sleep. Well put them away so no one will see them, and this will just be between the two of us. And if after a week, you're waking up dry in them, well get rid of them. Okay sweetie? Isabelle was lost for words. Isabelle could see the package was already open, realizing now where the sweetnight she was wearing came from last night. 'Mom must have left one with my things.....for just in case I suppose.....' Isabelle realized. Isabelle looked at her mom, unable to do anything but stare. "Isabelle. This isn't really an option," Jane continued, with a little more authority in her voice. "I need you to be big girl about this and wear them. And I need you to tell me you're going to do so, right now, okay?" Isabelle couldn't do it. She didn't have it in her. Isabelle continued to sit in front of her mom, frozen, processing her struggle. 'This isn't real. This can't be real,' Isabelle thought to herself. But it was real. And Isabelle knew it. Deep down, in her heart, in her mind, at her very core, Isabelle knew this was right. Isabelle didn't want to fight the truth anymore. Isabelle didn't want to wake up wet anymore. Isabelle didn't want to......'to be something I'm not,' she thought to herself, unaware of what she truly meant by that. And so Isabelle nodded - she nodded a nod she never thought she would nod. And then, Isabelle did something else unexpected - she spoke. 'Yes mommy. I'll......I'll wear them." Isabelle did not need to struggle anymore - the decision had been made for her. And Isabelle accepted that decision, ultimately, not mattering whether she would have arrived there on her own. "Good girl. I'm so proud of you," Jane said with a smile, hugging her daughter again. "I want you to listen to me for one more second sweetie," Jane continued "As you grow up, all sorts of things are going to happen to you. Things are going to happen around you. Things you cannot explain. Things you don't always understand, or that don't make sense. And you won't be able to control it all. And that is really hard to accept." Isabelle's mind was starting to activate again - 'I've.......heard this before........I think?' Isabelle thought, '........mom has said this before.......but when....?' Jane continued. "But the truth is sweetie, what you're going to have to learn to do, what a big girl learns to do, is that you need to accept the things that are happening, let them happen, all of it. And once you do, you can learn how to deal with those things. Once you sit back, and reflect and think about what is happening, and why it is happening, you'll be able to come up with solutions to these issues you are having. You'll learn to make the best of each and every situation. And in the end, you'll be happier. I promise. As soon as you accept it, all of it, you will find joy you didn't realize was there." Isabelle continued to reflect on her mom's words. 'They just seem so familiar.....' But she was interrupted once more. "Now," Jane finished, "I can see that your sweetnight is quite wet, my love," Jane pointed out, her eyes glancing toward her daughter's protection. "why don't you change out of that, and come down for breakfast?" Jane said, getting up, and leaving the room. If Isabelle had been horrified by their conversation up to that point, nothing compared to how she felt right now, her mom having been aware that she had wet her sweetnight the whole time. *** The day transpired without much excitement. After her conversation with her mom, Isabelle had decided to shower, and make her way down to eat some breakfast. Isabelle was not in a particularly chatty mood, and Jane was not eager to bother her any further. So after she finished eating, Isabelle pushed her cereal bowl away from her, and went back upstairs to grab her book, spending the morning reading alone in her room. In truth, there was a sort of weight lifted from Isabelle's mind. Though she didn't exactly arrive at the decision to use the sweetnights herself, the bedwetting issue really had taken a toll on her and her investigation into the strange events of the last few weeks. As Isabelle finished her latest chapter, she considered the added benefits, beyond simply not wetting the bed. 'I'll be able to focus more on figuring out what's happening to me. This will be good. And temporary.' Isabelle made her way back downstairs for lunch, fining that a sandwich was waiting for her. Isabelle passed her mom on her way down, smiling at Jane. 'There's no reason to be mad at mom,' Isabelle thought to herself, 'she is just trying to help. And, after all, she's not exactly making any of this up. Nor is it her fault this is happening,' Isabelle thought, working through the possibilities. 'At least I hope not.' After finishing her lunch, Isabelle went around the house to find her things from last night. Making her way back into her room, Isabelle spotted her ballet slippers, and what appeared to be clean, dry leggings, from the night before, laying on top of her dresser. Isabelle picked them up, putting them away in the middle drawer of the dresser, and turning back to her bed. For the life of her, she couldn't find her cell phone. 'I think I might have left it at Jess's' That presented a problem. If Isabelle could have her way, she would never ever return to Jess's house again. It would mean reliving the horrid events of last night. Even worse, it might result in her having to talk about what happened again. Neither was a prudent option. Nevertheless, she needed her cell phone, and there was no way Isabelle was going to confess to her mom that she lost it - it was practically brand new. Isabelle searched around her room a little while longer before giving up. 'I'll need to go over there,' Isabelle thought, 'there's no other choice at this point.' Isabelle made her way downstairs, hearing her mom on the phone in the kitchen. Isabelle followed the noise, catching the tail end of the conversation on one subject, before it switched to another. ".....the talk and it's going to be okay. ....hmmmhmm..........hmmhmmmmmm........hahahahhah yah, me too Jess. Here she is now actually." Jane said, as Isabelle entered the room. Isabelle could not figure out what they were saying about her, but she was not exactly sure she wanted to know either. Jane motioned to Isabelle that she needed another minute, so Isabelle sat down. ".....yah......uh huh................I KNOW!........yes already did, in fact, actually.....this week, yep......hmmm hmmmmm..........yes............I will, of course yes...yah I'll tell her now..... yah..talk later." Jane said, before hanging up the phone. 'Jeeeeeeez. Isabelle thought, 'that was taking forevvvvvver.' What on earth did her mom have to talk to Jess about anyway? 'They spent the whole night together.....' Isabelle was annoyed her mom was not waiting to listen to her, but took the opportunity now that she was off the phone. "Mom. I think I left some......uhh....school things over at Jess's house last night. Can I go over and check?" Isabelle asked, as kindly as she could. "Actually, yes sweetie." Jane responded. "I need to go out for a bit to pick some....supplies up. So you were either coming with me or going there." Jane responded. "I need to run to the grocery store while I'm out, so I'll come over to Jess's later to grab you when I'm back, okay? Becky wants to see you anyway, Jess was just telling me." Isabelle was pleased her mom wasn't asking too many questions. "Sure thing mom. I'll see you later," Isabelle responded, before heading to the door and putting on her sneakers. Isabelle opened the front door, and stepped out into the cool afternoon air. She shut the door behind her, jogged down the stairs, and started to make her way to Jess's. Isabelle rang the doorbell at their house, and waited until John opened it up. "Hey there Isabelle. I know there's someone here waiting for you. Why don't you come in?" John said, motioning her inside. Jane had called to let Jess know that Isabelle would be over, and John had been waiting by the bay window to make sure she arrived. 'Jess actually had to run out to get a new crib for Eric, so its just you girls and dad today!" John said with enthusiasm. Isabelle walked into the house, catching most, but not all of what John said. Her focus, rather, was on finding her phone. "Thanks John. I'll just head upstairs....to go watch Becky," Isabelle said, glancing around the room for where her phone might be. John, in response, simply nodded, and Isabelle slowly made her way by him, up the stairs, careful to look everywhere she could for her phone, but without seeming suspicious. In an effort to continue playing along, Isabelle went straight to Becky's room, finding her on the floor playing with some dolls. "Hi Belly!" Becky said, turning just enough to welcome Isabelle in, before returning to what she was doing. "Come play. Dollies are having a birthday party!" Isabelle smiled. Not wanting to be rude, Isabelle sat down and picked up one of the dolls, taking instructions from Becky on the appropriate way to play. While she did, Isabelle moved around the room, searching for her phone. "Belly! Back over here. Iris is going to miss the birthday cake!" Becky called after Isabelle, when Isabelle had strayed too far from the party, looking under Becky's bed for her phone, and finding nothing. Isabelle stayed in Becky's room for a while, playing with her and searching, until John came up to the room to interrupt them. "Hey girls. Becky - do you have to go to the potty?" John asked, causing Isabelle, and not Becky to blush. Becky simply nodded, before turning to Isabelle "Belly, do you hafta go to the potty too?" The question was innocent enough, but caused Isabelle to go from blushing to crimson red. To make matters worse, Isabelle did, in fact, need to go to the bathroom. Isabelle did her best to play it off cool. "You know what Becky, I do need to go to the po - bathroom too. Why don't we both go?" Isabelle proposed, doing her best to come off as the mature babysitter she knew she was. Becky nodded in response. "Great plan," John responded to Isabelle. "Becky, you come with me and we'll use the potty in your bathroom. Isabelle - you don't need to go downstairs, just go use my bathroom." John suggested, before taking Becky's hand and walking with her to the bathroom. Isabelle got up off the ground, and made her way into John and Jess's bedroom, shutting the bedroom door behind her. Isabelle took the opportunity to search around the room for her phone; under the covers, on the nightstands, under the bed - but her phone was nowhere to be found. 'What the heck,' Isabelle wondered to herself, 'where could I have left it?' Isabelle was reminded by her bladder that she did, in fact, need to use the bathroom, and proceeded swiftly into the John and Jess's bathroom, sitting on the toilet and releasing her pee - and even pooping - as she continued to look around, possibly thinking her phone was in the bathroom. Isabelle was glad for bathroom relief, despite the shame of being back in a room she had, just half a day earlier, willingly stepped into a sweetnight in. 'But now I am using the toilet. Progress - see?' Isabelle told herself. Isabelle wiped, flushed, and washed her hands, before leaving the room in search of John and Becky. Isabelle found them in the hall bathroom, the door open. "Isabelle, Becky wants you to help her put a sticker on her potty chart." John said, motioning Isabelle over. Isabelle walked over, smiling at Becky as the little girl showed off her 'star' sticker, and stepped onto a stool to place it in the "Great Job!" row on a potty chart that Jess had made for Becky, taped above the towel rack. "I get a sticker because I'm a big girl!" Becky announced, inadvertently placing the sticker on the Saturday row instead of Sunday. John didn't bother to correct it. "Great job indeed Becky!" Isabelle said, trying her best to boost the girl's self-confidence. Based on Isabelle's review of the chart, Becky's overall progress could be described, at best, as mediocre. 'She really has taken a step back on this,' Isabelle thought, concerned as to what impact Isabelle may have had the week prior when she blamed Becky for the little 'spill' on the couch. Becky took Isabelle's hand and started pulling her downstairs, wanting to watch TV on the couch in the living room. Isabelle followed, and after settling Becky on the couch, excused herself to go to the kitchen for a glass of water for her and Becky, so she could search for her phone there as well. 'No luck here either....' Isabelle was growing concerned she had really lost her phone, and would need to tell her mom what happened. Isabelle returned to the living room with Becky, and proceeded to watch TV with her for a little while. Isabelle realized it was the same show from last night - Becky was streaming the show from Getflix, and sooner than later, Isabelle found her attention captured by it more than she expected. At some point, Isabelle heard the house phone ring and John answer it, followed by him heading toward the front door. It did not deter Isabelle's focus away from the show until John called her to help him out. "Isabelle, Jess is getting home now. I need to help her unload the crib. Can you come get Eric and just put him in his bouncer?" Isabelle got up off of the couch, and made her way out the front door after John, where she spotted Jess opening the trunk to her car. "Hey Izzy!" Jess called to her, "Thank you so much for being a great helper. Eric is just in his car seat." Isabelle called back a simply "my pleasure," and made her way to the nearside door of Jess's minivan, opening the automatic door and spotting Eric, babbling in his car seat. "Hey there little guy. Let's get you out of that seat." Isabelle said. Isabelle fumbled at the car seat a little bit, trying to figure out how to release it. After a minute or so, Isabelle solved the puzzle, releasing her new charge, and carried him on her hip, before pressing a button near the inside of the car door to start the automatic door's closing mechanism. Isabelle carried Eric into the living, spotting Becky on the couch, still watching TV. Becky seemed to be squirming more than she had been previously, as Isabelle deposited Eric in the bouncer, and re-joined her friend, who ceased her squirming once Isabelle sat down. Isabelle resumed watching the show as she listened to John and Jess carry the new boxed crib upstairs to Eric's room, before returning after about 10 minutes. "Isabelle," Jess started, "I just spoke with your mom, and she'll be home any minute. Thank you so much for helping with everything. Why don't you get your sneakers on and I'll walk you home?" Isabelle got off of the couch and put her shoes on as instructed. "Okay Jess." Isabelle said her goodbyes to Becky and John, before following Jess out of the house and toward her own home. Along the way, Jess chatted Isabelle up about how her afternoon was. "It was pretty fun. I watched Becky and played with her, and then we watched some TV together." Isabelle responded, as they rounded the staircase to Isabelle's house together, Jane's car already in the driveway. "That sounds like fun. Before we know it, you'll be babysitting Becky and Eric all the time," Jess said, as she rang the doorbell to Isabelle's house. Isabelle resented the comment, but didn't have time to respond before her mom opened the door. Isabelle wasn't sure what exactly came over her, but upon seeing her mom, immediately went and hugged her, before letting go and waving bye to Jess. "Thank John for......supervising," Jane said, the comment going over Isabelle's head. "No problem. Now I have a crib to go build. You're so lucky those days are behind you," Jess said, as the two moms laughed together before saying goodbye and shutting the door. *** "Thanks for dinner mom," Isabelle said, who was completely stuffed after eating her chicken tenders and fries. 'Mom always makes the best homemade fries,' Isabelle thought, as she managed to put one more crispy one into her mouth, maxing her stomach capacity. "My pleasure sweetie. It's late already though, and you have school tomorrow. Go get your bags ready and then please get ready for bed." Jane said, as she stood up to start cleaning up the mess from dinner. Isabelle made her way to her room as she was instructed, and started getting her school bag ready for the next day. 'I never did find my phone,' Isabelle thought, 'but its still too soon to bring it up to mom.' Isabelle opened up her closet, and started to look for some dance clothes to lay out for the morning. Isabelle settled on a patterned purple, blue, and white leotard that she thought looked pretty fun, and then went over to her dresser to find a pair of tights. Isabelle opened the top drawer of her dresser where she ordinarily kept her tights, and reached in to grab a set. Only, Isabelle's hand did not make contact with any tights. Instead, they found something firmer, something Isabelle had never quite rubbed her hands against. The drawer, of course, was filled with neatly stacked sweetnights. Isabelle recoiled her hand back to her body. 'I shouldn't exactly be shocked, after this morning,' Isabelle thought, 'but I didn't even see when mom did this.' Isabelle had managed to get through the day without thinking much on the sweetnights, but now that it was approaching bedtime, Isabelle realized there was no avoiding her new reality. Isabelle slowly reached her hand out again to touch her new nighttime underwear, stopping inches away from them. Isabelle looked at the sweetnights, and then diverted her gaze, shutting her eyes, and staying completely still - the last remnants of her adult conscious that told her she did not need these holding her back. Isabelle stayed in that position for a moment before opening her eyes, continuing to stare at the floor. But it was not just the floor she was looking at. Rather, it was her ballet slippers, right in front of her eyes. Isabelle was reminded of their beauty in that moment, how they made her feel when she wore them, how she felt confident as she danced in them, how much it meant to her that her mom had gotten them for her, and how the slippers had been a source of joy, comfort, and understanding for her. That reminder was all that was needed, as the last block in her mind dissipated to the wind. Isabelle's hand closed the gap on the sweetnights, her fingers beginning to dance as they played with what felt like the waistband of the underwear. Isabelle ran her fingers over the material, feeling the softness of the sweetnight, as she traced her hand from front to back, before picking it up, and bringing it to her chest. Isabelle held the sweetnight in both hands, smiling at the soft-colored flowers that were starring back at her, before unfolding it and stretching it open. 'This really is not a big deal,' Isabelle concluded, coming to absolute and complete terms with wearing these. 'In fact, its going to work out great,' Isabelle concluded, before smiling and setting the sweetnight on top of her dresser. Isabelle resumed her original task, opening the rest of her drawers in search of her tights. It appeared that Jane had moved them to share space with her panties in a different drawer instead. Isabelle reached in, grabbing a pair of black tights, as well as plain white panties, before closing the drawers, grabbing her slippers, and setting them all aside to wear the next morning. Isabelle then returned to her dresser, grabbing a red t-shirt with the "NEW ARMY" logo on it, and a simple pair of blue jeans, putting them in her dance bag to change into. Isabelle then left her room to go brush and wash her teeth. It didn't occur to her until the water in the bathroom was running, but Isabelle really did need to pee, so sat down and did exactly that. 'Maybe I'll even wake up dry tomorrow,' Isabelle concluded, 'peeing right before bed.' Isabelle finished her routine, turning the light off, and made her way to her bedroom. Isabelle took her shirt and pants off, and threw them to her laundry basket, missing narrowly and watching her clothes tumble to the floor. 'Better luck tomorrow,' Isabelle thought, as she stood in her room bare chested, only wearing her panties. Isabelle took a deep breath, and removed her panties, throwing them as well, and again, missing her laundry basket, before making her way back to her dresser. Isabelle thought it would be more of an ordeal, doing this tonight. But slipping the sweetnight on only generated one thought, one emotion from her: 'this is right.' Isabelle pulled her sweetnight up her legs until it snugly rested against her, immediately sensing the softness, the comfort, the...'well joy..' her new underwear offered her. Isabelle then opened her pajama dresser, selecting a non-matching set of flannel pants and a sleeping shirt with Princess Plum from the Super Bario game on the front. Just as Isabelle finished pulling her shirt on, her mom walked in the room with a big smile on her face. "Bedtime Isabelle," was all Jane said, as she pulled her daughter in for a hug, patting Isabelle's butt and confirming she did have her sweetnights on. 'I'm proud that she did it by herself, without a fuss,' Jane thought. Jane walked with Isabelle over to her bed, and helped her in, pulling the sheets and covers over her daughter. Almost as soon as Isabelle situated herself, Jane watched as her daughter's eyes fluttered, and then shut, the sweet girl falling into a dream-filled sleep. "I love you Belly,' Jane said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, before turning Isabelle's bedside lamp off, and shutting the door as she left the room.

Mean trick? Twisty trick? What ever do you mean?! I’m innocent! 😇.

Thank you so much. This comment means a lot to me, as someone who has done exactly the same for other writers. I do not have a Patreon, but appreciate the sentiment! The last chapter actually got way too long, so it ended up becoming chapter 23 AND 24, so no need to wait two hours for an update today Thank you for catching these. Sometimes I rush the editing because I just want to write more! I really appreciate all the help. Your theories are interesting - well both have to wait to see what the answer is I suppose! The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 24 Isabelle spent the remainder of the afternoon in her room reading. Isabelle decided to pick up the first Emerald Chronicles book, wanting to see if there were consistencies between the book and show. 'It has been some time since I've re-read it,' Isabelle thought to herself, 'and it is exceptional literature.' As the afternoon wore on, and Isabelle grew tired of her book, she decided to shift into doing something else, electing to go through some ballet exercises in advance of school the next week. Isabelle swapped out her jeans for a pair of leggings, her socks for thin dancing sockettes, and went over to her closet to put on her slippers, sitting on the floor as she laced the ribbons around her ankles. Isabelle got up, and started through the motions of basic ballet exercises, warming her legs up, before working through various steps, positions, and postures Isabelle must have lost track of the time between reading and dancing, because before she knew it, her mom was knocking at her door, letting her know they were going to be late. Isabelle opened her door, to see her mom sliding in a second earing. It wasn't necessarily the earrings that threw Isabelle off - they were, in part, contributing to what was - it was her mom's whole outfit. Jane was standing in front of her in a nice black dress, with a gold sinch waistband and...."Mom - you're wearing heels?!" Was all Isabelle could say. But it wasn't just heels; Jane's makeup and hair were done; her nails were polished, her mascara elegant, and all together, looked positively beautiful. "Yes, very observant young lady. Now I have been calling you for 20 minutes. Let's go," Jane said, pulling her daughter by her hand down the stairs Isabelle wanted to protest, and ask for a chance to change her shoes, but it didn't matter too much, and so she went cooperatively with her mom, out the front door, and the two walked hand-in-hand together over to Jess's. Along the way, Jane made a point of reminding Isabelle to be on her best behavior. "And I know sitter isn't there for you. But, she is in charge, and it is Jess's house. So if she says something, please do listen to her. There's no need to be obtrusive. If you want to be treated like a grownup, then you have to act like one. And tonight, that means doing as you're told, okay?" Isabelle nodded. She wasn't going to cause any problems. And hopefully, tonight would go smoothly and she wouldn't need to listen to any instructions. "Okay mom. No problem." Isabelle and Jane climbed the stairs to Jess's house, and Jane rang the doorbell. Within seconds, Jess opened the door, welcoming them both in. "Hey there Izzy!" Jess said, "So happy to have you hear. I know Becky is looking forward to seeing you again," Jess added, before turning to Jane. "I just finished explaining all the rules to the sitter. She's upstairs with Becky now. We have to get going though, okay?" Jane smiled and nodded. "No problem. I was just going to introduce myself quickly," Jane added. Jess smiled, "No problem. GIRLS! Can you come down here?! We're leaving!" Isabelle was not sure what to expect, but what happened was certainly not it. Isabelle heard Becky's bedroom door open, and shortly thereafter, Becky emerged at the top of the stairs, wearing a plain shirt, a pink twill tutu, a plastic crown, and holding a want with a sparkly silver heart on the top. "HI BELLY!" Becky shouted from the top stair, running down and embracing Isabelle. Isabelle smiled and returned the hug, happy to see the girl as well. But it was what happened next that shocked her. Isabelle looked back up hte stairs, and saw a familiar face: Dani was there. Isabelle needed to shake her head, refocusing her eyes, just to ensure she was seeing what she thought she was. 'Why is Dani here?' Isabelle thought, letting go of Becky and turning her attention to her lifelong friend. "Hi Dani! Why are you here?' Isabelle asked, though the answer should have been obvious to anyone. Jess provided the simple response. "Dani is here to watch Eric and Becky," Jess said, with the type of intention and purpose of leaving Isabelle's name out to make Isabelle feel better. "Dani teaches Becky's after school dance program, and we were so excited when she agreed to stay tonight." Dani started walking down the stairs to join the group as Jess continued her explanation. Jane chimed in as well before Isabelle could react. "I told you that you'd be excited." Jane said to Isabelle, before turning to Jess and carrying on "Isabelle was also in that program, so she knows Dani well!" Isabelle was too shocked to process what was going on. Dani? Also in a program? What program? What was happening. Isabelle's shock must have been apparent. As Dani reached the bottom floor, she turned to Isabelle and started saying 'Of course she remembers me. I bet you're just surprised to see me!" before turning back to Jess and Jane, "she was my star pupil. a Higgins protégé! So good, apparently, she lives in her ballet slippers!" Dani said, pointing toward Isabelle's shoes, Jess, and Jane all smiled and chuckled together. Isabelle had still not spoken, but was blushing at Dani's remark, wishing she had changed more than ever now. Before Isabelle could, Becky started tugging at her hand. "Belly! Belly! Come upstairs. I want to show you our castle. Come ONNNNNN" Becky started whining, as she tugged at Isabelle's arm. Becky's tugging snapped Isabelle out of her shock, and Isabelle smiled back at the girl. Jane spoke up, telling Isabelle "go ahead sweetie. I just want to chat with Dani really quick," to which Isabelle nodded, and followed Becky up the stairs. On their way, Isabelle was able to overhear most of the conversation between her mom and Dani, despite some loud crinkling emerging from Becky's behind with each step she took up the stairs. "So, I brought a bag over with some of Isabelle's things earlier before I picked her up at her sleepover, its by the kitchen" Jane started, as Isabelle was being pulled up the stairs. Her mom continued as she was rounding the corner to Becky's room, "There was one issue I wanted to discuss before we left......sensitive....a few times...doesn't know...............let me know." Isabelle was curious what they were talking about, but was missing the conversation. Isabelle turned to Becky just outside her bedroom, outside of earshot of her mom, "Becky, why don't you get everything set up PERFECTLY before I come in?" Isabelle asked. The little girl responded by nodding her head rapidly, and closed the door behind her, leaving Isabelle in the hallway alone. Isabelle made her way back toward the staircase, where she was able to catch the tail end of the Dani's response. "Sure there will be no problems. But I have a lot of experience with this stuff. Don't worry about it." Isabelle couldn't imagine what the conversation was about, but it couldn't have been that important. "BELLY! Its ready. COME ON!!" Isabelle heard herself being summoned back to Becky's room, and quickly made her way over there, not wanting to upset the poor girl. Isabelle was still feeling guilty about what she had done to her the week prior, which it seems, resulted in her return to diapers. Isabelle sat down on the floor in Becky's room with her, as the girl explained the various parts of the castle to her. The castle was made up of various blankets, toys, some blocks from Eric's room, and a couple of couch pillows that Becky must have taken from downstairs. Isabelle found herself enjoying the tour, the distraction welcome from her situation. Here she was, staying at Jess's house, with Dani - her longest and one of her two closest friends - who had taken her spot babysitting the kids. 'Maybe this is a good thing. We can hang out!' Isabelle thought, remembering that Jess always told Isabelle she could have friends over while sitting. 'This is basically just that.' Isabelle decided to flip her attitude, and carry herself like she always did - she would look after the kids. Just then, Dani slid the door open a bit, and stuck her head in "Everything okay here girls?" It was a rhetorical questions, but Isabelle, laying on her stomach next to Becky, found herself answering the question alongside her compatriot. "Yes" Isabelle and Becky both answered, before Becky turned her head back toward her castle. Isabelle gave her friend a wink, though why, she couldn't explain. It was a relief when Dani winked back. "Okay good. Your parents left. They said they might be late to get back, so everyone will get into PJS after dinner. Becky, Isabelle is in charge while I'm not here. I'm going to go downstairs and feed Eric his dinner before we have ours, sound good?" Another rhetorical question, but again, Isabelle and Becky offered simultaneous "hmmm hmmms" before Dani closed the door behind her. Isabelle liked that Becky was reminded that Isabelle was in charge, only affirming her belief that tonight was just dual babysitters, and that Dani was most definitely not there for her. The remarks allowed Isabelle to relax, finally, and she continued playing with Becky, losing track of the time. 'This is fun,' Isabelle thought, as she adjusted a pillow to shore up the foundation of Becky's castle. Some time later, Dani poked her head back into the room 'Having fun here girls?" Before coming all the way in. Isabelle turned to her friend, standing over her as she laid on the ground. Dani was wearing plain black leggings that highlighted her figure really well, and a multi-colored top with floral designs on it. Her red, curly hair tumbled down her face, her green eyes popping out, emphasized by simple, but beautiful makeup. She smelled of jasmine - likely her perfume. Isabelle felt a little silly in her outfit - a shirt with a big star on it, leggings, and her slippers - next to her friend. Nevertheless, she was having fun, so responded with a vibrant "Yes!" Becky likewise confirmed the fact that they were having fun. "Great," Dani said. "How about we go down and make some dinner. Belly, can you help me?" Dani asked, before turning to Becky, "and Becky, can you be my helper and watch TV next to your brother? He's in his bouncer!" Isabelle and Becky both stood up, ready to help, and affirmed to Dani their willingness to do so. The three girls made their way downstairs, Isabelle moving quickly ahead to walk down next to Dani. Dani sat Becky down on the couch next to her brother, who was pre-occupied with some toys dangling from his bouncer as some children's cartoon played on the TV. Becky was more than content to sit down and watch whatever was on as Isabelle and Dani went into the kitchen. "I hope Mac and Cheese is okay Belly. Becky specifically requested it." Dani said, as she pulled out some boxed mac and cheese from the pantry. Isabelle had no objections, so simply said "Yes" and asked how she could help. Dani smiled. "Why don't you get me a big pot and fill it with water, okay?" Isabelle nodded, and went searching for a pot. After opening several cupboards, she located one, and brought it over to the sink to start filling with water. As she turned the faucet on, Isabelle decided to do some investigation into Dani's knowledge of what was going on. "So Dani, how is Higgins this year. I was so happy in your class on Friday?" Dani smiled, turning back to Isabelle after checking in on the the little kids. "I'm glad you had fun. I remember when I had my first joint class with the 12th graders. It was the best. I'm really glad you enjoyed it. One day you'll even run one!" Dani replied. Isabelle took mental notes, 'she remembers me being in her class, that's good. So good news is this is all stopping,' Isabelle thought, overlooking key details. Isbaelle continued in her investigation. "Did you have fun with Lola last night at your sleepover? I had a sleepover too you know!" Dani looked a little shocked. "I didn't remember telling you about that! But yes we did. Tori came over too. You remember Tori, right? And then we met a couple of other friends," Dani continued, taking the pot from Isabelle as her hand started shaking under the weight. "But I bet we didn't have as much fun as you did. Your mom was telling me all about some new show you were watching. Sounded amazing!" Isabelle was a little embarrassed that Dani knew she had been watching the show, but at least it explained why her mom had spoken to Dani before leaving. "Yah...it was a lot of fun," Isabelle confessed, as Dani turned on the burner, adding salt to the pot. "Thanks for being my assistant. Why don't you go over to the TV and check on Becky for me? It would be really helpful if you could just keep an eye on here while I wrap up with boiling the noodles. This part isn't fun anyway - I always get cheese dust on me." Isabelle smiled, chuckling a bit. She was happy to help, and could definitely be relied upon. 'I mean, I'm a babysitter myself,' Isabelle wanted to remind Dani. "Sure, no problem Dani! I got this!" Isabelle responded, making her way over to the kids. Becky had, at some point, gotten off the couch and decided to lay on the ground. Her twill skirts had popped up, revealing her thick tights, and obvious diaper bulge underneath. Eric, meanwhile, was babbling away and playing in his bouncer, happy as a clam. Finding not much to do, Isabelle parked herself on the couch and decided to watch the juvenile show involving some beaver and a moose, waiting for dinner. Isabelle found herself distracted by the show, it providing more entertainment than expected. The real star, however, was Becky, who at some point anticipated a song that was to come, and joined in singing with a full dance and show. Isabelle couldn't help but giggle as Becky spun around, laughing and giggling as she danced away. Not long after, Dani summoned Isabelle and Becky into the kitchen for dinner. The two girls made their way into the kitchen, sitting down at the kitchen table. Isabelle had a laugh to herself when she spotted some cheese dust on Dani's shirt, recalling her earlier remark. "You guys start eating," Dani said, as she pushed two bowls of mac and cheese toward them at the kitchen table, "and I'll go check on Eric." Dani added, before leading the room, and licking whatever was on her finger. Isabelle was quite famished, and so starting digging into her mac and cheese right alongside Becky. As she did, she could hear Dani in the other room - "ooooooh. Stinky boy. Dinner went right through you," before shouting back to Isabelle, "Belly! I'm taking Eric up for a change. Please watch Becky until I'm back." "Nahh proobem" Isabelle shouted back, with a mouth full of cheesy noodles. Isabelle was, of course, already watching and in charge of Becky. 'I told mom I could be the sitter,' Isabelle reminded herself. She would need to tell her mom and Jess tomorrow that she could handle this, and in fact, was handling it. Isabelle swallowed a mouthful of cheesy noodles, and then grabbed the glass of water in front of her, drinking the entire thing in one, enormous effort. Watching Becky was not particularly hard especially since they were eating, but Isabelle made sure to make a point of looking at Becky, and making sure she was eating her food. At one point, Becky dropped her fork and just starred at her food very intensely, though starring was probably not the correct word, since her eyes were closed. 'That's odd,' Isabelle thought, initially concerned for the girl. But Becky opened her eyes moments later, and resumed eating. 'She seems okay,' and Isabelle decided to just keep eating her own food as well. It was, after all, delicious. Dani returned about 15 minutes later, sans baby, informing the girls that she put Eric to bed, and hadn't realized how late it was already. Isabelle starred up at the microwave clock, which read 8:00. 'It is kind of late already,' Isabelle admitted, 'especially for dinner.' Isabelle thought she could have done a better job managing the time 'I would have had the kids fed at least an hour ago...more notes for re-establishing my position to share.' Dani grabbed a bowl of mac and cheese before refilling Becky and Isabelle's bowls, and refiling Isabelle's water. The three sat down and continued to eat together. When they were done, Dani sent Isabelle and Becky back to the living room as she cleaned up the kitchen. Isabelle was happy to not be on cleaning duty. A little bit later, Dani came to the living room as well. "Becky, can you come here for a second?" Dani asked. Isabelle turned briefly to see what it was about, but decided it was of no importance, and kept her focus on the TV. Dani, meanwhile, lifted up Becky's skirt, and stuck her hand onto the girls crotch, receiving no objection whatsoever. "Just as I thought princess. Let's go for a change. Isabelle - do you need to go to the bathroom while I'm changing Becky?" The question hardly registered for Isabelle, who simply replied "nope" as Dani took Becky upstairs to change her. Isabelle would go later, she decided. Isabelle wanted to see how the rest of the episode went before she left to go to the bathroom. Dani and Becky left, emerging from the stairs about 15 minutes later. Becky was dressed in a matching set of unicorn pajamas, her bulky diaper emerging from the sides, and very obvious underneath, with Dani in tow. "Isabelle," Dani called, "Becky has proposed that we have one game of hide and seek before bed. Will you play with us please?" Isabelle turned, her show having just ended, and agreed. "Sounds good!" Dani smiled at Isabelle, mouthing the words 'thank you.' It made Isabelle feel good. "Okay girls," Dani said, "I'll go to the kitchen and count. you both go hide, and I'll come find you." Isabelle considered for a moment, fake hiding, as she watched Becky bolt back up the stairs to hide somewhere in the bedrooms. 'Becky wouldn't be the wise,' Isabelle thought, 'but at the same time, where was the fun in that?' Instead, Isabelle made her way, on pointe, toward the basement staircase, silently moving downstairs. Isabelle looked around for a good hiding spot, and spotted an old wooden chest. Isabelle opened it, and saw it was full of stuffed animals and other toys. 'If i empty it, Dani will know I'm hiding in here.' Isabelle instead elected to hide in the laundry room, shutting the door behind her, and turning off the lights. 'This is a fine spot.' Isabelle waited in the spot, as she heard Dani announce from upstairs, "ready or not here I come." Isabelle's heart fluttered at the idea that Dani might find her, so she sat on the ground behind the door, staying as silent as possible. Dani loudly made her way downstairs, audibly announcing where she was looking, "Hmmmmmmm no one seems to be down here. No one behind the...COUCH...hmmmmmm there are some good hiders in this house I think." Dani said playfully. Isabelle knew it was meant to be silly, but still, she couldn't help but smile, working her hardest to muffle her laugh. "I guess I have to look upstairs," Dani continued, as Isabelle heard Dani work her way up the stairs, hopefully to find Becky. It was at that moment that Isabelle was confronted with the realization that she really needed to pee. Like really really needed to pee. Isabelle considered leaving the laundry room to pee while Dani was upstairs, but that might reveal her hiding spot. 'I'll wait until Dani announces I've won. I can hold it,' Isabelle told herself. Minute after minutes, second after second, Isabelle heard no noise from upstairs, no accouchement that Becky had been found, no declaration that the game was over. All the while, Isabelle's bladder was becoming more and more desperate, and her conscious mind was fighting her body over what to do. 'A few more minutes Iz. You can do it. You can hold it. You've got this.' For whatever reason, winning this game felt like the absolute most important thing in the moment, and Isabelle would not be convinced otherwise. She would wait. She could wait. 'I've got this." Five more minutes passed, but there was still no noise from upstairs. Isabelle concluded she was left with no choice, and had to forfeit the game. Standing up, Isabelle felt an immediate pain in her bladder. Sitting had apparently alleviated some of the pressure, and Isabelle had not appreciated how dire the situation was. Isabelle reached for the doorknob, grabbing it, and twisting it. Only it didn't move. Isabelle tried agian. Again, it wouldn't move, wouldn't open. Isabelle was struck by another pain to her bladder. Frantically, and desperately, Isabelle was trying to open the door with no luck. "Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" Isabelle nearly shouted, the pain from keeping her pee contained forcing her back to the ground, on her butt. The situation had now become critical, Isabelle recognized, so much so that Isabelle worried that if she simply tried to stand up, she would end up peeing herself. 'Just hang in there Iz. Dani will be down any second. She'll know what to do.' Moments later, Isabelle heard a noise. 'Could this be it - the relief I seek?' Isabelle wondered to herself, on the very brink of letting her bladder release. The mere motion of her shifting body told her that it would be seconds, rather than minutes, away. The noise appeared to disappear for a few seconds, before it returned. And it returned with a very loud call from the top of the basement stairs. "Hmm Becky. Let's go look downstairs. I bet we'll find her there." The announcement sent shivers up Isabelle's nerves. The shock, however, had an unintended consequence. Isabelle accidentally released some of her pee into her pants, before stopping it abruptly, slamming her legs together. 'Hold it Iz. HOLD IT.' Dani and Becky began descending the stairs together, one at a time. "Take my hand Becky, I don't want you to fall," Isabelle heard Dani announce, as the sound of four feet hitting each step reverberated through her body. Isabelle's mind was singularly focused, however, on not peeing. At that moment, it was all she could manage and do. Isabelle worried she was not even being particularly quiet anymore, shifting to keep her legs together, and prevent a complete break of the dam. But something interesting happened in that moment. Something Isabelle could not explain - not then, and not later, when she reflected on the significance of this moment. What once felt like the most important thing in the world, suddenly stopped mattering. Isabelle's feet began to feel warm - comfortable, safe, protected - and that small feeling began to grow, spread through her body, up her legs, to her stomach, her arms, her neck, and to her mind. It was just for a moment - a brief moment that took over her body, a feeling of rightness, of joy, of acceptance. In that moment, despite her desperation, everything - absolutely everything - felt right. 'I'll be okay,' Isabelle told herself, as her body relaxed, released all tension, and a smile emerged from her face. For a moment, nothing appeared to matter - Isabelle simply knew she was okay. Unfortunately, a moment of relaxation was all her body needed. Isabelle, without realizing it, started to pee. And this time, Isabelle didn't try to stop it. She kept peeing, feeling the warmth spread from her, into her panties. She felt the warm pee spread to her leggings, to her thighs, and to her butt. Isabelle didn't try to stop it - she couldn't tell you why - but she released it all, listening as the pee spread through her pants, and onto the tiled floor underneath her, until all of her pee spread out from her. Isabelle was sitting on the floor, sopping wet in her pee, but all she felt was relief. Isabelle had almost forgotten that she was playing a game. But she was soon reminded, as the door to the laundry room opened, and Becky and Dani came in, spotting her almost immediately. What had previously been a feeling of relief turned into a sense of absolute shame and embarrassment, and Isabelle sat there, and started to cry. Becky, sweet as she was, was the first to point out exactly what happened. "Uh-oh! Belly did you have a accident?" she asked, genuinely concerned for her friend. Isabelle couldn't respond, she simply continued to cry harder. Dani, meanwhile, had jumped right into action, pulling Becky back to make sure she didn't step in the puddle of pee underneath Isabelle. Dani quickly came up with a plan, picking Becky up, and carrying her out of the room. "It's okay Belly. Don't you cry for one minute. Becky, say goodnight, were going to bed, and I'll be right down to help you, okay Belly? Say goodnight Becky!" Dani repeated, giving Isabelle a look of utter pity, before carrying her charge up the stairs. Isabelle didn't move. She just continued to sit there. She didn't know what to do, if she was being honest, and couldn't, for the life of her, explain why she had willingly just peed herself. Not only that, she had been found, wet, by her oldest and closest friend, who must have thought she was just a complete mess - a toddler, crying about wetting herself. All she wanted to do was keep crying, and that was exactly what she did. Isabelle was not aware of the irony. Dani returned quickly thereafter. "Sweetie, how did this happen?!?" she asked, kindly, stepping into the laundry room with some paper towels and putting her arm on Isabelle's shoulder. Isabelle didn't really have an answer. Nor did she want to provide the one she had. She knew she had to go. She tried to open the door. Yet, she failed. And in truth, she had known that she needed to go much earlier, but stayed in hiding. Isabelle could have shouted for help, could have called for Dani, could have done basically anything else. But she hadn't. Instead, Isabelle let go - she had peed. 'What kind of person does that?' Isabelle kept crying, and despite all of the good, and even bad, reasons that led her to pee herself, Isabelle settled on one, one that she had not expected to say out loud ever again, One simple excuse. 'It was annnnnnn accident." Those were the words that came out of Isabelle's mouth in her moment of shame, came out between heavy snobs, and came out as snot was running down poor Isabelle's little nose. Isabelle buried her face into her legs, not wanting to see her friends reaction to her sorry excuse, and continued to cry, louder, and deeper. Dani, however, couldn't have been nicer. "Its okay sweetie. It happens. Even to big girls your age. It happened to me when I was your age too, I bet. Probably loads of times....much more than you! I bet this is like the very first time it happened to you!" Dani said, trying to build Isabelle up. Isabelle didn't want to admit it, but Dani's words were helping. :Its not a big deal, but we do have to clean it up and get you changed, okay?" Dani said, rubbing Isabelle's back. "Can you help me with that? I bet you can!" Isabelle picked her head up, comforted by the kindness Dani was offering. She was right, of course, they needed to clean up. With Dani's help, Isabelle picked herself up, and out of her pee. Her leggings were absolutely drenched, having absorbed a lot of the pee. "Just stand over there sweetie. I'm going to clean some of this up, and then I'll deal with the rest later. Its no big deal at all!" Dani said, cheerfully. Isabelle watched as Dani worked to clean up the pee, using the paper towels to absorb what was left on the floor. Dani then sprayed a cleaner, and wiped it one more time, before announcing "see? all done! No big deal. Now lets take those wet clothes off." Isabelle started to reach for her leggings, her arms shaking as she moved them toward her waistband. But before she could grab hold of them, she felt Dani's hand resting against her own, and looked up to see her friend smiling at her. Isabelle's reaction was to pull her hand back, just as Dani said "let me help you sweetie," and instead of pulling her own pants down, watched as Dani worked to undress her. Dani started by unlacing the ribbons from Isabelle's slippers, which, remarkably, were untouched by her pee. Dani slipped each slipper off of Isabelle's feet, and put the slippers on top of the washing machine. Dani proceeded to reach back up to Isabelle's leggings, and as she did, Isabelle placed her arm on Dani's shoulders. Dani remained squatted down and started pulling Isabelle's leggings, and panties off together, throwing them straight into the washer. "Come sweetie, we'll deal with the those later. Let's get you changed. Your mom left some jammies, I already brought them upstairs." Dani reached her hand out to Isabelle, and without hesitation, Isabelle grabbed it, holding it tightly, and followed Dani as Dani guided Isabelle upstairs. Isabelle followed Dani up both sets of stairs, unsure of where they were headed. Isabelle turned at the top of the stairs, expecting to go toward Becky's room for no justifiable reason. Instead, Dani led her into John and Jess's bedroom, past the bed and into the bathroom, comforting and reassuring her the whole time. "Arms up sweetie.....good girl," Dani said, as she removed Isabelle's shirt. Isabelle was now standing naked, on hte cold tile of Jess's bathroom. Isabelle wrapped her arms around her chest out of modesty, not that there was much to hide. Isabelle noted in that moment that her breasts had all but vanished. But, wrapping herself up in her arms offered her just a bit of comfort. Isabelle stood there as Dani grabbed something from the counter behind her. It was a package of wipes, Isabelle recognized. 'I do need to clean myself....and those will work.' Isabelle thought better of objecting. She didn't have the energy for it anyway. "These are going to be a little cold sweetie, but we need to get you cleaned up." Dani said, as she started wiping down Isabelle's legs, thighs, and then proceeding to wipe her vagina, before turning her around and wiping the backs of her legs, and both of her butt cheeks. Dani was efficient, but she certainly didn't miss a spot, Isabelle noted, as she cooperated as her friend moved her body around, cleaning the pee off of her. After going through about a dozen wipes, Dani was evidently content. "Good girl. Now wait here, I'll get your pajamas. Its been a long night, I bet you're tired." Dani said. Isabelle merely nodded, continuing to cry, though she was easing up a bit. Seconds later, Dani returned, holding her pajamas folded in her arm. "Belly, I'm so proud of you. I know this was an accident, and thins happen all the time. Its no big deal, okay?" Dani started with. Isabelle nodded, sniffling the last of her cries away, as Dani continued talking to her, bending down now to meet her on her eye level. "I know you aren't going to love this, but I need you to be a big girl for me, can you do that?" Isabelle nodded again, this time with a little more energy. She owed her friend that much, and was desperate to prove to her that she was, in fact, a big girl. Dani continued. "I don't have an extra pair of panties for you, and you need to wear something to bed sweetie," Dani started. In that moment, Isabelle genuinely had no idea where Dani was headed, but Isabelle was listening intently. "so I was wondering if you could be a really big, brave girl, and put these on for me?" Dani asked, smiling, sincere, and kind the whole time. What Dani held out, Isabelle should have expected, but for whatever reason, didn't. It was a pair of "sweetnights," that much she knew. Isabelle reached out to touch the pullup, not willing to take in her own hand yet. The sides were pink, and Isabelle could see the elastic band at the top. The middle part was white, designed with purple, pink, and blue flowers running from the front, to the butt in the back. The most shocking aspect of them was that the sweetnight seemed big enough for her. 'These don't look like the ones for Becky,' Isabelle thought to herself. Isabelle retracted her hand almost immediately upon touching it, starring back at her friend, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Sweetie," Dani started, seeing that it was upsetting Isabelle, "I know you don't want to wear these, but it's only because we don't have anything else. I can't go back to your house and leave Becky and Eric alone. You're my helper tonight, remember? We need to be good babysitters for them, and sometimes that means doing things we don't want. What do you say?" Isabelle considered the question as a tear rolled down her eye. Dani raised a good point - they obviously couldn't leave the kids alone. 'AND, I am supposed to be helping babysit,' Isabelle reminded herself. 'But why do I have to wear those?' Isabelle wondered. Taking a breath, Isabelle looked at her friend, "Why can't I just....just......just wear..my jammies without....without anything?" Isabelle asked, as calmly as she could. Dani smiled back at Isabelle, pulling her in for a hug. "I know you would prefer that sweetie. But, we can't have you wear nothing. I know it was just an accident, but this will be better, you know? Just in case. Iit would be such a big help to me if you wore them. Can you help me? Can you do that for me Belly?" Isabelle was startled by the hug she was offered, naked in the bathroom. But her shock didn't last long. Instead, Isabelle hugged her friend back with all her might, whispering into her ear, "okay," before squeezing her again. Dani pulled back, smiling at Isabelle. "Thank you sweetie. I'm so proud of you. Let's do this together okay? First foot.....good job! and second foot....there you go!" Dani said, before pulling the sweetnights up Isabelle's legs. The sweetnights felt odd, Isabelle thought. They were certainly bulkier than her underwear, but they weren't, by any measure, uncomfortable. In fact, the padding pressed against her vagina and butt actually felt quite comforting. 'This isn't so bad,' Isabelle thought to herself. Dani proceeded to stand up, grabbing Isabelle's pajamas, which for that night, was a long, pink sleep dress with horses on it. "Arms up Belly," Dani said, Isabelle immediately complying. Dani helped Isabelle ease her sleep dress down, letting it fall down to her shins. "See? All done, and all better." Dani said. And she was right; Isabelle did feel better. Much better, in fact. "How about we get into Jess's bed and watch some TV. Does that sound like a good plan to you?" Isabelle liked the idea of watching TV after everything. "Yes......and...." Isabelle took a deep breath, swallowing her shame, "uh..........than.........thanks Dani." Isabelle said, before launching herself into her friend, her head hitting Dani's stomach, and hugging her one more time. Isabelle waited until she felt Dani hug her back, stroking Isabelle's hair with her other hand. "My pleasure sweetie. Why don't you hop into the bed, and pick something on TV. I'm just going to make sure Becky is sleeping, and clean up a little, okay?" Isabelle didn't need to be asked twice, and very quickly jumped up on Jess's bed, finding the remote, and turning the television on. At first, Isabelle noticed the feel of the pullup with every step. It felt off, having something....'weighty,' Isabelle thought, on for panties. But as Isabelle started scrolling the channels, she quickly forgot about her sweetnights all together. Isabelle flipped through the channels, finally settling once she found that Rover Roo and the Cluefinders were on, doing her best to focus her attention on the show. Dani, meanwhile, had collected all the wet wipes from the bathroom and thrown them out, and seemingly gone to check on Becky, before returning, and letting Isabelle know that she was going to head downstairs to run the washing machine. Isabelle muttered an "okay," her attention captured by the TV. As Rover Roo continued to play, Isabelle thought deeply on her transformation over the last few weeks. It was apparent she was getting younger, going back in time. Her body and mind were both moving backward, seemingly at an accelerated rate. On top of that, Isabelle was having serious bladder problems - there was no denying it anymore. Isabelle tried to count the number of accidents that she had over the last week, 'and that is despite all my efforts to combat it.' 'Moreover,' Isabelle thought, as she watched one of the cluefinders fall into an unexpected trap, 'I'm back to square one in my investigation. It would seem I can rule coma out, based on what I've read. Revisiting the prank idea would be useless as well, since I actually appear to be aging in reverse - and fast.' Isabelle shifted to her stomach, grabbed a pillow, and laid her head on it toward the front of the bed. Isabelle was lost. 'Ought I reconsider magic?' she wondered, without really taking the proposal seriously. 'But maybe it is time I do," Isabelle thought, reflecting on what few options she seemingly had left. Without realizing it, Isabelle's thumb had made its way to the edge of her mouth, and she was nibbling on the edge of it as she considered her options. A noise from downstairs broke her attention, and Isabelle immediately pulled her thumb away from her mouth. Isabelle reset herself, trying her best to focus. 'The problem is I'm so caught up in dealing with all of this other stuff, that I can't focus my time and attention toward solving whatever is going on with me. I can't think straight.....' Isabelle would have to reconsider her approach - she knew it. It would have to wait for another time, however, as Dani emerged back into the room, holding two mugs. "I thought some hot cocoa was in order, what do you think?" Isabelle smiled. Even now, Dani was the exact type of friend she had always known. Dani had been so sweet all night, and Isabelle felt eternally grateful to her. "Sounds amazing," Isabelle replied, finally feeling up to audibly responding. Dani climbed into the bed next to Isabelle, who shifted back toward laying down with her head toward the top of the bed, on her back. As Isabelle shifted, she became a little embarrassed, noticing that her dress got caught, revealing her sweetnight to the world. Isabelle quickly fixed her gown before grabbing her hot cocoa. If Dani had even seen, she paid Isabelle's embarrassment no attention. "Careful not to spill sweetie. It's very hot too." Isabelle nodded, acknowledging Dani's warning, and waited some time before drinking. "Rover Roo - dang! I haven't seen this forever. Nice choice!" Dani added. Isabelle and Dani spent the next hour watching Rover Roo together in Jess's bed. Once Isabelle and Dani had finished their drink, Dani set the mugs on one of the end tables, before re-situating herself in the bed. Isabelle snuggled up against her friend, as Dani stroked her hair, slowly, calmly, and putting Isabelle at ease. Isabelle couldn't tell you when, but at some point, she fell fast asleep, her head pressed against Dani's ribs, a little bit of drool dropping onto her friends top. Dani never left her side, though, patting her head and holding her close as Isabelle drifted in and out of dreamland. **** **** "....yah........rough night............doing okay though........you had fun.........." Isabelle was still asleep when her mom had come back to Jess's. Isabelle wasn't sure what time it was. Isabelle could hear her Dani, first, then her mom, and what seemed to be Jess, but was simply too tired to pick her head up, staying half asleep in Jess's bed. Isabelle felt something was off, but was simply too tired to do anything about it. "Thank you Dani.......best.........deal with...............girl" Isabelle knew it was her mom, but couldn't quite get enough of what she was saying, before she heard Dani once more. "...............adorable...............any time......................soooo sweet." Moments later, Jane picked Isabelle up off the side of the bed. Intuitively, Isabelle wrapped her arms around her mom's neck, her head resting on her shoulder, and legs wrapped around her waist. "My sweet girl," was all Isabelle remembered her mom saying, before she drifted off to sleep one more time that night. **** "Thank you Jess. It was a great idea. I really did have a good time," Jane said, thanking Jess for her evening. Jane proceeded to curl her arm underneath her daughter's butt as Isabelle settled into her shoulder, inadvertently lifting her nightgown up, and unexpectedly, making contact with her daughter's warm, wet sweetnight. Jane shifted her daughter's dress, trying her best to let it fall down, but giving up on the task. "I have to get my big girl home to bed now, well talk in the morning." And with that, Jane took her daughter home in her arms.

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your kind words. The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 23 Isabelle stood, motionless, frozen in fear. If you had told her at the start of the week that she would ever have been in this position, Isabelle would have laughed at you. By now, Isabelle expected to have answers to her problems, not more problems without answers. The boy she had crushed on, the boy she hoped she would be able to return to, stood frozen himself for a minute, calculating how to react to seeing a teenager standing in the hallway of his house in wet pajamas and holding wet sheets. Isabelle couldn't help but notice how cute Avery looked that night. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans that fit him perfectly, and a long sleeved, grey cashmere sweater. Not that it mattered - 'it's not like I can just point that out right now....' What transpired next was the realization of Isabelle's greatest fears. Avery just started laughing at her. A full, hearty, loud lough. A laugh that struck though Isabelle, broke her, and caused her to drop her pajamas, and cry even louder. Avery proceeded to lift his arm, pointing directly at her sheets, at her, and continued to laugh. Laugh, laugh, laugh, and laugh, as Isabelle continued to cry, cry, cry, and cry. After several minutes of unshakable laughter, Avery went off somewhere in the other direction, his laughter echoing through the house. Isabelle didn't move, horrified from what was happening. But what could she do, she wondered, as she heard Avery knocking on a door down the hall, saying something quite loud, and hearing the sound of several sets of footsteps retuning in her direction. Isabelle shifted her gaze to her right to see Avery returning, this time with company. Avery, and now Mel, Natalie, and Ras, who upon realizing what Isabelle had done, likewise pointed and jointed in on the laughter, each one seemingly louder than the previous. Mel stopped for a moment, to throw in a "what a baby remark," before returning to laughing with the other girls, who nodded in response, and Avery. Isabelle again did nothing. She should do nothing. She cried more, dropping her sheets to the floor, and revealing her wet pants. The result only garnered more laughter. The noise from the hall apparently caused Mel's parents to wake up, and come out. Mel's dad, upon seeing what was happening, simply shook his head, stating "your problem," to his wife, before returning to bed. Mel and Avery's mom, on the other hand, stomped toward Isabelle, scoffing at how she was a child, and expressing great concern for the mattress Mel's mom moved past Isabelle to see the damage that the teenage girl had done, chastising her daughter for "inviting a baby over for a sleepover." The remark only caused the audience to laugh harder, to the point where Mel's mom joined in as well. Isabelle's life felt like it was over. 'It is over,' Isabelle clarified, as she continued to cry And cry. And cry. Except.... Except none of what Isabelle had imagined actually happened. Except the events that transpired were not consistent at all with this fantasy, nay, nightmare. Avery had not laughed. Her friends had not joined. Mel and Avery's mom had not chastised her. And indeed, her life was far, far from over. No, the scene Isabelle thought took place only transpired in Isabelle's head, as she stood in front of Avery, traumatized, sad, and expecting the worst. Perhaps she should have thought better, but in that moment, it was hard to do. But Avery was still standing there, and he was not laughing, and he had not fetched her friends. Her friends had not seen her in her state, had not laughed, and had not mocked her. Mel's parents had not heard her, had not chastised her, and had not made her feel worse. And no, her life was not over. Instead, Isabelle was broken out of the nightmare that took place in her head by one thing - the simple touch of a hand on her shoulder. It was not enough for Isabelle to stop crying, but it was enough for her to pick her head up, and open her eyes enough to see Avery, having stepped closer to her, place his hand on her shoulder, and smile down at her. Avery didn't say anything at first - instead, he just held her shoulder, and in that moment, that meant the world. "Hey....hey......Isabelle. It's okay. Shhhh shhh shhhh its okay. Just be a little quieter. Shhhhhhh...deep breaths..." Avery had now placed another hand on her arm, and was squatting down to come down to Isabelle's level. His words of comfort sent shockwaves of calm and warmth through Isabelle, enough that she was able to slow down her crying, and taking Avery's advice of taking deep breaths. "It's okay Isabelle," Avery continued to say, over and over, as though it would help. And it did. Isabelle started feeling a bit better, at least. "These things happen, Isabelle. It's okay. It's okay...shhhh." Avery was now rubbing Isabelle's back, and all Isabelle wanted to do in that moment was collapse into him. If not for the fact that she was in pee soaked pants, she might have. "It's okay Isabelle," Avery kept repeating, before finally adding something new. "This happens all the time. Its no big deal. It was still happening with Mel all the time a few years ago. Its okay." Avery had a smile on the entire time he was speaking to Isabelle, and did not stop holding Isabelle for what felt like the better part of 20 minutes. Isabelle was, eventually, able to calm down enough, to utter a few discombobulated words 'I...I.....I..dunnno....wat happened...." Isabelle muttered through her drying tears. "...I.....I......I'm sorryyyyyy." It felt necessary to apologize, but it also caused Isabelle to start crying again. Avery stood up, still smiling at the poor, pathetic girl in front of her. "It's not a problem," Avery said, before pumping his chest out a bit and pointing his thumb back at himself, "and, lucky for you, I am a seasoned veteran at fixing....any sort of problem. Even tiny ones like this. Let's get this cleaned up together, okay?" Avery proposed, before adding words that Isabelle never expected to hear. "That way, no one will ever need to find out. Sound good?" 'Sound good? Sounds friggin great!' Isabelle couldn't believe this was happening. Not that it would have been within Avery's character to mock her. But still - the boy came home from a night out with his friends to find his little sister's friend having wet her bed. He could have easily just said a few nice words and gone to bed. That was not what he did - he went above and beyond. 'My Avery is perfect, I knew it!' Isabelle thought, her heart fluttering. Isabelle managed to stop crying enough, and nod toward Avery. Avery, without hesitation - or apparently concern for his 'hmmmmmm....warm, nice, form fitting cashmere sweater.........Snap out of Iz!' Isabelle's mind was elsewhere - ahem, without concern for his cashmere sweater getting, uh...wet....took the sheets out of Isabelle's hands, and into his arms, and motioned his head for Isabelle to follow him toward the stairs. 'What choice do I have?' Isabelle thought. Whereas moments ago moving felt like an insurmountable task, Isabelle's feet managed to move her body, following after Avery, 'and his really cute butt in those jeans...my god....ISABELLE! priorities,' Isabelle was compelled to remind herself. Isabelle followed after Avery in her wet pants, as Avery carried her wet sheets down the first set, and then second set, of stairs in silence. 'What is left to say?' Isabelle wondered. 'I'm not even solving this issue by myself - I needed help.' Isabelle wondered what she would have been able to manage by herself. 'I did manage the strip the sheets of the bed. That was very grown up of me!' Isabelle thought to herself, proud of her actions. As soon as Avery hit the basement floor, he turned back to Isabelle, still smiling, "Sorry we had to be so quiet! I didn't want to wake anyone else,' he said, 'Let's get to the laundry room and just throw these sheets in. Kay?" Isabelle nodded, and mustered a "thanks," before following Avery into the laundry room. Avery promptly opened the lid to the washer, tossing the sheets in, before turning back to Isabelle. "We'll need to throw your pajamas in there as well. Just wait a second." Avery said, leaving her alone in the room for a minute or two. Avery returned, holding something in his arms. "I assume you have something to change into for tomorrow. But you can wear this tonight to sleep. Sorry - I couldn't find any of Mel's PJs in the wash," Avery said apologetically, before handing her some garment. "Why don't you get changed in here while I go upstairs really quick and just treat the mattress. Don't worry about it - I got this." Isabelle blushed as Avery handed her the clothing, which turned out to be one of his large black hoodies, with the word "HIGGINS" splayed across the front, in large, bold printed purple letters. But Isabelle was blushing for another reason too - Avery had asked her to get changed in front of him. 'The circumstances are odd....but maybe I still do have a chance!' Isabelle thought. Standing in the laundry room with Avery, alone, Isabelle moved her hands down toward her wet pants to start pulling them off, before stopping at the sound of Avery's voice, "Go to the bathroom to change silly. You'll probably want to wipe down your legs first. Don't worry about the towel, I'll throw those in to the washer too," Avery directed her, before grabbing a spray bottle of something and heading up, leaving Isabelle alone. "Clearly you misread his request, you dingus," Isabelle said aloud to herself. "What 12th grader would have any attraction to a pee soaked baby?" She asked herself, making her way to the bathroom. Isabelle peeled her pants and panties off of her legs, noting that this accident had been particularly large; her clothes were soaked, and stinky. Isabelle ran the warm water from the faucet, and grabbed a towel, before wetting it and wiping her legs down, cleaning herself off. After she was done, Isabelle took a moment to wash her face, her tears having dried in streaks from her eyes to her chin, and wiping her nose which was embarrassingly snotty. Isabelle hardly recognized the girl starring back at her in the mirror as she picked her head up - a freckled face blonde tween with puffy red eyes, and a round face - but it was her, and deep down, it felt like who she was supposed to be. Isabelle considered, for a moment, just wearing her own pajama top out, but looking down, it barely hung over her waist. She was bottomless, and couldn't walk in front of Avery - or anyone - in her pre-pubescent, bottomless state. So Isabelle unbuttoned her pajama top, before taking the sweatshirt Avery handed her, and throwing it on. The weight of the sweatshirt shocked her, almost tumbling over as she put it on, the waistband falling to her shins. Isabelle took one last look at herself in the mirror, before leaving the bathroom and returning to the laundry room to wait for Avery. Avery, was not however, in the laundry room, as Isabelle shuffled in the room in her new sweatshirt. Isabelle took the opportunity to throw her pants and panties into the washer, not wanting Avery to see the disaster that had become of them, and wrapped the long sleeves of the sweatshirt around herself, waiting for his return, and inhaling the smell of him in her hood. It took about 10 minutes before Avery returned. As he walked in the room, Isabelle smiled for the first time that night. "Someone looks to be in a better mood," Avery pointed out, obviously noting the same. His own smile had not dissipated, as he set down some cleaning solution on the table. "Everything in the washer," Avery asked, generating a nod from Isabelle, who was still in too much shock to speak. "Great," Avery responded, throwing in a laundry pod before shutting the door, and turning the machine on. "I put some new sheets on the bed, and the mattress will be fine - there's nothing to worry about. How about we head up and go to sleep - I'm not sure about you, but I'm tired," Avery said, adding a questionably real yawn at the end of his statement. Isabelle managed to peep out an "okay," before following Avery up the stairs. 'It was like he said, no one would need to find out, and this would all be behind them. And Avery....well maybe he'll forget too, and still be interested in spending time together. Circumstances weren't ideal, but, I am bottomless in his sweatshirt!' Isabelle thought to herself, 'so maybe some progress? How many girls can say that?' Isabelle put her foot down on the last step at the top floor, following mere paces behind Avery. Avery had left her door open, and when he arrived at his own across the hall, he turned back to her one more time. "Isabelle, don't worry about any of this. It's no big deal. Just go to sleep, and be perfectly normal in the morning. It was just an accident. It happens." Isabelle finally felt at ease with the whole situation. But she owed Avery more than a smile. More than simple silence. "Avery," Isabelle started, before feeling as though her tongue had receded into her stomach. 'Now or never Iz,' she thought, motivating herself. "Thank you. Really. Thank you so much," Isabelle said, throwing all the gratitude she could muster into the thought. "Any time Belly. Any time," was all he responded, before going into his room, and closing the door behind him. Isabelle turned to go into her own room before stopping - 'better go to the bathroom first,' she thought, making her way down the hall, somehow finding it within herself to pee. Isabelle returned back to her room, intending to get into bed, but stopped outside of Avery's room, after hearing some noises coming out of it. There was no reason to bother him, despite feeling the deep desire to thank him again. It was all Isabelle could do to stop herself from knocking on the door. Instead, Isabelle turned back to her own room, shutting the door behind her. Isabelle spotted the new sheets, the scent of a cleaning solution permeating the room. Avery had kindly left the window open, so the smell would leave by morning. Isabelle was, in fact, exhausted, and so climbed back into bed, holding Rabbity to her chest, and without warning, fell deeply asleep once more, the scent of Avery's sweatshirt filling her dreams. *** Isabelle woke up to the sunshine hitting her face, the sound of birds chirping away outside her open window. Isabelle felt great, for the first time in several nights, having slept through most of the night after her....incident. Isabelle stretched her arms over her head, and arched her back, yawning once more before opening her eyes. As she did, a sense of panic hit her, and she quickly diverted her eyes under the covers, hoping she hadn't had another accident. The site of dry sheets was not simply a relief, but rather, a source of pride, as Isabelle smiled at the white and blue striped sheets underneath her body, clad in an enormous sweatshirt. It had been too much to hope that last night had merely been a dream - 'I mean nightmare' - but the reminder of how kind Avery had been was a source of great comfort as Isabelle hung her legs over the side of the bed, letting them dangle and swing inches above the floor. Yawning once more, Isabelle stood up, and opened her bag to get dressed for the day. Isabelle pulled out a pair of white panties with a pink bow on the front, slipping them up her legs, before pulling the massive sweatshirt up from her shins, over her head, and dropping it on the floor. The mere weight of it made removing it a challenge. Isabelle then took out a pair of simple jeans her mom had packed her, pulling them on, before grabbing the only shirt in the bag - a light green one with a star on the chest. Isabelle felt quite cute as her outfit came together, slipping plain white socks on before opening her door and heading out. As Isabelle opened the door, she noticed that Avery's bedroom door was already open, indicating he was already up. 'I'll have to go to the bathroom first, make sure I'm looking okay this morning before I see him' Isabelle thought to herself. Isabelle took the opportunity, however, to peek into his room, seeing his neatly made bed, shelves of old looking books, and desk with two monitors on it, and what looked to be a gaming chair. Above his nightstand was a little basketball hoop that Isabelle envisioned Avery playing around with, '...jumping.....sweating...scoring..' Isabelle's imagination was running a little wild that morning, and her crush had, despite the evenings events, only strengthened. Isabelle moved quickly toward the bathroom, seeing her friends doors were still closed. Isabelle quickly sat down on the toilet, peeing and pooping, before standing up and spraying an air freshener. Isabelle then brushed her teeth, and more critically, brushed her hair, which had been a mess that morning. Finally, she washed the remnants of her tear stained cheeks, doing her best to look as presentable and mature as possible, before leaving the bathroom and making her way downstairs. Isabelle walked into the kitchen, trying to present as much confidence as possible. Unfortunately, Avery was not there. Instead, it was just Mel's mom Mandy, a name that Isabelle knew for some reason. "Hey Belly! Good morning to you. I heard you girls were having lots of fun last night! Where was my invite?!" Mandy was holding a warm cup of coffee that Isabelle deeply desired as she asked her questions. Isabelle didn't answer right away, instead looking around the room to see if she could find any evidence of Avery. But there was none. Her search was interrupted by Mandy again. "Looking for someone in particular there Belly?" She asked, almost teasingly. Isabelle turned red and shook her head "No - I uhh.....Just wanted to see if anyone else was awake." It was a fair enough excuse, Isabelle thought, before sitting down at the counter next to where Mandy was leaning up against. "And yah...we had a lot of fun," Isabelle said, finally responding to Mandy's question. "The show last night was SO good. I mean, it was incredible!" Mandy laughed, seemingly having captured Isabelle's attention now. It appeared to Isabelle that Mandy was about to ask her something, but decided against it, before continuing on another subject. "I spoke to you mom this morning, and she said she's running a few errands this morning, so is only going to pick you up around noon, okay? Isabelle nodded. "Now," Mandy continued, "Let's get you some breakfast. Still a cereal girl?" Isabelle smiled. At least she wouldn't have to worry about what there was to eat. "Yes please. Thank you!" Isabelle replied, as she watched Mandy go about and prepare her breakfast, happy that she would get to spend the day with her best friend. "I'm glad you're awake," Mandy went on, "I was all alone down here. Avery got up early, before he left to go to the gym. And James left even earlier than that! So I've been all alone. Having a teenage daughter is the worst too - she sleeps in now all the time. Thank goodness for you Belly, now I don't need to be alone," Mandy said playfully. Isabelle was happy to make Mandy happy - it felt good. Isabelle dug into her cereal as soon as she got it. She was starving that morning, but couldn't exactly explain why. In between bites, she chatted with Mandy, giving her friend's mom a breakdown of the show from last night - 'I really think she's interested' - and thanking her for the pizza - "I ate SO much Mandy. It was amazing." Mandy listened, responded, and kept the conversation going, until the sound of footsteps on the stairs indicated that some more girls were up. Mel and Ras came down the stairs, still in their pajamas, and joined Isabelle at the counter. "Uh-oh," Mel started, "what information did you give up to my mom Belly?! TRAITOR!" Mel joked, before running up and giving Isabelle a hug from behind. Isabelle nearly spit the cereal in her mouth out, managing to just allow a dribble of milk to drop down her chin instead. "Don't spit that out on us, hahah" Mel responded, before asking Isabelle "did you sleep okay last night?" Isabelle felt the question was loaded, even though it wasn't. Isabelle went red at the thought of what happened last night, of the time she spent with Avery, of their moment in the laundry room......."I slept fine, ya!" was how Isabelle elected to respond, before watching as Mel and Ras made themselves breakfast. The rest of the morning went smoothly. Natalie came down not long after, making herself breakfast, and joining the other girls. It was not long before Natalie's dad, and then Ras's mom, came to pick them each up respectively. After breakfast, Mel cleared her own and Isabelle's meals, and they decided to go downstairs to re-stream their show from the night prior, and look for things they missed. "I'll be there in a second," Isabelle said, letting Mel get ahead of her and making her way to the bathroom first to pee. Once she was done, Isabelle decided to quickly go to the laundry room to see if she could put her pajamas in the dryer before her mom came. When she got in, however, she saw that the white sheets, her pajama pants, and her panties had already been dried and folded. 'Did Avery dry and fold my clothes?' Isabelle wondered to herself, before her thought was interrupted by Mel calling for her to hurry up. Isabelle joined her friend, and snuggled under a fur blanket with Mel, before Mel started the show. Their idea bore fruit, and the two worked together, pausing the show repeatedly, to note the various subtleties they missed in all of their excitement the night prior. 'The show really was a masterpiece,' Isabelle concluded, thrilled to be laughing, smiling, gasping, and squealing with Mel all morning long. Unfortunately, all good things need to come to an end, and before she knew it, Mandy came downstairs to let Isabelle know that her mom would be there any second. Isabelle wrapped her arms around Mel, saying goodbye, before making her way out of the theater room by herself. On the way upstairs to grab all three of her bags, Isabelle made a pit stop in the laundry room to grab her things, concealing them as she ran up the stairs to quickly stuff them in her bag. Successful in her deception, Isabelle took her things, and headed out the front door, waving goodbye to Mel one last time. "Hi Sweetie! How are you!?!" Jane asked chipperly, from the front seat of the car, having rolled down the window to greet her daughter. Isabelle was happy to see her mom - happier than she expected. Seeing her alone lent Isabelle comfort in a way she could not fully understand. Isabelle smiled at her mom and waved, moving quickly to the car and depositing her bags in the trunk. Isabelle went to go open the front seat of the car, but it was locked. "Get in the back hunny," Isabelle heard her mom remark. Without thinking much on it, Isabelle complied, getting into the backseat, and buckling her seatbelt. "Mom I had a great time! Thanks for letting me go!" It was true, if Isabelle was being honest. She had, overall, had quite a good time. "Mandy said I could come back next week. Can I? Can I please? Please mom?" Isabelle asked successively, as her mom laughed in the front seat. "Well talk about it sweetie. I need to see if you're available. But well try, okay?" Jane said, much to Isabelle's disappointment. Isabelle wanted a commitment, not a promise to try. But there was no sense arguing it. "Fine," was all Isabelle said in reply, as Jane drove home. Isabelle and Jane chatted along the way, while Isabelle starred out the window as they drove through Mansion Row, through the adjacent neighborhood, around the next, town, and to the townhouse that Isabelle and Jane lived at. The ride had been pleasant, and Isabelle felt glad to be home when she arrived. Once the car stopped, Isabelle popped out of the back and made her way up toward the staircase. Before she had a chance to turn and look for her mom, she heard Jane call after her. "Isabelle. Bags. Trunk. Now." Isabelle jogged back to the car to retrieve her things, before meeting her mom at the top of the stairs, and entering the house. Just before Isabelle dropped her things, her mom scolded her "take those to your room. I don't want you to leave them at the foot of the door." Grumpily, Isabelle complied, carrying her things up to her bedroom, and depositing them on the floor. Isabelle then made her way to the bathroom, feeling the urge to pee, before heading to the kitchen in search for something to eat. To her satisfaction, Jane had prepared her a sandwich which was waiting for her downstairs, which Isabelle happily started eating away at. "So," Jane started, as Isabelle was mid bite into her turkey and cheddar, "I'm going to have to walk you over to Jess's a little earlier tonight, okay?" Isabelle nodded, curious why her mom felt the need to walk her down the block. "And I am going to be out with them a little later, so just in case, I dropped some pajamas off with your bag there, just in case you get tired sweetie." Isabelle kept eating away, ignoring her mom's remarks for the most part. Sure, Isabelle heard her, but Isabelle didn't mind staying up and waiting. It was her mom's next series of remarks that shocked her. "The sitter is already going to be there, so you don't have to worry. And there's something else I want to talk to you about sweetie." Isabelle put down her sandwich to respond. "Sitter? What do you mean sitter? I'm the sitter? What other sitter is coming? I DON'T NEED A SITTER?!?!" Isabelle was starting to get upset, at the realization or suggestion that she needed a babysitter. Jane responded calmly to each of her daughter's points. "Yes sweetie, there is going to be a sitter there. No, she's not there for you, she's there for Eric and Becky. I know you don't need a sitter. But I don't think you'll be too upset because - " Isabelle interrupted her mom again. "But mom, I can watch Eric and Becky. I do all the time. Why are they getting another sitter? Is it because.....because Becky peed on the couch last week? Is that why they replaced me?" Isabelle was getting visibly upset, and there was an obvious distress in her voice. Jane remained calm, offering her daughter a smile. "Sweetie I know you can watch the kids sometimes, especially during the day. But were going to be out very late tonight, and Jess was just more comfortable having someone over to watch Eric who is a bit older. She still thinks you're very responsible. And the sitter knows that she isn't there to watch you - we told her specifically in fact," Jane said, placing special emphasis on the last part. Isabelle wanted to yell. To scream. It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. But yelling and screaming wouldn't change her mom's mind, and Isabelle knew it. And so long as her mom was serious about the last part. 'Fine. As long as she knows she isn't there to watch me - just Eric and Becky, right? Right?!" Isabelle asked, inquisitively. Jane smiled at her daughter. "Of course darling. Just for Eric and Becky. Don't you fret." Jane considered, for a moment, the other issue she wanted to discuss with Isabelle. 'It may not be the time," Jane thought to herself. 'She's already all up in arms about this babysitter issue - I don't want to make it worse. But then again...what if..' Jane paused to consider the implications, before settling on her decision. 'No....it should be fine. I'll just have to let the sitter know.' Jane thought it would be better this way, all things considered. Isabelle was not pleased about the situation. Nevertheless, if it was made clear that the babysitter was not there for her, she would manage. Isabelle's plan was simple - 'I'm going to keep away from everyone. If I am not there to babysit, I'll just keep reading my book or something.' Isabelle turned back to her mom. "As long as its clear I am not being babysat mom. I still think this is silly. I can be left alone to babysit kids, not be babysat like a kid." Isabelle huffed, before turning away having finished her lunch, and considering her options for the night.

Appreciation Post When I started this project a little over a month ago, I had no idea what would come of it. I had no idea how much I would actually write, if I would stick with it, if anyone would read it. I started to write for myself, as a way of continuing to find my place in this community that I try to be proud of being in, but struggle with. 6 weeks later I am still writing, and enjoying every minute of it. I find myself often distracted by Isabelle and her adventures, wondering much like you readers where it will go. All the while, I am learning a lot about myself. I never dreamed that my story would have 10K views. Never thought it was possible, even as the count kept climbing. So, for those that have joined me on this adventure, I want to say a deep, sincere thank you. Your views, and especially comments, encourage me to write more. And whether its the same 10 people that have looked at this story 1000 times, or 10,000 people that have read it once and decided its not for them, I am grateful for you all, even if I don't say so with every update. Thank you for your support. Thank you for welcoming me into your community. The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 22 Isabelle woke up to her alarm going off. She shifted in her bed, finding something firm resting on her arm. It was her biology book, she realized, and Isabelle carefully folded it closed before setting it to the side. Isabelle lifted her legs off of the bed, and picked up her phone. It read 6 AM. Evidently, at some point, she had turned her 3 AM alarm off. 'No matter,' Isabelle told herself, picking herself up. No matter was not the correct phrase. There was a matter, something dastardly was the matter. It was the same problem she had been having for days - her bladder was the matter. And the matter was urgent again. 'Why am I so stupid,' Isabelle thought to herself, wondering why on earth she had not gotten up at 3 AM like she had the nights prior, when she had avoided her accidents. This time, however, Isabelle had not had an accident. But she was about to. Even lifting her foot felt like it would cause her to release her pee. So slowly, and one leg at a time, Isabelle shifted her feet inches at a time, across her room and toward her door. 'I'm not going to make it......I'm not going to make it....' Isabelle reached out for the doorknob, careful not to extend her arm too far from her body. Isabelle gripped the doorknob, as delicately as she could, before twisting it ever so slightly, opening the lock, and releasing the seal between her and her goal. Now freed, Isabelle tugged at the door, opening it just enough for her to fit through. She shifted on, making her way through the entry. Isabelle turned her frame in the direction of the bathroom door. The hallway seemed longer tonight, for some reason, and with every inch she moved, Isabelle was reminded of the aching in her bladder, the desperate push against her, the cry for release. Isabelle starred down the hallway, it seemingly expanding into the abyss, the bathroom never to be within her grasp. 'Push forward, Iz, Push. Forward.' Isabelle motivated herself, as she continued shifting down the hallway toward the bathroom. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right - 'AHHHHHHH,' Isabelle had to pause. her bladder was crying for freedom, and even an inch further and it would have been free - she knew it. Isabelle felt trapped. She had made significant progress down the hallway. But nevertheless, the bathroom door was more than an arms length away, and she was running out of resistance. Isabelle took a deep breath. And then another. Seemingly confident that she had regained control of her bladder, Isabelle shifted her weight forward toward the door. That proved to be a mistake. Isabelle lost control as she shifted her right foot forward once more. She was mortified, standing in her hallway, starting to pee her pants, mere feet away from the bathroom. 'OHMYGOD' Isabelle's mind was in a state of panic, but quickly, she composed herself, and started running toward the bathroom, continuing to pee the whole time. Isabelle could feel her panties, and then her pants, start to soak up her pee, as droplets of pee started to trickle down her legs. As quickly as she could, Isabelle pulled her pants and panties off, sitting on the toilet, and released the remainder of her pee into the toilet bowl. And then, Isabelle let herself feel all the emotions, sitting on the toilet, head hunched into her lap, crying, peeing, and starring at her wet pajamas near her left foot on the bathroom floor. 'WHaaa......waaaat is happnnning to me....' Isabelle thought to herself, as she continued crying loudly, without a care in the world. Right now, it was all she would do, all she wanted to do - cry, and pee. Isabelle's crying had apparently masked some noise outside the bathroom door. So when her mom knocked on the bathroom door, asking "Sweetie - is everything okay?" Isabelle nearly fell off of the toilet seat. This morning was bad enough - the last thing she needed was her mother finding out what happened. Isabelle realized she would need to compose herself before responding *Sniff* *Sniff* ".....Yes mom. Everything is fine. I uhh...." Why would she be up? '....I just wanted to shower before school this morning. I thought it would give me an energy boost." Her excuse was lacking, and also not very believable. She had just showered at school the day prior. But it would have to do. And plus, she had just peed all over herself. A shower was not a bad idea. There was a prolonged silence before her mother responded. "Okay sweetie." But, rather than hear her mother's footsteps retreating toward her own bedroom, Isabelle heard her mother move toward Isabelle's bedroom. 'Why on earth is she going there....." Isabelle wondered, worriedly. It didn't actually sound as though her mom made it all the way to her room, just further down the hall toward her room before stopping. The silence was deafening from the hall, until her mom started back toward the bathroom ,but instead headed downstairs. 'I imagine she's just going to start her day earlier.' Isabelle, now satisfied all of her pee was either in the toilet, or in her pants, stood up, flushed, and started the shower water. 'This is going to be a long day,' Isabelle thought to herself, before climbing into the warm water and beginning to soap her legs and butt, cleaning herself off. She could have sworn she heard her mom come back upstairs for several minutes before descending again, but it was likely a figment of her imagination. Content she was clean, Isabelle exited the shower, wrapping herself up in a towel. Isabelle pressed her ear against the door to ensure the hallway was clear before scooping up her wet PJs and darting from the bathroom back to her room, shutting the door quickly behind her. Isabelle buried her wet PJs underneath her dirty dance clothes from the week, content to have so many things to cover them up with. Isabelle made a note that she would have to do her laundry tomorrow - there was no time this morning. Having committed herself to a lie, Isabelle decided to stick with her story as closely as she could. Isabelle proceeded to get dressed for her dance classes that morning, which would be taught by the 12th graders. Wanting to look especially mature, Isabelle combed through her many leotards before finding a simply blush one without any design. The last thing Isabelle wanted was for Dani and Lola to see her in some little girl's leotard, '....though that striped pink, black, and blue was is SO cute,' she thought to herself, before dressing in the boring, plain blush one, over her boring plain white tights. Isabelle left her hair in a towel, hoping it would make some progress drying, and went downstairs to the kitchen to meet her mom. "Good morning sweetie!" Jane greeted her daughter with a smile when she came into the kitchen. "It's actually good you're up early. I wanted to get into work early today to get a little extra time in," Jane continued, before setting a bowl of cereal down in front of a space for Isabelle to eat. "You won't mind if I drop you off early, do you?" Isabelle was relieved her mom was acting...well, normal, this morning. 'She isn't the wiser,' Isabelle concluded, happily sitting down and dipping a spoon into her cereal before responding. "No problem mom." Isabelle was feeling very hungry, and so started slurping up her runes immediately, without paying too much attention to whatever her mom was doing. "How was your shower? I hope everything is okay sweetie. You look better rested today. Did you sleep okay?" Jane sat down next to Isabelle looking at her daughter and hoping that she would share some information with her. She knew her little girl was growing up, and Jane wanted to be sure that she would be included for the ride. Isabelle did not feel the questions were loaded in anyway, and simply looked at her mom, provided a "shower was good. Schlept betta," with a mouthful of runes, before returning her attention to her breakfast. Isabelle was not going to get into in any more than that. "Okay hun. Remember to make sure to take your overnight bag for tonight. I spoke with Mel's mom yesterday and you're going to go straight there from school." Jane said, reminding her daughter of her plans. "I put it together for you while you were in the shower. It's by the front door.' Isabelle simply smiled and nodded, before finishing her breakfast and heading up to her room. Isabelle hurried upstairs to her room to get her things in order. She was rather pleased with herself this morning, all things considered. Isabelle managed to get through the morning, not speak with her mother about any problems, and all in all, considered to put her accident out of her head fairly naturally. It felt good to be able to not fixate on it. It felt like the far more mature thing to do. Isabelle put her school bag and ballet bags together, and then made her way back downstairs in time to catch her mom as she was exiting the house with her overnight bag. Isabelle thanked her mom for carrying it, and then skipped after her into the car, as the two headed off to Higgins together. Isabelle arrived at school early enough to not need to go straight to her dance class. Rather, she made her way straight to the middle school library, finding a remote table to continue where she had left off in her reading the night prior. As soon as she put her bags down, however, another need arose in her gut, and Isabelle quickly made her way to the private bathroom in the library. Isabelle took her time, peeing as well, before returning to her spot in the library and opening up her biology book one more time. Isabelle flipped through the pages to find the section she had located on comas again. After finding it, Isabelle re-read the sections she had been through the night prior, before arriving at a section she had not seen. 'People in comas are in a state of unconsciousness and are not aware of their surroundings or their condition. They are not conscious, and they do not have any perception of their environment or their own body. While it is possible for some people in a coma to have some level of awareness, such as being able to hear or respond to certain stimuli, this is not always the case. Contrary to popular belief, people in comas are not living in an alternative world, or alternative reality.' Isabelle frowned, her body collapsing into her chair in disappointment. 'This was my best and only working theory,' Isabelle said to herself sadly. 'But...this paragraph seems to defeat the entire premise........I really thought I had something here.......' Isabelle sat, feeling entirely defeated. Where on earth would she go from here? '...back to the drawing board again....' Isabelle said, before closing the book, content to never have to open it again. Isabelle picked up her phone and saw it was time to get to class. Picking herself up, Isabelle took her book, her three bags, and headed toward the library exit, making sure to drop the biology book in the return basket so it could be checked back in. Isabelle then made her way quickly out the girls locker room - she would be content to have a place to put all her bags down. As she did, she spotted Mel walking in, and waved her over eagerly "Melly! I'm here!" Isabelle shouted, unconsciously. Isabelle couldn't help but notice she had a big smile on her face. To be honest, after the grueling week, Isabelle had been looking forward to the day - she would get to see Lola and Dani again, and as a bonus, she would get to watch the first episode of the Emerald Chronicles show. It would be a good day. It had to be. "Hey Belly! How are you? I am SO excited for tonight, aren't you? You finished the third book right? right?" Isabelle could tell that Mel was just as excited as she was. Isabelle desperately needed a girls night, even if it wasn't with her regular girls. Just to laugh and have fun would be a complete relief. Ras and Natalie had located Isabelle just as Mel started changing into her ballet outfit for the day. As she was undressing, Ras started telling all three of them about her evening, and how her cousin had gotten engaged, and she was going to have to travel for a wedding, and would be a bridesmaid. It was a wonderful story, Isabelle thought, feeling a pang of jealousy that Ras was going to be in a wedding and she wouldn't. As Mel slipped into her leotard, Isabelle spotted Dani and Lola coming into the locker room with Tori. "I'll see you girls in a bit," Isabelle said, leaving her friends and heading over to Dani and Lola. "Hey guys," Isabelle said, pulling up behind Dani, Tori, and Lola. Tori excused herself, and smiled toward Isabelle, making sure to say hello. Isabelle continued. "I'm really looking forward to spending some time with you both," Isabelle started, before thinking her comments were odd. "...with you both in class. It should be fun." Lola smiled, as she put her bags down and started stripping down so she could get into her dance clothes. "We have a great session planned." Dani, meanwhile, had started changing as well. Isabelle couldn't help but stare - Dani was outrageously beautiful. "It's going to be great Izzy! And we're going to be spending lots of time together, don't you fret," Dani added, before tapping Isabelle on the nose. "We'll meet you in there." Isabelle realized it would be awkward to stand around and just watch her friends get changed, and so blushing, Isabelle left them and headed to class to find her friends before it started. Isabelle made her way to the large ballet studio, spotting Mel on the far wall. The room was already packed with all the 6th-8th grade ballet students, who were all anxiously awaiting the program to start. Isabelle sat down next to Mel and started stretching, chatting away with her about how their night would be, what they would eat for dinner, and more importantly, what kind of ice cream they would pick up. Isabelle giggled to herself when Natalie came over and suggested they would need to make at least two separate trips to the ice cream parlor. Just as Isabelle was going to suggest that pizza was, of course, the only option for dinner, Dani, Lola, Tori, and the rest of the 12th grade ballet students came into the studio. "Alright everyone - Lets get up and ready. I hope you're all stretched out." Dani started - 'she had always been the best with the kids over the summer,' Isabelle was reminded. It came so naturally to her. "Today, we're going to start off with a little game," Dani continued. "As you can see, all of the 12th graders are holding flashlights. We're going to play 'In The Spotlight' today. Does everyone know how to play?" Isabelle turned to Mel and smiled, before both joined the rest of the room in happily chanting "YES" in response to the question. 'Everyone loved In The Spotlight,' Isabelle thought to herself. What a great way to start class. The premise of the game was simple. The lights were turned off, and music would play in the background. Whenever the flashlight was on you, you had to dance. When it wasn't you had to hold the position until another flashlight hit you again. Tori turned the lights off, and Lola started the music, as all of the middle school girls took positions and waited for the light to hit them. One after another it did. Isabelle watched as her friends danced away, until Dani finally hit her with the light, and Isabelle danced away - before freezing as the light left her, in a somewhat difficult position to hold. Minutes later, Lola hit her with a light and repeated the process. It was a lot of fun, and the whole class giggled away as their friends fell down from uncomfortable positions, danced ridiculously to fun music, and all together had a blast. Isabelle herself tumbled a few minutes later, laughing the whole way to the floor, feeling a warmth emanating from her slippers and through her body. The rest of the class was broken out into groups. The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders were all mixed up and assigned to different 12th graders to go over a new bit of choreography. Isabelle was with a group that had Ras, and three 6th graders, and was led by Angelica, a girl Isabelle had been in class with for three years, but who didn't seem to recognize her. Isabelle glanced over and saw that Mel was in a group with some other students she didn't recognize, but was led by Tori. Isabelle watched as Mel went and gave Tori a big hug. 'It seems they know each other somehow,' Isabelle thought, as Angelica started their group's program. Angelica was a really good teacher in the end, Isabelle thought, and by the end of the whole morning, they had a fun dance but together. The morning flew by, and Isabelle didn't expect class to be over so quickly. But before she knew it, Dani was announcing that class was over, and that they would all see each other again next week. Isabelle found Mel, and they left the class together holding hands, and jogging off toward the locker room to change. Isabelle changed quickly into an olive colored jumpsuit styled romper that she had located in her closet that morning. She felt cute in it, and let her ballet bun down so her hair could flow down below her shoulders. She then headed off to lunch with Mel, Natalie, and Ras just as Lola and Dani were walking into the locker room. "Great job out there girls," Lola had said, as she passed them by. Isabelle smiled. It was nice to be complimented by Lola, and hearing her friend's voice made her feel whole. Today was a good day. 'Amazing, all of you!" Dani joined in, before turning to Isabelle and adding an extra "see you soon!" Isabelle smiled at that as well, the mere thought of spending more time with her friends providing her with a warmth across her body. Isabelle made her way out of the lockers with her friends to enjoy lunch. It turned out Mel did know Tori from outside of school. "She's a life guard at the beach my family goes to. She's always teaching kids to swim and stuff.' Mel explained. The girls were still all so worked up from class that morning, they spent the whole lunch period chatting away about the game, the choreography, and how much fun they had. Before they knew it, the bell had rung letting them know that it was time for class. "Don't forget, well meet by the high school entrance at the end of the day, okay?" Mel said, before they got up. Isabelle nodded, as did Natalie and Ras. Isabelle excused herself at that moment, taking the opportunity to go and use the bathroom before class. She really did have a wonderful morning, and she didn't want it spoiled by something as silly as a bathroom incident. So, Isabelle made her way down the corridor before class, and took her time to pee, wiping and washing her hands. On her way out, Principal Adams caught her in the halls. "Ms. Ward. Class. Now." Isabelle smiled and nodded, heading past Principal Adams, before she stopped her. "Wrong direction young lady. You have Math I, other direction. I just spoke with Mr. Jones. Better get a move on. Now." Isabelle turned abruptly, walking down the hall. Was this a class she hadn't taken yet? She was rather confused, and turned to look at Principal Adams pointing to his left, indicating she should go into the class to Isabelle's left further down the hall. As she entered, the teacher - presumably Mr. Jones - ushered Isabelle to a seat. Immediately, Isabelle recognized that she was among new peers. 'Have I really been struggling so bad in math they are moving me down?' Isabelle wondered. 'It's probably just a mistake, but better to not cause problems.' Isabelle thought to herself, not wanting to jeopardize her evening. Isabelle spent the remainder of the afternoon travelling to classes she did not recognize. After math, a young girl in her class pulled her, before she could react, to an English class where her name was called out in attendance. Later that afternoon, Isabelle was guided by a crowd of students into a history class with a new teacher as well, who also knew her name. These classes were no easier than her prior ones. 'Perhaps they're just dividing the Eighth graders into smaller classes,' Isabelle concluded. The end of the day couldn't have come soon enough, and when the bell rang, Isabelle grabbed all three of her bags, and headed toward the high school entrance. Before making her way there though, Isabelle decided to stop and pee one more time, heading into the main girl's bathroom near the senior lockers to pee. After wrapping up, she headed to the front of the high school, where she spotted Ras, Natalie, and Mel waiting for her. "Great," Mel said, "we're all here now." Isabelle smiled at her friends. She was glad to be with them again. She felt comfortable with the group, and missed having at least a few classes with her girls. But that wasn't important. What mattered was the night they had ahead of them. All four girls were practically skipping out of the school, chatting about the night. Isabelle herself couldn't help but participate in the conversation about how excited they were for the Emerald Chronicles. "And I BET you they emphasize the love story between Julianne and Richard in episode one!" Ras was basically shouting, as they followed Mel's lead toward the car. "No way!" Isabelle threw out there, "the whole first episode is going to set the stage for the Ruby Rebellion. It was, like, basically the whole point of the first book! I bet you they -" Isabelle was cut off, as Mel pointed toward the car they were going to get into. "Come on, my brother is waiting." Mel shouted at them, as she opened the door to sit in the front seat. The car was beautiful. It was a large, brand new looking, red SUV. It looked like it had just been washed, and from what Isabelle could tell, was recently washed. It was the type of car that would catch your eye from a mile away - the type of car that 12th graders who could afford to come to Higgins were gifted by their parents. The type of car Isabelle could only dream about. Isabelle was not focused on the car, however. Isabelle was focused on the driver of the car. Her best friend's brother. And, it could not be worse. It was Avery. Avery was Mel's brother. Isabelle would be sleeping over. At Avery's house. And it wasn't to see him. Isabelle froze at the side of the car. Her love life had been put on hold while she was solving whatever was happening to her. But it wasn't exactly like she had forgotten about Avery. Her Avery. The sweet boy who she had fawned over. But here he was. Driving his little sister home from school. And her little friends. Her little friends like Isabelle. Isabelle's trance was broken as Mel called out to her. "Hello! EARTH TO BELLY?!?!" Isabelle recoiled, and looked at Mel in response. "What are you waiting for? Get in the car?" Isabelle looked more closely, and saw that Natalie and Ras were already in the back seat. Isabelle allowed instinct to take over, and slowly climbed into the back of the SUV, dumping all her bags on to her lap. "Buckle up everyone," Avery called from the front. Isabelle blushed horribly - her crush was telling her to "buckle up," and even though it felt condescending, her heart raced at his mere acknowledgment of her. "So.....Belly! What were you saying. you bet they what?" Ras asked, following up from where Isabelle had left off the conversation. But Isabelle had no recollection of what she was saying. And the very last thing she wanted to discuss in front of Avery was a show his little sister enjoyed. "I'm not sure Ras. I forgot what I was saying," Isabelle said, trying her damndest to sound mature. When she solved whatever was happening, she didn't want to risk Avery having any memory of this...fiasco. Isabelle stayed mostly silent as Avery drove the girls up through what the Higgins students had dubbed 'Mansion Row,' where, apparently, Mel and Avery lived. It wasn't a shock - Avery had mentioned that he had a vacation or beach house or whatever it was, not long ago. Isabelle was excited to see where he - where Mel lived. It was not much longer until Avery pulled up to their house - a stunning manor that Isabelle was mesmerized by. The house was truly spectacular, and resembled an old southern estate. Isabelle got out of the car once it was in park, and made her way after Mel, Avery, and Ras, with Natalie trailing behind her. 'At least I'll get my own bedroom tonight,' Isabelle thought to herself. Avery opened the door for the girls, who fell into the foyer with all their bags. "Okay, let's go put everything upstairs," Mel proposed, "and then well decide on dinner." Isabelle nodded, hauling her bags up the stairs at the back of the entryway, which rotated up to the second floor. Isabelle followed her friends as they marched down a hallway to Mel's room. "You can all stay in your normal spots, but lets put everything in my room for now," Mel decided. Mel opened the door to her room, which was, unsurprisingly, spectacular, if not childish. The room had a large desk, several bookcases, a poof chair, and of course, Mel's bed. the pastel pink walls with white trim were covered with posters of boy bands, of pictures with Isabelle and other friends, and of course, with a giant framed poster for their upcoming show that night. If Isabelle was described as an even bigger fan than Mel, she worried what her friends' thought of her fandom. Isabelle dropped her bags, and decided to hop on Mel's bed. The other girls took various spots around the room, before Mel hopped on the bed to lay next to Isabelle. She gave her a little whack with a pillow, before mockingly asking "soooooooo. Got all quiet in the car with my brother. Do you liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiike him?!?1" The remark drew "ooohs' and "ahhhs" from Natalie and Ras, as well as crimson blushing from Isabelle. "Don't be ridiculous," Isabelle responded, doing her best to fend off the accurate accusation. "Boys are gross." It was the safest excuse she could come up with. Mel seemed satisfied. "Well good. Anyways he isn't going to be here tonight, so he wont be able to bother us. He's going out on some date or something." Mel responded, much to Isabelle's dismay. It hurt her feelings knowing he was going to be out with another girl. 'But it's not as if he would date me....' Isabelle thought, '...I'm just a child to him..' Isabelle had to accept her reality, if she was going to be able to change it. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on their first week of school, chatting about their dance classes, and especially talking about how much fun they had earlier in the day with the 12th graders. Isabelle really liked these girls, and was grateful for their friendship. She did not know what she would do if she were completely alone in this state. Most of all, she was happy they helped her relax again, and continue to enjoy the day, the thought of Avery well out of her mind. Isabelle had not even been phased when Avery had called up to let Mel know he was leaving, instead too focused on helping Natalie fix her French braids. As the afternoon turned to the evening, Ras informed them that it was already 7:20 PM, and they would need to order food soon so they could get ready for the show before 9. Mel agreed, and took out her phone, promptly ordering pizza on an app, saying it would be there by 8. Isabelle took the opportunity to go to the bathroom, having felt the urge for sometime, but having too much fun to leave. Now her need was becoming more desperate, and she got up to leave the room, and headed down the hall to the bathroom. Only upon sitting down did Isabelle realize how badly she needed to go, peeing for almost a full minute before the stream settled. Isabelle made her way back after washing her hands, but her friends had moved downstairs and called her. Isabelle made her way down to the kitchen where they were setting up a table to eat ate, and joined in to help them. Not too long later, the pizza arrived, and the four girls were around the table, chomping away at the delicious combination of bread, cheese, sauce, and a host of toppings. The girls each washed it all down with large glasses of soda, chatting away about anything and everything. 'It was a perfect night,' Isabelle concluded. By the time they had wrapped up dinner, it was almost time to start the show. "Okay. Ice cream everyone, and then downstairs." Isabelle popped up off her chair, and made her way to the freezer to inspect her options. It felt like second nature, going through Mel's house, but Isabelle couldn't exactly understand why. It was her first time there. Nevertheless, everything she did was fluid, and, after settling on the tub of mint chocolate chip, Isabelle made her way directly over to a drawer that she knew had an ice cream scooper, promptly scooping her ice cream before handing the scooper off to Natalie. Ice cream in hand, all four girls made their way down toward the basement, following Mel as they did. They passed through a living space downstairs, and by the laundry room, making their way to what Isabelle knew was going to the the home theater. Once inside. Isabelle sat herself down on the big couch, all three of friends squishing in with her as well. Mel grabbed the remote, turning to the correct channel, just minutes before it started. The next hour could only be described in one word, according to Isabelle at least - 'glorious.' The show makers had cast the characters beautifully, and the writing was true to the books. Isabelle, Mel, Natalie, and Ras could barely sit for the next hour, each of their butts lifted just off of the couch as they journeyed with the show through all the characters back stories, ventured through the lands, before ending in the Gumdrop Gullet where Henrietta would combat the Ghastly Gorgon. When the show ended, the girls' collective jaws were on the floor. The girls spent the next hour breaking down the show, as one does. "That was the greatest thing ever!" Isabelle exclaimed, "there is literally no way I can wait a full week to watch that again. It was....It was...." "IT WAS SPECTACULAR Belly! That's the only word for it," Mel said, ending her friends sentence. "Can you BELIEVE how nice all those sets were! ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I just wish we could really be there!" Isabelle nodded. She really did agree - it would be fun. As they all chatted away, Isabelle could hear someone come in from upstairs. "It's just my parents," Mel said, letting everyone know she was going upstairs to say hi." Isabelle smiled, and rejoined her other friends in conversation. Isabelle was having a great night, and nothing could spoil all the fun she was having with her friends. Mel returned downstairs and suggested that they all go up and get ready for bed. Isabelle knew it was only about 11 PM, but she was feeling tired. "Sounds good to me," Isabelle responded, yawning immediately after. That drew giggles from her friends, and together, they all hiked up the stairs to Mel's bedroom. As soon as Isabelle closed the door behind them, her friends all started to undress. Isabelle shouldn't have been so startled by it - they were dancers. They were used to seeing each other naked, changing between classes, changing outfits for shows. They all knew exactly what one another looked like. Modesty was not something that stuck with you as a dancer. And yet, that was exactly what surprised Isabelle about the situation - she felt completely normal. Her friends all looked exaclty like they were supposed to - exactly like she did. In face, Ras and Mel had far more mature bodies than Isabelle did, and were the only two actually wearing bras that night. As Isabelle removed her own shirt, and looked down at her chest, she felt she was closer to looking like small Natalie than her other friends, with barely more than budding breasts. Yet, this all felt completely normal, completely right. Isabelle opened the bag her mother had packed her, searching for her pajamas. As she rummaged through, she found a set - a baby blue matching top and bottoms with panda bears on them. Isabelle smiled - she loved this set - and immediately went about putting them on, while she continued to chat away with her friends. After they were all in their pajamas, they made their way to the bathroom together to brush their teeth, engaging in silliness the whole time. The girls giggling even garnered a "Shhh" from Mel's parents' bedroom, which of course, only caused more laughter. Isabelle set her toothbrush down, and left the bathroom, distracted by all the fun she was having, Isabelle went back to Mel's room to grab her bag so she could change in the morning, hugged all of her friends goodnight, before making her way down the hall toward the guest room she knew was designated for her, without needing to ask a question. Isabelle opened the door, yawning again, before walking in, and setting her bag down. Isabelle opened the bag again, having noted that her mom had packed Rabbity for her, and pulled Rabbity out before climbing into bed, exhausted from the day. Almost as soon as she was under the white sheets, Isabelle was fast asleep again, clutching Rabbity against her chest. **** Isabelle woke with a start. "no no no no no no." Unfortunately, the answer to the question was not no. It was yes. Isabelle was wetting the bed again. And this time, Isabelle did not wake up in time to stop the stream. This time, Isabelle was really wetting the bed. It occurred to her that she had forgotten to pee before she went to sleep. And so, Isabelle laid there, awake long enough to feel the last of her pee leave her bladder, and pour out onto the bed. What was there to do? 'Nothing,' Isabelle thought to herself, and proceeded to do the only thing that felt appropriate: cry. Isabelle cried long and hard, shifting to her side and holding Rabbity tight. 'This was it. This is my demise,' Isabelle thought. No, she was not concerned about the fact that she had wet the bed. Rather, she was concerned that her friends would find out. It was the only though occupying her mind. 'I have something great going with these girls. And if they find out.......they'll never want to hang out with me again." Isabelle wept, and wept some more, for what felt like an hour, and the once warm pee that had soaked through her panda pants and panties had cooled off, leaving her legs uncomfortable. Isabelle needed to devise a plan. She knew it. She just felt incapable. What was she supposed to do? At home, she would wash her sheets, shower, and change, and hide the evidence. But this was not her house. It was Mel's house. And Isabelle.... 'No,' Isabelle concluded, 'I do know where the laundry room is,' she thought to herself. But could she really pull this off? It seemed so much easier to resign herself to her inevitable fate - that her friends would find out she was a bedwetter. Maybe they would still accept her. 'But also maybe not,' she thought, and the risk was too great. Doing her best to calm down, Isabelle made a plan. She would strip the bed, take the sheets down, and then worry about the mattress. First thing was first: getting up. And so, with great effort, and in soaking wet pants, Isabelle stood up and got out of the bed. The damage to the sheets was catastrophic - she really had released her full bladder. If there was any silver lining, it was that her pajama top managed to stay completely dry, which would be helpful later. Isabelle worked diligently, taking the dry comforter off, and moving it to a lounge chair in the room. Isabelle then took off the white sheets, both top and fitted, noting that they were very thick. 'Perhaps they absorbed everything?' Isabelle thought, as she pulled the fitted sheet off. It was too much to hope for; though the sheets were fairly absorbent, there still was a pee spot on the mattress that Isabelle would need to manage. Isabelle took another breath, and collected the sheets in her arms, wrapping the wettest parts into the middle so she wouldn't have to touch them. 'You can do this Iz. You have to do this.' The task felt impossible to do on her own, and part of her wanted nothing more than to wake up Melly and let her know, and ask for help. But that was the greatest risk of all, and not one she would be willing to take. So, with one more deep breath, and tear streaked cheeks, Isabelle took her bundle of sheets, and opened the door to the hallway. Only it wasn't a hallway she saw when she opened the door. It wasn't dead space. It wasn't the quiet of the night. It was Avery, coming home from where ever he had been that night, opening the door to his own bedroom. Except now Avery was starring at Isabelle, starring at a girl who had obviously just wet the bed, carrying her sheets, and offering the most sympathetic gaze one could imagine. There was nothing Isabelle could do to stop it this time. Isabelle just stood there, and resumed crying.

The Ballet Slippers - Chapter 21 Isabelle's mind had raced the whole night prior. She had barely been able to sleep before her first alarm went off, reminding her to go to the bathroom. Isabelle had lifted herself out of bed, and sat on the toilet, continuing to ponder as her pee hit the water at the bottom of the porcelain bowl. 'Had mom found my sheets? Did she notice the spot? It was small....its possible that she didn't even realize....' It was of course, far more possible and likely that her mom had seen it, washed it, and not said anything. Isabelle began second guessing everything her mom had said to her that day. Everything now seem loaded, seemed charged with the background knowledge that her daughter had actually wet the bed. Isabelle struggled falling back asleep, and was up and down most of the night. By the time her second alarm had gone off, Isabelle had developed a dozen new theories about what might have happened, a desperate search for a logical explanation that resulted in anything, anything other than her mother discovering her accident. As Isabelle's butt his the toilet seat for the second time that night, she settled on one. 'Everything is changing around me. The world is changing....my body is changing....everyone thinks I am an 8th grader. Heck, even my room changed a bit, though I think that was mom. And don't get me started on what keeps happening when I dance....' Isabelle thought, as she started wiping after peeing yet again. 'Perhaps the sheet just....disappeared? Its possible, at the very least.' Isabelle flushed the toilet, much like she should have her new theory. She knew it. But at the same time, it was comforting knowing that there was a universe, and inkling of a possibility, that her mom didn't know what had happened. That no one had been the wiser. That no one had to know what was going on. When Isabelle had woken up at the sound of her alarm, she was convinced of two things only; first, she had not slept more than an hour, probably, at most that night, and; second, whatever may have happened, it didn't matter. It wasn't going to happen again. And whether her mother knew or not was of no importance - her mom had not said anything, so she either didn't know, and for once the changing universe was working in her favor, or she did know, but much like Isabelle knew, it was a completely one of a kind accident. 'Except it wasn't.' Isabelle's morning proceeded as usual. She used the bathroom again, dressed for dance, and got her bags packed, making sure to pack her new biology book. Her slippers radiated with warmth that morning, offering just the slightest bit of comfort Isabelle so desperately needed. Isabelle had breakfast in silence as she tried the days new I-Spy game, before her mom came down, without a word about anything other than their normal breakfast routine, and then off to school they went. Isabelle went to the girls locker room, used the bathroom again just to be safe, before meeting up with her friends before their performance. Their performance would be second, Mel informed them, so they had time to warm up. All the girls in the class were assigned the same choreography and music. It was a famous pas de trois, an excerpt from the great balletmaster Marius Petipa, called Le Corsaire, though they would only be doing a portion of the Entrée, rather than include the individual variations for all three dancers. After warming up and stretching, the first group to go included a group with Ras. As Isabelle watched her friend, she was able to clear her mind for the first time that day. Ras was a beautiful dancer. Other than one misstep - which to be frank, was the fault of her partner exchanging the middle position with her, their group performance was very solid, but Ras was exceptional. Once they concluded, Ras came over to the three of them smiling. Mel, Natalie, and Isabelle all offered encouraging words before stepping up to do their own performance. Isabelle took her position between Mel and Natalie, offering an affirming nod before setting up in first position, and waiting for the music. But the music never came. And instantly, Isabelle knew what was happening. 'Not this again.....' Yes - it was this again. Isabelle's slippers sent waves of radiating warmth though her body, as the environment around her changed. First the floor - it was always the floor that fell out first - and then the mirrored walls around her dissolved into oblivion. Her teacher, her classmates - Ras's smiling face the last she saw - faded into darkness as new shapes emerged around Isabelle. Gone was Isabelle's own body - she was in a new, lengthier, stronger body she no longer recognized, but which seemed familiar. Gone was Isabelle's black leotard with glittered lines, gone were here white tights. Gone was her whole outfit, other than her slippers, which never left her. Unlike the prior venues, Isabelle did not instantly recognize where she had been transported. The layers of balconies emerging as towers of marble columns surrounded her were unlike any she had seen. The façade of the stage was incredibly detailed, and the chandelier was particularly unique. It wasn't until the room had fully formed, until the last few letters of the venue appeared before her, that Isabelle could appreciate where she was. It was the 'Gran Teatro de La Habana,' and it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. Unfortunately, there was no time to appreciate its beauty. The guests had taken their seats, the lights had all but faded, and Isabelle and her two partners - 'TWO PARTNERS?!?!' Isabelle hesitated for a moment, noticing that, for the first time, she was not alone on the stage. Sure, gone were Mel and Natalie. But in their place stood two ballerinas, perfectly positioned for a pas de trois, both in outfits that perfectly matched blue costume, with ornately designed tutu. Isabelle wanted to ask these strangers who they were, but before she could, the music started, and off they were. It required no thinking. In fact, for the first time, Isabelle felt in control. She could do the dance herself, not required to give up control. These were the steps she had spent the whole day prior practicing. And though the body she was in was far more capable, Isabelle managed to adjust well, and dance away. It felt empowering to be able to control this...'whatever the heck this is...' Isabelle thought to herself. In fact, it was fun. For the first time since these started happening, it was purely fun. Isabelle was dancing at one of the most celebrated dance halls in the world, and she was doing great. As Isabelle and her partners moved across the stage, they were in perfect harmony. Every turn, every leap, every twist, and every bend were perfectly synchronized. Every movement felt like it had purpose, each extension was light and airy, each sauté powerful and strong, every plie elegant and fluid. The audience was captivated by their performance, and as they danced, they could feel the energy and passion that radiated from each of them. Isabelle and the other dancers were in perfect harmony, moving as one, and creating a beautiful, mesmerizing display of dance. As the music reached its climax, the girls came together in a stunning final pose, holding hands and smiling at each other in triumph. The audience erupted in applause, and the girls took their final bows, basking in the joy and pride of their accomplishment. Isabelle felt proud of herself. Proud of her teammates. Proud that she had earned the right to dance on this stage. This stage that....'that's fading away again....' Isabelle wanted to groan, but she knew it would be inappropriate. She was, after all, performing, and performing required performances faces. 'Even a 2nd grade dancer knows that....' Isabelle reminded herself, and she maintained her posture and position, despite the world around her fading, receding, and quickly being replaced by her ballet studio once more. Isabelle was broken from her trance by the sound of Ms. Lazard's voice. "Very good. Tracy, Jennifer, Lucy, you're up." At that instruction, Isabelle quickly took her place on the side of the class with her friends. Ras approached them, offering the same praise that she had received. "You girls were amazing!" she said. Isabelle, of course, could not comment on how the actual performance that took place here had transpired. But she accepted the compliment. "Thanks Ras. I kept thinking about how well you did, and just tried to mimic some of the things I really loved about your performance," Isabelle responded. Isabelle had meant it to - at least it had been her intention to do so. Isabelle just didn't remember dancing. Ras blushed at the compliment. Based on Mel and Natalie's reactions, however, it all appeared to have gone well. So Isabelle put the thought out of her mind, content to sit on the side of the studio room as the others performed. Isabelle closed her eyes, exhausted from not sleeping the night before, in an effort to rest a little. That effort, however, was thwarted by Mel, who sat down next to her and chatted her up. "And so then Kevin - blechh - came up to table and called the Emerald Chronicles stupid. Stupid. Can you believe it?! I can't stand him. He. Is. The. Worst. More important though - have you finished the Endless Night? Have you? You need to, you need to before Friday!" 'Mel obviously slept well last night,' Isabelle concluded. She did need to finish the book of course. "I will Melly." .....'Melly...where did that come from.' Mel didn't react, so it didn't seem to bother her. Isabelle excused herself from class early, with the excuse that she needed to go to the bathroom. It was true. Well, it was sort of true. Isabelle was intent on going to the toilet every second she had, and this presented a good opportunity to do so. It would also let her slip out to go the library at lunch before her friends found her. Isabelle sat on the toilet, again being sure to pee. Isabelle also took the opportunity to poop while her classmates were not there, for once enjoying the solitude that the empty locker room offered her. After finishing her business, Isabelle made her way our of the locker room just as the bell signifying class had ended, and quickly toward the middle school library with her bags. 'I'll change later,' Isabelle decided, simply letting her hair down from her bun. Isabelle maneuvered quickly to the library. She smiled at the librarian on the way in, and made her way to one of the corners of the room, sitting down at a smaller group table, and pulling out her biology book. Isabelle wiggled her toes in her slippers before diving into page 184, where she had left off the night prior. 'The left side of the brain is responsible for many important functions that involve language and logic. Some examples of its functions include: When we use the left side of our brain, we are often focused on tasks that involve language and communication, such as reading, writing, and speaking. It helps us understand and use words, grammar, and syntax to convey meaning. The left side of the brain is also responsible for logical and analytical thinking. It helps us solve problems, make decisions, and plan ahead. It is good at breaking down complex information into smaller parts and analyzing them to understand patterns and make sense of information. In addition to language and logic, the left side of the brain is associated with science and technology. It helps us understand and make sense of scientific concepts and theories. Here are some examples of the things the left side of the brain controls. Language: The left side of the brain helps us...and...language. It is involved in speech...... mmar, and vocab..... For examp.....eft brain is wor.... to make sure our wo......ect. Logic: The le....brain is also resp.....gical thin an.....solve problems, make decisions, and p........solve a math problem, our left brain is working to pr.... Analysis.................complex information.................understand patter....o.....understand the plot...... Science: ....................about the human body, o..........................................................................................................................................function. Overall..........................................................................................round us....................... Isabelle could barely keep her eyes open. On top of being exhausted, the information in this book was so incredibly dense. Reading and re-reading solved nothing, and Isabelle kept going over the same portions about the left side of the brain, what it did, what in controlled, all in an effort to correct it, but she couldn't. She needed more energy. But she was dedicated too much of it to other things. Speaking of which, Isabelle checked the time and saw there was only 15 minutes left on her lunch period. Isabelle packed her things up, and quickly made her way to the middle school library's bathroom, sitting down to pee again. Isabelle took the opportunity to change into her regular clothes in the single stall bathroom with a lock. After that Isabelle made her way to the cafeteria to pick up a couple of granola bars that they always had for the students, not wanting to completely skip lunch again, before bumping into Ras and heading off to the afternoon classes together again. Isabelle's afternoon passed much like the prior days. She struggled in math class again, getting a few questions wrong that she really felt she should have done better on. Her history class was better, she supposed, but overall another challenge. Isabelle was relieved when the bell rang signifying the end of the day. Isabelle said her goodbyes to her friends, before making her way out the door to her mom's car. Isabelle had been dreading this part of her day. 'Was mom going to confront me about the sheets? Should I confront her? Maybe it would be the grown up thing to do, to admit my mistake. But then again....why would I, when she might not know anything.' Isabelle was struggling with her dilemma, up until the minute she climbed into her mom's car. 'Better to just forget about it, no reason to raise it...' Isabelle climbed into the car, and her Jane went about her normal routine of asking how her daughter's day was. "Did your performance go well with the girls? How were classes? How was your day sweetie?" Jane asked rapid fire. The rate of the questions made Isabelle feel more comfortable. If her mom wanted to talk to her about the sheets, now would have been a prime opportunity. But she didn't. 'I'm definitely fine,' Isabelle concluded. "School was okay today. Classes were...better. And the performance went really well," Isabelle told her mom, "I'm pretty sure at least." That was, in fact, the truth. Isabelle didn't get into things in more detail. She was too tired. When Isabelle arrived at home, she immediately went to the bathroom, consistent with her new plan. On her way out, she saw her mom leaving her room with a friendly smile - "Just putting your bags away for you sweetie," Jane said, before making her way back downstairs. Isabelle eyed her mom suspiciously, before going into her room to make sure everything was normal. Content that her mom had not rummaged too much, Isabelle decided to make her way downstairs to the basement, to watch some television. Isabelle went right to her new favorite channel to watch a few episodes of Rover-Roo. As she sat on the couch, she contemplated what more she had learned. 'I seem to be stuck at this new age, which is good. Things aren't getting worse," Isabelle thought to herself. "Challenges include the fact that I'm exhausted from not sleeping, and distracted all the time by running to the bathroom. It's impeding my investigation," Isabelle thought to herself. But what options did she have really? Isabelle considered what she had learned so far. "Coma remains the best theory. And if it is a coma, it would seem the answer lies in studying more about the left side of the brain. The only problem, was,.." Elizabeth paused her thought to manage the massive yawn that took over her whole mouth, before continuing. '.....problem is, that book is SOOOOOO boring....Not sure if there isn't a summary somewhere in it.' Isabelle was snapped out of her deductions by her mother calling her up for dinner. Isabelle made her way upstairs, turning the TV off before she did. She made a pit stop at the bathroom before heading to the kitchen. Her bathroom breaks were feeling like overkill, but, at the same time, it felt the only way to ensure another accident didn't happen. Isabelle climbed onto a stool next to her mom, and the two ate and chatted away. "Are you excited to go to Mel's on Friday? You're going to have a great time I bet!" Jane asked her daughter. "Yes! We're going to watch a new show together. I'm really excited! I've been waiting this to come out forever. Its the best mom. I'll tell you what it's about." Isabelle proceeded to drone on for over an hour, telling her mom all about the Emerald Chronicles, how the show was supposed to track the first book, about Henrietta, and all about different chapters of the "Rising Sun," which was the name of the first book. Isabelle probably would have continued, if not for the phone ringing, and her mom leaving the room to take the call. "......Yes I know. Saturday. Ya......" Isabelle was not sure who her mom was speaking with, and didn't really care to find out. She started to head upstairs, only catching the last few words of her mom's side of the conversation. "......Oh that'll be great. Isabelle will love that........yes, I'll be sure to pack some for her." After blabbing on with her mom, Isabelle was re-energized to finish the Emerald Chronicle book she had upstairs. Isabelle filled a travel mug with orange juice, and then made her way up the stairs, of course using the bathroom again, before lounging on her bed and reading through the end of the book. "OhMyGAWWWD" Isabelle actually shouted, as she turned the page on the last chapter, putting down her now empty cup of juice. 'I BET I know who stole the crystal wand,' Isabelle thought to herself, barely able to contain her excitement at sharing her theory with her friends. Isabelle checked her phone - it was already 10 PM - and decided to get ready for bed. Isabelle popped up off her bed to get into her pajamas, feeling comfortable enough tonight to go for a yellow sleeping dress she had with some white lace on the sleeves. Isabelle made her way to the bathroom again, peeing and washing, before returning to her room, and climbing under her pink polka dot sheets once more, drifting off to sleep. **** **** Thursday came and went without much fanfare. Isabelle, again having woken up at both 3 AM, and 6 AM, in accordance with her new bathroom plan, had not slept well again. It was, however, fortunate that her alarms were set because her bladder was bursting at the seems. Isabelle felt she was being responsible, even if it was at the expense of her sleep cycle. So when she left her bed around 8 AM to get ready for school, there were no problems to report. Thursday morning's dance class had been with Mr. River. It was as much a cardio workout as it was a dance class, and by the end of it, Isabelle was sweating profusely. Isabelle had hoped to be able to return to the library that afternoon, but not showering was not an option. So Isabelle, flanked by Mel, Ras, and Natalie, all made their way to the locker room, and toward the showers. Isabelle went into the last private shower, and began undressing, removing her slippers, leotard, and tights, before stepping into the shower and turning on the warm water. Isabelle was quick to soak her body in the warm water. Normally in her showers, she would spend time living in her imagination. But lately, her imagination had become her reality, So instead, as she soaked, Isabelle considered her past. She considered the places she had no danced, the places she had only fantasized about. It brought a smile to her face; a lowly girl from meager means come to be the face of so many ballets. As the last of the shampoo fell from her hair, Isabelle questioned whether any of this had truly happened. Of course, it was not possible. No one performs at all those venues, even in their careers. But it felt like she had. It felt like so much more than make believe. It felt real, in her heart, even though her mind was still questioning it. Isabelle turned the water off, the handle now at eye level with her, before grabbing her towel, and and drying off. She stepped out of the shower and on to the slated bamboo shower mat in the dressing area, drying off each foot one at a time. She dried her hair off, and then proceeded to tie the towel around her rectangular body, making her way out of the dressing area and back toward her locker. Isabelle started working as rapidly with her time as she could to get dressed. Her friends were not yet out, and she was feeling self-conscious about herself. She quickly, and inefficiently, brushed her hair out, and got dressed in a pair of pink panties, blue leggings and a red and white stripped shirt. She quickly packed her bag, and made her way out just as she heard the water shutting off in the shower she knew Mel had gotten into. Isabelle's shower had taken up most of her lunch period. Isabelle quickly made her way to the cafeteria, grabbing a dozen granola bars for her and her friends, who would not have time to get food. Isabelle then made her way out of the cafeteria, and to class where she distributed the food to her grateful friends. The afternoon and evening were much like the others - classes were difficult, her mom picked her up, Isabelle made a dozen trips to the bathroom, and spent her afternoon at home in the basement. Isabelle ate with her mom silently, without the energy to engage. Her lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll on her. Isabelle excused herself after dinner, and gave her mom a big hug, the comfort of which nearly caused Isabelle to fall asleep in her arms. Jane pushed her daughter backward, and looked her in the eyes. "I'm so proud of how hard you are working sweetie. But you look completely exhausted. Why don't you get to bed early tonight?" Jane proposed. Isabelle merely nodded. There was no denying that she was exhausted, and perhaps by going to bed earlier, she could actually squeeze in a few extra hours of sleep. "Oh and one more thing," Jane added, "don't forget you are going to be staying over at Jess's on Saturday night. I expect you to be on your best behavior, okay?" Isabelle nodded again. She knew she was sitting the kids again. She didn't need to be reminded. And of course, there would be no repeat of the couch accident. It would be hard to blame things on Becky again. Isabelle still felt bad about the original time. Isabelle made her way upstairs to her bedroom, and over to her dresser. Isabelle pulled a blue sleeping shirt out, with rainbow lines running across a star in the middle, and matching blue pants covered in different colored stars. Isabelle took her biology book out of her bag, and brought it into bed with her and Rabbity, flipping it open to where she had left off. Rather than continuing, Isabelle decided to flip through the section looking for anything on comas. 'Page 195..nothing...Page 202...nothing...page 209....no...WAIT. There it is.' Isabelle was shocked when she located a small paragraph on precisely what she was looking for. Waking herself up to the best of her ability, Isabelle started to read the section. 'Comas are typically associated with damage to the brainstem or both hemispheres of the brain, rather than being linked to a specific side of the brain.' 'Huh.....Isabelle thought, 'That could have saved me some reading if I had started there....' Isabelle continued on, but was growing more and more tired. 'However, some studies have suggeste..............................as this side of the brain is responsible for......................impact a person's ability to....................and stay awake..............................contribute to a coma.' That particular passage frightened Isabelle. Had she damaged her brain? Was that the cause of all of this? It was a terrifying thought, but at least it provided answers. It's impo.......to note that..........coma is unique and...........................variety of factors. Treatment...........ma depend on the individual's....................................................' Isabelle could barely read the last word. She was hardly processing what she was reading at all. All she knows is that at some point, she fell fast asleep.