“All right, we’re here,” Jody said, parking the car. Ryan rolled his eyes.
“I can tell,” he said shortly.
“Hey, if you keep up that attitude, you’re gonna have to find someone else to help you with this curse,” Jody said. Ryan winced.
“Fine,” he muttered. It was the week after he had tried to steal from the wizard’s magic shop. He didn’t want to come back to the mall, but he had no choice. The wizard insisted that, at least once a week, he comes to the mall when it opens and leaves when it closes. The wizard claimed he’d be able to tell if Ryan didn’t do that. Ryan wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t about to risk getting further on the wizard’s bad side. If he behaved, he might get this stupid curse lifted.
“So, when does the curse actually start doing its thing?” Jody asked. As Ryan’s best friend, who also coincidentally believed in magic, she was the only person he could trust with the curse.
“Once I set foot inside the mall.”
“Interesting.” Jody looked in the back seat at the pile of folded clothing. “You don’t have much in the way of supplies.”
“The wizard said if we buy them from the store in the mall, he’ll pay us back. I haven’t been to the mall yet, so I haven’t gotten anything.”
“Wow. Honestly, as curses come, Ryan, this isn’t that bad of one.”
“If you were in my diaper, you’d think otherwise,” Ryan muttered. Jody snickered. “No use delaying it.” Ryan and Jody got out of the car, Jody grabbing the clothing from the back seat. They walked up to the mall entrance. Ryan had specifically chosen this one, which was the least traveled, because it was the furthest from the food court. To his relief, no one else was there.
As such, no one saw him take a step inside the mall and promptly turn into a toddler. Jody hurriedly scooped him up and carried him into the nearby restroom.
“Wh- Jody, this is the girl’s bathroom!” Ryan protested.
“And I’m a girl,” Jody said. “People don’t care if moms bring their little sons in. Same thing applies for you. Now, stand still.” Ryan did as he was told, closing his eyes to hid his embarrassment as Jody taped on a diaper and dressed Ryan in the clothes the wizard had put him in that fateful day. “All done!” Jody turned Ryan around to face a nearby wall-length mirror. Ryan sighed heavily. The toddler staring back at him was adorable. “You used the bathroom right before we left, right?”
“…No, I forgot,” Ryan mumbled.
“Well, I told you I would help, but I also told you I wouldn’t change any dirty diapers. So if you feel like you need to go, let me know right away.”
“What if I have an…accident?” Ryan squeaked out.
“If you have an accident, your cute butt is gonna get dropped off at daycare or I’ll ask some lady with a baby to handle it.” Jody shrugged. “All I have to do is say that my mom had to go handle an emergency and your dirty diaper can’t wait for her to come back. Moms are pretty weak to that sort of thing.” Jody picked Ryan up and carried him out of the bathroom.
“We should get some supplies first,” Ryan said. Jody nodded. She grabbed a stroller nearby and buckled Ryan into it. “Hey!”
“I’m not carrying you around everywhere and I’m sure not gonna wait for your little legs to catch up to me,” Jody said firmly. She began to push the stroller through the mall. Ryan did his best to relax, but found himself on edge nonetheless. Every time they passed someone, he felt worried they’d see through the rouse, that they would know he was a teenager stuck in a toddler’s body.
They arrived at the baby supplies store. Jody pushed the stroller inside cheerfully, wandering down the aisles. Like they agreed ahead of time, she just held something up and waited for Ryan to nod or shake his head. Ryan worried that he would be found out the second he opened his mouth, so he had decided to not say anything the entire time they were at the mall.
The only noise Ryan made was a little squeak when Jody picked up a package of diapers. She rolled her eyes.
“Look, if you have an accident, you’ll need a fresh one,” she whispered to him. “And you haven’t decided whether you’ll be spending any time at the daycare or not. If you do, they require that you bring extra diapers for kids not potty trained yet.” Ryan merely nodded sulkily. Jody put the diapers into the shopping cart.
Jody paid for the various supplies with Ryan’s card, and the two exited the store. They went over to a bench where Jody began to put the various supplies into a diaper bag, one of the many purchases.
“So, what first?” Jody asked quietly. Ryan sighed. “We could go to the food court, or the play area, or go to some other stores. I won’t mind an excuse to buy some new clothing or go to that bath place with all the great soaps. We could even go to the magic shop if you want. We have to give the receipt to the wizard so he can pay you back.”
Ryan shrugged, uncertain of which option to pick.
“I could always drop you off at the daycare,” Jody prompted. Ryan grimaced. The wizard had told him that if he spent time at the mall daycare, it would reduce how long he was cursed. Something about the complete loss of control over his life helping to make a point. But Ryan wasn’t sure he wanted that. He had a feeling that if he went into that daycare, the curse would get more severe somehow.
“Well?” Jody asked. Ryan sighed. “I’ll go ahead and list all the options again. Just nod at the one you want. If you can’t make up your mind, I’ll decide. Sound good?” Ryan nodded.