Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 2 - Ups And Downs

The school's therapist was a kind and compassionate older woman who had been working for the school for many years. Her name was Mrs. O'Reilly, and she was known for being very gentle and understanding with the students.

She had a warm, motherly presence about her that always seemed to put the students at ease. She always listened intently, asked questions, and gave her advice in a way that was respectful and helpful. She was always willing to talk to anyone, and she was known to be very patient and empathetic.

"We're gonna talk about this with her," Eva said determinedly.

"You really think she can stop the bullying?" Sarah asked.

"It's not a matter of stopping. It's about us being able to cope and maybe get stronger and learning to be able to stand up to Maddy." Eva responded.

"What's with Maddy?" Mrs. O'Reilly asked, standing outside her door.

'Oops. She's overheard what I've said, so there's no turning back now.' thought Eva, and walked briskly inside the office, pulling Sarah with her.

"Girls, Principal Brightington just sent me a message that I need to check in with you and find out what's happening, that's keeping you coming late consistently. Two responsible people such as yourselves should be able to make the bus on time. It's getting a little out of hand, and we're not very far into the year". She said.

Eva and Sarah both sat down on the couch in silence. Mrs. O'Reilly sat quietly as well, waiting for either one of the girls to talk.

After a couple of awkward moments, Eva turned, nudged Sarah and said "Look if you don't wanna talk about it, I will. But she's safe, she's not gonna tell anyone. She has nothing to gain."

Sarah didn't want to admit it, but she felt embarrassed that she was having such a hard time coping with everything. But if she was gonna get help and make Eva's bed-wetting situation stop, she would have to tell the truth.

She sniffed hard and sighed. "Ok, um, I've been having some trouble with anxiety lately, and it's kept me from getting to school on time."

Sarah paused, then spoke up again. "Honestly, I'm ashamed of this, but I'm not sure what else to do."

Eva waited, but Sarah didn't mention the wetting, and eventually, she got fed up.

"We come late because I don't want to come to school in the morning and she has to get me out of bed. I hate Maddy and everything's just very overwhelming. And I wet my bed this morning because I don't know why but maybe because Maddy bullies me and everyone hates me and yeh" She blurted out. Then she quickly covered her mouth, as if there was a way to take back what she said.

"If Ms. Stone is bullying you, and this is making you wet the bed, maybe we should get her to stop?"

"Let's be realistic, she's not stopping, no matter how much you tell her to be nice. I have to learn to be able to deal with it, and there has to be a way to stop with my ... issue."

"Well," the therapist said, "there's always another option, it's common, a few other people in the school do it. It may sound weird at first, but there is always the option of protection."

Sarah sighed. "Yeah, we have protection for the mattress, I don't see how that helps either of us."

"No, I mean like, and I know this may sound childish, but there's always diapers. A lot of people who struggle staying dry at night wear diapers. While it may not solve the entire issue, it will at least put less of a strain on you, Sarah, and make the bullying more manageable."

"I don't know, where would we buy them? How do we use them? Everything is like really unclear." Sarah said out loud, without fully thinking it through.

"I could show you if you want, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't require so much experience. It's just about putting it on, sprinkling some powder, taping, and then in the morning, untaping, wiping the area dry, throwing the used one, and putting on regular clothes. Some people wear them during the day as well, if they have issues getting to the bathroom in time as well. And don't worry about missing or coming late to class, I'll let your teacher know everything's taken care of."