Alouette & the Cool Girl
A story by Emmy Starlight
1051 words, 2nd edition, April 6th 2023
Mrs. McTwitter was the baby-sitter
I think she's a little bit crazy.
She thinks a baby-sitter's supposed
To sit upon the baby.
-Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic
Happy birthday, Pudding!
* * *
Chapter 1
The doorbell rang, and Alouette practically bounced to the doorway. She was here! Really, really here!
If she was honest, Alouette- or Alette to her friends- hadn't expected Christy to show up. She was popular, a super-senior, but still head of the cheerleading squad despite repeating the grade. Ever since grade school, she'd watched as Christy had charmed everyone she met.
Alouette had planned her approach for weeks before asking Christy to hang out. A two-minute window between classes when none of her other pop-star squad was around. She seemed beyond shocked to be approached by the bookish, mousy-looking girl, but took it in stride. And to her surprise, instead of the disgusted "no" she probably expected, Christy had told her she'd think about it. And finally a week later, she texted:
Maybe, as a senior herself, Alouette shouldn't have been so nervous. But despite a petite figure, straight dark hair and a cherubic face, it was a pair of buck teeth in grade school that invited infinite comparisons to mice. Her self-confidence had never really recovered.
Still, a plaid skirt, peter-pan blouse and braces-straightened teeth made her stand a little taller as she opened the door.
"Hey Christy! N-Nice to see you! Come on in!"
The taller, better-endowed blonde gave a polite nanosecond smile before walking in. "Hi."
Alouette's jaw nearly dropped. LOVE PINK sweatpants and a tank top had never looked so sexy as they did on Christy.
"M-my auntie's not home right now... we have the place to ourselves..."
"Mhm." Christy surveyed the living room, but found little to remark on. "Oh, and here's some music or whatever." Christy reached into her bag and produced a handful of CDs- Green Day, Blink 182, Taking Back Sunday. She tossed them casually on the couch as if they were worthless. Alouette gasped and reached after them.
"M-my room is in the basement!” Alouette stammered. Why was she suddenly so nervous? “I have some music down there... and a little CD player... maybe we c- could..."
"Yeah, sure. Downstairs?" Christy looked for the stairs and set off with what Alette could only describe as a strut. She hurried after her.
* * *
"I-it's this one..." Alette stammered out.
Without waiting for an invitation, Christy barged in. Pastel-painted walls, fairy lights, dollies, a hammock full of stuffed animals, a princessy vanity picked up from a garage sale, and a cheap CD player / alarm clock combo. Alette didn't have much, but every inch was planned. For a moment, she thought she might have impressed the girl. Christy stared, slack-jawed, at the room, and Alouette beamed.
Then Christy started to laugh. First a snicker, then a fit of squeals and giggles.
"Oh... OH my GOD," she choked out. "THIS is your room?"
Alouette looked down bashfully. "Y-yeah..."
"I mean it's cute, I guess, but like... how old are you?"
"Eighteen..."
"Seriously? This room looks like it belongs to a five year old."
"It's just how I like to decorate my room!" Alette pouted. "That was mean..."
Christy laughed again. "Okay, fine, fine." She looked through the shelves on the side of the room. "You sure do read a lot... and what are these? AC/DC? The Beatles? Do you listen to anything new?"
"My auntie got them for me at a thrift shop... They're not so bad! Wanna listen?"
Christy didn't respond, and kept digging through the shelves. "Guess I'm not surprised you're a bookworm. You hardly ever talk at school." She hopped onto the bed, perfect white Vans still on, and pulled down the stuffies one by one.
"These are cute, I guess. Still immature, though."
Alouette climbed up to join her. "This one is Ella, and the snake's name is Sammy. That owl there is Winnifred, and..."
"PFfffft. You named them, too?" Christy jumped off the bed, almost as if searching for something. Finding nothing but dust under the bed, she threw open the closet.
"W-wait!" Alouette tried- and failed- to keep the panic from her voice. She didn't prepare for that!
"Boring... boring... boring..." Christy flicked through the mouse-girl's wardrobe. Alette held her breath, praying she wouldn't find-
"Oh... oh my God... Alette, what...?"
Christy bent over and fished the dreaded object from the closet. Alette had gotten it out of the package the night before- just to look at it! But she hadn't thought to put it back again.
"Oh my God. Alette, do you… do you wear DIAPERS?!"
"I... I, uhm..." Think, think! But she couldn't think of any way out of the truth.
"God, the other girls at school are NEVER gonna believe this." She fished her flip phone out of her pocket and snapped a photo. "And what's this...?"
She rose and leaned against the doorframe, holding a notebook bound in glittery pink. Alette's blood ran cold.
"NO! Christy! Wait, wait, wait, please, you can't!"
But the taller girl only smirked, opened the notebook and began to read:
"She finished suckling the bottle when she felt a rumble in her little tummy... Safe in her Mommy's arms, she scrunched her face and..."
Christy spat out a giggle before continuing.
"And... pushed a heavy load of mush into the seat of her waiting diapers!" She dropped the book and cackled. "Oh my God... Alette, you're so weird... No WONDER your room looks like you're five. But maybe that's too mature for you...”
Alouette wanted to cry. Her deepest secret uncovered in less than an hour! She couldn't face it, the thought of all the popular girls giggling...
"Christy... please, please don't tell anyone..."
She laughed. "Why? This is gonna be the HOTTEST gossip in the school!"
"PLEASE!" Alette cried. "I'll do anything, anything you want, just DON'T TELL!"
Christy paused. The tiny girl really did look on the verge of tears. "Okay, fine. But you gotta do something for me."
"Anything."
She threw the diaper at Alette. "Put it on. We're playing house."
* * *