SPOILERS: This chapter and further chapters contain spoilers for Academy A - Chapter 9.

54.)

"See, I don't know if I'd prefer a boy or a girl to change my diaper," Blossom said, commenting, reading about Wendy's diaper-change preferences. "I'm pansexual so it's not a matter of sexuality, but I kind of imagine like… a difference, you know? Mommy vs Daddy, Maternal vs Paternal, those different energies? They're different, right?"

Blossom didn't take her eyes off the screen in front of her as she commented.

"I think so," I said. "I think I'm more of a Mommy's girl, but I dunno... a soft Daddy could be nice? That stern confidence? I know I'm stereotyping, but..." I paused. I thought Blossom would have something to say about my sexuality, but she was still reading. Maybe I should have been offended that she found my writing more important than what I was saying, but I took it as a high compliment.

"I think I can see where Wendy is coming from with this line," Blossom continued. "Being in a poopy diaper means you are below someone who is in a dry diaper. Not a lot of stories talk about that like… hmm… that power and influence differential? Like a student and a professor, but stinkier."

"That's one way to put it." I knew that a lot of what Blossom found sexy about diapers was the power exchange. I wasn't that different, I guess. I favored some more soft baby stuff than she did, but we both landed on the same page when it came to the 'hot' factor.

"You definitely know how to write about stuff like… feeling attractive, wanting validation, that feeling of being praised? You've nailed it."

Funny, that...

"You know," Blossom mused, reading through the rest of Nurse August's dialogue, "you don't really write anything about romance or sex or anything. I think the last chapter is the first time it's come up in any of your stories."

"Write what you know," I shrugged. "Anyway, there's a theme. It wouldn't make sense to delve into romance before this story."

"So maybe I'll see you writing some stuff about a character and her busty cheerleader friend, cuddling in diapers together?"

She smirked and flashed me a playful wink. I rolled my eyes and tried not to blush.

"A sighing sound from both her mouth and her diaper?" Blossom read verbatim. "That's so sexy, my god."

I decided not to interrupt her train of thought anymore. The chapter wasn't very long and not a lot was going on, but it ended with a conversation that had already happened in a previous chapter. It wasn't a lot of new content, but it had a lot of good setup that I would need moving forward. I already knew what Chapter Ten was going to be about. Then, when the chapter was finished, she gave an overview.

"I love this. I love the sense of adventure and mystery and excitement. It's like one part Scooby Doo, one part Lost, and six parts cuties in crinkle pants, and I'm so invested. With every other Academy story I've had a general idea as it went along as to where it was going. Until you subvert my expectations, anyway. But with this… I'm in unknown territory and that's so exciting to me!"

Blossom scrolled up and down as she finished the chapter, maybe hoping that if she scrolled down aggressively enough she'd break through to more pages.

"Where's the rest?"

"That's it," I said.

"Tease," Blossom pouted.

"I promise you can be the first one to read the next chapter, okay?" Even before I sent it to my editor. I was getting good at catching my mistakes before sending them off, and the past few chapters were met with very few notes. And anyway, Blossom earned it.

"Deal! I've never been so invested in a story series, not from anyone, I want you to know that."

Blossom held up her pinky finger expectantly, like a little girl on Christmas Eve who bargained to get one of her gifts early.

"Well... that's flattering." I linked pinkies with her. I wanted to venture a question, but it felt heavy on my tongue. I didn't want to annoy her... but I asked anyway. "Did you have a favorite part? In the chapter?"

"Honestly? Her conversation with Nurse August about if he finds her attractive, and why or why not? I loved that. Because it reminded me of sitting in the classroom in middle school, trying to see if my math teacher Mr. Reed thought I was attractive. And I know it was super precocious of me to wonder about that stuff, but I think it's a relatable thing for girls who're growing up to wonder about that. Am I attractive? Am I pretty? Am I sexy? Does he think so? Does she think so? Do they think so? It's so grounding, in a story that can often feel fantastical."

I beamed, my eyes alight with interest. I didn't think small details really mattered to that many people, but they mattered to me. They mattered to Blossom.

"Yeah, I wanted that... like... little kid trying to figure out romance kinda vibe? Which is hard since all the students are adults, you know?" Thankfully Wendy wasn't that romantically intelligent either.

"You're right - when they're all adults, it's hard to have that suspension of disbelief that they're genuinely curious, but you really nailed that with this scene especially!"

"Thanks."

Her words felt like a space heater in my heart. All I wanted to do today was write Academy Works, and that was probably the only thing I did worth doing. But I did it. I did it, and it was good.

Later that night, after we finished season one of Stranger Things, Blossom and I were parting ways at the staircase. I lingered a moment too long after she said goodnight. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Would you wanna..." I started, but I never finished. Blossom smiled and nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'd love to."

I fell asleep with my head on Blossom's chest for the second night in a row. I had wonderful dreams.