I sat through health as the teacher droned on and on about cigarette smoking and the dangers of drugs. The day couldn’t end soon enough. I was tempted to call Jimmy and get him to take me home early, but then I thought Maria’s parents might say something about it.

I wore my frumpy nightgown and strategically spilled green baby food down the front of the gown. I dyed my hair brown and decorated it. with hair gel, being sure to roll around in my pillow before it was quite set up. Eye makeup took some work. I mixed colors to get an ugly greenish skin tone and applied it thickly around my lids and put on red scars on my cheeks. When I was ready, I looked in the mirror. I was no longer Maria. I wasn’t even Bailey. I was Regan and Regan looked so scary.

I stood back from the mirror and froze. I wasn’t Regan from the Exorcist. I was Regan in an adult diaper and that wouldn’t do. Not that Regan hadn’t needed one. I had seen the movie. I kicked off the diaper into my trashcan and picked out some underpants from Maria’s drawer. Now I was ready. I would just have to count on Amy’s promise to let me in the bathroom.

As I stood outside on the porch and watched for my date, I wondered if it had just been a setup. Robbie wasn’t coming. I turned to go in and when I did, I heard a horrible sound coming from a panel on the wall.

I pressed a button to make it stop. The noise stopped and I heard Robbie’s voice. “Open the gate and let me in.”

I hit a button that said Gate and it turned green. Jimmy came in the room. “You can call me if you want to go home.” He then smiled. “I think you will have a good time. That is a good Regan costume, by the way. I didn’t know what you were thinking going to Goodwill.”

I smiled. It was Halloween night and I knew that I would miss Jimmy. My adventures usually ended on Halloween night and I knew that if I failed to solve Maria’s problem I would end up hanging from her banister a week before Halloween. “Thanks, Jimmy. I will miss you.” The last part I said under my breath. I went outside and my date was there.

He wore the full Cowboys regalia except for the helmet and pads. The uniform said Romo on the back and he held a walker in his hands.

“I assume that is a football joke,” I said.

He looked at me wide-eyed. “My God, Maria. You really do look spooky. Are you going to keep the brown hair?”

I didn’t know if Maria would be mad at me or happy that I dyed her hair. I didn’t care, I wanted to go back to my own body. I smiled at him and he leaned in to kiss me. “Make-up,” I squealed.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. He opened the door for me and I got inside.

“So let’s get to the dance,” said Robbie.

“Yeah,” I said. I looked in the mirror and saw Clara sitting behind me in the back seat. She wore nose and eyebrow glasses and I just couldn’t help giggling. It looked so silly with her horns and bat wings.

“What’s so funny?” Robbie looked nervous, like I was going to bite or something.

“I am just thrilled to be here.”

Robbie was a good dancer, once he left the walker at his table, that is. We danced salsa, swing, and even a bachata number. I danced and danced the night away. It was almost eleven and I didn’t see Amy at all. It felt good not to be around her, but I knew I needed to confront her.

My bladder also was beginning to fill. I knew that Robbie knew about the diapers and I knew where his hands had been when we were dancing. He had to know I was wearing panties underneath my nightie. But I enjoyed the punch and free sodas, something I knew Maria hadn’t been able to enjoy lately.

I politely excused myself and walked toward the bathroom when Amy burst into the gymnasium. She was dressed like Cinderella, but she was not a happy Disney princess. I had never seen anyone that angry in a princess dress.

“Who stole my date for this dance?” she screamed.

I tried to edge toward the bathroom, but she blocked the way. “I told you that you could only use the bathroom if I was having a good time.” She raised her voice. “I am not having a good time.”