Content warnings for this story (click here for guide):
The cinema was buzzing and the rich smell of popcorn filled the air. It was opening weekend for the latest horror smash, Inside Me. Mindy was a huge gore fan and had persuaded Ben to come and see the film with her. Thanks to her boyfriend’s unorthodox methods, Mindy had finished her essay on time, and wanted to celebrate with a blood-and-guts movie trip.
The only condition was that Ben got to choose Mindy’s outfit.
“Oh, come on! Haven’t we finished with all that?” Mindy wailed, standing in just her knickers. “I got my work done, I behaved myself – can’t I just wear jeans?”
“I happen to know that you’ve got exams coming up soon,” said Ben, “and I don’t want a repeat of the essay struggle. The tantrums you threw before you’d settle down to work!”
“That was because you put me in –“ Mindy flushed and bit her lip. “You made me wear…”
“Ah, yes,” said Ben. “Well, that’s still an option. Let’s see how much of a big girl you when we get you dressed.”
He led her through to the spare bedroom. On the bed sat a sugar-sweet outfit suitable for a dainty little girl, in Mindy’s exact size: a set of short peach-coloured dungarees with cute frilled sleeves and puffy bloomer bottoms trimmed with lace. Ruffle socks and white Mary Janes completed the look.
“I can’t go out in public like this!” gawped Mindy. “Even a dark cinema! I’d have to walk through the lobby looking like…like…”
“A sweet wittle girl?” teased Ben. “Out with her Daddy?”
“Shut up!” growled Mindy. “Look – I don’t need you to dress me or organise me. I’m getting my jeans right now, and then I’m going to watch people get carved up with a chainsaw, so suck it!”
“Who’s driving?” said Ben.
“I’ll get the bus!” came the yell.
Ben looked at his watch as he waited for the yell.
“Where the fuck are my clothes?”
“You mean the ones you’ve left soaking in the washing machine for the last three days?” Ben asked innocently. “The ones you said you were going to transfer to the dryer any minute now?”
Mindy stopped mid-hunt. Damnit. She ran to the washer but the clothes inside stank of stale water. Ugh! And everything else was torn or no longer fit her.
“We need to hurry if we’re going to make it, Mindykins,” said Ben.
Mindy appeared around the spare bedroom door with a face like thunder.
“Fine. I’ll wear the gross clothes. Maybe we can sneak through the lobby and get into the screen quick.”
“Not the tone of an apologetic little girl,” chided Ben. “Come and sit on my knee and tell me how much you want to wear you sweet little bloomer dungarees.”
Mindy turned purple with indignation.
“No.”
“Then you’re going to miss your film,” said Ben.
“UGH! This is tyranny!” sulked Mindy, sitting roughly on her boyfriend’s lap. “Please can I wear the dungarees?”
“Of course you may,” said Ben. “But since it’s a scary film, you’re going to wear a little protection as well.”
Before Mindy could respond, Ben had cuffed her spread-eagled on the bed.
“What the FUCK?” she screeched. Ben plopped a dummy into her mouth.
“Less of that, sweetie,” he said. “Whining and complaining only strengthens the argument for treating you like a baby. Talking of which -”
He produced a stack of rustling disposable nappies. Mindy protested behind her dummy, eyes wide.
“Mmmmphhh!”
“That’s right!” smiled Ben. “We’re going to pop little Mindy in a nice thick nappy to make sure the scary film doesn’t leave a wet patch on her cinema seat.”
“MMMPPPHHHHH!”
He took down Mindy’s knickers, manoeuvred them over her struggling legs and smacked her thighs to make her stop kicking.
“Bad girl! Be good for your nappy.”
Mindy groaned and turned her face away as Ben wiped and powdered her, then opened up a nappy and slid it under her bottom. Pulling the front up over her tummy, he patted it gently and taped it snugly in place.
“Right. Nice and protected,” he said. “Time for your pretty outfit.”
He unfastened Mindy’s cuffs and she stood there, humiliated, as he stepped her into the bloomer bottoms pulled them up over her nappy and did up the top. He fluffed out the sleeves and showed her the mirror.
“What a little cutie!” he said. Mindy was appalled to see that the bloomers filled out very obviously with the padded plastic of her nappy. She was also disturbed to see she was still sucking her dummy, and removed it the second she realised.
“Right,” said Ben, slipping on the ruffled socks and buckling her shoes. “Let’s make sure we’ve got everything.”
He brought in a pastel-print nappy bag.
“Since you’re such a big girl, you can carry your own things,” he said, putting in two bottles of juice, a bib reading ‘Messy Girl’, two spare nappies, a dummy and some powder. “It’s a long film, so I’ve brought plenty for you to drink, and if you need to go weewee, I can check you and change you there.”
Mindy stared at the floor. Could this really be happening? She was still staring into space when they pulled up to the cinema and Ben led her inside, her bottom crinkling and rustling with every step.
“Two for Inside Me, please,” said Ben to the box office girl.
“Oh, I’m really sorry but that’s an 18,” said the girl, gesturing to Mindy. “She won’t be able to go in.”
Mindy turned beetroot.
“I’m 21!” she barked.
“Do you, um, have any ID?” asked the girl, confused.
Mindy felt in the little pockets of her shortalls, but no wallet was there.
“This is stupid!” she exclaimed.
Ben apologised to the cashier, then turned to Mindy and loudly admonished her.
“No tantrums, baby. Don’t be a brat to this nice lady just because you’re too little for the horror film.”
The cashier giggled to see the rage on Mindy’s face. Ben turned back to her, rolling his eyes.
“What else is on?”
After a quick scroll, the girl suggested Princess Party: Quest for the Magical Tiara? That’s in screen 2, over there”.
“Perfect,” said Ben. “Two for that one please. Oh, and may I ask where your changing facilities are? Only, as you can see, this one does get a bit worked up.”
He patted Mindy’s padded bottom. She looked positively murderous.
After getting directions to the bathroom, Ben patted Mindy’s head, took their tickets and made her pick up her changing bag, before waddling her into Screen 2. Princess Party was just beginning.