The Wrong Bus - Chapter 4

Nancy and Cody made their way to the main group just as they were all getting seated down at the tables for lunch. Cody could see multiple stares and young gazes pointed towards him, all sniggering and whispering amongst themselves. A few of the teachers shushed them and told them all to stop teasing, but that did nothing to stop the piercing gazes staring daggers through him. Cody shuddered and found himself pulling in closer to Nancy, tucking right in behind her to avoid being seen. Nancy looked down smiling, she pulled the near naked boy right up close to her side and wrapped her arm around his shoulder.

“I know it can be a bit daunting being the new kid but I promise you that once you’ve settled in they will treat you like the rest of the gang.”

Cody again avoided mentioning that there wouldn’t be any ‘settling in’ he figured that it would be a moot point by now. Lunch time meant it was by now midday meaning he was half way through the most humiliating day of his life. Just a few more hours to go and he. Would be home sitting at his computer forgetting about the days events and looking for a more reliable bus time table. Nancy sat Cody down at a table across from two older women, thankfully not one with any of the other students that would mock him. He did his best to lockout their stares and instead focused on looking straight down at the wooden bench below him.

“How are you enjoying your first day at Clearview Cody? A field trip on your very first day with us, that’s got to be pretty exciting huh?”

Cody looked up and saw the two women smiling across from him, they both looked older than Nancy probably in their late fifties. The woman seated directly In front of him was the one who had spoken to him. She had a grey bushy perm, wide brimmed glasses that masked her crow’s feat and sat elegantly atop the nook of her slightly crooked nose. She studied Cody, looking him over she smiled gently at him. Cody saw her momentarily glance downward toward his pull up causing him to react shifting awkwardly in his seat as he moved his hands over to cover himself.

“Cody that’s Mary and her sister next to her is Beth, they’ve been with Clearview since the beginning. Now it’s rude to not say anything when someone asks you a question isn’t it? You better be on your best behaviour with them or they might just demote you to the infants crèche.” Nancy threatened, doing her best to mask her amusement with a level of sincerity.

“That would mean no more big boy pull ups for you young man it would be straight back to diapers and spending the better part of your days lying in a crib and drinking out of a babies bottle.” Beth said, waving her finger at Cody.

All three women chuckled, Cody remained silent but couldn’t help picture the scene playing out in his head. He gulped, thankfully he wouldn’t have to test if there was any merit to their threats, he didn’t know what to believe anymore when it came to this school and these women. Especially looking down at the way he was dressed, well the lack of clothing would hardly even consider him to be dressed.

“it’s ummm, nice. Nancy has been very kind to me, thank you for letting me join.” Cody managed to reply in an automated robotic tone.

“He just needs a bit more time to settle in, then you will feel right at home, isn’t that right Cody?” Nancy said giving him a reaffirming hug.

Cody opted to remain silent offering instead the smallest nod he could muster in reply.

“Has he been checked Nancy? The potty’s over there if he needs it.” Mary explained gesturing toward the closet block of buildings to them.

“He’s actually not been too bad, just the one accident today so far.” Nancy said speaking up rather proudly for Cody.

“It wasn’t an accident I just fell into a puddle.” Cody tried to explain.

Mary looked to Beth and they both laughed. “If I had a dollar for every time I heard an excuse for why a young little miss or mr was standing before me in a sagging pull up, well I would probably be a rather rich woman.” Beth quickly nodded in agreement.

Cody considered pushing the fact that it wasn’t an accident, but his train of thought was interrupted when he once again felt Nancy’s invasive fingers pushing into an opening in the leg of his pull up, prodding it’s way around his groin.

“You don’t feel wet Cody, it’s better to be thorough though, we wouldn’t want you ending up with a nasty case of diaper rash.”

She brushed his hands aside and Cody was made to sit there as Nancy pulled the front of his pull up out exposing his groin to the cool breezy air. Beth leaned forward and smirked.

“That’s a cute little thing isn’t it.” She said more as a comment then a question.

Cody tried in vain to cover himself but Nancy had already pulled his pull up back in place. Mary lightly slapped her sister on the shoulder playfully, telling her not to tease the poor boy.

“It’s a dry little thing, such a good boy Cody!” Nancy remakes before quickly pulling the back of his pull up out to inspect his bottom. “Not messy either, I’m so proud of you. Would you like to go potty before we start lunch?”

Cody shook his head, thankfully his pull up was once again covering him offering some small token amount of modesty. He had never considered himself small down their but this was his first experience with a woman making a comment about his size. It had to of been the cool breeze that had shrunk him. He knew that was a normal thing that happened but he couldn’t quite put the nagging thought in the back of his head to rest telling him he wasn’t the same size as the other boys.

Thankfully his worries drifted away when a plate of food was planted down in front of him. A peanut butter and Jelly sandwich, with the crust cut off. Of course he had expected something juvenile but it wasn’t the food that bothered him, it was the correlation he made when he realised that this is what he normally at at home too. His mother would always make this sandwich for him after he returned from school as a small before dinner snack, she would even cut the crust off too. It was his favourite; it had never occurred to him how juvenile it was until he found himself looking around seeing most of the others having the same thing, except for the staff who had mostly packed their own lunches.

Nancy noticed Cody’s hesitation as he stared down at the plate of food in front of him. “What’s the matter Cody? Don’t you like PB&J or did you just need some help with your food?”

“No it’s fine I do like it thank you.” Cody replied breaking out of his trance.

“Oh, so you just need a little help that’s ok.”

Before Cody could react Nancy had already taken away his plate and begun cutting his sandwich up into smaller bite sized pieces. Cody watched on as Nancy shuffled up closer to him placing her arm around his shoulder’s once again. She held up a piece of sandwich and moved her hand steering toward his mouth.

“Alright then Cody open up for me please.”

“No, Nancy stop this isn’t what I ——mhpf.” Cody tried to speak, but his words were cut off as the food was pushed up roughly against his closed lips.

He tried pulling back but Nancy held her arm around him tight.

“Come on Cody, I don’t have time for games, I won’t Hesitate to pull you over my lap in front of everyone here.”

Cody looked up and saw the stern expressions across the three women seated around him. He relented, pushing his humiliation ever further as he opened his mouth allowing Nancy to feed him. A splatter of jam dribbled down his lips splattering on his naked chest.

“Such a messy eater, it’s to be expected really.” Nancy said, tittering and shaking her head in a jokingly condescending manner.

Beth shuffled around for a moment in a backpack seated next to her and pulled something out offering it to Nancy,

“Here this will do the trick, the best solution for any messy eater.”

Nancy took the offered item and unfurled it in front of Cody who quickly recognised it as a bib. It looked large enough to be able to fit him and he didn’t resist as he allowed Nancy to wrap the blue trimmed baby bib around his neck after dabbing away at the messy spot on his chest.

She quickly turned her attention back to the plate of food grabbing another piece of sandwich she brought it quickly toward Cody’s lips, ‘vroooom’ she said flying it toward him like an aeroplane. Cody shut his eyes tight trying to block out the humiliating gazes only opening hours mouth as Nancy brought each piece towards his lips, occasionally she paused to dab his mouth with his bib.

Finally after the entire sandwich had been eaten Nancy spoke up. “All done, good job Cody!” All three women clapped in a childish manner and Cody did his best to grin and bare it.

“Alright everyone, now that you all look like you’ve finished eating we have a surprise for you.” Jen said speaking up from the middle of the picnic area.

“Make sure you all behave and remain very quiet and we will bring out some little friends for you guys to see and pat. Make sure to be calm and if you see something you don’t like the look of shake your head and we won’t bring them over to you.”

Cody finally felt some semblance of excitement and curiosity since first patting the baby lamb earlier. As long as they didn’t bring the grumpy goat back out he might actually enjoy this part. All kind sof animals were suddenly being brought over to the tables by their handlers, little marsupials and baby lambs even a donkey was being walked around for everyone to pat. Cody didn’t see behind him but Nancy was gesturing over at something excitedly he was too focused on the llama that was now being toured around the tables.

“Cody look at this, isn’t it beautiful.” Nancy said excitedly.

Cody turned around coming face to face with a large scaly green snake who flicked its tongue at him and stared with its large glowing yellow eyes. Snakes…. Cody was terrified of snakes, his eyes grew wide as he tensed up. The only thing that broke the silence was the loud hissing coming from his pull up as it steadily grew fuller and warmer as he quickly wet himself in fear.