The Faire, Parts 1-11
Part One
Hideous.
That’s the first word that came to mind when Cassidy saw the costume.
“What the fuck, Audrey?”
Her younger sister had warned her, along with an apology, but nothing could have prepared Cassidy for what was waiting in her sister’s room. Apparently there was some issue with the order the two of them placed, and she had been sent the wrong outfit. Rather than the hot fairy costume she was excited to rock, Cassidy found herself faced with the complete opposite of sexy. A pink leotard, a pink tulle skirt, sparkly pink wings, and a shiny pink wand. The childish, girly outfit had been laid out on Audrey’s bed, right next to the sexy wench costume Cassidy’s sister had ordered.
How could anyone working in the costume industry screw up this badly?? Was it just because the word ‘fairy’ was the main label on both outfits?
“Don’t look at me!” Audrey exclaimed. With a hand on her hip, she gave Cassidy a skeptical look. “Are you sure you clicked on the right costume?”
“Of course I did,” Cassidy scoffed, “You were there, remember? I’m pretty sure one of us would have noticed.”
Traditionally, the two of them rented costumes at the Renaissance Faire itself. There was a whole costume shop outside the main entrance, so guests could find something fun to wear before heading in for the day. This year, however, they decided to buy costumes ahead of time. It was only a little more expensive, but worth it because they’d get to keep the outfits forever. Plus there was nothing worse than having to wait in a long line at the end of the day in order to change back into their street clothes and return the outfits. This way, they could simply show up and avoid the hassle of the before/after in the costume shop.
“It’s fine, Cassie. You can just rent a costume.”
“Cassidy,” she said, correcting her sister. It was bad enough that Cassidy was short and petite, while her younger sister was blessed with all the height and curves. The last thing she needed was her stupid childhood nickname piling onto her youthful features, “And no, I can’t. Then I’d barely have any money left for the vendors.”
It was summer break for both girls. Audrey had just graduated high school, and Cassidy was on summer break after her first semester of university. The two sisters didn’t have much in common. Cassidy was academic and straight-laced. Audrey was the complete opposite. However, they both still shared the guilty pleasure of enjoying all things fantasy. Since it was more or less the only thing they connected on as siblings, and not something their friends really appreciated, they had established an annual tradition of going to the Renaissance Faire together. At first, it was just because Cassidy had a car and Audrey didn’t. Now it was just something they did every summer as sisters.
The problem was, the Faire wasn’t cheap. While the shows there were free, they still had to pay for general admission, food, and drink. Costumes too, as going in street clothes just wasn’t as fun. And then, for splurging, there were the vendors who sold all kinds of interesting things.
Cassidy had just finished her first year of undergrad. After paying for two semesters’ worth of textbooks, outings with her friends, and a handful of other things, she didn’t have that much cash to spare. Her parents had already graciously given both girls a bit of summer money to spend, but paying for two costumes would really eat into how much she had set aside for the day and the coming months as well.
“What do you want me to do about it?” Audrey asked, “If you don’t have the money, then just don’t dress up.”
“Audrey, that’s not fair.”
“Sorry, sis. I’d offer you my costume, but it’s way too big for you.”
“Ugh!” Cassidy groaned. It wasn’t fair. Her annoyance sparked a desire to leave a scathing review on the costume site, but that wouldn’t fix her current problem. She always dressed up for the Faire. Always. Her sister’s casual reference to her size didn’t help her irritated state.
Audrey remained quiet for a moment, glancing towards the two costumes on the bed, then back towards her sister. “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to try it on, Cass,” she said, “You’d look super cute.”
That was exactly the problem. Cassidy hated being called ‘cute.’ She already looked super young for her age, and always put a lot of work into her make-up and outfits to make herself look like the young adult that she actually was. Wearing a pink on pink on pink fairy costume would push her in the opposite direction, visually. She would look childish, girly, and, worst of all, immature.
“No, thanks,” she said, “I just won’t dress up this year.”
Audrey just shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
With that decided, Cassidy strutted out of her sister’s room with a huff.
The moment she was gone, Audrey let out an annoyed sigh of her own. Couldn’t her uptight sister just play along? For once? The whole point of editing the online order was so her dear older sister would have to walk around looking like a girly tween all day long.
It wasn’t a surefire plan. Worst case scenario, Cassidy didn’t get a costume. Since it wasn’t Audrey’s money, it’s not like she had anything to lose if things didn’t go her way. Still, she at least made a decent effort. The costume box in the basement was stashed away where Cassidy would never find it, and Audrey already ‘borrowed’ anything from her older sister’s room that might work as a makeshift costume piece. Since Cassidy was off at college, Audrey had unrestricted access to her older sister's room. When their parents weren’t home, of course. Organized room or not, going to college for a year was bound to make even a Type A girl forget where she put a thing or two.
With all that planning, however, there was still one obvious problem: Audrey couldn’t push too hard on the issue.
So far, she had played her indifferent sister role perfectly. Acting like it wasn’t her problem, offering plenty of alternatives, and ultimately shrugging it off when Cassie didn’t go for it. Her sister clearly didn’t suspect foul play, but she also wasn’t open to even trying the amusingly pink costume on. Yet.
Audrey had one trick left to try. Crossing her fingers, she began changing into the sexy wench costume that would accentuate her own curves so well.
Of the two of them, Audrey clearly deserved to look like the older sister.
And little Cassie would make the perfect little fairy.
Part Two
Cassidy groaned in frustration.
When she left for university, her parents had assured her that her room would still be her room. The good news was, they were at least honest in regards to Audrey not moving in to enjoy the more spacious bedroom for the rest of her high school career. The bad news was, her sacred space didn’t seem to have been given a lot of privacy in her absence.
For starters, the room had been spotless when she returned home for summer break. Her bed was made, there was nothing on the floor, and apparently her closet had been rearranged and also used as storage for a number of mismatched boxes. It definitely wasn’t the way she left it when waking up early to fly out of state last fall. When she complained to her parents about it, however, they weren’t particularly apologetic. All they did was tidy things up a little bit in her absence, and they’d be happy to remove the boxes now that she was back home again. And that was the end of that.
Because Cassidy’s mother had done so much cleaning and rearranging, it had been easy for Audrey to sneak in and make a few changes of her own without anyone suspecting her. Their parents wouldn’t remember every single little change from months ago, and Cassidy already thought she knew who to blame.
“Hey, Cass?” Audrey’s voice sounded from behind her.
Cassidy whipped around from her hunt through the walk-in closet, scowling both from her missing things and from the sudden intrusion. “Audrey!” she exclaimed, “You have to knock. I could have been changing.”
“But you weren’t. Besides, we’re both girls. And sisters. What’s the big deal?”
“Forget it. Where’s my costume box?”
“How should I know?”
Cassidy just bit her tongue. Now that she was an adult–Audrey too, for that matter–she couldn’t be as moody or cliché about telling her sister to get out of her room. Bedrooms were supposed to be private, but adults were supposed to be mature. Maybe she’d give Audrey a mini lecture about it later, but right now Cassidy was too focused on figuring out a makeshift costume to wear to the Renaissance Faire.
At this point, it was pretty clear that the box she needed wasn’t in the closet. Maybe it had been relocated to the basement. If their parents had donated it, or any of her things for that matter, then there was going to be a problem. “What do you want, Audrey?” Cassidy asked. Amidst her annoyance at the rude entry to her room, she had forgotten that there was probably a reason her sister had come there in the first place.
“Well, umm . . .” Audrey began. She averted her gaze and fidgeted for a few seconds before glancing back towards Cassidy, “Never mind. It’s stupid.”
Typical. Cassidy just rolled her eyes. “God, Audrey, what is it?”
“It’s just- I kind of had an idea to save you some money when we get there,” Audrey said, “But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”
“Just spit it out, sis.”
“Okay, look. I promise I’m not making fun of you. But you know how you’re, well, pretty small? I was thinking . . . I mean, they sent the wrong costume, and the damage is already done . . .”
“Audrey,” Cassidy said. She placed a hand on her hip, “Get to the fucking point.”
“What if we, umm, leaned into your size? Like, you could put on the costume, and I could work a little magic with your hair and make-up. Tickets are way cheaper for kids, and they might buy it if you really look the part.”
Was she serious? Cassidy didn’t know if she was more insulted or shocked that her sister would suggest something like that. She was nineteen! There’s no way anyone would believe that she was a child, not even if she was pretending. And to presume that she could pull that off? Yep, definitely more insulted.
Crossing her arms, Cassidy tried her best to look serious, rather than flat-out annoyed. “That wouldn’t work at all, Audrey. I’m not that small. And that costume is disgusting.”
“You are that small,” Audrey said, “Twelve and under get the better prices. And real talk, Cassidy, you could pass as a tween if you let me do my thing. Besides, it’s not like they’re looking that closely. Look, do you want to save a bunch of money, or not?”
Audrey was referring to the fact that she was a goddess with hair and make-up. She primarily used her gifts on herself and her closest friends, but occasionally Cassidy reaped the benefits of having a talented sister for things like Prom and her graduation party. Only on special occasions, because she could only bear the indignity of asking her younger sister for help so often.
This, however, would be the reverse. Audrey would be undoing all the elements that usually added to Cassidy’s maturity. Instead of perfect hair and make-up, she’d have to suffer through whatever childish look Audrey decided would pair best with the pink fairy costume. And for what? Fifteen or twenty dollars? That wasn’t the most tempting trade.
“No, thanks,” Cassidy said, ultimately deciding against it, “I’m not walking around like that all day. It’s embarrassing.”
“Oh, not all day!” Audrey immediately replied, “I mean, just wear it through the main gate. You know, like sneaking candy into the movies. We’ll pack a change of clothes for you.”
“Why do you even care, Audrey?”
“Because you got screwed over by that stupid company! The least I can do is help you have a little extra to spend once we’re there. And, you know, because we’re sisters. Duh. We have to look out for each other!”
“Fine,” Cassidy said. Under normal circumstances, she would outright refuse, but Audrey made some good points. It was just tricking a few strangers in order to save money. Besides, it’s not like they would run into anyone they knew. As long as Audrey didn’t take any pictures, and as long as she could change the minute they made it inside, then it would be worth the temporary embarrassment.
“Let’s do it, then!” Audrey smiled, “You can change in my room.”
Part Three
Cassidy held up the leotard with just her fingertips, as if it was both dirty and infectious despite how new and pristine it actually looked. Pink was not an attractive color for a girl like her. In both high school and her first year of college, she almost always wore a combination of heels and push-up bras. A few tiny boosts in physical maturity to make up for the height and curves she lacked. And, for similar reasons, she tended to stay away from brighter colors.
“Let’s not,” Cassidy said, “This is a stupid idea.”
“Ugh, come on!” Audrey replied, “You can at least try it on, right? There’s no harm in that.”
In a way, Audrey was right. It’s not like anyone else would see, especially in the privacy of a bathroom or bedroom. Cassidy could simply take it off if it ended up being as awful as she imagined it being. Her usual desire to look her age was a bit at war with this recent concept of saving money by leaning into the features she normally tried so hard to offset.
Ultimately, Cassidy decided to give it a shot. Worst case scenario, she’d just bail on the plan, pay full price for her ticket and rent a costume there, and hope that the online company would reimburse her for the mistake. “Fine,” she said, “Be right back.” There’s no way in hell she’d strip down in front of her younger sister, even if they were both girls.
“You can use mine,” Audrey said, gesturing to the private bathroom attached to her room, “Oh, and Cassie? No underwear or bra. Trust me; you’ll be uncomfortable all day if you do.”
“It’s Cassidy. And I’m not wearing it all day.”
“You know what I mean.”
Cassidy just rolled her eyes. Not in the mood to bicker with her younger sister, she just walked away with costume piece in hand and closed the door behind her.
In the solitude of Audrey’s bathroom, Cassidy made short work of stripping off her casual clothes. Looking her petite body over while still in her plain underwear and padded bra, she let out a sigh. Her sister was right. Leotards were meant to be form fitting. Trying to keep her undergarments on would probably feel awkward, not to mention that anyone glancing her way would see the exact shape of her bra through the tight fabric.
She stripped the rest of the way down, then stepped into the pink leotard. Cassidy had never done ballet, unlike her sister, though she could at least compare it to a one piece from her younger pool days. The first noticeable difference was the light padding below her waist. She could feel it softly against her ass, and there was also a bit of bulk between her legs. Strange.
Cassidy checked herself out in the mirror, grimacing at the girl looking back at her. Bare arms and legs fully on display, chest more or less nonexistent save for the two small mounds on her chest that indicated that she was a girl. Her cheeks turned as pink as the leotard itself when she noticed how obviously her nipples poked through the tight fabric. With just a skirt and wings to go with the fairy costume, there wasn’t anything that would hide those from anyone who glanced her way.
“You dressed?” Like a parent entering after barely half a knock, Audrey opened the bathroom door with no warning and stepped into the bathroom.
Jumping a little bit, then immediately crossing her arms over her chest, Cassidy exclaimed, “Audrey! Privacy.”
“What? It’s my bathroom,” Audrey replied, “Besides, you’re changed. And it looks like a perfect fit!”
“No, it’s not. You can see my nipples, there’s weird padding, and it’s way too pink.” The last one wasn’t actually relevant to the size, but she still felt the need to express her distaste. As for the lack of respect for her privacy, that was just too much to argue about on top of everything else.
“Oh, maybe it’s the gymnastics kind! Is there padding for your butt? That’s to protect your tailbone if you have a bad fall. And the rest is fine, sis. It’s just for a few minutes, remember? Then you can change!”
“Yeah, but-”
“No ‘buts,’ Cassidy! Let’s at least try the whole costume before you reject it, okay?”
“Okay . . .”
Normally, Cassidy wouldn’t be such a pushover, especially with her sister, but she was still too off balance from the embarrassing leotard and the way Audrey burst in on her. Going along with it, she followed Audrey back out into the bedroom to retrieve the rest of the costume pieces.
The short walk just highlighted the noticeable bulk between her legs even more. This was for gymnastics?
The explanation about protection from falls made sense when Audrey said it. Cassidy had definitely seen girls land on their ass when not quite completing a sequence for cheerleading or gymnastics or whatever. But wouldn’t the excessive padding mess with their mobility? That was kind of the point of leotards for ballet, according to Audrey talking about it forever ago. Maybe it was different for gymnastics. Either way, Cassidy wasn’t the expert on those sports, so she stopped lingering on it once she was back by Audrey’s bed.
Now that she had the base layer on, the next part was easier to manage without needing any privacy. Cringing internally, Cassidy stepped into the pink tulle skirt that she normally wouldn’t be caught dead in. She and Audrey had never seen anyone they knew at the Renaissance Faire, so it was a socially safe plan. But still.
“Cute, Cassie!” Audrey exclaimed, clasping her hands together as she looked the pink-clad girl up and down, “Okay, I’ll help you with your wings and then you’ll be good to go.” Before picking up the sparkly pink wings, Audrey retrieved her phone from the edge of the bed. Glancing at the locked screen for a second, she added, “Let’s hurry, we don’t want to be late. I still have to do your hair and make-up!”
Part Four
When Audrey picked up her phone from the bed, Cassidy’s heart skipped a beat.
The only reason she agreed to temporarily put the fairy costume on was because she and her sister were the only ones that would see it. The only important ones, at least. Even if a hundred people saw her at the faire, Cassidy wouldn’t really care. While it was an embarrassing get-up, the opinions of a bunch of random strangers didn’t mean anything to her. Plus, the whole point was to be in disguise. Once she changed back into her street clothes, no one would remember her as the pink-clad fairy girl.
But if her unpredictable younger sister took a pic and posted it somewhere online? God, that would require so much damage control.
Cassidy let out a quiet sigh of relief when her sister merely used the phone as a means to check the time. Until what came next, of course. Hair and make-up? The former would be easy enough to undo after the main gate, but fixing her face would be a whole thing. Since she made a conscious effort to accent her mature features while eliminating anything youthful, Cassidy’s make-up routine was pretty extensive. Doing it all over again, outside, with only a hand mirror, would be an enormous pain.
Besides, the workers at the ticket booth were dealing with dozens of people at a time and making minimum wage for their troubles. It’s not like they were going to look that closely. “No make-up,” she said.
Audrey just rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Turn around? I need to do your wings.”
Might as well. Cassidy didn’t really want to fuss with the straps herself anyway. Turning 180 degrees, she impatiently followed Audrey’s simple instructions. One arm through, then the other, then ‘arms up!’ so the lower strap could be done. The problem was, Audrey seemed way more focused on the task than on Cassidy’s comfort. Each arm was pulled here and there during the first half of the process, but the worst careless act was when both of Audrey’s palms rested on Cassidy’s chest while Audrey was fiddling with the strap.
“Careful!” Cassidy exclaimed.
“Relax, Cassie.” Undeterred, Audrey finished up situating the stretchy white strip where it was supposed to go, then finished things off by giving both boobs a playful squeeze. “It’s not like there’s even anything there.”
Cassidy gasped. Eyes wide from both the shock and the audacity, she yelled, “HEY.” Slapping Audrey’s arms away, she took several hurried steps forward before swiveling around to glare at her younger sister. “Never do that again. Hear me?” It wasn’t the first time she had been teased about her not so impressive chest. But her sister just groped her. It wasn’t much of a squeeze, but it still crossed a line.
Even worse, Audrey was being so casual about it. Including her response. “Oh my God, chill. We’re sisters. What’s the big deal?”
“I don’t give a shit. Pretty sure you’d freak out if someone did that to you without warning.”
“Doubt it. Here, want to try?”
With a confident smile, Audrey stepped forward and jutted out her chest as a way to offer it to Cassidy. And, even though Cassidy wouldn’t do something like that in a million years, it didn’t stop her eyes from noticing the overt cleavage accentuated by the wench costume. Not fair. It was SO not fair that Audrey got all the height and curves in the family, and Cassidy was stuck with her short, petite form.
At the same time, she was a fucking adult. While she was still often self conscious about her size, and took several measures to offset her immature features, she had mostly outgrown her teenage jealousy of her sister. Except, of course, when Audrey threw things like this in her face.
“Let’s just go,” Cassidy said. Her sister’s question was pretty much a trap no matter how she answered it, which meant ignoring it was the best choice. No longer wanting Audrey’s cleavage in her peripherals, Cassidy turned and went to grab her purse and shoes.
Naturally, Audrey had something to say about that as well. “Umm, sis? I can hold onto your things. Wouldn’t it look kind of weird if you had a purse?”
Not really. Girls these days were getting smartphones and credit cards at such a young age. But Cassidy was a little flustered about everything from the last few minutes, and taking the path of less resistance was slowly getting easier. “Fine.” After all, her phone was locked, and she and her sister had noticeably different credit cards.
Still, though she could tell herself that it was fine, and that it would be easy enough to keep an eye on Audrey, it still made Cassidy nervous when she actually had to deal with her things being taken by her sister. One by one, Cassidy passed over her cell phone and her wallet, and both disappeared into Audrey’s purse. While still attainable just a few feet away on the bed, her personal possessions felt further away than that simply because they were no longer in a familiar bag.
Before Cassidy could change her mind, Audrey was taking her hand. “Come on, sis. I still have to do your hair.”
Once again just going along with it, Cassidy let herself be let into her sister’s bathroom. She would have much preferred sitting on Audrey’s bed, or at her desk; anything to avoid looking in the mirror. But the moment they stepped into the well lit room together, Cassidy was face to face with a much younger looking version of herself. A small fairy girl, whose cheeks were suddenly the same color as the rest of her ensemble. “Audrey-”
“Close your eyes, sis. Your hair is going to look SO cute.”
“But-”
“Eyes closed, Cassidy!”
Reluctantly obeying, Cassidy closed her eyes with a tiny huff. This was getting so out of hand, and yet she felt powerless to do anything about it.
Part Five
The first thing Cassidy felt was her hair being pulled back.
For a moment, she expected Audrey to start separating her hair out into strands. Her sister was famous for how good she was at braiding; not that she ever used her gifts on family. But throughout high school, Cassidy had seen Audrey and her friends strutting around with their hair styled in the most beautiful ways. Maybe that would be the silver lining to all of this. Amazing hair, even if she looked girly and childish from the neck down.
Instead, she just felt Audrey pin her hair into place with a plastic clip, and then another. Cassidy was tempted to open her eyes, and a small twitch of her eyelids must have given away her intentions.
“Sis, no. Eyes shut,” Audrey said, “I’m not done yet. And hold still, okay?”
Cassidy just let out a quiet huff. “Fine.” She had been holding still the entire time, but didn’t mutter more than one word in case speaking could be construed as ‘moving.’ Proving her younger sister’s point would just give the pushy girl more ammo.
A few seconds later, Audrey circled around to her front side. Cassidy could feel the light brush of movement, which meant that her sister was now between her and the mirror. Per instructed, she kept her eyes closed, though she had no idea what Audrey was doing. Then again, Cassidy wasn’t the hair expert, so she didn’t dwell on it.
Audrey took all the unclipped hair, gently pulled it forward, and said, “Almost done, Cassie.”
“It’s-” The instinctive correction to her full name was cut off when she both heard and felt the *snip* of scissors. Even with her eyes closed, Cassidy recognized what Audrey was going for based on the brief coolness of one of the blades. BANGS. ‘No, no, no.’ Cassidy thought, sitting frozen in disbelief until the second cut snapped her out of it. “Audrey, don’t!”
“Just one more little cut, sis.” A third *snip* punctuated and brought truth to her reply. The sound of the scissors being set on the bathroom counter followed, and then Audrey said, “Done. See, that wasn’t so hard.”
Cassidy almost didn’t want to open her eyes. If she stayed in perpetual darkness, then she wouldn’t have to face what was waiting for her in the light. But, fueled by curiosity and a flicker of hope that it wouldn’t be as bad as the style she used to wear once upon a time, she opened her eyes.
A second later, her mouth was open as well, jaw slightly dropping at the sight of herself in the mirror. Not only were the bangs reminiscent of her much younger self, but there were also two pink butterfly clips on her head that matched the rest of her ensemble. The fairy outfit, however, was something she could take off and be done whenever she wanted. But it would take forever to grow her hair back out and undo the kind of damage that her sister achieved in a matter of seconds.
Audrey was standing off to the side, looking her over and clearly misinterpreting the expression on her face. “Cute, right? It’s such a good look on you!”
Was she being serious?! “No!” Cassidy exclaimed. “Audrey, I don’t want bangs. You just- you just cut my hair! Why didn’t you ask first?”
“You said I could do your hair,” Audrey shrugged, “Besides, I think I did a good job.”
“A good job of making me look like a fucking tween!”
“Wasn’t that the point?”
“Well, yeah, but-”
“But nothing, sis. If you didn’t want bangs, you should have said something.”
Cassidy was speechless. Fucking speechless. When would she have had a chance to object to her hair getting cut? Audrey did it with no warning, and while her eyes were closed. And Cassidy did say something! After the second cut, however. It’s not like it would have helped anything if Audrey had listened. At that point, the only option would have been to even things out anyway.
Her biggest issue was with how nonchalant her sister was being about the whole thing. What kind of girl cuts another girl’s hair without permission? But Cassidy’s attempts to lecture her fell on deaf ears. Audrey was too focused on the fact that each minute at home was another minute lost at the Faire. “We’ll talk about it later, okay?” That’s about all Cassidy got. Then Audrey was ushering her out of the bathroom and then out of her room a minute later.
Without her phone and wallet, and in basically only an accessorized leotard, Cassidy felt somewhat naked as she walked through the house. The thick padding between her legs made her movements slightly more awkward, and she wondered if there was a way to remove the ‘protection’ Audrey mentioned was for gymnastics. But the whole costume was temporary, so Cassidy could suck it up for a short while. The fresh bangs brushed and tickled her forehead and eyebrows, which only served to distract her further and add to the embarrassed and vulnerable state she was in.
Cassidy didn’t even question it when Audrey said she would drive. After all, their plan to buy a cheaper ticket would fall apart if anyone saw the little fairy girl in the driver’s seat. The older sister’s mind was so frazzled at this point that she didn’t bother pointing out that nobody would be paying close attention to the parking lot. She was still hung-up on the haircut, caught somewhere between ‘pissed’ and ‘pouty.’ The whole thing was frustrating and SO unfair.
And, with all of that on her mind, Cassidy failed to think about one important detail:
Neither she nor Audrey grabbed a change of clothes on the way out of the house.
Part Six
Cassidy didn’t realize the problem until they were parked on the extensive grass lot outside the Renaissance Faire.
She didn’t bring any street clothes to change into! How could she have missed that? Between the two sisters, Audrey was the only one carrying a purse with both girls’ personal items. With empty arms and no bag, Cassidy really should have noticed that something was missing when they got into the car. But she was too distracted by the bangs that Audrey had given her; throughout the entire drive, Cassidy had to deal with the new way her hair was brushing against her forehead. She tried to bring it up a few times as well, mostly to bitch about it, but Audrey just kept shutting her down and telling her to stop whining. It was already done. It would grow back.
Cassidy’s sister had more or less the same attitude upon the discovery in the parking lot. “It’s fine, Cassie,” she said, “You look super cute. And we’re already here; just suck it up, okay?”
“Audrey-”
“Hush. You can go spend a bunch of money renting a costume, and then pay full price for your ticket. Is that what you want?”
Of course not. The whole point of putting on the horrid pink costume was to save money, and bailing now would mean that she went through the childish process of disguising herself for nothing. “No, but-”
“No ‘buts,’ sis. Do you want to take my car and drive all the way home? You can, if you want, but I’m not coming with you. We’ve wasted enough day already, and I’m ready to head in.”
“Well, no . . .” Cassidy muttered. Because her sister was right. That would be the biggest waste of time, and nothing was more frustrating than making a drive because you forgot something, especially when the round trip would take a full hour.
Audrey just made one of those ‘duh’ gestures with her hand. “I’m giving you options, Cassie. Be a cute fairy, rent a different costume, or change at home. Pick one, okay? Either way, I’m going to get my ticket.”
Cassidy bit her lip. It was less indecision, and more reluctant acceptance. If she blew all her spare money to rectify the situation, there wouldn’t be any left for the vendors inside. And driving all the way home would be such a pain. Which only left one option.
“I’ll wear this,” she sighed.
“Good girl,” Audrey said. She patted Cassidy’s head, then took her hand. “You’ll be the cutest little sister! Come on, Cassie.”
Correcting the immature nickname was getting more and more difficult. Now that Audrey had gotten on her case so much about whining, saying ‘It’s Cassidy’ over and over made her feel self conscious in a similar way. There were only so many times you could bring something up before it started sounding annoying. Even if she was in the right, and wasn’t particularly fond of the cutesy version of her name. And now that her entire look was cutesy, it was more difficult to protest.
Buying their tickets made Cassidy nervous, of course, because she was a nineteen year old girl masquerading as a tween. It wasn’t until they were actually at the booth that it really hit her. The child tickets were for kids TWELVE and younger. She knew that before, of course, but seeing it right there on the sign was a different kind of realization. If this succeeded, it meant that she could pass as a girl seven years her junior.
And it worked. Audrey did all the talking, and they were through the main gate without anyone batting an eye. Although Cassidy wanted to save money, part of her had hoped that this whole disguise thing would have blown up in their faces. Just for the validation of seeing that people knew she was really a college girl, rather than a little kid holding her sister’s hand like a lost puppy. She tried to take solace in what Audrey told her earlier–that it’s not like the minimum wage staff was looking that closely.
The main area was as chaotic as ever. All kinds of people meandering about; mostly first timers who were getting their bearings. Some in costumes, some in normal clothes. Under normal circumstances, Cassidy would have broken off from the crowd. She and Audrey rarely had a game plan; the normal ‘strategy’ was to just start with the outer paths and get some shopping done before checking out a show or two. But her sister hadn’t let go of her hand yet, despite how Cassidy gave a small tug or two to hint that she didn’t need the patronizing contact.
“Bathrooms first, little sis,” Audrey said, “Let’s get that out of the way first.”
What? That wasn’t what they usually did. “Later, Audrey,” she said. As in, when she actually had to go. Belated hearing the repetition of the phrase from outside, Cassidy scowled. “And don’t call me that.”
“Call you what? Little sis? Look at you.” Audrey nodded down at the girly, childish ensemble, then gave Cassidy’s hand a squeeze, “You’re going to be my little sister today, alright? That means I’m in charge.”
“Audrey, no. That’s stupid.”
“Cassie, yes. Or else I’m going to flag someone down and tell them that I found a little girl who lost her parents. I bet they have somewhere to hold kids who get lost until they’re reunited with their family.”
“Audrey-”
“You seriously think anyone will believe you over me?” Audrey winked, “Last time I checked, you don’t have anything to prove your real age. So what’s it going to be, little sis?”
Cassidy didn’t know what to say. Was this all a set-up?? Or was Audrey just taking advantage of the situation now that they were here? Either way, it was totally unfair. And not funny in the slightest. “Audrey-”
“Audrey! Audrey! Audrey!” she replied in a mocking tone. “I’m not kidding, Cassie. Play along, or spend the day with the other lost little girls and boys.”
With another squeeze of her hand, and a smirk, Audrey shifted to face Cassidy and looked down into her eyes.
“What’s it going to be, sis?”
Part Seven
Audrey wasn’t surprised in the slightest when her older sister caved and begrudgingly agreed to go along with the little role play.
She had already made it past the difficult part of the plan. Of course, ‘plan’ was a strong word. The only thing Audrey had really done ahead of time was the costume order switch after she and Cassidy had ordered them together. Getting her petite sister into the fairy outfit, however, was nothing but improvisation. And now that they had their tickets and were past the main gate, it would only get easier to string the girl along.
In the solitude of a porta potty, Audrey fully grinned at the situation now that Cassidy wasn’t around to catch the expression. Not only was little Cassie going to be stuck dressed as a girly fairy for the rest of the day, but she seemed to believe the story about the padding. In truth, Audrey had stitched a thick pull-up into the leotard. It was supposed to embarrass her sister right away, until Audrey found the opportunity to lie about the design and delay that particular detail from being discovered.
Since she didn’t really need to go, Audrey took a minute or two pilfering through her older sister’s wallet instead. “Oh, these won’t do,” she giggled to herself. Audrey pulled out Cassidy’s driver’s license and student ID, both of which could actually identify tween Cassie’s real age. Smirking to herself, Audrey tossed both plastic cards into the disgusting porta potty toilet. Then she made short work of transferring every gift card and all the paper bills to her own wallet, leaving only a few credit cards behind for some future fun she had in mind. The idea of dropping Cassie’s phone into the toilet crossed her mind, but something told her that would be taking things too far. Replacing IDs would be an inconvenience. Losing a smart phone would be a bit much.
Just when Cassidy was considering switching lines due to the general impatience she had when it came to waiting on her sister, Audrey opened the door. “Oh, Cassie. You do not want to go in there.” Audrey immediately took her hand and yanked her away from the line. “It’s so gross! I’m worried about you messing up your costume.”
“Hey!” Cassidy exclaimed. She stumbled after Audrey, who was walking with a purpose. Because of how tightly her younger sister held her hand, Cassidy had no choice but to follow the jerky movements until they were back on the main road. “Aud-rey!” Cassidy finally gave a sharp pull to free her hand. She addressed her sister in a stern tone, enunciating each syllable. “We just talked about this! You can’t drag me around like that.”
“Relax, Cassie,” Audrey rolled her eyes, “Don’t be so sensitive. If I hadn’t done that, you would have ignored me and gone into that disgusting porta potty!”
“That’s the only way to go to the bathroom here!”
“Not true! There’s the handicap bathroom, remember?”
Audrey was right. But there was a reason most people used the porta potties. The handicap bathroom, the one that actually had a toilet that flushed, always had a very long line. Anyone with a complicated costume, as well as those that were too hygienic to trust a porta potty, would take the more sanitary and more spacious bathroom. But complicated costumes took time to deal with, making that already long line take what felt like centuries. Cassidy lost almost an hour there a few years ago when dealing with a difficult costume of her own, and swore she would never stand in that line again.
“Audrey, no,” Cassidy sighed, “That will take forever, and-”
“Cass-ie. Your costume is pink.” Audrey mirrored her older sister’s serious tone, acting as if Cassidy was being the unreasonable one. “Do you want a dirty costume?”
“Well, no. But-”
“But nothing, Cassie. Do you need the bathroom right now? We can go get in line if you want.”
As usual, Cassidy hesitated. Despite the age difference, her younger sister had a way of making things seem annoyingly logical, despite the underlying bullshit that always seemed to be there. “I’ll wait for later,” Cassidy sighed. It’s not that she had to go, but it was normally a ritual of theirs to always use the bathroom before a long day. It helped to avoid the need to go during something important, like a number of the festival’s events.
“Good choice,” Audrey held out her hand, “Let’s go, Cassie.”
“It’s Cassidy.” The older sister had let the nickname go a few times amidst the bathroom argument, but it wasn’t lost on her that Audrey had called her the childish name ever since they arrived. She stood still, not taking Audrey’s offered hand. As if she would anyway. They rarely held hands as sisters, but Audrey was apparently in some kind of mood today.
“I’ll call you ‘Cassidy’ when you stop freaking out over every little thing,” Audrey rolled her eyes again, “Now are you going to take my hand, or are you going to freak out again?”
Cassidy was tempted to storm off. Audrey could be so infuriating sometimes. She wasn’t ‘freaking out’ just because she didn’t want to do something. Even her outburst at Audrey yanking her away from the bathroom was warranted. But there was her sister, turning everything around on her.
“Fine,” Cassidy muttered. Part of her wanted to ditch her sister and roam the faire on her own. The problem was, Audrey had her phone and wallet. And something told her that demanding those things back right now would just cause an even bigger scene and be another example of her ‘freaking out over nothing.’ So she reluctantly took her sister’s hand, against her better judgment.
“See, Cassidy? Was that so hard?” Audrey asked. Cassidy couldn’t tell if the condescending tone or smile was worse. The use of her full name was the saving grace, but even that sounded gross in the way Audrey said it. But before she could come up with a decent response, Audrey tugged on her hand, “Let’s go, little sis.”
Part Eight
Audrey and Cassidy had been going to the Renaissance Faire ever since they were kids. Even after outgrowing things like playing make believe, they still enjoyed fantasy when it came to books, movies, and the occasional costume. The Faire only got better when they were teenagers, as they had more freedom to explore without supervision. That meant watching the better (as in, the more mature and explicit) shows, and shopping without feeling self conscious about parents judging their selections.
But since they were teenagers, their interests began branching out in different directions. They still shopped together as sisters, as it was helpful to have a second opinion, but they often divided and conquered for a good portion of the day. Cassidy, for example, would double back to a few shops she had refrained from lingering in since it was clear that Audrey had seen all she wanted to see. And she’d see a show that was happening at the same time as another one that her sister was more interested in. It was just more efficient, and roaming the grounds alone was also liberating in its own way.
Since that was the day Cassidy had expected as a now nineteen year old, she was in for a rude awakening when Audrey decided to be in charge for the day. Committing to the lie that Cassidy was her ‘little sister,’ to Audrey’s obvious amusement, clearly the pink clad girl couldn’t be trusted to walk around all on her lonesome. Someone would think she was some lost tween, and then she’d be right back at the entrance of the park while the staff tried to figure out who she belonged to.
“Then give me my ID,” Cassidy had said.
“You don’t have pockets,” Audrey had replied, without missing a beat, “Besides, look at you. Anyone would just assume it’s a fake or something. Do you want your driver’s license to be thrown away? No? I didn’t think so.”
When Cassidy tried to insist on it, Audrey just said the same thing. ‘Stop freaking out over nothing, sis.’ It was a phrase Cassidy’s younger sister had coined years ago, one that was often thrown around at home to make her look like the bad guy. Since the older sister was supposed to be the responsible one, it tended to look bad when the younger of the two called her out for being immature. Especially since Audrey’s completely unfair growth spurt made it easy for her to be taken more seriously compared to the whining of a petite girl. Also unfair, since said complaining was always because of the buttons Audrey pushed, all while playing dumb and/or innocent about it.
As the hours passed at the Faire, Cassidy submitted herself to being Audrey’s younger sister for the day. At first, she tried to push back on all the patronizing things. Being called ‘Cassie,’ the constant hand holding, and the insistence that she always had to stay in sight even when they weren’t connected. It was humiliating, as a college girl, to be treated like a child. Even worse, everyone seemed to buy it. Standing side by side with a sexy wench with all the height and curves between the two of them, no one once doubted which one of them was the big sister.
Cassidy could already tell the whole day was going to be shot. It honestly would have been better to just stay home. The only highlight of the day so far had been shopping, but even that had been soured by Audrey weighing in more like an authority figure than a sister. Trying to avoid any criticism, as she was already self conscious enough from all the cutesy compliments some vendors gave her, Cassidy begrudgingly went along with everything. She responded to ‘Cassie’ without correcting it any more, she laced her fingers into Audrey’s without argument, and she even sat still for a little face paint–a sparkly pink butterfly on her cheek, to go with the rest of the ensemble.
Whatever show Audrey wanted to see, that’s what they saw. Same with what they ate, though sharing a turkey leg was hardly a meal. Cassidy also ended up holding onto two empty water bottles that she had drank all by herself, as Audrey had fussed about making sure she stayed hydrated. It was a summer day, of course, but it was also cool enough that Cassidy wasn’t too worried. She tossed them out when they eventually found a trash bin, and then Audrey was taking her hand and tugging her towards the next event.
There was a music group that Audrey wanted to see, though Cassidy preferred the kinds of shows that engaged more with the audience. It wasn’t until after their last set that she really regretted not getting a chance to use the restroom before starting the day. Once again, Audrey’s fault, especially since they had already made it to the front of the line that would surely be longer now that it was midday.
“Come on, little sis! The next show is about to start.” Audrey took Cassidy’s hand, “This way.”
“Audrey, wait.” Cassidy held her sister’s hand without thinking about it, but stood her ground and resisted the impatient pull on her arm. “I need to pee.”
“Cassie.” With a squeeze of her hand, and a small frown, Audrey said, “That’s not very appropriate. How would a good little girl say that?”
Fucking brat. But swearing wasn’t the solution. Letting out an annoyed sigh, hoping that Audrey would get the memo that she was pushing her luck and testing Cassidy’s patience, she replied. “May I please go to the restroom?”
“Just hold it, sis. The bathroom is all the way over there, and we don’t have time right now.”
“Then save me a seat,” Cassidy rolled her eyes, “It will just take a few minutes.”
“I don’t trust you alone, Cassie! What if you get lost?”
“I’m not going to-”
“Hush.” Placing a finger to Cassidy’s lips, she gave the petite girl a warm smile. “You’ll be fine. You’re a big girl, aren’t you?”
Lightly blushing, Cassidy nodded. It’s not like she could say ‘no’ to that question, even if the context insinuated the opposite.
“Good,” Audrey nodded, “Then let’s go!”
Part Nine
Once again, Cassidy was completely at the mercy of her sister’s whims.
The hand holding persisted, of course, and she could only imagine what the pair of them must look like to the casual observer. If this were happening under normal circumstances, she would have been concerned that she and Audrey might be mistaken as a couple. Wrong for multiple reasons, namely the fact that they were sisters and Cassidy wasn’t particularly into girls. Instead, she had to deal with everyone making the assumption that she was Audrey’s little sister.
Despite Cassidy’s occasional request to stop for a bathroom break, Audrey seemed more interested in making the most of their time at the faire. Once or twice, she even made Cassidy hydrate by insisting on a big swig of water. Always in a patronizing way, with a hint of worry; it was frustrating enough that Cassidy tended to do as she was told just to make that kind of attitude stop. It certainly didn’t help the light pressure in her bladder. Eventually, Audrey did take her back to the front of the park, only to point out that the line was too long and they should come back later.
After trying to be civil for what felt like forever, Cassidy couldn’t take it any more. “AUDREY. I need to fucking pee.” She dug her heels into the ground, determined not to let herself be tugged farther away. Almost immediately, she failed, stumbling forward a step or two as Audrey kept her stride.
Her sister finally stopped. She swiveled around to face Cassidy, towering over the girl while keeping a firm grip on her hand. “Cassie. Language.” Narrowing her eyes, she continued, “Look, we can take care of you after the next show, okay?”
“But, Audrey–”
“Okay . . .?”
“Okay,” Cassidy mumbled.
After such a distant relationship with her sister, Cassidy had no idea how to handle her. Combined with height difference and the unexpectedly stern attitude, she couldn’t find the strength to push the confrontation. Especially not with how small she felt, both in the childish fairy costume and the fact that she had already let herself be pressured into playing the ‘little sister’ role in order to avoid the fate that happened to other lost girls in the area.
Besides, it was just one more show. That would take less than an hour, and then she would make a beeline for the bathroom with or without Audrey’s supervision.
It wasn’t until the craft presentation was underway, however, that Cassidy realized what a big mistake she had made. The last few drinks finally hit her, seemingly all at once, as she sat on the uncomfortable wood bench next to her sister. Before, it had just been a dull pressure in her bladder that she had tried her best to ignore. But now? It was closer to a potential dam burst, and she quickly clamped her legs together and tried to will the feeling away. Mind over matter, right? Maybe not.
‘Shit. SHIT.’
Cassidy looked left and right, slightly panicking as the urge to pee grew greater. They were seated dead center. If she went left, she’d have to awkwardly climb over or under the short wooden fence bars and make it down the uneven dirt hill. Everyone would be staring at her, and the probability of tumbling down and getting dirt all over herself and muddying the pink costume and her pale skin was higher than she’d like. If she went right, Audrey would make a huge scene and make her sit back down. Even if she could get out, Cassidy would have to sprint to one of the porta potties and force her way to the front of a line due to what would no doubt be an emergency by the time she got there. There was always the edge of the fair grounds, but the fairy outfit was a one piece. If she wanted to somehow find a private spot outside, she’d have to fully strip.
“Audrey . . .” Cassidy turned to her sister, whispering in desperation. She needed to get out. Now. It would take all her willpower, but she could make it. Hopefully someone would pity her and let her cut the line.
“Cassie!“ Audrey hissed. She stared daggers back, seemingly oblivious to her older sister’s plight. “You’re ruining the show. For me, and everyone around us. Just wait, sis. It’ll be over soon.”
“But, Audrey-OW!”
Cassidy softly yelped in pain as her sister gave a sharp pinch to her leg. A few nearby people glanced at her, but Audrey quickly and quietly apologized for her. “But nothing, Cassie,” she snapped back. Her voice was quiet, but sounded beyond annoyed. “Be quiet. And for the love of god, stop squirming around like a child.”
Against her better judgment, Cassidy did as she was told. While part of her wanted to stand up and push past her sister, she was nervous that the struggle itself might result in mortifying consequences. Audrey was younger. She was barely eighteen, for crying out loud. If Cassidy were thinking clearly, she would tell off her sister and simply leave. But she wasn’t thinking clearly. After the constant lectures about not ‘freaking out over nothing,’ and all the strangers around her trying to enjoy the show, Cassidy couldn’t help but try to act natural. She hadn’t even noticed all the fidgeting and squirming until Audrey pointed it out, but now she was keenly aware of every little movement she made.
‘Hold still. Control yourself. Just a little longer.'
The entire time, Cassidy coached herself. If anyone asked, she wouldn’t be able to say one thing about the last thirty minutes of the show. Not that she knew it was thirty minutes, since Audrey had possession of her phone. Every minute was agonizing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the presentation was over. Everyone applauded for the artisans, and Cassidy watched with pure impatience as the crowd filtered out from the seats around them.
“Do you have something to say, Cassie?” Audrey asked. She blocked Cassidy’s path with a stern expression, crossing her arms to drive the point home.
Part Ten
Cassidy knew what her younger sister wanted. Under any other circumstance, she would have scoffed at the attitude being directed at her. But not this time. She was too desperate to get out of there. “I’m sorry, Audrey,” Cassidy muttered.
“Sorry for what . . .?”
“ . . . for interrupting during the show . . . and for fidgeting,” Cassie awkwardly listed off what her sister harped on during the show, but received nothing but silence and an annoyed stare from Audrey in return. “I’m sorry for freaking out over nothing.”
“ALL DAY. You’re sorry for freaking out over nothing all day.”
“I’m sorry for freaking out over nothing all day,” Cassidy repeated. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. At this point, she was willing to say anything just to end the conversation and get moving.
“And what’s your name, sis? Until you can stop freaking out, at least?”
“ . . . My name is Cassie.”
Another long silence followed those words. Cassidy’s blush darkened as she reluctantly met Audrey’s stare. Never in a million years would she have called herself the childish name, but now she said it without a second thought.
“Well, Cassie, I’m glad you finally got something right,” Audrey rolled her eyes, “Now, what was so important that you kept interrupting earlier?”
“I- I really need to use the bathroom.” Before she even finished the sentence, Cassidy felt her cheeks get almost uncomfortably hot. No matter how badly she needed to go, there was no way to say it without it sounding immature.
“Wow. Just. Wow.” Audrey looked at Cassidy like she was absolutely helpless, and the older girl couldn’t make the blush go away to save her life. “How old are you again? Follow me, Cassie.” Letting out a heavy sigh, Audrey grabbed her sister’s hand and marched her all the way across the faire grounds until they were back near the start.
Every step was more stressful than the last, and Cassidy suddenly missed the comfort of sitting down. At least she could squeeze her legs together in the seat and focus on holding back the inevitable flood. But now she was moving, and it was a long walk. Her sister definitely missed a turn or two amidst the more heavily populated areas, and they ended up taking a more roundabout way back to the porta potties.
But that’s not where Audrey led her. Instead, they landed at the long line that ran along one of the outer walls of the fair. “Wait, Audrey!” Cassidy exclaimed. She saw the handicapped bathroom way in the distance as she and her sister stood hand in hand at the end of the line. “I need to go now! It’s an emergency!”
It was music to Audrey’s ears. Little Cassie hadn’t used the restroom since they woke up this morning, and it was nearly mid afternoon. Since then, Cassie had a large glass of juice at breakfast, a bottle of water in the car, and a few drinks as they roamed the festival. Her petite sister didn’t have the most impressive bladder, so Audrey knew Cassie must be getting close to her limits when the presentation started. All she had to do was pressure her older sister to wait. After a purposely long walk back to the bathrooms, there was no way Cassie could hold on much longer. It was written all over her face and her body language, not to mention her whiny voice.
This hasn’t originally been the plan. At the start, the main idea had been to strip away Cassidy’s physical maturity and trap her in a situation where she couldn’t easily undo the damage. Mission accomplished. Little Cassie had even been dumb enough to sit still and close her eyes long enough to get bangs. Taking off the fairy costume would be easy enough, but there wasn’t a lot to do about the hair except wait for it to grow back out. For the rest of the summer, Audrey would get to enjoy seeing her sister like that.
The pull-ups she had stitched into the pink leotard had mostly been to screw up Cassie’s confident strut. With a bit of padding between her thighs, the girl would look more like an awkward tween than a young adult. Of course, the knowledge her older sister was wearing the babyish underwear was a nice cherry. But now, a lot more seemed possible as Audrey improvised her way through the day. It was almost too easy. Thanks to how things had been framed again and again, it seemed that everything little Cassie said shouldn’t be taken seriously. Including this current development.
“You’re fine, Cassie,” Audrey snapped. She resisted the urge to smirk, “Come on, the line isn’t that long.”
The look on Cassidy’s face was priceless. It was pretty easy to read her mind. ‘It’s not about the length of the line!’ Something like that. Which, of course, was the entire point of taking her there. With everyone ahead of them needing to remove complex costumes before relieving themselves, as well as the actually handicapped people that were always allowed to cut in front of everyone, it was going to take thirty minutes minimum to reach the bathroom based on the current line.
No way her sister was going to last that long, not with the little potty dance Cassidy was doing as she shifted her weight left and right. Never in Audrey’s wildest dreams would she have imagined her stuck up older sister wetting herself in the middle of the day, but now it seemed very much within reach. As long as Cassie didn’t make a run for the other bathrooms, although that would honestly be amusing thanks to the bulky underwear.
“But, Audrey-”
“No ‘buts,’ little sis! Now, be patient and stop fidgeting.”
As expected, Cassidy complied. She was so desperate to prove that she wasn’t some whiny brat. Which, ironically, was going to be the very reason for what was about to undo her maturity in a much more damning way. Audrey hoped, at least.
Just a little longer . . .
Part Eleven
How long had they been in line?!
Since Audrey was oh so helpfully holding onto all of Cassidy’s things due to how the childish fairy costume didn’t offer anything in the form of pockets or storage, the pink-clad girl had no idea how many minutes had passed. Every time someone stepped out of the private bathroom and the line inched forward, it brought a strange combination of nervousness and relief. It meant they were that much closer, but it was also a reminder of the excessive time each person needed before giving up the room to the next person.
Cassidy sulked in silence. Somehow, everything she did gave her sister an excuse to belittle her. It was beyond frustrating, especially since Audrey had always been the more immature girl between them. But thanks to Cassidy’s current getup, there was nothing she could do but let Audrey be the ‘older sister.’ Plus it was too late to do anything else but wait in line. Every little step risked breaking the seal she was actively concentrating on, which meant the journey to the normal bathrooms was now more dangerous than standing still and clenching her legs together.
There were only ten people left between her and the desperately needed restroom. Some easy math suggested at least twenty more minutes of waiting, although two minutes per individual was a pretty hopeful estimate. The other problem is that the line included a good portion of girls their age. Trying to cut ahead of a bunch of adults would be one thing, as blurting out that it was an emergency might do the trick. But Cassidy already felt self conscious enough that everyone believed on sight that she was so much younger than she actually was. Even though she didn’t know anyone but her sister, the thought of everyone staring at her was just too embarrassing.
All of her little justifications changed, however, when a small squirt of pee managed to escape from a crack in the dam that had been threatening to break for quite some time. Cassidy gasped, and turned beet red as the shock was enough to break her focus. Before she could help it, she began peeing for almost a full three seconds before managing to force the stream to a stop.
Trying not to panic, she looked down with wide eyes to see if her brief accident would be visible to anyone else. She could feel the mortifying warmth pressing back against her crotch, but luckily nothing had leaked through the leotard. The padding that Audrey had said was meant for gymnastics safety had felt awkward all day long as they walked around the Renaissance Faire, but Cassidy was finally grateful it was there. Apparently there was enough fabric down there to keep from showing the wetness that would definitely show through any number of other outfits and underwear. That was only one problem solved, however. There was still the more pressing matter to deal with. She needed the bathroom, and she needed it now.
“Audrey-”
“Oh my God, Cassie! I can totally see your nipples. Have those little things been poking out like that all day?” Out of nowhere, Audrey pinched both of Cassidy’s nipples through the leotard.
The nearby reactions were bad enough; it was easy to hear a giggle or two from the teenage girls standing a few feet away. Cassidy’s sister hadn’t made any effort to lower her voice for the comment. That paled in comparison, however, to the inappropriate touch that followed. “AUDREY.” Squirming away from the hands that had no right to be anywhere near her chest, and immediately flashing back to the way Audrey had done something similar earlier when teasing about Cassidy’s smaller size, Cassidy slapped the still too-close arms away just for good measure.
And then it happened.
The surprise and pain of her nipples being pinched caused her focus to slip again, and Cassidy’s own jerky movements afterwards meant that her legs shifted enough to disrupt the careful way she had been clamping her thighs together to keep her bladder’s urges at bay. With the recent bit of wetting, it was all too much. Her body seemed to abruptly decide that it was done being patient, and the dam broke entirely. Freezing in horror, Cassidy began wetting herself.
For real this time. “No . . .” she whimpered.
Her voice did absolutely nothing to stop the trickle that quickly turned into a nonstop stream. Cassidy wanted to run, to save herself from the public humiliation, but her legs felt like jello as she stood there and had an ‘accident’ for the first time in her adult life. The faint hissing from below sounded painfully loud as she felt the disgusting warmth spread out between her legs, and Cassidy turned crimson as she waited for the entire line to turn and stare. If they couldn’t hear, surely they would see the puddle that was about to form at her feet like she had once witnessed back in middle school when an unfortunate girl got tickled to the point of no return at a sleepover.
Staring at the ground, out of both humiliation and a morbid curiosity as to what the damage was going to look like, Cassidy was surprised to see that nothing had escaped the girly leotard yet. The less pleasant surprise, however, was just how badly she needed to go. Her bladder hadn’t let up yet, and she could feel the bulk between her legs clinging to her in all kinds of uncomfortable ways as the flood continued. The leotard seemed to hold everything in place for the most part, though she noticed a faint sag while looking for visual evidence that any casual observer would see.
At least a full minute passed before Cassidy stopped peeing. While she was grateful and a little bit confused at the unexpected protection below, she was also mortified. She couldn’t believe what she had just done! And it wasn’t a little accident; she was soaked. She finally looked up, and things got even worse.
Audrey was standing right there, smirking.