I cannot believe you got us into this mess, Jenna hissed at Jesse from her desk across the aisle.

Me?! No this was all you, and you know it.  I had no problem with just doing the stupid assignment, but NOoo you insisted that I hack the damn thing, Jesse retorted.

Jesse and Jenna were sitting in Ms. Clarkes Home-Ec with their final project lying in its carrier completely dead and unresponsive.  Jesse couldnt even get his laptop to find any of its drivers anymore.  This was supposed to have been an easy class for both of them their senior year, and now they were in  serious danger of not only failing the course but possibly being expelled and having all of their previous credits revoked.  Their academy had a notoriously harsh zero tolerance policy when it came to willful academic cheating. 

Youre the one who said you could do it.  Jenna glared at him, her eyes ablaze.  Jesse and Jenna had been fast friends since being put in the same cohort four years earlier.  Neither had romantic feelings for the other, but they were nigh inseparable.  During their time together at the academy they had had dozens of adventures and only slightly fewer close calls.  Every time they would debate who was to blame; in the end though they would always end up laughing as they looked back on another near miss.  This time it seemed there would surely be no laughter.  There goose was thoroughly cooked.  They were looking at not only cheating charges but willful destruction of school property.

Miss Everstone and Mr. Peters, please hold your conversation till the end of class.  In fact why dont you stay after to fill me in on what was so important that you felt it necessary to be a distraction. Ms. Clarke regarded both of them coldly from the front of the classroom.

Yes ma am, they said in unison.

Jesse sank lower in his chair.  Great now we have pissed her off on top of everything else.  We are so totally and magnificently screwed.    

The last bell sounded and Jenna and Jesse waited in their seats as the class turned in their final projects and filed out.  When the room was empty they approached Ms. Clarkes desk, Jenna carrying their project.  They stopped just in front of the large oak desk and waited with their heads down.

Miss Everstone.  Mr. Peters.  Ms. Clarke said, inviting them to explain their actions.

Jenna kept her mouth clamped tightly shut.  When she spoke in these situations she had a habit of only digging the grave deeper and pissing off her teachers.  Staying silent and looking contrite was the most she could hope to contribute to their cause. 

Sorry for being a disturbance to day in class, Ms. Clarke, Jesse began.  We were out of line and disrespectful not only to you but our fellow classmates who were trying to listen.  It wasnt a bad start.  We were discussing our final project.  You see we ran into a problem.  No thats not quite honest.  Jesse dropped his eyes, as if hoping to find better words swirling about his feet.

Thats it Jesse, sell it!  Jenna thought watching him.

More accurately we created a problem for ourselves.  I thought I could hack the dolls memory chip, effectively making it think we completed the assignment without us actually doing any of the work.  All I ended up doing though was breaking it. Jesse paused then added, We tried to cheat in your class.  Owning their actions completely and deliberately.

You knew and were okay with this, Miss Everstone? 

Jenna looked up as she was being addressed. Yes, it was hard for her mouth to get into too much trouble if she stuck to mono-syllabic answers.

Ms. Clarke sat for a moment quietly considering the story she had just heard.  Your both eighteen, yes?  Nods from Jesse and Jenna.  The age in which our society deems you to be adult, and yet your actions suggest an age of maturity not much older than this doll you were supposed to care for.  Ms. Clarke lifted the doll from its basinet, which was now sitting on her desk, by its leg and then let it drop.  Had Jesse not fried its internals, the dolls accelerometer would have recorded a drop and impact that would have been hard to explain.  Do you both realize that if I were to report this to the dean of students you would most likely be facing the prospect of having all your earned credits stripped.  Ms. Clarke didnt expect or want an answer but let the question hang over them all the same.  But I dont think I am going to report it.

Jesse and Jenna breathed again for the first time since Ms. Clarke dropped the doll. 

I think it would be a shame to have your entire time here squandered because of one poor decision, albeit very poor.  Ms. Clarke continued.  No.  You will do an alternate assignment this weekend instead.

Of course anything, they said in unison.

Dont be so quick to leap.  It would seem trying to take the easy way out was what landed you in this mess in the first place.  What Im offering you most assuredly will not be the easier of the two options.  This weekend, one of you will take the place of the doll and the other will care for you, as if you were a true infant.

Jesse and Jenna exchanged glances and then nodded agreement.

Jenna, since you were going to let Jesse do all the work when you tried to cheat, it would appear that this time you should carry the lions share.  Starting this evening and lasting through the long weekend Jesse will be your baby to take care of.  I suggest you stock up on supplies. Youre dismissed.

As they headed for the door Ms. Clarke called after them, Remember your doll was a baby girl.

How exactly does she plan on us proving that we did this?  Jenna was staring over the wheel of her two year old Mustang.  Being held up after class meant they had missed the mad rush to escape the school parking lot.   

                Jesses phone chirped from his pocket.  I dont know. Let me chew on it for a while, he said as he checked to see what notification he had received.  Well thats just creepy.

                Huh? What are you talking about?  Jenna shot him a confused look.

                I just got an email from Ms. Clarke.  It says we are supposed to set up web cams throughout the house so she can monitor our assignment.  Like I said, creepy.

                Shit, so much for enjoying the long weekend.  Jenna took in a deep and let it out slowly. 

                Jesse watched as Jenna underwent the transformation from annoyed student to administrator, general, commander-in-chief.  She had an incredible ability to adapt and overcome novel challenges, she thrived on situations that would leave others gawking.

                All right heres what were going to do. Jenna said, plan rapidly formulating in her mind. Ill drop you off at your house so you can gather what you need for the web cams.  Then you can head over to my place and begin setting up.  Just let yourself in.  My parents are thankfully gone for the weekend anyways.  Ill go shopping and get the supplies that we need.  After that I guess there is nothing to do but to do it. 

                Jenna dropped Jesse off in front of his house.  Jesse wasted no time gathering up the necessary supplies.  Forever the tech nerd he had no shortage of cameras on hand, and the prospect of setting up an entire house to broadcast live got his geek juices flowing.  He had jotted down a checklist of supplies during the car ride over, now with everything laid out on his bed he began checking off the items as he packed them for transit.  Where Jenna easily saw the big picture and necessary steps, Jesse was much more narrowly focused and meticulous in his thinking.  He visualized each camera placement and how best to cover the house as he drove over, his mind seemingly oblivious to the fact he was setting them up to capture his own humiliation. 

                Jesse had everything in place and done several test runs to make sure it was functioning, there were some minor adjustments to be made.  Jesse made those that were needed and succeeded in getting roughly 90 percent of the house covered.  He sent an access link to Ms. Clarke and still had plenty of time to sit around waiting for Jenna to show up.  It was during this waiting that his imminent fate started to loom over him.  He was going to be stripped, he was going to be diapered, and he was going to be forced to use those diapers over the next three days.  Jesse realized that in these last few free moments he had the opportunity to at least save himself from one degradation.  He headed for the restroom to take care of proverbial business, not knowing that this would ultimately lead to a much worse fate.  

                It was 5:30 before a short honk from the driveway signaled Jennas return.   Certainly took you long enough, Jesse said, as Jenna stepped out of the car. 

                Hey cut me a break, its not like this was your normal grocery list.  I had to go to a lot of stores to track all of this down.   Now give mommy a hand bringing it inside.  Jenna beamed at Jesse as she made the last comment.

                Not funny, was his only reply.

                They piled the bags on the kitchen table, and completely covered it in the process.  All right now lets see here¦ Jenna said rifling through them looking for something.  Ah here it is. She took a package of nuke size 5 pacifiers from a bag and tore it open.  I figured if we kept a pacifier in your mouth the whole time Ms. Clarke would be able to see you werent talking like an adult. 

Jesse opened his mouth to protest but was cut short by the plastic bulb of his new paci. Ah-ah-ah, no talking baby,  Jenna chirped.  A whistle from her pocket told her she had a new text.  The pacifier is a nice touch.  Once Jesse gets on the ground you may consider your time started, she read aloud.  Well I guess we know the cameras and link are working.  God this is creepy.   Jesse stood next to Jenna looking at the text.  You heard the woman, on the ground now or do I have to spank you? 

That was enough to snap Jesse out of the surrealism of it all.  He immediately sat down.  Good baby, Jenna observed.  Lets begin with a bath shall we?  She took a brown paper bag off the table that said bath & body works.  Jesse crawled after her towards the bathroom. 

Jenna poured a thick purple liquid from a bottle into the tub where it quickly dissolved into the warm water.  The room filled with the scent of lilac and the tub filled with bubbles.  In you go baby.  Jenna said helping Jesse out of his clothes and into the waiting water.   She sat beside the tub as Jesse awkwardly tried to cover his key parts with bubbles.  After a few minutes she took a washcloth and began rubbing it over his skin.  Jesse watched in dumb horror as his body hair was wiped away.  Baby needs to be smooth doesnt she?  After she had wiped everything from his neck down, Jenna gave Jesse a quick rinse before carrying him into her bedroom, grabbing more bags from the kitchen on her way.  She handed him a teddy bear to hold as she toweled him dry and fastened a diaper around his waist.  Now give me your hands baby, Jenna said locking them into yellow mittens.