✅ Potty Genius [NaNoWriMo 2022]

Nineteen

¿Did you guess the times right?

I think they were about as close as they could have been. I didn't really need to pee when the alarm on my phone went off to remind me about the first one. But I knew that if I didn't go, I would probably be pretty desperate before the second timer came around, and I didn't want to face Mum asking why I was squirming in my seat while I waited for an appropriate time. So I went into the bathroom, and settled down to play Destiny Ribbons while I waited. I tried to pee again, but I didn't think I'd have much luck with that when I didn't even need to go.

A minute passed, and then the words > 𝙴𝙼𝙿𝚃𝚈 𝙱𝙻𝙰𝙳𝙳𝙴𝚁 < appeared on my screen. I felt my bladder empty on command, and then I wiped and washed my hands, reporting to the app that I'd done as commanded. Fireworks showed on the screen, congratulating me for my success, and I somehow felt a little glow of pride inside. Just like I was getting a little closer to being potty trained, or closer to finishing a particularly frustrating game. I didn't know if that was something the hypnosis had added or not, but I wondered if that might be a part of what was standing in my way. If I could cut off that moment of happiness, would that make it a little easier to overcome the rest of the suggestions?

I sent a text message to Theo, suggesting that little feeling as something we could look into on our next appointment if my luck didn't improve before then. And then it was time for dinner. We had some kind of steak thing with a chilli glaze, which was pretty nice, and then we went to watch That Boy on the TV. By the time the episode ended, I was starting to regret the amount of water I'd drunk with dinner; it hadn't done anything to stop my mouth burning when I found a particularly spicy bit of the sauce, but it was challenging my bladder now.

I might have been squirming a little at the end of the episode, because Dad asked me if I needed to use the bathroom before watching something else. The reminder hadn't gone off yet, and when I looked at the time I quickly worked out that it would be another fifteen minutes at least before the app told me I was allowed to pee. I wondered what I should do. If I left when the reminder sounded, they would probably guess that I was using it as an excuse not to admit just how badly I needed to pee, a little after telling them I was fine. But I didn't want to wait that long in any case, so instead I nodded and went upstairs to the bathroom. I cancelled the reminder; I wouldn't need it now. And I got my phone to play a ringtone for a few seconds as well; loud enough that they might have heard it downstairs. If they were curious about my failure to return, they would assume that I had gotten a phone call from one of my friends while on the potty, and ended up distracting myself. That probably meant I was safe from any more questions.

Ten minutes later, I was really desperate and hoping that I wouldn't have to wait for the maximum time. I knew that I would still need to wait at least ten minutes, which sounded uncomfortable, or it could be as much as fifty minutes, which sounded like a source of agony. I didn't think I could possibly wait that long, and I was starting to wish that I had scheduled it a little sooner.

Another fifteen minutes passed. The reminder would have gone off now, telling me to head to the bathroom, but it could still be a long time before I was able to relieve myself. And as hard as I tried, I couldn't let go.

There was no avoiding it. I couldn't wait any longer.

¿What did you do?

I didn't have any good options. If I set a potty timer now, I would have to set all my timers for the morning as well, and it would be a challenge to arrange them so that I didn't risk a timer going off while I was on the bus to Ghottwood. I opened the potty timer interface, experimented setting timers, and couldn't find an option which didn't risk disaster. I'd have to set them in the morning, closer to the time I needed them. Could I set myself a 60-90 second timer now and just hope that the penalty for missing the challenge didn't come at an inconvenient time?