"And you're sure that I won't have to deal with this anymore?" Angel asked.
Dr. Bell simply laughed, "I'm sure, dear. You were quite a good subject."
Angel was relieved to hear that. She couldn't remember a thing from the last hour and a half she'd spent in a trance. "Thanks," she sighed, "I just couldn't bear to live like this anymore."
Dr. Bell smiled, "That's understandable for an eighteen-year-old girl. You did the right thing getting treatment for your condition."
Angel bowed her head and twiddled her thumbs.
"What's wrong?" asked Dr. Bell.
"It's just...how do I know that it worked?"
Dr. Bell sat up in his stool, "Well, there is a test we can try. But first, do you need to use the restroom?"
Without thinking Angel replied, "No, I'm fine thanks." She gasped and covered her mouth. "I...I don't believe it! Ask me again!"
Dr. Bell followed suit, "Angel Fawn, do you need to use the restroom seeing as how it's been an hour since your last visit?"
Angel felt the urge to say only one word. "No!" She grinned and said it again through a slight giggle, "No," her happiness grew each time she uttered the word, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I don't have to go, thank you for asking!" she squealed with joy.
Angel stood up and hugged the doctor, "Thank you so much, Dr. Bell. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Dr. Bell welcomed her embrace, "Oh Angel, once you told me your story I knew I just had to help." Angel finally let go of the forty-year-old man,
"Here," she said reaching into her purse, "500 dollars, as promised. If I had more to give, I would." Angel meant that with all her heart.
Dr. Bell took the money and pocketed it. "Thank you ma'am, you're always welcome here." Angel gave Dr. Bell one last hug before making her way back home.
The hypnotism treatment was expensive for someone who had no job. It didn't matter to her, though; she'd get a job now that she'd graduated high school. Well, nearly graduated. She only needed to take a few remedial courses over the summer and she'd be on her to a whole new place, where no one would remember her embarrassing problem.
"Let's see if they laugh at me now," she thought as she marched her way home with her head held high.
She made quite an impression as she sauntered her way back. Normally, she'd walk slouched over, hands in her pockets, with her hood hiding her face no matter the weather.
Today, she tied her hoodie around her waist, her full chest on display in a plain white T-shirt. Her long box braids swung back and forth as her hips bounced up and down with every step she took with her jeans hugging her plump thighs and ass.
As she gathered the attention of passers-by, she smiled with her perfectly white teeth. Her mahogany skin glowed with a happy shine in the sun, as her hazel eyes shimmered like gems. Her days of torment at the hands of Melissa and her gang of skanks were over.
She unlocked the door to her house, "I'm home!" she shouted.
Her mother walked into the living room from the kitchen, "Where were you? It's six o'clock! It don't take three hours to walk home."
Her mother's scolding didn't phase her. "I missed the bus and got a little lost was all," she lied.
"For three hours? What you think your daddy's gonna say about that?"
Angel flopped her hands down by her side, "Mama, I'm fine. Besides, I got good news." Her mother gave her an estranged look as she bent down and whispered to her, "I didn't have to go once while I was out."
Her mother gasped, "What? Baby what!? Oh my God!" she squeezed her daughter tightly and sang, "Oh goodness, it's finally happened! I told you! I told you! I told you! Honey! Get down here!"
Angel's father shuffled down the stairs and in his baritone voice asked, "What? What's goin' on?"
Angel's mother bounced excitedly, "Angel baby, do you have to go?" With a bright smile on her face she looked at both her parents and said, "No."
Her father was shocked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Not even a little bit?" he asked a smile grew on his face.
"No."
He threw his hands up in victory, "That's my girl! I knew you could beat this thing. And you did it without going to that damn hypnotist too!" Angel tried her best not to show any guilt. Her father didn't seem to notice. "We'll have whatever you want for dessert tonight. This is just...I mean...wow!" he couldn't find the words to describe what he was feeling, but Angel got the message.
Over dinner, Angel had made up an elaborate lie about how she'd gotten lost, but pushed through her anxiety and made it back home. Normally, she would've gotten up and used the bathroom once or twice during dinner, but this time she stayed seated and even got a second glass of water.
After her story, her father said to her, "Baby, it takes some people years to get over your kind of anxiety. I'm so proud of you, Angel!" and her heart soared.
For dessert, Angel chose her favorite brand of vanilla ice-cream. It didn't seem like much to most people, but Angel took a lot of joy from the simple things in life. Right then, the simple joy of not needing to go to the bathroom made her gleeful beyond belief.
Eventually, the Fawns all wound down for the night and made their way to bed. Tomorrow was a school day after all. Normally, she would've gone to the bathroom before she went to bed, and woken up a few times in between just to relieve herself, but tonight she held it all in and didn't worry about it in the slightest.
* * * * *
The next morning she woke up and ate her breakfast like normal, but this time she noticed a slight twinge in her bladder. This was something she hadn't felt in years since she'd constantly emptied it out of fear of wetting herself.
As she drank her orange juice, her mother asked, "Do you need to use the bathroom before you go, sweetie? You haven't gone since last night."
Angel agreed with her internally, but before she could speak her mouth said, "No ma'am."