It was only a few years ago, wasn't it? Like 7 years? Wait, that's quite long. nearly a decade. Well, that's when I started middle school.

It was at this time, like every boy and girl, that I hit puberty. That was quite unpleasant.

Was it because I'm finally noticing girls differently than before? Yes.

Was it because my body is going through changes I did not approve of? Of course.

Was it because my voice changed and I now had a deeper voice? I guess.

Yeah, all that was unpleasant but... why? Why does it keep happening? Why do I still do this?

Just when I thought I could escape my faith, no, it keeps grabbing me by the cojones.

My so-called best friend, Nola, came to the same middle school as me.

Yeah, you know where this is going.

She STILL couldn't go to the bathroom without me!

You know, it's one thing to be 5 years old and needing 'potty time' with me. It's bad enough that my family voluntarily moves to the same building she lives in so I can be there when she needs to poop when she's in 4th grade!

But, come on! You're a teenager now! It's time to grow up and go to the toilet by yourself!

But no, of course not. My cries goes out one ear and out the other. Telling my parents I'm fed up with it did nothing as mom just yelled at me, telling me not to pick on the disabled, even though Nola clearly was capable of doing things herself. Telling Nola's parents just had them blame me and get a double helping from my parents too.

They claim it was psychological. Well, then, get her some HELP! I am not here to be her bathroom boy, or whatever you call those people who stand in the bathroom in hotels.

I really, REALLY, wanted to go to school in peace, but no. She just had to come here. I bet this was all set up by our parents. I told them, specifically, that I did not want to go to school with her.

So much for my please.

So now, I'm in middle school. I'm a youthful teenager who had just hit puberty. And now... here she comes.

"Elon. Elon. I need to go!"

"Nola, I'm studying right now."

"Please, please, Elon. Come with me. I promise, I won't let people know."

"No, Nola. I need to study! Besides, you're already 13. It's time to go by yourself."

"I will, I promise, but please, just one more time."

"One more time? You keep saying that. I need my study time."

"I can't. I can't go in by myself. I'm too scared. The toilet is too unfamiliar!"

"You can't even use your own toilet without me!"

"Ah! Elon, my pee, it's coming."

"Alright, alright. Don't pee yourself again."

And thus I went with her again, into a girl's bathroom. At least this time, I managed to keep it a secret. I came up with a system of us going in separately and coming out separately. I would go in first, of course, when the coast was clear, and she would follow. Then she'd do her thing and after, she would wash her hands. When the coast was clear, she would notify me and I would step out and go to the boys bathroom to was my hands.

It managed to work, I guess, but then... oh no, the Busy Time I call it. When she needs to go during a busy period and there is a constant stream of students going into the bathroom.

Well, let's just say a bucket and the back of the school was involved.

And this went on, and on, and on throughout middle school. This was insanity! This was suppose to be my second chance to make friends.

Well, I actually did. I even got a few girlfriends. But they always broke up with me. Why? Because at the most inopportune time, when I was hanging out with a girl, Nola would appear out of nowhere, pleading with me to go. Thank goodness she didn't say where, a bit of consideration for me I guess.

Well, girls tend to get jealous easily I guess because they all thought I was a player of some kind, hanging around with other girls. But I couldn't tell them I was going with her to the bathroom, that would've been worse. I think being a player was the better choice, at least it got me points with the guys.

Why do I keep doing this? Okay, so I'm her friend. She was my only friend for a long time in elementary school. We only had each other because we were the "Nasty Bathroom Kids". But now I have other friends who don't ask me to go to the toilet with them. Why am i still hanging out with her?

Well, probably because she doesn't have friends herself.

One day, I was just minding my own business and saw her eating alone. I've always seen her eating alone, but this was the first time I actually noticed it. So I sat with her and asked her, "why do you sit alone? Don't you have friends?"

"I don't have any friends."

"Why not?"

"I'm too scared to make friends. They might find out that I can't use the bathroom without you."

Aw jeez, I'm eating here, you know? But I continued, "don't you think it's about time you learn how to use the bathroom by yourself. I think you have a problem."

"Yeah, I guess."

I hated being the bad guy, but this was anything but being mean. I'm trying to help her. But she looked so sad, like she was about to cry. I guess she did realize that she had a problem.

But in the end, nothing came of it. She didn't get any friends, she kept hanging around me whenever I wasn't around mine, and yes, I kept going to the bathroom with her when she needed it.

But for sure, I swear she was going to get the help she needed. I swear she was finally going ot learn to use the bathroom by herself. She even promised me. This time, she's getting help and I no longer have to follow her to the bathroom.

Yeah...