so I decide to go do it.
"I'm sure Ethan has a lot to teach you behind closed doors," my mom continues while I pick out clothes. "You can teach him a lot about being good out in the open, though. Like a gentleman, right? What I'm saying is if you're just skipping around in your underwear then who's going to teach Ethan to be a gentleman in public? Do you understand what I'm mean, honey?"
I grumble and mutter and I guess I don't want to admit it, but some of what she says makes sense.
"Alright, good," my mom says, even though I never actually agreed with her. "Now, how was it?"
"What?" I ask. "How was what?"
I didn't have a chance to hang up my clothes last night, and I didn't think I even needed to since I was going to pack them this morning. I pick out a cute pink shirt and a pair of white shorts from the shopping bag I left on my bed, then hold them close to my chest, ready and waiting for her to leave so I can take a shower and pack.
"You know?" she says, giving me a knowing nod.
"Mom, I don't know what you're talking about," I say.
"The sex, dear? You had sex, didn't you? I just want to make sure you're having a nice time."
"Are you seriously asking me that?" I ask, blushing. Seriously, did she just ask me that?
"That's all I need to know," my mom says, smiling. "I'm glad you had fun. Now be prepared to be a lady today and to make sure Ethan's a gentleman, because we're all going to be camping and we'll have to figure out a way to tell your stepfather before you two are too..."
"You don't even know I had fun," I say. "Maybe we didn't have sex at all? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Your cheeks give you away, dear," my mom says, smiling even more. "It's obvious, really."
"It is not!"
"Oh, yes, it is. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with—"
"Out!" I say, pushing her towards my door.
"Oh, shy now, are you? You go running out of Ethan's bedroom without any clothes on and you're perfectly fine, but when the conversation veers towards sex, you get embarrassed? It really doesn't make any sense to me."
"Mom..." I whine, pushing her towards the door some more. She opens it and grins at me, then lets herself out.
"Fine, fine," she says, waving her hand, dismissive.
"Oh, um... mom?"
The door is still open. She's just standing in the hall, grinning at me. When she sees the more serious look on my face, she settles into a regular smile, though.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
How does she know? I wish I knew. I don't know how to read people like that. I wish I did. My mom and Ethan and everyone else makes it seem so easy, but it's still hard for me to understand what other people are thinking.
She might know what's wrong, but she doesn't know exactly what it is. I tell her.
"Ethan's dad said some things to Ethan last night, I guess. It happened when they were shopping for tents and stuff. Um... they weren't talking about me and Ethan, but his dad said something about if he was my father, he wouldn't want someone like Ethan to date me, either. It's..."
What is it? I don't know what it is, and I'm not sure how to explain it, especially not to my mother.
She nods, knowing, and moves close to give me a hug.
"I understand," my mom says. "I don't think I agree with it, but I can understand why your stepfather would say that. That's why this is important, alright? I know Ethan isn't a bad person, even if he's... well, we both know what he's like. You need to help him bring what's hidden inside him to the outside, so that everyone can see more of what he's like, though. I think his father knows, deep down, but he's worried, too, just like I worry about you, even though I know there's nothing to worry about."
"I know," I say, hugging my mom tight. "I don't want him to think like that about Ethan, though. He really is nice, and I know he's got a reputation for... for Ethan stuff. I don't think he's like that with me, though."
"Me
"I'm sure Ethan has a lot to teach you behind closed doors," my mom continues while I pick out clothes. "You can teach him a lot about being good out in the open, though. Like a gentleman, right? What I'm saying is if you're just skipping around in your underwear then who's going to teach Ethan to be a gentleman in public? Do you understand what I'm mean, honey?"
I grumble and mutter and I guess I don't want to admit it, but some of what she says makes sense.
"Alright, good," my mom says, even though I never actually agreed with her. "Now, how was it?"
"What?" I ask. "How was what?"
I didn't have a chance to hang up my clothes last night, and I didn't think I even needed to since I was going to pack them this morning. I pick out a cute pink shirt and a pair of white shorts from the shopping bag I left on my bed, then hold them close to my chest, ready and waiting for her to leave so I can take a shower and pack.
"You know?" she says, giving me a knowing nod.
"Mom, I don't know what you're talking about," I say.
"The sex, dear? You had sex, didn't you? I just want to make sure you're having a nice time."
"Are you seriously asking me that?" I ask, blushing. Seriously, did she just ask me that?
"That's all I need to know," my mom says, smiling. "I'm glad you had fun. Now be prepared to be a lady today and to make sure Ethan's a gentleman, because we're all going to be camping and we'll have to figure out a way to tell your stepfather before you two are too..."
"You don't even know I had fun," I say. "Maybe we didn't have sex at all? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Your cheeks give you away, dear," my mom says, smiling even more. "It's obvious, really."
"It is not!"
"Oh, yes, it is. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with—"
"Out!" I say, pushing her towards my door.
"Oh, shy now, are you? You go running out of Ethan's bedroom without any clothes on and you're perfectly fine, but when the conversation veers towards sex, you get embarrassed? It really doesn't make any sense to me."
"Mom..." I whine, pushing her towards the door some more. She opens it and grins at me, then lets herself out.
"Fine, fine," she says, waving her hand, dismissive.
"Oh, um... mom?"
The door is still open. She's just standing in the hall, grinning at me. When she sees the more serious look on my face, she settles into a regular smile, though.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
How does she know? I wish I knew. I don't know how to read people like that. I wish I did. My mom and Ethan and everyone else makes it seem so easy, but it's still hard for me to understand what other people are thinking.
She might know what's wrong, but she doesn't know exactly what it is. I tell her.
"Ethan's dad said some things to Ethan last night, I guess. It happened when they were shopping for tents and stuff. Um... they weren't talking about me and Ethan, but his dad said something about if he was my father, he wouldn't want someone like Ethan to date me, either. It's..."
What is it? I don't know what it is, and I'm not sure how to explain it, especially not to my mother.
She nods, knowing, and moves close to give me a hug.
"I understand," my mom says. "I don't think I agree with it, but I can understand why your stepfather would say that. That's why this is important, alright? I know Ethan isn't a bad person, even if he's... well, we both know what he's like. You need to help him bring what's hidden inside him to the outside, so that everyone can see more of what he's like, though. I think his father knows, deep down, but he's worried, too, just like I worry about you, even though I know there's nothing to worry about."
"I know," I say, hugging my mom tight. "I don't want him to think like that about Ethan, though. He really is nice, and I know he's got a reputation for... for Ethan stuff. I don't think he's like that with me, though."
"Me
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