Chapter 4

Jordan and I dressed quickly after our tryst. Jordan had us sneak in the back end of camp when we returned. We went straight to the showers and cleaned up for dinner. I headed back to my tent wrapped in a towel. I turned a corner and nearly bumped into Mrs. Strandsberg.

“Where have you been?” she demanded.

“Hal asked Jordan and me to help take the tools back from the job site,” I explained.

“After that,” she snapped.

“We grabbed some Gatorade at the dining tent so we could rehydrate and then we went out back to relax and talk a bit. Jordan and I decided to get showers before dinner.

“Harumph...” Mrs. Strandsberg sniffed. “At least you were safe. That Fisher boy from Virginia sweet talked Jennifer into going out into the brush with him and allowing him to ... to...”

“Have sex with her?” I interjected. I couldn’t help myself.

“What ever will I tell Jennifer’s mother?” Mrs. Strandsberg asked. “What if that lecherous boy got her in the family way? That would be terrible?”

“I’m sure Jenn will be fine,” I said.

“Well, I am relieved to see you are safe,” Mrs. Strandsberg said. “Jordan Mattson is a good boy, for the most part. It’s just that he’s almost seventeen and even good boys get carried away when you flood their bodies with hormones. I am glad you don’t have to worry about any of that.”

“I’ll see you at dinner, Mrs. Strandsberg,” I said. “I’ve got to go get dressed now.”

I felt bad for Jenny and Joshua. Caught doing the deed. Dad met me after I changed. We headed over to the dining tent and found seats by my friends from St. Marks. I sat next to Jordan. We flirted and talked superficially like every other night. Inside, I was slowly dying. I wasn’t going to get to ride Jordan’s big rod anymore.

“Make sure you I don’t hang out with your friends too long tonight, sweetie,” Dad cautioned after dinner. You have to get packed up and ready for that 5:00 AM bus to the airport tomorrow morning.

“I won’t be too long,” I promised. Jordan and held hands as we walked though camp. We found a quiet bench over near the tool shed and had seats.

“What have you heard about Josh and Jenny?” I asked.

“Mrs. Strandsberg is to accompany Jenny everywhere until the trip is over. Mr. & Mrs. Strandsberg had a big fight with Mr. Scott from Chatham UMC about Josh’s actions. They claimed Josh was a horny teen on the prowl for innocent girls. Mr. Scott claimed Josh would never do what the Strandsbergs accused him of. He was a sweet and innocent boy that would never engage in sex with Jenny.

“It seems like we are heading home just in time,” I said. “I enjoyed how all these people from around the country worked together so well this week.”

“I feel bad for Josh, accused of leading Jenny astray,” Jordan commented. “We both know Jenny instigated their relationship and drove it forward.” Jordan laughed and added, “Just like you wicked, wanton woman led poor little me astray.”

“Poor little you?” I laughed. “Even Mrs. Strandsberg thinks poor innocent you can be led astray by the overdose of hormones in your body. I think she’d blame you for any trouble if she ever finds out what we’ve been doing.”

“I’m hurt,” Jordan said. “Sweet innocent me?”

“You have provided me with the most intense sexual experiences of my life,” I replied. “You are sweet but you are not innocent. How am I going to be satisfied with any of the boys back home after you showed me what sex can really be like?”

“I admit I have more experience than you,” Jordan responded. “Still, you are the most responsive most exhilarating lover I’ve ever been with. I will miss you more than you can imagine. Friend me on Facebook. We need to stay in touch.”

“We do,” I agreed.

“I know odds are what we did this week was safe but text or post me as soon as you get your period,” Jordan said. “I’ll be worrying a little if I knocked you up until I hear from you. By the way, be careful what you say to me on Facebook. My mom tracks what gets posted. Text me or we can talk on Skype if we have sensitive things to talk about.”

“I can do that,” I agreed.

“Jordan, there you are.” Both of us looked up to see Jon Isaakson jogging towards us. “We have to get our shit packed. The Strandsbergs want you back at our tent.”

“I’ll be along in a minute,” Jordan called back. Facing me he said, “I guess this is it.”

We hugged and kissed, way longer than we should in such a public place.

“I can’t believe I’m not going to see you anymore,” I said.

“We keep in touch with Facebook and Skype,” Jordan replied. “If the spark we have now is still there in a couple years, maybe we can pick the same college and hook up again. Are you planning on college?”

“My mom is,” I replied. “Maybe fate will be kind and allow us to get together again. I’ll never forget this week, for the rest of my life.”

“I won’t either,” Jordan agreed. We punctuated our feelings with another long kiss. Jordan and I held hands as we walked silently back towards our tents. We exchanged one more kiss, a properly chaste one, before parting.

Dad and I didn’t see Jordan’s group again after we boarded our early morning bus back to the airport in Port Au Prince. Our plane landed in Miami. Dad walked me over my next gate and waited with me until my plane to Charlotte boarded. He gave me a good bye kiss as I headed for my plane.

Mom met me at baggage claim in Charlotte. We dragged my bags out to the car and headed for home.

“I wanted to apologize for one thing, Elyssa,” Mom said as we pulled onto the interstate. “I was out of line when I sent Aaron home that afternoon I caught you. You are correct that you are growing up and can make your own decisions about your body and who you share it with.”

“Seriously, Mom?” I asked, stunned at her change in heart.

“I mean it,” Mom said. “Sort of. I want to scream ‘My little girl is too young for such things, ‘ but I won’t do that. You won’t understand until you have a child of your own but I do mean what I am saying.”

“I could call Aaron when I get home and ask him to come over and have sex with me?” I asked. Mom swallowed hard.

“I would prefer if you used a little discretion when you want to entertain,” Mom replied. “I really don’t want to know details.”

“You’re serious about this?” I asked.

“Totally,” Mom said. “I made an OB/GYN appointment for you in two and a half weeks. I did a little research. I would like to suggest you have an IUD implanted to keep you safe from pregnancy. You won’t have the same hormone swings from an IUD as you would have with the pill, birth control shots or patches.”

“Wow, Mom. I am stunned,” I said. “I didn’t expect you to ever approve of me having sex.”

“I don’t approve,” Mom said. “I agree with you that it is your body and your decision. I would much rather you would wait until you are older and better prepared to deal with possible consequences of being sexually active.”

“But you won’t stop me if I invite a boy over and have sex,” I asked.

“I won’t,” Mom agreed.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “You freaked when you found Aaron and me in bed a week ago.”

“I remembered my own history,” Mom explained.

“How old were you when you had sex the first time?” I asked.

“A month past my fifteenth birthday,” Mom said.

“Almost a year younger than me?”

“Yes,” Mom agreed. “My first time wasn’t great. We fumbled around without a clue about what we were doing. We didn’t use protection.” Mom laughed a bit. “I’m damned lucky you don’t have a twenty-four year-old brother or sister. I was dumb and lucky. I want you to be safe and better prepared when you have your first time.”

I almost spilled my guts about what Jordan and I had been doing last week but I managed to hold my tongue. Mom wouldn’t approve of us doing it without any protection. I kept my secret.

“Thank you for being such a thoughtful mom,” I said.

“Be safe and use your best judgement,” Mom said. “I trust you to do the right thing.”

“I will do my best, Mom,” I promised.

I friended Jordan on Facebook and he friended me. We exchanged a few innocent messages, nothing like I wanted to send. ‘I want you to stuff your big dick up in me.’ Jordan reminded me every time he was MOS – mom over shoulder.

I called Aaron and let him know he wasn’t persona non grata anymore. We even went to a movie together a week after I got back from Haiti. I didn’t reveal my secret that Mom was going to get me birth control and that we could go all the way when we pleased, as soon as I was safe. He could find out the news after the IUD was in place.

I spent some time on Saturday updating my diary. I had let it go too long. I especially wanted to record my thoughts and feelings about my week with Jordan before I forgot the details. I made a horrifying discovery as I worked on my diary. The day Mom caught Aaron and I in bed together was two days after my period ended. I was three days further along my cycle than Jordan had figured.