7 Days {edited}

Thirteen

I got out of the pool almost two hours later, and stretched out on my lounge chair to dry. Amber was gone by then, and I was grateful I wouldn't have to listen to her Bible talk anymore. When I'd first met her, I thought she was shy and quirky in a nice way, but now I thought she was a religious freak. Just like everyone else at this camp. Except maybe Emily.

Suddenly it dawned on me that I could probably tell Emily everything I'd been thinking. She knew my story, my history. At least some of it. She would listen.

But...she was my friend. I really didn't want to offend her, especially since she was the person who'd invited me to come. What would she think if I dissed everything about her favorite place?

No. I couldn't tell her. It wouldn't be right.

So who the heck could I trust?!

- - -

On the way back to my room, I bumped into someone by accident. I smiled when I realized it was Lincoln, a boy I'd eaten with on the first day. "Hey!" I said. Oh no, did I seem too happy to have ran into him? Hopefully he didn't think I was a creep.

"Hi! Rain, isn't it?" he replied.

He remembered my name! "That's me. What's up?"

"I'm headed to the pool. I wanted to play volleyball but all the guys were busy at the lake."

"I'll play with you!" I offered, trying to ignore the awkward way I'd phrased it. Of all the sports I sucked at, volleyball wasn't one of them.

"Oh, a little one-on-one? Sure you're up for it? I'm the three-time state champion at my school."

"Don't brag, it's not nice," I teased. "But yeah, I actually like volleyball, so I'll play."

I followed him to the volleyball court, which was kind of near the pool. Then I set my beach towel down on the ground and kicked off my shoes.

Lincoln took off his shirt and tossed it on the grass. No way. Not fair. Now I would be distracted throughout the entire game!

"A bit of shirts and skins, huh?" I asked, trying not to blush.

"Guess so," he replied. "You want first serve, or me?"

"I'll serve." I was dying to show him my competitive side. Hopefully he hadn't paid attention to me during the kickball game earlier. Now was my time to shine!

He threw the ball over the net and I caught it in both hands. Then I held it in the palm of my left hand and swatted it with my right. The ball went sailing through the air towards Lincoln.

He hit it back to me, and I did the same. Back and forth, back and forth. Neither of us were getting any points. It was time to switch things up!

I spiked the ball over the net, and it pounded into the ground before Lincoln even had a chance to catch it. Ha! Point one for Rain.

"Nice one," Lincoln commented.

"You're just jealous," I replied. It was so hard to be all cool and collected around him. He had beautiful light brown skin, and his green eyes glinted in the sun. I was a sucker for green eyes.

We continued to play, but since both of us were so good, the score remained 1-0. Finally, though, Lincoln did get one point. By then we were both sweating and tired of playing, so we called it a tie.

"Good game, Rain," Lincoln said, shaking my hand from below the net.

"You too," I replied. I hoped he couldn't feel how sweaty my palms were. Luckily, it was really hot outside so that would cover for me either way.

We walked away from the volleyball court, towards no where in particular. I was just glad for the company. Especially since it was Lincoln. I could get used to seeing that smile every day.

Wait, what was I saying? I barely knew this kid! I didn't know his past, and he definitely didn't know mine. He couldn't. I would have to remain closed off for awhile, maybe even forever. No one could get close to me.

Even if they wanted to, I wouldn't feel comfortable making a close friend. I'd be in constant doubt of our friendship and I'd always feel like they were judging me because of my mom and all that.

But maybe this was my chance to start anew. Lincoln didn't have to know my past, he didn't even have to know my mom was a lesbian. Maybe we could just be friends and I wouldn't have to tell him all the deep stuff.

"What're you thinking about?" His voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Oh. Um, nothing."

He chuckled. "Well you seemed to be in real concentration. Your brow was doing that crinkly thing."

He really noticed? I couldn't help blushing a little. "Sorry. I was just thinking about, uh, camp."

"Oh? What about it?"

"It's f-" Wait. Did he just ask me something besides 'How do you like it so far?' This was new. I had been about to say, "it's fun," but now I really had to think about my answer.

"Just that it's kind of confusing sometimes, I guess?" I said at last.

"With the sermons?"

How did he know? "Yeah. I've never really grown up in church and it's weird hearing everything I ever believed be contradicted."

"I feel you. Last year there was a sermon about homosexuality and how all of that is wrong."

Wow. Glad I wasn't there.

"And it was my first year," he continued. "Everything else was fun, and the rest of the sessions weren't as bad. They were all based on different sins, though."

That didn't sound fun at all, I thought to myself.

"But what made it really awkward was the fact that, um, my brother is gay... I supported him in his decision, and here I was, being told how wrong it was. That being gay was a sin. I didn't really want to go back after that, but Blake helped me through it, and he got me to come again this year."

"Your brother's gay?" I asked.

He looked away, as if embarrassed. "Yeah."

"It's totally fine!" I reassured him. "I mean...my mom is a lesbian."

There. The words were out. I couldn't take them back. But...oddly, I didn't want to. The thing I'd been hiding for so long felt so good to say after all this time. And I don't know why, but I felt like I could trust Lincoln. After all, he knew where I was coming from, with his brother's sexuality and all.

Could it be that I'd actually found someone to confide in?