** NOTE ** i know it's terribly short, which is why it's 1.5 instead of 2, but I've been swamped with my day job and haven't been able to do any of the things I love, like write. Chapter 2 just needs a little finishing work- I'm glad so many of you want to read more and I'm sorry for taking so long! Thx! - V
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Christmas break had been like hell for me. I had wanted nothing more than to go back to school, back to my dorm room, and return to the blissful life I had been living for the past two months. Kara, my room mate and girlfriend, had gone back home to visit her parents for the break, and I had done the same. They didn't really give us the option of staying over the two and a half week 'vacation', so technically we didn't have any choice in the matter. I had toyed with the idea of asking her to come home with me and meet my family, but I thought I had better feel my parents out first.
Fortunately for me, my younger sister, in her usual way, caused a huge scene by announcing the moment she made it home that she was pregnant by her 45 year old freshman comp teacher. Nothing I could say or do could top that. At least I had made it through almost three years of college before finding something that would probably make my parents both prematurely grey. My sister had done it without question in a semester. I bided my time and kept my mouth shut for two weeks. When I announced that I was a lesbian on New Years' Eve to my entire family over the champagne toast, I think my dad actually sighed in relief.
Nothing was said about it the next day or the day after that, and I wondered if anyone even remembered me saying anything. I wondered if I should mention it again as they were helping me pack my car up to drive back to school. As I was loading the last bit of stuff in the car and getting ready to say my goodbye's my mom pulled me aside.
"Are you sure?" she asked, tone neutral, expression impossible to read.
I nodded, confident and surprisingly unapologetic. In my mind, being a lesbian was a far less crime than my sister's and it was certainly something that just felt like it was right for me.
She smiled a little half smile. "I knew you'd find a path that was yours. I hope she makes you happy. And we really would like to meet her, when you're both ready." I was flabbergasted. I thought only parents on tv were so understanding and supportive. My shock must have been totally visible because she laughed. "You know, I wasn't always with your dad. Don't paint me into the mold of boring, vanilla mom. Just don't let what other people think make you walk away from something meaningful, ok?"
My eyes began to well up with tears. My mom and I had always been close, but she was sharing something with me that I don't think she'd ever shared with anyone. I couldn't speak, so I just nodded furiously. She hugged me, kissed the top of my head and said "I love you, Celeste. Don't ever doubt that."
Twenty minutes later, I was pulling out of the driveway, already missing my family, surprisingly, but stomach flip-flopping in anticipation of seeing Kara again. We had texted several times over the break, but she was traveling with her family on their annual holiday ski trip, so she was often unavailable.
I made it back to school in record time- actually; I was over 7 hours too early to check back into the dorm, so I slept in the car, waiting for 9am to come. We had a day to move stuff back in, then classes resumed. Since I was so early, I had prime parking and it only took me three trips to unload everything. Then I sat in the room and waited. And waited. I called Kara to see where she was- no answer. I texted her -- no reply. I was beginning to worry. I passed out in the bed around mid-night, no sign of her at all.
I drug myself to class the next morning. I was so glad it was the first day and I wouldn't be expected to actually learn anything. I was exhausted and more than a little distracted. The hour and a half class ended after less than 30 minutes as all she did was hand out the syllabus and review her attendance policy. I sat in my desk wondering what to do as everyone else filed out of the room. I tried texting Kara again- still no response. I was leaning over, digging in my bag for a book to read when someone scared the hell out of me by poking me in the ribs from behind. I whipped around to confront them and immediately lost myself in her sparkling green eyes. She smiled a huge smile before plopping herself on the table of my desk.
"Miss me?" she asked playfully. "Miss you?! I've been worried sick about you!" I said, my eyes hopefully reflecting the concern I felt inside.
She furrowed her brow a little and made a little sad face. "I'm sorry. We almost got snowed in. I didn't mean to worry you- the battery on my phone has been dead since yesterday- no time to charge it when you've got less than 2 hours to get out of town, you know."
I wrapped my arms around her waist and hugged her. "I'm just glad you're back now. It was terrible without you- I couldn't sleep to save my life." "Me neither, see?" she replied, pointing to the barely visible dark circles under her eyes. She always looked perfect to me, even when her was hair sticking all up and her face smooshed into the pillow. She started looking around the room.