Donna was waiting at the school parking lot waiting for the bus to bring her daughter back from camp. Her daughter, Rachael, was in an outdoor group similar to scouting but was for older teens. The organization was big on the outdoors and community service. Rachael had spent two weeks at summer camp in the mountains of New York State and her mother was anxious to have her home. Donna wanted to spend the rest of the summer with her as Rachael had graduated high school and would be going away to college in a month or so. Donna looked into the rear view mirror of her car and touched up her makeup. "Not bad for being 30ish" she thought. Donna was very attractive with a slim build and auburn hair.
Donna had Rachael when she was 16 and they grew up more like friends rather than mother and daughter although Donna was very protective of her. This is why any lengthy absence left her mother worried and the thought of her going away to college was growing difficult to deal with. Donna hoped that nothing happened to the bus as it was late in arriving. She began to tap her fingers against the dash as she grew impatient with the wait and then a roaring sound filled the air. The bus was turning from the main highway into the school parking lot. Donna got out of the car and stood waiting for her daughter to step out of the bus.
Donna was nervously tapping her left toe when her daughter emerged through the folding bus doors with the other campers. Rachel looked similar to her mother with the same petite slim build and auburn hair but her hair had somewhat more of a red tint and she had her father's blue eyes. "Umm, Rachael got a nice tan there." observed her mother. Rachael spotted her mother and ran over to give her a big hug.
"Did you have fun?" asked her mother.
"The best!" smiled Rachael. "I had so much fun and made so many friends. I really hated to come back. This soon, anyway. But it's good to be home."
"I'm good you had a good time" said Donna. "The camp really did you good. You look so tan, so healthy. Your dad will be glad to see you too. Where are your bags? I hope they packed them in the bus."
"Mom, you worry too much." said Rachael as she pointed to the side of the bus. "They are unloading them right now."
"Oh, OK" said her mother, "Let's get them in the car. Are you hungry?"
Rachael thought for a second, "I am. The trip home went so fast, I didn't realize it was past lunch. Let's pick up some fast food on the way home."
"I see that the healthy living and camp food is fading fast." smiled Donna.
Rachael smiled back and placed her bags in the trunk. Mother and daughter chatted on the way home. Rachael talked about the camp while her mother told her about some events at home while she was gone. Rachael had all this college information that came for her in the mail. Donna felt at ease now that her daughter was home but she had this feeling in the back of her mind that something was different about her daughter. She dismissed the thought as their conversation continued to their home. After dad greeted them and helped with the luggage, Rachael unpacked her bags and spent the rest of the day talking to her friends. In fact she spent several days of hanging and chatting with her friends. Donna finally forced her daughter to stop socializing and start looking through the stack of mail from several colleges. She was going to have to make a decision soon and fill out the paperwork.
Donna sat with her daughter as they reviewed the stack of college brochures. Some of the universities were out of the question for various reasons and Donna made that clear to her daughter. Other than that, she let Rachael decide on where she wanted to apply. Donna had no doubt that her daughter would be accepted at any college of her choice. She was very smart and even skipped a grade or two. Over the next few days the stack and college choices got smaller and smaller. She finally made her decision and went to talk it over with her mother.
"Rachael, this is a very good school and I'm sure that you will be accepted." said Donna pensively, "But are you sure you want to go an all girls college? I mean half the fun of going to college is to meet men. Maybe your future husband?"
Rachael looked blankly at the ground. "It is where I want to go or at least try it for a year."
"Try for a year?" exclaimed her mother, "Rach, college is usually a four year commitment not something you try like a new item on a food menu. People did switch colleges but usually it is because of grades or personal issues and it is after they have been there awhile."
Rachael said slowly, "Mom, it isn't college that I'm trying out.....It's going to an all grils college that I want to see what it is like. Maybe I'll like it, maybe not."
Donna said, "I don't understand."
"I mean that I am still finding out who I am and what I'm about." said Rachael, "I think that this place is where I can explore..........."
"Explore what?" asked her mother.
"Explore my sexuality." said her daughter quietly.
"At an all girls' college?" said her mother.
"Yes mom" said her daughter, "I think I like girls better than boys."
That funny feeling Donna had earlier slipped back into her head. "Where did this come from?" she asked quietly, "You always dated guys in school...I mean I never was nosy about your sex life. Have you always felt this way?"
"No mom" she responded meekly, "I like boys but .....well, something at camp has made me curious. I'm really hungry to know and explore. I'm may be gay or least bi."
Donna looked shocked then regained her calm. "Rachael, I love you no matter what. You are my daughter whether you or straight or not or somewhere in between. You have never talked like this before. What brought this on?"
Rachael feeling more reassured from her mother began to explain. "Well you know I had a great time at camp." Her mother listened and nodded. I had other four camp mates in our tent and we got along great. It was like we were best buds for our whole life. We had this really cool camp leader who directed us on hikes, swimming, and all the other activities. She was really cool and everyone in our tent really liked her."
"That was Sharon?" asked her mother recalling the conversion on the drive home.
"Yeah, that's her." said her daughter with a slight grin. "She wasn't serious or mean like the other leaders. She was nice and we were all friends. Sharon was just out of college and was doing this for the summer until this real job came open in the fall. You know that she used to do beauty contests for our state?"
"No I didn't" said Donna, "But then I usually don't watch the state beauty pageants on TV."
"Oh yeah" said Rachael, "She has been doing those since she was 8. She really knew a lot about hair and make up and she would do ours in the evening. Just for fun. She never did win any contest and I don't know why. She is very pretty."
"What did she look like?" asked her mother.
"She was very pretty and really not like some beauty queen." said her daughter, "Maybe that is why she didn't win. Sharon was blonde with these big sky blue eyes and big chested. She was really athletic and strong. She had this bubbly personality which is why we immediately liked her but maybe others thought she was a dumb blonde but she was really smart. All of us liked her and we could really talk to her"
"So what went on?" asked Donna whose protective side was showing. "What made you think you are not into boys?"