Melissa awoke in Shauna’s teepee, wrapped up in one of her jackets. The events of last night came flushing back to her in a wave of nauseating pride.

The night prior, they’d decided to punish Coach Scott, who had lit their cabin on fire in the winter, trying to kill them. Shauna had been tasked with the punishment and she’d trailed along because it was Shauna and she let her. What she didn’t expect to happen was the brunette handing her the knife, telling her to do it instead.

So, Melissa did it. She didn’t want to at first, but she was reminded that she shouldn’t be afraid of the bad parts of herself, and even if she was to a certain degree, last night felt…empowering. She’d slit Coach’s Achilles, and with blood on her palms, Shauna took her hand and let her stay in the teepee for the night. It’s not like anything had happened, they just slept. But..everyone shared a teepee except for Shauna. So the fact she was even let in was something.

She didn’t exactly know what her and Shauna were, if they were girlfriends or not. They held hands, they slept in the same hut, they made out once…all in the span of a week or less. She was wearing Shauna Shippman’s jacket, and that was a thing to think about…but it was 1997. Was having a girlfriend allowed?

As she walked out of the tent, Shauna slightly in front, she skipped forward a bit and draped her linked arms over Shauna’s shoulders, still in that coat. She let go soon after, but the fact she could even go through with that action without being snapped at was an accomplishment. Van and Taissa, the only other lesbian couple, were whispering about them. She just waves awkwardly, getting to chores like the rest of camp.