[Vulvacious]

EMILY'S POV

His parents were the most welcoming and hospitable hosts. The genuine warmth they extended to me eradicated all my initial worries. His younger sister was equally cheerful, lending me her clothes and ensuring that I did not feel out of place.

The same could be said of J’s friends. They made an effort to be sure I was never left out and if they had any judgements about me, they definitely did not show it.

It seems as if this gathering was a norm for them, as Jacob’s parents and sister would join in for supper as well and the conversation was lighthearted, even when it drifted to the topic of O level results and our future paths.

After supper, J’s mum headed to the kitchen, while the rest of his family retreated to their own rooms.

We settled to watch a movie that his friends had rented. Before his mum went into her room, she tossed a reminder to Jacob, “Boy, let Emily sleep in your room. Make sure you sleep outside with your friends ah...” At 16, you can hardly blame me for seriously thinking that nothing was going to happen that night. I had yet to be introduced to testosterones.

Once again, I cannot remember what we watched but this time it was more because I was feeling tired. It was close to 3am and I’ve had a really long day. One by one, his friends began to doze off and after nodding off one to many times, Jacob shook me gently by the shoulders and led me to his room.

He tucked me into bed and pecked me on the cheek. “Thanks for coming over tonight. I’m really glad you did. Goodnight.”

“Hmm… Night.” I mumbled incoherently.

And he left the room. I flipped over and promptly fell asleep.

***

It was still dark when I got awoken.

“Hey Emily!” I squinted in the darkness. For a moment, I was unsure if I were dreaming, as the room did not look familiar to me.

Then I remembered.

“Oh hey, can’t sleep? What time is it?”

He did not answer any of my questions. Instead he whispered back. “Everyone’s asleep.”

And proceeded to lock the door as silently as he could.