That next mid-morning at just before eleven o'clock, Adelyn awoke and got the other three girls up and out for breakfast. She felt it was necessary to discuss their "issues." It was the the seventh day of their camp stay and approaching their last three nights. The girls slowly moved up in the line for coffee, juice and cinnamon rolls, then took a table together in the corner of the room

"OK you guys," Adelyn said, sipping her juice. "Now we've all had some pretty significant things happen while we've been here. Right? So are we going to make it to the end of the week? Just two more nights, girls?"

"Well . . . I knows I'm gonna have a good time," Cheryl said loudly with irrepressible glee in her voice.

"I was more concerned with . . . you two," Adelyn continued, looking directly into the faces of Courtney and Julie.

"Yeah. OK. I'm good," Courtney replied, less than strongly. "Julie? You?"

"I don't know," she said somewhat dejectedly, and uncharacteristically somber.

"Hey . . . so what happened last night, Jules?" Courtney suddenly insisted. "You look like someone just killed your dog this morning."

"Courtney!" Adelyn interjected.

"Alright. Sorry. But for reals. You seemed pretty tight with that Felix guy when you left us last night. So what happened?"

"No comment." Julie answered coolly, staring sadly down into a bowl of yogurt.

"Oh . . . I see. Well it couldn't have been worse than what I went through with that Josh asshole," Courtney confessed angrily.

"Oh? . . . don't be so sure," she answered almost in a whisper.

"Wow. Seriously? That bad, Jules?"

"Worse! Come on now, Courtney. Was your first time so wonderful?"

"No. Totally Not. Terrible. So . . . yeah I get it."

"Well you both just be dumb girls," Cheryl said, classically detached, and with a total absence of tact.

Adelyn quickly changed the subject. "So OK. How many of us have even called our family since we've been here?"

"I talk to my mama every single day," Cheryl proudly announced.

"Only once, for me," Julie admitted. "Just after we arrived." 

"Me? Not at all," was Courtney's response. "My mom knows me, though. When I'm silent, things are OK."

Adelyn knew in Courtney's case things were not exactly OK.

"Well, I've been pretty bad about it, myself" Adelyn admitted. "I feel kind of guilty actually. But I guess that's part of growing up, huh?"

"So just call her." Was Julie's suggestion. "Let her know you're having a wonderful time here. You're the only one of us who really is. Right Ads?"

"Yeah, Ads. So when you going to fill us in on your . . . all night mystery man?"  Courtney asked.

"All I can tell you is . . . well, he's very sweet and . . . patient."

"Patient?  About what? Your discussions about science? . . . math? . . .  maybe college next year?"

"No. Hardly that." Adelyn smiled. "He's just very considerate when it comes to . . . you know."

"Sex?"  Courtney asked the word starkly. They all looked into Adelyn's eyes to check her veracity.

"Well . . . yeah. Sort of."

"Oh my my, Ads," Cheryl weighed in. "And we all thought you was such a goodie-goodie!"

"Well not anymore, I'm proud to say."

"So ,wait a minute. You mean you finally gave it up?" Julie inquired.

"Not completely. But he did help me get to a . . . you know?"

"What? " Courtney asked, incredulously. "Are we talking about . . .the Big "O"?

"Yeah. An orgasm?" Julie asked?

"Yup."

"Now hold on here," Cheryl interjected. "Girl . . . is that what you be call'n the 'Big O'?"

"Yes," Adelyn explained. "An orgasm."

"What?  Girl you mean you never had one of them before?"

"Not until last night," she revealed.

"Seriously Ads? " Courtney asked, herself a bit still perplexed. "Like . . . not even in the shower, using the water jet . . . or just in bed  . . .rubbing your stuff when you're in the right mood?"

"Nope. If you're asking if I ever masturbated . . . No. I never did. Always thought it was kind of disgusting, really."

"Well I just ain't say'n . . . if I do it or not," Cheryl weighed in while looking sheepishly at her cinnamon roll. "It's a private subject. My mama always told me that."

Julie's voice suddenly entered the discussion loudly and angrily. "Guys . . . can we talk about something else? I'm just not into this whole topic right now. OK?"

"Yeah. Good call," Courtney agreed. "So what's up for tonight, ladies?"

"Fright Night," Cheryl chimed in. "They be show'n us two thrillers in the theater at ten o'clock. An they sposed to be super scary . . . So we all in?"

"Cool. That's maybe the best plan," Julie said. "At least for me it is. You coming with us, Ads?"

"Don't know," she answered. "I never liked those scary things. Really. I mean . . . how much fun is it to get scared sick?"

"Totally fun!"  Courtney countered, beginning to rally the others in her preppy cheerleader style. "I'm definitely up for some popcorn and serious fear.  Fear! Fear! Fear!  You with me, girls?"

"Yeah baby!"  Was Cheryl's excited response, punching her fists into the air.

Adelyn smiled at the three of them. She had already decided it would not be fear she would be seeking that late evening, but rather another amazing encounter with Dan. For it was her secret desire that she might again receive the magical feeling of the Big "O." It was a feeling she had every faith in Dan to deliver.

* * *