Opening the door, Lucy saw the person knocking was her aunt. A glance back at Jennifer, seeing she was all in order, she looked at Aunt Ginny as the woman queried, "What are you two up to?"
Guessing how it must look, especially when she again peered at Jennifer and could see signs indicating what had just happened, such as her hair mussed up, Lucy struggled to come up with an answer. But, before she could, her aunt commented, "I understand. You're at, that age," before muttering something which sounded like, "At least it wasn't with a boy," and, "It's for her mom and dad to talk to her about."
Suddenly aware of how it really must look, Lucy's mind flashed back to something she saw on Jennifer's profile as she fumbled out, "Uhhh, no. It's nothing like that," and searching for an explanation, and not coming up with one, she looked over at her friend for help.
Jennifer, at a loss as to what she could say or do, opened her mouth as she tried to come up with something. But, before she could, Aunt Ginny said, "I'll leave you to finish, whatever it is the two of you are doing. But, I just came to let you know the pizza is here," and giving her niece and the other girl one final look, though not one of disapproval, she again muttered something which sounded like, "Well, at least it wasn't with a boy," as she turned and left.
The moment they were alone, Jennifer gave Lucy a look, stood, and hurried out the room. Confused as to what just happened, Lucy listened as she heard a door close somewhere down the hall. Knowing it was the bathroom door, she wanted to follow after, to let Jennifer know it'd all be fine, but instead, she hugged herself and drifted over to the computer. Sitting down in the desk chair, she kicked a foot against the floor and still holding herself, she spun in a place. Making a few full rotations, she stopped after a bit. Facing the computer, seeing the Chronivac was still pulled up, she wondered if Aunt Ginny had noticed it, or if her focus had been fully on the two of them.
Reaching out to exit the programme, she stopped at the last second and instead pulled up her own profile. Thinking about some of the stuff she'd seen on Jennifer's profile, a lot of which she wished she hadn't, Lucy scrolled through her bio, and stopped when she saw how it listed her as gay. Wondering about this, if it was something others could tell about her, and was why her aunt had behaved the way she had, the conflicted sensation she was feeling deepened.
"Well, so what if I like girls in that way," she suddenly declared and leaping up, she closed down the Chronivac, put the computer into hibernation mode, and rushed out of the room.
Going to first locate Jennifer, she stopped outside the bathroom and knocked on the door. Not getting any answer, she called out, "Jennifer?" and still not getting any response, she waited a moment, knocked again, considered opening the door, and instead, said, "If there is anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you," and turning away, she headed back to the living room.
Inside the bathroom, Jennifer stood before the full-body mirror, staring at her reflection. Relieved to no longer feel Jeff as part of her, she was muddled up about other things. Thinking about Lucy's aunt, and what the older woman believed they were doing, she slowly ran her fingers through her hair in an attempt to get it so she didn't look so messed up. Thinking about her profile, what she'd changed, remembering all the scout meetings she attended, all the achievements she accomplished, everything she'd earned, she was unable to stop herself as her mind drifted to something else listed in her profile. Feeling awkward about it, she wondered what it truly meant when the programme had said she was gay. Having never given it a second thought, as she'd always hung around girls, but hadn't seen this as an indication she felt anything for them beyond simple friendship, she was startled from her thoughts when she heard a knock, then Lucy's voice.
She wanted to go to the other girl, open the door and let her in, but couldn't bring herself to do so. Still adjusting to what she learned, she listened to her friend, and with a start, realised she felt something more than friendship for Lucy. Ashamed by this, as, somehow, it didn't seem appropriate, though she did wonder if it actually was, the awkward sensation grew and after a moment, she sat down on the edge of the tub.
"What am I going to do," she whispered to herself as she peered down at her skirt, began to nervously fidget with the garment, lifted it up, stared at the shorts sewn underneath and how it was clear she was a girl down there, dropped the piece of fabric back in a place, and resumed fidgeting with it.