Vignettes — #12

Imogen

© Daan Spijer

Libby is sitting with Imogen in the gazebo in Imogen’s back garden, overlooking a nature reserve.

“Im, do you remember what it was like when … when you were first with a boy?”

Imogen looks at her younger sister. “Are you planning something, Liz?”

Libby shakes her head and then shrugs. “Well … not exactly. There’s this boy and we sort of tried to have sex, but it hurt and … and I asked him to stop.” She blushes.

“Oh, I see.” Imogen sips her tea and stares vacantly out at the trees across the back fence. “Yes, I do remember.”

“Was it with Martin?”

“No, it was before Marty. It was a boy from school, older than me; he was year twelve. It was at a weekend sleepover at a girlfriend’s. For some reason, these two boys were there — they may have been my girlfriend’s brother’s friends. Anyway, I got this stupid idea … It was like, ‘I might as well take the opportunity to get this over and done with.’”

“What? You just decided to have sex with a random guy?”

“I wasn’t quite thinking clear. It was … like a spur of the moment thing. I knew this boy was sleeping out on the back veranda on a big couch. When everyone was asleep, I crept out the back and quietly slipped in next to him. Then …”