Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 15-Brodie's Basment
"Wait, so there's gonna be a Battle of the Bands?" I asked, reaching over to dip my dorito in some salsa.
"Yeah," Kara replied as she opened the door to the basement and plopped herself down onto the sofa.
"I didn't sleep at all last night, did you guys? The sophomore sleepover was terrible. I'm seriously reconsidering if I even want to go next year - when we're allowed!" Kara groaned and clutched her stomach, and her face twisted into one of pure pain.
"Are you on your period too, Kar?" Aria asked, reaching out her hand and giving her a look that spoke a thousand words. She nodded and slumped over on the sofa. It was Sunday evening now, and everyone was gathered In Brodie's parents basement. It was the ideal place for parties because his parents hardly ever went down here. Mang was sitting on the other side of the sofa, and giving us all dirty looks. I'd called Leon earlier to tell him about the fatal disaster at the sleepover, and how hungover I still felt. He understood and said we could maybe go to the park for a walk when I wanted to. I was glad that he was so sympathetic and understanding. That was what my mom told me a man should always be. If they didn't understand you're problems, you had to 'bin em'. "You called Mads to come, Charlie?" Aria called, and I nodded as I took a sip of the cool juice Brodie's mom had made. The Band called 3SB (which Kara told me stood for 3 Secy Boys) had now been altered slightly. It was now a meagre group consisting of Hunter, who I had just met for the first time, Padma, who was apparently Marcus's girlfriend and Brodie himself. They were all practicing the song. The music swelled. The crescendo of the song they were in playing sounded really familiar, and even though I racked my brains, for the life of me I couldn't figure out what it was. The soft music caused a cascade of memories and regret. At that moment, a single tone emerged from the band that seemed a gentle voice of some kind. The melody told me everything I had gone through and everything I'd experienced.
"Charlie? Charlie!"
"Wh-wha?" It was Ginny. She was towering over me, despite the fact I was still taller than her, she seemed a lot more terrifying standing in front of me.
"Next Saturday there'll be the battle of the bands. Are you and your friends coming?" She snapped. Max, Abby and Norah stared at me.
"Yeah, we will." Madi cut in. Since when had she just popped out of nowhere?
"And no funny business like yesterday? Or I swear, I have a knife waiting for you lot!" Abby warned. I gulped nervously and tried to turn the attention back to the music. But it had stopped now, and the group were all huddled in a tight knit circle, and I couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Hey Aria, how's Amos? Was he ok?" Aria turned her head to me, and made sure Abby wasn't listening when she replied.
"He wet the bed and was crying fit to run a fountain. He thought we'd all run away or something." Her voice crumbled as she said it, and I gave her a quick hug.
"Don't worry. Is he better now?"
"Yeah, he's with mom. Things aren't going too well at home, but Abby doesn't want to admit it. She just wants to look strong and tough for my brother. But- and don't tell this to anyone, guys- I heard eccentric things in her room."
"Like what?" Madi asked, her ink black eyes fixed on Aria's jewel like ones.
"I don't know what she was doing and I didn't want to ask, but it sounded like she was using tape. A lot of it."
"Tape?" Kara frowned and sat up.
"For what?" I said, and I was a lot more intrigued. What could she possibly be using tape for? A school project or something? But it didn't seem likely.
"Shit. Aria, you don't think she could be using it to-" Madi glanced at Abby's thighs, and a wave of nausea hit me when I realised too. She must've been using tape to make herself look thinner. No wonder she had worn jeans to the sleepover when the other girls had work pyjama trousers.
"She could have an Ed? Does she fucking eat, Ar?"
"I- I don't know. We hardly ever have dinner as a family, but she makes Amos food- God, I don't know!" Aria replied. When I was 10 mom had sat me and Ginny down to talk about eating disorders. How they ate away at you, how shrivelled up and weak it could make you feel on the inside. And now that i noticed, Abby's legs did look unnaturally thinner.
"I'll talk to my mom about it. Maybe she'll give my sister therapist sessions. I don't know, but I won't hear her suffer anymore." Aria went over to hug her sister. Abby looked surprised, but let her sister hug her.
"Aww, cute sister moment!" Max cried, and all the random assortment of bands and bracelets on her wrists shook and clanged together as she wrapped her arms around Madi.
"Geroff me, you weirdo!" Madi yelled, but she didn't really mean it. I went over to hug Ginny then. It just felt appropriate. And in that moment in the basement, in Wellsbury, we were just a few teenagers. Nobody really was prepared for all the shit that happened next. We were lost and enjoying the moment. It was precious.