Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 24- After Missy and Caleb Left
The next few days after Ginny and I raided mom's cupboard were probably the worst in my life. Even worse than the time I saw one of mom's exes- a heavy set man called James- hit her. He hit her so hard she slumped to the floor like a rag doll. Austin was only a baby. I remember him wailing for hours for mom, but she wouldn't get up. Ginny didn't know what to do. Mom's head had been clotted with scarlet blood and her breathing was hushed whispers, so scarce. After that she vowed to never let any boyfriend take control over her or manipulate her. But Ginny hardly spoke a word. The only time I heard her taking to school was with Mang. And Missy and Caleb left eventually, saying they 'needed to get back to their folks'. I didn't bother trying to decipher their confusing language sometimes. When I was going my Spanish homework, I couldn't help hearing snippets of conversation from mom's room, with her and Missy in it. The others were all asleep, but it was up trying to catch up with my homework- so they assumed I would be in too deep a sleep to hear. There were raised voices, then I heard mom say, "there it is. Double what Cordova asked you for, Lissy. Now leave in the morning. And don't bother coming back." Any hopes I had had of mom and Melissa becoming friends had drained quicker than water through a sieve. They were so alike, yet so unalike. Austin had wept buckets when he was told Caleb would leave. They had become inseparable over the course of the last few days. Now Austin was just the lowest I'd ever seen him. And I still needed answers about my dad, more than ever. About mom's life and family. Ginny also wanted to know more about mom's family and her past, but not like me. She wasn't interested in learning more about my dad. It didn't mean much to her. She had Zion. But every time he would call or text her, I always felt a twinge of jealousy that I hated myself for. It wasn't Ginny's fault my dad wasn't around, but I couldn't help wanting to blame someone anyway.