Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 32- Time to Face the Music
I woke with a start to blinding white lights flashing in front of me, and I groaned as I touched my forehead. It hurt like hell. Pain shot to my face like fire and I cringed as I couldn't quite place where I was. It took a few minutes of sitting in silence and suddenly the past events of Abby and Aria's fight came rushing to me.
"Charlie, thank God!" Georgia ran into the room and practically suffocated me in a hug.
"Mom, stop!" I protested, but she didn't seem to hear my feeble voice.
"Are you ok? You've been asleep for hours. You were knocked out." Mom explained as she grabbed a bottle of water and tried to stuffed it down my throat. I felt grateful for the cool liquid soothing my tongue, and after I wiped my mouth, I asked her,
"What do you mean? I just remember Abby and Aria fighting by the bleachers, and- and then it was like a black veil had settled over me. And I woke up here."  It was like my arm had been wired with ice and electricity shot straight into my spine. I winced as I rubbed my arm, and mom propped a cushion against the sofa.
"Peach, we've had Abby, Norah, Max, Ginny, Madi, Kara and Aria all in the principal's office for questioning. It was said Abby and Aria got into quite a brutal fight over some money, and that you tried to separate them, and Abby nearly broke your nose. It was bleeding but you hit the ground quite hard and you were knocked out." Damn, I thought. Seriously? I couldn't even get into a fight without getting myself knocked out.
"Where- where are the girls? Where's Leon? I need him." I asked, as I scanned the room. The nurses's room. Glancing at the clock, I could see the time was 3:30. School would be deserted by now.
"They're all outside. Who do you want to come in first?" Mom replied.
"Leon. I haven't seen him much lately."
"Ok, Peach. Just get some rest." Hadn't I already done that?
Then Leon walked into the room, looking like a model as usual. His dark hair was all messed up and his jeans were ripped. But he looked relieved to se e me. I gave him a tight smile.
"Hey," He whispered softly as he sat down on the other end of the sofa.
"Leon. Oh my god. My mom said- my mom said Abby Littman knocked me out."
"She did. I was so shocked when I heard that'd happened. I walked out of my history test. I had to come and wait for you, Charlie." What?
"Leon, what the hell? Don't do that, you idiot! You need to get your grades up, and you're not exactly doing yourself any favours." I huffed and crossed my arms, but immediately felt guilty at the hurt expression on his face.
"Hey. Leon. I'm sorry. I just- I just want you to achieve your dreams. Even top football players need a decent education." I said. He scrunched up his eyebrows and replied,
"No ones ever really cared about my grades. For my dad, it's about being tough and muscly and for my mom, she hates the idea of being crammed in a classroom for hours. She says it suffocates you. But thanks for caring. And I would do anything for you. In a heartbeat." My heart softened and in that moment the immeasurable pain that wanted to make me reel stopped. I leaned in and gave Leon a quick kiss. I always get dreamy and not quite on earth when it happened, and then I was sitting on his lap, and he was pulling me in closer, planting kisses on my neck, my body was tingling with joy-
"Uh, are we interrupting something?" A voice chuckled  from the doorway. Hot red blossomed on my cheeks and Leon gave me a quick hug and promised we'd meet later before Kara, Madi and Aria jumped onto the bed.
"God, someone get me a boy that gives me a tongue sandwich like that!" Madi laughed as she kicked her shoes off and layed down next to me.
"What happens, guys? My mom said I was knocked out, but did anything happen to you guys?" A look of despair seemed to pass across them, and the nerves in my stomach fluttered as Kara cleared her throat and said,
"Charlie, Abby punched and knocked the shit out of you. But she didn't mean to, she just didn't want anyone to get in hers and Aria's business."
"Yeah. Got that." I mumbled sullenly.
"And the teachers came running out what with all the commotion on the bleachers. And we all got sent to the principal's office. They said you were in the nurses's room." Madi continued, and Aria butted in with-
"And Charlie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I didn't need to say anything, just brushed her hair with my fingers and let her rest on my lap. I used to be quite a stubborn person before we moved to Wellsbury, always holding a grudge over the slightest thing. But I never wanted to lose my friends, and Aria had already done so much for me.
"What happened after you guys went to the principal?" I asked, and Kara fidgeted and played with her brown hair.
"Well, we had to write what we knew about the incident, and Abby has got a months worth of detention, and so does Aria. They still haven't forgiven each other." Kara informed me, and Aria seemed to shrink on my lap.
"Hey, she's your sister, Aria." I tried but she just ignored me.
"Charlie, your mom says you can go home, and you can go back home in a few days, because you're so shaky." Madi said.
"Oh, and also- they're coming." Mom called out from where she had been standing outside the door. Before I had the chance to ask her what she was talking about, what felt like a stampede of animals charged through the door, but really it was four teenage girls. Norah, Max, Ginny and Abby
"I'm sorry, Charlie. You know i didn't mean to hit you, right?" Abby looked into my eyes and I nodded, giving her a hug. I noticed Aria shot daggers at her, and each of the girls gave me a comforting hug. My sister told me rhat someone was waiting for me at home too, but I was sick of all the surprises and shock. Since when had everything started spinning out of control?  I wished more than anything I could pause time, just enough to take a deep breath. And I didn't forget about the face we could be really close
To finding Jonathan Hills. And then, hopefully my dad.