Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 34- Meeting Zion Again
After what felt like the most peculiar night in my life, I woke up on the Saturday, and a cold feeling of dread washed over me as I realised Zion had come. Ginny was still fast asleep next to me, and she gave a slight stir as I shuffled through the door and out my slippers on. The house seemed deathly silent, but as I walked downstairs and made my way to the kitchen I could see mom - with her frilly, posh dressing down embroidered with her name- and Zion. After not seeing him in person for nearly two years, he had definitely changed. He seemed to have grown broader, taller and shooted up like a stick, towering over me and mom. He was wearing a thick leather jacket and azure coloured jeans that suited him. And his face broke into a memorable smile as he saw me standing in the hallway.
"Fancy you being up so early, Charlie! Hey!" He came over and enveloped me in a hug, and I also held on to him, smelling his ghastly men's cologne and motorcycle smell. Somehow, he always smelt like fumes and petrol, which to me seemed nasty. Ginny said it meant Zion was wise with mechanics, because he always spent loads of time with them. It wasn't that I was upset Zion was here- I was pleased for Ginny in a way, but someone from the past was here and changing our future. The perfect life I had so desperately tried to carve in Wellsbury could shatter in a split second if mom and Zion happened. Mom was with Paul and surely loved him, though. I never failed to miss their alluring gazes towards each other and how Paul would squeeze mom's hands under the table lovingly. He even had her labelled as 'Beautiful Georgia' on his phone, which of course made me cringe with embarrassment, but the gesture was sweet overall.
"Hey, Zion. Ginny's still asleep." I whispered as I told mom good morning and went over to fill a glass with orange juice.
"You've grown so much, Charlie! It's so great to see you guys after so long. How are you finding Wellsbury, huh? You like it?" Zion asked as he sipped his coffee and sat down beside mom.
"It's good, actually. I've made the best friends I could ask for and I might enter a writing competition." I grabbed a chair and dragged it across the floor to the dining table. Unfortunately, it made a horrific screeching noise that made the hairs on my spine shiver, and mom seemed to wince as well.
"Charlie, don't drag the chairs, Peach! Just carry it!" Mom snapped and took the chair from me. Flushing with red hot embarrassment, I sat down without a further word and tried to focus on the orange bits in my juice bobbing in and out of the liquid.
"That's good you have more interests and you've made friends, kiddo. Any other things? Like...boyfriends?" Zion chuckled and I answered as nonchalantly as I could,
"Yeah. We've been dating a few months." And he rose his eyebrows up and nearly choked on his coffee. Regarding me with a newfound interest, Zion asked,
"Does he gave a name?"
"Yeah. Leon Parker. He's in most of my classes in school, and really nice." I replied.
"But they're only allowed to kiss, Zion. No sex or anything. She's way too young." Mom butted in just as Austin flung himself onto Zion. In a series of inaudible shrieks and cries of joy, Zion ruffled Austin's hair lovingly and started chatting to him. But thankfully, it saved me from having to talk after mom's unnecessary comments. I gave her an annoyed look but she simply smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth and looking back at Austin. My brother looked like his birthday had come early. His eyes had lit up and I never quite noticed just had bright they were, like a dancing sky, infinite hues illuminated by newborn light.
"Zion! Zion! You're here!" He jumped up and down in excitement, and part of me wished I had Austin's innocence. Why was Zion here? Wasn't he meant to be travelling somewhere? Why had he randomly chosen to come to Wellsbury? Something didn't sit right with me.
"Hey, Little Man! How's it going?" Zion chatted and a few minutes went by of no one taking much interest in me. Then, Ginny walked in, all dressed and ready, even though it wasn't even half eight in the morning. Usually Ginny would just sit in her room and bark like a deranged dog if I even dared speak to her. She could be terrifying sometimes. But she seemed the most pleased out of all of us, and gave Zion a quick kiss of the forehead before pulling up a chair beside me.
"Ginny! My baby! You get up to anything lately?" Zion enveloped her in a long hug, and that same feeling was there in the pit of my stomach. And it made me feel dirty and unclean. Horrid. Selfish. Greedy. For wanting to have a dad for myself. For wishing Zion could go away like he always did. But I kept my mouth clenched shut and only spoke when necessary. It was quite a long breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast, and Zion's plate looked massive compare to ours. He kept asking for more and more food to be piled on his plate, and said the journey had been long and tedious from the arid Sahara Desert.
"Zion, can we build a blanket fort after I come back from my play date with Celeste?" Austin begged and Zion promised they could build one in the sitting room.
"Austin's having a playdate? With who?" I asked as I shovelled some eggs into my mouth. Mom didn't look pleased with my manners but looked me dead in the eye with,
"It's not just you who can make friends, Charlotte Miller. Celeste Atley is In your brother's class and they've made good friends. He'll go over to her house for a couple of hours."
"Mom, that's good, but I wanted to ask you something." I pushed my half empty plate away as mom signalled I could say what was on my mind.
"The girls really want me to go to Madi's house. We're gonna hang out and watch a few movies."
"Hmmm...and why should I let you go, Charlotte Miller? Shouldn't you be spending time with Zion since he's here? Austin's gonna make a blanket fort with him later. I tried my best to stifle a strangling scream. Since when was Zion my dad? Did he even genuinely like me, or only tolerate me?
"Mom..." I hissed, but Zion swiftly interrupted with-
"Actually, Georgia, I told Ginny that she could take me to this open mic event happening, and she wants to go to also improve her poetry skills." Oh God. They were already making plans? No wonder my sister was so done up and prim.
"I see. Ok then. But be back in a couple hours, Charlie. I'm inviting Paul around for a family dinner. Family dinner? With Paul and Zion? I wanted to die. I thought having the mystery of who my father was to solve was already difficult enough. As if I didn't need more shit happening. And I hated myself. Hated myself for being so unhappy and sullen when my sister deserved to be happy as well. She hadn't seen Zion for years. But it didn't stop me from countering that with the fact I hadn't seen my dad for my whole life. Not a letter or text or visit. Nothing. There was just a huge, gaping hole of nothingness.