Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 36- Meeting Amaya at Blue Farm Cafe
The bell gave a sweet tinkle as we all filed into the Blue Moon Cafe, and we were met with extraordinarily hot and bright fumes from the coffee. Joe saw me, Madi, Aria and Kara walking through and gave a quick wave. I returned his politeness and waved back before making our way through several oak brown tables to where a familiar figure stood. Amaya had a midnight black hoodie on, even though I was sweating in my thin shirt. The blazing heat made my head dizzy and she merely nodded as we sat down beside her, hanging out purses by our chairs.
"Amaya. Hey. You texted me." Madi took her phone out and her silky, ebony coloured eyes looked extremely pretty in the buzz and hum of the cafe. Aria sat down beside me and grabbed a menu, while Kara twisted her hazel hair around her fingers, watching to see what would happen. And me? I didn't know what to feel. Part of me didn't want to believe Amaya. Didn't want to get my hopes up. Didn't want to feel that cold clenching in my heart in case we were wrong. In case Jonathan Hills had never actually been here at all. But another part of me get hope. Hope was an act of courage from the bravest part of your soul, someone had once told me. To open your eyes and be willing to see the better things that are challenging contributed to fixing a broken world. And I really hoped that was true. I jiggled my foot up and down before Amaya gave me a piercing stare with her outlandish eyes, cleared her throat and announced,
"Yep. I texted you as soon as I realised who he was. Your dad's friend." Oh my god. Aria took my hand and gaped her mouth wide open, but Kara had a different look on her face. She hasn't spoken much on our walk to Blue Farm, but I assumed she just wasn't in the mood.
"Kara? You ok?" I hissed, and she turned around to look at me. She rubbed the back of her neck worriedly and said,
"Charlie? Are you sure about this? What if it's nothing? You can't confirm it's actually a Jonathan...there could be hundreds here in Wellsbury." Did she really think that? Did she really have no faith or hope in what we were doing? My blood ran cold and I didn't want to look at her.
"What do you mean? Of course we can find him, and my dad!" I didn't mean to shout those last words, and several curious heads turned around to look at us.
"Kara, what the hell? Don't make everything so much worse. You're such a downer." Aria said,
"It's not my fault. I'm just saying. He could be anywhere. I'm sick of you going on about this, Charlie. Jonathan Hills this; Jonathan Hills that. I'm done. I am so fucking done." And with that she grabbed her bag and sauntered of the cafe. Before, the bell had sounded sweet and comforting, but now it was just an ominous echo that reminded me of our slim chances of finding Jonathan and my dad.
"Why is she being like that?" Madi murmured, and she glanced out of the polished windows full of posters, to where I could see Kara running in the distance, but her expression looked unreadable.
"Hey, do you think you can have your friendship dramas somewhere else another time? I don't like being underestimated, especially not by someone as simple as Kara Nilsson." Amaya smirked, but we gestured for her to continue. I was wrapt with attention, but I prayed Jonathan was somewhere near in Wellsbury. I would feel so dreadful if he wasn't.
"It took a few weeks for me to find Jonathan Hills. And I admit, it was a bit hard, but only for one reason. He changed his last name, when he got married. He is now 34 years old and living by the name of Jonathan Atley, with a wife called Marina Atley and six kids. Wow." She seemed to be reading some notes from that large notebook she had been scribbling in last time we saw her, and her word were dull and monotone. Amaya's sapphire and hazel eyes turned up, and my heart was racing. Six kids? He changed his name? But where was he?
"Jonathan's kids are nine-year-old Celeste, seven-year-old Indigo, six-year-old Elliot, five-year-old Delphini and two-year-old twins Evangeline and Talia. A bit odd, but ok. The way I found where exactly this man was honestly made my whole day go downhill. I spent nights up trying to figure out who he was. You see, even as Jonathan Atley it appears he doesn't have social media, nor his wife. And my brother Asif taught me how to track people down online. But honestly,I thought he just lived under a rock. Anyway, I interviewed and asked people about any boys here 15 year ago, who must've been good friends and who fit their appearance. And old Mrs Silver actually remembered them. But she said she didn't think Jon had ever left Wellsbury. So I guess that made it a lot easier for him to track. But there are about fifty other men who live here and have the name Jonathan. I'm looking for a man in his 30s, so I was able to cross some people off my substantial list. And then- vwallah!" A strange silence hung over the table, and Aria, who had been resting  her head against my shoulder, jerked up at Amaya's loud shout, and asked,
"What? What happened next?"
"Well, Aria Littman, that was the thing. I was shocked at myself, for the first time ever. How I had stumbled upon the man you so desperately seek, and by mistake, even though I was searching for him! To add some context, I was reading the Wellsbury Paper, when I noticed who had written a particular articule about how McDonalds is terrible to feed your kids."
"God, Max and Marcus sneak out to get fast food all the time." Madi added. Amaya folded her arms across her chest and Madi mouthed, 'sorry'. God, I thought. Amaya Ghader truly was a force to be reckoned with.
"I didn't care much about the article, so I skimmed past it and saw the writer of that extremely controversial subject. Written by Jonathan Elio Atley. I decided to check this certain person out, just in case." She paused here to take a quick sip of her cool water and produced a crumpled newspaper, and I saw the article myself, with the name Jonathan Elio Atley beneath it. He had taken up a whole page, and I prayed Jonathan was not some kind of prissy man who got irritated over parents giving their kids McDonald's. Because that certainly boiled my blood.
"Turns out- he has an Instagram! Nothing special, you might think, but actually it is. He has a public account with 20,304 followers and is consistently active! He lives in Wellsbury and was even stupid enough to take a photo outside his house. I even scrolled back to before he got married to this lady Marina, where his name was Jonathan Hills. I did some research on him and managed to look at old school records from the 90s- when he would've attended the local Wellsbury school. And it must be your guy. There was a Jonathan Hills with the same birthday and description as him. He was friends with an Anthony Greene, who also happens to have the same birthday as you said your dad's is- August 24th, 1986. You could dm him or arrange to meet. Ask any questions for him. But there are no posts with him or a man called Anthony who might be his friend." I was blown away. She had done all of that for me? Aria and Madi were looking at me, and I turned away, because I didn't want them to see the tears pooling in my eyes. How grateful I was. To everyone. Except maybe Kara.
"Th-thank you so much, Amaya! And thanks, Mads and Aria." I can't b-believe it!" The last words came out as half a sob and my stuttering words, and I flung my arms around Madi and Aria while Amaya just watched. Sometimes it half felt like she was assessing us, or just watching us like a hawk.
"Charlie, don't cry. At least we have some good news, huh? We're closer to the truth." Madi whispered with her honey and coffee breath.
I hoped that we were close to the truth. Close to answers. Closer to my real father.