Ginny and Georgia: The Younger Shadow

Chapter 43- Birthday Date
Whilst throwing more tiny pebbles into the street, my phone pinged in the darkness. Sighing with fatigue and my head spinning, I got it out. A text message from Leon.
Hey, wanna meet up at Pikers Park? He asked. I debated whether to go or not. It was nearly 10pm now, and mom thought Ginny was looking after us while she went out to dinner with Paul. I had no clue where my brother or sister were, so I snuck back indoors and found Ginny and Hunter asleep on the sofa, clasping hands tightly, my sister asleep on his stomach. They didn't make a sound. Austin was in his bed, snoring fit to wake the whole street. In five minutes Leon was waiting outside for me on the street. Since I hadn't eaten anything and my stomach was rumbling like a cavern, I went to the pantry and took a few packets of chips and candy for us, and a few orange fizzy sodas.
"Hey," He whispered as I walked up to him, and gave a quick kiss. The warm feeling of his breath was inviting, and as we walked to Pikers Park I asked my boyfriend something:
"Why did you want to meet up so late, Leon?" And now that I looked at him more closely, something seemed off. Instead of holding mine his hands were tightly cuffed in his pockets and he walked with his head down, refusing to meet my gaze.
"Um, it's just a nice night, I guess." Finally, we got to the park, that was still open and practically deserted minus a frail old lady muttering and arguing with herself on the narrow bench.
"No, I told you to get the sandwiches!" She yelled to herself, shaking her fists and swinging her bag into the nothingness. Then Leon took my hand and led me over to the grass, where we sat down and did nothing for a few minutes, just gazing into the warm milky moon gracing the night sky. Then, Leon said,
"It was my birthday today." Shit. Shit. Shit.
"What?" I stuttered, gripping his hand tighter.
"Yep. My 15th birthday." I tried to detect any amusement in his tone, but it was icy cold. Oh God. How had I forgotten? I was so wrapped up in trying to find my dad I never paid attention to the people who really cared for me.
"I'm sorry. I forgot. I'm so sorry." Each word that tumbled out of my mouth made me feel so dirty and ashamed. The boy who had stuck with me through all my crap.
"There's no need. Nothing special to do anyway."
"Don't say that! I would've- why didn't you tell me? Or call me?"
"I tried to. I told you loads of times. March 20th. A week before your birthday, Charlie. And your phone was turned off most of the day. Where were you half the time? Sometimes I feel like-like you hide stuff. From me. You can tell me everything, but I guess you can only trust your girls." He said in a bitter voice. And it stung. Leon took a soda and and swallowed some, the tang of orange still in the air.
"Leon, it's hard to say. Alright? I haven't told my mom or my brother or sister what I've been doing. But my friends have been with me for so long. And I know you have too, but I can't risk people knowing. Because then the secret spreads like wildfire." But he seemed to grow with hate every word I spoke, his hold on the soda can nearly squashing it.
"You think I'm gonna tell people your secret? I wouldn't do that, Charlie. What is so, so important to you you have to sneak behind everyone's backs? What means so much to you that you have to lie your way out of everything?" His voice was higher now. And in that moment I decided to tell him. I didn't want my secrets to be the downfall of our relationship.
"I was trying to find my dad."
"What?" And after I had finished I burst into a new wave of tears. Sometimes I wondered why I was so feeble and weak. But wasn't it over now? Didn't I need to accept the fact my dad was gone and wasn't coming back?
"You have two more siblings? Well, all that sneaking sure explains everything. Even if your dad isn't here, maybe you could meet them. They are your family, after all."
"Family? Two strangers I've never heard of till this day are suddenly my family? Family is overrated." I sniffed and picked at the grass, and Leon put his arm over me and said,
"Yeah. Doesn't matter if you haven't heard of them before. You can get to know them. And Charlie, you're lucky."
"Lucky? How so?" I sarcastically drawled and leaned my head on his firm shoulder.
"Because. Family is special. The more you have the merrier, right? And you have people looking out for you. If only my parents gave a shit about me and my sister. And my grandma- she's dying. Of cancer. I told you she was sick. Doctors don't think she has long left." I sat up straighter then and whispered,
"God, Leon, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine-"
"It's ok. I'm just saying, appreciate them. With my grandma, we all knew the angel of death would come sooner or later. But maybe it's better to embrace it than hide and cry." And I gave him a huge hug then. That memory was one I wouldn't forget. Just us two in the park at midnight, clinging onto each other. To other people maybe we just looked like two scared kids. But we were way more than that. Before, I was petrified at the thought of visiting two more half siblings, but Jon and Leon were right- maybe meeting more of the past could help me make sense of the future.