Ginny climbed carefully out of Marcus' window, pausing as the white shirt of her Britney Spears costume got caught on the interior side of the frame. As she freed it, she looked back at Marcus who gazed thoughtfully at her from his seat on his bed.

'Good night,' she whispered, eyes bright and breath thin. Her heart was still pounding from a feverish kissing session that Ginny had not wanted to end. She'd pulled him onto his bed, skin flushed and lips parted, suddenly ready again and over-willing to have Marcus inside her. She'd pushed away her horrid thoughts of race and identity, preferring to delight in the feeling of wrapping her legs around Marcus' hips and bringing him closer, abruptly aware of how intimate her skirt allowed them to be. They had given in, with moments of keen movement and longing, hands gently brushing over skin and mouths uttering gasped desires. But he had eventually pulled away, murmuring about how he had to check in on Max.

He responded to her whisper from the window with a mildly ironic salute. He may have been trying to look unbothered, but Ginny's eyes lingered on the way his torso rose and fell with more heave than usual and the frustration knitting his eyebrows together.

Ginny smiled brightly at him.

'Soon,' she promised, and started backing down the trellis.

Marcus rushed over to the window and stole another kiss from her, hands pulling at the back of her neck.

'Don't do that,' Ginny said, inhaling wistfully.

Marcus frowned in concern.

'It makes it harder to leave. And also I really don't want to fall.'

Marcus' eyes softened, and she resented him just a little bit for the knots it gave her stomach.

'So don't leave. Stay tonight. It won't take long to check on Max.'

'We made a mess of things enough the first time. Frankly, I'm glad you brought up Max because I was...' she raised her eyebrows and exhaled sharply, '...completely ready to go again. But I don't want your mind to be anywhere else. And I probably shouldn't have been crying literally five minutes before.'

Marcus nodded.

'I also would really like you to not immediately leave the bed,' Ginny deadpanned, eyes daggered. Marcus had the good sense to be abashed.

'Yeah,' he agreed. 'Those are all fair points. The first time kinda sucked, didn't it.' He watched her reaction.

Ginny considered her words.

'Sucked is not the word I would have used.'

Marcus looked at her expectantly.

'Misguided?' Ginny offered politely.

'Tragic?' Marcus countered, eyebrows furrowed in seriousness, but his tone was playful.

'A Series of Unfortunate Events?'

Marcus laughed at that one.

'Borderline problematic because you climbed through my window without permission?' Ginny continued. 'Which, by the way, can you message me before you do that? A courtesy "I'm about to enter your home and don't know how to use doors" text would be appreciated.'

Marcus pulled a guilty face, looking to the side.

'Yeah, sorry about that.'

'All three times?' Ginny prompted.

'Yes. Sorry. You're right. It is very, very weird that I came through your window.' He paused. 'Was it...just a little bit romantic and sexy though?'

'Not at all,' Ginny said firmly. 'And you should not take the fact that I had sex with you as an indication that it was. In fact, that definitely happened in spite of your window climbing. Please text me if you feel the overwhelming desire to scale my house from now on.'

Marcus nodded, looking contrite, and murmured sorry at the window sill. Ginny watched him measuredly, and gave him a firm kiss, and felt a surge of pride as she saw that fire ignite in his eyes.

'You're forgiven.'

They kissed goodbye and Ginny climbed away before her body convinced her to stay.

'Ginny,' Marcus whisper-yelled when she reached the ground and threw her blonde wig down. She caught it, gave Marcus one of his own signature salutes and walked back to her house. At least she had a positive memory coming out from this costume now. She mentally tightened the lid on the thoughts of crisis that Marcus had been able to help her put away. Without that feeling that Marcus gave her, that sensation that he saw her in a way no one else did, those thoughts grew stronger in her mind and gnawed at Ginny.

o
o - o
o - o - o
o - o
o

Wig in hand, Ginny walked through her front door.

'Ginny, you're here,' said Georgia, seated on the armchair uncomfortably with Austin beside her on the ottoman. There were two people on the couch. Ginny couldn't place them from the backs of their heads. She walked further in, and recognised with confusion and surprise the lady with long, stringy blonde hair that she'd degraded as trashy and her small kid that she had served at Blue Farm not too long ago. Having never expected to see them ever again in her life, let alone in her house, Ginny was stumped at what to do.

'Hi?' she said uncertainly.

Georgia sighed.

'Meet your cousin Caleb and your aunt Maddie.' She said it with hesitation and resentment.

'Hi, Virginia,' said aunt Maddie, while cousin Caleb smiled at Ginny.

Ginny took a brief moment.

'No,' she said. 'Nope, I'm not doing this.' And she walked swiftly out the room.

Georgia sighed.

She sighed? Georgia just dropped a giant bomb on Ginny, and she's sighing?

Very suddenly, Ginny decided – actually, she would do this – and marched right back in there, anger boiling over.

'You said – you said you didn't have any family. You said your parents were dead, you said it was just the three of us!' She stared at Georgia in accusation.

'Hm. Our parents are not dead,' said Maddie awkwardly, sucking in air through her teeth. There was a pause of silence. 'Well, we'll give y'all a minute.' She rose up off the couch, heading out the room. 'Caleb?' Ginny's new cousin followed her new aunt.

'What, and I cannot stress this enough, the absolute -'

'I'm sorry, okay?' Georgia interrupted, standing up. 'I should have told you,'

'You think? Why are they here?' Ginny spat.

'I don't know. I haven't seen my sister in over a decade. They're gonna stay tonight and we're gonna figure it out tomorrow.'

'They're gonna stay here with us?' Ginny stared at her mother in complete disbelief.

'I like them,' Austin piped up.

'Shut up, Austin!'

Ginny knew he was too small to understand the severity of what was happening. To Austin, he had just gained two family members. To Ginny, she had just lost her mother.

'Hey!' Georgia reprimanded. 'That's not how you talk to your brother.'

'Yeah? How am I supposed to talk to my brother? Do I not speak about him for 15 years and pretend he doesn't exist?'

'Ginny!'

But Ginny was too angry. She couldn't feel bad about yelling at Austin, and she wasn't paying attention to the lines of worry etched on her mother's face. Maybe it was the hard day with an identity crisis, or perhaps the fact that her mother had lied to her for 15 years was simply enough, but Ginny's fury swept across her like lava. She wished she wasn't wearing this stupid costume, and felt humiliated to be having this particular conversation dressed as a pop idol.

'You know what?' Ginny threw the wig in her hand on the ground. 'I was an idiot 'cause I believed you when you said this place was different. But I shouldn't believe a word that comes out of your mouth. God, who are you?'

'I am still your mom.'

'Are you? Because my mom is an only child. You – you're some weird, secret-keeping trash. You can't just lie to me, to us! It's not enough that you move us from town to town to town. Now we've got secret family members?'

Georgia's face was one of shock, as Ginny's tirade kept going. She couldn't stop, the hate and vitriol flowed freely.

'How am I supposed to live with you? How am I meant to talk to you? How am I supposed to trust you? You just lie, and you move, and lie and move and we're just stuck following you. Don't you care what that does to us?'

Georgia made to open her mouth, but Ginny let out a guttural scream of frustration and stomped to the front door.

'Where are you going?' Georgia yelled.

'Anywhere but fucking here,' Ginny muttered, and she slammed the door behind her as hard as she could. She wouldn't stay in that house tonight if you paid her. That house? With that random woman and her kid? With a mom she suddenly couldn't trust? No way. Not when she had another option.

She was storming across the road and halfway up the trellis to Marcus' room before she remembered their conversation from before. She held awkwardly to the wall and removed her phone from her skirt pocket, typing a quick one-handed message.

G: Can I come back over?

M: Sure. I'm still up

It wouldn't do if Ginny had told Marcus off for climbing through people's windows without permission if she turned around and did the same barely ten minutes later. She finished the climb to his window and knocked on the glass quietly.

A bemused Marcus opened it a few moments later.

'Um, how fast do you move? Because I only just got your text.'

He helped pull her in. As Ginny's feet landed on solid ground, the shock of the argument with her mother began to fade and it revealed the pit of sadness and betrayal beneath it. There are some things that you should just be able to count on, Ginny thought, and your mother's family situation as she'd advised it to you was one of them. What else had she lied about? Her whole life suddenly looked made up, fabricated by the whims of her mother and whatever details she chose to embellish or omit.

Ginny took off her shoes and her Britney socks and cardigan. She slid without a word into Marcus' bed and let out a forceful sigh. She rolled onto her side and looked back at him glumly. The confusion worn on his face didn't stop him from sliding into bed next to her. He pulled her close, and Ginny was too sad to enjoy the swoop in her belly as he placed his arm around her side.

'What's wrong?' he whispered.

'I just...I needed something...stable,' she said finally.

'And you picked me?' he joked.

'I picked this feeling.'

She placed a hand on his forearm and squeezed, arching her body into his. She latched onto that spark that existed between the two of them, she focused on it, drew in that little bit of light and breathed it into her lungs. Behind her, Marcus' breath hitched and he leaned forward to kiss her neck in response.

Ginny knew she couldn't get carried away. Marcus was growing distracted from her obvious distress, and she had to admit she was too. But she wouldn't let their second time be sullied by her mom's revelation.

'Can I stay here tonight? I just can't be in that house.'

'Yeah.'

He didn't ask any more questions, which Ginny appreciated. They lapsed into comfortable silence, one of Marcus' thumbs stroking her stomach. The rhythm of his thumb soothed her thoughts, and she sank deeply into the security of his touch, the roar of her worries quieting. Marcus placed a kiss on the side of her head, warmth blossoming out across the point he touched. Slowly, she fell asleep, the cares drifting away and all replaced with comfort and closeness until she had the strength to deal with them tomorrow.

o
o - o
o - o - o
o - o
o

'Marcus! What? Wh- what is happening? Oh my god, get up! I can't believe you! What is wrong with you? Who is that?'

Ginny woke abruptly to the shocked yells of Ellen.

Oh.

Oh, no.

Ginny had not thought this through.

Ginny was on her side facing Marcus, face nuzzled into his chest, one of his arms still wrapped protectively across her. Ginny looked up at him – he was also turned on his side towards her, hair flopped all over his features. Apparently he was a heavy sleeper, he hadn't stirred at all.

'Ginny?' Ellen continued, and the bed covers were ripped back abruptly, shocking Ginny's system with cool air. Ellen strode around the other side of the bed and glared at Ginny from over Marcus' back.

'Um.'

Marcus groaned, looking over his shoulder at Ellen blearily, and pulled Ginny in more tightly. Ellen's narrowed eyes latched onto him. Ginny's eyes went wide – what exactly were her next steps here?

'Mom, it's too early.'

'Oh, it is not too early for the absolute pain I am going to rain down on you, Marcus. You are grounded, you are punished. You – are in so – much – trouble!'

'Mom, Ginny had a hard night, please.'

Ellen glanced at Ginny. She seemed to notice that they were fully clothed, and the wind flew out of her sails. Just a little. Ellen went over and closed Marcus' bedroom door. She stormed back over and stared at them. Okay, plenty of wind in those sails still.

'You two have five minutes to give me even one explanation.'

Marcus looked down at Ginny. Ginny awkwardly sat up, allowing Marcus' arm to fall to his side. Ginny was suddenly very conscious of the fact that she hadn't brushed her teeth last night.

'Can I go to the bathroom?' she asked, feeling like she was in school. 'Could I borrow a toothbrush?'

Ellen stared at her.

'There's a pack under the sink.'

Ginny shuffled off Marcus' bed and ducked quickly into the bathroom. She glanced at Max's door – still shut. Good.

After brushing her teeth and wiping her face with water, Ginny went back. Marcus had sat up and was gazing disinterestedly at his legs while Ellen paced.

'Okay, Ginny. What's happening?' Ellen put her hands on her hips.

Ginny blushed. She hadn't even told Marcus, and now she was telling his mom.

'Something weird happened last night when I went home,' she started.

Ellen raised an eyebrow, and Marcus looked up at her.

'Uh, I found out that my mom has been lying to me my whole life. She's always said she didn't have any siblings and that her parents were dead.'

Ellen and Marcus shared similar faces of surprise at where the conversation was going.

'I walked in the door last night,' Ginny's voice began to rise as the anger bubbled up again at the sheer audacity of her mother, 'and found out that I actually have an aunt and a cousin, and mom's parents aren't dead, and my aunt and cousin are here? And they're apparently staying in our house? And Mom just wanted me to be fine with that, like it doesn't throw my entire life, my entire existence into question.' Ginny's rant ended with a choked sob.

Ellen did not seem to know what to do with that.

'I didn't feel comfortable anymore,' Ginny continued, placing one hand on her opposite elbow, looking at the ground. 'I'd just been here, so I came back.'

'Okay,' said Ellen with consideration. 'But why are you in Marcus' bed? Why not Max's? And why were you cuddling?'

Ginny wasn't ready to provide an answer. What good reason was there in Ellen's mind to sleep in her teenage son's room? She glanced at Marcus, who met her gaze in similar concern. What possible explanation was there for finding them so close, even if they managed to explain her presence in his bed?

Looking back at Ellen, Ginny realised she didn't really need to answer. The knowledge was there in Ellen's face, she was just waiting for them to admit it, like a chess master who'd planned 16 moves ahead to lure you into checkmate. Ginny looked back at Marcus.

'Uh…'

'We're sort of...seeing each other,' Marcus finally murmured.

Ellen raised her hands to the sky in frustration.

'And you think it's appropriate to be sharing a bed, do you? You're fifteen, Marcus!'

'We didn't do anything!' he defended hotly.

'That's true,' Ginny said. 'I promise, we didn't have sex. I was upset, we just cuddled.'

Ellen flicked her eyes between the two of them, seeking out any hint of mistruth.

'And have you had sex at all?'

Marcus pulled a face of disgust.

'Ugh, Mom.'

'Oh ho mister. If you're old enough to have girls in your bed, you're old enough to hear your mom say the word sex. Sex. Sex, sex, sex!' She aggressively signed sex at Marcus, and Ginny's eyes widened at the display. 'How long has this been going on?' She indicated an accusatory finger between them.

'Since around battle of the bands,' Ginny said quietly.

'And you haven't had sex?' Ellen asked again.

'No,' Ginny said.

It was technically true. They had indeed not had sex since battle of the bands. Marcus gave Ginny a side glance, and hid his smile.

Ellen leaned away from them, and exhaled greatly. Her shoulders finally relaxed, and it looked like the storm was over.

'Well, Ginny, if you're okay now I think you should head home and talk to your mom. You won't find any of the answers to your questions in my son's bed.'

Ah, the mom tone-of-dismissal.

Ginny stood awkwardly and picked up her clothes, haphazardly pulling on her shoes. She and Marcus shared only a look of goodbye as Ginny backed out of the room, unable to do anything more. Ginny saw that Max's door was still shut, and then bolted.

Ellen was right, Ginny did want answers. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she looked across the road at her front door. She was sure as hell going to get them.

'