The Abandoned Greenhouse

Chapter 1

Ginny traced the scratch Katy's cat had left on her hand. The late summer sun shone high in the sky, warming her skin. It was a fantastic morning, but she felt hollow. "We're over," That's how Katy had ended their six-month relationship. Ginny knew it wasn't a lot, since they had spent the last three months apart. Still, it was enough for a couple of twelve-year-old girls. Katy had been her first love, her first kiss on the cheek, her first handholding. Was she going to be able to come back from that? Ginny knew the answer was yes. That only made it hurt more. She was going to end up forgetting Katy, and that was the last thing she wanted.

Ginny sighed as sad music blared through her earphones. She had been listening to the same three songs on repeat for the last two hours and a half. That was when they started the car journey to her grandparents' house.

Ginny looked to her left. Her brother Arthur slept, leaning on the car's door. Sometimes she felt things were easier when she was his age. Even if it was only a two-year difference, ten-year-olds had nothing to worry about, not like her.

Her parents should have let her go to the summer camp as Katy had done. That way Katy wouldn't have broken up with her. And now they had to move into their grandma's house.

As the best part of the song came again, Ginny turned up the volume until her ears hurt. She could still hear the anime Lance, her youngest brother, was watching. He didn't like how headphones felt in his ears, and he refused to wear them.

In the shotgun seat sat her father with their cat Coffee asleep on his legs. The poor cat was the one that had got it worse in the fire. He had bandages wrapped around his legs and a cone around his neck. Poor Coffee.

From where Ginny sat, she could only see her dad's incipient baldness. Arthur always tormented him about it. Her father turned towards her. His lips moved. 'Ginny,' they read. Ginny ignored him. He tapped her leg, trying to get her attention. Ginny took out her earphones.

"Hey there Ladybug, is there a problem?" asked her father, rubbing her leg in a comforting manner.

"No," she lied.

She hadn't told them about her relationship with Katy. She didn't know why, but she shuddered when she thought about doing it. Besides, Katy had told her to keep it a secret. Now everything was getting more complicated by the minute.

"Ginny, something has happened. Tell us what it is, so we can help you," said her mother.

Ginny wiggled in her seat. She had never been good at lying; her mom could always tell. Ginny was grateful that her mother was the one driving the car.

"Nothing has happened. It's just... Why couldn't I go to Summer camp with Katy?" she murmured under her breath. Lance looked at her, arching a brow. Her face flushed. She couldn't talk about it here, not where the boys could hear.

"Guinevere, dear," said her father without stopping his soothing movements on her leg.

He didn't sound angry, only... pitiful. Her mother didn't seem to mind what she said, though she did look a little bit conflicted.

"Ginny, I already told you. Katy went to a special camp. You wouldn't have had fun there," said her mother.

"I know where I have fun better than you do," Ginny muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" asked her mother, daring Ginny to reply.

"I should be able to choose, not you!" She took the bait.

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" her father scolded her.

Ginny pressed her lips together. She couldn't pout. It was childish. She wasn't a child anymore. She put on the earphones and changed the song. She didn't feel sad anymore. Only rage filled her now. Her mother said something she couldn't hear. Her father answered. Tired, Ginny closed her eyes, not wanting to partake in the discussion anymore.

The song hadn't even finished before Ginny started to feel something in her stomach. She opened her eyes. She had gotten car sick. She tried opening her eyes to see if it would stop...it didn't. Her throat burned with the familiar feeling of vomit. She felt the bile tickling her throat:

"Mom, I've got to puke."

Her father opened his eyes, alarmed. She had inherited his weak stomach.

"Darcie, you gotta stop," he asked her mother "There, right there, stop," He added as his hand reached for the wheel.

Her mother turned the steering wheel. Arthur's body fell on top of Ginny. Ginny crushed Lance. He screamed at her. The vehicle stopped. Ginny pushed her brothers and jumped out of the car. She puked.

Her father came behind her and held her hair. Coffee came next to her leg.

"What is happening?" asked Lance

"Nothing. Go back to your movie," said her mother getting out of the car.

Ginny couldn't breathe. Tears streamed down her face. Her mother's hand held Ginny's hair, replacing her father's, who went away.

"Sweetie, what is happening to you? You've got to tell us."

Her stomach was empty now, and she sobbed hugging her mother.

"Look, it will only be for a few months until we have another house. You saw how the house looked. You need to be strong and take care of your brothers, okay? Will you do that for us?"

Ginny nodded, burying her face in the cat fur. Darcie hugged her daughter. Ginny hugged Coffee. The vomit on Ginny's face was the least of their worries.

It wasn't unusual for Ginny to cry. Her mother used to tell her she was a crybaby when she was little, but it had been a while since that. Maybe it had to do with the death of her grandfather. That night was the first time she had seen him in months. It wasn't the best night for a reunion. Maybe it had something to do with the fire itself. She still remembered the smell of smoke coming from the electrical unit. Sometimes, at night, she could hear the fire crackling. Maybe it had to do with Katy. She was mad at Ginny for not going to summer camp. She was going to lose her only friend.

Something poked her head. She raised her eyes, detangling from her mother's embrace. Her father had returned with a bottle of water. Ginny grabbed it and rinsed her mouth.

"I've got something for you," said her father, holding something behind his back. "Guess what it is."

"Chocolate?"

"No, but if you want, we can get some," Ginny shook her head as he set a bag in her hands. "They're books. So you don't get bored until we install the Wi-Fi."

Inside the bag, there were two thin books. One had a man and a woman kissing on the cover. The title said, Romeo and Juliet. The other said A Midsummer's Night Dream and featured a beautiful cover with some fairies in it. They seemed to be adaptations of the plays. She had heard about Shakespeare but had never actually read any of his plays. Ginny looked at them, then at her parents. Her heart felt lighter than a few minutes ago.

"Thank you," She said, sniffling.

"Now, don't read them in the car. We don't want this to happen again," said her mother.

Ginny gave a little chuckle and nodded before everyone got back into the car and drove away. She put on her earphones. Her music of choice now was happier than before. She looked out of the window towards the hills of the Irish countryside. Sometimes, between them, she could see the sea.