Grandpa stayed the rest of the day with me and after the doctor checked me over again, he ordered food to be delivered to my room. I picked at the plain sandwich he ordered and managed a couple of sips of the chicken soup.
"Okay kiddo, what are we going to do?" he asked me after watching me fiddle with my food for a little while.
"About?" I asked.
"Well, I don't think you're up to discussing the Board report that Leah distributed yesterday, so how about we talk about what is going on at St. Joseph's? What's going on with you?" he offered and sat back in the dining chair, raising his eyebrow in question and waiting for a response from me.
I didn't respond for a little while, not because I didn't want to, but more because I had no idea where to start really.
"It's just, I mean, I think...." I sighed before sitting up straighter. "It's like being here at St Joseph's, everything is so intense. I can't figure out what is real and what is a result of being here. Does that make sense?" I ask as I sit back on the chair.
Grandpa waved his hand, "Explain it better..."
"Well, to me, it feels like I can't trust my feelings. I have never been that awesome around people my age and don't have many friends and now I am thrust into living with lots of people my age, that all have big emotions and even bigger personalities and I am getting caught up in drama that I have no place getting involved in. But now I have those big emotions. It's like I know I shouldn't but I can't stop being involved either," I stop fiddling with the crust of my sandwich and look up at Grandpa.
"It sort of makes sense Gin. Part of St Joseph's appeal is that you are all living on campus, parent interaction is restricted and they allow you the freedom that you are not given in a normal environment. There is a lot of supervision, but it is from afar. Academic wise, they strive for excellence but they are also trying to teach you resilience, persistence, the importance of being prepared. Socially, the need to adapt is important but so is the reliance on yourself. The only person to decide who and what is important in your life is you. You will always find people that challenge you to be better, but there are also those people who take a little bit of your soul for their intents, whether that is good or bad, you just need to decide if that works for you," he says before standing.
"You know, we trust you implicitly. I think the issue is you don't trust yourself. And only you can decide who deserves that part of you. Maybe what I said about fate was wrong Gin, in our phone call. If something causes you so much pain, it is not a good thing. It might be time to let the past be the past, and just move on," he walks over before leaning down to give me a kiss on the head. "Get some rest, Gin, you need to be back in peak performance sooner, rather than later. Do what you want just for you for a change my dear. I still think you should consider coming home Ginny, although I know how determined and stubborn you can be. Just promise me, if you change your mind, you come straight home. Me however, I do need to get back to Grandma Regina, I'll call you when I get there. Be safe my girl," he turns and I jump up to follow him to the door. Admittedly, it is a very slow jump up, and the room spins slightly but the Doctor confirms that there will be a residual effect from last night.
Grandpa gives me a giant hug at the door, then leaves me, his wise words spinning around in my head. Without second guessing what is right and wrong, I grab my phone and text Hartley asking her to come over.
I am climbing out of my second shower for the morning, when I hear the buzzer and I wrap myself up in my fluffy robe, before making my way to the door.
"Hurry up Gin! I'm balancing a mountain of shit here!" Hartley yells and I swing the door open to her. I can barely see her over all the snacks she has in her arms.
"I bought us ice-cream, chips, chocolate. Flowers for you, cause you still look like shit, and some coffee. Hurry up and get changed, I'll meet you in the lounge room. Like you said, it's time you tell me those secrets of yours. Chop-chop Ginny!" she laughs as she dumps all the food on my kitchen counter before turning her back on me.
I make my way back to her and she is snuggled under the fluffy blanket on the sectional sofa. She is flicking through Netflix looking for something to watch, when I wander back into her. She points to the opposite side of the sofa and the piles of pillows arranged in the corner, and then she points to the mountain of food she has set up on the table in front of us.
"Okay. I know you are okay, we were all there when the Doctor came out. We all got a stack of advice about how to look after yourself and what to do if you or a friend has been spiked. So let's get the low down on the rest of the shit we need to speak about Gin, your words, not mine!" she smirks into her coffee before putting it down and grabbing a cookie from the plate she has laid out.
I look at her carefully before growling out loud.
"Hunter is my lost best friend, my neighbour," I blurt out and offer a grimace, hoping it will help diffuse her hurt at me not telling her sooner.
"Are you fucking serious?" she screams back at me, throwing half an eaten cookie at my head. "It explains everything. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she laughs.
I am not sure if it is from the cookie hitting me in the forehead, or the relief I feel at her response but I burst into tears. Within moments I feel Hartley pulling me into a big best friend cuddle.
"Why didn't you tell me Gin? It really explains so much. You guys, have like this crazy, weird pull, I can see it, I think everyone can, but then he is just so angry," she murmurs into my hair as I stay hidden in her cuddle.
I pull myself out of her arms and look at her, "Are you shitty with me that I didn't tell you sooner?"
"Nah, Ginny, I figured I would be the first to know as soon as you were ready. You have always had your secrets, I'm okay with that. Besides, you are telling me now. It really does explain why you have been so frazzled and stressed lately," she says softly.
"Thanks Hartley. I love you so much," I reply to her, before untangling myself from her and the quilt. I settle back into the corner of the lounge, "it gets better than that Harts. Man, it gets complicated," I whisper before I spend the rest of the afternoon going over everything that has happened between Hunter and I since I drove through the front gates of St Joseph’s.
After a run down, which sees me crying, laughing and struggling to understand what to expect next, Hartley sits next to me, sometimes cuddling me, other times hitting me with the pillow that sits between us. It feels like hours later that I finish my Hunter rundown, but I feel so much lighter inside too.
“So, um, Ginny, I have to tell you something,” she gets up and walks into my bedroom for a minute. I am so confused, I start to get up to follow her, but get caught in the blanket. She comes back holding a box of tissues. I immediately feel sick.
“You know Ginny, that Hunter left St Joseph’s this morning?” she whispers as she starts moving towards me, the tissues extended in her hand.
“What? What do you mean Hunter left? When did this happen?” I say back, so damn confused. There is no way Hunter will leave here, he lives and breathes St Joseph’s, besides which he will tell me. He will rub it in my face, I am sure of it. He won’t just go.
“I am not sure what happened, but he wouldn't let anyone into your suite last night. Not even me. He was freaking crazy angry. We went and saw the Dean, Ginny. We were so worried. But apparently your Grandpa and Hunter agreed. He stayed with you until your Grandfather arrived. Then they were together inside your suite for about thirty minutes, before Hunter stormed out of here, slamming doors. He had Dom up against a wall, screaming in his face before he just walked away,” Hartley finishes before looking at me, waiting for a response.
It takes me a while to answer her, “Why?” is all I can ask. Before she can answer me, I get up quickly, rushing to my room, searching for my mobile phone. I finally find it charging on my bedside table. I hear Hartley shuffling behind me, but she waits at the door when she hears my Grandpa’s voice.
