Erin and Michelle were walking to school on their own for once. Orla had left early to hit the sweet shop to stock up for the week and Claire hadn't shown up yet.
"Why are you acting weird Erin?"
"I'm not acting weird...no way... Jose!"
"You are you. You're making Clare look like that little fat fella? What's he called? Dead calm all the time? The wee statue fella?" replied Michelle.
"Buddha?" asked Erin.
"Aye that's him"
Erin rolled her eyes: "Well maybe it's because your mum found out about the dresses, and you know, robbing her credit card"
"Oh that"
"Oh that! THAT is just fraud Michelle!"
"Wise up will ya"
"She could have rang the police!"
"My ma's no rat. She doesn't deal with them peelers"
"No, you're just grounded for a week"
"It will be grand calm down. She'll forget about it by Wednesday"
"You definitely didn't mention my name?"
"Cool the jets. John Paul did you a favour there. I was able to bring your one back"
He'd done her another favour. Letting her see what was right in front of her all along.
They walked on in silence for a few minutes. Erin's mind drifted back to the present and she started to panic. Michelle was never this quiet. Really? What the hell? Why wasn't she speaking? Had James mentioned something?
"Where do ye get to on Saturday?"
Erin laughed. She was laughing too much. Why was she laughing?! The question wasn't even funny: "Saturday?"
"Saturday. After the prom? Where we got dunked in tomato juice for no fucking reason! We should have let Jenny Joyce get drenched. Jesus why are you being such a melt Erin?"
Shit what does she know! "I am not!"
"I just thought you might have got off with someone"
Shit shit shit: "But I smelt like a lasagna Michelle"
"Didn't stop me"
"Jesus Michelle!"
"My dress was ruined didn't mean my night wasn't going to be"
"You really thought I'd gotten off someone?" asked Erin.
"Yeah. I didn't see you leaving, and Orla said you got in after her"
"Well, she still can't tell the time so..."
"But then I was like this is Erin. Gerry Adams would get off with the Queen quicker than Erin would get off with a fella"
"Thanks a lot"
"I can't believe Orla took your Granda Joe to the Prom"
"I thought it was kind of sweet actually"
"Aye. He's not bad looking for an aul fella"
"Oh my god Michelle!"
"I'm just saying..."
"Please don't say it..."
"If I was like 30 years older."
"Oh god..."
"I would"
"Jesus"
"I mean I would ri..."
"I get the picture Michelle I'm gonna boke"
"Where did you all get to!" Claire had jumped up on them with Orla.
Michelle and Erin jumped.
"Jesus where did she come from?" asked Erin.
"Fuck knows!"
Claire exploded: "I was the one who had to deal with everything! I was the one that had to explain to Jennie Joyce! I was the one who had to apologise to her! I was the one who had to stop Mae!"
"She wrestled her to the ground" Orla had started to follow the conversation all the while chewing on the penny jellies she had just bought.
"Seriously?" asked Erin.
"Aye. It was cracker"
"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy that Claire"
"Michelle!"
"I enjoyed it!" added Orla.
"It's not funny you all ran off and left me!"
"You had wee James to help you. Knight in Shiteing Armour...you should have just blamed it on him!"
Erin blushed.
"He ran off too! I was all on my own. And I was trying not to sweat on that stupid dress".
She opened her bag and handed the dress over.
"Claire this is a mass of creases. You could have at least ironed it"
"You're lucky you're even getting it back at all Michelle!"
"Her ma knows" Erin wanted to keep the conversation focused on the dresses not what happened after.
"Sweet suffering Jesus!" exclaimed Claire.
"Aye. But I kept your names out of it"
"Thank god" Claire blessed herself in relief.
"For now!".
"Well, when we get to school, you'll have to go and apologise to Jenny Joyce".
"I suppose so," said Erin.
"No fucking way. If it wasn't for the wee Prom Queen, I wouldn't have had my dress ruined and I wouldn't have missed out on the shift"
"You told me you got off with someone"
"Yeah, only one out of the two. Doesn't count"
"Well at least try. I think she thinks we were in on it with Mae"
"Good call there Claire, you can really pick them," said Michelle.
"I didn't know she was deranged, did I?"
"You should have just went with James...actually no. Still not that desperate to choose him over the psychobitch"
Erin wanted to defend him but couldn't. She thought of him arriving at the door. The way he looked at her as she came down the stairs. Even in that Easter dress.
"Where is the little fuck wit anyway?"
Erin was back to reality: "What?"
"Where's James?"
"I don't know. How would I know? Jesus he's your cousin Michelle, can you not keep track of him yourself!"
"Seriously, no need to cack yourself! That's Claire's job. What the fuck is up with you?"
Erin panicked. The three of them were staring at her waiting for her to speak. Do they know? How could they know? They can't. Michelle would have said something before now and given her a right slagging.
"You didn't have one of them funny scones for breakfast by accident?" asked Michelle.
"No!"
"I had three!" said Orla.
"They were just normal scones Orla"
"Maybe it was the raisins, but I was buzzing"
"Just the Prom took a lot out of me that's all" said Erin.
"You getting stood up and all? Told you John Paul was a dick".
They made it to school and headed straight to assembly where they found James.
"Where the fuck were you?" asked Michelle.
"I left early. I had an essay to finish in the library"
"I didn't think you could get anymore fucking boring".
He gave Erin a quick smile before turning away. Was he avoiding her this morning? Finishing an essay? Erin was distracted by Sr Michael beginning assembly.
"I have been informed of the incident which occurred at the school formal over the weekend. Unfortunately, I wasn't there to witness it" She smirked over at Jenny.
"One student has already been suspended. And be rest assured we will find out if anyone else may have been involved. So could I see Erin Quinn, Claire Devlin, Michelle Mallon, and the wee English fella in my office straight after this. Now for prayers and if any of you lot were involved, you're going to need some intervention from Our Lord! Our Father Who Art in Heaven..."