The Trampled Rose

Chapter 1: A wee problem 28th February 1996

The moment he arrived at the house before school that morning, Erin had a wee problem. A wee problem that she couldn't tell anyone about. Especially James. A wee problem that threatened to ruin her day at school.

It became worse on the bus. Every school day since they'd become a couple, they would sit on their own row behind the other three. But this time, they were joined by Orla who Erin purposefully moved between them. James never said a word about it, Orla was Erin's cousin after all and sometimes he would have to play second fiddle to her family. That didn't stop Michelle eyeing Erin suspiciously a couple of times on the journey, giving James a look to notify him of her confusion when it came to Erin too. He didn't react to it, so Michelle backed off, but the moment Erin went to the loo when they got to school, she decided to find out from him what was going on.

"You two fallen out?" She asked her cousin.

"No. Why?" He responded.

"Seriously?!" Michelle threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Why isn't she making me want to boke this morning? Why aren't the two of ye all over each other like ye usually are".

"We're not always…".

"You are James". Clare interjected stoutly.

"See even Clare agrees. I don't like it when Erin starts acting up, she's fuckin' unbearable".

James rolled his eyes at Michelle's comment about Erin, quickly changing the topic of discussion away from her.

"Did Joe say anything about our horse Orla?"

"Ach yeah! I meant to tell ye James!" Orla's mind suddenly clicked back into gear away from the dreamland she'd been in for minutes. "Frankie said he'll be fine to race at Enniskillen on Saturday".

"Nice!" James beamed.

"And they've got my license sorted so they have so I'm riding him!"

James stepped forward and hugged the delighted Orla, who appreciated the gesture and wrapped her arms around him. Michelle and Clare soon joined in, recognising how much being able to ride the horse in its first race meant to Orla. Since the day they first went down to the stables and discovered Orla's talent, she'd developed an unbreakable bond with 'The Wee English Fella'. The past two weekends, Joe took Orla down to the stables first thing and she worked the horse out on both days. Sarah allowed her to miss church to be able to focus on the riding and gradually the horse riding overtook her passion for Step Aerobics. In the week, the stable jockey Paul worked the horse, who'd finally allowed him on board since being tamed by Orla. His report on the horse was glowing and considering his early frustration and dismissal of the chestnut, he believed they had a very talented horse on their hands. The first race at Enniskillen that afternoon was a maiden event for four-year-old horses and the three mile course would be a tough test for the raw thoroughbred. But Paul was confident he could win, and James's excitement grew on hearing it.

"I'm buzzin!" Orla shouted when they broke apart.

"We're all coming to see ye for sure". Clare grinned.

"Ehm".

Michelle didn't like having to break the bad news but there was no way she was going to a muddy field full of horse shit on Saturday. She was meeting up with Danny on Saturday night and couldn't risk any delays in getting back because this time it was going to be special. When she'd last seen Danny on Sunday afternoon, he'd promised her they'd be taking their relationship to the next level. He had the house to himself Saturday night and the devilish wink he gave Michelle told her exactly what they would be up to. She was still happy for Orla but not happy enough to miss getting off with her fella.

"You can't miss it Michelle!" James remarked.

"Aye I want ye there!". Orla mumbled the demand.

"I'm sorry Orla alright! I've already got plans with Danny on Saturday".

Unable to handle being cast aside in favour of Michelle's lustful desire, Orla stormed off in a huff and Clare gave Michelle a frightfully stern look before setting off after her. Michelle shouted at them both to grow up but was soon set upon by James, unable to stop him from letting fly at her.

"What sort of a friend are you Michelle hmm! If me and Erin had plans, we'd cancel them for Orla, you know how much this means to her!"

"Fuck off dicko! I bet you wouldn't have said that on Valentine's morning". She countered.

"I would actually. And Erin would too. Our friendship means far more than sex Michelle, why can't you tell Danny that something else has come up… if he loves you that much he'll understand".

Michelle did not care for his tone at all when he mentioned her boyfriend. There was a veiled disdain within his voice, and she was fed up with her friends judging Danny because he was a Scanlon, and the family had a reputation. The latest comment was a bridge too far and she opened her palm and slapped him with all of her strength. The clap resonated down the corridor and students looked up from where they were chatting in groups to see what was going on. Not wishing for the attention, Michelle was the latest of the group to storm off, in the same direction as Orla and Clare had a minute before. It left James alone, albeit not for long as Erin reappeared from the loo and frowned on seeing only James outside and rubbing his cheek.

"Where is everybody". Erin nervously enquired, her eyes focusing on his cheek.

"Michelle's being even more a dick than normal. She's upset Orla because she's not coming to the race with us and then when I tried to change her mind…". He removed his hand to reveal the red mark. "… yeah".

"Oh. Right… ye".

For the first time that morning, he considered Michelle's point about Erin's behaviour may have some validity in it. Normally she'd fly off the handle herself when Michelle had upset Orla or Clare, but her answer was incredibly distant and almost… uncaring. It was as if Erin was in the dreamland Orla normally occupied.

"Is everything ok Erin?"

For half a second Erin considered telling him there and then, just getting it out of the way and seeing his reaction. But the school corridor wasn't the place for him to find out what really ailed her and instead she deflected her feelings.

"I'll… later James. We best go and paper over the little crack Michelle's made".


Erin's behaviour was no better throughout the day. Michelle's patience with her waned as the day went on and she was very close to making a real scene about it at lunchtime. She hadn't seen Erin holding James's hand at all that day, other than a few brief seconds before they first boarded the bus that morning. It was clear that he was just as clueless as Michelle when it came to understanding it, but being the polite English prick that he was, he'd not said anything more to Erin. Orla, busy with her own thoughts about the big race on Saturday, didn't seem to notice anything and focused all her energy on telling everyone in the school about it. She made a particular effort to inform Sister Michael, who made an equally valiant attempt to get her to go away in return. Sister Michael would never consider herself a fan of sport although she knew how to read horse racing form from her youth. Gambling might have been considered a sin, but it didn't stop her having a bet whenever one of the teachers would go to the bookies.

French was the final lesson of the day, but it was a disjointed lesson that day to say the least. Sister Kathleen was no longer employed at Our Lady Immaculate after a situation which not even Sister Michael saw coming. The Cops conducted a raid of her home and discovered an arsenal of illegal weaponry and provisions, linking her to a group of Provo's that conducted an attack that left an officer seriously injured a few weeks before. The initial reaction was laughter because nobody believed than a nun would be involved in such illegalities, yet when they announced she'd confessed to supplying the group, there was genuine disbelief from the whole city. Apart for Michelle, who still found it hilarious that the nun that taught them French would be the same woman arming Provo's to kill cops. Mr Flanagan was having to take the lesson whilst they searched for a new French teacher and he knew less French than most of the students… which made the lesson extremely difficult. But to his credit, Mr Flanagan settled the class and got them working on copying out of the textbooks; boring but effective in keeping them quiet. Though one student was finding it a challenge.

Erin Quinn

From the moment she'd sat down in between Michelle and James, Erin fidgeted relentlessly, whether it be with her hands on the desk or on her lap. All of the gang, sans the distracted Orla, grew in concern for whatever was causing her erratic mood. Michelle and Clare exchanged knowing looks a couple of minutes into the lesson when Erin barely spoke to answer her name when the register was called out. Michelle presumed Mr Flanagan would have noticed too, despite having to focus on sorting the unfamiliar lesson out, and that presumption was correct when he eyed the group suspiciously upon noting Erin's fidgeting.

"Psst". Michelle tried to get her friend's attention. "Oi"

Erin looked to her right sheepishly and looking as pale as she did, Michelle wondered if she'd seen a ghost. Aunt Bridie's corpse held more colour than Erin.

"The fuck's the matter with ye". Michelle whispered. "You've been acting fuckin' loco all day and it's getting on me tits".

Luckily, they were sat right at the back of the classroom and slightly distant from the rest of the class, which meant no one could hear their whispering. Other than James, who tried to pretend he wasn't listening in but his own fears over Erin's behaviour meant he couldn't do anything but listen.

"I'm fine". Erin quietly hissed back.

"Yer a shit liar is what ye are! I mean it, what's yer problem Erin?"

"Leave it will ye Michelle!" Her voice carried far more upset in it on the second reply.

That is when it hit Michelle. The way Erin withdrew herself from almost every conversation… how she would keep disappearing off to the toilet that day… avoiding being anywhere near the English prick… THAT DIRTY ENGLISH BASTARD!

"Oh my g-"

"Is everything alright at the back there?"

Mr Flanagan stopped Michelle's realisations being put to Erin and her friend didn't waste the opportunity to cease any further questions.

"Can I go the loo please Mr Flanagan?" Erin requested his permission.

"Of course Miss Quinn".

Michelle frowned in curiosity at the teacher. Since the start of the year, the teachers were enforcing a new rule in which students couldn't go to the loo in lesson without a note from the teacher, yet Mr Flanagan, one of the primary enforcers of the rule, was letting Erin out without so much as a thought. He was very fond of them, that she knew, but he could get into serious trouble if Sister Michael found him not to be applying the rule. Did he know something they didn't? Had Erin confined in the teacher and not her friends?

"Miss Mallon".

Mr Flanagan beckoned her forward the second that the big wooden door shut behind Erin and Michelle almost ran to the front of the class. The students were all looking up from their textbooks, most equally wondering why Mr Flanagan let her out like that. James was increasingly concerned for Erin and wondered whether he should be going after her but if she genuinely needed the toilet then it would be very embarrassing for him to do so. Not wanting to seem controlling, he backed off and tried to concentrate on the work.

"Go and find out what's wrong with her". Mr Flanagan whispered when Michelle was close enough, quiet enough for the other students not to hear.

Michelle nodded and bolted out of the classroom, setting off in the direction of the nearest set of toilets to them. She soon caught up with Erin, who looked back to see Michelle and increased her pace. Both knew what the other was doing but Michelle wasn't going to let Erin get into her bathroom sanctuary.

"Oi, no you don't".

She practically bounced Erin into the toilets, the two of them nearly falling over as Erin's legs went to jelly. Erin froze on the spot in front of the cubicles, Michelle systematically checking each one to make sure they were empty before turning back and beginning her rant.

"You better tell me what the hell is going on Erin! If this is what I think it is then I'm gunna go fuckin' beserk bec-"

"Stop shouting at me!" Erin fought back.

"Not fucking likely! Ye think this is bad, you've got another thing comin' when ye tell yer ma and Joe!"

"I'm not telling them!" Erin's face burned brightly as she hissed.

"Ye can't not tell them yer pregnant Erin!"

"WHAT!"

Erin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Why the hell did Michelle think she was pregnant? She wasn't pregnant, far from it…

"I'm not pregnant Michelle!"

"But what about all the loo visits and the secrecy?!"

"I'm not fecking pregnant! I'm just…". Erin dropped to a whisper. "Horny… really… really horny…"

Michelle's face in the proceeding seconds was akin to that of the one a person would make if they forced to bite down straight into a lemon and then hold it there. Erin's shouting was the citrus substitute but the impact on Michelle remained sour. She really… really… didn't need to know that!

"ACH CHRIST! That's fuckin' mingin'"

"Well ye kept askin!" Erin sneered.

"Not for ye to say that!" Michelle sneered back. "Eugh Jesus, I'm gunna fuckin' boke".

"I've been wanting to jump him since he got to the house this morning, rip that shirt off him and-".

"Oh my… fuckin' stop Erin!"

"I can't help ye cousin's irresistible! I'm… having a hard time being around him and… I keep running away because I just want to grab him and… OH CHRIST! Can we swap seats for the rest of the lesson Michelle before I lose it?!"

Erin's eyes were darting all over the place and she paced around as she spoke, throwing her arms around in the air whilst shouting and wailing. If anyone other than Michelle heard her outburst then her life would have been over and her mother would certainly kill her when the news filtered back home.

"Ye can chop my fuckin' head off if it stops ye ridin' James in the middle of French. Now come on, before Flano thinks you've died in here!"

Rushing off back to class, Erin found herself able to relax slightly now that Michelle knew the truth and wasn't presuming a pregnancy. But if Michelle thought that, she did wonder what James must be thinking…


Michelle and Erin had been gone over five minutes and James was getting worried. He was already berating himself for not asking Erin about why she was upset earlier; he wasn't showing himself to be an adequate boyfriend and it ate away at him.

Mr Flanagan stopped the group bookwork and asked them all to talk amongst themselves about what they'd learnt so far, giving James a smoke screen to confess his frustrations to the only person left in the room he could. Clare. Besides, Orla was far too interested in her lollipop to have a sensible conversation with him.

"I'm worried Clare". He turned to his left and addressed her. "Erin's been like this all day".

"Aye me too". She sighed.

"I feel stupid. I should have made more of an effort to get the truth from her earlier".

Clare reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder, giving it a hard squeeze so that he turned his head to her. She could see the mix of frustration and distress in his dark green eyes.

"It's not yer fault James. But…"

"But what?" He frowned.

For a couple of seconds, she hesitated in telling him. The rest of the class talking acted as white noise around the room and Clare could only hear James's heavy breathing, filled with anxiety. She didn't even know if what she was about to tell him made sense, from a chronological view at least, and whether it was her place to ponder it. But the strained look on the Englishman's face told her she had to say it or at least… indicate it the thought to him in some way. Taking a deep breath, Clare opted to mouth it to him instead.

Pregnant

That was an eight-letter word that scrabbled James's mind. Surely it could not be, they'd been so careful that morning and the chances were incredibly slim… but not impossible. Shit!

If that was the case, James began to prepare for the backlash from all quarters. Erin's parents and Joe… they'd put their faith and trust in him to do right by Erin and impregnating her whilst they were still at school broke that trust. And Aunt Deirdre would kill him too… and Michelle… he'd be down to Orla and Clare for allies and Orla was of little assistance when it came to real life matters. That left only Clare.

James was in a real mess. He had to speak to Erin and find out the truth… no matter how hard it might be to hear.