Tempers and Teeth

Irene and Jack sat on the bridge, eating their lunch. His clothes were damp. Good thing it was sunny where they were. Jack hoped his clothes would dry a little before recess was over. The two of them sat there, quietly.

"Sorry fer pushin' ye in the creek," said Irene.

"Ah it's alright," he said with a shrug. "It was funny."

Irene smiled a little, still replaying the memory of pushing the boy off the bridge...then, that one scene: him stripping in the woods, her gazing upon the exposed flesh of the boy. Her cheeks were pink. She was quite embarrassed...and having sinful thoughts. Well, she was sixteen...and Mam and Da did tell her that she would be having these. She reminded herself to go to confession later. Jack looked over at his new friend, noticing that her head was tilted down, trying to hide the obviously pink in her cheeks.

"Are you blushing?" Jack teased.

"No, no," Irene said hurriedly.

"If I'd guess, I'm gonna say you peeked at me while I was undressed, little Miss 'I don't look upon a man's shame until he's my husband'."

"Would ye STOP teasin', ye bloody devil?!" she replied irritated, shoving him slightly. "I didn't see anythin'!"

"You bad girl," Jack chuckled, pulling her pigtail.

The Irish girl yelped as he did this, glowering at Jack with a frown. "One more trick from ye, Jackson, and I'll push ye back in the creek and hold ye under."

Knowing he was pushing her limits, he decided to stop. After all, he played tricks and teased his other friends and his sister...and yet, sometimes he didn't realize he hurt people's feelings.

"I won't," he said. "I promise. No more tricks, Irene."

Irene wasn't so sure she could trust this devil: how his eyes glittered with impishness, his crooked smile, how he had a tendency to tease and play tricks. For now, she had to take his word for it.

"So...what is this Emerald Isle? How far away is it?" he asked as he bit into an apple. "Sounds like a place from a story."

"The Emerald Isle is Ireland," she said. "'Tis a giant island all the way on the other side of the world...yet it seems much further away. The land is all shades of green as far as the eye can see. But yea, 'tis a really magical place."

"I bet it is," he said.

The Irish girl sighed as she recalled her homeland, which was so far away now, never to see it again now that she was here in this strange land. There had been times she cried herself to sleep. Mam and Da would hug her and assure her that she would get used to living here. After all, it had only been a month since they left Ireland.

"You don't like it here?" he asked, seeing that she was sad.

"Americay is fine and all, but..." she replied.

"I guess you're homesick," he said. "Don't worry. You'll get used to it in no time. I'll show you around if you'd like."

A small smile came from Irene. "I'd like that."

Soon the recess bell rang, getting both of their attention.

"I guess we should be gettin' back," she said, standing up and smoothing her dress out.

Jack smirked as a mischievous idea came to him. "Or...I got a better idea," he said. "We could play hooky and have a little fun instead."

Irene looked at the impish face of the teenage boy. He looked JUST like the fairies in the bedtime stories told by her Da. Little tricksters. Well, he certainly had their kind of personalities. Irene was tempted by the offer to have fun...especially from a charming devil like this boy.

"Mm I don' think so," she said.

Jack pouted as his offer was declined. "Spoilsport!" he whined in childishly.

"Well, ye got me in trouble on my first day, Jackson!" she argued. "I don' want t' get in any more of it."

"Well YOU pushed me in the creek and got my clothes wet," he countered with a playful look. Then decided to embarrass her, "And looked at me when I was naked."

"I SAID I SAW NOTHIN'!" she shouted, her Irish temper boiling, smacking him in the head with her books.

"Well, well, Miss Prim and Proper has a temper," he teased with a devious smile.

"And yer an uncouth, pertinent, and arrogant lad," she shot back.

"Ooh! Such BIG words! What other words do you know?"

"Ah feck off, ye jack arse!"

Another chuckle from the boy. "Ooh! Did I hear a lady just curse? Now that's something you don't hear everyday," he replied sassily.

Irene sighed in exasperation. She couldn't win. He was impossible! Still, she really wanted a friend...and she hardly knew anyone here in America. Jack was her first friend. He seemed nice. He made her laugh...yet he teased her. She'll have to see how things went with this devil named Jackson.

They went back to school. Jack tried to sit still in class. His damp clothes were itchy, making him fidget. Not that he cared about getting in trouble since he always brought it. Irene giggled a bit as she watched the devil twitch uncomfortably, quite pleased that she did push him in the creek. Well, he admitted he deserved it after getting her in trouble and he was willing to deal with it after school.

Once school was over, they parted ways. Jack and Emma went home together.

"Did you like school?" he asked her.

"Yea," she said. "Do you like that girl, Jack?"

He shrugged. "She's pretty nice. I think she just needs a friend."

"You got her in trouble though," she said.

"Yea. I guess I did," he said with a shrug, his chestnut eyes sparkling.

When they got home, they were greeted by his mother. She saw the state of Jack's clothes.

"Goodness, Jackson!" she said. "What happened to you? Were you playing in the creek again?"

This was a common occurrence for her son. Always coming home a mess, dirty, or in some sort of trouble.

"No. I got pushed in," he said. "But it's alright. I deserved it."

His mother shook her head with a smile. Typical of Jack. Always a hellion. "Well get out of those clothes, young man," she said. "Don't want to catch a cold."

He nodded and got out of his clothes, hanging them near the fire so they would dry. He got dressed in night clothes. Being in dry, clean clothes felt good on his skin after sitting all day in damp ones. He joined up with his family at supper.

"Did you have a good day at school?" asked his mother.

"Yes, Mother," her two children replied in unison.

"Anything new happen?"

"Mm...I made a new friend," said Jack with a shrug.

"Oh?" she replied with a smile. "Well that's wonderful."

Jack was well-liked and made friends easily, especially by children of the village. He made them laugh. His mother was sure he would be a wonderful father someday when the time came for him to find a wife. He took care of her and his sister since their father died long ago. He stepped up and took the role of the man. She was proud of her son. She just wished he would stay out of trouble sometimes...but what could she do? That was just who he was.

"He got a girl in trouble at school," said Emma.

Jack made a small chuckle and blushed sheepishly. Another amused head shake from his mother. She ruffled her son's hair.

"Was this the new friend you made, Jack?" she said.

"Yes," he admitted.

"What's her name?" asked his mother.

"Irene O'Shea," he replied. "She talks a little funny, but she's pretty cute. I think she really needed a friend though. She's not really from around here."

"Interesting, Jack. Where's she from?"

"She said she was from Ireland," he replied. "She calls it the 'Emerald Isle' though."

"The land of emeralds?!" said Emma excited. "Wow! They must be rich if they're from an isle made of emeralds."

Jack laughed. "Yea, sure." He played with his sister's hair, making her smile.

"She sounds like a nice girl, Jack," said his mother. "Maybe have her over for supper sometime. I'd like to meet her."

He nodded in agreement to that. He'd like her to meet his family someday.

After school, Irene went right to church to go to confession. Irene couldn't believe how bold the lad was to strip naked in the woods like that. Americans were strange. Then again, the Irish certainly had their ways. She recalled the time she caught her brothers with their friends, their trousers down...doing something naughty. They begged her not to tell anyone for fear of getting beaten with the shillelagh. She swore to keep their secret...like she would ever tattle on her brothers!

Upon arriving at church, she went inside and met the priest.

"What brings you here, my child?" asked the priest.

"I need t' confess, Father," Irene replied. Licking her lips nervous, she began her confession. "Forgive me, Father. For I have sinned. 'Tis been a fortnight since my last confession."

"And what sins do you have to confess, my child?" the priest asked.

"Mm, I told a lie, used the Lord's name in vain, I cursed..." she said, starting with the easy ones that she did often. Then the big one came. Her cheeks were burning as she thought about her sinful deed. The shame. Her voice quavered as she began to confess. "I...had impure thoughts while looking at a lad...when he was..." She swallowed. "Naked."

"You gazed upon his shame, my child?"

"I didn' see much...just a littl' of his...backside."

"I see," said the priest. "And why were you in the woods with a naked boy?"

"'Twas sort of an...accident," Irene said with a shrug. "Nothin' happened. Y'see I pushed him in the creek as a joke...and he got wet so...he went int' the woods to undress...and I tried to resist lookin' and...well, y'know, temptation got t' me...I looked a little. But I didn' see very much. I did have impure thoughts...a littl'...but I would never act on them."

"Very well, my child," said the priest. "Your sins are forgiven. For your penance, say the entire rosary twice. Go and sin no more."

Irene responded her closing prayer with the priest and did her penance. She felt so embarrassed...even at confession. She hoped that her sins would stay with the priest. Lord forbid word got out about this.

Once home, she sat with her family, eating dinner in silence. Her older brothers, Ryan was twenty. Kiernan was eighteen. Kiernan had seen his baby sister get in trouble, caused by a boy. He decided to tease her.

"Anything new happen to ye, Irene?" asked Kiernan slyly.

"No," she replied, through her grit teeth, munching her supper.

"Didn't ye make a new friend...a boy perchance?"

"Mind yer business," she hissed, kicking him in the shin. "And he's not my friend!"

"Ah, ye made a new friend, Irene?" said her mother.

"He's a devil," said Irene. "And we're not friends...not really. I barely know him."

"Ye came home late today," said her father. "Did ye get lost?"

"Mm no. I went t' confession after school," Irene said. She decided to lie a bit. She didn't want her parents to know she saw a boy naked in the woods. "Y'know fer gettin' in trouble. I sort o' lost my temper."

"Alright," said her mother. "Ye really need to behave yerself, Irene."

A bored nod came from the Irish girl. Typically she heard this everyday.

"Yes, Mam," she said. "I know. And I'm tryin'. Really I am."

The next day, Jack and Emma went to school. While milling around with the younger children, he saw Irene a few yards away. He stared at her, coming up with some ideas to tease her. He retreated to the woods to the creek, grabbing up the first frog he saw. He held the slimy creature between his hands, loose enough for it to breathe and tight enough so it wouldn't get away. He chuckled at the reaction he imagined he was going to get from Irene from his prank.

Once in class, hearing the monotonous lesson, he looked at the Irish girl, sitting about an arms length adjacent to him. He chuckled quietly as the frog squirmed, tickling his hands. He waited for the right opportunity and shoved the creature just at the tip of her nose. Irene looked up from her desk towards the front of the room, only to be nose-to-nose with an ugly frog. It was just as he predicted: Irene went cross-eyed and gasped, startled. Jack couldn't help himself and suppressed a laugh. Some of the boys mimicked her gasp and a few laughed. The schoolmaster shushed them.

She glared at Jack, who looked like he was going to explode, then shook her head. This lad was annoying! He tucked the frog away in his lunch pail. Then he made some silly faces and stuck his tongue out at Irene. Irene did see him doing this in the corner of her eye and ignored him. This devil was getting on her nerves with his teasing and tricks. In childish impudence, he gave her pigtail a sharp yank. The girl shot up out of her desk, stiff as a board and her body shook. Her face turned red, her green eyes glittered with rage and bulged.

"Jackson, ye bloody devil!" she shrieked vehemently.

She punched him in the face hard, knocking him out of his seat; his feet went over his head. The class gasped in horror and some laughter at the sight of what the Irish girl had done.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

Jack tasted blood...and felt a tooth in his mouth. He was quite surprised that a punch like that came from a girl, feeling force that went into it. His cheek throbbed painfully. He discretely spat the tooth out into his hand, wiping some blood off his lip.

"Irene O'Shea!" the schoolmaster said angrily. "What is the meaning of this outburst?!"

"It's my fault, sir," Jack admitted. "I was teasing her."

Irene frowned a bit, standing frozen. Her blood was boiling, shaking and sweating with rage from her Irish temper.

"Up here right now, Miss O'Shea," said the schoolmaster, grasping the back of her dress, marching her towards the front. "I will not tolerate such a temper in my class."

Jack felt so guilty. Now he had done it: he got his new friend in trouble. He'd gone too far with his usual playful jokes. He wished he could take the punishment for her...until he came up with an idea, looking at his lunch pail with a impish look.

"Palm up, Miss O'Shea," said the schoolmaster.

Irene held out a trembling hand. She was just about to get her hand rapped until a frog landed smack on the schoolmaster's desk, making him yell in surprise; papers scattered all over the place as the frog hopped off it. Irene looked towards Jack who gave a sheepish look. She couldn't help but suppress a laugh...the entire class burst into laughter as the schoolmaster shrieked, making a stupid fool out of himself.

"FROST!" the schoolmaster shouted, apoplectic.

Jack stood up automatically.

"Get over here NOW, Frost!"

The boy walked over, ready to receive his punishment. His pants were lowered to his mid thigh, exposing his bottom. Irene blushed and turned away, quite embarrassed. Jack blushed as well.

Whack!

The paddle made contact with the plump flesh. Jack hissed, gritting his teeth. Another strike hurt worse than the next. He blushed as he took his punishment, even though he was used to it. Tears welled up in his brown eyes, willing himself not to cry. His bottom turned a shade of pink, stinging and burning. Sometimes the paddle got the part where Jack sat down. It hurt so much!

Irene shut her eyes, listening to the awful sounds of Jack getting punished. The slap of the paddle. The hisses and whimpers. It made her flinch. She had witnessed her older brothers get punished and it scared her. Tears welled up.

After his punishment, Jack pulled up his trousers, hissing as the material brushed against the tender spots of his red bottom. His eyes were wet. Jack didn't know which hurt the most: his face or his bottom. He got quite a paddling for his trick. Yet it was worth it. He hoped Irene's punishment would be forgotten...turns out he was wrong. He frowned, tearfully rubbing his backside.

Irene was smacked on the palm with the ruler though she would rather get paddled for displaying her uncontrollable temper. The ruler came down on her smooth palm, making a red mark. Irene didn't cry, but she still felt tears in her eyes. It hurt so much, but she couldn't imagine the devil Jackson's punishment. How embarrassed he was having his bare backside exposed to the entire class, getting spanked. Hers seemed like nothing.

Once the punishment was over, the two of them stood there with their faces against the wall in the corner. They stayed inside, missing recess.

Irene was both angry and grateful at the same time. She didn't know what to feel. He embarrassed her and yet he tried to spare her from getting punished since it was his fault. Still, she refused to look at him.

Jack glanced over at the schoolmaster to make sure he wasn't looking. He had to apologize.

"Irene," began Jack with a whisper.

"Jus' don' talk t'me, ye jack arse!" she hissed low.

"Look," he said. "I'm really sorry, Irene. I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I was just teasing."

"Ye can be really mean, Jackson, ye know?" she answered, her voice quivered with white-hot anger. "Ye embarrassed me!"

"Yea, I guess so," he said sheepish. "Look, I won't embarrass you like that again. I promise."

Irene looked at Jack's soft eyes. She didn't trust this devil of a boy, yet he took a huge punishment. Besides, Irene didn't have many friends in America. She hardly knew anyone. She had been in America for only a month now, she was still homesick. She missed her friends and her home back in Ireland. Jack was her only friend...well sort of, so far. Yet why did he tease her so much? Well, at least he was sorry when he realized he had gone too far.

"Ye better keep that promise, Jack," she said, still hard.

"I will," he assured. "I think that punch in the face taught me a lesson anyway."

She laughed quietly."Oh and I don' suppose that paddling didn't?"

"Nah," he said. "I'm used to it. Jeez! You're awfully strong for a girl."

Another small chuckle from the girl. "Did I hurt ye, Jack?" she said a bit worried.

"You knocked my tooth out," he said. "But that's alright. It was loose anyway. Now I can put it under my pillow for the Tooth Fairy."

Irene smirked a bit. She had punched her brothers many times, knocking their teeth out. Until Mam told her that ladies don't fight, especially not with their fists. How her temper was wild as an untamed horse.

"In Ireland, we have a mouse that collects the teeth we lose," she said.

"Interesting," he said. "There's no tooth fairies in Ireland."

"There's fairies," said Irene. "Like leprechauns, changelings, an' banshees...oh and pookas. They're tricksters...like ye, Jack. I think ye might be one of them.

Another smirk from the boy. "Oh? And which one would I be?"

"Well, one thing's fer sure is yer..."

"A devil. So you've told me," he said still smirking. He liked that he was called that. Indeed he was.