Chapter 9: The same day; Derry.
Tuesday Evening. November 25th
It was just after 6:30pm when Erin knocked on James's bedroom door. James was putting his t-shirt on after changing out of his school uniform. As she opened the door, Erin's eyes widened, she felt her cheeks blush. James had his back to her; he turned and was surprised to see her. James was slightly embarrassed; he quickly pulled his t-shirt down. Erin bit her lip with the same embarrassment as she leaned against the doorway.
"Hiya." She said.
"Alright? Sorry I thought it was Michelle." James blushed.
"Erm…. Ya Aunt Deidre said that she wants ya." Erin stumbled over her words. James raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"You're a bit brave coming up here on your own. They might think some funny business is going on if I don't shift quickly, right?" James sniggered.
"Oh, and what funny business is that Mr Maguire?" Erin asked flirtingly.
She pulled an awkward looking face, trying to look seductive, Erin folded her arms when she saw James snigger at her animated expression. James walked to exit the room but stopped and gently pulled Erin close to him. Erin smiled as they went in for a kiss.
"James! Are ya fucking coming?!" Michelle shouted. James rolled his eyes.
"Not at this rate. I'm not." He whispered annoyingly. Erin spurted out laughing, James joined her.
"Ye better shift." Erin laughed.
"Yeah ok." James agreed. Planting a gentle peck on her lips.
Erin smiled as she watched him walk down the stairs. She then turned and ambled around inside James's bedroom, taking in the neat, tidy surroundings. It was a room that she'd never been in before, until now. She playfully pulled on the wee scarf hanging on the coat hanger, recognising it from prom night. Erin turned and regarded the desk that was neatly organized. The desk was stacked with schoolbooks and a reading lamp. The room was quiet, and she thought it would be a perfect place to study, or retreat to, no distractions, no interruptions. "Chance would be a fine thing." She thought to herself, remembering the bustling environment that was her home. She glanced up at the framed poster of Goodfellas above the desk. "I really need to sit down and watch that film one day." She thought. There was a piece of paper sticking out of a box folder that was on the shelf above the desk. Erin pursed her lips together and pulled the box folder from the shelf. Placing it on the desk, she opened the folder to slide the paper back in place.
Erin noticed that the front piece of paper appeared to be some kind of coursework. She sat down at the desk and began to read it. She gawked slightly as she realized what it really was, "Marco's letters?" She thought. Flipping the pieces of paper back, her suspicions were confirmed. Erin pulled the letters out of the folder and flipped the papers back, glancing at the dates, they were in chronological order. She folded back to the first letter and started to read. In her mind, Erin remarked to herself as she spotted certain quips and questions as she flipped through the different letters.
"Let me know if you want me to pop in to see your mum."- Aww, that was nice of him. Undeserved, but nice.
"Haven't done much this week. Only been 2 months since you left. It's not the same without you down at the park. Missing you bruv."-Ach, poor critter.
"Sorry it's been a while, mate. Nanna's been in hospital. Been visiting her a lot. She asked about you."-Awwwwww.
"That cousin of yours sounds like a right mental case. Why didn't she just take the jobs off the notice board?"- Christ! She'd lay you out if ye said that to her face, Marco.
"Don't say anything, but I think Orla looks pretty. She's got nice eyes."- Oh. My. God! He thought Orla was…. My God! He's fancied her for ages. Huh- Imagine that!
"I take back what I said about Michelle… that nun sounds like the real mental case hahaha." - Dead on.
"That's a bit odd. Why was Erin getting so bothered about you pulling some Russian girl? Sounds like she might be jealous, mate." Ach, Catch yourself on- well maybe I was …
Erin continued to flip through the letters, searching for more trinkets of information. She then came across another old school photo; a rugby team photograph which had James and Marco in the front row with beaming smiles. Erin grinned widely at the photograph. -James played rugby?! She thought, sniggering at the thought despite the evidence in front of her.
"Watcha doing Erin?" Orla shot her head around the doorway. Making Erin jump out of her skin.
"Christ, Orla, You really do want me to cack myself, don't ya?!"
"Watcha looking at?" Orla asked, ignoring Erin's statement. Leaning over her shoulder.
"Well…. Take a good look at that for a start!" Erin chuckled, handing Orla the picture.
"Ach! Marco's hair!" Orla laughed. Dropping onto James's bed.
"Ye know, I think that Beatles hair cut just might suit you, Orla." Erin joked.
"Aye…. I could pull that off." Orla replied sincerely.
As Orla examined the photograph, Erin scoffed with a smile. She then saw the effort Orla was putting into trying to imagine herself with shorter hair.
"Orla…. I was only joking." Erin said, a slight hint of worry in her voice.
"Ach… on second thought. I wouldn't want my hair THAT short. Clare wouldn't be able to braid it then." Orla answered.
With Orla still holding onto the photograph, Erin breathed a sigh of relief. She imagined the reaction Sarah might give if Orla had cut her hair THAT short. Erin searched for a way to distract Orla, she then whipped out one of Marco's letters.
"Wanna know a little secret?" Erin asked.
"Always!" Orla replied happily.
"Have a read of this." Erin pointed to the piece of paper. She sat and awaited Orla's reaction as she watched her cousin read. Knowing what was written in the letter.
"…I can't believe it!" Orla said.
"I know… imagine that!"
"Aye…. That is unbelievable…. Michelle really kept that quiet, she did so."
"What?"
"Michelle wrote the script for the film Casino!" Orla said. Looking up.
"What are ye on about, Orla?!" Erin was perplexed.
"Well, The word "Fuck" is said 422 times, now I ask ye, who other than Michelle could write a film with THAT many fucks in it?" Orla explained.
"No! That's not the bit I was pointing to!" Erin snapped. She snatched the letter from Orla's hand. She searched for the correct paragraph.
"This bit!" She said, pointing at it.
Orla's face was a look of bewilderment as her eyes engaged the page again, focusing this time on the correct paragraph. As she read, Erin slowly began to see her cousin's eyes soften. Orla read the page down to the bottom of the page, realizing what she'd been reading; Orla closed her eyes and beamed a broad smile as she cradled the now folded letter against her chest, near her heart.
"I do have nice eyes, don't I?" Orla asked. Looking up at Erin.
"Aye, ye do Orla." Erin smiled.
"What's going on?" James asked, coming back into his room.
"Ach, James! Hi!" Erin said loudly. Snapping her head around.
"What've you been doing?" He asked inquisitively. Shifting his eyes between the cousins.
"Erin was reading ya letters, James!" Orla confessed.
"ORLA!" Erin shouted. James huffed in amusement as he saw the letter resting on Orla's lap.
"Oh, and what exactly have YOU been doing, Orla?" James asked, pointing to the letter.
"Nice haircut, James!" Orla smiled, holding the rugby photo up. James's eyes widened.
"Give that back, Orla!" James warned, half laughing.
"NOPE!" Orla jumped up, Erin grabbed James and pinned him against the wall, laughing as Orla bounded out of his room.
"I WANT THAT PHOTO BACK, ORLA! RIGHT NOW!" James called out.
"Ye have to catch me, James!" Orla shouted as she raced down the stairs.
"Uh…. you're gonna have get past me first, Mr. Rugby Man!" Erin grunted playfully.
"Erin! I swear…." James' sniggering was interrupted by the sound of Michelle laughing out loudly downstairs.
"OI! DICKO! THIS IS GOING UP ON THE NOTICE BOARD AT SCHOOL!" Michelle shouted.
"DON'T YOU BLOODY DARE, MICHELLE!... RIGHT!" James shouted; he grabbed Erin, making her shriek gleefully as her picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
"Watch out girls! He's coming!" Erin shouted as James made his way out of his room, Erin grabbed the doorway to stop James getting to the stairs.
"I WANT THAT PHOTO BACK!" James shouted, trying to sound serious, but failing miserably.
"HOLD HIM ERIN!" Michelle shouted as she and Orla made a quick escape out the front door with the photograph.
James scrunched his mouth as he admitted defeat. He gently lowered Erin off his shoulder. Her hands were hiding her incessant giggling. He shook his head and sniggered as well.
"What the bloody hell JUST happened?" He laughed. "Where are they going?"
"We're gonna pop round and see Clare, remember? Ach, catch on James." Erin answered.
"Oh…. So, we're gonna give her another reason for you lot to take the piss out of me?"
"Ach, ye love it, and ye know ye do!" Erin quipped. Poking his chest.
James conceded the truth behind Erin's notion, he had become so used to being the butt of the jokes within the group, he almost wore it like a badge of honour. He followed her down the stairs as they attempted to catch up with Orla and Michelle.
-There's one other thing I love…. He thought to himself as he watched her put her coat on. The young couple walked down the street with a spring in their step. Not really making much of an effort to catch up, they slowed down to be alone. Erin wrapped James's arm over her shoulder.
"So…. What did ye Aunt Deidre want?" Erin asked.
"Oh…. Uh…. It was a phone call." James said.
"What? From Marco?"
"No…. it was my mum." James answered.
Erin managed to catch herself before saying anything. Her eyes widened and shot about everywhere before she pressed further.
"How…. Is she?" Erin asked.
"Yeah… she sounds ok. It was just a catch up, really."
"Did ye…. Say anything... about us?" Erin asked.
"Yeah. I told we've starting dating."
"…. And?" Erin pressed.
"And what?" James asked, puzzled.
"Come on James. She must have said something."
"She said she thought you were a nice girl…. And that's it." James answered, Erin scoffed.
"Did she even ask ye how ya did with ya GCSE's?"
"Yeah, the day we got them…. Why?" James asked, remaining calm.
"It's just I wonder why she even bothers asking anything about ye!" Erin stated.
Erin turned to see James was looking at the ground as they walked. She realised she'd overstepped the mark.
"Sorry, James. I didn't mean to…. it's just…. How ya mammy treats you, it's like she treats ye like an old coat." James scrunched his eyes at her.
"No…. hear me out. I… I can't understand why she doesn't cherish ye more. Ye know? Like we do. Like…. I do?" Erin saw James's eyes relax.
He stopped walking and pulled her towards him. He brushed his hand across Erin's cheek and into her hair, leaned in, and kissed her.
"Nice to know I'm appreciated." James said.
"No…. the word is cherished." She corrected him.
Erin raised herself on to her tiptoes and they kissed again. The two embraced each other before continuing to try and catch up with Michelle and Orla. James smiled a secret smile.
Orla and Michelle kept looking behind them to see if James was in hot pursuit. After a few glances, they realised that they weren't being followed, they caught their breath and laughed amongst themselves as they looked at the photo again. Michelle looked at the rare glimpse of her cousin's past and couldn't wait until tomorrow to execute her idea.
"So, what ye gonna do with it?" Orla asked excitedly.
"I've got an idea." Michelle sneered with a twinkle in her eye.
"Like what? Ach, Come on Michelle! Tell me!" Orla was yanking on her coat.
"OI!" A deep voice shouted. Michelle and Orla's heads snapped round to see Mad Stab getting out of a parked car with Shannon O'Driscoll walking just behind him. Shannon was locked on Orla, who returned the same scowl. Michelle was frozen.
"Oh shit!" Michelle whispered.
"I want a word with ye!" Stab said as he walked up to Orla.
"You really can't let this thing with the tickets go; can you Mad Stab?" Michelle shot nervously.
"This has nothing to do with those fucking tickets…. Mallon!" Stab hissed at Michelle without looking at her.
"WE have bigger issues to deal with." Shannon scowled at Orla.
"Ach, is that right?" Orla sneered. Unmoved by Shannon's stance.
"Aye, that ye do." Shannon replied cockily.
"Are ye Orla McCool?" Stab asked angrily.
Orla's scowl loosened as she turned to see Mad Stab's eyes piercing through her.
"I heard from my cousin here that you're going with some English prick?" Stab asked.
"You're…. Shannon's cousin?" Michelle quivered.
"Don't ye call him that!" Orla said, repulsed and hurt at the insult towards Marco.
"Ach, and what ye gonna do about it, McCool? Ye gonna cry are ye?" Shannon taunted.
"Seriously, Shannon. Don't poke the bear." Michelle snapped angrily.
"Uh, I think ye were told to keep out of this, Mallon!" Shannon shot back, waving her finger around.
"Uh, how bout ye come out from behind that wall and say it to my face, mouth?" Michelle challenged her but Shannon didn't move.
"I'm not scared of ye. Either of ye" Orla raised her voice to the pair.
"What's going on here?" James and Erin raced up.
"Ach, look! the gang's all here." Shannon pronounced mockingly.
"What is going on?" Erin asked, her eyes were wide open as she cradled Orla.
"Ye stay out of this, English!" Stab pointed at James.
"In your bloody dreams!" James moved forward in front of Orla.
"James?!" Erin gasped.
"Ach look at him now! Big man all the sudden!" Stab sneered.
"James, back the fuck down." Michelle snapped.
"No! I've had enough of this! You might be bigger than me, but I'm not having you talk to the girls like this, especially my mate's girlfriend!" James stood firm.
Mad Stab burned a hole through James, he looked like a volcano that was ready to erupt. He breathed out slowly. James was shaking but stayed still.
"Alright then…. Ye can give ya boyfriend a message … from me. I heard he's coming back to Derry, correct?" Stab asked.
"Aye, that he is, so what!?" Orla barked. Coming out from behind James.
"God, Orla!" Erin gasped.
"Ye can tell Mario that if he comes back, Danny here is gonna be waiting for 'im!" Shannon claimed, standing behind Mad Stab.
"His name's MARCO!" Orla's eyes were like wild animals as she squared up to Shannon. The girl backed down but Mad Stab stepped between them.
"Ye just keep that mind. But if he's as stupid as ye are, I expect I'll see him around." Stab taunted her.
"Are ye stupid enough to take a swing now, Or-la!" Shannon smirked, still standing behind Mad Stab.
She cackled as she walked back to the car with her nose in the air. Seemingly with a sense of victory. Mad Stab stared through them all one more time before he finally walked away. As the car drove off, Orla shook with anger and adrenaline before the others huddled around her. Michelle glared at the car as it disappeared around the corner.
"I'll get that bitch! So I will, so help me God!" Michelle raged.
"That's not gonna do any good, is it Michelle?" Erin said.
"The fuck it won't." Michelle replied.
"Michelle, calm down. Erin's right, if you get into a fight with her, it'll just make things worse."
"Ach, and what were ye thinking just now, wank features?!... Ye alright Orla?" Michelle asked.
"….. Aye. I'm fine. I ain't plankin' it cos of her. No worries, Hi… motherfuckers!" Orla said playfully.
Orla held up the photo and waved it in front of Michelle. Erin and James marvelled at the unfazed spirit that was Orla. The feisty pack leader herself couldn't help but grin at Orla's playful jest. She was unique and they wouldn't have her any other way. Michelle marched on arm in arm with Orla while Erin and James walked behind them. James turned to see Erin had a concerned look on her face. He tugged on her jacket to stop her.
"What's wrong?" James asked.
"Are ye not just a bit worried?" Erin asked seriously.
"About what?"
"Christ! Wise up James! Ye heard what that lunatic said!"
"What do you want me to do, Erin? Call Marco and say -Listen, your girlfriend just got threatened, but don't come back here, it might not be safe for you?" James saw the worried look on her face.
"Erin… you can't let people like that bully you into being scared." James said.
"And what about Marco?" Erin shot back.
"Marco would say the same thing." James replied calmly.
"How do ye know that?" Erin asked.
"Because I know Marco." James said.
Erin paused. She shut her eyes in frustration. She hated feeling afraid. Despite growing up in a place where injustice and animosity were common, such a threat had never been so close to home before. She knew Orla would not be concerned; Erin believed that Orla was too aloof to sense the gravity of the situation. James wrapped his arms around her. Erin opened her eyes, letting her tears escape.
"It'll be ok." James said.
"I just don't want you or Marco to get hurt. I happen to care about ye both, ye know?" Erin sniffled, trying to jest.
"Yeah, I kind of picked up on that." James quipped.
"-I love ye, James." Erin thought as she gripped him tight.